The Alicorn of the Stars

by mushrumluver

Final Chapter- Symphony of Fire and Lightning

Chapter 21 Symphony of Fire and Lightning

Both unicorns paced themselves in a circular manner stalking each other waiting for one another to make their move. The silence of the night provided the perfect sound for their battle and the fullness of the moon hanging above the clear night sky was like the spotlight for their stage. The trees surrounding them acted as enclosure in their personal ring in the forest clearing. The warm humid night continues on as they start their round two.

“I have to say,” Nova suddenly broke the silence “This is getting quite dull.” He paced left and right provoking the white unicorn in front of him to attack. “Shall we take it up a notch?” he stopped and smirked.

Ovan simply stood in silence unfazed and unprovoked by the dark blue unicorn’s words.

“What’s with the silent treatment?” Nova continued. “If you continue to act like that,” Nova turned his head away concealing his horn. “You might as well DIE!” Nova quickly sent a bolt of lightning coming from his horn the moment he finished his statement.

Ovan ducked his entire body evading the attack like he anticipated it. The lightning bolt struck a nearby tree behind the white unicorn sending the tree cracking and falling down in flames. Retaliating back, Ovan charged his own brand of spell. His horn was quickly covered in a blue aura. A small ember started to form in front of his horn and it grows larger and larger up into a size of a beach ball. With no hesitation, Ovan shot the ball of flame rushing towards his enemy.

“Pathetic!” Nova swatted the burning ball with his hoof like some fly approaching him sending the fire spreading all over.

Ovan gritted his teeth in frustration that his spell was simply dealt with like that. He summoned a larger fireball in response.

“Come on Ovan!” Nova stood smirking provoking the unicorn to dish out a more powerful attack. “Surely you can do better than that?”

“Then take THIS!” Ovan hurled the massive ball of flames towards Nova.

Nova smirked as the ball of flame slowly approaches him burning everything in its wake. He stood firmly on his ground as dark blue lightning-like projections sparked all over his horn. He aimed his horn at the massive fireball and fired a more concentrated lightning shot.

The thunderous roar of the shot echoed throughout the forest. The massive ball of fire exploded mid –air before it could even reach its target. A bluish-white streak of lightning burst from the midst of the forest gaining the attention of ponies from nearby towns spotting the phenomenon even from miles away.

“It can’t be” Ovan looked at the scenario with his eyes filled with shock and despair. He resumed his stance after shaking out every fear and hopelessness he felt during that time.

“What’s the matter?” Nova scoffed at Ovan’s attacks “Shocked?”

“Guess I have to do this.” Ovan flickered a small light through his horn. A brown leather satchel instantly poofed in front of him like it was teleported in front of him.

“Out with your small bag of tricks?” Nova jested at Ovan’s attempts.

“You’ll see.” Ovan replied and smirked with an air of confidence brewing back. Grasping the contents of the bag, he took a hoof-sized glittering red rock. It had fiery shades of red and a burning aura emanating from it. Ovan stretched his hoof backwards and lobbed the fiery gemstone over Nova’s position. It glistened and flickered in red as it flies in the air arcing towards its target.

Sensing a bit of imminent danger, Nova quickly teleported out of target’s trajectory to a more far location from the point. Upon contact, the gem burst into flames incinerating all in its explosive radius. A fiery dome-shaped blast exploded from the point of the contact with a size of roughly 10 yards. The wind and leaves rustled disturbed by the sudden force, the neighboring trees were unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast reduced to ashes. Some of the leaves also caught a small ember from the spreading fires. The ground was ashen black after the explosion.

Nova stared deeply at the black incinerated ground. “This is more interesting,” he shifting his stare towards the blue unicorn within the area. “I did forget that you’re sort of an expert on this field of magic.” he smirked. “The spell formula used in crafting catalytic bombs were fortified and perfected the moment you dabbled yourself in that field due to your lack of magical capacity.” He bumped his forehead thinking of his next line. “Would you care to teach me how to make those?” he reached out his hoof towards Ovan with a playful and joking tone in his offer.

