Prologue
3 Years in the Future
Dear Princess Celestia,
The fortified area’s surrounding Canterlot have all fallen to Animus. I’m severely wounded and Applejack has been captured, nearly all of the regiments under my command have been wiped out. I’d have never thought the coward would show up on the battlefield in person and alone, we never stood a chance against him.
Since this letter will arrive ahead of me I will inform you of the most critical information so that my recovery sessions can go uninterrupted:
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Froggy Bottom Bog: A smoldering wasteland, now running red with magma.
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Ghastly Gorge: Closed. He simply clapped his hands together and closed the gorge on the entire base situated there.
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Whitetail Wood: Once so beautiful, now it’s a crater over a kilometer wide and deeper than any diamond dog burrow and edged with ash from the incinerated flora.
He did this all by himself Princess, just what the hell is Animus?
We’ve set up a temporary camp at the edges of the Everfree Forest as we retreat to tend to our wounded. Celestia, the moment you get this put all stationed regiments on high alert as I write this very letter Animus marches on Cant……………………………
[INK STAIN]
[BLOOD SMEAR]
Princess Celestia, I’m sorry I cut your “most precious student’s” report short but what I have to say is quite a bit more important don’t you think?
Your student is correct; I will be upon Canterlot in two days bringing the full force of my army to bear down on your doorstep. I give you this time to evacuate the city, and if you so chose – surrender yourself to me otherwise I wish for the best for both out sides.
Why did it have to come to this?
Signed,
Lord Animus
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The sky was beginning to run red, as if in complete alarm at Animus' approach. The dread that hung in the air of Canterlot that day felt more like a stench, the smell of dead things that lingered about, forever. The buildings had all blackened in the fading daylight, and from Celestia's height, they might as well have been chess pieces awaiting to be knocked off the board by her calculating enemy.
On her balcony did she stand, that awesome creature known as Celestia. The first alicorn, the Sun-Raiser, the beautiful Goddess of the Sun. Her slender figure and great height accented her godly eyes and mystical hair, which whipped and twirled in the air as if dancing, its colors reminiscent of the ocean waves at sunset.
This evening, however, Celestia did not feel majestic. No. In all her righteous majesty, her queenly disguise was beginning to slip. Her guards present with her could see it, but said nothing.
Celestia, their goddess, was beginning to panic.
Celestia read, re-read, and re-re-read the message that she held in her telekinetic grip. She hated this. This feeling of helplessness. It wrapped itself around her, like a cloak, and she wore it as if it were suffocating her. How she wanted to throw it off--but like the unwelcome guest it was, Helplessness clung to her emotions, feeding from her like a parasite.
Helplessness was not an emotion fit for goddesses or for princesses. There was still time, thought Celestia. There was still hope, even with her beloved pupil gone.
Her royal guard, resplendent in their armor and tightly disciplined, stood at attention. With a majestic turn, her wings unfurled, Celestia swept at the air around her. With this one awesome gesture, Helplessness was flung from her back, replaced by Resolve. The guards could see her righteous indignation now, her eyes seethed with it. Something awful happened, they all knew--and Celestia would not stand for this. Any of this.
Celestia stomped a hoof to put her guards on alert, they stood straight up at attention causing the plates of their armor to make a slight rattle from the sudden shift in stance.
"Princess!" Her guards declaimed in unison.
A hoof stomp from the royal sisters was their call to arms; they were prepared to throw their lives away at that moment if Celestia wished it so.
"Orders your majesty?" They should perfectly still, eyes fixated and the Sun Goddess.
Celestia waved raised a hoof to the Golden armored duo, "Rain Storm" the ash grey pegasus stallion standing to the right of the balcony perked his head up to the sound of his name, "Serenity", the white and mint green pegasus mare standing to the left of the balcony nodded at Celestia. Their attention was met by the zealous gaze of the princess.
"Send word to 8th Regiments support battalion to move towards the Everfree Forest to look for survivors and bring them back, priority care is to be given to the Arch Mage if she still lives." Rain Storm and Serenity unfurled their wings and prepared to take to the skies. "Accompany the 8th." Celestia ended.
The two saluted their princess and took off with a sonic boom towards Keystone, the 8th base of operations in Canterlot. Their departure rattled the entire balcony and several castle windows.
Celestia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, allowing the high mountain air a chance to soothe her bubbling emotions, her hair rippled through the breeze twisting and turning with a unparalleled majesty. Her guards had left and the balcony was vacant save for the Sun Goddess, yet she was not without company.
“I thought I’ve told you that it’s rude to eavesdrop?” Celestia said not even taking the time to shift her gaze or examine her surroundings. “”
Shadows snaked from every dip, corner and crevice of the balcony, hundreds of tiny black and midnight blue tendrils all began to converge on a singular point behind Celestia. They pooled together and crept upwards spiraling like twine until the completed the entity which Celestia had addressed, Luna. In the years since Discord’s defeat the Moon Goddess had regained both her stature and her power, she now stood eye to eye with her elder sister. As Luna’s mane billowed in the mountain drafts it seemed to mimic the reflection of the night sky on a settling pond. Piercing icicle blue eyes completed her image all to well; Luna’s form evoked both fear and beauty equally.
What Luna had just seen and heard transpire didn’t sit well with her at all, she wouldn’t let herself go unheard.
"Sister, that message was sent by dragonfire," Luna was truly concerned, "How? Spike was killed little over a year ago and there are no dragon messengers among Twilight's ranks."
"Animus sent it himself apparently," The goddess hissing was now audible, her panting painfully obvious, her face clearly distressed despite the facade she used for the guards just a moment ago.
“Sister!?” Luna screamed attempting to snap Celestia to her senses, “W-what was written in Twilight's report, how can Animus dragonfire letters directly to you?”
Celestia stopped venting on the note to face her younger sibling. A sigh broke her lips and the goddess began to speak, “Twilight and Applejack have fallen in battle at the hands of Animus, he marches on Canterlot as we speak.” Another heavy sigh escapes Celestia’s lips “and I honestly don’t know how he's sending letters, but it's obviously a taunt.” She knew how he was doing it, but that information was not for Luna.
“Course of action sister?” Luna said dutifully, “We know he’s coming, we should fortify accordingly. We still out pony his forces three-to-one.”
“Quick as always I see Luna.” Celestia replied with false enthusiasm. “Very well, summon the generals and have them act as you see fit. When you are satisfied with the fortification of Canterlot meet me in the War Chamber, you've got 2 days. I have a plan to ensure that the siege backfires.”
With those words the white alicorn’s horn began to glow with a blinding golden glow, the crackle of magical energies filled the air around her and in a flash of warm sunlight she had vanished from the balcony leaving Luna there to gather her thoughts.