Soot covered stones as huge as carriages, carved out of mountain rock, stood as cornerstones holding up the smoldering monolith. Its foundations were near the breaking point, if only saved by the grace of fate, or perhaps a greater power. The tower itself was the tallest, and perhaps the greatest structure in the castle, only rivaled by the great hall. Although its grandeur had been diminished, as the pearly white that once coated it had turned a blasted gray.

Shooting up towards the sky, it stretched like a finger trying to reach the heavens. Down below, the great road that the city was based out of stood in its shadow. At the top, a single balcony lay outside the highest room, the railings adorned with intricate carvings and one of the few areas not coated with soot. It was like a realm standing outside of all that surrounded it.

Standing on top of this monumental structure, stood two individuals. One, a man, the other, a mare. The first of the two stood at a towering height, his hair coloured a snowy white that flowed down to his shoulder. With broad shoulders and a figure like that of mighty Hercules, he was a titan of a man. Covering his frame was a bulwark of interlocking plates, each having runes of white metal etched into them. The runes themselves depict imagery of great events, crucifixes, chi-rhos, merciful mothers and wrathful fathers, each gleaming like stars upon the soot covered plates. Half of these however could not be seen, for upon him lay a surcoat of what used to be a pure white surcoat, with a golden symbol of a crucifix stretching across it. Now however, it would be generous to even call it a rag, as soot and dried blood covered it, with holes, tears and burn marks further disfiguring it. His face too, was much the same, for although he looked to be in his thirties, he was bruised and beaten, sleep deprived and overworked. His beard was shaggy and unkempt, bags hung under his eyes and his most noteworthy feature, his emerald green eyes, had all life absent from them as he stared at the city below.

The latter, a mare, stood up to the man's chest with a horn stretching out of her forehead, its form swirling before coming to a blunted end. Her coat was an alabaster white, but much like the man, was covered with soot and dried blood, staining it a myriad of gray shades, with splotches of rusty red. Her mane seemed not to flow in the wind, but rather on its own accord, various greens and blues together with a shade of pink flowing like waves upon an ocean before dissipating without a trace. It looked rather out of place in comparison to the rest of her, as it was the only part not covered by filth. Huge wings rested upon her back, restrained with tight ropes whirling around her midsection to keep them still, though if they were to stretch to their fullest, it’s clear to see that her form would be as big, if not bigger than the man she stands next to. The feathers themselves were a mess, some out of place, some broken, but all covered in ash.

Atop her head sat a crown of gold, with a huge diamond shaped amethyst in the middle, likewise on her hooves, golden greves shone in the moonlight. The only clothing she had which was not out of gold, was a single ring sitting upon the base of her horn, being of gunmetal gray. The overall shape of the mare however, was not that of a horse, but rather there was some allot more sapient about her. The face especially showed this, as the muzzle did not stretch out like that of a terran equine, rather it was short, with lips much like that of a human, although lightly covered by fur. More noteworthy was her magenta pink eyes which, like a human's, were stereoscopic, and large in size. Her gaze was locked onto the man, staring at him with unabashed anger, resembling an almost primal hatred.

“I wonder if this is what the fall looked like…” The baritone voice of the man rang out, his voice rugged and deep.

“Don't patronize us, demon. We did what we hath to!” The mare snarled, her scowl deepening.

The man glanced over, his eyes looking into hers as he spoke.

“You mistake me, butcher, I do not speak of the fall you forced upon my folk."

He turned his eyes back to the cityscape.

"I speak of a far older one, one of such magnitude that even you could not compare." He paused as he exhaled through his mouth in an exasperated fashion. "That is unless you've truly gone mad, and wish to kill us all with his sun."

A nerve snapped in the mare as he uttered the final words, taking a step forward towards the man.

"Tis. Not. His! Thine god abandoned thou, left thou to rot! Even in this feeble victory he leaves thou with nought but empty promises! Thou speak often of that which he hath created, no? Then what of that which he hath destroyed? How many kingdoms hath thine so called 'god' burned?!” The mare shouted, becoming breathless as she shouted her final words. As she panted, recovering from her rant, her eyes were fixated upon the man in front of her.

A pause came between them both, the only sounds perceived being that of the screams and shouting down below. Finally however, the man closed his eyes and breathed a sad sigh.

“It is true, the lord gives, and the lord takes. I have lost many things over the years.” A small frown escaped as he looked over to Celestia for but a second. “People as well… But this?”

