Sunset Shimmer swung up to the top of the domed roof of the rotunda and kept herself hooked onto the side as she looked off to both sides for Chrysalis. Eventually, she flew up from below to her right, hovering in front of a window. Using her magic, the glass shattered, allowing Chrysalis and Sunset Shimmer entrance. Tirek, Catrina, Grogar, and the others looked up as they came down to the floor in their own respective methods.

In particular, Queen Bumble, Grogar, Bray, and Tirek were visibly impressed and amazed by the blood, both clotted and wet, that caked Sunset Shimmer’s body and clothes. Chrysalis smirked as she glanced at her, proud of her to have earned the respect of the others.

“Wo- Wow!” Bray stammered. “She did that?”

“How many ponies did you kill?” Tirek asked.

“Only a couple,” Sunset Shimmer nonchalantly admitted, “but you should have seen the gashes I left on them. I tripped a guard up by slicing his leg halfway and ended him by cutting his throat.”

“Halfway?” wondered Rep, easily boggled. “Don’t you mean ‘cut it in half?’”

“No,” she answered defiantly. “He still had half of his muscle and skin holding it together.”

Rep and Bray bobbed their heads in sheer fascination and impression. Just then, Catrina stood from over the still-unconscious Annie, turning and walking towards Sunset Shimmer.

“That gash on her leg was quite serious,” the cat had told her. “It will need time to heal before I can begin the process, and even that should take some time.”

“Sorry about that,” Sunset Shimmer replied coolly. “She was being rather difficult.”

Suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her, Sunset Shimmer unfastened her 3D Maneuver Gear from her harness, letting the device clatter loudly to the floor. With the weight off her hips, she fell onto her rump and lied against her sheaths, taking a relaxed sigh.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight walked into the front car of Celestia’s train following Armin and Hanji, a saddened look on the former’s face as she turned back to the giant tower of smoke where Canterlot had once stood. She then approached Princess Celestia and Luna, who also sat forlornly in the wake of the loss of their home and kingdom.

“Twilight,” eased Celestia, “I’m so sorry for all of this.”

Twilight huffed with frustration, stopping in her tracks.

“No, Celestia,” she said, “you have nothing to be sorry for.”

“But I do, Twilight. You have no idea who that human with the yellow skin is, and it’s because of me that she’s the way she is.”

“What?” Armin spoke up. “You know who that person was?”

“And what do you mean she’s like that because of you?” questioned Twilight.

Luna and Celestia turned to each other and nodded in agreement before turning back to Twilight. Others around them began to listen, intrigued by what Celestia was about to disclose.

“There’s much that Luna and I have kept from you all,” Celestia said, “and I think it’s time that we told you the truth.”

“You see,” Luna said, “when we first discovered Eren and his friends on Earth, it was not the first time we had seen humans before.”

“What?” Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity exclaimed.

“What does that mean?” Twilight continued to wonder.

Celestia closed her eyes, scared to reveal her secrets.

“When we had banished Hunter to Earth,” Celestia said, “we knew full well of the humans that lived there and the damage they were doing to each other.”

“I couldn’t bear to outright kill him myself,” said Luna, “so we sent him to Earth to be taken care of by your people there.”

Eren and the humans present, with the exception of Levi, gasped with saddened shock. It was then that Eren bolted up and walked to the princesses with fire brimming in his eyes.

“So, you knew we were there and you still sent that dragon to us?” he screamed.

“Eren,” cried Luna, “it’s not like that! We had no idea he’d still be alive from the travel, yet alone be safe on your world! We had no intention of inflicting harm to your species, nor any knowledge that he’d inflict so much harm to your kind.”

“All those people that died back home are really because of you!”

“Eren!” exclaimed Armin, pulling him back by his arm. “Please hear them out. You and I both know they would never have any ill will towards us.”

Eren hissed as he realized the pointlessness and triviality of his anger, calming himself down.

“Why are you telling us this anyways?” asked Rainbow Dash. “What’s that got to do with that human with the yellow skin?”

Celestia faced Twilight, and then the still fuming Eren, prepared to continue the rest of the story.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the Canterlot palace rotunda, Sunset Shimmer sat against her Maneuver Gear and took a small finger sandwich hors d'oeuvre among several others on a silver platter sitting beside her, taking a bite and savoring the flavor. A few changelings ran around giggling, celebrating their successful coup. Just then, Tirek, Grogar, and Catrina approached her, gaining her minimal attention.

