Twilight fights against sinister manipulations, struggling to overcome a deep-seated darkness within. As she battles to preserve everything she cares about, she will sacrifice anything necessary to succeed. But the price of victory may be herself.
Twilight lives a comfortable, expected life with the security of being surrounded by her mentors and friends. As she grows into a model unicorn, a dangerous being takes hold of the volatile Brood and drives them to war, breaking a long period of peace. After years of preparation for a higher order, Twilight is chosen to ascend beyond that of a typical sorcerer in a mysterious plan to counter the impending conflict.
During her dark, trying mission Twilight will discover a caged soul and unknowingly set them free, gradually acquiring an affinity for the darkness as a result. As she struggles within deepening conflict, she must push on and fight for what she believes in. With manipulation, deceit, and betrayal storming around, will she be able to contain herself and protect those she loves, or will she succumb to the creeping darkness and abandon everything she stands for?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Prologue: A Devil's Game
Blood and ash rained down over dirt tinted by the glow of a rapidly setting sun. A scarlet alicorn with a misty orange mane and a fierce gaze stood peering at a small group of unicorns quaking in fear, a dark grin spreading across his face. When the various debris of a short, brutal battle, more akin to a slaughter, had finally cascaded to the ground, the alicorn slowly began the short walk towards the survivors, his gait proud and confident.
"None of you can deny me my blood right. No matter how much you loathe me, I am royalty, and I will not tolerate your disobedience." The alicorn frowned as he reached the small party that remained of the rebelling forces. He loomed over them as they sank into the ground, one wetting himself in fear of the alicorn's sheer proximity. The survirors' fear only urged him to laugh, but he stifled it down to a mocking chuckle. "I have no time for you whelps. I am feeling generous today, and as such I shall allow you to live under one condition..." He turned around and took in a deep breath. "That I will never see your miserable faces again," he said in a heavy tone.
Before he could finish his words, the cowering ponies took off with their newly found freedom, driven by the overwhelming fear to cling to their lives. They ran until their chests ached with pain, but none ever daring to look back. The alicorn tilted his head up to the now-twilight sky and extended his wings. He leaped high into the air and paused to hover for a moment, closing his eyes and swaying his forelegs out. The sun dipped below the horizon as the moon rose behind him, a monolith of solemn beauty that cast the world in majestic shades of dark blue. The night brought a rolling breeze to sweep the lingering heat from the land, and he frowned as the chill pierced his coat. He landed with a soft pat onto the dirt, enjoying his moment of grace and absolute serenity.
"How noble of you to let those still loyal to the true crown flee with their lives. I did not think you could bear any compassion, let alone the thought at all."
The alicorn turned around and found a robed earth pony standing and observing him, his hood billowing slightly over his eyes and the darkness of the night masking his face. "Fear breeding respect is superior to that of compassion. I care not for their false loyalties. They need only know they forfeit their lives should they commit treason against my crown."
"I see no crown upon your head." The earth pony held a hoof out to his side. In a small flash of white, a beautiful and brilliant white staff appeared in his grasp, gleaming ominously in the moonlight. "I cannot allow her world to crumble under your rule."
"Staves are merely conduits--amplifiers--for magic. What could one without the capability of magic use it for?" The alicorn eyed the earth pony incredulously. His mane began to churn in the air and the edges ignited into a small, living blaze. He continued to observe, careful of how much he spoke.
The earth pony snorted. "One as naive as you could not possibly understand the meaning of magic. It is limitless; It is everywhere; It exists within all. Killing our beloved goddess only proves it..." He let go of the staff and it floated above his head, two streams of power flowing into the spire from the base.
"You're a non-magical earth pony, how can you possibly control magic?" spat the alicorn, stepping back into a cautious stance.
"I'll finish what she would not. Your execution is at hoof, ignoble prince."
The earth pony clapped his forehooves together and a sphere of chaotic, blue energy formed around him. Bolts of electricity crackled and surged across its surface while it expanded around him, and then the scarlet alicorn. The staff dropped down and planted itself into the ground and began shining with the same dark blue tint as lightning crawled up and down the shaft, sparking and spitting outward. When the sphere reached its maximum size, it began to slowly shrink down, the ground incinerating to blackened dirt in its destructive wake.
"What is this!?" The alicorn reached a hoof out to the edge of the sphere. When it receded past the edge of his hoof he yelped in pain and pulled it back. He twisted his hoof before his eyes, the flesh and coat seared and blistered. "Thorn magic,"--he set his hoof lightly on the ground--"Do you really believe that this will kill me?" Despite his heavy tone, his voice only carried an irritated tone.
The earth pony straightened his posture and took the staff into his grasp. Energy coursed through it, and he turned around and pressed the spire to the edge of the sphere. More power was siphoned from him and into the deadly thorn magic.
"Answer me, damn it!" fumed the alicorn. His horn ignited and a flame erupted inside of the sphere. Pouring substantial power into it, he blasted it towards the earth pony.
Sensing the incoming danger, the earth pony placed a hoof in its direction without looking and a barrier formed. The fires failed to penetrate it and the alicorn growled as his anger began to rise. "Speak your peace, king, for tonight is the last night you shall draw breath with the free," growled the earth pony.
"Your insolence shall be your death, you oblivious fool!"
The alicorn slammed his forehooves onto the ground, two streams of magma erupted forth before him and tided towards his foe. The staff appeared between them and flashed blue, freezing the magma before it could cross the halfway point, finally crumbling as brittle pieces of icy tephra after thawing. Running out of space, the two ponies continued inching closer and closer to each other, the impending doom constricting what freedom in the prison they now shared.
As time ticked away, they continued to trade numerous, lesser spell casts, but the alicorn failed to show any sign of ending the fight quickly. The earth pony suffered several grievous wounds with the alicorn only showing exhaustion from his magic usage and the pain from his injured hoof. Soon the sphere shrank to the size of a small room, and the time before it became too small was soon to run out, both ponies forced to stand only a few yards apart.
"You know I will survive this. You merely delay the inevitable," spat the alicorn with hidden desperation.
"Your trembling cannot lie," taunted the earth pony, his eyes trailing down to his foe's injured hoof. It continued to rest lightly on the ground without his weight on it.
The alicorn's expression shifted to scorn and he charged in a desperate attempt to throw his foe into the sphere's edge first. The earth pony caught him and dug his hind hooves into the ground as they pummeled one another. Locked in physical combat, the alicorn attempted to mix magic with his blows, but every telekinetic grasp on the earth pony's body he attempted was quickly fought off by his odd but extraordinarily powerful magic. As the sphere shrank down around them, the staff appeared between them.
"May your prison be your penance," whispered the earth pony as they paused.
The staff rotated ninety degrees and impaled the alicorn in the stomach. He roared as the earth pony kicked him out of the sphere. Energy ripped and shredded his form, the pain disrupting any control over his body and magic. You'll never stop me! I wouldn't let her, and I won't let you!
The earth pony, nearing his own sealed fate, clapped his hooves together. The staff returned before him, covered in a layer of blood and its victim missing. Pressing a hoof to the spire, he closed his eyes, a few tears running down his cheek. In a brilliant flash of white, his form distorted and blurred, then flowed into the staff. I'm sorry.
Outside of the sphere a crowd of ponies had gathered in the distance to witness the end of the alicorn, prepared to hail the hero who would stand against him. When the spell shrank down, it exploded in a fury of unstable energy that burned a dark crater into the earth. The ponies shielded their eyes and cried out as the light drove back the darkness for a moment, then blinked fervently as they were light night blind. Ground zero had blackened to an unrecognizable blandness, but a single object remained untouched in the aftermath.
A young, white filly alicorn with a pink mane dashed into the crater to retrieve what appeared to be a staff. "No, don't!" cried another squeaky voice from outside behind her.
Ignoring the voice, the white filly bent down to investigate what had remained of the short battle. Lying in the blackened, steaming dirt was a white, shining staff with a prismatic gem quietly floating in the open grasp of the spire. She leaned in close and gazed into the gem, entranced by its surreal depth. "It's so beautiful..." she murmured in awe, her jaw hanging open.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 1: Season of Wishes
Firecrackers whistled and danced across the ground in vibrant displays of sparks and pops. Fillies and foals ran around, zipping back and forth between them, laughing and giggling as they went about their innocent games. Older ponies cheered and clapped in joyous banter at the party, each tiny explosion lighting up their faces through the night. Bottle rockets screeched to life in the cool air and exploded into beautiful arrays of light that sparkled in the sky briefly before cascading and disappearing into a fading smoke. It was a farewell party for the one and only Rainbow Dash, soon to leave and join the Wonderbolts in Canterlot.
"Hey, Dashie! Are you liking the party?" Pinkie Pie chirped as she approached the chromatic pegasus from behind.
Dash stood on a hill overlooking the majority of the jolly crowd engaging in activities. She smiled in happiness, and in reminiscence. Pinkie Pie managed to take away a lingering sadness for a moment with the grand gesture, and all of it seemed like any other sweet memory. Dash turned around and suddenly hugged her long time friend from Ponyville, closing her eyes. Images from all of their past adventures with each other and their friends played across her mind like a photo album of her life.
"I'm loving it, Pinkie Pie. I was going to miss all of you when I left for the Wonderbolts, but I can always come and visit any time when we're not practicing or doing shows." She relinquished the embrace and turned around to view the fireworks again, and Pinkie stepped up beside her. "I'll get to see Twilight some more, too. I wonder how she's doing up in Canterlot." Her eyes trailed away to the capitol city far in the distance, shining like a tiny star. "She's so busy with her new studies... She rarely visits anymore."
"It's too bad she can't make the party," lamented Pinkie with a glum look to the city.
Dash nudged her gently. "Hey, don't worry. I'll tell her all about it," she said, shooting the party pony a reassuring smile. She did her best to fight back the disappointment for Pinkie, but her heart still ached. "I'm sure she's busy doing something important."
Pinkie brightened up and returned the gesture. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Suddenly, a flash of light bloomed briefly down below and the crowd began shouting and hollering in response. They spread out and in the center stood Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. The majestic presence of the princesses immediately caused bowing and abashed curtsies from their subjects.
"At ease, everypony," commanded Luna with a gentle voice and hoof. On cue, everyone rose and greeted them, but Twilight trotted off to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash as soon as she spotted them on the hill.
"Is that..." Pinkie mumbled while squinting to her. "Hey, Twilight!" she cheered as the unicorn neared them. She fidgeted in place until she came close enough to hug. "Oh, I've missed you so much. You don't visit enough. You need to visit more. I thought you weren't even coming! How did you manage to get both princesses to come with you?" The barrage of questions brought the party pony back into good spirits.
Twilight returned the hug, gently patting her on the back and cracking a smile. "I know, I know. I've just been busy with all of my studies. Celestia and Luna are tutoring me to become an archmage, but I get to spend so much time with them now. I asked them if they would come, but I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise." She relinquished the embrace and turned to look at the princesses below. "It's so nice to get to talk to Princess Celestia all the time."
"Hey, you better not forget about us," teased Dash.
Pinkie giggled and turned around. "Hey, everypony!" she sang before even finishing her pivot. Prompted by the party pony's words, the others turned to see who she was talking to. Behind them approached Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Pinkie met them halfway and exchanged the usual, exuberant hugging. The party had caused her to become a bit emotional, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud.
"Well howdy, Twi. We heard you weren't gonna be makin' it to Rainbow's farewell party." Applejack gave a toothy smile and waved before moving to stand beside her athletic rival, playfully jabbing her in the ribs.
"Really now, Twilight. This is quite a surprise, but to bring both princesses here to a going away party for Rainbow Dash? I must say, even I couldn't dream of pulling off something quite as..." She peered past them and observed the rulers exchanging greetings with the others below. The image reminded her of the Grand Galloping Gala and how Celestia had been too busy to even talk to Twilight. "Ostentatious."
The purple unicorn giggled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Rarity. It's really not that big of a deal. I asked them to come, but it's not like they had to."
Fluttershy stepped a bit closer to the edge to view the princesses. "Princess Luna seems to be doing better with her voice now," she noted.
"Every now and then she still yells at somepony accidentally." Twilight chuckled before continuing, "I didn't think the royal guards would actually jump when that happened."
Dash stuck out her tongue and groaned. "Those guys are so boring. What's the point of standing around like statues and never talking?" She sat down and folded her forelegs across her chest in defiance of their dull career choice.
"You'd be surprised, RD. Those guys are pretty tough. Big Mac probably woulda joined 'em knowing how he is, but I'm glad he stuck with the family." Applejack took off her hat and sat down next to the pegasus. "Heck, you might even be one some day yourself. Yah never know." Dash offered a look of disgust and the farmer gave a hearty laugh before patting her on the back.
Dash rolled her eyes and huffed. "Yeah right," she mumbled sarcastically. Her mood suddenly shifted as the Wonderbolts team flew in and dropped to the grounds below. The crowd was roused into a slew of cheers once more. "I still can't believe it. I'm finally going to be one of the Wonderbolts!" She let loose a high pitched squeal of delight while clasping her face.
"Now settle down there, sugarcube. Yah've got some partyin' to do before you up and leave us to go off to Canterlot," reminded Applejack.
"Yeah, Dashie. This is going to be the biggest party ever! It's so big, we had to move it out here instead of inside Sugarcube Corner cause everypony wants to say goodbye!" Pinkie gushed. She continued to fidget, beginning to wear divots into the grass.
Fluttershy offered a timid smile and raised her head. "Oh, and Scootaloo really wants to talk to you. She should be around here, too."
Dash pursed her lips and looked to the ground pensively. "Ah, I forgot. My bad...."
"Well, go on Rainbow. The party isn't going anywhere any time soon," encouraged Twilight. Dash nodded to her and bowed to the others. "I'm going to go talk to the princesses." With that, the purple unicorn disappeared in a white flash, opting to skip the jog back.
Dash nodded before leaping down from the hill and gliding gracefully to the crowd below. All of her friends from Ponyville and Cloudsdale had shown up, save for her griffon friend, Gilda. Now the Wonderbolts, Twilight, and even the princess had shown up; however, she focused only on finding her biggest personal fan. As she maneuvered through the crowd, she avoided the royalty and the Wonderbolts' attention carefully, slinking between ponies and keeping her head as low as she could.
An orange blur moved past her and she suddenly found herself being tugged off to the side. "Hey, wait," she protested. The words were ignored and Scootaloo pulled her out of the crowd and towards the outskirts of the nearby forest. Once behind the first large tree, she faced the young pegasus who had her forelegs crossed and a deep scowl carved into her features. "H-Hey, Scootaloo. What's up?" Dash asked casually in a vain attempt to mask her awkwardness and nervousness.
Scootaloo stamped a hoof and threw her forelegs into the air. "What do you mean what's up!?"
Dash reached out to her, but Scootaloo quickly stepped back and turned away. "Hey, what's wrong?" asked Dash gently. She tried to make the words sound confused, but they seemed more like the whine of an injured animal.
"You're leaving tonight. I can't believe you! You didn't even talk to me," retorted the orange pegasus.
Dash turned her head to glimpse the party while speaking. "Look, I was going to-"
"Liar!" Scootaloo whipped back to the older pegasus and charged her. She managed to push Dash into the tree and punch her softly. "Liar. Liar. LIAR!" she shrieked out before breaking into defeated sobs.
Dash relaxed and slid to the ground with the younger pegasus resigning herself to her rampant emotions. The older pegasus cradled her in a loving hug and let her cry it out into her chest. "Hey now... I'm not leaving forever. I've been chasing my dream for a long time, and now I've finally caught it."
Scootaloo stopped for a moment and raised her head to meet Dash's eyes. She had only cried for a few minutes, but her eyes had already reddened and her cheeks puffed up. Her breaths came in small huffs and sniffles as she tried to speak as clearly as she could. "What... What about... my dreams?" she managed in an unsteady voice.
Dash gazed into her eyes for a long while before tilting her head back to the tree tops and the night sky. She gently stroked Scootaloo's purple mane as she spoke softly. "Are you sure those are really the dreams you want to chase?"
"What... do you mean?"
Dash turned back to her and smiled, her eyes watering slightly. "You always want to be like me. I've always wanted to join the Wonderbolts. Are your dreams still the same?" she asked.
The filly turned her head away briefly. "I... don't know..."
Dash pulled her face back up towards hers. "Just try to be happy for me. Maybe some day we can both be in the Wonderbolts together." She offered the younger pegasus a warm smile. Scootaloo returned it as her mood began to reverse.
"I think that's what I'll do," she said, snuggling under Dash's chin.
"Why don't we get back to the party? The Wonderbolts are here so you can talk to them."
"The only one I want to talk to is right here. Can we stay here like this, please just for a little while longer?"
Rainbow Dash smiled and looked out to the party. "Yeah. I can stay here all night if you want," she whispered.
***
In a flash of light, Twilight appeared in the middle of the crowd again. She garnered some looks of shock and awe before everyone settled back into the usual festivities. Games, dining, and friendly chatter all resumed as normal.
"I thought you would want to spend more time with your friends," spoke Celestia as soon as Twilight got her bearings straight.
"Indeed, Twilight. You do not need to spend your friend's departing festivity with only us," chimed in Luna, her eyes laden with mild confusion and curiosity.
Twilight glanced around and scanned the crowd with a disappointed look. "Hey, where's Spike? He would never miss one of Pinkie Pie's parties, let alone Rainbow Dash's going away party."
The sisters exchanged the same look of uncertainty. "I don't know, Twilight. Perhaps he got caught up in some unfinished business at the library," suggested the sun princess.
"We did not request or assign any tasks to him that would risk ruining his record of punctuality," answered Luna.
"I'll ask Rarity." Twilight vanished into a light again, this time with no effect upon the crowd. A few minutes later she reappeared with Spike beside her. "Found him!" she sang in glee. The princesses smiled at the sudden arrival of a new guest.
Spike had definitely grown over the years. From head to toe he matched Twilight's height, and he had also gained a bit more girth about him. He was no longer the stubby, adorable whelp on the outside.
It took the dragon a moment to realize what had just happened. "Hey, Twilight. What's the big idea, huh?" he asked quickly. He carried a somewhat disgruntled look, but the moment the unicorn grinned, it faded away with a chuckle.
"Oh, Spike. You can take the day off from your duties. Besides, Rarity is here."
At those words, the young dragon whirled his head as if to look in all directions at once. "Speaking of Rarity, where is everyone else?" asked the dragon. In another flash of light, they disappeared.
"Perhaps she could at least inform us beforehoof of when she intends to teleport away," said Luna, rolling her eyes.
Celestia snickered softly before replying. "Come now. How many ponies do you know that can teleport?" Luna sighed and rolled her eyes again. One last flash, much larger than any before it, occurred before them. When they could see clearly again, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all appeared with a panting Twilight.
"Come on, everypony! It's KA-RA-OKE TIME~!" sang Pinkie Pie at the top of her lungs. Cheering ensued and the party pony began heading towards a pre-erected stage, complete with a curtain and preparation area behind it. "Follow me!" she commanded with a sudden, determined look. She led a substantial chunk of the partygoers off to participate in the activity.
"Hey, is Rainbow Dash still gone?" asked Fluttershy.
Applejack raised a hoof above her brow and scanned the distance now that they had been given more breathing room. She spotted the cyan pegasus on a return trip from the forest edge with Scootaloo beside her. "There she is. I reckon she's done clearin' the air with her biggest fan." Applejack chuckled and continued to watch them.
The two pegasi playfully shoved each other back and forth, laughing and smiling as if there had never been a moment of sadness between them. Reaching the rest of their friends at the party, they maintained their happy demeanor, but suppressed their laughter in time to talk.
"Hey, guys," greeted Dash. She glanced off to the stage where Pinkie Pie had already begun singing. "I see Pinkie's already started the real party."
"Hey, Rainbow Dash," began Twilight. "This party is for you, you know."
The pegasus scratched the back of her head and looked away with a sheepish grin. "Yeah. Being famous can be such a pain sometimes."
Scootaloo jabbed her in the ribs and she coughed and choked out a few laughs. "Come on. You were gonna introduce me to the Wonderbolts, remember?" she nagged.
Dash turned to her, "Yeah, yeah." Glancing back to Twilight, she shook her head. "You guys better enjoy yourself at my party for me!" With that, the pair wandered off towards the crowd by the stage, their friends chasing them giggles. The Wonderbolts had gathered to perform a group karaoke themselves, taking turns singing lines off key and slurring when they didn't know the lines.
"Well, I reckon we oughta go and enjoy ourselves, too." Applejack nodded and started off towards the stage. Everyone but Twilight and the princesses followed after her.
"Is something the matter, Twilight?" asked Celestia, concern etched into her face.
Twilight smiled and moved closer to the sun princess. She stood up and gave her a big hug, snuggling into the princess's white fur. "Nope. Everything's just perfect," she muttered, grinning. She gave the same hug to Luna, and when she decided to return the gesture, Twilight found herself slung over the moon princess's shoulder and receiving pats on the back as well.
"We are glad that you are happy, Twilight," she beamed. Setting the dizzy unicorn back on the ground, she pointed off to the stage and they all began heading there together.
Before they could reach the edge of the crowd, a familiar unicorn quickly stepped in front of Twilight. Startled by the other pony's sudden appearance, Twilight reeled back and fell to her back with a startled cry. She immediately recognized who it was, and unnamed emotions welled within her atop the familiarity and nostalgia.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Twilight Sparkle," observed The Great and Powerful Trixie.
"Trixie? I... I didn't expect to see you here." Twilight gulped back in her breath and watched as the magician looked down upon her with harsh, judging eyes. However, she soon took in the fact that both princesses stood just behind the downed unicorn, each one casting an expectant gaze upon her.
Trixie's eyes widened and she quickly dropped to the ground in a deep bow. "P-Princess C-Celestia and Princess L-Luna," she stammered. "Forgive m-me for my behavior." Her words left her throat faster than her cape could settle on the ground behind her, much to Twilight's surprise.
"That is quite alright... Trixie, was it? Are you a friend of my wonderful protégé?" inquired Celestia. Trixie snapped her head up in surprise. Twilight sat up and looked at her expectantly, wondering how the magician might answer that question in the presence of their rulers—and her personal mentors.
Beads of sweat formed beneath the magician's hat as her eyes shifted between Twilight and Celestia over and over again. "Uhh..." she started. "Why... Why we're old friends," she lied, adding a forced grin and desperately trying to hide her sudden anxiety. "We met during one of my magic shows. We've known each other for years," she added, putting up her best poker face. Twilight crinkled her brow and clamped her eyes shut in disbelief, but the princesses couldn't see her expression.
Celestia warmed up to a smile. "Oh, how nice. I don't recall Twilight mentioning you in particular in her letters, though."
"She was the basis of one of my friendship reports," corrected the faithful student, restoring her composure and playing along with a bit more truth to back up the ruse.
Before either princess could speak Trixie cut in. "Y-yes! I was with her when she wrote it." The magician grinned with fake pride as the act continued to work on the sun princess.
Luna cocked her head to the side and shot her an unimpressed, almost accusing look. "Really? Which one was it then? I have read them all for myself and I know for a fact that you were not mentioned by name in any of them."
Trixie forced a smile that struggled not to collapse into a guilty wince. She looked to Twilight, pure pleas of help glazing her eyes. The purple unicorn sighed and caved. "It was the one about being afraid of showing off and hiding a part of who I was," she began. Then she cut to quoting the letter directly. "My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents and that there's a time and a place to show off... especially when standing up for your friends." The magician collapsed to sitting in relief and could only nod enthusiastically in agreement.
"Ah, yes. That was a great letter indeed. I am so glad to know that my student made a new friend that day and that you both wrote that letter together," beamed Celestia.
Twilight offered a nervous laugh. "So, Trixie. Umm... How've you been... since... uh, the last time we saw each other?"
The magician was now at ease and she let her eyes wander away as she explained. "Oh, I've been doing great. My magic shows are starting to get famous again. It was hard overcoming the incident with the Ursa Minor, but I managed. What about you, Twilight? I've missed you so much," she added, throwing up a less forced smile.
Twilight used every ounce of her willpower from spilling everything to Celestia right there, if only to prevent herself from setting the record straight at the magician's expense. "Well, I've moved back to Canterlot and I'm studying under both Celestia and Luna. I'm going to become an Archmage," she announced with legitimate joy, clasping and rubbing her forehooves together.
Trixie's right eye twitched for a moment while she held her smile and processed the information. "That's... wonderful!" she cheered reluctantly after the pause.
"Oh, it seems you two have quite a lot of catching up to do. Well, don't let us hold you up," Celestia chimed in. "We're going to join in the karaoke, too. A little fun can't hurt."
Twilight nodded and watched as they wandered away and left her with the boastful magician. It was Trixie's turn to rub her hooves together and she chortled in delight.
"So, you're the prized student of Princess Celestia? The famed hero? I never thought it would be you of all unicorns." She stood up and brushed herself off before walking in a slow, predatory circle around Twilight. "That explains a lot, though. After those two brats brought the Ursa Minor into town, my reputation and my career were ruined!" she ground out in a hushed voice. "Everything I worked so hard for!"
"Trixie, I'm really sorry about that, but—"
"Now I've lied to the faces of both of the princesses. If they enjoy my show then my reputation will be completely restored—no, even better than before! You're going to help me through this, Sparkle. Got it?" The magician came to a stop in front of Twilight and offered a hoof to both seal the deal and help her up.
"And why should I help you? Why shouldn't I just go tell her right now that you lied, huh?" threatened Twilight while staring at the hoof.
"You wouldn't dare..."
"Try me." Twilight gave her sour look.
Trixie looked back and forth to make sure no one else was watching or eavesdropping on their conversation. She crouched down in front of Twilight and leaned in close, lowering the volume of her voice. "Look, will you please help me? It's those two colts' faults that all of this even happened in the first place!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes. "You were exaggerating your accomplishments. That was your fault. You led them to believe you could stop an Ursa Major," she retorted.
Trixie glanced around again before whispering. "What will it take for you to help me through this party's show tonight?"
Twilight pondered the question for a moment. I've got Trixie wrapped around my hoof... What could I ask for that would benefit both of us? she wondered.
Trixie tapped a hoof on the ground impatiently. "Well? I've got a magic show coming up and I don't want to get booed off the stage before I get there."
Twilight put up a sly grin, and Trixie's ears folded back. "Since we're old friends, I want you to apologize to all of Ponyville for being such a braggart..."
"Are you serious?" Trixie loosed a groan of disgust.
"And aside from your magic show, you'll be spending the party tonight with me and the princesses."
Twilight could've sworn she felt the sheer horror emanating from Trixie in that moment. The magician took the brim of her starry hat and pulled it over her eyes, rotating it back and forth while cringing, grimacing, and gritting her teeth as she weighed her options. After several more movements conveying her dire straits, she reset the hat with her magic.
Trixie groaned again. "Alright, fine! We've got a deal, but you'd better not double cross me, Twilight."
Twilight beamed. "Yay. We're going to have so much fun... friend."
"This is going to be miserable," grumbled Trixie.
Twilight got up and took the magician by a hoof. The touch caused them both to hesitate and look away from one another briefly. Twilight made a sound and Trixie responded by rolling her eyes before they walked to the stage together. Several ponies, led by Pinkie Pie, bowed after finishing a karaoke cover and Princess Luna took to the stage.
"Uh oh..." started Twilight.
"What?" asked Trixie.
"Look, you might want to cover your ears," suggested Twilight as she did so herself.
"What are you—"
Before the magician had time to gather more information, Luna's voice blasted through the speakers on and around the stage. The volume came out in a rush of wind and Trixie's hat took to the skies. Too shocked to grab it herself, Twilight seized it with her magic and returned it to the stunned magician. Trixie clenched her teeth while experiencing the overload in audio stimuli.
"EXIT LIGHT! ENTER NI-IGHT~!" sang, or perhaps bellowed, Luna. Despite the initial shock, the crowd cheered, danced, head banged and sang along to the best of their ability.
When the stream of excess sound ended, Luna received mass applause, cheering, and whistling. Trixie turned to Twilight, her mouth still hanging open and her mane disheveled. "What... How... Is she...?" The magician fumbled with which question to ask first.
Twilight giggled before answering. "Yes. She rarely gets to use the royal Canterlot voice now. It used to be tradition for her to always speak that loudly to her subjects." She watched as Trixie collected herself, starting with the realignment of her jaw.
Pinkie Pie took the mic and thanked Luna for her high volume performance and pointed a hoof towards Trixie and Twilight. "And now for a special guest: The Great and Powerful Trixie!" The crowd's energy seemed to die almost instantly as they recalled the magician's history. Murmurs and whispers took over while a few boos managed to make their way above the other sounds. "Oh come on, you guys. The Ursa Minor thing was such a long time ago," reminded the party pony.
"You're coming with me," declared Trixie abruptly. She snatched one of Twilight's hooves and pulled her up to the stage before she could say anything.
"Hey, this wasn't part of the deal," protested Twilight after coming to a stop on stage. Trixie ignored her and immediately took up the microphone with her magic. A heavy silence fell upon the crowd as they awaited her opening speech.
Trixie sized them up before gulping heavily. "Hello again, Ponyville," she started, adjusting her loose cape collar nervously. "I know the last time I performed here I... exaggerated my accomplishments, and that caused some... problems." A few heckling words escaped the crowd, but it quickly died back to silence when Trixie paused and allowed them to belittle her freely. "I'm very, deeply sorry about that," she continued. She cast the crowd a sympathetic look before turning to Twilight beside her. The purple unicorn returned a nod and a warming, reassuring smile.
Trixie smiled faintly and cleared her throat. "Tonight, I'll be giving you the grandest show ever. I've improved a lot, and my good friend Twilight here is going to help me make it all up to you," she announced in a sing-song voice.
"What!?" cried Spike over the crowd as he jumped and shook a fist, but the gentle hoof of Rarity resting on his shoulder pacified him immediately.
Twilight shot him a sour look before taking the microphone from Trixie. "Yes, I'll be assisting her tonight. Let's all give Rainbow Dash the best farewell show we can!" she cheered out. The crowd moved into an uproar with the pegasi in the air shifting about in anticipation. Rainbow Dash floated the closest with Scootaloo and the other Wonderbolts hovering beside her.
The stage darkened and whispers began of what the show could be like with Twilight's assistance. An aurora of blue light gave vision of Trixie alone, the microphone and Twilight having vanished from the stage. With her horn glowing, she formed a wisp of blue light in front of her. A purple flash to her right revealed Twilight and she formed a wisp of purple of her own.
"Follow my lead," whispered Trixie.
Twilight nodded and closed her eyes, both mares standing up and using their hooves for control. Trixie raised an eyebrow before sending her wisp to the right with a hoof. It left a magnificent trail of light twinkling and cascading down behind it. Twilight followed suit, using her hoof and mimicking the magician's movements in the opposite direction while in perfect synchronization. The crowd cheered softly, voicing their varying degrees of delight.
The lights began swirling around the magical duo before separating and exploding into another display of lights and sparkles, but the starting orb remaining intact. The orbs swirled around them again before erupting into many more. The lights dissolved into a mist that flowed out into the audience. They gave awed and fascinated murmurs, and the mist quickly turned into a thick fog. The magicians disappeared into as it expanded, seeping back onto the stage. In a flash, rays of light bounced in between the audience members and cycled between them, illuminating their delighted faces and changing vectors periodically. The marvelous laser show caused some to step back in fright of the sudden beams, and others to eagerly place a hoof into them in wonder.
The laser show in the crowd continued for several more minutes before they faded all at once. The stage lighting returned and the two mares appeared, each in a deep bow. "Wow, Trixie. You've sure learned a lot since you were last here," Twilight said as she came out of the bow. She opened her eyes only to be met with an indignant scowl from the magician.
"What was that?" she asked snappily, but hushed enough that the audience couldn't hear.
Twilight tilted her head sideways. "What do you mean?"
"That... thing you did. Whatever it was. How did you follow my performance so perfectly?" The tone of frustration died down to one of mere annoyance, and the magician tugged at her cape to alleviate the feeling.
"Oh, that. If I concentrate hard enough, I can follow your magic. It's something I learned from Luna. I can teach you how to do it if you'd like," offered Twilight. She extended a hoof, but Trixie glared at it.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need any help from the likes of you." The magician took the hoof and brought them into another bow for the crowd. "I shall learn on my own."
Twilight came out of the second bow and shrugged. "If you change your mind, all you have to do is ask." She smiled and waved to the crowd, mimicking Trixie's leading movements again. The magician let a frown slip briefly as Twilight followed all of her cheering movements as accurately as her performance.
"Alright. Everypony give it up for Twilight Sparkle for her gracious assistance," Trixie shouted. She prodded the purple unicorn off the stage as soon as her cheers had ended. "The show must go on, and I will join you as soon as it's over," she said.
"I'll hold you to it," said Twilight, sticking out her tongue playfully. Trixie blinked a few times, but said nothing. With that, Twilight departed the area and returned to the sides of royal sisters.
"That was a wonderful display, Twilight," said Celestia.
"Indeed. You managed to focus and let your senses guide you completely. Congratulations on your mastery over that skill." Luna beamed her pride and threw a foreleg around Twilight. "Such a glorious celebration to coincide with, for our student carries a bright future," she declared louder than intended.
Twilight blushed as the crowd turned to her and gave a light clap. She peered beyond them and to the flustered magician being ignored on stage. "Come on everypony. This party is for Rainbow Dash," she reminded, pointing back to the stage.
"Yeah!" cheered Dash while raising a newly acquired mug of cider. She carried a light blush while floating beside the other Wonderbolts and Scootaloo.
Trixie took the cue and began weaving more displays with her magic. After half an hour of her intricate spellwork, she paused and took a breather, dimming the lights for a moment. "Now for the grand finale!" she announced suddenly, rekindling the crowd's anticipation of her show.
"Celestia?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
Twilight watched as Trixie continued her greatest efforts, building a vivid masterpiece of magical lights. "Trixie wasn't actually a friend..." she confessed.
"Oh? Is something the matter?" The princess rested her neck over Twilight's and watched the magician thoughtfully with her.
Twilight fidgeted and scraped a hoof on the ground. "Well... She wasn't there when I wrote that letter. We lied."
Celestia pulled back and gave her student a puzzled look. "We lied? What do you mean, Twilight?"
Twilight chewed on her bottom lip before summoning the nerve to answer. "I hope that, if I help restore her reputation as a magician here tonight, that she'll become a true friend."
The princess held the look of deep thought for a few more seconds before melting into a smile. "Oh, Twilight. That's wonderful and I hope she does become a friend."
"Can you forgive me—us, for lying?" asked Twilight. Her eyes moistened as she gazed at the sun princess anxiously.
Celestia pulled her into a hug and turned her head back to the stage. "I forgive you," she whispered. Luna observed them in silence, her expression remaining stoic.
They watched as Trixie created beautiful displays of lights, explosions, and sounds. She didn't limit her finale to the stage and many lights appeared and absorbed the audience into the performance. The ambient light died down and Trixie clasped her hooves together. A small blue orb appeared between them and she slowly raised it into the air with her right hoof. Lights on the ground spiraled outward around her like flaming trails.
"Watch, in awe, as The Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feat of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!"
The orb swelled into an enormous size and emitted a powerful blue shade upon the audience. Trixie grinned with anticipation as the masterpiece neared completion. The flames on the ground were pulled up into the orb and the magician held a massive, flaming blue sphere above her head. With a spark from her horn, she threw the sphere at the audience.
Many cried out in panic while others simply gazed into the magical creation with awe. It crashed into the ground and detonated with a soft boom, and many smaller, weaker explosions followed after. Waves of light spilled out and flowed over a greater area, and a few members of the audience fainted from the shock while most watched everything happening, marveling at such a bizarre and extravagant display of lights. The blue shades soon shifted back into the natural night as the explosions ceased.
Trixie stared out into the crowd, stiff as there was no applause. Forcing a smile, she adjusted her cloak by the gem that fastened it to her neck, beads of sweat forming beneath her hat. Twilight began a slow clap with glee, listening as it evolved into an uproar of cheers and drumming of hooves. She beamed to Trixie and their eyes locked for a moment. The magician smiled back, nodding before slipping into a chain of bows.
"That was awesome! Best magic show ever!" cried Dash.
"Th-thank you, everypony," replied Trixie with a tone that threatened to waver further. She reveled in the attention and glory, bowing and waving back. Afterwards, she returned the stage to a dumbstruck Pinkie Pie and wandered over to Twilight.
"Wow, Trixie. That was magnificent. It's much better than your old fireworks."
"Only the best," she replied while raising her nose and placing a hoof to her chest. "The Great and Powerful Trixie settles for nothing less."
"That was a most wonderful performance, Trixie." Celestia turned to Twilight. "Well, it's getting late for me. I must be going now," she announced. She turned to her sister who was watching Trixie intently. "Luna, are you going to stay here?"
The moon princess's eyes wandered around for a bit before falling back to Celestia. "I think I shall tarry for a while longer. Twilight and I do not get to enjoy as many events together as I would like."
Celestia glanced between them before nodding. "Very well. I hope you two have fun."
"Goodnight, Celestia," said Twilight.
"May your dreams welcome you, dear sister." Luna smiled and waved as Celestia flew off towards Canterlot. When she left visual range, the remaining princess turned to her student. "What would you like to do now, Twilight?"
"How about we join the others and play some games," she suggested. Twilight stepped forward and grabbed Trixie by a hoof, dragging her along with Luna following after.
"H-hey. I don't have to play, too, do I?" she asked while stumbling to keep up with Twilight's enthusiastic pace.
"Yes, you do. Now come on, it'll be fun!" she reassured.
***
A lone knight lay on a hill, quietly overlooking the glowing lights from the party down in the distance before her. She sighed and shook herself to adjust the magnificent armor she wore, but it failed to make her any more comfortable than she already was. Polished steel plating covered vital parts all over her body, her wings free to move between gaps in the back of a breastplate. She wore a visor-less helmet with two wings extending back and upward from beside the ears; the breastplate carried the symbol of Luna's cutie mark on the front; bracers covered her forehooves while sollerets protected the rear ones. Lastly, a small heater shield rested on her back, a baldric with a broadsword sleeping in its sheathe just beneath.
As Princess Celestia came into view, the knight snapped up and to attention with a disciplined salute. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Did you have fun at the party?"
"You know you don't have to stand watch from so far away. Why don't you go and enjoy the party yourself?" Her eyes looked over the knight thoughtfully, drinking in her reaction.
The knight looked down at the ground for help. "I, um... Well, you see..." she said while fumbling around for words. She bit her lip as inner conflict culminated into a lack of coherent thought.
"Don't keep it a secret forever. Just go," urged Celestia.
"B-but we're leaving," protested the knight. Her mouth crinkled, desperately laying into the excuse for salvation.
"You will be assigned to me for anything that involves her until you speak your mind to her," ruled the princess.
"But—!" The knight glimpsed the party behind Celestia, the sight and its honored patron compelling her to go, but a lack of confidence pushed her to maintain the great distance from it.
The princess offered a faint smile. "You will thank me on the day that you finally lay these fears to rest." She turned and looked off towards the party. "I'm assigning you to my sister's detail tonight."
"But, Your Majesty..." whined the knight with a subtle groan, dancing around direct complaints to the order, "that's unnecessary." The knight knew what she meant, but there was nothing she could do or say to change the princess's mind.
Celestia sighed and looked up to the night sky briefly. "I leave the distance at which you wish to carry out your duties entirely up to you. Just... promise me that you'll act soon."
"Thank you"—the knight bowed graciously—"I promise," she vowed, unsure of herself. "What about you, Your Majesty? Who is taking my place?"
"Don't worry. There are other knights to take your place. Have a good night." The princess smiled and the knight bowed again. She flapped her wings and began soaring back towards Canterlot. The knight breathed out in relief and laid back down. She stared out to the party and summed up a regretful smile.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 2: Battle Royale
Uproarious laughter spilled into the air, much to the chagrin of Trixie. Twilight had dragged her from the stage area to play one of Pinkie Pie's favorite games: pin the tail on the pony. Despite the magician's confident belief that she would easily win such a trivial game, all she had managed to accomplish so far was to collide face first into the wall of the booth the target had been plastered onto. Her horn dug into the wood slightly and she had randomly placed the tail far enough to the side that she would've hit an invisible friend of the target pony instead.
"It was a good first try," reassured Twilight from behind her, suppressing her own laughter. It was an uphill battle with seeing that particular unicorn humiliated in good fun.
Trixie removed the blindfold and turned around to glare at the other unicorn, a hoof delicately rubbing by her horn. "I will win this game before the night is over!" she declared. Her words failed to add any sort of seriousness to the situation as more ponies keeled over in laughter, Rainbow Dash clutching her stomach as she howled. "What?" she barked, oblivious to the hilarity.
Twilight moved to her and took the blindfold, a genuinely happy grin stretching her face. "Oh, I'm sure you will."
"What's that supposed to mean?" retorted Trixie. She walked away from the target grumbling and Pinkie Pie stepped into place a few yards from it, another tail readied in her mouth. Twilight wrapped the blindfold over her eyes and spun her around. The party pony pivoted and twisted in an odd manner, but managed to keep herself balanced despite the dizzying rotations. She paused for a few seconds and aimed her head in random directions before moving slowly towards the target. Pinkie leaned her head forward and gently placed the tail almost perfectly on the target's rump. "How the hay did you do that?" cried Trixie.
Pinkie unwrapped the blindfold and beamed at her successful placing before turning to face the magician. "Pin the tail on the pony is one of my favorite games. I play it at all of my parties," she said proudly.
Before Trixie could say anything else, Princess Luna stepped up. "It is my turn," she announced. She took a tail into her mouth with the assistance of magic, and Twilight put the blindfold on her before spinning her around. Luna's starry mane twirled through the air and it gave a misty visual about the princess briefly. Stopping, she immediately staggered a few steps towards the target and pressed her face against it, nearly toppling forward into the wall.
"Very good, Luna!" cheered Twilight. The princess had placed the mark too high on the rump, but still closer than anyone else besides Pinkie. "Who's next?"
"My turn!" Rainbow Dash flew over the rest of the ponies and landed at the starting position, striking a confident pose. "I've got this. Watch and learn, Trixie." The magician stuck out her tongue and folded her forelegs across her chest. Snickering, Dash took the tail in her mouth and prepared herself. After she was finished being spun, she propelled herself towards the target far faster than any other competitor.
There was a small crunch as the pegasus hit the wall, and then slowly slid to the ground against it. "Hahaha, oh yeah! You sure showed me!" said Trixie between breaks of laughter with the rest of the contenders laughing with her.
Twilight hoisted Dash up with magic and set her on the ground out of the way. "You really shouldn't... umm... rush?" She seemed to question her own way of describing it rather than what had actually happened.
"Ow..." whined Dash, holding a hoof to her muzzle. She gently massaged it while glaring at the magician.
"Hey, at least you got pretty close," encouraged Scootaloo. She pointed to the target and Dash had managed to beat most players, though Luna was still closer.
"At least I beat Trixie." Dash stuck out her tongue at the magician before the next player stepped up.
"Allow me to show you how to properly pin the tail, Rainbow Dash," interjected Rarity. Trixie rolled her eyes as Twilight wrapped the blindfold over fashionista's eyes and placed the tail in her mouth.
Rarity was spun around and nearly fell several times before slowing to a stop. She gave a few more unintentional gyrations, and wavered with unsteady footing, finally managing to right herself without falling. She took several steps forward, wobbling unceremoniously from side to side, before leaning into the open air and falling face first onto the ground. Rarity groaned as Trixie fell to the ground and burst into laughter, leading the audience right back into the peals of joy.
"Oh, you certainly showed her!" the magician mocked. Rarity growled and contemplated hurling something at Trixie's laughing face until Twilight helped her up. "Thank you, dear. At least somepony knows some courteous sportsmanship." She shot Trixie a sour look before rejoining the rest of the ponies on the sidelines.
"Now now, ladies. There'll be no fighting here tonight." Twilight glanced between the dissonant unicorns. They huffed and turned away from each other. Shaking her head, she scanned the crowd. "Anypony else want a turn?"
A short silence followed before a waving hoof could be seen from the back. "I do, I do," chanted the owner. The crowd parted and a grey pegasus with a blonde mane and tail stepped up, a warm smile on her face. "I love this game."
"Alright, here you go, Derpy." Twilight passed her the tail and proceeded to spin her around several times.
The grey pegasus wobbled as she rotated, threatening to fall over, but she stopped instantly, her muzzle perfectly aimed at the target. She giggled and carefully stepped forward. Her movements were lined with heavy swaying, but she stepped up to the target and placed it between Pinkie's and Luna's marks, barely taking first place. "Did I win?" she asked in response to a sudden bout of cheering, slowly removing the blindfold.
"What!?" blurted Trixie. "How can you ponies be so good at this game? It makes no sense."
"Oh settle down, Trixie. It's just a game for fun," Twilight said soothingly. To her disbelief, Trixie simply rolled her eyes.
"Fine, fine..." Her eyes locked with Twilight's momentarily, a knowing look in them, before she ripped them away and looked elsewhere.
What was that? Twilight thought to herself.
The magician's complaints ultimately faded away completely and Rainbow Dash stepped up to the winner. "Wow, Derpy. I didn't know you had such a great sense balance and direction." She snatched her right foreleg and stood up, raising it into the air. "Our new 'Pin the Tail On the Pony' champion!"
The crowd offered claps and woos as Pinkie investigated the winning mark carefully. "Wow. She actually beat me. You're really good at this game, Derpy."
The grey pegasus blushed. "Aw, you guys. I just got lucky. It was nothing..."
"Ah come on, Derpy. Nopony ever beats Pinkie Pie at her favorite games," reminded Dash.
She gazed into the cyan pegasus's eyes and lost herself for a moment. "If you say so..." she muttered absentmindedly.
Twilight grabbed Trixie and pulled her back to the stage. "Hey, what do you want?" Trixie asked as they stopped.
"N-Nothing..." started Twilight, looking down and rubbing one foreleg with the other. "I was just wondering what you're going to be doing from now on. You know, now that your magic career is going to be back on track."
Trixie eyed her curiously and grabbed the brim of her hat, pulling it slightly down over her eyes as she idly examined the Element of Magic. "What do you care what I do and where I go after tonight?"
Twilight bit her lip, but still could not bring herself to face Trixie. "I was just wondering is all..."
The magician looked back over to the crowd playing games. A heavy silence fell between them while she watched the game start over again. Each of Twilight's friends happily joked about each other's failures and praised their successes, none bitter or jealous of another. She smiled faintly, obscured slightly by the shade cast by her hat and the night overhead.
"If you must know, I'm going to be centralizing my acts in Canterlot. It's the best place to perform and gain fame for a magician like me. There are always grand shows to do and the capitol would give me the greatest opportunities and access." She continued to watch the ponies take their turns, her faint smile fading away.
"Oh, okay." Twilight couldn't think of anything else to say. She wanted to say anything to keep the awkward silence away, but nothing came to mind as she kept her gaze averted. Say something, you dummy!
"Aren't you going to be living in the Canterlot castle?" Trixie looked back to the other unicorn, her own curiosity highlighting her eyes.
Twilight finally brought her eyes to Trixie's. "Yes, as a student of the princesses, but-"
"Hmph. Living the high life mooching off of royalty, are we?"
Twilight's cheeks suddenly flushed and burned. "I am not mooching off of the princesses! I've worked very hard to get to where I am," she responded indignantly.
"Oh, really? You're her famed protégé, hoofpicked right from the start. Did you ever even try to challenge yourself?" Trixie's own cheeks burned while staring at the other unicorn.
Twilight stomped her left hoof. "I challenge myself every chance I get in my studies. What about you, huh?"--she pointed her right hoof accusingly at Trixie--"Have you ever even tried to be nice and make friends, or is that too much of a challenge?"
The magician seemed taken aback at first, but quickly bared her teeth. "Of course I have. I... They..." Staring into Twilight's eyes, she lost the fuel for her frustration. Suddenly, everything seemed so regretful to her. When the crowd to the side began to take notice of their argument, she quickly pulled her hat down and turned to the back of the stage. "Perhaps this is a conversation best finished in private."
Twilight looked at her friends and nodded her head casually. They resumed their games and she pulled the magician behind the stage's curtain. It was darker behind it, but it gave a calming feeling to both mares. "I know you're better than this, Trixie. You are better than other unicorns, but you flaunt your talent and you don't try to become a better pony."
Trixie pulled away from her. "You know nothing of me. You're just a royal pet who receives all the training of one."
"Really? Is that what you think?" Twilight moved closer, forcing Trixie to turn around with a hoof. "You never even thought to ask about me. All you've done is assumed things. Why not get to know me first?" She calmed down as she went on, and Trixie felt herself soothed by the other unicorn's voice while outside of the limelight. Despite all of the friction between them, this was the first time she felt truly comfortable around her.
Trixie attempted to look her in the eye, but faltered and glanced to the back of the curtain instead. "I just... I..."
"What is it, Trixie? What's wrong?" she asked.
The magician blushed fiercely, but there wasn't enough lighting behind the curtain to see it, only the high moon's pale glow adding its majestic tint to the darkness. Part of her wanted to run, but part of her wanted to stay--no part of her wanting to act.
"You," she replied suddenly.
She turned, and in a single, fluid motion, leaned forward and brought her lips to Twilight's, closing her eyes. Her chest felt like it would burst, her heartbeat abruptly pounding into a quick rhythm. She found herself unconsciously leaning further into the other mare's space. Her hat fell off and revealed tears rolling down her cheeks from clenched eyes in the moonlight. She poured all of her soul into that unexpected action, letting herself be free in the moment.
Twilight leaned back slightly as their kiss deepened. Her mind deadlocked and the world slipped away with every attempt she made to grasp it. Shocked at first, she soon closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss and moaned, gently wrapping her forelegs around Trixie and pulling her closer.
They broke apart gasping, Trixie doing her best to suppress the noises, and Twilight releasing the embrace. The magician turned away, fearing to look at Twilight for no discernable reason. She snatched up her hat with a quick motion and bolted off of the back of the stage and into the night.
"Trixie, wait!" cried Twilight. She began to run after her, but a puff of smoke consumed the magician after only a few steps. When the smoke cleared, the magician had completely vanished into the darkness. Twilight desperately scanned it, but she couldn't tell which direction she had run. She fell to her haunches and pressed a hoof to her lips, a furious blush unknowingly covering her face. What... was that? she wondered. After a long moment of staring off to where Trixie had vanished, she let out a long, drawn out and pained sigh. She finally perfected her disappearing act... She didn't know how long she'd sat there alone in the darkness, but she heard hoofsteps approaching after a while.
"Hey, Twi, are you and Trixie still back here?" Applejack poked her head through the curtain and into the darkness, peering in as her eyes adjusted. She couldn't make out any of the unicorn's features in the dark, but she could see her body shuddering slightly. "What're yah doin' back here? Some'a the other folks wanna see another round of Trixie's magic if she's up for it."
Twilight shook her head and turned to meet her friend's wondering eyes. She ran a hoof across her face, then rubbed the back of her head casually. "Oh, she had to leave. She has to get some rest and prepare for more shows. Sorry."
Applejack shrugged and motioned for her friend to follow. "Aw. That's too bad. C'mon and join us for some more games. We're doin' some apple bobbin' and I thought yah might want in." Twilight stared through her, rather than at her, for a moment before snapping back to reality, noticing Applejack had closed the gap between them. "Are you really alright, sugarcube?" the farm pony added in a whisper
"I... uh..." Twilight managed between her mind's shifting explanations. "I'd just like to be alone for a little while, if that's okay."
The earth pony looked her over with sympathy. "Alright. Yah let me know if you need anythin', anythin' at all."
"I will..." Applejack moved to step through the curtains, casting one last concerned look to her friend before she disappeared through them. Twilight slumped back to the floor and covered her head with her hooves, allowing her mane to blanket her eyes. "Why... wouldn't you just talk to me, Trixie? We can at least be friends... or maybe... or maybe... I don't know..."
The farm pony returned to her friends just in time to see Rainbow Dash dunk her head in for an apple. Scootaloo and Derpy stood next to her, each eager for their own turns. The cyan pegasus reeled out of the water with an apple locked into her teeth. "Ay, Abbleack. Warez Wilight?"
"Oh, really. Must you speak with your mouth full?" Rarity said with a wry look. She groaned as Dash chomped down on a large bite and caught it in a hoof, making sure to noisily chew it. "I know you're enjoying this," she added, rolling her eyes and threatening to crack a grin.
Derpy stepped up and dunked her head in deep enough to reach the bottom. Threatening to fall in, she immersed herself up to her waist before popping back out with a particularly enormous apple clutched in her teeth. She stood up and let the apple fall into her hoof. "Did I win?" she asked innocently.
Rainbow Dash's jaw hung open as she marveled at how the fellow pegasus managed to acquire such a large fruit solely with the use of her mouth. "Derpy, you really gotta stop one-upping me or the Wonderbolts might take you instead!"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Rainbow Dash." She smiled and began eating the apple.
"Why's that?" pressed Dash.
"Why's what?" returned Derpy absentmindedly.
Before Rainbow Dash could question her further, Princess Luna moved up for a turn. "Allow me to indulge myself in this game for an apple." Luna dunked her head in, her mane spreading out over the top of the water and obscuring it with a starry pattern until she pulled out with an apple, also larger than Dash's. As she pulled away, her magical mane pulled off of the top of the water, completely dry and unaffected. "It seems the grey one has outdone even I." She cast a surprised glance to the winner.
Derpy beamed while Dash let out an exasperated groan. "How am I supposed to earn some cred if you guys keep beating me?" They laughed and she offered a disgruntled look before caving and joining in on their merry expression.
"Yeah, Rainbow Dash. We're sorry, but we think Princess Luna and Derpy Hooves would make better additions to the Wonderbolts than you," chimed in Spitfire teasingly. She patted the newest member on the head and the laughter only grew in volume. Dash flushed and looked around nervously for a moment.
As the laughter died down, Luna glanced in several directions. "Wherever did Twilight go?"
"Ah, she just wanted some alone time." Applejack motioned off toward the darkened stage curtains.
Luna nodded to her and moved towards the stage. "I shall see if she is ready to join for some more fun." Twilight wants some alone time on a night like this? What could be the matter?
The princess of the night stepped through the curtains without checking and immediately found the younger mare in a sorrowed heap on the floor. "Twilight?" she asked hesitantly, softly. "Is something the matter?" The unicorn on the floor raised her head with tears in her puffy eyes. Luna sat down and pulled her into an embrace. "Tell me, Twilight. You are always welcome to speak to me, no matter what."
The unicorn sniffled several times before she could enunciate anything coherent. "I-I think I'm"--she huffed and wiped her face again--"...in love." Her eyes burned as more tears streamed down her cheeks with the unsteady confirmation, her body shuddering. The final interaction of the night played over in her mind, a haunting memory of 'what if' lining the imagery.
Luna's brows lowered at first, but then her expression softened. "Dear Twilight, are you really in love now? With whom do you hold such a powerful affection for?"
"Trixie," she answered all too quickly. "She kissed me, but before we could talk, she just... ran away. Was it... my fault? I didn't think I did anything wrong..." She peeked up to Luna's sympathetic face in hopes of finding an answer from just her expression.
"Of course not. I know in my heart that there is nothing you could have done wrong, Twilight."
"Then, does she still hate me? Why did she kiss me? Why did she run away? Why can't we just be friends, or...?"
Luna grabbed Twilight and sat her up in front of her and smiled. She flinched beneath the mighty, yet gentle touch of the alicorn. "Twilight. I have lived for thousands of years and have witnessed love blossom and fade within the hearts of many. With these millennia of wisdom, I can only tell you that love makes ponies do unusual, unpredictable things that cannot always be comprehended. Everything they do expresses something in relation to their love or their true inner feelings." Twilight continued to stare at her with mild confusion.
"If she loves me, then why did she run away? I just..."
Luna gently pressed a hoof to Twilight's mouth. "Perhaps she is fearful of your love--or her own. Maybe she is not ready for it."
"But... she kissed me..."
"I believe she has shared one of the deepest parts of her soul with you. As I said, she might not have come to terms with her feelings yet."
Twilight looked to the floor for answers, the wood planks offering her no wisdom or comfort in the situation. After several minutes of silence, she huffed one last time and wiped her eyes. Rising to her hooves, she smiled weakly. "Thank you, Luna. I'll give it some time and talk to her in Canterlot."
"I am always here for you, Twilight. If you truly love this mare, I shall support you and encourage you to chase after her heart... despite my own initial reservations."
Genuinely shocked by the response, Twilight blinked a few times. "What? You don't like her? She's a very talented unicorn, though. She can be nice, too!" she insisted quickly.
Luna chuckled and ran a hoof over the purple mare's head. "Oh, Twilight. My sister will always trust in your motives if she sees you lie. While I played along, you are a terrible actor. I know that it was not your idea to lie, but I was curious of the implications."
Twilight blushed as she realized just how deep the princess's wonder went with that statement. "I... uhh... I didn't think of that at the time."
Luna chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "Not consciously, for that I am sure."
Twilight's blush only grew. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment, but she smiled sheepishly anyway. "Thank you, Luna."
"Let us rejoin the others. I believe the Wonderbolts intend to inebriate Rainbow Dash as a sort of initiation ceremony." Twilight giggled at the thought of Rainbow Dash getting drunk with her idols and Luna smiled as the unicorn's sadness melted away completely. They left the back of the stage and returned to the others. Chanting could be overheard as they neared a table of alcohol surrounded by ponies.
"Chug, chug, chug, chug!" they all repeated merrily.
Rainbow Dash was downing an unusually large mug of a frothy beverage. She managed to reach the end and slam it on the table, a mildly distant look of euphoria and triumph taking hold of her features. "What now!?" she shouted, pointing a taunting hoof at Spitfire.
"Oh, you think you're gonna challenge me?" she retorted.
"You betcha. C'mon hot shot. Can you beat that?"
Spitfire frowned, but she appeared to have already been consuming alcohol before the unofficial drinking contest started. "You're on!"
Applejack grinned and refilled their mugs. As soon as they were given a signal they began chugging down the next mug. Spitfire stopped halfway and Rainbow Dash managed to finish the second mug in a single gulp. Slamming the mug on the table again, she raised both forelegs into the air and cheered. She began dropping herself back down to the table to impart a victory speech. Twilight couldn't quite decipher what she tried to open with, but Dash's supporting hoof missed the table and her jaw slammed onto it hard before she rolled off and onto the ground. Spitfire fell onto her back howling with laughter, and the rest of the crowd immediately joined in at the hilarious action.
Derpy cringed and picked Dash up and set her on her back. "Was that really a good idea?"
"Don't worry, she's fiiiine," Spitfire said, rolling her eyes. "Every Wonderbolt gets tricked into drinking until they pass out." The fiery pegasus stood up and patted herself down before sipping casually on what remained of her drink. "She's going to wake up pretty hungover, buuuuuut her first show isn't for a few days. She'll be good by then."
"Wow, I didn't even know she drank," remarked Scootaloo. She peered into the bottom of the empty mug then took it to sample the last few drops. She made a funny face and frowned before setting the mug down. "Blegh. How can anypony drink this stuff? It's so weird."
Spitfire chuckled and put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's an acquired taste."
"Now fer a real drinkin' contest. Anypony think they can drink me under the table?" challenged Applejack.
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, stepping forward.
Applejack cringed. "Awright, anypony think they can drink mah brother under the table?"
To Twilight's surprise, Princess Luna stepped up with an unusual look of subtle excitement. "I challenge thee, Big Macintosh."
Applejack opened up a new keg and refilled their mugs. Setting them down, she rubbed her hooves together in an uncanny anticipation. "Awright. Big Macintosh versus Princess Luna! On your mark..." The two looked into each others eyes. "Get set." Big Mac a fiercely stoic stare while Luna held a smug, but subdued expression. "GO!"
Both ponies took their mugs and downed them with little effort. The next round began as quickly and they continued their drinks for ten minutes, as fast as Applejack could keep them filled, before the effects began to hinder their capacities.
"Thou art a formidable opponent." Luna frowned as Big Mac swayed slightly, but didn't seem to falter much more. "We are ready for another round!" The mugs were refilled on command and they began drinking them sip by sip. After finishing them, both ponies threatened to topple over similarly to Rainbow Dash's graceless fall. Twilight moved to support Luna, but she pushed out a hoof to ward her away. "We shall not be defeated!"
"But princess, I don't think-"
"Silence. We must prove ourselves triumphant." The princess's archaic dialect had taken over, but thankfully she seemed too drunk to put any effort into shouting with the royal Canterlot voice. Twilight watched as Applejack filled their mugs one last time and then handed one to her.
"Ee..." Big Mac paused, staring apprehensively at the murky liquid.
"What's wrong, Big Mac? Are you gonna let the pwetty widdle pwincess win?" taunted Applejack.
His apprehensions vanished and he glanced up at Luna. The princess had already begun sipping on her mug and he attempted to chug his. Big Mac managed to finish his before her. Rather than slamming the mug on the table, he gently set it down and turned to walk away. His first step caused his foreleg to buckle and he hit the ground, already passed out. Luna finished her mug sip by sip and grinned.
Applejack's jaw appeared as if it might unhinge and hit the floor as she looked at her brother in disbelief. "I don't believe it! Somepony actually drank mah brother under the table!"
"Hah-ha!" Luna reached for Twilight, drawing her the rest of the way with her magic, and picked her up, twirling around. The latter dropped her own now-empty mug. "We are the victor, Twilight! We are triumphant!" They spun around and around until Luna fell backwards and dropped them both. Twilight landed on her unsteady hooves and caught the princess in her magic.
"Uh, I don't know what Celestia is going to think about this..."
"We are too drunk to care!" Luna beamed in drunken bliss, but her inebriation had left her in no shape to walk.
Twilight set Luna graciously upon her own back, her legs dangling over hers, and smiled, and forced up a smile as the additional weight began to wear into her. "Hey, Pinkie. I think I should get her to bed. Tell Spike that I'll be spending the night at the library." The party pony nodded and Twilight walked beyond the clearing and into the night, slow, steady steps leading her down the road.
Luna occasionally offered incoherent murmurs and thanks, but her mane constantly shifted into Twilight's face. "Luna, do you mind? I'm trying to see where I'm going."
"But it's funnn," the princess whined amusingly. She moved her obscuring mane out of the way and Twilight almost fell trying to stop when Derpy appeared floating just in front of her. She skid to a stop, her legs wobbling, but she managed to keep steady.
"Wow, you can carry her while flying? I didn't know you were so strong, Derpy."
The pegasus put on a shy smile and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, she's really not that heavy. Anyway, I'm going to drop her off in Canterlot. I can pass a message along to Princess Celestia while I'm there if you'd like."
Twilight craned her neck around to glimpse the drunk princess drooling on her back. "Yeahhhhh. Tell her Luna is spending the night with me in Ponyville." Her eyes wandered up to the clear night sky, stars flickering proudly beside beaming constellations in their majestic arrangements. Her gaze flowed down the road and out of the city, landing on illuminated city of Canterlot. "Can you tell her to get me a schedule of all of Trixie's magic shows, too?"
"Sure, no problem, Twilight. Have a good night." Derpy chuckled as her eyes shifted to Luna.
"Too late," chimed in the princess with a goofy grin. Neither of the burdened mares could hide their laughter as they parted ways.
Twilight walked on to the library and reached a hoof out to knock on the front door, but hesitated. What am I doing? She inwardly scolded herself and pushed the door open, stepping into the darkness within. Operating on memory, she moved to the stairs and ascended up to her bedroom, finding her old bed still made with her favorite starry blanket. Plopping Luna down, she opened a nearby closet and found a telescope still resting inside. She quickly reassembled it and stepped out onto the balcony and placed it in the center, adjusting it as she prepared to use it. Peering into it, she pointed it to no direction in particular, occasionally rubbing her sore shoulders. This has been an interesting night...
***
Derpy soared through the night, periodically closing her eyes and breathing in the cool air. Despite the athletic and inebriated pegasus resting on her back, she continued to fly at a brisk pace. Dash shifted and mumbled in her sleep every now and then. Aided by the euphoria from the alcohol, she dreamt of herself flying and performing tricks with the Wonderbolts, drinking in the fame and splendor.
At least now I can keep an eye on you.I owe you that much, thought Derpy.
The pair managed to make it all the way to the base of Canterlot, but Derpy was too exhausted to make the final vertical ascent to the city itself. Sweaty and panting, she found an idle nightshift carriage at the mountain's base to catch a ride. She trudged over to them, catching her breath and straightening herself as she neared.
"Oh, had a bit too much fun tonight?" asked a rather young looking colt. Derpy couldn't make him out very well in the dark, but he had a short, dark mane and monochrome coat.
Derpy craned her neck to look at Dash's sleeping face and blushed furiously in the darkness. "Uh..."
"Hey!" An older stallion smacked him on the backside of his head as he came into view. "Such questions are rude, especially to a senior officer! Show some respect!" He had a gruff mustache and the ends seemed to flutter with the emphasis in his scolding breaths.
"I'm sorry, miss..." The colt rubbed the back of his head with a pained look.
"Forgive my new co-worker. Welcome back to Canterlot, Commander Hooves."
Derpy bowed her head graciously. "It's no problem at all. Thank you." She gave another glance to Dash. "She had all the fun. I'm just the designated flyer tonight." Throwing up another grin, she quickly ducked into the carriage.
Whispers were exchanged between the colt and the stallion, but Derpy ignored them and laid Dash across her lap. She chuckled when the colt loosed a small yelp of pain, likely due to being smacked in the head again. Soon the carriage rumbled forward and took to the skies, ascending the Canterlot mountain in a long-winded spiral.
She glanced down to Dash, gently stroking her chromatic mane, then gazed out of the window next to her thoughtfully. You're lucky, Rainbow. Everything is right where you want it to be right now... but maybe there's something more. Something you haven't seen yet.
The carriage shook slightly as it touched down onto a paved road. "We're here," called the stallion.
Derpy blinked as she registered the Canterlot architecture, and snatched up Rainbow Dash before stepping out into the streets. Despite that the buildings were still illuminated by the pale glows of street lamps and the occasional neon sign, the vibrant white scheme of Canterlot's alabaster concrete was dulled by the night. Even in the late hours ponies still shuffled through the main streets with a subtle energy to them. Derpy took in a deep breath of the crisp city air. "Thanks, guys."
She walked down the streets, shooting listless look through every window and at every sign, but stopped when she caught sight of a familiar unicorn crossing the street ahead. The magician...? Derpy observed her, noting the magician's head hung low, and walking so slowly that others were passing her and offering looks of concern. "Hey, Trixie!" she called out just loud enough for her target to hear.
The magician's head shot up. "Who is that..." she mumbled. She turned to see Derpy walking towards her, and failed to immediately recognize her, but she noticed Rainbow Dash laid out on her back. "What are you two doing here? What do you want?"
"I'm dropping Rainbow Dash off at her hotel. The Wonderbolts ended up getting her a bit too drunk. Do you know where they're staying? I forgot to ask before I left."
Trixie frowned, shooting her an incredulous look. "You're just here to spy on me for Twilight, aren't you?" she hissed.
"No...?" Derpy wasn't sure if her own inflection was one of confusion or curiosity. "Did something happen?"
Trixie paused and looked them both over before sighing. "It's none of your business." Without looking, she pointed down the street she was walking. "The Wonderbolts are staying at the Starlight Grand Hotel ahead."
"What about you?"
Trixie harrumphed and continued along the same path ahead of her. "I will not divulge the location of my dwelling to you. You're probably keeping tabs on me." She turned herself and prepared to continue walking.
Derpy rolled her eyes. "Twilight already is. I was just asking is all. You don't have to be so defensive."
The initial words seemed to invoke some form of bubbly curiosity in the magician. She snapped herself back to Derpy and closed the distance between them. "R-really?" she asked so suddenly Derpy stepped back instinctively.
"I thought you hated her or something."
Trixie turned away and looked across the city to one of the Canterlot castle's observatory towers. "I never hated her... I just..." She turned back to look Derpy in the eyes, a pained look of regret casting on the unicorn's features. "I don't know. She's Princess Celestia's protégé. I was so jealous of her magic back in Ponyville. I've worked so hard to get to where I am, but she's always had a head start."
Derpy stepped closer and placed a hoof on the magician's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "She's always making new friends. Maybe you're just not ready to open yourself up. It...," she hesitated and glanced to Rainbow Dash, "takes time... I know all about what it's like."
"Do you... Do you really think we could be together--I mean friends?" she corrected herself quickly. "I like her, but I have a reputation to keep and her upbringing just makes me so mad." Despite Trixie's intent, her words came out with an adorable, frustrated inflection instead of one with genuine jealousy.
"You can't wait forever. You'll never know if she feels the same way unless you talk to her."
"What about you? Have you asked her?" said Trixie while pointing at Rainbow Dash.
Derpy blushed furiously, her jaw fluttering open while she attempted to find a response. "I... uh... No," she confessed, lowering her head in defeat. "I know what you're going through, though." Trixie stared at Dash's sleeping face before letting out a small snort. "...What?" Derpy responded confusedly.
"I kissed Twilight."
"What?" repeated Derpy.
"I kissed her and I just... I ran away like a coward." Trixie looked away, the markings of a wistful smile on her face.
"At least she knows. Relationships take time. Rainbow Dash thinks I'm still a klutz..." Derpy put a hoof to her chin before chuckling. "Well, I guess I still am, but that goes for anypony."
Trixie tilted her head towards the hotel and sighed. "If Twilight did ask, I'm staying there as well. She would just find out eventually anyway." Her face flushed and she shook her head suddenly. "Sh-she doesn't get my room number, okay?"
Derpy giggled and nodded. "I wasn't going to ask. You two can talk when you're ready, but I don't think she's the type to give up."
"Thanks." Trixie reached up and pulled the brim of her hat a bit lower. "I'm going to the bar. Good luck with your..." Her eyes trailed from Derpy's face to Rainbow Dash, now drooling onto the grey mare's back in her drunken sleep. "...Romantic pursuits."
The trio continued to the hotel in silence and split at the lobby. Derpy gained the location of Rainbow Dash's room from the clerk and propped her up outside the door. She gently smacked the Wonderbolt a few times to wake her up, finding slight amusement that she could sleep so soundly given her energetic nature. "Hey... Hey, wake up!"
Dash shook her head a few times before opening her bloodshot eyes and wiping her mouth of saliva on instinct. "Wha... what? Where am I?" She blinked a few times, still groggy and lost. "Derpy?"
"Hey. I brought you to your hotel. You seemed a bit too drunk to go anywhere on your own."
"You could've just brought me home... Wait a minute." Dash stood up quickly, but shakily, and whipped her head around. "You flew me all the way to Canterlot? Whoa..." She collapsed back down with Derpy catching her before she could hit the floor, her head suddenly swimming. "I didn't know you were so strong, Derpy." They stared into each other's eyes with Derpy blushing and Dash's face flushed from the alcohol.
N-Now or never...!
Derpy leaned in and pressed her lips to the other mare's. Dash put up a shocked look that quickly faded into her eyes narrowing and finally closing. Derpy could taste remnants of the alcohol in her mouth and gave a soft moan as their tongues touched. Her cheeks burned, her tongue dancing inside of the other mare's mouth. Her heart drowned out all other sounds around as it pounded inside her chest, and after a few moments, she finally relented and pulled away, panting heavily.
"Derpy... have you always...?" Dash opened her eyes fully again and put a hoof to her mouth. A powerful blush overtook the color of her face in tandem with the alcohol's effects. Red clashing with cyan, Derpy procured Dash's room key and fumbled with it.
She hastily opened the door, picking up the other mare and carrying her in. To her surprise, it was a penthouse quality suite, completely furnished with every luxury the hotel could afford. Time was running out and she quickly set Dash onto one of the large cough in the entertainment area and darted back towards the door.
"W-wait. Where are you going?" Dash called while attempting to rise from the couch and face her.
Derpy turned around and smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. "I only kissed you... because I know you won't remember it tomorrow." With that, she closed the door behind her and left the drunken pegasus alone.
Dash slid back onto the couch and attempted to collect her thoughts. She replayed the events in her mind's drunken haze over for several minutes, but it only came as joyful memories she couldn't quite make sense of. Unable to truly understand what had just occurred, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, a happy hoof still resting on her lips.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 3: Icy Allure
-One Year, Two Months Later-
A single pin crashed inaudibly to the floor, embodying Twilight's overflow of disappointment. Above it, a massive ball of pins and needles were held together in the air within the tight confines of a multilayered purple aura. They occasionally shifted within themselves, but no more had managed to slip free and join the first on the floor. Twilight clenched her teeth while her horn glowed, the purple aura around the ball rippling all over with precision and skilled magic, the aura's layers wrapping over and in itself, constantly shifting around the ball.
"Very good, Twilight. You're almost there," cheered Celestia softly.
The unicorn glanced to her, her heart fluttering at the praise, but the momentary lapse in concentration became a critical error. Her magical grasp faltered and hundreds of pins began falling to the floor. She didn't blink and prepared to shield herself from the potential spray of danger, but the crash to the floor never came.
The princess had taken the ball of pins in her own magic, catching each pin in its own aura. "As you know, it is far easier to project a field over a group, rather than to assert control over many individual objects at once."
"I'm sorry, Celestia," Twilight panted, "It's just so exhausting to hold each pin separately." She collapsed to the floor huffing, hanging her head at the behest of fatigue. Sweat had matted strands of her mane to her face and neck, and she gazed through her mane at the single pin that had escaped from her magic and made it to the floor. "Do archmages really need to do this?"
Celestia released the ball of pins into a bowl on a nearby table and collected the single pin from the floor to hold in front of Twilight. "Acute control of magic is very important. Unicorns are not permitted to learn and use greater magic without first demonstrating absolute control over their current magic. The potential for destruction is... catastrophic."
Twilight gazed at the pin in wonder. "Has a unicorn ever caused such a disaster?"
Celestia turned to gaze out of a window. The sun was beginning to crest the horizon and set. Soon it would be time to exchange it with the moon. The moon... The thought brought back a harrowing memory and she twisted her lips into a guilty frown. She set the pin on the table beside the bowl.
"Yes," she answered simply. "Archmages are few and far. Frankly, we don't need many of them. They offer council and can be sent to assist anywhere in the world. It could be anything from cleaning up natural disasters to fending off wild animal assaults..." She trailed off, closing her eyes.
"But?"
"Never mind it, Twilight. They are a truly helpful force. The rigorous tests we put them through are to ensure that they never lose control of their own magic." Twilight stared back at her curiously. "As I recall, one little pony in particular lost control of theirs at a very young age."
"Yeah... About that..." Twilight let out a nervous laugh while Celestia leaned down to nuzzle her.
"It's alright. It happens and it is best to coach young and latently powerful unicorns so that it doesn't happen when their magical powers grow with age and practice." Celestia returned the pin to the bowl and moved to loom over it. "A single unicorn in an ocean of them has the potential for Archmage status, but even that one, single unicorn must contend with the entire pool of elite candidates from all around Equestria to stand as one of the distinguished Archmagi."
Twilight absorbed the words and then moved to the window. Celestia followed her movements with her eyes and smiled. "Eager to see another of her magic shows I presume," she said with a hint of glee.
The unicorn turned around with a light blush. "Is it that obvious?"
Celestia cast her a warm smile. "Must you ask? You're not very good at hiding your feelings from me, you know. You've been at this for little over a year now, though. Do you believe she will come around?"
Twilight bit her lower lip and let her eyes dart across the floor. "Maybe," was all she could come up with. It was a rare instance where her mind's logic could not come to a decision over the difficult feelings within her heart. She looked up at Celestia, hope glimmering within her violet eyes.
Celestia continued to smile, and looked out past the window as the purple twilight from the setting sun began to cast over the city, the lack of light tinting the tops of the buildings. "Go on. I must lower the sun anyway. You've more than earned the night off."
Twilight grinned. "Thank you, Celestia." She teleported out of the room and left the princess alone. A small whirl of dust pulled upwards, before swirling outward and settling where the unicorn vanished.
Celestia sighed and looked regretfully at the single pin her student had dropped. A single mistake...
***
In a white flash, Twilight appeared on the outer steps of the Canterlot castle's main entrance. She took a deep breath before holding her head up high and glancing up to the coming darkness. She cantered down the steps with ease and made her way into the city, guards and nobleponies curtsying her as they passed. As she walked, the light in the sky faded, disappearing as Luna raised the moon and everything was cast in its majestic tint. The younger, more trendy ponies wandered through the early evening with giddy energy; they prepared to enter clubs, seek out parties, or just spend a night in the city wandering about in innocent mischief.
Twilight moved through the bustling streets, evading other busy ponies in a hurry to their destinations. As time pressed on, she glanced around for a clock, her gait becoming more and more impatient. Trixie's magic show was soon to begin and she had a front row ticket she refused to squander. She wanted to teleport all the way to the show, but her exercises of the day had worn out her magic, but the ponies at her destination would frown upon her disruptive entrance. Finding a clock, she furled her brow in disdain and broke into a gallop. She managed to dash between other townsponies without incident as she took off, and she raced away before they could throw comments of irritation her way. Corner after corner she continued on, her eyes scanning signs as they flew by. She skidded to a halt as she came to her destination at last.
She looked up to see the bright, flashily designed sign. StarlightGrand Hotel. Twilight paused and adjusted her mane fastidiously, trying to fix her sweat-matted mane. Her heart sank when it appeared in its standard glory, her efforts to pretty herself up ending in vain when all she had managed was her usual style. Dropping to all four, she took in a deep breath and followed a red carpet, her hoofsteps becoming muting as they touched down onto it, and moved through large doors. They were framed with a golden metal to look fancier; the style was popular among all of the high class hotels and restaurants.
The door closed behind her with a low thump and she peered around the lobby. The red carpet stretched all the way to the front desk before spreading out down the adjacent halls. To her right was a small den-like area furnished with beige carpeting that bore symmetrical shapes alternating in a pattern. Top quality, yet generically designed furniture with red cushioning sat arranged around a coffee table in the center. Her eyes fell to a pony sitting alone and listlessly flipping through a magazine.
"...Derpy? What are you doing here?" she blurted out.
The pegasus dropped the magazine on the table and looked up. Fastened around her neck was a chain that held a small sapphire pendant. "Twilight? I didn't expect to see you here."
The unicorn moved closer and took a seat, a renewed smile on her face. "I could say the same to you. I'm here for the magic show. What about you?"
Derpy contemplated what to say in that moment, but settled on the truth. "I'm taking Rainbow Dash to see it."
"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight loosed a chortle, but silenced it when the pegasus maintained her expression "I didn't think she'd want to see any of Trixie's magic shows."
Derpy took on a glum look and sighed. "Yeah... It took a lot of persuading," she said as she slipped a hoof beneath the chain and held the pendant aloft. "This is what it takes to take her somewhere... magical. Even if she liked Trixie's show at her farewell party, she'd still rather go somewhere else."
Twilight giggled and leaned in to inspect the pendant. Upon a closer look, she realized it was a platinum chain with the sapphire boasting a flawless emerald cut. For a moment, she found the sparkling colors within to be captivating and nostalgic. "Wow..." she managed at last. "How did you afford one of these? I didn't know you had that kind of money as a mail mare."
Derpy let it rest back on her chest and put up a proud smile. "Oh, I just save up my bits for something special every now and then."
"Yeah, but Derpy. That must've cost a fortune. That looks like something Rarity would wear for a special occasion."
The pegasus gulped. "Eh, it's fine. Just splurging for somepony special is all." She studied Twilight's face as she took the words in. "Trixie never disappoints. Who knows, maybe the show will turn into a nice party." Derpy shrugged. "Rainbow likes to party."
"Sounds like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie should go to these more often," muttered Twilight as she glanced up to a large glass chandelier.
"Oh, I think there's something else-"
The couch flipped forward and Derpy leaped from it over the coffee table, rolling and taking a combat stance on the opposite couch beside Twilight. Her eyes scanned the previous couch in focus until a certain cyan pegasus burst out laughing from behind it. Many of the other ponies walking about the lobby stopped to observe the scene with confusion, some offering frowns and rolling their eyes before moving on.
"Haha, you didn't see that coming," howled Rainbow Dash before she flipped the couch back over.
Derpy slid down onto the couch in relief and blushed. "H-Hi, Rainbow Dash."
"Hey. So, I don't go to a lot of magic shows, but a promise is a promise." Rainbow Dash's eyes wandered over to Twilight. "Whoa, hey Twilight. What're you doing here?" Dash stepped over and offered a hoof to help Derpy to standing.
The grey pegasus stared at it thoughtfully before accepting. "She's here for the magic show, too."
Dash peered at the unicorn skeptically. "Twilight, you could probably be the best magician in all of Equestria. I didn't think you came to these anymore."
"I'm meeting somepony special," she replied.
Dash raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Who is it?"
"It's a surprise," she said with a devious grin.
Dash rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's go." She took the lead and exited the lobby to the left of the front desk.
They walked down a couple of large corridors that bore the same fancy decor as the rest of the hotel, passing by many of the hotel staff shuffling about. Eventually they opened up into a large showroom that hosted comfortable, yet private tables with walls just high enough for the booths that a pony couldn't quite see over while sitting. Several leafy plants adorned the tops of the walls to further add to the privacy vibe in the room. The booths themselves were arranged with a slight terrace near the back. Guests could see the magic show, but could not see the others attending. Twilight cocked her head as the lights were already dimmed in advance.
Some of the booths had already been filled by eager ponies awaiting the magic show. Twilight procured her ticket and gave it to a pony standing at the door. Derpy and Dash followed until the Wonderbolt couldn't resist the urge to speak.
"Sheesh, Twilight. I didn't know you had a front row ticket. The Wonderbolts get free tickets, but they're off to the side."
Twilight froze and turned around to force a smile. "Oh, Princess Celestia got me the ticket. Anyway, you two have fun." She nervously scurried ahead before she could be interrogated further.
The unicorn found her seat at the center of the front. It had a bird's eye view of the stage and Trixie would be doomed to see her throughout the entire display. More ponies filed into the room until every booth was filled, except hers. Twilight sat alone, as she had planned, eagerly waiting for it to start. A colt waiter in a fancy vest wandered by and set down a couple wine glasses and a bottle of expensive champagne. "Somepony sure has the VIP deal," he tantalized before walking away.
Twilight poured herself a few glasses and downed them as a pony stepped onto stage and talked through the list of tonight's acts. Barring Trixie's name, she ignored the rest of them. The flavor of the champagne overtook every taste in her mouth with an almost metallic, tangy flavor. After the champagne, she began to feel herself relax and loosen up, the apprehension of making an appearance at another one of Trixie's shows washing away.
To her delight, the show began only a few minutes later, along with the incoming tipsy euphoria from the alcohol. The room darkened and the stage lit up with a dark blue light as Trixie stepped through the curtain and up to the center of the stage with her signature magician's hat and cape, the familiar turquoise gem binding the cape at the neck. Twilight could've sworn she heard Rainbow Dash groaning from across the room at that point.
"The Great and Powerful Trix--ah!" she squealed upon glimpsing Twilight. She choked on the air in her throat briefly before forcing a smirk over her shock to resurrect her stage entrance again. Twilight shot her a sweet smile before pouring herself another glass.
Ugh! What is she doing here? brooded Trixie.
The show began with a fog sweeping down the darkened curtain behind the magician. It flowed down, over the stage, then to the floor and throughout the audience. Twilight looked around as the guests whispered among themselves in anticipation for the great show. Trixie tugged on the brim of her hat and the mist swirled around and expanded in volume. She pushed a hoof into it and it blasted over the crowd in a light breeze, filling the room with a smoky haze that cleared into simple wisps around the room.
She smiled and began a laser light show similar to the one she had done in Ponyville. The smoke allowed every laser to be seen as a bar of light shooting and ricocheting around through the smoke. Various colors danced through the air, vanishing and reappearing anew as a different color with a new vector. The lights multiplied into a distracting show and Trixie took the time to step off of the stage while no one would be fixated on her.
The magician approached Twilight's booth and sat down, quickly scooting close. "What are you doing here!?" she growled in a hushed voice.
Twilight levitated the bottle of champagne and poured the second glass for Trixie and slid it to her. "Having a drink and enjoying a good magic show. Why don't you share one with me?" Her euphoric, goofy grin only fueled the magician's annoyance at her presence.
"Just leave me alone, you spoiled brat!" she spat, nearly raising her voice loud enough for other ponies to hear.
Twilight grabbed her wine glass manually and tilted her head down. "I am not a spoiled brat." She lifted it, took a sip, then sat it down firmly before glaring at Trixie. "Are you mad that you kissed me back then, hm?"
The magician gasped before leaning closer, her own glare deepening. "That was a one time thing. It will never happen again," she rebuked.
"Oh?" blurted out Twilight automatically. She leaned closer and attempted to plant a kiss on Trixie's lips, but the magician gently pushed her back.
"You're drunk. Get out of here and leave me alone. I never want to see you again..." Trixie paused and looked at the bubbly champagne in the glass for a moment. She fought back tears, but ultimately huffed and departed the booth, returning to the stage. She breathed in deeply, the distracting laser show wearing away at her magic.
The light show stopped and all of the fog pulled back to the stage in a ball before Trixie. She bowed, and upon standing up again, found Twilight sipping more champagne and grinning to her. Truxue swayed a hoof outward and the ball of fog vanished. The purple unicorn smiled and waved goofily again, much to Trixie's chagrin. Leave, she mouthed to her with a heated look.
Twilight shook her head with the inebriated smile remaining, furthering the magician's ire. Unable to do more, Trixie continued with her performance. She threw her hooves to the sides, wisps of smoke splashing and expanding where she aimed, and more lights began appearing. A magical blue fire ignited before the magician that soon erupted into a tornado of light. The blue glow flickered onto the faces of the audience and forced the shadows to dance along the walls, a weak draft sweeping the room. The crowd saw focus on her face, but only Twilight recognized it as an unconscious scowl.
The purple unicorn clapped excitedly. "Oh, this one is fun," she cheered while throwing her hooves into the air. "Go, Trixie!"
Trixie could no longer control herself. The flame spiraled outward before splashing onto the stage and giving it a burning look. She grit her teeth together while glaring at Twilight. Suddenly, she broke into a devious smile. The flames soaked into the wood and vanished as the botched spell ended. Trixie dropped into a bow as unexpected cheering and applause began, and she drank in the appreciation. Rising again, she leaped off of the stage and took her seat at Twilight's booth again.
The glass of champagne that had been poured for her remained in its place, still bubbling. She took it in her grasp, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. In one gulp she downed it and set the glass back on the table. Twilight gave her a dumbfounded look before Trixie returned a fierce glance. "I've got more shows to do. Good... night, Twilight Sparkle." Her first words came low, but sincere; however, she said her name with a grumble. A glint of regret and pain flickered in her eyes briefly, but she stood up and left without another word.
Twilight sat there staring blankly where Trixie had left until Rainbow Dash and Derpy came and took a seat with her.
"Hey, Twilight." Dash waved a foreleg in front of her face. "Twiiiiliiiight. You home?"
The unicorn snapped back to reality and smiled as she caught sight of the pendant around Dash's neck glinting in what little light there was. "Didja guyz like tha magic show?" she asked with a bit too much glee for comfort. The alcohol's effects had hit her in full force now, and her slurring only made Dash roll her eyes.
"Alright. I'm taking you home, you're too drunk..."
Twilight snagged the bottle with her magic and poured another glass. "No, no, no, no! Just another glass. And then we can go, 'kay?" Dash reached for the glass, but Twilight's magic pulled it away and she managed to drink it quickly, but falling short of Trixie's speed. "O-K! We can go!" she announced happily. She scooted out of the booth behind Dash. After taking two steps, she lost her balance and fell forward into Derpy's awaiting hooves.
"Yep, definitely gonna need some help," said Dash, holding a hoof to her face.
Derpy stood in front her giggling all the while supporting the drunken unicorn. "We'll take you back to the castle."
Twilight cast them a whimsical smile before shakily righting herself. "I'll be fine. Just a little... guidance 'd be appreshiated, ya know?"
Rainbow Dash hoisted the drunken unicorn onto her back, laying her perpendicular, and moved to leave the hotel with Derpy. They received looks of bewilderment and disapproving glances as they walked out. It wasn't long before Twilight passed out to the rough motions of her carrier's gait.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash, I've been meaning to ask you something..." started Derpy with a nervous tone.
"Sure, what's up?" came the eager reply.
"Well..." Derpy looked to the cobblestone streets for help. "I..." she brought her golden eyes up to match the anticipating stare of Dash's magenta. "I... I..." she tried.
Suddenly a voice broke the moment. "There you are," cut in Princess Luna. She stepped up to Rainbow Dash, ignoring the others, and knelt down to look Twilight's unconscious form in the face. "Hey, hey," she echoed into the unicorn while prodding her.
Twilight stirred and shifted, a tendril of drool running along her muzzle. "...Huh? What?" she mumbled.
Dash leaned back and allowed the unicorn to slide off and into a standing position, shivering as the warmth from Twilight's body faded. "Wake up, Element of Alcoholism. Princess Luna is here."
Twilight stared at her blankly before wiping her mouth and turning to Luna. Suddenly, she burst into laughter. "Haha, I get it now!"
Derpy smiled softly while Dash groaned and smacked herself in the forehead with another hoof, chuckling behind it.
"Come now. Inebriated or not, you and I are taking a walk through the night, Twilight." Luna whipped her head in the direction they were to go and they began walking off. The princess had to slow her eager pace as Twilight wobbled and occasionally stopped to catch her balance. Reluctantly, Luna slowed and walked beside her for support as the unicorn leaned against.
"Well, I guess that solves that." Dash turned from watching them leave to meet Derpy's eyes again. "Wanna catch a movie or something?"
The grey pegasus's heart beat heavily in joy. A light blush coated her face, but the darkness of the night helped mask it. "Yeah... sure. That sounds good."
Dash took the lead and they began walking down one of the main streets. Light posts of an unusually elegant craft lined the sidewalks of the more luxurious areas of Canterlot, illuminating their way. Their pale yellow glows offered a calming, yet upbeat effect to the evening atmosphere. The night was still young and many ponies continued about in a rush of energy. Derpy took comfort in the commotion being a distraction from her demeanor, and she began to daydream.
"So, what'd you want to see?" Dash said to interrupt Derpy's romantic fantasies.
"Oh, umm..." Derpy paused and put a hoof up to her chin. "How about a romantic movie?"
Dash visibly gagged at the idea. "How about an action movie? Explosions and magic and stuff."
Derpy giggled and looked off in the direction of the castle. "Oh, I see enough action. Come on, you might like it."
Sighing in defeat, Rainbow Dash continued the lead to a nearby movie theater. To Derpy's delight, a showing of a new and popular romantic comedy was about to begin. They paid for their tickets and Dash splurged for drinks and popcorn, Derpy's magnificent pendant a gentle reminder her she should pay for them. They took their seats in the second row to the massive screen as the lights dimmed and faded. While the ads scrolled by, the grey pegasus continued to hide her blush in the darkness of the theater.
Dash ran a hoof over the necklace and smiled. She turned to Derpy, and in a hushed voice whispered, "Thank you for the necklace. I'm never going to take it off."
The love struck pegasus nearly fell from her seat at the praise. "D-Don't mention it... I'm glad you l-like it," she stammered.
Dash threw a foreleg around her neck and pulled her into an awkward, yet playful embrace. Derpy found her head resting in the crook of the other mare's neck. "You're one of the few ponies who could get me to watch some sappy love story, you know that?" She loosed a chuckle and gave Derpy's head a gentle noogie.
Derpy offered a weak laugh in response. "I kinda like the sappy love stories..."
Dash glanced to Derpy, cocking her head and raising an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't think you'd be into this kind of stuff. I thought you liked comedy or something."
"I like a good love story, too..." The movie began and Derpy sat up to get comfortable. Her face burned and tingled at the same time, and she forced herself to avoid eye contact with Rainbow Dash as much as she could.
They sat in silence as they watched, Derpy forcing herself not to scoot up in anticipation. The protagonist of the film was a young pegasus colt. Madly in love with his foalhood best friend, a unicorn mare, he struggled to confess his feelings for her. Derpy sympathized with the character, lamenting her own lack of courage in the same situation. As the colt gathered advice and found himself in amusing situations, he managed to finally confess his love for his friend at the climax, albeit awkwardly for humor.
The film ended after an hour and a half, and Dash downed the last of her beverage. They stood up and stretched before the cyan pegasus smiled. "Alright, I'll admit it. That was pretty good... for a sappy love story."
"I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my favorites," chirped Derpy.
Dash paused and arched a brow again. "Wait a minute. You've seen it already?"
Derpy quickly held her forehooves over her mouth and sheepishly smiled. The embarrassment coiled into the pit of her stomach as butterflies, and she threatened to faint at any moment.
"Well... I guess I could watch it again with a special somepony."
The air in Derpy's throat froze in suspense of Dash potentially connecting the dots, and she stared at her in silence as the lights came back on.
"It's getting late. Let's get out of here."
Derpy nodded and breathed out subtly. Oh my, Celestia! That was close.
Departing the theater, they stepped back into the streets and began heading towards Dash's hotel. Derpy stared at the ground while they walked in silence, though awkwardly for the grey pegasus. They reached the lobby and looked around, noticing most of the night goers had disappeared now.
"Alright, Derpy. I'll see you later. I've gotta get some sleep for a show tomorrow." Dash took a stop then stopped and turned her head. "Hey, if you get some free time, you should come and visit. I know Ponyville is kind of a long ways away, but I can get you VIP tickets," she added with a wink.
Derpy grinned sheepishly, nearly reigniting her blush. "Oh, yeah. I'll try to come by if I can. Maybe I can find a carriage."
Dash nodded and waved goodbye. The lonely mare sighed hollowly and trudged out of the hotel. Almost... She tilted her head up to the night sky and took in a deep breath. Coiling down, she leaped into the air at high speeds, the flaps of her wings effortlessly propelling her through the crisp air. She soared around aimlessly for a few minutes before gliding off in the direction of the castle. Almost... her voice echoed in her mind.
***
Twilight shuffled along beside Luna through the empty streets, drunkenly bobbing her head back and forth in a free-spirited manner. The lights from the street lamps and the occasional colorful neon club signs bloomed in her vision like fireworks. Everything appeared even more amazing until she looked at the moon. She paused and sat down to stare at the white orb, now devoid of the surface markings of Nightmare Moon and her occupancy of the lunar prison. For a moment, she felt as if the moon was all there was in the sky, illuminating everything in the endless black.
Luna walked ahead several paces before realizing the unicorn had stopped. She turned and observed Twilight before following the unicorn's gaze up to the moon. Twilight seemed fixated on it, ignoring others that walked on by. Even loud noises failed to distract her from its glory and beauty.
"What was it like..." Twilight started. Her eyes glazed in imagination, yet with a hint of sorrow. "...as Nightmare Moon, alone for a thousand years...? If you... don't mind me asking."
Luna gave Twilight a hard stare, but it eventually softened a moment later. "If it were anypony else, I would not share the answer to such a question. However..." she moved to sit next to the unicorn and gaze up at the moon herself. "I have lived for millennia and experienced more than you can fathom, even in the time before my banishing." She paused and regarded her memories for a moment, a glum look appearing briefly. "The mind is yours to command, and with magic and the eventual siphoning of the stars, we--err, I, was able to cope. Though I must admit, I do not recall much of my time there. Perhaps that is for the best."
Luna's phrasing piqued Twilight's interest and she stood up. "You can transform into the Nightmare Moon, right?"
"I do not see how simple illusion magic is--"
"You said 'we' first. I thought you were Nightmare Moon when... you know..." she trailed off as Luna frowned.
Luna rose and placed a hoof out. "No more of this conversation. I do not wish to dwell on my dark past. For now, let us just be friends, merry in a night on the town, alright?"
Twilight cast a defeated look to the ground. There was no budging the princess on the subject now, but she nodded respectfully anyway. "Alright. Where do you want to go?"
"Let us take a walk to the park." Luna took the lead again with Twilight shuffling behind her, wobbling between every few steps to catch her balance. The drunken mare continued walking, occasionally throwing giggles and constantly beaming her delight with everything, forgetting the conversation she had initiated only moments ago.
They passed a bickering white unicorn and grey earth pony outside of a theater. Her eyes cast over them: a refined earth pony with a neatly groomed black mane and an adorable bowtie. The unicorn had a bleached white coat with dark shades and a messy two-toned neon blue mane. Despite attempting to eavesdrop as they passed by, she was unable to discern what they were arguing about.
After half an hour of momentary interests and walking, the pair arrived on the northern side of Canterlot to a quaint park. Twilight didn't even realize they had taken a long and scenic route to get there. A few couples meandered through the pathways giggling and enjoying the quiet evening away from the city, muttering whispers of in-jokes and flirts to one another. Luna dashed ahead to a swing set and quickly began to gain hang time in the air. Twilight made it to the swing beside her and sat in it, just watching the alicorn through the drunken haze.
"I didn't know you liked to swing," mumbled Twilight.
"Of course, I..."--she whooshed by--"like to have fun!" she finished swinging past again.
Twilight lazily threw her hind legs back and forth to gain altitude. As she continued picking up speed, the pair began to synchronize unintentionally. After reaching peak height, Luna leaped off and landed as far as she could without her wings. She landed gracefully and coiled down into a crouch before rising as if nothing had ever happened.
"Come now, Twilight. See how far you can jump," the princess called to her with an excited huff.
Determined but lacking in judgment, Twilight leaped from the swing courageously. She soared through the air and landed on her hind legs, falling down to all four and crouching to disperse the energy... or at least that's what she imagined she would do.
The unicorn shrieked and flailed from the moment she let go of the swing, and fell face first into the earth. She hit the ground and slid slightly forward, a small rim of dirt forming a crater around her face. Luna dashed over, trying not to laugh and remain composed. She lifted the dazed unicorn to a sitting position and winced. Twilight's face was covered in dirt with a few scrapes, but otherwise alright.
"I underestimated how much you drank. Forgive me... for that," managed Luna before bursting out into laughter and falling on her back.
Twilight stood up tall and looked at the moon. "It's so pretty," she mumbled, reaching a hoof up to it.
Luna glanced away and took on a glum look. "About my banishment," she started to gain Twilight's attention. The unicorn looked at her with mild eagerness while rubbing dirt from her face and mane. "I don't recall all of it. It's as if... Nightmare Moon was a different pony. I do not entirely understand what happened to me... or us. Everything is all just... blank. Strange, isn't it?"
Twilight turned to glimpse the moon again. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead fell to the ground heaving, and vomited.
"Somepony is going to be hung over tomorrow..." said Luna, planting a forehoof to her head and cringing as the putrid smell found its way to her nostrils.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 4: Mirrors of Ascension -Six Months Later-
"Hey, are you good to perform today? You managed to play off yesterday, but you crashed pretty hard out there," asked a yellow pegasus mare, concern etched into her face. She wore a fiery, slicked back orange and red mane. The rest of her body could not be seen beneath the veil of her blue, lightning-streaked uniform but her identity was not hidden.
Rainbow Dash sat on the locker room bench hunched over and leaning onto her hind legs. She refused to turn around, choosing instead to distract herself with tugs on her own uniform in places already snug. "I'm fine, Spitfire. Really. It wasn't that bad," she returned. Extending and retracting her wings for a demonstration, the cyan pegasus stood up and added a short stretch. "I'll be ready in a minute." Her face cast looks of managed pain and agony to the silent lockers before her.
Spitfire continued to lay a stern gaze upon Dash's wings, but finally sighed and relented. "Alright, Rainbow. I just don't want you overdoing it." The Wonderbolt captain left the locker room, passing the newest member, Scootaloo, as she headed outside.
