Equestria, August 9th, 1502.

Field Marshal Shining Armor
Mi Amore St., Crystal Palace District, 11437
Crystal Empire

Princess Celestia
Daylight Plaza, Canterlot, 10021
Equestria

Dearest Princess,

A status report was filed early this morning from the armed forces of the Crystal Empire's Royal Policing Unit. As requested, information regarding the movements of hostile nations is entailed below. As a foreword, I would like to advise strict caution in the handling of this situation, as the information below is greatly disturbing. I do not wish to question your authority, but I realize as much as anypony that this is not the kind of war we are used to.

On Starlight's movements:

No notable activity has been traced. Some believe that Starlight has died, other's believe she has relocated to a safe haven in the Griffish Isles. All that can be said is that we are keeping heavy surveillance on both areas.

On Griffonstone movements:

The Griffons have taken over the Guto River, Griffonst Station, and Sugar Maple Grove. They are quickly industrializing the aforementioned regions, and waging a two-front war against Trotslvania and the Bugbear Territory both of which have Equestrian Troops fighting alongside them left over from diplomatic efforts. Further information is unavailable, as any surveillance has been redirected or fired upon by Griffonian forces. It appears that they are developing a navy within the east side of the Celestial Sea. Any possibilities upon their further movements are purely conjecture. It is advised that we fortify Eastern Equestria for a possible naval invasion from Griffonstone.

On Changeling movements:

Local militias spotted Changeling movements between Vanhoover, Galloping Gorge, and Stratusburg. Rumors have spread entailing their possible presence in the Smokey Mountains and White Tail Woods. Two convoys were raided with no survivors fifteen miles southeast of Sire's Hollow. Medical teams noted that all corpses discovered were laced with unidentified Changeling material. When removed, the corpses were unidentifiable, missing their hearts, which were later found in a separate cocoon. Autopsy reports showed that the removal of the hearts were COD for all corpses with the exception of one, who died of shock. A letter, written in Changeling tongue, is still being translated in it's entirety, but thus far contains the words "fall, soon, inevitable". We believe this is a threat of further action, and maybe a declaration of war upon Equestria. In response, troops have been lined up at the bordering counties within Equestria, and focused around the borders of large cities prone to assault.

As your Field Marshal, I must express my concern for our nation. As your friend, however, I must advise you to stay on your hooves and expect the worst. I hate to say this, I really do, but the Elements of Harmony may not be enough this time. Princess Cadence is willing to consult with you on further action.

As for your request on Luna's absence, I'm afraid she is still missing. We've seen no trace of her since she left a week ago, and our dispatches are still searching all of Equestria for her. We share your grief, and hope to find her soon.

Cordially,
Field Marshal Shining Armor

Celestia placed the paper down slowly, taking a deep breath as she made effort to restrain herself from trembling. She wasn't certain as to whether it was anger, fear, grief, or all three. It didn't matter, however. All that mattered was her little ponies. She thought of her sister, she questioned silently why Luna would leave at such a time. Was she overwhelmed? Was she running away? Could she not bare the responsibility? Was Equestria not reason enough to make a sacrifice? How could she do such a thing?

Celestia had thought like this before in the weeks prior, and always stopped herself. 'It is okay, she is much younger and fearful', she would think to herself. 'She hasn't the experience to deal with war, and while I haven't such experience myself, it is solely my responsibility to ensure the safety of Equestria'. However, this time was different. This time, ponies had died, and Luna was still missing. Butchered like insects, by the stinking filth of an insect hivemind no less. How disgusting, she thought, that Luna would leave while her ponies suffered.

The Princess began to think of herself, and felt disgust. She got up from her throne, and gazed upon the sun that she had risen that day. The beautiful light of day, brought upon by her alone. That beautiful light, however, was the same light that revealed her mistakes. As she was lost in thought, she heard a knocking at the door.

"Oh. . .come in," she said softly, staring still to the great nation she harbored. A loud creak rung out through the throne room as the hoofsteps of another alicorn approached her.

"Princess Celestia," the alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, said with a tone of despair in her voice, "Shining told me about the—"

"Twilight," Celestia said suddenly. Twilight looked up to her.

