Chapter24: The Sun, Re-ignited
Twilight gave the order to retreat on the third day. Flash had vanished and the Windigos were too powerful for them to handle. They would make a stand at Cantorlot. They laid traps and burned fields as the fled, the Enemy would find no resources to hold a prolonged siege on Equestrian soil. Winter was only in a few days and as the days and nights grew colder, so did the Windigos power grow. The Freezers had grown in this ice, the Equestrian Armed Forces couldn't keep up. They were out-numbered and outponyed but fought all the braver. They fought of the Windigos every night at campfires by raising moral with tales of better days but the hate from the Freezers fueled them. Rogue led several squads on hit and run attacks to slow their pursuers and kept causalities low. Twilight admired her in many ways. She remembered the day she ordered the retreat...
"We cannot hold them here without Flash!" Twilight wept.
"I know, I've led search parties and even called upon the animals to help but there is not a trace." Rogue frowned. "Worry not though, he will return. He is not one to give up and he has uncanny luck. Why, this wouldn't be the first time I myself have declared him dead, he'll pull through."
"How do you remain so hopeful in times such as this?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight... We are leaders." Rogue explained. "It is our role to give hope to those who follow us, no matter what. Why just today I smiled at a wounded colt and said we would win without question and he smiled. We must give hope, even when we have none ourselves. It is our burden. I led a squad out yesterday and a mare began to panic and say free Equestria was doomed. I saw everyponie's hope fall away. I told her it was nonsense and that we would win if everypony fought for what was right. The spark relit and to a pony they fought bravely. If I had said nothing, or worse told the truth of how I felt... I don't know how many would flee... The truth is... I have often contemplated hiding in the Everfree until this is all over. I lose hope. But we can never be seen to do so, or we truly are doomed." Rogue sighed. "So the truth is... I don't remain hopeful. I can't. But I swear by all that I hold dear that Nopony under my command will ever know! I will not falter, so they won't."
"You are braver than I."
"You are braver than you know Twilight. You weren't born an Alicorn, you earned it. You have my respect and the respect of those who follow you. In truth... I believe if you had been there when Nightmare Moon had been banished instead of I... You'd have stayed where as I ran." Rogue placed a hoof on her shoulder, "Never doubt yourself Twilight, let others do that for you so you can surprise them, and you will, Twi, you will." Rogue grabbed her bow and exited the room.
Ever sense then Twilight had grown bolder in her decisions. She assured the ponies that the retreat was simply to buy time and stretch out the enemy supply lines so her brother could raid the caravans easier with his Crystal Guard. When in her heart she knew they were running, tail between their legs. Hopefully Celestia would be awake and ready to offer aid. As she looked upon Cantorlot from a distance she felt hope blossom in her once more.
***
Luna sat worried. Through her spyglass she saw Twilight atop a hill on the outskirts of Cantorlot followed by a battered army and snow. Data Core entered holding a screen.
"I was just checking the vaults your highness and it seems some items were missing, simple relics only. From Children's stories."
Luna stared at him in frustration, "You are staring at she who was Nightmare Moon, a children's story. If they earned a place in the vault then Celestia must have found them too powerful to leave the Castle, or too dangerous. What is missing?"
"The Spear of the Lightning Mare, The Rusty Horseshoe of The Olden Pony, The Solar Scepte..."
"THE SOLAR SCEPTER IS MISSING!?" Luna screamed.
"Yes? Why? Do you know of it?" Data inquired.
"Of course! Back before we had the Elements me and Celestia fought to keep harmony. I with the Luna Scepter and she with the Solar. They were half-staffs that in our hooves became blades. Mine the crescent of a waning moon and hers as straight as a ray of light. Only one could use it though..."
"Yes, it is us dear Sister." A voice, sounded from the balcony. It was Celestia in old dusty armor. "We have awoken from our healing to find our armor in disrepair and our Scepter hidden away. What is the meaning of this?"
Luna twitched. Celestia was using the Royal "We." She coughed and began, "Tia, what is the last thing you remember?"
"Why, we were about to raid an old crypt for some strange artifacts."
"They were the Elements of Harmony."
"Wait, you've already fetched them? What happened? How long was I out? WHY WAS I IN A HEALING CHAMBER!?" She fumed.
"Alright. Let me explain... Actually no... Let me sum up,
You've been asleep, for a few of a few months,
You cast a spell, that knocked you out.
So you sat to regain your mind without a pout.
