//------------------------------//
// So It Begins 
// Story: Harbinger 
// by Tealove 
//------------------------------//

Luna stood in between the open gates to the outer wall, withers squared, head held high. Her mane was still and her brow was wrinkled in concentration. Up above the sky was blanketed in sickly green hued clouds. It was the color of a sky before a big storm dotted with lighter patches and darker, giving the illusion of texture and depth where there was none. Nothing moved and nothing stirred except for the tall fire off in the distance. 
“What's the status?” asked Dash as she landed beside Luna.
“Perplexion.” The alicorn lowered her head and let out a magical pulse. As it rippled across the landscape it ran unhindered by even the smallest stone or branch. There was absolutely nothing out there. “No spirits,” Luna muttered as she lifted her head once more. Celestia and the rest of the Elements drew up behind the two mares and looked outward as well. Twilight glanced up at Celestia.
“What do you think that means?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Look!” cried Rarity, pointing skyward. Several winged creatures appeared from around the flame, then came together before it as they headed toward Fillydelphia. Five gryphons sped through the air and slowed only as they approached the outer wall. When they landed they were all somewhat surprised to see Gilda leading them.
“It's coming from the middle of the earth,” reported the gryphon. “Like it just opened up and this fire came out. There's no heat to it, no scent, nothing. But the others are coming.”
Pinkie gulped audibly. “The others?”
“All the ponies you ever knew are coming here to destroy you.”
“How many are there?” asked Celestia.
Gilda's smile was grim. “You really don't wanna know.”
Soon enough they began to dot the horizon, little black dots that moved in uniform like ants on a mission. They spread alarmingly wide and their lines seemed to never end. As they marched toward Fillydelphia the ponies withdrew behind the inner wall gates. They could have run as many tactical, aerial, magical combat situations as possible and none of them would have been prepared for this. As the ponies drew closer and closer everyone inside the city could hear something like a buzzing as if a hoard of bees were coming their way. It didn't take long for anyone to realize it was the harbingers. Though their host ponies they were talking to each other in odd grunts and sounds.
“Look at that,” said Lyra, peering out as the enemy approached. Ponies they thought they'd destroyed, Berry Punch, Blue Bonnet, Green Gems were among those at the front of the line. Bon Bon was with them and it was she who Lyra watched. “Even when she's dead she doesn't stop talking.”
Somewhere someone began to cry. “We'll never survive this,” lamented someone else. “If only we had the Elements of Harmony,” wept yet another voice.
“Stop it, all of you!” Twilight turned so that she could look to her left and right, and directly into the city with just a simple turn of her head. She knew she couldn't see everyone but she also knew she could talk loud enough so that everyone could hear her. “What have we been doing these past months if not preparing for this very moment? We have trained together, fought together, lost together and we have lived together. We've become a family for better or for worse. Maybe we don't have the Elements of Harmony but who's to say we need them? I have seen honesty here that is painful and raw, but also beautiful and healing. I've heard laughter where I never thought I would hear laughter again. I've witnessed deep loyalty and such generosity and kindness that I never even knew existed. We don't need the Elements of Harmony because we are the Elements of Harmony! Each and every one of us! Every time we gave up a portion of our food so that someone else might eat; every time we saw someone brokenhearted and stopped to offer a kind word, a hug or someone to cry with; every time we turned a tear into a giggle, helped somepony accept a loss. All of that together has made us the very embodiment of the magic that will help us get through this. Together!”
For a split second it was silent but for the chattering of the enemy at their gates. Then, an eruption of cheering. Rainbow Dash elbowed Twilight. “Way to go, egg head. Not bad for a war speech.”
Twilight's cheeks colored. “That wasn't my intention when I started talking.”
“Well it worked.”
The sound of the chattering and marching ponies stopped, making the harmonious outcries of the waiting ponies subside until there was absolute silence. Then a whisper floated through the air. “It issss over.” Though the voice was barely audible there was something unmistakably sinister about it that set everyone on edge, even the dragons and the gryphons. “Sssssurernder.”
