Act 3, Chapter Twenty-Six:
Calm Before the Storm

“All systems on MY HEAVEN work, dear sister, and the engineers have fixed up any anything that needed it. The ship is 100% ready to go, Tia. We can leave at any time” Princess Luna said to her sister who was standing on the balcony outside her room, as usual.

“We better move quickly, then. I’ve received word that the Peace Fighters have struck out against us, completely on the offensive. They have assaulted all bases they could get their hooves on, and with the assistance of the Canines and Felines they have achieved 95% success. I suspect they will move on us within a week” Celestia replied.

“We should leave tomorrow, then” Luna stated.

“I agree.”

“Things are finally gonna change again, sister. Maybe next time it’ll finally work out for us” the night Princess hoped.

“I hope so...” Celestia said.

“You wish you did not have to do this, don’t you?” Luna asked, sitting down next to her sister.

“I’ve done this before, Luna. WE’VE done this before! More times than I am willing to count.... And every time I hate it. Every time I wish that we had finally gotten it right. I should’ve scrapped this place as soon as you were corrupted by “him”, but I could not leave you behind” Celestia explained.

“That is why I wish you would turn MY HEAVEN on the Leviathan of the Haro! Exact revenge for what he did to me! Did to US! He deserves to die!” Luna pleaded.

“I don’t want to use MY HEAVEN’s gun!” Celestia snapped. “That THING terrifies me to no end! You have SEEN the destructive power that main gun wields! ENTIRE planets ripped asunder by a single round! I have watched you with a close eye, sister, and your bloodlust is insatiable! I see the stars in your eyes when you think you’ll have a chance at seeing MY HEAVEN used again in a destructive role. It’s SICK!” Celestia ranted, letting her deepest secret known.

“What about this planet?! We have not yet even discussed how we’re going to wipe it clean! The sun is going out, but what happens after that? Another race may discover the buildings, the cities! They might make a connection to us! If we use MY HEAVEN’s gun on this planet after the sun’s gone out, then there will be no traces of any sort of life here! Our tracks will be covered!” Luna reasoned.

“Fine! We will stay in this system until the sun goes out and then we will use MY HEAVEN’s main gun to destroy this planet. That ship has the means to make enough resources to last for seven years anyway” Celestia conceded. “You’ve got your wish, sister, now go. Leave me be. I want to enjoy the last night I will ever spend upon the surface of Equestria.”

Luna nodded and exited the room, sealing the door shut behind her. Looking up into the sky Celestia saw MY HEAVEN looming over the city, darkening its streets.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I’ve done things I wish I hadn’t. But that ship is the worst thing I have ever known... It also holds the power to save my life, and my sister’s Princess Celestia mused, staring at the name of the ship emboldened on the side.

MY HEAVEN... So ironic... Tomorrow. Tomorrow we leave Equestria forever...

I wish we didn’t have to do this.

“We now possess more weapons, vehicles, and supplies than any one individual could count, Shining Armor. The Peace Fighters are a billion strong, and they await your command. The final plan is up to you” Lieutenant Strong Spear said to the leader of the army of the revolutionaries.

“Thank you, Lieutenant” Shining Armor said, looking over their current inventory listing, making sure everything was where it should be. With the additional resources of the Felines and Canines the Peace Fighters were a formidable army, strong enough to be their own nation if they only had a landmass big enough for it.

“Lieutenant? Call in Master Sharpclaws, it’s time to discuss the final act” Captain Armor stated, setting the report down and taking a seat while Strong Spear left the room.

Our reality is exciting, yet intimidating. We’re finally bringing the war to Canterlot and the Princesses. I’m sure many civilians will die in the battle, but perhaps they will evacuate them before we touch down.... No, the Princesses don’t care about anyone but themselves. They’d gladly let those civilians die if it meant having more time to escape... I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but their deaths are outweighed by the need to kill the Princesses and save our species as a whole. Acceptable losses Shining thought.