“How ‘bout I’ll teach you when you’re dead,” Ovan took out another of his fiery bomb stones.

Without moments to spare, Nova instantly vanished in smokes then reappearing again now besides his enemy. Quickly grabbing the blue unicorn’s hoof holding the red gemstone, Nova stopped the momentum building within Ovan’s next attack.

“Too bad I’ll be taking that!” Nova’s eyes widened with excitement as he attempts to grab the gem.

“Who said anything about throwing this again?” Ovan said as he cracked the gem within his hoof. Following the sudden cracking sound, within the damaged gem generated another fiery dome-shaped explosion burning everything within including the two stallions inside.

Both stallions jumped outside the incinerating dome to safety. Both had burned marks all over their bodies, their coat messed-up and some were burned black. Their mane and tail also fared no better than their coat.

Ovan stood on the ground panting trying to regain himself after the self-inflicted damage he dealt to both of them.

“That was quite unexpected.” Nova started laughing despite the wounds. He frenzied himself to an evil grin as dark blue sparks crackled within his horn. “I really love it when my foe gives me a bit of entertainment.” The lightning charging in his horn was set. “Well, allow me to show you a new trick of my own,” he placed his right hoof directly on his lightning charged horn. A dark-blue streak of lightning followed Nova’s hoof as he moved his right hoof pointing towards Ovan.

“Like you and your resistance to fire-based magic, I also have a resistance to lightning-based magic.” he said while maintaining the electrical link between his horn and his hoof. He slowly stretched his right hoof towards his left shoulder and waved it with full force sending the dark-lightning everywhere in front of him spreading outward like a cone.

Ovan braced himself unable to dodge the attack. He screamed in pain as the attack landed; the jolting pain tearing his flesh inside-out, the burning sensation delivered by the electrical current coursing through his body burning him in and out, out and in. The punishment-like attack finally died down leaving Ovan burnt, electrocuted and weak. Staggering to stand himself again, Ovan can feel his legs dying down limping on every attempt he made to rise.

Nova slowly walked forward towards his injured opponent. He smiled with a pitiful look on his face yet there was an arrogant air all over his expression. His horn glowed an intense dark-blue aura the moment he was directly in front of his blue foe. “It is quite unfortunate that I must end our little squabble like this,” he slowly lifted while choking the blue unicorn upward with his magic. “Sad that you won’t witness Twilight’s transformation if she was given the chance of using a bloodstone,” He rolled his eyes. “But I assure you, you’ll get all the juicy details in your grave, and I’ll start it with Dear Ovan…” he was slowly tightening his grip choking Ovan to death while laughing an evil-sound tone of laughter. “How does that sound?”

Ovan simply smirked as a reply earning an eyebrow-raising expression from Nova. “Buck off!” Ovan immediately planted one of his fiery red rocks directly on Nova’s face. The sudden explosion sent the blue unicorn flying a few yards back away from the explosion. Ovan took a glimpse of his black and burnt hoof and hoping that the point blank explosion in the face was enough to finish Nova off.

A dark grayish smoke almost filled the entire clearing after moments of the explosion. Barely seeing the surrounding area, Ovan slowly limpered away to a more smoke-free part of the clearing. Finding that spot in the edges of the clearing; Ovan rested himself on one of the trees. “Just die already.” He hoped as he began regaining his breath back.

The smoke was finally clearing out giving a more vivid view of what remains in the clearing. The once lively and green clearing now turned barren and black. The pond that was once filled with cleaning crystal clear water now filled with dirt, ashes and burned grasses and leaves. The vast majority of the smoke has finally cleared out leaving the center still smoke-filled gray and obscure.

