> Brothers Till Death
>  by Castok the Shadow
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> How it ended
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Often I have been asked:
'Storyteller, how did the war ended?'
Hmm. That question still be told
Yet when I say how it ended...
Their eyes widens in shock and tears roll down in sadness.
Yet here you are
Ready to hear how it ended
Which war though?
Hmm, that's a question many haven't asked.
But for you I'll tell but with a warning.
There is no heroes you know.
Instead there's two heroes from another land that many think it's a legend.
Let me tell you...
It is not
Because that is how the war ended.
Lets go to the beginning, where it all began:

Few years ago.
Around ten or twenty, I do not know.
There was two brothers.
Who loved each other like any other brothers.
Yet they are not us.
For they are something else.

They stood on two legs.
Tall, very tall.
Maybe the same height as her and way more for the other her that's for sure.
They had long arms, with muscles that can pick you up without a sweat.
They had no tails nor any wings and nor any horns for their magic or for show.
But they had manes.
Although they used to call them 'hairs'.
Strange name, I know.
Small eyes and small noses.
Small mouths but contained lots of teeth.
Like ours and those you find on Timberwolves as well.
But they were friendly, honourable and most of all...
Loyal.
You see they came from a land that holds these with high regards.
And when they heard about the princesses that controls the sun and moon.
They came to serve them without question.
You see they were knights.
But without a noble or a king.
So you can say they were 'free-knights' and not a royal knights.
The princesses.
Who are princess Celestia.
And princess Luna
Saw them and saw their armours and swords they owned.
They accepted with kindness and love.
And made them royal knights.

For some years. 
They went from knights to someone close to talk.
The princesses were having troubles with themselves.
And so they talked to these knights.
The older brother talked to the older sister.
And younger brother talked to the younger sister.
And soon, each of the brothers became bodyguards of the royal sisters...
To protect them from the royal sisters.
I, even the one who tells doesn't know why the two sisters had bodyguards against their own flesh and blood.
Probably something stupid or something of great important.
But yet, they made the two brothers their bodyguards to keep them safe from each other.
Sadly even the brothers's words fell to deaf ears when that day came.
When the youngest had enough of her older sister being higher then her.
And declared war upon her own sibling.
The older sister managed to throw her out of the castle and out of the city...
With the aid of the older brother as the youngest protected the younger sister leaving the castle and the city.
The civil war had begun.

The younger sister gained more allies from other lands.
Like the Griffin Kingdom and the Diamond Dog clans.
With the aid of the younger brother, who's words held great effect to build this alliance between his royal lady and her new allies.
The older sister got more supports from her own people.
The ponies of Equestria and the noble families.
With the aid the older brother, who's loyalty was known throughout all of Equestria.
Soon the Solar Empire and The New Lunar Republic raged war upon each other.
With the brothers fighting against their foes.

So, you know who it ended now?
No?
Well that's good.
Which means you haven't read the history book.
Because that's only partly true.
They just left out the brothers though.
So listen now.
For things here will get you unguarded:

For many years.
The war raged upon Equestria.
Both sides held great victories.
All thanks to the brothers, who's skills are unlike anything the empire or republic has ever seen.
The older brother's white armour and ebon blade sword made his enemies ran the opposite direction.
While his younger brother wore dark grey armour with the same ebon blade like his older brother's.
Striking true and without any thought of mercy or pity upon his foes.
The Solar Empire and The New Lunar Republic relied on them for many fights.
And yet, they never seen each others.
The brothers only saw each other after the young sister was thrown out of the city known as Canterlot.
So they've been fighting for many years without seeing each other.

