Chapter 13: Bring Me to Life
Datura had to admit to herself she was taken completely by surprise at the sudden turn of events. She had known that Sunset Shimmer, though young and still learning, had been capable of pretty remarkable and powerful feats. She was the daughter of Celestia, the granddaughter of Aine, the Goddess of Creation, after all. Such power of bloodline was to be expected. When she had tried to touch the goldenrod alicorn’s mind in their previous encounter she had been repelled by some of the most powerful mental defenses, both of personal will power and of ingrained arcane spellcraft, that she had ever encountered. And that did not even take into account the ease in which Sunset Shimmer could summon a soul blade. Such dangerous power was not to be taken lightly. Hence the fighting from a distance and letting the minions do the hard work.
After Datura had successfully snuck her way into Twilight Sparkle’s mind and the element of magic had stabbed the Incarnate she assumed everything was over but the crying. However, much to her surprise and just a tiny bit of respect, the mortally wounded alicorn had used what little power and time she had left to help “fix” her lover’s defenses. That had come as a complete surprise given Equestria’s adamant stance against teaching any mind magic other than basic defense.
How had she learned it? Luna? A human teacher? Both were possible, but in her experience most human dimensions had poor sorcerers if they had access to any magic at all. Hadn't there been something about jeweled necklaces in Twilight's memories? Datura could not remember and had glazed over much. Luna was certainly old enough and experienced enough to have skimmed a few 'forbidden' books, but, as Datura understood, she spent a thousand years in a moon prison, but there the limits of that prison were not fully understood. A curiosity to contemplate at another time.
The results of their little joining had made itself quite known. Datura had been unable to reenter Twilight’s mind, which would have made taking her soul as easy as drinking water in a rainstorm. A thrall would have done anything for her.
Datura was admittedly annoyed, but not quite ready to give up. She had fulfilled her deal with the God of Chaos, Void. Sunset would die soon enough. But she still wanted the element of magic and all the power that came with it even if that required a bit more effort than before.
Once Twilight looked down to speak to Sunset, Datura quickly utilized the distraction and consumed the second vial of magically infused blood she had stored. It was a gambit, but was worth the price if she could leave E-Prime with her prize.
“Twilight!” Tempest managed to shout while her captor was distracted. “She’s taking something!”
When Datura looked back Twilight had formed a defensive shield around herself and Sunset Shimmer. That was fine, she needed a second for the power to kick in again. Datura grinned through the pain as her dark, ethereal wings sprouted again, horn bleeding sparks of over charged magical power, and her eyes pulsed with ghostly, black darkness.
“That’s quite enough out of you.” Datura pulled Tempest back on the magic leash and the ghostly soul of the unicorn captain cried out in pain as she was condensed and added to the bottle.
“Give her back.” Twilight’s words were frighteningly steady, commanding, and extruded barely contained magical prowess. The purple alicorn had not flinched in the slightest at the physical change in Datura as she doped herself once more. Sunset had to admit that the sword burn scar combined with Twilight’s no-nonsense stare would have given a raging hydra pause.
Datura on the other hoof, just smiled. “To the victor go the spoils, princess. You want her, claim her.”
Without waiting for retort or additional challenge, Datura raised her hoof and fired several laser blasts that all bounced harmlessly off of Twilight’s shield. The Red Clover waited to see if Twilight would counterattack. When none came she summoned the extra power to her transformed horn and fired a massive green and black energy blast. Sunset wanted to choke out a warning, but none would have been heard or in fact needed. Twilight tilted her shield ever so slightly, deflecting the blast upwards, burning out and widening the hole in the roof that Sunset had created earlier. The excess energy release caused additional dust and debris to fall but only a little. No other damage was done. Twilight, lifted a hoof and pretended to brush a speck of dust from her shoulder while continuing to radiate magical energy. The purple princess played at appearing bored by the exchange.
Keep her busy, don't let her distract you. Wait for an opening. Massage, pump, massage, pump. Keep the pace, keep the rhythm.
The mockery infuriated Datura. “Planning to wait me out while I expend my power? Not the best idea for your friend since the more power I use the more I draw from my source.”
Twilight glanced to her right ever so slightly. “You mean the bottle where you keep your stolen souls… and your own?” Datura’s jaw dropped ever so slightly. Sunset had been right. That was where she kept her soul as well. The confirmation just making the bottle all the more important to obtain and destroy.
Datura smirked confidently. “Observant.”
