Nightfisher was brooding. It was a beautiful night to do so. By her side was Sunflower, silent, pressed up against her. Her wing was wrapped around him, holding him close as he shivered. Not far from them sat Hailstone.
They sat on top of the astronomy tower, silent, with no words needed to be spoken. Sunflower had learned to relish the silence. While he was not a lunar pegasi, he was loved by one.
“What’s that?” Hailstone asked, breaking the silence.
Nightfisher became alert. “What’s what?”
“I saw something shimmer in front of a star. Made the starlight go all weird. Like something passing in view.” Hailstone’s ears folded back. Her eyes narrowed.
Nightfisher peered ahead, straining to see.
“I see it!” Sunflower replied, his sharp stargazer’s eyes narrowing. “Something almost like a soap bubble.”
“Invisibility spell?” Asked Nightfisher. “We should be able to see through those in the moonlight.” Nightfisher felt panic rise through her. She took wing.
Her companions did the same.
Hailstone moved swiftly through the sky, flying toward the disturbance. It grew larger. Something shimmering as it passed in front of the stars.
Sunflower swooped, shouting an alarm to the courtyard below. He heard shouts in return.
Nightfisher’s wings tore through the air as she picked up speed, moving toward the unknown shimmering object. She was having trouble keeping up with Hailstone though. Nightfisher struggled to bring her immense bulk up to speed with Hailstone. Cries could be heard below. A bell rang.
There was a bright flash of light from below, and suddenly, Nightfisher saw what was ahead. A massive airship approached, silently moving through the skies over Canterlot, way too close to the castle. Some new cloaking spell had been invented.
Hailstone moved with alarming speed for her kind. She was an exceptionally large and powerful beast, second only to Nightfisher for sheer size, and she was a powerful flier. She could hear cries ahead on the airship. They knew they had been discovered. Hailstone could hear pegasi down below her, mobilising, taking to the skies.
The skies were suddenly filled with alicorns.
It alarmed Nightfisher, seeing so many of them. Her mind raced. She tried to think of a logical explanation. “Unicorns with wing spells!” Sunflower shouted. Nightfisher felt a sudden sense of relief. She could handle unicorns. She was born to fly. They were not.
The air was suddenly filled with spells. All around Nightfisher were different coloured orbs of light, streaming lightning, streams of luminescence arcing through the night.
Hailstone went right for the heart of the matter, going right for the airship. She was getting closer now. A lot of spells were coming her way. She shadow dove, becoming insubstantial, allowing them to pass. The first volley passed through her harmlessly.
The second did not.
Something ripped through her insubstantial cloud and caused her horrible pain, forcing her back into solid mass. As she reformed in the sky, another spell struck her. She was filled with agony.
Hailstone was on fire.
Nightfisher surged forward, her heart in her throat, her thoughts only on her best friend. Hailstone surged ever onward, toward the airship.
Hailstone tore through the sky. She knew she was in trouble. She was having trouble seeing. Her body was completely engulfed in flames.
“FALL BACK!” She cried to Nightfisher. “FALL BACK! AVENGE ME!” Hailstone shouted.
Nightfisher realised with dawning horror what Hailstone was planning. She banked, turning as fast as she dared. She snatched Sunflower out of the air with her forelegs, hugging him close, and dove toward the ground in a dead fall.
Hailstone was flying blind. Spell after spell tore through her body. She felt a leg tear free. She didn’t care. Her wings still worked. Her echolocation still worked. And something large loomed in front of her. She was having trouble breathing, but that didn’t matter. She could function without air for a considerable amount of time.
A spell struck her wing, causing her to slow. Still, she pressed onward, now with only half a wing on one side, burning bright in the sky, visible to those below, streaming fire behind her like a meteor entering the atmosphere.
Hailstone finally felt at peace with the world. It was glorious. She was beyond pain now. Untouchable. Unstoppable.
She was Mare Frigoris, her final thought racing through her mind. She was Mare Frigoris and she was going to make a good accounting of herself.
Below, ponies stared upward as a burning streak shot through the heavens and collided with the gasbag of the airship. Night suddenly became day. Every window in Canterlot shattered. The skies filled with fire, burning wreckage and debris raining down below. The sound was deafening. A fiery roar filled the night sky.
Nightfisher screamed as her skin blistered from the sudden wash of heat. She did her best to shield Sunflower from the enormous fireball. She heard him scream. As the flames passed over them, she banked again, realising that the ground was entirely too close.
