Time passed slowly with the group drawing together after their burst of laugher and resting as best they could. Twilight shifted restlessly her face pained as she curled within herself. The night had grown dark, blacken clouds rolling in and blocking out the moon and stars zapping what little strength she had regained and leaving her weaken. Her breathing growing harsh, the purple unicorn eyes snapped open lifting slowly to the darken sky. Pulling herself to her hooves she winced as her bruised body protested sharply. Testing her horn, she felt her heart sink as a slight burning pain traveled throughout her body.
“Magical burn.” She snorted weakly taking a few wobbly steps out of the pony pile. This was.. not good. She had been using too much magic to fast leaving her ley lines sore and swollen. Magic would be difficult for her now and.. she cut her eyes at the sky almost seeming to grow weaker as she confirmed what she already knew. No moon no stars, still up in the air if Sun would ever rise again leaving her cut off from recovering her energy.
She made a quick decision. They didn’t have much time.
“Get up we got to get moving.” She ordered nudging Spike into a stand. She roused the others quickly, ignoring the grumbles and protest.
“How close are we to the castle? Does anypony know?” Applejack asked eyes darting to each of them before landing on the little unicorn.
“Twilight?”
She shook her head lifting Spike onto her back, ignoring the jolt of pain that came with the movement. “No, I lost the map a while back and I couldn’t even tell you how to get back the way we came.” Her ears twitched and she gave the orange filly a slightly hopeful glance.
“Unless you maybe..”
Applejack shook her head before she could get her hopes up. “I’ve never been this far into the forest before, don’t know heads or tail of it.”
The group’s face fell, and Twilight rolled her eyes up, thinking quickly.
“Fluttershy!” she commanded making the pegasus jump. “Take to the air, see if you can see the castle from here.” The yellow filly blinked, blue-green eyes widening as she shot a look at the darken sky.
“Me, fly up there, alone, and so high. It’s-!“ there was a rustle behind her and she peeked over her shoulder catching a glimpse of Rainbow’s tight expression and her mangled wing. Her ears fell flat, and she immediately felt bad. Twilight wouldn’t have asked her if Rainbow wasn’t hurt, she probably wouldn’t have had to ask at all as Rainbow would’ve already been in the air.
“I mean yes, yes! I can..I can do it.” She stammered out.
Spreading her wings without looking at anypony she took to the sky, quickly flying above the tree line before she could think too hard on what she’d done.
“Do you see anything!” Twilight yelled as the yellow filly turned her head too and froth. At first, she saw nothing but endless forest but out of the comer of her eyes she caught a glimpse of dark gray.
“I see it!” she called down gliding lower. “It’s back across the river some ways that way.” She tossed her muzzle the way they came.
“Stay in the air!” Twilight shouted before she could touch the ground. “We don’t know if that monster is still waiting for us back there, so I need you to lead us farther down the river.”
She turned to face the others “Once we’re a good distance away we’ll cross and see if we can find another path to the castle.” The group of fillies nodded and set out with Fluttershy leading from the air.
Lagging slightly Twilight took small shallow breaths concentrating only on putting one hoof in front of the other and doing her best to ignore the pain that surged through her with every step. She knew Spike could sense it; the baby dragon was stroking her head subtlety, knowing better then to bring attention to her discomfort but trying to sooth her as best he could.
“You doing ok back there Twilight?” Applejack called back seeing the little unicorn fall further behind. Twilight snorted shaking her head and stiffening her spine.
“I’m fine.” She said curtly, pushing herself to catch up with the group. Applejack frowned.
“Are you sure we can-“
“I said I’m fine Applesnack now get moving your falling behind.” Twilight said tartly quickly overtaking the larger filly. Applejack shook her head with a sharp whinny but didn’t say anything more, letting the small filly have her pride. The herd moved on and though Twilight continued to struggle to keep up any words of concern were met with a sharp resort and cold shoulder, so they eventually just let her be.
“I think it’s safe to cross here.” Fluttershy said landing quietly. Her wing motioned toward a line of forest where the rush of the river could clearly be heard.
“We’re far enough from the monster and I didn’t see anything from the air.”
