“The alicorn was no stranger to conflict and war, having seen the darkest of magic brought to bear at full strength against a fragile and virtuous people. Her people. Luna of the Night had become the very essence of nightmares. She had both seen and caused blood, fire, and terror beyond description. With unmitigated fury, her enemies were slain. But the moon does not lay trouble to rest. Behold! After the Celestial Age has passed, an alicorn of darkness shall return to destroy all mortal life.”
-K’Tah, zebra prophet of Arkadia, 952 years ago.
Catalyst
The soft, rhythmic sounds of iron wheels against tracks echoed throughout the train as it sped through the night. Tendrils of white frost had worked their way in from the corners of the window glass, forming sharp crystalline patterns which gave way to soft curves as they met the warmth inside. Staring out the window from her worn, comfortable seat in a passenger car near the back of the train was someone who was not supposed to be here. Princess Luna, co-regent of Equestria, watched as the darkened scenery raced by, lit only by her crescent moon.
Patches of snow lingered on the ground, visible upon the open fields between the scattered clusters of coniferous trees. Very few towns were spread this far north; it had been a half hour since Luna had noticed even a small settlement. The train’s final stop, arriving at the crystal city of Aria, was still hours away.
To her right, her sister dozed lightly. The much taller alicorn was not much of a night owl. Luna glanced toward her, noticing the thin trail of drool that had worked its way down from the corner of her mouth. She smirked, knowing what a scandal some ponies would consider it for the primary monarch of the nation to be seen in public in such a state.
Not that any would likely notice; the train was sparsely populated, and most everypony was asleep. Those who were dreaming were content for the most part, engaged in surreal adventures few of them would remember the following morning. There was, however, somepony in the same passenger car whose troubled sleep drew Luna’s attention.
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
A burgundy pegasus stood in the dim glow of a pale moon, the empty darkness stretching forth coils of loneliness as it surrounded her. She stared, unmoving, into the yawning pits of two open graves which belonged to her older brothers, taken by the war barely a month prior.
“Shh,” Luna’s soothing voice emerged from the moon overhead. “Dry your eyes, loved one.”
The mare turned to look up toward the sky. “Princess Luna?”
She watched the midnight-blue alicorn glide silently down, coming to rest upon a royal throne. The throne sat on an ornate onyx platform and was made of dark wood edges and thick velvet padding. Its back rose high above Luna’s crowned head, a crescent moon emblem adorning its peak. Luna regarded the pegasus with gentle eyes for a moment before speaking.
“You weep for your loss,” Luna said, quietly, her voice slipping through the absolute silence. Echoes murmured mournfully back from the empty throne room.
The pegasus had bowed low before her princess. “They were everything to me. I… I…”
Luna approached and placed a hoof on her cheek, lifting the pony’s head slightly until their eyes met. “They are not lost, dear one. They have joined with Harmony. Their role in the future will be even greater than that for which they died.”
A curious expression was etched across the mare’s face. “I don’t understand,” she said as she stood.
“How do you remember them?” Luna asked.
“They were brave. Funny. They always made me laugh.”
Luna smiled. Her hoof reached out, bearing a small golden key. “I have something for you.”
“What is it?” she responded, reaching out for the key.
“A gift. Look behind you.”
Luna could see the hesitation in her eyes, not wanting to face the pair of graves which lay behind her. Instead, as she turned, there was a simple wooden door set into the throne room wall.
She approached the door, inserting the key most of the way in before glancing over her shoulder toward the princess.
“It is okay,” Luna prompted. “Use it whenever you need to.”
The mare then pushed the key the rest of the way in with a solid click. The throne room was gone, and she found herself standing in the dark, outside the front door of a modest house. Daylight poured out as the door opened, overwhelming the blackness. With warm smiles on their faces, her two older brothers invited her inside.
<=======ooO Ooo=======>
Luna opened her eyes to once again see the train car’s interior with her sister still snoozing beside her. She smiled with bittersweet satisfaction in the duty which she had carried out for millennia. Despite the Arkadian zebra war taking its toll, she still knew it was by far not the worst her ponies had suffered in their long history.
