Chapters Chaos is the new leader of Canterlot.
Discord assumed control over all of Equestria as quickly as he appeared on that night in Canterlot five months earlier when Luna was in her most depressed state. The fear he instilled within everyponies' minds was enough to halt any type of reaction against his Occupation.
Simply by changing the light of day at a different time than usual, he left the ponies of Canterlot in a state of horror. Ponies ran amok in fear as their utopia of peace had been cruelly transformed into a kingdom of pandemonium and confusion. The amount of distraught ponies in the streets stopped any type of retaliation from the Royal Guard as they couldn’t navigate the narrow roads.
Discord could assault the castle as easily as taking a stroll on a sunny morning. The Guards and Princess Solaria mounted the best rearguard possible to help other ponies escape through the castles’ rear entrance, but their valiant efforts didn’t stop Discord wreaking havoc and assuming control of Canterlot despite ten ponies escaping through that rear door.
Princess Solaria was held in the dungeon beneath Canterlot Castle for 'safekeeping' as Discord would have put it, he had taken away her magic and wings to render her useless, but she could have considered herself lucky. Any other pony that Discord saw in the castle was annihilated mercilessly, without a trace of remorse, exploded with magic into permanent nothingness with naught to remember them by except memories and charred ashes.
Firstly, he terminated the Royal Guards, why wouldn’t he? They were attacking him. And then he wanted revenge.
Next he killed the servants.
Then finally, the children.
All disposed of without a sprinkling of pity or compassion.
Discord would say that he acted accordingly, all he did was arrive, then he was attacked, so he wanted to leave the Canterlot ponies with something to remember him by, and how they would remember him, the Castle would be turned into a memorial to the ponies he massacred. He had been having fun and games for millennia, and he took the opportunity to release a bit of anger. And now he was the ruler of all Equestria, Canterlot was the last pony settlement he hadn’t conquered. It had all been too easy.
During the first few months of Discords’ reign, Luna and Celestia had hidden in their houses along with every other pony in Equestria, terrified in the dark; they wouldn’t dare turn a light on for fear of him. Luna wouldn’t have minded the conditions if she wasn’t shaking in fear at the thought of what had happened that night when he arrived.
When she went to sleep on that fateful night, she had awful nightmares and awoke sweating and shivering, since then she had moved her bed into Celestia's room for company and security. Celestia had said “Oh, alright then” as submissively as she could, but she was secretly happy as she had been having bad dreams about Discord also. Celestia taught Luna the arts of magic 'just in case something happened again' while they were in Canterlot, and Luna became rather good at it.
As the days wore on, the more daring (and hungry) ponies would venture outside to try and set up a new secret community, their food supplies had run out and they needed to find more. They would sneak from building to building to avoid Discord as he strolled through his new 'chaos capital.'
They managed to set up a scaled-down marketing system to ensure that everypony would stay well-fed. The Canterlot ponies thought that they were doing all this without Discord knowing. He knew. He didn’t miss much. Why would Discord react to this? He didn’t have anything against the ponies, in fact, maybe he liked them, but they were unfortunate enough to live in a place he wanted conquer. He wouldn’t harm anypony for no reason; he only killed those in the castle to stamp his authority and create and atmosphere of tension in his kingdom.
“We’re running out of food again, Luna.” Celestia pointed out as she stared at the bare cupboards while Luna ate dinner at the table.
“So? Go and get some more." Luna suggested.
“It’s your turn.” Celestia replied.
“You know I don’t like going there.” Luna said as she shrunk nervously into her seat.
“Go on Luna, we’ve agreed that we have to take turns. And anyway, nopony at the underground market would do anything to you, and you’ve mastered magic while we’ve been hiding away.”
Celestia said to Luna to motivate her, and she wasn’t lying, Luna had become an expert in magic.
“Oh, okay then.” Luna groaned as she slipped away from the table to get her bag.
“Take care” Celestia said as she trotted out the door to stealthily navigate the streets.
The bell tower that the market was hidden beneath said that it was 4pm, but obviously Discord didn’t think so as the moon and stars were out. Luna loved this, she was in her element. It was also easier for her to sneak around due to the nights' darkness and her navy blue coat blending into the shadows she hid in.
She nervously sneaked towards the secret stairs at the back of the bell tower. She moved the square of earth that hid the stairs to the side to enter the lit storage area.
“Hey, Loony.” Said the young mare who exited the store as Luna anxiously edged towards the shop counter.
“Luna.” Said the pegasus store owner. “Just ignore her, you ain’t Loony.”
“Thanks, Cirrus.” Luna replied to the middle-aged, balding, orange-coated stallion.
“So what can I do for you today? The usual?” Cirrus asked.
“Yes, please.” Luna said back to him.
“So that’s a lump o’ hay, with three two-litre water bottles, right?” Cirrus remembered.
“How do you remember that? And for every customer?” Luna questioned.
“Well, my specialties are marketing and bartering, and that includes pleasing the customers.” Cirrus pointed out.
“I see.” Luna said as she realised what he meant.
“That’ll be four bits, please.” Cirrus read off of his price list as he handed the goods over.
“There you go, goodbye.” Luna said as she handed over the bits, placed the goods in her bag and trotted out.
“Take care, Luna.” Cirrus added.
After Luna had ascended the stairs and replaced the mound of earth back to its usual position, she started to trot gingerly back towards her house. Again, Discord was nowhere to be seen and she reached her home without incident, she was just about to open the front door to enter the 'safe zone' when a small piece of paper nailed to a lamppost down the street shimmered in the wind and grabbed her attention.
Luna looked around to check for any possible signs of danger, it could be a clever trap laid by the wily Discord. When Luna realised that nothing was going to happen, she swallowed her anxiety and sneaked forward silently. When she reached the lamppost, she noticed that it was a poster. Luna read it in her head.
Are you our most wanted? Do you have what it takes to aid our princess and rid our glorious kingdom of the villain Discord? If you think you do, come to the abandoned art gallery rear entrance at 9pm tonight!
Signed,
Sgt. Raider.
Raider? Luna thought to herself. The Captain’s right-hoof man? Is he still alive?
“Celestia! Are you in here?” Luna yelled.
“What in Equestria are you yelling at, Luna?” Celestia answered from the room next to Luna while rubbing her ears in pain.
“Look at this!” Luna said as she thrust the piece of paper towards her sister.
Celestia studied the poster.
"Come on, Luna. We're going." Celestia stated as she trotted out the door.
A walk while recollecting
Luna and Celestia walked through the ruined streets of Canterlot with the moon and stars just about lighting their way.
“So how many ponies do you think will go to this meeting?” Luna asked her sister.
“Probably none, knowing how these ponies can’t stand the sight of dirt, never mind an evil genius, nopony in Canterlot is strong enough to stand up to Discord, especially with the Royal Guard gone.” Celestia pointed out.
“What do you mean, Tia?” Luna questioned. “What about Raider?”
“I don’t think he’s even alive. It's probably somepony posing as him to get ponies to turn up. You saw what Discord did to those in the castle; I’d be surprised if any of the Guards are still alive.” Celestia said sadly.
“Well...the Captain? He is the best of the best.” Luna pointed out.
“Nopony has heard from him since the attack, he’s probably a pile of ash by now.” Celestia said sadly.
“Can we talk about something else?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, it’s not exactly a cheery subject is it?” replied Luna.
They continued to walk past the ruined shops and restaurants with smashed windows and flipped tables. Only five short months ago the streets were bustling with shoppers and the streets would hum with the sound of general conversation and laughter, everypony in Canterlot was happy (except Luna), but now that had changed, many of those ponies were now gone forever.
The two sisters were trotting around the massive Labyrinth when an shooting star flew overhead causing the two alicorns to look up at the sky.
“I bet you’re loving this aren’t you?” Asked a grinning Celestia.
Luna looked puzzled. “Why would I like any of this?” She wondered.
“I mean the weather.” Celestia pointed out.
“Oh, okay.” Luna said with a chuckle.
“I mean, it’s always night time now, you and Discord could be best friends with the way he always keeps it dark.” Celestia said.
“I would never be friends with a monster like that. Look at all the suffering he’s caused!” Luna shouted loudly.
“Luna, I was joking.”
“I-I know.” Luna lied while pulling a face.
“Tia?” Luna tried to grab Celestias’ attention after a while of silent walking.
“Yes?” Celestia replied.
While looking at the sky, Luna asked. “Do you remember when you said something about me not being able to control the moon?”
“On the day you ran to the forest, yes.” Celestia answered.
She would always remember that day when Luna started acting properly again and wasn’t depressed, she’d always remember the warm feeling she’d get inside and she would start to cry with happiness when she knew Luna still loved her.
“Well, how would you know that I couldn’t do that? My cutie mark is a moon, and I’ve never seen anyone with a moon cutie mark. I mean, look at yourself as well; you have a sun cutie mark. And we’re both alicorns, nopony else our age is, maybe we will have to work together to bring around day and ni-” Luna let out a little squeal as she collided face first with the rear door of the art gallery.
Celestia tried to hide a smile but couldn’t help but laugh at her sister's foolishness.Hahaha! That’s what you get for not paying attention to where you’re walking and making up silly dreams!” Celesta howled with delight.
“Tia…” Luna mumbled sadly as she started to tear up.
“Aww, come on Luna, I’m just having fun.” She embraced her younger sibling to show that she was purely joking.
“Right, come on, we’re here now, get serious, don’t say anything Luna, and just listen to what they propose.”
And with that, the two young mares entered the art gallery.
The art gallery hadn’t changed much since Discord arrived, it was closed for the weekend on the day he arrived and it is located around the back of the Labyrinth, so out of the way of the death and destruction of that horrible day. Patches of damp had started to appear, but it was basically the same it always had been. The two sisters nervously sneaked around several corners to try and find where to go.
“Where are they?” Luna whispered almost silently.
“I don’t know.” Celestia replied.
“Did you hear that?” Said the gruff, muffled voice from around the corner.
“Yeah, I heard hoof-steps.” Muttered a second, even deeper voice.
“Damn, somepony's heard us. Luna, don’t turn your back, we don’t know who this is.” Celestia said desperately.
“Be ready to fight.”
A switch flicked inside Luna, she knew that she might be in danger. She knew that she might have to fight.
Ready to kill.
She knew that Discord could adopt disguises, and she wouldn’t hang back unless she recognised the pony that would appear in mere seconds.
Beads of perspiration slid down her skin in anticipation.
The shadows on the walls crept closer.
“Oh, hey girls, it-” That was as far as Cirrus got before Luna unleashed an intense, black ray of magic at his head. Luckily he ducked and the ray smashed through the wall behind him.
“Um…I’m, sorry?” Said Luna innocently while she shrugged.
While Luna and Cirrus remained shocked by the dark magic Luna had just unleashed, a second stallion walked around the corner, but he wasn’t any ordinary stallion. He wore a glistening golden suit of armour and a helmet.
“Hey kid, you’re exactly what we’re lookin’ for.” The soldier proclaimed, grinning happily.
“Raider?” asked Luna.
“Reporting for duty.” He said with a confident smile.
“Come on in, we’re starting.” Raider said as he ushered the two alicorns and the still shaking Cirrus into the meeting room.
Celestia and Luna entered the dark room, lit only by a flame lamp placed in the middle of a mahogany table in the centre of the room, surrounded by seven chairs. Three injured members of the Royal Guard sat on their chairs. Raider took his place at the head of the table and the recovering Cirrus sat next to him.
“Well, why don’t we begin?” Raider suggested.
“Is nopony else coming?” Celestia asked.
“Not that we know of, we’re surprised that anyone turned up, I know I wouldn’t, if it wasn’t my job. But that has helped to make this meeting a lot easier.” Looking at the three wounded soldiers, Raider continued;
“These three aren’t fit for active duty so we needed at least four ponies to turn up, preferably two Pegasi and two Unicorns, but now we’ve got me, a Pegasus and two Alicorns. So again, thanks for turning up, or we really would’ve been screwed.” Raider explained.
“Cirrus, are you coming?” Luna asked, shocked that the quiet, older baker would be joining them.
“I sure am, I couldn’t sit around knowing that Discord was ruling over me, and anyways, I still got a bit of fight left in me. "
"Also...I have a plan.”
Plotting a Draconequi's Downfall
“You already have a plan on how to defeat Discord?” Asked Celestia while looking slightly puzzled.
“You’re damn right; it sprung into my mind just days after that creature turned up.” Cirrus proudly announced.
“I’ve had to deal with a fair amount o’ bad guys in my time, and I ain’t gonna let some mismatched nightmare be the first one that beats me!” Cirrus continued.
“Are you actually going to mention any form of plan, Cirrus?” Raider asked as he grew impatient.
“What? Oh, yeah. Sorry, got a little carried away there.” Cirrus sat back down on his chair as he composed himself.
“My plan… is that we lure Discord to the Everfree Forest so that he gets attacked by a herd o’ Timberwolves!” Cirrus proclaimed smugly.
The looks of anticipation on the faces of the ponies around the room instantly disappeared.
“I think we’ll have to veto that one.” Mumbled one of the injured soldiers to the sound of chuckles from the other troops.
Cirrus retaliated angrily. “Well at least I’m pitching something!”
“He’s got a point, you know, nopony else has a better plan.” Raider admitted.
"But Discord is a creature of immense magical ability, he'd never be tricked into a trap like that, we'll have to come up with something else." Raider sadly confessed.
The group of ponies sat around the table for hours, brainstorming any idea, however stupid or originally promising, but to no avail.
“Well, Ladies, Cirrus. I’m sorry for dragging you out here for three hours for absolutely nothing.” Raider glumly apologised.
“Wait!” Luna suddenly shouted, it’d been the first time she’d spoken since she’d walked into the room.
“What is it, Luna?” Celestia asked.
“What about the Castle library? That must have something in it that could help us. Some kind of magic book maybe?" Luna suggested.
“Hmm.” Raider pondered the idea. “A book of spells maybe, there could be something in there. But it’ll be locked to keep out intruders, and the captain has the keys, and no-one’s seen Captain Steel Hooves since Discord arrived.”
“The messenger pony at Trottingham told me he’d been killed fighting Discord there.” One of the soldiers added.
The soldiers each took off their helmets as a sign of respect to his passing.
“Well, he ain’t such a great messenger then is he?” A voice exclaimed as the door flew off its hinges.
Captain Steel Hooves had just introduced his rear legs to the door, and he trotted into the room confidently, dusting himself off.
“Where did he come from?” Luna asked Celestia quietly.
“I’m not sure, but that’s a good way to announce yourself.” Celestia whispered back.
The soldiers stood up sharply to salute their Captain despite the shock of him being there and their injuries. Raider was big for a stallion, but Steel Hooves was an absolute giant, in height and width, he stood a good half of a full-grown ponies’ height above everypony else and was three times wider.
“C-Captain, y-you’re ali-” Raider stuttered, shocked by his Captain's arrival.
“Stop blabberin’ boy, sort yourself out!” Steel Hooves ordered his second-in-command.
“You there! You said you need the keys?” Bellowed the Captain as he pointed a hoof at Luna.
“Mare! Are you still with me!?” Steel Hooves tried to wake Luna from her daydream.
“Yes.” Luna answered very quietly. “We need the keys to check the library for ideas on how to defeat Discord.” Then Luna spoke more aggressively. “Also, my name isn’t ‘Mare’, it’s Luna.”
“Oh, we’ll get to the introductions later, ‘Luna.” Steel Hooves said as he turned towards Cirrus. “But now it’s time to make a real plan.”
After Raider had quickly mentioned the names of the sisters and Cirrus, Captain Steel Hooves got straight to business.
“So we’re going to sneak into the library to look around the books for any type of reference to a powerful enough magic to defeat Discord?” Steel Hooves gathered.
“Yes,” Luna replied.
“But where would we find such a book?” Celestia butted in.
Steel Hooves answered her. “Well, Celeste, it’ll probably be-“
“It’s Celestia.” She grumbled back with a scowl on her face while Luna tried to stop giggling next to her.
“Whatever.” Steel Hooves continued. “But like I was going to say, a spell book with magic that powerful in it will be in the Star Swirl the Bearded wing of the library. It’s located on the south side of the Castle library. Here’s the key.” Steel Hooves said as he tossed the key on a string from around his neck onto the table, it slide across the smooth table surface towards Luna while everyone around the table stared at her.
“Why have you given that to me?” Luna asked, looking confused.
“Isn’t that what you’re here for?” Raider asked.
“Well…” Luna stammered. “I didn’t know I’d have to do something like this, I thought we were just coming up with a plan.” She admitted.
“Moving on.” Steel Hooves loudly announced. “You’re the only pony here that could sneak in ‘cos we need a flyer.” Steel Hooves said as he looked around the table to his injured troops. “These three aren’t fit for duty, me and Raider ain’t Pegasi and Cirrus is barely light on his hooves.” The Captain pointed out.
“Oh…okay.” Luna mumbled submissively while looking gloomy.
“Wait, what about me?” Celestia jumped in to spare her sister the worry and responsibility.
