//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The Third Confrontation // Story: The Odyssey of Sunlight Blaze, Rise of a Hero, Volume 5: Quest for the past. // by Justafanfictioner //------------------------------// One week had passed since last chapter, during which both the Equestria girls and the villains prepared themselves. Today was the day where Moonlight would attack. One day before the D-day, each side were feeling uneasy. As such, The villains launched a party. Moonlight came with the idea to boost his team’s morale and reduce their nervosity. On the girls side, the 6 decided to go on a Girls Night. They had lot of fun. Now, it was almost noon, and the Mane 6 were waiting on a desolated field for their enemies to appear. At their surprise, Moonlight showed up, alone. “Normally, i would prefer to fight during the night, said Moonlight. When my powers are at their peak. But things are different this time, because i’m not the one going to fight you...Legion of Darkness!!” Moonlight created a black vortex. Sombra came out first, wearing a terrifying armor. Tirek was next, bulkier than ever and armed with a warhammer. “But there’s more” said Moonlight Adagio appeared, followed by Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. “Of course, said Applejack. Those 3 bitches again.” “They look way stronger than the last time” said Twilight. “Still, we can pull this off, said Rarity. We are stronger than we were then...” Flim and Flam appeared next, wearing extravagant magician costumes. “Flim and Flam?! Said Applejack. Why am i not surprised...” “And don’t think you can count on your magic of Frienship this time around” said Moonlight. “What do you mean?” asked Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy turned into a black sludge that turned to smoke. “No!! Said Rainbow Dash. What have you done to her!!” Moonlight made Fluttershy appear in his right hand, holding her by the neck. She was unconscious. “Try using your Rainbow Laser this time, he said. Try to give us a challenge, okay?” Moonlight disappeared in a vortex with Fluttershy. “Those scumbags, said Applejack. They’re playin’ dirty. Without Fluttershy, we can’t use our Rainbow Laser...” “Don’t worry, girls, said Twilight, smiling. I was certain this would happen. That was a matter of time before Moonlight decide to kidnap one of us. I predicted Fluttershy would be his target, and seem i was right.” “So, what’s you plan?” asked Pinkie Pie. “I learned from the other me that the Elements of Harmony can have more than one bearer, she answered. And i just recently found someone worthy of the Element of Kindness. You can show yourself!!” Spike jumped out of Twilight’s bag and immediately turned into Chrysalis. “Chrysalis?! Asked Rarity. What an unexpected turn of events.” This one took the appearance of Fluttershy. “I know!! She said. I was surprised as well!! But it’s true that i’ve always been kind, devoted and nice to everyone, even those who were mean to me. Still, i’ve been chosen by the Elements of Harmony!! How cool is that!!” “That won’t change the outcome, said Adagio. You need time to charge that Spell, We won’t let you get the opportunity to do so!! Attack, girls!!” Adagio created a powerful soundwave with her voice, aimed at the girls. Rarity deflected it with a giant shield. Sonata started singing. “What? Said Rainbow Dash. I can’t move!!” “Sonata seem to be able to paralyze us with her voice, said Twilight. Activation of the Anti-Siren protocole!!” Earplugs appeared in everyone’s ears. The girls could move again. “You seem surprised, said Twilight to the villains. Know that i thought about everything...Including who Moonlight would try to recruit in his team. You 3 were an easy pick for him. I knew your powers would be sound-based and so, i thought about lot of ways to counter you.” “It is such a shame that you’re wasting that intellect of yours for the wrong cause, said Abacus Cinch, who was hidden until now.” “Miss Cinch? Said Twilight. I didn’t expect you to join sides with Moonlight!” “You and your friends took everything from me, said Abacus. But i’m going to take it back, and you girls, are in the way!!” “You deserved it, old hag!! Said Rainbow Dash. This time, we’ll take your dignity as well” “My my, so disrespectful!! Said the former Principal. I’m going to have to teach you a lesson about respect!!” She took a magic pen and wrote in front of her the word “Zap”. The word turned into a powerful laser beam that hit Twilight. “This is my power, said Abacus Cinch. I can bring any Onomatopea to life by writing them with this pen! The beam that hit your friend came from the word Zap, which is an Onomatopea used to describe the sound of a laser being fired. So, if i write the word Ka-Boom, what do you think will be the result?” She wrote the word “Yawn” with her pen. The girls were feeling sleepy. Flim and Flam