“Never!” shouted Rainbow Dash.
“Then...die.”
Celestia fanned her wings out and pushed everyone back away from the wall. “Get to your places,” she urged, and they turned to run for their assigned spots. There ponies waited to help them gear up. Celestia stood beside Luna and faced the gate. “The time has come, sister.”
“But not our time,” Luna replied. “I have decided I am not yet ready to die. After all, I have a colt to raise.”
Standing next to Clover, Twilight took a deep breath. “Clover, when this is all over...I may let you marry me.”
He grinned under his helmet and shook his head, gaze outward so he could be ready for whatever was coming next. “Let me? Twilight, when this is all over I'm not taking no for an answer.”
Farther down Pinkie Pie pulled back the bow string on her crossbow as Braeburn finished fastening the side quiver around her stomach. “I think I'm going to want a big bowl of ice cream when this is all over,” the party pony mused. “Maybe Butter Crunch. Or no! Rocky Road!
“Rocky Road's my favorite,” said Braeburn. “I used to make my own at home all the time.”
Pinkie's eyes went wide. “You know how to make your own ice cream!”
“Well sure! Doesn't everypony?”
“I don't! I'm just a baker. Ohmygosh, I just got the best idea! We should open a bakery and an ice cream shop together!”
Braeburn chuckled. “I reckon that's about the best idea I've heard all day. So when this is over, you an' me'll go into business together.”
“Yay!” Pinkie hugged him with her unarmed foreleg and said, “And then later we can have babies!” Braeburn's expression froze and he was suddenly without the ability to speak.
Rainbow Dash was well covered with a helmet and body armor. She glanced around at everyone else, seeing them say last minute things to ponies they cared about and couldn't help but look for Soarin. Everywhere she turned there were ponies and gryphons in the shadow of dragon wings, but the pale blue pegasus was nowhere to be found. She hated the idea of going into battle without him knowing the truth but there was no time to go looking for him. Not when everything could all fall in on them at any moment.
Standing beside Fancy Pants, Rarity slid a pair of goggles down over her eyes. “I cannot tell you how invaluable these will become,” she explained. “I never realized how much blood stings your eyes.”
“Rarity, before we are thrown into the fight of our lives, there is something I must tell you.” She looked up at Fancy Pants as he lifted one of her hooves to his lips. “It has been the greatest joy of my life getting to know you better, circumstances aside. My prayer is that we both make it through to the other side so that we may continue to see where this can lead us.”	
Cheeks flushing, Rarity batted her lashes behind her goggles. “Oh, Fancy Pants.” She stood on tip-hoof to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I look forward to it.”
Applejack slid in between Big Macintosh and Pokey and looked up at her brother. “Fluttershy's all set.”
“You sure she'll be safe?”
“She knows what to do, big brother. She'll be safer'n all the rest of us.” Looking over at Pokey, she gave him a tight smile. “We sure had some fun together, didn't we Pokes?”
“That we did.” He winked at her. “Can't wait to see what kind of fun we'll have together once this is all over.
Applejack chuckled and replied with a loud, “YEEHAW!”
Rainbow Dash looked left and right, making sure everyone was ready and where they were supposed to be. “Okay,” she reminded, “everyone knows what to do.” With a glance up she caught the eye of Pyro, the elderly dragon she'd befriended so many nights ago. She nodded and he did the same. “On my mark: one...two...three...move!”
It all happened in a sudden flurry of motion; ponies and gryphons fell back, dragons flew away from the outer wall. As if also following Dash's command the harbingers started chattering again and surged forward, crashing into the outer gate like a violent wave against a break wall. “Open the gate now!” The outer gate opened and the enemy pushed forward, sticking hooves through the inner gate, pawing, biting, snapping at thin air and at each other. When is seemed as though every single pony inside of Fillydelphia was no longer in sight Dash took to the air and cried, “Open the second gate!” Without a second look back she turned in mid-air and sped through the sky toward the inner parts of the city.
