Somewhere on the streets of Canterlot five friends woke up to see grass and plants wilting, small animals dropping down dead, many ponies so weak that they could hardly move and strange blue trickles of magic coming from every living thing and leading to a single point at the top of Canterlot Castle.
"What's happenning?" Applekack asked Twilight while Rarity was busy attempting to calm down a distraight Fluttershy.
"Yeah and where's Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered above them and searched the crowd for any sign of their pink friend.
Twilight looked around as confusion and worry etched onto her face. where were the princesses? Why was everything dying? She looked to see where the trail of the blue magical light stopped and came to a descision.
"I don't know girls but if we can find out what that light is, then maybe we can find Princess Celestia and get some answers" Twilight replied and with her friends in tow she headed towards the castle.
The five mares cast worried and nervous glances at the many ponies they passed that were struggling to even stay on their own four hooves.
"This is terrible" Twilight said. "What could be causing this?"
"The better question is why isn't it affecting us?" Applejack asked
The small group nodded in wary agreement as they walked on, each on trying her hardest to not let the situation affect her. Upon reaching the castle they had stop and look again at what they found. lying on the pavement was Manaquire, though he looked nothing like the charming beast that had enslaved them only moments ago; his scales had turned from black to pale grey, he lost a lot of weight and was almost skin and bone and he looked old, very old.
"Oh my...." Fluttershy whispered. "Is he...?"
"I'm not dead yet you simpleton" Manaquire rasped as he opened his eyes and barely managed a glare at the five mares.
"What happened to you?" Twilight asked and carefully approached.
"A very powerful death spell, though it didn't have the intended effect, it still did enough to render me useless, and I suppose those elements of yours must be sheilding you from the greater affects of the life draining spell..." he explained.
"Who...did this?" Twilight asked, clearly afraid of whatever was capable of casting such spells.
"A very vain, narcissic exiled goddess that wants to gain enough power to free her allies from prison so they can dominate the universe" he replied bitterly.
"Can't the Princesses do anything to stop all of this?"
"Not without cracking the planet like an egg" Manaquire said.
"What?" Twilight exclaimed. "But why?"
"Because my faithful student" Princess Celestia said wearily as she walked to them. "Equestroa has a delicate balance of magic and right now it is unstable. If Luna and I were to fight at our full potential it cause the world to shatter and break as the magic that keeps it functioning collapses".
"Princess! You look aweful what happened?" Twilight asked and ran up to her mentor.
"You and your friends are protected by the elements of harmony, my sister and I are not"
"Is there anything we can do?" Twilight asked.
Celestia looked over to Manaquire for an answer.
"Summon Sunset, if you can do that and convince her to fight, then we might be able to win" he stated.
"Might?" Rainbow asked.
"Auraka might be too powerful for Sunset to handle. If it should come to that, I have a back up plan" He answered.
"Well what is it?" Twilight asked, a small hint of hope in her voice.
"You don't want to know" was all he said.
"What do we need to do for the summon?" Celestia asked.
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Back on Vardos the sun was setting and Sunset had spent the rest of the day prearing for the fight ahead, she knew it was going to happen soon and she knew she would need to be ready for anything.
She felt a gentle tug on her horn, like something was trying to pull her away from the world she created. Sunset took a deep breath and let the magic whisk her away.
When she appeared before Celestia, Twilight and the others she breathed a sigh of relief. When she turned around to find the life literally being sucked out everything and Manaquire rendered to nothing but skin and bones she felt the fear and panic begin to well up.
"Sunset? Sunset?!" Twilight yelled to get her attention.
"Huh?"
"We need your help...We really need your help" Twilight pleaded.
"Yeah you're the only one that can save Equestria from the evil dragon!" Rainbow added.
"Come on now sugarcube we can't do this on our own, we need your help" Applejack said.
"Applejack is right darling, you are the only one with engouh knowledge and power to stop that uncouth snake from destroying Equestria" Rarity added.
"Please..?" Fluttershy said.
Sunset took a step back, the severity of the situation sinking in.
"I-I'm not a fighter, I can't!" she proteted.
"You must!" Celestia cut in. "You alone hold the knwoledge to bring about Auraka's defeat".
"But-" Sunset began but was cut off by a sharp glare from Manaquire as he forced himself to his feet.
"What must it take for you to help them hm? Would you rather wait until one of them dies? When you have no choice but to help them. This happened because of the both of us, and by Tempus I have had it with your whinning and whimpering that you are nothing but a useless waste of space! Mare up woman and show that disgraceful worm who's boss!" he ranted.
Sunset looked at everypony there and slowly nodded.
"Ok I have a plan But I'm going to need a distraction..."