Storms On the Horizon

by Eeveexpert


16- The Best-laid Plans...

There's a funny thing about the Everfree Forest. Ponies come, ponies go, and ponies just pass through, and yet, life in the forest continues on, with barely an eye batted. Such was it for the three pegasi flying in tight formation just above the sea of trees. Words were not spoken between them, but the tension was palpable. Finally, the group dove into the foliage near an unusually large tree. A space between two thick roots had been hollowed out, creating a tunnel down into the earth.

One by one, the three pegasi filed down into the darkness. It wasn't until the lone stallion of the group reached the bottom that his voice was finally heard. "Dammit, Stratus..."

"What now?" The pink-maned pegasus coming down the stairs behind the stallion answered her own question as soon as it had left her mouth. The large circular room before her had been left in total disarray. Tables and chairs were upended and broken. Books and pages of books were strewn about, amidst numerous small blood stains. Slumped against the wall was the damaged, lifeless body of a Canterlot guard.

The stallion made a hurried beeline for the open door on the far side of the chamber. He stuck his head inside for an instant before proclaiming, "We've lost the Element!"

"Really? What was your first clue, Charger?" Sarcasm was dripping from the pink-maned mare's tone. "Was it the books thrown everywhere? The broken table? Or maybe it was the dead pegasus in the corner!"

"You know what, Skies? I have just about had it with that tongue of yours!"

"And I've had it with that head of yours! By what thread of logic in that tiny brain did you think it's a good idea to burn down the house that had the one book we were looking for!?"

Charger didn't have an appropriate answer to that. He bit his tongue in frustration and stomped over to the expired guard, to begin dragging him (rather unsuccessfully) towards the staircase.

In the meantime, Skies went about salvaging what she could of the scattered scrolls and parchments, and generally straightening up. "Blitz, get off your sorry flank and make yourself useful. See if you can find Stratus."

The violet-maned pegasus comically scrambled back to her hooves and saluted. She dashed for the staircase, quite literally bouncing off of her comrade.

"Feather-brained idiot..." Charger muttered around the pegasus in his mouth, slowly following her up the stairs.

Efficiency was not Skies' strong point, so she was nowhere near finished by the time her teammates had returned. Bitter from his verbal defeat and looking for any chance to pick a fight, Charger jumped on the opportunity. "You're still not done yet!?"

Rather than dignify the stallion with a voiced response, Skies took another route...and whipped a severed chair leg at his head.

Charger ducked the wooden projectile and stormed up to the mare. "You're lucky that missed..." he growled into her face.

"Hold still next time..."

"Why you..." The stallion's wings flared in anger and he rose a hoof.

The squabbling pegasi were shocked about two feet into the air by a voice from nowhere. "Foals!! Look at you! Whining amongst yourselves like parasprites fighting over an apple core... Your collective idiocy astounds me! Tell me...who is responsible for lighting the farmhouse containing the one book I ordered you to find on fire?" The disembodied voice became disarmingly and disturbingly calm.

Neither one of the pegasi dared to answer the question, fearful of the consequences of consequences that would follow.

The unnatural voice did not appreciate the lack of an answer. "Your incompetence shall be your undoing, and it shall be by my hoof with which you are undone! I know all that you do and see! Step forward, Charger..."

Stepping forward to a formless voice is a paradox unto itself, but Charger dared not draw the wrath of his creator upon himself. He took two shaky steps toward the center of the room and awaited his judgment.

"I know full well that it was your decision to set fire to the library and the farmhouse. I give you your existence, and yet at every turn, you three foist regret upon me for doing so! Give me one reason why I should allow you to continue drawing breath!"

"Uhhh...uhhm..."

"Must I do everything!?" Nightmare Moon's disembodied voice shook the timbers of the crude ceiling. "While you three have been busy failing at the one task I assigned you, the two among you with any semblance of intelligence are within Canterlot Palace, seeking to further our progress."

"B-but Nightshade was captured and Stratus lost..."

"Do not...lecture me about their shortcomings! They made something of it! You three do nothing but wallow in your insufferable stupidity! It is infuriating!"

