Daring Do had made a few turns and shakes in random directions. After nearly two hours of just doing this, Night Mare Moon flashed in front of her.
“You’re testing my patience! Where is this battlefield you speak off exactly?”
Daring Do gazed around. “Right there.” Nightmare moon winced at her. “Coming?”
Levitating down facing each other, Daring Do braced herself while Nightmare Moon relaxed herself with a charmed smile.
“Before I begin this, I’d like to check your power level.” Her horn glowed activating her scouter. Her eyes widened results with the delighted smirk. “This is amazing, for a pegasus, you have a power level of twenty-three-thousand, it makes me wish I could offer you a place among my organisation as one of my elites. You’d be in fact be perhaps my strongest minion.”
“Flattering, but then again not really. Your team’s nothing more than a bunch of roaches, being stronger than them is no big deal?”
“So what does that make you other pegasus being my roaches killed.”
“Victims of your monstrosity and I’m going to give retribution for all the things you’ve done.”
“You are? Well before you do, there’s something I’d like to inform you. It’s to do with my power level you see. It’s forty-two thousand and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what I’m capable of. Though if you still want to try and beat me, then that’s fine.” She sprouted out her wings. “To give you one chance, I will only use one hoof, might make things more sporting if I do.”
“However you want to do this is fine, but you’re going to make it less satisfying killing you if you make it this easy.”
“Come on then, show me you’re not all talk then.”
Opening her wings, Daring Do belted at Nightmare Moon and launched a flurry of kicks and punches. The alicorn parried them all with one hoof. Nightmare moon countered with a slap, but the pegasus vanished. She was then struck by a beam of energy from above.
“My,” said Nightmare Moon as the smoke swept off her. “Not only do you have a high power level, but you’re a very skilled fighter, I am impressed.” She lifted her hoof. “My turn?” A volley of dart-like energy shot out. The pegasi weaved through the attacks, but she suffered two direct hits.
Seething the pain, Daring Do clasped her hooves together and gathered energy, but the alicorn punched against her. The pegasus flopped over her hoove before she was thrown to the surface.
“Now this is disappointing. The fights just begun and already you look ready to just give in.” She punched her into the ground, making Daring Do cry in pain. The alicorn stood over and grinded her to the surface. “How about this, tell me information on how to use the Orbs of harmony piece by piece, the more you do, the faster I’ll kill you that way you don’t have to go through all this pain.
Replying with a growl Daring Do then roared in agony, aiming her hoof and firing a blast at Night Maremoon’s face. The alicorn reared covering her face. Daring Do jumped behind her and hauled her upper leg back.
“How you going to get me now with just one hoof?”
Nightmare Moon’s mane curled around her neck and threw Daring Do over and clubbed her to the ground.
“What happened to just using your one hoof.” Daring Do coughted.
“I did that while I had a bit of patience with you, but now it’s just running out. Too bad it won’t be the same for your miserable existence coming to an end if you don’t tell me how to use those Orbs of harmony.” The alicorn now crushed down on one of Daring Do’s back legs this time. “Tell me or I’m going to break every bone inside your body, little by little and trust me, I’ve never met a pony who begged for death under this kind of treatment.”
“At least you’ve met one now then- arrgh!”
*
Both Pinkie Pie and Spike were outside the aircraft tossing a rock back and forth with Applejack and Rarity lounging nearby.
“Sigh, I really don’t know what to do now. Right now we’re waiting for Nightmare Moon to come back, but we didn’t come here to fight her. We came here so we could bring back my brother and everypony else who was killed by that scoundrel hidden up in there.”
“Relax Applejack. We just don’t know how to use the Orbs of harmony yet and we don’t have Twilight,” replied Rarity.
“I know, otherwise I’d go in that aircraft right now and take out that varmit right when she’s in her sleep. It would maybe be low, but it’s the best she could ever deserve.”
“Hey, guys, are you sensing that power level I’m feeling?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“What is it Nightmare Moon?” Applejack and Rarity scrambled back up.
