Eclipse

by Golden Hoof


Final Preparations

Chapter two: Final Preparations


Twilight gracefully climbed the stairs up to the library, ensuring that Spike remained safely on her back. She turned around to glance back at Cherry, who was slowly making her way up the cramped stairs. She turned back around and hurried up to her room, setting Spike into the little bed next to hers. "Sweet dreams my number one assistant." she whispered kindly, using her magic to tuck him tightly under his favorite blanket. He groaned sleepily and turned over on his side, grabbing the covers and pulling them further over his small body. Quietly trotting out of the room, Twilight shut the door with her magic and rushed down to meet with the large unicorn who stood by one of the bookcases, looking down at nothing in particular. Noticing Twilight's presence, she briskly turned back around to face her.

"This is an excellent collection of books you have here Twilight!" she commented politely. "I haven't seen this many books in years!"

"Thanks, but its really nothing big really." Twilight spoke modestly, blushing happily. "Now, lets find you a place to sleep for tonight." she turned looking into one of the doors leading to a room beneath hers, walking in and lighting a small wick that hung beside the door. She stepped in, notioning for Cherry to follow. The white unicorn lowered her head and almost had to crawl on her hooves and knees to fit into the small space, doing her best to maintain a friendly smile as she squeezed tightly into the room with Twilight.

"Its a bit... Claustrophobic... But I guess it will do for tonight, thank you."

"Alright, nows your chance Twilight. Time to get in on some of those stories she has. Twilight began schemingly to herself as Cherry adjusted her bed. "Now, I should really get going to help everyone with the party stuff... But first, could you share some of your notes with me from all your explorations please please please?" Twilight asked pleadingly hopping up and down with excitement.

"Well... I don't know... Can't you just wait till tonight little pony? I could really use some rest right now..."

"No, you're loosing her! Quick, think of something else!" her thoughts began racing as she looked off the the side nonchalantly. "I mean, not even just a teeny tiny page? Something to get my mind off it while I concentrate on my work for the party?"

Cherry sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. "I guess I could show you a /few/ of my notes..." she began as she was ultimately interrupted by an overjoyed Twilight, who shouted with glee jumping into the air. Cherry smiled, shutting her eyes as she lowered herself down to the floor at eye level with the lavender unicorn. She lifted her thick cloak high enough to reveal a large bag strapped over her back. Carefully, she lifted a large folded up map, and probably the thickest book Twilight had ever seen from the pack, closing it up and hiding it as quickly as she had retrieved the two items. Setting the book aside, she opened the map with her magic, laying it out before the two. The map stretched what seemed like a mile in each direction as Cherry rapidly unfolded the faded yellow paper.

Twilight stared curiously at the map, surprised at how small Equestria seemed when compared with everything outside of its borders. At the top of the map, next to the key was the title that read in modest letters "Map of the Known World: by Cherry..." the last name being scratched out with pencil.

"You drew this yourself?"

"Well, yes I suppose. It wasn't overnight if thats what your asking. This is just a small portion of the results of my explorations and studies, cumulated onto one sheet of paper." she added boldly.

Twilight studied the map closely as Cherry continued to speak, noting all the important Kingdoms surrounding Equestria when something caught her eye. A massive black dot in the center of a small Kingdom to the west with the words "Badlands" underlined twice. "Uh... Cherry? What are the "Badlands?"

Her gaze turned dark. "The badlands... A dark place... Evil in every sense of the word."

Twilight shivered as the room around her suddenly turned cold. The candle flame flickered gently in some hidden breeze as Cherry continued ominously.

"It is a place of darkness... Pure evil and malice have shaped the landscape; twisted it into some horrible behemoth of relentless sand dunes that swallow up anything who comes near. It is the very essence of death itself."

"R-really?"

"No, not really." Cherry finished lightly smiling as the room suddenly returned to normal. "It is a dangerous place there is no doubting that, but not the way I made it out to be. The Badlands where actually the first place I visited on my travels."

Twilight breathed a heavy sigh of relief, hoping Cherry would stop her tricks after this incident.

"What is interesting about the Badlands, however, is that they appear to have been inhabited at some time. I have some notes if you're interested in looking over them with me."

