A new breed of evil

by Rarity Belle

31 The beginning of the end

Both Celestia and Twilight watched over to the column of smoke that continued to rise from the destroyed settlement. The eyes of the mulberry unicorn turned themselves over into the unbelievable. Never in her entire life had she even imagined that something like that would be witnessed by their, or better said, her eyes. “But, what do you mean with, brink of war, princess?” the unicorn asked with a genuine surprised tone. She tried to keep her attention off of the lives that had been lost in the horrible fight that had happened only miles away from them.

Though it was a deep sigh that the alicorn released in response to the words of her faithful student. Words couldn't be spoken for the first set of minutes. The silence was the thing that dominated everything. Not even Twilight herself dared to disrupt her mentor from it. Respect was given and taken by the two mares but at one point did one of the wings of the white coated alicorn spread itself before it was placed over the back of Twilight.

It was a silent message that she had to come with her mentor back inside. That was just the thing that she did. Without a word or a sound did the mulberry unicorn just enter in the throne room while a deep sigh was released. Nothing could have prepared her for the sights she witnessed outside, but nothing could be preparing her for the words that Celestia would speak either.

The moment when the wing was taken off of the back and the doors to the balcony closed had Celestia walked in front of Twilight. She had closed her only visible eye with grief for the families and lives lost in the blazing inferno caused by the dragon himself. “Words can’t redeem the deeds done on this evening. Deeds can’t redeem the words spoken. I’m sorry, Twilight, but from this moment onward, there is nothing that we can be doing then to do the one thing that is asked of us. We have to bring the very fight over, to her,” Celestia said to her.

The words entered the ears of the unicorn at a velocity that seemed unparalleled by anything in the known universe. It was something that scared the living daylight out of the mare. Those exact words meant something that Twilight herself had never expected to be coming out of the mouth from her ever so beloved mentor. “You, you must be joking here! You can’t be serious about this, can you? I, I mean, bringing the fight to her isn't exactly the very thing that I wished you to be doing your highness. But I most object against this. Whether you like it or not, Rarity is still our friend even though she doesn't realize it at the moment,” stated Twilight, hoping to reason with her mentor.

“My decision, is final, Twilight. Something must be done about the menace of White Tails and if it means extermination of the pest then so it be,” the princess of the sun brought out quickly. The very tone she carried was one that the unicorn wasn't used to hear from her. It actually caused her to take a step or two backwards while the head was shaken from right to left.

“No, no you couldn't, just have spoken those words! I refuse to believe that you called Rarity a pest! She’s an element of harmony for crying aloud! You can’t just let her die by the sword or horn!” Twilight yelled against her, hoping to bash some form of sense into the princess.

Though in initial response did Celestia glared her eyes over to Twilight. Then they narrowed themselves a little bit. “Then tell me, how you want to fight the being that’s split across the souls themselves? Because based on your observations and words, it is indeed a merging of the souls, instead of a hostile take-over,” the princess asked of her, putting Twilight in a bind.

