//------------------------------//
// The Battle of Cloudsdale Part 4 
// Story: The Abundance 
// by defender2222 
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All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

-All that is gold does not glitter, The Lord of the Rings





~10 minutes earlier...~

Spitfire's wings ached. Her muscles felt like they were going to snap like dried out rubber bands. The cold winds bite her cheeks and made her eyes water. Every mouthful of air she took in was both a blessing and a curse, keeping her in the fight but prolonging her agony. She could hear her heart beating so rapidly that it was sounded like the steady buzz of an angry bumblebee. 

And yet she could not stop.

She dared not look over her shoulder, knowing that even a fraction of a second that wasn't spent in total focus of her goal would spell her death. She'd somehow ended up in the cloud recycling yard, which was filled with condensed cumulous clouds deemed to hard and thick to hold water. They were the air equivalent of rocks in river rapids and even brushing up against one of them would cost her feathers... if not alot more.

Still, it was not the clouds that posed the greatest danger to her, but those that pursued her into the dangerous terrian.

"Come on captain!" Soarin' jeered as he got close enough to her that she could swear she felt his breath on her hind hooves. "You know you can't outrace us! You've gotten old and soft!"

"Yeah!" Maverick shouted, pulling up beside her. Spitfire slung to her right to try and put some distance between her and her old team. Spitfire didn't need to glance over to see those awful golden eyes staring at her, taunting her. "You were the weak link even before you abandoned us... now you're-"

Maverick was cut off by a small cumulous he'd failed to see. He was stopped quicker than if he had hit a brick wall and Spitfire could tell from the howls of pain that he'd done a number on his nose. 

"Not turning back and seeing if she needs help?" Soarin' asked, a sneer clear in his words. "Just like ya, captain."

Spitfire didn't say a word. She had thought, before the Twilight had shown up, that meeting her old team and seeing them corrupted by the queens would be a blow she could not survive. She had feared the guilt she'd natural feel when looking on the ponies she had failed to save would cripple her. But now that the time had finally arrived, she found herself not feeling guilt. It was strange... she knew she should have felt it but she did not. 

Perhaps it was seeing Twilight and Spike and knowing that there was good in the world. Maybe it was the fact that they had already succeeded once, when they had saved the Princesses. It could have been her quiet observations of Rainbow Dash and realizing that it was possible not just to break free but to come back from being controlled by the elements. Perhaps it was merely accepting that she was playing only a small role in this war and that it was in the hooves of other ponies to save the day...

It could have been any of these things... it didn't matter. What mattered was that in that moment Spitfire didn't feel guilt; what she felt was desire... desire to keep going, desire to win... desire to buy The Doctor and Clyde time. This wasn't about saving her team... this was about saving the foals.

So she pushed on, not saying a word. She knew it would be useless to trade barbed words with the Wonderbolts so she saved her oxygen and focused on flying. She wanted them to chase her, to taunt her, to focus on her... all to keep them blind when it came to the true reason they had come to Cloudsdale.

Soarin' opened his mouth to shoot off another insult, only to be silenced by an explosion. Spitfire's eyes widened as she stared up at the sky, marveling as the sonic rainboom washed over her.  She slowed down and turned, looking at her team. 

"I swear... I'll find a way to save you."

That was all she said before racing forward again. The chase was back on.

~MC~MC~MC~

"You... you think that little display changes anything?" Loyalty barked. Twilight cringed; it was clear that the abstract was trying to laugh. There was something so utterly disturbing about how the golden alicorn behaved… Twilight’s thoughts instantly went to a wind chime that had become tangled. "The mare performed the sonic rainboom... good for her! It is a fine feat and she should be proud of it!" Loyalty scoffed in disgust. "But if you think for one moment it has some higher meaning, you are wrong. It was a trick... a rare trick, I admit, but a trick. It is no different than doing a corkscrew or a backflip. It doesn't mean a thing and believe it does is just plain stupid!"

"You could be so brilliant," Twilight whispered sadly, ignoring the foolishness that had come out of the abstract's mouth. Of course he wouldn’t believe… that would mean having faith…

"Save me your hollow flattery," Loyalty snarked. "I am going to taking control of you... once I open your eyes to the glories of harmony-"

Twilight merely shook her head, trotting around the abstract. Her casual dismissal of his threats had Loyalty blinking, flustered that she wasn't rising and taking the bait. This was his moment, the point that, years from now, the scholars would identify as when he made the final push that would crush the rebellion and make them see the error of their ways. 