The harbingers flooded through the gates at an alarming speed but it was all part of the plan. When it seemed a good majority of them were still around the gates trying to shove their way through two dragons flew overhead. Their giant maws opened and streams of fire shot forth. The harbingers screamed as their bodies were consumed, the smell of burnt fur and flesh quickly filling the air. But the fire wasn't meant for them, it was meant for something far grater. As the dragons soared away their fire caught the trail of slick oil laid out on the ground running to both sides of the wall. Little blazes on a mission snaked their way along the ground and seemingly disappeared into the wall itself. Then they exploded. Bodies and body parts went flying in all directions, yet they still came.
Winged harbingers took to the sky and were immediately met with fearless gryphons and well armed pegasai. Teeth sought for purchase, hooves kicked out in violent hatred. Raindrops dove headfirst into the fray, eyes clenched shut beneath her helmet. A hoof flung out and struck her in the face, and when she opened her eyes there was a snarling yellow mare in front of her, eyes completely black and mouth contorted into a gruesome snarl. Backpedaling, Raindrops was nearly struck by an errant arrow from below. She squealed and tried to fly away but another pony was on top of her and grabbed her her right wing with his teeth. All he got was a mouthful of wood and metal when he bit down on her bracer but it was enough of a distraction for him for Raindrops to swing her left foreleg around and hit the stallion squarely in the temple. He snarled and released his grip on her to lunge at her face. Out of nowhere a gray streak came over her shoulder, pulling the pony off of her and zooming away. She had no idea who'd helped her but she was eternally grateful.
All around her the winged harbingers were attacking her friends and she'd never felt so lost or useless. Fighting wasn't something she'd ever dreamed of having to do and her fear of what was happening was nearly paralyzing. Looking down she saw her friends doing everything in their power to defeat these supernaturally strong enemies while she hovered in indecisiveness. It took seeing Merry May fighting off three of her own for Raindrops to take in a deep breath and delve into the heart of the aerial attacks. She recalled all the training Dash had put her through, weather patterns that required fancy flying in order to avoid injury. If she could only imagine the harbingers as clouds that needed to be bucked, maybe she could be useful after all. As Merry May twirled in the air like some sort of dancer, Raindrops flew right up to the first enemy pegasus she laid eyes on, turned her back to him in a flash of movement and bucked out with her hind legs so hard that she could feel the crack of bones reverberate up her legs. She turned in time to see him falling to the ground, then felt her world grow dark when somepony kicked her in the back of her head. 
All sound faded and came to her as through a tube. Cries of anger, pain, despair and challenge sounded like they were part of a dream world. Little lights appeared in her vision brighter than anything else. She couldn't tell if her wings were moving anymore but there was definitely a rush of wind around her body. Strong forelegs hooked under her and stopped her decent. Raindrops blinked groggily, trying to rid her vision of the bright lights. Looking up, she saw the gray stallion, his gray mane tousled by the wind. His lips moved but whatever he said didn't sound like words. Again he spoke, then once more before she realized he was saying her name.
“Come on, Raindrops. Talk to me.”
She shook her head and winced at the pain in her skull. “Spectrum?”
Relief washed over his face. “You okay? You got knocked pretty bad. How many of me do you see?”
“One...I think.” As senses slowly came back to her she realized her was holding her like she was a little foal, her body cradled against him protectively. It was embarrassing and at the same time, she felt bad knowing the way he was carrying her must have made for difficult flying. “I think I'm okay.”
“Stay put,” he ordered. “Flying with a concussion isn't the best idea.”
She looked up at him and noticed the blood running down his neck from a cut on the side of his face. “You're hurt.”
“I've had worse. Relax and enjoy the ride.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the stadium. You need to get inside.”
“What?” She began to struggle in his grip. “”No, I have to help!”
