It had gone quiet, which was what got to Twilight the most. They'd retreated with all speed to the city in the expectation that the Mareitanians would chase after them. They did, and were clearly planning to enter the city, but the clever buggers were taking their time to evenly distribute their forces to slowly and carefully invade. Unfortunately, until that happened, there was relatively little to do. At the very least it gave the zebras a chance to patch up those wounded still capable of fighting.

"If I'd known they were going to take so long I'd have brought snacks."

Twilight breathed a laugh, "You could eat at a time like this?"

"You couldn't?" Trixie said back.

"It's only been twenty minutes."

"Feels a lot longer than twenty minutes."

"True enough." Twilight looked down over the edge of the building whose roof they were stood on to watch the Mareitanians. The street below was empty, for the moment, but it didn't take much to imagine the crush of ponies, yaks, and zebras that would be there soon as they vied for survival and dominance.

"What do you think the odds are of us winning this?"

Twilight pulled back from the edge to give Trixie a sideways glance, "What kind of question to ask is that?"

"One that I feel deserves an answer."

"If we were on the other side of this, what do you think the answer would be?"

"That it'd hurt, but we'd get it done. That's how it always worked." Trixie bit down on her bottom lip as her concern grew, "I'm not sure I like being on this side at the moment."

"While I do agree with that, we also have to factor in the Kuua, zebra fighting methods, and that the Mareitanians don't know the city in the slightest. In Mareitania we had soldiers from all over, so there was always somepony who knew whatever city we were attacking."

"Hmm, perhaps. I'll reserve my judgement for when my body is strung up for the Mareitanians to gawp at."

"Oh great, more talk about how my friends are going to die. Delightful."

"Sorry Twi, but you know the whole morbid thing is our shtick."

Twilight smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just wish it didn't feel so portentous right now." Twilight lost her smile and sat with a sigh, "I wish Sunset was here. I wish Celestia was on our side. I wish we had a lot of things."

Trixie sat next to Twilight and leaned against her, hoping her armour conveyed some of the warmth the gesture was meant to show. "This is going to sound super sappy, but we have each other and the rest of our friends. Somehow, despite the long odds that were always against us, we're pulling this whole thing off, even if we lose here today."

"Faust could still win yet. We still have a lot to do, and a lot that could go wrong."

"We're supposed to be attempting optimism right now."

"Right, sorry, sorry." Twilight leaned back against Trixie and let the moment last as long as possible as the Mareitanians prepared their attack. There was apparently a saying in Zebrica that all roads led to Zanzebra. In Equestria, all roads led to Canterlot. Twilight did wonder if there was a version of that saying for every country, but right now the more important thing was that it was reasonably true for Zebrica. There were so many roads and entrances into Zanzebra, a city without walls, that the Mareitanians were really having to split themselves up to cover them all. Hopefully that worked against them.

"Maybe we can actually do this."

Trixie leaned away to give Twilight a look of fake surprise, "Good heavens, is my attempt at positive thinking actually working?"

"Oh hell no, your armour is digging into my shoulder too much for that." Twilight smiled as Trixie sighed and stopped leaning against her. "I was just thinking that we might genuinely stand a chance at doing this."

"Took you long enough."

Twilight stood as the Mareitanians finally completed their preparations and started to advance on the city, "Come on Trixie, we have a battle to win."

Both of them went back inside and down to their ambush point, where Nightmare was waiting for them, the axe held in her magic presenting a grim image. "Does this mean they're coming?"

Twilight nodded, "It does."

Nightmare grinned, revealing teeth slightly too pointy for the unicorn she was supposed to be disguised as. "It's about time, I was starting to get bored. So are they coming Adept first, or yak first?"

"Yak first."

Nightmare held a hoof up to her mouth and smacked her lips. "Perfection," she purred. "I do so hope they remember to put up more of a fight this time. Their lives might just depend on it."

Cadence's back was a mess. That was all Luna really had to say about it. Give it a week and you'd hardly be able to tell it was there, speaking as she was as a pony with one of her cutie marks currently missing. Alicorns healed fast, and they healed everything. It was pretty convenient really. What was less convenient was the timing. Cadence was in a significant amount of pain, and her wound considerably lessened her ability to fight, so taking on Celestia again if she reared her metaphorically ugly head was an uncomfortable prospect.

"I hope Flurry's doing okay without me."

At least Cadence's priorities were no different to usual.

"No offence to Flurry, but I hope Daring, Mayfly, and Moondancer are okay without you. Flurry can be quite the hooffull, and I'm saying that as a mere observer."

"Aren't you supposed to be more concerned for your niece's wellbeing?"

"Dear Cadence, if I ever offer to foalsit, it's because she's reached an age where I deem her capable of caring for herself, like after she graduates from Canterlot University. As it stands, I feel sorry for anypony looking after her who isn't you. Especially when Flurry isn't used to being away from you for any length of time. I dread to think what trouble she might be causing them."

"You are not making me feel better!"

"I realise that, yes, and I'm sorry." Luna went quiet as a fresh application of salve was spread over Cadence's wound, and did her best to express sympathy as Cadence made it obvious that it hurt. In all honesty though, Luna'd had considerably more painful things done to her on purpose, so her inner monologue was busy telling Cadence to suck it up. Thankfully the arrival of Vapor Trail gave her an excuse to stop.

"They've started their advance, and will enter the city in a few minutes. We haven't seen Celestia with them, so I think she's hanging back for now."

"Then she hopes for us to get distracted with the battle before entering the city. Too bad for her she won't find the Council where she expects to. Thank you, Vapor. Return to the others and tell them to return here to relay our commander's orders to the front."

Vapor saluted and left, leaving Luna alone with Cadence and the zebra healer tending her. "Try not to linger here too long. When Celestia comes, we will need to be ready. Hopefully the Night Maidens have removed everything of import as I asked, because I do not expect this place to survive the fight."

"Where will you be?"

"I shall be with Mistress Mjuzi, seeing how she steers this battle. Hopefully this all works out how we hope."

"Okay. Be careful."