“I, I’ll find a way!” Twilight said to the alicorn. She moved a bit impatient up and down on her spot. She didn't know whether or not she was given the full authority to find a cure of counter attack that didn't mean to kill one of her best friends. “You will believe me, Celestia, I will find a way.” With those brave set of words did the unicorn turn herself around and began to just walk away. Back to the doors that once let her into the throne room, back to the place she found herself more home than anywhere else in the place. “The library, must have an answer of some kind for this mess.”

~~~~

Celestia on the other end turned herself around as well. She would have faced the throne she had been sitting on ever since she was given the crown of Equestria. Something –if not anything– inside of her body suddenly made her look towards it with disgusting feeling for it. Almost as if she didn't redeem herself worthy anymore to actually sit upon the thing.

“Maybe, I’m growing indeed to violent my faithful student. Maybe, I lost the touch of love,” the princess whispered to herself. She dared to look out of the window again and into the darkness of the smoke from the fires. “My thoughts are clouded, my heart is shrouded. Just like before, the biggest mistake ever made.” All of the sudden did the alicorn turn herself around and faced the door while her eyes caught the tail of Twilight cutting off a corner into another hallway. “You’ll make a fine princess one day, I promise you that.”

“Who?” an all too familiar voice spoke up. Then the clatter of armor pierced itself into the ears of the alicorn. “Hope you aren't speaking about, you know who,” the voice continued to speak.

“No Luna, I didn't do that. And I take it that you are ready for it, that you are actually wanting to be doing such a terribly deed of your own?” Celestia said before she turned herself over to the being in the armor and gained the scare of her life once more. In her eyes did she caught her younger sister wearing the full attire of nopony else then Nightmare Moon herself. “I forbade you to wear it and look at you now!”

“I make my own rules in some cases, sister. Just like you do most of the time. And in this case, the rules are being set. Just don’t forget to tell her, what I have told you. Knowing the devil herself, she’ll come to claim the attack, personally. Well, more or less,” replied Luna with a stern voice at first. The last few words were spoken in a bit of a softened, uncertain tone.

“I hope that you are right here, sister. Because as the things are right now, I am touching the dark here myself,” replied Celestia before she did a step or two closer towards her sister. Before anything could be done, a tight hug was exchanged between the two mares. “Stay safe Luna.”

“Should be saying that about you, Tia,” Luna returned with a giggle of her own. Then the hug was released again from both parties at nearly the same time. “So this is how it’s going to end then I suppose? A glorious battle before the evil mare comes to a fall?”

Doubts all of the sudden filled the mind of the other alicorn. She was beginning to struggle whether or not she should tell her little sister the words of Twilight. But holding any piece of information back at that moment in time seemed to be a downright suicidal mission. It was the realization that came to the mind of the alicorn as well. “No, Twilight is going to try to find a way to make the right side of Rarity survive the splitting. But… I can not tell what will happen elsewhere.”

“Look who took honesty upon herself for a change of heart. Still, I’m glad to hear that you gave her the chance to save a friend,” Luna said to her with a gentle smile upon her face. She then took a few steps backwards. The wings of the lunar alicorn were spread and with one jump she got airborne once more. The horn charged itself up for usage again. “Today, we shall start and end the war with the nightmare forces, sister. Today will be the day, that most will return back to normal.”

Yet when Celestia wanted to reply to the words spoken, Luna had already disappeared in an orb of blue light. The elder sister knew immediately that a teleportation spell had been used by the younger mare. Which meant that the only thing that the celestial alicorn could have done, was to reclaim her position upon the throne where she would be sitting for the coming hours.

~~~~

Hours that crawled by while she had just so much things that went through her mind. Yet only there were also just so many secrets that were left behind for the ponies in question. Though through all of that madness in her mind was the entire atmosphere of the throne room surprisingly and oddly calm. A calm that seemed to be pretty unusual given the circumstances but at one point in time did the eyes of the alicorn open themselves as a new sort of energy was detected with her horn.

A form of energy that was both ancient and new at the same time. As far as she knew, only one being in the entire face of the lands had been able to give off such power radiations. “And here she comes,” Celestia mumbled. She finally got her eyes upon the predator in the shadows. A shimmer of darkness that just laid upon the floor like an actual shadow was revealed to the eyes of the princess herself. A shimmer that turned itself into a pool as something began to climb out of it.

All of the guards in the room took their arms. They had not a single clue of just what it could be that was attacking them but Celestia simply waved them off to calm down. “I have been waiting for a meeting with you in person and here it finally comes,” she said towards it, almost admiring it.

A tar-black colored set of forelegs were punched out of the pool of darkness. One that was slowly starting to boil like actual, hot tar. The thing that followed seemed to be going lightning fast. The figure just didn't rose itself out of it, it actually hurled itself out of the pool. It landed just a hoof or two away from it with the hind legs.

The black, tar-like goo was still dripping off of the being. A smirk was given and the pearl white, jagged teeth were revealed in their full glory. Hours had gone by since the attack on the settlement and the meeting that Luna had foretold was about to begin. But one thing still bugged the alicorn, the rather simple fact of that massive amount of black goo that covered the entity.

