//------------------------------// // 14 - The Struggle // Story: The First Twilight // by darkforce95 //------------------------------// "Wait... What just happened?"  asked Rainbow Dash confused. In a moment, the newly revealed Star Dusk burst forward and grabbed his body. “Seize them!” cried Chrysalis to her hoard.   Before any of them could move, Star Dusk locked lips with his original body and the new body shifted into Sparkling Gauntlet’s form. Star Dusk swiveled around and both he and Sparkling Gauntlet leaped back away from the encroaching horde.   “Well then,” began Sparkling Gauntlet, “How do you want to handle this?” Star Dusk took one step forward, “You do your duty and I’ll do mine.  Although I wouldn’t mind if you took an offensive bend to it.” Sparkling Gauntlet stepped up next to him taking a fighting stance.  “You don’t need to ask me twice, Starshine.” Both knights leaped towards the leading group of changelings and came to blows. “Okay, even ah’m lost right now.  Twilight, what in the hay just happened?”  Asked Applejack as the battle raged on with the two warriors dominating all who stood in front of them. “W-Well, I think that Princess Luna was the one to enter and exit the room the whole time.  She tied Star Dusk as she went to retrieve his body on her own, being able to shape shift with minimal magical output and-” “English, egghead!” cut in Rainbow Dash shortly. “It was an unplanned double switch.” Celestia filled in, “Luna left to get Star Dusk’s body disguised as Sparkling Gauntlet.  While Star Dusk, tied to the bed by Luna, took on her form so he could get out and chase after her.” Their attention came back to the battle ahead of them.  Star Dusk and Sparkling Gauntlet stood back to back facing the mob around them. “I gotta admit, I missed this.” commented Sparkling Gauntlet. “We only did this once.” corrected Star Dusk. “Doesn’t mean I can’t miss it.  So what’s the plan from here?” “I still need to get to the princess.”  he replied looking toward the cage. “So I clear the way?” she said as she generated her magical gauntlets. “No need to waste time.  I just need a lift over the crowd.” “I take it crowd surfing is out of the question?” Sparkling Gauntlet said with a smirk across her face. They still seemed to be on the same page as they bursted in opposite directions, with Sparkling Gauntlet charging toward the cage.  In an instant they both spun around and Star Dusk began sprinting toward Sparkling Gauntlet and she got set to give the ‘lift’, folding her hands together and crouched a bit. “GO FOR IT STARSHINE!” Star Dusk stepped into her hands in stride and she lifted him up and launched him over her head.  As soon as he was out of sight, Sparkling Gauntlet jumped toward the group of girls in front of her.  The changeling hoard turned and encroached on the group. “Sparkling Gauntlet, what are you waiting for?” asked Fluttershy hiding in the middle of the group. “All Starshine has to do is save the Princess and she’ll be able to fly them out and we can bolt from here.  That’s the general plan anyway.” “And if he needs help?” asked Twilight worriedly. “Hey, this is Starshine we’re talking about.  He can handle him-” “I’LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!!” roared Star Dusk’s voice above the din of the raging changelings, who all spun around rushed back toward their queen.  In the distance, changelings were hovering at a distance for safety, probably not running due to the Queen being in danger or telling them not to. “What is going on?” asked Rarity as the fight seemed to be coming closer. Twilight hadn’t felt anything from Star Dusk since his private meeting in the throne room so she was at a loss to what could be happening but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something terrible must have happened. He doesn’t throw around death threats that easily. she thought, I should help, even if “Sparky” doesn’t think so. Twilight charged her magic to clear a way through the crowd but she couldn’t feel the familiar tingle that came along with channeling the energy.  Sparkling Gauntlet must have sensed what she was trying and put a hand to her shoulder. “Don’t bother, I already tried using magic and got nothing.  Starshine and I have been fighting with our basic guard training.  Would have been a cakewalk otherwise.” Twilight turned to Princess Celestia who seemed to have a similar issue, a look of shock and fear slapped across her face. “You don’t know what’s causing it?” she asked of the knight at her side. “I do, but the only cure when there’s no one who has magic is to wait it out.  