//------------------------------//
// 91 - Lucidity 
// Story: From Dusk to Night 
// by KuroiTsubasaTenshi 
//------------------------------//

Ivory’s horn lit up, and that feeling of invincibility slowly drained away. However, unlike the Ghost Petal, which had practically left me crippled, a mere tingling sensation crept over my coat, leaving a chill in its wake. As her aura grew brighter, cold turned to warmth. Though I’m no magician, in that moment, I knew we were connected. Ivory gave me a bit of a sad smile before rushing off to cover her sister.

Star and Feather were on each of that hulking juggernaut’s flanks, dirt and ash spraying up around them as they took turns darting in, then retreating. Crimson Haze was paying special attention to Star, more wary of her dragonfire spell with his cracked left bracer. Still, as always, it wasn’t enough to completely halt his advance.

I gritted my teeth, hoping Ivory could at least disable him enough for us to withdraw, slim as the chances of a clean getaway were. Ideally, a decisive defeat would almost assuredly get the rest of the army to stand down, but such a task was daunting—even for Ivory.

The tingling returned, followed by a ball of warmth rising in my chest. It slipped out into the air, though I couldn’t see it. Moments later, a trio of purple fireballs formed around Ivory, lashing out toward Crimson Haze. He raised his right bracer, deftly deflecting the first bolt.

As soon as that forehoof went up, Star was lunging forward, blade sailing toward that small slit of melted armour—and just about ran face first into the gleaming arc of his tail. She pivoted just in time, ducking and bounding away.

Quickly switching, Crimson Haze swatted at the second ball with his left bracer. Though it shrunk, the scream that echoed through the courtyard told me it was definitely not enough. He staggered, small searing tongues of purple lingering on his hoof for a second.

Now it was Feather’s turn, though I didn’t have a good view of her. I want to say she body checked him, but it could also easily have been a well-placed buck that left his stance even more precarious. Regardless, it seemed nothing could stop the third fireball from colliding with his head.

Except for him going with the momentum, turning himself into a living projectile as he rather ungracefully launched himself in Star’s direction.

Unfortunately for Star, she was moving in for another go at his chink, and she took the hit full on. With a yelp, she was quickly tangled up into a flailing ball of limbs. They tumbled end over end as Ivory’s fireball whizzed past overhead. A couple of the onlooking mercenaries scrambled to get clear of its unwavering path.

Crimson Haze’s tail came around again. Though much less precise, it was definitely in the neighbourhood of Star’s head. Even as she fell, her own blade was up, parrying the tail razor with just enough force that it only trimmed her forelock.

Despite being half out of control, their deadly dance suddenly made me painfully aware of just how much Crimson Haze had been sizing me up during the first half of our duel.

Of course, Star was still under his shadow, and if this continued, she was just going to end up a pancake. I glanced over at Ivory, hoping she could do something.

My body tingled again, this time a full chill washing over my entirety. Like clockwork, the warmth followed, departing my chest once more. Again, I couldn’t see it, but I could almost feel the translucent purple barrier that formed around Star. It completely enveloped her, though it was less a bubble and more like the outer shell of a giant, ovular gem.

While Star wasn’t crushed, she was still stuck inside the gem-shield, which was in turn pinned under a large, angry warrior camel. He raised a hoof, intent on smashing his way through.

Next thing I knew, Feather was on his back, intent on pummeling her way through his helm. He did his damnedest to shake her off, but the whole pile-of-bodies thing made it more of an awkward wiggle.

It was the perfect opportunity for Ivory and as I felt my heart race, multiple streaks of cold and hot slipped over my body, disappearing into the aether to join Ivory’s power.

That was when it hit me.

I’d never quite understood Twilight when she’d talked about her seemingly endless slew of battles against Equestria-destroying evils and how there were points where her friendship had become a tangible—almost weaponized—force of its own.

But in that moment, I finally did. And in that moment, a second train came in and nailed me in the back of the head: what Ivory had done to keep me alive, that’s what she’d done to Moss’s cat. It wasn’t about pure power, but will. The will to help a friend.

The energy congealed into another barrage of fireballs, which Ivory threw with much greater precision than last time.

With a roar, Crimson Haze rose, somehow ignoring the assault that had left at least three very visible dents in the back of his helmet. Holding his good bracer up, a pulse of purple energy exploded outward, launching Feather well clear of him. She disappeared into one of the further smoke plumes.

Star was sent skipping across the ground, her shield cracking on the first bounce, then shattering on the second. She stuck her forehooves out, just barely avoiding landing on her neck, but the momentum turned that into an awkward head-over-hooves tumble—straight over a cluster of rubble. As she came to a stop, she let out a groan, reaching out one hoof before falling motionless.

“Star!” was all I could croak out before my attention was pulled back to the searing heat whizzing overhead. Several more of Ivory’s fireballs rained down in a messy ring around Crimson Haze, some far enough out that the mercenaries abandoned their zombie opponents to seek cover again.

