//------------------------------// // The Odds Grow Slim // Story: A New Dawn on The Horizon // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 6: The Odds Grow Slim Night still engulfed the peaceful nation of Equestria. Unlike the other small towns that dotted the countryside, the town of Ponyville lit up the night, the luminance emerging from the various fires that burned in the town. Death and destruction were abound in the town under lockdown as corrupt ponies, shells of their former selves, roamed the streets and flew in the sky. The guards at the blockades leading out of town were ever vigilant, not letting anypony in or out. Fear was common amongst their ranks, as contact with their commanding officer had been lost for a few hours. The large purple shield around Sugar Cube Corner still stood strong in the town square. The crowd of corrupt ponies around the Corner had thinned out greatly over the past hour, but the ones that remained were on careful watch, Nightmare Armor still grinning toothily, staring at the doorway, where Blazing Dawn and Pound Cake kept an eye on the ponies outside. The clock on Town Hall now read four in the morning and the group of heroes had been holed up inside Sugar Cube Corner since their arrival an hour ago. Blazing Dawn’s group had managed to escape the disaster at Twilight’s library, but not without tremendous loss. Blazing Dawn led his mother, Rainbow Dash, and most of their friends to safety at Sugar Cube Corner. They joined the Cakes and another group of survivors inside. These survivors included the Cakes and their twins, Lyra, the town harpist, Derpy Hooves and her Unicorn daughter Dinky, Doctor Whooves, the town time-keeper, and, to Rainbow Dash’s delight and relief, her friend from the weather team and the Wonderbolts, Lightning Flash, still in his Wonderbolts garb from work. “It was...horrifying...” Lyra, the aquamarine mare with a lyre for a cutie mark, said, holding her muzzle in her forehooves. “Bon Bon and I were just...just watching a movie when our neighbor Colgate broke in and...and leaped on top of Bon Bon.” Tears started welling in her eyes. “Before I could do anything else, evil ponies that looked like royal guards came in after her and...” She sniffed sadly. “I escaped, but...I saw Bon Bon getting...taken over....” Lyra finally bursts into tears. “My b-best friend!” Blazing Dawn exchanged sorrowful looks with Pound Cake at the door before the young alicorn strode forward, folding his wings, and put a forehoof on Lyra’s shoulder, who looked up hopefully. “Lyra, it’s okay...” He gave a small smile at the harpist. “We’ll all get out of this.” Upon seeing Lyra start to feel better and smile back, Blazing Dawn winked. “Bon Bon’s not dead, just not in her right mind. She’ll be fine once we defeat Nightmare.” “T-Thank you, Blaze...” Lyra sniffed before exhaling, calming down, and sitting upright. “You are becoming a good colt, just like your father.” Ignoring that last part, Blazing Dawn turned to the rest of the ponies in the room and, with a face of nothing but bravery and determination, he began to address them all. Rainbow Dash looked on from the stairway with pride in her magenta eyes, proud that her son was showing such courage in this bad situation. “We can all get through this, everypony...” Blazing Dawn’s golden eyes met those of Derpy’s yellow eyes as she and her daughter huddled in a corner. The alicorn flapped his wings and turned around, looking at everypony in the room. “Dawn is in a few short hours at six. Then, we can send for help past the barricades when the lockdown is lifted.” Doctor Whooves nodded, “I agree.” He looked around at everypony. “As long as Pumpkin Cake can keep that bloody shield up, we should be fine.” There was a whimper, and Pinkie Pie bounced over to the source, Fluttershy, who was cowering in a corner, still rocked by the loss of Shadow Breeze. As Pinkie started comforting the yellow mare with a smile on her face, Blazing Dawn was happy to know that Pinkie was still there to make everypony happy. Lightning Flash growled and stomped the floor, startling everypony, “This is ridiculous, man! We should just go out and run the nearest barricade!” He smiled evilly. “I AM a Wonderbolt, after all!” “No!” Twilight suddenly perked up from the chair she was slumped in. “It’s too risky!” She jumped off the chair and trotted briskly up to the confident Wonderbolt. “All guards’ orders under lockdown are to kill anypony they see on sight! You’ll never make it!” “Says you!” Lightning Flash protested, frowning. “Rainbow and I could make a run to Canterlot and be back before you know it!” He gestured over to the flying cyan mare, who smiled and shook her head. “We’re the fastest around!” Lightning concluded confidently. Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle at her old friend’s inflated ego. “Ordinarily, I’d totally agree with you, Flash.” She flew forward. “But I’m gonna side with the egghead this time. I mean, it’s just for two more hours, right?” She said, looking around, asking nopony in particular. The various ponies around the room nodded in agreement, slow smiles of confidence growing on their faces as the thought of the shield protecting them sunk in. They were confident that no corrupt ponies could get in. Everypony casually spread out again as the conversation ended and the tenseness of the situation calmed down. Derpy and Doctor Whooves were comforting Dinky and Sweetie Belle behind the counter, encouraging them to go to sleep. Pinkie still comforted Fluttershy, while Lightning Flash stood by, watching with sadness in his eyes. Rainbow and Twilight discussed extra protection and ponies keeping watch, while Blazing Dawn approached Applebloom. Blazing Dawn’s throat clogged up with emotion as he saw Applebloom, the mare he had loved since childhood, holding her hat in front of her face, tears dripping off her muzzle as she stared at it. “The hat reminds you of Applejack...?” Blazing Dawn finally spoke up, causing Applebloom to sniff suddenly and look up, her orange eyes wide with sadness. Blazing Dawn took another step forward. “Why?” “Ya’ll remember Winter Wrap-Up three years ago?” Applebloom chuckled slightly as she recalled the disastrous event, as Blazing Dawn had finally been allowed to participate. “Well, since ah was in charge of...of snow removal.” She looked at Blazing Dawn. “The only job that didn’t go wrong because of a certain somepony...” Blazing Dawn rolled his eyes with a small smile. As much as he hated to recall that horrific Winter Wrap-Up, he let Applebloom have that one, as it seemed to be making her feel better. “Mah sister gave me this here hat ‘cause ah did such a good job and saved the rest of the jobs...” She slowly sat down on her haunches, still staring at the hat. She started crying again without so muvch as another word. Blazing Dawn, without really thinking, slowly settled down next to the yellow mare he loved. He tenderly wrapped a loving hoof around the mare he kissed on the spur of the moment. “It’ll be okay, ‘Bloom...” Applebloom was shocked to hear Blazing Dawn call her by a pet name. She blushed, nuzzling his hoof, closing her eyes and taking comfort in his company. She gasped suddenly, her blushed disappeared, and she was reminded of who was comforting her. She quickly pushed thoughts of her and the alicorn together as Blazing Dawn looked out of a nearby window at the night sky. “Besides...” He smiled. “Lunar Eclipse is probably out there, watching out for us...” Applebloom nodded, putting the hat back on top of her red mane, smiling. “Yer probably right, Blaze...” The capital city of Canterlot was dark, the aristocrat ponies sound asleep and blissfully unaware of the nightmare occurring just down the mountain from them. At the Canterlot Royal Castle, Celestia’s tower was dark, the Princess of the Day resting from the hard and stressful day of dealing with the Nightmare’s return. The second highest tower, however, was lit on the top. On the balcony of this tower stood Luna, the Princess of the Night. She stood on her balcony, worriedly looking through a telescope at the flames rising from Ponyville down below. She stepped back from the telescope after seeing another house burst into flames, gritted her teeth, and started pacing, her thoughts overborne with the safety of the ponies down in Ponyville. “What in Equestria could be going on down there?” She muttered to herself as she paced, occasionally glancing down at the rural town. “Why haven’t we heard anything from Captain Shining Armor? Oh dear...” She sighed and looked through her telescope again. “I certainly hope Lunar can handle the situation and protect Blazing Dawn...” Suddenly, Luna screamed and