Tarpian Rock was an ancient fortress from times long lost, known only by Celestia and the lorekeepers of the Arcturian Order. She trudged through the snow, following the tracks left behind by the Imperial armor and their support vehicles. The stone fortress was noticeable in the distance, placed upon the highest hill around and commanding an intimidating view of the surroundings. With her legs growing sore she spread her wings and took off to the sky, letting her other limbs dangle to relax as she got a view from above.
From above she could see several camps placed around the foot of the hill where Tarpian Rock stood, along with various flags of different nations across Griffonia. Celestia squinted a little, recognizing several from the Riverlands, which drew some surprise to her. Not only that, but she could make out a small camp of Wingbardian, Aquileian, and Griffonstonian soldiers settled close to one another and just beyond them, a camp of New Mareland ponies and griffons.
She angled her approach toward them, and on her way she glimpsed at the Imperial camp, surrounded with their tanks and support trucks. A griffon in full black armor with a red cape was directing around, and when the knight looked up in the sky and saw Celestia they removed their helmet to reveal Celeste underneath, the white-feathered griffon giving a wave.
Shocked from surprise, Celestia barely had time to even notice changelings among the number, chatting amiably with the ponies of Farbrook. Her heart almost stopped until she saw the flag of Greneclyf above them and she shook her head. Continuing on her route she landed heavily in the snow at the New Marelander tent.
The ponies were already standing at attention and Celestia waved a hoof.
“I'm not your princess, you don't need to stand at attention for me,” she said.
“With all due respect, ma'am, they're standing at attention because I ordered them to,” the thickly accented stallion said as he stepped out of the tent. “Colonel Major Glory at your service. Jet Set and Princess Luna said you'd be surprised, and we wanted it to be just that for you. You're not in this fight alone ma'am, only the best veterans of the Great War have been sent to assist.”
“The Crystal Empire front.”
Glory nodded, the dark blue pegasus motioned with a wing. “At ease, go about your business gentleponies.”
The arrayed soldiers gave a salute before they moved off.
“How many?”
“Just a battalion, from us and the others. Except for those knights under that prelate, Lightfeather, they came with a few tanks and trucks too.”
Celestia nodded. “I see. Getting those other three to agree must have taken some work?” she asked as she motioned to the three griffon camps behind her.
He shrugged. “I don't know the details ma'am, just that they're all playing ball for the time being.”
Her eyes glanced over at the other camps and her lips curled into pensive though. “I must meet with the headmaster. William Steel Beak, he's inside the Rock?”
“Last I heard, yeah. We all saw you a good while out, they must be prepping a great reception for you inside, ma'am!”
The halls of Tarpian Rock were grander than she imagined. Built up long after her first foray in the icy lands of northern Griffonia from a sturdy, pragmatic wooden fort. As she walked inside William was already waiting for her, the blonde griffon giving her a bow.
What drew her attention were the massive stained glass windows for the main hall, lighting shining through the five of them. On her left she saw Eyr, the mother goddess, surrounded by doves, storks, and swans above her and little kittens by her feet, completely bare with a sapling in her hands. Then Boreas, with an eagle perched on his right shoulder and a lion sitting dutifully beside him, dressed in kingly garb complete with crown and his Idol in his grasp. To her right there was dread Maar with a swarm of crows and ravens, dressed in tattered rags. Next to Maar was Arcturius in full armor with sword in hand, various hawks flying over his head and a tiger ready to pounce on his foes.
The last stained glass window took her breath away and her heart froze.
It was her, wings spread with the sun behind her. No details could be clearly seen, but she knew from many photos of the Summer Sun Celebration of that pose. Unlike the other windows, she was alone, bringing forth the power of the sun.
“Do you like them?” William asked as he approached. “When Desmond Fell-Claw became headmaster Tarpian Rock was already well underway into becoming a proper fortress, but there had been many debates about the windows. Some wanted Arcturius, whom we are named for, to be the head. Others said for Boreas, a few Eyr. One even suggested Maar, claiming that giving him some respect might temper his misdeeds. But headmaster Desmond, he and some others followed a different belief in the Order.”