The bodiless voice paused to sigh. Within this period, Charger, Skies, and Blitz traded uneasy looks. There was no face to show Nightmare Moon's anger, but it wasn't necessary. The air-shaking magical voice was indicator enough. "So... What is our next assignment, your Darkness?"

"I will keep this simple, for your simple minds. Return to the ancient castle and recover three charged sinkstones. Return here when you have them."

"Th-then what?"

"Sinkstones! Now!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

With a scrabbling of hooves and a hurried beating of wings, the three Shadowbolts were gone once more, flying before the heat of their creator's anger.

The flight back to the ancient fortress was not a long one, and the pegasi soon saw the rear of the imposing structure rise from the many trees. They spiraled to the forest floor, landing at the base of the time-worn tower. A massive willow tree grew up against the masonry, its wispy, draping branches concealing thick shrubbery, which in turn concealed a tunnel leading into the earth.

Darkness sat heavy upon the descending staircase, torch sconces extinguished from the pegasi's earlier flight. They knew the passage well, though, and reached the bottom without difficulty.

"Alright, Skies, you run to the armory and find us three charged sinkstones. Blitz, head to the larder and get us another few weeks of rations. Meet me in the study when you're finished."

With silent nods between them, each pegasus went their own way. Lost in his own company, Charger mentally grumbled his way down the hallway. Nightshade hasn't done a damn thing! She gets all the credit! She wouldn't even have the Element of Magic if it weren't for us three! Charger's angry monologue trailed off as his hoof fell upon something soft. Something that felt like crumpled parchment. "What's this?"

Not surprisingly, what Charger felt to be crumpled parchment turned out to be just that. There was something written on it, but there was barely enough light to even see it. The discarded paper made the journey to the study with the stallion. He rummaged around in the desk for a candle and something to light it with, taking far longer than he had wished. After the candle bathed the desk in its small sphere of light, he smoothed the scroll out as best he could and began reading.

Spike's letter to the princess had been quite short, and thus Charger's investigation was too. Still, this letter seemed important...possibly useful, too. This letter was a keeper. Hoofsteps outside pulled the winged stallion's attention away from the paper, just in time to see Skies standing in the doorway.

"I've got the sinkstones and I can see Blitz coming down the hallway. Are you ready to leave yet?"

Charger quickly folded up the parchment and slipped it into the saddlebags sitting next to the desk. He snuffed the candle out with a slight flap of his wing. "Yeah, I am. Let's go."

Three flights later, two of them being stairs, the pegasi had returned to their still-disheveled hideout.

"Do you have the sinkstones?"

"We do, your Darkness. I was also able to find something else of use." Charger announced.

"Oh? And what would this be?"

"It appears to be a letter addressed to Celestia from within the palace."

"I see." Nightmare Moon's voice seemed distant, as if plotting something. "Read it."

As a disembodied voice has no eyes to speak of, Charger had little choice but to comply. A rather long period of silence followed his narration, leaving him to wonder if he had been heard.

"So that is what happened after our last...encounter. If the princesses can be broken, the Canterlot walls will fall that much easier. One of the princesses is already close to the edge... She just needs a...little bit of a push in the right direction..."

-----------------------

The last few notes of her mother's lullaby hovered just outside Luna's sense of hearing, faint as the slightest spring breeze. The princess yawned widely and snuggled down into the downy blankets. She didn't want to get up, but her brain had already started reminding her of the day's errands; today was a very big day, after all.

With a sigh of complaint, Luna kicked her covers off and rolled out of bed. Celestia had already vacated the room, obviously to attend to her share of today's duties. A glance of the nightstand revealed a simple note, all by its lonesome. Magic retrieved the parchment and brought it to eye level.

"Morning, sleepyhead." she read. "I hope you're feeling better after your nap. I ran down to the kitchen to take a look at the preparations for today. I'll be down there for a while, so come find me when you wake up, all right?

Love, 'Tia."

I'd better get going... There's an awful lot to take care of today... Several accoutrements magically floated to the princess. A tiara upon her head, an amulet for her neck, and one shoe per hoof. The princess tapped her foreleg upon the floor several times to better adjust a particularly stubborn shoe over her hoof. "That's better."

