//------------------------------//
// Too late?! 
// Story: Hidden Spark 
// by EbonyDanger 
//------------------------------//

The shine of the fire danced over the crystals, making them look like frozen water. It showed the shadows of several ponies, who slowly made their way through the caves. Applejack had taken the lead again. Spike was sitting on his back. He had found a dry piece of wood, which with a blast of green fire he had transformed into a torch. 
The mane five had formed some kind of circle around the Cutie Mark Cursaders. They had all fallen silent. Applejack felt their glances, digging in her neck. Responsibility. A heavy burden on her shoulders. The farmer first had been scared of this burden, but now she was ready to take it. Not for herself, but for Twilight.
Whenever she closed her eyes the orange mare could see Hidden Spark, appearing on the crystal walls, mocking them with a satisfied grin. I will make her pay for that! Applejack's sorrow and sadness had been replaced with determination and cold fury. The fury, a leader had, who wanted to bring justice. The masses were a sea of evil, some parts were deeper, some were shallower. And some ponies built themselves floats of rules and hoped not to drown.
Applejack stopped as they reached a branch-off. Two crystalled tunnles, leading to who-knows-where. „Now what?“, asked Spike. It was clear, the dragon and the three fillies could not reconstruct the way they had come. They had come here down way too fast to perceive important landmarks.
Applejack turned her head around. Her friends looked at her, doubtfully and unsure. But Applebloom's glance staid safe and sure. Her younger sister believed in her. And the others did it as well. Applejack felt the trust, which cought them all in its strong web. Applejack breathed out and turned her head back to the branch-off. Left or right?
The mare looked at the first tunnle, then at the second one, then again at the first. Left or right? Which way, Applejack? Make your choice! She closed her eyes and sniffed in the air. The tunnle on the left smelled muggy, thick, dry and made her throat sore. The one on the right smelled nearly similiar, but there was a important difference: A fresh breeze, which caressed her nose and filled her nostrils with fresh air.
Bull's eye! Applejack's emerald eyes flashed open and a bright smile filled her lips. She once again turned her head towards her friends and nodded towards the right tunnle. Then she started to sprint. „Wow“, called Spike and snatched her mane with his claws to avoid falling down. The others ran after Applejack.
Their hooves thundered over the ground. Applejack felt the breeze grow stronger. The others seemed to notice it too for they sighted in relief and took deep breaths. Finalley the corridor opened in a large cave. Applejack looked around and soon found the source, through which the breeze came. A hole in the celling.
„There!“, called Applejack. The mane five and the Cutie Mark Cursaders carefully stepped towards the hole. It was high above them and the light of the moon caught itself in their fur. 
„Now what?“, asked Rarity, „How are we suppose to get up there? Not everypony has wings here.“ 
Applebloom looked around and asked: „How about we use this rock over there?“ 
Pinkie started: „Everypony, we could just.....“
At that moment Fluttershy turned pale and pointed forwards. „Ehm, guys“, she whimpered. Applejack turned her head around. She gulped. Out of the shadows came two very familiar figures. Two mares with wings and horns, which were directed at them. 
Celestia's and Luna's eyes glowed red in the darkness and with a sinister smile they whispered: „You aren't going anywhere.“
For a short moment the mane five stood there, rooted to the spot. Then they slowly started to back away. This is not good. Applejack gulped. She could not hope to stand against an Alicorn, leave out two. The Royal Sisters were infamous for their strong magical ability and the battles, they have fought. Compared to what they have faced in the past, the mane five must be a joke to them.
Celestia's horn started to glow golden. She yerked her head around and fired a glowing, almost white beam at the group. Applejack shouted: „Apart!“ and the ponies seperated immediatley by jumping into every possible direction. They screamed in terror and shock as the beam burned the ground, where they had been standing.
Applejack came to her feet. She checked the area. Rarity and Pinkie Pie stood on one side of the cave, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy on the other. Spike had been thrown off the farmer's back. Applejack spotted the Cutie Mark Cursaders, who looked around terrified.
„Spike, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, take shelter!“, shouted Applejack.  Celestia rose to her hindlegs and fired a beam after the fleeing fillies. The farmer tackled her hindlegs in the desperate hope to distract Celestia from the fillies. As the mare whirled around Applejack was flung through the air and hit the wall with her head. Ouch! She was hurt a bit, but at least the Cutie Mark Cursaders and the baby dragon were safe now.
Rainbow Dash angrily hit her own hooves. „Looks like we have to do this the hard way“, she growled, before the pegasus spread her wings and dashed after Princess Luna. They hit one another in midair and rolled over the floor. Then the whole hell broke lose. The mane five dashed after the two royal Princesses.
Applejack and Rarity were fighting side by side. „Applejack, do you have any idea what we could do?“, asked the white unicorn and angrily avoided another beam. The two of them were surrounding Princess Celestia, performing fake attacks and tried their best to get closer to the Alicorn. But the Solar Princess kept fireing those enormous heat beams, which made it impossible for anypony to get closer then five feet.
Somewhere in the left Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were having a rather similiar fight with Princess Luna. The pegasus shot down and kicked at the blue mare. Luna shot beams and used her power of the winds to distract Rainbow. Pinkie on the other hand fired her party canon and caused some weird confusion in that way. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen. She probably had curled herself up in a corner and avoided the whole fight out of fright.
Applejack panted and jumped over another beam. „Nope, Ah don't“, she confessed. 
Rarity angrily shouted: „Then please be a dear and come up with a plan! Fast, if that is not too difficult.“ 
Celestia roared and charged at them. Her horn was directed towards them. While Rarity jumped to the left, Applejack jumped over the Princess and landed on her back.
„Hyyyhhhaaaa!“, she called and wrapped her arms around Celestia's neck. Now that is what I call a rodeo! Applejack had attended the rodeos in Appleloosa several times and even won several blue strands. Therefore she knew, how to stay on the back of a crazy bull, who jumped around and tried everything to throw her off. Sadly Celestia was not like a bull and even worse.
