//------------------------------// // Chapter 29 // Story: Twilight Then, Twilight now // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Chapter 29- Now... “Um, excuse me, Galaxy…” Poesy asked, looking out the large windows in the throne room at the purple void. “I don’t mean to annoy you, but… where are we?” The three ponies in the throne room, had heard the explosion that had followed Masquerade’s departure from the room. The entire castle had shaken, followed by a flash of light, then they had found themselves and the entire castle floating in this weird nothingness. “This is very peculiar, I must admit.” Galaxy whinnied. “I’ve only read about these sort of thing in my magical tomes.” “I’ve checked the shelters in the basement, the ponies down there are fine, but they‘re all really scared!” Surprise exclaimed, flying back into the throne room. “And all the hallways and rooms are intact, too! But I can’t get any of the doors to the outside open!” “I think I know what might of happened here.” The jeweled-eyed unicorn thought aloud. “As all of you know, the castle’s interior lies within a tesseract- a pocket dimension between dimensions. I think when Masquerade set those explosives off, she destroyed the palace’s exterior- Dream Castle’s anchor on the material plane-and we were all cast adrift as dimensional debris. “ “So… does that mean we’re trapped here?” Poesy whimpered. “That we have no way back home?” “Now, I didn’t say that!” Galaxy exclaimed, her jewel eyes clicking as she blinked. “The castle has a few enchanted surprises built into it’s walls, we’ll be home sooner than you think!” “But… what about Masquerade?” Surprise asked hopefully. “Is she here with us, too?” “I’m sorry surprise… I felt her life force fade, even as the explosion brought us here.” Galaxy looked down, shaking her head. “I’m afraid, my friends, that our dear head of palace intelligence had gone to the great horsemaster.” Poesy's eyes went wide, then she immediately burst into tears. The three friends mourned the loss of their dear companion, even as their own fates remained uncertain… … As the battle raged on the ground below, the four ponies that had come up the mountain with Twilight Shine battled desperately with their opponents, avoiding their blows and attacks, while looking for an opportunity to strike. “Aw come on , little lady, I know ya can move faster than that!” Zeb goaded Bow Tie, who kept charging at him. “You’d better keep moving, you bucking Zebra!” The blue earth pony snarled, as the zebra dodged out of the way again. “You can’t suffer enough, for what you did to my home town!” “That was just business, little lady, nothing personal!” The slimy zebra caught her with a kick, sending her flying backward. “Just like helping’ Tirek destroy Ponyland, a feat for which he will handsomely reward me!” "You killed my family! Destroyed everything I cared about to satisfy your greed!" Bow Tie yelled, charging the zebra again. "And I'm gonna make it my business to make you pay for that!" "Argghhh!" Zeb yelled, as Bow Tie headbutted him back into a stone wall. Pulling himself back to his hooves, he charged at the blue earth mare, and slammed into her hard, send her skittering back across the cracked cobblestones. "Aieeee!" Bow Tie cried out, as she saw he had knocked her almost to the cliff's edge. Looking down the mountainside, she could see both armies fighting on the ground below. "It's a long way down, my dear." The vile zebra snorted, as he closed in on his prey. "Do try to scream on the way down, it'll be music to my ears!" Zeb leaped at her, intending to send her tumbling into the gaping abyss below. Thinking quickly, Bow Tie whipped off one of her longer ribbons, and swung it up around the zebra's neck in a lasso. As he leapt toward her, she pulled him up and over with all of her might. "Hey, what're you- NO! AHHHHHHHHHH!" The blue mare pulled the Zebra over her head, and sent him hurling out beyond the cliff. Zeb plunged downward, howling as he rushed towards his end on the rocky ground below. "Mom... dad... I hope you can rest easy now..." Bow Tie sighed wearily, as she collapsed from exhaustion. One the other side of the Battlefield, Katrina and Glory hurled spell after spell at each other. The white unicorn would leap out of the way of a Fireball, then Katrina would report to avoid a freezing spell.Medley would occasionally swoop in and attack from above, but the cat sorceress would simply swat her away with a telekenetic burst. "Why'd you do it, Katrina?" Glory asked, leaping over an electrical bolt shot at her. "We gave you a second chance to reform, after that witchweed potion incident. Why throw it away?" "Because Tirek offered me power! Power