She also seemed to be surprised by the actual size. The head rose itself up from its lower position, to a much more regal height. Then it was finally revealed to her. Finally did the substance drip off of the being, thus revealing who it really was. With a shake of her head and tail stood Nightmare Rarity herself, the queen of fear, right in the throne room together with Celestia.

The smirk never left her face while the substance itself would have crawled back to the pool of darkness. A pool that closed itself off after having collected all of the bits and pieces. Words weren't exchanged between the two ponies. The dark unicorn would just have started to pace up and down before the throne. An action that did two things for the princess of the day.

The first one being the obvious one, the very fact that she could observe her enemy from almost every last angle there was. But the second was more into the actual advantage of the unicorn, the pacing drove Celestia to the edge of insanity from time to time. The pounding sound of hooves against the stone, disrupted the alicorn’s thoughts. It just worked her on her nerves that much.

Yet shouting against the unicorn before her was the last thing that she would have wanted. Anything that could be seen as a sign of weakness, would be used by the mare as an exploit against the two royals. That thing was just about the last thing that she wanted to have happen. “You rang?”

~~~~

In the meantime and in the library of Canterlot castle itself was Twilight working harder and more eager than ever. She wanted to get the books that she needed in order to find something that could be helping her to get Rarity back the way she was supposed to be. Not even her four remaining friends wanted to help her with the cause. None of them would even be understanding the words that she would be speaking, let alone reading.

So in one way or the other, it was really just her on her own that would be figuring out the things that needed to be done. At one end she could understand just why they had made their decisions as they did. The science behind it all wasn't something that easily discovered let alone discussed. Not to forget that they weren’t unicorns. The situation was a tough package for Twilight.

But that didn't stop the unicorn from not trying. She wanted to know the secrets and perhaps the best of all, she wanted to know exactly how she could be reverting Rarity back. She wanted to do it without the use of the elements themselves. All that her heart really wanted from that point onward, was to get her much beloved friend back.

“Hey Twi, you be needing some help?” the voice of Fluttershy all of the sudden echoed through the room. The one where the mulberry unicorn was working. The eyes were raised from the books and looked over her glasses towards the mare with a smile. Though behind Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie just hopped on like there hadn't been anything that had happened in the past hours. Ignorance was a bliss and the pink party pony was the prime example of that statement.

“Actually, I, I could be using some help here,” admitted Twilight in a soft voice. She lowered the book that she was reading from. She looked at the two ponies with a gentle, thankful smile. “If, if you could sit down and look through the books as well, I would appreciate it.”

“No problemo Twi!” Pinkie giggled before she hopped over to one of the chairs and took place on it. While Fluttershy on the other end was a lot more careful with her doings and sayings. When she sat down as well and opened one of the books, the entire language that was written in it caught her by surprise. Nothing in her nor Pinkie’s life could prepare them for the things they would be seeing there and then.

The moment when they both opened a book, they didn't exactly read through it in the traditional manners. Instead did the whole book played out before their very eyes as if it was some sort of movie. Every last aspect of information played itself out like episodes from a series. It was a thing that was so overwhelming for the two of them. Something that was so powerful, that both Pinkie and Fluttershy closed their books almost at the same time and looked at Twilight for answers.

“The books, they, they moved before my eyes. Everything written inside of it, playing out like… a movie! It’s awesome!” Pinkie said with her hyper energetic voice. Fluttershy blushed a little bit and pushed the book away from her. Almost as if it was contaminated with some sort of virus.

Twilight on the other end released a gentle giggle towards the two of them. She then lowered the book of her own once more. “Forgot to tell you girls, all the books in the Canterlot library are like that. It’s a unique little feature that they have as it prevents from certain laziness to take over if you don’t like reading, but still need the information needed. That, and novels are played out in a nice manner as well,” Twilight explained to them both.

“That’s, that’s pretty impressive, but… how did we see it? I mean, we haven’t gone through anything, or got zapped with magic,” Fluttershy asked with a curiousness in her voice.

“Really now, Fluttershy?” Twilight spoke with a small grin below her muzzle. “Remember the doorway you two passed through? That’s the beginning of the shield that contains the magic. Been trying to get it around the library for some time now myself, but any attempt seems to… well, let’s not go too deep into that shall we? We have something else to discover and worry about.”

With that did the two other mares gave their mulberry coated friend a firm nod of confirmation before they all turned back to their books. Hoping to find at least something that would be helping them to get Rarity back in the shape that she was.

