Broken Sky

by Fyn16

Blind Spot

Blind Spot

“Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal…”

-Excerpt from “Predictions and Prophecies, 3rd Edition”

...

“What do you see?”

Storm Runner peeled himself away from the door’s peephole and turned towards Dusk Shine. “They reacted pretty quickly. There’s already one pony standing guard outside our door. We’ll have to get through him if we want to proceed.”

A strange smile crept over Dusk Shine’s face. “I think I can arrange that.” Motioning for Storm Runner to step back from the door, Dusk Shine pointed his horn towards the door frame and quietly unlatched it. At the “click” of the latch, the guard trotted over to the door, examining it. Dusk brought his back legs in, then bucked the door open with full force, sending the metal object straight into the face of the pony behind it. The Awakening guard collapsed to the ground in a heap.

“Go,” Dusk Shine said as Storm Runner and the others slipped out the door. Storm checked left and right before signaling to the others that it was safe to go out into the hall. He was surprised, in fact, by how empty the building was. The fires had died down now, and things were actually quite quiet.

“Radio room’s upstairs,” Dusk Shine whispered, “Storm Runner, you take a few ponies up there and see if you can contact Canterlot- that’s our closest military assistance. The rest will come with me. Something doesn’t feel right, and I want to get a look at what’s going on around here.”

“Right,” Storm Runner nodded, as several ponies formed up behind him. He recognized a few from Aviator Training School, but others were new faces. Regardless of who he was leading, he knew, there was a job to be done.

“We’ll meet you in the radio room,” Dusk Shine said as he turned towards the entrance of the school, “once again- get in contact with Canterlot and let them know of our situation here.”

Storm Runner gave a quick salute and took off galloping for the nearest staircase, others following him. Outside, night had fallen, and the stars shone brightly. The sight was odd to Storm Runner. Here he was, galloping through the burnt-out shell of his campus, and the stars shone on as usual, uncaring. He squinted defiantly. The Awakening had taken his school, but they wouldn’t have it for long. He rounded a corner and spied a staircase.

“Yes! We’re in busine-“ Storm stopped, cutting himself off as his eyes traveled up the stairs. The bottom steps were intact, but the top section had caved in entirely. One pony, a cloud artist named Summer Sigh, stepped forward.

“So I guess we find another way up?” she said. Storm Runner considered this. Time was of the essence, and there was no telling how long it would take them to find another staircase. His eyes traveled back to the top floor, so close…

“No, we’re going up here. Pegasi, lift your classmates to the second floor. If you can’t lift that much, get two Pegasi on one pony. Make it quick- we have a job to do.” Storm Runner stood by as two Pegasi hovered over an Earth Pony, lifting him up onto the second floor with ease. There were five Pegasi among them, excluding himself, and six other ponies. They just might be able to pull this off. He stood guard, checking down the hall as more ponies were transported upwards. Finally, it was down to a Unicorn named Starlight and himself.

“You need help?” one Pegasus called from above.

“No, I’ve got this,” Storm Runner called back. He turned to address Starlight when he saw something that made his mane stand on end- a single black-robed earth pony galloping straight for them. The Awakening had arrived.

“Not much time,” he groaned, lifting up Starlight before she could say a word. The pony was rapidly approaching, and Storm Runner could already tell he wouldn’t be able to pull Starlight up in time. With a heave, he threw the Unicorn up towards the second floor as the Earth Pony crashed into his belly, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing to the floor as Starlight’s classmates helped her to her hooves above.

“Get to the radio room!” Storm Runner called, choking out his last few words as the pony delivered a swift punch to his windpipe. Dazed, Storm Runner shook his head, receiving a buck to the side of his face for the trouble. He collapsed to the ground as the pony stood over him, pinning him to the floor with his powerful hooves. He swept his hood back; Storm’s eyes widened in awe as he recognized Clear Skies, an Earth Pony who had been training to be a weather forecaster.

“Skies?” he rasped, “you know better than this…”

“Stop interfering,” Clear Skies growled, “what we will bring about tonight is inevitable. It is ponies like you who try to upset the balance of things that must be stopped.”

Storm Runner gasped for air as Skies forced his hooves deeper into his chest, squeezing his lungs against the floor. He wouldn’t have much time before he suffocated entirely. Thinking quickly, he analyzed the situation. His hooves were completely useless, pinned under the considerably stronger Earth Pony, but his wings, on the other hoof…

All those wing-ups better count for something, he thought, summoning his remaining strength. Without a moment to spare, he pushed his wings into the ground and launched himself up into his assailant, turning the tide and smashing Clear Skies into the ceiling. The Earth Pony was completely unprepared, and was unable to defend himself. Storm Runner drove him back-first into the ground, leaning in close to his ear.

“This one is for Sun Blaze,” he hissed. At the mention of the mare’s name, Clear Skies smiled.

“Ah, yes…” he said, “you and her had something special, didn’t you? And you don’t even know what’s happened to her…”

“What the hay have you done with her?!” Storm Runner roared. Clear Skies only laughed in response. Enraged, Storm Runner brought his back hoof in and bucked Skies in the side of the head. The stallion collapsed, unconscious. Storm Runner regained his composure and flew up to the second floor, noting that the others had followed his instructions and already headed for the radio room. The Pegasus took off in the direction everypony had gone, hoping he could contact Canterlot in time.