The palace halls were surprisingly active, even for a day as special as this one. Luna was greeted countless times by countless ponies by the time she reached the kitchen, so many that all of them blurred together.

The sweet smell of all manner of pastries and cakes met Luna's nostrils as she entered the palace kitchen. Ponies were milling about, filling orders, and preparing for the burden of a single kitchen in a palace of hundreds. Amidst the controlled chaos, Luna spotted two recognizable ponies. "Applejack? Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here in the kitchen?"

The orange pony turned from the oven door and the pie just behind it. "Shucks, yer Majesty, we're jus' makin' sure y'all've got yerself a right purty feast for yer big day."

"I...appreciate the thought, but you really should be up in your room. The Elements are still in danger."

Applejack nodded vigorously. "Ah get'cha yer Highness, 'cept it was yer sister what came down here with us, ain't that right, Pinkie?"

"Thure isth!"

Luna took a moment to wipe the chewed cupcake from her muzzle. "I see... And where is Celestia?"

"Shoot! She left jus' b'fore you got here. Didn't ya see her? She went to check in with Fluttershy an' Rainbow Dash. They should be out in the palace garden."

Though a princess she was, Luna was not above presenting gratitude to other ponies. She dipped her head to Applejack and took her leave.

Odd... I passed the exit to the garden on my way here. I would have run right into 'Tia... Literally... "Wait a minute!" Luna exclaimed, stopping mid-stride. "Why would Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash be out of their chambers as well?"

The fishiness of the present situation called for a little bit more haste than her hooves could provide and so the princess' wings came open to power her flight. Remaining unseen behind her, a tall figure stepped from a small patch of shadow. Her cyan, reptile-like eyes narrowed in a dark smile.

Luna reached the palace garden within the space of a few minutes. The step from the marble-clad palace hallways into the open-air garden was like entering a different world. The true number of plants within this miniature paradise was nearly uncountable, known only to the ponies tasked with their care. This was obviously a daunting task, but the results were beyond words.

Flora of every known color and shape grew and flourished within this garden. Just as varied as the garden's plants were the creatures that lived amongst them. Animals from all over Equestria, including some of the most exquisitely-voiced songbirds, called this place home. Not many could coax this sound from them, however.

Save one...

A wonderful melody reached Luna's ears as soon as she stepped into the foliage. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" While the song was very pleasing to the ear, it had no discernible direction, and seemed to change origins randomly. Every time Luna thought she was drawing closer, the song would move so that it came from behind her. "Fluttershy? Where are you?" As if in answer, the night alicorn eased the wispy branches of a willow aside with her wing, and there she was. "Fluttershy! I knew that was your conducting!"

The pink-maned pegasus ceased conducting her avian choir to face the princess. "Good morning, your Majesty."

"I...suppose it is..." Luna dropped her defensively-raised hoof to the ground. Something in the back of her mind was making her unusually wary, even of the timid Fluttershy. "I don't suppose that either you or Rainbow Dash have seen Celestia, have you?"

"Of course we have." Fluttershy answered in her demure little voice. "She just left, not more than a minute ago. Were you looking for her?"

The winged unicorn answered with the usual gesture. "Indeed I am. Did she happen to say where she was going?"

"Sure did." Rainbow Dash chimed in from her tree-bound seat. "Said she was headed up to the archives. Gonna help out Twi and Rarity with some sorta bookish thing."

A cherry pit and its partner followed the pegasus' words from the tree, landing right before the princess. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash."

"Don't mention it..." Her reply was...a little hard to make out, probably due to the cherries filing into her mouth.

'A minute ago?' I was wandering around for a good ten minutes, and nopony passed me... Something's wrong here. It's almost as if I'm dr-

Luna's suspicion quickly curtailed itself upon bumping into another pony just inside the halls. "Oh, excuse me, Apple...jack..." If things had been strange before, now they were just downright creepy.

Applejack was completely silent and her green eyes were completely devoid of any emotion, as was the rest of her face. Her steps were slow and methodical as she approached the princess. Pinkie Pie, behind her friend, was in an identical state, emotionless and slowly plodding after her.

