Chapter 10: Still Alive
With all of the new dark energy she had discovered, Twilight had become so excited that it clouded her judgement, warping what had once been a logical mind.
A foal unicorn barely adept in magic could plainly see the differences between the two combatants and yet, Twilight could not speculate how it could all go so very wrong, so very quickly.
All the warning signs were laid before her plain as day, yet her typically sound logical mind was filled with nothing but violent images of retribution against her enemy; standing victorious over the corpse of the true form of her tormentor.
And who could blame her?
Only minutes ago she was dispatching the gryphon scum that had derailed the train with terrible and merciless ease; fulfilling her unflinching desperation to protect her remaining friends. Now, though, she found her body aching and the situation reversed in favor of an imposter who dared deny the singular crime Twilight Sparkle could never forgive by impersonating her princess, the mare that was cruelly taken away from her, the mare that she loved so dearly.
How dare she talk to me that way!
We are a Princess and she is nothing more than a pretender.
“Are you saying I am no match for you?” Twilight Sparkle hissed, the very notion making her sick to the very pit of her stomach, causing her to gnash her teeth together, dark power pulsing around the tip of her horn as she tumbled down the endless spiral of emotional instability.
Taking a threatening hoofstep forward, Twilight ignited her horn brighter still, the dark purple glow bleeding blacker with every passing second. “I have defeated a bearer of the Alicorn Amulet in the past. Unlike the last time, though, you will see no mercy from me! You may take Celestia’s form and alter your voice to sound like her, but you will never have the righteous power she once possessed! You are nothing; a weak, pathetic coward hiding behind the image of a mare whose shoes you are not fit to wear! I will make you pay ten times over for such a disgrace!”
‘Celestia’ scoffed a laugh at Twilight’s threatening demeanor, evidently finding it far more amusing than intimidating. A wicked grin formed on the false princess’s lips, causing Twilight’s scowl to deepen in response.
“Is that so?” Remarked the taller alicorn as she tilted a brow, smirk widening. “Well then, I suppose we best put that to the test.”
Not a moment later, Celestia whirled about, cackling as her reddened eyes gleamed a thick shade of blood. The Alicorn Amulet burned on her chest, a red beam shooting from her horn straight towards Rainbow Dash, its thin, branching, hungry tendrils threatening to consume her. Leaping into action, the cyan mare instinctively placed herself between the bolt and the wounded Applejack, who was still unable to even steady her hooves.
Twilight Sparkle screamed, the cold grip of fear constricting tightly around her throat. She should have expected as much. “Leave them alone!”
In a flash of purple, Twilight Sparkle teleported herself directly in front of her friends, barely managing to erect a shield around the group in time to block the volley with a growl of frustration and sweat lacing her brow.
The impostor's attack struck Twilight’s shield with enough force to cause several cracks to appear across the transparent purple dome’s surface instantaneously, pushing Twilight to pour more of her darker energies into the defense, sending blotches of inky darkness to swirl across the barrier’s surface until the final bolt of red finally dissipated.
Panting, Twilight looked back to her friends, huddled together and looking up at Twilight with a mixture of gratitude and fear.
Twilight shook her head, swinging her serpentine, singular eyed away from the duo to glower at the casually advancing Celestia. Twilight could not deny the attack packed quite a punch, requiring substantially more effort to maintain her magical barrier than she had anticipated.
The seed of doubt was planted, but her confidence in victory remained. After all, if this had been the real Celestia, none of them would have been left standing after that initial attack.
“Your friends will be the death of you, Princess.” With a wave of her horn, Celestia launched another red electrical barrage at Twilight, cracking her defenses more deeply and nearly forcing the lavender mare to her knees. “You don’t have to fall here, you know. You can just run away and leave them to their fate.”
She thinks you are a coward.
“I would never abandon them!” Twilight’s snapped, earning loving smiles from the two friends standing behind her, each leaning against the other for support.
“Oh?” Celestia cooed as she stopped her direct advance, a smug grin upon her lips. “Even though they’ve just watched their best friend relish in the murder of others? Even though they watched her rip them apart as if they were nothing but lifeless dolls with no loved ones, bathing in their blood as if it were mere amusement to her?”
She’s not wrong.
Twilight lowered her gaze to her bloodied hooves before glancing back over her shoulder to note the same fear in their eyes she had noticed before, even though they were desperately trying to hide it behind a smile.
Are they… afraid of me?
Wouldn’t you be afraid if you saw one them do the same?
