"First and second contubernia, you're up front! Third and fourth, I want you on either flank! Stay alert!" Legatus Kyrus galloped alongside his Legion stallions as they formed up into an impromptu fighting unit. They moved with disciplined but excited urgency, for word had spread quickly that this was their chance to end the war. Empress Elinwynn thought herself cunning in her attempt to bypass the pony front entirely. Very soon, she would find herself at the end of their blades. Whether she chose to surrender or fight to the death would be up to her. For most of the Legion, they hoped it was the latter.

Victus took his position at the forefront of the third squad, joined by the standard bearer and signal stallions to his left. Thirty-three ponies followed immediately behind him in a loose rectangle, the sound of their charging hooves against the frozen ground echoing across the valley. His heart raced to keep his tired body going, giving him a much-needed second wind as the edge of the forest neared ever closer. They passed the mangled corpses of zebras, deer and ponies alike, the remnants of the devastating flanking attack that had only recently been thwarted. It fueled his resolve, pushed him onward, for every moment that passed was another moment closer to vengeance for the fallen.

"Pegasi, you're up! Find that tree-rutting royal bitch and report back!" Kyrus ordered. Victus and nearly a full squad's worth of his brothers took to the air in mid-stride, red cloaks flapping in the wind, while the unicorns and earth ponies peeled away and hugged the edge of the tree line. A three-tiered stack quickly formed, with Victus in the lowest off to one side. He alternated scanning the patchwork evergreens below and keeping an eye out for any spears, arrows or darts that might be coming their way. It seemed that the deer either were either not aware of them or were not in range to strike them down. They passed over treetops and wind-blown snow drifts, slid around rocky outcroppings, all the while scanning for something, anything, that might tell them where the murderous redtail leader had gone.

"Tracks, there!" a Legionary shouted, pointing to a small clearing where a frozen stream cut through the hilly terrain. A fallen tree surrounded by long lines of freshly disturbed snow rested against the eastern banks. There was no doubt about it: the deer had come this way, and recently. "What do you think? Is it them?" the soldier asked.

"It could be," Victus said.

"Could also be from the deer that were hidden here earlier," another added.

"There were too many of them then, this is definitely a smaller group." He turned to a trio of Legionaries that had dropped down low to get a better look. "Spread out and search the immediate area, but do not stray too far. We don't want to get caught out by ourselves if they decide to fight us." The pegasi of the other contubernia had already begun to sweep the area, skimming branches and ducking between tree trunks to find the enemy. Victus remained at treetop level while his squadmates did as he asked. The deer were close now; it was simply a matter of rooting them out like rats from a warren. Every rotted tree, every thicket of branches and packed snow could conceal one of them, just waiting with their crystalline spears and swords, ready to strike. A glint of something caught his eye, different from the glittering snow. A flash of color that melted into the forest as quickly as it had appeared. Victus felt his skin prickle under his coat, and he swiftly circled back to where he had been a mere moment before. He saw no cloven hoofprints, no hint of deer armor, but he was sure--

His breath caught in his throat. There, directly below him and partially obscured by flecked branches, was the unmoving form of Empress Elinwynn. She was staring at him, staring through him, following him with her green eyes that outshone her dark sapphire platemail.

"H-here! HERE!" he shouted, the words heavy on his tongue. He flapped to the side to bring himself out of her view, desperately hoping the others were in range to hear him. Instead he found them, to the last stallion, hovering in place, just as he had been, looking down in shock. The air was filled with their yells, each saying that they had located her, and within seconds their confusion was absolute as they struggled to figure out what was happening. In a fit of panic he ducked low into the trees, right to the spot where he had seen her, and found nothing. How could this be? he thought. She had been right here! Sure as he'd ever been!

The memory of his scouting mission with Gilias surged to the forefront of his mind, bringing with it a terrible chill of realization. He darted back above the canopy.

"Get away! They're wai--"

His words halted as a grey and white earthenware pot the size of his hoof shot into view, so close that he could see the lines of sweeping deertongue that wrapped around it in black lettering. Tiny metallic darts lined the top and bottom, catching the sunlight as they spun for what seemed to be an endless stretch of time. There was a flash of light, a burst of green flames, and the world spun end over end before mercifully fading to nothing.

They were, for the briefest of moments, more alive than they'd ever been. Bright motes of magic that flared like candle wicks before being snuffed out with great bursts of light and fury. Nearly at once they disappeared from her mind's eye, some taking longer to flicker out than others, but all had fallen. Those not killed outright thrashed and writhed on the ground, and she took no small satisfaction in watching them struggle against the inevitable. The sound reached her a moment later, a rapid chorus of thundering explosions that elicited a cheer from the redtail all along the front.

With a confident smirk she continued her march toward the battle, passing by the aftermath of the canyon defense and the shattered Equestrian siege weapons, flanked on either side by her magii. Such simple creatures the ponies were, so eager to believe they had a chance at catching her off guard. They had diverted a great deal of their vaunted Legion to find her. A shame, then, that a simple trick of the mind was all it took. To think that she would do something so foolish as to journey off on her own!

