The Infestation of Equiss Prime

by Jest


Sororicide

Twilight bowed as low as she could manage, stretching her forelegs before raising her head as high as possible and doing the same with her back legs. While she limbered up and prepared for the day, Twilight also recalled the steps she would need to take in order to destroy the dream machine. Her magic twisted and flared as she woke herself fully from the brief sleep she had just managed to squeeze in.

Once every part of her body was fully awake and alive, the pony finished recounting what Celestia had told her of the machine. With all that out of the way, Twilight looked around the room, curious as to whether or not her hybrids had awoken by then. Only to find that the two were snuggled close together in the much larger bed which sat a few feet away from Twilight’s small cot.

Applejack’s injured limb had finished coming back in at this point, though there was a small scar still visible where it had been severed. It and its twin were wrapped around Zecora’s back, while the zebra hybrid had her own spiked forelimbs around Applejack’s midsection. It was a rather adorable sight, and for a moment Twilight considered letting them stay like that, as they had earned a bit of a break.

Images of Applejack training along with the guard flashed through her mind, accompanied by more than a few strange looks she had received. Despite their fear, Celestia’s soldiers had treated the hydralisk well, and the former farm pony found that she was quickly becoming proficient in combat. Twilight thought it was a good change, though a small part of her felt bad about turning such an innocent creature into a warrior.

“That is her lot in life, though,” Twilight murmured, her gaze lingering on the enormous blade-like limbs and deadly openings on her shoulders which could shoot bony daggers capable of punching straight through platemail.

Just about every part of her was made for combat, and Twilight wondered if she was ever going to be able to fulfill her promise to the mare. Whether she could or not, Twilight was determined to try for as long as she lived, and the unicorn hoped that would be enough. Turning her gaze from one zerg hybrid to another, Twilight couldn't help but frown as she looked over Zecora.

The zebra’s strange physiology aside, she was also mentally quite different, having suffered a crushing loneliness much akin to what Applejack herself had experienced. Yet where Applejack retained some of what made her a pony, when Twilight looked down on Zecora, she saw only zerg. Fiercely loyal, incredibly deadly, and seemingly without the morals that weighed down her companions, Zecora was a strange subject to say the least.

Perhaps Celestia’s song helped more than I originally thought, Twilight considered.

Twilight wondered if Zecora’s strain of zerg was meant to spread terror in the ranks of their enemies, as it would explain why Zecora thought the way she did. Brushing that aside, Twilight trotted back over to her cot and folded it and her blankets before leaning it against the wall. They wouldn't be needed anymore, and with that out of the way, the unicorn trotted over to the sole window in the room.

The moon hung ominously overhead, sitting in the same spot as it had the previous day, and the day before that. Its pale light bathed the city below in a cruel light, lengthening shadows and deepening the darkness without completely obscuring the landscape. Twilight had no such weaknesses, but she knew from being around the guards that the average pony struggled to see across the street.

Not only that, but some were beginning to complain about troubled dreams, though Twilight reasoned that it was likely due to the stress of their situation. A thought which became more poignant when Twilight’s gaze settled on the many, many shapes which surrounded the castle on all sides. Their spells and pickaxes were leveled against the magical barrier in a strange rhythm, as if the ponies she saw were little more than machines.

A thought which wasn't far from the truth, Twilight realized as she focused on their blank, empty stares. She shuddered, not because the sight of the strange ponies was truly that upsetting, but rather it was their sheer number which unnerved her. It seemed as though Nightmare Moon had brought every single soldier she had under her command to the castle’s grounds in preparation for the coming battle.

Rows of armored soldiers glittered in the moonlight, their formations tight, and their siege weapons arranged behind them. Simple trebuchets and ballistas were interspersed with cannons the likes of which Twilight had never seen before. Not only that, but there were several of the so called eternity engines ringing the perimeter, occasionally adding a shot or two of their own at the shield.