“Sunset Shimmer,” spoke Tirek.

“Yes?” she asked. “Can’t you see I’m eating my dinner?”

“Don’t talk back to him,” ordered Grogar. “You should be thankful he didn’t–”

“That’s enough, Grogar,” Tirek responded, holding him back with his massive hand.

“We’re merely curious about your origins,” explained Catrina. “You share an overall resemblance with that other creature over there, but you certainly look much different from her.”

Sunset Shimmer glared into Catrina’s expectant eyes, swallowing the bite she had been chewing.

“It’s because once upon the time, I wasn’t like her:” she said, “a human.”

“A human, you say?” asked Grogar. “Than just what were you?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“A long time ago,” said Celestia, “she was my apprentice before you, Twilight.”

“What?” Twilight gasped. “Are you saying that she used to be a pony?”

“Yes. And much like you, she was extremely adept at magic. She had actually passed Class 3 lessons by her first year.”

“Class 3? That’s crazy! It took me all three years to surpass that level.”

“So not only is this person skilled with a Maneuver Gear,” spoke Sasha, “she can use magic too?”

“No,” Luna answered, “not since she took her human form.”

“But why?” asked Applejack. “And how?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Already, the three creatures surrounding Sunset Shimmer were already engulfed in her seemingly-unbelievable tale. Setting her crusty end of bread beside her bloodied Maneuver Gear, she walked to the back of the room towards one of the sealed doors.

“In all honesty,” Sunset Shimmer said, “the times I spent learning with Celestia were wonderful, and she was very supportive of my growth and prowess with magic, but once I got through Class 3, I was forbidden from being tutored any further. She said that while I was learning quickly, I needed to learn the magic of friendship before continuing on with my studies.”

Just then, the group stopped at the door, blocked by the rock that kept it shut. Tirek stepped up and with a shove of his front hoof, the wooden door broke away, revealing a balcony that overlooked the vast land over the cliff that Canterlot had stood on. Sunset Shimmer nodded to Tirek in thanks, stepping on and being followed by him, Catrina, and Grogar.

“Surely,” continued Sunset Shimmer, “spending most of your days in a castle doesn’t guarantee you much in the way of social knowledge. However, I couldn’t bear to stay stuck with the magic that I had already mastered by that point. I had to keep going…”

Sunset Shimmer clenched her fists, hinting to the three behind her that a particularly troubling part of her past was about to resurface.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“One night,” spoke Celestia, “Sunset had managed to sneak into the Starswirl wing of the Royal Library and began practicing advanced spells behind my back. I had caught her once and forbade her entry into the library ever again. She, being as headstrong as someone like her could be, disobeyed me again and tried to master the fiendfyre spell in retaliation.”

“Fiendfyre?” Twilight exclaimed. “Don’t tell me–”

“Yes,” answered Luna. “The Great Castle Fire of 983 was caused by her.”

The humans, while unsure of the elements of Equestrian history that Celestia was alluding to, paid close attention to her story.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Four guards were killed in the blast,” Sunset Shimmer recounted to the three creatures, looking out over the balcony with her hands gripping the banister, “and about a dozen more were injured. I even watched two of them as they burned. The sight of their skin bubbling and their coats singing off; at that time, I had never seen anything so horrible in my life. I was sorry for what I had done, but it wasn’t good enough for her.

Sunset Shimmer balled her hand into a fist and punched the top of the banister, scraping her knuckle against it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside a dark room lit only by the light coming from the hallway, Celestia and Luna stood before a repentant and frightened Sunset Shimmer unicorn filly, the sun design on her shirt serving as her cutie mark.

“Please!” Sunset Shimmer begged. “I’m sorry! I won’t disobey you again! Just please don’t send me away!”

“I’m sorry,” grunted Celestia, “her horn charging and covering Sunset Shimmer in her aura, “but I cannot bear to trust you any longer. If you truly want to continue learning beyond my tutelage, then you may do so without putting the safety of my ponies at risk.”

Sunset Shimmer felt a painfully tingling feeling in her arm, and looking to her hoof, she watched with hysterical fits of sobbing five digits extended from the base of her hooves, the bony exterior sinking into what was now a hand. The bulge in her belly began to sink into her stomach and her muzzle squished into her face.

