"The Gryphons wouldn't stop...oh I knew they wouldn't stop. This started as a project to stop the war...

A project to kill the Gryphons...but now...now it is us who are being destroyed...and I swear...

I will not leave my world to be...'ravaged', and scavenged, by those winged bastards...

I have to spread it...I have to spread it....I have to destroy Equestria...to save it."

-Princess Celestia.

Twilight stared towards the observation room in horror, the lights flicking on inside of it and illuminating the room. It was as if the entire room was painted in red paint...but Twilight knew better. She knew that the entire room was bathed in blood. Skeletons and fresh bodies, most of which were her Royal Guard, were piled in the corners. From the sight of their dead eyes, she could tell that there was a mix of Afflicted and Un-Afflicted.

"You really are...a clever little mare..." breathed Celestia. She was sitting on her haunches in the middle of the room, behind the observation table that once held the lavender unicorn in its deadly grip. Her eyes were closed, and a small smile was spread across her face. "I must say...watching you over the past two months has been a most interesting process. Studying...observing...watching. It really was a treat."

Twilight snarled, galloping towards the window and slamming her front hooves against the glass. She roared at the window, her eyes glaring at the alicorn "You son of a bitch! How could you do this to Equestria!? How could you do this to ME!? What happened to the benevolent teacher I used to know!?"

"Oh Twilight...." Celestia whispered, shaking her head "Why can't you understand...didn't Shadow-Mane tell you anything?" She shifted her weight slightly, bowing her head as she went on "War as a way of...reshuffling ones priorities. With the way things are now, the Gryphons realize that a small part of Equestria is diseased...and they don't want diseased land. However...if the 'Ravage' virus completely dies...they will invade, and steam roll us completely."

Twilight's eyes carefully followed the close-eyed Celestia as she got to her haunches, her hooves carrying her in a slow pace around the table. "The 'Ravage' can still destroy the Gryphons...all I needed was time...time for the afflicted to build up. Then...once they 'accidentally escaped' Ponyville...they'd spread, they'd go to Cloudsdale, to Manehatten...everywhere! They'd destroy the Gryphons for good!" Celestia let out a cackling laugh, her eyes open and staring up towards the ceiling.

The unicorn stared in horror at the sight of her eyes, the insane, mindless look that she gave. Her pupils were shrunken in size, and shook slightly, as if she was having trouble focusing. "You're fucking insane!" Twilight shrieked "You'd kill the entire Equestrian kind JUST to commit mass genocide against ANOTHER race!?"

"I can remake the world Twilight!" Celestia shouted at her, her face turning towards her with a look of rage "I can set everything right! I can rebuild from the ashes, just like before! I so nearly succeeded to until...you." She let out a low growl as she made her way to the window, looking down on a nervous Twilight as she spoke "You...you killed 'Ravage'. You were infected and filled to the brim with my lovely virus...yet somehow you cured yourself. You turned yourself back into one of the uninfected...and for so long I wondered 'How? How did she do this?!'. It doesn't matter anymore...your usefulness has reached an end anyway. I have waited as long as I could for the 'Ravage' to build up its numbers...and seeing as you're here, I can only assume that everypony else has escaped and that it will grow no more."

Twilight watched as Celestia made her way to the lab room door, beating her hooves against it as she screamed "Stop! You stop right there! Don't you even DARE let the Afflicted out of Ponyville! So help me Celestia I'll k-"

"KILL ME!?" Celestia shrieked, turning her head towards her former student with a look of utter rage on her face "How dare you threaten me!? After all I have done for you! After all I taught you, you would DARE stand against me?! I am eight times your superior in magic and strength Twilight Sparkle, you wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Try me you little SHIT!" Twilight snarled, turning on her hooves and galloping out of the office. She emerged into the lab area, turning her head to the right and spotting the door which led to the lab room. She ignited her horn and whipped her head around in a circle, welding the door with a high powered spell. From behind the door, the chuckle of Celestia rang in Twilight's ears, sending a chill down her spine.

"Silly bitch..." she chuckled, the door illuminating with yellowish magic. The hinges groaned and creaked with pressure, cracking and ripping free of the wall. With a mighty metallic groan, the door was blasted outwards, crashing into the giant lab area. The tubes and vials that littered the tables and floors shattered as the door barreled through the area, Twilight igniting her horn with magic in quick response. She targeted the shards of glass left behind from the vials, levitating it upwards and sending it hailing towards the door. Celestia emerged through the freshly blasted opening and gasped as the shards bolted towards her. Four gashes marked Celestia's cheek, side, and neck before she illuminated her horn and cast the glass into dust. She seethed in anger as she wiped her cheek with a free hoof, staring down at the blood she saw there. "You ungrateful little bastard..." she whispered, looking up at her "You really want to die!? So be it! Element of Magic or not, I will NOT hold back! NOTHING is going to stop me from wreaking havoc against my enemies! NOTHING!!!"