Making small sounds of agreement the group trotted through the leaves, soon coming upon the shallow riverway and with only a small amount of hesitation began to cross. Twilight stayed to the back, thin weaken legs struggling in the shallow water as she fought to keep her breathing under control. Halfway across she was hit by a wave of weakness, the surge sucking away what little strength she had and causing her to stumble, her knees buckling as she went crashing to the floor. The others turned as she struggled to pull herself up out of the water, Spike coughing up water beside her after tumbling from her back. The fillies exchanged looks and silently decided to shove Applejack forward. Giving the cowards a dirty look the farm filly creep forward slowly, wary of the unicorn’s sharp tongue. She opened her mouth ready to offer aid she knew would be ignored when suddenly great jaws leapt out of the water swallowing the purple unicorn whole.
“TWILIGHT!”
The group cried out as one terror saturating their voices as a great silver blue snake like creature rose above them, serpent tongue flicking rapidly as a small lump moved slowly down his throat.
“It ate her!” Fluttershy screamed bursting into tears. Before the others could even process what had happened, the sea serpents throat began to glow. The beast hissed, a pained roar escaping as its body began to smoke, the light in its throat growing brighter. It began to thrash throwing its head from side to side with a screech of pain as the light grew to blinding levels. There was an audible crack of lancing light then its head exploded.
Blood, meat, and bone flew in every direction as the massive body fell, a small mass of blood and puss escaping through the hole to land heavily within the curling river. Breaching the surface Twilight dragged herself free with a desperate gasp, Spike clinging to her mane with a death grip as she fought her way to shore. Snapping out of their paralysis Applejack and Pinkie rushed forward grabbing ahold of any part of the filly they could reach and hauling her out of the water.
“Keep running!” she gasped out not allowing them to stop. “There could be more, or it couldn’t be death just keep going!”
Not pausing to argue the group took off at a gallop the earth ponies half supporting, half carrying Twilight between them as they ran blindly forward. Twilight instincts were correct as the group had made it barely a few feet away when a pulse of magic filled the air along with an ear-splitting roar. Terror adding speed to their legs the fillies didn’t stop running till the sound of the hydra and the river were long behind them. Collapsing in terror shaken heap the fillies heaved in deep gasping lung full of air, bodies shaking from the bust of adrenaline. Gasping Twilight pulled herself free of the others, shivering so hard her teeth chattered as she fought to control her breathing.
“No weakness, no weakness, no weakness.” she chanted like a prayer willing her legs to hold her weight and her body not to shake. To process the fact that she had just been eaten was too hard, so she dealt with it like she did with every terrible thing that happen to her. Sliced it into pieces and shoved it deep into some dark corner of her mind to torment her later in her nightmares. Dealing with it by not dealing with it she wrapped herself in an armor of rage and hatred and was mostly calm and stable by the time the others had shakenly gotten to their hooves.
“So let’s keep moving. We don’t know what else is out here and I’d rather not find out.” She said grimly using mud and leaves to clean the blood off Spike. The baby dragon looked rightly traumatized, his eyes big and moist but the infant knew better then to cry. Twilight hard look helping him to force the tears back and shove all the pain down deep like she’d taught him. The others gave her wide eyed looks of disbelief obviously not ready to simply glance over her brush with death.
“Twilight..darling that big serpent just..just ate you! How can you tell us to simple keep going after something like this!” Rarity cried, face pale
. “Yeah! If you hadn’t used your magic like that you would have been in his tummy! And then and then…” Pinkie shivered, her poofy mane seeming to lose some of its fluff as they watched but Twilight simply turned away, uncaring.
“Well I’m not dead as you can see so it doesn’t matter. We got stuff to do remember.” She snorted trying to walk away. Her legs, more honest than she was, gave way sending her to the ground with a hiss.
“I’m fine!” she shouted before anypony could move. She was holding herself to together by a thread, but she firmed her lips and forced herself up. Spike did his best to support her, pressing against her side so she could lean against him. Twilight glanced at him briefly but didn’t say anything simply leaned a little more of her weight to his side as she tried to continue into the forest. Off to the side tried, shaken and frankly over the little unicorn’s attitude Rainbow shoved herself forward aggressively, her one wind flaring.
“Fine!? This all started because you were shouting how fine you were when you weren’t! If you’ve just let us help you before you wouldn’t have fell and been snake food!” She shouted.
