The Legionnaire

by Vanity


XXI - The World

A battered, bald and prematurely aged Alicorn stepped up to the podium. Despite her withered appearance, she conducted herself with a poise that projected her authority with effortless grace.

"Visiting dignitaries, my name is Princess Flurry Heart, and it is my sincere pleasure to welcome all of you to the first chairing of the Global Congress. Our world has seen much turmoil over the past year, yet we must have hope for the future. Our young, and the young of our young, must see and know they have a world to look forward to, rather than a black hole to be dreaded.

The ceasefire between the Griffon Empire and Equestria is but the first step in this process." Flurry nodded towards the assembled Griffon delegates, a cluster of grim-looking bashaws. "The loss of your Royal Household is undoubtedly a... shock, but I am sure you will take this opportunity to lead your nation into a new light."

The bashaws merely snarled in response. Across the hall, the Hippogriff Chieftain shot them a murderous look.

"I do not see why we should attend a forum populated by these brutish oppressors. I am here merely to have the needs of my people given a voice."

"And I fail to see why we should consort with the murderers of our Emperor and these lesser beings." The leader of the bashaws, a giant with pitch-black feathers and glittering amber eyes shot back. "No doubt Equestria would have us all become like them, abandoning our ancient traditions in favour of their own. I think not."

"That's enough, thank you." Flurry Heart raised her voice before an argument could erupt. "You will not denigrate each other in this forum. My aim is to mediate a peaceful solution to this conflict and secure justice for all."

"Oh, is it?" The bashaw shot back, voice dripping with malice. "This war is not over. Not until we have secured retribution for the severing of our royal bloodline, and consolidated our new territory."

"I don't think so." Now it was Flurry Heart's turn to raise her hackles. "You and your soldiers will leave Equestria within the next month, or there will be consequences."

The bashaws roared in indignation as their leader raised a claw in triumph. "You see? As then, as ever, Equestrian! Your pacifism is little more than a self-righteous front for your own ambition!"

"We are creatures of peace, but do not mistake that for weakness." Flurry Heart shot back. "Your nation is in no position to further wage this war. We are offering you a chance to leave without further bloodshed. You would be well advised to take it."

"Too generous by far." The Chieftain butted in, a harsh quality to his voice. "These tyrants have enslaved my people for years. I will not return to them without our freedom and recompense."

"Your people may soon find their labours greater than ever should you continue to speak to me like that, you filthy - "

"Enough!" Dragon Lord Ember and Flurry Heart both bellowed in unison; both exchanging looks of surprise before Flurry Heart continued. "I must confess, I find the Griffon's treatment of your kind intolerable. But I cannot allow it to stand in the way of a peace agreement. I'm sorry."

The Chieftain scowled and threw his hooves into the air. "I should have expected nothing less."

"Before we continue, it is my intention to claim, as I am entitled to by right of blood, the throne of Equestria." Two well-groomed mares stepped up behind Flurry Heart, one of them clutching a satin pillow on which rested a golden tiara inlaid with a large diamond heart. "Ordinarily, I would have sought a formal coronation ceremony - but I thought it better to do it here, so that any who wish to challenge my divine right to rule have the chance."

Not a soul spoke up. One of the Griffon bashaws opened his beak as if to sneer, but quailed beneath Flurry Heart's burning glare.

"Very well." She raised a hoof, and one of the attendants stepped forwards, lifting the crown from the pillow and resting it gently between her horn. Her wings flew outwards as the pair stepped back and stooped into a deep bow, murmuring the same thing.

"Behold, Princess Flurry Heart."


Luster had almost forgotten the familiar marble spires and staircases of Canterlot, the beautiful way they came together to form the lines and halls of the palace she had called home for so many years. Returning now, in this moment of silence, offered an uncomfortable space for reflection.

Her past mentor seemed etched into the very halls as she passed through them, and there were few spots where she found herself able to stand and not recall a vivid memory of Princess Twilight, either discussing a finer point of her magical studies or giving a lecture on the importance of friendship.

