//------------------------------//
// Chapter 30 - Storm Pt. 3 
// Story: Twilight Daylight: The Cold War 
// by thedarktome 
//------------------------------//

The shield was up. Corporal Scootaloo could see it from here, beneath the damages Psera's angered queen brought upon Las Pegasus. Multiple businesses were shuttered, some buildings had collapsed, and one of Psera's large U-Boats now towered over the head beach itself, casting a shadow upon the homes and lives of the victims of this senseless act.

They were forced to duck. As the only ponies left upon Equestria's shores, Lieutenant Scootaloo found it a good idea to hide out so they could possibly grab Arcadia from behind. Looks likes the Front Lawn was already making that happen.

The beach was lifeless. Filled with nothing but the frozen forms of IHT's defensive line and fallen weapons littering the dirt. But underneath the rubble, underneath the cause of disbelief a gathering of wood was slowly lifted. Majority Green peeked out and glanced around suspiciously.

"It's clear," she whispered. "The shield is up too."

Private Mixed Candies lifted the rest of the wood and aim his weapon out onto the beach alongside another Pseratep. Lieutenant Scootaloo climbed out of the hole with the rest of those who hid. Twelve Pserateps who barely understood a word they were saying.

"That was way too close," she said. Fighting in a war is one thing, but going head first is near suicide.

"Ish hootah!" Were they calling for her? Scootaloo turned around to face the Pserateps' captain. He was pointing to the U-Boat, barking orders. "Ek kalama portamala!"

Eight Pserateps flew for the U-Boat. They latched onto the upper frame and began unlocking their airtight doors from the outside. A rescue attempt for more reinforcements. Was their any way they could revitalize any of their own?

Scootaloo approached one of their own soldiers lying in the dirt and flipped them over. "Let's get them some medical," she said. "Tough Watts! Give us a hoof!"

With the help of the Pserateps and others, they managed to move all of their wounded off the beaches of Las Pegasus. Some had light cuts, others gashes that would need some serious medical help. They carried them off the beach and to whatever structure nearby that supported.

"Nal manooah!" Scootaloo looked back to the beach and an approaching Pseratep. The one who clearly didn't know Ponish. He walked up to Scootaloo with another Pseratep and gestured to the beach.

"Nal pasca, manemah shalmah!"

The soldier next to him translated, "Do you have anymore defense? Arcadia will return and we must be prepared."

Scootaloo pointed up to the sky. "As you can see, the shield is our strongest defense to keep her at bay. We have more fighters standing by in Canterlot."

Scootaloo retrieved a Comm Block from off the hoof of a collapsed Pseratep. "We have to get in contact with Canterlot and get some med evac."

The Pseratep translated her words to Old Pseratopian for their Commander. With a rush of words the commander nodded. They should have enough to have Queen Arcadia relinquish any direct attacks for a while. But even he knew she'd break through that shield at some point.

Scootaloo raised her Comm Block up. "Lieutenant Scootaloo to command, do you copy?"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"We need med evac on the beach, multiple wounded. We need as many as you can send us."

"Copy. Stand by, we'll—"

Suddenly, a large neon blue beam larger than anything they've ever seen blew into the sky, taking with it the light of day.

Scootaloo dropped the Comm Block into the sand. She covered her eyes. "What is that?! Are we under attack?!"

"Har mah sha maloolah!"

"Impossible! It's too soon!"

They needed intel! Scootaloo grabbed her Comm Block and held it up. "Command! Command, do you copy?"

"We lost you," their contact said. "Med Evac is on their way!"

"Excellent, can we get a status on that beam?"

"No known origin. It's coming from the Everfree Forest." The Everfree?! "You have a new order. We need scouts to check it out. The Princesses are requesting a visual on the beam up close and personal."

"Copy. We're making moves now." Scootaloo addressed the soldiers behind her. "We've been given new orders from the Princesses themselves! Investigate that beam!"

Majority Green pointed to the world's source of a sudden night. "You mean that one?"

"It's coming from the Everfree Forest! Med Evac is on their way!" Scootaloo turned around and watched the skies. Here they come. Two soldiers per chariot, fifteen sweeping low to the beach.

"And not a moment too late," Scootaloo said to herself.

"Nal Manooah!" The Pseratep pointed to the beam. "Esh shacal teoo Everfree?"

