Midnight Star

by Nebula Star

Chapter 7: Rising Chaos

Midnight Star
By Nebula Star

Chapter 7: Rising Chaos
***

With a scream of anguish and more power than she'd ever wielded before, Twilight attacked the Barrier once more, slamming all she had against the spell sending a powerful tremor through it.

“Oh, there you go. You may actually have the potential after all,” Midnight taunted her, clearly not worried. Her attack had left no lasting damage to the barrier spell.

Twilight broke down then crying deep in her soul. Why... Why are you doing this!? Why do you want others to suffer? She asked softly.

“Do I need a reason?” Midnight asked and finally Twilight realized the undeniable truth, the truth that she should have seen from the very beginning.

You're insane... She gasped.

Midnight cocked her head oddly to one side. “Insane you say? Well I may be at that...” She said calmly. “But I have embraced the Madness within.” And with that she opened her wings and raised her head, tilting it back as she unleashed the power of the chaos within her soul on the world around her.

The ground suddenly cracked, spreading out from her feet in a great spiderweb of fissures, fissures that then began to open up, the land breaking into fragments as emerald flames began to pour out from the fissures. This wasn't the playful, almost comical chaos Discord was known for. This was destructive, terrifying chaos, as if the world itself were being torn apart.

Twilight looked on in horror as part of Ponyville began to break apart under the influence of Midnight's dark power.

“It's time for harmony to die,” Midnight said softly, then she took off again quickly climbing to a good altitude before leveling off toward her destination. As she flew the ground beneath her continued to break up, a wake of destruction caused by the unleashed chaos of her tortured soul.

Twilight didn't see this though, Midnight kept her gaze forward and Twilight was far too concerned with Midnight's destination. It was clear what she had planned now that she'd taken her revenge on Twilight; for straight ahead, perched on the side of the mountains and lit by the evening sun, was the capitol city: Canterlot. Midnight had just declared war on the Princesses.

~~~

“It's nice to be back in Canterlot, if only for a few days,” Princess Cadence said with a content sigh from the balcony making Shining Armor look over at his wife and smile. They rarely were able to both get away from the Crystal Empire together and even this trip was partially on Crystal empire business, but that wasn't stopping them from enjoying a little extra time alone.

Shinning went out to join Cadence on the balcony. “I'm just glad we managed to get some time to ourselves,” he said with a smile. He couldn't help smiling every time he looked at her. Even after almost two years he could still hardly believe she had married him. Especially after he'd let himself be brainwashed by the Changeling Queen.

He was still kicking himself over that. Of all ponies, he should have been able to see something was wrong with Cadence long before the Changeling Queen had completely brainwashed him, just as Twilight had. He smiled thinking of how his little sister had risked so much knowing something was wrong with Cadence, even if she hadn't known what. She'd just known that something was wrong and had done what she could to protect him.

Cadence smiled looking out over the city. Celestia was just setting the sun, and soon Luna would raise the moon. Another day coming to an end. “It's nice being able to watch the sunset without being blinded by the glare of the crystal homes,” she said with a grin.

Shining laughed. “That's true. It's too bad we can't stay another couple days,” he said stepping up next to her. She grinned and put her wing across his back.

“Yeah, I wish we could too,” she said leaning against him. “But at least we have one more day before we need to get back.”

They stood together for a few moments more as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. Then the moon began to rise as Luna began another beautiful night.

After the rough start at their wedding, the return of the crystal empire, and then the Equestria Games, their first year together had been quite eventful. Luckily Twilight's coronation had marked the start of a calm time in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Thanks to that, in the past year they'd been able to spend more time together and they'd made good use of it. Even so, they never could get enough time together.

Shining smiled looking at his beautiful wife, at least they had one more day here in Canterlot.

“Is that a fire?” Cadence said suddenly, looking concerned.

Shining looked out past the city lights to where Cadence was looking. It did indeed look like a fire, and not a small one either. “Looks like it.”

“That's the direction of Ponyville isn't it? I hope Twilight and her friends are safe.”

Shining nodded in agreement, though with how powerful his sister had become in recent years, he doubted a wildfire would be able to harm her or anypony she cared about. “I'm sure she's fine, looks like it's mostly to this side from Ponyville though.”

“I wonder if Princess Celestia knows. I didn't see any smoke before the sun went down,” Cadence said. “Maybe we should make sure.”

Reluctantly Shining nodded, not wanting to interrupt their night together but knowing it was the right thing to do. “Yeah, we probably should make sure she knows. Celestia's probably still in the throne room, she's usually up an hour or two more after sunset.” Having been captain of the royal guard, he remembered well the Princess's routine. They could make a quick gallop down to the throne room, make sure Celestia or Luna knew about the fires and be back within a half hour.

When they reached the hall that connected to the throne room though they turned the corner just in time to see the one purple alicorn they hadn't expected to be there galloping full speed toward the throne room.

“Hey Twily!” Shining called surprised but pleased to see her. She skidded to a stop and then looked over her shoulder at him. She was grinning.