He stretched his arms out to the direction of the city below as he spoke in a loud voice. “This is not his work. No.” He turned his entire form back to Celestia, the mare taking a step back at the sudden change of tone. “Through pride, naivety, arrogance and stubbornness to your hatred, you caused this. Have you forgotten, butcher, The towns who had wrought your wrath?"

We couldn't escape it. The screams echoing in our ear, the smell of rust together with burning flesh, the feeling of our armor weighing down on our withers, death was everywhere and it culminated in the sight before us.

Our sun stood upon the horizon, everlasting ever... No, today there was no love, no great warmth that settled upon our little ponies. For the sky was a deep red, showing fierce hatred, a symbol for the blood which I had given, and taken.

Standing upon this snow covered hill, I look upon the remnants of what once was. Crying could be heard in between the houses, silenced as our guards ran to and fro, pillaging all that they could. Burned homes, along with the crushed bodies of ponies whom we used to call our own littered the area.

It was all so muffled now. Our sister spoke, uttering words almost too cold to be her own. Calculating, apathetic, cold-hearted, and yet, it was the only comfort we had.

Was that a tear upon our cheek? A stray snowflake? Or perhaps the ashen remains of somepony whose name we would never know?

"Victory is ours." We muttered in unison, as we rested our bodies upon one another.

"Have you forgotten, tyrant, the families you tore apart, the children you had sent to their death?"

…

Even in wartime, the work of a diarch was boring. Striding down the northwestern street to the plaza, we listened to the mayor as he dribbled on. The stallion himself was quite a shrewd old politician, but one inexperienced with delegating as his constant complaints of overwork entailed.

Keeping our gaze ahead, and slowly nodding every now and then, we looked around to see if we could catch anything to break the monotony of being an over-glorified bureaucrat. To each side, we were surrounded by two lines of buildings, all with a uniform stone foundation and wooden structure. Fitting, as each side was part of the upper estate, which had more amenities to them. Most noticeably among them, the cisterns that were dotted around, useful leftovers from the last war, now left to serve us.

Chatter was heard all around, although many quieted down as we grew near, bowing deeply as a sign of respect for their ruler. Although we doth imagine our escort of guards also had something to do in the matter.

Carrying on down the street, the mayor eventually quieted down as we rounded the corner and onto the plaza, where our carriage was waiting. It was abuzz with activity, as it was the hub of trade for the entire city, where both the rich and the poor peddled their goods to be sold, swindling the best they could. Its most noticeable feature was the enormous octagonal building which sat furthest from us, in between the upper and middle quarters of the town, as to supposedly show its "equal" administration. Giant white pillars of marble held up a great roof, which casted a shadow over nearly a third of the entire plaza in its imposing glory. Out from each pillar, reaching down diagonally, arched flying buttresses, each ending in small towers decorated with intricate carvings out of both marble, metal and glass. Its most noticeable feature however was the pinnacles upon the roof. Nine in number, each covered in gold, they stood out like gleaming lighthouses for the ponies to find their way here. The biggest sat in the middle, standing out from its brethren as it did not sit on an edge. It stretched up thrice as high, forming a tower whose shadow would have nearly reached the middle of the plaza, yet its gleaming surface gave far more light than darkness.

The first time we saw it, we were impressed, perhaps even envious. Yet now we doth feel no such emotion, all that remains is a deep pride for my little ponies having earned such a beautiful monument. The thought even brought a smile to our face as our carriage finally came into view.

Bidding the mayor a farewell, a gesture he returned as he strode into the town hall, I made my way to the carriage. That is… until a commotion caught our ear.

"He's only a child, please!" A female voice cried out in distress and a rough male voice came soon after.

"Stand down, sky rat! He's either coming with us, or you're both being sent to the Twilight sanctuary!" He snarled.

Turning to the right, another carriage stood, although much more spartan in condition. Being pulled by four earth ponies adorned with the colors of the lunar guard, it had a sturdy but worn out look about its wooden structure.

In front of the carriage however was the source of the voices in question. A high griffon mother, giant in stature, easily twice the size of any of the trio of guards who surrounded her. At her side, tucked under her wing stood another high griffon, this one however being much more near to the ponies height.

"No no no, please! He's all I have left! I'll do anything, take me instead, please!" The mother begged to the cold glare of the guards.

"I won't repeat myself another time, sky rat. Hoof him over." The lead guard responded, using his horn to flash a blade out of the sheth on his side.

"Mom, where are they taking me?" The fearful voice of the younger griffon asked, his voicing sounding more like that of a foal than his fearsome stature would otherwise suggest.

A small crowd had formed around the pair, seemingly poised to strike if they fled. Some ponies casually tossing stones up and down in their hooves, all the while throwing smirks at the griffons, as if taunting them.

