//------------------------------//
// Part 7 
// Story: Darkshine 
// by Foxtrot 
//------------------------------//

	Princess Luna wandered on unsteady hooves out onto the balcony. Her head was swimming, her stomach was sloshing back-and-forth inside her. Hard partying would do that to anypony, even an alicorn with a magical metabolism. Luna stifled a wine scented belch and gazed, with benign fuzziness, over the greatest city of her kingdom – or rather her and Celestia's kingdom, she reminded herself. Her heart went out to her ponies. Right now she loved them all, each and every one of them, even if she didn't know them personally, even if they thought she'd turn back into Night Mare Moon at the drop of a horseshoe.
Luna's eyes wavered in her head. A silly smile formed on her muzzle. Below her, Canterlot. Above, her moon in the starry heavens. All of Equestria was at peace. She couldn't ever remember being this happy.
Pinkie Pie was lying on the balcony, on her back with all legs pointing straight upwards, gazing at that very same sky. 'Hi, Luna. I'm glad you came out here because I was all alone and it's not a good idea for me to be on my own for too long. I start to get all sorts of weird thoughts in my brain.'
Luna stifled another belch. 'You too.'
Pinkie frowned with great seriousness. 'I get to thinking I'm the only pony left in Equestria 'cos everypony else has vanished. And there's no such thing as cheese.'
'Cheese,' Luna stated, 'Is eternal. It will always and has always exist. Ed.'
The party pony's eyes narrowed. 'Say. What's that?'
'What is what?'
'Up there. On the moon.'
'The moon is my domain.' Luna reared back, with some care, to look into the sky.
'Cos you love Blue Blood...' a raucous voice floated out from the castle behind them.
'I most certainly do not,' stated an answering voice with prim certainty.
'You want to kiss him.'
'The very thought. Ugh, those slobbery lips.'
'And have his babies.'
'You obviously get your ideas from the... the silly ideas factory.' Rarity emerged onto the balcony. She had the glassy-eyed look of advanced inebriation. As she walked she placed each hoof on the ground with exaggerated care. Rainbow Dash flew out behind her. The cyan pegasus's wings were buzzing rapidly. She was moving through the air with a list of about 17 degrees. Dash bumped into a pillar and dropped to the ground with a curse followed by a giggle.
'Ah tell ya...' the new voice boomed out behind them, its drawl more pronounced than usual. 'This so-called Canterlot wine is weak as piss-water. Why it's verchally a soft drink. It ain't got nothin' on that there down-home apple brandy we cook up down on the farm. That's real liquor for you. Puts hairs on your chest I tell ya... shoot. I believe I've come over a trifle dizzy. Jus' need me some fresh air.'
'Um, Applejack, the balcony is that way. Sorry.'
'Oh, right you are. Thanks.' And now Applejack appeared. A deep orange blush had risen to her cheeks. Her freckles stood out like sunspots. Her green eyes were crossed and half shut. Fluttershy trotted out behind her. In contrast with the rest she seemed a model of sobriety. However she appeared to have trouble moving in anything other than a perfectly straight line.
'Ah, tha's better.' Applejack rolled her hat back on her head and let out a belch of astonishing resonance. Rainbow Dash, not to be outdone, wobbled to her feet and emitted an eructation of her own.
'Shut up, you guys.' Pinkie Pie executed a perfect somersault and landed on her hooves. 'Check out the moon. Something's going on.' And sure enough the moon's dark limb showed brilliant purple flashes of light. A moment later the purple was answered by a coldly glowing beam of blue, sweeping back and forth. The clouds dispersed as a new emotion, combining hope and dread, seized hold of the watchers.
'Those purple flashes – that's Twilight's magic,' said Rarity. 'I'd recognise that anywhere.'
'The blue is the magic of the Dark,' Luna stated. 'I should know.'
Applejack reared up to plant her hooves on the railing. 'Gosh darn it. It's a fight, that's what it is.'
'Twilight's up there.' Rainbow Dash went to stand by her friend. 'We have to help her. Come on everpony, what do we do?' The friends exchanged glances and a single thought coalesced between them.
Celestia.

