Unknown area, Burmare. March 12th. Year 20 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2050 human calendar).

True Path stood on a rocky promontory that lay over the jungle paths her armies were marching through.

Her scouts had discovered the trail that led up to it and reported it to her due to the possibility it may have allowed an enemy force to stage an ambush. After they found it simply led up to the rock that she now stood upon they had disregarded it.

She, however, had wanted to visit it. She knew she wasn’t supposed to act in this manner but she couldn’t deny herself the minor pleasure of standing over her troops and watching as they filed by.

Standing over her army True Path swelled with pride. Here was the might of the proletariat, the Ponies Liberation Army, righteous iron fist of the workers and the oppressed, marching forth to topple the tyranny and anarchy around them. She continued to stand over her forces, watching as the serried ranks of Ponies Guard marched past her. The thin path had forced the massive army to thin its ranks and spread itself out which meant the column now snaked back through the mountain path for many miles. A few of the marching ponies stole glances in her direction but immediately averted their gaze when they noticed she was watching them.

True Path stood on her impromptu plinth for another minute before turning around. She looked back at her guard detail. Most of them had the same unthinking expression but there were a few who had dropped the mask of stoicism and showed mild concern, whether for her safety or her ideological integrity, she didn’t know.

“We’re heading back to the column,” True Path declared with authority. She pushed past her guards and headed back to the path they had taken to the rock.

The trip back to the main column was as uneventful as the journey to the impromptu plinth she had just left. Her guards did as they were supposed to and remained silent, stoic and vigilant. True Path knew she shouldn’t be concerned but she often felt their eyes boring into her and the weight of their constant glares terrified her in a way she couldn’t really describe.

It didn’t take that long for her to make it back to the long line of marching ponies. Citizen’s Guard, the mainstay of the glorious Ponies Liberation Army steadily tramped past her, their dull grey uniforms hidden under the sparse leather padding and scale mail armour that protected them. Sturdy spears were strapped to their sides, angled upwards in parade position in order to prevent injury. Others carried banners depicting the plain red flag adorned with a black hammer and lightning bolt that was the Ponies State flag.

True Path watched the waving spearheads that bobbed and swayed like grass in the wind. She had grown up around such sights, and even to this day she found the sight of the Ponies State’s war-machine eerily fascinating. The stoicism, the discipline and the zeal that everypony in uniform possessed was something she thought should be both admired and emulated.

A few steps behind the ranked ponies came an enormous contraption. It was vaguely shaped like a pony but made largely out of metal. Gears and gyros whirred and clicked as they ground together with every movement the immense beast made. At the centre of the mechanical monstrosity was a series of iron pads and bands, overlapping the machinery that held the iron beast together. Inside the sphere of metal, visible through the slits purposefully left between the metal sheets, was part of a pony. It’s limbs had been removed, its hair had been shaved off all over its body and various pipes and tubes fed into every orifice but the poor soul’s eyes. What’s more great ports had been carved into its body, ports that, whilst covered by metal and thick glass, revealed the pony’s heavily altered internal organs to the world.

This was a Workhorse, one of the miraculous creations of the Ponies State and a fitting punishment for minor dissidents.

True Path stared into the glassy, unresponsive eyes of the Helping Horse as it slowly thundered down the jungle path. She knew and supported the measures that went into creating such a wretched beast but, all the same, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of revulsion at the sight of the abomination at the heart of the mighty working engine.

Barely a few paces behind the Workhorse came the various forms of Enhanced Enforcers, a veritable parade of freaks and monsters, ponies who had given their bodies to the state in a way that no ordinary pony could. The alchemical concoctions that had given the formerly simple ponies mastery over immense powers were barely being contained by their heavily altered bodies.

The Firestarters, proud symbols of the revolution, those who bathed the icons of oppression in righteous flame, seemed to be on the verge of exploding. The massive, fully-enclosing iron boilers suits they wore were constantly venting steam and flame and no few times they had been forced to stop to set a part of the jungle alight in order to burn off excess heat.

A unit of such ponies clanked past her, their footfalls loud even amongst the cacophony of the moving army.

