• Published 25th Feb 2012
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Star Gazing - Konseiga

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Apex

“You…!” Shadow Star had finally managed to break free of the spell that silenced her, and her voice was filled with fury. “How did you escape?! I locked the door PERMENANTLY!”

“Obviously not,” Twilight responded cheekily, drawing her wings in to her body. She was having some trouble getting used to them, so they would have to remain closed for now. “Plus, you endangered my loved ones. There isn’t much that would have kept me from protecting them.”

“But you’re the weakling!” Shadow Star shrieked. “I completely overpowered you, and locked you away for eternity! I should be the strongest!”

“And yet, here I am,” Twilight quipped. “Curious, isn’t it?”

“I WILL NOT BE MOCKED!”

Twilight simply shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to me that you’re in much of a position to make demands right now, ‘Shadow Star’.”

The darker alicorn sneered. “And you think you’re in a position to challenge me? Do you think you have what it takes?”

“Do you think you can stop me?” Twilight replied coolly.

A vein pulsed in Shadow Star’s temple as the alicorn gritted her teeth and growled, “I will not stand for such impudence!”

Twilight just gazed at her foe evenly. “I pity you. I really do. You’re so strong, so knowledgeable. You could have made Equestria stronger than it has ever been.

“I am not as weak as you are!” Shadow Star snarled. “I would never subject my might to aiding the weak!”

“Then you are a fool,” Twilight whispered.

“Only a fool would leave something so valuable to them open for an attack!” Shadow Star turned to face the group behind Twilight. A huge bolt of black electricity leaped out of the dark alicorn’s horn, and arched straight for the group, and Twilight’s five friends’ eyes widened in horror.

A light purple bubble sprang up around the group. The bolt struck the impromptu shield, deflecting off of it and striking the ceiling above, causing debris to rain down on the occupiers of the hall.

“What in the moon?”

“You will not hurt my loved ones,” Twilight said coldly. “And if I need to reinforce that lesson, I will.”

“You couldn’t lay a hoof on me,” Shadow Star sneered at Twilight again, but uncertainty flickered in the dark alicorn’s eyes.

Twilight’s horn began to glow brightly. Her body began to shimmer as white energy wrapped around her torso and hooves, forming a gleaming set of armor. A symbol within a circle appeared around Twilight and began spinning, slowly growing larger.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Twilight said nothing, her eyes closed in concentration. Shadow Star shied away from the circle as it passed harmlessly through her. As soon as it cleared the throne, the circle dropped to the floor and vanished.

“What have you done?” Shadow Star demanded. “Answer me!”

“I wrapped us within a ward,” Twilight said calmly, opening her eyes. They gleamed with certain brightness. “We don’t want any stray attacks to bring the place down on our heads.”

“I’ll destroy this entire city if I want to!” shrieked the dark alicorn. “And no shield from a mere apprentice caster will stand in my way!”

“Go ahead, then,” Twilight said coolly. “If you think that you can escape it, by all means, try.”

Shadow Star faltered, uncertainty gleaming in her eyes again. “I’ll deal with you first, and then I’ll level the entirety of Equestria!”

“You won’t get the chance,” Twilight stated, and vanished in a flash of light.

Shadow Star’s eyes widened right before a pair of hooves collided with her face. Twilight had teleported right beside her doppelganger, and had simply turned and bucked Shadow Star with all her might.

The dark alicorn went flying, landing in a graceless heap. She was quick, however, and soon recovered, a snarl on her face.

“I will not stand for this impudence!”

“Give it a rest already,” Twilight shot back. A circle of white magical daggers had appeared around her head like a halo. Shadow Star responded in kind, but her daggers were black.

The two opposing alicorns tensed their muscles, preparing for the next engagement. Then they both vanished, invisible to the naked eye. The only sign that they were fighting were the occasional clang of magical daggers and flashes of light.

Shadow Star was the first to reappear. She materialized next to the golden throne, a shallow gash above her eye bleeding profusely. Twilight appeared several yards away, with various cuts in her side. Both were panting from exertion.

“Not so…tough now, huh?” Twilight said with a grin.

You surprised me,” hissed Shadow Star. “It won’t happen again.”

“We’ll see.”