you ponies took away from me!" She blocked Glory's energy blast with a magic shield. "He gave me the power to stay young, to never wither and crumble! Power that simply being good can't give to you!" Katrina then cast a growth spell on herself, and morphed into a giant. "Now to be rid of YOU!" She send a powerful burst of air from her mouth, one that sent glory flying backward, smacking her head against the ground. Tearing of a ruined building, the giant cat woman then picked up a several-ton column over her head, and turned to face the still dizzy glory. "I'll crush you flatter than a pancake!" "Glory! Oh no!" Medley wailed, diving towards the towering Katrina. The frightened pony weaved in and around the giant's head, distracting the villianess. "Get away from me, you pesky insect!" Katrina roared, unable to swat at the tiny Pegasus. It was then that Glory shook off her dizziness, and blasted Katrina from below. At the same time, Medley unleashed her sonic shriek, ripping Katrina's eardrums apart, and causing her to lose her concentration. "AHHHH!" The cat woman creamed, as she shank to normal size, and tumbled to the ground. The giant stone column she had been holding aloft immediately came down on top of Katrina, squashing her flat. "Glory, are you all right?" Medley asked she she came in for a landing next to the shaken unicorn. "I'll be all right." Glory replied, looking over at the fallen column with a large burgundy stain beneath it. "Too bad the same can't be said for Katrina!" "She made her choice to be rotten, Glory!" The Pegasus told her. "She has nobody but herself to blame for what happened top her!" "I guess your right, Medley." The white unicorn replied, shaking her mane. "I guess you're right." Closer to the Canterlot palace, Applejack was desperately trying to dodge Bronco's attacks, leaping and running as the undead horror pursued her. "What's wrong, darlin?" The Equestrian stallion hissed. "Not as agile an strong as ya used ta be?" "Still agile enough ta avoid you, ya freak!" She snapped back, leaping out of the way as he bit at her tail. As he closed in on her, Applejack back-kicked the fakie stallion. It broke his neck to the point his head was almost turned all the way around backwards. "Ow." The half-rotted stallion wheezed, cracking his broken neck back into place. "If ah were still alive, that would hurt!" "Great, now you're just as ugly on the outside, as you are on the inside!" AJ snapped, diving behind a building to hide. "Just the way the past is, darlin!" Bronco hissed back, looking around through the ruins for her. "Always ugly when ya dig up something dead an rotten!" "That why you came back, Bronco? Why'd you let Tirek turn you into a zombie?" AJ whinnied from her place in hiding. "Just to get revenge on me for what happened in Tambelon all those centuries ago?" "You an' your friends left me for dead in that goat's city!" THe stallion fakie snorted in anger. "His goblin goons killed me, an left mah body out fer the crows! If Booker an' the others had taken pity an brought mah body back tah Equestria to be buried-" "You were rotten even before you became a zombie, Bronco!" AJ snapped back. "You brought your condition on yourself." "Sez you, little miss immortal!" The fakie shot back. "What gives you the raight ta live forever, while other ponies grow old an' die!" The orange earth pony tried sneaking from one building to the next, but tripped over her own hooves as she trotted silently. "Ah, there ya are, little missy!" Bronco sneered at her, trotting up as she stood up again. "Time at feast on yer pony entrails, I think!" Before she could move, the zombie pony pounced on AJ. But as he sunk his fangs into her flesh, both ponies let out a howl of pain. "What's happenin!" The confused bronco whinnied, as he lit up like a candle. "AGGRAAAAHHHHHH!" Magical energy exploded outward, and a bright light enveloped the two of them. As the light cleared, only the charred remains of the fakie stallion remained. "Looks like you bit off more than you could chew, loser!" She spat at him. Standing up, she felt a wave of pain and weariness rush over her body. "Ohhhh...I feel really old right now." It was then Applejack noticed the blood coming from her bite wound. "That can't be good." And with that, the orange earth pony collapsed to the ground. ... It was chaos at the spot where the Sky Skimmer carriage had landed, as the diamond dogs swarmed over two Pegasus and the Queen. It seemed Majesty had been crushed in the wave of canine bodies, until a light exploded out from the center of the melee. "ENOUGH!" Queen Majesty roared, a magical explosion from her horn sending the hapless dogs flying back. "You foul brutes dare to attack