War in Equestria: The Tale of Bright Blade

by Michael_Ravencroft

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sibling Rivalry

"Dear Twilight, I have to speak to you right away! Please come to the royal palace, alone, immediately! P.S.: I have enchanted your balloon; it will bring you here with the greatest of haste."

Well she wasn't kidding about the enchanting part, thought Twilight. Her mane whipped through the air as her balloon sailed through the sky. Canterlot was quickly coming into view, and the closer she got the more worried she became.

"I hope the Princess is alright, I wonder if it's about the Elements - No that can't be, if that were true then Princess Celestia would've asked me to bring the others?" as Twilight continued to ponder this her balloon came to a halt on a landing platform. When Twilight jumped out she was surprised to see that Princess Celestia was awaiting her.

"Princess Celestia," gasped Twilight.

"Greetings Twilight Sparkle, I wish your arrival were under better circumstances...Please walk with me," said Celestia as she turned around to walk into the palace. Twilight quickly caught up with the Princess, both of them walking in silence down the long halls. Twilight occasionally would glance over at her mentor, Celestia carried herself in the same regal manner as she always had...but something was different about her.

"Uh Princess, your letter sounded urgent. Is there something wrong?" asked Twilight.

"Yes there is Twilight, a great evil is rising, one that threatens the lives of everypony in Equestria," said Celetia gravely.

"What kind of evil; is it Discord again, or maybe Queen Chrysalis!"

"No...Something worse, much worse," said Celestia. They walked all the way into the throne room. Two Royal Guard unicorns stood watch outside as they used their magic to close the doors behind Celestia and Twilight. "Before this danger reaches our land I asked Luna to lead an army to intercept this threat."

"Princess Luna - An army - where and what is she fighting," asked Twilight concerned.

"She fights in a place called the Nevermore Planes. A place cut off from the rest of Equestria, a place where the sun never shines," said Celestia.

That makes sense; Princess Luna's power is strongest at night, thought Twilight.

"I have no doubt in her ability to handle the situation, but just in case something goes wrong there are things you must know, information that I can only entrust to you, my little pony."

Twilight was speechless; she never would have thought that Celestia trusted her so much as to confide in her. The fact that this was happening made the situation feel all the more dire. "Princess Celestia...You can count on me!"

Celestia smiled, but before she could say anything more a loud explosion rumbled through the throne room. It grew louder and louder, getting considerably closer to their location. Celestia and Twilight looked to the throne room doors just in time to see them explode into a thousand pieces. Twilight quickly erected a barrier around the two of them, stone and wood pelted the barrier but were unable to penetrate it, a thick dust cloud was also kicked up into the air obscuring everything around them.

"Don't worry Princess I got this," said Twilight confidently.

A blue twinkling light shined in the distance. It twinkled faster and faster. "TWILIGHT LOOK OUT!" A beam of blue energy cut through the dust cloud and was aimed at Twilight. The beam made contact with the barrier, shattering it like it was made of fragile glass. Twilight's mind was racing, gripped with fear and panic unable to think straight. To her mind the beam was moving slowly towards her, she shut her eyes tightly anticipating the end.

"Open your eyes Twilight Sparkle, our foe is approaching," said Celestia calmly.

Twilight opened her eyes cautiously and saw a barrier of golden yellow light surrounded them. The Princess must've created a barrier after mine was destroyed! I can't believe I froze like that at the sight of my barrier shattering, if the Princess wasn't here...

"Well it's so nice to see you Twilight Sparkle, I'm glad you're here...!" Twilights eyes grew wide with surprise at the identity of their attacker. "You'll be the first to witness the fall of Celestia!"

"I-it can't be, Night Mare Moon!" Indeed it was her, wings and coat black as night, a cerulean helmet and chest plate, and cyan colored cat-like eyes, the evil alicorn, Night Mare Moon. "This-this isn't right, Princess Luna it's me Twilight your friend," she pleaded.

"Save your breath, Sparkle! I was never your friend, I'm here to exact vengeance on Celestia," proclaimed Night Mare Moon.

"My dear Luna, I thought we had forgiven each other, that we put the day I imprisoned you behind us," shouted Celestia, a hint of anger and sadness in her voice.

"Oh no big sister I am over that little bit of unpleasantness. But...what I cannot forgive is...WHAT YOU AND MOTHER DID TO ARION!"

Celestia's eyes grew wide, her barrier began to flicker. Night Mare Moon seized the moment and unleashed a blast of magical energy, it spiraled like a drill piercing Celestia's barrier. The shield broke apart in a cascade of sparks, the beam continued to destroy everything in its path. When it was over the throne was gone, the wall behind it had a big gaping hole in it. There were no signs of Twilight or Celestia in the destructive wake of Night Mare Moon's attack. She trotted over to the sight of where they last stood; Night Mare Moon clicked her tongue then gave a coy smile.

---

Elsewhere, far from the throne room, a purple flash light lit up the ball room and from it appeared Celestia and Twilight. Twilight stumbled around woozily; she shook her head a bit trying to regain her sense of balance. "Whoooa, a little dizzy, but I think we'll be safe for now –"

"Why...! After all these years, why would you mention HIS name! What did I miss – no, no, no, he can't possibly be alive, he just can't!" Twilight was surprised; she had never seen Celestia so rattled. Her eyes were downcast, body trembling slightly, and muttering under her breath over and over again.

"Princess..?" Twilight pushed against her side, but no response. "Princess Celestia can you hear me," said Twilight her face inches away from Celestia's face. Celestia continued to mutter to herself, completely unaware of Twilight's presence, "CELESTIA SNAP OUT OF IT!" Twilight brought up her right hoof and slapped Celestia on the left cheek. At that moment Twilight realized what she had done and was filled with both regret and a twinge of fear. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Princess, please forgive me!"

Celestia shook her head, "No – Thank you Twilight, I needed that," said Celestia smiling. "You called me 'Celestia,' that's the first time you've said my name so plainly without putting 'Princess' in front of it."

"I – I – it was a slip of the tongue, sorry Princess Celestia," said Twilight. Celestia began to chuckle a bit, but not for long. Just then windows shattered and glass flew everywhere, Celestia flared out her wings to protect her and Twilights heads from the glass shards.

Night Mare Moon leisurely flew in through the broken window and hovered over Twilight and Celestia, like a bird of prey. "Surprised to see me so soon?"

"How, there's no way you could've found us so fast," said Twilight.

"Please, you used that same teleportation spell during our last encounter. Only difference is I had the forethought to construct a detection spell, so now no matter where you teleport to I'll always find you! But don't worry it's only spread out over Canterlot, if you manage to get farther than that you might be able to escape," laughed Night Mare Moon.

Celestia stamped her hoof on the ground so hard that the marble floor cracked in all directions. "I am not running from you Luna! I don't know what happened to you, but I will not allow you to wreak havoc in our kingdom!" shouted Celestia.

"Don't you mean YOUR kingdom, dear sister!?" Celestia and Night Mare Moons bodies began to glow with power. Celestia's body was enveloped in a sphere of radiant yellow light, which then rose up to meet Night Mare Moon in the air. The two sisters stared each other down, a fierce look of determination in their eyes. The two spheres of light released a force of power that destroyed the roof of the ball room, the spheres then zoomed into the air. Streaks of yellow and cerulean light zigzagged around; the spheres slammed against each other and caused shockwaves with each impact. Twilight could only look on in awe and astonishment as the two matriarchs of her world were dueling in the skies above. Every so often either Celestia's or Night Mare Moon's light sphere would unleash blasts of magical energy, the beams would intercept each other and explode in a magnificent show of light.

Twilight ran from window to window all over the palace, trying to keep Celestia and Night Mare Moon in sight.

There's got to be something I can do to stop this! If I don't then they'll end up destroying each other!

Celestia's sphere came crashing down through the celing and landed next to Twilight. The energy of the sphere re-collected at the tip of her horn, while up above Night Mare Moon was doing the same. They both fired powerful beams of magical energy, the two beams collided with each other creating a power struggle. Celestia dug her hooves into the floor, refusing to give even an inch. Unfortunately Night Mare Moon's attack was forcing Celestia's beam back.

"What's wrong Celestia, I thought you were stronger than this," mocked Night Mare Moon.

"I don't understand, somehow Luna has become much more powerful? I'm not sure how much longer I can...!

Twilight, fed up with just standing by and watching helplessly, stood beside Celestia. Twilight's horn began to shine, and in that moment released a beam of magical power. Her beam combined with Celestia's and together the united attack pushed back Night Mare Moon's beam. "I'm here to help Princess!"

"Twilight you need to stop, get out of here now, you'll run out of power before we overtake her," yelled Celestia.

"Forgive my arrogance, but you need my help," shouted back Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle as your mentor and your Princess, I am ordering you to escape, NOW!" Twilight's eyes darted from the beam then to Celestia, whose eye gazed down on her with fierce conviction. Twilight closed her eyes and thought for a brief moment, then looked to Celestia with the same conviction in her eyes.

"Sorry Celestia, but I'm not leaving you behind, besides Luna is my friend and I want to help her return to the pony she once was! Please there has to be a way," pleaded Twilight.

Celestia sighed, "There is one way to help Luna, it was my back up plan in case Luna proved too powerful for the Elements of Harmony and ever mounted an attack on Canterlot," explained Celestia.

"So what is it," asked Twilight.

"The way lies below the castle, but as it stands I don't know how to get us there," said Celestia.

"Princess, leave that to me!"

What is Twilight's and Celestia's plan, and can it help return Luna to normal? And who is this Arion? Find out in the next exciting chapter of War in Equestria: The Tale of Bright Blade

Comments

[DE4DLIESTP0NY]

Dammit cliff hangers!!!!! Overall great story, ill fav and read the rest later i finished chap. 3

[AfterTouch]

another great chapter but I noticed that you used "said" a lot. But meh a great chapter is a great chapter

[Truthseeker]

The bolded statements after every chapter are really making me mad.

[way_2_spooky_4_u]

8050239
That's a really bold remark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqYdKVgnGU

[annonymus]

Why can't Twilight just fire her magic beam towards Nightmare Moon instead of ripping off Harry Potter? I'm sure it was a smart idea to take out an enemy like that. Just saying!