Twilight began flinging her daggers towards Shadow Star, who fluidly dodged them and sent a volley back towards Twilight. They began a lethal dance, dodging their enemy’s daggers while trying to land a hit with their own. Soon, the two alicorns got creative in their methods, and the air was filled with magical daggers that were curving midair, trying to strike their opponent.

Twilight was the first to get hit. A black dagger ripped through a fleshy part of one of her long legs, and she hissed with pain. Shadow Star grinned triumphantly, only to have a white dagger bury itself in her shoulder. She let loose a bloodcurdling scream before reaching over and pulling it out with her mouth.

Twilight vanished in another flash of light, seeing an opening. As the white dagger vanished, removed from Shadow Star’s shoulder, a pair of white-clad hooves collided with the darker alicorn’s chest, driving the breath from the would-be tyrant and knocking her back.

Only this time, Twilight didn’t stop her assault. Merging all of her daggers together, she created a long white blade that came hissing through the air, aimed directly at Shadow Star’s head.

The darker alicorn barely dodged in time. Instead of cleaving Shadow Star’s skull in half, the white blade sliced into her left wing, spraying blood across the floor. Hissing with pain and exertion, Shadow Star head butted Twilight in the torso, puncturing the lavender alicorn’s armor with her black-wreathed horn.

Twilight gasped and magically shoved Shadow Star back, the darker alicorn’s horn tearing out of her chest. Blood began to seep out of Twilight’s chest as the wound was exposed to the air. But Twilight did not falter. She gathered her energy around her and made a makeshift magical bandage, wrapping it around her chest quickly, and repairing her armor on top of it.

Shadow Star had done much the same with her wing, attempting to stifle the bleeding by wrapping her wound in dark energy.

“You’re weakening,” Shadow Star hissed at the lavender alicorn. “I can already see it. Your movements are slowing, and your breathing is labored.”

“And yours isn’t?” Twilight retorted shortly.

Shadow Star’s lip curled into a sneer. “I am still more than a match for a weakling like you.”

Wrapped in their protective shield and well outside of Twilight’s battleground ward, four ponies and one dragon looked on with something akin to awe as the two powerful alicorns battled.

“I simply adore their armor,” Rarity commented. “It’s just so…elegant. Sleek.”

“Uh, Equestria to Rarity,” Applejack waved a hoof in front of the white unicorn’s face. “One o’ yer best friends is locked in mortal combat wit’ an ins- darn it all, a downright evil…whatever she is, and all ya can think about is fashion?”

“Well, inspiration can strike from anywhere, dear Applejack. It’s not like I have to turn a blind eye to it.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, and then turned to look at Rainbow Dash. The rainbow colored pegasus was watching the fight intently, cheering on Twilight whenever she could.

“Yeah! Kick her ass!” “Nice move, Twilight!” “Watch out for that- too late…”

Spike would join in occasionally, but mostly watched with wide eyes as his lifelong friend battled for her life.

Pinkie Pie also just sat and watched, her mind working furiously. The alicorns moved too fast for her Pinkie sense to be of any help, so all she could do was watch.

“Come on, Twilight,” the pink pony said softly. “You can do it. We’re all counting on you.”

Fluttershy was busy at work, attempting to help the Princesses however she could. Celestia’s mane and tail had since reverted to their soft, flowing colors. The white alicorn sat patiently as Fluttershy administered various herbal disinfectants and sterile bandages to her wounds.

“Fluttershy, I am most grateful,” Celestia said quietly after Fluttershy had wrapped most of her serious injuries.

“Oh, it’s n-no problem at all, P-princess Celestia,” Fluttershy said meekly. “I j-just want to help.”

Celestia smiled kindly at the yellow pegasus. “Can you help my sister now? I don’t seem to be in any immediate danger.”

“O-of course!” Fluttershy switched patients quickly. Luna had passed out after Twilight had moved her closer to the group, and Celestia was worried about her.

There’s nothing I can do from here. My magic can’t heal those wounds, she thought sadly, turning her attentions back to the battle. It was the first time in ages that Celestia had ever felt so helpless. If I try to join the battle now, I’ll only get in Twilight’s way. I’d be a target, and she’d only get hurt trying to protect me…

“I believe in you, Twilight,” Celestia whispered. “And I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“P-princess Luna!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Y-you really sh-shouldn’t be moving around in your c-condition!”