There was a deafening explosion behind me and when I glanced back, a good six-by-six-foot chunk was missing from the manor wall.

I couldn’t quite believe it, but I had to assume Crimson Haze’s counterattack had deflected the entirety of Ivory’s assault. With a grimace, I looked over at Ivory, doing my best to channel my worry into something she could use.

Crimson Haze was already charging, the line between him and Ivory now empty.

For her part, Ivory swayed a little, but otherwise held her ground.

Once he was within about fifteen feet, the ground exploded, crystalline purple spikes forming a wicked barrier. But he was already leaping aside, the speed of his shift defying the logic of his size.

However Ivory had more where that came from. Two more barriers sprung into being, each one coming a little closer to Crimson Haze. The only thing that was stopping the spikes from forming a solid wall was a gap roughly front and centre with Ivory.

I had to assume she was purposefully funneling him. And there was no way he didn’t realize that. Yet he pressed ahead. As the spikes came up, he swung his right forehoof in a wide arc, shattering them like glass.

The shards seem to fall in slow motion, light playing off the crystalline dust as it lingered in the air. An instant later, it was all gone, consumed in purple fire as the bolt slammed straight into Crimson Haze’s chest.

His cry was half pain, half crazed. The bits of fire that clung to his armour didn’t even seem to slow him down as he charged straight at Ivory.

The shimmering purple barrier materialized just in time, instantly buckling under that juggernaut’s body slam. The misshapen shield seemed to scoop Ivory up, bouncing her away as she fumbled to keep her footing.

Not about to let Ivory have any kind of breathing room, he was already bounding after her. In any other situation, it would have almost been comical, what with the irregular angles of Ivory’s bounces and Crimson Haze just a step behind as he scrambled after her.

At last, her path took her straight through one of the thick black plumes of smoke. Undaunted, Crimson Haze was still right behind her.

Come on, Ivory. Get up! Get out of there! I could feel the sweat practically matting both my forehead and forelock.

Then Ivory was ragdolling out of the smoke, landing hard on the courtyard ground.

With a triumphant bellow, Crimson Haze arced out behind her, landing straight on her barrel with a sickening crunch. From there, he began to lay into her face.

No! No, no, no! I scrambled to my hooves. This must have been what Ivory felt, except… I had no magic, no spells up my sleeve to save her with.

Even as my heart raced, filling my body with fire, I felt slow and heavy. There was no way I could fly. And at the rate I was going, it would take me a year to reach them. Hell, at this point, I was convinced the adrenaline was the only reason I was even moving toward them.

With one final, brutal kick, Crimson Haze sent something sailing through the air. It couldn’t be her head. I refused to believe it. No. There was no way. No way at all. My whole body shuddered, about to empty the entirety of my innards onto the ground.

The ground around Crimson Haze exploded. A thick C-shape of crystal spikes formed around him, the only opening pointing toward a silhouette in the smoke.

Out stepped Ivory—the real Ivory—visible eye glowing an unsettling white as a seemingly unending stream of fireballs launched over her shoulder and into the crystalline prison. It was almost like a huge, deformed cauldron, bits of purple fire leaping clear of the rim seemingly at random. Each impact echoed out into the courtyard, giving everyone else pause.

I fell to my rump, half-crying, half-laughing at the fact that I’d just effectively tricked myself.

“Grah!!!” Crimson Haze’s cry of rage filled the courtyard—and was no less unsettling than the sounds that had come before.

The crystal barricades exploded, another purple pulse ripping through them. I pressed myself against the ground, shielding myself with my wings as debris tinkled down around me. When I finally felt safe enough to squeeze an eye open, my heart fell a little.

Crimson Haze remained standing, though he was subtly favouring his right side. Smoke and tiny bits of purple flame littered his armour. And while said armour still looked more or less intact, his limp reminded me of something my mother had once told me: Even if your armour is the best in Equestria, it can’t stop everything. Inside, you’re still flesh and bone. Every little impact adds up.

I couldn’t celebrate just yet, though. While Ivory looked like she’d found some way to avoid the magic pulse, she was sagging. I had little doubt that using this much magic was also starting to wear on her. I tried to will more aid to her, but at this point, even attempting that felt like a struggle.

Lunging again, Crimson Haze went in for what could very well be the final exchange. Another smaller barricade of crystals appeared right in front of him, but rather than go around, he just smashed straight through.

Ivory’s eye went wide, and she took a quick step back, but was still able to get that translucent barrier up in time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to fully stop his blow, and though it almost slowed to the point where he seemed like he was striking through water, it caught Ivory’s muzzle.

She rolled across the ground, head passing just inches away from the remains of a thick wooden support beam. The top had been shattered and splintered, leaving maybe eight feet of height from where it had impaled in the ground. I wasn’t sure when it had fallen, but given the half-dozen sizable holes in the second floor of the manor, there had been ample time.