“Stop it!” screamed Sunset Shimmer. “Please!”

“You…” wept Celestia upon watching the filly’s gruesome transformation, “you forced me to do this! If you want to learn on your own, I won’t stop you, but you cannot do it here any longer! Farewell, my student.”

Sunset Shimmer’s tail began to slink into the bottom of her back with the hairs receding in as well. With a hard push Sunset Shimmer was hurled towards the horseshoe-shaped mirror in the very back of the room.

“Princess Celestia!” Sunset Shimmer shrieked before her body flew in through the reflective surface of the mirror like a standing pool of water.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“After discovering Eren’s Earth,” spoke Luna, “I had begun discovering alternate versions of it, some more advanced and some more primitive. After studying the more advanced earths, we tried to create our own, using alternate, humanized versions of ourselves and the ponies currently existing to serve as the base. We tried instilling as much of their technology, architecture, history, and customs into this alternate Equestria we had created, hoping to find a safer way to study the humans and advance Equestria’s civilization without meddling into one of the Earth’s affairs.”

“Another Earth?” questioned Conny. “You know how crazy that sounds, right?”

“It’s no different than how we discovered your Earth, Conny.”

“It’s not important,” Celestia said to him. “With the Equestria that we created from what we knew about humans, it could serve as both a suitable home for Sunset Shimmer to learn more than she ever could here, as well as a prison to keep her from our Equestria. It forced us to end our research in this world.”

“If it’s meant to be a prison,” questioned Jean, “then why was she able to escape?”

“It’s like writing ‘Do Not Eat’ on a lollipop with frosting,” added Pinkie Pie. “Whether you like it or not, you’re still going to eat it!”

“I did not intend to make that world a permanent prison,” Celestia said. “I had put a spell on the portal to the alternate Equestria so that it could reopen in a year’s time for one day only. I hoped that being in such a new world with such overwhelming new things would traumatize her into returning to me as a faithful student once again and remaining diligent to her studies.”

“So you tried to put fear into her to change her?” asked Twilight with a disgusted snarl. “You really thought that was the best option for her?”

Celestia closed her eyes again and let two tears fall from them, her regret and pain visible and apparent for all in the car to see.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“I assume she sent me to that world to scare the shit out of me,” Sunset Shimmer said, turning to face Tirek, Grogar, and Catrina. “For a time it was working. Being sent to another world, being unable to use my magic, clumsily accustoming myself to the body I was now forced to live in, being forced to be taken in by a pair of completely new parents, and my naiveté serving as a target for many bullies that I had to come across, all of whom shared my frighteningly alien body.

“I wanted to go back so badly, but I survived. I learned to walk on my own two feet, I learned what that world had to offer, and soon, I wasn’t afraid anymore. After what Celestia did to me, I couldn’t allow her the satisfaction of giving into her.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“When a guard of ours managed to escort her back when the portal opened up in a year’s time,” resumed Luna, “we had hoped to see a transformed Sunset Shimmer. She had changed alright…”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“No,” Sunset Shimmer said with a scowl to the shocked Celestia and Luna, “I’m not coming back.”

“What are you saying?” Celestia asked. “You have a home here!”

“I had a home here, but that home is gone because of you.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” growled a hurt and betrayed Celestia, “you will return to me.”

“No! I’m beginning to like my new home! I’m learning so much more than this crummy place.”

Celestia opened her mouth to object, but Sunset Shimmer turned back and ran towards the mirror portal shocking her, Luna, and the handful of guards in the room with her.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Like the fool that I was,” Celestia admitted, “I decided to keep the spell on it to allow it to open back up one day every year, hoping that she’d have a change of heart once again and return.”

“And now she’s going to kill us all!” Eren shouted. “Why? What else did you do to her?”

“I assure you that I never saw her again after that until today,” protested Celestia, standing up to him. “I knew what I did was unforgivable, but I didn’t expect her to come this far!”

“And what about Chrysalis?” asked Twilight. “How did she get involved in all of this?”

Celestia found herself strained, trying to piece a suitable answer together for the confused humans, ponies, and dragon on board.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“Every year,” Sunset Shimmer explained as Chrysalis walked out and joined Tirek and Grogar, “I would come back to Equestria and sneak around just to see what it was like, but it was just like candy corn.”

“Candy…” wondered Catrina, “corn?”

