An hour later, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkamena were standing at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s wings were still bandaged to their sides. Pinkamena had a dagger clenched between her teeth.
In normal times, the entrance to the infamous Everfree was ominous and dark. The Necromancer, however, had made the situation a thousand times worse. This darkness was not a simple absence of light; it was something far more sinister. It was almost like a fog of despair – a blackness that could be felt and that crept into your very soul. The ponies could hear the wind howl through the forest. Occasionally a forest creature cried out in agony.
It took every bit of courage Fluttershy had to not turn around and run for her life. She was absolutely terrified.
Pinkamena looked ahead into the forest calmly. The darkness did not frighten her. She wore a grim look of determination and rage.
Rainbow Dash studied the forest skeptically. “Are we really going to do this? Does this seem like a good idea to anypony?”
“I think we have to,” Fluttershy replied. “It’s important. Lives depend on it, and we can’t let our friends down.”
Pinkamena looked at Dash. “If you’re scared then go home. I can do this without you.”
“But it’s dark! And it’s not normal dark, but super creepy dark. How can you even see where you’re going?”
Fluttershy spoke up. “That’s not a problem – I know what to do. Follow me.”
Fluttershy then led the way into the forest, and Pinkamena followed close behind her. Rainbow, grumbling, took up the rear.
* * * * *
Princess Luna was outside the city of Canterlot, flying high in the air. Even though it was just early afternoon, the sunlight was so dark it almost appeared to be twilight. Celestia’s light had waned considerably, and the Sun now provided very little illumination. This proved what Luna had long suspected – that Celestia was magically connected to the Sun, and somehow the Sun was magically connected to her. Luna knew that pegasi could alter the color of clouds by their moods. Apparently Celestia had a similar and far more dangerous ability.
Normally the darkness would have provided cover – but not this darkness. This sort of sinister shadow was comforting to the creatures that they were about to fight. In fact, their goal was to spread this very same blackness across all of Equestria.
Behind Luna was her army of batponies, led by their loyal commander Dark Shadow. To her right was a giant group of pegasi, led by the loyal and courageous Spitfire. Luna was glad to see that Spitfire had regained her normal brilliant yellow color.
“Now remember, your job is not to defeat the spectrals,” Luna said quietly. “Don’t take any chances. It’s not necessary – that army will be vaporized as soon as I’ve collapsed the portal and cut them off from the undead plane. All I need you to do is scatter them and give us an opening to fly into the gate. Once we’ve made it inside I want you to retreat to a safe distance – we’ll handle the rest. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes ma’am,” Spitfire said. “We won’t let you down.”
“Then go! Lead your Wonderbolts and attack when ready. We will be hiding behind that cloud over there.”
Spitfire nodded, then turned to her forces. “All right, pegasi, you heard her. Let’s move!”
The flying ponies then raced to their positions. The battle was about to begin.
* * * * *
In the distance the famous Manehattan skyline was plainly visible, although it was somewhat obscured by the sinister fog that lingered in the air. Overhead the sky was overcast – courtesy of the Wonderbolts. It was exactly the sort of cover that Trixie was going to need.
Trixie and Rarity were in Luna’s chariot, which was being pulled by four of her batponies. The other pegasi surrounded the chariot, while Luna’s batpony army flew behind it.
“Thank you so much for the cover,” Trixie was telling Soarin. “It will make what we’re about to do much easier.”
Rarity spoke up. “Well, perhaps. But don’t you think the spectrals around the portal noticed all that activity?”
“Sure, but it doesn’t really matter. Remember, they can’t hit what they can’t see – and they can’t see through the clouds! If the pegasi stay above the clouds and launch their disruptive attacks from up there, the sorcerer won’t be able to get a clear shot at any of them.”
Lightning Dust spoke up. “Once we’ve scattered the conjured guards, what do you want us to do? Do we need to keep the gate area cleared for you?”
“That’s not necessary,” Trixie replied. “As soon as Trixie has unmade the Forged Shard, that will destroy all of the spectrals. By the time we get back into Equestria they won’t be a threat. All we need you to do is clear the path so we can get inside the portal. Once you’ve done that, clear out. Trixie doesn’t want anypony to get hurt.”
“Got it,” Soarin said.
