The Legionnaire

by Vanity

XIX - The Sun

Luster slammed her hoof into the floor and swore violently as the spell she'd been preparing - a simple immobilization charm - rapidly grew out of control and turned into a blast of raw magical light four times her size that scorched the ground before it and obliterated the dummy target Discord had conjured for her to practice on. Floating effortlessly from above, Discord tutted and began to inspect his claw, barely disguising his contempt.

"Well, that's your adversary disintegrated. Hope it wasn't anypony important."

"Shut up!"

"No, no. You're right, what would you need my input for? Try again. Thirty-seventh time lucky, perhaps?"

Luster tried once more, this time getting slightly further before her concentration slipped and the exact same thing happened. She'd practiced this spell a thousand times over, but she'd never once tapped into this level of power. It was like an unending tide she had to strain to hold back - or risk losing complete control of her magic entirely.

Once more, she closed her eyes and began to focus like Discord had shown her. To get a grasp of her magic, she first had to visualize the amount of power she needed. Once she'd done that, she had to channel it into a spell, and carefully -

Luster's eyes flared as another surge of magical force escaped from her, this time exploding outwards in a spherical shield that knocked Discord out of the sky and sent him plummeting to the ground in a heap. Climbing to his hooves and dusting himself off, the draconequus sighed and clicked his fingers. In an instant, Luster felt the power evaporate from her veins, leaving her exhausted.

"Not the best performance. Though I suppose it was no worse than the others." Luster merely groaned in response, barely able to stand after having her powers stripped away.

"How can you say that? Is this all just a joke to you?"

"I might well ask you the same. It really isn't that complicated, you know. Grogar's Legion managed it with very few teething issues. Your present charge being one of them." He leaned down with a sadistic grin on his face. "Tell me, what's it like to be outdone by your own student?"

"What's it like to be the worst teacher in the world?" Luster shot back, falling backwards onto her hind legs. "I can't, Discord. I can't figure it out. It's like there's this... this wave of power within me that I just have to let out, or I'm gonna explode."

"You have to focus. There can be no uncertainty or doubt in your mind, nor can there be any distraction. Until then, you'd be a danger yourself and everypony around you."

Uncertainty. Doubt. Distraction. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a thought that had been anything but. How was she supposed to focus on anything clearly in the chaos she was surrounded by? It had been over a week since her training had begun, and still she'd made no progress.

"Let's try again." Rising to her hooves with some effort, she closed her eyes and felt the power flow back into her, heightening her sense and causing her to twitch slightly. Electrical arcs of pure magical energy crackled around her horn as she tried to focus once more. Scratching her brain for anything simple she could focus on. Slowly, a small pink filly materialized in her mind.

A vision of Cozy flickered into view before her eyes, surrounded by a lake of darkness that nipped at her legs, constantly threatening to seize her and drag her into its stomach, never to be seen again. A surge of terror and rage filled her, and before she knew it, her horn was already firing on instinct.

Opening her eyes, her rage faded into shock as she saw a vast beam of magical energy firing from her horn, an iridescent beam of countless colours that danced upon its surface before fading from view. Feeling her concentration wavering, she forced herself to focus. With the gentlest of touches, she narrowed the beam into a concentrated stream of unbearably bright energy, before slowly bringing it to a close. Panting slightly, she glanced around.

"Discord?"

A slow clapping sound over her head caught her attention. Craning her neck upwards, she watched as Discord slowly descended to the ground, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Well, now that was an improvement. Crude, but an improvement. Though it's one thing to control the power, quite another to direct it into an actual spell."

Luster grunted and cracked her neck. "Let's go, then. Give me another target to curse."

Discord's mouth broke into his trademark grin. "Of course."

---

Morning Star squinted into the distance at the army summiting the hill from through the rising sun, feeling a bolt of apprehension shoot down his spine as he realized just how vast it was. His scouts had easily been underestimating by a factor of two, maybe three. Forcing down a rising tide of panic, his gaze flickered towards his sides. His lieutenants wore looks of horror that told him all he needed to know.

