The Legend Of Harmony: The Eternal Eclipse

by Radiant Eclipse

Chapter 9: Inexorable Nightfall

Life is a test. Every time you do something, you are test. Your skills, your behaviors, your will; your everything.

Failing these tests leave something behind called ‘regret’. Often, this regret fades away, because of triumphs accomplished later on. But sometimes, regret will cause an innermost apocalypse nearly impossible to escape.

But sometimes, just sometimes, there are friends being there for you, comforting and consoling you; and then... it seems so easy to escape the dolor.

But without friends, you may stuck in an endless void of inner emptiness for all eternity.

========

As the ponies’ unbreakable will, mighty power and shining friendship began to fuel the Elements of Harmony, making them ready to be used against Radiant Eclipse, everyone heard a very silent sound of an impact; an impact of a tiny stone with the surface.

They looked up and gazed unpleasantly surprised at the unconscious body; the body that slowly began to move again.

For the heroes, it seemed absolutely impossible. He was a pony; and they beat him undeniably hard. Every being would need several hours, if not days or weeks, to partially recover in the first place from such a forceful attack.

They knew he was puissant; they knew that he was different from their kind of ponies. But this? They did not know. How could they?

“Something less… but also… something more…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, barely hearable for her friends, but immediately, they understood.

Radiant Eclipse was something less, since he lost most, if not all of his ponyness. But he was something more, because darkness was nearly his entire existence; and darkness is a magic energy beneficiated by all the negativity in this world, like common magic is enriched by the light.

But of course! He was, like the princesses explained, some sort of the counterpart to the Elements of Harmony themselves; artifacts with the strongest light magic properties known by any being. The Magic of Friendship.

But did that mean he was at least partially not even a life form, but a thing that was once able to be used? A tool?

This was a ridiculous thought they had in mind, but after all, they did not know anything undeniably true about him or his existence, so they kept considering it a possibility.

In any way, there was no time for thinking about it anymore, since Ray would soon be able to continue his siege of destruction. It was probably their last chance, as they were too exhausted to keep fighting any longer.

“Now!!” Twilight Sparkle yelled courageously at her friends, while Spike kept a safe distance to not interrupt his friends from re-imprisoning the black colt.

Suddenly, a shocking, familiar and shrill scream, the same scream they heard when all of this started, rang out in their ears and all their focus was gone, as a lucent explosion covered the area around the pile in a lurid, purple and grey energy blast.
In the center of the explosion, where once the pile was, a shape of a screaming colt, standing on his hind legs, was visible; and with an incredible velocity, the blast covered up the ponies and Spike, blinding them and letting them vanish in the painfully bright light the magic explosion emitted.

---------------

The ponies and Spiked opened their eyes and saw that the blast simmered down. Only some magic levins that quickly faded away procreated that there was something very intense going on.

And in the middle of it was, leaving the ponies in utter shock, Radiant Eclipse, standing on his 4 hooves and breathing heavily; seemingly intact without any injuries from their prior fight.

The heroes stood in a row, the elements still glowing and ready to be used, but they were in stasis, like their blood froze with the rise of the darkness that stood in front of them.

“I see…” Ray avowed with a hostile pitch of the voice. “Now I understand why Celestia and Luna chose you to prevent the fulfilling of my destiny. You are very capable beings with strong focus and a will hard as iron.”

He took a step forward. “But you must understand. I was imbecilic and over-confident; maybe even frivolous, because I did not regard you as a serious threat. I did a mistake, I admit that.”

He took another step forward, causing his enemies to back off. “But that won’t happen ever again!!” He yelled aggressively before the dark, purple magic surrounded his whole body like an aura; an aura that caused the hair of the ponies to stream out behind them.

“I told you.” Ray explained his opponents in cold blood. “Nobody will interfere with my plans. I shall surpass you and I shall bring this world to an end. You won’t stop the darkness, nor me!”

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath and swallowed her fear, taking a step forward and facing the black pony. “We have overcome many obstacles; so many trials that tested our strength and our friendship to its limits and beyond. But every time, our friendship succeeded in keeping the harmony in Equestria and the world. We will face this trial and fight for the harmony.

“But above all else, you will not be an exception because we will defeat you and we will save Equestria!” She shouted at him as her Element began to glow even brighter, giving her friends courage and the ability to face Ray.

“Hehehe… such bravado for some little fillies.” He replied calm and serene. “I thought you were different, but it seems like you are as naïve as I thought. But I understand you. Expiration is something not many can accept; and the most do braze it out.”

He smirked, but he levitated into the air and charged his energy. “Well! Make your words come true!”
The ponies lifted from the ground and channeled the powers of the elements inside of them, causing them to glow in a white, bright and warm aura.

“This ends now!” Twilight shouted self-confidently.