"Oh Cadence, you know I can't do that." Luna left, smiling at the sigh she heard from Cadence. It was hardly her fault that battles and being careful don't really work well together.

It was quiet outside the Kumbi Mzee, high on its hill, surrounded by the city on three of its sides, and the ocean to its south. The battle had not yet started, but when it did, there would be no silence to enjoy.

Mistress Mjuzi was outside the main entrance, leaning heavily on a table that held a single map of the city, covered in markers depicting her own forces as well as the Mareitanians', of which there was a greater number of markers. She'd split them up so that there was roughly an similar number of markers entering into the seven lanes of the city. Luckily for the defenders, none of those roads maintained a straight line through the city.

"Your pegasus has informed me they are coming."

Luna nodded, having already worked out that was how the Mistress knew the rough positioning of the Mareitanians. Maybe she knew the composition too, but lacked the markers to show it.

"They had little choice if you think about it," Luna said conversationally while Mistress Mjuzi brooded over her map. "They lack the supplies for a siege, and don't know the land anywhere near well enough to live off it. Show a yak a snowy mountain and they could make you a feast, but here even the grass would stump them. They have no choice but to end this quickly."

"Then let us hope that desperation doesn't sharpen their edges."

Luna silently agreed. Desperate people could do some amazing things when they lack any other choices. Ten thousand yaks and ponies against roughly nine thousand zebras, a quartet of alicorns, a trio of pegasi, a dragon, and Trixie, who was currently unique enough to get her own category. If Sunset were still alive to fight, they could've been lumped together as a pair of unicorns, which could lead on to the singular dragon, but her untimely death ruined that.

Luna mentally apologised to Sunset for even thinking of that. Anyway, bringing herself back to her own point, the Mareitanians already outnumbered them, and hardly needed the extra motivation of running out of supplies. In other circumstances Luna would've laughed at their lack of preparation to come to Zebrica, but right now it wasn't so funny.

"They are entering the city," Mistress Mjuzi said quietly.

Luna looked up as the flapping of wings told her the Wonderbolts had arrived. "Then let us end this, one way or the other."

There was a method to the coming battle, which was about as much at Twilight could say about it. The Mareitanians had to be drawn into the city before the ambushes started, because otherwise you were just getting yourselves wiped out a dozen zebras at a time. You had to wait for them to pass, and then attack in a way that splits the Mareitanians up into small groups that could be killed.

Of course that was easier said than done. The Mareitanians were moving in slowly, quickly searching the buildings as they went, looking for zebras. Thankfully the zebras weren't that dumb, and were hidden on rooftops, and in hidden alcoves, and anywhere that wasn't obvious. They were also hidden in the sewers, of which Zanzebra had quite an extensive amount, much to Twilight's surprise. Then she felt a little ashamed for assuming the zebras wouldn't be advanced enough to have them.

Some zebras had been discovered of course. It was only inevitable that some would, and it could only be hoped that they at least took some of their killers with them. The Mareitanians weren't being overly careful, but they weren't being sloppy either. They wouldn't miss everything.

What they did miss was the false wall that Twilight was standing behind as she watched the Mareitanians go past through the barely five pony wide street beyond. It had been a doorway, but a liberal application of magic had disguised it as a solid wall that she could see through. She eyed the Mareitanians with open disdain, noting how inattentive they became the further back from the front they were. They'd regret that.

"Y'know, I think I've worked out what made fighting in Mareitania easier," Trixie said as they waited for a distraction to begin attacking.

Twilight drew her eye from the street for a split second to look at Trixie, then returned it to watching the sewer grate in the middle of the road. "And what might that be?"

"The copious amounts of alcohol in my system. There weren't many days back then where I didn't have a belly half full of bourbon."

Twilight laughed quietly. The barrier would block some of the noise they were making, but there was no point in taking risks. "I suppose that would be a contributing factor, but I'm not exactly going to recommend it as something we should do now."

"Do zebras even drink bourbon anyway?" Trixie directed the question to Seeker, who was crouched ready to attack alongside a dozen other zebras.

"I'm not sure how to answer that question. If you were to put a bourbon in front of me, I could drink it, and feel rich doing it. Bourbon isn't produced in Zebrica, so tends to be a luxury imported item."

"So it's unlikely I could find some?" Trixie sighed as Seeker shook her head, "Not even if I asked whether you would kindly find me some?"

Seeker's demeanour turned cold, "I would not do so even if asked in that way, but I do instead feel a strange compulsion to hit you in the mouth hard enough to cost you some teeth."

"Ah, so that's how you decided to deal with that. Good choice."

"Will you shush?" Twilight chastised them. "Some of us are trying to get ready to attack."

"Better stop talking, Seeker, she's getting tetchy."

"Not that I needed it explained to me, but I really can see why some people find you incredibly annoying, Trixie."

"Shush! The both of you! For fuck sake."

To Twilight's relief the other two did go quiet, although Nightmare took over on their behalf by complaining that Twilight had let all the yaks past. Twilight didn't know why it was her fault, since she was also waiting for the signal to attack, but she was starting to share some of the sentiments about this taking too long. She kept watching the grate, but she was starting to think about starting the attack anyway.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait much longer as she saw the tip of a spear hovering just below the grate. She waved for the others to get ready, her eyes never leaving the spear, even as it jabbed up into the belly of a mare walking over the grate.

Twilight cringed as the mare screamed, then again as more screams came from other places. All around the city, both ponies and yaks were finding out that even the street below them wasn't safe to walk upon. Twilight had wanted to argue against it, but also agreed that it was an unfortunately effective start to the battle. One that could easily sway things in their favour.

Twilight waited a few seconds for confusion to stir through all of them in the street as some tried to help those that had been attacked. Others quickly searched around, trying to work out what had happened, and those were the first to fall as Twilight dropped the barrier and blasted the nearest ponies point blank with her magic.

Nightmare leapt over her into the street as she kept pouring spell after spell into the Mareitanians, none of them quite able to muster an adequate response to the sudden attack. Nightmare swung her axe around the opening Twilight had given her, brutally cutting down a Juggernaut as Trixie, Seeker, and the other zebras ran into the fray.

