The chessboard for a pawn
Cold steel doors swung open with a screeching sound. Rust and mold decorated the once clean and polished steel that had fallen into decay and now lay abandoned. Rainbow entered the aged building, gazing about the tired and worn-down surfaces with a cold stare. She shook her head as she surveyed the broken and empty space. This place was disgusting, both in spirit and in actuality. The sooner she found Scootaloo and left this miserable place, the better.
The slaughterhouse was a large open area, about the size of a large field, divided into four sections: the pens, slaughtering rooms, kitchens, and disposal tanks. Though the building's namesake took up the smallest space in the complex, the idea of the room was enough for it to leave a bad taste in pony's mouths.
The first section, the pens, took up the largest majority of the house, dominating nearly one-third of the large subterranean complex. Pig styes, cow stables, and chicken cages dominated the room in long rows. On the far back wall, fish tanks sat empty. Those had been for the Prides, or Gryphon kingdoms should they fancy something other than red meat.
The third room, the kitchens, need little introduction. After the animals were slaughtered, their bodies would be taken away behind the towering steel doors to this room, where a large team of creatures would cut, cook, and serve each meal. The cooks were mostly ponies, but occasionally guest chefs from other kingdoms would visit if a special dish was requested or required.
The final room was the disposal vats. Once the animals had finished their purposes, it was long debated what would happen to the leftovers. After some discussion, the Princesses came up with a conclusion to the arguments. After the meals and meetings were finished, diplomats would be encouraged to take whatever scraps remained. Anything left, whether they be bones or gizzards, would be offered to the Zebra tribes, as they respected the organs and bones of dead creatures and often used them in their mixtures. Any remaining items refused by the zebras would then either betaken to the Everfree, where some wandering beast would devour them, or donated to any ponies who desired them. Bonemeal, since it was often more difficult to come by, was a high-demand item for the local greenhouses and flora shops. Even mages jumped at the opportunity to snag some of the leftovers; who knew if it could be a key ingredient in some new spell or medicine? As much as they hated the slaughter, ponies would take every effort to make the most out of these sacrifices.
As she walked through the dingy remnants of the slaughter house, Rainbow couldn't help but look at what this place had become. Cold countertops lay covered in dust. Spiders crawled across the surfaces and floors, spinning their webs and nabbing at flies. Wooden doors were warped and splintered, with some fallen over or barely hanging from their hinges. Broken glass was scattered around the floors.
The house had been, for the most part, a very clean and conscious place. Despite what they entailed, the stalls, kitchens, and pens were kept remarkably clean in order to maintain some sense of respectability. While a dirty job was done there, the ponies had made sure they didn't work or wallow in filth. It was a good solution; everything used, nothing wasted. Pure and simple. The ponies had been (although few would ever admit it) happy with the new and uncommon resources they could get, and the neighboring diplomats could still get their red meat. At the end of the day, everypony had been happy.
However, as time went on the outsiders had soon grown tired of the same meals over and over again. Soon, they began to make more 'requests' for a larger variety of meat, or larger servings. But neither the Princesses nor their subjects would change stance on the matter. The outsiders, seeing that nopony would bend to their will, they began supplying themselves with their own meat.
Soon after, they forgot entirely about the Equestrian's meager supply of flesh and took care of themselves. The Equestrians hadn't been too upset. It wasn't exactly a sorrowful farewell that was said as those cold, steel had doors closed behind the last working ponies here, as they walked out. More than a few of them had maintained skip in their step on the way out.
And so the building had sat, empty and silent. The giant space, once the home of many great chefs and cooks, now housed mice, spiders, and dustbunnies. 'And Scootaloo.' Rainbow thought to herself. There was another occupant in the building, and Rainbow had to find her.
She stood in one of the transportation hallways outside the rooms, unsure of which one she should check first. The disposal tanks and the pens made the most sense, since they took up the most space, but the slaughterhouse had far more opportunities for traps, and thus would logically have been the first place Twilight would have gone. It might have even appealed to her sadistic nature.
Then again, maybe she just didn't want to enter any of those rooms to find a brutalized filly. Suppose she went to the kitchens, what would she encounter? Would she open an oven to find a small head, a look of terror still on her face, immortalized the throes of a violent death? Or maybe she would enter the slaughter house and find a limp body hanging from a meat hook? But then again were the other rooms better? What about a disposal vat with a tiny skeleton inside of it, or a water tank with a shriveled form trapped inside?
'NO!'
'This is no time to think like that!' Rainbow screamed in her own mind. She closed her eyes, staring down at the floor, flexing her shoulders.
She took a long, deep breath. In through her mouth, out through her nose. A standard calming exercise they taught everypony in the guard. Rainbow had done away with the exercise several years ago. At one point, it had been a daily exercise; she'd been much more temperamental when she was first taken on as Luna's student, but over time she had gained much more self control, and could stay mild tempered and focused almost unceasingly.
That is, until a certain unicorn had come into her life. If it wasn't for that she-wolf and her little mind plague, Rainbow wouldn't have to go through this process. But hey, sometimes life throws you curve balls.
And sometime those curve balls come in the form a psychotic unicorns whose aim is to destroy every facet of your life, murder everything in sight, turn pony's minds in on themselves, and harm and humiliate innocent ponies in as many ways as possible.
But, that's just life.
With a sigh, she turned towards the pens. Might as well start from left to right, and the large room had the most places where the filly could be stuffed away. She approached the door slowly, an aged and splintered piece of wood that barely held onto its hinges any more. She placed a tentative hoof on the surface, sparing a last glance at the disposal and slaughtering rooms, before turning back to the dead door.
Without a sound, she pushed the door open. A neat curtain of dust fell from the doorway and lightly dusted her coat as she stepped into the wide, yet oppressive room. Rainbow observed the rows of cages and pens that stretched across the space. Over 600 feet of wire, wood, and glass, the first two rows were all wire cages built for chickens. They sat, rusting, still collecting dust and insects. Many of the cages were covered by tarps or blankets
The next rows consisted of wooden styes and several pits that once held mud for pigs to relax in. Empty slop buckets sat forgotten, some catching leaks or others filling with bugs and dust. The final row behind that was nothing more than an empty wall and some glass on the floor. It had previously been a large collection of fish tanks, but now there was only a few lonely and forgotten shards of glass.
Before Rainbow could decide how to start, there was a jingling of armor and steel behind her. She turned, reaching to her sides but grasping at nothing. She had forgotten to bring any weapons with her. Not that it made that much of a difference; she was more than capable of fighting hoof-to-hoof.
A moment later, down the stairs came four pegasi, flapping their wings to barely hover above the ground. Each of them looked to her, panting as they flew towards her with their front hooves held in surrender. To pick a fight with the commander of the Lunar Guard would be a death wish, and nopony was sure of her current mental state.
The small flock of guards stopped in front of Rainbow, who still had her hooves held up defensively. The pony in front, a dark green pegasus with a bright orange mane, spoke quickly as he snapped to a salute.
“Ma'am, we were sent to follow you after you left the Tombstone. We wanted to make sure you were...”
The stallion trailed off. What was he supposed to say? Sane? Competent? Rainbow wasn't a temperamental mare, not often anyway, but who knew what her mind was up to? Fortunately for the group before her, Rainbow answered for him.
She dropped her hooves to her sides, rolling her shoulders back and taking up a militaristic pose. She stared at them with a hawk's eye.“If you are questioning my competence at the moment, you will be relieved to know that I am functioning just fine, thank you.” She snapped.
The other guards, already nervous about approaching the cyan pegasus, jumped at the tone in her voice, each snapping to attention with a salute.
“Were sorry, ma'am.”
“Our apologies.”
“Thank you for not killing us.”
“NOW THEN!” She yelled, silencing the colts in front of her. “If you little fillies are done blabbering, I happen to be trying to find a hostage. Now go back to the Tombstone, and tell the Princesses that I'm just fine.”
The green pegasus from earlier stepped forward. “Well actually, ma'am, we were hoping to assist you.” Rainbow stared at him for a moment with a doubting look. He continued, “We heard what Twilight said, and we would like to aid you in your search for your... family member.”
