Midnight Sun

by FluxFeather

Chapter Fifteen - Peace

As the fight had reached an end. Rainius and Starlight managed to make it back to the others. A massive fire was burning the bits and pieces of the disembodied newborn bat ponies. "We're here!" Rainius called.

"We've managed to take them all out. We won." Twilight said. "I will say though. It wasn't easy, and Pinkie got hurt."

"Is she going to be alright?!" Starlight exclaimed.

"The bones on the right half of her body are shattered. But I believe she'll be fine." Twilight reassured her.

Rainius stops as he sees somepony by the fire. "What's she doing here?" Starlight looks to the fire, by which cowers at the newborn bat filly.

"Calm down, nephew. We offered her a safe haven if she stopped fighting, she took it." Celestia said. "But the pack will have to leave. The Bat Syndicate won't honor a truce with timberwolves."

"Wait, they're coming?!" Rainius inquired. "How long?"

"About ten minutes," Luna answered. "They timed their arrival well."

"Probably hoping the newborns took a few of us out," Lylac muttered.

"They're here!" Rainius announced. They all gather in the center of the field, converging around Starlight. She sees nothing through the oily smoke from the fire.

"It appears you've done our work for us." Amber Night said. From out of the mist and the smoke emerge The Bat Syndicate. Amber Night and behind her, her brother Dark Meadow, and the guard. Amber asses the scene, taking in Starlight as well. "Impressive. I've never seen a bunch of non-bat ponies escape an assault of this magnitude intact."

"We were lucky," Celestia said.

"I doubt that." Said Amber.

"It appears we missed an entertaining fight." Dark Meadow joined in.

"Yes. It's not often we're rendered unnecessary." Amber replied.

"If you'd arrived a half-hour ago, you would've fulfilled your purpose." Rainius scoffed.

"Pity," Amber muttered. Amber then sees the newborn filly, crouching by the fire. "You missed one."

"We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender," Celestia said.

"That wasn't yours to offer," Amber responded. As Amber moves to the filly, Luna shoots Celestia a concerned look. Celestia subtly shakes her head, don't. "Why did you come?" Before the filly could answer, Amber, focuses her power, sending an invisible searing current through the filly's body. The filly screams in pain. Starlight flinches. Luna quickly steps up.

"They came to destroy us to kill Starlight. Amber ignores Luna, she continues her torture, enjoying it.

"Who created you?" Amber asked the filly.

"You don't need to do that. She'll tell you anything you want to know." Luna tells her

"I know," Amber says. Celestia puts a hoof on Luna's shoulder. The filly's screaming briefly stops. Amber waits for an answer.

"I don't know. Enmity wouldn't tell us. He said our thoughts weren't safe." The filly said. Amber zaps her again. Luna is about to say something.

"Her name was Silvertail. Perhaps you knew her." Rainius says. The filly's pain abruptly ceases. Amber faces Rainius with an innocent smile that's somehow unnerving. The other two bat syndicate are suddenly positioned behind Amber. Starlight plants herself firmly at Rainius's side. The air is tense. This could turn bad, fast. Celestia intercedes.

"Rainius. If the bat syndicate had knowledge of Silvertail, they would've stopped her. Isn't that right, Amber?" Celestia asked. Amber just looks at Celestia.

"Of course. Brother." Dark Meadow moves to the filly

"She didn't know what she was doing," Luna said. "We'll take responsibility for her. Give her a chance."

"The bat syndicate doesn't give second chances," Amber replied. "Keep that in mind. Duke Tail will be interested to know that she's still a mortal."

"The date is set." Starlight said. Amber is ever so slightly taken aback by Starlight's confidence. Her look lingers on Starlight. Rainius stands ready to defend her. But Amber turns back to Dark.

"Take care of that, brother. I'd like to go home." Meanwhile Dark, with his enormous strength, easily tears the filly from limb to limb. Her screams quickly cease. "Thank you, brother. Until next time." The ponies do nothing. There's nothing they can do. Nothing but stand by, grim-faced. Luna tries not to watch. Starlight, fighting revulsion, but standing strong with the rest of the ponies, as the thick plume of smoke rises. She stays close to Rainius as the bat syndicate walks away.

Later that day, Starlight and Rainius were in the meadow. "So, August thirteenth?" Rainius questioned.

"It's a month from now." Starlight said. Rarity said she can get the wedding together by then.

"I'm sure she can. There's no rush." Rainius said.

"I've chosen my life. I want to start living it." Starlight egged on.

"And so, you're gonna let Rarity plan the whole thing? Dress, the reception, the guest list... I mean, who knows who she's gonna invite?" Rainius laughed.

"Does it matter?" Starlight asked. Rainius sits up, looks her in the eyes.

"I just don't know why you're doing this." He said.

"What? The wedding?" Starlight wondered.

"You're trying to make everyone else happy. But you're already giving away too much." Rainius claimed.

"You're wrong." She says. She rises as well, going to him, clarity washing over her. "This wasn't a choice between you and Sunburst. It was between who I should be and who I am." She circles him, insight energizing her as she speaks. "I've always felt out of step. Like literally, stumbling through my life. I'm never felt normal. Because I'm not normal. I don't wanna be. I've had to face death... and loss and pain, in your world. But, I've also never felt stronger... more real, more... my self. Because it's my world, too. It's where I belong."

"So, it's not just about me." He inquires.

"No, sorry." She chuckles. She wraps her arms around him, looks up at him. "I've made a mess trying to figure all this out, but... I wanna do it right. And I wanna tie myself to you, in every way possible."

"Starting with a wedding." Rainius murmured.

"Actually... Something, a little more difficult first. And maybe even dangerous. We have to tell my dad." She replied.

"It's highly dangerous." Rainius laughed.

"It's a good thing you're bulletproof. I'm gonna need that ring." Starlight said. Rainius smiles. Pulls the black box from his pocket. He removes the ring. Takes it and puts it on Starlight's horn… where it will stay for eternity.

Author's Note:

With the third segment of the story finally being finished we are getting closer to the end of the story. Can't wait!!

Comments

[Moonlit_Stardust]

The bat syndicate is a bunch of lunatics, they killed a young filly for something that wasn’t her fault and did so brutally. The filly was in control and had enough sense to surrender, yet the Royal sisters sat there and did nothing. It’s disgusting that they allowed it to happen.

[FluxFeather]

10085408
They are a bunch of merciless beings. You should read chapter 22. What they do there is even more heartless.