• Published 30th Mar 2013
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Sunset of Time - Albi



Sunset Shimmer: Princess Twilight Sparkle's most faithful student. After bearing witness to the End of the World, she travels back in time to destroy the Dark Regalia and save her future. But a ghost from the past has other plans...

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Chapter XXIII: Echoes of Time

Chapter XXIII: Echoes of Time

“Hyahahahaha ahahahahahahaha!”

Applejack rose from the cold marble floor, nursing her aching jaw. She watched both Vesper and Sunset laugh with a malice more chilling than the Frostlich’s breath. Their combined radiating power pummeled her even from a distance, forcing her to stagger back. Even in her horrific alicorn state, Applejack had to concede that Vesper held a sinister type of elegance. She resembled Nightmare Moon more than Celestia, but she was still something to behold.

Applejack glanced back at her friends; all of them had been pushed back to the fallen column resting upon the Frostlich. Much like her own, their expressions bordered on horrified, save for Rainbow Dash, who was cradled in Fluttershy’s hooves, looking ready to pass into the next world.

This is wrong. This is all wrong.

Sunset walked to the foot of the dais and turned to face the group. She wore the same mad grin they had come to associate with Vesper, and a red gleam hung in her eyes.

“Sunset…”

Twilight took a step forward, and was immediately hurled back across the crystal floor by a blue beam. She came to rest by the Frostlich’s back leg, clutching her chest while tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“Twilight!” Rarity started toward her.

Nopony move!” Sunset bellowed. Her voice carried a faint distortion, a second Sunset speaking over the first. Sunset’s horn glowed the same teal it normally did, but like her voice, Applejack could sense there was something out of place.

Applejack looked from Twilight—who struggled to pick herself up—to Sunset, who eyed them all with superiority. “Sunset—”

Applejack only had a second to process the jet of light before it hit her in the shoulder. She imagined it as how Big Mac punching her with all his strength would feel. She collapsed to the floor, eyes watering while her shoulder throbbed in unison with her still-aching jaw. She squeezed her eyes shut like it would help block out the pain. Somewhere overhead, Vesper was still laughing.

“I’m not the Sunset you think I am. No—I am what came before. I am the original.”

Applejack opened her eyes and looked up; the red gleam in Sunset’s eyes had brightened.

“For fifty years I’ve slumbered: first, wavering between this world and the next, then buried in the lies of ‘harmony’ and ‘friendship’.” She pulled her lips back in an ugly snarl. “That worthless other took over, thinking she could live a happy and peaceful life, even if it was just a pretty lie. But she finally gave in! No matter how many times she reassured herself she was doing the right thing, she still carried that seed of doubt and resentment.” She looked back at Vesper and grinned. “I just needed a little jumpstart to use that negative energy against her.”

Sunset threw her head back and laughed. “Memories of power—the unstoppable magic flowing through me! Yes, a second ascension was just what I needed! Now we’ve restored true order here! She’s tails and I’m heads now! Me, the truest essence of her soul! I am the true Sunset Shimmer!”

She gestured to the alicorn behind her. “And I’m going to ensure that this time, I succeed in fulfilling my destiny!”

Vesper made a throaty giggle. “A delayed reaction, but I’m glad you’ve come to your senses, Replica.” She raised an eyebrow. “But, how do I know this isn’t some elaborate act?”

Sunset flashed a jagged smile that chilled Applejack further. “I’ll prove it.” She pointed her horn at Fluttershy and Rainbow, and hurled a ball of fire at them.

Fluttershy yelped and pressed herself into Rainbow’s bloody chest. Applejack pushed herself to her hooves, but knew she would never make it in time.

Spike threw himself in front of the blaze, letting it wash over his entire body. The impact threw him at Fluttershy’s hooves, but he got up and shook himself off like nothing happened.

Sunset gnashed her teeth together. “Stupid dragon!” Electricity arced along her horn as she aimed at Spike’s heart.

Pinkie ran forward, stopping in front of Applejack. “Sunset, stop it! Stop it! You’re your own pony, remember?” There were tears lining her eyes. “You said you wouldn’t change! Don’t be that big meanie, be you! Please!”

Sunset teetered back, her spell starting to fade. She looked at Pinkie with dazed and confused eyes. Applejack thought Pinkie might have broken through.

Then, the red glint returned, and magic once again danced around Sunset’s horn. Lightning erupted from the tip to fry Pinkie.

It passed harmlessly through purple wisps.

Applejack jerked her head to see Pinkie come out of the teleport near the Frostlich’s head, while Twilight strode forward again.

“Sunset, you have to stop this. I know you’re—”

Sunset didn’t give her time to finish. She charged at Twilight, horn ablaze, and delivered a full-bodied tackle before the two of them vanished in a ball of blue light.

“Twilight!” Applejack yelled, then winced in pain.

“Applejack!” Pinkie slammed into her, pushing her away from an oncoming blast that cracked the crystal tiles.

“You fools should be more concerned about yourselves!” Vesper charged her horn and fired again; this time it was Applejack who pulled Pinkie out of harm’s way.

Vesper growled and reared up on her hind legs. “Let’s see just how much power I really have!” She smashed her front hooves into the ground, creating a massive tremor. The floor heaved and rolled, cracks climbed the pillars, and chunks of the ceiling fell.

Applejack leapt over a growing fissure and snatched Spike onto her back. Overhead, Fluttershy frantically wove out of the falling debris’ way, still clutching Rainbow.

Vesper cackled, her entire body shuddering with mirth. ”Die!” Bolts of magic exploded from her horn and ricocheted around the room. “Die, die, die!”

Rarity took some of the fallen tiles and held them over her head, providing herself a makeshift shield. It proved to work when one of the spells came down and bounced off them. Fluttershy was brave enough to hide underneath the Frostlich, allowing the corpse to take one of the blows.

Vesper continued to fire, her magic bouncing off the crystal walls and coming within a hair’s breadth of hitting everyone in their path. Vesper then stomped again, creating another tremor.

Applejack lost her footing and landed on her side; Spike went tumbling head over tail. She heard a loud humming and before she knew it, pain tore through her, shocking and burning her simultaneously. It was short-lived, thankfully, but her body continued to twitch and jerk uncontrollably.

“You mud ponies really are resilient. That should have killed you. But I’ll make sure this one does!”

Applejack struggled to keep her eyes open, looking to Vesper as she prepared Applejack’s death. A feeble flop of her hoof was her futile attempt at dodging. A red streak sped toward her—

And disappeared behind a floating tile.

Aaaugh!” Vesper hissed, clutching a hoof against the side of her face.

Rarity rushed over to Applejack, more of the Crystalarium’s tiles floating behind her.

Applejack cracked a smile and croaked, “Thanks, sugarcube.”

Vesper roared, interrupting their exchange, her cheek blackened from her own magic attack. She charged her horn again, an inferno wrapping around it.

“Let’s see you reflect this!” The inferno grew larger and larger, spreading over Vesper like a cloud.

Rarity huddled close to Applejack. “Oh no…”

Applejack watched as the fire compressed into a ball. Vesper raised her hoof, then brought it down, directing the fireball to its victims.

A white light flashed in the corner of Applejack’s vision. Instead of the fireball incinerating her, it dissipated against a golden force field.

