Author's Note
I will attempt to write this with the idea that you don’t know about Half Life 2 lore, but if you know the lore, it’ll be easier to understand.
Day 0 - Coronation day.
8:17 A.M
The unintelligible blabber and radio chatter filled the air of the cold ship, as the three scouts prepared for yet another expedition to an unknown planet. The power surge indicated on a distant dimension had caught the attention of the multidimensional empire known colloquially by the humans of earth as “The Combine.”
Surges of an unknown force that was, most importantly, more powerful than anything they’d ever seen before. The invasion of Earth proved sufficient enough to develop their arsenal of weapons and soldiers. But the invasion of an almost medieval-like civilization of pony creatures would soon prove to be their most fruitful venture.
“Attention scouts: Prepare for trans-dimensional warp. Check your equipment and zone. Reminder: successful warp will result in credit allocation.” The dull, monotone and robotic voice announced over the frequency, or better, the radio receiver directly implanted into their brains.
“Affirmative. All weapons check. 8321-B2 Confirms, ready for trans-dimensional warp.” The soldier looked down at his uniform, the weight of the pulse pistol holstered at his thigh helped him keep his nervousness in check. The emotion suppressors directly implanted into his brain also helped, but despite this, he'd never get used to being torn apart and put back together.
He’d ensured before climbing on that he had the proper suit, to prevent the temporal distortions from tearing his body to shreds through the field as they passed to another dimension. ‘God knows how many died before they figured that one out’ He muttered to himself.
His back ached with the heavy weight of a backpack full of scouting equipment, to study this new dimension. He was entrusted with the “Reality Bridge” as they called it, a tacky name for a device that only served as a radio to communicate between dimensions. Or at least that’s what the soldiers called it. The official name for it was the “Trans-dimensional communicator”
He took one glance at his fellow squad mates as they all stood on the platform. Motionless like statues, cold like ice, the glowing eyes of their bleak masks staring into nothingness. The perfect soldier. Obedient and emotionless.
“Weapons ready. 7270-B2 confirms, ready for warp.” One of them said through the garbled speaker on his mask.
“1105-B2 confirms, ready for warp.” Another replied with that same garbled voice.
The three stood still, patiently waiting around a metal ring, large tubes and devices directly connected to it, angled metal beams supporting the main circular platform on which they stood, watching as the operator approached the command panel of the equipment, beeps and boops confirming the numbers being punched in.
“Coordinates on grid: 512, 18263.9. Initiating warp sequence. Stand by for transport.” Once he finished, he stood back with crossed arms watching from afar.
“Warp sequence initiated. Warning: Temporal displacement is imminent. Stay clear of the displacement area.” The robotic female voice spoke once more.
Here comes the part he could never get used to.
Sparks fill the room as the tubes connected to the machine began transmitting powerful beams of energy, the machine spun to life, circling the soldiers a hundred times over, creating a circular halo of energy that passed through their bodies, an energy so bright it would blind them for a second before ripping their atoms one by one.
And just like that, in a bright and quick white flash, they disappeared.
The sudden reassembly of his body left him floating an inch or two off the floor, before he fell down on his knees feeling the lightheadedness that came with this form of transport. Full scale invasions usually had large portals serving as more of “Gates'' rather than just a sudden blip.
Yet, with the snap of a finger, there they were. The dust and smoke cleared, leaving them with their boots standing on solid ground. They quickly survey the land for any threats at a glance, hands down at their holsters, finding themselves in a small clearing between multiple green trees. Birds chirped in the distance with dawn just about breaking on the horizon, coating the canopy of the trees a beautiful shade of orange. At least this was better than the toxic, acid filled planet they surveyed just yesterday.
As beautiful as the view is compared to most of where they’ve been to, they’re not here to sight-see. 7270 reaches for his backpack and quickly drops it down to the floor bringing out a metal device that sinks into the ground with a metal rod, pulsating like a heartbeat. Sounds of its mechanical and digital machinery can be heard as it pounces at the ground kicking up some dust, a small tablet connected to the device lights up.
“Probing. Estimating land, mass, gravity, atmosphere, and other parameters. Assessing values and dangers.” The soldier kneeled close to the floor, inspecting the tablet. 1105 did the same, dropping his backpack on the ground and reaching for something inside.
“Preparing observation tools. Monitoring and recording surroundings.” A small drone, the size of a small bird, with two engines and a large round camera begins hovering off the ground. Then another. And another. And it didn't take long before half a dozen of them were all orderly hovering in the air.
He watched the other soldier control the drones, commanding them to the canopy of a nearby tree.
A beautiful pack of blue jays chirped away, unaware of the drones as they approached, a sudden flash of light and the beaming sound of a 3D scanner began projecting itself on the bird in a light blue grid pattern. No longer did it look like a small metal contraption with two engines, thanks to the holographic technology, it was now a beautiful and inoffensive blue jay. It even mimicked the chirps of the original bird.
It was now his turn.
The soldier kneeled down, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. The Reality Bridge was Technology perfected over centuries to be able to communicate to other units between dimensions.
“Activating Reality bridge. Syncing wavelength and code. Reaching Overwatch Central. Delivering data and situation reports.” He was hard at work punching in codes to the device, setting up a small antenna that quickly began syncing up.
“I hope I get credits for this. I’m almost eligible for promotion.” The one operating the land survey device spoke. The other controlling the drones chuckled.
"They'll only give you credits cause they know it keeps you subservient." The drone controller, 7270, multi-tasked keeping a close eye on his drones and speaking with his fellow soldier.
"Hey, don't say that kind of stuff." 1105 replied. "They record our conversations, you know."
7270 Fell silent.
“This place looks empty. Why did Overwatch send us here?” 8321 spoke while preparing the radio, looking at the blue monitor with strange symbols on it, typing with a small keyboard.
“That’s why we’re here. To find out what’s worth taking in this place.” 1105 nodded and replied.
