The sky turned blood red, the signs of destruction and of warfare to come. A promise of blood and iron. These that have been long over due for Equestria, at least in Celestia’s eyes. The time has come for the Equestrians to take their mantle as this world’s leaders. First Celestia would stomp out this civil war, then she would set her sights on the rest of the nations of Acros. Celestia clutched the edge of the railing as she stared up at the sky. The sun and moon sustained in the sky.

Her eyes never fleeting from that sight. Her mind and ears sharp for any coming threats. She would not allow any traitors in her midst. Not even among her loyalists, she sent out a conscription order to the corners of Equestria she could show her propaganda. South and Eastern Equestria was gone, they betrayed Celestia’s vision of the true Equestria. Her gaze tightened as she stared at the moon. Her hate blazing through her and exuding from the sun, making hateful rays to burst forth from the sun. Like the tongues from a forge.

Seething with hate and pride she pushed herself away from the moon and refocused back to everything that lied in front of her. Her chambers a storm of chaos. Papers strewn across the floor. Daggers stabbed into various places. Battle plans. Spy listings. Assassination notes. She went through everything to prepare for war. It is what she craved, and now she would show the true power of Equestria. She refocused as her chamber door opened and ushered in was Dawn Sparkle. The twin sister to her former student, Twilight Sparkle. Her bright white coat and her bright yellow mane hidden behind the armor worn by the Paladins of the Sun. White plates of heavy armor, a tabard bearing the Blazing Sun Insignia of the Solar Empire. And gold and red accents on the armor. She kneeled on the floor in front of Celestia and said in the same voice as Twilight, “My Empress, I bring...grave news.”

Celestia’s hardened expression deepened as she heard those words escape her new student. Celestia replied, “Explain yourself.”

Her tone stated to Dawn that she was now in no mood to talk, but she spoke anyways standing tall and firm in front of her Empress, “General Sundance has returned and said that the invasion of Rainbow Falls failed. But his troops told me that they failed because he did not believe in your Empire. He murdered the residents there, believing that they were corrupt by a totalitarian leader. You, my empress. He left none alive. Killed mares and fillies. He was captured and the Lunar Soldiers pushed back. His fate awaits you my Empress.”

Celestia offered no words, her anger was boiling to a point to where she could not control it. She needed to vent her anger. She pushed past Dawn and walked on to the throne room. No doubt where he waited, shackled in chains. She had too many ponies betraying her, she could not have word leak out into the public. This would be a sign of weakness that she would fix herself.

Her hoofsteps echoing her anger as she guided herself through the halls. Nothing fazed her as her only focus was to bring order back to her Empire. She burst open the doors leading into the throne room and just as she suspected there he lied. Knelt and shackled in irons with a Mage lock on his horn. Which did not allow him to use magic. Two Paladins held each of his hoof and readied for their Empress to arrive.

Once she came into view the Paladins said announcing her presence, “Empress Celestia.”

They spoke together in the same tone of voice. She nodded at them and then moved her gaze to the degenerate form of General Sundance. She stared coldly at the once trusted general. His eyes shaken and his body trembling, as he fearfully awaited judgment from his empress. Her cold gaze tightening as she said, “So. You are brought before me to face judgment. But I must ask you Sundance, what have you done?”

Her vocie was harsh and unforgiving, raised in volume. She nodded her head to the Paladins and they dropped Sundance. They left the room with a salute and Sundance coughed as his lungs took in normal air. Sundance looked fearfully up at Celestia. His dirt ridden face covered in scars and his armor dented from the recent battle. Sundance answered his voice quavering, “Empress Celestia...I...I was simply carrying out your command-”

“My command!” Celestia shouted at a high and harsh volume. She leaned in close and gripped the cuff of his armor, he whimpered as she drew him in closer. She continued with a harsh tone, “Was my command to turn on MY soldiers!? Was my command to murder innocent ponies of the Solar Empire!? Do I look like I am amused by this? Clearly you must think this a joke if you truly want yourself here.”

Sundance whimpered as she stared daggers at him. She asked, “Do I look like a murderer, Sundance?”

He managed to choke out, “No, Empress Celestia-”

“Then I implore you to answer my original question: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” Celestia yelled piercing through Sundance and causing tears to form at the corners of his eyes. He shut his eyes as she pulled him in closer, “I sent you to Rainbow Falls with an army, to protect and defend that city for the Solar Empire. Instead you decided to SPIT IN MY FACE! You decided that it would be better for you to follow my insolent sister. Murdering innocents-”

Her tone grew cold and she leaned him in and whispered in his ear, growling like a wolf, “-fillies even.”

Sundance continued sputtering and crying like a filly and Celestia continued, “I have lived for over two thousand years, Sundance. And if there is one thing that I have learned from this existence it is that: Unity and Duty are to be cherished. And our responsibilities are to our people. To our brother and sisters under the sun. To protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

Celestia threw him aside and he slammed hard against the ground, with the force of a god behind the throw. Sundance winced and lost his breath as he made contact with the floor. Celestia stepped above him and said pressing her armored hoof against his neck, “You have brought shame to the True Equestria. Disgraced my ideals for our future.”

She unsheathed her sword and pressed the tip against his cheek, “And it is for this reason that by my right as Empress, I hereby relieve you of your duties.”

Sundance cried in mercy, “Empress no!”

