:Demon:

by SteampunkBrony

:Demon:

Two years of planning, of careful maneuvering, of schemes behind locked doors... all led to this...

The conclusion of a plan to rescue the world from... Her. To think, the pillar of strength that had held Equestria afloat for over two thousand years could be brought down by her own repressed emotions and a dark spirit...

Celestia is no more, not even the Elements of Harmony were able to oust the Nightmare this time. We lost too much then, after she vaporized Rainbow... It was too much. We all decided we would do whatever it took to end the reign of terror and put Luna on the throne.

Applejack had organized the first strike, a full on rebellion. Equestria was turned into a warzone overnight with a nationwide uprising. The Royal Guard didn't stand a chance, and it was only when... She intervened that we realized we'd need more than just popular support to win this battle.

She used Equestria's greatest weapon on her own ponies.

Sol Invictus... the power of the sun unleashed upon Equis...

The plains around Canterlot are no longer green; there is no longer any life there. Nothing remains but a field of glass, with her fortress residing in the center of it all, Canterhorn Mountain, home to the Solar Throne.

Most of Equis rallied behind Luna and her Republic against the Solar Empire... but we know that they are too scared to act, too scared to fight. Luna is powerful, yes, but she is still weaker than her possessed sister...

“Twi... the delivery is here.”

Spike's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Hmm? Oh. Got it. Tell them to put everything in the basement and begin the evacuation. Let Luna know that Operation Oni is a go.” The order was crisp and clear from ten years of a military mindset after joining the Republic. Spike saluted and ran off to relay my instructions, and to initiate our largest strike yet.

Operation Oni, a global effort to put an end to her rule... the Solar Empire covered most of Equestria, but had its teeth in almost everything. The Republic sought to end that with a final strike. I'd been training for two years for the power I was about to summon and wield, and not even Discord was able to affect my mind now.

He had broken free early on in the conflict, and had come to me in peace, offering his help. We were all skeptical at first, but he proved to be an invaluable asset in keeping the Solar Empire from expanding its borders. The chaos he could rain down upon a battlefield had been a deciding factor in many battles. When the idea for Oni was drawn up, he volunteered to train me for it, and it had worked. I could hold out against his strongest will bending magic, magic that had sent entire legions of solders running and had broken the minds of more than one Solar mage, leaving the formerly proud unicorns nothing more than slobbering husks.

I looked out the window once more, the lights of Canterlot sparkling in the distance reflecting off of the fields of glass. Tonight we either kill her or die trying... I thought, turning and trotting down the stairs of the Ponyville library and into the main area where a small command center had been established.

“General Entering the Command Center! Attention!” One of the gryphons in the room called and the whole room snapped sharply to attention, their salutes crisp and clean.

“At ease, get me on the horn for a broadcast to all of our units.” I ordered, trotting over to a microphone.

“Ma'am.” The gryphon saluted again and began barking out orders. Moments later he reported, “You are clear for broadcast General.”

“Thank you Commander.” I depressed the button on the microphone’s base and spoke. “To all units in the field and otherwise, this is Lunar High General Twilight Sparkle.” A hush fell over the command center as I spoke. “For ten years we have fought against the Solar Empire, we have won, we have lost, but now we stand upon the precipice of our final battle. Tonight, we either win once and for all, or lose everything. There will be no mercy from the enemy, and until they surrender we shall give them none in return. I ask nothing of you but to fight until your last breath leaves you, until your blood dries in your veins, until you leave this world for good, for no matter the outcome, you will be able to march proudly into the afterlife knowing you did all you could to strike the final blow to the Solar Empire, and to Her. I will be there with you, and I will fight as hard as the rest of you. Tonight we will either dine over Her lifeless corpse, or we will die as heroes and march upon the gates of Tartarus to return and fight once more against her. Tonight, Her death bell shall ring to signal the end of her reign. Tonight, Empress Flare will feel the wrath of those she has oppressed, tonight She. Will. Die.” I released the button to a loud cheer from the command center staff.

A lone mage saluted me. “General Sparkle, the runecrafters report that the spell's framework is complete and the altar is etched. The area has been evacuated and you are clear for casting.”

“Thank you Archmage. Commander Spike, you are now in command of the operation. Initiate phase one.”

“Ma'am.” Spike said saluting me. “Good luck Twilight.”

