In the early hours after the initial thermo magical bombardment, the pegasi Senators and their commanders gathered en masse aboard their floating cities. Scouts reported that more missiles were incoming, and a flight of Caribou bombers. Terrified of further devastation, and without orders from their disappeared triarchs, the Pegasi cities of Los Pegasus and Cloudsdale rose higher into the sky than ever before, beyond the reach of Caribou planes. But not out of reach of other pegasi. Or alicorns.

Twilight Sparkle frowned as she looked the twin cities over from her cloud perch, head tilted. In the past twenty years, the cities had grown exponentially, with several dozen new neighborhoods and factories. Farms had been started on cloud banks, and the genius of the idea made a small smile glimmer over the princess. Just for a moment, though. There was still much to do.
“Glad Cloudsdale managed to make it out okay,” Rainbow Dash whispered, rubbing her eyes shakily.
Twilight had left the rest of the girls in Canterlot and Ponyville, to make sure the two strongholds of the Empire were managed and brought back on track. Ponyville’s farms were being plowed once again, with Earth Pony magic (and alot of plows) scattering the ash and magic as best they could. It would take time, but Applejack was determined, and she had a great deal of workers now. If they worked quickly enough, the living ponies they had among them would have an edible harvest the following season. Rarity had taken governorship of Canterlot, and used her organization skills to set up a massive new industry base out of the old merchant and factory districts.

While Canterlot, pre-war, had been the cultural and economic bastion of Equestria, when war with the Caribou had broken out, Luna had worked diligently to form a industrial base to rival that of Manehatten. Blast furnaces had churned out the needed steel for Equestrian skyships and the new tanks, while gun factories had mass produced the needed parts for the numerous firearms invented by Celestia’s inventors and universities. And luckily enough for Twilight and the Empire, the Caribou had only stripped what was useful at the time: wrought steel and iron, and gun parts. They hadn’t the forethought to wreck the machinery and infrastructure. Given time, Equestria would soon be able to re-arm her citizens in a proper fashion.

Not that Twilight was adverse to the old-style swords and armor her undead ponies wore to battle. Indeed, the weapons had worked wonders against the Caribou they had fought. But they did not need to fear death from gunshot- the only wound her ponies needed to fear were cannon shot, or magical weapons. The few living ponies were a finite resource, and one that had to be husbanded carefully. They could not be wasted in mass charges against Ferse-hoof positions. No, they needed firearms, and armor, and tanks…
Twilight stretched down a wing to gently hug Rainbow to her side, “I’m glad they did too, Rainbow. Let’s just hope they’ll listen to reason.”

“That may be wishful thinking, unfortunately, Empress,” a gravelly voice replied.

Spitfire, a neat little red dot glowing on her forehead, landed beside Rainbow with a soft grunt, the other members of the Wonderbolts landing behind her. Their fate still bothered Twilight, greatly. A victim of infiltrators, the Wonderbolts had been assassinated in their barracks, each shot in the forehead with magically silenced, stolen Equestrian weapons. The Caribou High Command had known that they were a threat to their missiles, most likely. But it was still no way for such brave ponies to go out.

Rainbow bit her lip, leaning lightly against Spitfire, “Easy now…”

The fiery mare, dressed in her dress uniform, chuckled faintly, waving Rainbow off half-heartedly.

“I’m alright, kid. Just still getting used to flying again. My muscles are stiff.”

“They heal in time, Captain,” Twilight told her warmly, finally smiling again, “You’ll be back to breaking records in no time.”

Spitfire grinned up at her, tail flicking against Rainbow’s side; Twilight did her best to keep up her regal poise, despite Rainbow’s shy eep. It was… tough. But a welcome change. Today was likely not to be fun.
**********************

“You’ve done WHAT?!”

The Grand Pegasus Senate room was a large, circular auditorium, built in one of Cloudsdale’s taller skyscrapers. Lit with sunstones and refracted twilight, it gave the room a harsh glare that forced most of Twilight’s ponies to wince and narrow their eyes just to see. Twilight, however, merely cast a small shading spell over her eyes, and spread it out over her ponies. She had to remain stoic and firm. The senators were elder ponies, many of them first-hoof survivors of the devastation. Chancellor Skywind had been a Senator for Cloudsdale during that time, if Twilight remembered correctly. An ancient pony then, he looked positively skeletal now, with grey fur drawn taut over his frame, with a receding black mane. His grey eyes were positively aflame now, his outrage clear.

“I am abolishing the Senate,” Twilight explained once more, “And re-establishing the aristocracy. For this purpose, the Duchy of-”

“Absolutely NOT!”

That yell came from a younger, blonde pegasus to Skywind’s right; she was dressed in the robes of a merchant, and her white wings were flared in her vehemence.

