//------------------------------// // Celestia : Storm // Story: The End is Not the End // by Hoofprintz //------------------------------// Sorrow. Grief beyond any I've ever experienced before tore my heart asunder. Flurry... Little Flurry Heart... was gone. After Luna managed to bring Cadance back to her senses, my sister and I stood in the throne room like a pair of fools, completely oblivious to what we should or could do next. And this god-forsaken cough is not helping at all. COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH After the fit I could barely stand from the intense strain it had put on my body. It felt as if my lungs might exit through my nose and mouth at any moment. Luna stared at me, her eyes drenched in tears, as if I might keel over. I just may, but I wasn't about to have her worry about that right now. "I'm fine, Luna," I stated sternly with a glare that assured her that I wasn't about to argue with her over my health. She looked like she wanted to protest, but instead took a step to stand next to Flurry. I followed reluctantly, not wanting to have to face such a horribly unfair reality, but knowing that's exactly what I had to do. "Tia... what happened?" I balked at Luna's question, my sister staring down at Flurry's lifeless body. "I don't think now is the time or the place for such a discussion, Luna." I casted a telekinesis spell to carefully lift my granddaughter's body. Luna seemed to agree, choosing to watch me instead of saying anything more. "Could you take Cadance to her room? I'm... I'm not really sure what to do further than that." "Where are you taking Flurry?" she asked. I thought for a minute, but my mind drew a blank. There's no spell in Equestria that can save her now, other than perhaps evil magic. "I don't know, Luna... I... I just don't know..." I carried Flurry to the doors of the throne room, unsure of myself, unsure of anything, as tears cascaded down my face. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I sat next to Flurry for what felt like hours. I'd come to her room and laid her on her bed, not knowing or being capable of thinking of a better route to take. I don't know what I was thinking any more, my brain had simply seemed to stop working. I covered her with the blankets, perhaps trying to play make-believe. Perhaps trying to create a scenario where I could imagine she was just sleeping and not... I cried and I cried and I cried. There was no one around so I didn't have to be... to act strong for anypony. "Oh, Flurry..." I would give my life without hesitation to bring her back. If only I hadn't asked her to help. If only I hadn't failed so horribly with Twilight. If only I wasn't such a failure. I rested my head next to hers, praying for the strength to carry on. I wanted nothing more than for everything to be over, for my life to be over. I knew it was selfish. I still had Lulu and Cadance... and even Twilight, if we could save her. But for some reason, it felt like I had no hope left. It felt as if I had nothing left, because no matter what ending I imagined, Flurry would not be a part of it. I suppose this is what it truly feels like to lose family, to lose somepony who is irreplaceable. WHAM WHAM WHAM The harsh banging at the door startled me, causing me to lift my head involuntarily. I didn't even get to say a word before the door was thrown open and a fiery red mare stomped into the room. "Captain Flurry are you in- OH!? Forgive me, Your Highness! I didn't realize... Is she asleep?" The leader of the Rainbow Guard, Ignitia stopped a few paces away from us. She'd started speaking before entering the room and now realized the error she'd made. I didn't reply, instead the presence of another pony broke me completely. I wailed, bawling and dropping my head next to Flurry. If only she were merely slumbering. "Y-Your Highness...? You're scaring me..." I heard the slow clop of her hooves as she drew closer, hearing her gasp as she finally noticed the true gravity of the situation. "N-no... no..." She joined me at the bedside in mourning our departed family and friend. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After our "time" together, Ignitia and I found Luna mourning in her own way in the garden. Despite her grief she'd still lowered my sun for me and raised her moon high into the evening sky. She stared up at her jewel, crying quietly alone. She was so much stronger than I was. I honestly believe had I been by myself for much longer my grief may have gotten the best of me and I might've done something foolish. The three of us discussed the specifics of our duties with Flurry gone and Cadance in the state she'd found herself in. Luna and I would attempt to lead the empire for the time being. Ignitia would take on the role of Captain of the Guard and help us with our duties as much as she was able. It wasn't a flawless plan, far from one, but it was better than doing nothing at all. I'd have to notify Cadance