Celestia turned her attention to William. “The Holy Light. It's not a common belief in Equestria, but some ponies follow it as well, though they call it 'Solarism'. I remember meeting a hoof full of griffons during the Long Night whom devoted themselves to it. The Order allowed it to flourish?”
“Why would we not, when devout believers of it stand against the undead? We accept anyone and everyone willing to fight.” The young knight smiled. “As such, it is good for you to have arrived, Princess Celestia. With you and our new allies we'll be sure to stand against the tide.”
She raised a wing. “Just Celestia, please, and do not consider me so laudable. I am but an old nag doing a good deed to assuage her guilt.”
He considered her for a moment. “As you wish, Celestia, though you came to our aid when asked, without demanding anything in return. Such selflessness is rare to see in a personage so well known.”
William turned and motioned for her to follow. “Truthfully we could have had the might of the entire Reichsarmee, but our roads are poor and keeping them supplied would have been difficult. That, and Archon Eros demanded we swear fealty to the Archons and the Empire as a whole.”
“Victory would have been assured in that case.”
“It would have, but then the Order would be turned into just another cog of their war machine, desperately clawing back to its old power. That is not our purpose, nor our desire. What use is it to win if we forfeit our very souls?” William cracked a grin, ”Granted, there is irony in that given our foe.”
They walked the halls of the cold, stone fortress before finally reaching a set of large doors. William pressed against one to open them before gesturing for Celestia to step inside. Once through she saw that it was a war room, with various ponies and griffons from the Order arrayed around the map table. They all looked up at her as she approached and studied the layout. A few of them bowed their heads in prayer.
“Everyone, this is Celestia, she has answered my summons.”
She could feel them all appraising her, and before anyone else could speak she turned to William. “Do you still have the Shield of Hope?”
Brief shock could be seen on the others out of the corner of her eye, but William merely shook his head. “It had been taken from us a long time ago. We believe it to be held by the League in their dark fortress of Magehold.”
“Heavens forfend. Without the Shield of Hope my sword's power is severely curtailed. No matter, I must make do. What is the plan of battle?”
He motioned to the table and stepped toward it, placing wooden pieces about the beginning of the peninsula. “We've spent many a year rebuilding the forts along the border. They're well stocked with ammunition and supplies and the main plan was to hold the line and let the undead break themselves upon our defenses. With the added support we're received and are going to receive, we will be able to rotate our forces out. The tanks will not be able to be used to the best of their ability, but the added fire support will be helpful.”
One of the Order's ponies spoke up, “It is not the best plan, but it is the best we could do with what we have. We'll hold out for as long as we can to ensure the undead make not a step past us.”
Celestia studied the layout carefully and she walked back and forth along the table, taking care not to disturb the others seated around it. She moved a wing out to tap at several noticeable gaps. “Are you going for a static defensive line or a flexible one?”
“We can only afford to do a static line, but we're not worried. King Meyer sent a message to expect dragons to come to our aid in the coming days. Even if we lack the numbers the sheer might of those legendary creatures will be enough to hold the line,” William said.
She mused on it for a moment. “And you just plan to let them beat against you until their numbers thin, then push to finally take Magehold?”
“We have no other options, we had asked as many as we could for help, but they would only spare soldiers. If even one nation had offered a ship we could have sailed right for Magehold to decapitate their leadership.”
The map showed the bay separating the very end of the Dread Peninsula with the rest of the continent. She looked at it for a few long moments. “I will go. Alone. There is no use in others risking themselves for this.”
“Are you mad?” one of the other griffons said. “If the Dread League were to slay you and raise you as one of their own-”
“If I die my soul will not be forfeit to these dark creatures. I am no mere mortal.”
A whitemaned mare stood up and looked Celestia in the eye. “Your death would completely shatter the morale of the Equestrians and New Marelanders.”
“I said 'if I die', I had fought against masses of the undead once before and came out victorious. This will be no different, I assure you. Victory will be ours,” Celestia looked around. “That said, I will need armor and for my sword's enchantments to be reinforced. Where is your forge? I will not ask the Order to work the enchantments, they're quite old, and I have another in mind for the task.”
Celeste had settled in to study the plans she was given earlier to plot out the best dispersion of the tanks and knights under her command when gold flashed in her tent. She let out a squawk of surprise, fell out of her seat and looked up at the intruder. Celestia stood there with a pleased smile on her face.
