Diamond Tiara's Pandemonium Performance
Rarity Belle
= I May Fall - RWBY =
Nhilis' eyes glowed white. She conjured fourteen crank-machines that reminded me of Dracocord's weapons. I’m sorry I don't have time for details, darlings: they shot giant needles like a typewriter in a hurry! Each one swept at me or one of my friends, leaving a trail of pocked earth behind as the needles vanished after they hit.
Sweetie Belle! A needle that would have impaled her struck her enchanted cape and snapped in two! Thank Celestia!
We all ran for it, the rain of needles following right behind us! I tried to catch them with my magic, but there was nothing solid to grasp, they felt like bits of raw magical force. As long as we kept moving, none of us would be hit. Nightmare Nhillis just hovered in the center of the ring of floating weapons, looking down at us with contempt.
"Trixie doesn't like this game!"
"No one cares what Trixie likes," Nhilis said.
"Rainbow Dash! Fly in a circle around them!" Twilight shouted.
"Got it!" Rainbow did as Twilight instructed, and the needle shooter targeting Rainbow followed her trail, piercing the other machines with its shoots. Nightmare Nhilis teleported out of the way without missing a beat. I didn't hesitate to send a needle of my own into the last one.
Nightmare Nhilis dismissed the machines and conjured a small metal ring with three giant swords pointing outwards fused to the base. She spun it with her magic like a buzzsaw. "I'm sure Nurse Red Heart can reattach a leg or two!"
It hit the ground running and sliced along, spraying chunks of earth and grass in its wake. It didn't follow any of us, instead it zipped along, bouncing against an invisible perimeter in a blur! Our winged friends took to the air, grabbing any land-bound friends that were nearby! Don't ask where Pinkie Pie found the balloons. She held onto Trixie with her forelegs and Spike with her rear legs. The Princesses grabbed the rest of us in their telekinesis to make up the difference, and Fluttershy carried Apple Bloom. I used my own telekinesis to lift Sweetie Belle.
Nightmare Nhilis conjured up some more of her dolls, but these had working sewn-on wings. Not bad for a cloth-and-stitch reconfiguration rush-spell! The dolls were carrying axes bigger than they were! Celestia pulled up a broken branch with her magic, set it on fire, and clubbed the dolls with them; they quickly caught fire!
Fluttershy gasped. "But, how? Your magic can't affect hers!"
Celestia smiled briefly. "I might have made this with instantaneous magic, but now it’s truly physical fire and blunt force.”
Nightmare Nhilis added three more blade rings below us, and started shooting more of the giant white needles directly from her horn. I applaud the agility of our Princesses and Pegasi in dodging her attacks… and I will not question how Pinkie Pie’s balloons were able to dodge as well.
"Better take me out before you get too tired, or are you planning to run like a bunch of cowards? The wheels will follow wherever you go!"
"Applejack, do you think you could break those things out?!" Twilight asked.
"Ya know Ah can!"
"Pinkie Pie! Tell Rainbow when to drop Applejack! Everypony else, cover them!"
Twilight and I were reduced to glorified equine shields, since our barriers couldn't stop Nhilis' magic, but out armor could. It was a balancing act of keeping us non-fliers safe in the air while guarding our friends. If only I could have flown once more!
Pinkie squinted, measuring with an outstretched hoof. "Move just a teensy bit to the right, no left! Back a bit... Okay, AJ, buck as soon as your hooves touch the ground, then land a double side punch with your front hooves right after, and... NOW!"
Rainbow dropped her, and Applejack made a perfect four-point landing. In two fluid motions, she broke the first two with one buck, and the other two with a double kick from her armored front hooves. The quadruple shock wave blew them to scrap and shattered Nhilis' telekinetic grip.
Before the rest of us without wings were back on the ground again, Rainbow swooped behind Applejack and hurled her at Nhilis. Applejack did a double buck on the Nightfilly's skull without missing a beat, ringing her champron like a gong.
Nhilis whinnied and flapped for a moment before teleporting a pony's length away.
"That was a good one!" Sweetie Belle cheered, wincing.
"Is that still your plan? Knock me out? I'll die before that happens!"
"If ya were a normal pony maybe," Applejack said. She wasn't worried as she fell, she trusted Twilight or Rainbow to catch her. Normally, they wouldn’t disappoint, but Nhilis was quicker, catching Applejack in her OWN telekinesis and pulling her close.
