23. Generosity
Later, everyone was standing and stretching after the meal Applejack has made for them. In Twilight’s opinion, she had found heaven. Food that didn’t taste like crap! Definitely one of those things the Unicorn turned hybrid would have to get used to.
Twilight also noticed as they ate how Sunset seemed to be unusually focused on the campfire, almost glaring into it. Sunset had been almost antagonistic since Twilight had met the mare, but now she seemed to just be brooding. Something was definitely bothering her.
One surprise had been Pinkie being up and about shortly after the others had returned to the camp. Twilight shook her head. The mare was likely going to be breaking the rules regularly. May as well at least try and get used to it.
“So what’s the plan now? Has anyone found a way to the castle while I was out?” she asked everyone as they sat around the fire.
“We haven’t exactly been looking,” Rainbow Dash said. “Ever since you did whatever it is you did to save Pinkie, the Shadows have been hunting us relentlessly. Thankfully, they don’t seem to like light, so we’ve just been going camp to camp until you guys finally woke up.”
Fluttershy hesitantly jumped in. “We were hoping you would know what to look for,” she mumbled.
Twilight nodded. “The Castle of the Two Sisters is our destination, and is at the center of the forest. Celestia told me that anyone trying to find the Elements will be tested. She said the way to castle would only open up to those who pass the tests, and that said tests were powered by what remains of the Elements of Harmony. Nightmare Moon can get into the castle, but while she’s within she won’t be able to remember that it’s also the home of the Elements. Celestia was thorough with their protections.” She sighed. “I don’t get why she didn’t just lay a trap in the castle that would kill Nightmare Moon. Sister or not, Eternal Night is a slow and painful death for anyone not immortal.”
Applejack frowned. “I don’t like how your first instinct is to kill her. Surely she can be rehabilitated, right?”
Twilight frowned into the fire, and tossed a stick in to make it flare when she noticed the shadows at the edge of the clearing shifting. They retreated from the light. “The only good enemy is a dead enemy,” she started, drawing some gasps. “Dead enemies can’t come back smarter and more knowledgeable on how to beat you. Dead enemies can’t pretend to be good and then stab you in the back when you least expect it. Dead enemies,” she stopped, realizing she was beginning to raise her voice. She calmed, before continuing. “Dead enemies can’t play with your emotions.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “You were betrayed,” she said with certainty. She also looked into the fire, missing Twilight’s raised eyebrow. “I know that feeling,” she mused. “Just when you think you can trust someone, just when you’re sure they would never do anything to hurt you… they show you just how wrong it was to trust them.” she shook her head after a moment and looked at Twilight. “But that doesn’t mean no one is trustworthy. Maybe Nightmare Moon can change. After seeing the crap she’s pulled, I doubt it, but if we don’t try… well, how does that make us different than her? We’d just be killers of a different kind.”
“Besides, maybe the Elements will make her good again!” Pinkie declared optimistically.
Twilight and Sunset both shook their head. “That’s not possible,” they both said in stereo. After staring at each other for a moment, Twilight motioned for her to continue.
“Magic can’t change the core of a person like that,” Sunset began. “At least, not in a single instance. Magic can control the body, can force you to do things, but if you ever experience something like that you’ll find yourself as a prisoner in your own body, mentally screaming at yourself to stop what you’re doing. Magic can’t just change you on a moral and personal level.”
“Even Harmony magic can’t do that,” Twilight picked up. “There is nothing harmonious about doing what amounts to mental and emotional murder. I’m willing to kill… but not like that.”
“So all of this… is what Princess Luna wanted?” Rarity asked. “All this chaos and pain?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, Luna’s situation is a bit more complicated than that. She…” she stopped, her eye narrowing. Her ears twitched as she focused on her hearing. Everyone tensed as Twilight slowly reached for her sword at her side. “... They’re gone,” she whispered, her eye scanning the edge of the clearing she was facing.
“Eh…?” Applejack asked.
Fluttershy eeped, curling in herself. “The Shadows… they’re not around us anymore!” she whispered, terrified of what could scare the constructs of darkness away.
Sunset’s eyes snapped skyward. “SCATTER!!!” she roared, diving away from the fire. Everyone followed a heartbeat later.
Something huge crashed into the fire, destroying it and sending burning wood everywhere, also kicking up a large amounts dirt and dust, effectively hiding what had landed there. Twilight shivered at the rage she could feel coming from whatever was in there. She drew her sword, but realized her hand was shaking. She frowned. ‘Am I… hesitating?’ she wondered.
A murderous red glow lit up within the dust cloud, and with a thudding whoosh, something blew away the makeshift smokescreen.
Everyone froze at the sight of dark violet dragon the size of a horse floating there, its great leathery wings flapping to keep it a few feet off the ground. Its eyes were pitch-black, except the red irises that were glowing with power and rage.
“Raaaaaaaah,” it hissed, steam escaping its mouth.
“Dragon!” Rarity finally managed to scream. “Run!”
Everyone but Twilight scattered in all directions. Twilight didn’t notice. She was staring into those red eyes. Something was… wrong.
‘Well,’ she thought. ‘Of course something’s wrong. The thing’s obviously consumed by wrath.’
The dragon roared again, and an aura of darkness flared to life around it. Twilight’s eye widened, and then with a burst of speed a creature that size shouldn’t have, the dragon was in front of Twilight and punching her in the face. The air reverberated from the impact, and she went flipping end over end.
Twilight’s arms lashed out at the ground, using magic to make her hands stick enough for a grip. Her feet also hit the ground and she started sliding. She winced, feeling her hand spasm from the use of magic. “Right, not recovered yet,” she mumbled to herself.
Hearing the whoosh of air being disturbed by something large moving fast, Twilight’s gaze snapped up and she jumped, legs raised as high as she could get them. The dragon just barely missed her. Grabbing her sword, Twilight flipped it and took aim, twisting in the air.
Then she paused, hand gripping the sword like a spear. Twilight stared up at the dragon with her one eye. ‘Why am I hesitating?’ she wondered.
She landed on her feet and stared at the dragon as it turned to her. They locked gazes, and it also hesitated. The red glow flickered, and Twilight saw a different color for a moment. Green. His eyes were green. She glanced down. His body was purple. A dark purple, but purple nonetheless. His underbelly was almost brown, the green coloring was so dark.
Purple and green scales, green eyes…
She paled. “No…”
The darkness flared, and the dragon roared. It unleashed a ball of black fire at her… and Twilight did nothing but stare emptily at the dragon.
A shimmering shield of blue and teal colored magic appeared between Twilight and the attack, tanking it valiantly. The shield shattered, but the attack was gone.
Twilight looked over and saw Rarity and Sunset, their horns glowing in unison. She looked the other way and watched the dragon. It glared at the two intruders.
The two unicorns ran in opposite directions, directing magic projectiles at the dragon as they went. They kept its attention divided. Twilight stared at the dragon as it batted the attacks aside with its arms. “She… wouldn’t. Not this much… right?” she mumbled to herself.
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said, flying over. “Come on, we need to go! We can’t fight a dragon!”
“But…” Twilight started, and then hesitated.
“They can’t distract it for long! Let’s go!” Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled, trying to get her to move.
Twilight looked back at the dragon, just as it roared again, releasing a shockwave of darkness. The attack hit both Rarity and Sunset, knocking them off their hooves and sending them sprawling. Rarity, of course, shrieked like a banshee.
Instincts flared, snapping her from her daze. Twilight erected a shield and the shockwave splashed off of it harmlessly. She ignored the pain the action caused. Her gaze hardened and her lips pulled back into a snarl. Her magic began to waft from her body in a haze as her own rage began to affect her. “This…”
She extended her magical senses beyond her body, and found what she was hoping for. She turned to look at a seemingly random spot, above a nearby tree branch, and her eye began to glow with purple light. Her hair also beginning to wave in her magic, like static was lifting it from her body. All in all, she looked quite demonic.
“Run,” she said with a voice laced with rage and venom to the divination spell watching her and her friends. “Because when I find you…” She finished her threat by gripping the divination spell in her magic and crushing it ruthlessly. The backlash would leave the Alicorn with a migraine, which suited Twilight just fine. Then she turned her attention to the dragon.
To Spike.
