"Seven real alicorns trapped in stone" Fluttershy whispered in a voice full of horror.

"That's not the dang point! How could she not know anyhow? She's the Princess fer Tartarus sake!"

"I think" Starlight cautiously cut in, "we're about to find out just how much the Princess really knew."

"All seven of them...." Celestia whispered, astonishment clear in every word. "But- but I thought--"

"You thought wrong. Unlike you" the collision point shifted, Celestia was pushed back, "I made plans for my kingdom's survival should there be a threat in a way I could not foresee. I swore never again let pride blind me after I lost my birthright to those monsters. So when you sent Capella Star as a diplomat to discuss my actions" Primus spat the words in derision, "I had already laid out a plan, and began laying out the steps should anything happen to me."

"And what did she do?" The two voices that spilled in cold admonish from Eudes's body inquired. "She charged in and when she saw that she was not having her way, she attacked. She killed me and then she inspired what you have here. This new system that seems to be doing so well. Destroyed my body and cast my soul to Tartarus for the only crime of trying to unite both our kingdoms--"

Rage empowering her magic the collision point shifted forwarf, Primus grimaced as his hooves were skid back just a centimeter. "You gave me no choice when you refused to listen to reason even knowing my heartache after losing Luna so soon."

"I gave you every chance", Primus challenged. "Every opportunity to let me help you the moment I learned the truth."

"And I warned you to stay out of Equestrian affairs, but you didn't listen." Came the seething reply. "I told you to leave me to handle my own mistakes, to let me make things right instead of enforcing death on those that didn't agree with me, but did. You. LISTEN?"

"And I told you" Primus returned, "I was merely offering my services since we were allies. Former allies till you severed our communications. Doing that what other sign did I need to begin gaining some ground in Equestria. To start weeding out those beneath us because you were to blind by grief to see it?"

"And I told you to join me, so that we may bring about a new age in Luna's absence!" Primus equally yelled back.

Seven Alicorns! Sunburst distressed. Oblivious to all but Overcast himself. Starlight, Twilight and the others, oh, oh no! But--!

I KNOW THAT! I w-would never dream of it! B-But the girls- the Elements! If the Aides overpower them and get the Elements--

"We will all be royally screwed and down the most powerful items that could give us a chance."

Think. What could he do to stop the spell Primus was casting that would release the Seven Aides? Could this spell even be stopped? Overcast's eyes looked around and saw nothing but pulsing light. The tower did not fix itself from within, so maybe if they could just destroy the bridge--

"It's over Celestia!" Primus and Eudes said as one as his beam visibly pushing Celestia's back. "You've lost!"

Seeing the Princess struggle against the pushback, Overcast scowled and with a glow of his horn, from Sunburst's memory, he pulled out a spell. Immediately piecing highly complex algorithms together for casting.

In that moment Primus had truly won, the collision point between his and Celestia's beam gave way, his bursting through Celestia's own ray of magic like a bullet. There was a pop like a joint being loosened and a hiss of sparks from a horn as the Princess was forced to absorb the feedback from being overpowered.

Horn flaring brighter to cast the spell faster, a dome of translucent white light expanded from Overcast's horn through his body- rushing to cover the whole bridge as Celestia's fate neared misfortune and Primus' victory was soon assured.

"Yes," came the tired reply. "But given my condition it won't last that long. I can feel the harmonic magic of the Elements slowly creeping through me- its only a matter of time before they restrain me again." At this statement, he winced.

Popping into existence by his side, Sunburst followed his weary taller copy's gaze.

Everything moved at a snails pace. All that had been swallowed by the dome of light covering the bridge moved several times slower their usual speed. Some, worse than others. From the ray steadily moving to hit Celestia, to the sway of her descent as she tried to regain footing, all moved slow- but it was only a matter of time before the spell completely wore off- or worse, Overcast lost consciousness.

Now what? the nervousness creeping into Sunburst's question. We have to help Princess Celestia somehow.

"We can't interact with her or Primus while they are in this state." Overcast replied as he rose back to his full height slowly. "Or anything else really except this bridge."

Of course not, Sunburst sighed a sound of defeat we'd die if we tried to come into contact with them when our chrono-measures aren't locked into the same timeframes. Worse, we'd cause a trauma-chrono feedback That could blow up ourselves and them.

