Heart of a Fighter
Darkness…pure darkness surrounded her. Anthea screamed into it the inky abyss, but no sound would echo in the void. She desperately tried to grope at something, anything to give her a sense of up or down. But there was nothing. Not only was she in the dark, but she was floating in empty space, and she had no idea if she was close to the ground or hundreds of feet up.
There was no smell, no sound, and even if her magic managed to regenerate itself, Annie doubted she’d be able to see anything at all. She was trapped here…trapped in a place that nopony could reach her, trapped with not a soul around to help her. The only sound, probably the only thing keeping her frail sanity together was the sound of her voice within her mind, but even then all she could do was cry out.
Somepony, anypony, please help me!!! I don’t want to be here anymore! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for what I’ve done! I didn’t know I did all those things to you! Nidra, I knew you liked T, but didn’t know it was hurting you seeing us together! Star, I didn’t know that I was stealing your mother away from you! I would never do that! You’re my friends, and I…! I…!
Annie began to cry, her tears floating in the void as water droplets. Because this was the problem, the fact that she was oblivious to the pain she was unknowingly causing to her dearest friends. She knew Star and Princess Twilight didn’t get along too well, but she had always thought that was about their personalities and dissimilar interests, and the fact that Starburst wanted to become a Royal Guard. She didn’t know that she was driving a wedge between them, giving the Princess the daughter she always wanted.
And Nidra, well, Annie knew Nidra cared about Turquoise. More than cared, she loved him, and Annie knew it. She didn’t want to say anything, but she could tell that the times they were all three together, Nidra would try and flirt with Turquoise even when she was right there beside him.
Turquoise was often too dense to pick up on her signals, that, and he was focused on Annie as his fillyfriend and didn’t notice other mares’ looks of attraction. Or she assumed he was getting those, since, well, Annie couldn’t see and all, so she wouldn’t know if other mares were looking at Turquoise like that.
Asking her to look after T if something happened to me…I meant every word…I didn’t know if I’d make it back home at the time, so I did what I thought would be best for him! Let’s face it…Nidra is the better mare for him. I’m selfish…T’s half dragon, and dragons have long lifespans.
Mr. Spike, Claire, and T will be around long after I’m dead of old age, the only thing I’ll bring T in the end is sadness. He’ll have to watch as I grow old and die in front of him, leaving him behind or worse, he’ll take his own life because he doesn’t want to live without me!
Nidra’s better…she’s half alicorn, she’ll live the same amount of time as T, they’ll be together forever! Maybe I did snatch him away from her…Maybe I did take away her one chance to be with somepony she could be happy with…
Annie began to curl into a fetal position, her quiet sobs still producing droplets of water around her. Sorrow and despair started to seep into her heart, the harsh words that Nidra spoke were true. She did nothing but ruin the lives of three ponies, driving Nidra to don the orange ring of Avarice, making Starburst hate her, and trapping Turquoise in a relationship where he would have to watch her die as time left him untouched.
This was a fitting punishment for her, she believed. At this point, she wanted the darkness to just hurry up and swallow her. If there was some beast or demonic entity within this realm, then she wanted it to hurry up and end her life already.
But just then, something appeared. Annie couldn’t see it, but far off in the void a flash of violet light went off. It was like a shooting star, there one moment, and gone the next. The pink unicorn continued to float through the air, but following her, getting ever closer, was the Star Sapphire ring. It glowed faintly in the darkness, like a lone candle in an empty room. Suddenly the light of the ring shined brighter and brighter, growing in intensity.
Annie stirred, at first her heart was frozen with fear, feeling the warmth of something just before her. But soon that fear ebbed away, she recognized this warmth, it was all too familiar to her. The light grew stronger and stronger as it burst forth and created a spherical barrier around her, roughly the size of the Crystal Palace’s rotunda. Annie suddenly found her hooves touching solid ground, but it was in actuality star sapphire crystals.
The energy of the ring started to wrap around itself, taking on a form. Four legs appeared, with large wings on either side. The body continued to form until it looked exactly like Starburst. The light construct looked down at Annie, it then walked towards her and sat next to her. It draped its large wing over her back, making her flinch from the contact. But Annie used her hooves to feel the appendage, the broad wing, connected to a small frame. Her milky blue eyes went wide with realization as to the identity of the construct.
“S-STARBURST?!”
“Hey Annie,” the construct greeted.
Annie didn’t care if it was really her or a just a construct, she quickly hugged the petite mare, making the construct’s eyes widen with surprise and a bit of embarrassment as she sobbed and cried into her chest.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?!”
“I’m sorry Star, I’m so sorry!”
“For what?”
“For…For stealing your mom away from you!” Annie confessed.
The construct blinked, it then frowned. “What are you talking about, you didn’t steal –?”
“Yes I did!” Annie interrupted. “I stole her attention away from you! If I hadn’t, maybe she would’ve been more supportive of you?! If I hadn’t ever met her, you would still be here in Equestria with them! And maybe….maybe you wouldn’t hate me anymore…!” Annie couldn’t keep going as she cried some more.
The Starburst construct sighed heavily. “How did you find out about how I felt?”
“Nidra…” Annie sniffled. “She told me everything, and about how she felt about me…”
“I swear, that mare.” The Starburst construct began running her hoof through Annie’s mane soothingly as she spoke. “I won’t lie Annie, I felt like that for a while. And I did think that she might’ve been secretly wishing that you were her daughter instead of me.”
“I never meant that to happen Star, really!”
“Shh, I know, and that’s part of the reason why I hated myself for feeling that way. I know you weren’t intentionally making my mom like you more, you were just trying to be a good student to her, and learn all you could despite your disability. As much as it annoyed and irked me, I couldn’t help but admire you for excelling as you did. In a way…we’re the same.”
Annie looked up to Star – as best she could considering she was blind – with astonished expression. “The same?”
“Everypony told me that I wouldn’t be able to join the Royal Guard because I’m small and because I’m a Princess, and I don’t doubt ponies thought you wouldn’t be able to learn much from my Mom since you couldn’t see.”
Annie nodded her affirmation of that, remembering hearing remarks about how High Princess Twilight was wasting her time trying to teach a blind unicorn mare magic.
“So, did I secretly harbor a bit of jealousy towards you? Yes. But ‘hate you’? I don’t think I could Annie. Be annoyed, be angry at, but never hate.” The Star construct confessed.
Annie rose up a little, when she did, the Starburst construct wiped away her tears with her left wing with amazing dexterity. “Nidra hates me though…and I don’t blame her.”
“Nidra’s mind is clouded with Avarice, the ring’s got her warped at the moment so she’s lost her filter. But yeah, she said how she feels. But going so far as to say you stole him from her is different. Nidra’s my best friend, and I understand how she feels, but even I know she can’t stay hung up on this forever! She needs to accept that you and T are together!”
Annie felt a stab at her heart. “I don’t think I deserve to be with Turquoise.”
Star blinked. “Are you kidding me!? Everytime I see you two together it so sweet it feels like I’m going to develop diabetes just watching!”
Annie giggled, her first real bit of laughter since being in this void. “I know…but I’m not doing him any favors by making him love me. I’ll die eventually Star.”
“We all die Annie, part of the Circle of Life. We’re born, we live our lives, and we die.”
“Except for dragons and natural born alicorns.”
The Starburst construct rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, yeah, forgot about that.”
“Nidra’s the better mare for T, at least she can give him a future and be with him forever. All I can give him is one lifetime, and that’s it. I have nothing else to offer him…” Annie lowered her head as sadness began to overtake her again. Just then the Starburst construct “thwaped!” her upside the head with her large wing. “Ow! What was that for?!”
“Do you even listen to yourself? When did you make Turquoise love you? When wasn’t it enough to spend a lifetime with the pony you love? And what more does he want from you?
In the few times that I’ve got to talk with T, all he could think about was asking you out back when we were fillies and colts. He’s practically my cousin, so I know what I’m saying. He’s always loved you, you never ‘made him love you’!”
The Starburst construct then got in Annie’s face, making Annie gulp.
“I know it’ll be sad for T when you’re gone. But don’t you think my Uncle Spike knew that same thing when he married Aunt Rarity?!”
“I…!”
“Uncle Spike knows full well that Aunt Rarity will die of old age, and he’ll still be around along with Claire and Turquoise. He knew that, and despite that, he married her, because he loved her. Just like Aunt Luna married Uncle Nova, she knew and he knew he would die and Luna would keep on living.
They know this, so they try to make the best of it, and fill the time they have with us with as many memories as they can! It’ll hurt, loss hurts everypony, but that’s when love reaches out and finds a way to sooth the pain. If Nidra’s that pony, then T will make that choice, who he chooses to love is T’s decision, and he loves YOU!”
Annie never looked at it that way before, Star’s words were true, he did make the decision to be her coltfriend, she was the one who accepted his feelings and in turn he accepted her’s. Their life together would be short, but it would be no less fulfilling and meaningful.
“I told you that you lacked resolve. That if you weren’t willing to fight then you had no business wearing the ring.”
Suddenly, Annie’s mind flashed back to the words of Prince Steel. “You wield love…never let its light be extinguished within you…fight for what and who you love…in that, you can become a great warrior……….”
“So, are you willing to fight for T?! For the pony you love and to save a friend?!”
Annie’s eyes narrowed as she grinned. “I am! Thank you, Star.”
“You know, if things happened differently on the day you met my Mom, she could’ve been the one to adopt you and we would’ve become sisters.”
Annie chuckled at that. “The serious and mature little sister and the older, blind, but energetic older sister, sounds about right.” She then moved forward and hugged the construct. “I would’ve liked that. But I love my Momma Fluttershy, and I want to see her again.”
“I know you do. Now get the buck out of here and knock some sense into that mare for me since I’m not there.” The Starburst construct parted from Annie as her body dissolved into particles of light. “Fight for your love, Star Sapphire…”
The construct burst apart and left Annie standing in the light bubble alone. But she wasn’t alone, not really. Annie raised her right hoof and the ring flew to her, taking its rightful place once again.
“Hello Ring, I missed you.”
[As did I Annie.]
“Thanks for the pep talk, I needed it.”
[Error. What do you mean?]
“Earlier, you created a construct of Starburst and had her talk to me. I didn’t know you could do that without me.”
[I am unable to create constructs without a bearer, although, my data shows a gap between the time of my removal and my return to your person.]
Annie didn’t understand, if the ring wasn’t controlling the construct then who was? But that would be a question for another day. “Ring, what’s your current power level?”
[Current power levels are at 40%. Recommending a recharge.]
“Let’s do it.” Annie pointed the ring in front of her, a hole in space opened up and the violet lantern appeared before her. She felt around the lantern before she found Starburst’s ribbon was still tied to the handlebar, a reminder of what she still needed to do when this was over, and of what she had to do now. “Thank you Star, I’ve found my resolve.”
Annie placed her ring in the open port, the lantern immediately activated and shined forth with the violet light of Love. The sphere shined like a star in the darkness, returning every sense that the void took away, smell, touch, some of her sight, and even sound. Her new conviction, her newfound strength, all it coalesced into words, words for an oath held deep in her heart.
“From the warm embrace of Celestia’s light,
To the cool breeze of Luna’s night!
I bring many wonders from my ring of light,
My love gives me strength...from my sapphire light!!!”
The violet light of Love shined within the dark realm, filling it with its warm glow. The insignia of the Star Sapphire’s appeared, shimmering with a brilliance like it never had before. Annie’s body was donned in the uniform, her sapphire crystal on her chest pulsed with the same power as her ring, her eyes even took on the color of her ring.
[Power levels at 100%.]
Annie raised her left hoof to look at it, but frowned in disappointment that her sight was only brought back to what it originally was. “My magic was syphoned, but with you, I at least I can see colors again.”
[Trust in the star sapphire and in myself Annie, we will be your eyes.]
Annie closed her eyes, creating a construct sash to wrap around her head and keep her eyes shut. The crystal near her heart shined even brighter than before. Annie’s world became violet light, when she raised her hoof up, it looked as if it was made of the star sapphire crystal. She looked herself over to make sure it wasn’t a trick, but this was real, the ring and crystal were working in tandem to bring the world around her into sight, well, as much as an endless void could show anyway.
“Alright, let’s get back!”
[Releasing Sapphire Tether.]
Nidra felt something inside her, maybe it was guilt or maybe it was that annoying hunger pang in her stomach. Either way, it didn’t matter. Annie was gone, doomed to dwell in a prison that was straight out of her worst nightmares. Turquoise was crying, but she understood, she did just banish his fillyfriend to another dimension.
But he’d get over it, Nidra would see to it that he did. Turquoise was hers, and she would take care of her possessions, very good care indeed. Nidra sauntered over to her captured love, laying on the ground as she tucked her legs under herself and nuzzled his stallion’s cheek soothingly.
“There, there, T, it’s for the best,” said Nidra.
“How can you say that?! She was your friend too! I know you may be jealous of her, but you didn’t have to do that to her! She’ll go insane in there! Die of fear!” Turquoise cried.
Nidra raised her right hoof and gently stroked the back of the dracony’s head. “Oh T, it’s the fate of all those who try and take what’s mine. You’re mine, now and forever, and I’ll never let you go. We’re eternal, we’ll live longer than her or any of our so-called ‘friends’.
Why bother caring about them! They’ll be dead within fifty to eighty years, and by that time we’ll look closer to young adults than they will! Why spend your life with a mare who will die when you can be with me?! Somepony who can stay with you!”
Turquoise jerked away from Nidra’s touch as he growled and trembled. The chains started to show signs of breakage, startling the Nightmare. “Because I chose her! I want to be with Annie! I don’t care how long she has, if it’s for a hundred years or even just one hundred minutes! I! LOVE! HER!!!”
Suddenly the chains shattered with great force, sending bits of the construct flying about and dispersing into particles of light. Nidra sprang to her hooves at the sight of her captured love no longer bound.
At that moment a beam of purple light shot forth from Nidra’s left, slamming into her side and pushing the alicorn thestral all the way towards the ledge and through the stone guardrail as she went over. Turquoise looked to the beam’s origin and saw that it came from Lucky Star’s crystal blade horn, but he wasn’t alone.
Amber and Hot Head were fast on his heels, skidding to a stop alongside the dracony stallion. “What the hay happened?! We came back to help, where’s Annie?!” Lucky asked.
Turquoise gaze turned downcast as a solemn look fell on upon his face. “She…She’s gone…”
The faceplates of their armors retracted, revealing their varying degrees of shock and horror. Amber’s was the most heartbreaking, her eyes were wide as tears flowed down in an endless stream. “No…No you’re lying T, she can’t be! Not Annie! NOO!!!”
Hot Head rushed forward and thrust a hoof into the dracony’s chest. “You were supposed to protect her! You were supposed to keep her safe you asshole! How could you let her die like that?!”
“Nidra had me wrapped in chains made of that orange light! I just now broke free! I don’t know how, but I did! And anyway, if we hurry we might be able to save her! She was thrown into some dimension thing with magic, Aunt Twilight might be able to pull her out!”
“What kind of place did she send her too anyway?! Oh Faust, don’t tell me it’s Tartarus?!” Lucky asked in dread.
“It might as well be…she said it was something like a…Sensory Deprivation Dimension.”
Amber was the first to react to that. “‘SENSORY DEPRIVATION’?!!! She’s already blind, if she’s put in a place like that she’ll lose her mind! A place like that deafens all five senses! For Annie it’s like being dead! How could she do that to her?!”
“It was easy, I just took her magic and dropped her in!”
Nidra’s orange aura flared up from over the ledge, she shot up like a comet, appearing in the sky and slamming down onto the earth with resounding force. She gave a menacing, yet malevolent grin at the four ponies before her.
“YOU WHAT?! YOU BITCH!!!”
Amber’s faceplate reformed and she charged for Nidra, kicking up a gust of wind when she did so. Her battle cry was so fierce it even made Nidra flinch. The earth mare kicked off the ground and jumped into the air, she then descended down, cocking back her right hoof. The armor around that hoof glowed with a fierce light, channeling her Earth Pony magic into pure strength and doubling that power. When Amber was in range she thrust out her hoof.