The ponies behind him nodded their heads, each standing at attention. Rainbow looked the group up and down. They all looked competent, a bit out of breath, but at the least they seemed sincere. She narrowed her eyes at the group, but they didn't flinch or cower in her presence. She glanced back and forth at the assembled pegasi. They had gotten to her in good time, and certainly radiated honesty.
And after all, she could use the help.
“Very well.” She said to them. They each smiled briefly before snapping back to attention. “If you are truly interested in helping, then you should know that we could be walking into a trap. You must know that there are unknown factors here, and considering our enemy, we have no idea what nasty things could be waiting for us here.”
When nopony moved or argued, she gave them the grace of a small smile. “Alright then, Sergeant Lucky.” She called to the green pegasus, who saluted smartly. “Take Ironworks and check out the slaughter room.” She nodded towards the large grey pegasus standing beside Lucky.
Turning, she addressed the other two pegasi. “Puzzle and Hayseed, you two will investigate the kitchen.” The two saluted in kind. Rainbow addressed them all once more.
“Now, remember what I told you. Twilight Sparkle is an extraordinarily powerful adversary, and we have no idea what is waiting for us here. Magic could very well be around tonight. I want you to use the leash system when looking around. The kitchen and slaughterhouse are relatively small, so it shouldn't take you too long to finish. The moment you find something of even minor note, I want you to report it to me.
“I will not tolerate any wannabe-heroes tonight. I care about your lives just as much as I do mine. If you have even the slightest feeling that something isn't right, you raise the alarm and let everypony know. We will check it out together, cautiously, and safely. If you finish checking out your assigned areas without problem, check on the other group's progress, and then report back to me if I have not finished searching this room.
“I won't hold it against you if you call us over and it turns out to be nothing. We should be on edge for good reason. Stay safe, be smart, and exercise caution. Do this, and everything should go off without a hitch and we can recover Scootaloo safely, yes?” The ponies saluted together, sounding off with a sharp, 'Yes ma'am.'
And with that, they took off into their assigned rooms.
Rainbow turned back to the cages behind her and, with a deep breath, she set off down the line of cages, checking under covers and keeping her eyes and ears sharp. Keen senses could find magic before it was set off, and might very well keep her alive. As she worked, she also made sure to listen out for the two parties.
Already she could hear Lucky and Ironworks enter the slaughterhouse as they forced open the doors using a standard sweeping tactic. Both ponies would stand on either side of a doorway, and one would kick open the door while the other would stand crouched behind the frame, prepared to strike. If there was no outstanding threat, they would then sweep the room using a special method called the Leash System.
Using this system, one pony would act like a dog on a leash, while the other would act as the leash holder. After investigating anything in particular, the 'leashed' guard would fall back and act as the 'leash master' while the former took the place of the 'leashed' pony. This was so, if a threat jumped out, both ponies would not be taken surprise. Generally this was done with unicorns, who had more ready access to ranged attacks, but if the pegasi stayed close, then their wings could get them in and out of sticky situations rapidly enough for them to take care of whatever was wrong.
Besides, if anything was to go wrong, they would need only give the signal and the others would quickly come to their aid. And with Rainbow at their head, they doubted anything could seriously hold up in close combat. The cyan mare was an undefeated champion in the guard's friendly sparring competitions.
As Rainbow searched up and down the long row of cages, she paused. She hadn't heard Puzzle or Hayseed enter their room yet. She sat silent, waiting for the sound of their entry. After several moments, it still hadn't come.
She opened her mouth to call to them when she heard the sound of wood splintering. At the sound, her eyebrows crossed in displeasure. The kitchen doors were made of stainless steel, just like everything else inside the room. The fools must have broken down the disposal room's door. “Puzzle. Hayseed.” She yelled out, annoyance clear in her tone. With a flap of her wings, she took to the air and shortly stood outside the freshly broken-down door. The door that belonged to the disposal tanks room.
Standing on either side of the door were two confused ponies. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” She yelled, angrily. “I told you two to check out the kitchens. Does that look like the entrance to the kitchens?”
Puzzle looked, for the most part, puzzled. He tilted his head at his partner, motioning to the shattered wooden frame laying beneath them. Hayseed also looked confused, as he scratched his head.
Rainbow gave them a stare that could have wilted a flower. She cradled her head in a front hoof, barely containing her anger as she spoke. “I thought,” she said through gritted teeth. “that you imbeciles wanted to be helpful.” Lucky and Ironworks peeked their heads out of the slaughterhouse, seeing what all the commotion was about.
“You know what, I don't even want to hear an excuse.” Rainbow said, cutting off the two ponies who opened their mouths to argue. “Just do what you are told, and I will deal with you later.” Her tone was annoyed and, not wanting to face her wrath, the stallions didn't argue, and took their places on either side of the kitchen's steel door.
However, instead of kicking the rusted and mold-covered slab of steel, they suddenly stepped away with a confused look on their faces. They both looked at each other like they had forgotten what they were doing. Rainbow as well as the other two guards looked at them with unbelieving expressions.
Rainbow stepped foreword, rapping her hoof on both of their helmets. They turned to her startled as they snapped to attention. The cyan mare shook her head with an annoyed expression as he pair gave her a blank stare and their comrades suppressed smiles.
“You two, get out of way.” Rainbow chided them, as if they were disobedient children. She grabbed the sides of their helmets, shoving them behind her. She marched up to the rusty door with an annoyed expression.
However, as she approached the door her eyes misted over and her steps slowed. The anger disappeared and was replaced with confusion. What the hell was she doing here? She had just been angry about something, but she couldn't remember what it was. Shaking her head, she turned back to see the other four staring at her with flabbergasted expressions.
“What?” She asked, her expression blank. There was a long silence between the party before Rainbow approached Puzzle, her eyebrows creased as she stared down the pegasus.
“Soldier, what are you staring at?” She addressed him, meeting his eye. He was silent for a moment, before he pointed at the steel doors behind Rainbow. “Ma'am, I don't mean to be rude, but weren't you going to the kitchen?”
Rainbow turned, her eyes widening. That's right, she was. What had happened though? She had just forgotten about her... destination.
Suddenly Rainbow stood up straighter, shoulders tense.. She had just realized something. “Lucky. Ironworks. Come here, quickly.” She called to the pair of onlookers, not even looking at them. Before they even stood in front of her, she pointed to the doors without breaking eye contact with the rusty surface.
“Go open that door.” She commanded.
The pair approached the door the same way Puzzle and his companion had done, but they procured the same results as the previous ponies. They simply forgot what they were doing. Rainbow beckoned them over with a wave of her hoof.
The whole time she had been watching, she never turned her gaze away from the door. Something was amiss here and she knew it. “Guards, step back for a moment.” She addressed the room. There was no longer any anger or confusion. Instead, there seemed to be curiosity mixed with a little bit of excitement in her tone.
She knew something was going on, and yet she seemed to be gleefully accepting the challenge. She began walking back and forth, up and down the room past all four doors, but never taking her eyes off of the kitchen's door. She did this several times, the whole room silent except for the clopping of her hooves against the floor.
Suddenly, she stopped in front of the slaughterhouse's shattered remains of a door, her gaze still locked in the kitchen. She turned to Lucky with a blank expression, contemplating the stallion for a moment. He returned the glance, giving her the same courtesy.
That is, until she flashed him a quick smirk. It would seem the wily commander had figured out what was wrong. In a flash, she spun around and began flying towards the door with one hoof outstretched, eyes squeezed shut.
Without hesitation, she struck the spot on the door where the handle had once been. The door cracked and creaked as it swung open violently. Rainbow slowly rose from her crouching position, meeting the eyes of the other four. Her daredevil grin took its place on her features.
It seemed that there had been a distraction spell placed over the door, and a powerful one at that. Rainbow and the others had all gone through training to detect and locate certain magical detractors, distraction being the most powerful. However, the one place over the doorway had fooled all of them. It was so strong they had failed to understand what was going on from the outside looking in.
Very powerful, very subtle. But, Rainbow had greater training, and better skills.
She clapped her hooves together, removing any dust or rusted metal pieces. However, the other guard's grins at Rainbow's accomplishment dropped suddenly. They were no longer staring at her, and now looked past her with wide eyes.