of our intentions which I had no desire to do. Big surprise. Celestia doesn't want to face her failures yet again. I stood outside her bedroom door for longer than I should have, trying to find just the right things to say to her. Unfortunately, there were no right things to say. Flurry was gone. Shining Armor was gone. I couldn't say anything that would change either of those facts. In the end, I failed terrifically to comfort her, being consoled by my niece more than I did any consoling. Though even in my failure I'd managed to accomplish my primary objective. She knew there was going to be a funeral held for Flurry. While I was certain she wouldn't be attending, I had to extend the courtesy of letting her know. To be honest, I didn't want to go to the funeral myself. I didn't want it to be true. I just want my granddaughter back. ________________________________ As Luna and I were making plans to "invade" Canterlot one of Cadance's straggling scouts returned to the empire with news. Twilight was still creating barriers around cities. I couldn't believe it. Why she was continuing this endeavor if she had tried to save Flurry was beyond my comprehension. Something wasn't right and Luna and I were going to get to the bottom of it, no matter the cost. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Twilight..." Luna and I stared at my old student, or at least what was left of her. I barely recognized the alicorn, the dark black coat and tendrils of magic encompassing her reminding me of my past... of my sister's travails. The expression on her face was one of marked sadness and I was sure I knew why. "Flurry is dead Twilight!" I gaped at Luna's sudden outburst. Well, that's definitely one way of approaching this, Luna. I looked back at Twilight to see her head slowly falling. "I know," tears fell from her face onto Spike's head. "I'm sorry, I never wanted any of this to happen, I just..." she wiped her eyes with a foreleg, though it did little to stem the flow of sorrow. "Twilight... why are you still creating those barriers? What's going on? Where is that book?" I spoke up. We couldn't dwell on... we had to focus on what we could change, not on what we couldn't. We have to help her. "I can't stop," she sniffled as she looked up at us, pure agony etched into her features. "Please, Celestia... please help me." "That is what you said previously, Twilight Sparkle. Has nothing changed at all?" Luna was already charging magic into her horn. She was intent on letting nothing get the drop on her. "It's not like that, Luna. You need to be careful, you're- AGHHHH!" The piercing scream that escaped my pupil's lips pushed me to move forward instinctively, like a mother that was forced to witness her foal being tortured. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing while she thrashed at her head with her hooves. "Tia, wait!" Luna had drawn my attention for only a second before she gestured toward Twilight. I looked back at the black alicorn to find her... changed. Her eyes were jagged, looking as sharp as any blade I'd seen. The grin on her lips one of pure condescension. "Twi-light?" I asked cautiously, knowing already that she was no longer there. "I think that's enough of that, Sparkles. We can't have you ruining all the fun before the party starts." Twilight, or whatever was controlling her, slowly removed her hooves from her head before looking down at us. "Oh! What fun! I get to play with two princesses at the same time!" she clapped her hooves ecstatically. "What are you two even planning coming here? Would you really hurt this pathetic body to stop us? You'll be harming your precious little student, FYI." The voice was Twilight's, but... It was wrong. "Who are you?" Luna growled, already taking a combative stance. "Are you the book that Celestia spoke of?" "KAHAHAHA! That's hilarious!" she sighed, obviously quite pleased with herself. "You really think we're just a book? How could Justy hav-" "That is quite enough, Kis," Twilight's demeanor and voice changed again. Her eyes softer this time, almost bored, and her tone a bit deeper now. "Celestia. Luna. It is a pleasure to finally meet both of you face to face." "I asked once who you are, I will not ask again," Luna grit her teeth. She was ready for a fight. I was still trying to analyze the situation, but was getting nowhere fast. Regardless, I channeled magic into my horn. For some reason this new presence sent chills down my spine, as if I was familiar with this entity. "Luna... Luna, Luna, Luna..." Twilight shook her head. "Such rage... Is that not what caused you to succumb to the Nightmare so easily?" The look of disgust on Twilight's face drove Luna further into a fury I'd not seen from her in a long time. "YOU DARE!?" My sister was nearly snarling now. "Make your identity known MONSTER, that I may be privy to the name of the FOOL who pushed the Princess of the Night too far!" she was shaking. "I shall tear you out