Gloom and Doom

by casualbrony10

Exorcism part II

They all sat silently around Celestia, the only noise was grunts and snarls coming from her, the Night Terror struggled in vain against its bonds. All the unicorns and alicorns present save Sunset held Celestia in their magic, keeping her motionless and powerless. Sunset sat closest to Celestia, a look of concentration on her face. Outside the shadow over the sky had cleared and the unholy rain had stopped, gone along with Gloom's hold on the heavens, but the cries of ponies under Gloom's torture still echoed in the night. The sound of Discord battling the endless horde of nightmares could be heard in the distance. Sunset continued to sit, meditating and focusing her magic.

"I can't," she said.

"Try," Luna replied calmly.

"But I don't know how, I only used the magic of friendship once and that was as a human and even then I didn't summon it on my own, I just rode along with the others."

"Perhaps we are going about this wrong, harmony is not like other magic, perhaps you need to feel what you felt the last time you summoned the rainbow. Twilight, you are princess of friendship, you know this better than any others."

"What?! But Luna, I have no idea! Every time we use friendship we are together and we feel the love and connection between us and it just happens, that's all I know," Twilight exclaimed with worry.

"But that might be all we need. As a princess, you need to be a leader and a teacher. Do your best to guide Sunset, do not doubt yourself Twilight. My sister always believed in you and so do I. Follow your instincts, and do what you feel is right." Luna gently pushed Twilight towards Sunset. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled, remembering what Cadence taught her.

"Alright, friendship is the same no matter which world it is in. Sunset, what did you feel the last time you were immersed in that magic, when you helped me defeat the sirens?"

"Um, I remember feeling like the weight of my mistakes was finally lifted. I remembered how you and your human friends had forgiven me despite what I had done. How you loved me and helped me to become a better pony and a better person, how I cared about all of you. I saw the sirens hurting you and I couldn't just stand by." As Sunset spoke, she began to glow faintly.

"Good, now remember those feelings. Find the ties of friendship that bind us all and draw strength from them, like we did when we healed Luna, when I became a princess, when we stopped Tirek, when we healed you. It doesn't matter what Gloom did to us, you are still our friend, we are still friends, the magic is still within us. You just need to be the spark to bring it all out." As Twilight slowly walked around Sunset, speaking words of encouragement and inspiration, Sunset glowed brighter. Sunset didn't notice, her eyes were closed in concentration. "Now share that light within you Sunset, let it all out, I know you can, I believe in you."

"We love you darling," Rarity said.

"Even if we just met you, any friend of Twilight's is a friend of ours," Rainbow added.

"Yeah, and isn't it cool to be friends with 2 Pinkies!?" Pinkie cheered.

"Even if you weren't friends with Twilight or our human selves, we would still be your friend, we offer friendship freely to anypony who wants it," Fluttershy said softly.

"And that don't make it any less special, friendship is like a seed, if ya'll care about it, the more ya plant, the more ya grow," Applejack chimed in.

"Gotta admit, that's a pretty great deal," Spike added.

The glow spread to the other 6 ponies, changing colors rapidly as it gained a rainbow aura. The Night Terror began struggling harder and more frantically. A shadowy aura appeared around all of them except Sunset and momentarily blocked the light, but Sunset's glow dispersed it and the light fully connected with the ponies.

"Well done, the Gloom's magic is broken," Luna smiled. Sunset's eyes opened, shining a blinding white. The aura beamed like a beacon as the 7 ponies assumed their rainbow forms. The Night Terror screamed as a rainbow beam struck it. It thrashed and shrieked, convulsing and seizing. Celestia's mouth opened as a long stream of blackness spewed forth. The rainbow pulled it out of the fallen princess, the disgusting creature was making squeaking noises and squirming in the light. With a final pulse, the rainbow consumed the Terror and it vanished. As the rainbow faded, the seven ponies stood around Celestia, still in their rainbow forms. Celestia gasped for breath and began coughing uncontrollably. "Wait, something's wrong," Luna looked grave. The ponies recoiled in horror as Celestia began coughing up blood, the shimmer fading from her mane, and her white coat was turning a sickly gray. "Oh no, no no no, she can't be that hurt, she can't." Luna rushed to Celestia's side as her sister's hair began to lose it's color, turning from it's usual myriad of colors to gray.

"Wha? What's happening," Twilight asked.

"It seems that my sister is badly injured, that parasite might have been the only thing holding her together. Her magic is almost gone, whatever that Gloom creature did to her drained all her magic, and in addition to that she has massive internal damage and mortal wounds, she's dying."

"But-but, she gave me her magic, when Tirek attacked remember? She was fine!"