“No, you need to be safe.” He tightened his hold on her and folded his wings, descending and weaving expertly in and out of flying ponies and harbingers. Only when he was close to the ground did he let her go. “You need to get your head back on straight, all right? If you go back out there right now you're just going to be a liability to us and an easy target to them, and I'm sorry but I really would rather not have to bury you when this is all over.”
For a moment all Raindrops could do was stare at him. Then, when it seemed like they had reached a stalemate, Spectrum asked, “Okay?”
“Okay.” She turned to head inside, just catching the smirk he wore before he took wing once again.
Overhead an entire flight of dragons stirred the air as they moved in formation out beyond the city gates. Harbingers still waiting to get in, struggling to get past the bodies destroyed by the explosions were out in the open and still very vulnerable. With the dragon queen at their head they descended on the harbingers like vultures on easy prey. Shrieks of horror were numerous and bone chilling even if they were from creatures no longer really alive. As if drawn to the cries, gryphons shot through the air to partake in the slaughter.
Frozen in place at the sight and sound, Raindrops now shook her head and turned for the hallway, only to back away as she heard a rush of hooves coming her way. When she saw Cadance and all the little ones she didn't know what to do.
“They've broken in!” Cadance yelled. “We have to get the children to safety!”
This time Raindrops didn't hesitate. “I know where to go.” She knew there were places toward the back of the city, out past the dragons nests and the gryphon nests that were closer to the water. They were well hidden and possibly untouched. She could take two or three of the little ones and Cadance could probably handle a few more, but there was no way they would all be able to go together in the air. “We're going to have to make a run for it,” Raindrops told the princess, trying to sound confident. “Just follow me.”
Cadance nodded and fanned her wings like a mother duck protecting her hatchlings. “All right everypony, stay close and follow Raindrops.” With a breath to steady herself, Cadance looked at the pegasus and nodded. “Let's go.” 
With her head down, Raindrops led the group through the city, going as slow as she dared so as not to lose anyone while trying to avoid the worst of the fighting. She was careful as she wove down back streets, checking first for safety before signaling her followers to come. A young gryphon overhead noticed the procession and flew on ahead to help scout out the best routes. Then corn cannon went of, scaring everyone enough to elicit screams, The high pitched noises were like homing beacons to the harbingers and enemy ponies seemed to appear out of nowhere. Frightened, some of the children clung to Cadance's legs so tightly she could hardly move, but most of them scattered. “Stop them!” Cadance cried. “We have to stop them!”
Raindrops looked skyward to the gryphon and shouted as loud as she could. “Help us! Grab as many as you can and take them toward the back of the city, out past the carnival grounds!” As the gryphon dove, Raindrops bared her teeth and threw herself as the harbingers coming down the alley her way. Colts and fillies climbed aboard the gryphon's back, freeing Cadance of all but two which were then forcibly taken in a ginger grasp of talons from the same gryphon. As they rose out of sight, Cadance barreled forward, horn first, and pierced a harbinger right through the eye. It screamed horribly. Beside her, fighting as well, Raindrops said, “Go find the children!”
“I'm not leaving you!” Both mares knew if Cadance left Raindrops would never get out alive. Still Raindrops persisted.
“You have to protect the children! Please, Princess!”
Cadance speared through another, then got thrown back by a powerful kick to her ribs. As she staggered to her hooves she looked at Raindrops with deep remorse. “Go!” Raindrops urged. As the harbingers closed in on her she thought she heard a faint, “I'm sorry,” before the only thing she could register was the sharp pain of biting teeth and tearing flesh.
King Gorlois had just risen into the air when he saw one of his subjects soaring by burdened with several small ponies. The young gryphon explained what happened and pointed the way back to where Raindrops had been left. Calling several more of his kin to his side, the gryphon king charged ahead in hopes of saving the brave pegasus.
So far Pokey had managed to get by unscathed. Parts of his body were sticky with blood and his horn and face were covered in a bloody macabre sort of mask but none of it was his own. He was part of the front line of defense, he and almost every other unicorn within the city. It was hard for him to stay there and fight when behind him there were so many screams of pain and terror. He wanted to be moving, to help where he could. He wanted to know where Applejack was and be sure she was safe, but his place was on the front line so that he could defend, and nothing could make him move. Or so he thought.