“It’s a fall-time candy from our time. It comes once a year, and even though you’ve had it, you still take a bite, only to be reminded of how bland and tasteless it is. Even my new world became boring as the years past. I learned and mastered everything I could get my hands on: literature, math, history. Once I exhausted that, I turned to combat: kendo, fencing, karate…”

“I think you’re getting a bit far ahead,” said Chrysalis. “Don’t forget about my involvement.”

Sunset Shimmer turned back to see her, smirking to herself.

“Right,” she lightly-chuckled, “how could I ever forget?”

“You see,” Chrysalis spoke, “I was here a couple of years ago already. Thanks to my shapeshifting abilities,” she explained, transforming into Cadance with a flame rolling down her entire body, “I nearly managed to take over Canterlot by disguising myself as the fiancé of the captain of the Royal Guard. Before the wedding had happened, I had stumbled into the room where Celestia kept the portal to Sunset Shimmer’s world, and I met her when she happened to stumble through.”

“As much as I would have loved to stay for the wedding,” resumed Sunset Shimmer, “the portal was soon to close, and I couldn’t attend. However after getting to know each other, we agreed that whether she was successful in taking over the kingdom or not, she would meet me here again while she devised a plan.”

“I take it you weren’t successful?” mocked Grogar.

“No,” Chrysalis responded, “I wasn’t, but considering where you’ve been before today, I’d say that you weren’t either.”

Grogar snarled at the changeling while Catrina chuckled in admiration.

“Don’t laugh,” Grogar spat to the cat, “you shared my same fate.”

Catrina grimaced and stayed quiet.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“After Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding,” said Celestia, “I was wary about how much Chrysalis came to know about me and the rest of Canterlot since her intrusion. In an act of safety and insurance, I sought to hide the portal away to where Chrysalis wouldn’t know, and when the Crystal Empire reemerged, I hid it within the palace.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“The fool thought that they could just hide it,” Chrysalis said, “but I managed to return, disguised now as one of Celestia’s guards. I was even the one of the guards assigned with moving the portal to the Crystal Empire. What an idiot!”

“So you met her after another year?” asked Tirek.

“Yes,” Sunset Shimmer replied, “and I couldn’t tell you how much more boring it was getting in this new world.”

“That’s when I presented her with her new toy,” Chrysalis said.

Catrina looked into the rotunda through the open space that Tirek had created, spotting the 3D Maneuver Gear.

“That thing?” she asked.

“Yep,” Sunset Shimmer said, hopping up and sitting along the banister, her feet dangling over the dark forest far beneath her. “Supposedly, Celestia and Luna had formed an alliance with a race of creatures that shared my new appearance called humans on another world during that year, and that device of theirs was that civilization’s crown jewel of technology. They even brought one back to serve as a member of the royal guard.”

“I just decided to… borrow her device,” Chrysalis spoke with a shrug. “It’s not like she wasn’t going to get a new one. It would probably just be seen as a cruel, xenophobic prank from pony to human and she’d get another one no questions asked.”

“And,” Sunset Shimmer interrupted in an overly-relieved voice, spinning herself so she faced Tirek, Catrina, and Grogar, “you would not believe my excitement over my new present. Before I went back to play with it, Chrysalis told me to return to Canterlot and follow her instructions. I had to go back to get some walkie-talkies, but hey, what can you do?”

“And I’m guessing the next year brought you to this moment?” questioned Grogar.

“Yeah. I took that year to master the device, and when it was time to finally say goodbye forever, I went back to my old high school and gave them a homecoming they would never ever forget.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________

The sounds of screaming rung all throughout the halls of Canterlot High School. Sunset Shimmer, her 3D Maneuver Gear hooked onto her device and fresh blood streaked on her clothes, walked from a chemistry classroom. Fire spread out from the classroom before a large explosion blasted flames and a few dismembered limbs of the recently slain out from the doorway.

A male student limped out of another classroom and tried to run to safety, only for Sunset Shimmer to sprint at him and slash him down the spine. Spotting another girl running and crying for her life Sunset Shimmer chuckled madly as she gave chase.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset Shimmer swung down towards a large marble statue of a horse on a large square-shaped base, turning back and looking upon her work. Canterlot High was engulfed with flames, the sounds of the few survivors screaming as they burned alive inside. She looked to the broken glass front doors with a slight sense of disappointment. She knew whoever managed to break them probably escaped with their lives, but it was still a comforting fact that the trauma they’d have would ruin their lives.