Vesper reared back. “What—aaaaagh!” Struck in the chest by a radiant blast, she flew and hit the wall. Quick to regain her stance, she glared at the light’s source. Her pupils contracted.

“M-Mother?”

Vesper’s shocked expression was the last thing Applejack saw before the Crystalarium was replaced by a familiar frozen wasteland. She sat up, warm light flowing into every pore. Her body was no longer fatigued from Vesper’s magic, though quite cold from the sudden shift in environment.

“Applejack!” A serene and regal voice reached her ears. “Are you all right?”

Applejack turned her head and gasped. “Princess Celestia!”

Celestia’s anxious face eased into a smile upon seeing Applejack conscious. She quickly turned to Rainbow and rested her horn on Rainbow’s chest. Snapped bones clicked back into place, and the charred skin beneath the blood healed over.

Rainbow’s eyes came into focus. She sat up in Fluttershy’s hooves and groaned. “Wha... what happened?” She was answered with a loud squeal of relief from Fluttershy, followed by a group tackle from all her friends.

Although the sight warmed Celestia’s heart, she quickly stood over them all; everyone looked up, words forming on six pairs of lips.

“I am overjoyed to know you are all alive and well,” she said before anyone could utter a word, “but where are Twilight and Sunset?”

The wave of joy died in an instant, crestfallen looks marring their faces. Rarity was the first to speak up, wringing her hooves together in a guilty fashion. “We tried to stop Vesper from finishing the Dark Regalia… but we failed, and when she did, Sunset kind of… lost it.”

Applejack nodded. “She tackled Twilight and teleported somewhere.”

“I thought she might have just taken Twilight back to the entrance,” Spike said. “I mean, where else could they have gone?”

“You didn’t see them on your way in, Princess?” Rarity asked.

Celestia shook her head. “I scanned this part of the tundra upon my arrival, and sensed Su—Vesper’s magic below me, along with several beings fighting for their lives. I immediately teleported directly to your presence instead of searching for an entrance.”

Rainbow stood up. “Then we’ve got to go back and—whoa!”

The sound of stones being ground to powder reached them before the earth in front of them exploded. Celestia encased everyone within her golden shield, then telekinetically shoved them away as far as she could from the growing fissure.

An ironclad hoof gripped the edge of the hole and dragged the rest of its body into view.

Celestia suppressed a gasp and a sob as the alicorn rose out of the hole. Her red-and-gold mane danced behind her, as wild and frantic as her eyes.

She took one look at Celestia and broke into a demonic grin. “Mother! Mother, it is you—you’re here! You really came! Hahahahahaha!”

Celestia watched Vesper dance with joy, saw the dark fantasies waltzing behind her draconic eyes. “Sunset Shimmer,” she said softly.

“I’m just so happy to see you, Mother! I feel like it’s been ages! Even longer for you, I’m sure! Did you miss me? You missed me, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

Celestia shook her head softly. “Sunset Shimmer, look at what you’ve done to yourself.”

Vesper raised a hoof and admired it. “Do you like it? I’m finally an alicorn, just like you, Mother! You’re proud, right? I’m truly your daughter now!”

“Did nothing I say ever reach you, Sunset?”

“Oh no, Mother, I learned a lot from listening to you. But you know what they say: actions speak louder than words. Dismissing me from your tutelage, disowning me as your daughter—replacing me with Twilight Sparkle!

“I could never replace you.” Celestia’s voice was heavy, and tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “You may not believe it, but I have always loved you. I always have and always will.”

Vesper’s face hardened. “If you truly do, then say it. Tell all of Equestria that you love me, that I am your only daughter and the heir to the throne! Disown Twilight Sparkle and admit that I am her superior!”

“Love doesn’t work like that, Sunset. It’s not something you can lord over other ponies’ heads. I love you, Sunset, and I do indeed think of you as my daughter. Why isn’t that enough for you?”

“Because you always put somepony else before me! Because the second I left, you replaced me! Because the more I tried to show my love for you, the more you pushed me away!” Vesper took several gulps of air. Her pupils, smaller than pinpricks, danced erratically. “You say you love me, but it was always second-hoof love! My love for you is the greatest in all the world! Nopony cares about you as much as I do! I just wanted to know you felt the same way, but you don’t care—you never cared! You-you-you…!” Vesper screamed and flailed her head, spittle flying everywhere.

When she was finished, Celestia looked Sunset in her draconic eyes. “Do you remember when you tried to celebrate my birthday?”

Vesper leaned her head back. “W-what?”

“You asked me when my birthday was.” Celestia smiled fondly. “When it came around, you set half the kitchen on fire trying to bake me a cake. The head chef scolded you, but I laughed the entire day. I ate every last bite of that burnt cake too.”

“S-so? So what?”

“And do you remember your thirteenth birthday?” Celestia asked, taking a step closer. “You only asked that we sit and read together. So we did. We curled up in the library and read books all day, making funny voices for all of the characters.”

Vesper took a step back, her eyes wide with resistance. “N-no… stop it! You were just—”

“Or when we would play tag in the gardens and you would accuse me of cheating whenever I teleported just before you caught me, even though you would do the same thing when I was it.”

Shut up!” Vesper stomped her front hooves against the ground repeatedly. “Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! Stop trying to make me remember! I don’t want to remember the lies!”

“They weren’t lies!” Celestia said urgently. “I love you. Take off that horrid Regalia and you’ll see it.”

Vesper hissed, showing off her fangs. “You just want me to take them off so I’ll be powerless again—so you can drag me away to the dungeons this time!”

“No, Sunset, I want to help you—”

Enough!” The wind kicked up into a tempest that funneled solely around them. “I’ve had enough of this! You don’t love me! You love Cadence, you love Luna, you love Twilight Sparkle, but I was always second to them! I was never family!”

“Sunset—”

My name is not Sunset!” Vesper screeched. “Sunset Shimmer is dead! She died the moment you crowned Twilight Sparkle, heheheheh, ahahahahaha!” She broke into a savage grin. “But I am a much better pony than little Sunset Shimmer. I am a goddess that all will bow to!”

She flared her wings out, and her mane began to twist and lash erratically. “I will be Equestria’s newest beacon of light and respect! Everypony—no, every living being—will hail to me as the Bringer of the Sun!” She extended a hoof into a rippling spot in the air and pulled out a long, thin crimson sword.

“You may not love me now, Mother, but you will soon.” The crimson blade hovered in front of her, pointed at Celestia. “Behold! For I am Vesper Radiance! I am the Heir to Equestria!” She snapped her head back and laughed into the powder-filled sky.

Anguish ate at Celestia’s heart as she gazed upon Vesper in her fit of mad laughter. As faint as it had been, she had come with the hope of bringing Sunset home, of finding something salvable in their relationship.

But the pseudo alicorn that floated above her was no longer Sunset. She was no longer the small, nervous filly from the orphanage, or the confident mare who had been her devoted student and adopted daughter. Celestia could feel the stranger’s equinity slipping away minute by minute, consumed by an inferno of seething rage and a deluge of sadness.

Before Celestia stood another monument to her failures.

She bowed her head. “Sunset Shimmer… I am sorry.”

Vesper brought her head down. “You’re… sorry?” She watched Celestia with curious eyes. “You’re sorry, Mother?” Another giggle escaped her throat. “After all these years, now you apologize? Hahahahahaha!”