#

The Princess of the Sun reclined on royal pillows. A cup of flower tea stood cooling beside her. She was not thinking about financial strategy or diplomatic relations with other nations or reorganisation of the executive branch. In fact she was not thinking anything at all. Merely to sit in silence, as passive as a plant or sea anemone, to deny Equestria's demands, even for a little while, was a luxury. Something which needed to be wrested from the gluttonous jaws of the day.
And yet, even in the fullness of her repose, something came to trouble her. Pebbles were dropping into the still waters of her consciousness. Ripples were spreading.
Somewhere there was a magical disturbance. Somewhere was an exchange of energies so intense she was aware of it even without looking for it.
It made her horn itch.
A frown appeared on the ageless white of the crown-bearing forehead. Equestria, why do you trouble me so? Can you not give me a moment's peace? What makes you so jealous of my time?
The Sun Princess rose in a smooth motion. She shook out her mane so that it floated in a glowing cloud around her head. A moment later the doors of the royal apartment crashed open. Luna galloped in and skidded to a halt in front of her. The five Elements followed in an unruly scrum.
Off their faces, all of them. Absolutely wankered. Pissed as newts. Celestia raised a royal eyebrow. 'Luna, my sister. My little ponies. You have been partying hard, I see. To what do I owe the pleasure of this interruption?'
Luna stood before her with flanks heaving and head down. 'Tia, the moon.'
Celestia's pupils shrank. She remained motionless for a shocked second. Then she thrust open the drapes on the window. 
The battle was fiercer now. The purple and blue flashes were painting the streets and buildings of Canterlot with razor sharp shadows.
'It's Twilight, ain't it,' said Applejack quietly beside her. 'Twilight and that... thing. They're fightin', sure enough.'
'No.' Fluttershy shook her head. 'Twilight's fighting herself.'
'Celestia,' said Luna, low and urgent. 'You can bring her back.'
How hopeful were their faces. How intense their expressions, urging her to action. She stood as if carved from stone, gazing at the moon. Then she looked back. 'No.'
Shocked disbelief stared back at her.
'I am sorry. It is too dangerous.'
Rainbow Dash scowled in outrage. 'Too dangerous for who?'
'If Twilight Sparkle falls to the force you know as the Dark – if she returns as Darkshine – she could cause untold destruction.'
'We stopped her before, didn't we?' Applejack stamped a hoof on the floor. 'We got the Elements, ain't we?'
'The Elements will not work. I am sorry.' Celestia turned away.
The friends exchanged glances. What now? 'Dearest sister,' began Luna in that Celestia-please-listen-to-reason voice she almost never had to use. 'Have you considered...'
'You, Luna, have not found a method for freeing Twilight Sparkle.' Celestia's eyes narrowed. 'Ponies' lives are at stake.'
'No.' Rainbow Dash punched the air in fury. 'No, no, no! You're supposed to be wise, and good, and smart, and you're asking us to watch while Twilight has the fight of her life.'
'What if she looses,' cried Pinkie Pie. 'I just couldn't bear it.'
'I have made my decision.' There was an edge of anger in Celestia's voice. 'I'm disappointed that you do not accept my reasons. But it changes nothing.' The moon over her shoulder flared cold and blue. For a moment the Princess was transformed into a silhouette of absolute blackness.
'Oh, it's getting worse.' Fluttershy went to the window and peered yearningly upwards. 'Twilight, I wish you could hear us!' Celestia looked over her shoulder at the strobing disc in the sky. She reached out with magical senses but no magic was necessary to read the ferocity, the desperation of that lonely struggle.
'Tia.' Luna spoke close to her ear. 'She's our friend.'
'It's what we're supposed to be about, ain't it? Friendship,' declared Applejack. 'We believe in it, don't we, girls?' There was a chorus of agreement from the others.
Luna moved in closer and pressed her neck against Celestia's. 'Friendship has never failed us, my sister. It brought me back to your side.'
Luna, more precious to me than my own flesh. You just had to bring that up, didn't you? And I have no defence. 'Very well.' Celestia paused. She still couldn't believe she was going to do this. 'We must go to the throne room. Quickly now.' Celestia launched into a full gallop. She left their babbled thanks behind as she fled through the doors and down the royal staircase. Metal shod hooves struck sparks from the stone. The echo of her hoofbeats raced ahead of her through the vaulted spaces of the castle.