The changelings have made strides to prevent magic to be a hinderance to any other invasion attempts.” Suddenly, Chrysalis exited the crowd of her subjects.  But instead of attacking the group, she wheeled around as the crowd of changelings were blown back by Stark Dusk, who seemed to have punched the ground using a combination of earth and air manipulation to push the crowd back.   A realization seemed to strike Sparkling Gauntlet, “Darn it, Starshine!  Why didn’t you use your magic from the beginning!  Would have made everything so much easier.” “How can he use magic when we can’t?” asked Rarity. “Our party all were affected with the anti-magic spell.  But Starshine’s body wasn’t with us so he wasn’t affected.” Star Dusk looked up and showed his eyes were pitch black and green magical energy was leaking out of the corner of his eyes.  Rage was plastered across his face as he stared directly at Chrysalis. As he stood back up, Celestia rushed in front of the changeling queen with her arms open wide. “Star Dusk, stop!”  she cried out to him, “It’s fine!  It’s over, we can go home now!” Celestia’s words reminded Twilight of the memories that Star Dusk shared with her. “Princess!” she called out grabbing her attention, “We need to get out of here!  Once we hav-” In that instant, Star Dusk created a blade of dark energy that extended from his arm, rushed forward, and buried into Princess Celestia’s chest, his arm exiting out her back.  Everyone stood dumbstruck as the co-regent of all of Equestria was impaled on her vassal’s arm. Celestia turned her head back to Star Dusk and slowly embraced him as her body began to glow.  Her head lowered to his ear and whispered something inaudible before her body converted itself to energy and rose up to the sky. Star Dusk, his eyes now back to normal with tears streaming down his face, fell to his knees and wept into his hands. Chrysalis and her remaining troops fled in the momentary lull knowing full well that if he could kill Princess Celestia, that taking him on would be foolish. Twilight was the first to move toward the fallen knight, embracing him tightly.  He gripped the sleeves of Twilight’s blouse as the liquid pain stained the front of it.   “They’re gone… It’s all my fault… It’s my fault they’re gone….” he sobbed as the others quickly descended around the two, all except Sparkling Gauntlet who went to the cage which housed Princess Luna. Twilight stroked Star Dusk’s head in an effort to console him as he continued to blame himself.  She wanted to do more for him, but she knew that as soon as she opened her mouth that her own tears that she was holding back would come flowing out. Princess Celestia, her beloved teacher and mentor, was gone.  By all rights, she should hate Star Dusk.   Despise him.   Loath him. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that.  If the story that Chrysalis was spouting was true, even in the slightest, then he should be suffering worse than her.  He had lost his parents and his sister, both under his watch. Footsteps announced the return of Sparkling Gauntlet, stopping just short of the group.  The others turned to look at her.   “How’s Princess Luna holding up?” asked Applejack softly. “She’s… not.”  she replied just as quietly, as if to keep Star Dusk or Twilight from hearing though it wasn’t working, “There’s a hole that looks like it opened up at the bottom of the cage.  It looks like she landed on some sharp rocks and… I guess she ended up the same as Celestia.” Both celestial Princesses were gone.  Twilight could no longer hold back her tears as the other five comforted her about as well as she was comforting Star Dusk. “I know we all really don’t want to do anything right now.” interrupted Sparkling Gauntlet after some minutes, her face also stained with tears, “But I think it might be best if we start heading back to Equestrian territory.  I doubt Queen Chrysalis will sit back with all of us here in her land without amassing a veritable army to take us out.  R-Right, S-Starshine?” At the center of the huddle, Star Dusk quivered one last sob and slowly stood up.   “You’re right…” he said, not even bothering to wipe the tears and mucus from his face.  “T-They’ll know better than to attack anytime soon so we don’t have to hurry.  But we need to get moving.” Star Dusk… After a few more moments, the group slowly made their way back to familiar lands under the constant gaze of the two great celestial bodies. Dear Princess Cel Cadence, Please come to Canterlot as soon as you get this letter.  It is of the utmost importance Please get here soon.  I need your help.  Please… Twilight