“Comrade,” a voice began behind her. True Path turned around to see one of her guards was addressing her.

“Yes,” she absently replied, still eyeing the procession of Enhanced Enforcers climbing the rise behind them.

“Not that I would presume to give you orders over your own self Comrade but we really must rejoin the column. The officers would surely be expecting new orders soon.” The guard finished his suggestion with a slightly sheepish expression as he awkwardly phrased his request to her.

True Path mulled over his words before nodding slightly.

“Very well Comrade. Come we should be able to reach the head of the column with ease.” With that she turned and marched along the edge of the marching army, skirting their formations as she made her way to the front, her guards warily following behind her.

***

Colton, Ponland. March 13th. Year 20 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2050 human calendar)

Royal Duty winced as his long set but only recently healed bones ground together on his side. As a member of the prince’s entourage he had been declared a priority recipient of medical attention. By this point his bones merely ached slightly and his head no longer felt light and dizzy.

The column had sustained serious losses, not only due to the Anthropony ambush but also the aftermath where several ponies had been triaged due to untreatable wounds. Whatsmore the loss of their scouts, presumably to the Anthroponies, had left what remained of the column especially vulnerable. This meant any available ponies that had military experience and were not immediately needed to service the column had been drafted for scouting duty. Royal Duty had soon found himself on that very list of available ponies.

Of course he hadn’t been posted to any sensitive reconnaissance missions as he had absolutely no experience in serious scouting or stealth. However he and his small unit of Midnight Guard had found themselves passing by an Imperial settlement whilst doing their rounds.

Now he was on the ground, belly scraping the forest floor as he and his comrades peered over the edge of a rise and into the clearing where the settlement was nestled.

He didn’t know its name but it was a sizable town, surrounded by a sturdy wooden palisade with several towers. The houses were all built in the usual rural Equestrian style but whoever had organised the town’s construction had the foresight to build it so that all of the town’s buildings rose in height as they approached the town centre. This was a perfect layout to provide safe firing positions for Unicorns and other ranged defenders.

Of course the town was less interesting than what was marching into it.

Royal Duty and his scouting party had spotted the Royal Guard force approaching the town about ten minutes after they had reached their current position. They had stayed to ascertain the enemy’s numbers and whether they would be a threat to the column.

It was a little difficult to guess the number of ponies from so far away but Twirlie, a young Earth Pony mare with surprisingly good eyesight had reported close to three hundred Guardsponies so far. What’s more they had a couple of Magecannon crews and even a battery of Arcguns. Royal Duty had swallowed audibly at the thought of the immense magic cannon batteries that had become infamous for their varieties of alchemically charged shots and ability to devastate nearly any foe with a single volley. If the Royal Guard were deploying those kinds of weapons here then that meant they were planning something serious.

“We’ve got something else coming,” Twirlie whispered from Royal Duty’s left.

“What?” Royal Duty hissed back.

“Y’see the back of that column there?” Twirlie pointed to where another regiment of Guardsponies were exiting the thick woods.

“Yeah,” Royal Duty replied.

“Something’s disturbing the trees behind them,” Twirlie whispered.

Sure enough the trees the column was marching out of were shaking, dislodging birds and setting them to flight.

“Whatever it is,” she continued, “it’s big.”

The group continued to watch in silence, seeing several hundred more Guardsponies march out of the trees and into the town, the disturbance behind them creeping closer as they arrived. Finally the trees parted, forced outwards as the massive object that had been following the Guards was revealed.

“Well buck me,” Twirlie whispered to herself.

It was an immense tower. It hovered just above the ground, propelled by glowing runes carved into the base of the structure. the tower was covered in alcoves, small shrines and galleries, balconies ran along the sides, spiralling up to the crown of the tower. Engravings of Solamina were everywhere as were facial busts, and small statues, all of them depicting her as a regal figure of judgment and power. At the top was a much larger statue of her seating in repose, a cold expression on the statue’s face. The wings were folded but the magical aura surrounding it made it imposing and intimidating enough, being attached to the massive hovering edifice enhanced that.