reeled back in shock from her telescope, as a large, black, flying figure with big wings crashed down onto the balcony, crushing the telescope and demolishing a portion of the stone railing. Luna growled and lowered her horn, charging it with magic for a counter attack. It was then she realized the figure wasn’t even trying to attack her. The figure was the Prince of Death, Lunar Eclipse. He lay on the balcony on his side, panting heavily and bleeding from many wounds that were all over his body. “Lunar!!!” Luna leaned down and nudged him with her muzzle. “What happened!? What’s going on!?” “Lockdown...” Lunar mumbled through his pants, his eyes still closed from exhaustion. “Shining Armor...and...guard...corrupt...town...being destroyed...” He shakily rose a hoof and pointed behind him. “Nightmare!” He then collapsed. The Princess of the Night was about to cry out for help when three more figures came crashing down onto the balcony. Two corrupt Nightmare guards and what looked like one of Nightmare Moon’s Shadowbolts. It was... “SPITFIRE!?” Luna exclaimed in shock. The corrupt Wonderbolt Captain rushed forward and slammed her hind legs into the Princess of the Night. Luna skid to a halt, wiped a slight drizzle of blood from her muzzle, and slammed her hooves on the ground, growling. “What in Equestria are you doing!?” “Nightmare Fire” gave a toothy grin as the two corrupt guards flanked her and drew their weapons. “Princess Luna...” The corrupt Spitfire spoke in a distorted voice. “Truly, I am honored by your presence...” “Nightmare!” Luna gasped, powering up her horn with magic. “You can’t control more than one pony a time!! Have you amassed followers?!” The three corrupt ponies looked at each other before bursting into a fit of synchronized laughter. They all turned back to look at Luna before Nightmare Fire simply said, “Shining Armor...” Luna didn’t need to hear anymore. Luna barked out a fierce battle cry, taking all the corrupt ponies aback, blasting a strange magical spell that impacted one of the two corrupt guards that expelled the corruption instantly, causing him to fly back and fall unconscious. Nightmare Fire and the remaining guard charged Luna. Luna growled and slammed a hoof into the other guard as he leaped forward, blasting him with the same cleansing spell that saved the other guard. Nightmare Fire, however, rammed into the Princess of the Night, slamming her up against the wall of the castle by the throat. As they clashed, Nightmare Fire got up in the Princess’ face and growled, “You WILL rejoin with me, Princess!” “I DO NOT THINK SO!” Luna recoiled, charging up her horn and struggling to aim it down at the corrupt Wonderbolt. The corrupt flight team captain could only scream briefly before the same spell impacted her, sending her flying against the railing and knocking her out, expelling the corruption. The brief fight over, Luna panted heavily, looking down at the rural town of Ponyville in horror, her eyes wide, She whirled around and ran over to the body of Lunar Eclipse, the Prince of Death coughing out large amounts of blood and barely hanging onto his immortal life. Blood began to pool around the pitch black alicorn as he lay on Luna’s balcony, struggling to get up. Tears came to Luna’s eyes as Lunar’s eyes flickered open weakly. “Luna...” He coughed up more blood. It was clear he was choking on it. Luna whimpered. “Lunar! Please, look at me! Stay with me!” She desperately tried to keep his attention rapt. The dying alicorn smiled toothily up at her, panting heavily. “It’s...it’s okay...” “How can you being okay when you are bleeding all over!?” The Princess of the Night barked in disbelief. It was at this point that her guards who were stationed outside of her tower rushed in, shocked at the scene before them. Luna narrowed her watering eyes. “Don’t just stand there! Go get a medic! NOW!” “Yes, Your Highness!” They both said simultaneously before running back into the castle. “Luna...” Lunar coughed weakly as Luna leaned down to him. “Luna...you have to...to save Blazing Dawn...” His eyes flickered shut momentarily, then snapped open again after he inhaled deeply. “Don’t worry about me...” “I am worried about you! You are bleeding all over! I’m not leaving yo-UMPH!” Lunar suddenly mustered all the strength he had left, leaned up and pressed his lips onto Luna’s. She