“You can’t go ‘cos you’d stand out like a sore hoof, you’ve seen how much Discord likes the night, and with your coat, he’d see you straight away. Luna’s the perfect candidate.” Steel Hooves declared.
Luna looked around the table from the blank-faced soldiers. To the face of Raider, looking forward in anticipation. To the gruff Steel Hooves, almost demanding a 'yes' just by his frowning expression. Cirrus unsuccessfully tried to hide his sadness as he knew that Luna would have to put herself in danger to help Equestria, and he didn’t want the young mare to be under threat as he’d always looked out for her after her parents disappeared, whether she knew or not. Luna then turned to the glum Celestia, the older sister tried to look away from Luna to hide the tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
“Luna…” Celestia started to plead to her younger sibling.
“Tia, I have to do this. We have to make sacrifices sometimes, and I’m willing to take the risk to save Princess Solaria and all of Equestria.” Luna said assertively.
“Good, we haven’t a moment to waste, the sooner we get there, the sooner we get back.” Steel Hooves interrupted the emotional setting by ushering the ponies out of the door and led them to the Castle.
Captain Steel Hooves led his knocked-together group of ponies firstly to the makeshift hospital in the old Town Hall to transfer his wounded soldiers.
“You lot get yourself back to fighting fitness ASAP, you here me?” Steel Hooves ordered.
The wounded soldiers saluted their commander. “Yes, Sir!” Said the largest trooper. “You can count on us, whatever state we’re in, we will serve the Princess till death!”
“Good. I may need you three yet.” Steel Hooves said as he returned the salute and trotted away.
“Those guys aren’t in any shape to fight.” Luna whispered as she followed Steel Hooves. “They’ll just be a nuisance.”
“Well, Luna, as long as they’re a nuisance to the enemy on the battlefield, they will be doing their duty.” Steel Hooves exclaimed without turning to face the young Alicorn.
After another few minutes of silent walking under the ever-present stars, the group reached the base of the Castles’ Library tower. The group craned their necks skyward to stare up at the monumental tower.
“You see, Luna. This is why we need you.” Steel Hooves explained.
Luna gulped as she swallowed her fear and got ready to fly.
“Tell me the plan; I want to know that you remember what I told you.” Steel Hooves demanded.
Luna started to repeat the plan. “Firstly, I’ll fly to the top window of the tower and go inside. Then I’ll descend two stories to reach the library wing; The Star Swirl the Bearded wing on the library’s south side. From there, I’ll look on the shelves labelled ‘Defence,’ then I’ll get out ASAP.” Luna explained.
“Good. You know what you’re doing, now don’t screw it up.” Steel Hooves said, his lack of care for Luna's well-being annoyed the rest of the group.
Luna thought to herself. Can’t he be supportive of me? Isn’t he happy that I’m helping the cause?
“Don’t worry; we’re all looking out for you.” Celestia whispered into her sisters’ ear.
“Thank you, Tia.” Luna said as she released her sister.
“Now, get up there.” Celestia encouraged her sister. Luna obliged and flew up the face of the tower.
“And take care of yourself!” Celestia shouted after her.
Luna rapidly ascended up to the towers’ top level; she swooped in through the window and gently lowered herself onto the cold, stone floor. As she landed, a sharp clang rang throughout the library entrance hall and Luna froze on the spot as the sound echoed off the walls.
Luna stood as still as a statue so she couldn’t make another sound as she waited for something to happen. Luckily, nothing appeared. Luna let out a sigh of relief and started to fly again, she wouldn’t make a noise while flying as long as she didn’t beat her wings to hard.
As Luna flew slowly through the various library sections, nothing in the grey, drab aisles grabbed her attention, so she continued to creep slowly onward. Luna steadily approached the open gates of the Star Swirl the Bearded wing of the library; she crossed the empty hallway between the corridor and the library wing and entered the Star Swirl section. The floor colour changed from grey to a light green shade, the walls were covered in shelves overflowing with books and scrolls containing various magic spells.
In the centre of the circular library wing, a giant hourglass stood, its sand frozen with half in the top section and half in the bottom section. The wing would have been pitch-black if it wasn’t for the large, purple dome on the roof channelling the moonlight into luminescent rays of indigo light, which made it a lot easier to see for Luna.
Luna continued to fly towards the back wall of the library wing when she clipped a scroll with the edge of her wing. Again, Luna froze to spot so as not to make a sound, and again, no more noise happened due to her clumsiness. Luna didn’t know if anything was in the Castle, but she wasn’t going to go around asking questions, it was better to remain cautious. Luna edged towards to shelf labelled ‘Defence,’ if any magic powerful enough to defeat Discord existed, it would be here.
As Luna inspected the shelf, unbeknownst to her, the scroll she knocked started to noiselessly roll down the shelf. With its motion, it collided with many other scrolls and sent them rolling down the shelf also. Luna continued to look for a book of spells. Damn, there’s nothing powerful enough in here, we can’t defeat Discord with these spells . She thought to herself. Then she heard a slight ‘tap’ behind her. What was that? She thought. Is something there? I’m just hearing things.
That ‘tap’ hadn’t been imagined, it was the sound of many scrolls hitting a book, that book then hit the one next to it, then the one after that, starting a chain reaction of a tipping books. Luna heard that dull ‘tap’ again and turned just in time to see the queue of books crash into a weighty tome at the end of the shelf, that giant book then fell towards the ground; Luna let out a squeal and launched herself into a full-length dive to catch the falling book. As Luna slid across the floor, she caught the massive book and the disaster was averted, or so she thought.
“Did you hear something?” Said the voice from down the hallway.
“Yeah, I heard a noise. Let’s check it out.” Said a second voice.
Luna’s eyes widened in horror as she realised that Discords’ minions were coming for her. She released the giant book and leapt up to grab the first book that she flew past. As Luna stormed out of the Star Swirl wing of the library, she looked down the hallway and spotted two stallions with bright red eyes advancing from the dark.
“Stop!” They yelled. “Raise the alarm! Intruder!” One of the guards shouted.
Luna flew out of the window and sent herself into a lightning-quick nosedive towards her group.
“Quick, run!” Luna shouted to her friends.
At first they were confused, but when the alarm was raised and they heard the noise of shouting minions, they didn’t need telling a second time. Luna landed into a sprint alongside her sister while still holding that book that she had quickly grabbed under her wing.
“Back to the art gallery!” Steel Hooves ordered.
Discords’ hypnotised Pegasus minions had started to fly after the group, but they had already gotten too far ahead and the minions couldn’t find them in the multitude of streets.
The group of ponies eventually reached the rear door of the art gallery and entered the meeting room again.
“What do you call that, Luna?” Steel Hooves questioned angrily. “Do you want us all to be killed?”
“Sir, I think we can lay off Luna, after all, she isn’t going an expert in stealth tactics is she?” Raider stood up against his superior for the young mare.
“Well.” Steel Hooves stepped down from his ego’s pedestal. “I guess it’s the best we can expect from a non-combatant. Thank you, Luna.”
“It was nothing.” Luna lied with a growl. She smiled at Raider in thanks for standing up for her.
“The most important thing is that you’re okay.” Celestia said as she embraced her sister. “And you got a book.”
“Thanks, Tia. But I don’t think it’ll be of any use, I just grabbed any book.” Luna admitted.
“We may as well have a look, it might have something in it that can help us.” Raider said very optimistically.
“I highly doubt that.” The Captain mumbled, he sat smouldering in the corner away from the other four.
“Come on, Luna. Show us what you found.” Cirrus said as he leaned forward in his seat.
Luna herself hadn’t inspected the book yet, so she placed it on the table for all to see. She realised that it was a very old book with a greying leather cover, it had a small diamond shape on its’ cover. The title read;
“Myths and Legends of Equestria.” Luna read aloud.
“Oh, that’s great, now we’re chasing a myth.” Steel Hooves muttered angrily.
Raider looked at Luna and rolled his eyes because of the Captain. “Ignore him.” He mouthed.
Luna allowed a small smile to break on her face at the Captains’ expense. She continued to flick through the pages and read aloud.
“Chapter one- The Crystal Empire. No, that’s not it.”
This continued for a while, and as the amount of pages left grew less, so did Steel Hooves’ temper.
“Just accept it.” Se stated depressingly. “There isn’t going to be anything in that book.”
Luna turned the final page and a piece of paper slightly smaller than a normal page fell out onto the table. This page was different as it was hoof-written and drawn rather than printed. It had a pencil drawing that was coloured to show a purple diamond set within a golden circular base, five other diamonds branched off from the base, they were red, pink, yellow, green and blue.
Luna had never seen anything like it; it was almost like a huge, expensive piece of jewellery. No-one around the table reacted to the picture as they didn’t know what it was either, but when Luna said the words on the page, Steel Hooves’ ears pricked up and he shot out of his chair.
“The Elements of Harmony.”
Captain Steel Hooves slowly trotted towards the table.
“Yes, is that an issue?” Luna questioned, slightly confused.
“An issue? It could be.” He replied glumly.
“Why is that?” Celestia wondered.
Steel Hooves sighed sadly.
“Looks like I’ll have to tell you all now, it’s about time I told somepony. I had planned to keep this a secret till the day I died, but now it’s desperate.”
Steel Hooves looked disappointed, in himself maybe? For what he was about to say hadn’t been heard by anypony except himself and the Princess. Steel Hooves began to explain to the unknowing ponies;
“Princess Solaria once told me of an ancient source of unimaginable magical power, this source of power was split into six different traits, or ‘Elements.' Each of the elements represented the unity and good within everypony in Equestria, the elements represent; Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic. Because these elements were powered by the good in everypony, the Princesses of Equestria would use them to fight off the evil in the world. These elements cannot kill, only imprison and banish, so eventually the evil will keep coming back."
"But about 20 years ago, when I was a young stallion, Queen Ellixandria of the Changeling Kingdom attacked Canterlot and stole the Elements and took them to her Kingdom. Now, we were lucky because neither she nor any Changeling could use them, but that was as good as it got for us. Because she took them, Discord has now taken his chance to rule Equestria. We were so incapable on the night he invaded because we didn’t have the Elements, if we had had them, we would have easily defeated them, and the only way we will ever defeat him is if we get the Elements to Princess Solaria, and we still don’t know where she is.” He concluded.
“Where are the Elements?” Celestia asked.
“Raider, tell them.” Steel Hooves replied.
“Yes, Sir. The last time any scouting party went out, which was about a year ago, the Elements of Harmony were still in the Changeling Kingdom, stored away in the basement of their castle.” Raider sadly recollected.
“So, how do we get there?” Luna asked.
“Well, it won’t be easy, it’s a long trek and we don’t know what’s going on outside of Canterlot. Raider, get the map.” Steel Hooves ordered.
Raider obeyed his commander and pulled a large map from his pack and spread it out on the table.
“What’s that?” Luna asked.
“Us.” He replied simply.
Then he pointed another hoof at another dot on the right edge of the map.
Celestia gulped. “That’s where we’re going?”
“It sure is,” Steel Hooves said through a sly grin.
“It’s a long way, but you can manage it.” He pointed out.
“What do you mean, you can manage it?” Celestia asked angrily.
“Well, I can’t go, I’ve got 50 soldiers in the hospital willing to do their duty for their Princess, and somepony’s gotta lead them.” Steel Hooves replied.
“What about Raider?” Luna asked.
“He’s going with you two.” The Captain said matter-of-factly.
The two sisters looked to Raider and he nodded his head in support.
“You lot will go through Stalliongrad, then the Petrified Desert, and that’s when you’ll hit the Changeling Kingdom. Now we don’t know what’s going on in Stalliongrad, so I can’t tell you what to do, but when you’re in the Desert, you’ll need cold-weather clothes.” Steel Hooves recommended.
Luna looked very perplexed. “Cold-weather? In a place called the Desert?”
Luna had never been to the Desert before, but she was pretty sure that deserts were hot.
“Yes, you will need cold-weather clothing, a desert isn’t just a place full of sand, it’s a place where it never rains. It snows there, but never rains. I know it’s confusing but it doesn’t matter, pack for the cold or you’ll lose a hoof to frostbite.” Steel Hooves advised.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other, both sporting a very confused expression, but shrugged it off.
“Once you’re near the Changeling Kingdom, wait till night, then infiltrate the castle and take back the Elements. Don’t worry; you won’t have to walk all of the way back.”
Steel Hooves passed a small two-way radio apparatus across the table to Raider.
“When you are about to enter the castle, radio me and I’ll send my men to evacuate you in a chariot, by the time you’ve got the Elements, we’ll be there.”
Luna and Celestia both shared a glance of doubt.
The Captain saw their concern.
“Don’t worry, Raider’ll help if you get into any trouble, we just need you two for your magic.”
The sisters glumly accepted what had to be.
“We’ll go.” They said in unison.
Discord rose the sun today, he wasn’t sure why, he just subconsciously fancied a change from the norm. Discord hadn’t been feeling the same lately, he had been having strange gut feelings and thoughts that he wouldn’t usually have.
“What’s wrong with me?” He would ask aloud. “The world is mine! Why am I not satisfied?” He would shout throughout the vast chambers of his new castle.
“Well this is a lot more boring than I thought it would be.” He would think.
“Luna, are you ready to go?” Celestia asked her sister.
Luna looked troubled, was she ready? Could she face the possibility of having to fight for her life? Or lay down her life for the good of her Princess? But she had to stop thinking thoughts like that; there mightn’t be any enemies on the journey anyway. And they had Raider to look after them.
“Yeah, let’s go.” She replied confidently.
The second they stepped out the door, they were surprised as not only Raider, but Cirrus was waiting for them.
“Cirrus! What are you doing here?” Luna asked.
“I’m coming with you! I won’t let you go without me helping.” Cirrus replied with a smile.
“But…why?” Celestia asked.
Cirrus sighed. “Girls, it’s time I told you two something, I think you’re mature enough to accept it now.” Cirrus began his tale;
Luna and Celestia gasped in horror at this, but Cirrus waved a hoof to silence them and continued.
“Your parents were quite the magicians. Nopony was more powerful than those two, apart from the Princess herself. But they were very cocky and headstrong, they’d never make sacrifices to help anypony apart from each other. And one day, their stubbornness got the better of them.
Princess Solaria’s baby sister, Nova, was walking around the castle grounds under her supervision when a herd of Timberwolves jumped out of the bushes and started chasing her. Solaria heard the screams of terror from her filly sister and went outside to fight them, but they outnumbered her four to one.
Solaria looked around for help because no guards were around ‘cos they were out on parade. She turned to see an empty street apart from two ponies, your parents. The Princess screamed for their help, but they just sat down on a bench, ignoring her, they weren’t willing to go out of their way to save a life when they could have helped.
By the time the Princess had turned back, the Timberwolves were running away with her sister, she managed to kill two of the wolves but the other two got away with her baby sister. Solaria tracked them down to the Everfree Forest by the sound of constant screaming from little Nova. The wolves had a big lead on Solaria, and when they got to the forest, the screaming stopped. Solaria charged in where she’d seen them enter, and found nothing except the body of her dead filly sister.
Obviously, Solaria was angry at the death of her only sibling, the pony she loved the most, but she was angrier with your parents. She banished them forever from Canterlot for their failure to help her.”
Luna and Celestia were both crying by now as they couldn’t believe that their parents had acted in such a way, but Cirrus never lied, he always told the truth.
“But before she banished them, I told your parents that I’d let you live alone and take care of each other, but I’d keep a watchful eye over you two. They begged me not to make the same mistake they did. And that’s why I’m going with you.”
The usually composed Raider also seemed to be moved by the tale as he stealthily wiped a tear from his eye without the other three seeing.
“I’m sorry to butt in, guys. But we have to leave now, it’ll be dark soon.” Raider suggested.
Luna was still sad and shocked by her parents’ actions, but she felt happy because she knew what had happened to her parents, and that she could now depend on Raider and Cirrus for protection.
“Next stop, Stalliongrad, right?” Raider said optimistically.
And with that the band of four steadily trotted out of the Canterlot streets towards the horizon and whatever lay beyond.
Discord was exhausted. He had spent his entire morning inspecting his Kingdom to look for signs of unrest or uprising against his minions that protected his towns. No examples of disturbance were found.
Good. Discord thought, the less the ponies that opposed him, the easier it would be to rule Equestria.
As Discord was strolling back to his castle, he wasn't shocked to find the streets empty. Why wouldn't they be? They were afraid of him. Usually, Discord would see at least one pony unaware of his presence, but today, it seemed that Canterlot had been abandoned.
"Where the hell is everypony?" Discord exclaimed loudly, but to no answer.
Discord continued to walk down the streets of his kingdom; again the roads and sidewalks were bare. He looked inside several houses, also void of life. Discord thought about the possibilities:
The day I leave, I return to find empty streets and houses, where could they all have gone? Have they abandoned the town? I don't care, they aren't needed. They can leave freely as long as I have the Prin-
That's when Discord realised,
Discord then teleported to the castle as quick as he could, desperate to arrive before Solaria was released.
When he arrived at the Castle steps, Discord heard the noise of quiet conversation from within. Then he heard a loud crack of metal on brick.
"They're digging down to her!" Discord screamed.
