//------------------------------// // The Lunar Heresy: Betrayal // Story: The God Empress of Ponykind // by iowaforever //------------------------------// The Lunar Heresy: Betrayal Celestia landed in the courtyard of Everfree Castle. It was almost dusk, the sun hanging low in the sky, and Celestia knew that many of the palace staff would be on their way home. Good, She thought as She entered the palace. I would like to deal with this in private. Down through the halls She wandered, searching for Luna, but the younger alicon was nowhere to be found. “Luna...?” Celestia called, hoping Her sister would be able to hear Her. “Can... Can I speak with you a minute? I wish to apologize for my wrongdoings, whatever they may be.” She kept walking, searching each room She passed for Luna. “I... You were right. I was getting wrapped up in my position as Empress. Perhaps... there is some way we could work this out?” No answer. “Please, Luna... we’re sisters, we’re supposed to help one another... please, if not for me, then for Equestria?” Still no answer. Celestia frowned and kept walking, winding through the halls on Her way to the throne room. “Luna... Please, I just want to talk to you... Luna?” Celestia rounded a corner and entered the throne room, but just as She crossed the threshold She was struck by a powerful Warp blast, sending Her flying and pinning Her against a wall. Black tendrils of energy coiled around Her limbs, rendering Her unable to move. “I am afraid that Luna is no longer available to answer you.” a voice said from the throne room. Stepping out of the shadows was not Luna, but it could have been easily mistaken for her from far away; her coat was jet black, her eyes turquoise and cat-like. She was clad in a warped version of Luna’s armor, and a large sword hung from a clamp on her flank. “What is the meaning of this? Stop fooling around and release me, Luna!” the other pony’s eyes flashed for a moment, and intense pain stabbed into Celestia’s limbs. She thrashed to try and break free, but the pain only increased the more She moved. “Don’t call me that,” The pony hissed. “Luna was what I was known as when I was weak, when I was shackled by you. I shall be known as Nightmare Moon, and you shall show respect to Equestria’s true master.” Celestia stopped struggling, glaring down at Her foe. “You think this is some sort of game? That you can try and intimidate me?” Nightmare Moon’s eyes glowed again, and Celestia was wracked with more pain. “You just don’t know when you are outmatched, do you, Anathema? Always so certain that everything must be tailored to your whims.” “... What have you done to my sister, daemon?” More pain, and despite Her strength and fortitude Celestia found Herself doubling over. “I merely claimed what was rightfully mine. Your ‘beloved’ sister was so caught up in her jealousy that she did not stand much of a chance.” Nightmare Moon leaned in close to Celestia, leering. “How does it feel, to know that your sister was driven to me by greed and jealousy of you?” “My sister was always of pure mind and soul; your manipulations corrupted her against me.” “Ah, true to form as always.” Nightmare Moon’s eyes flashed once more, and Celestia twisted in agony as pain coursed through Her body. “The Great God-Empress of Ponykind, always consecrated and pure. She is never at fault, never the one to blame because She is so good and pure.” She laughed before releasing Celestia, the other mare dropping to the ground before struggling to pull Herself back to Her hooves. “You did most of the work for me; had you paid more attention to your sister instead of your ‘precious’ empire, then I would have had to work harder.” “I... I couldn’t have-” Celestia was interrupted by a kick to the gut. “Oh yes, go ahead and deny the truth; that will work so well for you.” Nightmare Moon kicked Celestia once more, knocking Her into the wall. “That’s all you have done over these past millennia, isn’t it? Just sat in denial about your past actions, tried to make your little dream world so that you wouldn’t have to deal with the knowledge that you caused your sons, and now your sister, to fall into our grasp?” “... You’re right.” Celestia rose up and faced Nightmare Moon. “This is my fault.” Nightmare Moon looked as if she was about to respond, but Celestia released Her own Warp blast, knocking the other alicorn into the center of the room before drawing Her sword. “And it falls to me to remedy the problem. So face me, daemon! I swear that I shall defend Equestria from your plans, even if I have to rip you out of Luna’s body and throw you into the Warp with my bare hooves!” at this, Nightmare Moon merely laughed. “Oh, like you really think it will be that easy? We meet, trade blows, and one of us will emerge victorious? Not yet, Empress, I still have work to do.” her horn shimmered before one of the nearby walls exploded outwards. “You have armies, ponies that will die for you at the nearest opportunity. I kill you now and I’ll be swarmed by thousands of them before I can even get a word in edgewise. However, if I were to win some over to my side before dealing with you...” “My Legions will destroy you before you even managed to win them over.” “Don’t be so sure, Empress; Lorgar and Horus fell easily enough, who’s to say that I cannot repeat the process?” Nightmare Moon smirked. “Funny how these things repeat themselves, isn’t it? See you on the battlefield, sister.” Celestia released a blast of Warpflame, but Nightmare Moon dissolved into a cloud of blue smoke and flew off into the night, laughing as she disappeared. Celestia ran to the hole in the wall, trying and failing to track Her enemy as she fled.  “Do you think you can flee from me that easily?” Celestia growled. “If you can still hear me, daemon, know that you have just signed your death sentence. I will find you, Nightmare Moon, and I will destroy you and purge all trace of you from this realm.” She heard the sound of somepony entering the throne room. She turned and saw a collection of Legionnaires, mostly those clad in the armor of the Celestial Guard with one or two Lunar Knights interspersed amongst them. I must keep an eye on my sister’s Legionnaires; they may still hold loyalty to her. “Empress,” the lead pony said, bowing. “we heard voices and thought that you might be in danger.” “No, the danger has passed... And if you were present, most likely you would have been killed.” Celestia began walking, the Legionnaires forming up behind Her. “Take notice; the pony Nightmare Moon and all those that swear allegiance to her are to be considered Traitors to Equestria, and they are to be immediately executed without trial.” “That won’t go over well with anypony.” the first pony said, obviously nervous. “Why such drastic measures?” “Because if they are not taken then every single living thing in this world will be destroyed and their souls consumed by dark powers. Send word to the other Legions; I want every single one of them here in Equestria and ready to defend from whatever attacks the traitors have planned.” “That may take time.” “I’m not an idiot; I know how long it takes for an army to assemble. They need to be on alert and ready to fight as soon as possible. Return to your Legions and relay my orders.” “Yes, Empress. Do you have any idea who might-” before they could finish, the Lunar Knights amongst the group screamed. Dark energy poured into their bodies, twisting them into unnatural shapes as their screams grew in intensity. “To me! To me!” Celestia shouted, drawing Her sword and raising a barrier to protect from any psychic attacks. The Celestial Guard formed up, longswords at the ready and aimed at the Lunar Knights. The ensnared ponies stopped spasming for a moment before collapsing, tendrils of energy slinking off into the shadows. “We’re.... we’re fine...” one of the Knights said, and Celestia could identify him as the young sergeant Silverlight. “Yes... Our minds are clear...We have seen your deception, and now you must be removed.” the other two said in unison, rising up on their hooves and drawing their longswords. “DEATH TO THE FALSE EMPRESS!!!” “Brainwashing... I should have guessed.” the two Lunar Knights rushed forward, but were stopped when a third longsword cleaved through the legs of the first Knight. The second stopped long enough to catch Silverlight’s attack, the sergeant leaping over the dying Knight and slashing downward. The Traitor Knight blocked, but Silverlight slipped his sword around and buried it in the defender’s neck. The Celestial Guard moved in to attack, but Celestia held them back. “Sergeant...” She asked. “What happened?” “I... I don’t know.” Silverlight lowered his sword. “I heard a voice... telling me to kill you... and the eyes... when I regained control I saw those two trying to attack you.” “And you didn’t. Why?” “I... I don’t know. I swore an oath to defend Equestria, and killing you-” “That’s not it. Sergeant, face me.” Silverlight nodded and turned to face Celestia. He had changed; his eyes were now golden and catlike, his ears sharpened like a bat’s, and his teeth had been sharpened. Undaunted, Celestia reached out with Her powers and touched Silverlight’s mind, searching for signs of corruption. What She found could best be described as odd; while She did find traces of mutations, She had also found an incredibly strong mental block, one with no sign of daemonic influence. She tested the block several times, probing it to see what it was capable of. When Her probes were repulsed, She called Her powers back and looked at Silverlight. “It appears that you have a stronger than normal mental barrier; it must have shielded you from daemonic influence.” “That’s a good thing, right?” “At this point I don’t know. The mutations in your body may still allow Chaos to control you, but I don’t think you should worry about mental suggestion. Now, we must hurry before other Legionnaires fall victim to the enemy’s tricks.” ... Despite Her urgings, the entourage was not fast enough; the Lunar Knights had vanished, with only a handful that still proclaimed loyalty to Equestria. Many showed similar mutations to that of Silverlight, and most of the Pegasi now sported a pair of bat wings. There were a few skirmishes between Celestial Guard and Lunar Knight forces, but the Traitors had managed to slip by without major losses. Celestia’s message to the Legions had been sent just before dawn, and by nightfall She was receiving answers; the Stalliongrad Guards, Trottingham Knights, and Iron Hooves were on the move, while the Wonderbolts and Western Rangers planned to group up before advancing south. From the other Legions She had yet to receive replies, although the Black Ravens had thrown their lot in with the Traitors, rechristening themselves as the Shadowbolts. Celestia was tempted to fly out and kill them all by Herself, but that would leave Her remaining forces without a central command. “Do we have any idea where the Traitors are headed?” Celestia asked Her assemble officers. “There has been massive amounts of magical feedback, so scrying has proven useless.” the first officer said. “None of our scouts or sentry