Trixie turned to the batponies that were carrying Luna’s chariot. “As soon as the path is cleared, make a break for the portal. However, don’t enter the gate until the pegasi have disrupted the sorcerers that are guarding the entrance; otherwise they’ll take you out. Once we’re inside the portal, take to the skies immediately. We want to stay in the air as much as possible and fly straight toward the top of the tower. The Necromancer doesn’t have any flying ponies.”
“As far as you know,” Rarity added.
“Anything is possible,” Trixie admitted. “We’ll tackle these things as they come. Is everypony ready?”
“Ready,” Lightning Dust said.
“What about you, Dark Wing?” Trixie asked.
“Affirmative,” the batpony captain replied.
Trixie looked down at the ground. She could see the sinister stone portal that led to the Underworld, the land of the evil dead. She knew they absolutely had to shut down that portal, and she knew their plan was their best shot at doing that. If the great and powerful Twilight Sparkle was here then there was an excellent chance their plan might actually work.
But Twilight wasn’t here. Instead, the fate of Equestria was in Trixie’s hooves. She did not feel good about that at all. There was no telling what they would find on the other side of that portal. The Necromancer had been trapped there for centuries and had undoubtedly filled that plane with all sorts of horrors. Her odds of survival were terrible – but Trixie knew she had to do this. She could not turn back now.
And what was all that about Trixie dying in Rainbow’s hooves? Does Luna already know that Trixie won’t survive this attack? Is all hope already lost?
Trixie forced her nagging doubts out of her mind. No. I refuse to believe that. I can do this! I will get in there, unmake the Shard, and get out. This is going to work. You’d better watch out, Necromancer. Trixie is coming for you.
The blue pony looked at the pegasi that surrounded her. “All right, everyone – let’s go!”
* * * * *
“What are these things?” Rainbow Dash asked, irritated.
“They’re fireflies,” Fluttershy replied. “Just cute, harmless, lovable fireflies. They will light the way in the darkness.”
“Ok,” Dash said slowly. “But couldn’t we have used a lantern or something? Why do we need to use this cloud of creepy bugs?”
“They’re not creepy; they’re my friends! And unlike a lantern, these creatures know where we want to go. They’re going to take us right to the source of the darkness.”
“Now hold on a second. I know you can talk to animals – well, kind of – but bugs? Seriously?”
“Of course! After all, insects are just another kind of creature, and all creatures have something to say. It’s just a matter of paying enough attention and listening to them. There are all sorts of friends everywhere, if you’ll only take the time to say hello.”
“All I see is darkness,” Dash muttered.
“Quiet,” Pinkamena hissed. “Do you want them to hear us? Luna isn’t the only one who can tear you limb from limb, you know. There’s danger everywhere in these woods.”
The ponies walked along silently. The darkness was so thick that they could see virtually nothing. They knew they were in the forest, but the only trees they could see were the ones that were directly beside them. They knew the sun had not set, but they could not see any sunlight. A black cloud rolled around them like a fog, chilling their souls with despair and hopelessness.
The only light came from the tiny fireflies that swirled around them. The gentle insects guided them through the woods.
Rainbow Dash spoke up. “So we’re really going to trust those bugs to lead us through this incredibly dangerous forest?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy said. “Why? Did you have a better plan?”
“But–” Rainbow Dash struggled for words.
Fluttershy looked at her. “Do you trust me, Rainbow Dash? Do you believe I can do this?”
“I guess,” Dash said slowly.
“Then trust me. Come on – this way.”
* * * * *
Luna and her batponies hovered in the air behind a large black cloud. Luna used her powers of darkness to cloak her troops. They waited in silence.
Behind them was the city of Canterlot. At one time it had been a beautiful, shining city – in fact, the castle was visible from much of Equestria. Sadly, Celestia’s fall had been devastating. Now the light from the city had weakened, and its glory had departed. The area around the metropolis seemed to be lost in some sort of sinister twilight.
Down below, between two hills, was the portal to the Necromancer’s plane. It was a dark, evil thing. Inside the portal Luna could see a green liquid of some sort – or maybe it was just an illusion. The entire gate was clearly a construct of dark magic. Such a thing should not exist in Equestria, Luna thought. It is time to unmake it and rid this land of its foulness.
