Storming of Canterlot

As General Campion led his troops up the steps of Canterlot Castle, a grin spread across his lips and his eyes flashed. With a blast of magic he slammed open the doors. The palace guards surrounded him. He looked and he saw the two traitorous Diarchs, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and some of her other friends. No clouds of darkness swirled around him, no mystical force caused them to fear. Princess Celestia addressed him in a proud tone of voice “Who are you? What are you doing in our royal presence?”

“For twenty years I have waited noble Princess,” General Campion said mockingly “while my family starved and you sat here stuffing yourself. While my country was ravaged by disease and the barbaric yaks from Yakyakistan tore through the country side. While I had to watch my mother die from grief at having her new born child die in her arms, while I had to bury my youngest brother and become a soldier so that they could make it through the next winter. I have waited, I have watched, I have trained, I have bled, and I have wished for this very moment.”

“You do not frighten me colt,” Princess Celestia said contemptuously “I alone am more powerful than you in magic and could turn you into a gnat.”

“You could,” General Campion said chuckling “but then, you wouldn’t be here to witness the power I have.”

At that very moment the guards surrounding Campion broke and ran for cover. A group of one hundred flyers from his regiment shot straight in and the battle ensued. Their horns lit up the hall as blasts of magic in rapid fire raked the ceiling and the floor. They had to hold off for at least five minutes, and then the rest of the regiment would be pouring in through the city gates to sack the city. Campion fought hoof and leg with a royal guardsman, but in no time he hacked him down, a blast of magic ripping a hole in his chest the size of a dinner plate. He turned around and saw two guardsmen fighting one of his friends, he threw himself at them, a battle cry reverberating from his lips “For Maretoniaaaa!!”

Twilight had no idea what was going on, she too fought side by side with Princess Celestia, she had no idea who General Campion was or what was happening, but she knew that she had to do something. She turned to Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie who were standing watching the ensuing battle.

“Come on,” she shouted above the screams of the dying “we have to get out of here!”

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, there was General Campion. His eyes flashed with a blue fire and his horn glowed all the way down to the base. He struck at Twilight with lightning speed, but she dodged just as fast, parrying with the best of her ability, horn, wings, hooves, the battle that went on between them was intense. Sweat dropped like rain down Campion’s face, but he pressed his advantage in speed, and power.  Twilight, more intelligent and surprisingly calmer, used her environment and her better flying ability than Commander Campion to out maneuver him and position herself in places of advantage around the castle. She knew the ground better than he did, but he didn’t let that bother him.

“Girls,” Twilight shouted over the clamor of battle “get out of here, now!”

Suddenly, Fluttershy was struck by a bolt of magic and went down. Seeing her friend, and the nicest creature she had known in pain sent Twilight into a maddening sickening rage. Her horn glowed crimson and her cutie mark flashed with a purple fire. Unperturbed, Campion used his opponent’s distress to create his next opportunity. He kept dodging her furious attacks, coolly calculating when he would strike next. Twilight went in for a side thrust with her horn, Campion dodged, and plunged his horn deep into her chest. Not enough to kill, but it knocked her out of the fight. Twilight’s eyes went wide, she screamed in pain as the hot searing blue fire cut into her like a hot knife through butter. Rainbow Dash rallied her friends to charge into the fray. Campion stood over Twilight’s sullen body, blood dripping from his horn as he laughed in triumph. All around them, palace guards, servants, and others were being mercilessly cut down by lances of blue and green magic. The Maretonians pressed their advantage and swept through the castle like a Changling swarm.

Princess Celestia crushed a Maretonian’s skull with one massive hoof as tears filled her eyes. How could she have been so blind? She thought How could she have let this happen to her friends, to her servants, to her ponies? She lashed out again, another vicious kick catching another Maretonian soldier square in the jaw and knocking him unconscious. Suddenly, she heard Twilight’s scream and turned to see her drop to the ground, with the Maretonian commander contemptuously shaking off Twilight’s blood from the horn.

“No!” She shouted and charged in with Rainbow Dash and the others to Twilight’s rescue. But Campion was ready for them, he was a juggernaut, a battering ram, a war hammer. Despite their futile efforts, he blocked and dodged every single attack. It was then when his rage boiled inwardly and he launched his own offensive against Princess Celestia. Using his flying harness to become equally the match of Princess Celestia in flight, they flew quick as lighting around the pillars of the hall. Chandeliers broke and showered deadly shards of glass into attackers and defenders alike. Celestia and Campion locked horns, shot powerful bursts of magic at one another. Princess Celestia levitated one of the broken stone pillars which had fallen in the hall to block Campion’s path, but Campion smashed it with his own spell of magic, his desire for revenge for his family and his friends outweighed the fighting spirit born out of desperation and fear. This was what his country wanted, this was what his ponies deserved!

Celestia, panic now in her eyes sent one last message to her sister, Luna telepathically Get them out of here, she urged now! Don’t argue, get all who can out of here!

Luna, obeyed without hesitating, she used magic to drag Twilight, Cadence, and Shining Armor to her and teleported far away in one brilliant burst of light.

Howling with rage Campion pressed his attack, and Celestia, knowing that her friends were safe, though still fighting for her life fought desperately to keep Campion at bay. But then, an opening presented itself, and Campion with powerful spell, struck Celestia in the chest. She fell like an angel, gracefully amid the chaos and hell which burned around Canterlot. Almost forgotten, Campion’s regiment had easily entered the city and the Sacking of Canterlot began. The houses, buildings, and towers erupted into flames and smoke etched in a dark haze across the now red sky. Campion landed next to Celestia’s crumpled but not yet lifeless form, looking down at her, he then let out a laugh which rang eerily across the now empty hall. The fires raged in Canterlot’s castle, and, lifting her body with magic, he carried Celestia as his prize captive to his superior officer, General Winter Gust.