//------------------------------//
// Ascend/End 
// Story: Bring Back the Night 
// by Mad Pancake 
//------------------------------//


If you know neither the enemy, nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.






The two made their plans quickly, for it wouldn’t take long for the Empress to realise that one of her Agents had perished. Perhaps she already knew? It doesn’t matter if she did, not to us at least, at this moment. Our subjective protagonist listened, as the Darkness told her of a plan. If she could reach the Tower at the centre of the City, she could destroy the Main Mana Repeater which would then shatter the nodes that transfer the power further to the spell matrixes that keep the Sun up.

Or to put it bluntly, take out the Tower and take down the Sun.

Of course, there was another part of the plan that our subjective protagonist didn’t know. Taking down the Tower also disrupts the matrixes that keep up the spells that prevent Her from entering further into the City. It had taken years of subtly chipping away at the matrixes that held the spells before she had gotten this far. But with this… the Empress would finally be within the reach of her hooves. Maybe she would finally have… peace.

From within the Darkness a set of saddlebags hoofed over, filled with gems charged with magic and an explosive matrix weaved over them.

「Go.」

The unicorn cast a quick featherweight spell on the bag and began running. Back into the City. Back to the light. As she ran, the outskirts gradually gave way to slums. Slums to abandoned factories. Factories to warehouses. Warehouses to store fronts and houses. She did not glance as she ran past her father’s herd’s house. Store fronts and houses gave way to gleaming marble buildings.

As she ran, the Crier-Golems began shouting reports. Reports of disorder from the outskirts. Reports of a growing threat to a public safety. Requests to keep an eye out for possible dissenters. Reminders that aiding and abetting of disorder and disharmony is punishable by death.

There were fewer and fewer ponies the closer to the Tower she ran. The closer to the Tower she ran the higher the buildings were. The higher the buildings were the higher the temperature rose. The Tower was at the heart of the City, the highest building. The shiniest. The marble-iest. It was connected to the rest of the City by the Eight Spokes of the Wheel, the eight main streets that connect all the way from the Tower to the Rim.

As she ran through the marble buildings, thoughts began to go warble through her mind. Thoughts of a City after the Solar Day. A City with a Night. Children that can sleep and dream peacefully, without Light shining through their eyelids as they lie on their beds. Children that wouldn’t have to fear that their parents would disappear from their beds.

Climb to the top of the world.

The Tower was approaching. She felt the sweat fly from her coat and tail and mane which would have cast rainbows had something been there watching. Or perhaps they did, as we are reviewing the tale? But this or this are not times fit for a metaphysical philosophy, physics or philosophical metaphysics. There had been no ponies at least for the last kilometre. Our subjective protagonist increased her speed.

And as you stand tall, you will see...

No hesitation. No fear. She reached the curb surrounding the Tower and leaped up the stairs to the doors with a single leap. She did not even blink as she enveloped herself with a shield and exploded through them. Landing with a slide on the white marble floor, she scanned the hall for stairs. She consciously avoided registering the alarms that were blaring in the background as she ran up the stairs.

That when you fall...

Flight after flight, she bounded steps at a time. Her chest aching, threatening to collapse. Her legs never hesitating, never pausing, never trembling. Finally, she leaped through the doorway leading to the roof and sending the door of said doorway hurtling down to the streets. Landing on the roof, she nearly collapsed as the heat began to cook her from inside. Stifling a groan, she unclasped her saddlebags and threw them at the base of the Repeater, activating the timer matrix on the gems and turned back to the stairs. 

You will fall from a height most ponies will never reach.

Her Destination was "The ruined tower" after all.