//------------------------------// // The Shackles (Part 8 of 8) // Story: The Rainboom Thieves // by KingJoltik //------------------------------// “Please be calm Twilight Sparkle.” said Celestia raising her hoof. “No...I won't be calm...” said Twilight as her horn glowed brighter and brighter. Magic began to flow into her horn as it continued to shine. While Celestia and guards looked directly at Twilight's horn as it glowed more and more, Twilight quickly grabbed the disguise ring she had turned off and slowly put it in her bag under her cloak and closed the bag. “Don't do this Twily, we just want to talk.” said Shining Armor as several guard unicorns went in front of Celestia with Shining. Twilight looked right at Celestia, aiming her horn directly at the princess. “Last chance, 'Princess of the Sun', leave me alone or else!” yelled Twilight in anger. “Twilight, I mean you no harm. I just want to talk.” said Celestia calmly. “Just want to talk?! Is that why you brought all these guards to surround me?! Is it?!” yelled Twilight. “If I had not brought guards then you would have just left.” “Shut up!” said Twilight, “Leave me alone or you will regret it!” Celestia closed her eyes and then opened them with sincerity, “I am sorry, but I can not.” Twilight gritted her teeth and said, “Okay then...” Then Twilight's eyes shined as she shot a beam of magic out of her horn. BLAM! “GUARDS! SHIELD HER HIGHNESS NOW!” yelled Shining as him and the other guards formed a magic barrier around Celestia. But the barrier wasn't enough. The beam immediately hit the barrier and smashed to bits, causing Shining and the guards to go flying. BOOM! “Augh! Aaaahhhh! Ow!” said the guards and Shining as the fell to the ground, instantly beaten. Twilight cricked her neck back and forth. Twilight smiled as she then looked at Celestia. Twilight's mind began to race, thinking of her options, 'Hmm...I beat them and I did it easily. If that's the case...Maybe I can take her too...I beat that other unicorn she sent to the train as well...Yeah...I can do it...' Twilight gave a big smirk and then said to Celestia, “Last chance, let me leave or I'll beat you just like I beat them.” “No. I will say this one more time Twilight Sparkle. Calm down, all I want is to talk to you.” said Celestia as her face showed a hint of anger. “You know...all I want is to leave...Fine, I warned you.” said Twilight as her horn began to glow again. Then Twilight's eyes turned white as her horn began to shine like crazy. Twilight shot another beam of magic at Celestia. BLAM! Celestia immediately retaliated with another beam at Twilight. BLAM! Both beams clashed and both beam stopped moving. The beams were at a stalemate. Sweat began to pour from Twilight's and Celestia's foreheads. Both horns continued to shine more and more. The guards surrounding the situation began to gasp, shocked at the scene they saw in front of them. “No way. She's....she's fighting her highness to a stalemate.” said one guard. “That can't be!” said another guard. Twilight's body began to glow, her eyes continued to shine as more and more magic poured out of her horn. Twilight's mind began to stop thinking as she used more and more magic in her horn. Then she began yelling at Celestia, “No...I...won't lose...I...I...I WON'T LOSE!!!” Then the beams of magic stopped. At that moment, the beams that were fighting each other stopped and all the magic that poured into each other began to mix. Then the magic combined and then created a huge magic explosion. BOOM! Both Twilight and Celestia went flying from the explosion along with the guards. Twilight slammed into the ground, rolling down the street getting bruise after bruise. Celestia crashed into a bunch of her guards like a bowling ball into a bunch of bowling pins. SLAM! Twilight put her hoof on her head as she slowly tried to get up. Her eyes were hazy and her balance was off. “Ugh...that hurt...” she said to herself as she then looked at Celestia. She was still on the ground after the explosion. “Heh...heh...heh...Well, would you look at that...I won.” Twilight then turned around and began to stumble out of the street. All the guards had been sent flying from the explosion. Then, as Twilight was about to leave the outskirts of the city, Cadance flew down in front of Twilight. “Cadance...I should have known you would come...” said Twilight with anger in voice. “Twilight...please...just let us talk...please...don't do this.” “Get out of my way Cadance...I'm leaving this place and that's that!” said Twilight as her legs began to shake from exhaustion. “Twilight, you're obviously exhausted from using that much magic...just please stop...” “Don't let me tell you again...get out of my way Cadance...” “Why...why won't you stop Twilight?” asked Cadance as her face puffed up and tears began to fall out of her eyes. “I can't stop Cadance...I have to get out of here...I have my own path to follow Cadance.” said Twilight as voice began to get