…

Four minutes. Four minutes in and his wings were already burning. And to top it off, he hadn’t downed a single combatant. Every time a pony was in his boresight, he saw a friend or a neighbor. He didn’t know these ponies, but what he did know was that they, too, had been ordinary citizens before this night, and as much as he knew it needed to be done, he could not fire upon them.

“Thunderbolt Three, get your act together!” Polaris called as yet another Awakening Pegasus slipped out of Nimbus’s reach, “your flying is getting sloppy. Figure it out!”

Nimbus didn’t answer, gritting his teeth and biting into the inside of his mouth so hard he could taste bitter blood. He shut his eyes, trying to drown out what was going on, hoping that when he opened them he would wake up in his hotel room, waiting to be escorted down to the Canterlot streets for preparation for the night’s banquet. All the mane-pulling, choking and stretching, everything he’d hated… he’d trade anything to be back there now.

“Three, snap out of it! I don’t want to lose you!”

Nimbus opened his eyes at the sound of Polaris’s voice, breathing harsh, painful, ragged gasps.

“This is Three,” Nimbus choked, “I’m good. Just… dealing with it.”

“Listen, Three,” Polaris said, “those ponies will not hesitate to kill you if they get the chance. This is not about you- this is about everypony down there. You do this for them.”

Nimbus opened his eyes slowly. Polaris was right. He’d signed up for this, hadn’t he? This was about putting his own qualms aside for the sake of the ponies below. He was about to respond when Corona cut in.

“Three, one on your six, gaining rapidly. I can’t reach him!”

Without giving it a thought, Nimbus wrenched his wings swiftly upward, snapping through a tight, skidding loop. Below him, his pursuer shot by, caught off guard by the maneuver. Nimbus didn’t hesitate to fire this time, striking the aggressor with round after round of charged air. The pony’s wings froze and he tumbled back towards the earth.

“Nice one!” Corona called. Nimbus swallowed hard. He’d just acted completely on reflexes and downed his first aerial combat aggressor. If I can get one, he thought, I can get the rest. He spotted a pair of Pegasi harassing a carriage carrying reinforcements towards the palace gates.

“This is Two, I have eyes on two hostiles below, moving to my six. Engaging.”

“Roger, Two,” Polaris responded, “moving to cover.”

Nimbus rolled inverted and pulled sharply towards the ground, closing on the Awakening Aviators. They were flying below roof level, and Nimbus had to fight to remain stable as gusts from the rooftops buffeted him. One Pegasus turned back towards the pursuing ponies and broke off.

“Breaking to pursue,” Polaris called, flying off after the pony and leaving Nimbus and Corona to deal with the other. Once his wingpony broke away, the pursued pony’s maneuvers became more frantic. He lowered his altitude, nearly scraping the streets themselves, and was frequently forced to avoid street lamps and carts.

“I’m pulling out, Three,” Corona called out, “He’s getting dangerously low.”

“He’s not getting away,” Nimbus called back, trying his best to close the gap. They were pulling onto Canterlot’s central street now, and the palace was looming ahead. The Awakening pony was heading straight for the palace gates, playing a game of chicken. Nimbus leveled himself and set his boresight on his target. He wasn’t about to bail on this one. With a crackling buzz, a burst of bright blue charged air rounds leapt from Nimbus’s CAL-2. The pony saw the shot and tried to evade, but caught a few rounds to the wing. The resulting stability upset was just enough; he veered off course and plowed through an abandoned fruit stand, coming to a sudden stop. Nimbus took one glance to confirm that his target was down and looked up just in time to see the palace gates bearing down on him. In that moment, time seemed to slow down. He surveyed his options. He was near Mach one now, and would only have a fraction of a second to react. He had no time to turn. If he chose to go over the gates, he might make it, but the gates were topped by sharp spade tips. Too low, and he’d risk fileting himself. There was one other option- an ornamental opening near the top of the gates. It would require no course diversion, and he was running out of time. Nimbus snapped into a sharp corkscrew and folded his wings in for spin stability, waiting for the inevitable crunch. It never came. He soared through the gate and snapped his wings open again, pulling up and into the fight.

“I saw that one, Three,” Polaris said, falling back into formation with Nimbus, “getting fancy on us?”

“No sir,” Nimbus said, assisting his teacher in chasing down another Pegasus, “just doing what you told me to.” The pursued pony tried breaking away, presenting Nimbus with the full surface area of his wings. Nimbus snapped to the side and extended his own wings, braking hard and turning inside the other pony’s radius, firing all the way. The pony dropped from the sky before the turn was half over. Corona blew past his face, pursuing yet another. Where were all of these ponies coming from?

“All Aviators in the area, incoming unidentified transmission. The source is looking for a specific group of ponies. Switch to frequency 126.75 and monitor.”

Nimbus recognized the voice of the controller they’d spoken to earlier. Once again, he didn’t sound pleased. He opened the frequency and set it for background audio, keeping his main frequency open for squadron communication. However, after he heard the voice on the other end, he thought better of it.

“Nimbus, Polaris, this is Storm Runner. Mayday. The Royal Equestrian Air College was attacked by Awakening forces. I repeat- mayday. REAC has fallen under attack.”

“Switch active frequency to 126.75, Thunderbolt!” Nimbus gasped. As the others gave their “affirmative” calls, Nimbus swapped over.

