The group dove into the snow just as the cave behind them exploded with a deafening roar, casting a column of fire across everypony’s back. Sheets of snow barreled down from the mountain above, covering the opening of the cave and slamming down in sheets all around them. Once she felt the heat pass and the noise die down, Twilight carefully stood to her hooves and looked around.
“Thank goodness.” As Spike hopped off her back completely unscathed, Twilight looked to the back of the group. Rainbow Dash had just made it out with Fluttershy. The two lay half-buried in the snow, Fluttershy whimpering loudly beside Rainbow with her injured wing bent in the air. Rarity was already on her hooves, staring slack-jawed at the freshly charred cave. Pinkie Pie seemed to be fine for the most part, taking time to work out some of the soot from her tail. Off a short distance from the rest of the group was Applejack, carefully laying an unconscious Riptide in the snow beside her.
Although it was now the middle of the night, the land and snow around them glistened a vibrant amber. As everypony looked up to see where the light came from, several gasped at what they saw.
“That pony went and made herself a volcano!” Applejack blinked in disbelief at the top of the mountain they were just inside. The cap was lightly spewing bright magma into the night air. Thankfully, they were far enough to avoid the fallout. But what of Nighttide?
Twilight galloped over to the rest of the group. “Rainbow Dash, we need to find Nighttide. Can you still fly?”
Rainbow Dash looked up incredulously at her as she helped a shaking Fluttershy to her hooves. “Um, yeah. In case you didn’t see that awesomeness back there, I—”
Twilight cut her off by flying into the air. She looked down at the cerulean pegasus with desperate eyes. “Well, what’re you waiting for? Come on!”
Applejack galloped over and shouted, “Twi, wait a sec! Shouldn’t we figure out what just—”
“There’s no time for that!” Twilight made a hairpin turn overhead and prepared to speed off for the mountain, when Spike shouted with a trembling voice from below.
“Twilight, wait! Please… don’t go!”
Twilight froze mid-air. The voice of her baby dragon instantly struck at the deepest part of her heart. In all the tumult of everything that had taken place, she forgot who had been through one of the most harrowing adventures in his life over the past several hours. She hovered in place for a moment, the gears in her head turning faster than ever she could remember. But somepony else helped her make the decision to return to earth.
“Twilight Sparkle,” the thundering regal voice of an alicorn shouted from above.
Twilight spun to find Princess Luna flying in on a chained carriage led by two Night Guards with webbed wings. As the carriage descended upon the crowd of ponies below, Luna leapt off and glided toward the group. Twilight immediately flew back down.
Luna looked up and flared her wings as she made her landing. “Twilight, is everyone alright?”
“We’re fine, Princess. It’s Nighttide.” Twilight dropped her hooves into the packed snow and looked up at the glowing mountain. Just above the spewing lava were about a dozen other Night Guards patrolling the air. “What are you all doing out here?”
“The Royal Guard were dispatched after we received your letter concerning Riptide. When we didn’t hear word from you or the scouts by nightfall, my sister asked me to lead a search team of my own. It wasn’t until the mountain erupted that we knew where to look.”
Twilight looked back down to Luna. “We tried sending Celestia a letter earlier today when Nighttide found the tracking signal, but we never got a reply. Do you know what happened?”
Luna gazed intently at Twilight, her brow furrowed. “I’m afraid I do not know. How long ago was it sent?”
Twilight looked up at the night sky. The moon was already half-way across the mountain range. “Hours. Several hours ago.”
Princess Luna remained silent for a moment, glancing once over at the still body of Riptide lying in the snow. “Explain what has transpired here.”
“Right…” Twilight did her best to fill Princess Luna in as quickly as she could on everything that took place since Spike sent the most recent letter to Celestia. Just as she finished explaining what happened after they found Riptide in the cave, shouts could be heard coming from above the burning mountain. Everyone turned to look.
Several hooves above the spewing lava, the dark figure of a grey mare glimmered in the moonlight, surrounded by the Night Guard. One of the Guards could be heard shouting, “In the name of Equestria and her royal majesty, we command you to surrender!”
There was a faint blue spark at the tip of the mare’s horn, followed immediately by a distorted wave of dark colors that slammed into the Night Guards, knocking them back mid-air.
A brief pause passed both overhead and on the ground. After a moment, Princess Luna stoically walked past Twilight and the others over to Riptide. She leaned down and pressed her horn against the side of his. The two horns began to glow a soft blue as Luna closed her eyes.
Everyone watched for several seconds in silence. After a while, Twilight slowly approached the alicorn. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Luna lifted her head and turned her attention skyward.
Overhead, the Night Guard had regained their composure and began heading over the mountain in pursuit of the now fleeing mare. After considering them for a moment, Luna turned to face the group. “Everypony, pay close attention, for what I am about to tell you is of great importance.”
The few ponies who had been kneeling in the snow now stood to their hooves and slowly approached the Princess of the Night. Twilight sat down on her haunches front and center, pulling close with a wing the baby dragon who had ran up to her side.
Princess Luna breathed a heavy sigh and looked up at the looming moon before speaking. “My little ponies… I’m afraid Riptide has stumbled upon something that was supposed to have been banished many moons ago. An evil not far removed from the same that turned me into Nightmare Moon.”
Twilight’s ears twitched at that, but then she thought of something she simply couldn’t wait to bring up later. “Princess Luna, forgive me, but… when we were in the cave, we noticed Nighttide had grown both a horn and wings. Does that means she’s—”
“An alicorn?” Luna’s nostrils flared, exhaling with a tone of disgust. “Far from it. What you witnessed was a mockery of earth pony, unicorn, and pegasi magic, the likes of which outshine even Discord’s own abilities.”
Twilight gave a forlorn glance to the burning mountain, then gulped. As she returned her attention forward, she said, “Princess, from what we understand, Riptide found several works of history in yours and Celestia’s old castle. He said they included research of a student of Star Swirl’s by the name of Spinel, as well as ancient history of pre-Equestria. They were sealed away in a hidden corridor.” She took a deep breath and finished. “Princess, did you and your sister… hide those works?”
Princess Luna blinked. She took a moment to gauge Twilight’s expression. The recently-transformed alicorn looked up at her with violet eyes, filled with both the passion of an aspiring princess, and the fear of uncertainty.
Luna closed her eyes and exhaled calmly. When she opened them a moment later, she said with a steady tone, “Verily, Twilight. You are correct.”
There was a murmur of surprise between some of the group. Twilight remained fixed in her plot of snow, gazing into the sapphire eyes of the Princess.
She continued. “It is true that my sister and I locked away works of both Spinel the Steadfast as well as ancient Equestrian history. Which, in all fairness, is not Equestrian history at all.”
Twilight nodded apprehensively. “Before Equestria was formed, the three pony races lived separately in the regions farther north, right?”
Princess Luna nodded. “But even before then, ponies lived all across the different regions of known land. The historical works which Riptide found were written by ponies from much farther back, long before my sister and I became involved. They, along with many other kinds of creatures, lived in the land between the mountains and swamps that surround most of southern Equestria.”
Luna hung her head grimly before continuing. “Theirs was a most troubling era, one which, for all we know, may have been the very reason the windigos came into existence. During that time, ponies of all different races lived together – not so much in harmony as in civil cooperation. The magic of the three races at that time was still primitive, and the differences between each were not as clearly defined as they are now. But what made their unity different from ours today was the nature of their hearts: They were conquerors. Not companions.”