With a sarcastic salute, Sunset Shimmer walked through the wall of the base of the statue, fazing right through it with ease.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

“It was one of the most entertaining things I ever did on that world,” Sunset Shimmer claimed. “To see Celestia’s creation brutally cut down and destroyed like that, as well as employ my techniques on an actual target, it was a truly magical experience that I thought I’d never feel again, and I want Celestia to feel the despair I felt when she took what I loved from me.”

Tirek stepped out from the group and approached Sunset Shimmer, resting his massive hand upon her shoulder.

“My friend,” he said to her, “you and your companion have proven your worth with the successful taking of the city, and I respect your reasoning for revenge. You and Chrysalis can continue being of use to us by planning our next move.

“Then let’s go,” Sunset Shimmer responded, sliding Tirek’s hand off and hopping down from the banister. “We have a lot to discuss.”

She hurriedly walked back into the rotunda, passing by Chrysalis, Grogar, and Catrina without another word. Tirek frowned slightly at her casual disrespect.

“Just be thankful she’s on our side,” mentioned Chrysalis, turning to follow her in.

As Catrina and Grogar followed her, Tirek grumbled and came inside as well.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lyra and Derpy Hooves exited the second car and approached Celestia and Luna. Jean looked to them, having a feeling what they were here for.

“How is he?” asked Celestia.

“It’s hard to tell,” Derpy said. “His condition doesn’t seem to be getting better, but he’s still conscious.”

Jean sighed with sympathy.

“And Fluttershy’s still in there?” he asked Derpy.

“Yes,” she responded. “She’s still rather distraught. You’re free to go in if you want.”

“Okay,” he said, standing up. “But I swear, if he pulls something…”

Jean passed through the aisle and into the next car down. Twilight peeked in just as the doors began to close, seeing Fluttershy with streaming, red eyes. She sighed and looked back to Celestia.

“Okay,” she accounted, “so Sunset has been conspiring with Chrysalis and has stolen this Antithology. What is this? If they’re going to try and take Equestria over with it, we need to know exactly what we’re up against.”

“Antithology is an enchanted prison,” Celestia answered. “During the time in between Hunter’s banishment and Discord’s first attack on Equestria, we had to combat evil without the aid of the Elements of Harmony. There were many who tried to conquer Equestria, and each one of them failed.”

“Who are they?” asked Petra. “If they’ve been released, we should know exactly who we’re fighting.”

“There were 11 in total. One of the first was Porcina, a vain swine who used her magic to turn Equestria to glass and use it as her mirror. Then, there was Squirk, a squid who could change his size by absorbing and exerting water who tried to flood Equestria for his domain.

“Following him was Lavan, who attempted to turn the mountain housing Canterlot as a volcano and destroy it with an eruption. Before the Crystal Empire, the penguin King Charlatan sought to freeze all of Equestria. The hornet Queen Bumble, who used an artifact called the Sunstone to steal sunlight for her domain. Arabus, a deity made of cloud, used his shadow to terrorize Equestria and steal the shadows of other ponies for food.

“The last three are arguably the most dangerous. There is Grogar and his companion Bray. Grogar was a highly feared being from Tartarus who wielded a cursed bell around his neck that granted him fearsome power. Catrina, assisted by her wyvern, Rep, was a powerful sorceress who garnered near limitless magic from the oils of a now extinct plant known as witchweed, and finally there was Tirek, who for a time was the ruler of Tartarus and attempted to siege Equestria and further Tartarus’s domain.

“One by one, each of these creatures were sealed within the pages of Antithology, but now that they have all been released at once, I do not know how we will be able to defeat them.”

Eren looked around at the ponies as they fearfully cowered in their seats, haunted by Celestia’s tales. Eren’s eyes then found Rainbow Dash’s. His gaze suddenly became furious and full of resolve. With a sudden understanding, he closed his eyes calmly and turned to Celestia.

“Celestia,” he said, “whether you meant to bring Hell to Earth or not, you and the ponies helped us take it out. I would never forgive myself if I were to see my allies, especially if they are my friends, lose their home to Hell on their world. As both a soldier for the Scouting Legion and an ally to Equestria, I’ll kill every last one of those bastards myself if I have to!”