Unlike the one Twilight had fought, these were patient and only fired once a minute or so, ensuring that they did not suffer the same fate as their brother had. More intimidating than all of that was the distant form of none other than Nightmare Moon herself who stood tall atop a podium that had been constructed a day prior. There she had stood for the last twelve hours, the alicorn having hardly moved, her gaze focused entirely on the castle before her.

If Twilight hadn't seen her speak to an officer a few hours earlier, the unicorn would have assumed that Nightmare Moon had been replaced by a statue at some point. Still armed for battle and wearing a thick layer of intimidating armor, Nightmare Moon seemed to be trying to glare her way through the castle’s defences. A thought which would have been amusing, had Twilight been unable to see the glowing lines of power which surrounded the castle.

Twilight didn't need to see the entire battlefield to know that what she was looking down on was one part of an enormous dispel rune. One which was even now being etched by Nightmare Moon’s most powerful unicorn soldiers and powered by the dark alicorn herself. Once complete, it would bring down Celestia’s shield, that much was certain, the only other variable was just how much time they had left.

All the chipping away at the shield seemed to do was drain Celestia even more, keeping the alicorn pouring more and more energy into the barrier. The thought of their best fighter being brought down to the level of a mortal mare was not a pleasant one.

With that uncomfortable idea in mind, Twilight sighed and turned to the bed where Applejack rose shakily. “What's wrong, my queen?” inquired the hybrid as she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes with the back of her forelimbs.

“Our time is running out, and our enemy seems poised for the coming battle. Though I have a feeling it's mostly for show, as Nightmare Moon doesn't seem to be the type to let one of her underlings get the chance to kill Celestia,” Twilight replied, striding confidently across the room.

“Do you think all the traps and fortifications will be able to hold them long enough?” Applejack asked, the hydralisk peering out the window curiously.

“I don't know,” Twilight admitted.

It had better, Zecora commented dryly as she stumbled out of the bed. They’ve been fortifying this place for almost a week without stopping.

“We will find out soon enough,” Twilight exclaimed.

“How soon do you think that will be? It has to be today, right?” Applejack questioned.

“It will. Judging from how things are going outside, I’m assuming we only have a few hours before they bring down the shield and mere minutes after that before they breach the final barricade,” Twilight explained.

Zecora trod up to the unicorn’s left. Then we had best get moving.

“Agreed and this time, we can't split up,” Applejack declared.

Twilight nodded. “You’re right. The end is too close to risk getting separated at such a stage.”

Without waiting for a response, Twilight turned and pushed open the door, making her way into the castle proper and putting the bedroom behind her for the final time. Each of the zerg hybrids carried nothing with them as they strode down the empty hallways devoid of the frantic activity they had witnessed only three days earlier. Where there had once been panicked guards and piles of half assembled barricades, there were only more fortifications.

Windows had been bricked shut, doors boarded up completely, and hallways blocked off by walls of glowing force. Only a scattered few unicorn soldiers could be seen tending to the final defences, their gazes distant and their movements hurried. Everyone seemed to know exactly what was coming and were making all due haste to ensure they weren't here when Nightmare Moon arrived.

The straight shot from their room to the teleportation array was the only space free of traps or barriers, and the trio made the short trip in under a minute. Arriving outside the huge blackened doors, Twilight noted that the same two guards she had seen all those days ago were still here. A gentle smile came to the infested’s face, and she gave the pair a nod as they pushed open the door for Twilight.

No words needed to be spared, nor breath wasted, for they had already said everything that needed to be. Once inside, Twilight was surprised to find that there were only a select few ponies left manning the central area. There was a single scry operator who was peering down on the castle from three separate angles and hastily scrawling notes on a pad of paper.

A squad of soldiers were piling the last of their gear on the teleportation array, while three other groups of ponies stood nervously off to the side. Twilight could tell from the fact that they stood in clusters of six that they were likely waiting for their turn to be sent to the confederacy. Other than that, the only advisor left on the scene was Zealous Seal, who was busy coordinating the final defences off to one side of the room.