As Discord kicked open the door to the immense Castle Hall, the ponies of Canterlot quickly bolted from the Castle through the back door, leaving their tools.
"You'll never find her! Never!" Discord screamed after the galloping ponies.
The ponies were out of the Castle and safely home by the time Discord reached the back door.
"Damn ponies." He muttered, "I give them what they want, and they repay me by trying to release the only pony who could get rid of me!"
After Discord had finished his rant, he walked over to where the ponies had been digging. He didn't even find a hole anywhere.
"Pah!" Discord laughed. "Typical Canterlotians, always afraid to get their hooves dirty. Where they even trying?” He wondered. And that's when it all came together in his mind.
Firstly, Discord noticed the small chisels on the ground, the ones the ponies dropped. Discord picked one of the tools up. "How would you dig with this little thing? It's practically useless." He chuckled.
Then something on the wall caught Discord's eye.
"Never Forget"
"Never forget? Never forget what?" He asked himself. Then he figured it out.
"The day I leave, the ponies inscribe a message of remembrance on the wall of my castle. Why? What for?"
"Oh, no." Discord cut in on his thoughts.
Discord started to falter as his smile fell from his face.
"No...no...why?" he pleaded to himself.
He looked at the inscription again.
Never Forget
A lump formed in Discord's throat and his eyes began to twitch. He fell to his knees before the inscription.
"Why?!" Discord screamed to the heavens.
"I killed them." He whimpered, "I killed them all!"
Discord continued to wail until he cried himself to sleep at the foot of the inscription.
Discord awoke later that evening, lying in front of the inscription, his eyes hurting for having cried so much. He had to make it up to them, he could never truly be forgiven for what he'd done, but he needed to do something .
He quietly opened the castle doors to peer outside, he saw nopony except a massive stallion, who walked into the town hall that Discord thought was empty. He was wearing chrome-coloured horse shoes with a golden helmet. It was Captain Steel Hooves.
"Perfect." Discord whispered.
Inside the makeshift hospital, Steel Hooves trotted around the hospital beds to inspect his recovering troops, encouraging them and occasionally assisting the nurses.
"Captain?" Discord mumbled, looking and sounding ashamed in himself.
"What is it?" Steel Hooves asked without turning around, not realising who it was.
"Captain." Discord said, slightly more forceful than his last attempt, and this time, the Captain turned.
"Discord!" The Captain yelled. "How dare you come here! You've already injured these ponies, are you coming to finish them off? If you want to do that, you'll have to go through me!" Steel Hooves shouted as he started to charge at Discord, followed by many of his soldiers.
Discord halted the Captain and the other soldiers ready to attack him by creating a defensive force field around himself.
And with that, Discord departed the hospital with a sad sigh.
Whilst Discord had been realising what he’d done, Luna, Celestia, Cirrus and Raider were approaching the town of Stalliongrad, the trek had been a lot easier than they had been first expected. When they originally set off, Raider had been suspicious of some form of magical barrier between Canterlot and the outside world having been placed by Discord to stop ponies escaping, but he ended up having no need to worry as they left Canterlot as easily as they always had in the past.
The journey was very manageable, even for the less athletic Cirrus. The sun had been shining the entire way and they had time to bond, telling stories of their childhood, families, friends and their dreams. Luna really enjoyed the journey, despite the sun permanently shining. She felt closer to Cirrus and especially Raider, she’d always been friendly with Cirrus, but as she had now been able to talk more with Raider, she felt more secure with him. Raider had always been a very professional, quiet stallion while he was in the Guard, but since Discord attacked, he had become more social, more approachable.
It seemed that when his comrades were killed by Discord, he’d shaken off his usual professionalism and become more like any other pony. He also lately had a greater disregard for military protocol than he previously had. Raider had always been the most dependable and obedient stallion in the Guard, that’s why Captain Steel Hooves appointed him as his second in command, but recently, Luna had noticed how much he stood up for other ponies against his Captain, especially for her and Celestia.
Whilst Luna had been daydreaming, the eagle-eyed Raider spotted the distant walls of Stalliongrad on the horizon.
“We’re coming up to Stalliongrad, guys. The coast looks clear, but just stick to the path, just in case.” Raider recommended as he took point.
Cirrus stayed at the back to keep a safe eye on Luna and Celestia, as he always had been and always would. The group then slowly trotted through the green fields.
“Strange.” he said simply.
“What’s strange?” asked Raider.
“It’s supposed to snow here in spring, but it’s green for as far as I can see.” Cirrus pointed out.
“Hmm.” Raider pondered on Cirrus' point. “You’re right, but the weather and seasons haven’t been right ever since Discord arrived. There’ll probably be no snow in the Desert either.” Raider guessed..
After 10 more minutes of walking, they reached the gates of Stalliongrad, locked and bolted shut.
“How are we to get in?” Celestia asked. The noise of Celestia talking awoke the napping lookout on the walkway of the town walls.
“Halt! Who goes there?!” the lookout demanded.
“Easy, soldier. I’m Sergeant Raider of the Canterlot Royal Guard. These are my travelling colleagues Luna, Celestia and Cirrus.” Raider answered.
“What is the purpose of your visit?” The lookout asked.
“We just wish to rest here for the night and then we will leave.” Raider explained.
The lookout then walked away. Luna became quite anxious due to his disappearance.
“Where’s he going?” She asked shakily.
“Don’t worry, Luna.” Raider reassured the young mare. “He’ll be going to inform his commanding officer that we’re here, it’s general protocol. They’ll either turn us away or open the gates when the commander gives his order.”
And sure enough, the gates opened as soon as Raider had finished speaking. Raider shot a sly, confident smile to the group when he was proven right, but his smile soon dropped when he saw the iron-clad stallion in front of him.
He wore a silver helmet on his head with a blue plume, the sign of a Commander. He was also a unicorn, with a giant, green horn, matching his hair colour.
“Well, well, well, who is this?” The stallion said, “Sergeant Raider, long time, no see.”
“Have we met, Commander? I recognise your face, but I can't put a name to it.” Raider said with a cocked eyebrow, unsure of the stallions’ identity.
“I’m afraid we have. Several times. All on the battlefield. That’s if you are the Raider I’m thinking of.” the Stallion continued to cryptically reveal his identity.
“You fought with the Scout teams in Germaney?” The anonymous soldier asked.
“Yes, against the Nords of Bridle Shores.” Raider answered.
“Then you fought me. Let me ask you, Sergeant. Have you ever been crushed to the ground with a knife to your throat?"
The Commander faced away from the group, pulling a wry smile.
"Yes. Wait, you can't be." A frown appeared on Raider’s face as the Commander chuckled darkly.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance.” Emerald Horn stated.
“Don’t worry, Emerald. The feeling’s mutual.” Raider admitted scornfully.
The two continued to stare each other down as Celestia, Luna and Cirrus just stood there, confused by the events that were unfolding before them.
He held out a hoof to give the ponies a warmer welcome to Stalliongrad.
Luna looked around the town as she followed the Commander, she expected very basic, grey and ugly buildings, but Stalliongrad was a lot like Canterlot. Pristine roads and sidewalks, colourful and stylish buildings, open green areas. It basically was Canterlot.
Emerald Horn directed his guests to their ‘suitable accommodation.’ It was slightly different than previously anticipated.
“You shall stay here for the night.” The Commander stated as he turned to walk away.
“Are you crazy, Emerald?” Raider exclaimed. “How can we all fit in there?” he asked.
“Honestly, Raider, how hard can it be for four ponies to fit into a castle?” he asked rhetorically.
Raider had thought that Emerald Horn had been referring to the abandoned sheds, but the castle was what the Commander had been talking about. Raider was so shocked by the Commanders’ generosity that his jaw nearly hit the floor. Luna and Celestia both looked at each other with giant smiles on their faces, beaming with delight at being allowed to stay in a castle.
Emerald Horn turned to face them and said simply. “Welcome to Stalliongrad. Please enjoy your stay.” Then he turned briskly and returned to his post.
“Well.” Raider started as he leaned towards Cirrus. “We may as well be greatful.”
“I have no issue with that.” Cirrus said with a chuckle.
The group picked their own rooms and unpacked, Cirrus and Raider had their own rooms and Luna and Celestia shared a room as they had grown fond of each others’ company from sleeping in the same room in Canterlot.
Two hours later, at about 6 in the afternoon, Luna decided that she would like to explore Stalliongrad before she left for the Petrified Desert.
“Tia? I’m going out.” Luna raised her voice so Celestia could here her from the bathroom.
“Where?” Celestia asked.
“Just around Stalliongrad, you know, just walking around, seeing what’s here before we leave.” Luna replied.
“Well, wait for me, I want to go to.” Celestia suggested.
Celestia and Luna walked around the town of Stalliongrad, at first they felt a strange atmosphere around the town, then they realised that no ponies their age were in the town. Celestia went to ask a nearby Earth pony who was shopping why this was.
“Excuse me?” Celestia tried to raise her attention as she was stood behind her.
The Earth pony jumped in surprise and dropped the food she was buying.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Celestia gasped. “I’ll buy you some more.”
“No, it’s fine.” Said the old Earth pony; she looked about 60-70 years old, with a pink coat. “You don’t have to do that.” She said.
“No. I insist.” Celestia said slightly forcefully, trying to make the Earth Pony accept her generosity.
“Well…if you’re sure.” the Earth pony said.
“Actually.” Celestia started. “We were about to go to a café, would you care to join us?” Celestia asked.
“I don’t see why not, it’s nice to have a bit of company for a change.” The Earth pony admitted.
The Earth pony, Celestia and Luna entered the café around the corner and ordered three hay meals, Celestia paid for the Earth ponies' meal as repayment for making her drop her shopping.
Celestia began to talk. “Before all of this, I was going to ask you something, Miss?”
“Blossom.” She revealed.
“Blossom.” Celestia continued. “Yes, I was going to ask you, where are all the ponies our age in Stalliongrad, we haven’t seen any at all.”
“Oh, that’s just a new policy from the new Commander.” Blossom said.
“Commander Emerald Horn?” Luna asked.
“Yes, he’s only been Commander a month or two, the previous one just got too old and retired. But anyway, the Commander brought in a policy of military conscription for all teenage ponies in Stalliongrad, he’s just doing what happened to him when he was younger and this was a blooming town, but since then, Stalliongrad’s fallen behind in the social ladder of Equestria, and that’s why he’s building the army, so he can put us back on the map.” Blossom explained.
“That makes sense…sort of.” Luna said.
Blossom looked up at the clock on the wall.
“Wow, how time flies when you’re having fun. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you now, but thanks for the dinner, I really appreciate it.” Blossom said as she started to leave.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to give this to someone who could use it.” Blossom said as she handed Celestia a piece of paper.
“I could never use it because I’m an Earth pony, but you two have horns so it might work for you.” Blossom stated.
“I’m sorry, I have to go now.” Blossom said as she slowly trotted out of the café.
“Goodbye.” Luna and Celestia said together.
“I’ll see you two later.” Blossom said as she opened the door and walked out.
“What did she give you, Tia?” Luna asked, grabbed by curiosity.
“I’m not sure, it looks like a page from a spell book.” Celestia said.
“Let’s go back to the castle and have a better look at it.” Luna suggested.
Back at the castle, Luna and Celestia were inspecting the piece of paper. Celestia read the small text aloud.
“Spell #7, Telepathic Communication.” Luna looked at her sister excitedly.
“Two ponies of a high enough magical ability to perform age spells must chip off the tips of their horns using a sharp instrument, then fill the chip with the tip of the other ponies' horn and seal it in place with magic. Once completed, the two ponies can now perform telepathic communication for a maximum time of 2 minutes at a time. NOTE – ponies needn’t worry if the other ponies horn is a different colour to theirs, the horn fragment will change to the colour of the host ponies’ original horn colour.” Celestia read.
“Tia, can you perform an age spell?” Luna asked.
“Of course.” Celestia said. “Can you?” She questioned Luna.
“Yep.” Luna said.
“We should totally do that communication thing.” Luna said excitedly after a second of silence.
“Definitely.” Celestia seconded.
Luna and Celestia entered the bathroom to complete the procedure. Firstly, they both found sharp knives and cut their horn tips clean off. Luna gasped.
“Ow, it never said anything about it hurting.” Luna moaned as she rubbed her horn with a hoof.
“Don’t be such a filly.” Celestia taunted playfully. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Using their magic, they made their horn tips float in mid-air and exchanged them. They then both attached them securely to their horns.
“I look stupid with a blue horn and white tip.” Luna mumbled.
“Will you quit moaning? Give it a while.” Celestia moaned at her impatient sister.
After about 30 seconds, the colour of the tips started to change to the shade of the horn colour, as if it was acclimatizing to the horn.
“See? It was never in doubt.” Celestia said. “Right, let’s try it, I’ll try and talk to you first.”
Celestia and Luna sat down facing each other and closed their eyes, pulling strange faces as they concentrated hard.
---Luna? Can you hear me?---
---Yeah, it’s working!---
The two alicorns both let out little squeaks of happiness out loud and mentally. After 15 more seconds, they couldn’t communicate any more.
“That was so cool.” Luna exclaimed. “We’ll have to keep practising to improve our time record.”
“Well, let’s get to it.” Celestia said excitedly.
The next day, Raider and Emerald Horn stood on the castle’s eastern-most bastion, looking out towards the Petrified Desert. Raider had told the Commander of his plan, so the Commander informed him of a safer, hidden route through the icy desert, protected by an overhang of ice, keeping out the biting winds. The only issue was getting to it, as it the overhang only formed halfway across the Desert.
“There is no good way to cross the desert, it is one of the most dangerous places I can think of just based on climate alone. It’s so cold, all predators stay away, so you won’t have an issue with fighting anything.” explained the Commander.
“Thanks.” Raider said quietly. “But why are you helping us?” Raider wondered.
“Why shouldn’t I?” shrugged the Commander. “Like I said, we aren’t simple troopers anymore, we can be civil, and Discord is as big an issue to me as he is to you.” The Commander pointed out.
Emerald Horn looked at his watch. “It’s 6am, you should go now, the earlier you leave, the more time you have to reach the overhang, and if you reach that, your might just survive out there.” He explained.
“Thank you, Commander.” Raider replied as he went to the castle to find the others.
Raider went to find the others, and was pleased to see them all ready to leave
“Right, let’s go.” Raider said as he walked out of the castle.
They walked to the Eastern Gate where Commander Emerald Horn was waiting for them. Emerald Horn opened the gate.
“Thank you, Commander." Luna said.
“For what?” He replied.
“Your hospitality, of course.” She smirked.
Emerald Horn allowed a smile to break on his face as he operated the large winch to open the gate.
The Commander quickly reminded Raider.
“Walk in a straight line from these gates, don’t deviate, and you’ll find the covered cave system. That should be your only camp, so use all the wood in one go rather than carrying it further when you don’t need it.” Emerald Horn suggested quickly.
“We need to meet up when we aren’t trying to kill each other or go on a suicide mission.” Raider said with a smile.
“I wouldn’t bet on it.” Replied the Commander with a sarcastic smile on his face. “Now get going, time’s wasting.”
“Goodbye, Commander. Thanks for everything.” Raider said with a worried grin for the task ahead.
“You're welcome.” Emerald Horn responded. “Good luck!” He shouted as they left.
Raider led the group, with Luna behind him, then Celestia, then Cirrus at the back. The group had wisely decided that Raider should lead and Cirrus should stay at the back, to help protect Luna and Celestia.
Originally, Luna and Celestia had objected to the chivalrous stallions’ suggestions, but they said that they needed to be protected as they were the only ponies there that were capable of magic, which could prove vital later on their journey.
After what seemed like hours of slowly trotting through the biting winds and snow, but was more like thirty minutes, Luna had a strange thought and shouted to Raider through the loud blizzard.
“What is it?” He yelled back while continuing to walk without turning to face Luna.
“The Captain said that there’s no water here, so where does all this snow go when it melts?!” Luna wondered.
“It doesn't!” Raider yelled back. “It’s so cold that the snow can’t melt! Any water vapour is instantly frozen as it comes closer to the ground! And the humidity is so low; no lakes can form, so there’s no surface water either!" He loudly explained.
The strong winds carried his voice to Luna, and through the battering sound of the storm, Luna gathered what he was saying.
When the group had continued to walk for a few more hours, the visibility in the Desert started to improve. At the front of the pack, Raider noticed that his field of vision had increased by a few more metres. Raider thought to himself.Why can I see more? We should be seeing less the further we walk into the Desert.
But more vision was a gift that could save a life in this wasteland of death.
The temperature seemed to be increasing also, which greatly increased the chances of survival for the group. The biting winds had ceased and the snow fell more gently, rather than blowing horizontally into the ponies’ faces, but Raider could still only see about five metres ahead of himself.
The group continued to plod onward through the icy Desert when Raider tripped and fell.
“Raider?! Are you okay?!” Luna shouted to the Sergeant, concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just tripped over…this, whatever it is.” Raider admitted, feeling embarrassed.
Raider stood back up and brushed the snow off of his armour, then looked down at the ground. There was a large, square-shaped mound protruding from the snow.