She flew on blistered wings, finally daring to open her eyes once the horrible heat had finally passed. Sunflower’s wings were on fire, the feathers had ignited. She flew as fast as possible, angling toward the lake.
The air began to become strangely quiet, sound fading away from them. Nightfisher was puzzled. Adrenaline coursed through her body. She was in agony.
The sounds of this horrible night grew quieter.
Her best friend had just perished and the love of her life was burning. She needed water. And now. Her own flesh sizzled.
She pushed her body even harder, grief and rage thudding in her brain, her heart racing.
There was another explosive thud over Canterlot and the sky filled with a blue white nova.
Nightfisher felt a strange sensation as the night around her went completely quiet and she realised she had just shattered the sound barrier. The air burned around her, tearing into her blistered skin. The lake drew near. Fast, too fast. Nightfisher fought to slow down.
Sound slowly returned to her ears as she hurtled through the night. The water was close now. She could see the moon reflected in it. It was going to be a rough landing.
Sunflower was still screaming, writhing in her forelegs. She hoped that something would be left to save of his wings.
They collided with the water with a splash…
Elsewhere…
The halls were filled with shouting, Panic. Strange unicorns, some of them with wings, which caused some of the students to believe that strange alicorns were invading. Confusion reigned.
Brimstone came crashing through the door, causing three fillies to jump. He stood in the door. “Trouble!” He shouted.
There was a massive explosion overhead. The balcony window shattered, causing Minerva and Hoodwink to scream out in alarm. Ivy growled.
“We must stay together!” Brimstone shouted above the noise.
Flaming wreckage landed on the balcony. Minerva screamed again. There was a burned body in the wreckage. Hoodwink stared in horror.
“Come on! We have to get out of here. We must get to my mother’s quarters. We’ll be safe!” Brimstone took charge.
There was a stampede in the hallway. Students ran. Unicorns were firing spells, engaged in combat with the guards. Other unicorns were snatching up foals in their magic and then disappearing.
Foalnapping! Brimstone thought. He began to panic slightly.
“Twilight’s abomination!” A voice shouted. Brimstone turned. A pack of unicorns were bearing down on him. “I knew we’d find it here.”
Brimstone’s world suddenly became one of pain. He couldn’t tell which way was up or down. He could no longer tell if he was standing. Or if he was even alive. Lights danced in his vision.
“Silvermane spell mirror!” Minerva shouted, leaping onto Hoodwink’s back. A shimmering shiny bubbled surrounded the two fillies. An incoming spell struck the bubble and was reflected back towards the caster. The unicorn fell, unmoving.
Ivy felt something tight around her neck and something ripped her away from the ground, lifting her high into the air. The invisible thing around her neck tightened. She struggled to breathe, her claws tearing at her own neck as she tried tear away whatever was strangling her. She struggled, kicked and panicked, her tail lashing through the air, trying to find whatever was responsible for this assault. Strange lights began to float in front of her eyes. The sounds of struggle grew distant. Ivy felt sleepy. Her body writhed, her wings fluttered, and something continued to tighten around her neck.
Brimstone struggled to his feet, his vision blurry. He couldn’t tell what was going on. He strained his eyes, trying to gain his senses.
He saw a shape in front of him. It was blurry, indistinct. He willed his eyes to work, remembering his mother’s many lessons about control.
He saw Ivy. She clawed at her neck, being strangled by some invisible force. Years of repressed rage boiled through Brimstone. He tried to hold back. He struggled, knowing the consequences. “No…” He cried, pleading with himself, hoping he could hold it in.
He lost his battle.
The hallway begin to fill with green gas.
Hoodwink saw the green fumes and ran, Minerva still on her back, clinging to her. Minerva’s strange spell had protected them from spellfire, but Hoodwink wasn’t sure about the gas. Hoodwink ran towards the sounds of guards battling further down the hallway, near where the exit that lead to the classrooms was. She hoped that the guards could help.
Brimstone stood in the cloud of death, utterly immune. All around him the invading unicorns died, strangling, gasping, seeking air and finding none. They died and their magic died with them. Ivy fell to the floor with a thump.
Ivy lay on the floor, unmoving.
Brimstone approached her slowly, wishing that he had never been born. He stood over her, looking down.