"How could they have gotten it so wrong?" One of them - a young stallion with a teal coat and shaved mane - muttered the words to himself, as if refusing to believe the evidence before his own eyes.

"I... I don't know." Another replied, voice wavering in thinly disguised fear. "Reinforcements? General, we should retreat."

Morning Star said nothing, and in the brief silence, yet another lieutenant jumped in.

"We are the only thing between this army and Canterlot. You would have us flee before even engaging, to allow our capital city to be trampled underhoof by these invaders?"

Morning Star grit his teeth as he watched a seemingly endless tide of Griffons pour over the hill. The lieutenant was right, of course. Retreat was not an option, not this time. Though they were outnumbered several times over, the odds were not overwhelming. He made his decision.

"Fire!"

His magically amplified voice was all it took. A line of twenty catapults let loose with a great cacophony of splintering wood and rope. Their projectiles soared into the air for what seemed to be several minutes before they came crashing down on the assembled Griffons and shattered into a million deadly stone splinters, forcing those lucky enough not to be torn to shreds to scatter in shock at the assault. Within seconds, however, they began to reform, and, marshalled by their commanders, those at the front began to mount a charge.

The catapults were reloaded with agonizingly slowness then let loose once again. Each had been enchanted to enhance their range and accuracy, giving them the considerable advantage of being able to strike the Griffons from a distance that immunized them against the Griffon's own ballistics. This time, the charging troops anticipated the assault and scattered before the projectiles could strike the ground, greatly reducing their casualties. Even from this distance, Morning Star was forced to admire their discipline. Not a single soldier faltered or fled despite the onslaught, even though many wore injuries visible from even this distance.

Not good. He had relied on a significant fraction of the Griffon force fleeing, allowing his smaller sized army to mop up the rest. The small nagging feeling that had eaten away at him now began to morph into full-scale panic as he realized just how many more soldiers than he had expected there to be were converging on them. Turning to his troops, he began to bark more instructions.

"Unicorns!"

Bolts of light began to erupt from the assembled soldiers as the Griffons continued to approach, sending many of them crumpling to the ground. Many - but not enough. The catapults began to reload for one finally volley, this time with flaming projectiles. Beads of sweat began to run down his muzzle as he watched his adversary close in. How much longer? A minute?

The catapults fired, this time inflicting virtually no casualties. The flaming rocks were easily visible in the darkening sky, and the Griffons parted before them well in advance, not even slowing their pace. In twenty seconds... fifteen... ten... five...

"NOW!!"

Seconds before the first of the screaming Griffons approached, the front line of defence forced their spears forwards, impaling the front line of the assault in an eruption of crimson blood and awful screams. At the same time, the Griffons split into three horns, two of which smashed into the side of his army, breaking the solid block of troops into three pieces and dividing them. At such close quarters, the Griffons possessed the clear advantage, tearing into their enemy and inflicting severe casualties.

Morning Star let out a strangled cry as he watched his army be butchered before his eyes. He attempted to bellow more orders, but this time not a soul paid him any heed. Already, those with any sense were throwing their weapons aside and fleeing from the battle - yet even those were not spared, as a group of Griffons detached themselves from the carnage to chase them down and slay them before they could clear ten feet from the battleground.

Behind him, he could hear his lieutenants beginning to back away. The Griffons were at a safe distance - but within a few minutes, they wouldn't be.

"I... I can't believe... oh, Celestia..."

"General? We have to go. Now!"

Go? It took Morning Star a few seconds to process the suggestion. Why? He was dead either way. The Regent would have his head for this failure. Would it be less painful to allow himself to die fighting here?

As he watched, one of the Griffons - a hulking beast of pure muscle clad head-to-claw in black and silver armour - noticed the small entourage watching the scene from atop their hill and seized two of his troops by the scruff of their neck, pointing and barking orders. Somewhere in the back of his confused mind, the realization that he had just been spotted shocked Morning Star into action. No matter what fate awaited him back in Canterlot, he had no desire to die here on this cold, miserable hill.

