For The Immense Weight Of My Sins
For The Immense Weight Of My Sins
For Twilight, holding her loved ones close was the only comfort she could find. The sight of burning wastes was kept only at the corner of her vision, as she could not bear it. Her mind would never allow her to do so, yet she had to continue. With her mare and brother she loved, she pressed on down the road to the destroyed city. The sounds had died off by now, and an eerie silence encompassed everything around them as they walked. The air was stifling, saturated with the smells of things set ablaze, yet still they continued.
They were not sure they would reach the mountain by sun up, and there was no feasible way they could sleep now. Lily's warning to Twilight guided them, for she remained convinced taking the obvious route to the leveled city would be a terrible option. However, for the time being they were left with no choice. The three took breaks only occasionally, as time was still of the essence. Shining Armor could have easily cleared the distance without them, but his instinct to protect his sister would not let him. Rainbow could have as well, yet her wings were not fully recovered. It did not matter, however, for she never had any intentions of leaving Twilight's side again.
It was not until they came to a point several miles down the road that Twilight made an unusually abrupt stop. She did not appear tired to Rainbow, instead wrapped up in her own thoughts. She kept her head down, still choosing not to look upon their eventual destination, but something else was amiss. The pegasus tried to make eye contact with her, even going as far to pull delicately under her mare's chin. Twilight would not turn though, slightly worrying her mare. Her eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered something obscenely dreadful.
"What is it?" Rainbow asked, "What's wrong, Twilight? I need you to look at me."
The unicorn spooked. She was afraid of something, but not afraid of the obvious. There was something new approaching, yet terrifyingly familiar. She felt it in her horn first, then her heart.
After taking a split second to make sure she was absolutely right, she finally made eye contact.
She's here, Rainbow!! We have to go!! NOW!!
"WHAT?!" Rainbow cried; she turned to Shining, "We gotta go! Twilight says she's coming this way!"
"The impostor is coming here?!" he yelped.
Twilight caught Rainbow's attention again to confirm this, then briefly turned away. She signaled for them to follow, for there simply was no time. Danger was coming.
They sped up to a full gallop as adrenaline started pumping through them. Rainbow was tempted to take flight since she could cover more ground that way, but for obvious reasons, chose to stay close to Twilight. Her wings still ached with a dull pain anyway. It would have been fruitless.
The three of them thought they would have more time to prepare. This was simply too soon, but the dormant power within Twilight, the magic Lily had given her, was pulling her away from the villainous pony. She could sense her copy's magic from afar, as if it was peering down upon them. Rainbow attempted to ask her if she was close at times as they ran, but the unicorn never gave it a second thought. They had to get away. They had to outmaneuver, even if she wasn't exactly sure how to do so.
What was possibly the worst thing about their situation, however... was that Twilight did not know if they were truly making any progress. She only knew the direction to go; the opposite of her enemy.
Her brother was keeping pace only a short distance behind them. Long before, had he taken off his armor, for it would be too heavy and cumbersome to carry such a distance on foot. Besides, it did not seem to help against their foe in an actual confrontation.
"Twily!" he called to his sister, " Is she close by?!"
He tried to keep his voice down as best as possible, knowing that if he yelled too loud, he could give away their position. His sister only shook her head, panting heavily and not once taking her eye off the road ahead. Rainbow, though hungry, was able to push past the pain and keep up with her. To her, it was simply just another marathon to overcome.
Almost like an internal light switch, the feeling suddenly flickered out for Twilight, causing her pace to slow considerably. She came to a cantering pace, and then to a steady walk once again. Something was out of place.
Where did she go? I could feel her just a moment ago. It's like Lily is trying to tell me something.
She was short of breath as Rainbow came to her side, but she still never removed her gaze from the ground. Rainbow wanted to be as delicate with her mare as possible, but it was so difficult when she would not look at her. It frightened her not to know what she was thinking, yet she was determined not to raise her voice.
"Please, Twilight," she pleaded, "Tell us what's going on."
The unicorn turned, and Rainbow could've sworn she saw a bead of sweat go down her forehead. Time seemed to stop in that instant they made a connection. A shiver of fear streaked through the length of Rainbow's spine as she peered deep into the violets of her eyes. Shining Armor waited for her to say something to him, but Twilight had apparently just told her the worst imaginable thing. Rainbow was left speechless as she nervously turned to the stallion. Her dread was so overwhelming that it was contagious, spreading to him as well.
"W-what's the matter?" he stammered, "Is she close now?"
"You could say that," he heard his sister say.
He suddenly felt in that instant the same icy fear creep up his neck, the same terror that Rainbow Dash had when she looked into Twilight's eyes. They all immediately motioned to look back into the dark forest, only dimly lit by the bluish glow of the moon. Two familiar, violet eyes peered back at them unflinchingly; the rest of her body remained silhouetted against the darkness. Instinct told the three of them to bolt for it, maybe even split up, but they were not about to leave each other so hastily. Instead, Shining mustered his remaining courage, and took up a defensive position towards the impostor. Though he was afraid, he could not allow it to show.
"Well?" she asked, stepping out of the shadows, "Isn't this the part where you're supposed to arrest me, Captain?"
He puffed out his chest in anger. "You will not succeed, criminal," he said, "I will take you into custody, myself."
She held back a laugh with a delicate hoof. "Oh please, Shining Armor. You couldn't even defeat my leader the first time. What convinces you this encounter will have any other outcome?"
He lowered his horn at her. "I don't know, but you aren't going to hurt my sister again. That, I can guarantee."
Twilight gasped lightly at his mentioning of her, wondering if he had really meant what he just said. Rainbow ever so slowly reached out for her friend's hoof, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would aggravate their enemy. She tugged on her lightly, and Twilight gradually nudged her distraught frame in the same direction, never once taking her eye off her brother.
No, Shining! We can run away! Don't fight her!!!
"Twilight," Rainbow whispered, "We have to run for it while we still can."
The impostor advanced another step. "There's only one way this can end for all of you. There is nowhere you can run that I won't find you, and there is no place in all of Equestria that we won't see."
"Funny," Shining scoffed, "I was about to say something similar."
His horn crackled to life, enveloped in the usual pinkish hue of his magic. His enemy reciprocated, letting the corners of her eyes begin to seep with violet flame, surrounding her own horn in a similarly twisting blaze. She took yet another step.
"Twilight!" he yelled, "Just go on without me! I'll catch up!!"
His sister began to fret at his lie, for she saw it for what it truly was. She was no simpleton. She could tell by the wavering in his voice that he was going to fight to the bitter end. On the other hand, Shining had planned in advance for just such an occasion as this, for he knew it was bound to happen the moment he found out there was more than one impostor. The odds were against them from the beginning, and he had already laid his life on the line once. Luckily, he was graced with a spare to offer his sister.
He tempted not to look at his sister, for his gaze would stay her feet. Instead, he advanced toward his enemy.
Then, saying nothing more through her blinding anger, she fired and deeply wounded the earth under them, leaving behind a hot scar in the dirt path.
Yet, her blast missed its target, or so it only seemed that way.
The stallion fired in that same, tense instant.
He assumed a head-on confrontation would be gainless, and he was correct. In turn, he had concentrated a heavy volume of his magic into deflecting the blast at an angle, sending the beam careening back off into the forest. The treeline was lit high above by their mixing energies, but his counter spell was easily consumed by hers, and the resulting explosion of violet flame from deep within the brush indicated he had only just barely succeeded.
The clap of thunder erupting just a short distance away finally frightened his sister into running. Rainbow immediately followed; she did not need any convincing. For Twilight, the sounds of destruction from miles off were not nearly as terrifying or nightmare-inducing as the ones from this close. These sounds reminded her too much of that terrible first day.
They ran, and for all the power their legs could muster, they could only go so far before the sounds caught up to them. Twilight instinctively held close her position to Rainbow Dash, gripped with fear. Yet, her emotion was not entirely for herself, but for all of those around her, especially her brother. He did not deserve to face this challenge alone, but for the good of Equestria, she knew he must. She had not even the chance to tell him how much she truly loved him.
Much to her painful annoyance and agony, the explosions of magical cannon-fire traveled swiftly behind them, but only within the forest itself. Twilight wanted to scream every time she heard the earth caving in, but instead was limited to only faint gasps in between her rapid breaths. Rainbows did not look nearly as worn, focusing intently on keeping the unicorn concentrated on their target. Now, Twilight was finally forced to look upon Canterlot.
Why is this happening?! Why can't this just be a nightmare and end already?!
"Come on, Twilight!! We gotta go faster!!" her friend yelled.
Their hooves began to feel heavier, the longer they ran. Every yard covered took them further from one sight of chaos and slowly toward another. The atmosphere itself seemed to be bearing its weight upon them, yet they continued. They passed through one vast clearing of trees, a field of tall yellow grass. It concealed them, at least up to their chins, as they ran right on by. The deafening shudders of the earth continued to follow them.
Twilight heard her brother scream once in a throaty, guttural fashion. Then, followed shortly by another blast, her copy let out a similar call in response to his attack. They could not tell who was winning, and their hope was beginning to fade.
The mountain was growing nearer with every step, and debris from the broken city was beginning to cloud their vision. They were forced to hold their eyelids nearly closed to keep the dust at bay. It had not once crossed their minds to leave the path. If they were to stray now, then they would surely get lost.
How will we know when we're getting close? I can't exactly use my magic to clear the way.
Rainbow huddled even closer to her mare, careful not to step on her hooves. She could hear Twilight's silent whimpers each time an explosion went off behind them, despite her not knowing who it was intended for.
"We gotta be almost there!" she yelled, "If we can just get close enough, I might be able to get us up the rest of the way!"
What?! Please tell me you don't mean what I think you mean!!
"Just stay close, Twi-- !!" she suddenly cut herself off.
The unicorn's hoof had somehow caught itself on a loose tree root, sending her awkwardly lunging forward. She instinctively tucked and rolled several times, dirtying her coat on the dusty path and colliding with a few loose rocks as Rainbow watched in horror. The pegasus came to her side instantly, yet was extremely hesitant about helping her up. Twilight's wheezing in agony offset her confident demeanor; she didn't know what to do. Her side was left scraped and pulverized in some areas and would obviously be heavily bruised within a few hours.
The sounds of her brother's tumultuous clashing started to die off, leaving only faint echoes of the battle which slowly faded away. Twilight freely whimpered now, as Rainbow attempted to help her up. It was almost impossible for her to see now, and it was only when the unicorn's cheek brushed against her coat that she could feel Twilight was crying. She had been terribly wounded from her dive, and she was not afraid to show it. Every subtle movement she made caused her to wince in pure misery. Even something as simple as breathing became a taxing chore for her.
There was no possible way she could go on her own now; she would need constant assistance.
"Twilight," Rainbow whispered delicately, "Can you make it? Do we need to stop?"
The unicorn's features temporarily relaxed at the sound of her beautiful voice. Her eyes could no longer open, so she only shook her head. She was not about to quit now.
"Do you want keep going then?" Rainbow quietly replied.
Twilight clenched her teeth and staggered forward, propped up only with her mare's help. She gave a slight nod, silently gasping to fill her lungs. She bit her lip, attempting fruitlessly to hold in her pain, and signaled to Rainbow to continue. This was not going to be easy for her, but there was no turning back now. This was going to end, one way or another.
Rainbow attempted to help as best as she could, letting Twilight lean a great deal of her weight on her. She wanted to tell Rainbow just how sorry she was, but the pain was too much. She had no choice. Though still somewhat weak, Rainbow trudged along the path, more than happy to help her reach their destination. Whenever Twilight suffered, she always did right along with her. Her heart broke, fragment by tiny fragment, every time the unicorn was hurt in any way.
She wanted to cry as well, yet she was Twilight's only support now, and she would not fail for the life of her.
In her pit of helplessness, Twilight wanted so desperately to keep Rainbow out of harm's way. She had decided in that fleeting instant, their one moment of silence together, that she would spend the rest of her life making it all up to Rainbow in some way.
She wanted to tell the pegasus just how much she loved her, and just how amazing she really was. It was only by pure circumstance that she felt it was inappropriate. Twilight wasn't quite sure how much longer she could wait. She was not even sure how much time they still had left together, and this only made her weep more.
Her emotional pain was beginning to exceed her physical pain. It was crippling... and demoralizing.
She felt so utterly... defeated.
"I think we're almost there," Rainbow softly noted, "Just hold on, Twilight."
I don't want to. I've failed everyone. I've failed Ponyville. I've failed my brother. And worst of all, Rainbow, I've failed you.
The pegasus tugged up on her, carrying even more of Twilight's weight. Her eyes fluttered through her tears at her friend's sudden show of determination and strength. It was almost as if her pain allowed Rainbow to tap into some hidden depth of her will, and pull from it. She took freely from her well of love, for it did, indeed, give her courage. It did, indeed, quell her pain; it quelled her weakness.
Twilight was able to relieve some of the pressure for her, feeling a slight pang of life returning to her. Rainbow tried to take her back, but the unicorn remained wholly adamant and refused to let her bear all of her burden. As much as her heart wanted to give out and die, she took back some of the weight.
They had pulled each other back from the brink of darkness.
The main atrium was on the verge of collapse, just as she had predicted.
She had taken far too much time thus far, and she could not allow any further loss. Her clones had followed closely behind her, down through the dark passageways and the ancient staircase of the great chasm. The floor was hot, showing signs of melting and decay. Her clash with the royals had taken more time than she anticipated.
It didn't matter any longer, however. Her planning had brought her this far, and the satchel at her side held the key to her victory. Not once had Twilight's impostor considered becoming a princess after all of this. This was all merely a ploy to ensure that every stallion, mare, colt, and filly would know her pain and suffering. She had no intention of killing them; that could never bring about any good. She only wanted all of them to never repeat Celestia's mistake, and there was only one such way to do so.
They would have to suffer for it.
One of her copies pulled along beside her.
"With the princesses immobilized," she started, "... Does that mean the moon will have to be forcibly moved?"
"Yes," stated her leader, "It will have to be in position to hold their attention. There is no other way around that, I'm afraid."
She approached the former pool of lava at the atrium's center, now essentially an erected glass sculpture, when another clone briefly spoke up.
"How can we possibly move a celestial body?" she asked, "Unless we were born with that power, it's impossible for any unicorn."
Her question was met with a fierce glare. Her leader's fiery, crimson eyes sent a cold shiver through her frame, despite them being near equals in power. Perhaps it was the bandages over the side of her face she found intimidating, even though she was well aware what lied underneath. They all had the same scars, deep below the surface.
"My power will meld with the mountain's, just as the stone was purposed for," she replied coldly, "The moon shall be no hindrance, I assure you."
"Of course," her clone politely responded.
Every so often, the platforms of hot stone beneath them would lightly quake, alerting them to how volatile their position actually was. They were constantly reminded just how close to death they were, and their leader was becoming impatient. It had only been by pure chance that she noticed one of her clones was missing.
"What?!" she cried, scanning the area for her, "Where is she?!"
FLASH!
With a calamitous burst of energy, her copy winked into existence behind the lot of her sisters. The three of her sisters backed away from her, feeling the weight of their leader's icy stare upon her. The clone of Twilight receded back slightly, looking dreadfully guilty over something. She was immensely terrified.
"YOU!" her leader roared; her voice echoed at length through the great chasm.
She advanced upon her sibling aggressively, deeply imposing her will upon all of them.
"Leader!" she cried hastily, "I can explain my actions, please, you must listen to me!!"
"Why should I?!" her commander barked, "You've been against me from the beginning, haven't you?!"
"Of course not!!" she bravely defended, "You've made me suffer your pain! You've given me all of your memories! Why would I turn against you?!"
Her leader stopped apprehensively and quieted her voice. "That may be true, but you also have free will. That is something I can't take from you," she said.
"For which I am grateful," her clone replied lightly in return, "Our memories hold much more meaning to us when we are not told what to do with them. That is why I would never turn against you."
The red-eyed unicorn held a stiff gaze, unflinching and skeptical. It took her nearly half a minute to come to a conclusion, then she finally turned back to the glass structure.
"Tell me, then. What were you doing?" she asked.
"Apologies, leader," she confidently responded, "I was trying to get to that point before. I was near the entrance, purposing a barrier spell of my own to keep out any intruders, should they find themselves becoming... meddlesome."
"I doubt that would ever happen," her leader scoffed, "But I suppose it's the thought that counts. It no longer matters, however. Soon, every pony will know of our exact location."
Her words seemed to be prophesying the end of Equestria, when in actuality, that was only partially true. Once again reassured of her clone's compliance, she made her way up to the glassy structure. Encased deep within, their star of energy was busy fusing with the mountain's, coalescing their powers inside of one extremely tumultuous cauldron.
She flicked her horn to the side, causing the glass surface to churn upwards and twist. Her reddish magic molded the dense solid with ease. It formed a spherical shape at first, then she cut it, forming nearly a solid cube. The mass thinned at its edges, appearing to have the sheen common in a fresh coat of ice. A slight opening formed at its center; she intended to use it as a placeholder.
With one hoof, she unbuckled the satchel and slowly pulled out a dull, black stone that seemed no more appealing to the eye than a lump of coal. It was deceptively heavy, hard for her to support for a long time without the assistance of magic. It would have to be molded as well, but not by her doing. This was something only compaction on an immense scale could accomplish.
Using her power, she lifted it fully out of her grasp and placed it within the glass container. Her aura molded the glass to seal it safely inside, and suddenly she felt her magical hold intensify without her willing it to do so.
She suddenly felt the amplification, and it was quite glorious. A warm blanket of energy curled up underneath her sternum from the structure, infusing itself into her. She paid it no mind, however.
The atrium rumbled heavily, only briefly, and the floor surged only once. Her aura locked in place around the stone, and it immediately plunged down into the pit of diamond-like complexion. Like the tinkling of wine glasses, the sound echoed across the chasm, seeming as if soon it would all shatter at once.
But, it held.
Her subordinates gathered around her, waiting inevitably for the worst to happen. Her blood-red irises flickered with intense outpourings of her excess energy, yet she would have to hold it in for the next phase. The mountain's peak would have to be decimated first.
When the surge quelled, all was quiet again, save for the sound of her labored breathing. For an alicorn, moving celestial bodies seemed almost like a house chore would be for a colt or filly. But, for a unicorn, one who is not spiritually tied to anything greater than themselves, this task is simply impossible. Unicorns were never biologically built to accomplish such feats. She was different, though. She had already proven once this night that she was capable of matching an alicorn's strength, and this occasion would be no different.
She closed her eyes, and deeply visualized her target, for it was heavy. Her magic connected with the stone, and surged along with the mountain's core, for it was powerful. She sweated profusely, and used little help from her clones, for it was her destiny.
The earth underneath them quaked again, and her hooves nearly melted the floor under her with the intense flames erupting from them. Her body was now reaching critical mass, and she finally began to move worlds, the heavens themselves.
"Twilight," Rainbow whispered, wandering through the debris cloud, "We gotta' be getting close; the dust is getting thicker."
I can't see anything anymore, Rainbow. I'm sorry to put so much of this on you. You deserve better. I'm so useless...
The unicorn inhaled a particularly nasty bit of air and gagged. She coughed stiffly in Rainbow's grasp, causing her to stop.
"Please, Twilight," she whimpered, "We're almost there... You can make it. I know you can."
They traded their weight several times, as the unicorn never seemed quite sure of her own feet. Every breath was painful and long, yet Rainbow helped her continue. On a few instances, Twilight had to hug around her tightly, just to keep herself from stumbling into the dirt. There was an eerie silence hanging over them now, and she was only comforted by Rainbow's occasional whispers. She held onto her like a foal would clutch a blanket.
Suddenly, they each heard a slight rustling of leaves, much like they had earlier when the impostor made herself known. However, this sound was much more chaotic, like whomever was causing it could barely stand. Rainbow positioned herself defensively against the sound, preparing for whatever they might be faced with, when she heard the familiar stallion's voice.
"T-twily?" his voice was unsteady, "R-rainbow... Dash?"
He was having just as difficult a time seeing through this haze as they were. Twilight was filled with a slowly permeating sense of hope that he had won, though his voice didn't seem to portray as much. She forced her teary eyes to gradually pry open.
"We're here!" Rainbow called to him.
"Be careful!" he struggled to reply, "I lost her! She's still here somewhere!"
"What?!" she cried.
He lumbered awkwardly through the fog, finally catching up to them. Apparently, he had bought himself enough time to make it this far, but he acted as though they were still in imminent danger. Twilight could barely make out his face, yet his body clearly showed deep burns and scars running the length of his torso; it was a small price for him to pay. He tempted not to use his magic this close to his sister, for it would have surely given away their position if it had not already been so. The impostor obviously had a way to find them even before that, so he was still admittedly skittish.
Despite the sense of urgency, he came to his sister, and immediately began inspecting her injuries. She was no doubt hurt, and by the sound of her breathing, could tell it was difficult for her to even walk.
"Twilight..." he grieved, "What... happened to you?"
"She fell a while ago," Rainbow noted, "But don't worry. I'm getting her to Princess Celestia, even if I have to carry her on my back the whole way."
The unicorn's leg twitched around her shoulder, as she stifled more tears from flooding her vision. It was exceedingly difficult for her to believe what Rainbow had just said. She wanted to scream the words that had been on her mind for so long, but it would be impossible right now.
"I'll be here to make sure you do," he proclaimed.
"WHERE ARE YOOOUUUUU?!!!"
His sister's voice screamed from far behind him, causing the three of them to lurch uncomfortably backward. Twilight's ear twitched, recognizing the sound that she often heard within her own head. The impostor was fast approaching.
He turned, seeing only the faint violet glow of his enemy's magic, and quietly urged the two mares to keep going while he stayed at their backs. Shining hoped the debris cloud would offer a last bit of respite, before another encounter would leave even deeper scars. It was only because of his retaliation that his injuries had progressed this far. He could have simply given up and spared himself any further pain.
He would sooner die before he let that happen.
His hooves dug into the ground, preparing for an imminent confrontation, when he suddenly became aware of the sound of crashing water. It was off a little ways, but he knew Rainbow was taking his sister in that direction. He had just hoped, by this point, that his adversary had not come to the same conclusion.
"Shining Armor?!" her voice was hostile and loud, "You're going to regret challenging me!!"
"Is that a fact?!" he retaliated, "I think we're on equal ground here, criminal! You just caught me off guard the first time! That's all!"
Her growing voice caused his feet to shift; he couldn't even really see her. A black silhouette moving through the cloud and the dim purple glow above it gave his only clues, but it was so imprecise. He contemplated running off in some direction even he was not quite sure of, yet that would only leave his sister an open target once again.
"You've barely even touched me so far!!" she called from the darkness.
"Oh yeah?" he scoffed, "We'll see how long that keeps up!"
As if spurred on by his challenge, the glow emanating through the haze flickered and sent off another tight beam of light. It contacted the ground from what he could gather, resulting in a quick, yet forceful detonation. Much to his disappointment, the air within her blast radius lifted slightly, making her silhouette bleed through the remaining fog quite clearly.
She finally figured it out; all she had to do now was blast away the air herself.
"Damn..." he muttered to himself.
"You've got to be around here somewhere!!" she yelled.
He shifted again, preparing to make a break for it.
"You know what?" she asked rhetorically, "I'm through with this, Shining Armor."
He didn't know what she meant by that, but it caused him to sweat. He attempted his best to remain motionless, as her light continued to approach and brighten his own features. She knew exactly where he stood.
"Well," she simply stated, "I cannot see. Therefore, I must clear what is obstructing my vision."
His eyes widened in that instant, out of pure horror. He painfully recognized that statement, and knew at that very moment he would soon again fail. He had counted on that much from the beginning.
With but a simple wave of her horn, her magic lightly cast itself upon the ground, flowing freely like a running faucet. She had been hiding this. All along, she had been concealing the fact that she knew how to win, but she saw no sport in it. However, it was no longer about sport. Her target was getting away and she had no choice but to pull out her trump card.
Her aura washed over the landscape, for she had plenty to spare, and coated the path and the surrounding forest floor completely. Like a blanket, everything had been wrapped in her dim glow. Then, she began to lift it up. It all fell harmlessly away from Shining, barely even grazing his frame, as she filtered the clean air from the contaminated. The cloud rose high above them, but he did not look away from her.
With a satisfied smirk gracing her lips, she sent a vast majority of the debris surging up into the sky, where she knew it would dissipate in the upper atmosphere. She did not even have to look upon it; it was such a simple spell. To her, it felt similar to lifting old sheets from a bed.
Their eyes met again, yet Shining remained still. A fleeting glance at his lithic hooves told much of the story. His sister had gone in the opposite direction, obviously. Although, it was clear they had all almost reached their destination.
She stood tall and leaned her head back, taunting him. Her eyes traced a path behind him and up to the sky, all the while he could only grit his teeth in anger, as she seemed to be planning her next move after she defeated him.
"Would you take a look at the moon, Shining Armor?" she asked lightly.
"It's just a trick," he coldly replied, "I'm not as much of an idiot as you think."
She pointed a calm hoof to something up above him, when suddenly he noticed something else. The lighting of the landscape was changing. Shadows were shifting, like one colossal sundial, and it was apparent the moon was moving abnormally fast. Its voluminous glow soon cast another enormous shadow upon a distant hillside, of the mountain's peak. It managed to break his attention for a moment, as his curiosity was now piqued.
She did'nt attack like he thought she would, but instead let him gaze in awe upon her leader's handiwork. It was quite a sight to behold.
The moon itself, free of Luna's influence, began to turn pink. It was splotchy at first, taking up only small patches, but then they grew, filling in with even deeper shades of redder colors. The forest itself was beginning to turn a pinkish hue as well, faintly illuminated by its presence. Not only that, but the moon seemed to be accelerating even faster towards the mountain. It took only about a minute, but at last it gradually slowed and came to a halt, high above its peak.
Shining heard his sister's clone behind him suddenly cough. He motioned towards her, prepared for her to say something, but she was afflicted by an uncharacteristically sharp pain. Coinciding with the new placement of the moon, her agony only became worse as she stumbled away from him.
"What's going on?!" he demanded, "What's wrong with you?!"
She stopped for a moment to steel her resolve, preparing once again for his retaliation. This was not the time for showing weakness.
"My leader," she coughed; her voice was hoarse, "She has taken control of the moon, as you can plainly see. The stress must be getting to her. I can feel it."
"No!" he shouted in reply, "She can't!"
Seeing this as his only opportunity, he bolted.
He should have known the royal sisters were defeated by now. Every sign had pointed to it before. There was no reason for Twilight to continue without his help; not even Rainbow Dash could do anything about this. He quickly gained speed and made some leeway over his adversary. He hoped that if she tried to follow, it would only exhaust her further. That didn't seem entirely likely, though.
"Get back here!!"" she yelped.
He was already too far away to hear, and his mind was elsewhere. The mountain's waterfall became louder as he ran. It was his only signal of his progress, for he could not see as well over the trees. Only the moon hanging over the mountain peak gave him any sense of direction.
"Twilight! Rainbow Dash! Stop!" he yelled.
"The dust is lifting, Twilight!" uttered Rainbow.
The unicorn inhaled deeply through her nostrils, finally filling her lungs after refraining from it for so long. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem without her injuries. Rainbow, on the other hand, had been heading for the sound of water the entire time. It was purely by chance the haze faded away, and for some reason she did not think it was due to natural causes. This only made her go faster.
The bluish glow of the moon had changed into a light red, the longer they walked, a fact which Rainbow hoped Twilight didn't yet notice. The pegasus brought her out into a wide clearing, still pockmarked by craters and debris from the broken city above them, and the sound of the waterfall grew into a low, dull roar. Its base had been cleansed by its constant flow, and was readily drinkable.
The large pool branched out into several streams which all coalesced into one, rather wide river. Twilight was thankful, desperately awaiting her first drink after their ordeal. Rainbow brought her to the water's edge and let her down gently. Twilight could manage this much for her, and she had no desire to be a burden on the pegasus anymore. She took a few deep gulps and coughed once as she swallowed too fast, but it quickly subsided and she continued.
Rainbow gazed up the mountain face, contemplating the simplest way to reach Canterlot. The immense stone platform upon which it sat had nearly melted completely off, leaving only about half of it structurally sound. There was still the possibility it could give out though, but Rainbow had prepared for this. Her wings had enough time to recuperate, should something go wrong. Twilight peered up as well, though she was glancing at the moon instead. The magenta color of Rainbow's eyes were magnified tenfold by the red moon's glow, as were the red locks of her mane.
Twilight gasped in that moment at the sight before her, though Rainbow didn't notice. She could have taken her attention and told her how beautiful she was, yet she decided to keep it to herself. For a reason she wasn't quite sure of yet, she began obsessing over her appearance. It was more than that, though. The pegasus had become a true heroine in Twilight's mind, something far beyond that of being just beautiful.
You're so perfect, Rainbow. You probably hear that all the time, but I really want you to know it.
"Alright, Twilight," she was paying closer attention to their target, "I guess I'm taking you up there myself."
Twilight weakly stood up, and tugged on her hoof. She blushed fully when they finally made eye contact.
You're most certainly NOT carrying me all the way up there!
"I sure am," her mare replied confidently, "Whether you want me to, or not. Since we couldn't take the easy route up, we gotta' take the hard route instead."
Twilight placed her weaker hoof on Rainbow's chest and silently pleaded with her. The pegasus shook her head every so often, tossing aside everything she said.
"No, Twilight. I'm fine, really. I can take you up there. I've carried much more than that before."
So what?! I've put too much on you already!
"I don't care about that," she admitted quietly, "I just care about you, because... well... I-I..."
What is it, Rainbow?
Her words fumbled on their way out; she couldn't believe what she was about to tell Twilight. She knew this wasn't the best time, either.
"Twilight... I-I just-- ," she was abruptly cut off.
Thump!
The earth shook violently once more, throwing the both of them haphazardly off balance. They clung onto each other as they fell and shared in the impact, distributing their weight evenly. The initial tremor surged off into the distance, leaving only the sound of the falls to keep them company. They could faintly make out the call of Twilight's brother approaching them.
"What was that?!" Rainbow cried.
I don't know... but I'm sure this isn't over yet, Rainbow.
"KAH!!!"
Her chest seized heavily as her target at last reached its position.
Their leader coughed up yet more blood, which fell freely from her chin to the rocks below. Each clone of Twilight felt a similar spike of pain in their own chests, though they managed to stifle it. The scarlet flames radiating from her frame began to melt the floor away, but her power was only skin deep, and her body was finally beginning to show it.
Her breathing had altered sporadically, coming and going in fast waves. Blood seeped through the pores at the corners of her eyes, giving her the appearance of lightly crying the thick fluid. Her nose began to bleed as well, leaving nearly her whole face lined by her own vital fluids. Her bandages became saturated also, and though it was becoming hard to see, she was somehow able to keep a magical lock upon the stone.
She wheezed a few times, struggling to catch her breath after the deed had been completed, leaving her clones in awe at how far her power had truly ascended. They could not even see the moon above them, but they knew it was there. They could feel it was there. They knew by her heat and her pain that she had moved the heavenly bodies themselves.
"Leader," said one of her clones, "Do you need assistance? You look as though you can barely stand."
She coughed abruptly in response, leaving another trail of blood trickling down her muzzle. Her legs were indeed unstable, but she held, angrily gritting her teeth in agony as she did so.
"I'm fine," she muttered weakly, "I have to do this."
With a wave of her horn, the glass structure before her shifted again, setting the last phase of her plan into motion. She turned slightly to the one clone whom she had been suspicious of for the longest time, and calmly nodded her over. Hesitantly, her copy complied and came to her side, keeping her head low.
"W-what is it, leader?" she asked meekly.
"I need you to open the bridge with me," her superior whispered.
"M-me?!" she stammered; her voice echoed across the expanse of the atrium.
"Yes, you. Prove your loyalty or leave me. That is the choice I give you."
Her leader's gaze never faltered, and the sight of her blood dripping from her mouth was extremely compelling. She could not look away from her piercing red eyes.
"I-I'll do it," she relinquished, "I'll do it for her."
"I knew you would," her leader said with a faint smirk.
She nodded again for her clone to take up the position opposite to her across the pit. Forming the link to this many ponies would surely kill her without the added help, so she thought there was no better way to test her clone's loyalty. The other three would simply act as support, for adding too many extra minds into the mix could rip apart the very fabric of the spell. It would have been far too risky.
"Now, prepare yourself," she ordered.
Her clone remained at the ready, as per her request, her horn bearing its own violet glow. She steeled her gaze upon the glass structure, waiting intently for something from her leader in return.
Then, it happened.
The stone sank into the glass, melting it like ice into water, plunging deeper into the earth. It continued to fall and turn a whitish-red, absorbing the lead unicorn's power. It stopped once it was out of sight, then every shard of glass began to melt away as well, almost back to its original state as igneous rock. Everything started to liquefy before them, and the stone was eventually lost somewhere in the mix.
Her clone continued to apply her power, though it seemed to be having little effect.
"I don't think it's working, leader!" she shouted hastily across the pit.
"Just give it a moment-- kah!" the unicorn coughed again; this next spell would be even more physically taxing than before.
Her horn flared with sheer power, once again welling in her chest. A small, red flame arose from the bubbling pool of lava, and it quickly rose higher and higher, until it soared several stories above where they stood. It began to funnel upwards into a scaled-down, rapidly spinning tornado, surging up to the height of the stalactites and compacting further into a tight beam. Its heat focused and intensified, causing each pony to sweat profusely, save for the leader. Her body was completely engulfed by her own flame, acting as a double-edged sword of protection and producing a steady, dull pain. The column became more cylindrical, utilizing the stone as its central core and source of stability. Like a tight, focused beam, it burrowed up into the mountain's internal ceiling, sending even more melted rock falling into the expanding pool below.
In that short instant of her fragility, the state in which she was about to leave her body, her power suddenly exploded, and surged forth with a great, massive rumbling.
Her clone nearly lost hold of the bridge at the sound of her scream, for it was deafening... and painful.
Shining Armor finally made it to the clearing, exhausted, but not defeated. The tremor from just moments ago only encouraged him to run faster, and he was elated to see that his sister had not yet took off with Rainbow Dash. His shouts seemed to get their attention.
"Wait, don't go!!" he yelled.
As his sister got up, he could see her obvious attachment to Rainbow. She practically hung herself over her friend, though she didn't seem to be too proud of it.
"Why not?!" Rainbow blurted.
There was a strong sense of urgency in his voice as he approached the two of them. "Princess Celestia and Luna have been defeated, Twilight!"
His sister gasped at the news, even though she had the sneaking suspicion long beforehand. Despite this news, Rainbow remained firm.
"Well, you're just gonna have to go with us then," she stated bluntly.
"Are you listening to me?!" he barked, "If you go up there, you'll be in serious danger!"
"We don't exactly have a choice anymore!" she retaliated.
Shut up! Stop arguing! This isn't solving anything, you two!
Twilight fidgeted at Rainbow's side, and they made brief eye-contact once again. The pegasus listened to her for a moment and then turned back to the stallion, determination flaring up in her eyes.
"She says we have to go, and that there's no time for arguing. She thinks she can help the princesses."
"B-but, Twily-- " he was abruptly cut off.
"No buts! That's what she said!" Rainbow shouted.
Twilight never thought he would need this much convincing, but he relented at last. He took a long glance up at the mountainside, contemplating whether or not Rainbow could carry her up there all by herself.
"I'll take her up half of the way," he said, "But it'll be too dangerous to go all the way up. I'll need your help, Rainbow."
"Of course," the pegasus responded, "That's why I'm here."
"We shouldn't waste any more time then. Let's go."
He slowly took Twilight upon himself, allowing her to rest one foreleg over him. She wasn't nearly as heavy as he was expecting, which would make this ascension even easier than he first thought. With a quick snap of his head, he found his first target, his starting position. The moon's red glow allowed him to make out several spots where he could grip the terrain, but he just hoped that Rainbow wouldn't be too tired to keep up.
The pegasus unfurled her wings, stretching them in unison, and feeling that foreign sensation of blood pumping through them. They no longer hurt, much to her delight.
She took off first, as Twilight and Shining watched. She seemed to have little trouble readjusting, but didn't want to make a big show of just how happy she was to fly again. There were more serious matters that had to be dealt with first.
Shining's horn began to glow pink, preparing the spell to fire, when he heard a rustling in the trees behind him. He panicked, knowing they had been caught.
"Damn it!" he yelled.
He clutched Twilight close, and they bolted off with a quick surge of lightning. They cleared several stories at least up the mountainside, and found themselves positioned precariously on a new outcropping of rock. Rainbow stayed close as well, not being affected by any heavy gust at this altitude. It was much easier this way, and gave her time to become accustomed to flight again before taking on a greater load.
Rainbow pointed to another spot for him. "There's a place over there!" she yelled.
His sense of urgency was beginning to take over, and he bolted off again. Twilight felt as if she had no say in the matter, yet at this point, all she could do was allow her loved ones to go to work and help her. She absolutely dreaded that this would ever happen. She had wished so much that she could do this all by herself, but that would've been impossible.
The pair of unicorns continued to climb, only stopping ever so often to scan the cliffs for their next destination. Rainbow helped guide them as best she could, but it was apparent they were being followed by the similar sound of another unicorn teleporting.
They had nearly made it halfway up, when suddenly a tightly concentrated, white beam of magic missed impacting with Rainbow's frame by only mere inches. The pegasus spooked and dove out of the sky. Like cannon fire, more shots rang out, forcing Rainbow to perform evasive maneuvers. Twilight's doppelganger had Rainbow locked intently in her sights.
"Rainbow Dash!!" Shining yelled.
She could barely hear him over the roar of magical energy, so he placed Twilight gently on the cliff beside him and retaliated with a shot of his own. When his horn fired, the copy of his sister several places below him, turned to meet him with an icy glare. She shouted to him, only as a threat before each shot; she was not about to fail her mission now.
"COME BACK HERE, SHINING ARMOR!!" she bellowed.
"Maybe I will," he muttered to himself.
In a split second, he scanned above them and found another outcropping, glowing strangely with a faint purple hue. His sister glanced up as well as he pointed to it, signaling that should be a safe distance away. Knowing that his sister had a good idea of where they should go, he turned in that instant to find Rainbow Dash, who was once again rapidly ascending.
He fired a warning shot at the impostor to keep her at bay, then yelled with as much volume as he could muster.
"RAINBOW DASH!!" he called down below, "COME TAKE TWILIGHT, NOW!!"
Another shot rang out; a hot, purple beam which he only narrowly deflected. The burst of energy noisily impacted with the mountainside again, and Rainbow took the hint. There was no longer any time; she continued to fight through the pain valiantly.
"I'm coming!" she cried.
Shining distracted their adversary with another quick blast, but she swiftly teleported to yet an even higher perch. Twilight, in a brief moment of boldness and clarity, reached out for Rainbow as she came up to them and was hastily swept up in her mare's embrace. She wanted to panic, not used to having her hooves off the ground for this long, but she decided to hold her eyes closed.
"I'll catch up!" he yelped.
"You'd better!" Rainbow quickly replied.
The impostor leaped from her perch and teleported with another brief flash. Shining responded by moving to a cliff even closer to her, preparing to stop any further progress she could make.
"This ends now!!" he said from atop a higher platform.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" she threatened.
All at once, the two of them fired and their blasts connected, singeing the surrounding air. A loud clap of thunder arose from the epicenter, colliding with Rainbow and Twilight. They pressed their heads together in an attempt to deaden the noise, but it did little. The sound of their clashing continued far below them, but they could not look back now.
Twilight could hear Rainbow's sharp gasps of pain and pointed to the spot which her brother had found. Her hunger never was satiated.
"I see it, Twilight... but where is that light coming from?" she asked.
How am I supposed to know? It doesn't matter, though. We have to stop, for your sake!
Rainbow was just about to peek over the edge of the cliff, when another deafening shot broke out down below. She faltered for a second, but managed to lift Twilight over the side and gently place them both on the cliff's rugged edge.
Although, much to their amazement, this was much more than just a simple cliff. It seemed as though this whole perch had been carved out by somepony. There was a deep, cavernous entrance that extended far into the mountainside. A pale, violet gem placed a few feet inside along the cave's wall illuminated the pathway with another dim glow.
"W-what is this doing here?" Rainbow stammered.
The unicorn simply peered back over the edge to find her brother, paying little attention to their new discovery. The city's under belly, only a few stories above them, lied in shambles. Most of it had been blown away, and she still worried for her brother's safety far underneath it, but her worry was only short-lived.
Thump!
Another heavy tremor shook their perch, almost sending Twilight off the edge. Rainbow caught her by her tail at the last moment, and pulled her back into the safety of her tight hug.
"Are you crazy, Twilight?!" she scolded, "You gotta be more caref--!!
BOOOM!
They both simultaneously cupped their ears under their hooves, as the earth continued to rock and sway. Like the eruption of a volcano, the quake was followed abruptly by raining hellfire from the sky. A sea of meteors consumed the landscape for as far as they could see, blocking out the red glow of the moon. Neither Rainbow, nor Twilight knew what was happening, but they instinctively retreated inside the mountain, fearing for the safety of their significant other.
Blackness engulfed the outside world, shrouded under a veil of smoke and debris.
The noise only seemed to last for a split second, but they knew it came from the mountain; there was no other place it possibly could have. Rainbow quickly swiped the purple stone, for it was the only way they could see now, and carried Twilight further in. The heavy churning of the thick air itself, was enough to frighten them.
The unicorn screamed in her head, sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of their world being destroyed, and her brother vanishing along with it. She tried to struggle, though she knew very well it wouldn't accomplish anything, and it took Rainbow nearly a minute to calm her down. She was practically inconsolable, not wanting to budge even an inch, but Rainbow dragged her along as best as she could.
"C'mon, Twilight! We have to go!" she pleaded.
The smoke and debris did not follow them in as far as they were expecting, offering them a last bit of respite from the incoming storm. They stopped for a moment, only to catch their breath, when Rainbow dropped the stone she had been carrying loosely in one free hoof. They each watched in horror as the stone fell forward and cracked into two halves, once it had made contact with the stone.
Just then, something odd happened.
A small, purple wisp of magic escaped from it and began searching for the nearest container it could inhabit. Rainbow was simply in awe, as the aura jumped at Twilight and attached itself to her horn. The unicorn did not retaliate, however. Instead, Twilight let the magic seep into her body, taking what little she could from it. The stone was a more effective source of light, but she would be able to use it all the same.
Her tears slowly began to dry, and her horn conducted lowly with the new energy. Somepony had placed it there, specifically for them. Twilight could feel that much from the magic she had just inherited. If it was not meant for her, it would have simply dissipated into the surrounding air. Somepony wanted them to enter this cave.
She chanced a glance at Rainbow, her horn illuminating the way, and they made eye-contact. Her features stiffened.
I think I'm ready, Rainbow. I'm sure this path leads somewhere.
"What makes you say that?" the pegasus responded.
This magic is going to lead us. It's friendly. I'm sure of that much.
"And you're sure it's not just a trick?" she asked.
Yes... I'm certain, Rainbow.
"Well, I'll follow you," she assured her, "In fact, I'm sticking to you like glue from now on."
Weren't you already?
Rainbow let out a nervous chuckle in an attempt to lighten the mood, and it seemed to work. She lifted Twilight's foreleg further over her shoulder, and they continued to march on, hearing the slight rumbling behind them all the while.
After going a short ways into the darkness, Twilight huddled closer to her. Neither of them felt like continuing. They were both weak... and tired.
However, they kept going. They had no choice.
The rumbling itself had since faded, and the sound of their hoofsteps became their only source of stimulus. The ground was becoming more saturated the further down they went, which was something most peculiar, being at an altitude this high. Twilight came to the only conclusion she could think of; they were under Canterlot's spring, the source of its waterfall.
"H-how much further is it?" Rainbow inquired.
I'm not quite sure, if I'm being entirely honest with you.
"That's okay," she admitted, "As long as we're togeth-- "
FFFOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Another explosion from deep within the cave shook the very earth beneath their hooves.
The ungodly rumbling of stone and rock made them lose what little stability they still had, sending the unicorn haphazardly falling out of her friend's embrace, colliding heavily with the solid floor below. The small purple wisp of magic alighting the tip of her horn began to flicker in and out of existence, as she struggled to stand back on her feet.
"No, Twilight!" Rainbow cried helplessly, as she leaned down to assist her, "Let me help you up..."
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Yaaaay!
We're back at the start. 
This chapter was absolutely amazing. I'm sorry you had to suffer through it; I was there with you through it all, but damn it was a good chapter.
So much tension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't stop reading this story!!!!!!!!
3986602 Why am I not surprised?!
3986621 Now, the big stuff happens!
But I say that about every chapter, so what do I know?!
3986641 Surprised by coldplay, or that I'm the first to reply?
...or both?
3986654 A little bit of both.
3986658 Well I must be the master of...not surprisey-ness... yeah...
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpnuaoGUfJ1qafrh6.gif
THE SUSPENSE!
by the second chapter this story was in my top 5, how is it possible that it can keep geting better!
to be honest, this version of twilight is starting to piss me off. she's so weak and helpless! all she does is whine and complain about how unfair the whole situation is, when she should be focusing on taking down the bitch who's responsible for all of this. i get that the whole situation is traumatic, but you'd think that instead of being a crybaby about the whole thing, she'd be focusing all her rage towards getting the job done so that she could make everything ok again!
3986993 The story's not over... that's all I've got to say about that.
3987128 i know, i know. the story is great! i just needed a mini-rant to get that out of my system. i've always gotten more involved in stories then i really should, so every once and a while i need to vent a little bit to keep me sane. i've also started to write little stories about how the story would go if my OC dropped in through the mirror portal at some point.
3987143 well keep the hate for when the story is over, and don't jump to conclusions just yet
Aaaand we bring it full circle. Yay for that one clone. Still wondering what this chick's beef with the princesses really is. God this is a good story!
3987476 comments like these make me write faster!!
(not worse though)
3986993
I can agree with the whining being a little over the top but if you think about how Twilight usually is, handling most of things herself, having all her powers stripped and having someone else doing all the heavy lifting would make her very uncomfortable.
3988424 Thank you. I'm glad someone gets it.
3988424 uncomfortable i could understand. but having it cripple her will to go on, along with making her more of a burden on the ponies she's already supposedly leaning on to much? i just can't see it happening. never-the-less, this story is still very well written, and i shall eagerly await the inevitable smiting of the bitch who fucked with twilight mother fucking sparkle!
3988480 sigh*
Oh ye of little faith...
Believe me, Twilight is NOT out for the count.
There is a point where too much gloom and doom draws away readers. (Which seems to be the whole theme of the story) Maybe I'll give this a read later.
3989184 Sorry about that, friend.
I know my stories get a little 'intense' sometimes. I can't really help it.
Time to get out my pickaxe and do a little SPECULATIN:
So anyway my guess is that Lady had the samettype of connection to Lily as we're starting to see develop between RD and Twi. As for what happened... I don't know maybe Lady was involved in some sort of accident (maybe one she caused in her attempts to impress Celestia) and Lily was probably injured as well but much worse. So lady went to Celestia for help but Celestia either didn't have the ability or was too distracted by some other issue and pu the lives of her little ponies above the life of one.
I love your story so far! I can't wait to see what happens next (and if my speculations are correct) keep up the good writing!
P.s. I'd give you a thumbs up but whenever I click it I get a weird (and vaguely threatening) error message about "incorrect rating code".
3994164 I like your train of logic!
But sadly, I can't spoil anything. 
At this point I started just skimming the story. I seem to have lost emotional investment and found myself repeating "get on with it".
I liked the first half, but now it's just... flat.
4018142 Thank you for your honesty.
As my world crumbles,
As my soul bends.
As my feet stumble,
As my heart mends.
My voice will carry far,
Some might say without end.
And although I must pay,
For the immense weight of my sins.
They will know of my love for my cries will carry,
Carry through the winds.
And I pray I will be forgiven,
For I must make many amends.
Bro, that poetry using the chapter titles.