A Shattered Crystal

Chapters

The Grand Inquisitor
The Price of Harmony
One Final Sunset
A Necessary Evil
To Mourn the Fallen

The Grand Inquisitor

It was during the early morning hours that I woke up to a loud bang. I darted out of my bed, and my horn lit up for any potential threat. But... nopony was there. I remained still for a moment, and then again:

BANG!

I knew that sound, knew it all too well by now. I moved over to the Window and looked out towards Ponyville. Immediately, I could see what was going on. The Inquisition was doing its job.

BANG!

Another Body dropped dead as the Gunshot's echo rang through the Town. I moved away from the Window and towards the Door to my Room. As I opened the Door, I realised something peculiar.

Wasn't I the 'Grand Inquisitor', Leader of the Solar Inquisition, appointed by none other than the Empress herself? How come the Inquisition acts on its own behalf without informing me!

My slow trot from before turned into a sprint as I darted down the Hallway of the Castle. Spike waved and greeted me as he left the Bathroom, but I had no time to return the favour.

I shoved open the Great Doors of the Castle and charged outwards towards Ponyville. The small band of Inquisitors had lined up Ponies from all over Ponyville in front of the Town Hall. About half of them already laid dead.

As I turned the final corner, I spotted one of them pushing the muzzle of his Rifle against the back of a Pony's head.

"STOP!" I yelled, using my Magic to knock the Inquisitor's Rifle out of his hooves. He and the others immediately snapped to Attention and bowed before me as I came to a halt in front of them.

"Grand Inquisitor!" the one who had held the Rifle gave out, "we were just about to-"

"Silence! You speak only when I allow you to!" I barked back at him. He and his colleagues complied.

I turned my Head and looked at the carnage. 4 Ponies laid dead, blood flowing out from wounds in the back of their skulls. 3 other ponies laid next to the corpses: blindfolded and chained. Completely defenceless.

I knew those Ponies. Both the Dead and the Living. Some of them I considered good friends, once.

"Inquisitor," I asked the Stallion as I turned my Attention back to him, "who leads the Inquisition?"

The group looked at one another for a moment before one of them stuttered "Y-you, Grand Inquisitor!"

"Good," I applauded sarcastically, "so then how come I haven't been informed about your little 'excursion' into my hometown? Did you forget about the values of Harmony in Order, as our God-Empress has taught us?"

"No!" they all gave out in a panic. "We would never forget!"

I moved closer to them, inch by inch, my Horn lighting up. "You fools realise insubordination like this is met with the Death Penalty, don't you? Harmony can only be achieved through Order, and you as Inquisitors should know what happens to those who defy the Order of things in the Empire."

They remained silent, cowering before me.

"And these... Ponies," I gestured towards them with my hoof. "What is their crime? Are they heretics?"

"W-well, there have been rumors, you see," one of them stuttered timidly.

"Rumors? What Rumors?" My Horn once again lit up, brighter than before.

"Yes, well, there are rumors that "Resistance" Cells are forming, one of them in Ponyville. We came here and decided to take the liberty to-"

His speech was cut short as a blast of Fiery Magic pierced his head. He twitched for a moment, then collapsed to the floor, just like the Ponies he had executed before.

"I will remind you one last time," I said to the remaining Inquisitors as they stared at their deceased brother. "I am the Grand Inquisitor! I lead you and I decide who is heretic and who is not."

The Inquisitors nodded and bowed before me in fearful respect.

"We heed your call, Grand Inquisitor," one among them said, "but how shall we now proceed with the remaining Ponies? What is your verdict?"

I looked back over to the row of Ponies. I recognised them. All of them. My frown from before turned into a grin as I put the pieces together in my head.

"Grand Inquisitor?" an Inquisitor asked again.

"Burn them. I want them burnt at the sake, like true Heretics."

They all raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat surprised.

"The Light that our Empress brings us can cure anypony of corruption and evil. We shall guide these poor souls to the light by giving their bodies to the light and flames. We may only pray that, in the Light and Glory of the Empress, they may find rest and guidance."

The Inquisitors nodded in agreement, and rushed over to the few remaining captives. One after another, they were dragged off deeper into the town, where the local Solar Temple was. There, they would burn for their crimes.

"All is as the Empress commands," I said to myself, some of those who had gathered around me clearly listening. "Harmony must be protected from evil, both outside and inside our lands. And if there are traitors, Heretics who do not approve of our Harmony and new ways, then it is my Duty to rid the Empire of them. Once and for all."

As the Group of Inquisitors vanished between the rows of Houses, I made my way back to the Castle. And as I made my way through Town, Ponies watching me with fear and respect both, I contemplated if perhaps I had been too zealous to that Inquisitor back then.

I shrugged off that thought quickly. Clearly not. He acted on his own, ignored the order of the Inquisition. Those who are unable to accept Order must be removed, such is my task, after all.

"She didn't listen at all, huh?" Spike said as he brought over a stack of books.

"I tried to convince her but... no chance. She is the Empress, after all. If she wants it, nopony can convince her otherwise." I sighed, reading through various reports and forms. A Signature here, a hoofstamp there. It was tedious work, but the kind of work the Empress knew I did well, better than anyone else in the Empire.

"I just wish I hadn't screwed up, Spike." I dropped what I was doing and rested against the back of my seat. Without my friends, the Map Room was really empty nowadays. Just me and Spike. "If only I could have convinced Cadence..."

"Hey now," Spike said cheerfully, "it's not exactly your fault now, is it? Your mission was basically hopeless from the start, given the circumstances."

I looked over to Spike with a frown.

"Oh. That didn't really help, did it?"

"Everyone counted on me, Spike. Most important of all, the Empress did. I'm the reason thousands have already died in this war between Equestrians and Crystal Ponies. Millions might die, still, before this war comes to a close! And why?" My head sank in disappointment. "Because I failed, Spike. I failed everyone, not just the Empress. I failed myself, too. I wanted to be successful, not just because the Empress asked it of me, but because I knew the repercussions if I failed. I wanted to..."

I sniffed as a tear ran down my face.

"I wanted to keep Cadence and my Brother safe, Spike. I really did want to preserve Peace, to stay friends with all of them but... I couldn't make it."

Spike moved over and gave me a soft pat on the back. "Remember what you told me? Cadence never said she disliked you, did she? She still held you close to heart, both as a friend and a family member. She would never hate you. The same can be said about your Brother, surely."

I looked up at Spike and smiled slightly, tough still sobbing. "You know... I guess you're right, Spike. Perhaps there's hope yet. Perhaps, when this whole 'war' business is over, I can reunite with them all for good. Perhaps they'll finally see reason and join us, too!"

"Eh," Spike scratched his head, "I wouldn't count on the latter, personally."

I pulled Spike towards me to embrace him in a hug, but just as I did, his tummy began to rumble. I knew all too well what that would mean.

"Here it comes!" Spike blurted out before burping out a scroll.

I levitated the Scroll and opened it. It was by the Empress, of course, though this one was much shorter than most other messages she had sent me. From experience, I could tell: the shorter the message, the more urgent the problem.

The Scroll itself was a direct Order from Daybreaker to make my way to Canterlot at once. There was an urgent issue that needed to be addressed not just by her alone, but by me as well.

I dropped the Scroll on the table and stared straight ahead in an empty gaze. "A Problem that required not just the Empress but me, as well?" I thought. There wasn't much time to think about it. The Message was urgent, and I wouldn't fail my Empress.

Not this time...