Unfortunately you woke a tad bit early.
And lost a millennium of memory,
So here's what happened over those years!
I turned evil, Starswirl kinda died, which brought you to tears,
You ruled alone for a really long time!
Everything was going fine!
Twilight became your student and Discord your Friend,
thenanevilalicornbeganattackingandthat'stheend!"
Luna smiled, "I know, I'm a genius singer. I just adlibbed that. Heh heh heh... huh..." Celestia wasn't smiling.
"So wait a minute... You're evil, Our only friend is dead, We have a new student, Discord is good now, and we are being invaded? Is that everything?"
"Well, I'm good now... but pretty much... Oh and you made two more Alicorns. One named Cadence or Mia Amora Cadenza and the other, your student, Twilight Sparkle."
"Why are you talking as a peasant? And why did We cast such a spell!?"
"You know? I'm not sure why but you retired the royal "We" thing. You cast it to save a couple of Ponies named Captain Auto Tomaton and Flashburn. Your memories will return in time I'm sure. But, if you went back into the chamber it would be much faster."
"We refuse to! Fetch thy armor and Scepter Luna. Thee spoke of an invasion. We shall repel the invaders our self."
"Celestia no. Look at yourself. After you banished me you threw down your sword and swore never to raise it again. Our armies delay the enemy until the Elements are recovered. Once we have them it will all be better, I swear."
"We may not be as fit as we remember but our courage is renewed! We care not what we became. We were weak. If thou shall not aid us, then we march alone." Celestia leapt from the balcony is disgust.
"Data..." Luna turned, "An ancient evil has awoken. Fetch me my armor."
***
Twilight heard yelling from behind her and flew back to the rear guard to discover the commotion. Rogue met her in the air and shouted. "The Freezers have responded to our retreat! They are chasing us! We have been routed!"
Twilight nodded and called out, amplifying her volume with her magic. "Attention Equestrian Armed Forces remain in your ranks, the Freezers have taken chase sooner than anticipated and at our current pace will reach us before we reach the city. Those who are not designated to carry the wounded go double time. Attention all Unicorn regiments able to perform teleportation spells safely! You are to report at the injured column. We shall not abandon our allies! Any Pegasi able to carry an injured pony over the walls is also to report to the column! All others double time it to the city!"
Twilight descended to the injured column, "Worry not my friends, soon you will be safe in Cantorlot." Several unicorns circled the wagons and several pegasi floated above. "Pegasi grab the lightest and least injured and fly for Cantorlot. Unicorns teleport the heaviest and most injured straight there. Come on ponies we haven't much time!" Twilight led them in teleporting others away.
Rogue landed beside Twilight. "Excuse me Twilight. I'm leading a squad of volunteers to slow the Freezers. I just wanted to say goodbye. There is a high chance I won't be coming back."
"Celestia's speed Rogue," Twilight panted. "If you can... just... be careful... the others are rendezvousing at the hole in the river... meet them there if you make it. I fear Cantorlot may not hold."
"I know." Rogue shot into the air like an arrow and landed amongst a group of grim looking soldiers. "Today we fight for our families and friends in arms. Through our sacrifice may peace be attained! I won't sugarcoat it. The likelihood of survival is next to zero. But know we die with honor! For Equestria!"
"FOR EQUESTRIA!" Their resounding call rebounded off the hills and souls of all who heard.
***
Rogue and her vanguard laid in wait for only a few minutes before the rending gale and siren wail of the Windigo reached them. A mare next to Rogue could be heard to say, "For once... their call does not bring fear into my heart..."
"Hold until I fire." Rogue reminded the thirteen under her command. They were hiding in an outcropping of boulders right in the path of the Freezers. The thundering of the Freezer's hooves could be heard and shook the soil. Rogue readied her bow. "Time to give them such a day to be remembered for all eternity..." The Freezers broke around them like water on rock, above pegasi flew and Windigos shrieked. Rogue counted to three, then stepped out of her hiding and loosed a triad of arrows. Her squad leapt from hiding and created chaos. Magic flowed from their horns, they flew and shot with their bows and battered their weapons on the un-expecting enemy. Rogue fired with abandon and quickly emptied her quiver. She drew her sword and battered away the now aware Freezers. She called out with her magic and the trees leaned in, closeing off enemy Pegasi as the brambles rose to entangle her foes. Branches fell and rose as Timber wolves baying and charging to their doom at the Freezers. Rogue felt a hot pain as a spear grazed her flank. The Freezer who held it was tackled by her Timber wolf, Woof-Woof. She nodded and he jumped toward another victim. Rogue was in the calm eye of the storm. No Freezer dared engage an Alicorn in combat! She counted her remaining allies. She was alone. The tree's were blasted apart as a dark Alicorn calmly and agonizingly slowly sauntered towards her.
