Purity Corruption

by TheBlox

Go for Broke

A cold breeze of dust blew across the surface of the grey terrain. Every direction, every horizon, was an endless wasteland of moon dust. Nothing for miles; just craters, and an endless twilight sky of twinkling stars; Equestria was a small sphere in the sky. The surface of the moon was indeed forlorn and ominous.

A faint glow emerged on the land. The light grew brighter, and all at once it vanished into mist of magical sparkles, and from the light appeared a dark alicorn mare. Her constant rippling mane matched the sky and the stars, as if it were a galaxy of its own. A black smudge was on her flank with the cutie mark of a half-moon, as well as a black necklace around her neck with the same symbol.

After appearing on the surface of the moon, the alicorn slowly sauntered on the surface of the moon, glancing left and right with a forlorn expression. Through her expression, it was as if she had been here before, but had no blissful memories of the place. Pressing onward, she continued trotting the land of moon dust and craters beneath the starlit sky. The alicorn sighed to herself, searching the land of loneliness. She felt a shiver in her horn, like there was a presence here.

It felt like hours had passed, even though it had only been maybe ten minutes. Then off in the distance, something caught her eye; the thing that she sensed on the moon, which drove her to teleport herself here to investigate. Trotting faster, she approached the speck in the distance. As she got closer, she was surprised at what she saw.

A white unicorn with a golden mane; her cutie mark a silver outline of a heart. She was lying in the moon dust, motionless like the rest of the grey world beneath the alicorn’s feet. She approached for a closer look… Scars spread all over the white pony’s body, and to the alicorn, she appeared completely lifeless.

The dark alicorn stepped up to the pony in the moon dust, and using a hoof, she prodded her. The wounded unicorn remained limp, and kept silent and still.

“So, it was you who teleported my moon back into the sky when it was falling…” The alicorn exclaimed silently. A solemn expression, and the alicorn lowered to her haunches in front of the downed mare. Leaning closer to have a better look at the wounded unicorn, she noticed that the white mare was breathing; very weak and very slowly, as if every breath was going to be her last; but still breathing nevertheless.

“You survived it…?” This dumbfounded the alicorn, and she stood back up, squinting down at the near-dead unicorn. She tried to nudge the unicorn with a hoof once more, but received no response once again, and her body was as limp as a ragdoll’s.

A long moment had passed, and the white mare’s eyes slowly, weakly opened. Her body was completely still, and her breathing remained weak. Her eyes looked up to the alicorn, but the rest of her didn’t move at the slightest. The mare’s mouth painfully opened, as if she was going to try to say something, but she only made a painful squeak, and her eyes closed again.

The alicorn looked down to the wounded unicorn somberly; she was in a great deal of pain, and on the verge of death it seemed. With a sigh, she murmured to the downed mare. “I saw what you did, Altruise.”

A moment had passed, and Altruise’s eyes slowly, weakly opened once again, with her eye lids a quarter open. Again she looked up to the alicorn without moving an inch.

“I was there when you destroyed Canterlot.” The alicorn declared, “I saw what you did to the castle and the ponies, and I saw what you did to my sister.” She winced a little and turned away.

When the alicorn mentioned about her sister, Altruise began to realize who she was speaking to. “Luna…?” Her voice was weak. “I-I…” Her eyes glistened, and a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Yet here you lie on my moon, evident that it was you who saved us all.” Luna stood taller and looked down at her, confused. “Why save us after all that?”

There was a sudden pause; a long pause. Altruise closed her eyes, too painfully tired to keep them open. She breathed slowly a few times, and each breath sounded like it would be her last. She opened her weak lips, but couldn’t find words to reply.

“It confounds me that you’re still alive. Teleporting the moon… That should have killed you.” Luna raised a brow at her, “And you knew that when you did it… Didn’t you.”

Altruise slowly opened her eyes again; her eyes trailed aimlessly, and she looked to Luna’s hooves. She nodded slowly in response, and sighed with exhaustion.

“What you did was very brave.” Luna admitted modestly.

The white mare just sighed in response to that, and her eyes trailed to the soot beneath her. “I should be dead…” A brief pause, and she looked up to Luna once more. “In Canterlot… you saw me…? What I did…?”

Luna nodded with a slight wince, “I tried to get to you to stop you, but before I could reach you, you and Celestia had teleported.” A silent sigh and she continued, “After you vanished, I had a hard time pinpointing your location.” She looked up to the stars and breathed in through her nostrils, “I stayed in Canterlot, searching for survivors.”

Altruise slowly opened her weak eyes until they were a quarter open, and she quietly groaned a slow, painful cough. “Did… you find any…?”

Luna nodded in response to that. “There were many… Quite a miracle, actually…”

“Oh goddess…” Altruise clenched her eyes shut and squeezed tears out; she was very grateful to hear that. The unicorn weakly brought a hoof to her eyes and wept, “How could I ever fix what I did…?”

“Well, I think you should take that up with my sister.” Luna exclaimed, looking up to Equestria in the sky. “Although I am her sister, I’m not exactly in charge. I can’t decide what happens to you.”

Altruise looked up to Luna after she said that. “Do you… think she’d banish me…?” Her ears sank lower, “Or… or kill me?”

“Heh.” Luna smirked at her, “I doubt that, Altruise.” She knelt to her haunches and put a hoof over the white mare’s shoulder, “In fact… I think she’ll be happy to see you.”

Altruise opened her mouth, and was about to respond to Luna’s last comment, but all of a sudden they vanished in a cloud of moon dust. The dust on the moon danced around in the air, and in a rippling motion, the moon dust settled back onto the grey floor.

The moon was empty once more.

* * * * *

In the crowd of Ponyville, the mares and stallions were all lost for words. Altruise’s sacrifice had come as a shock, and it happened so fast.

In the center of the crowd, there emerged a bright light, and they all turned to it in surprise. Shielding their eyes at the momentary flash of light, it vanished in a cloud of magic, and from the light appeared two ponies; Altruise and Luna.

Luna was on her haunches, holding onto the wounded mare beside her. Altruise was still extremely weak, and she could hardly move an inch. The ponies were all surprised to see her alive, and there were many wide eyes in the crowd, and an instant chatter broke out among the ponies.

“Sister?” Celestia approached the two ponies, looking down at them. First she glanced at Luna, and then her eyes trailed to Altruise, who looked back up her. “Altruise… You’re alive…?”

There was a slow response. Luna sighed and responded for the weak mare. “Barely.” She stood up, and stepped away from the unicorn.

Celestia looked at Luna, and then turned her glance back to Altruise. Her eyes squinted at her, which made Altruise cower. “Altruise, are you able to stand?”

Altruise looked up at the sun goddess in pain. “I can… barely even breathe…”

Celestia looked down at her with a sigh, “I don’t know how, and I don’t know why you survived…” She looked up at the moon that was placed back in the sky, “Nopony has ever attempted such a feat before, and lived to tell about it…”

“I… I had to do it…” Altruise murmured weakly, “I couldn’t just… do nothing…” She closed her eyes and lifted her head, whimpering through her tears, “I’ve forgotten… who I was…” Opening her eyes again, she lowered her head back down and sighed painfully, “I was a foal to cause such horrors. I’ve dishonoured my mother and father… I’ve betrayed my own kind…” She bit her lip and looked up to Celestia, “I should have listened to you in the first place when you tamed my magic… I’ve let you down…”

There was a brief pause, and Celestia then noticed something. There was a black crack in Altruise’s horn, and her horn was dull and pale. “Altruise… Your horn.”

The other ponies then all noticed it too, and looked concerned for her. Altruise put a hoof to her horn and felt it. “W-What… I…” She immediately noticed the crack; it felt dry and lifeless.

“It looks like the teleportation put a toll on your horn…” Celestia murmured sensitively, “I’m sorry, Altruise. But you won’t be able to use magic again.”

Altruise bit her lip, and she put her hoof down. A depressing sigh, and she looked to the ground. She sank lower, and she felt a pinch in her gut. “I suppose I deserve it… It’s probably for the best…” She murmured and her ears fell back, “I guess I really am a broken unicorn…”

Everything then went silent. There was a very long pause, with sympathetic looks on all of the ponies. After awhile, Altruise broke the silence. “So… whatever my consequences are… I will honour them…”

Celestia looked back at the ponies around her, who were all nervous about what she was going to say. The alicorn turned back to the mare at her hooves, who had her head down, and her eyes closed, bowing respectably to the Princess. Clearing her throat, the Princess put her hooves down and made a statement.

“Altruise, for all you have done… For the destruction of Canterlot, and for assaulting your Princess…” She paused briefly, and looked up to see the other ponies were concerned. She cleared her throat again, and continued. “For your actions, I hereby sentence you… to help rebuilding Canterlot, to restore it to its former glory.”

Altruise’s eyes opened, and her ears perked. Confused, she somberly looked up to the Princess. “What…?” She had expected to hear something far worse than that.

Celestia looked down to the mare with a solemn smile, “You were willing to give your life to save Equestria from certain extinction; and for that, I give you my thanks.”

The wounded mare paused briefly, and to her surprise, the Princess bowed to her. “…W…what?” Trailing her eyes among the crowd, more ponies around her all followed Celestia’s lead in bowing their heads to express their respects. This brought tears to Altruise’s eyes, and her lips trembled in gratitude. She didn’t understand how they could be bowing to her; not after what she had done. “But… why…?”

“I forgive you, Altruise.” Celestia declared, standing and smiling down to the mare.

Altruise trembled in tears. “Bu-but I…” She bit her lip, not believing she deserved forgiveness of any kind.

“You are a good pony; you really are. You were lead astray, and I am grateful to see that you have rediscovered your true self.” Celestia pointed a hoof at the mare’s silver heart on her flank, “And I still stand by what I said all those years ago… That cutie mark suits you perfectly. And you are far from a broken unicorn.”

Altruise felt warmth in her heart, and she couldn’t hold back her tears. With all the strength she could muster, she stood up. Forcing herself as hard as she could, she gave every bit of her strength stand to her hooves, simply to hug the Princess, and sobbed over her shoulder. This caught Celestia off guard, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

After Altruise dropped back onto her hooves, limply holding herself up, she looked up to the Princess with her damp and bright, blue eyes. The smile on her face; her bright smile that she had lost all those years ago had returned.

“So, what can I do to help with rebuilding Canterlot?” She beamed happily. Though her smile sort of disappeared in a moment, and she put her hoof on her horn, “Um… Without magic…”

“Don’t worry.” Celestia comforted the mare, resting a hoof on her shoulder, “We’ll improvise.”

Altruise looked back into the Princess’ eyes and smiled, nodding. Luna stepped forth and cleared her throat.

“So, I found many survivors in Canterlot…” She exclaimed happily. “I sent them all to Trottingham to rest until we begin rebuiding the city.”

“That’s wonderful news.” Celestia smiled to her sister, and glanced at the other ponies in the crowd. “Anypony who is willing to help rebuild Canterlot is welcome to join us, and I will be eternally grateful.”

“Anything for the Princess!” Twilight cheered, trotting to Celestia, smiling up at her.

Celestia giggled at her faithful student, and looked up at the crowd. More cheerful chatter emerged from the crowd, and one after the other, they all began following the Princess.

“Thank you everypony.” Celestia smiled warmly, and turned to Altruise. “Why don’t we all get some sleep for the remainder of the night… We’ll all travel to Canterlot in the morning.” She turned to Luna, “Could you travel to Trottingham and send the ponies to Canterlot in the morning? We’ll all meet up there together.”

“Sure thing, Sister.” Luna smiled, and spread her wings, flying off into the distance toward Trottingham.

“Rest sounds so good right now…” Altruise murmured in a joking manner. She then looked up to the Princess and raised a brow, “I thought you told me you don’t sleep.”

Celestia snickered, “I don’t.” She turned to the lavender mare beside her, “Twilight? Would it be too much trouble if Altruise and I spend the night at the library?”

“Trouble?” Altruise waved a hoof, “Pfff, no trouble at all! By all means!”

“Thank you, faithful student.” Celestia exclaimed with a smile, and followed Twilight to the library. Altruise limped after them, but she only managed a few hoofsteps, and she collapsed back into the ground. Celestia and Twilight both turned to her in surprise.

“Altruise. Are you alright?” Celestia jumped.

There was a moment of silence, and Altruise responded with a snore. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion. The other ponies all looked at each other, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Twilight rolled her eyes and levitated the sleeping mare in an aura of her magic, and she carried her along with them in the air. “I’ve got her…” She murmured with amusement. With that, they trailed onward to Twilight’s library, where they would spend the remainder of the night.

* * * * *

When the bright morning came, all the ponies in Ponyville waited patiently outside of the library for Celestia, Twilight and Altruise to exit. Celestia and Twilight were the first to exit the library, and they turned to the door, waiting for Altruise. It took a few moments before Altruise reached the door, and she stepped outside with a limping hoof, looking up at the crowd; they were all smiling at her.

“You feel rested enough?” Celestia asked the limping mare.

Altruise nodded, “Ready when the rest of you are.”

Celestia smiled, “Alright. Let’s move on hoof to Canterlot then.” She declared, trotting at a pace that Altruise could keep up to, and they all headed for the city.

* * * * *

Arriving to Canterlot, the ponies all felt their hearts sink to see the city destroyed. Ponies from Ponyville and those formerly from Canterlot who stayed in Trottingham all met in the same place in an open field of rubble. Getting acquainted with one another, Celestia cleared her throat and was about to speak.

“I am very grateful you all decided to come help rebuild Canterlot.” She exclaimed with a smile, and turned to Altruise. “We all have done our wrongs; we have all put wounds in other ponies that may take time alone to heal.”

Altruise lowered her head at that statement.

“But we all deserve forgiveness and friendship.” Celestia smiled at her, “I am proud of you, Altruise, for taking a stand for Equestria; for willingly surrendering your life to save all of us.”

The white mare looked up at the Princess and smiled warmly. Celestia then turned to the rest of the crowd, “Well… Let’s begin rebuilding, shall we?”

The crowd cheered, and ponies everywhere trotted to different parts of the city. Unicorns used their horns to levitate debris and repair it; pegasi and earth ponies helped with the landscaping. Celestia stood proud of the ponies all putting their efforts into rebuilding the place. She glanced down at Altruise beside her, “Where would you like to help?”

“Well, I don’t know, I—”

“Mom?? Dad?!” Twilight suddenly galloped off, and ran toward two unicorns. Altruise watched her reunite with her parents in the distance who had survived the destruction in Canterlot, and it brought a moment of pain in her memories. Celestia smiled at the lavender unicorn, and she turned back to Altruise to see her down.

“Something the matter?”

Altruise continued watching Twilight and her parents who were holding each other like a loving family. A wince, and she looked up to the Princess. “I um…” She looked back down to the ground and sighed, “I just need some air.”

“I understand.” Celestia exclaimed, “I’ll leave you be.” That said, she turned and trotted away from the downed unicorn.

Altrusie sat on her haunches, deep in thought. She was truly happy for Twilight that she got to reunite with her parents; though it brought memories of her own parents that she still had a hard time letting go of. She turned her head and saw a broken sheet of glass, which she could see herself in its reflection. She stared at it, focusing on the one thing on her head that made her heart numb; her broken horn.

She took a moment to absorb the truth; she had literally lost everything. Her parents, all her old friends, her father figure who turned out to be her enemy, and now her magic.

“Hi, Altruise…” A voice gently called to her from behind. Altruise turned to the voice, and found a pink unicorn with a white mane looking down at her.

“H-…Hi?” Altruise murmured, and stood to her hooves. She squinted her eyes to focus at the unicorn in front of her, trying to pinpoint who she was talking to. “You… look so familiar.” After a brief moment, Altruise finally realized who she was talking to. Her eyes widened, and she stepped back. “M…Mila…?”

The pink mare nodded to her with a smile.

“Y…you survived Trottingham…?” Altruise whimpered, approaching her.

Mila nodded, “And Canterlot. Funny, doesn’t matter where I go, seems ponies like to go blowing those places up.”

“Oh…” Altruise lowered her ears, “S…sorry…”

“It’s alright; you’re still my best friend.” Mila smiled, hugging the white mare.

This brought tears to Altruise’s eyes, “Oh goddess it’s so good to see you…”

“Likewise.” Mila exclaimed, breaking the hug and stepping back. “Well, should we go help the others?”

“Yeah.” Altruise smiled, and briefly paused, “I-in a minute. You go ahead, I’ll catch up to you.”

Mila shrugged, “Alright, Altruise. See you in a bit!” With that, she trotted off to help the others build. Left alone, Altruise sighed and looked at her reflection in the broken piece of glass again. She slowly trotted toward it, and glared at herself.

A few hesitant moments passed, and she looked to her feet, she selected a stone in the ground, and she stepped back, bowing toward the stone. Clenching her teeth, she tried casting a spell on it. “HhnN…”

After a few moments, other ponies noticed what she was doing. Looking at each other, they all trotted to her in concern. She continued pushing, forcing her magic to come forth. Though nothing was happening; not even a spark.

Celestia approached her and sighed, “Altruise, don’t hurt yourself.”

Altruise didn’t respond, and continued pushing her magic, standing with determination. Though nothing was happening, nothing stopped her. She was reminded of that day in the forest; her first spell.

“Being broken never stopped my father…” Altruise exclaimed proudly, and pushed harder. Her optimism put a smile on Celestia’s face, and she stepped back, waiting. All of the other ponies all stood watch. In Altruise’s eyes, there was no frustration; only smiles. She relaxed herself like Celestia has taught her a long time ago, and she patiently waited for her magic to come forth, in a tame manner.

Minute after minute passed by, and still nothing was happening; but each passing minute didn’t phase the unicorn. Still, she continued on, relaxed and patient. The other ponies around her felt bad for her; the crack on her horn was a significant crack that represented dead magic.

Even Altruise knew this, but that didn’t stop her from trying or believing in herself. Gently pushing, pushing, pushing… She felt a warm and familiar sensation in her horn, which brought a joyful smile to her face.

There from within the black crack of her horn, the ponies around her could see a faint glow inside it, as if it was trying to escape. There was chatter among the crowd, and Altruise continued to hold onto her joyful thoughts that were bringing back her magic.

Her memories of her parents, her friends… Everything that has ever brought joy to her, she held onto and her smile grew brighter, just as her horn did. Then the ponies around her watched in awe, as the stone in the ground was surrounded by a faint golden aura. Concentrating and closing her eyes with blissful thoughts, Altruise lifted the stone from the ground. The strength of her magic was nowhere near as powerful as it was, but all the same, this put a smile on her face.

“You’ve always impressed me, Altruise…” Celestia exclaimed warmly, “Just like your father; he was never a quitter. I’m sure he’d be proud.”

Altruise smiled at that, and put the stone back down. “I’ll practice every day, just like he did when his wing was broken.” She honourably declared, and with that, she trotted off to a pile of debris, “I’ll get to work right away!” The mare was excited.

The other ponies all followed her lead and went to work on rebuilding Canterlot as well. Celestia watched the mares and stallions work, and a smile was brought to her face. Without further a do, she trotted to them, and helped with the rebuilding as well. It was going to be a long time to reconstruct everything back to the way it was, but how long it took didn’t matter. What mattered was all of the renewed hopes and pride.

Everything was at peace once more.

* * * * *

Comments

[Deathpony]

yay Altruise is still alive and can do magic again , cant wait for the next chapter if theres going to be one

[Obsidian Warrior]

Altruise survived a battle against Nebulous, teleported the moon, survived, woke up fine and dandy, and was able to use magic with a broken horn?
nextlol.com/images/1809-watch-out-everyone.jpg
I hope this continues.

[M Specter]

I love this story at like chapter 17 or 18 I started to shed legit tears but this is so good.