Chapter 13: The Heat Is On
Sonata groaned as she pushed herself up. She could feel that her body was still intact, so everything was good there. In addition, she could feel the ground beneath her, as well as a strange wave of heat coming from a location not too far away.
Somehow, the heat filled her with dread.
“Ugh. Where am I-”
Sonata stopped and gasped at what lay before her.
There, sitting upon the throne, was Hellfire Sun herself. Her coat was darker than a moonless night, while her mane and tail were burning intensely. Her whole body seemed to be covered with cracks, from which heat seemed to be leaking out, and her glowing red eyes were punctuated by the draconic slits which were her pupils. Even the red and black sun on her flank seemed to be radiating heat. Finally, her hooves seemed to be made out of molten rock, which was slowly flowing onto the ground.
But what truly filled Sonata with terror was the object floating in her magic just a few feet away. It was Princess Luna, beaten and unconscious. Her body was wrapped in chains, and her mane was no longer flowing in the air.
“I see you like my new trophy, my little ponies.”
The fiery alicorn smirked as she brought Luna closer to herself. “Oh, my little princess, you fought very valiantly, but alas, your time as ruler has come to an end.”
“You let the princess go now!”
Sonata turned around, and noticed her friends looking at Hellfire Sun with a variety of expressions; Glides and Amy were glaring at her, while Sugar and Tennis seemed rather uneasy. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was clearly terrified, though she also seemed to be making a conscious effort not to hide behind any point.
Hellfire Sun did not seem to be worried, however. She slowly and calmly turned her head away from Princess Luna to face the group, then, after scanning each of their faces, let out a loud, mirthless laugh.
“Oh, please. Do you honestly think you’re scaring me with this pathetic little display?”
The blue earth pony felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Her eyes darted around as she tried to find the five stone from earlier.
“Looking for these?”
Sonata looked upwards, and her heart sank as Hellfire Sun lifted the stones for all to see.
“I must admit, I'm rather impressed by what you've done here, my little ponies. Admittedly, I was so busy fighting your beloved Princess Luna that I didn't have time to notice what you were doing, but that doesn't change the fact that you rushed into a forest full of danger in order to search for the magic amulets you needed to stop me.”
“Well, in fairness,” said Sonata, “it wasn't that bad, because most of the creatures in there are nocturnal, so they were freaked out by the sun going crazy and never came out.”
For a moment, Hellfire Sun stared incredulously at her. After a moment, however, she managed to compose herself.
“Well, it matters not. I have the elements, and you are powerless to stop me.”
The blazing mare then stepped up from her throne, causing the six smaller ponies to recoil in fear.
“But even if your pathetic little attempt to thwart me has ended in failure, I still admire your determination. And so I feel that I should make a proposal for you.”
Sonata eyed the stones floating in her magical grasp, hoping for a chance to grab them.
“If you join me, I shall spare you and your precious little town. I shall also grant you power, wealth, and anything else that you desire.”
“What about Luna?” asked Sonata.
Hellfire Sun's mane flared out as her eyes narrowed.
“She banished me to the sun for one thousand years!” she yelled angrily. “She deserves no mercy!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Sonata could see Glides inching towards a fallen brick.
“But isn't she your sister?” she said, hoping the dark mare was still focused on her. “She told me that you once ruled together! Isn't that how it's supposed to be?! Sisters, living together in harmony?!” She was instantly reminded of her own siblings, but she shoved away her memories to focus on the task at hand.
For a moment, the fiery alicorn stood still, as though she was pondering Sonata's words. The blue mare held her breath, wondering if her words were having an effect.
To her dismay, Hellfire Sun began to laugh.
“Oh, you are such a naive little mare,” she said. “Princess Luna did indeed have a sister, known as Celestia. However, the ponies of Equestria loved and appreciated her far more than her younger sister, and so young Luna was sad and lonely. I came to her, offering her my friendship, as well as the power to make everypony adore her. At first I believed that she would accept me, but eventually she rejected me and all of my gifts!”