posts have reported anything, so we can assume that they may have been neutralized.” “If that’s the case, then we can only hope that they inflicted some casualties.” “That’s another thing,” another officer said “We don’t know the strength of the enemy. With the Black Ravens joining them they should have two thousand ponies, but depending on losses and conscription we can’t be exact.” “Their location is priority; if we can strike them quickly before they can summon any daemonic allies, then we may have a chance at winning this war.” the assembled ponies looked to each other, nervously shifting on their hooves. “Empress... when you say ‘daemonic allies’, do you mean-” “Daemons from the Warp; monsters based around intense emotions that serve to spread butchery, hedonism, plague and mutation. They are fast, strong, and numerous, but they are not invincible.” “But you mean actual daemons?” “Yes.” there were more nervous glances. “Do not worry; daemons may appear strong, but it is merely a deception on their part. They will try and exploit your minds, to make you feel weak and useless. Fortify your minds and souls, and you will be able to weather the daemonic hosts.” The Legionnaires looked up at Her. “I’ll teach you a few techniques to protect yourselves.” “Thank you, Empress. Now, what of those Legionnaires that did not fall to the Traitors’ manipulations?” “They will stay under my personal watch until such a time as they can be deemed loyal. If they survive this war, I may send them on a crusade to redeem them.” “They could try to deceive you before launching a surprise attack.” “They may, but I have survived my fair share of surprise attacks. I want the Legion ready to march as soon as the enemy is sighted.” “The other Legions might need a rendezvous point if they are to be of any use.” Celestia paused for a moment. “The fortress those priests built before Discord’s arrival, Canterlot I think they called it; the Legions shall assemble there.” “It’s well defended, but if the other Legions assemble there they’ll never be able to reach our forces in time.” “I know; if this goes as I believe it shall, we can lure the Traitors into the mountains and whittle them down.” “That might be a risky move.” “I am well aware of the risks. The only other option is open war, which would bleed us dry and result in Equestria being burned to the ground.  You have your orders, now see that they are carried out.” Her officers nodded and dispersed, and once more She found Herself alone. She closed Her eyes and reached out into the Immaterium. After many millennia of stillness, the storms of Chaos rattled Her greatly, and She almost called Her soul back in case She was being watched by daemonic foes. However, She managed to steel Herself and pressed on, raising dozens of mental shields in preparation for an attack.         But none came; despite Her preparations, She detected no daemons. She searched on, Her soul drifting farther than She would normally allow it, but no daemons came. She pulled back and changed Her search patterns, skimming the edge of the Warp, but not a single servant of Chaos was to be found. Except for the one that tore Luna from me... “Empress! Scouts have returned!” a voice called. Celestia recalled Her soul and focused Her mind, using Her powers to identify where the voice was coming from and teleporting there. Four scouts were being lead in, their bodies crisscrossed with deep wounds. The least wounded scout broke off from the group and approached Celestia, saluting Her with his good hoof. “Empress,” he said. “We’ve located the Traitors.” “What happened?” “We were re-entering the forest east of Everfree when we heard voices. When we went to investigate, just after we passed the Mirror Pool caverns we found... a mare, an alicorn in black, standing before a congregation of Traitors.” “What did she say.” “We didn’t get close enough to hear, but then she cast some sort of spell and... more of them showed up. They multiplied, every single one of them, until hundreds of them were standing there, shouting obscenities against you.” Some kind of constructs... “They spotted us when we tried to sneak off. There were ten of us when we headed out this morning.” Celestia closed Her eyes and dismissed the scout. At the very least, I believe I know where the Traitors will attack next. ... Dawn Sparkle knew something was wrong. First her horn started acting up, and then a message had arrived from Everfree saying that somepony called Nightmare Moon was a Traitor. That would have been fine, except that the message had not said where the enemy was or how strong they were. “Have we received any information on the whereabouts of the enemy?” She asked as she and her captains walked along the wall surrounding Manehattan. “No, ma’am. We sent scouts out as per your orders, but it may take a day or two before they find anything. We haven’t received any notification from any of the other Legions either.” “It is a possibility that some of them might throw their lot in with this ‘Nightmare Moon’.” Dawn Sparkle looked out over the Manehattan River Valley. “If I knew how far away they were, we could prepare ourselves better.” “Should we start evacuating the civilians?” another captain asked. “We’re not under immediate attack yet, but I want ships ready in case we are attacked. Also, I want a message sent to any Legion in the immediate area.” “The Sentries of Fillydelphia should be able to respond, and the Trottingham Knights are on maneuvers to the south.” the first captain suggested. “Contact them immediately; we can combine our strength before marching for Everfree. It’ll take a few days, but three Legions might give the traitors pause.” She turned back to her captains. “See to it that the preparations are made; we’ve given the enemy too much time to run free and I don’t want them to catch us off guard.” the captains saluted and departed. Dawn Sparkle turned back towards the valley, watching as Daughters and civilians went about making preparations for war. She sighed; she had tried her best to defend Manehattan from outside threats, just as her father had, but times like this she felt like she was not doing enough.  