She slowed to a walk as she entered the empty throne room. Calm now, she needed to be calm in order to cast the enchantment required for the retranslation. And she needed to be prepared, in case...
The Princess shook her head. This was madness.
The six elements bundled in behind her. They clustered around her, demanding to be told what to do. Sometimes, she reflected, the supreme ruler was no longer the master of events but their servant. 'All of you, go and arrange yourselves over there.' She pointed with a hoof. They all made a great production out of who was supposed to go where until she told them all to be quiet and let her concentrate.
The throne room fell silent. Celestia blanked everything from her mind. With her horn she assayed the first of the temporal-spatial translations. Wheels of magic spun and interlocked in her mind. A ring of light formed on the floor. The solar magic rose from its rim in little drops and streamers of gold.
A shape took form in the ring.
Its head was down, horn almost touching the floor. Its legs were splayed. Vapour rose from its flanks.
Fluttershy took a step forwards. 'Twilight?'
The creature looked up. The pupils of its eyes were blades of dark malevolence. 'I consumed her. She's gone. Better believe she never existed.'
'I don't believe that.' The smallish yellow pegasus took another step. Unafraid, she gazed up at the Avatar of Darkness. 'I know my friend is still in there. Fighting to get out.'
'I told you she belonged to me. You didn't listen. I grow tired of this. You bore me, all of you.' Darkshine's horn glowed. Her friends yelled at her to get back but Fluttershy remained motionless and resolute.
There was a second smaller flash of light within the circle. Spike tumbled to the ground, then clambered to his feet. Naked shock appeared on Darkshine's face. 'Spike!'
The dragon dusted himself off with some dignity. 'Twilight.' His voice made her flinch. A blast of magic shot my accident from her charged-up horn. He yelled and leaped aside as the section of floor he'd been standing on disintegrated.
'Spike, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...'
The baby dragon raced across the throne room. In a smooth motion he leaped onto Luna's back. She reared in shock. 'Spike! What are you doing?'
'Luna, stop bucking. We need to go.'
'Go? Go where?'
'Ponyville Library of course. All of us. Come on, you guys.'
'Spike,' wailed Darkshine. 'You said you wouldn't leave me. You promised.'
'I made that promise to Twilight, not you.'
'The final betrayal.' Darkshine's voice dropped an octave. 'That makes what I'm about to do so much easier. Thank you, Spike.' The throne room shuddered from the roots of its columns to the heights of its vaulted ceiling. A musical sound of splintering glass filled the air as ancient filigree windows shattered.
And suddenly Princess Celestia was standing between Darkshine and the others. 'Go, all of you. I will deal with her.' Spike dug his heels into Luna's sides. She whinnied, wheeled round and fled the throne room. The rest galloped after her.
'Ugh.' Darkshine rolled her eyes and hung her head. 'What a fiasco. I'll just have to deal with them all later.'
'Darkshine. You are paying attention to me, now.' It was no longer the wise and kindly ruler of Equestria who spoke. The mare who shepherded the sun and attended ponies' tea parties was nowhere to be seen. In her place was Sol Invicta, the Unconquerable Sun, deathless warrior of light, pale and inviolate in the gathering darkness.
Celestia spread her wings. Her mane floated free. Motes of power crawled over her hide and gathered in the tip of her horn. Darkshine was smaller in stature but she was black as eyeless night, and she was unafraid. 'Let me guess. You want to surrender to me? Am I right?'
'I want to stop you.'
'You want to stop me.' Darkshine responded with a foalish giggle. 'Oh, Celestia. I believe the aeons have finally addled your wits.'
'It doesn't work like that, Darkshine.'
The Avatar of Eternal Night danced with joy. 'I'll be sure and make this quick. Or maybe I'll keep you around as a plaything. Yes, that's what I'll do. How does that sound, Celestia? How would you like to writhe and gasp as the dark power takes you?'
Celestia's reply, when it came, was soft and musing. 'I have to be so... careful. This land of mine is fragile. My ponies' lives can be snuffed out so easily.' She began to circle; each hoof placed casually down on the floor. Darkshine turned to face her. 'Usually I can only exert the tiniest, most carefully rationed fraction of my power.' Celestia smiled faintly. 'Usually.'