~~~~

“I did ring you, more or less, yes. But let me assume a couple things left and right here. You’re the new nightmare in the land, is that correct?” Celestia said to the entity before her. She rose up from her throne and descended down the steps. “Don’t even approach her, guards, we don’t want any, accidents to happen.” Those last words, especially the last three, were spoken right when the mares stood face to face with one another.

Their muzzles could almost touch the other’s. But the expression given in the eyes already told the lightning between them. Whatever would be coming next out of the mouths of either mare, it would have been anything but friendly and harmless. “Do as she says and you all live to tell the tale tonight,” Nightmare Rarity countered in a dead serious tone. Though the looks between them were never broken. It was the first time that Celestia was given the treatment of the voice. She noticed in an instant that distinct mixture of the two beings that formed the entity.

Yet the guards themselves all heeded the words of the princess and the unicorn out of both respect and fear. Everything was better than dying for something that was deemed to be worthless. “Oh so now it’s you giving out the orders here, hm? Inside of the royal castle itself? You have some guts indeed,” the alicorn of the day replied towards the nightmare. After that would they started to circle around one another. Even though their faces were never removed out of one another’s while their bodies were shifted constantly.

“I’m not demanding anything here, just some friendly reminders you all should keep yourself to. You know, the very things that you have forgotten through time itself?” the nightmarish unicorn returned in a sharp tone. The sheath of the blade dangled off of the side of her body.

“I assume that you have managed to get your hooves on a devourer and used it to destroy the settlement in the distance?” Celestia then asked of her. The alicorn wanted to cut the chit-chat and go straight to the chase. Every moment that she continued to speak with the unicorn, more and more lives were in danger as it meant that her influence simply grew. “But something in your eyes counters everything you do… makes one wonder a bit.”

“Oh it was my work, Celestia. And if you aren't careful, you will be seeing a whole lot more of just that coming,” Nightmare Rarity answered to her. The lips curled themselves up into a wicked smile of utter insanity. A smile to which even Celestia herself was getting the creeps from. Yet she ignored the little fact that the princess of the day spoke about the counter in her eyes.

Even though she was getting more and more terrified by the unicorn, Celestia actually saw it deep in the eyes. She saw the fact that the words of Twilight spoke the truth. That she was actually split into two beings who were unfortunately merged into one. It was that that made the unicorn extremely unpredictable. It made her even more dangerous then perhaps Nightmare Moon herself had ever been in her entire existence.

Though there still seemed to be that little gap in the words. One that could be used to thrive a needle through. To get to know just what would be happening next. Caution was the thing that she just not advised to herself, but to every last guard in the room as well. The escalation of the situation was something they had to be prepared for. Though if it came to an escalation there and then in the throne room itself, it would be one of an epic proportion.

“You’re implying your words as if you want something that we have,” replied Celestia to the other mare. They were still circling around one another and kept their foreheads against the other. With their horns locked and appearing to be ready to duel it, the guards were grabbing for their hearts in terror. If those two would have started to fight one another, nopony in the place was save.

But the nightmarish unicorn wasn't that stupid either. She had predicted the fact that a being like Celestia herself would have questioned the words that she spoke. It only meant one thing to her. Which was that they were fishing for information. So that was what they would be getting out of her. “Whether you are having it or not, doesn't matter to me. All that I care for is that the whole world shivers and burns,” Nightmare Rarity replied to her with a sick glare in her eyes.

“Burn as in, the fires you just unleashed?”

“Oh Celestia, you have only gotten dumber through the ages now haven’t you? Of course not the burning of fires. No foal, the burning of hearts. Crushing the desires, the hope, the friendship.”