Twilight stayed where she was for the time being, using the slight height advantage the doorway gave her to rain magical destruction on the Mareitanians. Even in the short span of time since the attack began, bodies were already starting to pile up, although she doubted it would remain that way for much longer. Even in the chaos, a spear wielding pony thrust at one of the zebra, killing him with a high pitched nicker that was loud enough to be heard over the din of the battle. Twilight quickly avenged him, but as the Mareitanians started to rally, she doubted she could avenge all the zebras that would fall today.

Shields started to spring up further up the street as a group of Adepts decided to hang back and let the current skirmish die down before attacking again. Twilight couldn't let that happen, because as soon as they ran out of opponents, the Adepts had no reason to hold back from using their magic to whittle those zebras down. That might've worked if it was just zebras they were fighting.

"Trixie!" Twilight leapt out of the doorway, Swordy flashing side to side as ponies tried to intercept her. Trixie was quickly behind her, having picked up on Twilight's intent as soon as she saw the shields. Magic from both their horns battered the shields, tearing holes in it that they were quick to exploit by attacking the ponies hiding behind it, trying desperately to keep the shield up.

Two final bursts of magic tore the shield down, and Twilight leapt among the Adepts, her horn blazing with destructive spells as Swordy sliced through their thin armour like it was made of butter. Ponies tried to push past to flank her, but Trixie was with her, informing them it was a bad idea. Between them, they held off the Mareitanians while Nightmare led the Zebras after those that had already entered the city.

Trixie grunted with effort, and a wall of crystals filled the street, cutting the Mareitanians off from this avenue of attack. She slumped against the barrier, her chest heaving from the short burst of exertion.

"Haven't had to fight like that in a while," she puffed.

Twilight tapped the back of a hoof against the wall of crystals, then backed off at the sound of an impact from the other side. Then she turned around and really saw the trail of carnage that led them to this point. Sixty, seventy bodies, maybe even more, were strewn along the ground behind them. Most of them were dead, but some were only injured, including the mare that had suffered the first attack. Her screams had been exchanged for a frightened whimpering as she squeezed herself up to the side of a building.

"Twilight? Are you alright?"

Twilight blinked, her wits returning to her. "Yeah, sorry, I-um... it's been a while since I've really had to fight like this."

"So the coup in Griffonia, the battle in Saddle Arabia, and the thing in the canyon the other day didn't count?"

Twilight shook her head. Griffonia had been different as it was griffons they were fighting, which shouldn't make a difference, but it did. In Saddle Arabia she hadn't participated in the battle really, and the same again in the canyon where she'd been more engaged with Celestia. She hadn't really fought a battle like this since the end of the Mareitanian civil war.

"Are you about to have a breakdown on me?"

"Piss off, Trixie."

"I'll take that as a no," Trixie muttered as Twilight started walking towards the wounded mare. "What are you doing?" she asked as Twilight stopped in front of the crying mare, Swordy held limply beside her.

Twilight didn't know what she was doing. Logically, she was assessing the mare's wounds for survivability, and if she received help in the next couple of hours, she might survive. Putting aside the logic though, all Twilight was really doing was staring at the mare as she begged, again and again, saying "please" in the hopes that Twilight wouldn't kill her.

Trixie found herself conflicted as she watched. Previously she wouldn't have given a toss whether Twilight killed the mare or not, and might even have killed the mare herself. Now she found herself worried that Twilight was going to kill her, but she couldn't tell if it was out of pity for the mare, or concern for the effect it would have on Twilight. Then Trixie looked at the mare, and saw that she was a yellow unicorn with a amber coloured mane and blue eyes that weren't dissimilar to those of Sunset Shimmer. Now she understood what the problem was.

"Twilig-"

"I'm sorry," Twilight blurted, although who she was saying sorry to definitely wasn't the mare in front of her. "I-" Twilight's voiced broke, and she stood staring for a little bit before turning away with a shake of her head. "Let's go, Trixie. We- We have things to do."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Trixie said as she trotted after Twilight. She looked down at the mare as she passed, observing that she cringed in fear far more than she did for Twilight. Trixie could only suppose that she'd gained her reputation in Mareitania as a monster after all.

Mistress Mjuzi was running the Wonderbolts ragged with her constant orders. Luna was quite impressed with her ability to utilise them since it was unlikely she'd ever had to make use of pegasi messengers before. Now she had them flying back and forth delivering reports on the battle, giving orders to reinforce different area, providing warnings about an influx of Mareitanians, and whatever else she could think of. Luna found herself at a loss to do anything, which was fine by her.

It was quite interesting to watch as well. As far as she and the Mistress could tell, the Mareitanians still had no idea there were an extra six thousand zebra warriors within the city. They thought they were hunting down those that had fled, when in reality they were fighting a full scale battle in dozens of little segments. The Mareitanians were getting whittled away, but they had no real idea because no one of them could really see the full scale of what they were fighting. The only one of them that could was Celestia, and she was yet to show herself.

"We're still losing too many of our warriors," Mistress Mjuzi murmured as Lightning flew off with her latest orders. "At this rate we shall do little more than wipe each other out. If they realise what we've done and pull out we'll have no chance at defeating them."

"And they can put together a new plan that could defeat us, I know. News will soon reach General Snowbright of our deception, and he will likely order a full retreat. Even if he won this battle, wiping his own forces out doing so would hardly please Faust."

Mistress Mjuzi nodded, agreeing with Luna's assessment. "Then we can agree that the best course of action is to cut off the head of the snake?"

"If there were but one head, yes. Until we know where Celestia is, an attack on their chain of command could turn disastrous."

"Then I order you to find her."

"On my own?"

"A chance to face her alone would draw her out, wouldn't it?"

"...Yes?" Luna said hesitantly, really not liking the idea. "The idea was to not fight her alone though."

"Then that is a luxury you shall have to forego. If you can find and engage Celestia, I shall get orders to Princess Twilight to find and eliminate General Snowbright."

Luna made a face, as she had wanted to be the one to take care of Snowbright. Instead she had to fight her sister one on one once again. "As you wish, although don't be surprised to find Celestia coming for you the moment I leave here."