By now there were four conjured sorcerers milling about in front of it – a significant increase from the day before. Luna couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they appeared to be in conference. The princess didn’t see any wardens, but she did count more than a thousand spectrals in formation around the portal. Their number had also increased dramatically from the day before; apparently the portal was being put to good use. Trixie had been right – there was no time to waste. The Necromancer grew stronger with every passing moment.
Luna watched as the Wonderbolts, led by Spitfire, move into position. The captain of the Wonderbolts had directed her pegasi to scatter evenly over the sky. She wanted them to hit the entire area simultaneously in order to achieve maximum chaos. Then, when the sorcerers were distracted, Luna and her guards would swoop in and fly through the portal.
This is just like the last time we fought him, Luna thought. Different ponies, but the same story. I never thought we would have to do this again. Fortunately, Starswirl’s notes survived from our previous battle. I’m glad Twilight had the chance to go through and organize them. There is so much I had forgotten.
When Spitfire gave the signal, her Wonderbolts swooped into action. Dozens of pegasi, all in formation, began soaring around the sky at high speed. A wind quickly picked up – and then rapidly grew to hurricane force. As the ground was swept by streams of high-speed air, a series of twisters touched down directly on top of the undead troops.
The effect was instantaneous. The spectrals were physically lifted off the ground and thrown around the sky. They flailed around, trying to right themselves and attack, but instead the chaotic wind crashed them into each other. Their protective armor began to fly apart and turn into dangerous projectiles. Spectrals began vaporizing left and right as they were crushed by their own gear.
The sorcerers fared no better. The tornados formed directly over their heads and threw them into the air and away from the gate. They instantly knew there was a problem, but found it impossible to fight back while being tossed about by two-hundred-mile-an-hour winds.
As soon as the sorcerers were blown from their defensive position, Luna and her army swooped down out of the sky. She shot out of the clouds and aimed directly at the portal itself, full of power and fury. Luna entered the gate at a high rate of speed and vanished inside it. Her batponies followed in close formation.
Spitfire smiled to herself when she saw the Princess of the Night swoop into the gate. Good luck, your highness. May you buck all of them right back into their graves.
She was about to give the signal to retreat when she suddenly thought of something: what was to stop the army of darkness from going inside the portal to battle Luna? There was no telling what Luna was now facing in the world of the undead. The last thing she needed was even more troops in there – and these troops would be between her and the way out. If she destroyed the Forged Shard and then found an army between her and the only exit…
“Change of plans,” Spitfire called out to the other Wonderbolts. “If we retreat, these spectrals will enter the gate and cut off Luna from the only exit. We’ve got to keep them busy until she gets out – otherwise we may never see her again!”
* * * * *
Trixie and Rarity waited in Luna’s chariot. The sky was overcast, and the pegasi were hidden safely behind the clouds. It was time to strike.
Around them there was nothing but complete silence. The air was utterly still – and eerily dark.
Down on the ground, spectrals milled around the Manehattan portal. Trixie saw hundreds of them – maybe more. It was hard to tell from this distance. She also saw four sorcerers talking to one another.
All right, Soarin, Trixie thought. Any moment now…
Then, without warning, a lightning storm rained down from the sky. The air was filled with hundreds of powerful lightning bolts that shot toward the spectrals that surrounded the portal. Thunder filled the air, and the area was lit with a blinding light.
But it had no effect. To Trixie’s horror, she saw that the bolts were all striking some sort of invisible shield. None of them were hitting the conjured abominations that protected the portal.
They must have learned from our attack yesterday, Trixie realized with alarm. They’ve come up with a magical defense against lightning! Now what are we going to do?
On the ground, the sorcerers raised their staffs and blasted at the clouds above them. The uniform cloud layer was quickly torn apart by bolt after bolt of dark energy.
Dark Wing turned to Trixie. “What do you want us to do?”
“We’ve got to attack anyway,” Trixie said quickly. “Send in everything we’ve got all at once. We have to clear a way to that portal!”
Dark Wing nodded. He gave the command, and the batponies streamed out of their cloud cover and raced toward the four sorcerers. When the pegasi saw what was going on they ceased their lightning attacks and joined in the charge. Trixie and Rarity held onto the chariot for dear life.
