//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 The Setting Of The Sun (Reworked) // Story: Awakening Evil (Reworked) // by Bronyprophet //------------------------------// As Spike stood his ground, Celestia and the main six had been escaping. Twilight had tears in her eyes ever since they left the castle; she feared that this was Spike's last stand. As she ran with Celestia and her friends to try and find a safe place to regroup, Twilight noticed Celestia turn around looking towards Canterlot Castle. Celestia watched as bursts of magic and flames shot through the castle, and as she watched, she was filled with sorrow. She noticed Spike and Nightmare Moon burst through the castle, and she helplessly watched, as Nightmare Moon used one of her created spears, to bash Spike in the side of his head. Then she witnessed Nightmare Moon follow up with a beam of magic, sending him to the ground, but luckily Spike recovered using his own wings, and fired a green fireball at her, but she teleported away and his fireball hit Canterlot castle, setting it alight. Celestia was moved with sorrow as she watched Spike fight for all of them, she knew that Spike would not last long against Nightmare Moon; she was too powerful. But she watched and thought, “I should not let somepony sacrifice themselves for her. I’m selfish I was the one who created this problem. I should be the one stopping her not Spike.” Celestia kept continually blaming herself, but she was shaken from her thoughts, when Celestia saw what she wished she hadn’t. Celestia watched Spike being hit again by a magical blast, finally knocking him out, then the inevitable end came. As Celestia witnessed Spike's death, she collapse to the ground in tears, knowing that Spike's blood is on her hooves, and as Celestia realised this, she thought to herself. “I ran away, I should fought. I should of fought even if it meant my death, you will pay, I’ll make you pay Nightmare Moon.” Celestia’s mind became riddled with guilt then the guilt turned into anger, hate, and revenge. She no longer cared for what the cost of it was anymore. Nightmare Moon had killed Twilight's closest friend, and hurt Twilight. To Celestia, that was unforgivable; no one could hurt Twilight without feeling Celestia’s wrath. Nightmare Moon channelled her magic to speed herself up, and she drew her spear, as she charged at Spike with impossible speed. As she did, she impaled him, the sound of steel cutting into flesh sounded Nightmare Moon thrived on the grisly sound. She began to sadistically laugh at her handy work. Once Nightmare Moon and Spike landed on the ground, she ripped the spear from his corpse, and looked at the dying dragon. Nightmare Moon watched with a sadistic grin upon her face as the life left his eyes. As she saw Spike die, she turned to where the main six and Celestia were, and she let out a crazed and sadistic laugh, then she announced. “Run all you want, you cannot hope to hide, I will cast the world into shadow. I will kill you Celestia, then I will kill your precious Student and newly crowned princess Twilight. Then I will enslave her dear friends as my personal play things ha, ha, ha!” “No! Your destructive onslaught stops here." Celestia yelled back. Her anger was burning inside of her, she felt the urge to kill, and she wanted to kill. She felt her magic become twisted, she no longer cared if she used dark magic or light magic she just wanted to see Nightmare Moon crushed by her hoof. “Let me help you, Princess!” Princess Twilight chimed in, filled with a yearning for vengeance. Twilight was hurting badly and she wanted all the more to defeat Nightmare Moon. When she watched Spike being impaled, her heart broke inside, and she began to cry feeling sick in the stomach about what had just happened. He was gone, and he could not come back. She looked at her friends battered and damaged, and she began to feel withered and frail, overcome by grief. Twilight desired vengeance, she did not want to kill Nightmare Moon, she only wanted to suppress her, and save Luna. “No Twilight, you have yet to live your life. Go. I'll repair this mistake of mine." As Celestia said this she thought to herself as she turned towards her sister and unfurled her beautiful white wings and took flight and met her sister to make her final stand. “Today an alicorn dies. I will kill that witch.” “No I will not leave you, she killed my oldest friend.” Twilight replied defiantly. Feeling upset by her loss. “I'm sorry Twilight