Celestia let out a cry of pain as she was slammed against the wall of her now ruined palace. The claw of magical energy holding tight to her gravely wounded body to prevent her attempts to escape from it's grasp. She blinked her eyes to get the blood clear of it so she might see the face of her assailant and those of the soldiers surrounded him, clashing their weapons against the ground or their shields in a loud declaration of their victory.
"Don't fall asleep on me yet, Celestia." In the mist of the soldiers stood one who radiated an air of nobility compared to the savages around him. His cloaked body covered most of him except for his hairless clawed hands, one lifted up to control the magic that holds Celestia to the wall, and his eyes that pierces the shadows with an ethereal green glow. "I want you awake as I raze your city and use it's treasures to fuel my campaign on the rest of your pathetic kingdom."
Celestia attempted to catch her breath, though she found the pressure of the claw holding her and her broken ribs to be working against her, making each breath painful and laborious. When she caught enough of her breath, she spoke still with the wisdom of ages even in her current state, "You will find no treasures here to strengthen you."
The cloaked figure laughed, shaking his head, "No, I figured not. After I saw no soldiers beyond the magical traps that claimed many a soldier and no pony here to slaughter except you, I surmised that you had evacuated the city, along with any potential weapons." When he saw Celestia softly smiling at the mention of dead soldiers, he laughed more, "Oh, don't think that you made even a dent in my forces. There are plenty more waiting outside the borders of Equestria, ready to attack. This is just a taste of my full power." He closed his uplifted hand slightly, the magical claw around Celestia mimicking it and squeezing her, causing her to cry out in pain.
It eased slightly after what felt like to Celestia a long passing of time in pain. When she looked up, the cloaked conqueror continued on. "I don't need magical artifacts, blades or arrows. I have plenty already. But the food and clothing you left behind will boost my soldier's moral. The gold and jewels will buy me more and will even loosen the tongues of your precious ponies.. Not that they will have the will to fight after I show them your head!"
It was Celestia's time to laugh now, though weak and ragged she bore a smile in victory. "You.. are a fool." Under the veil, her captor lost his smile and softly growled a warning as Celestia went on. "You think that you have the head of a snake in your grasp? You will find the kingdom of Equestria to be a Hydra."
"I don't care how many princesses you have, I will kill them all-"
His angry retort was quickly cut off by Celestia shouting, "And again you show your foolishness!" She settled back, almost relaxing in her position. "I did not spend these long eons in my position to leave them helpless should I pass on. I and my sister were gifted with wisdom beyond our age and beyond the ages to come. We knew what had to be done long ago and when I die, she will put the final measures in place."
Somehow, Celestia had turned her position of entrapment, pressed against a wall by a magic beyond her own into a position of power as she lectured her supposed captor. "From the first moment we were crowned, my sister and I seeded our wisdom into our people. We slipped into their writings, their great leaders, their masterful works teaching which would blossom and grow into something greater than anything else." She narrowed her eyes as she said, "We instilled a love of the Individual."
Somehow, even under the hood, the conqueror could still express a face of confusion. Celestia gave a half smile as she looked down at him. "I knew a concept like that would be beyond you. You who took a great many people, ground them into dust and formed bricks to make a statue for yourself. Creating a collective which would elevate yourself. I found stone and taught them how to form themselves into grand statues, each one with their flaws that only make them more beautiful. Statues that elevate themselves and each other."
"I thought them to look at the achievements of the individual as events to be celebrated. The learning of a talent was a moment for them to set out and make themselves grand. I never allowed them to do things in my name, instead I asked them do act for themselves!"
"Foolishness! Foolishness and lies," The conqueror countered. "I know of the Elements, they require six working together, not individually, to function. And it is your greatest weapon."
"Do not speak as if you understand," Celestia rebuked, not wavering for a moment. "The Elements are six individuals working together yes, but they are powerful because they grow themselves and then grow each other. It is this union of individuals which have more power than your blind collective could ever have."
"It does not matter!" The hooded mage shouted and squeezed his claw again. "I will crush your 'individuals' under the weight of my army. I will show you how weak your philosophy is!"
Celestia cried out in pain, gritting her teeth as she fought against the claw. "No.. I will show you.. how weak YOU are!" Her eyes shined in a bright light as she pushed out against the claw, her wings spreading wide as she gathered magic into herself. From her horn, a golden glow spread across her entire body as she shone like the midday sun. "You will find yourself without a city to raze and it will be because of ONE pony!"
Her magic shot out across the throne room she was in, sealing off the exits from the chance of any of the soldiers escaping. They looked around in a growing panic as the entire building began to change, hardening from stone to something more, the rock growing across the glass windows before any one could gather the wits to smash their way though and escape.
"You are so arrogant, so proud of yourself, that you gathered all of your best soldiers and commanders to attack me. But you will soon pay for your foolishness. You will face the punishment for harming my children!" Never before has Celestia used such magic, and the sun outside blazed brighter than it has ever blazed before, but it's light was focused only on the city of Canterlot.
