//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven // Story: Twilight the Terrible // by RK_Striker_JK_5 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle materialized inside a darkened room. Her horn lit up, sending the shadows scurrying away and casting everything into sharp relief. She gasped as she saw the magically-drained Celestia lying on the bed. “Oh, my gosh!” She hopped from hoof to hoof, her breathing picking up pace.          Celestia's eyes slowly focused on her. She raised her head and arched an eyebrow at Twilight Sparkle and her actions. “Hello... I seem to be dreaming?” She cocked her head to the side. “Who are you? And how did you get the Element of Magic?”          Twilight Sparkle paused and rubbed her chin. “Well, there's a long explanation that we really don't have time for.” She suddenly looked up and grabbed several pieces of falling plaster with her magic, stopping them from hitting Celestia. “So I don't suppose we could dispense with that until after I get you out of here?”          Celestia grunted and lowered her head. She folded her dilapidated wings as close to her body as she could as Twilight Sparkle gently floated her off the bed. She suddenly held up a foreleg. “Wait." She pointed at a corner of the room and a pair of potted plants. “You must get those as well. I am sorry for forgetting, but there's been a lot on my mind today.”          Twilight Sparkle followed the direction of Celestia's foreleg, spotting a fern and cactus there. She suddenly trotted over and leaned down over them. “Oh, no! Mom? Dad?” She suddenly slapped her forehead with a hoof. “Wait, not my mother or father. It's her mother and father. Just alternate versions of my own.” She suddenly reached up and smoothed down part of her mane that had sprung up, then levitated both plants up and onto her back. Twilight Sparkle turned back to Celestia and carefully walked back to her. “There's a spell on both of these, and I don't mean the transformation one.”          Celestia half-smiled. “I showed an old friend of Twilight how to cast a preservation spell on them. They haven't aged or known of the passage of time. It was the least... I could do...” She lowered her head and panted slightly. “Sorry, even talking takes it out of me.”          The room shook. Twilight planted her hooves and stood over Celestia. Her horn glowed and a tendril of energy wound its way from it to the alicorn. “It's not much, but I think that'll help you get to your hooves. I'm sorry I can't spare any more, Princess, but I can't risk the plants or being unable to teleport you out of here.”          Celestia's mane brightened ever so slightly and stirred a bit. Her wings and coat regained some of their luster, if only a little. She slid her legs away from the bed and, with some telekinetic assistance from Twilight Sparkle, managed to get her hooves under her. She stumbled a bit, but managed to remain vertical. She stumbled a bit as the room shook again. “What's going on outside?” she asked, looking towards the door.          Twilight swallowed. “Things are getting a little... hairy out there.” The walls rippled around the door frame. “And I don't think we can get out that way.” Her head darted about, focusing on a far wall. “Although I've got an idea.”          The pair slowly made their way to the wall. Twilight's horn lit up and she fired three blasts of energy at the wall, blowing a large hole in it and sending debris flying about. She leaned out over the lip of the hole and looked down at the empty street, far below, as bits of the wall struck it and shattered.          Twilight blinked a few times and stepped back. She glanced at her croup and sighed. “What I wouldn't give for a pair of wings right now,” she muttered. The floor shook under her, pitching her forward and almost over the edge. With a shout, Twilight reached out with her forelegs, clutching at the wall with them and pushing herself back into the room proper. She sucked in a breath. “Okay, gimme a second. I'll need to concentrate for this one, but I think I can teleport us down to – “          The room shuddered once more. The walls twisted, groaned and buckled inward slightly. Some more chunks of the ceiling fell, smashing into the bed and destroying it. Twilight hopped into the air and kicked her legs about. Her horn flashed and she, Celestia and the plants disappeared in a flash of light.          The group reappeared about ten feet above the street. Twilight slowly looked down as they hovered in midair for a moment. “Oh, horse apples,” she muttered as gravity took over...          Celestia suddenly reached out with her forelegs, grabbed Twilight and hugged her tight while her wings spread out and flapped as hard as she could manage. They slowed slightly, but still landed hard on the concrete with a thud. Celestia's legs buckled under her and she collapsed onto her haunches, groaning and hanging her head almost to the street.          Twilight blinked twice. She spun around and her head darted around as she looked Celestia over. “Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry! Are you all right?”          