A Shattered Crystal

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.