The group mulled over the information as she continued. “The ponies conquered much of the land, killing many other species in the process. A term we once used millennia ago for the act was genocide.“ Twilight tilted her head. “It was defined as ‘the process of exterminating a culture, species, or race.’”
Each pony lurched forward a little in their spots. Fluttershy herself had to fight back the bile rising in her throat as she fought against her imagination. But the group was pulled back to the present as somewhere over the mountain, everypony heard a distant rumble – what sounded like Nighttide’s engines roaring louder.
Princess Luna stood up. “To make this brief, before the ponies eventually migrated north, a certain event took place in the caverns of Maretania.” She paused for a moment as she stood over Twilight, looking into her violet eyes with an apologetic expression. “The reason their history was locked away with Spinel’s research is because of what happened there.”
Unfortunately, there was no time to further explain. The sound of a distant explosion caught the group’s attention permanently. Rainbow Dash trotted over beside Twilight with a worried look. “Sorry, Princesses, but the history lesson’s gotta wait. We’ve got a bogeymare to catch.”
Princess Luna nodded, keeping her attention on Twilight. “I will explain further at a later point.” She then glanced over at the cerulean pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, will you join us in searching for your friend?”
The loyal pegasus nodded and gave the two a salute. But Twilight was still clearly confused. “Princess, wh–what exactly are we supposed to do? I still don’t even know half of what’s going on!”
“Follow my lead, and I will instruct you both on the way.” Luna turned to the rest of the group. “My entourage here will escort the rest of you to safety.”
Lifting a hoof hesitantly, Applejack stepped to the front of the group and spoke. “’Scuse me, Princess? I’m sorry if this is a might bit forward, but… I don’t think any of us here are ready to give up on Nighttide.” She glanced back at the rest of the group, who all gave a nod of approval. “I’m not sure how we can help, or even what’s going on. But we’re not ready to tuck tail an’ turn back either. Is there some way we can pitch in?”
“I agree.” Fluttershy made her way forward on shaky legs, the cast of her wing now protruding slightly from her side. “I don’t know what’s happening either, but back in the cave, right before Nighttide…” The pegasus drew a deep breath to calm her nerves before continuing. “…flew away, I think I felt something. I don’t know what it was, but it felt like she was… afraid?”
The group looked at Fluttershy with surprise. Twilight stepped forward and addressed her. “I think I had a dream about Nighttide’s past that last time I blacked out. Did you see something too?”
Now everypony turned to Twilight. She hadn’t mentioned this during her explanation to the Princess, so between hers and Fluttershy’s statement, everypony was now even more confused. Fluttershy replied, “No… no, I didn’t see anything. But I know I felt something.” She turned back to Princess Luna. “I’m sorry. A-anyway… is there some way we can help?”
Princess Luna gave her and the group a sad smile. “It is comforting to know that Nighttide has been graced with the company of such good friends. In time, she will need that friendship. But first…” She redirected her attention to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “We need to bring her back down to earth.”
With a flap of her wings, Princess Luna brought herself to a hover over the snow and turned to her escort. “Guards, see that these ponies are kept safe. If anything unusual happens with the mountain or the mare, escort these ponies immediately back to Canterlot. Have the stallion restrained upon waking.” The two guards saluted the mare and walked over to the group with the carriage in tow.
As Luna glanced down at the group, Twilight felt Spike tug at her wing. The baby dragon looked up into her eyes with a pleading expression and said, “I know you have to do this, Twilight… but—”
Twilight scooped the dragon up into her hooves and gave him a much needed hug. “It’s okay, Spike. I’ll take care of myself. Promise me you’ll do the same?”
Spike tried to stifle a sniffle on her shoulder, but failed. With a wavering voice, he answered, “Y-yeah, I can handle things here. Just… please, be safe.”
As Twilight sat him back down in the snow, the two shared a knowing look – a silent promise exchanged that they would be reunited when all was said and done.
Close by, Rainbow Dash took to the air and joined alongside Princess Luna, looking back down at the pair as they bade their silent adieus. “You ready to go, Twi’?”
With one last pat on Spike’s head, Twilight turned and gulped, steeling the nerves that were trying desperately to fray within her. “Yeah. I’m ready.” Flying up to Luna’s other side, the three flew off toward the southern end of the mountain, banking against the heated airstream now trailing down the side of the rocky surface.
__________
As the three flew against the turbulent air, Princess Luna explained more about what was happening. “Nighttide Star has likely been possessed by the dark aura Riptide was attempting to control. It is a nameless evil – far from what we define as ‘magic.’ From what we understand, it seeks to control anypony who interacts with it.”
“I wonder if that’s what happened to me when I blacked out the first time,” Twilight said. “But I don’t remember anything between meeting up with Fluttershy and waking up in the cave.” Turning to the Princess, she asked, “What exactly happened in Maretania, anyway?”
“It is a long and sad story, Twilight,” Luna said with a mournful tone. “Several generations before Star Swirl and Spinel explored the caves of Maretania, a certain event was written to have taken place there.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head curiously as the three picked up lift under their wings from a warm draft. “Did it have something to do with that ‘jean cider’ thing you mentioned?”
Princess Luna nodded hesitantly. “Genocide, yes. This evil is a mockery of the three ponies’ magic – and we believe with good reason.”
Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the details. “One of the ancient tablets we discovered long ago in an abandoned village near Maretania described a small group of the three equine races who banded together to form an alliance. Their intent, as it was written, was like most others of the time: to conquer the land around them. But their methods were far more political than others of the era. Talks of peace and unity were common, and camaraderie was present. For a time, the alliance was said to have gained notoriety. Some of the attention was good. Most of it was not.
“One day, ponies and creatures from other tribes met to discuss the matter. They worried that the alliance could pose a threat to the lands they claimed. While none wished to work with the others, it was unanimously agreed that something needed to be done. Not long afterward, the different tribes set out to fight the alliance. As the war carried on for several days, the alliance retreated to the caverns of Maretania. Thousands of equines banded together in the confines of the cave to put up a last defense. While it proved protection for some time, once the tribes made their way inside, it was hopeless.”
Princess Luna paused as she stared into the horizon. “One side fought with passionate hatred, the other out of desperate fear. In turn, the magic of their spirits coalesced. With the exception of a few witnesses who were written to have escaped, everypony in that cave died within a fortnight. It was a bloodbath.” She turned her head toward Twilight. “And Star Swirl believed that is how this evil was born.”
Twilight nodded against the wind, trying to take in the information in as empirical a manner as possible, even as her body demanded an emotional response. With a shaky voice, she said, “Are you sure it wasn’t just a legend someone made for fun?”
Luna shook her head. “We considered it for a time. However, Spinel aided in validating the probability of the story.”
Twilight’s ears folded back. “How so?”
“Spinel bore direct witness to the dark aura when it possessed him over a thousand years ago during an expedition he and Star Swirl made to Maretania. Star Swirl managed to save his student using magic of his own, but soon after Spinel recovered, the stallion became obsessed in researching the phenomenon.”
Another closer explosion could be heard just beyond the mountain. Princess Luna turned to each pony. “The finer details will have to wait until later. For now, what you both need to know is this fight will require each of your strengths to pull Nighttide back to waking. And to do so will require you entering her dreams.”