Celestia hefted her sword in her hands and pulled it up and then thrust it down. The blade piercing through the soft skin of his neck and stabbing into the ground, a rising tide of blood splashing against her. Staining her armor and her blade with the warm blood of the one who betrayed her. Celestia moved her hoof from the dead pony and looked to the Paladins and dictated, “Clean this mess up. And let this be a lesson, those that betray the Empire shall die by my hoof personally.”

Celestia took out a hooferchief and wiped down her blade and her armor. Not wanting her to be in unpresentable condition for going to her Paladins and seeing to it that in her absence she chose a wise leader. She had in mind who she would use. Somepony who shared her same leadership abilities and cruelty. Somepony like Dawn. She saw the mare walk in and she noticed the dead body and said, “I see that the traitor has been dealt with my empress.”

Celestia cracked a smile and responded, “Indeed.”

Celestia drew in close to Dawn and she looked into her eyes and saw her student standing there, briefly. She knew it was not her and shook it quickly away. Celestia said, “Dawn. I am putting you in charge of looking after the capital while I am away. I must personally see to it that my sister is brought down for this.”

Dawn said in protest, “But-”

Celestia pressed her hooves on her shoulders and replied in a voice like a soothing mother, “That, is an order. I have complete faith that you will rule fine while I am gone. Make sure you pass proper judgment. Do not randomly throw away lives, that is a waste of resources. Remember what I taught you and you will be fine.”

Dawn answered with a bow of her head, “I understand Empress.”

Celestia’s smile briefly returned, “Excellent. I will be back once this rebellion is put down.”

“Round up all new recruits, we march for Dawnfield in a day.” Luna said to Specter. Specter nodded and turned away from Princess Luna. Dawnfield was a town just outside of Solheim, her original destination. But she could not march on Solheim alone. She did not have the siege weaponry to do so and she did not have the manpower to proceed with it. So she would have to take Dawnfield and wait for her allies to arrive into the war.

She sighed as she turned back and stood out onto a balcony of the terrace of a castle. The Lunar Republic city of Moonhaven. The darktown almost glowing in the discolored sky. Moonhaven was a city of southern Equestria that was perfect for the capital. It lied nestled in the valley of a mountain range. A river outlining it like a moat. And an empty sprawling desert tp cross into the valley. A secluded location perfect for protection. She listened carefully to the buzz of the city that was below her. Ponies moving in preparation for war. A sound she never wanted to hear one of her cities do.

But she knew it was needed and that it would come sooner or later. For they live in a world that strives from conflict. Whether fought inside or outside, it did not matter. But what kept her thinking was how many she would have to kill. How many lives were to be senselessly thrown away towards an ideal she barely held together. She however remembered back to a memory she shared with Scarlet,

It was during the afterglow that there are moments where lovers share words. Whether warm and inviting or broken promises. It was during that time that Luna had thoughts on her life up to this point. She held Scarlet close in her hooves, their warmth sharing with each other. Luna had one of her legs crossed over Scarlet’s. Luna gently nuzzled Scarlet awake and she woke with a hum, “Hmm...what?”

She turned her head slightly to see Luna’s face. Her gentle and somber eyes bringing Luna down with Scarlet, her mind not wanting to wander. Luna cracked a smile and said, “I...thank you...I needed that.”

Scarlet gave a smile of her own and said, “Anything for you Luna.”

“Princess Luna?” Asked a voice that caused her to be ripped from her memory, “Is everything alright Princess?”

Luna pressed a hoof to her forehead and grunted under a sudden pain. She felt tender hooves that she had mistakened for Scarlet until she realized it was somepony else. Luna opened her eyes and saw the light blue coat and silver mane of Trixie Lulamoon. Luna said waving a hoof, “I’m fine...I’ll be fine.”

Trixie nodded her head softly and said, “Okay...well, the conscription orders have been returned.”

“How many?”

“About twelve hundred,” Trixie said regaining her former composure, “And many more. It seems that so many want to keep the old ways of Equestria.”

Luna leaned her hooves on the railing and let out with a sigh, “If we continue to have more numbers like this then we will not have enough supplies to keep them here. We are a new country and still need to establish trade routes. What of the battle reports?”

Luna looked over at her advisor and she did not look like she wanted to say whatever it was. But she said, “Well...the siege on Rainbow Falls failed. But General Sundance gave us valuable information before he was captured by the Solar Empire.”

“And that was?”

“...Celestia is trying to make an unbeatable army,” Trixie explained cocking her hip to the side, “She has been working with Virus X and mutated it. Turning the subject into an Alicorn...a perfect alicorn. They as well have reduced brain cell levels so that she can personally control their movements. Trying to emulate a hive mind mentality. She is calling them the Paladins of the Sun. Very powerful and very dangerous.”

“And Rainbow Falls was the test field,” Luna said with irritation in her voice, “(sigh)...I’m glad you brought this to my attention. If what you are saying is true then my former children will have quite the hoof full to handle. But I have faith in my son.”

Trixie offered a friendly hoof on Luna’s shoulder as she finished, “I just pray to the gods that he does not do anything stupid like his father...what of Ponyville? Where do they stand?”

Trixie shrugged her shoulders, “I have not received any reports from Ponyville. I can only assume that they have remained neutral through this.”

Luna looked out at the country side and said longingly, “Night hopes that they stay that way. I fear what might happen if disorder ran through Twilight’s Kingdom.”