Sonata held her breath, hoping that Glides could reach the brick before she was noticed.
“Celestia, on the other hoof, was willing to take me under her wing when her sister rejected me. But then your precious moon princess became jealous, and so she used the Elements of Harmony to lock us within the sun so she could take everything she wanted for herself! And that's why we shall destroy everything she loves!”
“Not today!”
Hellfire Sun barely had any warning before the brick hit her in the face, causing her to drop the stones. Amy reacted quickly, grabbing them and pulling them over to Sonata.
“All right! What do we do now?!”
Sonata grimaced. She still wasn't sure how to activate their power, and the dark alicorn was already recovering from Glides' attack.
“You little brat!” She spat, then composed herself once again. “Impressive, You distracted me while your cronies prepared their attacks. Most astute.”
“Did she just call us cronies?” Sugar asked. “She's really rude!”
“You dare insult me?!” the blazing alicorn snarled.
“It’s not an insult,” said Sugar. “It’s just that you seem to have a huge stick up your plot.”
At this, Hellfire Sun’s eyes widened in rage, and she opened her mouth to unleash a huge blast of fire. Before it could reach anypony, Amy summoned up a huge magic shield.
“Sonata! If you're going to do anything, you'd better do it now!”
The blue mare stared down at the stones. She had an idea, but she wasn't sure if it would work. However, she couldn't see any alternatives.
She began to sing, using her voice to infuse magic into the stones. Slowly, they began to glow and lift off the ground.
“Is it working?” asked Fluttershy.
“I don’t know,” said Sugar. “But something’s happening!”
At that moment, they heard a loud crash, like glass being shattered. Sonata’s music came to an abrupt stop as she saw Amy lying on the ground, while the remains of her shield dissolved into thin air. On the other side of the room, Hellfire Sun’s horn was shining with red energy.
“IT ENDS NOW!!!”
The enraged alicorn began to rush towards the six mares, creating fiery holes wherever her hooves touched the ground. At the same time, her mane began to grow in size, and the heat it was radiating became more intense.
Sonata dived towards Amy, pushing her out of the way. The others quickly joined her, jumping out of the way just as the fiery mare reached the spot where the stones were charging up. To her shock, the stones began to float around her, glowing in different colors.
“What?! No! This can't be happening!”
The six mares grinned as they watched the stones glow brighter. However, their smiles vanished instantly when the light suddenly disappeared and the stones fell to the ground.
“No...” Sonata said quietly. Hellfire Sun, on the other hoof, cackled madly and slammed her hooves against the ground, creating a wave of fiery energy that shattered the five stones and threw the six mares several feet backwards.
“A noble attempt, my little ponies,” the dark alicorn said. “But alas, it has all been in vain. Soon, everything that you hold dear will be reduced to ash!”
Hellfire Sun burst into maniacal laughter, filling Sonata's heart with dread. But as she turned her head, she saw her friends lying on the floor.
My friends, she thought. I just met them today, and yet they're already so important to me! I can't let them down, no matter what!
“Don't tell me you still want to fight,” Hellfire Sun said. “Those amulets were the only thing you could possibly have used to stop me, and now they have no magic left!”
It was those words that triggered a distant memory that had been hiding at the bottom of Sonata's memory; something her mentor had told her on the night they first met.
True magic does not need any amulets to work, for it comes from the heart.
At that moment, something sparked deep within Sonata.
“You're wrong!”
Hellfire Sun stopped laughing and looked at Sonata with a scowl on her face.
“And why, pray tell, am I wrong?”
Sonata smirked in understanding.
“It doesn’t matter whether you destroyed those rocks, because the magic of the Elements of Harmony was within us the whole time!”
The other five mares looked upwards, surprised by the blue mare's statement. Their surprise only grew, however, when they began to float in the air.
“Tennis Match, who gave up her greatest treasure to help the ailing changelings, represents the Element of... Generosity!”
The turquoise-maned mare grinned as several shards of rock began to float around her, glowing with yellow energy. Hellfire Sun, on the other hoof, was staring with her mouth wide open.
“Fluttershy,” Sonata continued, “who put the safety of her friends above her own, represents the Element of... Loyalty!”
A smile formed on the yellow pegasus' mouth as shards glowing with a pink aura surrounded her. Meanwhile, Hellfire Sun's pupils were shrinking rapidly.
“Night Glider, who offered gentle and tender care to the fierce ursa minor, represents the Element of... Kindness!”
As dark blue shards surrounded Glides, Sonata smirked at Hellfire Sun's growing fear.
“Amethyst Star, who gave me the courage to tell the truth about my past, represents the Element of... Honesty!”
“You can call me Amy,” the pink unicorn said as she was surrounded by white shards.
“Sugar Belle, who confounded the Diamond Dogs with her skilled use of comedy, represents the Element of... Laughter!”
The frizzy-maned unicorn grinned as purple shards floated around her.
For a moment, Hellfire Sun stared at the six mares in shock. However, she then smiled smugly.
“Only five Elements? You've still failed! Without the last element, you can't do anything! And do you really think that an earth pony can wield the element of magic?!”
Aw, I thought it was tacos, Sonata thought to herself. However, she simply grinned at the fiery mare.
“You're wrong, Hellfire Sun. All ponies have magic. Regardless of whether we're unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, or former sirens. And I have the greatest magic of all on my side!”
She turned towards her five friends with a smile on her face.
“Before today, I was always worried about making friends. I was always scared that other ponies would reject me because of what I was. But when I met you, I understood that you saw me for who I was. And even more important, I understood the true meaning of friendship.”
She looked around to admire the various reactions of her friends; Tennis Match and Sugar were grinning excitedly, while Amy, Glides, and Fluttershy were fighting back tears. She then turned towards Hellfire Sun, who looked absolutely terrified.
“Friendship is giving up things to ponies who need them more. Friendship is staying by their side no matter what. Friendship is being compassionate to those who are troubled. Friendship is entrusting others with your greatest secrets. Friendship is finding ways to put smiles on the faces of others.”
As Sonata spoke, bright blue lights appeared over her head, revealing a sixth stone. The blue pony grinned as she felt an incredible power fill her body.
“FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!”
Energy began to flow from each of the six mares and joined together above them in the colors of the rainbow. The fiery mare could only scream as the magic of the Elements of Harmony headed straight for her.
For a few seconds, the entire room was bathed in a white light as the magic flowed from the six ponies to their target. And yet, as quickly as it had started, it was over.
Sonata groaned as she looked upwards. The lights outside the windows had dimmed considerably, and the light shining from them now felt warm and gentle.
“What happened?” she asked, raising a hoof to her head. To her surprise, it touched something that wasn’t there before. She grabbed the object and pulled it down towards her face. It was a golden tiara which had a couple of small blue gems lining the sides. At the top, there lay a large pink gemstone shaped like a heart with a blue musical note-shaped gem wedged into it.
“It’s just like my cutie mark,” she said quietly.
“Whoa! Yours is so cool!”
Sonata turned around at the sound of Glides’ voice, and saw that each of her friends was now wearing a golden necklace, each with a gemstone matching their cutie mark. Tennis had a yellow tennis ball, Fluttershy had a pink butterfly, Glides had a dark blue moon with two feathers made of gold surrounding it, Amy had a white diamond, and Sugar had a purple cupcake.
“Yours look great too!” said Sonata.
“Yeah, but yours is a crown!” said Tennis. “It’s like you’re a princess or something!”
The six mares laughed for a moment.
“Wait!”
Everypony turned towards Sugar. who was poking at her mane.
“What’s wrong?” asked Fluttershy.
“Something’s stuck in there,” said Sugar. “I mean, things get lost in there all the time, but-”
To everypony’s shock, a very recognizable object suddenly fell out of her mane.
“MY TENNIS RACKET!!!”
Tennis dived for the racket, and then hugged it as if her life depended on it.
“I’m never going to lose you again!” she said, tears streaming out of her eyes.
Everypony stared at the peach mare, bemused by the unexpected turn of events.
“Well, I guess that’s one thing to be happy about,” said Glides.
“I suppose so,” said Amy. “Anyway are these the Elements of Harmony?”
“Yes, and no.”
The six mares turned, and were amazed to see Princess Luna, restored to full health, walking slowly towards them.
“Princess Luna!” Sonata yelled, running up to her and hugging her tightly. The blue alicorn was briefly surprised by this gesture, but she quickly smiled and hugged her back.
“I knew you could do it, Sonata,” she said happily. “You’ve saved Equestria, and more importantly, you’ve finally broken out of your shell.”
Sonata grinned and broke the embrace. She then began to point at her friends.
“Princess, I want you to meet my friends: Amethyst Star, Sugar Belle, Night Glider, Tennis Match, and Fluttershy.”
The five mares seemed slightly nervous about meeting face-to-face with their ruler, but they still waved, and then took a quick bow. Luna smiled warmly as she watched them.
“Please, there is no need for formalities. We are all friends here, are we not?”
“Yeah! You can totally be cool when you hang around with Luna!”
Sonata’s friends looked up, quite surprised by how casually their princess was acting.
“Well, if you insist,” Amy said uncertainly. “But what did you mean when you answered my question?”
Luna smiled and rolled her eyes playfully before answering.
“Oh, well it’s nothing important… except for the fact that, while the Elements of Harmony have a great deal of magic, they are useless without ponies who can embody the virtues they represent.”
Seeing the confusion on the element bearers’ faces, she continued.
“You see, the elements are more than just magic; they represent the ideals and virtues that all good ponies should strive for. Generosity, loyalty, kindness, honesty, and laughter are what give meaning to life. And most importantly, they hold the key to the greatest magic of all: the magic of friendship.”
Sonata looked off into the distance for a moment, allowing her mentor’s words to sink in. There was a time, long ago, when she would never have appreciated any of the virtues embodied by the elements. Now, however, she understood why they were so important: not only because they had saved Equestria, but because they had allowed her to open her heart to other ponies for the first time in as long as she could remember.
“Wow! That is so cheesy!”
Sonata was pulled out of her thoughts by the voice. She turned to see that everypony else was now glaring at Tennis.
“What?” she asked. “It is!”
“Perhaps,” said Luna. “But you cannot deny that the six of you have forged a very strong bond.”
The blue alicorn then turned around.
“And speaking of strong bonds…”
She began to walk towards a figure that was lying in the middle of a ring of ash and soot. As it began to stir, the ponies realized that it was an alicorn; it had a white body and a pink mane. But what shocked them the most was her cutie mark; it was a sun not unlike the one that had adorned the flank of Hellfire Sun, though this one was not glowing, and it was colored orange and yellow.
“Is that really her?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “She looks so different!”
“I think she is,” said Amy. “She’s in the same spot, and she has the same cutie mark.”
*For extra feels you may listen to this music while reading*
The alicorn groaned as she lifted her head. Her eyes slowly opened, and then widened when she lay eyes on Luna.
“Hello Celestia,” Luna began as her eyes began to fill with tears. “It has been too long…”
She then did something completely unexpected; she fell to her knees and began to hug the white alicorn.
“I’m so sorry! I… it was all my fault! None of this would ever have happened if I hadn’t been so selfish, ignorant, and-”
Before Luna could say anything else, her sister lifted her hoof to her lips, silencing her. Luna looked at Celestia, noticing that her eyes were also full of tears.
“No, sister. The blame falls solely on my shoulders. I had always known how much it hurt you to see your beautiful nights ignored while my days were loved by everypony. And I also know how much you longed to be appreciated like I was. And yet I ignored the signs in my foolish belief that you could deal with your problems on your own. I could have used my great wisdom to help you find your way. But my naive belief that everything can simply fall into place if you simply let others figure out what to do prevented me from doing anything until it was too late.”
As Celestia finished, Luna stared at her in shock.
“But… I accepted the help of a dark entity! With its power, I would have doomed all of Equestria! I deserved whatever fate the elements had in store for me!”
“No, sister,” said Celestia. “You only accepted the help of the nightmare because it offered you the one thing you needed the most: friendship.”
“Even if that is true, you didn’t have to let it possess you,” said Luna. “You could simply have banished me, imprisoning the nightmare along with me! You could have been the one to rule Equestria for a thousand years! Why did you give up a thousand years of your own life to save me?”
Celestia lifted a hoof and gently stroked Luna’s mane.
“Oh, Luna. What kind of big sister would I be if I wasn't willing to give up everything to save you?”
At this, Luna threw her hooves around Celestia and hugged her as tears flowed freely from her eyes. Celestia did the same, embracing her sister for the first time in a thousand years as she shed tears of her own.
“I love you,” Luna said tearfully.
“I love you too, little sister,” Celestia replied.
As the two alicorns hugged, Sonata could feel a few tears leaking out of her eyes. As she looked around, she saw that each of her five friends were also fighting to keep their own tears in.
“They really are sisters,” said Glides. “They may get into fights once in awhile, but they always forgive each other in the end.”
Sonata smiled at her friend’s comment, though her smile quickly faded away.
I just wish my sisters could forgive each other too.
Stats
Page generated in 0.031 seconds
Total duration
1,098 users online
1,970,601 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
sorry but this must be done FIRST!!!
hehehe sorry but ive never had first comment
anyway GREAT CHAPTER :3
on another note you might want to change that to a :
6531607
How goes the hunting, Kindred?
The Typo Police are on the scene!
That music really provided the extra feelz!
And I love that theme song reendition!
6531552 6531680 Whoops! Fixed!
6531680 Good! I spent plenty of time trying to come up with something that worked for this verse!
Whoo!
That was great! What a wonderful chapter! Can't wait to see what happens next!
Please. there is no need for formalities
1. Should be a comma instead.
Oh... oh my, I think... yes, I think I feel an 80's flashback moment coming on...
Aaaahhh, yup! There it is...
Seriously though, great finale! Between Sonata's 'Aw, I thought it was tacos,' and the return of Tennis' racket, I was cracking up. I'm also impressed by how you managed to take a classic scene from the show and make it your own; blending in a little bit of extra comedy while still maintaining the dramatic and emotional elements.
And that last line... oof, that really brings the whole thing home, doesn't it?
s6.postimg.org/dd47s96ap/Pirate_Approved.jpg
6532833 Fixed!
*sees title of chapter* *starts singing the Miss Saigon soundtrack*
BTW anyone who wants to listen to this song, be warned that it containsmarines at a strip club or something like that
6531805 It turned out amazing!
Way to have your priorities straight, Luna
At least this Celestia gets it!
This is great!:)
A good fanfic!:)
I love this!:)
Not to be rude, but is this whole story just an Alt. Universe rehash of S1 EP 1&2? Meaning: you aren't going to go into what happens afterward? Because I wanna know what happens....
Awesome chapter. Very moving.
If only canon Celestia could learn this lesson.
What? Just because I like her, doesn't mean I can't point out her flaws every once in a while.
That was so much cooler than the canon version of Nightmare Moon's banishment! I mean, I do like the canon story and all but all the time it was like Luna was to blame for everything! And she has never really brought the eternal night, by the way. -.-"
What I will never understand is why the elements before punish and then cure the opponent...
Great story, I just loved when Sonata's sillyness popped up randomly with her tacos mania, it just made me laugh
P.s sorry, SORRY for the possible errors in this comment! English is not my mother language. ^^"
7544761
Well, Celestia couldn't use their power she was only one half of the pair while Twilgith her firends used it's true strrngth in the sevrice of friendship. As for Discord they reversed the initial spell rather than using the same spell twice.