“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

-Proverb, attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The tent flap opened, revealing a deep-purple crystal pony. He shivered and strode inside, pausing vainly a moment to brush snow off his armor. It was piled a foot deep outside, and the blizzard wasn’t letting up. In June! At this rate the Crystal Empire…

He shook his head. It won’t matter in a few days.

The tent was spacious, but Spartan: fitting of the martial nobility. A squat table without chairs sat in the middle, with maps and scrolls scattered across it. On one side, a slave was polishing a silver blade, neck hunched nervously over her work.

Such was a stark contrast to the figure in the back. The mare’s crystal coat was a brilliant white-blue, now mostly hidden by black armor. A slave stood to either side, fitting the heavy plates around her flanks. The helmet was off, showing her ragged white hair and green eyes.

Those eyes. Piercing and strong. He had thought her beautiful when they first met, though his love had long since faded. He knew her too well, now.

The mare stretched a foreleg out, allowing a slave to begin fitting her knee guards. Her eyes were on the newcomer, frown marking her face.

“Quartz.” Her flinty voice couldn’t mask her exhaustion. “I hope you have good news for me.”

It was ‘Baron’ Quartz, but she was the Lord Marshal. She could call him whatever she damn well pleased. She was the stronger, and that’s all you needed in this army.

“Lord Diamond,” he bowed low, touching his head to the canvas floor. “I do not. I bring very bad news.”

“Oh, get up,” Diamond sniffed. She gave a hard sigh, glaring away. “We just lost Borealis Fortress. That is bad news. Neither princess was there, and the damn Celestians still beat us.”

“The who?” Quartz cocked his head. “A new enemy?”

“No, no.” Diamond waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s what the slaves call them. ‘Celestians,’ after their Sun Princess. The… ‘Great and Righteous Equestrian army, come to liberate the slaves from their evil God.’”

“…Isn’t that right, girls?” A smirk crossed her face and she glanced between the two slaves. They avoided eye contact and kept working, quailing under the attention.

The joke over, her frosty expression resumed. “So now the Equestrian army is a day’s march from the capital and we’re all that’s in their way. Think your bad news measures up?”

“It measures and exceeds, Lord Diamond.”

Quartz took a deep breath and said the words with the exhale. No sense in stalling. “Sombra is dead.”

A grimace of real fear came to Diamond’s face. Fear and… something else. The maneuvering between Sombra and the Princesses had lasted the breadth of the war. Each feared weakening themselves against the mortals, lest their foe choose then to strike. Without Sombra, the last card of the faltering Crystal Empire was gone.

It was more than that, too. That ‘something else.’ Sombra was their god. They said his name when they prayed, they built glittering temples to his glory. He forced them to it, but a lot of crystal ponies had really started to believe.

“H-how?” A snarl came to her face. “When?!”

Quartz swallowed hard, shaking his head. “A week ago. I was in the North Wastes, seeking the Wendigo lairs. I planned to barter slaves for aid.”

“What in Hell’s Teeth was he doing up there?” Diamond snapped.

The baron shook his head again. “I think they chased him there, but I don’t know. One night, the air above ignited with arcane fires. I dove for the snow, but the explosions bounced me across the ground. I could see all three: Luna, Celestia, and Sombra, hurling their magic at each other. He was stronger than either, but they fought in unison. Whenever he struck at one, the other struck back. He tried to turn away, but they hounded him. First driving him north, then pursuing him south until he fell just inside our borders.”

Quartz shivered. It was over. His wealth, his slaves, his status… his nation. The victors would leave none of it to him.

“They kept hurling magic at the ground where he lay,” he continued shakily. “Great white and orange blasts from Celestia, deep blue flecked with stars from Luna. And with each blow, a gout of black and purple smoke puffed out from his form. They were great at first, but blow after blow passed and the smoke lessened and lessened until nothing else came.”

“Did you find a body?” Diamond asked sharply, clinging to a last thread of hope.

Quartz nodded unhappily. “I did. Blackened stone all around, and an unnatural chill in the air. His lordship lay there, body as it was before his ascension. His horn was returned to grey, and his eyes without their dark fire. He was dead, and whatever power he had was gone. I could not bear him back myself, so I buried him there and built a small cairn. Then I sped here as quick as I could, for you…”

He matched her gaze for the first time, his eyebrows raised. “With him gone, you rule now.”