Celestia rose to her hindlegs and even throw herself on the ground in an attempt to make Applejack fall of her back. The farmer greeted her teeth. Yah've got to try better, if yah wanna get rid of mah, Princess. She pressed her legs against Celestia's flanks and clunched into the long, rainbow coloured mane. Celestia snorted angrily and ran around in circles, buckeling over. The stone ground cracked underneath her hooves. Applejack could feel the coat getting wet from sweat and anger. Celestia's eyes flashed and she bared her teeth.
„Applejack, look out!“, shouted Rarity at this moment. 
„What?“, asked the orange mare. She turned her head around and gasped. Princess Celestia had turned her head backwards and her horn started to flare. A stinging, burning pain exploded in Applejack's eyes as she was almost blinded by the spell. The mare let go off the Princess' mane. One fast turn around and Applejack flew through the air and hit the ground with her chin.
Ouch, mah head! Applejack grunted and came to her feet. She rubbed with an hoof over her eyes. They still stinged and tiny white dots flashed in front of her view. Applejack blinked and winced. She turned her head around and her eyes wided. Oh, no! „Rarity!“, shouted the farmer. Too late! Celestia's energy beam hit the unicorn's horn already.
Rarity flew through the air and rolled over the ground. „Rarity!“ Worried Applejack sprinted in her direction. She had to duck under another one of Luna's spells. The Moon Princess and Rainbow Dash were chasing each other in the air, while Pinkie Pie tried to hit Luna with confetti from her party canon.
Rarity came to her hooves. She smiled and eyed her horn. A blue glow laid around it. „Now that is, what I call an advantage“, the mare said proudly and immediatley fired a beam after Celestia, who ran at them. Applejack turned around. We cannot really defeat them, she thought and bite her lips, They are stronger then us and we all will make a mistake sooner or later. We will have to tie them up.
Applejack's eyes flashed. „Rarity“, she said, „Ah need ropes. Thick, good ropes. Do yah think, you can make such?“
„Of course“, responded Rarity and her horn started to glow, „Just get the dear Princess out of my reach.“ 
„Eeyupp.“ Applejack sprinted towards Celestia and shouted: „Hey, sunbutt!“ The Alicorn whirled around and her dawncoloured eyes flashed. She whinnied, rose to her hindlegs and ran after her.
Great! Now she is after me and what am I gonna do about it? Applejack sprinted through the cave. She kicked a lose stone, which hit Celestia's face. The Princess panted in anger and whinnied once more. Her horn flashed and several bright white beams shot after Applejack. The farmer blinked as the light almost blinded her. She jumped around to avoid the spells.
Suddenley Applejack stumbled as she tried to jump over a beam, which almost hit her legs. The mare yelled in shock and rolled over the floor. Another spell crashed in her and she flung through the air. „Aaahhh!“, cried Applejack as she met the wall with her back. The farmer opened her eyes. She had several bruises and a blue ring around her eye. Her lips were bleeding.
Celestia was coming forwards. Her reddish eyes glowed and her sinister smile grew wider. „Gotcha!“, she breathed. Applejack gulped. She watched the horn of the Solar Princess starting to glow golden, preparing the spell to finish the wounded farmer.
„How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!“ Applejack gasped. The voice, which she normally knew as something soft, quiet and timid, now was louder, sharper and clear. A flashing of yellow fur, then a small pegasus mare with a pink mane stood in front of her. Fluttershy's wings were spread, she was panting in short, angry gasps and her eyes were full of cold fury.
Her eyes started to widen and the glance turned firm, strict and angry. „Listen here, Missy“, Fluttershy said sharply and took a step forwards to the bewildered Celestia, „Just because you are an Alicorn does not mean you can abuse your magic like this. I know, you are a Princess and I owe you respect, but you will not, I repeat, WILL NOT hurt my friend! You have got that?“
Under Fluttershy's Stare and her sharp speech Princess Celestia seemed to collapse back upon herself. She ducked down and her reddish eyes filled with worry and sorrow. „But Mistress says, I must attack any intruder“, replied Celestia and sounded very sheepish. 
Fluttershy shook her head. „No, Princess“, she said and now a small smile curled her lips, „You don't have to do anything. You simply made a bad decision. Now be a good Princess and just sat down, so my friend Applejack can tie you up. She won't hurt you, I promise.“ The pegasus turned to the Earth Pony. „Am I right?“, she asked. 
Applejack mustered her biggest smile. „Sure.“
Rarity came to them at the moment and handed Applejack several ropes. „I hope, those are enough“, she adressed the farmer. Applejack already had placed one in her maw. She mumbled: „More then enough.“ Then the orange mare ran several circles around Celestia and carefully tied her up. One done, one to go.
Applejack grabbed the next rope. She looked around and spotted Rainbow Dash, who flew a sharp edge at that moment to avoid another hard spell. Applejack called: „Rainbow, get the Princess to me!“ 
„Got it!“, shouted the pegasus and panted as she flew a looping to escape another spell. She then shoot down. Luna furrowed her brow and followed at once.
Applejack pressed her hooves on the ground and prepared herself. Her eyes watched Rainbow Dash, who flew in her direction. Alright. Come closer. One... "Out of my way!" Her mane trembled as Rainbow shot over her. Luna was coming closer and closer. Her wings furiously bashed through the air. Two.... Applejack took  a step back and lowered her head. The shadow of the Princess fell on her. Three! The farmer jumped upwards and threw her lasso.
Luna gasped in surprise and shock as the loop nuzzled around her neck. Applejack grabbed the rope and pulled furiously. The noose closed and the Alicorn panted as she was dragged out of midair. Luna stumbled over her own feet. While she was puzzled, Applejack threw more ropes around her and started to tie her up in  a harder and sharper way then she had done Celestia.
Applejack carefully wiped down the sweat from her forehead. Good. Now this problem is solved. She turned around to the other ponies and the small dragon. „Is everypony alright?“, the farmer asked. They nodded. The Cutie Mark Cursaders looked a bit scared but also impressed. 
Spike whispered: „How you fought the two Princesses was amazing.“ 
Fluttershy breathed: „I wish, we weren't forced to do it. They are the Princesses after all. What if we get punished? What if they throw us in a dugeon? Or banish us? Or throw us in a dungeon in the place of our punishment?“ She made a fearfull squee and shivered.
Applejack softly placed an hoof on her back. „Calm down, sugarcube“, she said, „Ah am sure, this won't happen. They were hexed, they did not knew what they were doing. So everything will be fine.“ 
Rarity walked again to the hole in the cell. „Back to my last question:“, she complained unnerved, „How are we supposed to get up there?“ At that moment the mane four backed away in surprise as Pinkie Pie peeked her head through the hole. 
Rainbow called: „How did you get up there?“ 
The Earth Pony smiled brightly. „The stairs!“ She pointed at a staircase, crafted in stone, which lead towards the hole. „Silly.“

