Crimson Gale, Radiant Breeze
Twilight's blood turned to ice.
"No," she whispered, trembling. "Not that. Anything but that!"
Desperately, Twilight flung herself against the barrier, slamming her hooves into the dome in a feeble attempt to rescue her friend. The second Morning Star transformed, Twilight knew that whatever chance Fluttershy had in this fight was gone. Any chance Fluttershy had of surviving this fight was gone. What Morning Star had done was not a simple transformation spell. It was a forbidden spell called Berserker. When cast, the target is cursed with overwhelming power that far exceeds the limits of the pony's natural abilities both physical and magical. In exchange, the victim loses all rational thought and becomes an unstoppable engine of destruction. Add that to an Alicorn's already absurdly massive power and nopony could ever hope to survive.
Suddenly, Twilight felt a massive force slam into the barrier from just a few feet away from her left side. Looking to her side, she saw Nevermore standing next to her, his right hoof planted firmly in the impenetrable wall before them. Twilight flinched at the look of fear the normally adamant Prince was directing at the two mares.
"Morning Star!" he cried. "Do not give into the power! Fight it!"
Morning Star turned her head towards him, and with a cruel smile said, "Crimson Gale will show you my prayers."
Twilight was confused by that statement, but Nevermore understood the weight behind those words.
"She plans to kill her," he gasped, his voice just barely above a whisper.
Suddenly, an inappropriately happy laugh filled the air, fallowed by a bright flash between the two Alicorns. With that, Discord appeared, a bucket full of popcorn wrapped in his lion arm.
"My, my," he said, gazing gleefully into the barrier. "Things seem to be heating up around here."
"Discord!" Twilight exclaimed, a wave of relief washing over her. "I'm so glad you're here! Quick! Teleport Fluttershy out of there!"
Discord looked down at her with his usual goofy smile.
"Nope," he said flatly.
Twilight stared at him.
"What?"
"I'm not getting her out of there," he said, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.
"WHAT?!" Twilight and Nevermore screamed. "WHY?!"
"Don't need to," he replied casually.
Twilight's jaw dropped.
"But-But, she's going to kill her!"
Discord gave her a knowing smile.
"Not likely," he said. "Fluttershy still has one last ace in the hole that could end this in one foul swoop."
They gave Discord a confused look that forced a light chuckle out of the Dragonequis.
"The only question is," he continued. "Will she use it?"
***
Fluttershy stared at Morning Star in shock. Even with everything she's seen in her life, seeing her opponent turn into an even scarier version of Nightmare Moon stunned her to the core.
Morning Star leered at her. As she took a step towards Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus felt a wave of malice wash over her, sending a chill down her spine. This mare wanted to kill her. Every cell in Fluttershy's body screamed this fact to her. However, she refused to give in to the growing fear inside of her.
I know her weak points. I can win this!
With that thought in mind, she spread her wings and soared towards Morning. Snarling, Morning Star charged as well. In a fraction of a second, the two mares passed each other, each standing at opposite ends of the arena. For a moment, the two of them stood stone still, a silent dread filling the air. Suddenly, Fluttershy let out a scream of pain, clutching her right shoulder, blood leaking out of a deep gash.
Morning Star grinned as she turned to face her.
"Aw. What's wrong little one?" she asked in false concern. "Did somepony get a little boo boo?"
Grimacing, Fluttershy turned towards her enemy, a tear building at the corner of her eyes.
"You will not beat me."
The hell horse's eyes narrowed.
"We will see."
With that, she charged.
This time, Fluttershy opted for a more cautious approach and waited for Morning Star to come to her. This was a wise choice, as now she knew how she hit her. The blood leaking out of Morning Star's woands coiled and hardened into a six foot long crimson blade aimed strait for Fluttershy's throat! Fluttershy quickly took flight, narrowly avoiding the previous weapon and a new one that sprouted from Morning Star's back. Her mind was racing, desperately trying to think of some way to get past her enemy's new ability. However, time for thought was starting to become all but nonexistent, as Morning Star effortlessly barreled past Fluttershy to cut off her access to the higher altitudes of the barrier. A second later, Fluttershy felt blood trickle down her left hind leg. She didn't have to look to know she had received more injuries from Morning Star's bloody armaments.
With a maniacal smirk, Morning Star widened her wings and her blood slowly slid up her body into the feathered appendages. Then, with deranged laughter, she gave her wings a swift flap and sent the blood flying like crimson rain. Fluttershy had just enough time to see them turn into knives before they swarmed around her. All she could do is cover her face and scream in agony as the rain of blades surged around her, slashing all across her body as they did. As soon as it was over, Fluttershy moved her hooves way from her face, determined to not loose track of her enemy. Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.
"Your not the only one who studies her opponent," said a chilling voice behind the yellow mare.
