Chapter 13 - Ponyville

Celestia stood in a large field on the outskirts of Ponyville. A gentle breeze flowed around her, forcing her ethereal mane to swoosh with a tad bit more fervor. She inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of the crisp air, which smelled rather clean for the deprived town that stood upwind.

All of Ponyville's streets had been barricaded, stopping all transportation in and out of the small town. Further inspection by her guard showed that the town's only food supply, a rather capacious apple orchard, was stripped bare of fruit and abandoned. She assumed the ponies had stored the apples inside the town, but there was no honest way of finding out.

As for the town itself, it had been barricaded about one week ago. All routes in and out of the city had been closed, a magical shield covering any entrance from the sky. The barriers were all easily dismantled through Celestia's eyes. She could have the shield and walls down in seconds. Her small force of two hundred soldiers would then quickly storm the town and reclaim it on her behalf, but she chose against it.

Through the sound of clanking metal she looked to her celestial body. It burned brightly in the midday sky. It wasn't that she didn't want to take back the town, it was more than that. She wanted them to willingly submit to her, to take down their own shield and barricades. She wanted them to confirm within themselves that she was and will be the only Princess, no, Queen of Equestria.

Whatever she had to do to have them understand that fact, Celestia would do without hesitation. Even if they refused to accept her, they would only need swift punishment to...convince them all.

Celestia turned her attention back to the small town of Ponyville. The town was completely surrounded. There had been multiple pseudo-ambassadors that had attempted to make an agreement, but all of them were denied. It had come to the point where it was now or never. The crisp breeze flowed around her body as she stepped closer to the village border. The grass crunched lightly under her hooves as she navigated the field of anxious soldiers.

The soldiers separated themselves to make a pathway for Celestia. Over the last few weeks her motherly personality had shifted drastically. She was no longer seen as a caring leader, but a harsh and cruel dictator. They avoided her not out of respect, but fear. She knew how they felt, but she didn't see any reason to change it. As long as the obeyed, they would be fine.

As Celestia approached the barriers that blocked her path, ponies began appearing above the barricades. They looked like curious squirrels, peaking from their home at a passerby underneath their home. She scoffed at their simple-minded nature. It appeared that word was spreading inside the town of her approach, as the rate of peeking heads doubled.

Celestia stood only a step away from the barricade that rose at least twice her height above her. She glared at it, as she would any unruly subject. Only this time it had a deeper meaning. It not only blocked her path, but also blocked the way to her ponies who were clearly confused and would only need a little persuasion to see things her way.

This pitiful barrier dared to stand in her way. This barrier had the insane gal to stop the queen of Equestria, and prevent her from doing her judicial duties. She simply would not stand for this.

The flimsy barricade erupted into a plume of smoke, debris, and ponies. A large fire burned down the rest of the resisting wall, setting fire to the buildings it rested on, and the ponies who still clung to its pitiful heights for safety. Screams came from the town as Celestia walked through the gaping hole she had blasted through the wall.

She certainly felt better about the situation now, actually something felt very different. Stopping to look at her reflection, Celestia peered into the window of a passing house, and smiled with glee.

Her once ethereal mane and tail of the brightest colors, was now on fire, raging about atop her head and in place of her tail. It was not that her mane and tail were on fire, rather, they were fire themselves. Her alabaster coat was now a bright yellow-orange, and her regalia, instead of being golden, was now red, the same red as the fire that swarmed on her head. Her golden shoes were now red as well, leaving a small spot of fire wherever she stepped.

"Oh how it feels to be free, to no longer put up that facade of being the generous, benevolent, understanding princess. Being just never accomplished anything for me. No, fear is the only true way to rule. No pony stands up to intimidation. No pony ever becomes brave, staring into the face of death." Celestia spoke to herself as she sauntered down the street toward the center of town.

What are you doing?

"Who said that?" Celestia asked the surrounding area.

I did.

"Who are you?" Celestia asked, looking about frantically, trying to see if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Oh, so you think I'm a prank? Some sort of joke?