Rainbow Dash glanced over at the Princess with a raised eyebrow. “Her dreams? Is she, like, sleeping or something?”
“You could say as much. From what Star Swirl surmised, when Spinel was possessed by the dark aura, he was lost in a dream realm of his own making. Star Swirl believed that the intent was for the heart of the possessed to become lost in their dreams so that the aura could eventually take control of both their mind and body.”
Twilight blinked. “Riptide mentioned something about a dream in his journal. There was an accident where one of his devices knocked him out, and he wrote about having had a dream. Even Nighttide mentioned having one when I hit her with that spell in the cave!” Her voice became chipper for a moment as things seemed to finally click together, until she remembered her own dream. “But it still doesn’t make sense. Neither one of them could remember any of the details, even though I remember bits and pieces of the one I had. And yet, I don’t remember anything between finding Fluttershy and waking up in the cave. Plus, Riptide mentioned the magic was ‘coalescing in its natural habitat.’ But this isn’t Maretania.” She shook her head and groaned as she added, “And why would it want to possess somepony anyway?”
Trying her best to organize her thoughts in the moment, she turned to Luna and asked, “Princess, do you know what’s going on?”
“I’m afraid I do not. While we have faced this evil more than once, we still do not fully understand how it works. All that we know is it involves the dreams of those it possesses.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Wait. You mean, there was more than one possession?”
The Princess was silent for a moment, then nodded and quickly said, “Long ago.”
Twilight sighed. “Princess, I… I just don’t understand any of this. And to be perfectly honest, I still don’t understand why you or Celestia would have hidden those works.”
Luna merely turned her eyes toward Twilight. With a cool voice, she said, “Would it not befit you more to save further inquiry for my sister?”
Twilight bit her lip, returning her attention forward. “Perhaps so.”
After a moment, Princess Luna added, “For now, let us focus on the matter at hoof. At this moment, our duty is to rescue your friend.”
Twilight smirked weakly. “And that’s where you come in, I assume?”
“Correct. First, we need to capture Nighttide, at which point I will send you both into her dreams. The Night Guard and I will attempt to bring her back down to earth, where we will restrain her until the aura can be exorcised. If the situation permits, I will try to send your friends with you as well.” She looked between both mares with a serious expression. “But the fight will ultimately be up to you. You must find Nighttide within the realm of her dreams, and help her find her way to waking.”
“How exactly do we go about that?” Rainbow Dash asked from aside.
“Seek her out. Follow her wherever she may lead you. The answer will become apparent as you go along.”
Twilight grumbled and looked across the darkening landscape beyond them. “So, we’re flying blind, then?”
Princess Luna skirted closer to Twilight and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Do not be afraid, Twilight. I understand you are confused—”
“And frustrated.”
Luna smirked. “Undoubtedly. But the answers to your questions will come in time.”
Twilight looked away into the night horizon. After a moment, she asked, “Do you think Nighttide will be okay?”
Luna nodded sternly. “This is a fight for friendship. Not blood.”
“Yeah Twi’,” Rainbow Dash added from aside with a hoof-pump. “We’ve fought bigger, badder things than this! We’ll do this together, and we’ll get our friend back.”
Twilight smiled over at her friend. “Thanks, Rainbow. I’m glad one of us is sure of something, at least.”
Just then, the group rounded the mountain and saw a bright flash of orange suddenly fill the air directly in front of them. The three ponies split apart and scrambled around a dense fireball that roared between them. As the flames died down, they saw two Night Guards speed off toward a grey mare who left behind a vapor trail of violet and green.
“NIGHTTIDE STAR,” Princess Luna shouted with her Royal Canterlot voice, causing both Twilight and Rainbow Dash to stumble mid-air. “WE BESEECH YOU TO LAND IMMEDIATELY.”
This was a ruse on Luna’s part. While she hoped to perhaps draw out some of Nighttide’s heart by calling her name, she intended more to direct the attention of the evil now possessing her – which worked in full. The grey mare looked over her shoulder and spotted the Princess of the Night. Her eyes narrowed, and a thin smile spread across her muzzle.
Nighttide’s engines roared louder than before, speeding the mare away as she banked right to divert Princess Luna away from Twilight and Rainbow Dash. The two paired up with each other and sped off toward the Princess as a swarm of Night Guard flanked them on all sides.
Before long, Nighttide was being tailed by well over twenty airborne ponies. The mare banked casually left and right, always keeping the ponies several meters behind her. Eventually, Twilight and Rainbow Dash caught up with Princess Luna, at which point Rainbow doubled up her efforts and flew beyond them.
“Nighttide, snap out of it!” Rainbow Dash shouted as loud as she could as she closed the gap between her and Nighttide, trying but failing to get her attention. Nighttide kept her focus forward, showing no change in speed or course. But just as Rainbow Dash pulled alongside her, Nighttide banked in front of the pegasus and engaged her afterburners.
Rainbow flared her wings and pulled herself into a steep climb, barely avoiding having her mane and muzzle burned by the exhaust. “That little… ugh.” She sped off again, now fighting harder than before to keep up with Nighttide as the two began leaving the others far behind. A shout could be heard in the distance beckoning her back, but Rainbow continued to push forward, determined not to let Nighttide get away.
Nighttide flared her heavy metal wings and threw her body into a sharp pitch upward, her engines glowing intensely in the night air as Rainbow Dash did all she could to match the mare’s sudden ascent. Rainbow spiraled around the colorful vapor trail, trying to find a good approach angle. Then, Nighttide abruptly cut off her engines and threw her barrel sideways to face Rainbow head long.
Rainbow’s eyes widened. On pure instinct, she fanned her wings out and down, pushing herself against the thin air above her back. Nighttide flew straight past at incredible speed toward the ground, barely missing the pegasus.
Rainbow Dash took a moment to catch her breath as she flipped mid-air and watched the mare’s engines roar back to life. “That pony tried to tackle me!” Panting against the dry, frigid air, she fell into her own free-fall, slamming her wings against her sides and using her body to cut through the air in front of her like a bullet.
Several thousand hooves below, Twilight, Princess Luna, and a small army of Night Guards fanned out across the air beneath them, creating a virtual canopy in expectation that Nighttide would try to break away again.
Instead, the mare headed straight for the center of the group, closing the distance by hundreds of hooves per second. As the group watched her descent, the Night Guard closed in toward Princess Luna, who hovered at the epicenter, waiting patiently for the mare to come closer.
Twilight flew up to Luna’s side and looked overhead. “Princess, shouldn’t we—”
Suddenly, Princess Luna’s horn burned an intense blue, surrounding the two in a cool aura. A second later, Rainbow Dash broke off from behind Nighttide and headed straight for the two.
Nighttide pitched up and flew out beyond the group, shattering the sound barrier above their heads. Just as Rainbow Dash banked to follow her, Princess Luna shouted, “Rainbow! Flank us, left side!”
Rainbow braked mid-air and fell into place next to the Princess. As the three flew forward, Luna cast the same blue aura around the pegasus. Twilight’s wings ached with the struggle to keep up the speed they were building, but the aura Princess Luna cast seemed to help nudge her along. With even more Night Guards now flanking each side, the small army headed in a V-formation after Nighttide, who was now slowing down ahead of them.