“What is it?” Celestia asked as she leant around Luna to look at the square shape.
“I’ll check.” Raider said. He brushed aside the snow atop the square to find a faded blue carrying pack.
“What’s inside?” Asked the curious Cirrus.
Raider didn’t answer, he just opened the pack. Inside, he found a large, curved sword in its sheath with a strap on the handle. The blade was still gleaming despite being left out in the snow. He took the sheathed sword and wore it on his armour. At the bottom of the pack lay two food sachets, a bottle of water and a map of the Desert. Raider took the supplies and stored them in his pack.
“We’ll share them out when we get to the overhang.” Raider pointed out, eager to get out of the cold.
“Come on, we need to get to the cave, it’ll be going dark soon, so it’ll go colder again. We’ll check out this stuff later." He finished talking and continued to walk, with the group following him.
Sure enough, after twenty more minutes of walking, the snow and winds picked up again. Luna had been worried about losing sight of the leading Raider in the blizzard, but the sword he had taken clinked against his armour every time he took a step, so even if she couldn’t see him, she could hear him.
The freezing, exhausted group continued to battle on through the arctic winds, searching for the protected cave so they could rest. Raiders’ temper had started to flare.
“Emerald Horn said we’d be there by now! I can’t believe he’d lie to all of us! He’s always had it in for me, but he’s lied to you three as well! There probably isn’t even a cave out here!” He yelled in anger.
“Raider.” Cirrus started. “We probably haven’t reached it yet, give it time, you should trust Emerald Horn after the way he helped us.” Cirrus stood up for the Commander.
“Oh, yes!” Raider exclaimed sarcastically. “Some help he was! Made this impossible task even harder!” He shouted back angrily.
Raider calmed himself as quickly as he had gotten angry.
“Luna, Celestia.” Raider raised the alicorns’ attentions.
“Yes?” They both answered.
“One of you grab that map we found, it might help us find this cave, if there actually is one.” Raider suggested, still slightly angry about Emerald Horn.
Luna quickly grabbed the map from the Sergeants’ pack as Cirrus and Raider stood in front of the sisters so they blocked the snow from blowing the map away as they inspected it.
“Well.” Celestia stated as she looked at the map. “This map doesn’t have anything on it except this small cross marked on the outskirts of the Changeling Kingdom.”
“I knew it!” Raider yelled. “I knew he was lying! Come on, let’s get to the Changeling Kingdom before night comes, we haven’t got time to make a camp!”
Celestia put the map back inside Raiders’ pack and the Sergeant started to walk very quickly, obviously annoyed and eager to get out of the cold. Before Raider had taken a few paces, he fell through the blanket of snow and ice with a cry of help.
Luna, Celestia and Cirrus ran to the hole Raider had just fallen down. He shaken but unhurt, looking back at the group from about ten feet below the snow he’d just walked on.
“Are you okay, Raider?” Cirrus asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Raider admitted while he brushed himself off for the second time that day.
“Come down here, the snow acts as a slide, you won’t be hurt.” Raider said.
The three ponies jumped into the hole and slid down the snow to where Raider stood.
“So much for there being no cave.” Celestia said, smiling sarcastically at Raider.
The group looked around the cave. As Commander Emerald Horn had said, a layer of snow and ice was at the top of the cave, blocking out the wind and snow, but the hole Raider had made was letting the cold in.
“How are we going to patch up that hole?” Cirrus asked.
“No problem.” Celestia said. “Luna, freeze that snow on the ground.”
Luna looked at a large lump of snow on the ground and started to concentrate hard. Her horn lit a darker shade of blue as she froze the snow into one large block of ice.
“I knew you two would come in handy at some point.” Raider said with a smile.
“So this is where we’re staying tonight?” Luna asked, while blushing from the compliment.
“Yes.” Raider replied. “We’ll leave in the afternoon, so we'll arrive at the Changeling Kingdom by night. So all of you get some sleep.” Raider ordered. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
And with that, the group settled down for the night.
The group awoke from their sleeps suddenly drenched in water.
“What the hell?” Cirrus exclaimed as he shook himself dry.
“Hey, look.” Luna said as she looked upwards.
The overhang had melted and the water had slowly dripped down around them, leaving them soaked. The sky outside was bright blue, with no clouds.
“How did the ice melt? What’s going on?” Raider asked.
Celestia flew up to the surface and said what she saw.
“Sand?” Raider looked very puzzled, not sure what to make of the change of weather.
“This’ll be Discord’s doing.” Cirrus proclaimed.
“Hmm, more than likely to be.” Raider pondered. “Well, it doesn’t mean anything to us. In fact, it makes it easier for us."
“Why don’t we go to that cross?” Luna suggested.
“What cross? The one on the map?” Raider asked.
“Yeah, why not? It’s something to do, and it’s bugging me, I want to know what it is.” Luna admitted.
Raider found the map and looked at it, considering his options.
“I can manage a few more miles of walking; especially now it isn’t snowing. I’m up for it.” Cirrus said.
“What about you Celestia?” Raider asked. “You coming?”
“I don’t see why not, I’d like to see what it is.” Celestia confessed.
Raider looked at Luna. “Looks like we’re going then, we’ll leave in two hours. That’ll get us to the Changeling Kingdom in the late afternoon.” He anticipated.
Two hours later, the group got ready to leave for the mysterious cross.
“Now, how the hell do I get out of here?” Raider asked. “I can’t fly.”
“Raider.” Luna butted in. “Give your armour to Cirrus and hand me and Tia the packs.”
Raider did what Luna told them and handed over the possessions. Cirrus, Luna and Celestia then carried them and flew up to the surface.
“Well, that’s fine, but what about me?” Raider asked.
Cirrus then swept him up and carried him like a baby filly.
The group then picked up their packs and Raider donned his armour and they set off.
While Raider led and looked at the map to get his bearings, the other three followed and talked.
“Yeah,” Luna continued, “that cold-weather clothing was getting heavy, I’m happy we don’t have to wear it anymore.”
“Yes, we can thank Discord for that.” Cirrus laughed.
Raider looked over his shoulder. “Don’t laugh about Discord.” The Sergeant said very seriously, then went back to reading the map with a smile on his face.snow joke.” Raider dropped the punch line.
“That has got to be the worst joke I’ve ever heard.” Cirrus laughed in disgust at the poor pun.
The group continued to tell jokes and stories until they reached their destination.
“There.” Raider said as he stopped walking. “That’s what we’re looking for.”
The group followed Raiders’ gaze to a small, cross-shaped stone jutting out of the Desert floor.
“In memory of Glimmer and Orbit, of Canterlot.”
“Lovers till the end.”
“Survived by-“
Celestia paused, a lump forming in her throat, then continued.
“Celestia and Luna”
Luna and Celestia turned to look at the watching Cirrus, his bottom lip shaking. He simply lowered his head in response.
The sisters looked at the grave again.
Luna and Celestia hugged each other and began to cry tears of bereavement, Raider stopped patrolling and turned to see the sisters crying into each others’ arms while Cirrus was sat on the ground, head in hooves. Raider cantered back to Cirrus, who had composed himself, and was wiping away sad tears.
“Who is it?” Raider asked.
“Their p-parents,” Cirrus stammered, tears starting to form again, in memory of his old friends.
Raider walked to the bawling sisters and knelt beside them, they released each other to try and stop crying.
“I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you.” Said the Sergeant, his face carved with worry. “But I’m gonna need you to suck this up, I need to know that you two can continue on this mission.” He explained.
Luna felt shocked that Raider could be so harsh, but the older Celestia understood his request.
“Don’t think you’re doing this for the Princess. Or me. Or yourselves... Do it for them.” He said quietly.
This seemed to calm the two down, as they stopped crying and calmed themselves. They then stood teary eyed, looking down at the two mounds of earth. They hugged again,
“For Mom and Dad.” Celestia said.
With a parting glance to their parents’ final resting place, the group set off again for the distant towers of the Changeling Kingdom.
Captain Steel Hooves stood shocked, the most shocked he’d ever been. Discord walked sadly out of the makeshift hospital to the sound of quiet murmurings of confusion from the soldiers behind him.
“What was that about?” One soldier asked.
“Was that really Discord?” Another asked.
“No, it couldn’t have been him.” A third pointed out.
“It was probably an illusion he created to trick us into going outside.” Reckoned a fourth soldier.
“Aye.” Steel Hooves agreed after composing himself. “It’ll more than likely be a trap knowing him.”
The soldiers started to make quiet noises of worry behind him, wondering about what Discord could have been planning.
“But.” The Captain silenced his troops. “It may not be. You all saw how he was acting. Even an illusion of Discord could never show that much emotion. He didn’t talk sarcastically either, and he always does that.”
“What are we going to do Captain?” Asked one of the worried soldiers.
Steel Hooves thought, and he thought hard. He retreated to a corner to think while his soldiers watched his every movement, his every emotion. Steel Hooves’ face twitched slightly as he thought.
Discord may have reformed himself and was meaning to have a proper talk with the ponies of Canterlot, but would Discord honestly do something like that? He wondered in his head.
Steel Hooves remembered how Discord had sadly sighed as he walked away.
Could you fake an emotion like that so sadly? He pondered.
But it could be a trap, and if the wily Discord pulled off such a sneaky trick, Steel Hooves would be responsible for the deaths of every single pony left in Canterlot. What to do? What to do?
“Let’s sort this out.” Steel Hooves said as he approached a nearby table to plan his method of attack.
Discord wandered sadly back to the Castle, he couldn’t consider it as his anymore, he hadn’t earned it, he could never earn it after what he’d done. The sun had started to go down as night approached, but ponies still lined the streets, watching their overlord walking back to the castle, kicking a rock along in front of him as he walked, staring morosely at the ground, his head hung low in shame.
“What’s he doing?” Whispered various ponies as he plodded past them, he didn’t even cast a glance towards them.
This Discord, the depressed, reserved and unsarcastic Discord, frightened the ponies of Canterlot even more than the Discord they knew; the terror-inducing, confusion-making agent of chaos that had been their ruler for the last half-year. The ponies were unsure what to make of his unusual behaviour,
“What’s going on?” Many would ask.
“What’s wrong with him?” Others would ponder.
Ignoring their questions, Discord disappeared into the dark shadows of the huge main hall of Canterlot Castle. He bolted the door behind him and stood there in the dark silence. He continued to feel sorry for himself, wondering how he could atone for what he’d done, when he suddenly had an idea. He sat on the castle throne and clicked his fingers, opening a secret cell.
Captain Steel Hooves stood at the table, surrounded by his troops, those injured and those healthy, but committed nonetheless. Steel Hooves drew a simple blueprint-like design of the castle by placing a pencil in his mouth and stencilling the design onto the large piece of paper in front of him.
“Corporal?” Steel Hooves asked,
“Yes, Sir?” Replied the young NCO.
“I want a head count, and for each platoon, I need to know how many stallions we have that can fight.”
“Yes, Sir.” The corporal replied, then he ordered the healthy troops into their platoons while the nurses continued to tend to the wounded.
Steel Hooves continued to consider his options in his head.Do I bring everyone? Or just the troops? Or only the civilians? He thought while he scratched his head aggressively, hoping he’d come up with an idea.
“Sir?” Asked the Corporal to raise his Captains’ attention.
“Well? How many we got?” Steel Hooves asked without turning, still considering a plan.
“First Platoon’s down to nine, while Second’s got fourteen and Third’s got seventeen.” The NCO reported.
Only forty. Steel Hooves thought.
“You’re head of First aren’t you, Corporal?” The Captain asked.
“Yes, I am, Sir.” Replied the trustworthy young stallion.
“Good. I’m gonna need you and your men for this to work.” Admitted the Captain.
The soldiers that were healthy enough to fight, forty-two in all, including him and the Corporal, crowded around the large table.
“Let’s get down to business.” The Captain said.
In the dim light of the hospital, Captain Steel Hooves outlined his plan to his eagerly listening soldiers.
“Right.” He started. “I’ve decided that we should bring everyone, us and the people. I know it’s a risk, but if only we go, Discord may react badly. After all, he may be trying to be civil, and if we don’t show that we trust him, he could flip.”
Steel Hooves grabbed the pencil, and holding it between his hooves, pointed at the plan of the castle, specifically at the front door.
“I’ll walk through the castle doors first, then the two platoons will follow me, and the civilians will follow you. Make sure you protect them, you have swords, but they’ll be unarmed, so they’re gonna be a lot more scared than you are. We have to be an example to Equestrian military by protecting our people.”
Steel Hooves looked around the room with a steely glint in his eye; he expected each of his soldiers to lay down their lives for an innocent if they needed to. He then looked back down at the castle plan and pointed to the south side of the castle Discord was residing in.
“Third platoon will go through this rear entrance, I know there aren’t many of you.” He said as he glanced towards the nine soldiers that made up Third platoon.
After laying out his plan, Captain Steel Hooves looked at his troops and spoke.
Steel Hooves looked around his troops for anypony that wouldn’t go, and he would respect their decision, whatever it would be. But nopony stirred until a Private spoke up.
“We’re with you, Sir! Till the end!”
Steel Hooves grinned as he inspected his troops.
“Till the very end.” He responded proudly.
“Arm yourselves, let’s go!” Steel Hooves ordered to the sounds of the valiant cheers of his troops.
Steel Hooves led his forces down the streets of Canterlot, followed by the average citizens of Canterlot. A few of the citizens tried to avoid going, but they were assured by the soldiers that they would be able to escape if all went wrong. The massive line of ponies eventually reached the castle doors. Steel Hooves looked to his left and saw Third platoon arcing around the back of the castle.
The Captain took several deep breaths at the doors. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.Please let this go right. He thought to himself as he turned and faced the ponies behind him.For their sake. He composed himself again and knocked on the door. He entered without waiting for an answer.
It’s a trap. Came the thought from his subconscious. The Captain shook such thoughts from his mind; he needed to trust his enemy.
With a quiet click of Discord’s fingers, the hall lit up. Steel Hooves shaded his eyes from the sudden change in light, peering past a hoof. Steel Hooves spotted Discord sat hunched on the floor, in front of the throne.
“Ah, Captain.” Said Discord, still staring at the floor, a hint of depression in his voice.
“It’s good to see you. And the others?” Discord enquired, still looking at the ground.
“They’re here.” Said the Captain as he approached the sorrowful Discord, his soldiers following him, and the citizens followed them.
Discord finally peered towards his visitors.
“What about the rest?” He asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, the troops you wounded are still incapacitated in the hospital.” Steel Hooves growled angrily.
“Don’t play me for a fool, Captain. I’m talking about your Third platoon.” He muttered morosely.
Steel Hooves eyes widened as Discord said that, it seemed he knew all.
“Call them in, Captain. They would be no use coming through the rear door anyway, my minions would have already destroyed them if I had wanted them to.”
Discord had just said that he didn’t want to kill Third platoon, so Steel Hooves trusted him and called his Third group in.
“Corporal!” Steel Hooves yelled. “Get in here!”
The nine stallions of Third platoon trotted out from the halls’ rear door and filed into formation with the rest of their comrades behind their Captain.
“Now that we’re all here.” Discord started. “I’ll start.”
“From the bottom of my cold, wretched heart, I apologise for my actions when I arrived six months ago. Not only the physical damage and death, but for the psychological damage I did to all. I release my ‘minions’, back to you.”
Discord clicked his fingers and his minions finally escaped his cruel spell, their red eyes reverted back to their normal colour, proving their freedom. The freed ponies then ran back to their families and friends, many cried tears of happiness as they were finally reunited with their kin.
“I know that a life given back can never make up for a life taken.” Discord admitted.
Discord tilted his head to the right, looking at the wall. The ponies watching followed his gaze to the empty wall, wondering what he was looking at. Discord clicked his fingers again, and the light blue wall glowed with a door-shaped light shining from within.
“I give you your Princess.”
Many ponies began to chatter nervously at the mention of their beloved Princess.
The crowd of ponies, soldiers included, let out loud cheers as their Princess appeared, ponies shrieked with delight as their once perfect town regained their loving royalty, to lead them out of the dark days again. Princess Solaria approached Discord; and he began to cry tears of sadness.
“I’m sorry, your Highness. I can never repair the damage I have done to your town.”
“Discord.” The Princess said in her quiet, soothing voice.
Discord looked down at the beautiful Princess.
“I deserve whatever punishment you see fit to give me. Do not hold back, I deserve to suffer gravely for what I’ve done.” He admitted while weeping tears of self-hatred.
Princess Solaria replied.
“Okay, Princess.” Said Discord as he pledged himself to the Princess. He then willingly shut himself in the place he had imprisoned Solaria as he awaited his fate.
Captain Steel Hooves bowed down before his Princess.
“Captain.” Solaria stated. “It’s time we discussed Discords’ fate.”
“Yes, your Excellency.”
“Where are the Elements of Harmony? I plan to imprison Discord for many years in a stone statue, he deserves to suffer.” Solaria growled angrily.
“I have a search party on their way to the Changeling Kingdom to retrieve the Elements right now. They should be reaching the outskirts in a few hours.” He reported.
“Good.” Solaria said simply.