In the middle of it all stood Princess Celestia, her regal white coat having dulled with time and several sleepless nights. Her ethereal mane had lost all of its usual glamour and had been bound into a large bun at the back of her head. Even her tail had been trimmed to keep it from touching the ground, it too losing the glittering appearance it once had.

Her features were strained, her gaze narrowed on a single point of the matrix, and her horn glowing brightly. Though few would be able to tell just how tired the alicorn had become, Twilight could spot the small bags under her teacher’s eyes as well as how her magic flickered occasionally. Clearly she was aware of what little time they had left and was doing everything in her power to ensure her ponies escaped safely.

“The princess seems kinda… tired, doesn't she?” Applejack whispered.

“Don't worry, everything will be fine,” Twilight assured the hydralisk in a strangely calm tone.

Will she still be able to operate the teleportation array with so few assistants? Zecora questioned.

“Don't worry. I’ll be with her through it all,” Twilight added. Remember what we discussed.

You got it.

We know what to do, my queen.

With her friends’ assertions still ringing in her mind, Twilight trotted up to the alicorn, making no attempt to hide her approach.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” Celestia announced, her voice sounding slightly strained.

Applejack, find us some tea and something with plenty of calories in it, Twilight commanded. Zecora, you go with her.

The hybrids said nothing, both able to sense the urgency in their queen’s thoughts and quickly moving to carry out her orders.

Twilight stood patiently next to the alicorn, watching closely as her teacher finished the last of her inspections and rose to her full height once more. “Ahh, Twilight, did you have a good sleep?” Celestia asked, her voice noticeably rising a few octaves, as if the alicorn were trying to hide just how exhausted she would have sounded.

“It was just what I needed after that all-nighter,” Twilight declared. “And yourself? I assume you ignored my warning and stayed up in order to keep working.”

Celestia chuckled. “No no. I managed to squeeze a nap in at around twelve or so.”

“Mmhmm,” Twilight murmured, turning towards the door where two familiar infested had just walked in. Using her magic, Twilight levitated over the tall cup of tea and a pair of heavily buttered scones. “Here, you have to eat something.”

“No really, I’m fine, Twilight,” Celestia insisted, her gaze never leaving the tea for even a second.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Celestia, you’ve lost probably ten pounds over the last few days. If things keep going the way they are, pretty soon you’ll be half of your old weight. Now, do I need to keep laying on the guilt ,or are you going to take a short break?”

Celestia sighed. “Sometimes I wonder who is the elder in this relationship.”

“So is that a yes?” Twilight pressed.

Celestia nodded sheepishly and extended her hoof. “Yes, I’ll have something to eat.”

“Good, and while you do that, I’ll finish checking the array and ensuring everyone is in position,” Twilight replied.

“It just needs to be primed before we can feed it more energy,” Celestia pointed out before stuffing an entire scone into her mouth and chewing noisily.

Someone was hungry, remarked Applejack.

“Then just sit back while I handle this,” Twilight commanded, the unicorn stepping forward and lighting her horn.

Celestia did just that, trotting out of the way while she sipped her tea and occasionally nibbled on her final scone. “Now I see why you refer to her as your queen,” Celestia remarked with a hint of mirth. “She can be rather commanding, can't she?”

Applejack chuckled as they watched Twilight work. “It is quite apt, isn't it?”

Quite, agreed Zecora.


“And you’re sure you’ll be right behind me?” asked Zealous Seal, the mare shifting uncomfortably amidst the small group of ponies standing in the center of the array.

“For the last time, yes. I am absolutely certain,” Celestia declared.

“Because there are seven of you, and this teleporter can only do six at a time,” explained Zealous.

Twilight stepped forward. “Blueblood will escape on his own.”

“Trust me, I’ll be fine,” Blueblood assured the captain.

The earth pony let out a low sigh and nodded. “Fine, I’m ready whenever you are, then.”

Celestia smiled. “I will see you soon, Zealous. Make sure to not butt heads with Air Heart too much. I need that command center operational as soon as possible, after all.”