"Heya, Rainbow Dash!" she chirped, only for her sunny disposition to fade slightly at the sight of her idol's brooding demeanor.
The tough facade of the older pegasus softened immediately at the familiar voice, and she turned around and put up a grin. "Hey, kid." Her wings folded back down quickly, still sore from the accident prior. She did her best to hide the pain using a forced sigh. When Scootaloo hadn't shifted her eyes to them, relief washed over her.
"So, how're the wings? You hit the ground pretty hard. What happened out there?" Scootaloo asked quickly.
An aggravated huff threatened to make its way out, but Dash pushed subdued her frustration for the time being. "Look. I'm fine. I just finished telling Spitfire the same thing. Today's show is going to be just as awesome as any other Wonderbolts show." She stepped over the bench and put a hoof on her shoulder. The orange filly had grown into a mare and the lack of a height difference seemed out of place to Dash now.
"If it were anypony else, I'd say you should sit this one out, but... you're the one and only Rainbow Dash." The cyan pegasus closed her eyes and beamed in confidence. "But you also hit the ground like a wet bag of cement." Dash's expression crumbled immediately and her brow twitched. Scootaloo was right. The truth brought doubts that chipped away at her resolve briefly.
"I'm fine!" she reiterated a bit too loudly. Rubbing a hoof on her head, she met Scootaloo's frown with an incredulous stare. "Look, I'll prove it to you today. We'll do our usual routine and I'll perform my Sonic Rainboom without any problems. I just need a little more altitude to make it work is all."
"Okay, but the moment you start to hurt, or you don't think you can do it, you stop and signal us, alright?" Scootaloo's expression turned to pure worry as she looked Dash up and down with her own doubts.
"I promise," Dash said while displaying her best poker face.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and left, leaving the injured pegasus alone for the final few minutes before the show. Oh, man. What am I going to do? This really hurts. I shouldn't fly today, but I've got so many fans counting on me. I can't just let them down, she thought in haste. Her own worries and stress boiled into frustration and she punched one of the lockers as hard as she could. The door dented and she retracted her hoof, rubbing it vigorously while lost in thought. A throbbing pain took over, but it distracted her from the pain in her wings briefly. Alright, I've got this. I can do this. With a few deep breaths, she regained her confidence. Yeah, I can handle this.
She left the locker room and stepped into the bright light of the sun lighting up the open sky stadium. Cloudsdale always had clear skies for a Wonderbolts show, but the dark locker room had left her eyes dilated and the radiance of the afternoon became too much and shielded her eyes. The cheerful rays poured into her face and she squinted until her eyes adjusted. She pulled down her flight goggles and everything dampened into a more comfortable tone.
The rising roar of cheering filled the stadium, growing louder as she moved closer and closer. Her teammates had already taken to the skies and she was the last to join them. She coiled down, preparing to leap into flight, but a few starting beats of her wings elicited a dull groan and a pained tear into her goggles. Her jaw clenched and soon they numbed slightly to the repeated agony permeating through them. Sharp breaths were all she could manage while rising to the rest of the team and hovering with them.
"Alright, Rainbow Dash. This is your last chance to sit this one out. You can just apologize to your fans and say you'll make it up to them next time," said Soarin with open concern.
"I'm not sitting this one out, you guys. I just need some extra altitude for the Sonic Rainboom this time. I won't be able to go as fast as I normally can," she replied coolly. She did her best not to let her tone slip under the frustration, or the pain.
A horn blared out from below and it was time to start the show. The Wonderbolts blasted into full bore, spinning and twirling, leaving smoke trails and zigzagging between clouds. It quickly became apparent that Dash could not keep her word when she gradually trailed behind more and more as the show went on. During one of the breaks between tricks, Spitfire was the first to speak out as Dash struggled to catch up.
"Rainbow Dash stop this. It's over. You can't go on like this or you're going to end up in the hospital," she warned sternly.
Dash whipped a hoof outward. "I can perform just fine," she snapped. "Just watch me."
She flew away from the pack and they all watched in worry and disbelief as she climbed in altitude. Hovering high above the sky stadium now, she descended into a sharp dive with the help of gravity to bolster her speed. With hooves forward and mane and tail leaving her signature rainbow trail, she stormed downward to the astonishing speeds necessary for her signature trick. Her face stretched back as the wind ripped by all around her, pushing the goggles into her face.
Just a little more...! she encouraged herself.
*BOOM*
The massive wave of prismatic light exploded into a ring with the thunderous boom blaring out in her wake just above the stadium. The fans and other Wonderbolts watched the beautiful nova of light in equal awe; however, a chaotic rainbow trail surged by the Wonderbolts soon after. The audience had been too distracted to even notice the pegasus continuing to speed downward below the stadium.
"She can't stop!" shrieked Scootaloo, pointing a hoof down below.
Dash continued at high speeds in a dead drop to the ground. Her wings had long since given up resisting, too sore and bruised to fight the free fall, and she began to spiral out of control. Am I going to die? she wondered. Tears welled up behind her goggles as a rush of memories overwhelmed her, a sense of regret filling her along with them.
The Wonderbolts raced after her, but they weren't gaining in speed on their teammate. Despite Dash being the fastest among them they gave it their all. "We're not going to make it..." shouted Sptifire over the wind resistance.
A white light surged past them suddenly, splitting the team apart and threatening to knock them all off course. "What the hay was that?" one member cried. They stopped and watched as it easily surpassed the falling pegasus's speed. The light trail seemed to slow and match her speed before expanding and enveloping her completely. The light twirled for a moment then stabilized as it neared the ground..
The white light crashed into the earth before darting away into a nearby tree line and vanishing altogether, never slowing in its turn. The rest of the Wonderbolts dropped to the ground to find Dash laying in a small crater, each one in awe. Dash was laying face down on her chest, her wings protruding out twisted and mangled, both being completely broken now. Scootaloo grimaced and tried not to cry or heave as bloody bones stuck out through some of the feathers.
The injured pegasus was unconscious, but still alive. "I'll go get the medics," announced Soarin before he blasted off back to the stadium.
The two mares knelt down and inspected her closely, taking care not to disturb or adjust her position.
"You're an idiot. You could've died!" scolded Spitfire with a crestfallen look, slamming both hooves in the ground. She stroked Dash's head while waiting for the medics, shuddering and unable to look at the pegasus.
"She's gonna be alright... right?" Scootaloo watched the slow rise and fall of her idol's chest earnestly. Her face carried distraught, uncertainty burning into her.
"Yeah, she'll be fine," Spitfire muttered, hints of doubt and relief in her voice at the same time.
***
Princess Celestia rested comfortably on a plump red pillow, watching the show with subtle interest. The shuffling of clouds behind her invoked an automatic response; she already knew who her visitor was. "Will she be alright?" she asked without turning.
An armored pegasus stepped up beside her and peered over the edge of the cloud platform to the stadium below. "She'll be fine, but I think she'll have learned her lesson this time. I'm glad I was here..."
Celestia stood up and moved to share her viewpoint. "Oh? And why is that?"
"I saved her life, but now she'll pay more attention to her limits." She turned and looked up to the princess with an almost guilty expression. "You didn't say she had to be unharmed."
Celestia cast the armored pegasus a disbelieving, yet understanding look. "Well, I didn't give you any instructions, just that she will be alright in the end. How bad are her injuries?"
Their gazes returned to the stadium where medics were beginning to fly down with a stretcher and recover Rainbow Dash. "I let her wings absorb most of the impact without letting her risk permanent damage. I'm trying to recruit her and this wake up call should help with her recklessness."
"And you felt such crippling injuries were necessary?"
The knight cast the clouds below her a pained look, but she tilted her head back up and nodded. "I wanted to make sure this worked on the first try. It's... hard to do this to her, but it's for her own good."
Celestia returned to her pillow and sat back down. "How did you know she would endanger her own life like this?" Her eyes scanned the crowd around as the Wonderbolts and medics returned with the mangled pegasus on a stretcher and hauled her out of sight. For a moment, gasps signaled a silence, and then to cheering as Spitfire announced that Dash would be alright.
"I didn't. I just knew... I guess."
The princess chuckled and smiled. "From now on, please try to keep her safe from avoidable harm. At least until the time comes."
The pegasus rubbed at the back of her helmet and looked away in a vain attempt to hide a blush. "Oh, well, you know how I am about her."
"Bring her some books," Celestia added suddenly. Her expression remained warm and unchanging to the now confused knight.
"What?" asked the pegasus as she gawked Celestia. "Rainbow Dash doesn't like reading... Does she?"
"She does enjoy reading. Since she will no doubt be spending an extended period of time in the hospital and inactive while recovering, you should bring her some books to read while she heals."
"Oh. Thank you for the advice, Princess," the pegasus chirped. She turned and began to flap her wings to leave.
"Oh, and one more thing..." said Celestia.
The pegasus stopped and turned, eagerly, to face the princess. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Today you are hereby placed on suspension of primary duties without pay until..." Tears welled up in the pegasus's eyes and her mouth hung open in disbelief. "...the pegasus that has been injured as a direct result of your negligence has fully recovered." The pegasus fell to her haunches and smiled through teary eyes. "At which point, you will return to active duty and have such a mark stricken from your record. During your modified duty, you are to become the guardian and primary caregiver to said pegasus."
"Th-Thank you, Princess," she squeaked.
Celestia smiled warmly to her. "Now, go. You are... not fit for my service right now."
***
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes into tiny slits. An annoying, repetitious beep sang into the air, though it came more as a grating blare to her. A grey blanket had been draped over her and the bed she found herself in was slightly raised for her comfort. Colorful cards covered a nightstand beside her while balloons and other Get Well gifts were placed around the room. She slowly sat up and opened her eyes fully. The excruciating pain involved in the simple task forced a yelp out of her. She winced and crumbled back down to the pillows in defeat, but even the soft, puffy pillows she lay on felt like battering rams to her sensitive, splinted wings.
The room was painted white with pale green curtains over the windows to further compliment its blandness. She had been attached to the most state of the art medical equipment, though, and that provided most of the culture to the room's lack of artistic love. A light green hospital gown had been fastened over her and she found more bandages, bruises, and casts than she would have liked, but everything seemed to still be attached.
A mirror on the wall to her right allowed her to see her face, but she grimaced at her image. The reflection threw back a badly bruised complexion: both eyes blackened, several head wrappings, and a neck brace for good measure. She definitely looked the part of someone who had hit the ground at phenomenal speeds and lost the fight. To her surprise, and relief, she still had all of her teeth and no broken facial bones. To the left of the mirror were large windows with the curtains pulled back to shed in a bright noon ray of light. A nightstand was positioned directly next to the left side of the bed, and on the left wall a counter ran its length with a chair pushed against it.
"Now don't yah look mighty awful." The words took her interest immediately and she looked to the door. "And y'all know I can't lie," added Applejack before chuckling.
"H-Hey..." managed Dash hoarsely. Her voice cut itself off as she found her throat to be too dry to speak. Applejack moved to the counter and grabbed a pitcher of water left behind for her. She poured some water into a cup for the injured pegasus, but Dash gazed at it with a yearning.
The thin stream of liquid seemed more like a waterfall from the mythical fountain of youth than a simple pitcher of filtered water to her. When Applejack brought it to her, she had to place both hooves on it to raise it to her mouth. They'd both been bandaged and too shaky to confidently grasp the cup with just one. "Thanks, AJ."
"No problem. Now, yah mind tellin' me just what yah did to yourself?" she asked while examining the flier's injuries with disbelief.
"I crashed. ...Again," she grumbled. The pegasus rolled her eyes away and tried to avoid Applejack's concerned stare.
"Well, that ain't what Scootaloo told me. They said yah should've died from a fall like that--that you were saved by some kinda white light or somethin'. Care to explain that and why yah were so reckless?"
"I..." She stopped and thought about it. White light? But nothing came to her mind, only a haze of the performance came from her memory, reminding her no better than a memory of a blurry horizon. Everything after the Sonic Rainboom came as a blank. "I don't... remember anything. Maybe it was Princess Celestia."
"Nope. I checked. She didn't even move. Maybe she somehow knew yah'd be safe, though." Applejack's eyes became distant for a moment as she imagined something.
A knock on the door followed by a small cough brought the attention away from the subject. An armored pegasus knight stood in the doorway fully clad in intricate armor, a dark blue undergarment filling the gaps between the plating. A tight baldric holding a sheathed sword had been fastidiously wrapped around the breastplate. The armored pegasus wore a helmet with the grated visor down.
"Well, I guess that's mah cue to leave, sugarcube. I'll let the others know you'll be alright, but you had best take it easy for a while. Fame ain't worth dyin' over yah know." With the parting wisdom, Applejack waved goodbye to her friend, then bowed to the armored knight and slipped out the door.
The knight leaned out into the hallway and watched Applejack until she turned down a branching corridor and disappeared. The knight fully stepped into the room and closed the door behind them with care before straightening their posture.
"Do I... know you?" Dash asked while narrowing her eyes suspiciously and folding her forelegs across her chest.
The knight chuckled. Though it was muffled by the helmet, the laugh was recognizably feminine. Removing the helmet, it was revealed as an unexpected, yet familiar face to the pegasus laying in bed. Dash couldn't keep her mouth from launching open. "D-Derpy!?"
"H-heya, Rainbow Dash," she greeted awkwardly. She blushed and rubbed the back of her head with a free hoof, all the while trying to ready herself for what came next.
"W-What are you doing here? And what are you doing wearing all that armor. And is that a real sword?" The questions came one after the other, all bearing equal confusion in their asking tone. The knight chuckled at a few of them while Dash failed to truly convey her disbelief.
Derpy held out an authoritative hoof to silence Dash and let her speak. She gave a small smile and cleared her throat. "Well, for starters, I kinda saved you."
Dash guffawed at first, but quickly cast her an irritated look. "So you were the white light Applejack was talking about? Yeah, right." The injured pegasus rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I was," Derpy replied simplistically.
"If you saved me then why the heck did you let me crash into the ground!?" Dash attempted to flail her forelegs, but the moment she tried to move them quickly, they revolted with throbbing vibes of agony. She clenched her jaw shut and winced slightly, doing her best to try and hide the pain, but it only served to fuel her frustration.
"Because I only made sure you didn't die or suffer too many lasting injuries." Rainbow Dash froze at the confirmation that she nearly killed herself. Her eyes fell to the floor and all of her anger subsided in that instant. "Yes, Rainbow Dash. You almost died that day." Derpy let out a slow, unsteady sigh.
"But... But if you caught up to me, why didn't you just save me completely? How did even you catch up to me? The other Wonderbolts couldn't even do it."
Derpy set her helmet on the counter and pulled the chair up to the bed. Moving closer, she sat down and gazed into Dash's eyes softly. "I want to recruit you," she replied, dodging the first question.
"...Recruit me? To be what? Some boring old guard?" Dash paused before pointing a bandaged, accusing hoof at her. "Hey! Why didn't you save me from... from... from this!" she screeched, motioning to all of her crippling injuries.
"Because you're so reckless and prideful. You show off and try to get as much attention as possible, not thinking about anyone but yourself. I wanted to teach you some humiliation and modesty. It's not always about you. There are other ponies in the Wonderbolts, and you're supposed to be working together as a team. You should never trade your life for something as shallow as being famous," she chastised.
Dash huffed defiantly. "Oh, yeah? And why would I want to become some guard over being a Wonderbolt, huh?"
Derpy rolled her eyes and sighed again, this time with her own frustration. "Well, you would have to go through training to be a basic soldier before you could become a Celestial Knight."
Dash raised an eyebrow to the unusual rank and title. "Celestial Knight? What's that?" she asked skeptically, but with piqued curiosity.
"That is the highest, most prestigious position in the Equestrian Royal Army. You work directly under the princesses. I guess it's kinda like special ops but with more free time and better benefits. They pay... well, the benefits are really good."
"I'm in the Wonderbolts--my dream come true. Why would I want to leave them and become a Celestial Knight?" Dash cocked her head, fully confident no words could break her belief that there was no greater achievement for her.
Derpy gently snatched one of Dash's hooves into her own and leaned closer, a gasp escaping Dash from surprise at the delicate touch. "I thought you might like it since you like being a hero. You're also a thrill seeker... Maybe it can mean something to you, or just..." She leaned in ever closer, a powerful blush unknowingly painting itself upon her cheeks. When Rainbow Dash leaned back, Derpy stood up and wrapped a foreleg slyly around her neck brace. "...Mean something for me," Derpy murmured softly.
She leaned in and closed her eyes, planting her lips on Dash's before she could speak. Her heart felt as if it would give out at any moment while she leaned further into the other pegasus. Dash's eyes went wide and darted to the door, but she soon relaxed, returning the kiss and blushing furiously as she closed her eyes. In that moment, she could not name a reason as to why Derpy would kiss her, only knowing that they were alone, and it was happening. What...? Does this...? Half coherent questions about the kiss flowed into her mind, but slipped away in the same instant. She hopelessly tried to rationalize everything, but all her mind rounded back to was the bliss.
Derpy broke the kiss and pulled away, gasping for air as quietly as she could. Dash wasn't nearly as subtle, taking noisy breaths while holding one bandaged hoof to her chest and the other to her lips. They turned away from one another, the burning of their hot blushes still overriding the color of their faces. Neither dared to look the other in the eye, and each attempted to hold onto the lingering bliss within the awkward silence that had followed.
Derpy broke the silence. "I-I heard you l-like reading... s-so I brought you a b-book. You should've t-told me... or something." Without making eye contact, Derpy reached beneath her shield and procured a large novel and set it down on the nightstand beside the bed.
Dash remained looking the other way, even avoiding eye contact with her battered reflection in the mirror. "T-thanks... Derpy. I'm sorry I never told you..."
Derpy turned to leave, but caught the other pegasus's face in the mirror. Despite the bruising and bandages, she still smiled sheepishly and admired it. Dash caught the knight looking into the mirror. The momentary eye contact prompted the knight to redouble the speed of gathering her things and heading for the door. As she swung it open for an escape from the awkwardness, Princess Celestia appeared on the other side preparing to knock. Derpy yelped and fell to her haunches, dropping her helmet and creating a startling cacophony.
"And where are you going my faithful knight?" she asked casually, ignoring the clatter of the helmet and looking past to the blushing Rainbow Dash. Derpy sputtered out a jumble of words that had no connection to each other before Celestia cut her off with a hoof. "Why don't you go grab some food? I hear the muffins are exquisite." The love-struck knight quickly nodded and snatched up her helmet before dashing out of the room past her, her face only having grown redder by her gracelessness in the encounter.
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," Celestia greeted the pegasus. "I see the young knight has brought you an excellent novel to read."
The pegasus had still been daydreaming about the kiss, still lost in the bliss of that moment. She snapped back as her brain processed Celestia's words. "Princess... When I get better, can I... Is the royal guard recruiting?" she asked, still letting her reflection cast back the same love-struck look.
Celestia looked over her for a long while before replying. "What about the Wonderbolts?"
Dash turned to her, still maintaining her goofy expression. "I think they'll understand if I tell them why I'd want to leave. M-Maybe there's something more for me... Something bigger."
Celestia took the seat beside the bed and raised an eyebrow to her. Her form seemed to tower over the bedridden pegasus, but her serene presence made her sooth Dash's rampant emotions. "Oh? And what reason might that be?"
"I..." she turned and looked up the princess. "I think I'm in love with Derpy." The fire of her blush only rekindled as she confessed, threatening to override the tint of her dark bruises. "Princess, what exactly is a Celestial Knight?"
The princess chuckled briefly as she realized Derpy's approach. "A Celestial Knight is a pony whom dedicates service solely to the commands of the crown. They usually do it for a greater servitude, but it also require a much stronger tie to life."
"A much stronger tie to life? What do you mean?" Dash murmured confusedly.
"A bond of love... but not necessarily one of romance, is what is most common," stated the princess simply.
"Wait a minute... Derpy is trying to recruit me because she loves me?" she blurted to herself.
"I cannot speak for miss Hooves's intentions, as to whether or not she is recruiting you out of love or not. Perhaps you can ask her yourself. I must warn you though, love does not have intentions so easily understood."
Upon sensing the knight's clanging hooves emanating from the hallway, she stood up and moved towards the door. She turned and gave the injured pegasus a sidelong glance. "You cannot become a Celestial Knight without a strong bond to life. Ask yourself: Is Derpy Hooves that bond?" She opened the door with her magic and stepped past Derpy as she returned with a bag of muffins hanging from her mouth.
Rainbow Dash cast a thoughtful look at both Celestia's words and Derpy's returning presence. "Hey, Derpy."
"Yes, Rainbow Dash?" She replied more enthusiastically than she intended, sheepishly rubbing the back of her helmet and smiling.
"Uhh..." Dash started, lightly rubbing the back of her head as well. "My hooves kinda hurt too much to hold a book up right now. Can you... Can you read it to me?"
The knight set the bag of muffins over the cards on the nightstand and grinned. "I'd love to."
------------------------------------------------------ "Twilight..." came a distant, sing-song murmur. "Twiiiiliiiight..." it echoed again, this time louder and closer. The word continued to repeat and grow in volume, until it became an overwhelming sound of disdain. Twilight moaned for it to stop, but it only continued to repeat in its tone, becoming clearer and clearer with each utterance.
With a growl, the purple unicorn shot up from her bed. "What!?" Wide, bloodshot eyes with crinkles beneath them darted around the room, evidence of a sleepless night--and irritation--displaying through them. Those same eyes immediately softened at the recognition of both the voice and its owner simultaneously.
"Ah-hem!" Princess Luna cleared her throat and the unicorn sank down into the comfortable pools silky sheets and blankets, sheepish, guilty flush taking hold of her face. "I did not think one such as yourself would dare sleep in on such a glorious day as this one."
Twilight glanced at an alarm clock resting on the nightstand beside her bed. 6:00 a.m. Luna woke me up this early!? She loosed a discontented groan and crawled back into the welcoming depths of her covers. "Oh, Luna," she moaned, "Why did you wake me up so early? The ceremony isn't even until noon."
The princess moved closer to the bed and prodded Twilight's buried form. "Come now. I'd think you would be wide awake by now, even practicing a heartfelt speech for the ceremony. You are being given a well earned title. It has only been a few short years and you are being promoted to an archmage. This is by far the fastest that anypony has ever been accepted. You should be honored, proud."
The bed covers magically pulled themselves further over the unicorn's head and she groaned again. With a defeated sigh, she pushed it all down and glanced at Luna through half-lidded and incredulous eyes. "Is Celestia awake at least?" Luna nodded. Twilight glanced at the alarm clock again. 6:03 a.m. "Alright, alright. I'll get up. Just let me wake up and grab some things first."
The princess nodded again and moved to leave. "I shall see you at breakfast," she said before departing the unicorn's chambers.
Hopping out of bed, Twilight wandered over to a vanity mirror resting atop a large armoire. Her horn began glowing and a staff, cloak, and brush immediately floated to her. The cloak was a plain dark blue with a black lining along the edges. Her staff slid beneath it and fastened to her torso, the spire poking out beside her head. The brush raked itself through her tangled bedmane and tail until it appeared as a finely groomed masterpiece. Maybe I should change my style, she thought, pondering at its straightness.
She left her chambers and wandered through the halls at a sluggish pace, her fatigue from the night reflecting strongly in her lazy strides. She tried to put up a cheerful disposition, but she still didn't even feel awake, yet. Nonetheless, guards and servants greeted her with the respect she earned as the good-natured royal protégé. The red carpeted corridors seemed to stretch on as long roads to everywhere in the universe.
After several minutes of walking and several pauses to loose loud, uncharacteristic yawns, the unicorn made it to the enormous dining hall. Upon entrance, more ponies waved and offered their sunny curtsies. The princesses were already seated side by side at one of the large banquet tables, and she took a seat opposite of them and half-forced a smile to them.
"Good morning, Twilight," Celestia greeted first. "I trust you slept well in preparation for today." Despite the words, she could see the signs that what her student had gone through could hardly have been labeled sleep. "Hmm, I suppose not."
"I'll be fine. I just... need some breakfast... and coffee. It's just a little hard keeping up with Trixie and Rainbow sometimes," she confessed.
Luna raised her eyebrows and offered a sympathetic expression. "Perhaps you should move on. Maybe she will never fully reciprocate your feelings again."
The words stung Twilight; the grim possibility she always ignored. She glanced down at the table anxiously. A white cloth, perfect and clean, covered it completely, a shield to anything that would dare mar the table. Her eyes sank into the innocent color until an idea hit her. "She will be at the ceremony. That's when I'll tell her." Celestia offered her a questioning look. Before she could speak, a chef approached and sat down food for the trio. "Yeah. It'll be perfect. She's always big on showing off in front of crowds."
"Do you think it is wise to corner her into such an extreme situation?" Luna said as several leafy vegetables floated up to her mouth.
"Well, she doesn't have to come," replied Twilight while rolling her eyes. "But I just know she'll be there. She won't miss the chance to try and put me down in front of all of my peers."
Celestia finished a bite of her own food and propped her head up on her left hoof. She stared at Twilight and the two locked their eyes for a moment. "Can I fully trust you will handle the situation with grace, no matter the outcome?"
"Yes. I promise you it will be fine."
"Even if faced with reject?"
Twilight hesitated for a moment. She gave a defeated, "Yes," before giving a reluctant nod.
Returning her head to eat, Celestia cracked a smile. "Very well. I look forward to it either way. I hope that everything works out in your favor."
"Oh, speaking of the ceremony. What of her taking her own pupil once she has received her title at the end of it?" chimed in Luna.
Twilight shot her a confused look. "Me, take on my own student?" Her eyes soon expanded as if she had just been star struck. The prospect of teaching another unicorn much as she had been taught was exciting, though she had doubts as to finding a particular unicorn who could fill the apprentice position.
Celestia finished a bite of food and answered. "Indeed. While it's not a requirement, archmagi are highly encouraged to take on their own apprentice. They are typically wise beyond their years and have much to teach and share."
"Wow... My very own student. It'll be just like you and I!" She continued to daydream about the mystery unicorn she may soon be teaching while Celestia blushed and nodded.
"Did you have any particular unicorn in mind?" asked Luna.
Twilight took in a large mouthful of food and pondered the question. She chewed and bounced around a few acquaintances in her head, but only one really seemed to stick. "Well, Trixie would be perfect. She's the most talented unicorn I know. She has a lot of potential, but..." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "She's just so full of herself sometimes. I'm not sure she'd like the idea."
"Well, it is different from your personal business," started Celestia. "Perhaps she would be interested in seeking the opportunity. Archmage apprentice positions are few and far. Many unicorns will leap at the opportunity to be taught by one, especially one who had been tutored directly by Luna and I." The sun princess motioned for a servant and they placed a set of glasses and a wine bottle on the table.
Twilight stared at the dark bottle and frowned. "I don't really want to teach anypony else... And wine with breakfast?"
Luna smiled. "Come now, Twilight. You shall celebrate the day away--barring getting drunk before the ceremony itself of course." Despite her reservations, Twilight was parched and didn't want to disappoint her by asking for something else. She took her glass and downed it in one gulp. "If Trixie declines, who else would you take on as a student?" Luna asked the moment she finished.
"Hmm... Rarity is happy with what she does and she doesn't have the capacity for magic that I do. There's that one unicorn I know. I think her name was Colgate. She seemed like she might be interested." Twilight glanced to the ceiling while pondering memories of the unicorn to gauge the choice. Both princesses exchanged blank looks before meeting the unicorn's eyes again. "I don't know. I'll think about it."
"Think carefully. There is, however, no restriction on who you choose or how many. Just try not to bite off more than you can chew." Celestia finished her food and stood up. "Well, I have some duties that I must attend to this morning. I shall see you at the ceremony, my faithful student, for how much longer that may be." She winked to her before leaving.
Twilight nodded and rose. She poured herself another glass of wine and downed it again. Luna eyed her cautiously until the glass was set back on the table. "Alright, I'll see you later, too, Luna."
"Where are you going?"
"I've got some things to do as well. I'll see you at the ceremony."
Luna nodded. "Do not tarry in your free time. Noon sharp, Twilight Sparkle," she called as the unicorn trotted out of the dining hall.
Twilight arrived at her own ceremony just on time, the guests having already arrived and engaged in idle banter. She carried a slightly worried look, constantly glancing around the crowd during the speeches of her peers and superiors. All of the royal magi council made an appearance, each one an archmage themselves. They offered her praise, and they offered her critique, but none of their words had immediate impact upon the newest addition to their order. When the speeches came to an end, her friends moved out from the crowd and offered their own words of congratulations.
The first to speak was Rainbow Dash. The pegasus stood in the armor of the royal guard, but bearing insignias the standard guards did not wear. A sheathed broadsword and heater shield rested on her back, and Scootaloo stood beside her with a perky expression. "Hey, big congrats, Twilight. We knew you could do it." The royal soldier offered a hoofshake at the end. Scootaloo smiled and offered her own congratulations before wandering off to find the other Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Oh, my! And everypony is going to know that I'm close friends with an archmage!" squealed Rarity. She disappeared into a daydream for a moment before coughing and collecting herself. "You're the true Element of Magic, Twilight. Always wear your title proud, and never forget about us."
"Thanks, everyone. But-"
"Wow, another archmage? You don't see those every day." Twilight had glanced to Rarity as she spoke, but the familiar voice came from behind Dash.
"D-Derpy!? Where did you come from?" she sputtered. To everyone's surprise, the grey pegasus appeared beside the knighted one with a grin. Twilight had scanned the crowd endlessly and never once spotted the grey pegasus among them.
"Oh, you know. I was just around," she said casually, rolling her eyes and subtly leaning closer to Dash.
"Well, thank you for coming, Derpy." Twilight grinned and cast a glance to the way of her royal mentors, but she froze as another voice cut into that moment.
"Really now, they let a unicorn like you become an archmage? My, my how the standards have sunk so low in these quaint times," snapped Trixie sarcastically. The unexpected guest held a wine glass with her magic, taking a sip at the end of her sentence. She was met with gasps and glares all around her, but she held her muzzle high and ignored them as a silence overtook the crowd. The princesses and magi council said nothing and, instead, observed Twilight more closely.
Twilight turned around to face the unicorn who loathed her presence and scholastic upbringing, and put up a smile. Despite the harsh tone and words, she was completely unfazed by the verbal attack. She took one of Trixie's hooves in her own, earning a shocked look from the magically inferior unicorn, and felt herself fill with glee.
"Ah, Trixie. I'm so glad you're here! I just knew you would come," blurted Twilight with a bit more cheerfulness than intended.
Trixie blinked a couple times, unable to believe what she had just heard. Twilight was expecting her to show up? It seemed too far fetched to be true. She huffed and decided to find out Twilight's motives in the most superior manner she could muster.
"So, is the 'Archmage' Twilight Sparkle finally realizing that 'The Great and Powerful' Trixie is truly her better?" she snorted, taking another sip from her wine glass and raising her muzzle to stare down at her again.
"Um... Trixie..." trailed off Twilight, doing her best not to laugh... or cringe.
"What, then?" she snapped indignantly. "Well? Out with it already!" she added with a an impatient stamp of a hoof, leveling with Twilight but cocking her head.
By now all of Twilight's friends and the guests of the ceremony had formed a large circle around the two unicorns. They were the center of attention, but given enough room to move about. Trixie took as much of the space as she could to ensure her presence appeared as grand as possible while Twilight simply remained near her position for the ceremony.
"Well..." she started, rolling her eyes to Celestia. "Now that I'm an archmage I'm supposed to take on an apprentice of my own. And I've given it a lot of thought, but there's only one unicorn I want to be my apprentice and that's... Well... I want you to become my apprentice, Trixie. That's why I was hoping you would show up here today at my inauguration," she explained sheepishly, turning her head away slightly to hide a threatening blush.
Trixie's pride--and her dropped wine glass--shattered to the words while the crowd began whispering amongst themselves. The showmare drowned herself in thoughts, her face blanking to process. Thoughts of repercussions came; thoughts of her fame; thoughts of her reputation; thoughts of the other mare's ulterior motives; thoughts of the gesture being interpreted beyond simple honors. Twilight was asking her to become her own student, her own protégé. That meant Trixie could be viewed as a weaker unicorn--an inferior pony.
The nerve of that mare! How dare she! was all that played over in her mind.
Trixie's rage boiled over and she suddenly closed the distance to Twilight. "You think that I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, would ever become your student?!" she fumed.
Twilight shrank back, crushed that the idea, an honor on Trixie's part, was rejected outright. It seemed hard to swallow that Trixie still had her head in the clouds, especially at Twilight's own ceremony promoting her to an archmage; a ceremony observed and sanctioned by the magi council and the princesses. She blinked and took in a deep breath silently, caught off guard by the other unicorn's prideful reaction.
Twilight looked away briefly. "Well... Yeah. It's obvious you have a great talent for magic and you could learn so much from me." Her eyes returned to meet Trixie's, but the magician's still held the same anger within. "Please... think it over," she pleaded with a slightly forced, yet sincere smile.
"How insulting! To think the likes of you would ever pass me over for the title of archmage, and then you would rub it in my face by asking me to become your... your subordinate! Who do you think you are?" Trixie said, pointing an accusing hoof to the new archmage.
In the same instant she pointed her hoof, Twilight teleported behind her and latched onto her. Trixie gasped, failing to even notice Twilight had vanished before her eyes until the other unicorn's grip tightened.
"You need to calm down, Trixie," whispered Twilight with urgency. Trixie's newfound plight of humiliation sank in. Her face reddened as the crowd began chuckling earnestly.
Her face burned as ponies in the crowd laughed quietly amongst themselves. Their laughs sought to mock her. They didn't take her seriously. Trixie violently shrugged off Twilight's grasp and jumped forward, spinning back to face her. She seethed with anger and indignity as Twilight stared at her empathically. With all of her hatred fueling her, she fired the biggest blast of magic she could from her horn. It ripped through the air towards Twilight only to be completely dispelled by Twilight's own magic, coupled with her hoof batting through it. The spell fizzled and vanished in a tiny puff of smoke.
"Please calm down, Trixie. This is supposed to be a great day for me and I only want to make it better by taking on my own student," said Twilight as politely as possible. "If you refuse then you can just leave," she added loud and curt, shooting the magician a hard stare and pointing a hoof to the entrance.
Trixie stared at her, dumbfounded by her own lack of magical power. It wasn't just blocked by a magical barrier or countered with another spell. Twilight had completely dispelled it without so much as a scratch on her. She collapsed to the floor, her resolve now crushed by the truly superior unicorn's display.
She's always been stronger...Damn it... She punched a hoof into the floor. I always knew it... I just didn't... want to admit it... she thought to herself regretfully. Her eyes glued to the floor, a heavy shame forcing her away from eye contact with others.
She tried not to cry, not to bawl out her frustrations. She thought it made her look weak and helpless, especially in front of a crowd of Twilight's peers. Among them were the unicorns who made the decision to appoint Twilight as an archmage, the very ones she had hoped to some day join in their prestige and glory.
She looked up with teary eyes to all of the expectant ponies in the room. Celestia and Luna were standing tall by their throne, observing the entire situation within the confines of stoic grace. Somehow, Celestia's usual, but accidentally intimidating, stare did nothing to her where it would've destroyed the will of any other pony on her situation. The most anguishing eyes of all were those of Twilight's as she slowly walked up to her. They seemed like the eyes of pity raining from a bettered soul, or the eyes of authority handing down a judgment too cruel to bear. Twilight knelt down in front of her and whispered.
"I know it's hard to accept that there's something more when being the best is all you've ever known. Please, reconsider becoming my student," she whispered as she lifted Trixie back to her hooves. "I know you're not exactly fond of me, so I understand if you don't want to accept."
"I... I'm sorry I made such a scene at your ceremony, Twilight. Please... please forgive me for..." She paused and looked at the floor, taking in a deep breath as memories rushed back. "...Everything," she finished with a moment of eye contact. She lowered her head in shame once more and sighed. Her silvery mane fell over one side of her face and obscured her eyes.
Twilight tilted her head back up with a gentle hoof. "That's quite alright, Trixie. I forgive you. Now, please just enjoy yourself as my personal guest if you want to stay, alright?" she said in a soothing tone.
Trixie's expression warmed, and Twilight smiled to her as she let go of her hoof. "I would like that very much," she replied as she wiped her eyes quickly and sniffled several times. "Oh, and Twilight?"
"Yes, Trixie? What is it?"
"I accept your offer. Please... teach me." Trixie couldn't quite grin, but within her, a warmth welled up and pushed the sadness and regret away. Something the other mare said or did triggered a fleeting sense of comfort. She calmed and rubbed her face, a look of happy content scattered weakly upon her features.
Twilight turned to the crowd of ponies. "From this day forward, Trixie Lulamoon is my apprentice!" she announced, beaming to the princess in particular. They exchanged looks and smiled back, with the magician fainting, her face flushed.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 5: Singularity Catalyst
A scroll unfurled onto the desk in front of Celestia. It was the last one for the day before it was time to lower the sun, and hopefully afterwards she could settle in for some personal rest and relaxation. Why does the Council need myapproval to dispatch an archmage for assistance? She maneuvered her hooves up to her temples and began lightly massaging them as her eyes skimmed across the dull parchment.
Yes... yes... yes... Done. Really now, there's nothing the archmagi need to wait around for. Her horn glowed for a moment as her signature was hastily scribbled along the bottom with a worn quill. She rolled the scroll up and watched as it disappeared in a green plume of fire and smoke. I sure feel tired today, she noted. She sighed and stood up, stretching her frame, the soft pops of her joints bringing a sense of relief to her. After a few contented moans and a yawn, she wandered over to a private balcony and glanced out across the serene capitol of Equestria, Canterlot. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth while she watched the tired sun sink below the horizon, mirroring her own feeling in that moment.
A sudden streak of white raced past her vision. She quickly stepped back, blinking, and threw her head in every direction. "What was that?" she blurted. Unable to locate the origin or the destination of the light, she rubbed her eyes wearily. When she opened them, multiple, silent streams of white energy whirled around before her. She took several more steps back and her horn began to shine. "What is the meaning of this!?" she called out with heated breath.
The array of white streams coalesced into an orb that burst in a flash of light upon absorbing all of them. When the princess's vision returned, a milky white alicorn appeared and stepped down onto the balcony. Celestia gasped and took on a defensive stance. "Who are you!?" She scanned the new being for any identifying details, but every part of her was wispy white that seemed closer to the effect of an illusory spell. Her mane floated and shifted as a lively, colorless mass. Unlike her own, this alicorn's mane seemed to ignore gravity's binding influence at all times.
The foreign alicorn took one last step forward then straightened their stance. "You have dark days ahead of you, Princess Celestia. I come bearing a gift: a warning."
Celestia froze. A warning? Of what?
"Hear me out." The alicorn spoke softly with a slight intoning to her voice. Her eyes gazed into Celestia's with subtle boredom.
"I'm... listening." The princess's horn continued to glow with cautious energy, and her stance relaxed; however, she refused to let her guard down in the presence of the other being.
The foreign alicorn turned to look over the city before speaking. "I envy this stable peace you preside over. My time was far more... chaotic."
"Your time? Are you another princess--another ruler?"
"I am Astra. My peers enjoyed titling me Soothsayer, rather than a queen or princess like yours do." Astra refaced the princess and opened her eyes more. Celestia couldn't tell if she cast away her boredom or was simply hurrying the conversation along. "In a few years time, the Brood will declare a war upon Equestria. I expect them to show no qualm to your vanguard and attack you directly."
Celestia breathed in sharply. "You really think there will be a war with the dragons? I doubt such a thing will come to pass. Regardless, I'm sure it could be avoided. The Brood are peaceful, if prideful."
"Make no mistake, Princess Celestia. There will be a war. But it is one that you will end swiftly, bypassing the mass of unnecessary bloodshed and tragedy of a prolonged one." Astra shook her head and took another step closer to the princess. "Ascend another to that of an alicorn. I am sure your sister, Princess Luna, will understand and oblige if you convince her." Astra's eyes narrowed briefly. "Who you choose matters not, but the blade of the Rites may fall both ways. Slay the dragons' king, Render, and remove this from the Brood. Call it whatever you will; it's of dormant, potential danger outside your grasp."
Despite the constitution of the one before her, a piece of parchment appeared detailing a book and its appearance. Celestia took it with her magic, skimming it quickly and tucking it away. The entire situation made her anxious, fearful of the prophecy Astra spoke of, but she could not be sure if what she heralded could be untrue. What would she have to lose by trusting her? "An alicorn could just as easily die were they to fight too many dragons at once. Sending one alone to kill their king is suicide against their royal guard, let alone Render himself."
Astra's features softened back to boredom. "Whomever you choose shall succeed--I will make sure of it. I suggest you begin choosing and preparing who you deem worthy soon. Someone you trust; someone loyal to your ideas. I advise you not to speak of this meeting."
The former ruler turned and began stepping towards the edge of the balcony. Celestia's body leaped after her by instinct. "Wait!" she cried, but it was too late. The moment Astra reached the edge, she shrank into the orb of light and it scattered to the wind. The princess skidded to the railing, a look of pure dread on her face as she scanned the world around her for the lights. How did she know what has been going on with the Brood? I haven't even spoken to Luna! But more importantly... Celestia's eyes focused back to the horizon in front of her, the sinking sun now becoming an unsettling visual. How did she come to me?
As she mulled over what just happened, she found herself watching the sun vanish behind the horizon instead of acting on the information immediately. The purple twilight spilled over the capitol city of Canterlot, casting its advice as she held her breath. Twilight Sparkle? Would she... really be willing to do something like this?
"This discussion is over, Princesses. Take your pet reptile and leave," a large, red dragon said before spitting and chuckling, his eyes laying mirthfully upon Spike.
"Enough, General Aurelius. We are leaving now, Princess Celestia." The words came from the largest dragon present, the king of the Brood, Render. His azure eyes appeared as deceptively docile orbs, lost in the dark form of his black, behemoth body. He turned and waved a wing for the others in his company to follow.
Luna's eye twitched. She glared as the last of Dragon King Render and his counsel departed their rendezvous location. Negotiations to maintain peace had become embittered arguments with no progress or amicable end in sight. Her horn began to ignite, unable to release the burning in her heart and face. As she took an angry step forward, Celestia pressed a hoof to her chest. "Don't," was all she had to say for the dark princess to reassess her thoughts. With a heavy growl, Luna managed to peel herself away and depart the scene with the rest of the counsel representing Equestria.
"What're we going to tell everyone?" interjected Spike with a defeated tone. He let a wing droop the ground before retracting it. The young dragon had grown them through his natural process instead of skipping them through his greed-fueled spurt.
"Nothing for now. I will tell them the truth in time, and there is no need to raise any alarm yet," said Celestia calmly. She looked up to a mountainous horizon to her side and glimpsed the sun setting, a distant memory flowing into her thoughts. "Go on ahead, Spike. I'll tell Twilight myself. Luna and I must discuss some things." The young dragon nodded in acknowledgement and continued walking on with the other ponies representing Equestria. There were robed ponies documenting everything, the head of the Royal Court of Magi present, and several armored guards.
One guard stood out in particular, but Spike couldn't quite place why they seemed familiar. They were decorated in a unique armor, but it wasn't uncommon for any royal soldiers ranking officer and above to have their armor personalized in some way. A unicorn knight? he wondered. When they turned to him with their helmet visor down, he cast away his wonder. Whatever. Shining Armor is a unicorn.
The princesses watched until their entourage had left earshot. "I was sure that little wretch would attack us this time. So smug is that whelp, Aurelius. I despise him," said Luna sharply.
"They wouldn't dare attack us. Together, they couldn't battle and hope for a meaningful victory. Don't worry yourself over it, Luna." Celestia breathed out and faced her sister thoughtfully. "However, we cannot keep this up forever. If negotiations do not pan out soon, they will attack us in time."
Luna stomped a hoof. "For what? Land? Resources? They are not starved of such things! The dragons were so peaceful only a few years ago. What has changed since then? It's as if they've devolved over a millennia to my time." She cringed at her own words, recalling the state of the Brood before Nightmare Moon, and shuddered.
With a sigh, Celestia removed her tiara and massaged her temples. "It's not as if they were never a volatile race to begin with, but..."
"But?" Luna leaped into the air as the last of the sun vanished behind the mountains. She spread her wings and the moon crept over the opposite horizon. She landed with a small puff of dirt and threw a look towards Draconis, the capitol of the Brood.
"But, as you said, they seem as if they've devolved. Before you returned, there were no hostilities and I would've even called Render a good friend of mine."
"Would've..." echoed Luna sadly. "I wonder if he even remembers me."
Celestia replaced her tiara and put a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Hatred in stride, sister. Perhaps there is something going on with the dragons we don't know."
"We could help. We're supposed to be allies. Friends, even!" She paused as she looked into Celestia's sympathetic look and exhaled slowly. "What do we do if there's a war coming? I am not fearful of defeat, but rather, the casualties. They would be catastrophic..."
"I know, but I have a plan should that come to pass." Celestia breathed in and offered a pleading look to her sister, her eyes begging her to understand. "The Rites of the Alicorn."
Luna gasped sharply and blinked, whipping her head to reassure herself no one else was within earshot of their conversation. "The Rites? Who? Why?" she demanded in quick succession. "They are extremely dangerous. Not even-"
"I am aware of their potential for disaster, Luna. You don't need to remind me of what could happen," responded Celestia defensively.
Luna cast a pained look away briefly. "Forgive me, sister. But there could be only one unicorn for such a trial, though."
"Then we share the same thought, but still we must watch her. She has only just become an archmage."
"And an archmage is the perfect status for this. The Rites are never used for one so young. She would be susceptible to the violent addiction to power. And..."
Celestia raised an eyebrow, "And?"
Luna breathed out and looked to the ground again. "The psychological trauma. The war. The immortality. She will be forced to..." Luna swallowed hard and looked away from her sister, but Celestia pulled her face back to hers.
"To watch as everyone mortal she loves dies around her for as long as she choose to live beyond them."
Luna said nothing for a long while, choosing only to breathe as quietly as she could. "She may break."
"And she may not with friends at her side to remind her of who she is, and what she is fighting for. I would never allow her to go through this with us standing by her side and watching from the distance." Celestia clasped Luna's face. "Never again will I lose a loved one to the vortex of dark feelings."
Luna's eyes welled up and she smiled. "Perhaps there is one that never came back," she whispered. The hooves on her face retracted and she wiped her eyes.
"What do you mean?" said Celestia with concern.
"Nothing. I am... merely being nostalgic."
Luna sniffled and began the trek to catch up with Spike. They caught up with the young dragon and counsel only a few minutes up the road. He walked at the back, meandering and occasionally scraping a foot through the dirt to leave his troubled mark.
"I'm sorry, Spike. I don't wish for any conflict with the Brood," said Celestia.
Spike huffed and stopped his walk. Turning around, he looked to the ground and sighed, then up to match the princess' eyes. "What happened? We--They--used to be so reasonable. It's like the ages of peace you kept with them mean nothing now, but I don't get it." He paused and put a claw to his head and grimaced, scraping it down his scales. Tilting his head back, he shouted, "Nothing changed."
Celestia sighed. "You're right. I... don't fully understand myself." Her eyes rolled to the dark horizon again. Her nerves half expected something to appear, despite nothing around. She glanced to Luna and laid her anxiety to rest. "Lets get home. There is nothing more we can do here."
Spike snatched a rock from the edge of the path and threw it into the distance. It clacked against other stones and tumbled into the darkness. "I'm glad I stayed with you ponies. I'm sick of the Brood's dumb pride."
Celestia nodded and put a hoof on the dragon's shoulder. His rose above hers, but he relaxed and glanced at her. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep the peace." Her heart ached as Spike gave his sincere thanks, the pain of a dagger twisting into her stomach. But she smiled to him anyway.
Dust whirled around and blasted away as Twilight appeared in a flash of light. Her dark blue cloak fluttered as the wind around faded to stillness. She scanned the surroundings and smirked, satisfied her teleportation had placed her in the right location, fell to her knees as the tax on her magic hit her. She caught her breath and stood back up, refocusing herself on the task before her. She had come to a small village on the outskirts of Equestrian territory that had requested help. Twilight unfurled a scroll, double checking its orders. Hm. They didn't say what they needed.
She began a slow walk, taking in the wonderful scenery of a luscious, verdant forest. The village ahead of her had erected a wooden fence three times her full standing height, and with no gaps in the thick planks to peek through. Her ears picked up the tweeting of birds, and she found herself pausing to turn and view the forest once more. I bet Fluttershy would really like it here.
Suddenly, a scream rang through the air and broke her thoughts. A load thump and crash followed shortly after. She turned up and pulled a green staff from beneath her cloak and began rushing forward. "Where are you!?" She bolted towards the fence and teleported before colliding into it. Appearing on the other side, a wild, astral animal came into view in front of her, matching the size of the buildings.
Howling and thrashing about was a starry scorpion easily twenty times her size. She gasped as the citizens of the panicked village scrambled away. The beast had crushed a building, and many more behind it in its warpath. Debris collapsed onto a few unlucky bystanders, and she refocused herself as the scorpion prepared to finish them. Twilight's horn began to ignite with an icy blue glow. She rushed forward and mouthed an incantation as she neared the scorpion. A bolt of ice erupted from the spire of her staff and spiraled through the air. It crashed into the scorpion's pincers and rapidly froze them over.
She teleported beneath the pincers. Taking notice, the scorpion reeled back its massive stinger. In another flash Twilight vanished with the victims, and the stinger crashed into the ground with tremendous force, blasting broken pieces lumber away and sending the ground scattering in clods. As it thrashed about in the rubble, the scorpion's pincers began to thaw and it opened them again, snapping each angrily. Twilight laid the victims down beside a distant building and flashed away. She reappeared before the foe and gave one last scan of her surroundings. Her eyes didn't register anyone else in left in the vicinity of the scorpion.
The spire of her staff began to glow and she grunted, raising the staff into the air and gathering magic into its spire. Atop the spire was a gem that collected the energy and shifted to white. Spinning around, a torrent of arcane frost whirled around her and surged above. She stroked the staff downwards and aimed at the scorpion, a thin white stream trailing the position of the gem. The scorpion began charging her, smashing through any debris that dare hinder its rampage. When it neared the unicorn, it opened both pincers and lunged forward for a kill.
Twilight vanished in a spark of light and reappeared in the pincers' dead zone, the ball of frost vibrating and distorting in her hooves. She took a step and forced the ball into the scorpion's face. Teleporting away, she reappeared at a safe distance and sparked her horn one last time. The orb of frost exploded into a torrent around the scorpion that whirled up and into the air. Ice several feet thick formed an outer layer as the body of the beast discolored to a light blue, the cracking sound of the scorpion's body freezing over.
When the spell ended, a ring of frost coated the ground around the beast and pieces of nearby debris froze equally in the wake of the spell. Twilight teleported atop the scorpion's frozen head and sheathed her staff, peering around from the vantage point. Ponies that ran in fear began to cautiously make their way back into the village, their curious eyes taking in the destruction and then coming to a rest upon the pony that saved them. Twilight ran her wrist across her forehead and wiped sweat away, not realizing she had been using so much magic. The cool air emanating from the ice seeped into her, cooling and relaxing her body, and she resisted the urge to plop down and lounge on it.
"Who requested the assistance of an archmage?" she called down to the crowd gathering below.
"I did," returned a light blue colt with a dust-brown mane.
Rather than teleport, Twilight leaped from the top and dropped to the ground. It was a soft landing, but her body faltered briefly; she wasn't sure how many more spells, even minor, she could cast before she would collapse. As she rose up from the ground to greet the colt, her legs wobbled briefly before she managed to right her pose. "I am Twilight Sparkle, an archmage--"
"Wow, you're Twilight Sparkle!?"
Twilight turned to see who asked, but was abruptly mobbed by the crowd instead. Ponies barraged her with questions and wanted autographs or pictures taken, some shoving their items into her face. She blushed at the unexpected, overwhelming burst of attention. "Everypony, please!" she protested. After a few more attempts at trying to quell the enthusiasm of her 'fans', she teleported onto one of the pincers. When did I become famous?
"Settle down," boomed the colt. The crowd immediately died down with a few disappointed 'aww's ringing through the air simultaneously. "As you were saying, Archmage."
"I am Twilight Sparkle,"--she started, eyeing the crowd warily--"an archmage affiliated with the Royal Court of Magi. You requested the assistance of one, but didn't specify what you needed help with exactly." She tapped a hoof on the icy beast beneath her. "Is this what you needed help with?"
"Yes. We've been having problems with this damned creature for weeks. It just keeps attacking and raiding a few food stores before leaving, destroying everything in its path." He rubbed the right side of his head and watched as a young filly kicked the frozen beast.
"Is it dead?" the filly asked innocently.
Twilight fixated on that word. Dead. It left a bitter pang in her mind. "Not quite. Sometimes we relocate the beasts, but..."
"Can't you just kill it for us, please?" begged the filly that kicked the ice. She offered puppy dog eyes and Twilight found herself questioning the idea.
"Only if that's what you want," she replied while turning back to face the colt. He nodded slowly. "Alright. Everypony please stand back." The crowd did as they were told and moved back hesitantly, some choosing to leave altogether. Twilight dropped to the ground and pressed a hoof to the frozen face. She closed her eyes and focused her magic. A reflection ran across the ice quickly. When she finished, she reproduced her staff and tapped the spire to the scorpion's head. The ice responded with a high pitched clink and she exhaled slowly. Here goes nothing...
Taking the staff in both hooves, she raised it up and slammed it onto the head with all of her might, leaping backwards when the high pitched ringing began. Cracks spread outward from the spire's impact point and snaked through and around the ice like honeycomb. The entire block of ice--scorpion included--burst into pieces. It sang a cacophony of breaking glass, and some ponies covered their ears and winced. Twilight viewed the display in slow motion as the shards cascaded to the ground. One of the core shards of the scorpion landed in front of her hooves. She looked down and examined the piece. It was red. Blood, she noted silently.
"Thank you so much, Miss Sparkle," cut in the colt. Twilight turned to respond, but nothing came to mind. "We'll clean up the mess ourselves. You've done the hard part. Tell the princesses we can't thank them enough for your help."
"No... problem," she muttered. Her mind was helpless to find anything more to say. Attempting to refocus herself, she sheathed her staff and began walking away, her head hung low and letting her bangs obscure her eyes. Cheers followed her out of the village, but she ignored them. She could hear the sounds of other ponies beginning to clean up the debris and remains of the beast, but she couldn't even find the motivation to offer help regardless.
When she returned to the forest, she sighed and teleported. Flash after flash of scenery scrolled over her eyes as she made her way back to Canterlot. Each one required a breath or two, then four or five, and finally waiting several minutes. She teleported one final time and appeared in a familiar setting.
She stumbled forward before landing on her chest coughing and huffing, nearly taking in gulps of dirt. Her body ached and refused to comply with her mind's urging to continue on. Weighted by weakness, she lay in the sun. It's only the early afternoon, she guessed by looking up at the sun's position. A loud thump echoed in the distance and she smiled. "Hey, Applejack!" she called out.
"What the hay?" The farm pony stopped mid-kick and let her hind hooves tap the tree. She whipped her head around until she caught the source of the voice. Twilight lay on her back covered in dirt matted to her by sweat. The unicorn's mane clung to her face like sticky tendrils, her chest rising and falling in large beats. "Twilight? I didn't know you were comin' by today." She dashed over and looked her friend over before pulling her to standing. "What happened to yah?"
The unicorn shook herself off and did her best to wipe the dirt away, but it still lined her features. "Nothing. Just a really long trip out to a village for an archmage task." She exhaled and groaned simultaneously, loosing some of her pent up fatigue and discontent with the situation.
"You look like a mess. Why don't yah come get some lunch and clean yourself up?" Applejack offered a smile to seal the deal, but Twilight shook her head.
"I'm sorry, AJ. I need to report back to the princesses or the Court. I'll take an apple, though." As quickly as she spoke, Applejack dashed back to the tree she intended to kick earlier. Baskets half full of her signature fruit sat on the other side waiting to collect more. She returned with four apples and a grin. "Take a few extra for the road, alright?" Rolling her eyes and smiling, Twilight took them with her magic, quickly chomping down on one. The other three slid under her cloak and out of sight. "Where do yah hide everything under there anyway?"
Twilight stopped eating and blinked a few times. As she opened her mouth to speak, another pony began calling her name. "Twilight! TWILIGHT! TWIIIILIIIIGHT!" Turning around to face the calling prompted a tackle from another friend. Twilight hit the dirt and groaned. "Oh my Celestia, it really is you!"
"Hey there, Pinkie Pie." Twilight coughed and frowned, having found herself back on the dirt. She lifted Pinkie off of her with her magic and stood up. Grabbing the edges of her cloak, she groaned as it peeled away, the apples having been smashed into it and against her. She shook it violently and frowned as the pieces fell off and left a damp spot.
"Wow, wow. You really did come to visit. I knew it! When did she get here, Applejack, huh huh?" The farm pony shrugged while Twilight attempted to speak. "We should throw a welcome home party. Or maybe a welcome back party." Pinkie put a hoof to her chin and looked up the sky for help.
"Sorry Pinkie, but I don't have time for any of that. I need to get home."
Pinkie threw a foreleg around her neck and beamed. "Silly Twilight, Ponyville is your home."
"Listen, is Trixie around? I might as well pick her up while I'm here."
Applejack scratched at the back of her head. "She ain't exactly the friendliest pony. I think Spike is the only one who keeps tabs on her, what with your guys' arrangement and all."
"Not really. He's our ambassador to the Brood. Celestia likes having one of their own appear for meetings or negotiations. She thinks it reminds them of peace." She turned around and glimpsed Canterlot before letting her eyes trail to Ponyville. The sun's radiance lit up both locations. Did it really have to be so hot today?
"I'll walk you to the library. There's so much to catch up on." Pinkie began skipping ahead without time to respond.
"I'll see you later, Applejack." Twilight waved as she trotted after.
"Take care, Twi. And tell Rainbow Dash she's overdue for a visit as well if yah see her!"
Twilight nodded and caught up to Pinkie's skipping stride. Amazement always filled her head with just how loquacious Pinkie could be. They discussed parties, each others activities, Rainbow Dash's job, her job, their friends. Every topic was covered save for one. "Are you and Trixie together? I mean, she's been living here for like a year and a half now." The question caught her off guard.
I never told anyone, but Spike and the princesses. "Wh-what do you mean?" She forced a smile.
"Oh, Twilight. There's nothing to be ashamed of for loving another mare like her!" Pinkie threw a foreleg around the unicorn's neck. Twilight flinched and attempted to duck under it, but Pinkie pulled her into an awkward, walking hug. "Now c'mon. Spill the beans. How did you woo her before and after your archmage ceremony, huh?" Pinkie put a hoof up to her mouth in anticipation.
Blushing, and knowing Pinkie would chase her until the ends of Equestria to get her answer, she sighed and glanced around quickly. "It's..." She paused and contemplated her words, still shuffling along with Pinkie latched onto her and leaning close. The party pony seemed to lean closer with the word. "...really hard to talk with you leaning on me."
"Oops..." Pinkie righted herself and switched to bouncing steps alongside her friend. She managed to remain balanced while still leaning in for whispers.
"It only just happened. We... haven't really talked about it." Twilight scratched at the back of her head. "...How did you even find out?"
Pinkie pulled away and began hopping circles around the unicorn. "You're bad at hiding it, that's how," she said in a sing-song fashion. "But not Dashie. Ooooh, she's good." Mid hop, Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin and glanced around, half-expecting the pegasus to make an appearance.
"Rainbow Dash has a special somepony?"
"That's what I said!" Pinkie landed and froze with a blank expression for a few seconds.
"What is i--"
"Shhh!" She paused and looked herself over, then around the sky. "Darn."
"What?"
"Nothing."
She hopped onward and left Twilight frowning. "Trying to predict your Pinkie Sense before it actually predicts anything else?" She received a bubbly glance before sighing and following after. The trail was dustier than she remembered, with small cracks in the road and a stray tumbleweed crunching as it bounced past her to the push of an afternoon breeze. "I remember Ponyville's roads looking a bit nicer. Is everything alright here?"
Pinkie's bouncing steps settled to a comfortable pace and she looked from side to side as she kept on walking. Twilight followed her looks around and took in the surroundings. The conditions of the roads had worsened in the middle of the town and even less ponies were out and about. "It's nothing, Twilight. It's just been really hot. And..." Her eyes trailed over to her friend with a sympathetic look.
"What, what is it?" demanded Twilight with worry.
"Everypony thinks that archmages mean something bad is coming when they show up. They're probably hiding."
Eyes widened and mouth agape, Twilight had to shake her head as to what she just heard. "Afraid of me? That's ridiculous. Archmages help ponies. Trixie is my apprentice. What about her?"
Pinkie rolled her eyes and began to beam once again. "Well, duh! She's not an archmage, yet. But think about it Twilight. She's your apprentice and you're an archmage, suddenly here on an unannounced visit. How does that look?"
Twilight let her eyes fall to the dirt road in defeat. "I guess I see your point." Her head snapped up suddenly as she stopped and whirled back around, prompting her companion to do the same.
"What, what is it?"
"How the hay did anypony know I was even here already? I teleported to Sweet Apple Acres on my way back to Canterlot." Pinkie coughed obviously into a hoof and offered a sheepish smile. "You've got to be kidding me..."
"Nope. I think I have a new Pinkie Sense combo just for you." Twilight applied a hoof to her face and dragged it down, stretching her features. The party pony doubled over in laughter as Twilight groaned out her frustrations. The Pinkie Sense just couldn't be understood. Rolling her own eyes, she smiled herself.
"I-- When-- Forget it. Let's just go."
On the outskirts of Ponyville, her old home away from home had grown slightly in size, but still maintained its overall sleepy-yet-friendly aesthetic. Owlowicious perched himself atop the sign above the door while he slept. The interestingly named library helper murmured a few 'whos' in his sleep, but remained unmoving. Twilight chuckled as she reached for the door with a hoof.
"W-wait," shouted Pinkie before jumping to the side and covering her head.
Twilight turned around to see what the fuss was about and immediately sparked her horn for what little magic she had left. It was too late and she was too weak. The door to the library blasted open with an eruption of magic and knocked her down. Owlowiscious yelped and frantically flew away. Following the door were several singed books with one still openly burning.
Twilight groaned and began shoving the door off of her. "Ohhh.... What the heck was that?" She winced and pressed a hoof to her head upon clearing herself and sitting up, trying to blink and groan out the ringing in her head. Pinkie dashed over and helped her to a standing position and their eyes fell upon the apprentice. "Trixie!"
The unicorn inside stood wide eyed, looking out the doorway in shock and disbelief. Her entire coat had been darkened by the explosion with grey smoke leaking from the library's doorway. Trixie loosed a cough that led into a fit of them. She was wearing her magician's garb, but the cloak had a few shreds, holes, and burns detailing it now.
"Sounds like we just missed the party," remarked Pinkie with a sheepish grin.
Twilight glared at her briefly before aiming her disappointment at her apprentice. "My... faithful student, what exactly were you doing, hmm?" she started, with slow steps towards the scuffed entranceway.
"Ooooh, somepony's in trouuuuble!" sang Pinkie.
The archmage ignored her, instead letting her mind laugh inwardly as Trixie began to sweat and look around for an excuse--or an escape. "Well, you see, Twi--err--Master, I was just running a little experiment and--"
"A little experiment?" shouted Twilight while entering the library and swinging a hoof to the damage. "This is coming out of your allowance!"
"Oh, come on, Twilight!" Trixie stepped forward before stumbling over some books and right into the forelegs of her master. Her face flushed as Pinkie Pie bounced in behind, completely unscathed and unfazed by the magical disaster.
"I'm here to return a book." Both unicorns watched in disbelief as Pinkie pulled a book from her mane and placed it on a now-dirty shelf. "Okie dokie. I'll just leave you two alone." As quickly as she entered she had gone.
"Does she--?"
Twilight grumbled. "Yes." Glancing around at the disaster that was the library, she stood Trixie up and placed a hoof to her chin. "Clean this up. I'm supposed to be on my way to Canterlot to give a report to Celestia."
"I'm sure I can help with that," came a familiar voice. Twilight's features brightened as she whirled around to see her former assistant at the entrance carrying a backpack and eyeing the door.
"Spike!" She dashed to the dragon and hugged him, the dragon now being tall enough to reasonably do so from a standing position. He returned the hug before following the unicorn back into the library. "Whoa..." he muttered as all of it came into view. "Is Trixie experimenting again?"
"Yes," replied Twilight, rolling her eyes. Trixie folded her forelegs across her chest until Twilight shot her a glare. Trixie forced a smile and grabbed a nearby duster, broom, and the first set of books to reshelf with her magic. "Don't worry, it's taken care of."
"So, need me to send a letter before I go?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow to his chosen words. "'Before you go'? Are you leaving?"
Spike looked away and said nothing for a long while. When Twilight opened her mouth to speak, he held a hand up to ward away her questions. "I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Draconis. The dragons are... well," he turned back to meet Twilight's wondering eyes, "they're jerks. Princess Celestia thinks everything might get out of control. She's sending me there to try and keep relations, but..." He trailed off and sat down sighing.
"But what?" she pressed on worriedly. Trixie let her magic continue and stepped closer to listen in on the conversation.
"I don't think it's going to work. I'm a dragon, and I've spent enough time around my own kind to know that they're not going to back down any time soon. They've been unbearable and even implied going to war!" The young dragon pounded the floor and grimaced. Twilight lifted his chin up with a hoof and smiled.
"I know you can do this. Peace will remain. Why wouldn't it? The Brood hasn't been hostile in forever. I'm sure it'll all work itself out."
Spike touched her hoof and smiled. "Thanks, Twilight. That really helps. Now, about that letter." The dragon produced a quill from his backpack.
Twilight stepped back and nodded. "Dear Princess Celestia," she started, then coughed into a hoof and turned to glimpse her apprentice before continuing. "The matter regarding the Seta Forest village has been resolved. An astral scorpion, scorpio, was disposed of permanently at the request of the pony who petitioned for aid. As of welcome convenience, Spike is sending this letter to you now while I attend to some," she cleared her throat loudly and glanced at her apprentice. Trixie bit her lip under the scrutiny of her master's gaze. "Unexpected business in Ponyville. I shall return to Canterlot before long."
The dragon finished scribbling out the message and breathed a green flame through the parchment. The trio watched as it disintegrated and flowed out the door. Twilight stood up and unfastened her cloak, letting it fall into a pile on the floor. The green staff stood across her back in a simple baldric. "I should've requested some vacation time."
Spike chuckled before moving between the shelves, his eyes skimming each book title. "Well, your archmage duties aren't that demanding."
"Have you met Chancellor Leo? I'm not the only archmage in the court. It seems like I get a lot more assignments than the rest of them. Maybe it's because I'm Celestia's protégé."
"Yeah, but you're also the better than any of them will ever be. Leo is just a grumpy codger," chimed in Trixie.
"Trixie!"
"What? It's not like you weren't think the same thing!" The protesting unicorn shrugged and took a look at her cleaning. The duster managed to remove most of the surface dust and ash, but she occasionally sneezed as the excess still saturated the air.
"Ok, maybe you're right." Twilight stuck her tongue out at her.
Spike snatched several books from the shelves and stuffed them into his backpack. "Trixie is right. You shouldn't sell yourself short. You're still tutored by the princesses, and," he turned around and began making his way towards the door, "you're the best librarian I'll ever know." He stuck his tongue out at Trixie, too. The magician whipped around and crossed her forelegs, raising one hoof up at him before turning her back to both of them.
Twilight gave a hearty laugh and moved to give the dragon a hug. She latched onto him and closed her eyes. "You be safe up there, alright? And you better not forget to write."
"I promise, Twilight." He wrapped an arm and wing around her before they split. "And you two promise me you'll take care of each other." The two mares nodded quickly. With a smile and a wave, he dashed out the door. Twilight watched his tail slide along the floor, but the end remained in sight as he paused. She could hear him burping up Celestia's response. "Here, this is for you." He ran back into the library and handed her the letter. "Ok, I've really got to go now."
Twilight unfurled the letter and began reading it. Trixie halted her focus and moved beside her to see it. Twilight's heart sank as Trixie beamed. "Finally, we get to spend some more time together!" squealed the magician.
"I'm still mad at you." Twilight shot her a half-serious look before letting it fade. "I need a vacation..." she repeated aloud.
"You and me both." Trixie pulled Twilight's face to hers and kissed her deeply. When they parted, Twilight gagged and turned to spit, the flavor of ash still lingering on her apprentice's lips. Wiping her own, Trixie offered an embarrassed grin to Twilight's frown. "S-sorry."
The archmage's features warmed into a smile and she unfastened the staff and let it clatter to the floor behind her. "We've got until tomorrow. Let's clean this--and you--up and then we can relax."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 6: Into the Looking Glass
Large raindrops thudded against the glass panes of the window repeatedly, their assault momentarily blurring out the view of the world outside. The sounds didn't bother the lone observer staring blankly out into the heavy downpour. Twilight paid no attention to what was actually occurring in front of her, instead choosing to use it to distract her vision while her mind wandered. Hundreds of thoughts flowed through her head, most subconsciously, but one in particular bothered her in the immediate moment.
"I'm sure he's fine," chimed in Trixie. "He's a dragon. He can handle himself."
The reassuring words did nothing to quell the worry hanging over Twilight's mind. She sighed and pulled herself away, forcing away the feelings in her heart in favor of the logic and certainty her mind attempted to cast. Even still, the feeling would remain in some form until she received more news. "He's still a young dragon. It's already been a few months since he last sent a letter, Trixie. I mean, I know he's probably fine, but what if-"
"What if what?" interrupted Trixie as she closed the gap between them. Twilight cast the floor a sad look. "Why don't you study, or research something that could help... or maybe we could go out?" Twilight looked up and back to the window before turning to Trixie with an incredulous look. "Hey, the rain is always romantic..." came the innocent reply.
"I guess Rarity was starting to rub off on you." Twilight brushed past Trixie and made her way to a personal bookshelf. Since achieving her archmage status, assisting the princesses directly, and taking on an apprentice, she was given a lavishly furnished chamber within the castle. Included were a princess-sized bed, a personal balcony, a small study and various other comforts. All of that, and free access to any part of the castle at any time. "Hmm..." she mumbled to herself.
Trixie's ears perked up as she whirled back to her master. "I know that sound. You're on to something."
"Maybe..." Twilight ran a hoof over several book spines as she skimmed their titles. After going over a shelf, her magic pulled each one she had selected free and laid them out across her desk, some springing open. "It might not work for Spike, but it could be useful later."
With her interests piqued, Trixie moved over to the desk and began browsing over the chosen subject matter. "What, exactly?"
Twilight turned from the bookshelf and displayed a toothy grin. "A way to teleport longer distances using less magic." Quills, ink, and parchment levitated from the desk and began laying out on the floor. The books on the desk levitated and floated passed her eyes with specific sections opened up.
"You know, I really don't know how you can read like that..."
"Shush! I know this will work." The quills dipped into the ink and began working in tandem to draw something out. Occasionally, Twilight would glance over one of her books to make sure there wasn't any critical mistakes in her telekinetic guidance.
Trixie stared intently at the parchment until one neared completion. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. Smacking the quill away and taking up the paper, she held it up to her master. "Runes? How can you adapt a rune to specific magic? How can you even use this to help you? Spike is all the way in Draconis. Are you going to just mail one to him?"
The questions, particularly the one regarding its practicality for the purpose she implied, caused the archmage to burst into laughter. "No, no, no, Trixe. This will still have plenty of other uses."
"I can see how it would make you lazy if you place them everywhere." Trixie flipped the parchment back around and held it in front of her, rotating it in an attempt to discern which angle it was meant to display. "How do these work anyway?"
The parchment was tugged out of her hooves with Twilight's magic and laid back out to be finished in greater detail. "Silly, Trixie. They act as beacons or receptors for your magic. You create them to respond to a specific magic, like a frequency." The books all snapped shut simultaneously with a dull boom and shelved themselves. Twilight didn't even turn around as they ordered themselves perfectly.
"So... What else can you do with them?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Twilight conveyed her glee through a toothy grin, but it faded as quickly as it came. "Hold on, I'm going to need larger parchment and some more books to continue my research. Let's go to the library." Dashing out of her chambers, Twilight ran into Rainbow Dash around the corner knocking them both to the ground in a heap of tangled ponies.
Laughter rang from behind as Trixie appeared with a vain attempt at covering her mouth and suppressing it. "Maybe teleporting is safer!" she mocked innocently.
Dash stood up first, rubbing her head with an eye closed and advancing towards Trixie. She extended a foreleg and slipped it under the collar of Trixie's cape, yanking firmly to lead her on. "I'm here for you, actually. Princess Celestia want us," she said with the all the sweetness an annoyed growl could convey.
"Hey, let go!" Trixe attempted to smack the hoof away, but she was tossed onto the knight's back unceremoniously.
"Since I can't teleport, and it could be dangerous for you to go alone, I'm going to carry you to Princess Celestia." The unicorn caught her bearings before jumping from Dash's back. The knight whirled around, frowning at Trixie and standing up.
Trixie returned with a glare and shook out her cape. "What is the meaning of this?" She folded her forelegs across her chest and tapped a hoof on the marble floor.
"I've been assigned to be your escort. We're traveling to the borderlands to scout out an area for an outpost. Now, I really don't feel like waiting for you to take your sweet time, so we leave in ten minutes."
“Why don’t I come along?” Twilight asked in a vain attempt to bring back the cheery calm. The two stubborn mares harrumphed and turned away from each other. Twilight let out an aggravated sigh. “I’m going to see if she needs me, if only to keep the peace between you two.” As she moved past the pair, she shot each one a disappointed look.
“Lead the way, escort.” Trixie stuck out her tongue as Dash rolled her eyes and trotted to catch up, Trixie trailing just behind her.
The clacking of their hooves echoed mournfully to the silent tension that Twilight found herself caught in. Each step made the hairs on the back of her neck prick, and every time the knight and the magician crossed glances, she nibbled on her lip. These two better not try to hurt each other. They rounded several corners and walked down as many corridors before stopping just outside of the throne room. The massive, ornate doors were cracked open with a bright light pouring out into the darker hallway.
Dash brushed past the unicorns and paused just before stepping into the golden light. She adjusted her baldric fastidiously and smoothed out her mane as best she could. Twilight opened her mouth to question the unusual care for vanity, but Dash marched into the room before she could find the best words.
“Huh. I never expected that from her,” remarked Trixie, her eyes having picked up on the same out of character habit.
“She’s probably just trying to look more presentable after your scuffle.” Twilight found that harder to believe now that she had said it. Dash almost always looked like she had spent the day flying around at high speeds, even if she hadn't. How do pegasi keep their manes smooth with all their flying? she wondered.
Trixie slid past her and into the room, making sure to slow down and brush her tail along Twilight’s muzzle seductively. “Better... hurry up,” she teased, licking her lips.
Twilight blushed hard as she watched her move beyond the doors. After shaking her head, she made her best effort to collect herself before entering. She squinted to the magnificent radiance of the throne room's chandeliers and stained glass windows. It wasn’t night, but the heavy rain gave the skies a gloomy overcast and brought out the light within the room. Anyone could’ve mistaken it for the early evening from inside the throne’s contrasting brightness.
Dash knelt on the red carpet before Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and another knight Twilight wasn’t familiar with. They were standing and clad in similar armor as other higher ranking officers. It was just as polished and clean, but no other unique features compared to any other knight beyond a dark blue baldric. However, this knight possessed something most others didn’t: a tower shield. The knight in question was a pegasus as well with clothed wings furled tightly at their side, but they wore a standard casque with its grated visor pulled down.
The oddity of the knight lied in the fact that tower shields were notoriously heavy and bulky. Where a pegasus could easily maneuver and counter utilizing a buckler or heater shield, tower shields were too heavy to move swiftly or fly at high speeds. I’ll look into that later.
Twilight entered into the conversation a bit late, catching the tail end of the mission. “And so you will be going to help scout and secure the area and make sure Miss Lulamoon is safe during this,” said Princess Celestia. Her eyes caught Twilight joining them. “Oh, Archmage. I didn’t know you were going to join us.”
“Hello, Celestia. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.”
Celestia shook her head softly. “Not this time, Twilight. These two are simply scouting a location before the workers and soldiers come in.”
“But the Borderlands can be dangerous, Princess. I’d really like to go.” Twilight caught herself sounding more desperate than intended. She bit her tongue. “I’m sorry. But perhaps an archmage would be a safe addition to the mission.”
Celestia chuckled lightly before tilting her head the knight beside her. “I assure you, Twilight. There is no need and they will be fine. Knight-Captain Dash is more than adequate.”
“Don’t worry, Twi. I’ve got this.” Dash turned and smiled. “I’ll make sure she comes back in one piece.”
“Actually”--Trixie coughed--”it’ll be the other way around.” She smirked and lifted her muzzle higher.
Yeah... I’m sure.” Dash looked at her disbelievingly and turned to walk away, but the other knight coughed. Dash turned to them, then to Trixie and Twilight. “Go pack. I'm already ready to go.”
Twilight nodded and led Trixie out of the throne and back to their chambers. She couldn’t help but wonder about the knight. They seemed familiar, but their entire body was covered in either armor, an undergarment, or both.
“Hey... Hey!” Twilight snapped her head up to Trixie’s voice. “You’re spacing out on me.” She hadn't realized she was standing around while Trixie was gathering her things.
“Oh, I’m sorry," she started. "Did you know who that was?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Princess Celestia, or Rainbow Dash?” she countered jokingly.
Twilight shook her head. “No, the other knight in there.”
Trixie shrugged and began moving about the room, her horn glowing and placing things in a small saddlebag, small enough to hide beneath her cloak. “Who knows? I barely know anypony’s name around here, let alone the name of some mysterious high ranking knight. If they’re assigned to be my escort, I’ll learn their name. Until then,” she stopped and took in a breath, “I think I’d just like to focus on other things.” A simple, blue staff floated over to her and stood up.
Twilight looked at the silent weapon, worry flickering in her eyes. “It’s not too late to ask Celestia to have me come along.”
Trixie unfastened her cloak and set it on the bed. The top drawer of a large oak dresser opened and a dark purple cloak floated out and landed in her hooves. “You’re worrying over nothing again, Twilight. An archmage’s apprentice and a knight-captain should be more than a match for anything out there.”
“But-”
Trixie whirled around putting on the cloak, snatching her staff, and pressing a hoof softly to Twilight’s mouth in a single, fluid motion. Twilight blinked in surprise and forced herself not to flinch beneath the surprisingly soft touch. “You worry too much,” Trixie whispered before closing her eyes and leaning in to replace her hoof with her lips.
Twilight relaxed and leaned in to kiss her back. Her heart calmed to her lover stroking her mane with the same gentle hoof. “I’ll be fine," she soothed. "Just work on your teleportation research while I’m gone, okay?” Twilight nodded and watched as Trixie put on the saddlebag and moved to the door. She stopped and waggled her tail. “Well, aren’t you going to walk me out?”
“Princess,” started an armored unicorn knight, “Why would you choose Commander Hooves to succeed me in our order?” The knight turned their head to the side, and removed their helmet revealing a blue and white mane, its colors evenly divided over a lighter blue coat. “Am I not good enough anymore?”
Celestia frowned and another knight appeared stepping out of the shadow of the throne. “It’s not about that, Colgate,” said the other knight. They stood up and removed their own helmet before taking off their shield and setting it down beside them. Derpy offered a sympathetic look to the unicorn.
“Is it because I’m not trying to recruit anyone for our order like you? Is it because...” Colgate’s voice began to quaver as she stepped closer to the throne. “Is it because I’m not a pegasus?” Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Colgate continued her advance. “Because if that’s the case, then why even recruit me?”
In a flash of white Derpy appeared in front of Colgate and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “We are always a part of this order. Where we stand in rank or race doesn't matter.”
Colgate stood up and smacked the hoof away. “Then why are you the Paladin and always by Her Majesty’s side if we’re equal?”
Derpy opened her mouth to speak, but Celestia spoke instead. “This is not a matter of trust or power. Paladin Derpy Hooves is merely in constant communication as to Knight-Captain Rainbow Dash’s progress. While she is the Element of Loyalty--an aspect I do not doubt--I must still know of her temperament.”
A heavy sigh followed on Colgate’s part as the tension in the room eased. She stared at the dancing shadows near the windows of the room. Lightning sparked the sky to life and peaked the light for a moment, followed by a boom of thunder and the shadows returning again. “I’m sorry for not trusting you when I’ve sworn to. But ‘Paladin’?”
“It is a title for the brightest knight,” Celestia replied plainly. Derpy turned to face her. She cocked her head slightly, almost too slight to see. “Do you feel you are a more guiding light?” Colgate opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “That is the title. Paladin is merely an honorific. Where and what it embodies beyond that is wholly within the bearer’s will,” she finished with a nod to both knights.
“Colgate. I don’t care if you surpass me by miles, or vice versa. You’ll always be my friend and equal.” Derpy offered a warm smile to her words.
The words soothed the unicorn and she stepped forward and gave Derpy a hug. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I doubted you. Maybe I'm just... jealous.”
Patting her on the back, Derpy let loose a breath of relief. “You’re still my superior in experience.”
“Will that be all, Commander Minuette?” With a content nod, Colgate separated herself and turned to leave. Derpy returned back to the throne in a flash and replaced her helmet and shield. “I think enough time has passed for you to depart the castle and watch over Knight-Captain Dash.”
“Are you sure this mission is a good idea for a test? She doesn’t wield a holy sword and Trixie isn’t even an archmage. They will probably encounter at least one dragon in the borderlands.”
“This is where the will of the Paladin shapes the title. I know you’ll figure it out.” Celestia and Derpy exchanged nods before the knight disappeared in a trail of light extending out of the throne room. A shocked guard entered the throne room just after with a look of total disbelief etched onto his face.
The trip to the borderlands was an excruciating journey. Jungles and marshlands paved the way of the direction they were traveling, and many adventurers had befallen the perils of wild beasts and the extremes that the elements could provide in the past. A knight-captain and archmage's apprentice were more than a match for any dangers, and equally as prepared for the journey, or as much as they had hoped to be.
Rainbow Dash’s athleticism and physical training made the journey on the land a comfortable, scenic tour of the wilds, though the humidity gave her a longing for the skies, soaring and keeping herself cooled. She refused to carry Trixie, citing her armor and Trixie’s own weight as being too much for even her mighty wings to carry, emphasizing the magician in that regard. The jestful words earned her a singed tail from Trixie. Afterwards, she would only glower back at the knight’s sincere attempts at reconciliation.
Trixie’s body had not adapted to the rigors of the environment, faring little better than a lazy tourist. While not particularly out of shape, she was not one to take long walks without being beside her master. Every branch and root of the first dense thicket reached for her legs or clawed at her face. Occasionally she would trip over them and earn a laugh from her escort, much to her chagrin. After getting tangled, she muttered a curse and threatened to burn down the forest on top of Rainbow Dash if she did not begin bushwhacking the path.
The laughter died down in the knight’s throat and she wiped her eyes of welling tears. “You’re a real riot, Trixie. But really, you just need to get out more.” The voice was full of life yet ingrained into Trixie’s mind like nails on a chalkboard. Every word out of the knight just aggravated her more.
“Either you carry me this instant or cut the path before us,” she growled, “or I stay right here and you finish this little mission by yourself.” She fell to her haunches and folded her forelegs across her chest, giving a harrumph and offering only the side of her face.
Dash shook her head and put up a front of feigned terror. “Oh, no! Vicious pony-eating weeds from the jungles!" She adjusted her voice to that of a mock hero. "Fear not, fair Trixie, for I shall save you!” Brandishing her broadsword, Dash exaggerated her march to the front and began wildly chopping the entangled foliage out of the way. After clearing several yards ahead, she turned and rolled her eyes. “Hurry up, they might grow back!” she called back innocently.
Rising to the challenge of tolerating Rainbow Dash’s presence further, Trixie trudged on behind her, gnashing her teeth. The broadsword effortlessly sliced through the thicket and they advanced to a misty swamp. Trixie’s first steps caused her forehooves to sink unexpectedly into the mud. It wasn’t until she was falling face first into the muck that she realized Dash was hovering in the air in front of her and ready to burst into laughter once more.
With a panicked squeal cut short and a spray of mud, Dash nearly lost control of her wings and fell in herself. Trixie peeled herself out of the muck and glared death at the knight. She reached up in a vain attempt to grab her out of the air manually. When Dash pulled away, her horn ignited into a fierce glow and dragged the pegasus only inches above the muck and to her face. “You will carry me to the outpost location. You will not utter another mocking word. And you will find me a cloud to bathe with. Do you understand?” she growled.
Dash’s giddiness faded even before she began to nod. It didn’t matter, though, as Trixie plunged the pegasus into the muck completely. She brought Dash's head back out to witness her humiliation, and ensure she didn't suffocate. Trixie didn’t even crack a smile to the sweet revenge, but she grinned inwardly to herself. Dash pulled herself free of the muck and shook her wings clean enough to fly. Grumbling and muttering words at the magician that even Twilight would take offense to, she found a lonely cloud above the swamp.
She paused in the air and peered around at the surroundings. “Whoa...” she mumbled. The expanse of the marsh beyond the thicket was much bigger than the maps she studied had suggested. Darkness began to overtake the horizon, the stormy gloom receding to its sweeping presence. It was going to be a cold night if they remained in the swamp or marshes, but there was little in the way of cover to stave off any chilling night winds. Shaking her head, she guided the cloud back to where she and Trixie had their jabs at each other. The magician stood on a solid path beside the muck with an impatient frown on her face.
“That took you long enough,” she shouted.
“Yeah, yeah. Put a sock in it.” Dash turned and bucked the cloud into raining. Trixie took the time to remove her cloak and individually clean every garment and belonging with her magic. Once she finished cleaning, she rung them out and put them back on, though the slightly damp clothing clung to her form.
Dash struggled with removing the grime from the insides of her plate armor. She thanked her lucky stars she chose not to wear a helmet for this trip. Once she finished, she lifted off and grabbed Trixie’s torso.
“H-hey, what are you doing? Let go of me. I'm still drenched and I'll freeze in the air.”
“Too bad. We’re flying now unless you want to freeze to death in the winds out here. It’s going to be night soon.”
Trixie sighed in defeat. “You better not drop me.”
“I’m still considering it.”
***
Burning chars of wood crackled and popped, occasionally spitting a hot ember from the fire at the ponies staring absently into it. Trixie found herself shivering next to Rainbow Dash, each sharing her cloak and the pegasus her wings. Dash’s teeth chattered and her armor was useless against the biting cold of the night winds. Even after carrying the unicorn ahead for several more miles, she succumbed to the additional weight in the middle of nowhere. The skinny, sparse trees that crawled from the depths of the marshlands were a poor excuse for shelter, and she was forced to dig down a small hovel for them to share.
Dash held her hooves to the tiny flame they called a campfire. Its warmth barely fought back the cold to heat the edge of her hooves, but it was enough. Her armor rattled to her shivers, the weak clanging a constant reminder that she could’ve ignored her pride and prepared better. “C-c-can’t y-you... y-you know. M-make a big-g-ger f-f-fire or s-s-something?” she stammered with the chattering of her teeth. Her chilled face and lips barely let her get the words out even with great effort.
Trixie twisted her neck to see around them into the darkness. There was nothing but the unmoving shadows and a light mist to fill the void-like dark. Her skin crawled as she imagined what could come from the shadows, even if it were merely harmless sounds or critters. “If I m-make a bigger f-fire, it m-might at-tract m-more at-at-atten.... dragons,” she forced herself to say, struggling with her words. "I th-thought something m-might be f-following us."
Dash pulled her hooves and hugged herself once more. “I’ll t-take m-my chances w-with th-the dragons.”
With a cautious eye to the darkness, Trixie nodded and sparked her horn. The flame plumed into a ferocious inferno before settling into a warming bonfire. It took several minutes for their chills to leave them, and several more to cast away their shivers altogether, but Dash found herself thanking the magician for her natural gifts.
“Did you know,” Trixie started while gazing into the fire, “unicorns develop affinities for certain elemental fields of magic?” Her head tilted to Dash with an expectant look.
“Yeah. Supposedly ponies can be blessed to resist certain elements, sometimes making them weaker to another.”
Trixie removed her staff and set it in front of her before the fire. The dancing flames lit up its dull blue design with an orange tint. “Supposedly every pony has a natural affinity for at least one element. What’s yours?”
The question took Dash by surprise. She paused for a long while, debating whether to answer that or not. She turned her head away and looked into the night. “Pegasi have a natural affinity for lightning, I think. Why?”
“My natural magical affinity is lightning, primary to water and more arcane focuses. But Twilight seems to have an affinity for everything.” Her tone slipped into regret, at least as far as Dash could tell.
“So? She’s the Element of Magic. She’s supposed to be the very spirit of magic itself, or something.” Her head turned back to Trixie, studying her face. A deep longing held fast to the unicorn’s features.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her use all of the elements. Fire encompasses all flame; Nature is life and tuning into it; Water covers ice and the atmospheric aspects; Lightning can be created, but utilized naturally; Arcane focuses the mind and remains neutral.”
“Thanks for the magic lesson, Trixie, but what does this have to do with our affinities?”
Trixie turned back to him, her confident expression returning. “An archmage must learn to use them all to an expert level. But I’ve heard there’s also cosmic magic--what Celestia and Luna use--and dark and light elements. Have you ever seen Twilight use the latter two?”
Without blinking or pausing to answer, Dash gave a casual, “No.” She shook her head. “I’m sure she knows how to use them, or has studied them. You’re asking a pegasus about obscure magic stuff, you know.”
Trixie gave an empty chuckle. “Yeah. Maybe it’s all just above my level.” She shrugged and sighed, then rubbed her eyes. The night and travel began bearing down on her in full force. With a loud yawn, she laid down beside her staff. “I’m going to get some sleep. I don’t think we’ll need a lookout afterall.”
The idea of a lookout put her at ease, though. She forced her eyes shut to prevent her creeping anxiety from keeping her awake. The fear of what could be in the darkness of the borderlands clawed at the inside of her eyelids. It took a half an hour before the calm of sleep overtook her.
Dash remained awake, sitting up and staring into the fire, not ready to succumb to the loving embrace of sleep just yet. She wondered to herself about Trixie’s information. Dark magic. Like Nightmare Moon? Does that make Celestia light and Luna dark? It’s just an element, right? She rubbed at the back of her neck and stretched. A crack of a branch came from the darkness behind and startled her. In a rising whirlwind of finesse, she snatched up her blade and shield and took on a defensive stance.
“Is somepony there?” she called out into the dark just low enough not to wake Trixie. Her eyes strained into the creeping black of the night, unblinking. Her nerves began to kick into overdrive. The beating of her heart became an intense drum, droning on louder and louder, faster and faster. To her relief, a lizard scampered by the fire and off elsewhere into the night. Dash wiped cold sweat from her forehead and replaced her armaments. She turned to sit down, but the ground rumbled and quaked suddenly.
The knight spun around, this time failing to pick up her shield. She met the receiving end of a massive hand, claws raking through parts of her armor and sending her flying into the darkness. A gust of air following the swipe blew out the fire and scattered ash into the air where Trixie was sleeping. “Look what we have here. Silly little ponies wandering where they don't belong. What are you doing here, so far out of the safety of your lands?”
Dash hit the ground and skid several more yards, the soft ground preventing additional harm on impact. Her body ached, and she instinctively placed a hoof to her head. Pain pounded against the inside of her skull, and she could feel blood running down the side of her head. She staggered forward several steps before realizing she was unarmed. Frantically glancing into the darkness, she was unable to focus through the black surrounding her. Every shadow lurched at her, every throb of pain made the image more difficult to process. Dread set in as she couldn't even focus enough to find the massive shape of the dragon somewhere in front of her.
“Trixie, wake up!” she screamed. Bad idea. The dragon began trampling his way towards her. I can hide. He can’t see me in the dark, she reassured herself. She leaped to the side and dropped to the ground, her legs happily obliging to no longer support her weight. If her heart was pounding before, it drummed and threatened to drown out the sounds of reality. She concentrated in a determined attempt to regain visual focus or control of her nerves. Her body and torso rejected all effort with a backlash of spiking pain, and she hung her head, her chest heaving in breaths of cold air.
“Come here, little knight,” taunted the dragon. His deep voice drilled into Dash's mind. She wanted more than anything to beat his face in, to put him down. “Hiding in the dark like a scared little rat, are we?” He trudged past where Dash lay still. Sweat began to trickle down her face as she focused on the beating of her heart to keep herself still. Tilting his head back, the dragon loosed a massive plume of fire from his mouth. It burned into the air for a moment, lighting up everything in the vicinity. “There you are.”
Shit. Dash forced her body to obey her, adrenaline trumping pain briefly, to rise and beat her wings. She pushed with all of her might to fly back and retrieve her armaments; to grab Trixie and escape into the black skies. What she imagined as record breaking speed through effort and sheer willpower only resulted in flying speed that would make only Fluttershy proud. The dragon whirled around and whipped his tail into her back, sending her speeding back towards the camp. She slammed into the ground near the smothered fire and began losing consciousness. “Trixie run... He's... too... strong,” she murmured before all faded to black.
The unicorn stared in silent horror from her spot away from the camp. Her escort’s battered form of steel and flesh lay in a heap several yards in front of her. She was crouched down, her stuff clutched tightly in her hooves beneath her. The dragon stomped its way to the defeated knight and blew a triumphant flame to illuminate his victory. “So frail. Do they really think they can win a war against us?” He chuckled, the low rumbles of his voice filling the air with a sickening dread.
Trixie’s heart raced, her face pouring cold sweat. What do I do? I can’t slay a full grown soldier dragon! Even an Ursa Major would struggle to hold their own against one. She looked around frantically for something, anything, to help her cause. Nothing but the shadows stared back at her. The dragon lowered himself and opened his mouth, preparing for the execution.
“Get away from her!” Two bolts of frost crashed into his side and forced him to side step to regain balance. “You’re going have to get through me first!” When the dragon turned to face her with an angry expression, her heart sank. Suddenly her resolve faltered beneath the glare's tide of true despair. Her horn and staff spire shined to life and she poured all of her magic into a barrage of icy attacks.
“Damn unicorn,” grumbled the dragon. The barrage sprayed into him freezing scales and flesh, and halting his advance.
Freeze, freeze, freeze, damn you! Trixie’s horn dimmed and she ran out of magic. Damn, if only I had some sleep I could probably scare him off. Making her last stand, Trixie aimed the staff at the dragon. She began mouthing an incantation. A cold blue light flourished around her and she finished her spell. “Eat this!” The spire burst a trail of frost at the dragon’s chest and the force of the cast sent her flying backwards. Exhaustion overtook her immediately and she failed to stay awake long enough to see the result of efforts.
***
I hope I make it. I shouldn’t have been so careless! Derpy sped through the darkness as a glowing figure in the night. She raced onwards with her sword pointed in front of her, a white needle piercing its way through the black. She rushed up in time to see a frost spell strike a dragon in the chest. It crystallized over the crest of his underside and he winced before clawing off the surface layer. Her eyes scanned the darkness and immediately noticed the unharmed Trixie below. However, she soon looked across to the critical form of Rainbow Dash.
“Another little snack coming right to me,” said the dragon sharply. “You ponies don’t know how to pick your fights wisely.”
A royal soldier, out here? Damn!
Derpy dropped down to the ground and brandished her tower shield. The dragon roared and breathed a massive flame towards her. Her head shot up at the unexpected change of tactics. Her form flashed away briefly and she appeared in front of Trixie’s body. She removed her left foreleg from the enarmes and planted the shield into the ground, standing protectively over the unicorn and bracing against the wall of metal. The backside was reinforced with a resistant cushion to reduce impact and resist temperature change. The dragon flame flowed into the shield and spread around them like a parted burning river. Sweat trickled down her face as the heat dispersed when the flame ended.
“What the--”
The dragon’s words were cut short when Derpy appeared again, shield and all, to slice off one of his arms. He roared in pain before she skidded to control and propelled herself towards the other. He attempted to raise his other arm away from the incoming attack, but it was cut through just the same. His cry of pain only grew louder and angrier. A tail swipe came from Derpy’s left and she raised the shield. The entire force of the blow was absorbed and she countered by slicing the end of the tail off.
Utterly outmatched and fatally wounded, the dragon fell over to his side with a grunt. “M-mercy,” he begged with pure fear in his eyes. Derpy unequipped her shield and swung her sword through the air to remove the blood attached. The dragon trembled beneath her look. Her eyes were hidden behind the bars of her helmet’s visor, but he could still feel the gaze that would soon decree a final judgement. “P-please!”
Derpy disappeared into the darkness for a moment and returned with Rainbow Dash’s sword. “I'm sorry it came to this... Rest peacefully in the stars,” she whispered. The dragon's eyes widened in terror and he loosed a screech as the blade was plunged into his neck gingerly, sawing halfway through, and then being left protruding from the large wound. The thick bones remained intact and the blade was dug in deep enough to ensure a deathblow.
Derpy sighed and shook herself in an attempt to remove excess blood from her body. A drawn out yawn followed a mournful sigh. She set about to restart the small fire that had been going earlier, doing her best to increase its size with the scarce materials nearby. She undressed Rainbow Dash and tended to her wounds with care. Every time the cyan pegasus winced beneath her delicate touch she tried not to flinch herself, from empathy or fear of waking her. Afterwards, she placed her shield near her and laid Trixie out on the opposite side of the fire. Satisfied with her work, she glanced at the dead dragon. Peaceful...
She loosed another yawn and glanced up to the sky. Only a few, large stars glittered on the black canvas and did nothing to quell its consuming maw. Flapping her wings, she lifted off and scouted from the air for several minutes before finding a small hill nearby. It was better than nothing for keeping a close eye on the camp, but it would be hours soon and she’d have to return to her cautious distance. I promise I won’t let that happen again. I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. The mist of the marsh thickened over the next few hours and she decided it would safe to take the time to rest before dawn.
“Mission accomplished, Princess,” said Derpy as she saluted Princess Celestia.
“Was there any trouble?” she asked with a hint of deliberation. “Knight-Captain Dash appeared to be quite injured upon her return.”
Derpy swallowed hard and glanced around. They were alone in a conference room with the door shut, but the thought that anyone could be listening still bothered her. A large rectangular table sat in the middle with maps and documents scattered across it. With a solemn nod, she tilted open her visor. “I was careless and I didn’t get to her in time,” she started. “She wasn’t injured too badly and I did what I could for first aid, but there was no way to know a royal soldier from the Brood would be near there!” Celestia blinked at the sudden outburst and Derpy caught herself. “I’m... sorry,” she said lowering her head.
“I know that you never mean her to come to harm. You are the best chance she has and I know you’re trying hard to get her there quickly. Please don’t be afraid to take a step back.”
“I... know. I just want to be there with her when she crosses this finish line, with me right by her side every step of the way.” There was a moment of pause before she collected her thoughts. “I won’t let either of you down.”
“I know you won’t. Please do not do more than you are capable of. Celestial Knights-to-be are guided by many, not just one.” Celestia stepped closer and sighed when Derpy didn’t react to her words. She placed a soothing hoof on the pegasus’s shoulder. “You don’t need to do this to show you love her.”
“But!” she protested, if only to try. Anything she could say to counter the statement died in her throat. After a moment, she nodded and smiled. “Thanks, Princess. You’re right.”
“You’ve been working hard and I need you elsewhere soon. Let the archmagi take over for now on long distance missions.”
“Alright, but what about Commander Minuette and Punch?”