Outside of the throne room, the stones started to brighten as they heated under the light of the sun. Soldiers who could not find shelters found the sun baking them alive and those who did found them to be a slower death as they became ovens in of themselves. Any water they had soon began to boil and evaporate under the heat. But the worst was in the throne room itself.
Panicking soldiers clawed at the doors and the walls, scrapping their claws under they were bloody stubs as their fur and skin began to burn, blister and boil under the heat coming from Celestia. Any cloth soon bust into flames as metal started to turn right like a blacksmith's forge. All except for the conqueror who's magic protected him. "You will not kill me with your magic, Celestia!"
"I may not be able to kill you," Celestia spoke, though not from her mouth, her voice coming from all around the room as her own body started to fall away to the magic she was channeling. "But I will scar you so that you will never forget this day!"
Celestia's form gave way as her magic grew, the light coming from her body now red as death. Her magic formed a deadly orb of magic and heat that grew outward. What soldiers were not dead from the heat and light were soon vaporized as Celestia became like the sun itself! Her body now a burning hot orb of fire that spread out filling the throne room until it exploded from the pressure, the fire flowing outward from the castle and taking the city itself. The magnificent towers of stone and gold, statues standing above beautiful fountains of crystal clear water and green lush plant life, all swallowed whole and destroyed by Celestia's wrathful magic.
Inside the destructive orb, only two figures remained. Celestia, her body now entirely fire and light. And the conqueror who's body only barely protected by his magics. "Remember this day, Conquering Fool. The day where One slaughtered your greatest warriors, stole a jewel from your grasp, and left you unable to see your future as a mercy." Celestia focused her magic on his eyes, making him cry out in pain and cover them hopelessly as they were already gone. "But I leave you able to hear the thunder of the coming storm as your punishment. The sound of countless hooves belonging to countless Ones such as myself will be the sound that will haunt your nightmares. And when you hear them but find yourself unable to wake, you will know when your last day is here."
For several long moments, the orb remained where Canterlot once stood. It's light shining all across Equestria. When it finally began to fade away, it's full destructive power was finally clear. The heat of the magic had eaten into the side of the mountain itself and had set the forest below ablaze. As the magic slowly escaped the orb, it shrunk down slowly into nothingness only just a black figure remained in the sky. His body worn from the magical assault he had received. A quick utterance of magic and he vanished to reappear in the center of his now chaotic camp.
The soldiers who had been in a panic when the orb was visible in the sky now quieted down as their leader appeared. When some approached to help him, he shouted them away as he kept his face covered, slowly shuffling his feet as he retreated into his tent. When he removed his claws and opened his eyes, he found his world bathed in a permanent white. He was blinded in the worst way, for deep in the realm of white he now saw was his foe, Celestia, forever smiling and laughing at his foolishness.
[hr]
Many a long year had passed since the fall of Canterlot, and below where it once stood the forests had now finally grown back from the magic that had destroyed the city. Amongst the trees and animals, a team of pony soldiers patrolled, moving quietly as they explored the area between the secure pony lands and the empire that seeks to crush them.
What should have been a routine patrol is interrupted by a discovery. Directly below the city itself once hung out from the mountain, a glimmering statue was found. It's color was like marble, yet it shone line a diamond in the light. An image of a sitting Alicorn, wings spread out wide and it's head lowered. Vines and plant life clinging to the surface were quickly pulled away to reveal the entirety of it to the amazed solders, wondering how a piece of Canterlot could have survived.
It was only when the leader of the squad got a good look at the face, that he reared back in shock. He fumbled for his communication stone, blubbering out a request. "T-This is Sergeant Pip, I need.. I need.. Oh wow.."
"Calm down, Sergeant. Are you under attack! Did you find something?"
"Oh, I found something alright," Pip said, surprise falling away to elation as he finally found the words. "Get us some heavy lifters, we found a gift for the Princess!"
[hr]
It was a grand festival when the statue was revealed as the new centerpiece of the capital square. Luna had ensured that the sun was in the perfect position and that no cloud was in the sky when the veil was pulled away from it.
Celestia, in all her shining glory, smiled down from her position atop of a pedestal. As the sunlight hit her body, it desperate it across all the ponies gathered, hugging them like she would have if she were alive. Nobles to peasants found themselves equally warmed under the light. No one was greater than the other, yet all were great in of themselves. Her smile, which was once a rare gift for those ponies who might see her, was now permanently given to all her people. A smile warm, loving and full of pride for her people.
After she was gone, Luna set the final steps of their plan into motion. Luna relinquished most of her powers to a counsel of ponies who would lead the kingdom as a whole while she ruled as a figure head. The cities now functioned independently, ruling themselves under the united Equestrian flag. And each pony was celebrated for their successes. The greatness of the One, the individual was held up above all else.
It was as Celestia wished. Her kingdom now belonged to all of her people equally according to their achevements. And the day that the conqueror attempted to reclaim what he saw as his, he heard the thousands of hooves. The millions of Ones standing together to break apart the collective he sought to impose.
And Celestia smiled. Forever.