Even though they were at war with each other.
Celestia and Luna made sure that their champions never fought each other.
For you see.
The sisters knew well about their champions.
Some say, they were in love with their champions.
Although we don't know that for sure.
It was just a rumour in the war.
But yet it explains a lot.
Why didn't they let their champions fought each other?
If one fall then other could win the war on one of the sisters's side.
But yet they didn't.
Perhaps it's because they didn't want brother killing brother.
Or they don't want to lose their love one.
We may never know.
However.
The war costed hundreds of lives.
From both sides of the war.
The princesses made an agreement.
They'll bring a champion to represent their cause and whoever defeats the other, wins the war.
Apart from the brothers.
They were not to fight each other.
They didn't want either of their champions to have the burden of killing his own sibling.
They told them about the agreement.
However the brothers didn't agreed on it.
They were the sisters's champions.
Why shouldn't they just sit by and let some random being to take their place?
The sisters had to order them to not go to where the battle would be set.
As Champions.
They obeyed.

The battle would begin shorty.
The princesses chose their new champions and were heading to where the battlefield will be set.
Once they reached there...
Someone else was already there...
Rather...
Two beings was there.
The brothers.
The royal sisters gasped in shock.
They disobeyed their princesses?
Why?
That was on their minds, the sisters.
Yet the brothers's minds were being spoked.
In venomous words towards each other.
The princesses were surprised to see them all armed to the teeth with their weapons and armour.
The sisters tried to stop them from fighting each other.
But to no success.
The two brothers charged at each other.
Shouting either for the empire or the republic.

Now this is where we have to cut it a bit short.
For the battle was a long one.
Very long.
But the highlights of the battle was this:

No ponies had ever seen such techniques and skills like theirs.
The sisters begged them to stop.
Although those words fell to deaf ears.
The horror of battle was not the fight or the brothers's wraths.
It's the fact that they would do this.
Brother fighting brother to death for their princesses's crusade.
Never minding about the times before the war.
They so each other as foes.
Not family.
Now here is where the war ended.
So listen up:

The brothers.
After what's seems to been five minutes of fighting.
Started to charge at each other with their swords in both of their hands.
Their shields on the ground from the fighting.
The older brother had his sword above his head.
And the younger brother had his sword to his side.
They ran past one another.
With the sound of both of their swords hitting something on their chest.
And after that.
They stood there.
Facing away from each other.
With their weapons pointing away from themselves.
Silent fell the field.
No one made a sound.
Apart from the brothers's heavy breathing.
They stood there for what felt like ages.
But soon.
Both of the brothers's heads shot up in the air.
Gasping for air.
They dropped their swords as it fell to the ground.
The legs started to shake.
And they felt weaker then before.
The younger bother turned his head slowly to his side and cried to his brother.
'Is it over?'
The older brother turned his head and replied.
'It's over.'
And after the older brother said those words.
They both fell down together...
Dead.
The royal sisters ran to their champions.
In hope of maybe healing them with their magic.
But here's the twist listeners.
The brothers did not held any magic in them.
No.
Not a single trace of it to be found inside.
The only beings to have no connection with magic.
And in this knowledge.
Given to the sisters.
The efforts was in vain. 
The brothers.
Their champions.
Dead on the ground.
By the blade of the other champion.
By the other brother.

The two sisters looked at each other for the fist time in ages.
They saw what they've done.
They've made two beings.
Who loved each other.
Who looked out for each other.
Slay each other in the sisters's name.
The sisters then realised they've made these beings enemies.
Because of something they didn't agreed on.
They came from another land.
To kill each other.
The sister walked up to each other.
And looked into their siblings eyes.
What the brothers's did wasn't for their princesses to win the war.
It was to bring them back together.
As a family once more.
They smiled.
And hugged each other.
And in doing so.
The civil war was over.
By the death of their champions.
By the death of the two brothers.
What they didn't know however.
Was that under the brothers's helmets.
They were both...
Smiling.

Now.
You may wonder.
How do I...
The storyteller...
Knows this?
How do I know that the brothers was smiling?
And how do I know their parts in the war?
And it's ending?
Well, curious little listeners.
You see...
My younger brother wishes me to tell this.
To all those how would wish to listen.
On how the civil war of Equestria.
Truly ended.