//------------------------------// // 70 Death // Story: Errant Finale // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// Celestia returns to Sweet Apple Acres to find Starlight Glimmer, Luna, and Cadance sitting in a circle and playing Old Mare. At least, they play until a pair of Princesses are pulled. Then they tally which alicorn is stuck being the titular solitary Princess, condemned to a lifetime of public service while the other two get to go on and do whatever happily married mares do. Like have adventures. Celestia wryly notes that her namesake card has been pulled out of the deck, hopefully because she already spent many a lifetime as said ruler and not because her rule didn’t go over very well. It is with some mirth that she notes that Twilight Sparkle is far ahead on the score, though due to luck, fate, or collaboration between the players she cannot tell. Still, her questioning gaze as she approaches gets her fellow Princesses to turn and nod their heads in greeting. “Thou succeeded in thy plan?” Luna asks, smiling at Celestia’s nod. “And bought us a little more time. I take it things are progressing slower than we hoped?” Celestia asks as she settles down as Starlight grabs the Lunar Princess from Cadance and pairs it with her own Princess of Love. Another tally into the Twilight column and a light turquoise encases the cards, shuffling rapidly. “Well, I finished my part,” Starlight Glimmer says glumly, motioning to the scroll beside her. Alongside it rests an ax, a bucket of water, and a feather duster, among other items. “Twilight, however… hasn’t.” Heads turn to watch as an infuriated Twilight breaks a tree - not an apple, one of the oaks - across Doug’s chest. She hurls down the remainder of the trunk in frustration, pulling out a list and scratching another item off. Not many lines remain, and Spike frantically searches through an encyclopedia. “Come on, Twilight!” Doug yells, long past exasperation and actively provoking the mare. “You’re going to have to hit harder than that!” “What do you think I’ve been trying to do!?” shouts the alicorn, her eyes ablaze. She kicks up a stream of dirt as she spins to Spike, bellowing, “What’s next?” “Well, he hasn’t been eaten by a hydra yet,” Spike says meekly, frowning as he takes a long drag of his coffee. His head disappears into the book. “Apparently they live in the Froggy Bottom Bog?” “We don’t have time for that!” Twilight holds a hoof to her head. “Plus, a hydra’s teeth are so massive they aren’t any sharper that the ax. I highly doubt they can crush harder than me. Acid didn’t work, and neither did asphyxiation!” “They really have been trying everything,” Celestia remarks. She gazes up at the moon. “Have they much time? I cannot tell if the moon has moved.” “Neigh, she hasn’t,” Luna replies saltily. “Magic!” she bellows, though without the amplification of her Royal Canterlot it doesn’t have quite the same effect. She raises a hoof to the moon as Twilight looks over. “Mind our moon!” “Urgh,” Twilight grunts as she concentrates, the moon jumping forward and then coming to a rest. “When does the spell need to be cast?” “Soon,” Starlight replies. “And I’ve got it done when you’re ready.” She levitates the scroll, the other mares gazing wistfully at her aura. “Excellent.” Twilight reads through it. “Hmm. It looks like the return voyage takes me right back here?” “Yup. Basically, you’ll leave a Twilight sized hole in the fabric of reality when you leave. You should be able to return to that hole with a minimum expenditure of power. Well, compared to traveling to any other point in time and space. To us, it’ll appear as if you never left.” “Or I’ll wipe this reality from existence.” Twilight sighs. “We’ll never have existed, not in this configuration.” “More likely you’ll just never return, from our perspective.” Starlight glances as Doug walks up to Celestia, sitting down next to her. “If that’s the case, then things… don’t look good.” “Without alicorn magic, or chaos? Perhaps there is an artifact that enables one of the other races to move the sun and moon.” Celestia looks over at Doug, offering a faint smile, her eyes filled with grief. “There will be naught left in Equestria but you and your eight foals.” “That’s…” Doug says, grimacing at the thought, “not exactly a breeding population.” “Harmony would provide,” Celestia states, almost religiously, though any can hear the doubt in her voice. “Harmony doesn’t think I exist,” Doug retorts. “And they might spread this drain to anypony they meet, or their foals, and so on. Not exactly the recipe for friendly neighbors.” “Indeed.” Celestia looks back at Twilight. “We shall continue to hope she perseveres, and triumphs against all adversity.” “Yeah,” Doug replies icily. He stands, clearing his throat, loudly stating, “Twilight, I think we’ve been going about this the wrong way.” “Really?” Twilight asks, perking up. Doug stretches one arm, then the other. He takes a boxing stance, holding his fists up and standing several paces from Twilight. “All this time, I’ve just been a sandbag. I think you’ll do better with a real opponent.” “What does that-” A loud *crack* echoes among the trees. Doug steps back from Twilight’s raspberry shield, shaking the pain from his fist, the alicorn barely conjuring it in time. “You nearly hit me!” shouts Twilight, aghast. “If you touch me, then-” “Well, I guess I have my objective. Tag, I’m it.” Doug smirks, circling around Twilight before he lunges forward again. She blocks his combination of punches, then slips inside as he spins for a roundhouse kick at her head. Her blast of magic propels him upwards, only for him to keep his rotation going and slam his heel down on her rapidly adjusted shield. It buckles under the force, Twilight skidding away as Doug kicks back, hitting the ground and rolling to his feet. “Better?” Twilight asks, a hint of a grin on her face. “Better,” Doug concedes, cocky attitude on display, “but I’m just getting warmed up.” He swings his arms in a wide, two handed swing, much