“Don’t listen to her, Twi’...” Applejack croaked with a cough, “tha’ monster is jus’ tryin’ to get into our heads. We trust in ya to protect us like Ah hope you trust in us to protect you.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Don’t worry about us, egghead,” Rainbow flexed her wings, wincing a little at their stiffness, “if things go south, I’ll get us all out of here in less than ten seconds flat.”
The icy chill in Twilight’s heart thawed, a soft smile breaking across her lips as a tear slipped from her only working eye. “Girls…”
“We promise, Twi’, we’ll never abandon you, no matter what.” Applejack smiled warmly, a trickle of blood drooling from the corner of her lips.
And I won’t abandon you, either.
That much we promise.
“Urgh! I almost threw up in my mouth.” Celestia remarked as she reared back and launched herself high into the air. “Spare me this sappy manure and surrender, Twilight Sparkle! If you come with me now, without a struggle, I will spare you the torture of witnessing the death of your friends one by one… and I’ll make sure Rainbow Dash’s death will be the most excruciating of all.”
So this isn’t just about me, Twilight thought as she growled, she plans to take out my friends as well. The Elements… she must be after the Elements! Then that means Rarity and Pinkie Pie as well...
Rainbow Dash finally snapped, her words finally coming to her in a squeal of anger. “What have I ever done to you? What have we ever done to you to make you do this?!”
Celestia’s eyes snapped from her target, to her true cyan desire. “The only reason I wear this amulet and the only reason I am here doing the Princess’s bidding to capture Twilight Sparkle and to eliminate the current bearers of the Elements of Harmony, is all because of you, Rainbow Dash, old friend!” She spat the words as though they were poison, her deep-seated hatred worn all too plainly on her sleeve. “It is your fault!”
What did she just say?
Twilight felt her mouth drop, her mind snapping away from her desperation to protect her friends to a sudden intrigue, repeating what the imposter had spoken in a shocked whisper. “Princess?”
Rainbow Dash shrank back, shaking her head as Applejack looked towards her as baffled as she was. “I-I don’t understand! I’ve never done anything wrong to anypony before!”
“Nothing wrong…?” Celestia muttered to herself, her voice suddenly rising to a fevered screech. “You destroyed my dreams! You ruined what I loved more than anything else in all of Equestria!” Celestia’s red eyes shone with a ferocity that no sane pony would ever show as the Alicorn Amulet trembled about on her neck, the power within fighting to get out. “You were supposed to be my friend, yet you turned your back on me when I needed you most! I thought we were partners… so much for an Element of Loyalty. You’re nothing more than a backstabbing mule and I will see you destroyed! I will grind you to the dirt Dash until you are nothing more than a paste beneath my hoof!”
Twilight gazed blankly, having tuned out the tense conversation around her in favor of attempting to amalgamate her chaotic thoughts into some kind of coherent thought process. If the imposter was indeed telling the truth, a Princess had issued this attack upon her friends and herself.
Princess Luna would never do this… she saved my life! And Cadence would never—
Can we be sure?
No… why would that creature say something like that unless it was the—
To confuse us; to take us out of the battle. To make us lose focus, perhaps?
But my dreams… the figure.
I recall. It was slender, tall, with wings and a horn.
It can’t be true, can it?
It had white eyes and was dark.
But a gryphon did it! I saw it!
Don’t be illogical, Twilight Sparkle, what else to kill an Alicorn better than another—
Alicorn…
Precisely. We have been played for foals.
“No… it can’t be true.” Twilight solidified that conviction and brought her attention towards her enemy just a little too late. It took Applejack’s terrified screech of her name and the sudden collapse of her barrier to fully shake her out of her inner turmoil.
Pain ripped through Twilight’s body,her breath hitching in her throat as the red energy coursed through her body, causing it to seize instantly. Rearing up, she howled as blotches of fur burned and peeled off of her already damaged body as she was thrown through the air, smashing painfully into the side of an upturned train carriage.
Striking the ground, Twilight coughed up blood, struggling to breathe. The air had been knocked straight out of her during the impact, harsh enough that even the wall she’d struck had dented under the force.
Struggling to her hooves, sucking in mouthfuls of air, Twilight reared her head up long enough to stare face-to-face with Celestia. Before her eyes, a fiery red aura consumed the alicorn’s figure, transforming into what Twilight Sparkle surmised to be her true form.
I’ll kill her.
“Lightning Dust!” Twilight stared at the maniacally grinning mare, buckling as a searing bright lance pierced through the center of her chest and violently thrust her back against the warped metal remains of the train carriage, pinning her there.
My body feels so heavy. I can’t feel my legs anymore.