Spike withered under the pegasus’s fury, but Twilight spine went straight, ears flatten as she bared her teeth. “I told you I didn’t need your help and I meant it! I just tripped on a rock so get your featherbrain out of my business! “Rainbow’s eyes narrowed, and she growled “Why you-!”
“Rainbow stop! Guys don’t fight!” Fluttershy interrupted pushing herself between the two fillies. She gave Rainbow an imploring look and the blue filly reluctantly backed down with a grumble leaving her to face Twilight alone. The yellow pegasus gave her a hard look and Twilight tensed ready to snap and snarl and let everypony know she was not weak-
“You shouldn’t call her that.”
She blinked, chest deflating with a rush as the wind was knocked out of her sails by the soft rebuke. “W...what?” she mentally stumbled, once again things weren’t going as she expected, and she didn’t know how to redirect. Pushing the advantage Fluttershy trotted forward giving a hard tap to one of Twilight’s back legs. The unicorn hissed unable to stop herself from jerking back and only then did she notice the bleeding gash on her leg. Thrown more off her game by the wound Fluttershy continued to take control. Pulling a large leave from seemingly nowhere she took a couple smaller plants in hoof and squeezed, bright green juice dripping onto her makeshift bandages.
“Featherbrain is very hurtful to a pegasus and you shouldn’t say things to hurt your friends.” She continued to scold as she flattens the leaf around the wound. Her touch was gentle but firm holding the unicorn still when she would have pulled away from the pain. Her matter of fact very brisk nature unnerved Twilight enough that she could do nothing but submit.
The truth was it had been a very long time since anypony had ever scolded her. In the rare times she left the safety of her room, Canterlot had long learned to fear the sharpness of her tongue or the wrath of her power. Even Celestia tried not to push her youngest too far less she be forced to deal with the explosions, figurately and literally, that came with her temper. Finishing up Fluttershy stepped back with a nod giving her a small smile.
“Does that feel better?” she asked softly pitching her voice low. Twilight glared wanting to snap but even she could admit the pain, more noticeable now because of its absent, was much more bearable.
“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.” She muttered looking away. Fluttershy easy care when she had been feeling so anxiety about showing weakness left her feeling foolish and unbalanced, she didn’t really know how to act. Fluttershy smiled keeping her voice low so only the two of them could hear. She knew Twilight wouldn’t appreciate an audience.
“You shouldn’t hide it when you’re hurting it only prolongs the pain.” She said softly backing up. Twilight worked her jaw for a second but eventually just snorted, turning away. Spike, who had hidden under her belly, nuzzled her chest comfortingly sensing her troubled emotions. She looked down, giving him a small smile before wrapping her tail around him.
“We lost our path running from the monster.” She said deciding to ignore what just happened. “You should fly up and see if you can see the castle.”
Fluttershy gives her a look but nodded taking to the air. Watching from the ground Rainbow face tighten. She rustles her wings flinching slightly as her broken wing ached. Turning away from the pegasus in the sky she tries to swallow back her bitterness.
“Oh oh my.” Fluttershy stuttered eyes wide as she looked over the forest.
“What ya see! What ya see!” Pinkie yelled upward as Fluttershy shot a panicked look back to her friends.
“The forest is gone.”
“What!”
“What do you mean gone!” Rainbow asked sharply, her wing aching to fly. Fluttershy shook her head flying back down. “It’s all gone. I can see a path to the castle but everything else is just gone like it was never there at all.” She explained worriedly. Twilight’s eyes darted back and forth as her brain worked quickly. She had a feeling but just to be sure.. nudging Spike to the side she darted into the trees without a word only to appear moments later back on the path. Scowling she did it again receiving the same results and she growled.
“Nightmare” she hissed glaring at the trees around them. Narrowing her eyes, she could make out thick layers of blue mist seeped into the trees and bushes. Nightmare Moon wasn’t even trying to be subtle in her blatant use of magic to trap them on the path.
“It’s Nightmare Moon.” She said loud enough for the others to hear. “She wants us on this path and is using her magic to keep us here.” She waved a hoof at the blue tendril which weren’t even trying to hide. “We can go only where she wants us.”