Darkshine bared white teeth in a grin of hate. The dark magic lashed out, sudden and deadly. Celestia quenched the dark bolt with a casual wave of her horn.
Darkshine smirked. 'An impeccable defence, Celestia. But maybe you have forgotten how to fight.'
'Remind me.'

#

Dewey System held the duster between her teeth. Lovingly she brushed its feathery head over a stretch of already immaculate shelving. She stepped back to admire her hard work. On every side the bookshelves gleamed. The gilt titles of the volumes shone. Dewey's nostrils flared as she inhaled the aroma of freshly applied wood polish.
Tomorrow was the grand reopening of Ponyville Library. It would also be the biggest day of her life so far.
Well maybe grand reopening was a bit of a misnomer. Ponyville's board of commerce had not warmed to her idea of staging a parade. And the Mayor had declined her request to hold a reception and gala. Perhaps that last refusal was no bad thing, with the town hall in the shape it was.
Nevertheless Dewey was determined to make a go of it. It was uncommon to say the least for an earth pony to go into a literary profession. Usually unicorns, who everpony knew were smart and studious and academic, did all the book-work. But Dewey had been resolute. With pen clenched between her teeth she had worked her way through school, university and post graduate studies.
She glanced down at the list of class marks blazoned on her rump. If you had a dream – if it got hold of you and wouldn't let go – then the only thing was to follow it to the end.
Dewey did a brief tap-dance of joy. Her hooves clip-clopped on the library's parquet floor. What plans she had! Literary courses and read-a-thons and book clubs and story hour for the colts and fillies.
This was going to be so much fun.
Dewey paced along the shelves, intent on eliminating more invisible dust. As she did so she glanced around the library, checking once more that all the piles of books which had accreted, like strange literary coral reefs, in various corners, had been tidied away. Dewey admitted some curiosity about her predecessor – what was her name? Sunset Spork? Clearly a brilliant mare – smarter than Dewey herself, there was no sense in denying. And yet, with strange and obsessive patterns of thought. There had been endless lists of irrelevancies scattered all over the place. Books had been shelved according to some idiosyncratic classification system which doubtless made sense to a brain more refined than Dewey's. And the writings – reams upon reams of hastily scrawled magical formulae. Treatises from everything from the motion of the stars to treatment of ingrowing hooves. And the letters – some of them with many crossings out and rewritings, decorated with hearts, linked horseshoes, flowing manes and long horns.
Dewey hadn't read those. Everypony deserved some privacy.
She had bagged up all the papers and after some thought put them all in the 000 general section.
And Celestia alone knew who – or what – was supposed to sleep in that wicker basket.
A flash of magic shone through the library windows. Dewey paid it no heed. She was already inured to the weirdness which was Ponyville. A moment later the door crashed open. Princess Luna galloped into the library. She had what appeared to be a baby dragon perched on her back. She was followed by five distinctive, to put it politely, ponies. Dewey's gaze darted from face to face. White unicorn, pink earth pony, orange earth pony with hat, cyan and yellow pegasi... who were they? And more to the point, what were they all doing in her library?
The dragon tumbled off the Princess's and landed on the floor. At once he dropped to his knees, gasping. Instantly the yellow pegasus and white unicorn were at his side.
'Spike, my darling. Are you all right?'
'Spike, oh my. Can you tell us what's wrong?'
'I'm OK.' He waved a clawed hand. 'Just getting used to breathing air again. I'll be fine.'
'Hey, y'all.' The orange earth pony – the one with the hat – had a powerful voice which carried. 'Is everypony OK? Didn't leave anypony behind, did we?'
'Guys, guys, guys.' The sky blue pegasus hovered in midair. 'She's gonna be here any minute. Or had you forgotten?'
'For heaven's sake, Rainbow Dash.' The white unicorn scowled and flipped her mane out of her eyes. 'No-one's forgotten anything.'
'Everypony.' The little dragon seemed to have got his breath back. 'You gotta listen to me.'
'Is that right.' The pegasus – evidently Rainbow Dash – planted hooves on hips. 'Well maybe, Miss Rarity, you'd care to tell us what the plan is, because I am fresh out of ideas.'