“REAC, this is Thunderbolt Three. I have you loud and clear. Good to hear from you again, Storm Runner.”

“Nimbus, it’s bad here. The main hall was gutted by an explosion.”

“What? You and Sun Blaze are handling this, right?”

There was a pause on the other end. “Actually, Nimbus, that’s our other problem. Sun Blaze is gone.”

“What?” The news hit Nimbus with all the force of a charging Manticore. The Awakening had clearly taken Sun Blaze, and he hadn’t been there to protect her. In frustration, he fired a burst of rounds at a distant Awakening pony taking shots with a bow and arrow at passing Aviators. The pony went rigid and crumpled to the roof as the rounds struck him in the side. Nimbus turned back around sharply, resuming normal flight.

“Nimbus, stay posted,” Storm Runner called, “I’ve got an incoming transmission from Dusk Shine. We can talk about Sun Blaze later.”

…

Dusk Shine was finding himself somewhat relieved to note that the tactical operations exercises he’d been attending for the past three years were finally paying off. As an analyst, he hadn’t seen much field time, but he’d been trying to make up for this. It was said amongst his peers that he was probably the most deadly pencil-pusher in Equestria, and he had no challengers. Still, he hadn’t expected the skills he’d implemented so many times in controlled courses being used in real life.

Or at least not during a teaching position, he admitted to himself, quietly pushing open a door to the courtyard as Crescent Star formed up behind him in something that resembled a combat stack. As he left the doorway, his hoof brushed something soft. Looking down, he caught the familiar outline of a Canterlot Guard’s uniform, its owner lying still on the ground. A radio lay a few feet away.

“Be at peace, comrade,” Dusk Shine whispered, taking the radio. He tuned it to the school’s frequency and held it close to his mouth.

“Storm Runner, do you have comms with Canterlot yet?”

A few moments passed without response, then the stallion’s familiar voice came back.

“Affirmative, sir. I have comms with Polaris and Nimbus, and a third pony- an Aviator named Corona Shine.”

“Can Canterlot send reinforcements our way?”

“Negative, sir. Seems they have a situation as well.”

“A situation? What kind of-“ Dusk Shine stopped as an eerie blue light illuminated the courtyard. The source was on the roof, but he couldn’t tell exactly what was casting the light. He could also hear a low humming sound. Whoever was on the roof was mumbling something. He was about to move in for a closer look when he felt a hoof in his ribs. It was Crescent Star, and she was petrified, eyes locked onto the roof.

“It’s an incantation,” she whispered, “this is serious. Stay away- I have no idea what they’re about to do.”

“An incantation?” Dusk Shine whispered, switching on his mic so Storm Runner could hear the conversation, “what’s so special about that?”

“Incantations,” Crescent explained, “are old and powerful spells that can only be cast by chants. In the past, groups of Unicorns would use incantations to raise and lower the sun and moon, before Celestia and Luna came to power. Essentially, it allows the casters to use magic only normally accessible to Alicorns.”

“So what we’re dealing with is a high-level spell?” Dusk asked. Crescent Star strained her ears, listening to the repeated phrase that was being chanted above.

“Tantibus Luna, revertatur ad nos. Amplectere formae verae. Vinctus potestate viam vobis demonstro. Utinam tibi et dimittam te cogat ad sidera tendunt ad te de carcere.”

“They’re trying to bring back Nightmare Moon,” Crescent said at last, “forcing the stars themselves to help. It’s just like the old legend.”

As the ponies’ chants grew louder, a blue, spherical field of magic grew around them and the roof.

“Magical shield,” Crescent said. “That’ll keep anything out. If we had a chance of stopping them before, it’s gone now.”

“Storm Runner, did you get that?” Dusk Shine said, switching his mic off afterwards.

“Affirmative,” Storm Runner said. “The story checks out. According to the research Nimbus and I did, ponies claimed the stars would aid in her escape. This has to be what they were talking about.”

“And we can’t stop it…” Crescent Star said, gazing fearfully up at the darkening sky. Suddenly, the magical shield’s light grew in intensity, and a white-blue beam shot out from the top of it towards the moon. Dusk Shine eyed the crumbling main hall thoughtfully before turning to Crescent Star.

“Do they need full concentration?”

“I beg your pardon?” Crescent said, turning to Dusk.

“The ponies on the roof- do they need their full concentration to maintain that spell?”

“They do,” Crescent said, “as long as they keep chanting, the spell will last. If one stops, it will certainly falter.”

“Well, then I can tell you one thing,” Dusk Shine said, bringing his radio up again, “they may have their hocus-pocus ancient magic, but I bet gravity will work just fine on them.” He pressed the transmit button on his radio. “Storm Runner, I need you and the other students out of the building immediately. We’re bringing it down.”

“You’re doing what? But sir- I’m in communication with Nimbus right now! Canterlot is under attack!”

“This isn’t an option, Storm Runner, and we’re running out of time. You and the others need to get out here immediately.”

The radio crackled as Storm sighed on the other end. “I’ll send the others out. Call for me when you’re ready to detonate. I’ll get out of here in time.”

…

Storm Runner turned to the other ponies huddled around him. “You heard Dusk Shine. Leave the building. I’ll join you in a few minutes. From the sound of things, the Awakening ponies are on the roof, stuck in their shield. You’ll be safe. Now go!”

