Espirit looked over the marching army of ponies, staring at the horde. It had been days since they left and they were almost to Celestia. There was no denying the great and powerful creature off in the distance. Her presence shown like a second sun on the earth, ash and flames swirled in the sky where she walked. They were less than an hour, maybe less, from the fight and both forces knew about the other.

There was no hiding this force, The ground for miles was nothing but empty, barren flatlands. The tribe that had summoned her were camped off in the distance, standing out from the land in thick cloth tents. It was almost dawn and their force had prepared for the final assault before entering the flatlands to engage the princess. There was nowhere for their forces to hide. Fortunately, the wide open areas allowed plenty of room for them to spread out into units. The up close fighters were in the front while the archers and spell casters hung near the back, ready to lay down covering fire. But they were just the distraction at this point. Celestia glowed off in the distance, awaiting them. A special force made of a few select ponies had been chosen to come up behind and engage her. Steelhorn had been chosen for this force, along with Clearpond. That left Espirit with the force set to engage the main tribe and keep them from interfering.

Unfortunately, the tribes nearly equaled their numbers. The rising of Celestia had apparently done much to bring other ponies to their side and now a sizable force rested in the barren wasteland, waiting for them. Preparing. This battle would be bloody and long.

Espirit felt like she was going to throw up. Celestia stood like a blazing beacon of corruption, absorbing the aether from the land and re-purposing it for her own uses. To the conjurer it felt as if poison and tar had been forced through the veins of the world, dirtying everything they touched. Just being near her made her feel unclean. She had to be strong, though, ponies depended on her. She was a conjurer, a fighter. One of them. She'd been training every day, learning stronger magic. All so she could help these ponies. Before the day was over, many would live and die due to her actions and she couldn't let them fall.

The sound of a war horn filled the air. Their forces began to part, though the tribes hadn't made their move. Her eyes were drawn up and she let out a shriek, staring in horror. A massive orb of flame had formed in the sky above on the opposite end of their unit. It hovered there like a second sun. Then it began to sink at the soldiers. It was moving slowly, but it was so massive that the ponies under it had to struggle to get away in time. Those with wings took to the air. Those without, ran.

The ball crashed into the ground, enveloping some of the warriors who couldn't escape, before exploding. Fire shot out through their forces, the force of the blast scattering their lines. Espirit, despite being near the outer edge of their forces, was still sent stumbling back by the force of the blast, the uncomfortable heat making sweat form across her body. The ground shook from the boom, nearly dropping her down.

Before she could look towards the devastation, arrows began to rain down around her. She shrieked and took a step back, her eyes looking to the tribes. They were charging, those in the back unleashing their arrows and magic.

It was time, the war started now.

Espirit raised her cane, the flowers turning to full bloom as her magic flowed through it. Their front line crashed against the tribe's as the screams and din of metal against metal filled the air. She quickly pulled back from the line, trying to peer through the rush of bodies to find who was on their side and who was against them. Unfortunately, they all seemed to blur together. While the tribes had their own bright red markings, the barren land shot dirt into the air and within a few minutes everypony was so covered she couldn't tell one from the other. With no other choice, she held her cane aloft and sent out what healing light she could give, hoping she chose the righttargets.

Her confusion only lasted a moment, unfortunately. Soon wounded ponies were being brought back behind the lines for her and the other healers to work with and help. She joined with them, trying to keep the poor wounded ponies from passing on. Occasionally she glanced towards where Celestia resided, far off from the battle lines and unmoving, marked by the swirling fire and ash. Just watching, as if this battle meant nothing to her. She couldn't help but feel that maybe it didn't. To the ruler, they were probably just ants, weak and pathetic.

Light suddenly enveloped the world, forcing her to blink. She then looked up before letting out a scream. Another orb of fire had formed above, this time over her. It was sinking as well. There was nothing she could do. There was no avoiding it. She and the rest of the ponies in the back line were going to die. She closed her eyes and covered them with her hooves, awaiting the end.

The screams continued through the air, deafening her as ponies ran. She could feel the mass of corrupted aether above her, powerful and massive, drawing its strength from the earth below at a single point of--

Her eyes opened. “We can-- eep!” She was suddenly lifted into the air, a talon wrapping around her waist. She let out a shriek and looked up at Ganry. “What are you doing?”

“Running! Why are you just standing around?” the griffon asked, anger in his voice.

“I know how to stop it! We can stop it! It's drawing power from the aether streams in the earth!”

“What?”

“We need to destroy its bond! I can find it! We need to destroy it!” she screamed.

The griffon stopped after a moment, landing while he held her to his chest. “Where?”

“There!” She pointed off to the right. He flew over the running ponies and, after a few seconds, they saw it. A small, flaming pole in the ground. “That's it, we have to destroy it!”

“Are you crazy? It's fire, it'll--”

“If we destroy it, that breaks the connection!” Espirit screamed. “It's out only chance!” She was dropped to the ground before he pulled out his bow and shot an arrow. A moment later she let the aether of the world flow through her and she shot clumps of dirt and rock at it. After a few more moments ice and more arrows pelted the fire. It exploded. The orb above it did as well, erupting into fire over the mass of ponies.

Except, it was nowhere near as powerful as the first blast had been. The air turned hot and stuffy as her mane was singed, but the burns were minor. She wasn't even pushed back as far, even though she was in the center of it. She started casting her healing spells, only to freeze as the fires cleared to reveal what had been in the center of them.

Celestia hovered above them, her golden wings flapping majestically as she watched the gathered ponies. She wore golden armor with red cloth linking the plates. Her mane was just as Espirit imagined, a raging inferno that radiated heat in all directions. Nopony could move as they watched the being slowly lower herself to the ground. Celestia kept her head raised as she looked through the crowds. Espirit swore the mare looked right at her, with a gaze cold and icy in contrast to the flaming body.