Celestia glanced over at her younger sister. The alicorn had regained consciousness and was struggling to rise to her hooves.

“Lu’, I think it’s better if we sit this one out,” Celestia murmured.

Luna shot a glare at Celestia. “Twilight is out there, fighting Shadow Star alone,” she hissed. “I can’t let her fight by herself!”

“Luna,” Celestia said sternly. “Think rationally for a minute. In your condition, you wouldn’t be much help to Twilight. She’d probably get hurt trying to protect you from Shadow Star’s attacks. The same goes for me. We would only get in the way.”

Luna froze, and then sunk back to the ground, deflated. “I know that,” she muttered quietly. “I just don’t want Twilight to get hurt anymore. She’s been through a lot.”

Celestia nuzzled her sister gently. “I know. She’s one incredible pony.”

Luna locked her eyes on the battle. “That she is, ‘Tia. That she is.”

Within the warded battlefield, Shadow Star and Twilight had begun exchanging blows. Shadow Star had conglomerated her daggers together in a single blade, mirroring Twilight’s weapon, and the two were spinning around each other, attempting to find an opening in the other’s guard.

“You won’t win!” Shadow Star shouted, parrying a blow from Twilight.

“I can’t afford lose,” Twilight responded evenly. “Too much is at stake.”

The two alicorns brought their blades together with enough force to raze buildings. The entire hall shook from the resulting boom that resonated from the blow.

Twilight fought hard, twisting and turning with agility she never knew she possessed. But Shadow Star’s experience was slowly starting to give the dark alicorn the upper hand, and Twilight found herself being forced backwards. Gritting her teeth, she split her blades into two separate weapons. Shadow Star followed suit, doubling the pace of the fight. Twilight began to divide her blades more and more, pushing her mental abilities to their limits. Soon, dozens of miniature blades from both ponies whirled in a maelstrom of black and white between them. The sound from the clashes of the weapons filled the air with an unceasing clang.

The sharp edges of Shadow Star’s black blades cut into Twilight’s legs, shoulders, neck, and face, leaving wounds that burned like sunfire. At the same time, Twilight scored dozens of hits with her own white blades, leaving the darker alicorn looking like she had gotten on the wrong side of Opalescence.

And still, Twilight found herself being forced back. She was now mere steps away from the edge of her wards, and she did not want to have her back against the wall with no room to maneuver against Shadow Star’s onslaught.

So Twilight did the only thing that came to mind. Abandoning all notions of defense, she flung all of her blades at Shadow Star and detonated them.

BOOM!

The resulting explosion blasted Twilight backwards, slamming her against the wall of her wards. Shadow Star was flung in the opposite direction, skidding across the floor of the hall and landing in a smoldering heap.

“Twilight!” Luna’s voice rang out in the hall as the midnight blue alicorn tried to struggle to her hooves.

“I’m fine!” Twilight replied with all the force she could muster, dragging herself up of the ground.

“Didja get ‘er good, Twi’?”

“Oh yeah! That was AWESOME!”

Choosing to ignore the shouts from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Twilight gazed at the smoking Shadow Star. The darker alicorn was slowly getting to her hooves.

“That was underhanded,” Shadow Star said with a cough. Her movements were uncertain, and her voice wavered with exhaustion.

“Say what you will,” Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “But you’re beaten. Give up.”

“I’ll never surrender to the likes of you,” Shadow Star snarled. “I will rule this land, or I will see it burned to the ground. I refuse to be your captive, Twilight Sparkle. I would sooner die!”

And with those words, Shadow Star threw everything she had into one last attack. A massive surge of black energy erupted from her horn, flying directly at Twilight.

The lavender alicorn mustered her energy and summoned her own massive bolt of white energy, firing it at Shadow Star. The two beams of light collided midair.

Beads of sweat immediately broke out on Twilight’s forehead as she struggled to maintain her spell. Shadow Star began panting from the exertion, but her face was set in a grimly determined expression.

Slowly, the white beam of energy was forced back.

“I will not be defeated! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!” Shadow shrieked. The black beam began to thicken as the dark alicorn poured more energy into the spell, and forced Twilight’s beam back further and further.

“No! I can’t lose now!” Twilight reached within herself and fed more magic into the white beam. It thickened in turn, halting the progress of the black beam, but not reversing it.