Marshaling his pride, he stood up straight and bowed again, this time with great formality. “Long live the Queen.”

She shook her head, hesitation creeping into her voice. “None of that.”

Quartz shrugged. Old habits die hard.

Although the only thing left is to surrender. He saw it, plain as day. Even if they could hold back the Equestrian army – and they couldn’t – what of the alicorns? If their power was half as great as he heard, Sombra had been the only hope. Without him, that was it. This was the End. Diamond had to realize it, too.

Her face hardened into a grim frown. Diamond stepped curtly past her slaves and towards the table. “So be it. We throw everything in, and hold them south of the capital. Wait for the cold to drive them back.”

Quartz gave a start. “Wait, what? What about the alicorns?! My Queen, we don’t have a–”

“I said none of that!” Diamond slammed a hoof down on her table. The maps jumped at the impact, and Quartz fell silent.

The Lord Marshal curled the hoof and lifted her helmet from the table – black metal, with a crystal horn growing from its front.

There was a queer gleam in her eye as she set it on her head. “Sombra is king. Sombra lives.”

“But–”

“You said it was a week ago?” The hesitation was gone from her voice, replaced by fanatic certainty. “That’s when the freak weather began. Don’t you see? He caused it. He didn’t die, he ascended even higher. He blessed us with this snow to drive back our enemies.”

“‘Blessed?’” Quartz gestured wildly with his hoof, half-grinning at the insane logic. “Our fields have all frozen over. Hunger will kill us, if not the Equestrians!”

“It’s all part of his plan,” she returned. “You’ll see.”

That hashed it. Quartz’s long-dormant courage emerged in a frustrated shout. “Oh, stop it! Sombra isn’t a god!”

He matched eyes with her, half-daring her to kill him. So be it. He’d die now, or die in their fast-coming defeat.

But she didn’t look shocked, or even angry. Her words were a cool statement of fact. “You don’t believe.”

“No,” Quartz sighed as he looked away. “I never did. The Sombra I recall was iron-hoofed, but practical and fair. Then he emerges from an experiment, red-horned, proclaiming himself a god and ranting about world domination. Possessed, or even just changed in some way? Sure. But a god? No. He killed everyone who said otherwise, but that doesn’t make it true.”

A soft glow caught his eye. He looked back to Diamond and saw her retrieving her sword from one of the slave girls. The crystal horn on her helmet pulsed, and a purple glow levitated the blade upwards.

He tensed, but Diamond slung it easily into a scabbard at her side. She turned back to him, smiling thinly at his guarded posture. “You always were a thinker, Quartz. Too smart for your own good.”

The smile grew a little warmer. Enough to remind him of happier times.

Diamond’s voice warmed as well. “But that’s alright. Right now, I don’t care. I need soldiers. Think of me as your queen if you must, but I call myself your Lord Marshal, beneath King Sombra. Will you still follow me?”

“I will,” he said, standing up straighter. “I think we’re doomed, but I will. I still have my honor.”

“Alright, then.” She beckoned him closer, gesturing to the map. “Oh, before we go on: have you told anyone else?”

“No,” Quartz said, obediently stepping forwards.

“Good.”

The horn pulsed again, and the blade whipped from its sheath. With a single, sweeping movement, it leapt upwards and came down on Quartz’s neck. His crystal skin cracked under the blow, and the soft flesh beneath gave way.

He gave a gagged cry and fell to the floor, blood flooding down his neck.

The sword rose again, and the next blow severed the head. She didn’t want him to suffer.

“I’m sorry,” Diamond offered, cool as ever. She bowed slightly with her head, trying not to think of how long she’d known him. “I need secrets even more than I need soldiers.”

She strode to the edge of the tent and pulled the flap open. Only a final glance was given behind her, aimed at the slaves. “Clean this up by the time I get back.”

They mutely moved to obey. Satisfied, Diamond strode out into the blizzard.

Celestia landed, and the Equestrian camp rippled as ponies bowed. Word had spread like wildfire of her triumph over Sombra. She had brought them to this. Victory was near. The spires of the Crystal Capital were in sight.

