When Applejack departed to chase Dark Twilight Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie had to quickly dodge out of the way of Tirek.
“Pinkie can you handle the changelings?” Rarity asked the pink pony.
Pinkie cracked her neck. “Leave it to me,” Pinkie said and turned to the charging changelings. “Bring it on, meanie faces!” Pinkie yelled and pulled the party cannon out of nowhere. “This is for Twilight!” She shrieked as the cannon fired. “This is for Canterlot!” She yelled unleashing another shot of explosive confetti. “And this is for everypony else!” She added and fired it again.
Rarity grabbed hold of Fluttershy’s shoulders. “We get the big guy,” Rarity said quickly.
“Umm, if it’s ok with you, I’d like to sit this one out,” Fluttershy whispered and tried to fly off but Rarity kept her grounded.
“Think of how many ponies he’s hurt and all the animals aswell, think of what happened to Twilight,” Rarity reasoned with Fluttershy.
Fluttershy suddenly drooped her head down and started shaking. “That big… Fat… Meanie!” Fluttershy yelled raising her head up with new found aggression and anger. She quickly took flight and charged towards Tirek.
“That a girl!” Rarity cried out as she followed suit casting a spell at Tirek.
Tirek shrugged off the spell but then was knocked backwards by the strength of Fluttershy’s punch. “Whelp, you dare challenge the might Tirek!” Tirek cried out and made to punch Fluttershy but was thwarted by Rarity holding his fist in place with magic.
Fluttershy dove under his fist and uppercutted Tirek which knocked Tirek through a nearby wall. Fluttershy followed immediately and continued her vicious assault on Tirek. Punch after punch Fluttershy landed on Tirek but Tirek maintained the same smile the entire time.
One opening was all Tirek needed and he took it, Fluttershy stopped for a split second to catch her breath and Tirek struck her with a punch that sent her spiraling into a nearby building.
“Fluttershy!” Pinkie and Rarity cried out at the same time in pure shock. In that split second The changelings piled onto Pinkie and overwhelmed her.
“Pinkie!” Rarity yelled and then she was backed into a corner. “I may be on my own physically but my friends will always be with me!” She said with certainty looking at her enemies with defiance.
Tirek simply laughed at this. “Behold true power, ‘pony,’” Tirek announced and sent a blast of dark magic towards Rarity.
Rarity tried to block but her shield was shattered in a few seconds and she was knocked through several buildings and rolled to a stop on a sidewalk.
“Nothing shall stop my ascendance!” Tirek yelled to the sky with a loud laugh.
“Remember your place, Tirek,” Spike said from behind Tirek.
The giant Tirek towered over the dragon but still he backed down. “So long as it keeps it’s end of the bargain, I will play along for now,” Tirek said with an angry grunt.
“You wound me, Tirek. Is my word not enough for you?” Chaos asked as if his voice came from all every direction at once.
“I don’t trust anyone, least of all you,” Tirek retaliated as he looked around for Chaos.
“After all that I’ve done for you, freed you from eternal imprisonment, and gave you both power and revenge over these pathetic ponies. What more do I need to do?” Chaos asked in a patronizing tone.
“Why don’t you come out of the shadows for a start,” Tirek said his eyes darting across the city.
“All in due time, Tirek you know as well as I do that these things take time…” Chaos trailed off hanging on the last words.
XXX
Applejack was closing in on the Dark Twilight but strangely found it difficult to focus on her. Applejack looked down at her feet and saw a dark mist had formed that just covered them. Bewildered by this Applejack wondered if the dark mist was the source of her trouble to focus.
Dark Twilight stopped when they entered the royal palace area and spun around.
“So you're actually gonna…” Applejack started and tried to focus on the words to say. “Fight me now, are you?” She managed as her words started to slur and her head wouldn’t stop spinning.
“Now that the advantage is mine, this is going to be easy,” Dark Twilight said and charged Applejack.
Applejack tried to buck Dark Twilight with her hind hooves but the attack was clumsy and she missed wildly as Dark Twilight quickly dodged out of the way and met Applejack with a buck of her own.
The blow was so powerful it sent Applejack spiraling to the ground.
“Come on, Applejack I thought you were the champ,” Dark Twilight said in a mocking tone.
“I am, and I’m going to buck your plot all the way to the Crystal Empire!” Applejack yelled as she recovered and charged Dark Twilight trying to buck her again but failed as her perception was thrown out of focus again.
Dark Twilight answered her attack this time with a spell that sent her careening across the courtyard into a giant wall. “Just… Give… Up AJ!” Dark Twilight yelled frustrated that Applejack was struggling to her hooves.
“So long as I can still stand I will fight you, for my friends,” Applejack said in defiance, spitting at Dark Twilight.
Dark Twilight quickly calmed down and quickly resumed her original posture. “You know that’s one of your faults, AJ,” Dark Twilight began and then charged Applejack and tackled her through the wall of the royal palace. “You never know when to quit,” she added and started to punch Applejack while she was down. “Will you stay down now, huh AJ?” Dark Twilight continued to punch Applejack until she fell unconscious. “You know, I think that’s the smartest decision you’ve made all day,” Dark Twilight said resuming her patronizing tone as she hoisted Applejack onto her back. “That should be all of them, unless Tirek couldn’t handle the other three, although the likelihood of that are slim even for him,” Dark Twilight said to herself as she started her flight to where Tirek and the master should be.
XXX
Applejack woke with a start and darted around quickly to see she was standing in Apple Acres back in Ponyville… What the hay, I thought I was just in Canterlot facing… Oh who was I facing, I can’t remember.
“So we’re all in agreement,” Twilight’s voice shook Applejack from her thoughts.
“What?” Applejack asked as suddenly her friends appeared in front of her.
“I never want to see any of you again!” Rainbow yelled and flew off.
“Rainbow wait!” Applejack yelled after the pegasus.
“I don’t even know why I ever wanted to be friends with any of you,” Rarity huffed and walked off.
“Rarity?” Applejack asked in despair.
“Me neither,” Pinkie and Fluttershy said together and departed in opposite directions.
“Wait, Twilight what’s happening?” Applejack asked her eyes darting around.
“It’s all you fault, AJ I hope you know that. I never want to see you again,” Twilight said and flew off towards Canterlot.
“Wait don’t leave me here… Don’t leave me here alone,” Applejack said weakly and looked down in sorrow. “Don’t go,” she added weakly.
XXX
“There power is flowing through me, I feel so powerful now,” Chaos shouted triumphantly as Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity lay at Spike's feet as he cast the fear spell and formed the dark versions of the ponies. “My ascension is almost upon us, we must return to Griffon Stone for the ritual however in order to recover my full power,” Chaos said and ordered Spike to turn to the dark ponies. “Leave the bodies here, this will shatter their resolve and leave them broken, let us leave this pitiful excuse for a city,” he added and the group left the ponies laying there in their nightmare induced state, their eyes permanently plastered open in fear much the same as Twilight.
Up above hidden by debris sat Shining Armor and Flash Sentry who arrived just in time to see the display before them.
“We should do something!” Flash whispered with frustration and made to go after Chaos.
“Wait, I do want you to follow them, but only follow them, we need to figure out what they’re up to. Under no circumstances are you to engage them, Flash am I understood?” Shining asked knowing full well the answer.
“Of course, Shining,” Flash replied with a swift salute and departed the rooftop.
Shining descended from the building also to recover Twilight’s friends. He used his magic to hoist four of them in the air and put the last on his back. “I need to get you girls back to Ponyville,” Shining said and walked out of the main gate and started his long trek to Ponyville. Hopefully Twilight has some answers…