Several ponies were climbing up and down it whilst an armoured Unicorn dressed in the red and gold livery of the Solaminan Church sat in a central balcony at the ‘front’ of the tower directed it with his magic. A great cheer broke out in the town as the local ponies witnessed the arrival of the tower.

“A Solar Altar,” Royal Duty said to himself, running his hoof over his forehead in distress. The mere mention of such a weapon usually gave members of the Rebellion pause, seeing it was enough to almost make him give up. The power of the Altars affected those who saw it. The devout found their wounds healed and their resolve strengthened whilst its enemies were struck with fear and doubt.

“If the Church is sending those things out then we’re really in for it,” another pony in the group said.

“Come on,” Royal Duty said, “we’ve seen enough. We need to report this. This town is off limits no matter what happens. I don’t care if we have to trek south for miles to get around it we’re not getting an inch closer than we already are.”

“Yes sir,” the rest of the group replied and they all picked themselves up and turned their backs on the settlement.

***

Unknown area, Germareny. March 13th. Year 20 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2050 human calendar).

Magnus took several deep, practiced breaths as he sat in the clearing he had arranged to meet the rest of his cohorts in.

It had taken several days for the messages to be sent out and received and every second wasted had made him restless. Of course there was little he could do about it. Every one of his agents and close confidants had been spread throughout the prince’s domain and gathering them together again was a chore that had to be done.

“You’re early,” he suddenly said.

A light chuckle entered the clearing from behind him.

“You know,” a voice followed shortly afterwards, “you really have to tell me how you do that.”

A charcoal black Pegasus with a dark green mane and tail stepped from behind Magnus. He was wearing black filigreed armour decorated with the purple trimming and batwing motifs of the Midnight Guard. His helmet was strapped to the left side of his barding and there was a sword strapped to the right.

“I don’t think you would be capable of figuring it out even if I told you,” Magnus replied with a straight face.

“Ouch,” the Pegasus said in response, a smirk on his face.

“You’re the first,” Magnus stated. “Nice of you to join me so soon Hot Shot.”

Hot Shot’s smirk grew and he pulled his head back, striking a mocking version of a regal pose.

“Oh I merely aim to please,” he said, placing a hoof on his barrel.

“And I am pleased with your punctuality,” Magnus replied before returning to a look of contemplation.

Hot Shot deflated slightly as he realised he wasn’t going to get much of a conversation out of his comrade this time. Seating himself on a rock a few metres away from Magnus he prepared for a session of contemplative self-reflection and boredom. It was a shame really, once Magnus got going he could be a delight to be with, morbid, but a delight for those who shared his predilections.

The two sat in silence, Magnus staring into the distance whilst Hot Shot played with his hooves to entertain himself.

“Someone else is approaching,” Magnus suddenly stated, stirring from his silent state.

Hot Shot wasn’t surprised by what Magnus said, having known his uncanny ability to know when people were coming to him, at least when he wanted them to. He was much more surprised at the fact that Magnus had actually spoken.

What also surprised him was the black-clad Earth Pony mare that had suddenly materialised in the clearing with them. Hot Shot gave a cry of shock and dismay at the figure who had just materialised - right next to him no less - and fell off of the rock he had just been seated on.

“Nice of you to join us Black Shroud,” Magnus greeted the mare, blinking in surprise despite himself. Even when he knew she would be arriving she had managed to sneak up on him.

Black Shroud, an Earth Pony with a grey coat and ashen mane, all wrapped in several tight fitting layers of dark cloth and specially made fibre, nodded in return.

“A pleasure,” she said in a deceptively demure tone before gracefully sitting down on the rock Hot Shot had just vacated and taking out a hidden knife to inspect.

The group once again returned to silence, Magnus staring into the opposite end of the clearing, Black Shroud contemplating one of her secreted weapons and Hot Shot glancing back and forth for any possibility of a conversation.

“Ah, for Luna’s sake I’m gonna go crazy if I have to sit here any longer!” Hot Shot shouted, flinging his forelegs into the air in frustration.

“It’s only been five minutes since Black Shroud joined us,” Magnus said, taking his eyes off of the tree mould he had been trying to bore a hole into with his stare. “Besides, Commander Doo has yet to arrive.”