It was terrifying. The spectrals on the ground were shaking their swords and shouting into the air. The sorcerers fired bolts of dark magic at the sky. The batponies expertly dodged them, but the other pegasi were not as fortunate. Trixie saw several of them get struck by magic and fall to the ground – and then their friends desperately raced to save them from plunging to their deaths.
The chariot was getting closer… closer… dark magic was flying everywhere… and then–
The batponies at the front of the charge reached the group of four sorcerers. At point-blank range, the sorcerers couldn’t miss – but now the undead had a new problem. When they shot the front line of batponies the now-unconscious ponies continued their charge, carried forward by pure momentum – and they struck the sorcerers with terrific force. All four sorcerers were instantly flattened.
Then the mayhem started. The undead ponies charged the remaining batponies and engaged them in combat. There was fighting and pandemonium everywhere.
Trixie leaped out of the grounded chariot and ran toward the portal with speed fueled by pure terror. Rarity followed close behind her.
A sorcerer staggered to his feet and attempted to block their way. Rarity used her magic to grab him and toss him aside. He flew through the air, screaming. He tried to get a shot at them but he wasn’t fast enough – Trixie and Rarity had reached the portal.
Trixie suddenly noticed that no batponies were with her. They were all caught up in the struggle going on behind them. She and Rarity were going into the portal alone – but there was no time to stop. They were moments away from getting fried.
Without hesitation, the two ponies jumped into the portal and vanished.
* * * * *
Fluttershy spoke up quietly. “All right, girls. I think we’re almost there.”
“How can you possibly tell?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Quiet,” Pinkamena hissed.
The yellow pegasus pointed a hoof ahead. “Look!”
Rainbow Dash suddenly realized that they were high in the air. Without her realizing it, they had somehow made their way through the forest and were now on the top of a tall cliff that overlooked a valley.
She instantly knew where they were. Down below was the ruin of the Castle of the Two Sisters. The Tree of Harmony was located nearby. She had been here several times recently – mostly because Twilight had been looking for old books. Specifically, she had been looking for books that talked about the rise of the Necromancer back in the days before the Celestia-Luna rift.
Speaking of the Necromancer…
What she saw in the valley below was bone-chilling. The Necromancer had evidently made the ruined castle the base of his operations. There were thousands of spectrals there – no, tens of thousands. It was an army the size of which she had never seen before.
For the first time Rainbow realized that Equestria had a serious, serious problem. If they didn’t find a way to defeat that army, Equestria was doomed.
Fluttershy spoke up. “It’s probably not as bad as it looks, right? Won’t the collapse of the portals destroy all of those awful creatures?”
Pinkamena looked at her. “Not if those ponies were created in a different way. Which they probably were, since there’s no portal around here.”
“How do you know there isn’t one?” Dash asked.
“If there was, I could sense it,” Pinkamena replied. “I think these creatures were created using the Maelstrom Sphere located in the Necromancer’s crown. The only way to unmake these abominations is to unmake him.”
“Fair enough. So what in Equestria do we do now?”
* * * * *
Trixie was immediately overwhelmed by what she found on the other side of the portal. The scent in the air was horrible; it was a foul stench of death and decay. The hard ground beneath her feet was littered with bones. Above her was a hard, purple sky, and a hot wind blew that made the stench much worse. Trixie wanted to vomit, but knew she didn’t have the time.
In the distance she could see tall, dark mountains. Nearer, a few thousand feet away, was a giant stone tower. She recognized it immediately from her research. Trixie glanced up and saw that at the top of the spire was the fabled Forge Shard.
But the tower was not unguarded. There were at least a thousand spectrals between her and the monstrous structure. The air itself was filled with batponies. Near the tower, Luna was–
Trixie gasped. “Is that Luna? What’s she doing here?”
“Look!” Rarity said, pointing. “Another portal!”
Rarity was right – there were two portals here, only a few hundred feet apart. That was when Trixie realized her mistake. “Of course! Trixie has been a fool! Both of the portals in Equestria led to the same place in this plane. That Shard is energizing both of them!”
Ahead of them, Luna swooped toward the ground and fired a powerful beam of energy. The beam raked through the lines of the undead ponies, vaporizing them and cutting a deep gash into the ground. As the troops ran in panic, Luna’s batponies followed up on the assault.
