Pony May Cry

by Blubber

Mission 3: Of Fire and Honesty

Mission 3: Of Fire and Honesty

Twilight limped into the Cathedral and proceeded to shut the door behind her and take a well needed break, as her blood loss has severely weakened her and caused major fatigue. “I need to lie down…” Twilight moaned as she collapsed halfway across the room. She began to slowly repair her wounds and staunch the bleeding, while moving at a slow pace as to prolong the limited blood in her system after the attacks. “They just… seemed to…. Know where to hit…” Twilight whispered, while wincing with pain from the spell as it causes slight stinging when it forms new skin, fur, nerves, blood vessels. “I need to develop a much more efficient spell for this.” Twilight noted as she fixed up the blood vessels and the surrounding muscle tissue.

After what seemed like two hours of lying down in the cathedral did she notice the time and the sun rising, only then did Twilight realise what time it was, “I have been here for about eight hours and accomplished barely anything… maybe in another eight hours I will have finished with the majority of this castle.” Twilight said rubbing her hooves together and walking over towards the gigantic window with an elegant view of the sea and the rising sun along with the limestone cliff.

“The view is stunning, but I don’t have all day. Time to get back to work!” Twilight exclaimed cracking the glass window around the centre. “Right… royal Canterlot voice…. Got to keep that under wraps or I will alert the rest of the Castle of my presence…” Twilight whispered sheepishly as she slowly backed away from the window. Twilight observed the rest of the cathedral to see a set of staircases going up to the balconies above the general seating, Twilight trotted up the stairs before she noticed that the air started to smell like the sea. “That’s odd… I don’t see any openings that could let the sea air get in here.” Twilight said to herself slowing her trot to a brisk walk. She glanced over to her left to see a peculiar statue, “Hey what is that?” Twilight thought to herself as she slowly walked over to the statue. It was a statue of an earth pony holding up a spherical object, “That sphere doesn’t belong there… but I see no way to remove it” Twilight said before reading the inscription.

The inscription read ‘This is the Pride of the earthen ones. The pride of the earthen ones is a pride that is masked by modesty and happiness, it holds the key to progressing further…’
Twilight placed a hoof on the Spherical object and heard a loud rumble behind her, she turned to see a doorway out to a bridge. “Sweet doorway… I need one for my laboratory… maybe when I get back Celestia will let me find the Magic for it.” Twilight muttered as she gasped in awe of the doorway. Twilight started to walk over to the doorway, the fresh smell of sea air filled her nostrils and lungs as she breathed creating a relaxed and calm environment, a great counter to the high paced hacking and slashing from the previous rooms. She stepped outside of the door way and was blown away by the beautiful serenity of the sea mixed with the sunlight as the sun started to rise over the waters horizon, the soft sounds of the sea penetrated the air with the slight hint of sea creatures making their morning calls. Twilight started to walk as she listened in of the crispness of her hoofsteps clopping on the mildly worn cobblestone, “This, is just beautiful, never have I seen a sight like this,” Twilight said in a very monotone voice as she struggled to stop herself from sitting down to observe the beautiful scenery that the bridge gave way to. “Right Twilight FOCUS! We got a bridge to investigate!” Twilight shouted at herself as she sheepishly looked around to make sure that no pony saw her, otherwise she would look like a crazy lunatic.

Twilight then made a mental note to explicitly say ‘don’t yell at yourself when you thing there are other ponies or beings around you’. She hastily brushed off any dust and dirt that got intertwined into her coat when the wind picked up. Twilight started to trot towards the Bridge without first thinking about the possibility of the bridge collapsing or there being anything to fight, Twilight neglected caution and care over getting to the other side, she let her guard down by taking in the entrancing views and sunrise.
Twilight felt the bridge rumble under her hooves and she immediately regretted stepping her hooves onto the bridge as it collapsed into the sea below. “Farewell Equestria, I have failed…” Twilight said sorrowfully as she hit the water. Twilight looked around to see that she wasn’t dead, drowning, or even underwater, she was in a pitch black room with the only lighting coming from a shaft of light coming from the other side of the dark abyss. “Hello? Is anypony there?” Twilight asked the gloomy abyss as a few blue and orange flames started to kindle, Twilight started to back away from the flames as the burst into Flaming pony skulls, with nothing inside except a raging fire fuelled by hatred and violence. Twilight felt a bit of her soul being sucked away as she stared into the skull’s unyielding flames, she quickly averted her eyes “What are you?!” Twilight yelled out from behind a protective hoof. “We….are….the…..the souls lost to the use of forbidden magic….we have no name …. We….seek……fresh souls….to….consume to……give us…..more….strength…” The nameless beings replied in a very forced manner, “You….shall be…our next…..victim….” They started to charge at a very unaware Twilight, causing her to let out a scream of surprise and a few flailing hooves that met with some very unfortunate skulls.