attacked the group with a barrage of razor sharp cards. Rarity blocked most of them with her powers, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were touched. They turned the ground under the girls into goo in which they began to sink. “What do you think about our powers? Asked Flim and Flam in sync. This is magic at it’s finest.” Twilight dispelled the illusion around her and her friends. Rarity casted a big barrier around her friends. “I’ve been learning magic tricks as well, she said. Rarity, i count on you to protect us long enough!!” She casted on herself and all her friends Power, Defense, Speed and Magic Boost. Rarity took down the barrier and the group attacked. Rainbow Dash slapped Adagio, Sonata and Aria in the face. Applejack punched the ground and created a shockwave that destabilized the villains. She took off a chunk of earth and threw it at the enemies. Flim and Flam casted a barrier to block it. Adagio counterattacked with a sonic blast to the ground, which also caused a shockwave. Cinch wrote the word Ka-Boom. Rarity casted a shield to block the explosions. Pinkie Pie used her Super Party Cannon to fire highly concentrated Sugar bombs that created a massive explosion in the villain party. “THAT’s an explosion, bitch!! Said Pinkie Pie to Abacus. Also, i really want your power!! I’m so jealous!!” Sombra and Tirek jumped in the fight. Sombra fired two powerful dark beams at Rarity and broke her personal shield. Tirek charged at Applejack and Rainbow Dash with the intention of crushing them. He punched Applejack in the face, but this one took the hit without moving. She punched him back and sent him flying 20 meters away. Tirek got up without a scratch “Nothing, said Applejack. And i put all my strenght into that blow!! Those guys really did get stronger.” The Dazzlings attacked the group while they were recovering from the attacks of Tirek and Sombra. Abacus Cinch attacked next, writing the word Swoosh, which summoned a strong gust of wind. Flim and Flam then made a rain of fire, ice and thunder fall on the group. Sombra joined the movement and created a ball of shadow energy that exploded middair and rained down on the heroes. Tirek ended the combo attack by firing a huge beam at the group. “They are too much!! Said Applejack. They took down Rarity!!” “Their coordination is so damn good, said Twilight. And we just lost our shield caster. But i won’t give up...Applejack and Rainbow Dash can still fight, Pinkie Pie and Chrysalis too. They are pushing us back, and Moonlight haven’t even joined the fight yet...What if he decide to jump in?” Rarity woke up and got back on her feet. “Don’t you dare give up, Darling, she said. We are the only ones who can defend Canterlot in Sunlight and Sunset’s absence!!” “She’s right, said Applejack. The stakes are too high for us to fail now...We will win!!” “They might have an excellent coordination, said Rainbow Dash. But so do we!! We can do this!!” “If you fall, Twilight, it’s over, said Chrysalis. In Sunset’s absence, you’re the only one compatible with the Element of Magic.” “You can do it!!! Said Pinkie Pie. Let’s kick their butts!! And after that, we’ll celebrate this with a mega-party!!” The girls’ aura started glowing bright and they ponied-Up. The villains started being worried. Rainbow Dash dragged Adagio away from the group and flew toward the sky with her. Applejack punched Tirek in the guts and made him spit blood. Pinkie Pie was firing bombs at Aria and Sonata relentlessly, each explosion growing stronger than the last. Chrysalis turned into a giant dragon and attacked Flim and Flam, making short work of their magic tricks and sending them fly away. Rarity was in a duel with Sombra, and she was starting to overwhelm him. Twilight was fighting Abacus Cinch with a newfound determination and was holding her back. Rainbow Dash landed and threw Adagio away. That one puked on the ground, pale as a ghost. Moonlight was looking at the battle and sighed. “I’ll admit, those girls are ressourceful, he said. Fine then, it’s time for Plan B!” He teleported on the battlefield with 3 boxes floating in front of him. “Adagio, Aria, Sonata, he said. It’s time for plan B!!” He opened the boxes and released the spirits of Midnight Sparkle, Demon Shimmer and Gaia Everfree. Midnight took over the body of Aria Blaze, Demon Shimmer over the body of Sonata Dusk and Gaia Everfree over the body of Adagio. The girls started transforming. Aria took on the traits of Midnight Sparkle, Sonata, on the traits of a demon and Adagio, on the traits of Gaia Everfree. “Those transformation, said Twilight. It’s impossible!!” “Nothing is impossible for me!!! Said Moonlight. I not only summoned them from the void, but i also greatly boosted their power. You won’t Deus Ex Machina your way out of this one!!” Moonlight took Flim, Flam, Abacus, Tirek and Sombra back to the base. “Crush