"A mess either way." Winced the taller double when he moved his right front leg. "I may have one solution that will help us...but its a gamble. And it won't be pleasant."

Fearfully, with an audible gulp, Sunburst could only ask the obvious as he eyed the beam of death slowly moving towards Celestia.

Horn glowing brighter, a burst of energy flooded into his system. The energy that flooded into his bio-thauma system wiped away the feelings of soreness and discomfort, took away the sensations of pain and his headache and in rapid succession, with three flashes of his horn that enhanced his body with three spells, Overcast focused- and then the very tip of his horn glowed a dark-indigo.

Stabbing into the air, cutting into nothing, reality gained a hole that wrapped around his horn a second later. Like knife through paper, his horn sliced through the fabric of space itself.

Eyes glowing various colors, like a weird underground DJ party, a stab of pain ran through Overcast's whole body and every muscle in him tensed as sparks of energy erupted from his fur, dancing across his body madly. Muscles seized, movement became agonizing, and when he lifted a good and leaned forward into the cut, he trembled all the way. An agonizingly slow, agonizingly painful process as he forced his magic to slice through the sheet of reality. Deeper into the rip of reality his horn went and just a couple hoofwidths away, the same puncture gradually appeared above both Primus and Celestia's standstill.

Hackles rising and fur standing on end, Overcast grunted with exertion. With glacier pace he dragged his head in a painful crawl downwards as the ray that would end the Princess neared ever closer to its target. Like a hundred thunder hornets were stabbing at his skin with their stingers repeatedly, Overcast forced his head to slide down as if it were being dragged against the very wall itself in a stalling slide that took effort and caused the muscles in his neck to burn as it did in his body.

Gritting his teeth, horn feeling terribly warm along with his forehead, Overcast drew his head down to the ground before finally pulling his horn out of the tiny dimensional incision.

Instantly, where his eyes were focused on, the same rift appeared between the beam that was slowly gaining speed as the time field spell came undone.

Stomping a hoof against the ground, the rifts widened simultaneously, and instantly two portals were created. One in front of Overcast while the other sliced through the air, crafting a barrier that stood between Celestia and the beam. The instant the two rifts were fully formed and stable, time sped back. Air pressure exploded outward from the floating dimensional gates and two alicorns were pushed away.

Much to both Primus and Celestia's surprise, as they fought to stand ground while being pushed back by heated wind the death beam meant for Celestia did not in fact find its target. It went right through the two-way rift that had come out of nowhere, and instead hit Overcast square in the shoulder as he moved to try and dodge.

Pushed back by the sheer force of the blow, Overcast stumbled backwards, stunned, then collapsed to the ground, trying to process what had just happened.

For a moment the battle paused as Primus stared at Overcast from the other end of the rift on his side, while Celestia looked in from the other. Both stunned, both just as surprised as Sunburst whom neither could really see but sensed was probably just as shocked as they.

Then the rifts closed with a bubblegum sounding pop. Gone as if they were never there.

Primus, blinking, decided right then and there he had made a mistake. Turning his head in Overcast's direction, horn ignited, he said: "I see it was a mistake to think being trapped in a mortal body would slow you down. I shall not make that mistake again."

A bolt of energy went forward and Celestia lunged with blinding speed to deflect it with a push of her wing.

Woozy, shoulder throbbing, Overcast chortled a wistful sound that came from his throat then actual vocalizations. He groaned in his laughter, a sound of pain and morbid amusement- sparks flickering from his horn, as he tried to focus on ignoring the ache.

"Laughing, now, of all times!?" Rainbow snapped in what clearly was frustration. "Seriously!"

"What do you mean, "no", Discord?" The irate Pegasus growled. "I'm watching the stall- him- bleed in front of me and you think I wouldn't--"

"This never happened, but it could have." Came Discord's cryptic reply. "Just be quiet" his voice scolding, "and watch."

Panting heavily, vision swirling, feeling a horrible ache through his entire body; more so in his shoulder, Overcast heard the sounds of combat return with Celestia's shout of fury. In and out of concentration he went, but every time he felt Sunburst try to reassert control- his alertness returned fully to force the scholar back.