Or they would be, if not for the blizzard.

Luna dashed up to her and the two embraced, gently interlocking their necks. Trudging behind through the deepening snow was their general, Caesar. The grey earth pony was resplendent in his golden armor, sigil of the sun emblazoned on his chest plate. No helmet marked his head. He worked best when exposed – lion-hearted and tough, always leading by example.

He was growling and muttering, just waiting for the opening Celestia gave.

“Did our envoy return?”

“She did,” Luna said, interrupting his retort.

Celestia nodded. “What news? Will they surrender?”

This time Caesar got in the words, shouting over Luna’s more measured response. “They sent her back to us, all right. With a separate box for her head!”

“…Sorry,” he offered belatedly, giving a short bow to Luna.

The night princess frowned tightly, but nodded back. “Apology accepted. It is… discomfiting. Nonetheless because it means another battle.”

Caesar took a step past her, squaring himself before Celestia. “Let the army go in, Princess. The Empire wants a last stand, the Celestians will give it to them!”

“Are you mad?” Luna stepped forward as well, using her height to loom over him. “If you can even find them in this storm, you’ll give them exactly what they want: a last bloodbath. No, Tia and I will strike. With Sombra gone, we need hold nothing back.”

“You two have never fought an army by yourselves before,” Caesar shot back, glaring defiantly at his younger liege. He was lion-hearted… and too headstrong for his own good.

But he wasn’t wrong.

Luna sniffed, looking down her nose at him. “Be that as it may, we’ll be at far less risk than you will. I will not see more ponies buried to appease your pride.”

“Ma’am–” Caesar began.

Luna huffed, temper rising. “‘Princess,’ if you please.”

“Sorry. That’s just my earth pony talk.” He gave a quick chuckle. “Listen, we can’t risk you. And with Sombra out of the picture, there’s no reason why you two should–”

The words from Celestia were very soft, very gentle. “Both of you.”

At once, the argument ceased and they turned to her. She glanced back and forth between the two.

Her jaw shifted slightly, and she spoke again. There was uncharacteristic hesitation in her voice: a slight tremble, betraying nervous thoughts. A notion she had toyed with for a while and still wasn’t quite sure of.

“I’ll strike alone.”

“That’s twice as bad,” Caesar grumbled, but the words went unheard. This time it was Luna doing the shouting, and he beat a subtle retreat.

“What? Tia!”

“Luna, please don’t argue with me.” Celestia shook her head, looking anywhere but back at her.

“I’d be a bad sister if I didn’t,” Luna retorted.

“Can’t you just trust me?”

“Tia, I know you.” Luna reached a hoof up and tapped Celestia’s shoulder. “You’re nervous. You don’t trust you. So why should I?”

“Because this is something I should do by myself.” Celestia turned her head away. “I’ll try to cow them. If they won’t be cowed… I might have to kill some. I don’t want you to do that.”

“We’ve both killed before,” Luna noted dryly. “Recently. ‘War,’ and all that.”

A breathless, nervous smile came to Celestia’s face. “And, as your big sister, I want you to do as little killing as possible.”

“By doing it all yourself?”

“Luna, this is going to be the end.” Celestia raised her hoof pleadingly, hoping to bring the talk to a close. “One more fight, and then no more. No armies, no wars, just peace from here forwards. So please, let me do this for you. Let me be a good big sister and shield you from this.”

The night princess frowned. She tapped her hoof once, then again before responding. “You can’t order me around.”

The response was utterly without temper, and given with a weak smile. “But I can ask nicely.”

“Fine.” Luna glanced away, then back. A small, sympathetic smile came to her face. “Just please, tell me this isn’t because you feel guilty about Sombra. We did what we had to.”

Celestia nodded, and the two embraced again. “He died years ago. That monster we slew wasn’t my Sombra.”

She kissed Luna on the forehead. “No, this isn’t about Sombra. This is about you. You and me.”

Luna sighed, accepting the affection. “Then take care. I’ll be… here, I suppose. With Caesar the Minotaur.”

They shared a giggle. And Celestia was off.

The blizzard was impenetrable to pegasi, but didn’t even slow Celestia down.