The Price of Harmony

The Enormous Doors to the Throne Room creaked as my Magic pushed them open. Canterlot had seen quite a bit of 'renovation' since the Rise of Daybreaker. Any trace of Luna was removed, and Flags and Banners of the Empire waved proudly in the Breeze all over the Capital. There were lots more Guards and Soldiers stationed here too, now. Only natural though, I suppose. It was the Capital, after all.

Wearing my Grand Inquisitor Regalia, I stepped forth into the Imperial Throne Room. Bright white tiles of marble decorated the floor, while a fiery coloured Carpet lead from the Entrance all the way up to the Throne. The Throne upon which none other than the Empress sat. Just by sitting there she radiated heat and power throughout the Room. I stepped closer until we saw eye to eye. Her slitted eyes emitted a sense of both fear and loyalty within me, and I deeply bowed before her, almost kissing the Carpet below me in the Progress.

"My Empress," I said as I looked back up to her, "you called for my Assistance?"

"Quite so. Surely you remember your Trip to the Crystal Empire months ago."

I nodded affirmatively. "Yes, your Majesty. Of course I do and..." I stuttered for a moment, holding back a thought. "...and I once again apologize for failing you." I bowed before her once more.

"Spare yourself the Apologies. I never fully expected Cadence to have the wisdom to accept my generous offer of peaceful subjugation to begin with, but I figured if anyone was to achieve it, it would be you, my loyal Student."

My Heart was warmed by her kind words of trust. "Thank you, Empress. I thank you for your trust in me, even if I couldn't pay you back with success."

"Nevertheless, as you know, this left us with only one solution: War." The Empress rose from her Throne and began marching towards me. "And you, as the Grand Inquisitor, should know more than well that this Conflict between Ponies, a War between Brothers and Sisters is... unpopular."

I looked up to the Empress once more as she now stood right before me, her stature grand and her figure imposing.

"Yes, there have been severe cases of heresy ever since the start of the War, and I have..." she cleared her throat, "recently come to hear that there are rumours of a 'Resistance' Movement to your Rule."

"As have I." The Empress nodded and began to walk towards one of the great windows of the Throne Room. "And as such, it is of top priority to finish this War between Ponies as quickly as possible." For the first time ever, I heard the Empress sigh as she looked out the Window and unto her Realm, her little Ponies that were hers to Protect and Guide. "It has to end now, Sunrise. By any means."

The Empress used... my name? Perhaps the Problem was more important to her than I first realized.

"When the Elements of Harmony and I defeated Nightmare Moon," I began as I walked up to Daybreaker at the Window, "We did so in the defence and service of Harmony. As you know, that pledge is something I still stand by. Definitions of Harmony may have changed, and the World as we know it has too, but I will do whatever it takes to ensure that Harmony survives. You have ensured that Harmony did not crumble and rot away during these Times of War, Empress. You have made great sacrifices, yes, but it was for the greater good."

Daybreaker looked over to me, for once not with a gaze of authority but a genuine smile. "Thank you, Sunrise. I know there are Ponies out there that have yet to understand things as we have, which is why we must end this Conflict as soon as possible. My Goal is to protect my little Ponies, as it has always been, and the sooner we can end the bloodshed between Ponies the better."

I nodded in agreement. "But how exactly? Our Troops are bogged down in the Snow for the most part, aren't they?"

"As I said, I plan to end this war by any means necessary. That may require... unconventional and dangerous strategies."

"Unconventional..?" I repeated as I cocked my head slightly.

"There's two ways to end this war swiftly. One of them is more dangerous than the other, while the second is more deadly and destructive than the first. I talked things over with the Field Marshals, and they agree that 'Plan A' sounds like a better alternative, for now."

"Empress, I... I don't quite understand."

"We will travel to the Crystal Empire, my Student. You and me. We will break straight into Cadence's throne room and confront her. She will have no choice but to give in at last and surrender to us or die."

I gasped out loud at the possibility of killing Cadence.

"I know you aren't a fan of this Plan, Sunrise. I know it too well, because neither am I. While Cadence is like a big Sister to you, she was like a sibling to me for many Years. I would hate to strike her down but..." her face carried a message of tragedy as she finished, "it may be the only way to prevent thousands, if not millions from dying. Without Cadence to rally behind, the Crystal Empire would collapse within hours. No Leadership, no figurehead. The Military would be forced to surrender to us. Or... so the theory goes, anyway."

We both gazed out the Window towards the green meadows of Equestria that laid below the Mountain Capital that was Canterlot. For a moment I forgot all the War and Empire business and remember a better time, a peaceful time. A Time where me and my friends had picnics and parties and all other sorts of fun stuff going on. But that was in the past... a past blown to bits by the thunder of Artillery and the rumbling of Tank Tracks. Old Ideas of Peace and Friendship blown away to ensure that Harmony, in the end, could survive these trying years. Perhaps... Daybreaker thought the same?

"Daybreaker?" I asked daringly, using her name instead of title. "What... is Plan B, then?"

She sighed at the mention of it. It took her a few seconds of contemplation before she could reply. "It's worse, Sunrise. Much worse. You'll have to take my word on that for now."

"Right..." I said, my Head dropping slightly. "So there really isn't much of an alternative here, is there?" I asked, but already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid not. All we can do is hope that among the mounting Casualties on either side, Cadence will be willing to negotiate a peace... or else..."

"And...my Brother? What about him?"

"Unclear. We know he acts as a Field Marshal, so he may be in the field with his troops, away from Cadence when we arrive."

"Or... not." I gave out pessimistically.

"I'm sorry, Sunrise, but I really don't know. Even as the Empress I... can't know it all." I heard her sigh once again, louder this time. "All I've wanted to do is preserve Harmony and Stability for my Ponies. I never intended for Ponies to start clashing with other Ponies on the field of battle. I was glad when you came to see things my way, you know. Because it meant I would finally have a trusted, well-known voice besides me among all this Chaos. I never made myself Empress because I wanted to hurt Ponies or be a Tyrant, Sunrise."

I remained silent for a moment, taking in her words.

"It's just that... with War on our doorstep, I realised how vulnerable and fragile Pacifism and Friendship has made us as a Society and Nation. Tirek, Sombra, Discord, Chrysalis. All of them nearly defeated us, and it's because we didn't grow the spine to stand up and fight them head on. Instead, we were hiding away in the shadows, letting our Heroes of Equestria do the fighting for us."

She looked me in the eyes.

"I appreciate what you and your friends, the Elements, did and achieved, Sunrise. Of course I do. You even saved my life more than a couple of times, as well. But... be truly honest with yourself, and you'll realise that a Nation cannot survive like THAT, relying purely on a small band of Heroes armed with Friendship. The Reality of the Situation is that Time progressed, and the World around us became grim and villainous. We ignored any warnings of a Changeling attack, desperately clinging onto our ways of pacifism. We believed old problems and rivalries could be rooted out with Friendship alone. But now you know just as I do, Sunrise."

She rested a hoof around my neck, sighing as she closed her eyes.

"Friendship can't stop Tanks. Pacifism can't shoot down Aircraft. Millions of Ponies have died, Sunrise, because we were simply blind to this fact. Endless Towns and Villages of Equestria already under Changeling occupation, as they hide away from the Changelings who wish to abduct them and suck their hearts dry."

Her fiery, slitted eyes shot open once more and she tightened her grip around me.

"And all of this because of me!" she yelled. "I was blind! Ignorant! I discared the warnings! I refused to accept reality as it really was, I could not handle the facts!"