“Not unless there’s three Nightmare Moon, which would be cool, because it be like ones called Night, the other’s called Mare and-.”
“Wait! Isn’t that the fillies?” Spike pointed up at the three fillies.
“My stars, is that you flying now Applebloom!”
“You to Sweetie Belle!”
“Yeah! Applejack! Isn’t it great!” The two homed up to their respective sisters and hugged them.
“B-but how. I wasn’t this young when Granny Smith taught me to fly?”
“We got out potentials or whatever you call it, unlocked and Scootaloo showed us how to fly.”
“What are you doing here anyhow? You were meant to be staying in Daring Do’s and Celestia’s care?” questioned Rarity.
“Princess Celestia said you needed our help.”
“Help with what?”
“Wait,” said Spike. “Scootaloo, you’re a pegasi right? You wouldn’t by any chance know how to use the Orbs of harmony would you?”
“Sure I do, that’s if you have all six of them together, I can do that.”
“Yes!” Everyone shouted out.
“Hush,” said Applejack. “Try not to get Trixie attention.”
“Oh! Are we going to surprise her something?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“Something like that. Just keep quiet, grab the Orbs of harmony and follow me.”
Following her instructions, they all levitated off the ground and slowly moved over a number of islands. Soon as they were at a decent distance from the ship and found a wide canyon. Placing down all six Orbs of harmony, they all stepped back.
“Alright Scootaloo, go ahead.”
Taking a deep gulp, Scootaloo called out. “Oh great Philomeena, we summon you, please rise so that you may grant our wish.”
Raging out from the orbs was this burst of flames high into the sky and towering over the group. Wings emerged and pushed out from the wall of fire was this bird’s head made of flames. With one clap of its wings, the fire around it transformed to its magnificent bird like body. Its tail extended down as a wall over flames attached to the Orbs of harmony.
Everyone was speechless by the display and pulled back in awe and fear at the giant creature before them. Its bright wild flames that it was formed from almost made it hard to notice that the sky had gone pitch black.
“Th-this phoenix’s huge!” stuttered Rarity.
“Yeah, how is that, our ones a dwarf compared to this,” said Pinkie Pie.
“Let’s not dally on this, Scootaloo, will this phoenix grant our wish?” questioned Rarity.
“Well, Princess Celestia made it that Philomeena, only answer to pegasi, so I can ask your wishes for you.”
“Did you just say wishes?” asked Rarity.
“Um, yeah, you get three wishes, didn’t you know that?”
“No, we only get one wish back on Equistria. But how about we get started with wishing everypony back since the unicorn attack on Equestria?” asked Applejack.
Nodding Scootaloo turned to the phoenix. “Great Philomeena, could you please bring back all the ponies after the Equistria attack?” There was a caw though that caused Scootaloo to give a frown and look back to everyone. “I’m sorry, but Philomeena can’t do it?”
“What why!” yelled Applejack.
“Apparently Philomeena’s not powerful enough to bring more than one pony back per wish.”
“Wait one pony per wish, but that’s means we can only bring three ponies back, that’s not enough,” said Rarity.
“Hallo, can you all hear me?”
“What the! I think I’m hearing voices!” said Spike.
“Me too!” replied Rarity.
“Woah, we must be possessed or something... Spooky!”
“Don’t get so worked up Pinky Pie?” asked Applejack, but lowered her head and frantically searched around with her eyes.
“Do not get worked up indeed, for I am nothing to fear, I am Zecora, the one who trained Twilight in the afterlife.”
“Wow! This is Zecora!” shouted Spike.
“Yes, I am here to help you with your dilemma. To help everypony wish your friend Rainbow Dash back that way Fluttershy comes back as well and together they will be revived with that of the Orbs of harmony and their one wish will bring back everypony.”
“Ah I get it! Scootaloo! Did you hear that?” asked Applebloom.
“I did hear that, but I’m not sure what’s happening?”
“Just do what the voice said, wish back Rainbow Dash.”