“Pokey!”
He jerked his head back, withdrawing his horn from the chest of a pony he'd never seen before. His ears twitched and he turned to see who had called to him, shocked almost to the point of speechlessness upon seeing Silver Spoon suddenly clinging to his foreleg. “You can't be here, it's not safe! Get back to the stadium!”
“I can't!” Tears were streaming down her face and she was shaking hard against him. “They got in. They killed Archer.”
Pokey's heart sank but he didn't have time to comfort her. Every second she stayed there with him was another second she could be caught up in it and killed before his very eyes. The unicorn had stomached a lot throughout the past few months but he didn't think he could handle that. Looking up, he called to a gryphon. “Hey! Take her, please! Get her somewhere safe!”
“No!” She clung to his leg so tightly that he had to step back and reached down with his nose to prod her. The line of unicorns closed in before him to keep him well protected. 
“Silver Spoon, you have got to let go. Listen to me.” She was crying hard, almost to the point of hysterics. “Listen to me!” His raised voice made her open her eyes and look at him. “Go with the gryphon.”
“No.”
The gryphon landed, looking around anxiously as he waited for the filly. Pokey used his free hoof to pry Silver Spoon from him, repeating. “Go with the gryphon.”
“No!”
He nodded to the gryphon and said, “Take her.” She was flailing as talons wrapped carefully around her body. Even as she was lifted up into the air she was screaming Pokey's name over and over, so loudly that her voice cracked each time. The unicorn felt horrible even if he knew it was better for her this way. He watched, feeling a knot in his throat, as they went higher and higher. Just as he was about to turn around and retake his place, he saw two pegasus harbingers come from below and latch themselves onto the gryphon. “No!” He was helpless to watch the winged creature fall, screaming out in pain as feathers were torn from its body. “Silver Spoon!” He didn't care about his assignment now. Pokey reared back with a ferocious yell, then ran headfirst into the fighting within the city.
Up on the wall, Epona's horn glowed brightly as she waited for the cannon to fire. Clover sat behind the controls, pulling the trigger each time she commanded. As the pointed ears of corn and corn stalks shot forward Epona had only a fraction of a second to enchant them before they were out of her range. “Are we actually killing any of them?” Clover yelled over the roar of the machine.
“I think so!” Epona yelled back. “There are a lot of bodies out there that aren't moving anymore.”
“Won't they just reanimate?”
“Good point. Pull!” The cannon seemed to suck in a giant gulp of air before discharging three ear of corn and several sharpened corn stalks. Epona managed to enchant three quarters of them before they disappeared into the fray. “The dragons are heading back this way. The harbingers must have stopped coming.”
Clover frowned. “For now.”
“Just keep firing at anything unfriendly, pony boy.”
Epona slid off her goggles and Clover watched. “Where are you going?”
“To tell the princesses the black fire hasn't moved.”
“What do you think that means?”
“I think it means it's waiting for them.”
In the middle of the city the majority of the fighting seemed to be happening close to the center of Fillydelphia. Though many lifeless harbinger littered the ground there were far too many of the new settlement citizens laying prone as well. Shining Armor had planned on being out front with the majority of the rest of the living unicorns but something had gone wrong. He had been so concentrated on the enemy before them that when the call to fall back was given by Rainbow Dash, he's missed it. Not completely, as he realized what was going on just moments after everyone else began to move, but it had not been fast enough. He'd been too close to the explosion and it threw him several yards. His left flank was badly singed and his ears would not stop ringing. Ever ready for what might come he got to his hooves quickly but was so disoriented that his enemies were upon him in no time, and they were winning. If it hadn't been for Pinkie and her foreleg cross bow he most certainly would have died. Now she guarded him, shooting and reloading her bow at a speed unnatural for anypony not using magic to aid them.