you will forgive me." As Celestia said this to Twilight, she teleported Twilight, and her friends somewhere she knew they would be safe. “So you are ready to fight Celestia. You should not have bothered to save your dearest student, and her friends, I will find them.” Nightmare Moon said as she alighted herself. “You will not harm her Nightmare Moon!” Celestia stated with a powerful glare of hate. Celestia wanted to kill Nightmare Moon, and she could only see hatred towards her. What made her hate her even more was when she threatened Twilight, this only further fuelled Celestia’s anger. Celestia was so filled with hate and anger now her mane flicked wildly and her glare never wavered. “You cannot hope to defeat me Celestia, your student will die by my hoof, and her friends will be enslaved. That's a promise.” Nightmare Moon Threatened. Nightmare Moon felt invincible, she defeated all who opposed her, and she thought that Celestia would not stop her now. After the conversation finished, Nightmare Moon fired a dark blue beam at Celestia. As she did Celestia fired a beam of golden light in retaliation. The two beams met in the middle, and exploded, cancelling each other out, creating a black gem in the middle of the field, and as the black crystal hit the ground, it shattered into a million pieces. The two Princesses charged each other, summoning their power and met in the middle, as they fired their magic at each other again at point blank range, sending each other flying. Celestia fought with everything she had, filled with a blood rage aimed at Nightmare Moon. She wanted to destroy her make her suffer the same pain that she caused Twilight Sparkle, she wanted to see Nightmare Moon in tears of anguish, she wanted to see her blood, she wanted revenge for her sister and for Twilight and Spike. She wanted to destroy the threat of Nightmare Moon, so that nopony else would suffer her tyranny. She felt only hatred, revenge, and suffering. She wanted to kill her, wanted to destroy her, wanted to wipe her from existence. She would not stop relentlessly fighting until she did. For the ponies of Equestria and for Twilight. What Twilight didn't know was that Celestia’s feelings were more than mentor and student; she loved Twilight like her own daughter, and she decided that she would tell Twilight after this was over, but first she had to win against her sister’s alter ego, even though she knew that her chances were slim. Nightmare Moon was far too powerful, she had the power of the elements of chaos, and the power of Luna, let alone her own power. Celestia was shaken from her thoughts, as she noticed that she was being charged by Nightmare Moon, lance at the ready. She reacted by blocking it with her own sword, that she had summoned moments before. Their weapons were locked together, and they were staring at each with a look that could kill. As Twilight and her friends appeared in the centre of the Everfree Forest, Twilight kicked a hoof in frustration. She knew that Celestia had teleported them to the Everfree Forest to protect them, when they were all ready to throw their life away for Celestia, she forced them to flee. Twilight could understand why she did it, but she did not want it; she did not want to be protected like a young filly. Twilight then rallied her friends, and they banded together then started to head back to Canterlot Castle. Twilight rallied her friends and charged out of the Everfree Forest, her friends behind her. She wanted to seem strong, un-phased, for her friends although she was quaking with fear. “Well looks like I won't have to hunt Twilight and her friends after all.” Nightmare Moon stated as an evil grin crossed her face. Celestia dashed backwards, distancing herself, then she looked over to where Nightmare Moon was looking, and she saw Twilight and her friends fast approaching, and her heart dropped as she realized that if she failed, Twilight would not stand a chance. Celestia’s eyes began to glow white as she turned back to Nightmare Moon, and she said; her voice filled with power. “You will not take her from me; I’ll destroy you!” “So it seems that you have deeper feelings for Twilight then what I thought. Then I will leave you barely alive, and force you to watch me kill her slowly in front of you ha, ha, ha.” Nightmare Moon sadistically said as she broke into her fabled maniacal laugh. A scheme came into Nightmare Moon's mind, she would kill Celestia in front of Twilight, and make sure she saw it so that