Twilight did not smile back. Instead, she lowered her shield and refocused her power. Datura stood ready to attack, but paused when a glowing ball of light manifested just before the solar princess. The light, that flickered like a flame, burst into a rainbow inferno for a moment, reshaping to an elegant, lean long sword with exquisite guard and pommel that shined like diamonds.
As Sunset Shimmer laid there unable to move, she admired the near impossible beauty that was the weapon floating above her. The blade reminded Sunset of an elven made fantasy sword it was so aesthetically flawless. As Twilight moved it to a ready position, the blade’s color changed like the facets of cut crystal. All the iridescent colors of the rainbow surrounded by a ghostly white flame. It was beautiful and lithe without being audacious, it was powerful and awesome without being brutal. In Sunset’s opinion it was the perfect physical metaphor of Twilight herself.
Datura scowled, keeping her dark eyes from blinking lest the princess take advantage of the distraction.
“I would thank you for showing me the spell for how to summon this weapon, but considering you only did so for your own ill purposes…” Twilight lunged forward, careful to not step on Sunset. Datura fired two more laser blasts, more of a distraction than an effective attack. It bought her the time she needed to summon her own blade. The white crystal sword sparked and crackled purple lightning as it contacted Datura’s black saber driving the witch back on the defensive. Twilight pressed her advantages of larger stature and magical prowess knowing that Datura was far more combat experienced and likely better with a weapon.
“You sure you want to do this, princess? We both know you have never held a blade before in your life.”
“Considering you wanted to steal my soul I think I will take my chances,” Twilight snapped back, her voice still reverberating with righteous fury. Don't get cocky or distracted. Keep the rhythm. You can do this. Just keep it together.
Datura finished her parry, the green and black blade growing in length as she followed up with a swipe that Twilight just barely dodged. “True. I suppose it’s more just a matter of how nice you want your corpse to look. I can still take what I want even with a hole in your chest to match your pretty fiancé over there.”
Twilight scowled and growled under her breath. The throne room door rattled and splintered and a section gave way. Both Twilight and Datura spared a glance to see the angry, reflective yellow eyes of a determined and irate bat pony peering through.
Twilight tried to grab the bottle at Datura’s side in her magic while her opponent was distracted causing the witch to yelp and clamp down on the glass with one of her metal hooves. Whatever material her replacement forelegs were made of it had similar properties as ferronite and cause some spells to reflect or fizzle entirely. That was fine, Twilight thought, she just wanted to see how badly the Red Clover was willing to protect her prized possession.
“In the spirit of my friend, Rarity, I will be generous and make my offer one more time.”
Datura snarled and her blade morphed into a glowing chain and spiked morning star flail. Twilight had to deflect, driven back by the ferocity of the new strikes. Each time the weapons contacted bolts of lightning discharged around the already thoroughly damaged throne room.
Her strikes are more powerful with her anger. Do our emotions help fuel the strength of these weapons? Twilight glanced back to Sunset who was watching them with wide, pain filled eyes, laboring intensely to breathe. Can't think about that now. I have to stay focused. I have to keep Sunset alive.
“I need not your generosity or your pity! I have survived all these centuries by taking what I want and leaving nothing but a trail of corpses if that is what it takes to achieve my goals in the names of discovery and progress. You and every creature in this world are already dead. You just don’t know it yet! Chaos and Death will be Aine’s legacy and no matter how many mortal alicorns crop up to play the part of would-be gods nothing is going to change that.”
Twilight parried the flail then fired a blast with her horn, breaking Datura’s advance and forcing her to raise her forelegs to shield her face. Datura's back hooves scraped along the stone as she was pushed back. Datura reshaped her flail into a large kite shield to deflect the continuous horn blast away. Twilight relented and huffed. She was nowhere near out of power, but was getting frustrated by the near flawless defense and could not divert more resources that would risk breaking her concentration.
“And you are fine with that?!" Twilight shouted. "This was your world once too! Millions if not billions of lives lost. And for what?!”
“If you do not wish to be the plaything of gods and monsters then stop fighting me and submit to my will. I will even let you keep your body if you just swear to follow my lead. I only need access to your power, but would welcome the company so long as you do not challenge me. Surely you are smart enough to understand you can’t fight them. They created this world, this universe. We are bugs under their hooves to be step upon, but only if we choose to stay bugs. Break free from the unseen shackles. There are countless other dimensions and most are not governed by magical whimsy of cutie marks and a damn tapestry of Fate and Destiny. You need only be willing to let this world go.”