“Ovan…” a voice came from within the smoky center followed by a mocking applause. “not only hitting me with big attack like that but you did it twice.” The smoke in the center finally cleared out revealing Nova still standing and breathing. But his appearance looked more damaged and messed-up. The burn marks and scars have multiplied and trails of blood were dripping from his mouth. “Sad that you weren’t able to finish me off with that but you did one thing though.” Using his hoof, he wiped off the blood dripping off. “You have made me a bit angry,” His expression changed from playful arrogance to a more serious and darker one. The moment he said his last word, he instantly charged up another lightning through his horn. The charging process had more intensity paling in comparison to his earlier attacks. With Ovan now weak and unable to move, he helplessly sat against the tree he was resting on staring at the bright light in front of him. It was over, it was his final turn.

A beam of roaring thunder and lightning slashed its way towards the downed blue unicorn stallion, ravaging anything in its path. The white light flashed in Ovan’s blue pupils as it gets closer and closer as if it was like the white light that every pony sees before they die. A white flash of explosion roared throughout the area, sparks flew all over; the grass covered land now looked like a trench has been roughly dug across.

Nova stared blankly at the remodeling he made in the clearing patiently awaiting the fate of Ovan after that attack. He squinted his eyes towards the blanket of dust and smoke seeing a small glimmer of purple light sparkling from within.

“Who dares interrupt?” he asked with a serious tone and a killing intent.

“This is as far as you go.” A familiar voice spoke from within the forest area.

“A sparkling mare in a shining armor If I may assume?” Nova’s mood began to lighten up as Twilight appeared from the dark depths of the forest. “That was quite amazing that you were able to block off an attack of that magnitude.” Nova added.

“I’m actually quite surprised,” Twilight slowly walked towards Ovan’s side. “To actually witness Jupiter’s Bolt.” She turned her focus towards the dark blue unicorn. “Tell me,” she narrowed down her eyes. “Who are you really or what are you?”

“Surely you jest at the question my dear Twilight.” Nova replied waving off the purple unicorn’s implications. “I am but a simple unicorn,” he pointed at himself. “Although bent of destroying lives and using ponies against their free will but regardless just a simple unicorn” He said with a playful tone in his voice.

“Jupiter’s Bolt,” she paced left and right. “A spell that you must have at least an Alicorn-grade magical capacity to cast” She stopped and turned back to Nova. “And now even after casting use feat, you’re still able to stand straight and not feel the even the slightest hint of fatigue.” She paused for a few seconds “Surely that is NOT something that a simple unicorn can do.”

“Of course I am at the limit,” Nova brushed up his white mane. “I just prefer to look fabulous all the time.” he continued.

“It’s just sad, a unicorn this powerful like yourself could have helped many ponies.” Twilight started to look pitiful towards the dark blue unicorn “Why?” she asked “Why must you commit these heinous acts?” she added her question.

“I don’t really call them heinous,” he looked away from Twilight. “I’d rather call them.” He paused and placed a hoof under his chin. “Resource Acquisition,” he looked at Twilight firmly with his eyes serious of his answer. Nova followed his statement with an evil smirk creeping from the sides of his mouth.

Twilight was taken aback by the reply. She could feel a malicious aura seeping through the very veins of the unicorn in front of her. “Ovan was right, he has to be stopped right here right now” she thought. Realizing that Ovan was down for the count, she knew it was her turn but a small glimmer of hope came from the fact that he was injured and wounded by the time she came.

“Twilight why did you?” Ovan was too weak to even finish his question.

“I just can’t abandon you like this.” Twilight firmly replied while maintaining her sights on Nova.

“So we’re on good terms now?” Ovan tried to put on a smile.

“Fine!” her tone seemed disagreeing with Ovan. “Besides,” she turned towards the wounded stallion. “I still owe you one for saving me back there.” She smiled a warm smile before turning back to Nova with a look ready for combat.

“I guess this is round 3?” Nova smirked.

“How about this for a starter?” Twilight suddenly charged her horn with a purple energy brewing within.

“How many times must you repeat that same spell?” Nova arrogantly casted the same barrier spell he used against Twilight’s beam earlier.

“You’ll see,” Twilight continued to charge her beam with a confident smile on her face.