In the latest attempt, as the numbness faded his body and a new numbness took over his wounded forever, Overcast felt a pressure between his eyes- like a hoof tip or bit had been pressed right above his nasal bridge, just below his horn. Faintly, he felt Sunburst stir somewhere within him and said: I thought--

"No" was the slow response followed by the mismatched eye blink. "No, I learned during my attempts to make contact with you that Elements awarded me with a small-hRM!"

"Can't." Came the weak voiced answer. "Have to -gasp- destroy the bridge. Tell the Princess." He swallowed, grimaced, then wincing at the flare of pain in his shoulder, exhaled a shuddering breath. "...I think it was because I helped you..."

...With Tirek... Sunburst whispered back, back when he was trying to break out of my mental dimension and corrupt me to get back to his own body.

With genuine curiosity and desperation in his voice Sunburst pleaded the question why?

"Why does--" he hissed. Trying to conjure magic with a headache was terrible. How did unicorns usually deal with this? "Why does it matter? I did it because I wanted to, shouldn't that be enough for you?"

That's not how it works though! Sunburst snapped, materializing once again but still only visible to Overcast's eyes. Nopony just does something just because! This isn't some bad story written by some random colt or filly, there's always a motive or a base reason to do anything...most of the time! So tell me! The bespectacled Unicorn scowled as he pressed his nose into his double.

"..." the rust orange unicorn blinked a mismatched blink. One eye blinking then the other a second after. Sunburst could see, and the others could as well that Overcast's were bleary with pain. "You are very loud and annoying at times, you know? Can't you see I'm in agony here?"

Sparks flying from his horn, a numbness overwhelmed Overcast and the trickle of light that signified transformation began creeping up his hooves.

I would! If you're not going to be of any use now, there's no point in letting you stay here at all!

"You will die-- mph- if you try to join this fight with your weak body. The pain I am in will haunt you the moment we swap places, even if you--ah!"

Gritting his teeth Overcast hissed, "This is not a fight you can hope to play in by relying on magical enhancers, Sunburst. You will be slowed down for a time while my injuries haunt you- even if you don't truly gain them. I promised her I would keep you alive!"

And we'll both die if you just lay there! You haven't answered my question yet either!

"Are you really that persistent to know a simple reason as to my actions even if it was for your own benefit? Why should it matter why I did what I did?" The Overcast glared, those strange canines flashing as his lips pulled back. "What would knowing do?"

For one thing it'd give me a reason to not have to always be so concerned about every single new trick you pull, even when you're trying to help! MAYBE I could even get the Princess to help me figure out a way to help separate us so I can get back to my life, and you can get back to wherever or whatever is you were doing!

Surprised by the sudden turn, Sunburst unsure if he even could, quickly beat the feeling away. I can try.

There was a pause. Hesitancy. Their minds were linked, just as much as they were bound- Overcast could sense the doubt- but also knew of the seriousness in which Sunburst would be willing to force him back into his mind and usurp control to see this battle through.

Already in the background, at the edge of his splitting headache, he could sense the two alicorns fighting. Clashing attacks and slamming at each other with vigor. The bridge vibrated sometimes and other times, Overcast could feel it in the air.

Licking his dry, cracked lips, the larger stallion looked over at the specter of Sunburst that hovered over him with a determined frown and narrowed eyes.

"...up until Tirek began crafting rifts in your mental dimension, you were doing decently enough. Things changed when he-- "

"Yes," Overcast answered and slowly began his attempts at getting up. "The Mindscape is what connects all minds to the Dream Realm, and is the link to one's psychological nature. When he began losing Tirek used Discord's magic to open the rifts that would allow creatures who gained strength from mental energy to enter your duel. You" Overcast breathed in deeply and then let out a shuddering breath as he grunted to a stand, wobbling on three legs, "should have lost. Your mind turned to mush or broken several times over. There should have been at least a few afflictions that corrupted your very personality, sense of self, who you are-- but you held together well very nicely if I might praise you. At least, till he started using chaos magic to try and pull out more dangerous creatures--"

And that's where you eventually came in... you sensed the mana-disarray and moved in closer. But...that still doesn't explain why you helped. If you were answering Tirek's call with the chaos magic he stole, why did you side with me? Even more importantly, what drew you out? Was it simply the chaos magic or were you really-- .

"You will pay for what you have done Gladiolus!" Princess Celestia, now a alicorn of fire yelled. Encased in a giant hamster ball of crackling fire she launched like an arrow to defend against the giant sphere that Primus was encased in.

