The Last Lights (episode)

The Last Lights is the second-to-final episode of Equestrian Civil War, focusing on the final moments of Equestria before it is decimated by nuclear missiles.

## Plot

The episode begins with Midnight forces finally pushing into Canterlot after a year-long standoff with the Solar Democracy forces staged there. Tanks roll, walkers shake the ground and aircraft fill the sky as the soldiers pour into the city in confidence and rage. The Midnight is backed up by Mareoshima to the East, Marelin to the West and Stalliongrad to the North, encircling the Solar forces and preventing any escape.

To get this far, the Midnight had to realign their Anti-Missile Defensive Platforms (AMDPs) and their Fusion Batteries to target the Solar Democracy space-station known as the SunBlast Cannon. In doing this, they leave their forces open to missile attacks from the Crystal Empire to the Northwest. However the Midnight are confident that once Canterlot is taken and Celestia is slain, the Solar Democracy will crumble and the war will end.

Midnight forces wreak havoc as they push deeper into the heavily defended city, killing anyone they declare is "one of them." The sheer ferocity of the fighting is enough to make a few soldiers lose their minds, but the Midnight kept pushing.

Eventually the Midnight receive help from Union Strike, who has declared that he will kill Celestia himself, and hold her head high to show the world. He is accompanied by Royal Paladins, whose combined strength tear the city to pieces. However Marelin, Stalliongrad and Mareoshima soldiers get to Celestia first.

As Marelin's Panzer Soldats, Stalliongrad's Kazans and Mareoshima's Mecha Samurai enter the room, Celestia seems uninterested, standing with her back to them. She ignores all orders given to her by the soldiers as they cautiously approach, knowing the strength of her Magic, before uttering one sentence. "Fools." She quickly switches from Pony to humanoid form and proceeds to kill everyone in the room with her Aura Blade, letting them drop. As she finishes, she sees two Royal Paladins approach her from the shadows with their Aura Blades readied. They enter battle-stance and Celestia engages them, killing them both after a long fight. One Paladin is impaled and thrown out of the giant glass window that overlooks Canterlot Square, and the other is brought to his knees as Celestia beheads him.

As Celestia breathes heavily from the tough fight, she hears slow clapping from the darkness. Union slowly approaches her, smirking at her. He then goes on to congratulate her on killing the Royal Paladins, but tells her that he will kill her and impale her head on a spike on top of Canterlot Castle, making an example of her for others who resist the Midnight. Four more Royal Paladins approach from the darkness with their blades ready, but they are stopped by Union as he raises his left hand. He then says "She's mine" and proceeds to ready himself to fight Celestia using his two Aura Blades. Celestia prepares to fight as the Royal Paladins prevent her from escaping by covering the doors.

While Celestia is quick and struggling, Union is intentionally slow and menacing, making the point that she is no match for him. Celestia tries to escape but is quickly blocked by one of the Royal Paladins, who grips her in his Magic and throws her at Union. She narrowly dodges getting impaled, but still refrains from fighting Union head-on.

Celestia continues to evade him for a short while before deciding to use her Magic against him. She sheathes her blade and pulls parts of the room on top of Union in her golden Magic, but he deflects the debris with his own purple Magic. After another few seconds of this, Union declares "Enough" and electrocutes her so much that she drops her weapon and falls onto her front, twitching from the Ununpentium flowing through her. Union slowly walks up to her and grabs her by the neck, lifting her into the air by her throat.

Union stares into Celestia's eyes before declaring "This war is over." The Royal Paladins close in on the two, standing in a ritualistic way with their blades drawn and uttering the old British ritual which was meant to condemn someone to Hell upon their death. Union readies to impale Celestia with the Aura Blade still in his right hand, before the ground starts to shake. Celestia struggles to say "Game over" before six missiles fly upwards, visible through the smashed windows. Union then sheathes his blade and screams "What have you done" before electrocuting her to death. The current going through her is enough to make her eyes explode and entire body twitch even minutes after death. The five leave, with Union using his radio to talk to Midnight HQ in Everfree. He is informed that six nuclear missiles are in the air and targeting Everfree, London, Stalliongrad, Marelin, Mareoshima and Ponyville. Several seconds pass and he is informed that even more nukes have been launched from the Crystal Empire, and are headed for the rest of the Midnight cities.

In retaliation, Everfree City launches nuclear missiles targeting any city not affiliated with the Midnight or the Allies. It's predicted that only minutes remain before the missiles impact and the world ends.

Mass hysteria ensues as people are rushed to the Vaults and Stables, with some not making it at all. The Heroes collectively agree not to enter the Vaults or Stables themselves, as they helped cause this disaster and do not wish to live through it. Soldiers from Mareoshima commit seppuku to die with honour, including Emperor Saiai No Rida.

Of everyone who made it into the shelters, Connor went to Vault 111 while his pregnant wife Live Wire made it to Stable 66, where the Royal Twins and Fluttershy were also sent. Fielde goes to Stable 66 with his wife and daughters, but waits until the other Ponies enter before forcing the door shut with his Magic. Fluttershy, distraught, begs the Stable security to open the door but they don't in fear of the Stable's safety. Even if they wanted to, Fielde was keeping it shut with his Magic. He then turned to see a nuclear missile impact Everfree City, with the blast rapidly approaching him. He sat down, pulled out a cigar, and held it to the explosion. He jokes "How about a light?" before the shockwave hits and kills him. Stable 66 survives.

Vault 111 barely got people inside before the nuke in Everfree went off, with the final lift nearly getting hit by the shockwave. Nevertheless Connor gets in and is frozen after a few minutes wandering. He wakes up 200 years later.

The rest of Equestria is destroyed with Everfree, leaving nothing more than radioactive debris everywhere. Few survive outside, but the city of Gorchevgrad and the buried Apple Loosa are unaffected by the nukes. Their inhabitants survive, but are unwilling to enter Equestria itself in fear of the radiation.

It's unknown what happened to Union Strike himself, and the episode then flashes back to the beginning. However, this part is seen through Twilight's eyes as she follows Celestia's questionable orders. She orders Twilight to enter the underground areas of Canterlot and avoid all conflict, and activate the "Last Lights" protocol. Cautiously, she enters the codes and activates it, unwillingly opening six missile silos below Canterlot Square. While looking at a missile in awe, the glass above her smashes and a dead Royal Paladin falls onto the missile, hitting the bottom of the silo and making Twilight jump. Red lights and an alarm fill the silos as Twilight quickly runs back to the command centre of the base as the missiles launch. Petrified, she looks down and says "What have I done?"

She hears someone approach her from behind, and turns to see a Eclipse with her Aura Blade readied. Neither of them say anything as Eclipse's red blade illuminates Twilight's crying eyes, but Twilight hangs her head in shame, expecting Eclipse to kill her. To her surprise, Eclipse sheathes her blade and drops it on the ground in front of Twilight, who looks up at Eclipse in confusion. Eclipse then removes her helmet and lets it fall on the ground, letting Twilight see her face. Twilight is confused to see Eclipse's face, which she had hidden from everyone else's face, but looks deep into Eclipse's eyes as the Royal Paladin speaks. "Don't worry. Come the End of All, it will be as it was meant to. But for now, we wait." Eclipse teleported away, with Twilight having no idea where as she was left alone in the bunker.

The missiles impact and the world is scorched. What happened to Twilight isn't revealed until her appearance in Fallout: Counterpart and Fallout: Endgame.