Despite her growing interest in the stories of the distant Badlands, Twilight knew she had to be out to help her friends if the party were to be ready on time. "As much as i'd love to Cherry, and i'd /really/ love to, I have to get out and finish up with the party stuff and..." Twilight began trailing off.

"Oh, I understand. Don't worry, I'll still be here for when you're finished."

"Great! It shouldn't take much longer," she spoke back to her as she began walking out of the bedroom and down the stairs. "If you need anything, Spike is upstairs sleeping, so you just have to wake him up!"

"Alright, thank you miss Sparkle!" Cherry shouted as Twilight finally left the house. "I'll be fine..." Cherry said, slumping down to the ground and looking over her map.


"Is she finally gone?" Eclipse whispered Cherry's mind after several minutes of tense silence.

"Yes... We're alone now." Cherry stated out loud to herself, confident that Twilight had finally left. Despite being able o communicate with Eclipse through thought alone, she preferred speaking to her out loud despite the social awkwardness it brought upon her if she wasn't in fact alone.

"About time... I never thought she'd stop talking. Now we can finally begin preparations for tomorrow. Go out and search the library, I need you to find something for me.

"What am I looking for? A book? How is that going to help me for tomorrow?" she asked, confused at Eclipse's strange request.

"What you will be looking for, is any book detailing the strange objects that were used to destroy me in the past and a possible way to harness their energy. We need to make sure that Celestia discovered their powers for if she has, she will probably do to you the same thing the six who created the objects did to me."

She frowned, looking up at the huge bookcases that surrounded her. "What six did what to you? What objects, what are you even talking about Eclipse? This is the first i've heard about any of this."

She heard Eclipse sigh in her head, the first time she had ever heard her do so in fact. It caught Cherry off-guard as she waited a few moments for a response.

"I think its time... You heard my true origins." the voice stated pausing.

Cherry began to say something, but stopped as her world began to become engulfed in shadows. She started frantically looking for a way to escape but it was too late. Eternal blackness surrounded her in every direction completely removing her from the world. There was a sudden flash of light, and a small white alicorn calmly strode over to her through the blackness. Cherry cringed as it opened its eyes, revealing completely black eyes with intensely white irises.

"Three thousand years ago..." It began in a loud familiar voice. "...I ruled these lands... This kingdom now know as Equestria," Eclipse continued, spite and anger filling her words. "Everything was as it should be, as it had been for the thousand years before it. There was no war, no starvation, no suffering, everyone everywhere was happy under my rule as Queen."

Cherry jumped as the blackness that surrounded her suddenly filled with light, transporting them from the void, to a bright green field full of tall grass swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance was a large floating castle very similar to the one in Canterlot that Princess Celestia inhabited. What caught her eye however was the sun, which appeared to be in an almost total eclipse, illuminating the landscape in an eerily white glow from the light branching out from behind the moon; the sky surrounding it completely black.

"Of course... Good things aren't meant to last forever, it seems." she added, taking on a sadder tone. "For after a thousand years of peace and prosperity, a group of audacious rebels saw fit to bring an end to my rule.. The world around Cherry suddenly rushed towards the castle, bringing her and Eclipse behind six silhouetted ponies that stood outside the castle gates. They began moving again quickly, ascending up the walls of the castle into a massive throne room, where a majestic white alicorn stood, its dark obsidian mane drawn up into spikes behind it. As the six silhouettes entered in unison it stood and outstretched its long, dragon-like wings.

Cornering me in the throne room, I had no choice but to fight the six on my own. Eclipse continued, turning to the shadowed figures as they lunged at the lone alicorn. "Even outnumbered however, they were still no match for the power of a Queen, and one by one they fell before me!" she continued boldly, smiling as the now shadowed alicorn, who had once seemed in danger, quickly gained the upper hand.

Cherry cringed as one of the figures, a pegasus who had flown over top of the alicorn to try to get behind it, was impaled on its horn as it waved its head back, then limply tossed aside like a rag doll. She shut her eyes as it began to slay each of the smaller shadows

She swallowed loudly, settling her stomach and gathering her courage, she opened her eyes to a throne room covered by dark spots, five bodies laying scattered around the room. She assumed the worse, as a small tear dripped from her eye, looking back over to Eclipse as she continued.

