The End of Daysby InfiniteBronyChaptersI - The RitualII - The GodPrologueI - The RitualThe furious hissing and skittering noise of changelings in heated battle mixed with the pained yelps and scratching of claws on stone as the clamor of fighting filled the air and rebounded down the stone tunnels of the mountain. The changelings were managing to hold back the invaders for now, but everyone realized it was a losing battle. They were only delaying the inevitable, sooner or latter, the enemy would reach the Inner Sanctum and destroy it, obliterating any hope the equine races might have for victory in the war with it. Shining Armor deftly twisted his neck and dislodged his horn from the chest of the Diamond Dog he had speared it on, getting rewarded with yet another crimson flood down his front, staining his already quite drenched coat yet another shade of red darker. With a quick shove of his hoof, he pushed the corpse back down the corridor from which it had emerged, before turning and continuing down the hallway, gesturing for those behind him to follow. Without looking back, the clopping of hooves assured him that they were right behind him. The many tunnels and corridors that they traversed were long and winding, most of them coated in copious amounts of blood of varying colors, the walls often times scorched and pitted with deep gouges. The noises of fighting and battle were ever-present and distorted greatly by the acoustics of the twisting stone halls they traversed, putting them all rather on edge as they walked, a subtle tension in their already hurried gait. It was far too difficult to hear if there was someone approaching them over the constant din for any of their comfort. Shining Armor in particular felling rather jumpy, no doubt a byproduct of the countless and seemingly unending string of battles he had personally fought side by side with his troops in over the last several years. He felt like his entire body was a coiled spring, tense and on edge, ready to explode and fly apart at the slightest prodding. His ears stood painfully erect as they swiveled back and forth atop his head, and he had been physically unable to lower them since they had come across the first enemy. Thankfully, Shining’s tension and over developed sense of danger quickly served its purpose however, as he narrowly managed to dodge a swinging ax that would have taken the head off of a lesser stallion as he turned the corner and was promptly ambushed. The minotaur stood stooped beneath the low ceiling of the hallway, but was no less imposing because of it, its great horns coming considerable closer to Shining’s face than he was used to because of the hulking beast’s posture. The bull headed beast wasted no time, and quickly began swing its huge ax at Shining wildly, forcing him to back up and conjure a small personal shield to defend himself in the tight confines of the mountain corridor. His entourage was not exactly helpless however, and as he was forced against the tunnel wall, Princess Celestia used the opening to fire a brief and concentrated burst of sunlight from her horn at the minotaur. The lance of heat and light hit the beast dead on, cleanly separating its head from its shoulders, and the massive body fell to the floor with a heavy thud. As a side benefit, the heat of the attack cauterized the wound instantly, preventing any arterial spray, something Shining Armor morosely took pleasure in. Turning to her he gave a wry grin that she returned with all the grace and composure she was famed for. Carefully stepping over the corpse, he continued to lead the group down the twisting hallways, carefully minding his surroundings so as not to be taken unawares again. Thankfully, there were no more ambushes awaiting them as they made their way deeper into the mountain. More than once though, they came upon a group of diamond dogs and changelings locked in furious combat as the fighting in the tunnels spilled over into the path that they followed. Each time they came upon such a scene they were forced to fight their way through, and the result was a resounding success for the allied equine forces as the changelings were emboldened by the presence of their queen, as well as being supplemented by the powerful magics of the pony princesses she traveled with. Not long after fighting their way through one such conflict, they finally managed to reach the heart of the mountain itself. The massive ornate doors took up the entirety of the huge tunnel they suddenly found themselves in, standing thrice as high as even Princess Celestia. The entire things was intricately and opulently decorated, every bit of space covered in a variety of gems, crystals and precious metals in a great and extensive mural that seemed to depict the whole of history, starting at the very beginning of the world’s Creation, leading all the way up to the present day. Every inch of the great doors were absolutely covered… all expect for a suspiciously empty space just where the events of this final campaign, this last desperate gambit, this very day would otherwise be. Doing their best to ignore the ominous portent of the missing image, Celestia and Luna cautiously approached the door. With a quick glance and a nod to each other, they inserted their horns into the small circular holes on either of the massive doors, and simultaneously flared the spiraled edifices with their magics. With a creaking bellow and a rush of wind, the great twin portals accepted them, and each began to glow and shine with the colors of their respective auras, before ever so slowly opening inwards with a long groan and hollow boom. The others all quickly rushed inside and Celestia and Luna quickly followed suit, they doors closing behind them with a deep and subtle bang that resounded through the chests of everyone present. Looking around, everyone began to take in the huge chamber they now found themselves in, and each and every one of them in turn were awed at the sight. The whole place was perhaps the very definition of beauty, and awe-inspiring. The cavernous chamber was absolutely enormous, stretching more than twice the length of the throne room back at Canterlot Palace and most likely could have housed a full grown dragon with room to spare. It was circular in nature, and in the center of the floor was a great hole at least a score and a half feet across, out of which spilt an ever changing pillar of prismatic light, constantly shifting through various hues of reds, violets, blues, pinks, oranges, and lavenders. Several hundred feet above their heads the domed ceiling opened up to sky, through which the twilight outside was visible, both Celestia and Luna having stopped their respective celestial bodies on opposite horizons. The walls and roof itself were devoid of color, being an utter black as deep as night and studded with countless thousands of massive shining diamonds, all arranged in accurate depictions of the night time constellations. The floors were comprised entirely of perfect flawless crystal in smooth, intricate, flowing patterns that were almost impossible for the eye to follow and of such a perfect reflective sheen that there almost appeared to be no floor at all, and instead was a second inverted version of the chamber just beneath their hooves. All around the room were a number of pedestals of varying styles and compositions, all of which were connected together with vivid green markings. “Wha- what is this place?” Twilight Sparkle asked, slowly spinning in place as she tried to take in the awe and beauty on all sides, her jaw thoroughly dropped and wings fared at her sides. “I- I’ve never seen anything like this…” Twilight was not alone in her wonderment. Everyone was similarly visibly impression, many jaws hanging loose and heads swiveling back and forth. The only one who seemed to retain their composure was Celestia, due mostly to her centuries experience of maintaining a perfect mask of serenity, no matter the circumstance, but even she was utterly awed by what she saw. “Is… Is this what Heaven is like?” Fluttershy asked softly as she was overwhelmed by everything around her, her innocent nature briefly shining through. The innocent question was enough to snap Celestia out of her brief revere, and she began to walk towards the center of the room, a soft smile on her lips. “Close, but not quite,” she softly answered, causing the timid pony to blush as she realized she had asked her question aloud. “Elysium has quite a bit more open fields.” As Celestia made her way forward, her response managed to snap everyone else to their senses as well. They each began making their own way towards their own place in the chamber, following some sort of inexplicable instinct. “I certainly hope for all our sakes that this insane plan of yours bears fruit, Celestia. I do not like the lives and futures of my subjects on such a risky gamble, especially over the mad ramblings of an insane stallion from more than a thousand years ago,” Chrysalis stated, hints of accusation and fear lacing her usual vibrato. “None of us like this, Chrysalis, but if there was a better option – or even just about any other option at all – then none of us would be here in the first place. There’s no need to pick fights just because you are frightened,” Nightmare reprimanded, hints of irritation and exasperation in her regal tone. “I am not afraid!” Chrysalis retorted sharply, green eyes flashing. “I am simply reiterating that this entire plan is absolutely