Panicked, she turned, hoof raised to strike at whatever pressure point she could reach that wouldn't get her stabbed by a blood blade. However, the sky behind her was completely empty. Immediately, a sharp pain erupted from her back as the now familiar feel of a blade cut into her.
"Your faster then you seem," Morning Star taunted, taking intense pleasure in hearing Fluttershy's screams of panicked pain before disappearing again.
"You attack by shutting down a pony's nervous system so that you can end a fight while dealing very little critical damage to them."
As she said this, she took another swipe at Fluttershy. Another gash. Another agonized scream.
"But that makes you a sitting duck to an enemy like me," she continued, maintaining her assault, moving steadily faster as the fight dragged on.
"With my blades, I've rendered your one weapon against me useless."
Slash. Slash.
"With Berserker empowering my body, I'm infinitely faster than you."
Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash.
"And most importantly-
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
-I'm not afraid of killing."
SLASH!!!!!
With that last strike, all of the strength in Fluttershy's wings finally ran out. Barely able to stay conscious, Fluttershy opened her wings just enough to slow her fall. Though it wasn't as fatal as it could've been, the poor pegasus pony hit the ground hard.
Panting, she tried to rise to her hooves, blood loss and pain making her vision blur.
I have to get up. I can't let it end like this.
Suddenly, Morning Star landed next to her, and with sadistic glee in her eye, she slammed her hoof down into Fluttershy's back, pinning her to the ground.
"What a pathetic pegasus," she sneered. "Barely able to survive a fraction of my true power and you have the gal to say your stronger that me? Even going so far as to say you scare me. You don't even deserve to share the same air as me! A disgrace like you, poisoned by the lies of friendship is not worthy of the wings fused to your back."
"In fact," she said, a smile creeping across her muzzle. "Why don't I do you a favor and just take them from you?"
In a flash, two blood blades sprouted out of Morning Star's barrel and cleanly sliced Fluttershy's wings off. All the yellow pegasus could manage was a soft gasp before she was kicked to the opposite end of the dome.
"Peh, worthless," she growled, turning her head to the three spectators standing outside the barrier. "Maybe Princess Twilight Sparkle can put up more of a fight.
"..........N-Not over........"
Morning Star turned to see a barely breathing Fluttershy staggering to her hooves, a determined scowl on her muzzle.
Morning Star laughed.
"You still want to continue? I'll admit, its impressive you're still alive, but what can you possibly do in your condition.
In response, Fluttershy, as battered and bruised as she was, pulled herself into a shaky yet dignified pose and said, "Save you."
In that moment, a bright light enveloped her and when it dimmed, Morning Star's eye widened in shock at what stood before her. It was a yellow pegasus that looked a lot like the shy mare, only her mane and tail was longer and colored with teal, sky blue, orange, and violet streaks. Her wings shifted from familiar yellow to neon pink with heart patterns at their edges. She radiated a kind and warm aura, like one would expect from a loving mother, which would normally fill anypony around her with a sense of calm and joy, but all it did was rouse Morning Star's fury.
"Who are you?" she growled. "How did you get in here?!"
The saintly mare laughed delicately.
"Oh my. Do you not recognize me?"
The demon horse grit her teeth as realization washed over her.
"DAMN YOU!!!!" she roared, firing a barrage of red daggers out of her wings. "DIE!!!"
Fluttershy let out a frustrated sigh as all of Morning Star's weapons desolved on contact with her new glowing aura.
"I was hoping I wouldn't need to use this power," she sighed, slowly walking towards the rampaging Alicorn. "It almost feels like i'm cheating."
With a frustrated growl, Morning Star drew blades from all of her gashes and charged. She hacked, stabbed, bucked and released another rain of blood knives, but no matter what she tried, none of her attacks could penetrate Fluttershy's field of rainbow light.
"So much pain," Fluttershy said tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "You had to endure so much."
In a mix of terror and fury, Morning Star continued her assault, desperate to regain control of the situation.
"That's right," Fluttershy cooed. "Let it all out."
"SHUT UP!!!" she growled.
Fluttershy continued to advance, her calm and warm smile never leaving her muzzle. Eventually, the two mares stood face to face, the look of fear from Morning Star clashing tragically with Fluttershy's relaxed demeanor. Realizing the futility of resisting to a much stronger enemy, Morning Star closed her eye and waited for the finishing blow. Her eye popped open as instead of the fatal strike she was expecting she felt a pair of forelegs wrap themselves around her in an embrace.
"That's enough," Fluttershy whispered. "You don't need to prove yourself anymore. The battle is over."
As she let her words sink in an incredible warmth washed over her, like the first rays of the sun in spring. As she reviled in this both alien and familiar sensation of blissful peace, her eye gradually became heavy.
I can stop.
With that, her fight with sleep ended and for the Princess of War's world faded to black.