Celestia blew out a breath and raised her head slightly, just enough to see Twilight. “Nothing broken. And please, don't apologize. You saved my life.” She extended a wing and patted Twilight on the head. “Thank you, and thank you for taking such good care of the plants, too.”          Twilight glanced back at the fern and cactus still balanced on her back. Both were still intact, albeit some of the fronds on the fern were slightly bent. Twilight sighed in relief. “Oh, that's a massive relief.” She rose to her four hooves and looked around. “Okay, I've got to get you as far away from here as quickly as possible to some sort of safe place. Or as safe a place as possible. Hmm, if this Canterlot is anything like mine, then if we go down this street and take a left at the first intersection, we should arrive at the School for Gifted Unicorns. That's the best and closest place I can think of off the top of my horn.”          Celestia's eyes narrowed. "'This Canterlot', you say? For the record, you're right. It is that way, and is probably the best place at the moment.” She motioned with a wing down the street. “Lead on.”          Twilight's horn glowed and she and Celestia started down the street, even as a low thumping sounded out. Twilight looked up to her mentor's counterpart and suppressed a sigh. She bit her lip for a moment before speaking. “So... I'm not sure how much I can explain before we get to the school, but would you care to hear some of an explanation?”          A smile blossomed on Celestia's face. “That would be most appreciated.”          Twilight's brow furrowed. Finally, she started to speak. “Okay, have you ever read 'Daring Do and the Shattered Mirror...”          Shining Armor, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack burst out of Canterlot Castle's main entrance and made a sharp right. They circled around the castle perimeter, quickly finding Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. The pair of pegasi were on the street, Fluttershy hunkered down and trembling while Rainbow Dash stood over her.          Rarity trotted over to a trembling Fluttershy and knelt down beside her. “Darling, are you all right? Speak to us, please!”          Fluttershy's wide eyes slowly rose to look at Rarity. They slid to Pinkie, then Applejack, and finally to Rainbow Dash before losing focus and staring off into space.          Applejack blinked. “As well as I thought she'd be.”          Rainbow Dash's face scrunched up as she kicked at the street, sending a loose pebble flying. “Yeah, would've been even better if I'd keep my danged muzzle shut!”          Applejack's eyes narrowed. She trotted over to Rainbow Dash and jabbed a hoof at Dash's chest, tapping her cloak. “Now listen here, missy. Princess Luna herself told you there wasn't anything you did wrong, there. Heck, I was almost as close as Luna and I couldn't hear you that well. So put a stop to any pity-party you might have brewin'. I've got a feelin' we got bigger things on our plate.”          Pinkie Pie's head bobbed up and down. “Yeah, yeah!” She jabbed a foreleg into the air as booming thuds resounded in the air. “And that bigger thing's coming!”          The group looked up as the ground continued to shudder. A long shadow stretched down an intersection, widening and shortening with each shake. Suddenly, an oversize dragon turned the corner. Little more than a huge baby, the pink-scaled dragon waddled along on too-short legs. It snorted, blowing green flame from its nostrils every few seconds.          Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “You know... she was calling for Spike back there,” she finally said, floating between Spike and Fluttershy.          Shining Armor looked about, spotting a few residents staring up at Spike and frozen in their tracks. His horn lit up and a concave shield formed. He galloped about, pushing at them. “Get out of here!” he shouted. “It's not safe here!”          Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack galloped or bounced off, helping Shining Armor in clearing the streets. Rainbow Dash knelt down next to Fluttershy. “Okay, look. Are you – “          Fluttershy suddenly stood up. “I know what you're going to ask, Rainbow Dash, and no. I'm not all right.” Her head bobbed back and forth. “We're in an alternate dimension where the sun's broken. An insane version of Twilight Sparkle is right now battling Luna and Nightmare Moon, and a giant infant Spike is slowly coming towards us while ponies panic in the streets.” She suddenly flared her wings out. “But now is not the time to panic, no matter how much I desperately, desperately want to run inside the nearest building and scrunch myself into a small, small ball!” She turned to Rainbow Dash. “It isn't too late to do that, is it?”          “It's too late, Fluttershy.”          Fluttershy folded her wings back to her body and hung her head. A stray lock of her mane fell in front of her face. “Oh, all right. But I'm still gonna help!”          Rainbow Dash smiled as Fluttershy flew off and shepherded a group of ponies down a street, away from Canterlot Palace. Within a few minutes the street was empty save for Shining Armor, the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and the slowly-advancing Spike.          