As they approached Nighttide, the Night Guard broke off formation and spread out in all directions, creating a sphere around the mare. Twilight and Rainbow Dash followed Princess Luna through the center of the sphere where Nighttide had now stopped, hovering mid-air with leg thrusters and the grating sound of metal wings flapping in the cold night air.
Princess Luna flared her wings and suggested for the two ponies beside her to keep a leg’s distance behind her flank. Just ahead of them, Nighttide looked on silently, only the smallest, thinnest smile breaking her otherwise neutral expression.
With a flash of Luna’s magic, a barrier spread around the sphere of Night Guards surrounding them, their webbed wings now glinting with hues of amethyst and azure. Another flash cast a nearly invisible bridge, only tangible thanks to the reflection of the moon overhead and Luna’s barrier. The bridge spanned underneath her hooves, stretching forward and back beneath Twilight, Rainbow, and Nighttide.
The Princess gently landed on the bridge, eliciting the ting of hooves against glass. The two ponies behind her did the same, resting their wings against their sides as they stood behind the Princess. Nighttide landed on the bridge ahead with a heavier thud, ever watching the Princess of the Night.
“I had almost forgotten how flagrant your malevolence was,” Princess Luna started as she slowly walked forward. “That you would choose a pony so innocent as one who is not even born of our land? It truly befits your nature.”
Nighttide remained still and silent, her smile imperceptibly fading to a flat line to match the rest of her expression.
Princess Luna’s eyes narrowed as she walked to within a few hooves of Nighttide, standing firm and upright to face the mare. She waited patiently for the possessed mare to speak. Several seconds of painful silence passed, only broken by the faint humming of magic surrounding them.
Finally, Nighttide’s mouth broke open, and out of it came a horrendous miscellany of gnarled voices that were anything but her own. “Tantum e tenebris receptum constabit.”
Princess Luna smirked as her eyes narrowed even further. “I believe that is my line.”
Suddenly, two sets of rotary cannons deployed from Nighttide’s barrel, humming threateningly to life. Twilight and Rainbow Dash instinctively crouched against the glass bridge beneath them as they looked up at Luna, expecting her to do the same.
But the Princess of the Night remained stoic. She continued with the same inflection as before. “You would use the magic of another mare’s land?”
Another smile broke through Nighttide’s cold expression.
With that, Princess Luna used her magic to throw both ponies behind her off the side of the bridge, just as Nighttide fired her cannons.
A torrent of ammunition filled the air as Princess Luna took off at an incredible speed. Nighttide’s leg thrusters pushed her off the bridge as her metal wings swung violently with the same grating noise as before. The mare struggled to keep her aim, her rotary cannons straining with the hiss of hydraulics as they flung a volley of bullets haphazardly in every direction the Princess swung. The Night Guard remained ever vigilant, bringing the bullets to a safe halt as they slammed into their sparkling barrier.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash hunkered beneath the bridge, flying together in a panicked hover. “What the hay is the Princess doing?” Rainbow asked as a storm of bullets rained down around them.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “but we have to trust her.” A few stray rounds landed on the bridge above them, causing shrill tinks of metal on glass. The two noticed briefly that Luna’s magic still held around them.
Luna was now working to put Nighttide into a defensive position. As the Princess cast concentrated beams of magic around the mare, Nighttide awkwardly dodged the beams, doing her best to land a clean blow on the Princess – to no avail.
After several seconds of the two struggling to inflict damage, the Princess broke off her pursuit and looped under the bridge, spreading her wings in front of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. With another flash, Luna collapsed the bridge into multiple flat sheets that slammed together with shrill clanks of glass on glass. As the bridge collapsed and compressed itself into a tangible shape, the three were encased within a clear magical cube.
Nighttide dove and looped around to face the three, firing a volley of high-caliber rounds at the shield. Twilight and Rainbow threw their hooves over their eyes in anticipation of impact, but instead, the bullets bounced off the barrier around them, cracking the glassy surface in countless spots.
Princess Luna huddled closer to the two mares and whispered loudly, “Ready yourselves. Stay close.”
Nighttide fired her afterburners and plowed through the air toward them. Princess Luna watched, waiting for the mare to break off her approach at any moment.
But to her surprise, she did not.
The mare slammed into the barrier skull-first, shattering the front-most wall with a deafening crash that caused the others to dissipate into a glittery powder.
Nighttide threw herself on top of Princess Luna, pinning one of Twilight’s wings between the two as they began to free-fall. The Night Guard broke off their formation and dove after the falling mares, the remnants of the shield they were holding now dissolving into the dark of the night.
As they plummeted toward the ground, Nighttide’s horn began to glow dark blue, then black, angling it toward Luna’s own. Luna reared her head back, trying to avoid contact with the mare’s magic. Twilight screamed beside them, frantically trying to unpin her wing from the two with her hooves as she hung upside down. They were falling fast toward a swamp below them, now far from the mountains. As she looked around in panic, she spotted Rainbow Dash not far from them, falling unconsciously toward the ground. Luna’s aura appeared to have dissipated from around her.
Twilight heaved one sharp breath, then closed her eyes. Just as her horn began to glow, she heard a flopping noise in front of her. She looked back out and saw two Night Guards hoisting Rainbow into their hooves. As she looked down in the direction of where the sky now was, she noticed the rest of the Guard diving headlong toward their falling mass.
Twilight glanced over at Princess Luna and noticed her horn glowing an intense blue, matching and soon overpowering the darkness emitting from Nighttide’s own. Twilight could feel her body tingling all over as Night Guards pulled alongside the three of them at every angle.
“No! Stay back,” Princess Luna shouted to her subordinates. For a moment, the Guards seemed confused, but they followed her command and flared their wings to brake.
Suddenly, the grey and blue mares locked horns with each other, glowing vibrant hues of blue highlighted by streams of pitch-black. Twilight felt their mass’ descent slowing ever so slightly, but when she looked up toward the ground they were quickly approaching, she knew they wouldn’t slow in time. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind separate around them as she struggled to resign herself to their fate, waiting for the impact.
An impact that never came.
__________
DIRE LAB-1032 - Error report (no./date debug)
sys_err: nocall index access/run: (2:\Database\Historical\Personal\twilight_sparkle.vis)
-file_rep:
“
init
access_all
dump_to_cache
end
“
-
sys_err: nocall index access/run: (2:\Database\Location\Equestria\Mammalogy\alicorn.dtl)
-file_rep:
“
init
access_all
skimto=3
analyse
end
“
sys_err: nocall index access/run: (2:\Database\Location\Equestria\Geography\ponyville.dtl)
-file_rep:
“
init
access_spec=’residents’
dump_to_cache
end
“
sys_err: self-protection policy breach: (1:\Runtime-Policy\Error-Report\0003.rep)
-cause_rep:
“
phys_init
neural_consc_init
WARNING - Self-Protection Policy BREACH; END ACTION
ignore_warn=y
ALERT - Self-Protection Policy BREACH; FORCE END ACTION
main_control_set=conscious// command not allowed
force_consc_rule// enter authorization code
>> mhwwhtgrx23tcwg6gply972wv
Authorization Confirmed! Welcome, Ms. Nighttide Star.
engage_ncn_cnnct
ATTN - Are you sure?
>> y
“
Ext. neural conscious network detected.
Attempting connection… please wait.
/ | \ —
Connection established.
Sarcophagus engaged.
Prepare for descent.