louder, “Now...Get out of my way!” Cadance just stood there. Then her head dropped down and tears fell off her face. “Twilight, I still don't fully understand what happened to you...but...I still believe in you.” Twilight had prepared to fight to Cadance, but then saw Cadance as she just stood there in sadness. Twilight then just walked past Cadance and said one thing, “Goodbye Cadance.” Cadance just stood there as Twilight walked past her and started to leave Canterlot. Then a voice spoke up behind Twilight. “Stop right there Twilight Sparkle.” said Celestia as she descended in front of Twilight. “I am sorry but I will not let you go.” “Back again huh?” said Twilight with a angry tone, “Still won't let me leave?” “I can not. If you leave, Equestria will be in grave danger.” “Is this about your prophecy?! I'll tell you this...destiny doesn't exist,” said Twilight in a grim tone, “I'll make my own path!” “Is that truly what you believe?” said Celestia, “Surely you saw it for yourself, the magic within you as you fought me. No ordinary pony can wield such power. That is the power of one that is chosen by Harmony.” “That 'power' is nothing more than a product of years of research and magic studies! Nothing more, nothing less.” said Twilight as looked at Celestia with anger filled eyes, “That's all there is to it.” “...” “Now, get out of my way.” Then two voices called out behind Twilight, “Twilight? Is that you?” Twilight's eyes began to grow, sweat went down her head as a shiver went down her spine when she heard those voices. She didn't want to turn her head but her body turned her head anyways. She then saw the two ponies who called out earlier. They were her parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Twilight then slowly turned her head back at Celestia, “You...you called them here didn't you?!” Celestia calmly said, “Yes...yes I did.” Twilight's horn began to shine immediately as she then yelled, “You monster! How much do you want to torture me?!” “They wanted to see you Twilight. They wanted to see their daughter again.” said Celestia in a soft tone. “Lies! They hate me you monster!” yelled Twilight as she prepared to shoot another beam at Celestia. “Twilight...please...just listen to us.” said Night Light. “Twilight...” said Twilight Velvet as tears went down her face. “Please...at least let us talk to you...” Twilight turned around with anger filling her eyes, she then yelled at them, “Stay away from me! You hate me don't you?! Then just stay away!!!” Her parents stepped back a little and then Night Light spoke up, “We don't hate you Twilight...please...just listen to us...” Twilight then began yelling at the top her lungs, “AUGH! WHY WON'T YOU PONIES JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!” Twilight's horn began to start shining even more, she then turned around to Celestia. Twilight prepared to strike Celestia with everything she had. Celestia pointed her hoof at Twilight and said, “Don't Twilight.” “SHUT UP! THIS ENDS NOW!” yelled Twilight as her eyes began to glow. Celestia readied herself as Twilight was about to begin her attack. Then Twilight stopped. She just stopped, her horn stopped glowing and her eyes went back to normal. Tears began to go down her cheeks as she felt two ponies hugging her. Then a third pony began to hug. “Stop Twilight...please...just stop!” said Night Light, “We're sorry...we're so so sorry!” “Please forgive us!” said Twilight Velvet. “Please stop Twilight!” said Cadance as she hugged Twilight as well. Then a fourth pony came and hugged her as well. “Stop it Twily! Please...We all love you!” said Shining Armor as she hugged her. Tears kept flowing down Twilight's face. Twilight began to tremble, hearing all these words. She tried to speak, “No...you...you...you all hate me...you all hate me...no...” Then Twilight's head slumped down as more tears came out of her eyes. “No...no...no...” Twilight then put her hooves around her family. Tears just kept flowing from her eyes as she hugged her family more and more. Her parents kept saying they were sorry over and over. Twilight slowly fell over and slumped to the ground. She then said, “It's not fair...not fair at all...” “What's not fair Twilight?” asked Cadance. “You're all supposed to hate me...you have to hate me...” said Twilight as laid there, shivering. “No...we love you Twilight.” said Night Light, “We're sorry we drove you away Twilight...We're so so sorry...” “Please Twilight...” said Twilight Velvet, “We know you probably won't forgive us but...please...at least let us tell you we're sorry...we're so so sorry...” At that moment, Twilight collapsed on the street due to exhaustion. Her eyes slowly closed as her consciousness began to fade. At the same time, Celestia fell down on the street as well. Both fell unconscious on that street, surrounded by Twilight's family. It was at this very moment, Twilight's fate began to change. At this moment, the shackles of Harmony began to take hold...