= Bleach - Soul Resurreccion vs. Aizen =
"Are you really Applejack?" spat Nightmare Nhilis.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Nhilis glared at her, dragon-eyes burning. "If you really are her, then I'm disappointed. I sense none of the power that defeated Nyarlathotrot.” She shook AJ about in her telekinetic grip. “You became perfect and whole, like I’ll never be able to, and you gave it all away!?”
Applejack glared right back at her, then sighed. “That power wasn’t mine to keep, sugarcube. Not when Ah haven’t earned it yet. Don’t you see? Trying to hold on to power that yer not ready for just makes a world of hurt, for you and everypony around you!”
Nightmare Nhilis screeched in frustration. “What I see is a foolish little pony who’s chosen to step back rather than forward. Now you'll be broken by a stronger being who embraces what she’s become!" Instead of her white needles, she blasted Applejack with a wild torrent of destructive magic that sent her flying. Nhilis teleported behind her and bucked her in the back! "This is the will of the Watchers!"
She teleported above Applejack, but so did Twilight. "Hello." She aimed a blast at Nightmare Nhilis’ face, but Nhilis teleport away. Twilight teleported back to us, while Rainbow finally caught Applejack.
Apple Bloom rushed over to them. "Sis, are ya alright?!"
“Yeah.” Applejack coughed. "Ah'm just a little shaken up!"
The Nightmare trotted towards them ominously. "Do you hate me now, Brush Flank? Or do I need to make your sister lose her leg again?"
'Again?' I wondered. ‘Is this something to do with the 'broken world' she keeps mentioning?’
Twilight teleported off to one side and fired the sleep spell from before, but Nhilis blocked it with her wings like a wall. "Do you really think that spell would work on me now?"
"Apparently, you do!" said Twilight.
"Maybe I just don't want to be woozy." Nhilis summoned the violet pony skulls from before and sicced them on Twilight, who yelped and teleported out of the way.
I’d only shifted my eyes away for a moment, but when I glanced back at Nhilis, there Pinkie was, tickling her with a giant feather.
Nhilis looked outraged, but she couldn’t stop giggling. She blasted at Pinkie Pie, but missed over and over, always looking everywhere except where Pinkie was. A sphere of black brambles sprouted around Nhilis, spreading like an explosion and forcing Pinkie away!
Gaia-Fluttershy's horn glowed, growing green brambles that choked Nhilis’. The green briars sprouted pink flowers that released a yellow pollen. I never got to see what Fluttershy was planning, as Nightmare Nhilis grew into an enormous hydra, trampling both her plants and Fluttershy's. Fluttershy did not look well.
The hydra heads began shouting all at once.
"I have no reason to exist!” shouted a reptilian head covered in faded pink scales. “This battle, this world, you, NONE OF IT MEANS ANYTHING!!!"
Another head snarled, "Nothing exists except empty space, and all of you are but outdated thoughts."
"The Heart World has passed us all by!"
"None of us here have any reason to continue existing!"
"We're our own world," said Pinkie Pie defiantly. She tried to tie the hydra's necks in knots, only for her party ribbons to fall apart. Apparently, Nhilis didn’t need to be in pony form to project her aura of despair.
"Pretty words. Heard them before. From self-absorbed creatures with self-absorbed visions."
Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense let her dodge the Hydra Head's snapping jaws.
"Why so tense?” yelled several heads at once, trying to disorient her. “Why so serious?"
"You know I'm not allowed to beat you."
"I only exist so you can beat me up and be the hero again."
“I’m just another stained glass window they’ll put up in the palace for you!”
Pinkie Pie dangled from one of Nhilis’ ear fins. "Everypony is the hero of their own story, Diamond Tiara! Make yours a happy ending!"
Fluttercruel snapped, taking control of Fluttershy's body so she could launch herself into the air and pummel one of the hydra heads.
"There's no such thing as happy endings!" Another hydra head lunged at Fluttercruel, who flew out of the way at the last moment, causing Nhilis to bite another of her own heads. "AGH!"
"Is that so?” yelled Fluttercruel. “Or are you just too scared of failing to try?"
"ASK PINKIE PIE! Why else are your interviews of when Discord broke you still the favorite OUT OF ALL YOUR INTERVIEWS SINCE THEN?! Uncle Nythy was right! Creatures LOVE hurt and suffering, so long as it’s not happening to them!"
Fireworks exploded in the hydra's faces. "Trixie doesn't know what you mean and she doesn't care!"
