A New Purpose

by Sparky Brony

Chapter 14.

***Twilight Sparkle***

I keep an eye on Nick as we keep flying. The Nightmare has been enthusiastically following my lead. Though it’s looking hopeless, while the bugs are in somewhat of a disarray, they are still pouring through portals quickly. I’m just glad they haven’t figured out a way to get portals inside the city proper. The constructed spell around Canterlot has helped in that respect. No portal can be made within the walls of the city, so long as those walls remain intact.

“Twilight, look!” Nick howls.

I glance back at Nick, then look the direction he’s pointed. The Nightmare notices too. She swoops down and starts to lay waste to the bugs that are clambering over the wall. I join her, finding my strength continuing to be taxed as I try to keep being creative with the magic resistant nature of the bugs. Luna was involved with the constructed spell, so the Nightmare is not attacking the walls themselves. But massive blocks of simple air are physically sweeping the bugs off the wall. I slam into the top of the wall in a hard landing.

“Hurry!” I call as I start to gather debris from the demolished buildings all around. I find unbroken blocks quickly and stack them on the top of the wall. The Nightmare notices what I’m doing and lands herself. She keeps pushing the bugs away as I continue to work. Pulverizing some of the rocks and mixing minerals together to make mortar. In a matter of minutes, I’ve added more than ten feet of height to the wall. I close my eyes and concentrate my magic. The stone contracts slightly and its strength is multiplied. “There.” I pant as I look inside the city, “We can’t do anything for those that made it over, but no more will get through for now.”

The Nightmare flashes into the air, and I speed up to follow her. Nick comes up next to me, “It’s like the Red Queen’s dilemma.” He muses.

I look at him and he chuckles at the look on my face, he continues, “It’s from a story in my world, called Through the Looking Glass. The Red Queen says to Alice, ‘Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.’ We are fighting as hard as we can, but we aren’t advancing.”

I look at some of the devastation and bodies left behind by their breach into the city itself, “I’d say no matter what we are doing, we are losing.”

He sighs and nods, “Twilight, we need to do something. Or our entire world will be overrun by these things.”

I find myself growling, “We can kill them, we can close the portals. But they just keep coming.”

He looks at a newly opened portal as a dozen dragons rip into the bugs as they emerge, “It’s too bad we can’t stop their ability to make those damned portals.”

Something clicks in my head, then I smile, “Nick, you are a genius.” I shout as I put on a burst of speed.

I hear him respond as he catches up, “Naturally. But what specifically.”

The plan formulating in my mind makes me smile, I look at him, “Everything, love.” I streak towards the Nightmare.

“I need you to join with me in magic, Nightmare Moon.” I call.

This gets her to stop, “Why?” She asks, her face guarded.

“We need to make it impossible to make more portals. We need to stop them from coming through.”

“You little foal, don’t you think we’ve been trying to do?”

I smile, “Yeah, but by yourself, even with the added power of the nightmare, it isn’t enough. We need to combine our power. I’ll let you control, since Princess Luna is the one who figured out how to find other dimensions, use my power. Use my added strength to move everything.”

Her brow furrows, “Move everything?” Her eyes narrow and flick back and forth as she thinks furiously, then she smiles, “Ahh, I get it. Open yourself to me, Princess Twilight. But we will need more than you. Follow me.”

I follow as she angles for the castle, I think I know what she has in mind. And she confirms this by landing next to Princess Celestia. She steps forward, her wings folding by her sides, “I know what you want to do to me, dear sister, but the problem is bigger than either of us. I need you to join your magic with me, and with Twilight. We will stop the monsters from coming through.”

Celestia flinches, then looks at me. I nod, “Princess, you don’t have to trust her, but you can trust me. We will stop them coming through.”

“But what about those here?”

I sigh, “We need to close off the spigot before we address the flooding, Princess. Please?”

She looks at the ponies fighting and dying all around, she watches a flight of pegasi get hit by an artillery bug’s beam and all of them fall towards the ground. Other pegasi guards rush to catch those falling. Only half are saved, the rest are torn apart by the bugs as they crash. Celestia suppresses a sob as she nods, her horn glows mutely as she opens herself. My horn glows the same way as the Nightmare reaches out and pulls our power into her. She gasps as the torrent of power rushes through her, she smiles. “Now, it is time to end this threat to the ponies.” I follow her as she takes off once again. We fly above the highest spire of the great city of Canterlot.

“Now, let us begin.” She intones softly, and I find myself gasping as she pulls my magic, I know Celestia is feeling what I’m feeling. The moon itself flashes as she pulls everything she can from it as well. Midnight black tendrils extend from her horn, dividing again and again as each pony and bug is touched by the magic. The tendrils divide again as I feel even more power being used. The Nightmare is panting in effort as the effect spreads from Canterlot throughout the land around us. I watch as the magic becomes a wave, extending outward from Canterlot at speeds that would put Rainbow Dash to shame. In a matter of moments, the entire world around is enveloped in the oddly glimmering black magic. I get closer to the Nightmare. She grunts as the power flows through her.

“I couldn’t do this without the Nightmare” Comes Princess Luna’s voice from the black form, then she sighs, her voice changing back, “Now for the hard part.”

She strains, and I had only thought she had pulled every bit of magic I had before. Torrents of magic flow through the black Nightmare. I can feel her pain. I can feel the strain she is putting herself through. Her connection is to reality itself right now, her magic is touching everything. Then I feel it, a very subtle shift in my perception, everything, just a little bit. I look down as all the portals around Canterlot snap closed, some even slicing the bugs trundling through into pieces. The magic suddenly drains from me as the shift finishes, I turn towards the Nightmare, she’s falling.

“Nick, catch her.” I shout as I try to reorient my strength. I’m panting just trying to stay in the air. He flashes down and catches her, I fly next to him as we land on the parapet from Celestia.

“No more bugs will be able to make it here, Princess.” I say softly, “She’s shifted reality, the entire world, well actually,” My ears flick, “everything. We no longer occupy the space we were, we are elsewhere.”

Princess Celestia looks confused, “What are you talking about?”

The Nightmare shifts and stands up slowly, blood slowly leaking from her nose, “I changed our address. Essentially, the spell to find Equestria will simply fail, or open on another universe, not ours. The base knowledge of our world, our universe, is fundamentally changed. Since Princess Luna opened that first portal to find a love for Princess Twilight, she knew our address. So…” She smiles in exhaustion, “I changed it. They won’t be able to find it, not without help.”

A distant explosion draws our attention away from the city proper, Celestia growls, “Now we have to take care of them.”

I smile, “I have an idea.” I strike, hard. Wrestling control of the magic away from the Nightmare.

She looks at me in horror, “What are you doing you fool?”

“Ending this threat.” I say softly as I draw the magic from her, I pull on her connection to the moon, and pull everything I can. She starts to howl as the magic that makes the Nightmare flows into me.

“Twilight, no!” Celestia calls, only to be silenced by a glare from me, “I asked you to trust me, Princess Celestia. And I’m asking you to continue that trust.”

I can feel the emotions of the Nightmare. Princess Luna’s dark blue starts to become visible as I continue pulling the power. The hate, the anger, the betrayal, all burn inside me. I fight those emotions as they become more and more prominent. I smile, “Yes, this is exactly what I need.” I growl as the Nightmare is fully ripped from Princess Luna and the weakened mare collapses to the ground. I trot a few steps until I can see the entire battlefield, all the bugs advancing as they fight towards the walls of the city.

I enhance my voice for all to hear, “You want the magic of the ponies, here!” And I fire. All the magic I’ve gathered I fire at the bugs, not really magical power, though the strength is pushing it to all the bugs, everywhere in this world. Without their queen, they are vulnerable. What I send them is the hatred and envy of the Nightmare. My eyes flash white as I continue pouring those toxic emotions into the bugs. After what seems like forever, I find myself losing the connection, wetness drips from my own muzzle as I find my strength ebb from me.

***Nick***

“Twilight!” I shout as I flash forward and catch her before she crashes into the marble. I look back at the unconscious Luna and the staggering Princess Celestia, “What did she do?”

Celestia moves slowly to the parapet, “Look, young Nicholas.” She says softly.

I watch the bugs, they have pulled back from the wall, the chaos that losing the queen is multiplied by thousands. The bugs are a roiling mass of their blood and their body parts.

I whistle softly, “They are killing each other.”

Celestia moves over to her sister and nuzzles her, then she lights her horn, the semi-darkness of the perpetual eclipse passes as the sun moves from behind the moon, illuminating the day beautifully. The bugs continue fighting and killing each other.

Celestia moves over and nuzzles Twilight, “When my sister was fighting them, she remarked that the only thing she was able to feel of their emotions was hunger. She tried to find them in their dreams, because they do sleep, after a fashion. Their dreams were protected by their connection to their queen.”

“Twilight killed their Queen.” I say.

She looks at me and nods, “Then I can see how it worked. She used that connection, she exploited their weakness.”

That gets a smile from me, “Cloud Kicker told me about that once. Look for your opponents weakness and exploit it, rather than depending on your strengths.”

Princess Celestia smiles, “Cloud Kicker was with her during her search for you. I’m guessing she passed her knowledge of strategy to Twilight herself.”

***

The pressure on the shield lightens up quite a bit, Shining Armor and Cadance look at each other, blinking.

“What happened?” Shining pants.

Cadance closes her eyes, “I think things are going to be okay.”

Shining sit down heavily, “So, was it related to that magic that went over us?”

She nods, “I think so. I think Twilight may have won this war.” She gathers herself and streaks towards the shield perimeter. The ponies and all the others involved in the fighting are standing at the boundary, looking through the translucent bubble.

General Snow steps forward, “Something happened, the monsters just started attacking each other.”

Cadance tenses for a moment, then she smiles, “Yeah, I think Twilight did something to them. But let’s monitor this, once they stop fighting, let’s be ready to wipe out the rest of them and end this, permanently.”

***

Discord chuckles as he flies up higher, Fluttershy with him, they both fly over the devastation, the bugs are starting to quiet down as more and more die. She looks at Discord, “The sun is back, and the bugs are dying. We haven’t seen our last sunset yet.”

The draconequus smiles at Fluttershy as they keep out of reach. Discord snaps his fingers and an artillery bug, which has been laying waste to the bugs around it flashes to the size and shape of a skunk. And is promptly torn apart by the bugs around it, he smiles, “And their magic resistance is lessening it seems. I knew Twilight was up to something up there in Canterlot.”

Fluttershy grimaces at the draconequus, “Really, Discord. A skunk?”

He chuckles, “Well, I thought it fitting, since both of their butt blasts are deadly.”

She giggles and looks up at the city on the mountain, “I knew she could do it.”

***

Rainbow Dash groans and shifts on the bed, her eyes flutter open. Then they go wide and she sits up in a rush.

The nurse puts her wings on the other pegasus, pushing her down into the soft cloud bed, “Calm down. You are out of surgery now.”

Dash looks at the other pony, “Surgery?”

The other mare looks at Dash, “What is the last thing you remember?”

Dash flops back onto the bed, “I was trying to catch up with Lightning Dust when one of those artillery bugs nearly hit me.” Her eyes widen, “What happened to her?”

The nurse looks confused, “Who?”

“Lightning Dust.”

The white pegasus looks sad, “I’m sorry, I don’t know. But I think they do.” She shifts to point at four Wonderbolts walking slowly towards her.

Dash scowls, “Surprise, what happened to Lightning Dust?”

Surprise looks back at the other ‘bolts with her, then back at Dust, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. But we couldn’t catch up with her. When you went after the artillery bug, I continued on to go after Dust. The rest stayed with you.” Tears start to leak from the other pony’s eyes, “I’m sorry, Dash, I wasn’t fast enough. I saw the effect of her blast with her magic, but I couldn’t catch her as she fell.” She sniffles, “The bugs tore her apart. I don’t think there is enough left for a proper funeral.”

“Damn it, that featherbrain.” Dash shouts as she pounds the bed with a hoof, “Let me get up, we’ll have to tell her family.”

“No, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash looks at the nurse who had just spoken, “What did you tell me? I’m the general for the 1st Pegasi squadron. I have to get with my troops.”

Surprise comes forward, “The war is over, Rainbow Dash. The bugs can’t get to us anymore, and the ones here…” She gulps and looks around, “They are all dead.”

Dash’s eyes widen, “How long was I out?”

“Most of a day.” Says one of the other Wonderbolts, “Add in your surgery.”

Dash frowns, “What is this surgery you keep talking about? I feel fine.”

The nurse chuckles, “Rainbow Dash, you are on enough painkillers for four ponies right now. I’m frankly surprised you are conscious. But I guess that is the speedster in you.” She sighs, “We had to perform an amputation.”

Dash looks confused, “What?” She brings her forehooves together and looks at them, then she looks at her rear hooves.

Surprise chokes off a sob, “It wasn’t a hoof, Dash.”

Dash’s eyes widen, “No…”

Surprise nods, “Your right wing was ruined. The doctors had enough problems keeping you alive.” She sees the tears on the cyan pegasi’s face, “They made the decision, you were losing too much blood. To repair the blood vessels would have starved your wing, so they decided to remove it.”

Dash shakes her head faintly, Surprise attempts a giggle, “Well, Soarin likes his prosthetic wing. I think you’ll like yours, once it’s built.”

Dash breaks down in tears, and finds a pony pulling her into a hug, “Fluttershy?” She’s able to murmur through her tears, “I thought you were in Ponyville.”

Fluttershy nuzzles her friend, “I was, but I came to Canterlot to see you when they told me you were hurt. Well, you and one other.”

Dash’s eyes widen once again, “Who?”

Fluttershy flinches and goes silent, Surprise comes forward, “The one who saved us all.” She moves and points to another pony lying on another bed.

Rainbow Dash finds the strength and wiggles away from everypony. She gets on the floor and walks unsteadily towards the other pony. As she walks, she notices another face. “Nick?”

The sleeping pony doesn’t respond, so she leaps at him, knocking him off the chair and hugging him. He flails wildly for a moment until his eyes focus on her, then he smiles, “Rainbow Dash, good to seeya.”

She nuzzles the brown pegasus stallion, “What is going on?”

Nick sighs, “She ended the threat, she used every bit of power she could, but she ended the threat to the ponies. The doctors don’t know if she’ll be able to ever wake up again.”

Rainbow Dash moves over to the prone pony, “Oh Twilight, what have you done to yourself.” She sobs as she lets the tears flow.

Comments

[kitsy-chan]

Another wonderful chapter, a real emotional roller coaster. A nice nail biter. Good good going sparky!

[harts fire]

exultant chapter perfect.

[Starlight Nova]

Why doesn't this story have a human tag?

[harts fire]

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I can think of one reason rather quickly.
in this story ark Nick was never human he was pony from the first word.

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Damn, just... damn, you just shocked me speechless!