Sunny was flanked by Misty and Alphabittle as they made their way to Zephyr Heights in the dark of the night. There was no time to lose. Every second Opaline controlled the Pegasus home was another she could be preparing for the final launch on the unicorns that would decide everything.
Nopony said a word, there was a tension in the air as they walked. Sunny was still in her alicorn form, and wearing her armor and tiara. This was perhaps the longest time she had ever been in alicorn form. Just thinking of her friends in a cell or suffering through who knew what made her worry. So she was in her alicorn form constantly for now. She knew what Opaline’s inner circle was capable of and dreaded the possibility when her mind wandered to Dirty Fighter).
They walked on the main road.
Finally, Alphabittle spoke. “Don’t worry, Haven, I’m coming for you and your girls! They will be mine as well before long and I’ll love them like my own!”
Sunny and Misty smiled at the sound of that. Misty had grown to consider Zipp and Pipp her sisters ever since she learned that Alphabittle and Queen Haven were engaged. Now she could have a proper family again, if they all survived what was to come.
…
Little did they know that a ways off the main road a mile to the east, Zipp was leading the escaped ponies away from Zephyr Heights. She’d spent some time circling around with Ember, Pipp, and Fireforge Destiny to make sure they got every pony that escaped. They’d avoided the main road to make sure any patrols Opaline might have wouldn’t spot them. Surprise was their best advantage right now, and they needed to keep it.
“I just hope Sunny is alright,” Fireforge said as he flew next to her.
“Me too,” Zipp said.
They continued on until morning.
…
By the time the sun rose, Sunny’s group had made it to the mountains before Zephyr Heights. They were tired, but determined.
Misty closed her book that she’d been reading to memorize as many spells as possible before the final battle. It was today, everything would end today, one way or another. Either they’d defeat Opaline, or they’d lose.
“I think we’ll be safe here,” Alphabittle said. “Everypony set up camp, and have some sentries keep watch at the top of the hill to make sure nopony spots us!”
“Okay, we need to try and get some rest,” Sunny said. “But we also have to get everypony out of there that we can!”
“I think I can help with that,” Misty said as she opened her book to a certain page. “I found this spell that allows one to become invisible. Maybe I can…”
She lit up her horn and got pressed her body against Sunny as the book instructed that to make multiple ponies invisible, they had to remain in direct contact.
“Stay right up against me Sunny,” Misty said as she cast the spell.
Both of them vanished.
“Dad, can you see us?” Misty asked Alphabittle.
“No!” he said.
“Then we’re going in to get the others,” Misty said.
They made their way slowly. Once or twice they appeared on the cliffs or streets but they managed to evade overral detection and got to the dungeon where Sunny had once been imprisoned herself only to find…
“Noponies here!” Sunny exclaimed.
…
Opaline awoke in the morning and yawned, resting herself on the comfortable bed that she’d claimed as her own in Queen Haven’s room. It was certainly a luxury to be in. She removed her sleep mask and headed down to the royal kitchen. She’d allowed the chefs and everypony to keep their jobs at least. Now they would work in her service. She expected to see her son there but he wasn’t present. She shrugged, he’d probably be down soon. In the meantime she examined her variety of royal breakfast choices.
“Shadowberries!” Opaline exclaimed as she saw her favorite fruit. “Don’t mind if I do!”
She then looked at the royal chef who looked at her nervously.
“Mix these into some pancakes!” she commanded.
“Y-yes Queen Opaline!” the chef said timidly as he quickly got to work.
Soon Opaline was served shadowberry pancakes on a silver plate encrusted with jewels. At least the Pegasus queen had had the decent taste of royalty. She levitated her knife and fork and cut herself her first bite. She frowned as she noted her beloved son had not joined her.
“He’ll be here,” she told herself.
But by the time she finished her meal he had not arrived.
“Where is my son?” she asked incredulously.
“Queen Opaline!” a voice exclaimed as General Bloodheart entered the room. “The prisoners we kept in the dungeon have escaped!”
“What?” Opaline exclaimed.
“We checked the dungeon and found nopony there!” Bloodheart said. “The Royal Pegasus family, their friends, and several others have escaped including Ember the dragon!”