Finally, the device had finished syncing with the predetermined wavelength, finishing with a small beep. A sudden ringing on their ear with some splatter of white noise from the radio proved the device to be functional. It was difficult to send audio through dimensions, but text was much easier. Even then, they’d heard the voice so many times in their lives, it was easy to imagine what the text would sound like.
Letter by letter, the message slowly appeared on screen.
“Transdimensional warp complete. Arrival at target location confirmed. 20 Credits awarded. Report any anomalies or hostiles. Code: research, assess, document.”
To which he simply replies...
“10-4.”
6:02 P.M
"As the dawn of a new era approaches for all ponies, for Equestria, I have chosen the most worthy successor to inherit my throne. And so, by the power vested in me as the Princess of Equestria, I, Princess Celestia, hereby crown you, Twilight Sparkle, as the sovereign ruler of Equestria!"
“Pfft!-” Luna held in her laughter.
“What? Did I do something wrong? There's no cake on my face, is there?” Celestia looked back at herself through the mirror, running a hoof along her white cheek before quickly turning to face her sister.
“Sorry- Sorry, It just sounds incredibly silly!” Luna mockingly imitated her sister with a deeper tone of voice. “I Princess Celestia hereby crown you, Twilight sparkle, as the sovereign ruler of Equestria!”
Of course, a princess that has spent a 1000 years on the moon probably won't understand why these sorts of things are important. Celestia simply rolled her eyes and sighed.
“It’s an important day Luna. We’re retiring. We’re putting somepony else in our place. If the ponies want to trust Twilight as the new ruler, then they have to trust us first. It's the first shift in power in over a millennia. And don't pretend like you weren't speaking in riddles when you came back from the moon!” Celestia stepped back from the mirror where she’d been practicing those lines all morning long in her bedroom. The coronation was just a few minutes away after all.
“I know, I know.” Luna lifted herself from the bed, this was all very strange for the both of them yet they just wanted to be sure they were doing their very best at the coronation. “Just wanted to lighten the mood… I'm sure all the ponies are as anxious to hear it as you are to talk about it."
The entire castle could hear the voice of the echoing crowd outside, the screams, the cheers, an event so unprecedentedly big and important that almost all of Equestria was there to see it. Appleoosa, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Cloudsdale, Trottingham, even dignitaries from Yakyakistan, The Dragon Lands, the Hippogriffs and Griffons...
A shift of the crown, the heart beating fast, Celestia stared at her majestic reflection in the mirror, the outside appearance always with that same proud smile yet on the inside it was a lot more confusing and chaotic. It should be easy, she's already decided on this weeks and even months before announcing it, yet the thought of stepping out onto that balcony and speaking with her subjects still makes her heart skip a beat.
"Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?" A well groomed mare with brown mane and black round glasses peeked her head through the door. "It's time."
The two sisters took one final glance at each other before following the mare out of their room and on the castle hallways, where staff ran up and down, working around the clock to serve all the patrons in the dining room, or the ponies outside. It almost reminded Celestia of her own coronation.
Reaching a long hallway and heading down, they could hear the screaming and cheering of the crowd get clearer with each step, the mare gesturing for them to keep moving forward while Celestia nodded thankfully with her head. Once they reached a set of closed doors, Celestia stepped through.
"Oh, you look amazing dear!" Of course, a fashionista such as Rarity could never let her friend go out to thousands of adoring eyes wearing any kind of rag. "Just need to... Fix this..." Twilight stood still, allowing her to fix her gown. At first, she didn't even notice the two alicorns strutting into the room with grace and elegance.
"Celestia! Luna! Oh, I'm so nervous..." Twilight watched as the two stepped closer, Celestia still had that soft smile on her face, a proud and caring one.
"It's so good to finally see how far you came... You've been much more than a faithful student to me..." Celestia lowered her head, gently pressing it against Twilight's. "This may mean a lot to the citizens, but it means a lot more to me. I've seen you grow from an introverted shut-in to one of the most caring ponies I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."
"I'll... Take that as a compliment." Twilight's smile reassured Celestia that everything they've all been through had been worth it. In the end, the lessons learned along this journey would help Twilight's new reign.
"I'll go on ahead while Rarity gives her last touches." Celestia stepped forward accompanied by Luna, Twilight simply nodded back at them.
No matter how many speeches she's done, this one would be forever marked on everyone's memory, though not for the reason they assume...
The warm Sun basked Celestia’s white coat and multicolored mane, Luna followed closely behind. Their reveal was met with loud screams from the ponies, lined up as far as the eye could see. Safe to assume the entire city had stopped to watch this monumental occasion, with hundreds of ponies sitting down along the chairs and tables near the entrance. When the seats ran out, they chose to sit wherever they could. When that ran out, they stood proud, with some hovering above the ground like the dragons or pegasi.
Along the seats were hundreds of familiar faces. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Shining Armor, Cadance, Starswirl, Tempest Shadow, among many many others. All the relationships and bonds they'd made along the way, all the people they've helped, all that's changed ever since Twilight showed up.
"Citizens of Equestria!" Celestia announced proudly, her loud Canterlot voice echoed along the land. No doubt it could be heard from at least half a mile away. "Today marks the coming of a new era for Equestria. My sister and I have ruled over this land for hundreds of years, and change, as scary as it may be, is always necessary in order to grow, and I couldn't have picked a more suitable replacement."
The crowd erupted into cheers, only subsiding after a few good seconds had passed. Celestia took the opportunity to glance back at Twilight, who seemed more ready than ever.
"Without further ado, I bring to you, the new ruler of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle!"
The sudden cheering resumes as soon as Celestia is done with her speech, the ponies watch as Twilight steps out into the limelight with a proud smile on her face, waving at her family, her friends, and all the other ponies violently screaming her name.
Now is the time.
Celestia nods to her sister. The last thing needed to complete the ceremony was the crown transfer.
Just remember what was practiced...
"As the dawn of a new era approaches for all ponies, for Equestria, I have chosen the most worthy successor to inherit my throne. And so, by the power vested in me as the Princess of Equestria, I, Princess Celestia, hereby crown you, Twilight Sparkle-"
She interrupted herself. Something had caught her attention. In the distance, just next to ponyville, she could see a beam of blue light travel into the sky.