"Only one of the six remained, stunned by my prowess and efficiency and shocked by the death of her friends I assumed victory. As I cornered her, I offered her a chance to surrender and pledge her allegiance to me once more. Eclipse continued, a shadow forming around her body. "Perhaps I was to merciful, as this was to be my greatest mistake. Taking advantage of my one moment of mercy, she cast one final spell. I simply observed with curiosity as a bright light engulfed the bodies of her fallen comrades, turning them into small stones. I could only laugh at first... She was concealing the identities of her friends so that their families would not be disgraced I thought!" she continued, almost giggling to herself darkly.

Cherry watched the small lumps behind the final two shadows begin to change and glow in the image before her with growing curiosity. The cornered unicorn also shared the same glow as her friends.

"Oh if only I had know what she was doing... Before I could regain myself, the spell had been completed, compressing her friends remaining energy in objects of great magical power. Eclipse continued, almost completely hidden from view now, darkness encroaching on Cherry's vision as well. She desperately tried to focus on the events that played out as Eclipse continued speak. "I decided to end her pathetic attempt with a final blow from my magic. But as I lashed out, my magic bounced off a translucent wall of energy as though it were nothing. By now, I could only watch as the mare harnessed the powers of the objects, creating a sixth one herself. And then...

As soon as Eclipse finished, Cherry was blinded as a multicolor light flashed, consuming everything in the room in a bright rainbow of colors. "I remember the flash, but nothing more. Because at that moment, my body was destroyed and my mind blew into oblivion. Eclipse finished as she finally faded from view, consumed by the shadows. "You must learn what destroyed me Cherry and use its power in your battle against your foe... For if Celestia possess the same objects that were used to destroy me all those years ago... she began again as the room suddenly flashed, pitting Cherry against a much larger, and menacing Celestia, staring deeply at her with anger. "... She will not hesitate to use them against you when she sees that you have returned after your... Punishment. And you will fall. Just as I did before you."

Cherry froze with fear, her eyes growing wide as she felt Celestia's stare penetrate her mind and soul. Six obscured objects hovered in the background, surrounded her and began to glow brightly. She felt tears stinging her eyes as Celestia raised her hooves above her. "Tia... Please, don't..." she pleaded quietly as her childhood friend brought her massive hoof down onto her, shattering her world into a thousand glass-like pieces as she fell into the darkness...


She kept her eyes shut for what seemed like eternity, trying to deny what had just happened. After a few minutes, she tediously opened one eye, realizing she was not in the void any longer, but back in the dimly lit room where she was staying for the night. She felt sweat drip from her forehead and her heat beating at about a hundred miles a minute. "Maybe it was... All just a terrible nightmare?" she thought to herself, quick to dismiss the horrible images she had witnessed as reality and calm herself down.

"I know what you're thinking Cherry... the dark voice in her head answered, returning Cherry back to reality. "Those images were not real, but will become real unless you are willing to do what is ultimately necessary to defeat Celestia, and I think you know what must be done." Eclipse spoke, pausing to allow her words to sink in. They had the desired effects, causing her host to break down into a heart-wrenching sob.

"She was my friend! How could she have-"

"Done something so terrible to you? Tossed you out her life; /your/ life?" she continued, provoking Cherry. "Your closest friend... cooed Eclipse in the dark corner of her mind. "To banish you was one thing... But to the Badlands? And for what? A little argument that didn't end in the spoiled new princess's favor?"

Cherry sobbing continued as she hid her face beneath her hooves, trying to reject the images of her banishment almost a thousand years ago from her mind. "I shouldn't have yelled at her... Tia..." She whimpered through her tears.

"Your outburst was completely natural... Anyone would have done the same thing in your position." Eclipse added slowly, nudging the conversation in the direction she sought. "But now... That is behind you. You have one final chance to make things all better..." she whispered. "The question is, what will you do now, Cherry? Give up after two thousand years of preparation and continue to sob in this tiny room until tomorrow, only to disappear with the rising of the sun; or stand and defend your honor which was taken from you all those years ago by your so called "friend"... Your choice. Learn your friend's hidden power and harness it as your own... Or die."


She felt Eclipse fade from her mind after those final words. For the first time in while, Cherry was truly alone. Tears continued flowing as she picked herself up from the bed, sliding to the floor. She stood for a few moments, looking down as tears fell from her eyes like raindrops splashing against the ground, before exiting the room to begin searching for the information that could possibly save her life from the friend she had once cared for.