Silence hung between them for a while as tears began to stream down the mother's face, matting her cheeks. Then, before anyone could react, she swung out with her wings as she clutched her child against herself. The sudden burst of air nearly knocked the guards off their hooves as they staggered back. As she began to take off however, she found her wings locked, stuck as my magic clutched them tight to their side. Motioning to our guards, they joined the fray to stop the hail of stones that soon rained down on the pair.

Giving off a mirthless sigh, we turned back to our carriage, all the while trying to block out the sounds we heard behind me. The wails of a mother begging for her only son, the crying of a child as he was beaten and taken to be sent off to some harmony forsakened war.

As the noise outside was muffled by the closing of the carriage door, we settled down on the velvet pillows and waited. Soon enough however, the crowd outside was silenced, and our guards returned. Sighing to ourselves, we closed our eyes as the paving stones gave us a bumpy ride before we could take off outside the city. Drifting off to sleep as I enclosed ourselves with our wings, we muttered to ourself, all the while keeping our eyes closed to the world outside.

"Tis all for the greater good."

"Have you forgotten, Judas, the carnage your betrayal brought to MY people?!"

…

The moon, glowing like silver, sat upon its bed of black. Stars shone down like diamonds in the sky before the sight in front of us. Stretching out towards the horizon was a forest, with trees numbering in the dozens. The trees however, lacked any form of branches, standing bare amongst the tattered landscape like spears jutting out of the ground.

Guttural screams filled the air as pegasi flew back and forth, tackling any stragglers that tried their best to flee what was to come. Beneath each and every tree lay bundles of flammable material, from wood to cloth. Giving off a light sigh, I watched as a stallion was hooked in the jaw. His tongue evidently was caught in the process, letting out a long streak of blood behind him as he was dragged away to the nearest tree. He didn't even scream, just gurgled, as his mouth was filled with blood. Though he was just one of many that were dragged off and strapped to the poles.

Out observations however were broken by the mare behind us.

"Your majesty, the ritual ready to commence, we await your command." The voice said, in perfect calmness.

Giving a sideways glance behind us, we looked at the visage of the perpetrator of the act before us. Standing at two thirds of my height, which is quite the feat for anypony, she looked straight into my eyes. Her mane was wrapped in a ponytail, being short at the front, with the back reaching down to her withers. The coloration of the mane was that of fire, with a mix of orange, yellow, red and small specks of blue forming what looked to be a flame upon both her head and rear. The coat itself was a pure white, like that of snow, akin to our own in both cleanliness and color. The wings resting on her back were adorned with wingblades, giving a metal sheen to their edges. Adorning her whole form was a pure white armor, being of enchanted steel. The only areas where her coat was visible was her head and joints, where the chain mail previously adorning those parts had been stripped after the battle.

Her most prominent feature however was neither coat, mane, armor nor wings. It was her eyes, looking straight into ours. They held a fire in them, quite literally, as her iris seemed to sway like a flame in the, glowing with its blood red coloration. Where before there had been what looked like unquenchable rage was now a deep admiration and love, pure and incorruptible.

"Your majesty?" She asked once more with a smile, bringing me out of my daydream.

Turning our sight back to the sight in front of us, we looked upon an army of fanatics, of whom all would gladly die for us. Yet, if our actions proved to be untrue to their belief, what would they do? We were prisoners to our own ponies, to their love, their obsession.

Giving off a sigh, we finally turned around and walked past the mare as she lifted an eyebrow at us, but still maintained that ever present smile.

"Thou may commence, high priestess." We muttered, our voice barely above a whisper but nonetheless she heard it and gave a nod to her retainers.

Glancing to our left as I walked back to my camp, we watched them raise a blood red banner, our sun adorning sitting in the central position and seams of gold upon its edges.

Inhaling the air for a final time before it was choked with ash, we looked to the sky as fire reigned down from above. Whimpers filled the air as all looked on, the silence almost making me stumble on my way into the tent. Laying down on our bed, we lifted a pillow with my magic, pushing it against our ears. Though no matter how much we tried, we could not drown out the sound of over a hundred dying folk, screaming for mercy as they were burnt alive.

We laid there, seemingly alone in the world, the light dimming around us as we cried. Throughout it all, as our mind was plunged into an unconscious muttering, all we heard in the backdrop of the screams was a single broken sentence.

"Tis not my fault."

