Well then. This is the first fanfiction I've attempted, and hopefully I'll finish this one. Granted, many of the characters will not act the way you would expect; I can see how this would cause problems for some of you. I can't honestly force you to read on, and I don't blame you for slamming that red 'X' straight away. But please, this is my second ever attempt at anything like this, so it's bound to be (for lack of a better word) crap.
The Ascent: To Liberate a Kingdom
Chapter One: The Climb
"I suggest you hold on to something!" cried the Dragon King as he began climbing the cliff-face below Canterlot. Celestia did indeed hold on firm, as they were climbing at a very brisk pace; one slip, and it could all be over before it even began. She looked around at the Dragon King's allies; various Dragons from an array of lands had rallied to his call to arms. She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of climate that the White Dragon came from. Nonetheless, she looked back up towards her goal – Canterlot Tower. The clouds were hanging thick overhead, and as they moved through them, she was able to make out the figures standing atop the tower. Most notably, she gathered, The Archon.
The Archon was a mysterious male Alicorn who had arrived in Equestria just a few weeks ago, the only thing he'd done in that time was rally all of Equestria's enemies and launch a large scale attack on Canterlot. Stood to the left of him was Discord, a long time foe of Celestia's. Discord had a look of anticipation on his face as the Dragons made their way up the Cliffside that she hadn't seen in a long time. Another foe was to The Archon's left, and was the most surprising of the group; Nightmare Moon. Nightmare's betrayal of Celestia was somewhat of a shock to Celestia, considering how close they had been before the arrival of The Archon. She assumed it was the prospect of power offered by The Archon that had drawn in Princess Luna. To The Archon's right was another member of Alicorn royalty; Queen Chrysalis, Ruler of the Changeling kingdom, and arch-enemy of Celestia. They had clashed profusely in the months before The Archon's arrival, but she had quietened down for a while after that. Finally, there was a foe that had been missing for quite some time – King Sombra, of the Crystal Empire. He was notorious for how he had worked his subjects to the bone. He had been banished by Celestia for aeons, and now he shows up alongside The Archon?
"His power surely had to be immense." She muttered to herself.
"You say something?" boomed the Dragon King.
Celestia simply shook her head.
Looking back up at her adversaries, she saw The Archon raise his arm in a gesture to the rest of his allies. They each took off in different directions, but all with the same purpose – to eradicate the trespassers below. They each attacked in their own separate way, but Celestia didn't have time to look – Sombra was already shifting into a serpentine figure, with the upper body simply a larger version of himself. Looping around through the air, Sombra aimed to lock them against the wall. He fired himself at the Dragon King with tremendous speed, piercing the Dragon King's upper arm and pinning him against the rocks.
"Gonna need a hoof over here!" he called over to Celestia. She sprang into life, and began running up his back, only to be accosted by a squad of Changelings that dropped in from a portal that meticulously appeared above her. Snarling, the leader of the pack lunged at her with his horn – a gambit too simple to beat Celestia. She parried his blow and beheaded him on the counter, a flourish so perfect that it made the rest of the pack flinch. Taking the initiative, she lowered her horn and fired a beam of flame at them, scattering their scorched bodies across the vicinity. Too easy, she thought as she continued towards the Dragon King's shoulder.
As she reached his shoulder, she assessed the damage. A blow like this certainly wasn't going to put the Dragon King out of a fight, she thought. He probably suffered worse whilst playing 'King of the Hoard'. She slid down his arm to the area where his arm was being pinned and fired quick, precise bolts of light at the claws; with them removed, the arm would be free to move. Taking his chance, the Dragon King grabbed Sombra, forcing him back against the Cliffside. Celestia moved to the Dragon King's wrist, kicking at the chest of the serpentine creature he had formed himself into. Celestia saw an opening, and forced her horn through its chest, piercing its heart and sending Sombra crashing to a nearby ledge. Celestia descended to where Sombra was lying, glaring at the pathetic Unicorn crippled on the floor. She suspected that the fall had dealt most of the damage.
"You've... already failed..." groaned an ailing Sombra. "The Archon... can't ... be beaten..."
Celestia stalked towards him. "You're a state!" she joked. "This is exactly how I perceive you in my mind too."
"Joke... as you will... Celestia." He spat. He spoke her name in a particularly vile way. "The Archon... will take... your head as... his trophy!"
"Enough of this pointless chiding!" Celestia retorted. "I have no time for you, Sombra. Die like the vermin you are." She levitated Sombra's weakened body and hurled it against the wall. He hit the wall with a truly gut wrenching crunch.
"No... Have mercy!" howled the Crystal King as she tore his horn off and pressed it against his throat.
"This way, Sombra, I can make sure you'll never harm another subject again." She sliced his throat with his horn, and let his lifeless husk collapse to the floor. She teleported to the Dragon King's shoulder.
"No holds barred, eh Celestia?" the Dragon King chuckled.
"None." She responded. They continued up towards the Tower.
It was a matter of minutes before they reached the Tower. The climb had gone relatively smoothly for the two of them since taking care of Sombra, and Celestia was eager to regain control of her Kingdom. The Tower itself was a tall, imposing stone structure akin to one that could be found on a castle. The stone was a brilliant white, even more brilliant in comparison to the ruination beneath it. The most prominent feature was its pavilion on the top, surrounded by marble pillars. It was used for Stargazing, among other things, and Celestia remembered fondly the nights she spent with her sister staring up at the Stars. A wry smile crept across her face, but it was quickly suppressed as she steeled herself for the imminent confrontation. The Dragon King dropped Celestia onto the pavilion, on the opposite side from where The Archon was waiting.
"Indeed, Celestia." The Archon began. "I thought somepony of your strength would have made it up here alone. I see I was mistaken."
"And I see you took the time to prepare yourself, Archon. I was under the impression that you wouldn't need to muster your full arsenal of abilities to take on a 'weak Princess' like me. Or perhaps you're compensating for something else?" She retorted.
"Hah! I've prepared for every contingency, Celestia. Apparently something that you clearly failed to do. All you have to do is look at the state of your capital to see that."
"It matters not, Archon. I will bring your head down to Canterlot and parade your dismembered corpse through the city streets, in the name of Equestria!"
In a flash, Celestia lunged at The Archon, jabbing at his chest early. He somehow absorbed the blow, and began to levitate Celestia, before throwing her across the marble floor. She shook off the pain, and regained her composure. The Archon was no longer stood in his original position. She looked left, right, and then behind her, but he was nowhere in sight.
"Up Here."
She stared up, mortified at the visage of two Archons landing on her. She rolled out of the way and into open space. Standing ahead of the other, the first Archon spoke.
"I expected no less from the Alicorn who took down Discord. Tell me, can you fight six of me?"
Out of the pillars, four more Archons formed, surrounding her. They were all physically similar, but there were also telltale signs that neither one was the same. One had swelled to a gigantic, hulk-like physique, another had a ball of flame in his hand, and another was covered in a light green aura. The last one simply stood there, with a blank expression. He wasn't doing anything at all. The one next to the prime Archon had drawn several swords of varying lengths, whilst the main Archon stood exactly how he was when the battle started.
"This has grown tiresome."The Archon sighed. "You're going to die now, Celestia, and your pathetic lands will be mine to do with as I please!" He took her by surprise, making contact with a bolt of paralysis from his horn. She was completely frozen, and could only move her eyes. The Archon levitated her over the side of the Tower, and dropped her. The last thing she thought of before hitting the ground was of her beloved Equestria, and how she had failed to protect it a second time.