me? I AM A QUEEN YOU PITIFUL WORMS! AND I SHALL FIGHT FOR MY PONIES!" Enveloped in a terrible rage, Majesty hurled magical blast after magical blast at the feeling canines, sending them scrambling back towards thier holes. Such a show of power did this make, that it drew the attention of Firefly, who was soaring down from overhead. "My Queen! I am so glad you're here!" The tomboy Pegasus hastily bowed to her ruler. "The Lava demons are about to flood the battlefield with magma! They'll kill our armies, as well as their own!" "Oh they will, will they?" Majesty replied defiantly. "We'll just see about that!" Opening the heart-shaped locket, Majesty unleashed the rainbow of light. Flying out from the locket, the multicolored band flew straight towards the surprised Firefly, vanishing in a flash of light as it reached her. The tomboy Pegasus flinched. "Hey, what just happened?" Firefly looked down at herself in surprise. "Hey, I'm all rainbow-colored! What gives?" "The rainbow of light has infused it's power into your very being!" Queen Majesty replied. "Now, fly out there, and teach those lave demons a lesson!" Firefly nodded, and shot out across the battlefield, leaving a rainbow trail. She blazed along the path that the lava demons had cut in the soil, sealing it back up as she flew along the top of the crack. Several of the demons rose form the magma to stop her, but Firefly simply burst through them as she went, totally unscathed. Faster and faster she flew, until she unleashed the terrible power of a sonic rainboom, destroying all the remaining lava demons in the crevasse. Her blazing trail lit up the battlefield in a cacophony of colors, making the whole Canterlot valley glow with a rainbow light. Finally, the crack sealed back up, and Firefly came in for a landing beside the queen's chariot. The rainbow of light leapt from her body, leaving Firefly totally exhausted. "Whoa." The tomboy Pegasus sighed in awe, as she returned to her normal colors. "What a rush!" "Well done, good Firefly!" Majesty congratulated her. "Surely, you are the greatest flyer in all of Ponyland!" --- "Prepare to meet your horsemaster, Twilight Shine!" In the Throne room, Tirek threw bolt after bolt from his fingertips, and Twilight teleported all over the room to avoid them. Tearing his throne from the ground, Twilight levitated it into the air. The pink unicorn hurled the royal seat of Celestia at the dark lord, shattering it against his body. "Arrgghhhh!" Tirek snarled at the mare. "Foolish pony! Do you think you have the magical might to best me?" He raised his hand, and a full sized arrow shot from each of his fingertips. Twilight threw a frontal shield up, barely block the projectiles mere inches from her face. "I have to try!" Twilight yelled back. "For my friends! For my queen! For my Tornado and my precious Ember!" "Then you are even more of a fool than I thought!" Tirek roared. "After I have dealt with you, they shall be the first to die!" Twilight hit the horned centaur with a wall of sheer force, causing his large body to stumble backwards. Infuriated, Tirek shattered one of the throne room's stain glass windows, and sent the shards flying at her. "Aieeeee!" The pink unicorn screamed, as the shards cut and tore painfully at her body, ripping through her flesh like knives. The pink unicorn struggled to stand, and blood poured out over her once-lovely coat. "Such a pity you have to die this way, miss Shine." The horned centaur loomed over her. "Your magic, while powerful, apparently just didn't cut it!" "No..." Twilight rasped out, blood dripping from her mouth. "But this will!" She shattered the opposite window, and sent the shards hurling back at the dark lord. Too surprised to throw up a shield, Tirek was cut and shredded by the glass shards- one even tore across the horned centaur's throat! Collapsing in pain, Tirek was now in little better shape than his foe! "It will not end this way, you insignificant little pony!" He roared. "I will crush you and your friends in a night that never ends!" Opening the bag containing the rainbow of Darkness, the black band lunged at Twilight Shine. But instead of turning her into a dragon, it simply tore though her body, trying to rip her atom from atom. "AGGGAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The pink unicorn wailed in pain, as the dark energies of pain and suffering, ripped through every fiber of her being. "N-no! I won't give into you demon! I'll never give into you!" "Why struggle?" Tirek coughed and wheezed. "The rainbow of darkness will soon end all of your pain... forever!" The centaur bellowed with laughter, as the tiny pink unicorn struggled for her life. .... Far away at the Royal Paradise, six