widened her eyes in shock at first, but then turned red and closed her eyes, kissing the injured Prince of Death back. Lunar finally lost his strength and fell back down onto the floor. “I...I love you, Luna...” Luna gasped and smiled slightly, her face a bright red. “I love you, too...” “Go...” Lunar coughed. “Save...Blazing...Dawn...and the...town...ugh...” Lunar’s head rolled off to the side. The Prince of Death had fainted from loss of blood. Luna stared teary-eyes at the Prince’s limp body before she stood up, turned around, and stared down at Ponyville. Another building burst into flames, she spread her wings, and took off into the air, instantly disappearing into the night sky as the medic ponies emerged onto her balcony, taking all the unconscious ponies inside. Sugar Cube Corner was still surrounded by Pumpkin Cake’s protective shield, with various corrupt ponies still outside, skulking around. Watching these corrupt ponies from the doorway was Blazing Dawn and Pound Cake, shuddering when Nightmare Arrow brandished his sword and grinned evilly at the two colts. The two colts were silent as they kept watch. Suddenly, Pound Cake broke the silence. “So, Blaze...” The tan colt said nonchalantly, brandishing his wings. “How’ve you been?” Blazing Dawn sighed and chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, Pound Cake, I’ve been just dandy!” He said sarcastically. Pound Cake, he eyes still locked on the road, nodded understandingly. “Well, this devastation is just dandy...” He looked over at a confused Blazing Dawn and smiled. “To quote you.” The two colts shared a laugh for a moment, before they fell silent again, watching the road. Pound Cake cleared his throat before passing the floor and asking, “So, uh...you still like Applebloom?” Blazing Dawn’s mane almost stood on end when Pound Cake said that. Going to school with Blazing Dawn his whole life, Pound Cake knew of his liking for Applebloom. Blazing Dawn was hoping that Pound Cake had forgotten. “We...um...” Blazing Dawn gulped, blushing a little. “Well, I’m happy she’s okay if that’s what you’re asking...” Pound Cake chuckled and rolled his eyes, “No, no. I meant-” The son of the Cakes was cut off by a shrill scream coming from the storage area near the back of the store. The scream awoke everypony who was asleep. Blazing Dawn and Pound Cake turned around to see Fluttershy, still screaming, fly out of the storage room and slam into Rainbow Dash, who had just flown down the stairs to see what was going on. Fluttershy was shaking uncontrollably. “What’s going on, Fluttershy!?” Lightning Flash asked, leaping to his hooves from the corner he was sleeping in. The yellow mare, who Rainbow Dash was trying to hold to stop her from stuttering, shakily pointed a hoof towards the back room where she had flown from. “I-I-I h-heard something...” Blazing Dawn narrowed his eyes, quickly scanned the room, and accounted everypony. “Everypony is here!” Blazing Dawn’s horn glowed intensely and he spread his wings. “It’s somepony else!” He growled, and took off, flying into the storage room, ready to attack. He reeled back in shock and almost crashed into some stacked boxes when he saw who made the noise. “SCOOTALOO!” It was true. The orange filly was cowering in a corner. Upon hearing Blazing Dawn’s voice, she leaped up and flew forward, slamming into her alicorn friend. Upon hearing Blazing Dawn yell Scooaloo’s name, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle gave each other big smiles, then galloped into storage and dog-piled on top of Blazing Dawn and Scootaloo out of joy. “Ah can't believe it!” Applebloom yelled out of joy. “Ah thought you were a goner!” “Yeah, Scoots!” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes full of tears of joy. “We thought you were corrupt!” Scootaloo smiled weakly, still trying to take in her friends all tackling her at once. “C’mon guys! You know me!” Blazing Dawn eventually pulled himself out from their joyful reunion and and galloped back into the main room, where everypony was alarmed at the sounds coming from the storage. Upon seeing the young alicorn’s smile, Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “What in Equestria happened, Bazling Dawn? Why are you smiling?” “We found Scootaloo!” Blazing Dawn was beside himself with joy. “She’s okay!” Behind him, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom brought the orange filly out of the back room. Twilight lowered her horn defensively, “Is she infected!?” Everypony’s expression instantly turned from that of joy to that of alarm. Everypony took on a defensive stance. Even Applebloom and Scootaloo started to inch away from Scootaloo. Blazing Dawn was the only one who didn’t move. He frowned. “Hey...c’mon, guys! I’m sure there’s an explanation!” He turned. “Right, Scoots?” The orange filly nodded furiously. “Yeah! I took shelter in the food storage room when the Nightmare attacked!” She looked around at everypony. “I swear! I’m clean!” “It’s true, silly fillies!” Pinkie said, bouncing down the stairs. “If she were evil, she would’ve attacked us by now!” Twilight was still skeptical as she advanced towards Scooaloo, her eyes narrowed and her horn glowing. Doctor Whooves spoke up. “Hey now, Twilight! I’m sure the lass isn’t corrupt! Let’s not do anything hasty!” “Yeah!” Blazing Dawn stood in Twilight’s way. “Aunty Twi, she’s clean!” Twilight stopped directly in front of the young alicorn, whose eyes were narrowed and glowed brightly, ready to defend his friend. Twilight’s eyes were darting from Blazing Dawn to Scootaloo. After a tense moment, Twilight’s horn stopped glowing and she smiled. She walked past Blazing Dawn and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “I’m sorry, Scootaloo...” Scootaloo smiled and hugged hugged Twilight. “Thanks. I’m glad that Sugar Cube Corner is protected...” She released the purple Unicorn. “And that all my friends are here...” She looked at all her friends, who instantly surrounded her and hugged her again. As everypony settled down and returned to where they were before Scootaloo was found. Rainboiw Dash appraoched the group of friends, acknowledged Scootaloo and gave her a quick hug, and then pulled Blazing Dawn aside. “Go rest in the kitchen, Blaze.” Rainbow Dash pulled her son into a hug. “I’m worried about you.” “Mooom...” Blazing Dawn pulled away and smiled. “I’m fine, I can stay up.” “No, if the Nightmare manages to break through, I want you to be rested.” She smiled and ruffled her son’s mane. “It’s only two more hours before dawn.” Blazing Dawn shook his head, getting her spiky mane back where he wanted it. “I...I just wish I could do more to stop this madness...” Blazing Dawn sighed. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and gave her trademark evil smile. “I wanna go out there and whoop their plots just as much as you do, son. But right now, we wouldn’t stand a chance. AND they are our friends, some of them.” She took to the air, turned her son around, and pushed him into the kitchen. “Rest.” As the young alicorn walked into the kitchen, Scootaloo, still being prodded by her friends, watched him walk through the double doors. The orange filly smiled and narrowed her eyes, then turned back to her friends. Fifteen minutes later, the clock in the restaurant reading quarter to five, now found the various ponies inside Sugar Cube Corner resting, Pumpkin Cake still awake and keeping her shield up with her brother at her side on the second floor, while Rainbow Dash and Twilight kept watch upstairs. Blazing Dawn was apart from everypony else, asleep and curled up on the rough tile floor of the kitchen. The young alicorn was murmuring in his sleep, tossing and turning on the floor. There was a clopping sound on the tile floor near the door which caused the young alicorn to gasp and wake up surprisedly. Blazing Dawn roared, jumped to his hooves, and feigned a fighting stance facing the door, his horn glowing fiercely with magical energy. “AGH! Blaze, it’s just me!” The one who had entered was Applebloom, reeling back in shock that Blazing Dawn was that quick to react. “Jeez-a-lou, Blaze! Calm down! It’s just me!” Blazing Dawn sighed, the magic in his horn disappeared, and he sat down on the floor on his haunches. “I’m...I’m sorry, Applebloom. I’m just really on edge, is all.” After an awkward moment of Applebloom pawing the floor and Blazing Dawn blushing at her presence, Applebloom finally spoke up. “Can I join you?” Blazing Dawn’s blush exploded across his face before he looked up and slowly nodded, “Um...um sure, Applebloom...” Applebloom’s mood suddenly changed. She narrowed her eyes, smiled, and removed her red cowpony hat, resting it on the table. Blazing Dawn’s