With a long, busy day coming, sure to be filled with many enjoyable violations of protocol, Luna decided to get some sleep herself. Her personal rest was different from when she helped others. One might even describe it as dreaming about sleeping. It was necessary in order for her to unwind, and thankfully, a small amount went a long way.
Some hours later, she awoke to the sound of children’s excited whispers two seats forward and a slight poking in her ribs.
“Luna, wake up. It’s time,” Celestia prompted.
“Amup, I’m up,” she replied to her sister with a slur. Sitting upright, Luna stretched her neck in circles for a moment before glancing out the window at the still-dark scenery speeding by. It was no more than barren, rocky hills covered in snow, but she knew it well. Only minutes remained before the train would arrive.
Luna focused on her moon, which hovered over a thousand kilocanters above the ground, beyond the Equus upper atmosphere. From her position, looking out the window, it had come to rest near the western horizon. Sitting beside her, Celestia was staring intently out the opposite window of the passenger car, where the sky glowed a dim orange along the eastern horizon.
Hues within the train rapidly shifted from subdued blues to dark orange and finally luminous yellow. Ponies all through the passenger car gasped in awe and wonder as the royal sisters nudged the pair of celestial bodies along in their paths. Children squealed in delight to witness such a display of power right before their eyes as the blinding orb of the sun rose magnificently into view.
Most everypony was awake now, with some still rubbing their eyes as they stirred. Daylight had arrived.
Luna’s eyes fell upon a familiar face—the burgundy pegasus from the dream, sitting several rows forward along the opposite aisle. When their eyes locked, the mare mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ with a heartfelt smile. With a brief nod, Luna considered how many others suffered similar hardships. With the war now in its seventh year, it had already lasted far longer and cost many more lives than she had anticipated.
Out Luna’s window, the immense palace spire of Aria glinted in the sunlight of the new day as it rose above the hilly pass up ahead. Just then, two curious ears poked above the seat in front of her. Before long, the face of a dark grey unicorn colt rose just high enough for his eyes to meet hers. Luna smiled and gave a little wave, which was returned after a timid pause.
“How did you learn to do that?” the colt asked, his voice filled with wonder.
A brief chill swept through Luna’s body as she considered her early years, though her smile never faltered. Her eyes finally blinked as she reminded herself to breathe. It was an innocent enough question, and the ancient memory itself was of one of her fondest moments with him.
“My father taught me to manipulate the night sky,” Luna replied. “I was not much older than you are now.”
“Really?” The colt paused for a moment, and Luna could see the gears already turning inside his head. “My dad’s pretty good with magic. Do you think I—”
“I am afraid such things are beyond the grasp of mortal ponies, little one,” she interrupted with a tousle of his forelock. “There are many marvelous wonders which you can experience, however. Have you ridden this particular train before?”
His head shook with a smile that thinly disguised his disappointment. “It’s my first time here. My dad’s cousin is in the new Royal Crystal Army. We’re going to the Captain’s induction ceremony today.”
“I see. Well in that case, you are in for a treat. Can you see the weather dome outside the window?”
The colt turned to look, pressing his face against the cold glass to see where the train was heading. The crystalline city was fully visible now, its artificial weather dome fast approaching.
“I see it. Wait. It looks like we’re gonna—”
Just then, the train collided with the shimmering energy barrier. A wall of light passed through their passenger car in the blink of an eye, sending everypony’s mane flying. Luna’s ears popped from the sudden change in pressure, and a soothing warmth flooded over her, causing a slight shiver to run down her spine.
Chatters of excitement began to rise throughout the train car as everypony gathered their belongings.
“Wow!” came the thrilled voice of Luna’s new friend. He glanced back over his shoulder, eyes gleaming. “That was awesome!”
Luna nodded with a smile as the colt’s family prepared to depart. “Maybe I will see you at the ceremony.”
