Three days after Twilight’s assention…

“Sister? Are you alright?” Luna asked, walking into the bedroom where Celestia had been holed up. After what had happened in Canterlot, Celestia had become very withdrawn, only coming out once when she was forced to do so by the Queen’s soldiers. Luna knew what was bothering her, but had thought it was best to wait and approach the subject when her sister was ready to talk. Since that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, she decided to just go for it. After putting up a privacy spell of course.

“How are things progressing?” Celestia asked, her voice quiet and lacking in its familiar warmth. She was staring out the window, looking at Canterlot, just as she had been these last few days.

“The soldiers are reducing their numbers, but there will still be a formidable force here on our land, just in case,” Luna replied. “They haven’t found anything, as expected, but they still want to keep us under surveillance. They have questioned all of Twilight’s friends and family, but have not seen the need to take any of them into custody.”

“At least there’s that,” Celestia said sadly.

Luna sighed. “Sister, please. You can’t blame yourself for this.”

“Can’t I? I was the one who insisted she come with us. I knew she might get hurt because of my dreams and I brought her anyway. I…I'm the one who failed to protect her.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head and her voice cracked as tears began to flow once again, just as they had every day since Twilight was taken from them.

Luna closed the distance between them and wrapped her forelegs and wings around her sister. “Tis not your fault, Celestia. You know as well as I do that ignoring your visions only leads to disaster. Even if we don't yet know why, these events must be happening for a reason. We must simply have faith.”

“Faith won’t save her,” Celestia whispered. “And we’re stuck here at least until they lock her in that anti-magic room. I…The last time I felt so helpless was when…”

“We had to watch Mother pass away,” Luna said, her own eyes watering at the thought of their late mother. But she shook her head. “And that is exactly why we must act now, sister.”

Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?”

“We had to watch our Mother pass away. We were powerless to do anything then, but that is not the case now,” Luna said, smirking. “I have a plan.”

“Luna…” Celestia sighed. “If we get caught, or do anything ourselves, we’ll basically be declaring war on every other alicorn in Equestria, including the Queen.”

“We are ALREADY at war,” Luna said, glaring. “Or did you send our spy to snoop around Canterlot for fun? Did you send our butlers to sabotage massive projects that would harm thousands of ponies just to smite the ones behind said plans? Did you raise Twilight just so she could be a normal Keeper?”

“No…”

“Then, by all means, we have been at war for years now, and I refuse to give up the fight now,” Luna said. “Freedom for the common pony would never come about without conflict. If Mother’s prophecy is to come true, then we need to be willing to see this through to the end. And right now, that means giving Twilight everything she needs to succeed.”

Celestia sighed, but nodded. “You’re right, Luna. We’ve taught her all we could and did our best to prepare her mind, but right now, we need to give her freedom. I assume that’s where your plan comes in?”

“Indeed, sister. Our spy got back to us while you were moping. The Queen’s doctors have confirmed that Twilight is indeed an alicorn, however, they have also found through standard test that her magic has been severely drained. This lack of magic is why she is still unconscious, and they believe that she will more than likely wake up the day before her room is completed.”

“So we need to get her out before then,” Celestia said, but Luna shook her head.

“No, we need to get her out once she is awake. Having her be unconscious will only add strain to the rescuers, who will need to defend an unconscious pony as well as themselves. If she is awake, then she can provide assistance.”

“Who will we send? We can’t leave without arousing suspicion.”

“Flash Sentry and Spike.”

“Are you sure sending only one Butler and a baby dragon with no combat experience will be such a great idea? I especially don’t think Twilight would approve of us sending Spike into the most guarded place in Canterlot.”

“I already caught the two of them trying to sneak off our land and go save her themselves,” Luna said, smiling slightly. “Brave, yet foolish.”

“But how will they get in?”

“I already contacted our spy. They will create a small hole in the prison's anti-teleportation spells to let me send them in. The spy will also blow open the bars they have in the sewer, allowing them to escape in the last place anyone expects.”

“But how will they find Twilight?”