And what had it been all for, really? To train her, rear her for the throne like a crown princess. The same way Princess Celestia had done for her. Luster had never given the prospect serious consideration before it had been too late, yet even now, as she stood in the shadow of her departed teacher, she couldn't imagine anything less appealing. Of course, had things turned out differently, it would almost certainly have come to pass; who could turn down such an offer?

What would have become of her? As she studied the shattered remains of the stained-glass window of Princess Twilight and her friends wielding the Elements of Harmony, various possibilities fluttered through her mind, but none of them attracted her. In each, she was no longer her own mare, but an institution; something everypony depended upon, and could never be anything but.

Absent-mindedly, as she found herself trailing through the empty palace halls, she wondered what kind of Princess Flurry Heart would be. She had been raised to rule by her parents since birth, of course. She would make an excellent Princess, at least for now. But after siding with the Griffons during the war... even Luster had her doubts. A troubling but reliable feeling told her that these troubling times were far from over.

Eventually, inevitably, she found herself back in her old bedroom. To her surprise, it had been left abandoned since she had fled, though every drawer and contained had been busted open, their contents strewn out across the floor by somepony clearly desperate to track her down. As she sifted through the waste, her breath caught in her throat as she noticed an unmistakable sheet of paper she had once thought lost.

Raising it to eye level, her heart clenched as she read the words she'd long since forgotten.

Dear Diary

I did it!

My mommy just finished talking to Chance seller Chancellor Quill, and he says Princess Twilight is going to accept me into her school for Gifted Unicorns!

I'm soooo happy I could just burst oh my goodness aaaaaaaaa but daddy says I shouldn't be too excited because it's a lot of hard work and I'll have to put a lot of effort in but I don't care! I'll do whatever I have to because it means I get to become a super powerful unicorn and learn lots of magic spells, just like Princess Twilight and Gusty the Great and Starswirl the Bearded!

I can't wait to tell all the other foals at school! My mommy asked me if I'll miss my friends, and I said yes, but I want to go to Princess Twilight's school more than anything. I'm sure I'll make lots of new friends there, and maybe even one day I can become a big important pony like Princess Twilight!

I'll write more soon, but I have to pack. I'm so excited!

Yours Truly,

Luster Dawn, 7 years old.

At the bottom of the page was a crude drawing of her as a young filly, jumping in delight before a even cruder picture of Princess Twilight, the kind a filly who had seen her only a few times on TV or a newspaper might have drawn.

And yet, less than two years from that day, she had been pulled from her classes and entered into a program under the personal eye of the Princess. There had been others, but from even that elite crop she had quickly outshined the competition and been made the royal protégé. She had been so happy that day, she had fainted - but by then, she had been well past diary-writing age.

Back then, it had all been so simple. Even without a clear vision for what laid beyond her studies, the personal protégé of the Princess was virtually guaranteed a position of power and prestige in Canterlot for the rest of her days. Now, what laid ahead was uncertain. A small part of her wished nothing more than to return to anonymity of her days in the Griffon Empire - but with no Royal Household to synthesize drugs for, she doubted her services would be as welcome.

Perhaps a librarian, maybe a researcher. Something quiet and low-profile like that. Notoriety would hound her, of course, but as long as she kept her head down and didn't engage with the media, the public would forget quickly. She hoped. If they didn't... who knows? Maybe a life in the woods. Living in a log cabin, tending her own farm... well, there were worse fates.

She hadn't attempted to contact her parents, or anypony else she knew. She had mulled over visiting Starlight Glimmer, but the prospect of attempting to explain her actions to her former teacher filled her with a deep sense of shame. There was also the risk of discovering that somepony she knew hadn't survived the events of the past year. If she discovered that she was responsible for one more innocent death, she feared the guilt might just rip her apart.

Letting the letter slip from her magical aura and float to the floor, she silently left her old room and closed the door silently behind her. There was nothing in there she wanted.


Every eye in the hall was filled with fear as they fixed upon the tall, domineering figure that took the stand, her glittering blood-red eyes defying any and all challengers to her authority. Even Flurry Heart felt the need to stoop slightly in deference to this being that radiated total power.