“Such pathetic worms. I will allow you one chance, and one chance only. Throw down your weapons and I may spare you a painful death.”

Nopony could move. Though the war raged on around them, those close to her couldn't do anything but stare. Espirit felt her stomach recoil as even her magic seemed to be scared of this pony. A thing of true corrupted aether, made flesh.

A black blur shot over her. There was a sudden ringing as Steelhorn slammed shield first into the alicorn. The fiery princess stumbled back, a little blood falling from her mouth before she lifted a hoof to cover it. Just like that, the spell was gone and they could move again.

Espirit lifted a hoof up and sent a blast of rock and dirt at the mare, before lifting her cane up to begin casting her protective spells over their group. Steelhorn circled the princess, forcing her back to them as she used her shield to deflect what she could. Ganry shot arrow after arrow at the alicorn, doing what he could, though many turned to ash before they could reach the fiery destroyer.

Another black blur shot overhead, slashing down against Celestia's back. A moment later Silverwing leaped back into the air, pushed her hooves together and ice shot at the alicorn, binding her to the ground.

“You foals believe you can defeat me?” the alicorn asked, before stomping a hoof down. Fire shot out around her, knocking both the changeling and negasi backwards. The ponies around them were quickly scattering, getting the wounded out and trying to give them room to fight. Espirit tried not to think about that as her barrier spell enveloped her friends. They didn't have to hold out forever, just until the ponies set to fight Celestia got here. Silverwing and Steelhorn were already here, the others couldn't be far behind.

Celestia looked around before her eyes focused on Espirit. “W-we'll defeat you!” the zebra said firmly before taking a step back. “You're scary and... and terrifying, but we'll defeat you! We're strong and have worked together for a long time!”

The alicorn chuckled and stepped towards her. “Is this what your hope is? A frightened child? Not even a real--” The words were cut off by a shield to the back of the head as Steelhorn came flying back in.

“We're more than a real threat to you, Celestia!” the changeling said firmly. Her body was covered in burn marks and her wings were darkening, but she still stood strong. Espirit focused her healing magic on the woman, sending spell after spell into the woman, mending her wounds and making the burns melt away.

“You are foals!” Celestia yelled before thrusting her horn forward. A wave of flames shot out. Steelhorn lifted her shield high, magic spreading out from it to create a small domed shield around herself. The fires were parted, leaving the changeling alive and singed, though the healing magic was slowly making the wounds fade.

“We may be foals, but we're going to defeat you!” Steelhorn yelled, before flying up and smacking her shield in the alicorn's face again. Espirit couldn't help but admire the way the changeling wielded it.

“Enough!” Celestia yelled, before her horn glowed.

Espirit's eyes widened and she looked down. The ground was beginning to bubble and she could feel the corrupted aether being shot into the earth, getting ready to erupt outward. “Ganry, get into the air!” she yelled before running away. She barely made it out in time as the ground erupted, pelting them with fiery pieces of dirt and rock, but her healing magic quickly healed the damage. The ground smoked and sizzled, but the zebra was beginning to see hope. Celestia was bleeding. While the four of them were fighting her, the rest of the army was holding back the tribe from her aid. They had a chance. A true chance.

Silverwing drove her wingblades forward, clipping the edge off the alicorn's wing. Celestia roared and leaped into the air, blood dripping down. “Enough! You will all perish!” She lifted her horn up and flames gathered in them. She then thrust her head down. The fires formed a lance that pierced the ground, nailing itself deep. Espirit cringed and couldn't help but feel as if she herself was being drained. “Destroy that! It's gathering--” The words caught in her throat as Celestia was suddenly over her. Before the alicorn could destroy her, though, the changeling was there and slammed her shield into the powerful pony.

“Curse you, insect! I will zap you and the rest of your ilk to ash!” the alicorn yelled angrily.

“Get rid of it!”

Espirit nodded and thrust a hoof out towards the source of the magic. Already above a great orb of flame was being formed, but they tried not to focus on it. They drove every bit of magic they had into the orb, damaging and tearing it apart. With Steelhorn holding the princess back, the spear of fire exploded, the orb following suit a moment later. Espirit gathered the displaced magic, sending some into the land while sending some into her friends, healing the burns.

Celestia was getting hurt. Already small wisps of magic were rising from her form. They weren't only tiring the alicorn out, they were winning. Espirit could barely believe it as she sent another healing spell into Silverwing. Celestia was falling. Cut by cut, blow by blow.

The alicorn stepped back, one of her wings a bloody mess, arrows embedded into her body and a large gash across her face, forcing her left eye shut. “I will burn you all. All of you will perish. Burn to ash!” she yelled, before stomping her hoof. Espirit's eyes widened and she grabbed Ganry's leg.

“Get us up! Everypony into the air!” she screamed. The griffon hauled her up and a moment later the ground around them erupted, sending more rocks and dirt into the air.

Celestia stood in the midst of the destruction, panting. Silverwing dove down and drove her wing blade against her back and then through it. The creature disappeared in a flurry of magic, sparkles flying in the air as the ponies watched. Espirit felt her stomach unknot as the corrupted aether was slowly absorbed back into the land, free of that destruction. She was lowered down to the ground, her eyes wide. “We... we won,” she said softly. “WE WON!” she screamed. “We did it! We defeated Celestia! We--”

“We're not done yet,” Ganry yelled, pointing towards the battlefield. The tribes were still fighting. But Celestia was gone. The beacon of their power and intentions was now defeated. Espirit gently took a wobbly step towards the battle, her spirits rising within her. They could win. No, they would win.