pupils shrank in surprise and insecurity as Applebloom started walking towards the young alicorn, swaying her flank and tail seductively. Blazing Dawn was starting to become very uncomfortable. Blazing Dawn could not move, his face bright red, unable to really speak up. “Can it be? Is she finally...no...no, she can’t be...” A flood of conflicted thoughts raced through as Applebloom advanced. “W-w-w-what are y-you doing, A-Applebloom?!” Blazing Dawn asked, stuttering, finally managing to speak up. Applebloom tenderly wrapped her forehooves around Blazing Dawn, using one hoof to trace a seductive line on Blazing Dawn’s face. “Ah finally thought about us, Blazing Dawn, an’...an’, well...” She kissed his cheek, causing his face to grow hot. “Ah wanna be with you.” Blazing Dawn wanted to speak up, but couldn’t, as Applebloom positioned herself on top of Blazing Dawn. Gazing into his golden eyes, which were still small with shock, she leaned forward, closed her eyes, and locked lips with the young alicorn. Impulsively, despite the disbelief and thoughts of indecency flowing rapidly through his head, wrapped his forehooves around her, closed his eyes as well, and started kissing her back. The heat between the two ponies on the floor of the kitchen was intense and they continued to make out, their eyes closed, their faces red with lust. As they made out, one of Applebloom’s forehooves slid out from under the young alicorn and rose up towards the kitchen counter nearby and grabbed a steak knife. As she positioned the knife in her forehoof, her eyes snapped open. They were serpentine. Slowly, as she still continued to make out with Blazing Dawn, she rose her hoof high into the air above Blazing Dawn, the young alicorn blissfully taken by Nightmare Bloom’s seductive spell. A yelp of surprise sounded from the doorway to the kitchen as Doctor Whooves entered, being sent to check up on Blazing Dawn by Rainbow Dash. Blazing Dawn didn’t care. He was about to score with the love of his life. His eyes remained closed, rubbing his forehooves down her back as Nightmare Bloom was about to stab the knife down onto the unsuspecting alicorn. “Oh NO, you don’t!” The brown Earth pony roared before galloping forward and ramming Nightmare Bloom off of the surprised alicorn, whose eyes snapped open and, upon seeing the Doctor, snarling, standing above him instead of Applebloom, turned bright red and narrowed his eyes embarrassingly. “Why’d you have to do that, Doctor!?” Blazing Dawn growled angrily up at the Doctor. “Why’d you knock my marefriend off of me?” “That’s not your bloody marefriend anymore, mate!” The Earth pony lifted Blaze up and gesturing at the downed Applebloom as she started to mutate, wings sprouting from her body. Tears came to Blazing Dawn’s eyes, shocked at the event unfolding before him as a horn erupted out of her head. “No...” He fell to his haunches. “NOOO!” He snarled. “How!? How could this happen!?” The tears started flowing like a river as he closed his eyes and slammed his hooves on the floor. “WHY APPLEBLOOM!? I actually thought that...that she liked me for real...” "Apparently the Nightmare was using that against you!" Doctor Whooves pushed the alicorn back and pawed the ground, getting ready to charge as the corrupt Applebloom stood up, cracked her neck, and brandished the steak knife. “Go warn everypony else! Somepony in here is infected and we need to get out!” He snarled. “I’ll hold her off, mate!” “But-” “GO, Blazing Dawn!” Without looking back, Blazing Dawn took to the air and rocketed out of the kitchen without looking back, but was greeted by a horrible sight in the restaurant. Scootaloo, it turns out was infected with the Nightmare the whole time. She was mutated, on top of a cowering Lyra, shooting the Nightmare gas into her muzzle. Derpy and Dinky have been infected, were mutated, and had cornered the Cake couple in a corner. An infected Pound Cake was seen slamming a hoof into his sister’s muzzle, knocking her out. The shield dropped and a spine-tingling battle cry was heard from outside the Ponyville eatery as corrupt ponies stormed the restaurant. Blazing Dawn was struck dumb, hovering in the air, tears flowing from his eyes. Mr. Cake, standing in front of his wife, saw the alicorn hovering there and widened his eyes. “Blazing Dawn! Grab everypony and get out of here! Save