Hours crept by slowly. The Revolutionaries had done everything they could think of to prepare for the inevitable assault. Using whatever they could to secure Town Hall and the surrounding area. They stockpiled whatever food and ammo they could. Shortly after the barricade was up Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell showed up with a couple of their old classmates. When Rainbow grilled them over their absence during the Celebration, they said they were gathering intel.

The barricade was a impressive sight. It was over two ponies high and reinforced with packed dirt. Booby traps and gun ports lined the wall of wreckage. The windows of the town hall were boarded up and converted into sniper roosts. Up the flag pole atop the building the blue flag of of the republic flew defiantly.

Rainbow paced through the air anxiously. She kept a constant vigil for anypony approaching, but as time passed by nopony came. The streets were just empty. She groaned, "What's taking them so long? They had the advantage at the castle. Why haven't they pressed it? Shinning Armor was always over cautious but he wasn't an idiot. The longer he waits the more likely help will come for us. Its only a matter of time before Luna defeats Celestia. She did it before."

"Maybe that egghead friend of yours is keeping up her end after all," offered Gilda.

"I hope so, but I want to get some action already. Waiting is boring."

"It ain't that bad," said AJ, "Fluttershy and I have had plenty of work tend'n the wounded in there. Luckily none of em died yet."

Rainbow conceded on that point and went back to pacing. Suddenly she spotted something in the corner of her eye. Down the street a cloaked figure creeping down the street towards the barricade. The figure darted from one poor hiding place to another. Whoever it was didn't want to be seen. "Hey! Who goes there!" Rainbow called out.

The figure froze, hesitated, then removed her hood. Twilight glanced back up the street, "quickly! Let me in before somepony sees me. Shiny has plenty of scouts watching this place."

The Republicans shifted a bookshelf that they used as a gate. The alicorn rushed in and was met with a giant hug from Pinkie. "I knew you weren't lying Twilight. Nopony ever breaks a pinkie promise."

Rainbow raised a eyebrow, "I thought you were passed out Pinks."

"I woke up."

The pegasus just shook her head. "Come on Twilight. We'll talk inside."

Twilight analyzed the defenses as they went inside. From her calculations the number of rebels holed up in here were about 400 or 500 total. Most of the rioters must have scattered when the fighting escalated. The barricade seemed strong,but the dome shield was very weak. None of the present unicorns were used to such advanced magic. That worked perfectly into her plan.

Over the thorough analysis, Twilight wore a facade of concern and worry. She was completely confident in her deception. She even held it together when she saw Applejack working on a big pot of stew.

Applejack gaped then smiled, "well I'll be a Timber Wolf's grandma. Ya came to yer senses after all. Thank goodness."

"My senses have never been more clear, but we don't have time to socialize. We have an emergency."

"Twilight!" Fluttershy interrupted with a hug. All her other friends joined in and they all snuggled each other.

"This is so great! All of us are back together again," said Pinkie.

Twilight cleared her throat, "girls we have a problem."

"What is it sugar cube?"

Twilight spoke up so everypony could hear, "everypony listen up. Right now the Wonderbolts are enroute from Cloudsdale to bomb the barricade." The crowd collectively gasped. The magic dome could probably handle small arms fire but not a full fledged bomb run.

Twilight continued, "There's still time to intercept them Rainbow. If any pony can defeat the Wonderbolts in a dogfight it's you."

The mare in question sprung into action, "Alright, I'll need all our best flyers for this. Applejack I need you to lead the others while im gone. Gilda I want you on my wing. We need to load up fast guys. What direction are they coming in from Twilight?"

"Their coming straight from Cloudsdale. If you hurry you can meet them right outside of Ponyville. Don't worry about AP guns. I told Shining Armor to place them on the Canterlot flight path. That should be-"

"LIAR!" The attention of the room shifted to Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell. Both wore hurt looks on their faces. "She's lying. She's trying to lead you into a trap."

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Twilight.

Scootaloo procured a stack of pictures from a saddlebag, "The AP guns are set up toward Cloudsdale. Right where she suggested you engage the Wonderbolts. They aren't even coming anyway."