"You can read my thoughts?!" Celestia barked frantically, quickly becoming infuriated by the invisible menace. Celestia chose to not lose her mind, and ignored the voice, continuing with her original plans.

She began to blaze the path once more into the center of the small town. It was clear to her that ponies were watching her from their houses, and the alleys that lay in between. She could feel the scowls,looks of pure hatred and disgust pierce her body. It was something she had grown accustomed to over the past days. It was a feeling she loved. Not so much the hate, but the fear. She could feel their fear as well, and fear was something she could use as a weapon against them.

Not shortly thereafter heads began peaking out of windows, and around street corners, and from behind barrels and carts. It brought a smirk to Celestia's face, knowing that they truly did fear her from the bottom of their beings. The fear was even detectible physically. The town was silent, so much so, that the wind could be heard rolling through the streets and over the rooftops. A wind chime sounded somewhere across town, emphasizing the stillness of Ponyville.

The soft gravel and dirt road crunched under her flaming hooves. Celestia felt a fit of laughter come upon her, and she entered the town center. It was completely barren. There were no ponies within sight, all choosing to stick to their hiding spaces. All of the homes and shops that she could see from where she stood, had their windows boarded, signs removed.

Of the four other main roads that led to the separate sections of town, two of them had the buildings dismantled, and reconstructed into defensive walls, and barriers. She walked into the center of the area, and looked around at the decrepit town.

“Is there nopony in this pathetic town that will stand against me?!” Celestia yelled. Infuriated, that nopony would even dare talk to her.

Silence was the only response from the town, except for her echo that bounced through the streets.

“Really? Is that how you want to play it? How would you like to explain the walls and shields to me, then? Would you like to make a defense for yourself, or would you all rather I just burn it all to the ground now?!”

Still, silence remained thick in the air.

“No! What are you doing?”

Celestia turned herself quickly, as a hushed voice came from behind her. She expected some sort of attacker. To her surprise, all she saw, was an orange pegasus filly with purplish hair, running at her as fast as her legs could carry her. The filly came charging up to her leg, and began furiously punching it.

“Hmmm, just what do you think you’re doing?” Celestia asked, truly perplexed by the bravery of the small filly, who was less than a fourth her size.

“I’m saving Ponyville. I don’t want you to do anything to it, or us. So i’m gonna beat you up, ‘till you stop.”

“Haha….HAHAHAHA.” Celestia burst out into a hysterical episode of laughter. She picked up the small filly with her magic, who quickly squeaked in surprise. “This. Haha. This young filly is what you cowards send to stop me? You don’t even think of diplomacy? Would you like her to die first?” Celestia asked, shaking the orange filly, in her magical grasp. “Is that really what you all want?”

“Stop, please!” Celestia’s attention was once again pulled in a different direction, where a large red earth pony stallion stepped out from behind a makeshift wall. He looked tall and strong for his age. He ran up to her, but kept a good distance for protection. “Stop torturing poor ol’ Scootaloo. She may be brave, but she doesn’t act all that smart.”

“So what are you going to do then?” Celestia asked him.

“Look, Princess-”

“Queen.” Celestia interrupted. “I am the Queen of Equestria now.”

The red stallion gave her a look of disbelief. “Look, Queen. We don’t like what you’re doing with Equestria. ‘N frankly, It’s downright despicable. How can you go round killing ponies, like they mean nothing to ya?”

“What on earth do you mean? They were traitors, and disobeyed my direct orders. I was doing my rightful duty and punishing them.”

“By killin’ em? That’s hardly just if ‘n ya ask me.”

“It’s the only way to get anything done in this nation. The nobles got in the way of my plans, so I removed them.” Celestia giggled slightly at that. “And besides, fear gets things done. Fear doesn’t question motive. Fear doesn’t disobey. So what else is there than to instill fear?”

“Anything! I could think of twenty different ideas that make more sense!”

“Look I didn’t come here to discuss motives. Why are all of you refusing my rule?”

