Flames of War
Long ago Equestria was once a beautiful country run by two alicorn princesses. Under their rule, they created a thriving utopia where everypony lived happy and successful lives. The three different pony types got along with each other, making conflicts almost none existence.
But, that was then. Now, Equestria is nothing but a burnt land devoid of all life. The once green vegetation that inhabits the land has been turn into black ashes, the once colorful buildings that decorated the cities have become destroyed wrecks and the ponies that used to live here has become charred remains.
To put it simply, this once wonderful kingdom is no more. All that remains are ashes.
However, this place was not entirely devoid of life, for there was still one pony that still lived here. Her name is Celestia, and she was once the princess of this great country.
Before, she used to rule along side with her younger sister, Luna. Together the two were the princesses of Equestria. But, now after the incident, she no longer calls herself the princess of Equestria. She now refers herself as the princess of ash. Because all that is left of her kingdom is ashes.
A lone white alicorn sat on her burnt throne, inside her destroyed castle. The ash princess have sat on her throne for a very long time. She hasn't moved from that spot ever since that tragic day.
The day she destroyed her own kingdom.
The Ash Princess spends most of her days replaying the same memories in her head. The harrowing events that would lead to her own madness and the downfall of her kingdom.
It all started many years ago, back when Equestria was alive and full of life. She and her sister ruled the land with benevolence, their subjects lived in harmony and they created a time of peace that lasted for many generations. An achievement that no other country has ever accomplished.
Unfortunately, nothing ever last forever. Their long-lasting peace was brought to an erupt end when the Changeling Swarm attacked.
The Changelings were an insect like species that feeds on the emotion of love. They were led by a cunning Queen who has been patiently building up her swarm for this very invasion. For years her spies have learned everything about Equestria from the armies, battle tactics, and even strategic spots. The Queen slowly build up her numbers and once she had enough, she unleash the swarm upon them.
Their attack caught the ponies by surprise and they were easily overwhelmed. The Swarm sweeped through the land, meeting little resistance along the way. It wasn't until when the Royal Guards were deployed that they actually met resistances. It was thanks to these brave troops that Equestria hasn't completely fallen to the Changeling Swarm.
This attack sparked a war between the two, which would later be known as the Pony-Changeling War. Their war was long and bloodied, with both sides gaining huge casualties. However, despite their Guards best efforts they were slowly beginning to lose ground to the Changelings. On top of that, the war was putting a strain on their country. Their economy is on the collapse and their citizens are starving.
With no other options both the two Princesses decided they had to channel in the powers from respective celestial bodies. Celestia with the sun and Luna with the moon. This method was risky because while their magic will increase, if they channel in too much, their minds will be corrupted.
Once they were prepared, the two Princesses launched an offensive to reclaim their lost territory. With Celestia leading the attack during the day and Luna leading the attack at night, the two royal sisters and their troops effectively began beating the Changelings back and reclaiming their cities and land.
For a short time, things were looking up for them. Then the day came when they received some grave news. The Changelings have launched a surprise attack on their home city, Canterlot. The Changelings stormed the mountain city, killing a lot of innocent ponies in the process, most notably was Princess Celestia's faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
On that day something happened to Princess Celestia. Some say she snapped, other say the loss of her dear student was the last straw. The once compassionate and compose Princess was now full on rage mode. Ignoring their own established rules, Celestia channeled more power from the sun. The process not only strengthen her magic, but it also alter her appearance. The minor changes was her horn curving slightly and her lavender eyes turning into a darker shade. The major change however, was her mane and tail. No longer the same beautiful colorful flowing hair, in their place were long, flowing flames.
With her new powers, Celestia went on a rampage and eliminated all the Changelings from their territories. While she did remove the Changelings, she also destroyed her own cities and land. The Swarm was falling back, not one of them could stand against the sheer power of the raging alicorn. Not even their Queen, with all her cunning, stood a chance. As soon Celestia spotted the Queen she quickly incinerated the bug on the spot.
Leaderless and fearing for their lives, the Changeling Swarm did a full retreat and flew back to their home. They were unaware of the white, fiery alicorn following after them. The Princess was not done with them yet.
She followed them to their homeland and began her campaign of eradicating the Changelings. Harnessing the full power of the sun, she incinerated everything in her path. The soldiers, the workers, the hives, nothing was spared from her wrath.
Princess Celestia heard their plead for mercy, but she had none to give. All she had inside was her fiery rage that calls out for the death of the Changelings. And like a good servant, she obeyed and fulfill its desire.
Her campaign went on for months, but eventually the Changelings were no more. Their land was scorched and the inhabitants were gone, nothing remains except their ashes.
When Princess Celestia returned home and told everypony her triumphant victory of the Changelings, she was met with shocked and terrified reactions. The ponies, especially her sister, were aghast at what Princess Celestia has done. Committing genocide was not want the Equestrians wanted.
Immediately Princess Luna ordered for arrest of her sister and everypony sided with her on this decision. Princess Celestia was taken back by this, she had though they would show her gratitude for eliminating the Changelings. Instead all she got was hateful glares from her subjects and her sister.
She felt betray by this and once again her rage started building up. Letting the rage control her, she refuse to be arrested and fought back. The battle between Celestia and Luna nearly destroyed Canterlot. Many brave Royal Guards fell in battle when they tried to help Luna against her sister.
Their battle lasted for a while, before Princess Luna finally struck her down. Before she could subdue her sister, Princess Celestia had one last spell to cast.
Channeling the powers from the sun, Celestia sent out powerful blast wave that suppose to knock her sister and her guards away. Instead, to her horror the guards and her sister started to disintegrated before her eyes. The last moment she saw of her sister was her horrified expression as she felt her body broke apart, piece by piece.
Things only got worse from there. Her blast wave turns out to be more powerful then thought as it spreads to the rest of Equestria. The blast wave burned and incinerated everything it comes across. Unicorns, pegasuses and earth ponies watched terror as they were unable to escape the blast wave as they all perished.
Celestia awoke from the powerful spell she casted and found herself surrounded by destruction. Everything was burnt and the ground was covered with ashes. She looked around and stared at the spot where her sister was, just before she was disintegrated. The bad memory replayed in her head and she wept for her loss sister. This isn't what she wanted, none of this is what she wanted.
She grieve for her sister for hours before she decided t get up. She spread her long wings and took to the air and saw for herself the damage she has done. Everything was incinerated, forests, fields, cities, and ponies. Nothing was left and nothing was spared.
This only added more pain to already guilt-ridden alicorn. Her flaming mane and tail return back normal. Her inner burning rage has died out, extinguished by flood of her own sorrow.
The country she and her sister worked so hard to make. The many years they spend perfecting their kingdom and she managed to bring its downfall in less than a day.
To this day Celestia remains in her ruined castle, sitting on top of her throne of ash. It wasn't that she couldn't leave, she just chose to stay here. This was her self-imprisonment for the terrible things she has done.
She forever sits alone on her throne, of her destroyed kingdom. She will continue to stay there, haunted by her past till the day she dies. Since was an immortal, it was going to be a long wait.