"Let's go." Morning Star's horn began to glow. "Return to Canterlot and join the defence. I have to let the Regent know what happened here."

"Yes sir - "

Before the lieutenant could even respond, the General vanished in a flash of light.

---

The encampment was invisible in the forest that surrounded it, the only tell-tale sign of presence being the hoofful of thin tendrils of smoke that rose from the scattered cooking-pots into the air and twisted into the cloudy sky. From the mouth of her tent, Luster watched the camp bustle with activity. Most were soldiers being routed from one location to another, but there was also substantial presence of ponies, almost all of them mages from Griffonstone who had been drafted like her into a war which - judging by the looks on most of their faces - they had no desire to be a part of. She didn't blame them.

True to her expectations, they were indeed several miles from the frontline - or any other semblance of civilization. The Griffons clearly didn't wish to risk the lives of the precious clawful of mages they harboured, and so every precaution had been taken to shelter them from harm. Isolated and shielded, Luster had quickly fallen prey to an unexpected pitfall - boredom. She had little real work that needed completing, and little to fill the empty hours with.

"Who - Oh. Hi, Luster."

Startled, Luster's gaze dropped to see Cozy standing before her, clutching a jug of water in her mouth. Indicating towards the entrance of the tent, she raised an eyebrow.

"You mind?"

Luster took a step back and allowed Cozy to enter, taking one last glance at the bustling clearing before turning around and allowing the flap of the tent to fall shut once more. Cozy set the jug down carefully before tilting it backwards and taking a deep drink. Carefully resting the jug back upright, she fell back onto her hind legs and sighed.

"You know, if I'd known this place wasn't going to have running water, I probably wouldn't have been so willing to come along."

Luster let out a small chuckle. "Guess I thought a war camp would have better provisions. Look on the bright side, at least they have vegetarian options here."

Cozy pulled a face. "Don't even joke about that. I thought I was going to be sick last night when they started roasting that pig."

Luster sat down opposite the filly and took a drink from the jug, grimacing at the gritty taste of the poorly filtered water. "Ugh. Let me get it next time. I could probably do a better job of cleaning this mud than whatever they're using."

"I'm not so sure there'll be a next time. I overheard a few of the soldiers talking when I was at the well, and it sounds like they're planning to march on Canterlot in a few days. Said the army had been doing better that they'd ever expected." Cozy did her best to sound happy at the prospect of leaving, but there was an unmistakably glum tone to her voice. Luster couldn't help but sympathise.

"Look on the bright side. We won't be wanted criminals anymore. We'll be free to go wherever we want. You'll be free. You can be whoever you want, and nopony - nocreature - can stop you."

"I... I guess." Cozy didn't sound remotely comforted by the idea. "I just wish there was... I don't know. Ever since Princess Twilight died - no, before that. Ever since I was first sent to Tartarus, whenever I think of the future, all I've ever been able to see was... chaos. Something uncertain. Now, for the first time in years, I can see the future, and it just looks... bleak."

"Don't be so pessimistic. You've got a great future ahead of you, if you want it."

"It's not just about me, Luster!" Cozy snapped, causing Luster to pull back in surprise at the sudden shift in temper. "Everything you ever taught me about friendship, everything Princess Twilight tried to teach me, it's all been for nothing! The Griffons are going to take over Equestria and rule it like some... like some kind of slave colony, and I'm just supposed to go along with it? I don't want to live in a world like that!"

"Me neither, Cozy. But we don't have any choice - "

The words died on her lips. How could she say that, when she knew it was a lie?

"...well, tell me what you want, then."

"I... I... I want..." Cozy sounded genuinely upset now. "I want to be back in that prison cell. I want none of this to have happened. I want to be leaning about friendship and... and preparing for exams and writing lessons. I want to be a normal filly with normal problems, okay?! I didn't want any of this!"