But Twilight Sparkle wasn't playing along. She was supposed to deliver some speech about how she was 'the hero' and how Loyalty would pay... and he would respond with actions and show her the power of the abstracts. He would prove to her that his way was better than hers, that her little rebellion, made up of loosely knit ponies, could not compete with the glory of a species united in one mind and one spirit.

"I'm not flattering you or trying to trick you," Twilight said gently.  "I am only telling the truth... you could be so brilliant. You have the brains and the will and... and if you only opened your mind for just a moment you could do so much for this world. You have such utter potential." She took a step forward, staring at him with those deep, dark eyes, and Loyalty twitched, not liking the strange feeling he felt in his chest. "But the first thing you have to do is accept that you have built your base on falsehoods."

Loyalty glared at her. "Is this where you try to convince me to believe your dark lies?"

"No... this is where I try and make you see the truth. You have existed for thousands of years... but this is the first time you've been alive, isn't it? You're experiencing all these new things and it is confusing you so you cling to the one constant you have: loyalty." Twilight took another step forward, eyes pleading with him to listen. The rainboom had filled her with hope and thus she would try, one last time, to convince Loyalty to end this peacefully. "But the loyalty you are trying to create doesn't work any more... it isn't loyalty."

"I am Loyalty... what I say is loyal is loyal!"

Twilight shook her head. "No. No, you are wrong, Loyalty. Do you want to know what loyalty is to me?" She continued even as he opened his mouth to insult her. "Loyalty is built on a foundation of trust and battles. It is crafted slowly, over time, through both the good times and the bads. Every victory strengthens it and every failure hones it and removes the imperfections. And when loyalty is finally achieved it is nearly impossible to destroy! Loyalty isn't blindly following somepony and helping them do bad things... loyalty is telling them that when they awake up and see the error of their ways that you'll be there to help them rise back up!

"Look around you... this isn't loyalty! This is control... blind devotion... mindlessness. You are trying to create a hive mind but you don't realize that there is no loyalty in such a state... loyalty comes from separate beings, with their own ideas and values and experiences, coming together and finding common ground! You are trying to create obedience… and that isn’t you."

Loyalty tried to sneer but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "What would you have me do then? Swear fealty to you and become your slave? Would you make me write friendship reports like your precious Princesses commanded you to do?"

Twilight shook her head. "I would have you stand down and free Cloudsdale... and then I would have you help me find your brother."

"Doubt," Loyalty snapped. "The traitor of the abstracts."

"No... not any more. Your brother was lost and like you are now he became confused. He began to preach something he truly didn’t believe in and it caused pain. But he opened himself up and sought help... and he learned about the world. He came to understand compassion and humility and friendship and love and loss… and he found himself again. That is your mistake, Loyalty... your brother has returned... he is Faith again and he needs you! You want to know what loyalty is? Loyalty is going to your brother and telling him you will help him." Twilight blinked back tears that gathered in her eyes. "You don't have to forgive him... he did so many bad things... but you can help him achieve true redemption, if only in your eyes."

"You... you honestly think it is that simple?" Loyalty questioned.

"Yes!" Twilight practically screamed. "These last three months have been the greatest of my life! Faith and Spike and I have learned so much from each other and our bond is so strong... it would be my honor to travel with you." She smiled, taking a shuddering breath. "Imagine it... the four of us could go together and create REAL harmony... we could find your siblings and show them the truth that I am showing you. The eight of us... we could do what you tried to do with my friends! We could spread true harmony throughout the world. You could help Faith grow and he could show you the wonders this world has. There is so much you have yet to experience... and now that you have a body you can! There... there is no better fate I could think of than to travel at your side, you and Faith, and learn from you and you from me." Twilight's body shook with raw emotion. "Please... please stop this madness. You have made a mistake but you can still correct it... don't abandon your brother and don't turn against your true nature because of pride!"

Loyalty stared at her. It was as if the entire world had gone still and waited for his answer. Fate would be rewritten and history altered by what he would chose at this moment. He looked at this mare that had so passionately argued her case and felt his heart just a bit faster. 

For abstracts time moved both quick and slow. A thousand years could flash by in the blink of an eye and the space between seconds could last a million lifetimes. He pondered her words and thought of all she said and that which he saw and knew.

"You..." he said softly, "sound like an apologist."

Twilight's heart shattered.