“You won’t be alone!” Armin said. “I want to save this world just as much as you do.”

“And I cannot allow that bitch the satisfaction of killing my friends,” hissed Mikasa, standing from her seat with shady-eyed fury.

Levi stood up and looked to the princesses as well.

“That Sunset Shimmer and I have unfinished business,” he said. “I’ll cut ribbons out of her and her little army before they can think of coming close to us..”

Petra, first heartened by his words, matched Mikasa’s dark frown and stood up beside her fiancé.

“And I’m not letting you fight without me!” she said. “I might have one arm, but I’ll fight twice as hard.”

Hanji slowly stood up, and once her and the ponies looked at her, they gasped to see that her eyes were wide and enraged, with her hairs beginning to stand on end.

“That Chrysalis is going to pay for what she did to Discord. I want to hear her screaming as my blade plunges through her neck.”

Sasha and Conny turned to Pinkie Pie and Sasha, respectively, and then to each other, giving a determined nod before standing up together.

“We’re coming along too!” Conny declared.

“I don’t want any more of my friends dying!” shouted Sasha.

With their human friends making the call, the ponies too stood out from their seats and facing Celestia and Luna.

“Don’t think we’re not coming along for the ride,” spoke Applejack. “We ain’t letting our home be destroyed!”

“Even if it’s us against all of Tartarus,” Rainbow Dash stated, grinding the bases of her hooves against each other, “nothing’s gonna’ stand in our way.”

“As a princess of Equestria,” said Twilight, “it would be my duty and my pleasure to save my home!”

“And you can count on me too!” shouted Spike.

Twilight gave a thankful smirk to Spike in response. Rarity glanced back at Sasha’s brave face and let out a sigh.

“I guess my hooves are pretty tied, aren’t they?” she breathed with a slight smile.

“Woohoo!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “Back to the old grind!”

Both Derpy and Lyra smiled as they broke through the crowd to make their presence known.

“We’ll always be loyal,” spoke Derpy.

“You have our full support and strength,” replied Lyra.

Celestia and Luna looked to their loyal human and pony legion, smiling warmly as the flickering flames of light began to glow.

“But what about Fluttershy?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Or Jean? It won’t be as great if they’re not with us.”

“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie,” assured Twilight.

Looking up and in through the windows to the next car back, she watched as a distraught Fluttershy leapt onto Jean as they both knelt beside Discord inside. Jean was quick to accept her comforting hug, clear in his support for her.

“I’m certain they won’t refuse to fight,” finished Twilight.

Lyra glanced to the window, seeing the tiny village and town hall of Ponyville just a few miles down the hill.

“We’ll be arriving in Ponyville within twenty minutes,” she said.

“Good,” Twilight responded. “Girls, the second we get off that train, head home, shelter your loved ones, grab your Maneuver Gears, and meet me back in the town square. We need to prepare for war once again.”

The ponies nodded as they now stood impatiently as they awaited the fated arrival of the train at the Ponyville station, Twilight looking the most impatient of all.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunset dropped a massive roll of parchment on the floor of the rotunda, kicking it down and unraveling it to reveal an enlarged, colorless, but well-defined map of Equestria. Chrysalis, Tirek, and the others all peered over it as they studied the towns and other landmarks upon it.

“Alright,” Chrysalis began, “we will need to divide ourselves up. Sunset Shimmer has reported that the princesses, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, the rulers of the Crystal Empire, and the humans are all taking the train to Ponyville.”

“Then why are we not attacking Ponyville?” warbled Queen Bumble. “If we all stand together, they won’t stand a chance!”

“I wouldn’t advise that,” Sunset Shimmer retorted. “As of right now, our main objective should be to keep as much of Equestria in our control as possible. Charging straight at Ponyville, we’ll could very well be setting ourselves up for an impasse, and if the word has gone out to the towns and cities north, east, and west of here, they will flank us from both sides.”

“So what do we do then?” asked Lavan.

“Simple, we will organize teams to conquer those cities and keep the populace repressed.”

“And who would you have in mind?” wondered Bray.

“Here’s what I was planning,” Chrysalis stepped in. “Squirk, Porcina, Lavan, the eastern cities are the biggest in Equestria next to Canterlot. Take the city of Manehattan and monitor the bridge. It’s the only way you can access the city by land.”

