The spectacle of war was growing tiresome. Flashing blades and crashing shields began to blur together in an endless grind of bodies with no clear advantage going to either side. Celestia's paltry little barrier, obnoxiously bright though it may have been, was not the decisive advantage she had no doubt hoped it would be. All she had done was delay the inevitable outcome for slightly longer. If that was her idea of a victory, then Elinwynn would let her have it. Such was the petty nature of the ponies, so insufferable and stubborn in their defiance. Time and again they had cast themselves at Cervidae's armies, attempting to put an end to the advance with their useless gimmicks. Ice arrows, pegasus attacks, teleportation, even control of the weather itself; all had proven to be naught but desperation incarnate. How sad their lives must be, the Empress thought, to throw them away for such negligible gains.

And then there was Corvalix. He looked to her from below -- a fitting place for one whose ego was far in excess of his capabilities -- as if expecting her to provide the answers for him. His initial success in pushing up to the castle had been soundly negated by Equestrian resistance, leaving him little to show for the cost of hundreds of lives. She acknowledged him as one might acknowledge a mewling kitten, with equal parts pity and derision. Save me, she could almost hear him pleading.

"Elinwynn! Something must be done if we are to confront Celestia in good time!" He had to raise his voice to a shout to be heard over the clamor of combat. "We have the numbers but the Equestrian defenses are solid, and the zebras are making a mess of our flanks! If you've another one of your cunning plans, now is the time!"

There it was: the admission of weakness couched in half-hearted platitudes. She knew he feared her, feared what she had 'become' after consuming the magical concoction. He believed her a monster, as cold and unfeeling as a hydra tearing apart its prey. He did not understand, could not understand. Her sight, her senses, her very thoughts had been altered, and she welcomed the power that came with it. No, she did not hate him. She merely pitied him.

"Do you hear me, sister? We must--"

"Be quiet now, Corvalix," she said firmly, already reaching out with her mind, past the formation of honor guards, past the waning life forces of the dying, probing the surrounding area for anything that might stand out. The light barrier was even more blinding in her sight beyond sight, akin to staring into the sun, and it blocked her from pushing deeper into the castle. She could still faintly detect Celestia's presence, for there was no hiding the raw power within her, but without a way to locate her it was pointless to waste any more effort.

Something drew her attention away, a barely perceptible twinge of ethereal energy. It had come from somewhere beyond the battlegrounds. More soldiers? Unlikely. Another creation of magic and nature? Without flights of pegasi she doubted such was the case. There was definitely something there, and if the ponies thought it worth hiding then it was certainly worth investigating. Scouts had reported little in the way of resistance past Canterlot Castle's grounds, as was expected. Perhaps a moment of time would pay dividends.

"I am going to need fifty of your Exemplars to go with me. Find them, and do it quickly."

He gave her a questioning tilt of his head and approached closer. "Have you discovered something I am unaware of? Because I would not advise going off on your own."

"I do not know, not for certain," she answered, "but I intend to find out. Stay here, and continue to lead our forces until I send word for you."

Corvalix was plainly unconvinced. "I do hope you know what you're doing. Even with your magii and my soldiers it cannot be guaranteed that you are not walking into some sort of Equestrian trap."

"If it is a trap then I commend them for showing some degree of subtlety for once in their miserable existences," Elinwynn said dismissively, already floating the intricate, shimmering lance from her side. "I will be fine, dear brother. Can you say the same?"

Flanked by the Imperial Protectorate does and soon joined by a full company of Exemplars she set off into the darkness of Canterlot's ravaged streets. Bits of burning debris and chunks of destroyed buildings littered the area. Experienced stags led the way with burning torches, on alert for any disturbance. Their hoofsteps echoed around them as the sounds of battle grew ever quieter. They passed by abandoned business fronts and shop carts, heading east towards the mountain side that the city clung to.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Elinwynn asked, looking over her shoulder to Aalyndria and Athil'loren, the adept twins who never left her side. Aalyndria nodded.