“As prelate of Arcturius, you know of metalworking and enchanting?”
The griffon stood up with a frown before she motioned to her black armor. “I forged it myself, and the enchantments will outlast my bloodline.”
“Good, I have a task for you.” The alicorn's horn lit up.
“Wait hold on-”
The world disappeared in bright gold, and when it returned the disoriented prelate crouched down until it all stopped spinning. When her senses realigned she noticed they were in a forge, the heat striking her and making her sweat already. “What in bloody Tartarus was that!?”
“Teleportation. Please, time grows short for us all, and as Proteus' trusted assistant I was hoping for you to be responsible for reforging the enchantments on the Blade of Mercy.”
Celestia presented the sword to the griffon, who took it and studied it carefully. Celeste then looked up to the alicorn with a frown.
“These enchantments, I can feel them. They're old, but manageable. The one though, it's odd. Something to do with your special talent?”
“Yes. It's one to enhance a pony's cutie mark capabilities. If wielded by, say, an earth pony with an apple cutie mark then planting and harvesting apples would be far greater for them.”
Celeste took off her armor and set it aside carefully as she began the process of setting up the forge. Another look over the sword and then she used the bellows to begin heating the coals up to the right temperature.
“I'm not going to melt it down, the steel is still good. But I will need to burn the magic out, recapture it, and then reinvigorate it,” she said as she turned to Celestia, “the Order would have plenty of enchanters and smiths, why me?”
Celestia smiled. “What better message to send Proteus that I'm thankful for his support than to have his favored prelate work on my personal weapon?”
The griffon let out a little snort as she checked the heat before slowly pushing the blade in. “To be made to work on another's trusted weapon before they go into battle. You certainly know how our Archonate works. You best go and get some rest after your journey, it will take me some time to get this working.”
Sparks crackled across the length of the sword as Celeste muttered an ancient prayer, holding her talons dangerously close to the flames. Celestia watched in the flickering light as sweat dappled across the griffon's feathers. The mention of rest hit her as her muscles felt like jelly. A small headache was coming on as she lit her horn once more to teleport out.
The bed was not the most comfortable she had been in, but after being cramped in a plane and walking the wilds it was a gift from the heavens. She stared up at the ceiling, eyelids growing heavy as she wondered how angry her sister still was since Griffenheim. Before she knew it, she found herself laying in the grass, with her younger sister frowning down at her.
“You kept me out.”
“I didn't want a confrontation so soon.”
Luna snorted and pawed at the ground. “You violated Vivienne's sanctity.”
She looked up at her younger sister before turning her head aside. “I'm worried about you and don't want to see you taken advantage of.”
A weary sigh came from the younger sister as she moved to lay next to Celestia. “I had been on guard when I first met her, and it is true that she seeks more out of this relationship than just being with me. To be frank, I have been doing much the same as well. We are both taking advantage of what the other offers, and why should we not? We are honest about it as well.”
“She wants the prestige of being with an alicorn, as well as what agreements can be made with New Mareland.”
Luna nodded. “And I receive Aquileia's military might for when we sail for home. Jet Set and Beakolini have been in talks. It has not been easy for Wingbardy, but there has been a push for their national pride. Helping us means competing with the Aquileians, in a contest of sorts they claim. Griffonstone has their border with the Empire secure, and with assurances from the south and west they will be joining as well.”
Celestia leaned in to nuzzle Luna gently. “I've met personally with Hermann Meyer. Haukland will let you use the dragon islands as a springboard for the invasion, in addition to intel on the changeling navy in the Celestial Sea.”
Luna's ear perked and she turned to her sister. “Celestia, what is wrong?”
She avoided her sister's gaze and shook her head. “Luna, I am heading into the heart of darkness. Maar's power waxes and my only assured path is to reclaim my lost shield, kept in the necromancer's lair.”
“You will be with others, of course. You are not going into this fight alone.”
Celestia did not answer.
“Sister, you are not going there alone, that is ridiculous.”
The older alicorn turned her head to look away.
Luna shot up onto her hooves. “Celestia... No, do not be stupid! You cannot just fly toward that cursed fortress on your own!”
