Neither princess said a thing after what they witnessed out there. Both taken a seat for a while, Celestia’s gentle hand stroking her back, thankfully she still had her mentor and her friends with her to support her in this difficult time.

“Twilight.” Celestia called her attention “You’ve asked what has been happening, right? While you were out a few days ago, the creatures came out of nowhere.”

“And magic started to disappear, right?” Twilight replied turning her head up seeing her mentor face to face, who nodded in response before her expression becoming grim.

“You and Spike came back from the mirror with fire behind you. And you wouldn’t wake up, given who we were dealing with I feared the worst…”

The younger princess flinched understanding her fears. She lost Cadence and Shining Armor not too long ago, Rarity had her forcibly sister turn on her and Fluttershy cannot see anything anymore. Much less talk to her reformed friend now.

Thankfully she was much better at holding back now, otherwise she would have vented harshly. She exhaled, once again hearing the roar from the skies before feeling a slight rumble shake the city. Celestia looked uncomfortable hearing that.

“We’re running out of time, come with me.” Waved over after her for Twilight to follow, rushing through the castle halls like the other ponies around “Vaati returned while you were sleeping. Saying Equestria’s destruction will be faster once you woke up.”

Almost as if on cue. Both winced hearing an explosion and screaming from outside. Guards running to a path besides them while they kept going, going to a room familiar to them from days ago.

“With magic drying out everywhere, the conservation of it is needed as much as possible until Vaati is defeated. Such reason is why I’m not risking even teleporting.”

“Princess…” Twilight paused hearing screeches from what can be assumed are from the creatures outside. Still she shook her head and continued “He dodged the power of the box, anything similar most likely won’t work either. We have no other choice to but to resort to force.”

“Much as I dislike to do so, he has pushed us to this.” The pain and sadness on Celestia’s voice was quite obvious. Taking a life was something she would like to avoid at all costs, with any means necessary.

But it was inevitable this time.

"Tch, here comes the pep talk."

The mage muttered watching at one of the many crystals in the dark room he stood in, the glow from the crystal shard in front of him illuminating his face looking at the situation in Equestria. Looking at both princesses locking themselves up where the mirror to the other world is, rolling his eyes hearing them talk about waiting for her friends to come there and trying to cheer eachother up once again.

Vaati gave out a groan turning away from the crystal letting it and the scene projected there fade out, walking past some crystals passing by a womanly shape obviously wanting his attention. The mage simply stopped shortly past her not turning back to see her, she wore clothes that now belonged to the fearsome tyrant she used to be before her resurrection.

"Master, there is a matter out there for you to see." The now mare Sombra addressed him with eyes lacking any life that matched her stance and expression.

"They're just people, sure you are aware. You know well they're no problem for you." Vaati looked back with his currently visible eye, casually talking back to his servant. Exhaling slightly from his nose and preparing to walk on.

"They aren't, master. But one of them dared to turn on you and you would be delighted to see them suffer."

The mage stopped for a moment pondering who could that be, the possibility of maybe being someone he missed while letting loose with his power. Nodding to himself, he was now curious and looking forward to this moment as he chuckled too.

"Very well, I'll be there. This should be more fun than listening to those mares giving themselves speeches for hours, it's tiring damnit."

"What of that coin?"

Once more he frowned on reflex at that reminder. Taking out a coin from under his robe with the insignia of an eye he is now associated with carved on both sides of it, curling his fist around it slightly.

"I know it's related to my grandfather's job. But if they think they can tell me what to do after he quit them, they thought wrong." He clenched it tighter with a grunt, golden dust sliding out between his fingers "Now they won't be a problem, nor will they interfere."

Shaking his head he turned to yet another crystal, touching it so it glows on him. A figure with a familiar star cape and hat on the other side.

"Twilight and her cohorts should be coming soon, make the preparations to welcome them appropriately. I have a little something to take care of." He received a nod shortly cutting off connection with his servant, looking back at the shadow pony urging her with his head to come over "Let's go, see who's the idiot that wants to die so fast."

The shadow mare obediently followed after as the crystals in the room dimmed one by one, leaving it in full darkness once both figured left it.

Explosions and roars rang in the battle outside against those dragon-like creatures. The elements long had come in the room along with Spike, who was strangely quiet with narrowed eyes. Pinkie kept brushing her hand on Fluttershy's mane, who was sobbing quietly on her shoulder with her eyes gone clear and non-functional.

The other elements obviously were there as well, glancing over at the mirror over to the other world. Scorch marks surrounded it as well the floor in front of it, but seems otherwise fine. Though the mares felt an ominous feeling knowing who was on the other side and wondering what surprised he had for them, the bearer of magic looking at the mirror with determination standing by her mentor.