Nidra created an orange shield right in front of her, just in time for Amber’s armored hoof to smash against the barrier. But her attack was still going, the energy Amber built up propelled her forward like a rocket. Nidra gritted her teeth as she found out that this wasn’t going to be that easy of a mare to shake off.
“You put Annie in a place like that! Took away her magic, and left her completely blind and scared out of her mind! How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!!!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Suddenly, the armor shifted, taking on a crystal appearance. Amber’s right hoof changed shape, transforming into a diamond drill bit. The drill spun around as yellow mana energy whirled around it. The strengthened and empowered attack started to cause cracks to appear in Nidra’s shield, surprising the Nightmare.
Nidra used her magic and light to create a burst wave the pushed the both of them away from each other. She then summoned forth demonic thestral constructs and sicced them on Amber. Amber skidded to a halt and dug her left hoof into the stone ground to slow herself down. The constructs were almost upon her, but Amber was a mare on a mission.
She wouldn’t forgive Nidra for what she had done to Annie, her surrogate little sister whom she practically raised from a foal! Demonic thestrals appeared around her, swarming her like a hive of angry bees. Her armor glowed yet again as the crystalline armor shifted and glowed with her mana.
When the thestral constructs attacked so did Amber. Her armor erupted with several diamond like spears that shot out in every direction, turning her into a crystal porcupine. The constructs were pierced in every which way possible and shattered like fragile glass.
“I don’t get it! She’s using magic, I should be absorbing that!” Nidra cursed.
[It’s not just magic she’s using! Her fury stems from maternal and sororal love, in a strange way she’s wielding the light of Love through her magic! It’s sickening!]
Amber wasn’t the only one ticked off at the moment. Hot Head soared towards Nidra, his bladed wings sheened in the light as he sped towards her. The Nightmare summoned forth a giant orange cobra, it hissed and bared its fangs at the lone pegasus stallion.
But Hot Head was hopped up on the same fury that drove Amber, and his armor responded. The blade panels that made up his feathers started to glow with an angry, orangey-red color. Within a few seconds the panels ignited into red hot flames. The cobra construct lunged for Hot Head, ready to swallow him whole.
The pegasus stallion barrel rolled out of the way, but not before piercing the construct’s side with his flaming wing. Hot Head continued on until he had sliced the construct in half, leaving behind a flaming gash in his wake. The construct shattered just like the others as Hot Head continued on his course towards Nidra. He slowed for a moment and drew back his wings, and with one mighty flap his wings released flaming blades that rained down on Nidra.
Nidra wasn’t dumb enough to stand by at let those attacks hit her. Using her magic to teleport away at the last second, the numerous fire blades struck the ground and exploded into a fiery crater. Nidra reappeared in the air, glaring in annoyance and hate at how she was pushed back this far.
But Nidra didn’t have much time to contemplate that as she sensed a buildup of magical energy. The alicorn thestral looked down at the ground and saw Lucky Star. His magical aura swirled around his body like an angry maelstrom, the reinforced glass visor eyes shined bright, along with his crystal blade horn.
At that moment the energy coalesced into a giant blade of magical energy, and swung it down with a speed that belied its size. Nidra quickly created a shield construct to block the blade, but the power pushed her back until she had no choice but to fly off to avoid it. But the energy repurposed itself at Lucky’s command, breaking apart into spheres of energy that surrounded her in every direction.
Nidra teleported away, readying herself to attack again, but when she reappeared she was surrounded by more spheres of magical energy. She teleported again, and again, and every time she did the number of spheres doubled each time until it looked like she was surrounded by a swarm of fireflies. How…How in the hay is he able to pinpoint my location so accurately?!
“Each time a unicorn teleports they leave an energy trail behind, showing where they were. Consequently, when a unicorn reappears in a different location, magical energy shows up. It acts like a beacon to help the unicorn appear in that exact location.
Problem is, the mana distorts the air and natural mana floating about, making them oscillate at random intervals and makes it hard for another unicorn to find where they reappear.”
Lucky’s crystal blade horn glowed with greater intensity.
“But in reality, there is a way. It requires a lot of mental mathematical calculations and incantations that quite frankly would take too long to explain, but the simplified version is: a unicorn who can accurately do all that can find where any unicorn will reappear! Alicorns like High Princess Twilight can do this and so can I!”
The orbs of magical energy shot at Nidra from every direction possible, Nidra teleported yet again. But the moment she reappeared the magical meteors were in hot pursuit. Nidra was a pretty agile and swift flier, and now with the added power of the ring and stolen magic, she was even faster. Lucky’s horn flashed and suddenly half of the glowing spheres disappeared. Nidra smirked, believing that he was losing his power from using it so much, but she was wrong.
Lucky used his magic to teleport his spheres way ahead of her. By the time Nidra noticed the spheres it was too late. The mana spheres struck her from all sides, exploding like fireworks. Lucky gathered more and more mana into his horn, and with a mighty cry, he unleashed the pent up power into a single column sized blast that washed over the explosions that were still going, and ignited an even bigger one that thundered through the sky.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to take her down. Nidra panted and growled within the dust cloud. On the ground Nidra spotted the Troublemaker Trio; Lucky with his glowing eyes and horn, Amber with her crystal armor and yellow aura, and Hot Head with his flaming wings. All of them stared her down, ready to face her to the death, all to make her pay for what she did to their friend and member of their family.
Nidra’s body trembled with anger and fury, “Don’t you dare think that you’re any match for me!!! I am the most powerful, I am power, and I am absolute!!! If you keep me from what is MINE you are my enemies!!!”
The Orange Lantern descended to the ground with a thunderous “BOOM!” and disappeared underneath the earth. Amber, Hot Head, Lucky, and Turquoise all looked about with worry at the odd action, but soon the ground began to rumble and shake.
In a matter of seconds a massive construct erupted from the earth below, a grotesque creature that looked like something out of the pages of “Diana’s Inferno”. It had three heads with slobbering mouths, many tentacles that also had smaller mouths, and no eyes. On top of it was Nidra, guiding the beast as it lashed out at the Trio.
Amber and Lucky hurried away from a giant tentacle that nearly crushed them, but it was all a setup. When they stopped the ground under their hooves shattered, two mouths opened up and slammed onto Lucky and Amber, catching them in their teeth as they rose up.
If it weren’t for their armor they were sure that the force of the constructs teeth mashing would’ve crushed their internal organs, at worst it would’ve bit them in half. Hot Head was flying in, his flaming wings about to slice the tentacle mouths open.
“HOT HEAD LOOK OUT!!!” Turquoise shouted.
The armored pegasus stallion glanced over his shoulder and watched as a giant mouth opened up and bit down on the stallion, pinning his wings. Nidra had the tentacle mouths bring all three to her, watching as they squirmed and writhed in their traps.
She cracked a toothed grin as she felt their energy flow into the construct, and into her. The armor was doing a good job of keeping their power from being fully syphoned, but soon she would have that armor, and their magic.
“You think any of you are better than me?! HA! I can feel it, I can see it clearly deep inside all three of you! AVARICE!” Nidra pointed to Amber. “Like this whorse of a mare, you want love, you crave love from somepony other than those whom you pretend to love!
You know nothing! Anthea told me, she told me about how you were too old to stay in the orphanage and that you were going to live in Canterlot! She also told me how sad you were that you were going to leave these two all alone – PATHETIC!!!”
Amber growled. “What do you know of love?! I did it so that they wouldn’t be alone, because I didn’t want to break up our family!”
“‘Family’?! Quit saying you did it for them! You did it for yourself! The truth is you don’t want to be alone, so you selfishly took them away from families who could’ve provided them with more than you could offer, and kept them for yourself! I’m surprised you haven’t screwed them yet with how much you flirt and tease other stallions!”
Nidra turned to Hot Head and smirked, making Hot Head nearly growl in anger at her.
“And you are just as bad! You chased the tail of Whirlwind, because she was nice to you, and you followed her like a lost puppy dog when she already had a coltfriend!
The light of Avarice reveals it all to me, how you wanted to outclass and overshadow Prism Bolt, wanting to show how superior you were to him in hopes that she’d leave him and be with you instead! Faust, how stupid can you be?!”
“I’m not like that you bitch! I…I…!”
“And you,” Nidra now put her gaze on Lucky and grinned with wicked mirth, “you, Lucky, loved Anthea, and I’m not talking about sisterly or friend kind of love either!”
Lucky’s eyes went wide in his helmet at hearing that. “I…I used to! I don’t anymore, she’s like a sister to me now!”
“Don’t try and act so saintly, you’re just like me. You secretly wished for T and Anthea to break up so that you could catch her on the rebound and have her all to yourself!
Don’t deny it, because I’d do the same thing!” Nidra then looked to each of them in turn. “And you have the gall to fight me as if you know what love is! I’ll turn you into the monsters that you are deep, deep down in your souls! I will make you MY Vermillion Guard! MY Corps! Begin Identity Theft!”
[Alright, finally! Commencing Identity Theft, consuming subjects!]
Suddenly the draining effect hastened, making the Trio cry out in pain. The tentacle mouths started to slowly make their way up their bodies, beginning the painful process of transforming the three of them into Orange Lantern Avarice Constructs. Turquoise flew up towards Nidra, landing on the beast and standing across from Nidra with a serious expression on her face.
“Nidra that’s enough! Stop all of it!” The dracony stallion lowered his head as he made his decision on how to end the madness. “Nidra…if you stop this, I…I promise to be yours! I’ll be your coltfriend until Equestria blows up and Tartarus freezes over! So please, stop this!!!”
The consuming stopped suddenly as Nidra took in those words. Tears began to stream from her eyes as a happy smile spread across her face. “Oh T…you have no idea how much that means to me…No idea how long I’ve wanted you to say something like to me. But…” Nidra moved forward and placed her hoof on his cheek, he flinched for a moment but just let her do it. “I know you can’t truly give me your heart, because I know it still belongs to Anthea. And so…”
Suddenly a mouth formed beneath Turquoise and wrapped around him, leaving his head visible. “Nidra what are you –?!”
“I can’t have your heart, I’ll accept that. But…I’m not going to stop. I meant it, I’ll turn this entire mountain into my personal kingdom! And I’ll still need Royal Guards, and these three will do for a start! Resume!”
[FEAST!]
The Troublemakers Trio cried out in pain again as the Identity Theft induction continued. Turquoise could only watch helplessly, despite his dragon strength, against the power of the rings, he was nothing. Annie…I’m sorry…
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
Turquoise felt something, something in his heart.
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
This feeling was familiar, warming, caring, and loving even.
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
The dracony stallion looked down and saw that something like a violet star was blinking near his heart. Nidra noticed it and looked at it curiously.
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
*VWOOOM*
That’s when it hit him. “ANNIE!”