Celestia pursed her lips and looked over to a book open on the table. “Luna cannot give her blessing often. Twilight Sparkle is beginning trials for teleportation runes. If these prove useful, she can watch over her when you cannot.” Derpy glanced to the same book briefly. She opened her mouth to speak but was briskly cut off. “Colgate can go for short distance, but I don’t want to tie her up with this. She does not bear the same... subtlety that you do.”
“I understand.” Derpy shut her visor and saluted. “I trust all of you, Your Majesty.” She snatched up the book and slipped it beneath her tower shield. “I’ll study this and do my best.”
Celestia smiled and nodded slowly. “I know you will. It’s nice to have help in making a better world for Equestria--for all.”
Derpy nodded and opened the door. A waft of cool air swept into the room. “I’m glad I can be a part of it.” With that, she was gone and the door closed quietly behind her.
Celestia’s eyelids lowered and she exhaled heavily. Sometimes I wonder about all of this. Her eyes trailed over to one of the maps spread out upon the table. She gave a thoughtful examination of a red cross marking the borderlands where the mission had just been conducted. She lay her hoof upon the mark of the new outpost, staring intently at the line marking the border to the Brood's lands. Are the Rites really the best option...?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 7: The World Alive
The deft movements of two mares ruffled foliage that sought to ensnare would-be adventurers. Focused hoofsteps pattered as they made their way through the dense wilds, careful to avoid overgrown roots and obstacles littering the path they took. A cloak forever fluttered behind a unicorn as they lead swiftly in front of a pegasus knight. A pair of violet eyes holding determination shared equally a passion for their task--and a mutual distaste for the presence of the other in their company--cut through the evening tint of dark. Even the wildlife knew well enough to steer clear of their beholder, and the sounds of such were seldom heard.
"You could at least try to keep up. I was sure you always boasted of being the best athlete, on top of flier, in all of Equestria at some point or another," sneered the unicorn that led the way.
"This coming from the Great and Powerful Trixie? Puh-lease. I'm only tagging along as a safety precaution this time," retorted her pegasus companion.
Trixie stopped and adjusted her hat in an intrepid manner before turning to her companion with a scowl of annoyance. The pegasus only returned an incredulous look, furthering her ire. She stomped over to her and raised her nose high while maintaining eye contact with her.
"And only an escort is all you could ever hope to be. You achieved your foalish dream of flying for show and fame, and then you threw it away for the royal guard. Then, in your infinite lack of foresight and wisdom, threw away a Captain's rank for this lazy position of... of... 'Celestial Knight'. And yet, here you are, merely an escort to that of a superior unicorn, even a year later."
The knight glowered menacingly, biting back the urge to hit the high and mighty unicorn out of her conceit. Despite her feelings, the anger of the insulting words subsided and she ignored her impulses. She tugged at her baldric and adjusted her sword and shield before marching past the unicorn, extending a huff as she broke eye contact.
"Let's just go this over with," she stated simplistically, hiding her agitation.
Trixie trotted in front of her before slowing to a comfortable pace to lead by. In her effort to walk as proudly as her body would allow, she stripped over a rock. Loosing a sudden squeal, she stumbled forward several steps before falling to the ground, unable to regain her equilibrium. Frustrated by her companion's presence already, she was met with laughter at her clumsiness.
"You know, you really should watch where you're going," Rainbow Dash added at the end of a snort.
In response, Trixie's horn shimmered, conjuring a tiny storm cloud in the open air that blasted the knight's flank with a small bolt of electricity. Dash leaped at the quick, nostalgic burn and whirled around to inspect the damage. With the balancing humility restored, Trixie was the one with chuckles of joy as Dash gaped at her singed tail.
"You're going to pay for that!"
"Oh, really now? You weren’t in any position to do anything thelast time," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
The blue glow of magic-borne flames lit up the faces of Twilight and Celestia, two braziers placed opposite of one another; a cerulean orb laid in the grasp of a pedestal between the flames, casting images of the knight and magician to the watchers. Twilight made a mental note of how much it seemed like a dream sequence as she observed silently, the images appearing with a cloudy blur over them. She glanced around into the darkness to find a notepad for a loose thought, squinting until the particular one came into view. The area around them had been littered with books, a few stray notepads strewn about in a particular order.
Mild amusement founded itself on their faces as they spied upon the two during their quest in the forest. Celestia glanced up to see Twilight’s head as a dark blur, her mane obscuring her face while she pulled away to find the notepad. She returned her gaze to the glass orb, but the scribbling of a quill could be heard over the quiet fires in the braziers. "My faithful student, I commend you for this idea, but are you sure they will be alright?" inquired the sun princess as she looked up again to the one across from her.
Twilight shook her head and deepened her gaze with thoughtfulness. "Maybe not, but if we're all going to be working together and seeing each other more often... It's a perfect teamwork exercise, don't you think?"
Celestia pondered the idea for a bit, contemplating the potential for disastrous results. Her faithful knight and her faithful student's faithful student, both with a distaste for the other's presence around Twilight, were directly put into danger. She was conflicted at remaining idle in the situation and fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I trust that you are capable of intervening should the need arise--when it does."
Twilight hadn't looked up from the orb, constantly observing the task as often as possible while the quill continued to jot notes in the darkness. She levitated the quill to another piece of parchment laying next to her as she spoke. Faint sounds of the writing played behind her voice as the feather danced in a diligent syntax. "Trixie doesn't know it yet, but a magical rune is weaved into the lining inside of her cloak. If she ever winds up in danger, I can teleport to it from long distances without exhausting too much magic. They'll be fine," she finished, smiling proudly.
The assurance that Twilight had planned in advance for the great danger, or petty quarrels, of her beloved came as a welcome relief to the princess. As the party of two came to a resting point in the forest, they chose to turn in for the night beneath the canopy of the trees. When they yawned, the scrying orb elicited one from each of its observers.
"Perhaps it is time that we went to bed as well. The moon is already rising high and Luna is probably covering the royal duties now. I'll see you in the morning, Twilight."
The unicorn nodded in affirmation and the glassy orb ended its seamless streaming, returning to clear. With her horn glowing with a sudden light, she extinguished the two braziers and illuminated the room herself. Weary eyes received rubs of comfort before blinking a few times and glancing over the array of materials around her scrying area.
Her body protested prioritizing tidying up over the incentive of sleep, even if it was as simple as using her magic for a few more moments. She wanted to use it for something else before she allowed herself to rest. "I'll clean this up tomorrow. If you see Princess Luna before you go to sleep, tell her I said, 'Hi.'"
Celestia gave a warm smile and nod before departing the chambers. "Goodnight to you, too."
Twilight removed her own cloak and set it upon a hook. When the door closed in her mentor's wake, she moved to a nightstand beside her bed, and made sure to lock the door with her telekinesis. Casting a cautious glance to the door, she pulled open the top drawer and reached inside to the back. A small book with a red snake tongue's bookmark peeking from the top, taunting anyone to read it, was pulled free. Twilight levitated it before her and opened it, snatching her previous quill again to write down something for her eyes only.
'Trixie has become increasingly agitated by Rainbow Dash's new position. They both spend a lot of time with and around me, but I fear she is jealous of Rainbow's presence. This exercise only continues to reinforce the idea behind my scheme. I’m wondering if both of them aren’t just homesick rivals now. I was sure of their feelings before, but observing my student and my friend continuing to fight has led me to question whether or not I need to be absolutely sure.'
Twilight paused the writing, turning around to ensure the door was locked again. She sighed and slipped into bed, continuing to write and dwell on her theories. Her body already began relaxing and made it difficult to maintain focus on logging her thoughts.
'No, I remember now. Rainbow was about to go to Ponyville before I asked Princess Celestia to insist that she stayed for this one mission before she left. Does she know it was me? My observations have not given way to any idea as such, but I do wonder. I don't think she’s shallow but... Nonetheless, I must know if those two are going to be a risk to one another. Oh, things wouldn’t be so complicated if they could just let the past go. Their egos are so inflated...'
The words groaned in the final sentence as she considered dictating the writing. The book snapped shut, devouring the quill and bookmark together. She sighed and tucked it into the back of the drawer in the nightstand. She peered back over the mess of her studies and scrying once more, then to the door, her night vision outlining everything. She yawned and, with her task complete, she rolled over and let sleep take her from reality.
***
Guileful hooves carefully maneuvered across the floors of the ornate castle corridors. Each step alarmed the stealthy owner to caution, but she showed little more than taking each step with intense focus. Determination smeared itself over Luna's dark face as she moved in as much silence as she could muster, her form still maintaining a regal grace to match her subdued gait. Arriving at Twilight's chambers, she wandered beyond and checked all of the connecting corridors. No guards had patrolled through, or perhaps they had already made a round and she merely lucked out.
Suppressing a harrumph, the moon princess dissolved into a starry, smoky cloud and seeped beneath the door and into the dim chambers. Perfect night vision removed the necessity of light in the darkness and she could glean out every object in abstract detail. Moving carefully through the mess of books, parchment, and quills, Luna stepped towards the bed. She stopped and loomed over the sleeping form of Twilight for a moment; her eyes studied the unicorn's body, staring intently at the rise and fall of her chest in calmed rhythm. Casting away her fixation, her starry mane enveloped her horn to hide the glow of magic opening her nightstand. She held her breath as the dark blue formed over the nightstand.
With the speed of a decrepit tortoise, the drawer opened and the contents removed themselves and shuffled about in the air in silence. Twilight's hidden diary was brought to the front and she confirmed its authenticity upon a closer examination. Her heart sank and her mane procured a book and quill of its own, dispensing beside the diary. With the other contents of the drawer still floating around, she opened the diary to the latest entries. With a sigh in her mind, the latest entry of the diary was copied into the magic-borne book quickly, the soft scribbling compelling Luna to constantly watch Twilight's body for fear she may stir and awaken.
Twilight shifted and moaned in her sleep ending the writing and increasing the heart rate of the moon princess. Luna's eyes locked onto the unicorn without moving any fiber of her being or letting any of the objects shift in her magic. Twilight rolled to her side and away from of the edge of the bed on Luna's side. The princess breathed out in silent relief and finished the copying in haste. Her mane swallowed the book and quill and she placed everything back in the drawer, careful to make it appear as though it were never disturbed, and then allowing her mane to move back to its natural resting and out of its ridiculous shape to conceal her horn.
Luna crept back across the room, dodging tomes once more. She made it to the door with the absence of noise. Smirking pride in the darkness at her stealth skills, she dissolved into her cloud and flowed under the door again, appearing on the other side in relief. She turned to creep away, proud of the task accomplished in utter secrecy.
"That was quick," came Celestia’s voice from a very close proximity.
The younger sister nearly jumped out of her skin as her heart skipped a beat and she stumbled against the wall, avoiding unnecessary sounds and barely suppressing a startled squeal. With a few hyperventilated breaths and a free hoof to her chest, she collected herself and restored her composure, a few strands of her mane still frazzled to mark the instance of her alarm.
"Do not do that!" she scolded her sister in hushed irritation. The sun princess merely giggled in delight at scaring the incarnate of darkness herself.
"Forgive me. I couldn't let that opportunity pass. Now, do you have it?"
Luna nodded and her mane produced the notebook for her sister. She nodded and flipped to the latest entries, perusing the contents. A small chuckle left her as she finished reading and closed it.
"Quite the thinker. Her foresight and desire to get along with everyone are good traits. I believe she will be ready to begin helping us before too long," remarked Celestia.
Luna cautiously raised an eyebrow. "Do you not think her relationship will complicate or damage your vision for her?"
Celestia shook her head in response. "No. I think it will only bolster her resolve and confidence. Though, I honestly never expected you to add any guidance to her love. Now why did you do that?" Celestia added with a spreading grin.
Luna blushed, but forced her face to remain even. "I simply commented on what I felt was right since Twilight had not pushed for it yet. Why, should I not have?" she asked defensively.
"It's... fine, and a wonderful bonus to her nonetheless." Celestia smiled as she mulled it over.
Luna huffed and led the way back to Celestia's royal chambers. "Do you believe her complaints are justified? I do not feel as though Knight-Captain Dash and Ms. Lulamoon would jeopardize their positions, nor endanger themselves intentionally." She gave a doubtful look to Celestia, unsure of that herself.
"I believe the trial she has setup will answer and solve this for us. Rainbow Dash has never liked Trixie, but I think she's curious if Rainbow Dash is jealous that Trixie is stealing much her attention now."
"Is Rainbow Dash jealous of that?" asked Luna, raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t think so. She simply dislikes Trixie being around her friend--that somepony she dislikes is her friend's lover. Twilight has a very forgiving and open heart, but I fear it may lead her into trouble some day," replied Celestia with a sigh.
"Will you ever be truthful with her as to your intentions of this very time, when she does not know?" asked Luna suddenly, forcefully. There was a tone of disgust lining her voice.
Celestia stopped and narrowed her eyes to her. "Do not be coy Luna. Speak whatever is on your mind," she said sharply.
Luna quickly cut in front of her and brought her face closer to Celestia's. "You are using her for something she may not be capable of handling. I do not think she will be fine with what you plan to have her do."
"And that is exactly why we are keeping a close watch. I don't intend to throw her to the wolves. I am surprised you are doubting yourself now. When the time comes, she will be ready. Trust me and trust her, Luna. It will be the best for all of Equestria."
Luna backed down from the argument and continued walking ahead, but her thoughts still stormed in her mind. Celestia hesitated when following, the guilt of her actions holding her back. She kept her head lowered while Luna raised hers in haughty disapproval.
"I don't want to do this anymore than you do, but having her as a proxy is truly for the best."
"Tell me then, does she know where our information comes from?" pressed the moon princess. “This is a dangerous gamble--one that is not in our favor.”
"No, and I know. She will never learn of our source directly from us I hope. I cannot afford to lose her trust. Not now." Her heart twisted. May these secrets be our salvation...
"She will find out eventually. What will she think then, knowing her trust has been abused?"
Celestia shook her head again, her eyes watering. "Hopefully... she will only find out when it has all come to pass. If not, I will endure the justly consequences," she said, adding a grimace. The thought was petrifying. All of her trust and love for Twilight would be painfully rejected if she uncovered the truth too soon. Even so, knowing at all would surely send ripples of tension through their bond.
"I pray that she understands, but I will still carry doubts of my own," said Luna, undertones of apathy lining her words. She straightened up and moved through a branching corridor. "Goodnight, sister," her voiced echoed through the darkness as she melded with the darkness where there was no light.
Celestia sighed and retired to her chambers for the rest of the evening. She opened her door, no creaks from the perfectly oiled hinge to alert any staff to her presence. She waited until it closed behind her before moving to lay in front of the fireplace, opening the notebook and reviewing the copied entry. After looking it over she flipped back to the first page.
'I'm starting this journal for my thoughts this day. Today, I have become an Archmage for Princess Celestia. I'm so happy, but there's so much more! Trixie came and tried to crash the ceremony and the party. That unicorn never learned her lesson after all, but she’s so predictable. However, I managed to convince her to let me take her on as an apprentice with the encouragement of the princesses. I get to be her mentor! Me! I'm so excited, but I’m so nervous! I always try to think of how Princess Celestia taught me.'
Celestia smiled, but stifled her regrets of having Twilight in Canterlot. She loved spending time with her, but knew that sending her a bit more abroad with her friends would be much better for her growth. Her eyes read on, carefully tracing Twilight's documented thoughts and course of planning. Every emotion the lines offered were more insight to the unicorn’s well-being and methodology.
'I think I will start her on concepts or magic theory, something easy. She has a lot of potential with her magic, but no discipline. That just won’t do. I wonder how well she takes to any newer ideas. It's going to be hard crushing her overconfidence in her abilities, though. I can't think of any other way she will learn without experiencing her failures first hoof. I don't know what she did immediately after the Ursa Minor incident in Ponyville, but I hope her travels have helped open her mind.'
Celestia scanned through several more entries, chuckling slightly as the details of what she could not always be around for flourished in her mind.
'Oh boy. I got an earful from my friends after the Archmage ceremony, but this is going to be much worse. Rainbow Dash left the Wonderbolts today! Her lifelong dream of flying with the best and performing with them and she just left. She hasn’t even been with them all that long. Now she's joining the royal guard instead. Princess Celestia thinks she will make a strong leader and knight some day. I groaned at the notion or her being around Trixie more. I need to figure out a way to get those two to get along or I'm never going to hear the end of their bickering.'
"And figure it out you have. No matter how this ends, I think they will get along just fine if you’re there to remind them what truly matters." She neared the most recent entries, drinking in the bittersweet reminiscence.
'Alright, I can't play mediator anymore. Rainbow Dash has been inducted into a military rank I didn't even know about: Celestial Knight. She is now directly commanded by the princesses for more extreme tasks, but at the same time, has more free time when she's not out conducting missions. It's apparently a great honor, but now she stays in Canterlot even more... and fights with Trixie just as much. I've got a plan to make sure that they get along. With Princess Celestia's help, I know I can make this work.'
The sun princess laughed out loud at recalling Twilight's original approach. An odd and extreme idea, but her student still came off as meek to her. She closed the diary, and pushed away her guilt, hiding the diary in the back of a desk drawer. She looked up to the mantel to see a picture of her and Twilight together when she was just a filly entering her School of Gifted Unicorns. The picture reflected back a sad smile by light of the flickering fireplace.
"Luna understands, and I know you shall in time. But even then... could you ever... forgive me?"
***
Twilight awoke to the sounds of some of her books being shuffled around. She sat up and caught several of them being stored back into her personal shelf. Blurry, lingering images of a dream already forgotten meshed poorly with the unprocessed reality before her. Leaping out of bed, she nearly bumped into the source of the commotion without looking away from the shelves. She failed to untangle herself from her sheets and blankets and fell down, quickly rising back up to cover her clumsiness.
"Oh. Good morning, Twilight. I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd clean up for you before you began scrying again," Celestia greeted. She was putting all of the unneeded materials away while reorganizing what she did need.
The unicorn rubbed her eyes and loosed a loud yawn. "Oh, it's just you Celestia. Thank you," she muttered, smacking her lips. Her bed covers levitated back to the massive slab of comfort she called her mattress and immediately reorganized themselves.
"Do you wish to dine with Luna and I this morning?" she asked as the final book slid squarely into place.
Twilight nodded and snatched her signature cloak from a rack, choosing not to don the hood while in the presence of her mentor. Her staff levitated behind and fastened to her back over it. It signified her status as an archmage even if she didn't require it for anything. “Let me just freshen up first.” She disappeared into a bathroom for several minutes and returned with a more kempt appearance, her mane straightened and her face washed.
They exited the room and headed down the main corridors. Twilight did her best to reciprocate the greetings of the castle staff. She took the time of the walk to fully awaken and take in the day. They arrived at the throne room, the large, ornate doors now familiar to her, and strolled in.
Princess Luna rested idly at the helm of the room. Her eyes were glazed with boredom as she seemed distant in the moment. She stared blankly at the red carpet stretching to her, almost as if she might fall asleep at any moment. As the hoofsteps of new guests crept into the room, she glanced up to see who it was. Her expression brightened immediately at the presence of Celestia and Twilight. The pair exchanged several words out of earshot before Twilight approached her. Celestia departed the room without saying anything more.
"Good morning, Luna," chirped the unicorn.
"Good morning to you as well, Twilight." Her voice came all too happily now that there was another pony to talk to. The morning peace sometimes made her feel lonely.
"I didn't think we would find you here so early... or is it late?" Twilight looked around the room. The two guards normally stationed in the throne weren’t there. Must be patrolling, she thought.
"I am allotted much free time, both thanks to my sister, and bureaucratic ponies such as the Royal Council of Magi--like yourself--to bring equilibrium to the duties of our esteemed government. I am free to do whatever I please, but they may always contact me should the need arise."
"Oh, please, Princess. You know I’m rarely involved with that stuff," she said while rolling her eyes. "I much prefer you or Celestia sending me off to do whatever she needs." Luna admired Twilight's devotion to them, longing to have as much admiration towards her from the rest of their subjects.
"Are you comfortable sending Trixie off in a similar manner?" Luna asked casually.
The question caught Twilight off guard. She chewed her lower lip with a reminder of her apprehensions about letting her beloved be so far away, previously risking going out of reach of her protective reach in common circumstances."...No, but I’ve finally managed to solve that problem to some degree," she said with a confident inflection.
"Ah, yes. Your research into runes and glyphs that would allow you to teleport to marked locations with greater ease. A most impressive pursuit and investment." The moon princess gushed pride at the unicorn's ingenuity.
Twilight beamed her own pride at the achievement and personal problem solving. "I didn't like letting her go off by herself into danger. I could watch her from really far away, but I couldn't teleport far enough and still have a lot of magic left if she ever got into trouble."
Luna turned her eyes to the door with a subtle wonderment in them. "Is she... the only one who possesses such a rune?"
There was a long pause before a reply. "No... There are others," responded Twilight. Her tone slipped into the distance. She seemed sad or regretful, but Luna was unable to tell which or why.
"Do you inscribe the ponies, or a belonging oft kept with them?" She returned her gaze to her friend.
"I don't...!" Twilight's response came a bit sudden, bringing a blush with it, and she had nothing to add to it.
"Are they not an invasion of one's privacy?"
"Err..." Twilight’s blushed deepened at the implications. "They're attached to objects or garments, never the ponies themselves. Trixie's cloak, Rainbow Dash's..." she trailed off biting her lip and scratching at the floor.
"Oh? Like a piece of armor, or perhaps her shield?"
"Her... left wing." She turned her head to the floor, embarrassed with her own overcautious decision.
"So then you do inscribe ponies."
"She never carries any one thing all the time. We work together occasionally and this way I can always keep an eye on her, too," she protested quickly with a mild groan.
"Do not worry, Twilight. Your secret shall be safe with me," Luna whispered, and added a wink and smile.
"I know, it's just... a little embarrassing though."
"I am not judging you. I understand your desire to keep your friends safe and nearby. I am very fond of your residence in Canterlot's castle at the same time," smiled Luna. "You freed me and have always been there to talk to and guide me in these current times; a true friend within every sense of the idea."
"Aww, thank you, Luna. If you don't mind me asking, but how do you deal with...” She paused, shifting her eyes to the door and back then back to Luna’s expectant gaze. “Immortality and having mortal friends?" The question took the princess back. She gaped at Twilight momentarily before articulating a response slowly. "Ah, I'm sorry, Luna!"
"No... you are not at fault with your question, Twilight." Luna's gaze became distant again. "It is... not easy. Celestia and I treasure our friendships, no matter how fleeting they may seem to us. It is painful to live forever and watch your friends die. It never becomes easy, and it never should." Her face became sullen and she looked to the floor and recalled friends of the past for a moment. She looked up to face the unicorn with a new determination. "It is important that you hang onto those friendships no matter what happens. They are what make life worth living, Twilight, even if we outlive them. Never forget that."
"I won't forget, I promise," she said quietly with a smile.
Luna melted under that smile. A pony truly kind and honest with her; a friendship she wanted to last forever. The pit of her stomach turned into a well of guilt. "I do not believe you will," she replied. Her voice barely kept from wavering but Twilight took no notice of it.
Princess Celestia returned to announce breakfast had been prepared. The pair hungry ponies at the throne moved to follow her to the dining hall. The table had been set with a usual grand array of food, ranging from fruits to vegetables. Though not engorging themselves, they ate their fill. Once finished, it was time for Twilight to return to the scrying.
"Hmm. Do you think they will be successful?" asked Luna.
"Which part? Becoming friends or finishing the task?" replied Twilight in a half-joking manner.
"Hmm... Both. May I join you in observing them this time?"
Twilight shot her a wondering look before it shifted into acceptance. "Of course you can, Luna."
They returned to Twilight's chambers, and despite Celestia having cleaned up much of it, the required scrying materials still gave a messy vibe to the area. The braziers were prepared and the glassy orb remained inert on its pedestal. Twilight rubbed her hooves together and quickly set about to darkening the room and lighting the braziers. The room took on its shadowy, blue tone and the unicorn moved over to the orb with an eager look on her face. The two princesses sat opposite of her and peered in as the magic set the stage for observation.
***
"It's been, like, a day now. How deep into this forsaken forest is the Ursa Major?" complained Trixie.
Dash grumbled loudly in annoyance. Trixie had been complaining all morning about the journey through the forest. From Rainbow Dash not carrying her and flying to how much she missed the royal furnishings to sleep on. If there was something she didn't like, she had something to say about it.
"...And please cut more of the brush out of the way. A rose bush almost frayed my cloak back there."
Dash had had it with the unicorn. "WILL YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!?" she bellowed out of annoyance.
Trixie stared back as if she didn't understand her before sneering and saying, "No."
Dash turned around and stomped closer. "All you have done is complain! Why are you even here? Why am I even here?" she questioned out loud.
"Honestly, do you think that I want to be here with you anymore than I want to be out here roaming around aimlessly in this forsaken forest?" yelled back the magician.
"Then why don't you just LEAVE? If it wasn’t for Twilight-!"
Before the knight could finish, a massive paw crashed down onto her with two of the claws digging into her wings, the force blasting debris everywhere. Trixie yelped and reeled backwards while Dash reached out a weak hoof helplessly to Trixie. The magician charged up a blast of invisible force, knocking the paw away. Dash quickly clambered up and drew her broadsword and shield, clenching her teeth to combat the pain. The bear swiped at them both and the knight flew above to avoid it.
Trixie shielded herself but was knocked backwards, the sheer power behind the attack breaking her defensive magic. The Ursa Major's raw power completely exceeded her estimations. She skidded across the forest floor and hit the base of a tree. Winded and bleeding from the back of her head, she shakily stood up and forced air back into her lungs. Dash stole its attention by slashing the paw and circling back around. The Ursa roared and pulled back quickly before angrily charging forward again.
Dash gasped as Trixie neared recovery. She would be unable to focus herself enough or dodge the charge in time. Trixie grabbed her staff and prepared to do whatever she could to survive. As the bear rampaged on, her shaky vision jumped at her, and her horn shined brightly through the lack of focus. In a fearsome tackle, the Ursa crashed into the ground flowing debris and dust into her face. She hadn't gotten a single spell off, but the bear had stopped only a few meters from her.
"Are... you... alright?" asked Dash in low grunts as she struggled to hold the bear's muzzle back. She was standing with her chest pressed against its lower jaw and her front hooves spread out in an attempt to catch as much of it as possible. The broadsword she carried had fallen from her bracing hooves, glinting where the shade of the trees couldn’t cover it. A canine cut through Dash’s helmet, grazing her head and resulting in a slow blood trickle down her face. The knight's eyes were fierce and focused on the beast before her.
Trixie had never seen her demonstrate just how physically strong she was. A few inches of struggling ensued before Dash whirled around and in a single, swift motion, snatched the sword from the ground and slashed a vertical cut into the snout, sending the massive beast reeling back. She slid backwards from the force while the Ursa coiled onto its hind legs, whining in pain.
"Wow, you're a lot stronger than I thought... Is this what a Celestial Knight is really like?" mumbled Trixie in astonishment.
"Snap out of it! This is a real battle. Pay attention or we’re going to die!" returned the knight swiftly.
The bear roared again and swung back with blood dripping from its jowls. Trixie powered up, and a large storm abruptly formed overhead, a heavy rain soon following it and turning the dirt ground to mud. Dash could be heard groaning as the rain, thunder, and lightning started. Booms of thunder reverberated through the air while the Ursa remained unfazed by the display. Trixie took her staff and raised it high and lightning cascaded upon the Ursa's frame, searing flesh with every lick. The Ursa howled and blindly raged forward. Prepared this time, Trixie erected a much more powerful barrier. The bear swiped at it with colossal force that shook the ground on impact, but the barrier held fast.
Dash flew to the underside and sliced at the stomach, attempting a quick disembowelment. It ultimately failed when the frame was too massive to cut to anything vital. She became bathed in blood from the strikes nonetheless. The bear spun around and bat her out of the air as she made her way back into the open sky. The knight slammed into a distant tree beyond her view and became silent.
"Damn it, this is bad!" cursed Trixie. The lightning storm ceased and a flame whirled around her and spiraled up to the staff. It burst forth into a rotating inferno. The Ursa attempted to side step it, but the flame coursed its way back to it and ignited it. The beast howled and rolled around, the flames quickly dissipated in the smothering and the rain.
The beast’s fortitude proved to be stronger and it remained standing on all fours, roaring and launching into a charge again. Trixie fired several blasts of energy at its face, but it continued its blind charge. Out of options, she put all of her energy into another barrier. The Ursa Major crashed into it with its full weight behind it, the ground heaving. The spell shattered in a blast of light and the bear's body smashed the unicorn into the ground. As it rose and stepped back, Trixie was revealed once more, bloody and unconscious.
"Twilight, I believe it is time you assisted them," chimed in Celestia with urgency.
"Not, yet..." she muttered in response, her eyes deeply focused on the situation below.
"But Twilight, surely they could die if you do not help them now," interjected Luna with open worry.
The unicorn looked up with confidence shining in her eyes. "I promise you they will not die. Rainbow Dash has a little more fight in her. I want to see what happens..."
Her assumption was tested as the bear slammed down its right paw for the deathblow. The Celestial Knight moved with incredible celerity to Trixie and protected her from the attack; the finishing strike intended for the magician was met with the tip of the knight's sword along with Dash's shoulder and other hoof to reinforce the defense. The bear squealed at the puncture wound and to its hind quarters while shaking the paw frantically. Blood was splashed onto the trees painting the leaves with thick splotches of crimson.
Dash appeared missing her helmet and shield, blood from the beast and herself layering over her cyan coat. The bear unleashed a shrill battle cry before slamming both paws down in a follow up. Dash dropped the blade and used only her hooves to shield herself. The ground shuddered on impact, ground zero filling with an unnatural explosion of dirt and debris that saturated the open space. When the dust settled, Dash was standing over Trixie holding back the bear's paws. Surprised, the Ursa Major unintentionally relaxed the attack.
Seizing the opportunity, the knight forced the paw away and picked up her broadsword. Her movements were too dulled to move gracefully and the Ursa followed up with a second double swipe. She attempted to block with the sword again, but the next attack broke her stance. Her sword fell to the ground and she was left huddled over Trixie, the bear beating her into the ground. It struck her back twice more and the knight finally collapsed in defeat, her remarkable endurance and strength having failed her. The bear leaned low and howled triumphantly, craning its neck outward with its head tilting back. In a final stroke to end the lives of the ponies on the ground, it pulled back for assurance its foes would be vanquished this.
This is it... I'm gonna die... Twilight, Rainbow... I'm sorry... thought Trixie as her blurry vision caught the outlines of incoming death. Dash was laying across her alive, but unconscious. Trixie's own injuries prevented her from any powerful magic. It was the end of the line. She held out a weak hoof as if to ward death away or plea for it to stop.
The paws crashed into the ground with tremendous force, the forest trembling again in its wake. A slew of mud from the storm tided outwards briefly. A faint light preceded the flying debris, and Twilight appeared with both Dash and Trixie laid out beside each other on the ground. She stood in front of them to face the Ursa Major with her horn glowing brightly. Her eyes could barely peak out from beneath the brim of her hood, but they carried a dark look. The bear swung around in a wide, sweeping arc as it twisted its body. Twilight created a translucent wall beside the mares on the ground, preventing the strike from ever connecting. The Ursa's paw was quickly pulled back at the unexpected block, the barrier stopping all force and only crackling slightly. The Ursa charged forward in an effort to kill all three of them with its weight.
The ground swirled and dirt and mud waved outwards from Twilight. Her staff moved into the air, encased in a purple aura, and stamped the ground. A nova of ice and wind ringed out from her position and struck the bear in the face, freezing the ground in a coat of ice. Blinded by the spell, the Ursa stumbled backwards, pawing at its face and yelping in pain. Before it could regain proper footing, Twilight shifted to a bipedal stance and she took the staff into her forehooves.
"Mjollnir!" she called out over the anguished cries of the beast.
A bolt of lightning half the size of the Ursa Major tore down from the heavens and raked the Ursa's back. The yelp that followed could've shattered windows through sheer volume; Trixie could almost feel the pain in the horrifying cry as it reverberated throughout the forest. Her vision had failed her now and she was left with a subconscious grasp of the world. Twilight as the Ursa fell to the ground in defeat. She moved closer and peered into the eyes, forcing herself to breath through her mouth and avoid the scent of its burning flesh. Harsh breaths could be heard from the bear that slowed down as it finally slipped into unconsciousness.
Twilight's staff replaced itself upon her back as she walked over to Dash's sword. She picked it up and inspected it, running a careful hoof along the straight edge. She slashed a few times before carrying it to the Ursa Major. Climbing up to its head, she made sure to cast her back to her fallen comrades. Raising the hilt above her head, she took deep breaths in preparation for what she was about to do.
"Stop... I'll do it..." croaked Dash from behind. Twilight snapped up and turned around to glimpse the fallen knight creeping up from behind, blood matting down her face and back in a heavy sheet. With labored breaths and staggered jerks for steps, the knight continued forcing herself through the pain of injuries. Her breastplate had been broken and dented in several places with two of her bracers missing. Twilight reluctantly levitated the blade to her. As Dash took it in her grasp, she muttered, "Mission complete," before collapsing back down to the mud and dropping it.
Twilight dropped down and retrieved the sword, rolling the pegasus onto her back. "Rest up, Rainbow. It's over now," she cooed. She leaped back atop the head and took several deep breaths again. A loud clack of the blade hitting the bear's skull filled the air several times. The final sound Trixie could hear was the audible crack of Twilight breaking the skull. The blade punctured through and ended the bear's life. The unicorn grimaced at the blood that splattered on herself, taking more breaths to calm her nerves. She wiped the blade off on her dark cloak and tucked it away. The rain began to pour heavier and she looked up to the overcast sky. A quick nod to the princess ensured the deed was done and she moved to teleport her friends back.
"I believe the time is soon..." commented Celestia with a mournful tone.
Luna's lids lowered at the notion. "I will prepare the weapons. They will need their time to recover anyway."
"They will have it. I will dispatch a squad to dispose of the Ursa Major’s body. Taking life--any life--is always... regretful." Celestia removed her crown with her magic and massaged her temples before replacing it.
Luna paused for a moment. "Do you truly feel Twilight is ready for such a thing?"
The sun princess faced her with hollow look. "No one is ever truly ready... I know only that she is willing. Slaying a rabid beast is dry on the heart... but a being with a visible soul is not." Luna silently acknowledged the words and left.
Twilight teleported in, the flicker of a rune appeared on the carpet briefly, and set her cloak upon a rack. It was dampened by water and blood, dripping lightly to the floor. She held out Dash's sword before the princess, allowing her to inspect it closely.
"This needs to be sharpened or tempered again," she said. "It doesn't seem fit for a Celestial Knight." The blade rotated slowly for observation. Scratches and nicks lined it, but the worst of its condition was that the blade was bent slightly at the hilt.
"I will have it replaced with something better very soon. All Celestial Knights are given a unique sword to wield when they are ready to operate independent of others." Celestia took the sword into her own magic. "I suppose you don't need to debrief me. May I ask why you waited so long to intervene?"
Twilight loosed an exasperated sigh before chewing on her bottom lip. Her eyes shifted back and forth before locking with Celestia's expectant gaze. "I guess I could've helped sooner, but I wanted to know how strong Rainbow Dash was. I've never seen another Celestial Knight before. Waiting also let me know how that their values are more important than their petty squabbles. After all, it's the values like friendship that count." She grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head with mild embarrassment glowing upon her cheeks. Celestia gave a thoughtful look, appearing more like an uncertain wince.
"I understand. I must prepare some things, though. There are no pressing matters right now, so why don't you relax and see to your friends' recovery?" Twilight looked to the side and the princess hesitated in moving on. "Was there something else?"
"No... I'm just surprised by how strong Rainbow Dash really is. I guess the way Luna spoke earlier meant something else..."
A confused, "What?" filled the air briefly. "Oh, that. You are correct. Perhaps you should inform your friends of your plan all along. I don't think they'll be too pleased if it comes out later, rather than sooner." With that, Celestia left.
Twilight cleaned up her scrying setup and made her way to the castle infirmary. She found the mares laying in beds side by side with nurses and doctors scurrying about to tend to their grievous wounds. Despite being cleaned up, they were both bruised in various places with each bearing casts and a neck brace. Dash had far more casts and bandages than Trixie, though.
"Oh good, you're both awake," Twilight said with some relief. She received groans and some eye focus in response. "Now, let me have your attention, please. I orchestrated that entire mission, save for the actual part of dispatching the Ursa Major. Trixie and I could've done that without you and you could've just gone home, Rainbow."
"WHAT!?" snapped the knight in response. She attempted to sit up, but her muscles were no longer aided by adrenaline to combat the debilitating pain. Instead, she loosed a pained, angry groan and sank back into her pillow, a deep scowl replacing her groggy expression.
"What the hay? Why? You almost got us killed! That Ursa Major was ridiculously strong!" Trixie's voice reflected her feelings of betrayal, but she paused for an explanation.
Twilight closed her eyes and cleared her throat into a hoof. "I did it so that you would work together. Rainbow, you have been constantly fighting with her since she first became my apprentice." The knight rolled her eyes, only for them to return under the scrutiny of Twilight's frown.
"And you, Trixie, haven't made it any easier either. I set this up so that you two would work together, and, with nothing short of a miracle, become friends. Princess Celestia helped me with this." Twilight paused for questions.
"Ok, so...? We completed the mission. We're not exactly best friends..." started Dash.
"Twilight, just because we fight, doesn't mean we hate each other and won't work together... I merely enjoy antagonizing Rainbow Dash," snickered Trixie, casting a smug glance to the pegasus.
"So we could've avoided this whole thing if we didn't argue?" Dash uttered in complete disbelief.
"Not exactly. I'm glad you two worked with the other's well being in mind. I would just like you two to be friends all the time--not just when in danger." The injured ponies slumped further into their pillows in defeat while Twilight grinned happily. "You're both my friends... and if you're both going to be around me then you better get along!" The last sentence came out in a strangely dark, sing-song fashion.
"Alright, I am definitely going home when I can move, but not before I kick your flank," grumbled Dash.
"You had better make this up to me, Twilight!" cried Trixie, though her words came out more in a grinding fashion. “You better!”
Twilight wandered out of the room smiling. Well, that probably could've gone much better.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 8: The Deafening Fate
Twilight stood quietly by the edge of one of the Canterlot castle's many balconies, her face enjoying the warmth of the late morning sun. She stared down below, observing the city's landscape with occasional wistful glances towards Ponyville far off into the distance below. Nothing but the vague blotches of the buildings could be made out, save for the large tree library and town hall standing above the others. As the minutes ticked away, she caught herself looking towards the quaint town more and more. I really should go... She closed her eyes as a cool wind flowed over the balcony, ruffling her cloak as it held fast beneath her staff. It chilled her cheeks and she tugged at the edge of her cowl instinctively.
"Twilight Sparkle." The voice of a colt cut through her moment of peace and she stifled a gasp, choosing to take in quick breath instead. She was too engrossed in thought to realize he had already approached her. "You have been summoned by Her Majesties, Princesses Celestia and Luna." His voice quavered as Twilight turned her head slightly to glimpse him. Only one eye peeked out from beneath the brim of her cowl, and he flinched as she focused in on him, a stoic expression casting to him. "If you'll come with me," he said, then bowed quickly.
As he raised his head up, he leaned backwards slightly when he noticed Twilight was still staring at him. "Well, are you going to lead the way?" she asked casually. He flinched again and turned on his hind hooves, almost losing his balance. Twilight followed after him, throwing her eyes over the countless castle decorations she had seen so many times before. Eventually, she passed a portrait of Starswirl the Bearded and came to the realization of the colt's behavior. "Are you afraid of me?" she asked just loud enough for him to hear.
The colt skipped a step and nearly fell, stumbling several meters and regaining his balance gracelessly. "O-Of course not," he stammered, forcing a smile and trying to keep his head lower than hers. "Why would I be afraid of you, Lady Archmage Sparkle?"
Twilight blinked several times and lowered herself to study him, revealing her entire face. "I heard a rumor that archmagi are feared because they present as bad omens, and usually mean something unsettling has been going on. The princess probably just has a mission for me to go help another settlement. Don't worry."
The words seemed to relax the colt and he nodded calmly. "I'm sorry. Some of the other magi are a bit... pushy," he whispered. "Please don't tell them I said that," he added quickly.
Twilight giggled and nodded. "I won't." As they continued to the throne, Twilight took notice of a decreased number of staff the closer they got to the throne. I wonder what's going on, she thought.
The large, ornate doors to the throne were already wide open when they arrived. The colt bowed and departed down another corridor to elsewhere within the castle. Two guards were stationed on each side of the door with two more opposite of them, their eyes trailing over to her as Twilight neared. "They await you inside, milady," said one, barely casting a side glance to her.
She made her way inside to find Celestia, Luna, Rainbow Dash, and a few of the magi Council gathered near the throne. The radiant room seemed to flash its brilliance momentarily and a gust flowed past her. She held down her hood and cocked an eyebrow, scanning the empty space behind her. Weird. Shrugging, she stepped closer and observed the group. They were talking amongst themselves, but too far to eavesdrop on what they were discussing.
"Ah, Archmage Twilight Sparkle. I'm glad you were available," Celestia greeted. She nodded and swirled a hoof in the air as she refocused back on the other magi. "I trust that everything shall be taken care of accordingly." The group nodded back to her. "Then Luna and I must busy myself with another duty for much of the afternoon. Please defer yourself to Chancellor Leo or Commander Minuette should you need anything. Give us the throne, please."
The magi didn't even look up to Twilight as they filed past her on their way out, each keeping their heads level beneath their cowls in thought. All but one had departed at Celestia's command, and when they were out of sight the guards closed the doors. Twilight looked up to the throne to see the last magi remaining. A stallion with a sandy beige muzzle poking out beneath the cowl of a grey cloak stood motionless, following the gaze of the others. A golden chain looped through the corner of a large tome that hung from his neck and dangled in front of his chest.
Despite never having seen this particular pony, something about him felt familiar to her. She attempted to feel out his magical presence much in the same way of preparing to mimic another unicorn's magical actions, but she could feel no presence; nothing about him indicated he could be an archmage of the Council. Then, as she withdrew her attempts of identifying him, he shook his form and she realized that the familiar feeling was emanating from the tome. Pure magic? What is in that book?
"Twilight," started Celestia, snapping the unicorn's attention back to her, "I have some grim news in regards to the Brood." She cast a sidelong glance towards Luna who nodded back.
"Spike?" exclaimed Twilight, her heart rate increasing. She didn't realize she was at the bottom steps of the throne until her eyes caught Celestia's extended hoof to ease her.
"No. Spike is fine. You need not worry about that, Twilight," Luna replied softly.
Twilight exhaled in relief and rubbed at her chest, the beating of her heart slowing back to a normal pace. "I'm sorry. What's going on with the Brood? I rarely hear about them, so I've always just assumed everything is fine with them."
The princesses exchanged blank looks before Celestia took a step forward. "I'm afraid,"--Celestia cleared her throat--"that within a few years' time, we will be going to war with them."
Twilight blinked a few times as the information began to sink in. "Wh-what!?" she croaked. She shook her head violently and took a step back. "No. Spike couldn't have failed us. I refuse to believe that we'll be going to war until I talk to him."
"Spike won't be participating in their war. I will have him withdraw from his position in Draconis before this war comes to pass. I'm sorry, Twilight, but I can only keep it at bay for the time being. This is not something I can stop, and it will happen." The princess closed her eyes and grimaced.
Twilight threw her cowl back and tugged at her collar, stepping back from the throne. The loose binding that held it together now felt like a noose prepared to end her at the gallows. "So... So now what? I'm an archmage, what... what do you want me to do? How can I help stop this? There has to be a way..." She looked to the floor for answers, a long silence hanging over the air, but no words of enlightenment filled it. When she looked up, Rainbow Dash was forcing herself to look away. The cloaked pony continued to remain idle, and Luna stepped up beside her sister and whispered something Twilight couldn't hear.
"You will ascend," Celestia declared cryptically.
"...Ascend? What do you mean?" Twilight moved back to the bottom steps of the throne and stared up to Celestia, expectantly.
"You will become an alicorn," chimed in Luna. "We have-"
Twilight gaped at her. "Become an alicorn!?" she echoed. Luna nodded, compounding the sudden haze of confusion Twilight had become lost in. Alicorns, she thought, can't be created... can they? Her thirst for knowledge began to win the battle against her disbelief and she found herself motivated by curiosity and intrigue. "Is that... really possible?"
"Indeed, Twilight. We have watched you for years," Luna said, shooting her sister an unreadable look, "and have decided that you, above all others, are the prime candidate to bestow such a power to--the Element of Magic incarnate. That is, should you accept such a divine blessing."
"I..." Twilight found it difficult to articulate any response. Her head began to swim with ideas, with questions, with desire. She sat down, now unsure of her own thought process. The scarlet carpet of the throne room felt as if it stretched on into infinity. Despite her dry throat becoming dry, a moment of pause allowed her to force out words once she took hold of her mind once more. "Why make me an alicorn? What will that do?" she asked hoarsely.
"It will grant you greater power and resilience," Twilight's head snapped to the cloaked pony, "the natural ability to fly, and immortality." He had tilted his head enough to glimpse her, and he spoke with a practiced, polite voice, uncharacteristic of a pony of his questionable status. "Alicorns have a much greater capacity for magic, as well as a stronger alignment with the elements. You will have access to abilities that unicorns do not."
"But I'm just one unicorn. If we're going to war with the Brood, how much will making me an alicorn even help?" Twilight tugged at her cloak collar again, still loose.
"We have carefully constructed a plan to avert the tragedy and bloodshed of a full scale war when they do finally attack our kingdom. This plan requires at least two ponies of your caliber," Celestia answered, her tone becoming wistful. She nodded towards Rainbow Dash before focusing back on Twilight.
"Celestia," Twilight started slowly, "just what are you asking me to do?" She raised an eyebrow with her widening eyes, and shifted her gaze between the counsel before her.
"What I'm about to ask of you is the impossible. To ascend; to kill in the name of duty; to bear the weight of our entire kingdom's hopes," she replied while narrowing her eyes. She looked up to the ceiling briefly, then brought her head down, her eyes darting to the robed pony quickly, then back to Twilight.
Twilight's eyes widened further, and she wanted to throw off her cloak, the collar continuing to feel as if it were choking her. "Y-you... want me to kill... dragons--Spike's own race?" The carpeted steps before her seemed to stretch to the heavens now, her head swimming once more beneath the gravity of the words.
"Yes," replied Celestia simply. "But it isn't just that. You are going to kill the dragon king, Render."
Twilight caught a gasp in her throat and looked to the scarlet carpet. Blood...
"Twi, they've already briefed me on most of this stuff--except for some of the crazier details. This isn't going to be easy, but if Princess Celestia is right about the war, this really is the best chance we have," interjected Dash with some reassuring hope. It did nothing to ease her friend's queasy feeling about the entire situation.
"Why... why me? Why this? Why tell me all of this now of all times?" she asked with forced calm. Luna opened her mouth to speak, but the robed pony moved beside Celestia and coughed.
"Unicorns everywhere would leap at the opportunity of ascension. Why must a wisdom-seeker such as yourself question the circumstance before indulging your own curiosity at such an idea?" he stated, barely moving his head when speaking. Twilight stared at him, unable to come up with an answer.
"Twilight, your magical potential rivals that of the most powerful archmages to ever live--even so young; however, you are still weaker than us," Luna said casually. "You must walk among us in power, or you risk dying because we did not take the extra step. This is not a decision we have come to lightly. You have been meticulously monitored for years in advance." Luna cast her a sympathetic look, but Twilight paid no mind to the sudden revelation that she lacked privacy.
Become an alicorn... The idea itself seemed even more fictitious than the tales of Nightmare Moon's rebellion when she was reading through the old history books as a student. Twilight stared forward to the carpeted steps blankly, her head filling with images and ideas to go along with what had already been stated. Even with her imagination, it was still surreal. "I trust you, Celestia," she said after a long silence. "How does this work?"
The robed pony stepped forward and the chain around him unlocked. The tome bound to it silently slipped off and moved before Twilight. The subtle feeling of magic from the book hadn't become any clearer to her with its new proximity. It sprang open to a page depicting the transformation of a unicorn into an alicorn, complete with archaic text and pictures. She could read some of it, but parts of it were not immediately decipherable.
"As has been said, you will become an alicorn through a sacred ritual known as the 'Rites of the Alicorn', and spend the time before this war training and studying in arts beyond that which you normally would." His voice sounded almost intoned, but his words entranced her. "You will not, however, be completing the aforementioned tasks with Commander Dash. We wish for her to utilize her speed to steal documents pertaining to the Brood's plans for war, and then return to us as you assassinate the king."
"Assassinating," the word rolled off Twilight's tongue with unfamiliarity, "the king now won't prevent the war?"
"A preemptive attack on the Brood would only incite hostilities within their nation were it to be done now," Celestia said softly. "Assassinating Render after the war begins would cripple their morale and they would lose the will to fight having seen their king laid to rest so quickly and easily in his own kingdom. Hopefully," she said with a rising tone, "they will surrender or cease this foolish conflict altogether."
"Your mission could cost both of you your lives. Equestria will be depending on you and not the likes of a capable army outright," said the robed pony. His dull tone seemed more like the narrator of a documentary than a pony explaining a dire.
"I don't know if I could kill a dragon. Spike would never..." Twilight trailed off, the opinion of her childhood dragon assistant and friend hinging upon her impending acceptance.
The princesses pursed their lips and Rainbow Dash let loose an empathic sigh, but the robed pony continued unfazed. "The Rites will imbue you with the power to slay dragons, and we will guide you in controlling your new powers. You will be trained to fight, survive, and hide yourselves. Normally, it would take an entire contingent of soldiers to bring down a single, adult dragon, but you will become strong enough to fell many by yourself, and your friend more than one. Your ability will be equal to that of a legendary Dragon Slayer, a title that is rare among even amongst the mightiest ponies in history."
"Please, Twilight. Be absolutely sure before you accept something like this," Celestia pleaded, her eyes filled with solemn desperation. Her heart weighed heavily with guilt, but already knew Twilight would never say no to an opportunity like this. A small part of her wished she would decline the monumental task, even if it meant they could be together for eternity--and cost the lives of many of her subjects.
Twilight mulled over the situation for several minutes longer, losing herself in the passing of time. More years of dedicated study, a greater power; war. The thought of killing other sentient beings was harrowing, let alone for the good of her kingdom. She bit her lip, unsure if she could ever live up to her oath. But... it had been Celestia that asked her. With a glance into Celestia's eyes one last time, she closed her own. With a deep breath, she readjusted the collar of her cloak and tightened it back to a normal position.
"If I am to wind up immortal because of this transformation, and more... I have a request. Please come to me Celestia," commanded Twilight with a motioning hoof.
Celestia quickly strode to her side and hesitated before lowering her head. Twilight opened her eyes and motioned to come even closer, then whispered into her ear. Celestia's face flushed, and she gave Twilight a surprised but thoughtful look.
"If that is your request, then so be it. Please, let us both survive this conflict. I’m sure that’s not your only wish and we will accommodate your every need as everything progresses," remarked Celestia with a pained smile before hugging Twilight and nuzzling her. "I promise you, Twilight... If you really want that."
"Since we're starting today, where do we begin?" asked Twilight, looking at the robed pony intently. A devious smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth.
Twilight eyed him suspiciously for a long while, still loosely pondering his origins. Suddenly, the magical book snapped shut and returned to his side, binding itself under no visible sources of magic. Celestia motioned for everyone's company and they exited the throne room, Twilight following at the back of the party. Her heart began to beat faster as she was led down stairs and through corridors into parts of the castle unfamiliar to her. She had wandered through the royal halls for most of her life, but nothing about these lower levels could be found in her memory.
After walking until she had lost their exact location in the new area, they arrived before a small chamber deep within the castle. The chamber door had been adorned with old etchings of the alicorns, but they weren't depictions of Celestia or Luna. Their cutie marks and color combinations differed slightly between them, with a blank unicorn standing between them. As she studied each of them, a trickle of sweat rolled down the side of her head. They're not the only alicorns to do this?
"Wait outside, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said before goading open the doors with her magic, a grinding creak echoing down the hall as they parted. The knight saluted and leaned against one of the walls.
Entering the chamber, Twilight examined the new surroundings immediately. The walls were illuminated by the princesses' horns as they led the way, light revealing they were decorated with murals of more alicorns and odd magic, much like the ones of the Mare in the Moon tale. She felt a powerful magical presence permeating through the stone around her. The presence felt inert, but it brought with it a sense of creeping dread. She could hear her heartbeat thudding against her chest now.
In the center sat a small, flat altar beneath an overhead window. Sunlight poured through over the altar and became lost in the glow of the horns. Where is this window located? Twilight wondered while attempting to determine where they were again. The princesses moved to stand on opposite sides of each other while the robed pony moved to loom directly over the altar. He motioned forward and Twilight laid down upon it, swallowing hard as the cool stone caused her to flinch. As the princesses' horns began shining with more power, the chamber doors grinded shut and sealed themselves. The sound startled Twilight and it took all of her willpower not to leap from the altar.
"Celestia... Is this really going to be alright?" Twilight asked anxiously. She peered up to the window, then back around to the dark edges of the room. She craned her neck around as the magic between the alicorns expanded. The presence of dread within the room had intensified into a pressure that sank into her; a feeling of claustrophobia began setting in on her nerves.
"Yes, Twilight. I'm afraid it will not be comfortable, though. Please endure this, it will not be long," she muttered with a regretful tone. Her eyes watered as she avoided an accurate description of what the unicorn was about to experience.
Twilight laid her head flat as both princesses began to channel their magic into her. The window above became a solid black, and now the only light in the room was emitted from the horns of the regal sisters. Their magic flowed directly into Twilight’s body, fighting back the gloom with a furious glow of intermixed blue and orange. The robed pony began reciting an incantation in a language she couldn't understand, and her heart sank beneath the feelings of dread and unfamiliarity. Anxiety soon crippled her with fear and her body refused to move, petrified. Though the words uttered were foreign, the chant entranced her, and soon she began to feel the power of the celestial magic sweep throughout her body.
It felt energizing at first, but another feeling overtook it several moments later: pain. Twilight screeched out in horror as she wrenched her body in an attempt to quell the agony in some way. She barreled onto her stomach and gripped the edge of the altar with her forehooves, eyes clenched shut, teeth bared. The pain grew in intensity and she wanted to scream more, but her voice refused to oblige in that moment. As it peaked, ethereal wings ripped free from Twilight's back, her image distorting under the veil of the magic. Her voice suddenly freed itself, and she screamed as loud as her lungs could afford. Her mind filled itself with thoughts to distract her from the tearing, burning sensation of the new appendages, tears trickling down her eyes. Outside, Rainbow Dash jumped and winced as the harrowing cry pierced the thick stone doors and echoed down the empty corridor.
The pain slowly started to subside and the sensations of the magic began to warm and numb the pain in her back and wings. The feeling was almost pleasuring and she found herself relaxing and calming to it. After several more moments, she slipped into unconsciousness while the magic continued to course throughout her being, changing her.
***
Twilight awoke much later in the comfort of her own bed, a burning, sore sensation where her wings now appeared furled up and carefully wrapped in bandages. Standing before her were the robed pony and Princess Celestia, both watching her intently. She looked to her nightstand to see sunlight shining upon gauze and half-used containers of ointment covering it.
She sat up and winced, the pain eliciting a groan from her, and she rubbed her eyes clear of the blurry images from a dream already vanishing from memory. "When... How long was I asleep?" She followed up with a large yawn, the sound failing to faze her audience.
"The toll upon your body is great, and your body and mind have spent two weeks recovering from the process," answered Celestia first.
"You have successfully become an alicorn, Archmage Sparkle," informed the robed pony. "Congratulations."
Twilight choked briefly as she attempted to speak, only to find herself with a dry throat. Celestia readily levitated a glass of water to her and she downed it in one gulp. "The ritual can fail? What happens if it does?"
"It is possible to die from it. Though, it is extremely rare. Only those who have not attained the capacity of an archmage risk dying," said the robed pony casually. Twilight swallowed hard at being uninformed of that detail. "You are far above the necessary requirements, Twilight Sparkle," he added to quell her sinking heart. "You will require an extended period to rest, and you will be unable to use your magic to any significant degree. Take this period to acquaint yourself with your wings, and use all of the time you need to familiarize yourself with your body again," he added. Twilight gave him a confused look and he motioned to a large mirror.
Gritting her teeth as she climbed out of bed, Twilight moved to stand in front of the tall mirror with her wings slowly unfurling out. Each step, and her wings most of all, had felt extremely foreign. They didn't feel like they belonged to her, but rather, she felt like she was moving someone else's body entirely. The mirror reflected back the image of her coat, the natural purple having acquired an underlying, majestic boost in depth. It appeared more vibrant without losing its base color. After several moments, the noted detail seemed normal and lost among her appearance unless she focused on it.
Drifting at the ends, her mane and tail had begun to gain the floating property of the princess'. The color faintly rippled within and throughout itself. She blinked a few times before glancing twice to the robed pony. He was now shorter than her where he previously stood at the same height before the transformation. He coughed and motioned to her wings. She slowly stretched them out and attempted bending them, though they were much too sore to flap. Maybe I can race Rainbow Dash now, she thought, snickering at the idea.
"Do not attempt to use any of your new powers and simply rest," echoed the robed pony again.
Princess Luna entered the room as he finished speaking, her dark form lightening in the sunshine. "Ah, Twilight, it is good to see you've awoken. I know you must be eager and have many inquiries. Please be at ease for the time being, though. Speak your mind of any questions you may have of your ascension," she said as she moved to avoid the window light.
"Are you and Celestia both alicorns from these Rites?" she asked quickly. The sisters exchanged glances, prompting Twilight to flush, feeling abashed of the question.
"No, we are both natural," started Luna. "The ritual of ascension you have undergone is not the first and was created as a contingency for a back-up ruler in case of a conflict where an alicorn ruler, like ourselves, may perish. In other words, should Celestia and I fall, you would take our place and lead Equestria onward," she added casually.
Twilight curled her bottom lip and chewed on it while mulling the prospect of ruling. "Luna, I-I don't mean to sound u-ungrateful or anything, but"--she swallowed hard--"I'm not leadership material. I don’t want to r-rule Equestria," she stammered quickly.
Celestia chuckled and shook her head. "We have given you this power to prevent the fall of our kingdom--of us, I hope. These gifts can be taken away." She examined Twilight thoroughly before adding, "I don't think that's what you would want, though."
Twilight nodded. "I don't know what I'll think after all of this, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to succeed, Celestia. So, what does this new transformation mean for me?" she asked.
"You will be capable of erasing most of your presence at night, and blend in with the world in a more perfect method. At the same time, the sunlight can be used to increase your regeneration, both physically and magically. You have gained strong, permanent wings and your latent magical ability should have increased significantly. Eventually, telepathy with one of us is possible. Through training, you will become strong enough to end the war with the dragons in a controlled manner," Luna answered, a hint of eagerness laced in her voice.
"What about Rainbow Dash? What's her part in all of this if I'm the one that's becoming stronger?" Twilight glanced around, taking note of the knight's lack of presence.
Coughing into a hoof, Celestia answered. "She will undergo conditioning to assist you. Her role will be minor in comparison to yours, but she is not to be underestimated either. I'm hoping that she can retrieve the Brood's military plans and return in haste. The assassination is more crucial, however. That is why our blessing is necessary. A pegasus cannot become an alicorn like a unicorn, as they do not possess any magic to build upon already."
"That is the outline of the mission," intoned the robed pony, "and we will provide all of the details later. For now, you can prepare yourself mentally. The journey to the Imperial City of Draconis itself will be long, as traveling on the ground is more difficult to detect." Twilight began to wish Pinkie Pie would be the one to speak for him, the lack of enthusiasm in his voice seemingly dragging out everything he said.
"I've never been to Draconis. I heard the city is beautiful," said Twilight.
"The method of infiltration is left to you, Twilight Sparkle. Do not tarry to sightsee. You have the gift of teleportation, so your escape should not be an issue. But be warned, you are far from invincible. Do not allow your powers to go to your head," he added in the same, flat tone.
Twilight pawed at the floor to help her get through the explanations. "I understand. I'll learn my new limits in time, but are we really just going to complete this mission through study and training? Will anything else be provided to help us?"
The robed pony finally showed signs of life when he cracked a grin. "I am glad that you asked. You will be provided with the Holy Wand of Telos,"--Twilight loosed a loud gasp and straightened her posture--"a mythril artifact that you will utilize and bond with," he finished, his voice rising with an inflection.
"N-no way. That thing is real? I've only heard of it in legends!" Twilight blurted as she remembered its tale only in passing.
A powerful and enigmatic wizard, long before the alicorn sisters' rule, was heralded in ancient texts and stories as a hero. He had done great things in his time and helped the world. When he passed on suddenly, he left behind his mythical staff. It was said to hold the greatest magical capabilities and live much like its master did. Both him and his weapon are believed to be forever lost, circulating as only a myth.
Luna blinked several times and turned to Celestia sharply, her mane whipping with the movement. "Sister, are you absolutely sure we should give her such an artifact?"
"Have faith in Twilight. I trust her fully, and I would trust no other beyond this conversation to wield it. We must bolster her strength in any way we can," replied Celestia with a confident, soothing smile. "The mythical weapon of Telos. Indestructible, its shape can be manipulated into many forms. It rests in the natural state of a staff more powerful than any other, and it is capable of acting to the user's will. Yes, Twilight, the very one. You are to inherit it," she added softly.
Twilight stared at her, wide eyed, imagining what it looked like, what she could do, showing it off. But most of all, the thought that she could even confirm that it existed, let alone wield it, suddenly converted her into a well of excitement. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I get to wield it! Me! She began to grin and fidget in anticipation.
The chamber doors swung open silently, a draft of air sweeping through the room. Rainbow Dash entered clad in her unique knight's armor. The polished metal shined just bright enough to stand out, with intricate carvings across the breastplate and winged helm. Fastened to her back were a longsword and heater shield, equally as cared for. "Heya, Twi. I just heard you woke up, and everything went well. How're you feeling?" she asked in a cheerful tone.
With a groan she nodded to the knight. "Aside from my back and wings, I feel pretty good. It looks like we'll be training together for this. Have you told all of our friends?"
"No," she said with a defeated look. "We'll get to see them between our training, but..." she trailed off, looking up to the princesses.
"You cannot reveal this to anyone until after this is all over," Celestia finished sternly.
Twilight looked at the floor again, suddenly feeling isolated. "I understand, but how exactly can I hide... these?" she asked, looking back up and spreading her wings again.
With a silent, subtle movement, the robed pony procured a strange piece of black cloth from one of his sleeves. The color seemed to shift around and conform to the patterns of light that shined through the room. Twilight found herself gazing at it, its contrast to the surroundings becoming less apparent the longer she studied it.
"This piece of cloth is known as duskweave. It can absorb and reflect light, and perfectly shape itself to your body. This will be how you hide your wings. I'm sure you can fabricate an explanation as to the rest of your appearance changes. Everypony in the castle is sworn to secrecy and most will never even know of what you have become. You don't need to worry about your transformation leaving these halls. Should the dragons catch wind of our plan, and your existence as an alicorn, this plan could fail before it starts." His voice took on a heavy tone as he spoke on.
"I know," she replied. The mood became sullen at the sudden call for absolute secrecy. Lying to her friends wouldn't be too hard, but there was one pony in particular she couldn't lie to--one she wouldn't lie to.
"Lord Devon, may we begin the process of attunement now, or shall we wait until she has recovered more?" asked Celestia. Twilight shot them a confused look.
"It is of no tax to the new wielder. The quicker she becomes attuned, the quicker she can master its abilities," replied the robed pony, Devon, casually.
"Attuned?" asked Twilight, tilting her head to one side.
"Indeed. You must become attuned to Telos, and the duskweave, so to speak," he replied, tossing the mysterious piece of cloth to Twilight. "Put this on," he commanded.
Twilight furled her wings back up, bracing herself in pain, and unfolded the cloth with her magic. It was more than it appeared, seeming to fold into itself. After putting it on, it fit snug and secure to her form like a second skin, stretching as it needed to. It enshrouded her body allowing only her head, neck, tail, and her hooves to peak out when she was wearing all of it. She failed to notice one of its unusual effects.
"It's very comfortable, but I'm getting a strange feeling from it."
"Give it a moment longer," Devon encouraged.
The colors of the shroud shifted before becoming purple to match her coat. It gave an unusual sensation, as if her skin was faintly itchy. After a moment, her covered body matched her mane and tail again, appearing as though she had nothing covering her at all. The cloth over her wings hid them and made it appear as if nothing had ever been there. She looked like her typical unicorn self. Whoa, she thought, I'll need to research this.
"You will be able to blend in nearly to the point of invisibility in the veil of night, as Luna mentioned, though it requires this garment. You will be almost impossible to track, but close proximity and your magic could still allow you to be sensed and discovered, of course. Here, imagine your wings extending," he instructed.
Twilight focused on her new wings, the first thought being the distracting pain, and soon she reflexively spread them outward. "Huh?" she blurted out. Her wings had moved seamlessly through the cloth. She glanced at her body and they appeared natural and unhindered, no evidence of the duskweave restricting them at all.
"Do not be alarmed. It is merely a function of the cloth for your convenience. You will be unable to accidentally tear it. At your will your wings can unfurl and slip through the material, as can your mane and tail."
She spread and folded her wings several times, watching them in awe as they seemed to vanish from her back each time they came to rest at her side. How the hay is this possible? I really need to study this now.
"Now, for Telos itself," started Devon. "You may call to it by the name Telos when initially willing it. Commander Dash, if you will," he said, bowing to her.
Dash stepped outside for a moment and returned with an object wrapped in a white cloth. She unraveled it slowly, and Devon motioned to it with a hoof. As soon as the wrapping was undone, a large, platinum staff floated free, hovering just above the floor between everyone. It gleamed in the sunlight like a decorative showpiece, flawless creation and beautiful design reflecting back from their eyes. Affixed to the spire were pieces of metal that slowly floated around what appeared to be a prismatic crystal, sparkling with a single color briefly. Lavender. Twilight felt compelled to move closer to the staff as she gazed into the gem.
Devon cleared his throat and started, "Now, as you work to become its-"
"Come to me, Telos," Twilight commanded, entranced.
The staff immediately moved to the new alicorn, perching itself over her back without magical application, but not resting against her body. Twilight moved around the room and twisted and turned, but the staff remained inert on her back, always mimicking her movements seamlessly. With each stance she attempted the staff moved in a way that didn't impede or restrict her body.
"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Devon, his first real display of unrestrained emotion. A small grin appeared upon his face. "I never thought it would move to her so readily. Princess Celestia, what do you make of this?"
"It would seem by its own accord that Telos has chosen its new master. Twilight is a physical embodiment of magic, so it's only fitting," she said, smiling.
"Aside from the pain, I just realized I've been feeling really amazing since the Rites, as if I've become supercharged, but now..." muttered Twilight. She began to laugh out loud, shocking the others in the room. "This is... this is... hahaha... this exhilaration! This energy!" she rambled to herself, a sweeping force levitating her mane.
"*Ahem!*" alerted Luna loudly, snapping her out of her magical high.
Twilight cleared herself of the power intoxication the artifact brought. It felt like a second horn, but instead amplifying the feelings of magic coursing throughout her being.
"I-I'm... sorry," she apologized, reaching her normal calm. "I've never felt such a rush of... feeling before," she said sheepishly. “It feels alive, like it's a part of me, but still separate.” She found the feeling the staff invoked difficult to articulate.
"I assure you, it's not the first time such a thing has happened," consoled Celestia.
"Indeed, I suppose it is not," added Devon. "The staff is now, in a way, soul bound to you. Please, give its shapeshifting abilities a try. Will it into another form," he encouraged.
Twilight thought for a moment. Dragonslayer, she thought into it. The staff quietly morphed into a gigantic greatsword larger than even a weapon of Celestia’s large frame would seem capable of wielding. It remained as light as the idle state and retained its signature platinum shine on the blade. With another thought, it returned back into its staff form.
"Never forget its abilities and continue to train yourself to use it independently. Imprint your soul into it and you will link together allowing it to move seamlessly in tandem with your thoughts. As long as it is with you, your magic will be amplified by it," Devon explained.
"Be at ease for now, Twilight. There are many trials and tribulations ahead of you. Perhaps you may visit your friends in Ponyville tomorrow if you are feeling up to it," suggested Luna, casting a warming smile.
"Thank you, but I think I'll just spend some time in the courtyard for now. I have a lot to think about," she mused.
"Call upon us if you have any more questions," added Celestia.
Everyone began to file out of the room, and Rainbow Dash followed Twilight to the main royal courtyard. Twilight sat on the grass in the warmth of the sun and Telos floated from her back and stood in front of her. The magical pieces of the spire continued to quietly gyrate around it.
Dash broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "We can't even tell our friends about any of this," she said softly. "But... It's for their own protection, and when we go see them tomorrow you've gotta hide your new wings and we have to lie to them about what's really happening,” she lamented. “...This is gonna suck," she added, at last relaxing to her usual, candid demeanor.
"Yes but maybe--some day--they will understand and thank us. Some will call us heroes. Still, I have something else on my mind," replied Twilight, glancing up to the open sky.
"That promise must mean a lot, huh?" asked Dash.
"Just for right now, you could say it’s something like that," Twilight responded without looking away.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash returned to Ponyville after a week of rest, eager to join their friends for some relaxation. Twilight had opted to take extra time to recover from the ritual, finding herself drained even after the first few days. The pair had previously visited as often as they could, but now the capacity for honesty amongst them had been diminished. Despite the secrecy, they didn't need to lie unless they were asked about any of their new work, but they both loathed the idea of it.
They flew silently to Ponyville, landing off in the distance beyond sight where Twilight could be seen in the air. Her control over her duskweave hadn't yet culminated to using it without requiring great focus, losing the illusion properties once distracted; however, hiding her wings had become second nature in the short amount of time she had the garment.
Dash joined her in casual but proud attire. She wore a small, red sash adorned with some of her honors while Twilight brought Telos and wore her traditional sorceress's cloak over the duskweave. They aimed to appear as normal as possible to their friends, taking care to avoid the unwanted questions. The usual cheerful atmosphere of Ponyville seemed to be subdued to them as they entered the town.
"Oh-my-Celestia! Dashie and Twilight are back!" cried Pinkie Pie as they entered the town square on hoof, Rarity trailing just after the party pony. Pinkie dived at Dash, the knight catching her in a big hug and twirling around gracefully as she squeezed her tight.
"It's good to see you, too, Pinkie Pie," exclaimed Dash, relinquishing the embrace and giving her a welcoming smile.
"Oh, how lovely it is to see you again, Twilight. I hear you’re quite the busy archmage in the royal court these days. Why don't you tell me all about it," Rarity chimed in as she approached her friends.
Twilight offered a nervous laugh. Well, I don't have to tell her everything, she thought. "Well, the princesses have given me much to be thankful for, namely their wisdom. And even though I'm a member of the Royal Court of Magi, that's really a bit of a stretch most days. Celestia usually assigns me missions herself, so I don’t interact with the other archmagi too much. Enough about that, though. I’m here to visit all of my friends," she explained, removing her cowl and beaming.
Rarity's eyes followed the design of the cloak up and down, her eyebrows bowing slightly as she scanned it. "Really now, Twilight. I could spruce that old thing up for you, add a little more flair to it," she said, pointing at the cloak's lack of detail among the cowl and around the royal crest.
Twilight looked at it for a moment, imagining all of the potential designs. Her mind wandered back to the invisible rune within Trixie's cloak. "I think that'd be great. I guess it could use some decorating," she said while giggling and ruffling an edge of it.
Twilight glanced around and noticed that they were the only two friends ready to greet them. The town's liveliness failed to wane with the presence of an archmage this time, and ponies began to make their way over to them, but none of their immediate friends were among them.
"Hey, Rarity, where is everypony else? I sent word to Applejack we would be coming, but even she isn't here," asked Dash as she glanced around, frowning in disappointment.
By now, many of the ponies out and about in the square had begun to gather around them. Pinkie Pie had cleared the misconceptions of the archmagi since her initial visit after becoming one, and they were now revered among the residents. Though from Canterlot and Cloudsdale respectively, they were widely accepted as residents of the happy earth pony town as well.
"Hello, everypony," Twilight greeted to the crowd. "It's just a personal visit, so I hope you don't mind." She bowed down graciously, but quickly pulled herself back up when she realized her height difference might become more noticeable. The crowd all waved and greeted, some shaking their hooves out of respect or fan affection.
"Where are Applejack and Fluttershy? They should've been here by now." Twilight peered through the crowd again, hoping they were just stuck waiting by the edge of the crowd.
"They're waiting for you two at Sugarcube Corner, silly. Where else?" said Pinkie.
Dash chuckled and placed a hoof on her head. "Hah, I should've known you'd throw a party for us."
"Come dears. Let us join them," added Rarity as she led the way to the happy bakery.
Inside were all of their friends with what was to originally be a surprise party. The place had already been decorated despite Dash and Twilight's record travel time from Canterlot, to which they were glad no one had bothered to question. Games were already being played with happy music blaring up from the background. Even karaoke was setup with an enthusiastic colt singing his off-key rendition of a famous pop song.
"Well, if it ain't our old pals. Heya there Rainbow, Twi," started Applejack, throwing the latter a playful jab to the ribs. Twilight winced and shuddered slightly, doing her best not to show that she was still painfully sensitive.
With a quick, distracting cough, she returned the jab. "It's good to see you too, AJ. How are Apple Bloom and the Sweet Apple Acres?" she asked.
"Well, yah know it’s been alright, even since Granny Smith passed on--bless her soul. Apple Bloom is growin’ up to be mighty strong like her big sis. She's out playin' with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She's got that spirit, yah know," she said. "Big Mac's still the same old Big Mac. Stallion of few words." Applejack rolled her eyes at reminiscing about her brother's lack of loquacity.
"I'm glad you're doing fine. What about you, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked next, turning to the pegasus and almost flinching her.
"Oh, me? Um, I run the local animal shelter now. Really, it's so wonderful taking care of all the cute little critters there. It's always so peaceful and fun," she said, gushing in her soft tone.
Twilight and Dash exchanged glances, both sharing the same pained thought. She's going to be devastated... Animals and forestry would not last long beneath the flame of an overzealous dragon's breath.
"So Rarity, how's your business doing these days?" asked Dash to keep the conversation going.
"Oh, it's been stellar. I've expanded further and my designs are very popular. My name is now a house design to ask for in Canterlot!" She clasped her face in her hooves, trying not to squeal. "It's almost too good to be true," she added with subdued glee, daydreaming of the fame outside of Ponyville.
"What about you, Pinkie?"
"Oh c'mon, you girls know me! Same old, Pinkie Pie. You I'm never gonna change!" she chirped.
I hope... thought Dash, maintaining a matching grin to Pinkie's endless cheerfulness.
Rarity coughed and began in a hushed voice, "You know, Twilight, your apprentice has been patiently awaiting your next reunion. Perhaps you should speak to her once she arrives herself."
Twilight smacked her head and groaned. "Ohhhh, I completely forgot. I've been so busy lately and she hasn't even come back Canterlot since her last assignment. I'm so sorry, I'll bring her with me when we go back. She’s going to be so upset with me...”
"Oh, my. Speak of the mare now," said Rarity, pointing to the door and giggling.
"Master Sparkle!" cried Trixie in an excited voice as she charged to Twilight. The magician leaped the last stretch of distance, tackling her. Twilight loosed a sharp groan, this time unable to hide the sudden burst of pain.
"A hello would've been just fine my faithful student," she grinded out as she rubbed at a hidden wing. Trixie rose to her hooves first and helped her master to her own.
"I'm sorry, but it's been so long. I've missed you oh so much," she said, lowering her voice as she spoke, and squeezing more pain into Twilight with an affectionate hug.
"I'm sorry for being away. We have lot to discuss, but all of that is for later. Now... let... me... go... please,” she squeaked before her student relinquished her mighty embrace. “Let's just enjoy ourselves today," she added with a gasp of air, and smiling towards some dancing ponies. She discarded her cloak and placed it upon a nearby rack, pausing to breathe out in relief.
"Oooh... I'd love to dance with you," Trixie whispered into her ear, moving to nibble on the end as she finished.
Twilight blushed hard, quickly looking around to see her friends encouraging and cheering the magician's flirty behavior on. "A-Alright, Trixie. I'm on a bit of a vacation, so let’s party as hard as we can," replied Twilight with a bashful grin. Pinkie Pie jumped and cheered in delight at the idea.
"Alright!" Trixie quickly pulled Twilight to the dance floor, and the alicorn was forced to leave her staff and garment with Dash. "I heard you're going to be training again. Please take it easy and don't overdo it," she said, "or involve Rainbow Dash and I in some kind of social experiment again," she added in a serious tone with a frown.
Twilight offered her an embarrassed laugh. "Is my Great and Powerful student concerned for me?" she asked playfully, steering the subject away from anything that might dampen the mood.
"Yes," she replied with a pout. "I really do worry about you, you know..." she added with a concerned look.
"I know," whispered Twilight, leaning closer, "and I worry about you, too," she added, leaning in for a kiss.
The magician closed her eyes and returned the kiss. This doesn't make up for the Everfree Forest. You still owe me for that, she thought, a sly smirk spreading as the two parted lips and joined hooves.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 9: Legacy of Grace
Books danced in the air within the cocoon of Trixie's distinct blue telekinetic aura. She waved her hooves in a comical, emphatic manner while recounting her actions during the lonely down time in Ponyville. The apprentice enjoyed continuing her magic shows as a hobby now, rather than as a career path. Twilight smiled and nodded, enjoying the spirit of the display, always happy to assist her when they were together. As the night developed, she found herself ready to slip into the serious discussion she needed, even if Trixie's antics brought never-ending waves of pride and joy.
Trixie moved and shuffled her props around quickly and excitedly, unable to suppress her enthusiasm around her master. "...And then it was like,"--she clacked two of the books together--"and that was my grand finale!" she finished, and having all of the books spring open and flutter their pages simultaneously.
Twilight gave a cheerful clap, but inwardly cringed at the lack of care given to the reading material used. "Your magic shows are always the best, Trixie, and seem to grow in skill and elegance every time you do them. I'm happy you enjoy being such a devoted member of Ponyville's community now. I don't think it'll be that long before you're inducted into the royal court as an archmage yourself," replied Twilight while adding a boastful grin.
Trixie's ears perked up and her heart skipped a beat to the idea. Her stage name was still the more popular moniker for her, but Archmage sounded just as good for a new one. The weight of the title came bearing down upon her as she recalled how much more powerful and wise Twilight was when she received hers. The bitter memories that flowed back seemed like a silly anecdote to her now.
Drawing in a deep breath to collect herself, Trixie sat down and blushed while staring at her master. "Do... Do you really think I could?" she asked in wonder.
Twilight snatched the magician in her magic and pulled her into a hug, adding a gentle noogie with it. "Of course I do! You're my student and my recommendation has a lot of pull in the royal court. I know it won't be that long before you're ready, if you're not already," she said.
"Ohhh, I can't wait! Then I could be with you even more," Trixie squealed, daydreaming at the thought. "Wait," she said, stopping and blinking. She looked up to Twilight with curious eyes. "Won't I have to take on my own student?"
Twilight snickered and released her embrace. "Actually, no. It's completely optional. Celestia suggested I should do it and I thought it'd be a great opportunity to see you again, and..." Twilight blushed. "Well, you know. It couldn't have gone much better than I'd hoped."
Trixie giggled, then the shine of Telos caught her attention and she craned her neck to view the object. "Hey, you've been carrying that thing around for a while now. Is that a new staff?" she asked while pointing to it.
"This? Oh..." Twilight trailed off. This isn't too important to the mission, and I want... Hmm, why not? she thought.
"Trixie, allow me to introduce you--this is... Telos," she said as the staff moved to her and slowly rotated for a full inspection.
The magician's expression immediately lit up as she noticed Twilight's horn not emitting any magic. That design, the way it moves! All of the books she was levitating snapped shut and fell into a messy stack on a nearby table. "N-no way! That’s theHoly Wand of Telos? It’s actually real?" she cried in awe. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe my master is the master of Telos!" she continued to gush.
"Yes, it is. It's a gift for my... um... uh..." Twilight's eyes darted around the room as she attempted to come up with a reasonable explanation, "status," she finished with a doubtful sigh. "Perhaps some day it could even be yours," she mused aloud. The staff immediately transformed into a wand and sprinkled magical dust on top of Trixie that trickled down and disappeared in a small poof. Trixie squealed in delight at the demonstration nodding to her cutie mark. Telos resumed its inert appearance when it finished.
"Wow, that's amazing! What else can it do? I've only heard stories about it. Well, there are only stories to hear about it." Twilight found the magician to be overwhelmingly adorable to watch when she was excited about something, and she enjoyed the extra attention she now received, a playful smirk running across her lips.
"The wielder can will it into many forms and it will move on its own, without the help of magic, but it takes a lot of focus. That's enough for now, though," she said. "I have to bring up a more serious topic," she added. Her voice became much lower, hanging in the air just above a whisper. "Trixie, I know you will keep a secret for me, or for the good of all of Equestria. As such, I have asked Celestia and Luna for permission to reveal to you what is going to happen over the next few years," she explained, her words bringing a heavy atmosphere into the room. Trixie began to fidget, nervous at the sudden change in her master's demeanor.
Twilight stood up and Telos swiftly returned to her back. Her eyes closed, following with it a frightening calm. She opened her wings slowly through the melded duskweave. Trixie's eyes widened and she gasped, words escaping beyond her thoughts. She could only stare as the large wings spread from seemingly nowhere and expanded to match the wingspan of the princesses. Twilight turned to stare sadly at the stack of books on the table before continuing.
"In the next few years, the dragons are expected to declare war and attempt to overtake Equestria. I have... ascended into an alicorn and have been tasked, along with Rainbow Dash, to help stop this war as quickly as possible in a surgical strike. Telos was given to me to help with this, and I will be spending those next few years with Rainbow training in Canterlot. What I have shown you--my new body, my weapon--none of it, along with what I have said tonight, is to ever leave this conversation. Do you understand?" Twilight asked with a forced, hushed voice, turning to gaze into Trixie's shocked eyes.
The magician scanned her master's body several times during the long silence, processing all that she had just learned. "I... I... understand," she said finally, a meek voice being all she could muster.
Twilight's ears folded back and she placed a hoof on the magician's shoulder. "I know that this is so much to tell you all at once and I'm sorry for that. All of this was laid on me only just recently, and I'm still recovering from the ascension process. I came to visit my friends in Ponyville as well as to relax and finish resting up. However, I want you to come with me back to Canterlot permanently. I want you by my side through all of this..." she said, her tone almost begging the magician.
"Of course I'll come with you," exclaimed Trixie without a second thought. "Who do you think you're asking?"
"Please, Trixie, think this over. It's not going to be easy, and you can leave at any time you feel overwhelmed by any of it," whispered Twilight, moving closer to her.
Trixie could feel her breath on her face, and suddenly looked up with a confused expression. "Hey, did you get taller?" she asked while attempting to release some of the tension in the air.
"Yes, it’s from the transformation," Twilight answered swiftly.
There was long pause of silence as both mares thought. Twilight eyed Trixie up and down as she waited for an answer. Trixie stared into her eyes, already knowing what her heart wanted. Nothing would hold her back.
"I will follow you to the end of the world, Twilight Sparkle," she whispered back, a grin forming on her lips.
Twilight embraced Trixie once more and returned the gesture. "Friendship may be magic, but I’m sure love is something else entirely," she whispered into her ear through a smile. She wrapped her wings around her before Trixie nuzzled into the crook of her neck.
"Ah, you've returned, my faithful knight," greeted Celestia to the arrival of Rainbow Dash, a powerful gale flowing into the castle behind her as she landed in a central corridor.
Dash nodded and saluted. "Thank you Princess, and thank you again for letting us have some time off to visit friends and family. It was nice to get to spend some time with them, especially with Scootaloo," she responded.
Twilight flashed into the castle several minutes later holding Trixie as she stood on her hind legs. Setting her down gently, she returned to a casual stance and her cloak dropped down to cover most her body again. The height difference between them was slightly more noticeable as Twilight bore a proud stance.
"Sorry, we're late, Celestia. I've brought along another companion to join us, as I've requested as well," she said. Dash cocked an eyebrow to her.
"But I thought you said-"
"Casual appearance, Rainbow," the archmage interrupted.
"Don't worry about it. You've succeeded in convincing your protégé to come along after all, I see," said Celestia as she examined Trixie carefully. The magician brought her cape and hat and smiled back meekly, trying to maintain a worthy composure.
"H-Hello, Your Majesty," she said nervously, fastidiously adjusting her hat to perfection.
Celestia chuckled. "At ease, young apprentice. There is no need for formalities here. For example, has our new Princess, Twilight Sparkle, briefed you as to what is to come?” she asked teasingly.
Trixie snorted and Twilight gasped and blushed. "Uh, Celestia. I sort of left that stuff out..." she said in a hushed voice.
"Wait, so you're a princess now?" blurted out Trixie confusedly.
Twilight waved her forelegs in protest to the notion. "Shhh. No. Well... Technically yes, but still no. It's just because I'm an... alicorn now," she whispered. "And this mission is important, so they want to give me all of the privileges of one."
Trixie couldn't contain herself again and giggled. "Oh, so my master is that much more amazing," she teased, clasping her face with her front hooves and leaning against the faux princess.
Celestia cleared her throat loudly to get the attention of all three. "Yes, well. Twilight. While your training will exceed Trixie's maximum potential, you have all of the wisdom to train her in your hoofsteps as an archmage. She will follow along as best she can with you and Knight Dash. Come, Lord Devon is awaiting you three in the courtyard." The sun princess motioned for them to follow.
“Hey, who’s Lord Devon?” whispered Trixie, holding a foreleg to one side of her mouth as she spoke.
Twilight loosed an aggravated groan. “I’ll let you know if I ever find that out myself." Trixie raised an eyebrow as she followed along, replying with a confused, "What?"
The trio strode through the castle to a more privatized courtyard within. It wasn't something often seen in a typical tour, most of its usage coming from officials and noble scholars wishing for a place for private study or peaceful meditation. The stone path cut to an open area with well-tended grass. As they arrived, Celestia bowed and departed to attend to her regal duties, chuckling to herself as she left them with the mysterious Devon. He stood as still as a statue with his back to them, enshrouded from head to hoof with a sandy robe, and the magical book chained once more to his side.
"Greetings. Shall we begin?" he asked without turning.
Dash rolled her eyes and Trixie raised an eyebrow when Twilight bowed. "Yes, Lord Devon. We're ready," Twilight said respectfully, straightening her posture.
Devon turned to speak to them directly this time. "Very well then. You will practice wielding Telos as you would any other staff. I want you to utilize it to exhaust yourself and understand the drain of the Great Magic you will use. Below Canterlot and to the north are empty fields. Flash freeze the land and then defrost it without damaging the plant life. Teleport there and begin at once. I will watch over you and intervene should you lose control your abilities." His voice seemed faintly concerned as his eyes shifted between the three ponies.
"As for Apprentice Lulamoon and Commander Dash, they will remain here in the meantime and meditate in this courtyard," he stated.
With another bow Twilight vanished within a small flash of light. Dash's face reflected her disappointment while Trixie showed a bit more enthusiasm, and a tinge of confusion.
The pegasus loosed a loud groan. "Really? Meditation? C'mon, that's so boring! What else could I possibly want to spend my afternoon doing?" Dash blurted sarcastically, earning a glare from Devon.
"Um, ok. But what exactly are we meditating on?" asked Trixie. "Unicorns usually have a focal point when meditating."
Devon's expression shifted to a small smile. "Indeed they do. Focus on expansion and nature. You are to feel and synchronize with the world around you, and find a calm within that. Trixie, your magic will allow you to directly interact with the natural world around you. Gather in the energy within the life here. It will be an unusual experience, but I will know when you have accomplished this when the grass begins to react. Lie down," he said while motioning with a hoof.
Dash folded her forelegs across her chest while Trixie laid down on the soft grass, shuffling into comfort and closing her eyes. She let her mind wander freely to distracting thoughts, slowly tuning out the rest of the world in that moment. She could feel nothing new or different at first, until she began focusing on the warmth of the sun upon her body. Soon she began to feel... Green? Huh? she wondered. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by the sensations of many things at once. She could feel the grass around her bending to every tiny sweep of wind or draft, or the heat upon all of them receiving the sun's radiance at once. Every new feeling that joined came with the same intensity as the last. The feelings soon began to suffocate her mind and she broke the meditation with a start, jumping and gasping for air.
Devon smirked at her. "You truly are an archmage's apprentice. It usually takes much longer for unicorns to interact with the nature around them," he said, motioning to a few newly blooming flowers around her.
"That... was... incredible," panted Trixie. She looked around in awe and noticed the flowers that began to poke through the grass were perfectly encircling her. That nature-lover Fluttershy would really envy something like this.
"Keep at it. In time, you will learn to sense more than just the grass around you. This is an ability that takes years for most to fully develop, but it also increases your magical capacity and spell focus. Find that attunement to nature and maintain its calm, and do not lose yourself to the feelings of everything. Control them, understand them, but do not attempt to breathe life into the world," he said with a cautious inflection.
"I made the flowers bloom, didn't I? Why shouldn't I try to grow a garden or something?"
Devon's eyes lowered and he began in a heavier tone. "Look again." He motioned to the flowers having receded back into the earth. "Creation or restoration of life is not something that can be forced. In theory, it is possible, but the amount of magic necessary is implausibly irresponsible at best, catastrophically dangerous at worst."
"And I have to do the same thing as her? She said that was for unicorns," chimed Dash disdainfully.
"Your meditation goal is for a similar calm. You are brash and hotheaded, yet you are a great flier, better than many seen in a long time-"
"Wait a minute! Just how old are you?" interrupted the knight, crossing her forelegs across her chest.
"That is irrelevant," replied Devon impatiently. "Now, lie down and focus yourself. I want you to build upon your instincts. For example, imagine yourself flying within your mind. The crisp air against your face, the wind beneath your wings. You will learn to maneuver with skill and precision, even under extreme stress. But this is still training of the mind," he explained with slight doubt.
"Fine, fine," Dash grumbled, pushing her hooves outward. She laid down and closed her eyes, her search to find her inner calm beginning without a real sense of direction. This is going to be such a pain, she thought to herself.
After settling into the grass and getting comfortable, she began to daydream. Her mind wandered to blissful memories, like achieving her fillyhood dream of flying with the Wonderbolts, only she wasn't a filly anymore. Eventually, Celestia herself picked her to serve the kingdom as an elite soldier, with some help from her friends. She began to imagine flying at high speeds, performing all of her tricks and signature Sonic Rainboom. Lastly, she imagined flying around trees and racing through a forest, snaking between every trunk she could at high speeds with someone she cherished more than anything else in the world. Try to keep up! they teased.
"Hey... hey! Wake up! This isn't a time for napping, it's for meditating!" barked Devon as he smacked Dash awake.
The pegasus shook her head and batted the hoof away, groaning and rubbing the side of her face. "But I was meditating! What the hay, man!?" she yelled back, wiping drool from her mouth.
"I'll be assisting you this time since it's significantly more difficult for pegasi to meditate on a whim," he said before placing his hooves on her forehead. "Lie down and try to relax once more."
She laid back down while he sat beside her, his hooves remaining in place. He began to channel magic through her, a quiet buzz moving through her head, and she went silent with the calm that washed over her. Everything seemed as if it were engulfed in darkness, but every part of her body felt as free in it as she did when she took to the open skies. After a few moments of wandering, the world opened up to a new light and atmosphere. She had gained perfect control over the vividness of her imagination.
A large flash of light boomed in the northern fields below Canterlot, a gust of air sweeping the grass outward from its point of origin. Twilight appeared and stepped away from the transfer point, exhaling loudly, then taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Telos orbited her as she strode further towards a center distance between Canterlot's mountain and the far edge of the empty field. The white staff shined in contrast to the alicorn's dark, ominous attire, and her lonely presence itself stood out of place among the sea of green. Flash freezing is easy enough. But thawing without damaging the flora... It can't be that hard... Twilight gulped, peering around. Can it?
Twilight's horn began with a furious glow, and Telos raised above the ground in front of her. The gem within the spire began to emit a deep blue and the force of the energy it channeled ruffled her cloak. The grass bent to an invisible stream of wind as the energy culminated into a spell.
Telos came slamming down to the ground. "SHIVA!" called out Twilight, and the ground froze instantly from beneath the staff, spreading outward in an expanding nova that coated all of the earth around. The spell cut through the surface and penetrated into the ground creating an icy permafrost. Twilight glanced around to the now-stilled fields in awe. So this is the power of Telos. It looks like I went overboard. She walked around slowly, the frozen grass crunching and breaking in the wake of distracted hoofsteps. A vague picture of a pony;s head had been lightly imprinted into the frost by the spell itself. The sudden freezing brought forth a drastic temperature change and the alicorn found herself shivering as a wandering gust swept through. She pulled her cloak down and against the wind, her teeth beginning to chatter.
How do I defrost this without destroying the land? Celestia could do that with the sun and enough time... Hmm. That gives me an idea...
She stopped and Telos rose much higher than before, remaining at the epicenter of where the frost began. With a thought, it began to glow orange and the temperature around rapidly escalated to a sweltering heat. The ice quickly began to melt, but the frozen plants were wilting the moment the layer of ice vanished. Come on... Lower the heat... she thought, shifting her efforts into gating the powerful amplification of Telos with delicate precision. The plants stopped wilting as the ice melted away from them. Success! she cheered inwardly, unknowingly beaming. The field returned with only mild loss of plant life. She breathed out in relief as the staff went silent and returned to her back.
Clapping rang up from behind the alicorn and she jumped, turning around quickly to see who could've arrived at the field without her knowledge. "Most impressive. You possess an extreme aptitude for magic, but your goal was to flash freeze it, and then flash thaw it," Devon said with a placid expression and even tone.
"I didn't even sense you," remarked Twilight in disbelief. "You're quite skilled for somepony I've never met... or heard of. Tell me, just who are you exactly?"
"Who I am is of no concern to you. I am to train you for your impending mission and nothing more." Devon coughed and adjusted the chain around his neck. "It seems you have a grasp on your new powers already, however weak it may be. An impressive shift in control to go along with manipulating the climate of a large area temporarily. Such work would not be so easily possible without Telos or your alicorn traits. Come, your student also has a high aptitude for nature as well." Devon motioned for her with a hoof and smiled.
Twilight stepped closer to him and teleported them both back to the private courtyard in Canterlot. The flash of light failed to startle the two ponies lying on the grass. Dash and Trixie were idly meditating when they returned. They each opened their eyes to calmly greet them.
"Well that was fast," said Dash with genuine surprise.
"That's a pretty interesting compliment coming from you," mocked Twilight, earning raspberries from the knight.
"Yeah, I have a feeling I'm going to be saying it a lot..." Dash mused aloud.
"Hey, Twilight! I never knew there was this magic where you could feel nature and communicate with it all around you," said Trixie, still mystified by her experiences. Twilight's brow arched as she studied her apprentice's face.
"Communication with nature is a rarely developed skill and most unicorns are never able to perform anything beyond a simple touch," explained Devon.
"Am I right to assume I will learn it as well?" asked Twilight.
Devon nodded and pointed next to Trixie. "Yes, yes. Go and join your apprentice. With her having a head start, I wonder who will be able to utilize it first," he pondered.
Twilight pursed her bottom lip before laying next to Trixie. Dash stood up and backed away to watch. Twilight's body emanated a faint green aura and the flowers from Trixie's interaction began to flourish once more beside ones surrounding Twilight herself.
"There are... 327 guards, 72 faculty--excluding us, and of course, the princesses," she said with her eyes closed. "I can feel... so much," she added with awe. The drain on her magic reserves was staggering. Scrying all of the castle personnel at once on her first attempt took excessive amounts of effort.
"Wow~! You never told me about any of this, Twilight," exclaimed Trixie, breaking her concentration.
Twilight opened her eyes and began panting, a few droplets of sweat running down the side of her face. "That's... the first time... I've ever done... anything like this," she managed confusedly between large breaths of air.
"I believe Telos and your alicorn traits are to thank for that. It would seem they've given you an alignment with the natural world." Devon smiled as he studied the grass. "It would also appear that we can skip that part of your training--for now."
"Can we take a break? I'd like to stretch my wings a bit, and maybe race Rainbow Dash," asked Twilight. Dash's ears immediately perked up to the idea, and she smirked.
Standing up and placing her forehooves to her hips, the pegasus stared at the alicorn with pride. "You think you can beat the Rainbow Dash in a race?" Twilight laughed and Trixie snorted.
"What better way to test them out than a race? But first, you must disguise yourself to the prying eyes of the world," said Devon. "We can't have a new alicorn suddenly appearing from Canterlot."
With a nod, Twilight's body color began to shift into a white, complete with a mark from the royal guard. The duskweave finished the transformation with the help of her magic and she appeared as a bleached pegasus, complete with a blue mane and tail. The new lightness of her horn would be difficult to see in the distance during the day, effectively becoming invisible.
"Let's go, Rainbow." Telos, watch over my student, she thought. The staff laid down beside Trixie as her master took to the air, her large white wings appearing as angelic as Celestia's.
"Alright, first one to Ponyville and back wins," yelled Dash as she accelerated up and away.
With a deep breath, Twilight raced after her, her wings beating hard to catch up. Flying at maximum speed felt unusual, but she was surprised she could initially keep up with Dash's restrained speed. The frequent flier caught her in a glance and sped up, though, and the alicorn began trailing behind several hundred yards by the time the pegasus reached Ponyville. Dash was taking the race as serious as any other and pushing her limits with her armor on. Twilight began to draft her as best as she could, but on the return trip, she ultimately fell too far behind to make any use of the technique.
The knight landed hard and skidded along an outdoor stone path at the castle. "Aww, yeah! Still the best flier in all of Equestria," she declared triumphantly, striking a pose.
Twilight dropped in behind her, panting and wiping sweat from her brow. "Even with your armor on you're still much faster than me with just a cloak." She took in deep breaths and exhaled slowly, closing her eyes and sucking in the cool air through her nose. "Thank you, Rainbow," she said as she shrugged a little. Her wings furled back up and disappeared within her coat as it returned to its vibrant purple.
They returned to the courtyard to find Trixie had continued meditating again, a few more flowers blooming in the ring around her. Several sweat drops ran down her face, but she kept her shut tight.
"Telos can amplify any user's magic, if you allow it. It seems that your student has tapped into its latent abilities somewhat," Devon said to Twilight.
"I feel... some of them. The ponies in the castle, just like Twilight did. This is... unbelievable," breathed the unicorn in astonishment. Telos boosted her abilities like a generator into accomplishing a much weaker sense of the world around her. Without the natural talent and new traits her master possessed, she could do no more.
Twilight laid down and began to feel out the world again. She was able to do so, even without Telos's assistance, but the feeling was fainter. She could sense everything as small glimmers within her mind, each radiating dependent on how powerful their presence was. Unicorns appeared much brighter than earth ponies and pegasi, with the princesses shining as bright as her first attempt; however, the drain on her magic without the help of Telos forced her to stop.
"Your magical capacity is far beyond that of any normal unicorn now. Do not feel so surprised when it runs dry, though," said Devon. "Here," he said, disconnecting the chain around his neck and taking the book in his hooves. "Some homework for you and your apprentice." He passed the book to Twilight who took it in her magic. "I'm sure two ponies such as yourselves will enjoy the knowledge within. Study it well and you will accomplish many great things. Let us retire for today. I believe you have made much progress for a single session already."
