The Life of Penumbra Heartbreak

by Unwhole Hole

Chapter 67: Dawn

Penumbra was thrown back by a sudden attack. She engaged one of Eternity’s preconstructed shield spells, absorbing most of the blast at the last moment. The rest fell on Emeth’s armor, which though damaged was valiantly supporting her. That was probably a good thing. Penumbra doubted she would still be able to stand without it.

Celestia turned first, her mind immediately clearing from the love spell. She took a dueling stance and summoned a pair of constructs. They ran out, their luminescent bodies moving silently over the ice, driving toward Penumbra with their jaws open, ready to grab her and pin her to the ground.

Penumbra jumped back, flipping and manifesting a barrier of summoned crystal. She stuck the landing and fell into a split, barely dodging Nightmare Moon’s hoof against her horn. The second blow hit her side, and she defiantly felt it. Still, with her horn untouched, she was able to cast a repulsion spell as she fell to the ground, forcing Nightmare Moon back- -but not off her hooves.

One of the constructs suddenly grabbed her flank. Penumbra reacted instinctively, sending out a wave of undifferentiated magic that partially disassembled it. Celestia’s magic was advanced, though, and the construct quickly began to rebuild itself- -and the fragments began assembling themselves into another as well. It was self-replicating.

She was on the defensive, and it took everything she had just to dodge both Princesses. She had lost momentum and lost her advantage.

“Eternity, I need something big!”

No response came, though in the distance, she could hear Eternity talking. Speaking to somepony that Penumbra could only partially see. Penumbra could not help but shiver, because that pony, though Eternity’s mind, rendered as several different individuals stretched across Eternity's distorted perspective. One of them was a white unicorn that Penumbra had never met, but who looked distinctly familiar.

But no response came. Penumbra was forced to roll backward, only to be grabbed by her short mane by silver magic and to have her nose rammed into the ground repeatedly. She withstood the pain, and did her best to summon a counterspell. It was weak and barely effective.

She raised her horn, preparing an attack, only to be suddenly tackled by a construct. Its body immediately shifted as Celestia’s secondary spells activated, forming a net of golden chains that tied Penumbra to the ground.

“GAH!” Penumbra struggled, trying to rise. “I won’t let them down! I won’t let HIM down! I was born for this! I WILL NOT LOSE!”

“You can’t move,” said Celestia. “Please stop. The battle is over. Just stay down. There’s no way for you to win.”

Penumbra looked around, her eyes darting around the ruined landscape around her. She refused to give up. Not when ponies were counting on her.

In the distance, a voice suddenly spoke. A voice from Thirteen’s armor.

“Nanoconstruction complete. Preparing to reboot vitals. Please stand clear.”

Penumbra had no idea what that meant, but she got the idea. She reached out with her magic, lifting Thirteen’s limp body- -and promptly chucking it against Celestia’s chest.

The revitalization system engaged just as Thirteen struck Celestia. Celestia screamed as her body was electrocuted by a surge of unknown energy, and as her horn overloaded the spell surrounding Penumbra weakened. Some parts of Eternity’s spells still remained, and Penumbra used one of them. It was incomplete and weakened her badly, but it broke the chains completely. She immediately turned to Nightmare Moon, who had- -as expected- -been distracted by her sister’s pain. With a scream of rage, Penumbra leapt onto Nightmare Moon’s side, tackling her to the ground and biting her repeatedly.

Celestia was knocked back and lost her balance, falling into the dirt. As she did, Thirteen grabbed her neck, twirling over it and onto Celestia’s back. Without a moment’s hesitation, she lowered her horn to Celestia’s rump.

A high scream rose from Celestia, and, worse, a horrible, disgusting ripping sound. Both Penumbra and Nightmare Moon looked up and, to their visceral, instinctive horror, they saw Celestia’s body rapidly growing pale and gray- -as her cutie mark was in the process of begin severed from her body.

For a brief moment, it broke free. Thirteen stood triumphant, Celestia’s solar cutie mark held above her horn and the pony herself a gray heap below. A heap whose eyes dripped with tears even through her forced smile.

Then Nightmare Moon tackled her, biting hard around Thirteen’s neck with her long, sharp teeth. Although there was a hole in the chest of Thirteen’s armor, her neck was still fully protected, and the best Nightmare Moon could do was fruitlessly shake her and pin her to the ground.

With the cutie mark released, it automatically returned to its owner. Penumbra contemplated grabbing it, but she had no idea how to even start to go about it. As far as she knew, nopony but Thirteen did.

Instead she took the second option. She saw her chance. Even with her cutie mark reattached, Celestia was badly weakened and unable to stand. Penumbra summoned a cutting spell and charged forward. Celestia’s eyes met hers, and in that instant Penumbra knew that this was wrong- -but she absolutely refused to stop.

Then she fell. This confused her. She could not recall having tripped. Then she realized that she was convulsing.

It was not only Penumbra. The entire kingdom cried out at once. Crystal ponies beneath the shield dome covered their ears, cowering at the base of the Heart of Darkness; across the battlefield in a medic’s tent, a Pegasus named Firefly nearly dropped another Pegasus named Skyflame while pulling him to a doctor’s table; in the sky, an unnamed field marshal dropped to one knee. Even across the gossamer lining of reality, Sombra looked up from his preparations and knew that time grew short.

The only ones that did not hear were the golems and the undead- -and Twilight Luciferian. The infection had reached his brain, and the sound of endless screaming had already infiltrated his consciousness to the point where one more voice hardly mattered.

It was laughter. High, joyous, manic, terrifying laughter. Eternity’s laughter. Or it might have been screaming. It was too loud, and it was impossible to tell.

Penumbra clapped her hooves over her ears. She was sure that her brain was in danger of melting. Celestia did the same, and Nightmare Moon nearly collapsed.

Then in an instant it stopped. There was only the sound of shattering glass.

Penumbra fell to the snow, still shaking as her body regenerated from her injuries. This gave her some advantage over the other alicorns, but it would be brief. The princess was slowing down as she reached exhaustion.

“Eternity,” she said, “Eternity, help me, I need something powerful!”

There was no response. Not even a hint that their could be one. And somehow Penumbra understood that there never would be. Ever again.

“Eternity?” She stood, staring to panic. “Eternity?!”

Celestia raised her horn and, herself at the point of exhaustion, cast one last spell.

Immediately the joints of Penumbra’s power armor locked. She cried out and nearly fell over, creaking as she moved. Motion was still possible, but the driving mechanisms had seized. She was forced to move under her own power- -and under armor that was not far more of a burden than a benefit.

“Then I’ll have to do it myself!”

Penumbra reached into herself, drawing power from within. Far more power than should have been possible. The Aicorn Amulet responded, driving more power into her. Enough so that even her half-built novice spells could do some damage- -ANY damage.

Then, in a flash, Nightmare Moon was inches from Penumbra, her enormous turquoise eyes staring at her viciously.

“I tire of this,” she said, reaching out into Penumbra’s head with a plume of silver strands. “OBEY.”

Penumbra tried to resist, but her own mind was too small. She felt Nightmare Moon inside her, penetrating her in every way her mind could be penetrated. For a brief moment, she saw what she had only half-glimpsed during her attempt at a love spell. Beneath her veneer of power and confidence, she was so very sad- -and so very afraid. Because she too knew what lurked within her sister’s heart.

Unable to control herself, Penumbra felt her own hoof rise and snap the chain around her amulet. In an instant it was surrounded by silver and torn the rest of the way off.

Penumbra tried to resist, but her own mind was too small. She felt Nightmare Moon inside her, penetrating her in every way her mind could be penetrated. Thirteen materialized from her jump and immediately cried out in pain, falling to her knees. The hole in the center of her armor was sparking badly. The seal had been broken. Her armor could no longer fully protect her from temporal sheer or chronal displacement.

Unable to control herself, Penumbra felt her own hoof rise and snap the chain around her amulet. In an instant it was surrounded by silver and torn the rest of the way off.

A blast of magic cleaved the chestplate of her broken armor. She tried to raise a defensive spell, but a third attack hit the base of her horn. Nightmare Moon could well have cleaved it free, but instead simply bashed it hard enough to give Penumbra and instant concussion. Had she not been familiar with constant beatings, she would surely have been rendered unconscious. Yet another blow hit her hard in the jaw.

“So,” said Nightmare Moon, slowly drifting forward. “You truly believe what you have said to me. Perhaps once you could have been a just and kind pony, one who serves her people with dignity and authority. But instead you chose to serve Sombra.”

“I...regret nothing...”

“But you WILL regret having tried to harm my beloved sister. This is something I cannot forgive, not EVER. I care not that you might once have been good! For I tire of this game. I refuse to show you mercy.”

Penumbra spit teeth into the snow. “I would never respect you if you did.”

Nightmare Moon stared, not smiling- -but also not frowning. Then she raised her horn to the sky.

Something rumbled overhead. Penumbra looked up to see bright surges of light piercing the sky above. They were stars. The stars themselves were falling at their creator’s command.

One hit near Penumbra. The shockwave threw her to the side. She rolled, and another landed where she had just been. The world around her was erupting into flame. That meant there was only one option. Eternity was gone, as was her armor, and the Alicorn Amulet. She was exhausted and out of energy. She knew that the fight had been lost, and that there was no possible way to win.

So she lowered her horn and charged Nightmare Moon directly.

Nightmare Moon produced her sword, and took a step forward. Penumbra did not even bother to dodge.

Then, in an instant, she felt herself being pulled away. Something had grabbed onto her midsection and was lifting her away, swerving past the explosive storm of Nightmare Moon’s cosmic artillery. Penumbra looked up to see Thirteen overhead, held aloft by a massive pair of pulsating dragonfly wings made of gossamer and dew.

“Stop! STOP! Put me down! I demand it! I’m not done! I’M NOT DONE!”

Thirteen did not respond. Nor did she let go.

“I mean it! You are interfering with ROYAL BUSINESS! I will have you HUNG! By your LEG! Return me to the battle! RETURN ME NOW! That is a princess order! A PRINCESS ORDER!!”

“No.”

Penumbra looked back, and tears began to well in her eyes. Her life had one single, solitary purpose. And she had failed.

The barrage stopped, and Nightmare Moon sighed. Her own energy had been drained, but was hardly depleted. More to the point, the Crystal Princess had escaped. She could have pursued, of course, but that would mean leaving her sister alone.

Instead, she went to her sister’s side, kneeling in the dirt and snow and ash that had once been the Crystal Empire. “Sister? Are you injured?”

“I...I couldn’t save her.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

Celestia looked up. It was clear she had been crying. “I don’t know.”

“Eternity has reached the end of her path, just as she had predicted. Sister, our time grows short.”

They both looked out at the expanse before them, to where Penumbra had fled. The skies were still flooded with enough windigoes to blot out the light of either the sun or moon. Amongst them were the few remaining sky-battleships; although the dreadnought had been sunk, the command capsule still remained and had already regrouped what was left of the fleet. Throughout the battlefield forces were clashing- -though most of the thralls had been defeated, the Empire was still teaming with golems and the undead alike.

And then, beyond that, there stood an unbreakable shield and the Citadel itself, filled with fresh soldiers prepared for the final defense- -and, if they did not hurry, Sombra himself.

“If we do not act now, the Empire will be lost to us.”

“I know.” Celestia stood, although nearly collapsed as her legs buckled. “I can still fight!”

“No. You cannot. And I cannot either, if I must keep defending you. Not that it would do any good. Sister, I cannot risk you being harmed...but we have no other choice.”

Celestia’s eyes grew wide. “No- -NO! We can still win!”

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and shook her head. “Not at this rate. I almost lost you in a fight against just one pony. Even together, we cannot stand against the rest. Or against Sombra.”

“But together, we can do anything!”

Nightmare Moon frowned. “I know. And that’s why I need my big sister.”

Celestia sniffled, and looked at the Empire. She knew that the situation was hopeless- -and knew that Nightmare Moon was right.

“But what if I can’t control it?”

“I will pull you back. Whatever it takes.”

“You can’t make that promise.”

“But I shall. I swear it upon our mother’s horn. I will not leave you. Not now, and not ever.”

Celestia closed her eyes, and stood on her own. Nightmare Moon’s words had touched her, but the elder pony did not understand. There was no pony that could.

Yet there was no other choice.

Celestia spread her wings and rose into the sky. As she did, she ignited her horn. The moon had begun to set. Night was over. The time had come for the dawn.

Far to the east, the sun broke over the horizon. Celestia was afraid, but she did what had to be done. The magic of her horn changed, from golden to deep, burning orange.

The sun rose- -but as it did, the sky ignited, the night burning away in an endless plume of multicolored aurora's. Celestia stopped and spread her wings to the sun, drawing its full energy into herself.

The force of the sun struck her, and she pulled it into herself, drawing more and more of its limitless power. The sun began to change. Instead of a gleaming yellow beacon of warmth and hope, it began to grow, its color atrophying from yellow to orange, and finally a deep, terrible shade of red. All the while it grew, its force becoming oppressive across the land. The land that would, for now and forever, be plunged into endless day.

Celestia cried out as energy within her reached critical mass. The force of solar fusion overwhelmed her, and she threw her mane back, its colors igniting and merging into a single, terrible flame. Her mage robes burned away, revealing the now super-heated gold of the armor she wore beneath.

Through the Crystal Empire, ponies stared up at the terrible sky of auroras and at the red-orange sun that now dominated half of it- -and they despaired.

From above, a flaming princess descended into the city, her body alight with solar fire. In an instant, the crystal buildings beside her began to melt and burn, collapsing to their foundations from the heat, forming a ring of destruction around the White Queen.

The pony who had once been Celestia opened her eyes, their sclera blackened from the heat within her immortal form- -and Daybreaker looked upon the kingdom that now belonged to her.

Her eyes slowly tilted, looking up and to her left. Nightmare Moon descended from above, reaching only the farthest perimeter of Daybreaker’s corona. The younger mare shaded her eyes, recoiling from her sister’s light. As she did, her quicksilver armor began to react, expanding and spreading apart until it formed a suit of armor that encapsulated her entire body, shielding her from her sister’s deadly radiation.

“Sister- -”

Daybreaker turned her head, and in an instant her horn had vaporized a swath of destruction through the abandoned district of the Crystal Empire, vaporizing a tunnel of slag and burning rubble through the crystal buildings and stone fortifications. It continued onward and outward, burning miles in an instant.

And standing at its very periphery was Nightmare Moon, the thinnest possible gash cut into her quicksilver helmet. Just enough to reveal the black skin beneath.

The helmet regenerated as the quicksilver compensated. Nightmare Moon was shaking.

Daybreaker sighed. “As expected. Six hundred years of cake and squinting at pointless books has left me with poor aim, it seems.”

“Sister...it’s good to see you.”

“Don’t lie to my face, little sister. Or next time I will not miss.”

Daybreaker turned suddenly. She had felt something peculiar.

Suddenly, both alicorns were struck by a sudden surge of burning magic fired from an enormous crystalline cannon. High above, two of the remaining sky battleships had converged on their position, and they had commenced firing.

Nightmare Moon instantly raised a shield spell, absorbing the heat and power of the beam though being forced to her knees in the process. Daybreaker, meanwhile, did not even bother to react. She simply stared upward through the laser. Its energy was inconsequential.

“Such incompetence,” growled Daybreaker, charging her horn.

The ships were instantly crushed by the force of her magic. Their engines whined and thrummed as they desperately struggled to escape her grasp, but there was nothing they could do to break free. Daybreaker stared at them for a moment, wondering why exactly such things had cause to exist.

Then she smashed them together. Their engines overloaded and the ships detonated in a plume of atomic fire. She then forced them to the ground directly in front of her, leveling a substantial area of the city. Since the wreckage was consequently in her way, she moved it, effortlessly gouging an enormous hole in the land as buildings and golems alike were shredded by the burning remnants of their ships.

“Why am I here, little sister?”

“The war- -”

Nightmare Moon was silenced as Daybreaker slowly turned her blackened eyes toward her. “Yes, you idiot. I am Celestia’s purest and truest self. I still have my fat and pointless counterpart’s memories. I KNOW. Answer the QUESTION. Why am I here?”

Nightmare Moon bristled. “We need to break through. Sombra will arise soon. We do not have much time.”

“And why should I care about Sombra?”

Nightmare Moon did not know how to answer. “Because we cannot claim the Empire so long as he remains in power. We require this territory. To secure our borders. And for the sake of the crystals, if you must know.”

A toothy smile crossed Daybreaker’s face. “Crystals, you say?” She turned her head, and her horn ignited with devastating power. She fired it directly into the soil, forming a column of solar light that scorched its way through ice and rock alike until it met with the caverns below.

In an instant, the ground shook with the force of a terrible earthquake as the crystals ignited and exploded, burned and torn asunder by Daybreaker’s limitless magic.

“SISTER! What are you- -”

Nightmare Moon suddenly choked as the armor below her helmet was crushed. She struggled and gasped as she was lifted by Daybreaker’s magic, held aloft by her neck.

“What do ponies need these crystals for?” demanded Daybreaker. “Is my magic not ENOUGH? Or would you rather give your precious little mortals a way to USURP ME?!”

“Sister- -sister, no- -”

The smile on Daybreaker’s face grew. She enjoyed seeing her sister in pain. “That’s not what this war is about. Conquest? What need have I for conquest? No.” She pointed at the Crystal Empire. “Those ponies dared to stand against me. They are HERETICS. This is not a war of conquest. From here on in? This is a war of EXTERMINATION.”

“Sister- -”

Daybreaker slammed her sister’s head into the stone side of a building, and then threw her into the dirt.

“There is an alicorn in there. I intend to end her. I refuse to allow a rival to exist.”

Nightmare Moon gasped, grabbing at her throat. “Yet I persist.”

Daybreaker smiled. “Yes. I know.”

And with that, she began to walk.

Comments

[ponepony]

I guess this is going to happen?
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/7/13/42629.png

[alamais]

Sunbutt got some anger management issues.

I wonder if even she's worth a damn against Literally Satin, though.

[Sypher]

Daybreaker's entrance was metal as fuck.