"EXACTLY! NO ONE CARES!"
"That isn't what Trixie meant!"
Powerful bolts of black magic shot the hydra heads between the eyes in rapid succession.
I turned to see Sweetie Belle, her horn still glowing. "You feel alienated, isolated, and hurt. You feel like there's nothing left, but you're not alone!"
The hydra changed back into a Nightmare to make herself a smaller target, dodging a party cannon barrage and a tackle from the princesses in mid-transformation. I was relieved that Scootaloo was taking her task of keeping Silver Spoon safe seriously, and not trying to attack Nhilis again.
"I'll crush you flat." A blue portal opened at Nhilis’ feet. She stepped into the blue ring, and a giant armored hoof emerged from a orange portal over our heads, falling right on top of Applejack! But instead of being crushed, Applejack caught the giant hoof, and even started to force it back! Pinkie Pie rushed in to help, and together they hurled the giant hoof back through the portal, smacking Nhilis with her own foreleg!
"Impossible."
Applejack threw a punch of her own through the portal. The orange hoof that came out of the blue portal and jabbed Nhilis’ leg was tiny, but it still made the Nightmare wince in pain, even knocking her back from the force of the impact. Thankfully, Applejack pulled her hoof back before the portal closed!
= 'Ruby Delusions' - Sonic Mania =
I'd never seen a pony teleport so much, Nhilis flapped her wings and soared. Her black wind cut through the clouds above us...
"She's got a view of all of Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
A giant crackling red ball of magic grew above Nhilis' horn.
"DIAMOND!” shouted Silver, looking up helplessly. “MOM! DAD! NO!"
Nhilis hovered, fixing her with a look. "Don't worry, Silvey. Don't you know only unimportant ponies die?"
The worst part was how casually she said it. She fired the blast.
+++
DO NOT FEAR! THE ONE AND ONLY TRIXIE SHALL SAVE THE DAY!
Just because the One and Only Trixie was already tired from using her mother's destruction magic to destroy her evil replica, and used up the rest fighting two aspects of a god, and was now running on what little mana Rarity could spare, that does not mean Trixie cannot do this!!!
And just because Trixie is feeling a little woozy and can't quite remember what spells she'd actually copied or not, doesn't mean she can't use Captain Shining Armor's shield spell assuming she did, in fact, copy it!
Oh thank Celestia, Twilight thought ahead of me! No! Our shields aren’t holding the blast back! Twilight! I get the feeling this battle is far far from over, and yet we're already exhausted!
If... if this is a destruction spell... and something that big and ugly... no telling how much damage it could do to Ponyville... destruction... that's it... Trixie just needs to do a counter-spell!
FEAST YOUR EYES ON A FEAT LIKE NO OTHER, TRIXIE’S GREATEST TRICK YET!
The spell begins to take shape. A spark of darkness ignites, floating over Trixie’s horn, and grows into a seething dark sphere. Trixie's vision is blurred, her mouth is parched, it feels like her horn has been thrust into a pile of hot coals, but she is not done yet! The spell needs more power, much more! All these dancing lights in front of her eyes are cheering her on!
TRIXIE IS SAVING PONYVILLE! TRIXIE IS SAVING PONYVILLE! Trixie is so happy, she feels like her brain is melting!
But Trixie... Trixie does it! Trixie screams hoarsely, and her spell flies free, overtaking the Nightmare's big red ball of destruction magic… and cancelling it out completely! Mom, I used your magic to protect others. Isn't it great?
Trixie giggles... I feel like I'm walking on air. Trixie crosses her eyes. Trixie's horn is sizzling. Trixie knew her magic was hot. Owie.
"Trixie, your horn!" Trixie hears Twilight say. Hehe. I look up at the Nightmare.
"The spare always sacrifices herself heroically at the final battle." Nhilis ignites her horn, ready to cast the same spell again. “All for nothing.”
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!" Did Rainbow Dash have to shout so loud? Trixie's ears were already ringing. And Spike is so heavy… what’s he been eating?
"This is not! Some stupid! Play!" Trixie gets to see Rainbow Dashie vibrate her hoof at Sonic Rainboom speed, it's so pretty. She punched Nightmare Nhilis, knocking her flat with a prismatic shockwave. I think Rainbow herself isn't sure how she did that. I guess that magic armor is keeping Rainbow from feeling that in the morning. Wish I had magic armor. "THIS IS OUR LIVES! I DON'T BUCKING CARE WHAT YOU BUCKING SAY HAS TO HAPPEN OR DOESN'T! JUST GIVE THE BUCK UP SO WE CAN GO BACK TO OUR BUCKING LIVES!"