As the ponies filed out, Starlight, the Unicorn he’d saved, turned to him.

“Thank you, Storm Runner. I’m not sure I’d be standing here if it weren’t for you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Storm Runner said, dismissing the praise, “right now, I need you safe.”

“You too,” Starlight said, “get yourself out of here with time to spare. Don’t try being a hero.”

Storm Runner winked. “Wilco, Star. See you outside.” He turned away, getting back on the radio. “Thunderbolt Three, you there?”

“Roger,” Nimbus’s voice replied, “what’s your current situation?”

“Not good. The Awakening set up some sort of spell on the roof. They’re bringing Nightmare Moon back themselves with an incantation. We’re bringing down the school- it looks like the only way to stop them,” Storm Runner said, “I’m going to be going silent in a few moments. You’re going to have to hang on out there, buddy.”

“I’ll do that, Storm,” Nimbus said.

“And… one other thing,” Storm Runner added, “if you find Sun Blaze… please let me know.”

Nimbus sighed on the other end. “You know I will, Storm, but the odds of me running into her… you know what those are like.”

“I know,” Storm Runner said, “I know. The most I can ask for is for you to take care of yourself out there. Get back here in one piece.”

“Wilco,” Nimbus said, “see you later.”

Storm Runner switched off his radio before the temptation to say more could grab him. Moving as quickly as he could, he galloped out the door, bashing his shoulder as he went. The pain was nothing, now. The moment he had space, he took flight, speeding down the hall to the building’s entrance. Outside, Dusk Shine, Crescent Star, and a few other Unicorns were taking aim at some of the exposed pillars in the building with their horns.

“Fun fact-“ Crescent Star quipped, “ancient Pegasi were fond of pillars for support and decoration. Unfortunately, pillars were about the only things that kept their structures from caving in on themselves.”

Dusk Shine smiled grimly back. “Time to turn the tables. Fire!”

The Unicorns let loose with a salvo of magical projectiles, striking the pillars with all the fury of a tornado. Weakened by the blast earlier, it didn’t take much for the building to start to shake. Inside the shield, the entranced ponies continued their chant, oblivious.

“One more!” Dusk Shine yelled out, “fire!”

The volley of magic struck true, caving in four of the main supports. Shuddering, like a falling redwood, the building began to sway. Then the roof fell in on itself from the middle with a bone-shaking crash. Stone dust and chips of marble flew through the air, and Storm Runner coughed and squinted as the debris-filled cloud overtook him. When the dust settled, nothing but a heap of rubble remained. Storm spat grit and dust from his mouth, taking in the sight. Only a few months ago, that rubble had marked the doors he’d walked through on his way to becoming an Aviator. It was nothing now. Still, they’d won. They’d beaten the Awakening and saved Equestria. Storm Runner grinned and raised his hoof triumphantly to the air.

And that was when the second beam of blue light shot into the sky from Canterlot.

…

“Come on, come on.”

Nimbus was chasing down yet another pony, with an aggressor rapidly closing on his tail. Normally this wouldn’t have been a problem, but the aerial fight had become even fiercer. Many of the Awakening’s fliers were ex-Aviators themselves, and aerial forces were slowly thinning out. The Awakening fought with strong ideals, and it was these ideals, Nimbus believed, that were keeping them in the air, forcing them through nearly impossible maneuvers. They fought for what they felt was right. Unfortunately, what was right for them was not right for Equestria, and Nimbus kept this thought at the forefront of his mind as he closed in, boresight creeping towards his foe. He felt relief as he watched the pony behind him break away.

Couldn’t hang with me, he thought, abandoned his buddy to look for some easier prey. The pony ahead snapped into a tight left turn, and Nimbus rolled to match him, forcing air into his lungs against the G-forces. He prepared to intercept the pony as he rolled out, but his foe continued rolling in the opposite direction after his initial rollout. Nimbus’s stomach seemed to drop as he recognized the maneuver. He’d been tricked; led into a textbook Weave. Sparking air rounds flew past his visor as he disengaged. He now had a pursuer, locked onto his tail firmly. There wasn’t any time for prolonged, graceful maneuvers. This flight would end in seconds at this range. Nimbus recalled his maneuver from the Dizzitron exam. Perhaps…

He pulled up slightly, to avoid a collision, and spread his wings, presenting full surface area to the relative wind- or the direction of the airflow towards him. Holding the position, he could feel the bones trying to separate from one another as his wings coped with the immense load placed on them. He was about to pull them back in, try something else, when a dark blur sped past him. His pursuer had overshot. Wasting no time, Nimbus raked him over with his CAL-2, swearing to himself he’d never let the enemy get such an opportunity again. Beside him, Polaris and Corona fell into formation, both exhausted and bearing noticeable wear and tear, but alert and looking for more action.

Then the roof of the Canterlot Central Hotel, the building Nimbus had been sleeping in only last night, erupted in a gout of magical blue light as a piercing beam of magic ripped skyward.

“REAC was a decoy,” Nimbus whispered, “they were planning to perform their ritual here all along.”

The radio was erupting with Aviator and ground force chatter. Nopony could figure out what was going on. Nimbus’s eyes followed the beam upwards. The magical stream terminated at the moon, where several stars were being drawn slowly closer. It was surreal. He’d seen magic at work before, but not on this scale. The skies were eerily clear now, too. The Pegasi had taken cover behind a wall of blue magic on top of the hotel.