“Dinky’s coming?” Hot Shot asked, mildly surprised, “I didn’t think she’d ever want to leave the front.”

“She didn’t,”Magnus stated, “but the prince authorised me to requisition whatever and whomever I needed and she was first on my list of required personnel.”

“I can’t imagine she’d be happy with that,” Black Shroud quietly said, almost startling Hot Shot. She had remained quiet since she had arrived and the sound of her voice still unsettled the Pegasus somewhat.

“No she wouldn’t,” Magnus agreed, a barely noticeable smile on his face.

The group returned to their silence once again, none of the ponies in the clearing really looking at one another anymore.

Once again Magnus raised his head and took his eyes away from the opposite end of the clearing. Looking at the other ponies with him he stated, “She’s here.”

A second later a Unicorn mare entered the clearing. She had a dim purple coat and a blonde mane and tail. She wore Midnight Guard armour, decorated with the insignia of the officer elite. What was most striking about her, however, was the massive jagged scar that ran down the left half of her face. Her left eye was gone, ruptured by whatever strike had given her the scar, and was covered by a ragged eyepatch.

She nodded at the ponies in the clearing when she realised they had noticed her.

“Commander Dinky,” Hot Shot exclaimed excitedly, “you’ve finally made it. How’ya doing?”

The glum Unicorn mare gave a small smile in response. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Ah, Commander,” Magnus said, turning to face Dinky, “I’m so glad you could join us. It appears you are the last of us to arrive. With you here we can finally begin our work.”

He stood up and waved his hoof in the direction of another path that lay on the other end of the clearing.

“Now I have gathered all of you here for a special mission, ordered by his highness himself,” Magnus addressed the other ponies, speaking with a dour seriousness.

“Understood, sir,” every other pony in the clearing responded. An air of professionalism descended on the group, stern expressions growing on their faces.

“Very good,” Magnus replied to them, looking them in their faces, “I will inform you of the details of our mission when we return to Castle Midnight.”

With that he set off down the other path.

“Yes sir,” the others said. They in turn followed after the dark Unicorn, ready to engage in whatever activities the Rebellion would now require of them.

***

Canterlot. March 13th. Year 20 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2050 human calendar)

The Canterlot Basilica was one of the most imposing and glorious sights in the Empire. Unlike the city proper which was primarily based on the Canterhorn Plateau, the Basilica clung to the mountain’s side, the foundation built deep into the rock. Like Canterlot itself the Basilica was built of pure white marble and capped by beautifully crafted golden and purple roofs and domes. The massive structure was connected to the capital by a mile long road that curved around the mountain and attached itself to the equally massive city.

Even though she had seen the complex before and even had a hoof in building it, Twilight couldn’t deny that she found the sight of the Basilica’s huge domed chambers and high towers impressive.

Walking along the ramp she admired the many statues of sanctified ponies who had performed some great task for Solamina and had thus been immortalised in stone. They were all placed at regular intervals, often to help serve as a decorative support for the lamps that lined the road.

She had almost paused at the beginning of the ramp when she saw the massive stone form of Shining Armor standing proudly over the gate. The simple sight of a carved image of his face brought back memories and reminded her of how much she had lost in the last few years. Behind him were other heroes of the Empire, some living, but mostly dead. Trying to maintain a passive expression, Twilight studied each one of them as she passed by, wondering if she would become one of these statues when she finally died.

There were hundreds of other ponies walking beside her. Aside from her own Archmagi detail there were also Church agents and countless pilgrims walking back and forth, some going into the Basilica, some coming out of it.

Finally she reached the end of the several mile long ramp and turned her attention back to the building in front of her.

A brigade of False Alicorns stood at the central gate. The regal ponies were dressed in filigreed golden armour decorated with the sun symbol of the Empire and litanies of the faith. They all bore the kind of stoic expressionless look that the Royal Guard were trained to wear and regarded Twilight and her entourage with practised indifference.

Twilight walked past them, never once looking their way. In the early days of the False God Project she had personally overseen every single conversion that had transformed brave pony volunteers into the resplendent beings that now served as the shock troops of the Empire. Now, however, the process was conducted by more specialised personnel, allowing her to return to her studies.