Just then Strong returned with the leader of the Feline army and the two sat down at the table in the briefing room to hear Shining Armor’s plan. “With our newly-acquired resources we are bringing this war straight to the doorstep of the Princesses, with the aim to kill them and use their spaceship, MY HEAVEN, to save all species on this planet. A significant number of Equestrians, Felines, Canines, Dragons, and all other significantly intelligent races will board the ship and we will broadcast to them all the truth about our planet. If we find another planet suitable for life we will offload the first batch and return for another, and will do so for as long as we can. Remember, we’ve got four years before the sun goes out, so we got plenty of time” Shining Armor explained.

“So here’s the plan; Private Gleaming Bullet, Lieutenant Strong Spear, Master Sharpclaws, and myself will be the assassination team; we will proceed directly to the Royal Tower and kill both Princesses before they can escape to MY HEAVEN. While this is going on the combined armies of the Peace Fighters will be wreaking havoc upon the streets of Canterlot and the soldiers of the Imperial Army to keep them down while we handle our business. Questions?”

“What if ve fail?” Sharpclaws inquired, asking the one question no one wanted to think about.

“Then it will be the end of all life on this planet. The future of all who live upon this earth rests upon the shoulders of us” Shining answered.

Lieutenant Spear scoffed and smiled, saying “the continuity of dozens of species rests on the shoulders of an army they’ve been told to hate. How are our lives so fucked up?”

“HA! You think your life is messed up? There was this time during the Patriot War when I thought my entire race would be exterminated by the Princesses. You know, now that I think about it the Patriot War was the catalyst for this current war. It’s when the world first learned the Princesses were so afraid of that which was different, that which could threaten their world. Maybe they saw a terrifying enemy within us” Sharpclaws stated.

“Maybe your evolution scared them because they couldn’t control it, they didn’t cause it” Shining Armor commented.

“Perhaps... You know, I remember one battle in particular. The Royal Army was rolling through our capital, the might of their empire crushing down on us. It was the final stand at the Master Building and they came crashing through our defenses, tanks rolling over and through sandbags and legions of bombers flying overhead. The Master of their army, one Captain Shining Armor, lead the charge at the very front, adorned in ornate battle armor. I can remember to this day what he thundered at the top of his lungs” Sharpclaws recalled with a smile on her face, her eyes never once leaving Captain Armor.

“Heh! ‘Fight and Die for the Honor and Glory of Her Majesty’. That’s the motto of the Imperial Army; ‘For the Glory of Her Majesty’. I remember that day, too... That seems like it was so long ago. I believed in that stuff, too. I believed that what we did for the Princesses was good, that we fought to preserve the integrity and honor of the Royal Empire. Now I see we were just fighting to keep fake Gods in power” Shining declared.

“Don’t feel too bad, Master Armor” Sharpclaws said, standing from her seat. “You were fighting for what you believed in; that’s what we should all do when we go to war.”

The door clicked shut, leaving the room occupied by only Captain Shining Armor and Lieutenant Strong Spear. “...You think it will ever be normal again? Will we really return peace and prosperity to the people of this planet? Will we really win this war?” the mare asked.

“I know I’m damn well not going to stop trying” Shining replied, leaning back in his seat. The plans were already set in motion, and there was no going back now.

“...Are we going to die tomorrow, Shining?” Strong said, looking the stallion dead in the eyes.

“It’s possible, but we’re all going to die anyway when the sun goes out, so might as well die fighting for what you believe in” Armor answered, echoing Sharpclaw’s words.

“It’s real, isn’t it? We’re really taking the war straight to Canterlot? We’re really going to kill the Princesses?”

“Yes, Strong, we really are” Shining said, getting up from his seat and preparing to head to his room to go to bed for the night. “Try to get some sleep soon, Lieutenant. Tomorrow’s a busy day.

“I’m afraid, Shining. I’m scared shitless” Strong Spear confessed.

Shining stopped and looked over his shoulder at the mare, slowly blinking.

“Me too, Strong. Me too.

Author's Note

Author's note: up next, the final battle!

Legal note: Shining Armor, Princess Celestia, and all related characters belong to Hasbro. Strong Spear, Master Sharpclaws, and all related characters belong to me. All other original characters belong to their respective owners. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro.