Soren the Alicorn Part 3: A True Hero?

by KingNyroc15

Lost Hope

"It-It can't be!" Rarity stuttered. "Princess Celestia is being attacked by her own sister?"

Everypony was scared, but Soren kept his cool. He watched his friends rapidly talk to each other about the revelation that the princess couldn't help them against Nyra. Not only that, it seemed as though something had corrupted Princess Luna's mind.

"Girls!" Soren shouted. Everyone froze and looked at him. "We need a plan. We can't start panicking right now. Princess Celestia is counting on us to solve this Nyra issue while she saves her sister. We need to make a plan, and we need to start it ASAP."

"Any ideas?" Applejack asked.

"First, we can't worry ourselves over Celestia and Luna, at least not right now. We need to figure out how Nyra is alive, then we need to trap her and...do something."

"Soren..." Twilight took a step towards him.

"Don't. I know what you want to talk about. It's already hurting me enough to think about fighting her once again. Let me go through this at my own pace, Twilight." Twilight stepped back and continued to pay attention.

"I think we need to lure her here like we did with the Master," Rainbow said.

"How about we go about our normal lives for today?" Soren offered. "We can think of different plans during that time and come together after dinner to make a list and hopefully agree on the best one." The six mares and one dragon looked at each other before nodding at Soren. The white alicorn looked at a clock that was on a nearby wall. 'A quarter past 3. Not enough time.'

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4 hours later
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Later that day, everyone was gathered at the library again. They tried to have a normal day, but who could when a should-be-dead Nightmare Guardian is on the loose and two goddesses are fighting each other? Not a single one of them had any sort of upbeat emotion on their face as they looked at each other. Things have gotten very serious.

"Did anyone think of any ideas?" Soren asked, starting the conversation.

"I don't have one," Fluttershy replied.

"Me neither," Applejack added.

"Nor I," Rarity said. Soren was already starting to worry. He knew he friends must have thought of something, but they probably assumed it was a bad plan. With desperate hope in his eyes, he glanced over at Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle. The pink earth pony shook her head, which in turn caused Soren's confidence to dwindle a little more. Staring at Rainbow, Soren asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Do you have a plan?" Rainbow stared at him for a few seconds.

"My plan was to lure her here like we did the Master and create a trap," she replied. Soren sighed and looked at Twilight.

"Twilight? Anything? Please." Twilight opened her mouth to speak.

"CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE! EXIT YOUR HOMES BY COMMAND OF THE LUNAR GUARD!" Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, thinking the voice somehow came from her. Upon a second thought, she, along with the others, knew it came from outside.

All of them ran towards the front of the library to look out of the windows. They gasped simultaneously when they saw what, or more accurately who, was outside. There were Lunar Guards everywhere! They were on top of houses, flying through open windows, wrestling ponies to the ground, and wreaking havoc in general. Soren, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Applejack were just about to storm outside to stop this nonsense, but another voice yelled into the night.

"WHERE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY AND THE ELEMENTAL GUARDIAN?!" a Lunar Guard demanded. The four brave ponies stopped dead in their tracks. Now it would be foolish to go outside.

"Wh-wh-wh-why do they n-n-need us?" Fluttershy stuttered in fear.

"I don't know," Twilight answered, "but I don't believe approaching them will be a good idea. I think Princess Luna ordered them to find us for some reason."

"Girls..." Soren began softly. His tone alone worried them. "There's really only one way out of this, and before you all say anything, I can assure you it's not what you think. They want all of us, so the only logical thing to do is to run away. I will create a plan while I'm gone. You girls need to run into the Everfree. Anywhere but here. After a few days, come back; I'll meet you here." Soren walked to the center of the room. Rainbow ran up to him.

"Oh no, you are not leaving me behind!" Soren put a hoof on her shoulder.

"I know you don't want to part, but it has to be done. Our friends need you, Equestria may very well need you. The Elements of Harmony are only powerful when combined."

"But—" A flash of light blinded her. After the light cleared, Rainbow frowned. Soren was gone.

"That stupid little...Arggh!" Rainbow kicked the ground.

"Where did he go?" AJ asked. "Why didn't he take us with him?"

"I don't know," Twilight replied, "but he must have a good reason. Girls, we need to leave...now."

"I don't think you need to trouble yourselves by going anywhere," a new voice said. Everyone, mouths agape, turned towards the front door. There, standing in the doorway and smiling with a mouthful of fangs, was the Nightmare Guardian flanked by two Lunar Guards.

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In The Everfree
Forest
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Soren's teleportation spell brought him relatively near to his planned destination. He needed to see that unique place again, plus it would be a great way to hide from any Lunar Guards. Soren began walking through thick bushes and tall trees, all while thinking about the current situation. 'So Nyra was resurrected by something, or somepony, and was ordered to wreak havoc or to kill me and my friends. At the same time, Luna's mind became twisted, and she ordered the Lunar Guards to find and capture the girls and I. I can assume that the guards themselves were hypnotized by the princess, but why? Why does she need us?'

Soren noticed dimmed light shining onto the ground. He looked up, snapping away from his thoughts, and saw his destination: Zecora's Hut. 'I know that if anypony can help me, it's her.' Soren walked up to the old tree and knocked on the door. Zecora soon opened it and smiled at Soren.

"The legend of ponies everywhere. What brings you to my lair?" Soren smiled. It's been too long since he's last seen his zebra friend. Twilight and her friends introduced Soren to Zecora days after Cain's first appearance.

"May I come in? It's very urgent." Zecora stepped away from the doorway and allowed Soren inside. The two gathered at a full cauldron of purple liquid that was situated in the center of the room. They faced each other as Soren began.

"It's been too long, Zecora. I've done so much since we last met, but you probably already knew that." She nodded. "Something terrible has happened. Do you remember the fate of Nyra on the Battle of the Nyrs?"

"The great battle of months ago. The point of time when you were at your low. I know the fate of this mare, for her cause of death was quite rare."

"I have already forgiven Rainbow Dash for what happened. Speaking of Rainbow, me and her were vacationing in Canterlot, but something happened...something awful. A pony was destroying a street near us. I nearly fainted when I saw that it was Nyra. She's returned, and she's after me and my friends. I need your help to think of a plan to stop her."

"If she is hypnotized, simply break the curse. Surely the effects afterwards cannot be much worse."

"That's the thing: she isn't hypnotized. Technically she's dead, so that means she has to have been possessed somehow." Soren saw Zecora's pupils turn into pinpricks. "Zecora? What is it?"

"I only know of one pony with magic that strong. But I prey for everypony that I am wrong."

"Please tell me!"

"You, along with our friends, may experience much lament when I say that this pony was once destroyed by the Elements." Now it was Soren's turn to be struck with fear. "She who, in history, left her mark as the mare who wanted to see the world in eternal dark."

It all made sense. Nyra being resurrected, Princess Luna acting different, and the hypnotized Lunar Guards. Somehow, she has returned.

"...Nightmare Moon..."

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The Next Morning
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Twilight Sparkle stood next to a window, looking to the sky to wait for the sun to rise. She knew it was already morning, so why hasn't Princess Celestia raised the sun? Surely she didn't...lose against her sister...right? Twilight shook her head of the thought. She had confidence that her mentor could handle herself. 'But what caused Luna to change? There is a big piece missing from this puzzle, and I plan to find it.'

Twilight looked around at her library that her and her friends were currently jailed in. Nyra and the Lunar Guards encased every window with magical bars that enchanted the entire building. This magic was to prevent anypony from breaking through walls, smashing the windows, or using magic on anything that wasn't inside the building. Sighing, Twilight continued to look around the main room. She saw that Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Spike were all still asleep. Twilight turned back towards the window and continued to watch the sky. 'Princess...Soren...please help us.'