//------------------------------// // Burning Bridges // Story: MLPU: Twilight Sparkle: Princess of Thunder // by TheInvincibleIronBrony //------------------------------// Twilight stood in the center of the Bifrost site, Spike, Blossomforth and Raindrops by her side, and looked back to Appleloosa. "I wish I had more time," she muttered, as she spotted Hoity. The stallion was trying to reorganize his agents after the attack. Twilight stepped out of the circle and approached the agent. "Twilight, we need to go!" Raindrops shouted after her. "I need only a moment," she replied. She walked up behind Hoity and tapped on his shoulder. "What?!" Hoity shouted, clearly frustrated with all that had happened. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he asked, annoyed. Twilight glared at the agent. "I need you to deliver a message for me and in return, you may count me as an ally," she said. Hoity glared at the alicorn, but said nothing. "Tell Minuette that I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye, but my home needs me and tell her I promise to return once I'm done," she told him. Hoity glared at her for a moment. "Fine. I'll deliver your message, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is to be notified when you come back," he demanded. "Deal," Twilight replied, returning Hoity's glare. She then hurried back to her companions and looked to the sky. "Owlowiscious, when you are ready," she said. Seconds later the bridge opened and Twilight was yanked off of the ground and sent hurtling through space. ///////////////////////////// Luna sat by her sister's bed, something she found herself doing more and more as time went on. "Please, wake up soon, sister. Your children need you," she said softly as someone started knocking on the door. "Enter!" she commanded, the doors opening as she spoke. Two guards stood in the doorway, looks of fear on their faces. Luna stood up and approached them, but the stallion on the left shook his head vigorously. Luna was about to ask what they wanted when a shard of ice pierced through the guard that had warned her and an icy club knocked the other unconscious. Luna gasped in shock as a pair of Windigos stepped into the doorway. "I told you it wouldn't work," one of the Windigos said to his partner. Luna glared at them as they began to circle around her, one to the left and the other to the right. "It was not wise to come here," she told the invaders as the Windigo on her left launched himself at her. Luna jumped into the air, spreading her wings, and shot a bolt if magic at the attacker, disintegrating the Windigo. The other Windigo swung an arm at Luna, launching several ice daggers at her. Luna caught them all in her magic and launched them back. The invader dodged the return fire and jumped into the air, trying to tackle Luna. Luna dodged and fired another blast, shattering her enemy. With that done Luna landed on the floor. "Aunt Luna!" Shining Armor shouted in fear from the throne room. Panic gripped the lunar princess’s heart as she ran to her nephews aid. She had only just left her sister's room when something cold slammed into the back of her head, quickly knocking her out. //////////////////////////// King Frostmourne eyed the unconscious form of Luna. "This is what happens when you have loved ones," he stated, turning to the stallion next to him. Shining Armor looked at his aunt with remorse. "She isn't part of our plan. She stays alive," Shining told the older king, glaring defiantly. Frostmourne chuckled at his associate's protective nature. "Do not worry. I only wish to slay Celestia," he said as he approached the queen's room. Before they'd made it very far they heard a familiar booming noise and looked out the nearest window. Frostmourne glared at the beam of light extending from the Bifrost. "What is the meaning of this?" Frostmourne asked angrily, shooting an accusing glare at Shining Armor. Shining growled as he watched the light dissipate. "The guardian has escaped. We must act quickly," Shining stated, a note of urgency in his voice. Frostmourne nodded and started for Celestia's room again. Frostmourne entered the room and approached the bed at the far end, an icy blade forming on his arm. He reached the bed and raised the blade over it's occupant, smiling as he did. "Know this, queen of the arrogant. Your deaths came by the hand of Frostmourne!" the frozen king shouted as he stabbed downward only to be blasted off of his feet. The king looked up and saw Shining Armor standing over him, Gungnir in his hand, glowing with energy. "And yours came by the hand of the son of Celestia!" The alicorn shouted as he fired, an object flying through the window on the far side of the room knocking the spear aside. Frostmourne and Shining Armor looked to the window as Twilight landed in the room, catching Mjolnir as it returned. "There has been enough destruction for today. Nopony needs to die," the princess said, glaring at her brother. ///////////////////// Twilight stared into her brother's shocked eyes, trying to accept what she was seeing. "Twilight, Frostmourne has invaded," Shining Armor said quickly. "He-" "Is working with you," Twilight interrupted. "Owlowiscious told me what he knew and is now resting in the infirmary because of you," she said looking to the bed in the center of the room. "And you lied about mother's death," she stated, barely keeping the anger out if her voice. Frostmourne started laughing from the floor. "Nothing like a sibling rivalry to brighten a bad day," he said, enjoying the show. Twilight glared at the king as she threw Mjolnir at him, only with enough force to knock him out cold. She then turned back to her brother as he raised Gungnir to attack. Twilight blocked the blast with her hammer. "Well, if all is out in the open, then I have no need to pretend anymore. So if you'll excuse me I have a world to destroy," he said as he fired a blast of energy at Twilight's feet. Twilight dodged to the left and watched Shining Armor escape