"I am not afraid to die."

"You'll be surprised how that opinion might change when you're looking death in the face."

"I can't help but find that hypocritical for an immortal to say."

Luna smiled at the Mistress, "It rather is, isn't it? Inform Cadence of the new plan, and that she should be ready if Celestia decides to attack here while I am away."

Luna spread her wings and took flight, finally giving herself a bird's eye view of the city. The battle was going much how it was described to her. Isolated skirmishes were happening throughout much of the city as the zebras fought fiercely to defend it, but the Mareitanians were still coming. Most of them were in the city by this point, but that was hardly any comfort to the zebras fighting below.

"Where are you, sister?" Luna asked, not really hoping for an answer, nor really getting one. Celestia really did seem to be absent from the battle. Why though? And what was she doing instead?

Luna intercepted Rainbow on her way back to the Kumbi Mzee, asking the pegasus if she'd spotted Celestia on her rounds. Rainbow shook her head, said she hadn't, and was about to go when she spotted smoke rising from the harbour.

"You think that might be her?"

"I'm willing to bet, yes. Head to the Mistress; she has some orders for you to deliver to Twilight once I have Celestia's attention."

Rainbow saluted and diverted away to the Kumbi Mzee while Luna raced for the harbour. As had been suspected, Celestia was there, and she was burning a large number of the boats moored in the bay. Apparently she wasn't allowing the possibility of escape by boat for anyone.

"Celestia! What are you doing?"

Celestia stopped what she was doing, the stream of fire she was directing at a boat dying down as she turned to face Luna. "I was waiting for you, actually. You've done well in planning this attack. Hiding so many zebras in the city was quite well thought out, even if it meant sacrificing a quarter of your forces to draw us in."

"If you're aware, why aren't you pulling out?"

"And leave our backs exposed for your zebra to fill with spears and arrows? Oh no, Luna, this battle has been forced to its conclusion now, whether in victory or defeat."

"That's ridiculous."

"I'm aware, which is why I'm going to give you an ultimatum. Order your zebras to stand down, or I burn the city to ashes, making your valiant defence of it, and the lives spent doing so, utterly worthless."

Luna crossed her legs over her chest and raised an eyebrow at Celestia as the slightly elder alicorn started to circle around Luna like a shark around its prey. "I fail to see how that gains you anything either. I also doubt you have the ability to carry out such a threat."

"A city built out of wood and clay in a hot, dry country like this?" Celestia gave Luna a predatory smile, "It couldn't be easier."

Luna said nothing to that, instead choosing to observe Celestia for a few seconds to see whether she was bluffing. Since the old Celestia would never have suggested such a thing, Luna could only feel like this new Celestia was telling her the truth. It was also the truth that a fire in Zanzebra could spread quite quickly with adequate motivation.

"I hope this silence is because you're thinking."

"If only your Mother could see you now. I have to wonder if she would approve of your dramatic shift in attitude?"

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Because after over a millennia of peace, in the space of a week you've become this. You've become unhinged, Celestia, in a way that Faust could never have predicted. Do you think she would approve of your decision to burn Zanzebra down just because you're losing?"

Celestia raised her head to look down on Luna, "My Mother would trust my judgement."

"Would she? She doesn't even trust you with raising the sun, which you have done for centuries upon centuries. How could she trust you to do anything when your reaction to loss is the wholesale slaughter of all?"

Celestia appeared to be a loss for words, and rubbed a hoof at her left eye. For a moment Luna was tempted to think she'd gotten through to her sister, but the sudden look of determination she developed told Luna otherwise.

"Fine, but there are other ways to secure your defeat."

"Such as?"

"Killing the Council. The loss of the zebras leaders would cause chaos. Zebrica will still crumble without them, even if you stop us here today."

"Your ability to negotiate would also be rendered null without them," Luna countered. "You need them alive."

"I only need one of them alive to do that."

Luna rolled her eyes and sighed, "So the Elder Mareed has sold out, has he? What was his reward to be? Sole rule of Zebrica as Faust's puppet?"

Celestia's face creased up in confusion, "Who's Mareed?"

Now it was Luna's turn to be confused. Mareed she could see turning traitor, but one of the other Elders was certainly a surprise. Unless of course Celestia was planning to kill them until one caved and gave her what she wanted. Either option seemed likely.

"Well if Mareed hasn't betrayed his country, I guess none of them would."

"Then they shall all die, and Zebrica will fall, only to be rebuilt as Mother wishes it to be." Celestia pumped her wings, racing upwards before Luna could even think of reacting. She was heading straight for the Kumbi Mzee, flames building around her as she made her intent to burn it clear. She fired a massive fireball at the building, but it never reached its destination as a shield cocooned the structure.

"Nicely done," Luna complemented Cadence, even though she couldn't see the pink alicorn. She raced after Celestia as she tried to batter down Cadence's shield, intent in the knowledge that the time for talking had passed.

Twilight raced up the street, a shield holding back the fire from the Mareitanians as she tried to close the gap between them and her zebras. The group had arrived while they were engaged with others, and there had been no cover until Twilight had made it. They'd lost several zebras in the time that took her.

Twilight crashed into the enemy, pushing them back and staggering them with her shield before shattering it with a pulse that knocked them back even further. Flashes of dark magic flew past her, piercing into the soldiers as she stabbed down with Swordy, pinning one to the floor while her magic cut down two others. Nightmare was there as well, leaping over the stricken zebras to go after a pair of yaks in her typical fashion. Since their bodies would block the street, it wasn't actually a bad idea.

A scattered shower of arrows and magic put Twilight back on the defensive, and she ducked around a corner while Trixie used the more open field of fire to her advantage. Nightmare appeared next to her in the flash of a teleport, and gave Twilight a wink, her axe running with gore.

"So what's your count?"

Twilight eyed Nightmare from the side, "I'm not counting. I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to."

"That's no fun. I'm up to sixty seven kills that I can definitely confirm, but I'm sure the number is probably a bit higher than that."

"Maybe if you spent less time going after the yaks?"

