With a snap they entered through a vortex to the universe. As they walked out on the planet they saw posters all over. "What' this?" On one was the symbol of a winged moon with NLR on it. "Oh great Equestria in a civil war." Loki could see that this reality was in the middle of a war between Luna's New Lunar Republic and the so called "Solar Empire".
"How does this even happen?" Sunset asked.
"Oh you know a movement thinks history was rewritten, or Luna goes insane but not Nightmare... or Celestia... look how it happened is of no concern, it's how you end it." Loki burned the postor with fire, "Simply put I end it by becoming either the peaceful third party.... or I beat both sides into submission."
Sunset tapped her chin in thought for a few moments before a large smile worked it's way on her face. "Actually there's another option within the latter. You could come in as a large enough threat that the two sides will have to unite against the threat you pose."
"I like that idea there, Sunset," Loki said with a grin. "What do you think of the name, The Grand Imperial Army,"
"What, you're not going to throw your name into it?" Sunset asked with a chuckle.
"Nah, I'm not nearly narcissistic enough to need to do that. Now, do you want to help me create a banner for our army, General Sunset?" Loki asked as he snapped his talon, a decorated military uniform appeared on Sunset.
She looked down at herself, smiled and then snapped to attention. "Sir, yes sir!"
Loki thought about what he should use for a army. With a snap appearing where a magical constructs of the perfect army. Hundreds of Stormtroopers appeared lining up in front of Loki. Astral Discord appeared at this. "Loki aren't Stormtroopers useless?" Discord asked. "I remember from your memories that these guys are so bad that they could fire at point blank and still miss." Discord said as h held up puppets to prove his point.
"Yes I know that, the ponies don't they would see a near limitless army." Loki answered back. "Besides I want to keep the deaths as low as possible." Loki commented.
"That does make sense," anthro Twilight's projection said with a nod. "You're not trying to defeat them, just convince them that you're a large scale threat that neither of them can defeat on their own."
"Glad to see you're on the same page."
"So, we've got an army, how are we going to get Celestia and Luna's attention?" Sunset asked.
"Hold on, there's still some things we've got to do as far as presentation goes," Loki said as he held up a paw. "Sure we've got a large scale army and a name, but I think the two of us could stand to look a bit more evil. Ooh, what do you think of this?" Loki asked excitedly as he snapped his talon. In a flash he appeared with sharpened teeth, dark, inky black fur, one eye a glowing red while another was covered by an eyepatch with a large scar under it. His horns were more curved and his animal part were more predatory in nature. "So, how do I look?" Loki asked with a big grin that ruined any intimidation factor his appearance would merit.
"You look like a cliche villain," Sunset answered.
"Perfect, that's what I was going for. Now, what can I do for your evil makeover?" he asked.
"Well, how about you just change me into that demon form from when I stole the crown?" Sunset offered.
"You got it!" Loki called out as he fired a beam from his talon that changed Sunset in a matter of moments.
When it was over she looked herself and let out a sigh. "Yup, this is just as evil and awful looking as I remember."
"Hey, just remember that that form is in no way you." Sunset nodded at that. Loki had a base formed into existence and looked over it a map of Equestria. "Alright first things first we need to set ourselves up somewhere." Loki had a village in mind. "Afterwards we need to appear and attack a big target currently being contested so." Loki found it in the nearby Manehattan.
In manehattan the NLR, and the forces of Celestia fought over the city with the NLR laying siege to it. However just as the fighting was about to pick up a song was heard. The sound was accompanied by thousands of bipedal beings all looking the same under a banner which looked like a circle in a wheel. "For The Grand Imperial! All hail Loki!" the army screamed as they crashed into the battle.
In the NLR headquarters a beaten pegasus came flying in. Luna was there to greet him. "What is it did the Solar Empire managed to keep Manehattan?" Luna asked.
"No... something else took the city... I vast army under the iron hoof of someone called Loki."
‘
"What?!" Luna cried as she came up to the injured pegasus.
"Who is this Loki? Do we know what they look like?"
"We do not know yet. All we know is that their army is a massive armored force."
Luna let out a long sigh at that and asked, "And what of our losses?"
"Low all things considered," the pegasus said with some relief.
"Most of our forces were simply too injured to continue fighting. The same holds true for Celestia's forces."
"Then at least there is some good news in all of this," Luna replied with a small nod before turning to another pony in the room. "I would like to have our recon corps make arrangements to find anything they can about this Loki character. If their forces are able to overtake Mine and Celestia's forces then we must act with the utmost caution."
At canterlot the newly fortified city a messenger came to Celestia. "Princess I come to respectfully inform you that Manehattan as fallen, however it was not by the terrorist hands but by someone else."