And heard a strangling wheeze. Ivy’s talons lifted and waved near her throat.
“Ivy?” Brimstone begged. “Please be OK! Speak to me!”
Ivy gurgled, unable to speak. She was breathing though, Brimstone noted, taking in the terrible toxic fumes. Ivy’s eyes were bloodshot. A trickle of blood dribbled from her nose. Her mouth was open wide and she struggled to take in breath.
Ivy was alive.
Brimstone kneeled down. “Ivy, we have to get out of here. Come on Ivy, give me a hug and hold on. I’ll get us to safety, if there is any.”
Feeling Ivy’s forelegs wrap around his neck was the greatest feeling in the world, Brimstone thought to himself. Her long body was slung over his. He rose to his hooves. He took off at a trot, trying not to bounce Ivy to much, Ivy’s tail dragging on the ground behind him. Her raspy breath was in his ear. But she was warm and alive against his coat, he could feel scaley patches rubbing against him.
He stepped over the body of a dead unicorn, and then over the body of a guard. The guard was horribly burnt, the armor blackened. He wasn’t sure where Minerva and Hoodwink were. He hoped they were OK.
Elsewhere…
Hoodwink had stumbled into a pitched battle. Guards and teachers were fighting in the hall. Pegasi tried to shield the unicorn guards and teachers as best as they could. The invaders had greater numbers, and spells flew up and down the hall. The invaders had holed up in the study hall, and took potshots from around the corner.
Hoodwink dove behind a table turned up on its side, Minerva still on her back, Minerva’s spell still shielding both of them. A teacher Hoodwink did not know pulled both of them close, happy to see them, trying to shield them.
A spell thudded against the table, causing Minerva to shriek. Smoke began to fill the air. A group of pegasi surged forward from cover, hoping to root out the enemy. Hoodwink heard horrible screaming.
And then nothing.
Hoodwink thought about wetting herself.
“Minerva,” she asked, “How strong is that bubble?”
“I don’t know,” answered Minerva, “should be good for a few more shots. Every Silvermane can cast a spell mirror. I think it was the first spell I learned.”
“It’ll have to do…” Hoodwink muttered, leaving the safety of cover.
“Get back here!” The teacher shouted.
Hoodwink ran down the hall, trying to dodge spellfire. It was coming in fast and heavy. One spell struck the bubble and was reflected.
Good thing Minerva was not a fat filly.
Hoodwink took the corner too fast and skidded into the classroom wing proper. She ran towards the arch that led into the hallways of the school. On either side of the arch were statues. One of Celestia, one of Luna. Solid stone. Lifesized. Reared up on their hind legs, they stood guard at the entrance to the classrooms.
Hoodwink strained and struggled with her magic. Control, she thought. Control. Her horn flared brightly, an orange glow filling the dim hallway.
The statues creaked to life. They dropped down to four legs. Stone wings fluttered and folded against their stone bodies.
Hoodwink willed the statues forward. They followed her, stone hooves thudding against the stone floor. She cautiously approached the place of pitched battle, peering around a corner. Both sides were still pinned down and exchanging fire.
She sent the statues forward, willing them toward the invaders. They were puppets, Hoodwink reflected. Just very large stone puppets.
Spells blasted the statues but did very little damage. The statues lumbered slowly forward, wings flaring out, heads thrashing about.
Hoodwink closed her eyes and cried when she heard screams coming from down the distant hall. She felt Minerva squeeze her gently. There were wet splattering sounds. Squishing sounds. Eventually, the screaming stopped. Silence filled the hall. Terrible silence.
Hoodwink strode forward, the guards and teachers staring at her.
Two bloody statues stood waiting down the hall for Hoodwink’s next command.
Elsewhere…
Nightfisher struggled to crawl out of the water. Sunflower was already standing on the shore, shaking himself off.
The damage to his wings wasn’t as bad as it looked. Many feathers had been burned away, but the flesh was intact. He wouldn’t be able to fly for a while.
The air was unseasonably cold, and ash fell from the sky, Nightfisher noted.
No, not ash, Nightfisher realised as she struggled to shore.
It was snowing. The cold flakes landed on her nose and clung to her pelt. The air was filled not with ash, but snowflakes. Nightfisher stumbled in the hoof deep water and fell with a cry, sobbing. Her best friend was gone. And all that was left was snowflakes. She shivered in the freezing air. She lay there in the shallow water, weeping. Sunflower stood near, his head low, his muzzle close to Nightfisher’s.