"Our enemy this time is well prepared and even a small mistake might cost you." Celestia started up addressing the element bearers "Those most well versed in combat are needed and a good strategy with quick thinking."

"I have the strong and quick parts filled out already." Rainbow Dash stepped up smugly bringing a fist to her own palm.

"And an extra pair with me," Applejack spoke up next with a fist clenched "I'll be darn if ah won't give that midget a piece of mah mind for all he done to us."

"I'm going too," Rarity spoke with unexpected confidence and determination "That fiend kidnapped my dear sister. I'll make sure to make him more purple than he already is with my bare hands!"

Twilight couldn't help but smile and nod knowing her friends were by her, though it was short lived reminding herself of a timid pegasus unable to do anything at the moment huddled up to Pinkie Pie. The party pony looked back to Twilight smiling while patting Fluttershy's back.

"Don't worry, I'll watch over her. I have plenty of tricks and ideas to protect her with." Pinkie spoke up trying to reassure her friends "After all, it is my job to make other ponies smile."

"She's right, all this time we have learned to not underestimate Pinkie Pie." Dash continued before shaking a bit and chuckling giving the party pony a thumbs up "We'll leave her to you, buddy!"

"You can count on me!" She made a two finger salute back at the cyan pegasus, her friends smiling now feeling relieved before another voice stepped up making up his mind.

"I'm going in both of your steads then." Spike decided as his tail flicked behind him once "If he's fighting with dragons, then another one is going to fight back against him."

"But Spike," Twilight responded putting a hand on his shoulder "You became a dog last time we went there and we... we almost..." She stopped as her eyes softened and small tears began to form embracing the young dragon "I don't want to lose another brother."

"It won't be like last time, Twilight." Spike returned the hug succeeding a bit more in holding back his own tears "Even if I become a dog again, I would still want to try help you all."

Another roar broke them out of their embrace before anyone could take the moment in, Celestia and Spike already going up to the portal with the rest joining up to them. Except for Pinkie and Fluttershy who remained seated in their place while the party pony took out a notepad and a pen from her poofy hair writing on it already.

"Not much time left," Celestia stated looking at the locked and barricaded door out to the castle "We'll stay behind to defend Equestria while you go after that insane mage. No one will blame you if you stop him at any costs or means necessary."

The princess' grim tone still shocked them despite knowing what must obviously done. So much chaos, death and their world is at the brink of destruction at the hands of a psychopath with too much power on his hands. Twilight and her friends lined up walking at the portal with her assistant at her side, the mirror glowing faintly and rippling once putting a hand through it.

"I hope for your success, my little ponies. Good luck." Celestia encouraged them one last time, each one passing through the mirror as another explosion was heard closer to them this time. She placed her faith in her student one last time, even if it's to take an action this extreme against someone.

No times for regrets not recalling sadly, her sister and subjects were waiting for her. It was time to finally join them in the battlefield.

Despite their efforts, the group fell down feeling disoriented from traveling through the mirror. First thing Twilight saw was soot on her nose and on the ground the laid upon, exhaling and shaking her head she got up on her feet. The scene she found left her speechless and horrified.

It is Canterlot City alright, she knew from the buildings around them. But said buildings were all collapsed, destroyed and burned judging by the scorch marks on the streets. Canterlot High before her now looked as if it was an abandoned old building half collapsed and it's entrance blocked by rubble.

She let out a gasp remembering Sunset Shimmer's last words on her previous visit, looking at both her sides seeing her friends sporting the same looks as her counterparts of this world and Spike now looking like a human teenager with more muscle anyone thought he would have coming with a jacket as well as jeans.

Somehow she got the feeling to look at the statue that held the link between the two worlds, it made her almost shriek when she saw the new makeover the statue got. Now replaced with the statue of a phoenix with a familiar girl coming out the phoenix's back looking towards the sky smiling.

"Sunset..." Twilight muttered with her voice shaking, placing a hand on the statue with an immense sadness. Not noticing her friends until they gave her a hug from behind, she had closed her eyes letting tears out again. So many lives lost and homes destroyed, and for what? What exactly does Vaati want? What have they done to deserve this?!

This moment didn't last too long either thanks to a small bang going off the ground near them, Rainbow let out a swear with her and Applejack alerted looking for the attacker. Though taken offguard with the sound of footsteps coming to them and taken aback seeing a familiar silver haired girl with glasses in a military pointing a handgun at them.

She also seemed surprised to see them, but quickly fear filled her with her hands shaking a bit on her gun "Y-You... How are you all alive? You all died on that day!"

They stepped back feeling a bit sad, Rarity dusting herself of the ash before taking one step before the gun was now pointed at her and a bit of sweat went out her forehead.

