Darkness. All Celestia could see was darkness. All she felt was pain. Her head felt like it had after Queen Chrysalis bested her during Cadance’s wedding and her entire body was still spasming as though she had been electrically shocked.

“Princess!? Princess!?” Her aides called out, though she could only see their mouths moving. All sound was muted, as though someone had forcefully put plugs in her ears. She barely noticed the many guards helping her stand back up or one of her aides carefully retrieving her crown.

“Princess, are you alright?” One of the guards asked once she was steady on her hooves, “You started convulsing and let out such a scream… half the palace jumped.”

“I… I don’t know, captain… it felt as though the sun herself had come to life on Equestria’s soil. But that’s impossible, I can still feel her safely in our sky.” Celestia replied quietly, gingerly rubbing her head before a nearby door slammed open and a dark blue blur ran through the doorway.

“Sister!” Luna exclaimed, “We felt it too, what was that!?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it can’t be good.” The Princess of the Sun murmured before regaining her usual demeanor, “Luna, with me to the War Room. Hopefully the dear General has some idea why we felt the sun leave her place.”
____________

To say that the Canterlot War Room was absolute chaos would have been the understatement of the century right behind “Discord will never return” and “Nightmare Moon is an old pony’s tale”. Ironsides was busy yelling into three comm lines, listening to five, and gesturing orders at no less than eight separate ponies and their respective EVAs, all at the same time. The only good thing about the insanity in the War Room was that Celestia didn’t have to deal with everypony snapping to attention as she entered the room. It was a custom that Ironsides insisted was necessary during a time of war for discipline’s sake, but she often found herself wishing for the days before Tiberium first made landfall and she’d only have to deal with the usual amount of royal decorum.

“Somepony get me a clear picture of what just happened in the Crystal Kingdom!” Ironsides barked, slamming a hoof on the main desk, “I have two unresponsive Kodiaks and four divisions of ponies that just dropped off the EVAs!”

“Still trying to piece it together, sir!” An intelligence officer replied, her console nothing but a flurry of images switching between video feeds and static as the entire room full of officers started spouting out status updates.

“And the EVAs?”

“Rough estimate is 80% of all EVAs in that theatre have stopped transmitting! We’ll have a clearer picture in a few minutes!”

“Satellite coverage can’t penetrate the smoke!”

“Front-line units across from the Crystal Kingdom report some sort of mushroom cloud!”

“Air recon units report being unable to take off due to Hurricane-strength winds!”

“EVERYTHING’S ON FIRE!”

“EVA’s broken through the interference, sir! We have a visual on the Crystal Kingdom!”

“You do?! Main screen, now!” Ironsides barked, though when he looked up and saw the transmission, he wished that EVA hadn’t regained the connection.

“No….” Celestia murmured, “Mother, no…”
____________

Two magical shields extended from either side of the battlefield. One shimmering under stress around the city center of the Crystal Kingdom, the other holding strong and steady across the entire Nod line at the mouth of the valley. Between them, the earth glowed red and laid covered in the husks of GDI armor and scattered ORCAs whose frames had somehow survived disintegration due to the nuclear strike. Closer to the GDI lines, the Kodiak Starswirl had lost her shields and was listing badly.

Before her captain could get the doomed vessel back under control, its port side slammed into the Crystal Heart Shield, disintegrating as its momentum carried it hard against the magical barrier. Slowly, almost elegantly, the massive airship slid down the shield while still disappearing meter by meter against Cadance’s best attempts to protect her home. After nearly a third of the ship had been reduced to ash, it finally made landfall right before her spark reactors went critical and detonated. The fact that the shield was still holding was a testament to Princess Cadance’s resolve, as much as that of the crystal ponies still left inside the city, but it was obvious that it wouldn’t hold for much longer after such traumatic and devastating abuse.

Near the center of the battlefield, the Kodiak Goddesses suffered a similar fate. She had been torn in half from port to starboard by the force of the nuke and both halves had crashed into the newly created wasteland and only added to the massive shockwave that the Starswirl’s detonation had created. As the overpressure pushed through the wastes, Predator and Mammoth husks alike were thrown into the air again, landing haphazardly and even impacting the shield protecting the Nod front line.