“Update them, tell them about Discord. They’re in no rush.” She ordered.
“Yes, your Highness.” The Captain said as he grabbed his radio transmitter.
The group continued to walk towards the immensely overwhelming towers of the nearing Changeling Towers. Luna and Celestia were still crying in bereavement with the discovery of their parents’ final resting place, they left a small trail of tears behind them as they walked; their tears of sadness darkened the warm, orange sand of the Desert.
Cirrus was also struggling to deal with seeing the grave of his friends, he also continued to cry, but he wept almost silently, definitely not as loud as the grief-stricken sisters. Raider no longer walked out at the front of the group anymore, in fact, they all walked next to each other as they approached the city of Changelings. Of course, Raider felt woeful also, but he felt that he had to lead the group on, to give them a shoulder to cry on.
The group carried on, sadly trotting through the hot desert. Luna and Celestia continued to lean on each other in support, to show they were there for each other, but they had finally stopped sobbing. Cirrus had also turned off the waterworks, but sadly hung his head and stared at the ground as he walked. Raider had walked forwards to lead the down beaten group from his old position at the front of the pack. After all, he was the only one in any shape to concentrate; he just hoped that the other three would be alright and recover to be their usual selves.
He understood how hard losing a friend could be, he’d lost many in battle, but never how hard it was losing a family member. A real family member. Simply because he had never known his family. Raider had been abandoned in the Everfree Forest the day he had been born. He would have died on that same day, savagely killed by the creatures of the dark, if it wasn’t for a certain dark khaki-coloured, adventurous Pegasus. She had found him crying in the Forest, surrounded by a band of hungry, fierce Manticores. She had quickly galloped between the Manticores and snatched up the newborn.
Raider remembered how the kind pony raised him through his earliest years. She named him Raider in knowledge that she wanted him to grow up to be an adventurer like her and go with her on expeditions. She’d care for him as if he was her own child, and took him under her wing (literally). She would tell him of her adventures all evening until he fell asleep. The adventurous Pegasi looked after him until he was a year old and could walk on his own, when he reached that age; she let him move in with her sister and their children as she felt that she wasn’t capable of raising a child properly, where her sister had experience.
The Pegasi would have given up her venturesome lifestyle to help the child, but she just didn’t feel right caring for the young Raider any more. The next day when Raider awoke in a different bed than the one he fell asleep in, he leapt from his bed to find the young pony he loved. He didn’t find her that day. Or any other day. He never saw the adventurer again.
Her sister and her sisters' husband took in the young Raider with open arms and raised him as their child. The couple truly loved him, their children played with him as if he was their sibling, and all the children at the school were friends with Raider. He had a much better group of friends and family than many other children in Canterlot, but he felt like he could never adapt without his ‘mother.’ The first pony he had ever seen had been the khaki-coloured Pegasus, and he loved her as a child loves its mother. Raider would always be downbeat, whatever was happening around him.
By the time Raider was twelve years old, he decided that he had had enough of life without the Pegasus, and living with her sister almost tricked him into thinking about not being with her, taunting him. One night, the Pegasus’ sister saw him to bed, but when the sun rose, the young Raider had run away. Raider spent the next year wandering throughout Equestria, just about scraping by every day. He would spend all his hours trekking in search of a new home. But anywhere he found, he didn’t like. Every night, Raider would settle down in either an abandoned building or in a cave and cry at his loss. He would cry about that Pegasus. The one he knew as 'Do.'
He’d cry her name quietly under the moon, hoping she would return. But she never did, never could. Raider spent his next four years venturing for a new home, across land and sea. He had visited nearly every settlement in Equestria except one. And that’s where he met Captain (then Sergeant) Steel Hooves in Stalliongrad. The Sergeant saw the promise in the maturing Raider and got him enlisted as his Number Two.
Raider came back to his senses as he traipsed throughout the Desert, he realised that he had shed tears in memory of ‘Do.’ As he wiped the stray tears from his eyes, he saw a cloud appear in front of him.
“Woah .” Raider thought. “I’m getting really messed up .”
He rubbed his eyes again and noticed that he hadn’t been imagining it. A huge sandstorm had appeared and was approaching them. He turned and saw that the other three wouldn’t have noticed it as they were all staring towards the ground.
“You three!” Raider yelled to raise their attention.
Luna, Celestia and Cirrus all wearily looked upwards, then they realised the trouble that they were in.
“Get your goggles on!” Raider yelled as he grabbed his own and donned them. The goggles were much like the goggles Pegasi would wear while performing high-speed routines.
“Luna, get your goggles on,” Celestia repeated to her scared sister,
“But I can’t make those!” Luna cried back.
Celestia’s face became carved with worry, but she had to try. She shouted Cirrus and Raider to tuck in close to them so she could make a smaller and more powerful shield.
The cloud was only twenty metres away.
Celestia tried to make the shield, it didn’t work.
“Celestia…” Cirrus muttered, full of worry.
Ten metres.
Five metres.
The storm cloud hit, the noise was deafening. The initial impact sounded like a bomb exploding, then came the vicious whistling of the wind.
“Tia! You did it!” Luna yelled with delight as she jumped from her cowering position she had got in as the cloud approached.
“Quiet, Luna.” Raider ordered. “She needs to concentrate.”
Celestia had created a see-through magenta-coloured orb of defence around the group, but it wasn't worth seeing through, there was sand everywhere . She was sweating in concentration as the sharp sand crystals scratched loudly against the side of the bubble.
“Raider?” The voice came through the static and savage wind battering the shield.
“That’s the Captain!” Exclaimed the Sergeant as he reached for his radio transmitter.
“Captain?” Asked the suddenly excited Raider.
“Ah, Raider, good. Listen up, there’s something you need to know about the mission. There’s been a change in-”
“Sorry, Sir. We’re in a tight situation here, I’ll get back to you.” Raider said simply, stowing away his radio.
“Damn it!” Steel Hooves cursed.
“What is it, Captain?” Princess Solaria asked.
“Something’s happening, and he turned his transmitter off.” The Captain described.
“Oh, I suppose we better listen to what he said, then.” She suggested.
“Princess? Should I send an evac chariot?” Steel Hooves asked, quite worried.
“No. Have one on standby, if we haven’t heard from the Sergeant within an hour, send them out.” She ordered.
“Yes, your Highness.” The Captain obeyed.
Celestia continued to plow through the malicious storm, beads of perspiration seeping down her face and neck, worried about losing concentration. One moment of distraction could equal the deaths of her three fellow travellers.
Step-by-step, Celestia steadily advanced through the dying storm and led the rest onward. Raider peered through the bubble and saw glimpses of sand and distant trees through the Deserts’ tempest.
”Keep going, Celestia!” He yelled, his voice strained. “We’re almost there!”
Knowing that they were almost through, Celestia pushed the rest of her magic into one last burst to force her way through, she then began to gallop forwards to hurry the rest, who followed, keeping pace with her.
“Tia! Are you alright?” Luna screeched with worry.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Mumbled the groggy Celestia. She stood briefly, only to fall dizzily again.
“Girl, you ain’t fine.” Muttered the worried Cirrus.
Raider turned to see the worn-out Celestia lying on the ground. He trotted over to her and lifted her onto his back, laying her across his shoulders.
Raider then led the group towards the small forest.
Raider, Luna and Cirrus walked the remaining distance to the trees while Celestia dozed on Raiders’ back. The Sergeant looked towards the sun.
Luna walked around the back of Raider to face her sleeping sister,your Highness . We’re here.” Luna joked.
“What? Where am I?” Celestia asked, confused. As she tried to ‘get out of bed,’ she fell from Raiders’ shoulders to the sound of giggles from her sister.
“Why did you wake me up?” Celestia grumbled.
“Well.” Luna started. “You were on Raiders’ back, and he wasn’t going to balance you there all day.” She and Cirrus laughed as Raider configured his transmitter.
“Anyway.” Luna said. “We’re staying here for the day, so you can go back to sleep.” Luna pointed out.
“Good.” Abruptly murmured the unsteady Celestia as she lay down her head, instantly falling asleep.
Steel Hooves heard his Number Two’s voice from his radio.
“Raider? Oh, brilliant.” The Captain rejoiced. “We were just about to send a team in for you.” He said as he shook his head at the evac crew awaiting his order.
“You wanted to tell me something, Captain?” The anxious Raider asked, eager to cut to the chase.
“Yes, I was going to say that Discord has stepped down, voluntarily.” The Captain reported.
Luna’s, Cirrus’ and Raider’s jaws hit the floor when they heard that; Discord...step down?
“Yes, he seems to have seen the error of his ways and released the Princess. Princess Solaria is now back in command, awaiting your return with the Elements to imprison Discord. So you have no reason to rush. Take your time, don’t do anything until the time is right.” He recommended.
“Where are you now?” Steel Hooves asked.
“We’re settling down in the tree line around the Changeling Kingdom for the day.” Raider reported.
“No casualties?” The Captain wondered.
“No, Sir. We’re just tired.” Raider simply said.
“Good, like I said, take your time. Radio when you’re moving in and we’ll set off for you.” Steel Hooves ordered.
“Where shall we wait for you?” Asked the curious Raider.
“The primary extraction zone is a hill on the south-west side of the Changeling Kingdom, in the tree line. Can you see it?" The Captain asked.
Raider shielded his eyes to cover the sun as he turned to see the hill.
“Good, that’s the Primary LZ. The secondary LZ will be somewhere in the Desert. If you can’t make it to the Primary LZ, radio the evac crew and run to the Desert. The crew will see you and make an emergency landing near you. It’ll be risky, but it’s the only other way. Hopefully it won’t come to that, ‘cos it’ll get messy.” Pointed out the Commander.
“Yes, Sir, we’ll head to the hill if we can.” Raider obeyed.
“You’ll have the aerial advantage on the hill, so if you can grab any weapons, share them around and fight them off till the evac chariot gets there.” The Captain advised.
“Again, Sergeant, radio in when you’re leaving.” The Captain drilled the order into his Sergeant for the millionth time.
“Yes, Sir. We won’t let you down.” Raider obliged.
“Good, that’s what I like to hear.” said the smiling Captain.
“Over and out.”
“Over and out.” repeated Raider.
“When are they going?” Asked the curious Princess.
“Tonight, as soon as the midnight hits.” Reported the Captain.
“Get the evac crew rested, we need them fresh.” Ordered the Princess.
The Captain trotted from the castle to brief his men.
Luna woke as midnight struck, she could hear Raider muttering quietly, a distance away from them,
“Why?” She heard him say, Luna silently got to her feet and sneaked towards the sound of Raiders’ voice. Was he crying?was crying.
What for? Who for? Luna thought.
“Why did you leave, Do?” Raider croaked as he choked back more tears.
Luna loudly left the bushes.
Raider jumped, slightly in shock as he quickly wiped the tears from his face and grabbed his radio.
Luna pretended she hadn’t seen anything.
“Yes, wake Cirrus and Celestia, I’ll raise the Captain.” Raider ordered.
Luna left the lonely Raider to talk to the Captain.
“Sir?” Raider asked, still a little teary.
“Yes, Raider?” Asked the ever-present Captain.
“We’re going in.” Raider reported.
“Okay, I’ll prep the crew.” He replied.
“We’re gonna need it.” Raider muttered.
“Over and out.” The Captain replied as he went to send away the evac chariot.
“Cirrus? Celestia?” Asked Luna. “Come on, we’re going.”
Cirrus and Celestia slowly rose from their slumbers.
“Come on, it’s midnight.”
“Okay, Luna. We’re coming.” Celestia groaned.
“Come on, you two, we need you both focused.” Raider said as he arrived.
The two immediately rose from their lazy slumbers as the Sergeant brought out his military side.
“No.” They both replied.
“Right, stick to magic then if things go bad. Use any type that’ll help us; direct harm, distractions, obstructions, just anything that’ll hold them back if they find us.” Raider ordered.
“Okay.” The sisters obliged.
“What about you, Cirrus? Any experience?” He asked the older Pegasi.
“Well, not for a while.” Said the unsure Cirrus. “I could when I was in the guard, but that was a long time ago.” He admitted.
“Well, you take the sword, it may come back to you, I’ll be better with the knife anyway.” Raider said as he passed Cirrus the curved sword. He stared at it for a while, feelings of his past coming back to him; he donned the sword around his shoulders.
“I’ll keep the helmet, Luna and Celestia can’t wear it ‘cos there are no horn holes anyway. Cirrus, you take the leg guards. You two can share the chest and back-plates between you.” Raider said as he sacrificed three pieces of his armour to help protect his friends.
Luna took the back-plate and Celestia took the chest-plate and they awkwardly wriggled into the large, chunky armour pieces, Cirrus strapped his leg guards on, then they were ready to go.
“Come on, let’s get this over with.” Raider said as he led the three into town.
The group of four sneaked into town under the dark and silence of the night. Raider remained grounded, and without his sword and armour, no longer made the clinking sound with every step he took. Luna, Celestia and Cirrus flew to keep the noise to a minimum.
Raider led the three through the maze of streets towards the castle tower where the Elements of Harmony were (hopefully) being stored.
“Now, we don’t know if the Elements are actually in the tower.” Raider whispered. “But our scouts haven’t seen any movement out of the Changeling Kingdom, so we must assume that they’re still here, as long as Ellixandria didn’t get away with them.”
“Whose Ellixandria?” Luna asked her older sister.
“The Queen of the Changelings.” Celestia replied simply.
Suddenly, Raider stopped as he was about to turn a corner. He leapt into the shadow of the building next to him. The other three also ghosted into the shadow to hide from whatever Raider had seen.
As they waited anxiously in the darkness, two creatures walked past the corner they were hidden in, talking to one another. Luna only caught a glimpse of them, they were obviously soldiers as they wore dark blue armour. The creatures were pure black, with curved, sharp horns and luminescent blue eyes. They also had translucent blue wings and what seemed to be holes in their legs. Raider watched the Changelings walk around the next corner, holding his breath, then crossed the street, nearing the castle, with the others following suit.
“So, they have guards on patrol.” Whispered Raider.
The group continued to advance towards the castle until they were hidden behind the last building before the castle itself. Raider peered around the corner and noticed a large path between them and the castle entrance, and worse, two Changeling guards stood watch on the doors.
“Dammit!” Raider quietly cursed, “Dammit!”
“How are we gonna get over there without being seen?” Cirrus asked.
“We could fly.” Celestia suggested.
“No, they’d see us before we got near them.” Raider responded.
“Why don’t we try tomorrow?” Cirrus suggested.
“We can’t, the evac chariot’s already on its way, we have to go now. We’ll have to fight them.”
Raider hid behind the corner as another two Changelings walked past.
Luna looked extremely worried about what was unfolding around her.
“Luna, you have to do this, okay. Do it for Mom and Dad.” Celestia whispered harshly, trying to motivate her younger sister while she looked at the two guards.
“But we don’t belong here, Tia.” Luna said, reaching for her older sister, then she asked.
An ominous, slightly echoed voice spoke from the darkness behind them.
“That’s exactly what I was going to ask.”
The group turned sharply to look behind them, Luna almost screamed in terror but Celestia anticipated this and covered her sisters' mouth with a hoof.
“Well, who do we have here? Impostors?” Said the voice belonging to the blue-green glowing eyes, perforating the darkness.
“Sir, we’re under att-” was as far as he got before the body belonging to those eyes fired a beam of magic and flung the radio at an unbelievable velocity from Raiders’ hoof into a wall, decimating it into thousands of pieces.
Cirrus then drew his sword and the quickly-recovering Raider unsheathed his combat knife to point it towards the shadows where the eyes seemed to hang in midair, attached to nothing but the darkness.
“I could shout for help quicker than you could kill me.” Pointed out the feminine voice. “So I’d recommend re-sheathing those.” Suggested the voice.
Raider sighed, knowing he was beaten.
The creature emerged from the darkness while Luna studied her. She was a Changeling, as expected, and she was a guard, wearing very dark blue armour, almost dark enough to blend in with her black skin. She also had holes in her legs, a recurring theme in all Changelings. Despite the holes, all Changelings managed to walk without trouble. The Changeling was wearing a long sword on her midriff, ready to strike, but safe in the knowledge that she had the upper hand.
“I want to know why you’re here.” Said the Changeling.
Raider realised that lying would only worsen the already dire situation they had put themselves in.
“We’re a scouting party from Canterlot.” The Sergeant said.
Luna was shocked by how easily Raider had told the truth, did he want them to die? He could have said they were lost or something less likely to get them killed.
Raider continued.
He knew that Discord had given up his rule, but hoped that the Changeling wouldn’t know.
“Who are you, anyway?” Asked the curious Luna.
“I’m glad somepony asked.” Said the Changeling with a smile.
“I am the Captain of the Changeling Royal Guard.” Started the high-ranked Changeling.
“But you can call me Chrysalis.”
Chrysalis then continued.
“I know that Discord has taken over all of Equestria except here, but that’s because my mother, Queen Ellixandria, struck a deal with him that guaranteed that Discord couldn’t harm a Changeling or invade our Kingdom. So don’t try to gain any leverage here by mentioning Discords’ name here.” She recommended.