"I do. There's strong magic at work here, but its source eludes me. Did you notice it all the way from the castle? Because I only noticed its presence a few moments ago."

"The Equestrians are quite skillful when they wish to be, but they do not know the extent of redtail prowess. We need only find whatever it is they are hiding." She came to a sudden stop, sticking out her hoof. "Wait." Her skin tingled and made her thin coat stand on end under her armor. "It is close now. Exemplars, you will search every corner of every building within one hundred paces, no further. Tear this area apart if you must, but find me what I seek." It was so close she could almost taste it. There could be no doubt: Celestia had gone to great pains to secret away something of value. "Let us see what the good princess believes is worth hiding."

Fortune had not been kind to the pegasi of the Legion. What had started as a moderately sized yet capable scouting party, created to hunt down the supposed trail of Empress Elinwynn, had turned out to be a disaster. Explosive traps had claimed the lives of at least twenty of their number, more than half of the impromptu squad, and with every passing moment the survivors were finding more bloodied bodies. Tracking down their brothers proved to be an arduous task, for the retreating Equestrian military had rushed by in the aftermath of what Victus had discovered was a strong magical attack by the royal siblings from Cervidae.

The remnants of the Equestrian Guard and their allies were somewhere beyond the first layer of the forest now, no doubt regaining their bearings. Given the destruction that had befallen the city above, the crumbled remnants of which now littered the forest, most would likely think it impossible to find victory in the face of such overwhelming power.

Victus' more immediate concern was locating as many of the surviving pegasi as he could. With Praxilus' help he had found seven others, all wounded to varying degrees of severity. Those who were able to walk followed behind him or to either side, sifting through debris and around fallen evergreens for signs of life, while the more severely injured had been placed on impromptu clumps of cloud and had to be pushed along.

"I still can't believe the deer brought down an entire reach. And with a whirlwind of fire, no less! You're sure that column of flame wasn't an illusion?" Spring Step asked. Praxilus looked at him sympathetically as he clutched his side. Somehow he'd avoided breaking anything when he and Victus had crashed through the treetops, but everything hurt to the point where it might as well have been broken.

"No illusion could inflict the horrors I saw with my own eyes. Every time I think we have the upper hoof, the damned redtail prove me wrong." He wanted to say that it felt like a lost cause, and that they should all just find the closest boat to Zevran. There had to be something the ponies could do to bring the light of inspiration back to his heart, and he hoped he would survive long enough to experience it, yet his thoughts were as dark and cold as the night itself.

"We're wasting our time," Tumbledown said in an irritated tone. Part of his head was wrapped in bandages, and one wing had been half useless from metallic spikes that still riddled his armor. Like many others, he showed signs of burns along his body and much of his face was blackened from whatever infernal concoction the deer had filled their explosive pots with. "We're not going to find anyone else out here. Our only company is the dead."

"We found you, didn't we?" Pontius retorted. He slowly flapped his way forward, doing his best to keep Tumbledown's cloud from dissipating as he moved it with the group.

"No, a tree-rutting whitetail found me. Never would have thought a deer would be my savior, but here I am." He looked up with his one good eye at Praxilus, who was weighed down with scavenged medical supplies taken from those who would no longer need them. "You've got some stones, prong-head. If I'd just survived a fall from the top of a mountain I'd have run off and never looked back. I guess Victus knows a thing or two about contributing after all if he managed to stop the both of you from decorating the trees around here with your guts like a Hearth's Warming ribbon."

Victus shrugged. "I was merely trying to save one life. The gods saw fit to reunite myself and Praxilus, it would seem. Fate is often strange."

"No stranger than those damn redtail inserting their magical cocks into our minds and fucking with our perception. I don't think the princess herself could have done such a thing if she tried."

"That's because Celestia isn't a lying, murderous, manipulative whore like the empress," Praxilus said. The very thought of her made him sick.