"I am Cozy Glow. I am the mare who killed Gallus, Morning Star, and the warmongering Royal Family of the Griffon Empire." The hall was silent as she continued, not even the boldest of the Griffons daring to respond. "You are, I take it, accustomed to seeing Alicorns as the ruling elite of this land. Rest assured, I have no such designs on power."

Behind her, Flurry Heart let out a tiny sigh of relief. Cozy continued as if she hadn't heard.

"Despite this, I do not intend to withdraw from this world and allow the strong to once again brutalize the weak. Those who defy this new order will face the same fate as those before them who believed the world to be their playground. There will be no more wars of conquest. There will be no more murder of innocent civilians. There will be no more slavery. These are not requests. They are demands. They are not demands on behalf of Equestria. They are demands on my behalf."

"What is this?" One of the Griffons spoke up at last, not quite meeting her gaze. "You slaughtered our national household to the last soul, and now you intend to order us around? You are so bold as to believe you can test the might of the Griffon Empire?"

"I have tested your might, and found you lacking!" Cozy barked the response, her voice seeming to shake the walls around them. "I cut the throat of the Equestrian and Griffonian war machines in their sleep, and will do so as many times as it takes!"

"Then tell us, Cozy Glow. What demands do you intend to make of us?"

"You will release the Hippogriffs from bondage and withdraw your troops from Equestria. By the rising of the next new moon, any occupier who remains on your order or who holds the slave-leash of a Hippogriff will not see the birth of the next sun. Go, tell your troops they are to lay their lives upon your nation's altar. See how they respond."

The bashaw glanced sideways at his comrades, his uneasy expression matching theirs. Across the room, the Hippogriff Chieftain smirked and mouthed an obscenity towards them, causing him to flush red. "This is an outrage! You are favouring your own nation over ours, and siding with your kind against us!"

"I'm sure it seems that way to you. But rest assured, the same fate will befall every Equestrian soldier who does not leave your land by the same time." Flurry Heart raised her head in surprise at that, but dared not speak. "I also understand Equestria intends to annex the Crystal Empire. This, too, cannot be."

"What?" Flurry Heart rose to her hooves, a mix of confusion and anger on her face. "Who - what do you mean?"

"The Crystal Ponies have the right to exist as a separate nation, free of Equestrian influence." Cozy responded curtly. "They do not desire this annexation. You will leave them to reorganize themselves, free from foreign influence."

"But... but I am the Princess of the Crystal Empire!" Flurry Heart retorted, cheeks glowing red. "They wish to be ruled by their Princess! You can't do this!"

"Then return to the north, and rule your kingdom, Princess!" Cozy Glow shot back, an edge to her voice. "But know this, I will not tolerate either Equestria or the Crystal Empire being ruled by the same ruler. You will choose, one or the other."

Flurry Heart looked as if she had been forced to swallow a bag of rusty nails, but there was no doubt as to which kingdom she would rather rule.

"And you will not move on this?"

"For too long, the Crystal Ponies have been ruled by Equestrian royalty. It has caused much of the division that led up to this conflict. Forgive me, Princess, but it sounds like your ascension to the throne of Equestria was because you believed this land would not tolerate being ruled by the Princess of the Crystal Empire."

"The throne is my birthright - "

"As is the throne of the Crystal Empire. So choose, Princess. Choose one, and one only."

The smirks of the Griffons were now unbearable as Flurry Heart hung her head. "I... I will need to speak to my advisors before I decide."

"I don't doubt it." Cozy Glow returned her gaze to the hall at large and took a deep breath. "Know my name, everycreature, and know that the tyrants and slavemasters amongst you will lie easy in their beds no longer." She glanced down at she thick stack of paper before her. "That is all."

As she stepped down from the podium, Flurry Heart retook the stand, a thunderous look on her face.


Luster was exploring the Canterlot tower when she heard the fluttering of wings in the background. She had been expecting it, yet even still it sent a chill down her spine.

"Took your time, Discord."

Discord didn't smile, merely stared down at her with an unforgiving expression that defied description.

"You betrayed my trust. I should have known your feelings would get the better of you." His voice trembled with barely suppressed rage. "I did not imagine for one moment, when Princess Twilight approached me with her idea, that this could ever come to pass. I would have killed the foal if I had. You have empowered a monster who once sought to destroy this land with the powers of a thousand Princesses. You have killed us."