"And how exactly would you do that?" Gladiolus calmly asked when they collided. Runes and symbols along the tower glowing blue-green, tracing upwards like a sign of something being loaded.

"Face it, I've won Celestia. Accept that you have lost and I will spare you. Perhaps then you will finally see sense in my proposal."

"Pity." Gladiolus said nonchalantly, the sparks of mana flying off their pushing spheres of magic into the open floor below.

A resounding crack sounded as their two spheres disconnected and Overcast and Sunburst could only watch from the bridge below.

Placing his leg gingerly on the floor, Overcast collapsed in pain, his shoulder flaring in agony.

"NO!" He groaned, "just...urg, wait... I have an idea. But you need to trust me."

Fine! Sunburst pranced in place, his nerves taking over as he watched the Princess and Gladiolus duel. Every beam she sent at the tower's structural supports stopped dead by a shield, every crash attempt countered by Gladiolus slamming into her. As their duel continued Sunburst now noticed the other things floating around and aiding Primus. The specters of the paintings had joined the fray. Launching themselves like slugfire from a pistol when the Princess moved out of striking range.

Alright! Just hurry UP! We're running out of time! he cried, chewing his lip as he watched dark blue-green energy ascend up the towers walls and towards the roof where the skylight rested.

Horn glowing faintly, corona wobbling dangerously Overcast concentrated and in a few moments, Sunburst froze.

"Using you your magic to help me cast this detonation spell." a golden aura encased his horn, mixed with grey and black swirls at the edges. Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Overcast grimaced when he felt a moment of resistance, then- in a second it was gone.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Sunburst kneeling down beside him. Horn also aglow. What do I have to do to help?

"Our horns" Overcast grunted. "They must touch for us to align our algorithms to cast this. I don't have the strength to extend my distance right now."

Kneeling down beside his double, Sunburst looked up and with his magic, adjusted his glasses. The princess and Primus continued to clash while she also dispersed the specters by his side aiding him.

"We don't have time," Overcast sighed. "You feel it don't you? The Tower's magic--"

"If we don't do this now, it will be hard to stop Primus once his Aides are free. Impossible even. Seven fully rested, able-bodied alicorns, all almost as strong as him are still alicorns that can wipe the floor with most unicorns of today. And Celestia is only one- even with the other Princesses, Twilight is not ready-"

I understand Sunburst bowed his head. Craning his neck down, his side brushing up against Overcast's, the two touched horns and the corona of Overcast's stabilized in a second.

Sparks flew, Primus laughed. He could feel it. The Tower's completion of the spell was near. He just needed a few more minutes. A little longer and everything would be over.

But then Celestia stopped her next attack, eyes turning to the bridge they had left behind.

Primus followed her gaze, his senses picking up on magic both strange and strong.

Overcast and the phantom of another pony, placed their individual hoof on the glowing horseshoe mark Primus had activated upon reaching the bridge.

"HA!" His voices echoed. "You think touching the glowing horseshoe will stop this? That mark is aligned to my bloodline and only my bloodline's magic! You can't stop this! Not in the stage it is now!"

The corona grew brighter, and as it did, a ball of crackling energy formed at the tip of the two horns. Overcast grimaced, the phantom beside him tensed, their horns gained a second glow and the ball of crackling magic no bigger than a tennis ball turned red.

Instantly, Primus' eyes widened- and with a scream that vibrated the very tower's walls he shouted: "STOP THEM!"

Pegasus warriors clad in ghostly armor rushed out of the abyss of darkness that swallowed the floors below. All converging towards the bridge.

The Princess dashed after the defenseless unicorn- and in that same instant, so did Primus to slow her down.

"I can handle the rest." Overcast whispered, his ears perking and the sound of wings all around them. "All I have to do is keep the charge and increase it steadily. Thank you for helping."

A small smile touched Overcast's lips. Horn gaining a third glow, the ball grew to the size of a basketball.

A glow touched the phantom and with a pop, Sunburst the projection became physical.

"Pegasus?" Sunburst frowned, tapping his hoof against the stone to see if it was real. It felt real, but he still felt like he wasn't entirely there there. "What are you-- OH!"