She let go of me and turned her attention back out the window, staring straight into the sun as it slowly but surely rose across the pastures and hills of the Empire.

"But now I do," she said calmly. "I now realise that a new Age has dawned, one that requires us to adapt and change our way of thinking. We must stop thinking about Pacifism, because Pacifism invites Warmongers like Chrysalis. What we need is Militarism and Jingoism. We must combat fire with fire, and when they are fighting the wrath of the Sun itself, NOTHING will remain of them but smoldering ashes!"

I grinned ever so slightly as the Empress broke out into triumphant laughter. It made me confident for what was ahead of us. A Task I knew would lay heavy upon the both of us, but knowing that the Empress, should everything else falter, would destroy anyone who opposes us. Such was the way to maintain Harmony, and nopony was more dedicated and determined to uphold it than her.

"Oh, and of course, I quickly realised that enemies of Harmony existed not just outside our Borders, but within our own ranks, as well. I'm no blind fool, and I learnt a long time ago that a good Ruler must always be well-informed. As such, I quickly got to know about Ponies that... 'resisted' my ways. They refuse to accept my new Harmony, they refuse to obey me and they refuse to worship me!" Daybreaker's mane burst out in Anger, shooting flames across the Room.

"I seek to crush them, one after another. I gave them the choice to convert and become followers and defenders of Harmony, or be a Traitor. And if a Traitor is what they wish to be, then I shall treat them as such. That is where you, my Grand Inquisitor, came in. I established the Solar Inquisition as a Vanguard of Harmony, a loyal Brigade of Followers who would hunt down anypony opposing my will and, as such, opposing Harmony." I nodded in agreement. "Such Pestilence cannot be allowed to roam our Streets any longer, Sunrise. You know this. With Dissent comes Opposition. With Opposition comes Violence, and with Violence comes Revolution. You know what happened at Stalliongrad all those years ago just as well as I do. We ignored them for too long, and their opposition to us turned into a violent Revolution. And fool that I was, I was too cowardly to crush them right there and then..."

I heard her breathe heavily, her face loaded with anger and a lust for Revenge.

"I will not repeat these mistakes again. I will stomp out ANY who oppose me! I am Empress, I am Harmony! And if they do not bow before me, the God-Empress of the Sun-"

"Then we shall smite them like the heretics that they are." I interjected, finishing her sentence. She shot a grin at me, one that I gladly returned. I knew my Duties well enough, and my Loyalty to the Empress was unchallenged. Order was Harmony, and Harmony was Order.

Now I could only hope that Cadence would come to the same realisation...

One Final Sunset

As the Sun began to set, the Empress and I were already well on our way to the Crystal Empire. Perhaps a bit less glorious but certainly a lot safer, we boarded a high altitude Flight that could hide us away from the Anti-Aircraft Guns below. Above the Clouds, under the gaze of the mighty Sun, we cruised beyond the Frontline below. Obviously I couldn't hear anything but the roaring of the Propellers in there, but I could imagine the horrific scenes that must have played out at the Front for the Soldiers just then. And us two Pony realms had been at war for weeks now, with Thousands already confirmed dead in the snowy wastes of the Crystal Empire. The Empress was right: we HAD to end the bloodshed. Even if it meant...

The door of the Aircraft suddenly opened as we reached our drop-off point beyond the Frontline. The Instructor signalled us to jump out, and gave us one final salute. Then, we jumped.

Silence.

For a moment, nothing but silence as we plummeted towards the Clouds below, the Engines that had tortured us for hours growing distant, ever so distant, until they faded away completely.

Then silence, nothing but wind howling as we descended.

I looked over to Daybreaker right before she returned a gaze. She nodded. Moments later, we unfolded our Wings. Our descend halted, and we hovered just above the thick layer of clouds, where no one below could see us.

"So far so good" I said, but no reply came from the Empress. We made our way to the Capital, the Crystal City. There, what felt like my Final Test awaited. The Final Confrontation between me and Cadence. For good, or for bad.

I had to get this right.

Swiftly and silently, we had managed to avoid any Detection as we arrived above the Capital. Sadly, our Journey wasn't quite done, yet. The City was guarded now more than ever. The Empress considered brute forcing our way into the Palace, but figured it would make a bad impression on Cadence if we arrived with blood on our hooves. So, we had no choice but to sneak in.

We landed near the outskirts, slowly making our way through the urban area. Sadly, we didn't exactly have disguises, so if anypony had spotted us, we would have been busted. Or rather, we would have to go loud, after all, which we tried to avoid.

The trip to the Palace Entrance was long and difficult. Sneaking through backyards and small alleyways, and whatever empty side streets we could find got us a bit closer to our goal, and now we had arrived. The Empress and I spotted the two guards protecting the Entrance. Even from a Distance we could tell that those weren't the trained, experienced Royal Guards from Peacetime which usually guarded the City and Palace. They were mere conscripts, equipped with a rifle and full gear, and clearly tired. The war had taken a clear toll on them. I suggested to knock them out with magic but... the Empress had her own plan.

I gasped as Daybreaker left our hiding place and trotted into the Open, straight towards the Guards. The Guards looked at one another in disbelief as they saw her, rubbing their tired eyes as they simply could not comprehend the reality of things. There she was, the Goddess of the Sun herself, walking right towards them. Someone who, they had been told, was their sworn enemy, seeking to destroy them.

"H-Halt!" one of them yelled, raising his firearm. "Not one more step!" the other one added, also aiming his rifle towards the Empress.

My Jaw dropped open in fear, and I was just about to leap forward to destroy the two with a burst of magic. But then...
the Empress acted. Her Eyes began to glow in a bright, fiery Orange. I couldn't look her in the eyes, as I was behind her, but I could see the glow nonetheless.

"I can see into your tired souls. I can feel your torment. Have you not lost so much in this pointless war? Would you not support Harmony as I do?" Daybreaker spoke with an echo of sorts. The voice of a true goddess, it felt like. "I am the Goddess of the Sun, Empress of Equestria, and Divine Protector of Harmony."

The Soldiers dropped their Rifles. Their jaws dropped as their eyes were fixed purely on those of Daybreaker. They seemed almost entranced, completely without a will or thought of their own.

"I am the God-Empress of the Solar Empire, and I have come here today to end this war, this bloodshed, which you grief as much as I do. I tortures you as much as me. So I say to you: Come, join me in the Defence of Harmony, and together my reign will be a glorious one."

The Soldiers saluted Daybreaker, now their Empress. It almost seemed too easy to me. Daybreaker must have spotted their weakness from a mile away, saw their vulnerable, feeble minds. They didn't stand a chance against the will and voice of a god.

The two Guards opened the Doors to the Palace, allowing us to enter. Every step echoed through the hallways, and any Banners of the Crystal Empire began to burn to ash as the Empress and I passed them. The remaining guards in front of the Throne Room were dealt with swiftly. With a few bolts of magic, they were all but knocked out. And then, finally, it was time. We had arrived. There I stood, in front of the Throne Room once more, just like all those weeks ago...

...when I failed...

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. There was no time for doubts, no room for error. I would have to succeed now or face the consequences first hand. Now or never. My Foalsitter, my Sister, would either join us in the end or... meet the same end as all other Heretics. Such was my Job, after all.

Daybreaker briefly closed her eyes as her horn lit up with a bright Aura. The Doors began to shuffle open, and we both eyed straight ahead as the Doors revealed to us who waited inside.

Cadence.