Seeing this, Rainbow turned swiftly, bringing her hooves up and crouching low in defensive position. She didn't see anything standing behind her, but as she looked down she saw what the other had been looking at.
Curled up in a ball, resting on top of a blanket, was a small orange pegasus with a purple mane. Rainbow's eyes widened.
Scootaloo...
The small party advanced carefully down the red hallways. Light and sounds flashed and screamed at them as the passed beneath, their gazes sharp and tensions high. The two guards marched in front, despite Celestia and Luna's insistence that they did not need protecting. The pegasus and earth pony, whom Luna learned to know as Quick Wit and Hardset, wouldn't hear any of it. They claimed that they joined to the guard to serve as protectors, and Tartarus damn it they were going to do their jobs.
Hardset marched in front of Celestia, armed with only a short sword, while his companion held a small dagger on the front of his breastplate and short extending wing-blades on the end of his wings. Though they had yet to encounter any kind of enemy, the path of destruction they came upon gave them little reason to move unprepared.
The dented and broken helmet that Luna had found was only the beginning. As they moved through the hallways, they came upon broken armor, shattered weapons, and even bloodstains. It was unsettling to say the least but nopony cowered or slowed, either for fear of being discovered by the pony who had done this, or running into them.
It was several minutes until they found the first guard. The group had turned a corner near where Twilight had been before her escape, and there, at the far end of the hallway, they saw the still body of a guard.
Carefully, they approached the pony's still body. Luna and Celestia flared shields around the group, not knowing whether they were approaching a trap or not. Nopony could be sure. For all they knew, it was a poor guard who had been assaulted and knocked out, or even killed, or it could be something - or somepony - worse.
Quick Wit moved ahead stealthily once the group had gotten close. He rolled over the body, the pony's shattered armor rattling noisily as he did so. The steel breastplate had claw marks all along the sides. One side looked to have been split open with an axe. The metal section that once covered the underside of the chest had been completely torn away.
It was a unicorn mare, her jaw slack and her whole body still. She had some blood dripping from her nose, and her helmet was missing, but other than that she had no serious injuries that the pegasus could see. Quick Wit rested one hoof on the dagger still slotted in his breastplate, the other roaming the mare's neck trying to find a pulse. After several long moments, he finally found what he was searching for.
“She's alive,” he whispered, gently shaking the mare in an attempt to awaken her. In a moment, Celestia was at his side, her horn glowing as she swept it up and down the mare's body.
The mare, after several second of still silence, groaned so weakly that Quick Wit thought he was hearing things.
He backed away, letting Celestia get closer to the poor thing. She moved down and whispered something to the pony, the mare responding with a gentle nod of her head. Celestia once again spoke to the pony, this time eliciting a shake of her head. Celestia have her a quick nod of thanks before touching her horn to the mare's head. The guard relaxed with a small smile, as her head lulled to one side.
Celestia stood back up and approached the group, who had been looking on nervously. Luna and Hard Set had been poised on the ends of their hooves, waiting for any attack the mare might have made.
“The poor thing doesn't remember what happened.” Celestia whispered, shaking her head slightly. “All she said she saw was a great wave of black. She seems to be injured quite badly, though she couldn't say where. I couldn't find any real damage or injuries. I gave her a spell for the pain, but we need to get her somewhere safe where she can be cared for.”
“If I may ask, Princess,” Hard Set began, his voice low and calm, “how can we get her out? We don't know how many else are injured. And what happens if we bring others in? They might suffer the same fate as she did.”
Celestia regarded him with a gentle look. “I thought you might ask that. I noticed something peculiar with Seargant Lily.” She gesture to the soundly sleeping mare. “I couldn't detect any injuries, yet she seemed to be in extreme pain. Other than a slight concussion, I don't believe her to be actually injured, she just think she is.”
“So you think that her pain is all imagined?” Luna inquired. “A psychosis, possibly?”
Celestia thought for a moment, the siren still screaming around them. “I'm not sure. I don't recall seeing anything about a spell like that in Twilight's library, but I'm sure magic is at work here.”
Luna nodded, looking over her shoulder for any other pony. “For now, it's our best guess. If you say that she will be fine, then you should go. She will be asleep for some time, and we can send for medics once we have ensured it is safe.”
The other's ears perked up at hearing this. “And just where do you think you're going, Luna?” Celestia questioned, raising one eyebrow. Her tone was indignant as she stared down her sister. Luna only cocked her head to one side.
“You know exactly where I'm going, Celestia.” She replied flatly, her tone heavy. “We know where she is going. I need to stop her, and fast, before she does just what she aims to do. Before she raises Discord from his prison.”
Quick Wit and Hard Set stared in shock, their jaws hanging wide open. That mare was going to do WHAT?
“Celestia, we don't have time to argue.” Luna said, her horn glowing blue. “I am going after that mare. You are better at healing than I am, and if something goes wrong, you will have to activate the Safeguard.” Celestia took a large breath, holding it for some time. “I'm sorry, sister, but I can't tell exactly how carefully I can subdue her. I think it best if we took the extra precaution.”
Celestia was silent for a moment. After some time, she nodded her head quickly. Luna smiled at her.
Celestia turned to the other two. “Go. I will be right behind you. We need medics, and Captain Armor needs to be alerted.” The pair looked at each other, then back to the alicorns. Together they nodded firmly, before turning and running deeper into the Tombstone.
Celestia turned towards an upset Luna. “Don't worry sister, they will be fine.” Luna hadn't even noticed the concerned expression clouding her features.
The tall alicorn turned away, her horn glowing. Luna's was still lit, glowing brighter and brighter as she built up power inside. “Are you going to do what I think you are, sister?” Celestia called, her back to the other alicorn.
Luna nodded. “I'm afraid so. I can't risk her completing her task. I'm just sorry I won't be able to keep the promise I made.” She almost whispered this last part. “Go Celestia, I would prefer if nopony saw this. If I should fail, activate the Safeguard as soon as you can.” Her tone was grave, her head lowered.
Celestia nodded grimly. With a flash of bright light, she was gone, and Luna was alone. Only the red light and screeching sounds accompanied her. She raised her head, her horn now glowing darker and darker, as dark as the night sky. Her eyes narrowed, growing more cat-like and animalistic in nature. The eyes of a predator.
This night, no more mercy would be shown. With a blast of magic, Luna's body was engulfed in the dark cloud that emanated from her horn, and the night sky became pitch black, save for the lone pale moon that glowed brighter than before.
This night, blood would be spilled.
The night was far too still, as Twilight Sparkle ran down the street. She panted heavily, almost stumbling over her hooves several time. A tear ran down her cheek from exertion, and she felt that her nose would start bleeding soon. She had nearly been at full power, but that trick with the magic ring had nearly taken every ounce of her power. It was by no means easy to break an inhibitor ring, but after several hours she had finally achieved her goal.
As she ran down the street, an odd feeling crept up her spine. A sense of fear that had not been there. Exhaustion, yes. Mental instability, yes. But fear... She hadn't been afraid a moment ago. Perhaps a tad nervous, bu not afraid. She had too much adrenaline running through her system for that.
No, there was something else here. Twilight could hear a shrill sound, similar to that of a crystal glass. It was quiet at first, loud enough for an experienced magic user like Twilight to hear it. But as time went on it got louder and louder, slowly growing from a barely audible hum, to a sound that surrounded Twilight and forced its way into her mind. There was no escaping that sound, and it felt like it was following her.
Twilight suddenly stopped her rapid pace. She dove into an alleyway, unable to stand the sound any longer. She fell against a stone wall, clutching her hooves to her ears. She gritted her teeth as she tried to raise her mental barriers, trying to cut out the piercing noise. There was powerful magic at work here, and Twilight doubted even she could stop this.
Suddenly, as if bending to her will, there was once again silence. Only the sound of rapid breathing in the alleyway. Twilight still held her hooves to her ears, unsure whether or not the sound would continue. She managed to stop her heavy breaths, letting silence play across the wind as she listened for anypony that was after her. A minute went by, and then another, and still nopony had shown their face.