Twilight started to regain her composure as she got up from the wet puddle of water she fell into, “You don’t just attack a Princess while she is off guard!” Twilight exclaimed as she drew Starfall and proceeded to gallop towards the still recovering creatures before her. Twilight summoned a visor made of magic and light to shield her raw eyes from the devious eyes of her, “very cool trick but now it won’t work on me!” Twilight mocked as she sliced one of the Creatures in half as if it were a sheet of paper. The other nameless skulls were shocked and angry at the death of their kinsman, they blind charged Twilight and increased the Flames in their eyes to near blinding light levels. Twilight’s visor only just kept her eyes from boiling under the intense light that the skulls gave off, Twilight’s eyes burned as they slowly dried out. “Is this your tactic? To melt my eyes so I become one of you?” Twilight called out from behind a hoof as she protected her mouth from drying out.

The skulls had put so much energy into keeping up their raging fires that they could no longer speak, Twilight had figured this out after another minute of mocking and questioning, each time feeling as if her fur was starting to get singed. Twilight gave up reasoning and drew Friendship and Knowledge, pelting magical bullet after magical bullet into the tough craniums of the skulls. “I think I’ll name you things hell pits, isn’t that a good name?” She only managed to crack the hell pits tough cranium as they drew close enough that Twilight had to quickly abandon her current spot in order not to be engulfed by fire and not have her soul painfully ripped from her burning body. “You…Will….Die….By…Our wrath!” The skulls hollered as Twilight sliced another one clean in half, she turned around to see the advancing hell pits approach her position. Twilight looked for an opening so she could escape, but soon realised that the only way to get out of there was to kill the three remaining hell pits. Twilight drew upon her inner Star Form, and unleashed a torrent of magically created water, which engulfed the hell pits in a tsunami of water which put out their burning flames, and killed them quickly without any screams or noise, only the low gargle of fire being extinguished.

Twilight calmed her senses and withdrew her Star power, and started to walk towards the spot of light that grew closer by her every step. She slowly began to trot towards the light, which turned out to be a spectral rune which glowed like a sun through sun glasses. Twilight carefully stepped onto the rune which exploded in a blinding white light which engulfed Twilight…. “Help!” She screamed as she closed her eyes.

Twilight opened her eyes to see she was on the other side of the bridge opposite the Castle and the broken bridge was replaced with pieces of concrete which was held in place with a white aura which when Twilight examined it, was filled with dead souls forever damned to hold up the stones until they were repaired. “I guess that’s my way back from this side.” Twilight commented as she looked over the edge to see the black abyss that she was just in previously. Twilight could hear the screams of the Flame Seekers re-materialising down below, “Better not go down there again or I might have a bit more than I can handle from them…” Twilight commented while backing away from the edge of the bridge. “If I want to cross then I guess teleporting is the way around it, or I could risk my life trying to jump from each rock, or the more conventional way, I fly…” Twilight said, looking at her wings before turning around to see what was on the side of the bridge which caused her pain to get to.

Twilight walked up to the towering statue that lay before her, the only thing of significance on her current side of the Bridge. “Hmm… What is it?” Twilight asked herself as she started to look for some indication on what it could be. She came to a conclusion that it didn’t have any point, just to be there to activate something or trigger an event, “Maybe it responds to a hoof?” Twilight wondered as she placed a hoof on the Statues base. Twilight felt something happen as she removed her hoof and quickly jumped to her hooves, “Something did happen, and I have an idea where it occurred!” Twilight exclaimed, beaming with slight joy as she unfurled her wings and took off to the other side of the Broken Bridge. Twilight landed with the grace of a Princess and the noise of a clumsy Pegasus, “No time to worry about elegance while landing, there is something that I need to investigate.” Twilight muttered as she galloped into the wooden doorway she left behind just that short while ago.

She burst into the Cathedral before composing herself and walking in a slow trot over to the Pride of the Earth Pony Statue. “It looks different…” Twilight noted as she approached the statue. The Orb it was holding looked unstable, Twilight grabbed it in her magic and had a voice fill her head; ‘Now the earthen ones shall be of assistance to you…’ Twilight was perplexed at the object as she tucked it away in a saddle bag pocket, “I think it will help me dearly in the future, I’m just not sure when it will be…” Twilight said before she was cut off by a loud and extremely shrill sound of Glass shattering and crashing into the ground.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Roared the being that crashed through the skylight, “I have come to end your quest here!” Twilight turned around slowly to see a hell spider, one of the most fearsome creatures to come out of Tartarus, it had rivers of lava as its blood vessels and eight orange coloured eyes and its skin was jet black perfectly complimenting the lava’s fiery colour. “Who are you? And why are you here?” Twilight responded keeping her fear in check, when did anypony see a hell spider except in books. “Why Ms Sparkle I’m here to stop you through any means, even through blackmail.” The Hell spider said as he wore a mischievous grin.
“Now what do you mean by that? My… umm… what was your name?” Twilight said unfurling her wings in an attempt to assert dominance even though her fear was starting to show through her facial expression. “My name is Pantheon, and here let me show you my bargain” Pantheon said with another grin as he opened a portal which revealed a cage, “Look who it is Applejack!” Yelled Pantheon as he strung the cage up so Twilight could see clearly through the iron bars that it indeed was Applejack. “Applejack! Are you ok?” Twilight said dropping all her hatred at the sight of Applejack, “Twilight! Ah’m fine just get me outta here!” Applejack said with fear dripping of her voice.

“Ok Pantheon, what are your terms?” Twilight asked as she looked back towards Pantheon with a slight frown, while walking down the stair case to arrive in front of Pantheon. “Why Ms Sparkle, I want you to clear off this land and go home, leave us be!” Pantheon said with a sly grin slowly backing off, while also moving Applejack’s cage up towards the skylight which he initially appeared from. “Never, I’m not leaving until I finish my quest and free my friends from this castle and this bucking island!” Twilight said starting to grow furious from his words. “Well then your fate is sealed Twilight, I just have to destroy you to make you leave us forever!” Pantheon exclaimed as he pounced upon Twilight’s position.

==========================--------- Begin Boss Fight ----------=============================
Twilight rolled to her side only earning an earful of Pantheon’s battle cry which caused her to flinch and slide a little bit more than she anticipated. “If your plan was to scream the whole time we may be here all day Pantheon!” Twilight mocked as she summoned Friendship and Knowledge to her side and started firing purple bullets towards Pantheon’s exposed flank, Pantheon quickly turned in time to see the bullets collide with his exposed hide causing a very ear-splitting howl which shook the cathedral’s stone walls as if they were made of paper and bonded with glue. Twilight covered her ears as she got an earful of the howl, “Wow is that another tactic? To deafen me?” Twilight yelled the Question as she was still feeling the effects of Pantheon’s howl, which sent a shockwave of sound into her ears causing a very unpleasant ringing noise to persist.

“As great a plan that is, no I have something much worse for the likes of you Twilight Sparkle.” Pantheon said as a sinister grin crept across his face and he turned fangs glowering at her as he allowed hot lava to trickle down his fangs and drip on the floor slightly burning holes into the polished tiles and creating a foul odour seeping from the depths of his Stomach. “Intimidation?? Is that all you got Pantheon?” Twilight mocked as she inhaled the fumes, slightly recoiling and spluttering as her mind comprehended the fumes she breathed in. Twilight’s vision started to become unfocused, she began to feel disorientated and light headed, “What did you do!” Twilight yelled as her voice started to waver as she fell to her knees to steady herself. “This? Why it is merely sulphuric gas, great for fire not so good for organic life. You have been given enough to kill a normal pony and the majority of wildlife creatures, any more and you will die.” Pantheon explained not stopping the generation of sulphuric gas permeating the air. “You have a choice to flee and never return, or you can die here with your precious friends.” A wide grin crept across his face once again as he spoke, “I’d like a second opinion on that! I am going to defeat you and save my friends!” Twilight proclaimed getting back on her hooves and summoning her weapons.

Pantheon growled “Your funeral I gave you a chance to avoid this but I see now you need to have a more direct approach, farewell Twilight Sparkle!” the ground beneath Twilight’s hooves immediately started to warm up to near searing temperatures causing Twilight to start jumping from hoof to hoof. “What did you just do?!” Twilight exclaimed at the top of her lungs while rapidly jumping on her hooves to avoid them getting cooked thoroughly, “Why Twilight, I need not explain, just look at your hooves.” Pantheon called in a very childish mocking tone, Twilight glanced down towards her hooves and saw the floor starting to become very bright orange, the intensity of the colours and the heat caused Twilight to avert her eyes from the growing patch of magma below her hooves. “Arrgh… I will win Pantheon and I will free Applejack from your control and allow her the peace she deserves!” Twilight jumped off the floor and spread her wings taking flight and rushed straight for pantheon with Mares Edge held in a piercing position, Twilight made contact with the still reeling Pantheon who was utterly shocked that Twilight didn’t stay on the Magma trap so that she would get exhausted and die on it.