'Humph.' Rarity turned her nose up with a marvellous look of disdain. 'Miss Rainbow Dash is out of ideas. What a stupendous surprise.'
'Both of you.' Princess Luna stamped a hoof on the ground. 'This is not helping.'
The dragon – Spike – jumped up and down. 'Tell you what. You guys totally ignore me and I'll just babble to myself. How about that?'
Dewey System cleared her throat. 'Excuse me.'
It was like magic. All seven of them turned as one to stare at her. She felt a nervous grin form on her face. ''The library's closed. If you want to borrow a book you can come back tomorrow.'
The yellow pegasus swung a hoof back and forth. 'Um... who are you? If you don't mind me asking, that is.'
'Oh my gosh!' The pink one's eyes boggled in their sockets in precisely the way that normal ponies' didn't. 'You must be the new librarian from Canterlot.'
'New librarian, huh.' Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed with menace. 'Trying to take Twilight's place, huh.'
Enormous beads of sweat were now running down Dewey's forehead. 'Um. Er. Sorry?'
'I'll make you sorry.' Rainbow Dash flexed a bicep.
Applejack stamped a hoof down on the pegasus's tail. 'Just ease off there, sugarcube.'
'Everypony.' The dragon's yell was surprising for one who appeared so small. 'Be quiet and listen!'
'Oh my goodness, Spikey.' Rarity rushed to his side. 'It's all right now, darling. You're home now. You're amongst friends.'
His eyes brimmed with tears. 'Rarity, I missed you so much.'
'Just as I missed you, Spike.'
He threw his arms around her neck and buried his face in her mane. 'I had to watch while she did terrible things to herself. I thought if I loved her enough I could change her back.'
Applejack sighed and shook her head. 'It don't work like that, Spike. You can't make folks do anything they don't wanna.'
The little dragon gulped down a sob. 'But why... why would she act like that?'
'There's a little darkness in everpony,' said Fluttershy quietly. Princess Luna looked like she was going to add something but she remained silent.
'You got that right.' A fresh storm of weeping took hold of him.
'There, there, Spike. Let it out. It's all right.' Rarity turned her head to hide the tears in her own eyes.
'No. no, it isn't.' He took a deep breath and ran a hand, paw-like, over his face. 'We don't have time for this. We need to complete the spell.'
Princess Luna raised an eyebrow. 'The spell.'
'Yep.' Spike got to his feet and looked around the room. 'Up on the moon, Twilight... when she wasn't being Darkshine, she was working on a spell against the Dark.'
'That will not work, Spike. Everything that Twilight knew, Darkshine will know as well. She'll be able to counter any such spell.'
'If anyone has a better idea,' he replied with wonderful patience, 'now's the time to suggest it.'
'That'll be a no, I'm guessin'.' Applejack tilted her hat back, all business. 'What do we need, Spike?'
'Books. I remember where to find them.' Spike rubbed his hands together. His gaze alighted on the empty space where a random pile of books had lately resided. 'Uh-oh.'
'Oopsie. I know a bad uh-oh when I hear one,' said Pinkie. 'That was a bad uh-oh.'
'You tidied up, didn't you? Didn't you?' Spike advanced on Dewey System, suddenly alarmingly toothy, angry and sharp-clawed.
She backed away from the little monster. 'Er. Sorry?'
'Spike, take it easy.' Rainbow Dash put a restraining hoof on his shoulder. 'We can all look, can't we?' The others chorused agreement. 'What were the titles, Spike?'
'That's just the point. I know where they were better than I know what they were called. Now I gotta think.' He pounded his forehead. 'The... Perversions of the Moose Cow?'
Dewey raised a timid hoof. 'Maybe you mean the Pervulsions of Themyscra.'
'It was on the top of the pile. Right there, for crying out loud.' He waved a frantic arm.
'I know where that is!' Dewey cantered over to the shelves and pulled the volume out. She advanced nervously, holding it before her like an offering.
'OK, so we're getting somewhere.' Eagerly he snatched it from her hooves. 'I just need to remember the rest, now.'