"W-We came with Twilight! We are your friends, we're on your side!"

"Got a bit of of an appointment with the crazy dude high on magic." Dash followed up even her knowing how scared the girl was of her.

"An appointment to kick his teeth in." Spike didn't bother hiding the spiteful tone on his voice given the topic of the conversation. The girl looking conflicted and scared not knowing what to do on this moment.

"Easy Silver Spoon, they speak truthfully." Another voice came up behind her that she trusted enough to lower her firearm. Another teen came up to her, a guy in the same clothes as Silver Spoon. One with great her and looks that was very familiar to Rarity.

"Oh goodness' sake, you gotta be kidding." Rarity put both hands on her face dreading this moment. And the others can tell with how they also recognize that voice and dignified tone.

"Seems we already met in your world under less than pleasant circumstances." He responded as he stopped to look at the dark, bleak sky above with little light but ones far away giving the illusion that more locations were burning in the distance "Not like this is any better, but where are my manners. My name is Blueblood, but between survivors I am called Glyde."

"Wh-What has happened here? First a meteor broke on it's way down, then a dragon came out of it-" Twilight was interrupted by Blueblood raising a hand and turning around.

"Pardon for interrupting, but it is not safe in here. Please follow us, I shall answer as best I can. Be sure to keep a close eye too if you would." Blueblood motioned to follow them with Silver Spoon nodding and going after.

Feeling no hostility from them, Spike already went with them. The others following too despite Rarity keeping a close eye on the seemingly spoiled prince from this world. The building's debris and destroyed vehicles littered on the street, the disgust obvious on Twilight's face looking at the charred corpses around too.

"When that dragon attacked," Silver Spoon addressed them picking up from the question asked before "Some of us had hidden deep underground in bunkers safely to avoid being destroyed, thanks to Glyde and his government connections."

Blueblood nodded picking up from where she left from "The one I was in was broken into shortly after the attack, by a women surrounded in some sort of darkness. Wanting to make us suffer."

"Eeyup, sounds like Vaati alright." Applejack commented as they saw a subway station entrance coming up.

"With what little forces we got left, we got equipment and defended whatever survivor we could find." Blueblood continued with a bitter tone "We can't hold out forever though."

"Wait, have you seen like a little girl like her around here?" Rarity asked while looking at Silver Spoon for a moment "With a mane kind of like mine?"

"Doesn't ring a bell, sorry." Silver Spoon responded making both of them look down, but one for a different reason "Closest we saw was Diamond Tiara, and she..."

She didn't dared to continue, preferring to not push it getting a good idea of what happened. Finally reaching the entrance underground to the subway, stopping and looking down the stairs seeing darkness looking a few stairs down it.

"This is it, down here is our underground base. That mage doesn't know we're down here." Blueblood stepped up besides the entrance gesturing to it "Come here, we can think of a plan over there and also on how are we gonna find him."

"You don't even know where he is?! And he I was aching to finally settle the score with him." Rainbow rolled her eyes looking disappointed.

"We can't help it if we don't know where he is, the guy doesn't exactly lets himself known despite the power he has." Silver Spoon followed up about to go down the stairs, until an earthquake stopped her making the rest grab on to the sides of the rails.

A pillar of light rose from the ruins of Canterlot City, expanding while the earthquake intensified and screams were heard all around. The light splitting the streets as the shadow of yet another building rose from withing the light, rising to the point of it looking like a pyramid with small lights on it too. The shadows receding exposing indeed a pyramid, but it was completely mechanical as if it was a futuristic city from sci-fi.

The earthquake and light stopping once the pyramid came into full view, somehow it had helicopters as well as searchlights on it's corners pointing back and forth on the sky. A terrible pressure came to their chest the more they looked at it despite how unbelievable what just happened had been.

"I SWEAR I once saw this in a comic book..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she let go of Spike's leg taking one step to the newly appeared futuristic pyramid.

"I grow tired of this game, it's been going far too long already."

"It's him!" Twilight yelled.

"Bastard showed himself at last, huh." Spike felt anger rise within him and clenched his fist knowing his voice is coming from that building.

My fortress is here as well as me. Come at me already, time to end this game once and for all. You five, against me and my servants.

"Oh no, he didn't!" Rarity knew well he was trying to rile them up, it took all her willpower to not lose it right there.

I don't advice to waste anymore time, Equestria's magic is dying faster now that you're here. The Endgame has begun!

Author's Note

I pretty much forced myself to write 80% of this, but it's out already. This could count as an early christmas present since writing is the best I can do, and I'm not very good at all.

So, Merry Christmas everyone. Next up, The Palace of Millennium.