"Applejack...? Pinkie...?" Luna took a few steps back from the encroaching ponies, uneased by their zombie-like behavior. Finally, she turned and fled at a full gallop. She ducked down a hallway and her horn flashed to life, whisking her from the hallway. The Moon Goddess took a moment to recompose herself outside the archives. It's all right, Luna... You're just seeing things... She started to take a calming breath, when she heard hoofsteps upon marble from farther down the hallway.

Slow and methodical ones.

A nameless fear gripped the pit of the alicorn's stomach. She ducked inside the archive, magically slamming the large double doors behind her. Each beat of her heart resounded loudly in her ears. So much for being composed... A quick shake of the head relieved some anxiety and let her think straight. "Twilight Sparkle? Rarity? Celestia? Are you in here?"

Luna nearly gave herself whiplash with how quickly she spun her head towards a cry of, "Over here, your Majesty!"

"Twilight Sparkle? By the stars, is it ever a relief to see you! Have you seen Celestia?"

"Of course! She just went to find a particular book for you! She should be back any minute!"

"A book? For me? For...what exactly?"

"Well, for your big day, of course!" Rarity exclaimed.

"Right." Luna nodded. "And what is it that you two were doing?"

"We were helping your sister look for a few other books."

"May I see one?"

"Well..." Twilight nervously rubbed the back of her head. "It was supposed to be a secret, but I suppose a quick look couldn't hurt."

What Luna found in the book upon opening it startled her so much that she dropped it. Truthfully, it wasn't what she found within the book so much as what she didn't find. Every page of that book had been blank.

"You Majesty, are you all right?"

"I...I'm not... Hold one a minute... Just what is my big day?"

"You mean you don't know? Your Majesty, it's the day you get to go home!"

"What?" The crack in the alicorn's voice was everything but unnoticeable. "But I...am home... Explain yourself, Twilight Sparkle!"

"Princess, it's the day you get to go home! You get to see your sister again after a thousand years! Aren't you excited!?"

That fishy smell was back, and Luna had finally figured it out. "'Thousand years?' 'Home?' This is nothing more than a dream!" As quick as her revelation had come, Luna whirled to face the unicorns. "You're not real. None of this is."

"But that's where yer wrong. We're very real, yer Highness."

The accent told Luna exactly who it was before turning around. It was a good thing, too; she didn't really want to turn around. "Applejack! Pinkie Pie! How did you find me here!?" Naturally, the taller pony began retreating from the comatose expressions. At least until she backed into something.

"You sound surprised, Princess..." Twilight murmured.

That was definitely Twilight's voice, but the unicorn's eyes were not her own. They were dark teal and cat-like in appearance. "Nightmare Moon!"

"Can't get anything past you, can I?"

"What have you done with Twilight Sparkle, foul demon!?"

"Luna...dear, I'm...hurt that you would so brazenly accuse me of such a thing..."

"Dispense with the pleasantries!" Small earthquakes started running through the library, evidence of Luna's rising temper. "I've no desire to listen to your silver tongue! What have you done with my sister's student?"

"But Luna, I've done nothing with Twilight. You see, I don't need to do anything. Twilight and the other Elements will be fuel for my return. They are the catalysts. My return is set in stone, Luna, as was your banishment. Celestia knew, but she refused to tell you..."

"Unfounded lies!" Luna's horn roared to life with a furious white flame. "Release your hold on Twilight!"

"Or what?"

"I'll force you out..." the princess growled.

"Try it." Twilight's overwritten eyes narrowed darkly.

The ethereal flame condensed itself to a single blinding point. A white-hot cone razed the spot where Twilight stood, leaving a charred circle upon the marble floor.

"Excellent shot..."

Luna whirled to throw another conical blast at the purple mare.

"Ooh, almost had me that time..."

And thus this pattern of arcane cat-and-mouse continued until Luna grew fatigued. Beads of sweat upon her forehead mixed with the ashen remains of the archive's parchments and scrolls, and yet the possessed Twilight had naught but a fleck of ash upon her coat.

"What's the matter, Luna? Running out of steam?"