Of course many of the other visitors were not so indifferent. Countless ponies stood to ogle the beatific creatures that stood before them, marvelling at their poise and stoicism. They were Solamina’s adopted children and to be in their presence was to be that little bit closer to Her.

The inside of the Basilica was no less impressive or extravagant than it’s opulent exterior. Deep red painted walls rose to the beautifully carved vaulted ceilings. frescos and murals depicting Solamina and her countless great and historic acts as Empress were everywhere as were statues of the Empress and her sanctified followers.

Twilight forced her way through the crowds of pilgrims, the other ponies moving out of her way the moment they recognised her. This made the harrowing journey through the maze-like complex much quicker and easier. Through it all Twilight kept a look of quiet professionalism, politely acknowledging the other ponies but not truly engaging or recognizing them.

Her journey through the Basilica was a long and trying one as she wandered through countless passages, every square inch of the structure idolizing Solamina in some fashion. Red and gold was everywhere as if the Church were trying to monopolise the two colours for their own purposes. It almost appeared tasteless and the ostentatiousness of the Church put off the somewhat more practical mare.

Finally she came to a great chamber. The room was a quarter of a mile in diameter and dominated by a golden statue of Solamina that wouldn’t have looked out of place on an Imperial Super-Zeppelin. Around it were circular rows of pews that rose up from the center of the room in tiers until they reached the elevated wings. At each seat was a robed pony, official supplicants sending pure prayers to their goddess.

Twilight’s eyes swept the room as she sought out one specific pony from amongst the crowd.

Not that far in front of her, standing in the lowest row of pews, right in front of the statue of Solamina, was a brown Pegasus with a dirty green mane and tail. He was large for his kind, forgoing the lean muscular builds that were more common amongst Pegasi for a bulkier muscle mass that was more likely to be found in the Earth Pony population. His body was covered by an ornate saddle of red and gold that had a red caparison attached under it. Since blessed Sol Invictus’ death this pony had been the Supreme Patriarch of the Solaminan Church, a position of supreme importance that only the most pious and responsible of ponies were permitted to fill.

Twilight walked down the avenue between the pews until she was right behind the pony. “

"Father Eagle Eye,” she said in amiable tone, “I’d like to have a word with you. If it’s not too much trouble right now?”

Twilight might have had mixed feelings about the Church, but she knew she needed to be polite if she wanted to keep the conversation civil.

“Ah, Commander Sparkle,” the Pegasus, Eagle Eye, said as he turned to look at her, “what can I do for you on this blessed day our Empress has provided for us?”

“It is, admittedly, a rather difficult issue," Twilight said as she pulled the proclamation Solamina had given her out of her own robes. “Due to the escalation of conflict in the colonies, Her majesty has expanded the Empire’s military mobilisation. In order to support our war effort she has commanded that the Church deploy the entirety of its own armed forces in cooperation with the Royal Guard.”

Finishing her own practiced proclamation, she handed the scroll to the priest.

Eagle Eye took the scroll in his hoof and opened it, spending several awkward minutes reading the words intently.

“Well everything does appear to be in order," he replied, looking Twilight in the eye. “Thank you, my child. We shall begin preparing our warriors immediately. The enemies of Her majesty and blessed ponykind shall feel the wrath of the faithful.”

He turned away from her and looked over the rest of the chamber. Twilight was, admittedly, surprised that it had been so simple.

“BROTHERS AND SISTERS!” He shouted, his voice echoing throughout the entire room. “HER MAJESTY HAS GIVEN US A MISSION! WE ARE TO MUSTER THE FAITHFUL, TAKE UP OUR WEAPONS AND BRING HER HOLY FIRE TO THE HERETIC AND THE MUTANT!”

In an instant concerned mutterings and shouted proclamations replaced the prayers as ponies scrambled back and forth to carry the news throughout the Basilica.

“Thank you Father,” Twilight said as Eagle Eye turned to regard her once again. “I will be your liaison with the Guard. I will expect regular reports from you and your forces so that I can coordinate them with the Guard’s forces.”