"No chance." Nightmare ducked her head as a powerful blast of magic shook their cover, raining dust upon them as Seeker led her zebras to attack the incoming Mareitanians. "Wait, you made it sound like sixty seven isn't that many."

Twilight decided to not say that she could kill dozens with a spell if she wanted to, because she didn't, and would only end up killing her allies as well if she did.

Twilight jumped aside as a burst of lilac flame erupted out of grate in the street beside her. "Ember! Wrong ponies!"

"Oops! Sorry Twilight!"

"Twilight!"

"Urgh, now what?" Twilight looked up as Rainbow zoomed in, then ducked as the crackle of static around Rainbow's wings led to a blast of lightning that slammed into the still advancing Mareitanians. A few seconds later Rainbow was sharing their cover as the fight raged on.

"Hey Twilight, I have orders for you from Mistress Mjuzi. Luna and Cadence have engaged Celestia, and while they're busy she wants you to go after General Snowbright."

"What? Are you kidding me? He's probably got dozens of ponies around him for protection!"

"I don't know," Nightmare grinned cheekily, "sounds like fun to me."

"Too bad, because you're staying here. If anypony's coming with me it's Trixie-"

"Aww..."

"-Not that taking her makes this any less of a terrible idea." Twilight groaned, letting her frustration out. She'd wanted to capture Snowbright and put him on trial, not kill him. Still, needs must. "Alright, fine, if it ends this I'll do it. Where is he?"

"Outside the city," Rainbow gestured northwards, "around thattaway. I'm sure you'll be able to find him."

"Yeah, probably. Trixie!" Twilight waved Trixie over, shifting along to make a bit more room in their little alcove of cover. "Did you hear? We're going to go stop Snowbright."

"We are? Hah! Sweet! Uh..." Trixie bit on her bottom lip, her expression turning uncertain, "You promise this won't end up like it did with Filigree?"

"That's why I'm taking you with me, to make sure I don't do something silly like talk too much."

"Oh good. Even knowing you're immortal now, the thought of watching you die again doesn't exactly fill me with joy."

"Didn't think it would." Twilight looked down her leg at the stripes of green Kuua covering it, wishing she had some easy way to wash it off quickly. "Come on Trixie, let's go. Try to keep Seeker and the other zebras alive, Nightmare."

Nightmare peeked around the corner, just in time to witness Seeker punch an earth pony in his helmeted head hard enough to knock him clean out. "That doesn't seem like it should be a problem."

Twilight took off and picked Trixie up around the chest using her legs to give her horn a short break. A few Mareitanians took pot shots at them as they flew up, but they were soon away, soaring over the city from where they could see the entire battle progressing.

"I suppose it does seem a bit odd why we had only ten zebras with us," Trixie commented as she saw thousands of zebras, ponies, and yaks fighting beneath them. "I guess they thought we could handle ourselves."

"Maybe," Twilight said noncommittally. She was too busy thinking that the battle was not going particularly well for either side. Something had to be done to end it, and if killing Snowbright was that thing, then so be it. If only the thought of that didn't feel her leaving sick.

"So... how close are you planning on getting to him?" Trixie asked sweetly as they slowly flew north. "Close enough to hold a conversation I presume? Instead of just killing him from up here."

"He's probably protected, so we'll have to get close."

"Mmhmm, now where's the other half of that answer?"

Twilight grunted, then laughed. "You know me so well. Trixie, Snowbright was our friend once. Yes he might've been a massive asshole at times, but that doesn't change the fact that we were on the same side fighting for the same things. Just killing him feels wrong on so many levels."

"Sometimes you are far too sentimental, but fine, I understand. I suppose I should be glad that I'm here to keep an eye on you this time."

"Exactly, now let's get this done."

Twilight picked up the pace, flying over the boundary of the city. It seemed to be fairly quiet outside the city, with most of the Mareitanians having entered to fight. Not all of them though. There was still a small cluster of ponies out here, and Twilight could only assume Snowbright was among them.

"Eight guards, four Adepts, four earth ponies?"

"If the others are just acting as runners, then yeah, I think so. I wonder how they got so many Adepts? Did they improve their training regimen so that weaker unicorns could be involved?"

"More volunteers to train would be my guess," said Trixie. "Anyway, focus. I'll take the four on the right, you take the four on the left, and Snowbright."

"Sounds good." Twilight flew a quick lap around the cluster, whom she could tell had spotted them. The four Adepts had shields up, while the four earth ponies got ready to fight. Snowbright simply watched them, his eyes resolute.

Twilight dived down, heading not towards her target, but towards the pair of runners dashing to the city to warn the soldiers there that their commander was under attack. They never even made it half way before they were cut down. Their warning stopped, Twilight slowed and dropped Trixie gently to the ground in front of the shield.

"Hello, Snowbright."

"Twilight. Trixie," Snowbright said in return, giving them each a small nod. "I suppose I should be grateful that you two came for me."

"I wouldn't be," Trixie growled. "I've a good mind to send you to bed with no dinner and a smacked bottom after all you've done."

"Not this time. Not again. There's no way I could go back to Faust after this." Snowbright laughed once and smirked at Twilight, "I guess I forgot who I was fighting against now you're back."

"Actually I've had relatively little to do with planning the defence here," Twilight informed Snowbright, getting a small kick out of watching his face drop. "This is pretty much all Luna's idea."

"Oh, well, I guess she's stepped up her game since you came back."

Twilight held Snowbright's gaze for a few seconds, then sighed. "Just surrender, Snowbright. I don't really want to do this, and I don't think you want this either. We'll take you prisoner, you won't have to face Faust, and you can-"

"Spend the rest of my days in an Equestrian prison?" Snowbright shook his head at Twilight, "No thanks. I'd rather die here, standing tall, than spend the rest of my life as a failure."

Twilight knew there was no point arguing. Snowbright had always been ready to die for what he believed in, and that attitude hadn't changed it seemed, even if he was maintaining it to escape Faust's wrath.

"Fine, have it your way." Twilight took a few steps back and charged her horn, with Trixie doing the same. They unleashed their spells simultaneously, quickly battering down the shield. The four earth ponies ran in quickly while the Adepts took a moment to recover, firing their crossbows.