__________
Twilight felt herself wrapped in warmth, her head nuzzled into something soft and plush. Very slowly, she opened her eyes and saw that she was in the bedroom of the Golden Oak Library. Dawn was just breaking outside as an orange glow shone through the window, casting the frame’s shadow at a hard angle onto her bed.
“Wow… the Princess is off to an early start…”
Twilight sat up in bed. The warmth of the comforter escaped her quickly as it fell off her barrel, revealing the chill of the bedroom. She breathed a low, shivery groan and slid off the bed, popping her neck once before making her way to the kitchen.
On the way down the stairs, she happened upon a photo of her and Spike hanging on the wall. “Seven years,” she muttered as she studied the image. Spike was nearly three times the size of Twilight, but he held her close with one of his wings. Twilight could be seen laughing in his embrace. ‘It’s been a long time since Spike made breakfast,’ she thought to herself. Once Spike had hit adult age, she had to let the behemoth dragon go. Not only could he no longer fit inside the library, but his natural appetite had grown beyond that which Twilight could ever hope to sate on her own. She raised a hoof to touch the side of the frame and sighed. “I’m just glad he got out before the Corps took over.”
Turning away from the photo, Twilight made her way into the kitchen and to the refrigerator, pulling out an apple. She hadn’t been one to sit down for a large breakfast in several years, and given her duties as a Princess, she rarely had the time anyway. She was just glad to have the opportunity to take some vacation time off in Ponyville, where she grew up with her friends.
Twilight sat down at the table and nibbled on her apple. It wasn’t nearly as fresh or appetizing as back when Applejack and Big Mac used to work the orchards. Since Sweet Apple Acres was taken over by the Equestrian government, apples were harvested on a loose schedule. You never quite knew the quality of product you would receive when going to the market.
But that mattered little to her. Twilight smiled as she thought of the looks on Applejack and Big Mac’s faces as they were about to head off for basic training. She could still remember their parting words as clear as if it were yesterday...
“…At least this way, Apple Bloom won’t have to worry about her future,” Applejack had said with a spark in her voice at the Ponyville train station, just as they were about to depart.
“Perhaps, but won’t she worry about her big sister?” Twilight had argued.
“Nah, that overgrown filly has too much fun teachin’ those kids crafts at school to be worryin’ about somethin’ as silly as this.”
Twilight knew better than to buy into her argument, but it wouldn’t have mattered what she said. Her and Big Mac were set on enlisting in the Corps. With the latest threat to Equestria, every able pony was needed to protect the home-front, regardless of age. And much as she had been devoted to the farm, Applejack had learned over the years the importance of protecting your kin – both by blood, and by friendship.
“Well,” Twilight had turned to Big Mac, “promise to take care of your sister here for me?”
“Eeyup!” Big Mac gave her a firm nod and a big smile, cool as always…
...Twilight let the memory trail off as she returned her attention to the apple in front of her. She exhaled slowly and rested her muzzle on the table. With a nearly inaudible whisper, she said, “Why did those two have to get themselves killed…”
After a few seconds, she sat up and, with two large bites, finished the apple off and made her way outside. But the moment she stepped out the door, her eyes and ears warned her of something terrible overhead.
“Oh no… no no NO!” Twilight stared up in horror. A blanket of dark brown dots speckled the sky, coarse feathers reflecting in the dawn’s sunlight.
It was the Griffon Armada.
Warning sirens began to blare across Ponyville as residents took to their stations. Anti-air batteries had been hurriedly built over the last few months across the countryside as Equestria prepared itself for the chance that the Griffon Kingdom would eventually launch a full-scale attack. That day had apparently come.
Twilight galloped across town toward the barracks setup on the other side, speaking to herself, “What happened to Shining Armor’s shield? I thought he was supposed to be stationed here yesterday!”
Once Twilight reached the barracks, she heard some of the anti-air batteries begin to fire. She made her way through one of the green tents and bumped into a few nervous-looking pegasi as she searched for the command table.
A familiar voice sounded from a far corner of the tent. “…repeat, this is General Shining Armor, reporting from Ponyville Air Defense. We are under attack. Requesting permission to launch the first battalion.”
“Shining!” Twilight rushed to the corner to find her brother and two white pegasi with blue manes standing at either side of him.
Shining Armor looked up at his sister with a bewildered expression. “Twily? I thought you were in Canterlot!”
“Vacation. Looks like that’s over, though.” Twilight motioned for one of the guards to move out of the way as she walked up to the table, looking over the documents scattered across its surface. “What’s happening? What about your shield?”
Shining Armor shook his head. “I only just got here. Too little, too late.”
Twilight caught her breath and asked, “What’s our status, then?”
“Right.” Shining Armor moved some unimportant papers to the side and suggested to the ones left in front of them. “From what we gathered this morning, the Griffon Armada was stationed just outside the Hayseed Swamps. Baltimare Air Defense reported to let us know a few hours ago, but we figured their strategy would be to attack Fillydelphia, not to swath through the heart of Equestria.” He pulled another piece of paper toward them. “If the numbers are right, this says the invading army could be consistent of nearly ten thousand griffons.”
Twilight furrowed her brow as she looked at the paper. “Ten thousand? So… are we thinking this is it?”
“It has to be.” Shining Armor stood upright and looked at his sister. “This is their attempt to reach Canterlot.”
Twilight used her magic to pull over a blank scroll and a quill. She wrote a message to Celestia and teleported it directly to her. “What are you telling her?” Shining Armor asked.
“That it’s time to retreat. If either her or Princess Luna are caught in the middle of an invasion, there’s no telling what could happen.” Suddenly, Twilight’s head buzzed as she thought about the Princesses in Canterlot. Something didn’t feel quite right, and the environment around her seemed to flicker for a brief moment.
“Twily? You alright?” Shining Armor placed a hoof on her shoulder as the sound of his voice and a nearby anti-air battery brought her back.
“Y-yes. Sorry. Invading griffons in the middle of a vacation is not what I call a good time.” She gave him a weak smile.
Her brother returned the grin as the device he was speaking into before crackled to sound. “Ponyville Air Defense, this is Royal Guard HQ. Permission granted.”
Twilight turned to head out the door as her brother called over a subordinate and shouted some commands. Once Twilight was back outside, she noticed the griffons continued high overhead in the direction of Canterlot. A few seconds later, uniformed pegasi from tents all around began to take off, winding their way into the flak-covered sky as the anti-air batteries wound to a halt.
Again, Twilight’s head buzzed. This time, she felt as if she would lose her balance. Kneeling down on the cleared dirt in front of her, she tried to regain her composure. Once the buzzing dulled, she took off low into the air to check on somepony she had been silently worried about the whole time.
Fluttershy had been sick to her stomach for the past few years with all the war stuff. These days, she spent most of her time in her cottage, away from both town and the woodland creatures she once took pride in caring for. Many critters still lived in the cottage with her, but long since had her spirit run dry, and her home simply did not carry the love and warmth it once had. Over the years, it had grown cold. Especially after Rainbow Dash enlisted.
Twilight landed in front of her cottage and took a moment to look over the place. The foliage around her house had grown thick, having been allowed to run rampant in some areas. While most of the house still stood as a reminder of Fluttershy’s past spirit, the fence around it leaned toward the ground, and the mailbox was full of postage as of yet untended. The scene was bittersweet.