mad. I have never before now heard of this ‘All Seeing Eye’, nor its keeper, and hanging the very future of our combined races on his word alone is utterly ludicrous.” “Oh please, you should know better than to try and hide your fear from me,” Nightmare said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, StarSwirl’s prophecies have never yet to proven to be false in all these years. It is a considerably better course of action than following any of the foolish plans that you would suggest.” “At least my way we would still have our pride, our dignity! If we fail here, that’s it, we’re finished, left to die pitifully like rats in a hole. Besides, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas or doing anything productive at the summits! I bet Celestia still hasn’t managed to replace the table after the last one.” Nightmare’s starry mane and tail briefly flared up in irritation as she opened her mouth to retort before Shining Armor quickly stepped in between the two of them and pushed them apart with his broad white wings. “Ladies, ladies, you’re both pretty!” He exclaimed, his typical cock-sure smirk conspicuously absent. “I realize tensions are high and we’re all scared, but this is hardly the time to be fighting, we’ve come too far for this to fall apart at the last second. We’re already here anyways, so arguing about it now is kind of pointless. So kiss and make up, and let’s get on with it.” The two mares briefly looked at the frowning stallion between them, then each other, before facing straight ahead and walking the rest of the way in silence, the faintest hint of blushes touching their faces. “Nightmare does have a point. StarSwirl has never been wrong about something like this before, ever after all these years. I see no reason to begin distrusting him now.” Celestia said as she stepped onto a golden pedestal wrought with a figure of the sun, Luna stepping on to a silver sister pedestal inlaid with a figure of the moon. Celestia seemed to have the last word as everyone made their way to their respective pedestals and faced the center of the chamber without any further complaint. “Now, does everyone know what they’re supposed to do?” Celestia asked, looking at everyone in the room in turn. “I… yes, I… it’s strange but I do. I don’t know how I know, but I just do.” Twilight Sparkle responded haltingly, looking around at her fellow Elements of Harmony and receiving similar perplexed nods. “It is quite alright, my faithful student. The magic of this place is very powerful indeed, it is nothing to be concerned about,” Celestia assured her, a serene smile on her face. “Is everyone ready?” she asked, looking about the room and receiving a chorus of various affirmations. “Very well. Shining Armor, please begin.” With a nod, Shining Armor lit his horn, the platinum pedestal he stood upon thrumming in response as a transparent magical shield formed around the walls, floor, ceiling and the light emitting from the hole in the floor, setting a contained framework for the complex ritual. After several minutes of perfecting the barriers until their settings, strength and dimensions were absolutely perfect he nodded, his face a mask of concentration. At his signal, Twilight Sparkle turned to her friends, each one of them standing on a pedestal matching the color of their coats, and gestured for them to begin. Slowly, the all began to rise into the air as their respective Elements of Harmony activated, channeling their massive magical forces towards Twilight, which she then gathered and directed towards the polychromatic lights in the center of the room, unleashing the full power of the Elements. As soon as the rainbow hit, there was a great flash, and the pillar of lights began to become opaque and tangible. Once the solidity of the multi-colored pillar reached the opening to the sky, Cadence and Nightmare took that as their cue. They lit their horns, their crystal and onyx pedestals shining in response as the walls, floor and ceiling all began to glow and shine. The countless diamond embedded in the walls and ceiling began to glow and emit minuscule beams of pure white light that converged at a single point within the solid pillar of chromatic light at the center of the chamber. The crystalline floor began to shine with a light blue aura that lit everything from beneath in an ominous light. Seeing her turn had come, Chrysalis lit her jagged horn, her emerald pedestal glowing in response. The various acid green markings that ran between the many pedestals in the room shined in response, connecting the magic and efforts of everyone present. Seeing that at last the time was upon them, Celestia and Luna turned to face each other, Luna offer a small smirk and Celestia a wink. Turning to face upwards, they began to extend their powers to the heavens. Slowly, the light inside the room began to increase, as the sky began to get brighter. After several moments the reason for the increase in natural lighting became obvious as the sun became visible within the small section of sky shown by the opening in the chambers roof, the moon joining it not long after. Slowly, the two great celestial bodies converged in the sky, coming together to form the first Solar Eclipse in hundreds of years, directly over the pillar of solid harmonious light. The sky darkened, turning day into night, and night into day, and the stars shined from the heavens during daylight hours for the first time in eons. For a moment, everyone stopped and stared. The stillness was absolute – it was as if the very world itself was waiting, holding its breath for what was to come. With an almighty boom and a cataclysmic shaking of the earth, a beam of light launched itself from the fabled celestial event, raining down from the sky and joining the solid pillar of multi-hued light coming from the center of the chamber, the two meeting in a massive resounding boom that rumbled in the chests of everyone present. Slowly, with a sound like the rippling of cloth and the grinding of stone, a hole in the very fabric of reality opened, forming a great open and glowing doorway before the two Alicorn sisters. Turning towards each other, they both sported grins disproportionately large for the dire nature of their situation. Slowly, they clasped hooves, and stared deeply into each other’s eyes. “What say you, sister? Will you follow me once more, into the depths of the unknown and beyond?” Celestia asked, massive grin never leaving her face. “I’ll follow you to Tartarus and back, my sister. Once more unto the breach?” Luna answered, matching Celestia’s maniac grin with one of her own. Throwing her head back, Celestia let loose several loud peals of laughter, filling the enormous chamber with a sound not terribly unlike the pealing of golden bells. “Yes, once more unto the breach my oldest friend and dearest sister,” She responded, maniac gleam never leaving her eyes. Slowly, both Alicorn sisters turned to face the hole in reality. With a single nod to each other, they both leapt through the doorway into another state of being. They knew full well that they might never return. They knew that this plan was a long shot, foolish, perhaps even suicidal. They knew that no matter what the outcome, the very fate of ponykind, of the changelings, of the entire world itself hung in the balance. They knew it all boiled down to this, the events of this last campaign, this final gambit, this very moment. Most of all though, they realized that after the events of this day, this horrible, horrible war, with all its death, and all its destruction, would finally come to an end. One way – or another. II - The GodIt was dark, and empty, utterly so. All the world was nothing, a blank void in which the absence of everything and anything was absolute. The nothingness was great and terrible, stretching out into infinity until all that was, was naught. Quite suddenly, the not-space was violently rent in twain, and filled with sound and light as a fissure tore itself open the fabric of the not-space itself, spilling forth the endless existence of another reality. As it did, the not-space gained substance, and became whole. It filled, and grew, until there was a simple expanse of solid light and swirling mists. Slowly, two figures emerged from the rent in space. They emerged side by side, gingerly stepping hoof upon the glowing field of solid starlight as the cosmic doorway silently shut behind them. As soon as the portal closed the loss of its energy caused the two of them to collapse as gravity reasserted its hold upon them. Slowly, they rose to their hooves, shaking their heads to clear the disorientation. Blinking to clear and adjust their eyes, they both gasped in awe at the strange and alien beauty all around them. All around was a softly glowing field of multi-colored solidified light beneath their hooves, slowly shifting and fluctuating through the spectrum, and changing in reaction to their presence as they moved by. Swirling around them was an ever shifting and flowing mist of cosmic dust and ice, giving the whole space an alien and ethereal quality as it muted and blurred the various lights that danced within its depths. There was something more to this strange place though, something that could be seen or felt. It was a strange thing, a distant sensation and a close feeling, like they could feel gazes on their back and tugging at their hearts. Most of all though, the whole space simply sung with a sense of pure alien power. “Sister, what