An alicorn has immense magic reserves at their disposal, but even the most powerful still has their limits. The next magical burst to issue from Luna's horn amounted to nothing more than a miserable fizzle.

"I see... My turn then." The Element of Magic stood up and dusted the ash off her coat. "This...is how you do it..." Her eyes flashed once, and Luna was hurled backwards, pinned to a cold marble wall.

"Y-you...have none of the Elements... You shouldn't be here... This is my dream..." The alicorn struggled uselessly as all six Element bearers slowly approached her, each one playing host to Nightmare Moon's slitted eyes.

"You are half right, my dear. This is in fact, your dream. But, by that simple fact, it is my dream as well, and I need no permissions to walk within it. I live within your mind, as do you dreams. You have no power over me here."

Luna laughed. "Perhaps not, but you forget; two can play this game. You cannot follow me to the waking world!"

-------------------------

The alicorn's eyes opened to motes of dust floating plaintively beyond the fine silk curtain of her sister's canopied bed. She spent little time within the hold of the linens. The window...!

Outside, the sun shone brightly upon the sea of trees that was the Everfree Forest. A sigh of relief moved from the goddess' lips. "I am home... That was just a nightmare..."

"If that was a nightmare, then what am I?"

Several spider-webs of cracks spread through the marble floor from the hoof slammed down upon it. "An unnecessary thorn in my side... What spell lets you walk amongst the waking?"

The jet-black alicorn seated upon the bed closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath. "Luna, Luna, Luna... You give yourself far too much credit... Did you honestly think it would be that easy to escape me? Come now, don't look at me like that; that hatred burning in your eyes. You shouldn't be upset with yourself, dear. You tried your best..." During her monologue, Nightmare Moon took a leisurely stroll around the far side of the bed, glared at the entire time. Finally, she leaned in, face-to-face with the princess. "But it wasn't good enough, was it...?"

Luna snorted. She wasn't about to dignify that with a reply. She pushed the smug alicorn's face away with her horn.

"Really, Luna? Must you act like such a filly? I've not come seeking hostility from you."

"Then explain yourself, and make haste, starting with the spell you've used to seal me in sleep."

"Spell? You're here by no arcane means. You're here because I want you to be. No other reason."

"Then you won't mind if I leave."

Nightmare Moon smiled, the mere sight of which sent shivers down Luna's spine. "Go ahead."

The navy blue alicorn closed her eyes, imagining herself waking up once more.

"So... How is that going for you?"

"How are you holding me here?"

The helmeted alicorn shook her head. "I'm surprised at you, Luna... Both you and I know you're quite smart and yet you still haven't figured it out?" She paused to allow the silence to provide some thinking time. "No? Let me help." she strode over to the wall-turned-bookcase and deliberated for a moment. "Here we are. Catch." Her magic spun a single tome towards Luna.

"I'm not interested in research." Luna instantly vaporized the book in a wisp of blue flame. "Tell me."

"This is my dream too. I have just as much control over this world as you do. Anything you do, I can undo."

"Why have you kept me here?"

"Goodness, aren't we full of questions. You're here so I can talk to you."

"Save it. I've heard all of your lies before."

"Lies? I have spoken no lies to you, my dear."

The cold touch of metal against skin made Luna shiver as her dark half caressed her chin with an armored hoof.

"But... if you wish to speak of lies, let us speak of your sister..."

"Leave Celestia out of this! She has no parts to play here!"

"On the contrary, Luna, she wrote this whole play. Who was the one who told you that you were free of me?"

A steel-hard gaze was the only answer that Nightmare Moon received, but she could see the gears turning within Luna's mind.

"Who was the one that willingly sent you away for a millennia because she didn't know what to do?"

The princess' cold stare faltered for a moment and she looked away, obviously pondering these words.

Nightmare Moon had found a hoofhold and she wasn't about to give it up. "Who was the one who stood idly by and watched you descend into darkness, even though she knew something was wrong? Who, Luna!? Who!?

"Ce-Celestia..."

"That's right, Luna... It was Celestia... She is the one to blame for what happened to us."