princess ponies readied their magic wands. "Sisters, Twilight Shine needs our help!" Princess Tiffany commanded. "The time is NOW!" Their wands began to glow with power, and the six elements of harmony flew out through the ceiling, and soared towards the Canterlot mountain. The rainbow band exploded into the throne room, and drove the shadow away from Twilight Shine. "No!" The dark Lord exclaimed. "This cannot be!" "It can, and it is!" Twilight Shine exclaimed, floating up into the air. "The elements of Harmony have come to end your reign, Tirek! And We've come to see that they do!" Tirek looked on in terror at the unicorn before her, who had become a powerful and terrible thing to behold. She spoke with the voice of six ponies- herself, and five others. The awesome power of the elements of harmony glowed forth from her eyes. "The harmony bearers! Your spirits are here!" The dark lord wailed in terror. ... Outside, the unconscious form of applejack glowed, as her spirit was pulled out of her body. "Whuh?" The earth pony asked in confusion, looking into the light void. "Whar am ah?" "Applejack, it's so good to see you again!" A familiar voice spoke out of the darkness, as a purple mare emerged. "It's been so long!" "Twi? Is that Twilight Sparkle?" Applejack asked in shock. "Ah cain't believe it's y'all!" "I'm here too, AJ!" A blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane emerged. "So cool ta see you again!" "Oh, my Applejack!" A timid yellow Pegasus trotted out to greet her. "It's so wonderful be here! How on earth have you been?" "Dash! Fluttershy!" AJ cried tears streaming down her face. "How can ya'll be here?" Another face emerged. "We're in the young unicorn's mind, darling, and we rather need your help to take out this awful brute!" "Rarity!" Applejack galloped up, and the white unicorn slipped her cowpony hat onto the earth pony's head. "Ah can't believe your all here!" "We're sure are!" A pink shape bounced into view. "Now why don't we teach this big bully a lesson, just like old times?" "Lets do it, girls!" AJ smiled, and embraced all five of them. "Let's take down the baddie... one last time!" ... "Midnight Hooves, you have brought untold suffering on the ponies of Ponyland!" Seven voices spoke in unison out of Twilight Shine's body, as she floated in midair. "It is time for you to feel the power of friendship!" A column of rainbow colored power exploded from Twilight Shine's eyes, and blew out the windows of the palace. It's awesome might sheared off the cliff side just outside the castle. The ruins of the City of Canterlot tumbled down towards the battlefield below. The rainbow of light, responding to the other artifacts actions, teleported every pony and pony ally fighting below away from the battlefield. "Where did the ponies go?" One of the minotaurs roared, as his opponent vanished. "Look out!" Another shrieked. "Death from above!" The goblins ran and fled in terror, as the entire cliff side tumbled down and crushed them. Strydons tried flying away, but were caught by the stray collapsing rocks, and crushed. Few monsters successfully made it away from the battlefield. Within the castle, Tirek tried to cocoon himself in the rainbow of Darkness, but the rainbow of light soon joined the battle, shattering the small black band and dissipating it. The two rainbow powers enveloped the dark lord , and he screamed in agony as his body was consumed. "No! MY REVENGE! MY REVENNNNNNNNGE!" For a second, it almost looked like there was a black unicorn stallion at the center of the whirling column of rainbow energy, but a final blast from Twilight shine's horn dissolved it like a cloud. There was a large, multicolored explosion in the throne room... then Tirek, the Dark Lord who had terrorized Ponyland and Equestria for so many years... was no more. ... "We did it, girls!" Applejack yelled triumphantly. "Jes like Nightmare moon an' Discord an the changelings, we took down the baddies once ahgain!" "Yeah, it was awesome!" Rainbow Dash replied, then her smile turned to a frown. "But it's time for us to go, AJ." "Whuh? Naw!" Applejack cried, her eyes tearing up. "Y'all cain't leave me alone again!" "It's not your time, darling." Dash replied sadly, shaking her mane. "And you have a family and friends who love you in Ponyland!" "Don't worry, AJ. We'll be together again real soon!" Fluttershy smiled at her. "And we'll always love you." "Applejack, my friend, please... stop living in the past, and start living for the present." As Twilight Sparkle entered the light behind the others, she looked back at Applejack. "Help ponykind to make the Equestria of tomorrow, as grand as the Equestria of yesterday." And with that, they were gone.