"What is the significance of the Everfree Forest?"

Scootaloo grabbed her weapon and scooter. "Let's just say that the Everfree has a place in Equestria where it shouldn't. Creatures, monsters, and unnatural entities reside inside. Ponies don't just walk in there."

She kicked her scooter into position and settled herself down. "We'd better hurry before Queen Arcadia beats us there. That shield isn't going to hold her back forever." They all knew it. It was strong, that shimmering overlay of gold entombing the land around them. But Queen Arcadia was certainly on her way back, and that shield wasn't going to stop her.



Yes, the shield was up. Now they could work on the second phase of the plan. The Canterlot Castle was urgently making their moves, constantly shifting around their soldiers in the field and preparing weaponry. She was on her way.

While they spoke, Cadance kept her eyes on Psera's screens. A technology she wished Equestria could utilize. Alas, this will do for now. She could see all of Las Pegasus and the fires that claimed nearby structures. Ponyville and the security marching through the town. The military's weaponry staged in a field aimed towards the sky. IHT's own making their stand in Canterlot. Manehattan's buildings packed with ponies and Zebras hiding from their angered enemy.

Cadance looked back to the room and asked, "Where would she go?"

Luna looked up from a map she and Celestia were reading. "There is no clue," she answered. "She attacked Las Pegasus because, we suspect, they had a large defensive line."

"Do you think she'll try and go through our defenses?"

Celestia shook her head. "No. It would be a waste of magic. She may just go over it for her goal."

Odega teleported over to the discussion and pointed out, "Which we still don't know. Why is she here? How exactly is she going to wipe out magic? Does Equestria have any sort of way that it could be possible?"

"Equestria? No. Twilight? Maybe. After everything we've seen and witnessing what she's done, anything she says should not be taken lightly."

"Blip on the screen!" Someone announced.

All turned their sights to the monitor at the front of the room displaying Psera's early detection system. A large circle represented Equestria. A smaller circle represented a projectile, quickly approaching. It wasn't slowing down. At that speed...

"She's going to slam right into our shield," Xin Jing, Hoof Yun's Guard Captain pointed out.

Crystaltite asked, "Is it going to hold?"

Will anything hold against the goddess of magic? Cadance swallowed hard. "There's only one way to find out."

She could hear her coming. They all could, the violet star leaving a scar in the sky, streaking towards its destination. It was bright, enough to stop Scootaloo's journey through the whistling woods and look to the stars, to watch that one angle up, shoot faster than the speed of light, and slam right into their shield with a loud gong.

"Oh boy," she muttered. The impact was so hard she swore the shield bent in. A wave of shock spread from the point of impact across the shield's surface. A large one.

Uh oh. Scootaloo looked back to the team watching it spread. "Run... We have to run! Now!"

She kicked her scooter low and quickly blew through Whitetail all the way to Ponyville And the ponies fortifying there.

"Everyone take cover!!" She shouted.

Slowly, vibrations grew under their hooves. The world was lifting. A cloud of dirt and dust escaped the Whitetail Woods, creeping down the hills into Ponyville.

"Take cover!"

"Hang on!"

Scootaloo ducked around the corner of a house and flattened herself against the wall. She could hear it coming, high winds loud enough to be mistaken for a hurricane. When that hurricane hit, Buildings rattled, glass shattered, carts flew through the air crashing into whatever lied out. Some structures lost their roofs, others merely their shingles.

Oh, when would this nightmare end?

The wind slowly died down, but Scootaloo was sure that shockwave was spreading further and further. They needed to get to Everfree.

She poked her head out into view. "Is everyone okay?!" She asked.

Silent Sound and the Pserateps pulled themselves free from wherever they hit or were blown into. Whether it be from inside of barrels like Majority Green, or holes in the ground like Psera's captain and his translator.

He saluted. "Ala!"

"We're fine!"

It seemed the team was good. Scootaloo pointed behind her to the edge of the Everfeee Forest. The blue beam stood tall, a beacon in the sky attracting their worst enemy in all of Equestria's history.

"We have to get there now!"



"Reports of a shockwave from west side!"

"Magical interference, we're losing our comms!"

How could a slam into a shield knock out so many of their assets?! Celestia could see it all, watching with fearful eyes as Twilight threw blast after blast at the shield. Like a bee, she tried multiple angles and multiple tactics. It seemed to be holding her back. But that wouldn't last forever. She was slowing down, thinking, taking it easy until she stopped flying entirely. Her eyes seemed to be on that mysterious beam. The one they didn't make.