"I take it there's no love lost for one of your own kind, then," Tumbledown laughed.

They searched fruitlessly for some time, calling out for anyone who might have survived. It became increasingly clear that they had been the lucky few, and soon they had given up entirely. Even the optimistic Pontius had fallen silent, the young Legionary mourning the loss of a friend he'd known since training. No time for a proper burial just yet, the others had told him. He'd covered the broken form of his brother-in-arms with his cloak, jabbed his sword into the ground next to him, and topped it with his helm before departing.

Victus gathered the remnants of the Legion scouting party in a clearing that had been created when a chunk of the city had fallen. Trees all around had been snapped and rendered into little more than firewood, intermixed with limestone and marble, a large chunk of which jutted out of the ground at a sharp angle. Someone said it looked like it used to be part of a market road. To Victus, it was little more than crushed stone.

"I believe it is time to accept that we are all that remains, my brothers. Your efforts have been admirable, but our duty is not yet done this day. Equestria still fights for her very existence, even as we speak, and we owe it to the fallen to carry on. Furthermore, Tumbledown and Shorn Leaf require apothecary aid, and we could all use some bandaging and medicinal care at the very least.

"With that in mind, we will fly around the western rim of the city until we're clear of any potential redtail patrols. Pontius and Simmer Spice will be on cloud duty for the wounded. Spring Step, Noctis: you'll help me carry the good senator. The rest of you are to fly ahead of us to scout out any trouble. The armory should be prepared by now, and with any luck we'll find our respective centuria there. You're all welcome to join me should it prove difficult to locate your units, of course.

"We need to find out the situation as it currently stands and decide a course of action from there. I know things seem bleak, but so long as the princess lives, so does Equestria, and so shall we." He turned to Praxilus. "I'm sorry to have to take you back into the sky so soon, my friend, but I see no alternative."

Praxilus winced, both in pain and at the thought of another potential plummet. "I'll just...keep my eyes closed. I've had enough looking down at my impending demise for one lifetime."

Together with his fellow Legionaries Victus hefted Praxilus onto a carry litter, secured by a pair of straps to keep him from falling, and on his signal they departed the forest for the darkened expanses of Canterlot.

Imperator-General Stonewall could only watch as the battle moved ever closer to the castle. Through the gaps in the window boards he could see squad-sized groups of deer breaking off from the main battle line. They were beginning to push west, around the watch towers and angled spike barricades, where they would try to fit their ladder segments together to get over the main wall and bypass the Equestrian front. A few had managed to drop into the courtyard closest to the secondary main hall entrance, but were quickly dispatched by the waiting Lunar Praetorians that had stationed themselves on that side.

"We might have to start considering getting you away from here, Princess," Stonewall said. Small groups of guards had been situated between the castle's expansive foyer and the kitchen service entrance near the throne room. The sky carriage launching area, unfortunately, was too exposed to be a viable means of escape when the castle was being intently watched, and the emergency escape tunnel under the dais was obviously known to Elinwynn. She would doubtlessly have soldiers waiting there.

A trio of redtail appeared outside the boarded main doors, each levitating a burlap sack at their sides. They ran for the entrance, getting within an arrow's flight of their objective before being brought down by pila and a pegasus rapid response team. The sacks crashed to the ground and were immediately lifted up and hurled away by shimmering unicorn magic, exploding into bright green fireballs only seconds later. Flaming liquid splashed to the ground below, setting several buildings alight and adding to the surreal glow of a burning Canterlot.

Stonewall seemed satisfied and concerned at the result in equal measure. "I expected they might try something like this. Corvalix has little regard for his bucks and is far too fond of that emerald flame nonsense. The buffer zone should keep them out for now. Hopefully." He stepped over to the boarded-up window, craning his neck or stooping low to get as much of a view of the situation as he could. Tapping his hoof on the ground he muttered something to himself, then turned back.