There she sat, on her Throne, all by herself. No Guards, not even... Shining Armour. I gave out a quiet sigh of relief. He wasn't there, after all. I wouldn't have to face both my Sister AND my Brother and... I wouldn't have to fight them if it ever got to that. At least that was good.

Daybreaker wasted no time and entered, marching confidently towards the Princess. Then, she stood and stared. Both Mares eyed each other down for about a minute or two. Silence set in, with nothing but the soft crackling of Daybreaker's fiery mane hearable.

"So you have come to do it yourself," Cadence spoke up. Daybreaker remained silent. "At least you didn't just send one of your minions to do it, like..." she broke off as she turned her gaze at me, her eyes widening. "...Twily..."

I, too, remained silent for the time being. I was... unsure of how to even begin talking to her after what has happened. I walked up to where the Empress stood, looking up to where Cadence sat.

"Twily, I... please." Cadence sighed in despair. "I know who you really are, more so than most ponies ever will. Please, you must stop this war. I... never wanted my Ponies to die in war. That was a thing I hoped to bury alongside King Sombra."

I briefly shot a glance at the Empress before speaking. "That's why we're here, Cadence. We want to end this war just as much as you do. No more bloodshed between Ponies."

"You do? But then why do you serve her?" She pointed a hoof straight towards the Empress, who remained silent. "Twily, you must realise she is corrupted by evil, and her Corruption has taken a hold of you, as well!" I held my breathe as Cadence gasped and sobbed, her eyes filling with tears. "She killed Luna!" Cadence cried out in tears. "She killed her! She-"

"I didn't." Cadence fell silent as Daybreaker spoke up. "I... tried to but..." the Empress shut her eyes, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't strike her down. Not my Sister."

"Luna... she lives?" Cadence implored.

"I cast her away. To the deepest depths of Tartarus." the Empress revealed.

Cadence sighed in relief for a moment, presumably because it meant Luna was still alive, at all. However, her mood quickly shifted.

"So you imprisoned your own Sister, force all Ponies to worship you like a God and kill anyone who disagrees with you? Is that what you have become?"

Daybreaker remained steadfast in her resolve. "When the Changelings pushed on and ravaged Equestria, killing and abducting my Ponies, that Harmony can't survive through Pacifism and its empty promises. Real Actions need to be made, and they need to be harsh and consequent. That is when I realised that Harmony has a price, and that it is my Duty, as Ruler of the Ponies, to pay that price in order to safeguard Harmony. Order brings Security, War brings peace."

Cadence watched us in pure disbelief. "You can't be serious. How could you even pretend to think that war can produce peace!"

"Does it not?" I quickly asked. Cadence looked over and stared me down in shock.

"What?"

"Does War not bring about Peace, Cadence?" I repeated. "Think about it: Pacifism makes us weak, it invites others like Chrysalis to come and attack us, and as such, Millions have already died. But by being a strong power with a powerful Military, we can not only deter an attack, we can pre-empt it! That is how Peace is made, by stomping out those who would oppose it."

There was silence once more. Cadence shook her in disbelief once again, this time collapsing against the back of her throne.

"And I thought..." she said quietly, "...there was still hope. I hoped there was hope for you, Twily. That you weren't too far gone, yet. That perhaps..."

She sighed deeply and paused for a few seconds, looking at the crystalline ceiling.

"That perhaps you could still be saved. Redeemed. Brought back from her Corruption." Her eyes turned back to me. "But I can tell now that I was a fool to think as much. The Sweet little Pony I knew, my Sister... all but gone."

As Cadence once again began to break out into tears, I took another few steps forward. "Cadence... I'll always be me. I may have changed, for better or for worse," I said cheerfully, "but I'll always be your Sister. The one you always knew. And you will always be beloved old Foalsitter."

Cadence sobbed louder and louder, her hooves covering her watery eyes.

"That's why I'm here, Cadence. I want to help you, protect you. I want to make sure that..." Cadence looked over to me and our eyes met. "I want to make sure that we can be friends, still. Sisters even. You and I, just like before. I tried to achieve that last time but..." I paused briefly, "perhaps now we could try again?"

Cadence continued to sob long after I had finished. It made me sad seeing her like that, but there wasn't all too much I could do to help her. I was on a mission, in the end. I knew what may be asked of me.

"S-So..." Cadence stuttered in between her sobbing, "you said you wanted to end the war...?" she implored, looking straight back at me. I nodded. "But how? And why?"

"Cadence, I know you will hate this but... this War can only end now if you give up and accept the... offer I made to you before. Join us and accept the Empress." I knew what I would hear back even before Cadence's mouth opened.

"Never..." the Princess said quietly as she shook her head. "I will never join that Tyrant, that corrupted image of Celestia."

Daybreaker raised a hoof and was about to speak, but I interrupted her just in time. I had an idea to maybe, just maybe, salvage this.

"Empress, could... could you leave us for a moment? I think maybe, um... without you I could-"

"It's alright, my Student," Daybreaker replied calmly, looking back up to Cadence one last time before turning her back towards her. "I trust you and your abilities. I will wait outside."

Bang.

The Echo rang through the Throne Room as the Doors shut. And as the Echo slowly died out, there remained nothing but me, Cadence and an eerie silence. Here I was, once again, standing before Cadence by myself. And once again, I was attempting the seemingly impossible. But I had to try. Without trying there could... only be one way out.

"Cadence, I beg of you to-"

"Twilight, I already told you this," Cadence interrupted, "I simply can't accept."

"You don't understand, Cadence. If you don't accept then..."

"Then what?"

"Then... you may die..." I sobbed regretfully. "I don't want to lose you, Cadence. Ever."

I broke out into tears just as Cadence had just a minute earlier, and as I covered my eyes with my hooves, tears flowing down my face, I felt a hoof resting around my neck.

"Twily, you know I'll always be there for you. I'm your Foalsitter, remember?" Cadence said, smiling as I opened my eyes again. "But..." she sighed, "I just don't think I can do it, Twilight. I would do a million things for you if you asked but... this isn't one of them."

"But why?" I asked.

"Because what you call 'Empress Daybreaker' is nothing but a corrupted shell of evil, Twilight." I admittedly frowned slightly at the sound of this. "I remember Luna telling me about her... experience concerning Nightmare Moon. The Evil thoughts gnawed at her will, consumed her soul and blackened her heart. She transformed into something different, someone we know as Nightmare Moon."

I listened to her carefully as she stood there in front of me.

"And that, Twilight, is just what happened to Celestia. Celestia was overcome by dark thoughts, transformed slowly but surely into something villainous."

"Villainous?" I returned, "but she saved Equestria from assured doom, Cadence. Under the Empress, the Military was strenghtened, to the point where, by now, we're pushing the Changelings back steadily. We're winnin! Equestria lives on!"

"Does it? I don't recognise Equestria in whatever 'Daybreaker' created. Equestria was a peaceful and tolerant Place full of Friendship. Now it's a Dictatorship, propped up by the Military and a Secret Police that eliminates anyone who disagrees with her. Does that really sound like Equestria to you, Twilight?"

"I..." I stuttered, "W-Well, I mean-"

"Would the Princess of Friendship really just forget what it means to be Equestrian like that? What it means to love, to have friends? Daybreaker destroyed all of that. There is no more love in Equestria. No more Friendship. Only blind loyalty and submission injected into people via Propaganda and fear."

My Thoughts clashed with one another as I thought things over. My head began to buzz...