One Mammoth in particular, a gold-painted Command variant with first generation magical shields and railguns installed had managed to survive intact. Its inhabitants weren’t so lucky. All were burnt badly and had been irradiated beyond help of even magical treatment.
_________

Shining Armor let out a cough, splattering the inside of his helmet with blood and what he assumed was part of a lung. He could barely see from the sunlight shining through the various cracks and holes in his once proud tank and what little he could see was blurred due to the blood loss. Shining tried to gather his bearings but couldn’t think past the pain. His armor was fused to his body and the BDUs that were supposed to be underneath had burned away with most of his fur. The only reason he was even alive was the fact that the Mammoth itself was such a hard target to kill, and because his crew had shielded his body with their own magic, not that he’d ever find out about that. He was lucky he couldn’t see what was left of their ruined corpses.

As he tried to move and eventually slipped back into unconsciousness, he swore he heard cutting torches working through the hull.
____________

“Positive ID confirmed, General. We’ll be through the tank’s bugout hatch in a few moments.” Specialist Thorn stated into his helmet’s comm device, “Medics are already on station to stabilize him and we’ll get the package to Mareajevo as quickly as possible.”

“See that he survives the transition at any cost, Specialist.” Spike told the changeling, “Princess Twilight needs him alive for her next project.”

“Understood, sir. We won’t fail you.”

“Rarity said you were some of her best Shadows, Darius excluded of course, so I expect that you won’t. Slavik, out.”
_____________

Captain Rose Shard was not having a good day.

At the start of it, her superior officer was either killed or captured by the Brotherhood. Right after that, the Brotherhood renewed its attacks against the Containment Wall, and to top it all off, the last thing she ever saw before contact was lost with most of their forces was a massive flash of light.

Despite that, she was doing her best to keep the remaining garrison working properly. All of the officers above her grade that had survived the sneak attack inside of the Crystal Shield were killed with the rest of the garrison when the missile hit, and she was saddled with running the remaining division’s worth of ponies and wounded in an attempt to protect the civilians in the city. She was halfway through being talked through an updated casualty roster when every EVA in the city sputtered slightly and went to static, followed shortly by an orange pony appearing on the screen. Even though she couldn’t see who was talking, she recognized the voice immediately.

“Ponies of the Crystal Kingdom… my name is Sunburst, your Crystaller… before Nod launched this new... weapon that has wiped out the GDI forces in your city, they captured me and gave Princess Cadance and Shining Armor a chance to surrender the city peacefully. Spike… Slavik, warned and even pleaded them to surrender the city to prevent this loss of life.

They refused. They refused and now four divisions and two Kodiaks are gone. They are having me give this message in an effort to save as many lives as they can, so please… please… lay down your arms. Anypony that comes towards the Brotherhood lines peacefully will be treated fairly. Civilians will be cared for, and military will be escorted to a prison if they do not convert. This is your last chance… those that refuse… those that refuse…”

Shard could hear his voice faltering, and had she been able to see his face, she’d see tears wetting his beard before the camera shifted to Spike. His voice was different than many remembered, the situation adding quite a bit of steel to it as he finished the ultimatum that the survivors of the Fall of the Crystal Kingdom would remember forever.

“Those that do not take me up on this offer will burn in 24 hours when I attack the city again, and that is a promise I intend to keep.”
_____________

The shield was holding.

Barely.

All Cadance had to do was hold onto the hope that Shining had survived whatever had just hit the shield. She’d never felt power like that, in fact, she was sure that no alicorn in Equestria’s long history had ever felt power like that before. Whatever Nod had done, it was a bigger threat than Tirek’s second invasion.

“My lady… the EVAs have collated the data… and the casualty list.” a male voice interjected, interrupting the Princess of Love from her thoughts.

“Is my Shining still out there?”

“I’m… ma’am…” the officer answered quietly, looking at the ground as he set his helmet down, “Major General Shining Armor is officially listed as KIA… that bomb that Nod hit us with… it didn’t leave any survivors. Anyone who was outside the shield is dead.”

The cry of anguish that followed drove everyone in the castle to tears, and with that mourning scream, the Crystal Heart Shield fell once and for all.
_____________

“You hear that?” Sweetie Belle asked her team leader.