Father, if you’re still there... I could really use some help right now. She sighed again and kept walking down the wall, stopping only to check up on defensive preparations. Dawn Sparkle... a voice whispered in her mind. “What? Who’s there?” Dawn Sparkle whirled around, but saw nopony. Do not worry, Commander. This is all in your head. Who are you, then? I am the true ruler of Equestria, Dawn Sparkle. I have come to ask for your help. ... Help in what? I have been persecuted, pushed away by those that would consider themselves my better. I have gathered my forces against them, but they still are not enough. Join me, and together we can defeat the persecutors and bring a new order to the land. What’s in it for me? Many things, my dear commander. Thousands of ponies will flock to your banners, and your beloved Manehattan will be seen as a mighty fortress, immovable and shining bright against the darkness of the world. You will be great amongst the commoners, even greater than Celestia Herself. Join me, and I will give you all of this. Well... I have always wanted Manehattan to be safe... but  just delivering my enemies into my hooves would be no good. Why do you say that? It’s silly of me to think this, but it would make me and my soldiers complacent; if we won all the time, we’d start becoming arrogant and cruel, and then everypony would suffer. So? You are in command, not them, and you should be allowed to do whatever you please. My father taught me that a leader’s first duty was to look after those that he or she commanded. And if you think otherwise, then I am sorry to say that I will not join your cause. There was silence before the voice spoke again. A pity. And here I thought you would put Manehattan’s safety at the forefront of your plans. No matter, I shall show you an example of those that do not listen to my offers. Almost immediately, Dawn Sparkle heard the sound of a horn being blown. “Commander!” a sentry shouted. “Unidentified forces have been spotted moving in from the southwest!” Dawn Sparkle galloped down the wall, drawing her sword as she did so. Even from here, she could see the ponies hurrying towards Manehattan, although they were moving at too quick a pace to be an invading army. Dawn Sparkle snatched a spyglass from a nearby crate, propping herself up on the wall to get a better view of the approaching ponies. They were dressed in the colors of the Trottingham Knights, but that was not what she focused on. There were no fewer than two hundred ponies, all of them wounded in some manner. Some had deep rents in their armor, while others were splattered in blood and dirt. Many nursed bloody leg wounds, while others used less wounded fellows as crutches. Banners were shredded, weapons broken, and all of the ponies looked as if they had just marched through Tartarus. “Open the gate and get them medical help!” she shouted. “But commander, what if they are traitors trying to sneak past our defenses?” a nearby Daughter asked. Dawn Sparkle had to admit that the other mare had a point; with the identity of the traitors still unknown, any approaching pony could try and kill the Daughters and take over Manehattan. She was about ready to belay the order, when something clicked in her mind. An example of those that do not listen to my offers... “I don’t think these particular ponies are here to fight us. Just in case, have archers cover them once we start distributing aid.” “Yes ma’am.” Dawn Sparkle set the spyglass aside and hurried down from the wall, several other Daughters joining her as she ran. Small groups of civilians began to follow the Daughters, confused as to what was going on. Dawn Sparkle reached the front gate in less than a minute, just as they opened to allow the wounded Trottingham Knights to enter. “Who’s in command here?” she asked. The Knights nodded towards a pony near the rear, a mare with her face wrapped in a bandage to conceal a missing eye. “What happened?” “I... I don’t know.” the mare said. “We were near the Manehattan River when they came... by Celestia, there must have been thousands of them.” “Who?” “Lunar Knights, Black Ravens, Drakeguard... they’d been whipped up into a frenzy, screaming about blood and killing... They fell upon us and slaughtered everypony they could reach.” the mare shuddered. “Many of us died on the way here, and they’re right behind us. They’ll be here by nightfall, at least.” Dawn Sparkle lowered her sword, her mouth falling open. “... Tonight...” She blinked a few times before turning away from the Trottingham Knights. “Attention Everyone! The enemy is advancing and will have the city under siege by tonight! All civilians are to grab whatever is necessary and head for the docks to be evacuated! All companies are to report to the wall and prepare to kill anything that so much as steps within range! Relay my orders to anypony you can find!” Dawn Sparkle received several shouts of confirmation and the Daughters began running through the streets, shouting out