She looked to Shining Armor. "Are we investigating that light?"

"There's a team from the beach, heading that way now."

Good. Celestia turned back and faced the screen. Arcadia's hooves touched down directly over Canterlot, watching them observe her from below. Sneering at them and their soldiers watching through their cameras.

Celestia put her helmet on her head and looked back to the room. "Prepare yourselves. She's analyzing."

Their systems began to falter. Glitches and freezes until Arcadia's voice took form throughout the room. A voice that ran through the castle.

"You think this can keep me at bay," she said. "You think this shield made of magic is enough to keep my power back? A big mistake."

Luna assured, "We will do whatever is necessary to protect the safety of lives everywhere."

"It's funny how you couldn't do the same for me." Twilight walked across the shield settling directly over Canterlot Castle. The sky turned violet with storm clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled across the sky. High winds blew her mane askew, revealing her blind eye piercing into their souls below.

"No matter," she said. "For it all ends today."

Their systems crashed. Blue screens across the board. They were offline.

"Comms are down!"

"We lost contact with external connections!"

"No service with Lavender!"

Looks like things were going to become more hooves-on. Commanding behind the scenes was over. They all knew what time it was.

Luna grabbed her own helmet and turned back to Cadance, Shining Armor, and Princess Merry. "Stay inside. Protect Flurry." She turned to Sun Waves, Tritanium, and Sky Duster. "Let's go. She's going to find a way through."

Odega stepped forward with the rest of the Legends of Psera. "Don't forget about us."

"Never. Let's go." They all trotted through the entrance of the castle with their heads held high, through the soldiers securing the halls saluting them forward. This was the final battle. A fight to save all of magic against the goddess of magic. A team of nine against the body of one.

Who would come out on top?

They made it to the front of the castle, doors locked and sealed. The guards went to work removing the runes. Then swung them open for the last strongest line of defense.

The sun disappeared, hiding behind the violet storm clouds casting a shadow onto the land below, swirling around Queen Arcadia standing upon the shield with her wings spread. Celestia met her gaze, hoping she could see the disappointment and feel how upset she was. Instead, she saw nothing but rage, anger, and resentment in her glare.

The nine of them stood and hovered in a line, unmoving.

Calmly, Celestia said, "I feel this has been coming for quite some time. Hasn't it, Twilight?" She didn't answer, continuing to stare at them with eyes of acid, burning through their fur. "You never truly forgave us, all those years ago. I could see it each and every time we spoke after."

"The pain of the past..." Twilight said. She reared up until she was standing on two hooves. "Do not amount to our futures. Although they play a part in reason. I have witnessed and seen many things in my life. But nothing can truly amount to the disrespect I have received because of jealousy and greed. You choosing to defend this jealousy and greed proves to me that you love magic more than the ponies who died because of it."

"That isn't true and you know it."

"I guess we shall find out."

She was about to make her move. Those on the ground prepared themselves and took their stance. Twilight withdrew her sword and raised it to her face. This was a gift from her husband. To defend all that was Psera. Yet here they were attacking her, supposedly her loyal home. No more.

Twilight flipped her blade and poured in her magic. Then sheathed the blade through the shield. Immediately, it began to reject her. Magic surged up the sword and into her body, electrifying her. Twilight threw her head back and screamed through the pain, a cry of agony that rose even the fur off of Luna's back.

It burned through her like she knew it would. But all pain would end. You can either let it control and destroy you, or you can control and destroy it.

Twilight ignited her horn and wings, taking hold of the electrifying magic. It was in her grasp, in her hooves, swirling into a ball of energy until finally her cries of pain turned into cries of happiness.

"Yes!!" She shouted. "Come to me!!"

"What is she doing?!" Luna asked.

She was doing the impossible. She was doing the one thing that would surely kill her, but seemed to be empowering her even more than usual.

Celestia swallowed hard. "She's absorbing magic."

"We have to stop her!"

Celestia knew what to do. She teleported away, heading back to Ponyville's castle of friendship. She appeared among the turmoil. Their invention was overloading. A loud alarm blared through the lab. The device itself was quivering and shaking, smoking internally. Screws, nails, whatever held it together flew off and to the floor.

