“Rainbow! Come on, Dash, speak to me!” Twilight hugged wounded Rainbow Dash. The darkness left terrible consequences on her. She was in pain, full of bruises and cuts, and her body was cold and numb. Twilight’s heart was drowning in sorrow, as she brushed Rainbow’s mane.
“C’mon girl! Wake up! We need you! Wake up…” Applejack shouted, not paying attention to anything else. She was holding Rainbow’s cold hoof, trying to keep it warm, while tears were running down her muddy cheeks. When she realized Rainbow isn’t moving, she fell into Pinkie’s embrace, sobbing even harder, while Pinkie stared at the dot in the floor, feeling nothing but sorrow, while tears were quietly falling down her fur.
Rarity was holding Fluttershy, who was hiding in her curled violet mane, not wanting to look at lifeless Rainbow’s body. Rarity’s vision was blurred, voices unclear. She couldn’t take in all the events that occurred. She couldn’t admit her best friend’s death. It all happened too quickly. Too sudden.
“It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have shouted at her like that, I should’ve known, how could I let this happen?! Rainbow, come on! Don’t let me live like this! Please! It’s all my fault, I’m so sorry!” Twilight screamed, sobbing. Heavy guilt pressed her heart, which was beating fast, and Twilight was feeling like it was going to burst. Rainbow still wasn’t moving, which made the pressure of guilt and sadness on Twilight’s heart stronger every second.
“Twilight, it’s not your fault, don’t bring this upon yourself. It’s already hard enough” Pinkie spoke to Twilight, her voice blank and monotone. Twilight’s crying eyes looked at her, finding some comfort in her words, but still feeling guilty. As much as she wanted to admit that to herself, she couldn’t. She felt she was the responsible one for Rainbow’s death, and it was her fault and her fault only.
“How is this not my fault? I’m the one that made her run away!” Twilight said to Pinkie, looking at her sea blue eyes and streaming tears, then again at Rainbow.
“But it wasn’t you, it was Deathmist! He made you hurt her!” Pinkie yelled back, but was shortly cut off by Twilight’s response.
“But all he made me say was true!” Twilight shouted and lowered her head above Rainbow’s chest, sobbing harder, and trying to feel Rainbow’s heartbeat, while others were looking at her in shock.
“What he made me say was true! He doesn’t make up stuff about us to make us ashamed, he reveals our true feelings to make us fight! And I did think she was arrogant! And I didn’t like her when I first met her! And every time she does something stupid, I regret that day! Every time I see she hurt one of you, just because of her ego and arrogance, I regret that day! And I want her to sometimes feel the way she makes us feel! I often though about if she wasn’t the Element of Loyalty, would I still let her be my friend. I didn’t think she deserved that element. I’m sure there are plenty of other ponies as loyal as her, if not more, but don’t get any recognition. She wasn’t doing anything “loyal”, in fact, just the opposite. But every time, I would push that anger, saying that maybe, she will see, she will change, until Deathmist stepped in, but now… now I realized how wrong was I! Now she’s laying here, dead, because of me, because of her loyalty! It should’ve been me! I should be in her place now! She was supposed to live! Why she didn’t save herself, why did she have to follow her stupid loyalty?!” Twilight yelled, bringing her head back to Rainbow’s chest, quiet as the night. Nopony said anything to her. They just lowered their heads and wiped their tears. They didn’t even notice the fight behind them.
Luna galloped towards Deathmist, lowering her horn, which was still unable to summon magic. Her muscles were tense, her hair was flowing and her hoofsteps echoed through the room. She was ready to take down this monster and protect her sister and her friends. She didn’t take off her eyes of Deathmist’s evil smile, that same smile she had while fighting with Twilight as Nightmare Moon. That same smile of underestimation, yet she was stronger than her.
Deathmist couldn’t take his smile off his face. He was keeping his laughter, trying not to burst out laughing. He was obviously more powerful than her, he was stronger, but at the same time, he was admiring her foolishness and her courage. He didn’t decide to stay in place either. He rushed towards her, expecting them to meet horn to horn.
Just before they were about to meet horn to horn, Luna disappeared into purple smoke. Deathmist stood in confusion, looking around, but he only saw crying Twilight and scared, shivering Celestia, hiding in the corner. He started panicking. How could she disappear just like that? She isn’t a shadow pony, and he’s sure she isn’t King Sombra, nor a changeling. His wings shook, and he started panicking and yelling.
“Where are you!? How is it possible!?”
All he heard was an evil, sickening laugh.
“You were always hiding in the shadows, claiming to rule in the night. But have you forgotten, who is the real ruler of the night?”
In that moment, the room started shaking, soon covered in black light. The black light surrounded what it appeared to be purple mist. That purple mist soon turned into silhouette of a dark tall alicorn, who landed its hooves on the ground. It revealed its black fur and royal purple armour, the shoes, the helmet and the necklace, and beautiful purple hair. When it raised its head, it revealed green eyes with thin pupils and sharp teeth. Deathmist froze in place. The tall dark alicorn who stood in front of him was none other than…
“Nightmare Moon?! But how?!” Deathmist took a few steps back and watched in horror, as well as Celestia. She feared her envy will again overpower her, but all she could do was sit and watch. Twilight gasped, looking at Nightmare Moon, thinking if Deathmist got the better of her, but he looked terrified. Almost like an instinct, she spread her wings to hide her friends.
“Princess Luna! No!” Twilight yelled, spreading her wings, and looking at her terrified friends.
“Luna! No! Please! Luna, sister, don’t do this!” Celestia shouted, but Luna didn’t even look at her. Her eyes, full of rage, were at Deathmist.
“You seem to forget who the one superior to your pathetic shadows is. You think you are more powerful than any other monster that tried to conquer our throne, and all failed?!” Nightmare Moon said, and roared towards Deathmist, hitting him with his horn. He ached in pain, hitting his head on the hard brick wall. Nightmare Moon fired blue light towards him, and he soon felt warm and painful chills running through his body, making his vision blurry and his head ache.
“You are nothing compared to them! You are nothing compared to me!” Nightmare Moon yelled, and fired another blast, making his body numb for a second. Deathmist was in pain but he managed to get up, now angrier than before. He roared at her, and rushed towards her, following his anger. Fire in his eyes was now burning brighter that before, and he was determined to take her down. He didn’t know how she was able to transform even under his strong spell, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was how to defeat her, because she seemed very strong.
“Oh, bring it on! What, you think just because you got yourself new coat colour and a couple of new accessories, it makes you stronger?!”Deathmist yelled, and they met horn to horn. The sparks flew and Deathmist kept missing while aiming at Nightmare Moon, while she was hitting him repeatedly. It was very painful for him, because the sharp pain in his head was increasing, and his vision was getting blurry after every kick.
“Go back to Tartarus where you came from!” Nightmare Moon shouted, and fired a powerful blast. That made Deathmist scream in pain, and turned him into grey cloud of mist, which crawled through the window and disappeared.
Purple smoke surrounded Nightmare Moon, soon turning her back to Luna. Celestia immediately rushed and took her in a warm embrace, crying in happiness. Luna smiled and hugged Celestia back.
“No need to worry, my sister, I’m okay”
“Oh Luna! You… he’s gone. You defeated him. It is finally over”
“Sister, he will be back again, but it will not be any time soon” Luna smiled, but then looked sadly at Rainbow Dash. Tears began running down her dark fur. Twilight took Rainbow Dash on her back, and slowly walked to the door.
“Let’s take her home” Luna said as they were walking down the hallways. They were soon flying towards Ponyville, leaving the old castle demolished in the woods.