She let out a terrifying battle cry as she raised four metal tables up from the lab area, sending them one-by-one at Twilight. The lavender mare gasped and ducked as the first one flew overhead, diving quickly to the right to avoid another. With a quick illumination of her horn, she stopped the third in midair and sent it sailing back into the fourth, crashing them together and sending them apart and away from her. Celestia snorted and galloped across the edge of the lab area, launching magical bolts at the unicorn as she tried to make her way to the elevator. Twilight narrowed her eyes, flaring up a purple bubble-shield around herself to catch the bolts. They pelted the shield violently, drawing a heaving breath out of Twilight as she staggered backwards.

"Come on Twilight..." she growled at herself "Remember what you're dealing with here! Play smart!" She galloped towards the elevator, launching purple bolts of her own through her shield towards the Princess. Celestia simply scoffed, casting an equal number of bolts back and meeting Twilight's in midair. The bolts exploded against one another as the alicorn mashed the 'UP' button with her hoof, sending the elevator upwards at a slow rate.

"Too late Shitlight Sparkle! You lose!" cackled Celestia as Twilight lost sight of her in the elevator shaft.

"Oh no you don't..." muttered Twilight as she galloped towards the rising elevator. She looked up as she reached the shaft, staring at the small iron bars that were just within hoof's reach. She jumped up against the back wall and propelled herself upwards with another jump, hooking her front hooves over the iron bar and riding with the elevator upwards.

It was a small calm before the storm...and it was one Twilight would need to plan out her attack. She had to kill Celestia, she knew that, but the alicorn was right when she said she was much more powerful than her. She'd have to beat her in another way besides pure magic and strength. Cunning would need to be involved here, as well as trickery. She knew Shadow-Mane had a plan to destroy Ponyville...and if she could just hold Celestia off long enough, she would no longer have an Afflicted army to ravage Equestria with! But how...how was she going to keep Celestia at bay? Twilight frowned as the elevator stopped, ideas whirling through and out of her head as fast as a get-away cart wheel. Nothing came however, leaving Twilight to sigh and whisper "I've got nothing..." before igniting her horn and placing it against the bottom of the elevator. She licked her lips and teleported herself through the floor, appearing right on top of the platform.

She wasted no time in rushing out of the bunker doors, turning her head in all directions. She only barely spotted the white coat of Celestia as she galloped through the trees, presumably in the direction of Ponyville, and took off after her. With as much speed as she could muster into her legs, Twilight galloped through the forest, hot on Celestia's hooves. She dove over downed trees and weaved around bushes, trying her best to keep up with Celestia. "Why do you persist Twilight!?" Celestia shouted behind her "Why do you insist on death!? Leave! Flee while you can, it is hopeless!"

"I won't back down!" Twilight shouted ahead "I was raised BETTER THEN THAT, thanks to you!" Celestia didn't reply to this, simply pushing forward faster and making a beeline for the treeline which had just appeared in her vision.

As the two of them crashed through the treeline, a gasp tore itself out of Celestia's throat. "NO!" she shrieked, watching as smoke billowed around in the shield that held Ponyville prisoner, fire spreading throughout the town.

"HA!" Twilight exclaimed "You're too late Celestia! It's ov- ACK!" She was cut off as a ring of yellow clamped over Twilight's middle, the magic lifting her up and flipping her upside down.

She struggled and grunted as Celestia looked up at her, a look of extreme rage plastered on her face. "You...you think this is the end!? You think this is over!? Just because Shadow-Mane set off his little charges inside Ponyville!? You're wrong!!!" Twilight squealed as she was dragged violently out of the air, her back slamming against the ground and knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for air as she was brought back up, spun in a circle once and flung across the fields.

She grunted and yelped in pain as she tumbled and rolled across the grass, coming to a painful stop. Her body ached and her lungs heaved for air as she looked up slowly, watched as Princess Celestia gave a mighty shout and ignited her horn with near-blinding magic. She planted her hooves firmly in the ground and stared towards the east, her eyes wide and filled with panic as she hissed "RISE!!!!! RISE!!!!!!!!!"

"The sun...?" Twilight whispered "She's raising..the sun? Oh no...her power!" She got to her hooves quickly, turning and firing three bolts of magic at the princess. They struck the side alicorn's side violently, sending Celestia sprawling to the left. She grunted as she slid across the grass, her teeth clenching as smoke rose off the side of her body. There was no wound where the bolts hit, but a small patch of her fur had been burned black.

"You'll pay for that you little bitch!" she spat, getting to her hooves and lowering her horn. Yellow magic wrapped around the full extension of her horn, a pulsing light beginning to emanate from it.

Twilight gasped and ducked as a yellow laser blasted forth from Celestia's horn, beaming right over Twilight's head and into the Everfree Forest. Trees were felled were they stood as the beam disappeared, the unicorn lifting her head back up and charging towards Celestia. The sun was beginning to rise, however, as Celestia's spell continued to work its magic. An early scheduled morning was coming...and if Twilight didn't figure out a way to subdue her or enact some kind of plan soon, Celestia would be too powerful for anypony to handle. "Celestia STOP!" Twilight screamed as she rushed towards the princess "See reason!! End this murdering masquerade!"