"T-The Empress did all of that for the greater good, Cadence! If not for her and her actions, Harmony would be in shambles today!" I returned.

"Harmony? Twilight, Daybreaker killed Harmony! Did you never open your eyes back home? See all the poor souls around you? Daybreaker destroyed the peaceful, free life of a pony in Equestria with that of a subjugated slave to a personality cult, conscripted to die in war whenever seen fit and arrested and killed whenever he dared make a wrong turn. That's not Harmony, Twilight. That's the Opposite of it. What you help Daybreaker with is spreading fear throughout Equestria, and alongside it, Death."

The Buzzing in my head became louder. I raised a hoof as the headache became more serious. I... couldn't control my thoughts anymore. It didn't make sense anymore, nothing did...

"Twily, I don't know exactly what she did to you but..." Cadence took hold of me, "please, you have to shake off her Corruption! Her Influence! We can fix things together, Twily! You, me, and Shining together!"

I shook my Head as I felt dizzy, all of a sudden. The Headache became stronger and stronger. I could... feel a part of me... slip away. Slowly but surely. But it was hanging on by a thread, with all its force.

"Please, Twily! I need you! Come back to me and we'll get things right, again. We'll marshal the Troops, we'll rally all the Ponies against her and we'll find Luna and the other Elements!"

It was hard to keep my eyes open all of a sudden. It felt as if I slipped in and out of consciousness between seconds. And there was that buzzing, those thoughts gnawing at me that just wouldn't go away. I could barely even understand Cadence anymore as she went on and on. Eventually she must have noticed my state, and she began to shake me back and forth. That's when everything turned black for me. I must have fallen unconscious, briefly. Nothing but blackness and silence. Emptiness. Not even I was there. Only my conscious self and an unending silent black void.

But then something pierced the darkness. Something I hadn't heard in a long time.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake..."

My Head was buzzing still, and my eyes were heavy, but with all my might, I managed to keep them open just for a bit. I saw Cadence kneeling next to me, doing our special hoofshake. I tried to smile but... to no avail. My entire body hurt. I felt... broken. There was something not right, some part of me was keeping me hostage, unwilling to let go.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake."

I coughed out loud but tried to raise my voice. In the end, only a whisper came out, though.

"Clap your hooves and..." I gasped, "do a little shake."

Cadence smiled dearly and said something I couldn't understand. The buzzing took over again and shut her voice out. And despite that fact, one thing always managed to break through to me.

"Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awa-"

My heartbeat paused as I felt something spray over my coat and face, and the chant broke off in an instant. As if deliberate, my pain began to let off, and my headache vanished. Only then did I truly realise what had just happened.

Cadence dropped to the ground next to me, a deadly wound crossing parts of her throat. My Heartbeat resumed, only to accelerate further and further and further. I panicked.

I looked down on myself, only to see that I was covered partially in Blood. Cadence's blood. I was about to cry out in horror, but that's when somepony rose to stand beside me.

Daybreaker. She stood there, eyeing me for a moment before looking back at Cadence who was gasping for air next to me. A Large Sword levitated next to her, the tip of which... was spilled with blood.

"E...Empress?" I gasped, "D-Did you...?"

She looked down on me, regret and sorrow written all over her face.

"I had to." She began to sob out loud. "I had to..."

A loud noise echoed as she dropped her Sword to the crystalline Floor. She dropped to the ground and sat in front of the dying figure of Cadence.

With tears collecting themselves in my own eyes, I looked back at Cadence. Blood poured out from the wound on her throat. She continued to gasp for air in between repeated coughing, some of which coughed up blood. My heart felt like it would fracture at any moment...I was surprised it hadn't already.

"Cadence... no..." I cried in a whisper.

"T-Twily..." Cadence managed to cough out.

"Yes. Yes! I'm here!" I answered desperately, holding her hoof.

"I can't...argh..." I could hear her energy draining with every word.

"Cadence, no! Please don't! Don't go!" I pleaded loudly. Then, once again, I heard it, much slower and quietly this time...

"Sunshine... Sunshine..." she paused, taking a deep, although painful breath, "Ladybugs... awake..." I smiled and nodded and joined in. "Clap your Hooves and... do a little shake."

And then, all of a sudden, I heard somepony cry out next to me.

"Cadence, I'm sorry!" Daybreaker shouted, "I... I'm-"

"Celestia," Cadence whispered, "It's... ok..."

Daybreaker sobbed. "I... I didn't know what else I could do, Cadence. I... I had to." The usually so proud figure of Daybreaker collapsed onto the dying form of Cadence, crying and sobbing in regret. "Forgive me, Cadence! Forgive me! I never wanted to do this!"

"Celestia, I..." she gulped in pain as her power dwindled away, the pain gnawing at her. "I have a last request..."

Daybreaker pulled herself up and looked Cadence in the eyes. "Of course."

Cadence tilted her head to the side, and gazed out the windows that seperated the room from the outside.

"I... want to see... one last Sunset..." she briefly looked Daybreaker in the eyes again. "Can you do that for me...?"

Daybreaker simply nodded. "I'm sorry, old friend. I'll miss you..." she said as her horn began to light up.

"I'll always remember you, Cadence... always." I sobbed and opened the windows so that she could watch the Sun outside. "Always..."

Then silence returned once more. No sobbing, no crying. We all watched in awe as the Sun set in the Distance. The bright Orange glow shining forth and illuminating not just the room but all the land as the Sun began to descend beneath the landscape in the Distance. And in the midsts of the spectacle, with every second, Cadence grew weaker. With each bit of the Sun that the Horizon consumed, a bit of Cadence died away. The bright colours from before slowly washed away and gave way to darkness. We watched as the colours retreated from the City, ever further towards the Horizon as the Sun was almost swallowed by the Horizon in its entirety. And then, at last, the Sun had set, and Cadence... laid dead.

A Necessary Evil

Darkness.

Only Darkness.

There was no whistling of the wind, not even a sliver of warm, calming light.

Nothing but Darkness.

But then a sound broke the silence. A quiet sound. Clack it echoed. Then again, clack. With every repeat, the sound became louder, more audible, it... came closer. Closer and closer, the corresponding echoes growing louder as well.

And then it stopped again. The echoes went on for a few seconds, and as they died out, silence returned and only Darkness remained, once more.

Then, a sudden spark broke the Darkness. A white horn began to pierce the black shroud as a bright aura, yellow and orange, began to surround it. And from the glow and sparks that originated from the horn, a new shape became visible as it stood there amidst the Darkness.

Daybreaker.

The Empress of the Sun, usually so proud and mighty, could not have carried a more different impression on her face. The scars of war were visible even on her face: Loss, such tremendous, heartbreaking loss, and the burden of being responsible for it all. Unlike so many of her poor little Ponies, those that had to die in the Trenches to fight a war they had never asked for, she carried her wounds and scars not on her skin but deep inside. Her heart ached with every beat as Daybreaker had come to realise that Harmony had a much bigger price than what she had first thought. She had always known that a war could not be won without great sacrifice but... not this much. This was too much. Too much even for somepony like her, a Pony so powerful she could use the might and wrath of the sun to defeat her Enemies. She needed help, needed comfort. She needed...

...her sister.

The white-coated mare closed her eyes as the glow around her horn intensified. Sparks shot out from the tip of her horn and began flying across the room. All of them headed straight towards torches that hung on the walls. One after another they were lit, and as such, the Darkness faded and gave way to the light. A large cave appeared from beneath the dark. The 'room' was almost entirely empty, with nothing but a central platform made out of rock and a small wooden bridge that lead across a gorge which surrounded the Platform in the Centre. And in the Centre... was a cage. It was occupied.