The Nightmare coughed up bile. "Finally got you mad... took long enough."
"Twilight!" stammered Princess Fluttershy. "PLEASE tell me that you can calculate that attack would have missed and just hit a harmless empty field in Everfree or something!"
Twilight said nothing.
Trixie lifted a hoof shakily. "Uh, Rainbow Dash... Trixie is the one who spoke about theater conventions." The ground is having trouble staying put, but Twilight Sparkle is there. How nice of Twilight to always support Trixie.
"Oh, right. Well, she did try to blow up Ponyville," Rainbow said awkwardly.
The Nightmare spoke, "And yet it didn't blow up. Because it wouldn't. Trixie is a 'friend' now, so you can't browbeat her for saying something that upsets you. That's what I'm for."
Rarity
I had no idea what to say, nor what to think. It had happened so fast. It was so unreal. Ponyville almost destroyed in an instant? I felt faint. I had trouble wrapping my mind around it, like this was all some horrible nightmare!
...
(Interviewer's Notes (Dusk): Rarity was shaken into silence when she realized what she'd thought.)
+++
Scootaloo shouted, "Diamond Tiara! Have you gone crazy?!"
"Yes."
Princess Luna stamped a hoof. "Mad foal! Doth somepony need to perish before ye will stop?"
"Yes," she said emptily. “Plenty of someponies.”
"RARITY, GET AWAY!" shouted Discord, sounding uncharacteristically afraid.
A pair of gem encrusted scissors big enough to snip a pony in two materialized and shot straight at Rarity like a spear. Sweetie Belle fired a bolt of black magic, knocking them to the ground.
Rarity didn’t budge.
The Nightmare narrowed her eyes, and created an identical pair of giant scissors.
“Young mare, that is entirely uncalled for!” Discord darted in front of Nhilis' face, waving his arms and wagging his tongue at her. Then Discord remembered he was a spirit, and pouted. “How am I meant to be Chaos when ponies can see right through me?” A second Discord played a rimshot on a tiny drum set.
Nhilis ignored him and fired the second pair of scissors at Rarity.
Again, Rarity didn't budge, but Spike leapt off Trixie's back and spat green teleportation fire at the scissors, making them reappear in the air and stab the ground next to Twilight with a TWANG! Twilight yelped!
Nhilis just created a third pair and fired that one too. This time it was Silver Spoon who used herself as a shield for Rarity, with Scootaloo guiding her hoof, and Apple Bloom using her cape to cover them both just in case. Silver barely managed to hit the scissors with Diamond Tiara's crown, still gripped in her hoof, shattering the scissors upon contact.
"I don't feel any guilt for doing this, Rarity. Ask the Pony 'Instant Win The Argument Button' if I'm lying." She made a fourth pair.
"Rarity, don't just stand there!" Sweetie Belle cried.
"Twilight saved Trixie, and I'll save you too, Diamond Tiara!"
Pinkie Pie swung a big wooden mallet, but Rarity's telekinesis pushed Pinkie Pie away! The fourth pair of scissors went through Rarity’s harmony armor, not deep, but just enough to draw blood. They had gotten into her left hip.
"RARITY, HAVE YA LOST YER MIND?!" AJ snapped.
"Exactly what I was thinking," said Nightmare Nhilis.
"Diamond Tiara... it's alright already... I forgive you... You were scared, desperate, and you thought you were alone. You can stop carrying that weight." The blades slipped out of Rarity's wound... Her Element pulsed, the wound closed, and the damage to her armor was mended. "Forgiveness heals."
"Do you have ANY idea how CHEAP the words 'I forgive' are?"
"And yet, so difficult to offer sincerely."
The Nightmare dropped to the ground. "I'm the last of the corruption. You want your happy ending? Destroy me." She rose up vertically, curled her wings close to herself, then snapped them out. "Void Winds!" A sphere of her black winds went off in all directions!
The Cutie Mark Crusaders were protected by their cloaks, while the crown in Silver Spoon's hoof seemed to slice right through the wind. The Harmony Armor shielded the bearers, or automatically undid the effect, it was hard to tell. But this left the Royal Sisters, Trixie, and Spike all vulnerable.
