Masterminds

by GoodKnight

Prologue

The sun, in it's waning moments shown over the remnants of what used to be a proud and powerful nation. Like it's final light, so did the last stronghold of of the equine nation become like a beacon. It beckoned to those in need of relief. Canterlot was a city that sat on a precipice, but was still stable and well fortified with high walls of the thickest stone and protected by a magical shield to fend off enemies. In addition, there within lay the barracks and Canterlot Academy where the best and brightest would train to hone magical and physical prowess.

Like this mighty city, Celestia stood on the last precipice overlooking the final light of the dawn, stretching out the final hour as long as possible. The monarch's regal visage firmly sat betwixt the horizon between oblivion and end. Below here, the last ponies of Equestria filed into the protective city walls. These ponies were violently evicted from their homes and forced to flee further and further away from their lives before. Thousands of them all sought out this city as their last sanctuary. In truth, this was the last true city of Equestria. Overseeing this mass-migration was Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship and former student of the sun princess, and her friends. They had been a great asset to the home-front, and now more than ever were they needed. They all helped the wounded find care, and the homeless a place to sleep with a warm meal. Celestia would not and could never ask anything more. She wouldn't even think of enlisting them. That would go against everything they learned...

The princess' eyes hardened as she scanned the horizon for anything. She had tried every possible tactic, yet no matter what, more and more of her precious ponies fell in the line of duty. Even her own niece had fallen to the tragic war. The worst of it was that the monarch never saw it coming. No one could. After the second changeling invasion, Celestia sought to strengthen her army. Perhaps that is what triggered it. Seeing a threat, the Griffons took action against them and took Phillydelphia, followed by Detrot, Manehatten, Baltimare, Vanhoover, Whinnyapolis and finally Cloudsdale. Celestia amassed a force to reclaim them, but was then suddenly attacked from the other side... Appleloosa fell to the terror of Tirek. Followed closely by Buffalo Buffalo, Trottingham, Las Pegasus, Stratusburg and many other western cities... The next hit was the most devastating. King Sombra overtook the crystal empire. Soon after, the changelings took Ponyville... and now... Canterlot stood alone as the war closed it's grip around Celestia, and Equestria as a whole.

"Sister," Luna called from the entrance to the room where Celestia's eyes flicked towards. "It's time..."

Celestia looked over that horizon one last time, seemingly unable to breath. Reluctantly, she let out a sigh and the sun drooped over the horizon.

"I am out of options Luna," she said wearily while turning from the balcony. "I have made my decision. Do not stop me."

"I must protest sister!" Luna replied with sudden fury. She marched over and took an accusatory tone. "We cannot let our nation fall to that! It's much too risky!"

"Risky? Risky?!" Celestia barked. Her hardened gaze became furious. "Risky was sending Discord to fight Tirek on his own! Risky was to let our strongest force go up against Sombra! This?! THIS?!"

Luna stared defiantly up to her taller sibling as they seethed. "It is too la-"

"NO IT IS NOT!" Bookshelves and the walls trembled for a second as the world seemingly grew very silent. Celestia's flared wings drooped as Luna's hard, puffy-eyed gaze softened Celestia's own. After a moment, Celestia turned away and left the room. "The night is yours..."

"And the dawn is to you..." Luna replied, before slowly making her way out to the balcony where her sister once stood.

---

Gilded shoes echoes down the depths of Canterlot Castle, bouncing off cold, dark stone and into nothingness. Celestia's horn dimly illuminated her path down. She stepped onto the dusty floor of the deepest chamber of the castle. There within lie her last effort to save this world she and her sister built. She regarded the many different things with quiet disregard. All of them were fantastical in their own right, yet none came close to what she sought after. Somewhere in the Crystal Empire, there was a mirror that only activated once in thirty moons. Once activated, the mirror would become a portal to a world entirely different to their own. This was not the first mirror she and her sister discovered. In truth, it was the fifth.

She stepped onto a large stone dais, and tread gently across it towards the first reflective surface she found. She stared at her own reflection. Tired, war-weary, and determined. She reared back and with a mighty swoosh blew back the cloth covering the mirror with her wings. The magical artifact shimmered like water on a pond, giving off a faint light before becoming still once more. She looked behind and saw the other four, shimmering like the first almost in anticipation. She turned to the first mirror and took a steadying breath. Her horn lit the room in a blinding light...

Celestia reflected ironically on her decision. Never before had she been so desperate as to sink to a low like this. She had always championed another way. A way of diplomacy and peace. She instilled her beliefs in her most trusted and faithful student. Now,, all she could do was help the wounded and sick. She had already fought more times than Celestia had wanted, and could not stand to allow her to take part in a war so that she could stain her hooves with blood.

On the other hoof, she could not figure out how to come back from this. Never once had this ruler been faced with a threat this dire; never had she felt this hopeless for the future. She had tried to be morally right and always championed justice. Even with her sister and former student at her side against this great doom pressing from all around, threatening to crush them flat, and erase them from the annuls of history, she knew that good could not prevail over this evil...

Conjuring from within a mass of dark magic, she blasted the mirror before her tainting the bright light all around. The magic pained her physically and spiritually. A groan escaped her lips as she reached far beyond the veil between worlds with this dark magic and hoped beyond hope that this last ditch effort would save her little ponies...

Author's Note:

Spoilers

Comments

[HydraLightning]

I only know three of the four symbols. Bowser King of the Koopa's, Ganondorf the Dark Ruler of Hyrule, Dr. Ivo Robotnick AKA: Dr. Eggman,
I have no clue who the last guy is.

[Byakura]

8399291
Sephiroth from final fantasy
Together they are the big bad bosses