“I don't rely on luck anymore Spike. I rely on weapons, and tonight I will become the most powerful weapon to ever exist on Equestrian soil.” I teleported away, appearing in the center of a twenty meter wide spell circle. It had taken months to carve out the chamber below the Glass Plains, and a whole year to etch the spell work into the very rock. The very chamber pulsed with magical power as my horn ignited, the runes flaring to life.

No turning back now... The runes inscribed around the chamber flared black, and dark power gathered around me as I chanted the incantation. There was a bright flash as the rock above me blasted outwards, revealing the beginning of a solar eclipse through the eye of a large electrical storm as tendrils of black energy reared up and shot towards me.

I was assaulted by more pain than I had ever felt as demonic power was summoned to my body. My vision swam as I fought against the desire to just give in to the power. To do so would be allowing myself to be consumed by it, and I was not about to unleash the powers of Tartarus upon the world without direction. I felt my horn grow longer, fangs sprout in my mouth, and two spikes grow from each shoulder. I looked down to find my coat had darkened as a spiked belt took form around my waist.

Suddenly the pain stopped, but the will of the demon remained. I heard the demon I had trapped within my body speak.

Give in... Submit to me and I will give you power beyond your wildest dreams... Came the voice of the demon.

Quiet. I replied, Or I will end you instead of sending you back to Tartarus. Your power is mine to command, so either surrender to me or die.

Foolish mortal, you cannot stand against the lor- The demon suddenly screamed as I turned my will upon him with a massive mental strike, aided by the most powerful mind magic Discord and Luna could teach me.

I know who you are Mephistopheles. I do not ask for your power but demand it, and I will destroy your mind if that's what it takes to acquire it.

I will never give up my power to a mortal. Came the reply. I felt the will of the Lord of Hell pressing on my mind.

Very well. Enjoy oblivion. I lashed out with everything I had and, after what felt like an eternity, with a soundless scream, felt Mephisto's will shatter.

H-how... Came the fearful response.

I am Twilight Sparkle, High General of the Lunar Republic, former student of Princess Celestia, and the Element of Magic. I have trained for two years against Discord's influence so I could break you. I replied. Now Die!

The spell circle around me flashed a brilliant white as I activated the second layer of the spell, draining the demon's very soul of its energy, his scream fading as his life ended. I conjured up a mirror to look at myself.

My eyes had changed; the sclera's had turned pitch black, a sharp contrast to the turquoise irises that stared back at me. My mane and tail were a mess, but I had a schedule to keep. Trotting over to a small chest I withdrew a communication gem. Activating it I spoke, “Ritual complete, Beginning assault on Fort Canterlot, confirmation code Rainbow.” That's... my voice? I thought, surprised at the unnatural rasp that came from my mouth.

“Good luck.” Came Spike's voice from the other end.

I shut off the gem and looked up at the starry sky above me. I focused on a hill that was a few miles outside of Canterlot, and channeled my new power into the teleportation.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Those rebels must have failed, whatever spell they cast can't have worked, we'd know wouldn't we?” One of the guards standing atop the white marble wall of Canterlot Fortress said to another standing beside him.

“That spell was cast by General Sparkle... I have the distinct feeling we're all fucked.” The other guard said solemnly. “I've seen her spellwork, and the energy surge felt like hers. Even the megaspell that wiped out Stalliongrad didn't contain that much energy.”

A magical klaxon echoed across the fortress, causing guards everywhere to run to the battlements or armory.

“Think they're playing for keeps this time? All or nothing?” the first guard said, scanning the Glass Plains with a telescope. He recoiled from the eyepiece as he swept over a hill between Ponyville and the fort.

The other guard took the telescope from the first and looked through.

“They are.” He said setting the telescope down and sitting against the wall and removing his helmet before lighting a cigarette.

“S-sunspot! Are-aren’t you going to report that!” The first guard exclaimed, not believing his counterpart's behavior.

“Pine Bough, face it, we're already dead. Nothing we can do can change that. Short of Empress Solar Flare dying, Sparkle ain't going to stop until she's dead. We can only hope she'll have mercy on us if she wins. Our lives are now in the hooves of a mad sun goddess, and her former student.” Sunspot said after taking a long drag on the cigarette.

“I... but...” Pine Bough looked conflicted for a moment before he sat down and removed his helmet. “Pass me one of those.”

“I didn't think you smoked.” Sunspot said with a chuckle.

“I don't... but we've been doing this so long together I may as well see what you like about it.”