“They’re chanting,” Polaris called, “just like at REAC.”

“And the only way they could be stopped was by toppling the structure they stood on?” Corona asked.

“Right,” Nimbus responded. “And I don’t think we can manage that here.”

“That building was fortified against earthquakes. We wouldn’t make a scratch,” Polaris added.

All forces in Canterlot, stand down.

Nimbus shook his head and blinked once. He could have sworn he’d heard a voice inside his head, too clear to be imagined. Confused, he continued circling the Awakening with Polaris and Corona.

All forces, this is Princess Celestia. Please, stand down.

“Please tell me I’m not the only one hearing that,” Corona radioed.

“No,” Nimbus said slowly, surprised that somepony else was experiencing the same thing, “you’re not. I’ve got it, too.”

“Telepathy,” Polaris said at last, “haven’t heard it used in ages.”

“But why would Celestia want us to stand down?” Nimbus asked.

“I don’t know,” Polaris responded, “but orders are orders. Let’s hang back and see what happens.”

Nimbus flexed his wings and disengaged from his pattern around the rooftop, looking down. Below, the streets of Canterlot seemed frozen in time. Everypony was staring fearfully up at the hotel, waiting for something to happen. The stars were still moving, slowly coming closer to the moon- a reminder of what would certainly be the impending arrival of Nightmare Moon.

Squinting his eyes, Nimbus thought he could make out a shape moving amongst the points of starry light above, circling closer in a spiraling descent.

“Possible contact above,” Nimbus radioed to the rest of his squad, “can either of you confirm?”

Both Polaris and Corona snapped their heads up, scanning the skies above with their seasoned eyes.

“Oh, we have a contact alright,” Polaris said, “and I’d recommend getting out of the way now, because she does not look happy.”

Not sure what Polaris was referring to, Nimbus focused on the details of the approaching figure. She was a bright white, leaving behind a multicolored trail as she flew. As she drew closer still, he caught a glimpse of gold upon her head. His heart nearly stopped. Princess Celestia herself was among them. Inside the magic shield, the few ponies not involved with the chanting were eyeing the approaching Alicorn with worry. Moments later, a white glow appeared on the tip of Celestia’s horn. The dot of light turned into a blast of bright magic, directed at the shield. Nimbus watched, scarcely believing his eyes, as the shield crackled, overloaded by the magic directed at it. Then, with sparks of magic and a rush of hot air that nearly flipped Nimbus, it failed outright. Ponies on the rooftop were scattered in all directions like grains of sand in a windstorm where they were instantly engaged by Aviators and ground forces. The beam of magic connecting Equestria to the moon faltered, then faded. It was over.

I have new orders for you, Princess Celestia’s telepathic message came through, clearer than any radio message Nimbus had ever received. The Awakening has been dealt with. Do not engage them in combat- take the survivors into custody. I must deal with their actions. A group of Unicorns managed to place a binding spell on Luna, trapping her inside Nightmare Moon. I can reverse this.

“Luna?” Nimbus said aloud. As if she’d heard him, Celestia continued.

Luna is my sister. One thousand years ago, she fell under the control of dark forces, and became Nightmare Moon, more commonly known to many of you as the Mare in the Moon. For the sake of Equestria, I had no choice but to banish her. Tonight was to be her return, and ideally, her release from the evil that has imprisoned her all this time. The Awakening sought to change this, and force her to remain as she was one millennium ago- a being entirely corrupted by the darkness. If I cannot succeed in reversing this spell, Nightmare Moon will return beyond saving. She is more than my equal, and Equestria will fall. I must do this now. All I ask is that you watch over me as I undertake this task. I will be immobile, and vulnerable while preparing for the counterspell. I can shield myself, but it will take time. Please, see that Canterlot remains clear while I do this.

“Affirmative,” Nimbus replied, hoping Celestia could hear him. The Alicorn alighted on the tallest tower of Canterlot palace, closing her eyes and pointing her horn at the sky above. A faint stream of magic crept skyward, expanding into an ever-growing translucent white sphere around the princess. It was mesmerizing, to say the least.

“Let’s remain clear of that, Thunderbolt,” Polaris called out, “wouldn’t want to get trapped inside. With a spell as powerful as this, who knows what kind of magic fallout’s going to be released in there?”

Nimbus deftly slipped to the side, making note of where the field would touch ground. “Roger, One,” he said, “I’ll stay clear.” He kept alert, looking out for any sign of movement. It appeared that the Awakening had been weakened and disheartened by Celestia’s intervention. Most were simply turning themselves in below, staring defiantly up at Equestria’s ruler as she prepared to undo their efforts. Nimbus relaxed slightly, letting the tension out of his body that had built up from nearly four hours of solid dogfighting.

And then he saw it. At first glance, it was just another indiscriminate blob amongst the ground clutter- moving, yes, but probably a trick of the light, or fatigue, made more probable by the fact that Nimbus was receiving no indication of inbound ponies on his MADAR display. As Nimbus stared at the shape, however, it became clear it was something else. It was moving at low level towards Celestia at high speed- coincidentally the same maneuver he’d used to fool the mock patrols during Operation Indigo. This wasn’t some trick. This was somepony who thought like he did.