“Canterlot is burning.” He said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
Nightfisher struggled to raise her head. She turned, looking upward. Much of the city proper was on fire, probably caused by the falling burning debris. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She struggled to her feet, still sobbing.
Snow continued to fall.
Elsewhere…
Brimstone strode through empty hallways. It was strangely quiet. Ivy squirmed on his back, sometimes making croaking noises. She hadn’t been able to talk. Brimstone was worried about this, but it was a minor worry.
Ivy was still alive and was seemingly immune to his strangling gas. One of the many benefits of being part dragon Brimstone supposed.
There was a loud crash from somewhere. Brimstone jumped slightly. He was jittery and his nerves were frazzled. He was trying not to think too much. He had killed some ponies. It gnawed at the back of his mind. He tried to hold it back. Now was not the time to lose control again. There’d be time to be upset about it later. To cry about it later. With his mother. But right now was not the time.
He heard angry cries and shouted commands. He hoped the voices were friendly, or there would be trouble. He was ready for trouble he decided. He’d already gassed a few ponies this night. He could cry over a few more. If one more unicorn laid spells on Ivy, Brimstone was going to let go. Let everything out. Years and years of repression, rage, anger, and every other awful thing that rattled around in his head. No sense holding back now.
He trotted forward, feeling his magic surging through his brain, ready to flow through his horn. His horn glowed with a noxious green light that filled the hallway with a sickening luminescence. He didn’t know that he could cast a light spell. This was new. But it was not a healthy looking light. It made the walls look like they had somehow contracted a stomach flu.
He rounded the corner, feeling confident. He felt one of Ivy’s talons wrapped around his ear, and each of his bouncing steps caused her to tug it gently. Her tail had coiled around one of his hind legs after it had recovered.
He cleared his throat. He felt that he owed a warning to those ahead, hoping that potential trouble would see reason and flee. He was not in a mood to be messed with.
“I am Brimstone, colt of Luna. Leave me in peace or I will kill you. I am not one to be trifled with.” He announced, his voice echoing down the corridor. “My mother calls me her sweet creeping death.” He added.
“Brimstone?” A voice echoed back.
Brimstone froze, not sure if he recognised the voice.
“Brimstone, are you OK?” The voice echoed again.
It was closer now.
“Brimstone, answer me, or so help me I will tell your mother you little fart stain!”
Brimstone’s heart thudded against his ribs.
“Mare Nectaris!” He shouted, now running forward, causing Ivy to bounce on his back. He slowed when he heard her pained wheezing. Tears began to flow down his cheeks.
He came to a skidding halt when he saw Mare Nectaris.
She was bloody and battered, one wing hung limply at her side. One eye was swollen shut. She looked horrible.
Behind her was Palus Somni, also a bloody mess. An ear was half gone. His coat was sooty and grey. On his back a sooty lavender body was draped.
Brimstone felt his heart in this throat.
Several other lunar pegasi stood near.
“Is she…” Brimstone asked, his voice dying.
“Alive.” Mare Nectaris said. “And mostly OK. She had a magic surge. Blacked out after casting a big spell. Saved about a hundred or so guards when she stopped a flaming airship from dropping on our heads. Well, about half an airship. It exploded.”
“We must find mother.” Brimstone said.
“Last I saw her, she was in the skies over Canterlot trying to stop the city from burning down. Celestia too.” Mare Nectaris groaned faintly, favouring a leg.
Brimstone felt relieved. “So what now?” He asked.
“I keep you safe, so your mother doesn’t mount my head on a spike somewhere.” Mare Nectaris answered. “How is Ivy?”
“I don’t know…” said Brimstone, worry in his voice, “A unicorn strangled her using manipulation magic. She can’t talk.”
Mare Nectaris suddenly looked very serious.
“Brimstone?” She questioned.
“I gassed a whole bunch of unicorns. They called her ‘Twilight’s abomination’ and tried to kill her. Ivy is immune to my strangling gas. I think. She didn’t die from it.” Brimstone took a deep breath and held his composure. “I think they knew where to look for her.”
Mare Nectaris snorted. “Ivy’s made of the same stuff we are.” She announced.
“Mare Nectaris…” Brimstone started to say.
Mare Nectaris watched as Brimstone tumbled to the floor.