Throwing up a shield a pegasus slammed into the wall of magic. Shoving the specter off who popped like gas, Sunburst set a dome around him and Overcast both as the Pegasus specters began their ariel assault.

Remaining completely still aside from his head raised up as he worked the spell, Overcast did not reply. The sound of the shield being pelted however did make his right ear twitch though.

Dropping the shield at the same instant as a gemstone appeared on his cape clip, Sunburst's corona brightened and then grew in size just a tad as the yellow gem affixed to his cape clip glowed also. With a telekinetic pulse from his horn, a wave of soaring javelins were blown into pieces and pushed aside by the wind.
Pegasus floating were thrown around wildly by air currents and some slammed into others while other specters were blown down to lower levels below the bridge.

In the distance, as Overcast concentrated on maintaining the ball of magic above his head, he could feel it. Not just the battle going on around him but that feeling that the Tower's spell was nearing completion.

Astral eyes opened while his physical eyes stayed closed and he once again felt that poke from the hostile harmonic magic that haunted him. The poke began a violent prod as he scanned the tower and watched combat unfold in all directions at once. Ignoring this, Overcast focused. The poking insistent but never becoming anything more than a nuisance at the edge of his senses.

As long as he didn't do what he had done with the rifts, it would surely let him at least do this much for a non-selfish cause.

There was Sunburst swatting Pegasus out of the air and defending both himself, and the physical form the Harden Spell had granted.

He could see Princess Celestia once again locked in combat with Primus. Could feel the vast difference in magical might between the two and Sunburst and could see that with every passing second, Primus was growing stronger as Eudes too changed and became something closer to what a alicorn could be.

Tuning his senses towards the magic of the tower, Overcast saw the flow for what it was. The creepy feeling that had been assaulting Sunburst and had kept the Princess on edge since entering the tower now revealed itself. Hundreds of signatures, pieces of hundreds of lives were a part of this tower. The strongest being Gladiolus Primus himself and the most noticeable of all was the piece of his own signature that lived in this tower also. It flowed from every wall and he could sense from the pulse in the bridge just under his frog that this tower had been given some form of life. It worked towards a goal and that goal was to please its creator. Its emperor, the true lord of the Prench.

Overcast felt the magic flow towards a focal point: the skylight. He could see sigil, markings cut into the glass itself where normal eyes could never see. Closing his astral eyes, all senses returned to normal, physical eyes were opened.

The sphere of volcanic red light was now the size of a wagon wheel. It crackled, sparkled, and hissed with electric energy.

At the edge of his senses, past the dull aches that had been diminished with Sunburst's help, he knew she was watching.

Before anything could be done, like squeezing a trigger. Like pitching or throwing a ball, Overcast let go of the magic that wanted to be released.

The ball of energy above his head, hovering over his horn collapsed into the size of a bit. A pressure built up behind his eyes, in his head, causing him to grit his teeth as the very bones in them vibrated- and just before it popped a blood vessel- Overcast focused it.

Like electricity the ball let out a screech of static, expanding rapidly in all directions, attacking all its surroundings in precise points unlike true electricity. The supports. The walls, the ghosts, the bridge. Everything was attacked and while the tower itself held protection, the specters did not. The thirty that circled like a swarm were popped on contact, turned to spiritual gas in seconds, none of them reforming or reviving.

Shields that protected the support structures cracked as lightning ravaged it. Red bolts striking repeatedly yet failing to fully break through. A bolt of red lightning soared towards the alicorns and Celestia moved as it rushed to meet her.

The tower shook suddenly and without warning, the shields shattered and the cracked supports groaned as they were assaulted; specters shrieked in rage and Primus whinnied in agony as the red lighting thoroughly violated the tower's interiors and held nothing back upon its contact with the pseudo alicorn. Walls were charred and scorched with lines that followed the lightning's destructive path, and dust billowed out. As if sharing in Primus' anger more ghostly warriors flew up, then dove down like arrows straight for Overcast and Sunburst. Several were popped by the magical bolt on its destructive path through another support pillar, the remainder were popped by several bolts from Celestia's horn.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Came Primus' call from everywhere all at once. "YOU ARE TOO LATE!"

Unable to reply, for concern of the magic turning against them, Overcast focused the writhing mass of magic on the bridge he stood on. In a instant Sunburst's material form vanished and a second later the bridge shook and groaned as it too suffered harm.