is this pace?” they younger of the two asked breathlessly, gazing around in wide-eyed wonder, carefully reaching out with a hoof to touch a were-light floating in the cosmic mist, only to flinch back as it danced away from her probing hoof. “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” Celestia answered just as breathlessly, albeit more composed than her little sister. She began to step forward tentatively, putting each hoof down carefully as if the ground beneath her would suddenly give way and shatter like glass at any moment. After several moments of careful examination on the part of Celestia and gazing about in wonder on the part of Luna, Celestia was satisfied that the ground was stable and began walking, calling over her shoulder, “Come on Luna, don’t forget that we came here for a reason. Let’s find whatever it is we’re looking for.” Nodding absently, Luna turned to her sister. “Yes sister, let’s—“ she began, before she was cut off by a sudden and terrible presence. Before they could begin searching the strange and alien space, Something appeared before them. The sight of it was too much for them to bear, and they both turned away before they were blinded, the thing glowing hotly like a million stars. Its mere presence was overwhelming, driving both the divine sister to their knees and stealing the breath from their lungs as it crushed them, the very space around them reacting to it, the mist swirling and ebbing ever faster and the lights flaring brightly. It spoke to them, and its voice was like the shrieking of the heavens and the gnashing of the earth, searing and tearing at their suddenly feeble minds as they struggled to comprehend it, madness driving itself into their hearts. “Sol-ka-Diem? Selene-ka-Nocte? Salem na veridos? Muud, na kae lut arred seit ma kae Aren? Duos seit wveit Equii?” The two sisters were unaware of the strange words the great being spoke, they only knew madness and agony as they writhed upon the ground, hooves clamped tight against bleeding ears to block out the eldritch noise and eyes bleeding from the alien light, as raw and agonized screams tore from their throats. All their world was pain and suffering and insanity and screams. They could not think or hear or see or feel and all they knew was painful, abrupt, forced mortality and insignificance as they were slowly destroyed bit by bit, wholly and utterly, simply by being in the mere presence of this Greater Being. And then, it stopped. The blinding light faded, leaving a soft glow and harsh after-images in their eyes. The pressure of Its presence dissipated until it was no more than a soft breeze or a gentle wave, washing upon them and caressing them. The noise died away to a soft whisper. For several moments the two of them simply lay there, panting and recovering from the metaphysical beating they just endured. After a while they both managed to shakily rise to their hooves and catch their breath, their backs to It. They waited for the residual shaking to subside, and looked at each other, trepidation clear on each other’s faces. Nodding once to each other, they steeled themselves, and turned to face whatever it was that had found them. Naturally, it was nothing like they expected. There before them stood an Alicorn. And what an Alicorn it was. He was absolutely massive, standing no less than over a dozen times the height of Celestia herself, not including his enormous horn which was easily the height of a small building by itself. His coat was a deep and pure gray, His mane, tail and eyes a solid, glowing, stark white. Strangest of all though, were His wings. Unlike any creature they had ever seen before, instead of a single pair of wings He had six, three on each side, some of them doing their best to wrap and conceal His faintly glowing body and others stretched out and flared, seeming to reach up to the heavens and fill the cavernous space. His expression was rather hard to read, due most in part to His eyes being not much more than glowing orbs, but it seemed to be neutral. He spoke to them, His mouth not moving as His voice came from nowhere and everywhere, soft as a feather and deep as a mountain. “My apologies. It has been quite some time since any being of flesh stood in my presence. I had forgotten how fragile you could be, and just how easily my true visage and true voice can destroy you.” The two sisters only stared in awe as He spoke. Their eyes trailed up and down His massive frame, doing their best to take it all in. For while after He spoke, there was only a quiet and reverent hush as they did their best to take in His words and form. After a while, Celestia finally managed to work up the courage to speak, all her regal bearing and decorum long forgotten. “Wh-who are you?” “I am no-one,” came the simple reply. The two sisters looked at each other, similar thoughts going through their heads as their expressions showed perplexion and confusion. Just what was this great being before them, to answer such? After a moment, Luna’s greater curiosity got the better of her, and she cautiously took a step forward, looking up to him and innocently asking, “Um, what are you, exactly?’ They couldn’t be sure, but the two sisters briefly got the impression that He was smiling for just a moment before He answered, even though His face never moved. “I am everything, and I am nothing. I am the sea and the sky, the bend of the river and the stones of the earth. I am the beating of a bird’s wings and the cries of a child, the growth of a forest and the crackle of flames. I am thunder and lightning, crashing waves and trembling earth. I am the flow of time and the curve of space, the beginning and the end. I am the wind in your mane and the grass beneath your hoof, your hopes and dreams and the light of the stars. I am all that is, was and will ever be; fate, destiny and truth made real. I am all things, and I am nothing. I simply am.” The divine sisters sat in silence, taking in all that was said as the various images and sensations that assaulted their minds as the great thing spoke slowly abated from a steady stream into a trickle and finally ceased. Slowly, it began to dawn on them just what it was that stood before them, and their knees became to shake with trepidation and fear. Many ponies, as well as changelings, gryphons, zebras, minotaurs and just about any other race of Terra believed Celestia and Luna, with their immense power, unending life and control over the celestial bodies to be goddesses. Most believed the two sisters to be living deities, the divine given flesh, and over the centuries there had even been worshipers, temples and offerings, prayers and pilgrims as the more mortal races sought out them and their guidance. After so long, the two sisters had even begun believing some of it themselves. Such notions had been completely shattered. Before them now stood a True God, divine and powerful in such ways they could not begin to comprehend. They were less than insects before Him, for He was so greater than them they were simply beneath His notice. If they had not intruded upon His domain, they could have gone their entire lives and beyond, until the very sun burned out and their world was dust and He could have never even known that Terra existed, let alone any of the creatures that lived upon it. He was something that had existed long before them, long before their very universe itself had been born, and He would continue to do so long after even the last star in the sky faded to ash. He was more than a mere entity, He was a force, a constant, a concept, a weaver of the very fabric of reality, existing in a manner far beyond their understanding and comprehension. He was the forces that be, fate itself, a True God. He shook them out of their trembling near catatonia when He spoke again. “I have told you of myself. Now, tell me of you,” He said in his great and terrible voice, in a tone indecipherable between angered demands and kind curiosity. Immediately, Celestia dropped to her stomach, prostrating herself before Him, Luna quickly following suit. “He Who Is,” Celestia spoke, her tone reverent, “I am Celestia, and this is my sister Luna. We are the wardens of the Sun and Moon of our world, leaders of our people and the Last Children of Alicornia.” Celestia briefly felt a strange and alien sensation as she finished talking, a sort of tight constriction all over her body as a flare of heat from inside threatened to burn her to ash for a split second and the gaze of a thousand eyes burning into the back of her neck from just out of sight. “I know of your kind. Tell me, why have you come to my domain, to this place between places?” Without moving or even lifting her gaze from the ground beneath her, Celestia answered again, “We have come because we must, and to seek aid. Our world burns, and our people languish. War has consumed all the creatures of earth, sea and sky, and soon there will be nothing left but blood, pain and suffering. Even the very heart of our world itself lies besieged. Many ages ago, our greatest sage gave us the key to this place, and told us to use it only when our need was at its greatest. So we came here, seeking aid and not knowing what we would find, placing the fate of our people and our world in what may come of it.” For a single, unbearable moment, there was only silence. Then, He spoke. “Why should I aid you?” The sister’s hearts broke in two at the words, Luna barely managing to hold back a chocked sob and more