Celestia raised a eyebrow at that. "Who?" She asked.
"A force called the Grand Imperial Army, they keep saying "Hail Loki" which we assume is there leader."
"This is unsettling." Celestia said.
In his new base Loki looked at the map. Mane hatten was now under control but he needed to send a message. "Ok Sunset here my idea I send half the army on Luna half on Celestia and another small group against the Crystal Empire.”
"Why the Crystal Empire?" Sunset asked. "Aren't they staying out of this?"
"And that's exactly why we're going after them. Since Cadance is a neutral party with positive relations toward both sides this is exactly the catalyst we can use to cause all their armies to unite against us."
"Oh, I get it. But aren't you worried about causing too much harm to a peaceful group?"
"Not really, the storm troopers won't really do much," Loki said with a shrug. "As it stands the most we'll have to worry about is some minor injuries and some light property damage."
"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Sunset relented.
"Glad to hear it. Now, let's get this show on the road!" Loki cheered as he snapped his talon and sent his storm troopers to their destinations.
The army of stormtroopers loaded up into transports and headed out to the three locations. Astral Twilight appeared next to him. "Loki that mirror fragment has started glowing in your pocket dimension." She pointed out. Loki pulled out the mirror fragment and saw it was glowing.
"There must be a fragment in this universe."
Loki expanded his senses and found the mirror was not far away from where they were. "So there another fragment in this universe? Where is it?" Sunset asked,
Loki turned to her. "Not far the cave system just outside the base." The two of them appeared to the fragment which was right on a bear trap. Loki picked it up not triggering it.
His mind flashed as he saw something exploding out of a cocoon. Next he saw him fighting whatever it was only to get knocked into several planet and then slammed into the ground on what appeared to be a random planet leaving a crater.
Loki shook his head. "What did you see this time?" Sunset asked.
"A... thing bursting out of a cocoon and attacking me and a planet. Whatever it was, it was strong."
"How powerful are we talking here?" Sunset asked nervously. "I don't know for sure, but it was strong enough to fight me."
"Oh, is that all?" Sunset asked with a nervous laugh. "I was worried that it would be something scary."
"Now's not the time to panic, Sunset. We might be able to avoid having this even happen if we play our cards right. Plus, you're going to have to get used to the possibility of fights breaking out between two or more beings that can rip planets asunder at a whim."
"Asunder?" Sunset questioned with a quirked brow. "Sounds like someone invested in a word of the day calendar."
"What, of course not," Loki replied with a chuckle.
"Psst, Loki," Discord whispered in his mind, "Tomorrow's word is pusillanimous."
'Thanks Discord, I'll keep that in mind.' "Anyway, now that we've got the mirror shard, let's bring this world into balance. Shall we get an aerial view of the Crystal Empire and make a declaration of our evil intents?" Loki asked with a large grin.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Sunset said with a nod. Loki snapped his talons and the two disappeared in a flash of light.
The two appeared over to see the Crystal empire the only true neutral party in the civil war. The army of stormtroopers fired wildly and all around. The city was under Shining Armor's barrier spell which was holding up despite the onslaught of missed firing shots. Loki was sure he spotted one that somehow shot himself and another three shooting each other 'They’re even dumber than the stormtroopers in the movies... wow.' Loki thought to himself. He cleared his throat as both him and Sunset sat in floating thrones that appeared evil with Sunset's having demonic fore coming out the top. His was made of swords and iron. "Attention Crystal Empire, I am Loki, the Master of the Grand Imperial army, and his is my Supreme Commander Demonset." Loki gave a wink at the name to Sunset. “Surrender or I will reduce your city to rubble." One of the Crystal guards asked, "How?"
Loki raised a talon up as a nearby mountain rose up and floated just over the city. "This is how."
"What do you want from us?" Another guard asked.
"Well first I want your little Empire to submit to my rule," Loki replied still dangling the mountain above the city. "Then I want to make all of Equestria and the rest of this world mine. After that," Loki paused and chuckled darkly. "I'm sure I'll find something to entertain myself with. Demonset, give the order." He finished, turning to Sunset.
"All troops who want to avoid being crushed, fall back!" Sunset thundered, signaling with one of her hands. The Storm Troopers did as they were told and fell into formation out from under the mountain.
Loki nodded to Sunset and returned his focus to the empire. "Now, I shall give you to the count of three. If your leaders do not come forward and surrender then I shall level your gaudy little homes.
"One." Loki slowly lowered the mountain. "Two" as it touched the barrier it smashed thought it, "thr..."