through the unguarded window. Twilight moved to the window to follow him only to be hit with an energy beam, throwing her to the other side of the room and disorienting her. //////////////////////// Shining Armor landed outside of the Bifrost and walked inside. He plunged Gungnir into the slot in the center of the pedestal. He then realigned it's aim and pointed it at Jotunhiem. The gate opened and he watched the tendrils of energy extend from the center of the Bifrost and connect to the walls around him. "Now, for the finishing touch," he said as he summoned the Casket of Ancient Winters. Shining Armor opened the casket and unleashed a frozen torrent upon the room, freezing the controls in place, so no one could shut it off. ////////////////////////// Twilight landed on the prismatic bridge outside of the Bifrost. She had recovered quickly, but she was too late to stop her brother. She looked on in horror as the energy poured out of the Bifrost. Twilight ran into the dome and glared at her brother as he turned to face her. "What have you done?" Twilight asked in horror as she observed the frozen interior of the dome. "What you and mother refused to," Shining replied. "I am taking preemptive steps to protect my home," he told his sister, confidence in his voice. Twilight shook her head in disagreement. "No, this is not the way to protect Equinsgard. I will not let you destroy an entire race in an act of misguided loyalty," she argued, stepping towards her brother. Shining Armor raised the casket and opened it, firing an icy blast at Twilight, making her dodge to the left. "I won't let you interfere. I've come too far," Shining said as he took his Windigo form. Twilight stared in shock at what she saw. "Oh, I guess you hadn't been told. We aren't even related. That should make this easier on us both." Twilight hung her head. Her mind spinning at the revelation. She thought back to their childhood when they'd played together, and all the battles they had won together. Shining Armor's true heritage made no difference. "No, it won't," she said softly. She then hurled Mjolnir at her brother. Shining Armor dodged the weapon and launched an icy spear at his sister. Twilight summoned a magic shield to protect herself. The spear shattered and Twilight lowered the shield as Mjolnir returned to her. Twilight's horn lit up as she summoned a storm cloud in the top of the dome and held Mjolnir over her head. Lightning connected the hammer and cloud, charging the hammer. Twilight redirected the blast at Shining Armor and he fired an icy blast from the casket. The attacks collided in mid air and exploded, the blast throwing Twilight backwards through the dome. Twilight hit the bridge outside and picked herself up just in time to dodge another ice spear. Shining Armor followed his sister outside the dome and fully opened the casket, launching a full blizzard at Twilight. Twilight's horn glowed purple and she started flapping her wings at the storm, summoning gale force winds to drive the blizzard and her brother back. Shining Armor quickly changed tactics, his horn glowing as he teleported away. "Where-" Twilight began to ask when she heard footsteps behind her. She whipped around and blocked an icy blade with Mjolnir. Shining Armor started using his greater strength to overpower her. "You can't beat me Twilight. How can you hope to protect your friends when you don't even have the strength to push back?!" Shining Armor shouted. Twilight pushed as hard as she could, but she knew she'd be pinned soon. Thinking quickly she fell onto her back, making Shining pitch forward in surprise and then kicked him over her. Twilight then threw Mjolnir before Shining hit the ground and the hammer hit him square in the stomach. Shining Armor landed with a dull thud as Mjolnir flew back to Twilight. She approached her brother's still form and heard him wheezing after getting the wind knocked out of him. He tried to pick himself up, but Twilight set Mjolnir on his chest, knowing he wouldn't be able to move it. She then walked past him and stared at the Bifrost, trying to come up with a way to shut it down. "It matters little now," Shining Armor wheezed as he lay on the bridge, unmoving. "You can not stop the Bifrost. You may have your hammer, but it does you no good now!" he shouted, happy he had been granted this victory. Twilight looked back at her hammer and then at the bridge she stood on. She looked out into the vastness of space around her, a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry Minuette," she said as she held a hand out behind her, calling Mjolnir to her. As soon as the weapon connected with her hand she slammed it into the bridge, creating large cracks in the crystalline structure. Twilight raised the hammer again and struck a second time. Shining Armor sat up in shock as he watched his sister strike the bridge again, lengthening the cracks. "What are you doing?! Stop!". he shouted as he charged his sister. Twilight raised her hammer once more, Minuette's face flashing before her eyes. "I will keep my promise," she told herself as Shining Armor lunged at her. She brought Mjolnir down with a crack of lightning. The blast shattered the bridge and threw the siblings back, crystal shards piercing their wings. Twilight saw her brother go over the edge of the bridge as she landed and dove after him, catching his hand, but slipping off of the bridge at the same time. She was shocked when she felt a hand grab her tail and looked up to see Celestia standing on the bridge. Shining Armor looked at his mother, trying and failing to read her expression. "I was trying to protect our home!" he shouted at her, hoping she would understand. Celestia gave him a sad look. "This was an act of great evil," she replied. Shining Armor shot her an angry look. "You're wrong! And I'll show you why!" he shouted as he ripped his hand from Twilight's grip, falling into the abyss of space. "NOOOOOOOO!" Twilight shouted as she watched her brother shrink into the distance.