Her gaze returned to the window, peering through the beaded condensation. The train sped swiftly through the outer forest that ringed the city along the interior edge of the weather dome. Lush, green trees blurred past for nearly half a minute before the southern districts of the great city came into view. She braced herself slightly as the train decelerated through its final stretch before reaching the station.
There was a slight thrill which came with mingling casually among the citizens, not following any set schedule or plan. Of course, most heads turned to notice the pair of alicorns, but Luna was used to that. It was a small price to pay for the freedom to remove herself from the burdens of regality and simply experience the civilization she and her sister helped to build.
As they made their way down the streets of cut paving crystal, they glanced around, noticing the newer architecture. The city had grown so much in the past twelve years since its reappearance, especially in the southern districts that surrounded the new rail depot. Everything was remarkably clean. Lawns and hedges were neat and tidy—not a speck of soil wasted, for it was all imported.
What was probably the most notable thing was that the ponies here were so relaxed and carefree. The fear and tension brought by the war, which Luna so often noticed in the mainland, seemed entirely absent. The festive atmosphere was a big contributor to that.
As they passed beyond the bustling street markets, they approached the outskirts of the city’s vast botanical garden, where the newly-formed Royal Crystal Army was preparing to hold an induction ceremony. Having the city finally host its own military was something the sisters had been hoping to see for a long time, and the crystal ponies were fond of turning just about everything into a festival.
Outside the gates to the botanical gardens, the streets were packed with excited ponies. Nearby shops sported RCA banners, commemorating the day. Colts and fillies weaved through the crowd, levitating funnel cakes and ice cream cones as they giggled past. Celestia paused to help a little earth pony filly to her hooves after she slipped from being distracted by the princesses.
It wasn’t long before the sisters bumped into familiar faces. Seated at an outdoor cafe were three alicorn ponies who were very dear to Luna. It was Twilight Sparkle who waved them down; that mare never missed a thing.
“I had no idea you two were coming!” Twilight blurted out from her seat as they approached. “This is so exciting! It’s been ages since we’ve been able to catch up.”
Seated next to Twilight was her grown daughter, Nyx. It was hard to believe that only twelve years had passed since her arrival. Draped over her neck, a playful filly batted at Nyx’s horn with a hoof. Both paused their antics long enough to greet the sisters as they sat down.
“It is good to see you, Nyx,” Luna said.
“It’s been a long time,” the black alicorn replied with a friendly smile. “You… you didn’t just come on the night train, did you?”
Celestia let out a chuckle, waving a hoof in amusement. “Luna convinced me that it would be ‘fun’.”
A quick smirking glance in Celestia’s direction was Luna’s response. “Well? I was right, was I not?” She poked her sister’s shoulder with a hoof.
A giggle burst from young Flurry Heart. The white filly scrambled down off Nyx’s back to approach Luna, a look of elation written all over her face. Alongside her, a tattered yellow and green snail plushie hovered in the child’s telekinetic grip.
“And look at you,” Luna added, shifting her focus onto the happy child. “Bigger every time I see you.”
“You don’t come visit enough, Lulu,” Flurry said as she climbed up onto the chair with Luna for a cuddle.
“I am very sorry for that, little one,” Luna replied. “Tia and I have been kept very busy, uh… talking with the zebras.”
Flurry scrunched up her face. “They’re still mad at us, aren’t they?”
“Indeed, they are. It will not last forever, although I understand why you might feel otherwise,” Luna said as she gave the child a boop on the nose. “You are ten years old now, yes?”
“Ten and a half!” Flurry corrected as she reached a forehoof up toward the tip of Luna’s horn.
“My goodness. I imagine the colts are already lining up for your attention,” Luna quipped, causing the little alicorn to curl into a ball inside her oversized wings.
“So, where’s your hubby, Nyx?” Celestia asked.
“Off with Cadence, getting snacks,” Nyx replied. “We’re gonna head in and find a seat when they get back.”
Just then, Twilight spotted somepony else walking past. It was a sharp looking rust-colored pegasus stallion, dressed in formal military attire.