When Celestia didn’t respond, Vesper just bobbed her head and smiled like a predator. “It’s okay, Mother, of course I forgive you.” Energy gathered around Vesper’s spiraling horn, manifesting itself into excited electricity. “I have to forgive you. You’re my mother and I love you, hehehehehe. I love you so much that I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! Ahahahahahaha!”

Vesper’s entire body shuddered. “But since you apologized, I promise I’ll be gentle when I kill you! And don’t worry—I know necromancy! I’ll keep your body right next to my throne! Then, we can be together for all eternity! Doesn’t that sound like fun, Mother? Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Celestia inhaled slowly, feeling her magic flow through every pore, warming her body, though it did little for her spirit. She spoke in a barely audible whisper. “I am sorry I did not get here in time. I am sorry I could not catch you when you fell into madness. It will forever be another stain on my past… on my name. I’ve made so many mistakes in recent years... become so unaware…”

Her eyes opened, revealing unwavering conviction. “But I know deep down that it was you who ultimately made all of the wrong choices. I tried to steer you down the right path, but you rejected my teachings.”

The snow melted around Celestia’s hooves, and she rose to join Vesper in the sky. “I love you, Sunset Shimmer—that shall never change. But you have reached a point of no return, that much is clear to me now.”

The air, already humming with magic, was now vibrating with the energy released by the two alicorns.

“To protect my kingdom and those I love—” a long white blade with a golden sun emblazoned on the hilt materialized before her “—I will destroy the Dark Regalia! And if that means you along with it… then so be it!”

Vesper laughed. “How adorable! Fighting for Equestria and all the worthless filth living in it. That’s the Celestia I know—that righteous, bleeding heart!” Her eyes burned white, and waves of heat radiated from her body. “But how do you hope to beat me? I wield the full powers of all three Dark Regalia, and the powers of the sun!”

She raised her hooves above her head, and in the west behind her, a faint light began to rise from the horizon, burning a hole through the clouds. Soft orange and pink rays reached out over the wasteland, illuminating it under the sullen sky.

Celestia watched the sun settle just above the horizon, throwing the world into a second dusk. Her own magic had prickled the entire time, an itch that couldn’t be scratched. It had been invading and unnatural. Without question, ponies around the world would panic. But Celestia welcomed the sun’s light.

Her eyes burned white as the sun rose inside her. “And who was it that taught you how to use those powers?” She rushed forward, drawing her blade back to strike.

“Foolish child—I am the sun!

Twilight landed on her back, having only a split second to regain her bearings before Sunset bore down on her. Twilight struck her legs out, catching Sunset in the chest and bucking her back across the room.

“Sunset!” Twilight yelled as she got to her hooves. “Snap out of it! Don’t let Vesper turn you into the thing you swore to defeat!”

Sunset rose and snarled. “I was already halfway there! I may as well go all in and secure myself a future!”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Vesper. I was talking to Sunset!”

“Different name, same pony. If she was conscious, I’m sure she’d tell you the same thing.” Sunset released an arc of lightning.

Twilight teleported behind a stone pillar, taking note that they had ended up in the Crystarium’s entrance hall. She ducked as a bolt skimmed over her head and blasted a hole in the wall. She teleported again to the other side of the room.

I have to get back to my friends! I have to get Sunset out of Vesper’s control! But how?

A jet of fire caught the tip of her tail; Twilight yelped before teleporting again. When she reappeared, she extinguished her tail and tentatively looked from behind her protective pillar.

Sunset was across from her, charging her horn again. She spotted Twilight and whipped her head toward the pillar. A sickle of energy cut through it like butter and sent it toppling over. Twilight raced out from behind it, throwing her shield up while Sunset continued to fire at her.

“Come on, fight back! You coward, fight back!” Sunset screamed.

Twilight slid behind another pillar and took a heaving gasp of air. The wound in her side felt like a cluster of needles. The pillar trembled as one of Sunset’s spells smashed into it. Twilight knew she had very little time to stand there and contemplate her next move. She couldn’t fight Sunset—she could never hurt any of her friends. But she had to do something!

The pillar crumbled to pieces, forcing Twilight back into the open. She fired a quick spell to knock Sunset’s own off-course, then dodged the next two. Maybe… if I can get close enough to use my memory spell, I can wake up the real Sunset!

She took the offensive, firing a few spells of her own while charging forward. Sunset repelled them easily, though Twilight had never intended them to do damage.

Sunset sidestepped and brandished a fiery whip from her horn. It snapped at Twilight, aiming for her neck. Twilight ducked, surrounding herself with a veil of water before pressing forward again.

Sunset recalled her whip and charged her horn with electricity instead. Twilight aimed a well-placed spell at Sunset’s horn, disrupting her magic and making her go cross-eyed. Twilight dropped her water shield and leaped to close the gap between them, pinning Sunset down on her back.

Good memories, good memories, Twilight internally chanted. She lowered her horn to Sunset’s, only to sharply recoil at the hoof that collided with it. She stepped back before Sunset could hit her again.

“Your memory spell isn’t going to work, Twilight!” Sunset powered up her horn. “I’m not some little lost lamb, or confused filly. It’s because I remember everything now that I can finally be myself again!” A disk of teal light split from her horn and flew toward Twilight.

Regaining her senses in time, Twilight raised her shield. The disk collided against it, sounding like a buzzsaw cutting through steel. When Twilight increased her shield’s power, Sunset increased her disk’s strength. It was obvious to Twilight who was going to win the standoff, so she cut her shield and teleported to the other side of the room.

The energy disk was persistent, however, and came buzzing after her. Twilight turned and ran, hopping over the rubble remains of the stone pillars. She tried to get a shot in at Sunset, but whenever she tried to aim, the disk came closer to slicing her tail.

Twilight tried a different tactic; her purple aura enveloped her entire body and she dove for the wall, running up it while the disk flew past her.

Sunset grunted and turned the disk after her, but Twilight continued up the wall and jumped onto the ceiling, firing several shots at Sunset to break her concentration. The energy disk petered out as Sunset tried to avoid getting hit.

From her inverted angle, Twilight released an ice spell at Sunset’s hooves. It missed, but formed a thick layer of frost underneath her. When Sunset put her hoof back down, it slipped out from beneath her, and she fell onto her stomach.

Twilight jumped from the ceiling, flipping herself around when her gravity spell dispelled. She glided down and tackled Sunset before she could stand up. They slid across the ice and came to a stop in front of the door leading to the grand hall.

No memory spell! Twilight thought, struggling to keep Sunset pinned down. Just… find her!

A burst of energy blasted Twilight off her hooves and threw her into the wall. She slid down to the floor before being hit again. She screamed, smoke curling off her body.

“Pathetic!” Sunset crossed the room, another spell gathered at the tip of her horn. “You’re that desperate to save somepony that doesn’t exist?” She shot Twilight, who only managed to feebly raise a wing in defense. “You think because we’re friends, I’ll go easy on you?” Sunset said over Twilight’s screams.

Twilight pushed herself onto her hooves. The blisters across her back ruptured, and blood trickled into her feathers. She faced Sunset. “No… it’s because we’re friends that I know you can snap out of it.”

“Snap out of what?” Sunset fired a beam into Twilight’s chest and sent her back to the floor. “I’m my true self again! If anything, I spent nineteen years in a trance, only to finally wake up now! I’m the original Sunset Shimmer! I’m the real one!”