“I'm running out of arrows,” she managed to say between shots. There were only three left in her quiver and both knew they were going to have to move soon, and quickly. “Any ideas?”
Shining looked around for a possible way of escape. Overhead dragons and gryphons flew back and forth, trying to find openings in which they could descend and help. With a pensive frown, Shining Armor looked at Pinkie. “How fast can you run?”
“About as fast as a lizard can lick a fly!” When Shining just gave her a blank look she said, “Fast.”
“Okay, when I say go we're going to run up those stairs over there. Don't stop running even if you think you should, okay? Trust me?”
“You're Twilight's big brother! Of course I trust you!”
Shining looked skyward again, pacing himself. “Ready....now!” As one, both ponies turned and headed for one of the closest buildings. Shining Armor was the first up the fire escape staircase and thundering up as quickly as he possibly could. Every now and then he would glance back at Pinkie who was keeping perfectly apace with him, or look at the sky. When he reached the roof he kept running and, with only a hint of reservation on his face, ran right off the edge of the roof and out into the air where he landed with a thud on the back of a passing dragon. Looking back, Shining expected with a sinking feeling that Pinkie would be left, frozen, at the edge of the roof. But he almost couldn't help but smile at what he saw.
Pinkie had thrown herself from the roof just as he had, but as she sailed through the air her legs were spread in an acrobatic type manner, her eyes closed and a serene, blissful smile on her face. When she landed on her own dragon she climbed in between the spikes of its spine and hung on, grinning. “How much fun was that?!”
Shining Armor laughed despite the carnage around him, then guided his dragon toward the back of the city.
Everyone was being driven back, even the line of unicorns as the front of the city. Every body that was temporarily relieved of a harbinger through the use of anything other than magic from a unicorn's horn was quickly taken up again. Bodies may have stopped coming but the harbingers did not. Every time they came back they appeared to be stronger and adapting to the tactics being used against them. Eventually the front line had to break up and the unicorns were forced to retreat in hopes of finding better places to make their stands.
As Fancy Pants was pushed farther and farther into the heart of Fillydelphia he fought with everything he could. For a long time Rarity had been at his side and now she was nowhere to be found. Worrying for her would do him little good and he recognized as much. By now he knew exactly how much of a fighter Rarity was, and that if anypony was going to make it out of this alive it would be her. Fancy Pants, on the other hand...he wasn't sure how he'd even lasted this long. Each new assault pushed him back a few more steps. He remembered Twilight mentioning the harbingers herding their prey before and couldn't help but feel like that was exactly what was happening now.
A shrill, high pitched scream behind him made Fancy Pants turn. Little Apple Bloom stood just a few feet away and completely surrounded by enemies. Fancy Pants turned and bucked out with his back legs sending two ponies crashing into several others. He then lowered his head and bound forward, stabbing one harbinger through the side before dislodging his horn and scooping Apple Bloom up with his magic, placing her on his back. “Hold on!” Lunging through the remaining attackers, he finally gave in and decided to head in the direction everypony else was. There was a sudden sharp pain to his side and Apple Bloom screamed again.
“Get off!” With her forelegs still wrapped tightly around Fancy Pants' neck she bucked out with her rear legs, aiming a kick at the pegasus who had her teeth sunk into the right side of her savior. Her hooves made contact with its mouth and the hold was released. The pegasus fell back with a bloody snarl and Apple Bloom looked at the damage left behind. “She got you real good!”
“That's all right,” he promised, quickly dispatching another black-eyed pony in his way before continuing. “Just don't let go of me. We're almost there.” As he ran he didn't even realize he passed Rarity.
She'd broken off from the front line after seeing the young ones running around. Deciding the rest of the unicorns had things well in hoof she chose to instead make her way deeper into the city to try and help find all the fillies and colts that were running around scared. It was one of those “best laid plans” sort of things, though. Rarity found plenty of the children but getting them to listen to her or follow her was another story entirely. They were all so frightened that they didn't know who to trust and shied at any sort of sudden movement or loud sound. “I'm trying to help you!” she finally screamed when a pink unicorn filly ran away from her. 