“Yeah, sounds like the the Princess just got the news about her hubby.” the older Shadow replied. He was a gryphon by the name of Whirlwind with a particularly nasty grudge against GDI in general, and Shining Armor in particular. “Only wish I could have dropped that pompous ass a second time.”

“Yeah yeah, keep telling us the story how you almost changed the face of the war before an ORCA buzzed your wings.” a changeling replied. She was the team’s technical expert, only going by her nickname “Moth”.

Whirlwind flexed his mechanical wings in reply before donning his helmet once more and giving a small gesture with his claw to the fourth member of their group. He was the only other male in Shadow Team ‘Generosity’, and his species was a bit of a rarity this far into the war, but he helped represent the diversity that Nod embraced.

The Diamond Dog Brutus nodded to his team leader, sent up an IR flare, and then spread his glider wings with Sweetie Belle as the entire team took off on one of the most important missions of this entire engagement.

“Target ID is still consistent with Princess Cadance, bioscans put her at the former epicenter of the Crystal Shield.” Moth stated over the team comm channel.

“HUD isn’t picking up anything… Stealth detection is still downs thanks to that missile… looks like grabbings that pony princess is goings to be easier than we thoughts, boss.” Brutus growled happily.

“Entrance vector locked in, we’re hitting the lovely alicorn’s bedroom window.” Whirlwind stated, “Prep to lock wings and go in loud, if the shield is down, our target isn’t awake.”

“Charges are ready, just point me at the crystals.” Brutus replied, his paws keeping a firm grip on his det-charges. He’d garnered quite the reputation as being an artist with those.

To anyone who managed to glance in the Shadow Team’s general direction, they’d barely be able to see a slight distortion in the smoke that was filling the sky, but it took the trained eye of a Shadow or a GDI Sniper to actually notice the four shimmers in the air moving steadily towards the Crystal Palace. Even as those distortions landed on the outside wall of the Crystal Palace, their stealth coating held as the hooks in their suits pierced into the crystal and held the team in place. Brutus placed his charges silently, the team leaped off the wall and glided away, and with a greedy growl, the Diamond Dog hit the detonator and smiled at the shower of crystalline glass that followed.

With grace borne of months of practice drills, the four Shadows dove into the breach, rolled to their feet, and had their weapons drawn in a matter of seconds. The few guards that had been inside of Cadance’s room on duty were dispatched while they were trying to recover from the explosion, while their target was nowhere to be seen for now.

“EVA, confirm target location.” Whirlwind ordered.

“Target is unconscious in the throne room.” the AI replied, “Target vitals are dropping slowly, suggest haste in returning her to Brigadier Rarity.”

“Noted.” the gryphon murmured as his team moved into the hallway. The lack of guard response was to be expected with how much of the garrison was thrown away by Shining Armor during the ‘blockade run’ that had been cut short, but still no less unsettling. As a veteran of no less than 14 target extractions and eliminations, lack of GDI security always put the Marked gryphon on edge.

Sweetie Belle took point, the pistols on her armor searching for targets as she looked around in the paranoid fashion that all Shadows shared. Ever since the ‘Mother of Shadows’ had published her doctrine and training had become more standardized within the Special Ops community, Major Pallette’s techniques on “not getting your flank ambushed by some GDI moron” were instinct to every Shadow in Nod’s employ.

“EVAs aren’t picking anything up, looks like they nearly cleared the palace out for that little suicide charge.” Moth muttered, “only guards left between us and the target are in the throne room at the entrances, with a pair outside each door as well.”

“No survivors except the target, this is a no witnesses situation.” Whirlwind ordered. His response was a trio of acknowledgment lights on his HUD appearing next to each of his team’s vital sign monitors.
_____________

“She’s gone into shock.” the doctor sighed as she placed another heating blanket around the pink alicorn, “If she wakes up, she should be fine, but the strain of holding the shield on top of losing the Prince-Regent… this could end very badly, Captain.”

Rose Shard scowled, or at least she thought she scowled, at the doctor in reply. Her face was still a little numb from the treatment for her eyes and she could only hope that she hadn’t made an inappropriately silly face at such grave news.

“So we’re down the entire cadre of staff officers, our royal line is out of commission, and the heir is still in Canterlot with her aunt… this… I don’t even know what to say.”

“You’re the ranking officer of the entire province ma’am.” the blinded captain’s XO stated, getting a shudder from her superior.