“Our spy is currently looking into her location and will send me the directions to get there, and I will give them to Flash and Spike. They will also attempt to smuggle a key into Twilight’s cell, allowing her to remove her magical restraint.”

Celestia nodded, but then frowned. “This seems like a good plan, sister, but considering how important Twilight is at the moment, I doubt a single Butler and a baby dragon can handle all the security there. Unless you have a plan for that?”

“Indeed I do,” Luna said. “I have contacted our old friend Wall Flower and called in the debt she owes us. She will set up a number of cannons in the valley below Canterlot and cast a ‘come to life’ spell on them. This will let them automatically reload and fire until they either run out of ammunition or are disenchanted. That should provide an ample distraction, don't you think?” She smiled cheekily.

For the first time in days, Celestia smiled. “Yes indeed. It is truly a plan only you could come up with, sister. It’s so crazy that it might just work,” she said, dodging a playful wing slap from her younger sister.

______________________________________________________________________________

Shortly after Twilight is captured…

“Get off!” Flash yelled from below the bodies of Thunder and Lightning, both of whom were trying to restrain the struggling pegasus.

“Not until you calm down,” Applejack said, standing nearby, but trying to keep her distance. By now, everypony had returned to the village and had learned what Twilight had done. Second Sight had spent the time developing a mixture to remove the sleep spell cast on Flash and the others. Spike was the only one she left asleep. After seeing Flash’s reaction, nobody wanted him to try and run off to Thorn’s property to try and help Twilight.

“Calm down!? Twilight’s been captured by THORN! I’ll calm down when I break her out and lock her in Second Sight’s basement for being SUCH AN IDIOT! How could such a smart pony who spends so much of her time reading do something so STUPID! Even Rainbow Dash isn't this reckless!”

“Where is Rainbow anyway?” Bronze Sword asked, looking around unsurely.

“Said she had to get a few things,” Shield Bearer said, shrugging. “He’s not wrong though.”

Applejack shook her head. “Think, Flash. You going after her now would just end with you dead and Twilight blaming herself for your death,” she said. “Face it, it’s over.” Her voice was stern, but a slight bit of sorrow leaked into it nonetheless.

“It’s over? That's it?!” Flash screamed. “She sacrifices herself for you, for your entire village, and you’re not even gonna TRY to help her!?” He looked at the surrounding ponies as much as he could from the ground. Nopony could meet his gaze.

“It’d be suicide, Flash,” Applejack said. “We can’t risk the lives of every pony here just for one pony. And I’m not gonna let you just throw your life away trying to save somepony we can’t save.”

“It’s my choice,” Flash growled.

“Not this time. I ain’t letting a good pony throw his life away, and that’s final.”

Flash was about to continue when two knives, one blue and one purple, cut through the air and landed a few inches from Thunder and Lightning’s hooves. Both of them jumped back, allowing Flash to get up. Well, he would have stood up, if he hadn't been just as shocked as everypony else.

“You coming or what?” Rainbow asked, lowering her forehooves as the knives vanished in a puff of grey smoke and reappeared in their holders. She was decked out in full armor, thicker than any other armor Flash had seen on her. Her knife sheaths were strapped on over it, right where she could reach them. And boy, did she look ready to use them.

“Rainbow?!” Applejack cried in shock. “What in the hay are you doin’?”

“I’m going after Twilight,” Rainbow said confidently. “I got out of Thorn's dungeon once, so I know how to get back in. Plus, I still have a score to settle with that plot hole.”

Applejack sputtered, trying to think of a proper response, as Flash finally got his hooves underneath him.

“I thought you didn't like her,” Flash said, matter-of-factly. “Why on earth would you want to help me save her?”

“Because I owe her. We ALL owe her,” Rainbow said, looking around at the gathered ponies. “We hated her, treated her like an outsider when she arrived and even after she helped us in the garden. But despite this, despite the fact that ponies still talked badly about her behind her back, she was willing to give herself up to THORN... for us.”