them!!” he said, before leaving as well. Midnight blasted the group with a super powerful beam of pure magic that Rarity had a hard to block completely. Gaia Everfree summoned an army of plant monsters that she send at the girls. Demon Sonata also blasted the group with a magic beam. The girls were quickly being overwhelmed and overpowered by the combined assault of their opponents. “Darn it!! Said Applejack. Just when i thought victory was ours, that guy pop out of nowhere and plays his Ace” “Their power is on a whole other level, said Twilight. It took the 6 of us to defeat Demon Sunset, Sunset’s Daydream transformation to defeat Midnight and our 7 magic geodes to seal Gaia Everfree. We can’t win, it’s over...” “Really? Said the voice of someone they recognized. I think you girls have done a pretty good job defending Canterlot. Sorry for being away for so long. But we met some unexpected obstacles during our quest...” Sunlight showed up in front of the mane 6. Sunset arrived shortly after him. Moonlight smiled and prepared to join the fight “Are you alright, girls?” asked Sunset to her friends. “We’re fine, answered Rainbow Dash. But Moonlight have Fluttershy, someone need to save her. But there is also those 3 freaks to take care of...” “Please, i can do both, said Sunlight. I’ve been dying to use that spell in this world!!” Sunlight made 4 copies of himself. The mane 5 and Chrysalis were impressed. “Wow, that’s new!! Said Applejack. But you really think those clones of yours can take on those 3?” “Each clone possess the magic power of the Original, said Sunlight. But for each clone i make, my magic power is halved until i undo the spell. And if i die, my clones will disappear, so i would not mind you girls protecting me” “So, by making a single clone, you lose 50% of your maximum power output, said Twilight. By making two of them, you lose in total 75% of your total power. With three, almost 90%...But i admit the advantages outweight it’s drawback.” Sunlight sent one of his clones to retrieve Fluttershy, and the 3 left against the 3 magic spirits. Twilight and the group surrounded the original Sunlight to protect him. Frost suddenly entered the battle, coming out of a portal. “Well well, said Moonlight, throwing Fluttershy away. Take your friend back. I have no use for her anymore. I was waiting for you two to show up and save the day.” The clone of Sunlight assigned to Fluttershy’s rescue faced Moonlight. “You missed me? He asked. Ow, I’m touched...” “Shut your mouth!! Said Moonlight. I won’t allow you, even less your clone, to mock me” “That’s funny coming from another clone, said Sunlight 4. I might be a clone, but i’m as strong as the original...” The 3 other Sunlight had immobilized Adagio, Sonata and Aria in magic chains. Sunset used her divine magic to cast out of them the evil spirits. They returned inside their boxes at the frustration of Moonlight. He transported the 3 Sirens back to their base. “Next time, we will come prepared, said Moonlight. Be aware!!” He finally left the place and the girls celebrated their victory. Sunlight undid the Cloning spell and regained his magic power. “That elixir Zecora made for me worked like a charm” said Sunlight. “I’ll explain everything later, said Sunset. We have so much to tell you. For now, let’s get back home” Moonlight had summoned his team for a meeting. “We lost again!! Said Sombra. Raaaaahhhh!!!” “Calm down, said Moonlight. Yes, we have been defeated again, but it doesn’t matter. Let’s concentrate on the other plan i told you about. You all did well today, and you will do even better next time. Keep developping your powers, keep getting stronger...You can leave, now. Take a long pause for the time being.” The team left the room, at the exception of Abacus Cinch. “I must admit, i’m impressed with your leadership” she said. “You can learn something from it, said Moonlight. Instead of seeing them as disposable pawns, like many other villain would do, i see them as equals. I trust them, listen to them, and so, they trust me and listen to me as well. They would put their life on the line for me, and i would do the same for them. This is why they have not betrayed me yet despite my many failures. By the way, If you supported your student, Twilight Sparkle, in a positive way, instead of pressuring her, you could have won the Friendship Games and kept your reputation safe as well as your Star student. Try my method of leadership when you’ll take back your position of Principal.” He left the room. “He’s really good at this, she thought. He knows exactly what to tell us in a way that feel inspiring...I’m tempted to follow him anywhere he want to go. I somehow feel like i can trust him with my life and that he trust me with his as well...That is the mark of a true leader. I should, no i will take example of him. I will be the pinnacle of Leadership.”