orders and grabbing weapons. Dawn Sparkle went off on her own, going from house to house and alerting civilian families. Surprisingly enough they managed to keep calm, and soon streams of families were heading towards the docks. Dawn Sparkle’s focus was directed toward one building, a small house near the end of the street. When she reached the house, she swallowed and ducked inside. “Mama?” a voice said as Dawn Sparkle entered. Sitting on the floor in the main room was a young unicorn filly with green fur and a multicolored mane. “Mama, what’s wrong?” “Oh Mimic,” Dawn Sparkle set her sword aside and hurried over to her daughter, hugging the filly as tightly as possible. “Where’s your father?” “Dawn?” Dawn Sparkle turned as her husband, a violet unicorn name Dusk Shine, entered. “I heard shouting near the wall. Is something wrong?” “... Yes.” Dawn Sparkle let go of Mimic and stood up, the filly latching onto her leg. “... Manehattan’s going to be under attack soon. I need you to get Mimic out of the city.” “No, Mama.” the filly hugged Dawn Sparkle’s leg tighter. “I don’t want to go.” “You must.” she turned towards Mimic. “Bad ponies are coming, and I couldn’t stand to see you get hurt.” She gave Mimic a quick peck. “Go pack your things. I need to talk with your father.” “Okay...” Mimic was slow to let go of Dawn Sparkle’s leg, but with a little more nudging she released her mother and wandered off.” “Is it really that bad?” Dusk Shine asked. Dawn Sparkle bit her lip. “Yes... Yes it is.” she walked over and rested her head on Dusk’s shoulder, a tear running down her cheek. “You both need to get out of here; I don’t care where you go, just as long as it’s not here. And Dusk... Wh-When you’re gone, i-if you find some nice mare that catches your eye-” “Dawn, don’t talk like that.” “I can’t! Dusk, when I married you I swore to be faithful and truthful. And-” she sniffed. “... I-I don’t think any of us w-will last the night.” Dawn’s tears were flowing more freely now. She buried her head in Dusk’s neck while he reached up and stroked her mane. “Don’t worry, Dawn.” He said. “I’ll keep Mimic safe.” “I kn-know, but... I’ll probably never see you two again.” Dusk turned Dawn’s head towards him. “Have faith, Dawn. We’ll always be together, no matter what. You are the most wonderful mare I have ever known, and I will never forget that.” He gave her a kiss and pulled her closer. “I don’t want to go... I don’t want you to go.” Dawn wiped away a few tears. “I know. I don’t want to go either, but Mimic needs me.” “She needs us.” “Manehattan needs you now, Dawn.” “I know... I know...” the two ponies stood in silence, holding each other as tightly as possible. “Mama?” Dusk Shine and Dawn Sparkle turned and saw Mimic standing in the hallway, a small sack slung over her shoulder and a doll resting on her back. “Why are you crying?” Dawn Sparkle wiped away more tears before kneeling. “Because I love you, sweetie.” she said, hugging Mimic closer to her. “And don’t you ever forget that.” ... They arrived at dusk, just as the Trottingham Knights had said. Nightmare Moon had found a hill from which to overlook her armies, her sword stabbed into the ground within easy reach. Thousands of ponies, construct or otherwise, marched towards the city, banners and icons raised high. “Advance into the city. Kill everything in your path unless I state otherwise.” Her army bellowed out a warcry before surging forward towards Manehattan, weapons and banners raised high. The Siege of Manehattan had begun. ... Dawn Sparkle had lingered at the docks as long as she could, long enough to see Dusk Shine and Mimic off. It was hard, and Mimic had tried to jump off the boat when it began to pull away, but they were safe. She had cried some more once they were gone, but now was not the time for tears; her home was under attack, and she had to steel herself for the oncoming onslaught. “Remember, you are Daughters of Manehattan,” She said, pacing back and forth along the wall. “You helped to defeat the Diamond Dogs. You stood against Discord and the Changelings. And now these traitors want to come and destroy what we hold most dear.” She stopped, looking out at the advancing enemy. “Well, they will try. And if today is the day that Manehattan falls, then let it be known that we fought to our last breath, and they did not get the satisfaction of our surrender!” she drew her sword, raising it into the air while hundreds of ponies cheered. “Let’s show these traitors that they cannot march upon Manehattan that easily! Siege Units! Fire at will!” Dawn Sparkle shouted. There was a cry of confirmation before the ten siege engines employed by the Daughters fired, the trebuchets lobbing massive boulders towards the enemy. The projectiles plowed into the ranks of the Traitors, each hit pulverizing dozens of ponies and leaving bloody gashes across the ground. The traitors advanced heedless of loss, even as dozens of shots struck home. As they advanced, several groups of unicorns broke off from the main group. As they touched their horns together, a glowing ball of energy formed before surging forward in a beam of light. Stone and ponies melted into slag as the Traitors’ attack connected, the beam only silenced when sharpshooters picked off members of the group. Others hurled magically infused gems towards the wall, large blasts cratering the wall and throwing off the Daughters’ counter attacks. “Siege engines three and seven have been neutralized.” a nearby Daughter reported. “The enemy is making a push on those sectors.” “Have Companies Five and Six relieve