crimson tears beginning to run down Celestia’s face. “Please,” Celestia begged, her voice becoming clouded with emotion as it began to seem that all her efforts were in vain, “please, help us. If you don’t they’ll all die.” Several long, painful, unbearable moments passed in silence, as the fate of their little ponies and their very world was decided by the God before them, the two sisters helpless to do anything but hope. After what seemed like a torturously long time, He spoke again. “What would you give?” Both sisters gasped, leaping to their hooves as Celestia looked into His eyes, her own face marred again with red tears even as hope burned brightly in her eyes and she breathlessly exclaimed, “Anything.” For the briefest moment, both sisters got the distinct impression that he displayed some unreadable emotion, even though his face never moved. “Very well.” The lights all around the strange not-place in which they stood dimmed briefly, as the two sisters felt their breath steal from them, showing in front of their mouths in a glowing silvery golden vapor as if it were a cold winter’s day, and a chill ran down their spines. “It is done.” For the first time since time since He appeared, He moved, leaning down until his muzzle occupied the space between the three of them, where two symbols had appeared, floating in the air. One was a simple pentagram, bobbing up and down slightly as if on an unseen wave, the other a side-ways figure eight contained in a circle, slowly spinning around. “He is my most devout child, and my greatest Paladin.” “So you will help us then?” Luna exclaimed, speaking up and barely able to contain her joy as a wide filliyish grin split her face. “Oh, child…” He said, honestly smiling for the first time, even as everything went dark, and the two sisters knew naught but nothingness as they were once again hurled through the space between spaces, this time to home. “I already have.” PrologueThe bitter frozen wind battered harshly against Celestia as if to hurl her from the ice-slick stone ledge on which she stood. Carried on the icy gales was the acrid stench of blood and metallic screech of the clashing of steel from the war-torn valley below. A vigorous shudder rippled through her form and her pure white feathers ruffled agitatedly against her side, whether from cold or disgusted horror she was unsure. From her elevated vantage she had a perfect view of the slaughter playing out before her. The enemy forces had launched their assault in the heart of winter, when they days were short and the nights were long, and Celestia was at her weakest, all in an effort to gain whatever small advantage they could against the army protected by The Last Children Of Alicornia. Fortunately for her little ponies, in their efforts to circumvent her own power, they had all but forgotten about her little sister. Using her own Lunar powers, she had managed to shroud the entire valley in a blizzard, freezing everything and beleaguering the enemy army as it marched. Now, as the fighting raged, the valley’s floor was slick and footing treacherous, the ground covered in ice and a slushy pink amalgam of blood and snow, thick and churned restlessly by thousands of hooves, paws and claws alike. Icy winds battered and buffeted fiercely anyone foolish enough to attempt to take to the skies. Helpfully, this prevented enemy gryphons from gaining any sort of air superiority, even if it was a bit of a double-edged blade, grounding both her own pegasai and Nightmare’s thestrials as well. It also forced her troops to deal with the enemy’s hulking minotaurs face to face, something that cost them dearly, the great beasts typically felling nearly a half-score of soldiers apiece in close combat at a time before finally being taken down, usually at the fangs of one of Chrysalis’s Behemoth caste of changelings. At the very least, the frozen ground prevented the diamond dogs from tunneling and attacking from beneath their very hooves. Still, the fight did not go so well for them. Even with her unicorns and Anggreu’s Shamans supplementing their strongest soldiers and doing their best to hold back the tide of claws and steel with their strongest magics, there was only so much that could be done against an enemy force thrice the size of their own. The enemy lines were advancing, slowly but surely, through her forces and towards the frozen path up the mountain. Death for everypony in the valley was almost all but assured. Victory for her enemy was not a matter of if, but of when. Thankfully, they did not need to defeat the enemy army. All they needed to do was hold off the enemy for as long possible, to buy Celestia and the others the time they needed to finish what they came here for. After that, all of this, all the fighting and war, all the death and destruction, would be over – one way or another. A soft white cloud of mist puffed from Celestia’s nostrils as she sighed. It did not sit well with her to risk the future of all ponykind and all the others beside in a desperate gambit at the behest of ancient stallion long since dead millennia hence, no matter how wise and powerful he had been. Though, there was little choice to be had at this point. Casting her gaze about the carnage before her, her eyes alighted on a pony she vaguely recognized from the town of Ponyville, a small village from near the base of the mountain that bore Canterlot and famous for housing this generation’s Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. He was a tan coated earth pony stallion, with a chocolate brown mane and tail, and though she could not see it from where she stood she knew he bore a mark of three horseshoes on his flank. He wore the bright golden barding of her own personal Vanguard, and seemed to wield his spear with practiced and deadly efficiency. His face was painted in lines of harsh scarlet as he was briefly drenched in the flowing lifeblood of a gryphon as he rushed over and pulled his spear from its neck, having just cast it like a javelin in order to save the life of one of Mi Amore Cadenza’s Crystal Knights that had slipped on the snow. Though sickened by its context, Celestia’s heart couldn’t help but give a small thrill at the sight of such an act of friendship and camaraderie, even amidst the horrors of battle. After taking a brief moment to dust themselves off and clasp hooves, the two ponies dashed back into the fray side by side. Together, they became a terror on the battlefield, slashing and stabbing unceasingly with spear and sword, hacking away limbs and ripping open great wounds in flesh. They cut a short swath across their section of the battlefield, felling any who stood before them, and slaying no less than a dozen enemy soldiers apiece, before the bedlam of battle swept them up, and quicker than they could notice they had drifted too far away from friendly lines. Their luck, it would seem, had run out. A minotaur found them just as they became aware of their dire situation. The great hulking beast attacked without warning, its massive ax taking off the head of the Crystal Knight before he even had time to lift his sword and defend himself. That was all the forewarning the Vanguard needed however, and the minotaur’s second swing missed its mark, instead scoring a deep gouge in the golden barding, and her Vanguard’s counterattack managing to leave a deep gash in the beast’s fore-arm. For several minutes the two of them continued the dance of strike and counter, thrust and repose, miraculously neither of them managing to gain the upper hand. Celestia watch the fight closely, her heart leaping every time the pony managed to narrowly dodge an ax swing or deliver a slice or prod with his spear, hoping silently for her elite guardsman’s victory. All too soon though, both combatants seemed to tire, their bodies sagging heavily and sporting a good many bleeding wounds and bruises. Panting heavily, they both charged towards each other, weapons raised in perhaps their final gambit. There was a great spray of blood as they clashed, and for a brief moment, there was only stillness… before the minotaur fell to its knees and collapsed on its side, the spear impaled clear through its neck. Celestia felt her heart give another thrill at her little pony’s victory, a tiny smile touching her lips. The smile disappeared almost immediately, as the Vanguard turned around again and she saw him. He managed to take a few steps towards friendly lines and some semblance of safety before falling and lying perfectly still, the minotaur’s ax buried deep within his chest. Celestia felt another tear fall from her eye, trailing down one of the twin crimson streaks that now permanently marred her features. The soft crunch of snow and subtle clack of metal on ice announced the approach of another towards her from the tunnel that lead to the ledge on which she stood. The treading of hooves stopped a scant few feet from her before a soft voice spoke up, cutting through the howling gale with no need for volume. “Sister, we are almost ready,” the voice of Princess Luna spoke. “It is nearly time.” Celestia tore her gaze away from the battle playing out below and looked towards the horizon where the sun hung, dyeing all the sky a blood red as it set perpetually and leaked crimson streaks through the air. Nodding once, she turned and walked away, not once looking back. As she wordlessly headed for the heart of the mountain the bitter winds tore the moisture from her face, tainting the virgin snow of the mountaintop with drops of scarlet.