Sunset and Starlight were doing what they could when Celestia arrived, capturing their attention.

Sunset pointed back. "We shut it down! But she has direct access to the power cell!!"

"She kicked open every single safeguard we had! There's nothing we can do!"

Twilight was using their own invention against them. She managed to get her hooves on their shield . . . to absorb it. Buck.

Celestia teleported back to Canterlot amongst the line of defenders. "They can't shut it down! She has direct access to their power cell! Unless they want to fry alive and achieve nothing, then Arcadia has it!"

The shield was shrinking, losing its strength and collapsing where Arcadia stood until finally it was all gone. Arcadia fell to the ground and slammed into the street. A wave of magic and dirt expelled upon impact, forcing them to cover their eyes. A dense wall of smog prevented them from seeing what they feared. But they could make out her silhouette.

Twilight pulled herself from the crater. Her sword was lifted and stabbed into the ground, acting as her support while she caught her breath.

Luna stepped forward and shouted, "Just what do you hope to achieve today by attacking Equestria?! You give yourself merely a sentence in Tartarus, Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight opened her eyes, glowing violet with energy unmatched. She rose to her hooves and sheathed her blade back into her scabbard. Her eyes never left theirs.

"I will achieve what you are afraid to," she answered. "Either the disruption and control, or the absolute disintegration of magical energies everywhere."

Celestia stepped forward. "You think this will make the world a safer place. That attacking our strongest magic holders will keep the world safe."

"I'm not here for your magic holders." Twilight raised her wings and flapped them, dispelling the smog and clearing out the street so they could see her. "I'm here for you."

Sky Duster floated in front of Celestia alongside Sun Waves and Tritanium. "Then you'll have to go through us."

Odega and Crystaltite teleported to Arcadia's left while Soymenar and Leacrope took her right.

"As well as us," Odega added.

Twilight tracked them with her eyes calmly, as if they were no threat. "Drop your weapon, Twilight, and surrender," Luna urged her. "You are outnumbered. You have done enough damage."

Outnumbered, she said. "The fact that you believe I am outnumbered proves to me that you don't know me well."

She was outnumbered. There were nine of them and she was surrounded. Wasn't she?

Celestia and Luna shared a glance. Something was up. Twilight turned her gaze to the rooftops of one of the buildings beside them. Where a figure slowly emerged that attracted the pony sisters' eyes. Wait... Celestia's seen this trick before.

Another Twilight. Dressed in her exact garb. Followed by another, then another and another. An access hole for the sewers was kicked open and its shield flew into the air. Two more Arcadia Novas pulled themselves out and flanked the original one's side. More appeared around them, emerging from doorways and rooftops.

"Uh oh," Luna muttered. She did a complete three-sixty. Now they were surrounded and outnumbered.

Odega cursed and calmly stomped her hoof. "Oh, I forgot she could do that."

Soymenar glared at Odega. "You forgot she could duplicate herself?!"

"Well no other creature can!!"

Arcadia poised herself into a fighting stance, eyes narrowed and burrowed, glaring at Celestia. "It's a shame how you thought I wasn't prepared."

"I was hoping you would make the right choice as usual and lower your weapon," Celestia replied. "But I see that isn't going to happen. Is it?"

Twilight sighed and replied, "Unless someone else decides to rectify the misuse of magic in this world, then I will raise my sword..." Twilight lifted her blade and pointed it at Celestia. "And make the hardest choice I would ever have to make."

Luna saw it coming. She pushed Celestia to the side before a large beam expelled from Twilight's weapon. It speared past them, through the castle's gates and slammed into the front lawn, leaving a burning hot crater in the grain of the earth. The fight was on.

The Twilights jumped from the rooftops and soared into the street below them. A distraction, it had to be. Yet, a distraction they gladly indulged in.

Luna and Celestia teleported to their hooves and summoned a shield at the moment they charged for their group. Without magic, they were normal ponies that were blown away like wisps of wind. Shadows that faded into the air at the swing of Tritanium's fist and a blast of Odega's fire.

Celestia muttered, "Dark magic." How lower could Arcadia go?

A clone hopped onto the back of Celestia, attempting to weight her down. A clone that was blown away by a blast from Sun Waves' horn.

She shared a nod with Celestia and continued to summon spell after spell, minimizing Arcadia's army of clones.