Mares Edge pierced Pantheon’s side which caused hot red Magma to begin pouring out of his side where Mares Edge made contact. “How is that for rolling over and dying huh Pantheon? Maybe I should just end it all here, by killing you!” Twilight turned around and slashed the still recovering Pantheon as he lay on the ground struggling to get back up on his six limbs. Twilight began to walk away from Pantheons motionless body to feel a sudden pain on her flanks, Twilight looked over to see that one of Pantheon’s fangs was lodged in her Flank right through the centre of the Star, she also saw pantheon standing with a fang missing from his smile. “What… you didn’t… “Twilight groaned as the Pain overcame her body and she fell to the floor slowly dragging herself along the ground towards where she dropped Mares Edge. “Still moving? Most ponies would have died the second I lodged a fang there? What makes you any different Twilight?” Pantheon mocked as he slowly walked over to Twilight’s crawling body. “I can’t die now! I can’t just abandon my friends without giving them freedom!” Twilight yelled as she grasped the fang in her flank using her magic and removed it eliciting a scream of pain as blood started rapidly pouring out of the wound only so be instantly clotted by a quick healing charm Twilight used to alleviate the pain.

“Wise words Twilight but you are ultimately wrong about your ideals, your friends cannot save you here, it’s just you, me and fate.” Pantheon said slowly pulling an aggressive stance, “Then there’s no stopping me now.” Twilight replied raising her weapons in-front of her face defensively. Twilight started to theorise a plan inside her mind using Pantheon’s weight and size against him and in her favour. “I need to concentrate, think Twilight, what can I do to defeat him?” Twilight asked herself as she started galloping towards Pantheon with Starfall rapidly rotating around her body at a speed unmatchable by anything other than the light of the sun. Pantheon rushed at Twilight bearing his fangs which secreted more magma than previously, he did not see that Twilight had Mares Edge raised above her body in a manner that spells death to those who meet its touch, as Twilight wrapped Mares Edge in a green aura, the Aura that occurs when Dark Magic is employed into the world. “Farewell Pantheon, it was fun while it lasted.” Twilight mocked as she brought the blade down onto Pantheon’s now exposed head resulting in all the light present in the room disappearing and the sound of death permeating the air. The lights returned after a short while exposing the now weakened Pantheon lying on the ground, while irregularly breathing, “I shall be back, next time you won’t survive!” Pantheon said as a Green and orange Aura surrounded his figure and made him vanish.

“That was too close, next time don’t get hit in the flank.” Twilight said rubbing her Flank in a soft manner to not injure it anymore. “Oh Applejack!” Twilight gasped as she Levitated Applejack’s cage down to the cathedral floor. “Twilight! You won!” Applejack said as Twilight unlocked her cage, and she rushed over to give Twilight a hug. Twilight savoured the warm embrace of her friend, “Applejack you are free now, you can go back to Ponyvi…” Twilight said before getting cut off by an orange hoof, “No Twilight, I can’t, I need to go back to the other side where my family is Twilight, there’s nothing here for me anymore. I’m sorry Twilight…” Applejack said comforting Twilight with a free hoof, “But I will always be with you no matter what Twilight, here take this.” Applejack continued as she placed a hoof on Twilight’s chest and started to fade away, “Take the spirit of honesty and give the Queen a big beating for me and our Friends!” Applejack said as she was turned to a cloud of orange mist. “Farewell Applejack!” Twilight called as the mist settled and an orange glow emitted from her chest, Twilight placed a hoof to it “Always Applejack, I shall get our friends back from this hell no matter what the cost is.” Twilight promised as she walked to the Cathedral door and pushed it open, ready for whatever was outside waiting for her.

Comments

[nightshroud96]

Man, such memories reading this years ago after I joined the fandom.
And I remember seeing a bit of it years before I joined the MLP fandom too.

There's such a charm in fics that was made in or updated in 2013/2014 for some reason.
Will this continue?

Is Spike still alive? Will he join the fight too and be part of the girls' bond?