The Fiend that heralds Dark Skies

by Skijarama

Chapter 15 - One More Party, For The Road

Twilight smiled broadly at the party in motion. The sun had set an hour or so ago, though the lighting was pretty much exactly the same, the subtle undulations of the dark, inky energy still visible in the sky. Pinkie had gotten Vinyl and Octavia out to perform various songs, combining their styles to help keep things lively and optimistic. Right now, pretty much all of ponyville’s population was surrounding town hall, dancing merrily and forgetting their worries and troubles, even if only just for this one night.

Twilight let her smile slowly fade. “...This really could be goodbye, couldn’t it?” she muttered quietly. “To Ponyville, I mean.”

“It very well could be.” Rarity replied from her side, sitting on her haunches and sipping some punch. “I won’t deny that the thought frightens me…”

“It scares all of us, Rares.” Applejack added solemnly from Twilight’s other side, her own glass, which had been of cider, resting empty next to her. She smiled to Twilight, though. “But we ain’t gonna let that stop us.”

“I know you won’t.” Twilight nodded simply, looking down and closing her eyes. Fluttershy maintained her silence, looking between her friends anxiously. Twilight looked to her and smiled softly. “You sure you don’t want to go dance with Rainbow and Pinkie?”

“Um… yes, I’m sure. I want to save my energy…” Fluttershy nodded, shrinking behind her mane slightly.

“We don’t begrudge ya for it, Fluttershy.” Applejack reassured the timid pegasus, scootching over to her and wrapping a foreleg over her shoulders. Fluttershy snuggled into the embrace gladly.

“Indeed. Were it not carrying such an important sentiment, I would have retired for bed a while ago…” Rarity agreed with Fluttershy. “So saving your energy makes perfect sense to me.”

The friends sat in comfortable, companionable silence for a long while yet. The party went on and on, losing almost none of it’s energy or fervor with the passing of time. As the hours flew by, Rainbow and Pinkie returned to the others to settle in on a blanket Pinkie brought them, watching Ponyville dance the night away. Every so often, a few ponies would trot up to them to thank them for the party and bid them good luck and, in many cases, goodbye before going home to rest. There was still so much work that needed to be done, after all.

At one point, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom approached the group timidly. Applejack frowned when she noticed. “Apple Bloom, y’all are supposed to be in bed. Why are ya up so late?”

“Same goes for you, Sweetie Belle. You need your rest.” Rarity added, though she held a more warm expression. Rainbow simply stretched out a wing for Scootaloo to nestle under.

It was the small orange pegasus filly who spoke first. “We couldn’t get any sleep… sorry, everypony, but, well, between all of our excess energy, the party and, well… nightmares…” Scootaloo shivered slightly, sighing as Rainbow pulled her in closer.

“Yeah… and besides, we know what y’all are gonna do.” Apple Bloom said solemnly, looking at Applejack sadly. “Everypony dancin’ is talkin’ ‘bout it. Yer all leavin’... maybe even for good.”

Applejack’s frown turned into a morose grimace. “Ah... Ah’m sorry, little sis…”

“Nopony is forcing you to come along, Applejack,” Twilight pointed out gently, reaching out with a forehoof to rub soothing circles into Applejack’s shoulder. “You too, Rarity. You both have family here. I don’t think anypony would blame you for staying here to look after them.”

Applejack mouthed like a fish for several moments, but it was Rarity who spoke next. “I know, darling, but I’ve already made up my mind. Sweetie Belle isn’t a little filly anymore.” she smiled and gently pulled Sweetie Belle into a warm, loving embrace. “I know without a doubt she can take care of herself… and I would never be able to live it down if I let you go off to do this without me, Twilight. We’ve been through so much together, all of us.”

“We go out as a team or not at all!” Rainbow affirmed, giving her signature smirk. The uneasiness and dread in her eyes was clearly visible, though.

Applejack sighed heavily, pulling Apple Bloom into a hug herself. “Ah know, y’all… and Ah know AB can take care of herself, but… ah don’t wanna miss anything about you growin’ up, little sis.”

Apple Bloom closed her eyes and buried her face into Applejack's chest, silently letting a few tears slip out. Sweetie Belle mirrored the action with Rarity. Scootaloo snuggled closer to Rainbow Dash before speaking up.

“Don’t worry, you guys. We’ll take care of each other if something happens to you; but nothing bad will happen to you. You’ll save the day and come home in the morning like you always do. And we’ll be here to welcome you home, like we always do.” she said with a confident smile.

“Heh… that’s my girl.” Rainbow said with a smile, ruffling Scootaloo’s mane before nuzzling her affectionately.

Twilight smiled before glancing back at Pinkie Pie. “What do you think, Pink-... oh.” Twilight went silent and let a gentle, amused smile cross her face. Pinkie Pie was on her back, snoring quietly to herself. Everypony looked and gave the same look Twilight was.

“Aw, how precious…” Rarity cooed out quietly before nuzzling Sweetie Belle, who gladly returned the gesture.

“She’s plum tuckered out.” Applejack whispered. “Worked so hard to put this here party together on such short notice… heh, Ah can’t say Ah blame her in the slightest.”

“Yeah... some sleep sounds good to me.” Rainbow nodded along, her eyes getting slightly harder to keep open. “The dance was pretty energetic…”

Twilight looked up. Even through the inky darkness in the sky, the stars were still visible, shining through them like they would through the clouds any other night. Rainbow had cleared out all of the cloud coverage with permission from the mayor for the party; let the night sky be fully visible. Twilight looked past the darkness to the stars, resolving herself to abolishing the darkness smothering them. The sun, the moon, the stars… they will all shine brightly again. I swear.

One by one, the partying ponies returned home, the party gradually dying down into silence. A soft breeze swept over Ponyville, rustling the trees and bushes. Everypony on the blanket had followed Pinkie’s example, all of them settling down with pillows retrieved from the party grounds and falling asleep. Twilight was the last to do so, casting a final glance up at the sky before curling up with her friends and letting sleep claim her.

“Twilight…?” Spike’s voice came, drawing Twilight out of her slumber gradually. He was gently shaking her to speed up the process. “Twilight, wake up.”

Twilight slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she lowered her hooves, she saw that it was morning; the red ring that was now the sun barely illuminating anything. She looked down to Spike, who was looking up at her hesitantly, a scroll clutched in his left claw down by his side.

“Uh… Luna sent this.” he mumbled out, passing her the scroll and stepping back a bit. Twilight unraveled it and examined the contents.

Dear Princess Twilight,

It’s time. Moonrise Drifter and I have recovered as much as our time frame will allow for. We are ready to go and the battalions are already en route to the Crystal Empire. Please take the Friendship Express to Canterlot. We’ll meet there and make our way to the Crystal Empire, then to Mount Eclipse.

I hope you’ve made peace with yourself as much as you can.

Yours, Princess Luna

Twilight sighed and nodded, setting the scroll down. “It’s time for us to go…”

Spike didn’t say anything. He simply turned around and plopped into a sitting position, looking over Ponyville mournfully. Twilight didn’t say anything either; there was nothing more she could say. Instead, she simply pulled him into a hug, nuzzling his head. Then, she stood and, one by one, roused her friends from their slumber. She told them it was time to get ready to go. Everypony quietly acknowledged this before briefly returning home to tidy up, have a meal and grab any supplies they felt they should bring with them.

Soon enough, they stood on the platform of the Ponyville train station, awaiting the arrival of the Friendship Express. Twilight looked over them all with an expression of unmatched fondness. Applejack was in a group hug with Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith. Rarity was talking to Sweetie Belle in hushed voices. Pinkie Pie stood at the edge of the platform, talking to Mr and Mrs Cake, who had brought along Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake. Fluttershy was not far off, sitting quietly with numerous birds nestled upon her back and shoulders and Rainbow Dash was playing catch with Scootaloo, content to not say anything.

For her own part, Twilight turned her gaze to all of Ponyville, as well as her castle in the distance, where Spike was. She could see several ponies watching with solemn anticipation from the streets. She smiled to each one, occasionally waving as one she knew more personally trotted by. When at last she looked away, it was to the sight of the train pulling into view from the distance. A loud whistle sounded, announcing its rapid approach to all of Ponyville.

The train pulled to a stop and the doors slid open. Twilight looked to her friends and nodded to them. “Go on ahead. I’ll be there in just a moment.”

Everypony nodded, said final farewells to their gathered families and friends and then stepped into the train. Twilight turned her gaze back to Ponyville’s streets to see many, many ponies approaching with sorrowful looks on their faces. Twilight took a deep breath and took a step forward to address them.

“Hello, everypony. As you know, my friends and I are leaving to join Princess Luna in an effort to stop Luminous Horizon and his fiends up north, past the Crystal Empire. I won’t lie… it is quite likely that some of us, or none of us, will return alive.” Twilight winced mentally at the despondent mood the befell the crowd. “But we’re doing all of this so the rest of you can live safely, without the fiends breathing down all of your necks. In the time I’ve lived in Ponyville, the ponies of this wonderful town have taught me so much. I owe all of you so much more than any of you realize.

“One way or another, you all taught me something invaluable. About me, about friendship, about ponies in general and... I am so proud and honored to have this town as my home, and to consider every last pony who lives within it my friends. Even if I don’t return, I know the sacrifices that we must make at Mount Eclipse will not be for nothing; We are doing this for the future and safety of Equestria, and I am doing it for my friends… all of my friends.” Twilight smiled down at the gathered crowd, who in turn returned her smile happily. “I am glad to have met each and every single one of your more than words could ever hope to describe. I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other… Goodbye, everypony. Take care.” she unfurled her wings and bowed deeply, letting off a small spell to illuminate the entire area in a bright lavender glow and blanket it in a wave of warmth.

Everypony breathed in deeply before the crowd gradually began to cheer and applaud her speech. Twilight stood to her full height and turned her gaze up to Canterlot, no more than a silhouette on the distant mountainside. It was time.

With the honest farewells and encouraging calls from the ponies of Ponyville at her back, Twilight turned and stepped into the train. She passed each of her friends, who gave her warm, touched smiles, nodding to her as she strode by. Twilight came to a stop and set herself into a seat facing Ponyville, looking out at the town and touching a hoof to the glass.

“I think we’re ready. Let’s go.” She said simply to the train conductor, who was standing in the door frame to the control room with watering eyes. He nodded, wiped away his tears and set about putting the train into motion. Twilight smiled reassuringly at the ponies of the town she called home cheering her and her friends on. Goodbye, everypony… she thought solemnly, her smile fading from her face.

I’ll miss you...

Author's Note:

ALL THE FEELS!

Comments

[tom117z]

I hope you’ve made peace with yourself as much as you can.

Would a little optimism kill them? For morale, if nothing else...

Really, there'll be another time. Another war... Welcome to being a monarch of a kingdom, Twilight. Magic rainbows sadly don't solve every problem.

[crazyone]

This story should have so many more views

[Skijarama]

8255847
Hey, if people wanna advertise this series and throw it at the faces of their friends and stuff, I won't object.