“Orion!” Twilight called out, causing his head to turn. She waved him closer. “I’d like to introduce you to the princesses.”
With surprise etched all over his face, the pegasus came to swift attention, snapping a salute to Celestia and Luna. “Your Highnesses!”
“Please, sit with us a moment.” Celestia’s voice carried a bit of amusement at the soldier’s bewilderment.
After a slight hesitation, Orion took the seat which Celestia had snatched for him from a neighboring table. He fidgeted a moment, looking as if he was internally debating with himself. Luna had seen this look so many times on the faces of military officers and guardsponies that she could only chuckle internally while he decided his first move.
“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s a privilege to have you here with us.”
Sovereignty. Luna had guessed incorrectly; she had given it only a thirty-percent chance. Celestia would now approve and volley the respect back. A quick glance spared in her sister’s direction confirmed her move.
“The privilege is ours, Orion,” Celestia replied graciously. “This is a historic day, and you will be playing an important role in the defense of ponykind.”
“Thank you, Princess. I’m a bit nervous. Everything we’ve worked toward is about to become a reality. It’s a huge responsibility.”
“You’ll be fine,” Celestia assured. “You may be their leader, but the RCA does not rest entirely on your shoulders. Lean on your officers. They will be an extension of your authority, but they will also let you know when you are about to mess up. Do not dismiss their input easily.”
“That’s good advice—thank you, Your Highness. But if I may… where is your escort?” Orion cautiously added. “I see no royal guard. And you were not scheduled to be here until next week for the formal RCA commencement. If you like, I can arrange—”
Protocol. There it was. Luna grinned.
“Nonsense,” she interrupted, the mirth in her voice only barely disguised. “We are not officially here.” She could feel her sister’s eyes rolling even without looking.
At the stallion’s surprise, Celestia swiftly countermoved with a lighthearted chuckle. “Relax, Orion. What my sister is saying is that when you are captain, you’ll learn that not everything is so rigid.”
“Indeed,” Luna confirmed. “And also that we are not officially here. Our itinerary today is full, beginning with a lengthy review of the East Hayfield tax code with House Whitehoof.”
Twilight leaned forward in her chair, eyes wide and fixed onto Luna. “You ditched the nobles?”
“Unofficially.”
It was Nyx who snorted in laughter. “Oh I wish I could have seen their faces.”
“As do I,” Luna added. “We merely left a note stating that we had more important business to attend.”
Orion’s face once again hinted of indecision. Amusement played at the corner of Luna’s lips as she considered having a bit more fun with this one.
“You know, Orion fought in the resistance against Sombra,” Twilight said with a hint of excitement. Luna couldn’t really blame her; the fall of Aria would be ancient history from her perspective.
“Is that so?” Luna commented, momentarily forgetting her playful thoughts. “From one pony out of time to another, may I say, well done. Though it be a thousand years past, you and I regard it as fresh in our memories.”
“Thirteen years, now,” Orion said. “It was horrible. He killed so many. We had to try.”
Luna could see the emotions begin creeping into his expression. The resistance had no chance. They had no idea what they were fighting.
“You will make an exemplary captain, Orion,” Celestia said. “Shining Armor chose well in you.”
“Thank you, Your Highnesses. Though if you’ll excuse me, I—” Standing from his seat suddenly, Orion gave a respectful bow toward the royal sisters. “It was an honor to meet you both. I do really need to get going though. I’m so sorry.”
“Do not worry, good sir,” Luna replied with a slight grin. “Disciplinary action is only for the enlisted. See you tonight.”
Seated in the third row from the front, Princess Luna admired the scenery that surrounded her. The vast botanical gardens were bathed in the light of the sun, rippling shadows of lush green mixed with the golden copper of sun-baked cobblestone paths that meandered between the carefully manicured hedges and trees. A wide assortment of birds flitted about, adding their color to the picturesque landscapes. Streams of water launched into the air from laminar fountains, passing through meticulously directed lighting before landing with barely a ripple in a central pond behind the stage. The fragrance of lavender drifted past, mixed with the scents of several other flowers, creating a pleasant aromatic bouquet.