“Eyes on one hostile inbound at low level and high speed!” Nimbus yelled, diving for the ground, “I’m engaging!”

“The shield is closing, Nimbus!” Corona called, “get your flank back up here!”

Nimbus eyed the shield, descending towards the ground. He only had seconds now. The pony he was pursuing knew it, too, increasing speed as she ducked even lower, nearly scraping the street below. Something was familiar with his opponent’s flying style, but he couldn’t place it. Dismissing the thought, he pushed himself harder, forcing himself to close in faster. The shield was nearly at ground level. One hundred feet to go, fifty feet to go…

They were under it. Both of them. His opponent had beaten the shield. Now the only thing between the aggressor and Celestia was Nimbus. Nimbus passed overhead, cutting sharply downwards. Thrown off by the aggressive maneuver, the pony altered course.

“I have contact,” Nimbus spoke into his headset, “pony is wearing a black TA-4B suit.”

“Nimb… losing… municat… resp…”

Polaris’s voice was cut off as a beam of white light erupted from Celestia’s horn. The magic was powerful enough to cut off communications outside the shield.

“Horse apples,” Nimbus swore. It was just himself and the other pony now. Circling around, the pony approached him. A red and orange mane and tail… where had he seen that color combination before? A communication channel flashed on his HUD, and Nimbus opened it, expecting Polaris.

“Thunderbolt One, I have contact. Polaris, I repeat, I-“

“Nimbus,” an all-too-familiar voice cut in, “fancy meeting you here tonight.”

With a sinking feeling, Nimbus could only watch in horror as his mind put the final puzzle pieces in place. The mane and tail, the maneuvers, and now the voice…

“Sun Blaze?” he radioed back in disbelief.

“The one and only,” Sun Blaze replied, circling Nimbus menacingly, “now stand aside.”

“Sun Blaze, what the hay is going on? You can’t be serious about this!”

“I’m on a tight schedule,” Sun Blaze snapped, “so cut the melodrama. You either get out of my way, or I’ll be forced to make you stand aside.”

“N- no!” Nimbus said, shaking, “I’m not going to let you do this! Think about what you’re doing!”

Sun Blaze dove towards Nimbus, firing a beam of red magic from the port that normally housed a standard issue CAL-2. The beam narrowly missed him, but Nimbus felt a sensation of weariness as he passed by. There was only one weapon in existence that could do that- a Reavite projector. Reavite, often called the “vampire element,” was known for its ability to absorb and hone the wielder’s internal magic into a weapon, at great cost to the user. The magic it released, however, would be more than enough to silence Celestia with a direct hit. He wouldn’t have much time. Nimbus angled his wings, preparing for an intercept as Sun Blaze ripped by, streaking towards Celestia again. “I’ve given this plenty of thought,” she said, “all my life, in fact.”

“What? But your parents- they raised you outside of the Awakening’s influence!” Nimbus dove in front of Sun Blaze again, forcing her to divert. He couldn’t bring himself to fire. Not now.

“My parents…” Sun Blaze let out a small, grim chuckle, “you never found out, did you?”

They were racing through the palace courtyard now, crossing under archways and over statues. Nimbus had to roll nearly ninety degrees to keep a statue of Starswirl the Bearded from clipping his wing.

“Found out what?” Nimbus growled.

“I killed them,” Sun Blaze answered, toying with Nimbus as she wove in and out of the palace towers, “it was my final act to confirm my loyalty to the Awakening. I never held love for them. My true family was in the pages of that black-bound book I gave you. I taught myself everything I needed from the moment I could read.”

Nimbus shook his head, tears in his eyes. It couldn’t be possible. Something had to be wrong. “So am I to assume that those months at REAC, our friendship, your relationship with Storm Runner… those were all lies?”

“No, no, no,” Sun Blaze said, “you’ve got it wrong again, Nimbus. I wanted you two on my side. I tried to test you two, to find out where your loyalties were. I’m frankly disappointed. Like my parents, you both lack the vision I possess. Think about it- a world under Night Eternal… in the dark, we’re all the same. Discrimination would disappear; there would be no wars, no petty squabbles. We could finally be at peace.”

“Your mind has been clouded, Sun Blaze,” Nimbus choked, holding back more tears, “and if you can’t listen to reason… I’ll have to stop you.”

“Then come and get me!” Sun Blaze yelled, her voice losing any trace of kindness. Nimbus took note of the situation. Sun Blaze was climbing above him and to the left, lining up for another pass at Celestia. Cutting her off wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible. He clenched his jaw and pulled up tightly, cutting crisp, white vortices in the air with his wingtips. She flew perfectly into position, and Nimbus took the opportunity to square his boresight on her. He prepared to fire, but Sun Blaze dove right, breaking for the ground again.

“It’s all come down to this,” she hissed, “a battle between aces. Which one of us can outlast the other? And more importantly, which of us actually has the courage and commitment to their cause to pull the trigger?”

They raced down the path to the gates of the palace, Nimbus following as Sun Blaze pulled up sharply, barely missing impact with the crackling, glowing shield surrounding the area. Nimbus blazed by it as well, feeling an almost electrical tingling run down his body that not even his flight suit’s static insulation could protect against.

“I’m not afraid to shoot you down,” he said, cornering as Sun Blaze turned sharply left, trying to shake him off. Nimbus pulled up into what was known as a high yo-yo maneuver, looping back over at the top of his climb and falling back on Sun Blaze’s tail.