The crystal ponies knew she was coming. She wanted them to, and so engulfed herself in a fiery halo. A tiny sun, streaking through the snowstorm to where they were encamped. She wanted them to dread her coming. To have long minutes to worry and wonder.

There was a cold stone in her stomach. A last thing she hadn’t told Luna.

The two had killed, this was true. They had fought in battles.

This wasn’t going to be a battle. It was going to be a massacre.

Unless the Imperials gave up. If she made herself scary enough, no pony had to die.

She could see them now. Murky and indistinct in the snowstorm, but with red banners held high. A blotch of ponies in black armor, thousands strong. Shoulder to shoulder, lances and spears at the ready.

A muffled roaring grew as she closed the distance. The snow melted around her corona, turning to a rainfall that muted the noise. Only when scarcely fifty meters away could she make out the words.

“Long live the King!”

“Long live the King!”

She allowed herself to glow even brighter, floating before the army in all her majesty. The shape of an alicorn, all but invisible in the white brightness around her. They could feel her power. The impossible heat she controlled, ready to be unleashed.

“Crystal ponies!” Celestia announced, her voice amplified a hundred-fold. “Sombra is dead. Yield your arms, and I promise you mercy!”

The chant continued. A few crossbow bolts whizzed through the air, none of them coming close.

A small part of her was miffed; the pampered alicorn was not used to being shouted down. Mostly, though, she was confused. Sombra was dead. Who did they chant for? A new king? Or still for Sombra? She knew he forced a religion on them, but had doubted it took root.

Fine. She’d show them some real power. Hopefully it would be enough.

She shook her head. Of course it would be. They’d be mad to press it further.

Celestia tipped downwards and accelerated. She buzzed over their heads, finally seeing the faces in the crowd. Some fearful, some stern, some downright gleeful in their defiance. All roaring the same words up at her.

“Long live King Sombra!”

The ones directly beneath Celestia winced as she passed overhead, leaving them scorched, but otherwise unharmed. The snow melted at their hooves, though quickly refroze as she passed. She winged towards their rear, and then back to the front.

Once more before them, she willed her aura to double in size and glow even hotter. Still just a fraction of her might. She wanted them to see. She had the power here, not Sombra. They had no choice but to yield.

Yet no sooner had she paused then another volley of bolts flew towards her. Some would have struck home but for the burning aura. And still the chant went on.

“Long live the King!”

Celestia gazed down at the crowd, mind racing. Idiocy. Madness. These poor fools really believe in him.

It’s not their fault. They’re just led astray. I can’t kill them, it’s not their fault.

She bit down on a lip and glanced behind her. She could leave. She could spare them.

No, that wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t fix anything. Celestia wouldn’t kill them, but what then? The army would have to do it, and take losses. Or she would return with Luna, and they’d both have to do it anyway.

A deep breath in, and a sigh out. Celestia glared down at the throng.

No. No more slain Equestrians. No forcing Luna to help in this… murder.

It was for these fools’ sake, too. She’d strike for their leaders. They had to be forcing the rest, threatening violence if they stopped the chant. Maybe their lords would surrender when they knew she wasn’t bluffing. Maybe she’d have to kill them, and then the rest would yield. Either way, it would cause the fewest deaths.

Satisfied in her plan, Celestia winged downwards once more. She flew slower this time, searching their ranks. More crossbow shots emerged, as well as energy beams from their strange crystal horns. Nothing threatened her. The blows that came close simply vanished in her aura.

Again, her passing scorched without killing. She kept her power contained. Her hope for it was dimming, but there was still a chance of doing this without death.

There.

A raised platform, cut from giant sapphires. A dozen ponies stood about on it, clad in their black plate mail and red-plumed helms. Not waving weapons or shouting like the rest, but watching impassively.

Celestia winged over to them immediately, garnering no reaction.

“Yield!” she roared, voice like a thunderclap.

They remained rooted to the spot, not even deigning to draw their weapons or turn away. One of them stepped forwards. She wore the armor, but no helmet. It was a pale blue mare with white hair, raising a hoof in defiance.

Her hoary, angry voice shot back. “Come and take us!”