“And you had better get back to us in one piece,” countered the armored mare.

Celestia lit her horn and began to enact the final phase of the teleportation array, the glowing lines of power humming audibly as energy coursed through them. “You left me two of your best, remember? I’ll be fine,” Celestia replied.

The two guards on either side of the door gave their captain a quick nod.

“I don't know about my best, but I guess these two will do the job,” Zealous remarked, the earth pony chuckling mirthlessly.

“Twenty seconds,” Twilight called.

“Remember your training, don't move until you are certain that you are where you should be,” Celestia cautioned. “Such a long range teleportation spell comes with a whole host of problems and simply staying still negates the majority of them.”

“Aye, we remember, right girls?” Zealous remarked, turning towards her squad.

Who all nodded.

“Ten seconds,” Twilight chirped.

Celestia put her hoof to her forehead. “Don't let me down, Captain.”

Zealous returned the gesture, giving Celestia a quick salute. “I won’t, Your Majesty.”

“Five, four, three-” Twilight’s countdown was interrupted by a thick golden dome springing up around the squad of ponies. “Two, one, zero!”

The energy pulsed one final time, starting from the edges of the array and ending at the middle where it flashed brightly. When the light cleared, the six ponies were gone, as was the shield which had powered down the second they had vanished.

“Start with the east side, Twilight will start at the west,” Celestia exclaimed, the alicorn stepping over to her predetermined spot. “Let's get the major pathways cleaned of residue before moving onto the smaller ones.”

“On it!” Twilight yelled back, the unicorn already doing as her teacher had commanded.

“Uh, guys, is it supposed to be glowing like that?” Applejack questioned, pointing to the wall where one of the scrying screens displayed the exterior of the castle.

Cancelling her spell, Twilight stood up and looked over to where she could see every last one of Nightmare Moon’s army being lit up by an eerie purple light which poured out of the ground and made up the single largest rune Twilight had seen in her entire life. In the midst of it all stood Nightmare Moon herself, who was grinning wolfishly, her horn burning with the same color as the ground.

“Impossible, we should have had another hour before she finished it!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Why fire it now?” Celestia questioned.

“She must have figured out how to track when the array was used,” Blueblood explained, the dark templar peering up at the image.

“What do we do?” Applejack questioned. “We need more time.”

“I’ll hold them,” Blueblood declared.

“No, wait-” Celestia began, only to be interrupted when the rune pulsed once before vanishing along with the barrier holding back Nightmare Moon’s army.

The alicorn let out a strangled gasp before hitting the ground, her chest heaving and her horn sparking sporadically.

“I’m sorry, auntie, but you know as well as I that magic was never really my thing, so I can't help you here,” Blueblood stated, his expression darkening as he turned to Twilight. “Take care of her.”

The infested unicorn nodded. “I will.”

“I’m going with you,” declared one of the guards.

“As am I,” added the other.

“W-wait,” Celestia shouted, the pony struggling to get back to her hooves. “You can't throw your lives away like this! Nightmare Moon will kill you all.”

“We aren't throwing them away, right, Dauntless?” asked the mare.

“That's right, Staunch. We’re spending them wisely,” answered the stallion.

“I order you to stay!” shouted Celestia, the alicorn slamming her hoof into the ground in emphasis.

“Then I guess we quit,” remarked Dauntless with a shrug.

“I guess so,” added Staunch, who turned to the dark templar. “Ready, my prince?”

Blueblood nodded. “I am. Stay close.”

“No, stop!” Celestia yelled, but it was too late, and all three of them were wrapped in darkness before disappearing.

“Zecora, use the scrying orbs to monitor their progress, Applejack, watch the door,” Twilight yelled, before sprinting over to the fallen alicorn. “Come on, Princess. We got work to do.”

Celestia looked up at her student with tears falling down her weathered features. “I can't leave them, Twilight. He's the last family I have left.”

“That ain't true,” Applejack interrupted. “We’re all your family, Princess. Heck, I’ve known you longer than both my parents.”

