//------------------------------// // Chapter 13. // Story: A New Purpose // by Sparky Brony //------------------------------// I follow the purple alicorn. Streaking along the ground is taxing, but I find I love following her in flight. I am faster than her, usually. But after being fed upon by the changeling, I’m finding it much harder to keep up my speed. Twilight has let her anger power her flight. Though her eyes are bright with tears as we fly. I’m still not certain what she meant. I push hard and get up next to her. “Who is Nightmare Moon?” I call out. Twilight looks at me, “Over a thousand years ago, Princess Luna was unhappy with how the ponies would ignore her. They played in the sunlight, and slept during her beautiful night. She became jealous, and after many years of this, her jealousy, her hatred, her pain, it all manifested itself. It changed her.” She pulls up hard to avoid a high tree crown. I match her maneuver easily. She grimaces as she continues, “They fought. It was a long, and hard fight between Celestia and the Nightmare. But then Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish her sister, and the nightmare, to the moon, for a thousand years.” I contemplate that for a long time as we fly, finally I look at her, “So, she came back after a thousand years?” She nods, “Shortly after the elements created the spell to send her, she had a vision, a prophetic vision. And she wrote, ‘on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape’” She glances back, “When I got my cutie mark, right in front of her, she told me later that her heart skipped a beat.” I furrow my brow, “Why?” “She had two meanings when she wrote that. In a thousand years, she would escape her imprisonment on the moon due to the confluence of the stars. And she would bring forever night. But the stars would aid Luna in her escape…” She falls silent for a long moment as we fly, then she looks ahead, “The stars on my flank, Nick. I am the one who helped her escape from the nightmare.” I think about it as we both bank hard to the right to avoid a squad of bugs, we are getting close to the mountain. Canterlot is right over the ridge before us. Flashes of blackness, even darker than the night, announce the fighting of the creature before us. “You saved her from the nightmare?” She nods, “My friends and I, Celestia sent me to Ponyville, so I could meet them, ones who embodied what I needed to learn about friendship. And hopefully, become friends. She gambled the entire world.” Her ears splay back, “Because she had faith in me. Because she had faith in the friendships she knew I would forge in Ponyville.” “Did she know that you would make such strong bonds?” I ask softly. She shakes her head, “I asked her, after I gained my wings. She told me that she couldn’t use the Elements of Harmony anymore. Her connection to them was severed when she used them to send Luna to the moon. And no other magic in Equestria was nearly strong enough to stop the Nightmare. She said simply, ‘I had faith in my student, who had done so wonderfully in her years learning. I knew she would fix what my arrogance had brought about.’” I think of the white alicorn, “She really did have faith in you, love.” She looks at me and gives me a watery smile, “Yeah, but now we’ve got these damned bugs to deal with. And we don’t have the Elements of Harmony to draw from.” That gets a grin from me, “So…” I look forward as we are getting closer, “You have no idea what we are going to do?” “Nope.” I smile, “Good, then no plans to get ruined once we start.” That gets a giggle from her. Then her ears splay back, “Nick, stay close for now. But we have to stop her from wasting her energy on portals that can be reopened as quickly as she closes them.” A loud scream from the nightmare punctuates her words. I glance ahead and watch the Nightmare slam closed two more portals. She lays about, enveloping the creatures in pure blackness, and they flail around, unable to do anything as they are slowly dissolved by the magic. “Princess Luna, you cannot keep doing that.” Twilight calls out loudly, getting the black as night alicorn to pause and look at her. “You foolish pony, these creatures must be destroyed.” Twilight huffs, “I know that. But can’t you see? You destroy a few, and you close a portal or two. And a hundred more come through a brand new portal. They know how to get to us, simply closing a portal doesn’t work. We have to do something different.” The nightmare turns to Twilight, and I get a good look at her. She has a midnight black coat, and her armor is massive, a deep purple with a highlight of Luna’s crescent moon cutie mark on her flank. Twilight gestures and gets a glare for her trouble, but the dark mare follows her up to a cloud. Twilight lands on the cloud with the Nightmare and I land a discrete distance away. I get a good glance at Twilight’s