Twilight stared at the book, as if it was the gateway to a new dimension of magical enlightenment. An absentminded hoof slid across the cover, its perfect creation and enigmatic presence inciting feelings of wonder and awe. Devon stepped to her and placed a hoof over the cover, snapping the alicorn out of her trance. "Knowledge is power, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon. Do not abuse it." The alicorn and unicorn exchanged nervous glances.
The trio of students split up for the rest of the day, the knight resigning herself to other obligations while the magical ponies returned to their chambers. Twilight's luxurious room had been outfitted with everything the princesses had. Trixie insisted that she share a room with Twilight, despite being offered a quality one for herself as an archmage's apprentice previously. Celestia was kind enough to oblige and upgraded Twilight's to accommodate the additional unicorn's preferences and needs.
The door to the chambers silently swung open to a meticulously organized room. Eager to study the mysterious tome, both mares plopped onto the bed and began scanning through its contents as soon as they were settled in. Trixie lazily tossed her hat and cape onto the floor, much to Twilight's chagrin, and she magically hung all of their garments onto a rack.
They poured their focus into the pages, quickly finding interest in the varied topics. The cover read, Gifts of the Cosmos, and delved into unusual and advanced levels of magic, some neither had ever even heard of before. Concepts like theories of natural interaction, Holy magic, alicorn powers and traits, and spell combinations were the first to be noticed. It was the codex for any master mage to study through and through. Twilight marveled at what the book might actually contain, ready to learn.
"Wow, we're really going to be learning all of this stuff?" asked Trixie in disbelief.
"Maybe not all, but I'm definitely interested in the Holy magic. The power to heal..." she mumbled aloud.
"What about your teleportation ability? You're the only unicorn--now an alicorn--that I know of that could. Is there any information on that?" asked Trixie, her eyes trailing from the book, and then down Twilight's body.
"I don't know if that's something that can be taught. I don’t see it mentioned anywhere in here, and Devon made it sound like it was a rare innate skill. It's not going to be very helpful, though. I can’t teleport anywhere far that I haven’t already been to. The mission is going to take us to the Brood’s territory and we’ll be hoofing it. I've never seen it and a picture won't work," replied Twilight, slightly agitated at the sudden limitations of her gift.
Telos propped up beside the bed and provided light for them to read. The book's concepts and theses presented were difficult to understand at first, but they continued to read further along. Twilight started to absorb the fundamentals while Trixie attempted to understand them by bouncing questions off of Twilight. The cosmic magicks Celestia and Luna used to control the sun and moon were mentioned, though it said the ability was natural and could not be taught through any normal means. Normal means, huh? Does that mean it's still possible? With this book, I bet anything here is possible.
The better part of the night was spent perusing the Holy magic section. Twilight resolved to study it as hard as she could, the abilities themselves requiring copious amounts of magic to utilize. Unfortunately for her, she needed to understand the ability to combine elements seamlessly to realize the usage of them. The two mares spent the night studying and giving first attempts at the basics--or in their case, master-level techniques. Neither could come close to achieving any of the goals during the first night.
"Arise, young ladies, for it is the morning," said Luna to the sleeping mares with a cheerful tone.
Twilight fell asleep drooling on the book with Trixie laying over, and drooling on, her. Telos was idle across the bed beside them, no longer emitting any light. The voice cut through their dreams and they began to stir and awaken. With some yawning and moan-filled stretching, the pair of mares opened their eyes to Luna pulling back the curtains, glorious sunlight washing over the room. The new light was quickly deemed unwelcome by the refreshed eyes, and they groaned and raised their hooves over their faces.
"Oh, man. I haven't studied until I've crashed in months," Twilight muttered as she wiped her mouth.
Trixie took a bit longer to respond, standing and swaying as she yawned several more times. "That's," she started while magically reaching for a mane brush, "a pretty cool book. I guess we owe Devon one." She seized the brush as it wobbled in the air and pulled it to her, but Twilight's magic overtook it, prying it from her grasp and she set to brushing her mane and tail first, the magician frowning as she was forced to wait her turn.
"Come. Breakfast has already been prepared. There is also a matter that requires Apprentice Lulamoon's attention. I believe she will be most intrigued," said Luna as she wandered out of the room.
The pair exchanged confused glances. Trixie snatched the brush from Twilight's magic with her hoof and groomed herself manually, fearing the alicorn might steal it again were she to let go. "I need to look my best, you know. You have all the credit and respect." She stuck her tongue out at Twilight, but the alicorn only giggled and kissed her on the cheek.
As they departed their chambers, Twilight slid the book beneath her cloak and straightened it. Telos moved to perch on her back once she finished. Trixie donned a more typical archmage's cloak instead of her usual, starry magician's garb. When Twilight gave her a surprised look, she stared back and offered an indignant, "What?"
The alicorn shook her head and stretched her wings before leaving. The trip to the dining hall was filled with laughter and playful shoving between the mares. When they arrived just outside of the hall, they straightened and recomposed themselves before entering, Trixie resisting the urge to make her better half falter in the process.
They arrived at the breakfast table to find Rainbow Dash, Devon and the princesses already dining on one end. Breakfast itself was uneventful, the party eating from the usual array of top quality delicacies, but Twilight noticed that Devon did not eat anything at all. She attempted to offer him food, to which he passed upon and said he wasn't hungry. Afterwards, he would follow up with furthering small talk among them.
Celestia stood up and cleared her throat, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I'd like all of you to accompany me to the throne room today. There is something I'd like to discuss with your apprentice there," she said while looking at Twilight. Trixie began to fidget uncomfortably when Celestia's unreadable gaze fell upon her.
"What is it?" asked Twilight, casting a quick glance to her apprentice.
Celestia shook her head. "We will discuss it in the throne room only," she repeated with the same tone.
The princesses took the lead to the throne with Devon following directly behind. Twilight, Trixie, and Dash trailed behind, with the magician threatening to hyperventilate. "What do you think is happening?" she asked in a hushed voice to the others.
"I don't know, Trixie. Is there something you've done that would make you worry?" whispered back Twilight. The question brought a small sense of ease to her as she thought it through.
"Well, no--"
"Hey, are you two going to screw around all day?" Dash interrupted, a motioning hoof the throne doors hooking their attention. The princesses had already gone in, and Dash shook her head before following after, the sound of her armor punctuating her impatience.
"Trixie, if you haven't done anything you should worry about, you'll be fine. I'm sure it's nothing bad," consoled Twilight.
The magician nodded. "You're right. It's probably just nothing," she said, adding a nervous laugh to the end of it. As the mares entered the throne, they saw the magi council and Dash lined up near the throne, all watching Trixie as she entered. Twilight resisted the urge to crack a grin while Trixie resisted the urge to bolt for the door in a sudden, unfamiliar bout of stage fright.
"Trixie," started Celestia, straightening her stance to look as regal as possible. "The Magi Council, Luna and I feel as though you are ready to bear the title,"--Trixie gave a vain attempt at suppressing a squeal of delight--"of Archmage, though your ceremony must be put on hold for the time being." The magician's sunny expression cracked slightly, but she was still overwhelmed with a grin. "As you know, this isn't a decision that is made lightly and requires an eighty percent vote, as well as the approval of Princess Luna and I. To help this along, you have also come with Archmage Twilight Sparkle's highest recommendation, and despite being her apprentice, we trust her evaluation is unbiased and fair, and that holds significant merit."
Twilight beamed her congratulations to Trixie, but the magician still wasn't quite ready to speak. “From this day forward, I may proudly endow you with the title of Archmage... should you accept that is," Celestia said, her last words coming out in a casual teasing manner.
Trixie stared at her shaking hooves, unable to believe what she heard. I'm being promoted... she thought, to my master's level! She whirled around and latched on to Twilight, squeezing her as tight as she could and picking her up off the floor, though threatening to fall backwards from her new weight.
"Hey, put me down," Twilight protested as she was twirled around and ignored at the same time.
"Well, Apprentice Lulamoon?" interrupted Luna. "You must verbally accept before you can officially be recorded as an archmage."
"I-I accept, Your M-Majesty," she stammered, releasing her master and kneeling down as graciously as she could in a single motion. Her body still trembled and she was ready to collapse from the shock.
Celestia nodded and smiled warmly. "Then I hereby declare you 'Archmage' Trixie Lulamoon." Applause filled the air from the counsel, and Twilight playfully tugged Trixie's cowl down over her face. "You will need to acquire a staff of your own now," added Celestia, "as all archmagi are to bear one."
“Congrats, Trix!” chimed in Dash with a smirk, trotting down to roughly pat the newest archmage on the back.
Trixie leaned close and whispered, "If you call me Trix again, I will end you." Dash stuck her tongue out, earning an aggravated glare from the magician.
"We're all very proud of you, Trixie," chimed in Luna, if only to prevent the two mares from beating each other down in the throne room.
"Not to worry. I've already gotten her a staff," said Twilight in response to Celestia, ignoring the hushed disagreement. She turned to Trixie and met her now-piqued expression. "It's nothing like mine, but it served me well and will do just fine for you."
Twilight vanished for a moment and left her former apprentice confused. Upon reappearing seconds later, she was holding out her gift. The staff was wrapped in a black cloth with Trixie’s cutie mark embroidered into the middle. Trixie immediately levitated it into her own hooves, one of them distractedly running itself over the cutie mark. As she set to unwrapping it, she gasped and her eyes lit up as a metallic green staff began to come into view. It was similar in design to Telos's idle state, though it lacked many details of the artifact, and its spire did not bear any pieces that magically gyrated around it. She squealed in delight and hugged her master, the staff becoming sandwiched between them.
"Thank you, Twilight!"
"Now what kind of mentor would I be if I never got you anything, especially your very own staff on your inauguration as an Archmage?" Trixie pulled away and shot her an incredulous look.
"Did you know about this, or did you just have that staff prepared in case?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and beamed innocently, adding, "Just in case."
"Archmage Lulamoon," interjected Luna. "You will continue pursuing your current studies and we will hold a ceremony for you in due time. We have great expectations of you, so do not hesitate in furthering yourself beyond what you are now."
Celestia nodded. "Indeed. Now, why don’t you three go and celebrate a bit on your own? Take the day off to enjoy these moments."
Dash gave a hoof pump. "Aww, yeah!" she added, and the trio of mares trotted out of the throne, eager to party the day away.
Leaving the castle, Trixie was a huge ball of energy, constantly dancing around, hugging her gift, and excitedly recounting the of the events that had just transpired, despite her friends having been in the same room watching the entire time. As they wandered about the city discussing where they would celebrate, Twilight left the decision to the newest archmage.
"Anywhere I want?" asked Trixie, a sly smirk spreading across her face.
"Anywhere you want," echoed Twilight while following Trixie's glance.
"To the city plaza," she announced with comical determination as she pointed a hoof in a seemingly random directly.
Twilight arched a brow. "Really? You've just been given the highest and most prestigious position a combat-active unicorn can achieve and your idea of a celebration is a magic show you host?" Dash rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh.
Trixie gave an intentionally overdone whine. "But Twiiiliiiight. We can drink to celebrate afterwards, I promise," she said with the whine still lining her voice.
Twilight snorted and shook her head. "Alright, I can't wait to see what you can do now, though. You better not disappoint." She cracked a grin and quickly rubbed Trixie's head, ruffling her mane. The magician grumbled and straightened it before leading them onward.
They made their way to central Canterlot where the largest crowd of ponies would be moving about at any given time of the day. To Twilight's surprise, the area was lacking in space due to the sheer amount of ponies there were there so early in the day. Trixie took to a large fountain's edge and began barking and boasting her skills, her preceding reputation drawing in many that were already familiar with her name. Dash visibly gagged and all eyes settled onto Trixie. She smirked and began her show, her own eyes focusing on Twilight every chance she could confidently peel herself from a practiced display.
Each movement of her hooves weaved more intricately a vivid display of her magician's abilities, her showmareship forever unmatched and the help of her new staff amplified the potential within her work. Fireworks had become a thing of the past, and her new shows were composed of breathtaking creations of light, spectral imagery, and visual distortion. Twilight smiled through the entire show, occasionally winking in an attempt to throw the magician off her game. As the show began to wind down, the crowd broke into an uproar of cheers, whistles, and praise. A random fan even shouted a marriage proposal to which Twilight nervously laughed off when Dash broke into a fit of laughter.
Trixie bowed several times and left the fountain's edge to rejoin her friends. The party of three settled on a nearby bar to more appropriately celebrate away their free day. It didn't take long before Trixie attempted to flaunt her new title in an effort to acquire free drinks, but the bartender refused, citing that she had to pay "like any other privileged citizen," much to the magician's chagrin.
"Ya know... It's not entirely fair of you guys to drink in front of me, what with me being the Captain of the Royal Guard and all," said Dash sarcastically aloud.
Twilight scoffed and smacked a hoof lightly to her forehead. "Given that you're a Celestial Knight, and not a Captain anymore, you've already forfeited your captain's responsibilities to another pony when you accepted your promotion. That, and you're drinking anyway, you silly filly. I don't think there's anything unfair about it at all," Twilight countered before downing a shot of cider.
"That's-! But..." pouted Dash, her ears drooping as she took a gulp of a particularly frothy beverage of choice.
"Oh, lighten up, Rainbow. I'm only joking. You're a pretty lazy knight that tries to bend the rules anyway," Twilight added before taking another shot.
"You're not helping..." the knight added again with a downcast look.
The trio continued drinking into the evening before they finally decided they'd had enough. As they staggered across the streets of Canterlot towards the castle, slurring and joking about, they were hustled along by an occasional city guard, eager to dump the drunken ponies on someone else's watch lest they need to clean up a mess of vomit. The constant stumbles and occasional word salad made them an amusing spectacle for ponies out taking an evening stroll.
"Yah know..." began Twilight aloud. "That Devon iz a shtrange one. I think he'z hidin’ somethiiiiin’," she slurred, wobbling back and forth with each precarious step.
"Well... his timing is most... untimely," was all Trixie could contribute, her inebriation hindering her vocabulary. "I sound like Rarity," she added with a giggle.
"Whatever. C'mon, let's get back home before one of you passes out out here. We'll find out who he is eventually," said Dash, demonstrating a better grasp of her liquor.
Despite Twilight's heavy intoxication, she still couldn't help but dwell on the strangeness of the pony known as Lord Devon. Something about him felt vaguely familiar now, yet there were no clues as to who he was before the day of his first appearance. She pursed her lips and reminisced on his presence as a magic user. Empty, she thought.
She cast a hazy glance up to the moon, its white beauty full and charming. "You better keep look'n!" she shouted to it, earning more surprised and confused stares from the ponies nearby. She wasn't sure if Luna could use it to observe or not, but her drunken mind wanted to amuse the moon princess if she could.
"Dear sister, why did we not present Trixie Lulamoon with an archmage's ceremony? All of the appropriate counsel were summoned, even if its grandeur was not of Twilight Sparkle's or any other mage's own ceremony," said Luna, her eyes laying incredulously over her sister's. She paced slowly around Celestia's chambers, spending as much time with her eyes upon her as she could. A quaint blaze was dancing in the fireplace nearby, the only other source of light besides Celestia's horn illuminating a piece of parchment she was writing upon.
"Don't worry, Luna. Just her promotion is enough for now. I want them to feel at ease, and I don't need the extra paperwork of signing off on things she would normally require permission to access." Celestia sighed when Luna's expression remained unchanged. "There is no need for a full ceremony, but I do plan to give her one when I feel its secrecy no longer matters. Give it time," she added while continuing absentminded writing.
Luna stopped pacing and stood adjacent to her sister, staring at her back. "Will you be informing Twilight of who Lord Devon truly is?"
Celestia turned to speak to her sister, the dark mare's mane shifting ominously over her eyes every few seconds. "No. It's..." She hesitated for a moment. "It's not important. And I don't want to disappoint her." Luna appeared satisfied and moved to take a seat upon a rug drawn in front of the fireplace, Celestia returning to her writing.
"That old tome was a nice touch. Was that your subtle method of apologizing to her in advance for keeping his identity from her?" Luna asked, staring into the fire. The burning logs within crackled and occasionally spat embers among themselves.
"Something like that, I suppose. Again, I don't want to disappoint her, but it's unavoidable. When she finally learns she will understand, I hope."
"I would like to think he was an old friend of ours. Are you alright with passing such a noble legacy on, even at the risk of its dangerous potential?" Luna turned back and met Celestia's thoughtful look. The magic-grasped quill on the note ceased as their eyes met.
"Don't worry, Luna. It's in capable, trustworthy hooves. She will need it, especially if she's to battle the Brood's royal guard. I'm afraid she might not be able to accomplish the assassination without it." Celestia's heart sank beneath her own, brutal truth. There was a long silence between the two, and the sun princess wanted to look away from her sister, but the penetrating eyes of the dark mare hungered for more answers.
"Are you--we--to teach or forbid her of the usage of her other ascension? Even before she was an alicorn, she possessed the power, and the danger. I fear she will not be able to control it..." Luna looked back to the fire, the burning flames reminding yet calming her of a distant memory.
Celestia sighed as she quickly finished the last of her writing. Magically rolling up the scroll and stashing it within her desk, she rose and moved to face her sister.
"Luna, I understand your fears, but you must have more faith in Twilight," she began with a soft voice. "I will personally ensure she knows how to use it and control it, should the need ever arise. I know it's overwhelming even for the strongest and most level-headed unicorns. We will never forget how the Moon Lord succumbed to such terrible power. I believe in Twilight. Please believe in her as well."
"Alright, sister. Thank you, but I will be assisting you with that part of her training." She loosed a quiet yawn and smiled. "I look forward to teaching her of how to utilize the moon, and you the radiance of the sun."
Celestia let her eyes roam to the fire as her sister rose and began to head for the door. "Do you think this is the right path?" she asked suddenly. Luna froze and turned around, her sister prying herself from the fire to meet her eyes once more. "Was it wrong to lay this upon Twilight in our stead? It is... not the first time we have done this, but this is... the one time I wish we did not."
Luna stared at her blankly for a long while, formulating her answer from opinions, experience, and her moral compass. She tilted her head up to the ceiling and sighed. "I am here for her regardless of the path she now walks. Perhaps fate will guide us, or perhaps she will write a better destiny than even we can dare foresee. That," she said, tilting her back to her sister, "is my faith in her," she finished earnestly.
Celestia smiled, a tear welling in her right eye. "Thank you," she whispered before Luna left, the door closing quietly in her wake. Thank you.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 10: Dissonance in the Heart
The sound of chirping birds lashed into the dreaming mind of Twilight, prompting her to awaken with a grouchy look. As the realm of loose fantasy faded into the sharpness of reality, she sat up and scratched at the back of her head. The birds continued their songs, but as she shifted into the land of the alert, she found it much easier to bear, especially when a comfortable breeze swept through the room. She glanced to her left to see the balcony door wide open, her better half wearing her cloak without the cowl idly sitting in the morning daylight. Her cloak swept beneath the wind and she tilted her head back, rising to a standing position.
Yawning with the ferocity of an angry beaver, Twilight crawled out of bed to meet the other mare on the balcony. As she quietly stepped up beside her, her eyes still half-lidded, she took in the breathtaking scenery, complimented by the high sun. "It's a beautiful day for your ceremony, Trixie," she said while opening her adjusting eyes more and admiring Canterlot's sophisticated architecture from the vantage point.
Trixie dropped down to sitting once more and leaned her head into the crook of Twilight's neck, the action being reciprocated by the slightly taller alicorn. Twilight spread her right wing over the magician and smiled to nothing in particular. "Canterlot is beautiful," echoed Trixie before turning Twilight. "But I think it pales in comparison to you."
Twilight's smile expanded and she took in the scent of Trixie in a deep breath, the smell raising her spirits as nostalgia of every moment together flickered by in faint images. "It's days like these that I forget why we've worked so hard training these past few years."
Trixie pulled away and shot Twilight a sarcastic look. "The alicorn's trying is Trixie's half-flanking," she joked. She kissed Twilight on the cheek and went back inside. The alicorn remained on the balcony for a minute longer, quickly concealing her wings within the duskweave as a patrolling pegasus guard passed by not far below her. "Come on," Trixie called from the bed. "We've got a little... time to ourselves," she added seductively, waggling her tail to enhance the invitation.
Twilight chuckled as she made her way back to the bed. Despite her disheveled mane and tail, she remained as sexy to Trixie as she always had. "Oooh. Frisky in the morning, eh?" Twilight closed the balcony door behind her and drew the curtains over the windows. "Are we going to be late to the ceremony?" she asked innocently.
Trixie pulled the alicorn down to the bed on top of her and grinned, leaning up to her mouth. "I hope so," she whispered before planting a kiss on her lips.
***
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP
Rainbow Dash furiously pounded on the thick oak door to Twilight and Trixie's chambers, her armor lightly echoing behind the knocks. "Hey! Hey! Are you guys even up yet? The ceremony is in an hour!" she shouted at the door. Passing castle staff offered her looks ranging from sympathy to annoyance at her lack of subtlety, but the pegasus ignored them, intent on ensuring they arrived on time. After a few more knocks, she called one more time, "I'm coming back in thirty minutes."
A sudden gust of air flowed through the castle ruffling manes, tails, clothes, and tapestries hanging along the walls or from high ceilings. "They're probably celebrating. You know... in their own way." Dash spun around on her hind hooves in surprise, but her expression brightened immediately at recognition of the voice.
"H-hey, Derpy! You startled me," she blurted unsteadily. The grey pegasus was casually leaning against the opposite wall in all of her armor, nonchalantly looking at the edge of her right hoof. She wasn't wearing a helmet, but her tower shield was resting evenly on her back and hiding her sword. It wasn't until Dash had begun moving towards her that she looked up.
"You don't really think they're--" Dash cut herself off when Derpy gave her a disbelieving stare. "You know what, never mind."
Derpy quickly glanced down the corridors, ensuring that there was no one within earshot. She moved away from the wall and stepped up to Rainbow Dash to whisper in her ear. "You know..." she started in a seductive voice, prompting the cyan pegasus to blush hard. "We could do the same kind of... celebrating back in my room."
Dash lost all composure and began to sputter non-answers incoherently. Derpy circled by her again, brushing her tail up against Dash's face. "I-I... d-don't know," she squeaked out, her blush deepening as a servant walked by. The grey pegasus circled the knight a few more times, wooing her into submission when another pegasus stormed into the corridor. Both knights paused, with Dash threatening to pass out, her cheeks bearing most of the blood in her body at that moment.
"Paladin Hooves. Your presence is required by Her Majesty, Celestia, immediately," the pegasus announced, a younger stallion bearing standard armor. He procured a scroll from his breastplate and handed it to Derpy. She quickly unfurled and scanned it, then crumpled it up and tucked it away.
Derpy loosed a long, aggravated sigh and rolled her eyes. She turned to her charmed victim and giggled. "Hey, Dashie. It looks like I'm needed for something right now. We can, you know, celebrate when I get back," she cooed, adding a wink.
As soon as the stallion turned to leave, a rush of wind flowed through the corridor once more, ruining his balance and threatening to crash him into a wall. "The hay was that?" he asked aloud, looking around and seeing that it was just Rainbow Dash in the corridor before shrugging and flying away.
Dash continued swaying until the creak of Twilight's door pulled her back into focus. She whirled around and instinctively threw up a practiced salute, her face still reddened by Derpy's antics. When the alicorn burst out laughing, Dash frowned and dropped her hoof. "Nice blush, Rainbow. I guess you weren't the only one having some fun," Twilight teased.
The pegasus gagged and glared at her. "As if. You guys better not be late to the ceremony."
Trixie poked her head out of the door below Twilight's, also breaking into laughter at the knight's lack of composure or usual tough demeanor. "Late to my own ceremony? Dashie, you really shouldn't be giving advice. It looks like you are the one trying to find an excuse to be late to my ceremony," she added in.
Dash huffed and flew away, "Yeah, whatever," echoing down the hall behind her as she disappeared.
The two mares in the doorway way fell into a giggling heap, Twilight atop Trixie. "Did you see the look on her face?" Trixie said first. "She's totally got the hots for somepony."
"I wonder who," mused Twilight.
***
Twilight entered the throne room wearing a new dark blue cloak, Telos silently idling beneath it. She breathed in relief at being punctual to Trixie's archmage ceremony, the last minute personal activity threatening to make her and Trixie both tardy. The room was lit gloriously by the sun's radiance and the ceremony summoned a proper attendance this time. Most of the officials and upper class ponies had little to no affiliation with Trixie, but felt obligated to make an appearance anyway.
Trixie stood just inside the throne with her own cloak on, nervously pawing at the red carpet while casual discussions filled the air around her. Her eyes occasionally shifted up to glance at the princesses at the throne beneath her cowl, their attention pulled to a few guards and other archmagi near them. Her heart began to race each time they glimpsed her. "Ohhh... hurry up, Twilight," she muttered nervously to herself.
"Yeah, she better hurry up," echoed Twilight teasingly, and prompting the magician to turn and hug her. "I wouldn't miss this for the world, Trixie."
"Thank you." Trixie wanted to snuggle into her master's neck, but the pending ceremony kept her desires at bay. "They're about to begin. I don't have a speech prepared or anything. What should I do? What should I say?"
Twilight smiled and pulled her cowl off. "You should relax. Share your experiences and wisdom. That's what I did." She winked and Trixie eased up for a moment.
"You're right. This is just stage fright," Trixie assured herself. "I've done this a hundred times before."
Twilight patted her on the head. "That's the spirit."
Luna cleared her throat loudly and bellowed. "Your attention, everypony. We will now begin the inauguration ceremony for Trixie Lulamoon." At the reverberation of her voice, all discussion ceased to a few lingering murmurs and whispers among the audience.
The opening speeches from those who felt obligated to give one came off as generic, with Chancellor Leo's sounding particularly rehearsed. Twilight stood to the side, leaving Trixie as the last one standing on the pony-lined carpet. The magician bit her lip, inwardly groaning at the sheer amount of time it took for all of them to offer words of congratulations and praise, or just how many times the same thing could be reworded between the upper-class ponies. The archmages took turns offering a bite of wisdom, until it was Twilight's turn.
The hidden alicorn moved to stand at the throne between the princesses, clearing her throat and casting a faint smile to the crowd. "I remember the day Princess Celestia accepted me as her very own protégé," she began, turning to glimpse her face. "I was only a filly who hadn't even gotten her cutie mark yet, but lost control of my magic. Celestia saw the potential within me and trained me, always reminding me that the same potential could be in any unicorn, even any one of you here."
The crowd shifted with a few intrigued whispers being exchanged by some of the unicorns, a better show of interest than any of the previous speeches. Trixie perked up as she reveled in the words. "The unicorn you see before you was not one who would initially seem like they'd have had such a potential in the them,"--Trixie frowned--"but I could see it. The potential to shape our own destiny exists within us all, regardless of race." Twilight cast a glance to both princesses, and a sidelong one to the quiet Devon.
"I have never experienced as much joy in teaching and learning than with my own apprentice, watching her learn, watching her grow. She showed me the same passion for knowledge, and after today, will now be an official Archmage herself." The crowd began an applause, some on the floor, some clapping their forehooves. "She is a shining example of the potential within us all." As she bowed, the applause grew louder and there was a cheering that erupted with it.
"A truly wonderful speech, Twilight," whispered Celestia.
"May your words forever kindle that spark, Twilight," added Luna.
Twilight blushed and lightly pawed at her cheek. "Thanks, you two. I'm going to go congratulate her myself." The princesses nodded and Twilight took two steps before a distant roar spilled into the throne. The entire audience fell to absolute silence, all eyes darting to the door with an intense fear. "No..." muttered Twilight. "Please..." Her heart thumped inside of her chest as they waited, all praying that such a sound was the mere work of a prankster having snuck into the castle.
After an agonizing moment of silence, some of the ponies began to relax and whisper amongst themselves, the ones on the throne continued to watch the entrance. A pegasus guard clambered in and tripped, falling unceremoniously beside Trixie. As quickly as he hit the floor he had risen back to standing, a swift salute following. "P-Princesses!" he trilled. "Dragons! They're attacking the city!"
Twilight closed her eyes, Trixie looking to her, and Rainbow Dash shrugging her armor. "Damn..." Dash muttered. "I was really hoping it wouldn't be today."
Celestia stepped forward and stomped a hoof, the sound magically amplified through her now-shining horn. "Everypony, follow evacuation procedure at once," she boomed. "The Brood has initiated war upon Equestria. Canterlot is now officially a war zone."
Luna bared her teeth in anger as she watched the ponies swarm out with the assistance of guards hustling them down the proper corridors. When the throne emptied, only Twilight, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Devon, the princesses, and seven archmagi remained. Devon stepped up beside Celestia and tugged back his cowl slightly. "It is time."
"We can never repay what you for what you have done for us, Telos," said Celestia in a softer tone. Twilight, Trixie, and Dash loosed a confused, "What?" in unison.
"May that spark be your salvation," he said aloud before vanishing and flowing into Twilight's staff. The hidden alicorn took a step back in surprise.
"That was Telos? Then--!?"
"There is no time, Twilight. You must leave at once, before they arrive. They will be coming for Luna and I." Celestia put a hoof to her head, the gravity of the situation now bearing down upon her. "He was only a memory left within the staff, much of his knowledge intact. Nothing more." Twilight's heart continued to accelerate. "GO!" shouted Celestia louder than intended.
Twilight didn't flinch and her heart began to slow back down. "I'm... sorry," she apologized suddenly. "We'll get out in the chaos."
"Good luck, Twilight," Luna added as Rainbow Dash and Trixie gathered beside her.
The princesses stepped further away and Twilight began her group teleportation. An alchemic rune formed beneath them. As the blinding flash shifted them into another location, Twilight cast one last glance to Celestia. Never forget, she thought.
I won't. Celestia's voice played clearly through her head as if she were speaking directly to her.
After they vanished in a flash, Celestia magically removed her crown and rubbed her temples, resetting it and taking on a determined expression. "I hope this works."
Luna placed a gentle hoof to her sister's shoulder and gave a reassuring nod. "Remain faithful, sister."
Everything we've prepared for is finally happening, just as predicted. Go now, Twilight. You now bear everyone's burden. Forgive me for asking you to do this... Celestia prayed silently.
"We had not originally planned for Trixie's aid. Do you think we should have asked her to remain here in Canterlot's defense?" Luna asked, her tone laced with doubt.
Celestia shook her head, her eyes remaining on the throne's entrance. "She became too involved the moment Twilight opened up to her. Were the Brood to find out she was linked to her, they would not hesitate to break her." She unleashed a slow sigh and met Luna's gaze. "Twilight would never allow them to harm her."
Luna looked to the floor for a moment, hesitating with her next words. "Her ascension. When she was first given Telos. I cannot allay my fears of her befalling the greed hidden within power."
Celestia snorted, prompting Luna to look at her with confusion. "I would've thought by now that she'd have proven you wrong without a shadow of a doubt."
"The Moon Lord stains my conscious. You are right to trust her. It is too late to doubt her now."
"And we learned to take precautions. I am not afraid of her." Celestia shrugged her body and straightened her stance. "They're here."
The entrance to the throne room crashed open, the brick and debris spilling dusty clouds into the room. As the dust settled, the forms of three dragons appeared, cautiously eyeing the party before them. A red dragon larger than the others wore a chain, with two lieutenants, a blue and green, to his sides. The seven archmagi began coordinating spells and barriers between them while the princesses readied their magic.
"Allow us, Your Majesties," one of them said. "We will make short work of these three."
Celestia recognized the dragon leading the charge. "General Aurelius..." she seethed. "You would be the one to lead the attack on me."
Luna began to fidget, her rage barely contained as her horn began charging. "You would dare assault the crowns yourself? You underestimate us far too much."
Aurelius chuckled, a deep, rolling rumble of a laugh. "Too long has it been since we last clashed with words alone. You think I would not personally come to end your rule? I thought you knew me better than that." He gave a toothy grin and took a step forward. "We know how easily gods can fall with the right tools..."
"We shall see," retorted Celestia. "Magi!"
The seven unicorns took on an offensive formation, each of their channeling culminating into a powerful combination spell. Immediately, the blue dragon lieutenant to Aurelius's left, was struck down by a powerful burst of energy. The wall beside him shattered from the force, and he gave a final wail before his body fell in a slump against its remains. The other dragon gave a nervous glance to the corpse while Aurelius paid it no heed, his eyes focused only on the princesses.
The second lieutenant, a green dragon, charged the magi, his brute strength easily crashing through the barriers. With a mighty swipe, his claw crushed two of the magi into the floor, their bodies becoming limp. The other five seized their brethren's sacrifice as an opportunity and began to channel a freezing spell. The dragon thrashed and resisted, managing to incapacitate one more archmage before succumbing to the arcane frost. As the dragon's blood froze and his body turned to ice, one mage forcefully ripped a piece of the wall out and propelled it into the dragon's body. The crystalline form shattered, a magnificent display of shards cascading to the floor, the boom of broken glass reverberating throughout the throne room.
Aurelius grinned, raising his body slightly, but keeping his left claw on the ground. "My, my how powerful the archmagi have become. This generation of spellcasters is much stronger than the last," he observed aloud with feigned boredom. "That's not to say they won't amuse me... for what remains of their borrowed lives," he bellowed. The walls trembled with his words, but his voice failed to faze the ones standing defiantly before him.
Aurelius reeled back slightly while drawing in a great breath, then fell forward onto both hands and unleashed a rancid flame towards the throne. The archmagi moved to the center of the room and repelled the breath with an icy gale that spread it to the walls and ceiling. The frost and smoke obscured their view momentarily and Aurelius dove through the dispersing magic, propelling himself with his wings. His right claw reached forward and slammed down, missing as the four remaining mages split apart to dodge. He retracted his arm and his claw raked the floor, the red carpet shredding and the stone crumbling beneath his power.
The mages had begun to regroup, a pair already channeling a spell, but the other two were too far apart. Aurelius seized the advantage and snatched the nearest mage before he could act. He muttered a curse and the dragon crushed him in his cruel grip, an agonized scream filling the hall before he relinquished him. The princesses watched as the body hit the floor, the billowing of his robes and the thud being the only sounds following the cry.
"I will stand idle no longer!" bellowed Luna. Celestia's eyes narrowed, but she held her composure.
"Hold your magic, princess," returned one of the mages. Luna stared at him, then grimaced. "Should we fall, your magic should be sufficient in defeating him." Celestia nodded, her own disdain for the thought coloring her face.
Aurelius paused his assault and studied the three magi remaining. The pair of mages finished their spell and a powerful jolt of lightning rained down from the ceiling, striking the dragon on his back and charring his scales. He loosed a roar and staggered back several steps, a grin spreading on his face. The two magi left no room for a reprisal and hurled a flurry of bolts at the dragon. Their blasts filled the distance between them with smoke, and after expending a noticeable portion of magic, ceased the barrage.
When the smoke dispersed, Aurelius merely laughed, his body unscathed from the assault. The magi stared in disbelief as he recovered his lost ground without effort. "Truly more powerful than the previous ones. I must say, your knights are far more durable, though."
Aurelius charged the pair of magi that burned him, beating his wings and gaining momentum. They attempted to dodge, but their efforts came too late. The dragon slammed into the floor with all of his might, crushing one into the floor, and the wave of rubble from the impact burying the other. He raised himself up, wiping the smear of blood from his chest, and studied the final archmage with caution.
"A lone mage to stand before the might of all that is the Brood. How bold you are," he started, "yet, your bones shall break all the same," he finished with a subtle, sadistic glee.
The mage produced his staff and his horn began glowing a brilliant yellow. "You will regret this day, dragon!" he yelled back with all of his fury.
Aurelius chuckled and lowered himself down. "There isn't even a shred of terror in this one's entire being," he remarked as he let his eyes wander to the princesses, then back to the mage. "I commend your conviction," he finished in a heavy voice.
With the last of the archmage's energy, he summoned the same lightning bolt from before. The flash of light from the power blinded him momentarily. It touched down to the dragon's back again, aiming for the same spot, but it fizzled and vanished. No smoke appeared, a sign that it never reached its target.
"What the--!?" The mage stared, his wide-eyed, shocked expression glued to the dragon's arrogant grin. "There's no way you could've dispelled that!"
"Your magic is not strong enough to break this," Aurelius said. He grabbed his chain and rotated it around his neck, the large links banging together in a symphony of dread. Attached to the opposite side was an engraved stone bearing a strange glyph.
Luna stamped her hoof and shook her head. "A null-magic rune! Where did you get one?" she boomed.
"A truly wondrous artifact, but they are not without great sacrifice," Aurelius said casually. His gaze settled onto Luna and he grinned. "But you would know all about that, wouldn't you, Nightmare Moon?" he asked, punctuating the name with the shaking of his chain.
Luna lurched backwards, her mind flooding with memories she sought to forget. "How dare you," she snarled.
Aurelius began a slow march towards the throne. "Meek little princess of darkness... It's time I returned you to your former glory. But first I will crush all of your hopes." The last archmage barred his path again, his labored breath and weak horn glow announcing his fatigue. "Remove yourself from my sight, insect," Aurelius growled. He bat the archmage against the wall without any magical resistance, rendering him unconscious.
Aurelius put himself within range of the princesses. He loosed a large flame upon the throne and thrust his right claw forward. The flames obscured his view, but his strike connected with one of the alicorns. The force of his attack demolished the throne and the end of the rug ignited and began to burn its way back towards to the entrance.
After all of the flames cleared, he was struck in the back by a bolt of magic from Celestia. It burned, but the spells of the archmagi had been significantly more powerful. "Did you think I was so weak that you could attack me directly?" The princess was carrying her sister upon her back, a gash on her side bleeding moderately.
"Yes," Aurelius replied matter of fact. "However, I did not expect you to be this weak," his tone filled with genuine surprise. "It doesn't matter. Your sister is more than willing to sacrifice herself in your stead. It would seem that she never harbored the millennium of hatred I thought she would. Let us extract whatever little there may be, shall we?"
Aurelius slipped his thumb under the chain and rotated it another ninety degrees. A black gem came into view, appearing as a spec in his ruby red body. Dark smoke swirled from within the gem and Celestia's spine bristled as his hand grasped it. She gasped as she realized what was about to happen.
"Return to your true grace, Nightmare Moon," the dragon beckoned to Luna. He tore the gem from his chain and tossed it towards the princesses.
"NO!" Celestia cried, her eyes widening in terror. Luna slipped from her back and she began to form a barrier with all of her magic. The gem hit the floor and shattered, the black smoke flowing free into a sweeping fog. Celestia finished her barrier, but to no avail. The smoke flowed through it and past her, swirling around Luna.
She stared in horror, tears welling in her eyes as Luna was lifted from the floor, every part of her body darkening and reflecting the corruption of Nightmare Moon. The wound in her side closed, and as soon as her transformation was complete, the smoke vanished.
"L-Luna..." muttered Celestia, taking a step towards her, tear drops falling freely to the floor.
Nightmare Moon groggily opened her eyes. She glanced around in confusion before they settled on Celestia before her and Aurelius behind her by the ruined throne. Her sinister disposition began to return and she laughed. It soon grew into a cackle, an expression of pure joy marking all of her features.
"What luck!" she started. "My old friend, Aurelius, and my dear sister, Celestia. What a grand reunion for me!" she cried the moment she could collect herself. She clapped against the floor, further conveying her happiness.
The dragon began chuckling in tandem with the corrupted moon goddess, while Celestia pivoted to him, anger in her eyes and voice. "Aurelius! What have you done with my sister!?" she bellowed.
The dragon broke the laugh and pulled a piece of charred scales from his back and tossed it aside. "Forget your sister, Luna. Nightmare Moon is here to remind you of the darkness that truly is," he cooed.
Nightmare Moon broke back into a fit of giggles as she walked in a predatory circle around Celestia, her eyes openly mocking her. The light outside began to fade away and Celestia realized that the moon was overtaking the sun already, forcibly. The princess fought it, but she found herself drained and powerless against it. With every ounce of energy she poured into her efforts, the moon just seemed that much more overpowering. Her heart sank at the realization that eternal night was riding the coattails of the war.
"I'm afraid you won't be banishing me this time, sister," Nightmare Moon said softly, a feigned sympathy in her voice. Celestia growled and scowled at the evil Id. "Oh sister, don't be so hostile. We're family!"
"You are no sister of mine," retorted Celestia. She finished her words, but her blood froze in her veins, Nightmare Moon grinning as her expression panicked. I can't... feel the sun at all... Her mind and heart began racing over what had just happened, unable to come up with a logical explanation for any of it.
"Are you just now realizing it?" Nightmare Moon ducked down to look up at Celestia in a ridiculing way, rising back up as she spoke. "You cannot end this darkness so long as I draw breath. A small courtesy with the help of that nifty gemstone that was used to resurrect me," Nightmare Moon said into Celestia's ear. She continued pacing herself in a taunting circle around Celestia. "Don't worry, sister. Your pretty little sun is safely tucked away, forever. Why don't you accept the beautiful night as a consolation prize from the Brood on my behalf?"
Celestia stared out of one of the windows, her rage dying with the light of the sun. Eventide took over and she sighed, staring at the ground, lonely tears continuing to rain down. This... was never supposed to happen...
"Do not look so sad, sister," consoled Nightmare Moon. "You won't stop me with the Elements of Harmony a third time, though. I will make sure of that. In fact, I will allow them to live if you remain obedient and sit idly by and watch your world crumble to dust." She turned to Aurelius who met her eyes with curiosity. "I get to personally keep the Element of Magic for myself, as a contingency... and a pet." The dragon nodded.
Celestia's anger returned at the mention of Twilight. She wanted to strike Nightmare Moon, burn Aurelius with a spell, or anything to relieve herself of the overwhelming ire welling within her. She clenched her teeth until her jaw began to ache, and calmed herself beneath the veil of logic. I can't risk compromising Twilight, she reminded herself. "I... relent," she said in a solemn voice.
"What's that?" asked Nightmare Moon with feigned confusion.
"I said, 'I relent,'" she repeated disdainfully.
Nightmare Moon grinned. "I'm glad you've come around, sister. Now, let's fix up this dreadful place," she said looking around. "Dear sister, why do you get to have all of the fun?" she remarked while browsing the ruin left in Aurelius's wake.
A white light flashed beyond the castle walls, too small to steal the attention of a roaming dragon. The trio of heroes appeared just beyond the castle walls in an empty street. Dragons paid it no mind as it was too distant from any strategic point of attack, choosing to do battle with ponies instead. The ponies were instantly met with the roars of dragons, equally matched by the screams of terror and agony of the resisting soldiers, and bold civilians. The haunting cries of the ones already meeting the end of their fate pierced through their hearts, a guilt-laden knife to remind them what they fought for.
Trixie and Rainbow Dash looked to Twilight. She met their hollowed expressions with a nod and began creeping along the wall of the nearest building. She peeked around the first street and bit her lower lip. Several earth ponies and pegasi were fighting a one-sided battle against a green dragon. He toyed with them briefly, then snapped a pegasus out of the air, the crunch and gnash of his bones ending the others' will to fight. She grimaced as he laughed, and motioned for them to dash across the street while he was too distracted to notice.
They moved along several more corridors, making their way to the edge of the city between the castle wall and the buildings nearest it. When they made it to one of the final streets, they began a mad dash down the path, praying it remained devoid of anything to slow them, or remind them. As the buildings ran by them in a blurry smear, Twilight couldn't help but take in the ones in front of her. Some burned down on top of themselves while others were mere piles of rubble, a few door frames standing as monoliths of what had once been.
An average sized black dragon stormed over the cliff and into the city, slamming suddenly in front of the trio. Twilight skidded to a halt, blinking wide as she weighed her options. "What have we here?" the dragon asked. "Soldiers trying to desert their own capitol. How shameful. My, don't you look delicious," he added with a lick of his lips.
Twilight's body tensed and her cloak began to billow suddenly. Raising her staff, she glared at the dragon with his sealed fate reflecting in her eyes. Telos... "Mjollnir!" she cried. An enormous bolt of lighting clawed its way down from the sunny heavens and raked down the dragon's back for a few brief seconds. His eyes widened as it burned into him, his body too quickly damaged to leave a deathly wail. His body slumped to the ground, already lifeless.
"Twilight..." muttered Trixie as the alicorn refused to turn and look at them.
"Come on," said Twilight. "We have to get out of here before we end up fighting too many. I just hope they didn't notice that."
"Are you really just an Archmage?" Trixie asked with cautious awe.
Twilight forced herself from continuing to run further forward, finally turning to look at her friends. "Right now, I'm just a weapon to help end this war. I don't want you to look at me any differently than before, but... you're going to see me do things that I never want you to see," she said sadly. "But, I hope you'll always love me the same." Twilight put up a weak smile before motioning for them to follow.
They pressed on, huffing and puffing as the sun beat into them. Twilight and Trixie weren't used to sprinting long distances and the toll began to settle in. They heaved in their breaths, what little they offered for sustaining their speed, and prayed. Twilight grit her teeth when four dragons dropped down, barring their path once more. She cursed her choice of spells for disposing of the black dragon. A green, blue, and two red dragons studied them like vultures studying helpless prey, their confidence showing in their expressions.
"Dash, take the green, Trixie the blue. I'll get the two red."
Rainbow Dash ran several steps and leaped into flight, her hooves deftly brandishing an odd black longsword with a faded, smoky green design running up the blade. The green dragon took the challenge and launched into the air to begin the duel. Despite the added weight of her equipment, she maneuvered between his attacks and reprisals with ease. The dragon resorted to a putrid, burning breath as a quick end and she pushed produced her shield and flew through it, the designs melting away beneath the heat.
She breached the flames and barreled sideways while passing the dragon. A wide side swing with her spin's force added in sliced off the left wing, and she flew at a downward angle behind him while he fell to the ground. The disoriented beast roared and clawed at the air in a pointless attempt at catching the pegasus. She sighed and flew away, turning around and accelerating to high speeds. She held her sword forward, ducking beneath a final swipe, and sliced the dragon's head clean off. Blood splashed onto her face and spilled into the road, a large pool forming from the sheer amount. She wiped stray blots of blood off of her face as she watched her friends in their battles, silently debating whether to help.
Trixie began to demonstrate her new magical combat prowess as the blue dragon singled her out. She moved further back down the road to duel and the dragon flew up and blew a large, misty breath of frost her way. She manipulated a piece of the street into a wall in front of her, effectively blocking it. The frost breath coated the wall in a crystalline ice. Her horn shined brightly as she manually levitated her own staff. I hope this isn't too flashy... She conjured a storm cloud as quickly as possible to strike a wing. It appeared for several seconds and licked at one of the wings three times.
The cloud dispersed as quickly as it had appeared, and the dragon plummeted back to the ground. He groaned and began to charge her, ignoring everything else going on around him as a new rage took hold of his senses. Trixie leaped onto the wall and held her staff at the dragon, her lips moving in silence. As he neared, he pulled an arm back, prepared for the kill. As he stopped to push his weight into the attack, a summoning circle formed in front of him, his eyes widening in a start, and his will faltered. A meteor ripped forth and crashed into his face with tremendous force, the collision sending a ripple throughout the dragon's body. The size of the matter muffled his roar and he fell backwards, no longer moving. Trixie stood over his body, hesitating to ensure his death.
She glanced to Twilight as she took the air with the two red dragons. "I'd do anything for you..." she muttered, her hooves shaking as her staff returned to them. She clutched it tighter and closed her eyes, an icicle forming in front of her. I'm sorry. It impaled the dragon's neck, spurts of blood running into the streets. A shock ran through her and an image of Spike muddled her vision briefly. She stared at the draining blood for a moment, then pried herself away to look back to Twilight.
Twilight resolved not to expend any additional magic if she could help it. She knew their battle would likely attract reinforcements if they waited too much longer. With her thoughts, she willed Telos into a greatsword again and moved it into her hooves. She swung with all of her might as she passed by one of the dragons, the blade easily rending its stomach open. It roared in pain; an anguished cry that quickly lost volume as he fell to the ground, his guts escaping through the wound. As he hit the ground, he clutched his stomach, but it was already too late. A moment later his life faded from the world.
The second dragon immediately raised its guard, choosing to keep Twilight at as much of a distance as possible. He breathed at her and clawed with as much reach as he could. Twilight wasn't as fast or skilled as Rainbow Dash at flying, but a few minutes in the air with the dragons made her size advantage apparent. The large forms of the dragons made it difficult for them to hit her if she was careful; however, the constant sprays of breath made closing the distance difficult on her part.
As another breath began to flow towards her, she surrounded herself in an aura of cold and grunted as she flew into the inferno. Her blue-tinted form disappeared until she breached the flames unscathed, the dragon attempting to pull back in fear. The unexpected tactic proved to be fatal and she impaled the dragon with Telos. He refused to fall and swiped at Twilight. She narrowly avoided being struck out of the air and pulled away. The dragon howled, a cry that was mimicked by the hundreds more in the city.
Blood dripped from the wound he clutched, and Twilight began charging him again with all of the speed she could. Her horn shined and a gust of wind gave her a burst of speed for the last stretch of distance. She twirled and changed her trajectory to avoid an incoming swipe, closing the distance and striking at the neck. She loosed a battle cry and sawed through in a spray of blood. The sword cut through the bone and she watched as the head and body hit the ground with heavy thumps. She landed ahead of the violent conflict and wiped her face and Telos off on the end of her cloak while Trixie and Dash caught up to her position.
"Let's go," she said solemnly, Telos returning to its idle form and perching.
Wow, Twilight. That was amazing, thought Trixie, her eyes glued to Twilight during the last of the gallop to escape Canterlot's battlefield.
When they reached the edge, Twilight moved them into a building and teleported them below. She coughed and heaved, struggling with the drain of teleporting long distances with more than Trixie. As she reached the bottom, she closed her eyes and sucked in breaths of fresh air, and the rays of the sun to regenerate her magic. Suddenly the sunlight began to fade and she shrieked in surprise when the moon appeared with an early night.
"It... can't be..." she mumbled, stepping towards the moon. She fell to her knees, wide-eyed and threatening to cry, still fixated on the celestial object with disbelief. "N-no. That couldn't have happened." She struggled to breathe, the moon's presence inciting a feeling of dread and despair. "No... no, no, no..."
Dash cast a defeated look to the ground, and Trixie took it upon herself to get the answer. "What's going on Twilight? Why is it night already?" she asked in an unsteady tone.
Twilight wiped her eyes and looked at her. "I... don't know exactly. But Luna would never raise the moon when the sun is supposed to be out. This is bad..."
"Everything will be fine," chimed in Dash with some reassurance, but her voice betrayed her. The same fear lingered in her words, even if she couldn't hear it.
Twilight nodded and stood up, pulling her cowl down tight. "It's going to be cold for a while," she said in a steady tone. Celestia... what's happening? Her heart sank when there was no reply. She shivered involuntarily, not because of the cold, but because of the sudden loneliness. If Celestia couldn't answer, there was something happening beyond the original expectations.
The trio made their way to the Everfree Forest in subdued silence, save for a few suggestions or comments about what they should do at that point. As they passed Ponyville, and Fluttershy's cottage, Twilight lamented over what might happen to her friends there. I hope all of you are safe. I'll try to make everything better, she promised.
They wandered through the eerie night, careful of the areas containing the hazardous flower, Poison Joke, always eyeing each of the stocky, reaching branches of the trees with wary eyes. Every shifting shadow threatened to evoke a reaction, and animals leaping between bushes in fright caused the knight to brandish her sword more than once. After a while they caught sight of Zecora's hut and stopped to discuss whether or not to involve her.
"She could help us," argued Rainbow Dash.
"What if we need supplies? We didn't exactly get to pack when we left," reminded Trixie.
Both mares stared Twilight expectantly while she studied their faces. She cast a glance at Zecora's hut before concluding with a flat, "No."
Rainbow Dash and Trixie cried "What?" in unison.
"Dragons are known for carrying gold and gems. While none of the dragons in the siege force in Canterlot had anything, I'm sure we'll come across some out here. I've got some money on me if we pass a town, but we are not going to attract attention or involve anyone we don't have to," she explained sternly.
The other two nodded, though reluctantly. They walked deeper into the forest until they could no longer see Zecora's hut. Twilight yawned and they decided they would camp out there in the mean time. She dug a hoof into the dirt and closed her eyes, a light green aura overtaking her form. She pulled Telos into her grasp and began to sense through the forest. She could detect Zecora's glimmering aura, but nothing else stood out as a sentient presence. Safe, she thought.
Twilight opened her eyes and planted Telos in the ground in front of a tree. She wrapped herself in her cloak and laid down beside it. "I'm sure we're all a little bit exhausted. While I don't want to waste time, we don't want to run into anything at half strength, either."
Rainbow Dash removed her helmet and stretched. Her multi-colored mane was matted against her head and neck, a blurry smear of colors in the dark. "I'm surprised you can fight a dragon like that, Twilight," she remarked while eyeing Telos.
"We're small compared to them, so they have a hard time hitting us. Plus I have magic on my side. They're also arrogant." She stopped herself when Dash raised her brows. "Thanks," she added quickly. "You're much better with a sword, though. What is that anyway?"
"Oh this?" Dash brandished the blade and put the tip to the ground. The longsword appeared thinner than most standard knight swords, and the cross-guard stood up to her navel. "Princess Luna gave it to me. It's called Nightfall and it's supposed to be strong enough to cut through anything," she said excitedly. "Well, that's what she said anyway. What about you, Trixie? Is your staff anything special?"
Trixie found herself gazing at Telos, the platinum-finished artifact laying in stark contrast to the darkness of the Everfree Forest. The appearance of its whole creation struck her as odd, its form reflecting flawless perfection and a holy purity. Even after coming up with reasons for its oddness, she concluded it was simply a feeling caused by the night. "This thing?" she asked, pulling her staff from her back and standing it up. The metallic, dark green finish reflected the moonlight, brightening its appearance in the open. "This isn't anything special," she said while letting her eyes trail to Twilight. She snickered when the bundled alicorn shot her a disbelieving look.
"I personally had that forged from my old staff after they gave me Telos. I call it Mystic Sage in honor of Telos." Twilight smiled, and ran a hoof over Telos, the wonder of who he really was filling her mind.
"So... Does it do any cool tricks?" Trixie forced a curious expression when Twilight repeated her disbelieving look.
"You can cast powerful spells without an incantation, almost like my Mjollnir before. You only need to visualize it and say the name to use greater bursts of magic. I don't need to do it with Telos since it's linked to my thoughts, but your staff is more powerful than most," she explained proudly.
"Oh, yeah. I bet," Trixie replied sarcastically.
"Trixie!" Twilight sat up and folded her forelegs across her chest, a frown evident on her face in the darkness. When the magician broke into a fit of giggles, she relaxed. "You're such a jerk," she added playfully while laying back down.
"Anything at your expense, Twilight."
Rainbow Dash replaced her helmet and laid facing away from the others. Trixie wrapped herself in her cloak and snuggled next to Twilight, a content smile on her lips as she quickly fell asleep. Twilight stared at her face for a while, a silent promise in her heart, and an anxiety that would never cease. The forced night was unsettling and she could no longer keep track of time. I'll fix this. I can do this, she encouraged herself.
She closed her eyes after gazing at the moon for a while longer, the white sphere always calming her. She focused her thoughts, all of her effort into reforming her mental link with sun princess. Celestia, are you there?
There was an anguishing silence that followed as the seconds ticked away. Yes, Twilight. I am here, she replied.
This darkness... What happened?
Celestia delayed her response in hopes of trying to rationalize it herself, but she could not come up with a better way to explain it. I knew the Brood would have to take Canterlot for this mission to work, but... She trailed off, her own thoughts becoming unsteady. But not something like this. The distress reflected in their communication as clearly as conversation, the princess rattled by the experience in the throne.
What? Twilight pressed. What happened!?
The leader of the siege was General Aurelius, a particularly spiteful and dangerous red dragon. He is the second in command of the Brood's army. He has resurrected Nightmare Moon within my sister somehow. She holds me hostage, forced to live comfortably while everyone suffers around me. Celestia paused for a moment leaving Twilight's heart to pick up a worried pace again. Nightmare Moon has sealed my power to raise the sun. I am sorry, but you cannot use its power to regenerate. This is a double edge for the Brood, though. The moon amplifies your magic, and you will be very difficult, if not impossible, to track.
Twilight bit her lip, her eyes shooting open and up to the moon. Suddenly, it felt as if she was being watched by it. A chill ran up her spine as she suddenly felt isolated and alone again. I'm sorry about Luna. We'll get her back, I promise.
I know, Twilight. Please be careful. The bodies of five dragons were found on the edge of Canterlot and they haven't found anypony they deem responsible. They're on high alert now. Watch your backs...
Don't worry about us, Celestia. We're resting in the Everfree Forest and we have the night on our side. I will make sure Rainbow Dash and Trixie finish this mission, even if I can't.
Don't ever think like that, Twilight! scolded Celestia, her motherly voice filling her head like a thunderous roar. She flinched, suddenly regretting her choice of words. You are more than strong enough, even capable of laying siege to Draconis yourself, I'd imagine. But I don't want unnecessary bloodshed; I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for Equestria. I'm sorry for making this so difficult, but please... don't say such things. The princess's upset tone cut into Twilight's heart like a jagged razor.
You don't have to apologize, Celestia. I'm sorry, and you're right. It's just... more than I thought it would've been. Maybe I could've prepared more if I knew who Devon was, though. Trixie murmured in her sleep and pulled herself closer to Twilight. Twilight opened her eyes and stared at her, dwelling on questions buried by the past.
I believe you learned all his memory could offer. I need to rest, and I'm sure you're tired as well. I will be fine. Aurelius has no plans to make me a martyr in this war--only a spectator. However... Celestia hesitated. Nightmare Moon is very intent on... capturing you. Be careful, she echoed.
Twilight sighed and wrapped a foreleg around Trixie, rolling over and resting her head against hers. I'm sure she holds a grudge for when we used the Elements of Harmony to purify her. That was so long ago...
I will let you know if anything else comes up. Rest easy, Twilight.
I promise. I won't. Celestia's voice faded away and Twilight was left with her own thoughts again.
She could hear Rainbow Dash shift in her sleep behind her, realization that she was without her special somepony digging into her. She had to leave them behind... With a final thought, Telos quietly dug itself further into the ground, only the spire showing above the top of the grass, and its glow became very faint. It acted as a magical alarm, jolting her awake should anyone wander too closely to them during their sleep. It wasn't much, but it was safety Twilight could finally fall asleep to.
"Let us... play, big sister..." Nightmare Moon cooed. She materialized herself in Celestia's chambers, the princess fast asleep on her bed in an exhausted heap. She stepped to the bed and loomed over the quiet form, her eyes watching the rise and fall of her chest with each breath. Celestia's regalia lay scattered on a nightstand and the floor, her eyeliner smeared slightly by tears. A toothy grin spread upon Nightmare's face as her horn began to shine. "How about a little game?" Celestia's form darkened and the grin on her face stretched a little more.
***
Celestia found herself walking through Canterlot in her dream, her hoofsteps echoing more than they should. But the city itself appeared different, haunted. The skies appeared to be driven by a crimson tone, and a dark tint muddled everything her eyes fell upon. As she cautiously walked deeper into the city, an overwhelming sense of sorrow clawed its way into her heart, the feeling growing in intensity as she neared the central plaza. She turned the last corner onto a main street in her sorrowful march, and the sight that took hold of her vision filled her with the desire to scream. Bodies. Hundreds of bodies lined the streets, their blood painting the walls in smears of murder and anguish, the blood pooling near the bodies and layering the stone streets.
The grip of sorrow upon her heart became too much to bear with the vivid imagery and tears began to drip from her eyes. A misty haze clouded her vision briefly until she reached the central plaza, the large fountain had become a corrupted monument. She broke down crying, a single phrase forcing its way into every coherent thought her mind could muster. I'm sorry.
Nightmare Moon stood just in front of the fountain grinning ear to ear, her maniacal laugh filling the silence where the running of the fountain could not. Corpses were floating in its bed, with several more slung over the rim in a careless heap. It was not water that ran through the fountain, but the deep red of blood. The haze in her vision ended as soon as her eyes fell to the main event.
Celestia wailed. "NO!" Her body lurched forward with all of its might, desperately trying to make it to Nightmare Moon. Before the dark god of the dreams knelt Twilight Sparkle, a distressed, yet accusing, look on her face. She was bound, her horn unable to produce magic, and Celestia suddenly found herself frozen mere meters away, her own magic failing.
Nightmare Moon gave a sadistic laugh as a large executioner's axe formed above Twilight, the weapon held aloft by a weak magical grasp. I'm sorry. Her body ached, the feeling of Nightmare Moon's intent permeating throughout her. The head of the axe came swinging down, Nightmare Moon tilting her head back and laughing in pure delight. I'm sorry. The cut was clean, without sound, and the head landed on the stone with a quiet thud, rolling to the princesses hooves.
Celestia dropped down and picked it up, turning it over and viewing the last moment of horror forever etched into Twilight's face. The sorrow shattered her heart and she broke down crying, cradling it and apologizing to her over and over. "I'm sorry," she whispered again and again. "I'm sorry." Teardrops fell upon the face, quickly disappearing into the purple coat.
Nightmare Moon ceased her fit of joy and stepped over to Celestia, her eyes illuminated by the sight before her.
"Every dream a nightmare. Every breath in anguish. That is your existence now." Celestia looked up and glowered at her, her eyes red and puffy, still flowing with tears. "These are not nightmares, dear sister. They are dreams! My gift to you!" Nightmare whispered excitedly.
Hatred took hold of Celestia. The burning, primal fury of all of her anger, all of her might, all of the pent up wrath and frustration she held onto. It all culminated into a rage that needed to be freed--that would break free. "You... you MONSTER!" she roared. She leaped up, letting Twilight's head fall from her and roll away, and attempted to strangle Nightmare Moon.
Her hooves stopped mere inches away, the Id before her unfazed and grinning once more. Celestia could not move her body, all of her muscles frozen but those within her face. Nightmare Moon laughed again, in her face this time, the sickening roll of joy that haunted her in reality now haunted her dreams. She struggled, her mind and body fighting as one to resist the force that bound her, but it was no use. She languished in her fury-driven resistance. Nightmare Moon ruled her dreams now.
The Id leaned close, letting her nose brush the top of Celestia's ear, their eyes meeting and sharing conflicting emotions. "You're going to enjoy these... sweet dreams over and over... and over again," she whispered.
Celestia gnashed her teeth, the rage submitting to despair and she began to cry with her eyes open again. It became difficult to see Nightmare's taunting expression through the watery blurs, but she knew she was still there, still smiling. The dream began to fade into pure darkness, a new one forming where the previous played out before her; a new creation forged with the idea of breaking the princess in mind. Celestia experienced them one by one, the same soul crushing anguish and painful emotions bringing her mind to its knees. She was forced to witness murder and destruction, friends slaughtered and accusing, all with precise, realistic detail.
The nightmares continued for a few more hours before Nightmare Moon grew bored of the maddening torment. She returned to reality, letting the rattled mind of the princess trickle back into a normal state. She stared at Celestia's wracked body. The princess had thrashed, cried, and sweat in the bed during the dreams. Nightmare Moon observed the damage of her fantasies intently. It filled her with hollow feeling, one that wasn't like her. She frowned and shook her head, her misty mane swirling briefly in tandem.
She loosed a sharp, discontented huff and moved to Celestia's private balcony. Her eyes drank in the destruction of Canterlot. The battles had ceased, but a few fires remained to consume unfortunate buildings in their path. Dragons patrolled the air and streets rallying survivors and finishing off any resistance that remained. She took in a deep breath, a small smile forming at the ends of her mouth, and took to the air.
She roamed the air around the castle for a bit, always keeping an eye out for the destruction, before eventually landing on a statue of a pony in the courtyard. She unknowingly sighed and peered up to the moon. All she had wanted, including total control over Celestia was within her grasp. She licked her lips and ran a hoof over the neck of the statue. "Foolish sister. There are no heroes in the world. Only those less willing to show the evil inside." Her eyes trailed back up to Celestia's balcony. "Watch me break your favorite prize. You will see her evil," she muttered. "I will show you what you don't want to see."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 11: The Joker & The Thief
Twilight shifted awake to the crackle and sputter, the embers of a small fire fleeing from the heat. The faint aroma of a mediocre breakfast slipped into her nostrils, further rousing her from the depths of a worried sleep. Her stomach growled and she opened her eyes, the grim darkness a welcome to her unadjusted vision. She sat up with a start, a look of panic taking hold of her face. Her eyes darted back and forth before settling upon the campfire nearby. She opened her mouth, but the scolding she had prepared vanished as she realized the fire emitted nothing more than a few tendrils of smoke and a small glow.
She gave a breath of relief when memory reminded her her comrades knew how to remain stealthy when camping out. They stared at her with mild confusion until she yawned and began to relax. A slow rubbing of her eyes removed lingering elements of sleep and she settled into her well adjusted night vision, peering around through the woods. The familiar apprehension of the forced darkness returned and she glanced up to the sky, the moon hanging in place like an ornament or a trophy for show. Her eyes scanned the sky, a mental note already marked in her mind of a striking detail missing: stars. The night was devoid of detail, save for a few wandering sheets of cirrus clouds.
"Mmm... Smells good. I guess that's breakfast," she mumbled discontentedly aloud. She shifted her gaze to bits of foliage roasting over a rock nearby. There wasn't much, but they had gathered a few berries and additional leaves to fill their stomachs. Twilight couldn't help but yearn for the lavish buffets the princesses had spoiled her with in the past several years. She took her share and bit down, a mild look of her disapproval blurred into the night. The food was bland, carrying with it the hint of burning wood as she ate.
"Man, this is going to be rough unless we just happen to find a vegetarian dragon," Dash moaned. There was a pause as Trixie and Twilight exchanged glances and snorted. Dash herself cracked a smile in the darkness towards as them she caught on. "Heh, a vegetarian dragon."
"Yeah, but I don't plan on starving," said Twilight. "Maybe we can catch a scouting party the next time we're hungry. Who knows, maybe we'll find this mythical vegetarian dragon." They broke into a fit of laughter for a few moments, eventually fading back to quiet smiles, all staring into the fire. "Were there any scouting parties while I was asleep?"
Rainbow Dash's eyes trailed off towards the direction of Ponyville. She raised a steady hoof, her expression straightening. "There were a few way over there, but they didn't come to the forest. Do you think they're on to us?" she asked as she brought her eyes back to the fire in front of them.
"I doubt it," replied Twilight. "But if they're looking at all, then they must think we're a threat after all. We need to get going. We'll leave as soon as--" She stopped herself suddenly.
Overhead, the silhouette of a dragon consumed all light upon them, its mammoth form erasing all with shadow as it passed over briefly. Their hearts skipped a beat as they waited for his listless flight to lead him further away. Twilight considered shooting him down, but any sure-kill spell would immediately light the sky and alert reinforcements. She swallowed hard when she could resume speaking.
"--we're done eating," she finished in a hushed voice. She brushed a hoof across her forehead to clear a trickle of sweat. "Let's hope there aren't many more patrols headed this way."
Breakfast concluded shortly after and they continued their low profile hike through the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash and Twilight found a distant sense of nostalgia trekking through the familiar wilds once more. Rarely did they visit it for pleasure, and most of their past encounters with it had been significant, particularly that of Twilight's first night in Ponyville leading her and her new friends to it. They descended the rocky cliffs without instance, and passed the river, the duo taking note of absent flamboyant serpent they'd encountered so many years before.
The party was led by Rainbow Dash until they reached the bridge to the former castle of the royal sisters. The pegasus pulled a leg up to take another step, but hesitated. "What's wrong?" asked Twilight.
Dash turned her head and shivered. "It's just... memories..." she muttered, finally putting her hoof down and taking the next step forward.
"Memories? You've been to this place before?" Trixie asked. Rainbow Dash didn't answer and continued leading the way to the entrance in silence.
Twilight took the lead after crossing and stopped in front of the ancient ruin's doors, surprise lining her eyes that their rotted construction still held together over a millennia later through the weathering. The same memories that wanted to drive Rainbow Dash away slipped into her mind. They had conquered all of Nightmare Moon's challenges. Together, she thought. The feelings were strange; she felt both compelled to move forward, and to flee, and she eyed the doors cautiously. The castle stood as a bittersweet reminder of Luna's fall from grace. Twilight tensed for a moment as she studied them. But even she was redeemed.
"Do you think there's anything here?" asked Trixie. She studied the crumbling walls skeptically. "This place looks like it hasn't been used in ages."
Twilight pushed open one of the doors, the rotted wood and rusty hinges giving an anguished creak to the gentle force. "I don't know... I want to check something out, though." She cast a determined look to Trixie and disappeared inside without a sound. Rainbow Dash and Trixie followed closing the door behind them. Trixie breathed out in relief when it didn't fall over on top of them afterwards.
Twilight slowly stepped forward and took in the surroundings. A vague sense of familiarity rang out from every piece of the stonework to her and Rainbow Dash, but the magician found herself treading new ground. She eyed the moonlit stone carefully, the light giving it an apprehensive feeling. There was no ceiling, no form of cover to shield them from searching eyes should a dragon patrol near again. Dust muddled the rays of moonlight and more filled it as the doors closed with a faint breeze rustling loose dust.
The alicorn moved forward, the glint on the ends of her peeking staff blending into the light, and constantly threw her head back and forth. Several pieces of discolored glass lay in a pile against one wall, a colorful memory of the past now lost. Against the opposite wall lay the decayed, rotted pieces to a wooden chair.
"So... what are supposed to be looking for?" Dash asked suddenly, her nerves periodically compelling her to check her six.
Twilight's heartbeat grew into a pounding at the words, the anxiety lining every one of her movements with caution. "I don't know. Anything. Maybe we can find something to use against Nightmare Moon later if the Elements can't be gathered." She paused and sniffed the air quietly. Something isn't right, she thought. She threw her head towards Dash, but her cowl hid her eyes behind a black blur. "It's worth checking out, right?"
She didn't want to admit it, but the talking eased the her mind. They continued onward, but every sound not belonging to her or her friends caused her to freeze or flinch, even a stray breeze making its tired sweep through the old ruins elicited a reaction. They moved through a deeper part of the ruins and the stonework improved slightly. Where walls once built with pride now stood in shambles with climbing moss and creeping vines overtaking them.
They made it to the room where the Elements were previously housed. The arms of the odd monument constructed to display their previous forms had broken off and crumbled. Twilight swallowed hard as her anxiety began to rise further as they walked through the room.
"Creepy..." mumbled Trixie as she took a moment to stare at the monument.
Dash gave it a disbelieving look and they moved to a final staircase. Twilight hesitated before moving, raising a hoof and staring up the steps with caution. The feeling of anxiety intensified and she forced herself to keep going before she was questioned. She reached the top and the anxiety within her shifted for a moment, the feeling now as if it had layered upon itself. What is going on?
"Wait here," she commanded with a hoarse voice. She moved to the center of the room, a place she once stood facing Nightmare Moon alone, against all odds. She closed her eyes and imagined the dark alicorn's smug look fixated on her. She began to focus and scan the room with Telos springing to life and dancing around her in an entertaining manner. The vibe in the room gave off the feeling of faint magic--old magic, but the presence suddenly encroached upon her. The magic wasn't Nightmare Moon's or the princesses.
"Something... isn't right," she said aloud. Anxiety turned to fear and her eyes shot open, Telos returning to her back in a second. "We have to leave," she added abruptly. When the other two mares looked at her with confusion, she yelled. "NOW!"
A black mist seeped over the walls and windows, and filled the stairway. It swirled and began to close in on them. Dash leaped into flight and Twilight telekinetically pulled Trixie to her, grabbing the startled magician and taking to the sky. Her large wings beat the still air hard, and they barely managed to escape from the room. The mist coalesced into something and reached several yards into the air in an attempt to grab at them, but its failure caused it to flatten and dissipate back to nothingness in a matter of seconds.
The trio landed outside far beyond the ruins, back in the safety of the dark forest's canopy. Twilight set Trixie down and forcefully wiped her brow and kicked up a piece of dirt.
"Hey, Twi. What the hay was that?" Dash asked as she eyed the now-distant ruins nervously. The stone walls seemed like a prison she had just escaped from, her chest tightening as she gazed at it. She took an instinctive step away from it.
Twilight looked to the ground, her eyes darting between invisible calculations and theories inlaid into the grass. "A problem," she concluded. "I don't think Nightmare Moon could've beaten us here, but she can move quickly. Or maybe she just left behind a trap after we defeated her the first time. None of that seems probable, though." She swallowed hard, her imagination and fears getting the best of her. She looked up and to the darkness at the edge of her vision. "It was some kind of alarm. We need to get out of here, quickly and quietly." She led them onward at a quicker pace than before, her ears constantly bending and straining to hear any sounds that didn't belong in the forest.
"So, just what was that place back there?" Trixie asked while staring at Twilight's cloaked flank.
"That was once the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It was the place where Nightmare Moon first surfaced within Luna and rebelled; where Celestia herself had used the original Elements of Harmony to banish her to the moon." Twilight stopped walking and glanced up the moon, the surface devoid of the Mare in the Moon markings. She took in a deep breath and frowned slightly "That was over a thousand years ago." She continued walking again, her head hanging lower than before.
"I remember the stories you told me about Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna, but you never told me about the Elements or where all of that happened."
"Applejack, the Element of Honesty. Rarity, the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy, Kindness. Pinkie Pie, Laughter. Rainbow Dash, Loyalty." The knight shrugged her armor between a skip and tilted her head at the mention of her name to better listen. "And I'm... the Element of Magic. We are living representations of them now."
"Wow... Isn't Magic the most powerful?"
"Yes." Twilight cast a glance to the shadowy ground. The most powerful... but I can't do anything more, even now.
The rest of the hike through the Everfree Forest was conducted in an empty silence. No one had wanted to continue the conversation, but Trixie was left pondering Twilight's status again. The alicorn never boasted her legendary accomplishments and rarely mentioned them unless they pertained to a subject they were discussing. Suddenly, she felt small in comparison to her once again.
The party neared the edge of the forest, the trees ending their thick canopy abruptly to a few stones before the landscape dipped into a wide valley. They took one last look at the ruins behind them. They were only tiny slivers of moonlit grey in the great distance they had traveled, and they all shared the same sense of dread at the new feature they beheld. A pair of dragons were circling them, searching. Twilight bit her lip and a pang of relief hit her briefly.
"Are the dragons really at her command?" Twilight mused to herself.
"Is Luna working with the Brood to usurp Celestia?" asked Trixie in response.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash both shot her an incredulous frown. "No, not Luna," the alicorn answered. "It's Nightmare Moon. Luna would never betray her sister... willingly." Twilight's voice became unsteady for a moment, the self reminder that Luna was no longer herself looming over her thoughts.
"But what about Celestia? What are we going to do about Luna?"
Twilight sighed. "One problem at a time, Trixie. Let's take care of Dragon King Render first." Twilight froze for a moment. Did I just... speak about killing him so easily? She shuddered and shook her head, then looked down to the valley. The wide open space was sparse of trees and rocks, but a small dirt path split it in two. Most of the valley was shrouded in darkness, the walls blocking the moon and casting the only cover. A chill ran up Twilight's spine as she studied it from the cover of the forest. "Dash, go scout ahead. I don't like this place." She squinted in hopes to see more detail, but the blur only sharpened to smear with the few trees poking up as different shades of the blur. "Be careful, and come right back if you see anything out of the ordinary,” she added earnestly.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and muttered. “Don’t worry mom, I’ll look both ways when I cross the street.” She took off without catching Twilight’s frown, but she swore she could feel it.
The knight kept low to the ground as she soared over the sloping, shadow-stricken landscape. It was nearly as dark as the forest; the moon seemed unable to peek over one of the seemingly raised sides, and the shadows swallowed her in apprehension. Dash nearly crashed into a rock as it slipped out of the darkness mere seconds before a collision. She made two passes to be sure that she could spot nothing. After landing, she shuddered, and readjusted her helmet. “That place is creepy. I scouted it the best I can, but I wouldn’t let your guard down. I can’t see much in the dark.”
The other mares nodded and Twilight instinctively shifted Telos on her back. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I’ll cross and do a magical sweep. If I make it across, I’ll signal you to grab Trixie and fly over.”
Dash shrugged and her and Trixie pulled back to the forest treeline. Twilight began a cautious trek through the valley, occasionally tugging her dark cowl lower. There was no cover in the valley beyond the veil of the night. Anyone, or anything, could spot her if she wandered too close, and Dash’s aerial reconnaissance wouldn’t trigger any traps on the ground. Trixie and Dash watched her outline blur and fade into the black, until only a subtle ripple made its way across the shadow canvas of the distance.
Twilight stepped passed the rock that Rainbow Dash nearly hit and stopped. Something’s here! The ground rumbled and several figures began pulling themselves from the earth. The scouts at the ruins abruptly ended their patrols and began heading towards the valley. Twilight moved Telos beneath her and tugged at the end of her cloak. She leaped off of the dragon and quietly vanished into the night as a dark smear. Dragons...
“What should we do?” Trixie asked in a hushed voice. “There’s too many for us to fight.”
“Keep your head down! Wait until Twilight’s signal,” commanded Dash, pulling Trixie behind a tree and to the ground behind some bushes.
The two mares swallowed hard, their chests thumping in tandem to the heavy ambience of the scouts passing overhead. Their shadows swallowed up the ponies in blackness before relinquishing it back to the natural darkness. They peered out from behind the tree and strained their eyes to find Twilight in the array of confused dragons, but even the beasts down searching for her were wandering about and combing the valley in an effort to find a trace of her.
"Report, Captain," ordered one of the scouts from the ruins. His voice was sharp, a tinge of impatience punctuating his words.
The captain of the valley cell glanced around in confusion for a moment, then straightened himself as he met his superior's stare. "There... There was someone here just a moment ago. They walked over me, I'm sure of it. And another, a flyer. They made a low pass through here, I think."
The scout gave him a hard, disbelieving look. "And, can anyone else verify this?" he asked to the rest of the group.
The others exchanged nervous glances, none offering themselves to the scrutiny of backing their captain's story. One even shrugged while another shook his head, in lazy disagreement, or fear. "What? You cannot--"
"Do not make this a fool's errand, lest you wish to answer to General Aurelius," the scout cautioned in an angry tone. The pair of scouts turned to fly back in the direction of the ruins. "Get back to your duties," the lead scout added curtly with a sidelong glance.
The captain stared after them for a moment, yearning for something. In an instant he whirled his head around and barked, "Find them!" As he lifted himself up fully in preparation to fly, Twilight's dark blue cloak slid from his back and fell to the ground in a billowy dance. He lowered himself and snatched it from the ground, dangling it before him in his claws. I knew it. How could a pony just disappear into the night? he wondered. He peered around, but could not separate one shadow from the next.
The dragons began dispersing and taking to the air as Twilight reached the other side with a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. She stepped carefully, unsure of her sneaking skills, while moving as swiftly over grass and rocks as quickly as she could. The terrain on the other side of the valley sloped up and into a rocky, sandy path. She found a large boulder, one large enough to conceal a being larger than herself, among a collection of them. She exhaled deeply, grinning beneath the veil of her tugged up duskweave. Her violet eyes pierced the darkness with determination. Telos slid out from beneath her and she disappeared in a flash.
"Do you think she made it?" whispered Trixie to Dash.
A hoof tapped the magician on the shoulder and she flinched, afraid to turn around. Her imagination ran wild until Twilight's voice came quietly. "Don't speak. Just gather with me." She led them back into the forest thirty meters and behind several trees before teleporting them to the other side of the boulder.
Twilight's companions looked dizzy after reappearing on the other side. "Hey, Twi. That flash is a little bright in this darkness, you know?" Dash started. She rubbed at her eyes and blinked them back to adjusting. "Do you think they'll find us?"
"I left my cloak behind," replied Twilight, her voice muffled only slightly by the duskweave. "We need to get out of here before they start looking over here."
"Wow, Twilight. You're almost invisible. Is that a spell or just the duskweave?" asked Trixie.
The alicorn nodded. "It can absorb and refract light around me."
Trixie arched a brow. "But it's dark. There isn't any light." She could've sworn Twilight snorted, but her eyes were no indication of her disposition at that moment.
The alicorn motioned up to the moon, muttering, "There is always light in the darkness."
Telos reaffixed itself upon Twilight's back and they continued at a brisk trot into the lands beyond the valley. Twilight slid the duskweave down from her muzzle and it reformed flawlessly onto her body as a second skin once more. As they trekked through a flatland area beyond, she bit her lip, constantly glancing over her shoulder. Trixie inwardly groaned, wishing she would stop, her own nerves wanting to scare her each time the alicorn looked away. She fidgeted occasionally when she snapped her view over her shoulder too quickly, sure danger might be there that time.
"We're really exposed out here, Twilight. Any dragon with good night vision will see us moving," Dash started, her eyes watching the distance in front of them. "Shouldn't we put up an illusion or something?"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't like it either, but I don't want to waste any magic. I'm getting hungry and we don't have anything. I'm saving my strength in case we do get caught." She sighed when their stomachs growled. "Still..." She paused for a moment, standing up and swinging her forelegs outward. "I've never been beyond the Everfree Forest before," she said in a breathy, awed manner.
Trixie and Dash exchanged blank looks. "I have," they said in unison, but Dash continued, "but not this way."
Twilight frowned. "For a moment, I forgot we're supposed to be careful." She glanced over her shoulder again, smiling this time. "Let's hurry. I'm starving," she said, groaning out the last word. "If they haven't come out of the valley now, I don't think they'll ever broaden the search in time to find us."
As they continued onward, Twilight continued to periodically glance over her shoulder, though more subtly than before. I wish I could've kept my cloak. Only an archmage wears a cloak, and if they find the mark... She pursed her lips, forcing herself to look ahead. Her nerves betrayed her and she looked up to the moon again. Nightmare Moon...
***
Back in the valley, the captain ordered the dragons to expand their search, though much too late. The darkness hindered their search as much as it helped enshroud their actions, and he clutched the cloak in his grip with a heavy dismay. After watching over his cell a while longer, he took off back to Canterlot, a frustrated and disappointed rhythm weaved into the beating of his wings. He grimaced at the thought of facing General Aurelius with nothing to show but a unicorn's traveling garment.
It was an hour before he returned to the Canterlot castle, his resolve faltering just after reaching the city. He forced himself to land on the front steps, wishing it did not require so much effort. He followed a path of calculated destruction through the castle walls. Ponies and dragons moved about attempting to repair and restructure the building to accommodate their larger forms. Occasionally a death threat would sail towards a pony slacking off or not moving quickly enough. Most would snap right back to work, the fear of being devoured driving them, and some would shout back curses, earning a swift smack.
He stopped outside of the throne room and swallowed, hard. As he entered, he found Nightmare Moon staring outside of one of the ruined windows, Princess Celestia beside her without any regalia, and Aurelius laying near the throne. All of their eyes connected to him the moment he lumbered into the room. None of their expressions told him what they thought and his mouth suddenly felt dry.
"My lord, General Aurelius," he offered, the larger dragon raising his head in interest. "It would appear that Her Majesty, Moon, was correct in implementing the magical trap in the Everfree Forest."
The dark alicorn turned to face him completely, her eyes narrowing upon him slightly. "Go on," she said invitingly.
He swallowed again before continuing his report, Nightmare's sharp eyes matching only Aurelius's in intimidation. "Someone visited those ruins. Where we laid in the valley, someone passed through only a short while after the scouts arrived at the ruins."
"Oh?" muttered Aurelius. "And what makes you sure they were not simply adventurers?" he asked, his heavy voice adding weight to the atmosphere bearing on the captain.
The captain reflexively lowered his head, but kept it high enough to maintain eye contact with his superiors. "Because of this," he said as he produced the dark blue cloak. "That fell from my body after we sprang our trap, but we were unable to find the unicorn whom I believe it belongs to." His tone shifted from confident to apologetic halfway through his sentence. He dropped the cloak on the ground before Nightmare Moon then stepped back, shying away from her gaze.
Nightmare Moon lifted the cloak up and spun it around, a faint crest of Luna designed into the underside. She frowned for a moment, but it was replaced as quickly by a grin. She put it on and froze with an unreadable expression.
Aurelius studied the dark alicorn in her new attire. "Hmm... Princess Celestia." He glanced to the princess, and she returned his look with a placid expression. "Do you care to explain why the cloak of an archmage would be so far from their home? I did not think I miscounted earlier." The dragon maintained an even look as he spoke.
Nightmare Moon moved to Celestia and bent her neck down to look up at her in a teasing manner. "Oh, sister. Do tell. You know I hate,"--she suddenly straightened herself in front of her--"being lied to," she finished angrily, but her face maintained the grin.
Celestia met her eyes with the same placid expression, her eyes revealing nothing but a slight confusion. "The robes and cloaks that the archmagi choose to wear are solely of their own volition. That cloak could belong to anypony," she said plainly.
Nightmare Moon's grin shifted into a disdainful frown. "Do you think me a foal, sister? Four of your precious Elements of Harmony have already been captured. Where might the other two be at, hmm?" she asked quickly, the question chaining to what Celestia hid behind a well practiced mask.
The princess shook her head. "I don't know. We merely communicate through letters, but I know not where she currently resides. I would not tell you, even if I did," she replied calmly, her eyes catching a sharp look from the Id.
"You're lying!" Nightmare snarled. "I know you and your faithful student are in constant communication--the accursed Element of Magic!" The Id grunted and growled her frustration out. She threw the cloak from her back in a spark of her horn. "How... embarrassing," she said, suddenly calm once more.
Celestia regarded her carefully, but refused to look at the cloak. Not now... she thought to herself. "I am not lying, Nightmare Moon. As I told you, that could be anypony's cloak. And, it has been some time since I last spoke with my student." She stared into Nightmare Moon's sharp eyes, her own still completely calm. For a moment, she wondered if Nightmare Moon would ever consider a word she spoke as truth.
The Id narrowed her eyes examining, rather than condemning, Celestia, and huffed. "We will find out soon enough, won't we?" She glowered at the princess and turned to the idling red dragon. "Expand the search at once, Aurelius," she commanded in a flat tone.
Aurelius chuckled, but it came out more as a heaving rumble. A grin split his face for a moment, but he stood up and shrugged his body. "Mistress Moon, you are overreacting. It is probably nothing. Lay your paranoia to rest."
Nightmare shifted her eyes between Celestia and Aurelius in disbelief several times, then she moved to gaze out the window and to the moon again. With an exasperated sigh, she let her eyes fall to the city. "Fine. You're probably right and it's just some thrill seeking explorer." She whirled back around to face the dragon again. "But someone visited those ruins. They are... sentimental to me and I am going to investigate them myself," she added.
"Merely your paranoia, Mistress. It is not the first wandering visitor, nor will it be the last. Those ruins lay unguarded in the middle of a forest few dare tread. Calm yourself." The dragon's voice hit a pacifying note for a moment and Nightmare went silent for a while. She glanced to the captain, his head still lowered and she frowned.
"I will personally investigate them myself." She turned to Aurelius and sneered. "Funny how our dispositions have been reversed, is it not?" Her form dispersed into a starry mist and flowed out of the room in a gust of air. The captain bowed and Aurelius nodded allowing him to leave.
"Your sister," Aurelius started, studying the princess' face as she turned to him with an irritated stare. "She won't find anything... will she?" he asked, doubt and wonder in his tone simultaneously.
Celestia half rolled her eyes and sighed. "She is not my sister. I don't know what Nightmare Moon expects to find. Those ruins have been abandoned to the Everfree Forest for centuries. Only adventurers ever visit them now."
Aurelius laid back down and grunted, but for what, Celestia couldn't tell. "She is merely paranoid, having reentered the world in such a chaotic state. We will find the Elements of Harmony in due time, but they are no priority of ours."
Celestia raised her eyebrows, suddenly piqued by the Brood's agenda. "Oh, and why is that?" she asked, taking a reluctant step closer to the dragon.
Aurelius didn't move as he spoke, his rumbling voice driving any point he made for him. "Nightmare Moon simply keeps you in check, and the forced darkness demoralizes your races. I will not hesitate to get rid of her should she become... disobedient."
Celestia scowled at him, but her chest tightened suddenly. "A staggered night is of no hindrance to us."
Aurelius studied her face, the princess still clinging to the idea of her sister's soul being pure. "Your world falls beneath the Brood's rule now. You are to sit here comfortably and watch all that you sought to maintain burn away. Your words are now hollow, puppet princess."
Celestia stared at him contemptuously for a while, then spun on her hooves and walked out of the throne room, shaken by his nickname. That bastard... I will never be anyone's puppet, nor will Nightmare Moon be yours!
"Wander where you wish, princess. Your magic may as well be sealed." Aurelius's voiced chased her through the halls, an echoing reminder that she was truly bound to herself now.
Aurelius moved over to gaze out of one of the shattered windows, his eyes falling blankly over the razed city. Several fires flickered in the distance off blackened rooftops, most charred buildings protruding as scars upon the white city. Ashes swept the streets with messy grey streaks and painted buildings in their path.
"And what will your subjects think when they see you still live above them, princess? Will they rebel? Will they slander your name? Or..." His gaze shifted to the broken throne. "Or will they decide they no longer have need of you, a frail ruler left alone? I wonder..."
Trixie groaned as she stubbed her hoof on a rock, the seventh on the rough mountain path they now walked. Each time she stumbled, she glared at Rainbow Dash and her expected grin, but each time she stumbled, her eyes would shift as quickly to Twilight. The alicorn continued to watch the surrounding areas and behind them with subtle looks, and even during their breaks would position herself facing paths they'd taken. It had been a few hours since they left the valley, and no dragon had moved much beyond it in their search. She sighed and grumbled, her stomach growling to match her disdain for her lover's excessive caution.
"Can't we just cast an illusion on ourselves and have Rainbow fly us over this thing?" she asked, almost whining her question out. She hit another rock, a frustrated groan following and hanging in the air even louder this time.
"No," replied Twilght flatly, turning herself to face the magician. When Trixie met her eyes with a sour look, she offered a sympathetic one. "I'm sorry, Trixie, but I'm not risking it. I've got a bad feeling as it is and I'd like to stay under the radar without the help of magic as much as possible."
"But we wouldn't be using that much magic if we just hide ourselves for a few minutes to make it over," Trixie argued.
Rainbow Dash stood up and pushed her forehooves out. "Whoa, whoa. I can't fly that fast with all my armor and your fat flank, Trixie."
The magician glowered at her. She hit another rock and gnashed her teeth, poising herself to blast the path clear if not for Twilight. Suddenly realizing a golden opportunity for alleviating her frustrations, she took the most recent rock she kicked in her magic and propelled it at the knight's flank. However, before it could make contact, it was captured in Twilight's more powerful magical aura.
"I don't like any of this either. I really don't, but we're on a mission. I'm worried about Canterlot--about Celestia. We've got Nightmare Moon and the Brood's armies to deal with, and we haven't even made it halfway to Draconis. You two have fought dragons before. You know exactly how draining it is to fight one. Imagine if we ran into some out here. With the Brood's armies flooding into Equestria, they could be anywhere in the night. I can fight the royal guard, but I can't regenerate myself quickly without the sun."
Twilight's companions exchanged apologetic glances as she went on. "I... don't like this," she muttered again.
Rainbow Dash took the lead again, though there were no more words exchanged between them. They continued rounding the mountain path at a brisk pace, even as it narrowed and forced them into a straight line. Dragons periodically moved about in the distance and they would slow their pace and add additional care to each step.
After another half hour passed and they arrived on the opposite side of the mountain, the path beginning to slope down and meander back to the even ground. Trixie gave a breath of relief when it was much clearer going down on that side than coming up on the other. But each of them stared in some form of awe from the vantage point they now had. Dash smacked her head, a sound of disgust escaping her throat.
"There's dragons everywhere!" she cried, an accusing hoof pointing down in the direction they were headed.
The land had become a bit less barren than before, with a few splotches of greenery to add life on the canvas of dull prairie lands. But the knight was right. For every few square miles of terrain they could see there was a patrolling member of the Brood to sweep through it.
Twilight took in the picture before her, but didn't convey any sign of what she was thinking. She pointed to the closest town to them, but from their point, they could see several dragons were occupying it. "We'll rest there. I'm pretty sure we're all a bit hungry."
"But that one has the most dragons occupying," Trixie protested. "Are we going to hide with the rest of the ponies there or fight them?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin and contemplated the idea for a while. "We'll remove them from the town if it comes to it. Maybe we can trade some dragon hide for food," she joked. The other two mares looked at her with genuine surprise. Twilight wasn't sure what they were thinking given the darkness. "We'll figure something out," she finished hastily and moved past them.
As they made their way down the mountains, Trixie and Rainbow Dash held back to whisper to each other while their leader was distracted with the coming situations. Trixie pulled her cowl down and Dash shrugged her armor.
"We need to watch what we say," Dash whispered to Trixie.
The magician raised an eyebrow and turned her head enough to catch her in the corner of one eye. "What do you mean?"
"Twilight doesn't like all of this fighting. I know we haven't said much about it, but she's under a lot of stress right now."
Trixie fixated back onto Twilight. The alicorn's focus was to the front, and she seemed to pay no mind to their hushed voices. "I'll try to support her more," she murmured.
Dash nodded. "It's not as hard for me, but she has it the worst."
Trixie snapped her head to the side. "What about you?"
"I... I have somepony waiting for me," she answered dejectedly while looking at the ground. "I'll be fine."
"Hurry up, you two," called Twilight. She had moved much further than when they spoke, standing at the bottom of the path and at the entrance to the flatter lands. "I've studied their behavior and I don't think they'll attack us."
They moved as a unit across the prairie lands, keeping their heads low and their gaits subdued. Twilight prayed they would not notice Telos in the night, even as she ensured it was not shining in the darkness. The platinum finished creation appeared as a dull silver, only slightly darker than Dash's armor, and shifted into a generic looking pole. Her duskweave shifted colors and she took on a black coat with a grey mane and tail, a quill and parchment replacing her multi-star cutie mark. Hopefully, she thought, that'll be enough.
They reached the town without instance, though Trixie and Dash eyed their surroundings warily. The town itself was of similar size to Ponyville, minus stray houses and the Apple family farm on the outskirts. However, the town had a large fence erected around most of it, likely due to stray animals, Twilight figured. The front gate was left open, a couple militia ponies guarding and watching it. Twilight wished she still had her cloak as she passed them. Maybe I should've changed my appearance to something else.
After walking down the main street, a dragon at the first junction caught sight of the newest arrivals. He lumbered over to them, his large form filling most of the dirty street. On-looking townsponies stared in caution while others dashed into the nearest building, many looking wide-eyed out of the windows to watch.
"Give me your names, or you shall be detained," the dragon ordered quickly, his breath rustling up loose dust into the trio's faces.
Twilight studied him for a moment, her form stiffening as she considered how to react. My wings... I can't tell him who I am.
"Your names. I will not ask again," the dragon grit impatiently. His thick tail swept the ground behind him and left a fan shaped indent in the street.
"What if I ain't got a name?" shouted Rainbow Dash. As quickly as the words left her mouth, she took the heater shield from her back and slung it like disc at the dragon. The shield spun and sailed through the air, one of the corners striking him between the eyes.
The dragon reeled back into a sitting position, clutching his head. The shield clattered to the ground and he didn't say anything immediately. Gasps and squeaks filled the air as more civilian ponies scrambled into the nearby buildings, only a few brave--or bold, no one could be sure--ponies remained outside. Trixie produced her staff, and Twilight shifted Telos back to its idle state, but retained her illusion--both mares carrying surprised expressions.
A trickle of blood ran down the dragon's snout and he bared his teeth. "You'll pay for that," he seethed. Three additional dragons moved in behind the first, each prepared to fight. "It appears we have some rather courageous rebels. Let's put them in their proper place," he said, then picked up Dash's shield and crushed it in one of his hands.
"Oh, yeah? If you think you can beat a Celestial Knight," Dash shouted as she rushed forward. In a fluid motion, she brandished Nightfall into both hooves, the dark blade gleaming for a moment in the moonlight as it moved. "Then bring it on!"
The dragon frowned before unleashing his flame breath into the streets. Dash skidded on the street and then sprang into flight. Twilight took to the air after her, her large, violet wings appearing as if they ripped from the night itself. There were a few stray gasps as the color difference with the rest of her body was revealed. "Trixie, take care of that!" she called down.
The magician nodded and produced her staff, taking it into her hooves. With spire and horn shining in unison, she threw a hoof forward at the flames. Translucent walls of light encased the flame and locked together, smothering it in the middle of the street. She grit her teeth and swayed her hoof away, the walls vanishing quickly after. A wide span of blackened dirt remained where the flame had once been. Ugh, dragon fire is so powerful, she thought.
"Trixie, place an illusion and barrier around this area. We can't let this get out of control!" came the magician's next set of orders from Twilight. She took in a large breath and put on a determined expression.
"Got it!" Trixie dug Mystic Sage into the ground and leaned back in the air, her horn shining much brighter now. The staff spire flashed, and her cowl fell off while a stream of wind flowed around her. The air flickered briefly and more translucent walls surrounded a greater area around their combat zone. The drain hit her like a truck and she lost her stance immediately, slumping onto her staff. Gritting her teeth, the walls shifted from translucent light to a dark blue tint.
"Keep it up, Trixie," Twilight added.
Easy for you to say.
Rainbow Dash propelled herself towards the dragon she hit with her shield. They climbed into the sky, above the tops of the buildings, and began their aerial combat. She continued to hurl taunts at him, provoking him into attacking in anger. The dragon clawed and snapped at her, his teeth smashing together with dangerous might. She evaded his attacks deftly, stroking a reprisal with Nightfall during each dodge. After several non-fatal wounds, the dragon swiped with both claws.
The knight propelled herself to the side, but too focused on the claws, she missed the incoming tail. Seeing it too late, she was forced into a desperate parry attempt. Holding her sword at an angle, the tail smashed into her, the colossal force sending her streaming into a rooftop, a cratered mess where she crashed. The dragon grinned down at the wounded knight, satisfied. Winded, Dash scrambled back up and forced air back into her lungs. "Not bad," she heaved. "For a dragon!"
She spat blood to her side and rocketed forward, barely slowed by her injuries. The dragon, surprised, attempted to repeat his tactic, but she barreled over the tail the second time. As she spun, she closed the distance and flipped herself sideways adding the force of her gyrations into an awkward, wide vertical cut into the wing. She managed to rend most of it outwards before a defensive attack forced her away again.
The tattered flesh bled into the air and billowed like a ripped sheet. Try as the dragon might, his wing would no longer allow him to remain airborne. He clutched his wing and plummeted to the ground, landing with a boom near a few of his idling comrades. Dash began gaining more altitude while the dragon roared in pain and anger. She fully righted herself and braced Nightfall against her chest as she began a dive bomb.
This is gonna be close! As she picked up speed, it became difficult to maintain her trajectory; her vision blurred and she couldn't be sure she was descending on her target in the warped darkness. Laying into instinct, she began to spin herself, spiraling downwards as a menacing drill.
"You're going to kill yourself!" shouted Twilight. Telos moved from her back and aimed towards the dragon. "You're lucky..." she muttered as the knight neared her target. He attempted to flee down the street and avoid the deathblow, but Dash had already gained too much speed and distance. In an instant she drilled through his neck in a messy surge of blade and flesh. "--That I'm the Element of Magic!" cried Twilight. A sudden burst of air blasted the knight sideways, a mere meter from hitting the ground.
Dash spun out of control for a moment before jamming Nightfall into the ground and righting herself, speeding along the ground with a thin indent into the street. "Thanks for the save, Twi!"