“Why did I even come here?” groaned Spike, draped over Trixie’s back like a wet blanket. “I was an awesome grown-up dragon for like five minutes, and now I’m useless again.”
Trixie sat down, sighing. “Great and Powerful? More like Pathetic and Powerless. Ugh, I remember this feeling. I didn’t like it the first several times either.”
Of course, even Spike and Trixie knew that this sudden feeling of being down in the dumps was Nhilis’ magic and not real at all, but sadly knowing a feeling was artificial didn’t make it go away.
Celestia blinked. "Luna, no! Not the black eyeliner! Shouldn't you be able to handle this curse better?"
"It's jealousy, envy, pettiness, spite, rage, and sorrow that I have dealt with before, sister." Luna sighed. "Give me a minute to write some poetry."
"I, on the other hoof... dealt with this emotion for centuries while you were gone. After I lost him. Smiling. Sipping tea. Leaving more and more of my failures hidden away for somepony else to fix, someday." Celestia teleported on top of Nhilis and began double-jackhammering Nhilis in the barrel. Then Celestia applied weight to pin Nhilis until the Nightmare teleported away again. "And I still endure," Celestia said defiantly.
Twilight teleported over to Celestia, touching her horn to the princess’. “Please, please don’t be so hard on yourself! Remember all the good you’ve done too!” Twilight cast the memory spell, then popped over to the others in rapid succession, applying the memory spell to each like clockwork.
Trixie blinked rapidly, snapping out of it. "Trixie REALLY hates feeling that way!"
"Blech!" said Spike, shaking his head. "Remind me to read a stack of Power Pony comics when we get home!"
The Princesses were restored just as quickly, giving each other a firm, sisterly hug.
"Don't use that attack again, Diamond!" Silver Spoon snarled.
"Or what? That was an area-of-effect spell. Shall we see if your armor protects you from a direct contact with my horn? There's no end to my bag of tricks now! You can't win."
"Liar," Applejack and Sweetie Belle chorused.
The Nightmare rolled her eyes.
"Twilight," Trixie whispered. "I couldn't copy that spell."
"I can't sense her magic either, Trixie, remember?"
"It's more than that... even with mom's destruction magic, I feel something. Depression isn't feeling sad, Twilight. It's feeling empty."
"The Element of Hope would come in handy for you about now," Nhilis interrupted.
Twilight blinked. "The WHAT?!"
"I would have had to make a suit of Hope-proof armor first," said the Nightmare, teleporting behind them and slamming their heads together. "Thank you, by the way. I think I understand my own magic a bit better now." Then Spike came running and lit her on fire again.
(Interviewer's Notes (Dusk) To Celestia): Shouldn't you have been immune? You've seen Entropy herself, after all.)
(Celestia's Notes: I’m loathe to admit it, but I didn’t feel that kind of crushing despair with Her. There's a sense of inevitability in Entropy’s presence, of final peace and rest. Did you know that there’s a whole order of monks in Equestria who strive to spiritually enter the void? I’ve never told them the true nature of what they seek. I doubt they’d thank me.)
While fending off Spike, the Nightmare took a whole slew of cream pies to the face, courtesy of Pinkie’s spring-loaded pie launcher. Then Rainbow Dash tackled her and engaged her in hoof-to-hoof combat, every punch leaving sharp rainbow trails in its wake.
(Noon's Notes: Incredible, isn't it? At this rate Rainbow will continue to grow as fast as Twilight!)
(Dusk Notes: Maybe... but this doesn't feel right.)
"Even with that armor you shouldn't be able to pull this off... who's helping you, Rainbow Dash?" The Nightmare darted back as Rainbow continued to attack her relentlessly.
"Only myself!"
"... So it seems. I thought you weren't going to beat up a little girl."
"THIS IS CALLED A SPANKING!"
"Well, is this as hard as you can hit? Seriously? Are you sure you're Wonderbolt material? Don't you want to make me feel punished? I think you’ll look better in Rarity's frilly dresses than a Wonderbolt uniform!"
Rainbow Dash attacked harder.
(Interviewer's Notes: (Prism Rush): Rainbow! Calm down, she's baiting you!)
'What's wrong with that?! Remember Luna's entire plan is for us to beat Discord out of her!'
(Interviewer's Notes: (Prism Rush): So why is she going along with it?!)
'... Maybe she wants to lose?'
(Interviewer's Notes: (Prism Rush): Dear, your definition of winning and hers are very different. She's making you lose control.)
