Fallen Queendom

by Zeroraid

4

Ponyville

“Everypony run!” Somepony screamed as Ponyville came alive. Hundreds of different ponies taking to the streets as their homes trembled, most of them breaking apart as lightning smashed into the ground. An act that seemed more like spears than an act of nature.

“Twilight!” The purple unicorn turned her head as she lifted Spike onto her back, the drowsy dragon clutching her back so hard that it seemed that he was trying to pry it off her bones. Beside her Rarity and an equally clingy Opalescence sticking to her. “Darling what’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Above Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Weather Patrol were trying to clear the skies, pushing the wild storm clouds away. One was rewarded for their efforts by a crack of lightning smashing into them.

“Bottle?” The scorched pony smashed into the ground, if the direct hit from lightning didn’t kill them the fall did. Fur had been burned away leaving all that remained but a smoking husk. Several ponies looked in surprise at the pony, though it quickly changed into horror as realization kicked in. “Bottle!” The screaming returned around the same time as the call went out. From the skies another pony dropped to the ground as they shook the charred pony. “Bottle, come on bro get up! Get up! We get hit by lightning all the time and we brush it off. Come on man get up! Get up!” Somepony screamed as the skies came alike, more spears of lightning smashing into the soil and targeting airborne ponies with almost archer-like precision. If the lightning didn’t hit the soil then it was the scorched bodies of pegasi falling like pony-sized meteors.

“Everypony out of the sky!” The pegasi obeyed, willingly dropping out the sky and took to the land. They ran and hovered close to the soil, helping whomever they could as this… disaster took over.

“Twilight!” Applejack struggled to get to her friends as she fought against the winds trying to lift her into the air. “Good you girls are safe.”

“Somehow, what about you? Where’s Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?”

“Ah saw Pinkie helping the Cakes with the youngins on my way over, as for Fluttershy I was hoping you knew where she was.”

“Fluttershy’s probably still at her cottage.” Rainbow Dash screamed as she dropped by her friends. “I’ll go check on her!”

“We’ll come with you!”

“Nuh uh, no way! Not in this weather.” Dash told them as she covered her face for a moment from the winds kicking up. “Besides you guys got to get Spike and the others to safety.”

“But -”

“Go I’ll be fine, this weather’s nothing!” Rainbow Dash muttered as she took to the air and started to fly. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Don’t fly too high! This lightning isn’t normal!” Twilight called out as she watched her friend disappear. “Please be safe.”

“What do we do, Twilight?” Spike tightened his grip on his foster sister as he started to slip off her back.

“We get to somewhere safe! Somewhere that this weather won’t be able to reach us.”

“No offense Twilight darling but I don’t think there’s going to be any place like that left at this rate.”

“What about a cellar?” Applejack asked as she held onto her hat. “My family cellar ain’t all that, but It’s big enough to hold at least a couple ponies. It’s where my family is hiding right now.”

“Sounds like an idea.” Twilight muttered as she looked around. “It’s underground too so it should be able to -”

“Incoming!” Hearing Spike scream, Twilight looked up as a spear of lightning raced towards her and her friends. Arching across the sky and aiming directly for them like some jagged spear.

---

Canterlot Castle

“Get up princess.” Nightmare Moon called out as Luna stood, wobbling as she returned to her feet. Vapors leaving her horn as she was left in some degree of stress and pain. Although she wasn’t certain if that was from the pain brought by her horn bleeding or her injuries acting up. She guessed it was some combination of both considering her old wounds had opened up again. “Good, are you ok?”

“Do I look ok?” Luna retaliated as she shook her head, fighting the haze that had blacked her out for a moment. “You are me, yes? Then you should know how I’m feeling.”

“Just checking, little moon.” Her darkness muttered as she turned her attention inward. “You half of our magic is being stolen.”

“Yes but who - what in Equestria has that sort of power?” Her dark half didn’t respond, instead staying silent as she turned her attention elsewhere.

“I’m afraid that doesn’t matter, it appears you’re needed.” Luna simply nodded her head as she took off, carrying her body across the throne room as she forced herself into a run.

---

Ponyville

It didn’t hurt like she expected it to. In fact there was no pain, there was no burning in her lungs, just blinding light. Blinding light and the sound of lightning smashing into something. Slowly however, as her eyes adjusted to the light she found a shadow over her and her friends.

“Oh my goddess…”

“What?”

Holding the strike of lightning back Celestia stood tall, a barrier of light shining around the edge of her body as it flickered in and out of vision. Still that didn’t stop the Alicorn of days, she grit her teeth, forcing her magic to hold back the lightning spear as she reflected its power in a number of directions; left, right, up, down they were all sending a portion of the lightning in a different direction.

“Princess Celestia?”

“Twilight! Rarity! Form your own barriers now!” The solar diarch order and they complied, expanding their magic to reinforce their diarch. The extra strength behind their protective shell lasted, surviving the lightning assault before a second struck their location.

“Are you kidding me?!” A third followed the words, as the trio of spellweavers were pushed back for a moment. The fourth broke the layered shield as the two unicorn’s eyes widened in surprise. The fifth? That one was just barely avoided, punching through the air by Celestia’s skull before smashing into the ground someplace behind her. “P - princess?”

“I’m fine Twilight.” Celestia whispered to her student as she looked back at her. She didn’t look fine; the Princess of Equestria was covered in blood and dirt and grime, and vapors of magic were rising out of her horn. She looked like she had just come out of a battle of some sorts. “Are all of you alright?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Mighty grateful, your majesty.”

“Good.” Celestia whispered as she looked around her attention, taking in the destruction that was befalling one of her cities and it’s ponies.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight's voice pulled her out of whatever thoughts she was currently having as she looked at her student. Seeing the uncertainty, the fear on her face tore at her heart, but it couldn’t be helped. “Princess, what’s going on, what’s happening to Ponyville?”

“I’m not certain Twilight.”The sun diarch muttered as she returned her attention to the city. She really didn’t know what was going on, but to affect the world on such a scale - to cause this much blatant destruction; This was the work of incredibly powerful magic.

“Do you think it’s that ruffian Discord again?”

“No.” She knew that much. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony or not, Discord was more of a glorified trickster than anything. He delighted in causing mischief and twisting reality to make it more “interesting”. Wanton destruction like this; no he’d never do this. “This is the work of something else.”

“Who?” Before another word could be said a new tremor ripped through Ponyville, splitting the ground open and as a fissure was born, only to be quickly filled as trees grew wild and across the gaps. Winding, twisting branches were born, knocking into one another to fuse together before separating once more.

“Run.” Celestia ordered as the fissure started to reach them. The group however didn’t need to be told twice, they moved, running with the fissure following after them.

---

Canterlot

The City was in an uproar. Hundreds upon hundreds of homes that once touched the sky were now burning; and with them ponies were forced to evacuate their places of residence. Some were reckless; running back into their homes as they made a vain attempt to save some of their prized valuables. Others were trying to avoid the falling debris from crumbling homes. The others still? They were trying to evacuate to the caves of Canterlot Mountain, using the dug up catacombs to try and wait out the freak weather. “Faust…” Luna muttered as she looked at the world from around her. “This is horrible.”

“I agree.” Nightmare Moon muttered as she narrowed her eyes. “Go to our ponies, they need us.” Luna simply looked at her counterpart in surprise for a moment before running off.

---

Canterlot City Street

“What kind of freak weather was this?” Velvet questioned as he felt the wind running against his body as he ran. His pale blue coat felt like it was about to go flying off, and his jacket provided very little protection. His hooves kicked up parts of broken debris as he ran into the city; or at least what remained of it anyway. The buildings either have holes punched through them or toppled over in a haphazard mess. Glass windows were breaking and littering the grounds like one would expect grass. Everything was a mess. Hearing what sounded as a cry the unicorn pulled to a sudden stop as he looked around before running off to one of the buildings. "Anypony here?!" Coming to a stop the colt found a foal turning to him as they tried to pull their parent out from under a bit of rubble that had trapped them.

"My mom, she's stuck!"

"Back up a sec little guy." Jogging up to the mare he looked her over as he sighed in relief. Bit of blood, but she'd be alright. Igniting his horn in an aura of green magic he took hold of the debris as he struggled for a moment. He wasn't the best caster, but he wasn't a slouch either, still this much was a bit out of his league. Forcing his weight under the mess of soaked wood and brick Velvet backed up his spell with pure physical strength as the debris started to rise up. He couldn't get it that high, but he didn't need to. Lifting it up just enough for the mare to crawl out the colt promptly followed after her and dropped the mess like it was spoiled food. "Fuuu~ I need to work out more." Velvet half-joked/ half admitted as he saw the foal hugging his mother with a light smile. A smile he quickly dismissed. "Alright, you two gotta get out of here. Go to the south gate, you'll catch up with everypony else, heading to the caves ok?"

"Y-yes."

"What about you? You're coming with us right?"

Velvet simply rested a hoof on the foal’s head as he smiled slightly. "Sorry kid, I gotta help make sure everypony's out ." Glancing at the mare he crouched down to be more level with the foal in front of him. "Now can you do me a favor though? Make sure your mom gets out of here safe?"

"Yes sir."

"Thata boy." Another nudge to the foal and Velvet returned to is full height. "You only get one of her, so don't lose her now." Running past the pair Velvet took off as he kept scanning the city. Magic augmented his hearing as he tried picking up the sound of any others still in the city. He may not have been a member of the guard, but he was still working civilian control today. Making certain nopony (alive) was left behind. Him and about twelve others that he'd found himself working beside. Not the biggest workforce, but they'd have to do, this was all that could be spared at the moment, or at the very least they were the ones that managed to make it in time. Not soldiers but they definitely weren't gonna sit on their asses as the storm raged either. They gathered some time when all this originally started - whatever this was anyway. The colt didn't know; he'd just been one of the few that picked up an age old torch when the minotaur’s shit started hitting the fan. “Damn it this sucks…” Velvet muttered as he glanced back, seeing another series of lightning strikes cutting through the city. Freezing though the stallion opened his mouth in pure disbelief as he watched a charred pony drop in front of him. “Shit.”

---

Everfree Forest

“Well shit.” From the back of her great beast the mercenary blinked in surprise as she took in the degree of destruction going on. Beside her, her client and the Allmother just watched, one in curiosity and the other with a simple light smile. “This is what happens when you stretch?”

“Oh yes, I do apologize.” The other states with that same smile. “I haven’t done so in a while, it appears that by doing so my control slipped a bit.”

“This is a bit?” The mercenary asked as she looked at the Allmother. “What would happen if you completely lost control?”

“Every life that exists on this planet would die before the dawn comes.”

“I see…” The stallion stated as he looked at his Queen. Outside the Castle of the Everfree he could see her better. A beautiful cocoa colored alicorn with wings and a mane and tail of gold. Her mark was.. Well to be honest she bore no mark, not that she needed one. It was simply that, there was nothing in this world that could represent what she was good at a shield and blade surrounded by six wings all the color of burning gold. “You are more beautiful and powerful than the old scriptures said you would be.”

“I thank you.” The alicorn mare stated as she offered him a kind smile. “But will you say the same when I return to my full power?”

---

Canterlot

The pony screamed as she saw the spear of lightning coming in her direction, only to have it vaporized a moment later as an arc of magic rammed into it from the side. “Are thou alright?” Princess Luna asked as she looked at the pony, her eyes looking the mare over as she got a weak nod. “Can you stand?”

“Y - yes princess.”

“Then rise, this is not the place for you to fall.” She commanded as she offered her a hoof and helped her up. “Good, now head to the mountain. It will protect you from the storm.”

“Y - yes princess!” The mare bowed quickly before running off, leaving Luna alone in the street.

“How are you holding up?” Her darkness asked as she made her reappearance. Looking her light half over before getting a deep sigh as her answer.

“We are holding it together. Though we are not certain for how long.”

“With all this running around your wounds must be killing you, not only that your magic is still leaving you.” The dark alicorn muttered as she watched her counterpart cover herself from a wave of angry winds. “All this… the timing is too close to be coincidence.”

“I agree.” The light half muttered as she broke into a pained run, trying to seek out any others that were in danger. “But who - what is the cause of this? And where is our sister?”

“Expand your senses, little moon, feel her through your connection.” The dark mare muttered as Luna willingly obeyed.

“Ponyville? Why is she there?”

“No doubt trying to protect her student.” Nightmare Moon muttered as she frowned for a moment. “Strange though; does her signal seem… weaker than usual?”

“She is losing power just as we are. Damn just what is going on tonight?”

“I’m admittingly curious about myself.” The dark half of Luna’s soul stated as the pair continued to move, one dodging lightning as they threatened to impale her. “But I do believe that doesn’t matter right, we need to protect the ponies of our land.”

“To hear you say such words… I admit it feels strange.”

“Why might that be, little moon? Thou art I and I am thou, your desires are my own, your wishes are mine. You wish to protect the tribes - so do I.”

“And yet you wish to rule alone.”

“I wish for us to rule, to have our night loved as equally as the day star. We carry not the lesser light, but one of equal beauty and radiance.” The Nightmare stated as Luna dodged another lightning bolt. “Regardless, that matters little right now.”

“Yes we have more important matters to attend to."

---

Elsewhere

In her sleep she had a premonition of sorts; one that came not from her dreaming mind, but her waking body. It came from a scar, one that ached for attention. The Oracle turned in her bed and took a breath. Her attempts at a restful sleep were dashed by the persistent throbbing that came from her old wound. It was a shame, this would have been the first time she would be allowed to truly slumber in over three months. Wordlessly, and opening her eyes in more resignation than annoyance, she reached for the old scars, trying to identify exactly which one was bothering her. And when she found it, she said only one word.

“Fuck~.”