Cadance and Shining Armor ran out. "Enough we surrender." Cadance screamed. With that the mountain was tossed off to the side of the whole city.
"Very good now let's discuss terms." Loki started.
Loki and Sunset thrones floated down to the two rulers, or "former" rulers. "Good to know."
A few days latter word had reached Celestia and Luna of the fall of the crystal empire. After both forces had managed to lift the siege it seeme that The Grand Imperial Army had grown into being a forced to threaten them both. A messenger arrived to greet them to a neutral ground the castle of the two sisters so Loki could discuss the terms of surrender. Of course by surrender he meet there surrender. Loki Sunset and the stormtroopers waited in the remade castle. "There should be here by now." Loki commented.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here," Sunset said with a yawn and a stretch. "I don't think they'll ignore you after threatening Cadance with a mountain."
"True, so which do you think is more likely? Celestia and Luna coming to actually surrender, or they're using this as a ruse to catch us off guard?"
"Hmm," Sunset started as she tapped her chin in thought. "I dunno, both could be pretty likely. How about we make a bet out of it? I'll say that they're coming to surrender."
"Fine," Loki replied with a chuckle. "I'll say that they're going to attack us. What should the terms of the bet be?"
"Eh, I think we can work that out later," Sunset said with a shrug. "My lord!" a Stormtrooper called out, rushing into the room. "The celestial sisters have arrived!"
"Very well, send them in," Loki replied with a wave. The two sisters walked into the room, scowling at Loki while flanked by Stormtroopers. Loki grinned at them and showed off his sharp teeth. "Celestia and Luna, I am so glad that you came to see me. I trust you had a pleasant journey?"
Say the pleasantries we know why we are here." Celestia snapped at him. The troopers had their blasters at the ready. Sunset raised her hands causing them to stand down.
"Ok then but first I must ask do you two really know why you both were fighting this war?" Luna and Celestia turned to each other. There minds know the reasons were but there hearts gave them doubts. "I see you both have had doubts must have been a populist rebellion that gravitated around Luna and instead of doing the rational thing to keep stability while giving reforms Luna joined them legitimizing them yet also condemning them as because of said war the elements are rendered useless and Equestria is weakened." Loki started. "In truth it was bound to happen a third party would swoop in at the end." Loki leaned in. "No the question is do you two do the right thing united or would you fall divided?"
Celestia and Luna shared a long look at each other before the two of them let out a long sigh. Celestia stepped forward and hung her head at Loki. "I will stand down. I am tired of all the countless bloodshed in the name of a war against my sister."
"I will surrender as well," Luna said, stepping forward like her sister. "This war has gone on too long." Sunset had to fight off a grin as she cheered in her head about winning the bet.
"I am glad to see that you've listened to reason," Loki replied, leaning back in his throne. "And I'm sure that your citizens will love to hear that the conflict is over. Demonset, can you go and get us some documents to finalize their surrender?"
"Of course, Master Loki," Sunset said with a nod as she rose from her throne and walked out of the room quickly.
A few minutes later Sunset brought the surrender documents to the two leaders. Celestia and Luna signed it first then Loki . When it was done Loki sat and broadcasted his thoughts to everypony in Equestria. "People of Equestria, the civil war is over. I Loki have won, now for my decrees, first I hereby reinstate the royal sisters as rulers and allow more local autonomy from the centre of government so this sorta thing never happened again." With that a flash was seen as the storm troopers, disappeared and Sunset and Loki returned to their true forms. "See Sunset told you it would work." Loki said with a smile.
"I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first, but it all worked out for the best," Sunset replied with a small grin. Celestia and Luna looked between the two with shocked expressions, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
"Sunset Shimmer, is that you?" Celestia asked, her eyes as big as dinner plates. Sunset blushed and she rubbed the back of her head. "Umm yes, though I'm from a different universe than the one you know." "Oh, I see," Celestia said, seeming disappointed.
"Who are the two of you? And what is your purpose here?" Luna asked with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, my name's really Loki. I'm just not an evil dictator hellbent on domination. I'm a god of balance and I travel the multiverse and help bring balances to worlds. Like what I did here."
"Ok but why do you look like Discord?" Luna asked.
Loki shrugged at this. "I was an Alternate version of him that grew so powerful he could travel across universes, or that's the best I can explain it as." Loki said. Loki turned to Sunset. "Also you did win the bet so what do you want?" Loki asked her.
"I'll tell you it later." Sunset stated.
"Ok then I'll hold you to it." Loki turned back to the two of them. "We'll be seeing you both later hope you learned something from this event."
The two Princesses nodded at this "We believe we have." With that Loki and opened a rift in space and time as both him and Sunset entered into the void.