“This is an outrage!” Opaline shouted. “How could they have possibly escaped. Where is my son?”
“That’s another thing, he’s not been seen since last night!” Bloodheart said.
“The servants said he never returned or even brought the two princesses to his bed chamber!” Dirty Fighter said as he entered the room.
“He must have helped them escape!” Right said as he also came in.
Opaline snarled and her horn lit up. “My son would never betray me!”
Then she recalled that disgusting moment a couple days ago. When she’d traded all the prisoners for him, the image of Fireforge kissing Sunny filled her with revulsion.
“Sunny Starscout!” Opaline growled. “She seduced my son so thoroughly and made him weak! She’ll pay for this! I’ll take her magic and then I’ll make her suffer after I have every bit of magic for myself!”
…
Zipp, Fireforge, and the other escapees finally got to Bridlewood. They saw very few unicorns there. One of them, an elderly unicorn saw the escapees and approached them.
“Izzy!” she greeted the younger unicorn.
“Elder Flower,” Izzy said in relief as she hugged the old mare. “Where is everypony? We thought they’d be here!”
“Alphabittle and many others went to Zephyr Heights to free you,” Elder Flower said.
The ponies gasped at this.
“Sunny!” Fireforge exclaimed.
“Oh no!” Hitch said. “We have to help them!”
“Great, now we have to march all the way back home when we just escaped!” Pipp said. “Couldn’t someone have told us Sunny would come for us?”
“We need to make sure the young ones are kept safe,” Posey said as she gestured to the Pipsqueaks who’d been fortunate enough to receive their magic back and joined them.
Ember looked at Flurry who lay weak on her back.
“You should probably stay as well, Flurry,” she told her niece.
“No,” Flurry said shaking her head.
“But… you’re so weak right now!” Ember said.
“I can still stand!” Flurry said pushing herself to her hooves with a fresh resolve. “As long as I have love inside me I can! I’m the princess of love, just like my mother before me! And my daughter is probably to be known as the princess of hope! She is our greatest hope!”
“Flurry, if you remain without magic too long…”
“I know,” Flurry said. “But I still have at least a couple days before it could happen. I survived seven hundred years without the majority of my magic.”
“This time it only delays the inevitable though,” Ember told her.
“What are you talking about?” Fireforge Destiny asked hearing them.
Flurry looked at him and reluctantly stated. “Without any magic power in my body, I will die eventually. I was able to survive off the love I had for my family while magic was sealed away. But since Opaline drained me even that is weakened.”
She took a step and nearly tripped.
“Ah!” she exclaimed.
Fireforge walked over and put a hoof on the mother of the pony he’d grown to… maybe not love… yet. But he certainly cared for her.
“I think I can help,” he said. “Take my magic. I’m still young and never reached over twenty. I should be good for a nice long time even without magic.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You really have changed.”
“All thanks to Sunny,” Fireforge said.
He gathered all his magic to the top of his horn and it appeared as a bright orange flame above him. Not as big as something like Celestia, Luna, or her Aunt Twilight could produce, but it would suffice to keep her strong. Flurry was unable to drain the magic into herself so Fireforge had to send it down himself. She felt it touch her horn and enter her. Her strength returned, though it felt different, no surprise as this was a different form of magic. Also, his cutie mark had been transferred to her now.
Fireforge collapsed, gritting his teeth. Hitch came over and helped the stallion to his hooves.
Flurry lit her horn up with Fireforge’s orange magic rather than her usual yellow.
“We better hurry!” she said. “If we want to save my daughter and defeat Opaline! We’ll have to teleport a few times!”
And she took the ponies she could a fair distance over.
…
“They’re not here!” Sunny exclaimed as she looked in every cell of the dungeon.
“But how?” Misty asked as she broke away from Sunny, allowing them to become visible once more.
They walked cautiously around the palace, hoping to find something that could tell them what had happened to the others. Maybe Opaline had just decided to brainwash them and make them fight for her? If so that was gonna make things challenging, not mention Sunny hated the idea of having to fight her friends and mother as well. Still she would have her magic while they wouldn’t most likely.
“Think you can rig a spell to maybe free them from mind control?” she asked Misty as they walked while invisible.