Luna then rushed toward them and landed in front of them. “Where are the rest of my guards?”
“They’re… busy,” Trixie said. “We had some trouble getting to the gate.”
“I see,” Luna said. “We have had some trouble of our own. The top of that tower is protected by a magical shield of some kind. I haven’t been able to penetrate it. I suspect the protective spell is being generated from inside the tower – possibly by the Shard itself.”
“Have you found any entrance at all?” Trixie asked.
“There is a large door at the base of the tower. It may be the only entrance, but it is not unprotected. Many spectrals stand between us and that door. Do you want us to charge it and attempt to climb the tower from the inside?”
Trixie shook her head. “That would be suicide! There’s too many of them. Just scatter the spectrals so Rarity and I can enter. We’ll sneak up to the top and destroy the Shard. Once the protective spell is gone, you can send a batpony to rescue us.”
“You want the two of us to go in there by ourselves?” Rarity asked, shocked. “Are you out of your mind? How are we going to survive?”
“Because we’ll be in disguise,” Trixie explained. “Luna, can you shield us from view for a moment?”
Luna quickly turned around and stood between them and the undead army. She then shot at the ground with a burst of powerful magical blasts. The ground split apart with a giant roar and kicked up an enormous cloud of dust.
Before Luna had stopped shooting, Trixie shot Rarity with a blast of magic. Rarity instantly changed into a spectral.
“Ack!” Rarity screamed, as she looked at herself. She was now nothing but bones and wore black armor. Her mane and horn were gone and her face had been replaced by blackness, with just two points of green light for eyes. “What have you done to me? What have you done to my beautiful mane? I look hideous!”
“It’s just a disguise,” Trixie said hurriedly, as she changed herself into a spectral as well. “It’s not permanent. Your horn and mane haven’t gone anywhere; they’re just hidden from view.”
“You’d better be right,” Rarity grumbled. “I do not like being a living skeleton. Or a dead skeleton. Or whatever this abomination is supposed to be.”
Luna turned around and saw what Trixie had done. “Very clever, my young magician! With that disguise you will be able to run up the tower without being noticed. While you infiltrate that structure, I will create a distraction outside in order to draw out as many guards as possible.”
“Thanks,” Trixie said. “We’ll be as quick as we possibly can.” The disguised pony then ran toward the tower, with spectral Rarity following close behind her.
Adrenaline rushed through Trixie’s veins as she ran toward the giant structure that held the Forged Shard. There were spectrals and wardens everywhere, and the cloud of dust still lingered in the air. As they ran, Luna fired bolts of energy at the ground in an attempt to clear a path for them. In the sky a horde of armored batponies continued to battle the tower’s magical defenses, but they could not find a way to penetrate its shield.
It was pure chaos. Trixie was scared, but she was too focused to let her terror overwhelm her. She knew that at any moment her unstable disguise spell could collapse, and if that happened they would be dead within seconds. But she would cross that bridge when she came to it. All that mattered now was reaching the massive iron door at the base of the tower.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw spectrals being torn apart by Luna’s magic, and angry sorcerers firing dark magic at the sky. She heard screams, wails, and the anguished cries of the undead. But the noise and stench just made her gallop that much harder. All she could do was pray that Luna wouldn’t let her down – and that their disguise would hold.
After what seemed like a lifetime, but was really less than a minute, Trixie and Rarity finally reached the iron door that led inside the tower. Now that she had reached it she realized that the stone tower was far taller than she had thought. It was easily hundreds of feet high. Climbing all the way to the top would take time – time that they probably didn’t have. Luna was a massively powerful alicorn, but it was only a matter of time before she got shot down. Her batponies likewise couldn’t last forever.
Worst of all, the door to the tower was closed. How are we going to open it? Trixie wondered, as she came to a quick stop. If I go up to the door and knock–
But luck was with her. Just as the pair of disguised ponies reached the door, it swung open and a pair of sorcerers rushed out. Trixie and Rarity quickly ran past them. The sorcerers didn’t even give them a second look. Their focus was on the enraged alicorn princess who was laying waste to their entire army.