Suddenly the insignia of the Star Sapphires shined forth with intense violet-pink light. The power was enough to force Nidra into the air, and rip apart the grotesque construct. At that moment Amber, Hot Head, and Lucky were released, spared the induction, but their magic was drained enough to make them feel weak. But before they fell to the ground something appeared out of the insignia and created a giant platform made of star sapphire crystal.
The four ponies all stared with teary eyes as they saw who it was. Standing firm at the center of the platform, donned in her Star Sapphire uniform, with a construct sash wrapped around her eyes, was Annie. “Are you guys alright?” she asked.
“Annie…you’re back! Oh thank Faust!” Amber was about to lunge for a hug, but the strength in her body left her, making her catch herself on her front hooves. “Guess I’m not a hundred percent.”
Annie walked towards Amber and brought her head into a half hug. “Don’t be sad anymore guys, I’m here now, and Amber, all of you, thank you for still keeping me in your hearts.”
Hot Head sniffled but grinned all the same. Lucky smiled, but his tears of sadness turned into tears of joy. Annie turned around and looked to Turquoise, the dracony stallion lumbered over to his fillyfriend and embraced her tightly. Annie returned the hug, thankful to be back in the forelegs of her coltfriend again after being in that void.
“I’m back, T.”
“I love you, Annie.”
“I love you, too.”
“HOW IN THE BLUE TARTARUS DID YOU ESCAPE?!! I TOOK YOUR MAGIC AND REMOVED YOUR RING!!!” Nidra shouted.
Turquoise broke the hug and turned around, flaring his wings and baring his fangs. He almost lost Annie once, he wasn’t about to lose her again. But Annie stepped in front of him, looking up directly at Nidra.
“There isn’t any place that love cannot reach, the feelings connecting our hearts can never be severed, and it is those links that brought me back here. You can take away my magic, Nidra.
You can even take off this ring and throw me into a pit of darkness, but you’ll never be able to take away this love that I feel for Turquoise, nor the love I feel for my friends and loved ones! And…the love I feel for you.”
Amber, Turquoise, Lucky, and Hot Head all jaw dropped when she heard that last line, even Nidra seemed taken aback by that confession. “You love me?! Now I know you’ve gone insane in there! ‘You love me’, don’t try and act all saintly just because they’re around! Tell the truth, you hate me don’t you?!”
Annie shook her head. “You’ve done a lot of damn stupid things, Nidra. I’ve endured your flirting with T, because I knew deep down you are a good pony. I can’t hate my friends, because I love them all, and yes that includes YOU! And in all honesty, you’re right.”
“About what?!” Nidra demanded.
“About T being better off with you.”
“Annie!” Turquoise shouted.
“It’s always been in the back of my head. What would happen to T when I died? He’ll live so long after I’ve grown old and died, who will help him when he’s so down, who can show him the same love that I do, and who could I entrust his happiness to? And each time, the answer was you, Nidra. That day, the day I left with Twilight to go to the Gates of Volkan, I meant every word I said to you that day!
And it’s no less true now than it was then! But until that day, until my time is done, I will continue to love Turquoise, and be with him for as long as I am able. It’s something I’m willing to fight for, but at the same time, I’m also willing to fight to save you!”
Nidra couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and neither could any of them. Despite everything that has happened, the young mare refused to give up on Nidra, and even still saw her as the best mare to take care of her coltfriend in the future.
“You…You make me sick!” Nidra’s body flared with orange light. “You come here and spout that crap to me! And you think I’ll just accept that?! It’s too late, for all of it! I’ve made my decision, and everything shall be mine! And I’ll kill you to make sure that nopony else will take anything from me!”
“If that’s true then why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?!”
Nidra froze.
“That moment when you had my magic drained and my ring cast off, you could’ve killed me right then and there, and it would’ve barely taken you a second. Instead, you threw me down a dark pit!”
“I…I wanted you to suffer! Death would’ve been too easy for you, so I put you somewhere that would be your own personal Tartarus!” Nidra argued.
“All that trouble, but you knew, somehow deep down you knew I might be able to free myself, or that somepony would eventually do it! If you truly believed everything you’re saying then you would’ve killed me, but I’m still standing!”
“A MISTAKE I’LL CORRECT!!!”
Nidra thrust out with her ring, firing a column-sized beam of orange light straight at them. Annie galloped towards the edge of the platform and jumped off, making everypony scream out to her in fright.
But at that moment her body was enveloped in the violet-pink aura of her ring, she was now flying towards the attack. When Annie made it to the beam the vermillion ray was split down the middle, forcing both halves to shoot out into the sky and further into space. When Nidra cancelled the beam her eyes widened.
Annie was floating in midair, carrying a crystal construct spear. The spear tip was in the shape of an arrowhead, but the ends twisted into an ornate pattern. On the flat of the blade was the insignia of the Star Sapphires, the shaft had intricate vine patterns, and at the butt of the spear a long sash flapped in the cross breeze of the deflected attack. Annie assumed a fighting stance, twirling the spear in her hooves before, having it rest against right side, held in one hoof, while she kept the other up, ready to fight.
“You can’t win this fight Anthea! My ring is much more powerful than yours is!” Nidra shouted.
“Maybe, but you’re forgetting one important thing! Avarice may take it all, but Love conquers all!” Annie proclaimed.
Nidra shrieked in anger as her body erupted with orange light, looking like flames as it lapped off her body. She then summoned forth a flock of demonic thestral constructs and sent them after her. The constructs hissed and growled as they made their way towards her, but Annie stood her ground, well airspace, you get the idea.
