Twilight Daylight: The Cold War

by thedarktome

Chapter 29 - Storm Pt. 2

Author's Note:

I know you've waited, so here it is! Post your comments down below! As kyour questions, I'm always happy!

Winter was supposed to be celebrated with love and care. Where gifts were exchanged amongst those who loved one another. Where the hooves of another found the body of their loved ones to pull into the greatest hug there ever was. Instead, smoke found the skies of Equestria, trailing from the beach of Las Pegasus where destruction reigned. The God of Magic was furious. Her strength found the shores of Equestria and seeked to undo all that made up Equestria; all that made up Equus.

Her arrival was met with the strength and tenacity of a thousand dragons, backed up with the weaponry of her own country Psera. Even miles away the battle could be heard. The explosions could be seen. The fight raged to a lack of control until finally, at the wave of a hoof, the last soldier seen upon Las Pegasus beach fell at her strength.

None dared defy her. The last pony fallen, Queen Arcadia reached up to her helmet and carefully plucked it off her head, revealing the fury in her one good eye, not blinded from the result of fire and blood. She knew they were watching from those group of Pserateps hiding amongst the clouds in the sky. Whether they were blind or not, she would win this fight.

Arcadia dropped her helmet in the sand and began walking up the beach, fully intent on wiping out all that was magic.

The high heads in Canterlot could see her. They knew she was coming, slowly making her way through. A plan was already in place that Equestria was orchestrating. But would it be enough to match with Twilight's?

After arriving in Ponyville, Celestia teleported straight to the source of it all. The Castle of Friendship, turned into a laboratory for developing a shield that would cover all of Equestria and then some, headed by Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer. All was ready, but the cell needed to be full to reach its maximum potential. Dealing with Twilight "Arcadia Nova" Sparkle, they needed more than even that.

"How much time do we have left?" Celestia hurriedly asked.

Sunset referred to Starlight by the machine. "One minute!" She answered. "But it won't matter if Twilight's on the soil. She'll just be inside the shield, defeating the whole purpose of this project."

One minute. Twilight could travel the globe in half that time. They needed a distraction to keep her occupied. Celestia quickly teleported back to Canterlot and asked, "Can we get Arcadia distracted back to the ocean; Get her off Equestria?"

General Mack Land, Admiral Shooting Star, and General Neon Lightning shared a look with each other before referring back to Celestia.

Admiral Shooting Star replied, "We have only one more defensive Aquata at sea strong enough to match her power, and that's Aquata Eighty-Seven."

The Front Lawn. The biggest Aquata Psera has. As a matter of fact, didn't Queen Arcadia sign it into service? It would be quite ironic if she would be the reason for its downfall.

"I'll see if they're locked on target." General Mack Land walked back over to one of the command ponies talking into their mouthpiece.

While they discussed, Cadance turned to Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor. "Maybe we should use one of the Legends of Psera. Isn't one of them Water?"

They turned to the five ponies waiting on the side speaking with each other. There was Odega of Fire; Crystaltite, Lordess of the Sea; Soymenar, Commander of the Earth; and Leacrope, Commander of the Air.

Luna shook her head. "Not yet. We need them here to help us take her down if she manages to make it to Canterlot."

"Not if." Celestia turned her gaze of contempt to the monitors. "When. Arcadia's strength rivals our own. She will find a way into the shield. It's just a matter of how long it'll take her."

They knew it to be true. A feeling of dread draped over the room before they all focused back on the screen.

"Aquata Eighty-Seven has locked onto Queen Arcadia," someone announced.

Admiral Shooting Star swallowed hard. "Fire away."

"Firing."

---

A change in the wind. Queen Arcadia ceased her advances for outside of Las Pegasus' gates and stood up straight. Something was moving quickly through the air. Her brows furrowed, eyes narrowing in suspicion before she recognized the feeling. Something was approaching at a rapid pace. So fast, she couldn't keep up with it. Piercing through her magical aura.

Arcadia reacted quickly. Whipping around and raising her hooves, she summoned a spell. A neon violet ring outlined with ancient characters materialized before her face seconds prior Aquata Eighty-Seven's artillery reached shore. Streaming through the air they landed where she was in a blast so powerful they shattered more windows. A short-lived attack.