too far away to actually hit Twilight. She readies herself nonetheless, her wariness paying off as a black and purple spear manifests in his hands. The tip shatters against her shield with a burst of sparks, launching into the air. Twilight rushes forwards, only for Doug to disappear with the barest flicker of magic. Time seems to slow for Twilight as she spins around, searching every direction. The swish of air above her gives it away; Doug’s newly reformed spear leaves a black contrail as he thrusts downwards, Twilight only dodging with a teleport of her own. She pants as he lands on two feet and a hand, slowly drawing himself up and readying another charge. Off to the side, a slightly duller but still sparkly Chrysalis pulls out a bottle of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Blubber, dribbling the blue oil-like substance over a tub of popcorn. She passes it to an adorable light blue changeling with pink wings. “More tears and sadness?” Ocellus asks, a quiet sigh. “It’s not making me any happier about this.” “You’ll eat your emotions and be content,” Chrysalis says, the harshness of her tone undercut by her sparkly form. “It’s what was on hoof, and we’ll break out the love when things get dire.” “It’s not dire already?” Chrysalis shrugs as Ocellus continues, “Well, at least it’s fun to watch.” With every passing minute Doug gets faster and faster, intertwining lightning fast jabs with bone crunching kicks. Twilight weathers each in turn, cracks appearing in her defenses that Doug takes every opportunity to exploit. “One minute!” calls out Starlight Glimmer, staring at an hourglass. “You’re weak and unfocused!” Doug yells as Twilight barely manages to maneuver her shield in time. She takes to the air, scowling. “I just got this power, I’m not used to it!” “Excuses!” Doug bellows, taking a deep breath. “Apparently saving your fellow ponies wasn’t motivation enough.” His hands raise, one finger swiping to the side. Then he slams his hands together, the loud clap drowned out by an explosion from the north end of Ponyville. Twilight barely comprehends the scene in front of her. More like, she doesn’t want to comprehend. The Golden Oaks Library is in flames, an inferno rapidly consuming the place she calls home. Called home. All her books, her checklists, her memories; all turning to ash in front of her eyes. Owlowiscious! “You monster!” Twilight screams, wrath filling her very core. “You killed Owlowiscious!” “Hoo!” Owlowiscious calls from behind her. “MY ASSISTANT!! RAAGGH!” Twilight roars, eyes boiling over with rage as she charges Doug. Her telegraphed strikes surge with unbridled power, and each heavy hit finally gets a reaction out of Doug. “Harder!” He yells, but despite his blocks he nevertheless staggers backwards, gasping for breath. “You know,” he smirks as he recovers, the alicorns and changelings weakening further, “I think I like this sensation of power! I just might keep it for myself! If you want it back, you’re going to have to kill me!” The beating continues until Twilight rears upwards, leaving a gaping hole in her defense as she readies yet another brutal blow. Doug rushes forwards, inches away from slamming into Twilight before she teleports away. She reappears just as Starlight Glimmer shouts, “Now!” Twilight registers the voice, her mind instantly calculating the spell components, the precise position of the moon, and the amount of power it will take. Barely manageable. She casts, and while the spell leaves her winded it saps none of her rage. The scene is eerily similar to the one she just left. If she paid attention, she might have noted how the trees are shorter, the orchards don’t stretch as far, and there is an odd sensation of the laws of space and time being violated more than normal. The moon in the sky has a rocky depiction of a mare, and she is all alone. Except for her target. Were she not maddened with rage, she might have realized that her mere presence would be enough to change the course of history. His thin, gangly form looks up at her with terror stricken eyes, desperately trying to scoot away, his hands coming up in vain. Defenseless, and her body reacts before her mind. A thin ray of magic shoots out at the prone creature. It drills a hole straight through his head, vacant eyes staring at her as he slumps to the ground. Twilight readies another blast, waiting for him to stand and laugh it off. Nothing greets her but eerie silence, and the realization of what she has done. “DOUG!!” she bellows, racing down. Is this what I am? A cold blooded murderer, even if it will save our race? Even if we both knew it would happen? She cradles his limp form, tears streaming down her eyes. Loud sobs echo among the silent trees, the tall observers ignorant of her plight. A hoof goes to her belly; what would happen to Dawn and Dusk, with causality wrangled so? Worst, she can feel the window to her present growing fainter and fainter, and she barely musters the strength to return to her own time, bearing the terrible news. She misses the golden glow appearing above her, descending to wrap Doug in a golden aura. Twilight appears on the outskirts of Ponyville, tears already beginning to dry. She chokes back another sob, trying to at least give the appearance that she has control of herself. But there is nopony there. Until a young alicorn appears in front of her. She has a coat the color of the empty moon, mane the oranges and reds of a billowing torch, cutie mark of a crescent moon, but oriented as a ‘U’. She hides her scowl well, and the charging of her horn. “Hello,” Twilight greets the alicorn, trying to appear jovial. Her legs nearly buckle underneath her, not able to spare the magic to scan the unexpected arrival. “My name is Tw-” Blinding light fills her eyes, and her other senses are assaulted just as quickly. Blind, deaf, and mute, a defenseless Twilight crumples to the ground. Even the searing pain of the connection to her horn being shorn off is nothing compared to the agony she feels inside.