With a heavy heart and even heavier hooves, Daybreaker began to cross the bridge. Her presence was noted.

Daybreaker halted after crossing the bridge. She froze in place, her hooves unwilling to move any closer.

Behind the Cage's thick, near indestructible bars laid the broken, defeated form of Luna. Even now, months after her defeat by Daybreaker, she had not recovered. There she laid, powerless and defeated, stripped of her usual royal regalia.

Daybreaker, still, couldn't manage to move any closer to her sister, let alone speak. Guilt overcame her, and a sense of dread and sorrow.

"Why have you returned?" Luna asked with a dry, monotone voice. "Come to finish me?" Luna scoffed as she laid in her Prison, her back turned towards what once used to be her sister.

Daybreaker's jaw dropped, wanting to speak but... nothing. She was at a loss of words. Her mouth closed again and she lowered her head.

"I hope you're proud of yourself. Causing so much suffering, so much death and destruction," Luna said with anger. "And for what?" Luna asked, "FOR WHAT!?" She stomped a hoof on the ground, and a loud metal clang echoed through the room.

Daybreaker could hear her Sister breathing heavily, both with anger and with the pain that still plagued her. Pain she caused.

"You- argh!" Luna cried out in pain as she slowly but surely got up on her hooves. "You are nothing but a corrupt demon!" the blue mare cried, her legs giving in to the pain that plagued them, and Luna shrank once again as she laid on the cold, dead metallic floor of her Cage. "If anypony knows about corrupt spawns such as you, it is me," she admitted. "Now I know what it must have felt like for my sister during all those years I was gone. I failed to look after my sister, failed to remind her of who she really was and that together we could have solved any problem."

Luna lowered her head and rested it upon the cold steel. "After all, she always told me that 'we were meant to rule together'. Perhaps I should have reminded her of the same thing." The Lunar Princess gave out a deep sigh. "I should have never let it come to this. I should have called upon the Elements of Harmony, as my Sister did all those years ago upon my own corruption."

Daybreaker closed her eyes and gathered her strength.

"But if you think you've won, Demon, you are gravely mistaken! You have won nothing!" Luna yelled at Daybreaker. "The Elements will come, and they will destroy you just as they destroyed Nightmare Moon! Your reign will-"

"Sister."

Luna froze in an instant. That... voice. It was different, not the crude, evil voice of Daybreaker. It was... could it be? Was it really the voice of her Sister?

"T-Tia?" Luna whispered in disbelief. "Sister, is it you?"

"Of course it is, Luna," Daybreaker replied calmly.

A tear ran down the blue mare's face as she looked on in disbelief. It was the voice of her beloved Sister but... the image of a demon.

"It can't be..! You're not her!" Luna cried out in anger. "You consumed her!"

"Sister," Daybreaker said again, "I am sorry."

Luna began to sob as she hammered against the cage.

"SORRY!? YOU!?" she barked with fury. "A Spawn such as you cannot feel emotions such as regret or sorrow, it cannot even begin to understand them. Once upon a time, I, too, was trapped by a dark force. It had tempted me with promises of power and revenge during a time of weakness, and I, fool that I was, gave in. Blindly I marched into the trap of evil as it encapsulated me and took control of my body. I watched as my body, driven by corruption, attacked ponies and my sister. And... I paid the price for my great mistake..." her fury slowly resided and made way to regret.

"I was a fool to believe my sister were immune to such things. I took no precautions to prevent such an event, took too little care of my bigger half... until it was too late." Luna lifted her head and stared Daybreaker in the eyes directly. "Celestia, sister, I know you are in there, deep somewhere inside. I know how frightening it is, having made the same experience as you. But do not give up, Tia. I won't. And I will never give you up either."

There was silence once again for a few seconds as the two mares, sisters, stared each other down. Then, at last, Daybreaker gave in. She closed her eyes for a few moments, and when they opened again, her slitted, fiery pupils were all but gone. Instead, Luna saw a much more familiar pair of eyes: those of her sister, Celestia.

"Luna, my dear and beloved sister," Daybreaker spoke, once again sounding more akin to her older self, "For a thousand years I spent my days in Equestria with nopony to my side. My sister had been corrupted and banished for what seemed like an eternity, and nopony else even considered becoming acquainted with royalty as they would with any regular pony."

Luna's previous resolve and anger subsided as Daybreaker, or rather, Celestia went on.

"Loneliness overcame me. It gnawed at me, year after year, decade after decade. And then the guilt, the terrible guilt I felt for you. I knew that, had I only been more observant, more caring... I could have prevented it all, sister."

"Tia," Luna interrupted, a tear in her eye, "it was far from your fault. I wasn't strong enough, I let myself be overcome by the whispers of darkness. You must not carry this burder, this guilt, yourself."

Daybreaker sighed. "No, Luna. I know that I abandoned you in your greatest hour of need, that I didn't give you the attention and respect you deserved. And as such... I paid the price for my ignorance. It was my fault..."

As Daybreaker shivered with regret, Luna contemplated silently. This whole situation, the corrupt image of her sister but... it was her sister, after all? But... why? And how?

"Tia, I..." she asked, "why have you come?"

"I came to say that I am sorry, sister. For everything."

Daybreaker's horn lit up in her bright aura once again as she pulled off her helmet, placing it softly on the ground.

"Sorry for abandoning you in your time of need over a thousand years ago. Sorry for failing you now. I wasn't strong enough..."

"Tia, don't be foolish. You are strong, much stronger than I, for one. But no one can face darkness alone. Nopony can, not even Alicorns. I should have been there for you, sister."

"No, Luna," Celestia's voice echoed in response, "I'm not talking about that, I mean that I wasn't strong enough to defend Equestria."

"Sister?" Luna whispered back at her.

"You know how bad our situation was, Luna. You know it as well as I do. The Changelings, Chrysalis and her minions they... they simple overran us. There seemed no stopping them! And that's when..."

"You changed?" Luna interrupted. "But why, Tia?"

"I realised our old ways would have spelled doom for all of Equestria, Luna. Peace? Friendship? Tolerance? They all become a burden during times of war. They crippled ponykind, prevented us from pushing back Chrysalis and bringing the war to an end. An end to bloodshed, the day that ponies far and wide can finally drop their rifles and rest, once more."

Daybreaker stepped forward towards the cage until she looked eye to eye with Luna.

"I know you may not understand, Luna. And I know you fear for me. But in war, we must all adapt, we must all make sacrifices. This is what I realised, and this is what I forced my little ponies to realise, as well."

"It didn't need to come to this, sister. Not like this!" Luna returned. "We could have solved all of this a different way, Tia. Together," she pleaded. "But instead of finding a middle ground, you were corrupted. You became an evil upon the land, just as Chrysalis is."

Luna's words stung. Deep.

"There was no middle ground, Luna. There was simply no time left for compromise. It was now or never, we would either subject ourselves to the harsh realities of war, or die in ignorant bliss." She paused briefly. "I chose to live. I chose to live on and fight. I chose to adapt so we could win this war and... I made the biggest sacrifice of all."

"I sacrificed myself to evil. I gave in and let myself be transformed by it, reshaped and empowered by it, so that I could weather this storm." Daybreaker looked back at her sister. "It was an evil, Luna. Look upon me now, in this form, and I stand here to tell you that it was evil that I chose."