The fire and damage they created was quickly absorbed into the ring, leaving Arcadia standing there as she was before, unharmed and unprovoked. Another, followed by another, all ending the same: absorbed into Arcadia's magic with little to no damage done to their actual target.

The commanders in Canterlot had a bad feeling. Cadance swallowed hard and whispered, "This is not going to end well."

This was going on for too long. Admiral Shooting Star raised a hoof behind him. "Cease fire," he ordered.

A twelfth shot landed before they stopped coming. Arcadia knew they would decipher the picture soon enough. They were wasting their firepower. She dispelled her defense and opened her wings. She knew where they were. At the stomp of a hoof, their battleship would be rendered useless. She took off into the air, soaring back into the ocean, a violet beam rapidly approaching The Front Lawn and leaving the shores of Las Pegasus.

"She fell for it," Odega announced.

Luna nodded firmly. "Then we had better get that shield up. Sunset should be pulling the lever soon to get it up and running."

Arcadia's magical strength had a drastic affect to pony fur. Her presence, no matter how far was added with her Magical Aura. So much magic that her fur had a subtle vibration, just enough to be mistaken for a massage. But, if Queen Arcadia was close enough, one would be struck with a lightning bolt of buzz, enough to make walking nearly impossible. How the Princesses manage was impossible to understand.

Sunset waited for the right moment. Too early and Arcadia could come back. Too late and she could get under it. The timing had to be perfect. All lab officials watched her, observing her motions to ensure the time was right. Starlight's hoof was on the lever. Awaiting Sunset's signal. Until finally...

Sunset's fur ceased its vibration. She dropped her hoof, stomping it on the floor. "Now!"

Starlight swiftly yanked it down, powering up the creation that would save them all. There would be no way for Queen Arcadia to breach through in time. No way at all.

---

There it was, Aquata Eighty-Seven. The biggest Aquata Psera had enlisted. A city on the waves, drifting still on the rocky blue seas. As if anticipating Arcadia's arrival, she was defended by Psera's Aerial Guard and Aquata. More Aquata's flanked her sides while soldiers hovered in formation, watching her approach from a distance. A wall of Pserateps protecting the second biggest asset in their possession.

Back in Canterlot, Admiral Shooting Star ordered, "Give me a live visual."

A camera feed from Aquata Eighty-Seven was slapped on their screens. There was Queen Arcadia, skimming the waves upon approach as the center of attention.

"Captain?" Admiral Star said. "Do not let Arcadia Nova pass that wall."

The captain replied through their systems. "Yes, sir."

Arcadia Nova slowed her speed until she was walking on the waves, eventually coming to a stop for a staring contest with The Front Lawn. Too far to attack effectively, they waited for her to get closer.

"What is she waiting for?" Cadance asked.

Celestia had no idea. Was it because she was outnumbered? Was it because she was thinking of her plan of attack? Was it because she could feel the fear coming off of the Pserateps? Hear them rattling the metal of their weapons?

Arcadia Nova looked over her shoulder and stared back towards the East, where Equestria would be before looking back to the Aquatas before her. Is she going to lay down her weapon? Is she going to surrender?

Arcadia's horn slowly illuminated. Her eyes turned to violet neon marbles in her skull. Feathers alight with magic.

The technology Psera brought to Equestria glitched. The main screens froze. Their operators removed their hooves and held them up.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" Neon Lightning asked.

"No idea," General Mack Land asked. He walked over to a station and began operating controls. "It's not working; nothing is working."

"And it will not work." Blood ran cold and spirits began freezing over. They directed their attention to the screen and the glowing narrowed eyes that overlayed its current glitchy behavior.

Arcadia Nova hacked into their systems. She got her hooves into their technology without flexing a single muscle.

"Why fight this?" She asked. "Can't you see what magic has done to us as a species? How many ponies, how many dragons, how many creatures have died because of it? How many families were crushed? More magic means more power. More power means more risks. More risks means more failures, and more failures mean more deaths."

Luna sneered at her words. "Cute way of saying that you're a magnet for trouble."

"I have already come to grips with my mere existence being an endangerment to lives everywhere. As long as this horn sits upon my head, as long as my brain remains full of the knowledge of magic, as long as my legacy stands, I will never find true peace or happiness in this world.

"And do you know why? Because ponykind will never be happy. You always want to improve. To be stronger than the rest, as if life is a competition for who could be the most lazy. Who can grow grass the fastest without applying the work? Who can power on quicker at the wag of a tail? Who can improve transportation the most without even discussing what transportation truly is? Who can automate more tasks while we sit back and watch? And do you know who brought all of this about? Who brought about this age of amelioration? I did; and I am ashamed of myself for doing so. I thought I was making Equus a better place for all of us, but I ended up brewing their downfall.

"I never truly understood the pain of the loss or how deep my actions affected society until it was too late. When I saw the Zebras using my creations to kill my civilians in cold blood. How they used magic to blow open Madun's chest. How they use spells to melt my daughter from my very hooves. How runes were used to topple an entire tower, killing hundreds. How a small arrow powered by magic almost took the life of a newborn. All for what? Intimidation and power. And yet, here we stand, as if these deaths were normal, defending magic as if it is our lifeline."

"Magic is what created Equestria," Flurry said.

"No, friendship is what created Equestria. Greed is what tore it apart, what tore all of you apart. Now, you, as well as other countries, use magic as a weapon to fulfill those gluttonous wishes for power and control. I am no fool. I know Equestria wanted a piece of Psera's technology, and I know they're using a rendition of this same technology I used to create the PDS to form a shield to protect their country and the creatures within it, and used Aquata Eighty-Seven as a means to distract me."

She knew. Oh, why was Celestia surprised, this was Twilight they were speaking with. Her magic was beyond understanding. The true reach of her skill had yet to be determined.

"But, for the sake of learning, I will demonstrate what magic does in the wrong hooves. So, I present before you a choice: lower your weapons. Withdraw your soldiers, for this must be done. Or I'll turn the same weapons you point at me, the ones I created, upon each other."

Arcadia's threats were nothing to laugh at. No matter how unbelievable they sounded. They've all seen her power, the might of the strongest living pony. How she could move mountains, how she could restore life with a tap of her horn, how she could defend the lives of thousands.

The screen bearing Arcadia's eyes suddenly glitched. Schematics of Aquata Eighty Seven, live feeds of its cannons and weapons fed directly into their sights. They began moving on their own, slowly aiming towards the Aquatas that followed it to sea for protection. Her intentions were clear. The Princesses could see it, the generals could see it, Lavender could see it, Her Majesty Molten Ice could see it, and all fighting this seemingly hopeless battle could see it.

Anxiety, fear, and restlessness were the prime emotions present inside of Psera's Office of Defense. Their own weapons were being turned against them. Molten had no words, but Manny sure enough did.

She leaned over the edge of the balcony and shouted, "Status!"

"We've lost control of our cannons!"

"Comms are down, we can't get in contact with operatives on the Aquatas, only those in Equestria!"

"Marrial pods have gone offline! We've lost control of everything!"

Buck, what were they going to do? Her Majesty swallowed hard. Arcadia, she was sure, wasn't batting an eye in tension. As a matter of fact, her eyes on the screen were the complete opposite.

"You have five seconds to have your soldiers lower their weapons," she instructed.

Molten took a deep breath and ordered, "Lower their guns! Now!"

General Mack Land sent out the order. Immediately, the Pserateps floating in the air detached their weapons and let them fall to the surface of the waves below. They removed themselves from stationary weaponry with their hooves raised. Narrowed eyes pierced the screens. The current plan, did it work?

From the Canterlot Castle, Celestia watched the clock tick. Any second now... any second... There.

A massive white beam shot up from Ponyville, taking with it the light of nature and suspending the light of day for a brief second. Like a beacon of hope. The shield. They all saw it. It could be seen from the sea.

Arcadia Nova slowly turned around and watched it ascend to the sky before breaking off and gradually forming a translucent dome around the country. "I see you've gone with your plan. How wise of you."

Cadance rose tall and proud. "Nothing that the brightest of minds can't handle."

"You honestly think that this can hold me back?"

"Anything is worth keeping you away."

Arcadia sighed deeply. "I've always been away. Watching the world fall apart. Someone had to take action at some point."

"Alright, enough of this!" Sky Duster teleported up to Arcadia's eyes and spread out her hooves. "Why don't you come back and party with the big boys, huh? All these little taunts of yours are cowardly."

And who was this? Arcadia knew nothing of this filly, the one tatted in runes. Actually, she knew nothing of Equestria's little defensive team they had here. The minotaur flexing his muscles and the unicorn mare staring up at her with no expression. A group of five from IHT's side of the war, and four from Psera, the final blow. Take them down and she would be able to go through with her plan.

Arcadia chuckled ominously. "Careful, filly. Many prefer I stay away now. Are you sure you want me close to you"

"Well, we don't have all day!"

Before Arcadia could respond, a massive blue beam appearing near the shield's source of power plunged the entire East Coast into darkness, stopping her before she could start. So surprising, she gasped and dropped her control over the Aquatas and Equestria's command center. It was much bigger than the one creating the dome. But what was it? She could feel the magic coming from it. Like acid on her fur, it was a threat to her plan.

Arcadia narrowed her eyes and barred her teeth. "No." She raised her wings and took off in that direction. Whatever they had planned involved that beam, she could feel it. Something that she didn't calculate.

---

This was it, one last push. Dawn was too tired tat this point. Now it fell upon First Light's shoulder to fill it with magic. The statue was reaching that point. The small cracks it had were now filled with a neon blue essence, energy that could only be described as magical. While First Light was sending in her magic effortlessly, Shaoloh was once more on the verge of losing consciousness. How could she go like this? They've been at this for hours and Dawn had yet to break a sweat!

"That's it!" First Light declared. She peeled away from the structure whilst Shaoloh fell to the ground breathless. She inhaled lungfuls of air, falling to her stomach and closing her eyes. She would be out of it soon.

At her declaration, Night Life and the rest of Dawn's supporters awoke from their states of boredom and rest. Ears poked up before their heads followed. The first one to their hooves and climbing up the hill was Night Life.

"You did it?!"

Dawn took back over and nodded her head proudly. "Yep. We're actually inching over capacity."

Night Life stopped next to Dawn and reached out to the structure. His hoof was firmly slapped by Dawn. "No no. We're not quite done yet."

He lost his excitable energy and assumed, "So we're not finished."

Dawn turned around and stood in front of the structure and before the entire town that trudged through time and mountains just to get to this point. A smile graced her face. Their strength was needed during this time of need.

"No, the hard part is done. There's just one more thing." Before he could ask, Dawn lifted her rear hooves and slammed them straight into the structure. A large crack appeared at the point of contact, gradually growing in size and density. The statue began to vibrate. The magic inside shot out through the cracks as bolts of lightning, urging the creatures of founder's island to slowly back away and hide before finally the inevitable happened.

The statue combusted with a massive rush of wind and rock, blowing back the manes and fur of all creatures who didn't take cover. Its brightness forced Dawn to cover her eyes, the wind itself practically insisting she dig her hooves into the dirt for traction. Soon, the wind died down, allowing them to uncover their eyes and gaze in disbelief at the gateway before them. A large neon spire reaching up endlessly to the sky. A doorway to another world.

Dawn walked before it and smiled back at them. "Well . . . let's go home."

Night Life was skeptical, as were the rest of nervous ponies. "How do we know that leads us back to our original timeline?"

"At this point, anything is better than this island." Without further adieu, and with her things floating next to her, Dawn turned around and jumped into the doorway. There was no time to waste, for enough had already been wasted.

Comments

[LuckyHikari]

Why is this fic has low views! One of my favourite OP twilight fanfic!

[thedarktome]

10758560
Thank you very much! I try a lot to get this story on a roll. I appreciate all the kind comments!😅

[Ivore]

I'm so excited for the next chapters! I can hardly wait!