"Yes, but this time she has lost all her magic, including the spells that maintained her body."

"What?! What spells? Celestia doesn't need spells, he body was fine?! Wasn't it?" Twilight had tears in her eyes.

"Ponies, even alicorns such as we, do not live a thousand years without many sacrifices Twilight," a solitary tear fell down Luna's cheek.

"Wait, we can heal her! Girls, give it everything you got!" Twilight fired the rainbow at Celestia. The light enveloped her, but then faded, Celestia looked no better. "Again!" Once again the light failed. "Again, please!" Twilight sobbed as they again tried and failed to heal Celestia. "Why isn't it working!"

"Because the magic of Harmony can't forestall natural death, death is a part of life, and Harmony cannot undo the effects of time. Celestia's death was long overdue, these injuries simply canceled out her means of cheating it," Luna held Celestia in her forelegs, cradling her sister as Celestia slowly stopped coughing and began breathing heavily. Her body's movements slowed until they ceased, only her breathing remained, and that was weakening. Celestia whispered something in Luna's ear. "She wishes to speak to you, Twilight, and you Sunset, you too Spike."

"No! We can heal her! If Harmony won't do it I will, I know healing spells!" Twilight's horn glowed and she shot a spell at Celestia, but once again the light flickered and died.

"A valiant effort, but it is too severe. Twilight, it isn't just her injuries, without her magic the wear and tear of a thousand years is hitting her all at once. No healing can reverse that, now come and hear my sister's final words." Tears fell down the faces of all present as the three walked up to Celestia and Luna. Celestia looked like she was withering before their eyes, wrinkles sagged across her once pristine form. Her hooves were cracked and worn, her breathing ragged. Celestia's voice was a whisper, Luna cast a small spell to amplify it's volume enough to hear.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Please Celestia, don't die," Twilight cried. A faint chuckle escaped Celestia's lips.

"Nothing will stop that now, I'm so tired Twilight. I've lived a thousand years and yet in the end I wish I had just a few more. Isn't that silly? I just wanted to see you grow into the princess I knew you could be. You were the daughter I never had Twilight, a pony far better than I. A thousand years of mistakes, but at least I did something right. You don't need me anymore Twilight, trust in yourself and I know you will bring friendship to all, like you did Sunset." Sunset cringed.

"Princess, I'm so-" Sunset tried to say.

"Do not apologize, it was my fault, I was blinded by my own pride, I didn't see what you were becoming. I love you just as much as I love Twilight, Sunset my faithful student, I loved you too much. I was so sure you would become a princess that I told you before you were ready. I didn't teach you how to earn it and when you were impatient, I scolded you like a child. I forgave you long ago Sunset, I hope you can forgive me."

"I do, Princess Celestia."

"Spike, my little dragon, my son," At these words the tears the baby dragon held back now flowed freely, "I remember when you were just a hatch-ling, a little miracle hatched by Twilight. Twilight was so young, she wasn't ready to care for another so I adopted you. I never did care for an infant before, my life was always consumed by governing the land, I never did get to start a family, but when I saw you I couldn't bear the thought of handing you over to the dragons. Orphaned dragons rarely survive in the dragonlands. None of the castle staff knew how to care for a dragon and many feared your teeth and fire. I took it upon myself, I had no idea what I was doing, heck, Twilight was better at quieting your cries than I was. You know you're terrible at mothering if a filly a thousand years younger than you knows how to rock an infant to sleep and you don't," Celestia chuckled weakly, "But my, look at how you've grown, a hero in your own right. Feels like only yesterday you were old enough to leave my care and assist Twilight. You are a dragon among ponies, yet you don't let that get to you. Spike, you are not like other dragons and you are not a pony, but that doesn't matter, you are you, you are Spike, never forget that."

"Mommy," Spike sobbed. A loud noise sounded and they all turned. Discord had thrown open the doors of the hall, behind him outside were countless puddles of ooze, the remains of the nightmares.

"What happened!? I sensed a big disturbance and saw the rainbo-" Discord stopped as he took in the scene before him. "No, there's no way, you're messing with me. TELL ME YOU'RE KIDDING!" He yelled as he teleported to Celestia's side.

"My old enemy turned friend. It's good to see you, to say goodbye," Celestia whispered.

"It's not goodbye, you'll be fine, you have to be fine. We just became friends, you can't just leave, not now, I can't lose one of the only friends I have. You're the closest thing I have to a friend my own age!" Discord was frantic and forlorn.

"Shhh, it's okay. Remember our friendship, those memories will stay with you, even if I can't."

"But, I can't talk to memories," Discord whispered uncharacteristically quiet.

