And Ever We Fight On

Equestria. It was a land of peace and prosperity. Under Princess Celestia, Equestria was in a Golden Era, a unity of the three races: unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. But everything changed upon the return of the Crystal Empire.

Located in the frozen north, the Empire was as much a centropolis as was the capital city of Canterlot. But, King Sombra, the ruler or rather dictator, of the Empire, wanted Equestria for himself. Thanks to the efforts of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Sombra was destroyed and his very soul sealed away to the darkest abyss.

However, as a last effort on his part, Sombra placed one last curse on the Empire, causing it and it's people to disappear. And for over a millennium, it was never seen again.

Upon its return, Sombra, who had managed to revive himself, wasted no time in building his army, his army of slaves to be more precise, and his sights were once again set on all of Equestria. And so began the Great War that would cause so much destruction, so much loss, and so much despair. So what am I doing here, in a dungeon of all places?

This is not just my story, it's a story of how the unlikeliest of heroes came together and faced against impossible odds, to defeat a tyrant hell bent on turning Equestria into a world of darkness. But I suppose it's appropriate to start from the beginning, to explain how I, of all ponies, was a given a second chance. How could I refuse such an opportunity?

The mare used her magic to scratch another line into the wall. Day seven. It has been an entire week since she was locked up.

She was the only one in the dungeons currently and quite frankly she never felt more alone. However, she was able to keep track of events by the whispers of the guards. Unfortunately none of it was good news.

Equestria was losing badly. The Crystal Empire was already halfway towards its destination: Canterlot. Despite Celestia's best efforts, the Imperial Army was just too much. In a matter of days since she has been here, the end of the war for Equestria went from a matter of months to a matter of weeks.

What's more, Equestria was running of supplies. Food and soldiers were becoming scarce, while the Crystal Empire war machine hardly lost steam. It was only a matter of time before the evacuations would begin.

To the mare, it hardly mattered. She would probably be put to death either way. What she did could very well have been borderline treason so in the end it was either Celestia or Sombra that would end her life.

Suddenly the door above opened and the guard came down. He went to her cell and opened the door. “The Princess has returned and would like to see you.”

The mare stood up, saying nothing but nodded. “And remember, no tricks,” the guard reminded her. Not that she needed it; she never once tried to escape. Maybe it was due to the state of Equestria at the moment, or perhaps because she had nowhere else to go.

She followed him up to the main floor of the palace. Not much had changed since the last time she walked these halls. However, the once jovial tone here was now gone, replaced with a eerie silence.

She thought they would be going to the throne room but after going up another set of stairs she knew they were heading to Celestia's private quarters instead. Once they stood outside the door the guard went to the side and stood at attention while motioning with his head towards the door. The mare hesitated for a moment before going to the door and knocked gently. “Come in.” The mare hesitated again, hearing the Princess’s voice but then opened the door and went inside.

The room was rather dark, except for the dim lighting of a fireplace on the other side of the room. She then saw the Princess resting on her bed, reading a book. She then looked up and smiled. “Sunset. It's good to see you again.”

Sunset Shimmer stared at her former teacher, not sure how to react. Why was she smiling? She should have been at least somewhat angered to see her.

“I must apologize for you being locked up,” Celestia continued. “I was away on the front lines this past week and I believe the Guard was only doing what they thought was right.”

“...I don't understand.”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you being so kind?” Sunset asked. “After what I did, what I said, and you're speaking to me like nothing happened.”

Celestia sighed. “Sunset, if there's one thing I learned in my long life it's that we can't live in the past. I wasn't truly angry with what transpired, but rather sad. I felt like somehow I failed you as a teacher and I took the blame for myself. But seeing you here now, how can I not feel joy?”

Sunset bowed her head in both shame and respect. “You are too kind Princess…”

Celestia went over and lifted her head with her hoof gently. “You were always like family Sunset, and that hasn't changed.”

Sunset finally managed a smile and felt tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you... but what has happened?”

Celestia's smile faded as she sighed and turned away. “Much I'm afraid. The Crystal Empire appeared over six months ago. The scouts who reported it gave us the unfortunate news that King Sombra had returned and had wasted no time on amassing a large army, although these soldiers were merely innocent crystal ponies who were forced, or rather brainwashed, to fight for his Majesty.”

“So it's true... we're losing this war?” Sunset asked.

“I cannot tell my subjects the truth and have them lose what little hope they have left,” Celestia replied. “What we need is a new plan, a rallying force that can turn this war to our side. But we have little time. Sombra is already setting his sights on Canterlot and his army is quickly approaching. This is where I need your help Sunset.”

“A rallying force...my help?” Sunset asked. “I don't see how I can contribute.”

“Despite what happened you were still one of my best students,” Celestia said. “I wouldn't ask for your help if I didn't have confidence in you.”

Sunset was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She then looked at Celestia and the Princess truly saw her former student for the first time in so many years. “What do you need me to do?”