"Wait, do you see that?" Twilight questioned, taking a glance at her mentor.
Once reaching the sky, the beam ripped through the air like it was paper, a dark swirling storm forming around it as the thunderous sound of its energy being used to open the gateway finally reached Canterlot.
The floodgates were open. The Combine’s mothership was the first to come, a long elongated hovering ship with two massive engines at the back, energy cannons at the front ready to fire. Dozens of other smaller ships flooded down alongside it. The invasion had begun.
Ponies were already starting to take looks, some saw it, others murmured and spoke with each other. This clearly wasn't part of the performance. The mothership began angling its cannon, getting ready to fire.
“Everypony, take shelter!” Celestia’s screams of desperation weren't quick enough to warn them.
Within the blink of an eye, they were blinded by a bright flash of white light, a ball of energy with the force powerful enough to send the three princesses flying back, the roaring and explosive sound left their ears ringing, Celestia could barely understand what had happened then but as she tried to regain her senses, she found herself laying on the floor, a few good bruises and some cuts, but nothing that she couldn't recover from.
Rubble and debris surrounded her, she was laying on the inside of the room leading up to the balcony. Yet try as she might, she couldn't find either Luna or Twilight. The screams from the outside were such a whiplash , the same ponies who screamed with happiness and glee now screamed with fear and desperation, Celestia could hear it all once her ears eventually stopped ringing.
Quickly lifting herself from the ground and coughing up some slight amount of blood, she made her way to the pile of rubble where once stood the balcony, looking through the archway leading into it. The sight was more horrifying than she could ever have imagined.
The once clean and blue skies of Equestria, now completely taken over by a dark bog that clouded the skies with a mixture of thunder of stormy weather, but there was no rain. Instead , it was the sound of the rumbling of cybernetically enhanced alien animals flying through the air, stripped of their freedom and turned into a machined tool for the empire.
The flying machines were approaching quickly, and the creatures of Equestria would not back down.
One after another, shots rained down from the sky like hellish fire, beams of light so bright and that exploded with such force that it tore entire houses apart in a matter of seconds, destroying anything inside. But the Combine weren't just randomly attacking houses. This planned chaos and destruction were intentional. Confusing the ponies and spreading them would make it harder for them to fight back.
"Luna!" Celestia quickly hovered down from the balcony to find her sister laying on the ground, blood oozing out of her open mouth. Around her, ponies ran and screamed frantically. While others didn't even have the chance. Celestia could see one of the ponies Twilight had helped convert into a friend, Tempest Shadow, was lying under a pile of rubble and blood, her skull cracked open like a watermelon, her blood and brain matter painted the ground next to her.
Plenty of debris had fallen on top of Luna, one piece of glass had cut deep into the side of her body, while another piece from the castle walls had crushed her wing. Yet, she remained conscious, just barely breathing but in no position to even lift herself from the pile.
Celestia would use her magic to push the rubble away from her sister's body, unfortunately it only confirmed her worries.
"Celestia..." Luna was able to cough out some blood, taking in a deep breath, her eyes locked with her sister. Celestia could see the eyes that once were full of playful cheeriness were now beginning to fade away right on her very arms.
"Please Luna, stay with me, we have to leave now!" Yet the blast had left them both weakened. Fortunately for her, a voice called from behind.
"Princess! What's happening!? Is Luna okay?!" Pinkie Pie trotted closer, the clear look of worry in her face could not be more of a departure from her usual smiling self. Right by her side, a mare with a country accent joined in.
"What in tarnation is going on!?" Applejack asked, quickly inspecting Luna and stepping closer to help lift some of the rubble of her, groaning with effort.
"Applejack, please help me get Luna out of here. I don't know for sure what's happening, but you need to get to safety and find shelter." Celestia leaned her head down, working alongside Applejack to lift the rubble away from Luna, grunting as she did so. The two failed and were left huffing. But she can't give up. Not now. "Pinkie Pie, where's Twilight!?" She spoke, looking at applejack and attempting once more. This too failed.
"She's a bit hurt, but she's okay. Fluttershy is with us, so is Rainbow Dash-" Pinkie leaned her head down, trying to be useful in helping the Moon princess out of her dire situation. "Let's go!" She commanded. Applejack followed, and Celestia did the same and finally! The rubble turned over and gave an opportunity for Celestia to drag her sister out of it.
"Where's- Where's Rarity?!" Applejack asked, her head darted around the area. It almost made her throw up today's lunch with how much blood was already painting the streets. Every other second another explosion would go off, shaking the entire ground and sprouting another home into flames. But no sight of Rarity.
"She was in the castle last I remember!" Pinkie pointed in desperation, and Celestia's eyes grew wide. Her sister continued her coughing, but... Luna can handle it. She's been through a lot.
"Right. Pinkie, Applejack, bring Luna and meet up with Twilight, tell her to work with the pillars to get the ponies under control. We need to evacuate Canterlot, understood? The castle has already been evacuated by this point, but I'll search for Rarity and any other survivors left." Celestia commanded, quickly lifting herself off the ground when a sudden explosion right above their heads shot rubble flying in their direction.
Pinkie and Applejack screamed in fear, trying to cover themselves with their hooves, but Celestia's quick reaction shielded them. A bubble spell which bounced the debris off, fortunately hitting nobody in the process.
"We're on it!" Applejack nodded, helping Pinkie sling Luna over her back so they could properly carry her. She was heavy, sure, and her hooves did drag on the floor slightly given she was just barely bigger than a normal pony, but it was better than leaving her to die.
Celestia could only hope they would be okay as she watched her sister being dragged out of harm's way, fading into the thick dust that had formed around them.