those sections. Unicorns should focus on those groups that break off.” “Yes ma’am.” the Daughter ran off as an explosion rocked the wall, showering Dawn Sparkle and her fellow Legionnaires with dust. “Ma’am,” A second Daughter said. “Most of the civilians are away, but we’re running out of boats.” “Commandeer anything that floats and get as many ponies as you can on them.” “Yes ma’am.” as that mare departed, a third pony rushed up to Dawn Sparkle. “Ma’am, the enemy have started setting up ramps!” “Alert the trebuchets; have them destroy any that are within range.” “Yes ma-” the mare was cut off as she was hoisted into the air and torn apart, flesh and bone raining down upon the defenders. Dawn Sparkle cursed and launched a spell at the attackers, her attack engulfing several Traitors in magical flames. Another salvo from the trebuchets struck the Traitors, just as the first of the ramps reached the wall. The Drakeguard were the first up the ramps, axes raised as they surged forward. From this position, the Daughters could fire down into them, and dozens fell screaming off the rams. Still, for every dozen Drakeguard that fell several dozen more took their place. With a roar they slammed into the Daughters, their axes ripping through armor and bone with ease. Dawn Sparkle fell in amongst the Traitors, sword raised high. One Drakeguard swung at her, but she ducked under the arc of the axe and stabbed upward, impaling the pony through the mouth. She freed her sword and decapitated a second Drakeguard, spinning around just as a third attacked her. Longsword and battle axe clashed as she parried attack after attack, slowly pushing her opponent back. A burst of magic exploded amongst the Drakeguard, close enough to knock Dawn Sparkle off her hooves. She recovered quickly, but the Drakeguard she had been fighting had disappeared into a cloud of pink smoke, armor and all. “Constructs...? They’re using Constructs!” Some of the nearby Daughters got the message and began relaying it to the others. Soon more unicorns fell into the melee, using their spells to blow apart and dismiss dozens of Drakeguard. Dawn Sparkle leapt over the body of a fallen Daughter before an axe collided with her face, sending her spinning. Her attacker, a massive Earth Pony clad in red armor, towered over her, axe bloody from multiple slain enemies. “Foul Sorceress! You dare to bring magic into this contest of strength!? You  shall answer to the gods with blood!” the pony raised his axe for the finishing blow, but Dawn Sparkle lunged with her sword and buried it in the pony’s chest. She pulled her sword out and decapitated the Drakeguard, kicking the corpse away and watching as it tumbled off the wall. “There’s my answer.” she mumbled before plunging back into the fighting. ... Two of Nightmare Moon’s soldiers approached her, heads bowed low in reverence. “My queen,” the first one said. “The enemy has proven resilient in their defense of the city.” “I know.” She said, fluffing her wings a little. “I expected our little pet berserkers to slow things down. Signal the Shadowbolts to begin their assault.” “Yes, my queen.” ... The Daughters had beat off another attack from the Drakeguard, and for once the wall was clear of attacking Traitors. However, almost a company’s worth of Daughters lay bloodied and dying, and many others had received wounds of some kind. Dawn Sparkle wiped the blood off her sword on a dead Traitor before looking back out towards the battlefield, watching as the enemy set up for their next move. Several dozen groups had formed up into circles, eight ponies on the outside with one in the center. The siege engines had targeted those groups, but it seemed that every time they destroyed one another would take it’s place. For now the groups did not seem to be doing anything, just circling up and chanting. “If there was only some way to keep them from circling up,” she muttered before turning back to her troops. “Have we received any word from the other Legions?” “No ma’am.” Dawn Sparkle muttered another curse. “Send as many letters as you can. In the meantime I want all reserve companies to- wait.” Dawn Sparkle looked up towards the sky. Even through the darkness of night, she could spot the faint outlines of Pegasi troopers flying high over the battle, and from the direction they were coming from she could tell they were Traitors. “Pegasi incoming! Is Company Four unengaged?” “I think so, ma’am.” a nearby Daughter answered her. “Signal them to intercept the attack. Any unengaged unicorns are to fire upon the Pegasi.” “Yes ma’am.” The signal was sent, and Company Four rose up to fight the Traitors. Dawn Sparkle galloped down the wall, focusing her magic for a teleport to a better firing position. A section of the wall was vaporized just as she teleport, and she found herself standing on a rooftop out of the way of the fighting, but in the path of the oncoming Pegasi. Dawn Sparkle planted her hooves and focused, drawing in as much power as she could manage. There was a whine before her spell fired, a ball of light flying into the middle of the Pegasi before exploding. Constructs and normal ponies alike were blown apart, while other groups maneuvered to avoid more attacks. Dawn Sparkle tracked and dispatched the Pegasi as they broke up, sending dozens careening towards the ground to their deaths. At this moment, Company Four found the perfect opportunity to strike, the Daughters plunging into the Traitors from below. While the two groups of Pegasi dueled, two squads of Traitors broke off and dove towards Dawn Sparkle, nimbly dodging