At the mere mentioning of just the last word alone did Celestia receive another heart attack. She had never expected the unicorn to say that against her. Out of everything that could be planned from takeover to assassination, the reality of the situation seemed to be much more grim than that it ever was before. “You do realize that the power of belief is a lot stronger then the magic that you possess right?” Celestia asked to her, trying to pry off even more information.

“Oh trust me, princess, I am fully aware of that. Though that brings me to my next point as a matter of fact. Do you know the sheer power of words that are spoken as rumors?” Nightmare Rarity grinned up to the princess of Equestria. Whether it was a taunt or not, couldn’t be determined.

“No, you can’t, you couldn't have. I demand to you know, Rarity. I demand to know, what the ultimate plan of yours is!” Celestia exclaimed in one breeze of words. All of the guards felt the room began to shake when they were spoken. Followed by the charging sounds of a horn.

All of the power that had been stored in the mind of the alicorn was standing at the verge of getting out of the horn. She wanted to blast the unicorn away like some kind of nasty pest. But the information she received could only be used as forms of truth, spoken by Nightmare Rarity.

Though in the eyes of the unicorn against her, was the urge of not only just fighting the alicorn there, but to use her magic as it was stronger than ever. She knew the horn of Celestia was primed for something, but it remained the question of just what it was what she was doing. “I demand to know, your ultimate plan!” Celestia demanded of her again.

~~~~

Outside of the castle and on the fields that were used to train both the celestial and lunar guards, had both Applejack and Rainbow Dash taken the opportunity to lay every last matter that had been stinging inside of their minds to a rest during a game of one-on-one hoofball. The ball was being kicked across the field while attack after attack was given by the cowgirl to get it into the goal that Rainbow was protecting. One she protected with everything she had.

With the sun was shining brightly and not a single cloud in the skies, it seemed like the works of a mad person to give a body such intensive exercise. Unless they actually wanted to overheat and fall down to the ground flat. “Ah don’t know about you, Dash, but Ah reckon, we’re down to our neck in trouble,” the hatless cowgirl said before she gave the ball a powerful kick with her hind legs.

The thing got launched out of a cannon and it soared through the air. The sheer amounts of speed that it gained even surprised Rainbow. Though she didn't wanted to lose from the cowgirl thus actually remained firmly in place at the goal. “Come to mamma,” the pegasus whispered to herself as she was ready to catch the thing with her bare hooves.

Though there wouldn't be much in the work that was actually able to help her withstanding the sheer awesome power and speed of the ball. When the moment was finally there, Rainbow didn't just took the ball in her hooves, she was flung backwards by it. The next thing she knew, she was pushed against the nets of the goal. Her face had fallen flat in the grass and the eyes closed themselves for a couple of seconds.

~~~~

“Ultimate plan you say now, missy hothead?” Nightmare Rarity grinned towards the celestial alicorn as her eyes looked up to the charged horn. “What would you be saying if I told that there wouldn't be any ultimate plan?”

It were those set of words that caused the alicorn to rethink her entire strategy of everything she knew about the unicorn. It wasn't like Nightmare Moon whatsoever. It wasn't a force that wanted to conquer all by suppressing the three races with an eternal night or anything. “You aren't going to say that, you are planning just what I think you are right?” Celestia asked of her in a dead serious tone. Yet her eyes just gave it away more than anything. They gave it away that she was scared for her life. Scared for the response that could be coming out of the mouth of the unicorn.

A unicorn who on her own turn grinned even more sinister. She witnessed just how the horn of the white coated alicorn discharged itself, therefore lowering the levels of a possible thread coming her way. “Oh I think you and I both know the answer on that one, don’t you agree? But perhaps a more audible demonstration is better for that little and feeble mind of yours Celestia.”