"Wasn't Scootaloo more endearing when she couldn't fly? Now imagine how relatable she'll be once I ground her. Forever."
Rainbow saw red.
(Interviewer's Notes: (Prism Rush): She wants you so angry-)
'That I'll make a mistake?'
(Interviewer's Notes: (Prism Rush): So she can turn one of your hard hits into a killing blow! Look at her, Rainbow! She's not even blocking you right now!)
Rainbow stopped... The Nightmare didn't take the opportunity to attack, instead she looked surprised, and narrowed her eyes. "You're only making this harder."
"Since when has the Dash ever taken the easy road?"
"You will."
"Not today. The Dash is no thug."
'Thank goodness,' Twilight thought. 'Rainbow was being so intense that none of us could get in close or try any distance moves without risking friendly fire!'
Nightmare Nhilis got right in Rainbow’s face. "I thought ‘the Dash’ wanted to be a hero. A mare who can shoulder the burdens that would break…” She glanced significantly at Rarity. “... more sensitive ponies.”
Rainbow recoiled. "Whoa, whoa… You already tried messing with her, and it didn’t work! I’m your opponent now, Nhilis!” She lunged, but the Nightmare teleported away, leaving Dash grasping at thin air.
"You want to get a hero angry?” echoed the Nightmare’s voice from nowhere and everywhere. “Aim for those she loves." She faded into view right behind the Crusaders, snatched Sweetie Belle up in a bear hug, and teleported again before anypony could react.
"SWEETIE!" Her friends and sister cried out.
But Apple Bloom's rules said the Nightmare couldn't run, and sure enough Nhilis reappeared with Sweetie a short distance away. A wall of black wind snapped into place around them.
Naturally the heroes immediately began whaling on the barrier, doing their hardest to brute force their way through. But Twilight quickly found that teleporting through was impossible.
Princess Luna exchanged glances with Celestia. “Thankfully, she is more interested in forcing our hooves than killing us, or I'd have the children and Trixie flee for their lives.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head clear and looked up at the adult bully.
"Ready to forgive this, Rarity?" The Nightmare smirked.
"Diamond Tiara, no!"
"Nightmare Nhilis, yes." She turned her attention to Sweetie. "Part of my soul is inside you, and part of yours is in me, thanks to father's games. I'm sure your parts will go back to you when I'm destroyed… but why wait?” She patted Sweetie on the head mockingly. “It’s time I made the rest of me match. Don't worry, I'm sure your big sister can fix you later. Existential induced catatonia isn't so bad, just ask Doctor Hoof Wave."
"I wish I'd never taught you that spell," said Discord, but he was ignored.
"Hoof Wave got the fast and dirty version. Let's see how Sweetie handles the full incantation."
Rarity's heart started thumping like a jackhammer. The other Crusaders were twisting their brains into knots trying to think of a way through.
A black square formed underneath Sweetie, so lightless it was like a hole in existence. She looked for a way to escape, but it covered all of the ground within the barrier.
"Infinite Black Ocean Of Chaos," chanted Nhilis.
Sweetie Belle shuddered, then drew in a deep breath and spoke,
"Darkness beyond dusk, light beyond dawn
Madness beyond fear, reason beyond reality,"
"No!" boomed Princess Luna with the Canterlot Voice. "Sweetie Belle, you must not!"
Discord clutched his head. "STOP, YOU IDIOTS! Amateurs, with those spells?"
"Frozen World of Naught."
"By you who both sits upon and are the Throne of Naught,"
"Make but a single error in the casting of that spell, and Discord's Mother will claim your soul!" Luna continued to shout. But it was like Sweetie Belle's mind had gone into automatic mode, as if completing the incantation before Nightmare Nhilis finished hers had became the only thought in her head.
"Call from Sleepless Dream."
"With my hate that freezes, my anger that burns, my desire that grasps!"
Sweetie's eyes flickered yellow and purple.
Diamond Tiara wasn't even listening as the outlines of the black box formed around Sweetie.
(Princess Luna's Notes: You must understand! One spell lets loose shades of existence to ravage the victim, the other channels Entropy Herself. If they should clash... nay, tis best not to find out! Even if Sweetie succeeds, the damage to her underdeveloped horn could be irreparable! That's presuming she has enough mana and skill to even cast it properly!)
"Endless Subjects of the Unmother's Womb."