her attacks. “So, the Loyalist bitch wants to play hero?” the leader of the group said once they reached Dawn Sparkle. The Traitor flicked her hooves outward, extending a pair of claws on her boots. “It’ll be all the more satisfying to hear her scream.” “I won’t give you the satisfaction, Traitor!” Dawn Sparkle shouted, raising her sword into a guard position. “Ooh, defiant are we?” the Traitor smirked. “That makes this even better.” With a cry the Pegasus lunged forward, sweeping her claws towards Dawn Sparkle’s head. Dawn parried and thrust her sword forward, but the Traitor dodged and bucked her in the face. As she staggered back, Dawn barely blocked a second strike from the enemy, claws scraping shallow cuts in her armor. With a grunt, Dawn Sparkle threw her shoulder into her foe, the two ponies tumbling over one another. With her sword being too unwieldy to use in close combat, Dawn Sparkle reared up and slammed her hooves into the Traitor’s face. The enemy managed to toss Dawn Sparkle away, the commander landing in a heap as the Traitor got back to her hooves and prepared for another strike. The Traitor leapt for her, but Dawn Sparkle released a magic blast and forced the enemy away, allowing her room to get back on her hooves. The two circled each other, occasionally lunging in for a probing strike. Around them, the Traitor Pegasi had pushed Company Four back, but not without the Daughters leaving scores of Traitors dead. It was not much in the face of the onslaught, but it gave Dawn Sparkle some hope. “Why do you persist, Loyalist?” Dawn’s enemy said as the Traitor blocked another strike. “Why keep fighting when there is no hope of succeeding.” “I will not allow myself to become a slave to somepony that does not care for Equestria’s survival.” “You are nearsighted then, Loyalist.” The Traitor lunged again, grazing Dawn Sparkle’s armor. “I have seen the truth. The True Queen has shown me everything, and given us her blessing so that we may spread her truth amongst all. But you that oppose her will be cast aside, your bodies and souls forfeit to her.” The Traitor attacked once more, but Dawn Sparkle ducked underneath the attack, causing the enemy to expose herself. Dawn spun her sword around and swung upward, the blade tearing through flesh and lodging itself in the enemy’s gut. “My body and soul will only be forfeit when all of Ponykind has fallen and your ‘queen’ slain at the hooves of Celestia.” Dawn Sparkle forced her sword upwards, bisecting the Traitor before she could give a response. Dawn Sparkle looked around; Company Four was still holding out as best they could against the Traitors, but they were in too few numbers to repel the assault. Several buildings had caught fire, but the docks were still clear of Traitors. The Drakeguard had started another assault against the wall, but the remaining Daughters were making them pay for every inch they took. Just one more thrust; that will buy us all the time we need. ... “Interesting...” Nightmare Moon muttered. “Their resilience is... amusing.” She shifted her focus away from the battlefield, opening all of her senses to the Warp. Unlike Celestia, she did not have to worry about the harmful effects of the Immaterium, so her searching was much more effective. Two other Legions had answered her call, the Night Warriors and the Siege Breakers. They would not arrive in time to affect the current siege, but they would have a major role in future campaigns. The Iron Hooves, The Plainsrunners, and the Western Rangers had turned her down completely, while most of the other Legions were still susceptible to manipulation. But she was not focused on who was joining her cause; Celestia was gathering Her power in the west, and while it was pathetic in comparison to her own host She was still the Anathema, and therefore She was a wild card in Nightmare Moon’s plans. Worse, the Anomaly was still at large, yet another factor that would prove troubling. I may have to accelerate my plans to make sure Celestia does not get too impulsive... No matter, the plans can be modified. She smirked before rising into the air, pulling her sword from its spot. “The Siege of Manehattan is over... and I have won.” ... Dawn Sparkle hurried to the gate, her legs aching from stress. Unlike other sections of the wall, the gate was not under as heavy attack, which surprised Dawn Sparkle. Still, some Traitor Pegasi had tried to outflank the gate, but the Daughters had caught them and driven them back. “How goes the fighting?” Dawn Sparkle asked once she reached the command post. “Fair. The Traitors tried to take the gate, but they didn’t prove to be too much of a problem. Any orders, ma’am?” “Start fortifying; if the enemy sees that their attacks on the wall are not working, they may try to rush the gate. I want this position to be ready for that charge when it comes. I’m heading back up to the wall.” “Yes ma’am.” Dawn Sparkle prepared to leave when the entire gate began to glow. At first she thought it was her eyes playing tricks on her, but that idea disappeared as the glow intensified. “Get down! Everypony, Get Down!” Dawn Sparkle ducked just as the gate and a large section of the wall exploded, shrapnel ricocheting off her armor and burying itself into the walls of nearby buildings. Daughters that failed to heed her warning were cut down, throats and limbs pulverized by flying debris. As the dust settled, Dawn Sparkle coughed and pulled herself up, struggling to free her sword from the rubble. Out of the dust came an alicorn, black as night and clad in warped armor. In her