Sky Duster was teleporting around the area, hitting and kicking away as many of them as she could. She teleported briefly to Celestia. "Where's the real one?!" She asked.

The question of the hour. After launching her clones upon them, they lost sight of the real Arcadia among the horde.

Celestia referred to Odega and the Legends. "Can you track her?!"

Leacrope nodded and answered, "I feel her magic nearby!"

That tells her nothing! Arcadia's magic goes for miles! Celestia threw her hoof at one, knocked aside another, and flapped her wings at four. "Tritanium!"

"I'm workin' on it!" Tritanium ran through the rest, eventually clearing a good half of the field. "Still no sign of her!"

Luna teleported into the middle of the horde and swung her wings, erasing more. One on her left, a swing, and disperse. Another on her right, dispersed.

One near her rear, she lifted her hooves and bucked backwards, only coming into contact with air. What? She turned back around and stared directly into the violet neon eyes of Arcadia.

Before she could react, Luna was blown back through the field and directly into Tritanium. They hit the ground and rolled to the hooves of their allies.

Luna pointed her hoof from under Tritanium. "Found her." They could see her, standing there with her large wings spread and poised for a fight. Well, if she wanted one...

Sky Duster fired a spell, a large light blue beam of magic towards the direction of Equestria's greatest foe. It speared through the air and froze, an inch away from Arcadia's nonplussed expression.

"....whoa," Sun Waves muttered. She shared a glance with Sky Duster. Uh oh.

The beam Arcadia managed to control curved and turned itself in a revolution, picking up speed before turning into a neon blur, expanding and growing in a disk shape. She tossed it in the air, jumped up, turned and kicked it down in their direction. A slice of magic sharp enough to rip a head off.

"WHOA!!" Sky Duster dodged to the side, barely avoiding a clean cut with Arcadia's latest manipulation. Instead, it found its home in the concrete street.

That was way to close. Celestia and Luna looked back to Twilight. Her hooves were glowing. She wasn't done. "Scatter!" Luna shouted.

Twilight swung one hoof up, sending a blade of magic in their direction followed by more whilst they seeked shelter behind the edges of buildings. Any location not in her sight was the safest space.

"Running only prolongs the inevitable!" Arcadia shouted.

Celestia shouted back, "No matter what you do, Twilight, you will never wipe away magic!"

"You don't know me well enough! You never did!"

They knew her well enough when to run and when to fight back. Twilight wasn't always the best at focus. Both Luna and Celestia knew that. Distractions, her greatest enemy she had yet to overcome. Wave after wave sliced through the street, hitting the side of their hiding place and knocking aside chunk after chunk of concrete, wood, and metal. One beam hit a stop sign, giving Luna an idea.

She turned to Celestia. "Follow my lead! We only have a second to fight back."

Lead? What lead?! Luna used her magic to rip the stop sign off and bring it over to them. Ohhh, so that's what she was going to do! Celestia looked past Luna to the Legends and Defenders on the other side.

"Prepare yourselves!" She shouted.

Give it a second. Twilight's magic slowed briefly, giving Luna her window. She jumped out of cover and threw the stop sign up to Twilight.

What the...?! Twilight stopped throwing her magic and teleported to a rooftop. Did they just throw a sign at her?! She watched it fall to the ground before turning back to where they were hiding, now vacant. Ugh! They distracted her! Twilight teleported over to where they were and shot her angered look from side to side.

"You can't hide forever!!" She shouted.

"We're not hiding!" Twilight jumped to the side and rolled away before Tritanium came crashing down where she once stood. the ground beneath his hooves crumbled under the weight of his mass. An opportunity arose for Twilight.

She aimed her horn at Tritanium, glowing with energy before she was blown to the side by Leacrope. She crashed into a building and into a wall. Curse her distractions!

On her right. Twilight ducked and used the magic in her wings to slice at her attacker. Sun Waves however knew she would go for that trick. She teleported to the other side of Twilight and blew her out the front of the store with a cry and into the street. She rolled out but was back upon her hooves in an instant.

"Not so tough now are you?!" Twilight looked up and was blown back once more by the force of a filly. That Sky Duster. Curse all of them. She rolled to the hooves of Celestia. They needed to pin her down, if she gets back up and gets the upper hand, there would be no way for them to stop her. So she summoned a spell.