"SILENCE!" Shouted the Sun Princess, another ring appearing around Twilight and throwing her up. She fell against the ground with a loud 'thud', a low whine escaping her as her belly ached from the impact.

"C...Celestia!" she whimpered, trying to crawl forward despite the force being pushed down on her.

"Oh what..." Celestia scoffed "Having a change of heart? Realizing that your efforts are futile!? It's too late Twilight, you made your choice! You chose to stand against me rather than with me...and for that, you will DIE!"

She threw Twilight up into the air and hit her with a blast of air, throwing the unicorn backwards with immense force. She tumbled through the air until her back smashed against a tree, a cry of horrific pain echoing out of the unicorn as an audible 'SNAP!' echoed through the air. She fell to the ground, weeping and twitching on the ground. "B...but why!?" Twilight cried, dragging herself forward with a hoof. Dirt and grime was smeared into her coat as Celestia walked forward slowly, the beams of the sun creeping over the hills and spilling out across the plains.

"Why what...?" Celestia growled, looming over Twilight and placing a hoof on her side, drawing a shriek of pain out of the unicorn. "Why do a necessary evil for the greater good? The Gryphons will stop at nothing to destroy us, it HAS to be this way!"

"No it doesn't!" Twilight wept, tears spilling down her face as Celestia's hoof pressed down against her "Please! Celestia I'm begging you! I'm begging you to stop! There are ways to win wars without death and violence! Even if there aren't, we shouldn't have to resort to such horrific methods to fight!"

Celestia frowned, staring down at her student for a moment as she writhed slowly underneath her hoof, trying to get away. "Nothing will change Twilight..." Celestia muttered "Equestria was not ready for war...I couldn't just sit by and watch what little forces we had get trampled by the tyrannic talons of the Gryphons!"

Twilight wheezed as she looked up, staring into Celestia's eyes as she whispered "There is always a choice...there is always the possibility of change...if we have faith in ourselves...and don't give up!" She flared her horn with magic, pushing Celestia's horn off and making her stagger backwards. The princess blinked in amazement as Twilight slowly got to her hooves, staggering slightly but managing to stay upright. "I'm demonstrating it right now Celestia!" She shouted "I am Equestria! I'm doing what I should have done against the Gryphons, against you!" Celestia opened her mouth slightly, words failing her as Twilight went on "I chose to fight, despite the odds! Knowing I was going to die! I am not afraid Celestia, I'm not afraid like you are!"

She took a step forward...causing Celestia to take one backwards and shout "But why!? What point is there in this?! What good is it if you die? If everypony dies?!"

"Because we have HONOR Celestia! We fight and die because it's the right thing to do!" Twilight roared back, painfully standing at her full height and pointing a hoof at the shocked princess "We will never truly die because history will remember us! They'll remember the ponies who stood up in the face of impending doom, and dared it to come after them! They chose to fight, knowing they were going to die, because they refused to simply just give up and roll over!"

She stomped her hoof as she ranted on.

"A fight worth fighting, despite its outcome!"

"A refusal to just give up and die!"

"A STAND!!!!"

As Twilight shouted those final words, a brilliant flash lit up the eastern horizon of Equestria. Celestia snapped her head to the left, gasping as she whimpered "W...what is that?!" Her breath caught as she saw...the moon. The moon was rising, catching up to the sun and beginning a Lunar Eclipse. "Luna!" Celestia squeaked, her voice trembling as her magic began to dissipate.

"It's over Celestia..." Twilight whispered, staggering slightly and trying her best to stay upright.

"NO!!!" The princess screeched "Never! Some of the diseased had to have survived! THE SHIELD!" She turned her head towards the shield, her horn flickering for a moment. She strained her eyes, screaming as her horn flickered and beamed with what energy she had left. Twilight watched as the shield started to shimmer, the magic beginning to wrap around the entirety of it.

Twilight felt her vision blurring...but she had to stay awake...she had to finish this! She ignited her horn, flaring what magic she had left into a sharp disc of energy. The edges morphed and turned the entire disc into the shape of a razor blade, its length spinning rapidly across her horn. She lowered her head wearily and panted, trying her best to aim.

One shot...

One chance...

One moment....and she shot.

The blade whirled from Twilight's horn as she started to fall, her body hitting the ground with a soft 'thud'. The lavender razor blade whirled through the air, spinning rapidly and flying towards Celestia. There was nothing the sun princess could do...not anymore. She saw the blade before it struck...and in that moment, everything changed.

As the blade sliced through the base of Celestia's horn, a gleaming shine of golden light ignited in the middle of the fields. The princess shrieked and screamed in agony as the blade sliced through her horn, cutting ti clean off. There was a shocked cry, and then...nothing.

The moon passed fully in front of the sun...covering the plains in darkness as Ponyville burned to the ground.

Twilight's breath was light and labored for a moment...her vision blurring fully and blackening.

And then...all was silent.