“We worked for generations to put down that corrupt system!” she spat down at an impassively staring Twilight, “And now you want to put it back? What, are you trying to kill what’s left of Equestria? I thought better of you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“EMPRESS Twilight Sparkle!” Rainbow Dash roared back, stamping a hoof firmly on the marble floor, “Show some respect!”

“Why you-”

“Enough,” A smaller, roan red pegasus stallion three seats to the blonde Senator’s right snapped, holding up a hoof, “Why don’t we ask the Empress why she thinks this is necessary before we start insulting, hrm?”

“Thank you…”

“Senator Tallhoof, my lady.”

Twilight nodded, sighing softly before looking around at the gathered Senators. Many looked stunned just to see Twilight, alive and well, and certainly not at the head of a small flight of undead pegasi. Others looked suspicious, or outright hostile. They knew some of what she had done- they had to, considering the number of former dead ponies with her. Twilight softly cleared her throat.

“Equestria is dead, mares and gentlecolts. Our republic was the reward for generations of hard work. Hard work, and lives. Believe me when I say I do not cast it aside lightly. But we cannot bring it back like I have our citizens. The Equestrian Republic cannot survive in this new, and changed world.”

The blonde mare snorted derisively, “Then lead your Empire. On the ground. What do we have to do with it?”

“Don’t be a foal, High Flier,” Tallhoof snapped, “Pegasi are Equestrians. We will always be Equestrians. Isn’t this what we’ve waited for?”

“We waited for the return of Celestia and Luna!” Skywind replied hotly, “So that we could rebuild our home like it used to be. We did not wait for some upstart Princess who wants power for herself! Young filly, you should be ashamed of… urk… of…”

Twilight glared up at the elder pegasus, violet eyes gleaming as she watched his life force flutter, “Careful, Skywind. Don’t get too excited, or I’ll have to raise you too.”

With a sweep of her wings, Twilight glared around at the Senate floor, patience ebbing quickly, “You left Equestria to survive. I’m glad you did. I did not wish for any of this to happen… but it has, and we have to deal with it now. Cloudsdale holds the Weather Factory. Without it, the rest of the survivors will starve to death. We need the weather back under our control. We need the Pegasi armies to fight again. We need the Sky Navy.”

Spitfire slowly stepped forward, glancing questioningly at Twilight till the Empress gave an affirmative nod.

“Mares and gentlecolts. You know me as Captain Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts squadron. You may also know that I died, during the devastation.”

Scowling, the red-eyed mare glared down at the ground for several long moments.

“I was murdered, with my teammates, in my bed. And you know what I want? Vengeance. I want revenge for Equestria. I want it for all the ponies those… monsters tore apart.”

She scowled up at the gathered ponies suddenly; a few jumped back at the intensity of her gaze.

“Now, look at yourselves! You call yourselves pegasi? You’re hiding! Hiding up in the sky and praying that the mean ol’ Caribou don’t come up here and finish the job. What happened to our spines? Our wings?”

Hoof shaking, Spitfire jabbed a wing towards Rainbow Dash; it had been her idea to dress the younger mare in the armored barding and T-slit helm, and Twilight gave a warm smile as her idea became clear.

“What would our ancestors say to this? We were warriors! Knights! When the Cloud Nation became part of Equestria, we swore an oath to serve and follow the Princesses. Is this any different now? Put it to a vote if you have to. Ask the other pegasi, see what they think. But if my people are anything like I remember, I’m pretty damn sure I know their response.”

Silence reigned in the Senate chambers, and the Senators gazed back and forth at each. Finally, a recovered Skywind slammed his hoof onto the gavel plate, glaring palely down at the gathered party.

“Very well. Guards! Gather the citizenry. We shall put it to a broad vote.”
********************

Applejack let out a shaky breath as she led the plow teams, digging her hooves into the soft dirt as she marched forward. They had been over the field twice already, and each time she could feel a little more life returning to the blasted landscape. Glancing around, the farmpony let herself smile a bit. Her fellow farmhands looked just as relaxed and happy as she did, whispering to each other as they looked the dirt over. With enough Earth Pony know-how, they could get it plantable again. She could only hope Twilight’s mission succeeded. Without-

Thunder rolled above them. Every plow team froze on the spot, gazes slowly travelling up. Clouds. Hundreds of clouds, many of them thick and dark with rain, were floating down slowly like little cotton balls. Lightning snapped, with more thunder right on its heels; No… not rain clouds…

“Woooowhee!” Applejack whooped, “Twilight did it!”

The skyscape of Cloudsdale came into view beyond the clouds, a rainbow of ponies zooming down from its heights towards the ground below. Two Cloud Cruisers, massive skyships made of solidified clouds and treated steel, followed closely after, their lightning drives rumbling and roaring. And at the head of the lead cruiser, a purple figure stood triumphant, head raised to the tamed sky above.

Author's Notes:

Go pegasi!