Twilight got up again, gasping for breath. “You… may be the original… but you’re not the real one. The real one is in there fighting… I know she is—aagh!” Twilight crumpled to the floor. Her entire body was one burning ache, her muscles involuntarily twitching.

Sunset loomed over her. “That illusion is dead! Despite all her bravado about fighting for her friends, her weak will finally gave out and let me take control again. She no longer exists.” Sunset’s horn glowed, the teal color darker than usual. “And soon, neither will you.”

Twilight lifted her head and found Sunset’s eyes. They were still tinged with the faintest red, filled with unfathomable loathing. Twilight could see nothing beyond them.

But then she heard it: small and distant, but it pierced her heart all the same. Her magic roared to life, and she threw Sunset across the room.

Twilight stood up, her legs trembling under her weight. “You’re wrong. She still exists—she’s still fighting!” Twilight stepped forward. “I heard her. She asked for help, and this time, I won’t ignore her!”

Sunset rose and roared, “You delusional foal!” A wave of teal erupted from her horn.

Twilight’s wave of lavender rushed forth, and the two forces collided in the center of the room. Twilight’s entire body shook from the exertion, but she stood her ground. Just like in the wind cavern so long ago, both powers were evenly matched. Twilight pressed harder. She knew she was the stronger one; as long as Sunset wasn’t wearing the Alicorn Amulet, Twilight surpassed her, even if only by a marginal amount.

Purple overcame teal, pressing Sunset back. Stray sparks showered from her horn as she pushed back, returning the focal point to the middle. “You are fighting a pointless battle, Princess!”

“I’m fighting to save my friend!”

Sunset snarled. “Why? So she can be conscious when she really does fade from existence?”

Twilight faltered, and her magic lost ground, swallowed up by the teal light. “No…”

“You’d be doing her a favor by letting her sleep! I’m sparing her the agony of absolute death!”

“No!” Twilight stood tall, pushing her magic back to the center. “You’re the one killing her! I promised her everything would be all right—that I’d find a way to stop her from fading—and I will keep that promise!”

A high-pitched whine rang through the hall. The junction of the two opposing magics turned white, and coalesced into a sphere. Rampant energy crackled around it, making Twilight’s fur stand up. The white sphere compressed itself then exploded outward, throwing both Twilight and Sunset against opposite walls.

Twilight fell onto her stomach, dust settling on top of her. She allowed herself five seconds of rest before she forced herself to get up, hissing at the pain that strangled her body. She fell several times before she gained stable footing.

Across the room, Sunset was still lying on the floor, dust and rubble coating her. Her ears twitched at Twilight’s approached, and she opened an eye.

“So you’re going to fight me to try and ‘save’ me? You’re a fool, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight stopped in front of her, horn glowing. “I’m not going to fight you. Not if I don’t have to.”

“Then you truly are a fool.” Sunset tried to push herself up. “We will fight, and I will win. Only one of us is leaving this place alive.”

“No, we both are—together!” Twilight bowed her head and touched her horn to Sunset’s.

Applejack watched crimson and gold burst across the sky; fireworks of magic and sparks of steel rained from the heavens.

“Ah don’t think there’s much we can do for this fight,” she said begrudgingly.

“Yes there is!” Rainbow pointed to the fissure. “We have to go back down there and help Twilight and Sunset!”

“Rainbow’s right,” Fluttershy said. “We can’t let Twilight fight Sunset alone. Both of them need our help—anything to help Sunset remember who her friends are.”

Applejack tipped her hat and smiled. “You’re right. We’ve still got a job to do! Let’s go—whoa!”

The ground heaved, with a monstrous bellow following right after. The very earth quivered in terror from a second roar, and cracks could be heard beneath the snow.

“Run for it!” Applejack yelled.

They all took off across the field, stumbling through the thick snow while the fissure behind them widened. Stones tumbled down into the Crystalarium. Amidst the destructive cacophony, the Frostlich burst through the crevice with an ear-splitting roar. Not only had its head reattached, but it had gotten its missing hand back as well.

It bellowed again, then with a mighty flap of its wings, it took off.

“It’s heading for the Empire!” Rainbow yelled.

“What should we do?” Pinkie asked.

Applejack looked from the fissure to the slowly shrinking Frostlich. She inwardly cursed and readjusted her stetson. Sorry, Twi. Sorry Sunset. Ah know you two can work this out—you’ll just have to do it without us. She broke into a run after the dragon. “We’re gonna stop it, one way or another!”

“On it!” Rainbow yelled. She stretched her wings and took flight after the Frostlich, her hooves pointed out in front of her.

Applejack watched her speed straight toward the Frostlich like a rainbow arrow. She didn’t slow down as she came into the range of its wings. Instead, she ripped through the membrane and looped around to do it again on the other side.

The Frostlich’s cry was enough to make Applejack stop and cover her ears. The beast kept itself airborne for a few more seconds before crashing into the top of the hill.

Rainbow flew back to Applejack’s side and crossed her hooves in triumph. “Mission complete.”

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered, pointing to the plume of snow. “I think you just made it angry.”

Through the flurry, two balls of fire locked onto the five ponies and dragon. The Frostlich snorted, then charged, creating a miniature tremor with every gallop.

Rainbow flew to meet it head-on, ignoring Applejack’s call to wait. She veered to the side and slammed a hoof into the Frostlich’s cheek bone.

The Frostlich retaliated by hitting Rainbow with the whole of its face.

Fluttershy yelled and flew after Rainbow as she sailed into the next field over, leaving Applejack to groan and facehoof. Her agitation only lasted a second before she and the others had to scatter to avoid being crushed when the Frostlich lunged.

“Applejack,” Rarity said, shaking snow from her coat, “what are we supposed to do now?”

“Same thing we did before: put it down.” Applejack jumped over the Frostlich’s low swinging tail.

Rarity rolled out of the way as the tail came back around. “Need I remind you that was only a temporary solution?”

“It still worked, didn’t it?” Applejack rushed forward and kicked the Frostlich’s back leg, sending a crack up its bone. She made a full retreat, dragging Rarity with her as the dragon turned around and smashed the ground Applejack had stood on a second earlier.

“Just take it apart bit-by-bit,” Applejack said. “We need to buy time until we can come up with somethin’ more permanent.”

“On it!” Pinkie called, having procured her party cannon from thin air. She took aim and fired a wad of party favors at the Frostlich’s chest. At high velocity, the thick bundle of streamers and confetti broke a rib loose.

The Frostlich faced Pinkie and reared up on its hind legs, sucking in its breath.

Pinkie’s eyes dilated, and she abandoned her cannon. She joined the others as they ran as fast as they could through the deep snow. Seeing Spike struggle, Pinkie scooped him up and tossed him onto her back.

The Frostlich’s arctic breath bore down on their backs. The snow behind them turned into solid ice, and Applejack could feel the same thing happening to the tip of her tail. The muscles in her legs burned in contrast as she fought to stay just out of range of being frozen completely.

The air behind them reverted to its standard freezing temperature, and Applejack dared to look back, finding the field of snow replaced by a thick sheet of ice.

She came to a halt and caught her breath. “This… might be harder than I thought.”