Though Crimson Haze’s limp slowed him down, he still moved unnaturally fast, charging at Ivory before she had a chance to get up.

“Ivory!” I shouted. Or rather, tried to. My throat was so raw that I could barely reach my normal volume. Ivory, what are the chances you made a second body double?

Her head tilted, horn glowing faintly as she looked up at the approaching freight train.

A sharp wooden crack drew my attention to the support beam. Crimson Haze paid it no heed, running straight into the singular, foot-long crystal shard that erupted from its surface.

He let out a grunt mixed with surprise and rage, smashing the crystal with his right bracer and continuing on. But, if my eyes didn’t deceive me, there were little splotches of red forming on the ground beneath him.

Regardless, he was distracted just long enough for Ivory to scramble to her hooves and back away.

He began to advance again, albeit much more slowly. In turn, Ivory’s responses were just as slow and only single shards or smaller bolts. Worry filled my mind once more—as long as that one bracer remained intact, a battle of attrition was liable to end in his favour.

Once Crimson Haze was within one quick hop of Ivory, he raised his right bracer. The pulse it emitted was weak, almost pathetic, compared to before, but I imagined setting it off so close could have easily knocked Ivory over. Fortunately, she was prepared, erecting another translucent barrier.

Unfortunately, so was he. He swung around, planting a single hind hoof into the barrier, which cracked and shattered under the combined pressure. At first, I wondered why it wasn’t a full buck, but as that cursed tail razor glinted in whatever sun managed to make it down to us, I realized its arc was headed straight for Ivory’s head.

I wanted to call out, but I was already practically too late by the time I picked up on his strategy. That was when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a splinter of wood jetting through the air toward him. I couldn’t be certain, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was from the remains of Blaze’s spear. Once it was closer, it shot forward with vicious purpose, slipping between the chink Star had cut in Crimson Haze’s barding, then twisting.

Letting out a bloody howl, he reared up, tail forgotten as it went completely wide. Leaping out from the nearby debris, Blaze slammed into him, bowling him over. The rebound just about launched her off in the other direction, though sheer zeal seemed to let her pedal through the momentum.

Rushing over, she started kicking wherever she could get a hoof in, trampling him—or at least, as much as a mare can trample someone over twice her size. “Leave my friend alone, you son of a bitch!”

Crimson Haze squirmed a little, no doubt winded from the fall. Indeed, after a few seconds of curb stomping, he swung his leg around, taking out all three of Blaze’s as she raised her forehoof for another kick. He brought his hoof back across, catching Blaze square in the cheek, blood spraying into the air as the sheer force of his strike cut her.

Undaunted, she reversed momentum, bringing in an odd, arcing haymaker from her far side into his helmet hard enough that I could hear the clang quite clearly from where I lay.

With a grunt, he lashed out, catching her in the stomach. As Blaze wheezed on the ground, he used the opportunity to scramble back to his hooves. He hurriedly stomped his left forehoof, aiming to turn Blaze’s muzzle into a pancake. She rolled out of the way just in time, though she took the bold route of rolling under him. This did at least allow her to take a shot at his underside, but the following clang was a disappointment for us both.

With a derisive snort, Crimson Haze brought his right forehoof down, this time with proper balance granting him far greater speed. Blaze only got halfway through her roll before he dug into her ribs with a sickening crack!

Blaze let out a pained yelp, but determination quickly washed over her face as she wrapped her hooves around his. “H-hah! Gotcha!”

There was that awkward moment where neither I, nor Crimson Haze, seemed to see what she was getting at. But as I felt the familiar chill-into-warmth cross my body, I realized that Ivory had been oddly absent. I glanced over where I’d last seen her.

She was still standing there, hooves wide in a deep, bracing stance. She mouthed something to herself as she stared past Crimson Haze. Her horn’s aura quietly grew larger. Moments later, the ground to her right erupted, though oddly enough, in a much less dramatic fashion than her crystal walls.

A single spike shot forth, springing forward like some kind of deadly sand worm. And it just kept coming. Three feet. Four. Five.

Crimson Haze tugged at his right hoof, but found Blaze still clinging to it. I had to imagine she was giving him the biggest shit-eating grin right then and there.

Flailing, he nearly tripped over Blaze as he held up the left, cracked bracer. The crystal spike began to shatter, splitting against the armour, same as before—until it didn’t.

A cry of pure pain erupted from inside that helmet as the bracer cracked all the way through. The two pieces now hung ineffectually around the magic spike that was at least a foot into his foreleg. As he sunk to the ground, both forehooves immobilized, he looked up at Ivory. “Do it. Finish… this.”

Ivory let out a long sigh and shook her head. “Don’t you think there has been enough death and suffering today?”

“You are not…” He sat there, chest heaving up and down. I could only wager he was giving Ivory a dumbfounded stare from under that helmet. After an eternity, he shook his head. “Very well. I yield.”