"Yes, Princess?"

"How long have I promoted friendship and harmony to Equestria?" Celestia asked. Twilight thought for a moment.

"For thousands of years," Twilight said, "the Magic of Friendship is the defining value of Equestria."

Celestia remained silent for a moment. Long enough to drive Twilight to a worried impatience.

"Why do you ask, Princess?" she asked cautiously. Celestia turned to Twilight with tears in her eyes.

"Thousands of years, to lead to this, an unprepared army, a sheltered people, and an underpowered military," Celestia said, choking on her words as she forced herself to admit, "I have led my ponies astray, and I know not what to do. I have failed."

"Princess, you haven't f—"

"I have, Twilight!" Celestia shouted, causing Twilight to wince in fear, "I have failed each and every one of you, I have failed myself, I have failed the Crystal Empire, I have failed Equestria. I may as well have failed the world as we know it! Who is going to stop the Changelings from tearing out more hearts?! Who is going to cease the advances of the land-greedy leeches of Griffonstone?! Can harmony bring back to life those that died suffering?! No! Harmony has died, Twilight, Equestria is already lost!"

Twilight wanted to console her Princess, but was stunned with fear and unable to move as she noticed a fire in Celestia's eyes burning so brightly that the tears within them had vaporized. Instead of trails of glistening water, from her eyes came what looked like thin steam. Celestia noticed the fear in her student, and reflected it in an expression of sorrow as the fire remained.

"I don't believe there is any going back now, Twilight," Celestia said woefully, "please, leave my quarters, and know that whatever happens, I loved you beyond the stars as one of my own. My prized student, you do not need to see me like this. Please, see the guard outside and have him escort you to a room on the far side of the castle."

Twilight nodded, holding back her tears. She wanted to stop Celestia, but she knew she couldn't. She knew in a time like this, there was only one way out. Celestia was never wrong, she thought, Celestia always had a reason. Today, that reason was drastic enough to bring a long-buried ideation to light. Twilight shared her pain, and did as she said.

As the doors closed, Celestia turned to face her throne. She shook her head, before seeing a vision of herself clothed in flame sitting upon the very throne Celestia herself had sat upon for over a thousand years. She looked up to the vision, straightening her face and taking a deep breath as she braced for what was to come.

"Will it hurt?" Celestia asked. The vision chuckled.

"Yes."

Celestia turned to the door one more time, huffing as her expression turned to that of one determined to sacrifice.

"Good."

It was only moments after Twilight had left the main hall that she heard the most horrific sound she might have ever encountered in her life. Fearful, dreadful, gut-wrenching. A prolonged scream of pain crossed with a ferocious roar of fury. It's might shook the very foundation of the castle, and was heard across the entire city of Canterlot. Such a sound of terror would have been remembered as the sounding of the Empire's Fury. Confusion reigned for a moment across the castle until every equine had realized what had happened. Their fear quickly turned to hope, as they came to know it as the sound of their salvation, the sound of Equestrian victory. In their hearts, it was clear to them that harmony would not stop the evils around them. It would take power and fear stricken in the hearts of those who bestowed hatred upon them to secure the safety of Equestrian stallions, mares, foals, and fillies.

Several guards made their way to the gates of the throne room, which were now blazing with the holy flames of the sun, burning so hot that if any drew near, they would have been burned alive in an instant. Twilight quickly followed, stepping in the center of the room as guards held up magical shields to resist the overwhelming heat that had begun to melt the surrounding architecture. Twilight guarded herself as well as the screaming stopped. All of them watched in a mix of fear and confusion, yet anxious for what was to come. Many knew that the day would come, but few truly believed it. To see it happen was something beyond their very imaginations.

After a moment of absolute silence, excepting the crackling of the solar flames, the doors unlatched and opened. The guards stood back in awe and fear of the creature that stepped out. A large alicorn, adorned in armor crafted from pure solar magic, containing the heat of a sun-laden mane. Eyes of orange, with slitted pupils and glowing yellow irises. Her crown was as the sun itself, glowing with a power beyond imagination, yet merely a piece of what the alicorn herself truly was. As she stepped forward, the flames around her calmed and the heat vanished.