“Very well Commander,” Eagle Eye said, his stance now much straighter, mimicking the Guards stoic poise.

“Excellent,” Twilight replied, happy that everything had gone so smoothly, “thank you again.”

With that she turned around, signaling her Archmagi to follow her as she left the chamber. The Church’s armies would definitely provide the Empire with an edge, she could only hope that they had learned to be more organised and effective than their predecessors, the Equestrian Militia. Now all she had to do was wait for their logistic reports and she could really start organising the war effort.

***

Filleapolis. New Equestria. March 14th. Year 20 of the New Solaminan Calendar (2050 human calendar)

Penelope Hatfield scowled as she looked down at the pony city of Filleapolis. Ever since her lord Discord had announced that they were going to war properly she had been teleported back and forth around the world so that she could observe the war effort. Of course, while the prospect of leading her Anthroponies in battle and actually making a difference was exhilarating, the reality had been a far more harrowing experience. She hadn’t needed to fight in every engagement she witnessed but that wasn’t the problem. It was that fact that she hadn’t been able to stay in one place for anything more than a few hours. Was settling down to sleep for a day or two too much to ask?

Of course none of that mattered now. She was in New Equestria, the former United States of America and one of the more populous Solaminan colonies. Apparently the North American continent, or Amareica as the ponies now insisted on calling it, reminded them of their home country.

A mile in front of her was the vast city of Filleapolis, a thriving and successful settlement, and it was surrounded by thousands of Anthroponies.

A horde of thousands of malformed monsters crowded around the city walls, swinging weapons and limbs, baying for pony blood and screaming in a dozen different languages from around the old, human, world. Dozens of drums were being beaten by insanely enthusiastic Anthroponies who set an energetic beat that riled every creature around them into a frenzy. Ladders had been set up against the walls and those Anthroponies with working limbs were clambering up them. Unicorn spellfire and wall-mounted artillery were shot into the horde, downing Anthroponies with every shot, so massive was the host. Foul, shrieking Harpies and Terra Devils, foul winged monsters, composed of a variety of humanoid and equine body parts, flocked the skies above the city, battling with the Pegasi of the Solaminan Empire.

A swarm of horrifically malformed Twisted, creatures that had been horrible broken and warped by the spells that had changed them into what they were, clustered around a charging Hefter. The massive abomination held a tree trunk in its disproportionately large and ape-like arms, swinging it like a club. The Hefter came up to the reinforced gate and swung the club at it. The wood creaked but failed to buckle. Enraged by the structure’s defiance, the Hefter roared and hammered its club on the door again, this time earning a few cracks in the enchanted wood.

Ponies manning the gate rained magical shots down on the huge beast. The Hefter’s hair and fur ignited as magical flames lit its body on fire. The huge monster roared in pain, dropping its club and ran from the gate in a panic. The Twisted tried to scatter but the press of the rest of the army and their own malformed and vestigial limbs slowed them down. Dozens were crushed or mauled by the Hefter as it rampaged through its former comrades until it finally collapsed from shock and slowly expired.

“Well,” Discord said as he hovered just behind her, his voice somewhat flippant in tone, “looks like that didn’t go so well.”

Penelope shot him another glare, her bat-like wings extending in rage. Discord raised an eyebrow at her display.

“You gonna have a crack it?” he asked, obviously goading her into battle. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t help.”

“Do you think so?” Penelope replied with a sneer, her tone forcibly level.

“Yeah.” Discord said, nudging her pinions with his tail. “Go ahead. Show them what you’ve got.”

Penelope stepped forward, revealing herself to the army. To the twisted, degraded monstrosities that made up her army she was the closest to human. Her body had barely any equine features, with the exception of her elongated, horse-like ears and every one of her limbs was not only identical but properly proportioned. However her features were still off. Her limbs and fingers were too slender and long and her eyes were too large. What’s more her skin still possessed the pinkish tint that she had possessed as a pony.

Whatever spell she had chosen to reverse the ponification had done further changes to her as well. While she had returned to a human form her Unicorn horn had remained jutting from her forehead whilst massive, bat wings had burst out of her back. The entire change had filled her with unfathomable power, making her stronger than any of her kind. However none of this had been able to fix the eternally painful gnawing sensation inside of her very being. To any other creature who saw her, she would have looked like some terrifying demonic monster.