She knocked on the door. “Fluttershy, it’s Twilight.” She waited for a response as she glanced overhead, a scene of hundreds of pegasi wrestling with griffons mid-air. Their cries were barely audible from this distance. She turned back to the door and knocked again. “Fluttershy, if you don’t open up, I’m coming—”
Just then, the yellow pegasus opened the door. Her pink mane hung long and limp to her side, disheveled in most areas. Deep lines creased the recesses beneath her eyes. Sadly, this was not just a sign of lack of sleep on her part. For several years, Fluttershy had been letting herself go, and the stress of war only aided in the aging process.
“Hey, Twilight… Come insi—” Fluttershy’s voice broke off as she peered into the sky at the fight overhead. Her eyes widened as she stared past Twilight’s shoulder.
“Fluttershy.” Twilight pushed her friend inside the cottage and used her magic to slam the door close behind her. “They’re here. We need to get you to the shelter, just in case they decide to invade Ponyville as well.”
Fluttershy looked around her cottage at the motley group of creatures still living with her. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” she said with a flat tone, “but I have to take care of the animals here.”
Twilight stared the pony down and took a dramatically large step toward her, causing Fluttershy to sit on her haunches. “Right. ’Take care of the animals,’ you say? Last I heard, you had all but abandoned the ones in the woods around here.” She took another step forward. “And what about your little farm? I don’t see any pigs or chickens anymore. So what happened to them? Just stop caring?”
“Stop it,” Fluttershy retorted. “Do not go down that road. You know very well why I don’t—”
“I know very well that you’re a coward!” As Twilight spoke, her voice grew in volume and ferocity. “To think, all those years Rainbow Dash used to poke fun at you, she was actually right most of the time! I mean, look at you! You’re nothing compared to who you used to be. And you’d still try to use the excuse, ‘Oh, I have to take care of my furry little friends’ to stay put in this cottage?!” Twilight didn’t want to be mean to her friend, but she hoped that with enough jabs, she would get the pony to lash back – anything to shift her sterile position enough to convince her to seek shelter.
But it wasn’t working. “Twilight,” Fluttershy began in the same flat tone as before, “you are a good friend. But this isn’t going to work. It didn’t work when Rainbow Dash tried either.” Upon saying her name, a visible shiver ran down Fluttershy’s back.
Twilight didn’t know how to proceed next. She walked over to the front window and looked outside. The fight overhead was growing closer to the ground. She wondered if the Air Defense would start up the anti-air batteries again. ‘No, surely not with the battalion still overhead…’ But she worried still.
“Fluttershy...” She looked back at the pegasus over her shoulder and sighed. “I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to – not even as a Princess of Equestria. But I beg of you… for Rainbow Dash’s sake.” She walked over and placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, who remained rigid. “Please, come with me, and let’s get you somewhere—”
Her statement was interrupted by a loud crash overhead as a section of the cottage’s ceiling collapsed. Dirt and debris scattered all around as critters scrambled to escape.
“What the—?” Twilight pushed Fluttershy behind her and took a defensive stance, ready to use her magic. As the dust settled, the two could see a familiar pegasus wrestling with a large male griffon on top of her.
“Rainbow Dash!”
Twilight and Fluttershy ran toward the fight and dove on top of the griffon. As he tried to fight them off, Twilight cast a restraining magic over him and pinned him to the floor.
“You filthy piece of horse manure,” Rainbow Dash shouted as she jumped to her hooves and lunged toward the griffon. She stopped short when she realized Twilight and Fluttershy were standing over him.
Rainbow Dash was shocked at the sight, but her anger overwhelmed any greeting she was about to give. She looked down at the restrained griffon, struggling his best to break free of the magic. She then turned to Twilight.
“Let him go,” Rainbow Dash said with a frightening tone.
“Wh… What?”
“I said, let him go.”
Twilight didn’t like the look in her eyes. Her breathing was labored, most likely from the brawl she just had, but there was a tone of malevolence in her voice unlike any Twilight had ever heard from the pegasus before. “…Why do you want me to let him go?”
“To finish this.” Rainbow Dash pulled out a knife from her saddle-pack with her mouth and glared at the griffon.
Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as she said “You’re going to…”
“LEH HIM GO,” Rainbow Dash shouted through her teeth as she stood over the griffon, knife ready to impale.
Fluttershy was petrified. She stood rigid beside Twilight watching the scene unfold, eyes unblinking.
But Twilight knew Rainbow Dash had a point. She couldn’t stay here and keep the griffon pinned down forever. Although, perhaps she could tie him up somehow.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight shouted with a regal tone. “I order you to conceal your weapon. We will take care of this together. Find me something with which to restrain this griffon.”
In all the years they had known each other, Twilight never once used her regal voice on Rainbow Dash. Thankfully, it was just what the pegasus needed to hear. Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for a few seconds, then let the knife drop out of her mouth as she burst into a fit of laughter.
“Baaahahaha! Ohmigosh! Twi, did… did you seriously just do that?! Hahaha!—” The pegasus fell to the floor, clutching at her sides as she continued to laugh. Twilight wasn’t sure what she was on about, but she was glad at least to see her friend had let her anger falter.
Rainbow Dash eventually reached into her saddle-pack and pulled out a bind used for wings. She walked over to the griffon as Twilight released her magic to let her do her work. But just as Twilight stepped back, the griffon suddenly pulled something from underneath its wing.
Twilight shrieked. “WAIT, STOP—”
It was too late. The griffon withdrew a small dagger with his beak and overtook Rainbow, stabbing her deep in the side of her neck.
Rainbow Dash stood upright as the griffon straddled her back, holding tightly onto the dagger. Her whole body went morbidly rigid as her eyes darted toward her friends. Then, she collapsed to the ground, the griffon with her, as blood began to pour across the floor of Fluttershy’s cottage.
“RAINBOW DASH!” Fluttershy’s blood-curdling wail echoed off the walls as she ran over to her best friend. Running on sheer instinct, she spun herself around once within range of the griffon and bucked him square in the head, knocking him out and slamming him into the far wall with a sickening crunch.
Fluttershy picked Rainbow Dash up in her hooves as the blood came out in a steady stream from the wound. The blood ran down the handle of the dagger and across her forelegs, staining her yellow coat in crimson.
Rainbow Dash shuttered, trying to look up at Fluttershy. What looked like a small smile broke the rigid expression on her face for a moment. Then, seconds later, her head fell limp, as did the rest of her body.
Twilight rushed over to the griffon and used her magic to restrain its wings with the binding Rainbow Dash dropped, then ripped off a strap from a nearby curtain to tie his talons together. Once she finished, she turned around to see Fluttershy staring blankly down at their friend. As she walked up to them, she could tell. The sight went against everything Twilight ever thought could happen in her life, but there she was.
Rainbow Dash was dead.
“R-Rainbow Da…” Fluttershy stammered with a broken voice.
Twilight didn’t hesitate. She used her magic to seal the wound around the dagger and slowly pulled it out, letting her magic coagulate the wound once the steel blade was free of her flesh. But even once she finished, she knew it was too late. There was nothing she could do to revive their friend of so many years – no more now than she could have for their other friends in the past.
Fluttershy continued to hold Rainbow Dash in her hooves after Twilight finished healing the wound. Her body heaved with each shuddering breath. She wasn’t crying. She didn’t know when or if she would cry. Her entire existence was locked in that moment as she looked down at the pegasus, the prismatic mane of her best friend since childhood draped lifelessly across her blood-stained fetlocks.