Twilight unleashed an exasperated breath of relief, wiping a sprinkle of sweat from her brow. That could've gone better. Her eyes wandered to the walls of the illusion. It remained intact, but she pursed her lips when her eyes fell to Trixie. The magician was sweating profusely and using Mystic Sage to keep herself standing, parts of her cloak damp and clinging to her form. The glow of her horn shined brightly in the night, but its glow was beginning to dim from a typical shine. I'll try to hurry, Trixie.
Telos flipped through the air as it made its way back to Twilight, her duel with the leader beginning. The dragon, black and larger in size than the others, closed the distance and swiped down, his powerful claw quaking the earth as it stamped in a tracing crater. She evaded and willed Telos into a greatsword once more. She leaped into the air with a following sweep from the other claw. I can't hold back this time. "Trixie, can you hold the illusion against magic?" she shouted over her shoulder. "I can't use my magic if it's going to break."
The magician nodded and forced her fatigued body to raise Mystic Sage overhead. She mouthed a word and her horn shined brighter for a moment, the light flowing into the staff's spire. The illusion walls within sparkled and reinforced, the outer walls showing no change to the city's outward peaceful appearance. Trixie's hooves fell low and she slumped against the staff once more, barely able to keep herself standing whilst propped against it. "It's.... It's done," she panted, unsure of Twilight could hear her. The spell continued to strain her greatly, even when the walls weren't stressed.
The moment Trixie had finished, Telos left Twilight's hooves and reverted into a staff again. She skipped several strides backwards and pointed the spire to the leader. As the dragon attempted to move in, the spire shined and a burst of arcane power ripped forth and blasted him in the face. He reeled backwards to his haunches so hard that he slid backwards.
"Wh-who are you!?" he asked through a claw covering his face. The scales sizzled and more blood trickled down from his snout. This is the power of an alicorn? Is she a princess? The dragon dropped down and poised himself for combat once more. The wound he could not hide displayed blackened scales and flesh, but he showed no signs of weakness from his injury.
The dragon approached Twilight more cautiously the second time, his eyes fixated upon the spire of Telos. Its movements were sporadic and inconsistent, and he began to fear another spell the closer he got. Twilight shivered slightly, wind suddenly brushing her form as air swirled around in front of her. She applied herself and concentrated, the staff freezing its dance. The wind picked up into a tornado and ripped dirt and gravel into it becoming a dark, shearing twister.
The tornado carved a deep, wide groove into the street as it moved towards the dragon. He backed up and attempted to fly, desperate beats of his wings taking over his priorities. The harder he tried to fly the more the tornado pulled him in. "I'm the one that's going to show you..." Twilight muttered as she watched. The power of the tornado picked up, and chunks of nearby buildings began to break and flow into it. Entire walls were snapped off of the nearest ones. Damn... Too strong...
The dragon sank all four claws into the ground and attempted to hold on. His right wing was pulled outward and frayed by the debris while the rest of his body was lacerated, his scales wearing down against the dirt and gravel. The tornado expanded and engulfed his entire form in the dark brown dirt, and his wailing roar could faintly be heard over the howling winds. Twilight maintained the spell for another minute before ending it in an instant and having Telos return to her back. The debris and sediment all settled upon the dragon's bloodied form, some scattering in a dusty ring around him.
Twilight walked towards him and exhaled in relief when she found he was still conscious. "Tell the others to stand down and I will spare their lives," she said as she moved closer. "I don't want to kill you."
The dragon, despite all of his injuries, loosed a rumbling guffaw. "You cannot possibly believe you can stop us with your worn down little party," he retorted.
"Fine then. I'll ask again after I expel your doubt."
Twilight took to the air, the air beneath her wings pushing some of the sediment off of the dragon as she gained altitude. The dragons that remained were hurling themselves at the barrier walls, scratching and punching it. Trixie cringed with each charge, but the barriers held against their terror-driven efforts. Come on, Twilight... I can't... hold this... much longer! she thought, her voice unwilling to work to her will.
Twilight quickly reached the other two dragons. They turned and glimpsed her, their eyes widening in fright. Before they could make one final, desperate attempt to break the barrier, she blasted them with a sheet of electricity. The bolts ran along their bodies briefly before dispersing and fading. The dragons exchanged confused glances before suddenly slamming into each other and dropping to the ground in a quaking impact next to their leader. The shockwave filled the streets with dust for a few moments and blew most of it off of their leader.
Twilight landed on top of the leader's snout and lowered her head to meet one of his eyes with a serious gaze. She threw a hoof to her side and the dragons were engulfed in her violet aura and levitated closer, their forms compressed together in a lopsided sphere. "Tell them to surrender or I will execute all of you." A pang of guilt echoed throughout her, but she refused to show it.
The ball of dragons settled back to the ground and the duo became rattled. They thrashed and rolled themselves several feet in a circle while begging for mercy and the life saving command they would be compelled to follow.
Rainbow Dash dropped down on the ground in front of the leader and sheathed her sword, a worried look striking her features. "But, Twilight, they've already seen us. If we let them go, what's stopping them from giving us up?"
Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash for a moment, her face hard as she contemplated what to do. "I'll just... make sure they can't speak."
The dragon leader's eyes widened and he quickly blurted, "Alright! We will surrender and submit, so long as you honor your words." He relaxed when Twilight nodded. He breathed in relief, afraid she intended to remove their tongues if his response was delayed any longer.
Twilight smiled and the balled up dragons began to beg for freedom. "Hmm..." She turned toward the ball and stomped her right hoof abruptly, the leader wincing as she did so. "Silence!" An invisible wave of force passed through them and all sounds they uttered had ceased. Their eyes stared at her, pleading for mercy, fear of what may come reflecting in them. Holding a hoof in their direction, she sparked her magic and their bond tightened.
"Where do you receive your orders from?" Twilight asked as she turned back to face the leader.
"And why would I tell you, whom we are at the mercy of, where our orders come from? What is to stop you from killing us after I tell you?"
Telos moved from Twilight's back and hung above a large, open wound. The platinum staff radiated a subtle warmth as the dragon leader stared at it. In an instant, it was pulled away and perched upon Twilight's back, its shine dimming away. "Nothing," she replied with a neutral voice. "Can't dragons be honorable?"
"What... the hell... are you talking about?" he responded confusedly.
Twilight stared into his eyes more intensely than before. Telos whipped itself and snapped the blood from it before returning back to her. "From what I know of dragons, you're typically prideful. I'd like to think that pride could mean you're willing to honor a promise."
"So what? Even if I tell you, you cannot stop the Brood's invasion. There are many dragons who give orders to different contingents and cells. Why do you try so hard to beat us back with just this?" he asked while throwing a weak hand to the lot before him.
Twilight followed it with her eyes. Rainbow Dash looked at her expectantly, and Trixie was in an exhausted stagger approaching from further back, panting as she held the lower parts of Mystic Sage's shaft to keep herself from falling onto the blackened street. Residents of the town began to funnel out of the buildings, cautiously eyeing them and the dragons while creeping along the sides to get closer. Twilight loosed a long sigh and returned her eyes to the dragon's.
"Just moments ago you were willing to sacrifice yourselves for your cause. What difference does it make to you if I let you live and we fail further on? Please just tell me where your orders come from. Tell me where I can find your superior and I will let all three of you go," she asked in a more pleading tone, leaning gently forward with her words.
The dragon turned his head slightly and examined his remaining companions. The ball rolled a few inches as they squirmed, but they both looked to him for help. He gave a low sigh and focused back on Twilight. "About sixteen miles to the northeast lies a jungle. Within lives a small dragon that relays our orders. If you are truly going to spare us, will you allow us to go free?"
Twilight nodded and smiled. "I promise. You have my word. For now, rest up. You'll need your strength for later." She turned her head and noticed more awestruck ponies had filtered into the sides of the streets and crept further closer. "I'm really glad you surrendered, but... do you really believe in this war?" she whispered to him. Before he could answer, she turned and leaped down to the ground, leaving him with his own confused thoughts.
Trixie staggered up to Rainbow Dash, her staff being used as a poor crutch to aid her fatigued body. She had threatened to topple over with every step of her struggling stride. Twilight leaped to her as she reached the knight, the magician's legs finally giving out. Trixie was caught slumping over the alicorn's back.
"I... I did it, Twilight. I bet you're proud... of me," she rasped before releasing Mystic Sage and losing consciousness.
Twilight caught them in her magic and lifted the magician onto her back and slipped the staff beneath them, her wings vanishing into her altered coat. "Thank you, Trixie," she whispered. "I truly am. You've earned a rest." She looked up to meet the expectant and stunned crowd. She spent a moment contemplating how to address them, but ultimately settled on allowing them to ask first.
A colt lost in the crowd piped up with the first question. "What's happening with the dragons?" he hollered nervously.
"Don't worry about them. They can't speak, and they can't move." She swayed her head back and forth over the crowd as an awkward silence fell. "Is there anywhere we can stay and rest?" she asked.
A young pegasus colt stepped out of the crowd and pulled her towards a nearby building, Rainbow Dash trotting just behind. Twilight studied the way the pegasus moved as she was hustled along. Somepony who's not very worried... she observed. They entered what she figured was a hotel, an intimidated receptionist eyeing them suspiciously as they entered. The pegasus moved ahead of her and spoke to the receptionist in a hushed voice for a few moments before motioning them to follow.
They were led upstairs to a room at the front of the building with a four-paned window to view the street. After thanking the pegasus for their hospitality, she pushed Rainbow Dash inside and closed the door quietly behind her. The room offered two beds, a bathroom to their left, and a small table with two chairs in a corner by the only window. A bare dresser sat against the wall at the feet of the beds. Twilight plopped Trixie onto the closest bed while Dash took the one nearest the window.
The knight sat down slowly and stared at the floor for a moment. "I know what you're thinking, Rainbow, but the less bloodshed, the better," Twilight said quickly.
Dash whipped her head to her in surprise, but it faded as quickly as it had surfaced. "Don't you think it's too risky to let them go? I know you don't like the alternative, but they know too much about us. I don't like it as much as the next pony, but..." She sighed and grit her teeth. "Please tell me you have a plan besides trying reverse psychology."
Twilight nodded slowly. "Right now, all they have is a story about an unknown alicorn and a pegasus knight that defeated them with the support of a powerful unicorn. They failed to occupy a town with no real military power and were gravely injured. What dragon would ever believe that?"
Dash hung her head doubtfully after removing her helmet and setting it beside her on the bed. "Fine, but this is probably just going to make things harder in Draconis." She took a few heaving breaths before scooting to the end of the bed and turning to fully face Twilight. "Do you think saving them will help us later?" she asked. She began removing more pieces of armor, grunting, gnashing her teeth, and wincing in her attempts.
"I don't know, but I hope it helps. You never know if an enemy could become tomorrow's friend, or some kind of ally, though. No matter what happens in Draconis, it has to end this war. I just... I just wish..." Twilight let loose a frustrated groan. Dash paused and looked at her sympathetically. The alicorn recomposed herself and sat on the bed next to Trixie. "I just wish there was another way..." she trailed off. She stood up and moved to the window, staring blankly at the street below.
"I know, Twi. I just don't want anything to come back and bite us in the flank when the time comes."
"Me neither," Twilight muttered as she shifted her gaze down the street. The townsponies had begun to form a mob in front of the injured dragon leader, a few slinging rocks at him. "I'll be right ba--." Twilight disappeared in a flash before she finished speaking.
The startling flash at the other end compelled the mob of townsponies back from the dragons. Twilight appeared between them and the leader, her face and eyes hard on the frightened mob. Telos moved and swept the area back and forth further sending the mob back. She turned to the injured captain and looked at him just as evenly. With a burst of light from her horn, the area around the three dragons flashed, and in an instant, a barrier was placed around them.
"This will hold until we need to leave. A promise is a promise." She spun around as the crowd began talking amongst themselves with sharp tones and hushed voices. She frowned and Telos returned to her. "They can't do anything to you now, and I need them alive. They will go free whether you want them to or not, but my magic binds them for now. This is more important than any of us." Her words quelled the boiling emotions for the time being and she vanished in another flash.
She opened her eyes to the renewed shadows of the bare inn room. Rainbow Dash was struggling with removing her breastplate, the last piece of her plate mail still equipped. Her eyes were clamped shut and she grit her teeth. With a sharp grunt, she managed to remove the last of its bindings, but collapsed to the bed afterwards with a whimper. Twilight rolled her eyes and moved to the bed. Her gaze softened when she could see the color of bruises bleeding her coat a different shade, blending her torso into the darkness of the room.
"You were hit pretty hard out there. Let me help you," she offered earnestly.
"Come on, Twilight. It's nothing a little nap can't fix." Dash attempted to sit up and forced a weak smile onto her face, but Twilight scowled.
"Really, Rainbow? You got hit by a fully grown dragon. You could have some internal bleeding and broken ribs." The knight's smile withered away and Twilight gently pushed her back down onto the bed. The knight coughed, wincing once more, and wiped a small bit of blood from the corner of her mouth.
"Twilight, really. You don't have to--"
"Shh." Twilight placed her hooves just over Dash's torso, and her horn started with a soft glow. White light emanated from beneath her hooves and washed over the knight's torso in pulsing waves. Twilight closed her eyes for a few minutes and Dash's pain slipped away. She could breath in fully again and relax with the pain gone. Twilight finished and nodded, then moved to the other bed and laid down beside Trixie.
"...Thanks, Twilight," Dash whispered, her eyes on the ceiling with a slight burn on her cheeks. "I'll take better care of myself." She closed her eyes and a memory cut through her peaceful thoughts.
You need to take better care of yourself, Rainbow Dash! teased Derpy.
I'm sorry. I promise.
Twilight rubbed her temples, muttering in reply, "Get some rest." She closed her own eyes and laid in silence for a moment. I haven't used that much magic outside of training. I can't afford to fight like that in a town again if we run into too many... She sighed inwardly. I can't hold back anymore.
The faint glow of Twilight's horn illuminated the dark room, nearly overtaking the moonlight pouring in through the lone window. She focused, her mind searching through a darkness only she could navigate. Celestia... Are you there? There was a long silence as she waited for a reply. Only the rising beats of her heart and her breathing became audible beneath the veil of concentration. Celestia?
Yes, Twilight. I'm here, came the clear voice of the princess.
Twilight breathed in relief and smiled automatically. We've freed a town from a party of dragons, sparing three. They reluctantly gave us useful information in exchange for their lives. She paused, biting her lip and wondering if that was the right way to describe it. What's the situation at home? she asked quickly.
Celestia's sigh filled her mind momentarily. A dragon brought your cloak to Nightmare Moon. Twilight's heart sank. Aurelius dismissed it, but Nightmare Moon suspects something. She is hunting you, Twilight. The other four Elements have already been captured.
Twilight's heart began to race again. That's bad. Without the Elements--
I know, Twilight. I trust you will figure something out.
Celestia's words did nothing to alleviate her sudden anxiety, and she could only imagine what the corrupted alicorn had in mind for her were she to catch her. She opened her eyes and squinted in the dark to see Trixie. The magician's mouth hung open with a tendril of drool running onto her pillow. Her cowl was pulled back and Twilight stroked her silvery mane.
It's strange, though, started Celestia. Aurelius intends to keep the Elements around to remove Nightmare Moon if they cannot control her.
I don't like that... They could banish Luna along with her again.
I know, Twilight. There was another long pause, and Twilight could think of nothing more to say. Be careful. Nightmare Moon has gone to the old ruins to investigate herself. I pray that she does not pick up your trail.
Me, too. For now, we're still beneath the Brood's radar. I'll deal with Nightmare Moon when the time comes.
Get some rest, Twilight.
I will. Twilight breathed in deeply for a moment, her hoof continuing to stroke Trixie's mane. The magician mumbled and giggled in her sleep occasionally, but Twilight couldn't bring herself to smile. She stood up and moved to the window, peering out, not at the dragons, but up to the moon. Nightmare Moon will find us. There's no way she can't track my magic. She turned her head to view both Rainbow Dash and Trixie, their sleeping forms bolstering her resolve. I'll protect both of you. No matter what... I promise I'll protect you.
She moved back to her bed and laid down, pulling Trixie close. She leaned to her ear and whispered, "I promise I'll always protect you."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 12: Whispers in the Dark
An ominous, black mist filled the air before a reliquary, the ruins marking its own defeat in times long forgotten; Nightmare Moon breathed in deep as she solidified in front of the ancient castle that housed the once-depleted Elements of Harmony. She gazed fearlessly at the dense Everfree Forest behind her, then hesitantly to the ruins in front of her. A tinge of anxiety crept over her as she gazed upon it. With another deep breath, she stepped forward and into a realm of fear she had never considered immersing herself in again. Haunting memories of falling twice in the same place lingered in the back of her mind, images of a time when her arrogance repeatedly led to her undoing flickered in place of faded murals over the dark walls.
Nightmare found it difficult to believe she could fear this place at all, her status reflecting her as darkness incarnate. Apprehension loomed behind every corner, every stone casting an unnatural shadow out of place. Tch! I have nothing to fear. The shadows engulfed her, calming, yet creating the apprehension. And yet... She stepped out of the darkness and into a spot where the roof had eroded away centuries before. Moonlight spilled in through the opening, its pale glow tinting everything it laid upon with a majestic aura. She paused and looked up at the moon, its unmarked surface reminding her of freedom, but also of the anguishing imprisonment of the past. She shuddered beneath its beauty.
She continued her investigation, quietly moving through the halls. The muffled clop of her careful hoofsteps were all that dared to fill the wide corridors with more than faint ambiance. She occasionally lost herself to the memories of the ruins; her body knowing where to go when her mind could not find direction, and guiding her to a destination unknowingly. She reached a grand flight of stairs and paused, her turquoise eyes peering into the darkness of the climbing corridor. The blackness gave a momentary sense of comfort again. She exhaled sharply and took the first step up.
She ascended the stairs to the next floor and into the room where the Elements had been housed. She snickered at the construction that once held them succumbing to ruin, but it vanished when an image of Twilight's face burrowed its way into her memory. I broke them, and she still recreated them and used them against me. That damn unicorn... As she slowly walked through the room, she threw her eyes over every inch of the floor and walls to ensure there was nothing to miss. Satisfied by the time she reached the next doorway, she threw one last blank glance to the broken pedestal arm before moving to the next flight of stairs.
Arriving in the final room, where Twilight Sparkle had bested her with the Elements, she chose to remain at the entrance for a while. She scanned the room with caution, then her eyes darted to the raised stone floor where she twice stood proud, moments before the Elements of Harmony banished her over a millennium ago, and later purged her from Luna. As she strained herself to hear, the soft thumping of her heartbeat added to the ambience of a weak wind, and once more she feared the Elements suddenly appearing to seal her again.
After another minute, she snorted and began to move to the center of the room. Perhaps Aurelius is right. I am merely paranoid. There is nothing to fear, she assured herself.
With her fears finally expelled, she gave a weak smile as she began to channel magic through the room. Her horn gave a sickly purple glow as dark waves of light rippled throughout the room. "Well now... Somepony was most certainly here," she said aloud. "How... nostalgic."
Her ears began twitching and she recognized the faint traces of weak magic. She unconsciously shook her head, and as she was about to abandon her search, her eyes shot open, a familiar feeling embedded within the magic. Her face contorted in anger and she stomped her forehooves, her magic ending with the boom of her hooves. "You would lie, sister," she bellowed at the empty space, her voice reverberating.
"Your precious student is up to something," she grated in a much lower, gruff voice. "I'm going to find her, and I'm going to find out what your scheme is... and I'm going to get my revenge on your little pet." Her body blurred and faded into the starry mist of her mane. Rather than return to Canterlot and interrogate Celestia, she resolved to find Twilight immediately. You will pay for this, Celestia.
Her etheral form flowed up a wall and out of a window, creeping along the outer wall and down to the forest floor. She appeared as a misty blue snake slithering through the dark shrubs, a bizarre presence between the gloomy trees. The forest's typically intimidating wildlife fled from Nightmare's path as she coursed through towards a valley in the distance. All sounds from the forest dwellers ceased within half a mile of her presence, and did not immediately return once she had passed.
The forest trees broke away into the wide valley, sloping down to a sparse area with a single dirt path splitting it in half. Casting away her misty form, she gazed at it with contempt. She pressed forward and examined the surroundings as she slowly walked along the path. No traces of magic beyond the forest. Where did you go? Her head swayed between the sides of the valley, her eyes unhindered by the dark, but for all that she saw, there were no signs of anyone but the dragons having been there recently.
She snorted as she reached the center, an indent in the path marking where the unfortunate captain had laid. She stopped and stared at it for a moment. Pathetic. They couldn't even catch a single unicorn.
The dragons had long since abandoned the valley, their trap no longer useful and their search bearing no fruit. As she stepped into the indent, she froze, her eyes widening in delight. Where Twilight's cloak had been recovered, a trace amount of magic still lingered. Her eyes darted through the area in hopes of finding another visible source, but she settled on closing them and focusing. She wandered around the vicinity looking for more traces, but where the cloak rested was the only place in the valley she could sense it. Frowning, she kicked up dirt in frustration.
"You're a clever unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. I'll give you that. I don't know how you've managed to conceal your magical trail, but you will not escape me!" she threatened the empty valley. "Hmm..." she mumbled as her eyes followed the path to the other end of the valley. And where would you be going?
She began walking towards the lands in the expanse beyond the valley, the lack of any other direction to go compelling her. Each step was goaded by the curiosity of what lay beyond. Her curiosity drew her to the other end, but the sparse landscape offered nothing for a scheming unicorn, as far as she could see.
A unicorn cannot simply erase their magical presence from me, she thought. Grumbling, she maneuvered between an array of boulders, nearly prepared to give up in her pursuit. She slumped against one and looked up to the night sky. It wilted her frustrations; it reminded her that one of her own hidden dreams had come true. After a while of stargazing, her eyes fell to the ground as she started to pick herself up. But something caught her attention. Hoofprints?
A grin quickly pulled her features up and she followed them with her eyes into the distance. They were very faint, but they were there. She followed them back around the boulder and closed her eyes where they began. Twilight's magical presence lingered in the area and she began to release a breathy laugh.
"Ah-hah! I'll learn how you passed that valley without leaving a magical trail sooner than I thought. Now, little unicorn, just where are you going?" she asked to no one in particular as she peered into the direction the hoofprints led to. "And this time, we'll see just how powerful you truly are when your friends aren't there to save you."
Twilight awoke with a start before her body was reminded of the comfort of a cozy bed and the security she was afforded. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, scanning the bland hotel room for her companions, dismayed they were not there. Hopping off the bed, she stretched and felt her magical reserves restored. The weakness, and sometimes malaise, associated with magic exhaustion tended to leave her cranky or agitated.
She found a note resting on the dresser, and a plate of breakfast. She quickly read the note as she downed the meal. Rather than crumple it up and throw it away, she disintegrated it and watched the ashes fall and vanish into the air. The others had already awakened and left to eat breakfast, though the night's embrace still robbed the world of natural light. She collected Telos and headed downstairs to find them. In the lobby, the receptionist pointed towards the captive dragons outside without a word. As Twilight stepped out into the lamp-lit streets, she garnered unreadable looks and several ponies even began following her. Rainbow Dash and Trixie sat before the leader of the dragons and sipped on coffee. They occasionally hustled ponies along or away from them to ensure they remained undisturbed.
"Good morning, Twilight, or whatever time it is," greeted Dash, her eyes rolling as she recalled the predicament of the sun.
"Did you sleep well, Twilight? We didn't want to wake you." Trixie blew over her mug of coffee while looking at the alicorn thoughtfully.
Twilight stretched and yawned again. Blinking, her eyes trailed up to the dragons. "Much better than sleeping on the grass."
Trixie followed her look and turned to glimpse the dragons. The pair, having been magnetically bonded, had since separated apart, but were still pulled close together. They laid idly by their leader, whom was still slumped into his awkward laying position, his wounds having closed during the period of rest. "What should we do with them?" she asked.
"We'll release them soon enough," replied Twilight.
A colt spoke up from behind, prompting all six of them to focus on him. "You can't do that!" he shouted nervously. "You've already killed one of them. They'll only bring more when they come back after you're gone!"
Twilight tilted her head to glimpse the dragon. "Don't worry. They won't be coming back. Right, captain?" she asked, shooting him a flat stare.
The dragon cleared his throat noisily before speaking and grunted as he returned to a natural sitting position. His comrades sat up with him, watching his lead. "Among the Brood death is all that awaits those who commit treason. What will you have us do to escape that of a traitor's fate?" he asked.
Twilight put a hoof to her chin and paused to think about it. Pride is a double edge, she thought. "You'll have to lie to them. If anyone asks, tell them you followed a lead of tracking down some mysterious ponies after you sent a scout and they failed to return. Since this town doesn't have a means to defend itself, you left your post, confident you could reoccupy it once you were done." She looked up to him. "Will that be enough?"
"I suppose, with a bit of luck. However, my comrade over there,"--he pointed a ravaged hand towards the beheaded dragon corpse off to the side--"what of him?"
Twilight and company turned their heads to glimpse it, all grimacing in unison. "Do the Brood have any burial ceremonies for their dead?" she asked with a wavering voice.
The captain raised a brow. "You would honor our dead?"
Twilight nodded quickly. "We shouldn't allow ourselves to forget who we are because of this war..." she muttered distantly, but loud enough for him to hear. Trixie and Dash stared at her, each uncomfortable of the meaning.
"Indeed. The dead of our race are laid to rest in sacred burial grounds. However..." The dragon trailed off and looked to his comrades. "If we are to make this arrangement work, we must burn the body to the bones. The corpse will surely cause us both trouble." Twilight's eyes widened and her gaze on the dragon shifted into hesitant worry. Swallowing, she opened her mouth to speak, but the dragon raised a hand to silence her. "We will do it. He is no friend of mine, but his life will be honored just the same."
"I'm... sorry it came to this." Twilight pointed a hoof to the pair of dragons beside the captain, and with a flash of her horn, undid the rest of their binding. "I just want peace again," she added sadly.
The captain studied her carefully. "The messenger at the outpost. Tell him that Captain Garr sent you to deliver the report in his stead, and that we have already departed." Garr stood up and lumbered over to his fallen comrade. After a moment of silence, he hoisted the body onto his back, nodding to the pair to retrieve the head. Garr turned back to Twilight and gave her a thoughtful look. "Were you left at my mercy, stranded in the same predicament, I may not have spared you. Your potential... It is something to admire, and fear. Thank you."
Twilight gave a solemn nod that followed with a faint smile. "Hopefully this will be over soon. I hope the Brood will share the same ideals as the rest of Equestria again."
"Perhaps we will meet again under a more favorable circumstance, pony. Maybe even as allies." Garr chuckled as he began to beat his wings. The rolling waves of dust emanating from his powerful beats swept the streets and he soon took off into night. His comrades quickly flew after, eager to leave.
"Maybe even as friends..." Twilight whispered to herself while watching them ascend into the darkness. She turned away and used a wide field of telekinesis to replace the debris of her tornado back, hiding the traces of the decisive battle. After several moments of Dash and Trixie watching in awe, the street appeared as if it had only been eroded by many years of use. "It's time to leave. We don't have a lot of time," she announced.
"Hold on." The voice of a stallion came up from behind her and the trio turned to face him. An older pony, he quickly identified himself as the mayor, with an aide standing by his side ready to help. "Thank you, heroes, for all that you have done for the town and I. Before you go, at least tell us your names," he said in a soft, almost pleading voice.
Twilight regarded his words before sighing. "I'm sorry, but we can't tell you who we are. Not right now. You will know soon enough, I promise," she replied.
"Won't you stay a while longer? You drove the dragons away, and stopped them from hurting anypony. The least we can do is extend our hospitality." He stared at the alicorn expectantly, almost guiltily.
"I'm sorry, but we can't. We just don't have the time." Her eyes trailed up to the immovable moon for a moment, then back down to the stallion. "Do you even know what's going on?"
The stallion pursed his lips and looked away. "We can only guess, what with the extended night and the dragons suddenly attacking and declaring us under the rule of the Brood." A crowd of ponies had gathered up behind as they conversed, each lured by the truth.
Twilight grimaced and continued. "Canterlot has been attacked, and the princesses captured. Judging by your reaction," she said, noting the stallion's horrified expression, "information has been disrupted as well."
The stallion hung his head as the crowd behind him was filled with gasps and quick whispers. "Then it is as I feared. I first recognized the armor of a royal soldier, and I wondered why one had wandered to our peaceful town after we were occupied," he said while pointing to Rainbow Dash. "Were you sent to help us?"
Twilight shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we weren't. We needed to rest, and took a substantial risk coming here, let alone liberating your town."
"I see..." There was a pause as he contemplated his luck. "Thank you."
Twilight nodded and rubbed at the back of her neck. "While we're grateful for your offer, everypony needs to forget we were ever here. Our mission can't be compromised," she said softly.
"I understand." He turned and faced his citizens with a glum expression. "You heard her. It's the least we can do in exchange for what they've done for us." The crowd murmured and nodded, none wishing for the outcome, but all in silent acknowledgement. Returning his focus to the trio, he sighed. "These ponies are good folk. You have my word that none of them will speak of you," he said, adding a bow.
"Thank you, mayor, for everything. We have to get going now. This will be over when dawn comes again, I hope. A new day to look forward to." She blinked slowly and began to turn. "Good luck."
They departed the town and marched beyond, a subdued emotion locked in their gait as they pushed on into the everlasting night. The prairie lands offered nothing to alleviate a rising boredom, but the constant caution drowned out the desire for entertainment. In the distance a dragon's roar could occasionally be heard, causing the trio's hearts to sink briefly and scan the horizon for the location. Dash's hoof would slip to her sword's hilt, while Telos would wobble and threaten to leap into action.
It took them the better part of a day to trek to the forest at their unenthusiastic pace, but when they arrived, Twilight scanned the edge before stepping through the tree line. It was an entangled wilderness, a jungle of rampant wildlife. Even in the night, the sounds of animals and insects sang melodies of their reign over the domain. Twilight turned to face Trixie and Dash, a careful look weighing down upon the knight.
"From here on out, we need to hide our identity. Even if the townsponies keep us a secret, we can't risk being identified."
She aimed her horn at Rainbow Dash and a stream of magic traveled to her, striking her and spreading over her body. Her usual, bright cyan coat was engulfed by a soft light and faded into a sullen grey. Her signature prismatic mane and tail were faded into as many shades of grey to match her coat. Further adding to the illusion, the sheen of her armor decayed to a dull silver. The illusion added one final touch of ruffling the knight's already messy mane. To Twilight and Trixie, it appeared as if Rainbow Dash's appearance had aged fifty years, or she'd fallen into a cement mixer.
"Whoa," exclaimed Trixie as she studied Dash's monochromatic look. "Am I going to have to look like that too?" she whined as she ran a protective hoof through her silvery mane.
"That won't be necessary, Trixie. You're not one of the Elements of Harmony, so they probably aren't even looking for you. To them, you are just another unicorn traveling with us. I, uhh... know how demeaning that sounds..." trailed off Twilight, feeling guilty of her tongue.
Trixie frowned, but it quickly flipped into a smile. "Oh, don't worry. As long as you know how Great and Powerful I am, I could care less about anypony else," she said, proudly flipping her mane out of her face.
Twilight's duskweave began to shift and took on an abyssal look. Her coat faded to a charcoal black, and her cutie mark was even replaced with a quill laying over an open book. The idea of a non-magical mark felt foreign, but she silently reassured herself it would convey the correct message. She used her magic to change her mane to a lighter grey than Rainbow Dash's.
"Uhh... Twilight?" The alicorn turned to the knight with expectant confusion. "You look like an assassin. Shouldn't you look like a scaredy pony?" asked Dash, eyeing her up and down with doubt.
"I need to look reliable, but difficult to spot. What better disguise than to look like a librarian with a dark coat?" she said, punctuating her words with a smirk. "Come on, let's not waste anymore time here. If this delivery takes any longer, this cover might not work. Garr is counting on us to make sure they don't get caught for treason and it might also give us the perfect pass to Draconis, if we're lucky," she added as Telos pushed aside some brush and they entered further into the entangled thicket of the jungle.
The wilds were absent of silence as sounds from animals and creatures of the jungle blared from every direction around them. As Trixie and Dash carefully followed behind Twilight, they continued to avert their eyes from the path they made to watch their surroundings. Any minute it seemed like an animal could attack, even if the sounds came from docile creatures. Telos's spire radiated a bright white light to aid Twilight's advance, but the light itself was unable to beat back the rampaging plant life. The thickness of the flora briefly became too much for her to handle, and she called on Rainbow Dash to take the lead, the knight expending little effort to hack open a clear path again.
After hiking for several hours into the depths of the jungle, the distance traveled dampened by the dense flora, they finally arrived at a small clearing, or at least small in contrast to the sprawling jungle. In the center sat a large hut of sorts with a thin chimney loosing a wispy stream of smoke. The hut was primitive in construction, expected of a hastily made military outpost, but it came with several pieces of tapestry and hides that suggested a more artistic origin. An inviting glow ran out from beneath a tapestry that marked the entrance. They approached cautiously, with Twilight's staff returning to a simplistic pole and Dash tucking her sword uncomfortably beneath her breastplate.
"And who would dare tread through a dangerous jungle inhabited by a dragon?" came a deep, draconic voice. The voice was not as deep as any of the dragons they had encountered so far, but it was intimidating nonetheless.
"Um, excuse me, but are you the Draconis messenger for this area?" Twilight asked in a soft voice. She bit her lip as she waited for the dragon's reaction.
"Answer the question," the voice ordered impatiently.
"Uh... um... a Captain Garr sent me to give a report in his place," added Twilight quickly. Her head swayed to glimpse Dash and Trixie, both looking to her for guidance.
"That old windbag sent you?" The dragon exited the hut and into the night, the orange glow sweeping at his feet. He stood up, but his form was significantly smaller than most dragons, standing at roughly half the mass of most fully grown members of the Brood. He examined the three before him with an air of annoyance about him. "Well? what is his report, pony? Quickly, before I consider devouring you," he snapped, licking his lips and lowering his head to better examine them.
"Uh..." Twilight hesitated, both in preparation for defending herself should his patience run out, and to contemplate how to kill him without repercussions. "He sent a subordinate to follow a lead regarding suspicious individuals in the area. However, the subordinate didn't return, and he decided to go find him. Our town," she said, throwing a hoof behind her to Trixie and Dash, "can't resist the Brood, so he thought it would be fine to just come back after he looked for the other dragon."
As she explained the dragon seemed to loom over them like a tall shadow, and she sank backwards, anxious that he wouldn't allow her to finish. After the report, there was a silence as the dragon regarded them. His back was illuminated by the hut's firelight and gave him an orange outline, but his face was blurred by the darkness.
The dragon placed a hand to his chin, mumbling idly in thought and turning his head to a random direction in the forest. He kept the ponies in the corner of his eye, even as he contemplated to himself. "I can't say I'm surprised he would use ponies to deliver a message in his place, though to part with his name to you..." The dragon grunted, almost enthusiastically, before lowering himself again. A lick of wind rushed away from him and caused Twilight's back fur to bristle. "This location is not of great importance, so I shall allow you to deliver your message to King Render." The dragon's mouth spread into a toothy grin.
"You want us to deliver his report to the dragon king?" Trixie blurted nervously. Twilight shot her an even look as the dragon chuckled.
"Of course. You can at least manage that, right? Draconis isn't far--for a dragon anyway--but we enjoy watching you ponies squirm in our presence. Having you deliver his report to our king sounds like quite the entertainment. Just don't anger him or you may end up dead before you can pass it on."
The dragon chuckled more while the trio exchanged mixed expressions. Inwardly, they groaned to each other. Twilight tilted her head down and quietly breathed in in relief. It won't be long now. I'll have to kill their king, Twilight thought. She swallowed as she glanced up to the laughing dragon. The entire Brood will be affected by this, though. What about Spike and Garr? An image of Celestia flashed into her mind, and with it brought a fear, a fear of the sorrow of losing her in the same way. Assassination...
She bit her lip, and the memories of Celestia's vain attempt at redeeming her sister twice on her own rekindled a sense of longing. I'm sorry, Celestia. She caught herself being watched by everyone around her and she cleared her throat and nodded blindly, hoping she blended back into the situation without a cause for concern.
"Scurry away, ponies. If you intend to still be breathing by the time you deliver your report, I suggest you had better be punctual. After all, our kind is at war with yours." The dragon grunted once more before lumbering back into his hut, disappearing behind the tapestry and into the orange glow.
All three breathed out in relief and began walking beyond the hut with Dash taking the lead again. They walked a quick mile in silence before conversation had broken out again. "This forest gives me the creeps," Dash said first.
"I've got a bad feeling about this place, Twilight," added Trixie, nervous.
The alicorn rolled her eyes as she met their hasty glances to her with acknowledgement, but her own eyes wandered to the reaching shadows and grasping entanglement of flora. A sudden apprehension bit into her nerves, and she felt compelled to agree. "I don't like it either, but this jungle gives us good cover, and we've already got a way into Draconis without starting a fight."
"Yeah, but Twilight," Dash protested, "this place really gives me the creeps." She slashed through a plant barring their path and there was a hesitation in her steps as she moved forward. Her head turned to look behind her, thoughts of subtle worry snaking through her mind as she pressed forward at the same time.
"We're just going to have to put up with it. It's our best option and you know it."
"Fine..." The knight sighed in defeat rather than grumbling. She continued cutting the path onward, muttering an occasional curse when the flora proved to be persistent. Twilight's light illuminated the way, but the shadows it cast moved as they did, and she would nervously jump if they moved too quickly.
They hiked through the jungle for hours, taking turns to wield Nightfall and cut the way. The knight's sword leg tired, and Trixie and Twilight would have to switch often, neither too accustomed to the physical endurance of swinging a sword. Rainbow Dash would fly just above the treetops and reset their bearings, in case they wandered off track without realizing it. A yawn slipped into the air after a long while, having erupted unceremoniously from the knight. She looked at her friends and offered a confused, "What?"
"We'll stop and rest here," Twilight said as she halted and sat down. Trixie sat next to her and rested her head into the crook of her neck.
Dash lifted herself above the treetops briefly to scan the area. "This place looks pretty empty," she remarked before setting herself down. She unfastened her baldric and laid it against a tree she had designated as her temporary bed.
A chilling breeze combed the tops of the trees suddenly. "It seems the closer we get to Draconis the less secure it is," said Twilight as she shuddered. The wind picked up and all three mares stood up simultaneously.
A black dragon slammed down on top of a tree in front of them, smashing it to the ground with a loud crack of the thick trunk snapping. He scanned them quickly and the corners of his mouth pulled into a smirk. "Well, what do we have here? I thought I heard tiny voices. Now, what might ponies be doing wandering so close to the Brood's territory?" he asked tantalizingly. "Well?" he added impatiently when they did not immediately answer.
Trixie blinked in surprise a few times. "W-we're just on our way to D-Draconis to deliver a report to K-King Render," she stammered. Her fear was only half-feigned as she watched him. The fear of her near-death experience at the hands of a dragon still lingered over the years, a nervousness always brought by their presence. Twilight placed a hoof on her and she calmed.
"Give me the report," the dragon ordered.
Twilight nudged Trixie away, while both her and Rainbow Dash both looked to Twilight. He's not going to let us go, Twilight thought as she gauged his murderous intent. The dragon took a step forward, his head lowering, and focused on the alicorn. Her black coat faded her into the night, but her eyes still shone enough to constantly reveal her position. She took a few steps forward and into the moonlight spilling between her and the dragon, Telos shifting into its staff form and springing to life. The spire aimed at the dragon and sparkled blue.
"And what do you plan to do with your little toy?" the dragon asked.
"Ether Strike," muttered Twilight as soon as he finished speaking.
The jungle lit up in a brilliant blue as a thick beam erupted from the staff, a slight buzzing emitted with it. It appeared only for a couple seconds, burning a perfect hole through the dragon. His eyes went wide, and he attempted to move a hand instinctively to shield himself, but his hand burned away instantly. As the beam vanished, he could be seen through, and his eyes shakily made their way between his wound and the alicorn, widened in disbelief.
"Wh-what!?" he croaked out as his blood spilled out onto the jungle floor. His body lifelessly toppled forward with a thump.
Twilight fell to her haunches and Telos went dark, clattering to the ground in front of her without a sheen. She held a hoof to her chest as her hyperventilating could be heard now that her target had been vanquished. Trixie rushed to her side and helped her back to standing while Twilight tried to relax herself. "Are you okay?" Trixie asked.
"I'll... be... fine," she said between gasps of air. "That... took... a lot... of magic..." After a moment, Telos returned to her back, and she dragged the dragon's corpse between the trees with her telekinesis. She wiped a rim of sweat from her head, and looked at her mystified comrades.
"Twilight, are you sure you're okay?" asked Dash with concern. It was difficult to see in the dark, but her voice carried her intent.
"I had to put a lot of power into that spell. I just need... to rest a little... is all."
The alicorn moved to the back of the dragon and lifted the tree he had crushed back up, then drove it into the stomp. She closed her eyes, her breathing slowing to almost normal, and placed both forehooves on the trunk. Green waves of light permeated over where the trunk had been split. After several moments, it appeared to have healed and kneaded itself back together, though it leaned over the dragon's corpse slightly. Her breathing had quickened again, and she paused for a moment. "This will at least... make it harder for any aerial patrols to spot us."
Dash prodded the dragon with a foreleg, confirming his death. Twilight shivered and wiped her brow again. "It's going to be cold. His body will still be warm, so we should sleep next to it."
"Uh..." Trixie glanced to the blood running along the ground on one side, her own face seeming to drain of it.
"It's that or freeze," concluded Twilight. She took her place against the tail with Trixie quick to be by her side. Dash laid on the opposite side to Trixie. "It seems the dragons are more loyal and dangerous the closer we get to Draconis. I don't know if we'll be able to keep ourselves hidden if this happens again. We need to be ready for anything."
"Don't worry, Twi. We're in this together," Dash said, shooting her a confident smirk.
"To the end of the world, Twilight," echoed Trixie with a reassuring smile.
Twilight sighed and rolled to her side, Telos moving in front of them and burying itself into the ground, a soft white glow emanating from the spire. "Thank you both for coming. I don't know if I could've done this alone." Trixie began massaging her back with gentle hooves, a quiet moan escaping her beloved's lips. Maybe it would've been easier alone... I don't know if I could've made it, though... she lamented. Her breathing slowed and her body relaxed completely.
The dragon's final moment flashed into her mind, and an image of Spike shaking his head with it. Every kill was getting easier, but each was a brick to her conscious; each brick made herself harder to carry, harder to believe in. Celestia... Maybe you were wrong. Maybe Luna was right. Maybe... Her worried thoughts scattered to nothingness as sleep overtook her.
Nightmare Moon cracked a toothy grin as she began approaching the lower slope of a mountain. She galloped up the mountain with itchy eagerness, even though she could barely sense Twilight's lingering presence. Even at a quick pace, the rough trail failed to slow or impede her, her steps carefully missing each rock without so much as a cautious glance to the ground. She scaled the mountain up to a cliff face that overlooked the next area, and she stopped, the scent she was following lingering there in a slightly stronger form. Oh, aren't you the clever one, she mused while looking out into the night.
She stayed for a moment to observe them before mumbling to herself. "Dragons are such trite beings." Taking a breath, she turned around and stared at the blank cliff face. With a small smirk, her mane lashed at it, engraving a sharp crescent moon. She chuckled and continued down the path, her pace hastened as she fixated on Twilight's magical trail once more. She followed it all the way to the nearest town in the expanse below, throwing her head back and forth to the sparse surroundings. As she neared the entrance to the town, she arched a brow.
No dragons, huh? Well, Twilight Sparkle, you're sneakier than I ever would've guessed. She took a few more steps to the entrance and peered past the two militia ponies. She failed to notice them trembling with fear as they laid eyes upon her. Oh my, it has been quite a while since I've made an impression. How do I want to play this? Spectacularly, casually, magically? she wondered. She took an eager step forward as she settled on her method.
She took her steps with enthusiasm while she watched the ponies of the town flee from her presence. Some shouted her name, others simply called out to run, but all of them made her feel all the happier that her status remained intact while she was dormant. The scent of Twilight's magic intensified on the main road, and she froze for a moment. Her eyes widened and her heart rate picked up, but her grin remained unchanging. Oh, my. Aren't you the extraordinary little unicorn now? She glanced around to the ponies brave enough to linger, meeting each look of hatred and fear with her own of outward glee.
"Why, if it isn't some of my sister, Celestia's, loyal subjects. Come now, don't be shy." She began walking towards a frightened colt unlucky enough to be caught in the street. He attempted to flee, but his legs buckled and he crashed onto his back, petrified as Nightmare moved and loomed over. "Oh, don't you want to know what it's like to spend a millennium banished to the Moon all alone?" she tantalized.
The colt whimpered as her mane began to expand, a thick, dark mist expanding over him and engulfing him in a misty cocoon. He yelped as the last of him was consumed and Nightmare Moon stared at it expectantly. The mist suddenly receded back into her mane, and she threw her head back, wild with laughter. The colt had wet himself, and he threw his head frantically in every direction. When his eyes settled back on Nightmare Moon, he blinked several times and she leaned closer.
Chuckling, Nightmare's mane lurched towards him and caressed his cheek. "Oh, pitiful worm. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm just having some fun while I look for..." She paused and pulled away, turning towards the direction of Twilight's magical scent on the main road briefly, "somepony in particular to hurt. Perhaps you've seen her?" The colt shook his head quickly. Nightmare leaned in close and her grin slipped away into a blank look. "Boo!" she yelled suddenly, her grin returning and eyes widening.
The colt screamed and dashed away without looking back. Nightmare cackled as she watched him run down the street and disappear between a set of buildings. On-looking townsponies stared at her in shock, none able to believe the Id's bizarre mercy. She wiped a joyful tear from her eye with her mane and continued following Twilight's trail. She froze again as she picked up something else. She's traveling with another archmage? Such a ridiculous order... You should know our rule is absolute, Celestia, she thought with disdain for the sun princess's ideals.
The main road through the town opened into a plaza area. It was empty, all ponies having abandoned it the moment Nightmare Moon had arrived. She walked to the center and Twilight's lingering scent became intoxicating briefly. I think I shall make her my jester. Nightmare smiled and nodded unconsciously in agreement with herself. The scent brought a powerful nostalgia, and she closed her eyes to memories of battling Celestia in the past. She breathed in deep through her nostrils and exhaled with a joyous squeak at the end. "What a prize you have left me, dear sister. Oh how this brings back the exhilaration of our quarrels." She smiled again, faintly, as she opened her eyes and continued following the trail, paying no mind to the confused onlookers eager to see her leave.
Rather than hasten her travel as a sentient mist, she trotted casually through the prairie lands on the opposite side of the town. Hot on Twilight's trail, she felt compelled to take her time, and she wandered through the open night at a brisk pace, even with the hatred for her constantly coaxing each step to be faster than the last. The cool air only served to bristle her spine in anticipation as she followed the magic scent to a jungle. You're a clever pony, Twilight Sparkle. I did not think you could travel my night so quietly. It doesn't matter, though. I shall have my revenge upon you and Celestia soon enough.
There was a hesitation as she stared into the jungle, her eyes peering in but succeeding in discerning nothing more than that it contained wildlife. She shook her head stepped through, her tall, slender form easily maneuvering through the dense plants. Twilight's magic trail had grown feint, intensifying slightly at the edge of the jungle, and then fading to almost nothing afterwards, but it lined a fresh cut path through the flora. The expanse of wilderness was silent as she pressed through, no sounds from animals daring to greet her. Even the animals know to fear me, she thought gleefully.
After only a couple hours, she reached a large clearing in the jungle, a hut situated in the center. The warm glow of a fire spilled out of the entranceway, seemingly inviting her. She moved to it with piqued interest, abandoning her hunt for a moment.
"Identify your--" A small dragon hastily exited the hut, a look of astonishment on his face as Nightmare Moon came into view. He chuckled and closed the distance between them. "Well, well, well. Such a sinister presence you bring. None of the Brood thought Lord Aurelius could succeed in bringing you back. What brings you to me, she who is exalted among us, the mistress of the night, Nightmare Moon?"
"I bear no allegiance to the Brood, let alone Aurelius," the alicorn snapped. The dragon stared at her with confusion. "We are merely allied, and nothing more. Now, I am searching for a pony--a purple unicorn. I believe they passed through here not long ago."
The dragon scratched at his chin while eyeing her. "A purple unicorn, no. I don't know how long ago it was, but two unicorns and a pegasus passed through. Haggard looking bunch. They are delivering a report on a Brood captain's behalf. I sent them on to Draconis. I'm sure King Render, or another dragon will eat them and take the report. Why does it matter to you, mistress?"
Nightmare Moon frowned as she stared at him, an annoyed expression filling her features, though it could not be revealed in the darkness. "I have a personal vendetta to settle with the one I am hunting, and it just so happens to be Celestia's protégé."
"Forgive me, mistress, for I have not seen the ones you are looking for. I hope what little information I have provided helps."
Nightmare smiled suddenly and glanced up to the sky. She began walking past the dragon, a new spring in her steps. "Oh, I believe it has. Thank you for participating in this great hunt." The dragon nodded confusedly and stepped back into his hut and out of sight. Each step Nightmare took seemed quicker than the last, and she was suddenly eager to catch up to Twilight.
She broke into a full speed run, but after several more strides, she dematerialized into her mist and flowed through the jungle with renewed vigor. Let's have some fun before I make you mine, Twilight Sparkle. Let's see just how strong you are now without the Elements of Harmony to save you. Her thoughts only fueled her eagerness and the mist surged after the trail. The magical scent began to intensify, lingering magic amplifying the feeling as the shadowed carcass of a dragon came into view.
She returned to her natural form and slowed to approach carefully, a large grin splitting her face. I've found you~! A soft white glow emanated from an object near the tail, and as she neared it, a blinding flash erupted from it. She attempted to shield her eyes, reeling backwards and holding a foreleg over them, but it took her a moment to recover her vision from the light.
"Nightmare Moon!?" came a shocked voice. Twilight appeared behind her with the staff floating beside her, awe and fear marking her face, her mouth agape.
"I've finally caught you, Twilight Sparkle. Oh how I've longed to see you again, Element of Magic. I hope you've prepared yourself. You get the privilege of kneeling before me in my eternal night." She clapped her hooves, beaming with delight.
Twlight's back bristled and she trembled slightly, forcing herself to stare at the Id evenly. She allowed her natural coat color to return, but her hue in the darkness barely shifted and her wings remained hidden. I... I have to stop her! Her eyes remained locked with Nightmare Moon's own, her blood freezing over as terror seeped into her. I can't kill her... Celestia... forgive me... The air stood still, but Twilight felt as if she was growing colder, the Id pulling the heat from her body with just her sharp, malicious eyes.
Nightmare Moon took a step forward. "Don't be shy!" she cooed. "I only want to play with you again." She began laughing as she took another step. "Maybe you can spend a thousand years on the moon all alone. Or maybe a thousand years as my pet. How does that sound?"
Twilight stood up and pointed an accusing hoof at Nightmare Moon. "Your night ends here, Nightmare Moon! I don't need the Elements of Harmony to stop you!" she retorted with forced determination. She prayed that the Id could not see her hind legs trembling in the darkness.
"Oh? But your friends are the Elements of Harmony, so you don't need them as well?"
The question caught Twilight off guard, and her mouth went dry. Try as she might, there was nothing she could say to spoil Nightmare Moon's mood. I can't hold back this time. I'm sorry it came to this, Celestia. I'm sorry, Luna. She braced herself for a cosmic duel. She forced air into her lungs and dropped down to all fours, Telos hovering alight beside her. Maybe... Maybe I can free Luna!
The Quiet Place By: Aynine [Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 13: The Fallen Angel
Twilight's skin crawled, her heart racing as every nerve in her body cried out for her to run, but she couldn't. There was no escaping Nightmare Moon now, and she stared at her, her violet eyes locked into the sharp turquoise, and all she could think about was what she had to do. There was a fire buried within their eyes--hers of the will to protect, the Id's of the will to break. But even as she battled away her worry, her fear of faltering, her fear of being unable to save Luna or protect her friends, it was there, always there in a tiny ember that lined her actions. I can't fail! And then she forced her instinct to run out of her mind, an adrenaline rush reminding her there was no avoiding this fight.
"You little devil, I'll tell you what. If you win, I'll relinquish the eternal night and allow Celestia to raise your precious sun again." Nightmare Moon snorted at her own words, the mere thought of her losing being a joke all in itself. "But... if I win, you will become my gracious servant," her almost jovial tone reversed to a stern one as she went on, "and always remain by my side in this everlasting darkness among the dragons. They can be quite boring." Nightmare Moon finished with a large smirk to her sentence. Her eyes were laced with taunting malice, or a sinister affection. As if you could ever beat me alone.
Twilight hadn't moved an inch, even at the goading of her fear, and remained petrified, not out of fright, but in defiance of Nightmare Moon. Any sign that she was scared would only mean the Id could be winning. Without the Elements of Harmony to purge Nightmare Moon from Luna she couldn't hold back her powers for anyone. Telos faded and slipped into the shadows, two thumps on the heads of the sleeping ponies quickly roused them awake.
"Get out of here!" Twilight shouted into the darkness behind Nightmare, her eyes wide and fixated on the location of Trixie and Dash.
The knight was first to shuffle awake, rubbing her head with one hoof, and her eyes with the other. Half-yawning, she opened her mouth to speak. "What the hay, Twi? What gives?" she started, standing up and allowing her eyes to absorb the moonlight.
Trixie followed suit, still rubbing her head gently. "Twilight, what's going on?" The pair's eyes picked up Nightmare's misty mane waving ominously in the air before them.
"You!" cried Dash, snatching her sword. She ripped the weapon from the sheathe and took on an offensive stance immediately. "Twilight, we're not going to leave you here to fight her alone," she argued.
"Who is that, Twilight?" Trixie glanced between the two alicorns nervously, until her eyes settled on the Id's cutie mark, and she snatched up her staff an instant. Nightmare turned her head enough to shoot the unicorn a sidelong glance, and as their eyes met, she became overwhelmed with a sense of dread. Nightmare's astral mane shifted in the air, not unlike Celestia's, but its movements and flow were confident and spiteful.
Twilight straightened and stood up, Telos returning into her hooves. She had no choice but to wield it directly now; a sense of power surged through her as it fell into her grasp. Directly utilizing a staff was considered a last resort among unicorn magi, even in dire circumstances. She needed full control over the magic amplification, even if it meant risking catastrophic destruction through her completely unrestrained spells.
"Get out of here, NOW! Continue to Draconis without me. I might not be able to finish this mission with you after all. Don't wait for me." Her hooves trembled, a few tears loosing onto her hooves. The pain of regret only made her grip the staff tighter, her hooves clenching until they became sore. "Just... go," she added, letting her bangs mask her tears.
Trixie took a step forward. "No, Twilight! You're coming with us! We need each other now more than ever!" she begged with all of her heart, her panic suddenly mixing with desperation.
Twilight snapped her head up, her tears glistening in the moonlight. "Damn it, Trixie, listen to me! This isn't a fight either of you can handle. Just don't get into any battles and finish Rainbow's half of the mission. If you stay within a mile of this area... I can't guarantee I won't hurt you."
"No, Twilight. I'm staying!" Trixie shouted back.
In two flashes of the spire, Twilight had raised and slammed Telos into the ground. "Don't make this... any harder... than it has to be." Trembling, she wiped her eyes and raised her head to look at Trixie one last time, her irises shining in the darkness like the Id's. "I love you, Trixie. Now please... go," she added weakly, her look softening.
Trixie could no longer hold back tears of her own and they ran down her cheeks freely, spilling onto the dark ground. "I love you, too, Twilight..." she murmured.
Rainbow Dash attempted to pull Trixie away, but she remained in place. The magician watched as Twilight removed her gaze from her and a faint purple aura formed around her. Nightmare turned away and watched as Dash latched onto Trixie's body and pried her from the ground, taking off backwards and soon vanishing into the skies. The knight's illusion faded as she departed.
"Touching, and how noble of you to remain behind and sacrifice your heart and soul to save them and all of Equestria. Perhaps if they watch from the distance, they'll get to see just how right you are," Nightmare mocked, a rush of excitement filling her.
Twilight stamped a hoof. "It's just you and me, Nightmare Moon. I won't let you hurt any of my friends or stop our mission," she retorted.
"Oh, hohoho! There is so much evil in my past, and now you, the oh-so-holy savior, stand before me with blood on your hooves. Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, do you have it in you to kill Princess Luna for the good of Equestria if need be?"
Twilight took a step backwards and clenched her teeth, a renewed spite clouding her head. "You bastard... I only need to disable you until the Elements of Harmony are gathered again. But I think I can purge you from Luna myself."
Nightmare's eyes lit up and she took a step forward out of the darkness, the moonlight splitting her body at a sharp angle. "Cocky, are we? Really now, do you think you are strong enough to do that and join your friends?" she countered, smirking.
Twilight stared back with contempt, pulling the staff into both hooves again. "Don't tempt me, Luna."
Nightmare frowned. "Enough of your prattle, foal. I am most certainly not your precious Princess Luna. I am the darkness, and I will make you my trophy," she replied, the ground around her beginning to rumble. "If you give up now, I'll make sure everything is painless. I promise."
"Nightmare Moon, you're nothing but a bad dream. In the name of the Princesses, I will purge you, just a bitter shell, from Luna!" Twilight declared, slamming Telos into the ground once more.
Nightmare was the first attack, her horn shining with a fierce blue aura as she called upon her magic. A tree uprooted from nearby and propelled towards Twilight. She bat it away with Telos, a telekinetic pulse from the spire diverting it past her. Nightmare smirked before ripping many more out and attempting to drive them into her. Telos's spire shined brilliantly and a gale of wind swirled around Twilight before surging sharply upwards and shattering the trunks to peces. The chips of wood rained down upon them, and Telos shifted into a red glow as Twilight recited an incantation for a more powerful spell.
"Drown in the blood of the Phoenixes, and may nothing but ashes of life remain!" she cried out.
In an instant, the jungle was engulfed in a rampaging inferno. The fires latched onto every piece of flora that could be seen, and ignited it in a bright red and orange display, even the corpse of the dragon was ignited and added to the blaze. Nightmare attempted to fly away, but the flames seemed to come to life, reaching up to her and touching a wing before returning to the ground. The flames quickly spread over her body and she crashed back to the earth, dropping and rolling as she became nothing more than a flailing, screaming mass of flames.
Her cries died down as her mane expanded and weaved itself around her to smother them. She slowly rose back up her hooves as the flames vanished and her body steamed, a rage hidden behind an exasperated, pained expression, and panted heavily. Her misty mane had diminished in size slightly and several pieces of armor had melted, some fusing to her body. She stood up and placed a hoof under the edge of her chest piece, and then screamed as she violently ripped it off, bloody, exposed flesh illuminated in the firelight, and she discarded the armor with a disappointed toss to the side.
The skies began to rain down the ashes of the vanishing jungle. Twilight's spell left nothing around them but blackened earth and cinders, but she paid the destruction of her catastrophic spell no mind. Both alicorns glowered at each other, Nightmare showing her fangs as she made no attempt to hide her contempt.
Drying out the immediate atmosphere so I can't use the water... You're clever. This is getting interesting... "I... will make... you suffer... for that!" Nightmare grinded out. "Why don't you have a taste of my darkness?" she bellowed, her horn flaring with a dark glow. A dark light split the earth before her and surged towards its target.
Twilight's body instinctively lurched backwards, but the light lanced her in the chest and spread through her body. Telos attempted to block it, but it was too late. She clenched her teeth and growled through the pain, her nerves feeling as if they'd been burned by the energy that surged throughout her. She landed off balance and spread her wings to pivot before unleashing a counter attack. Nightmare's eyes widened as she watched her.
"Mjollnir!" Twilight called out with a dry throat as she landed with little grace, her hind legs nearly buckling as she returned to a normal stance.
The mighty lightning bolt climbed down from the heavens and consumed Nightmare within a brilliant yellow shine for its momentous duration. Everything was bathed in that yellow glow for a brief few seconds. The area the bolt had struck cratered slightly, but Nightmare stood panting as a dark blue barrier around her faded away and displayed her body, unscathed by the spell.
Nightmare chuckled, almost incoherently, for a few seconds. "Back in the Everfree Forest years ago... I never would've imagined you could ever hold a candle to me. Now look at you. I'm almost as proud of you as my sister is." She straightened herself and regarded Twilight with a frown. "...Almost." Her expression darkened and her horn began shining again. "To think you would ever become an alicorn! I will make Celestia pay dearly for making you, an insult to our race!" she raged.
The ground beneath Twilight suddenly quaked and tore apart as a dark hand erupted forth and caught her in its grasp. Its grip tightened and attempted to squeeze the life out of her. She yelped in agony, but the hand was unable to fully crush her against a passive force engulfing her. Instead, it dragged her down into the ground and it closed again as she disappeared.
Nightmare stared to where Twilight had been pulled down with expectant eyes, almost leaning as she waited. The ground trembled and an arcane blast erupted from beneath Nightmare. She leaped and propelled herself backwards with her wings, narrowly avoiding the spell. Twilight flew out of the new fissure with several new cuts on her body, and a large contusion wrapping around her chest. She landed on the opposite side of the fissure, Telos firm in her grasp, and the faint purple aura still glowing around her, but she groaned and placed a hoof softly to her chest.
"Isn't this fun, Twilight?" Nightmare asked as she gently patted a burnt wing.
"You're enjoying yourself too much." Twilight spat blood to her side and tensed, running her hoof over the bruise around her torso. She winced at how sensitive it was, even with her duskweave and modified body resisting the injury.
Nightmare brought an armored hoof to her mouth and snickered, the melted metal glimmering in the firelight. "I can see it in your eyes. You revel cutting loose like this,"--she swung a hoof to the inferno consuming the jungle--"creating destruction as much as I. It excites us!"
Twilight's eyes widened briefly before settling into a contemptuous stare. "Don't compare me to you. Is causing others to suffer all you care about?"
Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly shuddered and placed a hoof to her head. The helmet was cracked, with the edges and detail having melted to dullness. "I..." An image of an alicorn pierced her mind. She couldn't make out the details, but she was suddenly filled with a yearning. She groaned and shook her head quickly. "Enough of your pointless judgements!"
The air around Telos swirled and powerful winds soon picked up around Twilight. She aimed the spire to the ground and a maelstrom ripped forth, prompting her to construct a barrier and expend more magic controlling it. As the windstorm grew into a tornado, it continued to expand and tear up the ground, carving sharp indents where it touched the earth in a matter of seconds. Nightmare bared her teeth and attempted to gain distance, but the winds began vacuuming her slender form into it. Her large wings battled the tornado's suction, and she managed to keep her distance as ashes from the ground and air were absorbed.
The tornado took on a sickly opaque grey color as more and more ashes were pulled in. Nightmare struggled to keep away, even attempting to counter it with her own magical wind, but the twister prevailed and engulfed her. It teetered back and forth, side-winding for a moment as it ravaged the ground further. Twilight panted and pressed a hoof to her head, moaning as a pang of pain rapped on her skull. The tornado ended in an instant and all that it contained was dispersed into several rings where it had been, Nightmare's lacerated form resting in the center.
Nightmare grunted and shook herself of loose dirt and ash, grinding her teeth as she leveled her gaze on Twilight. "It seems like you're getting exhausted already. Heh... Maybe I overestimated just how strong you are." She took in a deep breath and slowed her heart rate, despite all of the wounds on her body--burns, cuts, bruises, gashes--she was able to collect herself. "Let's see how durable my new toy is."
The ground quaked as she finished speaking, a black void forming beneath her. Twilight looked to the sky as it began to precipitate, but the droplets that rained down on them were not water. They were black, almost oily, and tinted the ground as they soaked in. They hit their bodies and slid off without leaving much more than a damp streak. Twilight tightened her grip on Telos and poised herself for another spell, but she wasn't sure what Nightmare was planning yet.
The Id chuckled as a dark meteor slid into view in the sky, ending the strange rain as it plummeted towards Twilight. Twilight spun Telos as she whirled around, settling herself with the spire aimed at the meteor upon returning to face it. A blast of invisible force escaped the spire and hit the meteor, the form rippling where it was impacted before it shattered. As she prepared to focus back on Nightmare Moon, more meteors slid out of the night sky and into the firelight.
She gasped as a few turned into many, and soon an entire swarm of them were approaching from the nightly heavens. Her mouth hung open as she analyzed which she could evade and which she would be forced to use magic against. She turned to glimpse Nightmare, but the Id had vanished into raging flames to watch as she recovered. To Twilight's dismay, the meteors began changing course and homing in on her. She broke into a run, utilizing her wings for bursts of speed to narrowly evade some of the meteors. They slammed into the ground, but crumbled to small rocks shortly after serving their purpose.
The first assault proved easy to dodge, but every barrage that followed tracked her movements better than the last. Damn it. She's going to wear us both out. After two more barrages, she was unable to evade any more of them, and raised Telos, firing blasts of magic at any that would hit her. Bolt after bolt shattered the approaching meteors, filling the sky with their debris on top of the ashes. She cleared the way through the waves, but one final meteor appeared. Twilight growled as its entirety became visible. It was too large to dash out of the way with the improved homing, and she fired a blast of force at it. The meteor was unaffected and she frowned at it.
I'm alone, this shouldn't-- Twilight attempted to teleport, but her eyes went wide as nothing happened. Damn it! Bracing for impact, she raised Telos again and formed several barriers, layering them over herself one after the other.
Nightmare reappeared as the meteor hit the ground, the quake that followed forcing her to take flight. The sound was deafening, the earth heaving and breaking beneath the impact. After a moment, Nightmare landed atop the meteor and tilted her head back, snorting. "Oh, my. Was that too much? I'd hate to have broken my new toy so soon." The meteor shook before shattering to pieces, a startled Nightmare leaping into flight again. "Well, well, well..."
The pieces crumbled and vanished into the air, and the infernos consuming the jungle around ceased as the last of the pieces disappeared, the area once again reclaimed by the chilling darkness. Twilight crawled out of the crater on her knees, her duskweave ripped in many places, and blood running down her head. She spread her wings and flew away from it to gain more distance, landing on stable ground. Her legs threatened to buckle, but she jammed Telos into the ground to remain steady, placing a hoof on her head and moaning.
Nightmare landed opposite of her a cautious distance between them, her eyes holding a contemptuous glare for the new alicorn. "You're more than a typical alicorn... What are you? No unicorn in all of Equestria could stand against me alone, but you... What are you...?"
"Surrender, Nightmare Moon. I don't care if it's to me, or if you retreat now and do it later, but you know how this ends. I don't want to hurt you or Luna anymore." Twilight panted, turning her head away to wince as another pain spike rammed into her skull like a carriage hitting a stone wall. She clutched her head with both forehooves briefly, her staff ringed in her forelegs. "I don't care what you do with your position, but just... don't hurt anyone anymore..."
Nightmare laughed as she disregarded her words. "Do you really think I'll just give up, run away because a little foal like you hurt me? I've waited too many centuries for what is rightfully mine! To think I would walk away now, when I can break you, is absurd! Don't mock me because you're standing in a place no pony has reached in a thousand years," she yelled. "You are the one who should give up."
Twilight gave her a look of disgust. "Don't you even know who you are!? You and Luna are nothing alike! I don't know how something like you could ever exist inside Luna." Nightmare blinked, at a loss for words to counter with. She looked away for a moment before Twilight went on. "I don't know how you came back from Luna after we redeemed her." I'm sorry, Luna, but this might be the only way.
Telos's spire pierced the dark skies as it shined blue over the fiery orange. Nightmare threw her head in every direction as the air suddenly became humid again, the humidity quickly turning into a damp chill hanging in the air. A few seconds passed as the cold set in and it began to snow. Winds suddenly whipped through the area, and in a matter of minutes a full blizzard was created, burying the scarred land in sheets of powdery snow.
"You can command the weather?" Nightmare blurted in surprise. Her slender form was quickly blanketed along with the lands by the rapidly thickening snow.
"Give up peacefully, Nightmare Moon, and I won't finish this spell."
The alicorns stared at each other, each with a different determination and loathsome thought in their eyes. The snow built up and rose to their haunches as a minute ticked away, the cold numbing their brutal wounds. Nightmare's expression shifted into a sneer. "Hardly."
Twilight lowered her Telos and cast the snow a look of regret. "Fine then. Don't say I never offered you a peaceful solution..."
Her horn flashed and the blizzard intensified, the winds shepherding the snow in thick, rolling smears that reduced visibility to nothing. The temperature was bearable before, but now Nightmare's body began to chill and slow, the blizzard sapping her natural heat from her. She squinted and strained her eyes to find Twilight, but all that returned were the howling gales and ferocious frost.
"This cold snap.... will not... freeze... me!" Nightmare's roars withered with each word until she was left breathless, a burning sensation scraping the inside of her lungs. She shivered, and she began to numb on the outside. She wasn't sure if her teeth were chattering, but all feeling was slipping away in the moment.
Twilight heard her drowned roars as a distant cry as she dug into the snow, a weak barrier warding off the contact with the frost, but it did little to fight back the cold. Nightmare's presence was fading, and she sensed one last spark of magic that fizzled and vanished. Did it work? The blizzard faded over the course of half a minute, the winds stopping and the snow becoming no more than a light sprinkling. Twilight canceled her barrier and stood up, her head poking out of the snow to glance around.
Lingering breezes bit into her face with icy fangs, some carrying a few flakes to accentuate her eyes with white. The sky was a mess of grey as stray snow danced above. She squinted through the cold and caught sight of Nightmare, entrapped in a thick case of ice. Twilight trudged through the frost and reached her, staring into her sharp, stilled eyes. The cold was beginning to dull her own movements, and a shiver jolted precious heat back into her, but she remained fixated on Nightmare's eyes. Like a dragon's... she noted.
A sudden feeling of sorrow washed over her as she stared into the eyes, her imagination answering questions of Luna's past for her. "I'm sorry that it had to be the cold that trapped you. I'm sorry, Luna, but it's over now, and I'll bring you back soon. I promise." She placed a hoof up to Nightmare's face and glanced away.
"Don't speak as if you know me!" The muffled words of Nightmare Moon snapped her eyes back up to her frozen face. Twilight leaped backwards, startled that the Id could survive the blizzard. "I will never succumb to the cold again! Never!" A burst of energy shattered the prison of ice and Twilight raised a foreleg to shield her eyes from the spray of ice.
The energy didn't dissipate and surged on to Twilight, striking her in the chest before she could react. The impact sent her sailing backwards, her chilled wings unable to provide necessary stability, and she fell back into the depths of the snow. She yelped and clutched the wound, a steaming burn mark on her chest overlaying the bruise, and wiped a line of blood running down her jaw. She clenched her teeth and rolled onto her back, Telos resting on her stomach, and held her hooves over her chest. The pain faded as the wound closed beneath the healing light emanating from her hooves.
Maybe I can't win... Celestia, help me!
"Crawl. Crawl like the pathetic worm you truly are from, me, the almighty bird," Nightmare seethed. Her mane whipped violently at the snow, blasting large scoops into the air on one side while she conjured flames to burn through the other.
Twilight tunneled through the bottom layers, taking care not to give away her position. Wait... Maybe if I just weaken her more... She continued tunneling behind Nightmare as the flames threatened to melt away her cover on top of her, and a desperate idea formed in her mind. This is my only chance to purge her. Now or never! She leaped out of the snow, her frost covered body fighting back the numbing cold through adrenaline. Nightmare spun on her heels in surprise and was met with the spire of Telos shining brilliantly, aimed at her.
"Celestial Star!" Twilight cried, and a magical rune spread out onto the dampened ground beneath Nightmare.
The Id reflexively glanced up to the sky as white lances of energy surged down from the dark heavens, each illuminating a bit of the sky in its path. Nightmare smirked and began flying between them. She attempted to destroy one with her own magic, but it merely knocked it off course, a great flash and explosion quaking the ground even from where it had landed in the distance. She quickly found herself cornered by the same trap she used on Twilight, only the lances became too fast to dodge. "I have plenty of magic left, but I doubt you can keep this up on me!"
"Meteor Storm!"
Twilight constructed a barrier over herself as meteors, smaller in mass than the powerful stars hailing down, began barraging on top of Nightmare like artillery. The Id's face contorted in anger as she was left with only one way out. She began making her advance on Twilight when a star and meteor, each too large to share the glory of crushing her, took over the sky above. Too much! She broke down into her mist and managed to slip herself closer to Twilight, but the other alicorn shielded herself as the star and meteor collided on top of both of them.
The earth resisted the forces rippling through the land for a moment, but the top layers of dirt were torn asunder as the shockwave ruffled land like a light cloth. Powerful vibrations penetrated Twilight's barrier and she fell onto her stomach as everything settled once more. A thick haze created by cascading dirt made it difficult to see as her barrier faded, and she wheezed, gasping in the dirty air, and the drain of her magic was beginning to physically impact her.
Nightmare had been blasted slightly away, but she remained in full control of herself. The Id pulled her cracked helm off and removed the loose shackling of a broken bracer, tossing it aside with ire.
Twilight forced herself into a gallop towards Nightmare, her heart beginning to drum as the other alicorn still appeared unhindered by her grievous wounds and magic fatigue. This is all I can do... I hope it's enough--it has to be enough!
"You damned witch!" Nightmare growled. Seeing Twilight's horn beginning to glow as she neared, she prepared a spell of her own.
"Kyrie Eleison!" cried Twilight as she skid to a halt a ten yards from Nightmare.
"You won't defeat me! Black Hole!" Nightmare countered, throwing an aiming hoof at Twilight.
Their spells did not clash, and instead, were aimed directly at the areas they both resided. Twilight's spell summoned a great white light beneath Nightmare Moon, too bright to peer into. She turned her head away and squinted as the light burned away the darkness and consumed Nightmare with it. As it expanded outward from its targeting point, the dark figure seemed to vanish completely into it, her screams of agony and rage the only evidence she was caught within.
Twilight was left with no time to observe, and Nightmare Moon's final spell manifested next to her. A black void appeared, distorting the world around it, and began pulling her and parts of the ravaged earth into it. "What... is... this!?" she choked out as her body twisted and distorted, captured and quickly whirling in an unnatural animation and becoming devoured by the void. She attempted to scream, a scream containing the pain of every nerve and cell in her body being crushed and compacted into nothingness, but no sound escaped her throat, no amount of effort could force her cry from her lungs. Her heart felt as if it stopped as her chest clinched and the spell seemed to vacuum life from her.
Telos clattered to the ground where Twilight had stood as the rest of her body was pulled into the void. The light from her own spell was unable to reach the void, and it consumed any that dared to reach for it. Nightmare continued to burn for the duration of the exorcising light. As the white subsided so did her black hole, and it deposited Twilight's mangled form and the devoured earth back onto the ground where it had been summoned.
The purple alicorn whimpered as she could feel herself capable of breathing again, but could not fathom the mechanics of the spell nor her inability to process the overwhelming pain it had created. All of her bones felt brittle, and she shakily rose to her hooves, fearful they might crumble to dust with any pressure applied to them. Her ears rang like she'd been inside a bell as it was beaten with an equally large bell. Blood ran down her muzzle starting from nose, and she clamped her left eye shut as she attempted to realign her senses with reality. She kept her right eye open, but the image was blurred and the world jumped at her as the throbbing of a migraine made itself apparent through the rest of her pain.
"I can't... believe it..." She coughed, a splat of blood landing on the dirt in front of her. Her legs trembled as she maintained a feeble stance.
Nightmare stared at her from where she stood, her own legs trembling as blood dripped from the previous burn on her chest. She extended her wings onto the ground and lowered her head, gasping for air. Blood covered her body in patches, and one of her wings had half of the feathers burned away. Her mane and tail had receded into small splotches of the mist it once was, now lacking the distinct starry pattern living within.
She attempted to take a step forward, only to fall and barrel over to her side and clutch her chest with one foreleg, attempting to use the other to rise again to a bipedal stance. She heaved in a breath, grunting as she made it to back standing, but shakily on all fours. Her steps had changed direction and she staggered towards the nearest tree that witnessed their battle.
"Where... are you... going?" called Twilight, attempting to follow her with an equally frail gait.
Nightmare Moon made it to the tree and plopped onto the ground at its base, scooting up and leaning back against it. Twilight's eyes widened as she took in the Id's expression. It was not one of her typical complacency or anger, but an earnest smile, her eyes glazed as they ran from the purple alicorn up to the moon showing through the grey haze from the blizzard hanging high in the sky. She snorted, but then it evolved into a chortle.
"I don't know what's happening to me... But you..." She slipped into incoherent laughter, and Twilight couldn't understand some of her words. "I don't think... I will ever... forget you," she added in a rasp. She winced as pain surged across the burn on her chest. She took in another sharp breath and it passed.
Twilight could only stare in disbelief at the sudden shift in demeanor, her eyes still widened with awe and curiosity. She maintained a distance from the Id, cautious that she may still have an ace up her sleeve.
Nightmare's glee faded and they stared at each other in a strange silence for a while. "Luna was right..." she blurted suddenly.
"What?"
"There is..." Nightmare winced and clutched her head with both forehooves. "Something... more to this. Ohh... my head," she groaned.
Twilight collapsed on the ground at the edge of a crater, her legs no longer willing to support her. She held out a forehoof behind her and Telos moved into her weak grasp. She used it to help her stand back up, and Nightmare snorted again.
"So... You have Luna's memories?" asked Twilight in wonder. Nightmare shook her head, but then gave a small nod afterwards. "Then if she was right about you two... Maybe... some day... we can be friends... or... or something."
"Don't... make me... laugh..." Nightmare grit, fighting the urge to break into a fit of laughter again. "I could kill you right now, and you want to be friends? Hahaha... pathetic."
"I might know you better than you think." Twilight moved a hoof to her face and wiped the blood off in quick rubs.
"Shut up. You know nothing about me. Didn't you just hear me? I can kill you where you stand." Nightmare attempted to scream, but all she could manage was a slightly elevated tone.
"Oh, yeah? And at what cost, huh? Neither of us have any magic left and you know it," retorted Twilight in a breathless voice.
Nightmare stared at her as she contemplated the situation. She cringed, and then turned away to grimace in defeat. But... She craned her neck to peer at the disastrous battlefield, taking in all of the scars the two of them had left upon the land. Her eyes trailed up to the hazy grey sky above, the moon barely distinct from the mask. There was nothing left of the jungle from beyond the tree she laid against, the treeline opening into an area of craters, ash, and cinders.
Twilight's body slid into the crater and she rested her head on the edge, making sure not to have her vision leave the Id. The tax of her final spell still seemed to pull more energy out of her, and she began to feel the agitation of having none at all. "This is a draw," she said after a while of silence.
"Hmph." Nightmare turned her nose up at her. "I hate to admit it, but you're right." She took a deep, heaving breath, exasperated by her injures, and slowly rose back to her hooves. She clutched her head and collapsed back to the ground, grasping her head tighter and moaning briefly. "Uhn... I..." She collected herself and managed to stand up a second time, albeit slower. "Do not fear the Brood, Twilight. I have no allegiance to them and they will never know that you survived this battle. They will only have the scars of the land to see," she said softly, swaying a hoof to the lands.
Twilight's ears perked up and her eyes widened. "Why... why are you telling me this?" she croaked.
Nightmare looked through her, as far as Twilight could tell, as she continued on. "Your mission is leading you to Draconis, is it not?"
"H-how did you know!?" Twilight blurted in panic.
Nightmare chuckled, but it came as a raspy, cough-laden laugh. "Be wary of the Dragon King, Render. I..." She put a hoof to her head and paused for a moment, looking away in confusion. "You're brave. The only reason you could be heading out this far is to reach Draconis, the capitol city of the Brood. What you do once you get there..." She snorted, but immediately regretted it and followed with a pained cough. "Heh. That is... my hope..."
Twilight shivered as a cold breeze swept the open area. Her spine bristled, but she remained fixated on the wounded mare of darkness, her eyes still wide with disbelief. "Why... are you telling me this?" she repeated softly.
"I..." Nightmare looked away again. "I don't remember." She shook her head, slowly at first, then more rapidly before speaking again. "Just... Go to Draconis. I think you will find something there that should help you."
Twilight crawled out of the crater and made a vain attempt at standing again. When she could not, she worried that Nightmare may have enough physical strength left to finish her off. "Are you having a change of heart?" she asked to keep her talking.
There was a long silence as Nightmare only stared with an unreadable expression. "Perhaps some day you will understand everything about me," she mused aloud, clamping one eye as blood ran into it. "Go now. I imagine my sister is counting on you."
"...Thank you?" Twilight said unsure. As Nightmare rose up, she turned to stagger into the forest, limping with every step. A surge of determination suddenly sparked Twilight into a standing position and the adrenaline it brought dulled the pain enough for her to lean forward with an outstretched hoof. "W-wait!" she cried. "I don't understand how you and Luna work, but why don't you help us stop the Brood if you're not working with them? Why not help me save Equestria from their rule? I don't know about the night, but please!" She winced and fell back to the ground, one foreleg clutching her chest and another propping her up as she quivered in pain. Telos fell to the ground in front of her with no glow in the spire.
"What, and spoil the fun?" Nightmare unleashed a long breath through her nose and turned to gaze up at the moon, the grey haze clearing enough to see its details clearly. "You and Celestia are both right and wrong at the same time. I am not Luna, nor am I truly her sister. I'm... something else," she riddled. "Perhaps you can set things right this time, but I can't help you."
"What do you mean?"
Nightmare turned her body towards the jungle, but kept her head tilted to keep the other alicorn in view. "The city of the dragons carries a great deception. When next we meet, you may carry a truth that would bury this pointless war. For now, this is all I can do for us both." She lowered her head and resumed her march into the jungle. "Maybe we can be friends, too," she muttered before blurring into the black shadows.
Twilight stared after her, wide-eyed, and her mouth agape. What was that? she thought, completely vexed. Taking a bracing breath, she lifted herself back up and manually collected Telos from the ground. She attempted her quest to regroup with her comrades, but the first few steps proved to be too much and she ultimately fell back into one of the many craters on the battlefield. There was no magic left within her, and she released the silent Telos from her grasp. It hurts so much. Am I... going to die? she wondered as she slid to the bottom. Celestia... can you... hear me?
Twilight? Where are you? Is everything alright!? Celestia replied in panic.
I did my best... I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop Nightmare Moon. There's something... about this war. She said... She said it's a lie...
Twilight!? Twilight! What's going on? Are you alright? Please, answer me! Celestia pleaded into her mind.
Twilight grimaced to herself as she could no longer maintain the mental link. She unfurled her wings and did her best to encase herself in them. The chill of her snowstorm lingered in the air, and the crater offered little reprieve from the sleepy night breezes. She grunted, then crawled back towards the jungle. A thin blood trail followed her from the crater, and after several more shrieks of pain, she reached the edge and buried herself in the flora. I thought... I thought I could do this, but now... Oh, Luna... I'm sorry... I wasn't strong enough... she lamented, her final thoughts before slipping unconscious.
Nightmare Moon staggered through the jungle, each step growing more reluctant to incite the pain of her injuries than the last. Every stone and adventurous root sought to trip her, but each time she tripped she clenched her teeth, regained her balance and pushed on. Not... here... Not yet... She couldn't tell how long she'd forced herself to walk, but the jungle eventually opened back up the messenger dragon's clearing, and the pain had spoken to her of an arduous journey. A satisfied grin parted her lips as she opened her eyes fully, her turquoise shining in the darkness.
"I... have... returned," she called out as casually as she could.
The ground vibrated as the dragon answered the summons and moved to greet her. He peeked out behind the tapestry, the orange glow spilling into the night, and peered around. His eyes fell upon the bloody and frail alicorn, and he dashed to her as she began to fall. "Mistress Moon! What happened to you?" he asked quickly.
"I fell down some stairs," she joked, but her body couldn't emphasize it with laughter. She wheezed as she fell into the dragon's awaiting grasp.
"Your injuries are grave, Mistress," he remarked, astonished, as he studied the wounds the best he could in the darkness. The dried blood and gashes across her form were the only true indicator of her dire state. "I will get you to Draconis immediately."
Nightmare involuntarily coughed before she could protest, wincing and growling away the pain. "You will do no such thing," she snapped. "You will return me to Canterlot at once!" The intensity of her final order proved to take all of the power she had left in her voice. "Tell Aurelius nothing is left... only the ashes... of... an... enemy," she trailed off.
"Mistress?" The dragon attempted to gently shake her awake, but to no avail. He brought her up to his ear and listened for her breath. Damn it! Why must you have me travel so far? You risk death, Mistress. Aurelius will have my head if you die... Gnashing his teeth, he carefully cradled her in both hands and took off, the fevered rhythm in his wings rustling the tapestry to his hut in his wake.
As he gained altitude for the long haul to Canterlot, he caught the wake of Nightmare Moon's duel in the corner of his eye, instantly snapping his head to fully glimpse what he could. The massive section of the forest was no more and the fires of Twilight's had left a blackened scar on the ground where they had battled, like a miasma of sorrow. "By Render... what did you fight, Mistress?" he asked aloud, not expecting the unconscious alicorn to respond anyway.
He swallowed and focused on the flight home, flying as fast as he could. His small form made his efforts double that of the larger of his kin, and his wings ached before he'd reached the valley before the Everfree Forest. He sped past others of his kind, most paying him no mind while others offered him a confused glance his way. He reached the Canterlot mountain, cringing as he made the sharp ascent without the assistance of a draft, and huffing in relief as he reached the city itself. His body cried for reprieve, but he forced himself to fly the last stretch and he hit the street before the castle and skid to a halt on his chest near the main walk.
Aurelius lay in the courtyard as the thump of the messenger's body hitting the street piqued his interest. He yawned and shook his body as he rose and moved to the front of the castle. He arched a brow as the panting dragon came into view. "What are you doing in Canterlot?" he asked casually, approaching and offering a hand to help him to his feet.
He ignored the helping hand and stood up with the assistance of his aching wings. "My lord... It is her," he said, opening his hands and revealing the safe, but dire form of the alicorn, "Mistress Moon."
"Explain yourself..." Aurelius growled, his eyes narrowing suddenly.
The smaller dragon shook his head quickly. "This is not my doing, I assure you! She wandered into my dwelling gravely injured. I wanted to take her to Draconis, but she refused and insisted I take her back to Canterlot instead. Forgive me, my lord."
Aurelius regarded the messenger slowly. "How did she come to be in such a state?"
"I don't know. She only muttered that all that was left of her enemy were ashes."
"Hmph. Leave her with me. I will see to it that Princess Celestia tends to the mistress's wounds. You have earned a rest before you return home, messenger." The smaller dragon nodded, carefully setting Nightmare Moon down, and began to walk towards the castle courtyard with haggard steps, but Aurelius held out a wing to stop him. He turned his head parallel with the messenger's and leaned close. "Are you absolutely sure there is nothing else you know about this?" he whispered. The messenger froze, but then nodded curtly and scrambled away, worried the alicorn's grievous state might be blamed on him.
Once the messenger was gone, Aurelius took Nightmare's body into a large hand and walked through the castle towards Celestia's chambers. Well, well, well... It seems you found yourself trouble after all. Who did you encounter that was so powerful? he wondered to himself. Arriving at the thick oak doors, the sun carving denoting Celestia's chamber, he gave a swift knock.
"What do you want?" Celestia growled from the other side. When she received no reply, she opened the door with her magic, a scowl heavy on her face, but her expression soon crumbled to worry and fright. "Luna!" she cried, bolting out of the room as Aurelius carefully laid Nightmare upon the marble floor. "What did you do to her!?" Celestia glowered death at the dragon as she looked over Nightmare's injuries.
"This is not my doing, Celestia. However... perhaps you might know who exactly could have done this."
"How should I know? You're the one that has me detained," the princess snapped back.
"Hmph. It does not matter who did this," muttered Aurelius as he turned to walk away. Celestia glared at his back as he left, a burning ire in her eyes. When she could no longer see him or hear his footsteps, she levitated Nightmare into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Aurelius chuckled to himself as he walked through the quiet halls, most of the servants shying away from the main corridors to avoid the patrolling dragons. Yours is a cruel circumstance, Celestia. Your own sister, in a state you loathe so, and yet, an enemy you must heal. If Nightmare Moon dies, so shall Luna. He returned the courtyard to find the messenger dragon fast asleep against the castle walls. Aurelius took his place in the center and gazed up to the moon.
I will investigate this once Render has arrived. What being could possess the power to stand against Nightmare Moon so evenly? I pray I am not too late. His eyes canvassed the sky, and he was intrigued by it. There was something different, but he could not place it. Shrugging himself, he lowered his head into a comfortable position and abandoned the thoughts in favor of rest.
***
Celestia pulled Nightmare Moon to the rug in front of her fireplace, her heart racing as she focused on her magic, setting to work as quickly as possible. The blood on Nightmare's body had long dried, but open wounds continued to gush small streams that were absorbed by the rug. Celestia laid her upon her side delicately, and loomed over her with her horn glowing. I had hoped it wouldn't have come to this, Twilight, but I knew that she would find you eventually. Placing her hooves over Nightmare's torso, waves of light spread over it, but at a great strain to the princess's magic. The critical injuries took a significant amount of time to mend, but the free flow of the blood lessened, and eventually ceased altogether. She took one of her sheets and ripped it into ribbons, quickly bandaging her injuries and making a makeshift tourniquet for one of her legs.
Celestia exhaled in relief as her triage came to an end, and wiped sweat from her brow. She levitated the Id to her bed and tucked her into it. She stared at her, no longer with contempt, but with pure worry. Instinctively, she leaned forward and kissed her on the head, but quickly pulled away and blinked. Why did I...? She pulled herself away and moved to her private balcony, lit by the moonlight, pushing the thoughts away. Sighing, she glanced up to the sky with an unmasked weariness.
She gasped and shot Nightmare's resting form a surprised look, then returned to gazing at the sky with a renewed vigor. What in the world? She closed her eyes and concentrated. Twilight, are you there? she asked. She waited, minutes ticking away, but they were lost to the expectant silence. Please, Twilight, she pleaded in vain.
She returned to the inside of her chamber, the weariness returning to her, and stood over the rug she had placed Nightmare upon. Her eyes fixated on the splotches of blood that would soon become stains, but she only gave it a stoic look. After a few moments, she snatched it with her magic and crumpled it up, quickly throwing it into her fireplace. She watched the fire consume it, shriveling it until it burned away into ashes. Luna...
The memories of her first descent into Nightmare Moon slipped into her mind over the flames. What happened? How did it all go wrong...? Her chest tightened as she was reminded of the horror of being forced to banish her sister, her mind hinging on the thought that it may become necessary once again. Tears welled in her eyes as the worry of Twilight's unknown status held itself firmly in the front of her mind. Please be alright, Twilight. If anything happened to you... I could never forgive myself.
Nightmare murmured in her sleep, and Celestia turned to gaze at her, the rise and fall of her chest bringing the comfort of a peaceful repose. Sighing, she moved to stand before a tall mirror, a crestfallen look still carved into her features. Her eyes were accentuated by dark circles, and her usually kempt mane frazzled at the ends. She removed her crown and sat it upon the fireplace mantel and laid down before the fire, staring into it as sleep weighed heavily upon her eyelids. What did you mean Twilight? What did who say? Nightmare Moon? She gave a slight huff of discontent at the situation and further being helpless in it.
There was no perceivable time when she finally drifted to sleep, lulled to peace by the hypnotic dancing of the flames in her fireplace. She slipped into a dream, a sweet dream of spending time with Twilight. The activities of playing with her, reading together, and even a enjoying a simple cup of tea in the courtyard with Luna flooded her. Everything felt right for a fleeting moment.
But the blissful dream carried a powerful longing, and for every smile she'd put on the unicorn's face, her own was forever unable to match the unicorn's innocence. There was an agony that feeling brought, one she could not resist or dampen. Her mind languished in that feeling. After a few more memories of the persisting feeling, it suddenly vanished, and everything became right again. There was no way to tell why, but she found herself not caring to question, instead, losing herself in the memories.
In the final memory, Spike, Twilight, Trixie, Luna, and herself were together for a night of stargazing. Each one carried a happy smile, each of their spirits lifted by Luna's lessons of the constellations and her intricate work. It was one of her fondest memories since her sister's status had been restored, but also when she felt as if she was surrounded by a true family. The emotional surge intoxicated her, but in the moment that she had awoken, it was gone, like a puzzle without all of the pieces. She didn't open her eyes, still protesting against the awakening of her body, but reality took hold, and with it returned the distress that she had wished to forever forget.
The Quiet Place By: Aynine [Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 14: Bloodline Limit
A lonely wind meandered through the desolated land, sweeping and carrying sheets of ash and bringing a nightly chill as it combed the ground. Loose debris bounced and rolled across the dirt at the coaxing of the wind, and the trees of the new forest edge rustled slightly to its rhythm. Twilight stirred, her mind still stranded within a subconscious state. A large leaf slipped from one of the trees above and sailed down, landing atop the end of her muzzle, and she finally opened her groggy eyes to the darkness.
"Ohh..." she moaned as the pain of brutal injuries refreshed her memory as to where she was, and how she got there. "Nightmare Moon... Are you there?" she asked the wilderness. Oh, that's right... She recalled the dark alicorn leaving her with riddles, but also leaving her alive. She wanted to question what she'd meant, but there was no telling where she was now, or if she had even survived her own injuries. Twilight stood up, groaning as her stiff and sore muscles protested, more leaves slipping from her body, and held up a hoof to inspect it. "I'm still alive..." she said, almost in awe of the fact.
She attempted to stand on her hind legs, but she winced and fell to the tree's trunk for support. Putting her back against it, she slid down to a sitting position and placed her hooves to her chest. A white glow emanated from them, and her horn gave a weak glow with it. As she felt the tension from her pain release, her eyes trailed down to where she had been laying. There was a smear of dried blood there, and on her chest, and she fixated on them. She didn't know how long she stared at it, but she'd failed to immediately notice when her wounds had been mended.
Her forehooves fell to her sides, and she exhaled a deep breath. What did Nightmare mean? She looked up to the jungle canopy for help, rays of moonlight poking between the large leaves. Lifting herself to standing again, she garnered a feeling of malaise, and her eyes scoured the moonlit landscape for Telos. The white glint of the staff spire stood out in the moonlight along her bloody trail. I must not have been out long. It doesn't look like anyone else has been here. She took slow, steady steps to the staff, but she found that she could will it back to her once she got close enough.
Her telekinesis felt weak--loose--but she was able to return to the jungle and tear down some of the leaves for a quick breakfast. She snatched extra and tucked them into her duskweave. Every now and then it would give a light itch and she'd adjust Telos so the spire could scratch it. Satisfied she was prepared for the journey to reunite with her friends, she set off, still at a slow pace. Her malaise dulled her desire to move at all, but she continued on, each step one less than she needed to take before.
Her magic continued recovering, but she feared encountering a dragon. If she used too much more, she would be rendered sick until a full, uninterrupted recovery. Unicorns that were forced to use every last bit of their magic were typically rendered bedridden for several days. She shivered as she recalled the last time that had happened. Please no more dragons. As the trek to Draconis continued, she grew bored, her prayer for no additional dragons being answered, but also at the cost of nothing to keep her occupied. Her mind wandered back to Nightmare Moon again. What did you mean...? Ugh. Why didn't you just tell me!
She estimated she'd been walking for two hours when she began to feel better, comparable to having just awoken from a long sleep on a normal day. Her body still felt stiff, but the malaise had gone away. Telos levitated before Twilight, and she paused her walk and stared at it. Celestia... are you there?
There was a squeak of relief that filled Twilight's head before a rush of words. Thank the sun you're alright! What happened, Twilight? Celestia attempted to collect herself, but her chest felt like it would burst at hearing Twilight's voice.
I... need to find Trixie and Rainbow Dash.
You're not with them anymore? Celestia asked confusedly.
Twilight grimaced and began moving on with her slow pace again. I told them to go on without me after...
Nightmare Moon? Celestia finished.
Twilight nearly tripped as she heard her. How did you know?
Celestia sighed, and rubbed her temples. She was brought to me hours ago, badly injured. Did... did you do that?
Twilight nodded automatically to herself. I tried to free Luna, but I... I wasn't strong enough. I was afraid I killed her... Twilight trailed off and there was a pause of silence, each hesitating to say anything more.
What did you mean by 'She said it was a lie,'? You said that before we lost contact hours ago.
Twilight squeaked and glanced up to the sky, scanning constellations and the moon to try and determine a time, but the cosmos offered no definitive answer to her. Hours!? How long was I unconscious?
Nightmare Moon was brought to me over six hours ago, Twilight. What happened?
We used almost all of our magic in our fight. I passed out after she left, but... She implied there's something more to this war. I don't know what's going on yet. I have to find Rainbow Dash and Trixie. Twilight attempted to quicken her pace to a light jog, but her body fought back with aches and a lingering stiffness that lessened her back to walk in only a few strides. She groaned as she became stricken with the need to catch her breath. Celestia, do you know what Nightmare could be talking about?
I'm sorry, Twilight. I don't know anything more than you do. Have you looked at the sky?
Twilight stopped and glanced up in confusion. Of course.
Look again...
What are you talking about? The adventuring alicorn stopped and focused, her mouth slipping open as it dawned on her what was happening. But... But, that's impossible!
The canvas of the night sky had been completely painted with stars and constellations, each blooming and twinkling in the dark blue and black sea of space. Twilight stared, turning and following them as far as she could see. "Wow..." she muttered. The elegant craft of the cosmos matched Luna's in passion and skill, all perfectly placed in such a way that they were not overshadowed by the moon. Did Nightmare Moon really do this? Or maybe it's Luna.
I don't know, Twilight. I'll ask her when she awakens, but she is still Nightmare Moon.
I need to go, Celestia, said Twilight after she nearly tripped and fell again, her eyes still glued to the sky and ignoring the path she walked.
Alright. I'll contact you again as soon as I learn anything else. And, Twilight...
Yes?
Please be careful.
Twilight sighed and stopped walking. She twisted her head around to glimpse her wings as she unfurled them and held them out full. There were a few patches of feathers missing, but compared to Nightmare's, they were pristine. She gave them a test flap, slowly making the motions for flight. They were still stiff and sore like the rest of her body. Her eyes scanned the horizons for any wandering dragons, and after laying her fears to rest, galloped and leaped into flight.
The cool air slid through the bare parts on her wings and elicited a wince from her, an icy sting marking each featherless spot distinctly. She attempted to shift her duskweave into black again, but the tears left her with slits and gaps where her natural purple coat slipped through. She groaned at the inconvenience and prayed that her description hadn't been released. As she gained altitude, the temperature of the air rose enough to remove the sting in her wings, and she relaxed as she soared and glided over the landscape.
It had been a while since she'd been unconscious, and she studied the landscape, squinting and peering down to the darkened terrain in hopes of catching sight of Rainbow or Trixie's brighter coats. She swooped down and glided closer, but nothing stood out against the darkness or shone uncharacteristically bright beneath the moonlight. Damn. Where are you?
After searching around a large span of land for an hour, she encountered a mountain on the plotted course to Draconis. It appeared to be a waypoint between the surrounding regions as it connected multiple flatlands divided by other mountainous terrain. There was an empty canyon to her left, and an area that stretched beyond where she could see to her right. The base of the mountain featured a small cave, but more than large enough for several ponies to enter. She descended down to the ground and surveyed the area, taking note that it had been a long time since any travelers had come through.