"My brother... my brother Faith... he betrayed all of us." Loyalty was shaking as if he had caught a sudden cold, his wings flapping in agitation. "He didn't listen when we warned him to stand down and leave it to us five to battle Discord. Had he stayed... had he just stayed away from this world and remained home where it was safe... my baby brother would still be alive." Loyalty's golden eyes flashed in anger. "Because my brother is dead. You can call whatever it is you know Faith but the Faith I knew died when he came to this place. You ponies... you were his killer. You with your fighting and your wars and your need to always disagree! Even the most fundamental truths are fought about... you fight just to fight! You betray each other all the time... oh, you dress it up with cute titles like 'little white lies' or 'acting for the greater good' but the fact remains that you stab each other in the back every damn day! It is your nature... you can't help it!"

Loyalty let out a pain-filled laugh. "What you call loyalty I cal being an apologist. You wrong others and then expect them to reconnect the ties that bound you? How stupid can you all be?" He pointed a hoof at a trembling Twilight. "You fell because of loyalty! Your friends betrayed loyalty again and again and you were a fool for letting them come back! You should have found others that would have followed you to the end! Instead you bottled up till you in turn betrayed all you believed in and became the dark alicorn! How is your way better than mine? Mine is the path of peace and harmony... your way is filled only with pain and sorrow."

"Life isn't all good!" Twilight shouted.

"Then life is flawed!" Loyalty roared. "I am creating something better... life perfected. You justify the failures and imperfections as being needed. Ha! I am removing the blemishes like a doctor with a scalpel, carving them away and leaving only the pureness that has been hidden by the dark you allowed to fester."

Twilight shook her head. "But you are taking away free will!"

"So be it! If you can only have one or the other I vote for a world without pain." He shook his head in disgust. "You ponies... you killed my baby brother and then took his body and... and you twisted it and tainted it and turned it into something foul. You all turned him into Doubt and force me to break my ties with him."

Twilight's brow furrowed, her tears drying up as she rose. Anger was etched on her face as she glared at the golden abstract. "We did no such thing! YOU chose to abandon him! YOU chose to leave him be! Everything that happened to him is your fault because you weren't LOYAL to your own brother!"
"How could I be loyal to that creature?" Loyalty screamed.

"Because he is your brother and you love him!" Twilight howled. "If you can't get that through your head then you are a fool!"

Loyalty shook his head in disgust. "There is no reasoning with you."

Twilight's horn began to glow with chaos magic. "And I with you. I tried... I tried to make you see reason... are you sure you want to continue down this path?"

"Yes." Loyalty's own horn began to call forth golden magic. 

"Then may I be forgiven for what I must do." With that Twilight fired a blast of chaos magic at Loyalty, the golden abstract responding in kind. Cloudsdale trembled as the beams met, pushing against each other as each alicorn fought for control. The skies trembled under the sheer volume of magic and each of them struggled to maintain control.

And that is when they heard the rumble of engines.

Both combatants turned at the same time, their magic dissipating within a moment. They looked to the east of Cloudsdale, towards a great cloud bank that had formed as the city shook under the ravages of war. It loomed before them like some great curtain and from within they could hear the steady thrum of something big preparing to burst through.

Then the cloud bank parted and the sky grew dark. All of the rebels felt their hearts falter at the sight of this new doom that had appeared before them, ready to snatch their victory away. They all trembled and their will to continue crumbled, for coming towards the great cloud city was a thing of untold power and strength, the likes of which had never been seen in Equestria before: an airship.

It resembled, in many ways, the mighty galleons that raced along the Mareatine. Massive sails were held aloft by great rigs, though these mighty wind catchers were not made of cloth but some strange metallic fabric that was covered with glowing mystical runes. Great wings burst from the sides of the ship and upon each rumbled monstrous propellers that drove the war ship forward. Cannons lined the sides of the vessel and the rebels could see a crew of grim and dirty ponies manning the weapons and preparing to launch their assault upon them. The mighty airship turned towards Cloudsdale and Rainbow Dash's heart fell into the depths of her stomach at the sight of the giant beast that screamed their doom as it bore down upon them.

Loyalty strolled forward, a sneer on his face as he favored Twilight with a pitying glance. "I see my brothers and sisters saw fit to send aid. Behold our secret weapon, built in the ruins of Canterlot.  With this airship we will be able to crush any that refuse to swear allegiance to Equestria and the power of harmony!" He turned his back to the mighty vessel and focused all his gloating upon Twilight. “What hope do you have now? How can you believe for a moment this war can be won when I have this at my beck and call?”