No time to waste. Celestia lifted herself off the ground with a quick wing movement and made her way back to the destroyed balcony. Another shot landed, this one hitting one of the castle towers, sending it crumbling down into the inner garden. Time is of the essence. The combine knew attacking the castle would help crumble the ponies' infrastructure. It is the capital after all, and if they keep going at this pace, there won't be anything left of the entire city.
Celestia dashed through the halls, galloping at high speed. The whole castle was crumbling around her, with each shot a new explosion, another piece of the castle would come crashing down. Her kingdom being undone right before her eyes, her thousand years of work. As much as she wanted to lament her loss, and the many others, stopping now would mean death for Rarity.
Another blast sends debris falling down on her, a heavy stone piece of the castle that falls on her back, her scream of pain can be heard along the inside of the castle.
"GAH! AH!" The stone had shoved her to her stomach and onto the ground. It hurt to move, her wing had been practically crushed under the weight of the heavy stone.
Try as she might, even the mildest movements caused an unbearable pain that made her recoil with agony. But she had to hold back the tears. With the most of her strength, she lifted herself off the ground, dusty fur, blood stained on her snout, cuts and bruises along her body, her dented golden chest piece with a crack along the purple gem, the crown just barely hanging on her head, a broken wing as the castle continued to crack and break all around her, it's clear it wouldn't sustain for much longer. And worst of all, it seemed that whoever was firing these cannons were aiming specifically for the mountainside the castle had been built upon.
Of course, the supports and engineering of the castle were specifically made to hold this type of weight, but with each shot destroying more and more of the foundation, there was no way this place would hold for much longer.
After turning a corner into the throne room, Rarity's screams of agony could be heard echoing along the walls.
"HELP! HELP! MY HOOVES ARE STUCK! SOMEPONY! PLEASE!" The desperation on her voice was apparent, and with yet another explosion rocking the foundation, Celestia rushed to the injured pony.
"Calm down, I'm going to help you just stay calm" Both of them were sweating and panting heavily as Celestia examined the wound on Rarity's rear right leg. A deep cut. The blood had stained Rarity's dusty white coat, and it continued to bleed.
"I can't- I can't feel my hoof, please-" Rarity groaned as Celestia moved the fallen piece of debris off of her, it too was stained with blood.
"Can you get on my back? Can you stand up at least?" Celestia leaned down, but try as she might, Rarity could not stand.
"N-No- I can't- I can barely move..." Seems like Celestia would have to lift her. Slowly but surely, Celestia pushed her snout under Rarity's stomach and with a groan, she lifted her onto her back.
Another explosion made Celestia stumble as she stepped away from the throne, but this one proved to be the breaking point for the castle's engineering. The ground beneath them... Cracks had begun to appear, rapidly following along the floor and soon enough, it followed along the lengths of the wall crumbling down to the valley beneath.
Celestia's eyes widened. The whole mountain side... It was starting to break away too. The whole castle was going to fall, And if they didn't do anything, they would be going with it. The quickest and best solution was a teleportation spell. She's done this before, so it shouldn't be hard.
She closed her eyes, yet when the spell was cast... Nothing. She tried again, the whole throne room now falling down the mountainside as she stepped away. Nothing but a faint spark. Her magic was useless. She doesn't have time to figure out why, she just needs to move.
One hurried hoofstep after the other, Celestia rushed along the crumbling halls with Rarity's weight on her back, behind them large chunks of wall and floor would slide down the side of the mountain, kicking up dust and dirt in its wake and with each step, it felt like it was getting closer and closer.
One final turn and the exit was right there. The same crumbling doorway she'd come through before, Rarity's screams of terror only amped up Celestia's adrenaline, each step was a mad dash for survival, having to dodge falling debris and even jump between crumbling platforms for a chance at survival.
The evening Sun was in view, all she had to do was just step through the balcony. The floor beneath her continued to crack, it had already catched up with her, she could feel it with each lift of her hoof, she couldn't not afford a single mistake.
She can't die like this. Her kingdom needs her.
"Hold tight, Rarity!" With one final jump, she found herself flying through the air before falling down on the stone floor, sliding across it on her back with a force that sent Rarity flying too.
Seeing all the rubble come crashing down, kicking up a thick dust which couldn't be escaped, her only thought was to jump in the way of the falling debris and protect Rarity.
She could feel it. From the small pebbles to the big chunks hitting her back and bouncing off leaving her with a painful pulsating pain and even some leaving cuts along her coat, grunting with pain as she covered Rarity, all the while trying to conjure a shield for them. But it just didn't work.
The dust began to settle, her clouded vision becoming clearer by the second… She'd rather not see this at all.
The entirety of Canterlot castle, gone. Where it once stood, now a huge crater, chunks of dirt and stone sliding down along the side of the mountain. Celestia’s quickened heartbeat began slowing down, to her, the castle was nothing more than a symbol though. It could be rebuilt. Replaced. But what would never be replaced were the countless lives of ponies all around her.
She lifted herself away from Rarity, and it was hard to bring herself to the sight of her capital city burning down before her very eyes. Families had lost their lives. Mothers without sons. Ponies with loved ones that were now reduced to a bloody mush on the sidewalk.
Balloons were still floating in the air around the ceremony area, some decorations had detached from the walls and were spread along the floor. Today was supposed to be a day of change, of improvement. Yet she could see her friends and family lying lifeless on the floor. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye.
Above ponyville, that same brown bog had expanded across the land, partially blocking the sunlight and right beside it, that huge bright blue beacon of light that expanded into the sky, tearing a hole into it, out of which came hundreds of the Combine’s cybernetically enhanced aliens, once living creatures that were now used for their own benefit, all of which were rapidly approaching their location.
No doubt that was the source of their problems.
"Princess... What happened...?" Rarity could barely breathe. The blood loss had taken a toll on her.
"I... I don't know... But we need to move, I can't leave you here. You're bleeding too much, come on..." Celestia would do the same once again, lowering then lifting her snout and helping Rarity onto her back.
The two would begin to walk along the streets. Gone were the terrible screams of the ponies, but they were replaced by an even worse sound. Or rather, the lack of one. That eerie silence haunted Celestia and Rarity, with only the howling wind and Celestia’s hoofsteps to break the tension. Bodies were all around them. Some died fleeing. Some didn't even get the chance.