"Cozy..." Luster laid a comforting hoof on the filly's shoulder, trying to sound as soothing as possible. Cozy lowered her head and took several deep sniffs before continuing.

"I know, I can't change what happened. But I wish I could, Luster... I just wish I could."

"Cozy, listen to me. We can't change the past. But I can change the future."

Cozy raised her head and squinted at her, confused. "Is this some kind of lesson about personal responsibility?"

"Even better." Luster took a deep breath before she began. "You remember the Bewitching Bell?"

Cozy's expression darkened. "Every waking second of my day."

"I didn't want to alarm you, or upset you, but... A few days ago, Discord contacted me." Seeing a thunderous expression dawn on Cozy's face, she quickly continued. "Trust me, I wasn't any happier to see him than you would have been. But this is good news. Discord wants to bring all this conflict, all this war to an end. And he wants my help."

"It's a trick." The response was so instantaneous, so automatic that it almost made Luster laugh.

"Yeah. That's what I thought too. But it's not. Listen, that bell is filled with magical energy from thousands of years ago. In the wrong hooves, it could be used to conquer the world. But in the right hooves, it could be used to bring all this fighting to an end. To put things right, make things like they were. Not exactly. But good enough."

A troupe of emotions fluttered across Cozy's face, anger, disbelief, joy and suspicion. The filly slowly pulled away from Luster and rose to her hooves, shaking slightly.

"Discord's given you the bell?"

"Not yet. It's... complicated. Let's just say there's a few details to be ironed out. But soon, I'll have the power to do whatever I like. To reshape the world."

"You..." Cozy swallowed a lump rising in her throat. "You're going to replace Princess Twilight?"

"What? No!" Luster feigned shock, as if the idea had never occurred to her. In truth, she hadn't decided what she was going to do with all that power, but she never knew when Discord could be listening. "I'm going to use it to stop this war, then it's going back in the bell."

"So... why are you just telling me this now?"

"I..." A good question. "I just didn't want to add to your worries."

"Are you joking?! This is great!" Cozy all but jumped into the air at her words, a wide, enthusiastic, genuine smile splitting her face in two for the first time in weeks. "What are you going to do?"

Luster laughed in response, feeling a warm glow rushing through her that took her a few moments to identify as elation. "I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

"I... I guess you should send the Griffons back. And get rid of Gallus. And... I don't know? Become a Princess?"

"I'm... I'm not sure that's for me, Cozy. I was thinking Flurry Heart should have that honour." Cozy Glow's ears fell at that, and her eyes hit the floor. "What?"

"You... you didn't hear?"

A cold chill ran though Luster, immediately extinguishing that warm rush from less than a minute ago. "What?"

"Luster, the Crystal Empire, it's... it's gone. Equestria took it over days ago, and nopony's heard from Flurry Heart since then. She's... she's not going to be here after a few weeks. There won't be any Alicorns left. When you take that magic, there'll just be... you."

The words were like a sledgehammer to Luster's chest, and for the first time, she found herself completely out of things to say. After a few moments of wordless searching, she finally managed to choke out a single, desperate question.

"Are you... sure?"

"I heard those soldiers talking about it. It's all any of them talk about these days. They're convinced Equestria is finished without a Princess to take over the reins. And they're right." A new, hopeful note forced its way into her voice. "But not any more! You can - "

"Cozy, please, just... don't." Luster cut across the filly, unable to hear any more. "I'm not an Alicorn, and I won't ever be."

"I was." Cozy shot back icily. "You know, when I absorbed the magic from the same bell you're talking about? I only absorbed a tiny fraction, and it was enough to turn me into an Alicorn."

"That's... a... a good point." Luster sighed. "Fine, maybe I'll grow a pair of wings. But that doesn't mean I have to become a Princess. There are better ponies out there. And besides, I'm not keeping the magic. I'm going to return it."