“Seriously this is obviously a trap you don’t just walk right into the jaw of the bad guy.” Applejack protested. Twilight shook her head. “We don’t have a choice. Nightmare could keep us all walking in circle forever if she wanted but she left the castle open so it’s either walk the path or sit here till something comes and eats us.” Personally, she wouldn’t have been surprised if the black alicorn send some monster to attack them if they took too long. The others looked nervous but knew they had no real choice but to keep moving forward. Nodding firmly Twilight turned and took a step only to hesitate.
“My..my leg is still kinda sore.” She muttered barely above a whisper “Can we..slow it down just a bit.”
Stunned silence answered her while Fluttershy beamed. “Wait weren’t you just-oaf!” Applejack elbowed Rainbow and gave her a look before smiling at the nervous unicorn. “Sure, thing Sugarcube ain’t no problem at all.” Twilight gave a tiny smile hidden by the wild tangle of her mane as Pinkie bounced up to support her. Feeling a calming warmth in her breast with Pinkie on one side and Spike on the other the group trotted toward the unknown together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So what exactly is our plan of action once we have reached the castle?” Rarity asked breaking the tense silence. Twilight blew out a harsh snort, ears flicking.
“Truthfully hope we luck out and die early so we won’t have to freeze to death like every other pony or on some fat chance find the element light the spark or whatever and stop this nightmare.” She grunted uncaringly.
“Your hope and faith are just inspiring darling.” Rarity deadpanned giving her a small glare. The little unicorn just shrugged opening her mouth only to pause, her ears perking.
“Do you hear that?” she asked eyes darting about. Was something moving.. The others stopped giving her curious looks.
“I don’t hear anything.” Pinkie said her own ears flicking, though she did begin to eye her surroundings suspiciously. They had been through enough that the group wasn’t taking any chances. Twilight didn’t answer her eyes darting about searching through the darkness surrounding them. Her eyes narrowed but no matter how hard she looked she could see nothing. Frowning she shook her head taking a step forward.
“Its nothing. I thought I-“ A green vine suddenly snaked out of the shadows, the two leaves on the end morphing into a gaping row of razor-sharp teeth that sank into Twilight’s leg dragging her into the brushes before she could scream.
“Twilight!” Applejack yelled charging after her as Rainbow groaned. “Not again!” just as hundreds of vines suddenly dropped from the trees mouths filled with sharpen teeth that roared at the fillies.
“Run!” Rarity screamed rearing back as the monster plants surged forward. Flutttershy took to the air as Rainbow and Pinkie scrambled back from the snapping jaws, the four forced back-to-back as the vines circled them from all sides.
“What about Twilight and Applejack!” Fluttershy cried shrieking as one of the vines snapped at wings driving her to the ground.
“We need to worry about us!” Rainbow snarled trampling a pair of teeth that got too close. Without warning a blast of purple energy craved a hole through their ranks, vaporing everything it touched. The vines released a keeling wail, pulling back from the searing light as Twilight and Applejack came tearing out of the woods.
“Make way!” Twilight yelled losing another blast from her horn that craved great chucks from the earth scattering rocks and plants everywhere. The vines hissed recoiling from her light but didn’t retreat circling around the edge growling.
“We’re surrounded, there in all the bushes and trees.” Twilight snarled horn blazing. “I knew it was a trap!” Rainbow hissed as the fillies backed up, herding together as the living creepers circled them like sharks smelling blood. Hissing in greed, a vine lunged from overhead snatching Spike in its jaw before Twilight could react. The infant cried out and Rarity leap, sinking her teeth into hissing ivy and tearing it from the root. The creeper shirked releasing its prey to turn on the white filly and Twilight was there; teeth bared her horn boiling like lava as she released another searing blast straight through its green leaved face. Rainbow snatched Spike out of the air as Rarity tore at the body of her attacker, but the base only regrew two more head causing Rarity to scream and scramble back.
“They keep growing back!” she yelped.
“Then let’s burn them all to ash.” Twilight snarled eyes bleeding to white. Her horn lite up a storm of magical energy gathering around her before it ignited engulfing the forest in flames. The monster vines screamed as the purple/white energy vaporized their numbers Twilight rearing and charging froward as her magic cut a path through there attacker.