Through the smoke and dust, something was galloping quickly toward her direction. Celestia prepared for a battle, breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she saw who it was running up to her with a wide smile. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight called out to her, her dress almost completely ruined and burned with tears all around, her mane was dusty and messy.
“Twilight…” She leaned her head down as the two reencountered, giving eachother a gentle caress. Finally some good news. At least she was safe. “What happened? Where is everyone?”
“We need to get going, we're gathering at the train station to evacuate the city, we've already got some of them looking for survivors in the rubble. Follow me, quick.” And along they went, trotting through the streets of the destroyed Canterlot. Each body passed by was another tear held back.
“I found Rarity, but she isn't doing well. I can't fly either, my wing is injured and my magic isn't… Working for some reason…”
“We'll get Rarity to safety and take care of her, we've got the wonderbolts looking for the wounded and carrying them back to the station. Princess Ember and the dragons are helping hold back the invaders, we've yet to hear from her since she went flying off with her armor… The yaks are also helping remove the rubble from streets and houses, to free trapped ponies.” Hearing the combined efforts of all the creatures to hold back this unknown threat put an ease to Celestia’s anxious heart. “My magic isn't working properly either, it only comes back to me during short bursts of time. It has to be something that they're doing to us.”
Unbeknownst to them, this feeble struggle for survival had just begun…
7:21 P.M
Despite the Sun being supposed to be down by now, it cast it's orange glow along the train station, one of the few locations yet untouched by the Combine’s energy shots, mostly thanks to the makeshift magic shields that had been set up by the unicorns who were still able to control their magic, aided with the help of Shining Armor himself. Every other second, a shot would cause an explosion on the outer side of the bubble, it was difficult to maintain it but it was the best they could do at the moment.
The train station also had docks for the blimps to dock at, three were currently being boarded by hundreds of passengers, while one had already taken off. It seemed that more ponies showed up by the second.
As soon as Twilight and Celestia arrived, a nurse quickly came up to pick Rarity from Celestia's back. By now, she'd been bleeding for a good while and could barely bring herself to look at Twilight, who just shook her head at her with a sigh.
“Starswirl and my brother are helping hold back the cannon fire, but it won't hold for long. We're getting ready to evacuate the ponies, some have already evacuated.” Twilight guided the Princess through the crowd as Celestia’s eyes scanned the landscape.
“Where are they being sent to?”
“As far away as possible. Manehattan, Appleoosa, The Crystal Empire… Two trains and one blimp have already left for those cities.” Celestia could only hope that these invaders haven't reached those places yet.
But there was somepony she still needed to see.
“Where is Luna?” Celestia questioned and Twilight's eyes looked up at her with a sorrowful expression before sighing and looking back down at the floor. Twilight didn't even want to say those words. But Celestia knew what it meant. Her eyes widened immediately. “Twilight- Where is she? P-Please…” For the first time in a long while, Twilight could hear it. The uncertainty. The nervousness in her mentor's voice. That same caring voice who was always so sure despite her stumbles…
“P-Princess… I'm…” Twilight couldn't say it. She didn't have the strength. She just sat down and stared at the ground in silence. “I'm sorry… She's in that tent…” Twilight pointed, and Celestia didn't waste a second.
She galloped over, her heart was racing, it can't be as Twilight thinks. She didn't want to believe it. She needed to see for herself, even pushing past ponies on her way to a dirty white makeshift medical tent, lined up alongside many others. Her desperate hooves pushed the curtain door open, immediately scanning the room. She found Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Zecora standing over a makeshift bed, all staring in silence.
“I want to see her!” She commanded, stepping closer. This can't be happening. This can't be…
Yet there she was laying on the bed, mouth gently open. Eyes completely closed. Her beautiful flowing mane was now almost a colorless blue, her chest wasn't moving
These thousand years of regret finally caught up to her. In a sudden moment, she remembered the first time she was forced to banish her sister. How she cried herself to sleep for hours on end, expecting to never see her again. Then once Luna returned, she couldn't be happier with seeing her sister finally by her side, promising to never let anything bad ever happen to her again.
Yet… here she was. Standing over her body. Staring at her lifeless corpse. To Celestia, duty is what a ruler should always focus on, to put your emotions aside and to pull through difficult times and help your citizens. But it was impossible to hold back the river of tears forming in her eyes. With one loud yell, she fell to her sister's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
She pleaded. Yet her voice went unanswered by the silent ponies in the room. They too mourned her loss, but Celestia was her sister after all.
She just lay there, eyes closed, crying rivers of tears on her dead sister's chest. Why did it have to be her? Why wasn't it Celestia? What's the point in enjoying retirement if she can't be with the one pony she loved the most?
“We… Tried our best but… The potions weren't as effective as they usually are…” Twilight spoke as she stepped inside the tent, stopping next to Zecora, who felt like Luna's death was at least partially her fault too…
Celestia finally caught the courage to lift herself away from her sister's cold body, and as hard as it was, she brought her gaze to meet Luna's closed eyes, leaning in for a gentle forehead kiss, allowing her hoof to run along her sister's cheek with a sigh.
“It's… It's okay… You all did your best… I'm sure…” No one was to blame but herself for not being the one to die in her place. Luna had suffered too much in life, and she still fought through only to be suddenly robbed of her future in the blink of an eye.
“Twilight! One of the dragons has returned!” Spike came rushing in through the tent, looking concerned for interrupting such a delicate moment. Twilight excused him.
“I'll go talk to them.” Twilight helped spike onto her back.
“I'll come with you.” Celestia stepped away from her sister's bed, one hoof ran across her own cheek cleaning her tears. “Zecora, please prepare something for my injured wing. I'll be back soon.”
The three walked out to just outside the station entrance, where a male red dragon sat by the entrance. Blood along his claws, a long cut down the side of his body, a burned hole in his left wing and a thousand yard silent stare into the distance. One mare was trying to talk to him, but he didn't respond.