Luster tilted her head to one side, as if considering the words. "If you say so."

"And yet, you joke about it." Discord sounded incredulous. "I can't believe Princess Twilight ever saw anything in you."

"Anything important to say, or did you just want to insult me?"

"Not to say." Discord landed in front of her, paw and claw clenched. "Your actions are unforgiveable. There is only one recourse."

Luster nodded. She knew she had no chance against Discord, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Fine. You want to settle this so badly?"

Luster dug her hooves into the ground and lowered her centre of mass slightly, horn burning bright.

"Let's dance."

The first strike came from Discord and almost finished her in one, a gust of purple flame that flew from his palm and scorched her mane before she could redirect it back at its caster. Discord swung his arms to the side, dispelling the flames before crouching slightly and leaping forwards.

Luster had anticipated the move and leaped to the side, firing a series of spells into Discord's side, causing him to yelp and collapse, more out of surprise than pain. In an instant, she felt a familiar sensation grip her, one she had experienced over a year ago when Discord had forced every muscle in her body to seize up - but this time she was prepared, and threw off the curse before it could bite into her.

"No new tricks, Discord?"

The draconequus laughed in response. "My, my, my. Princess Twilight's star pupil doesn't disappoint. Fool you twice, shame on you, I suppose."

Without warning, a chunk of rock was torn from the floor and sent hurtling towards her. Luster blew it to pieces before it could strike her, then focused her magic on the remaining shards and sent them flying back towards Discord, who melted them into fragments of magma before they could reach him.

Seizing the advantage, Luster followed up with a series of magical blasts, each one powerful enough to kill a grown Yak. Two of them struck Discord in the chest, and as he doubled over, another struck him in the head. As he collapsed in a roar of agony, with a wave of his hand he produced a great breeze that would have blown Luster off the tower and sent her plummeting to her death far below, had she not quickly welded her hooves to the ground.

For the next few moments, the pair of them remained locked in place, each trying not to succumb to the wounds inflicted by each other. As the temporal hurricane slowly faded, Luster was the first to recover by a hair's breadth, and quickly capitalized on her opportunity by tearing two chunks of stone from the walls and tossing them at Discord, who shattered them to pieces just in time.

"You really think you can beat me?! The Lord of Chaos, who has lived in this land since before your ancestors were but a glimmer in the stars? You - I don't think so!"

Discord shot out a palm as Luster's horn began to glow and sent her spinning to the floor, slamming painfully into the stone railing. Before she could scramble to her hooves, he was on her once again, his claw wrapped tightly around her throat.

"You have no idea the imbalance your actions have bought upon this land. For that, you must pay."

Luster couldn't have fought him off if she'd had the strength of ten stallions. As her vision slowly faded, she forced herself to look upwards, taking in the beauty of the night sky one last time...

Then let out a gasp of terror as the force from her throat was torn away, sucking in a lungful of air that threatened to split her windpipe in two. Gasping and wheezing, she clambered to her hooves to see Discord pinned beneath her saviour, a lilac Alicorn with curly turquoise hair and hellfire in her eyes.

"Luster!" Cozy allowed herself a moment's glance over her shoulder before she returned her attention to Discord. "Are you okay?"

Luster coughed several times before replying, throat still tight and painfully constricted. "Yes... Yes, I'm fine." Her vision swam and spots flared and burst before her eyes as she swayed on the spot. Cozy snarled and turned back to Discord.

"What were you doing to her?!"

Discord growled in response. "I was paying her back for her treachery. Now I see I should have started with you."

"Seeking easier prey?" Disgust dripped from every word that left Cozy's mouth. "I should have expected nothing less from the likes of you."

"Well, well, well. Look who's talking." Discord glanced up at Luster. "You see? As soon as she has this kind of power, she makes haste to remove any challenge to her authority!"

"Please." Luster slowly paced over to Cozy, careful not to trip as her vision continued to wobble. Laying a hoof on Cozy's shoulder, she gave her a light tug. "He's beaten. Let's go."

Cozy didn't move. Luster frowned, then gave her another tug. "Cozy?"