As Chrysalis finished talking, a patrol of four Changelings walked around the corner and were surprised by the presence of their Princess and her pony prisoners.
“Just in time, men.” Chrysalis said. “Take them to the prison.” She walked away with a cruel laugh.
The four Changelings quickly got behind the ponies so that they couldn’t attack them, then they drew their weapons and held them behind the ponies.
“Walk, and we may not kill you where you stand.” Ordered one of the Changelings to the sounds of laughter from his comrades.
The two Changeling guards on the door started to laugh.
“I sure do, Dysis.” Responded the Changeling called Eris as he and Dysis started to re-enact a past event in high-pitched, mocking voices;
“Oh, I love you, Glimmer. I’ll never let you go .” Chuckled Eris.But, Orbit, they’re going to kill us .” Laughed Dysis.
Luna recognised the names of the ponies they were talking about, her mother and father. Luna stiffened at the mention of their names and her anger started to rise.
“Yeah, they sure squealed like pigs.” Replied Eris as he laughed uncontrollably.
“Not when we’d finished with them!” Exclaimed Dysis, wiping tears of joy from his eyes.
“How dare you talk about my parents like that!” Luna screamed violently as a river of tears poured from her eyes. Celestia nudged Luna to silence her, to possibly save her life.
“Woah!” Dysis exclaimed. “We’ve got a live one over here!”
“Yea.” Guffawed Eris. "But not for long.”
Luna’s momentarily subdued rage exploded out again.
“I'll kill you!" She screamed. “All of you!”
Luna squealed as she was pushed forcefully down the flight of stairs leading to the prison, she was pushed so forcefully that she couldn’t react in time to use her wings. Luna threw a hoof in front of her to stop her fall; she landed with a loud, horrible crash as she collided with the wall at the bottom of the stairs, Luna could no longer cry or scream as she had the breath taken from her lungs as she smashed against the floor
Now inside the castle, Raider tried to shake free from his guard to attack the guard who pushed the innocent Luna so violently, but he was forced to the floor by his guard, who threatened him.
“Try that again, and you won’t live to regret it.”
Cirrus and Celestia gently cried as they saw their family and friends attacked and they wept at the fact that they may be dead before sunrise.
Luna continued to weep at her pains from the guards’ unneeded brutality as Celestia tried to comfort her. Raider paced up and down the prison cell, desperately trying to brainstorm ideas on how to get out. Cirrus sat at the back of the cell, also thinking of ideas.
“Damn it!” Raider yelled. “I can’t think of anything!”
“Wait!” The suddenly excited Cirrus butted in, springing to his hooves. “You two can get us out of here!” He yelled happily as he pointed at Luna and Celestia.
“How?” Celestia asked, still hugging the bruised Luna.
“Yes!” Raider shouted. “You can use your magic to teleport us outside the tower!”
Celestia stood, realising what Raider wanted her to do. Celestia adopted a steady stance and concentrated on her magic. She had done many teleportation spells and could easily move a group of people about fifty yards. Celestias’ horn shone a bright white colour, illuminating the cell. Cirrus, Raider and Luna stood anxiously awaiting what would happen, but then the Celestia’s horns’ light blew out with a fizzle.
“I can’t do it.” Celestia panted, exhausted by the spell. “They have an-anti magic barrier in the prison, I can feel it, it blocks my spells whenever I try to-” Celestia stopped talking quickly as the prison door opened.
The sound of hoof steps rang throughout the almost empty prison under the castle. Raider poked his head as far as he could through the iron bars to see who was coming, but he couldn’t see through the darkness of the prison. He heard what sounded like something trotting down the flight of stairs, clunking with the sound of armour and weapons.
Luna and Celestia began to cry and hold each other, cherishing what would be their last moments together. Cirrus sat at the back of the cell, too shocked to move by the fact that he was going to die. Raider took a few steps back from the gate of the cell, knowing he was going to die, but he composed himself and looked at the gate. In his mind, he told himself that if he was to die imminently, he would go like a soldier, either fighting or staring his killer directly in the eye, unmoving. He wouldn’t cry or beg to live, but accept his fate like a true Royal Guard.
Suddenly, the hallway in front of the gate lit up as a torch facing the cell was lit, illuminating the cell again, the imprisoned ponies realised that it was Chrysalis, who dropped some armour and weapons on the floor, they were Raiders’ weapons.
“So, you tried to escape using magic? You didn’t do a very good job.” Chrysalis laughed. “Looks like I’ll have to give you a hand.”
“What?” Asked the astonished Raider.
“I’m busting you out.” She replied.
“Why?” Asked the equally shocked Cirrus.
“Well, I need your help. I’m not waiting till Ellixandria dies of old age so I can become Queen, and I won’t be able to kill her without anyone else noticing, so I need you to kill her. In exchange for me getting you out, of course.” Chrysalis explained.
“Why didn’t you just ask us before your guards attacked Luna and Raider?” Asked the angry Celestia.
“I’m sorry for the way the guards behaved. But I needed you inside the building first, and if I alone brought in four prisoners, it would look suspicious.” Chrysalis pointed out.
Celestia seemed to see reason in Chrysalis’ point and quietened down.
“Now, Ellixandria will be in the throne room, which is next to the entrance hall, so when you leave the prison, turn left, and she’ll be in there.” Chrysalis noted.
“Why do you think we’ll go after Ellixandria and not the Elements?” Cirrus questioned.
“Because Ellixandria wears the Elements at all times, she can’t use them, but it’s safer than storing them anywhere. So you’ll have to kill her to get them. If you’re lucky, she’ll only have one guard helping her, the Sergeant.” Chrysalis said aggressively in response to the disobedient Cirrus.
“What form are the Elements in now? How many different pieces are there?” Asked the curious Raider.
“They’re in the form of two necklaces containing three traits each. As Solaria and her mother were the last holders that used them, they split for those two ponies specifically.” Chrysalis replied.
“Oh, and about the Sergeant that will be guarding Ellixandria, he has a slow reverse sword swing, so try to attack him on his right side.” Chrysalis suggested.
“Got it.” Raider said. “Where will you be in all of this?” He asked Chrysalis.
“Someone has to distract the guards; I’ll draw them away from the castle.” She pointed out.
“Well, draw them to the north-east corner of the city ‘cos we’re leaving on the hill in the south-west corner.” Raider suggested, eager to leave nothing to chance.
“I’ve brought two extra weapons for these two.” Chrysalis said as she held out two knives to Luna and Celestia.
Luna looked uncomfortable at the possibility of using a weapon.
“Erm…I think we’ll stick to magic.” Celestia said.
“Suit yourselves.” Chrysalis shrugged.
“Thank you” Luna said to the Princess
“Thank you, too. You’re helping me as well.” Chrysalis said with a smile.
The group followed Chrysalis up the stairs, Chrysalis peered around the prison door, the coast was clear.
“Come on.” She whispered to the group.
“I’ll stop any Changelings coming through the main door, you lot plan your attack. Tell me when you’re ready.” Chrysalis said as she stood in front of the main door on lookout duty.
“Right.” Raider said as he looked through the gap in the door to the throne room. “There’s only one guard, he has three chevrons on his armour, so it’s that Sergeant.”
“Luna and Celestia, you two attack the Princess, work in a pincer movement so she has to focus on one of you, that’ll give you a chance. Use your magic, block her attacks, then quickly counterattack.” The sisters looked very worried about this plan, but Raider motivated them.
“You can do it, when me and Cirrus have dealt with the Sergeant, we’ll help you as quick as we can.”
“No.” Chrysalis interrupted. “You can all attack the Princess.”
“How?” The confused Raider asked.
“When I go and make a scene, the guard will walk towards the door in front of you, so just ambush him when he gets close enough, then you can all attack Ellixandria.” Chrysalis pointed out.
“Right. We’ll do that.” Raider acknowledged Chrysalis’ wily plan.
“Good luck, all of you.” Chrysalis said as she burst out of the castle’s front doors.
"Help! The prisoners have escaped! They’re running north! After them, all of you!” Chrysalis screamed and bolted northwards, followed by her loyal troops.
As expected, the area outside the castle and leading southwards was clear, and the guard was approaching the door, wondering what was going on outside.
“Good, the guards’ coming.” Raider whispered, not wanting to give away their position.
The guard reached within five yards of the door, then shouted.
“Damn. He isn’t coming to us, we’ll go to him.” Raider decided. “You three ready?”
The three ponies nodded.
Raider then burst through the door, startling the guard, he began to draw his weapon, but Raider was already on him, driving his knife through his stomach, destroying his vital organs, killing him instantly.
Queen Ellixandria jumped to her hooves from her throne, ready to fight against the suddenly-appearing enemy. Luna saw the Princess, long black mane, jet-black skin; it was as if she was darkness herself. Except for the two necklaces she wore;
The Elements of Harmony.
Luna was temporarily distracted by the Elements, hypnotised by their appearance, Ellixandria noticed this and unleashed a beam of magic that just missed Luna’s head, singeing the top of her mane. Celestia wasn’t distracted and used her magic to topple the throne onto the unsuspecting Queen, crushing her. Cirrus and Raider continued to close in on the Queen, avoiding her lethal magic beams.
The Queen tried to squeeze from under the heavy stone throne, but to no avail, so she used all her force and pushed upwards, sending the throne flying towards Cirrus and Raider. Cirrus saw the throne coming and slid on his belly across the slick floor towards the Queen, but Raider hadn’t seen it, and the weighty throne landed on both his fore legs, with a terrible double-snap ringing throughout the castle to the sound of Raiders’ cries of pain.
As Cirrus slid across the floor, the Queen was trying to rise to her feet, but was slowed by the pain the falling throne had caused her. Cirrus jumped into a sprint from the slide, unsheathed the silver, gleaming sword and plunged it into the Queens’ eye, which saw the life drain out of her, and Chrysalis became the new Queen of the Changelings.
Cirrus had been taken back to his days in the Guard and had an almighty adrenaline rush, so much that he looked for more enemies to fight in the room, but there were none, and his temporary blood lust was ended.
“Raider!” Luna yelled. “Are you okay?” Luna was increasingly worried about the brave Sergeant’s wellbeing.
“It’s my legs.” Said the clearly distressed Raider. “I can’t move them.” He cried.
“Just get the Elements, quickly, so we can go.” He ordered.
Cirrus continued to tend to the Sergeant in any way he could while Luna and Celestia went to get the two necklaces.
As Luna and Celestia touched the necklaces containing the Elements, they were both lifted into the air, as if by some type of powerful magic.
“What the hell?” Cirrus exclaimed as he watched the sisters be lifted off their hooves, surrounded by a bright, white light.
As the light intensified, the necklaces attached themselves around Luna’s and Celestia’s necks. When the necklaces made contact with them, their eyes glowed pure white, as if overcome by the magic within the Elements. When the light went out, Luna and Celestia landed on their hooves.
“What was that about?” Asked the confused Cirrus.
“I-I don’t know.” Said the very perplexed Luna, looking at her sister for answer.
“I don’t know either.” Celestia admitted.
“We haven’t got time for this.” Said the pained Raider. “We need to leave now.”
“Come on.” Cirrus said as he lifted the Pegasi as he lifted the gasping Raider. “If we fly, we’ll get to the hill quicker.”
Cirrus, Luna and Celestia took off and flew as fast as they could to the evacuation site on the hill.
The group reached the hill with no interruptions; all the guards were ‘chasing’ them, which left a massive hole for them to escape through.
Cirrus lay Raider down so he could sit on his hind legs.
“We need you, Raider.” Cirrus said.
“Are you going to make it?” asked the worried Luna.
“Of course he’ll make it, Luna!” Celestia laughed, “I’m sure he’s face much worse and come out well.”
“Well, I’ve never had broken legs.” Pointed out the brave Sergeant, his teeth gritted in pain.
“Look! It’s the chariot!” Luna shouted.
Luna pointed up to the night sky and saw the golden chariot. The chariot was pulled by two Pegasi with two other Pegasi manning cannons on the sides of the chariot. The section of the chariot that held things had about enough room for seven fully-armoured, fully-grown stallions, so this group would easily fit in.
As the chariot completed its landing and the tailgate came down, the two soldiers manning the cannons left the chariot with a stretcher as Luna, Celestia and Cirrus entered it. The two soldiers carefully lifted Raider from the grass and placed him on his back on the stretcher.
As Raider was being placed on the chariot and the tailgate was being bolted up, a strange sound that was similar to a swarm of angry bees erupted from the Changeling Kingdom.
“What the hell is that?” Asked one of the soldiers, shaking in terror.
As he asked that, hundreds of Changelings appeared over the top of the buildings, flying towards them.
“Quick!” Raider shouted. “Go!”
The soldiers quickly manned the cannons and the two Pegasi started to sprint towards the Desert, speeding up to take off.
Luna, Celestia and Cirrus lay down as close as they could to the cannons with Raider inches in front of them, the further forward in the chariot they were, the higher survival chance they had.
The chariot pullers quickly took off with the army of Changeling rapidly approaching.
“They’re gonna reach us!” Yelled one of the gunners. “We’re gonna need your help, do whatever you can! Magic, weapons, hoof-to-hoof, anything that’ll give us a chance.”
“Tia.” Luna said quietly, “in case we don’t make it…”
“Luna, we’re going to make it home, all of us.” Celestia butted in.
“But-” Luna tried to respond.
“No, Luna. We’re going to make it. But we need your help, use your magic.” Celestia ordered.
The fleet of Changelings soon neared the chariot as Luna, Celestia and Cirrus positioned themselves at the tailgate wearing Raiders’ armour, ready to fight off the horde. Raider continued to moan in pain, but held a knife in his teeth, just in case he had a chance to kill one.
As the Changelings approached fifty feet from the chariot, the gunners opened fire. The cannon fire scared the life out of Luna, the sudden explosion of sound as the metal balls flew towards the enemy. If the cannonballs hit, they exploded into smaller, sharp fragments that would incapacitate any nearby enemy. The only way they could escape would be outpacing the Changelings, as they would never be able to kill them all.
A radio strapped to the side of the chariot burst into life.
“Sir? This is Sergeant Raider speaking.” Raider replied.
“Raider. What’s going on?” Asked the desperate Captain.
“Well, Sir!” Raider yelled over the sound of the cannons. “We’re being chased by the Changelings, but we’re not going fast enough yet, and there’s too many of them!”
“Why aren’t you fighting, soldier?!” Shouted the furious Captain.
“Sir, I will if one gets close enough, I can’t use my front legs, they’re broken!”
Steel Hooves sighed sadly down the radio.
“Yes, Sir! Out!” Raider yelled as he turned to see a Changeling approach him.
Raider flicked the knife from the ground using his hind leg onto his stomach, lucky not to have stabbed himself, then he reached for it with his mouth. The Changeling continued to close down on him, then at the last second, Raider gripped the hilt between his teeth and raised his head. The Changeling tried to pull up, but was already going too fast, and was fatally impaled by the blade, the Changeling’s blood squirted into Raider’s mouth, temporarily choking him.
“Raider, report!” Buzzed the radio again.
The still coughing Raider picked up the radio and balanced it on his chest to talk while Luna and Celestia continued to fire magic at their enemies and Cirrus slashed at anything close enough while the constantly firing cannons continued.
“Sir, we’re about two thousand metres from Stalliongrad!” he observed.
“Good, you’ll be away from them soon, but I can’t reach Commander Emerald Horn.” Said the Captain.
“Well, who didn’t see that coming?” Raider muttered, leaning away from the radio.
“By the time you’ve cleared Stalliongrad, you’ll be going fast enough and they’ll be blocked by Stalliongrad’s shields.” Steel Hooves pointed out. “Just do what you can. Out,”
“Over and out.” Raider obliged.
Luna and Celestia continued to fire their beams of magic towards the seemingly ever-growing fleet of Changelings.
“Cirrus, look out!” Luna yelled as she killed a Changeling that was aiming to spear Cirrus with its horn as he fought with another of its kin.
Cirrus finished off his original opponent as smiled at Luna, he then continued to fight.
As the chariot entered the final five hundred metres, a different, but equally familiar voice rang out over the radio.
As Raider stretched for the radio, twenty armed and armoured Pegasi flew into the Changeling horde from below them, taking out a Changeling each.
“Emerald Horn?” Asked the surprised Raider.
“Well, not me personally, but the Stalliongrad Pegasi!” Emerald Horn responded proudly.
“Don’t worry, my friend. We’re firing from down here, too, we’ve got you covered till you get home!”
“Thank you, Commander.” Raider replied.
“Anything for my worst enemy!” Emerald Horn chuckled, “Out!”
“Out.” Raider responded, shocked that his previous enemy had become an ally.
Luna was getting dizzy from the amount of magic she had used, but luckily, since the Stalliongrad forces had shown up, she had fewer things to shoot at; the cannons only fired every so often when the Pegasus forces had to swoop around for another strike. As they finished attacking the Changelings, they would have to reorganise, which took about fifteen seconds, and that’s when the Changelings learned to attack.
As the Pegasi finished another attack, the Changelings struck with their hardest surge forward yet. One giant Changeling rammed the chariot, sending Luna flying into the tailgate with a loud crash. Raider saw Luna’s problem; where the busy gunners, Cirrus and Celestia hadn’t.