"Evandra..." Rogue spat.
"Yes... And you must be Rogue... The Fallen one. I had searched for you before this war began, but alas I was too late. You had already joined the Shadow of the Night and the Accursed Sun. Oh well, you haven't proved much of an obstacle." Evandra wore the Element of Magic and black armor that reminded Rogue of darker nights. The nights under the Nightmare.
"You play dress up to emulate Luna at her lowest."
"I wear the armor of she who was killed!" Evandra drew a slender blade, curved, as a waxing moon. It glimmered red for a few moments.
"You and your kind weren't there, you will never understand how wrong you are!"
"Really? Then why did you flee Celestia's side?" Evandra laughed as she circled Rogue.
"At the time I did not understand it myself."
Evandra snickered, "At the time!? Really? You banished yourself longer than Celestia banished Luna!"
Rogue growled, "Silence thy tongue witch!" Rogue charged Evandra and slashed.
Evandra caught the blade with hers. "Slipping into the old speech again are "We"?"
"You will not succeed on the field of battle today!" Rogue screeched as brambles wrapped themselves around Evandra.
Evandra sighed, "I'm happy to say, you are... sadly mistaken!" Evandra turned into shadow and flew behind Rouge. Her blade slid down Rogues side. Rogue cried out in pain as she fell to the ground. Eve stood above her and pressed her hoof into the wound. She raised her sword high above her head and yelled, "As you die, so does their hope!" Evandra was sent sprawling as a great light and explosion filled the clearing. Rogue used the last of her energy to have the brambles pull her to a timber wolf. Woof-Woof shouldered his master and sprinted through the forest towards the River as he knew she needed.
***
Celestia stood in what was left of the stones where Rogue had fought. Her scepter at her side. "Who dares defy the Our divine province!?" She boomed. "Who dares challenge Us!?"
"You know very well Celestia!" Evandra spat.
"Actually We do not..." Celestia retorted, "We were told We are suffering from Amnesia! We will rephrase the question, who art thou, Knave!?"
"Wait... really? Amnesia?"
"Yes! We cast a spell to save a Captain and a Flashburn! We don't even know why thee fight Us!"
"You never knew in the first place!"
"We care not why, you threaten our kingdom and must be eliminated! Die Cur!" Celestia lifted her scepter high and it caught the sunlight transforming in a warm glow into an eight-foot long bladed claymore. "May the void meet thy soul in peace!" She brought her blade hammering down into Evandra's. A normal blade would have shattered but these were Alicorn blades. Freezers hemmed in, their fear lessened after seeing Rogue defeated and their will strengthened by their leader's confidence. Celestia growled in rage. If she was in her prime as she remembered she'd have already defeated this foal. But years of cake and leadership and cake had sapped her form of its old power.
"What's a matter Celestia? Haven't needed to lift a sword for a while huh? Or have you just forgotten how to use one?" Evandra baited.
"Silence thy tongue foal! You are speaking to your God!" She swung her blade at the crowd of Freezers that surrounded her. The backed off. They stared into each other's eyes. The hate of an era long past mingling with the hate of years of training. "Our blade may not be as sharp, but our mind never left the whetstone!" The sun dimmed as Celestia drew power from it. She smirked at Evandra. "Now, thy shall feel the might of the cosmos!" She fired an ancient magic, uncontrolled and fearsome. It appeared as if molten lava spewed from her horn and with a mind of its own flew at Eve, who after dodging had to run from it as it turned and charged once more. The forest was bright with the flame of the sun.
Evandra laughed, "You may outmatch me alone, but unlike you, I came with minions! Windigos, Freezers, charge!" The forest grew dark once more as snow began to fall. The light that radiated from Celestia seemed choked at its limits.
Celestia blasted away the Freezers with a ray, and spun about only to see more! She used her claymore to deadly effect, and any Freezer that got near never lived long enough to strike. The Freezer's magic chilled Celestia to the bone and arrows peppered her magic shields slowly wearing them down. Ice formed around her shield and her cosmos fire failed. Windigos circled above, sapping her of her strength. Slowly her blade became too heavy and she collapsed. It reverted back into a scepter.