Rainbow took the pictures and looked over them. "Gilda," She barked.

Twilight shuttered as the griffons massive claws gripped the scruff of her neck and lifted her off her hooves. She was starting to get desperate, "Wait! no! That's impossible. Colonel Armor must have-"

"Stop lying!" Sweetie Belle demanded, "You gave those orders yourself." She took a small tape recorder out of the bag and played it.

"Precisely, set up the AP guns and a company of pegasi guards up along the most direct route to Cloudsdale. I will get Rainbow Dash to take her own pegasi out there to meet the Wonderbolts. Order them to blast her out of the sky."

"Where did you get that?" growled Twilight. She looked ready to pounce on the young mares.

They smiled, "That's easy. We're CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SUPER SECRET AGENTS."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Should've known all of you would be in on it."

Rainbow cut in, "Gilda, lock this spy in one of the offices, Somepony put a disabling spell on her horn. We hold her until Luna arrives. She will decide you fate Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight burst out into maniacal laughter, "you still haven't figured it out yet? Luna is dead. Your little rebellion was over before it even began."

Rainbow looked like she was slapped in the face. "No! Your lying again!"

"Don't believe me if you wish." Twilight activated her magic. Before Gilda could respond she was levitated and thrown across the room slamming against a wall.

"Twilight," Fluttershy peeped.

"I tried to give you all a chance to surrender peacefully. I tried to relieve you of Rainbow's foalishness. But now I see that you cannot be reformed."

Twilight unclasped her cloak and drew a cocked pistol out. Fluttershy squeaked a little louder, " Twilight, please stop.

Twilight took an authoritative tone, "by the power invested in me I sentence you all to death. Starting with you 24601." She lowered her pistol at the orange mare.

As she pulled the trigger her aim was obstructed by a yellow figure yelling, "Stop!!" BANG!

Fluttershy fell to the floor clutching a ugly red hole in her chest. Twilight dropped the gun in shock. Applejack and Rainbow Dash rushed to their friend's aid. They applied pressure on the wound while Pinkie Pie, whose mane had deflated like a balloon, whipped out a roll of bandages.

Fluttershy was breathing irregularly, but she was still alive. When her bleeding was stopped Applejack stood up and fixed her hat. The Apple stepped in front of the fallen pegasus and stared at Twilight with piercing green eyes, "Alright Twilight. Ya want a fight Ah'll give ya a fight."

She whipped out Big Mac's blunderbuss from its place on her back and blasted it. Twilight snapped back into reality and threw up a magic shield, stopping the pellets in midair. "Time to end this, traitor."

Twilight shot a series of magical blasts. AJ weaved through them and tried to land a swift buck, but Twilight teleported just in time. The alicorn took to the air. In a strafing run she rapidly fired her magic. Applejack broke into a gallop to a avoid the fire.

Meanwhile Gilda woke up with rage in her eyes. Before she could charge that little dweeb Rainbow Dash held her back. The cyan pegasus shook her head, "This is AJ's fight. Get everypony outside or upstairs. Make sure Fluttershy is alright."

Applejack finally managed to take cover behind a column. She took her lasso in mouth and hopped back out in the open. Twilight was coming back round for another run. With perfect accuracy, AJ roped the princess and yanked her down. "Git dern her," she said through her teeth.

The sudden force was too much for Twilight and she came crashing down head first. Her horn embedded in the wood floor. Quick as a jackrabbit AJ jumped on her and started hogtying her wings down. Before the cowpony could get to the legs Twilight pulled her horn free and tossed AJ off the same way she did with Gilda.

Applejack spun the air and jumped off the wall back toward Twilight, "Look at yerself Twi. Can't ya see what ya've become?"

Twilight dodged AJ and jabbed with her horn. The orange mare was forced back. "Don't presume to judge me. I am doing my duty as the element of magic."

The two mares circled each other, looking for an opening. "And that duty includes killing fillies and lock'n up old friends?"

Twilight stabbed with her horn again, but AJ ducked under it and swept her fore hooves out the same way she took down Prince Blueblood. However Twilight teleported again before the earth pony could buck her. "For the good of Equestria yes and I don't regret any of it."