Nearly three minutes passed before she relaxed, allowing herself to fall back against the wall and gently slide to the ground. She lifted her head up to the sky, eyes closed, as she allowed herself to rest for just a moment. A cold breeze went by, cooling her as she tried to regain her energy. She could feel the moon's light shining down on her, giving her a gentle light in the darkness.
As she opened her eyes, however, she was greeted with something far worse than the sound from before. The moon was bigger. Much bigger. It was huge, in fact, seemingly twice its normal size as it dominated the sky. But that wasn't all. There was something on it. A great shadow covered the moon. A face leered down at Equestria. The head of a giant unicorn, created from shadows.
And there was yet more. The moon was alone. The stars had disappeared, replaced with a pitch-black nothingness. The night sky, once a place of beauty and elegance, was replaced with emptiness and void. The gentle breeze had come to a standstill, and the temperature had dropped all too suddenly. But Twilight didn't even notice.
As she stared longer, a crippling sense of fear took over Twilight's mind, as a horrifying realization came to her. The face, it wasn't just staring at anything. It was staring at her. It was no mere shadow, in fact it was the greatest magic Twilight had ever born witness too.
And it was directed all at her. Luna's moon was laughing tonight, and she knew who it was meant for.
In an instant, though every bone and muscle in her body protested her, Twilight shot up from the ground, tearing through the alleyway. She didn't look behind her. The energy would be wasted. All she cared about was escaping the light of the moon.
As she ran through the alleys, she gazed across the cityscape and forest below her. What she saw disturbed her greatly, causing her head to spin. Though the moon was bright and full, there was seemingly no light emitted onto the surface of the planet below.
Instead, the entire world seemed to be swallowed by a great shadow, thick and inky. It consumed every creature and thing as far as Twilight could see. Slowly, the building in Canterlots grew darker and darker as the shadow consumed them. Her breath caught in her throat. If she was caught in that shadow, there was no telling what grizzly fate she would be met with inside.
Only Luna was capable of magic on this kind of scale, and Twilight was sure she didn't want to be at the mercy of a furious alicorn. The beating she had received the other day had been like the prick of a pin compared to what Luna would do to her if she was caught. She wouldn't be subdued or arrested again. Only death awaited her in the choking cloud, and if she wanted to survive, then she would have to make a great sacrifice.
As she ran, only the sound of her hooves striking the stone beneath them rang out, echoing off of the stone walls surrounding her. She could cast a sneaking spell, but it would do little good. Luna didn't need sound to find Twilight, not while she was beneath that cursed moon.
But as she ran, and the world around her sank further into darkness, she saw that there was a perfect circle of light surrounding her. It was as if a spotlight was following perfectly. No matter where she ran or dodged, it would follow her.
It seemed the situation was worsening. She may as well have had a giant sign floating above her saying, “Please Kill.” The entire city was being blocked out except for her, and there was a very angry alicorn on her trail. However, she looked out and saw that the street lamps which flanked the long roads of Canterlot still stayed lit.
Twilight allowed herself a small grin. If she could stay in the light, she could at least keep slightly ahead of what chased her.
As Twilight ran, she couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt up her spine. Suddenly the silence grew impossibly deafening, as if the air itself held its breath. her eyes widened as she dove to her left, tumbling across the ground before rolling back onto her hooves. As she picked up her sprint, she looked back to see something that terrified her.
Behind her was a cloud of true and absolute darkness, even greater than the shadow which was cast over Canterlot. It moved, and pulsed, wisps of the shadow struck out as if they had minds of their own. However, inside of the shadow was the lone form of a pony. It was barely visible, as if the shadow itself was reluctant to block out the creature's form, so much so that Twilight had to use magic to see it. She regretted that decision quickly.
Peering into the darkness, she was met with two deep, black eyes. They stared at her, unmoving and empty. As she ran, terror shot through her, not because of the foe chasing her, but because of those eyes. They reminded her of her own.
It seemed that staying in the light was definitely the best choice at the moment.
This was confirmed when the spot that she had been standing on only moments ago became home to a crater with scorch marks surrounding it. Similar craters appeared nearby, some of them well above Twilight’s size. Seeing her enemy, Twilight doubted that she would be caught off guard again. At least now she had an idea of where her opponent was.
Wishing she she could take the thought back, she watched as the twisting shadows fell back and consumed themselves, taking the black eyed alicorn fully with them. Twilight gave a grunt of frustration before turning and sprinting as fast as she could. She couldn't let herself think discouragingly. She was locked in combat with what equated to a god, and she couldn’t lose her own thoughts.
However, if her books had taught her anything, it was that even a God can be beaten by a mortal. Tales had been told for centuries of mortal ponies who had bested, outwitted, or even kidnapped gods and goddesses of past. It wasn't the best reassurance, but for Twilight, it was a goal to strive for. And right here was where it absolutely mattered.
'Let's try some trickery first.' Twilight's horn glared brightly. Her body began to glow and shimmer. Suddenly she disappeared, gone in a flash. But just as soon as she disappeared, she reappeared with a copy of her running next to her.
The pair disappeared again, this time reappearing with four. Four then made eight, and eight made sixteen. The copies split off, running through side streets, alleyways, even over rooftops as they tried to pull Luna's attention.
It only lasted for few moments however. The pale moonbeam which followed Twilight split apart as well, tracking each clone that numbered well in the forties. From the shadows flashes of magic, metal, and what even looked like claws and teeth ravaged the copies, causing them to disappear into the flashes of light that created them.
A giant hoof emerged from the shadows, leaving a massive slice along one clone's stomach before it ceased to exist. Another clone disappeared completely, as what looked like a hulking maw snapped it up before retreating back into the shadows.
They were not exactly top-level magical clones, more like solid mirages, and their numbers quickly dwindled as Luna struck from the shadows. In an effort to slow them, some of the copies began slinging spells or moving evasively, trying desperately to slow her constant rampage.
Twilight looked to one clone who had been running across a neighboring rooftop, awestruck as she finally bore witness to the creature that hunted her. A giant shadow lashed out, striking the clone and causing to flash out of existence. She could see Princess Luna, but she also saw more than just that. Surrounding her body was a twisting shadow, much like a dark fog, covering her and acting like an avatar. The being was twice her size, dark armor covering its body and massive, extending scimitar blades strapped to her front legs. Inside of her shell, Luna's eyes glowed bright white, but on the outside they shone pure black, failing to reflect off the little moonlight that surrounded Twilight.
And even that monster was not alone. Flanking her were two great beasts, with massive, open maws and silver teeth. Their bodies twisted with the same shadow that avatar did, and seemed to resemble wolverines. They were giant hulking dogs with no eyes, yet they seemed to be able to see just as well as their master.
However, Twilight's gaze lingered too long, and the avatar met her eyes before it sank back into the shadows. Twilight cursed herself, looking ahead of her as she ran. The copies all disappeared, their bodies turning into a small river of magic and returning to her. There was no point in keeping up the spell if Luna knew who she was. She would just be wasting the magic.
In a flash Twilight disappeared, reappearing in a much more brightly lit street. The small road she had ran down had no lanterns or light posts out. If she wanted to live, then the light was her friend. As she ran, her horn sparked and glowed. She was low on magic, but she needed to escape. Teleportation could get her to where she needed to be in maybe four jumps, since she was being conservative, but would it leave her with enough energy to fight back?
If her plan worked, she would need to harness quite a bit of magic to subdue the raging alicorn, but there was still no guarantee it would work long enough for her to catch her breath, let alone finish her mission. If Luna truly was as powerful as she was showing this very moment, then there may be no hope left at all.
As her hooves clattered across the stone floor, Twilight shook her head. She needed to focus on the task at present. But it was difficult, now that she was once again running from the shadowy nightmare that she could not yet see. SHE was the nightmare that haunted Twilight now, and everything else was an insect compared to the insurmountable challenge that Luna now presented.
As she ran down the street, something lashed out from the darkness. For a brief moment, Luna herself jumped from the shadows. She sent rapid blasts of magic outwards, snarling down at Twilight as she dove from the sky.
As the lights extinguished, various shadows leapt out, striking Luna and reforming into the towering and vicious avatar that Twilight had seen earlier. The smaller alicorn raised her hoof, and the avatar did the same, its hoof ending in a long scimitar blade.