"I offer myself in this moment as your gateway."
Pinkie Diane hoof-shrugged. "Welp, somepony’s definitely going to feel this in the morning, but... desperate times!"
Rarity Belle
Pinkie Pie grabbed me from behind, and somehow I was… propelled into the space between Sweetie and Diamond without ever touching the barrier. It wasn’t like teleporting with Twilight, oh no, not even remotely! For a moment, I could have sworn that I was both inside AND outside the barrier, as if it was all one continuous space that only happened to physically be in two different... You know what, darlings? It’s a lot harder to say 'It's just Pinkie Pie' when you’re the one 'Pinkie Pie' is happening to!
My friends were as shocked as I was, and the Princesses looked positively alarmed! The two fillies didn't react at all.
"Lightless Shades: Coil. Entrap. Fill The Whole Ones."
"Together we shine the light of destruction equally upon them."
"HUG HER!" Pinkie Pie shouted, shoving me towards Sweetie. I didn’t need to be told twice!
+++
Clay Sky Dice Discord
Oh no! No, no, no, no, no!
Even if Rarity got Sweetie Belle to snap out of it, that wouldn’t stop Nhilis! No doubt, under normal circumstances, Pinkie Pie could have snatched Sweetie Belle right from under her nose, but I seriously doubt my princess is about to give her that chance! This spell distorts time and space. Pinkie probably has no idea how unlikely it was that she could get anypony in, much less out.
What to do, what to do?!
When the Big Marshmallow hugged little Miss Marshmallow Junior… well, Rarity might as well have been hugging a stuffed toy at first. Sweetie's eyes were still Mother's. But I could see Rarity's goodie-goodie vibes of love disrupting Sweetie's spell, soothing away all that pent up anger and hopelessness that the spell needs to work.
I knew exactly how this was going to go. Sweetie Belle will blink a few times, her eyes will go back to normal, and pfft, no more spell! She'll hug her sister back, probably cry a little. That’s fillies for you.
Twilight will be all, "You’re a genius, Pinkie Pie! How did you know that would work?"
And Pinkie will say, "When do hugs not work?!."
But in the meantime, my dear is still charging up! What to do, what to... Oh. Of course!
"DIAMOND TIARA, I LOVE YOU!" I gave her a ghost hug!
My princess just snorted and kept chanting.
"Nightmare Nhilis, I love you?"
She didn't even look at me. I shake a fist at Pinkie Pie. This, this is when hugs don’t work! Now what am I supposed to do?!
(Wind Whistler's Notes: You know what you have to do, Discord. You've already figured it out, you're not unintelligent. You know what should be a sufficient psychological shock to disrupt her focus.)
Wind Whistler doesn't talk in riddles!
(Wind Whistler's Notes: Nothing that I said was a riddle. As a lover of them, you should know that. What I said would seem vague to an outsider with no context, while you on the other hoof know precisely what I am speaking of.
No! I can't! It hurts too much! I can't do it!
(Wind Whistler's Notes: Do you prefer to suffer the guilt of another filly's emotional corruption, now that you are sane enough to appreciate it? Or are you so stuck in your hypengyophobia that even THAT is too much responsibility for you to take?)
"Caress their light. So they may know their own triteness:"
"WHAT I DID TO SHADY WAS NOT GOOD!"
Shadow Coffin Nightmare Nhilis looked right at me, her eyes wide and her pupils just pinpricks. "THE HELL?!"
"I told Surprise to go farm rocks to keep my best friend out of the crossfire! What I did to my mother was selfish! She kept telling me what I was doing was wrong and I never listened to a word she was saying as I hurt those she cared about! That was a bad thing!"
The black wind barrier dissolved, the Black Coffin spell broke apart. My princess was now in a state of shock.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle were shining like a pretty light of love to my spirit senses.
Why The Pony Hell do I feel lighter? I'm a spirit, I don't have mass right now!
Blech! Now Celly is looking at me with happy tears in her eyes! UGH! There goes my entire hope of salvaging my dastardly reputation! Oh well... Such is life.
At least I get shocked and bewildered expressions on everypony else's faces out of it. Lulu's jaw is hanging open. Dear Cruelty looks like she's gone cross-eyed.
The tomboys look like they've forgotten how to speak, AJ in particular. Hah, I told the truth! Let’s see you call me a liar now!