Twilight opened her mouth to say something when she heard a loud explosion from outside. She rushed to the door and looked outside to see a plume of smoke rising from the direction of Ponyville’s barracks.
“Shiny,” Twilight whispered under her breath with wide eyes. A column of griffons descended toward the smoke, and there seemed to be a never-ending trail of reinforcements pouring in from the distance.
The sirens continued to blare in the distance as the fighting increased overhead. Twilight turned her head back inside at Fluttershy. She wanted to say more, to do more for her friend. But these days, her role as a Princess took precedence. Especially during this time of war.
Fluttershy’s eyes were just beginning to well with tears. Twilight swallowed, and with an unsteady voice, said, “I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll send a recruit for the griffon.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. Immediately, she galloped outside and spread her wings, flying as fast as she could toward the barracks. A few seconds into her flight, the anti-air guns began to fire again. She dove back to the ground, barely securing her landing, before looking overhead.
“I knew this was going to happen,” Twilight grumbled as she galloped ahead, taking the road through Ponyville to reach the barracks. She pushed herself to run as fast as she could, tilting her head down against the wind.
As she galloped down the cobblestone path, she closed her eyes, trying to shake free the thought of Rainbow Dash and the buzzing that was starting again in her head. She had responsibilities to care for, and if the smoke was coming from where she thought it was, her brother could be in trouble as well. She needed to focus her attention on the situation rather than her emotions, but she struggled to keep from falling apart right there in the street. Everything about the war, about her friends, her family – all that had happened in the past few minutes and the past few years weighed against her heart. But something about the whole situation seemed completely absurd to her. How had any of this happened in the first place?
For a moment, there was only the wail of sirens and the clop of hooves to keep her company. She kept her eyes closed for a while as she continued galloping forward, imagining the town’s landscape in front of her. The buzzing in her head increased as the sounds around her grew louder still. But slowly, she began to remember something important.
“No… this isn’t right…” Something else was on the tip of her tongue, traipsing through her mind beyond the sounds around her. An image of Rainbow Dash in Fluttershy’s embrace flickered by, and a sharp pain shot through her heart. “Of course… that’s how I would really feel if…”
Slowly, other darker images passed through her mind. The sounds around her began to dull as she focused her attention on the images. She saw her brother Shining Armor for a second – he was standing in the barracks, but then he was somewhere else. ‘The Crystal Empire? Yes,’ Twilight thought, ‘that’s right. He should be leaving for Canterlot, because…’
“… because…” She racked her mind, fighting desperately to remember what it was that was trying to make its way into her conscious.
Eventually, the sounds around her grew into indeterminable noise that she barely noticed in the background. The only noise that remained clear was those of her hoof-steps, ever beating against the cobblestone beneath her. She continued focusing her attention. The memory was almost there. She could feel it making its way in. Then…
“… That’s right. Shining was headed to Canterlot because of Riptide!”
Her eyes shot open, and her body froze mid-gallop. She looked around at the anti-air batteries and the barracks smoldering in the distance. She thought about her friends, her brother, and the war itself. “These things. They don’t belong here!”
“No, they do not,” spoke a soothing, broken voice from behind.
__________
The voice startled Twilight – she did a double-take and found herself skidding to a stop on a hard asphalt road. She spun around to find Princess Luna standing a few hooves from her in the street, surrounded by familiar looking houses.
Twilight blinked as she readjusted to the darker environment. Just as before, the memories in her mind clicked together at once, and she realized where she was.
“This is Hiigara… Nighttide’s home.”
Princess Luna nodded weakly. “Correct.”
Twilight trotted up to the Princess and immediately noticed something was wrong. Her wings were crumpled against her sides. Plumes of feathers visibly stuck out of her left-most wing beyond the rim, and the coat hair along her flank looked to be freshly stained with grass and mud. A few wet scratches streaked down the side of her muzzle, which carried her signature soft smile.
“What… happened?” Twilight’s head swam at the sight of the injured Luna as she continued to organize the memories now flooding into her mind.
“We landed.” Princess Luna gave her a coy smirk and sat on her haunches, swaying once as she settled herself in place.
“That’s right. We were falling with…” Twilight broke off and looked at the houses built alongside the street. “We’re in Nighttide’s dream world now, right?”
“Yes, and no.” Princess Luna took a deep, labored breath. “What you see here is the culmination of both her memories, and the memories of someone once dear to her.”
“Someone once dear?” Twilight thought for a moment, and as she looked down at the asphalt beneath her, she realized the coat of her legs was grey. She spun her head around to her back and realized the rest of her body was as well, and that her mane and tail were now jet black.
“Twilight. Can you remember what is supposed to happen here?”
Stunned by the strange appearance of her own body, something seemed to spark in Twilight’s mind at the sound of Luna’s words. “Y-yes, I think so. It’s…” She looked up at the horizon and saw the morning sun just beginning to break through. The sky was clear. The air was cool and crisp. She thought for a moment, and then it clicked.
“Today, I will be called into a meeting at work.” Twilight strained to put the pieces together in the right order. Her mind fought against itself as it begged to know how she could even know these things in the first place, but she persisted – the momentum was too great to stop now. “A black stallion will tell me about an attempted attack on the Ferin Sha. I’ll do a bunch of paperwork, and eventually, I’ll go home. Then…” The memories continued to flow into her conscious, but the next image gave her a strange sensation in her heart. She paused.
Princess Luna placed a hoof under her chin and lifted it up, locking eyes with the fellow alicorn. “What happens next?”
Twilight couldn’t understand the memory, the feelings, why she was experiencing any of this. But the words were right there on her tongue.
“My daughter came home… and I was happy.”
Tears started to form around the lower rim of her eyes as other memories flooded into her mind, memories of many times spent with a grey foal with a black and green mane. She closed her eyes and tried to shake off the memories. “Princess, what… what is all this? What am I supposed to do here?” The tears escaped her eyelids. Slowly, she began to sob.
After a moment, she realized the feeling of a hoof under her chin was missing, and the air was moving around her. When she opened her eyes again, all the feelings she experienced washed away, replaced with the sound of rushing wind and the warmth of a sun overhead. As colors and shapes pieced themselves together in rapid succession, Twilight found herself behind the wheel of a car. She looked over to her side and found a grey filly sitting in the passenger seat.
“You’re lucky, squirt,” Twilight said instinctively. “Dad would kill us if he knew I was toting you around like this.”
The filly squirmed in her spot in the front seat, trying to pull the seatbelt away from her neck. “Ugh, maybe it would’ve been better in the back seat after all.”
Twilight smirked. “Really? After all that whining?” She returned her focus back to the road ahead. “You would find something else to complain about.”
The filly scoffed as she looked out the side of the car. They were riding in a red convertible with the top down, driving along the side of a cliff overlooking the city. Twilight had made it a regular thing for her and her daughter to visit the Ferin Sha Overlook once every weekend, since she rarely had time to spend with her during the week. And today was a special day.
“So,” Twilight continued, “have you told dad what you want for your birthday?”
“No.” The filly tapped her hoof on the edge of the door panel. “You know he won’t like it.”
“Ah, I don’t think it’ll be that bad. I mean, you’re old enough for one now. I was skateboarding when I was your age!”