of Twilight Sparkle and rip you to shreds!" "Sister, he's trying to-" "I am aware, TIA! It is working quite well!" Her pupils had narrowed into slits, a telltale sign something was about to suffer her wrath. I think the only reason she hadn't attacked yet was because she was wary of damaging Twilight's body and hadn't worked out how to go about fighting with such a handicap. "Such pride. Such arrogance. I expected no less from the frail pony that succumbed to a demon." Twilight turned her gaze to me, disregarding the rage flooding from Luna. "You are awfully quiet, Celestia. Are you going to let your little sister do all the dirty work again?" she lifted a lazy hoof to gesture toward me. "I'm just working out how to get rid of you... whatever you are," I narrowed my gaze. Generally, I could easily control my anger, but even I was starting to reach the end of my rope with this arrogant whelp. "How rude of me!" Twilight suddenly looked genuinely surprised. "I neglected to introduce myself! My name is Met," she bowed low with a flourish of her hoof. "And the other delightful me you were just speaking with previously is named Kis." Luna and I looked at each other with profound confusion on our faces before we turned back to Twilight. "What?" we shouted in unison. There are two personalities in Twilight that aren't hers? This was getting out of hoof. "I know it might be a bit hard to comprehend, but it is what it is," Twilight, or currently, Met, shrugged. "By the by, I will need a touch more anger from the two of you, if you do not mind." "As if we'd play into your hooves so easily," I scoffed. There was no way I'd lose my cool right now. I knew such foolishness could be the first step toward our defeat. "Ah, you say that, but," the smirk that curled Met's lips upward made my skin crawl. "I am the one that murdered your precious little Flurry Heart." My explosion of anger at the revelation was absolutely eclipsed by the pure unadulterated rage coming off of Luna. She trembled as dark inky mana encompassed her entire body. "Y-YOU WILL PAY!" her voice boomed so loudly I would've been pushed away if I hadn't planted my hooves in the ground. "Yes, that is perfect! Perfect! I applaud your efforts in feeding our spell," Met cackled. What does that mean? Before I had a chance to consider his words further the ground around us began to shine. The sigil had to have been miles long, stretching out in all directions. We were standing right in the center of it. "LUNA!" I called out to her. She looked my way, her enraged visage twisting even more at my panic. It was a trap and we were caught right in the center of it. Of course it's a trap. These monsters won't be fighting fair. "Too late, Celestia! You two are mine now!" His cockiness would be his downfall if he wasn't careful. Dark lightning crackled up from the ground, electrocuting my sister and I. I grit my teeth, enduring the pain, but unable to move from the spot. Luna on the other hoof... "AS IF SUCH A PATHETIC SPELL COULD CONTAIN ME!!!" She turned back to Met before raising her hooves high and slamming them into the ground beneath her. It crumbled like an old sand castle at the beach that was far too close to the ocean, immediately freeing the two of us from the paralyzing field. She was breathing heavily, the exertion to break the binding taking far more energy than she was trying to let on. "Oh, HOLY CROW! You're much stronger than I gave you credit for, Lu! This is gonna be fun..." The one called Kis was back in control, but I wanted a shot at Met, as I'm sure Luna did as well. "Bring Met back out here, NOW!" Yes, Luna desired vengeance, and if she didn't get it soon her temper might get us cornered. "We're the same being, you doofus," Kis chuckled. "Met may've been the one who dealt the finishing blow, but who do you think is the one who decided she should die?" Luna didn't hesitate. She was behind Kis in the blink of an eye, a blast of mana shooting from her horn so powerfully I wasn't sure where she'd conjured so much energy in such a small span of time. The explosion was large enough to cover the area and cloud my vision completely. Spike may have taken some damage as well, though the blast wasn't focused on him so he should be- "Temper, temper, Luna. Don't you know you could hurt Sparkles using that much power?" As the smoke cleared Luna grunted in pain, held tightly in Kis' telekinetic spell. The barrier Kis had erected twinkled with evil energy, but showed no signs of damage. "LUNA!" In desperation I shot a focused beam of sunlight at Kis in an attempt to break her focus so my sister might be able to break free from her grasp. "Spikey, little help," Kis said in a sing song tone. The massive dragon lifted his arm to intercept my attack. I hadn't meant to deal much damage so my attack burst in a cluster of sparks instead of reaching its destination. "Now then, up. you. GO!" Kis shouted with glee as she sent Luna flying into the sky. I