"Now then, I believe it's time to save my dear brother from himself," she said to her guards. The red-cloaked unicorns and earth ponies who were so sure of hunting her now rushed into the forest to save their comrades. They would find the Exemplars waiting for them. She did not expect the ponies to lose that particular battle, but so long as they were preoccupied they could kill as many bucks as they pleased. Dead deer already covered the ground before her, brought down in groups as volley fire had torn into them before they had closed into melee range. Some barely resembled deer at all anymore, so broken were their bodies. Their trail led to the wall at the mouth of the valley, and here the toll had become equal for pony and deer alike. She imagined the siege that had taken place, a desperate struggle to gain the smallest of hoofholds. The whitetail had played their part. More than she'd expected of them, in truth. They may have been vastly inferior in every way, but perhaps they had earned some small degree of respect this day.

The front was visible now, a seemingly endless stretch of armored shapes caught in a deafening, continuous cascade of steel and crystal ringing out against one another. The muted browns of the deer, the bright mix of Equestrian coats, the glow of magic from every side...it was a truly wondrous sight to behold. This was what she had worked so long and hard for, the very thing for which she had schemed and lied and murdered her way through the incompetence of her court and her 'loyal' allies who sought to stand in her way. Her labors had finally born fruit, sweeter than any wine. And there, perched high above and clinging to the mountain like a bloated tick, was the last bastion of resistance to her total rule. The time for waiting was over, for within her burned the deepest of desires: to see Celestia kneel before her amidst the ruins of the once great nation of Equestria.

"Aalyndria, Athil'loren, if you would?" The sisters at either side of her flashed a barrier into being, its rippling surface expanding to cover a swath of land around them. The ponies responded quickly, to their meager credit, sending a wave of arrows at her as they realized where she truly was. Such a gesture was token at best, for not a single one made it through. Perhaps, she thought, it was simply to let her know they were aware of her. Good, let them see. She was their inexorable end made flesh.

A team of Exemplars broke off from her side, spreading out to intercept anyone who might be brave or foolish enough to make an attempt on her life, while a smaller force pushed ahead. She could see the ponies looking her way, giving her death glares even as they fought in the trampled, wet soil against the redtail. She casually picked up a spear that had been lodged in the ground, flipping it over to examine the dark red wood and iron grip inlaid with brass. A fine weapon, perfectly balanced, with a long, thin head for punching through armor. Hundreds like it covered the battlefield, stuck into bodies or jutting from the terrain like the spines of a wild quill-boar. With a small bit of her power, no more than a passing thought, really, she lifted a great swathe and hurled them back at the Equestrian formations. Forty, fifty, perhaps more; she did not know, nor did she care enough to watch them lance their way into flesh and bone. The shouts of anguish were confirmation enough.

Corvalix was away from the front line when she came upon him, giving some order or other to an underling. The war for Canterlot had not been kind to him, for he bore the gouged and chipped armor of personal combat. Blood covered much of his neck, chest and forelegs, matting his coat, and bits of gore clung to his sword and knee blades like sap that had hardened on a branch.

"--hind the right flank, and hurry it up! We need that side open and we need it now!" His voice became more clear as she approached, a young officer saluting quickly before running off to carry out Corvalix's task. Her brother brought a small cloth to his face, wiping dirt and blood away as best he could before tossing it to the ground.

"I fear I shall never be clean again," he said once she'd come close enough. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"I left as soon as I could. Your messenger was quite clear," Elinwynn replied.

"That's the first bit of good news I've heard in some time. I trust the diversion was yours as well?" Corvalix motioned to the forest far behind the continuing melee. Faint sounds could be heard coming from its direction.

"Ponies are such simple-minded things. I saw an opportunity to shift the odds in our favor, and I took it. If those flying rats were cautious of taking to the skies before, they're never going to want to fly again now." She smirked and said, "so much for the 'mighty Legion.'"

"Quite the clever ruse. I'd expect no less." Corvalix swept a hoof along the length of the battle, from the zebras in the west to the Coriander Road nearer to his position. "We're making progress but it's painfully slow. At this rate we'll barely have an army left once we reach the city. The ponies fight tenaciously, and anyone who breaks through quickly finds themselves under siege weapon bombardment from the rim of the city. We can't possibly hope to match their range, even if we could bring our trebuchets closer."

Elinwynn considered her options briefly. "We've no other choice but to make do with what we have. Put every magii you have on shield duty and hope they can stop most of what is thrown at our bucks. We're going to create an opening for them."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Corvalix asked.

"Remember the Court Magistrate?"

A sly grin crept across his face. "How could I forget? What an unfortunate end he met."

"Unfortunate indeed, dearest brother," Elinwynn said. "I trust your magic is still strong?"