“That doesn’t exactly inspire…” Shard started before shaking her head, “We still have nearly 20 hours… shore up what defenses we can, get the civilians into the caverns until this is all over with an escort. If anypony wants to defect… don’t stop them. I’m not going to order anypony to stay here and die for their home, or at least what’s left of it.”

“I’ll send the orders out then, ma’am. Anything else?”

“Stay safe.” were the last words Captain Rose Shard told her XO, Lieutenant Vibrant Sky. The moment the words left her lips, the young lieutenant’s head exploded.

The wet explosion of gore knocked Shard off her hooves and sent her sprawling to the ground, unable to see and with a laser blast hitting its target so close to her ears, she wasn’t surprised that her hearing was temporarily gone. She was lucky that she couldn’t hear or see what was happening on the room.

Every guardspony soon met a similar fate as Lieutenant Sky, losing either their head in a gory mess as their flesh, skulls, and brains flash-vaporized, or having it removed by lasers perforating their necks at the weak point in their armor. Those that didn’t fall to laser fire had their necks snapped or helmets crushed into their skulls after an aura of green magic enveloped their heads. Within seconds, the only living beings in the throne room of the Crystal Palace were Princess Cadance, Captain Rose Shard, and Shadow Team Generosity.

“Sky…? Doctor Redheart…? Anyone?! I… I can’t hear any of you! Somepony!” Shard started shouting, “Somepony! Anypony! Grab my hoof, step on my tail, anything! Who’s alive!?”

“Should we…?” Brutus asked, pointing to the bloody bindings on her eyes with his sidearms. Whirlwind was glad he had a helmet on because the scene was actually causing him some discomfort. Slowly, but deliberately, he holstered his weapons and pointed to Moth and Sweetie Belle, and then to their target.

“She can’t see or hear, she’s not a witness. Anyone who could see is out of the picture. Grab the target and get her back to Rarity.”

“Already on it.” Moth answered, the transport bag already out and closing around the pink alicorn.

“We move in 30 seconds, no need for more charges, we’ll let the army take and hold the palace when the final assault happens.” Whirlwind added, crossing his arms after he put another laser bolt into one of the guards. “EVA, confirm acquisition of the package, ready for transport to Mareajevo.”
_____________

Rarity couldn’t help but shake her head as a result of the scene she was seeing.

“Oh Shining, Shining, Shining. Why did it have to come to this?” she said, stepping back as a doctor moved to where she was standing just a moment ago. The carryall she was riding on wasn’t the most spacious of transports, but it did its job well.

“Sorry ma’am.” said the doctor, a diamond dog of all things. Rarity watched him work, failing to understand anything he was doing. She was able to navigate her way through the engineering and chemical challenges of creating a working non-magical laser weapon, but the intricacies of medicine eluded her completely. All she was able to tell was that a stable beeping and a green line on a screen meant things were good.

“We’ve been able to stabilize him ma’am, for now anyways. I expect his condition to deteriorate rapidly in the coming hours though. Injuries are too severe, and the radiation he’s been exposed to is beyond what he should have been able to take.”

“That’s alright Doctor Fang. We’ll only need him alive for a few more hours anyway. Please keep your trauma kit ready however, there is still one other pony we have to pick up before heading back to Mareajevo.”

“Oh? And who might that be?”

“Why the Princess of Love, of course. The pilot already knows the route, just keep the two lovebirds alive long enough for them to be reunited with their loving sister.”
_____________

“Looks like very few of them are going to take you up on that ‘peaceful resolution’ offer, General…” a blue dragoness muttered as she looked over her EVA again.

“I didn’t exactly expect a mass exodus, Ember. Most of GDI shares Celestia’s dogmatic view of Nod, no matter how many times I’m given the order to spare those that I can.” Spike replied, his expression falling slightly.

“They’re still sore about what your marefriend did to Blueblood’s division.” Ember quipped, smiling slightly. Ember had grown a bit since becoming Dragon Lord, and after tiberium had been integrated into the diet of all dragons loyal to the Brotherhood, she was still leading Spike in height while retaining her lithe figure. Her horns were now purely tiberium crystal which even Rarity couldn’t help but admire, even if they were stained with blood half the time.

