Avatar: Legend of Diamond Tiara. Book 3: Tirek

by Jeweled Pen

Chapter 26: Old enemies

Applejack let out a yelp, diving under an orb of lava, then leaping to the right an instant before the ground turned molten. She glanced to her sister who was struggling to make walls of stone in time to block the molten assaults, only to have the same walls try to collapse on her a moment later. Footing was quickly disappearing and, even worse, the stallion showed no signs of wearing down compared to the two mare’s own exertion and bloody wounds. She wiped some sweat off her forehead and glared at the stallion.

“Applebloom, ah got an idea,” she said softly.

“Ah’m all ears!” her little sister said, narrowly avoiding a hail of sharpened pebbles, ducking under them. Only to roll away moments before the ground beneath her could turn to lava.

“Ah need yah tah distract him for a few seconds. Can yah--”

“On it!” Applebloom yelled, before galloping to the right. She leaped, barely avoiding a spike of earth that rose in her path. “Hey, yah big idjit! This ain’t really the best yah got, is it? Ah’ve fought donkeys with better earth bendin’!”

Hothoof stopped for a second, his mouth falling open. Then he let out a roar of defiance. “HEY! Donkey’s CAN’T earth bend! That’s stupid!” he snapped, before thrusting both hooves down and sending out a spout of lava at her.

“That was the point, yah pebble brain!” the mare yelled before dragging her hoof along the ground while she ran, making the dirt rise up in a wave that washed over the spout, hindering it just long enough for her to leap over a pool of lava and keep going. The stallion was moving to face her, his back now to her big sister. “I hope whatever you have planned, big sis, you’ll do it quick...” she whispered.

Applejack gulped, watching the stallion. His bending was incredible like this. But his form, his movements? They were all so sloppy. Power could only do so much. And it was time he learned that. He also still struggled to divide his attention, only focusing on what was ahead of him and leaving himself vulnerable, a weakness they could exploit. She pushed herself forward, a pillar of stone rising under her. The earth pony flew through the air, straight at him, spinning before driving her full body down on his back, hooves first.

Hothoof let out a shriek, crashing to the ground, though he rolled to the left and narrowly avoided a follow up strike by Applejack. “Hey! I wasn’t paying attention! That was cheating!” he snapped.

“Yah may be a really strong bender, but let’s see how yah like fightin’ hoof to hoof, shall we?” she asked with a smirk. She stepped in, her left hoof lashing out at his face. He pressed a hoof down, rock rising up to form a quick barrier, but her hoof smashed through it and continued on to his face, only dampened by the shield. She pushed in with him, not letting him relent. “Yah still ain’t the quickest pony, are yah?”

“Grrrrrrr!” Hothoof yelled, his eye swelling from the blow. He shoved both his back hooves back and the ground around them turned to lava, encircling them in a circle of it. “Fine. You wanna go that game? Let’s go,” he said, before smirking dangerously. “Let’s see how you handle this...”

Applejack gulped, the heat sweltering. She didn’t have to use her earth bending to feel just how close that lava was, and how little room she had. On top of that, Applebloom was outside the ring, the help she could offer was limited. She’d have to beat him here, there wasn’t anywhere left to flee.

His hoof wrapped in stone came out, cutting off her thoughts and she had no choice but to parry with her own, forming a layer of dirt on her shoulder to glance the stone off. Even through the layer, she was sent skidding back, her back hooves only barely avoiding falling into the lava.

“You’ve already lost this, Applejack...” he said, a smirk on his face.

“We’ll see about that...” she mumbled, before charging forward.

------

Rarity coughed, her entire body shaking. Her lungs burned, though she tried to ignore it. A quick glance at her sister showed the other mare wasn’t faring much better. They’d managed to parry the majority of his strikes, but without being able to know where they’d come from, it was harder than ever. They’d managed to push the mist back a little bit, to allow them to keep sight of each other, but it only did so much.

Even worse was the poison. The ground was now covered in it, every step they made sent it splashing around them. She’d used her blood bending as best she could to shove it out of her system, but it wasn’t perfect. Especially with his occasional blood bending assaulting her. There was so much of it. And every single cut he made resulted in another opening from which it could enter their bodies.

She caught movement from the right and ducked back, a flurry of shards shooting out. One of them slashed across her front right hoof, drawing more blood. She gulped, shaking her head.

“You cannot win, Water Lord,” Dazzling said, his voice cold and harsh. “Your blood bending can’t hinder my poisons well enough with me here. You’ll die here, as you should have long ago.” His voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, leaving her no idea where he was coming from. Pinpointing him was near impossible.