“You’re weak, Twilight Sparkle! You always have been!” Shadow Star screamed. The black beam began to advance on the lavender alicorn again.

“I… I can’t…” Twilight panted as her beam of light thinned. The black beam began to advance on her quicker than before. As much as Twilight struggled to push the beam back, it kept gaining ground.

The meeting point of the beams of energy made it all the way to Twilight’s horn. The white beam had all but vanished, and Twilight was about ready to concede defeat and accept her death when Luna’s voice shattered the air.

“Twilight Sparkle, don’t you DARE die on me now!”

Something within Twilight was released. A fresh surge of energy welled up inside of the lavender alicorn, and she poured it all into her spell. The white beam of light doubled, then tripled in size, and it quickly forced the black beam back.

Twilight’s spell returned the meeting point to the middle of the two alicorns, and kept advancing on Shadow Star. The dark alicorn’s eyes widened.

“No! Impossible!”

The white beam continued to advance as Twilight poured more and more of her strength into the spell.

“I am a goddess! I am supreme!”

The white beam of energy hovered right above Shadow Star’s horn.

“I cannot be defeated!”

The black beam of light vanished, and the white beam broke free of all resistance. It washed over the dark purple alicorn, and Shadow Star let loose an earth rending scream. The floor beneath her cracked and shook, and the residents of the smaller shield quickly covered their ears with their hooves or talons.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

The white light expanded to fill the warded battleground as the dark alicorn disintegrated. Twilight panicked as she felt more and more of her strength being poured into the spell. If I keep this up much longer, I’ll die!

“Twilight!” Luna shouted.

And just like that, Twilight’s connection to the spell was severed. The white light that had filled the warded battleground began to recede back into the lavender alicorn. Twilight’s exhausted legs gave out as the last of the light vanished, and she hit the floor with a thump. The ward around the battlefield began to deteriorate and vanish, as did the protective shield around the group.

“Twilight! Are you okay?”

Rainbow Dash was the first to reach her exhausted friend. Worriedly, the rainbow pegasus prodded her friend’s side. “Twilight? Twilight?”

“Rainbow Dash, you can be really annoying sometimes,” Twilight said with a groan. The pegasus’s face broke into a huge grin.

“I’m just doing my job!”

“Budge over, you,” Applejack said kindly, pushing her marefriend aside. “Twi’ ya were amazin’! Ah didn’t know ya was so strong!”

“Indeed,” Rarity chimed in. “It was a surprise to us all. But I’m more worried about your mental state. Are you our Twilight?”

“Are you crazy?” Pinkie Pie wheeled on her white unicorn friend. “Rarity, you’re talking to the same pony that just risked her life to save all eight of us! She held a shield, a ward, and still fought on par with that monster Shadow Star! Of course she’s our Twilight!”

Rarity gave a sheepish look at her friends. “O-of course she is,” the white unicorn stammered. “How stupid of me to question it.”

“It’s okay, Rarity,” Twilight said quietly, hauling herself to her hooves. “I did some pretty awful things to you guys. I never expect you to forgive me for them.”

“Yer a darned fool if ya truly think that we wouldn’t forgive ya,” Applejack said. The others clamored in agreement.

“Besides, didn’t we already resolve that?” Pinkie asked. “Back in the labyrinth?”

Four ponies stared at the pink earth pony. “Pinkie Pie, what in the hay are you goin’ on about now?”

Twilight just smiled at her friend, giving her a brief nuzzle. “You’re right, of course.”

“About what?”

“Never mind…”

Applejack glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, uh, Twi’.”

“Yes, Applejack?”

The orange earth pony jerked her head in the direction of the two princesses. “Ah think somepony is waitin’ on ya.”

“Awwwhhhh yeaahhh!” Rainbow Dash said happily. Applejack gave her a swift prod in the ribs.

“Behave yerself, you rambunctious rainbow.”

Twilight smiled at her friends and walked slowly over to the Princesses.

“Twilight Sparkle, I’m so proud of you,” Princess Celestia said happily. “You saved not only us, but all of Equestria! And this wasn’t the first time,” the white alicorn added thoughtfully.

“I’m honored, Princess,” Twilight said reverently.