“I swore an oath to watch over them, Applejack. I can't turn my back on him,” Celestia croaked.

“Then fix the teleporter so he doesn't need to risk his life,” Twilight whispered.

Celestia breathed deeply. “Yes, of course. If we got the array working, he would have to return to us.”

Blueblood is faring well against our enemies, Zecora pointed out, the zebra adjusting the scrying sphere in order to get a better view of the dark templar.

Who was leaping from one dark corner to the next, cutting down every Nightmare Moon’s soldier who made the mistake of charging into the castle. Most of whom seemed to be simple mindless grunts who were probing their defences with little regard for their own life. Behind the prince stood the two royal guards slightly further back, both firing bolts of magic and generally dealing with the stragglers that Blueblood left behind.

“What would happen if we cleared out the main brunt of the magical residue and fired the array without bothering with the smaller bits?” Twilight questioned.

Celestia paused. “I don't know. Worst case scenario we get teleported in more than one piece, but even if things go well, we may end up temporarily displaced with some arriving sooner than others.”

“That is a chance we are just going to have to take,” Twilight declared, tapping her hoof. “Are you ready, Celestia?”

“I am, let's get this done,” Celestia replied confidently.

Twilight immediately got to work, while across from her Celestia did the same, their horns glowing brightly as they began the arduous process of maintaining the array. While this happened, the infested unicorn gently prodded Zecora, allowing Twilight to see through the other mare’s eyes to where Blueblood and the guards were holding a hallway against a great throng of Nightmare Moon’s soldiers.

Who had created an enormous wall of blue force in front of them, keeping them safe while also allowing them to slowly push forward. It wasn't the fastest breaching method, but it ensured that Nightmare Moon’s forces suffered few casualties in the process. Something Nightmare Moon herself didn't seem to mind, as the alicorn strode behind her wall of soldiers, head held high.

Diverting her attention fully to the task before her, Twilight poured everything she had into her spellwork, silently hoping that in the end it would be enough.


We are running out of time, my queen! Zecora exclaimed, jabbing a pointed appendage at the screen above her.

Twilight looked up to find that Nightmare Moon’s forces had entered the final hallway and were pushing towards where Blueblood and the two guards were making their last stand. The prince sported numerous wounds, though remained upright, while one of the guards had lost both of his front legs and was propped up against a wall. Though alive, it wasn't by much, and the light of his horn was weak, his spells splashing uselessly against Nightmare Moon’s personal barrier.

The only one who on first glance seemed no worse for wear was the female guard, though Twilight could tell that she was suffering from extreme magical fatigue. Her horn smoked, her eyelids struggled to stay open, and she appeared visibly disoriented, her spear held slack in her loose grip. Few of the alicorn’s soldiers remained, and with a wave of her hoof, they charged forward, abandoning the slow push they had been utilizing up until this point.

Traps fired, soldiers were injured or killed, but the group was not slowed, with Nightmare Moon’s forces leaping over the bodies of their dead and dying without pausing even for a moment. In seconds they were atop the defenders, leaping over the thin barrier of fallen stonework they had erected. Where Blueblood lay in wait, his bright green blades slicing through flesh and armor with ease while the stallion himself danced through the carnage.

Every move brought death to his enemies, the unicorn flowing like water between one opponent and the next, his form shifting like the shadows which surrounded him. Yet even the dark templar himself struggled to counter the sheer weight of his enemies, and within seconds he was surrounded. Only to surprise everyone when he became a blur of motion, seemingly striking each enemy at once, every blow hitting its mark with deadly proficiency.

The bodies of his foes didn't even have a chance to hit the ground before Nightmare Moon was atop him, hoof raised. The unicorn tried to bring his blades up to block, but the alicorn was too fast and punched him hard across the face. Then before Blueblood could get back up, Nightmare Moon picked him up in her magic before tossing him through a solid stone wall.