Luna shook her head in shock as she raised her head to see the Changeling motoring straight at her. Luna fired two quick bursts at the creature, but it skilfully avoided them, Luna pushed herself to her feet when another Changeling rammed the chariot, sending her sprawling again.
Raider saw her fall again, and time seemed to go in slow motion for him. He looked up to see the approaching Changeling only a few feet away from the defenceless and unaware Luna, still dizzy on the floor. Raider yelled loudly.
The Sergeant ignored his pain and launched himself forwards with his hind legs, sending him soaring through the air towards Luna.
But in blocking it, he took the horn full in the midriff, puncturing his stomach.
Luna saw her friend hit the floor of the chariot, and he didn’t move. Was he dead?
A strange feeling shot through Luna, one of intense magic. She turned to fire at the Changelings, ready to take them all on. Then her and the unsuspecting Celestia released a massive wave of magic simultaneously. Luna felt the necklace she wore charge her whole body, sending a massive magical shockwave out through her and Celestias’ horn.
The Changelings were decimated where they were, instantly vaporised. The Stalliongrad Pegasi hovered, wondering where their enemy had gone.
“You just…used the Elements?” Cirrus couldn’t believe what he’d just seen, but couldn’t deny that only the Elements of Harmony were capable of that type of magic.
Luna forgot about the Elements and remembered her brave saviour, Raider.
“Raider, are you okay?” Luna asked as knelt next to him.
Raider was holding his stomach, plugging the fatal hole there, made by the Changeling.
“I’m definitely not making it home this time!” he chuckled grimly, gritting his teeth.
“B-B-But, you can’t…die.” Luna stammered, tearing up.
“It’s okay, Luna. All that matters is that we’re safe and that you and Celestia have the Elements. Just try explaining that to the Princess.” He chuckled.
“R-Raid-” Luna started, and that’s as far as she got, Raider sat up from his lying position as kissed Luna fully on the lips.
Luna was shocked by how Raider had reacted, but she didn’t back out from the Sergeant’s approach.
Luna’s world was changing right in front of her, a Sergeant of the Royal Guard...loved her?
Raider’s eyes started to soak with tears as he realised that the secret love of his life also loved him, he could now die a happy soldier.
As Luna held Raider in her arms in his final moments, Raider beckoned her to lean closer.
“Luna, even though I will die soon, I will always love you, even Death won’t stop me loving you.”
Luna started to cry, then she kissed Raider again.
Luna rested her cheek against his and continued to cry while Cirrus and Celestia watched, not sure how to react.
“Yes, he was,” Luna replied through tears.
“And I loved him.”
As the chariot cleared Stalliongrad and approached Canterlot, Luna continued to hold her dead love, even if he was for only a few moments. Celestia laid a hoof on her heartbroken sisters’ shoulder. Cirrus was stood at the back of the chariot, looking back at the moon and the death they had left behind them from the chariot’s tailgate, the old Pegasi wept slightly, he had only known Raider for a few days, but his bravery and the unity he instilled within the group while he was alive had made the Sergeant one of his friends.
The gunners on the chariot left their stations and were sat on the base of the chariot, helmets removed, looking at the body of their dead Sergeant. They had always thought that the Sergeant was a sort of machine that would never been defeated, that he would be the shining light of the Royal Guard, the future Captain that would make Canterlot the core of Equestria.
Then the radio buzzed into life again.
Celestia grabbed the radio and walked away from Luna towards the back of the chariot and stood next to Cirrus.
The Captain exclaimed in shock, and Celestia heard him groan sadly and sniff loudly.
“Yes, he sacrificed his life to save Luna.” Celestia replied.
“Well, at least he went out with a bang, and not a whimper.” Steel Hooves said, mournful at the loss of his second-in-command. “Has he told Luna about…” The Captain left the question hanging.
“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “He told her about his…feelings."
“Good, he hadn’t been the same since he’d seen Luna for the first time, I’m glad he got it off his chest before the end." Steel Hooves muttered quietly.
“How far are you from home?” Asked the Captain.
“We’re landing on the runway now.” Celestia said as she hung up.
The chariot reached the runway outside the military barracks and landed smoothly. Several soldiers were stood on either side of the runway, waiting for the scouting party. Captain Steel Hooves stood in the middle of the runway; he slowly approached the chariot-pulling Pegasi and spoke to them quietly.
“Go and rest up, you’ve done well.”
He then looped around the back of the chariot and opened the tailgate, he saw his dead Sergeant on the floor and looked to the ground, shocked by his death, but also immensely proud of his sacrifice. The Captain quickly composed himself and looked to the two shocked gunners.
“You two, go and rest up, you did well.”
The two gunners slowly got up and trotted off to the barracks, saluting their Captain as they walked past him. Steel Hooves returned their salute and looked at the victorious, but depressed group.
Steel Hooves trotted onto the chariot and knelt beside Luna at the Sergeant’s side.
“Thank you.” Luna whispered back tearfully.
Steel Hooves looked down at the brave Raider, still holding his stomach and that last smile he ever made, his eyes still wet from the tears of his life as he vacantly stared up at the moon.
“Goodbye, Raider.” Steel Hooves whispered almost silently.
The Captain slowly stood and wiped his eyes for all to see, he wouldn’t hide his true emotions towards his Sergeant, his best friend.
Steel Hooves looked at Luna, Celestia and Cirrus and noticed the Elements of Harmony around the sisters’ necks.
“Well done.” He then spoke loud enough for all to hear.
“Come on,” Steel Hooves said at his normal volume. “Let’s go and get Discord before the night is through.”
Luna, Celestia and Cirrus followed the Captain out of the chariot and walked towards the castle where Discord and Princess Solaria were waiting, the troops and citizens of Canterlot followed them to watch the spectacle that would be happening soon.
Princess Solaria was stood in front of the castle steps, with Discord and several troops stood near her. The ponies that lived near the castle were already lining the streets, waiting.
“Your Highness.” Steel Hooves started. “Mission accomplished.”
The Princess looked at Cirrus, Luna and Celestia.
“Well done, I and all of Equestria honour your sacrifice and determination.” Said the Princess.
“Now, we must conclude business. May I have the Elements?” Solaria asked as she held a hoof out.
Luna and Celestia took the necklaces from around their necks and gave them to the Princess.
“But there’s two necklaces.” Steel Hooves asked. “How will you use them?” He asked.
“That does not matter, Captain. They will revert back to one necklace after I have used them. As I am the only pony capable of using the Elements, they will change to suit me.” The Princess pointed out.
“Discord?” The Princess asked the reformed villain.
Discord was surprised that he had been given such a generous opportunity to speak before he was imprisoned, so he said for all to hear.
“I apologise for what I did, but I could never do enough to make up for it, so I respectfully accept any punishment you wish to hand me.” He said while he hung his head in self-shame.
Solaria replied to Discord as she donned the Elements of Harmony.
“Oh, Princess!” Discord exclaimed. “You shouldn’t be so lenient!”
“When you are eventually released, make sure I don’t regret my decision by being so easy on you.” Solaria responded.
“Yes, I accept my fate.” He responded sadly.
Solaria stood in a secure stance and her horn glowed as she charged her magic and channelled the magic of the Elements. When she was ready, she fired a beam of magic at Discord. But the beam didn’t imprison him, or even do any damage. Discord didn’t even feel it.
Many watching ponies gasped as their Princess failed, the sound of nervous murmuring came from the crowds.
“Discord?! Is this your doing?!” Solaria yelled angrily at the Draconequi.
“What? No! Like I said, I’m ready to be disposed of.” Discord gasped back, surprised that the Princess doubted him.
Princess Solaria turned and stared furiously at Luna, Celestia and Cirrus.
Luna, Celestia and Cirrus looked back at the furious Princess, unsure what to think.
“I don’t…think so.” Cirrus stuttered.
“Yeah.” Luna said. “They worked fine for us.”
The Princess’ ears pricked up sharply.
Luna looked down at the ground, not sure how to respond.
“Well…when the Changelings chased us, me and Tia used magic of a power we’ve never experienced before, much more powerful than we could ever manage. I felt the source of my magic come from the Elements, not my horn as it usually would. When me and Tia unleashed that magic, the Changelings were all killed instantly, but the Pegasi from Stalliongrad remained unscathed by it.” Luna described.
“That makes sense!” Cirrus butted in. “The Elements can only destroy anything evil, so the ponies on our side would be safe!”
Discord spoke up. “They are correct.”
“WHAT?!” Yelled the Princess, seemingly going insane.
“I thought I felt an increase of magic in the atmosphere when they came here, and ever since you took the Elements from them, that atmospheric change died down.” Discord described.
“No…I won’t believe it. I’m the Princess, only I can use them” Solaria responded resolutely.
“Princess.” Steel Hooves started. “Please, hand over the Elements.” Steel Hooves held out a hoof for the necklaces as the Canterlot ponies waited nervously, unsure of how their Princess would react.
Solaria sighed sadly and removed the Elements.
Steel Hooves took the Elements and handed one each to Luna and Celestia, as they put them on, Steel Hooves asked.
“Yes, Captain." Discord replied.
"Girls, fire when ready.” He said as he presented himself.
Luna and Celestia looked at each other, then looked at Discord. They weren’t too sure of how to use the Elements properly, so Luna thought to use a regular imprisonment spell, and hopefully the Elements would do the rest. Luna charged her spell, and she felt the source of power from the Elements course through her veins up towards her horn. Luna’s spell travelled to Celestia and they were both lifted into the air, the bright white light returned as the magic of the Elements were ready to be released.
Wind started to rush through the air as Luna and Celestia hovered, their manes swirling around wildly, making them seem all-powerful. Their eyes both glowed a solid white, then a rainbow-coloured beam of magic came from their horns, both wide of Discord. As the beams of magic intensified, they joined together and shot to Discord. As the beam hit Discord, a blinding white light exploded throughout Canterlot.
As the light died down, the ponies of Canterlot uncovered their eyes to see that a stone statue of Discord had appeared on the castle entrance, the statue still held the expression that Discord had been pulling as he watched the beam of magic approach him.
Princess Solaria looked at Luna and Celestia in awe, unsure of how they used the Elements.
“Only the Princesses of Equestria can use the Elements of Harmony, so all bow before our new royalty!” He ordered as he and all of Canterlot bowed to the ground before the new Princesses, Luna and Celestia.
After they had worshipped their new royalty, ponies of Canterlot began to party in the streets. Ponies were dancing and singing, even with ponies they had never seen before. Canterlot had become their utopia again, a land of peace. Harmony had returned to Canterlot.
With the backdrop of partying ponies and the night sky, Cirrus, Luna and Celestia all trotted over to each other and stood about two yards apart. They seemed to be in their own time, with only silence following them. They looked at each other and started to cry, and then they all hugged.
They had done it. Despite the overwhelming odds, the lack of backup and the lack of weapons, the thrown-together group of a Sergeant, an old Pegasi, and two young alicorn sisters had taken on the harsh environments and the Changeling Kingdom to imprison Discord, and they had done it!
The group continued to cry and laugh at the same time in celebration until Princess Solaria trotted over to them and spoke.
Then she trotted away and asked Captain Steel Hooves to accompany them. As Princess Solaria walked into the castle, Steel Hooves shrugged at the sisters to show that he didn’t know what she wanted, but obeyed her nevertheless.
The new princesses waved goodbye to their adoring public, opened the doors and followed the Captain and the Princess into the castle.
Sadness and Sisterly Love
In the town centre of Canterlot, ponies relaxed in the pleasant afternoon sun while the school ponies played outside.
Except one.
The one who adored the night, who felt vulnerable in the day. She felt that she belonged in the night, and that she should sleep in the daytime. She worshipped the night, the stars, the moon. She longed for the day she could fly high enough to reach the edge of space and be with that she loved so much. But these petty dreams about happiness couldn't improve her mood. She was the only filly indoors.
The dark blue coloured filly that avoided contact with anypony else. The filly who always stayed indoors to wallow in depression. Tears streamed down the face of the young filly as she watched her ‘friends’ having fun outside in the sun. As the filly peered from behind teary eyes and parted curtains, she instantly felt distraught about all parts of her miserable life. Luna would feel that she was permanently surrounded by laughing fillies tormenting her, poking fun at her.
Why am I here? She would think to herself while choking back the river of tears waiting to be unleashed.
Why does nopony like me?
What’s different about me than everypony else?
She would ponder about the annoying matters for hours every day to try and find a solution, but she couldn’t find out, and this would lead to more tears.
They wouldn’t bully her due to a lack of a cutie mark, the only two fillies in that class with cutie marks were Luna and Celestia, but they’d bully her for other reasons.
Luna’s school would start at ten in the morning and finish at two in the afternoon, when the day was at its lightest, and she avoided sunlight whenever she could. She didn’t know why, it was just the way she was. As some young fillies would have nightmares about monsters at night, Luna would have the same bad feelings in the day, as if a horrible creature would reach out and drag her to some terrible place, it’s the way she was born and would always be. And why would she want to spend more time in a terrifying place like that? She avoided the light at any possible time, she would much rather sit inside her room in the dark contemplating her useless life. But her friends didn’t know that. They couldn’t.
Imagine if I told them. Luna would think to herself. What would they think then? Then they’d really bully me.
But the most horrifying, tear-inducing thing that Luna could see was that Celestia, the kind, selfless Celestia, her sister who would do anything to put a smile on her face, was outside frolicking with her tormentors.
What will happen to her? Will they change her? Will Tia not want to know me anymore?
Luna looked out of the window again and saw her sister hugging her enemies, and she let out a little whimper, fell backwards onto her bed and cried herself to sleep under her pillow.
“Luna!...Luna! Come on, Luna, get up!” Celestia shouted from downstairs. “It’s time for school!”
Celestia would always wake Luna and take care of her; she was the older of the two and was much more capable of the parenting job after their parents had disappeared. Luna didn’t know how they’d disappeared as she was too young and Celestia wouldn’t say any more to her on the matter except “but we have each other!”
Luna refused to get up, even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. She had only slept for an hour before awakening due to bad dreams about Celestia leaving her. After the dream, she had cried until daylight thinking about how she would manage without Celestia, she surprised herself as she didn’t know how she’d cried so much in one day. But this brief change of thought couldn’t disguise the fact that Luna needed help and care.
“Luna?” Celestia asked as she peered around Luna’s bedroom door.
Celestia was so used to saying something like this to Luna every morning that the words were embedded on her mind. But Celestia noticed that Luna really wasn’t right on this day. Normally she’d respond by saying “do I have to?” Or just a groan. But today Luna didn’t move a muscle, she just stayed there, clutching the cover she lay beneath and staring at the wall facing away from her sister.
“Are you alright, Luna?” Celestia asked in a concerned tone.
“Y-Yes, I-I’m fine” Luna answered.
“Are you sure?”
No answer. Celestia tiptoed closer to Luna to comfort her about whatever was worrying her. Luna continued to stare blankly at the wall until she stiffened and shook at the sound of her school colleagues laughing outside.
“Luna, seriously, what’s wrong? You need to tell me or I can’t help you.” Celestia begged.
“I can’t do it, Tia!” She yelled back at her sister as she got up to wrap her arms around her in a tight embrace.
“Do what?” Celestia asked as she returned the embrace to comfort her sister.
“This life, I can’t live it any more!” Luna shouted back.
“Why? What’s wrong with it? We have a lovely house, the weather is always nice, we have many frien-”
“Don't …say…that word!” Luna screamed back. “We don’t have friends. You have friends, nopony likes me. They all hate me, all of them!” Luna cried as she exploded into tears again.
“Luna, what in Equestria makes you think that?” Celestia asked.
“Why shouldn’t I think that? They all call me names and make fun of me.” Luna answered while trying to fight back tears.
“Well…you do act quite, strange” Celestia nervously pointed out.
Luna sighed knowingly. “I know Tia, I know, but I have to, it’s the way I am, I hate the light, I can’t be comfortable in it.” Luna answered sadly.
“Luna, don’t be so stupid,” Celestia said aggressively as she stood up.
Luna shot up at her sister's strong tone. “Leave me alone! I knew they’d change you!” She yelled as she ran from the room and down the road.
“Luna! Wait! Come back!” Celestia yelled after her as she chased her.
“Luna! Please!” Celestia shouted as she chased Luna down the street past the confused onlookers.
“No, leave me alone!” Luna yelled back as she shot down the street towards the Everfree Forest.
“Don’t you dare go in there Luna! It’s dangerous! Do you hear me!?” Celestia screamed desperately at her younger sister.
This slowed Luna as she contemplated the fact that Celestia was looking out for her wellbeing. Had they really changed her, or was Luna taking it too seriously? Luna obeyed her sisters’ order and stopped running, but Celestia couldn’t slow down and they crashed together in a heap on the floor.
“Oh, they haven’t changed you Tia!” Luna rejoiced as she jumped up to embrace her older sister.
“Well of course, no-one could ever stop me looking out for you; you are the pony I care most about in my life.” Celestia answered.
Luna started to tear up as she realised that she could still count on her only friend.