Behind him the circular massive glass window that gave a view of Prance's coastline flashed blue-green and a second later so did the whole tower.

Surprised at the near completion of the ritual in spite of the harm, Overcast heard cackling from above even as the red lightning continued to inflict pain on Primus, the pseudo alicorn merely cackling in all manners of a maniac.

Reserves rapidly depleting, Overcast did the only thing he could thing of- he overcharged the spell- and let it go wild.

Like a hundred serpents there was a loud hiss, and a painful sense of exhaustion that immediately took hold. Blinded by the glaring red light, the aches, pains and sores returned to his body with a new force and his vision tilted dangerously as the room swirled.

The tower shook violently, blue-green light pulsed and flickered from everywhere even as rubble fell from all around its chipped and damaged regions. There was a long, vibrating groan that travelled up the entire Tower, as Overcast directed the chaotic red lightning to lash out upon everything. Hoping Celestia did the smart thing and simply raised a shield, he cut loose.

Rubble peppered from all around and the skylight was struck again and again till it finally cracked, damaging whatever sigils had been engraved into it.

Yet without hesitation- they all felt a intense spike of energy. Like a dam being burst open. The blue-green became white light, and the whole tower flashed with it.

Dazed, reeling as the Tower lashed back- Overcast heard happy laughter as his exhaustion caught up to him. The spell becoming weak, but no less energetic lashed out.

It was in that moment Overcast knew. The Tower would persevere no matter how hard he or any of them hit it.

Drained, the bridge teetering, the spell sensing the weakness of its caster, turned around and now attacked Overcast. Screaming in agony as he was shocked into submission, Overcast flailed. He writhed madly in agony, howling in pain and then once his horn gave out from his exhaustion- releasing a sickening Smokey scent, he collapsed completely. Body too worn to move. A feature of the physical body he doubted he would ever get used to.

The bridge no longer in a good state, lost half of its structural flooring. Like a puzzle pieces fell down into the dim light where lower floors existed. And as one piece collapsed near Overcast's body, he could do nothing but weakly blink and watch as the flooring at his lower half gave way.

Muscles twitched and Overcast merely watched. Sunburst flashed into existence right then and there, reaching out to grab his doppelganger- but his teeth gnashed the air as he missed and Overcast capsized.

Down, through the tower Overcast fell, the wind lapping all around him. He flipped like a coin flipped in the air. Colors and things swirled all around him but he was barely conscious to register any of it. He sensed magic ignite somewhere else, faint but powerful.

I don't know... It's been six hours since you were passed out I can't swap with you because I don't want Starlight or the others to know--

Overcast hissed through grit teeth as he involuntarily flinched. Cracking open his eyes, light burned him forcing him to quickly shut out the blobs and blur.

"Oh dear!" Said the stallion's light voice. "I am so sorry. Please try to take it easy I didn't mean to startle you."

Ears twitching, Overcast only now registered the sound of the heart monitor beeping at his side.

"A...hospital?" He hoarsely asked. Eyes slowly adjusting he began piecing together his surroundings. As his vision adjusted, he found that he really was in a hospital bed. The medical bay to be exact, a private one it seemed.

"Sweet Plum" said the lilac unicorn mare with a soothing, sympathetic smile. Overcast see from the state of her mane to the bags under her eyes, Sweet Plum hadn't slept in hours.

"Here." A plastic water bottle with a straw was levitated towards his muzzle. Opening his mouth slowly so as not to further irritate the cracked skin around his muzzle and the blisters he felt around his body Overcast drank mouthful, swallowing large intakes till the bottle was completely empty. Left only with the sucking sound of his straw.

"I'll get you some more. You just rest here. Another nurse is waiting right by the door if you need anything." Nurse Sweet Plum sweetly whispered. "You just take it easy. We're heading back to Equestria and we'll be able to get you some better aide."

It took a second for all the words to register in Overcast's head. But when they did ring a bell, he called to Sweet Plum who paused just at the door on her way out.

The Nurse looked at the door, considered her options, looked at Overcast, then her ears pinned to her head.

"After um, Princess Celestia brought you back- she went to go help Princess Twilight and the Ladies. There was some sort of big fight that started and..."

"And...Princess Twilight, Lady Pinkie, Lady Rarity, and Lady Applejack were killed by alicorns from the site. They...they were vaporized."