didn't know what she was planning, but I wasn't about to let it happen. I teleported into the sky, directly in the path that Luna was traveling, casting my own telekinesis spell to stop my sister's progress. With such a great distance between Kis and Luna I was able to gain control fairly easily and stop her rapid ascent. "Lulu?" I let out a relieved breath. She was gulping in air like it was a delicacy, the look on her face unnerving. Such a reaction from just a telekinesis spell? She coughed several times before speaking. "She was... crushing me... I could not... break free," she looked down at the black alicorn. "I think... I think she was going to send me into your sun." I glared down at the thief. How dare she! "Tia?" I kept my gaze locked on the figure below. "What is it, Luna?" I would knock that foolish grin on Kis' face clean off. "They are strong. We must not be rash," she'd calmed down after the assault. If it was strong enough to remove her anger so swiftly then we might really be in a troublesome predicament. "Then you know what we must do, Sister," I smiled at her confidently. She returned the gesture. "Together, Sister?" Luna smirked. "Togeth-" I was cut off as Kis interrupted the moment, teleporting directly between us with that same cocky smile plastered on her face. "So like, you two are taking way too long up here." In a blur she bucked hard at Luna and shot a powerful blast of darkness from her horn at me. Luna jerked to the right while I descended. We narrowly avoided the attacks, Kis' hoof scraping against Luna's cheek and her energy incinerating some hair from my mane. "Luna, watch Spike!" I captured Kis In a fully powered telekinesis spell. "Right!" My sister backed off and kept her eyes on the dragon. "KAHAHAHA! As if I'd need Spikey to deal with the two of you." Kis moved forward effortlessly. I infused more magic into the spell, but it did little to halt her advance. I recoiled in horror as she pushed her face inches from my own. "Gonna have to try a little harder than that if you want to protect you and your sister, Celestia," she sneered. "Sister!" Luna grabbed Kis with her own telekinesis and pulled her away from me. "OH! So Lu is stronger than you, Cel?" Kis strained against the spell, but was slowly being forced away from me. "That's surprising!" "Celestia... HELP!" Luna was just as strained as Kis, sweat dripping from her brow as she held the spell together at the seams. If I hesitated any longer she would escape the field and be able to attack us once again. "Right!" I shouted. I can't use too much. I have to be careful. If I sent a concentrated beam of pure sunlight through Kis it would cut through Twilight's body like a hot knife through butter. Instead, I hit her with a fraction of my strength, only enough to incapacitate any alicorn at full power. The blast exploded in a brilliant flash of light, Luna removing her telekinesis just as my attack landed flush with Twilight's body. Standing in the aftermath of the explosion stood a wholly unharmed Kis. "I already told you," In one deft motion she teleported behind Luna and flipped forward, dropping a backhoof ferociously on my sister's back and sending her careening toward the ground. "You're gonna have to try harder than that!" The sound of the impact of the blow paired with my sister's scream of pain jostled me. "Luna!" I called out in horror. It was a brutal strike, perhaps enough to break her spine. As she approached the ground a powerful gust of wind stopped her descent. "S-Spike?" The dragon had whipped up a whirlwind with his massive wings attempting to cushion my sister's fall. Luna flapped her wings several times, looking up at Kis with a pained expression. "Tsk, I guess we don't have as much control over him as we thought." Kis was so focused on the outcome of her attack that she'd left herself wide open. I manifested a massive burning hammer composed completely of my sun and my mana. A barrier would do little against the blunt force trauma one of my conjured weapons could inflict. My aim was true, catching Kis' attention at the very last second. She lifted her forelegs in an attempt to mitigate some of the incoming damage, but they wouldn't do much. The horrid sound of concentrated sunlight against flesh and bone was sickening, launching Kis flailing through the sky at one of the many mountains that surrounded Canterlot. Her body traveled so rapidly that it burrowed deep inside the shattered rubble she'd created. "Excellent strike, Tia!" Luna was thoroughly impressed as she rejoined me in the sky, shifting her back and wings to flex out the pain. We flew to the destroyed mountain, ready to follow up the first attack with countless more. "Be on your guard," Luna stared at the chaos. "I am certain it did not do her in." We waited. Kis pushed the rocks off of herself as she climbed out of the debris, coughing all the while. "Sheeeesh, that one actually hurt," she rubbed her head with a