"Are you joking?" Cozy shouted, raising her voice for the first time. "You're crazy! If you give that magic back, things will just go right back to how they were!"

"Cozy, you know that's not right - "

"It is! All of this, everything, it all happened because you killed Twilight! Without a Princess, everything is just going to fall apart the moment you give that magic back!" Stamping her hoof on the ground, she let out a roar of frustration. "How can you be so blind?!"

Luster rose to her hooves, furious. "Don't talk to me like that! I'm not a Princess, and I'm not going to threaten or frighten ponies into getting along! If Princess Twilight had made... reasonable plans for her passing, then all of this could have been avoided!" She deigned not to mention that she had been the 'reasonable plan'. She was certain there was a lesson there, but it was one to be reflected on later.

"If... If you don't keep that magic, Luster, you're killing us all. You understand!? You'll be throwing all of our futures in the trash! The Griffons will just reinvade and that'll be it! Right back where we started, only this time there's no one to blame but you!"

With those words, she gave the jug of water a kick and sent the liquid within spilling all over the tent. Luster jumped backwards and was only narrowly able to avoid being splashed by the dark brown liquid that flew out. Blood boiling, she spun around and began to roar.

"COZY - "

But she was already gone, the only sign of her presence being the fluttering of the tent flap and the faint sound of galloping hooves striking earth.

---

The guard was only just able to dodge the flying wine jug in time, yelping in shock as the dark red liquid within sprayed out and splattered all over him. Before a second missile could be launched, he dropped his spear and bolted out of the throne room entrance, followed closely behind by his comrades. In seconds, the room was empty, save for the furious Griffon and the unicorn stooped into a deep bow before him.

As Gallus gazed down at his General through the red mist that seemed so often these days to cloud his vision, he was seized with an urge like never before to murder him and break his body to pieces on the cold marble floor. Only the tiniest shreds of reason within his rotting mind restrained him and forced him down into his throne, gibbering uncontrollably.

"Ri.... gahhhh... RISE!"

Morning Star rose from his deep bow, sunken purple eyes now filled with nothing but contempt. All the fear he had felt upon entering the throne room left his body as he stared down the pitiful remnant of the Griffon he had once called Regent. What little had remained of the once reasonable old soldier had clearly been broken by the news of an invading army at the borders of his city.

"I... I won't... I won't lose to these barbarians! You understand me!? Equestria will not fall as long as I sit on this throne, and I am Equestria!" Flecks of spittle flew from his mouth with every word, splattering onto the long velvet robe that he had once worn so proudly, now a filthy tattered remnant of what it had once been. "You have one final chance, General. You will break the enemy, or I will ensure that your punishment exceeds that they would mete out upon you tenfold, if it is the last act of my nation! DO YOU UNDERSAND?!"

"Yes, your Regency." The title rolled off Morning Star's tongue like acid, a filthy term of address utterly unbefitting of the creature before him. "As it happens, I have drawn up a contingency for this sort of emergency. But it will require your approval."

"Whatever it takes."

"Anything?"

"Anything! Turn the tide of this war, General. No matter the cost. Now... get out of my sight."

"As you wish, your Regency."

He resisted the temptation to order the quaking guards outside the throne room doors to enter and arrest the Regent as soon as he had left, though there was little doubt in his mind that they would have been more than willing to oblige. A coup in times of crisis such as these would be the undoing of everything. Patience in all things was the making of a great leader, as he had learned well.

There was little time to lose. The remaining soldiers would need to be reorganized. It would take some time to organize a round-up of every able-bodied creature in Canterlot and force a spear into their hoof, claw or hand. Those who refused to fight would, of course, be put down. There could be no room for mercy. Had he learned nothing from the Crystal Empire?

And that was just the start. Envoys would be sent out to every prison camp he had so foalishly constructed, ordering them to butcher their prisoners and send what troops they could spare to the capital. No more mercy would be shown to surrendering enemies of the state. Finally, the few soldiers he could spare would be sent out to teach a lesson to those towns who had surrendered so meekly to the invaders. There would be no more meek surrenders after tonight.