“This way!” she shouted over her shoulder as the other fillies raced to keep up. Refusing to lose their prey so easily the vines roared and gave chase. Every burned stump that fell to Twilight’s light burst into new life two heads replacing one till the very sky seemed filled with snapping snarling mouths of green
“Twilight darling, I hate to criticize your efforts, but I don’t think that helping!” Rarity shrieked as one of the vines snapped at her heels. Twilight tossed her head her horn winking out and with a trumpeted roar, the vines swarmed in to fill the void.
“We’re surrounded!” Pinkie cried as the living ivy dropped to cut off their path forcing them to come to a halt. “Again!”
“And this time there more of them.” Fluttershy whimpered tearfully. The fillies backed together eyes wide and fearful.
“We can’t burn them out they’ll just regrow.” Twilight growled in frustration.
“Not like we can fight our way out either. They’ll tear us apart the moment we try.” Applejack added eyes darting back and forth.
“They’re overgrown houseplant can’t we just tear out their roots or something.” Rainbow growled, Spike limply hanging from her jaws. Applejacks eyes widened as realization struck.
“The Roots..” she whispered sharing a look with Pinkie Pie as the second earth pony came to the same conclusion.
“Everypony get back.” Pinkie cried jumping to the front. “What are you doing?” Rarity asked scampering back.
“Just watch.”
As one she and Applejack reared their hooves slamming into the earth with a sound of a shock wave. The earth pulsed like a heartbeat before to everyponies amazement it began to die. The ground turned molted black, grass decayed and rotted, a putrid wave of black death radiating out from the fillies’ hooves and killing everything green it encountered. It took only seconds for the death magic to reach the vine monster who all began to howl in pain as their bodies blacken and withered.
“What’s happening?” Twilight whispered watching in awe as the ripple of dark magic continued to spread to every plant around them.
“Death.” Pinkie Pie gasped, mane and tail completely flat. Both fillies were shaking violently, froth forming in thick waves in their fur as they gasped for breath.
“I’m gonna be sick.”
Without warning her knees buckled the pink pony crashing to the ground. Applejack wasn’t far behind the magic cutting off as the earth ponies fell. Fluttershy and Rarity raced to their side Twilight and Rainbow keeping a wary eye on the monsters. They hadn’t been able to kill all the vines though they had destroyed a fair bit. Luckily the monsters were reconsidering their attack. Between Twilight show of power and the earth ponies’ wave of death the vines had decided that the fillies weren’t worth the trouble, retreating into the woods and trees. Listening for a moment Twilight kept her ears perked but when all was quiet, she relaxed.
“I think there gone.” She said at last looking back at the others who were helping Applejack and Pinkie to their hooves. “Are you ok.” She asked awkwardly coming closer. Applejack shook her head leaning heavily against Fluttershy.
“We will be gotta catch ma breath,” she wheezed out still trembling slightly.
“What was that?” Rarity asked softly voice hushed. “I didn’t even know earth ponies could do that.”
Pinkies sat up painfully giving the unicorn a grateful look as she leaned against her. “We don’t like to talk about it.” She said slowly gaining control of her breathing. “Earth ponies are of the earth our magic brings life but that is..”
“Death.” Applejack whispered solemnly. “It’s death. Death of everything. They say a strong earth pony could turn a city into a desert.”
Pinkie Pie shuddered shaking herself briskly. “Doesn’t feel good though. It turns our magic upside down.” She stuck out her tongue. “Makes us sick.”
“It also takes a lot of magic. My pa could have taken out all those fang face vermin quick as a flash but..” Applejack shrugged making a little face at herself. “Still growing and all that.”
“Well, what you could do was good enough to save our tails.” Twilight said checking on Spike. The young drake was mostly unharmed, only a few faint wounds from the beasts’ fangs. She had cleaned them as best she could with her tongue before siting him on her back, where he’d curled his body in tight. Twilight could feel him slightly shaking. She threw him a worried look but decided not to say anything. She knew what it was like to hang on by a thread and she wouldn’t ruin that for him. She’ll wait till they were alone to deal with it.
“We should keep moving best not to chance them things coming back.” She said quietly ear flicking. The other fillies muttered their agreement helping Applejack and Pinkie Pie regain their hooves so the group could move on.