A golden ring outlined with runes was drawn underneath Twilight. Threads of gold cocooned her, pinning her to the ground. The Defenders and Legends quickly surrounded and held down her limbs, preventing her from flapping them. Soldiers waiting for the right moment stormed out of their hiding places in Canterlot and quickly rushed towards the scene, weapons drawn and aimed at Twilight "Arcadia Nova" Sparkle.

"Let's go, let's go!!"

"Weapons hot!!"

Twilight grunted and struggled to escape. Before she could light her horn, a ring was placed on her horn. Followed by another and another. Three, just enough to dim her magic.

No. No it can't end like this!! Twilight continued to fight. Eyes narrowed, she stared up to her enemies, the rest of the world. To Celestia glaring in disappointment. To Luna, bearing murderous intent. To Odega, to Cadance, to Shining Armor, to all of them.

"It is over, Twilight," Celestia said.

No. No it wasn't over until she said it was over. Because she gave them their power. She gave them life, she gave them her all. And this was how they repay her?! No. It shall not end this way. It ends when she says it ends.

"Release me." Her inner demon. The one born of pain, anger, and frustration. She could see all of what she has experienced flash before her eyes that they haven't. The deaths, the fights, the pain, the anguish. Did they care? Did they truly care as much as she does? Do they share her passion for the cleansing of magic? No, for they hold her down now to prevent her tirade, as if she were nothing more than a mad mare. They didn't understand her. None of them ever did. her friends, her family, her teachers, their teachers. Her inspiration. They would never understand her passion for magic.

But no matter, for it would live on; it would not die here. "Release me." Release the anger. Release the frustration. Release that pain.

She was fighting harder. The rings lying on Twilight's horn glowed in intensity. She was fighting back.

Celestia looked back to the soldiers. "Cadance!! We need a sedation spell!!"

One of Twilight's hooves broke free of the ropes and runes, glowing with magic. It fired off a bolt to the sky. The sound of thunder reigned for miles.

"No!!" Luna went for the hoof and pushed it down.

Twilight shouted through her struggles. "You think you can hold back what is true, and continue lying to yourselves!! You think you can hold down the reality of what is real, and push forward with the facade you've painted!!"

Twilight pulled her right hoof free from the strong grip of Tritanium and swung it through the air. A blast of magic threw them off her body and back from their subject. Tritanium slammed into a wall. Pserateps flapped desperately amongst high winds before it overpowered and blew them from the sky.

The rings burning upon Twilight's horn burst, shattering to pieces. Encased in a glow, Celestia, Luna, and the Legends of Psera were thrown from Twilight's side. So close! They almost had her!

Twilight yanked herself free from the hold of Celestia's detainment spell and stood upon her hooves. Wings spread and hooves poised, she stared down the creatures of the world gathering themselves for another fight. The dragons, taking to the rooftops. The changelings crawling from the windows. The Pserateps aiming from the skies. The Alicorns ringing her from above. The Princesses watching her stand on her own hooves.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP THE TRUTH!!" She shouted. 

Admiral Silver pointed at Arcadia. "Fire!! Let her have it!!"

The Pserateps pulled on their triggers. Bullets from the sky rained down upon Twilight's shield. But nay, they would land no hit. Twilight shot her head back and released a ball of energy from her horn. Shining white and glowing with energy, it exploded. A violet shell captured the Pserateps shooting away at Twilight and pulled them together. Then, with a release of kinetic energy that blew back manes, and a camera-like flash, they were gone.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN LIVE A LIE FOREVERMORE!!"

The dragons jumped from the rooftops and charged for Twilight. A big mistake. The ground betrayed them. Twilight raised her wings, glowing with magic. The ground broke down beneath their claws, dropping them into the darkness below filled with rock and concrete. One dragon managed to grab hold of the edge and attempted to pull themselves from the land below.

Twilight approached, staring down into his eyes, begging, pleading for mercy. She could see it. They all could see it. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She did.

Twilight pulled her sword from its scabbard, raised it high, and stabbed it down into the neck of her enemy. Blood stained the blade poking from the back of his neck. Cadance watched in terror, in utter horror as he fell lifeless while his killer moved forward for them. Her eyes were trained on Celestia. On Luna. On Cadance. On Shining Armor. On her family.

