Midnight Star
By Nebula Star
Chapter 8: Fallen Sun
***
Celestia stood staring at her former student and fellow princess feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the heart. Twilight had threatened her, her and all of Equestria. Threatened to plunge the world into chaos. Twilight, who had come to understand friendship and harmony perhaps even better than Celestia herself. Something was terribly wrong.
“Twilight, what's wrong. You're not yourself.”
She just smirked. “You think so?” She said tauntingly. “You should raise your defenses, Princess, as meager as they may be.”
Celestia took a deep breath, bracing herself, knowing she may have to do something she would not enjoy. She just hoped she could do it if she were forced to. Horn glowing her own ivory blade materialized in the air next to her and she furrowed her brows. “I will fight you if I must, I will defend this land, but I beg you come to your senses. Realize who it is you're challenging, what you're doing.”
“Who I challenge!? You say that as if I should be scared!” Her laughter filled the hall, an insane cackle that Celestia had never thought to hear from Twilight. “Me, scared of you!? The princess who was helpless against Discord; who without the Elements of Harmony couldn't even match her own corrupted sister? I'm supposed to be frightened of you?”
A sinking feeling began in the pit of Celestia's stomach. Could she know? “I have guarded this Land for millennia, against many threats.”
“But none like me,” Twilight said, cocking her head oddly to one side again. “You must have known Celestia. You must have seen the signs.” She stepped closer, threateningly as Celestia felt the air around her begin to be saturated with magic, magic seeping from Twilight's body. More and more flooded the room, more than Celestia had ever thought possible. “You must have known my potential.”
Celestia stepped back; she'd known. From the first day she'd met the young filly Twilight and made her her private student; she'd known. This however... this was even greater than she'd ever imagined. “Twilight, what is this about!?” She demanded once more, desperately hoping she could reason with her, that she could snap Twilight out of this madness before she did something she'd regret.
“It is about the end of order.” Twilight said softly, the cold threat in her voice sending a chill down Celestia's spine. “The end of peace, and happiness. The end of Harmony.”
There was no reasoning with her. The madness in her words was clear. Celestia raised her sword and took up a defensive stance. She'd have to try to subdue Twilight until the young princess came back to her senses. Twilight's power was immense, but Celestia had millennia of experience to draw on. She hoped it would be enough.
Seeing she was preparing for a fight, Twilight began to laugh. At first it was soft as if she were laughing to herself, but it quickly grew in volume. Then she threw her head back and her insane laughter filled the hall. It went on and on and Celestia watched her heart aching. What had happened to her, what could have caused this madness.
Then still laughing she looked at Celestia again, murderous intent in her eyes. Celestia braced herself, preparing to fight.
There was a flash from her horn and she was gone. Teleportation, one of Twilight's many rare abilities. Celestia spotted her quickly sensing her magic and looked to the other end of the hall just in time to see her laughing as there was another flash and she vanished again.
Again and again she teleported appearing randomly throughout the hall; sometimes in the air others on the floor. Celestia couldn't keep track of her. Twilight's laughter seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. She couldn't even track Twilight's magic. It was just too chaotic. Unable to predict where the attack would come from she brought her sword close, so that she could counter quickly from any side... Even so she knew she was in trouble.
There was a flash behind her on her left side, she began to turn bringing her sword around as quickly as she could as she felt a terrifying magical aura all to close. A glint of dark, bluish steal and then agonizing pain shot through her horn.
Her magic lost to her, the sword she'd conjured shattered, releasing the energy that had been used to create it with a tremendous explosion. Celestia felt several shards tear into her body before vanishing completely as she was thrown halfway down the hall. Then pain filled her and she was left gasping for breath as red stains began to spread across her white coat and feathers.
~~~
Midnight smirked contemptuously as she lowered her sword and released her shield spell that had protected her, hearing the echo of the explosion as well as the clatter of Celestia's horn bouncing down the hall. “Too easy,” she said shaking her head. Twilight could hardly believe what she had seen. She'd known Midnight was powerful, suspected, even feared that she was more powerful than Celestia; but this... Celestia hadn't even stood a chance, the fight had lasted seconds.
Midnight stepped toward the fallen princess, her sword glinting dangerously.
No! STOP! Twilight panicked realizing that Midnight meant to finish her. She'd hurt all Twilight's friends but they were at least alive. Twilight began attacking the barrier again with all her strength, all her power. If she didn't stop Midnight... if Celestia were killed... Equestria would never be the same. The barrier trembled under the onslaught as her panic drove her to reach deeper and deeper into her power than ever before. Still it held, and Midnight was drawing closer and closer to her old mentor and close friend.
Celestia was just lying there gasping, trying to recover. None of her wounds looked serious, but the number of red splotches across her body were frightening and clearly painful none the less.
Then Midnight reached her and stepped on her side. Celestia started looking up at her with such a look of terror as Twilight had never seen on the princess before. Midnight smiled wickedly down at her, bringing her sword threateningly close to her neck.
“Twilight... please,” Celestia begged, clearly fearing for her life. “Don't do this. I know you don't want to. Please... This isn't you. Twilight...” Tears were in here eyes. She was afraid, but not just for herself. She was afraid for Twilight as well. She was crying for Twilight's sake, afraid her former student was about to do something she'd regret for the rest of eternity. Twilight wanted to cry as well, and attacked the barrier all the more. She had to stop this, had to break free, to take back control.
“Twilight, please stop, let me help you. Whatever's wrong...”
Midnight laughed, cutting her off. Then she leaned very close to Celestia her eyes dancing with amusement. “Sparkles isn't here right now,” she said cocking her head in her odd way. “I'm Midnight Star.” As she said it her appearance began to change, it was like a shadow fell across her. Her coat became a darker purple, her mane almost black with only a hint of indigo shine. The magenta stripes in her mane and tail became a blood red. The large center star of her cutie mark became pitch black with the smaller stars becoming a red matching the stripes in her mane and tail. Most intimidating though were her eyes which became a burning red, filled with hatred.
Celestia stared up at her in horror, realizing that this wasn't her former student at all, that she was somepony else entirely. There'd be no reasoning with her.
“This world will be mine,” Midnight said softly, raising her sword, preparing to strike; “and just like my own, it will be your weakness that doomed Equestria to its fate. All good things end! ... You're just a memory.”