The inside of the tower was dark and forbidding, lit only by torches that glowed an eerie green color. The air smelled even worse inside than it had outside. Judging by the dirt and grime that covered the walls and floor, Trixie suspected the undead did not prize cleanliness. She already longed to wash herself, and knew that things were only going to get worse.
Fortunately, the ground floor of the tower was deserted. There were no pieces of furniture, either. The only items she could see were a few battered weapons that someone had dropped on the ground. On the far side of the room Trixie spotted a winding stone staircase that led to the next level. She nudged Rarity and then ran for it. Rarity followed close behind her, desperately trying to avoid stepping in the nauseating substance that was lying in decaying clumps on the floor.
* * * * *
Outside, Luna watched Trixie and Rarity run past the sorcerers and enter the tower. You have a lot of courage, Trixie, she thought to herself. Now I just need to keep the undead busy to buy you some time. But hurry, little ones. I can’t hold them off forever.
Luna whirled around and hurled a magical blast at the sorcerers who had just emerged from the tower. They dove for their lives.
* * * * *
Inside, Trixie and Rarity raced up the dark stairs. The staircase led to another landing. It was deserted.
Trixie raced across the landing and over to the next flight of stairs. Rarity ran behind her. Trixie suddenly realized that Rarity was beginning to get out of breath. Sorry, Rarity, but this is a bad time to slow down. Every second counts.
The next two landings had a pair of spectrals patrolling the area. They didn’t even bother to look at Trixie or Rarity. It wasn’t until the eighth landing that they ran into trouble. That’s when Trixie encountered a warden, standing directly in front of the staircase and blocking it completely. The massive undead troll was obviously guarding the passage.
Trixie came to a stop. What in Equestria do I do now? Ask him to step aside?
At that moment Trixie felt the stones beneath her hooves tremble. Something was blasting away at the tower. Then–
The wall directly beside Trixie suddenly exploded. Rocks, dust, and debris flew everywhere. The force of the blast threw her across the room and slammed her into the far wall. She screamed in agony and fell to the ground.
“Trixie!” Rarity screamed. “Your disguise!”
Trixie glanced down at her hooves and realized that she was blue again. Then she heard the roar of the warden. The troll was not at all pleased to find two ponies infiltrating his tower. The giant beast lumbered toward them, raised his flail high in the air – and was then seized by magic and thrown out the new hole in the wall.
“Rarity!” Trixie gasped, as she painfully struggled to her hooves. Her back legs were throbbing, but she tried to ignore it. “That was amazing!”
“I’ll lead the way,” Rarity replied. “Come on – let’s move!”
Even though Rarity was obviously winded, she charged up the next flight of stairs. Trixie hobbled behind her as fast as she could go. The pain was agonizing, but she knew this wasn’t the time to slow down.
“Coming!” Trixie shouted.
* * * * *
Outside, Luna circled the tower. She had discovered that the tower’s magical shield only protected the top floors. The base was unguarded – a critical strategic mistake. She blasted a hole in the tower’s wall, but then realized if she continued to hammer away the tower would collapse – killing Rarity and Trixie. The Forged Shard would survive the crash and be lost in rubble.
For now I’ll give them more time, Luna thought. If something happens to them then I will attempt more drastic measures. But it hasn’t come to that – yet.
Luna dodged a blast from a sorcerer and flew away from the tower. She rallied her batponies around her and regrouped them. That’s when she noticed something curious: on the ground, about a hundred feet in front of the tower door, three sorcerers stood in a defensive line.
It was the perfect opportunity to destroy them all at once, and Luna wasted no time. The Princess of the Night streaked toward them, took aim, and fired her most powerful unmaking spell. She realized too late that the sorcerers made no attempt to move. They just stood there, making a very obvious, irresistible target.
Luna’s bolt of magical energy streaked toward the sorcerers and hit some sort of shield. The magic then reversed course and shot back toward Luna with lightning speed. The bolt smashed into Luna’s horn and shattered it into a thousand pieces. Her cutie mark instantly vanished, replaced by an ugly scar.
Luna screamed in pain and fell out of the sky. Her batpony guards rushed to grab her before she crashed into the ground. By the time her guards reached her the princess was already unconscious.