“If my mind is anything, it’s not feeble, Rarity,” the alicorn hissed up to the dark mare. She perked her ears for the words to come. Words that would be pretty much but actually pretty.

~~~~

“Partner, ya better not be standing in the line of fire of one of my balls like that anymore. Seems to hurt a lot more than it looks like,” the voice of Applejack echoed through the ears of Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus opened up her eyes again with care. She wanted to know just what happened to her. Though the facts were a little bit too obvious for that.

“You don’t have any idea,” Rainbow spoke in return after she had opened her eyes. The first thing she saw though was the extended hoof of Applejack to hoist her back up. “Thanks,” she replied as the hooves were placed in one another. And in a second or two was the mare hoisted back upon both of her legs and released a deep sigh.

“Ah reckon we deserved a little break, wanna head to town and see what’s going on?”

“Beats sitting here. Let’s go,” replied Rainbow with a grin.

~~~~

“No, you couldn't have said that just yet!” Celestia exclaimed. She was the one who bailed out of the horn to horn duel to begin with. With the words that were spoken by Nightmare Rarity while she was only getting more and more terrified of her. Most villains wanted to oppose the princesses and throw them over before taking the place.

Nightmare Rarity on the other end wanted to do everything but. “You do know that appearing on the stage a bit too much starts to work against you right? See is as a puppeteer and the puppets. Up to you, to figure out who is going to be who,” the nightmarish unicorn said with a grin on her face. Then she slowly began to fade from the physical world. Her entire body was ready to merge itself with the dreaded shadows that laid around her. A realm that she mastered more than anything else. One through which she could spread her powers through much easier.

“This isn't the last you have heard from us, Rarity! We’ll return to you and take the fight back to you,” the princess snarled up before her eyes went wide for a fraction of a second. She realized just what she had to be doing for all that time and she had almost forgotten it.

“Oh yes! Before you go, a few words from my sister.” In response had Nightmare Rarity actually stopped the process of leaving one world and turned herself back over to Celestia.

With the eyes being one of the very few things that could still be seen clearly. She then gave a haunted look towards the princess while she spoke her words of response, “I’m listening.”

~~~~

Though were Celestia and Nightmare Rarity kept talking to one another as if the fate of Equestria laid within their hooves, Luna on the other end had started her own plan left and right. The mind of the younger princess was working in harder than before. She hoped that everything would be going her way. Which it did, more or less. The teleportation spell that she executed brought her over to the door where the dragon laid behind.

After having burned the settlement, the beast had returned back to his home where the commanders had chained him up again. In the darkness of the lair had Luna allowed the magic in her horn to give off bits of light and thus illuminated the place a bit more. Though the horrors she would be hearing from the lands above her would only crush her heart even more. Those endless screams of agony and terror were more than enough for her. Up to the point that she thought to have been on the right place but definitely at the wrong time.

It was a price that had to be paid. But they could be helping in the trial against the unicorn if it ever came to happen. Her eyes rotated themselves up and she looked up towards the spiraling staircase of the domain. A deep sigh was the thing that was released through her nostrils before the head lowered itself once again and turned itself over to the massive wooden door.

“Everything here is made out of that crystal, yet the doors are made of wood. Suppose it is only better though, as it means that you can actually find them. Would be terrible if you couldn't,” the younger princess whispered to herself. Almost as if she was joking about it in a sense of the word. Yet the events as they were happening weren't a thing to be joking about whatsoever. Out of everything, they were perhaps in the most dangerous battle of their modern age.

With a deep exhale taken by Luna had she charged her horn a little bit more before allowing the door before her to open and she prepared her mind for the spells to come. With the breathing of the dragon becoming louder each inch that the door opened itself further, she knew that she was at the right place.

When the door was fully opened, Luna looked straight at the creature were nightmares were being made from: the corrupted, crystal devourer. She couldn't even believe the things that she saw with her own eyes. Everything seemed to be just so impossible and unbelievable.

With a couple careful steps made by her was the door was closed again. She had slid in and kept her eyes firmly peeled upon the best before her. “Oh Spike, what has she done to you boy?” Luna questioned herself. The princess took a step closer towards the dragon himself. She was armed with spells taught to herself after the entity had been forced out of her body.

Spells that would actually help her in the fight against the corruption that was racing through his body. “I promise you, Spike, soon you will be the old one again and you will be reunited with your mother. I never broke a promise, and I won’t allow you to be the first one either,” she spoke to him.

The words were caught up by the dragon. He opened his eyes and looked over to the princess with a glare of pure hatred. Just the sheer figure of Luna alone was more than enough for him to raise his head, and stand tall above her. Any sounds other than a low growl never seemed to be leaving him. Not even a word was granted to her in the tongue of the dragons. “You sense my own darkness, don’t you? That same darkness that surges through your creator, isn't that right?”

She could be waiting for a response out of him for eternity, as she wouldn't be getting one judging by the looks. All that Luna could be doing, especially at that moment, was to just release the charge of her horn against the dragon and hope the best. Though his corrupting wasn't as far as Rarity’s, he still could be putting up a massive fight against her.

One deep exhale was taken by Luna before the charge was released in a pulsing rhythm. A rhythm that could actually be felt through the whole domain by any living beings, but not the nightmare forces for some reason. Those remained oblivious to the fact that Luna herself had entered the domain and was trying to help the dragon to revert back to his original form.

Every last bit of darkness was purified within his little body thanks to the magic. The eyes of the princess continued to keep a watchful glare upon him while he began to shrink more and more. The black scales lightened up in their color. The plan appeared to be working like a charm. Spike was returning back to normal and it was something that caused a major relief by the alicorn.

Although the relief was short lived. As she sensed the faint aura of something dying not even a floor above them. The aura that belonged to Emerald Masquerade had become fainter and fainter. “I’m sorry Emerald, but there isn't anything I can be doing for you and you know it,” Luna whispered to herself. She turned her head up to the floor above the dragon’s cage. Before she even realized it, there was a tear that was going down her cheek. “No more of this madness, this ends right now. I will make sure, that you won’t survive this for one bit.”

The head lowered itself down again while the magic kept on pulsing from her horn. Spike kept reverting down to his much more younger and more well-known self. Just as she had promised to Twilight before everything went to dust.