hoof. "And you're holding back? I'd hate to take you on if you were being serious, Cel," Kis looked up at us with that demented smile still on her face. "Yield NOW. Give Twilight her body back and you will be brought to justice with my word that you will not be harmed," I declared. Justice has to rule. If this being is willing to surrender than even it- "SISTER!?" the shocked eyes Luna gave me said she obviously didn't agree with my attempt at peace. "KAHAHAHA!" Kis' ear grating laughter drew both our gazes. "You've a better chance of bringing your granddaughter back from the dead than getting me to give up such a fun opportunity!" her horn glowed with black energy. If she won't back down... neither will we. "Get ready, Luna." The air filled with the concentration of both our magical essences. We may not be able to use our full strength against Twilight's body, but we could use it to protect ourselves. "It's PARTY TIME!" Kis' eyes became crazed, psychotic to a very uncomfortable degree, mostly because they were currently possessing my precious student. She conjured an absurdly long sword made of black energy. It hovered in the air directly in front of her ready to strike as soon as its master willed it. In the next second, she was on me. I barely had any time to react as she swung the blade downwards at my head. In the same moment, I lifted my hammer, catching the blow of her weapon with my own. The clash of sun against darkness sent the three of us flying in different directions. Luna teleported right next to Kis, a look of pure joy on my baby sister's face. She relished fights and that fact was showing now more than ever. "I don't need a crude weapon to PAY! YOU! BACK!" Luna roared in her draconic voice. The effects were immediate, deep cuts forming on Kis as she was sent whirring in the opposite direction with a loud grunt. I flew as quickly as I could swinging my hammer at the drifting alicorn. I never connected, Kis disappearing from reality before reappearing several meters away from me. She breathed heavily, the sadistic grin on her face somehow larger than ever before. "The two of you working together really is annoying..." she huffed. "How bout we do something about that?" Before our very eyes Twilight's body slowly split in two, an identical copy now hovering next to the original. "Twilight already tried utilizing this trick against me," Luna trapped the two Kis between us, giving them no chance at an escape. "It did not work out for her." "Oh, this is a little different, Lu," one of the Twilight's turned to face my sister. "She made clones of herself... not a terrible idea. I, on the other hand," both Twilight's surged with dark power. "Have picked a different strategy. Now... which is which?" One of the Twilight's dashed at me and the other shot at Luna. It was a foolish tactic, one that would cost Kis dearly. I swung my hammer with enough force to shatter mountains, knowing she would easily avoid it. She didn't. My weapon sunk into her mushy flesh for only a moment before her true plan was revealed. The eruption of evil energy was at first utterly blinding and then dreadfully painful. One second I was high in the sky, the next I was opening my eyes to find myself free falling to the ground. My aching body would not respond to my will. I heard somepony call out what could've been my name, but the ringing in my ears was much too loud to be sure. Crashing into the unforgiving ground sent more tremors of pain throughout my already devastated body. The crater I'd created was of moderate size. Not surprising since I wasn't thrown at the ground. I shakily stood to my hooves, vertigo causing me to stumble this way and that. Once I'd slightly regained my composure I looked back into the sky to see Luna and Kis darting this way and that at one another. I felt an ugly sensation crawling all over my coat. "No," I cringed at the sight. I was covered in the black mana, the same as the gunk Cadance and I had encountered in Canterlot. "To think she'd self destruct as an attack." The most intense frenzy of coughs I'd experienced racked my body, but this time it was unbelievably painful. I nearly collapsed at the sudden agony. "Who says I blew myself up?" The blast that blindsided me didn't hurt, instead washing over me and taking control. "Look at me." I was forced to look over my shoulder to find the second Twilight satisfied to no end... "Y-you..." I was able to get out a single word before my mouth clamped shut. Bad. Very bad. "Cel, do me a favor?" The faux Twilight giggled, a truly disgusting sound. I screamed at my body to move, to do anything, but it refused to obey. "Go get eaten by a dragon, yeah?" My body turned of its own accord to find Spike's mighty form descending upon me. I looked up at the certain death I was facing, my eyes mercifully allowed to squeeze closed. Luna... I'm sorry. The last thing I heard before being swallowed was the loud outcry of my sister shouting my name.