“I’ll try,” the blue unicorn said.
As they exited the dungeon and came into the entry hall the saw a familiar pony dusty the vases.
“Jazz!” Sunny exclaimed.
The hooficurist looked around at the sound of her name being called but was unable to see anypony.
“Who’s there?” she asked, knowing she’d heard a voice.
Misty let go of Sunny and they became visible once again. Jazz’s eyes widened.
“Sunny, Misty! Oh, thank goodness you’re both here!” Jazz said.
“Jazz where are the others?” Sunny asked. “We snuck into the dungeon but couldn’t find them!”
“A bunch of ponies escaped last night! Rumor is that Fireforge Destiny gave them their magic back after Opaline shared it with him and they were freed from her control! Unfortunately, not everypony was freed, but enough to make it noticeable!” Jazz said.
Sunny sighed in relief. Seemed things might have changed in their favor, perhaps they would still had a chance to take down Opaline. They’d come here thinking it would be a long shot, but now… she smiled at the thought.
“Come on, we need to get out of here!” Sunny said. “We have Alphabittle and the unicorns outside! If we can reunite with Zipp and the others then we might have enough to finally stop Opaline!”
Jazz nodded with a smile of her own but it widened as she looked at something behind Sunny.
“Oh, you think so, do you?” A familiar unwelcome voice asked from behind.
Sunny and Misty wheeled around just in time to see Opaline fire a draining spell at them. They felt their cutie marks burn and screamed.
“Ah!”
“No!” Misty exclaimed.
“Yes!” Opaline said. “Lucky, I happened to be coming to have Jazz give me a new hooficure before I ordered what remains of my forces to go after Bridlewood! But if you’re here then they must be as well. Saves me the trouble!”
And she pulled their marks off and absorbed them into herself. Sunny and Misty were then taken to the throne room where they were trapped by magical chains Opaline put into the floor. Opaline smirked.
“I suppose I’ll have to stay to watch you. Can’t have any more prisoners escaping,” she said before turning to her commanders. “General Bloodheart, Captain Dirty Fighter! Lead the attack force outside! It’s time to take the unicorns! “Without my son here, I’ll need all the magic I can get since he took half of what I had! Hopefully with Sunny and theirs it will be enough to drain the crystals.”
“Yes, my queen!” Bloodheart said.
“At once!” Dirty Fighter agreed before looking at Misty. “I think I’ll torture you when I’m done with this. You did commit high treason after all!”
Misty clenched her teeth in fear.
“I’ll let you deliver your most brutal torture on Sunny first!” Opaline said. “I want to hear her scream before the end after what she did! In fact I think I’ll make her do a bit myself!”
The three evil stallions walked off to lead Opaline’s forces in the final battle.
…
Alphabittle waited, and hoped Sunny and Misty would be back. After a long time, though, the sentries he’d stationed at the top shouted.
“Opaline’s army is heading this way!”
“The entire army?” Alphabittle exclaimed. “Sunny and Misty must have been captured. Oh no!”
“What do we do Alphabittle?” a unicorn asked.
Alphabittle clenched his teeth. If Sunny was captured that probably meant the end. It was over. They’d have nothing left to fight with, maybe they should just give up now and save what they could. Sunny wouldn’t want any more ponies to lose their lives would she? Alphabittle certainly didn’t. He sighed and told them, “I think we might have no choice… but to surrender.”
They nodded glumly. Hope appeared to be lost for Equestria.
Soon, the army stood above them.
“Surrender unicorns!” the old unicorn leading them, who must have been General Bloodheart whom Alphabittle had heard about, said. “Your alicorn has been captured! Hope is lost for your side! Give up your magic and you will not be harmed! Or fight and risk death! We will capture as many of you as we can but there will no doubt be some that lose their lives! Why risk it?”
Alphie sighed. He was about to say they did surrender when…
“I don’t think so!” a new voice said.
Alphabittle looked behind him and saw a new group appearing, Zipp, Pipp, Hitch, Izzy and the others were there along with another alicorn that Alphie hadn’t met before. Had they escaped? They must have, now they could fight with them! The sight of the unexpected reinforcements caused the unicorns to regain their hope, while Opaline’s commanders up above grew nervous expressions.