There were no markers, and nothing of interest beyond the cave itself. Rough paths were carved along the mountain, but they lacked any maintenance, and some appeared defunct and forgotten. Twilight sighed and coiled down to leap back into flight once more, but something in the cave entrance caught her eye and she turned back to it, approaching cautiously. Telos levitated in front of her and began to glow and illuminate the darkness. Scribbled on the stone was a fresh image of Celestia's cutie mark, oft attributed to her solar empire. Twilight breathed in in relief as she ran a hoof over it, smearing the details.
She stepped further into the cave, finding it dank and empty. As she walked further in, Telos's light became brighter, forcing back the darkness and revealing everything inside. Creatures and insects of the cave fled from the sudden light, bats and lizards vanishing beyond the glow back into dark crevices and the shadows ahead. Twilight shuddered as she waited for the vicinity to clear. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness, and she pressed on when she could see clearly.
The path in the caves was relatively flat, but it meandered through the mountain in the darkness, and several side paths followed their own way into the unknown. Twilight's cautious pace left her wondering just how far she'd traveled, or how long. Time seemed to crawl as she strained her eyes to find any hint of where her comrades had gone, the clop of her hooves being the only sound to play against the ambiance. To her delight, a single cyan feather rested along the main path; however, several more paths branched out directly beyond it. She groaned and set herself to analyzing just which one they might've taken.
Formulas played in her mind to calculate the probability of the feather indicating which path was correct based on its proximity to the entrance. She bucked one of the walls when a gust flowed through and carried the feather out of position. Ugh. Really? she grumbled silently, snatching the feather and disintegrating it with a small flame from Telos.
"Trixie, Rainbow Dash! Are you there!" she called down each path. She listened as her voice echoed through and through, but returned no signs of life from anyone other than herself. She shouted several more times just to be sure, but each returned the same lull of ambiance that the first set did. She was ready to buck another wall in frustration, but a faint rumble reverberated through out the cave. Her ears folded and twisted as she strained herself to hear its point of origin.
She couldn't determine which path it had come from, or what part of the mountain, but it renewed her spirit. Taking Telos into her hooves, she raised it as the spire began pulsing a white glow that grew stronger in vibrancy is it gained distance from the floor. "Haaah!" Twilight slammed the base into the ground and a wave of pure white light boomed outward from her and flowed down each path, including the one she had been walking along.
Her breathing quickened for a moment and she sat down to catch her breath, waiting for a response. Telos went silent and Twilight idled in the darkness until she could hear the sound of hoofsteps. She rose to her hooves and moved off to the side of the rightmost path, a light pushing the darkness in her room back. Hushed voices sounded just around the corner and she took her staff into her hooves, crouching down and preparing herself for any combat.
The shine of another light source entered the cave, and the light caused Twilight's vision to bloom too much to make out what was in front of her. Blindly leaping, she tackled the source, and another form with it. "Hey!" In a moment, her vision recovered to find a blade at her neck and two confused ponies looming over her. "T...Twilight!?"
The blade was put away, and the alicorn found herself lifted back to her hooves by Rainbow Dash, and immediately squeezed by Trixie. "Thank Celestia you're alive!" she cried into her, sudden tears streaming down her eyes. "We... We thought you were dead."
Twilight returned the tight embrace, nuzzling into the unicorn's neck and breathing in her scent, her chest feeling as if it would burst. It was difficult to breathe in that embrace, but it was not because she was being held too tight. "I'm so glad you're alright," she whispered, her own tears soaking into the unicorn's silvery mane. They held each other for a minute before Dash coughed into a hoof to get their attention.
"I don't mean to interrupt you two, but we need to keep going. We sat around for hours hoping you'd make it."
Twilight nodded to her and held Trixie back. "I missed you." She leaned close and kissed Trixie leaving the unicorn blushing before nodding to Dash. "Which way?"
The knight smiled. "Good to have you back, Twi. Are you sure you're okay, though?" she said, her eyes absorbing what the alicorn's image. Her mane was hardly kempt with frazzled strands and cowlicks throughout, but the tattered state of her duskweave worried her most.
"Yeah. A little weak, but I'll be fine."
Dash took the lead and they moved at a brisk pace down the tunnel they had come from before. "Say, Twi. Did you really defeat Nightmare Moon by yourself?" The knight tilted her head to glimpse her.
Twilight's eyes took on a hollow look. "No..."
Dash stopped and gaped at disbelievingly. "Then... what the hay happened?"
Twilight brushed her way past the knight and took the lead as she explained. "We fought to a draw. I tried to purge her from Luna, but I wasn't strong enough. Before she left she said some... things." Her companions traded perplexed glances before focusing back on her. "She said she wasn't allied with the Brood at all, and said she would tell them that we were dead."
"Wh-what!?" Dash and Trixie blurted in unison.
Twilight stopped walking and put a hoof to her chin, deep in thought. "I don't think Nightmare Moon is as evil as we thought." She mulled the idea of Nightmare being an additional soul atop Luna's.
"You don't really believe that do you?" Dash said. "Nightmare Moon is just Luna's corrupted alter ego... right?" She ran a nervous hoof to her sword's hilt, shuddering as she imagined the Id's sharp eyes cutting into her soul again.
"I don't know. At this point, I'm willing to believe anything is possible. She told me to find a truth in Draconis, that it 'would bury this pointless war,' she said. I'm worried, though..."
Dash's hoof tensed on her blade's hilt briefly. "Do you think she could be lying? I don't trust her. I mean, she's tried to kill us before."
Twilight's expression became glum again. "I don't know. I want to believe her, but... we won't know anything until we get to Draconis."
Trixie stepped up to her and patted her on on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Twilight. We'll figure this all out."
Twilight nodded and extended a wing over her, pulling the unicorn closer and nuzzling her. "Thank you."
Trixie blinked and stepped away, grabbing the wing and inspecting it. "Are you really okay?" she said while motioning to the missing patches of feathers. Her hoof moved too close and touched one of the spots, and Twilight furled it back up immediately, wincing. "I-I'm sorry!"
"I'll be fine. I'm sure I'll be healed by the time we reach Draconis." She extended her wings and stretched, attempting to support her words with a demonstration. Trixie stared at her with worry etched into her face, but sighed and seemed satisfied. "As long as the dragons don't know any gravity spells..." Twilight added, grumbling. Her wings slipped back into her duskweave and vanished into the purple coat of her body. Trixie gave her an odd look at the mention of gravity spells.
Telos shined and kept the way illuminated, filling as much of the tunnel as possible with light, without being too hard on the party's eyes. Twilight took comfort in the artificial light. The everlasting darkness of Nightmare Moon's reign always made her uncomfortable, even when surrounded by her friends. Her mind thought back to the moments before the Id departed the battlefield, the entire situation seeming surreal with Nightmare's mercy.
Nightmare had unknowingly made her feel secure for a moment, if confused. When the Id had departed into the forest, she could've sworn she'd heard her say something she never expected, but she quickly pushed the idea out of her mind, citing the Id's precedent for madness and teasing. The trio continued through the tunnels in silence, save for a few complaints about their current setting. Their demeanors lit up as natural moonlight appeared at the end of the tunnel to pave the way back into the open.
Telos dimmed back to its idle state as they stepped out into the world. Trixie coughed and stuck out her tongue, breathing in the fresh air. "I never thought I'd be so happy to be outside in the dark again," she muttered.
The trio's eyes took in the mountainous lands before them with a hint of wonder and anxiousness. The other side of the mountain boasted a jagged landscape that appeared to have been maimed, rather than shaped naturally. There were a couple hotspots in the distance, but any tephra and magma that helped shape the earth had long since cooled into the harsh environment they now laid eyes upon. Waves of heat emanated from them, drying the party's eyes and forcing them to squint as the heat sprayed their faces. Dragons favored the excessive heat of volcanic areas, and they each exchanged disappointed looks as the paths through the area wound between the hotspots.
Dash snorted as she gazed at one of them. "Woo, smokin' place the dragons got here," she joked. She quickly adjusted the snugness of her breastplate as the heightened temperatures overtook the chill of the mountain tunnels and night air.
"Really now, could the Brood live any further out of the way?" Trixie asked in annoyance. The luxury of flight was a high tax to a unicorn's magic, and she lacked the illustrious ability to teleport that Twilight had.
"The dragons typically don't interact with the rest of the world. Spike was the first one I ever met, and hatching his egg was my entrance exam into Celestia's magic school. There was one near Ponyville a long time ago that slept there. We had to get him to leave. But... I've never really met any others before Garr..." Twilight's conscious sent a pang of guilt throughout her as the memories of the ones she had slain flickered into her mind briefly.
"Oh, yeah. I remember that one by Ponyville. Fluttershy was the one that got him to leave. She's so fierce when she's angry. She was like, 'Leave. You're upsetting all of the animals!' or if that doesn't work,"--she stretched her eyes wide with her hooves, "'The stare!'" she finished in an intentionally ghastly voice.
Twilight snickered. "Yeah. I guess we surprise each other sometimes by just how strong we really are. Still, she's always so nice. I hope... she's okay right now." Twilight shook her head and Telos returned to her back. "Alright, we need to keep going."
"Let's go," chimed Dash, her own prayers going out to her shy friend.
The mangled landscape was surprisingly easy to traverse, the trio found, but they grew nervous as the paths they took wound themselves between several hotspots. Occasionally, they would spurt a wave of heat, or a spew a small blast of magma into the air that cooled into rocks as it cascaded back to the ground. Dragons could be seen and heard from from the depths of the night, but they weren't spotted, or they were and they were ignored. Twilight prayed that it was merely their deal with Garr and the messenger dragon being honored.
The uneventful lull of their journey through the dragon's lands put them on edge, and each roar nearby caused Dash to brandish Nightfall, only to sheathe it a moment later when it was determined that the roar was not a battle cry. Their path eventually led them to rounding a massive canyon wall, the high peaks warding off the prying eyes of any being that could not fly. "This must be one of the walls to Draconis," Twilight concluded.
They walked on for several more hours before they reached what appeared to be a massive gate tunneling into the canyon. Giant, iron doors barred their path, the black metal and beautiful engravings depicting the Brood's symbols and crests over the ages marking their pride in their legendary crafts. However, sheets of rust covered the once-colorful decorations, and there were no discernable mechanisms for opening the gates. The longer the trio stared, the more they seemed to loom over them.
"It looks like they haven't been opened in thousands of years," commented Twilight in wonder.
"Honestly. What do fliers like the dragons need a gate for anyway?" asked Trixie, tilting her head further back as her eyes climbed the heights of the construction. She squinted, but was unable to tell if she could see the top or the canyon was casting a shadow over them.
"There was a time when the Brood interacted with the world. There are legends of their great city, and their race's architecture and treasures." She sighed. "That was a long time ago. Nopony has seen the inside of the Imperial City of Dragons since before Celestia and Luna defeated Discord. At least, nopony has lived to tell about it. This could be a trap..."
Dash stepped up to the gate and knocked one of her armored hooves against it. The density of the metal made the expected ringing down to a low, dull tinking sound. "Geez. There's only one pony I know could that even dent this." She turned around and studied Twilight's face, the alicorn still lost in her imagination of what lie behind the doors. "Hey, Twi, are you gonna try to open them?"
The alicorn shot her a very bothered look. "Of course not! Can you imagine how loud that would be? Opening these would attract too much attention." She turned and pointed off in the direction they had come from, the empty path not particularly inviting. "We'll backtrack and climb the canyon wall."
Dash groaned. "More walking? C'mon Twilight. Look how steep the canyon walls are. There's no way Trixie can climb that by herself."
Twilight nodded as she followed them with her eyes. There were no points where it would be easy to ascend it manually. "Alright, but don't fly too far from the ground. I'm betting the messenger never thought we'd make it this far."
Dash gave an energetic salute. "Alright. Let's get this over with." She took the lead and soared down the pathway before them.
Twilight and Trixie exchanged glances before the alicorn picked her up and began flying after the knight. They were slower, and Twilight's sore wings protested the additional weight, but she said nothing as they flew after the knight. They traveled back a couple miles before ascending the wall. Dash was already at the top in a prone position and observing the city. Twilight set Trixie down and landed with a heave, panting and wiping her brow of sweat. Both mares crouched down beside the knight and marveled at the city.
"Whoa..." mumbled Dash at the same time Trixie muttered, "Beautiful."
Twilight stared in silent awe as she tried to view as much of the city as possible, her jaw threatening to unhinge. For as far as she could see, the city seemed to have its own horizon that simply blurred and continued further than her eyes could believe. Though the veil of night was strong outside of the canyon, large torches and brilliant constructions illuminated the city's interior. She swallowed as she could see hundreds and hundreds of dragons walking the marble streets as dark specs, or soaring through the skies as dark smears.
From their vantage point they could not decipher the city's layout, and there were no specific landmarks to tell the buildings apart. Each building boasted an intricate exterior, finely detailed with rare and magnificent materials such as gold and silver. Dash stood up and groaned as they finished enjoying the city's brilliant image.
"You have got to be kidding me. This place is huge! We're never going to find any archives." She slapped a hoof to her face and slid it down, comically stretching her features briefly. Afterwards, she picked up a rock and slung it down the canyon wall, watching as it chipped and clattered its way down to the flat land below.
"It might not be that bad," reassured Twilight. "I need to get to the keep, but I can help you look around a bit. I just hope," she swallowed, "that they aren't in the keep."
"Oh man. We're so screwed if they are. Think of how many dragons are here. This is their capitol!" the knight complained.
"Are you scared?" Trixie teased. "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine," she said as she stood up. She shook her head and straightened her mane, then adjusted her staff so that it would be as concealed as possible beneath her dark cloak.
"As long as we tell any dragons that stop us that it was Captain Garr that sent us to deliver a message, we should be fine, alright?" Twilight rose to her hooves and Dash nodded doubtfully. "I know you're here for any documents they might have on their plans for the war, but I'm changing that priority."
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Trixie.
Twilight took on a more serious expression and gazed past the pair and into the city. "I want you to look for any information on Nightmare Moon, anything at all. Whether it's now, when we first defeated her, or when she rebelled over a thousand years ago."
Dash obscured her view to the city and gave her a hard stare. "Why should we bother with Nightmare Moon? We should be stopping this war for Equestria."
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I have to know. When she opened them again, her irises shined slightly through the darkness. "No matter what was going to happen on this mission, at least one half was meant to succeed. I'm supposed to assassinate King Render, and I will see that through, but I need to know if what Nightmare Moon said was true."
"How can you even trust her!?" Dash snapped. "She's tried to kill you twice. For all you know, she's lying!"
Twilight stared at her back with an empathic expression. "Please, Rainbow... I will hold off the royal guard if need be. There's something wrong with this war. I know you think it, too."
"Twilight, if you can assassinate Render, then we can complete both of our missions and go home. Why don't--"
"I might not survive," Twilight interrupted with a flat tone. She cast her eyes to the ground and went silent.
"What do you mean?" Trixie asked, stepping closer to her. "We're going home together, Twilight."
Twilight turned to look at her, her sad violet eyes meeting worried lavender ones. "I can hold off the royal guard and kill Render, but... I might not have enough magic left to escape."
Twilight couldn't tell how quickly Trixie's hoof was raised and slapped her, but the pain ripped her thoughts back to reality. "How can you think like that!? No! I won't let you throw your life away," Trixie shouted into her face. She'd begun to tear up. "I won't let you..."
Tears welled in Twilight's eyes and she lurched forward and pulled Trixie into an embrace. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." She stroked Trixie's mane, and soon the magician began to calm down.
"If you die... I'll make sure everyone knows who the better pony is!" chided the unicorn.
Twilight cracked a smile and pulled away. "I promise we'll go home together. No matter what." Her words eased the magician back into a normal mood. "We should get going. Everyone is counting on us."
The other mares nodded and began their descent down the canyon wall. Twilight sighed and turned to glimpse the vast expanse behind them. The mountains of the dragon's lands obscured her view of the forests and plains beyond, a smoky haze rising from the hotspots, but she allowed her imagination to remind her of the beauty of all that lay behind that veil. Her eyes trailed up to the sky above, the twinkling stars and bright constellations filling the sky around the moon soothing her. I believe you, Nightmare Moon.
She coiled down to leap over the canyon's side, but she hesitated, her eyes following Trixie's descent. She turned and quickly scratched a magic circle into the ground. There was a purple flash from her horn and the circle glowed for a moment, then became nothing more than an engraving. Please don't let it come to this. With that, she followed after her comrades down the slope, sliding in an almost heroic stance until she reached the bottom.
The trio dusted themselves off and began walking slowly through the city. From close up, the constructions appeared even more magnificent than their imaginations had led them to believe from the vantage point. Marble, gold, platinum, silver, masterfully shaped stone of various types--all culminated into a glorious city that even textbooks could never capture, even in speculation. Their jaws hung open as their eyes glazed with delight at the beauty.
It wasn't long before they were spotted, and several dragons immediately surrounded them. As the denizens approached, they each attempted to hide their weapons. Dash tucked her blade into her breastplate, Trixie adjusting her cloak, and Twilight forcing Telos to shrink and tuck itself into Trixie's cloak, much to her chagrin. "Hey!" she protested in a hushed whisper. Twilight held a hoof to her mouth and shot her a serious look.
"What's this... Ponies in Draconis?" one red dragon asked in disbelief.
"This war just seems to get stranger and stranger," added another with the shake of his head.
The first one grunted and eyed them, lowering his head and opening his mouth to show his teeth. "Now, why have you come to Draconis, hm? Coming here to die, perhaps?"
"Captain Garr sent us to deliver a report to King Render," Twilight replied as she bowed. Trixie and Dash quickly followed her lead and gave a gracious bow, holding their heads low until after Twilight had raised hers.
The second dragon mumbled something, but Twilight couldn't hear him. The first one spoke up afterwards. "Hmph. Garr, huh? Enjoy Draconis... while you can." The draconic flash mob quickly dispersed away, and several more dragons had gathered behind them to see the commotion. The trio of ponies breathed out in relief, and Twilight collected Telos before leading them on.
They made their way to a primary causeway splitting the city as far as they could see, the road wider than eight of Canterlot's main streets combined. The stone road featured impeccable creation, flawed only by the natural wear of the colossal dragons walking upon it each day. More intricate designs had been added into the surfaces; tiny lines and carvings forming pictures in the stone that seemed too small for a dragon to create. Twilight continued to study everything she could with her eyes, further fueled by the fact that she was one of the few ponies to ever see the inside of the magnificent city.
Occasionally, a dragon would stop them and interrogate them as to why they were there. They were mystified by how Garr's name warded off further investigation into their presence, and most would give a quick harrumph and be off. Several stopped them to ask for the time, appearing nervous and confused by the endless night. The trio cast them a sympathetic look before shrugging, to which they would hang their heads mournfully and keep going, the beleaguered dragons appearing more confused than before their encounter. Even some of the Brood don't know why it's eternal night? wondered Twilight as she would watch them leave.
They walked for what felt like several hours, the massive buildings seeming to crawl past them, before they reached a much larger open area. The causeway broke into a large stony waypoint that connected multiple paths. Directly ahead led to a massive keep, and the branching paths connected to other nearby buildings. A black and a red dragon stood guard at the keep, but the other buildings showed no signs of external protection. Twilight squinted and made out one of the buildings to the right featuring a sign depicting a quill and parchment. Dragons write in their culture? She yearned to go in, her thirst for knowledge almost aching her mind to know what lay inside.
"I guess... this is it," Twilight muttered as she spun around. Trixie gave her a hard look and she quickly coughed into a hoof. "If a battle breaks out, you need to leave the city during the chaos. I'm going to try to make this as quick and quiet as possible." Dash nodded, but Trixie only stared at her.
"We're going home, together, Twilight." Trixie stepped closer and gave her a final hug. Twilight snuggled into her and sighed. When they relinquished each other, she sighed again and cast a sad look to the keep before returning her eyes to Trixie.
"Together," she echoed. She waved and began walking towards the keep.
Trixie stayed an extra minute to watch her go, a distant regret lining her eyes. Dash nudged her back to the mission and she reluctantly followed her towards the archival building. "I'm worried. I don't want her to go alone," she muttered to Dash.
The knight adjusted her breastplate, Nightfall's sheathe uncomfortably pressing into her chest, and sighed. "I don't like it either, but we both know she's the only one who can do it." They stepped up to the building's massive wooden doors and cast a quick glance behind them to see if any dragons were watching. Most were going about their business, or too far away to see or care. Dash put both hooves on one of the doors and pushed with all of her might, heaving and grunting.
Trixie giggled as she watched her struggle to part them enough for them to enter, let alone at all. "I could use my magic you know."
Dash snapped her head to her and glared. "Then why don't you!?"
"Because. It's funnier when you try." She continued giggling as she slipped past her and into the building. Dash groaned again and threw one last cautious glance to the city before following after her and the doors closing behind.
Where the front doors appeared massive, the entranceway was a large area with a beautiful, symmetrical marble floor. Several torches lit the interior, but they seemed to draw a significant amount of natural light from the windows normally. As a result, the interior appeared bathed in a darkened tint where the torches did not reach or fully illuminate. They were met with a powerful, almost grating, wall of sound shortly after entering. They jumped at the racket that echoed throughout the large lobby, and found the source to be a white dragon, fast asleep and snoring over a huge desk before them. The pair exchanged nervous glances before tip-hoofing past him. He snorted briefly in his sleep, causing the pair to freeze and their hearts to sink to the pit of their stomachs, but the dragon rolled his head over and settled back to snoring.
They breathed silently in relief before moving beyond the lobby and into a great hall boasting novella of all shapes and sizes. Trixie muttered an awed, "Whoa," as her eyes followed the gargantuan bookshelves to the ceiling. "Twilight would love this place, but it's going to take forever to look through everything. Look at how big these bookshelves are!" she complained in a hushed voice.
Dash groaned and put a hoof to her face. "Look around. They wouldn't leave important stuff in the open."
Trixie branched out and followed down the next parallel aisle over. She walked slowly, throwing her head back and forth to scan book titles and look for signs to guide her. She arched a brow as some of the books on the lower shelves seemed recognizable. Why do the Brood have so many books about Equestria? That's strange...
"Trixie, I think I found something."
The magician galloped down the rest of the aisle and returned to the first aisle to see a portion of the archives sealed behind a giant gate. She reached out and ran a hoof over the overlapping pattern of metal, and cast a doubtful look to Dash. "How are we going to get through these without waking the dragon at the lobby?"
"Use your magic. I might be able to break it with my sword, but that'll make too much noise."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Typical Rainbow. Asking a unicorn for help." She stuck her tongue out and received a sour look before glancing over her shoulder back down the aisle. It seemed to stretch into infinity with how deep into the building they were, but the shadowy aisles only offered her silence. "Maybe I can melt it." She pulled Mystic Sage from her cloak and held it to the gate, a burst of magic running through the spire. It turned red and a section big enough to climb through melted into a puddle of liquid metal before hardening to the floor. She slipped her staff back under her cloak and attempted to fan the smell away with a hoof.
"C'mon, let's hurry before old snoozy wakes up and finds us." Dash hustled her through and they entered. The archives behind the gate were dark with a blue tint, but they boasted the same climbing bookcases, however, they were completely empty.
A chill wafted through the archives and flowed out the way they came, causing both to shiver, but Trixie swallowed and shot Dash a hollow look. "This... this can't be right..."
"Wh-what?"
Trixie threw her head in all directions before tugging her cloak around her body better and shrinking into it. "I don't like this. We've all studied the Brood before this mission, right?" Dash nodded slowly. "There's an overwhelming feeling of dread coming from this place--from magic. I've never heard of dragons using magic, though. Could somepony have betrayed the princesses?"
Dash grimaced and looked on down the dark aisle. "I hope not, but we've never run into any dragons capable of using magic. Let's check this area out then get the heck out of here. This place gives me the creeps."
They pair continued down the aisle at a slower pace than before. The archives were devoid of sound beyond their hoofsteps, and the further they went in, the more the sense of dread filled Trixie, and the more the echoes haunted them. Paranoia began to set in and she constantly glanced around or stopped to listen for something. "What?" Dash would ask in a panicky tone. The knight couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. After walking for several more minutes, they reached the back wall of the sealed archives and a large table sat against it.
Dozens of tomes lay sprawled open across it and on the floor, with sheets of undecipherable notes and diagrams. Trixie dashed ahead and began investigating the materials. "This... this can't be!"
"What, Trixie? You're scaring me now!" The knight stood up and placed a hoof upon Nightfall's hilt and turned to watch the main aisle.
Trixie levitated several books and a diagram closer and motioned for Dash to view them. "Look." Dash leaned in close, squinting to see. When her expression lit up, Trixie shivered. "This looks like one of Twilight's beta runes. And look--" She snatched another diagram and held it over the rest. "These are concepts of an ancient magic used for summoning golems."
"So, what does this have to do with anything? We haven't fought any golems or magical dragons."
Trixie shook her head and levitated one last sheet in front of her. It had a variety of notes and miniature magic circles scribbled on it, but there was something she recognized, and it gave her a sense of horror. Gasping, she snatched the sheet and scanned it a few more times, blinking, unable to fathom its authenticity. Her hooves shook as she grasped it, and her eyes trailed away to Trixie's. "I can't believe it... Nightmare Moon isn't... she isn't Luna after all."
"This is bad. But if she wasn't lying to Twilight, then what did she mean?" Trixie relinquished all of the items from her magic and turned to the table, sweeping it with her eyes. There was an open book she hadn't viewed yet, overlapped by several other sheets, and she quickly snatched it and flipped through the pages. "Whoever did this... this must be all of their notes. It looks like it has most of the same information, but after tests."
Another chilling draft swept through the archives again, the sense of dread it brought was powerful enough that Dash could feel it. "We need to get out of here Trixie!"
"Wait, we need to---! Hey!"
Dash grabbed Trixie as she finished tucking the book away. She beat her wings hard and pushed herself to fly as fast as she could. The bookshelves slid by in a blue blur, and they reached the gate. They gasped as it appeared completely untouched, almost new, and the metal that had cooled on the floor was missing. Not wasting time, she dropped Trixie and brandished Nightfall, making several two-hoofed strokes to cut through the bars. Each strike made a symphony of metallic sounds that reverberated throughout the archives, but they broke through. She deftly slipped the blade back into its sheathe and picked Trixie up again, pushing herself to make up for lost time.
As they soared through the archives, another draft swept through them, chilling them to their cores. Dash nearly lost control as she felt herself freezing for only a few seconds. When it passed, she grunted and her wings ached from the additional weight. They reached the front lobby, zooming through, but both casting a fearful look at the front desk. The dragon that had been sleeping was missing. There was no time to wonder where he had gone as the doors came into view. She lowered her head and raised a shoulder, and with a battle cry slammed through one of them, bursting the door open with a heave of the hinges. Trixie groaned as the impact sent a shockwave through her body. They spotted Twilight sitting idly at the edge of the marble waypoint and raced across the waypoint towards her.
***
Twilight approached the towering keep with light, nervous steps, her gait not being forcefully diminished this time. The two guards studied her, but made no indication that they were bothered by her presence, and she moved passed them without a fuss. She entered the first room, or area based on the sheer size, and glanced around. The ceiling seemed to reach for the heavens, but faded into a black darkness. She stopped and allowed her eyes to follow the path onward. Large braziers featuring quiet flames lit the halls and corridors, though they appeared more like bonfires to her. The interior appeared to be mostly comprised of dark stone, with the same intricate marble floors as the rest of the city. Burnished gold trim carved to great detail lined most of the floors and ceiling decorations, and tapestries of dragons and crests hung in proud display out of the way, or over the walls.
She gulped as the number of dragons inside was quickly becoming staggering. Members of the Brood wandered the halls, the royal guard clad in minimalistic armor, but all of varying scale color and size. There were no white dragons, she noted, and they all offered only minimal attention to her. Nobles in the dragon culture? she wondered as she continued walking on. Her theory was further cemented as the deeper she went within the keep, the more attention she received.
Members of the Brood hurled insults, taunts, and tantalizing comments her way, but a few offered sympathetic apologies to the plight of Equestria. She ignored the derogatory comments and pondered the apologies. Some dragons sympathize with Equestria? Maybe this war won't be as hard to end as I thought. There was a quick moment between the passing Brood that she was alone, and she used the moment to pause and take a few deep breaths. It wasn't long before she reached the throne room, the amount of dragons increasing as she neared it, and entered with her heart rate increasing. More and more wore armor to signify their status as the royal guard, and Twilight's anxiety began to climb as their eyes fell to her with a dark silence.
The throne room was massive and circular, with numerous members of the royal guard standing. The silence as became overwhelming as she entered, as if she had just interrupted an important personal conversation. Before her, with his back turned, stood the gargantuan dragon king, Render. As she stopped in the center of the room, he turned his head to glimpse her, and then his entire body. He rose up, nearly to the ceiling when standing fully on his legs, but coiled back down to better see her and swept his tail out to rest beside him in a crescent. The room suddenly grew hot, and she found herself cotton mouthed as he crept closer until he was only a couple meters away.
"My, my. What a bold pony you are, to dare waltz into these sanctimonious halls of the Brood. Now tell me, why have you risked life and limb to tread through the perils and dangers of our lands to a place your kind would only call a graveyard?" His deep, heavy voice suffocated the atmosphere and his breath ruffled her mane, but to her relief, it did not carry a foul scent.
"I-I'm f-from a town..." The dryness in her mouth made articulating anything difficult. Render cocked his head sarcastically and a few of the royal guard chuckled. She cast them nervous glances before focusing back on the king. "I'm from a town far away in the prairie lands. I'm here to deliver a report on a messenger's behalf."
Render frowned, but continued watching her intently. "Speak quickly, equine, and choose your next words very carefully. The merit for which you draw breath does not exist here." He extended a claw beside Twilight, then dragged it back beside her. The grinding, almost squealing, sound it made caused her to jump and cover her ears, wincing as it reverberated through the throne room. When he finished, she glanced nervously to the indent in the floor.
"Captain Garr first sent me!" she said quickly, and the tension in the room relaxed as Render cocked his head again and said nothing. "He was commanding the dragons stationed in my town. He heard a rumor of a really powerful unicorn spotted nearby, and sent one of his soldiers to investigate, but they didn't return. Garr and the other two dragons went to go find him, and wanted me to deliver that information to a messenger dragon nearby. But the messenger wanted us to deliver it to you instead." She fidgeted a bit nervously as Render's expression became unreadable. "My town doesn't have any militia, so he could probably come back and occupy it again without any resistance."
Most of the royal guard began laughing, a couple howling out the hilarity, but it was lost on Twilight. Render loomed over her with a faint grin gracing his face, and she wondered if he was about to attack. To him, she was merely a bite-sized morsel to be devoured at any moment, either out of pity, or boredom. Twilight shrank back into the floor as the laughing faded away. "Wh-what's so funny?"
"Garr has not returned, and may have gotten himself killed. Indeed, a powerful unicorn is being searched for, and perhaps he may have met his end to..." He shot his comrades a quickly crumbling look. "A mere unicorn." The royal guard began laughing with renewed vigor.
Twilight gave him a confused look. They think we're really that weak? "My report is done. Can I go now?" Her words silenced the laughter, and Render regarded her with a smile on his face.
"Your race amuses us with your capacity for fear. I imagine most would have refused to travel to Draconis to seek out an audience with me, yet, here you are." He chuckled and looked away for a few seconds, then looked at Twilight with a softer stare. "I shall allow you to roam free for the time being, and return to your pathetic town. Should you happen to encounter Captain Garr, and he is still alive, tell him to return directly to me." Twilight nodded slowly. "Now, run along, little pony."
Twilight wanted to run from the room, or teleport, anything to get away. The royal guard roared with laughter again as she walked out, and a smug look graced Render's face. She walked on down the halls, relieved once she had left earshot. None of the dragons in the keep paid her any mind on the trip out, and she seemed to be nothing more than a trophy or a jester to them, as far as she could tell.
Her eyes listlessly scanned everything as it passed by again, but her thoughts wandered to the situation she just escaped. Too many... I don't think I can kill them all by myself, even if... Damn it. I hope Trixie and Rainbow found something. She made it back outside without any trouble, and stopped between the pair of dragons guarding the front gate.
"Be careful, pony. Normally, you would already be dead," warned the red.
"I don't believe it. King Render is allowing you to live?" muttered the black.
She glanced up to them with a blank look before moving on, choosing to ignore their words altogether. The marble waypoint came as a welcome relief and she moved to stand near the beginning of it from where they had entered. She sat down and held a hoof to her chest, hoping it would help calm her racing heart. The royal guard had left her nerves shot, and she wanted to relax in safety again.
There was a burst of movement in the distance, and her head shot up to see the archive building's right door open and hanging onto a single hinge. Dash was flying towards her carrying Trixie, a panicked look etched into both of their faces. The knight set Trixie down and skidded to a stop, panting before the alicorn.
"What happened?" blurted Twilight, glimpsing the keep guards from the corner of her eyes. They appeared not to have noticed, or cared, for the time being.
"Twi...light. We... triggered... some... kind of... alarm..." Trixie managed between hyperventilating puffs of air. She took a deep breath and loosed her next words all at once. "We need to get out of here. Now!"
"Whoa, slow down, Trixie. Are you sure? I delivered the report to Render, and none of the dragons reacted." She cast another sidelong glance to the keep guards, but they remained idling, still.
Trixie nodded quickly. "Yes, I'm sure! Something's not right here, Twilight."
"C'mon Twilight, we need to get out of here right now," Dash said. "Did you take out the king?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, I couldn't. There were too many of the royal guard with him. Maybe I could..." She shook her head again. "No. Did you find anything about Nightmare Moon?"
The pair exchanged grim looks and nodded to her. Trixie produced a book and passed it to the alicorn. "Take a look at this." Twilight flipped through the pages, her eyes glazing with fear and awe as Trixie continued. "That was a notebook I found containing information about runes and ancient magic, but it was in a sealed part of the archives. Twilight, this is stuff you've been working on, but look--" Trixie stepped beside her and used her magic to flip to a specific page near the middle. "Here's a part about summoning golems, and,"--she flipped to a page closer to the end--"homunculi. That would be forbidden magic if it could ever work."
Twilight's hooves trembled as she held the book, her eyes widening further. "This... this can't be..." She flipped to the last few pages and hastily scanned them. "Do you know what this means?" she asked rhetorically. "Nightmare Moon is... We need to get this to Celestia. We can worry about Render later. This could mean there's a traitor among the archmagi, but I don't know anypony strong enough to use magic like this besides the princesses. This notebook dates back to before I became an alicorn, almost to before I became an archmage."
Trixie's expression hollowed, and Dash pulled Nightfall's sheath from her breastplate, strapping the baldric back around the outside of her armor. "Twilight, this information will get us killed. We need to get out of here! You can study the book later."
"No, just give me a little more time," she protested, holding a hoof out to ward off further ushering. The others nervously glanced around as she further read into the notebook. She slammed a hoof on the waypoint floor and grimaced. "Damn it... The only signature is 'A' and that could be anyone. She's a weapon, but she isn't fighting by her own volition. When we thought we purged her from Luna, we only sealed her inside of her. If this A character is a dragon, then he must be in Canterlot!" Twilight stuffed to book into Trixie's cloak and turned. "We need to get the Elements of Harmony together and try to remove her from Luna. Maybe we can redeem her in exchange for her freedom. Let's go."
"Finally," muttered Dash.
They began galloping down the causeway when a faint whistling sang through the air. Trixie turned her head, and for a few seconds, time slowed. As she turned to glimpse behind them, her eyes settled onto Twilight as a massive two-pronged lance pierced her body, shattering the marble causeway where she stood. The force of the impact and the subsequent spray of stone blasted her and Dash away, two screams filling the air.
The alicorn screamed until her lungs had emptied and begun to refill with blood, and her body attempted to quiver at the pain's compelling, but the lance prevented her from moving. Telos clattered silently to the ground with blood splattered onto it and the broken ground around her.
"TWILIGHT!" Trixie and Dash cried in unison, both recovering and rushing to her side.
"Fools. Did you really think I would allow you leave Draconis alive? Your friends have meddled in places they don't belong, and I know what you're after," roared Render from atop the keep, and despite the distance, his voiced carried down to them. Among the ramparts and the rooftops were members of the royal guard, all watching silently. He leaped off and began a descent, the others following him.
Twilight coughed blood onto the ground in front of her, and found her lower half paralyzed. She couldn't twist her neck much, and the pain was rapidly overloading her senses. Trixie dash to her face as she began to articulate something. "T-Trixie... c-complete the... m-mission. Stop A and this war. The... Elements..."
"Twilight," Trixie bawled, "N-no! You can't die! Not now!"
The alicorn heaved and coughed another slew of blood onto the ground. "T-Trixie... promise me..." The unicorn nodded, tears streaming down her face. "S-save... Night... mare... M-Moon..."
"I... promise."
"Here... take... T-Telos..." The staff sprang to life and moved to perch itself on Trixie's back, but she didn't pay it any mind. Twilight reached out a bloody, trembling hoof and placed onto her forehead, droplets landing on the unicorn's muzzle. "I... l-love... y-you..." A white light engulfed all three of them briefly, and when it faded, Twilight was alone. She strained her neck with the last of her strength and glimpsed the moon and the night. I'm sorry, everyone. Final images of Nightmare Moon, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Luna, and Celestia flickered briefly before everything went numb.
***
Trixie blinked tears out of her eyes in surprise and she glanced around, finding the knight just as stunned beside her. They appeared atop the canyon wall on the outskirts of the city. Trixie fell to her knees and Telos moved from her back to float in the air above her.
"H-how... How could you...!? Twilight... how could you do this to us!? We were supposed to go home together!" she cried. Each word she uttered was punctuated with a blow to the ground, but it did nothing to dampen the pain, and her tears poured freely onto the ground.
Dash cast the city a crestfallen look, tears welling silently in her own eyes. She turned and pulled Trixie into a tight embrace, and the unicorn broke down completely.
"Why... why did she lie to me--to us? Why... why... why, why, why, why," Trixie continued to blubber, her further attempts to speak losing enunciation and coherency.
Dash began to shake and tremble as the fangs of sorrow sank into her. "I don't know, Trixie... I don't know," she said as steadily as she could before she lost control of herself.
The Quiet Place By: Aynine [Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 15: The Ethereal Divide
There was a short moment of silence, ended abruptly by the movements of King Render as he lumbered towards Twilight's exsanguinating corpse. His heavy steps caused the pool of blood beneath the skewered alicorn to tremble and ripple, even tide as he neared. The massive lance kept her body poised upright with her limbs dangling limply to the ground, her body impaled just above the stomach. As Render took the final steps to reach the lance, droplets spilled from the metal and splashed into the pool, and he paused for a moment as he tightened his grip on the handle of the weapon.
He turned his head away as he heaved and torqued the lance from the ground and whipped it in a sharp motion, Twilight's body slipping from the prong and splattering to the ground in a bloody heap. Her blood ran freely along the marble waypoint, filling each line and detail of the intricate engravings. Render turned and began to walk away, shaking his head. "Such a pitiless creature. This is a weapon of the cosmos, a gift from an astral ruler eons long past. Imbued with arcane arts I cannot fathom, it seals the magic of anything it impales. You surrendered your fate the moment you entered this city." He sighed, almost regretfully as he continued on. "Your kingdom will be razed, and you will be forgotten."
Twilight's blood began to form green glyphs over the stone, even above where it ran into the fractured stone. Render kept his back turned and swayed the lance out. "Scour the city for her companions. One is a pegasus and they could be anywhere. Make sure they do not leave the city alive." Everyone froze as an overwhelming sensation of dread weighed down upon them like a quilt, and Render instinctively shuddered.
NO! I WON'T LET IT END HERE!
Particles of light suddenly appeared in the air around the waypoint, continuing to appear even beyond it. They slowly cascaded towards the ground and lit up the cityscape, casting an eerie tint to Twilight's blood. The dragons shifted uneasily and scanned the night sky for a potential source, but it offered no answer. The particles grew thicker and thicker, and as they reached the ground, flowed across it and towards the alicorn's corpse, gaining speed as they neared.
I WON'T BREAK OUR PROMISES!
The ground began trembling, but Twilight's blood stopped flowing freely out across the stone. The pools and puddles shrank, running along the designs and seeping back into her corpse. Render turned and observed the supernatural event with caution and awe. The trembling grew into quaking, growing in magnitude, and all of the blood on the stone had receded back into the alicorn's body leaving only red stains on the marble to mark where it had ran to before. The dread in the air shifted into a chill, and each dragon shared a sudden, worried expression with one another.
THIS IS GOING TO BE... FUN...
The cascading light finished flowing into Twilight's body, and after a moment of silence, erupted in an intense pillar of light, engulfing her and illuminating the sky and ground around her. Pure energy surged to the heavens beyond the veil of darkness, and the broken slabs and rocks of the waypoint lifted into the air and swirled around the alicorn's body. Twilight began to lift into the air, her deathly wound now closed.
Maybe we can be friends, too... Nightmare's voice echoed in her mind, her final parting words she couldn't be sure she heard, now clear to her. She opened her eyes at the beckoning of recognition, their hue shifting from violet to scarlet, and the pillar of light exploded with concussive force, and revealed a different appearance for the alicorn.
Hovering before them now was an astral being no dragon dared to give a name. Twilight's coat had become snow white with a translucent effect; she appeared ethereal, with a faint tint of red about the effect. Her cutie mark appeared with traits of both princesses, her star imposed into Celestia's sun, with both resting on an inverted splotch the same as Luna's. Licking at the air, her mane took on a living property, constantly shifting and moving as a mass of different shades of purple. Lastly, her wings had grown to the size of Celestia's, extending into the air and amplifying her presence.
Friends... The word echoed throughout her head, foreign and unfamiliar within the sound of Nightmare's voice. Twilight raised her wings and gave a dark look to the royal guard and Render, energy and invisible forces swirling around her in a small storm. The word began as a whisper, growing in sound until it was as if it were whispered directly into her ear. She focused in on it, and the judgments carried behind her eyes deepened her expression into a hard stare at the ranks of the dragons.
"I promise you..." she whispered to herself.
The fury of energy around her intensified and shattered a large section of the waypoint, the following debris spraying outward before the energy around the alicorn stabilized into an unusual aura. It almost undulated as it shifted a slight distorting effect around her, occasionally blurring limbs or details for a fraction of a second. The royal guard had slipped into cautious stances, and Render took a step back into their ranks, his grip on the lance tightening once more.
"The world you seek..." started Twilight, her eyes dancing across the line of dragons. "It's filled with hatred wrought by pride." She pointed up to the sky, but didn't glance to it. "The darkness is a testament to your misguided goals. It is not I who will be forgotten, but you--your dark reign will end, and no one will want to remember it." She landed atop an upright slab of the broken waypoint and took in a deep breath. "I am the cosmos, and you will be washed away in the dreams of the stars."
"You insolent little whelp! Tell me your name so that I may make sure it's never uttered again," boomed Render, poising the lance for battle.
Twilight stared at him, listlessly. "Name? You need know no more than that I am the combined wills of the Sun and the Moon." She snapped up suddenly and turned to face towards the entrance of Draconis, the black horizon beckoning her. In a flash of light, she was gone.
***
Trixie and Dash crouched on the ledge, straining and squinting their eyes to try and peer into the distance in hopes of witnessing the battle to come. They were each left in awed silence by a sudden burst of light that erupted from the city, but could see little more than the tops of buildings illuminated briefly before they ran back into the darkness beyond what could be seen. The magician's heart ached, yearning for the hope her imagination had led her to. Twilight will be fine.
A light bloomed in front of them and Twilight appeared, startling both with her strange new form. Both mares leaped up, but the alicorn swiftly raised a hoof to silence any questions in advance. "I'm sorry, but you need to leave. I will make sure they can't follow you, and I'll stop Render here and now." Twilight attempted to maintain a stoic expression, but it slipped slightly; she winced as Trixie's suddenly brightening expression crumbled back to despair just as quickly.
"Twilight, no! Please! Don't leave us again!" the magician pleaded.
Twilight turned her head away, fighting back the hot tears welling in her eyes that threatened to spill freely. "I'm sorry... but this is goodbye," she responded with a wavering voice.
"Wait!" Trixie leaped forward and attempted to grab her, but another flash blinded her, consuming both her and the silent knight. She held up her forelegs instinctively and groaned as she suddenly became disoriented. When the light faded and their eyes adjusted to the darkness again, they realized they were back at the entrance to the cave where they had reunited before. Trixie collapsed to the rocky ground in the veil of darkness, wailing her pain into the night. "Twilight!"
Dash carried a crestfallen look, but forced herself to move forward and not cry, the simple motion sapping all of her effort. She latched onto Trixie and pulled her into a tight embrace, the magician's shuddering and blubbering cries pouring into her chest. "We... We can't... do anything to... help her now. We... we have to get back to... to Canterlot." The knight couldn't keep her tone steady as every nerve in her body struggled to keep her from succumbing to the grief as the magician had, and her wails only made it harder.
Trixie shoved Dash away and stared at her with contempt, tears streaming down her puffed up cheeks. "How... How can you just leave her behind like that!? After all she's done for us--our friend... my... How can you say that!?" She glowered at the knight, an undirected rage within her ready to rampage free.
Dash lowered her head, allowing her mane to obscure her already shadowed face. She shuddered and clenched a hoof. "You think this is easy for me!?" she bellowed, snapping her head up and throwing a foreleg to the air beside her. "I just watched one of my best friends condemn themselves to death for our sake! Don't you dare think that I don't get it!" The knight tensed beneath the weight of her inner turmoil, unknowingly crying herself.
Trixie blubbered more incoherent words as she collapsed back to the ground, and Dash closed the distance again. She placed a hoof on Trixie's shoulder, but she shook it away. Attempting to grab her again, Trixie blasted her back with a burst of magic, scorching the end of her tail as she leaped backwards. "Don't touch me," she growled. "I'm not leaving." She turned towards the cave and began to walk unsteadily towards the entrance.
Dash hung her head in defeat. "I'm sorry, Twilight." As Trixie turned around in surprise, her face was met with the knight's armored hoof. Everything went black as she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Twilight reappeared with another flash at the waypoint. The dragons had encroached slightly on her position, still wary of her appearance and demonstration of resurrection. Landing on an upright slab again, she rose up on her hind legs, extending her wings wide, and raised her forelegs up. Her horn shined as a cylindrical barrier of light rose up around the waypoint and beyond, trapping all of the royal guard and King Render within.
Tremors rippled through the ground before stone slabs and chunks dislodged and levitated. Twilight swayed her forehooves forward and they moved at high velocity, striking two red dragons with titanic force. Their frames rippled at the impact, and the stone shattered before they fell over, no one sure if they were still alive. The other royal guards raised their arms and wings, some becoming terrified at the telekinetic overload, others becoming fueled by the rage at seeing their comrades fall.
Render aimed the lance at her, a scowl sharpening his eyes. "Kill her!" he roared as he reeled back the lance. Using his left hand and his wings to balance him, he threw it with all of his might, the weapon developing a high speed rotation as it left his grip.
Twilight's new surge of power proved difficult to gate, and the aura that cloaked her body made her feel sluggish, almost tired as she moved. Her body resisted the will to leap to the side or fly, and she held a hoof outward instead. A barrier formed instantly before the moment the lance impacted her; the lance drilled into the magic shell and created a sparking, crackling noise as it sheered into it. The inertia continued to drive the weapon into her barrier, and tendrils of light ripped away in its wake, lashing at the ground and burning marks into it. After a moment longer, Twilight tensed and the lance fell to the ground as the inertia had depleted. She took a moment to catch a few gulps of air before focusing her gaze back upon the royal guard.
Her eyes listlessly decreed an unspoken judgement, and she aimed a hoof at them once more, her horn still shining with magic at the ready. Confidence crested the corners of her mouth. "You shall drown within the sea of time," she declared.
The dragons clambered to the edge of the barrier and watched cautiously as Twilight closed her eyes, tilting her head back and taking a deep breath in through her nose. Water droplets formed in the air by the hundreds, quickly multiplying. For a brief moment, it appeared as if time had stopped in the middle of a heavy rain, but in a few seconds, they rushed to coalesce into a large sphere. The water rippled and wobbled, and Twilight floated the sphere down to the center of the waypoint, quickly stepping to it and pressing a hoof gently to its surface.
"What are you doing!?" shouted Render. "Attack her!" The dragons royal guard remained frozen in cautious awe, all watching the alicorn with varying degrees of fear.
Steam arose from the surface of the sphere, its color lightening, and tendrils snaked their way into the sky and cooled away into the night. The sphere undulated, but maintained its shape, the steam and tint the only visible indication of any change to it. The liquid began to lift away, and the first line of the royal guard began advancing, a couple bold dragons leading the initiative. The corners of Twilight's mouth pulled up into a devious look, and the sphere burst. Her eyes glazed with pride as the liquid splashed against the scales of her foes, clinging as it had become more viscous. The agonizing roars of the frontline bounced off of the walls of the barrier and filled the arena for a few moments as scales melted and flesh seared.
It feels so good to cut loose like this. This must be how Nightmare feels all the time! --Argh, what was what? Twilight shuddered as strange feelings conflicted with her expected ones. For a moment, she felt delight in their roars, as if the pain was sung ever so sweetly to her, but then afraid as it all rushed away. She shook her head nervously and eyed the wounded warily. I have to focus! The wounded dragons fell to the ground and rolled on the stone until they cooled. It was only a few seconds before they scrambled back to their feet and fell back into the ranks of the rest of their comrades.
"Consider that a warning," she announced with a steadied voice. Her words echoed out in front of her, but there was little reaction to the commanding intent they held within themselves. "Surrender now to the crown of Equestria and there will be no more bloodshed." The barrier faded away and revealed the rest of Draconis to them again, as well as non-combative dragons watching from a distance, each observing the event with uncertain fear. Twilight cast the onlookers a knowing stare briefly.
She could hear whispers slipping their way from the ranks, and after a few more minutes, several took to the air and flew away, none daring to look back. "You cowards will be executed!" bellowed Render to them, but his once loyal subjects offered him no more respect than their backs as they took flight from the battlefield.
The remaining dragons of the royal guard regrouped into a tighter formation, malevolence in their eyes as they stared at Twilight. But for every bit of anger in them, there was shifting expression in the alicorn's. For some moments, she would gaze at them with nothing, and for others, there was a hint of wanton desire in them.
"You underestimate us, fool. You are nothing but another delusional pony who think the Brood weak. I have buried your kind more times than I can count, and whether you're a mage slaying alicorn will make no difference." Render took two steps and leaped into the air. "Kill her now!" The rest of the royal guard filled the night overhead, and Twilight closed her eyes and tapped a hoof lightly to the waypoint. The barrier reformed again, accommodating the expanded aerial battlefield.
The swarm overhead began to fill up the sky with their multicolored scale coats, shifting and spitting bursts of fire down on the ground. They landed in tiny spots and created small, napalm-like fires on the stone. Twilight watched them closely until, all at once, they breathed together a tremendous firestorm down upon her. She twirled, pushing both hooves out to her sides as the flames spiraled downward into the waypoint.
Her horn shimmered and the flames engulfed her and burned away her duskweave, slamming into the stone and quickly flowing into it. The royal guard ceased fire and watched in shock as all of it vanished, including the earlier flames. Twilight's mouth tugged up into a faint smile as the ground rumbled before all of the flames burst forth from the stone and passed around her, to the sky. To the surprise of King Render, the flames that flowed back out from the stone had become black.
The swarm scattered as the flames assaulted the air, catching, igniting, and engulfing entire dragons. A tiny spec of fire touched one fleeing dragon's tail, and in only a few seconds, it erupted into a black blaze that consumed him. His wails of pain died shortly after as his skeletal frame fell to the ground, shattering to ash on the waypoint. Every dragon caught in the flames crashed from the sky in a black blaze, their skeletons all remaining until the moment before it touched the ground. The roars and cries lasted only a few seconds, and then all ceased simultaneously as all targets had ceased to exist.
Twilight stumbled backwards several steps and dropped to one knee, one hoof pressed to her left eye, and the other to her chest. She heaved and tensed, pain spikes running through her mind and a suddenly racing heart pounding against her chest. Heh... I'm not used to using this much magic. She coughed a few times and returned to an outwardly comfortable state. Shaking her head, she muttered, "What was that?"
In her moment of weakness, the royal guard regrouped and began to dive bomb her, vicious, massive claws poised to strike. As the first set to strike her reached out with vengeful intent, she held out a hoof, stopping them in their entirety only inches away from her. The second wave scattered, and Render swooped past and retrieved his lance. A purple aura locked the movements of those caught, and she tilted her head to meet their astonished looks with an apathetic one. "A gift from your matron of the night. Black Hole."
Render and the other dragons not caught by the telekinesis fled away. A dark vortex formed just above the ones caught and twisted reality, pulling everything into its distorting void. She released her telekinesis and watched as they attempted to claw, fly, or latch onto the stone waypoint. She stepped backwards, once again with a light smirk striking her face. One by one, it pulled in the victims, ripping loose stone from the waypoint with it. They beat their wings in desperation, but the gravitational pull was too strong, even for the might of a dragon.
Twilight surrounded herself in a barrier and watched as they disappeared into the void. For a moment, there was a peaceful silence. The flaps of dragon wings overhead and her own heart beat were all that she could hear. After that moment, the vortex's distortion reversed and began to deposit the victims back onto the stone. Bodies of dragons heaped into a pile beneath it, but Twilight could only see one still moving, groaning and whimpering in agony.
"Do you really want to keep this game going, King Render?"
"You bastard..." Render glared into the scarlet eyes, but for all their exotic beauty, he could only see what they lacked. "Those eyes..." he muttered. They lacked compassion.
Twilight held her forehooves out and a ball of crackling energy formed before. It spit ripples of energy outward and around it occasionally, crackling lightly like static, but she stared into it, noting an odd splendor in its light. It became brighter, and she squinted while she held it before her. Turning to the sky, she pushed it up, and with a spark of her horn, it exploded into an array of lightning with a tremendous crack. Each bolt split and overlapped one another, racing at targets everywhere as it branched out. Dragons roared as they were struck, most simply descending at the pain of a singed or charred wing, but one did fall, sailing to the ground and landing in an unconscious heap.
Why... isn't it working!? The strikes chained around, but the power diminished with each hit until the last target only flinched in surprise. I... can't control it... Twilight slouched and pressed a hoof over her eye again as her head throbbed. Her powers felt endless, as if she could feel magic in everything and channel a hundred more great spells, but she was suffering from entropy beneath the overwhelming surge of power. "It's over, Render. The royal guard falls here." She straightened herself, but kept the hoof over her eye, holding her free one directly skywards. I can't stop now! "Kyrie Eleison!"
White light devoured all empty space, pushing back the blackness of the night around and all other color with it. It climbed into the air, engulfing the royal guard in the sky, those it touched quickly vanishing into its brilliance. Some of the dragons managed to escape, along with King Render, but everything else vanished into the white. An almost hissing sound sang with it, and those that were free of it shielded their eyes as it receded and faded away only a few seconds later.
When he could see again, Render's eyes widened as his forces lay unmoving, littered across the ravaged waypoint like bodies scattered over a graveyard ready to be buried. Twilight trembled and fell to her haunches, once again struggling to catch her breath. Render began a sharp descent towards her, preying on the unexpected weakness in the alicorn. As he neared, he swung the lance in a powerful strike. Twilight sprang up, panting, and evaded it. The lance dug into the stone, breaking it on impact and then raking a wide scar just beside Twilight.
Twilight's horn shined, and she reached a hoof outward to him as he passed by. She attempted to grasp him with her telekinesis, but he proved too resistant and all she managed was to dull his movements briefly before he broke away to the sky again. She remained panting, with her hoof still firmly planted over her eye, and watched him with an unreadable expression. Sweat ran down the sides of her face bringing with it strands of her mane to mat against it. "The blood of the Brood makes you resistant to magic, but you're a lot more resistant than any others. Maybe that's why you're the king."
Render glared at her from skies as he circled her in the air, his lance firm in his grasp and readied. "I will not let you suppress the Brood. This world is rightfully ours, and I'm taking it from your kind... by force." He aimed his free hand to her and the remaining royal guard began to descend upon her.
Twilight stepped back and loosed bolts of light from her shining horn. Each bolt pierced the incoming dragons in their wings, causing them to spiral out of control and crash land. They slid past her or fell beyond reasonable range, and she focused on controlling her blasts until she could use a minimum amount of magic in disabling them. The final guard was struck at the top of his wings, the small burn sheering his entire wing to the strain of a few beats. He roared as he lost control and spiraled head first into the stone, quickly losing consciousness.
"The royal guard is... no more. You can't... stop my friends now," she said breathlessly. She dropped to her haunches again, a hoof readied at her chest, and the ethereal property of her body began to wane. She shifted and became clearer and clearer as the precious seconds of her repose ticked away.
"They've served their purpose." Render pulled the lance back, using his left arm to balance himself and steady his aim. "YOU'RE WEAK PREY NOW!" He threw the lance with all of his might, the menacing gyrations beginning as it rolled free from his grasp. The whistling sound sang into the air as it surged towards the alicorn.
Twilight stood up and placed both hooves towards the lance. As her horn ignited with a furious light, her ethereal property faded completely and a barrier formed as the lance reached her. She spread her wings as it impacted, and the ground trembled, the lance drilling into her barrier again. Her body tensed, and the pain spike in her head returned in greater force. She clamped her left eye in response and pushed against the edge of the barrier as she poured increasing amounts of magic into it. Unconsciously, her wings bowed in front of her at the impact point. With a symphony of sounds like breaking glass, the barrier shattered and the lance impaled her once more, but the rotations ceased.
But Twilight didn't flinch as the cool metal slid into her body, breaking bones and piercing organs. Render gasped and his eyes widened as the alicorn staggered forward a few steps, blood running out of her mouth and down her body. "How can you--"
"This uprising from the Brood ends here," Twilight said in a cold voice strained by the blood in her mouth. Her scarlet eyes shined in the dark, instilling the dragon king with a sense of doom.
The alicorn coughed several times, a slew of blood chasing each to the stone. Her horn remained shining, and the lance slowly slid out, her body distorting where it had struck and limiting blood flow from the wound. It flipped around and aimed at Render, and she put one hoof over the wound, and used the other to aim it. The barrier surrounding the battlefield vanished as she took aim. "Don't blink."
Render whirled around and attempted to fly higher into the night, but the lance rocketed away from the alicorn. In two beats of his wings, the lance closed the distance and impaled him with both prongs into his back, piercing through to his chest. A pained groan attempted to escape his throat, but he found himself unable to force it out. His wings lost their strength and he fell backwards to the edge of the waypoint, spiraling before slamming into the stone and rolling onto his belly. He opened his eyes, his head swimming, and watched helplessly as the alicorn staggered towards him with a hard look on her face.
Her horn's furious shine was replaced with a weak white one, and a sickly light, almost too faint to see, echoed out from the hoof held over her wound. A thick river of blood ran behind her from where she had been impaled, meandering as a grim path. As she neared Render's face, her coat returned to its natural violet, and her mane's living effect faded with it soon after. The light from her horn and beneath her hoof faded as she stopped in front of him. Blood continued to run out of her wound in a small trickle, but she appeared to be stable for now, or at least as far as she would allow the dragon to see.
"I'm sorry about all of this bloodshed. It never should've come to this, but you and I both knew what would happen if you challenged the princesses." She coughed more blood into a waiting hoof, and the rampant emotions and instability in her feelings vanished as her eyes reverted back to purple. She paused to glance at the blood on her hoof, but she weakly shook it away.
Render turned his head and coughed, blood splattering onto the stone beside him in spotty patterns. He took a few wheezing breaths, but remained stationary. He chuckled before speaking. "I never thought that someone like you or that damned sun princess would stop me. ...So, what now, now that you've killed me and much of the royal guard?"
"With you dead, the rest of the Brood should surrender and we can go back to the peace from before."
The king eyed Twilight's wound, his eyes following the trail back and calculating the blood loss. "Neither of us will live to see such a day... it seems, " he struggled with a raspy voice.
There was a look of sympathy etched into Twilight's face for a moment, but she turned away, returning with a more regretful look when she faced the dragon king again. "I can't die yet. My friends... I have too many promises... I won't break them... Maybe we could've... been friends... in another life..." Twilight dropped down to all fours, but her legs trembled beneath her weight.
Render chuckled, again a raspy sound that almost whistled in the air, as his condition continued to deteriorate. "Perhaps you are right, but this life... will not be the one. Your race is difficult for the Brood to comprehend, but... you have always intrigued me to understand you."
Twilight snorted. "We ponies could say the same about the Brood." She shuddered as a few more coughs battled their way to freedom, but she managed to suppress them and loose a groan instead. The metallic taste of her blood made its way into her mouth and she held a hoof to her chest, pain from the wound erupting from seemingly nothing before.
"I wish to know the name of the one who intrigues me most, the one who shall take my life, before I am to die. Honor me with that, at the least." Render pushed a weak hand forward, but it stopped after only a meter when his dug in. He could raise it no more.
Twilight stared at it, the chill and drowsiness of her blood less setting in, and stretched a foreleg to touch it. "My name... is Twilight... Sparkle... Let's be friends..." she muttered, her mouth twisting up into a weak smile.
"I am Render..." He trailed off and muttered something else she couldn't quite hear. "It is nice to make... a new friend, even so close to death." Render smiled, or at least Twilight thought he did. "Earlier... you did not name yourself. Might I ask why?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the question. "I... don't know. I can't control that form very well. I..." She turned her head away and spoke distantly. "I lose myself."
"I... see."
"Render, why did you start this war?" asked Twilight as she returned her gaze to the dragon king.
Render's eyes tilted up to the night sky before he chose to answer. "It almost feels as if... I'm waking from a dream. This war is... not mine. It is General Aurelius's. My memory is hazy. I remember... peace not so long ago. That dragon's sharp tongue convinced us to go to war... to take back Equestria as it was once ours." Render loosed a few hacking coughs, aiming the blood spatter away from the alicorn. "I don't know why. Perhaps it was jealousy... but I'm afraid my memory is too obscured."
Twilight's eyes were wide, but her vision began to darken. "I... see..." she muttered in response, her mind racing to piece everything together in what little time remained. "Who is Aurelius?"
Render snorted and wheezed at the same time. "Heh. He is more enigma than dragon. Our race is recorded... for all those that are part of the Brood... but his origins are unknown to us. Perhaps I will find the answer... in the afterlife... I will tell you... if I ever find out... but it is my time. Goodbye, my... friend..."
Render's eyes closed slowly, and Twilight could've sworn he was smiling in the moment that they did. She called out to him, "R-Render!?" Forcing herself to rise through the pain of her injury, she clenched her teeth and adrenaline brought her to standing. She lurched forward and put her forehooves on his snout, shaking it with what little strength she could muster. "Render! Wake up, Render! ... No.... no, no, no, no! Please, Render! Wake up!"
She pushed even harder, but a sharp pain shot through her chest and she was forced to cough again. Loosing a pained groan, she fell to the ground against the dragon's snout and began to heal herself again. The light that emanated from her hoof was faint, but it worked nonetheless to mend her catastrophic injury just a bit more. "Please, Render... please wake up," she pleaded in a voice barely above a whisper. "Don't leave me... alone... please..."
Tears began to stream down her eyes as the adrenaline faded, her surge of energy wilting her into a puddle of sorrow and encroaching despair. She flinched as a warmth touched her flank and back, and she turned her head, blurting the king's name once more. Her eyes fell to the stone as his blood drained onto it and ran against her. She clambered away and watched as it slowly pooled outward from his body, but she only shuddered. I did this... A breeze swept the waypoint, erasing the warmth in the blood and freezing her where it painted her coat.
"No... Why is this happening? It wasn't supposed to be... this hard..." She slammed a hoof weakly to the stone and glanced up to the sky.
Her barrier had obscured her view of the night, but now that it was gone and the night no longer lit by the ferocity of her magic, everything in the black backdrop shone clearly. The stars and constellations stood out in stark contrast to their beauty before, appearing much like Luna's masterpiece on a clear winter night. Her mouth hung open, and for a moment, her tears ceased, only to return as the crafter's name and image slid back into her mind. Nightmare Moon... I'll come for you... I promise.
Her eyes fell to Render, trailing back to the expanding pool of blood. Her own fur matted to her body where hers ran, and his touched. Crouched on her hind knees, she took in as large a breath as she could. She threw her head back and screamed with her last breath; a scream that carried the pain of every life she had taken, every scar on her soul, and every piece of her humanity she had felt she lost in the sorrow and regret. When her requiem finished spilling into the air, she fell to the stone and laid there as Render's blood slowly approached her again.
I did it Celestia... I promised... You... promised me... she thought. However, there was no magic left in her to communicate with the princess. I just want... everything... I just want... it all... to end... As the dragon's blood reached her, a chill ran through her body, the crimson liquid no longer bearing the warmth of life. She succumbed to darkness as the chill began spreading throughout the rest of her body. ------------------------------------------------------
The icy chill of the air hitting Dash's face did little more than force her to squint as she pushed her endurance to the limits. The knight held Trixie's forelegs around her neck while balancing her and attempting to race back towards Canterlot. One of Trixie's eyes had swollen, and she hoped that the swelling went down before she had awoken to find it. I'm sorry, Trixie, but I won't let you go back and die if she fails... The knight allowed her head to hang mournfully to the landscape for a moment, but refused to cry. The air stung at her eyes, but she shook her head and resumed focus on the journey ahead.
It wasn't long before the additional weight of her armor and the unicorn's body strained her wings beyond their limits. Damn... Maybe I can make it to Canterlot with her, but I'll be too tired to fight... Cold sweat glistened as it ran down her face and clumped her mane together in thick strands that billowed back. The chill of the night only made it more difficult to keep herself empowered by the surge of adrenaline, and her pauses in wing beats to soar grew in number as she pressed on. No. I can't be useless when we get back to Canterlot. I need my strength.
She couldn't tell how long she had been flying, but her wings threatened to give out as they neared the forest where Twilight remained behind to duel Nightmare Moon. As the bare patch in the forest came into view, her mouth hung open as an awed, "Whoa," escaped her lips. With fatigue bearing down, she resolved to take a break, swooping down to the forest's new tree line. Carefully propping Trixie against one of the thick tree trunks within the canopy's cover, she turned and slowly stepped into the ravaged battlefield.
"Twilight... Just how strong are you...?" she muttered, her eyes glazed in awe as they drank in the destruction. There was a hint of fear in her eyes as she committed the details to memory.
Spots of black soot marked where trees had once stood, burned all the way into the ground upon themselves, roots and all. She turned back to the tree line to glimpse the frayed and blackened edge of the leaves. The verdant green no longer shone in the moonlight, instead made dull and sickly by the thick sheet of ash resting upon it, masking its life in grime. Returning her eyes to the battlefield, she continued to wander throughout in a trance.
Craters, grooves, and more ash were all that could be found of the once serene forest. There were a few patches of snow in some of the craters, as well as a couple lingering pieces of burnt bark, but no life. She attempted to grab one to inspect it, but it crumbled to dust as she touched it. She closed her eyes and imagined what a battle between two alicorns would be like. What was it like for Celestia and Nightmare Moon? All we did was use the Elements of Harmony... A chill ran down her spine as she opened her eyes, suddenly afraid of what her imagination might conjure up.
Spinning on her heels, she began to gallop back to check on Trixie, but she froze as her eyes landed on something on the ground. Blood. She leaned down and reached out a hoof to touch it, but instantly pulled it back, shuddering as she stepped around it. You seemed fine... pretended like nothing really happened...
She reached Trixie, finding the unicorn to still be peacefully sleeping. She hoisted her up and moved them deeper into the forest, fearful of being exposed to any dragons that shared her curiosity. Laying Trixie beneath another tree, she moved to sit on the opposite side of an adjacent one, out of view but within earshot of the unicorn.
She's dead... There's no way... How am I going to tell everyone... what she did for us? How am I...? Her eyes darted to the side, and she twisted her neck slightly to look in the direction of Trixie. She shuddered and pulled her hind legs up to her, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"Everything... everything you taught us about friendship--that we could do anything if we stuck together... and you threw it away..." Her shudders turned to trembling and she lost the will to hold herself together briefly. Suddenly standing, she screamed, no longer afraid of who might hear. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE, TWILIGHT! WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS!"
She collapsed back down to the tree, sliding against it. "You didn't have to fight alone," she sobbed, turning to punch the trunk. "You didn't... have to fight alone..." She cried and blubbered to herself, her eyes periodically darting to Trixie as the pain spilled out of her in pleas and sobs.
When she finished mourning, she dried her eyes with a hoof and stood up, approaching Trixie. She stood over her, studying the rise and fall of her chest and her peaceful eyes. I lost a friend, but you... lost so much more... I'll protect you, just like she would've wanted... She moved to lay against a tree opposite of her, to watch over her as a sentinel. As she relaxed once more, she removed Nightfall from its sheath and stabbed it into the ground in front of her. I promise to protect you, Trixie. No matter what... She drifted to sleep with one hoof resting on the hilt of her sword.
Celestia jumped at the sound of the one in her bed stirring. She ripped her gaze from the stars above her balcony to watch as Nightmare Moon shifted and moaned. The soreness of her body prompted her to groan instead, and she automatically held a foreleg over her chest while using the other to sit up. I'm in a bed? She yawned and used her hooves to rub her eyes of sleep. Pausing, she snorted before her eyes wandered to the side of the bed to find Celestia watching her with a worried look.
Nightmare frowned as their eyes locked, but neither wanted to say anything. She pulled back the covers to find herself covered in bandages with dried blood peeking through. Opening her mouth to speak, she turned to Celestia, but didn't need to ask to know the answer. She loosed a quiet, "Hmph," before attempting to walk on her own. Putting weight on her legs, she growled as pain set in, and Celestia lunged to support her. The Id turned her head away after steadying herself until the princess stepped back.
As memory returned, she eyed the bandages carefully, taking note of the great deal of care in their application. I wonder if that alicorn has it in her, she thought as an image of Twilight's face pierced her mind briefly.
"Is Luna's shadow awake now?" Celestia asked with slight distaste, her disposition returning to normal.
Nightmare turned and scowled at her. "I have a name, you know, and it is not Luna, dear sister," she retorted.
"You are no sister of mine. You're just a monster, infesting her like a parasite," Celestia snapped back.
Nightmare turned and stepped close, placing her face within inches, ignoring the fiery pain that raced up her limbs. "How dare you! You know nothing about me! It must be nice to sit here pretty for a thousand years while we rot on the Moon because of what you did! Maybe if you'd spent a little more time trying to understand--!" Nightmare cut herself off and stepped away as the princess stared at her, wide-eyed and confused, her mouth agape. Nightmare moved to the fireplace and stood in front of it, gazing into it and taking comfort in the heat it gave. The wood spit and crackled quietly, but the heat and dancing flames gave off an almost hypnotic pleasure.
Celestia watched Nightmare as she hung her head, her starry mane slowly reappearing and expanding to its normal size again. She thought back to the time before when Luna had rebelled, but all she could think of was how hard it was to banish her sister, and how afraid of Nightmare Moon she once was. Are they... not the same mare? With a sudden surge of concern, she stepped beside her and raised Nightmare's head with a hoof.
"If... If you're truly not the darker part of Luna's soul... then help me understand who, or what, you truly are." She forced a caring look on her face, as she moved her hoof gently to Nightmare's shoulder.
The Id eyed the hoof pensively. "Your student... Twilight was it? She might be able to..." She pulled away and returned herself to staring into the fire. "The next time we see her, you will understand then."
Celestia blinked a few times, unsure of how to react or proceed. The Nightmare Moon she had known over a millennia ago was very different from the nearly passive one before her. Even in her wisdom and experience, she could not be sure if the Id was attempting to deceive her or not. With the war with the Brood placing her at the top of Equestria's rule, the mare she had known would not have been so disinterested in her new position of power.
"What are you afraid of, Lu--Nightmare?" Celestia asked, putting all of her effort into making her voice as welcoming as possible.
"I am not afraid. Wh-what are you talking about?" Nightmare turned to face the princess, forcing up a hard expression.
Celestia stepped closer and wrapped her forelegs around Nightmare. The Id eyed them cautiously, but did not push them away as Celestia pulled her into an embrace, Nightmare's body quivering as they tightened around her. The Id closed her eyes as Celestia laid her head beside hers, and after a moment, returned the hug. Celestia's warmth poured into her, overwhelming her pain and suppressing a deep, inner sorrow. For the first time in her life, she felt truly safe and wanted, wrapped in the act of compassion.
Abruptly, Nightmare pushed Celestia away and stood up, turning towards the door and refusing to face her. The princess stepped up and attempted to approach, reaching out to her, but Nightmare took a step forward. "I-I'm leaving now. Your hospitality is... a-appreciated," she stammered quietly before departing in a rush, closing the door behind her.
Celestia watched as she left, awestruck by everything that had just transpired. Was that Luna... or was Nightmare Moon just...? The normally malevolent Nightmare Moon appeared vulnerable. The princess hung her head in confused defeat. Maybe Twilight knows... Focusing, she sat before the fire and closed her eyes.
Twilight, are you there? she asked with her thoughts. The silence bothered her, and she called out to her a few more times before giving up. The younger alicorn's lack of communication left her worried of the worst case scenario. Please be safe...
She opened her eyes and gazed into the flames with a glum disposition, further left confused by memories of Luna's younger, but happier self. It wasn't long before the memories dancing in the fireplace shifted to Nightmare Moon, the princess contemplating what to do. Are you Luna, or somepony else, Nightmare?
***
Nightmare strode through the castle as comfortably as she could, but her gait expressed the strain she hid from her injuries, each step a chore of its own. The clopping of her bare hooves against the marble echoed down the halls, but there were no signs of life beyond the dragon patrols outside. The servants must be avoiding me again, she thought with a hint of sadness. Maybe if... She paused and shook her head, continuing to make her way to the outside.
A few more strides and she gave up trying to hide her pain, choosing to wince and limp to limit her pain. With her pace slowed, she found an interest in the castle's decorations. Only torches lit the corridors, most placed conveniently before a tapestry or one of the murals that climbed down the walls. One particular mural caught her eye, one depicting Celestia and Luna flying in a circle opposite of one another. On Luna's side, it was blue with the moon, speckled with stars to signify the bringing of the night; on Celestia's side, it was a creamy white with a faded yellow sun to signify the bringing of dawn and day once more, forever in an endless cycle of balance. Harmony.
Nightmare gave the mural a faint, sad smile and placed a hoof to it. If only... She retracted her hoof and turned her head to keep walking when a tapestry caught her eye, one with an all too familiar depiction. She stepped to it as quickly as she could and whipped her head in every direction to see if anyone was watching her. When the corridors returned only slow dancing shadows from the torch flames, she breathed out in content.
She focused back on the tapestry in front of her, studying its colors carefully, then its details. Woven with exquisite skill was the beginning of Luna's descent into her madness, and the beginning of her rebellion against Celestia. Becoming me... mouthed Nightmare as she grimaced at it. She had taken pride in her power and all that she felt she controlled, but now it all felt pointless, as if it never meant anything in the first place. She continued walking on, hanging her head and solemnly ignoring the rest of the decorations, both for fear that they were happy memories, or scenes of her subjugation in the past.
She made her way to the castle's royal courtyard, frowning as she found the grass and pieces of shrubbery to have been ravaged in the siege. To her surprise, the side courtyard and the statue garden were completely untouched, save for a few indents in the pathway by hurried dragons in the initial siege. She walked along the path, avoiding pieces of the castle that had chipped or broken off and fallen below, and found a large tree, hanging its shadow and further darkening the ground beneath it.
She settled in beneath it, laying just so her eyes peeked out to the open night above, the cloudless sky giving way to the stars and the moon. A star raced across the sky and over the horizon briefly, and her expression softened with a light smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She reached a hoof up to the sky, and the moon shifted ever so slightly into view. It radiated a clear white, shining down brilliantly and bathing the land in its odd, pale glow. She spread her wings on the ground beside her, wincing as the damaged one resisted the effort.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, her thoughts slipping back to Twilight. The unnatural alicorn's final spell caused her to writhe in agony, but with the pain, it also brought a sense of freedom. She pulled a hoof closer and turned it over before her, intrigued by the memories of the feeling. A spell that was not meant to kill, yet so powerful... Please hurry, Twilight, she thought as her eyes wandered back the stars above. I'm waiting for you...
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 16: Call of the Condemned
Rainbow Dash stirred in her slumber, the transition back to consciousness being goaded along by the return of bitter memories. She opened her eyes, welcoming the darkness for them, but shivered as the chill returned. The forest was too quiet for her comfort, the trauma and uneasiness of the previous events lingering as haunting images played on the dark ground before her. She rubbed her eyes wearily and sat up, beginning to focus and readjust to the world she now understood once more. She could not tell how long she had been asleep, but her body felt restored, and little more than the stiffness of a good sleep hindered her rise to standing.
Her eyes landed sharply on the tree trunk Trixie had been left to rest under, and she promptly reached for her sword when the magician was not there. As her hoof rested atop the pommel, she caught Trixie in the corner of her eye, sitting just before a patch of light slipping between the canopy leaves. Laying before her were both Mystic Sage and Telos overlapping in a cross, her eyes empty as she stared at them with her head hung low and hidden in her cowl.
Dash paused and watched from the distance, unsure of how to approach the grief-sick magician. The usually bright, platinum sheen of Telos was no longer there, instead lit by the pale glow of the moonlight; its gem was inert and little more than a clear colored diamond. Dash quietly pulled Nightfall from the ground and sheathed it, slowly approaching Trixie from behind. The magician didn't react to her presence, even as she moved to sit closer to her. With a quieted sigh, she resolved to start a conversation.
"Hey," she started weakly, slowly, "We should probably get going." Her eyes fixated on the side of Trixie's mane, waiting, hoping that she would face her with more than despair, and less than anger.
The magician remained staring at the staves, her eyes frozen upon their details. There was a long silence before she spoke, and her words came in a defeated tone. "This... This is all that's left of her," she muttered.
Dash grimaced, the magician having unintentionally reignited the sorrow within her as well. She swallowed hard and pushed the feelings away after much mental effort on her part. Her gaze shifted from Trixie to Telos, and she forced herself to keep it there as she spoke. "I know, Trixie, and I'm sorry... But we need to keep going, or... or her sacrifice will have been for nothing." When she finished, she hung her head solemnly, letting her eyes dart away into the darkness.
Her head snapped up when she could hear the magician turning to her, and she locked with her dark violet eyes. She was taken aback by the glower she was given, and a hoof instinctively readied itself to brandish Nightfall if necessary. Dash swallowed and hoped Trixie couldn't see it.
"Her... sacrifice...?" Trixie muttered as she rose to standing. "So, we forget what she's done and leave her to the dragons... to what? Become a snack to them!?" Her features contorted in rage, further exacerbated by her pain. Dash took a step back as Trixie took a step closer to her, her glower evening to a heavy stare. "I'm going back for her body. Equestria can wait for all I care."
"Trixie, the dragons have probably already taken it!" Dash shouted back, her own inner turmoil surfacing. "We need to go help our friends back home. When we win this war, then we can go back and get it from them, I promise!" She attempted physical contact, but the magician stepped back and Telos sprang to life, swatting Dash's extending hoof away.
The staff floated before Trixie at a downward angle, poised to strike again if necessary. "Don't you touch me! I'm going, and I'm not going back to Canterlot without her body. Don't try to stop me... not that you ever could." Trixie turned and began to walk away, snatching Mystic Sage with her magic and slipping it beneath her cloak as Telos perched over it.
"Trixie, stop! Please don't do this! What about Canterlot and the princesses?"
The magician paused and turned her head one last time, a loathing gleam in her eyes. "I don't care."
Dash watched in unrestrained shock as she walked away, the patches of moonlight illuminating and shadowing her path until she moved beyond the forest's edge fully into its light. "I... I can't let you do this!" she shouted suddenly, surprised by her own boldness.
Trixie stopped again, and the knight's heart sank. "If you think you can stop me, then go ahead and try." She continued to walk onward into the darkness without casting a glance back.
Dash removed her hoof from Nightfall's hilt and hung her head in defeat. I'll come back for you later, Trixie, if you don't make it on your own. She swallowed, fearful of the magician's powers, even without the amplification from Telos. Please bring Twilight home. She shook her head and leaped into flight, the cool night air slipping beneath her wings as the branches and leaves grazed her, the wind washing away the lingering anxiety of her conversation with Trixie.
***
The magician walked without silence, her emotions constantly leading her back into fits of sobs and questions without sensible answers. Tears ran down her face now that she was alone, and the pain of Twilight's memory bit into her heart with searing fangs. Her eyes burned, and she could no longer maintain a steady gait, occasionally pausing to wipe her eyes and sputter more thoughts aloud or stumble over nothing.
Why... why, why, why why why why... WHY!? she thought over and over, no longer wishing to vent, and instead clenching her teeth until her jaw began to ache. You died right in front of me, but... then what? You came back to life just to make sure we couldn't help you--just to watch you die all over again? She wiped more tears as she continued walking on, an image of Twilight's impaled body and her weak, bliss-stricken eyes as she imparted Telos to her. At the thought, the staff moved before her, pulsing a soft glow from the spire almost as if it could sense her pain. She stared at into the spire gem, no longer caring where she was going, if it was leading anywhere at all.
The staff returned to her back in an instant, and the light burn in her eyes over the sudden darkness was filled with Twilight's blood on the waypoint stone. Why... The question ingrained itself into her mind, echoing and repeating still more as the alicorn's bizarre transformation moments after her death flooded into the sequence of trauma. She gave up questioning what could not be answered, wiping her eyes one last time before giving everything in front of her a hollow gaze.
The night and her grief distorted her perception of time, and her body felt exhausted even before she had begun the trek from the forest battlefield; she lifted her head periodically to scan the surroundings, and found that she had arrived at the mountain again. She changed her course and began to ascend the rough pathway around it and back into the heart of the Brood's fiery lands, no longer cautious of the dragons. The loneliness of her walk was eased by the comforting night above.
Her legs had grown achy by the time she had reached the igneous dragon's lands, but the pain was numbed as her will forced her on. The hot spots were a welcome light in the darkness, and the chill of the night could not be found beyond the mountain. She tread the fastest path between the hot spots, unafraid of being burned--or even killed--but the heat and the jets of flames that occasionally thundered out somehow soothed her. As she reached the canyon wall to Draconis once more, her legs cried in agony of the long journey, the muscles and soles of her hooves begging for a rest. Still, she tensed herself and pushed on to the city gate through the natural wall.
She stood in front of it, glaring at the black metal as if offended by it, and defiant of what it stood for. Telos floated before her, and she reached to take Mystic Sage into her hooves, slowly raising it as streams of energy collected from the air around its spire. "Get... out... of... MY WAY!" she roared, her horn igniting as the spires of both staves hummed and glowed.
The earth trembled and revolted against the sudden forces, quaking and growling out their resistance. The quakes grew in power until the black metal doors heaved, rust and creeping rock breaking and raining down from the shadowed tops. Trixie bared her teeth and strained as they began to part, screeching a horrific grinding sound as they slowly peeled open towards her. When they had finally finished opening, enough space for two adult dragons to enter side by side, she collapsed down, Telos returning to her back, and panted as her muscles welcomed the rest.
Waiting on the other side of the doors were several dragons, dumbfounded that the ancient gates had been opened at all, let alone by a lone unicorn. As Trixie panted, her cloak rested over her like a blanket and she shrank into it for a moment to catch her breath. As she rose back to her hooves, she slipped her staff beneath her cloak and wiped her brow of sweat, then glanced at the dragons. As her violet eyes fell upon them, they froze in fear and confusion as her first steps to enter the city were taken.
They could only stare as she walked past them down the center of the main causeway, shooting them icy glares at even the smallest of movements. Trixie's cloak fluttered eminently in her wake, and the dragons crumbled down and slinked out of sight when they were sure she would not give them a second thought. More dragons lined the causeway and the buildings to its sides at varying distances, some cautiously hovering in the air, all watching her silently.
When the numbers became daunting, she gave herself a small blue aura to amplify her presence, unsure whether they might attack. I dare you... As she neared the waypoint, she glanced over her shoulder to see dragons slowly creeping behind her, but all with curious expressions and keeping themselves at a great distance from her. She focused back ahead in time to find the remnants of Twilight's battle.
Bloodstains, ashes, and two-thirds of the waypoint had been torn asunder, and a lone dragon body lay impaled by the same spear that Render had used on the opposite side. Her eyes shot to the area where Twilight had been impaled the first time, but all that marked its place were broken slabs of stone lightly stained by her blood. She shivered as she examined it from where she stood, but shook away her apprehension and moved closer to it. The regret of not helping her returned and her expression hollowed. Maybe if we hurried back. Maybe I could've broken the barrier and saved you. Maybe...
She crouched down and pushed aside some of the smaller rocks until she reached the earth below, but there were no signs of blood in the earth. But... she bled out right here. How...? She stood up and glanced around to the dragons observing. None had dared move any closer than the outskirts of her vision, and all carried the same curious look, but Trixie recognized their expressions as something else entirely. Fear. They're afraid of me?
She turned and continued to walk slowly across the waypoint, noting that there were no other corpses of slain dragons to match the numerous bloodstains and ashes littering the area. She stopped before the massive black dragon laying dead before her and gasped as she recognized him, the monolithic lance standing quietly at an angle. She swallowed as she processed his gargantuan form up close, then swallowed again as she noticed blood splatter beside him and a trail of blood in front, pooling just in front of his snout. Twilight... you really did it... You killed the dragon king.
Telos moved unintentionally to prod the dragon's snout, but his rigid body did not react to it, and it quickly perched itself upon Trixie's back again. Wing flaps and light steps caused her ear to twitch, and she whirled around to catch the watching dragons creeping up on her, but still with only curiosity masquerading as fear marking their faces. "Where is the alicorn that was here?" she called out to them. Some traded looks of confusion, but none that she could see looked prepared to speak, with the front line slinking further back again. She glared and called out again, in a more curt voice. "Where is she!?"
The low rumble of an older dragon's voice cut through the ranks of the onlookers. "I have her body," it said, the deep voice identifying as male, but also one that was familiar to the magician. Her eyes widened as a path parted between the dragons and the owner of the voice stepped through with an interested look on his face.
"G-Garr?" she blurted in surprise. "What are--" Catching herself, she straightened the collar of her cloak and suppressed her delight at finding a familiar face in the heart of hostile territory. She couldn't tell if the dragon captain was grinning, but she knew he felt similar relief at finding her. "Why are you here, Captain Garr?" she asked in a flat tone.
The dragon captain's eyes darted past her briefly, but focused back on the magician just as quickly. "King Render has fallen, and much of the royal guard have been slain. With General Aurelius acting of his own accord, the Brood require a new ruler, and your friend has lifted the veil of deceit from my race. I am to be the king of the Brood by rites of succession."
Trixie's eyes narrowed on him. "So..." she started.
"Yes, little one. Your comrade is to both thank and blame for this turn of events."
Trixie hung her eyes to the ravaged waypoint, but the tension in the air relaxed. It did little to ease her discomfort, standing where her master had just slaughtered many dragons in their capitol, but she refused to back down from her original mission. She snapped her head up and carried a renewed look of determination. "Where is Archmage Twilight Sparkle?"
Garr hesitated to answer as Telos sprang to life and levitated beside Trixie, but the magician made no other indication she would attack just yet. "Come with me, little one. There is more to discuss."
He beckoned to her before lumbering towards her. She tensed as he moved past her, then followed behind with a light step, constantly shooting her eyes to what the dragons might refer to as their civilians. Even though they weren't part of the combative forces, she shuddered to imagine how strong they still were. Beats of large wings began circulating and Trixie's heart began to drum until she saw that the onlookers had begun to disperse, rather than follow. Celestia, help me. I could die at any minute here...
Garr casually slipped through the front gates of the massive keep, the doorway easily accommodating his form. Trixie paused and glanced around, noting the quiet to be apprehensive. She took a deep breath and followed reluctantly after, cantering just to keep up with Garr's casual stride.
The interior jumped at her with its extravagant finishes of gold and marble, and the vibrant tapestries of events she did not know. Several other dragons moved about, but all carried a solemn air about them, whether it was by their reluctant steps or their apathetic exchanges with each other. Some threw her contemptuous or inspired looks, and she worried for her safety once more. As they moved deeper into the keep, the other dragons began curtsying Garr, and giving her wondering looks. She maintained a distance of several of her strides from the new dragon king, eyeing him intently.
Garr led them down a branching corridor instead of leading the magician to the throne room. The massive halls guided them to a personal chamber where a huge table with food was awaiting. Trixie stared in disbelief as Garr stepped around to the other side and swayed a hand to the buffet, but it was comprised mostly of meat. "You must be tired and hungry after everything that you have endured. Take a moment to eat and rest while you are here."
Trixie shot him a disbelieving look, but he paid it no mind as he dug into the food. She reluctantly approached the table and found garnishes and vegetables lined up on the edges, but she had to jump to see them and levitate them down to her. The sound of Garr's eating was all she could hear against the surge of her own thoughts. What am I doing here? I need to find Twilight, she reminded herself. She swallowed a bite as Garr chomped down onto another large piece of meat. "Where is Twilight?" she asked pointedly.
Garr stopped eating and stared at her, and she quickly grew uncomfortable under the silence of his eyes as they shifted between the food in his grasp and her. "I'm afraid I couldn't stop them," he muttered distantly, increasing Trixie's anxiousness.
"Stop who--What!?"
"The royal chefs. You see... ponies are a delicacy among my kind," he explained, watching as the blood rapidly drained from Trixie's face, "and they took your friend's body and prepared it. I believe this is a part of it. It certainly tastes like pony..." He twisted the meat in his grasp over as he spoke.
Trixie stared at him, wide eyed and with her jaw open and quivering. "Y-you... wh-what!?" she shrieked, her stomach beginning to churn and her hind legs losing strength. She collapsed to the floor as her heart pounded in her chest and Telos began to hum and increase its radiance.
Suddenly, Garr burst into laughter, a deep, rolling wave that filled the chamber, and Trixie shakily stood up in surprise, a sense relief beginning to wash away her sudden nausea. "What's... so... funny?" she ground out in a hoarse voice.
Garr used the back of one hand to wipe his eyes and the other to wipe his mouth. "You should've seen the look on your face, little one," he said before loosing more chuckles.
Trixie glared death at him. "Tell me where Twilight's body is, or so help me Celestia I will kill you with my bare hooves!"
Garr held up both hands and shook his head. "There is no need for that. Come with me." He snatched one last morsel, at least for a dragon, from the feast and motioned for the magician to follow.
Trixie kept her eyes glued to him with a sour look, but the dragon king never glanced to her a second time. They walked further down the corridor that connected to the previous chamber and entered another one at the end of the hall. On the far end of the chamber were gigantic, plush pillows of various vibrant colors, lined with a golden rope decoration that tied into a knot in each corner. She squinted, but all she could make out were the colors standing out against the room's decor in the orange glow of more burning braziers.
"Your friend's fortitude is beyond anything we have ever seen," remarked Garr as he stopped and moved a hand towards the pillows, "and there was little we could do to assist her healing."
As Trixie stepped closer to the pile of pillows, the form of a bandaged pony began to sharpen from a blur upon a purple pillow. Her eyes widened and her steps became lighter and quicker with Telos returning to silence. Is it...!? She found herself hesitating the nearer she got as her heart fluttered, and she stopped with one hoof ready to take another step.
Garr moved past her and lowered himself, gently nudging the bandaged pony with one of his large hands. "It is time to awaken, cosmic one. I believe you are needed."
The pony moaned and stirred, slowly moving and opening her eyes. Trixie remained in place, her readied hoof unmoving as she stared ahead in disbelief. A loud moan followed as the pony shakily stood up on the pillow and attempted to balance, but their eyes locked with Trixie's after a few seconds, and the unicorn's heart felt as if it would explode out of her chest. "T...Twilight!" she choked out.
"...T-Trixie?" she said slowly, leaning forward and blinking several times until her vision sharpened to normal clarity. The magician dashed to her and leaped up to the pillow in an attempt to embrace her, but Twilight side stepped and let her land beside her.
Garr coughed. "Regardless of your healing capabilities, you must rest easy. I don't know if--"
"...Garr? Is that you, too? Where... am I?" Twilight gave him a groggy, surprised look, and quickly glanced around. "The Palace of the Dragons," she muttered to herself in astonishment. She quickly shook her head and composed herself. "I'll be fine," she added calmly but cautiously. She glanced at her bandages and took in the sight of dried blood staining through most of them, but aside from the great aching emanating from the bandaged wounds she felt no other injury. She turned to Trixie as the magician stood up to face her with a relieved look.
Trixie reached a hoof to her face and Twilight rested one of her own over it as she returned her gaze, glistening tears welling in the magician's eyes. "I thought... I thought you were... never coming back this time..." she squeaked as the tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Twilight smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but the words she had planned to articulate never came out. Trixie swiftly smacked her with the hoof resting on her face and left the alicorn stunned for a few seconds. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"
Didn't see that coming... There was a reluctance in the way Twilight returned her focus back to Trixie, but she smiled again and hugged her. "I'm sorry... I just... I..." She leaned into her, and the magician returned the hug with a stronger embrace, much to Twilight's chagrin. "I'm sorry." Twilight strained her eyes to look around over the magician's shoulder, and her brow arched as she could not find what she was looking for. "Trixie, where is Rainbow Dash?"
The magician relinquished her embrace and threw up a glum expression. "She went back to Canterlot. She wanted to help the fight there first."
Twilight nodded and gave her a thoughtful look. "Thanks for coming back for me, but I wouldn't think any less of you if you didn't."
Garr coughed again. "I do not wish to cut your reunion short, but I must divert your attention to the matters at hand."
Twilight sighed and rubbed one side of her head in thought. "What about the Brood, though? After what I did..." She grimaced, and Trixie put a hoof on her shoulder, but she pulled herself away and refused to make eye contact, obscuring her eyes with her mane until Garr spoke again.
"Let me worry about the Brood."
"I need to get back to Canterlot," Twilight said quickly. "Your king--Render, he was corrupted in some way. I don't know exactly how, but I need to find Aurelius. I think-"
"You know?" Garr interrupted suddenly. Twilight stared at him suspiciously for a moment. The dragon choked on a few words before stringing together a coherent follow up. "General Aurelius... is the one who instigated this war."
"But how? King Render said the dragons had no intention of ever fighting before him. How could one dragon influence the entire Brood to go to war with Equestria after hundreds and hundreds of years of peace?"
Garr shook his head and put a hand to it. "I don't know. He convinced our council and King Render over the course of several years, but he orchestrated most of our plans, all the way down to excluding me from the primary siege forces."
Twilight raised an eyebrow, but said nothing for a moment. "Why didn't anyone speak out against him, or try to stop them?"
"Few did, and I was his only true opposition, but Render and the council would not see reason. They followed Aurelius's every word, and there was nothing I could do. They had never considered war until his proposition, but he led them on like a carrot on a stick." Garr seemed to stare through Twilight as he spoke, and she shivered as her imagination absorbed his words.
"Do you really think Aurelius is behind all of this?"
"There's no way to know for sure, but he is behind the idea of this war--masquerading its purpose behind pride. I would like to know more myself, but it seems much of what remains of the Brood here in Draconis are regaining their senses. I don't know how."
Twilight shook her head. "I don't have time to look into that. I need to get back to Canterlot," she reminded quickly. "Can you get us there?"
"I will take you nowhere until you eat and I have gathered a force to accompany us. Aurelius is commanding the siege forces, and he may cite mutiny and treason and attack me. I must-"
Twilight's expression hardened as she cut him off. "I don't want to... but I'll kill them if I have to." Trixie's eyes widened as she stared at her from the side.
Garr sighed and nodded slowly, reluctantly. "I may need to do the same if my kin will not see reason this time. I fear Aurelius may have already brainwashed them with his silvered tongue."
Twilight brought her hooves before her and stared at them pensively, and Trixie fixated on her face with worry. "My magic might be too powerful to control if a large fight breaks out between the allied dragons and Aurelius's forces. When I tap into all of my power..." She looked up and shook her head. "It's too dangerous for you and your kin."
Garr shook his head and held a hand up. "That is a risk they will be made aware of before we depart. Aurelius must be put down, no matter the cost." He sighed and paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Had you not killed the royal guard singlehandedly, I would not have so hastily decided this course of action." Twilight gave him an even stare as she waited for him to continue, but Garr shook his head again. "I don't know how the rest of the Brood will react to these events when this is all over. Keep that in mind. Eat, and I will await you outside when you are ready to depart."
Twilight watched him leave, regarding everything that had happened. It's not my fault...
"Twi..." started Trixie as she shook the alicorn's shoulder gently. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked to the magician with a surprised look. "I'm really worried about you. You haven't been yourself lately."
Hesitation glinted in Twilight's eyes as she gazed into Trixie's worried ones, the violet irises reflecting back a delicateness. "I'm sorry, Trixie. I just have a lot on my mind. I... can't stop thinking about everything that's happened... This war. The Brood. Everything I've... done..." She shuddered, or shivered; she could not be sure as the gruesome images of the dragons she slew played through her head.
"Come on, let's talk while we walk." Trixie led the way towards the dining hall, but she subdued her strides, Twilight absentmindedly matching her intentionally sluggish pace. "You died, Twilight. Rainbow and I both watched you. But here you are, alive and... well," she finished while her eyes catalogued the bandages over the alicorn.
Twilight stopped and winced openly to the floor, her teeth standing out oddly against the dark decor. "I... did die, Trixie," she muttered, turning her head up to face Trixie again.
"Then how did you come back to life? You told us you were going to sacrifice yourself to stop the royal guard... H-how, Twilight?" Trixie's voice shook and she trembled as she took a step closer and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder again. The alicorn turned her head away and took the hoof in one of her own, bringing it up to her face and rubbing her cheek with it.
"I gambled my life and it paid off. It's something... someone like me can do, but reviving one's self is..." she trailed off as she closed her eyes and held Trixie's hoof to her cheek. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm just happy that it worked and you're here with me now."
"Don't you ever-!"
"I promise, Trixie. I don't think it can be done again." Twilight released the hoof and leaned to the magician, kissing her softly on the lips. "I love you."
Trixie gave her a frustrated look before muttering, "You better," and trotting ahead with an unseen smile on her lips. Twilight chuckled and followed after her into the dining hall.
The magician levitated food down from the table to them, and the only sounds that filled the air were the hum of their magic and the chewing of their food. Twilight devoured as much as she could before loosing a loud, contented sigh. "I feel so much better."
"Are you sure you're up to fighting again? Rainbow and I are more than capable enough while you recover from your fight with..." Trixie trailed off and pursed her lips.
Twilight ran a hoof through and ruffled the magician's silvery mane. "Thank you for concern Trixie, but I'm alright. Now," she said as she motioned to the main corridor, "Canterlot is still waiting for us."
Trixie nodded, quickly smoothing her mane back out, and followed after. As they walked out of the castle, the weak tremors of antsy dragons echoed through the ground. Twilight squinted as several dragons came into view with Garr's back to the magical pair. He was muttering and moving his arms about, but she could not make out what he was saying immediately.
Garr pivoted and nodded to them as they neared. "We are ready to depart if you are, Twilight."
"Give me a moment." Twilight turned to Trixie and pressed a hoof to her chest. With a grunt, light and an invisible force flourished around them briefly. When it ended, Telos moved and perched itself on Twilight's back. "One more thing."
The alicorn galloped past the idling dragons and towards the ravaged waypoint. The small party followed after her and halted as Twilight stopped in front of King Render's body. She knelt down and placed a hoof on the end of his snout. "I'm sorry for this... and everything else. I'll try to make this right."