Applejack tilted her head and worked her jaw slightly. “So... anyone got any sort of plan to deal with him? I know he's not our Spike, but trying to hurt him just don't seem right to me. He just seems so... helpless.”          Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. “'Helpless', eh? Yeah, you're right. He's not really doing much more than walking towards Twilight when she called him. A Twilight who hasn't really aged or matured since she absorbed all that power...” She suddenly reached into the collar of her robe and pulled out the Element of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash slipped it over her head and placed it at the hooves of Shining Armor. “If this doesn't work out, you're the new Element of Loyalty!” she shouted before flying up to the dragon.          Shining Armor blinked, then looked down at the necklace. “Wait, what?” His head shot up. “Hey, get back here!”          Rainbow Dash paid him and other shouts no mind. She stopped mere inches from Spike's muzzle and shook a foreleg right at him. “Hey, you big bully! You'd better stop right now before someone gets hurt!” She waited for him to notice her before continuing. “Yeah, you! What do you think you're doing, stomping around like this? You're scaring ponies!”          Spike's eyes almost crossed as he stared at the tiny pegasus floating in front of him. He suddenly fell back onto his rear and began bawling.          Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “Well, that was anticlimactic!”          Shining Armor directed a withering glare at Pinkie Pie. “Did you want a fight or something?”          Fluttershy slowly walked forward and craned her neck up as far as possible. “Rainbow Dash, are you all right up there?”          Rainbow Dash looked down. “Yeah, but I think this guy might actually need you.” She turned and cringed slightly at the still-bawling dragon. “There, there... I think.”          Rarity let out a breath. “Oh, of course! He's just a big baby! No mental development at all.” She trotted over to his right leg and patted him. “Poor dear. I feel quite sorry for him.”          Spike suddenly stopped crying and looked down at Rarity. He reached down with his hand and grabbed at her. Rarity gasped and tried to evade him, but his hand engulfed her and brought her up to his eye level.          Rarity squirmed in his grasp. “Put me down, you brute!” she shouted. She banged her hooves against his tough, scaly hide as he brought her closer to his muzzle. “Why, of all the nerve!”          Applejack suddenly fished a length of rope out of her saddlebags and, with a mighty snap of her head, tossed it all the way to to wrap around a claw on the hand holding Rarity. She reared back, tugging with all she had but only managing to budge Spike's claw a tiny bit. She dug her hooves into the street, actually managing to dig up tiny furrows in the concrete. “Let... Rarity... GO!”          Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. She suddenly flew up, all the way up to Spike and Stared straight into his eyes. “Spike, you put Rarity down this instant!” she said, her voice hardening as she jabbed a hoof at the ground below. “She is not your toy and does not appreciate being treated as such. Get it?”          Spike whimpered. He gently placed Rarity back on the ground and sniffed.          Applejack let go of the rope, galloped over to Rarity and hugged her. “You all right?”          Rarity gingerly returned the hug. “Yes, darling. Thank you.” She slipped out of the embrace and patted Spike on his comparatively-gigantic foot with one foreleg while she adjusted her mane with her other. “Still more polite and gentle than that cad Blueblood. Hopefully when this is over he'll be closer in size to our own Spike than how he is, now.”          Pinkie Pie bounced around the street, her head looking back and forth, usually in the direction opposite from where she was hopping. “Okay, streets are clear around here. Now, what?”          Just then, Twilight Sparkle galloped up to the group. She skidded to a halt and stumbled a bit. “Why... didn't I... pace myself better...” she panted out. “Running of the Leaves... why did I remember then and not now?” She sucked in a breath and slowly looked up at Spike. “Oh, Spike, no.” She walked up to him, stopped right before him and cantered back and forth before him. “Just like at my entrance exam.”          Shining Armor walked up to her. “Twiley's done her best by him, but he's got the mind of a newborn.”          Twilight looked over at him, then up to the tallest tower in Canterlot Palace. “Girls, I think it's time. Ready?”          Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash descended to the street, joining Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack. “Ready!” all five shouted.          The top of Canterlot Palace suddenly exploded, sending out a cloud of dust and a shower of debris that scattered all across the sky, landing several blocks away. Luna and Nightmare Moon flew out of the dust cloud, pinwheeling around each other. They halted and turned back to the remnants of the throne room as Twilight floated up and out of it.          