“Going alone would be the fastest course of action, and allow for the least amount of death,” Celestia said in a weak voice.
“You, you could die against such dark forces!”
“I know.”
“Why?!”
When she turned to face her sister her eyes were brimming with tears as they trickled down her face. “Because I'm a failure, Luna! A thousand years, and what came of it? I failed Twilight, Cadance, Sunset. I failed you all those years ago, and on your return? I had to manipulate events to get the right ones in place to have a chance to get you back! And if they weren't enough, if you were still trapped by the Nightmare? I would have had to kill you.”
Luna furrowed her brow. “You made Equestria strong, a beacon of harmony that inspired much of the world! The hippogriffs, the riverlands, Griffonstone!”
“Equestria is gone! It's gone and it is my failures that brought it down! Novo forsook Harmony because they were humiliated in war, the Riverlands is a madhouse that allows slavers in their ranks while River Swirl trembles at the idea of her political rivals attaining power through the processes she so dearly claims to support! Griffonstone... They're perhaps the only light of Harmony that can make something of themselves anymore but they have enemies on all sides waiting to descend upon them.”
She avoided looking in her younger sister's eyes, her wings drooped as she trembled.
“I trusted my ponies to do the right thing, and where did that get us? Severyana broke away because I was ignorant of their plight, which I should have been aware of and yet when I trusted the nobles to do the right thing, they didn't! As the changelings armed themselves we should have been at the forefront of weapons development solely out of self-preservation and we weren't!”
“And so, you would rather die in the north, away from your loved ones, away from Flurry, from Spike, from me? Are you so selfish?” Luna asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes!” Celestia screamed. “Yes I'm selfish! I gambled everything in trying to save you, I built Equestria as it is to give you a place after I denied it to you all those years ago! I'm a selfish nag, Luna, everything I have done has always been for my benefit! I trained my students to try and fulfill my own plans, never considering what they may have wanted, what they may have needed.” Her mouth felt dry and she tucked her legs in tighter.
Their eyes locked and Celestia could see the pain in her younger sister's eyes. “I abandoned you for a thousand years. You would abandon me for eternity?”
She choked on her words and her vision blurred with tears. All she could do was sob and felt Luna wrap her up in her wings.
The morning came and she blinked blearily, feeling completely drained and listless. She rolled slowly out of the bed, enchantments keeping the room mostly comfortable with an undercurrent of a chill. Her hooves touched the floor and she walked over to the window, looking out to the snow-covered lands that stretched out to every horizon. There was a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said, her voice hollow.
The door opened and she could hear the guest walk over to her before clearing their throat.
“It's done, Celestia. I thought to bring them to your room rather than have you come down to the forge. The sword, and your new armor, are complete,” Celeste said.
“You may leave them on the bed, I will prepare myself soon.”
The griffon hesitated as she placed the blade and armor on the bed then turned to look at Celestia. The alicorn was still looking out the window.
“You do not need to stay, I can armor myself.”
“Is there something wrong, Celestia?”
“Too much is wrong, Celeste. Too much.”
Her ear twitched as she heard the griffon approach, and without prompting she felt the weight of armor being placed on her.
“I dye my feathers,” Celeste began, “I was raised in an orphanage. The archonates provide for the common folk as best they can. I did well in my studies, and I could have gone on to be anything I could have desired. But I wanted to give back to those that helped me, and I joined the Archonate of Arcturius.”
Celestia felt the straps of the barding be adjusted for her, the griffon taking great care to ensure it was fitted properly before securing it.
“We learned all the stories of Griffonia of course. Of ancient Arantiagos, and Karthin, of all those proud empires. If we wanted to, we learned of the other continents as well. Imagine my surprise at a mere ten years old when I learned of the land across the sea, ruled by a nigh-immortal mare of great stature.”
She continued to stare out the window and shifted her wings slightly to let Celeste continue.
“Griffonia had always been marred by war. The Empire was perhaps our chance to bring peace to all griffons. Grover I even had the blessings of Boreas through the Idol! But he died, and his son continued the conquests in a far more brutal matter than any griffon had fought before. He forsook the ancient methods of warfare for bloody reprisals against his foes, and even turned east to bring death to the river ponies. All the while, Equestria was at peace.”