“Alright.” She did so and the phoenix responded with a flare of fire. “She’s done it; the one called Rainbow Dash is alive again.”
“Yes!”
“Hold on everypony, Rainbow Dash is still here and has a request.”
“Wait! Rainbow Dash is with you! Is she okay?” asked Spike frantically.
“She is fine little one. She has been training here under my supervision, just like Fluttershy and Big Macintosh.”
“Wow, my big brother’s there as well! How’s he doing?” asked Appleblom.
“He is fine as well and before you ask, Fluttershy as well. But enough conversation, this thing that Rainbow Dash asks I am not comfortable about, but I will not stop though her.”
“What is it she’s asking?” questioned Rarity.
“She asks that you use one of the wishes to teleport her to Cloudsdale.”
“Huh? Why would she want to do that?”
“She now understands her situation where she came from and wishes to come to its aid and help in your war against Nightmare Moon. I have tried to talk to her, but she has her mind set on coming here even if she must do it herself.”
“I sort of understand that. If my home, Appleacres was in trouble, I’d go there by any means, especially if it were my own kind that were there as well,” said Applejack.
“I think it’ll be great to have Rainbow Dash with us,” spoke Spike.
“The more the merrier,” said Pinkie Pie.
“Well if she must then there’s no stopping her,” said Rarity.
“So do you want me to ask for that wish?”
“Yes, go on,” replied Rarity.
After Scootaloo did so, she looked back at the group. “It’s done.”
“Okay, so where is she?” asked Spike.
“I don’t know, I think the question was too vague that Philomeena might’ve just brought her too Cloudsdale, but nowhere that specific.”
“She is here right though?” questioned Rarity.
“Yes, Philomeena will have done as instructed.”
“You all may make your third wish to the phoenix as I reach your friends on Philomeena and get them to find the gather the Equistria, farewell for now and goodluck young ones.”
“Huh? What should be our third wish?” asked Rarity.
*
Laid and battered across the field, all of Daring Do’s legs had been broken, her abdomen entirely bruised and her face entirely swollen. Nightmare moon slowly paced towards her.
“I am getting very tired of this, tell me how to access the Orbs of harmony or it will only get worse from here.”
“Cough, you haven’t figured it out have you?” She gave a weak smile as she laid on her flank. She rolled her eyes at Nightmare Moon perplexed stare. “You know that the skies dark right, well that’s because some other ponies that came here from Equistria. We sent someone who knows how to use the Orbs of harmony so that they could use them while I distracted you.” Daring Do’s smile got bigger when she saw the face on Night Mare Moon’s face. “You thought you were in control, nice try though!”
There was a wild uncontrollable snarl on Night Mare Moon’s face. “I better not find you again, because if I do we’re going to resume this, but it will be unimaginable worse!” Powering up, Night Mare Moon burst from the ground and raced back to her aircraft field.
*
Appearing on the peaks of one of the mountains appeared the light blue unicorn with rainbow coloured hair was Rainbow Dash. Opening her eyes, she observed the cloud-crafted valley with rainbow coloured rivers.
“So quiet and unreal, it’s actually my home. It even feels home, I can’t believe it, it’s amazing.” Focusing she sensed the dots of energies. Powering up a rainbow-coloured aura appeared around her. “Don’t worry Spike and everypony else, I’ll be right there and Nightmare Moon you watch out.” She rocked off the cliff, shattering it with the amount of force. “Because I’m about to make you pay for what you’ve done!”
*
Trixie made her way to the ship’s canteen, she paused and looked through the porthole.
“Strange, I, Trixie, couldn’t have been asleep that long for it to have become night.” Scanning her across the landscape, she was shocked to find the phoenix. “Wh-what is- wait! Where is everyone else!” She focused for a moment with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she was snarling. “They better not be doing what I think they’re doing!”
*
Princess Celestia’s quietly panted. Her eyes were half shut and scattered. She soon got quieter
“I’m sorry... I did my best... I hope my best...” Her eyes slowly closed and her breaths came to a stop, she now fully rested still, alone in her own palace in silence.
