Back in the clearing the fight was getting wilder and wilder.
Rainbow kept charging and striking Nightmare Moon around her hooves, while Spectrum did a few aerial attacks. Every now and then they both had to dodge her magic beams Rainbow only just getting out of the way of the last one.
"Give it up you two," Nightmare Moon said fangs showing as she blew on her horn after her last shooting rampage. "Even though you are both Shadowbolts, you are both still ordinary ponies."
Panting hard Rainbow was going over what she said, not seeing some more of her coat turn white with the doubt she was feeling.
"I'm even surprised you've managed to keep standing this long," she continued as she looked between the two ponies both with worried expressions.
"Rainbow" that voice in her head said again, getting Rainbow to focus on that rather than the witch in front of her.
"Help is coming Rainbow. Just hang in there."
'But she's right,' Rainbow thought shaking tears from her eyes as she ground her teeth in anger and frustration 'We are normal ponies... And we can't keep this up forever.'
"You don't need to," the voice said in an understanding mother-like way "You just need to until help arrives. You're strong enough to fight this creature Rainbow." it continued Rainbow feeling a warmth inside her and somepony pressing their hoof gently to her face "Because you love and are loved in return, and that love makes you strong."
As the end of the lecture was coming up Rainbow focused on Nightmare Moon again who now had two daggers in her magical grip and her eyes set on her an evil look in her eye, as she started coming over to her, Spectrum pinned down to the ground with a net meaning he couldn't help.
"Remember what I said, Rainbow."
Nodding Rainbow took to her battle stance and glared at Nightmare Moon.
"Now it's just you and me, little pony," she said a smirk on her face as she stopped a few paces in front of Rainbow. "Say goodbye to your world and your little boyfriend." she added cackling just like a witch would do.
"No." Rainbow said cutting Nightmare Moon. "It's over. You hear me? You wont win. I wont let you. I WONT!"
With that Rainbow lit up as bright as the brightest star in the sky, her hair getting it's color back, blowing in an invisible breeze.
"What?" Nightmare Moon asked shielding her eyes. "What's happening?"
*
Over by the entrance of the clearing all those who volunteered from Ponyville had just come in and were seeing the same thing and asking the same questions.
"Look," Onyx said first.
"Is that Rainbow?" Moonbeam asked never seeing Rainbow like this before.
"She's all lit up like a star in the sky," Diana said smiling as they went over to help Spectrum up.
"Maybe we're too late, and Nightmare's already got to her," Soarin suggested.
"Or maybe she's found something we've all had in our hearts all this time..." Starlight said.
"...If only we would of gone looking for it" Nightlight concluded.
*
"Now lets see if you can fight me," Rainbow said spreading her healed wings and scraping her hoof to the ground.
With that she took off faster than any of the Shadowbolts had ever seen her do before and went straight for Nightmare Moon who held up her daggers in a cross and pushed Rainbow back and took to the air herself charging her horn.
As Rainbow got up to the same height she had a feeling that told her to hold out her front hooves and a small ball of light began to form. But before she could release it Nightmare Moon shot at her with one of her dark magic beams making Rainbow lose concentration and fly backwards hitting one of the trees.
*
"Well I guess that's it," Starlight said upset that their only chance was gone.
"No it isn't," Soarin said loudly stomping his hoof. "We need to give Rainbow our strength. Make her know that we're here for her, and will back her up until that beast is down."
Getting nods from everypony, they made a circle holding each others hooves all thinking of Rainbow and those they love to give her strength to fight Nightmare.
*
Up in the trees Rainbow was shaking her head free of a dizzy spell she had as she hit the tree.
"Rainbow," Soarin cried getting her attention, making her look down and smile. "You can do this Rainbow. You hear? I know you can. We know you can."
"YOU CAN DO THIS RAINBOW DASH!" the ponies on the ground cried.
"I can't let them down." Rainbow said as she stood up on the branch losing her glow but retaining her healed wing and her color.
"Well well," Nightmare Moon's voice rang out over the clearing making everyone look up "Looks like there will be a few sad faces when you lose then little pony."
After changing her daggers to a long handled scythe, Nightmare Moon "Let's see if you can dodge this."
With that, Nightmare began swinging her new weapon around Rainbow only just missing it as it came down on the branch she had been standing on.
Flying into the air, Rainbow held her hooves out in front of her and spread them apart gaining a battle staff of her own and swung it towards Nightmare who used the scythe to halt the attack and push back on Rainbow.
The fight went on like this for a while.
Both ponies swinging their weapons and shooting attacks at each other, but neither really doing that much damage to the other one because they kept blocking it.
After the tenth fail, Rainbow landed back on the tree branch looking rather tired eyes set to Nightmare Moon.
"Aww... What's the matter?" she asked jokingly "You're not giving up are you?"
"I... I..." Rainbow said trying to think of a plan to get her hit with one of her attacks. "No. Never. As long as you live, I will always fight." with that she took off again and began to set her training of a Shadowbolt in to action.
One: Keep the enemy confused.
Rainbow began to dive to the ground then just as Nightmare was about to fire a beam of magic, she changed her wings ever so slightly and took for the air and into the clouds, repeating the process going to another place every few seconds.
Two: If you can, attack them when they're looking somewhere else.
Nightmare Moon had not seen Rainbow come out of the clouds and had narrowed her eyes to see if she could find the pony in question when she received a hoof to the back of the head, making her spin around a fire burning in her eyes as she looked for the pony who had just issued
Two b: If you do this get out as soon as you can
Three: Keep fighting until they give up
Determined to accomplish this step Rainbow started flying towards Nightmare Moon again her staff held in her hooves resisting the urge to release a battle cry so she didn't know where she was.
Unfortunately Nightmare Moon saw her and shot a beam at her making Rainbow fell to the ground from a great height making her do...
Four: If you fall, bring your arms and legs in tight, wrap your wings around you, bring your head in and turn so your back is to the ground.
As Rainbow landed she was going so fast that a gorge of dirt appeared as she was slid along the ground stopping next to Soarin who helped her up.
"Why can't I beat her?" Rainbow asked tears starting to form in her eyes.
"You don't need to beat her Dash," Soaring said in a whisper, his hooves on her shoulders trying to calm her down. "You just need to keep fighting her until the Sun rises. That's what will end her," he said.
"How do you know?" Rainbow asked looking up to Nightmare Moon then to the lightening sky. "How do you know that that will work?"
"I don't," he said "But sometimes you just need to believe in things like this. Believe that you can fight her Rainbow. Believe that this nightmare will cease once the sun rises."
With that Rainbow took off again, a new fire of determination lit in her heart, as she once again took to fighting Nightmare Moon.