However when the Anthropony horde turned to look at her they cheered and roared in celebration.

A grimace of anger and disgust spread over Penelope’s face as she locked eyes on the gateway. Opening her mouth impossibly wide she let out an inhuman screech and leapt into the air, beating her wings so that she shot high over the rear lines of the army.

Leaping high over the Anthroponies she landed directly in the middle of the host and took off running at the gate. Terrified beasts ducked out of her way as she unrelentingly sprinted for the offending obstacle before her.

The ponies manning the gateway panicked when they finally saw her coming and redirected their fire at her. Magical shots were sent in her direction in hail of magical missiles. Most of them missed but several struck her body. However instead of doing damage they simply slid off of her body, the magical energy steaming into nothing as if the heat of her anger was evaporating it.

Screeching again, Penelope channeled energy into her arms. Her horn lit up as magical power was funneled out of it and down over her arms until it pooled into her hands. By the time she was barely a few metres from the door her hands were glowing with red hot flames. The fire then spread from her hands and back up her arms and onto her body until she was appeared like a living bolt of fire.

“Shoot her!” Penelope heard as she closed in on the gate, sprinting as fast as she could.

She struck the gate with a cataclysmic bang and burst right through it, the overtaxed enchantments on the wood and metal detonating violently. With her magic strengthening her body, she ran through the splintered wood, through the reinforcing barricades and into a large group of panicked Guardsponies, crushing their armour and pulping the flesh underneath with the sheer force of her entrance.

Roars of triumph followed behind her as dozens of angry Anthroponies followed her. Not wasting a second Penelope leapt back into the air, spreading her wings to maintain altitude, and unleashed the final remnants of the fiery energy in her hands. Several Guardsponies exploded from the volatile energy she had struck them with, tearing several more holes in their ruined formation.

Anthroponies flooded into the courtyard beyond the gate and overwhelmed the Solaminan forces sent to stop them. Some ran up the stairways leading to the walls, crashing into the ponies trying to stop the Anthroponies manning ladders and slaughtering them.

Penelope wheeled around and shot back down into the courtyard, crushing another pony beneath her feet as she landed and then laid into the Guardsponies that surrounded her with her powerful fists, crushing bone and clawing through flesh with every strike.

When there were no more opponents running towards her and all she could find were Anthroponies she finally stopped moving and stood still, her back bent as she placed her hands on her thighs and her chest heaving from the previous exertion.

“So?” a familiar flippant voice cackled in her ear. “Feeling better?”

“Fuck you, Lord Discord,” Penelope said wearily as she straightened back up and turned to find the grinning Draconequus floating next to her. He turned to give a more serious appraisal of the carnage around him before turning back to her.

“Now, now dearie,” he said, a frilly bonnet appearing on his head in a flash, “you should really watch your language. What would the children think?”

At his words a group of purple Earth Pony mares lazily floated through the gate, every one of them giggling as they spun and pirhoueted in the air.

Penelope sighed as the Screwballs hovered over to her and gave her a hug, every one of them wrapping their forearms around a different part of her body. She nuzzled the one that had clasped itself onto her chest and cooed at it.

“Well then,” Discord suddenly said enthusiastically, clapping his claws together, “come on kiddies we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

He flew off leisurely. The Screwballs detached themselves from their mother and took off after him, squealing in joy at the possibilities of more fun. Soon enough Penelope was alone with only a few of the more insane Twisted left in the courtyard with her. She took a moment to regard the pitiful creatures as they gnawed on the bodies of the dead.

Penelope sighed yet again and took off, beating her wings so that she could see the section of wall immediately by the shattered gate. Her people were overrunning the closest portions but the Solaminan Guardsponies were rallying. If they lost the gate her forces would be trapped but if she took the walls then her warriors could sack the city that much faster.

Penelope shot towards where the thickest of Guardsponies were clustered, eager to tear them apart. After all, this was merely the start of her new war. A war that would end with Solamina’s head in her claws and her blood decorating her body.