*
“Okay, so we’ve agreed on wishing my brother, Big Mac back right?”
“I still wish it was some rare cloth materials. I really do need help to catch up with my fashion business.”
“Now Rarity, we voted, it was four against two,” replied Applejack.
“Sorry sis, but I did think we should’ve helped bring back Applebloom’s brother.”
“It’s alright, it perhaps was a little bitty selfish, but thank you Spike for supporting me.”
“Uh it was no problem?”
“Have you guys agreed on a wish yet?” Scootaloo was slouched on the ground, holding her head up.
“Wait-wait! I know one! How about we wish for the biggest Sunday surprise!”
“Pinkie Pie... We’re not wishing something like that,” growled Applejack.
“I agree how about the great and powerful Trixie makes a wish.”
“Now why would we want a conniving low scum-.” The group moved their heads to see with one of the ugliest snarls, Trixie looked ready to murder them all.
“Trixie!”
Trixie vanished and pinned Scootaloo’s head to the ground.
“I dare no one to make a move or I will smoosh this Fillies skull a cake!”
Applejack pleaded. “Trixie! Be careful-!”
“Shut it! I was planning on crushing you all, but the great and powerful Trixie will want to make you all watch as she rises to her glorious seat that was destined for her!” She looked up to the phoenix. “Whatever you are! I want you to grant me infinite power! Do it!” Trixie gave a mad grin to the phoenix, but as nothing happened, she stared at her one of her hooves. “What’s the matter, nothing’s happening.” With an angry growl focusing on the group again. “You better tell me how to make my wish otherwise I’ll show no mercy to this filly!” The gave her a nasty look. “Well? Do you want me to splatter her.”
“Only Scootaloo can make the wish because she’s a pegasi.” Applebloom curled away. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright Applebloom, we were just about to do the same thing,” Applejack cuddled her.
Trixie forked Scootaloo with her magic and pressed their faces together. “If that’s so, then wish the great and powerful Trixie infinite power or else I promise you I will tear every part in you with my magic.”
In a slow mutter reply. “Alright, I-I’ll do it.” Trixie then held Scootaloo up to the phoenix. “Great Philomeena, may you please grant-.” The phoenix cried out a horrible caw and it’s form was swept away by the wind. All six orbs were then engulfed in the fire and lifted into the air. The fire spun into a torrent that soon died out. All six orbs thundered into the ground and had become round stones.
“Wh-what happened! D-do I possess infinite power?”
Trixie had slipped Scootaloo. The group rushed around Scootaloo helping her relax.
“Don’t worry, you’re alright now, everything’s going to be alright,” said Applejack.
The pegasi wept. “No! No it’s not, princess Celestia... she’s dead!”
“What! How?” asked Rarity.
“She couldn’t take the pain of everypony dying all because of this. It became too much that she’s now gone!”
“I’m sorry to say this guys, but I think we have an even bigger problem now, like taking care of Trixie,” said Spike.
“Oh, I think you have an even greater problem.”
Trixie and the ground spun around and saw up on the cliff edge someone that brought heart shocking fright that made them all sweat and tremble. Pinkie Pie managed to shout out.
“I-It’s Night Mare Moon!”
The alicorn lunged down and landed, shuddering the island from the impact. She slowly strolled to them like a wolf.
“I don’t know how you’ve done it Trixie, I truly haven’t. You have killed my two best henchmen, Blueblood and Glilda, you have destroyed my infamous Shadowbolts and now you have taken my Orbs of harmony and taken away what’s rightfully mine.”
“I would not worry about that, I didn’t get my wish either, so I neither have infinite power.”
“Is that so, well I’m still going to kill you Trixie for all the heavy amount of damage you have inflicted upon my organisation and staying in my way for too long?”
“The great and powerful Trixie is not scared of you, nor was she ever.” The unicorn stepped forward and circled with Nightmare Moon staring at each other.