“Wait, that's garble! Is he okay?” Spike asked as the trio approached.
“The dragons were the first to go into battle to fight back the invaders. Ember was the one leading the charge…” Twilight helped clear up the situation with Celestia, and it surprised the princess how a race of creatures that were once hostile to ponies were now fighting alongside them.
“Garble? What happened?” Spike spoke, but he stayed silent. Just staring. “Is he okay?” When Garble didn't reply, he turned to the nurse for some guidance.
“I don't know. He came back and said he was injured and has just sat here for the past few minutes.” The nurse replied, sitting down while examining his body. “I'm going to go get him something for these injuries.” Soon enough, she left them alone for their chat.
“Garble, dude! Is everything alright? Where 's Ember?” Yet he simply stared. Again.
Celestia stepped closer. She could see it in his reptilian eyes. He'd seen what she saw. Death and destruction. Maybe he would reply to her.
“Listen… It's been a rough day for all of us, but you need to tell me what happened. If you don't want others to die, you need to stay focused and help us out.” Her gaze was unbroken as she looked deep into his eyes. Her burn.ing stare was starting to wear him down. But he just looked down at his bloodied claws in silence. “Please. I know it's difficult but please just tell us what happened.”
“They…. They died…” His voice was weak, he could barely bring himself to say a word. “The Princess was captured…” Princess Ember?
Spike gasped, his eyes were already starting to get watery. Princess Ember had really been captured during the battle? A fierce fighter such as herself, in the hands of the enemy… Twilight’s eyes widened and so did Celestia's. Garble grunted, balling his fist with agony but not for the wounds on his body.
“I-I watched Smoulder bleed out in my arms… She got shot by one of those- Monsters. It tore her arm off. She looked me in the eyes and begged for help- But I didn't do anything, I just flew away like a coward… Do you understand what it's like to have your own sister bleed out?! RIGHT ON YOUR ARMS?!?”
Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ember first, then Smoulder. It must've been a lie, Ember wouldn't let herself be captured and… Garble didn't say Smoulder had died. She said she was bleeding but that doesn't always mean she's dead. Right? He wanted to believe she was still alive, but her arm had been torn off, if that's true, then… Twilight noticed his anxiousness but didn't know how to comfort him.
“Oh but I know… I know it better than you can imagine…” Celestia took one deep breath, holding back her tears once again. “But that's why I need your help. So we don't lose anyone else to them. What do you know?”
“These things, they're full of metal armor. They have- A cannon that they use and theys shoot these balls of metal. Their- Ships, they're flying ships, it's like a mixture of- I don't even know, some kind of creature and a bunch of metal, so much metal and wires that I couldn't even tell it was alive…”
Metal flying ships mounted with cannons that shoot beams of exploding light. Of course, a very rudimentary description of the Combine's cybernetically enhanced flying creatures, mounted with cannons that shoot beams of energy that would explode on impact, or the Combine's pulse weapons that use dark energy to fire.
“Princess… We can't fight against what they have…” Garble’s weak voice does not bring much hope to Celestia, but they have to keep fighting. A sudden impact steals their attention, another cannon shot hits the shield. Then another. And another. Soon enough, the roaring sound of explosions from above made it clear. The combine has found them.
“INCOMING!!” Twilight could hear the screams of her brother as the ponies all watched in unison over the edge of the mountain, seeing the fleet of flying ships approach ever closer, continuing to rain down hell upon the creatures. Chaos quickly ensued. “HOLD THE SHIELD! IT'S OUR PROTECTION AGAINST THEM!! DON'T GIVE UP!” Despite Shining’s direction, not everypony wanted to stay behind and fight while others were fleeing.
“Twilight! We need to help them!” Cadance’s voice called out to her as she rushed over to the shield, trying to use her magic to hold the shield alongside her Husband. Twilight knew she had to get into action. The sound of the explosion reminded them of the need for quick action, all that destruction caused before was just the start.
“Okay. Spike, help Celestia evacuate the wounded. We've got-” Another explosion caught their attention, but this one was like no other. The shockwave and sheer sound made all ponies at the station recoil slightly, some windows were shattered with the pressure. Celestia could even feel her body vibrate..
One of the blimps docked at the station had exploded, it was now slowly descending in a fierce and flaming fireball. Hundreds of ponies going overboard and falling to their deaths, some screaming in pain as the burning fuel set their coats on fire.
A mare and a stallion held each other close as the fire continued to consume the destroyed ship.
“MOM! DAD!” Twilight screamed out to the burning ball of fire, a scream so filled with pain and desperation that it made her reach out with one hoof, before galloping away..
“TWILIGHT! WAIT!” Before Cadance could even rush up to her, she'd already flown off to help her dying parents. Cadance just took one deep breath. “Celestia, we need to fight head on, or else we won't have a chance at survival! The unicorns need to drop the bubble and fight back!” She yelled out while trying her best to hold the shield, alongside unicorns like Starswirl, Starlight, Shining, and any other volunteer that could help.
Cadance knew that standing back would be an awful idea in the long term. Every second they spend idle, is a step closer that the ships approach. Attacking is the best defense.
But Celestia knew that if it weren't for the efforts of these ponies, there would be many more like her sister. The bubble would need to stand, if they want any sort of chance at leaving this place alive.
“CELESTIA!” Cadance cried. “PLEASE!”
Enough was enough.
“Cadance, the bubble will stand. Make sure these ponies can leave this place safely. I need to talk with Zecora.” Her tone had shifted. This won't stand.
“BUT-”
“JUST DO IT!” Celestia's deep canterlot voice echoed along the destroyed streets. It's about time to put an end to this.
Celestia didn't think twice to leave Cadance just standing there, rushing past ponies and back to the same tent her sister was at. She was ready to end this. No amount of bruises or injuries would hold her back.
Stepping into the tent, she saw the poor Zebra desperately trying to cook something in a cauldron.