The throne room door smashed open. Gauge rushed in first and assessed the scene before him. On the floor closest to him was his princess lying on her back in a pool of blood. In the middle was Princess Twilight squaring off against their enemy and off to the right, not far from the throne dais was his wife, Tempest Fury, unmoving. Fog’s eyes widened. All he could hear was a monotonous buzzing sound in his ears. Others might have been speaking, he was certain his mistress had said something. None of that mattered. Two of the most important mares in his life were down and the object of his disdain was before him. Yellow bat eyes narrowed and the lunar captain dropped Luna’s axe he had been wielding, switching to his familiar staff weapon.
Luna retrieved her discarded weapon and also gasped at the scene before her. The night alicorn snapped her wings open and the heavens themselves thundered with her fury.
“DATURA! YOU COWARDLY, WRETCHED QUIM! REGURGITATED FECAL DROPPINGS FROM CHRYSALIS'S PUSS LEAKING ANUS! YOU DARE TRY TO TAKE THE LAST OF MY KIN FROM ME?!”
Datura had to quickly weigh her options. Yes, she was powerful, but that power would ebb quickly having to fight off two angry alicorns and what appeared to be a small rabble of other ponies and that pesky griffon. She knew she was outnumbered, outgunned, and could/would possibly suffer the fate that awaited them if she happened to still be on E-Prime when Void decided to launch his attack. He was not a creature of charity after all. While having the power plant of and alicorn would have been a dream come true it was not a necessity and Datura had always thought of herself as a being of calculated logic first. It was time to cut and run.
Datura folded her cannon and claws in. She extinguished her sword and conjured a spell. Twilight moved to attack. A small glowing sphere about the size of a marble formed in the air and Datura smashed it between her hooves. The impact sent out a concussion wave that threw Twilight back into a tumble. It disoriented and rattled the ears of all the other living beings in the room, sending some to their knees or sides crying in pain. Even Clover, who had been standing near the door had not had a chance to properly defend himself. Much to her delight. Datura smirked when she saw Sunset Shimmer fall flat to her back once more, the little color that had returned to her cheeks washed out once more as she gasped.
The Red Clover lifted her necklace in her hoof and began to chant the complex spell while her horn flashed and sparked. It did not matter which dimension she jumped to as long as it was not here. Clover would eventually follow. He always did. The hopeless sap. A different problem for a different day.
Raven had tried to at first crawl her way towards Sunset Shimmer. That had proven difficult without alerting the witch since Datura was between her and her goal. So, Raven waited. It was driving her mad being unable to do more than lay there and watch. She zoomed in her ocular lenses and took note of the wound that Sunset had a hoof pressed into. Her goldenrod fur had a dangerous amount of blood staining it and judging by the tears and strained expression her friend and mother equivalent was in tremendous pain and about to go into blood loss shock. Possibly even full cardiac arrest.
Finally, Twilight and Datura moved away from Sunset and fought their duel. Slowly, Raven began to crawl once more, scraping her face and damaged chest plate along the marble floor. Raven had to stop from time to time when the dueling ponies came too close or a deflected laser or magic blast scorched the floor nearby. Raven concluded that for a magical land of love and harmony she had found herself in a number of dangerous and life threatening situations that rivaled mortality statistics usually found in terrorist operated, third world countries. The distracting thought passed as the fight continued.
Then, for better or worse, reinforcements breached the throne room. Would they be able to help? Could they pull Sunset from the danger zone at least? Or were they going to push Datura over the edge and send her into a suicidal rage that took all of them out. Given the situation, zero-sum gain magical suicide bomb seemed highly plausible. That was when the witch smashed her hooves together on a magic ball that sent a high decibel shockwave similar to a flash bang grenade over the entire room that bounced back just as painfully. All the rescuers fell and Twilight was sent flying into a dazed heap.
Raven, who was not affected by the sound or flash, turned her eyes back to the Red Clover. She had watched Sunset enough over the years to recognize that Datura began casting magic and the longer it took to cast the bigger the spell was. There was no more time to be subtle. Raven scrapped herself quickly along the floor, bringing her damaged body next to the witch. She had only one move to play and it would likely cost her the MAU and possibly her life functions, but to save Sunset Shimmer it would be worth it.
Datura was just about to finish her spell when something bumped into her left foreleg. She looked down just as that robot she had crushed earlier rolled over and sent one of its damaged forelegs whipping across her conjuring space. The cufflink sleeves it had been wearing were enclosed with ferronite, which grounded out the spell she had been casting. The broken spell discharged mostly into the ground, but some backfired down Datura’s horn and through her body. It would have hurt worse if she had been in her body instead of just controlling it, but the feedback still disrupted her control of the vessel, causing her to stumble back and see spots.