Taking advantage of Nova’s arrogance, Twilight fired her spell directly towards the dark colored unicorn. A purple beam blasted from her horn flying straight towards Nova. Nova simply stood on his firmly on the ground unfazed by the incoming shot.

A loud impact was generated the moment Twilight’s purple beam contacted the surface of the blue barrier. Nova smirked seeing the same results and comparing their earlier encounter to now. Red hot sparks flew around the barrier as the beam tries to dig its way in searing every bit of magical energy in the barrier. Nova’s expression eventually shifted the moment he realized something is wrong and different from their past fight. The bright purple beam began tearing its way through the barrier breaking the barrier like glass. Nova caught within the destructive beam of light was sent along through the path sending the dark blue stallion crashing to a tree behind him.

A loud crashing sound echoed throughout the clearing upon Nova’s impact due to Twilight’s beam spell. Nova’s wound from his battle Ovan reopened and blood has started dripping again from his mouth. “Just when did you learn such a spell like that?” He smirked retaining the blood stained mouth. “You imply that I am no ordinary pony yet yourself know such spells like Plasma.”

“Truth to be told, I already knew those spells before hand,” Twilight raised her head upright. “It’s just that I don’t really prefer using them since they are labeled under harmful spells.” She added.

“I’m just wondering, why you didn’t use that spell earlier?” he asked while remaining seated against the broken down tree he crashed on. “You could have saved Ovan the trouble.”

“I am quite ashamed of myself letting him get hurt like that for my weakness.” She replied with a stern tone. “As much as I hate to admit it, I was afraid of you.” she looked away from the dark-blue unicorn. “But,” she turned her attention back “I won’t let you or give you the even the slightest chance of hurting my friends.” She declared to Nova with a determined and resolute look. “You’ve hurt so many ponies and as Ovan said, this has to end right now.”

Nova started laughing maniacally after hearing Twilight’s words. Tears were breaking from his eyes due to the loud laughter he did. “This has never been so amusing,” he wiped of the tears forming in eyes. “You and that pile of dead meat over there should really get together.” he chuckled. “Truth to be told I never expected to exert this much effort,” he stood up dusting his flank, shoulders and parts of his hoof and wiping of the blood on his lips after. “I guess I really have to give it my all this time.” he started murmuring. His lips were moving silently speaking in a pattern even Twilight couldn’t recognize despite her knowledge in foreign and ancient texts and languages.

Nova gave out a huge cheerful sigh the moment he stopped chanting. He slowly chuckled to a grin and narrowed his blood-red eyes towards the purple unicorn mare in front of him.

“Just what are you planning?” Twilight puzzled by Nova’s stare. “Well whatever it is it ends now,” Twilight bowed down pointing her horn to her target with sparks of purple charging forming around.

Nova simple stood and smirked at Twilight still unaware of his spell.

With her spell fully charged, Twilight readies herself to fire the next blast. She was dead set on ending the battle until the grassy land she was standing upon turned murky black like some dark puddle forming on her hooves.

“Ugha!” Twilight tried to struggle free with the purple glow on her horn dissipating. “What in Equestria is this?” She asked as she tries to lift her each of her hooves upward. Despite her struggle everytime she lifted her hoof the black puddle draws her back; soon black tentacle-like abominations started creeping up from her hooves.

“It’s what you call BLACK MAGIC.” Nova smiles on the success of his spell and seeing Twilight uselessly struggles to free herself from the abysmal puddle binding her movements.

“Black Magic?” Twilight continues to struggle.

“It’s a form of recital spells, which I assume that you know what a recital spell is,” he slowly paces left and right in front the struggling purple unicorn. “But what makes black magic different is the cost of the spell.” He continued on. “Recital spells are used for spells with preparations and such that you need to invoke an enchantment or some sort to activate the spell itself,” he turned his back on Twilight. “But for the branch of Black magic, it requires a more devious source such as…” Nova started tapping his chin with his right hoof thinking of the next word to add. “Lives and bodies.” He grinned.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock to hear and realize that the puddle she was currently standing used lives of ponies, innocent or not. “How could you do this?” her disdain for the dark-colored unicorn was escalating.

