• Published 28th Nov 2011
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The Moonstone Cup - Cyanide



Twilight is invited to Canterlot to compete with some of the greatest unicorns in Equestria!

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Chapter 12

Amarok howled, his eyes pulsing brilliant red as bolts of white energy arced from an outstretched paw. Twilight spun in midair, the energy bolts bending around her, crackling as they traveled along the surface of a powerful distortion field.

Twilight flew back and forth, up and down, dodging the energy bolts and answering with telekinetic slaps. Ghostly images of rainbows and cyan feathers danced against the oppressively cloudy sky. She giggled unsteadily as she watched herself effortlessly performing aerobatic stunts, holding up a powerful shield and lashing out with telekinetic strikes all at once.

Her horn glowed. Sparks spat from it, her hooves and even her mouth as the ground underneath Amarok glowed. The wolf flipped and was tossed into the air. He spun nauseatingly before his eyes glowed brightly again and Twilight's gravity spell failed. He snarled and reached out a paw, a long arc striking at Twilight through her shield.

With a shriek, Twilight felt herself dragged to the ground. Her wings sagged heavily as she landed and sank into muck. She splashed around, slicing her now heavy, metallic wings against the fen and sending up huge arcs of swamp water. I didn't have metal wings before, she thought, deliriously. Oh, my, this swamp is so messy.

A shriek, accompanied with a burst of green energy, tore its way from Twilight's throat as long, stiff vines ripped themselves from the ground on both sides of the field. The vines lifted Twilight out of the muck while also lashing viciously around Amarok's legs. "Yeah, we got him, Twilight!" Twilight shouted, exuberantly. She tried to lift into the air, but the stiff metal appendages twisting painfully at her spine stubbornly refused to move. With another shriek, more energy washed out from her horn over the metallic appendages. Her back felt painfully hot as the wings returned to their diaphanous appearance.

The wolf roared, and a wave of cold washed over the field. Twilight breathed a thin stream of green fire over the frost forming in front of her, but it seemed to do nothing against Amarok's spell. The vines froze solid and shattered under Twilight's weight, dropping her onto the rough, frozen swamp water. She stumbled to her feet just in time to raise a flickering shield in front of her, more of Amarok's energy bolts splashing harmlessly against it.

She lofted back into the air. Her horn glowed orange, sparks of myriad other colors spitting from her hooves, and a grove of apple trees seemed to simply appear across the entire field. She dropped back to the frozen earth, hiding within the illusory forest. She coughed and spat, something dark and unhealthy-looking spattering on the ice

A mocking laugh sounded from beyond the illusion. "I can still smell you, Twilight Sparkle!" Oh, no, Twilight! Twilight thought. It's okay, she told herself, smugly, and her horn glowed again. A smelly miasma arose around her, the stench of pony sweat and fear exuding from every square inch of the icy field. She squeezed her watering eyes shut and wavered unsteadily on her hooves, then began laughing madly.

"What is this?" Amarok's voice called out. For the first time, the wolf sounded unsure.

Heavy, rainbow-striped waves of telekinetic force began arcing from Twilight's horn across the field in random directions. A painful roar sounded, telling Twilight that her attack was successful. She lifted back into the air, doing a triumphant aerial flip, then fell back down into the illusion, dizzily.

"Oh dear, I think I'm going to be ill," she said, thickly, her head spinning. "No, you're not!" she protested.

Another roar arose from beyond the illusion. There was a crackle, and then white threads of energy ripped across the field, cutting the illusory trees apart. They dissipated into nothingness, leaving a shaky Twilight staring across at an enraged wolf. She yelped softly and her wings snapped together, bile rising in her throat.

Across the field, Amarok grinned. His paw reached out and a barrage of energy bolts arced forth. Twilight shakily raised her shield again, grimacing as the bolts struck. Oh no! a chorus of voices called out in her head. Her horn glowed brightly, and the responded with a salvo of her own, through the shield. Purple energy bolts, ephemeral apples, ghostly cupcakes and other things Twilight couldn't immediately identify assaulted the wolf, who hurriedly raised his own shield to counter. Twilight's body was aching all over, and she blinked to clear her watery vision.

When she opened her eyes again, the field was silent. Amarok was gone, as was the crowd in the stands. The sky was still and cloudless. There was no wind, no sound of insects or birds. Twilight stood unsteadily facing her friends, who stood in a neat semi-circle before her.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked.

Twi, we need to talk, Applejack said.

You're not feeling well, are you? Fluttershy asked, softly.

Twilight looked down at her pitted hooves. She felt sore all over, even injured, right down to the bone. Her horn was very hot and felt like it was developing cracks. She was sweating and her mouth tasted like acid.

"What's wrong with me?"

Pinkie jumped up on her rear hooves, waving her forelegs rapidly in a panic. Twilight, Twilight! Luna was right, this was really dangerous! You're hurting yourself and that big meanie-pants wolf is going to win! And you'll end up in the hospital! She dropped back to all fours, suddenly looking uncharacteristically serious. I don't want you to end up in the hospital.

"Wh-what do I do?" Twilight asked. "I can't give up now!"

That's easy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash said, grinning cockily. Just use up all the extra energy. That's what's hurting you right now.

Twilight stepped back, falling down on her rump. "But... But if I do that, you'll be gone. I need your help, everypony!"

Rarity stepped forward, leaning down with a small smile. But we aren't here, dear heart.

"Of course you are!" Twilight protested.

Uh-uh, sorry, Twilight, Spike said. We're just psychological manifestations of the energy you absorbed.

Yeah! Rainbow Dash said. We're mental constructs. There's only traces of us in all the energy you're holding in. Your mind is filling the gaps in and making us seem real. I mean, come on, she continued, grinning lopsidedly, would I ever actually say something like that?

Twilight frowned and looked down. "No, I guess not," she said. "I guess that means I really am all alone."

Now, Twi, you know that ain't true, Applejack said, gesturing broadly to the side. We're right there in the stands, rootin' for ya.

Glancing over at the empty stands, Twilight saw her friends suddenly appear, statues, frozen like the rest of the world. Twilight could tell they were rooting as much as they could. Luna stood sternly over them, one wing outstretched over the semi-conscious group, her eyes boring into Twilight as if she could will the unicorn to victory. Pinkie somehow found the strength to hold one hoof aloft, supporting a giant foam finger, while Rainbow and Applejack had their hooves raised together, supporting each other. Rarity and Fluttershy both wore small smiles and were clearly watching closely. Even Spike, who had curled up into a small ball and gone to sleep, had one claw outstretched with a raised thumb.

And we believe in you, Twilight. Fluttershy walked up and gently pressed her muzzle against the wounded unicorn's neck.

We gave you our strength because we're your friends and we love you, darling, Rarity said. The only way you could be all alone is if you refused to use it.

"But I am using it!" Twilight protested.

The world seemed to shift around Twilight. Nothing that she could see changed, but it was as if everything became muted, darker. As if the quality of the sun's light was somehow strained. Twilight watched in confusion as her friends - the ones that were just in her head, she reminded herself - shook their heads sadly.

Taking a step forward, Applejack looked at Twilight sternly. That's a lie, Twi. You've been lyin' this whole time.

Lying? What did she mean by that?

Rainbow lifted into the air, looking down at Twilight. There was nothing particularly odd about the pegasus' expression, but to Twilight she seemed to be leveling a dire accusation before she had even spoken. Why are you trying to lose, Twilight? Rainbow Dash asked, sharply.

Twilight dropped to the ground, sitting down heavily. "I'm not, everypony!" she protested. "I've been doing my best!"

The comforting pressure of Fluttershy's muzzle disappeared from Twilight's neck. You're not, Twilight, Fluttershy softly said into Twilight's ear. You know you're not.

Come on, Twilight, Spike said. Unlike the other ponies, his expression was not accusatory or sad, just disappointed in a way that cut Twilight deeply. When are you gonna stop playing around?

Twilight's expression grew angry. "I'm not playing around!" she shouted, stamping a hoof.

Then why, Rarity said, walking slowly around Twilight, haven't you used your real strength for this entire tournament?

Why didn't ya prepare proper? Applejack asked, her question trailing smoothly from Rarity's. Rainbow had to practically drag y'all to the library 'fore the semis.

Even Trixie did extensive research on her opponents. The other ponies had stopped speaking and were watching Twilight silently. The voice she heard now was her own. It was loud and pervasive, as if it came from everywhere. We've been copying spells. We kept ourselves from sleeping last night. We panicked instead of coming up with a plan for this match with Amarok. Why are we letting everypony else tell us what we need to do to win when we already know?

All of the pain in Twilight's body flooded back over her, and she whimpered. Her limbs were all on fire and her head felt like it was going to explode. Oh, Celestia, it hurt.

What did the princess tell us when she took us under her wing?

The day of the Sonic Rainboom. The day of the test to enter the School for Gifted Unicorns. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the hydra, the dragons, even the tournament, nothing had ever frightened her as much as her magic going out of control that day. Until the princess appeared and reversed the effects, all Twilight could see from inside the ball of wild energy was her family and her future being taken from her. And it was all her fault.

Shakily, Twilight spoke, her voice quivering in agony. "She... She said I needed to learn to tame my power."

The voice changed again. It was no longer Twilight, or any of her friends, and yet it was all of them at once. We've tamed it. Stop hurting yourself by trying to keep it reined in so tightly.

"But I could really hurt somepony!"

You're hurting us right now! Forget the spells, Twilight. We've never needed them!

"Nopony can use magic without casting spells!"

We've never bothered to tell the princess that we learned to use telekinesis without any spell at all.

Twilight swallowed hard. That much was true enough. "It's... It's just telekinesis! Everypony-"

-has to cast a spell to use it. The voice was accusatory now. Except for us. Do you really think the princess doesn't know? We've never needed spells to use magic. The princess taught us to use spells to teach us control. We've learned it.

Twilight felt a familiar weight on her head, behind her horn. She knew without needing to verify that it would be a golden tiara, the symbol of the Element of Magic.

Use your magic-

"-the way the princesses uses theirs," Twilight muttered.

Lights and patterns danced behind Twilight's eyes. Hundreds of intricately-woven spells flashed through her mind. Beautiful. Intricate. Perfect. And all unnecessary. Twilight felt the pressure in her head ease.

Twilight stood again. Silence continued to reign as the world filled itself back in. Clouds, birds, the crowd in the stands, even Amarok, all gradually appeared as if they were being painted. "So what do I do?" Twilight asked the air.

Rainbow flew up, hovering over the frozen form of Amarok. One big move and we can put this guy down for the count! she said.

"But he's so strong," Twilight said, protesting. "He's countered everything I've thrown at him, and I'm running out of counters for his attacks."

So try something new! Pinkie said, exuberantly. There's nothing more fun than a surprise! But it has to be a big surprise!

"Something new?"

Y'all can do it, Twi. Applejack walked over to the wolf, looking him up and down. Show him somethin' ain't nopony ever seen before.

"Alright," Twilight said. "Let's do this."

With a loud crack, the world came to life again. The specters of Twilight's friends were gone, as was her tiara. The roar of the crowd filled Twilight's ears. She screamed as searing arcs of energy flashed from her horn. The light streaming from her horn blinded her, and she squeezed her eyes shut as all of the borrowed energy streamed out, across the field.

The crowd roar died away into a confused mixture of gasps and shouting. The crackle of Amarok's spells against Twilight's shield died down. Twilight opened her eyes.

All 14 of them.

Instead of one unicorn, now seven stood arrayed in a row across the field. Twilight could see herself - all of her selves! - out of the corners of her eyes. It should have been confusing, but wasn't.

The first Twilight was a cyan unicorn with a rainbow-striped mane. The second, an orange blonde. There was a yellow one, a white one, a pink one. Strangest of all was a purple-and green colt. They all had manes styled like Twilight's, and all bore Twilight's cutie mark. At the center of them all stood Twilight herself, strong, proud and neither feeling nor showing the pain that had been crippling her just a moment before.

Seven horns glowed brilliantly, and chaos reigned.

At the speed of thought, the seven ponies passed instructions back and forth. An illusory storm was summoned here while a parasprite swarm came from nowhere to bedevil Amarok there. The pink Twilight turned Amarok's side of the field to cake frosting while the orange one effortlessly raised shields to block the wolf's attacks. Water washed across the field, vanishing at the edge, drenching the wolf and bowling him over into the sticky sugar.

The wolf howled as he was battered from all sides by attacks. Every shield he raised was dispelled, every counter reflected back on him. Long seconds passed as the wolf was worn down under Twilight's power. Twilight could see the bright red in his eyes dulling.

Let's finish this, she thought, and vicious grins appeared on the faces of all seven ponies. Seven powerful waves of energy exploded outward from seven horns, bathing the field in color.

After a moment, Twilight blinked a single pair of eyes. Her head was once again clear. She lofted up above the ground and fluttered sideways along the edge of her territory slowly, gauging what she had wrought on Amarok's.

The wolf's territory seemed to Twilight to be folded back on itself. Instead of the terrain and sky beyond, looking past Amarok Twilight could see herself. As she drifted right it was as if she was seeing the wolf from the left side. Amarok, himself, seemed confused and terrified. He looked as if he was trying to move, to gauge his location, but movement was proving futile. When he attempted to walk forward, he receded. A jump up brought him down into the surface of the ground and then back out again, frightened but seemingly none the worse for wear. Light bent itself in strange ways, making the entire far side of the competition field hard for Twilight to even look at.

"Twilight Sparkle!" the wolf roared. "Where are you? What did you do? I can't see or smell anyone anymore! Is this an illusion?!" He snapped angrily at the air.

Twilight experimentally snapped a telekinetic strike at the wolf. He howled as he was struck, raising his paw up to and through his side. From where Twilight stood, it looked as though he were twisted like a pretzel.

Amarok lashed out at random, little bolts of energy surging from his paws. Instead of following straight lines, they curved and warped, eventually disappearing at a 'vanishing point' somewhat above the wolf's head.

Twilight lashed at him with another telekinetic strike, drawing another yelp from the wolf. Twilight grinned, then cringed. Suddenly, everything hurt once again, and worse than before. Her muscles cramped. Her bones felt like they were on fire. Her hooves and horn felt raw, like damaged teeth. She painfully lowered herself to the ground.

Twilight could only watch as Amarok stopped his futile gnashing and stumbling about. Instead, the wolves eyes glowed blindingly, brighter and brighter. He howled, and it turned into a scream as the distorted space in front of Twilight was filled with blinding red light. She shielded her eyes with one leg that screamed in agony as she moved it.

When the blinding light and ear-splitting scream faded, space before Twilight was back to normal. Amarok stood unsteadily, the light in his eyes faded to two pinpricks. He stumbled forward, kicking the shattered foliage out of the way.

"Very impressive, Twilight Sparkle," he said, raspily. "You really are everything I've heard. Your princesses should be proud. But now..." He trailed off, raising a paw.

Twilight gritted her teeth and tried to raise a shield. A few sparks shot from her horn, then searing pain ripped through her head. She winced and waited for Amarok's decisive strike to come. Instead, she heard a loud, pained bark.

Opening her eyes, Twilight saw Amarok lying on the ground, holding his paw up in pain. A few faint sparks dripped from his claws, but he, too, was at his limit. The glow was gone from his eyes, leaving only two unsettling empty spaces on either side of his white-furred muzzle.

Twilight coughed weakly. She curled her legs underneath her, ignoring the stabbing pains this produced. Her eyes watered as she watched Najstariot look between her and Amarok.

"I am," Najstariot began slowly, a flat tone to her voice, "prepared to declare a draw and require a rematch."

Sorry, everypony, Twilight thought, sadly. I can't beat him. Maybe I should just forfeit. I can't take a rematch. Tears began to soak Twilight's face. She'd fought so hard and done so well, and she knew she should be more than proud of her performance. She'd fought Amarok to a standstill! No one else had ever even done that much to the wolf ruler. Even so, all she could feel was bitter disappointment at letting her friends down. She struck lightly at the ground in front of the wolf. She heard a weak cough and spitting in response as she closed her eyes and lay her head on the frozen muck.

Forfeit it was, then. "Y-your m-" Twilight began, but was interrupted by a roar from the crowd. She looked up in confusion and saw Najstariot staring down at her, her reptilian eyes wide open in shock. Beyond the dumbstruck dragon queen, Twilight saw Amarok, his muzzle covered in specks of dirt, staring down at a small gouge in the ground before him.

A small gouge that Twilight had dug with her telekinetic strike. Twilight had just used her magic, which meant that Amarok was the first to no longer be able to cast.

The tournament was over. She had won.

A weak, coughing laugh came from the exhausted wolf, which Twilight could barely hear over the din of the crowd's cheers. Twilight watched as Najstariot slowly paced over to her, terror plain in the shapeshifted dragon's eyes.

"You," Najstariot hissed. "You've-"

"Well?" a weak voice interrupted from the opposite side of the field, in between wheezing laughs. Twilight and Najstariot both looked over at at the filthy wolf, who had rolled over on his side. "Go on," he said, haltingly. "She won!"

Najstariot turned sharply, her expression smoothing over as she turned to face the crowd. "Friends!" she called out, her voice loud and confident once again. "The winner, and champion of this year's Moonstone Cup tournament... Twilight Sparkle!"