Fog retrieved his spear staff. His head was ringing, his vision blurred, and he stumbled a bit as he tried to stand. Still, he was a guard and a captain at that. He had a job to do. Gauge let out a breath and grunted as he let his staff fly at his target. Hoping to pierce the witch who had also been distracted and knocked back.
Datura glanced down at Raven. She had a number of things she would have liked to have said to the nuisance of an AI, but instead kept it simple. She raised up on her back legs, with both forelegs up above her head. Time was crucial and there was not enough of it to be fancy. She would kill this thing the old fashion, pony way. A double hoof stomp to the head would do nicely.
Fog’s staff grazed across Datura’s exposed chest, catching, flesh, fur, and the glowing necklace before continuing to sail on until it smashed into the base of the dais. The delicate sphere charm cracked and the contained energy and spell components failed, detonating like a grenade but were quickly drawn back in. The dust and nearby debris were quickly gobbled up in the small quantum singularity that drew everything in like a pulled drain plug including chunks of throne, stone, and water from the fountain. They swirled about in the star filled light, stretched, pulverized down to their very atoms until the released energy died out and the singularity collapsed. The scar in time/space healed itself with an almost cute, bubble pop sound.
Datura stumbled back from the strike and had to blink several times to grasp what had just happened. Her time/space breacher charm was gone. Destroyed. She was stuck in Equestria and worse, on E-Prime when it could be destroyed at any second. Her glowing red eyes surrounded by dark fog locked on the bat pony who continued to stumble towards her like a drunken sailor. She snarled savagely, “DAMN YOU TO THE GULLET OF THE RIFT SNAKE!”
Fog Gauge hissed ferociously and continued to press his advance with no regard to his personal safety.
Datura lit her horn to fire, however, her eyes next caught Luna, once again up and advancing, as well as other bat ponies and Twilight Sparkle. It was too late. She was out of time. Datura screamed in frustration and teleported away before Clover tried to lock her down again with an interdiction field.
The throne room fell silent other than the huffing, exhausted breaths from many through out the room. Fog Gauge stumbled when his target suddenly disappeared. He waited for her to return, to strike from above or behind, but instead, the silence remained. She had fled. Without a second thought, the lunar captain staggered quickly over to where Tempest Fury lay, her body still encased in the glowing sheen of a stasis field spell. He collapsed before her. He tried to check for a pulse, a heartbeat, anything, but he knew it was for not. The bat pony stallion cried. Then, he screamed, and finally he wailed to the sky and heavens beyond his sorrow and frustration.
Sunset Shimmer, fighting to keep her eyes open and barely having the strength to lift her head, reached out with a hoof as she lay in a pool of blood on her back. She had not thought it was possible for her heart to break more than it already had, but hearing her captain and beloved friend scream his anguish in a way she had never heard before managed to do just that. It was a sound she knew well. It was the same sound she had made when she had lost both her daughters and Twi. The same sound she had cried out when she held a dead Celestia to her chest. Tears began to fall from her eyes once more.
“G-G-Ga-Gauge.”
The raspy cry and wet, shallow breathing broke the stunned movement of the room. Twilight immediately returned to Sunset and lifted her head. The purple princess’s eyes began to dampen with her own fresh tears now that the immediate danger had passed. Just to be safe, Twilight used a fraction of her power to once again seal the throne room with her own barrier. Everything outside and all the suffering across Canterlot would have to wait.
“Luna!” Twilight cried out. “Help me!”
The night alicorn dropped to her knees and gently moved Sunset’s hoof to inspect the wound. She had seen many battle wounds over the centuries. She should have grown numb to them. But this was her niece, the last living piece of Celestia she had left. Luna gasped at the depth and trauma of the stab, the iridescent blackish purple puss, the charred flesh, and burnt hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a calming breath before slowly letting it out.
“This is no ordinary stab wound. Only a dark magic miasmic blade would leave such a coating. How did she get past Sunset's armor?”
Twilight balked as her bottom jaw began to tremble once more. Sunset shook her head and continued to breath shallow, labored breaths. It was finally Isabella who had the courage to speak.
“The Red Clover took Twilight and I. We fell under her control despite out best efforts. Captain Fury saved me by placing this helmet upon my head. Sunset… she tired to save Twilight.”
Luna looked up at Twilight with sorrowful, betrayed teal eyes, finally noticing the deep, cauterized gash along Twilight's face. “You... you did this?”
“D-Doesn’t… mat-t-t-t-ter. F-F-Fixed it… T-T-The b-b-b-best I c-c-c-could. S-She's s-s-safe now-w.”
Twilight stroked Sunset’s face. “Don’t speak, the more you try the harder it is for me to maintain my spells.”
Clover, standing near Sunset’s head cast a medical examination scan and gasped. “The wound passes completely through, but I can see a number of tiny barriers holding everything in place. She is even massaging Sunset’s heart, forcing the remaining blood to continue to pump through, if albeit barely. That is amazing! How are you able to maintain so many different shields and functions at once? And you fought Datura while holding this in place?”
“M-M-My b-b-baby i-i-is a-a-aws-s-ome l-l-like t-t-that.” Sunset grinned and then coughed, sending a fresh trickle of blood down her lips.
“We have to do something! I can’t keep this up forever! We need a surgeon. They can cut away the burn damage and, and, and we can get some donor tissue from… from those that we could not save. I’m sure some grafts would help. Then, just need some blood donations. I know I can spare some. Lots in fact! And Luna is family, hers would work great!”
“Twilight.”
“What?!”
Luna sighed. “Dearest friend, this is a dark magic wound. There is significant miasmic residue damage. Even if we were to do all that you stated and if by some miracle it were to work, the darkness would be impossible to remove completely. It is like a plague. It will only further rot and damage the replacement tissue, spreading once more. Even if I were to cut out my own heart, which I would gladly give to my niece, without purging the darkness completely it would only put off the inevitable.”
“Are you saying there is nothing we can do?!” Twilight did not mean to shout, but she was finding it hard to control her emotions after such a trying morning.
Luna looked up at the others around the room. There were five thestral guards, four scanning the damage and keeping their eyes open for danger, and the captain who finally stood and slowly began to shuffle his way over to the group around Sunset Shimmer. Isabella was behind Twilight, and Clover to her right. A shuffling sound drew Luna’s eyes and she spotted Raven in her true form trying to stand or roll, it was difficult to tell, but clearly she was damaged as well. The robot must have caught Luna’s shift in attention and turned her face to speak.
“Do not concern yourself with me. Save her.”
Luna looked down at Sunset Shimmer and scanned her niece’s pained expression, labored breathing, and dangerously pale complexion. Then finally back up to Twilight Sparkle.
“Please, Luna. There must be something we can do. Please...”
Luna closed her eyes and sighed. After a moment of silence, Luna stood, her muscles as rigid as her armor. The last of the tears having fallen and now dried from her face. “Thestral guards! To me!” The four guards closed in with Fog Gauge staggering into a line formation with a distant hollow look in his eyes. That would need to be dealt with later. Luna looked at each of the other four. She knew them all well. Ready Steady, Alpine Green, Archer Crosswind, and Sable Nimbus. They were all excellent guards, and Sable had proven to be an excellent officer and assistant to Sunset as well. However, only one had something in common with the devastated captain. Ready Steady was also married with a foal of his own.
Luna swallowed the bile that tried to escape her twisting guts before declaring, “My children of the night, sworn guardians of the lunar throne, and the divine alicorn, my niece, who sits upon said throne. I ask of thee a great burden in thy daily service to princess and country. I now ask for more. Who before me in this moment of greatest need is willing to give their life for their princess?”
All five thestrals raised a hoof without hesitation and saluted with a proud cry of “I!” Sunset shifted and twisted. She hissed as Twilight and Isabella tried to hold her steady.
Luna nodded. “Our princess, my beloved niece is dying. Without immediate action she will soon expire. We cannot wait for others and we cannot move her. I require… three lives for sacrifice. Does this waver thy dedication?” The five thestrals all saluted again, fighting to control their own internal emotions.
“Very well. Alpine Green, Archer Crosswind…” Luna faltered. She tried not to, but as she looked into the orange amber eyes of the mare before her, Luna felt her own heart ache savagely. “Sable… Nimbus.”
“NO! GAHHH!” Sunset cried out and hissed, coughed, and gasped for air. “NO!!”
“Mistress.” Luna met Fog Gauge’s eyes. “Please take me and leave Sable. I am older and wish to pull rank on this matter.”
Luna shook her head. “Denied, my child. Your willingness and dedication to your princess is noted and admirable. However, with Tempest… indisposed the guard as a whole needs a captain. And I will not deny your foals their mother and father.”
“I o-o-o-bject! I’m a p-p-p-princ-c-cess. I… o-o-o-outrank… y-y-ou! I-I-I d-d-don’t *COUGH* w-w-want… t-this! N-N-Not… l-l-like… t-t-t-this!”
Luna grimaced harshly. She turned her attention back to Twilight. “I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but, begrudgingly, she speaks truthful. It falls to you then. I can save Sunset Shimmer, but only if you order me to do so.”
Twilight gaped. She glanced between Luna, Isabella, the guards who stood waiting for her final decision, and finally, down to Sunset Shimmer who was crying and shaking violently even while others tried to keep her still. She had grown pale and her body felt cold in her hooves. They were out of time. Twilight sniffled and gasped a cry.
She finally swallowed, found the courage to meet the eyes of the three who had been chosen and said, “I’m sorry. We... I… I need her.” She turned to Luna. “Save her, please.”
“N-N-NO!!” *COUGH* *WHEEZE* "N-N-Not l-like t-t-t-this!"
"Sunny, please stope moving," Twilight said through her tears while continuing to stroke Sunset's face and hold her.
Luna instructed the thestrals to quickly remove their armor and helmets. They did so and came to stand before their mistress and night goddess. Luna touched Alpine’s face and kissed the top of his head before doing the same for Archer. She stopped before Sable and the two stared longingly into each other’s eyes, both glassy with tears about to fall.
“My beautiful, brave Sable Nimbus.”
The smaller mare reached out and touched her hoof Luna’s lips, sliding it around to Luna’s cheek. She stepped forward and nuzzled her goddess. “Shhh. It’s okay, Mistress. You were always going to outlive me. This, this is a good death. I swore my life to serve and aid my princess and now I have a chance to save her life. There is no greater honor.”
Luna sniffled and nodded. The two pressed their lips together and let the tears fall finally.
“I love you, my heavenly moon. I will wait for you on the other side no matter how long I have to wait. Death before dishonor.”
“Death before dishonor,” the other two thestrals repeated.
Luna glanced down at Sunset, cradled in Twilight’s grasp, tears streaming from her pained eyes. There was no more time to delay.
Luna’s horn lit up and she closed her eyes. “I… apologize profoundly for the pain I must inflict upon you, my children. This spell was not meant to be kind.” The aura around Luna’s horn darkened, swirling mists of black and green intertwined with her midnight blue magic.
“Wait,” Clover said, eyes going wide, “Are you using…”
She did not wait for him to finish. Haunting, guttural, archaic words from a dead language slipped pass Luna’s lips. Three beams of darkness struck the thestrals and they immediately twisted about trying to stand strong against the power that was literally sucking their life away. Sunset began to hyperventilate and shake, but Twilight only squeezed her tighter, stroking her face with a hoof while whispering, "I'm sorry" over and over again.
Sable finally screamed. They all did. What only took a minute, but felt like an eternity, was one of the most horrific and nightmarish things Twilight had ever witnessed. Life energy leeched from the thestral, leaving their bodies drained and withered like dried fruit. The lifeforce gathered into a multi-colored glowing ball just to Luna’s right. When Luna opened her eyes again the irises were red and dark magic bled from the sickly sclera at the corners.
She glanced to her left just as the three sacrificial volunteers fell to the floor dead. The thestrals' cutie marks each faded and three small glowing lights emerged from their fallen bodies. They floated upward and Luna gestured with a hoof and lights gathered there, opposite of the large orb of life energy near her other hoof.
Sunset wanted to scream again. This was wrong on so many levels. She never knew her aunt knew let alone could quickly perform such profane and forbidden magic. It was the kind of things Celestia used to tell stories about as a means of warning. Magic so disgusting it left a bitter, sulfuric taste in Sunset's mouth worse than the copper blood tang and she would have vomited had she been able to. Sunset followed Luna’s gaze as it shifted to the left. The shadow along the wall seemed to grow and she saw… something. A form? A shade? Sunset was unsure if any of the others could see it.
“Take them,” Luna whispered, gesturing for the three lights to move towards the shadow. “May they never know pain or suffering again. May they want for nothing in the heavenly light and restful bliss of Elysium.” The apparition moved in what could only be described as a nod. One of the lights paused, flew back to Luna, and left a small glowing kiss upon her tear streaked cheek. Then they disappeared along with the shadow.
Luna turned her attention back to Sunset Shimmer, her eyes still pulsing with gathered dark energy. The others, except Twilight backed away as Luna knelt down, bringing the floating orb of lifeforce to rest just above Sunset’s chest wound. “Forgive me.”
Sunset was not sure whom she was asking forgiveness for. It ultimately did not matter. Sunset did not have a chance to ask when the orb was pressed into her chest. It burned as bad as the flaming miasmic sword had. Sunset screamed as pure life energy coursed through her, restoring her dying body. She had lost most of the feeling in her legs a while ago, but now they burned with the worst pins and needles sensation she had ever felt. That burning itch traveled to every organ, every, cell, every part of her being and restored them. Even her old scars from battles years ago smoothed and melted away.
Sunset’s wide eyes watched as the excess energy clung to Twilight’s face and healed the deep gash she herself had inflicted with her own sword. Sunset Shimmer felt her heart beat anew, faster, stronger, full of new life. Then, completely without her choosing to do so, Sunset's eyes began to glow with white light as memories flooded her mind. Every memorable moment in Alpine Green, Archer Crosswind, and Sable Nimbus’ lives flashed before Sunset’s eyes. She saw it all. Every. Single. Moment. Sunset’s conscious mind overloaded from so many memories and information at once. The last things Sunset Shimmer could remember was the sound of someone profusely crying just before she passed out.
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What do you mean by that?
Datura is now stuck. And supremely pissed off. But she built that device once. I assume she can build it again?
Also, Twilight... She made you try to kill your fiance. Bitch needs to die. There can be no redemption, no forgiveness for her. The Crime is her very existence at this point. The sentence is death.
Damn. This is such an epic tale
At least Sunset is alive, and it's good and good that this bitch Datura won't be able to get out, and she's stuck in this dimension. Her final death is only a matter of time, but for some reason it seems to me that the Drug will torment and kill hundreds of thousands more lives before she dies.
Sunset saw Samuel there, well, let him see in all its glory what's going on here.
Now a few questions:
1 Why did Twilight not tear Datura to pieces, you say that she is kind, but you understand this: when you see that everyone who is dear to you is suffering, suffering and dying a FINAL DEATH, you will cling to your kindness or accept that this being is pure evil (the same, that Ori) and try to eliminate this evil before it swallows everything.
2 What the fuck is Clover doing here, is he going to help somehow or how, I thought he was here and would help save Sunset, thanks to the collected knowledge from other universes and dimensions (which is kind of strange, I think the universe is divided into several dimensions).
3 And I thought, why is this universe so much controlled by fate, so that this universe is not free, but there are others where they can be free, the same Equestria in other universes can have a cutie mark, but not have an imposed fate. It's interesting, and when they start traveling through the multiverse, they will see other versions of themselves or other universes, for example: Starcraft or Stargate.
4 Datura mentioned that in most worlds people don't actually own magic, but there are worlds like Undertale where people don't have a weak knowledge of magic (it seems to me that if she poked at Undertale, then she would stay there), and then can they also participate in your in the universe, these other worlds of people developed in magic.
Whom indeed? Her sister for the use of dark magic and failure to protect her niece which led to its use? Or Sunset, for going against her will, even if it saves her life.
Well that was a little heartbreaking between Sable and Luna. Luna found an even deeper connection with one of her thestrals and now she has to give it up to save her niece.
If Sunset wasn't so accepting of her fate I would think this song would apply. (Was going through my own music library and stumbled upon it again)
11274624
Well, the agent of Shadows agrees with you (your superiors don't like her either?), she can build a new mirror or gate, but she doesn't have so much time now when she is being chased by 2 and in the future 3 angry alicorns, an army and a Clover.
And if the author suddenly makes a new Silvana from Warcraft Shadowlands out of Datura, then he has eaten shit somewhere, then.
Looks like the queen bitch is stuck on E-prime. Good, now she can't run like the coward she is and escape from Void, or Samiel, when they show up. And now, thanks to Luna's intervention, Void is going to be pissssed.
I get why Twilight doesn't go for the kill. She's a peace bringer, not a warrior. And I've read enough stories to know that we're not near the finale, so Datura being taken out wouldn't happen.
Raven's little intervention was perfect. Goes to show just how much she's grown as a sentient.
11274616
Basically, this is two stories sandwiched together because I felt they worked better that way as opposed to two stories. This part ends at chapter 19 and then an intermission and part 2 starts at chapter 20.
11274624
Yes, Datura is stuck and once she gets her bearings will get to work on her own survival because that's what she does. Trust me, Twilight wants Datura DEAD. She really does, but she's never killed before and she has not become so numb to the passing of others yet to see death as just another Tuesday like Celestia or Luna.
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Thank you ^_^
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Okay, by the numbers: 1. Because she was simultaneously maintaining multiple tiny barriers going through Sunset's chest including her heart and forcing the heart to pump like a ventricle machine all while having to square off against a dangerous foe. 2. Clover is being Clover and thus far not being very helpful. This will be address very soon. 3. Many of the universes have gods or deities of various types by the ones in E-Prime are so prevalent now because the game has changed. Aine was more than happy to sit back from afar, but Void wanted to play harder. He corrupted the Athanatoi which led to their imprisonment. Aine backed off further by passing her duties to Luna and Celestia. This led to the Discord period where Void created a proxy to sow chaos. Harmony intervened. Then Celestia created a cross dimensional guardian that was not bound by the rules of their universe. Also known as Sunset Shimmer. 4. I'm not familiar with that property but lets just go with Datura has seen many, many worlds.
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Both, gonna say both. Yes, I was very sad about what happened to Sable, but that is also why I did it. To be clear, Sunset didn't want to die, but she didn't want others to die for her. She still does not see herself as more important than others even if she is.
11275018
??? wow, okay.
11275117
Even though I have kicked this up to a more mature audience reading level (because shocking, I'm not a little kid) I still want to stay true to the characters that I enjoy as best I can. I hope I have mostly done that.
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Yes, you've made that quite evident with how selfless she is, especially with how she laments over guards that serve to protect her and are willing to die for her, since their lives are a fraction of hers in both length and value. Despite how sad and tragic it is, I love it.
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And you definitely don't know ent from starcraft, and here some creatures are familiar: Aine -Xel-naga, Emptiness - A Voice in the dark (it's good that there is no Amun analogue here).
I figured maybe someone also created all these gods in the universes to sow life, because, as they say, there will always be bigger fish.
By the way, you once mentioned in the Incarnation (if I remember correctly) that Sombra said he had seen several other versions of the Discord. I wonder if we will see their relationship (no, I'm not talking about the doubles that were shown in the series).
Another question also arose: when Sunset was in the void, she became an alicorn there, if the Void is so strong, why didn't he kill her there, or he was in another place, or he was weak, since he had to find out about her arrival in the void, the battle there was long.
P.S. I hope your journey to the multiverse and maybe even to the metaverse will be better played than in the recent film about Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness.
And don't you know about Undertale?
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Yes, Sunset ascended in the In-Between and Void may have been watching out of curiosity, but Aine was also there. Void had no reason to kill Sunset then, it would be been inconsequential since Aine still guarded their world even from afar. It was only after Sunset sent Aine away, like a player seeing an opening on the chess board that Void went, "Ah, now I can make my move."
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I apologize for the many questions I ask, but it seems to be good, it seems to show that your universe is not so bad and just want to know a lot of details (but I'm not ready to kill out of knowledge as a Datura yet).
I also wonder what motivated Aine when she created the tapestry of Destiny and Destiny, because in this way she made the inhabitants of this Equestria slaves without realizing it. She wanted to use everyone, to guide or protect what moved her.
And why do you call this Equestria E-Prime, if your Equestria is not the one from the series, which means it is not the central Equestria or this Equestria is at the epicenter of your story.
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More information on the Tapestry and Fate and Destiny will come up in part 2. Suffice to say the tapestry came about when Aine granted those she could with souls. The price of that "immortality" was to be bound by Fate and Destiny. A role the twins fell into, but never saw reason to question. Are they all slaves? Depends. Are humans bound to our fate? Would you know if you are? Does religion exist as a leash? A crutch? A warm blanket of comfort? Can it be all three?
I don't call it E-Prime. Datura and Clover do because it was their point of origin. This is the Equestria from the show/comics/movies. It is just so far in the future that it has left the canon behind. The only story that I have that uses the "Alt universe" tag is Got Your Six because it takes place 'sotra' right after season 9. I suppose if we are being honest with ourselves ANY fanfic universe is an alternate universe, but that's just getting into the bit of it.
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Perhaps people are also already slaves of Fate and Destiny (only their own) and what makes the situation worse is that they don't realize it.
And everything appears at the whim of these Destinies and Destinies: you will live, but everyone you know will die or you will work only at this place until the end of your life. I'm sorry, the author, but I would not want to obey such a Fate and Destiny, but would try to overthrow them.
But on the other hand, this is a dark fantasy universe, and this is how it should be.
I am glad that you admit that your Equestria is not central (by the way, if I had invented Equestria, it would also be not central, and I would be a good god giving freedom of choice), you have more like a headcanon with its own additions.
By the way, what prompted you to create from MLP fantasy to MLP dark fantasy.
I was hoping to see Twilight tear Red Clover asunder, or at least petrify her.
Still this didn't disappoint.
Red Clover really done fucked up by not confirming the kill. And to quote a certain fiery-haired alicorn, "Don't fuck with a redhead!"
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I know a few people wanted to see Twilight just rip Datura apart, but she was busy.