"WELL I AM THE TRUTH!!" Before the Pserateps could even try. Twilight jumped in the air and spun herself around. Shot after shot of magic were launched for the rooftops. At contact with the edge, explosions blew fire and destruction into the sky. The debris and bodies of their allies flew aimlessly from the rooftops. Through the smoke and fire, the fury of Twilight continued pushing forward.

"TWILIGHT, STOP!!" Odega ran forward, the bravest of them all. She slid from an incoming attack Twilight threw at her and collided into Twilight. But she held her footing. "THIS IS WRONG! YOU MUST STOP!!"

"YOU KNOW IT TO BE TRUE, ODEGA!! YOU WITNESSED MY FAMILY DIE, AND YOU WITNESSED INNOCENT LIVES BE TAKEN BECAUSE OF MAGIC!!" Twilight lifted Odega off her hooves and threw her aside. She slammed into the side of a building. But before she could rise, a zap of magic rendered her body to ice. The keeper of Psera's seas rendered powerless in less than five seconds. Adorned with the stare of pain.

"NOOO!" The Legends of Psera rushed forward. Magic flew through the air, impacting against Twilight's shield. Leacrope, the commander of air appeared behind it. Twilight dodged her hit. A worthless attempt. Glowing hooves lit, Twilight threw Leacrope aside as if she were lighter than her element. She was encased in a violet bubble, trapped in the air. She beat against it, demanding release.

Crystaltite flew in to assist and was instantly grabbed and thrown back through the castle walls. Soymenar, Commander of the Earth, had his body lifted and slammed into a wall back first. Pinned, the concrete lifted and shaped itself into restraints that tied him to the wall. Just like that, the Legends were down.

The alicorns moved in with their weapons from above. Twilight's horn illuminated, and at a twist of her head, a violet wave shot for them. It blew over their coats, turning their bodies to stone. They fell from the sky, crashing into Canterlot and shattering into pieces.

"DON'T YOU SEE?!!" She shouted. Twilight raised her hooves and conjured a rune in the air, glowing with energy. She rotated it quickly and blew it forward with her breath. A portal, filled with a darkness opened. Tentacles of magic shot out and grabbed Pserateps hiding behind a barrier. They were pulled in, screaming for help before the portal closed, and Twilight moved forward. Their barrier disintegrated at the touch of her hooves.

"DON'T YOU SEE WHAT MAGIC HAS DONE TO US?!!"

No! No, she couldn't get any closer! Luna released spell after spell at Twilight Sparkle. All of them, the last line of defense that IHT had left released spell after spell in Twilight's direction. With one hoof raised and the stare of fury, they reflected to the side and Twilight continued forward. She was unstoppable. In a single day, they witnessed the impossible. Psera's expansive military fall, the beach be blown to bits, a shield built to withstand any attack be absorbed, and death. Equestria watched ponies die up close and personal by the same pony who swore to save them all.

Shining and Cadance combined their magics and created a barrier, strong enough to hold as they all backed away slowly. Even Tritanium, Sky Duster, and Sun Waves. They could see the anger in her eyes, the tears running down her face.

"MAGIC IS A VIRUS!!" Twilight raised her hoof and slammed it into the shield. A crack appeared in the middle and a cry of pain was pulled from the throats of Shining and Cadance.

"TWILIGHT, YOU MUST STOP THIS!!" Celestia wailed.

"THAT VIRUS WILL KILL ALL OF US!!" Another hit, a large crack, and a louder grunt of pain. Headaches pounded against both Shining and Cadance.

"AND YOU LET IT HAPPEN!! FOR THIS LONG!!" Twilight finally smashed through their shield and swiped it from existence. Like glass, it fell to the ground. Both Cadance and Shining were thrown across the lawn in opposite directions. Twilight dodged a hit from Tritanium. In return she lifted him in the air and threw him weightlessly behind her. Sky Duster was slammed downwards into the grass of the castle lawn from her hovering position, rendering her unconscious.

Sun Waves was the final pony left. She ran forward and grabbed Twilight's hooves, pleading with her eyes. "You must stop this! I don't know much about you, but this isn't the way! There are other choices!! Magic is beautiful, I'm sure you know that!"

Twilight peered into her gaze. "Magic has done nothing except give us a reason to forget who we once were."