She stood up and took several steps backwards before Telos moved in front of her. The staff blurred as it began to vibrate, and waves of light and air echoed out from it. A white glow took hold of the lance and, in one quick jerk, ripped it free. Little blood coated the prongs with most of Render's having drained out onto the stone and dried already. She gave one last solemn look to the dead king's face. So peaceful... she noted.
"Take this," she said as the lance levitated to Garr. "Maybe it can help us." Garr nodded before reluctantly taking it. "Let's go."
"Aurelius will pay for his crimes and the anarchy he has caused our race, even if it must cost me my life." The other dragons gave Garr a wing salute and breathed flames into the air. Twilight and Trixie watched as the flames grew into a large plume before dissipating into the night.
The pair of ponies climbed aboard Garr's back and he nodded to the other dragons before leaping into flight. Trixie's cloak flapped lively in the night sky, but Twilight found herself tuning out the world around her on the aerial journey, the rush of cool air piercing her bandages and sinking into her skin quickly becoming lost to the depths of her thoughts.
Nightmare Moon... What are you... Who are you?
"Twilight? What's wrong?"
The alicorn gave a start as Trixie nudged her back to reality with a gentle hoof again. She shivered as the sense of cold overwhelmed her body. With an orange flicker from her horn, the feeling faded. "I'm sorry. I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"Nightmare Moon is too much for Rainbow Dash to handle, and if Aurelius is as powerful as I think he is, she has no chance against the two of them together."
Trixie's eyes widened. "Are you saying she flew back to her own death?"
Twilight turned to the magician with a hard look. "I don't know. Rainbow is tough. I think she'll be fine regardless." Despite the reassuring, she cast a worried look the skies ahead. Nightmare Moon held back against me because I held back against her. Would she still show another Element of Harmony mercy?
She closed her eyes and the world slipped away once more. Celestia, are you there? The silence that followed her first attempt at communication always raised her anxiousness. It was a feeling she could never get used to, not in this circumstance. Please, Celestia...
Twilight!? The alicorn jumped as Celestia's voice filled her head loud and clear, but her eyes remained closed, locked in her concentration. Is that really you?
Yes, Celestia. What's wrong? Has Rainbow Dash returned yet?
Twilight, the other Elements have all been captured! I overheard Aurelius discussing with another dragon what to do with Nightmare Moon. I think he might try to use them and banish her and Luna again!
Twilight's heart sank into the pit of her stomach and she found herself breathing quicker and experiencing pangs of nausea. Th-that can't be... Can he really use the Elements against her?
I don't know. I've never seen a dragon use such powerful magic before. There's no telling what he can do. Please, Twilight, be careful. You're the last one he needs to try.
Twilight's focus began to wane and she articulated her responses as she sent them. "Hold on, Celestia! We're on our way. Nightmare Moon isn't a part of Aurelius's plan. I won't let him banish her!" Trixie shot her a surprised look, but the alicorn kept her eyes closed. "Celestia? Celestia!" Twilight's eyes shot open, a fierce glare to the dark skies ahead, and the rush of wind quickly dried them out. She furiously unraveled her bandages and discarded them to the night behind them, her coat tinted by the dried blood but without any wounds where the bandages had covered. "Garr, pick up the pace!"
Hair whipped at her neck and back as Dash sped back towards Canterlot, a surge of adrenaline empowering her wings. The chill of the night air was never felt as the heat from her exertion kept her warm. Her chest burned. Her wings burned. Her determination burned. Trixie's defiance echoed in her mind as guilt edged its way into her stomach, but she clamped her teeth together and forced the feeling to be overwhelmed by her desire to make it back to the capitol.
Trees bent and danced in the wake of her flight, and loose debris jumped to reach the tops. I can't afford to get caught now. Damn it, Trixie! I need your help now more than I'll ever admit. She made a sharp maneuver and began an ascent, climbing altitude until she found herself squinting through the misty cirrus clouds high in the night. She closed her eyes and jerked herself into a quick few spins as she breached them. For a moment the world stilled as her eyes locked with the full moon, unobscured by any clouds at all, and a feeling of weightlessness overtook her in the few seconds she drifted before peeling her gaze away and flying above the clouds.
The minutes ticked away, but she exhaled a breath of relief when the Canterlot mountain came into view in the far distance. Her wings continued to burn and she slowed when dragons began to dot the cityscape in her vision. A dragon was perched above the entrance to the castle, and she brandished Nightfall and braced the hilt tight against her chest. Here goes nothing. She snapped her wings back into a fevered beat and began a steady descent towards the lone sentinel.
A whistling carried in the air and she reeled her right shoulder back, pushing her left forward, before jerking herself into a spin. Her form blurred into black and blue with a multicolored stream behind her. The dragon turned to catch sight of her as she reached full speed and his eyes widened in fright. There was no roar as the knight ripped through his wing, and then his chest in a bloody mess of flesh and giblets. Nightfall struck a piece of the castle and chipped it off before Dash broke the spin and curved into a smooth flight again, but she slowed as the world continued to spin for her.
As the dragon's body and remains plummeted to the ground, other members of the Brood had become aware of the killing and the knight responsible. Dash stopped and took in the flocking dragon soldiers with a calculating glare. The red dragon general, Aurelius, lumbered into view from the side courtyard path, the gold chain around his neck jingling as he gave an unreadable look to the slew of blood and guts on the front steps and splattered on the walls and columns. He cracked a smile as he positioned himself to face the knight.
"All Celestial Knights are vetted as dragon slayers, but to think you could kill one so easily... I must admit, I know little about your order, but your position as such is justly earned."
Dash threw her head back and forth, then whipped Nightfall to remove as much of the blood from her as she could. She spit to her side and wiped her eyes and glowered at him. The corners of Aurelius's mouth tugged into a smug look, but he showed no signs he would move.
"Are you the one in charge here?" Dash asked forcedly. "'Cause if you are, then I'll just beat your hide and end this now." The dragons of the crowd shifted, and growling murmurs and body movements played into the ambiance. "What, you want a piece of me, too? I'll take you all on!" she shouted to them.
Aurelius slipped a finger beneath the chain around his neck and jostled the links for a moment, but his eyes remained locked to the hovering knight. "I suppose you shall be ample entertainment. You will make a fine example of what happens to the bold while I await a pony more important than you."
Raising Nightfall, Dash began to charge towards the red dragon. "I'll show you entertainment!"
In the span of a few seconds, Aurelius extended his wings and launched into the air with only a few, powerful beats of his wings. Dash gasped as the dragon surprised her with the sudden burst of speed, moving faster than any dragon she had ever seen. Aurelius raised his left fist as he reached her and slammed into her chest. Her vision blurred as the air in her lungs was forced out, her wings losing feeling to the sudden pain and shock permeating throughout her body. Nightfall slipped from her grasp as she spiraled down in a feathery disaster. She hit the ground with a pained groan, her sword impaling upright into the grass of one of the courtyards just a few meters before her.
Dash whimpered and clutched her stomach where her now-dented armor dug into her. She curled up, both forelegs clutching against her chest as she attempted to gather breath in her lungs and control over all of her body once more. It hurts... It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Aurelius landed slowly, the ground heaving as he set all fours down, Nightfall marking the spot between him and the knight. Dash managed to pry her broken breastplate off after several weak attempts, slipping into a fit of coughs as the compression released. She heaved and made an attempt to crawl towards the standing sword. Breathe... Breathe!
The green of the blade cut through the darkness of the night and Aurelius found himself drawn to its mysterious glow. Abruptly, he pulled himself back into sitting on his hind legs. "What!?" he blurted. "No... it couldn't be..." he muttered to himself. He brought his face closer to the blade again, his red eyes reflecting off of the illuminating green. Dash managed to breathe normally again and she stood up and staggered towards the sword, but Aurelius snatched it up and held it between two fingers. "Where... Where did you get this sword?" he growled, anger beginning to fill him.
"Like I'd ever tell you!" Dash shouted back in a hoarse voice. She leaped into flight and snatched the blade from his hand. She whirled around in an attempt to slash his hand, but she was met with his tail crashing into her side. She braced herself and was grounded with the throb of more coming bruises. What the heck is this dragon made of? She landed with a skid, stabbing Nightfall into the ground to slow her slide and rising into a combat stance as she stopped. Her stance faltered for an instant, but she gnashed her teeth and reinforced it.
"You do not even know what that sword is for," Aurelius growled.
Dash gave him a deadly glare, but it waned as her vision began to blur. She shook her head and it remedied most of her difficulty seeing. She glanced at the dragons watching her, but they all maintained a stony outward appearance, none displaying more than a light smile, if there was one to be seen in the night. Ending the moment of repose, she lurched forward and leaped into flight, twisting and beginning a corkscrew again.
She poured all of her effort into her gyrations, spinning herself around and around once more. Aurelius raised his arms in time to block the knight's assault, and Nightfall twisted into his flesh, ripping and tearing it but ultimately only drilling half of the blade's length into his left arm. Dash squealed in surprise as the blade came to a stop, her eyes wide as they noted the lack of blood to spill from the wound. She hung from the hilt, suspending herself where her wings were too exhausted to lift her, and Aurelius gave her a dark frown. I... can't win... Her heart began to race in the lull of silence that followed the end of her attack. Come on, move! she mentally shouted to her body.
The free arm of the dragon quickly moved and took hold of her, and she relinquished her grasp on Nightfall as the dragon's grip around her tightened. The crunch of what remained of her armor was lost beneath the agonized scream that tore from the knight's throat. Dash wailed as she could feel bones crack and joints pop before being released to fall to the ground, her armor falling free in the air and clattering around her on the soft grass.
Aurelius plucked Nightfall from his arm and gazed at it for a moment before slipping it beneath a wing and out of view. Dash writhed and whimpered for several moments, the pain of her traumatized bones overwhelming her nerves. But slowly, she forced herself to stand, and remained shaky until she could glare at Aurelius again.
The dragon sighed. "Surrender and submit, Element of Loyalty, and you shall be harmed no further."
The knight could only keep her right eye open through the haze of darkness before her, blood flowing freely over the left and painting her cyan face in red. She could no longer see more than a smear of colors across a messy outline of the dragon. Her head was swimming, but she managed to keep her thoughts in order. "Up yours, dragon."
"Then so be it. You will be put in your proper place."
Aurelius raised his right hand high into the air before bringing it down with all of his might in a fist. Dash's body refused to move any more, and she clamped her eye as the fist swung down. The ground where the knight stood cratered under the colossal force, and debris sprayed in every direction. Dash's last wail of pain was cut short by the loss of consciousness. The dragon retracted his hand and inspected the form of the broken knight. "Your willpower was admirable," he muttered as he loomed over the crater. Turning his head, he called in the direction of the castle entrance, "I know you are there, Mistress Moon. Take this one and bring her to Celestia."
A cloud of blue, starry mist flowed out from the main entrance, running along the ground in a stream before coalescing into Nightmare Moon's corporeal form near Dash's body. She wore no armor, or her decorative neckpiece, but she focused only on the knight. Her mane shifted around her face, hiding a grimace she held for the sight before her. In a few seconds, it expanded and consumed the body, and with it her grim expression. She turned and began to walk back to the castle.
"The princess will ensure she does not succumb to her injuries," the dragon reminded her.
Nightmare nodded absentmindedly, never glancing to Aurelius. She entered the castle and trudged up the stairs and down the lonely corridors. It would be in my best interest to let you die, but at the same time, you're my best chance if left alive. A wispy tendril of her mane slipped into view, and she gazed at it. No. My only chance.
She stopped before Celestia's chamber door, closing her eyes and sighing. Her hoof rapped at the door, but before she gave time for anyone to answer, she forced it open with her magic and stepped through, the well oiled hinges failing to alarm the ponies within of her sudden appearance. The surprised eyes of the other Elements and Celestia fell to her as she gave them a blank look.
Nightmare's wispy mane formed into a bubble before her, producing the mangled form Rainbow Dash and gently laying her onto the floor. The other ponies loosed horrified shrieks as blood ran along the floor from open wounds. They hurled insults her way, but she ignored them all as she stepped closer to Celestia, the princess's dark gaze matching Nightmare's blank one. In the moment their eyes locked, the others became silent, frightened and awed at the same time.
Nightmare spoke first, a subdued tone for the sake of keeping the tension in the room down. "I promise you... This was not my doing." She ripped her eyes away and back to the form of the knight. "Please, Celestia. Take care of her. I pray Twilight Sparkle has..." She caught the words in her mouth and shook her head. "Please, Celestia." Before anything else could be uttered, she dematerialized into the starry mist and flowed out of the room, the door shutting behind her just as quietly.
The princess rose and stepped to loom over the knight. Without a word, she began to heal her. Applejack spoke up as everyone watched intently. "Your majesty, just what is goin' on?"
"Even I don't fully understand," Celestia mused sadly.
Nightmare moved about the castle aimlessly for a long while, but stopped and reformed herself as she passed by a window near one of the side courtyards. Her ears twitched and adjusted, straining to hear the voices that emanated from the courtyard.
"Are you sure, my lord?" said one she did not recognize.
"She has changed. I will not allow her to be a potentially disastrous element in my plan. The mistress will remain imprisoned once more, and the hope that her fate will be reversed will keep Celestia in check."
She gasped as she recognized Aurelius's voice. She attempted to move, but her body froze with dread, the thought of her only benefactor betraying her. I am alone... She turned and began to slowly walk towards Celestia's chambers. Maybe...
***
Twilight rose to stand as Garr soared towards the castle. She frowned at the ravaged cityscape, but she breathed deep, thankful that not much more appeared to have been destroyed since she was last there. Repairs had already begun and everything appeared quiet from the distance above in the night. The dragon king swooped down and landed on a street near the entrance, the ground trembling at the sudden force of his weight.
The ponies leaped from his back and stretched as the dragons set down further from the castle. Twilight turned and opened her mouth to speak, but a fireball struck the ground in front of her causing her to leap back with a startled cry. Telos moved in front of her as a guardian, and Trixie whirled around and took her staff into her hooves, prepared to battle the new foe.
"Come now, Twilight. That wouldn't have hit you. I wouldn't want to hurt somepony I would want to call a friend, would I?" cooed Nightmare. Twilight's eyes narrowed in confusion at the Id. Nightmare wore no armor, not even any piece of regalia bearing the symbol of the moon. "You know, this could be the last time we have fun together." Nightmare's eyes were puffy, but dry, and Twilight opened her mouth to speak once more, but she was interrupted as Aurelius lumbered to the front of the castle, the chain around his neck jingling with heavy clinks. The dragon general loomed over the Id, a smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth.
"Aurelius..." Garr seethed.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the precious captain. You never cease to be a thorn in my side." Aurelius's eyes shifted over to Twilight, the alicorn shooting back a deadly glare, and then to her staff, however he could not see her wings in the dark. That little witch and her knight... No matter, this speeds up my plan. "It seems you have slain King Render. I can't say that is what I originally had planned, but it doesn't matter. You're little more than a tool to be used and cast aside when no longer needed."
"You were the one manipulating the Brood all along... The evidence we found and Render's dying words to me--Nightmare Moon wasn't Luna's corrupted mind. You created her as a homunculus!"
Aurelius moved a hand up to his chain, slipping a digit beneath the links and rattling it. "I must admit, I'm impressed. I would not expect a unicorn to figure that out, but you are an archmage, the Element of Magic, and Celestia's noble protégé after all. Still..." He's smug look faded and was replaced with a dark stare. "You are merely a tool for beings your greater, and another stepping stone for me."
Nightmare turned her head to the side and her mane obscured her face. "So, how does this play out?" she muttered under her breath, her expression becoming fragile.
"Surrender, Aurelius, or I will kill you," Twilight declared, pointing a hoof to the red dragon and Telos moving above her and tilting so its spire aimed with her.
"Oh how I will enjoy seeing you try, foolish Element of Magic. You are not worthy of your title or your power. Heed me,"--the dragon pointed his left hand at Twilight--"and know that your gifted powers are mine to command."
Nightmare returned her gaze to face Twilight, the alicorn's mouth hanging agape and Trixie standing at her side with a vexed expression to match. "So, you truly betray me after everything that... has happened." Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped to the ground, but all she gave was a pained laugh.
Aurelius rotated the chain around his neck until the rune dangled in front of his chest. "You are little more than the title of your birth. Did you think me a fool that I would allow you to roam free with the influence you have had over you? You would betray me the same if given the chance."
Nightmare turned up to him, her tears now glossing her eyes and distorting her face, but she carried an angry expression. "In the first breath that I could," she growled.
Aurelius gave her a cautious look before turning back to Twilight and Trixie. "Ponies are not the only ones that may wield magic." He placed a hand on the ground, and a quick flash left behind the other Elements, each dazed from the experience. The others were unharmed, but the wounded Dash stirred from her slumber. Bandages wrapped her body neatly, including one that muffled the groans escaping her mouth.
"Y-you bastard!" Twilight cried, her eyes widening at the sight of her friend's horrible state.
Celestia galloped out of the castle at full speed, leaping and descending the front steps in a single jump. "Aurelius! I will not let you take my sister from me again!" she bellowed, hitting the street with a clack and sliding. Her horn crackled with power at the ready, but it faded as her eyes took in everyone in front of her.
"All of you are nothing more than puppets, but I shall claim you as mine." Aurelius raised the rune and forces began to draw the five Elements near him together. Dash awoke as she was lifted into the air, all five giving cries of confusion and fright.
As the necklaces of the other Elements appeared, so did Twilight's tiara. She attempted to remove it manually, but it was too late and wouldn't budge. It erupted forth its light, mixing in with others into a stream of prismatic energy. The energy spiraled upwards before aiming and shooting towards Nightmare. The Id grimaced and closed her eyes as it neared.
"NO!" cried Twilight and Celestia in unison, each leaping into the light as it crashed into Nightmare.
The Elements of Harmony exploded into a blinding whiteness, pushing back the darkness and consuming the alicorns in its power. The colored energy whirled around and surged skyward, blasting into the night and fading into the darkness as the white light at the impact point receded back into the darkness. Rising from the impact site were three alicorns, but not the same three that had just been there moments ago.
Aurelius gave a surprised look at them. "It seems such a mysterious power cannot be predicted so easily, but this is far more than that." The dragon chuckled as he stepped backwards, distancing himself. "Far more indeed."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 17: Twin Dream I: Overture of Lights
Celestia moaned and rose back to her hooves, the Elements of Harmony's power dazing her in its brilliant light. The world began to return to focus, and she groggily squinted as the forms of two others came into her immediate view. The dark crescent moon cutie mark of her sister came as a blur, but she recognized it. Her heart began to pound, overjoyed at her sister's return. She approached slowly, her vision still adjusting to the darkness after the bloom of light. "Luna...? Is that... Is that really you?" she asked while leaning down.
As she neared, another voice called out to her from behind her. "Ohh... Where am I? Sister, is that you?"
Celestia's legs froze, her eyes widening in horror, and she slowly raised her head and turned, her eyes widening further as they further adjusted. Luna approached her, a smile rapidly spreading on her face, but it stopped halfway and the night princess gazed past her in shock, petrified. Celestia followed her gaze to the form of the last alicorn. It can't be... N-Nightmare Moon?
"I'm... I'm still here?" the Id murmured confusedly, patting herself down and shakily rising to her hooves. She opened her mouth to address the princesses, but a pang of pain throbbed in her head and she collapsed back to the ground, both hooves clutching it, and her misty mane stilling.
I feel... warm, Twilight thought to herself, eyes closed. She could feel the heat of what she guessed was the sun laying upon her form, herself resting on the cushion of soft grass. It feels so... perfect. She opened her eyes cautiously to the light, but there were no unpleasant sensations as the world came to her clear and sharp. Rising up, she glanced around in confusion to find a light source, but there were none she could discern. The light illuminated the meadow she now found herself, but like that light, it was simply there.
Where am I? Off in the distance an elevated tree came into view, casting a cool, honeycombed shadow to the grass beneath it, and she felt herself drawn to it. Another quick glance around revealed nothing else of interest in the vicinity. She took steps through the tall meadow, a gentle breeze swaying the flowers and grass, and stepped out of it and into the tree's cool shadow. Where are my wings? She inspected her body and shuddered, then examined the tree with sensations of awe and confusion filling her. They conflicted with a feeling of anxiety; the feeling was small, faint, but it was there with the others she felt. She backed away as the anxiety began to grow, her heart pounding. No! She turned to run as the anxiety overwhelmed.
"Hello," a voice chirped. "What's your name?"
Twilight froze, and the feelings vanished all at once. She pivoted on her hind hooves and arched a brow at the owner of the voice. There was a small filly before her, black coated and with purple splotch on her mark surrounding a light blue crescent moon, a large, intrigued smile on her face. The filly invoked familiarity within her, but as to what and why, she could not place.
Twilight knelt down to the filly's eye level and returned the smile. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. What's your name, little filly?"
The filly giggled and ran in a circle around her before coming to a stop. "What's my name? You're so silly, Twilight. Everypony knows who I am," she replied in an innocent, cheerful voice.
Twilight rose back up in an instant, shocked and confused once more. She took a step back as the anxiety returned, and the filly dashed into the depths of the meadow. "Hey, I'm serious! What's your name?" she called out, but there was no answer, no signs of life moving within the meadow. Her heart sank, and she cast a worried look to the distance as her mind worked to rationalize what she just encountered.
"Nightmare Moon is the name I have been given, a name I have suffered beneath and identified with for as long as I can remember."
The voice amplified the anxiety into apprehension, and Twilight loosed a startled cry before whirling around. She stood face to face with the Id, the dark alicorn's sharp, draconic eyes piercing into her own; however, there was a comfort in those eyes this time. There was no fear, no contempt, no hatred, no indifference. Just comfort.
"W-was that... you?" Twilight asked, motioning to the meadow behind her where the filly had vanished.
Yes. Nightmare did not move, or speak, and continued to stare. Twilight's mouth hung open with her eyes wide as the answer filled her mind, but the Id's expression remained placid.
Twilight turned to look at the meadow, but the world had changed in the instance she blinked to it. Gone were the cheerful flowers and grass, and in their place were the monotonous and endless dunes of sand and craters. No longer was an indeterminable source brightening the lands, but a lonely darkness casting its shadowy tint over the solemn grey. The lands gave her a hollow feeling, and she shivered as chills ran through her body. She turned to speak to Nightmare, but she was gone, and instead, a castle further behind where the tree had stood now took their places.
As her eyes took in the plain exterior of the castle a sense of sorrow wash over her, stacking onto the chill. What is this place? she wondered. She turned, her eyes following the landscape into the darkness of the sky, trailing across stars and constellations until it fell on something else, something horrifying. She yelped as she could see the Earth, her eyes locking onto it and her mouth hanging open. She blinked, but each time it was still there in the sky, radiating against the blackness of space.
"That's right. This is the moon," Nightmare's voice came from behind her. "For a thousand years, every day and every night, I watched the world change under Celestia's lone rule, and my hatred for her freedom only grew. For a thousand years all I wanted was my own world, my own life." There was a silence that came between them, but the unicorn did not turn around, still awed by the view. "Feel what I have felt, Twilight."
Twilight collapsed as the sorrow she felt intensified into an emotion that tore the breath from her lungs. She felt sick, the sudden rush of emotions not her own filling her head and chest, scattering her thoughts. She clamped her eyes shut to the ground as she processed them, each one filing and becoming identifiable behind the next, and she huffed as tears hit the ground. "This... This is what it was like for you?" she whispered as she raised her teary eyes to Nightmare.
Nightmare stared back to her blankly, muttering only a simplistic, "Yes."
"Why... Why are you showing me all of this? How can we even be on the moon?"
Nightmare frowned and looked to the Earth, Twilight following her gaze to the vibrant object. "Where do you think you are, the only place where one could cope with a thousand years of solitude?"
Twilight stared at the planet, her mind and heart clearing of the crippling emotional turmoil, and the answer came to her as a distant thought. "This is... your mind?" she said, unsure. Another feeling washed into her for an instance, but just as quickly it had disappeared. Deja vu?
Nightmare snorted and snickered. "Perhaps this is our mind now, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight blinked, confusion painting her face. "Our mind? What do you mean?"
The world ran into the darkness again and she was left in the blackness beside the Id. Twilight tensed as the blackness was replaced with what appeared to be the main royal courtyard of the Canterlot castle. She scanned the surroundings, and it was indeed the Canterlot castle's, but it was different. The landscaping was different, from the style the hedges and shrubbery had been trimmed to the very grass and layout of the area.
Twilight stepped out onto the grass, glancing at every bit of scenic detail and drinking in the surroundings. Why am I here? she thought, attempting to speak. There was no answer, and she could not find Nightmare when she glanced back, or anywhere. In the distance she could see several gardeners and landscapers working on the hedges, but one particular pony nearby caught her eye. Princess Celestia! she attempted to call out, to no avail, and she reached out a hoof to touch her. She reeled back in fright as her hoof slipped through the princess, failing to elicit any reaction at all. What is this? What's going on? The soft crunch of the grass interrupted her confusion, and she whirled around in time to see Princess Luna come to a stop behind Celestia.
"Good afternoon, dear sister. The radiance of thy sun is most lovely today," Luna greeted in a cheerful tone.
She was much smaller in stature than the one Twilight knew, and her mane lacked the astral, starry property. She appeared much like she had when she was purged by the Elements of Harmony the first time. Twilight glanced to Celestia as she turned and smiled, and she gasped as she realized the sun princess's mane was only pink. This is the past! Her thoughts exploded into more questions, but all fell to silence as Celestia spoke.
"Oh, Luna. Thou knowest thy moon dances in the stars of eventide whilst my radiant sun weeps for such beautiful friends during the lonesome day."
Luna gave a downcast look to the grass and huffed. "The beauty of my moon is but for naught more than my own pride. My subjects slumber from dusk til dawn, and there art no pony awake by the eve of twilight to enjoy the beauty of the forthcoming night."
Celestia's expression softened and she approached Luna, offering her a reassuring smile and placing a soothing hoof to her shoulder. "Now, now, Luna. Such a number of our subjects indeed enjoy the breathtaking beauty and unparalleled grace of thy nights."
Luna pouted, grumbling to the ground. "My subjects wouldst appreciate my night more if it were to outlast their slumbering, so that they may always see it."
"'Twas the Winter Solstice not enough to satisfy thy desire? There art places in Equestria where the nights far outlast my days." Celestia shot her sister a concerned look when she did not react positively. "Luna," she started, drawing the name out sympathetically. "There art ponies who seek out thy night and thy night alone, choosing to slumber throughout the day, no matter how long my day lasts."
The moon princess's eyes widened. "Truly, thou would not dare deceive me with thy words?"
Celestia chuckled and embraced her sister warmly. "I would not dare, Luna. When thy moon is full, the unicorns bask in its light, empowering their magic and aiding them in their magical focus. Navigators of the great seas use your stars to guide them upon long voyages. Astrologers use your stars to interpret aspects of their lives, finding meaning in their masterful arrangement and design."
"We... We did not know," muttered Luna in awe. "Still, Celestia. Our subjects favor the day much greater than my night. We simply... wish they favored the night as much as thy sun. Thy sun is but a star in the sky, yet its radiant glory overtakes all of the rest when it brings the day."
Celestia giggled and nuzzled into her sister before pulling away. "I understand thy frustrations, sister. Nevertheless, the night dost not go unnoticed in the wayward cycle of light and dark. Indeed, give it time. Some ponies know not the wonder of the night where the ones who truly understand its marvel appreciate it exactly for what it is. The sun is taken for granted by those who favor the night, and even those who would favor the day."
"We understand. However, we shalt one day convince everypony of the true wonder of the night, and thy sun shalt pale in its glory. One day," she assured with a spreading grin, hopeful and confident.
Celestia chuckled and looked up to the sky. "Perhaps there will come a time when the moon and the night are loved equally to the sun and the day. We shalt raise the sun every day and lower it every evening, for there will always be ponies who appreciate it, and there shalt always be those who do not."
"We had not thought of it like that before." Luna brought a hoof to her chin and stared at the ground.
"We do not continue our cycle for the sake of recognition, my dear sister. We appreciate the love and admiration we receive, but we do this out of our own love and duty to our subjects. Be proud, Luna. We can do something nopony else can." Celestia lowered her eyes to Luna and smiled. She hugged her sister tight and muttered something Twilight could not hear, even with her proximity.
The unicorn stared in disbelief, trying to fathom how the young princess before her had been the engine for the nightmare she had become. It can't be...
"Luna did not become me," interjected Nightmare as she appeared sitting beside Twilight. "I was forced to become her, to corrupt her and poison the bond between her and Celestia."
"But how? How could that even be possible?"
There was a pause as Nightmare stared at the sisters, a look of disgust in her eyes as she recalled a different memory. "Aurelius is an enigmatic dragon, but he has his own malicious plans. I know little of him, and he is my creator, but he was meant to have died long ago. The royal sisters had bested him in times long past, and he fell as another number in a sea of countless foes before him." Twilight continued to stare at her, wide-eyed and confused, and the scene around them stilled. "Exploiting the eventual darkness in Luna's heart, I warped her mind and body, twisting her into what you see me as. That is my form, but I was created to replace her. I am... afake." Nightmare's mane obscured her face as she grimaced, glancing away.
"I don't believe that," Twilight said flatly.
Nightmare gasped and tilted her head to eye the unicorn doubtfully. "Oh? Then what do you believe?" Her expression evened and she refaced the princesses embracing one another, frozen in time in their warm moment.
Twilight stood up and moved between them, giving Nightmare a determined look. "You might've ended up with Luna's memories and feelings, but you--you are your own pony. But still..." She trailed off, glancing away pensively. "You did become jealous of Luna, didn't you?"
Nightmare opened her mouth, but hesitated as Twilight looked back to her with a hard stare. She looked beyond the unicorn, casting a regretful look to the embracing sisters. She sighed and nodded. "I... was--no, I am. I have never had any form of companionship. Within her, I was merely there. Whether she acknowledged me or not, I do not know. You could never understand what it's like... to be nothing more than a tool created for the sole purpose of being used and manipulated, then cast aside like a piece of garbage when your creator no longer thinks you're useful." Her eyes welled with hot tears, but she blinked them back and she turned her back to Twilight.
The unicorn gasped at her words, and something in her heart shifted. She couldn't place what it was, but she could breathe easier, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. She reached a hoof out to Nightmare, but stopped before she touched her and pulled it back. "You didn't have to be alone," she offered.
Nightmare snapped back to her, tears running down her cheeks. "I had no choice! I had no control over my own will! What could I have done!?" she screamed, her eyes clenched shut.
Twilight gave the ground a guilty look as Nightmare caught her breath in sniffled huffs, a silence growing between them. "So... Aurelius," delicately.
"Yes," the Id answered solemnly as she wiped her tears.
A hoof reached out and touched Nightmare this time. "You don't deserve this. You don't deserve to be alone. Aurelius will pay for what he's done." The Id only stared back in disbelief, and tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "When Celestia... When she banished you to the moon... what happened to Luna?" asked Twilight softly.
Nightmare sniffled a few more times and wiped her eyes again. "I... don't know for certain. A millennium of solitude... I don't--no, I can't remember how we coped. Perhaps it was my mind, my existence that lay dormant while Luna was forced to endure that time alone."
"Luna remembers some things, and she was aware of what you did while you were in control. She doesn't know the truth, but she wonders. You were the one in control when... we freed her with the Elements of Harmony."
Nightmare closed her eyes. "I remember. The Summer Sun Celebration, the summer solstice. The longest day of the thousandth year. Our banishment became a holiday, and our escape became a prophecy. Tch. What of it now, Twilight?"
"I won't let this be your fate. I won't let Equestria forever see you as the evil you were forced to be. If you can forget the past and all of the hardships you've had to endure, then maybe I can convince the princesses to let you be free. And I will make sure everyone knows what Aurelius has--what he has made you do."
Nightmare gaped at the unicorn, but her eyes reflected a sturdy doubt. "That is merely a dream so long as Aurelius draws breath," she reminded.
"I will stop him. No. We'll stop him... together." Twilight extended a hoof to her and smiled. "Please, let me help you."
The Id choked on her breath as the flow of tears began once more. She took the hoof in both of hers and cried into it. Twilight softened her expression to a smile and scooted close enough to bring Nightmare's head to her chest. There was hope now, someone who understood her plight. Thank you, Twilight. When we first met I never thought you would be the one to uncover the truth. Thank you...
"I need to know more about Aurelius. Please, is there anything you can tell me about him?"
Nightmare sat up and wiped her eyes for the last time, putting up a doubtful expression. "I'm sorry. There really isn't much I know about him." She paused and stared blankly at the ground for a moment. "Though... I can't believe he is still alive after all this time. I was created over a thousand years ago, well before an adult dragon should have died of natural cause at this point."
"Is there anything else?"
"He's unusual, and he can command magic. The gold chain around his neck bears a null-magic rune. They're extraordinarily rare and powerful artifacts, but I believe they can serve other purposes. Don't underestimate him." There was a flicker of disorientation in Nightmare's eyes, and after a moment she shook her head and opened her mouth to speak.
"What? What is it?"
"Hmm... dragon, dragon, dragon... dragon..." Twilight leaned forward slightly, as if trying to better hear an answer from the Id's mind. "Aurelius was something else in another time, but,"--she held a hoof out to Twilight--"I don't know what. I'm sorry, but that is all I know."
Twilight slumped back in defeat, mulling over the information she now had. "So, this null-magic rune can serve other purposes. What does it do exactly? I've read about them, but never seen one to study."
"I suppose you could say it functions like your staff, or our horns. It's similar to a conduit or a focal point for magic, but it can do things that a common unicorn can't. I'm afraid I can't give specifics." Nightmare sighed and rubbed the back of her head.
Twilight's eyes wandered all over the scenery and she stood up and began to investigate the surroundings. "Well, we still need to get out of here first."
The Id snorted. "Twilight. You aren't here. This is us," she corrected.
Twilight turned to her and cocked her head, but as she opened her mouth to speak, a realization cut off any words she had prepared. I feel sick. The world twisted and distorted, the details pulling away into a vortex of black. And then there was everything she could believe was real again.
"Luna...? Is that... Is that really you?" Celestia called out as her vision returned from the bloom of light. The smear of darkness began to detail itself as she took each unsteady step towards the dark form.
"Ohh... Where am I?" groaned Luna. The moon princess placed her right hoof firm on the ground, but her left faltered to find it as nausea swept through her. I do not feel well. What has happened to me? "Sister?" She peered past Celestia and to whom she was approaching.
Celestia turned and looked down, her night vision returning in full. "H-How is this possible!?" she muttered as she took a step back.
"I'm... I'm still here? My head..." the Id groaned.
The onlookers gaped in silence as Nightmare rose to stand, one forehoof still pressed to her head. She met the princesses eyes with a start and the silence that was cast between them suffocated the atmosphere. Even Aurelius remained silent in the shadows beside the castle. Luna shuddered, but she continued to tremble as she stared the incarnate of her evil disposition in the eyes. Nightmare winced and clutched her head briefly before raising her eyes back to Celestia.
"Where is she..." Celestia growled as she took a step toward Nightmare.
"Wha-"
"Where is she?" the sun princess bellowed again. "Where is Twilight Sparkle!?" Her horn ignited with a furious light that pushed back the darkness and revealed Nightmare's body, her armor absent over her black body.
I'm right here, Celestia!
Nightmare froze, her mouth open with a response she never articulated. That's not my voice...
Tell her the truth.
She recognized the voice as Twilight's, but it did little to alleviate her confusion. "Twilight?"
I don't know what's going on, but Celestia will kill you if you don't convince her!
"Yes, Twilight." The sun princess took another step and the glow from her horn grew brighter. "This is your last chance, Nightmare Moon."
"S-Stop!" Nightmare raised her hooves up as if to ease the princess' anger down. "She's here, with me. I don't know what's going on, but I can hear her thoughts. You have to believe me!"
"You're lying!" boomed Luna as she stepped beside Celestia, her horn taking on an equal glow to her sister's. "Now that we're separated, there's nothing to stop you from trying to buy your freedom. You would sooner run a knife through our backs than side with us!"
Nightmare shook her head quickly. "No, please! Maybe I can prove it!"
The princesses glared at her, and Celestia spoke in a deadly tone. "You have thirty seconds to prove you're not lying."
Twilight, what is something only you and Celestia would know? Anything she trusted only to you.
There was a lull between her panicked thoughts for a few seconds and Celestia's eyes narrowed as the seconds ticked away. Ask her if she remembers our promise, and if she'll keep it no matter what.
A promise? That will be enough?
Just do it.
"She wants to know if you remember your promise to her, that you'll keep it no matter what."
In the instant the words spilled into the air, Celestia's horn darkened and her lips quivered. Luna's horn followed suit and she shot the Id a cautious look. "There is no way she could know unless Twilight told her herself."
"T-Twilight?" Celestia asked as her eyes watered. "How could this happen?"
Nightmare shook her head. "We don't know, but it seems that, though I've been separated from Princess Luna, I am now united with Twilight."
Before anyone else could speak, a loud clap came from Aurelius. "My, my. This is fascinating, isn't it? I have traded one enemy for another, but I will crush all of you the same. Let's make this night truly eternal for you, Princess Celestia." The title rolled off of his tongue venomously as he slinked further into the shadows.
We need to stop him. Garr can deal with the other dragons, but my friends need to get out of here.
What should I do?
Let Celestia raise the sun. Tell Trixie to free the other Elements and Garr to prevent the other dragons from interfering.
"Celestia. Twilight says to raise the sun. You should be able to now."
The sun princess blinked before closing her eyes. After a moment of pause, she leaped into the air and spread her wings, the darkness in the skies becoming pushed back by a purple twilight, and then an orange glow. In a matter of minutes, the sun would be over the horizon. "It is done," she said with a breathy heave, and she fell to her knees.
Aurelius turned to watch as the sunrise began. "Hmph. It seems you have chosen borrowed time, Mistress. You have long outlived your purpose. I will put you down, as I would have done eons ago, but you should thank Celestia for prolonging your life by jailing you on the moon."
Nightmare's anger surfaced and her face contorted in rage. "I have my freedom now, Aurelius, and I will tear out your throat even if it's the last free choice I get to make," she snarled. Her heart skipped a beat. Free... I'm free, aren't I?
Yes, Nightmare. Now let's go.
Aurelius growled. "You insolent brat. You have forgotten your place. I created you, and I will destroy you!"
Nightmare turned and called out to the magician. "Quickly, Trixie. Free the other Elements and get out of here!"
"I will not allow you to run amok!" Aurelius charged the Id, but he was hit with several blasts of yellow energy.
"You will pay for your transgressions, Aurelius!" The sun breached the horizon and spilled its golden rays onto the lands, and all of the creatures, dragons and ponies alike, shielded their eyes as the light burned away the shadows. All but Celestia. She charged a large blast as Aurelius attempted to advance again, and loosed it into his chest. The dragon grunted and dug his claws into the ground as it pushed him back. Luna stepped to her side and nodded.
Trixie leaped down from Garr with Telos and Mystic Sage in her tow. She dashed to the elements while the princesses continued to block Aurelius. Every time the dragon took a step, they blasted him back. The magician made her way to Dash first, quickly looking her over and then shaking her awake.
"Rainbow, wake up. You and the other Elements need to get out of here, now!"
The knight winced and groaned as she sat up. "Man, I never thought I'd be glad to see you, Trix."
"If you call me that again I will cut out your tongue."
Fluttershy grabbed Applejack while Rainbow Dash hoisted Pinkie Pie and Rarity, each hanging onto the other. She grunted loudly as she took to the air and headed towards Garr.
"You're not going anywhere. I still have a use for you," called Aurelius.
The dragon broke through the princess' counter assault without stopping or coming to harm, but Trixie turned and raised Mystic Sage with Telos rising above it. "Mjollnir!" The colossal streak of lightning brightened the already sun lit landscape as it reached down from the heavens. Aurelius halted his charge and raised his wings above him in defense. The bolt unleashed a mighty crack as it struck his wings, but when the momentary magic ended, he was barely scathed.
"Stronger than the last, but still too weak," the dragon muttered before charging again.
He skid to a halt as Celestia barred his path once more. Raising a claw, he swung down with great force, smashing the ground where the sun princess stood, but she evaded and dashed by, her hoof gently tapping his claw as she passed it. Aurelius spun, sweeping his front with his left arm and his rear with his tail. Celestia tapped his arm has he rotated, and his tail as she lifted off into the air, dropping down behind it and racing around him, a yellow mark in place of each spot she touched.
As they danced in combat, she placed more and more marks across his body until she was forced to retreat from a second tail swipe. Her horn ignited with a yellow-orange glow and the marks began to expand and grow in vibrancy. Aurelius lunged for her, but he found himself stopping as the marks began to burn, searing his flesh off. He growled and slinked backwards, attempting to brush them off in panic.
Scraps of smoking flesh were ripped from the bones they once rested upon as the spell came to an end, a putrid stench saturating the air. The ponies present tensed as it brought with it pangs of nausea. "And here I thought I was growing fond of this particular coil," he said before tearing a large piece of scale and skin from his face. "Funny how immortality is cruel to you, Celestia, yet, so full of life for me."
"Cruel to me? You are no god, Aurelius. You can't be immortal."
The princess' lower jaw hung open, quivering as the dragon peeled and stripped away more flesh, down to the bones in some parts. A grin took hold of Aurelius's face, what was left of it, as he maintained his gaze with Celestia while picking himself apart.
"No," began Nightmare. "The other dragons of this generation don't know where you came from, but... You can't possibly be..."
"Oh, are you just now realizing it? I am surprised that you are only figuring this out now."
"Nightmare Moon. What is he saying?" Celestia asked in confusion.
The Id turned to her with a solemn look. "This dragon--Aurelius. He is... undead," she croaked.
Celestia's eyes widened and she took an instinctive step back, the others gasping in response. She dropped down in front of Trixie, unable to pry her gaze away from the dragon. He ripped a piece of the scales on his chest away and decaying flesh beneath was revealed. Blackened, sickly flesh.
"Y-you are a vile monster!" bellowed Luna as she took a frightened step back.
"Whatever you have become, I will remove you from this world as you so rightly deserve!" added Celestia, her hooves unknowingly trembling.
"No princess of the sun and light. We are much more alike than you wish to think. I will add you to my collection of puppets in this war as well. An undead puppet." The dragon snickered and stood up, spreading his now magic-ravaged wings.
"H-How do we kill him?" Trixie asked nervously. But there was no reply before Aurelius spoke again.
"Yes," hissed the dragon. "How do you kill something that has transcended death and walks among the living once more?" After a silence, he reeled himself back. "Perhaps you need to understand what it's like to know the answer to that." Despite his form, he took in an audible breath and fell onto his hands, loosing a putrid green cloud across the ground before him.
By reflex, the alicorns leaped into flight while the rest of the onlookers in the back pulled out of range. Trixie was left alone as the cloud of noxious air engulfed her. The magician formed a barrier, but the cloud corroded it in seconds and seeped through. She coughed, taking in more of the contaminated air and furthering her symptom into a fit. Her vision blurred and she collapsed, the independent Telos crashing silently to the ground a few seconds later. She rolled onto her back, and with one last wheezing breath of air, called out. "Twilight... help... me..."
Everyone stared in horror as they watched. DO SOMETHING! Twilight's voice filled the Id's mind like a wall of sound, echoing.
I can't fly in there and grab her, or sweep in as a mist. I will become poisoned before I can get out safely again. What would you have me do?
There was a silence that followed, but it was overtaken by the pounding of Nightmare's heart as she awaited an answer from the soul within her.
Teleport to her! came the boom of thought.
I can't-
But I can! M-maybe we can merge our minds, and I can teach you. We share the same body, so you should be able to teleport. The words came hastily, but confident.
How? Nightmare's heart beat faster as Trixie stopped moving and her image blurred into the sickly cloud.
Relax and focus on it.
Before Nightmare could question the idea any further, she closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. She focused on her sense of sound, the flaps of her wings, then the sound from the other princesses and dragons. And then it was gone. There was only silence.
Where am I? Twilight found herself moving through darkness, the feelings of sorrow and apprehension once more instilled within her. The cold. The dark. She shivered to herself and clamped her eyes. And then she was no longer moving.
"H-Hello?" she called out as her eyes opened, adjusting to the new light, a melancholy grey. The heavy tapping of a thick downpour filled her ears, and she found she was standing before a cathedral; the rooftops and their stone guardians had long worn away with age, and rampant growths of nature climbed the eroding walls. Her eyes wandered around to her sides and rear, to more buildings, most ruined with age and neglect. "Is anyone out there?" She stared into several of the windows in the buildings, but shuddered when there was nothing but the apprehension to comfort her. She scampered up to the cathedral, huddling against the old doors, their locks rusted and appearing as if they would snap were they ever used again.
The rain did not calm her, and instead, the chill of the water seeped into her coat as she watched it. Shivering, she turned and faced the weathered doors. With a bracing breath she held, she pushed open one with a heave. To her surprise, it gave way with a loud, squealing creak, and she slipped in and shut it behind her. The boom of the closing door made her jump, but she silenced a startled cry in her throat and took a breath. She took a moment to take in the view in front of her.
Grime obscured the stained glass windows, overtaking the images they once held, and all of the benches were smashed and pushed into the forward corners, some into piles of rotted wood. The floor was bare, with a coat of dust fading the surface of dark stone. Down the aisle and where the altar podium would be was a dark filly, huddled down and shuddering to the rhythm of faint weeps. Nightmare Moon...? As Twilight approached, her hoofsteps echoed off of the walls, but the filly did not react, continuing to remain huddled.
The weeping grew louder as Twilight neared, and she stepped up beside her and knelt down. The filly bore Nightmare's cutie mark and alicorn traits, and Twilight took a deep breath as she thought over her approach. She peered past the filly and to the floor; the filly had been crying over a photograph. Twilight attempted to lean closer to see it, but the filly turned and slid it away with a hoof.
"Hey, it's alright," she began soothingly. "What's wrong? You can tell me."
Between sniffles, she got a reply. "It's... it's not my fault. But it's not... it's not her fault either..." She made a sorrowed sound before turning to face Twilight, her sharp, draconic eyes no longer appearing with the confidence and empowered look the real Nightmare always had. Twilight found herself saddened as she stared into them. "What am I?"
The question rattled Twilight as she gazed back, her expression ranging from surprise to anxious. I... don't know, she thought to herself. "Can I see that?" she said, dodging the question and indicating to the photograph.
"All I see is... what they want to see. It's never me... Why won't they see me!" the filly shrieked, sliding the photo over to her. She quickly turned away and broke down into huddled sobs again.
Twilight reached a hoof to her, but she hesitated, and instead picked up the picture. She flipped it over, and it was blank. Black. As she stared at it, it expanded and swallowed her, pulling her out of the cathedral. Consumed by darkness, Twilight cried out, but found she no longer had her voice. What's going on!? In an instant, she was inside another castle. She threw her head around quickly, taking in the interior. She moved to see out of one of the stained glass windows, the canopy of a dark forest appearing on the other side. Wait a minute. Isn't this the-
"It ends here, Nightmare Moon!"
Twilight jumped and turned to see Celestia with a pink mane and clad in armor similar to Nightmare Moon's. The Id appeared at the end of the room opposite of her, wearing her usual regalia, but with her back to the sun princess.
Princess Celestia! she attempted to call, but her voice was still gone. Surrounding the princess were five jewels, and it dawned on Twilight where she was and what was taking place. Don't! Please!
"Oh, does it, Celestia? Would you truly bring yourself to defeat me, your own sister? I am here to provide our subjects with the gift that our dear Luna so desires to share. Tell me," she said, turning around, "why would you rob her of such a thing?"
Celestia's face contorted into a deadly scowl. "The night shall always be there. Neither the sun nor the moon is to reign eternally. Relinquish my sister at once, you monster!"
"Do you hate me, sister?" Nightmare asked as she charged.
Celestia's horn began to glow brilliantly, overtaking the rest of the lights in the room. The Elements activated and joined into the glow before melding together in the light and surging towards Nightmare. The Id found herself immobilized and struggled to break free.
"What is this!? Your petty trinkets cannot stop the likes of me!" Nightmare's eyes whited out as magic surged up her horn, but it fizzled shortly after.
Celestia stepped to her, a mournful sorrow taking over her gait. "Forgive me, little sister. I know not of any other way," she apologized as tears spilled from her. "There shall come a time, one thousand years from now, when we will meet again. It is then that I hope to have found the strength to save you."
The light bloomed and Twilight shielded her eyes as it filled the room. When it was gone, Celestia lay where she stood, sobbing loudly into the floor. She shook her head quickly and stood up, moving to one of the windows. She pushed it open and leaped out, taking flight and rising up to the roof of the castle. Twilight was whisked away, moving through and after where she was forced to watch beside the princess. She followed Celestia's gaze up to the moon and watched as a small twinkle of light crashed into it, and an imprint of Nightmare's head engrave itself upon the surface.
Celestia laid down and wailed into her hooves once more. "Why did it have to be like this?" she choked out in a break from her sobbing. "How did you end up like this, Luna? We were supposed to rule together." She punctuated her cries with a blow to the roof, but it did nothing to ease her. "We were supposed to always be... together."
Twilight found herself crying as she watched helplessly. So that's how it really happened. I'm so sorry, Celestia. The princess suddenly rose, her eyes clamped shut, and leaped skyward. Her wings spread and the moon was replaced with the sun in a matter of minutes. With daylight restored, she chose not to land and flew into the distance, never looking back towards the castle. Twilight wiped her face and hung her head as everything was pulled away. When she looked up again she was in the cathedral.
The filly was beside her again, but not actively crying. Her puffy eyes were still wet and glazed with tears, and she stared at the unicorn expectantly. Twilight glanced back to the photo in her hoof and frowned. With a breath, she flipped it over and placed it back on the floor, sliding it in front of the filly.
"Thank you for helping me understand. I'm sorry about everything, but I will always know who you truly are. Let me be your friend." Twilight pulled the filly into an embrace, snuggling into her and filling her with warmth.
The filly gave a start. "You want to be my f-friend? Really?"
Twilight released her and nodded. "Really." She felt a shift in the atmosphere briefly, but she could not tell what it was.
"But... I'm just a fake!"
Twilight blinked as the memories stung her and she turned away. "Shh... No you're not. You're not Luna, but you still have to find out who-" She choked on her breath as she turned to find the real Nightmare Moon staring back at her. "-You really are," she finished. The Id had been given someone else's life to live, and the happy memories were all she clung to. Memories with the one she was forced to betray. "You're free, Nightmare."
"How do I atone for the sins I was created for?"
Twilight extended a hoof to her and she stared at it. "By doing whatever we can. You're not alone anymore."
Nightmare hesitated, and Twilight's heart skipped a beat as a thought pierced her mind. Nightmare considered resigning herself to Aurelius again. It would be easier than... redemption.
The hoof Twilight extended was brought to Nightmare's face, forcing them to face one another. "No! Don't ever think like that. You're my friend, and I will help you. I'm here for you, I will always be here for you."
Nightmare's expression faltered into pain, and she broke down into sobs a moment later, accepting the hoof and holding against her face. "Thank you... Thank you so much."
Twilight scooted closer and pulled her into an embrace. "Always," she whispered.
Now, show me... you.
The unicorn opened her eyes and Nightmare was gone. She looked around quickly and everything began to grow brighter. She squinted, and then shut and shielded her eyes with her forelegs as it became too bright. When she opened the again, the cathedral was restored, and sun poured in through the vibrant stained glass windows, no longer obscured by grime. They depicted patterns in all but the large one behind the stage and at the back. The final window reflected back her and Nightmare embracing one another.
Twilight's eyes went wide and darted to the floor where the photograph was. She flipped it over and caught the image of Aurelius's face before it burned away. Standing up, she stopped as she could no longer hear the rain. In the silence, a new thought entered her mind. Glancing up, she smiled at the stained glass of the two of them together. "Can you tell me... if I still feel the same?"
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 18: Twin Dream II: Glass Prison
I'm... drifting... Nightmare's body gave her the illusion of movement, but when she opened her eyes, all that returned was black. A sudden uncertainty hit her, and when she opened her eyes with a start, she was met with the vision of Ponyville. What? How did I end up here? She blinked several times to reassure herself this was not just a brief image. She rotated her head to glimpse her surroundings before walking forward when nothing stood out. Why would I be here?
There were residents of the town out wandering the streets, but none paid her any mind, either ignoring her or choosing not to care. No stares, no glances of contempt, no screaming or yelling, or any ponies fleeing at the mere sight of her. She paused and swallowed, the lack of reaction from them made her anxious. If this is supposed to be real, why do they not fear me? Why am I here?
She walked on, continuing to throw wary glances to ponies passing her or looking her way, even if not directly at her. As she reached the town's central plaza she spotted a lavender unicorn leaning over the edge of a large, triple-terraced fountain. She was alone at the monument and paying no mind to anything but the water before her. "Is that you, Twilight?" she asked hesitantly. She moved to stand beside her, confirming her identity and finally gaining a sense of relief.
"Good morning, Nightmare Moon. How are you today?" Twilight responded cheerfully. The unicorn was casually dipping a hoof into the water, watching as the ripples echoed out from the impact point.
Nightmare's ears perked at the mention of her name, and she threw her head in every direction to the townsponies going about their business. Her fears were laid to rest when none even glanced her way. "I-I am fine..." she replied nervously. She stared at the water as the unicorn continued to repeat the dipping process in a lazy daze, the waving ripples catching her eyes.
Twilight looked up from the fountain and caught Nightmare's stare. "You're always so stressed out these days. Why don't you come to the library with me and relax? We could have some fun with Trixie and Spike if you're up for it."
The invitation instilled a sudden shyness within the Id. "I-I wouldn't want to impose or anything..." she mumbled while looking away to the ground. Why... do I feel this way?
Twilight splashed some water on her and giggled as Nightmare gave a start to the cool water. "Nonsense, Nightmare. You're coming with me. I promise you'll feel better," the unicorn insisted. She snatched one of Nightmare's hooves and dragged her along, the Id stumbling and trying to come up with a reasonable protest.
Nightmare blurted out several trivial excuses, finding her sudden modesty odd, but ultimately relented. The more she was dragged along the less she felt compelled to resist the unicorn. The townsponies never offered more than a quick glance her way, their gazes never lingering or carrying the judgements she continued to expect. When the pair reached the tree library Nightmare found herself shedding the anxiety in favor of curiosity of what was to come.
The door opened swiftly with Trixie and Spike appearing on the other side. "Hey, Twilight," she greeted. Her eyes darted to Nightmare and, rather than convey surprise or contempt, they lit up, a smile brightening the magician's face. "Oh, hello Nightmare Moon. I didn't know you were coming today."
Today? Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight caught her off.
"Yes. She'll be playing with us this afternoon. What about you, Spike. Want to join us?"
"Of course, Twilight. What did you have in mind?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin, giving a low hum to aide her thoughts. As she came to a decision, her eyes rolled from Spike to Trixie, then to the confused Nightmare. "How about hide and seek?" Trixie and Spike voiced their agreeance while Nightmare just gave her an awkward smile, her ears folding back.
The Id's nerves resisted comfort; resisted the sanctuary of safety emanating from the lavender unicorn's tone. Her smile... Nightmare fixated on Twilight as she beamed to her, awaiting a response, but for all that Nightmare tried, it didn't feel right to her. "Sure..." she muttered uncomfortably.
"Alright, you three. Go hide and I'll count to thirty," she said as she turned around and closed her eyes.
The chant of consecutive numbers came in an almost sing-song voice as Nightmare raised her first hoof to turn, but as she rotated herself the world was pulled away. Her eyes widened as the void overtook her and dread filled her chest. NO! her mind screeched in terror. The feeling was too familiar. The same sense of being alone on the moon implanted itselfs into her and she wrenched her mind in fright. Twilight's counting began to quiet as her voice grew distant. Nightmare whirled around and pleaded. DON'T LET ME GO, PLEASE! In the instant she next blinked, the unicorn was gone and all was silent. N-no! Please, no! she begged as she succumbed to despair.
Light split the darkness like an oncoming train in the night, and Nightmare shielded her eyes as everything bloomed and whited out. She groaned and opened her eyes, slowly, but shut them abruptly. Please... Please no... Opening them again, she gave a defeated whimper as she found herself on the moon. The monotonous grey surface incited memories she would have preferred never remembering.
She gazed out across the expanse of blandness before turning to see the castle she had constructed for herself. A queen in my own mind, she thought regretfully. She forced herself towards the castle, afraid of the sorrow, but curious of the vision's meaning, hoping that she might warp away from it at any moment. Her heart sank as she entered the hollow castle, and it took her a moment to reassure herself that it was an illusion before she would move.
She moved into a corridor with light spilling in from the windows on one side. Cautiously stepping to the first one, she gazed out to the source of light. Her expression crumbled as despair took hold once more. I hate it... I hate it. I hate it! "I hate it!" she screamed, her voice echoing down the corridor and fading.
"I created you." Nightmare's head snapped up, tears glistening in the light of the Earth's radiance. "I used you." Aurelius's voice spoke into her head and she tensed, her body beginning to tremble. "You were nothing more than a tool, meant to be thrown away when you had served your purpose." The voice snickered before fading.
"No!" Nightmare shouted back.
"You are not my sister!" cut in Celestia. Nightmare threw her head to the end of the dark corridor, but the voice continued to speak clearly into her mind. "You're nothing more than a parasite corrupting Luna!"
"N-no, I'm-!"
"Thou hath destroyed my life, forced my sister's hoof to banish us because of thine vile existence!" Luna's voice was the last, thundering in her mind as it drowned out anything else. "Thou should never have existed in the first place," her voice growled.
"I'm... s-sorry." Nightmare shut her eyes and clasped her ears as the voices continued again in turn with their spiteful words. Her efforts did nothing to lower their volume or shut them out, and she broke down sobbing. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." An image flickered in her mind and she opened her eyes again. "Twilight, where are you! I need you. Please... Please help me..."
"I'm right here." Nightmare twisted her neck, her hooves falling from her ears, and in that moment, all was silent as her eyes locked with the unicorn's. Twilight stared at her, a soft smile casting from her. "It's alright. I'm here now," she cooed as she closed the distance and pulled Nightmare into a comforting embrace. She ran a hoof gently through the Id's starry mane, successfully calming her shuddering cries down to sniffles.
"Y-you won't leave me... will you? Y-you'll never leave, right?"
Twilight lowered her head and whispered, "I will never leave you. I promise."
Nightmare felt the world shift and her eyes opened to another confusing darkness. It warped and she blinked, finding herself in a familiar yet safe place. "Sixteen... seventeen... eighteen..." She breathed out in relief as she recognized the unicorn's counting voice. As she calmed she closed her eyes and focused on the voice, every number bolstering her sense of security knowing that the other mare was nearby and the world was bright. "Ready or not, here I come!" The sing-song finish prepared her for the hunt, her eyes opening and following the sounds of the unicorn's hoofsteps.
There was a surprised yet joyous cry when Trixie was found outside on the balcony. A few jovial giggles and words were exchanged before Twilight had moved on to find Spike somewhere in another room, the same noises repeating in reversed order. Several minutes passed before hoofsteps neared Nightmare's dark hiding spot. It was only now that she realized that she was under the lavender unicorn's bed. The starry quilt draped over the edges of the bed blocked out most of the light, and she tensed as the hoofsteps stopped before the side in front of her.
She held her breath as the side in front of her was pulled away, half expecting some bizarre entity of the dream world to peek under the bed, but she exhaled in relief when Twilight's grinning face appeared instead. "Found you!" she cheered to the scrunched alicorn.
Nightmare had forgotten about the game in that moment as relief permeated through her being. "You've always been a clever pony, Twilight," she said after a moment's pause, a smile creeping at the corners of her mouth.
"Yes, but you were hidden the longest, though. But," Twilight said, stretching a hoof to Nightmare, "you can't hide from me forever."
The Id stared at the hoof in contemplation while blinking. She dwelled on the unicorn's words. I can't... hide from you. The words had struck a nerve of indifference and subtle fear with her. As Nightmare reached for the hoof the world was pulled away, warping into darkness. In the span of a blink, she was sitting up and facing Twilight, the other mare appearing as an alicorn to her.
"I'm afraid." Nightmare blinked and studied Twilight, the lavender alicorn's form standing out against the blackness. She was bright against it, but everything around was a void.
"It is I who should be afraid. I have never shared..." Nightmare trailed off and glanced away, losing her nerve to speak.
"No," interrupted Twilight as she turned Nightmare's face back to her. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of... what will happen. After all we've seen. I'm afraid we might..."
Nightmare shook her head and placed a hoof over the unicorn's. "Your world... The game... That... fountain. We're-"
"Alike?" Twilight finished. A silence hung between them for a moment as they both silently acknowledged it. "We've both... had to hide parts of ourselves, but you... you've had to hide so much more."
"And you found... it—me." Nightmare paused again as confusion bore itself into her mind. She blinked back to attention as Twilight eyed her worriedly. "Why did my memories come forth if... if..." She stared through the other mare for a moment. Twilight scooted closer and placed a comforting hoof to the Id's shoulder, with some success. The height difference between the two of them was unusual, but Nightmare felt intimidated by Twilight's wealth of confidence and reassurement.
"We're two sides of the same coin now. You feel it... don't you—everything that I have?" Twilight paused and pursed her lips before smiling. "I feel... you."
Nightmare stared at her, sudden guilt welling inside her. "Yes, you have. But..."
"But?"
She ran through the memories of her past, the grim images no longer burying her in sorrow. As Twilight stared at her expectantly, Nightmare closed her eyes and sighed. "You have helped me with my pain, and I will always be grateful for that, but..." There was another pause and moment of hesitation as she opened and closed her mouth. "I cannot help you with... with what will be ours," she finished, turning her head away.
"I can handle it."
Nightmare returned her gaze to her and narrowed her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure you can?"
"I..." Twilight looked away with doubt weighing heavily on her features. She retracted her hoof as she mulled over the question.
Her hesitation frightened Nightmare. Doubt was the final divide, and the last thing her fears hinged on before she could unite with her. The noble alicorn was bravely fighting the external war while ignoring the internal one as it slowly chipped away at her. Will you break? Nightmare suddenly smiled and reached out for her, startling Twilight from her thoughts and bringing her attention back. "You don't feel the same when you asked, but... I will always be here for you, as you will for me. To me, that is enough. Perhaps it will be enough for you."
Twilight lowered her gaze to the floor of the void. "It's hard... to be sure anymore, but you... you have helped me more than they will ever know. I have to be strong for everyone, no matter what. It's just... so hard right now."
"Twilight,"—Nightmare used both forehooves to bring the other mare's face to hers—"it is my turn to help you. Let me return that feeling to you, as you have to me." She pulled Twilight into an embrace and they both closed their eyes.
The world shifted again, and for a moment Nightmare could feel nothing, her body numbing and her mind losing focus. One last thought pierced her mind before she regained control of herself. We don't have to hide anymore.
——————————————————
Nightmare shielded her eyes to the powerful rays of sunlight flooding the world. She stifled a surprised gasp as she met Celestia's gaze, realizing no time had passed during the dream state. Twilight's life flooded into her mind, and she became disoriented for a moment. Memories, knowledge, experience. She choked on a breath as it was swept away by a thought not her own.
Save her. Twilight's voice echoed in her mind, clearing the storm of information.
"Are you Twilight Sparkle... or Nightmare Moon?" asked Celestia as she regarded the Id carefully.
Nightmare glanced up to her and muttered, "I am... me." She vanished in a flash of light, appearing in the thick of the toxic cloud. She held her breath, her chest tensing as she squinted her eyes to find Trixie. The cloud was a haze that bathed everything in a dark green tint, but she spotted the outline of the magician laying on her back. She dashed over to her and scooped her into her forelegs. As she crouched down, a burst of energy tore through the haze before impacting where the magician lay.
"So, Nightmare Moon. You have subdued the soul of one of Princess Celestia's dearest. My, this feels familiar, does it not?" Aurelius peered into the toxic cloud, the burst of energy hastening its dispersion, and growled as he could not see either target.
"You're wrong, Aurelius," Nightmare called from behind the undead dragon. She leered at him as Telos floated between them, Trixie laid out upon her back. "She subdued me."
The dragon chuckled. "It seems our views differ... Your new trick won't help you." He began to suck in more air, but Telos animated to life, the spire emitting a white light while the shaft darkened to a shiny black.
"Celestia, I'm changing the battlefield." Before the princess could question her, Nightmare brought the staff down, the spire bursting with a flash of white on impact.
When the light faded, Trixie, Luna, Garr, and the other five Elements found themselves in the plaza of Ponyville exchanging confused glances with one another. Trixie lay on the ground before them and began to stir awake. "Twilight..." she murmured softly.
Dash crouched down and helped her sit up, the magician loosing several hacking coughs and rubbing her eyes. "Hey, take it easy. Nightmare Moon separated us. We're safe in Ponyville now."
The magician immediately ignored her fatigue. Jumping up, she started, "Where are they!? We need to help them!" She collapsed back down, clutching her head as dizziness disrupted her focus.
"At ease, archmage," commanded Luna. "You could be suffering ill effects from Aurelius's attack." The princess moved and looked her over, her horn emitting a low glow as she did so.
"I'm fine!" Trixie croaked, batting one of the princess's hooves away. "Twilight is fighting alone again. We have to help her!"
Luna frowned. "My sister is with her now, but there is no telling how weak she is."
"Weak?" Trixie sat back up without any help this time. "What do you mean?"
"We are still not at our full strength after the Rites. She is worse for wear than I, but she will not stand by and watch Twilight fight alone."
Dash unleashed a growl of frustration. "What can we even do? You've seen how strong her magic is. It's just like when she teleported us away when she fought Nightmare Moon the first time. She destroyed the forest. We could get caught in the crossfire."
"Knight Dash is correct. We could be a hindrance if she intends to use all of her power," said Luna.
Trixie straightened, her face contorting in anger. "Fine!" she bellowed. "All of you can stay, but I'm going! Garr, take me back to them." The Elements gave regretful looks and talked amongst themselves as Trixie boarded the dragon king's back.
Luna leaped up beside her. "I shall join the fray. I will not allow my sister to do battle without me by her side, however..." she trailed off.
"What?"
The princess shook her head. "Aiding Nightmare Moon... Never could I have dreamt of such a thing." She took a deep breath before shaking her head again. "Garr, take us to the fields north of Canterlot. That is where they will fight, away from the vicinity of others."
"By your command, princess."
"Wait!" Garr's wings froze to the sound of Dash's voice. "We're coming, too! We might not be able to fight, but you'll need the Elements if Nightmare Moon betrays us," she said, indicating to her necklace.
Luna nodded. "Fine, but you must keep your distance."
The others climbed onto the dragon's back, and Dash shuffled up to stand between Luna and Trixie. "Do you think Nightmare Moon is really on our side?"
Trixie only stared at her in silence, but Luna answered. "I do not know where her intentions and loyalties now lie, but I trust Twilight's judgement. Nightmare Moon is an ally... for now." Luna tapped a hoof on Garr and the dragon took off. She gazed ahead to their destination as the others talked among themselves, but she ignored their discussion in favor of her own thoughts. Nightmare Moon... an ally. I pray that she has not corrupted you as she once did me. The princess shuddered as an image of the Id with a sadistic expression surfaced from memory.
——————————————————
Aurelius frowned, not in anger, but in disappointment as his eyes fell to the only ponies that appeared with him. The wind-swept fields north of Canterlot were spacious and desolate, the lands having gone unblemished since Twilight's first practice with Telos years before. "A fitting place," he started, turning to absorb the scenery, "to make a grave for ones such as yourselves," he finished as he turned back to Nightmare and Celestia.
The Id scowled. Telos floated beside her, drifting just above her head. "You died once before, but this time we'll make sure you stay that way." Her mane latched onto the staff and began to swallow it, the dark weapon disappearing into the starry abyss. The starry mane returned to its natural curvy shape, continuing to flow in the air, but the staff did not poke out. There is nothing to hold us back now.
Be careful.
Nightmare nodded unconsciously to Twilight. Thank you.
"I do not wish to waste any more time. Equestria's kingdom will belong to me before sundown."
"We'll see about that, Aurelius," muttered Celestia.
The dragon pushed his hands forward. Water erupted beneath the ponies, catching the princess off guard. Celestia was swallowed as Nightmare shielded herself. The liquid twisted and tided before spiraling and raising up. Nightmare began charging up energy as the water reversed its flow and began to grind Celestia into the ground with the force of its current.
Unleashing the charge, Nightmare dropped her barrier and blasted the water away, the excess liquid flooding the lands and rapidly converting it into a marsh. Nightmare lifted Celestia to her hooves, the latter coughing up water as the Id looked over scrapes and gashes on one side of her.
"Thank you," she said, "but they're only scratches." Nightmare gave her a wary look before focusing her attention back to Aurelius.
The undead dragon summoned more water, and Celestia focused the sun's rays upon herself in a focused ray of light. As the water swelled, Aurelius brought the torrent down upon the princess, driving all of its power into her. The sun ray consumed her form in its light and the water evaporated, boiling into steam as it tried to sweep her away. When the brunt of the attack had been nullified, the ray dimmed and faded leaving only blackened earth beneath the princess and steam rising around her. Her wounds had vanished.
Nightmare threw a hoof towards Aurelius and a spiraling inferno sprang from the ground and engulfed him, igniting his rotted flesh. Celestia took flight and the sun shifted slightly. Empowered by her celestial object, she gathered energy in her horn before unleashing a burst of solar energy into the attack. The fires shifted to yellow and plumed higher as he was struck. After a few moments, the flames died down and the princess landed, her legs nearly buckling as she hit the ground panting.
"It is... finished..." she said between breaths. She watched as the fires burned the ground and scraps of flesh to ashes. Sucking in a triumphant breath, a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Look out! cried Twilight.
Nightmare spread her wings as a claw pierced the earth, blasting her away and taking Celestia into its grasp. Aurelius climbed out shortly after, breaking the land and revealing his form to be burned further to just his skeletal frame. His presence brought with it the putrid scent of burning flesh, but neither pony had time to gag.
"I must admit," he said as his charred tongue ran across what remained of his lips, "that it took quite a lot to fool Nightmare. But you..."
"How did you—!?" The princess's eyes went wide as Aurelius tightened his grip, her bones and joints popping beneath the extreme pressure. Celestia threw her head back and screamed.
"How fragile you are. It would seem I was right that you cannot detect magic as you once could only a few years ago." Before he could squeeze her to death, his claw was severed in a nova of light. "What!?"
Celestia fell to ground whimpering, but wriggled herself free, panting as sweat dripped from her face. Nightmare appeared beside her with concern etched onto her face. "Are you alright, Celestia?"
The princess shot her one eye from beneath the veil of her prismatic mane. "I cannot fight... any longer. I must retreat. I'm sorry," she said in a breathy voice.
"You have done more than enough, Celestia. I know that you are still weak." There was a moment of hesitation before Nightmare spoke again. "I have a last request, though, one that Twilight has already accepted." The princess gave Nightmare a sharp look, but nodded slowly. "If we are to die here then we wish for you to tell all of the world that it was she who slew Aurelius, and that she killed me as well."
The princess's eyes widened as she raised her head to look the Id in her eyes completely. After a moment, her look softened and she closed her eyes and nodded again. "It will be done, but only if it comes to that." She began beating her wings and turned, muttering under her breath as she flew away. "Please don't die, Nightmare Moon."
Aurelius picked up his claw and held it back to his arm. A light appeared between them and they fused back together. He gave it a few flexes to test its function before his gaze fell back to Nightmare Moon, a frown reaching his eyes as he fixated on the staff floating beside her. "Even now Telos taunts me still," he growled.
Nightmare whirled around and resumed a fierce disposition, the spire on Telos shining brighter to match. "My soul has burned—ached—for the chance to kill you," she said, her words dripping with malice.
Aurelius chuckled and cocked his head. "How noble of you. The myth, the monster spoken of through the ages as fairy tails to scare children, is now a hero willing to lay down her life for those who once loathed her very existence. Tell me,"—the dragon dug his claws into the ground—"just how did free yourself from my dominion?"
Nightmare scowled at him, but it shifted to a haughty glare. "Your power, as you call it, is flawed. When Twilight and I clashed before she reached Draconis... Well," Nightmare snorted, "that's when everything became quite different for me. My will could not be fully freed because of my proximity to you, but I have doubts as to whether that was the only reason."
For a long while Aurelius said nothing, only blinking and remaining still. "Hmph. To think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were able to create such an enigma and keep it from the rest of the world... I never would have guessed they would unite and use the Rites. It has been far too long since I have last seen them used, afterall."
Nightmare's brow arched. "...Last seen them?"
The dragon chuckled, a devious smirk pulling back his burnt face. "Yes... Gods can be forged from desires of any breadth. Even puppets such as yourself. But I wonder... Do you even know of your true own origins?"
Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but Twilight's voice cut into her mind and muted her thoughts. He's trying to trick you into lowering your guard. Don't listen to him!
A light appeared in the dragon's mouth before he plunged his claws deeper into the earth. Telos moved between them as Aurelius unleashed another toxic breath. Nightmare's eyes widened as it swept the land, wilting and killing the grass immediately. The staff flashed and emitted a constant force of air outward and forwards, clearing a safe path. Nightmare dashed through the safe zone and planted her hooves to Aurelius's chest before he could free his anchoring claws. With a battle cry, Nightmare blasted him free, burning more layers of his flesh from his rib cage. He flipped backwards and rolled into a prone position, using a claw to prevent himself from sliding any further.
***
Garr touched down at a cautious distance from the battle, the sun princess soon joining them. The group unloaded from the dragon king's back and formed a line to observe. Luna met with her sister and took note of her battle fatigue. Before she could get a status report Trixie magically pried the giant lance from Garr's hand and dashed to the battle.
"Stay yourself, Trixie!" Luna called in vain. "We do not know what we are up against!"
Celestia tugged at the end of her sister's mane to grab her attention. "Let her go. There is nothing we can say that will stop her." She loosed a sigh and laid down, her eyes reflecting an unusual tiredness as they fell onto Nightmare.
"Sister, are you truly alright?"
"I'll be fine, Luna," she replied without shifting her gaze. "The sun will replenish me with time, but I... I just need to catch my breath."
"If you are injured, I will not leave your side."
Celestia frowned and brought her eyes to her sister's worried gaze. "Luna, I will be fine. Nightmare Moon may need your help."
The moon princess's eyes shifted to Nightmare, then to the ground as anxiety slipped into her. "I don't know... if I should."
"Luna, it's time to let go of the past. You don't have to forgive her right now. She was just as much of a pawn as you were, but we need her," Celestia offered soothingly.
"It is not easy to forget the feeling," she said as a shudder shook her form, "of losing control and being enslaved to such..." She trailed off before giving Celestia a hard stare. "Sister, can you forgive her?"
Celestia's eyes moved back to Nightmare, and she tried her hardest to find any ill will in looking upon her. With a sigh she muttered, "I have no choice, Luna."
***
Trixie continued running as fast as her adrenaline-charged body would let her. As she neared the battlefield, the two combatants exchanged energy blasts with one another forming craters in the marsh and splattering mud everywhere.
Aurelius blocked an attack with a wing and prepared to counter. Suddenly, a heavy downfall of snow had begun with large flakes cascading slowly to the ground. In a matter of minutes the clear sunny weather had been replaced with a howling blizzard, the cold drying out the mud and the winds carving grooves into the softened land before it was buried. The snow quickly piled over and whited out the landscape with Trixie forming a small barrier over herself and digging into the lower layers to avoid the frostbite from the wind.
As the blizzard grew, Nightmare lost visibility of Aurelius as the grey haze of snow drowned out the backdrop and darkened everything. Need... to get... warm... Her body started to go numb and her wings began to freeze over as the cold lowered her core temperature. Heat... heat... BURN!
An inferno burst from her body, engulfing her and pushing back the blizzard and melting the snow. The storm ended with the evaporated snow turning to steam around her and the sun illuminating the battlefield once again. Nightmare fell to her knees and Aurelius took control of the earth. The ground near him pulled itself up into a landslide and tided towards Nightmare. She blasted part of the attack away and attempted to shield herself, but it crashed into her and dried, rooting her place. The dragon charged and pulled back an arm before crashing it into the Id for a haymaker, his colossal weight behind the attack.
Nightmare, look out! cried Twilight.
Trixie discarded the lance and bolted towards Nightmare. Aurelius reeled back his arm again, preparing for another haymaker, but the magician had managed to reach Nightmare first. Leaping between them, she summoned as much magic as she could into a barrier. The dragon's claw carried magic in it as it struck the barrier, shattering it and striking the magician. Trixie could hear her own bones break as she was knocked backwards, her cloak fluttering loudly as she sailed through the air. Nightmare regained her bearings and unleashed a burst of energy, forcing Aurelius back, before teleporting to Trixie's landing point.
The dragon fell to a knee and clutched his chest, gingerly running a clawed digit over his grevious wound. "They just all line up to die for you, the victim from the past. I don't believe I will ever understand why they would want to save something like you," he muttered.
Nightmare trembled as she knelt down beside the magician. "Why... why did you save me? I'm just... just a..."
Trixie chuckled before wincing and coughing up blood. "I was saving both of you. If you die, so does she. And she would be... disappointed if... you died." She succumbed to another fit of coughs, more blood spilling onto herself and the grass.
Nightmare attempted to heal her, focusing herself with every bit of effort she could muster. The white light that emanated from her hooves cascaded over the magician's body in thick waves. "Just hold on."
Trixie shook her head slowly. "That was too much, even for me. Please promise me that... that you'll always protect Twilight... and... and tell her... never to... give up."
Nightmare's eyes widened as Trixie closed hers. Tears ran freely down the Id's cheeks and spilled onto Trixie's chest, her mind roaring with a maelstrom of thoughts. Some of the thoughts came in the form of Twilight's voice, but then all went silent. She stopped her attempts to heal Trixie and moved a hoof to close her eyes. Nightmare's vision distorted and she began to tremble uncontrollably.
"You know the price of war, Nightmare. Death is the merciful end compared to the fate that will always await you," Aurelius said.
Hope died within the alicorn as something welled up inside her, something explosive rushing to the surface. She grinded her teeth as her senses faded away.
HURT....PAIN....AGONY....REVENGE....RAGE....TEAR....TORMENT.... ANGER....SHRED...RIP...BLEED...SAVE HER....I FAILED....TRY....SLASH.... PLEASE....HOW DID THIS HAPPEN....REVENGE....EVISCERATE....REND
I'M GOING TO KILL YOU
CUT....BURN....SUFFER....I'LL MAKE HIM PAY....DIE....MONSTER....WHY....RIP... SHEAR....VIOLENCE....HATRED....DEATH....MURDER....JUSTICE....IT ISN'T RIGHT.....BREAK....BLAME....TERROR....IRE....SCREAM....SHATTER....RIP
A purple aura shone over Nightmare's body before expanding into a rippling flame around her. Her black coat lightened into a dark purple and the crescent moon of her cutie mark morphed into the star pattern of Twilight's. Her starry mane was replaced with the other alicorn's three-colored stripes, each stripe separating at the end and dancing in the air individually.
Laughter filled the air, a sinister laugh that carried with it pure joy, and the alicorn rose up and turned. Her eyes were no longer the sharp, draconic of Nightmare's, but the wide, natural violet orbs of Twilight's. She put a hoof over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter, and after a moment of giggling into it it finally subsided.
"Oh, wow... hehe... It's just too funny. I mean, c'mon, I just got the joke," she started, animating her words with her hooves. "It's like, 'I can't believe this is me and not me at the same time.' Like, 'this is how it's supposed to be.'" She brought a hoof back up to her mouth as laughter stole her voice again and she used her other hoof to wipe tears away.
"We have to do something," cried Dash as she turned to Celestia.
"You and I are in no condition to help her. There is no telling what Twilight will do right now. She has both Nightmare Moon and her own powers at her disposal, and the sun is a wellspring of energy for her. If we join the fight now we could be killed in the crossfire."
Dash beat a hoof into the ground as tears glistened in her eyes. "Damn it! She's only like this 'cause of you," she roared. "And now look! Trixie's dead!"
"Watch your tongue," Luna boomed, stepping between them. "Twilight and Trixie volunteered for their duty and knew full well what could happen."
"More like you used her! She would never say no to you, Princess Celestia," growled Dash as she leaned around Luna and pointed at the sun princess.
Celestia gave Dash an unreadable stare. "I make decisions every day that affect the lives of the ponies I lead. It is ponies like you, Twilight, and Trixie that make them easier and save lives. This could have very well played out differently, but I have no regrets for my decision."
Dash glared at her for a while longer before loosing a huff and moving to stand with the other Elements again, wiping her face briskly.
"Sister, I must assist Twilight Sparkle now."
Celestia shook her head. "No. Assess Twilight's condition first. I don't know what she'll do, and her unpredictability makes her dangerous." Luna gave her sister a surprised look before they redirected their gazes to Twilight.
Aurelius took an uncomfortable step back as he eyed the alicorn in front of him cautiously. "You speak in riddles. Have you gone mad?" He lowered himself into a defensive stance poised to retaliate.
"Afraid?" Twilight ran a hoof against her chin. "Of me being crazy? That's a little funny coming from you."
Twilight closed the distance between them with a slow march, her body blithely swaying from side to side as if she might stumble and fall. Telos appeared beside her in a flash, dancing in a sporadic rhythm to match her movements. The light in the spire flickered through many colors and she stopped to watch it, suddenly finding interest in it.
"Isn't this such a neat toy? Telos leaves behind such nice presents."
Aurelius's eyes widened and he snapped at her words. "Telos gave that staff to you?"
Twilight moved her eyes to him before adjusting her face to match. "Who else? The staff is named Telos after him, you know. I betcha you want one, too," she finished in a sing-song voice.
"Where is he!?" seethed the dragon, throwing his head in every direction and taking another cautious step back. "I was sure I killed him."
"Aw, you and Telos don't play nice?" Twilight whined. Twilight's cheery voice was lowered as she began to talk to the staff, the weapon dancing around her in an entertaining rhythm. "That's okay. We can have just as much fun!"
"Where is Nightmare Moon? What have you done with her?"
Twilight continued to fixate on the staff as Aurelius gnashed his teeth in anger. After a moment, she rolled them to him, black circles ringing them. "She was holding me back. I killed her," she said in a serious tone. In the same instant her disposition returned to jovial and she added, "But enough about that. Let's have some fun!"
Aurelius raised his claws, the rush of movement splattering bits of mud everywhere. With a mighty heave he slammed them into the ground, his chain rattling around his neck from the impact. The earth shuddered as a wave of mud and stone came to life and surged towards Twilight.
Splitting a wide grin, the archmage rose to standing, twirling around and raising her hooves. Telos flipped spire down and a swirl of water formed, propelling outward as a sudden, conjured wave. Before it closed half of the distance to Aurelius, it halted and rapidly spun into a cyclone, expanding vertically and absorbing the dragon's attack. It drilled into the ground before exploding, dispersing more water and spraying the dragon with debris and forcing him to shield his face with a wing.
In a flash, Twilight appeared behind him with Telos in both forehooves. She raised it high overhead before loosing a battle cry and striking his tail. Aurelius half expected his tail to be blown off, but the archmage had not added any magic or spells to the attack. He whirled around in a sweep with his left claw, but she was gone by the time he completed his turn.
Twilight reappeared atop his head, hanging hers down to try and glimpse his eyes. "Isn't it even more fun when your food plays with you back?" The dragon reached for her, but she vanished once more, reappearing in the distance before him.
"I have had enough of your games. You only delay your and your princess' deaths, and their succession."
Twilight snickered. "Who cares about that stuff? This is much more fun!" She released Telos and it floated in front of her, laying horizontal and spinning. After a moment a tornado formed with the staff as the center, the funnel reaching high into the sky. It gathered power and began ripping up the ground, pulling mud and rocks into and changing its color to brown. "Let's see what we can do," she muttered to herself, her voice lost to the howl of the cyclone.
Aurelius took in a deep breath, anchoring himself with his claws again, and unleashed a magical flame at the storm. To his surprise, it absorbed it and added its power to the attack. Twilight took a breath and blew her own flame into it, combining them. She added an additional spell as she held out her hoof, a black orb forming above it and floating into the cyclone's center; it was absorbed, dyeing the creation black and giving it the power of Nightmare's gravity magic.
Twilight collapsed for a moment, panting, but held a satisfied look as the cyclone moved towards Aurelius. The dragon attempted to back away, but the gravitational pull was too great. When Twilight caught her breath she stood up and renewed her disposition. "And now for the finishing touch."
Before Aurelius could react, the spellstorm closed the distance to him in a few seconds, trapping him with its gravitational pull and eroding his form. He roared as it tore through rotted flesh and obliterated a few bones. The chain around his neck snapped and the rune dissolved. Instantly, the spell came to an end with all of the sediment and debris dropping onto the ground around him. Twilight stared at him for a moment, blinking. The dragon instinctively reached for his neck, glowering when he realized the rune was gone.
"Such power from the likes of you? This is insanity."
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but she froze, wide-eyed, as Nightmare's voice overtook her thoughts. Twilight Sparkle!
The alicorn groaned. "Shut up..."
Stop this at once! I am here, and I will not give up on you.
"I said, 'Shut up!'" Twilight staggered backwards, her hooves clasping her head, and Telos fell to the ground beside her losing its light. "Get out of my head." Her mane shifted about as she turned and whipped herself about. Finally, she collapsed to the ground murmuring to herself.
I promised Trixie that I would always protect you.
Twilight froze, tears welling in her eyes. Promised. The word cleared her mind of scattered thoughts and feelings. Promise. She teleported to Trixie's body and crouched down. "It's... it's... not... fair! I tried... I did my best... I did everything I could! And I still... I still couldn't save..." Her vision blurred, and she punched the ground beside the magician, shuddering.
I am so sorry, Twilight.
"I'm sorry, Nightmare, Trixie. I failed." Twilight ran a hoof through the magician's mane. There were splotches of blood and mud, but all she could see was her face unblemished, aided by imagination. She leaned down and kissed her lips, her breaths sharp and disjointed. As tears fell onto Trixie's face, Twilight mouthed her last thought to her. I love you, and goodbye.
Aurelius regained enough strength to move and, seizing the opportunity to strike, he propelled himself towards the alicorn. His shredded wings gave him what little boost of speed they could offer, and he slammed his fists into them. He could not feel their bodies crush beneath his attack; Twilight had already vanished with Trixie's body.
"Take care of her," she said to her friends, appearing before them. Trixie's body floated in her magical aura, and she gently set her down and laid her out peacefully. No one dared speak a word as Twilight's gaze fell hollowly onto her body. With a sigh, she turned and disappeared in another flash of light.
"Luna, please go to her now. I will continue to gather my strength." Celestia watched as her sister took flight and headed for the battlefield.
"I do not like sitting idly by while a comrade battles in my stead," said Garr.
Celestia turned to him with her unreadable look. "I understand, but this is no longer your fight."
Garr's expression shifted into uncomfortable disbelief. "What makes you say that? Aurelius is the very reason why this war began, and why my king is dead. He is a member of the Brood who has manipulated and betrayed us. Why should I stand by and watch?"
Celestia's eyes wandered to Twilight's friends, all of them having gathered around Trixie to mourn. After listening to some of their tearful goodbyes, she glanced back to Garr. "I'm starting to doubt that Aurelius is a dragon at all."
"What!?"
"I'm not sure, yet, but he seems to have a personal hatred for Telos, who went missing thousands of years ago." She stood up and glanced to the ground in thought. "Wait a minute... No... It couldn't be," she muttered as she looked up the battle.
***
Luna landed beside Twilight as she regained her composure. Telos came back to life and floated beside her, and her mane's wild movement calmed to a natural flow. The archmage continued to hang her head and allow her mane to obscure her face. "Are you alright, Twilight?"
"I'll... be fine."
I'm here for you, Nightmare's voice echoed in her mind.
Twilight sighed and raised her head. I will not break my promise to you.
What of your's and Celestia's promise?
Twilight ignored her and spoke to the princess, instead the other mare's expression deepening with concern as the silence between them had grown. "I have a plan, Luna. Can you and Celestia raise the moon and sun together? I need both of them."
Luna gawked at her. Never in her or her sister's reign had both celestial objects ruled the sky simultaneously. She thought it over for a moment before nodding. "It will not be easy and it will take some time. You must hold Aurelius off during that period." She turned to walk away, but stopped and glanced back to the archmage. "Twilight. We are staking everything on you."
"It wouldn't be the first time," Twilight muttered bitterly under her breath.
The princess cast her a regretful look before flying away. Her mind catalogued the potential of utilizing both the sun and the moon, but she could not be sure of Twilight's plan. As she touched down beside Celestia she still carried a worried expression.
"What is it, Luna?"
"She," she started, hesitating for a moment, "wishes to have us raise both the sun and the moon."
Celestia's eyes widened immediately. "What could she possibly-?" The sun princess cut herself off and shook her head. "I'm afraid Aurelius may not be who we thought he was."
"Oh? And just who might he truly be?"
Celestia lowered her brow in thought and magically readjusted her tiara. "His necromancy, and his knowledge of things that even some of our highest counsel are not privy to... I believe he may be a former ruler from Equestria's history."
The others gasped at the idea and Luna tensed, but her sister remained steady. "Who... Who could be alive after all of this time? Who before us? Who would dare go against our—your—peaceful rule, sister?"
"Aurelius... is the name of Soothsayer Astra's brother."
Luna choked on a breath as she whipped her head back to the undead dragon. "It... cannot be!" she said as her composure crumbled.
"It seems his powers are limited, but there is no telling what he is capable of, even now." Celestia took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she allowed herself to relax. "I believe in Twilight."
"She will not lose," muttered Luna as she cast a glance to Trixie's body. "She has lost too much already." As she returned her eyes to the battle they came to a rest upon Aurelius. Soothsayer Astra's brother. Impossible.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 19: Eye of the Storm
"Sister, the sun may be too much of a tax upon you. Please, allow me to control both the sun and the moon in your stead," urged Luna.
Celestia gave her an annoyed look. "I've already told you Luna, I will be fine. The sun is a constant—" The princess broke into a fit of coughs as her legs folded under her. She crashed to the soft grass and caught her breath after a moment of focused breathing.
Luna hung a doubtful stare over her sister. "You are beyond your capacity for the moment. I shall begin moving the moon into position. If you will not leave your duty to me then at least allow me to finish preparing before you."
"Fine, but I am doing this Luna, even if it's the last thing I can do." Celestia shifted uncomfortably as the others watched them in silence. She grunted to clear her chest, but it did little to relieve her weakness; the constant feeling of breathlessness and muscle fatigue bothered her. What is going on? Why is it taking so long for the sun to regenerate me? She poured more efforts into her breathing and shifted her gaze to the battlefield.
***
Twilight's dark, astral mane stilled for a moment as questions ran through her mind. Questions of her status, Nightmare's status, everything that had happened. But for the moment, something else held her thoughts. "I've been wondering for a while now," she started, her mane snapping to Telos and devouring it into its magical abyss. A part of her mane floated into her view and she examined it. "Why do you hate Telos so much? Not very many ponies know who he was, and even the archmagi have very little information about him," she finished, resetting her mane and rolling her eyes to the undead dragon.
Aurelius grunted. "That is none of your concern," he replied curtly.
Keep asking, said Nightmare. Celestia will need more time to reposition the sun. Maybe we can keep him talking.
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, releasing it slowly out of her mouth. Celestia isn't the only one. I'm still recovering from the spells I used earlier.
"So, it would seem you are sane once more," said Aurelius.
"So, who exactly was Telos, huh? You seem to know more about him than I do, and I have his staff."
"His name is not yours to use so casually," the dragon growled. He lunged forward and pivoted, sweeping a fully extended claw in a wide arc. The earth rose up behind it and tided towards the alicorn.
Twilight's mane expanded into a bubble, shielding herself preemptively, but Aurelius lunged again. His claw connected with the barrier and the wave of earth bolstered his attack. As her barrier shattered, she vaulted backwards, narrowly evading a third sweeping strike, but Aurelius pivoted a final time and brought his tail speeding into her. She cried out as it impacted her chest and sent her sailing backwards. She hit the ground hard, tumbling a few more meters before sliding to a stop.
As she lifted herself from the ground, coughing all the while, Aurelius advanced, his stomps quaking the earth. Raising both hands, the dragon brought them down for a kill, but Twilight dashed into the dead zone of the attack and stopped beneath his chest. She prepared to unleash a spell but a green glint caught her eye. It was the blade of Dash's sword Nightfall impaled beneath Aurelius's left wing. The dragon backpedaled in two huge steps and attempted to snap at Twilight. She teleported beneath his left side and held a hoof, aiming her telekinesis.
I can't grab it!? The sword didn't move or react to her magic, and she felt as if her magic was being drawn into it. She teleported away before Aurelius could attack her again.
"I know what you're after, you little devil," he said. "That pitiful knight has no idea what she was wielding." The dragon furled up his wing and frowned. "And neither shall you know what it truly is."
We need more time, reminded Nightmare.
I know, I know, but what else can we do? I'll be out of magic soon if I keep staying on the offensive. Twilight glanced to the ground in thought. I've got an idea. Before Nightmare could process the dominant soul's thoughts, Twilight reproduced Telos from her mane and floated it in front of her. The spire exploded in a blinding light, and Aurelius shielded his eyes for its duration.
"I-impossible!" he roared when he opened them again. Standing before him was the real Telos, unfazed and staring back at him. Aurelius trembled for a moment, half laughing to himself, half muttering. "I am going to tear you apart, Telos!" he bellowed as he charged. Strengthened by his rage, he slammed his right claw down as hard as his body would allow, cratering the ground and threatening to break his own arm. When the dust settled, he retracted his arm to find the ancient sage still staring back at him, only one eye peeking out from beneath his hood and completely untouched.
"Arrogance will blind you so long as you hold onto it," said the sage.
Twilight watched from a cautious distance behind. I can't believe it's working, she thought to herself.
"Do not mock me!" Aurelius bellowed. "You, who hide behind fakes, should not dare speak down to me, you pathetic pawn!" The ground trembled with his rage, but Telos continued with his staring.
Aurelius thrashed about, striking where he stood with his tail and his claws until there was nothing more than a ravaged piece of land devoid of grass. His eyes, his face, his robe, his name. Everything about Telos incited a fury within him. When he ended his tantrum he scanned the area, satisfied for the moment while the dust settled. However, his satisfaction soon twisted into disbelief as his eyes fell to a particular mound of dirt.
"H-how... How can you still live? You helped take everything from me, and I claimed your life in return. But how? How are you still alive!?" he roared.
Standing atop the land was Twilight with Telos, the staff, affixed to her back, and Telos the pony beside her. "I thought you could use the reunion," she taunted. Why does he hate Telos so much?
I don't know. I have never heard him mention anything about him until now. Nightmare's confusion seeped into Twilight for a moment, and the dominant soul shook herself to alleviate the feeling.
Maybe he'll tell us. Twilight prepared to speak, but her eyes caught a shift in the light as the sun moved. Finally. The change was subtle, but the sun had moved from its expected position as the moon prepared to creep over the horizon behind it. Twilight took a deep breath of relief knowing that she still had magic left.
It's not over, yet. Don't let your guard done, reminded Nightmare swiftly. We need to keep him distracted.
"That's enough of that," said Twilight.
Telos glanced to her before muttering, "So it would seem." His image blurred before dissolving and flowing into the spire of the staff.
Aurelius froze as he observed the sage's form disperse. "M-merely an... illusion?" he muttered. It seemed as if a great weight had been lifted from his decayed body and he straightened himself as he snickered. He stretched his ravaged wings, a grin stretching his face to match, and Twilight maintained an even gaze back to him.
We can keep going, encouraged Nightmare. I didn't know you could create an illusion of Telos from the staff, but now what do you have planned with the sun and the moon?
A self-satisfied vibe was transmitted to Nightmare as Twilight began to respond. I plan to purify him. I'm going to use the real Holy.
An audible scoff echoed in Twilight's thoughts as the Id struggled to believe her. Do you not already control holy magic? You are capable of healing yourself and others.
Twilight inwardly shook her head. It's an all-magic. Technically, Holy is just one spell, but used with varying levels of power. Low grades of it can heal minor injuries, and more magic can be used to mend bones in rare cases. I used the strongest amount I could on you in our duel, and that was with the help of the moon, my alicorn power, and all of the years I had trained.
There was a lull between them before Nightmare responded. I understand now, but will it be enough, even with the sun and the moon to strengthen you?
I don't know, but I will make sure this works. No matter what.
Despite the distinction between their minds Twilight could feel Nightmare's apprehension. She countered with her own confidence, nullifying the negative feeling; it was a strange sensation to have each other's emotions overridden by the other, but at the same it was an almost familiar, natural feeling. One could feel what the other was if they invited the emotions in. Twilight was unsure if Nightmare was unable to block hers, or if she was constantly accepting anything she felt.
It will be fine, I promise, Twilight reassured one last time.
You promise so easily. The thought had already transferred before Nightmare could stop it, and she immediately regretted it. She could feel the bite into Twilight's heart as it mirrored over to her. I'm sorry, I didn't mean... to...
"Have you fallen asleep," asked Aurelius, "or are you out of cards to play now that your little illusion is over?" Twilight shot him an unreadable look again as she pondered what to do next.
Are you going for the sword again? asked Nightmare.
He seems to be keeping it away from me. Maybe it's amplifying his powers, but it seems to drain the magic of my telekinesis when I try to grab it.
Not wasting any time, Twilight teleported beneath the dragon again. As Aurelius tilted his head down and prepared to react, the alicorn unleashed a burst of energy, blasting him in the chest and sending him off balance. He beat his wings to prevent the recoil from toppling him backwards, and Twilight took flight during his recovery. She bolted for the sword in his wing, wrapping both hooves around the hilt. With a heave, she wrenched it and sliced his wing down before flying away.
Aurelius growled. "You will return that at once." Twilight was surprised when he did not react vehemently. He relaxed and watched her as she studied the weapon. "Tell me, Twilight Sparkle. Do you play chess?" the dragon asked suddenly.
Be careful, he might have something planned!
Twilight shot him a cautious look. "Why, is this a game? Or did you plan ahead knowing what could happen?"
Aurelius loosed a rumbling chuckle as he furled his wings back up, the left one's leathery folds swaying in the wind. "I must admit I could never have foreseen something like you, but I see your true potential. Your weak willed princesses can only see a fraction of it. Why don't you join me?" He stretched out his hand, but didn't smile. Twilight's eyes widened as she realized he was serious. "Together we could rule Equestria, the Brood, and accomplish so much more." His eyes drifted away from her as his mind wandered.
Twilight glowered at him. "No... I would never join you! You manipulated the Brood and Equestria into war with each other and who knows how many have died because of you!" Her voice lowered from a shout to a deadly growl. "I will kill you for everything you've done."
"Hm. I thought not, but one can hope. You have been given immortality, and I will take your life before even your natural lifespan is up."
"Why would you want to rule forever?" countered the alicorn. "Immortality is a double edge," she added, running a hoof along Nightfall's blade.
"Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, do you believe in fate? Perhaps destiny?"
For a moment, she ignored the dragon's questions and attempted to sense Nightfall's power. As she concentrated she could feel the blade nullifying her magic again. It doesn't do anything? She frowned and slid the sword beneath her cloak. The moon was now visible and she began to gather energy in her horn. "I don't care about fate or destiny. My life and my decisions belong to me." Telos moved before her and its spire shined brightly, the earth quaking to life.
Aurelius snorted. "I wonder if your mind would crumble if you knew the truth," he muttered to himself.