"None..." Cozy whispered the word, then her face hardened. "You're right. Without you... there is no power that can challenge me."

Cozy closed her eyes and opened them to reveal two balls of glowing white light. Her horn began to glitter as thin tendrils of rainbow light began to grow from the tip and wrap themselves around it, burning with a multicolour intensity that seemed to awaken genuine fear in the defeated draconequus.

"No... no, wait! Not again!"

A victorious smile split Cozy's face in two.

"Goodbye, Discord."

With his last motion, Discord leapt to his feet and threw himself snarling at the Alicorn, but he was too late. Luster was forced to avert her gaze at the brightness of the rainbow lightshow that seemed to consume the entire tower before fading away. When it had gone, all that was left was a pearl-white marble statue of the Icon of Chaos, frozen forever in a snarl of pure hatred and fear.

Cozy sighed and lowered her horn. Glancing back at Luster, a look of concern filled her features. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No... I mean, I'm a little shaken. But I'll be fine." Luster was unable to meet her gaze, instead staring transfixed at the frozen statue in front of her, filled with a strangely hollow sense of melancholy. "I... I lied to him. I said I'd return the magic, but instead, it ended up dooming him."

"Equestria will be better off without unpredictable tricksters like this. His meddling was what broke us apart - what caused all of this." There was a note of grim satisfaction in Cozy's voice that Luster just didn't like. "Celestia knew this better than Princess Twilight. Doubtless, he wished that magic to be returned so he would have free reign to rampage across Equestria as he pleased. But in the end, his arrogance was his undoing."

"Or maybe he thought that magic shouldn't be in the hooves of a single pony."

If Cozy recognized the jab, she did not acknowledge it. "It doesn't matter what his reasons were. I am the custodian of the bell's magic now, and I will use it for the betterment of Equestria - whatever it may take."

Luster nodded, unsurprised. "And I suppose Equestria won't have much of a say in the matter?"

"I am no tyrant. I won't interfere with the right of those to do as they please - as long as they do not seek to undermine the harmony we all share." Cozy ruffled her wings, staring down at Luster accusingly. "Look around you. You live in a world at peace. Your future, and the future of your descendants and their descendants to come is secure. All from the order on the earth below you to the celestial motions above is assured. Without a Princess, Equestria would fall to ruin once more. I will not let that happen. No matter what."

Luster took a single step back, feeling the stinging of tears begin to form in her eyes. She took one last look, searching for that scared filly she had once known amidst the stony features of the Alicorn before her, but there was nothing to be found. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, anything, but words failed her for the final time.

Cozy Glow was gone.


The mountaintop calls out for you,

Those who have courage to seek,

Should peril nor darkness disturb you,

You may find destiny atop its peak.



And for those who turn their backs to destiny,

Scorn flighty dreams of power and fame,

Know that the world will one day pass beneath you,

Yet the mountain will remember your name.

Cozy didn't remember where she had first heard the poem, but it had always been a favourite of her grandfather's, the last pony before Luster to have ever shown her unqualified compassion and kindness. Reciting the words now, at the top of a perilous mountain, was, in some small part, her way of paying homage to his legacy. A bitter tear formed in her eye, rolling down her cheek before freezing against her coat.

"If only you could see me now, Gramps. Top of the world."

Beneath her laid her dominion, Equestria. A land now at harmony, once and forever. Yet despite her striving, the final, inner peace was yet to be won.

"You two have been quiet, haven't you?"

No response. Cozy sighed, then probed deeper. It took her only a few minutes to locate the last, feeble traces of the proud Changeling Queen.

Chrysalis roared and spat obscenities at her as Cozy calmly tore the last dregs of her spirit free from her, allowing her to dissolve into the harsh winds that buffeted the mountain peak. It took only a little longer to find the demon.

Tirek cried for mercy, but was similarly ignored, and Cozy watched with fascination as the demon unravelled before her into nothingness, then vanished. It was less than a death; there was so little of them left, they could not be said to die in the first place.

At last, she was alone. She took a deep breath as she watched the burning sun fall over the crimson horizon, heralding the dawn of the first quiet night in living memory.

The End