The filly was surrounded by a large, purple shield of magic. Her body twitched and her legs kicked in the air. Her teeth ground together and everyone winced from the screech. “I need to FIX THIS! Celestia's hurt because of me and I need to FIX THIS! I've had it with you and the others trying to stop me.” The pillar of light around her horn began to stretch out. “I'm stopping this right now, so I can help Princess Celestia!” Several minutes earlier    “... The others helped me to find my way, now it's time I help you find yours.”          Twilight growled. “You're just a big meanie, Nightmare Moon! You tried to hurt Celestia a thousand years ago, and I'm gonna stop you, just like she did!” She leaned forward and fired a blast of magic right at Nightmare Moon.          The blast struck Nightmare Moon's shield, physically pushing the alicorn back. Nightmare Moon dug her hooves into the floor, digging up rivulets and sending stone chips flying. She snarled and leaned forward, pouring energy into her defense.          Luna, meanwhile, turned her body into mist. She flowed across the throne room to Twilight and reformed close to her. She leaned in and her eyes turned white. “Sleep, Twilight. Sleep...”          Twilight's eyes fluttered close for a moment, but shot back open. “No, you can't do that to me!” She thrust her forelegs out and another pulse of magic fired off, flinging Luna back.          Luna twisted in midair. Her body turned once more to mist, but she still caught the brunt of the pulse. The mist scattered about, eventually flowing around Nightmare Moon's shield and coalescing back into the general shape of an alicorn. Bits and pieces of the mist turned solid, and after a minute Luna resumed her corporeal form. She stumbled around a bit, her mane and tail whipping about. “That was... painful...” she muttered, eyes crossed.          Nightmare Moon glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes. “You remember that never worked on Celestia, right?” She looked back to Twilight. “I'm not sure how much more I can do against her, if anything. Get your horn back on straight and give me a hoof!”          Luna steadied herself. Her own horn flared to life and the shield around the pair brightened, turning almost solid. Twilight fired off several blasts of magic at them, but these ricocheted off and hit the walls. Holes were blasted in the ceiling, and the far wall around the throne itself buckled and cracked.          Nightmare Moon snarled. She fired several blasts of pitch-black magic at Twilight, but each one was deflected away. “Well, it appears right now we have a stalemate, filly. I'd suggest you stand down, or else I can't say what will happen.”          Twilight shook her head. “No, no! I won't let you bad ponies win! You're going down, Nightmare Moon. You're all going to be punished for your crimes!”          Nightmare Moon sighed. “Believe me, filly. I do have much to answer for, and I won't deny my crimes. But before that, I'll make amends with my sister.” Her head suddenly shot to her right. “Luna, feel that?"          Luna's brow furrowed. She cantered over to Nightmare Moon's side and leaned in close. “Feel what?”          Nightmare Moon nodded and sighed in relief. “Exactly. Twilight Sparkle got Celestia out of there.”          Twilight gasped. “Wait, WHAT?!” Her head whipped around and she floated over to the throne. “No nonono! If she's gone, she can't rest! She needs her rest! She's not well” Her lower lip quivered. “She's hurt and tired and it's my fault she's like she is.” Her head whipped around and her body shuddered. “You CAN'T take her away from here! She's going to get hurt!”          Luna sucked in a breath. “Let's hope Twilight gets back here quickly.”          Nightmare Moon took a step back as the area around Twilight suddenly brightened. “I believe this time discretion is the better part – “          There was a flash, and the world turned white. When it faded, Nightmare Moon and Luna were outside, flying away from Canterlot Castle.          Both Twilight Sparkle's and Shining Armor's horn lit up. Two impromptu shields extended over the group, blocking the rain of debris. They waited a moment for everything to have fallen before dropping them. Twilight Sparkle looked around at her friends and motioned them closer to her. “Okay, get ready, everyone.” She looked to Shining Armor. “Shiny, sorry, but you might wanna step back. We're not entirely sure what's gonna happen.”          Shining Armor nodded. He saluted her, then turned and galloped down the street, stopping after a few seconds and turning back. His horn glowed and a shield formed around him.          Twilight Sparkle planted a hoof and looked up. “Okay, girls, formation!” She waited for them to arrange themselves in a circle, then craned her neck to the sky. “Twilight! Twilight Sparkle! You're right!”          Twilight looked down, her glowing eyes widening slightly. “No, no! You won't stop me! I'm going to save Celestia and fix what I broke!” She clapped her hooves together, sending out a shock wave that rattled buildings and broke glass. “Why can't you understand? I have to FIX THIS!”          “Yes, you have to fix what you broke,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “But you don't have to do it alone.”          