While four guards rushed her off the battlefield and through the portal that led back to Canterlot, the sorcerers fired bolt after bolt of dark magic at the remaining batponies.
“Retreat!” Dark Shadow shouted. “Everyone retreat through the portal! Protect Luna at all costs!”
His first lieutenant flew up to him. “But sir, what of the mission?”
“It’s over,” Dark Shadow said curtly. “Only a unicorn can unmake the Shard, and we’re fresh out of unicorns. Even if we killed every last spectral we still wouldn’t be able to destroy the Shard and close the portal. There’s nothing more we can do here.”
“But Trixie and Rarity–”
“Are almost certainly dead,” Dark Wing said grimly. “No one could possibly survive in that spire. Our mission now must be to safeguard the life of our princess. We are sworn to protect her no matter what the cost, and I will not fail her now. Everyone – out!”
Within seconds, all of the batponies left the world of the undead and returned to Canterlot.
* * * * *
Inside the tower, Trixie and Rarity continued their rush to the top. They encountered surprisingly little resistance; Luna had done a fantastic job of emptying the spire and drawing away its forces. The warden that Rarity threw outside was the only real opposition they found. The only other guards they saw were normal spectrals that Rarity easily tossed aside.
At last – after spending far too long climbing endless flights of filthy stone stairs – Trixie and Rarity reached the top of the tower. By now Trixie was in so much pain that she could barely move. It was all she could do to drag herself forward.
The area in front of them was fairly large. Its floor was paved with smooth, flat stones. A giant glowing gem made of dark purple crystal hovered about ten feet off the ground and emitted a green light. Beneath the stone was a wrought iron circle, which had four spires that stuck high into the air and ran parallel to the gem. The Shard was being guarded by a warden, who had his back to them and was looking down toward the ground.
Rarity effortlessly lifted up the giant troll and tossed him off the top of the tower. “Quick, Trixie – fire!”
Trixie painfully dragged herself over to the Forged Shard and fired a bolt of unmaking magic at it. The gem cracked and trembled, but remained intact. Frustrated, Trixie fired another bolt of magic at it. This time the stone shattered into a thousand pieces, which then turned into a dark mist and vanished. The force field protecting the tower collapsed, and the spire itself began to shake.
“Trixie?” Rarity called out. She was standing by the edge of the tower, looking over its side toward the ground. “I think we have a problem.”
Trixie hobbled over to Rarity and looked down. “Where’s Luna? Where are the batponies? Where has everyone gone?”
“Well, there are two options,” Rarity said slowly. “Neither of them are particularly good. One option is that the sorcerers killed them all and vaporized their bodies. The other option is that they abandoned us and left us here to die.”
Trixie’s heart sank. She looked over at the two portals in the distance. Now that the Shard was gone, the gates were starting to destabilize. Trixie figured they had about a minute left before their escape was cut off – and probably a great deal less than that.
Trixie looked at Rarity. “We don’t have time to run all the way down the tower steps – even if I was physically able to walk, which I’m not. And I can’t teleport us down to the ground from this height. We’d appear in the middle of the sky and plummet to our deaths.”
“So what do we do? Just stand here and die?”
“I got it!” Trixie shouted. “Hold still.”
Trixie aimed her horn at Rarity and fired. Two giant, shimmering wings sprouted from the gray pony’s sides. “Those wings are made from–”
“Dew and grass,” Rarity said, astonished, as she looked back at them. “I know – I remember from the time Twilight made these for me so we could see Rainbow Dash compete in Cloudsdale. But Trixie, there isn’t any dew or–”
“You’re wasting time!” Trixie shouted. “Go! That portal is going to close any second!”
“What about you?” Rarity asked, as she flapped her wings and lifted off the ground. “Aren’t you coming?
Trixie hesitated. “That spell is too difficult to cast more than once. I’ll find some other way out. Now get moving!”
“But Trixie!” Rarity gasped. “Here – let me grab you. I’ll carry you out!”
“Your wings aren’t strong enough! You can barely lift yourself, remember? Now go!”
“But why didn’t you save yourself?” Rarity asked, astonished. “Instead of giving these to me, you could have–”
“I’ll think of something,” Trixie replied quickly. “Believe me, I’m not suicidal. But get out of here! You’re running out of time!”