“To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Kane for making me use my old unit as bait for her victory, but that’s not exactly the point…” the purple and green drake said quietly, his EVA still chiming a countdown in his ear as the 24-hour mark kept getting closer.

“Almost time, Spike.” Ember stated, crossing her arms as an orderly brought in her helmet.

“EVA is keeping me up to date, Dragon Lord.” he snipped before mulling over the tactical map still crunching the numbers in front of him, “If they’re outside the containment wall, leave them be and have our forces escort them safely to our lines, and make sure my ‘aunt’ is contained safely for transport to Mareajevo with Shining Armor. Any military personnel inside the walls is a target regardless, but if you see civilians running and panicking, leave them for pickup by relief services.”

“Going soft, are we?” the dragoness asked.

“No, I just figured that as soon as I make my entrance, they’ll all change their tunes and come to their senses… Ember, the troops are yours.” Spike mused with a slight grin as he stood and joined his friend at the doorway, “Have our dear friend Zeek and the rest of the unit blockade the mouth of the mountains and push forward, I’ll be hitting them from the rear personally.”

“As you command, Slavik.” Ember replied with a salute, something she’d do to no other dragon, before walking out and putting on her helmet. With a needlessly flashy gesture, she flared her wings in the most grandiose fashion she could and took to the skies. Behind her, Brigadier General Zeek brought his entire division into what he affectionately called “Propaganda Mode” and charged all while Spike walked off to the nearby airfield where a cloaked carryall was waiting to drop him into the coming fight.

When running under “Propaganda Mode”, Stealth Tanks cycled their Lazarus Shields in a fashion that made the tanks clearly visible to the enemy, but still partially hidden from view. The effect that it had on enemy eyesight was akin to seeing a fading hologram coming at you, only you knew it could wipe you out with a single volley of its lethal, tiberium-tipped payload.

“Zeek here, we’re in position and giving GDI a show. T-minus 10 minutes before commencing attack.” the Brigadier said, surveying a holographic display of the battlefield and the movement of his stealth tanks.

“Negative. You will attack when I say you attack.” said Spike, immediately switching to the general Command Channel, addressing all his commanders. “That goes for you all as well. Hold at your designated positions and strike at my command.” he ordered, a string of confirmations arriving almost immediately.

The last few minutes before zero hour were spent with orders buzzing around on all channels, as every unit in the siege force finalized preparations. The 22nd and 15th Armored were in position and behind hills, ready to strike after the initial attack cleared out what few anti-tank weaponry GDI could still bring to bear. Likewise, multiple division of militia infantry readied for the charge of their lives, preparing to take one of the greatest cities in the known world in the name of Kane. Above them all, Ember and her cohort of Nod dragons circled around the city like vultures, waiting for the order.

Throughout the Nod lines, countdown timers ticked downwards to the end of General Slavik’s ultimatum, each second becoming slower than the last, a trickle of civilians and GDI deserters making their way to Nod lines in the final moments before the city’s end. At long last, the countdown reached zero and everyone awaited for the order to pounce on the wounded beast.

It did not come.

The minutes passed, the ravaged force of GDI remnants holding the slagged remains of the containment wall looking anxiously and at the edge of panic for the incoming attack.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty.

“Any idea why the General’s not ordering the attack, sir?” asked Lieutenant Marble, Zeek’s tank driver. A grey-coat earth pony colt like Zeek, his sharper features and black mane made him look much older than he actually was.

“You don’t think he got cold feet, right? I heard he once saved this city long ago.” added Lieutenant Ambers, Zeek’s gunner. A light pink-coat mare with a red mane, she was positioned not next to the commander to man the gun like in a regular tank, but rather behind the driver in order to remotely control the stealth tank’s missile launchers.

“Enough chit-chat, the two of you.” said a yellow-coat colt with a blue mane, “It is not your place to bother the Brigadier with inane questions, especially with accusation against the Slavik!”

Captain Cork was the latest addition to Zeek’s tank crew, transferred from Cyrus Battalion after exemplarily leading his battalion upon the death of his commanding officer. Instead of a promotion however, he now served as Zeek’s tank commander while the Brigadier himself focused on coordinating the division’s actions. The freed and repurposed space from the old Mk. I stealth tanks was truly a blessing for all commanders who still held on to them.