“We can still take them!” Dirty Fighter said.
“Right! Attack!” Right Light said pointing with his hooves.
The brainwashed army charged forward. Ponies began to fight ponies, appearing equally matched at first. Hitch and a number of other Earth Ponies used their magic to try and keep the enemy from overwhelming them, Pipp, Zipp, Thunder and other Pegasi that still had the ability to fly flew. The majority of the unicorns thankfully still had their magic power and used it to throw the enemy back against the cliffs to knock them out. But Opaline’s brainwashed forces had picked up weapons from the armor and those included bows and arrows. They shot at the magic users, some of whom put up shields that blocked while others weren’t so lucky. But the most marvelous spectacle was Flurry Heart as she flew about, using her borrowed magic to cast spells from above, spells that immobilized or even freed the enemy from their mind control.
General Bloodheart gritted his teeth at the scene. Opaline’s forces were being pushed back! The three pony kinds united, even without all their magic, was enough to overwhelm the queen’s army.
“Retreat! We must fall back to the castle! Opaline can still turn the tide once she drains their magic!” Bloodheart ordered.
“I don’t think so!” a male voice said from above.
Bloodheart and his two subordinates looked up and saw a sight that made them lose even more hope for their conquest. Spike, along with half a dozen dragons.
“Restrain the ponies coming down the cliff!” Spike ordered to the handful of his kind he’d managed to gather and quickly bring back here at high speed.
“Right!” a red dragon said before swooping down.
“Right behind you Lava!” A white female dragon said as she followed.
The other dragons likewise swooped down. Spike meanwhile, glared at General Bloodheart and landed in front of him and the other officers. He opened his mouth and shot fire at them, but Bloodheart teleported off.
…
“Mom! We have to get to the palace to save Sunny!” Zipp said as she landed next to Queen Haven who was holding a spear next to Alphabittle who threw an attacking pony back with his magic.
“Be careful Zipp!” Thunder said as he flew by her.
Zipp nodded, then she and Pipp lifted Fireforge who couldn’t fly without his magic. They got over the majority of attacking ponies. Flurry Heart used her magic to levitate Hitch and Izzy with her as she flew after them. Some archers tried to shoot them but missed or were blocked by Izzy’s shield. They headed straight for the palace where they knew their foe would be.
…
Opaline grinned as she beheld the Unity Crystals in the throneroom with Sunny and Misty chained to the floor with magic. They pulled at but the chains were unbreakable and no matter how they moved they couldn’t twist it either.
“Well, it was a valiant effort, Sunny Starscout. But in the end, power shall always triumph,” she taunted. “Your friends may have escaped but they will soon be rounded up and I will have their magic again. Then all the magic of Equestria will be mine! But in the meantime, I will make you suffer!”
She summoned lightning to her horn and shot at Sunny who screamed as she was blasted against the wall. Misty clenched her teeth as she recalled that terrible pain when she’d fought Opaline on the grounds of their old lair. The blue-black lightning crackled and poured into Sunny, Opaline didn’t bring it up to a fatal level, as she wanted her nemesis to suffer for convincing her son to betray her.
“Please! Stop!” Sunny begged.
“My dear, the pain for you is just beginning!” Opaline said. “I won’t kill you… yet. I’ll keep you alive, long enough to allow you to watch as I take all your precious magic.”
“You’ll never get away with this!” Misty said defiantly to her former foster mother.
“Oh, but I already have, your friends will soon be rounded up and-
Suddenly the door to the throneroom opened and the three commanders, General Bloodheart, Right Light, and Dirty Fighter entered.
“Queen Opaline! Ponies have broken through the lines into the palace!” Bloodheart said.
“What?” Opaline exclaimed.
“Your… our son returned with the escaped prisoners! And dragons have arrived as well to help the unicorns! Sunny’s friends are on her way up here now they’ll-
“Be here any minute!” Zipp’s voice sounded as she and the others appeared defiantly in the doorway.
Sunny and Misty grinned widely. They were all here, Zipp, Hitch, Pipp, Izzy, Fireforge, and Flurry. It was time for the final battle to take place. All of Equestria’s magic hung in the balance.