"Guards," a fear-striking and powerful voice spoke, "remove your shields, for you are safe under my guiding hoof."

The guards did as she commanded, bowing immediately to her. Twilight looked at what was Celestia, knowing not what to say. The alicorn simply grinned with teeth sharp enough to feel as if they were cutting through the very eyes of the beholder.

"Twilight, my star pupil," the alicorn said, "have no fear, please gather the press. I wish to speak to my country."

Twilight nodded, looking upon the alicorn for a moment before turning around and trotting away. The alicorn sighed, walking past the guards and towards the main hall of the castle.

"At ease, stallions," she said, "I wish to speak with Mi Amore Cadenza three hours from now, please arrange that."

"As you wish, your Highness!" the commanding officer said, leaving with the rest of the guards in tow.

The alicorn looked up at the ornate ceiling of the castle, adorned with the symbol of the sun on her hinds. She smiled a great smile, and sighed a great sigh. As if a burden were lifted from her back, she felt her wings had grown larger. She turned to a maid, who was paralyzed in the corner from fear.

"Have no fear, royal maid," she said softly, causing the maid to lose her tenseness, "tell me, how does the name, 'Daybreaker', sound?"

Thousands of equines gathered around the Canterlot Plaza, waiting for the appearance of their Princess at the great castle stage from which she addressed her nation in times of crisis, celebration, and other important events. It had been nearly half an hour since they gathered, but rather than impatience, there was anticipation. Anticipation of what was to come. The scream, the shaking, the rumors of fire like the sun in the halls of the castle. The equines didn't know what to expect.

Questions began to arise. What happened to the Princess? Is Celestia okay? Are we declaring war? Further than that, many speculations followed. Perhaps the Princess was finally fed up with it. Maybe it's a notification of a wartime draft. The Princess is angry, she's going to retaliate with the Elements of Harmony! Many thoughts of 'what if' arose, but none amounted to the truth. After the tolling of a great bell, the doors opened and the equines felt immediately the presence of a power so incomprehensible, it could only be described as godlike. To their awe, the alicorn stepped out onto the great castle stage. Immediately the crowds were silenced, beholding the sight of the ponified sun among their midst. The absolute leader of Equestria, the unsurmountable power of the sun itself.

"My little ponies," her voice boomed without the use of any magic or technology, "today we experience the loss of thirty-six soldiers to the childish assaults of the Changeling Hive. We experience the loss of forty-seven soldiers in battles waged against the leeching griffons, but we will not mourn them!"

Gasps among the crowd could be heard at what seemed such a callous statement, before the alicorn continued.

"I cannot allow that we trash the memory of such bravery in sorrow and sadness, instead, let us be enraged! Let us manifest our fury against the enemy for daring to trespass upon our sacred harmony! For far too long, we have wished for and expected the good of the world. No more shall we cower under the guise of harmony against such atrocious enemies, for I, Daybreaker, declare today: war upon the Changeling Hive! War upon the Griffonstone regime! War upon all who challenge our might and order! For all of ponykind, for all of the new Solar Empire!"

Banners unfurled over the Equestrian flags upon the castle's walls, adorned in the Flame of the Sun. They burned brightly for all of the equines to see, a display of power, a display of beauty, a display of eternal light. The crowd cheered in response. The fear and sorrow in their hearts quickly turning to devotion against the enemies. A hunger for righteous warfare they knew not that they had, now awakened within them in the fires of loyalty to the Solar Empire. What fear they had of their Princess—nay, Empress—had vanished. Under such power, and such authority, they knew they were under absolute protection that was insurmountable and uncompromising. The Empress smiled to the masses as she continued.

"Today, my little ponies, we begin a new path towards harmony. Love to one another, and hate for the enemy! We have given chance after chance, we have tried and tried again for times immeasurable to develop peace through diplomacy, but our hearts have been rejected! Torn out, and shot upon by the vicious powers of the East and West! No more shall my little ponies suffer for my mistakes of assuming the best in those capable of such atrocious things. Today marks the beginning of a blazing fury directed towards those who threaten us, who oppose us, who wish to haunt us! Today marks the beginning of the everlasting Empire of the Flame of the Sun! Rejoice, my little ponies, for through your loyalty, and through my power, we will be unstoppable!"

