Casus Belli I: Shining Armor`s Last Battle

“What`s with Ponyville?”

”Im afraid Ponyville is overrun, princess. It was in the area of battalion four. We sent out Spitfire from the Wonderbolts to warn them and to recon the area. She didnt return. I assume that there are no survivors left. The villagers, the mare, the Elements of Harmony, Twilight… they`re dead.”

“You don`t know that, general” Celestia replied. “The Elements of Harmony are still alive I can feel it. We have to save them! They will be a powerful addition to your forces and maybe even our last hope against our enemy. Prepare my guards, I will supervise the evacuation of Ponyville by myself.”

“But princess, this is far too dangerous for you. I will send another messenger…”

“Spitfire was one of the best messengers you had, general. Do you want to sacrifice more of your soldiers? I and my personal guard will penetrate the changeling defenses and evacuate the Ponyville villagers. Prepare my guards. This is an order!”

„Yes, princess“

What else can a general of the royal guard do when he receives an order from his princess than to follow this order strictly? Soon thirty of his best stallions stood in full war gear at the palace door. Shining Armor wanted to escort his princess personally, but the circumstances made his absence from  Canterlot impossible. He looked at the captain of the elite guards. Yes, this was a brave stallion and a honorable soldier. The princess would be in good hooves. Relieved of his heaviest doubts but still not fully confident Shining Armor returned to prepare the defense of the castle. Celestia and her bodyguards lift off to save the Elements of Harmony and the villagers of Ponyville.

Apple Jack tossed the last apples into the bucket. “What a fancy time were living in” she spoke to herself. The barn was full of apples which waited to be processed to the apple cider Sweet Apple Acres was famous for. But in the last days there were no customer from outside. Even the always-thirsty soldiers from the near encampment didnt show up for a long time. And there was this bunch of refugees showing up in Ponyville. All of them seemed shocked and mumbled of a changeling invasion in Manehatten, can you believe that? A changeling invasion! They must have drunk the wrong cider Apple Jack thought. Suddenly Rainbow Dash showed up and told her from an immediate meeting at the towns square.

There had been never so many guards in Ponyville before. On her previous visits the princess only had some bodyguards with her, but today it was nearly a whole army. The major shook her head. And then this emergency meeting which all the villagers had to attend immediately. What was going on here?

“Citizens of Ponyville, we are under attack. The rumors about the changeling invasion are true. I am here to evacuate you  to Canterlot Castle. With the help of the Elements of Harmony there is still a chance left to evade the war. Thats why I would like them to return with me to the castle immediately. My guards will supervise the evacuation of the villagers. Theres no time to waste. Apple Jack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash come with me back to the cas…. where is Twilight Sparkle?“

„Princess, Twilight left some hours ago to go to Canterlot. She wanted to inform her brother about the refugees… didn`t you see her on your way here?” Spike asked the princess.

Suddenly Celestias face changed. Hopefully her faithful student was safe and not a victim of a changeling ambush. Without Twilight Sparkle the Elements of Harmony couldnt work. Without the Elements of Harmony the war was lost...

”No, I didnt meet her on my way. She must have taken another route. What refugees are you talking about?” Celestia asked Spike. “We have some refugees from Manehatten. They told us that they were survivors of a terrible attack. We didnt believe them… oh no” Spike suddenly realized that the unbelievable stories about the slaughter and the destruction of Manehatten and its citizens were not some crazy ponies` fantasy, those stories were real.

“Manehattan came under attack? How many ponies have we lost? How many.... I have to speak with those refugees immediately!“ Celestia said shocked.

The refugee group was small. Some old stallions, some mares and four fillies. The youngest of those fillies couldnt be much older than two years. In contrast to the other refugees who were obviously shocked and trembled in fear of the changelingss wrath they experienced in their lost town, the young filly stood calm and looked at Princess Celestia with it`s deep eyes.

“Oh my, what did this baby had to see when Manehatten was attacked. Which family members did it lost. Can you imagine this horror? No wonder it is so apathetic” Celestia said with a brittle voice. “Come young filly. I will bring you personally into safety. You`ve seen enough horror for a whole lifetime”. The princess put the filly on her back, ready to bring the Elements of Harmony and her young subject into the safety of the castle.