Limping forward warily the group made their way cautiously through the forest eyes and ears straining to search for anymore hidden danger. The blue mist was still guiding their path giving them no other choice but to follow where it led so the group trudged on an audible sigh of relief sounding out when they saw a break in the trees.
“I think we’re at the end.” Twilight breathed wearily hurrying her battered body as best she can. “Bout freakin time.” Rainbow groaned peeking a look at her broken wing.
“Wait.” Rarity said freezing, eyes suddenly darting about. “Isn’t this too easy. The path is clear, the exit right in front of us after dealing with though nasty creeps. Could it really be that simple.” Her tail lashed, ears flicking back “I for one find that highly suspicious.”
“Ain’t much we can do even if there was a flashing sign saying trap in bold letters Rares.’ Applejack signed waving a hoof at the blue mist surrounding them. “Nightmare got us running down the reel like a beast to slaughter.”
Rarity face fell and Fluttershy let out a fearful sob. Pinkie came up and leaned against her in comfort giving Applejack a dirty look. The farm filly only shrugged muttering a “its true.’ under her breath.
“Enough.” Twilight signed tiredly “We don’t have time for this. What will be will be lets go.” She pushed ahead stopping any further conversation as the others rushed to follow her. Trotting toward the opening the group didn’t even jump when a low growling sounded just before they reached the exit.
“Knew it.” Rarity muttered bitterly. The fillies bunched together searching the darkness for the threat. Not wanting to be caught unaware they slowly began walking toward the exit ears straining to catch any sound in the wind. The growl sounded again, closer, and Twilight was about to call a halt when Fluttershy gave a started yelp. Everyone spin toward her seeing the yellow pegasus slowly stepping toward something hidden in the shadows.
“Fluttershy what is it?” Pinkie whispered creeping slowly behind her. Fluttershy didn’t answer instead lifting a wing to push back the brush to get a closer look. They all gasped. Laid out before them taking up a large span of the ground was the monster that had chased them earlier. Its prone form, leashed and pined to the ground, gave them the chance to examine it without the film of terror clouding their eyes. It was massive, easily 20ft high standing on all fours, a reptile creature with six legs and a long tail. Spikes flowed down its back and jagged teeth jolted from the bottom jaw. Its four eyes with half lidded but glowed faintly in the dark. The growl sounded again, and the fillies were able to see that the monster had been tied down by the creeper vines, the greenish teeth sinking into flesh as the vines worked to break through the beast tough skin. It was clear that it was being eaten alive.
“Is that..?” the words trail off leaving Rarity looking confused and concerned. “Yeah! It’s that thing the one who broke my wing!” Rainbow snarled the unbroken one snapping out. She suddenly smirked viciously turning to kick dirt on the trapped beast.
“Well it got what it deserved. That’s karma baby ha!” the blue filly walked off with a spring in her step obviously happy with the turn around.
“Come on guys let’s let the grass buzzards do their thing!” Rarity and Pinkie looked unsure but eventually followed Rainbow while Applejack snorted roughly tossing her head as she followed her friends. Twilight didn’t care either way. As far as she was concerned if the beast was trapped by the ivy, it meant neither one was coming after them. She flicked her tail and turned to follow the others when she noticed Fluttershy wasn’t with the group.
“Fluttershy come on. Let’s go.” She said impatiently. The yellow pegasus didn’t move staring at the trapped monster with unreadable eyes.
“We can’t just leave her.” she whispered not moving. Twilight nose twisted in surprise raising an eyebrow. “What..?”
“WHAT!” Rainbow roared whipping back to glare with furious red eyes. “You did not just say you want to free that thing!” she growled stomping toward the cowering pegasus. “Did you forget how that thing tried to kill us. What it did to my wing!” she screamed in her face.
Fluttershy struggled to stammer out an respond as the angry filly advanced on her backing her into the trees.
“Hey knock it off RD no need to bite her head off.” Applejack said knocking the smaller filly back. Rainbow snorted muttering angrily to herself as she stalked off. Applejack shook her head turning to the cowering filly.