"Celestia is not without her faults, nor am I without mine... Just as she forgave me for what I did, I have forgiven her! Celestia is my sister, and no amount of your lies will turn will turn me against her again!" Under her furrowed brow, a bright glow issued forth from Luna's eyes. Nightmare Moon was blown off her hooves, into the far wall.

"Impressive." Nightmare Moon laughed. "But your restraint makes you weak. Next time you attack somepony, make sure you follow through!"

In less than an instant, Luna felt herself hurled backwards again, her spell broken and turned against her. The marble wall was going to hurt, unless...

Rubble exploded from the palace wall, yielding to Luna's magical barrier. Instinctively, the princess' wings shot open to full span. A deft flick righted the falling alicorn, just in time to drop four hooves upon the ground. Her momentum bled off quickly as she skidded through the loose grey dust. The magical blow had winded her, but her instincts remained focused. She flexed her wings, ready for the inevitable battle.

"Quick thinking, Luna, but I wouldn't expect anything less."

A puff of dust masked Luna's snort. She pawed the ground angrily and fell into a crouch. Her takeoff was explosive, rivaling the speed of a falling star.

Nightmare Moon smirked. "It seems I spoke too soon..." She jumped from the wall and went into a fast dive. Magic began building around her horn, concentrating to a lethal point. Just as she was about to run Luna through, a flash of light replaced the princess. "Clever move, Luna! A spatial shift; effective, if a little naive! Come on, Luna! You can't sustain it forever!"

"I know..."

A white crescent of pure magic struck Nightmare Moon in the back. She whirled, only to find a crippling kick to her back, robbing her control of her wings. The taste of her conjured dreamscape in her mouth as she hit the ground was particularly unpleasant, although significantly less so than the fiery needles digging into her paralyzed wings. "Body focusing? You're full of surprises, Luna."

"Body focusing, combined with a small paralytic charm. I've had practice."

"Indeed. But you'll have to keep trying!" The villain's body dissolved into her mane before sinking into the dusty ground.

"No! Show yourself, monster!" A slight rumbling under the princess' hooves forced her into a cautious retreat.

Dust went in every possible direction as Nightmare Moon summoned an arcane burst from the ground directly below Luna's hooves.

Luna's wings came out again in instinct, but she didn't have enough time to right herself. Her right wing caught the ground awkwardly and she heard an audible pop, meaning only one thing. "Nngh!" In less time than it took for the dust to settle, a heavy hoof descended into her chest. "Aaaah!" She cried out in pain against the full-body pulse of magic discharged into her. "I...I can't move!"

"Paralytic charm. Cute trick. Try a full-body version next time. Now that I have your undivided attention, do yourself a favor and look up into the sky for me."

"W-what?" Luna did as she was bid, and nearly had a full-on panic attack as a result. The formerly sun-filled sky was pitch-black, marked only by small points of light. "N-no... That's the...earth!"

"That's right... Welcome back..."

-------------------------

Given the circumstances at hoof, Celestia was very behind on her sleep and this mid-day nap was heavenly. Her room was warm, there was just the right amount of sunlight seeping in through the silk curtains, and the sheets were comfortable beyond description. It was perfect. Until her bunkmate kicked her in the side. Several times. "Ow! Careful, Luna..."

"No...! Not the moon! Release me...!"

"Luna...?" The Sun Goddess sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Luna? Luna, wake up..." She nudged the sleeping princess, not expecting what would follow.

Luna came to with a gasp as if she had been drowning. Her eyes were wild and terrified, and darted around the room faster than a startled parasprite. "Celestia!?"

"Luna! What is it!?"

"Nightmare-" Mid-sentence, Luna's eyes rolled back in her head and she slid from the bed, pulled back into slumber.

"Luna!" The covers flew from the bed along with Celestia. "Luna, wake up!" Wait... 'Nightmare?' Not again! Magic returned Luna's unconscious body to the bed. "I know we agreed to stay out of each other's dreams, but I can help, Luna. Please, let me in."

-------------------------

"Nice trick. But are you really that dense? You don't wake up until I let you..." Nightmare Moon hissed into Luna's face. "You don't leave until I say so.."