Twilight Sparkle's own eyes turned a bright white. The entire area around the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony glowed and two rainbows shot straight up into the sky. They twisted around each other and curved towards Twilight. She gasped and erected a shield around her, but the rainbows bypassed it and engulfed her. She gasped as the pillar of light around her horn faded, and her eyes turned back to normal. “What is... what is...” Twilight slowly floated to the ground as the magic she had gained from Celestia disappeared from her body.          Spike's body suddenly shrank down to an infant half the size of Fluttershy. He grabbed his tail and began sucking on it.          In the sky, Nightmare Moon stopped in midair and cocked her head to the deep-blue sky. She gasped and grinned. “Yes, yes! The moon is mine once again!” Her horn glowed and the moon in the sky suddenly lurched about. She giggled and held her forelegs up as the moon danced about in the sky. She waved her forelegs to the left, and the moon slid to her left. She waved them to the right, and the moon followed suit.          Luna flew over to Nightmare Moon's side and crossed her forelegs in front of her chest. “Do you mind?”          Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes, but quickly dropped her forelegs. The moon slipped below the horizon and the sky suddenly brightened. Her eyes narrowed as the sky lightened and she raised her hooves to shield her eyes. “I had gotten used to the light level.” She leaned forward. “Come on, Celestia. Come on! Bring back the sun.”          A minute passed, then two. Suddenly, the sun rose into the sky. It brightened from pale yellow to blazing gold. Shadows were cast into sharp angles and retreated all over Equestria. Ponies all across the land looked up in awe as the sun returned. They shielded their eyes even as tears streamed down their cheeks.          And from the sun, Celestia emerged, soaring across the sky. Her mane and tail flowed out behind her, vibrant and bright. Her coat glistened in the light and her wings were full. She dove down to Canterlot and stopped in front of Nightmare Moon and Luna. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two. “I see Twilight Sparkle was right when she talked about alternate dimensions.” She slowly approached Nightmare Moon. Her mouth moved, but only a bit of stuttering starts came out.          Nightmare Moon held up a hoof. “Sister, I no longer oppose you or the day. I've learned what Endless Night would cause. We will talk, but right now, there are some ponies down in Canterlot that you must talk to, including a very scared filly.”          Celestia nodded to Nightmare Moon, then glanced to Luna. “Thank you,” she said before turning and diving down into Canterlot itself. She landed in front of the Elements of Harmony and bowed her head deeply to them. “Thank you for coming here. You've saved everyone.”          The six bowed to her. Twilight raised her head and leaned to her right. “We were happy to help, Princess.” She raised her right foreleg and jabbed it straight ahead. “But right now, there's someone else who needs to see you even more.”          Celestia turned around. “Oh, my.”          Twilight sat on the street, openly crying. Her eyes were back to normal, albeit bloodshot and ringed with black. The pillar of white light around her horn was gone, and the very tip was slightly blackened. Her small body heaved and she continued bawling. “I-I-I'm so sorry. I just... I didn't mean to.” She slowly looked up as Celestia approached. She shrank back and covered her head with her forelegs. “I-I... just wanted to fix things, like you would've.”          Celestia dropped down and sat in front of Twilight. She leaned forward and gently nuzzled the bawling filly. “I know, I know. It wasn't your fault. You did your best.” Her horn gently glowed.          Twilight Velvet and Night Light, Twilight's parents, appeared next to their daughter. The two dropped down next to their daughter even as Shining Armor galloped over.          Nightmare Moon and Luna landed next to the Bearers. Nightmare Moon let out a sigh and her entire body sagged. “This part, at least, is over.” She glanced around as ponies began emerging from buildings and from down various side-streets. Some of them were shielding their eyes from the sudden brightness. Others were shedding articles of clothing. “But there's still so much to be done.”          Luna patted her on the shoulder. “I don't know what lies ahead for you, but I have faith you and Celestia will be up for it.” She looked down at the ponies. “How are you?”          Fluttershy suddenly started crying. “I'm so... happy she's all right!” She wiped her eyes and sniffed.          Rainbow Dash gently patted her on the back with a wing. “Hey, it's all right. We did it. We saved Equestria!”          Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “This calls for...” She suddenly stopped. Her mane and tail flattened slightly. “This doesn't really call for a party, does it.”          Applejack turned around and stared off in the general direction of Ponyville. “My guess is there's a lot o' shocked ponies out there that need to know what's goin' on.”          Nightmare Moon nodded as Celestia walked over to them. “And I think I know where to start, Applejack.” She held out a wing and swept out to her side. “To Ponyville!”