He began walking towards her as he continued. “You took the gifts bestowed upon you to uphold peace and harmony to instead conjure up such chaos that not even discord could rival it! You allowed cultists within your ranks, watching as they raped and pillaged your very own, yet you did nothing. You allowed your sister, whom I treated as a daughter to fall so low as to kill foals without remorse. You took your gifts and made a country built upon the foundations of your own vanity.”

Giving off a humorless laugh, his shadow loomed over the mare, her eyes having gone from a deep hatred to fear. “Yet you stand before me preaching of God's failure to protect? No, you failed to protect them. Not from me, the griffons nor faith in god, but yourself. All you succeeded in was the banishment of your own sister, and the deaths of thousands.”

Lifting up his hand in a swift motion, he grabbed the mare by her mane as she let out a whimper before dragging her to the railing, her hooves desperately trying to find ground on the marble floor. They came to a stop right at the edge, with her eyes closed and waiting for the end, she shuddered and waited, a small trickle of tears rolling down her cheeks. Yet, as she waited, there was nothing, only the feeling of the hand upon the back of her head and the wind blowing against her face.

“So look, bearer of magic, laughter and kindness. Look at what you have accomplished and proclaim to me that you are innocent.” The man said with a finality to his voice.

The mare paused, still shaking with fear at the risk of losing her life at any moment before giving into his words and finally opening her eyes.

Thick plumes of smoke cover the skies, with occasional gaps through which the dimmed light of a blood red moon breaks through for but a moment. Within a second however, the threshold passes, and it's once more filled with the black smoke rising from the sea of fire below. Throughout it all, one can see occasional shapes break-through, the shapes of drakars, dragons, pegasi, griffons and wolves alike flying for all their worth, carrying the wingless and those too weak to fly.

Down below, as far as the eye can see, there is only an near endless ocean of bright flames and crimson embers. Despite the night and the thick smoke, everything is bright as day, illuminated by flames, dyeing even the dark smoke clouds covering the skies in an eerie scarlet hue.

The occasional screams and cries for help are faint and rare, as the flames snuff the lives of anyone unfortunate enough to still be here, in this hellish place. The stinging smell of smoke was tinged by the nauseating stench of burned flesh, bone and fur, as the fire consumed the charred bodies of foals, stallions, mares and folk alike, slowly turning them to ash. Here, there will be nothing left to bury. The entire city becoming a final resting place for tens of thousands, and the extant stone spire above it becoming a grand tombstone, a mournful monument to what once was a city of prosperity and abundance, now, only a memory.

The mare was stuck in a trance, her gaze fixed to the carnage that lay before her. She didn't ask if it was her fault, her mind seemingly skipping past such a possibility, only one question, what led to this? What madness caused this? What could've possibly justified this?

The question raged in her mind as she tried to look for an answer, any answer, but if there was one, she could not find it. That was, until her gaze turned to the sky, as the crimson light shone from the moon, it reflected back into her eyes the visage of her very own sister, trapped forevermore. Finally, she had her answer as she sniffed and tried to stop her tears from flowing.

"This… she caused this."

Silence was the man’s only answer.

"It wasn't- I wasn't- we didn't want this! We didn't want any of this! She did this! Thou hath to believe me, we art innocent!"

At the end of her spiel she was practically yelling as the hand behind her let go of her mane. Falling backwards with a thud, she muttered incoherently to herself as she covered her eyes with her hooves, whispering over and over her excuses. The man only met her with a sigh as he went from looking out at the city, then back to her. Kneeling down to the mare's level, with a look of pity upon his face, he spoke.

"If you can't see it now, I don't know if you ever will." He let out a sigh. "Perhaps it's our fault, your wings were forced upon you, you didn't have a choice to bear such responsibility and now it's all come crashing down."

He reached down with his hand, her hooves falling to her side with the slightest touch. Wiping the tears from the mare's matted cheeks as she let out soft sobs, he let out a faint smile.

"My daughter has taught me alot over the years, it's about time I taught them to you. I don't know if I can ever love you, Tia, but I do know I love your sister. It is for her I'll give you this chance."

Stroking her cheek, he paused, moving his hand up to her forehead as she shut her eyes.

"You're blind, Tia, but I will make you see."

From his hands rose strands of gold that only grew in number, arching across the balcony, extending and expanding till it formed a ball of pure golden light around the two of them. And so it was that out of the darkness of that once great city, from its tallest height upon that tower, rose one last beacon of hope, one that outshone even the sun in its radiance. One last chance, for the mare of the sun.

Author's Note

Sorry for long inactivity, school's been sapping the energy outta me like a sponge made of pure hellfire. This is the first chapter in a series of rewrites and serves an introductionary chapter.