With each word, Nightmare Moon's hoof pressed harder and harder into Luna's chest, finally getting another cry of pain. "Aaggh!" Her mind was on fire from fighting its forced containment, but she was still able to make out her sister's voice.

"...I can help, Luna. Please, let me in."

Without a second's hesitation, the younger princess dropped her mental walls, and the moment she did so, the entire wrath of Tartarus was unleashed.

With no battle cry whatsoever, Celestia arrived like a comet, mane and tail blazing with the fury of one thousand suns. She caught Nightmare Moon in the side with a devastating body slam. A column of fire and burning dust rose from the ground, generated by Celestia's rapid cyclonic flight. Higher and higher this pillar grew until it was crested by a blinding golden point of light. Celestia folded her wings and dove, spiraling like a drill, into the center of the column, the pillar of fire swirling into a single point on her horn as she flew. Her rage pushed her velocity to supersonic levels. The magic gathered at the end of Celestia's horn impacted Nightmare Moon's breastplate with the force of a falling meteor. At the moment of impact, Celestia detonated the spell and watched as the dark alicorn dug a massive crater into the lunar surface. A slow glide carried the white alicorn to her sister's side, where she helped her back to her hooves with a healing spell. "Are you all right, Luna?"

"Y-yes, I am... Thanks, 'Tia..."

"So, you fight Luna's battles for her now, Celestia?"

"Do not patronize me, Nightmare Moon. Luna is my sister, and the instant you decided to raise a hoof against her, you made it my battle. If you continue to harass her, I will continue to place the wrath of Tartarus upon your head."

"I never took you as the type to give out empty threats, Celestia."

"Nor should you. I can assure that this is no threat. This is a promise. One thousand years has given me plenty of time to practice different types of magic. To call upon power from Tartarus is a mere parlor trick. Do not force me to become creative. Relinquish your hold on Luna's mind and let her awaken."

"And should I refuse?"

"You shall receive a glimpse of my 'imagination.'"

"Very well, Celestia. I concede. But know this, Luna dear... Every time you sleep, every dream you remember, I will be there. Every one."

Celestia finally turned to face her opposite. When she spoke, her voice was not her own, but a voice which crackled and burned with the power of the sun itself. "Should you harm a single hair on Luna's coat, I will drop something far worse than the wrath of Tartarus upon you..."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"My wrath."

-------------------------

Celestia's awakening from her second nap was far less pleasant. Her head might as well have been splitting itself in two. "I...forgot how much that takes out of me..."

"Ce-Celestia...?"

Luna's weakened voice immediately erased Celestia's headache and replaced it with concern. "Easy, Luna. Don't sit up too fast."

"Did...that really just happen?"

"You saw me in your dream?"

The Moon Goddess nodded weakly. This simple action twisted her face into a pained grimace and she fell back onto the pillow. "Ngh!"

"Easy, easy." Blankets floated up over Luna's body. "Yes, that actually happened."

"That's...what I was afraid of..." Luna pressed a hoof over her eyes.

"Luna?"

"I c-can't do it anymore..."

"Luna, don't-"

"Don't tell me i-it'll be all right! Y-you heard her... Every time I fall asleep, she'll be there! She won't let me wake up, and I can't b-break her hold... You can't always follow me into my d-dreams... I-I give up..."

Celestia knew that there was nothing she could say that could make it better, so she simply extended her hooves, inviting Luna into a warm embrace. "Don't be scared, Luna; I'll fight for the both of us..."

The only response was a tighter hug.

I just hope I can...

-------------------------

"I'm terribly sorry, but, as I've said, I cannot permit you to leave your chambers without the accompaniment of the princesses."

"Now look here, Jet Stream, Ah mean ya no disrespect, but if y'all don't git outta mah way right now, Ah'm gonna buck ya halfway to the moon!"

"Easy there, AJ. Don't go pickin' fights with-"

The blonde earth pony rounded on the cyan pegasus so fast that she slapped Fluttershy with her tail. "Butt out, Rainbow Dash! That is mah livelihood goin' up in smoke out there, and if you don't let me leave, Ah'm gonna-"

"You'll what, Applejack?"