"Sister..." Luna pleaded as tears gathered in her blue eyes. "Why...? Why would you abandon me like that?"

"I'm so sorry, sister... it..." Daybreaker lowered her head in shame, "it was a necessary evil. The only thing that would save Equestria, and our ponies, from certain doom. I... knew my decision was a gamble, I knew ponies would come to harm, that they would die but-"

"You gambled," Luna finished. "You gambled your life away, hoping that your fall to evil would result in less pain, death and destruction than the Changelings."

Daybreaker sobbed. All the guilt, all the pain and death her reign had caused suddenly materialised once again. She sniffed. Then a quiet sob, then another. And another.

"And yet, it was the only choice I had left, Luna. A Gamble, a terrible gamble, but...a necessary one." She paused only to sob and cry as guilt overcame her. All the Ponies that she had sent to their graves on the frontlines, the ones that the Inquisition had eliminated and...

Cadence...

"I would stop myself if I could, my dear sister. I would stop right here and right now if only I could." She took a deep breath. "But I can't. Not now, not... yet. As much as I despise myself for causing pain to so many, I simply cannot do it. Because I know the alternative would lead to much more in return."

"You've only swapped one butcher with another, sister. Instead of Chrysalis it is you that destroys Equestria. You must stop! I am begging you, Tia! Please!" the Alicorn pleaded, but to no avail.

"I can't. This war it... it must end, Luna."

Celestia's pink and purple pupils suddenly disappeared once more as Daybreaker blinked, and her slitted, devilish pair of eyes returned. The white-coated mare turned her back to the cage and walked back towards the bridge.

"I may despise myself for it, and so do you, but sometimes we must become a necessary evil just so we can defeat and prevent a much bigger one."

Her yellow and orange aura once again flared up as it surrounded her Helmet. Slowly but surely it flew back over to Daybreaker, and was put back into place on her head.

"If it is my destiny to be shunned by everypony, even my own sister, in order to save those very same ponies," she put a first hoof forward onto the bridge, "then so it shall be. Perhaps this war, this... Great War... is my destiny. No, I cannot give in now, sister, I can't. There is too much at stake now, too much risk. There is no going back now. I will win this war, even if it means dragging Ponykind to victory against their will. I may have failed you all those years ago but..."

She began to slowly march forth.

"I will not fail myself."

"And what if you win?"

Daybreaker froze as she stood atop the bridge.

"What will you do once you do win the war, sister?"

There was an eerie silence as Daybreaker turned her head briefly back towards her sister. One last glance as Luna looked at her with both hope and despair, trapped in a humiliating and tormenting Prison. All due to her. All because of a gamble she had made. She tried to find an answer but found herself unable to find an answer for herself. It was a question not even she could answer.

Not yet.

Silently, and without reply, the mare of the sun crossed the bridge.

"Sister?" Luna asked as Daybreaker left her. "Sister!" she cried aloud, smashing her hooves against the iron bars that contained her. "Tia! Tia, please!"

As Daybreaker left the cavernous prison, her horn lit up one last time, and a gust of wind blew through the room, extinguishing the torches on the wall.

Luna cried out for her sister as the darkness returned to her Prison. Such familiar darkness...

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story thus far :twilightsmile:

Do stay tuned, though! There's one more chapter still to come :rainbowdetermined2:

To Mourn the Fallen

After their defeat at Canterlot all those years ago, we believed Chrysalis to be beaten, her armies never to return again. We thought that the power of love and magic of friendship had defeated her once and for all.

We were wrong.

5 Years ago, they attacked again. But this time, they thought bigger. Without us noticing, Chrysalis had spent the years following her defeat at Canterlot uniting the Changeling hives under her personal leadership. And with her at the top, one singular motive quickly drove all Changelings together: their hatred for us Ponies.

While Equestria spent the following years in blissful ignorance and isolation, as it so often did, the Changelings began preparations for what was to come. Their numbers grew, and their technological know-how expanded rapidly. As the continuously decaying Griffonian Empire across the great lake began to crumble and wither away for good, Chrysalis sent military delegations and attachés to study their weapons and technologies... While they still could. Unbeknownst to us, it wasn't Equestria that had invented the Tank at all, but it was the Changelings who had begun experimenting on this sort of vehicle months prior, with research into the field of armoured warfare rapidly progressing.

It took them 6 years until they were ready. Chrysalis was recognised as the sole ruler of the hives, with no one left to challenge her rule. Her minions were now armed not with sticks and stones but with Rifles and Grenades. They had catapulted themselves into the modern era with lightning speed, and they did not intend to stop.

The first test of their new developments was not against Equestria but against the Deer people of Olenia. The Country was plagued with instability and corruption after a pretender, King Johan, claimed the throne despite the legitmate claim of her sister, Velvet. Chrysalis knew how weak this pretender King was, though. She had her spies all over the Deer Kingdom, knew the weaknesses in their defences and the shortcomings of their Military.

The Deer were hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered when the Changeling tanks began to roll across the border, having no real answer to such well-armoured vehicles. They tried to halt the advance by digging into the mountains that laid in front of the Changeling horde, but even that was hopeless. Changeling organization was superior as air strikes and artillery barrages went hoof in hoof with an armoured spearhead. Their line was broken. Olenia was broken.

As Olenia surrendered and went under full Changeling occupation, there was no outcry among the Ponies of Equestria. Rather, they felt it was none of their business. They somehow felt that it was not necessary to be bothered because "it wouldn't happen to them anyway". Even when intelligence records made it into the newspapers, clearly showing images of a Changeling build-up on the border to Equestria, many Ponies simply refused to believe that war, real and total war, could ever come to Equestria. But they were quickly proven wrong, and there were to be no peace in our time. No longer.

Emboldened by her Olenian victory, the Changelings wasted no time in preparing for their real goal: Defeating Equestria. Air fields were built closely behind the border, additional roads for supplies and troops to move across and fuel and ammunition stockpiles were carefully managed. Morale was high, and no matter if Pilot, Tank Commander or Grenadier: they were poised for what was to come.

The few handful of divisions we had near the Changeling border stood no chance. They were pinned down, encircled and consequently massacred. They radio'd the attack in, and High Command froze in fear as the radio transmission was cut short by a loud scream as the radio operator was gunned down. The civilian population fared no better either, as they would not be killed on the spot but suffered an even worse fate. The Changelings drove reservist troops from town to town as they pushed on, capturing and abducting innocent Ponies they deemed carried sufficient love to be of use. They tied them up and shoved them into trucks or trains and brought them back to the Hives where they would be sucked dry of all their love. And when the Changelings left for a new town, they usually remembered to torch the one they were leaving. Bustling towns turned into infernos, Cities into true ghost towns. And there was no end in sight...

By the time the Changelings captured and pushed past the port town of Vanhoover, Equestrian High Command was finally starting to realise the need for mobilisation. But by that point, the Changelings were already pushing onwards and through Northwestern Equestria. At such speed, they'd get to Central Equestria in mere weeks and come close to capturing not just Ponyville but Canterlot.

As Celestia was overwhelmed with decisions, her morals hung on the line. For hundreds if not thousands of years she had believed Peace and Friendship were the way to Harmony, and that these ideals had to be defended at all costs. But with the Changelings racing towards Canterlot... It simply was no longer possible to speak of peace any longer. Peace was but an obstacle in the defence of ponykind in its entirety. Equestria, now more than ever before, needed a strong ruler that embodied and promoted Order and Power rather than Peace and Friendship, because only then could the Nation live on and survive this Great War.