“Rarity!”
Her ears perked; she knew that voice! Searching desperately though the ever-changing throng around her she finally found him. Spike was being attacked by two harbingers who were fighting over him as though he was the last scrap of food on the planet. If she'd been angry and frustrated before it was nothing compared to what welled up inside the unicorn now. “LET. HIM. GO.” Without thought or concern for herself, Rarity launched at the harbingers who dropped Spike in their confusion. She'd become so skilled at what she was doing it took less than a minute to kill both of them. Then she was turning for Spike.
“Oh, Spike.” Rarity had seen a lot of blood that day and many ponies who would bear lasting scars from what they endured during the battle, but this. Nothing could have prepared her for this. Spike was missing an ear and his tail had been nearly chewed clean off, only hanging on by the strength of his scales on the top side. One of his legs was bleeding profusely and his right hand was missing two talons. But the worst of it was the damage to his abdomen. The softest spot on a dragon was his underbelly and it seemed their enemy was aware of that. 
“You...saved me.” Rarity hiccuped as tears filled her eyes, but she did her best to smile down at Spike.
“Of course I did, darling. You're my Spikey Wikey. How could I do anything but?”
“They're not real,” Spike gasped. “They pretend...to be real...but they're not.”
Rarity shook her head, not understanding what he was talking about. “Shhh, it's all right.”
He coughed, a heavy, liquidy sound in his throat. “Rarity...I have to...tell you something.”	
She touched a hoof to the side of his face. “You don't have to tell me anything just now. You rest, save your strength and you can tell me later when you're feeling better.”
“No.” He lifted a hand to hold her hoof to his cheek. “Rarity...I love you.”
She sniffled as tears rolled from her cheeks, dropping like rain on his body. “I love you too, Spike. You are the bravest, most valiant dragon I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.” Bending, she kissed the top of his head. “My dear, dear friend.”
He managed a weak smile. “You should...go. Too...dangerous.”
With stubborn resolve she sniffled and squared her withers. “Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going anywhere.” There was a whisper of wind and her eyes bulged. Rarity gave a short sharp gasp, looking down at the arrow in her chest. Slowly she lifted her head and found a pony grinning darkly at her. Though her eyes were completely black she had a foreleg crossbow strapped to her and a quiver full of arrows. This pony was one Rarity recognized as being among the new settlers. She must have been killed sometime during the battle and come back to feed and live again.
“Rarity.” Spike reached for the arrow as though he could help but his grip was weak and his energy ebbing.
“It's all right, darling,” she said quietly. “It...it doesn't really hurt.” Her legs gave out and her head hit the ground just inches from Spike. Silently, they held each other's gaze and the battle went on around them. 
Twilight, exhausted and covered in gore, had finally found an opening. When the unicorns decided to fall back she had no room to go anywhere. She was left surrounded and had to fight all on her own. Had she not been as proficient in magic as she was there was a good chance she wouldn't have made it out.  Even when several winged harbingers soared over the wall and attacked both the cannon and the pony controlling it, there had been nothing she could do. She didn't know if Clover was dead or alive, or laying hurt somewhere and in desperate need of help. But as much as Twilight knew she loved him now, she also understood she'd be of no help to anyone if she died herself.
Her hooves rushed over the city streets, dodging pieces of buildings that were crumbling as the dragons and gryphons had taken them over. Even now as aerial combat progressed more damage was done and she had to be careful about falling debris. It was this very thing she feared when a dark shadow suddenly loomed over her. Twilight looked up expecting stone and saw something much worse. She didn't have time to teleport before the body of an old dragon fell on top of her. It was sheer luck that had her in the right place so that his body didn't crush her but his broken wing fanned over her in complete protection. She could hear the harbingers all over him and choked on a sob. Peeking out from under the wing Twilight could see the dragons's face turned toward her, his open eyes lifeless and unblinking. It was Pyro, Rainbow Dash's friend. She had the urge to retch as all the contents of her stomach stirred, but then one of them found her. Gathering all her wits about herself, Twilight's horn glowed and she disappeared in a pop of magic.