Contrary to her words, the mare then turned and dove off the platform. A heartbeat later, Celestia was amongst them.

No doing it by halves. A sweep of her wings brought a barrage of white sparks onto the officers. They lanced through the thickest plates to burn deep into the crystal flesh within.

Most of the dozen died immediately. A few took a little longer, giving muffled cries as the sun-hot sparks scoured their bodies. Only one remained; standing directly in front of Celestia, he was spared from both wing beats.

She landed before him, letting her hooves melt deep grooves into the gemstone platform. Her face was one of imperious wrath. “Yield!”

Even now, the plate-covered pony said nothing. He shook, and that was the only movement.

“Yield!” Celestia said again. With raw effort, she corked her boiling power. She grabbed him with telekinesis and lifted him.

His hooves didn’t even leave the ground before she encountered resistance. Surprised, Celestia looked down. Short lengths of chain were binding his legs to the platform.

What?

She stepped closer, struggling to contain her power still further. A more gentle magic emerged, this one pulling off the plumed helmet.

“He” turned out to be a “she.” A middle-aged, green crystal mare with a gag tied into her mouth. Terror and tears were in her eyes, the left one crossed by an ownership tattoo.

Celestia’s dry mouth worked down a swallow. As tenderly as she could manage, she undid the gag.

“A slave?” she asked, breathless.

The mare just nodded, looking down and away. Towards the other bodies. Even the dead ones were weirdly propped up by the chains at their hooves.

One of them gave a last, feeble twitch.

Nothingness entered Celestia’s thoughts. Blankness. Not even anger or horror, just shock. It numbed her, and her vision swam out of focus.

They were crowding towards her, now. A horde on the charge, coming from each side with raised halberds, spears, and swords. They fancied her vulnerable. Having lured her into their midst, they would overwhelm her.

Celestia’s dull eyes refocused.

And narrowed.

“You cowards!” A massive, rumbling voice echoed alongside Celestia as she screamed the words. Like the Sun itself was speaking with her, impossibly old and huge and full of hate.

The horde queued around her, now almost in spear’s reach.

One of her hooves swept upwards before her chest, moving from the right to left. At the divine command, the earth erupted. The ground was rent asunder as fire and lava leaped up from the snow. In a cone emanating from where she gestured, crystal ponies died in flames.

She slammed her right leg down and swept out with the left, raising her hoof to the heavens and bringing the eruptions to her other side as well. Thousands more perished in seconds, their screams lost in the crashing of stones and the hiss of melting snow.

Celestia took off and flew like a windswept kite: straight up, straight back, and straight down, a hundred meters behind the platform. Unleashed, her aura landed before she did, killing those beneath her instantly. Her hooves stomped to the ground, creating a tremor that threw the back ranks around like ragdolls. Some were launched full meters into the air, to land wetly to the iced ground beneath.

She could see more slaves mixed in with the rest. Not even given weapons, but pushed forward along with their masters. All of them dying together. Some scared, some with strange glee on their faces.

Her horn glowed, and white heat shot through the thickest batch of foes she could see. “You butchers!”

No, Tia! That’s you!

The moment of clarity sent her rocketing skywards once more. Her tears sizzled and smoked as they came from her eyes.

Enough? Is this enough?

No. Their leaders will just reform them.

Where? Where?!

“You fools!” she screamed. No longer imperious or huge. Just an alicorn with a cracking voice, who was far too young for this. “Sombra’s dead!”

It was ragged, and barely heard above the screams. But the damn chant remained. Long live the King. Long live King Sombra. Celestia hung limply in the air and let a sob course through her body. It was all too much. She wanted to go.

“Then what?” she snarled, the rage bubbling forth again. “Send in the mortals to die? Make Luna do it? Buck up, Tia!”

The leaders. Kill the leaders and this will all be over.

The mission gave her purpose. She flew low and slow, ignoring their feeble projectiles. They needed to recover. They needed someone to rally them. Briefly, all she saw was a sea of black armor. Who could say how many were slaves, and how many were soldiers?

But amongst it all, a pale blue face with a white mane. The spokesmare from earlier, standing atop two others to scream orders at the milling throng.

Celestia was upon her in an instant. She grabbed the mare roughly under the forelegs and hoisted her to the overcast sky.