“Listen to yourself,” Sun Blaze sneered, veering in the opposite direction, “you’re not trying to convince me- you’re trying to convince yourself. That Awakening book was a test, you know. This suit I’m wearing? It was designed for somepony like you. It wasn’t long before I found out where your loyalties lay, though. You’re nothing but one of Celestia’s blind, visionless lackeys, and tonight I’m going to prove to my superiors that I’m the better pony!” She broke away, heading for Celestia again. Steeling himself, Nimbus took advantage of the situation to place his boresight on his old friend again. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he fired. Several of the rounds missed entirely, but one clipped Sun Blaze’s wing. The wing went rigid briefly, long enough for Sun Blaze to lose control and break off her attack.

“What you fight for is evil,” Nimbus said, snapping himself into a tight turn as Sun Blaze passed below him, “Nightmare Moon was never meant to rule- tonight Princess Luna will break free of her influence.”

“Ah yes, Luna- I was wondering when you would find out about her. She tried to refuse the power that becoming Nightmare Moon bestowed upon her. As far as I’m concerned, she can disappear forever!”

Like two birds of prey in conflict, the Pegasi danced through the night sky, each trading positions in the hope of finding a chance for a critical shot. Nimbus was tired, barely managing to keep up with Sun Blaze, let alone stay away from her Reavite projector. His wings ached, and his vision was starting to blur from the sweat running down his head. He followed Sun Blaze as she initiated a climb, readying himself for another shot, but Sun Blaze out-accelerated him, breaking through a layer of clouds above. Nimbus suddenly became alert. In the magical field, his MADAR was useless. He couldn’t see his opponent, and this was undoubtedly what she’d planned.

“You’re getting lazy, Nimbus.”

Sun Blaze suddenly materialized, diving out of the clouds above. Nimbus barely managed to roll to the side as the telltale red beam of the Reavite projector sliced through the air nearby, catching his wingtip. Every nerve ending in his body seemed in an instant to be on fire. He’d barely contacted the beam for less than a second, and it had nearly taken him out. This fight had to end, and soon. On the radio, he heard Sun Blaze groan after the weapon’s discharge. The “vampire element” was taking its toll.

“That weapon is killing you,” Nimbus said, trying not to show the pain in his voice, “you’ll die if you use it on Celestia.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Sun Blaze snapped, twisting through the air more aggressively than before, “if I die, so will she!”

Nimbus said nothing, saving his strength. Sun Blaze locked herself onto his tail again, lining up for a killing shot. Nimbus cut right, heading straight for a guard tower. He folded his wings in, using his momentum to shoot through it. Sun Blaze simply smashed through one of the tower’s wooden roof supports. With a tremendous crash, the roof fell in on the small tower. Sun Blaze shook it off as if it was nothing.

“Come on!” she roared, “just give up!”

Trying his best to mentally block his old friend’s voice, Nimbus dove straight down, pulling up a scant few inches above the ground as he weaved left and right, dodging obtables. He pulled up and over the banquet hall, briefly throwing Sun Blaze off. The mare was persistent, though, and began to reengage. Nimbus took the brief break in combat to turn his gaze upward, at the moon. The stars were almost at its surface now; Celestia didn’t have much time left. He looked back at Sun Blaze, staring down the pony he’d called his friend only a few days ago, analyzing the situation. They were in a tight bank turn, and her right wing, on the inside of the turn, was fluttering slightly.

That’s the one I hit earlier, Nimbus thought, must’ve damaged a nerve ending. This was his chance. Preparing himself for the inevitable pain, Nimbus flared his wings, dropping his airspeed nearly to zero. He bit down hard as his wings threatened to wrench themselves from their sockets. Sun Blaze shot past, trying to correct her course, but her wing failed to respond to the rapid change of direction, locking up slightly. It was just enough to send her into an uncoordinated spin. Nimbus dove underneath her, then pulled up as Sun Blaze corrected her flight path, searching everywhere for him. She spotted Nimbus as he pulled up, shooting up into the sky off her left wing. She prepared to pull up and engage him, but Nimbus had one more trick to pull. In his climb, he rolled, turning his back to Sun Blaze. He pulled back in what was nearly a loop, then flipped his body around, pointing his CAL-2 down at Sun Blaze as he continued skidding over her. He fired continuously, raking Sun Blaze’s back with a concentrated burst of electrically-charged air. It was too much- Sun Blaze’s body froze and she began spiraling towards the ground. Nimbus restabilized himself and broke away, watching Sun Blaze fall. As the sparks playing across her body died out, though, Nimbus saw something he’d never seen before. She moved! Spurred on by nothing less than a near-insane dedication to her mission, Sun Blaze was fighting lockup, climbing back towards Celestia.

