Midnight Star

by Nebula Star

Chapter 10: Failing Hope

Midnight Star
By Nebula Star

Chapter 10: Failing Hope
***

The library was quiet, unnervingly so considering the number in the main room. Nopony talked though, none of them knew what to say. The five friends were all there. When they had realized that they had all been attacked by Twilight, they'd known something was wrong. So after getting nurse Redheart to do what she could for Rainbow's wings, the five friends had come to the library looking for answers.

It hadn't taken them long to locate Spike and Owlicious in the basement. Spike hadn't been able to tell them much though; all he really knew was that something had happened to Twilight just before she started acting strange. He'd told them she had been in pain as if something were attacking her, and that she'd then told him to write a letter to Princess Celestia, a cry for help. But that she'd then changed, stopped him before he could send letter, and chained him up.

It wasn't much to go on, but after hearing it the five friends were holding onto some small hope that something had happened to Twilight. That somehow it hadn't really been their friend that had attacked them. It wasn't much... but it helped, a little.

Applejack was now pacing back and forth by the front door and was by far the most lively of the bunch, if pacing in silence with her head down could be considered lively. Most the rest of them were lying around the room, unsure what to do now. They'd found the elements of harmony when they'd found Spike; they were now lying in the center of the floor between them all, but that was little comfort.

There was one addition to the group however; a pegasus filly. Despite being worried about her friends, Scootaloo was doing everything she could to help her idol: Rainbow Dash. But Rainbow was too hurt to be comforted, even by the filly she had taken in as a little sister. She just laid there, her wings bandaged, splinted, and bound to her sides. Nurse Redheart had done what she could for her, but in the end she'd confirmed what Rainbow had already known.

Her wings would never heal enough for her to fly again. She'd never soar above the clouds again, never be able to live in Cloudsdale again, never perform a sonic rainboom again, and she'd never be a Wonderbolt. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears. It was no use though. She felt Scootaloo lean her head against her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

She and Scootaloo had come to be almost like true sisters in the year and a half since the camping trip where Rainbow had saved her in the middle of the night, and it was hard on Scootaloo seeing her like this. Rainbow leaned a little into the filly to let her know the comfort was appreciated even if it wasn't enough to offset the terrible pain of her loss.

Rainbow couldn't help but think she'd been hurt the worst of all her friends. What Twilight had done to the rest of them could at least be undone, or repaired in time... Only she had been done permanent harm. Only she had had her dreams taken away forever.

It was late now, after midnight in fact, but nopony was sleeping, not after what they'd been through, and especially with what was going on outside.

Half of Ponyville was breaking apart it seemed, great fissures opening up and emerald flames erupting from the depths. It hadn't gotten worse in the past few hours, but it didn't seem to be stopping either. Ever so often Applejack would pause to look out the window as she paced back and forth. Most the time she'd just look out for a few seconds then sigh and continue pacing.

It had been Twilight that had caused the destruction as well. Rarity had seen it start. She'd said it was as if Twilight's very presence had caused the world to quake and crack, breaking apart around her. What could have happened to Twilight? What could possibly make her turn against them? What had given her such horrible power? Or had it even been her at all?

None of them had any answers.

Applejack paused at the window again. But unlike all the times before, after a quick look, she stepped closer looking out as if something had caught her eye.

“Girls, heads up, looks like we have incoming.” Applejack told them and they all looked up.

“Who is it?” Rarity asked, her own eyes red from crying.

“Not sure, I think one might be Princess Celestia. But it's hard to tell in the dark and all.”

The five friends all looked at each other, then getting to their feet they hurried outside. Scootaloo followed right by Rainbow's side. The sky seemed unnaturally dark due to the light of the smokeless emerald flames below. So the white coat and feathers of the approaching Princess made her easy to spot. She wasn't alone however, there were two other figures with her that they soon recognized as Cadence and Shining Armor who was being carried by a levitation spell. The five friends felt a flicker of hope as they saw recognized the two princesses approaching. Hope that faded again when they saw the condition Celestia was in.

Dark red splotches marred her usually pristine white coat and feathers across much of her forelegs chest and left side, worst of all though was her horn that had been sliced off leaving a stump barely a quarter its original length. As she landed, she stumbled slightly and limped a few steps toward them.

Cadence on the other hoof seemed uninjured, but continued to levitate her husband. It was clear by the blood dripping from his hooves why.

Rainbow stepped forward seeing them. “Did Twilight do this to you too?” She asked, it was clear though that she already knew the answer.

Celestia looked up at her sadly seeing her injuries as well, but then shook her head. “It wasn't Twilight.”

“She attacked all of us!” Rainbow objected. “Twilight attacked us!”

“I know, but it wasn't Twilight,” Celestia explained with a comforting tone in her voice. “When she attacked me, she called herself Midnight Star and her appearance changed. I have an idea what might have happened, but first, do you know where the Element's of Harmony are?”

“They're inside.”