Luna breathed deeply, taking in the atmosphere of this recreational district, which Aria’s residents had so carefully crafted. It was a sharp contrast from the generally inorganic themes of the city’s crystalline architecture, and an even sharper contrast from the snowy, featureless tundra just beyond the city’s edge. It was just enough to keep Luna’s mind off the fact that she was seated at a formal event.
There must have been four or five hundred ponies in attendance. Fancy dresses and military uniforms abound, especially in the front row. Luna glanced to her right, where her sister was sitting, between her and Cadence. Celestia’s bright smile left no doubt that she was truly enjoying herself as she gazed out from within the seated audience toward the stage. She was in her element, and if for no other reason than this, Luna was happy to have convinced her to come. A special moment among friends, away from the responsibilities of ruling a nation at war—such things were a rare commodity in recent years.
Formal events were not something Luna normally enjoyed. It was not as if she had no experience with them. She simply did not… appreciate them like her sister did. Ponies in bowties and cufflinks, long, boring speeches, and small talk with important ponies she barely knew… All of these usually made her long to be somewhere else, but seeing her sister smile made none of that matter.
On Luna’s left sat little Flurry Heart. The young filly had requested of her mother, Princess Cadence, that she be allowed to sit between Luna and Nyx. Glancing toward the filly at her side, Luna mentally noted that each of the six alicorns in the entire world were present here, in the same row.
Flurry was holding her snail plushie to her chest, staring up at Nyx as if studying her for a long moment.
“They don’t look like the same pony, Whammy,” the filly whispered, a perplexed look written on her face.
“What was that, little one?” Luna asked in a hushed tone, curious what mischief the child’s mind was up to.
Flurry turned to look up toward Luna. “Oh. I was just thinking about how different you and Nyx look.”
With a slight chuckle, Luna leaned toward her. “Does that surprise you?”
“Well, my mom told me about Nightmare Moon.”
“Ahh.” This had been a typical discussion topic among children, and Luna suspected it would be a recurring theme with the new generation.
“So, were you really Nightmare Moon once, Lulu?”
Luna had grown somewhat tired of talking about it. However, she wasn’t exactly enthused about listening to the list of acknowledgements currently being rattled off by the royal consort of Aria, friend or not. Each of Shining Armor’s talking points were either things Luna was already aware of or things she was not concerned with.
Additionally, that was Flurry’s father on the stage. The speech he was giving was one the filly had probably heard rehearsed a dozen times. It was clear that she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to find out more about the enigmatic ponies sitting at her either flank.
“It is true,” Luna replied.
“But isn’t Nyx—”
“Yes. Yes, she is,” Luna confirmed.
Nyx turned her head toward Flurry, taking notice of their conversation. “First time you’ve been with both of us at the same time, eh kiddo?”
Flurry nodded. “It’s really cool. But also confusing. Like, I thought Nightmare Moon was taller.”
“Just in the legend,” Nyx said.
“You’re both a bit taller than my dad,” Flurry added.
“Your dad is a tall stallion,” Luna replied.
Flurry seemed to quiet her thoughts for a moment as she scooted over to cuddle up against Luna, but the silence was short-lived.
“When were you Nightmare Moon, Lulu?”
“Oh, it has been almost thirteen years now since I came back.”
Flurry’s head turned to look back toward Nyx. “But Nyx is a lot older than that.”
“Indeed.”
“I don’t get it,” Flurry said. “Who was who twenty years ago?”
“Don’t think about it too hard,” Nyx said. “It’ll make your brain hurt.”
“We are not certain, but we believe Nyx was already about your age, maybe a bit younger, when her mother found her in the Everfree Forest, twelve years ago.”
Flurry looked up to meet Luna’s gaze. “Don’t you know for sure? Everypony knows how old I am.”
“That is because we know the day you were born, young one.”
“But don’t you know what day Nyx was…” At that moment, the light came on in Flurry’s eyes. “Oooh, I get it. Nyx wasn’t… born.”