face. She’s thinking furiously, she paws the cloud a bit as she stalks forward, “Princess, you aren’t doing anything to actually help here.” A pained squawk from the other mare, “I’ve kept them from breaching the walls. I’ve pushed them back. Far more than you have done, little pony.” Twilight bristles, “I’ve freed thousands of ponies in their dimension. I killed their queen. Don’t you dare tell me I haven’t done anything to end this threat to Equestria.” The Nightmare smirks, “Well, good for you. They are still coming through.” She gestures with a hoof down below at the roiling mass of bugs heading towards the summit and towards Canterlot. Twilight growls, “Look at them. They are in disarray. They’ve lost their queen. I’m not exactly certain how much effect that will have, but there is an obvious effect going on here.” The Nightmare ponders Twilight’s words as two bugs marching up the mountain brush into each other. One bug retaliates and attacks the other, it’s wicked curved appendage neatly slicing off the leg. In eerie silence, both of them continue to fight each other until one of them finally falls. The winner is promptly ripped apart by other bugs coming up behind them. A pair of pegasi, towing a fairly large storm cloud stomp on the cloud. Sending bolts into the mass of bugs. Dozens of the creatures fall, smoke rising from their hard shells as the pegasi move on, keeping up the attack. Twilight’s ears flick rapidly as she watches the carnage below, finally she puts out a hoof tentatively towards the Nightmare, “Please, let us work together. We can stop them.” The Nightmare looks at the proffered hoof, then down at the fight, her own ears are flicking rapidly. She finally huffs, “Fine. Let us defeat these creatures together.” Twilight smiles as both of them spread their wings. The cloud dissipates as they power into the air, I spread my wings and keep pace with them. *** “Princess, the shield will fail. It’s being overpowered.” General Snow says softly. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza lands, continuing to guide the injured fighters away from the shield boundary. She trots up to Prince Rutherford, “Prince, you need to head home.” The massive yak stumbles a bit, a crystal pony unicorn trots up, his horn lighting and bringing down the form on the yak’s large back. “Oh, King Guntrum.” General Snow says sorrowfully. Rutherford sniffs, “I saw him fall. I had to get his body out of that mess.” A few tears drop, “I had to.” Cadance nuzzles the yak, “I know you did. Thank you.” They all look at the shield boundary. Tens of thousands of bugs are massed against it, pushing on it, attacking it. The large bugs that have been so effective at keeping the fliers on their toes are now directing their energy bursts at the shield itself. Every impact causes ripples throughout the shield boundary. She glances back at the Crystal Castle, she knows her Shining Armor is there, pouring everything he has into it. She looks around, “I can give us some more time.” She spreads her wings and shoots into the air, a quick and very fast flight has her landing in the rotunda under the castle. Shining Armor is there, sweat pouring from him. “I don’t know what they are doing, but they are going to get through.” He pants. She nuzzles him and bites his ear gently, then her horn alights as well. He opens himself to her, and their magic merges, renewed strength bolsters the shield, but she can feel the strain, they won’t be able to keep it up. She looks at Shining, who looks at her, tears in his eyes. He realizes the same thing, this battle is lost, they just have to acknowledge it. She sidles up next to him, “I’ll hold as long as you hold, love. We will keep them out as long as we can.” “As long as we can, love.” He says softly, closing his eyes and leaning against her. “Till the end.” He whispers. *** A crater is left behind as the magical pegasus takes off. Lightning Dust is already panting, her fellow Wonderbolts told her to go out was madness. But word came through the guard ranks. The bugs have topped the northwest walls. Reinforcements will take time to get there. But she can be there first. A matter of minutes of flight has her landing on the high parapet of a building that adjoins the wall itself. She breathes a sigh, the wall itself is unbroken. But the mass of the horrible creatures has finally succeeded in climbing over the walls. More green lightning bolts strike out, slamming into the first ranks of the bugs. Mages of Celestia’s Solar Winds are galloping towards the onrushing creatures. Two entire divisions of fighters are on their way. But the mages were able to teleport ahead, and they are starting to lay waste to the ranks. They’ve been under enforced rest for the last twelve hours. Letting other units take up the slack, but it’s time for them to fight. Lighting Dust watches from her perch, three