Sombra had attacked the Crystal Empire, and had been keeping it’s inhabitants as slaves. They were forced to work around the clock, with little to no food. The Crystal Heart was gone from its pedestal, but even so, Equestria was beginning to feel the ripples. The two princesses had decided that they would put up with this heretic no longer, and traipsed up north with twelve others to fight.
Celestia and Luna led the attack, each encased in thick armor. Both of them looked as though they had been born on the battlefield. They moved gracefully, and purpose dripped from every flick of muscle. Their horns were rarely unlit, and they fired off spell after spell at Sombra’s shield
Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Leo, Libra, Virgo, Cancer, Scorpio, Gemini, Capricorn, and Sagittarius. They were ponies that had been born all across Equestria. Each of them specialized in a different magic path, but all of them could attack and defend. They were the strongest ponies in Equestria, and they had decided that they would be the only ones to risk their lives.
Scorpio jumped around, rarely standing still for more than a moment. Her tail flicked back and forth, taunting the King. Though he didn’t bat an eye.
Aquarius and Capricorn wandered side by side, helping the Princesses try and break Sombra’s shield. However, it stood strong.
Gemini twirled around the battlefield, moving around, looking for just one weakness. As she went she charged up spells, not yet releasing anything.
Leo and Taurus stood side by side in front of Sombra, both readying melee attacks for when the shield broke.
Pisces was holding her teammates, ready to teleport them at a moments notice.
Libra sat still in the center of the battlefield, holding up her own shield just in case Sombra decided to attack back.
Virgo stood at the back with Sagittarius, healing every pony on the field of major wounds. She grit her teeth. The effort of a mass healing spell was tremendous, and Virgo knew that she could not stop yet.
Sagittarius had replaced his rubber-tipped arrows with deadly ones. Each possessed an enchantment that would cut off magical circulation when it hit a target.
Sombra knew that he was the one he had to watch out for.
Luna and Celestia suddenly stopped next to each other in the center of the battlefield. Their faces were blank, but Scorpio felt that she knew what was going on.
Fall back! She called over their mind link. Sagittarius! Prepare for fire!
Scorpio was the main leader of the group of twelve, along with Leo. They were the smartest and the strongest, and they knew everyone’s strength and weaknesses. Their skill at leading was topped only by the Princesses, who each had millennia of experience.
The sisters regalia began to glow in unison with their horns, and they’re spell was ready in seconds. Their spell launched straight towards King Sombra. It began as two different beams. One was Luna’s soft blue, and Celestia’s bright yellow. However, halfway towards their target, they entwined together in a braid, Luna’s blue taking up most of the space.
Sombra didn’t move, and slowly, a smile fell across his feature. Too late, they realized their mistake.
“Libra!”
“I know!” Libras shield lit up a fraction of a second too late, and twelve of the ponies flew backwards. Luna and Celestia, however, simply slid back on their hooves.
The moment Virgo’s hooves left the ground, she began to start up a cushioning spell to break her friends fall. However, she was the first to land... and she landed on a rock.
Virgo gasped as the stone hit her head, and she passed out. The teams healer was out of commission.
Aquarius landed next, and she was lucky. All that happened to her was a lack of breath. Then, she levitated the few around her, Leo, Aries, and Libra, from hitting the ground.
Gemini and Cancer landed nearby each other, hitting a few stones. Then they stood up, but they hung back from Sombra.
Libra landed, but she hadn’t fallen very far. Gasping, she stood up, and glared at Sombra.
The rest of the group managed to land close enough to their hooves that they avoided injury.
Scorpio immediately ran to where Viro was lying on the ground, unconscious, and lifted her onto her back. Keeping one eye on the King, she retreated farther back, and set Virgo down in a relatively safe position.
“Princess Celestia!” She called, “We have to draw back!”
It was Luna that responded. “No!” She called, “We must not leave this monster here with those who are hurt, or will be hurt!”
“But Virgo is down!”
“She shall be fine!” Luna spat. “Get back into the fight!”
Scorpio refused to move, crouching down near Virgo’s body, but she began to send spells after Sombra.
The King laughed, ominous smoke streaming from his eyes. “You can not defeat me. How long must it take for you discover this?”
“We will defeat you!” Celestia called back. “For the sake of all of those you’ve imprisoned!”
He just kept laughing, then he released the shield and began fighting back.
Sombra’s horn flared at least two feet above his head, and all of the spells he cast were almost the highest level possible. He sent those not standing around Libra or the Princesses, flying back. The next spell was aimed at those on the ground, and it would have killed them if Scorpio hadn’t cast her spell.
Scorpio’s shadows had sprung to life and had built a shield around everyone’s hooves, gently urging them all to stand up.
Sagittarius’s bow had fallen far away from him, and he hated himself for not being able to attack whilst his enemy was just standing there. He crouched down and prepared to launch a spell, but was blocked by Scorpio’s shadow.
No one move! She shouted over the link.
Gemini was the first to object. Scorpio, we know that you are worried, and you can stay with Virgo if you need to. However, we will not leave the Princess’s battle, for it is our battle too.
But- !
Leo silenced her. Stay there and keep your shadows up. We will fight for you.
Scorpio bit her lip and crouched by her friend’s body.
Pleased to be free from her friend’s nagging, Leo jumped up onto her back hind legs, charged up a spell, and stomped. A small crack traveled from her hoof to Sombra, and magic traveled along the line.
However, Sombra stopped it moments before it hit him without even looking at it.
“Oh boy!” He laughed. “This is just starting to get fun.”
…
…
…
“No! You cannot!” Luna shouted, taking one step forward to her friends.
Scorpio looked back at Luna, shaking her head, as her eyes began to gain a terrifying glow, her green eyes radiating color.
The twelve mortals in the battle had cast a spell that had been forbidden by Equestria. It used the life force of those that casted it, killing them after the spell was complete.
In other words: Scorpio and the others were sacrificing themselves to kill Sombra and save the Crystal Empire and the rest of Equestria from his madness.
…
Luna bent over the bodies of her friends, tears running down her cheeks. All of them were gone, leaving behind friends, family, lovers… everyone they had ever known… they had left behind the princesses, who thought of them as the only ones that would ever understand them. They had left behind their mentors, their students. They had left behind the world.
Celestia walked up behind her sister, who own eyes bleak. “Luna,” She whispered. Luna did not move, unable to hear above her sobbing.
“Luna.” Still she did not respond.
“Lu-” Celestia was cut off as her sister’s horn lit up. “Luna, what are you doing?”
Luna did not look at her sister, all of her focus on the spell she was casting. Without warning, stars seemed to leave the bodies of the ponies on the ground, all of them strung together.
“I may not be able to save them,” she said. “But I can at least make sure that no one forgets them.”
The stars rose up to the sky, forming a line together. The string of each individual pony formed a shape, their cutie-marks becoming constellations for every living thing across the world. Each of them ready to be admired for all of eternity.
