Starfall

by Gonenowsorry

Enemies of the Past

Enemies of the Past

It didn't matter how many she put down, they just kept coming. Princess Luna was quickly becoming exhausted, and the dawn was still some time off. A heap of ash that had been several astrals began to glow brightly, and the wretched beings flared back into existence. She prepared herself for another round of battle.

Suddenly there was a white flash, and Twilight Sparkle appeared before her.

“Princess!” exclaimed Twilight Sparkle. “I need to talk to you!”

The astrals were gathering, eyes fixed upon the purple unicorn. Princess Luna pointed her horn to the ground beneath the astrals. Several shadowy hands emerged from the earth and gripped the astrals, pulling them down below.

“That will not buy us much time,” said the Princess. “It was very foolish for you to have come here, Twilight Sparkle. This is not your fight.”

“Actually, Princess, I think it is.”

Luna gave Twilight a perplexed look. “Then explain, quickly!”

“I don't know how it happened,” started Twilight. “I had a dream where I was flying through space. It was beautiful. All I wanted to see the Pony's Head Nebula, but when I got there I found these things. I tried to talk to them, but then they flew right through me and disappeared.”

Luna uttered an ancient curse Twilight had never heard before.

“How many?” asked Princess Luna. “How many of the astrals flew into you?”

“At least a couple dozen,” said Twilight.

“Then we are lucky, because the full horde contains thousands. Twilight Sparkle, your magical power truly is incredible if this is true. It means you were capable of astral projecting, something very few have ever done.”

“But how is that possible?” asked Twilight. “How can I use magic I've never even heard of?”

“If I had to guess, it was likely a manifestation of your love of the stars. I can understand such appreciation for the beauty of the night. When you went to sleep, your mind was still clinging to the stars, and so you unknowingly projected your consciousness outside of your body.”

“Then how were the astrals able to use me? What do they want?”

“We've long suspected the astrals of being able to subconsciously influence the dreams of ponies with a love of the stars. That is their domain. They may be how you learned to astral project, even if you don't remember learning it. It was diabolically clever of them. You see, Twilight Sparkle, when you project your consciousness, your mind remains anchored to your body. They used that link as a gateway to Equestria."

"When have you seen these things before?" asked Twilight.

"Long ago, these horrors appeared in Equestria. Celestia and I worked together with the last of the Draconequus to wage war against them. It was a very long, very costly struggle.”

“Draconequus?” said Twilight, shocked. “You don't mean...”

“Your assumption is correct, Twilight Sparkle.” said Luna sadly. “He was a noble ally and a friend. But the astrals are beings of entropy and destruction. Their influence broke our ally's mind, corrupting him into the chaos spirit, Discord.”

For the first time, Twilight felt a twinge of pity for the fallen draconequus. He wasn't always so bad. He never even had a choice.

“What did you do, Princess? How did you defeat the astrals?”

“Together, Celestia and I were eventually able to seal them in a place beyond the sky, where we thought they would never be able to escape from. It seems we were wrong.”

The ground began to rumble, as blazing hooves burst forth from the earth.

“What do we do, now Princess?” asked Twilight.

“We keep them busy! I am at my strongest during the night, and Celestia is at her strongest during the day. At dawn, we will both briefly be at our full power, and together we shall banish the astrals once more.”

“Why won't Celestia raise the sun now?”

Luna looked a little bit ashamed. “Because of me... In order to ensure harmony in Equestria, both my sister and I have bound ourselves to an oath to never again interfere with the natural cycle of day and night. She is as unable to end the night before its time just as I am unable to perpetuate it. In all things, order must be preserved.”

A blazing white circle of astrals now surrounded Luna and Twilight. Together, they stood side by side, preparing for their attack.

But the astrals didn't move. Instead they tilted their heads up and cried out in unison. It sounded like dozens of bells ringing simultaneously, amplified one hundred times over.

“What are they doing!?” screamed Twilight.

“They must be trying to rally all of their stray brethren for an assault. It should not be too dire, Twilight Sparkle, I believe most of the astrals that escaped imprisonment are already here.”

The astrals lowered their heads and held their ground. Twilight wondered why they didn't charge.

“Look, Princess! The sky! It's...dawn...”

The sky had indeed begun to grow lighter. In any other given situation, Twilight would have believed the sun was about to rise.

“That is impossible!” said Luna disbelievingly. “Celestia surely has not found a way around our oath!”

“No, she hasn't!” exclaimed Twilight. “Look there!”

Hanging in the sky, growing larger each second, was a massive ball of fire. Contained within the inferno were hundreds of small lights.

“It can't be!” exclaimed the Princess.

“They can summon their own, can't they?” asked Twilight. Her voice sounded empty, lost in the sight of the approaching herd.

Luna looked out at the destruction the astrals had already created in Ponyville. This was no longer a fight to save the village. It wasn't even a fight to save all of Equestria. If they failed, it would mean the end of the world.

“Where is Princess Celestia?” asked Twilight, her voice weak.

“Organizing our last hope.”

Art Used: http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=Princess+Luna#/d4djxmy