Luna walked around us, our bodies still refusing to move.
"I knew I felt something oddly familiar presence at the ceremony, so I followed it; and would you look at who I found!" She let out a chuckle that made my teeth grind.
"Not only do I find my older sister's son and my own brother Dawn, but another mare. One that looks a lot like me." She attempted to get closer to Dusk.
I couldn't let her do that.
My muscles unlocked, and I closed the gap between Luna and Dusk within a matter of seconds.
"No, you don't, you monster,' I growled at her. A large snort came from my nose. I meant business.
Dusk was still behind me, although she hadn't recovered from her shock. She was helpless, and I needed to protect her.
What happened next took me by surprise. Before I knew it, I was on my back under the tree on top of the hill. My mind quickly analyzed what had happened. Luna had used her magic to throw me at the tree, where I landed and slid down into the place where I laid now.
I quickly looked over to where I had been a moment earlier. Luna had gotten closer to Dusk.
She was near her.
"You better not lay a hoof on her!" I warned, a serious intent of violence in my eyes.
But she just ignored me.
"Our eyes are similar in color, so is our coat, and even our mane. Interesting." She muttered while looking Dusk over. Dusk was still frozen, unable to move. Fear in her eyes.
I had to save her.
"Your body structure is similar, but more like Dawn's. How-" She stopped, noticing something in the corner of her sight. She turned her head to get a better look.
Too late.
I smashed her with a great force, repelling her backwards from where she had been. It was such a big force that she passed through the first tree with little to no momentum loss. After four trees, she finally was stopped by a fairly large oak.
I then turned to Dusk, who had been unlocked, and was holding a hoof up to her chin, trying to hold back tears.
"Run! I'll take care of Luna!" I yelled at her. She didn't move, her mind still processing the command.
"Didn't you hear me? I won't let Luna hurt you, so RUN!" I yelled. She saw the intent of my eyes, and then made a break for it. She had made it to the forest behind the hill before Luna started to stir.
To my surprise, she got up pretty quickly. I looked over her, looking for any point of damage. The only thing that stood out was that she had gotten a bloody nose from the impact.
"Do you really think something like that was going to take me down?" She asked.
"If I did, I would be lying," I spitefully responded.
She then began to laugh maniacally. After a while, she calmed down.
"You can not believe how long I've been wanting to do this." She said in a dark tone.
She then lunged for me.
I was quick enough to use my magic to erect a shield and strengthen it, just as Luna came to meet it. Our energies collided, causing a large boom as I parried her attack. She went flying into the air, but her wings steadied her and perched her a few meters above the ground.
"You were always the one who got the most attention!" She angrily yelled, going in for another attack. I parried it again, her attack stronger than the last.
"Sister always loved you more than me!" Another attack, although something hit my shield besides her attack. They were tears.
"You were always were in the spotlight, while I was left in the SHADOWS!" This attack nearly broke my shield, although she left herself open for attack. I launched my own attack, throwing her through the air and into the ground.
We then took our battle to the air.
Higher and higher we took the battle, Luna's attacks getting faster and stronger with every blow. I didn't know how long it would be until I couldn't take the blows that Luna was dishing out. I saw a hole in her defenses. I went in.
"TOO SLOW!" Luna yelled as she dodged the attack.
This isn't going to end well, I thought.
I felt two hooves slam against the middle of my back, causing the rest of my body to rag-doll around the point. I then rocketed back down to earth, Luna's momentum "assist" dragging my middle down faster than the rest of my body. My wings wouldn't move, probably shattered by the attack.
Was this going to be how I die?
I made contact with the ground. Surprised by the momentum, the ground moved away below me as my impulse on the ground continued. I heard three distinct groups of snaps within my body. My bones weren't indestructible after all.
My momentum finally imparted all of itself on the ground, and I came to a stop. My body was screaming out in pain, a feeling that my body hadn't felt for so long. I passed in and out of consciousness.
"Now," I heard from my victor, "where is that mare? After all, you're the last one to see where she ran off to."
I coughed, my cough carrying droplets of blood. Something had went internally, but now wasn't the time to worry about that.
"G-go to hell, Luna." I responded weakly, showing my defiance, down to the end.
This gave Luna a pang of anger, but it subsided as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Well, no matter. I can always just sense her presence around Ponyville. She can't hide."
It was my turn to laugh, although weakly at this point.
"T-that's where you're wrong, Luna." I stated.
She now loomed over me.
"Wrong?" She asked, curious to what I could possibly have still left up my sleeve.
"Well, before we even started fighting, right when I knocked you through those trees, I did something to Dusk."
Her face turned from a confused look to a panic at these words. Her face then turned into a false bravery.
"What did you do?" She ordered.
After another cough, I responded.
"I changed her aura. Changed it to one that you couldn't pick up, even if you wanted to."
I showed a small smile. "Now who has the last laugh, Luna?"
She was beyond irate. Her self-dependent plan had been thwarted, which only left one possible method left.
Luna stomped on my chest, causing me to cough up more blood.
"Where is she?!" She ordered again, her voice louder and darker than before.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Luna. Go......to.......helllllllll." I was fading out of consciousness, and fading fast.
The last thing I heard was Luna's scream.