“What accusations? I’m just saying, maybe he doesn’t want to burn down a place that once hailed him as a hero. Does that sound like I’m accusing him of anything?!” said Ambers.

“No it doesn’t.” said Zeek before Cork could reprimand the LT again, his eyes never leaving the holodisplay. “I wouldn’t say it’s the sole reason, but I can see it being part of what’s going on. Can’t say I blame him either. I’m not exactly thrilled by the thought of setting fire to my own house.”

The minutes continued to pass. Forty, then fifty, with more and more civilians and a few more GDI deserters making a run for it towards the Nod lines and thanking their lucky stars.

The 25th hour came.

All comm units throughout the Nod lines sprang to life at once, the voice of their General coming through with a single command.

“All units, commence attack!”
__________________

“Lieutenant, enemies moving!”

With a deep breath, Lieutenant Steelhelm raised his binoculars, peering slightly over his ruined section of the containment wall. The sight he saw sent chills down his spine as a column of semi-transparent tanks made their way towards him. His force consisted of a couple of battered squads put together into what should on paper have been a full-strength platoon. In all truth, the current condition of the Crystal Kingdom and the GDI remnants within it made it a miracle if someone managed to put together a full-strength pizza, let alone any military unit.

“Captain Shard, Steelhelm here. We got contacts on approach. Stealth tanks doing that goddamn light trick that’s making my eyes hurt.” he said.

Back in the Crystal Palace, Captain Rose Shard had been able to recover somewhat and was, with great effort, able to put together something that could be considered a chain of command if you squinted hard enough. Squinting just happened to be one of those things she couldn’t do at the moment right alongside seeing, requiring EVA and a small force of junior officers to inform her of any event as she tried to keep track of a mental map of the situation.

“Understood. Prime charges and fall back to the outer perimeter. Do not attempt to hold the wall.”

“Roger that, we know the plan already ma’am.” said Steelhelm, giving the order to fall back a second later. As Nod forces began approaching from every direction, each platoon stationed on the wall carried out the same action, retreating to the ruined outer sections of the city.

A cacophony of explosions resounded across the Crystal Kingdom as missile after missile impacted on what section of the wall remained standing, bringing down this once great symbol of GDI’s protection over the city. Expectant, GDI’s remaining force awaited an onslaught of tanks to rush them. Instead they were made witness to an endless stream of mechanical noise, growing louder and louder as something approached through the smoke where the wall used to stand. As soon as the figures approaching them became visible, the first hoof of many pressed the detonator. Like a fireworks show, explosion after explosion illuminated the early dawn, singing the last cry of vengeance of a dying city as artillery shells rained upon the invaders, fired from the city’s center at pre-determined kill zones. Cheers resounded throughout the GDI lines, a last hurrah to show the Noddies that the Defense Initiative would not be cowed or made to surrender so easily.

The cheers died quickly however, as shadows through the smoke beginning to rise from where they’d fallen. Rapid bursts of laser bolts began impacting all over the outer defense line, cutting trooper after trooper in a merciless barrage, rockets following soon after with terrible precision.

“Charlie Platoon lost, Bravo Company at half strength, Echo Platoon lost, Delta Platoon lost, Papa Platoon lost, Sigma Company lost”

Rose Shard’s EVA appeared to go ballistic with casualty reports, ignoring individual casualty reports for full unit casualties. Her aides weren’t much better at figuring out just what the hell was going on.

“This is Shard, status report! Anyone! What in Tartarus is going on out there?!”

A string of incomprehensible shouts, static, and weapon fire were all she got back for a full oppressive minute.

“...ap ... Ca... ta… can’t hold th… e’re falli… ack!”

“Repeat, what’s going on out there?!” she shouted into her piece. “EVA, amplify and clear that signal no-” before she could finish that sentence, a sudden gush of air followed by an earth-shattering tremor knocked her to the ground.
__________________

Hovering above the Crystal Palace, Spike viewed the battle from the best position possible. GDI had hoped to bloody his forces, never imagining what they would face first. The Marked of Kane were proving their worth in battle, and it was now his turn to enter the stage.

“Are you sure about this Spike?” Rarity said, her face projected on one of the carryall’s comm screens. “I know you want to leave a mark here, but consider what happened last time.”