And when all was said and done, when Equestria had been purged of invaders, he would oust the rotting carcass of a leader that currently stained that ancient throne, and take his armies to the Griffon Empire to visit upon them a lesson that would consign them to history, once and for all.

---

Luster roared as the magic erupted from her, this time not in a surge of uncontrolled power but as a complex set of spells that reached out and ensnared the dozens of targets before her. Not pausing for breath, she followed it up with a series of precisely targeted bolts of magic that tore each of their targets into two. Hovering above her, Discord nodded his approval at the display.

"My, my, my. Quite the improvement. What's gotten into you, Luster?"

Luster panted as she shook her head at the question. "Doesn't matter. What else do you want me to do?"

"I'm not so sure you haven't already proven yourself capable of controlling the magic already."

"What?" Luster glanced upwards in shock, still wheezing slightly. "Are - are you sure?"

"I'm as surprised as you. You seem so much less... conflicted. I'm not one to pry, of course, but you haven't been overcoming an emotional crisis recently, by any chance?"

Luster paused. "You're right."

"I am?"

"Yeah. It's not your place to pry." Straightening herself, she stared the draconequus down. "Well? Am I ready or not?"

"I would prefer to give it a week, to make sure this unusual control isn't a mere fluke. But... it would seem so, yes." He landed beside her and clicked his fingers, collapsing into a soft red sofa that materialized out of thin air. "Tell me, have you given the future any further consideration?"

"I'm not interested in a social call, Discord. I'd like to get back to sleep, if you wouldn't mind."

"Oh, but I am. Take a seat." With another snap of his fingers, a soft velvet couch appeared behind her. "I want to know just what you'd do with that magic, if I handed it over right now."

Luster sighed and sat down, sinking into the surprisingly comforting chair with ease. "I'm going to bring this war to an end. I'm going to force the Griffons to give back their land and put Flurry Heart back on the throne. She'll be a better leader than anypony else."

"You believe Flurry Heart is the best choice for Equestrian Princess?"

"She's the only choice."

"Not you?"

"Absolutely not." Luster could see right through this line of questioning. "You were listening in on me and Cozy, then."

Discord chuckled. "Of course. That filly has quite the temper. But how am I to know that she hadn't swayed your decision?"

"I guess you'll just have to take that risk."

"Don't be so sure. I could just leave you to your fate, you know. This war is but a fleeting moment in history to me."

Luster laughed contemptuously. "How stupid do you think I am? You've got a stake in this, same as me. You're just afraid you're not going to be able to put the genie back in the bottle when you're done. But guess what? You're going to have to live with that if you want my help. That's how this works."

Discord growled with displeasure, but nodded. "I suppose you're right." He suddenly looked tired. "The bell is yours. It will be waiting by your bed when you wake up."

"Really?" Luster sounded, stunned. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." Discord rose into the air, no longer looking at her. "Just know this, Luster. Power is not something to be sought. It is something to be feared. I have never met a being of power who did not lament their gift as a curse -"

"Oh, shut up. I've heard it all before. I just want to go back to sleep."

For a moment, Discord said nothing. Then, he smiled, the first genuine, warm smile she'd ever seen him give.

"...good luck, Luster. I know you'll do what's right."

---

Mosswood was, any other day of the year, a damp but pleasant hamlet only a few miles from Canterlot. Traditionally inhabited by Earth ponies, it had become a favourite of travellers to and from Canterlot, famed for its friendly locals, charming woodlands and hospitable taverns that catered to all.

Tonight, it burned.

The soldiers butchered without mercy, slaying anything that moved and didn't bear the banner of Equestria. As one of the first towns to surrender to the occupying Griffons, it would serve as the perfect example of what became of traitors under the new regime. A few Griffon troops attempted to fight back, but most simply fled, leaving the townsfolk to the tender mercies of their new overlords. Every home, tavern and shop was looted and torched, many with their inhabitants still barricaded within.