Flurry suddenly leaned over, wrapping her forelegs around Nyx in a tight hug. “You weren’t born,” she repeated. It was like some horrible reality fell over the child. She looked as if she might cry.
Nyx shook her head slightly, a more serious expression on her face as a dark wing settled around the filly. “But I still have a mom who loves me. Just like you do.”
“Okay,” Flurry replied before pausing to think for a moment. “But I still don’t understand—how can you two be the same pony?”
“Well… It’s complicated,” Nyx replied to the child, her turquoise, dragon-like eyes briefly making contact with Luna.
Complicated was right. In fact, Luna herself was likely the only pony alive who really understood why she and Nyx were two separate people. Luna had never even told her sister what had happened, in this very city, in fact, all those centuries ago when the tyrant Sombra met his end.
As Nyx continued to chat with Flurry, Luna’s attention drifted toward the stage, desiring to distance herself from the terrible memory. Shining Armor was speaking of his plans for the new Royal Crystal Army.
The stage itself appeared hastily erected. It was little more than a raised wooden platform set up in what would normally have been a picnic area in front of the central pond. Twenty-six decorated officers from the Royal Equestrian Army were present for the induction. They were a meticulous collection of shining medals, badges, and ribbons, lined up along the edges of the stage. Each one stood at attention, perfectly still, facing the center where Shining Armor was giving his speech.
“And on this historic day, I am pleased to introduce to you one whom many of you already know. One whose service to this great city dates back to the Sombra Resistance over a millennia ago. I give you… Your captain, Orion.”
Whistles and cheers erupted from the seated crowd as the pegasus took the stage, thanking the white unicorn for the honor. The two stood side by side and exchanged a hoofbump as Shining Armor levitated a captain’s badge onto the pegasus’s uniform.
“Thank you all for coming,” Orion addressed to the crowd. “Today is only the first step of many which will give our city its much-needed independence as well as give leave to these fine officers behind me. In the coming days, the initial set of thirty-five commissioned officers will officially push the Royal Crystal Army into active service, though it will take at least two months of growth before the army is fully capable of defending the city, much less contributing to the war in mainland Equestria.
“I am told that the first fifteen officers have arrived just this morning from their training at the Brumby Ridge military academy. You have my sympathies for the very long train ride, though from what I hear, the sunrise this morning was quite the spectacular event for some of—”
A spray of blood erupted from the back of Orion’s head as a loud crack echoed through the garden. His body went limp and landed on the stage with a thud.
Shining Armor stumbled back in disbelief, instinctively forming a shield around his own body. He turned, mouth opening in a shout just as a second shot was fired. A half-second later, he had fallen as well.
Luna stood quickly, pivoting around and scanning for the threat. The sounds of panic arose from all around her as ponies began to realize what had just happened.
She spared a quick glance toward her sister. “Keep them safe.”
“Go,” Celestia said with urgency.
Luna leapt into action, flinging herself into the air in the direction the shots had come from. The hedges, sculptures, and trees made it difficult to tell where the enemy might be hiding, and it didn’t help that ponies were scattering in every direction.
A third shot. Luna’s heart sank as she dared not look back to see if anypony else had been killed. The shot did, however, reveal the location of the assassin. The zebra sniper was hiding behind one of the hedge sculptures.
She fell upon him with lightning speed, summoning her twin blades of midnight-blue energy. Their eyes met, and Luna saw his look of surprised terror just as she ran the razor sharp metal through his neck. The zebra fell, and Luna glanced back toward the panicking crowd of ponies.
Magical energy shields began to pop up all around as unicorns tried to protect their families. Pegasi had taken flight in all directions, some of them carrying children. Luna tore through the air once more, racing back toward the crowd in an outrage. Several black-and-white striped figures had already jumped out from various hiding places within the botanical garden and were running toward the stage. There were five. No, at least ten. Twenty?