~~~

“We saw fire's down near Ponyville, do you know what's going on?” Shining asked as Midnight turned back toward him.

'Well if it isn't dear big brother...' Midnight thought to Twilight.

DON'T YOU DARE! Twilight screamed with her thoughts, but it was already too late. Even as she screamed, Midnight's horn had begun to glow with a dark light and her eyes glowed green. This wasn't her normal magic. Suddenly a jagged shadow shot out from Midnight's feet, streaking across the floor toward Shining Armor who looked surprised. Then as the shadow reached him four black crystal spears suddenly erupted from the shadow, each piercing one of Shining's legs and lifting him high into the air. He cried out as much in surprise as in pain. He, Cadence, and Twilight all recognized those crystals. They were crystals of solidified fear and hatred. The trademark spell of King Sombra. Clearly Midnight had learned this spell from him before she'd killed him in her own world.

“Twilight! What are you doing!?” Cadence cried in confusion, seeing her sister-in-law use such a hated spell on her husband; Twilight's own brother.

Midnight wasn't done however. With a toss of her head she cast the spell again and this time far more Crystals erupted from the ground around Cadence, forming a dome over her and trapping her in a dark crystal prison. Twilight could only guess that she'd deduced from her memories that being trapped in such a crystal prison again would be a horrible experience for her sister-in-law.

“Cadence!” Shining cried, and his horn glowed.

Nothing happened. And after a moment the glow faded again. Midnight was somehow blocking his magic, and likely Cadence's as well. He looked down at Midnight with the same look of hurt confusion that Twilight had seen far too many times already.

“Twily... why?” Shining gasped.

Midnight moved closer to him and sat down looking up at him with her infuriating smile.

“I think I'll make you watch...” She said then cocked her head to the side. “Yes, you'll watch as I destroy everything I once held dear...”

His eyes widened hearing those words from his sister's mouth.

“What is going on out here?” A new voice demanded. A voice Twilight knew all to well and for once didn't want to hear.

No... Twilight whimpered. It was all Midnight needed to confirm who's voice it was.

“Celestia!” Midnight said turning toward the Sun Princess grinning in anticipation. “Perfect timing.”

Celestia was standing in the doorway of the throne room looking out at the scene in the hall with an expression of shock. Twilight had once thought that nothing would truly surprise the princess; it now seemed she was wrong. One thing would; the betrayal of her once most faithful student. “Twilight Sparkle, what is this? What have you done?”

Midnight grinned, “Oh this, you should see my 'friends.'”

Celestia's shock at that was profound, she immediately knew something was terribly wrong. “Twilight, what is this all about?” She demanded.

Midnight's chuckled softly under her breath. “You've ruled this land in the name of Harmony for far too long,” she said and as she did her horn glowed and a sword began to materialize in the air next to her. Darkened steel with only a hint of indigo, the jagged blade was covered in patterns of a threatening blood red. “It is time to let Chaos rule.”

Author's Note:

Minor revisions as of 9/26/2014

Comments

[Felyon]

/for strait ahead

straight

glare off of crystal homes

I know this is grammatically correct, but can you find a less redundant word? just my own opinion

like it's mostly to this side from Ponyville though.”

either "this side of ponyville", meaning ponyville is burning only partially, or "coming from the direction of ponyville"

Twilie

Twily, "lie" would be an insult, i believe. Not quite sure if Twilie even sounds like Twily

such a crystal prison again would be a horrible experience

and don't forget she is highly sensitive to emotions. Stress the negative nature of the feelings embedded within, to torture her more.

Darkened steal

steel

Nice look in to the married life of Shining and Cadence.