Blood splattered from Twilight’s mouth, staining Lightning Dust’s chest and drenching the Alicorn Amulet. Wordlessly, the young Princess slipped her gaze down and placed a shaking hoof on the red spear crackling with energy that had been magically summoned to impale her, groaning at such a sight.
Leaning in, Lightning Dust whispered over the screams of Twilight’s friends straight into her twitching left ear. “Princess Luna told me to keep you alive long enough to take back what is rightfully hers, but, guess what else I know?”
Twilight’s eyes widened.
No… Luna would never…
Who else is strong enough to take out Princess Celestia? Discord perhaps, but he would never do that now since he has reformed.
But why would she kill her own sister? It does not make any sense!
Then Lightning Dust must be lying.
Twilight reached her bloodied hooves towards Lightning Dust’s neck, trembling as she forced herself to lean forward, determined to strangle the mare there and then, even her body burned with pain as her body slipped back up the spear. “L-liar!”
“Other Alicorns can absorb an Alicorn’s power even from their corpse, providing the horn is still attached. I do hope you last long enough for the Princess to take what she deserves, but, I am sure she won’t mind if you ‘accidentally’ bleed out before that happens. After all, during the heat of battle, sometimes ponies lose themselves to their hidden battlelust. I am sure she will forgive me for going a bit too far with you.”
Tears streamed down Twilight’s cheeks, her gaze drawn over Lightning Dust’s withers to a struggling Rainbow Dash, desperately attempting to restrain an irate Applejack.
Who else knew we were departing from Canterlot by train?
Not many… but the Princess… she…
Precisely. She has betrayed us. Her true intentions have finally shone through.
But, the Elements… it cleansed her of Nightmare Moon’s influence! Why would she—
Did it ever occur to us that maybe, Princess Luna has always been this way? That it was her destiny.
Silently pleading for her friends to run, Twilight sobbed as the full weight of the possibility that Luna had indeed betrayed them became all the more fact than fiction.
“S-spare them, p-p-please,” Twilight choked, “d-don’t…”
Lightning Dust placed a gentle kiss on Twilight’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, Princess, it’ll all be over soon.”
Summoning her remaining strength, Twilight sucked in a large gulp of air to scream for her friends to flee as Lightning Dust turned menacingly towards them both, the Alicorn Amulet aglow with a sinister intent.
...I'll keep reading because I want to see how this ends... But... You've kinda lost me really. Something like Luna turning evil would have required some build up. There was none. Lightning Dust came out of nowhere too... Again, she should have had some build up. Instead you basically took a bat labeled "PLOT POINT!" and hit us all in the face with it.
Oh - ho! The plot thickens!
(No, not that kind of plot!)
5484353 There was some build-up of Lightning Dust, in previous chapters whether or not she was in disguise. I did drop a whole butt load of hints over the course, but, without being too glaringly obvious as to give it away too early. Without spoiling the plot I can't say more, but Lightning Dust has been throughout this entire fic.
And the Luna turning evil angle - you are absolutely correct such a thing should have required a better build-up! Heck, if I was reading this fic, I'd love that too. I suppose in a way you need wonder if that bat I struck you with is indeed: "PLOT POINT!" "PLOT TWIST!" or "RED HERRING." Either way, glad you're sticking around at least and am more so glad you posted about your concerns. Makes me feel like what I have is getting the right reactions.
5484360 Um, babe... plot don't thicken... but I can tell you what else does but that's a whole other genre I'll keep to PGAD.
5484404
I only noticed Lightning Dust in the chapter before last, the one where she's disguised as Spitfire. Hence why I said it felt like she came out of nowhere. I'll have to reread later to see if I missed something really subtle.
5484416 I'm being really pedantic, you may look back, but this one is really well hidden. Not even my editors or friends know of it. If you do spot I'd shake your hand.
5484405 Okay.
But I just meant that things were about to get more...intriguing? sticky? (that's the one that I want to use)...where events in the story are concerned. (The thing with Luna I did not see coming, I swear!)
And just saying that she is, just what the hairy-heck does Twilight have that Luna thinks is rightfully hers?! Last account that I had of when the Sisters had and used the Elements, she had Honesty, Loyalty and Laughter, and Celestia had Kindness, Generosity and most of all, Magic. SO what is Dust blathering about with all that?
I is confuzzled.........
And why isn't AJ able to tell that Dust is, indeed, lying about what she's saying about all this mess? She is still the Element of Honesty, after all!
Again, I'm confused.
And just who is it who's talking to Twilight in her head? Discord? The real Celestia's spirit? It's definitely a mystery.
Anyway, can't wait til we get the next chapter to find out a bit more of what's going on. I just hope that Twi doesn't really die in it, but what with the rather ominous titles to this chapter and the next one, I dunno.