#

White feathers drifted through the scorching air. The very stones of the throne room, tortured beyond endurance, glowed with heat. Dirty orange smoke clouds billowed overhead, their bellies painted by the fires of the burning castle. Princess Celestia's flanks were heaving. A sheen of sweat made her coat reflect the yellow gleam of dancing flames.
Darkshine staggered. Her pool of black power wavered. With a visible effort she forced herself erect. Once again her horn crackled and crawled with evil energy. A beam of concentrated malice shone forth. She swept it back and forth like a searchlight. Where it touched the stones it blasted them to fragments. Splinters of white-hot marble sprayed everywhere. Celestia's answering fire met the darkness midair. The duelling energies of light and dark blasted  in all directions. Behind Celestia the wall of the throne room collapsed. She paid it no heed. The Sun Princess's brows clenched with effort. With a roar and a slam of her hooves she thrust the darkness back.
The solar power enveloped Darkshine's black aura. It sizzled and screamed but it could penetrate no further.
The Avatar of Night swayed, then steadied herself. Her answering smile was cool and mocking. 'Celestia, you have grown more powerful. I honestly didn't think that was possible.'
Celestia snorted steam from her nostrils. One gold-shod hoof pawed the scorched flagstones. There was a light in her eyes which had not been seen in Equestria for a thousand years.
'But that's the problem, isn't it?' The ruined walls of the throne room twisted around them before snapping back into shape. 'You see that? The fabric of reality is beginning to fail. The world cannot bear your power. Expend much more and your precious Equestria will melt away like frost in the morning sun.'
The light went out of Celestia's eyes.
'Whereas I simply don't care. Destroy Equestria or warp it to my wishes, it is all the same to me.' Darkshine laughed and danced a jig of sheer joy. Suddenly and without warning she projected a cone of inky power. It struck Celestia amidships. The Princess was swallowed by a coiling cloud of ultimate night.
'Humph.' Darkshine came to a halt and studied the cloud with a sceptical eye. 'Surely not. Come on now. Don't disappoint me.' Celestia's cutie mark shone out, a sun so bright the eye could not bear to look upon it. The cloud blew away in tatters. Celestia shook her pastel mane free of the final inky shreds.
'Perhaps we'll try that again.' Once more Darkshine sent her power forth. This time Celestia was driven to her knees. Shakily she got to her feet. Wisps of smoke were rising from her hide.
'Come on, Tia.' Darkshine's voice was a mocking croon. 'Strike back at me. I know you want to. No-one else suspects but I know how much you love a good fight.' Another bolt struck Celestia's withers, spinning her round. Golden hooves scrabbled over the ruined floor. The Princess shook her head to clear it. 'Twilight Sparkle...'
'Don't! Don't call me that. Don't you dare compare me to that buttoned up, tied down wallflower.'
Celestia bared perfect white teeth. 'Twilight Sparkle, you're a vulgar little upstart.'
Darkshine reared up in outrage. 'You! Take that back, right now.'
'I'm very disappointed in you.'
'You? Disappointed in me?' Darkshine's voice rose to a harsh screech. 'You sent me away. Did I do something wrong? You told me I had to learn about the magic of friendship. What does that even mean?'
'And stupid with it.'
Tentacles of night writhed up from the floor. They coiled around Celestia, lifted her into the air. The tentacles pulled. Celestia's wings were pried out from her flanks. The coils of blackness tightened their grip. There was a creak of protest from stressed tendons and straining muscles. Celestia's long neck drooped. Her mane floated down to cover her eyes. On her mouth, the ghost of a smile appeared.
The very tip of her horn glowed. A crack of golden fire creaked open on the wall beside her. It raced downward and all the way across the floor, bursting wide open beneath Darkshine's hooves. Light streamed out. The Avatar of Night screamed in agony. The dark power shrivelled and vanished. Celestia stood before her, wings spread, powerful and terrible and renewed.
'You,' spat Darkshine. 'You tricked me. This was a delaying tactic. The others – what are they planning?'
Celestia merely smiled.
'I'll be back to pluck your feathers, Princess.' Darkshine blazed with blue fire and disappeared.
Celestia formed a message in her mind and sent it on wings of thought to that dear presence. Luna, I couldn't beat her. It's up to you now, and our friends. I love you, little sister.