The alicorn struck where Twilight had been standing. Stone and gravel and sparks flew through the air as the cold steel raked across the street. Had it not been for the light that illuminated Luna for that split moment, Twilight would have been skewered on the spot. However, that extra second to react had saved her, as she rolled away while sending a blast of magic towards Luna.
The bright bolt struck the avatar in the chest. Had it been a normal pony, or even the naked alicorn, it would have sent them flying back and left serious injury. However, the shadow absorbed the bolt and only caused Luna to bare her teeth, the avatar doing the same to reveal needle-sharp fangs.
Twilight, crouching low, stood her ground against Luna. She instinctively reached behind her with her magic, reaching for the ten blades she didn't have. This, coupled with the fact she had no other weapons, no talismans, and barely any magic, only served to cause the unicorn more distress, as she searched for a solution to this situation.
However, she wouldn't let it show. She had to give the impression that she was fully capable of fighting back. As the alicorn facing her growled, stomping and scraping the stone floor like a bull about to charge, the avatar followed suite, carving into the stone beneath her. The giant blades on the end of her hooves sent sparks across the surface, as black steam escaped from its nostrils.
She stared back, determined. She would not be defeated by Luna. She couldn't let it happen. She had too much to lose. And even now, as she stood, her broken and sore hooves burning and screaming silently to be rested and cared for, she could feel that voice in the back of her mind prying at her. Whispering to her. Begging her to let it take control.
It was an uncommon thing to experience. Only one time had she felt Dementis's presence so desperately trying to break through her barriers. The little demon didn't care about a killing spree or causing mayhem. Even she could recognize that danger that the alicorn presented. She was trying to fight to save the both of them. Twilight was no good to her dead, and she wouldn't be able to fight the alicorn alone.
But Twilight refused to budge. She knew that if Dementis took control, then she would have no magic left, and there was no guarantee that either of them would survive the night. Dementis was far too forceful for their own good. She lacked the tact and careful planning that Twilight so greatly cared for. She looked at the world like a chess-board, and always tried to stay a step ahead; Dementis preferred to avoid the game altogether, and simply destroy the chessboard along with the opponent.
However, if the player cannot make the move, then how can they win the board? To win a game, it is not that you must have just the correct strategy, it is that you must be able to complete the strategy. You cannot force the check if you yourself are put into checkmate.
Twilight dodged to her left, just as one of the shadow creatures struck where she'd stood. Its wispy maw tore into the stone road, sending shards of rock flying in all directions. Twilight had seen that they were no longer flanking their mistress, and had suspected they were hiding somewhere nearby. As Twilight recovered from that close hit, the other hound snapped at her.
Though the teeth missed, Twilight was struck by the brunt force of the beast, and was knocked a few meters away. She quickly tried to stand, but found that her already-injured leg had been bent even further out of shape, and now hung at an odd angle. She stumbled back as Luna flew straight towards her. The evil looking blades on the avatar's forelegs were aimed straight for her, and uncannily seemed to thirst for her blood just as much as Luna did.
Lucky for Twilight, the stumble saved her, and instead of trying to recover from the fall, she allowed her momentum to take her, and dropped under the gleaming blades. As Luna passed over her, Twilight rolled to her right in order to escape the open jaws of Luna's shadow beast. And as the being devoured the stone where Twilight had once been, Luna jumped on top of the mare with a roar.
A flash of light followed by an audible pop not a moment too soon left blank stone where Twilight had once been. She reappeared several meters away, slinging spell after spell from her horn. A combination of light and projectiles flew towards Luna and her pets. The alicorn stood firm as her magic flared and a glowing shield appeared in front of her. Her pets, though, were not as lucky.
As they were struck by a myriad of spells, holes began to form in their shadowy coats. One was struck by several stone flying at high velocity through its face, making it look as though it had eyes for a brief moment, before these 'wounds' began to close.
As a blast of light shot from Twilight's horn, one of the hounds shuddered and collapsed. The light tore a hole straight through it, but the creature did not heal as it did before. Its limp form began to whip away, like fog dissipating suddenly. Twilight's spirits raised for a moment; maybe she had finally found a way to beat these damn things.
However, before she could scarcely finish her thought, a blast of dark magic struck the hound. As if time had reversed, the shadows coalesced back into the wolf-like form. The creature stood as tall as its other and snarled at Twilight. Though she had found a weakness in the shadows, it seemed Luna could just as easily counter her.
However, that didn't mean it wouldn't buy her some time.
Twilight dashed to the side as she fired several blasts of light towards the three shadow beings. Several of them struck Luna's shields, and others were dodged by the hellhound that had been struck earlier. The other hound was the unlucky one, this time. Just like its brother, it fell to the ground and began to dissipate. Twilight sprinted down the road as Luna and the first canine chased after her. She didn't look back to see if the other had been healed, she knew it would be anyway. All she cared about was buying some more time.
Twilight threw balls of light from her horn as she ran, leaving floating, glowing orbs hanging lazily in the air, flanking the streets. Luna had destroyed the lamps on this path, so she would need to make her own light to survive.
She turned her head to the side a little to find that Luna had sunk back into the shadows that surrounded her and seemed to be following, only held back by her simple light spells. They were rather weak spells, and only lasted a few seconds before they dissipated. As she ran down the street, red filled one of her eyes. Her hoof brushed across her eyebrow to remove the offending liquid, but she found it was replaced almost immediately. She quickly touched one hoof to her forehead more carefully, and found she had been cut just a few centimeters above her left eye.
She must have earned that in the scuffle with Luna and her pets; while it wasn't a major injury, it would serve to blind Twilight greatly, and would be a mighty hindrance in battle. Having blood flowing into your eye while in combat was dangerous, and she felt like it was only another shovel of dirt being thrown into her grave.
She turned down a corner, her horn glowing, prepared to launch a collection of spells at anypony – or anything - waiting for her. Thankfully, there was nopony there. She was seemingly alone as she ran as fast as she could down the street. She looked far ahead and saw that she was headed towards a courtyard in the shopping district. The wide space was empty, save for a large fountain in the middle.
The unicorn grinned happily; the place was well lit. Lamps lined the outer edges of the empty circle, and the still flowing fountain in the middle held several lanterns as well. Twilight could at least fight back for a short time. The bright lights would hold back Luna's Shadow Hounds, and greatly weaken her avatar.
That was, as long as Twilight could ensure the lamps stayed lit.
Nearing the fountain, she slowed her pace. She jogged around the fountain once, looking for any vantage point or blind spot where Luna could attack her from. Finally, seeing no weakness in her position, she slowed for a few moments. Twilight stood facing where she had just come from, her hooves still moving up and down in place so she did not stiffen up.
There was only the sound of her own breathing as she checked over her shoulder for any sign of attack. She brushed the blood out of her eye once more, quickly, and found that the flow was already beginning to thin out. The cut was shallow, then, and would stop soon. However, soon was still not now, and she was already fighting bare-hoofed.
The night seemed to be following a theme. Luna had the metaphorical high-ground in spades. Twilight checked behind her, not wanting to risk the alicorn showing up in her uncomfortably large number of blind spots. If the alicorn had noticed Twilight's wound, she would most likely try to stay in the vision of Twilight's injured eye, in order to throw the unicorn off.
Almost impatient from the adrenaline and anticipation pumping through her system, Twilight circled the fountain again, her eyes keen and sharp as she looked back and forth. That fact that Luna hadn’t attacked yet worried her, but it also gave her the time she needed to rest. Every second that Luna was not engaging the unicorn, was another moment Twilight could focusing on tending her wounds and gather her magic.
However, she doubted Luna hadn't also thought of this. It was doubtless that the Night Alicorn was pacing the edges of the circle of light, searching for the best point of attack. While she was thankful for the moment to rest, she was being surrounded by sharks, and her best defense was a few lamps.
To her credit, she still had close to one-third of a 'tank' of magic, but how long was that supposed to last her? She had nearly been full less than an hour ago, but letting Dementis ravage the Tombstone had cost her a great deal. Using that magic so quickly hadn't left her feeling well, either. Her stomach burned as she had moved, and she could still feel it aching as she tried to rejuvenate herself.
