//------------------------------// // The fiery conclusion: part 3. // Story: The Phoenix Princess // by Sonic Rainboom Dash //------------------------------// “Anyway T-Twilight,” Fluttershy squeaked, after finally waking up the passed out mare, “We should start heading to the town hall if you want to that is.” Twilight rubbed her head from where it made contact with the floor, while also trying to remember what happened. Deciding that a headache wasn’t worth it, Twilight followed Fluttershy towards the town hall. Along the way, she was pulled into a tight hug by her family, who had all left the hospital to as they didn’t want to see or hear the flatline they knew had to be coming. Even though he saw his daughter die and come back from the ashes, Night Light naturally thought it was just an old stallions hope to play up a picture. Still, seeing Twilight walking with a steady gait, Night light’s hope started to shine brighter. As Twilight walked towards the town hall to join in the celebration, she felt that her burden had lightened the tiniest bit. She didn’t feel quite so achy or pained, and it felt as if she had a better grip on her magic now. She still felt stiff in some places, though, like some parts just haven’t woken up yet. Twilight winced as she felt the familiar pins and needles sting of having something waking up, a feeling she knew all too well from sleeping on her forelegs after a three-day study session. Fluttershy was still somewhat uncertain about what she had seen herself concerning this mare. It always seemed so strange and unreal that this mare was here before her and looked remarkably like the young filly who had perished before. She had thought this mare would die the same way the filly had but somehow she had pulled through. She looked to be better than she had before and was now walking with a much steadier gate and there didn’t appear to be a wound or stitches anywhere on her from where the doctors operated. She led the way to the town hall rather quietly as she kept stealing glances back at the smiling mare. Entering the town hall, Twilight was awed at the fact the decorations looked twice as beautiful in the darkened light than they did in the daylight. Her musing was interrupted by a small purple missile slamming into her neck, before latching onto it. Spike had been stubbornly trying not to cry when he had heard that Twilight was in the hospital, and had rushed off to Celestia, (and Pinkie pie apparently,) knows where, and was found by the said pink mare. She managed to calm down by telling him that Twilight was going to be alright and that she’d never leave him. Strangely, she also said that the ‘chapter would be boring if Twilight stayed with Fluttershy.’ Spike had no clue what the ‘chapter’ was, or what being with fluttershy would make Twilight boring. Spike was still in a funk until he saw Twilight walking through the door and flung himself into Twilight’s embrace, slightly surprised that she hardly budged an inch, where before they would go tumbling to the floor. All the ponies were happily gathered in the town hall as they looked around and chatted with each other while waiting for the celebration to start. Mayor Mare walked up onto the stage with a soft smile as she tapped on the microphone to get their attention, “Hello everypony and welcome to Ponyville’s Summer Sun Celebration. We are honored to have the princess herself come here to raise the sun on this, the longest day of the year. So without further ado, I give you Princess Celestia!” She waved her forehoof, and the curtains opened to reveal nothing on the other side. “This can’t be good,” Twilight whimpered. “Remain calm everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation for this,” the mayor said trying to calm the crowd down. “Ooh, ooh I love guessing games. Is she hiding,” Pinkie said, before literally just standing in place and just moved her head in what seemed to be a pattern of up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, before she just posted letters on her face in the form of a,b, a,b and then start. How and where she got the sticky notes, was a mystery, as was her disappointment in something Twilight, nor her brother could explain, despite his long O&O gaming habit. It wasn’t long before a dark blue mist, followed by an orange-ish smoke drifted out onto the stage. The dark mist floated in and formed into a dark mare that looked just like Princess Celestia in body shape. But she had a dark blue coat and was wearing what appeared to be silver armor. She cackled at them as lightning flashed behind her, “Hello My loyal subjects. It is I. Your Princess of the Night!” The orange smoke started to form into a creature that Twilight only thought existed in the nightmares that had been plaguing her recently. The beast was equine in shape, but from there, things diverged rather rapidly. This mare’s skin was orange, but it was glowing, and her mane and tail appeared to be comprised of pure fire. And not just any typical kind of fire this was pure sun fire albeit in a more dark sort of way. She also had plumes of fire coming out of the backs of her legs that reached from cracks in her coat and skin. The surface of her coat and skin looked like it was made entirely out of some volcanic rock and the top of her head consisted of swirly horns curling from the sides of her head and up top into a dark sort of heart shape. Swirling designs covered her body which also showed cracks through which this Sunfire threatened to pour from. The mare’s wings seemed to be made of obsidian and glowed with Sunfire between the feathers that one could see on her wings. The mare was wearing no armor because she did not need it. Neither was she wearing any Raiment or armor. For what armor could stand up to the power of pure sun fire. So for those of you out there who still have a hard time picturing this. Think of a Fire Atronach from Skyrim except in a pony shape with wings, and you have a pretty good idea of what this orange alicorn being was. Twilight whimpered in fear as she realized that this creature must have been what her sister meant when she said she was trapped inside her inner demon, for that was not a pony in any way, shape, or form. Suddenly, the orange creature that had to be her sister started to sing in a strangely masculine voice. “we’re locking up the sun, the light of reason gone, n’ hope has been successfully undone The question is burning on, where is it coming from, no-one seems to know the monster born. It’s a bad trip on a sinking ship when no-one seems responsible Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible And find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away Who doesn’t turn a blind eye to a crime They’re locking up the sun; they have their chosen one, you know this time they’ll make her play along They’re taking to the arms, the fathers, and their sons, there’s nowhere left to run and hide It’s a bad trip on a sinking ship when no-one seems responsible Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible And find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time. Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away Who doesn’t turn a blind eye to a crime And in the emptiness, there’s a solution, just look within yourself for absolution.” Twilight looked up in shock to see that her sister looked just like the one from her nightmares. What was she doing here with the black alicorn who she knew had to be Nightmare Moon? If what her sister had said was true then her name was Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight was her last chance of breaking free of some horrible darkness. She appeared to be just fine albeit grumpy looking at the moment. Mayor Mare was scared as she stuttered, “W-w-who are yy-you two?” The orange creature sneered, as cracks started to form on her as she turned towards the mayor, revealing a pulsing orange light. “Well, well, well. It seems that we’ve been forgotten. Were we not regal enough for you precious sun lovers? Did our crowns mean nothing after being gone for so long?” she said, gleefully looking at the terrified mayor. Pinkie PIe gazed at the orange creature in front of her and all the other ponies before she gleefully looked up at the two, “Ooo, Ooo more guessing games. I’m good at guessing games. Uh, Hokey Smokes, no wait that’s the orange one, how about Queen meanie, Ooo black snooty, Black Snooty…” Pinkie would have kept spouting out random names had Applejack not decided to shove an apple in Pinkie’s mouth. Her bubbly personality did affect one of the two ponies as the orange one was now on her back kicking her legs in the air laughing up a storm at all the nicknames Nightmare Moon had. Pinkie’s gaze then switched back to the orange creature as a thoughtful look crossed her face for a moment. Then she grinned as she pulled out a helmet from behind a pony and stuck it on her head. It was a metal helmet with two horns curving downwards and two slots for her eyes that she got from a recent trade. She grinned as a fake plastic sword was latched to her back, and a wooden shield was set on her foreleg, and she walked forwards towards them. Speaking in the same monotone that her sister Maud was known for, Pinkie said, “I used to be an adventurer like you till I took an arrow through the flank,” she said as showed her flank that had a fake plastic arrow shaft attached to it. To her credit, she did look a little freaked out at the way the orange pony looked at her, hearing her mutter something about “the Dragonborn, Here?” before reality snapped back in place. And she realized that every pony was looking at her strangely because of her helmet and the fact that she was staring off into space expecting something to happen. Twilight was the first to break herself out of the stupor the pink pony put her in, but looked up at the two and steeled her courage, even though she was genuinely terrified and walked up towards the two. “I know who you are,” Twilight said, though she was also trying to keep her legs from shaking, “Your N-Nightmare Moon, the p-pony Princess Celestia took her sister from her.” Twilight pointed at the dark mare, hoping that her resolve wasn’t as flimsy as it felt to her. Nightmare Moon looked at her as she smirked, “Ah. It seems that one among you at least remembers me. Which will make it all the sweeter as I begin my reign of eternal night!” She flapped into the air as she started to laugh maniacally and lightning and thunder sounded behind her. “Seize them!” the mayor shouted to the guards “they know where the princess is.” The guards flew towards both ponies with spears at the ready. “You foals!” Nightmare moon shouted as both her and Sunset both blew them away with a few well-placed hits. The rest of the ponies finally broke out of their stupors and fled the hall as fast as the could. Twilight knew there had to be a way to beat them, but before she could leave Sunset dropped down in front of her. Chuckling sinisterly, Sunset started creeping her way towards Twilight. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, dear sister” Sunset said as her horns started to light up in a blood red glow before a small fireball formed on each of the tips, “Such a shame that it will also be the last, for after tonight all that will remain is nothing but ashes.” Off to the side, Twilight’s family was equally hindered by Nightmare Moon. “Now, now,” Nightmare moon hissed, “We wouldn't want to interrupt a family reunion, now would we?” she said with all the charm of a black widow. Twilight’s eyes widened in fear as she saw the fireballs grow at the tips of Sunset’s horns. She took a few steps back as Sunset laughed at her concern and misfortune before launching the fireballs at her. Twilight ducked and rolled to the side out of the way of the fireballs. Sunset was less than pleased that her fireballs had missed and figured she might as well do it the old-fashioned way, with her own four hooves. She walked towards Twilight as she laughed again, leaving fiery hoofprints behind her. She stood over the cowering Twilight with a hoof raised to bring down on her chest. Spike, seeing this from across the room gasped in fear before his eyes narrowed in determination. He darted from his spot next to the rest of Twilight’s family which surprised Nightmare Moon. She had not been expecting one of them to be so brave suddenly and was unable to stop Spike who raced across the building to Twilight. It was right as Sunset was bringing her hoof down that Spike managed to reach the two of them. He managed to get right between them both as the hoof came down but that was his downfall. The hoof punched right through his chest easily like a knife through hot butter and collided with his heart. “Twi...light,” Spike said with a flaming hoof still sticking out of his chest. “Hmph, pathetic whelp,” Sunset said as she pulled her hoof back leaving a singed hole in spikes chest. Twilight just sat there in stunned silence as she watched spike stumble over to her, her body moving on autopilot as she pulled him into a hug even as she felt the blood pooling from the holes. “S-Spike,” she whimpered, trying to deny what her eyes were showing her. ‘Spike can’t be dying,’ she thought, ‘This is just a trick, right? Right?’ she thought as she pulled spike into an even tighter hug, feeling him getting weaker and weaker, unaware of one of the feathers in her mane falling into the open wound. Spike’s last few words before his spark faded and he fell limp and lifeless broke Twilight, “I…. Love…. You. Mom.”