“Citizens of Ponyville. Gather only the necessaries you need for the march to Canterlot. My guards will ensure your safety on the way ba….” Celestia stopped in the middle of the sentence. She felt a pinch in her neck and now a growing paralysis in her body.

"What happenend?” she asked herself before she broke down to the ground. The toxin worked fast within her royal blood.

The soldiers only saw the filly biting their princess’s neck. Without hesitation they charged on the little pony, which stood no chance against the attacks of the elite guard forces. Deadly wounded it fell of the back of the princess. Before the body hit the ground the corpse lost its form. Instead of a dead filly the guards looked on the remains of a small changeling agent lying beside their dying princess.

“Find Twilight Sparkle!” Princess Celestia ordered with her last breath. Then she was gone.

Alone in his chamber Shining Armor prepared the spell that would protect the castle from the enemy forces. He had used the spell before. It was a force field which didn`t allow any changelings inside. The only changeling who was strong enough to penetrate it was Queen Chrysalis herself. With anger and shame he remembered her last effort to invade Canterlot. How she used him. How her forces ambushed the royal guards. Only with two of the three most important ponies in his life it was possible to overthrow her forces and to win the battle. Only with the help of Cadence and Twilight victory was possible that fateful day.

“Oh Twilight, I wish you were here to assist me. I need your advice. I need your company”.

Surpressing the bad memories and the overcoming feel of loneliness Shining Armor concentrated to use the magic spell once again. A strong force field appeared around Canterlot. The castle was safe. For now.

„Brother you have to stop this“, Twilight shouted while rushing inside Shining Armors office.

“Twili, I`m so glad to see y…”

“I just saw the battle preparation. I heard the soldiers talking about an enormous changeling army. We have refugees in our village that told us from endless numbers of changelings. The royal guard has lost so many stallions. You don`t stand a chance! You have to surrender the castle to the changeling army before they kill everypony!”

“Twilight we still have a chance left. You have to use the Elements of Harmony to protect our castle. And with the force field….”

“You dont understand, brother. We cant use our magic against a whole army. Even the Elements of Harmony arent that strong. The war is lost, dont you realize it? You have to save the ponies inside the castle. You have to….”

Suddenly one of Celestia`s bodyguards entered the room.

“General….. we failed. We failed our mission. We failed you. The princess…. It was an ambush. None of us had foreseen it. The princess… the princess is dead.”

After this report the guard left the room. A cold silence was the only thing he left with Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Celestia was dead.

“Oh my… not princess Celestia” Twilight said with tears in her eyes.

He failed his duty.

“Brother, you have to stop this slaughter. Send a messenger to negotiate the capitulation of Canterlot. There is no chance left you will win this battle!....”

The sworen oak to protect the princess with his life. He broke it!

“….You can save the ponies in this castle. You can save the ponies  that aren`t dead yet. You have to stop this slaughter. You have to end this war. There is no victory for you in it. Shining Armor, negotiate the capitulation! You have to stop this now!”

Princess. Celestia. Was. Dead.

Suddenly his face changend into a grimace of hate. „What are you here for? Are you here to spy our defenses? Do you want to talk me down and weaken my efforts to defend this castle… or are you here to kill me like you`ve killed the princess. WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS, CHANGELING?”

“What are you talking ab….” replied the pony who pretended to be Twilight Sparkle before Shining Armor brought his hooves to her throat.

“You threaten my country”

“Brother what are you doing, you`re killing me” groaned the false pony.

“Youve killed my soldiers. Youve killed my friends”

“Shining Arm…. pleas...”

“Youve killed Princess Celestia. YOUVE KILLED MY SISTER TWILIGHT” Shining Armor cried with hate. The pony in his hooves trembled in her last seconds of life. Then the trembling stopped.

Even though he could see the death in the eyes of the pony pretended to be his sister, she still didn`t change back.

Suddenly he realized that he was inside Canterlot, inside the force field he created some hours ago. No changeling could have entered it at least without being detected. The general held the real Twilight Sparkle in his hooves. He just killed his own sister.

Shining Armor broke down. And so did his force field.