Celestia raised her shield again as Vesper came out of warp above her, bringing her sword down. When it recoiled, Celestia dropped her shield and slashed at Vesper, who blocked the sword with her hoofguard. Celestia dropped out of the sky when Vesper’s blade came back around for her neck.

Vesper folded her wings and fell after Celestia, firing black bolts of magic. Celestia rolled out of the way, keeping her back to the rapidly approaching ground. She recalled her sword while simultaneously charging energy in the clouds above them. Vesper stayed right on top of her, keeping the gap between them narrow. Celestia raised her shield again, having run out of room for maneuverability. She could still hear the wind howling around her.

The grey clouds churned and turned black, thunder moaning from deep within. Celestia dropped her shield and pointed her sword at Vesper.

Vesper drew her sword back to strike, but a blast of lightning struck her in the back. It propelled her forward and impaled her on Celestia's sword. Celestia then rotated their positions and shoved Vesper down to the world below.

Vesper smashed into a snowbank and rolled onto her back, gasping for air. Red light poured from her horn and covered the wound in her stomach; the skin began to knit itself back together. Vesper struggled to her hooves as Celestia descended.

“Mother, I didn’t know you played so rough.” Her giggles quickly turned into ragged coughs.

“We can end this now, Sunset.” Celestia pointed her blade at Vesper. “Just surrender.”

Vesper laughed again. “You’re so funny when you’re serious, Mother. Why would I give up now? This is going to be our last dance, and I want it to last as long as possible!” She smashed her hoof against the ground, sending columns of sharp rocks in Celestia’s direction.

Celestia jumped, spreading her wings to take flight, but Vesper intercepted her and tackled her to the ground. They rolled until Celestia was on her back with Vesper bearing down on her. Celestia shot her into the air with a golden beam, but Vesper came back down like a rock.

Celestia rolled out of the way, leaving Vesper to smash the ground; the resultant shockwave briefly knocked Celestia into the air. She regained her balance and landed on her hooves with just enough time to raise her sword to block Vesper’s.

Vesper drew back and swung again—pushing Celestia’s blade to the side—and took a shot at her face.

Celestia jerked her head, but the magic still grazed her cheek and burned like a hot iron. She grimaced, but pushed forward, attacking Vesper with fierce and decisive slashes.

The maniacal smile on Vesper’s face slowly dissolved into a hostile glower. She pressed against Celestia’s attack; heated sparks flew from the ringing steel. Vesper slid a hoof back, Celestia’s onslaught forcing her to lose ground. Her scowl deepened against Celestia’s stony demeanor.

Vesper stepped back, leaving her sword to struggle against Celestia’s, and fanned her wings out; Celestia’s eyes flickered between the swords and Vesper, unsure which to give more attention to. While her attention was split, Vesper began to beat her wings as hard as she could, kicking up a blizzard.

Celestia lifted a wing to shield her eyes. She no longer felt the pressure of her sword against Vesper’s, and immediately raised her shield. Her vision was greatly hindered by the snowstorm, and when she scanned the surrounding area, she couldn’t find Vesper’s presence.

She took the opportunity to catch her breath. The legend about the Dark Regalia was true. They made Sunset a very dangerous opponent.

A red explosion against Celestia’s shield nearly knocked her to the ground. It was followed up by another one from the opposite direction, which cracked the shield in several places. Celestia redoubled the energy around it as another explosion hit from above. They continued to come in quick succession, straining Celestia’s focus.

Another wide crack appeared in her golden shield, and Celestia quickly forfeited her defense to teleport to safety. When she reappeared high above the blizzard, a force equivalent to a train slammed into the back of her head and temporarily blinded her. As she fell, she was punched again in the stomach, and sent flying back into the sky. A jet of magic hit her side, cracking several ribs, and sending Celestia spiraling into the mountainside.

Celestia screamed from her place in the impact crater. She couldn’t recall the last time she had been hit that hard. She cracked an eye open, finding several dark spheres heading in her direction. Her magic jumped to life, and each sphere transfigured into water before they harmlessly splashed against Celestia.

Right behind the spheres, however, Vesper barrelled toward her.

Before Vesper could bury her further in the mountain, Celestia teleported down to its base and collapsed into the snow. Above her came the calamitous racket of stones crashing against one another.

Her healing magic kicked in and repaired her broken ribs, along with easing some of her aches and bruises. Celestia stood and summoned her sword back to her side. She flew up and examined the hole made by Vesper. Most of it was caved in from fallen rocks and snow, and Vesper was nowhere to be found.

Celestia frowned as light gathered at the tip of her horn. A single blast turned the rubble to dust, but revealed nothing within the hole.

There was a faint tremor in the air.

Celestia thrust her sword upward to meet Vesper’s, though saw no sign of its master. The tremor became louder, and she rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding a column of magma erupting from the earth. Stray embers jumped onto her coat, scalding her fur and skin.

Vesper burst from the magma, trails of fire streaming off her force field. She crashed into Celestia and drove her into the ground while the magma column arched and came back down on top of them. Celestia diverted the fire around them, while Vesper tried to crush her with the weight of her shield.

“So, Mother, can Twilight Sparkle do this?” Vesper sneered as Celestia kept both her and the curtain of magma at bay. “How about this?” She raised her head, and gold lines drew themselves in the air, connecting and locking together until they formed a sigil with Vesper’s cutie mark at the center.

The sigil lit up, glowing brighter than the fire. Celestia squeezed her eyes shut, the glow from her own horn making the combined luminosity unbearable. Space twisted around her, and she fell into cold snow, a welcome relief after the intense heat.

She gave herself no time to relax, however. The arch of magma flowed before her, and with a single spell, she turned all of it to solid stone. Smoke poured off it, rising from the grooves the flowing magma had left behind.

Celestia jerked her head forward, and the stone arch compressed in on itself, turning from a grooved cylinder to a jagged bow of crushed, pointed stones. They collapsed into the charred dirt while Celestia took a knee, examining her injuries.

The fire hadn’t hurt too bad, but it had still left blisters and welts. She hadn’t noticed before, but the auxiliary feathers on her wings were thoroughly singed.

A chill went down her spine, halting her plan of healing herself again. The chill came again; it was the same as when Vesper raised the sun. Celestia looked down at her shadow.

Her shadow looked back at her.

It rose up and rushed through Celestia, leaving her coughing and wheezing while her insides burned. A pulse of magic hit her in the shoulder, and she flew back into a snowbank, still struggling for air.

“What about that? Can she do that, Mother?”

Vesper approached her, the sigil still floating over her head. Celestia stood up, only to have Vesper’s hoof smash into her face. When she finished rolling across the snow, another beam struck her in the back. Above her own cries of pain, she heard Vesper.

“I spent years studying, training, improving! All for you!” She kicked Celestia in the stomach. “I devoted my entire life to you!” Shadowy tendrils raised Celestia up and slammed her back down. “I love you! I love you so much it hurts!” She placed a hoof on Celestia’s chest and leaned in close.

“Tell me: how does Twilight Sparkle compare, hm? Does that bitch love you as much as I do?”

Celestia looked up at Vesper with a pain in her heart greater than any physical wound. “Love cannot be measured, Sunset—I’ve told you this.”

Vesper pressed her hoof further into Celestia’s chest. “Stop calling me that! My name is Vesper Radiance now! You never loved Sunset Shimmer, but you’ll love me!”