She wanted to ask, “Why?” But it would serve no purpose, so instead she roared to the mare’s face. “Yield!”

Lord Marshal Diamond’s hair was smoking, some parts already ignited from Celestia’s aura. Her armor was fast melting from the close proximity. The mare grunted and winced as rivets of liquid metal dripped down her flesh.

Celestia didn’t care. The mare had but to say a word, and she’d live.

“Sombra lives,” Diamond croaked, pain warring with arrogance in her voice. “He’ll come back.”

Celestia raised her higher and gave her a violent shake. “Sombra’s dead, you fool!”

The mare locked eyes with Celestia. She tilted her nose up and spat on the sun princess’ face.

The saliva boiled at the touch, and Diamond burst into flame. She still burned as Celestia hurled her downwards, a flaming projectile back into her own lines.

The sun-voice returned, screaming along with Celestia as she dropped like a comet. She felt the earth give way beneath her, and she roasted it. Those who survived the earlier blows found themselves knee-deep as the snow turned to boiling water.

Her wide eyes had gone pure white. Celestia threw her head back and neighed, trembling as her power flooded the air.

It was a vision of the apocalypse, or the Hells that may lie in wait. A few were able to flee, tearing wildly into the blizzard. The rest were trapped in the inferno. Some escaped the lava to fall in the boiling water. Some found solid ground, only to find it cooking their hooves beneath them. They leaped, neighed madly… and fell.

Like a leash around her own neck, Celestia once more forced herself from her rage. But it was too late. She couldn’t stop the fires, the boiling. Too late to save them. There was no pony left to–

Her eyes widened as she turned back to the sapphire platform. The middle-aged slave was still there, raised by a mere foot above the bubbling sea. She was gazing at the carnage around her, watching with fear as the water rose.

Celestia was aloft again. I can save one!

I can at least save one!

She swept the mare up in her forelegs, rising upwards just seconds before the boiling water claimed the platform. More steam came from Celestia’s eyes as she wept in relief.

And then she smelled the burning, and realized her folly.

It was like with the leader, but this mare had no armor. Her body was twisting and scorching in Celestia’s embrace.

The two looked at each other. Celestia could barely match her gaze, lost in horror. The mare just looked back sadly, tears boiling from her own eyes.

The slave opened her mouth, and smoke came out. She coughed, leaned in closer, and managed to whisper.

“I pity you.”

There was nothing else for it. Celestia hugged her tightly and flared hotter, ending the other’s pain.

And then she fled.

It was a “blink and you'll miss it” moment.

Not that any of the Equestrian soldiers were blinking. They could hear her coming from miles away. A high whine as the air shook with her speed and heat.

They knew she had set out against the last Imperial army. And now, Princess Celestia was making her triumphant return.

The white comet that was her aura passed directly overhead, bathing the ground below in a moment of heat. Such was the speed of her passing that the overcast gave way, briefly ending the snowfall. The grey clouds had been parted, revealing blue skies and the glorious sun above.

The soldiers celebrated wildly. They knew this was the end – the good fight, brought to its victorious conclusion. They laughed and wept, hugged and marveled at the sun they hadn’t seen for a week.

A short distance from the rest, standing alone, Luna looked upwards. Her posture was still and composed, face caught somewhere between a grimace and a sneer.

Really, Tia? Grandstanding your victory? I thought you went alone for MY sake.

Her mouth curled in a humorless smirk. “Silly me.”

The mortals were still going wild. Caesar had been called on to make a speech, but he kept being interrupted by cheers and shouts.

He kept it short, wrapping it up quickly before the ecstatic crowd. “We bring order! We bring freedom! We’re more than an army, we are Celestians!”

Luna grimaced as they took up the last words as a chant.

“We are Celestians!”

“We are Celestians!”

She grunted in annoyance. Even her own vassals were echoing the call. Lunar Guards stood with the rest of the idiots, grinning and shouting that damnable nickname.

“Celestians!”

“Celestians!”

A short, wordless growl of frustration spat from Luna’s throat. She kicked once at the snow, turned, and stalked from the campsite.

Author's Notes:

With thanks to the pre-reading assistance of Derpmind and changeling khaos.