She doubted the aching would stop anytime soon, and the feeling was confirmed as she saw a glint of light at the edge of the courtyard. Her hooves slid across the stone as she assumed a fighting stance. She quickly whipped away some blood that had gathered at her brow. What ever was about to happen, it would happen in an instant.
The glint of silver grew larger, careening towards her, closing the gap between them in less than a second. Twilight dove to one side, tucking into a roll to avoid the object, narrowly missing a collision with her skull. She wasn't fast enough, though. Before she had even finished her roll, she felt the metal pierce her side. A long carve formed down her left flank, running across her cutie mark.
With a grunt Twilight kicked off of the ground, pirouetting through the air before landing roughly. She nearly fell as her hooves slid across the stone, her teeth gritted in pain as she felt the cut along her flank flare in protest. Instantly she folded back, barely dodging the tip of the blade aimed right between her eyes, seeing the gleam and detail as it passed over her.
She kicked back with her hind legs, striking Luna and jumping in a back-spring. The alicorn, now even more enraged, dove for Twilight. The lone blade on the edge of her leg was a mirror of the one she had seen on the avatar, however this time it gleamed silver instead of black. Luna raised the blade upwards, clearly aiming to split Twilight's chest down the middle, and she would have done so had the mare not struck Luna's wrist.
Luna moved with her deflected blow, spinning her body around and striking Twilight's chin with her back hoof. This sent the unicorn sprawling across he stone with a shriek of pain. She hit the pavement, rolling several times while gasping for air in between near-sobs of pain.
With a burst of magic aimed at herself, Twilight twisted her jaw with a sickening crack, the spell quickly going to work on repairing the broken bones. It would have taken several minutes, under calm circumstances with very little pain, but in combat it would take much longer, and she knew that pain would be very present.
As she stumbled back, Twilight fired several blasts from her horn in rapid succession. Most rushed by their target, but three struck Luna; two in the chest, and one on her side. The alicorn fell to her knees but with a mighty kick from her backlegs and a flap of her wings, she was sent flying towards Twilight. The pair crashed into one another, and a flurry of kicks, punches, and jabs were thrown between them as they rolled across the stone. With a violent BANG, they smashed into the fountain, cracking the marble structure.
Needless to say, the resulting crash left both parties shell-shocked. The pair fell apart; Luna had struck the side of her head directly against the fountain, which left her vision blurry and her ears ringing, while Twilight had bent her hoof badly. Her jaw had also been struck during the struggle, but she could feel no more real damage had been done to it, as her magic still struggled to weave the shattered bone back together.
Her hoof, however, would take much more than a quick spell. It was broken in at least three places, possibly more, but any others were not as severe. A small lumpe had formed under her fur, as a piece of bone threatened to force its way outside of her skin. Blood dripped from her open mouth as she spat out a molar, cradling her injured hoof.
Both ponies painfully tried to rise, only to quickly fall back down. As Twilight pushed off of the ground, she was thrown back onto her back by a shot of magic from Luna. As she flew, she spied Luna trying to rise as well, and returned the shot. After her third attempt, Twilight managed to seat her back against the fountain, while Luna seemed to still be blinking stars out of her eyes. Twilight spied a small stream of blood running from Luna's ear, as the alicorn rolled along the ground.
She had the perfect opportunity to run, but as she pushed off of the marble structure supporting her, she nearly fell face-first into the hard floor. Her front hoof was totally inoperable, and her hind-leg still ached from where Luna's blade had found its mark.
With a groan, Twilight stood. Her blacklegs were the best off, since her front left hoof was completely useless. Between Rainbow Dash's “talk” and the scramble moments earlier, she would be lucky if magic could heal it in a short enough time for her to get back on the move.
'Twilight'
The purple unicorn picked up her head, her eyes wide. Sluggishly, she looked side to side, yet she couldn't find the source of the voice. It was no wonder; the light from the lamps surrounding her had somehow blurred into one. Her head ached almost as much as her jaw had. A numbing spell was finally taking hold in her hoof, and she was seeing spots in her vision. The pain had been so intense, she had nearly passed out.
'Come with me Twilight.'
There it was again. Twilight shook her head, despite the disorientation that came with it. Her vision cleared slightly, allowing her a better look at the world. However, something turned her head towards a particular lamp across the open area. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it felt strange. It felt... familiar. A magic that she hadn't felt for years.
Finally, her vision cleared, and she saw what was waiting for her under the light. A pony stood there by the lamp. It took several moments, but Twilight's eyes widened when she saw his black, blue, and grey coat. Atop his head was a broken, twisted horn that looked more like petrified wood than anything else. His eyes met hers, pitch black orbs locked with purple irises. The lights that circled the open area reflected off of his eyes, giving the illusion of depth to the stallion.
He regarded her shocked expression with a simple smile, like he was a friend who had stumbled upon her unexpectedly. He swung his head as he turned away from Twilight, and beckoned her to follow him. She stood slowly, the pain that racked her body now forgotten. Her hooves glided across the stone as she walked towards Penumbra. Rage dominated her features, while she looked to where the stallion had stood a few moments ago.
She felt a rabid indignation over come her as she followed in the footsteps left by the shadowy unicorn. 'How dare he come here.' She cursed to herself. Penumbra was the last pony she had expected to be here, and last that she wanted helping her.
The very idea of her having to receive help from him, of all ponies... She would rather take her chances against Luna. However, she followed behind the stallion into the shadows. She had to, as she had lost all control of her body. The cursed thing seemed to move of its own accord, bent under Penumbra's magical hold.
It made her feel sick; she felt as if there were a dozen hooves grabbing her and forcing her legs to move. She hadn't felt so violated in...
No, it was best to forget that time. She would kill him later... If later came, of course. For now, she could only focus on wherever her own traitorous hooves led her. She had disappeared into the shadows of the shop at the far side of the courtyard, and as if she had gone through a door, she appeared somewhere else.
She glanced around as her hooves came to a sudden halt. Immediately, she nearly collapsed to the ground again. The magic that had numbed her pain was suddenly stripped away, causing all of the agony to return. Sparing a glance around her, she could tell by the buildings that she was still in Canterlot. Luna's moon still hovered above the city, but the magical spotlight was gone. Now, the pale orb seemed empty and devoid of life. The intense fear it had radiated earlier was gone, and now it just seemed like a simple ball of grey in the sky.
“Twilight.” The voice called again. She looked ahead to find a pair of black eyes staring at hers. Penumbra gave her a toothy grin, one part happy and the other seemingly antagonistic. He dropped his gaze, his eyes flickering to a spot in front of Twilight, before moving back to her.
The purple unicorn glanced down to find a pile of... her bags. Her saddlebags, that had been taken upon her capture, sat in front of her. Laying in a circle around them were her ten daggers, and their sheath. It was everything. She even had her library orb glowing softly atop her bags.
She leaned down, grasping one of the knives in her hoof. It was hers, everything was hers. “How in Tartarus did you-” She stopped as she looked back at Penumbra. The stallion was gone, disappeared like a shadow into the night.
“Damn it!” Twilight cursed, striking the ground with her uninjured hoof. However, an ache still passed through her body, which almost caused her to fall. As she righted herself, she saw a slip of paper sitting atop her things. Taking it in her magic, she squinted to read it in the dark.
Dear Twilight
So happy to see you again, dove. Master told me to stay near in case you needed some help. I took the liberty of picking up your things, as I assumed you would need them. I imagine your face would be a lovely shade of red if you weren't able to complete the mission due to your forgetfulness.
Besides, you looked like you could use a helping hoof. Tussling with the Alicorn of the Night, tsk tsk darling, not your best choice.
As Twilight read the note, she clenched her hoof tighter and tighter, grinding her teeth and glaring at the parchment.
I wouldn't be surprised if you were wishing death upon me as you read this. You seem to spend much of your time doing so. And yes, I saw some of those books in your library. I imagine you don't keep those for Five-o-clock tea reading.
Speaking of which, it seems one of your alicorn friends decided to burn most of it to a crisp. I managed to save a good number of your collection, but at least 40% of your books were too damaged to save. Magic can only do so much. I did save the pieces and the diagrams. They should work properly, but I think you are a better judge. After all, it's your spell.
Other than that, everything else should be in place. Hope you have a wonderful hour, goodness knows you won't have many more.
PS: I left you the rest of the fruit.
Twilight was silent as she threw the scrap into the air, and set the pages ablaze. She imagined Penumbra sitting and watching from the shadows, that smug grin adorning his face. That pompous bastard was probably in love with himself. The end was slowly approaching for her, and yet he was still cracking jokes. She should have neutered him when she'd had the chance. Maybe he wouldn't be smiling with a few bits missing.
However, there wasn't time to be angry for very long. She grabbed her saddlebags, her magic taking hold of her blades and sheathing them. It felt good to have them back; the two rows of blades nestled against her sides made her feel safer. As she threw her cloak around her body, she heard a mighty roar from a few streets over.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”
Suddenly, the moon light around her shifted and warped. The light encircled her once again, in a terrifying spotlight from the heavens. However, as Twilight broke into a sprint she couldn't help but feel her strength return. Now she would't be fighting on such uneven ground with the alicorn of the night. However, the other was still far stronger. A few lucky shots had only delayed death; she was not yet out of the fire just yet.
Blood still dripped down her eye as she ran. She would have liked to grab a bandage from her sack, but she didn't have the time. The laceration on her back right thigh was worse, but of course the fracture in her front left hoof and her concussion were equally bad as well. In essence, neither was worse than the other. All that mattered was that she had them.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Came Luna's voice once more. It was distorted and warped, aided by the shadow magic that had enveloped her. Twilight still didn't see the alicorn, but as she rounded a corner an explosion of brick and mortar told her that Luna was indeed very close. The shower pelted at her fur and skin, but luckily her cloak absorbed most of the stinging rain.
“HOW LONG CAN YOU RUN FOR?” Another boom rang from behind her, sending another shower of particles. That one had been a bit too close. As she rounded another corner, she ducked low in case another magic shot was aimed for her head.
Still, Twilight looked forward. Her destination was close at hand, and she wouldn't let herself get caught out again. Luna had been in her mind. In her diary. In her library. If she had not yet figured out just what Twilight was going to accomplish, then she would truly be blind. There was no denying that she was out to kill, and she had a reason for doing so.
You can tell by the way a pony fights, whether or not they have reason to do so. They have a certain rhythm, a certain emotion, a specific look in their eye. Luna had possessed all of these, when she'd gone at Twilight personally in the courtyard. She was clearly wasting no time, and by employing those shadow beasts, she clearly wanted to make sure Twilight would be torn to pieces. There would be nothing more left of the unicorn, other than a tattered cloak and a streak of blood, if those things got ahold of her.
Which is why it was of utmost importance she reach that building. Her saving grace was in there, and it would rid her of her tormentor indefinitely. However, it seemed she would have to fight to arrive at her destination, as she streetlights flanking her began to be snuffed out. The light that guarded her began to die as shadowy tendrils creeped out, choking the flames until there was only more darkness.
She ran faster, forcing her injured hoof further into use as she sped down the street. It hurt like hell, but she was managing to keep pace with lights. However, as she stared down the road, she saw the shadow roaring towards her head-on, like a pitch black tidal wave. It was too late to turn around/ There was nowhere to go but forward.
Gritting her teeth, her horn glowing in preparation to release a spell, she ducked her head low and charged the coming wave. Scowling, she peeked out to see Luna also charging her, right at the forefront, bringing the wave of black behind her.
“Twilight Sparkle!” She roared with such force it caused Twilight's mane to whip behind her. Twilight, though, was unfazed by the alicorn, instead running as fast as she could towards Luna. The pair charged towards at greater speeds, covering the long distance in seconds. Luna raised her armed hoof, leaping into the air. With a flap of her wings she tripled her speed, skyrocketing blade-first towards the purple unicorn. “THIS IS THE END FOR YOU!”
Just before Luna struck Twilight, there was a flash of silver, and the pair came to a halt. There was a grinding of metal as Luna's shadow blade collided with ten silver daggers, sending sparks flying across the pavement below their hooves. The blades came together, forming a round shield with Luna's blade stuck the center. Luna's eyes widened as she looked to the blades in Twilight's grasp. “WHAT!?” She screamed, her voice full of disbelief. “How did you get those?”
Twilight grunted in response. With a push of her magic, she forced Luna back, allowing an opening in her circle of blades for a blast of magic. The shot struck Luna's blade, bouncing off and blowing a hole in a home to Twilight's right. But she didn't let off there, her horn shot dozens of smaller magical sparks that twirled through the air, striking Luna from all sides.
The sparks stung like wasps as they swarmed her from all sides. She reared back, finally throwing a shield around her to catch the pests. However, these few seconds were enough for Twilight to disappear in a flash of light, reappearing farther down the street just outside of the factory. As Luna turned, she saw the unicorn charge through the doors of the shadowy building, disappearing once inside.
'No you don't.' She glowered at the building, her body melting into the shadows that surrounded her. Soon Luna was inside the building, traveling through the walls without making a sound. Once inside, though, she was greeted by an empty warehouse. Not a single other pony to be found.
'Where are you, Twilight Sparkle?' She thought as she drifted through the shadows of the large area. It as like swimming through the walls, the way Luna moved. The shadows were like pools that covered the whole area. There was zero light in the entire building, but she could still see through the pitch black as easily as anypony could see in the day.
And yet, she couldn't find that upstart little unicorn. Twilight Sparkle seemed to have vanished into thin air. The silence that filled the room was deafening. It was unnatural. When she was immersed in the shadows in this way, her senses were supposed to be magnified a hundred-fold. She should have been able to hear, smell, taste, and see everything in the building.
And yet, there was nothing. No mice running through cracks in the wall. No water splashing against the floor. No creak of the walls. Nothing. All of the normal sounds that one would hear in a building were gone. Silently, Luna melted from the walls, moving invisibly across the floor of the building.
She was missing something, she had to be. Her hooves glided across the polished stone floor, while her eyes searched every crack and crevice she could find. Before long she was in the center of the room, and yet she had found nothing. The old building was totally empty. It was one giant room, no items, no object, no second stories, no nothing. A giant, grey room, and yet Twilight Sparkle was gone.
However, as Luna took another step forward she felt powerful magic fill the air. Light began to glow from the floor, and she looked down to see incantations and markings begin to appear out of the stone beneath her. Thousands of words, marks, and symbols flourished like blooming flowers, covering every surface in the building.
The floors, walls, and even the ceiling were covered in the blue, glowing symbols. Luna stepped back, moving away from the center of the room. A circle began to form in the center of the room, only a few steps in front. The another began inside of that one. Then another.
After a few moments, there were no less than a dozen circles emblazoned into the stone in front of Luna. As her eyes traced the markings before her, she began to take larger and larger steps. Finally, the formation finished. A final marking appeared in the center of the circles. And as she realized what it was, she could only think one thing.
RUN
She spun in an instant, her wings propelling her forward in her attempt to escape the building. A blinding ray of light encapsulated her body, stunning her in an instant. She fell to the floor, trying to avert her eyes from the light. The light seemed to be trying to tear her mind apart, as if it sought to crush her sanity by its very presence. Then, the light disappeared. Blinking back spots from her eyes, she saw a familiar unicorn charging. 'So that's how it is, then!'
Luna, stumbling as she rose from her knees, readied her shadow blade again, willing her armor to form once more. However, as she stepped foreword to charge again, the symbols surrounding the room flared bright once again, bringing Luna to her knees and dispelling the shadows.
The light lowered just as Twilight struck, and this time it was Luna who was defending. Now, she was the one left defenseless against a whirl of silver steel. She was able to conjure magic for a short time, but as soon as she did, the glyphs surrounding her burst to life and destroyed any spell she tried to create.
It was hopeless. Twilight charged forward, spinning and slicing through the air as Luna was forced to move farther and farther back. She tried to teleport away, but the glyphs blocked her like a wall. She was a rat in a cage, and Twilight had led her right into the heart of it.
And now the mare charged forward, her ten blades spinning back and forth, like a deadly maestro and her baton. Only instead of a choir, she would await the sound of Luna's screams of agony. And Luna was defenseless, only able to dodge and prolong her inevitable defeat.
But what would the twisted mare do with her? Maybe keep her alive, torture her a bit. Alicorns were hard to kill, and could survive far more than the average pony, but if seeing Twilight's library had told her anything, it was that Twilight could try any number of those tortures, and have plenty of time for more.
'No.' Luna growled, gritting her teeth. She wouldn't die here. Not like this. Celestia would arrive soon, she had to. The shield should have been triggered long ago, but the elder alicorn had yet to arrive. Until she did, Luna would just have to buy her own time. Leaping back, as Twilight brought two of her blades down where Luna's head had been just a moment ago, she hopped back several times. Crouching down on her back legs, she prepared as Twilight sprinted forward, her ten daggers encircling her body as she went in for the kill.
As she approached, Luna sprang forward as well,her horn glowing. As expected, a blast of light flew from the walls and struck her body. However, her body disappeared and reappeared behind Twilight, only to be struck by the light again. Then again on the other side of the room. Then again. Then twice more. Luna flashed across the room in mere seconds, flashing in and out of existence in numerous places around the room.
The light just missed her every time, her body blinking out milliseconds before being struck. Back and forth, never stopping. She still couldn't escape, but she could try to get a few good hits. She reappeared behind Twilight suddenly, delivering a solid kick to Twilight's hind leg. The mare fell back, screaming in pain.
Before she could react Luna flashed in front of her, this time with her hoof connecting to Twilights broken one. A scream of pure agony came from the unicorn as Luna flashed away once more, barely avoiding the light.
“You think you can win, puny mare?” Luna's voice came from all around, pausing as she bucked twilight in the side, driving the air from her lungs and throwing her to the ground. Her blades were unable to catch and strikes, as they shuddered under the control of their struggling master. Luna was just too fast. “This is goodbye, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna called out, this time her voice solemn.
She flashed above Twilight, her front hoof aimed to strike down at the mares head, killing her instantly. However, Twilight blinked away just as Luna had, and a blast of light shot up from the floor. Luna, having expected to end it at that moment, was left totally undefended from the shot, collided with the ground while being sent sprawling from the blast, nearly breaking her hoof and striking her head against the floor.
She tried to rise, but was struck in the side by another blast of magic.
“No, Princess, I win.” Twilight reappeared in front of Luna, charging too fast for the blinded Luna to see her. Her horn spat a dozen blasts of magic, sending the alicorn flying across the room, somehow landing perfectly into the circles that still glowed in the center. As Luna came to rest, the symbols across the room glowed bright, filling everything with light as bright as Celestia's sun could ever be, before the all fell cold and black in an instant.
And with that, the darkness returned, as silence fell over the room.
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5703683 I rember 300 stories, now I am sitting at almost 800 and i'm just not sure what to do with them all.
“Twilight Sparkle!”]/i] She roared with such force it caused Twilight's mane to whip behind her. Twilight, though, was unfazed by the alicorn, instead running as fast as she could towards Luna.
Minor catch there.
yes, finally...
i.imgflip.com/im32r.jpg
If only Rainbow Dash hadn't stolen Twilights journal then none of this would have happened
Oh, I do hope that killed her.
5716913
I think it is mostly due to her cockiness and angst getting the better of her. She has a lot of the emotions and characteristics of those characters who go AWOL in movies in stories. The attitude, cockiness, brashness, possibility for conflicted loyalty can make her a good friend, villian, or even anti-hero.
Really, it depends on the writer and the story.
5716528 try 2000
Am I the only one who's totally rooting for Twilight in all of this? #teamtwilight
5717662
Ok, you win.
5717706
Nah, I'm with you #teamtwilight
glad to see this come back! Go Twilight! Destroy everyone!
Spotted a few spelling/grammar/capitalization errors but I'm too tired to point them out. Still, great chapter Mr. Cliffhanger!
I was rooting for Twi the whole way!
Wow what a chapter!
Luna is badass
5716939
It was long wait bit it was worth it for this chapter.
So, I saw this in the feature box, and just finished catching up with the story. You do good work. I can't wait to see the rest, but part of me is wishing I had missed out on this one until it was finished. haha. I like it.
5721677
Glad you like it, but even I have to admit that 4 months is too long. Hell, the RD section was written in three hours.
5723101
No, Luna's sentence was cut off as she looked for Cadence. Sorry if you were confused
rushed plot! M-my only weaknessssssssssuuhhuhuhhhh...
This is turning out to be intense! Me like...me like a lot!
The intensity is taking form at this point.
And congrats on the feature.
5734397
Thank you. I couldn't help but notice your picture from the Bad Apple animatic. Love that song.
5734652 Thanks,
I couldn't agree more. It is a lovely song indeed.
First off congratulations on featured.
Second my vote goes to Luna is now statue.
Third my Read it later has 1906 (today down from 1932) with a Estimated Reading: 34 weeks, 3 days
No, Twilight. You don't win. But you weren't going to win either way. You lost the moment you broke that horn suppressor. At least this way you'll survive, for now. You might regret having done so though, should you achieve your goal.
Congrats on 1k likes mate
5883172
mfw p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1380425998/850677.gif
Honestly though, I am still floored by all of this. Thank you, kind sir.
way to go 1002 likes well done
5913260
Once I have all of my finals finished up. Between finishing scouts, finishing school, a part time job, and other activities, I just haven't had much time. I will be getting on to it more and more though.
This is a very nice and as i just reasatly finish the Chapter An Apple a Day, i lookt at your last comment of that Chapter,
and as i am quite a magic fan, i could say that you could use an consept to metsure Magic power, something like this Arcane Power Ability or for Short APA cuse Magic is also known as Arcane Power, just something that you can think of, and only an idea.
But keep upp the good work cuse i will look on other works of your as soon as i am done whit this one.
Aawww man, Hate that it ended on a cliffhanger in this chapter >_<
Can't wait for more.
6323962
You can actually tell by the head of the instrument. The head of a Cello and Bass are different, and the one Octavia uses is a Cello. Myself and some other people I know thought the same thing as well.
6326491
Hmm, that is another good explanation. Thank you.
6324560
As always, loving this story. One of the only good evil Twilight fics. (｡♥‿♥｡)
I miss this story so much. I understand that you have other stuff to do or stories to work on, but put it on hiatus. Every single day I've checked for an update sense the last chapter. Keep it the same if you are about done with the next chapter, and can you post when you plan to start working on the next chapter after that one in the author notes. I've been with this story sense the forth chapter and can't wait until you continue on it.
A cool story do you have, by the wild chase by Luna, I could not stop reading and the mystery who is behind twilight, I can not wait.
Though I don`t get where RD is in the storyprogress she overcome the evil within like twilight it is like she had jumped over a step, but on the other hand, that is RD, she does not look good in the corner, only on the edge. (could she despite that use the power again?)
Ahh, what is to come.
Thank you for the story, I think I read it all over when it is finished.
6511687 Well, if this helps you at least a little, I read this to the end of what there is, and never once did it bothered me. Whilst i presume that I had the same problem when I started reading this, unless you have grugde for TwiTavi specifically.
This story needs to be updated. Seriously, please don't abandon it
MORE !!
Update when?????????
1111 likes :P
Just a shout out for this fantastic story!! Can't wait for more!! i'm re-reading this as I type this!
It's been a long time since we last saw an update, truly don't want to think the story won't be completed. It's far too good for that.
Any news at all you can give us, Seeker?
5702039 I hope you hold up to your word and return to us with next chappie. You still have 3-4 days
I dont know to feel about this story...
Its not exactly helping my depression, BUT ITS SUCH A GOOD STORY!
Before I read, what is the Gore and Dark for ?
It's dead Jim
I’ll deny that to my last breath
6324560
Not chapters plz
So... what's the story on this one? I mean, you have my attention now, so I must ask you a question: do you intend to finish this story? To reveal its ending? If so, I intend to add this to Tracking, because Celestia damn it, it's gonna drive me crazy if I don't see how this ends. If not, then RIP the Dream; I just wasted the last 2 days of my life getting hooked on this story. So, what's it gonna be, Author? Is it dead or alive?