“RD was outta line Flutters but she’s right. Ain’t no reason for us to involve ourselves in this mess of nature.” She glared at the pinned monster. “And I ain’t gonna lie and say I don’t feel all nice and tingly inside when I see the thing that tried to eat us be on somepony else’s dinner plate.” She huffed before walking off. Fluttershy shook and trembled looking pleadingly at the others, but Rarity and Pinkie only shook their heads turning away though Pinkie did give her a sad look. Twilight watched them all go mutely before flicking her tail at the other filly expecting her to follow. She didn’t get more than one step before a quiet “Twilight!” stopped her. She looked back, Fluttershy was staring at her with large watery eyes.
“Could you help me free her?” she whispered quietly looking at the ground. “I can’t do it by myself.”
Twilight watched her, aware of the others glaze on her back. She was about to keep going, herd instinct would force Fluttershy to follow and leave this madness behind but for some reason she couldn’t. She was trapped in rainbow gaze of her eyes.
“Fine.” She grumbled trying to ignore the strange warm in her breast. Making sure Spike was secured to her back just in case she trotted closer. Flicking her ears at Fluttershy they approached the bounded monster, the beast watching their every move with one of its many glowing eyes.
“Can you cut along here?” Fluttershy asking motioning toward one thick hind leg. The creepers hissed as they came close but recoiled as Twilight lite her horn a beam of purple light flowing out to slice through the ivy’s belly. It was quick work. The vines had already felt the wrath of Twilight magic before and retreated the moment the purple light came close. In no time at all the monster was free, the ponies scrambling back the moment the last vine was cut. They weren’t that trusting. The beast regarded them with unblinking eyes not moving from its prone position and the ponies backed away under its stare, Twilight all but dragging Fluttershy away.
“Get better soon.” Fluttershy called submitting to Twilight probing and trotting away to rejoin the others. None of them said anything but Fluttershy still withered under Rainbows radiating fury dropping back to walk at the back of the herd. As the fillies continued moving forward Twilight was silent, lost in thought as she chewed over what had happened. Without thinking she dropped back coming up to trot beside the lonely pegasus.
“Why did you do it?” she asked bluntly wanting to understand. While it was true to say she didn’t care about what happened to the monster one way or another she also knew she wasn’t above taking satisfaction in seeing it helpless and defeated. The beast had hurt them, almost killed them she didn’t understand why the other filly wanted to help so badly. Fluttershy peeked at her from under her mane the one visible eye steady despite her hunched position.
“Everyone deserves a little kindness.” She whispered the rainbow once more lighting up her eyes before she turned away. Twilight frowned looked over her shoulder one last time before they rounded the corner and were gone. Only once the last of the hoof steps had faded and the Grieveling could no longer smell their scent did she rise weakly on spend legs. The vines had trapped her for some time and wounds from sharp teeth littered her body, but she would heal. Rumbling softly in her throat she turned to the small hollow she had been protecting. Moving slowly a tiny infant came tumbling out, chirping in distress as it saw her bloodied stated. Growing in reassertion the Grieveling nuzzled her young, holding the infant close as she looked to where the ponies had disappeared and thought about kindness.
The herd was quiet as they made their way out of the trees and the world seemed to match their mood. No birds sang and no insects rustled and before anypony could realize how unnatural it was the night was already upon them.
“You got farther than I expected.” Nightmare Moon hummed casually walking among the broken bodies who had been devastated by her attack. “Little foals playing hero. I was sure my flowers would have made short work of you.” She stopped wings rustling as she looked down at Twilight spalled at her feet. The filly had attempted to protect Spike and had taken the full brunt of the attack, her body smoking slightly. Nightmare’s lips quirked, a fang peeking out. “But it seems I was wrong.”
“You..!”
Dark ears perked and the Nightmare turned lazily, serpent eyes landing on Rainbow Dash who struggled to her feet. “You..you leave them alone!” she hissed; teeth gritted as she forced her protesting body to stand. Trembling, bruised, blood seeping from wounds large and small she glared defiantly, doing her best to keep her body between the dark mare and her friends. Nightmare Moon lips curved, and she chuckled lowly, eyes gleaming darkly.
“Ah the little pegasus. So much fire you have not like your little spineless friend here.” She glanced at the yellow filly behind her and with the most casual of movements kicked out a hind leg. Hooves slammed into Fluttershy’s ribs with a thunderous crack, the filly’s eyes flew open blood and bile flinging from her mouth as she flew through the air before slamming into the tree with an ominous crunch, where she slid and went still.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow screamed trying to run to her side. Pain shot up her side the moment she moved, the blue filly falling to the floor with a wheezing gasp.