"I don't like it," he said once he'd rejoined Celestia's personal contubernium. "Even with the light barrier and the layered defenses the redtail are getting close enough to threaten the castle itself, albeit in small numbers. If they keep advancing at this rate we'll be overrun in an hour, perhaps two if we're lucky."

"I understand," Celestia said. She'd been watching the battle unfold with nervous anticipation ever since the deer had first arrived, frequently flying up to the large stained glass window at the precipice of the hall's arched facade for a better view. It was little more than shattered, jagged flakes of color now. Redtail throwing spears, arrows and darts littered the reinforcing ironbark planks like thorns on a prickle tree. "How long will it take us to reach the armory?" she asked.

"Just under half an hour at a gallop, a little more at a trot," Stonewall answered. "Depends on the situation. If need be we can have the pegasi fly escort for you while the rest of us act as a delaying force. It would certainly be faster."

"It would also mean leaving you all behind. I would greatly prefer not to do that."

"Of course. I'm merely stating an option for you to consider. As it stands we can begin the evacuation now, or we can wait and see how things play out. Your choice."

At the side entrance, illuminated by torch light, several badly wounded ponies were being dragged inside by their cloaks. Trails of blood followed in their path, and they moaned and clutched their wounds as apothecaries frantically tried to keep them alive. One of them, an older stallion in Royal Guard colors, insisted that he was fine even as the bloodied remains of his left foreleg dangled by thin strands of skin and muscle. He had to be physically restrained by several Praetorians before he finally passed out from shock.

The number of wounded was growing at a rapid pace, so much so that the stock rooms behind the stairways had to be opened and used as impromptu triage centers. Barrels of grain and vegetables were tossed out as dirty, battered soldiers carried the most seriously wounded inside. Some were screaming or begging, while others could barely move enough to utter prayers for themselves and those they cared for.

"I can not simply stand here and watch them suffer," Celestia said. She stood as straight and tall as she could, reaching deep within herself to draw upon her centuries of regal upbringing. "I must see to my stallions. If I can bring them a small degree of comfort in their final moments, then I shall do so. Equestria is nothing without them." Her mane and tail flowed behind her with renewed vigor as she headed for the closest group of wounded lying on the floor. "I will remain here until there is no other choice, but if the time comes that we must evacuate then I will heed your word. I promise you. I ask only that you give me some time with them first."

Stonewall watched approach the side of a badly injured unicorn, her head bowed low to speak with him and her hoof on his shoulder. He could barely move his head to look at her, his breaths halting and ragged. The poor stallion wasn't long for this world.

"Marrus, Remedius, Portly," he ordered quietly, "keep an eye on her, but try to keep a respectful distance."

"Sir," they answered together. Stonewall waited until he was sure things were under control before continuing.

"I likely don't need to say this, but I'm a stubborn old son of a bitch so I'm going to anyway: this is not an ideal defensive position, and I believe we would be better served by leaving this place immediately. I take it I'm not the only one who thinks so." The nods and quiet replies he received were more than enough confirmation.

"The princess is thinking with her heart. While such a thing is commendable it is also tactically unsound. I've considered convincing her to abandon this palace, but...just take a look." Celestia had her head bowed low, grasping another soldier's hoof with her foreleg as his life drained from his body in a pool of dark red. "The gods themselves couldn't move her if they tried. I believe her when she says she will do as we say, but the situation is going to become dire before that happens. When the time inevitably comes that the deer are at our doorstep, and they will be sooner or later, we will have to gallop out of here without stopping.

"Krosus, Rimeberry, Bear and Aspen, you'll be at the front. If anyone is in our way, redtail or otherwise, you're to remove them as quickly as possible. I don't care what uniform they wear or what they say, everyone between us and the armory who tries to halt us is to be considered the enemy. Got it? There will be no stopping, and that goes for all of you. If you're wounded and can't catch up..."