I - The RitualThe furious hissing and skittering noise of changelings in heated battle mixed with the pained yelps and scratching of claws on stone as the clamor of fighting filled the air and rebounded down the stone tunnels of the mountain. The changelings were managing to hold back the invaders for now, but everyone realized it was a losing battle. They were only delaying the inevitable, sooner or latter, the enemy would reach the Inner Sanctum and destroy it, obliterating any hope the equine races might have for victory in the war with it. Shining Armor deftly twisted his neck and dislodged his horn from the chest of the Diamond Dog he had speared it on, getting rewarded with yet another crimson flood down his front, staining his already quite drenched coat yet another shade of red darker. With a quick shove of his hoof, he pushed the corpse back down the corridor from which it had emerged, before turning and continuing down the hallway, gesturing for those behind him to follow. Without looking back, the clopping of hooves assured him that they were right behind him. The many tunnels and corridors that they traversed were long and winding, most of them coated in copious amounts of blood of varying colors, the walls often times scorched and pitted with deep gouges. The noises of fighting and battle were ever-present and distorted greatly by the acoustics of the twisting stone halls they traversed, putting them all rather on edge as they walked, a subtle tension in their already hurried gait. It was far too difficult to hear if there was someone approaching them over the constant din for any of their comfort. Shining Armor in particular felling rather jumpy, no doubt a byproduct of the countless and seemingly unending string of battles he had personally fought side by side with his troops in over the last several years. He felt like his entire body was a coiled spring, tense and on edge, ready to explode and fly apart at the slightest prodding. His ears stood painfully erect as they swiveled back and forth atop his head, and he had been physically unable to lower them since they had come across the first enemy. Thankfully, Shining’s tension and over developed sense of danger quickly served its purpose however, as he narrowly managed to dodge a swinging ax that would have taken the head off of a lesser stallion as he turned the corner and was promptly ambushed. The minotaur stood stooped beneath the low ceiling of the hallway, but was no less imposing because of it, its great horns coming considerable closer to Shining’s face than he was used to because of the hulking beast’s posture. The bull headed beast wasted no time, and quickly began swing its huge ax at Shining wildly, forcing him to back up and conjure a small personal shield to defend himself in the tight confines of the mountain corridor. His entourage was not exactly helpless however, and as he was forced against the tunnel wall, Princess Celestia used the opening to fire a brief and concentrated burst of sunlight from her horn at the minotaur. The lance of heat and light hit the beast dead on, cleanly separating its head from its shoulders, and the massive body fell to the floor with a heavy thud. As a side benefit, the heat of the attack cauterized the wound instantly, preventing any arterial spray, something Shining Armor morosely took pleasure in. Turning to her he gave a wry grin that she returned with all the grace and composure she was famed for. Carefully stepping over the corpse, he continued to lead the group down the twisting hallways, carefully minding his surroundings so as not to be taken unawares again. Thankfully, there were no more ambushes awaiting them as they made their way deeper into the mountain. More than once though, they came upon a group of diamond dogs and changelings locked in furious combat as the fighting in the tunnels spilled over into the path that they followed. Each time they came upon such a scene they were forced to fight their way through, and the result was a resounding success for the allied equine forces as the changelings were emboldened by the presence of their queen, as well as being supplemented by the powerful magics of the pony princesses she traveled with. Not long after fighting their way through one such conflict, they finally managed to reach the heart of the mountain itself. The massive ornate doors took up the entirety of the huge tunnel they suddenly found themselves in, standing thrice as high as even Princess Celestia. The entire things was intricately and opulently decorated, every bit of space covered in a variety of gems, crystals and precious metals in a great and extensive mural that seemed to depict the whole of history, starting at the very beginning of the world’s Creation, leading all the way up to the present day. Every inch of the great doors were absolutely covered… all expect for a suspiciously empty space just where the events of this final campaign, this last desperate gambit, this very day would otherwise be. Doing their best to ignore the ominous portent of the missing image, Celestia and Luna cautiously approached the door. With a quick glance and a nod to each other, they inserted their horns into the small circular holes on either of the massive doors, and simultaneously flared the spiraled edifices with their magics. With a creaking bellow and a rush of wind, the great twin portals accepted them, and each began to glow and shine with the colors of their respective auras, before ever so slowly opening inwards with a long groan and hollow boom. The others all quickly rushed inside and Celestia and Luna quickly followed suit, they doors closing behind them with a deep and subtle bang that resounded through the chests of everyone present. Looking around, everyone began to take in the huge chamber they now found themselves in, and each and every one of them in turn were awed at the sight. The whole place was perhaps the very definition of beauty, and awe-inspiring. The cavernous chamber was absolutely enormous, stretching more than twice the length of the throne room back at Canterlot Palace and most likely could have housed a full grown dragon with room to spare. It was circular in nature, and in the center of the floor was a great hole at least a score and a half feet across, out of which spilt an ever changing pillar of prismatic light, constantly shifting through various hues of reds, violets, blues, pinks, oranges, and lavenders. Several hundred feet above their heads the domed ceiling opened up to sky, through which the twilight outside was visible, both Celestia and Luna having stopped their respective celestial bodies on opposite horizons. The walls and roof itself were devoid of color, being an utter black as deep as night and studded with countless thousands of massive shining diamonds, all arranged in accurate depictions of the night time constellations. The floors were comprised entirely of perfect flawless crystal in smooth, intricate, flowing patterns that were almost impossible for the eye to follow and of such a perfect reflective sheen that there almost appeared to be no floor at all, and instead was a second inverted version of the chamber just beneath their hooves. All around the room were a number of pedestals of varying styles and compositions, all of which were connected together with vivid green markings. “Wha- what is this place?” Twilight Sparkle asked, slowly spinning in place as she tried to take in the awe and beauty on all sides, her jaw thoroughly dropped and wings fared at her sides. “I- I’ve never seen anything like this…” Twilight was not alone in her wonderment. Everyone was similarly visibly impression, many jaws hanging loose and heads swiveling back and forth. The only one who seemed to retain their composure was Celestia, due mostly to her centuries experience of maintaining a perfect mask of serenity, no matter the circumstance, but even she was utterly awed by what she saw. “Is… Is this what Heaven is like?” Fluttershy asked softly as she was overwhelmed by everything around her, her innocent nature briefly shining through. The innocent question was enough to snap Celestia out of her brief revere, and she began to walk towards the center of the room, a soft smile on her lips. “Close, but not quite,” she softly answered, causing the timid pony to blush as she realized she had asked her question aloud. “Elysium has quite a bit more open fields.” As Celestia made her way forward, her response managed to snap everyone else to their senses as well. They each began making their own way towards their own place in the chamber, following some sort of inexplicable instinct. “I certainly hope for all our sakes that this insane plan of yours bears fruit, Celestia. I do not like the lives and futures of my subjects on such a risky gamble, especially over the mad ramblings of an insane stallion from more than a thousand years ago,” Chrysalis stated, hints of accusation and fear lacing her usual vibrato. “None of us like this, Chrysalis, but if there was a better option – or even just about any other option at all – then none of us would be here in the first place. There’s no need to pick fights just because you are frightened,” Nightmare reprimanded, hints of irritation and exasperation in her regal tone. “I am not afraid!” Chrysalis retorted sharply, green eyes flashing. “I am simply reiterating that this entire plan is absolutely mad. I have never before now heard