“At long you're back! It's time for a swift attack. I'm finishing your brew, it will help you pull through. Beware, the effect is short, but it is a good last resort… I used your sister's crown, so that imbued with her power, you will be renewed!” Zecora had managed to extract the magic of the moon sister's crown, increasing the power of the potion even more. A last sacrifice, even in her death.
Celestia stepped closer to her sister's body, letting out a sigh.
“This is all or nothing Zecora. A last resort is what we need. We've already lost far too many.” Her sister's cold and bloodied expressionless face stared back at her. “Far too many…”
Zecora poured the potion into a small flask, an almost glowing liquid with a yellow cream tint, the consistency of water. She didn't waste a second handing it to Celestia, who floated it to her mouth and swallowed the bottle whole.
A sudden surge of power began flowing through her, one she hadn't experienced ever since she held and used the elements of harmony all those years ago, be it to turn discord to stone or to banish her own sister. This warm tingling feeling consumed her, and she wasn't sure if it was because of Luna’s crown, but it was almost like she could hear her sister's voice again, and it told her to finish the fight.
The magic flowing through her body made her mane glow a beautiful saturated rainbow color, sparkling with the bright light of the stars and the Sun alike, her eyes glowing white with nothing but pure magical energy. Her wounds wouldn't hold her back any longer.
Celestia stepped out to see the fleet of ships just a few hundred meters away from the edge, ponies were flooding the station, no one wanted to be left behind. She'd even seen Rainbow Dash fly by her, guiding others inside. Celestia’s wings spread wide open, out of thin air, a sparkling blinding light covered her body, forming a golden armor around herself. Ready to fight, she took off the ground and flew away from the edge of the mountain. The first ship she saw, she blasted it with a beam out of her horn. A taste of their own medicine. The explosion immediately sent the ship falling down to the abyss below.
There were a few dozen ships. The smaller ships were troop carriers, unarmed and with the main purpose being to land in and invade Canterlot, a task which she was more than happy to stop to. She could see from a distance, the beams of energy firing down on the shield bubble all coming from the mothership. Staying at the castle had made her forget this feeling of adrenaline.
She dashed through the air feeling the wind on her mane, the speed, but her mind was set on revenge. For her people. For her city. For her kingdom. For her sister. Another blast had decommissioned yet another ship out of action, as it fell down in a fiery ball of flames.
One machine would fly closer to her, a gunship mounted with a cannon. It opened fire on her raining bullets all around, a quick shield and she was able to cover herself from the shower of bullets, diving down and under it only to come up behind and fire a blast into the tail rotor, watching as it spins uncontrollably and falls to the ground.
A searing pain hits her straight in the back, causing her to scream as she turns to see yet another chopper firing at her, and while it did out maneuver one of her shots, it could not avoid the other.
One by one, both the combine and the ponies alike watched as Celestia shot dropship after dropship, helicopter after helicopter, out of the sky, with a rage in her eyes that couldn't be satisfied. In just a few minutes, she'd already taken down half of the entire fleet pushing on Canterlot, but the ships just wouldn't stop coming. Always sending another dropship with some half a dozen disposable soldiers to get obliterated out of the sky. It's about time to deal with this threat.
Celestia was focused on the main ship at the back, what looked to be a carrier for all the other ships straight ahead of her. Occasionally, it would open and allow dozens of ships to come out from the inside, but the cannons keep on firing at the bubble in hopes of bursting through. That's what she needs to focus on.
Maneuvering through the air, flapping her wings majestically as she took one ship down after the other with powerful beams of magic, Celestia could already feel her adrenaline begin wearing off. But she wouldn't give up yet. Passing through a dropship, shooting down another gunship, she was getting ever closer to her goal, each second she spent here was another life saved.
The speed not only thrilled her, but it made her want more. More death. More destruction. They invade her land, destroy her capital city, kill her sister and think they can get away with any of this? No.
One swing between two ships, another passing dangerously close to the blades of a gunship. So close, she just needs to keep going. Energy pallets hit her dead on, but the shield surrounding her protects her from the damage, but it won't last forever. The potion had begun to wear off. But she didn't stop.
Beam after beam of magic hit the gunships as she made her way past them, all easy kills. Or so she thought. A sudden explosion sends her flying out of the sky, falling to her death. The wind rushing past her ears, her vision fading slowly…
Not like this…
It can't end like this!
She's just barely able to recompose herself, readjusting her body and spreading her wings, going from a death dive on her back to a sudden rise back to the top the main mother ship had hit her with a beam of pure energy. And it was aiming for another shot.
She quickly bolted towards Its direction, dodging another one of the beams fired directly at her. .It seems like the Combine don't care about danger close, their beams of energy have taken down just as many ships trying to hit Celestia as she herself had shot down during battle.Celestia fires her own beam, but it simply hits the ship's own shields and her eyes immediately widen. If the whole ship is protected by a shield, how does she take it down?
Another shot flies towards her, bringing up her shield she's able to just barely avoid the explosion that sends her flying back with a yell, but once again recovers herself.
Closer and closer, cannon fire from all directions, she's able to pierce through the enemy lines and make her way to the mothership, but the cannons don't stop firing.
By now she's face to face with this huge machine, a marvel of intergalactic engineering and for a second she ponders if something like this even has a weakness. One would reveal itself to her very quickly. These huge engines on either side, the source of the lift for the ship, blowing them up would send the huge metal beast hurtling down wouldn't it?
So that's what she did. Maneuvering over the side, under constant fire from gunships all around, feeling herself get weaker and weaker, she fired beam after beam after beam, wearing the shield down. But she wouldn't give up.
Some bullets bounced off of her armor, others hit her magic forcefield, one or two had hit her hind leg, another had pierced through the chest armor and she was starting to bleed fast. The powerful magic that once flowed through her body was now fading away quickly.
These weak attacks aren't doing anything. It's time for something more…
8:39 P.M
“Everypony, quick! Get in!” Rainbow dash urged the ponies inside the train, the station was completely empty by this point, all that was left were the last few trying to help the remaining survivors escape. Celestia’s fight had proved fruitful in holding the Combine army back, even if just for a while.