"We understand," Polaris said.

"Right, then. In the mean time we need to make sure these barricades will hold. Split off into groups of three and check with the other Praetorian units. See if they need anything -- bandages, pila, what-have-you. But at the first sign of trouble I want everyone back here like someone just lit your ass on fire. Or lit it on fire again in your case, Rimeberry." The longer-serving among them laughed quietly, a much-needed bit of relief. "Let's go, Praetorians. I'm not getting any damn younger here."

It was, she had to admit, quite an impressive feat of magical prowess. For some time her bucks had sifted through the eastern reach, pulling down walls and upending anything that might conceal something of value, their efforts proving genuine yet fruitless...until now.

Elinwynn marveled at the intricacy of the illusion spell before her. Not only was it perfectly camouflaged with the rough stone wall around it, but the unicorns had somehow found a way to give it texture and resistance. She pushed a hoof against the magical barrier, feeling its cold and rocky facade that refused to give way to even the hardest of prodding jabs. Had she been a mere doe, or even a magii, she might never have found it at all. It was fortunate, then, that she was beyond such lesser deer now.

"It is truly a wonder," she said just loud enough to let the twins hear her. Her armored hoof scraped against the wall. "Just imagine the skill -- the understanding of the very nature of the aetherworld -- that it took to produce such a thing. A perfect facsimile of the surrounding area. Fascinating. Our magii have a great deal to learn, it would seem. I'm sure you are both curious to understand it in detail."

"It's certainly more impressive than the deceptions the whitetail are fond of," Athil'loren said.

"Yes, perhaps we can extract such knowledge from the ponies responsible...provided they yet live," Aalyndria added.

Elinwynn smirked at the idea. "I suppose the ponies do have a redeeming value or two. Shame they didn't use their talents to more meaningful ends." She turned around to face her escorts who stood in a protective crescent around her. They had been dirtied by crumbling stone and still retained the opaque splashes of prior combat. "Whatever is beyond this wall is something that Princess Celestia considers important enough to spend a great deal of time and effort on. It is a sealed chest containing Equestria's greatest treasure...and we, my dear subjects, shall smash the lock and see what is inside."

Backing away from the barrier she began to gather magic at the tips of her antlers, letting the power spiral down into her body until she could feel the glow within. It pulsed and folded in upon itself, winding into an ever greater font for arcane forces. Soon she could feel the pull of Aalyndria and Athil'loren's presence, like flickering light houses against the blinding beacon of her own might. A wordless bond formed between them, and as a singular mind they unleashed their magic in a focused, rolling wave of crackling green and white that slowly spread across the barrier. Arcing and popping it rippled outward, like waves in a pond, as it dug ever deeper into the illusion and dispelled it in wisps of multicolored, sparkling fog.

A predatory grin spread across Elinwynn's face, genuine and self-assured for the first time since stepping hoof upon the wretched pony city.

"My, my. So that's what all the fuss was about. How very typical of their kind." She looked over her shoulder and smiled once more. "I do believe we've just found a way to end this silly little conflict."

Hundreds of ponies met her unyielding gaze as she turned back, like frightened fawns cowering from a manticore. Row after row they stretched into a cavernous tunnel system, illuminated by torches and firefly lanterns. How many waited beyond? Thousands? She would soon find out. She bowed before them with a foreleg across her chest, raw energy still snapping from prong to prong like cracks of lightning.

"Good evening, my newest citizens of the Cervidaen Hegemony. I believe you are all aware of who I am, yes?" Several ponies in armor came rushing to the forefront of the crowd, quickly forming a wall of shields and spears. Elinwynn dismissed them entirely. "Then I shan't waste time with pithy introductions. Instead, it would please me greatly if you would all come with me -- and I suggest doing so without making a scene, else there shall be rather unfortunate consequences."

She waved a foreleg out to the side, as if to guide them along. "Come. Your empress has much to do."