unicorns are getting creative with their magic, collapsing buildings on top of the bugs, or causing the earth to explode before the invaders. Lightning Dust tenses, those three are in trouble, bugs have gotten around behind them. She flashes out a wing and a green bolt slams into the bugs, they disappear. She tosses off a wave to the unicorns as she takes to the air again, she needs to help. She crosses over the city walls and into the no pony land of the bugs. One of them notices her, and she has to dance to keep clear of the bolts coming at her. She fires a bolt at the monster sized bug, which promptly disappears. She lays about with her magic, feeling every bolt drain more and more of her strength. A loud noise makes her gasp, a larger portal has opened. Those massive bugs are starting to trundle through, “Oh no you don’t.” She growls as she charges her wings. Electricity crackles among her wings as she gathers all of her remaining power. Dozens of those monsters are quickly through. The defenders will not be able to stand against those nasty things. She gains some altitude and brings both wings together in a mighty flap. A pony wide bolt slams into the artillery bugs, all of the new arrivals disappear, along with a few hundred of the smaller soldiers. Lightning Dust’s eyes flutter as she finds her strength completely gone. She holds her wings out as she starts to fall. She can’t fly anymore. She knows what is coming, and she closes her eyes as she slams into the ground. *** The little orange foal ducks to take cover in a doorway. He looks up, the Princess of the Night and The Princess of Friendship are attacking the bugs on the walls. The screams of the Nightmare send chills through his bones. Moonshine Squire moans. The bugs are coming through the streets of Canterlot. Hundreds of guard ponies gallop towards the invaders, wielding their weapons as they slam into the monsters. The ponies scream as they fight, and scream as they die. Moonshine flinches as the limp body of a stallion of the Solar Guard crumples at his hooves. He wants to whimper, but he feels the magic all around. The bugs may steal the magic, but the world has more magic than they can absorb, for now. He opens he mouth to sing, The minstrel colt to the war has gone, in the ranks of the dead yea shall find him... His horn alights and the guard’s weapon floats up next to him. He’s going to be a member of Luna’s guards someday. He knows it in his soul. Several of the vile creatures have overpowered the guards. It’s his turn. His sire's sword he hath girded on, and his wile harp slung beside him. Raising his weapon, he braces himself, several guards are falling back, slicing into the bugs as they do. They aren’t breaking, they won’t break. Not with Celestia still there. He steps forward lowering the blade of the halberd in his magic. His voice rising above the din. Other voices among the guards take up the song. land of song sang the warrior bard, though all the worlds betray thee. His flanks feel warm. It doesn’t matter, he’s here to help the guard. He brings up the halberd and smiles grimly as he uses the weapon to remove the upper set of spines for a charging bug. He jumps to avoid the slicing return attack. He can hear hundreds of voices continuing to sing as he stabs the bug right in the eyes, getting the body to spasm as it dies. He yanks his halberd from the fresh corpse and tenses as more bugs come forward. He sings even louder. One sword at least Equestria guards, one proud harp least shall praise, thee... His luck is short lived, the bug comes up and knocks his clumsy attempt to attack away easily. It flashes two wicked hooked appendages into the foal. His singing turns to a loud scream as his body is ripped in two. The bug moves forward, stepping over the colt. A brand new cutie mark is on the flank, a kite shaped shield, a crescent moon on one side, and a harp on the other. The other guards have the song in them now. They keep singing as they are slowly pushed back by the bugs. *** A white flash announces the arrival of Discord. The look on his face says everything to Fluttershy. She sighs as she moves over to the draconequus, “What’s going on?” He snaps his fingers, conjuring a cup of tea, which he promptly takes a bite of, “These creatures seem to absorb everything eventually. I was able to stop them…” He sighs, “For a while. But they are now absorbing everything I do.” He stops for a long time, getting nuzzled by the yellow pegasus, “I’m sorry Fluttershy, but even the dragons around Ponyville are going to be overwhelmed.” Fluttershy looks around the crystalline walls of Twilight’s castle, “How long do you think the castle will hold?” Discord looks around, “Hours. Maybe.” “So, we have seen our last sunrise?” The tears start to flow from his eyes, “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy” She simply nuzzles him.