Greaves were next, and Celestia raised each hoof at a time as they were strapped on.
“'Vigilance is ever the price of peace' is an old adage, one found across the world,” Celeste said, “One I took to heart whenever I thought of the eventual end to the wars. When Eros wrested control of the regency, many celebrated but I knew it was a precursor to more bloodshed. I had thought 'why must griffon fight griffon?' Who suffers the most in war? The same commoners that Eros rallied to his cause. All the while I looked west, and when Equestria lost the war, when you fled to New Mareland? I wept.”
Celestia turned her head and looked at Celeste as the griffon made sure the greaves were snug and not too tight.
“I focused a lot on my smithing compared to many of my peers. Proteus himself doesn't know the difference between iron and steel, only as long as it feels good to swing around. He's a good archon for times of war, and yet it seems the Empire is finished and merely waiting for the end to come.”
Finally her helmet was placed carefully upon her head, her aurora mane tucked in carefully. Celestia turned around and Celeste had knelt down, offering the Blade of Mercy to her.
“It had always been a dream of mine to make something for a ruler of great prestige. Whether it be for little Grover when he takes the throne, or for any other that would have eventually claimed Griffenheim. And yet, to have worked on your own blade, to have enchanted your new armor, is something I could not have ever imagined to accomplish in my life. I do not know exactly why you are so somber and sullen this morning, Celestia, but that is not my place to know. Instead, I offer this: When you go to reclaim Equestria I and many others of the Archonate of Arcturius will be there to join you. We serve the god of war, but what war is greater than one with a just cause? Reclaiming the Empire's lands isn't just, but freeing your ponies is.”
Her horn glowed gold as she took the sword and unsheathed it, studying it and the enchantments infused in the metal.
“You've done better than the original enchanters. With this, I can feel my connection to the sun swell.”
“You do not sound pleased.”
“I... It is not you Celeste. For my task ahead, I fly to my death,” Celestia said as she settled the sheath on her back and put the Blade of Mercy away. “I go into the heart of evil itself on the chance to reclaim my shield. Together both sword and shield should end the necromancer threat once and for all. But such black magics can slay me as well.”
“And you wish to go alone.”
“I will die in Magehold, and anyone else that follows will as well.”
Celeste furrowed her brow. “What of your ponies, of your sister and Equestria?”
Celestia moved past the white griffon. “My death will either break their wills or push them forward.”
“You don't sound convinced of that.”
Celestia paused in her steps.
“You don't want to die. You've lost so much already, but so have many others. You're a symbol, and symbols are important.”
The alicorn turned to face Celeste, her armor tempered to shine like gold, the flicker of enchantment sparking across the metal. “Do not tell me what I want,” she said in a stern voice as she stared down at the prelate. “I go to my death. But that does not mean I will not rage against it with all of my might. I walk willingly to the gates of oblivion but they will have to beat me down to take me. This is what all warriors have done since time immemorial. No one goes to battle expecting to survive, only hoping to. Even if my efforts come to naught, it will distract and delay the necromancers enough to give the rest of the soldiers some time, even if just a few precious seconds.”
Celestia turned back around and walked out.
William stopped her in the main hall, the leader of the knights eager to see her suited for battle. “The soldiers will be happy to see you ready to fight alongside them, Celestia,” he said with a smile. “Gods know, to see you in action would be quite a sight to witness!”
She couldn't help but return his smile, but shook her head. “You know already what my task is.”
“I do. I was just hoping to try and convince you from it. I could have any number of knights ready to make the journey themselves if it means ending this threat once and for all.”
Celestia nodded and closed her eyes. “It is my responsibility. I should have burned Magehold down back then, but I didn't. I left the Order my sword and shield should they need them, and yet the Blade of Mercy found its way west as a relic of the Vedinian royal family, and the Shield of Hope stolen by the Dread League. These are my faults to bear, and so I go to rectify my mistakes.”
“Then go with all speed. May the gods watch over you.”
Celestia shivered. “I fear one already does.”