Through the crystal sapphire and violet ring she could see the constructs coming for her. They appeared as orange against the backdrop of violet crystal structures and objects as well as the sky. And even the moon appeared orange.
Annie grabbed hold of the spear and attacked, slicing one construct down the middle and shattering it into pieces. Another one swooped in from behind her, but Annie just thrust backwards and hit the construct dead center in its face with the butt of the spear.
Annie twirled the spear around and made a few of the constructs back off for a moment, she used the momentum and slashed in a wide arc, cutting down several of them in a single swing. A construct tried to tackle her, but Annie ascended higher into the sky. Her fear of heights was still there, but she wasn’t about to let her fears rule her or make the decisions in her fighting style.
The Star Sapphire began twirling the spear around herself, faster and faster the construct spun around her, creating a gust of wind. Suddenly petals of violet-pink light appeared around Annie, transforming into a tornado.
The constructs backed away from the tornado, not sure of what was happening, and admittedly, neither did Nidra. The petals multiplied by the second until Annie was completely lost within the vortex, but even while inside it, her all seeing light gave her clear sight. She saw where all the constructs were, and was ready to unleash her attack.
“SCATTER!!!” Annie cried.
The vortex widened and in a matter seconds and the petals shot forth. The graceful leaves slashed through each and every one of the constructs, tearing them apart and slicing them with such precision that it was mind-boggling. When it was over, particles of vermillion light were scattered about, the remnants of the fallen orange constructs.
“You may have a lot of power, Nidra, but you have no skill! Compared to when I fought Starburst, this is almost fun.”
Nidra’s eyes shined with orange light, her mane and tail became like bellowing flames, her wings grew bigger and more terrifying, even her teeth, which only sported vampony like fangs, were now becoming more akin to razor sharp teeth, changing her into a Nightmare-Avarice pony. Her ring shined brighter as the vermillion light roared around her, transforming into the gluttonous construct monster from before.
Annie had the petals and light reform into a new construct. The petals acted as building blocks as they assembled into a giant monster, it looked like a dragon, but had no wings.
Its back had large spines made of crystals that grew out towards the middle of its back, but tapered off along its tail and head. Its medium length arms rippled with strong muscles and sharp claws, its strong legs thundered as they stomped the ground. The monster’s eyes shined white and roared to challenge the beast before it.
The orange beast and violet monster clashed, Annie’s monster construct threw a punch against one of the three eyeless heads of the orange beast, and caught another head with an uppercut.
Nidra’s beast regained its stance and lashed out with its mouth tentacles, the violet monster dodged two of them, but a third caught his right arm, while a fourth caught him on his left thigh. The violet monster roared in pain from the contrasting Avarice energy, but its gaze narrowed with fury.
The violet monster opened its mouth and bit down on the one tentacle that had clamped onto his arm, it’s dagger like teeth ripped through the construct’s surface and with a snap of its jaws tore the tentacle off. The violet monster’s spines started to glow with violet-pink energy, it then roared and fired a beam of pure Love light directly at the tentacle.
The beam burned through it in a matter of seconds, snapping off and freeing the violet monster. The orange beast hissed from its damaged limbs, but held its ground. The three heads of the orange beast opened and built up vermillion energy, at the same time, the violet monster’s spines glowed with intense violet light, and its maw dripped with power. Upon the commands of their creators, the creations unleashed their attacks.
The violet monster opened its mouth and fired a blazing beam of violet light, and the orange beast’s mouths fired three beams that combined into a single beam that flew out to meet its opposite. The two beams struck in the middle and grinded against each other for a few moments, but then the beams skewed off.
The orange beast’s beam hit Annie’s construct on its right side, burning part of it away as it continued to attack. The violet monster’s ray hit the left side of the orange beast, shredding it to pieces.
The two constructs exploded in a shower of violet and orange particles, leaving their creators to float in the air as they squared off. Nidra was looking particularly miffed, and in her Nightmare-Avarice state, that was saying something. Annie panted a bit, trying to get her breathing under control as she awaited Nidra’s next move.
“I’m going to finish this, here and now!” Nidra announced.
Her horn began to gather mana, it shimmered with the green glow of Anthea’s magic, the navy blue of Luna’s, her own powder blue magic, and lastly the orange light of the ring of Avarice. The four combined powers swirled together, becoming a sphere of energy that grew with each passing second.
Annie could see the power building up, and it worried her. “Without my magic I can’t infuse any into the light attacks! It’ll cut through the violet light if I do!”
[You have all the power you need, Annie. Your heart – your love – will grant you strength.]
The pink unicorn mare felt a warmth grow in her heart, and that warmth fed into the star sapphire crystal on her chest. Annie knew what she had to do, she was going to free
Nidra, and knock her back to her senses. She crossed her forelegs across her chest, forming an X as she assumed a ready stance.
The violet ring shined like a newborn star, wrapping her in an aura of the violet light of Love, taking the appearance of flower petals cascading off her body. Nidra’s aura grew in intensity, becoming a raging inferno that lit up the sky along with Annie’s aura. The ponies down below could only watch on, hope and pray for Annie’s victory.
Nidra cried out viciously as she unleashed the power of her attack. The beam roared out like an unholy monster, blanketing the sky in vermillion light as it washed over Annie and her aura. She braced against the attack, continuing to build up her own energy. All the while her friends and coltfriend watched with wide, yet determined eyes as they all cheered on their loved one.
“ANNIE!” Amber cried.
“ANNIE!” Hot Head shouted.
“ANNIE!” Lucky yelled.
“ANNIE!” Turquoise roared.
The sash around Annie’s eyes disappeared as she opened her eyes, glowing with the power of her violet light of Love. She uncrossed her forelegs and fired the beam, it cut through the orange energy, but only managed to push the orange beam back about halfway.
Nidra poured more power into the attack, not willing to let Annie win this tug of war. The unicorn mare’s brow beaded with sweat as she felt herself losing ground by the second, she could feel the love of her friends and coltfriend, but she needed just a nudge, that’s all she needed.
“Don’t lose, Annie…”
STAR?!
Suddenly giant wings and the image of pegasus mare appeared behind Annie’s back, and with a powerful battle cry she unleashed all the power she had. The insignia of the Star Sapphires appeared in front of the beam, passing through the center and amplifying it to ridiculous proportions.
The violet-pink light smothered the orange light, growing closer and closer to Nidra with each passing nanosecond. She couldn’t teleport, she couldn’t defend, and she definitely couldn’t overpower the beam, all she could do was float there and brace.
The beam completely washed over Nidra like a tidal wave, the orange inferno disappearing completely, her Nightmare-Avarice form began to crack like an eggshell. The cracks spider webbed all the way up and down her body, the cracks themselves glowing with violet light.
Before Nidra could even cry out her form shattered apart and exploded magnificently in the sky. Everypony in Canterlot shut their eyes as the light of Love shined enough to be seen from Ponyville.
When the light dimmed, the construct was gone, and Annie’s eyes returned to their normal milky blue appearance. She huffed and panted, feeling the draining effect of using the star sapphire on her uniform.
Annie looked to and fro, but could not find Nidra in the air, she used her senses, allowing the violet light to find Nidra for her. Her gaze eventually turned earthward, finding the body of her friend lying in a flowerbed. Annie slowly descended down to the ground approaching Nidra cautiously.
Upon landing, Annie noticed that Nidra was no longer in her Nightmare-Avarice form, she was her again, still donned in the Orange Lantern uniform, but it was regular Nidra. Now, she hoped, the real Nidra was the one who would greet her.
The alicorn thestral began to stir, moaning and groaning as she held her head, feeling as if she had just gotten struck with a ten-ton war-hammer. But the moment she saw Annie was the moment everything came flooding back to her, making her eyes widen as she averted her gaze in shame.
“Nidra…?”
“Don’t look at me! Get away from me!” Nidra shouted.
“It’s okay, it’ll be alright,” said Annie with comfort in her voice.
“It’ll never be alright! After everything I’ve done! After what I’ve become! Just…Just stay away from me! You, T, Mom, everypony!”
Annie reached out with her hoof to try and comfort the young mare, but it was quickly swatted away as Nidra turned around, revealing her teary eyed, self-loathing expression. When she realized what she had done, Nidra’s orange aura wrapped around her.
“Don’t look for me! Don’t come near me! I’m a monster!” Nidra yelled.
She then took off into the sky, the moon losing its orange glow and changing into a full white moon. Turquoise flew over and landed next to Annie as he watched the orange light that was Nidra zoom into the night sky. “We need to go after her!” Turquoise proclaimed.
“Normally I’d agree…but right now…I’m really…really…tired…”
There was a dull thud sound that grabbed Turquoise’s attention, he looked to his left and saw that Annie had collapsed onto a flowerbed, her uniform dispelling at the same time. “ANNIE!”
[Power levels at 5%. Entering Power Save mode to conserve ring energy. Bearer life is not in danger.]
Turquoise sighed in relief, after everything that had happened he should probably be weary of the rings, but right now, after everything, he believed in this ring. It protected Annie, and she was still alive.
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What the hell is this? Dragon Ball Z
Awesome. I love that Sapphire Star was there. Great battle. I wonder will Nidra still keep her mind, or will she lose it again. Great chapter. I can't wait to see what happens next. Last chapter, the wrap up coming up. Did Luna get her magic back? I guess we will see in the next and final chapter, before the long dry spell.
Princess Luna, prepare for the political firestorm
KICKASS!! As always, I'm never disappointed with the results!
Awesome chapter.
If I may offer some advice: While I love the way you add music to fight scenes, it might be a good idea to only use instramentals. Songs with lyrics can be distractign and make reading difficult.
5890492 Would've done that, but the song is old so when I did there was little to nothing, just the song itself. Glad you liked it regardless.
5888530 This is me we're talking about, when it comes to badass fight scenes, I don't mess around.
5887832 Politics is for the birds, but yeah, may or may not be some fallout from this.
5887789 The crystal was always a part of her uniform, I just didn't put much emphasis on it until we got closer to the end. But yeah, one more to go!
5887787 Thank you!
5887770 More like DBZ, Sailor Moon, and Bleach rolled into one.
5890627 did I say Political firestorm? I meant literal firestorm
cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Firestorm-Spinoff-Show-Discussion.jpg
5890686 You want lethal Firestorm?
essentialwebcomics.com/showcase/images/stories/Members/mrgasparilla/dcnu-firestorm-turnsinto-fury-large.jpg
There's your lethal Firestorm.
There are no words to describe the awesome nature of this chapter!
Awww. I was hoping at least one of the three stooges would bite it. For fun and for angsty Nidra!
Wait, to be concluded? So now we have to wait for another story?
Everytime I see you two together it so sweet it feels like
finds a way to sooth the pain
did she send her too anyway
it’s dagger like teeth ripped
1. It's.
2. Soothe.
3. To.
4. Its.
5. You accidentally separated this into two paragraphs at this line.