“Heh...” Sunspot's chuckle was lost in a pressure wave as a glowing white orb the size of an apple shattered the shield over the fortress and slammed into the mountainside just below the castle before detonating.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I lowered my hoof as the castle that sat atop the Canterhorn began to crumble, the white marble that had stood for over a century breaking free from the rock it was affixed to. That won't kill her, she's too powerful for that. I thought as the pristine towers toppled out into open air. I could see pegasi flying free of the crumbling castle, carrying earth ponies and unicorns to safety. The shimmering shield that had kept back our attacks for so long evaporated into a glowing mist as the hole caused by my spell widened. The communication gem at my side pulsed, relaying an incoming call.

I tapped it with my hoof to activate it. “Sparkle here.”

“Ma'am, Chancellor Luna reports that she's gained control over the sun, and that the assault on the territories controlled by the Empire is proceeding better than planned. The civilians and even some of the Imperial Guard are rebelling! The Chancellor... She also asks that you confirm the Empress's death,” one of the communication officers relayed over the gem.

“W... wilco. Sparkle out.” I said, tapping the gem again, concentrating on a spot beside the settling rubble. That can't be it...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Think she'll fire again?” Pine Bough said as him and Sunspot rushed towards the pile of rubble.

“Dunno... do you think that she's done?” Sunspot replied, ditching his armor as he ran.

“I don't know...” Pine said as he started levitating chunks of marble away from the main mass. All over, guards and civilians were hauling chunks of the castle away, barely visible through the dust.

Sunspot suddenly froze in place, dropping the chunk he had been lifting. “She's here...”

“W-what?” Pine said, looking around as a sudden wind cleared the dust cloud from the rubble. There was a flash of dark purple light beside them, accompanied by a loud pop.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I glanced around, and immediately spotted two unicorns frozen in place staring at me. One had a pine branch as a cutie mark and the other had a yellow circle with a darker circle on it. There was a sword over both of their cutie marks, they were Imperial Guards. The one with the pine branch as a cutie mark started cowering and covered his head with his hooves.

“Faust have mercy on me...” He started muttering.

I froze, shocked by that. “I... I'm not going to harm you unless you attack first.” I turned to the rubble and my horn ignited as I started to lift the tonnes of marble.

“Pine... look...” the yellow coated guard with the sun cutie mark said as he poked his friend. The green coated unicorn slowly looked over his hooves.

“She's... helping?” the other said, not believing his eyes.

“Y-yeah...” The first muttered and I heard the sound of a lighter being flicked. I started to teleport the rubble away, the only hint to its resting place being numerous purple flashes over the Glass Plains.

“But... why? Every time the Empire did something like this we were ordered to... finish the job...”

“Because I'm not about to make the same mistake I made four years ago at Stalliongrad.” My voice betrayed my emotions despite how raspy it was.

“Wh-what do you mean?” The yellow guard asked.

“When we leveled Stalliongrad it was a move of desperation, just like this was. None of us wanted to, but we just assumed that nopony survived the megaspell. When we heard the reports of survivors dying from lack of help from the Empire... We dedicated a day of remembrance on the spot. I gave the order to pull back because there were airships inbound, I'm not about to leave innocent ponies to die when I can help, not again.” I began to levitate any surviving ponies I found out of the floating rubble. I tapped the communication gem again and spoke. “General Sparkle to Ponyville, send as much medical help as you can, there are injured civilians and Canterlot Hospital is going to fill up fast at this rate. No sign of the Empress yet. Sparkle Out.”

“Do... do you think you got her?” The green one asked.

“I don't know... I hope I did. I don't think anyone wants me to cast another spell like that.” I replied.

“I... I think I see her.” The yellow guard said, pointing to a large golden colored wing sticking from a clump of rubble.

I kept teleporting rubble away until all that remained was that cluster. It had been an hour since I had begun and I could hear the hum of inbound airships. I brought the cluster of rubble closer and trotted towards it, the two former guards following behind me. Piece by piece I separated the clump, slowly revealing more of the body within until all that remained in my magic's grasp was the limp, battered body of the Empress.

The green coated guard trotted over to her quickly as I laid her down on the ground. He put his ear to her chest.

“Sh... She's dead.” He said quietly as I walked up and gazed at the face of my former mentor. “No pulse... nothing.” He quickly trotted over to his friend.

“It's over...” I muttered, a crystal tear falling onto Celestia's battered form. “It's finally over...” My forelegs grew shaky and I collapsed onto her, my tears matting both my fur and hers as I mourned the death of Celestia, my mentor, and cried tears of joy for the death of the Solar Flare, the tyrant.