Twilight caught the arrows and discarded them while the earth ponies drew their swords. She parried one blow with Swordy, following the move up with a thrust that sank her blade deep into the neck of the mare attacking her. A quick sidestep and a thrust with Swordy finished off the other earth pony stallion, just as Trixie finished off her two stallions and started on the Adepts.

Twilight deflected a blast of magic with a shield, and reacted with throwing a scoop of dirt into the eyes of the mare while the other mare turned and ran. Twilight let her go, then teleported the other Adept out over the bay somewhere, since there was no need for her to die. Some zebras would probably find her, and if she had sense she wouldn't fight back.

Twilight caught Snowbright as he charged at her with a sword in his mouth, pulling it out and tossing him away to land in a pile as Trixie finished off the two Adepts attacking her. Slowly and purposely she bent the sword into a coil, then dropped it to the ground.

"That was my favourite sword," Snowbright lamented. He pulled himself back to his hooves and dusted his armour down, taking his time just to annoy them. "So I have to fight you with my hooves and harsh language now? That hardly seems fair. It wasn't exactly a fair fight anyway, with you two against me."

"There is literally nothing stopping us from taking you prisoner," Trixie said to Snowbright, a bemused smile on her face. "We could toss you around all day like a cat with a toy if we wanted to."

"You sound so confident in your victory, but I'm telling you now, you have no chance of winning against Faust. Frankly I'd rather not be around when she finds me again after that."

"Do you even care about what she's trying to do?" Twilight asked, her voice taking on an incredulous note. "Do you know what her plan is for the end, to force us all into becoming mindless beasts? To go back to a more primitive way of life and be little more than food for predators? Are you aware of any of that in the slightest?"

"I've heard the rumours, and frankly some of the stories I've heard coming out of the Everfree castle might even confirm those rumours if they weren't so ridiculous. I have faith that Faust has the best interests of all of us at heart. Now stop talking and fight me!"

Twilight sighed as he went for her again, and smacked his legs out from under him so he landed painfully on his face.

"Twilight, just give him what he wants."

"An honourable death? I hate to say it, Trixie, but I don't really think there's anything honourable about this. What he's doing is just- it's just... suicide by... proxy!"

"That's not even the right term! Look, if you don't want to do it, I'll do it."

"I'd much rather Twilight do it, if I'm totally honest."

"Shut up!" they both shouted at Snowbright.

"Do you really think Snowbright should die?" Twilight asked Trixie, her own thoughts slowly coming around to agreeing, even though she didn't really want to.

"After all that cunt-bucket has done? Yes he deserves to die!"

"That's a fair, if unnecessarily vulgar, point." Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, wishing things hadn't happened like this, creating this bizarre situation she found herself trapped in. "Alright, I'll do it. Snowbright, go stand over there. On the count of three we fight."

Snowbright smiled, actually smiled, as he went to stand where Twilight had indicated. For her own part, Twilight dismissed Swordy, not out of a desire to give Snowbright a better chance, but because cutting him up was far from the plan.

"By your count, Trixie."

"By my- What? Oh for fuck sake, fine. This has turned real weird." Trixie raised a hoof and began to count down, totally contrary to what Twilight has said barely twenty seconds earlier. "Three, two, one, fight!"

Snowbright kicked up a cloud of dust as he charged at Twilight, but had barely made it halfway to her when her horn flashed, firing a single bolt of energy at him, hitting him in the chest. He fell, tumbling head over heels to a stop. He was already dead.

Twilight stared down at his body, her heart aching, although to what end she couldn't tell. Was it because of the fact that he died, or how? Was it because it was so unnecessary? That he could have lived if he wasn't such a stubborn ass? That seemed the most likely to her, although having to kill a friend turned enemy might've had something to do with it.

"Twilight?"

"I need to go help Luna stop Celestia. If we can beat her here, or at least get her to flee, we can end this battle with a win."

"Twilight."

"What?" Twilight snapped irritably, instantly turning apologetic for doing it, if not actually apologising.

"Nothing, just-" Trixie hugged Twilight around the neck quickly, then started trotting towards the city. "Take care, and I'll meet you at the Kumbi Mzee."

"Yeah." Twilight spent a few more seconds standing, staring at the body of Snowbright. Eventually she pulled herself away with a sigh and spread her wings to go fight Celestia, because fighting her former mentor, friend, and near second mother, would really round today out.

Luna's trip into the Kumbi Mzee, backwards through a wall at considerable speed, had not been pleasant. It was some considerable thing to have to be thankful that it wasn't worse, like with ending up impaled on a spar of wood, or more embarrassingly, one of the many potted plants dotted around the place.

Celestia drifted in through the hole Luna's passage had made, the heat coming from her igniting the wood of the building. She was almost completely gone now, and it was only the fact that her mane maintained its usual three colours that convinced Luna that Celestia hadn't been completely consumed by whatever entity now controlled her.

It was her eyes that caught the most attention though. They were slitted, which did have a part of Luna wondering if it was an effect of alicorns giving themselves to darkness, or was it something Celestia was doing to mock Luna with after her own fall to darkness. She literally couldn't tell, although she did remember later that this Celestia had no idea who Nightmare Moon was, so the mocking seemed unlikely. More to the point though, those eyes held no tears or confusion like they had previously. They held only hatred, and a calm certainty that conflicted with the actions of the pony they belonged to. Celestia had been anything but calm up until this point.

Celestia landed in front of Luna, the wooden floor igniting from the slightest touch of her hooves. "Do you give in yet? Or are you waiting for Cadence to come back from her swim in the ocean? I'm sure we could find something to do to pass the time until then."

Luna tried to stand, but fell back with a scream as agony seared her back right leg. Only then did she look back down and see the angle it was bent at.

"Aww, does little Woona have a boo-boo?"

"You talk as though we are actually sisters, sister."

"Oh don't delude yourself. I'm merely speaking to you as though you're a child, since that does seem to be what I'm fighting. Where's the Luna that had the confidence to try and overthrow me in years past?"