Celestia closed her eyes and emitted a brilliant light from her horn, brighter than the setting sun; she could see it from behind her eyelids. Vesper removed her hoof to shield her eyes, and shrieked in pain. Celestia took the advantage, leaping to her hooves, and blasted Vesper in the chest, throwing her back into the circle of dirt made by the magma.

“You’re wrong. I loved Sunset with all my heart.” Celestia threw a spell at the sigil. It pulsed white, then shattered into a thousand intangible pieces. “It’s you I despise.”

Before Vesper could get up, Celestia hit her with another fully charged spell. “Arrogance and pride, jealousy and hatred.” Celestia sped forward and delivered to Vesper a powerful shoulder tackle. “You clouded her mind, fed her lies.”

Vesper hissed, and fired back, but Celestia teleported around it and kicked Vesper in her side, then followed up with a fireball. Vesper’s last-second shield took the brunt of the damage, but still left her panting.

“I made my mistakes,” Celestia said with a steel voice, “but you dragged her down this path. You took my daughter from me, just like you took my sister.”

Vesper rolled off her back, black ooze bubbling from her horn. It formed into a spherical blob, and she threw it at Celestia. It bounced against the ground and broke into four smaller pieces, then bounced again and broke into eight, and again into sixteen.

Celestia stood calm, a ring of light circling around her. It spun faster as the dark blobs got closer, and two more rings joined it. When the blobs were a yard away, the rings flew forth, expanding into a wave of light, and turning all the blobs into specks of gold dust.

The dust gathered in front of Celestia, swirling to form a golden spear. Celestia pulled it back.

“You’ll take no more.”

She threw it forward with all her will. It pierced the air, leaving a trail of golden light behind. Vesper’s expression was one of horrid fascination. She tried to move out of the spears path, but the tip brushed against the side of her ribs. The moment it made contact, the entire spear exploded in a shower of light.

Vesper screamed in agony, thrashing and flailing as the light burned her, disintegrating parts of her skin. She fell onto her back, her screams fading into whimpers.

Celestia firmly placed a hoof on Vesper’s chest. Above her, Celestia’s sword hovered, aimed at Vesper’s throat.

Vesper looked at the sword, then to Celestia. She said in a soft and frail voice. “C-can you do it, Mother? Can you kill your daughter?”

Celestia looked down into her eyes. For a moment, they weren’t draconic slits, they were wide and pleading. For a moment, she saw Sunset asking for help.

Her sword trembled.

Vesper reared her head and launched a spell directly in Celestia’s left eye. Celestia fell back and screamed, losing her grip on her sword. She pressed a hoof against her eye, feeling blood stream down the side of her face. With her good eye, she could see Vesper fleeing into the sky.

Celestia took several deep breaths, and focused on her healing spells. The searing pain in her eye dulled to a minor burning, but she could see nothing out of it.

I’ll fix it later. She took to the sky after Vesper. Right now, I need all the magic I can muster.

The darkness didn’t last long, but when Twilight saw the scenery that replaced it, she almost longed for the dark’s embrace.

She floated over a decimated city. The sky above her was a blistering red, patched with black clouds that pulsed with lightning. Hardened magma coated half the city in an impenetrable black cocoon, while the other half continued to burn, consumed in a raging inferno.

Twilight descended onto its broken streets and landed on the pavement, hot beneath her hooves. Homes and shops crumbled around her, lifting clouds of ash and debris into the already oppressive atmosphere. She walked forward, guided by an unseen force. She navigated around chunks of missing earth and pillars of fire, drawing closer to the crumbling castle.

“This must be Canterlot,” Twilight said softly. “Sunset’s Canterlot… at the end of the world.”

The castle ramparts had collapsed into rubble, leaving an open hole to the castle. The courtyard was burned to cinders, leaving naught but a field of ashes.

Twilight’s breath caught when she came upon the demolished entrance hall. The staircase had been smashed to pieces by the fallen ceiling; the tapestry and carpet had burned away; tiles had been ripped from the floor, stained with spots of dry blood.

Twilight gagged at the rotting stench that festered in the air. It reminded her too much of the Frostlich back in the physical world. She kicked a piece of marble and watched it bounce across the floor with enough noise to wake the dead.

Her spell had meant to send an astral projection of herself into Sunset’s consciousness, an upgraded version of her memory spell. None of this was supposed to be ‘real.’ Yet Twilight could feel everything: the heat, the rocks… the fear. The further she delved, the more she began to think this wasn’t just a dream.

She teleported to the top of the stairs and turned right. Fire swirled around the entire hall, leaving only a narrow path for Twilight to walk. She raised her shield as a precaution, unwilling to find out what would happen if she got hurt here.

As she thought, the fire reached out to grab her, but was rebuked by her shield. She continued on to the throne room; one of the doors had been blasted off its hinges.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or thoroughly annoyed with you.”

Twilight glared at the pony lazily reclining on the throne across from her. She looked like Sunset Shimmer in every way, save for the cavalier sneer on her face. Curled at the foot of the dais was a flickering shadow that shared her outline, but lacked any defining features.

Twilight looked at the shadow, then growled at Vesper Radiance. “What have you done to her?”

“I’ve done nothing but take my body back. She’s merely experiencing what I went through for so many years. Let’s see how she likes being a shadow in her own soul!”

“You’re the shadow!” Twilight’s spell ripped across the room and bounced off Vesper’s shield. “Give Sunset back!”

“Such a tantrum, Princess. I expected better from you.” Vesper rolled her head back and laughed.

Twilight twisted her face into an appalled snarl, baring her teeth. “You disgust me.”

“The feeling is mutual.” She put on a spurious frown. “You know, I almost feel bad for Replica. Like me, her life was ruined because of you. So much pain and sadness all because you exist, Twilight Sparkle.” Vesper laughed softly. “I mean, imagine if you didn’t? Celestia would still love me like a daughter, and I’d be the one with wings and a crown. Granted, Replica wouldn’t exist, but she’d be happier in the long run.”

“Your own actions caused Celestia to dismiss you. Don’t try to shift the blame to me.”

“Why not?” Vesper snapped. “It’s your fault! I get kicked out, why? For loving Celestia and trying to please her? And then you come along so soon after? No, it’s not a coincidence. It’s Celestia upgrading to a better student.”

Twilight straightened up from her attack position. “Celestia didn’t dismiss you so she could train me instead. You made all the wrong choices, you hurt Cadence just to further your own goal, you left Celestia with no choice.”

“Everything I did, I did for her!” Vesper stood up on her throne. “I did it so I would be with her forever—the only pony I ever loved! If I could just be an alicorn, then everything would be fine! She’d love me again!” Vesper bowed her head. “But even then, she refused me. She picked you over me.”

Twilight stepped closer to the throne. “She didn’t pick me over you, Vesper. She still loves you. Just not the choices you made. Power isn’t going to fix anything.”

Vesper looked up with a hungry gleam in her eye. “And that’s where you’re wrong, Princess. Power is the only thing ponies respect in this world. And alicorns are the ultimate symbol of power! My past self is an alicorn once more, and soon, all will bow to her—bow to me!

“Power doesn’t equate to love!” Twilight pointed a hoof at her. “Celestia won’t love you any more just because you’re wearing a crown, nor will anypony else.”

“Then I’ll rule them in fear!” Vesper banged a hoof on the arm of her throne. “I’ll make them all fear me! Even Mother… especially Mother. She’ll fear the daughter she rejected.”