Those who attempted to flee were not spared, save for a select few who were allowed to escape that they may spread the tale of what now became of towns that did not resist the occupiers to their last drop of blood. Panic would spread through the nation like wildfire as scores of towns and villages came to fear their own would be next. The Griffon presence, once a source of mere annoyance, became an active smear of collaborationism. The entire Griffon war machine ground to a halt as dozens, then hundreds of soldiers had to be routed east to quell uprisings in once peaceful towns.

Mosswood would not be the last. More would suffer the same fate in the days to come, villages and towns culled to their last and burned to the ground in a new, perverse form of war. In the hours to come, a new sun would dawn over Equestria, this time dark and devoid of warmth, spreading only a light of terror and fear upon a populace that no longer knew peace or cared to do so. The world became paralyzed beneath the new black horizon, and hope breathed its last.

Comments

[Starlight Glimmer1]

Okay, it’s official.

Gallus needs to die.

[Neo4K]

11053586
😞 Agreed. Same goes for Morning Star. I mean, purging a village and its inhabitants in Equestria due to imagined treachery? Way too far.

[Lex_Drago]

Damn, when it all ends there will be remain only the worst of Equestria.
Next Major Arcana is the Judgment.
I remember one fragment from performance of our drama club:

The Judgment? It's called the Judgment because judges always right. The one who became a judge is always right. The accused may only make excuses.

[Bigwig6666]

Mosswood was, any other day of the year, a damp but pleasant hamlet only a few miles from Canterlot. Traditionally inhabited by Earth ponies, it had become a favourite of travellers to and from Canterlot, famed for its friendly locals, charming woodlands and hospitable taverns that catered to all.

Tonight, it burned.

Literal goosebumps. This story is so good man in a wonderful grimdark way

[asdtroi8895]

Looks like Luster's going to be getting a major power up soon. She's going to need it to stop what is going on because Equestria has gone mad at this point. I practically became something out of Warhammer or a dark supremacist Equestria at War path. I would rather have someone other then the slaver griffons be able to challenge the story's main villains. I think its funny how Gallus and everyone who supported and went along with his rise to power are doing far more damage to Equestria then the trio ever did.

"I might well ask you the same. It really isn't that complicated, you know. Grogar's Legion managed it with very few teething issues. Your present charge being one of them."

Can't wait to read about Starlight's reaction when she figures out the truth of "Grogar".

"Don't be so pessimistic. You've got a great future ahead of you, if you want it."

At this point, I would not want to get my hopes up too much in that regard.

"It's a trick." The response was so instantaneous, so automatic that it almost made Luster laugh.

Cozy already knows Discord so well.

"You're crazy ! If you give that magic back, things will just go right back to how they were!"

Cozy's got a point. Luster should really keep that magic for a while at least until everything is nice and stable again. Maybe even using it to deal with Discord to avoid future problems he may cause.

"It is ! All of this, everything, it all happened because you killed Twilight!"

Luster hasn't told her how Twilight died yet?

Morning Star rose from his deep bow, deep purple eyes now filled with nothing but contempt.

I wonder if Morning Star realizes that he and his comrades were part of the reason why Gallus managed to gain power in the first place. Really, he is partially at fault for that.

"The bell is yours. It will be waiting by your bed when you wake up."

Let's just hope that Luster will use that thing immediately before something unlucky happens that makes her lose it.

As one of the first towns to surrender to the occupying Griffons, it would serve as the perfect example of what became of traitors under the new regime.

How did the Equestrian army manage to get behind the griffon lines to destroy the town if it was one of the first to fall?

In the hours to come, a new sun would dawn over Equestria, this time dark and devoid of warmth, spreading only a light of terror and fear upon a populace that no longer knew peace or cared to do so.

Now that I think about it, who is raising the Sun and Moon?