Overcast stumbled forward while Sunburst's shadow followed him. The latter seeped tears, a sound that echoed in his mind and only furthered the anger and sense of sadness that was crushing his spirit. It was like a weight had been set on a feather and was trying to undo it completely.

Overcast, unsure entirely of how to deal with these complicated feelings stumbled towards the deck of the airship. Hoping to see for himself the truth.

Impatient, a glow of his horn, the stallion's eyes flashed and then they became heavy before he collapsed asleep.

Stepping over the three guards Overcast moved quickly, glad for the numbing spells that kept the pain at bay.

Stiff yet determined, Overcast climbed the watch tower. A spiral staircase was a challenge for one injured but however long he had slept had done wonders for his magic reserves. Blinking three times, Overcast scaled the Princess Pike, and reaching the top, looked over the horizon.

Smoke billowed outwards from the Tower towards the evening sky, and Overcast saw nothing but destruction.

Hundreds of specters marched forward. All wearing the armor of Prime, wearing his ensemble, a golden flower that radiated its own light. In the sky Pegasus flew over the streets bearing his crest, chasing after soldiers and military; down on the streets below ponies cheered as a a battle took place above the sky.

Three alicorns and Primus traded blows with Princess Celestia. The three alicorns flew in a loose formation yet covered each other's attacks against the Princess. Strike after strike after strike, each one followed after the other. In single-hoof combat they wouldn't have stood a chance, but together.

He watched as the Princess was beaten, chucked through the roof of one building while a now taller Eudes flew after her with the other three alicorns at his side.

Rainbow Dash Sunburst gasped, feeling his heart thump with hope and pride Overcast ignited his horn--

"Now is exactly the time." She said coldly, though he didn't need to turn to look at her. He already knew what her expression was.

The silence was answer enough. The feeling of magic behind him, powerful magic, was a greater warning.

To his horror, he watched as the blur of rainbow was chased by two spells from two different alicorns, one a autumn red, the other a sunny yellow. Their spell bolts followed the pegasus till explosion when they finally couldn't catch her and just when she thought she was clear- Overcast watched her get zapped to the ground by a third member of the seven.

Down Rainbow Dash went. Her coat charred, her skin bubbling. She disappeared over the horizon of a building. A pink contrail zooming off after her battered body.

"Overcast", Starlight's voice said now by his side. All hostility, all anger, all the pressure of her magic gone. "STOP watching" she advised gently. His ears perked when he heard her swallow the growing lump. Then in a quieter voice that got ever closer she said:

"It'll be easier if you stop and focus on what we can do. What we can control to fix this problem. The princess said those alicorns--"

"Are Gladiolus' most trusted allies, Starlight." He replied, eyes never leaving the Princess' valiant efforts. "Watching them fight is like watching two experienced dance partners sync their movements without even the slightest sign or signal. They know each other well. And if she dies" both him and Sunburst thought as he said, "if he wins this- it will be impossible to stop him. Even worse, Discord-"

"Four days... The girls were killed the day you and the Princess came to the sight when the statues were reacting.

An eye covered by a patch, half her face shaved where ointment covered the charred and sensitive skin, mane partially shaved in half, and bandages covering her chest and various parts of her body- Starlight smiled weakly. The skin stretching tight, and the bruise on her only visible eye making her look sicker than they had ever seen her.

He looked back. Watched as the body of Eudes advanced on the Princess while three alicorns circled above them like birds of prey.

He ignored her. He needed to see this. She could obliterate the whole of Prance with a thought but she was holding back.

He watched. Primus neared. Celestia, staggering to her hooves steadied herself, then fired off a beam.

Primus countered. It lasted like this for seconds. And every second as they grew further away, his horn sprayed sparks at the internal conflict within him.

The collision point slowly pushed back towards Celestia and he could see her struggle.

"...When he found out Fluttershy, and Twilight had died the day after the Seven Aides awoke, Discord...just left. We thought he would help us but... He just...laughed, then he was gone. Haven't heard from him since. And we don't have time to look for him."

Overcast merely nodded. And then watched as threw beams joined one, and Celestia was overwhelmed in a explosion of heat, wind, smoke, and light.

Realizing what was to happen, Overcast conjured a blade and instead lashed out instantly the moment those words echoed in his ears.