Jet Stream stepped aside to allow Twilight and company to enter the room.

"Twilight? What in Equestria happened to you!?"

"Long story, for another time. Right now, you need to calm down."

"Twilight is right, dear. You really must calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Rarity!"

"A-Apple...jack... P-please..." Fluttershy had already been upset and on the verge of tears. All of the yelling had only pushed her over the edge. "St...stop... Ple...ase..." she whimpered, remaining unheard over the heightened emotions.

"Applejack, please!"

"No! Ah'm not going to calm down! Mah family is on that farm! Yours too, Rarity!"

A pall fell over the room at her words. All eyes turned to face Rarity. It took about three seconds for this information to process. "Sweetie Belle! No!"

The shock from Rarity's voice spread quickly. Even Rainbow Dash uttered a weak "Oh no..."

"Applejack said my library was burnt down..." Twilight started pacing as she put two and two together. "All this can only add up to one thing!"

"Spit it out, Twi'! Ah ain't got the time for yer fancy mathematics!"

"This fire must've been caused by the same pegasi that set fire to the library!"

"All the more reason for me to start kickin' some heads in! Outta mah way, Twi'!"

Applejack easily shouldered her way past the unicorn, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash. "Hold it, AJ. If these are the same pegasi, dont'cha think this might be a trap?"

"Stow it for somepony who cares. That's mah family out there! Now git!" Once more, the earth pony shoved her friend aside, but the stubborn pegasus wouldn't be defeated so easily. She grabbed the cowpony's blonde tail and gave a swift yank. "Darn it, RD! Leggo!" One of her powerful hind legs came out, clocking the side of the pegasi's skull and throwing her into the solid marble wall. In the stunned silence that followed, the orange mare threw a challenging glare over her friends. "The next pony to try that gits two. Anypony gonna try?"

Armor plates clanked against one another as their owner shrugged. "Yeah. I will." Shining Armor replaced his helm and nodded to Applejack.

"Look, Shinin' Armor, Ah've got nothin' against you, but if you don't move, yer gonna be in a world of hurt."

"I'll take my chances." The air filled itself with a high-pitched whine that steadily grew in volume.

Twilight knew that noise. "Wait, Shining Armor! Don't use that spell!"

Applejack's hind legs shot out like two steel pistons, straight into Shining Armor's barrier, whose reflective magic shoved the force right back. The mare found herself on the floor, feeling like she had just kicked herself.

Twilight knew the capabilities of her brother's spell inside and out. All force directed against it would be instantly and equally rebounded. Applejack could seriously hurt herself. "Applejack! Stop!"

"Nothin' doin', Twi'..." Applejack stumbled back to her hooves and charged the stallion.

"Applejack, stop!" Rarity cried. "Please! You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Shining Armor, drop the shield!"

The stallion remained just as stubborn as his sister's friend, who was in the process of bouncing off his shield once more, leaving her hat behind.

"Stay down, Applejack!"

For the slightest of moments, Shining Armor's stoic expression cracked. Beyond the magenta hue of his shield, he saw an exhausted Element of Honesty back on her hooves, pawing the ground and ready to charge.

Little explanation was needed for the third attempt to breach the shield, save that each attempt rebounded the orange pony less and less.

"Applejack! Please!" Seeing her friend struggle like this made Fluttershy physically ill. "Stop this!"

"Drop the spell, Shining Armor!" Twilight knew the stubborn cowpony; she would keep going until something broke. And it wasn't going to be the barrier. "Do it!"

The stallion's eyes darted to his sister's frightened expression. He knew what she was thinking. With a resigned sigh, he lowered his spell.

The act of pacifism was lost on the Element bearer. She stampeded the stallion a third time.

What happened next happened in slow motion for all present. A bright burst of magic illuminated the room and Applejack fell to the floor, unconscious, with a sizeable patch of orange fur between her shoulders blackened and smoking.

Every eye again moved in unison to look at the caster. All except for two.

The tears in the white mare's shocked blue eyes all too clearly reflected the blue aura surrounding her horn.

"Wh-what have I d-done...?"