of this ‘All Seeing Eye’, nor its keeper, and hanging the very future of our combined races on his word alone is utterly ludicrous.” “Oh please, you should know better than to try and hide your fear from me,” Nightmare said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, StarSwirl’s prophecies have never yet to proven to be false in all these years. It is a considerably better course of action than following any of the foolish plans that you would suggest.” “At least my way we would still have our pride, our dignity! If we fail here, that’s it, we’re finished, left to die pitifully like rats in a hole. Besides, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas or doing anything productive at the summits! I bet Celestia still hasn’t managed to replace the table after the last one.” Nightmare’s starry mane and tail briefly flared up in irritation as she opened her mouth to retort before Shining Armor quickly stepped in between the two of them and pushed them apart with his broad white wings. “Ladies, ladies, you’re both pretty!” He exclaimed, his typical cock-sure smirk conspicuously absent. “I realize tensions are high and we’re all scared, but this is hardly the time to be fighting, we’ve come too far for this to fall apart at the last second. We’re already here anyways, so arguing about it now is kind of pointless. So kiss and make up, and let’s get on with it.” The two mares briefly looked at the frowning stallion between them, then each other, before facing straight ahead and walking the rest of the way in silence, the faintest hint of blushes touching their faces. “Nightmare does have a point. StarSwirl has never been wrong about something like this before, ever after all these years. I see no reason to begin distrusting him now.” Celestia said as she stepped onto a golden pedestal wrought with a figure of the sun, Luna stepping on to a silver sister pedestal inlaid with a figure of the moon. Celestia seemed to have the last word as everyone made their way to their respective pedestals and faced the center of the chamber without any further complaint. “Now, does everyone know what they’re supposed to do?” Celestia asked, looking at everyone in the room in turn. “I… yes, I… it’s strange but I do. I don’t know how I know, but I just do.” Twilight Sparkle responded haltingly, looking around at her fellow Elements of Harmony and receiving similar perplexed nods. “It is quite alright, my faithful student. The magic of this place is very powerful indeed, it is nothing to be concerned about,” Celestia assured her, a serene smile on her face. “Is everyone ready?” she asked, looking about the room and receiving a chorus of various affirmations. “Very well. Shining Armor, please begin.” With a nod, Shining Armor lit his horn, the platinum pedestal he stood upon thrumming in response as a transparent magical shield formed around the walls, floor, ceiling and the light emitting from the hole in the floor, setting a contained framework for the complex ritual. After several minutes of perfecting the barriers until their settings, strength and dimensions were absolutely perfect he nodded, his face a mask of concentration. At his signal, Twilight Sparkle turned to her friends, each one of them standing on a pedestal matching the color of their coats, and gestured for them to begin. Slowly, the all began to rise into the air as their respective Elements of Harmony activated, channeling their massive magical forces towards Twilight, which she then gathered and directed towards the polychromatic lights in the center of the room, unleashing the full power of the Elements. As soon as the rainbow hit, there was a great flash, and the pillar of lights began to become opaque and tangible. Once the solidity of the multi-colored pillar reached the opening to the sky, Cadence and Nightmare took that as their cue. They lit their horns, their crystal and onyx pedestals shining in response as the walls, floor and ceiling all began to glow and shine. The countless diamond embedded in the walls and ceiling began to glow and emit minuscule beams of pure white light that converged at a single point within the solid pillar of chromatic light at the center of the chamber. The crystalline floor began to shine with a light blue aura that lit everything from beneath in an ominous light. Seeing her turn had come, Chrysalis lit her jagged horn, her emerald pedestal glowing in response. The various acid green markings that ran between the many pedestals in the room shined in response, connecting the magic and efforts of everyone present. Seeing that at last the time was upon them, Celestia and Luna turned to face each other, Luna offer a small smirk and Celestia a wink. Turning to face upwards, they began to extend their powers to the heavens. Slowly, the light inside the room began to increase, as the sky began to get brighter. After several moments the reason for the increase in natural lighting became obvious as the sun became visible within the small section of sky shown by the opening in the chambers roof, the moon joining it not long after. Slowly, the two great celestial bodies converged in the sky, coming together to form the first Solar Eclipse in hundreds of years, directly over the pillar of solid harmonious light. The sky darkened, turning day into night, and night into day, and the stars shined from the heavens during daylight hours for the first time in eons. For a moment, everyone stopped and stared. The stillness was absolute – it was as if the very world itself was waiting, holding its breath for what was to come. With an almighty boom and a cataclysmic shaking of the earth, a beam of light launched itself from the fabled celestial event, raining down from the sky and joining the solid pillar of multi-hued light coming from the center of the chamber, the two meeting in a massive resounding boom that rumbled in the chests of everyone present. Slowly, with a sound like the rippling of cloth and the grinding of stone, a hole in the very fabric of reality opened, forming a great open and glowing doorway before the two Alicorn sisters. Turning towards each other, they both sported grins disproportionately large for the dire nature of their situation. Slowly, they clasped hooves, and stared deeply into each other’s eyes. “What say you, sister? Will you follow me once more, into the depths of the unknown and beyond?” Celestia asked, massive grin never leaving her face. “I’ll follow you to Tartarus and back, my sister. Once more unto the breach?” Luna answered, matching Celestia’s maniac grin with one of her own. Throwing her head back, Celestia let loose several loud peals of laughter, filling the enormous chamber with a sound not terribly unlike the pealing of golden bells. “Yes, once more unto the breach my oldest friend and dearest sister,” She responded, maniac gleam never leaving her eyes. Slowly, both Alicorn sisters turned to face the hole in reality. With a single nod to each other, they both leapt through the doorway into another state of being. They knew full well that they might never return. They knew that this plan was a long shot, foolish, perhaps even suicidal. They knew that no matter what the outcome, the very fate of ponykind, of the changelings, of the entire world itself hung in the balance. They knew it all boiled down to this, the events of this last campaign, this final gambit, this very moment. Most of all though, they realized that after the events of this day, this horrible, horrible war, with all its death, and all its destruction, would finally come to an end. One way – or another.
II - The GodIt was dark, and empty, utterly so. All the world was nothing, a blank void in which the absence of everything and anything was absolute. The nothingness was great and terrible, stretching out into infinity until all that was, was naught. Quite suddenly, the not-space was violently rent in twain, and filled with sound and light as a fissure tore itself open the fabric of the not-space itself, spilling forth the endless existence of another reality. As it did, the not-space gained substance, and became whole. It filled, and grew, until there was a simple expanse of solid light and swirling mists. Slowly, two figures emerged from the rent in space. They emerged side by side, gingerly stepping hoof upon the glowing field of solid starlight as the cosmic doorway silently shut behind them. As soon as the portal closed the loss of its energy caused the two of them to collapse as gravity reasserted its hold upon them. Slowly, they rose to their hooves, shaking their heads to clear the disorientation. Blinking to clear and adjust their eyes, they both gasped in awe at the strange and alien beauty all around them. All around was a softly glowing field of multi-colored solidified light beneath their hooves, slowly shifting and fluctuating through the spectrum, and changing in reaction to their presence as they moved by. Swirling around them was an ever shifting and flowing mist of cosmic dust and ice, giving the whole space an alien and ethereal quality as it muted and blurred the various lights that danced within its depths. There was something more to this strange place though, something that could be seen or felt. It was a strange thing, a distant sensation and a close feeling, like they could feel gazes on their back and tugging at their hearts. Most of all though, the whole space simply sung with a sense of pure alien power. “Sister, what is this pace?” they younger