“Oh do try not to hurt yourself to much dear.” Nightmare said with a viper’s smile. “I rather my new toys be as undamaged as possible.” She chuckled, once more walking lazily through the downed little bodies.
“It was adorable really. Six little infant barely weaned from their dam’s teat believing they could stop me.” She stopped in front of Applejack reaching out to almost tenderly stroke the farm filly cheek.
“So adorable.” She tapped the filly’s face and Rainbow could almost feel the impact of each deceptively light touch as she watched the bruising begin to spread across orange fur. “So cute, so funny.” She cooed, swift as lighting her hoof came up slamming into the earth pony foreleg. The limb cracked like glass, blacken, and died with the impact as glowing teal eyes, cold and death as the void in space glared into her soul.
“So funny I forgot to laugh.” She whispers as sobbing screams fed her night. She began to walk again, and Rainbow felt like every step was another nail in her coffin as the towering Alicorn came to loom over her.
“But you Rainbows Dash you impressed me.” She said with a fanged grin. “Such strength, such will, it really shouldn’t go to waste.” She leaned down, cold star lite eyes glaring into her own as the alicorn leaned in close.
“You are all going to die tonight.” She said it calmly with no emotion, telling the world an undeniable statement of fact and daring it to disagree with her. Rainbow stopped breathing.
“Quickly, painfully whatever strikes my fancy really but you Rain-bow.” She drew out her name with a low silky hiss, forked tongue flicking out to lick her face.
“You do not have to die with this little band of would-be heroes.” She stood up taking a few short steps till she stood in the center of her little massacre. “Talent shouldn’t be wasted, and I will have need of fresh new talent in the empire I will build but I also need loyalty. “She smiled sweet as pie and poisonous as a black widow’s bite.
“I wouldn’t dare force you to join me of course. Slaves and the unwilling tend to get such silly ideas like revolution and revolt, so I’ll give you a choice.” She spread her wings though cold viper eyes boring into Rainbows own.
“Join me or die here with your friends.” She smiled, eyes dancing as if telling some inside joke. Rainbow felt like her breath had frozen in her lungs. Her heart was beating too fast, pain wreaked every corner of her body, and every instinct she had was screaming at her run as far and fast as she could, but she couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away from though cold, empty eyes.
“Abandon ..my..friends.” she gasped out lips frozen by terror. Nightmare Moon chuckled stepping closer, fangs gleaming in the moonlight.
“It is not so hard to accept really. Your quest was doomed from the start so why waste such promising potential fighting the inevitable.” Her teeth snapped on the last word, fangs coming together in a crescent smile.
“We both know there is only one real choice..” she purred.
No, Rainbow thought, she was wrong. To run away, to leave her friends even to save her own life. No there wasn’t one choice cause to Rainbow Dash there was never a choice at all.
“Never.”
Nightmare eyebrow raised and she frowned. “What?!”
“Never!” the filly forced out as rainbow light began to build in her eyes. A new strength suddenly filled her, and she surged to her hooves glaring fearlessly at the towering alicorn.
“I’ll never abandon my friends so you can take your offer and shove it up your fat plot!” she screamed in denial.
Filled with new strength a stone in the castle flared to life almost seeming to release a war cry as it glowed brightly.
“Save your lies for somepony who cares you rat winged timberwolf!” She shouted rearing up. Her wings snapped out, bones grinding in her broken limb sending jagged streaks of agony singing through her veins, but she barely felt it facing down the alicorn with a snarl of righteous fury.
“If you want them, you’ll have to get through me! Come at me then!” she roared at the night rainbow eyes blazing bright. Nightmare Moon mask of cool mockery shattered as her face contorted in rage, teeth bared in a fiercesome snarl as she sneered.
“Then so be it! Die along with your pitiful friends!” she lunged forward inky black darkness coming forth to swallow the light of the snarling filly before her. There was a desperate shout. A flash of purple light materializing into a white eyes purple unicorn with horn blazing braced in front of her friend. Seizing Dash and the rest in her magic Twilight pushed, cracks of white lightening sparking from her eyes as her horn gave one last desperate surge as the darkness closed in and they were gone.