The rainbow-colored beam emitted from the heroes and dashed its way towards Ray; quickly battering on him. But he was willed to hold his line and bear against the radiant power with his two fore hooves. The friction at the contact point caused the energy to become instable and threw out rainbow-colored sparks, but still, Radiant Eclipse kept his focus.

The ponies catalyzed everything they had at once into the beam, causing it to become larger and reach that apex of its power. Ray gnashed his teeth and pushed against the immense wall of magic power.

Suddenly, his wrath turned into venom when it seemed like he could face the magic beam with ease.

“You fools! I may not have my soul and with it my full potential, but I am in top condition! Even Luna and Celestia needed to exhaust me before they could unleashed their attack; and it took them and their following not less than 3 days! Looks like my supposition was correct from the beginning on. Compared to the princesses and their pathetic friends, you are nothing but phonies!”

He pressed his hooves stronger against the rainbow-colored beam and soon, a blackish, vein-like dark energy blazed its trail along the beam to the ponies. The bearers of the elements tried to give everything, but it was futile.

“Time for me to end this!” He bawled out loud before his magic aura amplified itself, making it larger than the white aura of the ponies.

He took control over the beam and channeled all the energy he had collected into one of his hoof. This hoof, pressed against the beam, caused it to increase in size and power exponentially, also turning it dark immediately.

It quickly overcame the heroes and they screamed in agony, because they themselves were now the impact spot of their own, corrupted attack.

Spike’s eyes were filled with tears when he witnessed the vain endeavor and suffering of his friends. He immediately rushed towards and wanted it to end.

“Stop!” He shouted, acting desperately by trying to save his beloved, but it was all too late.
The magic energy glowed brighter with each second that past, and soon, it collapsed in a ginormous, magic blast that consumed the crying Spike and the smirking Radiant Eclipse. Soon, it reached the brink of the walls and the top; slowly inflicting damage on them and causing them to crack and collapse.

---------------

“It’s awesome to see ya, Babs Seed!” Applebloom raved about the addressed filly.

“Hehe, thanks. It’s good to see ya pals, again.” She replied friendly. “I’m sorry it took me so long, but you know, never try to stop a Cutie Mark Crusader from getting’ the Cutie Mark, eh?”

“Exactly!” Scootaloo replied energetically.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders still remained close to the princesses on a green hill in short distance to the actual celebration, but they were fine with that since they had many stories to tell each other.

They sat down on the pillows the princesses had prepared for them and made it themselves comfortable.

“Unbelievable that you are befriended with the princesses. But these seats in the front row are proof enough for me.”

“Hihi. Yes. Being a close friend to her has some nice advantages.” Applebloom replied joyfully.

“So…” Babs Seed asked her fellow friends. “Where are Applejack and the others? I couldn’t see them anywhere.”

“Oh…” Sweetie Belle answered insecurely. “I am awfully sorry, but we are not allowed to tell you.”

“What?” Babs Seed asked her in bewilderment. “Why can’t you? Did something happen to…” She asked confusedly, but before she could continue, Celestia and Luna interrupted her.

“It is ok. She can know the truth.” Celestia assured the fillies. “It doesn’t matter anymore I guess.”

“Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? What are you talking…” But once more, she got interrupted by three different figures that arrived behind the princesses.

“Captain Shining Armor awaits your order!” He saluted with honor.

“Very pleasant to meet you here.” Cadance acclaimed the princesses.

But the third figure was not in the mood for displaying respect to Celestia and Luna and simply wave his hand to the them.

“Good afternoon Celestia; Luna.”

With no hesitation, Shining Armor butted the figure’s side. “Discord, show some esteem.”

“Why should I?” Discord turned him away. “I am not part of your guard, especially not a royalty; and I am not as austere and joyless as you are. Seriously, you always seem to be so stiff.”

“Because compared to you, I have to keep a certain pony dignity.” He replied angrily.

“Oh please. Now he is a sorehead.”

Mi Amore Cadenza began to giggle, because Discord’s words had valid content in them.

“Enough!” Luna yelled at them with her powerful, royal voice. “We have no time for this.”

“Ok, ok. No need to shout at us.” Discord explained himself, but immediately focused on the princesses alongside Twilight’s brother and his spouse.

Celestia took the lead and spoke with the threesome “Shining Armor, Cadance, Discord; I am thankful you three could arrange this meeting so quickly. We have to task you with something very important.

Discord and Shining Armor gazed at each other with a facial expression that could be interpreted as surprise, but they listened, since Cadance did the same.

The princesses told them, including Babs Seed, everything they knew. What the current situation with Pariah is, where the bearers of the elements are and what they were supposed to do.

“My sister is fighting against this monstrosity! I am awfully sorry, but what were you thinking?” Shining Armor and Cadance asked the princesses simultaneously in utter shock.

“So Pariah is back…” Discord commented engrossed in his thoughts. “And you knew that he would come back this day all the time?” To which the princesses only nodded insecurely.

“Well, this would have surely caused panic all over the place, like last time.” Discord remarked when suddenly, Cadance turned to the Draconequus.

“Wait. You know Pariah?” She asked him in bewilderment.

“Well actually, Pariah is nothing more than his title. His real name is Radiant Eclipse, though he tends to call himself Ray. He was, simply said, bringing havoc to the world. Things and ponies got together; I helped defeating him and every pony lived happily ever after.” He replied with pride

“You mean you tried to defeat him with chocolate rain and bicycle riding elephants that shot peanuts out of their nose.” Celestia commented, pushing him from his high horse.

“Hey! After all, you had time to gather the Elements of Harmony.” Discord defended himself.

“But our former castle was in ruin after our return.” Luna explained herself.

“An acceptable sacrifice for saving the world, isn’t it? And after all, I only wanted a little honor, but all what I got was seeing you being praised as heroes. So I eventually thought it would be the best to rule Equestria and bring joy to everypony after that terrible event.” He replied with faked display of innocence.

“You mean by imposing misery on everyone?” Celestia questioned him.

“No! By showing every pony the wonderfulness of chaos, of course. But then, you got in my way, because you wanted all the honor and praise and…” But before Discord could finish his sentence, he saw the shocked gazes of the fillies, Shining Armor and Cadance and, because of this, burst out laughing.

“I am awfully sorry, but this had to be done. Look at your faces” He overplayed the total perplexity of everypony else. “Quite simply unparalleled. No, no. I know you are right. I messed things and ponies up for the sake of my entertainment.”

“You behave arrogantly, but you forget that our friends and family; your best friends, are in great danger.” Shining Armor snubbed him angrily.

“Oh come on.” Discord carried over self-confident. “We are talking about your sister and her friends. The Elements of Harmony. Those who defeated me, an army of Changelings, this King Sombra guy I have merely heard of and, how could we forget, helped you, the captain of the royal guard, several times saving Equestria; better said, did your job.”

He smiled at every pony. “Shouldn’t we have faith in their abilities by now? I am sure there is nothing we have to worry about, because there is nothing our friends can’t handle, right?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders jumped joyfully because of his impressive speech and stood tautly in a row. “But of course not!”

“See?” Discord amended what he just said. “When these young fillies can have faith in these heroes, shouldn’t we have faith as well?”

The rest gazed unconfidently at him. They wanted to believe Discord’s words, but it was so hard for them.

“Hey… What is that?” Babs Seed asked silently while pointing at a distant light beam at a mountain chain.

Every member of the group looked at the spot Babs Seed had pointed at and were shocked by what they saw. A dark purple beam of energy raised towards the sky before it ultimately faded away. Everything was silent, even the beating of their heart; and not a single thought was on their mind.

“Fluttershy?” Discord wondered himself solicitously and in trepidation.

An purple, powder-blue energy blast consumed the mountain and expanded even further, before it once more collapsed and sent a blast wave in every direction that rooted all nearby trees and tore the ground open.

“Cover!” Shining Armor ordered everypony so they would eventually throw themselves on the ground to be protected from the blast wave that soon reached Ponyville.

Though it has simmered down on its path, the fur of the ponies and the grass still streamed heavily in the direction of the pressure wave. The drowning out sound intensity of the explosion deafened the ponies; and when it reached the center of Ponyville and with it the celebrating herd, the festival came to an immediate hold, because every single one had to press their hooves on their ears because of the clamant sound.

Discord, while gazing at the rest of their group and then at Ponyville, knew that the princesses’ subjects needed to be calm and in control for the possible attack of Pariah. He did not lose believe in his friends, but it was possible they might have lost the fight, but he chocked his thoughts of what might have happened to them down and created a skyrocket.

He shot it into the air and made it explode into millions of different colors over the heads of the pack, hoping that this would keep the illusion of a save world alive.

Everything faded away and when the ponies saw the firework display, they were quiet amazed. Discord once more took his chance and teleported himself on the tribune.

“I am awfully sorry my fellow ponies. This was a test for the firework tomorrow; and it looks like the amount of magic we have used was way too much. It was the reason for the bright lights, the heavy wind and the extreme audibility. Please forgive the team and we wish you two more enjoyable days.”

The teleported himself next to the little group on the hill and breathed a sigh of relief. “I think they swallowed it.”

“Good work, Discord.” Celestia thanked him honestly.

The princesses, the fillies, Shining Armor and Cadance got on their hooves again, rushed towards the top of the hill and fathomed the result of the explosion.

The mountain has been completely evaporated. Rocks and dust particles where still falling from the sky onto the ground and fading purple magic levins were evidence of a ginormous power.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders shed tears, but when Luna consoled them, they shook their heads and smiled.

“This must have been the final strike.” Sweetie Belle commented.

“Rainbow Dash must have absolutely worn this colt down in this epic finale.“ Scootaloo assured her friends, but especially herself.

“My sister and her friends will soon return and be praised as heroes; and… and we are going to be the best friends of the heroes… and we will make Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon so jealous, their heads will be more read than the apples we pick.”

They giggled nervously, but eventually calmed down and, still being comforted by Princess Luna.
Discord finally saw the remains of the mountain as well and swallowed in uneasiness.

“Do you now understand the importance and severity of our situation?” Celestia asked him dolefully.

“Yes… yes of course.” He replied before he got lost in his thoughts.

Shining Armor had a tear in his eye, unable to stop gazing at the center of the explosion. Cadance stood right next to him and fondled him with her wing; catching his tear and kissing him on the cheek. He immediately felt better, but still, he knew that his sister was in this explosion; and the precariousness about her physical condition plagued his heart.

“Never fear!” Celestia told him comfortingly. “They are out of danger for sure. Your sister, Twilight Sparkle, she is a very gifted unicorn and has a strong heart. Together with the power of friendship her friends give her, she surely managed to escape.”

Shining Armor let her words in and believed in them. “Yes. Yes you are right. But then tell me, Princess Celestia, why did you let them walk this path without preparation?”

“Because they had everything they need. Our knowledge would have only scared them; and this time, they need as much courage as possible. They are our only hope in this dark time. Without the Elements of Harmony, we cannot win this.”

“And to be honest…” Luna noted regretfully. “This anguish of mind would have been too much.”

Cadance finally comprehended the princesses’ situation. “You acted as you thought it was right, but now, you regret it; somehow. You have kept the secret for more than thousand years; and now, close at the parting of the ways, it overcomes you and lacerates your hearts.”

They princesses nodded and saddened, but got consoled by the Cutie Mark Crusaders who snuggled with Luna; and Discord, Shining Armor and Cadance, who comforted Celestia.

Celestia smiled, but turned her head and gazed funereally at the gigantic crowd that danced in hundreds of spotlights.

“This is why we lied. To see the ponies happy. Even if it might be their last days…”

“Everything is going to be alright.” Discord assured her. “You will see; the laughter won’t fade.”

Celestia smiled and left her insecurity behind; standing haughtily and steadily in front of the threesome. “So you understand the importance of what I have to task you with?”

“Yes. Yes of course. Everything needs to be ready for our friends so they can defeat him.” Shining Armor replied tautly.

“And like I said” Discord commented spontaneously. “There is a chance that Pariah has already been defeated, so don’t lose the spirit and keep on going.”

Shining armor looked deeply into his special somepony’s eyes and smiled at her.

“You can do it. For us; for me.” Cadance assured him.

“Yes. I can do it.” He shouted with confidence.

He turned around and faced Celestia alongside Discord and with a brave facial expression, he says what he has been always trained to say.

“Captain Shining Armor, ready to your command.”

---------------

The black colt stood on a sere area of grass, surrounded by detritus and dry, torn wood. The dust cloud slowly simmered down and allowed Ray to beat the dirt out of his fur.

“Whew! Seems like I blew it out of all proportions. Pride goes before a fall. I shouldn’t let my aggression and arrogance lead my body, but I guess this happens when you are awaken so rudely.”

He turned around and looked at the destroyed mountain. The basis still existed, but everything over the first one-third was obliterated in the magic explosion.

Ray’s attitude immediately shifted. There was nothing more gracing his face than a frown that was marked by sorrow.

“What a tragic waste; and uncountable more to come.” He mumbled before his eyes began to fill themselves with tears.

“No… No time for this.” He shook his bad mood and tears off. “I have to put an end to this; once and for all.”

Deadpan with slight seriousness, he walked away from the mountain and inched towards the direction of Canterlot he could clearly see even from this distance. As he entered the areas that were still filled with life and light, a line of atrophy and Death emerged and followed his every step.

========

The Antagonist wins. You surely would have not expected that. Me neither, since I did not regard the triumph over the Elements of Harmony as a victory, but actually as a loss.

I thought they could free me from my existence, but it seemed like I was wrong. They were just fillies; and I was expecting way too much.

At least this is what I thought around that time, but soon, this preliminary estimate should turn out to be wrong; but more to this at a later date.

Comments

[Galicorn]

*explodes*

[Radiant Eclipse]

2111975 Hehe. Glad you like it. Sorry for taking me longer than expected.

[AtTheCrimsonFckr]

BS it's impossible how ..... if there dead you'd best be running for the hills