Just have to wait and see, I guess.
And once again, MP, you've managed to keep us on the edge of our collective seats, chewing our fingernails anxiously. Well done, as always.
Um...okay?
5484446 Thanks! Glad you liked it. The next chapter reveals more... uh, questions, than answers really. But stuff happens. You may kinda not like it, I think.
5484452 Oh, I did, trust me! It was excellent, despite what's going on with Twilight, AJ and Dash, versus Lightning Dust.
Oh, really? Hmmm. Looking forward to it then.
Ohhhhhh, why did you have to say that?! Now I really, really want the next chapter...like now!
Dang it, I hate it when you say stuff like that, though!
Still gonna read it when it goes live, though.........
And hey, if I stopped reading many of my favorite stories just 'cause things get a little...dark...(and that goes for many of my fave non-Pony fics) I wouldn't read much at all.
Heck, I read one last night (can't remember the name right of the top of my head atm, sadly) where Sombra and Chrysalis teamed up in the Prologue of it, conquered Canterlot, captured Twilight, Celestia (but not Luna, weirdly enough) and the rest of the Mane 6, then proceeded to torture them all to death in unspeakably cruel and sadistic ways.
Once that was done, they conquered the rest of Equestria, turned everypony except for the exception of the inevitable rebels into alicorns, then set up a propaganda campaign to twist the truth of what really happened that horrible day.
A thousand years later, a trio of young alicorns (one of whom was a mare who was named, oddly enough, Surprise (sound familiar?)) who escaped from the renamed Canterlot and joined up with a band of rebel non-alicorns to free the rest of the population and take back their country.
It's only up to Chapter 3 (not counting the Prologue), but it's pretty good, so I'm sticking with it.
Regardless of the idea of AJ, Twi and the others being tortured to death.
Translation: I'm with you for the long haul with this story.
Just try to get rid of me!
5484468 here here!
5484492 Cool!
Arrrrrgh! That cliffhanger!
5484816 I apologize. Wait. I don't...
Hah , silly Purple Smart , you are more prompt to doubt Luna than to doubt Discord... *cough*season four final*cough*
Here I hope that the next chapter is going to end up ui blood , violence and all righteous justice / vengeance / bloodlust. After all , nothing is more satisfying than seing the vilains cowering in fear after they see why they shouldn't have pushed the good guy too far.
5485222 Is she to die?!
What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck .
5485451 That, detective, is the right question.
I'm a little confused as to how the hell Lightning Dust grew a horn and was able to shoot magic from it. I don't think even the alicorn amulet could do something like that--after all, Trixie didn't grow wings when she used it.
Doubtful its Luna. If it was, she'd be more than willing to duke it out with the griffins. Why bother doing a false flag against them if you're not actually going to use it? There's no way you'd throw away the practically gifted wrapped scapegoat to your evil coup. Go to war and any musings about your takeover are drowned out by the beating drums for revenge.
5484446
AJ's no more a lie detector than Fluttershy is always kind. If she was, A Canterlot Wedding would have been done the moment her and Chrysalis were in the same room.
I love how Luna is a better candidate at being evil than Discord, even though she had an evil entity clensed while he didn't. Since he's kind of a trickster, it would make more sense with the information at her disposal.
I don't actually believe Discord is even in this, but Twilight's logic isn't sound. I guess that with all the weird shit going on, she might not be so rational.
5485451 I broke him.
5486840 The Alicorn Amulet used similar magic of the changelings to disguise Lightning Dust, which should not be too far from the amulet's capability since it did create an entire dome over Ponyville and transform Snips and Snails at one point. Heck, it even silenced Pinkie Pie.
5486908 I can confirm Discord is in this.
I've had worries this chapter upset some people... *eyes the downvotes* But no matter. Keep going and all that.
Damn your short chapter!
5487212 Forgive me!
5487287 lol its cool, it was early for me when I posted that... heck I'm still half asleep!
But I understand that holidays and whatnot get in the way of updating, so no worries lol
IT'S ALIIIIIIIVE!!!
I love updates.
5492756 FUCKING LMAO
I have one problem with this chapter.
PEGASUS'S CAN'T USE MAGIC EVEN WITH THE ALICORN AMULET!!!!
5511168 Officially there is no statement in that regards as far as I know. The amulet itself is stated to not being able to do the impossible, despite doing the impossible and transforming body parts. It's a loop hole in the plot and I pretty much took advantage of it.