Twilight gave a defeated sigh. “Love is infinite, but you want to hoard it all to yourself. I feel sorry for you, Vesper. If you understood friendship like Sunset has, maybe you wouldn’t be so miserable.”

Vesper twisted her face into a disgusted grimace. “Don’t compare me to Replica!” She looked down and broke into a smile. “Especially when there’s almost nothing left to compare to.”

Twilight gasped at the flickering shadow in front of her. She charged her horn, but Vesper raised a hoof. “Now, now, none of that. We’ve already shown to be almost equal in strength. Another battle would be long and pointless.”

Twilight lifted her head, but kept her horn charged. “So what then?”

Vesper twirled a hoof through her hair and grinned. “I propose… a game.”

“A game?”

“Yes, Twilight. I’m curious to see just how much you know. Ponies claim you to be a genius. Well, let’s put your knowledge to the test!”

Vesper stepped over Sunset’s shadow and walked down the dais. “Here’s how it’ll work: We’ll each ask the other a question on any topic. If you get it right, it’s your turn to ask a question. If you get it wrong…” Vesper’s grin widened. “Then the other gets to take a free shot, as strong as they can make it. No blocking, no dodging or teleporting. Last one standing is the winner.”

Twilight’s lips formed a thin line. She was well-read in just about any topic she could think of. But Vesper had been an introverted bookworm like she had. Not to mention, Vesper could access Sunset’s memories as well and throw Twilight a question about something from the future.

She looked past Vesper to the shadow on the floor. It twitched a hoof, like it was reaching out to Twilight. Twilight steeled her resolve. This was the only way to save Sunset and possibly defeat this incarnation of Vesper Radiance for good. She had to at least try!

“Fine, Vesper. You’re on!”

Vesper clapped her hooves together. “Oh, goodie! This will be ever so much fun!”

“One condition though: no future questions.”

Vesper rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. Only questions from the present and past are allowed. Now then, I’ll go first.” She tapped a hoof on her chin. “Let’s see… I guess I can start with something easy. Name the main branches of magic, Twilight.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but hesitated. It was too easy. Was Vesper trying to trick her? Twilight thought over the wording of the question, but couldn’t find anything misleading.

“Well, I’m waiting, Twilight. Don’t tell me this one is too hard for you.”

“Transfiguration, enchanting, apporation, thaumaturgy, abjuration, conjuration, and black magic,” Twilight rattled off.

Vesper clapped. “Oh, very good. I thought for sure you would forget black magic has its own branch.” She waved a hoof in Twilight’s direction. “Your turn, then.”

Twilight pressed her tongue against her lips. What would be a perfect question to stump Vesper? One question came to mind, causing Twilight to smirk at the brilliance of it. The moment Vesper couldn’t answer, Twilight was going to hit her with everything she had!

“Name the six virtues of friendship!” Twilight’s voice echoed through the ruined hall.

“Kindness, loyalty, generosity, laughter, honesty, and magic,” Vesper said listlessly. “Do you think I’m stupid, Twilight? I know about the Elements of Harmony and their link to the so-called ‘Magic of Friendship’.”

Twilight wilted as she let the magic in her horn fade. She had put too much faith in Vesper’s arrogance. Even if she didn’t believe in friendship, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t know what it was.

Vesper smirked. “My turn again.”

Applejack was beginning to think the Frostlich had a vendetta against her.

Every time she got in close to deliver a solid buck, it would drop whatever it was doing to take a swing at her. Whether it was Spike stabbing at the remains of its muscle, or Rarity throwing chunks of ice and rock at it, or Rainbow coming in for a hit-and-run.

Maybe it remembers Ah knocked its hand off? she thought as she fled again from another failed attempt to break its leg. The Frostlich pounced after her, and though it missed, Applejack was thrown off her hooves by its impact against the ground.

She rolled to the right, avoiding another swipe of its claws, then got back onto her hooves. The other claw came for her from above; Applejack smiled as she jumped onto her front legs and bucked straight up, knocking the claw clean off.

The Frostlich bellowed and toppled over, a cloud of snow rising into the air. Applejack dug herself out of the snow pile, then was smacked into the air by the Frostlich’s still-attached hand. Her entire right side felt like Granny Smith had taken a belt to it.

Rainbow caught her and set her down. “You all right, A.J.?”

Applejack adjusted her hat and shook herself off. “Yeah, ’course Ah am.” She didn’t feel the need to tell Rainbow the cold numbed the pain.

The Frostlich wiggled about in the snow until it managed to climb onto its three remaining claws. It turned its head toward Applejack and Rainbow, and started to hobble toward them when Rarity threw another large rock at its head. The rock did little more than irritate it and leave a few scratches, but the Frostlich turned its attention on her.

It sucked in its breath. Rarity turned and ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, Rainbow already coming up from behind to lift her to safety.

A loud boom came from a nearby hill, and Spike cannonballed into the side of the Frostlich’s face, knocking it back the ground.

Applejack took the opportunity to race forward and buck one of its back legs clean off. The Frostlich roared and thrashed about wildly. Applejack retreated back to the hill, where Rarity was giving Spike a scolding.

“You could have been hurt! Or frozen solid! What were you thinking?” Rarity glared at Applejack as she came closer, like it was her fault.

“I told you, I’ve got tough scales. Pinkie and I knew what we were doing,” Spike replied.

Pinkie wheeled her cannon over, with Fluttershy close behind. “He insisted. Besides, look what we did to the monster!”

They all looked on as the Frostlich continued to try and stand, but its missing hand and back leg made it nearly impossible. It roared again, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

Then, its fallen bones floated from their resting places and back to the body. Applejack stared, open mouth, as they reattached themselves with clicks and snaps. The Frostlich stood up and shook some of the snow off, then gave a guttural growl.

“That’s disturbin’,” Applejack said, shell-shocked.

“That’s just not fair,” Rainbow added.

“Told you it wouldn’t work,” Rarity said.

“Ah didn’t think it would heal itself that fast!” Applejack yelled. They scattered as the Frostlich breathed ice against the hillside, encasing it completely. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Spike ran in one direction, while Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack ran in the other.

“We need a new plan!” Applejack shouted.

“We could try hitting it harder,” Rainbow said from above her.

Heavy thumps from behind told Applejack the Frostlich had gone after them, and saved her from retorting to Rainbow. The thumping grew louder, and Applejack could feel the vibrations in her hooves. She ordered Rarity and Rainbow to split up, to confuse it more.

That’s when her suspicions about the Frostlich’s vendetta were confirmed.

She screamed as sharp teeth grabbed hold of her tail, and violently shook her around before tossing her into the air. She fell into Rainbow’s hooves, head still spinning and her tail feeling like it was ready to fall off.

“I think this thing hates you,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah, Ah noticed,” Applejack said dizzily.

They settled down back in the empty field, where the fissure to the Crystalarium lay. Applejack sat down and allowed herself a moment of rest so her head would stop aching.

“We need a plan,” Rainbow said, pacing the air in front of Applejack. “We can’t fight this thing forever! Twilight still needs our help!”

“Ah know. But the thing keeps puttin’ itself back together no matter what we do to it. Did you see how fast it got up after we knocked its legs off?”

Rainbow grunted. “Yeah, I could have sworn it was down a lot longer the first time.”