Celestia waved a flippant hoof, wincing as her injuries pained her. “Twilight, please. Just call me Celestia.”

Twilight goggled at her mentor. “B-but, I’m nowhere near your equal,” the purple alicorn protested.

“Aren’t you, Twilight? You defeated one of the most powerful threats that Equestria had ever seen relatively quickly. You succeeded where I failed,” Celestia hung her head low in shame, “and if anypony deserves the title of Ruler of Equestria, it’s you.”

“Celestia,” Twilight started, giving the new name for her (former) mentor a try, “you honor me beyond belief. But, while I may be powerful, you’re still infinitely more wise and sagacious. Equestria deserves you as a ruler, not me.”

Celestia raised her head up at Twilight and beamed. “I’m so proud of you,” the white alicorn said softly, giving her student an affectionate nuzzle. “But I think somepony has something to say to you, as well.”

And with that, Celestia trotted off, joining the group of chattering ponies behind them.

Twilight looked at Luna. Even though the blue alicorn was battered, she was still the most gorgeous being Twilight had ever seen. And now, since they were roughly the same height, Twilight could appreciate Luna’s beauty all the more.

They just stared at each other for a while. A single tear flowed down Luna’s face as she burst out, “Don’t you EVER scare me like that again!”

Twilight flinched, surprised at the outburst. Luna was crying wholeheartedly now. “I thought you were going to die! I thought I was going to die! And all I could think about was how I’d never get to spend more time with you, or make another sandwich with you…” the midnight blue alicorn trailed off. “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. It was making me irrational.”

Twilight leaned in and nuzzled the blue alicorn. Luna sighed in contentment. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I love you too, Luna,” Twilight whispered. “You saved me.”

“Somepony had to.”

“You were the only one that could have,” Twilight insisted.

“Perhaps.”

“Hey Twi’!” Applejack called out. Twilight entwined her tail with Luna’s and turned to answer her friend.

“Yes?”

“Ya’ll should probably come look at this.”

Curiosity welling up inside her and tail-in-tail with Luna, Twilight wandered over to her friends. They were circled around something and muttering to each other. The circle opened to admit the two alicorns, and Luna gasped as she saw what lay on the ground.

It was a black crystal that swirled with inexplicable deepness. It glowed with a dull light, and the air seemed colder around it.

“What is it?” Rarity asked. “It’s sinister, but gorgeous at the same time!”

“No, Rarity, ya can’t have it fer yer dresses.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.”

“It’s an essence crystal,” Celestia explained quietly. “When a large power is altered in a major way-“

“Like being zapped with a magic beam of awesome?”

Celestia frowned at Rainbow Dash. “Yes, like that. When they’re altered, they sometimes leave behind essence crystals. These crystals contain all the influence, power, and experience of the source it came from.”

“And it looks like this came from a certain evil alicorn,” Rarity pitched in. Fluttershy squeaked.

“That it does,” Celestia agreed. “Only problem is, how do we deal with it?”

“That’s easy,” Twilight said. She wrapped the crystal in her magic and floated it up to her eyes, inspecting it carefully. “I hang onto it.” A sharp look from the lavender alicorn silenced the protests that rose from her friends.

“Twilight, are you sure?” Luna asked, pressing into Twilight’s side worriedly.

“It’s a part of me now, just as much as my new body is,” Twilight replied softly. “It only makes sense that I hang onto it. Besides, someday it might prove useful. And I don’t trust a whole lot of other ponies to look after something as powerful and dangerous as this.”

“Well said,” Celestia agreed. “But are you going to levitate it all the way home?”

Twilight seemed surprised at the question. “Of course not,” she replied. Screwing up her face in concentration, she wrapped the gem in a brilliant white light, and it vanished. “I’ll just teleport it home.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah, and excuse me while I just join the Wonderbolts. You know, no big deal.”

Everypony laughed at that.

“I think it’s about time you ponies returned home,” Celestia ordered. “I’ll have a chariot prepared immediately. You should all go home and rest. You’ve been through a long and tiring ordeal.”

Luna and Twilight glanced at each other.

“With respect, sister,” Luna started, “I’d like to give Twilight a few tips on being an alicorn. Maybe give her a first flying lesson.”

Ignoring the groan of “but I wanted to do that” from Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia smiled a knowing smile.

“Very well.”