The Rings of Dusk

by Scribblestick

Convergence

Celestia opened with a blast of light that streaked toward Tinker with blinding speed. The shadow called Spooky leapt in front of him to intercept the blow. Its body glowed, and a magical barrier appeared, negating the attack. Celestia threw two more bolts at him as she maneuvered through the sky. Spooky blocked each one in turn, then sent a bolt of its own. Celestia easily dodged the attack with a graceful swoop of her wings.

"Release them," she demanded.

"Not happening," Tinker replied. "You have some fancy moves, but you're no match for Inky." The black creature shot into the sky with blinding speed, slamming into Celestia's side. She recovered quickly and erected a protective spear before Inky could strike again. As the creature bounced off her shield, she turned it into an attack, bright magical energy bursting around her.

"Clever, but I'm afraid your sister did it better," Tinker said. Inky darted away from the blast wile Spooky shielded Tinker from the radiance. "Tell you what. Why don't you come down here, and we'll negotiate a surrender?"

"We have nothing to discuss!" Celestia swooped low, sending blast after blast as she descended. Spooky blocked each one, but only barely. Tinker took a step back. Celestia flared her wings and focused her power on Spooky's shield, creating a sustained blast. The colliding magical forces sent rippling waves across the grassland. Inky darted toward Celestia, but not fast enough. Spooky's shield collapsed, and the shadow took the full brunt of Celestia's strike.

"Gaah!" Tinker staggered back, though the blast landed nowhere near him. Spooky zipped back to Tinker's side and stood at the ready. Celestia started to dive, but Inky struck her from the side, and she tumbled away towards the forest. Celestia twisted her body just in time for her hooves to strike a thick tree trunk, rather than her wings. Her knees bent, absorbing the force of impact, and then pushed back outward to launch herself back into the fray.

"Your servants are formidable," she acknowledged, "but not unbeatable."

Tinker charged forward, both shadows at his side. Twilight wondered what he intended to do; Celestia still hovered well out of his reach. Spooky suddenly lunged forward and emitted a dazzling burst of light. While Celestia blinked the stars from her eyes, Inky slid beneath Tinker and launched him into the air. Celestia's vision cleared just in time for Tinker to land a double flying kick straight into her chest. With a gasp, she plummeted, landing in a heap on the ground. Light burst around her, and she found herself trapped, pulled inexorably to the ground.

Tinker landed with surprising grace, panting at the effort. "You're strong," he said, then smiled. "Perfect for my Enmity Dusk."

"You won't..." Celestia started to say, then winced as the light around her intensified. Luna's cage flared as well. Twilight felt a sudden surge around her, and then the flow of magic from Equestria's rulers toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused with all her might, trying to step the surge building up around her. If something didn't change in the next few seconds, she was certain she would lose control again.

"Sorry, didn't catch that," Tinker said. "Won't what? Get away with it? Succeed?" Celestia shot him a dirty look, but that was all she could do. "I'm just an earth pony. Nothing special about me. I have the power of a tired old pegasus and a second-rate unicorn, and I've bested all of you. What chance do you think you'll have against my Enmity Dusk?"

Twilight thought she heard someone answer, but the strain of holding back the magic was too much to bear. As the last of her defenses crumbled, the world shimmered around her. Celestia and Luna turned to shadow. Inky and Spooky took the forms of a pegasus and unicorn, respectively. And Tinker... he was a strange amalgamation of both. Shadowy tendrils connected him to Inky and Spooky, and yet he still retained some of his earth pony form. Then, even that view was swallowed up in blinding light, and Twilight Sparkle was overrun with power.

---

Spike's whole body ached when he regained consciousness. It was still twilight, so he knew he hadn't been out very long. Unfortunately, it seemed a lot had happened in that short space of time. Celestia was pinned to the ground, same as Luna. Magic flowed from them to Twilight, whose form flickered under the weight of so much power. Tinker was saying something Spike couldn't quite make out, with the two shadow creatures hovering nearby.

As his mind cleared, he suddenly realized that Tinker must have put him under some kind of spell. No, not spell; he recalled with horror that Tinker hadn't eaten any of the soup the previous night. He must have laced it with something, he thought. That's why I didn't think to warn Twilight or Luna. Celestia must have come looking for them, thanks to the paper Spike had sent her. Now, she was as strapped as the others.

Everyone except me, he thought as he got to his feet. Here goes nothing.

Spike started running. He had no plan except to deal as much damage as possible and hope Tinker gave in. It sounded insane even as he thought it, but he could think of no other option. Tinker was too busy talking to notice him approach. Spike readied his claws, and slashed at Inky's shadowy form.

"Arrrgh!" Spike was surprised to hear Tinker cry out in pain. Inky darted away and hid behind the earth pony. "You!" Tinker glared at him. "Your fall must have ruined my concoction. Doesn't matter. I've already beaten tougher today."

Spike gulped. Inky and Spooky loomed over him. Then, a large bounder smashed them both, and a familiar voice called out, "Get away from my Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity stood at the forest's edge, her beauty enhanced by her ferocious snarl. Behind her rested a hot-air balloon, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.

Tinker let out a long groan and staggered to the side before fixing the four mares with a glare. "How dare you!" he shouted. "Who do you think you-" He was promptly cut off by a rainbow streak that threw him at least thirty trots. Inky and Spooky rushed to catch him.

"That's for messing with our friends!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she circled back. While Applejack charged after her, Rarity ran to Spike's side and looked him over.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Rarity asked. "I swear, if that beastly, uncouth, ill-mannered affront to mane care laid so much as a hoof on you-"

"I'm fine," Spike answered. "What are you doing here?"

"It's the third day since you left, silly!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Indeed. We agreed to wait three days before we came looking for you," Rarity explained. "We decided to err on the shorter side of that timetable."

"Good thing you did," Spike said. "That pony's got Twilight and the princesses trapped in some kind of magic."

Before anypony could reply, Rainbow Dash and Applejack crashed into the ground beside them. Spike turned to see Tinker charging toward him, Inky and Spooky at his sides. "Oh, it is on," Pinkie muttered, trotting forward to meet him. Both shadows lunged at her. In a movement too fast to see, Pinkie conjured a cannon and blasted both with confetti and cake batter.

"Argh!" Tinker once again stumbled back, as though he'd been the target of Pinkie's attack. Then, the gears in Spike's head clicked.

"He feels what they feel," he said. "If you hit the shadows, he feels the pain!"

"Well, that's mighty handy to know," Applejack replied. She and Rainbow Dash leaped into action, striking the shadows with hoof, wing, and head. Tinker quickly crumpled beneath their assault, until finally, both shadows cowered beside him, unmoving.

"It's over," Applejack declared. "Let our friends go now!"

Tinker looked at her with a wicked grin. "You think I'm finished? Think again!" The shadows melted into his body, and after a moment, Tinker sprouted shadowy wings and a horn. "You've only scratched the surface of my power!" he shouted as he rose into the air. "You will not prevail against-"

Whatever he meant to say was lost as an angry bear swatted him from the air and pinned him to the ground. His wings and horn vanished as the two shadows exited his body and fled. A few trots away, Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you, friend," she said softly. To Tinker, she added, "He won't hurt you as long as you stay nice and quiet."

Tinker looked up a the bear's toothy face and gulped. "G-Got it," he said.

"Uh, guys." The worry in Rainbow Dash's voice made everyone's heads turn. Twilight could barely be seen through the magical radiance surrounding her. Luna and Celestia's eyes fluttered, then closed. Their bodies melted away into shadow. The two golden rings rose from the rock and wrapped themselves around Twilight's body and horn. A blinding flash, then silence as five ponies and a dragon looked at what had become of Twilight.

For a moment, she stood there, mane and tail gently waving in the breeze. Cautiously, the six friends moved closer. "Twilight?" Rainbow Dash called. "You all right?"

Twilight's eyes opened. They were completely filled with light. From the forest, Inky and Spooky emerged and bowed to her. The shadows of Celestia and Luna did the same. Twilight's body began to grow taller. Her mane and tail grew longer and more ethereal. Her horn was a beacon of magical might, and from her came a voice that shook the ground.

DUSK HAS COME, it said.

Dusk, said the shadows. Dusk. DUSK. DUSK!

DUSK! Twilight's voice roared.

"Oh, dear," Rarity whispered.