Applejack charged Twilight, dodging a few more magic blasts. "What good? Everypony is miserable! Including y'all. Half of Ponyvillle is starv'n n' the streets of Canterlot are run by gangs. Do ya have any idea how desperate I was before Rarity found me?"

Both mares reared up and began striking each other with their fore hooves. Twilight used her magic to counter Applejack's amazing strength. "Are there no guards? Are there no public houses? There are programs to provide for the poor. You have no excuse."

"We don't need no programs. All those pencil pushers and guards did was push me around and care for nopony but themselves. It ain't any government's job to be kind and giv'n for ponies."

Twilight blew Applejack away with a flash of of her horn. "What do you know about politics farm girl?"

Twilight went back to ranged combat. AJ did everything she could to escape the barrage. "I know that Rarity did more to raise the spirits of those ponies than yer programs ever did."

"Oh forgive me for being to busy trying to keep harmony in a country full of Republicans. So long as your kind exist there will never be harmony."

Applejack finally managed to duck under the magic blasts and scoop up her blunderbuss. She brought the butt around and swung it like a club. "Quit fool'n yer self Twi. Ya can't bring harmony ta anypony."

Twilight parried with and energy sabre. However her magic faltered a little under AJ's accusation. "What are you talking about?"

Applejack pressed her makeshift club into Twilight's magic, slowly overwhelming it. "Yer the traitor Twilight. You betrayed us all. You tried to have Rainbow murdered. You alienated all yer friends and made us yer enemies. Ya watched my sister sister hang, shot my brother, stole my home away, and left me to rot in the mines. Why? Because I loved and supported my family instead of you."

"That's not true!" Tears were coming from Twilight's eyes.

"To top it all off you've lied. Not just to us but to yerself. You keep saying yer defending harmony, but yer actions have made you an enemy of harmony. Yer blinding loyalty to Celestia has turned ya into a monster. A cruel, selfish, miserable, dishonorable monster. just as bad as Nightmare Moon."

"SHUT UP!" Twilight forced Applejack away and entered into a magic surge. Her eyes glowed as all her anger, confusion, and hate overwhelmed her. With barely a conscious thought, she directed all that energy towards Applejack. A beam of magic launched from her horn with a roar. There was no dodging this so Applejack just planted her hooves into the ground and braced herself.

Twilight hadn't used this much power since the Tirek incident. The blast engulfed Applejack and tore through the wall and barricade behind her. The vibrations were felt all over Ponyville. Yet when the beam dissipated, Applejack remained unscratched. In fact she seemed to be glowing softly. Even her stetson and blunderbuss were untouched by the attack that should have vaporized them on the spot.

Twilight on the other hoof lay on the floor exhausted. Her horn sparked with the last bit of magic in her system. AJ approached the alicorn and pinned her down. She shook her head, "Yer all out Twilight. This is over."

Twilight groaned, "just kill me already. Take your revenge for Luna. For Fluttershy. For your family. I know that's what you want to do."

"Yer right I do wanna kill you," Applejack raised a hoof and Twilight flinched in expectation. However, instead of a death blow she felt the rope tying her wings down loosen. Twilight opened her eyes in surprise. She quickly got up on shaky hooves. She turned towards Applejack to thank her, but the orange mare's glare stopped her.

"Let me make this crystal clear to ya," AJ said with a disproving tone, "Yer dead to me. What you've done is beyond my forgiveness. Ya don't deserve to be called the Princess of Friendship and ya definitely don't deserve to be called anypony's friend. Git outta here and tell Celestia that so long as we draw breath, we will continue to fight until everypony in Equestria is free. If ya have a lick of sense ya'll never show yer face in this town again. Now git."

Twilight's eyes watered with real tears, "Applejack, I'm sorry"

"I said git!" Applejack yelled. Twilight ran out the hole in the wall as fast as she could. As soon as she cleared the barricade, she opened her wings and flew off toward the castle.

Author's Note

This chapter was a blast. Finally we have our epic duel between AJ and Twilight. No song this time. I felt that the dialog would be more appropriate than a reprise of The Confrontation or something. Hope you enjoyed. Like, comment, critique, do whatever you want.