yourself! GO!” Upon Mr. Cake yelling, all the infected turned and charged at Blazing Dawn. Dodging around Lyra as she leaped toward him, he did a small aerial flip and he flew in between a corrupt Derpy and Pound Cake and they swiped at him, flying up the stairs, tears in his eyes the whole way. On his way down the hall, he heard Rainbow Dash cry out in shock and yell, “Sweetie Belle! NO!” “Cud!!!” Blazing Dawn swore, bursting into what he assumed was the Cakes’ bedroom. He gasped when he saw an infected Sweetie Belle tackle a crying Fluttershy and laugh horrifically while sending the Nightmare gas up Fluttershy’s muzzle, Fluttershy’s feathery wings crackling and turning into hideous bat wings. “FLUTTERSHY!!! NOOOOO!!!” Rainbow Dash roared, grabbing Twilight by the forehooves while in the air, and rocketing towards the window, crashing out of it in a shower of glass. “Grab Pinkie and come on, son!” She yelled as she flew out. Now corrupt, Fluttershy roared, leaping at the crying, young alicorn. Blazing Dawn teleported behind Nightmare Shy just as she was about to get to him, grabbed a cowering Pinkie in a similar fashion. He moved to fly out of the window, but Nightmare Belle extended her Nightmare wings and blocked the window. Blazing Dawn growled, blasted a hole in the wall with his horn, and flew out out of it into the night sky. “Thanks for the save, Blaze! Oh, look up at the sky! That’s so pretty! Contrasts with the flames down there quite nicely, huh? Huh, Blazing Dawn?” Pinkie droned on from down below as Blazing Dawn tried to gain altitude. “Shut up, Pinkie!” Blazing Dawn strained to talk as he flew. “I don’t want any guards seeing us-AAARGH!” A crossbow bolt fired from the crossbow of a corrupt guard from the broken window of Sugar Cube Corner impacted Blazing Dawn’s right wing, sending the young alicorn plummeting towards the ground. He crashed down onto the ground near where his mother had landed, dropping Pinkie too early as he landed. A crack was heard, and Pinkie screamed. Blazing Dawn groaned shook his head, grunting in pain and looking over at the arrow embedded in his wing. “BLAZE!” R.D. and Twilight yelled at the same time, galloping over and helping Blaze up. Twilight grabbed the arrow with magic and yanked it out. “ARGH!” Blaze cried out in pain and tried to flutter his wing, but he couldn’t. “I...I can’t move it!” “The arrow punctured the bone, Blaze. You won’t be able to fly.” Twilight said, looking it over. “Pinkie’s hurt, too!” Rainbow called from nearby, standing over a downed Pinkie Pie, her mane flat from being in pain. “I think her leg’s broken from the fall!” As Twilight ran over to help her downed friend, Blazing Dawn turned to see if anypony was following them and gasped. Sugar Cube Corner was overrun, corrupt guards and ponies alike pouring out of the windows and doors of the Ponyville eatery, charging towards them. “Guys...?” Blazing Dawn growled in pain again as he tried to flap his wing as he turned and started to run. “Mom, Aunty Twi? We have to go!” “We can’t leave Pinkie, son!” Rainbow yelled, about to bend down and pick up Pinkie when the party mare held up a hoof to stop her rainbow-maned friend, crying from the pain. “Run...” Pinkie said. “Get Blazing Dawn to safety and run...please...” The three ponies turned tail and ran, tears in their eyes as Pinkie Pie was overrun by their pursuers behind them, her screams piercing the night. Rainbow Dash took to the air as Twilight helped the injured Blazing Dawn along the way on the ground. She was desperately looking for a new place for the now dwindling group of survivors to hide for another hour and ten minutes. “I can’t believe we didn’t screen Scootaloo better! Dammit!” Rainbow swore as she noticed a troupe of corrupt flying guards with crossbows bearing down on her son and Twilight down below. “That’s IT!” Rainbow shouted. “AAAARGH!” She turned to face the guards and roared, a fierce glow surrounding her and causing the guards to stop blindly in their tracks. When the glow dissipated, her Element necklace was around her neck, the only gem present was the gem of Loyalty. Flying faster than a bullet, she flew down underneath the stunned group of corrupt guards and flanked them, using her necklace to fire blasts of magic at them and expelling the Nightmare, causing them to fall one by one. “LOYALTY! I WILL DESTROY YOU!” The