"I want to make sure I understand this right," a voice called out from the ship. Loyalty slowly turned, eyes widening almost comically as he realized it was not one of the queens that held the command. "Whoever controls this ship controls the war, right?" Upon the railing a blue unicorn leapt forward. Her normal cape and hat were gone and instead she was decked in a modified royal guard dress uniform and a naval tri-corner hat. "Well, bad news everypony... because guess who!”

"No...way," Twilight whispered in shock.

"That's right, everypony, it is I, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL CAPTAIN TRIXIE!"

"…hahahahahaha!” The golden abstract just began to laugh, his entire body shaking with mirth. Trixie looked down at him in annoyance but Loyalty kept laughing. “Oh… that is… too rich.” He fired a blast of magic, Trixie crying out as she was struck. “This is the trump card? This is what you think I should fear you? A pathetic little unicorn?" Loyalty sneered.

Trixie, though injured, merely smiled back in response, rising to her hooves. Her coat was singed and her face darkened from the blast but still she managed to stand up and face the golden alicorn. "No... I am not the one you should fear." The unicorn whipped around, the power dampener on her horn falling off as Loyalty’s magic finally deactivated it. In turn, Trixie twisted and let off a blast of magic herself. Loyalty's eyes widened in fear as he stared at Trixie's intended target rising up in the air. His body was broken and bleeding, his face swollen and his side marred by a large gash. "You and your siblings locked his powers away… you imprisoned him and tried to hide him away…" Trixie said, spreading her forelegs wide and Loyalty trembled as a small device fell from the horn of the LAST pony he’d expected to see, "but now that dampening ring is gone... and Faith is free."

The silver alicorn rose up higher, his wounds from Cadence fading away as his magic was restored. The lord of the gray's horn flashed and silver energy began to radiate around all the crew of the ship. Celestia’s sun burst through the darkness Twilight had created and shone upon him. Faith twirled several times as his strength and power returned. Twilight looked upon her friend with tears in her eyes and Rainbow Dash’s smile grew so wide it threatened to split her face. Cheers rose from those ponies that knew him and those that didn’t felt the urge to do the same as the living embodiment of belief was revealed. Those that had been infected by Loyalty found themselves on their bellies, trembling at the sight, ashamed without reason. Loyalty called out for it to stop, demanding it stop, firing off blasts of magic to MAKE it stop… but it never did.

"Hello Loyalty," Faith said calmly as he began to descend, his great metallic wings shining in the rays of the sun. The crew of the airship, the former prisoners of the queens, called out his name and roared words of encouragement. Faith threw back his head and with a sudden burst of magic all of Loyalty’s threads were shattered, releasing the citizens of Cloudsdale. The golden abstract gnashed his teeth together but the youngest of the abstracts merely stared at him. "Your baby brother has returned.”

Loyalty blinked but quickly regained his composure. His confident swagger returned and he began to trot towards his brother, a sneer on his face. "Are you here to lecture me brother? To try and convince me you are the hero of this story? Are you going to 'monologue'? I know you love to do that. What clever little comments do you want to make? What snarky comment-"

A bolt of silver energy struck Loyalty and sent him flying into a building.

"The time for talk is over.” Faith said simply, his eyes going pure black and he began to approach his older brother. “Trying to kill Twilight and Trixie... was a mistake." Faith's eyes flickered with rage and his extended his wings, their sharp edges promising pain and suffering. “Twilight!”

“Faith?” the lavender alicorn called out.

“Run.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not leaving you!”

Faith merely turned and Twilight gasped at the raw rage that poured out of the abstract’s eyes. “So be it… but we warned, my dear… this city is about to become the most dangerous place in all of Equestria.” 

“I’m not afraid!” Twilight shouted.

“Now is not the time for fear,” Faith stated. His horn flashed and he began to beat his wings, summoning up a mighty wind that nearly sending Twilight toppling.  “That comes later.”  Twilight nodded grimly and together they turned and faced his brother, wings stretching out wider and wider till they appeared to go on till eternity. Lightning cracked over head and thunder shook Cloudsdale to its very foundation. Loyalty sneered, golden threads latching onto the clouds as the storm grew in power. Faith raised his head, calling upon the power of the maelstrom. 

Loyalty, Twilight, and Faith began to fly towards each other, their eyes dark as they prepared to do what they must. All about them the city of Cloudsdale trembled as the great maelstrom descended upon it, heralding the grand battle that had finally come.

Faith… had gone to war.