Another roar of cheers and applause rang from the crowd. Twilight simply watched as such a drastic change came so quickly. Though, the more she thought about it, the more she understood that this was no immediate change. What she saw in the ponies around her was not a brainwashing, nor a controlling of mind—nay, it was a desire harbored deep within their hearts, waiting to be set ablaze by the holy empress. Twilight knew that all of the lessons she learned of friendship still held true, but this was not about friends and family, this was about protecting those friends and family from a force so evil it would take a matching power to stop it. At that moment, she began to think more about what Celestia—what Daybreaker was saying, and she believed it was true. She ran quickly through the crowd and back into the castle. She knew she had to speak to Daybreaker, to work with her in any way she could for the greater good of her nation.

"Empress, that was a magnificent speech," a guard said as Daybreaker returned to the main hall of the castle. She smiled, facing forward still as she walked.

"Your praise is pleasure to my ears, Commander Daylight," she said, "please, have a rest, for I am feeling rather kind today."

"As you wish, Empress," Daylight said, trotting away. Walking by him was Twilight, who approached Daybreaker quickly. The Empress turned to face Twilight with a smile.

"You're in a hurry, my star pupil," she said, "what is the matter?"

"Cel. . .ah. . .Daybreaker," Twilight started. Daybreaker laughed heartily.

"Oh Twilight," she said, regaining her composure, "I'm sure that's going to take a while to get used to. Now tell me, what is troubling you?"

"I wish to help you, P. . .Empress," Twilight replied. Daybreaker chuckled slightly, but returned to an idle smile, "I don't think I can do so like this."

"Well, I think I have just the solution for that," Daybreaker said, leading her to the throne room, "I have a meeting with Cadence in an hour from now, perhaps you can accompany me as my. . .Inquisitor."

It was a transformation not so painful as her own, yet just as monumental. Daybreaker smiled at the new alicorn that had stepped into the place of Twilight. No longer a mere student of friendship, no longer a mere pupil, but a true princess. It was, what Daybreaker believed, her first grown-up decision. An evolution of maturity for Twilight that made her, in Daybreaker's eyes, a near equal. Daybreaker felt compassion for the equine that stepped into her throne room, and pride for the one that stepped out. She smiled gleefully, as the new alicorn rose from the grave of the old one, looking up to her Empress with respect and determination.

"Arise, Sunrise Sparkle, and see the world as I do," Daybreaker said, "it is time for you to learn a new set of lessons, lessons about what happens when friendship is tragically no longer an option."

"Yes, my liege," Sunrise said with a professional tone that was alien to even herself. The intimidation that rang from her voice was absolutely unheard of, second only to Daybreaker herself. This pleased the Empress greatly, for she knew that today was the day the Solar Empire was guaranteed its next millennia. With the most intelligent equine she knew, alongside herself, and the equines ready to join the fight, there was nothing that could stop the Empire. Nothing that could stop Harmony through Order. Nothing that could stop Peace through Power.

"Some day, you will have the Flame of the Sun coursing through your veins as it does mine," Daybreaker said, leading Sunrise out of the throne room, "but for now, you must learn the ways of the new Empire. Be patient, Sunrise, for there is much to come in due time."

"It will be as you foresee it, my liege," Sunrise replied. Daybreaker nearly asked Sunrise to call her by name, but she was beginning to enjoy the respect she was receiving. It was far more than what she had ever gotten from her little ponies. She began to see herself as not only the empress of her little ponies, but as their loving mother. Everything was playing out well, and it was only a matter of time before the enemy tasted the fury of the Solar Empire.

"The Sun is Light," she thought to herself, considering the new vision she had given her nation.

"The Sun is War," she thought further, envisioning the destruction of those who harmed the ponies she loved so dearly.

"The Sun is Beauty," she thought finally, beholding the future of a victorious Solar Empire across all of Equus.

She smiled brightly, what a nice motto! She figured she would keep it.

Author's Note

I've been wanting to write this for quite a while now. I really want to push the limits of my writing here and go for something a lot bigger than usual. Please, tell me what you think, and feel free to point out any errors.