“Yeah, but dad wasn’t your dad,” the filly said with a deflated voice.
“Well, dad’ll just have to answer to me then, ‘cause…” Twilight let her voice trail off.
The filly looked over at her with a puzzled expression. “’Cause what?”
They were now pulling into the parking lot of the overlook. Twilight found an empty spot, and without saying anything further, she popped the trunk and looked over at her daughter with a sly grin.
The filly blinked, clearly confused. She jumped out of the car and raced to the trunk. As Twilight pulled the lid open, the filly’s eyes grew wide.
“M-Mom? You didn’t…”
Twilight beamed. “I sure did.”
The filly slid a long, plain looking cardboard box out of the trunk and let it fall to the ground. She hurriedly opened one end and practically ripped the box in half. There, in a mess of packing peanuts and tape, lay a brand new skateboard, already assembled and ready for use.
“Ohmigosh! Mom! You… you really—”
“Yup.” Twilight booped the filly on the nose. “It’s all yours.”
The next few moments were followed by a series of squeaks and squeals from the filly and lots of hugs. Twilight insisted she show her what she had already learned from her friends, and the filly promptly hopped onto the skateboard and took to gliding around the parking lot.
“Nothing too crazy, now,” Twilight shouted from beside the car. “And watch out for other vehicles!” She had rarely been one to be too restraining of her daughter. The filly had always been a smart cookie in her eyes, and in the world they lived, she wanted her to be able to have as much fun as possible.
The filly used three of her legs to balance on the board as she used a forth to propel herself forward. Once she had enough momentum, she carefully balanced herself on her hind legs and attempted to do an ollie. The kick was good, but she missed the landing, sending the board flying behind her as she fell muzzle-first into the asphalt.
“Nighttide!” Twilight shouted as she ran toward the filly.
Suddenly, it felt as if the weight of a thousand chains wrapped themselves around her barrel, pulling her back into a dark void. Before she knew it, everything in front of her and all the sounds around her were gone.
__________
Once more, Twilight was surrounded in darkness. But this time, a sound perpetuated in the air, constant and clear. All of her memories recognized this sound as familiar.
It was the beeping of a heart monitor.
After a few seconds, Twilight could hear a variety of voices around her.
“… is stable, right?”
“Yes, sir. 110 over 80. Stable at 52 beats per minute.”
“Any internal injuries?”
“We don’t know yet. I’m sorry, Colonel, but I need to ask you to step aside.”
Twilight could feel her eyes trying to open. As she attempted to move her head, she felt as if she was being restrained, but then it slowly began to move on its own.
“She’s coming to!”
“Stop. Before you take her in…”
As her eyes opened, Twilight saw the muzzle of a black stallion staring down at her with a stern expression.
“Nighttide. Can you hear me?”
‘Nighttide?’ Twilight thought to herself. The sensations around her were strange. She was neither in control of her body nor her memories. She felt as if she was separated from everything that was taking place, and yet she was one with it at the same time. Her voice tried to sound, but a sharp pain shot through her torso and all throughout her legs. Instead, she ended up screaming.
“Colonel, please let us do our job!”
Twilight felt her body moving downward – or perhaps it was forward. Her head moved on its own to the side as she started to cry uncontrollably. As she watched helplessly from the hard surface she lay on, she noticed several white-wash halls pass by, filled with dozens of nurses scrambling around. Ponies of all sorts lie on stationary gurneys, all with different kinds of visible injuries. Her head began to buzz as the sound of crying, shouting, and screaming came from all around her, as well as herself.
The images and sounds mixed together into an indeterminable mess. Before long, silence reigned again, and she found herself lying on her side looking straight at a green curtain. After a moment, a brown mare sat down in front of her with a weary expression. She, too, was familiar.
“Hey there, Nighttide.” The mare smiled weakly down at her. “How’re you feeling?”
It only now registered with Twilight that she must have been re-experiencing Nighttide’s memories. She relaxed a little in her stasis as her body and voice acted on their own. “… mom… where’s mom?”
The mare struggled to hold her smile as her eyes darted away. “Everything’s going to be just fine, Nighttide.”
Her body tried to shift upright, but then she realized something odd. There was no feeling in her legs. She struggled to pull the blanket off her side with her mouth, and as she peered inside, she noticed her entire torso was wrapped in bandages – flat across where her legs were supposed to be.
Immediately, she began to freak out.
“What?! Where… wh-where are… mom! Mom!!”
She screamed as loud as she could. The brown mare jumped to her hooves to press a nearby button, and in a matter of seconds, three nurses stormed into the room. Twilight, or perhaps Nighttide, tried everything she could to move, but there were no legs with which to move herself. Instead, her torso wriggled pathetically in place as she continued to scream for her mom.
“Five milligrams diazepam!”
Two nurses came up to either side of her and flipped her onto her back, forcing open her mouth as another shoved a tablet down her throat.
“I’m sorry, darling, we’re all out of shots…”
Twilight could feel Nighttide’s body struggling to swallow the sharp, dry substance down her throat. As soon as it fell past her windpipe, she began screaming again.
The nurses all stood by her side as the brown mare attempted to stroke her mane. But in doing so, Nighttide’s head flung away and slammed into the railing of the bed. The pain of the impact rang through her ears, but before long, a numbness began to travel through her body. She could feel Nighttide’s mind slowing down, even though Twilight was still perfectly aware of what was taking place.
After a while, the black stallion from earlier walked up and sat down within eyeshot. Twilight then heard the brown mare’s voice speak behind her. “Colonel, I don’t think—”
The stallion cut her off. “Nephilim, this is my duty. The sooner it’s out of the way, the better.” He lowered his head until it was even with Nighttide’s. Twilight recognized him from both Nighttide’s memories and those she experienced in the cave.
“I’m sorry, child. But there was an attack on our city.”
Twilight felt Nighttide trying to process the information. Her head swam as it worked against the medication. After a moment, she began to speak with a broken voice. “Wh-where’s my mom?”
The Colonel shook his head. “She didn’t make it.” With a resolute tone, he said, “Your parents were killed in the attack.”
While the information clicked with Nighttide, her mind and body were now too slow for her to respond the way she wanted. Her eyes widened for only a moment, and slowly, the sights and sounds around her faded.
But a sensation followed her – a most miserable, lonely sensation that swallowed both Nighttide as she fell asleep, and Twilight as she was separated from her body.
__________
Twilight’s heart bore the burden of the filly’s remorse. It took every fiber of her being to keep from losing herself in the ire of misery. But then, a gentle warmth surrounded her once again. She could just make out the twinkling of stars against a blue canopy beginning to take form.
Princess Luna’s voice spoke in a calm tone from the air around her. “We are not there yet, Twilight. Will you be able to hold out?”
“I don’t…” Twilight drew a few deep, calming breaths, then continued. “…I don’t know. This is all so new to me.” She took a moment to soak in the warmth now wrapping her body. It helped to calm her heavy heart, and after a minute, she spoke again. “I think I will.”
Princess Luna continued in her soft voice. “Know this, Twilight. I can only lead you where she would have us go. In the end, it will be up to you to shine the light in her heart.”
“Shine the light…” Twilight’s voice trailed off as once again, shapes and sounds began to take form. Just before the next memory clicked together, a terrifying thought passed through her.
“Rainbow… wait, where’s Rainbow Dash!”