Luna fired a beam of magic, but not at Celestia. Instead she hit the support beams of the Kumbi Mzee, bringing it down on both their heads, but teleporting away before it could crush her. The rush of cool air outside, at least in comparison to that around Celestia, made her gasp as a portion of the Kumbi Mzee collapsed.

"Luna!"

Luna whipped around at the shout, and almost cried with relief that it was Twilight. Perhaps with the both of them, they could finally put Celestia down, or at least convince her to flee.

"Are you okay? Is your leg broken?"

"Twilight, there's no time. Celestia has almost cracked, and I can't fight her alone. Cadence is in the bay somewhere at the moment, and I'm not strong enough to face her alone. She is not holding back."

"But- She- I'm-" Twilight dismissed her less important questions with a shake of her head, "Where is she now?"

Luna pointed at the burning Kumbi Mzee. "In there," she said just as a fireball shattered part of the building, releasing a flaming Celestia from its confines. She climbed into the sky, flames trailing off her, then turned to attack them both.
They split up to evade the rain of fire flying towards them, and much to Twilight's lack of surprise Celestia followed after Luna. Twilight wasn't going to complain, and had spotted Cadence treading water below, so decided to trust that Luna would hold her sister off long enough for her to get Cadence back into the fight.

"Twilight!" Cadence shouted with relief as she spotted her sister in law flying towards her, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Me too. I mean you too. Whatever." Twilight dragged the exhausted Cadence up out of the water using her magic, quickly drying her off well enough to fly. Beneath the coating water was a myriad of wounds that were seeping blood, as well as burns and bruises. How Cadence wasn't in agony from getting salt water in those wounds was a mystery to Twilight. "Can you still fight?"

"I- I think so. I don't think it'll matter though. Celestia, she's so much stronger now. I don't think we can beat her."

"Don't let that fool you, Cadence. She's burning through her magic faster than she can regenerate it. She'll wear herself out soon enough."

"I don't think so. The way she's going, she should've done that already. She's desperate to defeat us, and will use any advantage she can, even dark magic. The only way to stop her is to fight her into submission."

That made an unfortunate amount of sense to Twilight. The dark magic wouldn't make her more powerful, but it would sustain her enough to use the full extent of her power for longer. She wasn't holding back because she didn't have to worry about burning herself out. Literally.

"Come on, we still have to try."

Twilight flew up, Cadence following reluctantly behind her, to where Luna and Celestia were exchanging fire. It was clear from a distance that Luna was struggling, pain and exhaustion sapping her ability to face Celestia. Twilight flew straight up between them, shielding Luna while Cadence flew to support the elder alicorn.

"So once again I'm outnumbered," Celestia sneered, baring her slightly fanged teeth. "Of course I'd be more concerned if two of you weren't so weak and wounded."

Twilight rolled her eyes, her own interest in talking having been depleted with Snowbright. Instead she pumped her wings and flew straight for Celestia, dodging each attack that was directed at her, and banking to the side to fire at Celestia, hoping to draw her attention around and away from the other two.

It worked, for all of the few seconds to took for Luna to mess it up by attacking Celestia from behind. With a snarl, Celestia teleported in a puff of flame, reappearing above Luna and firing a blast of flame at her, striking Luna down into the flaming ruins of the Kumbi Mzee.

Cadence screamed after Luna, her horror at that giving Celestia a chance to attack the pink princess as well. Twilight shouted a warning, but Cadence was swallowed by the wave of flame Celestia shot at her, leaving nothing left.

"No!" Twilight screamed hoarsely, while even Celestia seemed surprised by what had happened. It was only when a beam of energy sliced through the flesh of her back that they both learned that Cadence wasn't as dead as they thought.

"How?" Twilight asked breathlessly as she re-joined her sister-in-law. "I thought she'd killed you!"

"Uh, no, I just teleported."

"But how? You were..." Twilight trailed off as she saw no trace of the Kuua on Cadence. She then looked down at the ocean, and it all made sense. "Seems Celestia did you a favour."

"It's more luck really. All I did was panic teleport. I'd forgotten the Kuua would stop that."

Twilight dragged Cadence down as Celestia unleashed her power of them again. She spotted Luna on the ground below, unmoving, and totally unsure whether she was alive or not. Either way it seemed unlikely she had much to contribute to the fight now.

"You go right, I go left," Twilight instructed. "Just keep attacking her. Don't give her a chance to focus on either of us long enough to do any damage."

Cadence nodded and banked right, firing a beam of magic at Celestia while Twilight went left and did the same. Celestia shielded herself, then flew up to try and get a height advantage, but both of them followed after her, keeping up their withering fire to try and bring her protection down.

Cadence was the first to slip up as Celestia teleported, failing to see where the white alicorn had gone. Too late she found out it was to behind her, and even diving as fast as she could, the tips of her wings caught the edge of a fire blast. She was still flying, trailing smoke as she did, but without the full extent of her wings her mobility would be hampered.

Twilight flew in as fast as she could to try and drag Celestia's attention away from Cadence, giving everything she had to attack Celestia. Celestia teleported again, and Twilight rolled into an evasive manoeuvre that she hoped would take her away from wherever Celestia reappeared. Since Celestia teleported after Cadence, it was a move that did nothing to help her.

Cadence teleported again, hoping to evade Celestia with magic as she couldn't do it with flight, and got far enough away to get back to Twilight's side, although they had to quickly part ways again as Celestia ported herself between them. Twilight twisted in midair, firing an orb of magic at Celestia that struck, gouging a wound into her side.

"GrraAAGh!" Celestia roared. "Why must I be constantly bitten into defeat by insects?"

A giant sphere of flame burst from Celestia, spreading rapidly in all directions. Cadence teleported out of range, but Twilight didn't have that option. She shielded herself, barely holding back the attack, but failed to hold back the next as Celestia sped towards her, launching spell after spell at Twilight, battering her shield down then teleporting close.