“Well, Thank one of my brilliant advisors,” he waved his hoof “It was his suggestion that I use the empty bodies of the ponies I used in the production of the Blood Stone.” He snickered “Honestly that stallion had a sicker mind than I do,” He pointed at himself. “Even sicker than me and my ‘secretary’ combined.” He started laughing. “But it’s a more economical solution than simply using those bodies as fertilizer for my garden. You should consider taking a visit I’m sure you’re going to love it there,” he stared at Twilight with his red-blood eyes like a deranged pony.

“How dare you toy with innocent lives like that!” Twilight cried vigorously trying to escape the murky clutches of the black abyss swallowing her.

“Then again, I’ll just probably kill you here,” Nova tapped his chin ignoring the mare’s plight and struggle. Nova then took out a small red rock glowing ominously and eerily. He stared at the rock with much malice and ill-begotten feeling, grinning manically as the glow intensifies. “Of course I won’t be really killing you, more of simply crippling you to the point of you yourself would want to me to kill you,” he threw the blood-red rock upwards as he charged his horn. Spinning around and around in the air, Nova patiently charges his horn with intense electrical energy gathering within waiting for the red rock to align with the tip of his horn.

Seeing the imminent danger, Twilight intensifies her struggle against the abysmal murky puddle but to no avail. The light was getting brighter and brighter and the stone nearing Nova’s horn. Twilight closed her eyes and braced herself hoping that she would still survive the impact.

A bright warm glow flashed a few yards besides Nova. Noticing the glow, Nova quickly turned his head over to the source of the glow. A bright red hot massive ball of fire was waiting to be fired from Ovan’s horn. Nova quickly darted his attention to the tree that Ovan was resting on earlier to find no pony was there and turned back to the source. A blood-red glow shined from the middle of the massive ball of fire. The bloodstone that Nova tossed was gone and now to be used by Ovan in his Fireball. Before Nova could even react, Ovan blasted his spell amplified by the bloodstone. Burning with more intensity than before, the ball of fire burned everything in its wake turning all in to ashes. Caught by the spell, Nova was sent burning away along with the direction of the fireball. After it travelled a distance from the clearing, the entire mass of fire exploded burning an entire area of the forest into crisp turning it from green to black.

The murky black puddle liquefied into an ink-like substance losing its grip on Twilight. Finally free of its grasp Twilight quickly galloped herself towards Ovan. Ovan quickly loses his balance and immediately falls hard into the ground due to his weariness. His breathe was getting slower and slower by the time Twilight got to his side. his pulse weakening and his body slowly getting colder. In a state of panic of not losing Ovan, Twilight focused all her power into healing the blue unicorn just to a bare minimum to survive.

A loud and huge shockwave suddenly came from the explosion point of Ovan’s massive spell blowing everything away. Trees were uprooted and flew, the fire caught by the branches and leaves were blown out, the ground turned into a crater-like hole due to the massive shockwave that came.

“I will destroy you…” a soft maniacal voice came echoing from the destroyed path.”I will kill you…” each passing second the voice grows louder and louder. “I will tear you limb from limb.” Nova finally shows himself, all bruised and burned, his white mane had burnt marks all over each strand, his dark blue coat had some areas black. He looked at the two with intense malice and hatred, with his teeth gritted with such intensity that it could even break from it.

“THE TWO OF YOU SHOULD JUST DIE!” He cried as he let the largest lightning bolt he did in the entire evening and immediately fired it towards the two ponies.

Helpless to stop such intense spell, Twilight tightly embraces the unconscious stallion beside her hoping some form of salvation.

A thunderous roar blasted the entire clearing as a golden light shielded the two from the imminent destruction.

“WHO DARES—“Nova’s statement was immediately cut off upon the slow descend of Twilight’s savior.

A large towering figure slowly descended slowly flapping her majestic white wings. To Twilight’s surprise, her mentor, her teacher and friend has come to save them.