Sweetie eyed the thick mist. There had to be a way to fight him. To beat him. She’d been facing off against assassins since she had her cutie mark, how was this any different? No. She knew why. Because he was one of the best. He would have been directly under her mother’s employ if she had still been under Discord’s influence.

And she wasn’t the pony she had once been. If she had still been… She nimbly ducked to the right, avoiding a glob of poison that came at her face. “This isn’t the way, Shimmering. You know that. The Water Nation--”

“Will return to its former glory. And if you can’t see that, then you’ll both perish!” he yelled. A hail of spiked rain fell down on them. Sweetie lifted her hooves up, forming a water and poison mixed dome of ice over them. “Sweetie, you were once the greatest of us. Can’t you see the true path of the Water Nation? The ice, the cold? You once had the will to strike. Now you’re but a hollow, empty void of the radiance you once held.”

The younger mare grit her teeth, before looking to her sister. “He’s right. We can’t win. Not… not like this.”

Rarity nodded. “We need to find him, now...” she whispered, sliding back moments before a large spike of ice pierced the dome and crashed around them.

Sweetie gulped and slowly nodded. “I… can...” she whispered.

“You can? Then why don’t you--”

“It… won’t be easy...” she whispered. She took a long, slow breath. “I haven’t used this in ages… I haven’t fought like this in ages.”

“What is it?”

“… I’m sorry. Sister. Just… try not to breath. Push the mist around us as far back as you can.” Sweetie closed her eyes and focused. She thought about all that hatred, that anger she had once felt. That line she had once walked along. Crossed. The way she had hurt others, and how she had enjoyed it. She focused on the anger, the hatred, everything that Discord had brought to the surface and she had tried so hard to ignore for so long. She felt that cold, frozen grip that she had resisted begin to flow across her heart.

Rarity looked to her sister, but slowly pushed her hoof forward, shoving the mist even further back so it no longer enveloped them at all.

Sweetie’s eyes opened, glowing a dark purple. She growled. She then thrust her hoof forward and the purple poison lifted up around them, before shooting out into all directions into the mist. She didn’t hear them hit anything, but then that wasn’t her goal. A moment later, the cloud of mist began to tinge purple. A few more moments later and there was a cry of pain before the mist began to evaporate, revealing Shimmering. The stallion stumbled back, his eyes wide. “W-what… was that?” he asked, staring at her. There wasn’t a cut on him, though his legs were shaking.

Sweetie stepped forward, dark, glowing eyes staring at him. “You wanted this side of the Water Nation? Very well. Allow me to show you...” she said, her voice cold as ice. “The side that kills. That destroys. That takes.” She tapped her hoof and spikes of ice formed under the stallion. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding being impaled, only to have a splatter of poison erupt behind him and coat his back side with the poisonous liquid.

“AGHHHHH!” he screamed, flicking his head back and scattering the poison, his flank covered in sizzling marks. “W-what is this?!” he asked, before turning back to her.

“You’re an assassin,” she said coldly, lifting her right hoof and making a orb of water form in front of it, quickly turning purple. “Your poison is quick and deadly. Mine can be, too… but you know what? A dead pony is useless...” She formed three spikes of poisonous ice, before sending them flinging at him. “But one in agony? One who begs for mercy? For death? Oh, there is so many uses for that.”

Rarity stared in horror, unable to move. All she could do was watch her sister walk towards the stallion, each step scattering the water in her wake and launching another poisonous, deadly assault on him. She hadn’t seen her sister like this in years, and the sight chilled her heart.

“What’s a matter? Isn’t this what you wanted?” Sweetie asked with a smile. “A pony who can kill, can destroy? Can tear ponies apart with ease? You’re so naive… You can’t rule with just murder. With just killing. You need to teach ponies to fear you. To suffer for you. To make them more afraid to disobey you than their own morals can overwhelm.” She sent a flurry of ice shards at him, though he stomped his hooves down--

Only to have them pierced by icy spikes that had formed from the water under his hooves a moment sooner. He screamed, moments before the ice shards dug into him from the front. He stumbled back, falling onto his back, blood seeping from a dozen wounds and his front hooves split. “No no no please please...” he begged, shaking his head.

Sweetie stepped over his form, lifting a hoof and smiling, cruelty radiating off her. “You’re strong, I’ll give you that. But you made a mistake. You assumed you were strong enough to beat us. All you’ve done is make yourself strong enough that I don’t have to hold back,” she said dismissively. “So… are you begging for me to kill you? Or for your life? We gave you your life. Again and again. We could have killed you. But we didn’t. And in return… you tried to kill me. You tried to kill my SISTER!” she snapped, before stomping her hooves. A whip of poisonous water wrapped around him, squeezing him tight and eliciting another scream from him.

“Please… I’m sorry. You win. P-please,” Shimmering pleaded, staring up into those cold, merciless eyes. “I-I won’t… I can’t… I can’t defeat you. I was wrong. This isn’t what… what I...”

Sweetie moved ever closer, her eyes inches from his. “But this is what you wanted, isn’t it? A pony who is cold. A pony who is destructive. A pony who is merciless. But you’ve never felt the sting, have you? That feeling of death approaching. Of knowing you’ve been totally beaten and now you’ll suffer for it.” The whip coiled around his throat, burning away. “It doesn’t matter how much stronger you are if you can’t focus. Can’t think. Can’t properly bend. Now does it?” He shook his head, staring into those cold, pitiless eyes.

“S-sweetie...” Rarity said. “S-stop, he’s lost. He can’t fight like this...”

“You want a ruler like me… don’t you? Somepony who can snuff all the little threats out, without caring. No. That enjoys it. The true legacy of Nightmare Moon. Right?” Sweetie asked, before her hoof raised up. The whip tightened, making him choke. “Well… you can die knowing you got what you wished.”

Shimmering struggled to breath, staring into those eyes. He thought he had known what an assassin was. He’d taken so many lives. But he’d never seen anything like this. This wasn’t removing a pest. There was joy. She was enjoying watching him suffer. Watching him die. What had he unleashed on his nation? Was this the legacy of Nightmare Moon?

Then he was let go, the water releasing him and sending him sprawling on the ground. He coughed and hacked, tears in his eyes. Everything hurt, but he was alive. How…?

“But you’re not going to die, or get what you wished,” Sweetie said, closing her eyes and, when she opened them, they were clear and calm. “Because that era is over. A nation divided on itself, a nation that will kill and destroy anypony against them. A nation that ENJOYS cutting down its own citizens. A nation like that… cannot prosper. Cannot go on. That is what we tried to show you. And I am sorry we couldn’t.”

Shimmering stared, his mouth falling open. Then, slowly, he bowed his head. Despite the great pain he’d felt, he couldn’t help but feel relief. “I… am so sorry...” he finally whispered. “I am sorry for everything I’ve done. I’m sorry for what I became. And I am sorry for what I made you do. I… I am so sorry...” he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. “You have won. And I will accept my imprisonment happily...”

Sweetie nodded and slowly put a hoof on his head. “Good. Rarity? We should tend to his wounds, right? And make sure he can’t escape. Right?”

“Of course,” Rarity said, shaking herself from her stunned amazement. She then glanced up. “Silver! Bring the ship down!” she called out. However, the ship didn’t move and a look of concern formed on her face. “Silver?”

------

“SAY SOMETHING!” Shining screamed, her hooves crashing down on the face of the pinned Rainbow, having slammed her into a side of one of the ridges. “TALK BACK! SCREAM! YELL!” She let out a shriek when the other pegasus rammed her back hooves up and into the younger mare’s stomach, launching her up.

Rainbow pulled herself up, flying at the mare. Shining dove to the right, narrowly avoiding the tackle. “Well? Say it! Say something! Aren’t you mad? Angry?! Ashamed?!”

“Of course I am,” Rainbow finally said, turning to face the other mare. Her voice was hollow and void of any emotion. “But… mostly… I’m just… sad.”

“Why? Because you’re going to get your flank kicked?”

“No… because you don’t feel any sadness for what you’ve done. Any… do you regret what you’ve done at all? Even a little bit?” Rainbow asked. “For those ponies you killed? For--”

“Oh my gosh. This again? Of course not,” Shining said with a laugh. “Why would I? They weren’t even a fraction as amazing as me. And why would a--” She was cut off by Rainbow surging forward, narrowly dodging to the right. “Heh. Awwww, did that make you mad, Rainbow? Are you all sad? Well, what did you expect? Me to get all upset about a bunch of lesser ponies? I’m the greatest air bender that has ever lived! They’re like insects! And you? You’re… just a really big bug.” She surged forward again, her hooves out. “Now take that to your--”

Rainbow wove to the right, the hoof missing as she spun through the air and drove her hoof down on the other mare’s back, sending her down towards the ground. “You were like a daughter to me… you know? It’s why I… couldn’t. Back then. I knew you’d bucked up. But I always held up hope that you’d… learn. That you’d accept that what you were doing was wrong. That YOU were wrong. And… it cost me so much. So very, very much… you don’t even know...” she whispered. “… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“For what I have to do. For failing you. For not being the teacher you needed.”

“Little late for that. But don’t worry, I’ll let sorry be your last words! Now DIE!” Shining yelled, before diving up at the other mare again.

Rainbow flapped once and shoved herself back, she then used a burst of air bending to flow back against the other mare. Her hooves lashed out, wrapping around Shining’s neck, her back hooves wrapping around her waist.

“H-hey! What are you… Get off me! Let me go!” she yelled, thrashing as the two began to plummet towards the ground. “Fine then! Heh! You wanna go that way? Let’s go!” she yelled. She tucked in her wings and pointed herself at the ground. She pushed a hoof down, feeling the winds begin to part under her and accelerating. “Let’s see if you can hold on through a sonic rainboom!”

Rainbow didn’t let go. Instead, she flapped her wings once, propelling them even faster downwards.

“H-huh? HEY! What are you--” Shining’s eyes widened. They were going faster. And she could feel the air parting in front of them. The resistance as they came closer to pushing through the rainboom. “W-what are you doing?!” The ground was coming at them quickly, within seconds they’d be there…

“Goodbye, Shining.”

The pegasus stared at the ground with horror, the explosion of magical energy radiating off them and shaking the mountains, the sonic rainboom erupting out.

And they were still going faster. She had only a split second to feel the second wave of resistance before both ponies slammed into the ground.

------

“What the hay?” Hothoof asked, nearly stumbling over when a massive explosion tore behind him, a circle of rainbow energy radiating from the world. “Shining? Why did she--” His words were cut off with a grunt when Applejack’s hoof smashed into his chest, making him stumble back.

“Ah ain’t borin’ yah, am ah?” she asked, stomping her hooves and making his back ones sink into the dirt. He snorted, skidding his front ones forward and making the ground under her roll back, almost tossing her into the lava, only stopping herself by sinking her hooves deep into the ground.

“Nah, I’m just getting started!” he yelled, before turning around and bucking out. His hooves connected with her chest right as a pillar of stone rose up under her. The mare was sent flying back from the blow, soaring right towards the lava. She reached out a hoof and tugged, drawing out a large chunk of the ground and pulling it into the lava, giving her a very small island to land on. She bent the dirt around her, stopping herself from bouncing off it, though everything hurt. The heat from the surrounding lava felt unbearable.

Worse, she felt something had definitely cracked from that assault. He was so much stronger than he’d ever been. And with all the power from so many different ponies in him, she felt like she was fighting a mountain itself. A normal pony she could have beaten. But this? Slowly, she tried to get to her hooves.

Hothoof just laughed, stepping forward to the edge of his small island in the lava. He panted with exertion. Everything hurt and he could already barely stand. The blasted mare was every bit as strong as he remembered. But now she was beaten. “Well? Anything else to say?” He lifted his hoof to do the finishing blow.

“Yeah, yer an idiot!” Applebloom yelled. He barely had time to register the voice and turn, before Applebloom landed on his back, all four hooves crashing down at once and digging him into the ground. Before he could fully realize what was happening, her hooves smashed down on him, again and again, mercilessly beating him. He tried to lift a hoof to fight back, but the hoof was gripped and smashed down into the ground mercilessly, the hoof cracking.

“S-stop… stop it… I’m….” he tried, only to have his head gripped and slammed to the ground.

“An idiot. Who hurt mah big sis. An’ ah ain’t gonna have that no more!” she snapped angrily. She lifted both her front hooves and coated them in rock, before slamming them down on him.

He gasped, pain shooting through every inch of him. His entire body felt like it was being smashed. He glared up at her. He couldn’t win… he couldn’t. He was going to lose to them again. No. He felt the fury, the hatred rising inside him. He’d been so close. He’d HAD her! The burning rage flowed through him like lava. Enveloping him. Not again. Never again. He didn’t care if he had to destroy himself to do it, he wouldn’t lose to them again! “DIE!” he screamed. “I WON’T LOSE TO YOU AGAIN! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!”

Applebloom shrieked, stepping back. Lava was rising up around him. “W-what are yah--” Her eyes widened when he began to burn. Lava rose up in every direction, the ground around her quickly disappearing. He was going to kill them both. Her eyes fell to her sister. No. She wouldn’t let them perish like this. She turned and galloped, leaping off the small island to land besides her sister. “We gotta go, now,” she said, pushing the older mare.

“C-can’t… move...” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Go...” she ordered. The lava was rising, slowly spilling onto the island and singing their manes.

“Not a chance,” Applebloom said, before leaning down and scooping the other mare onto her back, the small island barely big enough for them, now. She gave one last fleeting glance back, but there was no remnants of Hothoof. Just a small lake of lava that was slowly rising. Taking a slow, deep breath, she leaped, the ground lifting under her to send her flying forward.

She didn’t have enough momentum. Applebloom screamed when her right back hoof landed in the molten magma, the rest of her, and her sister, tumbling forward onto the safe ground. The younger mare shrieked, shoving a hoof down and making the dirt wrap around the blistering and burned hoof, yanking it off a moment later to remove any remnants of the magma. She gave a soft, weak whimper, tears in her eyes, before turning to her sister and giving a weak smile. “W-well… ah… ah think we won… o-ow...”

“Heh… yeah… ah… think we did… he was an idiot… wasn’t he? Right up to the end?”

“Eeyup...” Applebloom said, before collapsing. “Ah don’t… think ah got another round in meh… you?”

“… No… Guess it’s jus’ like ol’ times… gonna have tah trust the Avatar. We… should head back to the ship...”

“Eeyup. Just… need a moment.”

------

Shining groaned. Was she still alive? Yeah. She was in too much pain to be dead. Her left wing was definitely broken. Her right wing was at least sprained. She could taste blood. Her left eye was swollen shut. She suspected more than a few ribs were broken, if not fully shattered. She tried to stand up and fell back down, giving a whimper. At least one leg was broken and they all hurt so much she could barely move.

But she was alive. That was enough. She chuckled. “So, you old pain in the flank. Thought you could end us both? Sorry, but I’m made of--”

“No. Just you,” Rainbow’s voice filled her ears, making Shining’s heart almost stop.

Shining slowly turned her head, despite the pain. The older pegasus was limping towards her, obviously in a lot of pain of her own. “H-how? I’m… I’m stronger than I’ve EVER been. My bending is--”

“Your bending and strength is better,” Rainbow said firmly. “But your skill? Your precision? Not so much,” the mare said with a sigh. “You always lacked focus. Always brute forced your way forward, that doesn’t always work. Well, unless you’re an earth bender. Maybe a fire bender. But an air bender? Nope.”

The white maneed mare growled and tried to stand, only to fall back down. “Damn it… damn it damn it damn it! How could I lose to you again?! Fine! Whatever! Take me back to prison. I’ll get out again eventually. Just you wait,” Shining said, lowering her eyes. She tried to move her wings. The right one could still move, a little. She smirked when the other pegasus approached from her right side. “You know what, though?” She waited. Watched. In a second she’d be close enough. She’d finish her with a single movement. Cut her down.

“What?” Rainbow asked, her head lowered.

“You always let your--” Her right wing started to move, only for a sudden gush of wind to send her flying, rolling on the ground. She landed in a heap, her body a fresh mix of pain. “AGHHHHHH! W-why?!”

“You misunderstand, Shining,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “This isn’t like last time. This isn’t like any of those other times. If I let you go, if I keep letting you do what you want? You’ll kill more ponies. I tried to keep you locked up. I tried to show you mercy. I tried to treat you like… I tried to protect myself. There’s no other way to say it. I didn’t want to hurt you. I...” She was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I love you. I love the way you bend. I love watching your smile. I loved teaching you. You’re… like the daughter I always wish I had.”

“I’m not your--”

“In a way, you are. I took you. I shaped you. I saw all this potential and strength you had...” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “And I ignored all the signs. I ignored how arrogant and cocky you were. I ignored how destructive you were. I failed. I let you go, again and again and again. I let ponies die because I wasn’t strong enough to do what had to be done.”

Shining paled, staring up at the mare with a new horror. “W-what? What are you saying? You’re not--”

“I’m saying I should have killed you ages ago. You were my mistake,” Rainbow said, moving over the pony. “I’ve killed before. I never liked it. And… I knew killing you would break my heart. No matter what threat you posed. I hoped you’d learn and change. But you never have… you never will. And I’m sorry. But goodbye.”

“W-wait! No, stop! I-I’m sorry, I--”

“I’m so… so sorry. Goodbye.” The rainbow maned pegasus reared back and then came crashing down on the other pony.

------

Silver gulped, staring at her friend. Tirek knew? He just… how was he… Finally, Diamond laughed and shook her head.

“Okay, now I KNOW you’re lying,” Diamond said with a smirk, turning back to Sunburst. “Silver Spoon? Discord? You’re insane.”

The stallion cocked an eye. “Truly? You think I am? Then tell me, why does she have the Alicorn Amulet?”

“The Alicorn… no she doesn’t!”

“And why are you here, alone? Where are your other friends? The other ponies who fought by your side?”

Diamond froze, glaring at him. “Button and Acrylic? What did you do with them?” she asked, pointing a hoof at him, fire erupting from it.

“I did nothing. But perhaps you should ask your friend?” he said, shaking his head. “Look at her. Do you really believe she’s just a normal pony?” he asked, staring at the earth pony. “Think long and hard, Diamond. Think of all your interactions. Every little unexplained event. She’s not ‘just an earth pony’. She’s the reincarnation of Discord. His powers flow through her.” He then sighed. “After all… who do you think destroyed the mind of Meadowbrook? The REAL Meadowbrook? Or rather, Starlight?”

“Y-you?” she asked softly, taking a small step back. She’d felt… something, back at the woods. Right when Starlight had been about to reveal Discord to them. And the mare had kept calling Discord ‘her’. Right under her nose. So close. But it had to be impossible.

“If I had, why would I have had to capture her? To learn how she did her spell?”

“Diamond! Don’t listen to him!” Silver said, shaking her head. “H-he’s lying, that’s what he does. He GAVE Starlight that spell! He’s not Sunburst at all! His name is Tirek! He’s a spirit! A spirit of deceit and trickery!”

Diamond froze. Slowly her head turned towards Silver, her eyes wide with horror. “How… do you know that?”

Silver gulped, staring at the alicorn. She took a step back. “D-Diamond, you have to understand. I-I never wanted to lie to you. I had to. I...”

“Silver. He… he can’t be telling the truth. You can’t be...”

“… I’m not Discord,” Silver said softly. “But I… am his Avatar. But I’m not your enemy! I swear! I’m your friend! Please! You have to believe me. Everything I did, I did for the greater good. I--”

“And how long have you been lying? How many times have you betrayed her, in order to gain power for yourself?” Sunburst asked, turning to face her.

Silver whimpered. “I-I thought… I thought you were my enemy. I was wrong. I thought we had to. I thought it was our destiny. I thought it was our duty. That you’d be the Avatar, the hero. And I had to be your villain. But… but I wanted to win. I-I didn’t see a way out. Please. I do now. Diamond. You know me. I made some mistakes, but I’m on your side now. Really. You--”

“I knew you,” Diamond said, horn forming on the tip of her horn, while tears began to lightly flow from her eyes. “All this time. All this struggle. Everything… and it was YOU?! YOU were my enemy all along?!” She took a step forward. “I trusted you! I believed you! What happened to Acrylic and Button?!”

Silver cowered back, shaking. “It was an accident. I never meant for them to get hurt. I just… they found out and I had to imprison them for a bit. Until I--”

“What did you do?!” Diamond asked, before stomping her hoof. The ground rose up under Silver’s hooves, sending her falling forward and landing on her knees.

“P-please! Diamond, if you’ll just let me explain! I--”

“You’ll craft more lies to trick her?” Sunburst asked. “Do you see now, why you need my aid?” he asked. “Discord is a crafty creature. He doesn’t just alter ponies from the outside… he gets close to you and twists you in all manners.”

“This doesn’t mean I trust you!” Diamond snapped at him. “I’ll… I’ll handle her myself. I’ll deal with this… alone...” she said, digging her hooves into the ground and glaring at Silver. “I cannot believe you of all ponies betrayed me…” She flapped her wings, sending a burst of air magic at the earth pony.

Silver felt tears in her eyes, but lifted a hoof. Purple magic formed from her hoof and the winds scattered in all random, chaotic directions. “I didn’t… I did, but I don’t… I...” But the fiery look in her friend’s eyes told her that words would do nothing now.

“I told you,” Trixie’s voice echoed through the earth pony’s head.

Silver blinked and then let out a growl. “Fine. If we have to fight… then I’ll win,” she whispered, her eyes glancing to Sunburst for a moment. “Back to plan A...” She lifted her hoof and the alicorn amulet appeared around her throat.

Diamond screamed and charged at her, leaping into the air.

Author's Note:

And here it is... the moment that all things came together to...

.... Oh Diamond... I'd be lying if I didn't admit I teared up a lot during this chapter.

Comments

[Mocha Star]

Fantastic chapter