“You- rrgh- can’t win, Nimbus,” she groaned over the radio as she centered her sights on Celestia. Nimbus turned back towards her, pouring every ounce of strength into catching up with her. He broke through the sound barrier, trailing an orange blur behind him as he reached speeds just over Mach 1. As Sun Blaze neared firing range, Nimbus realized his mistake- Sun Blaze wasn’t the target. With her level of determination, a few shocks weren’t going to stop her. The weapon on the other hoof…

Nimbus placed his green boresight over the small scoop on Sun Blaze’s flight suit, locking in the target, and started firing without rest, pelting the weapon with every round he could send at it. Sun Blaze practically clawed for distance, trying to close the gap between her and Celestia, but Nimbus was closing fast. The Reavite projector glowed red, indicating an imminent discharge. There was only one option left. Without a second thought, Nimbus slammed straight into Sun Blaze, sending the red beam harmlessly into the magical field. Refusing to let his target go again, he locked his hooves around her, still firing charges into the projector, now at point-blank range. He didn’t care that his right side was quickly going numb from the static discharge his weapon was giving off, didn’t care that Sun Blaze was using every last vestige of strength to try to force him away, and didn’t even concern himself with the ground spiraling rapidly up towards him as the two Pegasi plummeted to earth. He thought about Celestia, doing everything in her power for a chance to save her sister. He thought about Luna- a pony he didn’t even know yet. This was her second chance, and if there was anything his life so far had taught him, everypony deserved a second chance, and finally, he thought about the ponies below, and the ponies of Equestria. They deserved to live in a world shared by day and night. Sun Blaze had been wrong, but it made his actions no less difficult when he considered this.

“I was going to create the perfect world, Nimbus,” Sun Blaze gasped, bashing at Nimbus’s helmet with her hooves, “will you deny me even that? Answer me!” Her visor was cracked, and Nimbus could see her familiar eyes dancing helplessly about, frantically searching for a way to escape and finding none. “Answer me!” Sun Blaze repeated, desperately.

Nimbus didn’t answer, still firing at Sun Blaze’s weapon. The crystal was exposed now, and was sparking as it tried to absorb the incoming electrical energy, entering too fast to be properly stored. The Reavite crystal was going into overload, and both ponies knew it, but Nimbus kept hammering rounds into it despite this. There could be no risky disengagement; this had to end now. The ground below grew in detail as they neared the end of their drop. Suddenly the crystal gave off a tremendous burst of sparks. Nimbus let go of Sun Blaze as the red sparks engulfed her, draining every last reserve of magic from her body. Time seemed to freeze as the two’s eyes met- the victor and the defeated.

“I’m sorry, Sun Blaze,” Nimbus whispered. Sun Blaze’s body disappeared behind a mass of sparks as a small field of red-white light grew around her. The crystal could no longer contain the energy it had tried to absorb. With a hum that steadily increased in pitch, the field grew, until with a loud “crack,” it burst outward, catching Nimbus and flinging him back upward. His world became a whirling mess of colors and stars as he tumbled.

Then he remembered the Dizzitron. What was it he’d been taught? First, detect spin direction, second, stop yawing, third, stop rolling, fourth, regain lost airspeed, and five, recover. He checked his HUD, trying to determine the direction of his spin, but the blast from the Reavite weapon had completely knocked out his electronics. He was flying on gut feeling now. He closed his eyes for a moment, to focus, then opened them, flexing his wings and feeling the air travel over them. He kicked his body to the right, correcting his yaw, and stopped his roll, but instead of recovering, his wings went limp. His body had taken all it could, and was starting to shut down. Nimbus took one final look at Celestia. Points of light were materializing and moving towards her horn- the spell was nearly complete. What was it Polaris had said about fallout from the spell? It didn’t matter anymore. Nimbus’s world became pure white as the spell completed, throwing a wall of raw energy out in all directions. Nimbus embraced the wave of light as it hit him, unable to fight as it threw him into the magical field. A slight shock coursed through his body, but he hardly felt it. He was falling again, looking up at the night sky. Celestia was gone now. At the completion of her spell, she had disappeared. With her disappearance, the field had faded as well, flickering away to reveal the starry night. The stars around the moon, meanwhile, finally touched down, and the moon gave off a slight glow. Then, everything was as it had been- still and quiet.

With a start, Nimbus realized that it was nearly dawn; the sun should have been rising. Instead, he still saw only stars and the moon. Nightmare Moon had returned after all, and she had set in motion Night Eternal. He tried to force himself to feel some sort of emotion, but he couldn’t. The ball was in somepony else’s court, now. It was time to finally rest. His eyes began to close as he neared the end of his descent, and the last thing he saw before his world faded to black was the silhouettes of several Pegasi above, framed against the starlit backdrop as they flew towards him. Then, everything was dark.

By the time he slammed into the ground in the courtyard of the Canterlot Palace, he was unconscious. Nimbus never even felt the impact.

Comments

[kyubbiman]

That was freaking epic. One of the best combat scenes I have ever read. I can't wait to see what happens next. When is your next chapter coming out? I must read it now.

[kyubbiman]

3333710 Thank you your laughter is much appreciated and chapter 15 will rock your socks off.

[Fyn16]

3376800

Funny you should mention that- it's about a third of the way done as we speak. I'm looking at a release early this week. Glad you liked the combat scene- they're something I've been trying to work on for a while now. Looks like only two chapters left if my story outline's anything to go by, but the next in this series is already planned, and I'll start writing as soon as the final chapter gets posted. I'm not going to say much, but watch the next chapter closely. Nimbus's actions may very well have some interesting consequences later on down the road...

[kyubbiman]

3376813 sweet thanks for this info

[Snowfyre]

slight mistake
“Breaking to pursue,” Polaris called, flying off after the pony and leaving Nimbus and Storm Runner to deal with the other.

shouldnt that be corona rather than storm runner?