‘Wrath magic is a subtype of magic produced by a dragon when experiencing the emotions of anger, rage, or hatred in sufficient quantities. Causes body growth, enhanced strength, and diminished ability to tell friend from foe,’ she recited in her mind. She examined the aura of darkness around Spike. ‘But that’s not what happened here. This isn’t Spike’s wrath. This is the influence of Dark Magic, and he’s generating it.’ Her eye narrowed.
She knew Spike would likely be killed by Nightmare Moon when she realized Twilight had broken the deal, and though it had hurt considerably to choose Equestria over his life, she knew that Spike, as an innocent child, would be welcomed within one of the various Pure Worlds with open arms. He would be cared for.
But this… this was too much, and right now Twilight wasn’t sure what to do.
Spike lunged for her. She reacted by reaching a hand out, and making a fist. Spike was halted immediately, a massive and nearly transparent hand of pure solidified magic grasping him. She grunted as he struggled to break free. She wouldn’t be able to hold him for long, especially not with the burning pain that was building in her body.
‘What can I do? If it was just wrath magic, I could fight him until he exhausted himself, but Dark Magic will keep him going, making him stronger as he loses himself to it more and more.’ Her mind raced, struggling to come up with a plan.
“Twi?”
Twilight looked over and down, spotting her friends standing there, Applejack having been the one to speak. Twilight paused. ‘Friends? When did I start considering them my friends?’ she mused.
“Twi, you’re crying,” the farm mare pointed out, looking plainly worried about that concept.
Twilight unclenched a hand, wincing as she felt her fingernails leave the cuts they dug into her palms, and brought her thumb to her face. Pulling back, she sure enough found wetness there. She had to give a chuckle at that, now realizing she was actually shaking.
“Ask me to let a child die for the sake of the rest of the world, and I agree to it. Painfully, but I agree to it.” She shook her head. “But ask me to strike him down myself?” She laughed again, though it was a bit more hysterical this time.
The ponies felt their eyes widen at what she insinuated. “Wait, that brute is that dragon friend of yours?” Rarity asked, her head whipping around to stare at the thrashing dragon. “…I suppose I can see the similarities…”
“What happened to him?” Sunset asked, also staring at the dragon that was so much bigger and meaner than the image Nightmare Moon had shown them was.
Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know, but he’s generating Dark Magic, something that can only happen in two ways, both of which involve twisting your soul in horrible ways.” She gave a shuddering sigh and looked at Spike, and saw that the magical hand holding him was cracking. Her eyes narrowed. “Soul magic is a forbidden subject, and for good reason. All it takes is one small miscalculation, and you effectively wipe yourself from existence, nevermind what happens when you inject something from the Impure World into something that was created from the Pure World.”
“Can we do anything for him? He’s in so much pain…” Fluttershy whimpered.
Twilight started to shake her head, but stopped. Talking about Soul magic had sparked a thought in her mind. But so much could go wrong that the result with any mistake would be worse than Nightmare Moon and Tirek combined.
Souls were Pure, and that meant they contained limitless power. Corrupt the soul… well… ‘Let’s avoid that,’ she thought firmly.
But it wouldn’t leave her mind.
Spike roared again, and the hand of magic shattered. Twilight was blasted off her feet by the backlash, screaming. She was caught in a teal aura and floated over to Sunset. “Everyone close your eyes!” she hollered, the glow of her horn brightening.
Everyone did so, just in time to avoid the blinding flash of light Sunset had unleashed. Spike roared in pain as he clawed at his eyes, effectively blinded. “Run!”
Twilight fought against the magic holding her. “No! I won’t leave him!” she hollered.
“Unless you know how to fix him, we’re running!” Sunset snapped back.
“I have an idea!” Twilight flared her magic, freeing her from Sunset’s grip and landing on her feet. She fell to a knee though, the ache in her body getting worse. “I… I can save him,” she panted.
“How?” Fluttershy asked, looking determined. “How can we stop his pain?”
Twilight looked at Spike, who was rolling around on the ground as he tried to get his eyes to work. “... I’m not sure, but I think Nightmare Moon did something to his soul. I have an idea, but I need to get close enough to be sure. We need to knock him out, or restrain him.”
Rainbow scoffed. “Have you seen the muscles on this guy? There’s no way in Equestria we’re restraining him!”
“Knock out it is,” Sunset nodded, before charging her magic in her horn. She leveled it at Spike, and grunted as even more magic flooded her horn. “Hold him still! I can only do this once!” she growled.
Twilight leapt to her feet and opened her bag. Reaching in, she removed a device that looked similar to her pistol, only less defined. She handed it to Rarity. “See this part with the black and yellow lines? Point that end at Spike and then pull this trigger here. It’ll hit him with enough electricity to make his muscles spasm out of his control.” Rarity took it in her magical grip. “It’s one shot only though, so aim well,” Twilight warned.
She then pulled out another gun, this one also similar to her pistol but colored a bright blue. She pulled out the magazine, checked it, then shoved it back into the hilt. “Rubber bullets,” she explained to the group. “Hurts like a bitch, but non-lethal.”
She demonstrated by pointing at Spike and pulling the trigger. There was a bang, and Spike roared and clutched at his shoulder, but there was no apparent damage. “As I thought. The dark magic is messing with his body’s durability. A dragon wouldn’t have even felt that normally. I’ll give you an opening, but wait for my signal,” she said to Rarity. She took off running then, occasionally popping off shots at Spike that only served to anger him. It also distracted him quite well once he regained his sight, giving chase to Twilight.
As Twilight ran Rarity aimed the gun at Spike and waited.
Twilight slid to stop and turned to Spike. She fired off a shot that bounced off his forehead, making him roar and grab at his head. Once he took his eyes off of her she leapt over him and drew her sword. ‘Sorry Spike,’ she thought to herself, before slashing at his back. She wasn’t aiming to cause permanent damage though, just open up his hide.
“Now Rarity! The cut!” she shouted, diving out of the way of a wild swing from Spike.
Rarity closed an eye to give her a better view and waited. She aimed. She waited. ‘... There!’ the pulled the trigger.
There was a thwip sound, and then Spike roared once more as electricity coursed through his body through the slash on his back. His body tensed up and he couldn’t move.
“Now would be a good time Sunset!” Twilight called, knowing the battery life in the Tazer wasn’t very good.
Sunset only grinned, before she unloaded. A blast of power erupted from her horn and slammed into Spike like a train, sending him crashing through a tree.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Spike didn’t get back up.
Sunset slowly sank to her knees, panting. “That… That was everything I had,” she managed to say. “I need a nap,”
Applejack approached her and helped her to her hooves, and they joined the others on checking on Spike.
“Is he okay?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.
Twilight hesitantly opened one of Spike’s eyes, and was relieved to find a normal green dragon eye. “He’s out cold. The dark magic can’t do anything until he’s awake.” She ran her hand, glowing with magic, over his body, eventually stopping at his chest. The magic went out after a moment, and her hand clenched in anger as she growled. “I was right. Nightmare Moon twisted his soul.”
“And for those of us not versed in advanced magic?” Applejack prodded.
“It means she tore a chunk of his soul out, warped it, and then shoved it back in,” Sunset panted. “His soul is literally fighting itself as it tries to regain balance, but can’t because of the warped piece.” She shook her head. “This is beyond horrendous.”
“Can you save him?” Fluttershy asked Twilight.
Twilight hesitated. “I…” She looked at her hands. “I want to… but…”
“You want to kill him, don’t you?” Applejack scowled.
Twilight’s gaze snapped to her, her eye wide. “What? NO!!! I just…”
“If you can save him, then why aren’t you?” Fluttershy asked.
“It’s not that simple! I don’t want-”
“You don’t want to save him?” Rainbow Dash asked in disgust.
“ENOUGH!!!” Twilight shouted, angry. Everyone stopped, and noticed she was crying. “Of course I want to save him! I helped raise him!” She sighed. “I know I haven’t really given you a reason to think I want to save him, but I do. The problem is that the only way to save him is the same way Nightmare Moon did this to him.” She looked at Spike’s chest. “I have to use soul magic.”
“So why are you hesitating, dear?” Rarity asked.
“There’s more,” Twilight said. “What his soul needs is a stabilizing influence. He needs something that will keep him grounded and help him know which part of him is twisted and which part he should nurture.” She looked around. “I need to bond his soul to someone else’s soul if I’m going to save him, and even then he’ll likely never be the same.”
Everyone digested that for a moment. “What’ll happen to the one he’s bonded to?” Applejack asked.
Twilight shrugged. “You won’t be in any danger, not physically, but you also risk being consumed by the darkness already festering in his soul. If I do this, it needs to be with someone who won’t give in easily to temptation.”
“Do it.”
Rarity blinked.
“Think of the power being tied to a dragon like him will bring. And the gems he could help you dig up! Dragons can sniff those things out easily.”
Rarity frowned. ‘There is certainly a benefit, but to use someone who is suffering like that? No.’
“No one else is doing it, gem. Look at them. They’re all hesitating. May as well get some use out of the dragon if you’re going to save him.”
Rarity looked at Spike. The poor dragon looked to be in pain, even unconscious. He was fidgeting slightly. She frowned. ‘He needs help,’ she admitted. She stood.
“I offer my soul,” she said, staring straight into Twilight’s eye.
“Ah, the greed of mortals. It never fails.”
As Twilight told Rarity where to lay, Rarity mentally smirked. ‘I may be ambitious, dear, but I am also proud. I reject your offer to use him, and will instead help him. My success will come from me, and me alone.’ She looked at Spike again. ‘Besides, how can one not want to help the poor dear?’
The voice was silent. Twilight hit Rarity with a sleep spell. Just before she went under, she heard the voice again.
“It seems my siblings are correct. The Bearers come. Retain that pride, Rarity Belle, and let it guide you towards success, but at the same time remember that it was your Generosity that saved this dragon… and so many more.”
Beneath her closed eyelids, Rarity’s eyes flared with purple light.
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and that how spike became so in love with rairty
Ending(for now) on a sweet note. I like.
A brilliant take on a Harmony's Trials. Wonder what trials await AJ and RD.
holy wow that was deep! and this is coming from me!
I am surprised
Will Spike's soul heal thru this?
Now the boldest voices make sense. I am wondering what they think of the new Twilight? They where planning on her being one way and she is definitely something far different then they expected.
I like this story, cant wait to for the next chapter
DIdn't Spike have green eyes though?
8233806
Whoops. So he does. Fixed! Thanks.
Hello there. Not much I can say other than, once again, excellent job on the emotional content, action and future chapter set-up in all the right places. The spin on Rarity's Element Trial was quite well done and I'm VERY grateful that Spike was saved . I have a feeling Nightmare Moon is going to get EVEN MORE desperate as this goes on (as she knows Twi's tough enough to give her a hard time in a fair fight on her own AND has both back-up and a VERY legitimate reason to hate her). And, yeah, I'm definitely going to be curious as to what you will come up with for the last two trials (once you've had a sufficient "think break"). So, yeah, I will definitely be looking forward to more, but will very certainly respect the need for a hiatus under the circumstances.
*your
*off
*his
*its
8256152
Right. I think that's everything you pointed out fixed. Thanks!
8358579
No, Twilight is not a Unicorn anymore. At least, not a purebred Unicorn. She's part pony, part human. Basically an anthro.
8359678
No. Twilight is the only anthro of the story, and that's how it will stay.
me want MOAR!!!!!!!!!
8360319
needs more
8464670 Thank you very much!
8465451
My own observations are largely theoretical but I've studied various styles of combat in general as mostly a hobby a while back and still do occasionally. Generally the "best" martial styles tend to use less fine muscle control since that breaks down in true fight or flight instances unless you also spend a bit of time training to calm one's self and counter it's effects.
Honestly, twilight's style isn't too bad an idea but it might be better to use melee as a secondary plan or follow up after using easily deployed traps or field works (sticky bombs, razor wire analouges, caltrops, ect.) and ranged weapons that are easy to use, versatile, and pose little personal risk. (A dart gun with various biological/magical effects on the darts, a repeating handgun analogue (magic?), even a short bow with possible utility arrows)
Really, fights are won by cheating, changing the battlefield to just generally be hard for your enemy to fight in, using weapons they can't defend against, and playing on psychological effects as much as physical ones to make them realize they don't have a chance of winning unless they do something else, usually something which puts them in a position where you can dispose of them in the easiest and least theeat to you way as possible.
This is a good Fanfic. However, this isn't the first time I read a Fanfic that has Twilight be displaced in another dimension or timeline for some amount of time before she returned home much more different than she was when she was unwillingly displaced somewhere or somewhen else.
8360319
Plz?
Aww Shit... I'm all caught up... there's nothing left to read... Is there a tentative percent completed in regards to the next chapter?
8505228
Technically, zero. I haven't started writing the chapter at all yet.
However, that doesn't mean there's no work. I've been focusing on solidifying the world before I do anything else, so a chapter update may be a while off.
8505345
OOoooo... World building! 8-D
Yesyesyesyesyes! Fleshing out the world prevents contradictions in stats, and adds depth to the characters, the relationships, and the areas.
8512474
Ok cuz if she had human legs i would have flipped.
I know, Im picky but i just hate when ponies have human legs and feet
Next chapter please?
Aww man, whenever i see this story while browsing faves, i shed manly tears.
Any chance you will pick it up again? Not to spoiler things, but the story is pretty damn interesting and worth finishing.
8782929
I intend to eventually return to it. It is, unfortunately, one of my larger projects, and I've come to the conclusion that working on more than on large project at a time is detrimental to any kind of progress.
When I finish, or shelf, the Hero Souls trilogy, I'll likely return to this.
I didn't read the story yet and only going by what the title has said, she becomes DoomGuy (DoomMare in her case) after being sucked into the deepest pits of Tarturous! Only with her bear hooves as her means to defend herself from the endless hoards of hells army, she RIPS AND TEARS her way out of Tarturous whiles in the background during all of this plays the testosterone growing music that comes with RIPPING AND TEAR DEMON GUTS IN THE DEEPEST PITS OF HELL!!!!
8786608
Funny thing is, I never even knew about DOOM until after I began work on this story. The inspiration for Tartarus Forged came from another fan-fiction I read. I didn't know until afterwards that it was based on DOOM.
So, I guess in a roundabout way, this is based on DOOM.
8782956
Good to know, seeing this one on perma hiatus always bums me out.
please finish the story :(
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Why must be so! the story is on hiatus.
I know that his was probably made before season eight, but I just read this and thought pfft. Cuz turns out tartarus is just a prison so I mean this doesn't really work, but interesting story idea.
They jump on the accusation of her wanting him dead awful quick given that she literally just went through a bunch of non lethal measures.
9670873
They also just came off an invasion of shadows that killed without mercy. They're kinda jumpy right now.
9671624
Touché.
9784476
She's essentially an anthro, though without the porn plot that usually follows that tag.
9966341
Thinking about it. This story was one of my better ideas, but my execution of it is flawed and my experience with writing at the time was terrible, and it shows. I'm thinking of just rehauling the entire thing from the ground up.
9966512
Personally, I think the execution of this story is pretty good as it is. The only thing that bugging me is to have to wait for the next chapter.
10211682
I was right. This story is wonderful and deserves to see completion. You've created a wonderful story here.
How is the next chapter progressing for you? It has been a bit since you have updated this story.
9966512
I have to admit, I had my reservations... but this is actually kinda good. It's going somewhere I didn't expect it to, but it came together rather nicely, and I started enjoying the idea as I got more into it.
Also, word of advice from the software world: rewriting before you have the whole thing never ends well (look at Netscape Navigator... "The what?" you may ask -- exactly). More often than not, rewrites get cancelled 3 chapters in - it often surfaces that the direction wasn't the issue, but rather that the author just didn't 'feel the love' anymore. So I'd advise you to keep going and finish, before you begin a rework.
At any rate, it'd be nice if you could at least get through the first act (i.e. Night Eternal). Not demanding it, obviously, but it'd be nice. ;)
10835167
I appreciate it. I'm also glad I was able to make the story look good to a doubter. I have no intention of cancelling it, but I now work a full time job at somewhat odd hours. Free time is somewhat scarce.
Don't worry, I don't lack content, just time and, at times, desire to write. I'll eventually force something out for you guys.