Spike and the foals look like they couldn't be more confused if they'd landed in Wonderland. Trixie is twitching. Oy! Of course, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are smiling, and my dear sweet Twilight Sparkle has a odd calmness about her, an acceptance? Geeze. What is going to take to get that mare to accept her inner crazy and be happy?
(Wind Whistler's Notes: She is happy, Discord.)
She could be happier!
(Wind Whistler's Notes: Please do not ruin the moment with egocentric remarks. Instead Dissy... I wish you to know that I'm proud of you.)
Wind Whistler puts a wing on my shoulder... how many eons has it been since she's done that?
"No. Father, not you too."
Nightmare Nhilis was looking at me like she'd stepped into Invasion of the Pony Snatchers. "You gave up. You surrendered. You let yourself become him. You said you'd never turn into that, Discord. You said you wouldn't let yourself be rewritten by Those Who Make…” She was starting to hyperventilate. “You're dead. You betrayed me. I. Am. Alone!" The last part was spoken with the Royal Canterlot Voice.
Oh my. Oh. Dear.
"No dearie, that... that isn't so-"
"Shut up,” she snapped, cold as ice. “I have nothing to say to you." What was that cracking sound in my chest?
"You're not alone, Diamond!” shouted Silver Spoon, trying for the millionth time to reason with the unreasonable. “I've been saying it this whole time!"
"... You'll never give up on me, will you, Silvey? Which is why this is the only way I can set you free." She narrowed her eyes at the Bearers. "Those suits of armor you’re wearing... I'm betting they've bonded with you pretty close, meaning they can't just be given to back up Elements. Which means that I only have to take out one of you, and you'll LOSE your precious 'zap the villain into being nice' option. Luckily, I do have spares of those I need!"
Twilight struck a confident pose. “I’m afraid you’re sadly misinformed! In past times of crisis, my friends and I were able to use the power of the Elements without even having them physically present. I’m sure that Trixie, Spike, or any of the Crusaders could step in, if they need to!”
“Twilight…” Celestia slipped closer, leaning to whisper. “My faithful student, you should not rely on that.”
“W- What?” Twilight's nervous grin would've been delicious before. “Princess, what are you saying?”
"Twilight, you were standing on a perfect crisscross of leylines when that happened. It's how Nightmare Whisper was able to cover Equestria in her fog! Don’t forget that the Elder Horn was present as well.”
"Well... we're standing in a leyline crossroads now too!" Twilight said, actually giddy with worry. She hissed, “Princess, we’re trying to convince Nhilis not to use extreme measures, and this isn’t helping!”
Celestia sighed. "There’s more, Twilight. Futtercruel was uniquely well suited to substitute for Fluttershy because she was born of Fluttershy’s soul. The fact all six of you were able to harmonize with each other so quickly was a miracle."
"But..." Twilight whispered. "We can use the Elements without Trust being physically present."
"And they are usable, but not at the full power they were before." Celestia hesitated. “My student, I’m not saying that another miracle cannot occur, but to make such a miracle your whole strategy...”
The other ponies are still stunned by my ... oh, what's that word?
(Wind Whistler's Notes: The word you are looking for is repentance.)
Yes, that! But there’s no more freebies coming, and now Nhilis knows it too!
Oh. I know that expression on little Twilight's face, not as alluring as her crazy face, and a lot more annoying.
(Wind Whistler's Notes: To me it would seem the emotion she is displaying is courage.)
That's precisely what I mean.
(Wind Whistler's Notes: And perhaps hope... but identifying the subtlety of mixed emotions is not my expertise.)
Hope is worse! Oh wait! Hope is good now! Hope is a force of chaos! Let’s hear it for hope! Ah, it brings a tear to my eye. Or maybe I’m just sad about the million years it’s going to take me to crazy-glue that Element back together.
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Trixie saving Ponyville and Sweetie Belle and Diamond's spell duel were my favorite parts.
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THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENT!
And Trixie continues to get her moments.
And that duel was planned for a very long time. It originally was going to play a much larger role. But characters changed, and the story with them.
Hope is the lie that you make true. Enjoy reading this.
I love how shaken up Rarity gets when Pinkie Pie Pinkie Pies her through the barrier.
Brings to mind memories of when Pinkie Pie Pinkie Pied her ribs to be unbroken while fighting Luna in the End of G3
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And interesting thought on the matter. Thank you very much for the comment!
8790556
Thank you.
The fight for everything that was lost...
8790755 I'm not very interesting right now. Just want to see Diamond okay.