she could mentally torture Twilight further and devastate her. She wanted to destroy Twilight both mentally and physically, but she would not make it a fast death. She would make sure it lasted, she wanted to torture her slowly, and once she would nearly die, she wanted to heal her, then do it all over again for 1000 years. The same amount of time she had been trapped on that godforsaken moon, and on the thousandth year she would kill her. Nightmare Moon could imagine the torment, and fun she would have with Twilight. Celestia charged her horn, forming a bubble of bright yellow light around herself, before detonating the bubble and sending Nightmare Moon crashing through the now ruined castle of Canterlot, before teleporting to Nightmare Moon and releasing a potent beam of magical energy, blasting a crater in the ground. Nightmare Moon anticipated this, and she teleported out of the way before taunting Celestia once more. “Did I touch a nerve ha, ha, ha?” But Celestia didn't reply she just charged at her, with her sword drawn; ready to plunge it into Nightmare Moon's chest. She was filled with a protective rage, like a tigress would protect her cub, she did not want Twilight to be harmed in any way, she loved her too dearly, and she would protect her with her own life. As Celestia charged in for Nightmare Moon, she didn't realise that she had targeted a magically crafted replica. As she hit nothing, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, and as the clone vanished, she noticed Nightmare Moon hovering some distance away from her, laughing maniacally. Celestia looked down at her chest, and protruding from it was her sister's lance; it had impaled her. Soon after she noticed the lance, she felt a strange tingling sensation, she knew she was engulfed in telekinesis. She was levitated to Nightmare Moon, who was still hovering, and Celestia was brought in close to Nightmare Moon, before Nightmare Moon spoke. “You are naive Celestia, you became blinded by rage, and that, is, what brought you to your downfall. I’m going to enjoy torturing Twilight, such a pity you won't be able to see it ha, ha, ha, ha.” As Nightmare Moon said this, she threw Celestia towards Twilight, and Celestia landed in front of Twilight, then she announced to Twilight and her friends. “Don’t worry, you will join her shortly Twilight. Except you five I have something planned for you ha, ha, ha.” As Twilight and her friends made it to the now ruined Canterlot castle, she witnessed the unthinkable she saw her mentor being impaled by Luna's lance. Then she saw Celestia being levitated towards Nightmare Moon, afterwards she saw Celestia being thrown towards her barely alive. As Celestia landed in front of Twilight, Celestia turned her head towards Twilight. "T-Twilight, I a-am sorry, I - I failed, b-but with my l-last breath, I n-need to t-tell you tha-that I l-l-love you like my own daughter.” Celestia was barely able to speak without coughing out blood. “It’s okay, I love you too. But now you must rest.” Twilight said breaking into tears, as she knew that these were Celestia’s last words and as she realized that she loved Celestia. Celestia weakly nuzzled Twilight, and Twilight nuzzled her back, with a tear falling to the floor, as the life left Celestia’s eyes. As Celestia perished she said to herself in an undertone, “Why… Why did you have to die?” Twilight could not hold back her tears, she could not remain strong anymore, and she was crushed and devastated. Twilight did not want to live anymore, she wished she could rewind time, and change fate's cruel touch, but she couldn’t change fate; she was not that powerful. Twilight's sorrow and sadness soon converted to rage; she wanted to avenge her mentor. Twilight wanted to give Nightmare Moon a taste of the pain she felt, to teach her the meaning of suffering. “You have killed my friends, my mentor, and her sister! I will not let you take any more lives this day!” Twilight stated filled with hate. As she said this to Nightmare Moon, Twilight felt a familiar feeling well up in her, and she felt the familiar surge, and then all the sudden she transformed into her element of harmony, and she managed to turn her Element stone into a pink sword, and her eyes turned bright white. As Twilight transformed her friends formed their ranks and were ready to fight alongside her, and as they readied they heard a maniacal laugh, and standing before them was an army of both Nightmare Moon's soldiers and Luna's soldiers.