Primus parried a second almost too slow, Eudes reflexes heightened to extraordinary degrees. At the edge of his senses Overcast could sense it. The magic of the tower working with the magic of Primus.

Swinging and thrusting, he was parried almost every way, managing only a few strikes here and there but nothing fatal, all superficial. The only good thing was that he was pushing the stallion back.

To his horror, that was false. As a beam came from Celestia's horn in support, Overcast watched as Primus rose a shield, grounded and unable to move. The Tower, sensing his distress, reacted.

The blue-green horseshoe became slip forward like a lead over moving water. It rushed towards Primus' location. Catching Overcast off guard.

Horn sparking he zapped at the bridge's ground. Trying to puncture a hole or use null magic to possibly drain the shoe of its effect.

It dodged him all the way and in the end reached Primus' hoof. The second it touched Eudes' frog, the unicorn turned to alicornhood flickered a golden light and his gold shield with the flower being severed by the cutlass also glowed as he did.

Primus laughed, a sound of excitement and Overcast knew the process was beginning.

Eyes widening in realization- Overcast's eyes dilated, pupils widening. He blinked and then--

The Princess lay at his hooves dying. Sunburst, now physical, pressed his nose into Celestia's neck, nuzzling her with tears in his eyes and his glasses getting in the way. Celestia smiled weakly, the dark magical wound in her stomach spreading further, destroying her body.

The Princess' were thought incapable of death, but he knew if she died- if her body was destroyed, she would be reborn. Just not soon enough when they needed her now.

Soaring overhead, staring at the crater where the stallion stood, seven alicorns circled him and Primus, confidently said:

Overcast looked behind him, saw the paralyzed, slumbering bodies of his allies, and his heart ached for them.

Eyes watching death approach, Overcast's pupils dilated as the light became unbearable--

Hundreds of specters poured out towards them, answering the Tower's groans and grumbles as it crumbled. Overcast watched as he, Sunburst, and Celestia were swarmed.

Primus' laughter echoed far above up on the bridge. At the edge of his senses, he felt the tower's magic peak.

The tower's skylight exploded with force and out shot two dots as they zoomed westwards.

Overcast held firmly to Princess Celestia as she dodged and weaved through potshots in the air from the fleeing alicorn.

In the distance a tower with black glass, flashed white and Overcast sensed the magic from it peak.

Aiming, he fired, and managed to clip one magical wing on the fleeing fake alicorn.

Down Primus went, still heading in the direction of the gold building. With a flash of light a bubble grew around him and when he slammed through branches and trees, he broke threw. Landing, now with only one magical wing, Primus took off on ground straight for the tower at terrible speeds.

In mere moments they could see the ship that had departed with Twilight and the others, the same glow emanating from the tower, also emanating from the entrance.

Bulldozing straight through the walls with his hamster-ball like shield it popped and when the two pursuers landed they saw him bolt for the statues as a confused Twilight and others watched with mild-concern and all the alertness.

It was too late, the moment his hoof touched one of the steps to the stage where the seven statues glowed, Primus was engulfed in the same white light as they were.

Sunburst watched in horror as Princess Celestia pricked her hoof, the frog bleeding, the four claws of two headed monstrosity waiting.

"Once the shake is done
You shall have your fun.
Primus shall now lose his seat.
Your soul, now ours to treat.
With strength you have,
Enemies shall fall at your path."

"With your plight
Reborn now as vengeful light.
We give you grace, power, speed,
So that you may finish this deed."

"Reborn anew,
Surely due,
Daybreaker shall be your name.
Let it be your new fame."

Horn glowing, Overcast flexed his will and the restraints holding him were broken. "STOP!"

Princess Celestia looked back, her mane no longer flowing, her tail semi-physical. There were bags under her bloodshot eyes, she looked exhausted, weary, a mess-- and she regarded both the only two ponies that had followed her down here with a small apologetic smile.

"I have to do what is right. With the Elements gone and Primus and his Aides muscling my allies against me, I need more power that could rival his own now that I have heard he has found two new Bearers for Magic and Kindness."

"But- Princess" Sunburst frightfully stammered. "P-Please, rethink this!! You can't!"

"I've thought long enough about this day Sunburst. It's time I help my little ponies before he truly wins."

One Last Letter

by Black Hailstorm

To: Failures