It all came crashing down...
Canterlot was burning. Pillars of smoke could be seen from miles away, spiraling up from the ruined buildings and towers of the Equestrian capital. The rebels had besieged the city, going straight for the throat of the country, hoping to strike a decisive blow and end the war in one fell swoop.
The streets were flooded with royal guard and rebel forces battling for each block and building. Rivers of blood flowed down each street into the drains and sewers below, creating an eerie web from the view above. Said view was occupied by a dark sapphire mare, who sat atop her tower in the palace.
From her balcony, Princess Luna could see everything unfold before her. From the seemingly endless tide of rebels clashing against the golden and purple ranks of the respective guard units, to the countless clouds of smoke from the new weapons called “firearms” that the rebel army had equipped itself with. No doubt they were supplied by their griffon backers to ensure the country would fall.
Equestria’s military was powerful, but it could not stand up to the rebel’s firearms or their sheer numbers. She knew the guards would fight to the death. They would fight to protect her, the memory of her dead sister, the newest princess; Twilight Sparkle, and for the now broken and battered remnants of what was once Equestria.
Luna sadly mused about the absurdity of it all. These fine young mares and colts, laying down their lives for nothing, a shattered dream of what once was. Laying down their lives for three princesses; one of which was dead, another was shuttled away secretly for her safety, and finally Luna herself. She was battered and bruised, just like the country that was crumbling around her.
Her coat and starry mane were dull shades of their once brilliant sheen, stress and lack of care having aged them to ruin their luster. Her limited field of vision and the glass orb in her right eye socket reminded her of that fateful day. The day she lost her right eye and sister to assassins, the day the rebels began what she thought would be a short and one-sided crushing of a rebellion, the day that everything was set in motion for the toppling of an empire.
Turning away from the scene below as the last rank of guards fell, Luna hobbled towards her bed. She winced in pain as the tight bandages around her midsection and legs rubbed against the wounds they were covering. Sitting upon her bed, she held a glass of red wine in her magical grasp. All she could now was sip the alcohol as she patiently watched her door and waited.
Her generals and other top officials begged her to evacuate the city as it fell under attack. Luna refused them, and instead ordered them to evacuate. She would not leave the city her sister had built from the ground up, the very symbol of the nation’s power. If Canterlot fell, than Equestria was lost, and if her great nation would perish; so too would she.
The sounds of battering rams and fighting in the castle echoed throughout the stone halls. It would not be long now, Luna thought. It won’t be long before she is reunited with her sister and mother, it won’t be long until death takes her in his embrace and frees her from the trappings of the mortal world. She had nothing to lose, nothing to live for. Death was beckoning like a long lost friend, and she patiently waited for his arrival.
Rapid hoofsteps, the clanging of metal, and report of muskets drew near as the rebels stormed the palace. The last few guards fought like fanatics, but were helpless to stem the tide of rebels. More hoofsteps approached and Luna could tell they were ascending the stairs of her tall tower. Her end was near, but she only poured herself more wine and drank deeper.
They were outside her door now, she could hear their worried shouts and cries. They banged and battered the double doors to her room for several minutes before they gave way. Storming her room, they stopped feet away from the bed, confused and silent. They saw the once mighty ruler, dulled and burdened by her wounds and aging. She was staring out the window, watching the orange sky of the evening, not paying her guests any mind.
“So here we are.” Luna said without looking away from the window. “Your once mighty ruler reduced to a shell of her former self. I gather you are here to kill me?”
The group of rebels was silent, stunned by her humbled appearance and blatant disinterest.
“We’re here… here to capture you.” One stallion nervously spoke.
Luna shifted her gaze to the group and eyed them up and down. She smiled and began to laugh for a good twenty seconds or so, before calming herself.
“You are foolish for even thinking of such a naive thing.” Luna said as she finished downing her glass of wine, then threw it to the floor, causing it to shatter.
The rebels jumped at the sudden gesture, and many leveled their muskets at her. In response, Luna only laughed again.
“You are fools if you believe that I’d allow myself to be captured. Have you seen how my guards have fought you? To the last pony, to the last breath. I shall be no different. I have nothing to lose, nothing more to live for. Tell me, what is more dangerous than a foe who has lost everything and fears nothing?”
Without warning, Luna leapt from her bed and threw the blankets over the rebel soldiers. Blinded, the first rank of them struggled and fired. All their shots missed and Luna cut them down with her magic. The second row fared no better, being destroyed before they could level their muskets.
Grabbing all of the loaded muskets from the ground with her magic, Luna leveled them at the third wave and fired. A deafening roar sounded as the score of muskets fired as one and obliterated the third group, creating a large cloud of smoke that filled the room.
Luna drew her sword as soldiers rushed into her room. Engaging them, she found that their muskets were clumsy at close range, and only good as clubs after firing their one shot. Some rebels tried to shoot her, but were either cut down by her magic or blade before they could level the weapon, or she merely threw up a shielding spell to block the projectiles. Others tried to fight her with sword or improvised club, but met their fate that way.
“Is that all you got!?” Luna challenged, as she twirled and danced about her foes, hacking and slashing all the while.
More and more soldiers poured into the room, forcing her back towards the balcony. Between slashing and cutting her foes to pieces, she would occasionally pick up more muskets with her magic and fire them into the mob of soldiers from all directions. This proved to be a deadly combo as Luna slayed scores of soldiers, yet they kept coming.
They came until they filled the room so much that she couldn’t get into her room if she wanted to. Forced out on her balcony, she continued to cut down those foolish enough to get close and obliterate their ranks with the occasional musket barrage. A brief pause fell on the battle, as the soldiers were beginning to think she was invincible.
“I am the Night!” Luna shouted, holding her sword above her head. “I will not fade! You cannot hope to best me!”
A single shot rang out.
Luna’s eyes widened in shock and pain as she saw a large bloody hole near the base of her neck where it met her torso. A pegasus had flown to the top of the tower and had hovered behind her. He then aimed a shot at her as she raved, and hit the back of her neck, going all the way through.
Her sword clattered to the ground. Rising up on her hind legs, she leaned against the railing of the balcony. Clutching at her wound with her fore leg she gasped for breath.
“So… a mortal came to kill a god…” Luna gurgled, finding it increasingly hard to breath.
Looking up to the sky, her vision flickered as she swore she saw the visage of her sister and mother. She smiled as she took one last deep breath.
“Celestia… mother… I missed you both…”
With that, Luna’s eyes closed for the last time as a peaceful smile rested upon her face. As she faded, her body fell over the railing and tumbled to the ground below.
Canterlot had fallen, the two sisters were now dead, and the Equestria that lasted for over a millennia had ceased to exist. The time of the Princesses was over, and a new era began. The era of Equis.