“What are you on about? I don’t even know why you’re doing all this to me, when I was the one who took you in after your miserable race let itself get destroyed by a natural hazard.”
“Do not think that I, Trixie still belief that. I know full well that you were the one behind that destruction of the Unicorn Empire. I heard it so much while I pretended to be your lap dog. I finally confirmed it when Gilda told me it to try in an effort spare her own life. So don’t act like you’ve done anything but set your own demise.”
“Huh, so you know all about that do you. Do you know why you’re alive and the others aren’t.”
“Besides the fact that I’m so great and powerful meant for magnificent things, you found me on a continent that I was meant to grow up and conquer, just like Snip and Dawnshade and took me in since you thought you could make use of the last of the unicorns.”
“Close enough. But really when my organisation was starting and found you unicorns, I saw the potential your race had, I decided to merge them with my empire. They knew my power and were opened to negotiates, however displeased at how openly they showed hostilities towards me, I decided to test their loyalty by demanding their precious princess.” Trixie stuttered. “That’s right, you were the princess and although your little daddy obligated at first, he soon turned his back on it when I was about to make my leave and launched a full-scale assault to get you back. However, I easily killed your father and his elite force, after that, I moved onto wiping out the whole continent.”
Trixie was still shock, but then smirked. “Heh, that was not the way that Gilda had told it, she told me you had grown fear to our Empire and gathered us all, just so you could wipe us all out in one go.”
“Doesn’t matter how it went. I just thought you’d want to know how you came to be under my wing and what a surprise it is that you would turn against it. Though I have to admit, you’ve certainly surpassed your Father, who was no stronger than even Gilda, so you’ve indeed made quite an accomplishment. Too bad your last accomplishment will be having the gall to stand before me.”
“We’ll see.” The unicorn hunched down grinning. “Spirit element!”
A rush of power ignited around Trixie and she lunged punching Nightmare Moon in the jaw and propelling her into the cliff.
Stumbling out of the rubble coughing. “How rude, I wasn’t even ready.”
“Are you ready now?”
The alicorn stormed forward at her, but the unicorn shot into air and fired a rain of energy blasts. Dashing out of the way of the attacks, Night Mare Moon flew from the surface and got to Trixie’s level and fired a blast of energy. Vanishing Trixie reappeared and tried to hammer Nightmare Moon, but she had used her upper legs to block. As Trixie continued to force down on Nightmare Moon, they began to slowly descend back onto the surface.
“Man, I thought Nightmare Moon would be a lot more scarier than this, but Trixie’s taking her own no problem,” said Pinkie Pie.
“I have a question, which one are we rooting for?” asked Spike.
“If we’re lucky, they may’ll just take out one another,” said Rarity.
“Don’t just put your hopes up just yet, this Nightmare Moon could be hiding a few cards up her sleeves,” said Applejack.
“But Nightmare Moon doesn’t have sleeves,” replied Pinkie Pie.
The combatants had landed locked with upper hooves together. Auras began to grind and flare against each other and tear apart the ground
Nightmare Moon’s scouter activated and tried to calculate the power struggle, but as it super charged through the numbers, it exploded. Both combatants pushed each other back.
“My, what power, never knew you were capable of such potential, otherwise I would’ve made more use of you before your betrayal.”
“Do not doubt the great and powerful Trixie, for as you can see it has brought about your downfall already. So stop playing coy with me and show me your transformation.”
Nightmare Moon gave another startled. “Now how do you know about that?”
“Another rumour that you have proven is true by the way you just admitted it.”
“Heh, so you know about that, but tell me, why do you want to see it, don’t you realise that I’ll become more powerful?”
“A unicorn finds no sport in battle if an opponent doesn’t fight at their fullest. We only take glory and pride knowing that we are able to crush them at their limit and I, the great and powerful Trixie, will so savour it, when I tell the whole universe that I defeated you at your most terrifying.”
Nightmare moon smirked. “So, you seek that, very well, I will not deny you seeing just one of my transformations, only one will do.”