With nothing but a wall of stone and the vast unforgiving sea behind them, the ponies fought on. Celestia and Luna, it seemed, were being purposely separated. They fought as hard and everyone else was, struggling to keep the others alive but also ever striving to get back to one another so they could formulate a plan. If things progressed as they were they would all end up being slaughtered and devoured or forced into the ocean and drowned. Epona had come and gone telling them both of the unmoving black flames. It was this information that made up the minds of the sisters. They didn't need to be able to communicate verbally to know what they needed to do. They had known it for some time now but the idea of leaving everyone behind to fend for themselves was not something either of them could handle well.
Shining Armor and Pinkie Pie dropped down from the sky, Pinkie landing gracefully while the stallion limped. Celestia saw him through her curtain of blood-stained hair and called to him. “Can you produce a shield?”
“I don't know,” he answered wearily. “My head's not completely right.”
“We will help!” cried Luna, stabbing out with her horn. Without communicating the need for it, Pinkie Pie grabbed more arrows for another quiver and jumped in front of Luna, shooting and fighting. Others saw what she was doing and did the same, freeing up both princesses to help cast the shield spell. In a matter of seconds a bubble of translucent silver magic surrounded them. Harbingers were still in there with them but they could be cast out with enough force. More importantly, no more could get in.
“We need Twilight.”
Luna looked up at her sister. “Twilight? Why?”
Turning as though she could see the flames far beyond the city, Celestia's gaze was pensive. “Ever since she was small I knew she was meant for something great, that her unique gifts and strong kinship with magic would forever alter the course of ponykind. I didn't know it then, but I believe that moment, one that will change every life in Equestria, has come. We won't be able to defeat him without her magic.”
“Where is she?” Luna looked around. “Where is Twilight Sparkle?”
“I'm here.” She hobbled from the crowds, dirty and limping, tears leaving pale rivers of lavender on her cheeks where blood had been.
“Twilight.” Celestia lowered her head to nuzzle her. “Are you all right?”
“I don't know,” the unicorn answered weakly. “I don't feel all right. I don't think I will for a very long time.”
There was understanding in Celestia's gaze but she did not hesitate in presenting her plan. “It is time to put and end to this. Epona said if we can get past the gates we will have a clear path to the Revenant.”
“Why don't you just teleport right out to him?”
“Because,” said Luna, casting a dirty glance at the harbingers snarling and frothing against the magical shield. “We do not know what we would be teleporting into.”
“We will teleport outside the gates,” Celestia continued, “and run from there.” She paused only briefly. “Twilight, we need you to come with us.”
Twilight blinked in confusion. “Me? Why?”
“You are the Element of Magic, my faithful student. You are the very embodiment of the only thing that can defeat these evil creatures. Luna and I were once powerful enough to do this on our own but now we need you. You will be the very thing that links our magic together and overthrow this tyrant.”
Feeling a sob in her throat, Twilight shook her head. “I can't. I'm not strong enough! I'm too scared! I have to find Clover!”
“Twilight.” Celestia nuzzled her again. “Clover will be found. I know you're scared. We all are. But with your help we can put an end to all of this.”
“You can do it, Twilight!” Pinkie encouraged.
Shining Armor nodded, doing his best to give her an encouraging smile. “I have faith in you, Twily.”
“We all have faith in you,” added Apple Bloom, still clinging to Fancy Pants.
“If anypony can do it,” said Cadance, “it's you, Twilight.”
Hesitant and still very doubtful, Twilight looked up first at Luna, then Celestia. “Promise me you won't leave me?”
“We will both be right there. Together the three of us will end this.”
Twilight took a deep shaking breath in, then nodded. “Okay. Let's do this.”