Electric energy surged through Twilight's body and into Sun Wave's. She shot her head back and screamed through the torturous pain of electrocution. Slowly, she fell to the ground. Her hoof slipped from Twilight's and she lied at her hooves. Alive, but not well.

No... No... Was this it? Was this what she wanted? To end them all? Celestia and Luna scurried back as far as their weakened states would allow them. Twilight stepped over Sun Waves and walked over to Celestia and Luna. The last two lying on their backs underneath her power.

"And now, here we are. The three of us, the great ones. I heeded you a warning once. That magic was too strong. That it must be controlled. Yet, more than a decade later and only I am the one to take action against the world's true enemy. Ourselves."

Luna slowly rose to her feet and faced her. "There are other ways, Twilight. We see the pain this has caused you—"

"IT WAS NEVER ABOUT ME!!" She screamed back. Luna dropped back to the ground. "For I am the guilty one! They used my spells to take my ponies!! To take my family!! To take my peace, to take my dreams, and to take my life!! Fine, take everything from me, I already know I'm a target!" Twilight pointed behind her. "But do not take theirs!! Do not attack my country because of my magic! Do not take my daughter's life because of my strength!"

Twilight stomped her hooves upon the chests of Luna and Celestia, pinning them to the dirt. Tears welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and to the grass below. "Yet, here I stand, alone. Because the greed of magic and power outweighs the needs to live. Knowledge is sought after more than life. Convenience, than health. I have seen it all. I've witnessed it in IHT, I've witnessed it in Equestria. I've witnessed it amongst my own family. I've witnessed it in myself.

"I couldn't even raise my own daughter in peace because I come from a line of magic. I was born to be the strongest. I was born to become the symbol we all shouldn't be, and I was born to be feared."

Celestia sighed with dread. Her mind was set, her heart in stone. "What would your family say if they saw you do this?"

"I wouldn't know. I wouldn't be doing this at all if they were still alive and my people were safe." Twilight raised her blade. "This will hurt me as much as I hurt you. But my passion for a better Equus outweighs..."

She froze. Twilight blinked once. Then two more times. She glanced up and looked towards the blue beam shooting into the sky. That feeling... She knew that feeling very well. She held it in her hooves on a daily basis. She'd wipe away its tears. She'd play with it when she was bored. She... She created it.

Twilight dropped her sword. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance watched it fall and sheath into the grass. Twilight's wings lowered. She removed herself from the chests of Luna and Celestia and strode a few feet to the light.

"...what's going on?" Cadance muttered. They didn't know. No one could answer.

The bubble holding Leacrope suddenly popped, dropping her face-first to the concrete. The ice keeping Odega hostage crumbled, releasing her fiery existence. Crystaltite dropped out of the castle walls and Soymenar was released from his stony prison.

"What is happening?" Luna asked. As if time reversed, the world was restored. The violet clouds were parting, letting in the sunlight. The pieces of rock, damages, and fires were put out and placed back as if nothing happened. But the bodies of lifeless ponies lied still. Unmoving.

Cadance ran past Twilight and over to Shining. "Oh my stars, are you okay?"

He coughed and rubbed his head. "I have a massive migraine, but I'm fine." He looked past Cadance and over to Twilight. Her back was turned. This was the moment. "We can restrain her. While she's distracted."

"No," Celestia told him. She turned to all the creatures, generals, soldiers, and military waiting for the signal, aiming and ready to go. But she raised her hoof, stopping them before they could even start. She was calm. She was peaceful. Why?

Celestia was approached by Admiral Shooting Star. "Comms are back," he whispered. "Her Majesty wants an update. What's going on?"

"i don't know. She was about to finish us and then . . . this."

They couldn't feel what she felt. See what she sees, hear what she hears. Twilight lifted her giant wings and floated off the ground. She took flight through the sky, leaving Canterlot with a contingent of military behind her. No way were they going to let her out of their sights after all of this. Use of force was denied, but it was surely tempting.

Twilight soared off the mountain and over the plains towards the town of Ponyville. The sun basked down upon the town, a ray of light that shone upon the entrance of the Everfree Forest where a small gathering of different creatures stood, escorted by the Pserateps and Equestria's military. Directly at the front of them was her reason to stop. To surrender. To lay down her sword and drop it to the soil.

The scabbard fell from her side and she landed in the dirt, meeting her own eyes. Then time stood still.

"...Dawn?"