Most continued to run toward the stage, where several of the unicorn officers had rushed to the center, combining their strength to form what was likely a class five shield over their fallen leaders. Some of the zebras had rushed into the crowd of civilians, touching metal devices attached to their barding. The objects quickly flowed out like liquid, extending into short combat staffs.
The ends of each staff formed into a long, curved blade with a deadly point at its tip. Bright orange and yellow magical energy flowed along the sharpened edges like glowing syrup, dripping off the weapons and leaving trails of tiny embers on the ground.
No… Luna recognized the enchantment. No one on the ground was safe.
A half dozen pegasus officers had taken flight with their swords and were trying to engage the enemy from above. The zebras held their own with the skill and agility of highly trained assassins. One zebra leapt into the air while his partner planted front hooves firmly on the ground, bucking upward with his hind legs. Their hind hooves connected in the air, and each pushed against the other, thrusting the first zebra even higher. He swung upward with his bladed staff, slicing through a pegasus officer’s formal uniform and cutting a deep gash in his chest. The pony cried out in pain, retreating to land nearby.
In the crowd below, one of the zebra blade soldiers reached a unicorn mare who had her shield raised. The zebra slashed twice with his enchanted blade, creating a rip in the pony’s shield which spread until it collapsed. The zebra slit the helpless mare’s throat and continued toward the stage.
Celestia was holding her own, protecting perhaps two dozen civilians who were huddled close to her. There were four blade soldiers slashing away at her shield, but the white alicorn easily had the magical throughput of ten unicorns and the capacity of fifty. Still, she could only protect so many; the loss of life was going to be tremendous this day.
Having reached the crowd, Luna considered her options. Only seconds had passed and yet several ponies already lay bleeding out on the grass. Luna grit her teeth, realizing she had not been prepared for this. There was no way she could stop them all. Her only choice was to try and save as many as she could.
Up ahead, Nyx was standing between her mother and the charging zebras. Her wings were outstretched, hooves planted firmly in a wide stance. Her horn crackled with energy as deep-indigo lightning raced over its surface. Luna arced her flight path to pass in front of her.
“Move, young one! You are not ready for this,” she yelled as she raced past, barely above the ground.
As she darted past them, Luna spotted a pale-orange filly in the path of a charging zebra. She shot toward the child, hoping to get there in time.
Suddenly, a painful force squeezed at her mind. She reflexively shook her head, trying to resist. The magical energy was being wrung from her body like a sponge. Her strength failed, causing her to crash into the ground before she could reach the filly.
Luna could make out the screams of dozens of ponies around her. All the shields were down and several nearby pegasi had crashed into the ground. Cadence was in the crowd, crying out in fear and grief while holding tightly to young Flurry Heart. Luna struggled to her hooves, trying to stand, only to collapse a moment later. She spared a quick glance at Nyx—her horn now shone like the sun, but she had not moved from where she stood.
Luna snapped her attention back to the charging zebra that was almost upon her. Perhaps the zebra would be distracted by a better target and spare the child. She tried casting her blades again, but nothing happened. The zebra leapt into the air, somersaulting while drawing his bladed staff. Luna had always suspected her life would end in battle. She never would have guessed that it would be today.
Then, the zebra was gone, his body expanding briefly from the inside before rending violently in every direction. Luna heard the sound of flesh being ripped apart, followed by wet splashes as she felt warm liquid land across her flank.
It couldn’t be. It had been thousands of years since—
In the corner of her eye, Luna caught sight of another one exploding. A crackling energy thread arced like lightning to yet another nearby zebra with the same result, then another and another. Within seconds, the surrounding hedges, trees, and half the stage were coated crimson. Chunks of shredded flesh were strewn everywhere. Nothing remained of the attackers that was larger than an apple.
The pain had stopped. Luna forced herself to focus as clarity began to return to her mind. She got to her hooves and turned toward Nyx.
The black alicorn had fallen, unconscious, just as all the unicorns and pegasi through the park began to move again, trying to stand. Luna rushed over to where Nyx lay unmoving on the ground. Twilight was there as well, getting her own bearings before desperately trying to get her daughter to wake up.