Rainbow shook her head. “We didn't deserve her help, but she gave it to us anyway. She saved us, so now I’m going to go save her, even if I have to go alone. Even if we didn't owe her, I would still go, because that’s what friends do.”

“Friends?” Flash asked, confused.

“I may not be her friend yet, but that’s because I couldn't see past what she was. All I could see was the alicorn, not the pony. But she is a good pony, and I, well, we, were idiots not to see that and accept her. Maybe I need to work more to prove that I'm worthy of her friendship, but this is as good a start as any.”

“Rainbow…”

“Yer crazy!” Applejack exclaimed. “I mean, I get what yer saying, but it’s THORN!!! WE CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO MATCH HER, OR HER BUTLERS!!

“Unless we bring her down a level,” Second Sight said, smiling a smug smile.

“Huh?”

“Think for a moment, dearie,” Second Sight said, tapping the side of Applejack’s head. “If Thorn has Twilight, that means she must have a way to stop her from using magic. Aka, a full-horn suppressor. Which means…”

“If we get it and put it on Thorn…” Applejack began in realization.

“We can stop Thorn from using magic,” Flash said, smirking. “Which means we might actually stand a chance.”

“But we’re gonna need everypony for this to work,” Rainbow said. “Most of us to distract the Butlers if things go south, and the rest of us to get to Twilight and get that restraint off her.” She frowned. “Um, wait, how do we get it off? I mean I know Thorn will have a key, but I doubt she’ll just leave it out for us.”

“I can pick locks,” Flash said. “I can do it.”

“Of course you can,” Rainbow said, sounding annoyed. “What can’t you do?”

“Make thunder clouds,” Flash said, completely straight-faced. “I could never seem to get the lightning-to-cloud ratio right.”

Rainbow just gave him a deadpan stare.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thirty minutes after the sonic rainboom…

The Queen was pacing. Pacing so much there was a chance she would wear away a strip in her rug if she didn’t stop soon.

She never paced.

But that rainbow, that explosion…it DID something to her. She felt it in her chest. That small flame burning deep inside her, burning in a way she hadn't felt in thousands of years.

It burned of hope.

Even when Twilight had invented the revised Miasma spell, she had felt nothing.

Even when they had found the first element, she had felt nothing.

Even when they had found the ELEMENT OF MAGIC, she had felt NOTHING!

But now…

Now…

She shook her head, trying to think. The flame of hope was distracting her.

She tried to made a mental checklist to distract herself from the distracting flame of hope. Send troops to investigate the source of the explosion? Check. Send a letter to Cloudsdale and Manehattan to ask for support? Check.

So why did she still feel so powerless? Why were these thoughts of the element and that explosion constantly rolling around in her mind faster and faster?

Maybe is she went to investigate herself—

She stamped that thought into dust the moment it appeared. She couldn’t leave Canterlot. Not without…

She shook her head again. The flame was still there. It told her to have faith, that everything would be ok, that after so many years it would finally come to an end.

That she would be freed from her torment…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Applejack stared up at the expanding rainboom in pure awe. She had heard Rainbow tell it so many times, but to see it again…

She felt a surge of hope in her chest, hope that matched the joyous looks on the faces of everypony around her. A flame that spread throughout her body and energized her soul.

…But this was not like the other flames of hope. While others were warm and soft, Applejack’s was a raging inferno, burning away all other thoughts, all but one.

She had hope all right. Hope that she might finally get her revenge…

Author's Note

Hello, I'm back. For a while, anyway. I have finally stated my job, but unfortunately for this story it involves about 8 hours a day of writing or editing, so I may be slower with writing from here on out. Sorry about that. Good news, you get two somewhat small chapters today. This, and the prolog for act 2. Sooooo, YAY!

After that, I will be taking another small break, but not to stop writing. I recently had an idea for a one shot of Flash and Twilight in a much more but not quite canonical universe. It will be fun and very full of emotional fluff. After that, I'll get back into this story and hopefully post those bloopers I have been writing for a while now. Anyway, enjoy