of the two asked breathlessly, gazing around in wide-eyed wonder, carefully reaching out with a hoof to touch a were-light floating in the cosmic mist, only to flinch back as it danced away from her probing hoof. “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” Celestia answered just as breathlessly, albeit more composed than her little sister. She began to step forward tentatively, putting each hoof down carefully as if the ground beneath her would suddenly give way and shatter like glass at any moment. After several moments of careful examination on the part of Celestia and gazing about in wonder on the part of Luna, Celestia was satisfied that the ground was stable and began walking, calling over her shoulder, “Come on Luna, don’t forget that we came here for a reason. Let’s find whatever it is we’re looking for.” Nodding absently, Luna turned to her sister. “Yes sister, let’s—“ she began, before she was cut off by a sudden and terrible presence. Before they could begin searching the strange and alien space, Something appeared before them. The sight of it was too much for them to bear, and they both turned away before they were blinded, the thing glowing hotly like a million stars. Its mere presence was overwhelming, driving both the divine sister to their knees and stealing the breath from their lungs as it crushed them, the very space around them reacting to it, the mist swirling and ebbing ever faster and the lights flaring brightly. It spoke to them, and its voice was like the shrieking of the heavens and the gnashing of the earth, searing and tearing at their suddenly feeble minds as they struggled to comprehend it, madness driving itself into their hearts. “Sol-ka-Diem? Selene-ka-Nocte? Salem na veridos? Muud, na kae lut arred seit ma kae Aren? Duos seit wveit Equii?” The two sisters were unaware of the strange words the great being spoke, they only knew madness and agony as they writhed upon the ground, hooves clamped tight against bleeding ears to block out the eldritch noise and eyes bleeding from the alien light, as raw and agonized screams tore from their throats. All their world was pain and suffering and insanity and screams. They could not think or hear or see or feel and all they knew was painful, abrupt, forced mortality and insignificance as they were slowly destroyed bit by bit, wholly and utterly, simply by being in the mere presence of this Greater Being. And then, it stopped. The blinding light faded, leaving a soft glow and harsh after-images in their eyes. The pressure of Its presence dissipated until it was no more than a soft breeze or a gentle wave, washing upon them and caressing them. The noise died away to a soft whisper. For several moments the two of them simply lay there, panting and recovering from the metaphysical beating they just endured. After a while they both managed to shakily rise to their hooves and catch their breath, their backs to It. They waited for the residual shaking to subside, and looked at each other, trepidation clear on each other’s faces. Nodding once to each other, they steeled themselves, and turned to face whatever it was that had found them. Naturally, it was nothing like they expected. There before them stood an Alicorn. And what an Alicorn it was. He was absolutely massive, standing no less than over a dozen times the height of Celestia herself, not including his enormous horn which was easily the height of a small building by itself. His coat was a deep and pure gray, His mane, tail and eyes a solid, glowing, stark white. Strangest of all though, were His wings. Unlike any creature they had ever seen before, instead of a single pair of wings He had six, three on each side, some of them doing their best to wrap and conceal His faintly glowing body and others stretched out and flared, seeming to reach up to the heavens and fill the cavernous space. His expression was rather hard to read, due most in part to His eyes being not much more than glowing orbs, but it seemed to be neutral. He spoke to them, His mouth not moving as His voice came from nowhere and everywhere, soft as a feather and deep as a mountain. “My apologies. It has been quite some time since any being of flesh stood in my presence. I had forgotten how fragile you could be, and just how easily my true visage and true voice can destroy you.” The two sisters only stared in awe as He spoke. Their eyes trailed up and down His massive frame, doing their best to take it all in. For while after He spoke, there was only a quiet and reverent hush as they did their best to take in His words and form. After a while, Celestia finally managed to work up the courage to speak, all her regal bearing and decorum long forgotten. “Wh-who are you?” “I am no-one,” came the simple reply. The two sisters looked at each other, similar thoughts going through their heads as their expressions showed perplexion and confusion. Just what was this great being before them, to answer such? After a moment, Luna’s greater curiosity got the better of her, and she cautiously took a step forward, looking up to him and innocently asking, “Um, what are you, exactly?’ They couldn’t be sure, but the two sisters briefly got the impression that He was smiling for just a moment before He answered, even though His face never moved. “I am everything, and I am nothing. I am the sea and the sky, the bend of the river and the stones of the earth. I am the beating of a bird’s wings and the cries of a child, the growth of a forest and the crackle of flames. I am thunder and lightning, crashing waves and trembling earth. I am the flow of time and the curve of space, the beginning and the end. I am the wind in your mane and the grass beneath your hoof, your hopes and dreams and the light of the stars. I am all that is, was and will ever be; fate, destiny and truth made real. I am all things, and I am nothing. I simply am.” The divine sisters sat in silence, taking in all that was said as the various images and sensations that assaulted their minds as the great thing spoke slowly abated from a steady stream into a trickle and finally ceased. Slowly, it began to dawn on them just what it was that stood before them, and their knees became to shake with trepidation and fear. Many ponies, as well as changelings, gryphons, zebras, minotaurs and just about any other race of Terra believed Celestia and Luna, with their immense power, unending life and control over the celestial bodies to be goddesses. Most believed the two sisters to be living deities, the divine given flesh, and over the centuries there had even been worshipers, temples and offerings, prayers and pilgrims as the more mortal races sought out them and their guidance. After so long, the two sisters had even begun believing some of it themselves. Such notions had been completely shattered. Before them now stood a True God, divine and powerful in such ways they could not begin to comprehend. They were less than insects before Him, for He was so greater than them they were simply beneath His notice. If they had not intruded upon His domain, they could have gone their entire lives and beyond, until the very sun burned out and their world was dust and He could have never even known that Terra existed, let alone any of the creatures that lived upon it. He was something that had existed long before them, long before their very universe itself had been born, and He would continue to do so long after even the last star in the sky faded to ash. He was more than a mere entity, He was a force, a constant, a concept, a weaver of the very fabric of reality, existing in a manner far beyond their understanding and comprehension. He was the forces that be, fate itself, a True God. He shook them out of their trembling near catatonia when He spoke again. “I have told you of myself. Now, tell me of you,” He said in his great and terrible voice, in a tone indecipherable between angered demands and kind curiosity. Immediately, Celestia dropped to her stomach, prostrating herself before Him, Luna quickly following suit. “He Who Is,” Celestia spoke, her tone reverent, “I am Celestia, and this is my sister Luna. We are the wardens of the Sun and Moon of our world, leaders of our people and the Last Children of Alicornia.” Celestia briefly felt a strange and alien sensation as she finished talking, a sort of tight constriction all over her body as a flare of heat from inside threatened to burn her to ash for a split second and the gaze of a thousand eyes burning into the back of her neck from just out of sight. “I know of your kind. Tell me, why have you come to my domain, to this place between places?” Without moving or even lifting her gaze from the ground beneath her, Celestia answered again, “We have come because we must, and to seek aid. Our world burns, and our people languish. War has consumed all the creatures of earth, sea and sky, and soon there will be nothing left but blood, pain and suffering. Even the very heart of our world itself lies besieged. Many ages ago, our greatest sage gave us the key to this place, and told us to use it only when our need was at its greatest. So we came here, seeking aid and not knowing what we would find, placing the fate of our people and our world in what may come of it.” For a single, unbearable moment, there was only silence. Then, He spoke. “Why should I aid you?” The sister’s hearts broke in two at the words, Luna barely managing to hold back a chocked sob and more crimson tears beginning to run down