~~~~

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were wandering through the city of Canterlot itself for the moment. They had just bought themselves a little ice-cream after which they could be found sitting on a bench. One of many placed throughout the metropolis. The two of them were talking with one another about their past adventures and other fond memories of events that had happened. They were just two young mares who were having fun like they should have been.

The chuckles and the giggles that were released by either of them worked almost like a medicine to many other ponies who couldn't help it but to give the two of them a smile as they walked past by them. The wildest stories did their turn as neither of them seemed to be giving anything about just what the crowd around them thought. Even though the guards were patrolling left and right, not even they found it a need to do something about it.

Of course there was one or two ponies that wanted them to shut up or lower down their volume, but they were always pushed back like it was nothing. Which they were to a degree or two.

~~~~

In the library of Canterlot were Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie working everything out in utmost silence on the subject that had been given to the three of them. It was more than true that the stuff they were reading through was a lot heavier than any of them could have ever expected. But it was for the greater cause. A fact that actually caused them to read more and more through the books that were presented before them. They wanted to get Rarity back, one way or the other.

Though the path of the future was never an easy one and even in the moments that everything seemed to be going perfect, there were still obstacles to be overcome. And the biggest one that they could have ever found, were the princesses themselves.

~~~~

“Speak the words of your sister and then we shall see whether or not they will be meaning anything to me,” snarled Nightmare Rarity towards Celestia. She felt the surges of hatred flowing more and more through her body as the seconds ticked away.

“Oh I shall speak them to you, witch of White Tails,” Celestia countered as she took a deep inhale and recalled the words spoken by Luna in that whisper one by one. “A duel between you and her shall be taken place in the ancient castle. A duel between the only two Nightmare’s in existence. Do you accept, or decline it?”

It was something that came straight out of the blue for the nightmarish unicorn and she hovered further up, more towards Celestia. The haunting expression of her eyes never seemed to have ceased down by anything around her and they stared right down in the eyes of the alicorn. Words wouldn't be needed in order for the reply to be spoken, the eyes screamed it out already.