She had wasted no time with goodbyes or speeches. The soldiers were not hers, they had their own commanders and their own orders. She was but a single mare, armed and armored like a knight of eld. Her wings carried her across the sea toward the very end of the Dread Peninsula, a place of the most ancient and evil of magics left in the world. A storm had been growing from there, slowly encompassing not just the peninsula but the waters as well. Freezing rain and chunks of hail fell from the skies, bouncing off of her glowing golden shield of magic. Up ahead in the distance she could see a black tower standing tall, bolts of lightning crashing down onto it and around it. Her face contorted into a grimace as she felt her stomach turn, even out here the sensation of the dark magics infusing the land could be felt.
A bird called.
Startled, she turned her head around and saw the bearded vulture flying behind her, deftly dodging the hail as it crashed down from the skies.
“You! Tell me, are you truly of Maar's lot?!” she shouted at the bird.
It merely cawed out in reply and moved closer, coming under her shield to fly beside her.
“You've been following me since Sunset. Even now, we fly into the depths of evil. I do not know your purpose, but, I suppose I am glad for the company.”
It let out another cry before the two of them continued to fly in silence.
As she approached the coast she could feel her wings grow more and more strained and she had to lower down until her hooves brushed across the icy ground. Celestia worked to find her footing before she tucked her wings in and continued along, her shield being beaten down by hail. As Magehold grew closer and closer she stopped as she looked out across the snowfield, seeing mass disturbances along the ground.
The vulture landed beside her and tucked its wings in, pecking furiously at the ground. It backed away and let out a call before it beat its wings furiously and flew off into the sky.
“That's not from hail,” she stated as she slowly drew the Blade of Mercy from its sheath and held it firmly in her mouth. Her ears twitched as she spun around, a flash of light coming off of her sword as she severed a ghoul's head from its shoulders. The ground trembled as grasping talons and hooves and all manner of appendages came out.
Celestia twirled around in a dance of steel, slicing through the undead as they climbed out of the ground. She could feel one grab onto a hind leg and she kicked with the other, a wet squelch of rotten meat and bone. As she spun around a dark figure trotted over, the undead slowly pulled away as the newcomer's hood came down.
Her mane had been red once, but it had grown pale and limp. Cheeks sunken in with skin peeling to show the desiccated muscles and bones underneath. Despite the look of the dead there was clear amusement in the thing's eyes and her horn sparked with black streaks.
“I never would have guessed that they would have sent you to me. I would have been content with some of their knights to make into minions! Oh, but the fallen princess of Equestria herself, it is as if Maar himself granted you unto me!”
Her horn sparked and a beam of black shot out towards Celestia. She pushed her blade into the magic and the steel flared with gold, heat sizzling off of it. The necromancer laughed at the sight and poured more power into her horn while Celestia kept her grip on her sword, steadily absorbing the energy. Once the spell had ceased she countered, forcing the gathered energy out of her blade as a beam of its own.
The necromancer didn't seem phased as the golden light approached, her horn flaring black before she teleported out of the way. Celestia swung her sword to the left as she slid forward, the necromancer reappearing right in the way. Hot steel tore through the heavy cloak and right into the vulnerable flesh beneath, causing her foe to let out a scream of pain and terror before collapsing into the snow.
Blood, thickened from death, barely oozed out of the slain mage. She pulled back and readied her blade again as more ghouls came crawling out of the ground to surround her. The overwhelming stench of necromantic power filled her as she breathed and made her eyes water.
“Tsk tsk, don't you know anything about liches?”
Caught off guard Celestia turned to see the necromancer rise back up with a rictus grin. She charged forward, thrusting the Blade of Mercy at the fiend when she felt grasping talons on her foreleg, making her trip. Celestia tried to brace herself to recover from the tumble, using her sword as leverage to roll, but as she tried to spin a chunk of hail hit her helmet and caused the metal to ring in her ears. That brief disorientation was all the ghouls needed to grab onto her.
She tried to swing her blade up into the mass of her foes, but she let go of it with a choked gasp as filthy claws found the gaps in her armor and dragged her down into the snow. Her magenta eyes looked up at the pale irises of the lich as the harsh sting of claws sank into her, the straps of her armor being torn away.
“Rosa Maledicta, Queen of Bones. What an honor it is for you to die at my hooves, princess!”
Celestia closed her eyes and her horn flared only for her to cry out as a hoof struck at the side of it. Then another blow to her head, then another, and then all went black as the vulture cried.