Though Twilight couldn't see what had happened to the stallion, she held out hope that he was okay. Right up until Nightmare Moon fired a beam of purple energy through the hole he had disappeared into. The triumphant smirk on Nightmare Moon’s face told Twilight everything she needed to know about what happened. Twilight looked away just after the guards were beheaded with a pair of summoned crescent moon-shaped blades, their attacks not having phased the dark alicorn in the slightest.

“This is as good as it's going to get!” Twilight shouted. “Everyone onto the stand!”

Celestia stood up suddenly, her gaze instantly going to the scrying screen. “Stars above, those poor souls… Did my nephew escape?”

“We don't know, but we need to go,” Twilight shouted, stowing down the slight pang of guilt that came with lying to her teacher.

“Come on, Zecora, let's get out of here!” Applejack yelled as she slithered over to the center of the array.

The zebra gave Nightmare Moon one last glance before sprinting away, her alien features twisted into a grimace of disgust. This is going to be close.

“We’ll make it,” Twilight replied, the unicorn lighting her horn, and pumping her magic into the array, beginning its start up routine.

“Thirty seconds,” Celestia exclaimed, the alicorn standing at the edge of the magical field, her horn glowing brightly.

Twilight stood nervously atop the pedestal at the center of the room, her hybrids flanking her on either side. She didn't need to look at them to know that they were ready, and that they remembered the plan she had constructed the day they had arrived. Though she knew doubts were swirling through the other infesteds’ minds, Twilight could tell that they would do what she had asked of them.

So it was that they stood there, eyes plastered on the enormous black doors, their minds conjuring images of the alicorn they knew was coming ever closer. Traps fired, spells went off, and magical barriers were shattered one after another, their enemy making short work of their defences. Celestia was doing her best to concentrate on just getting the array to fire properly, though Twilight could tell that her teacher was trying hard not to steal a glance at the door.

Twenty seconds, Zecora reminded them.

“Come on, come on,” Twilight muttered.

A sudden cold draft drew everyone’s attention to the bottom of the door where blue crystals had begun to form. It took mere seconds for the ice to crawl up the interior of the barrier, seconds which Twilight spent preparing one of the most powerful spells she knew. Applejack aimed at the center of the ice-covered entrance while Zecora was readying herself to lob a wad of poison at their foe.

Ten seconds, Zecora dutifully noted.

As if one cue, the door exploded outwards, shattering into a thousand shards which shot across the room, some burying themselves in the walls or floor while others bounced harmlessly off the defenders. The second this happened, Twilight released her spell, firing off a swirling orb of dark smoke which erupted into a great sphere of white hot embers upon nearing the door. The cloud of flame swirled angrily, twisting inwards on itself and burning everything it touched with the intensity of an angry sun.

All of which seemed to amount to pretty much nothing, as Nightmare Moon merely pumped her wings once and caused the entire spell to dissipate a mere second after it had formed. The alicorn that emerged had no visible wounds whatsoever, and not even her mane seemed marred by Twilight’s attack. She was also completely unfazed by both Applejack’s assault, and Zecora’s projectile, as she conjured a wall of ice to block them both.

With the seconds ticking down, Twilight used the brief distraction of her hybrids’ attack to cast another spell, this time sending a burst of black energy at the alicorn. Who strode through her wall of ice and caught Twilight’s spell in the chest, stumbling for a moment. The negatively charged energy poured into her, and for a moment Twilight thought her hoof of death may have worked.

That was until the other mare pushed aside the attack like it was nothing, her eyes narrowing balefully at the unicorn.

“I will deal with you later, this ends now, Celestia!” roared the dark alicorn.

“Sister, I-” was all Celestia could utter before the other alicorn began to move.

Seven.

Seeing her opportunity rapidly approaching, Twilight began to cast a twinned teleportation spell, weaving the spell as quickly as she could. While this happened, Nightmare Moon leapt across the room, the sheer force of the act causing the stone beneath her hooves to be destroyed. Celestia released her hold on the array long enough to create a golden barrier between her and Nightmare Moon but it was too little too late.