“Hmm.” Luna contemplated her thoughts. “I don’t mind a place like this, no sun, no bullies.”
“Are you mad Luna?" Celestia scoffed.
Luna smiled wryly as she said. “Well, I’d rather live here than in Canterlot with them. Either that or I’d claim control of the moon and make it darker forever.”
“Oh yes Luna, of course you’ll gain control of the moon.” Celestia said through a terribly hidden smirk.
“But we’re alicorns; we must have some type of power.” Luna pleaded.
“We’re no better at flying than any Pegasi and no more powerful than any Unicorn.” Celestia pointed out.
“Yeah, I guess.” Luna said sadly.
“Simple little fillies like us will never have that type of power, just keep on dreaming.” Celestia quipped sarcastically.
The two shared a laugh for the first time in ages and Luna felt like she was ready to take on the world.
“What’s going on?” Celestia asked while staring at the night sky.
“How did the night arrive so quickly? This doesn’t make any sense.” Luna questioned while looking confused.
Just as the words had left Luna’s mouth, a quiet, evil chuckle rang throughout the Canterlot streets.
“But what fun is there in making sense?”
The two new princesses entered the massive castle hall, and shut the door behind them, silencing the noise of the celebrations outside. Princess Solaria stood in front of the throne, and Captain Steel Hooves was stood next to her. Luna and Celestia stood about five yards from her, in the moons’ light which was reflecting through the window behind them. Princess Solaria began to speak in her quiet, lyrical voice.
“I’m sorry for the way I acted out there, I just got angry when I lost the use of the Elements.”
Luna and Celestia both nodded, showing that they accepted the Princesses apology.
“It’s just that I’ve been the sole user of the Elements for such a long time, I started to feel that they were mine. But I have to let them go, the Elements choose who uses them, and you two have been selected.” Solaria admitted sadly.
“Thank you, Princess Solaria.” Luna and Celestia said as they bowed before her.
Solaria and Captain Steel Hooves both shared a laugh.
“Don’t be so formal!” Solaria giggled. “You two are Princesses, we’re practically family now.”
Luna and Celestia both stood, slightly embarrassed, but proud that the Princess would ever consider them as equals.
“Well, okay.” Luna mumbled. “Do you want the Elements back?” She asked.
“I will store them in the vault beneath the castle to ensure that nopony else can take them. As long as we protect the Elements, we’ll be alright.” Solaria said as she smiled and held out a hoof for the Elements.
Luna and Celestia took off the Elements of Harmony and handed them over to Solaria, she then handed them to Captain Steel Hooves, who took them to the vault.
Solaria then spoke to Luna.
“Has the Captain told you that we’re having Raiders’ funeral tomorrow?” She asked.
Luna started to feel sad at the mention of her loves name, but she wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for him, so she composed herself for him.
“Yes, I know.” Luna mumbled sadly.
“Then I’d like you to be the last pony to see him before we…” Solaria left the comment hanging, not wanting to offend Luna.
Luna became overcome with happiness.
“Thank you, Princess. It would mean a lot to me.” She said through happy tears.
Captain Steel Hooves returned from the vault.
“Thank you, Captain. And I thank you two as well. I’d say it was a job well done.” Solaria said with a smile.
“Thank you, Solaria.” The sisters said as they trotted away, towards the door.
The Princess watched them start to leave, but then stopped them.
Captain Steel Hooves suddenly stiffened, aware of a possible threat, he looked at the sisters and tried to signal for them to lie, but they didn’t see him. The sisters then took turns to introduce each other.
“I’m Luna”
Princess Solaria’s face then turned from a smile into a dark scowl as she remembered an event in her past. Solaria then angrily asked,.
“Who were your parents?”
Luna and Celestia both looked at each other, then to the anxious Captain, and then to the fuming Princess. They didn’t answer her, just stared at her in fear, realising the threat they were in.
“That’s what I thought.” Solaria whispered.
Steel Hooves saw the anger rising through Solaria, and prepared himself to intervene.
“Glimmer and Orbit.” Solaria said, angry tears shining in her eyes.
“I'll banish you two as well!” She screeched.
Solaria fired a beam of magic at the sisters, and the ray hit Luna in the midriff. As the ray hit Luna, she disappeared into thin air and the ray deflected through the high window and towards the night sky.
“Luna!” Celestia yelled as Solaria readied herself to fire again.
Steel Hooves had anticipated this, and he launched himself at Solaria, tackling her to the ground and causing her second magic beam to miss Celestia and hit the wall. Solaria then tried to fire again, but she missed a second time. The huge Captain flattened Solaria and slammed a hoof into her horn, smashing it to pieces, rendering her magical ability useless.
“Captain!” Solaria yelled. “Get off me!”
But the Captain didn’t move, still crushing her into the ground.
“Negative, ma’am.” He muttered angrily.
“I'm still your Princess, Captain! I order you to get off me!” Solaria screeched again.
Steel Hooves stopped crushing the Princess to the ground and let her stand, but then he slammed her into the castle wall, a massive hoof crushing her neck.
“You aren’t my Princess anymore. You aren’t anypony’s Princess.” He whispered harshly.
Solaria started to argue, but held her tongue as the Captain would probably kill her on the spot.
“Where is Luna?” He asked angrily.
“Did you not see the beam reflect? I banished her.” Solaria gasped, despite having her neck crushed.
“Where?” Asked the Captain, crushing her neck even more forcefully than before.
“The moon.” Solaria said simply.
Celestia stood and galloped swiftly to the Princess, her inner rage bursting out at Solaria.
“How do we get her back?!” The older sister demanded.
Solaria started to cry, fearing her imminent death.
“You can’t.” She admitted. “She can only return in a thousand years.”
Steel Hooves released the Princess from his death grip, and she fell to the ground, crying in a heap on the floor. The Captain then spoke to Solaria as he trotted over to Celestia.
“I recommend that you stay in your room tonight. We’re having Raiders’ funeral at tomorrow noon, and I want you out of Canterlot by then. If I were you.” He started. “I’d never show my face here again.”
Steel Hooves walked to the weeping Celestia and nodded his head, asking her to walk with him while Solaria trotted up to her castle suite, still crying.
“I need to talk to you, do you mind if we walk?” The Captain asked.
The teary-eyed Celestia groaned back.
Steel Hooves removed his armour and helmet and left them on the castle steps, then he walked away with Celestia.
“Captain? Your armour?” She asked, she had started to compose herself and she had stopped crying, but she still missed her sister.
“Leave it.” He said sadly. “I’m retiring, after what I’ve seen today, I don’t know what to think about our world. I’ll tell the troops tomorrow.”
The Captain looked sad on the outside, but on the inside, he knew that he would have to stop at some point, and there were troops that could replace him.
“I’m sorry.” The Captain said quietly as he walked.
“It’s not your fault.” Celestia muttered, still very depressed.
“She was wrong to do that, the children shouldn’t suffer because of the sins of their parents.” Steel Hooves said poignantly.
“If only Mom and Dad had helped Solaria, then we could have avoided all this and we’d be a happy family.” Celestia moaned, angry and sad at the same time.
“But life isn’t like that; it’s what we do, and not what we don’t do.” Steel Hooves mumbled, showing his sadness at Luna’s banishment.
The sad Captain and Celestia continued to walk through the quiet, empty streets, the ponies of Canterlot had all gone to bed after their wild celebrations.
“Would you like me to tell everyone tomorrow at the funeral?” Steel Hooves asked.
“Tell them what?” Celestia replied.
“About Luna…and Solaria.” the Captain quietly revealed.
Celestia thought about it. Solaria should be seen by all as the villain she is. But Celestia wanted to be left alone. She wanted to forget about Luna, even though she missed her, she couldn’t bear to think about her younger sister without crying, and more publicity would remind her of Luna even more.
“No.” Celestia responded. “I don’t want ponies acting strange around me because she isn’t here. I’ll just say she moved away. But tell Cirrus, he deserves to know.”
“Okay, I’ll tell him, but nopony else.” Steel Hooves respectfully accepted her demand.
“I’ll see you at the funeral tomorrow, then.” Celestia said as they reached her house.
“Celestia.” The Captain asked after her, and Celestia turned to face her, “I’m sorry, again. I’ve always wanted the best for you and Luna ever since you volunteered to go on that mission.” The Captain wiped his eyes, his emotions getting the better of him. “But look where that has left us.” he finished.
“Captain.” Celestia replied. “Thank you. You never did anything wrong, it’s not your fault.”
Steel Hooves allowed a smile to break on his face, happy that she could forgive him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Steel Hooves muttered as he slowly trotted back to the barracks, recollecting on the mad day that had unfolded in front of him.
Princess Solaria trotted slowly into her room, still crying from the loss of her horn and how she’d ruined the lives of Celestia and Luna. She felt sorry for the older sister, who would now have to live without Luna, but Solaria couldn’t leave events the way they were, she had to wipe her slate clean, in any way, and before midday.
Princes & Princesses of Canterlot. Princesses #17 & #18: Celestia and Luna. These brave alicorn sisters recovered the Elements of Harmony from the Changeling Kingdom to return to Canterlot and imprison the villain Discord. After Discord had been imprisoned, the older Celestia grew envious of her younger sister, Luna and utilised her Elements to banish her to the moon for a thousand years so she could rule alone over all of Equestria.
Solaria knew that this was the wrong thing to do and that nopony would believe her if Celestia or Steel Hooves told everypony, but she had to hope that they would remain silent and that somepony in the future would find this note, and then her framing of Celestia would be complete and she would be free to live without public embarrassment.
Solaria packed her most valued belongings and ran to the library, where she hid the note in a ‘Princes and Princesses’ book.
The sun rose over Canterlot the next day, a beautiful spring morning. No clouds in the sky. Cirrus was stood in his back yard, tending to his plants. As he stood and wiped beads of sweat from his face, he saw the small memorial at the far end of his garden.
Cirrus trotted over to the shrine he had made the previous night, now able to inspect it in the day. It was a memorial to Luna and her parents, Glimmer and Orbit. It had a small picture of the ponies above an inscription of their names.
Cirrus then looked at the pictures of Glimmer and Orbit.
“I couldn’t do it.” Cirrus bawled. “You trusted me, and I couldn’t protect them.”
Cirrus continued to sob until he looked at his watch and noticed the time; the service would be starting in five minutes. The old pony stood and trotted sadly from his yard, his head held low. Cirrus looked back to the memorial and whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Steel Hooves walked through the trees, across the graveyard to where Raiders’ coffin lay. A small wooden surface had been built with a large canvas behind it, showing a picture of Raider. Steel Hooves stepped onto the platform and spoke into a microphone, so he could address the huge crowd that had gathered to witness Raiders’ burial.
“Firstly, I’d like to say something quickly before we start.” Steel Hooves sighed sadly,
“I’m leaving my post as Captain of the Royal Guard.” He admitted.
The crowd of citizens and soldiers gasped, shocked at how their Captain had resigned. He would no longer be their superior, just another normal pony.
“I feel that the time is right for me to leave. I deeply enjoyed my time in the Guard, and I made many friends, met many fine troopers. I always put one-hundred-and-ten percent into my work, and I hope that you all think I went about my job professionally. All I ever wanted to do was to protect you, the ponies of Canterlot.”
“Thank you.” The Captain gasped, overwhelmed with happiness from their support
Steel Hooves held out a hoof to present the new Captain, who emerged from behind the canvas. Loud cheers and a round of applause rang throughout the graveyard. The green unicorn was wearing sparkling armour and helmet, looking very authoritative. Emerald Horn approached the microphone as Steel Hooves stepped aside.
“Thank you.” The new Captain acknowledged the support from the Canterlot ponies, who died down as he started to speak.
“Thank you for your support. When Captain Steel Hooves informed me of his imminent resignation and asked me to take over, I couldn’t wait to get started. Even though I am a Stalliongrad pony and always will be, I will try and do my best for Canterlot. Hopefully, I will fill the gap that Captain Steel Hooves has left. Hopefully, I can do everything I can…for all of you.”
“Now, let’s do what we are here to do.”
“Yesterday.” Steel Hooves started. “We lost a friend. All of Canterlot lost a friend. Sergeant Raider would lay down his life for anypony in Canterlot, or anypony in all of Equestria. That is how he left us; defiant to do his duty, until his last moment, his last breath.
As I said, we all lost a friend in Sergeant Raider, and Equestria is now a lesser place for having lost him. I lost my best friend, my second-in-command. The troops lost the best Sergeant who has ever lived. We troops will miss Raider for the way he was; his tenacity, his determination. The model soldier.
But we all miss him for the stallion he truly was; kind, full of compassion, eager to help everypony. No words can describe what a perfect stallion Raider was, and nothing we can do could ever mirror his dedication in life.”
Hundreds left photos or flowers, with a few leaving objects that would have meant something between them and Raider. Celestia watched the slow trail of ponies kneel before his coffin, say their goodbyes, then trot away. Celestia found herself crying, not specifically tears of happiness or of mourning, but just in memory of her friend who sacrificed his life to save Luna.
Cirrus slowly trotted onto the platform, his head hung low, trying to hide his tears. He stood in front of Raiders’ closed coffin and started to choke back his tears. Cirrus reached to his side and grabbed a sheathed sword, the one that Raider had given him. The Pegasi placed the sword down by the long side of the coffin, beneath a small, circular picture of the dead Sergeant.
“Goodbye, my friend.” He whispered, then he turned and returned to his place in the crowd.
“I left you.” She whimpered. “I loved you, and I left you.”
As the trail of grieving ponies slowly ended and they returned to their places in the crowd, Steel Hooves returned to his position on the microphone and spoke to the crowd.
“We have all said our goodbyes to the brave Sergeant, and now it is time to send him to Paradise.”
As he spoke, four troopers carrying two poles trotted to Raiders’ coffin, they threaded the wooden poles through the iron rings on the side of the casket. The four troopers stood on each side of their Sergeants’ coffin and balanced the poles on their shoulders, waiting for Steel Hooves’ order, he would always be their Captain in their eyes.
Steel Hooves concluded his speech and signalled to the troops.
“Rest in peace, Sergeant Raider.” He finally muttered.
Celestia and Cirrus walked home in the early evening sun, they were both crying, for Luna and Raider.
“Celestia,” Cirrus mumbled.
“Yes?” She asked, trying to stop crying.
“I’m still going to look out for you, if you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask for my help.” the Pegasi suggested.
“Thank you.” Celestia whispered tearfully.
They continued to walk until they reached Celestia’s home. Here they said goodbye while they hugged each other, crying into each others’ arms. When Celestia entered her house, she went straight to bed; she was too tired and weary to do anything else.
Celestia awoke the next day as if nothing was any different; she trotted into the kitchen to make breakfast, but opened the cupboards to see them bare. She walked to Luna’s room, exclaiming.
“Luna! I’m going-” Celestia cut herself short, she had been so used to waking Luna, she couldn’t help herself but do it, it was instinctive. As Celestia looked at the empty bed, she sighed sadly and retreated from her sisters’ old room.
Celestia’s day continued to drag, only thinking about Luna. She went to the re-opened store to get some food. She trotted to the counter, and Cirrus was stood behind it, his eyes still red from crying. They didn’t talk, Cirrus just grabbed the supplies Celestia usually asked for and handed them over. Celestia handed over the money and nodded at Cirrus as she walked out. Neither spoke, or showed any emotions. They didn’t need to, they both felt the same way, and nothing needed saying.
Celestia continued to slouch through her day. She stayed at home for most of the morning and afternoon, either doing nothing or sat outside, looking at the horizon, thinking about her adventures with her sister.
The sun set and the moon rose, so Celestia retreated to her bedroom. She stared up at the moon and thought about Luna.
“I miss you, Luna.” She whispered at the moon.
Suddenly, Celestia’s horn shone a bright white and she heard a voice in her head.
---Tia? Can you hear me?---
Celestia gasped loudly as she heard Luna’s voice in her head.
---Luna! Is that you?---
---Tia! You can hear me! I’ve been trying for ages! We need to be quick, my magic’s fading, I can’t do any other spells at all!---
Celestia heard Luna starting to cry, knowing she would be alone soon.
---Luna, I’m sorry, for everything.---
---No, it’s not your fault, Tia. You never did anything wrong, you’re the best big sister I could ever ask for.---
Celestia became overwhelmed with emotion as Luna said that, and she began to cry also.
---And you’re the best little sister anypony could ever have.---
Celestia wondered, would Luna be a different pony by the time she returned, would her millennium on the moon twist her into somepony else?
---There won’t be a day that goes by without me thinking about you, Luna.---
---Me too, I would never forget you. Not after all that you’ve done for me.---
---Same, you’ll still be the most important pony in my life, even if you aren’t with me. Nothing will stop me caring for you.---
Celestia felt Luna’s magic fading; her voice was becoming slowly quieter.
---I’m going to miss you, Tia.---
---I’ll miss you too, Luna.---
Luna then exclaimed suddenly, shocked by something.
---No…I’m leaving you. Tia, my magic’s dying.---
Luna stared down at Canterlot, and Celestia looked up at the moon where her sister would stay for a thousand years.
---I love you.---