Twilight readied an attack on her horn, but found herself forced into a battle of will as Celestia countered it with a pulse of magic that would prevent Twilight from releasing her spell as long as she kept it up. It also kept Celestia from casting, but with Celestia so close Twilight didn't take the time to fight it. Instead she swung a hoof at Celestia as hard as she could. It was like punching iron, and when Celestia's fangs clamped down on her leg, it was far too late to correct her mistake.

Twilight screamed as Celestia's teeth sank through her flesh to the bone, a burning hot pain to accompany the feeling of her flesh tearing. That pain only grew as Celestia shook her leg like a dog with a toy, and Twilight found herself too stunned when Celestia let go to remember to fly. It was only Cadence catching her that kept her from joining Luna on the ground.

Twilight screamed again, the pain only seeming to grow as blood ran down her leg from the seared and torn up flesh. She couldn't even imagine how Luna had been able to not only hide the pain after being attacked by Solaris, but to carry on fighting with it as well? It seemed impossible.

"Hold on Twilight! Just hold on!"

Twilight answered with another cry as Cadence dragged her through a series of manoeuvres that was meant to evade Celestia, but with her damaged wings, and the extra weight of Twilight, she barely managed to change their trajectory at all. It was only Twilight coming back to her senses enough to try and put a shield up that spared Cadence from the full brunt of the attack Celestia directed at them, and they were forced into a crash landing by the ruins of the Kumbi Mzee.
Twilight writhed in agony as the impact battered her wound, and Cadence wasn't much better as she tried to get back up, but couldn't. She collapsed, shaking her head slowly. She was spent, and they both knew it.

"Truly this is a glorious day," Celestia sang as she flew down towards them. "My enemies lay broken before me, and I am victorious."

"And it only took a descent into madness and dark magic to achieve it. Even so you've still lost this battle." Twilight started to crawl over towards Cadence, when Celestia stomped her hoof down next to her. She summoned Swordy, forcing Celestia to quickly back off, but not without injury as the blade skimmed over her chest.

Celestia clamped a hoof to the wound as it bled, growling audibly as she glared at Twilight. "This battle is irrelevant. Defeating you three is more than worth the cost."

Twilight brandished Swordy towards Celestia as she tried to protect Cadence. "If you want me, you'll have to kill me."

"You say that like it should bother me."

Twilight yelped and put up a shield to cover herself and Cadence as Celestia drew in a breath and breathed fire over them. Twilight squirmed beneath the shield as the heat reached her, crying harder and harder the hotter it got. Thankfully the assault lasted barely seconds as something blue tackled Celestia away.

Twilight dropped the shield, gasping for cooler air. As soon as she was able she looked over to where Celestia had been knocked, and was shocked to see Ember grappling with the alicorn, her back claws slicing at the flesh of Celestia's belly as she gripped Celestia's horn to stop her from teleporting.

Celestia screamed as Ember poured fire over her, but retaliated by biting down on one of Ember's arms, forcing her to release her horn. Ember let go of Celestia completely, but only to jump up in a different grip on Celestia's back to avoid her fangs as she continued raking her claws over Celestia, drawing blood with every cut.

Celestia slammed her head back, reaching with her horn to stab Ember in the side. Ember roared in pain, but didn't let go. She clawed at Celestia's face until she found purchase, hooking two of her claws into Celestia's nostrils, and pulling, her sharp digits tearing through the flesh of Celestia's nose, then sank her teeth into the back of Celestia's neck.

Celestia fell to the ground, wailing and thrashing in agony, the flesh around her nose flapping disconcertingly as she tried anything to shake Ember off. Ember refused to give in though, and again breathed fire over Celestia, burning her again and again, the alicorn powerless to do anything to stop it until Ember let go, the pain of her injuries making it too hard to hang on. As soon as she did, Celestia vanished, and from the power put into the teleport, she'd gone a very long way away.

Twilight slumped back, dropping Swordy to the ground as relief washed over her. It was no secret to say that they'd very nearly lost everything here, and if it hadn't been for Ember they may have.

Twilight rolled over onto her hooves, keeping her injured leg up. The pain wasn't so bad now, but the blood still dripping from it and pooling on the floor was uncomfortable to look at. She quickly checked Cadence, finding her alive and awake, but shaking with shock from her wounds.

Twilight jumped at the sound of fire, and quickly turned to find Ember breathing a flame into her claw. She let it burn for a moment, then pressed it to the wound on her side, her mouth open in a silent scream as she seared the wound shut, then did the same for the one on her arm. The only thing that drew Twilight from watching was the sound of hooves.

"Thank fuck I found you!" Trixie said as she ran up to Twilight. "When I saw you and Cadence go down, I thought it was all over."

Twilight looked over at Ember as the dragoness sat hunched over, her face drawn with pain. "It almost was. How's the battle going?"

"It's not going great. Without Snowbright to organise them, the Mareitanians are falling apart, and we've taken the west side of the city. The problem is we've taken too many casualties to finish them off, and if they rally and decide to attack, I don't think we can hold them off."

"Without Snowbright and Celestia, they're fucked, although they may not realise that themselves yet. They can't contact Faust themselves, so they're trapped here unless Celestia can get help to them from wherever she is. If she even cares. Maybe they might surrender."

"I doubt it. Not when they still outnumber us. And there's also the problem that a lot of the city is on fire. I don't know what Celestia was doing, but it did some damage, and it's only getting worse. If it spreads we'll have to evacuate the city."

Twilight swore. Even if they've won, all they might have got is a city of bodies and ash if they can't put the fires out and extricate the Mareitanians. They needed help, but there was only one place she could think to get it off, and the zebras weren't going to like it.

"Trixie, go find Rainbow. I have a job for her."

Author's Notes:

Posting this at 1.30 in the morning when I have to get up for work in six hours, but fuck it, it's the (politically correct) holidays. Hope you all have a merry whatever it is you celebrate, even if some of your plans are, like mine, to be unable to stand up without assistance by roughly 6.00pm on the day itself.

P.s. All this crimbo shiz is really ill conducive to writing like I normally do, so I doubt there will be a chapter next week. If that happens, I hope you all have a happy new year too. Unlike me, who will be one of the poor sods working that night. Can't win them all. Peace.