Five.

The dark alicorn’s hoof punched straight through the shield like it didn't even exist, shattering it completely. In the blink of an eye, Nightmare Moon conjured a crescent blade mid-fall and brought the weapon down against Celestia’s torso. The sword cleaved through flesh and muscle with disturbing ease, severing the other alicorn’s spine, and cutting the mare cleanly in half.

Three.

With a scream on her lips, Twilight cast her spell the very millisecond it was ready, trading places with the upper half of Celestia’s body. The look of terror and confusion she saw in Celestia’s eyes tore at Twilight’s soul but the unicorn pushed through, her rage overcoming her grief. Trusting her friends to do as they needed, Twilight fired off her next spell in record time, entombing the dark alicorn in black ice which erupted up from the ground.

One.

Before Nightmare Moon could escape her newest prison, Twilight conjured a cage of force around the ice with a second spell. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Twilight watched as the terrified faces of her friends vanished, their bodies tensed, as if they were ready to jump in and help, only to be held back by Twilight’s final order. For a single horrifying instant Twilight caught a glimpse of her teacher’s broken form and the look of complete agony visible on her features.

As if realizing that her prey had escaped her grasp, Nightmare Moon emerged from her prison like an angry god, the mare tearing through the force cage like it was made of paper. “How dare you rob me of what is rightfully mine!” she screamed, her voice buffeting the unicorn from seemingly all sides.

Twilight considered fighting the alicorn for all of a second before remembering how easily she had been bested by her before. With a single mighty shove, Twilight pushed down all the rage, guilt, and pain which swirled within her and focused on merely escaping with her life. Lighting her horn, the unicorn began to cast the long range teleportation spell, and though it would take mere seconds to cast, she knew that would be all the time Nightmare Moon needed.

A beam of purple energy ripped through the air at such speed that Twilight only narrowly managed to escape it. Even then the unicorn could feel the hair on her legs briefly catch flame before being quickly burning itself out. The pain was manageable, but with her magic occupied, Twilight was forced to rely entirely on her other powers to save her.

She tried to shove Nightmare Moon back when the alicorn lunged at her, but Twilight’s push did nothing to slow the enraged alicorn. Another white, crescent-shaped blade descended towards Twilight’s head, her attacker attempting to split the other mare’s skull with a single downward strike. Hastily stepping back, Twilight managed to partially escape, though not completely, as she received a cut from her forehead across her eye and down her cheek.

Closing her eyelid on impulse, the unicorn could feel hot blood cascade down her torn features and pain lance across her face. She shoved all of that agony down into the pit of her stomach and decided to switch tactics, pushing herself back rather than trying to stop Nightmare Moon. Yanking herself out of the next swipe, Twilight desperately kept her spell from fizzling due to her split attention, and just barely succeeded.

Knowing full well that her attacks would do nothing, Twilight grabbed her own body in her psychic grip and lifted herself out of the way of a sweeping strike which would have cut her off at the knees. With an enraged snarl, Nightmare Moon leapt into the air after her enemy, conjuring a fan of ice as she did so and nearly impaling Twilight.

The unicorn had to lift her legs and squeezed herself into as slim a profile as possible, slipping between two twelve-foot spears of ice. Emerging onto the other side, Twilight yanked herself upward, narrowly dodging a ball of swirling darkness which fluctuated wildly. As Twilight flipped through the air she saw the black orb incinerate its way clear through several floors without stopping.

Then, it clicked, and as a skeletal hoof wreathed in black fire reached out towards her, Twilight released her spell, winking out of existence and transporting far from the dark alicorn.

Where she landed in a tangle of her own limbs, her vision blurred, her body aching and blood pouring down her face. Looking down, Twilight tried to gather her bearings, only to notice that her right forehoof was glowing faintly. Her first instinct was to panic, thinking this was some sort of delayed attack, but she quickly realized that it wasn't going to kill her.

It was merely a tracking rune that would tell Nightmare Moon exactly where she was.