***

The mane five, Spike and the Cutie Mark Cursaders found themselves in a corridor, which leaded towards the great hall. Scootaloo said: „The sun rises.“ She pointed at a window. The sky shimmered orange near the ground and started to turn red. Applejack gasped. Her eyes went wide and she put her ears back. „This can't be good“, she whispered.
Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie turned around to look at the mare. The farmer broke free from her paralyse of fright. „We need to get into the great hall“, Applejack explained and started sprinting. The others followed. „Now!“

***

The sun's golden shine painted a frame of light around her body. Hidden Spark's horn glowed, while she slowly rose into the sky. It was difficult to raise the sun. It was not obeying her really well as if it knew, that another alicorn was forcing its magic at the very certain moment. But that did not matter. Those sun-loving fools saw what they wanted and due to her spell they did not even care that it was somepony else.
Hidden Spark had reached the highest point. She opened her eyes and looked at all those reddish eyes. The ponies rose to their hindlegs and cheered. The applauded and whistled. The dark alicorn carefully landed and basked in the glory and praise. She had closed her eyes and made a pose, showing her red hooves.
„Thank you, my little ponies“, Hidden Spark said and nodded, „Thank you.“ A smirk curled her lips for it was time to finish the last step of her plan. She had been waiting for this for such a long time. Her body trembled in eagerness, but she forced her joy down. The serpent eyes opened. „Remember this sunrise, little ponies“, Hidden Spark explained quietly and they all were caught in the web of her speech, „For it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!“
Lightnings danced around her as she threw her head back and laughed malicious. The sun fell down and darkness creeped over the horizon, through every slit. It swallowed everywhere's light. A tension laid on the place, an aura of depression and sadness. The hypnoticed ponies looked at her. No one spoke. Finalley they bent down as if Hidden Spark was a god, which needed to be praised.
Oh, this is just wonderful. Hidden Spark giggled. It was everything she had dreamed about, she had wished for. Her aim was fullfilled. Equestria was shattered in an eternal night and those ponies praised and loved her for it.
Hidden Spark slowly stepped towards the stairs, which leaded towards her throne. The impressive chair was in her back as the dark mare opened her wings and sang with sadistic joy and triumph:
„This feast has been just perfect.
The kind of feast of which I dreamed scince I was small.
I have caused an eternal night
and they all quiver with fright.
Who says, a nightmare force can't have it all!“