“Last time the transformation occurred, it was triggered by primal rage and stress. I couldn’t control it back then and I had no reason to... but now? I believe I can now.”

“There is no need for it though. Your forces will be able to clear out the city before long.” the white mare added, Spike’s face revealing to her what she already feared. “If I can’t make you give up this tomfoolery, at least careful. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.”

Letting himself fall out of the carryall, General Slavik let out a great deafening roar, the battlecry of a true dragon. The loathing of what he was about to do, the hatred over having to burn this beautiful city, all fueled his rage. GDI scientists would study what little footage would be salvaged later about the event, as Slavik’s falling form appeared to explode in a bright, green burst, shaking the ground as he landed, his titanic form equaling the Crystal Palace’s size. Almost in panic, the artillery vehicles surrounding the palace began turning to point their guns at him. With a terrible roar, Slavik dug his claws into the Crystal Palace’s underside and ripped it out of the ground. Moments later, the vehicles daring to threaten him were crushed under tons of solid crystal.

A moment passed, stunned silence ruling over the city, followed by an explosion of sound as every gun behind the front turned around and fired everything they got at the monster that had just appeared within their city.

“That’s our signal.” said Ember over her earpiece, leading her dragons into battle. With practiced grace and trademark lethality, the dragon squadron let loose fireballs towards four specific points around Slavik, setting ablaze the impacted buildings and forcing those inside who were not already burning to evacuate. The intensity of the four fires heavily affected each other, the change in wind direction due to the flames and heat beginning to create a whirlwind. Inhaling deeply, the great monster’s rear scales lit up one after another. In a single, devastating roar, Spike released a great wall of flame around him, feeding the existing flames and triggering their ultimate form. The whirlwind’s speed plus the tiberium-fueled flames added to it gave birth to a cataclysm that would forever haunt Celestia’s dreams. A Firestorm the likes never seen before, green with power and, at its epicenter, he whom she once could have considered her own son.
__________________

“Are we ready?” Kane asked as he looked idly over the tablet. Chrysalis wondered exactly what it was he was looking at but decided it wasn’t wise to pry into the Messiah’s personal business after the incident with Princess Luna all those months ago. Steelwing on the other hand showed little interest in the device, electing to simply give a respectful nod that he was properly prepared for what was about to happen.

Kane was seated between the two monarchs in an opulent chair, embellished with the insignia of the Brotherhood insignia along the back. Chrysalis was standing proudly, as was King Steelwing, and behind all three of them was a line of Black Hand guards. Each one was a different species, though the only visible differences were between the non-equine species in the group. Plastered behind the guard was the banner of Nod, proudly lit with red lights properly for the cameras.

“Very well then… give me a countdown to when we go live.”

“As you wish.” the director, a gryphon with a ragged scar across his beak, answered with a bow as he gestured to the production crew that it was showtime.

“Hijacking signal… bouncing to Brotherhood channels… we’re live on your signal, sir.” one of the techs at the back of the room announced.

“Alright everyone…” the director announced, bringing his attention back to Kane as he held up a claw and extended his talons, “Broadcasting in 5…. 4…. 3….”
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“Rejoice, Children of Nod, for your oppressors now know true fear. 3 hours ago, the Crystal Kingdom fell to our forces after no less than three requests that they surrender and keep from wasting lives. Because those requests were ignored, we were forced to use a new weapon that harnesses the power of the Sun herself. The power of the atom is now in the hooves and claws of the Brotherhood, and we have more than one of these weapons… these nuclear missiles. Now our GDI viewers may be wondering why I authorized the creation of such a weapon, a pony-made force of nature. The answer is simple, it is a counter to the weapon that your princesses use on my loyal followers day after day called the Ion Cannon. They who sit on the great towers of Canterlot Palace, as well as those who make underground bunkers their homes while their troops die in the fields, believed they could exterminate those who opposed them with these weapons. That we would lay down and die, awaiting their judgement from the heavens.

No more. Every ion strike will be met with a nuclear one. An eye for an eye. And it is for GDI’s leadership to decide whether we all go blind. Dodge Junction has been avenged, Princesses, and so I’ll put what little trust I have left in ‘gods’ to stay their hooves, and so stay mine from unleashing holy justice upon this world. Via the technology of Peace, Peace through Power.”