“I think that's the last of ‘em!” Applejack called out to Twilight as the two were just about finished bringing a small filly into the train.
The deserted train station, and a ruined city would be all that was left behind. Even the unicorns holding back the forcefield had been able to catch a break thanks to Celestia's efforts in distracting the combine.
“We're ready!” Twilight screamed to the conductor, and with a screech of the loud steam engine, the train had begun to move. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack hopped on one of the carts right as the train began to take speed. They're on their way to the Crystal Empire.
Twilight discussed a strategy with Cadance, it's thought that the Crystal Empire could give the ponies the best fighting chance, given its isolated location in the frozen north. It might be the ponies only hope even.
“I'm going to check on Rarity.” Twilight excused herself, Applejack and Rainbow nodded. The poor fashionista pony needed extensive care due to the severity of her injuries; a few carts at the back of the train had been reserved specifically to serve as makeshift medical carts.
Her head hung low as she walked down along the aisle that separated the seats, different creatures that sat one beside the other. Today, everyone had lost something. Spike sat beside garble, Ocellus comforted the two, she too had lost Thorax in the battle.
The cries of Flurry Heart seemed to be muffled by Cadance’s gentle hoof, swaying her body back and forth, whispering gently in her ear. Shining armor set beside her, comforting his wife with a gentle caressing hoof and a heavy expression. Twilight didn't have the courage yet to tell him their parents had died, and just remembering it made her stop for a second, holding back her own tears before gulping her guilt down. If she'd been there just a few seconds earlier…
She stepped into another cart. Fluttershy sat by Rockhoof’s side. He seemed distressed, given he hadn't seen Flash Magnus ever since he went to help an injured filly. Fluttershy told him everything would be okay, Meadow Brook wasn't as optimistic. She was already balling her eyes out whilst looking out the window.
Finally, Twilight entered one of the makeshift medical carts, seldom a place to host medical practices given the rocky ride on the tracks so far, but it was what they had to work with. Some of these ponies were heavily injured, some had minor bruises. And running low on medicine and herbs, there was only so much that the nurses could do to keep them alive.
Laying on a bed, she saw her friend wearing bloody bandages around her body, barely breathing but breathing nonetheless. There was a young filly by her side. Marshmallow coat, purple mane and tail, Sweetie Belle was at her sister's side.
“Rarity please, you have to stay here!” She tried to speak, but her feeble attempts at holding back her tears made it difficult for her to get more than those few words out. She just lay her head on Rarity’s chest instead, sobbing quietly. The rocking train and chatter of the nurses were the only things that broke her cries.
“Sweetie Belle…” Her voice jolted Sweetie Belle’s head up with wide open eyes.
“Sis! You'll be okay, won't you?! The nurses will take care of you!” Sweetie Belle's eyes stared into Rarity's. Twilight simply watched in silence, she knew more than to interrupt them. But the same tears of grief she'd felt for her family were once again beginning to show. But for a dear friend instead “Please sis, don't go! Don't go please…”
Rarity could barely open her eyes, but she could feel Sweetie Belle's warm embrace.
“You'll be okay… Sweetie Belle, you'll be okay without me… You're a strong filly… Remember that…” Rarity's voice was raspy and weak, her breathing more tired and slow with each passing second.
“But- I can't- I can't be strong without you…” Sweetie Belle tried to gulp down her tears but failed, weeping and whimpering, holding her sister in her hooves, pushing her head under Rarity's chin. “Please don't go sis… Please Stay with me…”
Twilight took one deep breath. She couldn't stand the scene, refusing to look and instead staring out the window where the sun still was high in the sky despite it being almost 9 P.M. Where she could see Celestia's desperate struggle. Beam after beam hitting the ships out of the sky.
“Sweetie Belle…” Rarity poured her strength into her right hoof, it was like being stabbed by a thousand swords, but it was worth it. To feel Sweetie Belle’s hug one last time. “I… Love you…”
Silence. Sweetie Belle just sobbed into her sister's chest, holding her close, tightening her grip. Wishing she could spend just another hour or even another minute with her.
Twilight's deep breaths tried to fight back her tears. She'd cried too many tears today, her family, her friends, her mentor… She continued to stare into the horizon.
Looking out the window, the fleet of ships had been repelled by Celestia's efforts. But her last resort was yet to come. A blast in the distance, a light so bright it almost blinded the ponies for a second, the shockwave made the train shake under the extreme pressure as it curled around the tracks on the mountain side, it caused a commotion with the passengers. Most of them looked out the window to see a large smoke cloud forming where the mothership had been hit.
One of the larger engines at the back had exploded, the massive ship was not only suddenly engulfed in a cloud of thick smoke, debris and fire flying out into all directions but it was also going down majestically, slowly falling to its doom.
Cheering erupted from the carts. Finally, a victory after a day of nothing but losses and defeats. Celestia not only managed to delay the Combine attack, but she also took down the mothership, a single alicorn versus an army.
Twilight could finally bring herself to smile. But it was quickly ripped out of her as soon as she saw something falling on its back, but it wasn't any debris from the ship. Celestia had taken out the ship but she wouldn't live to see her the fruits of her victory.
Not her too… So many ponies, so many creatures. Twilight screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, with an inner rage unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She wanted to believe Celestia had made it out alive, but after everything they've been through… A nearby nurse pleaded with her to calm down and her rage soon transformed to bitter sadness and anguish.
Why did it have to be this way?! It isn't fair! Twilight didn't know whether to cry or to scream, and as she managed to calm down, she realized her circumstances. Two princesses and hundreds upon hundreds of creatures dead in just a few hours. The bog remained over Ponyville, the beam of light tearing into the sky continued to form a passageway for these creatures to flood equestria.
As much as it all hurts, their sacrifices would be in vain if they don't do something now. It's time to fight back. These deaths cannot be all for naught.
Equestria will rise again.