“That's a small mercy,” Celestia said with a relieved and tired sigh. “Let's go inside, Shining Armor's injuries need to be tended to. Then we'll see if we can figure out what's going on.”

~~~

Once Shining Armor injuries were tended, Fluttershy insisted on tending to Celestia's injuries as well. Though there was little she could do for Celestia's horn. It would grow back in time, but nothing could speed up the process.

While her wounds were being tended. Celestia told them everything that had happened at the castle including how Luna and Discord had stayed behind in order to hold Midnight off, to make sure Celestia and the others had time to escape.

“So who is this Midnight Star then?” Rainbow asked. In truth she was glad to have someone other than Twilight to blame, but it didn't ease the pain of what she'd lost.

“I'm not sure who she is or where she came from, but I have an idea of just what she is.” Celestia told them. “But first, Spike, before all of this started did you notice anything strange about Twilight?”

“Um, well, she wasn't sleeping. She stayed up the entire night.”

“Anything else?”

Spike shook his head. “She was tired, but otherwise seemed fine, up until everything went crazy.”

Celestia nodded. “Alright, what happened then?”

“Well, then she got that package you sent her from the Royal Library. She took it down into the basement to study. I thought that was kind of strange; she hardly ever goes down there. She'd been down there about an hour or so when I heard her scream. I went down to see what was going on and she was lying on the floor, holding her head. She looked like she was in pain, like something was attacking her but there wasn't anything.

“Then she told me to write you a letter that just said 'Help me.' I was about to send it when she changed and stopped me. Then she chained me to the wall.” He sniffed, tears coming to his eyes. “She was acting really strange then, talking to herself. A little bit later she locked Owlicious in a cage, then she left us both down there.”

Celestia nodded in thanks. “Alright, what you said aligns with my theory. The package Twilight received from me had been a very odd request. She'd requested materials concerning methods of removing Invasive spirits as well as banishment spells. Twilight hadn't told me why at the time, but I trusted her and sent the materials from the library. From the sound of things, I think the reason was because she had been attacked by such a spirit and was trying to deal with it on her own. For whatever reason, she didn't want me to know about it. But it seems the spirit proved too much for her and managed to take control.”

“So Twilight was possessed when she attacked all of us?” Rarity asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

Celestia nodded. “I'm afraid so.”

“But who the hay is this Midnight Star?” Applejack asked.

“That I don't know... she mentioned another world...” Celestia shook her head. “But whoever she is, Twilight is under her control.”

“So we need to somehow separate Twilight from this Midnight star then?” Cadence asked looking worried.

“If we can,” Celestia said without much hope.

“Princess, couldn't you wield the Elements?” Rainbow asked. “You've wielded them all before right? When you first banished Nightmare Moon?”

Celestia winced at the memory. “No... I can't, not this time. It wouldn't be enough.”

“Why ever not?” Rarity asked.

“Because whoever this Midnight Star is, she's in possession of the most powerful alicorn in Equestria!” Celestia told them, her hope failing.

Everypony in the room stared at her for several moments in stunned silence. It was Rainbow that first broke it. “Twilight!? The most powerful Alicorn!?”

Celestia stood then and turned toward the window, looking out at the destruction. “Ever since the day I first met Twilight, I've known that she had the potential to surpass even me in magical strength, even when she was just a unicorn.” She told them softly. “That's why I took her in as my student. I knew that with power like that, I had to make sure that she grew into a pony that would never abuse her power. So I took her in, taught her, guided her. I even looked after her family to make sure nothing would make her want to misuse her power.

“Twilight doesn't know it, but since she became an alicorn she has already surpassed me in her magic's strength. She doesn't know as much about magic as me, but in sheer power she is unmatched. Her talent is after all in magic itself, whereas Luna's and my talents lie in leadership and bringing about day and night. It's only natural that her magic be more powerful.”

“But, so what if she's as powerful as you say. The Elements of Harmony are powerful too aren't they?” Applejack asked.

“Not powerful enough...” Celestia said softly. “The elements draw their power from the values they each are named for, as well as the strength of the bond of friendship between the ponies wielding them. So while I can wield them alone, they won't even have half the strength that they have when the five of you wielded them with Twilight... It won't be enough. When I wielded them against Nightmare Moon, they were barely strong enough to banish her. And Nightmare Moon was nothing compared to Midnight Star.” Celestia shook her head. “I can't stop her.”

Author's Note:

Minor revisions as of 9/26/2014

Comments

[Felyon]

Nebula Star, I suppose you're getting quite enough of all these little remarks of mine.
I really DO enjoy, and will reread this story.
But it is often hard to edit your own story, because you know exactly what it's supposed to be like.
One example is the first error, here

The library was quite

quiet.
Spellcheckers won't catch a mistake like this. I only found it because it's my first time reading.

Cloudsdale again, Never perform

never

Only she had had her dreams taken away forever

Nah, I bet they will use some sweet, delicious alicorn magic / friendship wave / robot limbs

smokeless emerald flames

Oh, I did not catch that, thought it was regular flames. If not, why would Shining and Cadence think it wildfire?

tended to, Then

either lose the capital, or replace comma

“I can't stop her.”

When has Celly ever done something?
Sorry, my bad, I read to many Tyrantlestia stories

[Fergusmo88]

*too many