“Because you’re an insane murderer, and we refuse to be ruled over by somepony like that.”

“Didn’t you get any of the message from my ambassadors?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, all of them.” The stallion replied.

The wind once again rushed through the town.

“So you absolutely refuse to have me as your queen?” Celestia asked, glaring at the stallion.

The stallion clearly gulped, nervousness wracking his body. “Yes. And nothing you can do will change that.”

Celestia was silent for a few moments. She looked down at the ground, sighing. “I see.” She looked toward the sun, which was now slightly entering the western sky. “Well than I see no other option.”

It was impossible to see to anypony else, but Celestia was furious. How dare they reject me! She thought to herself. After everything I did for them. I gave them this land, and this is how they repay me. These filthy, putrid, ungrateful swine! I’ll just take all the land back myself.

Keeping the filly in her magic, Celestia jumped into the sky and flew straight above the town. The filly, apparently named Scootaloo, began screaming. Celestia could feel the flames on her body grow more intense as her emotions boiled inside of her. By the time she was properly in the sky, she was grinding her teeth, and her eyes had turned white. The feathers on her wings had also now become fire, which somehow continued to keep her aloft. She raised the filly up to her eyes, and could see tears streaming down the filly’s face.

Celestia increased the magic in her horn. She turned the filly toward the sun, as the sun began darkening, not in luminosity, but in color. Instead of being a bright yellow, it was now a deep orange. The town below her erupted into a cacophony of screams. “Do you see this Scootaloo? Do you see the sun?”

The sun continued to darken, somehow changing the sky as well, becoming a shade of orange-yellow. “This is what happens, when you disobey a queen. This is what happens when you disobey me.”

Scootaloo was now audibly crying, almost to the point of hysteria. The sun was now a deep red color, nearing the shade of blood. “This is the fate of you, and all of Ponyville.”

She turned Scootaloo around so they could see each other eye to eye. “It’s a shame your bravery and courage only got you so far, my dear filly.”

Those were the last words she said to Scootaloo. She release the magic from her horn, letting the small filly plummet back down toward the ground. Within a split second, a beam of pure heat, and fire slammed into Ponyville. Celestia could feel the heat around her. It must have been around ten thousand degrees, which was a little cooler than she was hoping for, but it would do just the same. The beam had completely engulfed the town, obliterating all in it’s path. After a few moments, the beam finally ended. Celestia looked down. All that remained were blackened, stones. Anything flammable, was completely gone. The town now rested inside a charred circle, with fire quickly rising at its edges.

“It’s sad. It truly is. When will they learn.” She said, as she flew back down to the ground, to meet with her band of soldiers. It only took a moment for Celestia to realize that some of the ponies had escaped out of the sun ray, before it could strike. She landed behind a small mint-green earth pony mare, who had been stopped by a wall of spears.

“So these,” She smiled, “must be the new additions to our work force from Ponyville.”

Author's Note

Woah woah woah...I uploaded something?! I know, it's crazy right?

I know, I'm sorry. I have been trying to get this chapter done for quite a long time, and I every time I sat down to work on it, I just felt so disinterested. Thankfully, or maybe not, depending on who you are, Pandora played a really good song, that got my mind exploding with creativity. Thus, the chapter was finished.

I felt dirty writing the Scootaloo parts...very dirty. So much so, that I still feel the need to wash my hands, and scrub my brain with a pressure washer. I'm sorry for doing it, but it had to be done.

If any of you haven't noticed, I began a romantic story. Music and Emotion. I really like writing it, but I'm finding it difficult to decide which story to write for, because I want to write this story, because it's essentially my child, and I owe most, if not all, of my followers to this story, so as you can probably understand, I feel obligated to work on it. On the other hand, this new story is fun, and it's unfamiliar territory for me. Plus, I like the characters, and I feel like it's good practice for my writing and creative content. I don't know, I'm just rambling now.

Anyways, new story, I finally uploaded something, blah blah blah.

Let me know what you all think of the story so far. It would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading,
~BattleMaestro~