Applejack looked up, eyes wide with inspiration. “Yer right…. When we knocked its head off, it was out a lot longer than the second time. What if… what if the more severely we break it, the longer it takes to get put back together?”

“How are we gonna do that?”

“Ah might have a plan, but Ah’m gonna need Fluttershy.”

Rainbow nodded and picked her up again. In the field over, their friends were taking turns distracting the Frostlich, trying to break it. Applejack set her jaw. Her plan had to work now, or they’d be doing this same routine for who-knew-how long.

Applejack’s hooves hit the snow, and she ran behind a rock while calling for Fluttershy. Rainbow took her place, doubling her speed and whizzing around the Frostlich’s head.

“You’re good at anatomy on all sorts of animals, right?” Applejack asked Fluttershy.

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Good.” Applejack peeked over the rock. “Ah know you don’t know much about full-grown dragons, but what do you reckon its weakest point is?”

Fluttershy followed her gaze, letting out a small ‘Eeep’ when the Frostlich almost took a bite out of Rainbow. “W-well…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “The bone structure doesn’t seem to be too different from any other creature. So, I would say its spine would be the most sensitive, especially in its current state.”

Applejack nodded. “That’s what Ah was hoping you would say. Any spot in particular?”

Fluttershy pointed to just below its ribcage. “That should be the lumbar vertebrae. It supports the weight of the body.” She ducked back behind the rock and tapped her hooves together. “Since it has nothing else holding it up, theoretically, if you hit it hard enough, the shock wave could collapse the rest of the body… maybe.”

“Good enough for me.” Applejack put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Ah need you to do one more thing for me.”

“Of course.”

“Ah need you to Stare it.”

Fluttershy recoiled. “What? But, Applejack, it… it doesn’t have any eyes!”

“But it can still see. Whatever those balls of fire are, they act like eyes to it. If you can get it to stand still long enough, Ah can hit it hard enough so it might not get back up for a while.”

“But, what if it doesn’t work? What if—”

“Nothin’s gonna happen to you, sugarcube. None of us are gonna allow it.” Applejack smiled reassuringly.

Fluttershy looked at her, then looked from behind the rock again. She gave a slow nod of her head. “O-okay… I’ll do it.”

Applejack gave a whoop of delight, then ran out from behind the rock. “Rainbow, get over here—Ah need a lift!”

Rainbow hurried over to Applejack, Rarity taking her place as the distraction while Pinkie blasted a rib off the Frostlich with her cannon.

“Your plan’s ready?” Rainbow asked.

Applejack nodded. “Ah need you to drop me from about…” She looked at the sky. “About two-hundred feet onto the dragon’s back.”

Rainbow stared at her, mouth ajar. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Nope. Ah’m gonna shatter that thing’s spine, and hopefully collapse its body. If you drop me from there, Ah should have enough force to do it.”

“Or, you could die!

Applejack puffed her chest out. “Ah’m an earth pony. We were meant to take some damage. A little fall ain’t gonna kill me.” Ah hope.

Rainbow dragged her hooves down her face. “And what if I say no?”

Applejack smirked. She could already hear the tone of defeat in Rainbow’s voice. “Do you have a better plan in mind?”

“Yeah, I could hit it!”

Applejack flexed a foreleg “No offense, Dash, but you and Ah both know Ah can buck things harder than you.”

Rainbow grumbled and crossed her hooves. “Fine. But if you die, I swear, I’ll make sure you never rest in peace.”

“Fair enough.” Applejack looked over to the rock. “Go for it, ’Shy! Rarity, Pinkie, Spike! Fluttershy’s gonna stare it down! Get ready in case anything goes wrong!”

Rarity skidded to a stop. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Applejack didn’t respond. Whether it was or wasn’t, they were about to find out. Fluttershy floated in front of the Frostlich’s face, her eyes squeezed close.

The Frostlich reared its head back, and everyone tensed, hooves and claws ready to spring into action. As it brought its head forward, Fluttershy snapped her eyes open, her gaze burning with greater intensity than the fire of the Frostlich.

The beast halted, completely mesmerized by Fluttershy. Its fire shrank, acting like dilating eyes.

“Please… hurry,” Fluttershy mumbled between her lips. “Cold wind… can’t… stare forever.”

Rainbow grabbed Applejack and launched into the air. The wind blasted against their faces, making them numb. The setting sun did absolutely nothing to keep them warm.

Applejack looked down. The Frostlich still wasn’t moving. Even from the high altitude, it still looked very large. She examined her target spot, and gave a silent thanks to Celestia that the dragon didn’t have any spikes running down its back. Its wings, however, were folded back, giving her a narrow range.

“Ready?” Rainbow yelled over the wind.

Applejack wanted to scream ‘no’, but gave a curt nod. Her stomach rose into her throat as she went into freefall. The first thoughts through her head were memories of falling from Cloudsdale, and again from the airship. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea!

It was too late to turn back now. Pressing her hat against her head, Applejack twisted in the air and stuck her back leg out, prepared to drive it down through the Frostlich’s spine.

The Frostlich twitched; its entire body gave a violent shudder. Fluttershy dropped to the ground before the Frostlich could snap at her. It took a step forward and extended its neck.

Applejack swore and readjusted her position. If it moved anymore, she was going to miss and hit either its wing… or the ground. Rainbow dove past her, bellowing a heroic cry. She didn’t hit the dragon, she merely dive-bombed it, keeping it distracted from Fluttershy.

With less than fifty feet remaining, Applejack could feel gravity’s full effect on her. She felt like an apple falling from a really high tree. She sucked in her gut, like it would help her slip in between the wings better.

Here it comes!

Hoof met bone. There were several loud cracks, one of them coming from Applejack’s leg. The world went silent, and her brain went fuzzy. She couldn’t think of anything but the white-hot pain shooting through her leg and up to her hip. A shrill whine managed its way through the fog, and Applejack quickly realized it was her own voice making a cross between a scream and a whimper.

When her vision returned, she found herself surrounded by her friends and a pile of bones. Rarity’s mouth was moving, but Applejack couldn’t make out a word.

She then made the mistake of looking down at her leg. It was twisted at a horrible angle, and there was a long gash running up her calf. The pain hit her again, hotter than an iron and stronger than a minotaur. This time, she heard herself scream loud and clear.

A cold lump of snow met her wound, and Applejack took a break from screaming to suck down some air. She bit her lip, pounded the snow with her good hoof, then exhaled. She repeated the process a few times, then looked at Rarity. “Did Ah get it?” she croaked.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Of course, that’s the first thing you ask. Yes, Applejack, your reckless plan worked. For how long remains to be seen.”

Applejack looked past Rarity to the corpse lying motionless in the snow. Its spine had completely collapsed, leaving the ribs to topple over. Its arm was stretched out, like it had been reaching for something just before Applejack had smashed into it. The fire was gone from its eye sockets.

“Whew.” Applejack gave a lazy cheer. “We did it.”

Outside of her view, she heard Pinkie say in a trembling voice, “You might want to hold off on a victory party.”

Hearing that come from Pinkie made Applejack’s fur stand on end. “Why?”

Rarity’s eyes shrank, and Applejack twisted her head to see where she was looking. In the distance, two figures were speeding toward them, one of them emitting a bloody aura.

“Because Vesper is heading straight for us.”