“No, I want you to transform to your very limit!”
The alicorn brushed off her broken scouter. “Trust me, just the one will be enough, for you see the last time I measured such a form- it was over fifty-thousand.”
The cocky look on Trixie’s face had drained from her face. “Fifty-thousand? Th-that can’t be possible.”
“Oh, but it is, allow me to show you.”
Bracing herself, Night Mare Moon began to groan and grit her teeth. Her body bulged and grow larger, her face became more slate and her horn began to extend. Her armour cracked from the erupting power. The island itself began to tremble and the wind became wild and out of control and the sea shook and rippled.
As Nightmare Moon continued to change, she slowly rolled her eyes up to Trixie and grinned at the horrified look on her.
*
In the lookout over Equistria, Angel watered the plants. He sulked.
As he continued, his head and ears pointed up.
“Hi, Angel.”
Dropping the watering can, Angel bounced around with tears welled up and couldn’t believe when he saw right in front of him was Fluttershy.
“I really missed you to Angel.”
The bunny bounced up over to her and the two embraced.
“I hope to never leave your side again Angel, but we need to hurry.” The two gave each other a bit of space and stood attentively. “We have to gather up the Orbs of harmony to try and help save everything.”
The bunny gave a proud salute to her and hopped to it.
*
Sped on ahead, Rainbow Dash’s eyes caught the battle-scarred landscape below. She halted once she saw a badly hurt pony with wings.
“No way!” Zooming straight next to her. “Y-you’re just like me.”
“Heh, yeah, names- cough- Daring Do.” Chocked the pegasus. “I take it because all the other pegasus in Cloudsdale- cough-, but Scootaloo, I take it- ca!- those ponies from Equistria used the Orbs of harmony to bring you back, Rainbow Dash if I’m right.”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Friends kept mistaking me for you.”
“Yeah… well nice talking to you and all, but I really need to go and rescue my friends, so sorry to have to leave you like this.”
“Wait! Cough- you’re strong, but you won’t be anywhere near able to be- cuff- Nightmare Moon.”
“No point unless you try.”
“Listen. In this condition, I’m useless and by the looks of it I’m dying, therefore I’m willing to offer this. You see Rainbow Dash, you’re not just a normal pegasi, and you came from a really powerful family. You have this ability to fuse with other pegasi and become something even more, you and Fluttershy supposedly had a lot of potential with this ability that I know if you two fused, you’d beat Nightmare Moon no problem.”
“Well sadly Fluttershy’s not here, so what are you getting at with this ability.”
“You’re able to do this ability with any other pegasus But there comes a price if you fuse with a pony like this, if you do- cough- the fusion becomes permanent, there’s no going back from it, simply because the other ponies not strong enough. However your power changes immensely to a whole new level.”
“Wait, you’re suggesting I do this fusion thing with me and you?”
“Don’t worry, your personality won’t change that much and your appearance certainly won’t either. At most you’ll have to put up with me in your subconscious for a while until I’m fully integrated.”
“You sure you want to do this? Like sounds like that’ll be the end of you for good?”
“Heck I’ll be living through you and even so, I don’t care, I want Nightmare Moon to pay for what she’s done and I want her evil through with. Please! Cough- do this for our entire race and for those you’re trying to protect?”
“Alright, chill, just tell me how we do this then?”
“Just put your right hoof on where my heart is and I can do the rest.” Soon as Rainbow Dash did, white energy built up over the two and Daring Do began to fade, before she did, she murmured. “Thank you.”
Things were relaxed again. Looked up at her two upper hooves, Rainbow Dash began to tremble. “Wow, I feel so powerful, I’ve never felt like this before.” Looking back to over the horizon back to where she felt the battle ongoing. “Don’t worry Spike, I’ll be there.” Built up her power, pegasus blew aside mountains and tore cracks upon the island with just her presence. “And Nightmare Moon.” Shot off, Rainbow Dash went as fast as anything ever before. “You better start worrying, because here I come for you!”