And so, as the Sun rose and Daybreaker ascended, the Solar Empire was born. Daybreaker quickly reshuffled her political cabinet and military command. She enacted new, strict policies to ensure the survival of her ponies. A War Plan was finally drawn up and put into place, where anypony not serving in the Military would have to do their part on the homefront instead. Conscription was introduced, allowing the new Empress and her Commanders to access millions of new possible recruits. The Industry was militarized and subsidized greatly, allowing for a rapid expansion of heavy industry and arms manufacturing. And within a month, the Empress was able to halt the Changeling advance for the first time.

As months and years passed by, Daybreaker's reign, as successful as it had been at halting the Changeling advance, began to face issues domestically. There were riots against her strict reforms and policies. Ponies demanded to adhere to their special talents rather than being drafted into the Army or Industry by force. Daybreaker knew there was no room for compromise, and established the Solar Inquisition in response. Without remorse, they scavenged Equestria for wrongdoers of any kind. Tasked with protecting stability and order, and as such Harmony, they eliminated anyone who posed a threat to their Empress.

For the following months and years, the Solar Empire's forces began to not just match but outnumber the Changeling forces. High Command played by the Changeling's own rules, paradropping infiltrators behind the lines to blow up roads and bridges to cut-off the supply routes of the Bugs. With ponypower and wartime materials now aplenty, we started to finally push back. Without remorse, and with vengeance written between our eyes, we rolled over a stagnant and by now ill-supplied Changeling Army. Their Army was made for offensive movements, their tactics made to overrun an inferior enemy.

But we were not inferior. Not anymore. We gave it our best shot to show the bugs how strong Ponies really were. We cracked their tanks, we shot down their Aircraft, encircled Divisions, one after another. Soon the Changelings were in full retreat, unable to defend the vast frontline across Equestria. As Equestrian troops entered the scorched towns and villages of the occupied zones though, they saw the legacy of the Changelings within the scorched ruins. Entire cities were torched, nothing left but crumbling ruins, and rotten corpses filled the remnants of what used to be homes. Some of our troops were demoralized by such imagery, though most of them were only emboldened by such vile acts of villainy by the Changelings. It showed them the importance of their fight, their struggle for survival. And so, town after town, they liberated and pushed on.

And as our forces finally pushed past the initial border to the Changeling lands, everypony celebrated. Equestria was safe, that much they knew. And they realised that now nothing could stop us from a crushing victory. And indeed, our troops marched onward, capturing and consequently torching many important Hive cities along their path. They showed no remorse, just as the Changelings had. It was bittersweet payback for what had been done to Ponies in Equestria, though certainly more bitter than sweet as Soldiers overran Hives just to find dead ponies cocooned deep inside the Hive catacombs. Their bodies were in tact, Medics realised, but their hearts were sucked dry. They were fed empty, to the point where their poor hearts simply stopped beating.

But this streak of victory, like all, had to end at some point. Changeling resistance became fierce and unrelenting as we pushed deeper and deeper into the Hivelands. Chrysalis commanded her minions to not give up one inch of territory to the Equestrians, and any Changeling not pre-occupied with important duties elsewhere was drafted to fight on the frontline. Sometimes, due to a now lackluster industrial base, this meant these draftees lacked weaponry or even uniforms.

But Technology had progressed since that fateful day of Invasion, and by now the Solar Empire was ready to finish this war for good, and they did it so by cutting off the head of the snake, by grabbing the problem by its root. The general advance was halted to allow the troops to rest and dig in for the time being. The final mission was prepared, and on a rebuilt air field just outside of Vanhoover, a small squadron of bombers took into the skies. They floated safely above the clouds, beyond the sight and reach of Changeling Flak, headed straight towards Vesalipolis, the Capital of the Changeling Lands and main hive of Chrysalis herself. One of the bombers slowly opened its bomb bay doors, readying itself as the target was near.

Then the bomb dropped.

A Whistle was heared as the object plummeted through the clouds towards the bustling Hive construct below. Bigger than any bomb before it, a few Changelings below managed to spot it before it blew, but their fate was inevitable by then.

The blast of the bomb immediately erradicated Vesalipolis as it was consumed within the initial blast. Within mere seconds, thousands of Changelings died to the blast, then even more as the shock wave spread like a expanding ring across the surrounding area. Daybreaker watched from afar as Vesalipolis was removed from the map, with nothing but a gigantic, irradiated mushroom cloud remaining. Next to her stood Blaze 'Bomber' Firehooves, her Chief of the Air Force who had brought up this plan to her and consequently planned the Operation. She smirked confidently as she watched the expanding mushroom cloud above the Changeling Capital through her Binoculars. She always enjoyed a big firework, especially if it came at a cost for the Bugs. The two of them briefly looked at one another before glancing back to the Capital, or rather, what was left of it.

That was it. It was over. The Queen was dead, Chrysalis had been slain at last.

As Changeling Hierarchy and Communication collapsed, the consequent assault from the Solar Empire's ground forces was child's play. In less than a week Ponies stood in front of the remnants of Vesalipolis. As the Country's defences fell, many Changeling Commanders packed their things and fled the Country, going into hiding in various locations all over Griffonia. Those that stayed congregated in a somewhat improvised meeting and agreed that continued fighting was senseless. They sent a telegram to Equestria that read as follows:

Situation hopeless. Supplies non-existant. Reserves used up.

Queen slain and High Command missing. Likely deserted. Asking for immediate halt of offensive. Continued fighting senseless.

We surrender.

- Field Marshal Lycosidae, Changeling High Command.

Shortly after, Daybreaker and her Command agreed to a ceasefire. Days later, a final peace settlement was signed by both parties. The Changelings had surrendered unconditionally. The lands previously known as the Changeling Lands would fall under full Equestrian occupation until further notice, and most importantly, peace had finally returned.

Peace... Almost a strange word after such gruesome years. For years we had known nothing but war, nothing but brutal fighting and death. And now... There was peace, once more. And was the troops returned home and the Military could finally stand at ease, many ponies asked themselves...

...what now?

That same year, only a few months later, Daybreaker wandered around the Canterlot Gardens. She could finally hear the birds singing again as peace returned not just to Ponies but to nature, as well. A fresh breeze of wind stroked her warm cheeks as she walked past the brightly coloured flowers that surrounded the path. And how wonderful they smelled, too. It was like nature had been reborn, at last.

Reborn...

Daybreaker stopped and turned as she arrived at her most cherished place inside the whole Garden. It was the main reason she visited it everyday.

In front of her was a monument, no, a memorial, atop of which stood a statue made entirely out of Crystals.

It depicted Cadence.

Daybreaker's eyes turnt to the plaque on the memorial. She knew the text by know. She looked up into those crystalline eyes of Cadence's statue and spoke out loud.

"Let us remember then the true cost of Harmony. Let the shining light of love and bravery shine on for those who stood valiantly until the end. Let their courageous sacrifice, this ultimate sacrifice, remind us of the price we had to pay for Harmony. Let it remind us of our victory.

And let us never forget."

Author's Note

There we go, the end of the Solar Empire series... for now :trixieshiftright:

I really hope you enjoyed not just this story but the two prequels, as well! If you did, please do leave a like and consider leaving a comment with your thoughts if you have the time. I'd love to receive feedback from all of you! :twilightsmile:

While this Story may be over, the Solar Empire's story certainly isn't, and you'll certainly hear from them again... soon. :rainbowdetermined2: