A new breed of evil

by Rarity Belle

30 The brink of war

The train left Ponyville at the designated time. The mares could all be found in a private cabin once again. Twilight tried to make something out of the troubles that had been happening to each of them. She held the small container of the thoughts before her eyes. Something about it continued to trouble her mind more than anything. But when she looked back and over to her friends, they all had taken the opportunity to fall asleep just for that little bit of time again. With Pinkie Pie having snuggled up against her. Applejack sitting right across her, leaning against the window with Fluttershy almost on her back. While Rainbow herself just hung against the wooden door of the cabin. Each of them were vast asleep and Twilight herself released a small sigh of happiness.

It was odd considering the horrible fact that they hadn't come out with Emerald himself. But she knew that he couldn't be saved, especially with the manner that they were brought out of the woods. It only seemed like the business of a madmare to just dart back straight into the forest of terror. “I’m sorry Emerald, but you have to keep strong if she keeps you alive. You’re a strong stallion, I have figured that much out about you. I just hope that you have been able to figure it out for yourself,” Twilight spoke towards the outside world. Her head had torn itself away from the container for a little moment. She just gazed upon the outside world for a bit longer. After that would she placed the small container back on the table and discharged her horn.

The mulberry mare herself needed to have some sleep as well, she was tired and needed to get every last single fact straight before she would be meeting with her mentor. So she snuggled herself up against the couch, Pinkie Pie and the window of the cabin before her eyes were finally giving the closure that they needed.

When the train finally did roll back into the station of Canterlot itself, all five members of the elements were awaited by a group of royal guards. It was a thing that surprised everypony. “Uhm, not that I don’t mind the gentlecolts standing here but, you are going to escort us to the castle, aren't you?” Twilight asked to one of them. One who seemed to be the captain of the group.

“That is correct ma’am, you and your friends need to come with us immediately if you want to stay out of the wrong hooves,” he replied in a low tone to her. The others gave a simple nod to it all. Before they could actually argue against themselves or the guards were they off towards the castle in the distance. The castle where everything wasn't what it seemed to be. Never had been.

“Sooo...” Rainbow Dash started against one of the guards with a grin, “you like it that you have to escort the mythical embodiments of the elements of harmony towards her majesties?”

“Ma’am, I would appreciate it if you keep your mouth against me. They told us you were the cheeky one,” the guard next to her replied. He wouldn’t have fallen for her words.

“Hey! Who you calling 'cheeky' here?!” Rainbow replied with a small growl. Then she went silent against the guard. Each of them erupted in a giggle against their friend. One that was well meant, but never well received. Though with the words spoken and exchanged, had the silence between the elements and the guards returned. Twilight nor Rainbow nor any of the others, had anything else that they wanted to speak to the ponies and in silence and convoy they wandered over towards the castle of Canterlot.

~~~~

“Even with everything you just told me just yet, Twilight, we’re not going to mindlessly set in the charge against her. Everything that she has done just doesn't enough for us to call out the armies,” princess Celestia said to the group of ponies. She had listened to Twilight’s explanation of everything that happened after they left the empire. To say the least, all of the mares were surprised, if not becoming discouraged before starting to boil in their anger. “I know it’s not the thing that you wished to hear and I can understand that completely actually. But you also have to understand the fact that if we go there with our armies, it is actually what she wants us to be doing,” the princess added to her words. Her eye went over each of the ponies with a careful glance.

“I, I start to see your point princess,” mumbled Twilight before she left the small container upon one of the tables. While Celestia sat upon the throne, Luna on the other end was just wandering through the room. Though she did listen with attention to the words spoken and those exchanged, even if it seemed like she didn't pay attention. Not to mention that she was furious as well about the fact that Celestia didn't wanted to attack. Having seen up close just what Nightmare Rarity’s magic was capable of, it was perhaps for the better not to. Doubts filled her body.

“Still," the alicorn of the night spoke before she turned her body towards them, "it goes without any form of saying that the very loss of mister Masquerade is a heavy one. But also one that isn't actually for nothing. Twilight, the stories you just told made me believe that something isn't as it seemed about the unicorn. And I think you know just as well as I do, that something must have gone wrong at some point or the other.” She walked over to the container and had a look at it with a couple of odd expressions visible upon her face. “You forced them… into this? Interesting if I may say so. But let me guess, it wasn't my sister who taught you that spell, am I right?”

It was a compliment that made the mulberry mare blush a little bit before she let out a giggle. She then nodded towards the mare to confirm her words. “Good girl, telling the truth when it needs to be, against the right pony. Either way, if you managed to get the memories of how Rarity implemented them in there, I think that both Celestia and I should be experiencing it for ourselves sooner or later just to witness what has been said and done to get each of you so spooked.”

“And allow me to finish with these words,” the alicorn of the day spoke up as she looked down upon each of the mares with a calm eye. “You’re allowed to return to your homes and live your lives as you see fit for that. But make no mistake my little ponies, the woods of White Tails have become an invisible battleground. Never, ever, wander there as long as she is still out there. When we have a plan of attack ready, we shall give you the call.”

“And risk another chance of being knocked out for a week or two?! Not in a million years, princess. I don’t know about the rest of the girls, but I’m not going to sit back at home and pray I wake up the next morning. I’m staying here and that’s final,” countered Twilight almost right away. She remembered the previous events in which they indeed did suffer their nightmares like that.

It weren't words that either of the princesses could be saying something against as the mulberry mare always kept her hoof firmly to the ground. “Alright then, then I suggest you return to the guestroom for the time being,” replied Celestia to them. She released a deep sigh through her nostrils and rubbed her head a little bit. Every bit of information and word that was spoken against her caused her to become a little bit more light headed. Luna noticed the sudden changes before she shook her own head lightly before guiding the mares over to the guest room herself. Something that provided just a little bit of little, social, interaction with the ponies.

When they walked through the hallways of the castle with Luna to their side, it still felt like each of them had left somepony important behind there back in the horrible domain. Perhaps the part that crushed each of their hearts the most, had to be the thing that there wasn't anything that they could have done for any of them. Not for Rarity, not for Emerald and not even for Spike.

Twilight sniffled away a tear or two before Luna started to walk next to her and gave her a rather concerned expression. “You alright, Twilight? You look like you have taken the hardest hit of them all,” Luna whispered quietly towards the mare, before getting a simple nod in response.

With both courage and strength being gathered by the pony, was the reply spoken by her. “I think, I think I have yes. None of them have lost somepony that seemed to be like a son to them. I know I’m too young to have actual foals of my own and such. But next to growing up with Spike, I also took care for him like a mother. Like any good mother would be having. And I let him go, I let him go into those dreaded woods where she laid in wait for him. Princess, does that, does that does that make me a bad mother?” Twilight would have said to her.

At those very words stood Luna still together with Twilight. She gestured towards the others to continue. The two of them required to have some time alone. From the looks in the unicorn's eyes, they needed that more than anything right there. While the others continued walking, Luna wrapped both of her forelegs around the neck and back of Twilight to give her a massive hug. Only to have the mulberry mare burst out in even more tears then she already was. “No Twilight, it doesn't make you a bad mother. Far from it, even. But in these times we all do things we regret one point in time or another. I promise you upon the moon itself that Spike will return to you alive and well. I promise you that not as a princess to you, but as one of your dearest friends.”

“T-Thank you, Luna.”

~~~~

Days crawled by for the unicorn deep inside of the domain. Days she was simply waiting for any form of reply that could be given by the very royals of Equestria. Something just wasn't right whatsoever. The royals were supposed to go into a blind charge as she had expected them to be. If the charge would have already happened, then they would have been at war already.

Pondering her mind upon the throne of her domain, the unicorn released sigh after sigh. The queen keeps her eyes shut from just about everything that there was around her. There wasn't anything in which she believed anymore at that time. Other than the fact that they were trying to get to her one way or the other. And it was that point that caused her to be doing the actions she had done for the past times against the stallion himself. Locked away in a private cell and hung on chains, he wasn't even given the liberty or opportunity that to just wander around and about in his own cell.

“You are going to tell me, just what it is that those ponies have told to you for their plans,” snarled Nightmare Rarity to nopony. She then finally opened her eyes again and walked down the steps of the throne. Both Fright and Blood gulped loud when they heard the queen coming down, coming their way. But they never dared to turn their attention away from the wall in front of them. It was only after she had passed them that they also came back to life and actually walked behind her.

“Your highness, just what is it that you want to achieve by taking more out of him then he has already told you. Nothing in his mind seemed to be looking towards the thing that he knows anything,” Fright stated to her. All three of them ascended upon the stairs for the courtyard. Though a response from the mare wasn't something he would be getting anytime soon.

Only when the queen had set herself in the courtyard itself did she turn herself around. The mare huffed deep towards the two of them. The shadow stallions were still coming up from the stairs and gulped deeply as they looked directly into her eyes. “You two morons never saw the bigger picture of everything, now did you? He has the information that we’re looking for. But the only problem happens to be, that there is a spell that has locked that crucial part of his mind. Twilight’s good with magical locks, but I know exactly just how to break them open to my own will and that is exactly what I am going to be doing. For more than a week I have been dying to figure out just what happens over there in Canterlot. Never seen anything here in the woods, never even sensed them.”

The more she spoke her words, the more fear could be witnessed in the eyes of the two shadow stallions. The words that she spoke against them in that hateful tone of the unknown, was the thing that frightened them all. If there was one thing that Nightmare Rarity couldn't stand even one bit, had it to be the fact that if she didn't know a thing of what was going on. That was one of the very few times that she was at her most dangerous. Her with no knowledge, always meant trouble.

“Of course, your highness, I shouldn't have doubted your mind. Is there, anything else that you require of us two before you descend to him again?” Fright questioned in a humble tone to her. He then made a polite bow before the queen. Blood did the same but he remained in silence. That way he hoped to avoid her fury.

“Outside of the usual, there isn't anything that I’m needing from you two fools. Continue upon your daily duties and make sure that nothing enters or leaves without me knowing that isn't a nightmare force. Am I clear?” the queen hissed in a venomous tone towards them. Her eyes then just focused themselves upon Blood for the moment.

It took him a few seconds to find his courage again. Then he spoke up against her in his deep tone. “As glass,” was all he said. With those words had the two of them merged themselves to their clouded form. After which they began to just wander through the domain. The unicorn herself released one last huff towards the two of them before she made the descend down towards the dungeon in order to find the pony she had been looking for.

~~~~

One that was safely locked away in the room where usually the sickening experiments were to be done. He had been stationed there and received full charge after full charge of magic straight into his brain. It had caused him to lose his mind and thus become both deluded and insane. He even began to live in the other dimension that was created by his very own fears. Not a single break was granted to the stallion. He was reduced to nothing but a hump of meat with skin on it. Somehow he managed to survive it all, but only because she allowed it. Somehow, he still held value to her.

When the door opened again had the stallion looked up from his position against the wall. He tried to move all four of his legs on the chains a little bit. As per usual, there was not a single grain of motion given to him. The chains were just too tight to do anything against them. In his eyes he saw the mob boss he owed perhaps thousands of bits walking in. With a smirk below the hat he wore did he wandered further up to Emerald. “I can set you free lad, all you have to do for that, is to give me the information that I want out of the skull of yours. The information that the mares gave to you,” he spoke up to him. He wanted to bargain with the poor Emerald.

Though the reality of the situation was that Nightmare Rarity just stood before him. Emerald’s mind would have created the images of her being the mob boss. So far was he gone thanks to her magic. Only one subject in her history who was known to have descended that deep into the madness that she could and would create for any living pony. That pony was nopony else then Astral Chrome, who was one of the first pony to die of actual fright within the walls of the asylum.

“You gotta kill me before I say anything to you, because I don’t know what they have planned. I have been tell you and your clowns that since the beginning. I don’t know what it is that they have planned!” Emerald replied as tough as he could. Though the support he was set upon wasn't anything that did him any good. If anything, it made him worse.

“Then you ain't of use for me anymore. Time to pull the plug outta you,” the mob boss replied to him. The other stallion turned himself back around and began to walk away from him. The thing that followed was the wailing sounds of the stallion erupting out in tears. The sounds that the unicorn had be waiting for as she knew that she had finally broken him. His mind was shattered into a thousand pieces and send to oblivion itself.

“You can’t do this to me! You can’t do this to a stallion like me!” were the last words that the nightmarish unicorn heard. After those had she left the room alone and stood in the normal dungeon of the domain. The door was flung shut with a loud crash while she eyed all of the other prisoners.

All of the ponies were looking at her with a frightful expression upon their faces. But none dared to crawl back into the shadows of their cells. That was until the unicorn grinned like the devil that she was and spoke her single word, “boo.” In response to just that, had each of the ponies crawled into the deepest and darkest corners of their cells as quickly as possible. They curled themselves up into small balls while they heard the unicorn chuckling to herself and then she seemed to be making her departure from the place. But instead of going back up, she went even further down into the catacombs of the dungeon.

Satisfaction wasn't exactly a thing that was flowing through the unicorn at that moment. She still didn't have any clue of what the remaining elements would be doing or what they had planned for her. All the information she got out of the stallion were things that she already knew. So perhaps it was time to cause a bit of action through the land. The curtain would fall and brute force used. “No more shadows, no more tricks, no more nothing. Stone cold action should be drawing them all out of their hiding places right there and then,” the queen of nightmare rambled up against herself. She kept on descending from the stairs until she stood at the door that led to the corrupted Spike.

With one simple flick of her horn did the door open itself. She was allowed to go inside and visit him again. The dragon himself looked down to her with a confused gaze in his eyes before he assumed a more regal posture. “You’ll be doing a fine job to one of the near settlements of the woods. You’re going to lay it in the ashes and burn every last pony in there. Destroy their homes, consume their values and remember this, leave none alive, understood?” Nightmare Rarity spoke against the massive crystal devourer. Who released a loud roar to her in response.

“Fly Spike, spread your wings and wreak terror in my name!” With those words were the chains around his neck broken. The dragon crawled around upon all four of his legs. Only to start walking through the darkness and out of the room. “This shall become, the day of the darkened skies.” Only after that had the unicorn turned herself back around and left the cell of her biggest pet. She would have gone back topside in order to watch the events unfold right before her eyes.

The opportunities that were given to her were some of the most beautiful that she ever seemed to have had. All of it would be a great call for the royals attention to focus the unicorn directly and thus stop the planning. That was the only goal she had. To lure the royals come for her both unprepared and unarmed. Though the latter seemed to be quite impossible. The mare herself would be standing on top of the tower once more. She stood upon her balcony even before the sun was blacked out by something massive for a second or two.

The very thing that had blocked the sun, was nothing else but the dragon himself. The settlement had been chosen, the lives had been doomed and the onslaught could begin. “Watch, and learn your highness's. Watch, and learn as your world burns in the flames of hatred,” were the final words to be released from the unicorn.

~~~~

With a massive and loud roar of pure, primal power did the savage beast turn topside in the lands. It spread its black wings even further before it just jumped into the air and flew away. Another roar with smoke that left the nostrils was given by it while it flow over the domain. The beast was heading towards the settlement a couple dozen miles away from the woods. A settlement that was literally just the start of a new city. All of the houses were made out of wood and the ponies that lived there were hard working but good folk. The only real problem happened to be, that they lived right upon one of Equestria’s largest gem-pits.

That was the one thing that caused the beast to set his nose towards it. “Crrrystal,” it spoke up before another loud screeching roar was given and the wings were flapped even more. With its strong tail, hind legs and wings did the beast looked like a true terror in and of itself. Though the most striking fact was that it had to be the ability to stand in a bipedal pose. That sight alone was more terrifying than anything in the world. Even though the arms were short, they could still help the beast to crawl forward on the ground. Then there was the elongated neck before it ended in the massive jaw with the sharp and thick fangs. Death from above had never been more true for anypony who gazed its eyes upon the monster.

Inside of the settlement that was protected by a few wooden walls that surrounded the whole place, were two guards standing in one of the towers and looked over to the beast. Neither of them couldn't believe their eyes and had to blink a couple of times before the realization struck them. Almost immediately was the signal then given to the rest of the guards that danger was on the way. The bells would have started to alarmed chime. All of the ponies that were in the streets knew that that only meant one thing, trouble had come for them. Danger was knocking at their very doors.

Fillies and colts were plucked out of the streets and brought into the houses for safekeeping. Nopony cared whether to not they had foals or not, or even if they took the ones from the neighbors into their homes. The community knew one another well enough to trust them with such things and with danger lurking literally in the skies they didn't complain at all.

The guards all saw that every single soul had gone inside in almost a record time. But it meant that they were the first and perhaps only line of defense before the massive best would be hitting them. It was a price they had to pay but they would only fight back the moment that the beast itself, would be attacking himself.

For just a moment or two did everything seemed to be going perfect. The beast seemed to be flying over instead of diving straight into the settlement to start digging for the pits. “I've never seen a dragon like that, you?” one of the guards asked while the other shook his head to confirm the thoughts. “So this, is going to be interesting.” Before they could reply to one another, would Spike have clustered himself against the face of the mountain and tucked his wings back against the body. The black scales combined with the poison green spikes over his entire body was more than enough fuel to give the residents to have nightmares for weeks. If anypony was so brave enough to actually look at the massive beast in the first place.

The thing that happened next, was a near deafening roar that came straight from the beast before it dropped itself down into the settlement itself. The wall that was built against the side of the mountain was destroyed in an instant as the dragon turned himself around and the tail actually smashed the second floor of a building. “Hungry… Crrrystals!” Spike said in a deep and tone over all of the settlement. Every pair of ears inside of it could be hearing it loud and clearly. Some of the residents already began to say their prayers as they had lost all the hope already. Bandits and raiders they could beat without a problem, but an ancient beast his size seemed to be impossible and most didn't even wanted to take the chance.

Deep inside of the belly of Spike had the fires already started to burn. They were traveling over to the mouth of the beast with a slow rate. Only to be released like a massive flamethrower over the wooden houses. The green fires of Tartarus were more than enough to make certain that everything it touched, burn until it was leveled with the ground itself and nothing else. The guards in the towers couldn't be doing anything against it. They wanted to do something of course but there was nothing other than leading the evacuation out of the place. It was a desperate gamble but it had to be made. They all knew that and they started to gather their guts to lead the exodus.

“Zu’u zoor zun! Zu’u fin ved dinok!” Spike bellowed towards the villagers. Then he released another flamethrower-like blaze of fire. His wings then spread themselves and he got back up in the air for a moment. Only to be dropping himself back down again. He would have crashed into one of the houses with his feet, leveling it with the ground.

~~~~

While the dragon kept himself busy with one part of the settlement and not to forget the guards that were trying to keep him distracted, there was still something inside the mind of the beast continued to bobble him. He was ordered to leave no survivors to make the statement clear to the royals. Yet why do it felt like they were getting away from him? Even though he was blasted with magic from all sides of the wall, the crystal devourer still turned himself around, noticing the exodus that was going on. That sight alone of the ponies getting away from him caused the rage to be flowing more and more than anything in his mind and belly.

The guards knew it was too late in the back of their heads. The hearts just wouldn't believe it and they just continued upon getting the job done. Even if it would be costing them their own lives. The tail of the beast had already taken out one or two of the guards before he got airborne again and kept on flying higher in the skies. Some of the guards that were helping to get the ponies out of the settlement were already looking up at the shape going higher and higher into the skies.

Though when he blacked out the very sun above the area where the refugees were walking, all of the eyes were suddenly looking straight at him. A sight that made them freeze there upon the spot in terror. None of them had ever expected that their lives would be coming to an end in such a manner. None of them even could have imagined that. Stallions, mares, fillies, colts and foals were all frozen in fright that the dragon. He would have made the descend back down to the ground with a crushing speed. With his belly irradiating the green color of his flames, they all knew that there was only one thing to come for them and gently they all accepted it.

None of the citizens would be running away, none of them would even attempt that. They all would be finding their death at the maw of the infernal creature of old. “Ag ko fin toor!” Spike shouted to the participants of the exodus before the fires were released over them.

The screams of agony and pain were all like music to the ears of the beast as he kept on going until every last bit of flesh wasn't just cooked or charred. It had to be disintegrated before he turned back to the settlement in order to finish the rest of his job.

Mere minutes later was the entire job done and everything in the settlement was destroyed. The monstrous crystal devourer in which Spike had been morphed, had released one last massive roar. One that could even be heard in Canterlot Castle if he had luck. Plumes of black smoke were released from his mouth to mix with the natural smoke of the burning wood. The signal for the castle couldn't be anymore clearer and he knew that he had done his job perhaps more than well.

Though among the rubble there was one last guard who dared to look at the beast with a couple of coughs. Still alive but only barely, he managed to get the full attention of the beast. The head of Spike lowered itself towards him before the words were spoken. “You may have crushed and destroyed us all, but you’re nothing when it comes down to our species. You have conquered the gem-pits for your own greed, dragon of old, but at the cost of every last pony that lived here. You killed entire families! What do you have to say on that, eh?!” the guard spoke up with every last bit of his guts gathered. After that did the cough came again. He faded in and out of life, looking at him.

Spike released a deep exhale at first. Then he eyed the wounded guard with an expression of even more greed. “Dir… Die,” he then said towards the guard. His head retreated itself backwards to the original height. The right leg got moved a little bit before the feet stumped right upon him. Not even the breath of his fire was given to the poor soul to come to his end. Instead, he had each of his bones and organs crushed by the massive scaled foot of the best. “I am, your worst nightmare.”

~~~~

“Sister, look outside now!” Luna said in a genuinely worried voice. She came from the balcony, galloping back into the throne room. After having send the elements back to their chambers to spend the day as they pleased, the alicorn of the night could be found meditating upon the balcony and she, was actually the first one to notice the terror.

“Luna, what is it this time?” Celestia asked of her almost jokingly. Though something inside of the voice caused even her to be worried about the facts as they were. “Another ladybug that managed to sit down upon your nose during your time of meditation?”

“If it only was sister, if it only was,” replied Luna. Celestia calmly made her way over to her. Together they both stepped onto the balcony. With their mane of essence waving unchanged to the wind, the two princesses looked over a sight that they couldn't believe themselves. For as they both stood at the edge of the balcony had Celestia to blink nearly a couple dozen times before she could actually believe the events as they had been playing out before them both.

“This, this isn't happening for real now is it?” she even asked as a confirmation. Then the roar of the dragon reached them. That triumphal roar of power alone was more than enough for Celestia to go even wider eyed. Even with just one of her eyes visible, she knew they were big trouble and the eye showed it from every possible side. “They are supposed to be extinct!” she stated.

“You, you mean the dragons? What kind of dragon is it then, as I have never heard something like that before in my life,” said Luna to her. She managed to tear away her attention from the scene and she looked over to Celestia with a worried expression. “Sis, tell me, what was that?”

“That, Luna, was the roar of a Crystal Devourer. A species of dragon that should have gone extinct while you were on the moon. Not by my choice or actions, mind you. But they formed a big threat to the Crystal Empire’s very existence. They are the only kind of dragon who don’t just hoard values but even eat them. Gems, specifically,” explained the elder sister.

Almost as if she knew it did the eyes of Luna went wide. She made a sudden realization if not an entire revelation. “Spike! Spike, eats diamonds and gems. Oh, no, no, no, this isn't happening! Tia, tell me that this isn't happening! I promised her! I promised her!” she said terrified.

But the alicorn of the day knew exactly just what it was what Luna was talking about and she closed her eyes for a moment and hung her head low. “Spike, is a crystal devourer, sister. So the chances are likely that, he is the one who wrecked all those poor ponies their houses and set it all ablaze. How could have been so blind to not see it coming?! Especially from a mare like herself!?” Celestia mumbled up to herself before she rose her hoof into the air and just stomped the floor below her. “How could we have been so blind?!” she shouted afterward before her body was turned away from the scene and the eye closed itself off from the world.

But where Celestia began to mourn about the losses that were suffered, Luna was having more than enough of literally everything that had happened. First it was the ponies going just crazy, then it was one of her longboats being destroyed, before Twilight and her friends returned without the stallion. She was having more than enough of everything and the end was getting closer and closer for her. “I don’t care what you’re gonna say, Tia, but this time you listen to me and me alone for a change. It is time that we take up our arms and finally bring the fight to her and her alone. Don’t even try to stop me,” Luna growled to Celestia. After that she spread her wings and took off into the skies. Whatever she had planned, Celestia of course couldn't agree with at all.

Luna was the only one of the two royals sisters who would be having some guts to take the fight to the dark queen and her alone. Inside of her mind was the plan being forged and even if Celestia didn't wanted to partake into it, it was still going to happen. If Nightmare Rarity could play the game dirty, so would the alicorn of the night. The box of tricks wasn't emptied yet. For there was one massive trick that still needed to have been done. One that could have helped them all.

Though the alicorn of the day was completely immobilized. That was until Luna landed back upon the balcony. Uncertain of just what her sister had done or even where she had gone, Celestia opened her eye once more and she looked towards her sister as if she could cry. Yet the face of Luna didn't show off any emotion whatsoever. Instead she just walked up to her elder sister and moved up to her ear to leave a whisper into it.

The eyes of the alicorn looked up a bit confused before Luna moved herself backwards just a little bit and spread her wings once more. “Say those words against her, those exact words, whenever the dark queen appears before the throne, for whatever reason. I won’t have it that more lives are being taken into this pointless battle and quest of hers,” Luna spoke firm against her sister.

“I still don’t understand it, Luna, what it is that you are going to plan to be doing?! What do you know that I don’t know!?” Celestia called out to her younger sister, who had made herself airborne. The two of them exchanged a couple of stone colds looks between one another before Luna released a deep sigh through her nostrils and closed her eyes for a moment or two.

“Let’s just say that you need to place some more trust into me for once. I’m no longer the loose cannon I was before, Tia. No longer am I that little goofball that snuggled up against you during the stormy days back when we were young. That is what you fail to realize. You fail to realize the fact that I too have grown older, wiser and more powerful. I understand that you want to protect us all, but you have to share that burden with somepony you can trust the most,” said Luna to her sister in an honest tone. She took another deep inhale before finally revealing her plan. “I’m going to end the very thing that she has started. A thing that should have been done long ago.”

Before Celestia could even reply to those words, was the alicorn of the night just gone. She had just taken off back into the skies for whatever reason there might have been. Though just when she thought that she was alone upon the balcony, did that recognizable trot of Twilight Sparkle could be heard coming on the balcony. “Princess, w-what is going, what’s that fire in the distance?”

“That, my dear and faithful student Twilight...” Celestia brought to her before she turned her head away from the unicorn. It would have been aimed towards the rising column of smoke in the distance, “is the brink of war, we’re currently standing on.”

Comments

[Black Hoof]

Poor ponies... And Twilight sure won't like to learn what Nightmare Rarity turned Spike into.