5511277
hmm then nice loophole
And so the plot thickens...
static.tumblr.com/7840ce25e33890c60405483ce87e723d/9lloxtu/MlOmmagwy/tumblr_static_pinkiepic1.png
Well, that was interesting. The identity of "Celestia" was pretty unexpected. Before her "boo hoo I hate you cuz you dumped me RD" speech that is. But wait, the alicorn amulet makes pegasi able to use magic and shapeshift and greatly enhances their speed? Well, talk about OP.
I'm more impatient than ever to know why does luna (or not?) wants to kill everybody, and who manipulates twilight and why if it's not luna, well played here.
Also, I was half expecting, half hoping and half fearing the song was the portal version of still alive. That would have given this chapter an entirely different vibe, so I think you made a good choice here, even if I'm not a fan of the mirror's edge one.
So, well done, thanks for this delicious all-nighter binge, I hope your daughter lets you enough free time for you to write, because I can't fucking wait to read what comes next!
5519166
>Le me log on
>Sees a billion notifications
>Reads wall of text
>loved it.
I'm extremely happy my story made you rant. It's the whole reason why I write when I can. I just love getting a reaction out of people for good or ill. I know a lot of my stories are extremely my own head cannon and it's going to make people frown, but, that's gonna happen in any fandom, so I went to town... also, I'll answer those questions and concerns.
What does D=S-M stands for? It is a psychological formula that was proposed, it means Despair= Suffering - Meaning.
Is spitfire really a pony? Is she a changeling? Will she speak swedish? You already know this answer, and yes, it was unexpected but what I have also said to other people who dislike what I have done here with Lightning Dust, is that she has been in this fic from the near very beginning and is actually very important to the plot. She does not speak Swedish, but soon enough she won't be able to speak much at all.
Do you like apple pie? Fucking love it.
Raven. A bit of a fourth wall breaking pony. She shows up in the show and in the comics as Princess Celestia's aide, as well Mayor Mare's aide as both a unicorn and an earth pony. I decided on the Princess's aide side of things.
Flash Sentry no comment.
I'm going to do an honorary review of this story on the PCaRG, partly because you have asked me a few questions and I would like a fresh intake of what this story has. I'll get back to you.
Well, based on that title, we already know Twilight is going to die...
Unless you mean death in a different way of course.
5521083 Cheers.
Petty complaint, but after reading the description I still don't have a clue what the story is actually about. Maybe a short out-of-character summary at the end wouldn't hurt?
5547975 This, I pretty much agree with. I suck at writing summaries and to be honest, that summary has been bugging the living fuck out of me for months now. I am going to add a little something to it tonight.
Need a space here.
I still don't think Luna is the one behind this. Though whatever happened to Spitfire? Just another illusion by Lightning Dust?
5484468 That story sounds interesting. I'd like to read it too! Do you have the link or the title of the story maybe?
Also I love this story and I can't wait to see what happens next. Did Luna really scheme to get Celestia killed? I can't wait to find out!
5859646 It is, so I'm glad that I could turn you on to it.
I'll have to hunt through my Favorites Bookshelves to find it, though. So you'll have to bear with me til I find it. It's admittedly been awhile since I've read it.
Yeah, me, too, on both counts.
And I dunno. It sure sees so at this point, doesn't it?
But that might be a bit of a red herring to steer us to that conclusion (M_P is a master of misdirection and deception, I know that much). You never know what he (she?) is going to give us next!
Just have to wait and see, I guess.
And me, neither! That's why it's so hard for me to wait for the next chapter!
5860685 Well it's either Luna, Cadence, or someone using the alicorn amulet to disguise themselves. If the person WAS in disguise then it could be anyone!
5860685
5861134
Allow me to draw your attention to here: Blog
5861137 Yes! I hope Twilight doesn't die though, despite the title. I don't know who else would be strong enough to put a stop to this unless Cadence and Shining Armor stepped in.
5861134 Hmmm, very true.
5861137 Okay, thanks.
*runs off to read said blog*
EDIT: Well. I just read it, and I totally agree with Ayla on every point in that last post.
Coinsequently, I eagerly await the next chapter, O Majestic Master of Horsewords.
Bring. It. On!
5861295 I think I found that story you mentioned. Is it this one? ReAwakened.
5861985 Yep, that's the one.
If you haven't read it yet, be on your guard, okay? The prologue is more than a bit...gory.
5862117 I'm currently on chapter 2, and I've read a LOT worse. It really didn't describe much.
I read the blog and it looks like either Luna is a traitor or Lightning Dust is lying through her teeth.
5862128 Well, the later chapters are, to me, anyway, a lot tamer than the prologue itself. (Not that that's saying much.)
Cool.
And maybe a little of both?
It's bug horse, isn't it?