“You did great Twilight,” Princess Celestia patted her long white hoof over Twilight’s head.

“If it isn’t the Big White Boss Lady,” Nova slowly loses his frenzied appearance.

“Nova Starshine,” Princess Celestia stared down on the dark-colored unicorn imposing her figure “You have eluded me time and time after committing heinous crimes against Equestria.” her tone seemed dominating even for Nova “And today is the day where you pay for those crimes,” she slowly approaches the dark-colored unicorn with Nova in turn backing away from the majestic white alicorn.

“The big White Boss Lady has finally decided to come out after years and years of planning and hiding behind the scenes,” Nova continues to back away. “But still, It was cruel of you to simply wait out for your beloved student to have a near-death experience Twice before showing up.”

“I have faith in Twilight Sparkle.” She replied as she continues to stalk down Nova “I knew she would be able to stand her ground even to the likes of you.” she continued on. “And tonight is the night where justice shall be delivered.”

“You can be serious now?” Nova chuckled.” So you are…” he stopped chuckled after noticing Princess Celestia’s stare against him. “I’ll guess I’ll be—“his statement was suddenly interrupted by the sudden appearance of twelve unicorn all equipped in a golden armor showing their status as members of the Royal Guard surrounding him and positioned like the numbers on the clock. “—going nowhere.” Nova tone dropped.

“This is quite unfair,” Nova started complaining “I had myself drained on a handicapped match earlier and now this? Twelve and the big white boss lady against moi?” he pointed at himself.

“Silence!” Princess Celestia shouted with a tone similar to the Traditional Royal Canterlot voice as she stomped her hoof on the ground.

Nova simply chuckled knowing that the sun princess is serious. His chuckle was slowly dying down until there was dead silent around the clearing. In his final laugh, Nova, in one fell swoop, blasted a Royal Guard in his 3 ‘o clock position sending the unicorn flying back tossed like a rag doll.

“Seize Him!” Princess Celestia commanded as the guard promptly bound the dark-colored unicorn with a bright light conjured from their horns the moment the command was given leaving Nova no room to even make his move.

“As much as I hate to admit it,” Princess Celestia approaches the downed Nova. “I cannot directly end your life despite justice screams for it.” she looks down on Nova with her magenta eyes mixed with anger and pity. “It’s such a waste to see a unicorn so talented as you, even after going through those battles earlier, you still manage to injure one of my guards even though there are equipped with mythril-based armor,” she darted her attention towards the guard Nova shot down. “As I said killing is prohibited within Equestria,” she turned back to the bound unicorn. “I hereby banish you to the far stretches of the stars as punishment for the cause of innumerable deaths and destruction in the lands of Equestria,” the Princess Celestia’s horn suddenly glowed a divine yellow color as she pointed it towards Nova.

“ So this is how it ends huh?” Nova started laughing chuckling as his hooves started dissipating into yellow fragments of light. He stared upward looking at his banisher with intense disdain as the yellow light gradually consumes him. His egotiscal and maniacal laugh continued on until his banishment was complete and his voice was soon just an echo.

“It’s finally over.” Princess Celestia sighed and turned towards her student.

“Princess!” Tears were flowing out of Twilight’s eyes as she quickly embraced the towering alicorn. “I’m so glad…” She was crying on the princess’ white coat.

“I’m sorry that I had to wait out until it was the right time to reveal myself.” Princess Celestia apologized. “But it’s all over Twilight Sparkle, you can rest easy.” She said hoping to soothe down the purple unicorn.

“I’m just glad it’s over.” Twilight finally relaxed looking at her mentor with a warm smile on her face. “Right Ovan?” she quickly turned back to Ovan only to have her brightening mood turned grim realizing that it’s not over.

“Ovan?!” Twilight quickly rushed to Ovan side.

“What’s wrong with him?” Princess Celestia immediately followed her student.

“I-I think he is dying…” Twilight’s eyes suddenly burst into tears feeling Ovan’s pulse weakening and his breath getting shorter and shorter.

The Alicorn of the Stars - End