Celestia’s face. “Please,” Celestia begged, her voice becoming clouded with emotion as it began to seem that all her efforts were in vain, “please, help us. If you don’t they’ll all die.” Several long, painful, unbearable moments passed in silence, as the fate of their little ponies and their very world was decided by the God before them, the two sisters helpless to do anything but hope. After what seemed like a torturously long time, He spoke again. “What would you give?” Both sisters gasped, leaping to their hooves as Celestia looked into His eyes, her own face marred again with red tears even as hope burned brightly in her eyes and she breathlessly exclaimed, “Anything.” For the briefest moment, both sisters got the distinct impression that he displayed some unreadable emotion, even though his face never moved. “Very well.” The lights all around the strange not-place in which they stood dimmed briefly, as the two sisters felt their breath steal from them, showing in front of their mouths in a glowing silvery golden vapor as if it were a cold winter’s day, and a chill ran down their spines. “It is done.” For the first time since time since He appeared, He moved, leaning down until his muzzle occupied the space between the three of them, where two symbols had appeared, floating in the air. One was a simple pentagram, bobbing up and down slightly as if on an unseen wave, the other a side-ways figure eight contained in a circle, slowly spinning around. “He is my most devout child, and my greatest Paladin.” “So you will help us then?” Luna exclaimed, speaking up and barely able to contain her joy as a wide filliyish grin split her face. “Oh, child…” He said, honestly smiling for the first time, even as everything went dark, and the two sisters knew naught but nothingness as they were once again hurled through the space between spaces, this time to home. “I already have.”
PrologueThe bitter frozen wind battered harshly against Celestia as if to hurl her from the ice-slick stone ledge on which she stood. Carried on the icy gales was the acrid stench of blood and metallic screech of the clashing of steel from the war-torn valley below. A vigorous shudder rippled through her form and her pure white feathers ruffled agitatedly against her side, whether from cold or disgusted horror she was unsure. From her elevated vantage she had a perfect view of the slaughter playing out before her. The enemy forces had launched their assault in the heart of winter, when they days were short and the nights were long, and Celestia was at her weakest, all in an effort to gain whatever small advantage they could against the army protected by The Last Children Of Alicornia. Fortunately for her little ponies, in their efforts to circumvent her own power, they had all but forgotten about her little sister. Using her own Lunar powers, she had managed to shroud the entire valley in a blizzard, freezing everything and beleaguering the enemy army as it marched. Now, as the fighting raged, the valley’s floor was slick and footing treacherous, the ground covered in ice and a slushy pink amalgam of blood and snow, thick and churned restlessly by thousands of hooves, paws and claws alike. Icy winds battered and buffeted fiercely anyone foolish enough to attempt to take to the skies. Helpfully, this prevented enemy gryphons from gaining any sort of air superiority, even if it was a bit of a double-edged blade, grounding both her own pegasai and Nightmare’s thestrials as well. It also forced her troops to deal with the enemy’s hulking minotaurs face to face, something that cost them dearly, the great beasts typically felling nearly a half-score of soldiers apiece in close combat at a time before finally being taken down, usually at the fangs of one of Chrysalis’s Behemoth caste of changelings. At the very least, the frozen ground prevented the diamond dogs from tunneling and attacking from beneath their very hooves. Still, the fight did not go so well for them. Even with her unicorns and Anggreu’s Shamans supplementing their strongest soldiers and doing their best to hold back the tide of claws and steel with their strongest magics, there was only so much that could be done against an enemy force thrice the size of their own. The enemy lines were advancing, slowly but surely, through her forces and towards the frozen path up the mountain. Death for everypony in the valley was almost all but assured. Victory for her enemy was not a matter of if, but of when. Thankfully, they did not need to defeat the enemy army. All they needed to do was hold off the enemy for as long possible, to buy Celestia and the others the time they needed to finish what they came here for. After that, all of this, all the fighting and war, all the death and destruction, would be over – one way or another. A soft white cloud of mist puffed from Celestia’s nostrils as she sighed. It did not sit well with her to risk the future of all ponykind and all the others beside in a desperate gambit at the behest of ancient stallion long since dead millennia hence, no matter how wise and powerful he had been. Though, there was little choice to be had at this point. Casting her gaze about the carnage before her, her eyes alighted on a pony she vaguely recognized from the town of Ponyville, a small village from near the base of the mountain that bore Canterlot and famous for housing this generation’s Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. He was a tan coated earth pony stallion, with a chocolate brown mane and tail, and though she could not see it from where she stood she knew he bore a mark of three horseshoes on his flank. He wore the bright golden barding of her own personal Vanguard, and seemed to wield his spear with practiced and deadly efficiency. His face was painted in lines of harsh scarlet as he was briefly drenched in the flowing lifeblood of a gryphon as he rushed over and pulled his spear from its neck, having just cast it like a javelin in order to save the life of one of Mi Amore Cadenza’s Crystal Knights that had slipped on the snow. Though sickened by its context, Celestia’s heart couldn’t help but give a small thrill at the sight of such an act of friendship and camaraderie, even amidst the horrors of battle. After taking a brief moment to dust themselves off and clasp hooves, the two ponies dashed back into the fray side by side. Together, they became a terror on the battlefield, slashing and stabbing unceasingly with spear and sword, hacking away limbs and ripping open great wounds in flesh. They cut a short swath across their section of the battlefield, felling any who stood before them, and slaying no less than a dozen enemy soldiers apiece, before the bedlam of battle swept them up, and quicker than they could notice they had drifted too far away from friendly lines. Their luck, it would seem, had run out. A minotaur found them just as they became aware of their dire situation. The great hulking beast attacked without warning, its massive ax taking off the head of the Crystal Knight before he even had time to lift his sword and defend himself. That was all the forewarning the Vanguard needed however, and the minotaur’s second swing missed its mark, instead scoring a deep gouge in the golden barding, and her Vanguard’s counterattack managing to leave a deep gash in the beast’s fore-arm. For several minutes the two of them continued the dance of strike and counter, thrust and repose, miraculously neither of them managing to gain the upper hand. Celestia watch the fight closely, her heart leaping every time the pony managed to narrowly dodge an ax swing or deliver a slice or prod with his spear, hoping silently for her elite guardsman’s victory. All too soon though, both combatants seemed to tire, their bodies sagging heavily and sporting a good many bleeding wounds and bruises. Panting heavily, they both charged towards each other, weapons raised in perhaps their final gambit. There was a great spray of blood as they clashed, and for a brief moment, there was only stillness… before the minotaur fell to its knees and collapsed on its side, the spear impaled clear through its neck. Celestia felt her heart give another thrill at her little pony’s victory, a tiny smile touching her lips. The smile disappeared almost immediately, as the Vanguard turned around again and she saw him. He managed to take a few steps towards friendly lines and some semblance of safety before falling and lying perfectly still, the minotaur’s ax buried deep within his chest. Celestia felt another tear fall from her eye, trailing down one of the twin crimson streaks that now permanently marred her features. The soft crunch of snow and subtle clack of metal on ice announced the approach of another towards her from the tunnel that lead to the ledge on which she stood. The treading of hooves stopped a scant few feet from her before a soft voice spoke up, cutting through the howling gale with no need for volume. “Sister, we are almost ready,” the voice of Princess Luna spoke. “It is nearly time.” Celestia tore her gaze away from the battle playing out below and looked towards the horizon where the sun hung, dyeing all the sky a blood red as it set perpetually and leaked crimson streaks through the air. Nodding once, she turned and walked away, not once looking back. As she wordlessly headed for the heart of the mountain the bitter winds tore the moisture from her face, tainting the virgin snow of the mountaintop with drops of scarlet.