magic she clutched a large sword, and behind her marched hundreds of Traitor Legionnaires. She stopped before Dawn Sparkle, smirking as the unicorn prepared herself. “We could have avoided this, Commander Sparkle.” Nightmare Moon said. “Had you sworn fealty to me, all of this bloodshed could have been avoided.” “I’d never swear fealty to traitors.” Dawn Sparkle growled. “You say that now, but I do not believe you really mean it. Deep down there is a shadow of doubt growing in you; this loss of life, the idea of never seeing your family again, all of this is chipping away at your resolve. Join me, Dawn Sparkle, and relieve the pressure. Join me, and together we can make sure that Manehattan survives this strife.” Dawn Sparkle paused, sword lowered at her side. She lowered her head, eyes closed as she tried to clear her mind. Nightmare Moon was right; she was doubting, and her resolve was close to fraying. She looked up at Nightmare Moon, the dark alicorn waiting patiently for her response. She brought her sword up, and with a look of defiance spat in Nightmare Moon’s face. “I swore to defend Equestria from all threats, and I will not bow to the mare who would gleefully destroy my city!” Nightmare Moon stood in silence for a moment before smirking. “So be it. You refuse my offers of peace? Fine; killing you shall be even more satisfying.” “Right.” Dawn Sparkle raised her sword before charging. “For Equestria!” ... Celestia and Her forces arrived at dawn, the army marching slowly into the ruins of Manehattan. Everything had been destroyed; the once mighty wall lay in heaps of rubble, homes and businesses had been reduced to ash and charcoal, and even the stones in the road had been pulverized. Fires continued to burn on the outskirts of the city, and a cloud of smoke hung over the ruins. Celestia could tell that Her soldiers were nervous, and She knew that it would only get worse as they moved into the city. “Search for survivors. Move in groups in case the enemy has planned an ambush.” Her captains nodded and began giving orders while Celestia entered the city on Her own, sword at the ready. Bodies of Daughters and Traitors littered the streets, making it hard to walk. Some of the Daughters were merely dead, while others had not been so fortunate; some had been decapitated, their skulls skinned and piled into small pyramids. Some had been disemboweled and impaled, their corpses burned beyond recognition. Horns, wings, tails and legs had been hacked off and strewn across the ground, and blood coated the street in thick puddles. As much abuse the Daughters had received, the civilians who had failed to be evacuated had suffered much worse. Some lay mutilated, their limbs torn and stripped of flesh. Others had been hacked to pieces, and still others lay carved up on blasphemous altars. A pregnant mare, lost in the confusion of evacuation, had been crucified and burned alive, her unborn foal ripped from her body and sacrificed to the Dark Gods. Fillies and young colts lay murdered and violated, their eyes sewn open so all could see their pain and fear. And some ponies had their entrails strung up on poles, their legs tied down so they would be unable to move as they died in agony. Luna... whatever I did that drove you to... this, I am sorry... I am so, so sorry. Celestia could feel tears running down Her cheeks as She walked amongst Her murdered subjects, Her boots slick with ponies’ blood. She spotted movements out of the corner of Her eye. Stepping towards it, She saw the battered body of Dawn Sparkle, the commander bloody from many deep wounds. Her sword lay snapped in several pieces, and her armor was a dirty brown from dried blood. “Empress...” she said weakly. “I am afraid that... I am no longer fit... for active duty.” “That does not matter now, Commander.” Celestia said, kneeling next to the fallen Daughter. “You gave your life in defense of this city, and I cannot ask for more than that.” “Heh, I did...” she coughed. “Nightmare Moon... there were so many of them... Constructs, they used Constructs.” “I know.” “Given a few more days... we could have held... I know.” Dawn Sparkle gasped for breath before continuing. “She wanted me... she wanted me to join her... Heh, I refused.” she nodded towards the broken shards of her sword. “I got a few good hits in before she... finished it.” “You are a very brave pony, Dawn Sparkle, to challenge a pony of her strength to a fight.” “Yeah... or very stupid.” she coughed again. “She... She kept me alive... made me watch...” “Don’t think of that, Commander. That will only drive you further into her clutches. Hold fast to the belief that she can be defeated, and I swear to you that Equestria shall survive this crisis.” “I know... I know it will,” Dawn Sparkle smiled. “My... my family is safe... many families are safe... that’s all that matters. That’s... all that... matters.” Dawn Sparkle coughed again, and then her eyes went slack. Celestia sat in silence for a few moments before speaking again. “Rest in peace, Dawn Sparkle. You have done your duty to Equestria, and I cannot ask for a better commander than you.” She reached out and closed Dawn Sparkle’s eyes, rising once She was finished. “Empress,” She turned and saw one of Her captains approaching. “We found fifty surviving Daughters and a few civilians. What are your orders?” Celestia looked out at the ruined landscape around Her. Wind from the south whipped the smoke into a large cloud, the sun becoming a foreboding light against the darkened sky. “Call all captains together. I have a plan that will end this war.”