"Cease fire!" Evandra ordered. She calmly strutted up to Celestia's kneeling form. She lifted Celestia's chin up with the blunt of her single edged blade. "Oh how far, my "God" has fallen... Say hello to the void for me darling and get it ready for your sister Luna... Hmph." She slid her blade up Celestia's check and held it above her head for a moment. "Say hello to my parents you murdering filth!" She raised her blade and...
***
Luna summoned her elite and informed them of what needed to be done, "Celestia may have bitten off more than she can chew. Ready the chariot, we ride at once to save her!" She adjusted her armor and fiddled with her scepter as preparations were completed.
"Your highness! The delegate from the Misty Isles is here to speak with you about reinforcement from their small nation!" Powerhacks rushed in babbling, followed by a young pegasus knight.
"I beg your pardon, Sir North Star, but I am about to lead a rescue mission for my sister."
His eyes went wide, "The Princess Celestia is in danger!? We will discuss politics later, I lend you my sword to save her."
"Alright, you ride in the chariot with me and keep them off my back. Now, we must hurry!"
"Yes your highness!" He and Luna sprinted into the chariot as soon as the summoned bat ponies brought it around to them.
"That way!" Luna ordered the bat ponies pulling it and they flew off into the darkening day. "There! Bring us around the side!" Luna saw Celestia fall and her scepter drop. "Hurry!" Arrows rained in on them, but North Star used his blade and shield to deflect them.
***
Evandra glared down at that she had hated all those years of pain and exile. She wanted to look into her eyes as she died. She lifted Celestia's chin to stare into the still defiant glare they held. "Oh how far, my "God" has fallen... Say hello to the void for me darling and get it ready for your sister Luna... Hmph." She slid her blade up Celestia's check and held it above her head savoring the moment. "Say hello to my parents you murdering filth!" She lifted her blade high and as it reached its apex, was intrigued by how beautiful the cracks on the ice were. More so she was bewildered on how the ice had gotten there. She lifted her head from the ground and saw her army clambering about her.
"Milady! Are you alright!?" Some nameless cannon fodder asked, worried.
"What happened!?" She barked as a wracking pain slammed into her head.
***
"I can't believe you just did that." North guffawed. It had been beautiful! Celestia was staring down Evandra as the Chariot zoomed in, and, as the final blow was about to fall, Luna pulled up and rammed the base of the chariot into the dark Alicorn! Luna and North had then leapt off and, with the aid of the bat ponies, helped the wounded Celestia onto the chariot.
"Did what?" Luna asked.
"That move! You just wiped out that alicorn and saved Celestia!"
"Oh that? Well... I kinda don't have a license... I thought we were gonna crash land so I over-compensated and lost control of the chariot..."
"So it was an accident!?"
"You don't think my insurance will go up do you?" Luna panicked.
***
Twilight saw Luna and two other ponies fly in on a chariot and felt a little better as she stood atop the walls of Cantorlot. Her brother stood to her left and Spike to her right. The gate shut beneath them and see watched the Freezers march over the base of the mountain and Windigos flying high above them. She could see the ice crawl before their march. "BBBFF, I know you don't have to be here," She turned and looked him in the eyes, "Thank you."
"Oh Twilly, you know I couldn't just leave you here. We only need to last a few more days and Cadence will get here with the newly trained Crystal Army."
"If we last the first night, I predict an increase of at least twenty five percent in our chances of making it."
"What do you think are chances are?"
"As long as they don't have some new trick up their sleeves... I'd say about a sixty-five percent chance. If the Princess Celestia and Luna as well as Discord are able to help then I think we can take almost any curveball."
"Um, Twilight?" Spike pulled at her leg.
"What Spike?"
"What have they thrown at us before?"
"Ice ramps, Windigos, Arrow barrages and the occasional Ice Ram."
"Then I think we have a curveball..." He said as he looked through one of those tourist binocular stands.
"What!?"
"Just take a look over there." He pulled her down to look through the device which was set to his height.
"Oh no... We haven't dealt with that..."
***
Approaching from the North-West a red sphere flanked by several robbed freezers rolled towards the city. Leaving a trail of blackened destruction behind it. Absol stood in front of holding a spear that shot electricity into the sphere. He laughed, "Fueled by this you can keep up this spell indefinitely!"
A dark voice emanated from within the sphere, "I'm not even tired!" It laughed. "Time to burn them all!"