“Will there be plenty of water?” rasped Squirk.

“It’s a seaport city,” Sunset Shimmer sneered, tapping on the city and name on the map with her foot. “Of course.”

Squirk beamed brightly.

“Arabus, Bumble, Rep,” Chrysalis resumed, “in the west is the pegasus dominated skyward city of Cloudsdale. I trust you will be more than capable of taking it.”

“Of course, Miss Chrysalis,” Arabus responded with a serious salute.

“Should be easy with him around,” cooed Queen Bumble.

“Tirek, Catrina, Grogar, Bray,” said Chrysalis, “you will stay and patrol Canterlot.”

“Understood,” Tirek and Grogar both said in tandem.

“Hey!” shouted Charlatan. “What about me?”

“Rest assured,” Chrysalis chuckled. “I’m trusting you to take the Crystal Empire alone.”

“Alone?!” the penguin squawked. “The Crystal Empire? Me?”

“You see, the Equestrian railways do not pass far enough around any of the major cities that we will be sieging, thus if they try and head to the Crystal Empire, they will be forced to run into the groups stationed at Cloudsdale, who has a nice aerial view from what I’ve heard, Manehattan, and Canterlot. And without Shining Armor or Cadance there to save them, the city will be ripe for the taking. However, you won’t be leaving quite yet… not without backup.”

“And who would that be?” wondered Rep wondered.

Chrysalis lightly flicked her head forwards, and the others turned to see Annie still resting on the floor calmly.

“How much longer do you think she has?” Chrysalis asked Catrina.

“A couple hours,” she answered.

“Perfect.”

“And then that leaves you, Sunset Shimmer, and your changelings with Ponyville,” surmised Tirek. “Will it be enough, even with the strength of the ponies and humans who are now headed there?”

“It hardly even matters,” Sunset Shimmer brushed off. “As long as we keep them in Ponyville, there will be no real opposition standing in your way.”

“Besides,” Chrysalis said with an oddly suggestive tone, “I wouldn’t mind lending my new friends a small changeling army to assist them.”

“Ha,” Princess Porcina giggled with excitement, “then we’re set?”

“Soon enough. Tirek, while we’re gone, make use our new slaves that we were able to kidnap. We should shape our Empire while it can still be molded.”

“Of course,” he replied deviously.

“Then let’s go!” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed. “Let’s strike while the iron’s hot!”

The room erupted in cheers as the creatures and beings were all prepped for their glory. Sunset Shimmer and Chrysalis glanced to each other and smiled, the fruits of their labor blooming beautifully before them.
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Tirek burst into the stained glass chamber with Catrina and Grogar following them. The dozens of ponies inside screamed and whimpered as they laid sight on the creatures before them. Tirek looked to see as hardened green gel coated the unicorns’ horns and the pegasi’s wings while all hooves were pasted to the floor. With their situation utterly helpless, he let out a small, toothy smile.
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Sunset Shimmer ran to the western end of Canterlot, her cleaned 3D Maneuver Gear harnessed to her body. At the city’s edge was a long wooden dock that extended over the steep ravine, and tethered to the dock on both sides were two large, wooden ships painted purple with large, yellow flaps attached to the sides like wings with one in the back like a rudder, both of them supported by a large, purple balloons painted like whales.

Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help but stop to look at their majesty, even with the large number changelings perched on and flying about them. Chrysalis appeared on the port side of the right ship looking right at her.

“The ship on the left is yours!” she cried. “You know how to fly one!”

“My father actually piloted one once,” called Sunset Shimmer as she stepped onto the dock. “It shouldn’t be hard.”

“Good then. Let’s hurry to Ponyville… while spirits are still low.”

With a charge of her horn, the rope holding the dirigible to the dock was lifted off in a green aura, freeing the ship and allowing it to float up and away. Sunset Shimmer, grinning incessantly, flew to the mast on her Maneuver Gear and hopped to the quarter deck where the wheel was. The changelings on the ship turned to her while many others stopped and looked to her as they fluttered in the air.

“Stay on the ship,” she called to them. “Something tells me you’ll need all the energy you can muster…”

Sunset Shimmer threw the wheel to spin to the left, the rope still tethering the ship to the dock tugging it until the dock broke away. With the ship freed, Sunset Shimmer’s ship flew up right behind Chrysalis’s, heading south.