"Strong as ever." Corvalix felt his confidence rising once more. It could be exactly the opportunity they needed. He raised his voice to be heard by every sub-commander nearby. "Keep them off us! If any of these ponies get within fifty paces I shall have you all lashed at the end of the day!" A chorus of responses were shouted his way, and he nodded to Elinwynn once he was satisfied. "Whenever you're ready."

Elinwynn closed her eyes and shut out the world around her. The chaos of battle faded until it was but a dull thrum against the ever-increasing gale of the ethereal winds of magic. With them came the sight beyond sight, a mass of life forces locked in combat with one another appearing as a glittering fog. The tips of her tall antlers glowed brightly with power, quickly spreading downward and arcing between prongs with sharp, electric cracks. She felt the same power emanate from her brother an instant later, his magical form almost overwhelmingly luminous, as if staring into the flame of a light house. Had she been able to step outside of her own body and see herself, she would have seen a bright beacon of raw magical prowess that outshone all around her. If Corvalix was a roaring flame, she was the fury of the sun itself.

A wordless connection formed between them. She reached her apex first, and she braced herself against the sharp tingle that traveled up and down her spine with every beat of her heart. A sphere of otherworldly energy coalesced between her antlers, rippling and contorting the air around itself. Corvalix was nearly there, struggling to maintain the last fragment of magic he needed. Just a bit more...

A jolt shot through them, as if their minds were one, and at once they unleashed the spell. The roiling manifestations of their will collapsed in on themselves, leaving a deafening silence for the briefest of moments, before exploding outward in a projected wall of force. Like a shimmering tidal wave it surged forth, tearing up soil and shattering a flight of inbound arrows and spears. Deer and pony alike scrambled to throw themselves out of its ever-widening path, but it was a futile effort; the spell swept over them like a pyroclastic flow, inescapable in its speed and height. All who were caught in its path were hurled into the air and thrown back with bone-shattering force, smashing into trees and stone outcroppings while a spray of boulders, discarded weapons and stone catapult balls rained down across a vast swath of land. It ripped through the front lines and carried all the way to the Coriander Road before slamming into the rock walls and fading from reality in a flash of blue-green light.

A cheer went up all along the deer battle line, and thousands of them took the opportunity to rush through the now open path. In a matter of seconds there was a vast stampede of redtail and whitetail striding past the broken Equestrians with renewed vigor. Catapults on the rim of the city immediately began to pour fire into the mass of glinting bodies, and clouds of arrows rained down from above, but it did nothing to slow the advance. The deer had smelled blood in the water. No amount of swords, arrows or magic would stop them from breaking into Canterlot now.

Back down in the valley, Elinwynn and Corvalix were coming down from their overwhelming experience. Their heads ached as if they'd been drinking for days on end, and their eyes stung from even the slightest hint of light. A dull, throbbing pain coursed from their tails to the base of their antlers. Muscles twitched, and electric shocks jabbed at their bodies. None of it mattered; they had given their bucks the opportunity they needed, and as the siblings fell to their knees they couldn't help but share a smile.

"I am no rush to do that again," Corvalix said, struggling to stay upright. He could not have stood if he wanted.

"Nor I," Elinwynn replied with a small laugh. She was short of breath and utterly drained, but her satisfaction was almost palpable. "Well done, dear brother. Well done indeed."

Aalyndria and Athil'lorin returned to her side, putting their barrier spell back up without hesitation. Elinwynn was pleased to see they had not been in the path of the magical wall of force -- no doubt they had known exactly what was coming. Several other Protectorate magii joined them, adding their own strength to the shield, while a sizable contingent of Exemplars formed a semi-circle of blades to keep the ponies at bay. By now the Equestrian forces were almost completely routed, with only scattered pockets of stubborn resistance near the road and tree line. The pegasi were redoubling their efforts to evacuate as many as they could, but now they faced the full attention of the blood-lusted deer who were intent on running them down. Every available arrow, throwing spear, dagger and dart was hurled skyward. In twos and threes they were brought down, dropping anyone they were carrying to an unfortunate end. Those who survived the fall found themselves quickly surrounded and torn apart by swarming deer. Panicked horn calls tried in vain to reform the lines, but hardly anyone heeded them. The majority of Equestria's surviving military disappeared into the forest, intermixed with their zebra and loyalist whitetail allies.

"Arth'wyyl fahn Cervidaelis!" a senior officer shouted, waving the bloodied banner of the royal family high above his head.

"Cervidaelis hwah!" the masses answered him in turn. Elinwynn lifted a flap on her side pouch, too tired to bother with magic, and withdrew a small crystalline glass bottle filled with dark blue liquid. It sloshed from side to side as she yanked the glass stopper with her teeth.

"To the memory of our mother, and her mother before her. May she smile upon us this day."

"And forever after," Corvalix added, taking the sweet wine after Elinwynn had drank her fill. It relieved his discomfort admirably, and soon he was able to stand on his hooves once more. He helped his sister up, brushed what dirt he could from his filthy armor, and drew his weapon from its scabbard. "One last task, then."

Elinwynn stood tall, already setting her gaze on the city above. "One last task."