"Lulu."

"Tia?"

"I know that I leave Equestria in good hooves, guide it well. Twilight and Cadence are still so young, they will be scared and overwhelmed, please be there for them. In my study the largest bookcase is filled with my diaries from the past thousand years, there is much knowledge there if you need it. I'm sorry to leave you so soon after we were reunited."

"The time we had was the most wonderful of my life sister."

"Mine too Lulu, mine...too...." Celestia exhaled and slowly went still. Those gathered round hung their heads. Applejack removed her hat and placed it over her chest. Luna closed Celestia's eyes with a hoof.

"NO!" Discord screamed as he rushed forward.

"What are you?!" Luna yelled as he shoved her aside.

"You selfish old nag! You think you can just leave us here? Huh?!" Discord brought his paw down on Celestia's chest, a flash of chaos magic exploding from his hand. The chaos magic entered Celestia's body and her legs jerked upward then fell back down. "You think you can just have your ponies teach me the magic of friendship?!" Again he shocked her body, "And then make friends with me?!" Again the paw came down and Celestia spasmed. Twilight started to move forward to stop Discord, but Sunset stopped her.

"Look," Sunset pointed to Celestia's body. With each shock, some of the damage to Celestia vanished, her coat regained its luster, her hair slowly regained its color.

"And then make me feel loved for the first time in my eons of life!" Discord's face was a snarl but he had tears in his eyes, "And after all that just LEAVE!" He brought both his claws crashing down on Celestia with a massive burst of chaotic magic and a clap of thunder. Celestia jerked off the ground and gasped, her eyes shooting open. The ponies cheered, their sadness instantly replaced with joy. Celestia was now very much alive as she gasped for breath, but Discord was so wrapped up in his fervor that he didn't notice. "AND THEN!"

"WAIT!" Luna yelled as she stopped Discord's arms from striking the now living Celestia.

"What?! Oh, hi Celestia." Discord said, quickly calming down.

"Augh! Wha-? *Cough*"

"Uh, sorry about the bruises. I just felt sad and angry and I wanted you to be alive again and I threw all my chaos at you."

"It figures that chaos would disregard the rules, even those of death. Although if you tried that a million more times I doubt you would succeed again since true chaos is entirely random. It seems that by some miracle of fate you have been given another chance sister," Luna smiled and walked forward.

"Celestia!" Twilight yelled joyfully as she and everyone else rushed forward to hug Celestia.

"Ow! Still sore, still very sore!" Celestia said as she winced, yet she still returned the group hug and smiled. As everyone cleared away from her Celestia turned to Luna, "Luna, I can't quite stand on my own yet, can you please carry me outside? If we can raise the sun I can draw upon it and regain some of my strength."

"Of course sister," Luna lifted Celestia with her magic and they slowly made their way outside. As they walked away, Luna called out to Twilight.

"Twilight, the danger has not yet passed, I fear that Gloom is planning something. While the creature held my mind I caught a glimpse of it's plans. He plans to do something to the Crystal Heart. I must tend to Celestia, but there is no time to waste, you all must go to the Crystal Empire and stop the fiend before he does any more damage." Suddenly Discord wiggled, much like he had when Twilight took in the power of the princesses to safeguard it from Tirek.

"Uh oh, he might have already done it," Discord said.

"Twitcha twitcha!" Pinkie said, "This is a doosey! Something big is happening!"

Immediately the 7 ponies took on their rainbow power forms and flew out of the hall, with Spike on Twilight's back and Discord floating after them. As they rose above Canterlot a roar could be heard coming from the North. A huge beam of black energy laced with white was shooting into the sky in the distance.

In the Crystal Empire, Gloom stood before the heart, Shining Armor and Cadence were both unconscious and tossed aside. The heart was erupting with dark power. Runes and glyphs spun around the entire crystal spire as Gloom's spell finally reached completion. Every symbol converged on the heart, spinning faster and faster in tighter and tighter circles until finally they all disappeared into the depths of the dark singularity. The dark heart stabilized and floated before Gloom as a perfect sphere of darkness. It almost looked like a hole in the air itself, no visible light could be seen. With a howl of triumph, Gloom seized the heart in his claws.

"At last, the final step. After so very long, I will finally have what I desire." Gloom whispered and then he swallowed the dark heart whole.

Author's Note:

Summer is here, I can finally put more time into this. A couple of my family members recently had health scares and even though they pulled through thanks to some wonderful doctors and paramedics I was reminded of the mortality of my loved ones and my own mortality. Some of those feelings went into this chapter. I hope you enjoy the story as we are fast approaching the climax.

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FK! FK!!! FK!!!!!