remaining guards roared before whirling around and chasing after her. “Twi! Keep my son safe! I’ll keep the skies clear!” Rainbow roared before blasting down a few more and coaxing them away. “C’mon, motherbuckers! Come at me!” Rainbow slammed her hind legs into the chins of two more corrupt guards, felling them. As Rainbow lured their aerial pursuers away into the night, Twilight and Blazing Dawn galloped around wreckage and through alleyways in an attempt to lose their ground-based pursuers, his wing still giving him pain. As they ran, Blazing Dawn saw visions of the events of the past day, seeing all the ponies, his friends, getting infected or killed or injured, all to protect him, the first alicorn born in hundreds of years. “STOP!!!!” Blazing Dawn’s train of thought was interrupted by Twilight yelling at him. He obeyed his Aunty Twi’s order and skidded to a halt, wincing in pain as his wing lurched forward. Blazing Dawn found himself and Twilight in the Town Square, surrounded by corrupt ponies abound. Tears came to Twilight’s and Blaze’s eyes as they saw familiar faces alike in the crowd; Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Papyrus... It was too much for Blazing Dawn to handle. He slumped down on his haunches and burst into tears again. Nightmare Armor stepped out of the crowd and drew his sword. He smirked, “You lose, alicorn....” Nightmare Armor whirled his forehoof around in the air, and instantly, the corrupt ponies charged forward. Blazing Dawn looked down at the ground, tears dripping down onto the ground. “So this is how it ends...” He thought. “It’s over. I’m sorry, Aunty Twi. I’m sorry Ponyville. I’m sorry Mom.” He blinked sadly. “I’m sorry, Applebloom...” Suddenly, a flash of purple caught the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw Twilight Sparkle feigning a battle stance in front of him, her Magic headdress on her head, her eyes glowing. Blazing Dawn, to his surprise, felt himself being lifted up into the air by Twilight’s magic. “Aunty Twi, NO!” Blazing Dawn struggled against her magic. “Not you, too!” “Stay safe, Blaze...just...” Twilight looked over at the clock tower. It read five in the morning. A single tear falls from her glowing eyes. “Just one more hour.” “TWIIIIII!!!!” Blazing Dawn yelled before the purple Unicorn’s glowing intensified and he found himself in secluded alleyway. Twilight had teleported him away. Scared stiff, he listened intently to the battle Twilight had teleported him away from nearby. He heard Nightmare Armor scream in annoyance, magical laser beams sounded off, he saw Nightmare gas flowing up into the sky after it had been expelled from corrupt ponies. He gasped when he heard shrill scream. Twilight’s scream. And then everything fell silent, the cackling of Nightmare Armor echoing through the silence. Unable to think about what had just happened properly, he slumped down to the ground, tears streaming from his face, unable to take any more. “WHY?” He managed to gulp between sobs of pain. “Why won’t this NIGHTMARE END!?” He was shaking with instability and uncontrolled sadness. He heard the flapping of wings near him as a pony touched down next to him. At this point, he didn’t care if it was a corrupt pony anymore. He looked up and gasped. It was his mother, looking down at him with her teeth clenched, one eye closed, badly beaten and covered in bruises and blood. She was shuddering as well and panting heavily. Blazing Dawn jumped up and hugged his mother. “MOM!” Tears were still streamed down his face as he hugged her. “Aunty Twi’s gone! Everypony is GONE! Oh mom...” Rainbow Dash slumped down onto the ground with her son, still hugging him. “We should stay in this alleyway, Blazing Dawn. To stay safe. Argh...” She closed an eye and again and appeared to flinch in pain. “I can’t take much more, mom...” Blazing Dawn whimpered sadly, burying his face in his mother’s fur. “I just can’t...” Rainbow Dash reached down and stroked her son’s mane, smiling despite her apparent pain. “It’ll all be over soon...” As Blazing Dawn snuggled his mother, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and nuzzled him. “I hope so, mom...” Rainbow’s eyes snapped open suddenly. Her beautiful magenta eyes were now... Serpentine. “Indeed...” OCs: Papyrus, Blue Arrow, and the Red Hooves (c) QTXAdsy Lightning Flash (c) Lightning Flash