Twilight's mane shifted into a billowing flame of three shades, her body lightening to white. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care, but this is the end for you."
"Who I am?" the dragon said, chuckling again. "I am a true ruler of Equestria—a rightful heir to the throne. The seat of power belongs to me so long as I draw breath." He raised his claws and four flares of energy appeared around, a red barrier quickly forming around him and between the flares. "I will be the king that I should have."
The sister princesses stood side by side as they gazed out across the battlefield. The Rites had siphoned most of their natural energy reserves, but they had managed to push themselves in spite of it. Celestia fell to her knees in exhaustion.
"Sister, are you alright?" Luna asked, forcing herself to divide her focus.
"I will be fine. I just... need a... moment." Celestia's consciousness faded away a moment later.
Luna gnashed her teeth and redoubled her efforts, maintaining the sun's position while finalizing the moon's. Her power waned as the moon aligned. "Twilight," she bellowed, "It is done. The rest is all up to you! Do not fail!" She fell to her knees, the last of her power and focus dedicated to maintaining the celestial objects' positions.
Twilight removed Nightfall from her cloak and stabbed it into the ground. With her right hoof she grasped Render's magical lance in the distance and quickly moved it in front of her beside Telos. I won't let your death be in vain, Trixie.
The dragon's interest had been piqued. "What do you plan to do with that?" he asked quickly.
Twilight glowered death at him. "I'm going to fulfill Telos's legacy and kill you. Unlike him, I won't fail."
Aurelius threw his had back and laughed. "Such insolence," he barked. "Well, then. Show me your resolve! Show me the power of the one who will kill me!"
Twilight leaped into flight, quickly rising above the dragon and taking light from both celestial objects. The dragon completed his barrier and poured more and more power into it. As the alicorn gathered energy his eyes finally caught the oddity in the light on the ground. He threw a glance behind him, but his eyes widened and he found himself turning in disbelief and awe.
"Impossible," he muttered, staring at the moon. As he rotated back to Twilight he was met with the flicker of the lance surging towards him. He loosed a choking breath as the prongs sank into his neck and chest, and he stumbled backwards. His powerful barrier had already vanished.
"Take one last look at my face, Aurelius," Twilight called down to him. "Because I don't want you forget who killed you."
"You fool... This doesn't... end with..." he choked out.
The energy in Twilght's horn erupted into a burst of light that drowned out the rest of the world. Her small body cast a massive shadow over the ground as everything began to white out. Telos appeared between them near the dragon, a loud hum emanating from it. The staff melded into the light as it emitted its own from the gem in the spire.
"HOLY!" Twilight boomed, forcing the words out with all of the air in her lungs.
Aurelius made an attempt to grasp the lance, but he watched in horror as his hand dissolved before reaching the shaft, and the mythril shaft of Telos fractured and vanished into the whiteness. He unleashed a roar, but it was lost just as quickly in the blaring hum of the spell.
The radiance of the light consumed Twilight's form before further expanding and consuming the entirety of their battlefield. When the light faded Twilight had an aura around her for a moment; it faded away as the moon began to shift back into its rightful position. Her wings numbed and she descended rapidly to the ground, her white coat fading to black and her mane losing its burning property. She slowed her descent with magic as she reached the ground. Despite her attempts to make the landing soft, her legs faltered as the fatigue from the grand spell set in and she collapsed.
Don't push yourself too hard. You need to rest, said Nightmare.
Twilight grunted and, gnashing her teeth, forced herself back to standing. I'm fine.
The alicorn glanced around the field and gasped. All of the damage that it had sustained during the battle with Aurelius had been completely healed. It appeared as if the field had never been disturbed. So this is the power of Holy? muttered Nightmare in awe.
A wind swept the fields, and Twilight drew in a deep breath before walking shakily towards the lance that now marked Aurelius's grave. She moved to where she would be just underneath the dragon's head and stared up to it. The weapon had been ruined by the energy. Flakes of rust peeled away and some fell freely into the grass around it.
"It's over Nightmare Moon. You're free from him now," said Twilight aloud to her.
Thank you, Twilight Sparkle—for everything you have done for me. However, I am without a body of my own, and we may be stuck together...
"I'll find a way to give you your own body," she said quickly. "I don't care how long... it takes. I..." Tears welled in her eyes as she fell to her knees. "I... promise you," she muttered, breaking down. She bawled into her hooves as images of Trixie filled her mind. "I promise..."
Nightmare said nothing. She could say nothing. Vibes of comfort transferred from her soul to Twilight's, but it made no difference to the alicorn and she continued to cry out loud to herself.
After several minutes passed she wiped her face and eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I just... I need some time to mourn. Please."
You don't need to apologize to me, Twilight. I understand, replied Nightmare softly. Take all the time you need.
A glint in the grass caught the alicorn's eye and she scrubbed her forehooves through the blades until she captured the glinting object. The gem from Telos's spire? she thought, holding it up to her eyes. "How did it survive the spell?" she wondered aloud. Her exhaustion sapped her ability to think. Seeking true rest over answers, she slipped the gem beneath her cloak and rose back up.
She marched towards the edge of the battlefield where her friends observed, but she stumbled halfway and fell to the ground, giving in to her tired body. The toll of the spell had drained her of even physical strength. She grumbled to herself. The sickness of an absolute magic purge would soon render her bedridden again, and the unpleasant irritability and agitation would follow it. Even if the sun restored her the effects would still occur.
The party of observers moved to her, and Luna nudged her sister to waken. Celestia opened her eyes as Twilight was surrounded by her friends. She stood up and prepared to move, but Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. "Nay, sister. Rest," she whispered.
"You were amazing, Twilight," exclaimed Dash. "What was that bright light?" Twilight didn't make eye contact and the knight awkwardly maintained a smile as she slipped past the archmage and retrieved Nightfall.
Fluttershy looked over the archmage's body quickly. "You're not even injured?" she asked, half to herself.
"I'm fine. Thanks, everyone."
Garr's rumbling voice came next. "You have cleared the Brood of Aurelius's treachery, and executed him as the traitor he is. I will ensure that all dragons will know the name of the hero who freed us. Thank you, Archmage Twilight Sparkle."
As Twilight opened her mouth everyone fell silent. "What about all of the dragons I killed?" she snapped. "What about the ones who thought they were fighting for their brethren—their king?" Her face scrunched into a bitter scowl and she stared at the ground.
"Luna, promise me," started Celestia, earning a questioning gaze from her sister, "that you will not intervene no matter what happens next?" She fixated on Twilight as she stood, and the archmage met her gaze with contempt in her eyes.
"Sister, what are you—"
Twilight abruptly walked away from her friends as they tried to reassure her from guilt. Celestia forced herself to maintain an even look as Twilight's pace increased. As the archmage neared she rose up on her hind legs while she ran at full speed, anger driving her. Reeling back her right hoof, Twilight swung a haymaker at the sun princess, striking her jaw. Celestia groaned as she was sent toppling backwards.
Luna gave a start as the others loosed cries of surprise and fright. "Have you lost your mind, Twilight?" shrieked Luna at the same time as Dash cried, "What are you doing?"
Twilight straddled Celestia and continued planting blow after blow into her face with both hooves. Each hit was punctuated with a distressed grunt, not from Celestia, but from Twilight. She pounded her until her body gave out again and she fell to her side, trembling and whimpering to herself. Garr and the other Elements watched in silent horror as they gazed at Celestia.
The princess's face was covered in bruises; both cheeks were cut and swollen and both of her eyes had been blackened. She shakily reached out to the smaller alicorn, but Twilight pulled herself away.
"Don't.... touch me!"
"Twilight, I'm sorry for all of this... I'm so... so sorry," Celestia blubbered as tears ran down her swollen cheeks. Despite the pain she forced a remorseful expression up.
The archmage only cried quietly to herself in the silence that followed, her friends forced to watch with sorrow etched onto their faces. Only Dash knew all of what she had been through among them, and she couldn't bring herself to stare.
Twilight finally stood up after several minutes, wiping her face and sniffling with her back to her friends before she could compose herself. "I want all of you to know exactly what's happened," she said.
Are you sure about this? asked Nightmare.
Twilight stepped back and put more distance between her and her friends. Luna dashed to her sister's side, and Twilight cast a sidelong glance to them. The black circles around her eyes had not yet faded and her glance appeared even more contemptuous to the princesses.
"Aurelius had infiltrated the Brood's hierarchy a few years ago. Tensions between Equestria and the Draconic empire, the Brood, rose until the borders between our lands became hostile territory." She turned around to face her friends and Garr, all silent. "Aurelius manipulated their council and king into instigating war, and he was the one who created Nightmare Moon, using her to corrupt Princess Luna and use her against Princess Celestia once before. That's why she appeared again when he took Canterlot.
"Rainbow Dash and I were tasked with stopping this war. We were supposed to do this by infiltrating Draconis, stealing their war plans, and having me assassinate the dragon king, Render." Her friends loosed gasps, and Dash hung her head in shame. "And part of this,"—she turned around and extended her wings—"required me to become an alicorn. I was also given the legendary mythril staff, Telos."
"But, if it was just you an' Rainbow, how did Trixie get mixed up in all of it?" asked Applejack.
Twilight choked on a breath, forcing away her sorrow as she thought of the magician. She furled her wings up and turned back around, regret etched onto her face. "I asked Trixie to join me. That was my decision... and that decision... cost her her life..." she trailed off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trembling in regret, anger, and shame.
Dash stepped closer and said soothingly, "C'mon, Twi. It's not your fault." The knight attempted to move closer, but she backed off when the archmage opened her eyes and glared at her.
"She's gone because of me and I... have to live with that." She took another deep breath to prevent from breaking down and crying before continuing. "Before we reached Draconis we encountered Nightmare Moon. I stayed behind to fight her so that Trixie and Rainbow could make it the rest of the way there... and because I was afraid I would hurt them in our fight. Somehow, my magic loosened Aurelius's control over her."
Thank you for that.
"After that battle I regrouped with Rainbow and Trixie before continuing on to the city. We parted ways for our mission there, but they had to leave without me when I was trapped there," she lied. "I.... killed most of the royal guard and completed my mission to assassinate King Render." She clamped her eyes and trembled as tears ran down her cheeks. Images of bloody and charred dragons from the massacre surfaced from memory.
"Twilight," began Rarity, "do you and Nightmare Moon—?"
"We share the same body now," replied the archmage quietly. Her friends gasped, but could say nothing else to the new information. "We can share some of our thoughts, but I don't know about anything else. It's also why I look like this."
Rarity spoke again. "What will you do, Twilight? Surely you don't intend to share the same body with her forever."
Twilight shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. I'll find a way to give her her own body eventually, but for now this is how it has to be."
"Should we regard Nightmare Moon's presence within you as a latent threat?" asked Luna, a bitter glare holding her eyes.
Twilight gave her a sharp look before responding flatly, "No."
Luna appeared as if she had more to say, but Celestia sat up and cleared her throat. "It has been a trying time for all of us yet there is still more I need to discuss with Twilight. The rest of you may return to the castle and rest."
Garr nodded and shook his form, extending his wings. "I must return to Draconis. After all that has happened there is much explaining and rebuilding to be done. I will arrange for the burial of all who fell in the confusion of the war. By now whatever generals remain should be receiving withdrawal orders. We shall speak soon, princesses." He bowed before turning and lifting off, the grass rustling violently in his wake.
Twilight moved to her friends, Luna moving to stand with them, and a large alchemy circle formed beneath the group. In a flash of light they were gone. After several seconds Twilight reappeared alone.
"Who was your source for the coming war with the Brood?" she immediately interrogated. "It was Spike, wasn't it?"
"Twilight—"
"Where is he?" she roared, stamping a hoof.
Celestia didn't flinch and maintained an even gaze, even as Twilight's anger had surfaced. "He is safe. He was always safe, hidden away in Ponyville before the war even began." She brought a hoof up to her face and gently massaged her jaw. "Twilight, can you assure me that you are fully in control of Nightmare Moon?"
Twilight's eyes widened as her anger boiled over again. "After everything I've been through, everything I've done for you, you suddenly can't trust me anymore!?" she screamed. "How dare you!"
The princess discarded her calm composure. She took on a combat stance and shot a heated look back to her former student. "Then calm yourself at once!" she shouted. "Prove to me that you can handle yourself—that you can handle her! I don't want to detain you, but if you lose control and hurt someone then I will not hesitate to seal you somewhere where you won't be a danger to anyone else! I am the ruler of an entire nation, and I must put the safety of my subjects first!"
"You ungrateful bitch..." Twilight seethed. She gnashed her teeth and unleashed a howl of rage and frustration. "You lied to me from the very beginning! I can never trust you again, and now you're threatening me with this!?" She huffed for a moment to catch her breath and shook her head. "If you're going to treat me like a rabid animal then we are through, Princess Celestia," she snarled, emphasizing her mentor's title.
She is right, Twilight. You would do the same if you were in her position, said Nightmare in an attempt to pacify the archmage.
After a minute of silent thinking Twilight groaned in frustration again. Nightmare was right, but she didn't want to admit it, and that just frustrated her more. She took a deep breath and allowed her anger to wash away for the time being.
"I... I need time to mourn," she said in a calm tone, and Celestia visibly relaxed in response. Twilight laid a hollow gaze over Trixie's body. "I need to bury her. I need to..."
"I am truly sorry about her loss, Twilight."
"Save it, princess. After today I will no longer complete any assignments under the Archmagi without Luna's personal approval."
Celestia watched in regretful silence as Twilight moved to Trixie's body. The archmage trembled as she crouched down and pulled the magician to her chest. Her mind flooded with all of the memories they had made together, and what little time they had shared. "I will never forget you," she whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut and rested her head upon hers. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Twilight flinched, her eyes shooting open; her heart skipped a beat, and she could not immediately form a response. Nightmare's surprise was audible in her head, and Celestia mirrored her with a startled gasp. The archmage scrambled away and stared at the magician. Trixie coughed several times before opening her eyes and slowly sitting up on her own, the mud and blood from the battle having disappeared from her body.
"T-Trixie!? But... H-how!?" cried Twilight as she stood up and moved to her with a drowsy and confused look in her eyes.
Trixie stretched and adjusted her cloak before answering. "What are you talking about? What happened? Where's Aurelius?" she asked as her alertness returned. Concern became more evident in her voice with each question that she asked. Twilight's mouth hung open for a moment, unsure of where to begin, but Trixie spoke again. "Why do you look like... Nightmare Moon?" she asked while motioning to all of the archmage's drastic changes in appearance.
Twilight pursed her lips and turned away. Celestia shook away her awe and stepped closer. "Could Holy have done this?" she chimed in. "In all of the centuries, the millennia that I have ruled, no one has ever been resurrected with magic."
"Trixie, you really don't remember anything at all?" Twilight asked.
The magician half-closed her eyes attempting to coax her memory to return. "Aurelius... Nightmare Moon was about to get hit. I... Did I block it?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.
Twilight stared at her worriedly, afraid that her mind might have been damaged. "Trixie you shielded us from him... That attack killed you. I... I watched you die!" She threw a hoof over her mouth and trembled as the anguish of her sacrifice returned. She remained like that for a while, taking deep breaths until her nerves calmed once more. "I watched you... die..."
Trixie stared at her in shock, her mouth agape. Twilight could not bring herself to look at her in that moment. "But I'm fine, see!?" she insisted, patting herself down. "I-I'm not dead."
Twilight nodded slowly. "Are you alright? I... It's just so hard to believe that... that you're alive again." She moved closer and placed a hoof to Trixie's face. "It's like a dream."
Trixie placed one of her hooves over Twilight's as her eyes watered. "I'm here, Twilight," she cooed. "You never answered me before, though."
"What?"
"Why do you look like Nightmare Moon?"
Twilight's heart sank as the Id's voice began in her mind. Just tell her. She trusts you, and she will accept it, even if she doesn't understand.
Twilight nodded, both to Trixie and Nightmare. "We share the same body now. Her soul is in me." Trixie's eyes widened, but Twilight moved her hoof over the magician's mouth before she could interrupt. "It's not like Luna. We... can communicate, and I've tapped into her power. I guess this change reflects that," she finished as she glanced to her own darkened foreleg. Trixie gazed at her mane, its almost spectral look engrossing her.
"Let us return to Canterlot. I'm sure your friends will be overjoyed about this miracle," chimed in Celestia again.
Twilight gave her a hard look that Trixie could not see before standing and picking the magician up. Despite her exhausted state, she found the other mare to be lighter than before. Nightmare's strength? she wondered to herself. "I'll see you back in Canterlot, princess." She teleported away in a flash of light.
Celestia gave a downcast look to the grass where she stood. "I will find a way to mend our bond. I swear it, Twilight," she muttered to herself. Sighing, she coiled down in preparation for flight.
"Were you the one to unleash the full power of Holy, Princess Celestia?"
The voice cut through the air like a sword and the princess froze, her chest tightening as she turned around. "I don't believe it..." she muttered, her eyes widening.
***
Twilight appeared in the throne room just inches off of the floor, the distance giving her ample time for a graceful landing. As she touched down her legs buckled beneath her and Trixie landed on her hind hooves as the alicorn crashed to the hard floor. Her head spun and she clamped her eyes shut. She focused on breathing and the coolness of the marble she now rested on.
"Are you alright?" Trixie shrieked the question as she crouched down to her. "Please take it easy. If you used up all of your magic against Aurelius then you need to rest."
She is right, Twilight. You need to rest now more than ever, echoed Nightmare.
"No, I'm fine. And I don't need to yet. I can still—"
"Who are you talking to?" asked Trixie as she helped the alicorn back to standing.
"I, err," she took a breath and scratched her head, "I was talking to Nightmare. Sorry about that." The magician maintained a perplexed stare.
Can we... switch places? asked the Id timidly.
I don't know. I don't remember how I did it before. It just... happened. Twilight shuddered as she recalled some of the rage she felt when Trixie had died.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, however she couldn't be sure of what she was to focus on. She tried clearing her mind and then picturing Nightmare and then reproducing the feeling of the Id being the dominant soul. It gave her an odd sensation and she couldn't feel pain or injury if her body was wounded, but it was almost as if Nightmare had held her in a soft embrace; always there, but not.
"T-Twilight...?" asked the magician, taking a cautious step back.
"No. I am Nightmare Moon," replied the Id as she looked her form over. Her coat had lost what little purple pigment it had and her eyes converted into her sharp turquoise. After a moment, the features of Twilight's mane faded and shifted into the blue, starry mist of the dark counterpart.
"But... how? I thought you... uhh..." Trixie pawed at her face and looked abashed for a moment. "I thought you only possessed ponies, like you did with Princess Luna."
Nightmare blinked and put a hoof to her chin. "With Luna I never had a choice, but Twilight and I have a much different connection." Her eyes fell back to Trixie who gave her an uncomfortable stare. For a moment, Nightmare became indifferent to the situation and regarded her in a way she couldn't be sure.
"Are you okay?" asked Trixie, abandoning her discomfort.
Nightmare blinked hard and shook her head. "I'm fine. It's just..." She took a breath and gazed into Trixie's eyes. "I have received most of Twilight's memories. You and I are strangers to each other, but seeing you invokes her familiarity with you in me. I'm still processing everything that has happened to us." She paused and tried to articulate a better explanation, but ultimately failed and loosed an exasperated sigh. "I'm sure she could explain it better than I."
Unexpectedly, Trixie chortled. "Maybe one of the princesses can explain it to me, as well as what happened to me." She pulled up one of her hooves and marveled at it, trying her best to recall her death. "I don't remember anything. I just... woke up and there Twilight was crying over me."
"Can I ask you something?" Nightmare turned away when Trixie nodded, and she allowed her mane to obscure her face, using it to grimace privately. "Are you bothered by me?" she asked.
Trixie arched a brow to her. "I trust Twilight, and if she trusts you then... Why are you asking? Should I be?"
Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but the thundering sound of armored hoofsteps rang up from the throne room doors. In minutes, the room had been filled by soldiers of the royal guard, some clad in blackened and soot covered pieces of armor, and all brandishing some form of weaponry. Filing into the outer rim were a few unicorn magi, but Nightmare relaxed when none bore any signature garments of archmagi.
"Nightmare Moon," shouted one of the mages, "You are hereby ordered to surrender to her majesties, Princesses Celestia and Luna, for war crimes against the nation of Equestria and her kingdom. Surrender now or we will use lethal force to detain you!"
"Wait!" cried Trixie, positioning herself in front of Nightmare to face the soldiers. Sweat ran down the sides of her head as pegasus soldiers occupied the air to further surround the pair.
Now would be a great time to switch places again, Twilight! urged Nightmare. There was no response. Twilight? Twilight! Her heart raced into a panicked beat as the other soul didn't respond. She poised herself to use what little magic remained between them to teleport away if she could. To her surprise, Trixie formed a barrier around them.
"She's innocent!" the magician yelled. "The princesses will pardon her. Just wait for them!" she pleaded further. The soldiers ignored her words and began an assault on the barrier with their weaponry. The front line struck at it then pulled back for the next wave of soldiers to attack it. "Don't worry, Nightmare. I can hold out until one of the princesses arrives."
"That may be..." Nightmare suddenly became dizzy and staggered around inside the barrier. She took a few sharp breaths falling to the floor. "Too long for me," she muttered as she panted. "What's happening... to me?" I can't lose focus. Just a little bit longer...
Worry filled Trixie as a crack formed in her barrier and the soldiers moved to focus their attacks on it. She concentrated her magic on repairing it, but her focus was broken as a familiar pegasus bolted into the room and dropped down in front of it, blocking the strike of a halberd with one of her bracers.
"What the hay is going on here?" shouted Dash.
The soldiers immediately disengaged and pulled back, all lowering into kneels or bows. One of the more decorated soldiers stepped up and gave a quick salute before speaking. "Commander Dash," he began, "We have the criminal Nightmare Moon cornered and we are attempting to detain her."
Dash turned and looked through the barrier, the blue tint of Trixie's magic making it difficult to see all of the details of those inside. "Stand down, captain," she said.
"But, ma'am!"
"That's an order," Dash barked as she moved her face closer to his. "Is that going to be a problem, captain?"
He quickly shook his head and saluted once more. "No, ma'am." Pivoting on his hind legs, he called to the rest of the soldiers in the room, "You heard her. Stand down and return to your previous assignments. Commander Dash can take it from here." The rest of the soldiers gave salutes and filed out of the throne room, some of them and the mages shooting her wary glances before departing.
Dash turned around as the barrier faded and she grinned. "Looks like I got here just in time. You two look like manure," she teased.
Trixie flipped her mane to the other side of her face and stuck her nose in the air. "Are you always this slow?" she said, earning a sour look from the knight.
Dash prepared a response for her, but it was immediately forgotten as the rest of their friends and princess Luna entered the room. "Hey, where's Princess Celestia?"
Nightmare answered. "Twilight... intentionally left her behind."
"And she wasn't back before me?" Dash wondered.
"Perhaps she is taking her time to decompress and mull over the situation. A great many things have happened to her—to all of us, recently," said Luna as she stepped closer. Despite her words, her eyes focused only on Nightmare, and the Id quickly became uncomfortable beneath her gaze. She walked past and took a seat at the throne. "All of you should be taking a rest. See to it that your eye is tended to soon, Knight Dash."
"Nah, I kinda like this. Battle scars make me look fierce!" She grinned, but Luna frowned and the knight immediately erased her expression and shrank into herself. "I will take care of it right away, your majesty." She bowed and turned to head for the doors when a blast of light stunned her for a moment.
Celestia appeared with a robed pony beside her. Dash, Trixie, Luna, and Nightmare—with the aid of Twilight's memories—gawked at the newcomer, but the rest of their friends exchanged wondering glances.
The sun princess gave defeated look to them. "Astra's brother may still live," she announced. She cast a glance to the robed pony who gave a short nod of affirmation.
"The former alicorn prince now has his original body, and so shall his magic no longer be shackled," added the robed pony. "I am afraid that I have failed in my final task."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 20: Eyes of Six Worlds
Nightmare's head spun, the world threatening to topple around her, and she clamped her eyes and mouth shut as nausea made her stomach churn. "Help me," she muttered, or perhaps thought; she couldn't be sure of her surroundings, or whether or not she was still conscious at all. In an instant, she was no longer feeling queasy or dizzy, but she felt hot, feverish. What—? She could feel herself again, but it was not quite her. Twilight? The feeling of control was too distant, but it was there just out of reach.
Her mouth hung open as she stared around to the carnage of a burning Canterlot. Flames climbed from the rooftops as dragons criss-crossed in the sky, cries of ponies and the Brood competing in symphonies. Twilight paid no attention to it as it fell to white noise, and her eyes trailed down to her hooves. They trembled as she looked at them for a moment, fear and disgust welling within her. It wasn't until Twilight focused on what was just beyond them that Nightmare could understand the moment. The eye of a dragon, or a dying dragon to be precise. His life faded quickly as the power of Twilight's Mjollnir had burned into him, his eye closing slowly. And then thoughts from the archmage flooded her mind in fragments.
***
I would do it; I would do it for them. I couldn't let them down. Her promise--no, my promise would make it right... for me. Even if I let it all go, even if everyone else let it go, she would never forget. Would I be letting her suffer? Would she be in more pain than me?
I stared into the dying eyes of that dragon with ones that could only know. He gazed at me, and sometimes I wonder if he was asking my soul for its secrets. It was only for an instant, just a few seconds, but sometimes I remember that moment over and over. Those eyes... Sometimes she has those same eyes. She will remind me, and yet allow me to forget at the same time. She is a reminder of how high I was... and how far I fell...
I don't want you to know, but you already do. You will always know, every time you look at me. You will see my pain, but you will never let me go. Others look at me with pride and envy. The ones I have wronged steal my security with eyes full of contempt, hatred, and animosity. But you—with absolute understanding—you see me for what I am: scared. Alone. The knowing observer.
I cannot share the conflicted void of that promise, but I will not burden everyone else with my sins. Not as you have done with me. You will atone with me. It's the only way. Look at me now, Celestia.
***
"Nightmare Moon, are you alright?" Trixie asked with concern, one hoof on the Id's shoulder.
In a rush of feeling, Nightmare was back to reality, and she took in mouthfuls of air as the others watched her uneasily. Her nausea and dizziness returned in full force, and she stared at Trixie's mouth as she continued talking. She couldn't focus on what the magician was saying, the sickness too overwhelming to concentrate. Twilight, what is happening to me—us?
Just as she was bracing herself to vomit, the robed pony swiftly moved to her and placed a hoof to her head. Her eyes widened and, in a few seconds, all of the ill feelings subsided, a pulse of magic unlike any other she had felt swept throughout her. She blinked in surprise and stared at him as she became comfortable. "Th-thank you," she rasped. "What did—"
"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself, "Two souls within in a single vessel. Could this mean...? No. This magic is... familiar. Lady Celestia, what is this one's status?"
"There is much to debrief you on, Telos, but there is just as much for you to explain to us. Why don't you start by explaining how you are still alive, thousands of years after you went missing?" She walked past everyone and stood at the steps to the throne, her eyes shifting between Nightmare and Telos.
"But of course, Your Majesty," he said, sizing up his audience. He stepped off to the side to better view them all at once. "Greetings, everyone. I am Oracle Telos, or rather, The Oracle, or so I was once called in the past." He carefully gauged the reactions of those in the room. "I see that some of you recognize me," he finished, his eyes shifting between Trixie, Dash and the princesses.
Luna moved to stand by her sister. "Telos. How do you still live?" she reminded.
"It would seem my staff was used, the fragments of my memory. I never thought much of myself as a teacher," he said, chuckling, "but ponies needed to be prepared in the absence of the queen and her younger brother in the event that the throne would be vacant, or fall into the hooves of those whom would do harm to our kingdom."
"Telos, at least elaborate on the situation with Aurelius," urged Celestia, her tone becoming impatient.
"That is for another time, Lady Celestia. It is of no immediate concern, I assure you. I shall fully explain all that you desire to know in due time. I have not eaten in eons, so that is where I shall begin." He turned to leave, but a hoof caught his robe.
"Tell me, why does Aurelius hate you so much?" Nightmare demanded weakly.
Telos stared at her for a while before sighing and allowing his eyes to wander to the nearest stained glass window. "He murdered my... someone very dear to me."
"That doesn't answer my question." The Id was met with an indifferent glance, and there was a long pause of silence before Telos continued. He removed his hood briefly and quickly tugged it back on, the others gasping in surprise.
"As you can see, I am neither unicorn nor alicorn, and therefore, I should be incapable of using magic as potent as one. The bond Aurelius and I share is one of blood and jealousy. In our time, Aurelius was the lord of the sun and ruled alongside his elder sister Astra, the ruler of the moon." He stopped and clasped his forehooves together, slowly pulling them apart. A white orb of faded light appeared and swelled until most of the throne room was consumed. He closed his eyes and details filled out the space within the orb. "This is Prince Aurelius during his reign."
The alicorn prince appeared a moment later, standing just under Luna's height in stature. His body was a deep crimson and his mane a subdued, almost fiery mass. His cutie mark depicted a partial solar eclipse, with half of the sun orange and the other half a charcoal grey.
"That's a strange cutie mark," observed Trixie..
"More like a brand of fate. The prince can control the sun and moon harmoniously, seamlessly."
Celestia chimed in. "Luna and I can both control the sun and moon. How is Aurelius any different?"
"Aurelius could not control the moon at first and practiced for years before he could. It will be a great deal of time before he can utilize his cosmic powers again." He paused and took a deep breath. "I suppose while I am still here I can answer your question about how we are both still alive." He clapped and opened his eyes, his memory vanishing.
"After the demise of Lady Astra, I sealed Aurelius in my staff to prevent him from rising to power in place of his sister. I used my body as the final seal and my staff as his prison. The only magic strong enough to break his prison was magic strong enough to stand against him. Magic as powerful as my own."
"But Aurelius has been around as an undead dragon this entire time," said Trixie.
Telos's eyes widened, but Nightmare spoke before he could. "So the memory fragments in your staff were to train a pony to kill him if he was ever freed."
"I said battle, not defeat."
"Twilight already killed Aurelius when she used Holy against him," the Id continued. "All of us watched him die."
"I don't know who you watched die, but it is impossible that it was the same Prince Aurelius that I once sealed away. There is no way he could have escaped my prison with his body and powers. As it stands, Aurelius will become more powerful than all of you once he regains all of his strength. But the most surprising thing of all is how weak your princesses are." The others gasped and Nightmare, Trixe, and Dash shot them questioning looks. "Yes, I know just how powerful you are not, princesses, and I would like to know why."
"We used the Rites to ascend Twilight Sparkle into an alicorn," replied Celestia, regret lining her voice.
Telos choked on a breath and adjusted his robe. "You have made a grave mistake, your majesties. With both of you at your peak power Aurelius would likely die trying to seize the throne with force. Unless... No, I will need more time to think on it."
"The decision was made years prior to knowing who Aurelius was or what he was capable of. What is done is done, and we need to focus on what is happening now."
"You," said Telos as he turned to Nightmare. "Where is the one who used Holy, this Twilight Sparkle?"
"She and I share the same body," she replied.
He raised an eyebrow. "The other soul? Then who are you?"
"I was formerly a weapon created and used by Aurelius. I am Nightmare Moon. Twilight attempted to save me from banishment when Aurelius tried to use the Elements of Harmony against me. While I was purged from Luna, I was transferred into Twilight instead," she explained. She hung her head for a moment.
Telos scratched at his chin and mumbled to himself as he stared to one of the windows again. After a moment, he turned to speak to everyone. "I don't know what these Elements of Harmony are, and I'm afraid I don't know any magic that can help you. The effects of whatever magic that caused your predicament may be permanent. If that is so then I am sorry."
"Twilight will find a way to separate us," Nightmare responded confidently.
"Your unique situation has piqued my interest, and I will lend a hoof where I can. After all that has happened I will need some time to think."
"Telos, we are not finished, yet," said Celestia. There was a sternness in both her voice and the way she looked at him, but he only offered her a half-interested glance.
"There will be time for that later, Lady Celestia. You should be gathering your strength and recuperating after all that has occurred. I shall be in your lovely city, though I'm sure you will have me monitored." He headed for the throne room doors. "I imagine much has changed in the world in since I last walked it."
Dash flew between him and the doors and brandished Nightfall. "Hey, the princess isn't done talking to you. We need to prepare for when Aurelius attacks again, and you're the only pony who seems to know what's going on."
"As I said, there is time for that. He will not besiege your kingdom until he is confidently strong enough to do so. Now, put that toy away and—" Telos's eyes fell to the black and green blade and his gaze darkened. "That... does not belong to you."
In an instant, a light blue glow enveloped the sword, tugging it away from the knight. "What the—!?" Dash blurted as the sword jerked. She maintained her iron grip on the hilt, and was lifted into the air before being thrown backwards into the throne doors. As she slammed into them, she released the sword as sailed backwards through the doorway, the onlookers giving cries and shouts in reaction. The sword levitated to Telos and slid into his robe.
He turned to face the throne. "I grow tired of repeating myself. There is time and rather than pestering me you should make use of it preparing your forces for the next attack. Now, I am leaving and I do not wish to be disturbed any further, Lady Celestia." He turned to Nightmare. "I will to speak with Twilight Sparkle when she is able." Telos shook his head and wandered towards the door, stopping to glance at Dash and shake his head again before departing. She glared death at him, but he was already moving down the corridor.
"What a jerk," muttered Trixie under her breath.
Celestia frowned. "There is nothing else we can do for now. He is not wrong, and we must gather our strength, but I cannot force him to ally with us. I will maintain order and the rest of you should take this time to recover." She leaned to Luna and whispered something. The moon princess nodded and walked out, stopping to say something to the knight as she picked herself up off of the door.
Nightmare murmured something as she fell to her forehooves and vomited on the floor. The others loosed sounds of disgust and worry as she finished and glanced up. They glimmered in her eyes as colorful smears, and she wiped her mouth before finally collapsing to the floor.
"Nightmare!" cried Trixie as she rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" She held out her hooves and mimicked the motion of Twilight's healing magic. "I-I can't use healing magic," she reminded herself, panicking. Celestia glided down the stairs and lowered her head to inspect the Id's form. Her breathing was shallow and labored, trickles of sweat running down the sides of her face. "Can't you do something, princess?"
Celestia's mouth twisted with regret. "I'm afraid I don't know. Her situation is unprecedented." She took Nightmare's body into her magic and started towards the door, several servants having gathered to see what all of the commotion had been. "You," she called to one, "come with me. You will be tending to Nightmare Moon." The servant trembled for a moment before giving a shaky nod. "And you. Tell Chancellor Leo to gather those of the Council currently present. It is of utmost importance." The second servant bowed and departed in a hurry, while the first trotted nervously beside the princess.
The trio entered Twilight and Trixie's chambers, laying the Id across the bed. The servant left the room and returned with a bowl of water and a washcloth a moment later, soaking and laying it over Nightmare's head. She moaned in her sleep as the cool cloth touched her, but she relaxed soon after.
"What do you think is happening to her?" asked Trixie.
Celestia shook her head, removing her tiara and massaging her temples. "I don't know, but it worries me. Perhaps it's a side effect of her fusion with Nightmare Moon. The only other pony that such a thing has happened to is Luna, but she refuses to speak about it."
"Maybe she'll talk about it now if it might be what's making them sick," bargained the magician.
"I'm afraid it's not the same, Trixie. Luna was possessed by Nightmare, not sharing her body with her. I will have the archmagi prioritize research on finding a way to heal her, but there is little we can do right now. Stay with her and let me know if there's any change." The magician stared at Nightmare with crestfallen eyes before nodding slowly. "Don't lose hope. Twilight is strong."
Celestia left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She took a deep breath, unleashing a large sigh as she started walking again. Please, Twilight. Don't end up like Luna did. I know you believe in Nightmare, but I cannot allow... No. I won't give up hope, either.
***
It wasn't until Celestia bumped into a robed pony before she realized she had reached the royal court. "My apologies, I didn't—"
"Your Majesty," greeted the robed pony as he bowed, "the present Council members have been assembled and are ready for you. I was just on my way to inform you."
"Of course, Your Majesty. I received your order only an hour ago," he replied, puzzled.
Celestia blinked and rubbed the side of her head. "Ah, forgive me. It has been a trying day. Let us begin at once."
They entered the court, the large room featuring a high ceiling and two large desks that half-circled to one another, gaps in between for ponies to walk through. On the far end of the room was a raised seat for a judge, and overhead the room was illuminated by the light of a large chandelier. Less than half of the seats at the desk had been filled, and two fully armored knights were present among the ponies from the various government branches. The princess braced herself inwardly as Leo moved to the far seat, herself to the center of the room.
She looked at several of the vacant seats with hidden pain. Dead. Some were for the warriors and archmagi that had died during the course of the war. She forced herself not to look at them, and instead to stare into the eyes of those she was speaking to and forget for a moment those who had died.
"Your Majesty, why have you summoned us so urgently?" started Leo.
"The undead dragon, Aurelius, was not vanquished by Twilight's spell," she began. There was an uproar of hushed whispers and the exchange confused glances, but it quieted down to silence after a moment. "That same Aurelius is Prince Aurelius, a ruler from many generations before Princess Luna and myself." The whispers threatened to start again, but Celestia's look became more severe.
"Y-Your Majesty," started Leo again, "how could any being survive such power? Archmage Sparkle's power far exceeded even my own in my prime. What evidence do you have that Aurelius still lives?"
Celestia released a short, heavy breath. "From the one who sealed him, Oracle Telos."
"What!?"
"How can this be!"
Gasps roared out and grew into unrestrained voices carrying questions, confusion and disbelief in all of them. Order maintained itself, however, and soon they fell to quiet again.
"Telos is among us, but for the time being refuses to cooperate," explained the princess. "He assures us that Aurelius cannot attack Canterlot any time soon, and while I have my doubts, I have no other choice but to trust in his word."
"Your Majesty," chimed in one of the armored knights. "What do you want us to do now that our previous mission is complete?"
"Until we receive more information you are to remain here. If Telos is wrong and Aurelius attacks I want to have as many of our forces at the ready as possible. I will not wait idly while a threat is just beyond our doors."
"As you wish, Your Majesty." The two knights saluted, standing up and leaving.
"It will take some time to gather the rest of the council. You are waiting for Telos to join us, correct?"
"Yes. He knows more about Aurelius than any of us. I believe he'll come around in time."
Leo's expression brightened as the remaining council members stood up. "It would be an honor to meet him, and perhaps we can even catalogue his exploits. Aside from his staff, Telos's legacy was thought to have been lost. To find out that he is still alive... remarkable."
"Priorities, Chancellor. I shall be retiring for the evening. Defer any matters to Princess Luna."
"As you wish, Your Majesty." Leo bowed as the princess departed before the rest of the council members.
Celestia carried herself with disappointment, walking slowly towards her chambers. Her head had begun to throb the further through the halls she moved. By the time she reached the doors to her chamber her head pounded. She opened the door and paused, staring into the dimly lit dwelling for a moment, and the crackle of her fireplace was a welcome ambiance. She closed the door behind her and laid out on the rug before the fire, staring into the dancing flames as she thought upon Telos's words.
The only magic strong enough to break his prison was magic strong enough to stand against him.
Her eyes slid from the fire to a picture on the mantle, a picture of herself and a Twilight when she was a filly. It had been taken after her graduation from magic school, and they were both grinning from ear to ear. The picture levitated down and sat in front of the princess, the fire lighting up the photo even more.
You have made a critical mistake.
Tears fell onto the glass in the frame, blurring the smiles in the picture, and Celestia removed her tiara and laid it on the rug beside the frame. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples before pulling the picture against her chest. "A mistake I'll regret forever. I'm sorry, Twilight. One day, this will all be over. I promise. I... promised you." Her eyes flashed open only to close again a moment later. A promise is a promise. I will not take back my word.
***
There was a wall of sound in the pub, radiating from the other customers, but Telos drowned it out with loud thoughts. He stared into his mug, the murky liquid reflecting back a distorted image of his own downcast expression. Weak, he thought. I was nothing before you. You gave me the strength, and here I am, continuing to fail you, my love. Forgive me. He took a deep breath and finished the last of his drink before placing an unusual coin on the bar counter.
"S-sir, this is far too much for... anything I could even offer," remarked the barkeeper as he inspected the coin.
Telos gave him a blank look. "A moment of respite from my solemn duties is a priceless thing. Spend your fortune wisely," he said as he turned and walked out of the pub.
He paused just outside as the ponies of Canterlot moved about the streets. The ponies were clad in odd jackets and dresses, and some wore jewelry or carried trinkets such as watches. It was all odd. The culture shock from Celestia's and Luna's current era had begun to wear away at him, and he felt out of place as they would look upon him with confusion and hidden disapproval. His robes did not resemble those of the esteemed archmagi.
The orange and purple of the coming eventide spilled into the sky and he looked to the horizon where the moon would be rising. Hurry yourself, Twilight Sparkle. Fate will come for us whether you are prepared or not. He started walking toward the northern parts of the city, and by the time he reached a park the moon was already in the sky. He glanced up to it and snorted, then burst out with a short laugh, startling nearby ponies in the quiet park.
"My apologies. I was experiencing a moment of nostalgia," he said while bowing.
"Does the beauty of my moon," came a voice from behind, "remind you of her?" finished Luna as she stepped out from the shadow of a tree.
Telos frowned as he gave her a sidelong glance. "I thought I was clear that I only wished to speak with Twilight Sparkle."
"And you shall. However, she is still recovering from all of the trials of Aurelius. I hope that you will make an exception for me." The princess sat down beside him on the grass and stared up to the moon, a wistful happiness touching only her eyes.
The sage rubbed his eyes gingerly and looked up to the moon. "I wish to make an exception for everyone, but she is the only one that requires my immediate attention."
"Oh?" Luna turned to him with a surprised look. "You will not even make time for my sister, who has had more knowledge of the situation than even myself? I pray that you are not gambling with stubbornness."
Telos held up a hoof and glared at the princess of the night. "It is none of your business," he took a breath, "however, I suppose it is not of any importance. Your sister bears a striking resemblance to someone important... too striking." Luna looked at him with thoughtful surprise, but he continued without acknowledging it. "She is a reminder of a life that I have lost, of what I can no longer have. My being here is, in itself, a reminder that I have failed in my own mission to preserve her legacy."
"And whom might you be referring to?"
"Astra, or rather, Queen Astra."
Luna's eyes widened. "Queen? Equestria was ruled under an absolute monarchy in your time?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
"My sister called her Soothsayer Astra. Why is that?"
Telos's eyes took on a regretful look. "Astra was a queen in status, but her chosen title was that of Soothsayer. It was a title given to her by her subjects. They say she could pacify any anger, any conflict, with mere diplomacy. I did not see it much for myself as her title was given before I met her. She was serene and soft spoken, and I do not doubt she could stymie any anger with her very presence." He glanced up to the moon again and smiled. "She was... perfect."
Luna opened her mouth, but hesitated as Telos disappeared into his memories for a moment. "May I ask... How did Lady Astra die?"
Telos allowed his eyes to fall to the ground and he sighed. "That is a story for another time, Your Majesty. I wish to enjoy my peace for as long as I can. The final days of my former life were nothing but turmoil. Do what you can to hurry Twilight Sparkle's recovery so that we may begin salvaging her."
Luna stood up and took a few steps in the direction of the castle, but stopped and cast a glance to the moon, then to Telos's back.
"Tell Princess Celestia that we can speak tomorrow."
Luna nodded. She chose not to fly, instead walking back to the castle, dwelling on her thoughts. What are you holding back, Telos? Why are you afraid to trust us? Nay. Why are you so interested in Twilight? It wasn't long before she returned to the castle. Celestia was long to bed by then, and she was tiring herself; however, she moved towards Twilight's chambers.
She entered with only the quiet moan of the door hinge giving way to her presence. The room was dark, lit only by the dancing flame of lanterns positioned on the nightstands on each side of the bed. Her mane illuminated the immediate area around her head and flank, but the light did not travel. She found Trixie laying in the bed beside Nightmare, holding one the sick mare's hooves in her own. The magician raised her head as Nightmare murmured something in her sleep and took notice of the princess entering.
"Princess Luna?" Trixie asked in a whisper. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on the two of you before I retire to my chambers."
Nightmare moaned and smacked her lips a few times before opening her eyes. "Honestly, I never would've thought you would care about what happened to me."
Luna tapped a hoof to her head as she let her gaze wander into the darkness. "Trixie, will you leave us alone for a moment?" The magician nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Luna watched it, waiting until she could hear her hoofsteps no more. "Our past... can never be forgotten. However," she turned her head back to the Id, "I trust Twilight completely, and she trusts you. I have seen with my own eyes what you have done since the two of you have been bound to one another."
"But?" asked Nightmare.
"I will not allow my personal feelings to impede Twilight."
Nightmare suppressed a dry cough, and she levitated a cup of water to her. Drinking it quickly, she chuckled as she the dryness vanished. "So, just like that? You can forgive me for everything I have done, everything that I forced you to do? I had once betrayed everything you stood for, slain your own subjects, and tried to murder your sister. As a result of my actions you were banished for a thousand years and virtually every subject you now rule over had forgotten who you were before Twilight purged me from you. You cannot tell me you don't feel animosity for any of our past, no matter how little it matters to those around us in the present."
Luna stared at her in silence, forcing herself to only cast indifference to the Id. The past still bothered her, but it was easy to forget when Twilight vehemently defended Nightmare against all of the atrocities she had committed when she possessed Luna.
"I didn't think so."
"Are you not linked to Twilight in everything now?" asked Luna quickly.
Nightmare stared at her incredulously. "Yes. Our... bond is absolute. For now."
"Then I do not need to be reassured beyond her words," said Luna as she turned and headed for the door.
"W-wait," called Nightmare. Luna turned to find the Id extending a weak, shaky hoof, and she gave Nightmare a wondering look. "Th-thank you."
"I want you to know that I never doubted her belief in you," added the princess as she moved towards the door again.
"Luna, one more thing." The princess looked to Nightmare again and found her staring away to one of the windows. She couldn't be sure, but she thought that she might be crying. "I'm sorry... for all of the pain that I've caused you. I... never wanted to hurt anyone. I never wanted... any of it."
"Do not mistake my love and respect for Twilight as my forgiveness." Luna up to the dark ceiling and remained silent for a while. "I know, as have I always known, carrying the burden of knowing your remorse and your guilt for over a thousand years."
Nightmare threw her head back to the door, but Luna was already gone.
***
The princess of the night walked the darkened halls of the castle alone, the shadows of the braziers and lanterns dancing along the walls keeping her entertained. She allowed herself to wander, loosely heading towards her own chambers. The Element bearers were all asleep now in guest bedrooms, and there was no one she could speak freely with at that hour. The tapping of someone else's hooves made her focus, and she rounded a corner expecting to see a night guard patrolling.
"I am surprised that you have chosen to return here of your own volition so soon," she said.
"I have preparations to make," said Telos quickly. "How fares Twilight Sparkle?"
Luna shook her head and sighed. "It is too soon to know. For now, Nightmare Moon remains dominant but weak."
"It will be too late if we do not act in haste. I cannot be sure of exactly when Aurelius will return if I laze away in the city. In the mean time, I will work with this Nightmare Moon, but I find her lack of confidence without Twilight Sparkle to be unnerving."
"It is understandable given all that Twilight has done for her. She will not speak of it to anyone, but her loyalty to the mare that saved her is undying."
Telos scratched at his chin before reaching into his robe. "I will need to create another one of these if I am to salvage her situation." He produced a dull, colorless gem.
"And what is that?" asked Luna as she stared at the gem.
"This is a gift from your predecessor, Astra. I like to call it a Philosopher's Stone, though this is merely the empty shell of one," he explained.
"An interesting choice of name for a gem," the princess mused.
"I assure you it is nothing of the sort that alchemists speak of. Simply, it's a magical vessel for great power." He placed the gem back into his robe and scratched his chin again. "Tell me, Princess Luna, did my staff... live?"
"What?"
"Did my staff move of its own free will, without the aid of an external magic source?" The sage leaned in excitement as Luna raised a brow.
"Indeed. Your staff was bound to Twilight, and it moved to her will," she answered.
Telos's eyes lit up with pride. "Splendid! My hypothesis has been proven to be correct then."
"What hypothesis?"
The sage collected himself and focused back on the princess. "Sealing a powerful magical being into one of these gems and using it as the catalyst of a staff would allow it to be linked to its wielder. I couldn't experiment as there were no ponies who would willingly sacrifice themselves for it. I'm not so sure I could conduct any even if there were."
"Such an experiment would require great magical prowess. How are you capable of wielding magic as an earth pony?" asked Luna, her curiosity rising.
"A story for another time, Your Majesty. You will have your answers in due time. For now, I would like to spend some time in the royal library."
Luna regarded him with a trace of awe. "You are an enigmatic pony. It is of no mystery why the archmagi are fascinated with you." Luna led the way to the royal library. The pair stopped just outside of the grand oak doors, and she prepared to ask one last question, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Telos, who's soul did you use in the philosopher's stone for your staff?" she asked, unsure she even wanted to know.
"Souls," the sage corrected. "The ones sealed and used for the catalysts were that of mine and Aurelius."
Luna's eyes widened and she stared at him. She couldn't tell if it was only surprise, or if there was fear in her mind as well. "If the gem of your staff remains intact and only the shaft broke, how were you both released of your prison?"
"The gem of my staff is still intact?" He marveled at the idea by shook his head to clear his rampant thoughts. "An extraordinary feat, though the reason is simple. The magic that Princess Celestia says slew Aurelius purged us of the stone itself." He opened the door but stopped before proceeding into the library. "Holy is a magic that is out of even my reach. I do not believe that you and your sister could create it by yourselves without something else. For an alicorn of the Rites to use it... I am both intrigued and afraid. It is not power a juvenile alicorn should be capable of, or ever use." Luna stared at him as he held a look of deep thought for a moment, but he finally disappeared into the library a moment later.
She stared after him in direful silence, her mind running scenarios she didn't want to think about. I pray that Twilight knows of herself. You are right, Telos, but you do not know her as her friends do. You cannot see her for who she prides herself to be. She trudged towards her chambers, dark scenarios continuing to play through her mind, and darker still, her imagination trying to make them believable. Most of all, I pray that you are not wrong, Nightmare Moon.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 21: White Lies
Celestia moaned in her sleep, tossing and turning uncomfortably between consciousness and a dream. After a moment of wrestling with her blankets, she uncoiled and stretched on her bed before opening her eyes to the natural light flooding her room. She yelped and nearly fell off of the opposite side of her bed at what she had seen. Collecting herself, she rolled back over to find her sister, still there staring at her with a scarcely amused face. Placing a hoof to her head, Celestia groaned. "Luna? What are you doing in here? You startled me," she said in a breathy voice.
The moon princess half-frowned as she watched her sister slowly climb out of bed, ignoring the elder's chagrin. "You are holding back information regarding Telos, are you not? I do not wish to be left in the dark again." When Celestia gave her a funny look, Luna glanced away, abashed, and muttered, "So to speak."
Celestia gathered her regalia, but hesitated a moment before placing her tiara, staring into her dressing mirror to the other princess. "What do you mean, Luna?" she asked as she slowly rotated her tiara in front of her eyes.
"How did we come to possess his staff? I do not recall how we obtained such an artifact, even looking back to the time before my corruption."
"I... don't know. It's been resting in our vaults for as long as I can remember. Perhaps it's an heirloom passed down through the ages by archivists and historians. The bits of information about Telos and the staff have been retold over the centuries, and I'm afraid that's all that I know." Celestia placed her tiara and moved towards her balcony, opening the windows to the landing. A warm breeze swept into the room and she turned her head back and smiled. "Telos will probably have an explanation," she offered.
"You speak as if you are already old friends," said Luna, stifled frustration in her voice. She let a frown slip before composing herself back to an even disposition.
Celestia frowned. "I'm befriending him, Luna. I want him as an ally and a friend, and you should want the same. He's more likely to confide in us if he feels we're trustworthy."
"Trustworthy..." muttered Luna. She rolled her eyes at her sister in absent thought, but annoyance had begun to paint her face. "How did you make the connection of Aurelius and Astra?"
"Just a guess." Celestia hung her head and released an exasperated sigh. "Luna, you have been interrogating me since I awoke. What is bothering you?"
"Just a guess?" Luna harrumphed. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak, but when she did it was not the accusing voice Celestia had expected. "Hurry along, dear sister. Breakfast has already been prepared, and the royal court shall be soon after. Telos will be making his appearance today." The princess of the night quickly turned and left. Celestia stared after for a moment longer, her gaze softening.
Oh, Luna...
***
Nightmare sat uncomfortably, finding it difficulty to not fidget under the stares she received at the breakfast table. Twilight's friends sat to her right on opposite side of the lengthy table, and most of them had already engaged in small talk. Sometimes it was too low for her to hear, but Rainbow Dash would speak up and lead it on with a story, relieving her of any whispers against her. However, it did little to affect her overall feeling, and she felt a pang of sympathy for the knight as she watched her occasionally paw at her bandaged eye.
Sitting across from her was Spike, a dragon whom she had only seen once when he was small, and beside herself sat Trixie, looking almost as uncomfortable as the Id felt. The magician constantly glanced between her hooves, Dash, and the entryway to the dining hall, but never to Nightmare. To her left, sitting a seat away from Spike, was Telos. The sage had a book laid out in front of him, focusing deep on what it had to offer. He paid little attention to the others, occasionally muttering his thoughts quietly to himself.
Nightmare's discomfort peaked as she met the glowers of Spike. The young dragon was now as large as she was and she worried he might become aggressive if they sat in silence too much longer. Relief washed over her as Luna entered and all eyes shifted to her.
"Greetings, everyone," she said as she took a seat on the end by the other Element bearers. "I hope we have not kept you waiting too long. Princess Celestia shall be here momentarily." She took a seat on the end to Nightmare's right and raised a hoof, prompting three waiting servants to roll carts over and distribute food.
Nightmare forced herself to eat under the hateful eyes of Spike; it was all she could do to ease her feelings of guilt. Please answer me, Twilight. The dragon chewed on a piece of meat with angry bites, rarely taking his eyes off of her.
A few minutes passed before Celestia entered. She took her seat opposite of Luna on Telos's end. Silence swept the room as the sun princess tapped a spoon to a glass. Clearing her throat, she began, "Much has happened in such a short time, and the war with the Brood has caused great confusion." Her eyes flowed over everyone present, stopping on Nightmare a second longer than anyone else. "I believe it's time I answered some of your questions."
"You're damn right," shouted Spike, the scraping of his chair backing his voice as he stood up. "Why don't you start by explaining why she's here!" He directed an accusing finger to Nightmare.
"Watch your tone, Spike!" Luna admonished swiftly.
Nightmare held a guilty look before Celestia spoke up again. "I understand your anger, Spike, but please calm down. Nightmare Moon is not the evil pony you remember," she soothed.
"Then where's Twilight?" the dragon continued.
"Twilight and I... we share the same body," Nightmare said. She swallowed as Spike shifted his angry stare to her, but his expression eased slightly when Trixie chimed in with, "It's true."
The dragon snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm the dragon king."
"She is telling the truth, Spike," added Celestia.
Nightmare watched the anger in the dragon wash away, his expression shifting to confusion, and then to a disbelieving stare on the Id again. She wanted to get away from his eyes. They were the same eyes as hers, the same as Aurelius's. Please, Twilight, she pleaded again.
"She... she's taken over Twilight now?" His voice sounded genuinely hurt as he continued to stare. "How," he choked out, "How is everyone okay with this?"
"Unlike Lady Luna, Nightmare does not possess her. They share the same body in something of a symbiotic bond," interjected Telos.
Spike turned to the sage while wearing defensive expression. "Who are you?"
"Lady Celestia, perhaps beginning with Twilight Sparkle's predicament was not the best place to start."
The sun princess nodded. "Let me start from the beginning, Spike." She cleared her throat as the dragon nodded his agreement and sat back down. "I suppose it could be said that this war began earlier than the Brood's invasion. As you all know, Spike is our royal liaison to the Brood. He caught wind of them planning an attack to take over Equestria, starting with the siege of Canterlot. It was then that I asked if he would spy for us and he agreed. As the war drew closer, he fled Draconis and took to hiding so as not to be persecuted or condemned as a traitor during the conflict. Soon after that we planned a counter attack to end the war."
"Is that when you transformed Twilight into an alicorn?" asked Trixie. The princess nodded, and Nightmare found herself rubbing one of her wings; a shard of Twilight's memory from the ascension process almost made them ache.
"Yes. In order to carry out this plan, Luna and I ascended her into an alicorn. Celestial Knight Rainbow Dash was tasked to be her partner, somepony whom she could have absolute trust and faith in. When Twilight agreed to the ascension and the mission, there were some," Celestia hesitated before adding in an almost distasteful tone, "requests that she made. Among them was the inclusion of Trixie Lulamoon, then an archmage apprentice."
"You never wanted me on that mission, did you, Princess?"
Celestia shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You had very limited experience fighting dragons at the time. However, I honored Twilight's wishes and you were added at her discretion."
Nightmare stared at the magician, but she didn't blink or move; Trixie's violet eyes remained on the sun princess. Nightmare recalled faint images of the night Twilight had briefed her on everything, even recalling traces of the emotions she felt during it. Twilight was anxious and afraid, but Nightmare was unable to discern why, the emotions being vague clues. Celestia went on, and she pushed the memories to the back of her mind.
"The mission objectives were,"—Dash coughed, her eyes wide, and subtly ran a hoof across her neck while shaking her head to the princess, finishing with a nod towards Spike—"to assassinate the king of the Brood, Render..."
"What!?" The dragon slammed a fist on the table and was standing before Nightmare could turn her head to him, his chair clattering loudly to the floor.
Celestia calmly finished, "And steal their war plans."
"Is King Render dead?" seethed the dragon. A heavy silence fell over the room when Celestia nodded, and Spike planted a hand over his eyes, tilting his head back and groaning. After a few moments, he muttered something only to himself. The dragon picked up his chair and quietly sat down, a fierce look in his eyes, but when he spoke again it was in a subdued tone. "Was Twilight the one who... Was she the one killed him?"
"Yes," started Celestia, "But please don't blame Twilight for—"
"Blame Aurelius," chimed in Telos simply.
"General Aurelius? King Render's top general and right hand. Why him?" Spike asked, genuinely confused.
"The one in the same, ambassador. Aurelius is no dragon," reaffirmed the sage.
"What do you mean Aurelius isn't a dragon?" He turned to Celestia. "What does he mean?"
"Spike. Aurelius was using a dragon's form to hide within the Brood, rising in the ranks to obtain power and influence. His body was that of a decayed dragon, sustained by his magic, but it was ultimately destroyed by Twilight at the end of the war. The true Aurelius is a former alicorn prince, and a previous ruler of Equestria."
The dragon stared blankly at her for a moment. The corners of his mouth twitched and he frowned. "That's not funny, Princess."
Telos stood up and shook his head. "It is not a joke. This is the true Aurelius, the prince of Equestria millennia before the world you know today." Clasping his hooves together, he closed his eyes and slowly parted them, spreading his forelegs apart and forming a translucent sphere of light around the table. In the center of the table was a small image of a crimson coated alicorn, his mane a slicked back stream of dark red. "As your princess has told you, he merely assumed the form of a dragon. His vessel was undead, sustained by immense magic to retain the resistance and fortitude of a typical dragon, and all for the sake of his illusion. He was faster and more powerful than most dragons, but his magical ability was no greater than even a novice mage."
There were whispers among the others, worried words dancing just out of earshot, but Nightmare tried not to strain herself to listen to them. Spike stared in wonder as the image slowly rotated, then back to Telos. "Who are you?" he asked again.
"I am Oracle Telos, and I was to be Prince Aurelius's eternal jailer. I am here before you now as Aurelius's true body was released from the prison of my staff. Now, please allow Princess Celestia to finish." Spike nodded and fell to silence again, visibly uncomfortable.
"Commander Rainbow Dash debriefed me of all that had occurred once the mission was complete. She and Archmage Lulamoon discovered evidence in the form of research notes that Nightmare Moon was created by Aurelius as a tool of war over a thousand years prior."
Nightmare looked away and grimaced, both at not knowing, and at being little more than a tool that had been used to ruin Luna's life for years. Her pain subsided as she clung to Twilight's forgiveness, her kindness and compassion for her in spite of all that she had done in her life. She snapped back to reality as Celestia continued her explanation.
"During the final battle with the dragon form of Aurelius, he forcefully activated the Elements of Harmony, attempting to harness their power to banish Nightmare Moon and Luna to the moon as I had done in the past." Nightmare could hear a pained breath as the sun princess continued. "As of now, they have been locked away to prevent such an event from occurring. Twilight and I attempted to disrupt the spell by placing ourselves within it, but we only partially succeeded. When the light cleared, we had succeeded in preventing Luna's banishment. However, Nightmare had taken Twilight's place."
"And that is why I'm here now instead of Twilight," added Nightmare absently, surprised that she had spoken at all. "During the battle with Aurelius we were able to switch places, but... I haven't been able to speak to her since returning to Canterlot. I'm sorry..."
Spike clenched his fists, staring at them for a while. Tears welled in his eyes and he held them shut. After a moment of deep thought, he relaxed and wiped his face. "I will never trust you as long as you're possessing Twilight."
"But I'm not—"
"Shut up!" roared Spike, pointing an accusing finger at her again. "You kidnapped Princess Celestia and tried to kill her the last time I saw you. Nothing is ever going to change that!"
"Enough of your petty quarrels," Telos said in wry frustration. "The past is not the present. There is still hope for Twilight Sparkle even if she is unable to resurface on her own. However, that is something that we can discuss another time. For now, I wish to finish dining in peace."
"Wait, I have a question." Trixie raised a hoof as she stared at Telos.
The sage rolled his eyes and sighed. "One more question for now. After that, will you please allow me to finish eating?"
"When the three of us were in Draconis, something... happened. I..." Trixie's mouth opened and closed a few times as she searched for the words. Nightmare stared at her, blurry images of what the magician was referring to coming to mind, but most of it returned as a blank. "Rainbow and I, we... We watched Twilight die," she finished. She swallowed as Telos gave her a surprised look.
The others gasped and Nightmare closed her eyes. Luna gazed at Celestia, but the sun princess only diverted her attention to Telos. The sage's eyes widened and he started to turn towards the sun princess, but he stopped halfway.
"How did she come back to life?" Trixie added.
"Another that could use all of Holy?" Telos glanced between Celestia and Luna, their hard, unreadable expressions offering no clues. "No. I thought not. Such power is... beyond our grasp, even at our peak. Hmph. The miracle of resurrection is not a power that should exist in our realm, Lady Celestia. How might such a miracle occur in this time, when even the strongest magical beings in Equestria sit at this very table with me, each writhing in their own weakness?"
Luna's face contorted in indignant anger, but Celestia remained placid. "I gave Twilight more of my power than Luna did. Perhaps that helped her more than we know, but I cannot say for certain what happened in Draconis. We have only Archmage Lulamoon and Knight Dash's testimonies. Whatever the cause, I'm grateful that she didn't die."
Telos maintained a thoughtful stare on the sun princess for a long while. Eventually, he pried his eyes away and grumbled. "Let us finish eating."
***
Breakfast concluded in uncomfortable silence, the clinking forks against plates the only sounds between everyone. Even the servants hustled to complete any requests and tasks in the room as quickly as possible before hurrying away. Nightmare wondered if it would be like that during the council court. The dining party split afterwards with Spike leaving on his own, deciding he wanted to be alone for a while. Dash and Trixie had to remain for the court while their friends left the castle for the day.
"The real Telos is a jerk," grumbled Dash in a hushed voice, leaning close to Trixie. "Somepony needs to pull that stick out of his plot."
"They need to do it soon or it's going to poke out your other eye," teased Trixie.
Dash frowned and rubbed the bandage gently. "Ha-ha, Trixie."
Nightmare trailed behind them, half listening to them, half distracted by her own thoughts. She wanted to laugh, to have an optimistic outlook on the situation, but for every unanswered call to Twilight she felt herself becoming more isolated. Empty. She tried again, always knowing it would fail, but always hoping that this would be the time she would finally answer. Wake up, Twilight. Please, wake up. I need you... Only the silence of her own mind persisted.
Nightmare wobbled for a few steps as nausea flooded her stomach once more. The feeling was a welcome relief; she no longer suffered from the headaches and overwhelming memories, but the sickness was a sign that Twilight was still there, still weakening her. Still alive, she thought, hopeful.
The doors of the court swung open with short creak, and the sweep of air brought her back to reality. Peering ahead, she could see the various counsel already seated at the half-circle tables. Several seats had been left vacant for Trixie, Dash and herself. The echoing of their hoofsteps on the marble floor were all that could be heard until they sat down. Nightmare allowed her eyes to wander to the walls where large, intricate tapestries carried the banner of the kingdom, the cutie marks of the princesses. Before the princesses took their seats, the eyes of the counsel drifted to her, and suddenly she wished the nausea was all she had to worry about.
Trixie and Dash sat opposite of each other at the separate tables while Telos moved to the center of the room, eyeing up the counsel members. The princesses watched him from their seats at the judge's positions, and the magician beckoned Nightmare to sit by her.
"So, you are Oracle Telos," began Archmage Leo, sitting at the far end of Trixie's table. He stood up and continued, "I am Chancellor Leo, presiding over the Royal Court of the Archmagi. Allow me the honor of welcoming you to the Canterlot castle. It wasn't long ago that we believed you to have died thousands of years ago, yet here you are standing before us today."
Telos tugged softly at the hood of his robe. "I imagine your history books bear more questions than answers regarding me." He took large breath and sighed. He glanced up and down the remaining archmagi, then back to Leo.
"Indeed. You come from a time when history was not well recorded, and what little we do know is vague and far from detailed. However much we have it is perhaps best to learn from you as to what happened."
"Very well. I suppose your history at least records that I vanished some time after the death of Queen Astra. I was there when her younger brother, Prince Aurelius, murdered her."
Shocked gasps and whispers rumbled through the tables. Nightmare couldn't help but sit in silence, meeting the glance of Trixie as neither had anything to add. However, Leo remained placid on his seat while the voices danced just under eavesdropping volume.
"When you say you vanished, what do you mean?" the chancellor asked.
Telos brushed a hoof against his face. "I imagine that's what it seemed like to the world. I created the prison that held Aurelius, researching and building what I like to call a Philosopher's Stone. It doubled as the spire of my staff. I carried it with me during the time I hunted him, and it was only meant to be broken by a pony who could potentially kill him. This is what Prince Aurelius should look like, after his blood pact with the Brood."
Telos closed his eyes and clasped his hooves. The room darkened to his channeling, and a blue sphere formed with him between the tables, bathing everything and everyone in its eerie glow. It expanded, the edges becoming transparent, and the image of Prince Aurelius formed before him in a ghostly blur. The prince's image sharpened, his crimson coat untouched by the blue glow of the rest of the spell, but neither casting its red shade to the room.
"The Dragon Prince, the Prince of Blood." Telos crinkled his nose, sneering. "Titles and nicknames do not properly convey how greatly he does not deserve the right to live."
Nightmare swallowed as she stared at the image, the prince slowly rotating for all to see. It was hard for her to believe that the undead dragon could be the same being, but the more she stared at his image the more she began to believe it.
"Telos, you told us that Aurelius was not an immediate threat. Can you elaborate on that?" asked Celestia.
The sage opened his eyes and nodded. "His timeless prison has weathered his powers over the ages and they will not restore immediately. We must capitalize on this advantage and gather our forces. I do not know how long it will take, but he will recover before too long. I am also weakened, but not to the degree as Aurelius."
"You had previously implied," started Luna, "that he was also capable of moving the cosmos to his will, the sun, and perhaps the moon as well. Is this true?"
The moon princess's eyes rested on Telos with a heavy gaze, a knowing gaze. A judging gaze, thought Nightmare, cautiously.
The sage stared back in silence for a moment. Nightmare could see the reluctance to answer in his demeanor. With a shivering shrug Telos closed his eyes and weaved his hooves along an invisible pattern. "It was shared with me that the pinnacle of his power could be... catastrophic."
The spherical field of Telos's memory spell expanded until the entirety of the room was within its space. The prince appeared at the nearest end between the tables by the door. Sprawling down the distance towards Telos and the judges' seats lay a city. Its construction was archaic, but the stone constructions stood fast, hardly looking worn based on the image. The sage swirled his hooves, continuing to weave them in an invisible pattern. Clouds formed, and then sunlight, filling out the scene with more details. And then the sage went still, opening his eyes with a dark look.
Rays of light pierced the clouds, incinerating buildings and scorching the earth. Worried murmurs floated between the magi while the knights stared in glum silence. Nightmare watched in quiet guilt as the city was erased piece by piece, rolling infernos consuming the surface in the wake of the rays. Hazy memories of destroying homes and assaulting Celestia's kingdom in the past surfaced from Nightmare's memory. She pushed them away, reminding herself of Twilight's forgiveness to aid her.
"I know only of that incident, but as you can see,"—Telos pivoted and pointed a hoof to the far end; the prince fell his knees, coughing, before collapsing completely—"such power is dually dangerous to oneself. I do not believe he is capable of performing such a feat again, but I do not want you to underestimate his capability."
"He is mad if he believes that murdering his sister will allow him to still succeed to the throne after all of this time," Celestia growled.
"His hubris will allow him to desire nothing less, Your Majesty. He has betrayed his flesh and blood, slaughtered his own subjects, and sold his soul to the dragons. All of it... for power. Arrogance is his greatest weakness, one he has made no attempt to rid himself of, it seems."
"We shall be ready for his assault when the time comes," said Luna. A pen wrapped itself in the blue glow of her magic and absently wrote on a piece of parchment before her without her looking at it. "Equestria's rule will remain as it has, and we will not underestimate Aurelius again. We may need to involve our allies in this battle."
Telos's nose wrinkled briefly. "My powers should return before his, but we must seal or kill him before he regains all of his own. Twilight Sparkle and Nightmare Moon's symbiotic power would be a great boon, and I intend to try my hoof at fixing their dilemma." He pointed a hoof to the Id before turning to glimpse her.
"Fixing? What can you do?" she asked, eagerly and fearfully, desperate hope dancing in her voice.
"That will be explained in due time, but this is a priority. Princesses, if you will excuse me, I wish to end this briefing and begin immediately on that task."
Celestia nodded reluctantly at the same time as Luna said, "Keep me informed of your progress." Nightmare and Trixie rose as Telos headed for the door.
"Wait," said Leo, "there is still much we should discuss."
Telos stopped and cocked his head to him, his forehead and mane hidden by his cowl. "Forgive me, Chancellor, but we cannot afford to waste time until all is said and done."
"I'm sorry, Chancellor," chimed Celestia, "but the matters of Twilight and Aurelius must be put first."
The chancellor gave a heavy breath as he watched the trio depart out of the court, hushed discussion chasing them until out of ear shot. Nightmare and Trixie followed on the sage's hooves to the throne room, each of their minds boiling with questions. He led them to the center of the room. Nightmare turned in a circle, surveying the room and noting its lack of guards.
Telos turned to Trixie as a circular glow began on the floor around him and Nightmare. "I fear that what my task entails is beyond even your great capability, Lady Lulamoon. For your safety, you should remain here until I have finished."
"You are not leaving me behind!" retorted the magician as she leaped into the light. It shined brighter and consumed the trio briefly.
Nightmare shielded her eyes momentarily as her vision whitened. When the light faded, it was dark. Her eyes rapidly adjusting, she quickly scanned the area, establishing it as a dim stone corridor with no windows or external light sources to illuminate it, and an ornate door at the end of it. A few small torches lit the other corridors, but their sparse placement offered little light in the one they were in. The air was chilly, and the torches did not share any heat with those that might wander their light.
"Where are we?" she asked. Weak memories of pain and magic surfaced in her mind, but they were fragmented as if nearly forgotten, or perhaps, intentionally forgotten. Twilight's memories, she thought, shivering.
"There lies a hidden chamber within the depths of the Canterlot castle. There are not many whom know of its existence, and even less who know its purpose. From what I gather from this time period, null-magic runes are very rare, an almost priceless artifact. This chamber," he explained, motioning towards the door, "is constructed entirely with them for the sole purpose of containment. In my time they were called magic crypts."
"Magic crypts?" Trixie muttered nervously. "W-why do they call them that?"
Telos snorted. "When the materials for null-magic runes were more plentiful, these chambers acted as prisons for rogue alicorns and powerful unicorns. Sometimes, they were even executed in them in secret were they deemed to dangerous to live."
The magician's eyes widened as they moved towards the door. "The princesses would never..."
"This is where her ascension took place," interrupted Nightmare as she moved towards the door, studying it in the dark. She felt drawn to it somehow, the faint memories continuing to dance just out of her reach.
"Very observant," he remarked. "Only a place such as this could the Rites have been invoked in absolute secrecy. Magic cannot pass through such a concentration of runes, and neither can it be detected, both inside and out."
Trixie shivered before moving to stand beside the sage. "Are you going to use it to reverse Twilight's ascension?" she asked.
Nightmare and Telos glanced to her. Even in the dark Nightmare could see the doubt in the magician's eyes. She pawed at the floor before wondering aloud. "Is that even possible?"
"I do not know if it is, nor would I even try if I could. I know very little of the Rites and their function. As it stands," he turned to Nightmare, "the combined magical potential of both Twilight Sparkle and your own magic will be necessary for a sound victory. Your princesses should never have ascended a unicorn with the Rites to begin with, and Aurelius never should have created a homunculus, but we cannot dwell on mistakes of the past that were never in our control."
Nightmare glowered at him in the dark, but he stepped past her before he could see her indignity in the darkness. I am not a mistake.
"Would it be possible to make me an alicorn? Would that help?" Trixie asked. She adjusted her cloak nervously when Telos stopped and turned to her, his face blurring into a void under the additional shadow of his cowl.
"Possible? Yes. Would it help? No. No... it would not. It requires two alicorns to sacrifice great power as a tribute to create an artificial one. They suffer a long period of unnatural weakness, one in which they cannot circumvent or accelerate the recovery of. You would need to wait for your princesses to fully regain their natural powers and then obtain their consent. However, becoming an alicorn is much like being born again. Your magic is of a different vein and caliber, and it is not inherently controlled the same as when you were a unicorn. You would need to relearn how to feel, so to speak."
Trixie's brow scrunched as she watched him stand in front of the chamber doors. "Twilight went through all of that? I never knew," she mumbled to herself.
The sage swayed a hoof and the doors made a loud creak. Nightmare watched as they parted, stone grinding against stone as they whined and opened. Twilight's memory filled the darkness of the chamber for Nightmare, and she recalled the light of Celestia and Luna's horns illuminating it as they led her inside. Telos turned to her and beckoned, stepping inside. Nightmare and Trixie ignited magic from their horns, lighting the chamber as they followed him.
Nightmare gave a sharp breath as she entered the chamber, and Trixie squeaked as she stepped up beside her. The chill the room gave slipped right into her bones. It was almost as if it was an unending coldness laying over her nerves. They exchanged sheepish looks before moving towards opposite sides of the chamber. Trixie studied the murals with interest while Nightmare listlessly glanced at them, gathering a sense of familiarity as they passed by quickly.
"Lie down, Nightmare," ordered Telos while motioning to the altar.
Nightmare turned her head towards the stone altar; a shiver of worry ran up her spine as Twilight's memory reminded her of how cold it was to the touch. As she gazed at it, more memories funneled into her thoughts. She glanced up to the ceiling, recalling that there was once a window there, but now there only appeared to be more stone. Twilight's feelings of pleasure overwhelmed the ones of discomfort, and she found herself laying out across the altar, her wings draping over the sides, mirroring Twilight's actions of the memory. She ignored the cold of the stone, but tensed as the memories of pain flowed to the surface of her mind. She clamped her eyes for a moment as Telos moved to loom over her, the room almost too dark for even her to see his shadow to cast any noticeable shade upon her.
"You should wait outside until the spells are complete," Telos said as he looked at Trixie.
"I am not leaving," she reminded.
Nightmare's head spun for a moment, the murals whirling around the room as streaks of color. Then it all stilled. Magic? she thought, her eyes following what murals she could see from her position. No. I'm... afraid? Why am I afraid? There's nothing... Her heart sank and her limbs shriveled closer to her, dread enshrouding her.
Telos's eyes flowed back to Nightmare and he sighed. "Be at ease, Nightmare Moon. You are no doubt beginning to feel the anxiety caused by this room. Unicorns crawl in their own skin when they are brought here. The runes that form the basis of the crypts interfere with your ability to sense your magic at all times. When you are not actively channeling it you will be quite uncomfortable." His eyes wandered to the magician.
"I'm fine," Trixie said sharply.
"So... now what?" asked Nightmare, turning up to face him. "What are you going to do?"
Telos ruffled one of his sleeves and procured a gem in the center of a hoof. "I intend to separate you, giving back Twilight dominion over her own body and preventing you two from eroding one another's consciousness. At least, that is what I believe is ailing you."
She stared at the gem. "If you're removing me from her, then—"
"Yes. Your soul, your very essence, will be stored within this. I do not have a body for you, but I can use you to give life to a new staff. I imagine Twilight will want you by her side if you decide to be the one stored in the gem."
"Wait. Isn't that the gem you used to imprison you and Aurelius?" interjected Trixie. "Won't it just seal her the same way?"
"While it's true that I had originally designed it do just that, I have since modified it in preparation for this. Whomever is in the gem will be able to communicate from the staff, possibly even exert her own magic from it. I don't know the extent of what she could do, but there will be no seals this time." Telos switched his gaze to Nightmare's, matching her pensive eyes with his calm. "Twilight is not here, and I leave the decision solely to you. Am I right to presume that you wish to be the one in the gem?"
Nightmare's eyes shifted between them. Trixie stared at her, her pleas for the Id to sacrifice herself reflected in her violet eyes. Nightmare shivered. You would do the same for me. Nodding, she said, "Yes. I would do anything for her." Trixie shifted uncomfortably, and Telos produced a book from the darkness of his robe.
"Beware of magical backlash, Archmage," said Telos. "It will not be weak."
Trixie nodded and began to layer barriers over herself. "What about you?"
"Worry only about yourself," he replied.
The chamber doors rumbled again, stone against stone, closing with a dull boom. Nightmare's throat tightened as Telos set the stone on the altar by her head, the entire stone slab glowing violet with magic. Trixie's barriers shined blue against the darkness and the violet. The violet glow deepened to purple as it formed into a shell over Nightmare's body, crackling as energy rippled across it and tore away. Strokes of light cut the murals, painting the stone with black marks. The lashes continued striking around the room while Telos muttered an incantation.
Nightmare writhed and attempted to cry out as she was overwhelmed by pain. A buzz of electricity drowned out her hearing, filling her head with a pounding headache. She felt her body pulling in every direction, as if her flesh was being torn from her bones. Languishing, she shut her eyes and arched her back, loosing a pained howl. It was all she could do to manage the pain.
"Soul Rend," shouted Telos. He raised his hooves, an ethereal scythe flickering before forming into his grasp. Bringing the scythe down, he roared against the crackling of the energy lashes.
Nightmare's opened her eyes and watched in terror as it cleaved her and the altar in half. She screamed, a distorted wail reverberating throughout the chamber, but she saw again, saw the terror in Trixie's eyes as she was ripped from her body, appearing as a dark blue specter. Her pain vanished, but her body flickered in and out of the darkness.
The scythe faded away and Telos grunted as he moved his hooves around, struggling as he muttered another incantation. Sweat ran down the sage's face and his eyes shifted to the gem below Nightmare. Her body had become enveloped in a violet light, and she stared into it. For a brief moment, she saw something and her heart felt as if it would fly away. Twilight! Then all was black again.
***
Telos collapsed, one foreleg laid on the altar for support, and gasped for air. "It is... done..." he said breathlessly. After several minutes, he conjured a ball of light above him, and stared at the Philosopher's Stone. It had turned completely black, save for a purple and blue dot beside each other in the center. He studied it closely before letting his eyes fall to the body on the altar.
"Twi...light?" Trixie asked in a sharp gasp. Her barriers had already faded and she collapsed to the floor. Crawling to the altar, she lifted herself high enough to see the dark violet alicorn's face again. "Wake up," she whispered to her.
Telos's eyes wandered to a trail of smeared blood behind the magician.
"Wake up!" Trixie pounded a hoof weakly on the altar. She shuddered as tears welled in her eyes. Bringing her other hoof up to the light, she watched as blood ran down her foreleg. "I can't even... protect myself. How could I... ever protect her?"
"You are strong, Archmage Lulamoon. You have not failed her," consoled the sage.
Trixie snickered and winced, wiping tears from her eyes with her clean hoof. "An earth pony with magic stronger than mine... and you're complimenting me? I'm the one bleeding, so don't make me laugh." She chuckled again and grumbled, "Seriously."
"If you die to that wound you would be an embarrassment to all of the archmagi." Telos snatched the gem and tucked it into one of his sleeves. He moved to crouch in front of Trixie, leaning in to inspect her wound. Blood soaked her archmage cloak, and it matted against her body. He peeled it away to see a blackened puncture into her abdomen. "You will be fine," he said. Trixie threw her head back and groaned. "So, this is Archmage Twilight Sparkle," said Telos as he rose to study her form, slowly pacing around the altar. "She is... not what I had expected."
"Hey! She's the Element of Magic. Show some respect."
"Hmph. And I am thousands of years your elder. Why don't you show me respect?" When the magician stuck her tongue out at him, he muttered, "I thought not."
"Fine then, grandpa, why don't you get me to the infirmary?" she quipped.
Telos pulled out the gem and held it out. He peered into it, turning it over in his hoof. The abyss within tugged at his interest, drawing him in almost naturally—or perhaps dangerously. The dots appeared in the center, pulsing with a tiny glow like two stars alone in space. "And there you are," he mumbled.
"Hey! What is more important than me bleeding to death!? I can't get out of here on my own."
"I never anticipated this ritual to succeed, you know," responded the sage without looking at her.
Trixie's mouth hung open, a silent "What?" etched into her face.
"Nightmare Moon is, or perhaps was, a homunculus—a being without a soul. However," he said as he slipped the gem into his sleeve again, "for a being not meant to possess a soul, she most certainly has one." He shivered as he glanced down to Twilight. "Her soul is very dark and I fear that..." Shaking his head, he looked back to Trixie. "It doesn't matter."
"Hey..." said Trixie weakly. "It's getting kind of cold in here," she muttered.
Telos moved between them and placed a hoof on each mare. In a flash, they were back in the throne room. Trixie collected herself and immediately glanced to Twilight, but the alicorn hadn't moved.
"I was not expecting you to have returned from your duties so soon, Lady Celestia," Telos said as he caught the sun princess. "There was doubt in that room, and I imagined it would have taken longer to dispel it among your advisors." He scanned the room, noting that the princess was alone.
"My subjects believe in me, Telos. They need little more assurance than my word." Celestia stared past the sage to Trixie. The magician attempted to crouch down to Twilight again, but groaned and fell down beside her, her open wound pouring through her hoof and onto the marble floor. The princess dashed to her side and laid her hooves over the wound and began healing it. "How did this—"
"At ease, Your Majesty. She knew the risks before I began." Trixie nodded, and Telos continued. Procuring the black gem that held Nightmare's soul, he said, "This is to be the medium for a new staff. Surely you have more mythril hidden away, yes?"
Celestia nodded again. "So that is Nightmare Moon now?" She eyed it with awe. "Can she hear us?"
Telos peered into the gem's void, finding the two dots again. "Even I do not know," he muttered as he studied them. "I am meddling with magic that I have never studied, theories I have never thought through. I fear that I may cause an irreversible disaster at any moment, Your Majesty."
"I'm aware that you weren't prepared for any of this, Telos, but you're still the best pony for the tasks that need to be done. There aren't many more I would trust for them." Celestia concluded her healing of the magician, rising to standing and stepping back. "You will need to get that bandaged and rest for a while, Trixie. It's not fatal, but you cannot strain yourself for a while."
Telos quickly stepped to the magician, startling her and holding a hoof to her forehead. "I'm afraid that this conversation must carry on without your presence."
"Hey! What's the big idea?" In a flash, Trixie was gone.
Celestia narrowed her eyes on Telos with concern. "She is one of my most trusted subjects. Why would you send her away?"
Telos paced back and forth across the red carpet, his eyes glued to the violet alicorn. "Twilight Sparkle should awaken before long. If you used the Rites on her then she must also be aware of how to tap into the cosmic powers of the sun and the moon. As the one who cast Holy—I wonder... Can she use astral projection?" he finished as his eyes wandered to Celestia.
The princess shook her head. "The cosmic gifts are given to very few ponies in our service, and Twilight is the first in millennia to be given both at once. I had left Holy to myth, and astral projection is nothing more than a theory even among the most gifted archmagi in history. I'm afraid such an extraordinary spell began and ended in rumors of your ability."
Telos stood still and stared at the floor. After a moment he resumed his pacing, but kept silent. "I will teach it to her, somehow," he said, stopping to look at Celestia again.
The princess stared back, a peculiar regard in her eyes. "I'm growing cautious of your power, Telos. You are an earth pony with magic as strong as the mightiest archmage. Where did you get it?"
"I see that your trust has limits after all. Hmph. I suppose the truth cannot be avoided if you are to trust me with all that I need, but I am not ready to show you where my power comes from." Telos clasped his hooves, light leaking out from the edges. Parting them, the sphere of a memory was created, expanding until the entirety of the throne room was within its space.
Trees, grass, plants, sounds, and even scents were created in a matter of seconds, filling the spell with a luscious forest area. Celestia stepped to the side as a tree appeared where she was standing, and she watched as the grass bent against Twilight's body. The memory continued to build, filling with more details; every blade of grass, every fallen leaf—it was exact. Rays of moonlight shone through the trees and lit the ground in its bright eerie glow. Telos stepped into the artificial light with a downcast expression towards the grass.
"What are you showing me if not the origins of your magic?" Celestia asked as she examined the detail of a tree's bark. She reached a hoof out to touch it. Passing through, she pulled it back, a look of cautious wonder etched on her face.
"I regret my title of Oracle. It is little more than a reminder of what I've lost... what I shall never have again. Aurelius would have torn apart more than just the ancient Equestrian kingdom. How I obtained my power is a memory for another time, but I will show you this, as a token of my good will, until I am ready to show you what you desire to know." He closed his eyes and receded back into the shadows of the trees.
"What do you think, my love?"
Celestia's eyes widened and her blood turned to ice. "Astra?" she muttered as she slowly turned around, coming face to face with the former 'queen'. Astra held a soft look, and her light blue eyes and peered right through Celestia. Stepping back, the princess moved to the side and found what the queen was looking at. The younger, past Telos stood opposite her, a dreamy smile on his face as he approached her from the shadows of the trees.
"This is where it all fell to pieces, Lady Celestia. This is the beginning of an end," said the present Telos.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 22: The Biting Black
Celestia's eyes darted around the memory's space, eventually settling on the sky as it manifested. The waxing moon was nearly full, and it shone brightly, bathing the forest in such a powerful glow that it distorted the color of the greenery. No doubt a marvel of Astra's creation. The flawless illusion built by Telos was fascinating, but she had had enough of studying it and eyed the younger Telos thoughtfully. The only substantial differences were has lack of a robe and darker disposition.
"It's never as beautiful as you," he said, stopping only a few meters from the princess.
Astra looked up and smiled. "Life. The glory in all that live deserve nothing less." She rested her gaze back on Telos, adding, "Do you agree?"
Telos nodded quickly. "Of course, Your Majesty."
Celestia gave a start when Astra groaned loudly and placed a hoof to her head. "We are alone, my dear. I do not wish to steal ourselves for the sakes of the small minded. You and I," she said, moving closer, "are alive. That is the mark of absolute liberty, and it should not be treated as anything less."
"Is it... is it truly alright, Astra?" he replied in a hush.
"I shall decree it so, my love," whispered the queen as she lowered her head to his. "And it shall be." Telos blushed as she closed her eyes. Their lips touched, and they moaned softly as she attempted to pull him closer with a foreleg.
"Tear yourself away from my sister at once, Telos!" The sage-to-be flinched and took a bounding step backward. Aurelius skidded to halt beside him and glared. "Your blood—your kind has no business with ours."
"I-it's not what you think, Aurelius!" protested Telos, holding his hooves up innocently. His demeanor betrayed his words as he fidgeted nervously.
Astra placed a hoof on her brother's shoulder and beamed once more. "Calm yourself, dear brother. There is no place beneath our heavens for your childish ignorance. I knew you would find out of our love eventually, but we do not rule nature's hand."
The prince's crimson cheeks managed to redden further with his indignity. "Sister, how can you say such a thing? We are royal blooded alicorns, the lords of our kingdom. How can you allow yourself the idea of a union with an earth pony?"
Astra's smile faded and she stared at her brother with a placid look for a long while. Somehow, it seemed to pacify him, his anger subsiding and his breathing diminishing to normal. "Telos and I are in love with one another, Aurelius. This will not change because you disagree with my wish. This is what fate has chosen for us."
Aurelius snorted. "Surely you jest, sister."
Astra shook her head, her smile reappearing. "Nay, little brother. We have been together for many moons now and I no longer wish to hide our love, fearing what others may think of it. Let them think, I say, for they do not know. Now, rejoice for your sister."
"Why an earth pony?" he asked shakily.
"Why not an earth pony?" Astra countered, her voice still gentle.
"A non-magical pony should not marry to the crown. Think of the implications! The future!"
Astra stared at him with bewilderment, but it shifted into amused regard a moment later. "My love," she said as she turned to Telos, "do you wish to rule over all that is our kingdom?"
The younger Telos nervously shook his head. "I-I don't know."
Chuckling, Astra returned her gaze to her brother. "Dear brother, the kingdom belongs to us for now, and I will outlive my lover, as you are fully aware of." Astra moved to stand beside Telos, draping a wing over him and earning a sheepish blush as he met her eyes. "Our bloodline is not eternally pure, and some day it will be diluted by the very races that you deem to be beneath us. Whether it is I who muddles it or a descendent matters not. Life exists within cycles, and so to shall the power that runs through those that succeed us. There are reasons beyond our grasp as to why our immortality is ultimately finite concept in itself. You are still young and naive, but I know that you shall one day understand that even we are not all."
The prince's eyes were wide as they stared at each other, his elder sister maintaining her reserved disposition. After a few moments he lowered his head in a solemn manner. "Forgive me, dear sister," he said in a growl, raising his head suddenly, "but your decision is an outrage to our kind!"
Astra moved to her brother, towering over him and casting a shadow upon him. She cast a dark gaze to him, and he let a shudder rattle his form. "Who are you to dictate the wishes of our ancestors and our unborn children?" She stomped her hoof. "Who are you to carry judgments to your elder!" She stomped her hoof again, the earth trembling. "You are no more than a child flaunting a crown wrought of selfishness. It is your insolence and ignorance of the world that leaves me to be the final judge of all that we preside over. Perhaps I was too hasty in granting you your birthright, but I yearned to have you stand by me as we guided all that we can towards prosperity."
"You are going mad, Astra! It is you who has lost sight of what we are, and what we must continue to be!" countered Aurelius.
Astra snarled and raised her hoof and unfurled her wings partway, but her hoof never fell back to the ground. She glowered at her younger brother. "You are unfit for your crown, Aurelius. I am hereby revoking your status as prince until a time in the future where I deem you prepared and capable of ruling in a more appropriate manner." In an instant, she was calm and composed, standing with her wings at her sides once more.
"I am unfit for the crown? You cannot take away my status. You are not a queen, Princess Astra, and you have no power or right to act as such! My word is equal to yours in power."
The princess tilted her head back and laughed. "Our subjects have titled me as queen. Do you know why? It is because I have ruled without fail while you were but a foal who wanted little more than a bed time story every night."
"Do not pretend that you can rule alone now with the uprising of—"
Astra turned and walked back to stand beside a shuddering Telos. "Then perhaps I need only pretend that I can rule alone, where you need only pretend not to at all," she said. "Control of the sun shall be mine once more. I implore you to take this time away from your duties to expand your views and gain empathy with the world. For now, the scope of both are sorely lacking. If you cannot understand every piece to our world, then how can you lay judgement fairly? Worry not, for I am not abandoning you, little brother. When I believe that you have gained the wisdom you need I shall return to you your heiracy. For that, you have my word."
"You have no—"
"This conversation has ended, Aurelius," Astra finished in a stern voice.
The former prince seethed before turning and storming away, shouting over his shoulder as he slipped into the shadows of the forest. "This is not over, Astra!"
She turned to the young Telos still shuddering by her side, and smiled. She nibbled on one of his ears and he gave a start, causing her to chuckle. "Oh, my love. Do not worry yourself with my brother's tantrum. He is no more dangerous than a mouse."
"A-are you sure? He seemed very upset."
She draped a wing over him once more and peered into the forest where Aurelius had gone. "I cannot give him the wisdom he needs. All I can do is set him on the path to find it himself. There will come a day when he will think me for what I have done here tonight." She took a deep breath and glanced up to the sky. "The evening is still young. Come, walk with me, my love."
***
The memory distorted briefly before vanishing, and the real Telos sat down, coughing furiously into a hoof. Taking in gasping breaths, he looked up and said, "Forgive me, Lady Celestia... but that is all that I can do... for now." The princess stared where Astra stood, lost in a daze. "Princess?"
Snapping back to reality, Celestia shook her head. "Huh, what?" she blurted. "Ah, I'm sorry. Thank you for sharing your memory, Telos. Princess Astra, your world... it was beautiful. I would have loved to see it," she finished, smiling.
"Oracle is a strange title," interjected Luna. "It would not have been long before a ceremony would have united you and Princess Astra." Luna stepped closer to the others, having been standing where the shadows of the trees in the memory would hide her. "And I see that Twilight Sparkle has returned, but what of... Nightmare Moon?" Her mouth twisted with distaste at speaking the Id's name.
"She is safe. As for my title... Astra wandered often despite her status. She felt that she should not be confined to one place and wished to be a part of her kingdom as much as possible. She felt it brought her closer to her subjects. I was very young when she passed through my home town, and I found myself... enamored with her. From then on, I chose to follow her and help spread her wisdom." Telos tugged his hood down, but not before his blush had appeared.
"So that was Soothsayer Astra, a former ruler and older sister of Aurelius." The three other ponies gasped in surprise at the voice. "And you were her lover." Twilight opened her eyes to Telos and raised herself on her forehooves, squinting to see. She scanned the room groggily, taking in the surprise of the others, but her eyes connected with Celestia's a moment longer than the rest.
Telos reset his hood and stared at her. "I see that you have already awakened, Twilight Sparkle. How are you feeling?"
"Unngh," she moaned. "Where's Trixie?" Twilight took a moment before she could raise herself to standing, and her legs threatened to buckle as she did so. She watched her wings slowly furl up before giving an answer. "I feel—" Her eyes widened suddenly, and she became fully alert, frantically throwing her head in every direction. "I-I... I can't sense Nightmare Moon!" Nightmare? Nightmare! "What happened? Where is she!?" Answer me! She froze while staring at the floor, her panic evolving into pure fear.
"Calm down, Twilight," said Celestia soothingly. "She is safe." Twilight whirled around and glared at her.
"She is perfectly fine, Archmage Sparkle, I assure you," chimed Telos.
She turned and faced him, narrowing her eyes as she recognized the sage. "I can't talk to her anymore. Where is she?" she said in a calmer voice.
"She is right,"—he procured the black Philosopher's Stone and held it in an outstretched hoof—"here. Within this gem."
Twilight stared at in awe at first, but soon her eyes widened again. "What happened?" she demanded.
"Nightmare Moon was left as the dominate soul in your body after the battle with Aurelius," explained Luna.
"Nightmare Moon was suffering from bouts of illness while you were incapacitated. I surmised that both of your souls within the same body was affecting one another. I gave her the choice of whose soul would be placed within the gem, and she chose herself."
Twilight gazed at the gem sadly. For a moment, she imagined Nightmare's face grinning back to her, and it made her grin back briefly. You did that for me...? "So... what happens now, now that we're separated? Are you going to give her back to me?"
"Twilight, that may be too dangerous," said Celestia. "We're not sure what exactly was causing Nightmare Moon's sickness."
"I'm surprised you even care, Princess," Twilight retorted as she turned around. "What, did you two become friends while I was resting?" Celestia shot her a hurt look and folded her ears back.
"Enough, Twilight," said Luna.
Telos shook his head and stood up. "I intend to have my staff rebuilt, and have Nightmare Moon's soul act as the new catalyst and spire. However, unlike my old staff you should be capable of freely communicating with her."
"Unlike?" Twilight turned once more to face the sage. "What do you mean by that? Nightmare heard it was something like a prison. I... don't really remember anything she did very good now that I can't sense her."
Telos snorted. "Forgive me, I had forgotten that much has occurred during your absence. My staff, as a whole, was mine and Aurelius's prison, with the spire being his and the shaft being mine as well as a seal. I had previously designed it so that you could not communicate with his soul, and only a part of mine could be accessible."
"And Aurelius's prison? If you're free, then..." she trailed off with worry.
Telos looked to the floor in a pause. "I am afraid that he roams free in your world as we speak."
Twilight stared at him, wide-eyed. "N-no... That's impossible! I killed him! I... killed him..." This can't be happening. "Nightmare and I, the princesses, I used Holy! How... how can he still be alive after that?" She held her hooves up in front of her, shaking as nausea flooded her stomach.
"You destroyed a piece of him, Archmage Sparkle. Alicorns are unique, and he has done terrible things to further his powers. You have no doubt diminished at least one of his facets."
Twilight shook her head and slouched. "Aurelius is free, and stronger than ever before. This is... this is my fault! If I hadn't used so much power... If I hadn't..." She buried her face in her hooves, continuing to shake her head.
"Twilight, this is no more your fault than it is mine," consoled Celestia.
"You should just speak for yourself, Princess." Twilight whirled around and shot her a heavy stare. "Can you at least do that without lying?" Celestia blinked and recoiled in herself, wincing. Her eyes watered as she gazed back apologetically. "Telos, I need Nightmare back. I need her strength." I just... need her.
"I am afraid that it must wait. I have exhausted myself enough for one day. While Aurelius's impending reinvasion looms over us he will be too weak to make an attempt for a while. His strength will return to full faster than my own, but there is time to spare. Nightmare shall be returned to you as soon as a new staff is constructed." He levitated the gem to Luna.
The moon princess nodded. "I will begin the preparations to have it reforged at once."
"There is something I wish to teach you after I have rested. I shall begin making arrangements tomorrow morning." With that, Telos and Luna left.
Twilight and Celestia watched them leave, then looked at each other. She wanted a reason to leave the princess alone besides simply hating her for the time being. Her prayers were answered when Trixie hobbled into the throne room, a large white bandage wrapping her abdomen. She winced with each step, but managed a smile when she saw Twilight.
"That bastard teleported me to the infirmary! I'm sorry I didn't get to be here when you woke up. I came as soon as they would let me go," she said.
Twilight beamed and trotted over to her, wrapping her forelegs around her. "Trixie! I was wondering where you were."
"Ye-ouch! Not so tight."
"S-sorry," Twilight said as she released her hug and giggled. "It's been... a stressful day. I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat in the city. That is, if it's alright with you, Your Majesty." She turned to Celestia with a regarding expression.
"Yes, of course," she replied softly, maintaining her typical serene demeanor.
"Alright, then let's go," said Twilight. The magician turned and headed for the door, but Twilight stayed and threw one last glance at Celestia. She gazed back with a hurt look, and slowly reached out a hoof to her. Twilight looked to the floor before turning and leaving. You earned this.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 23: Hollow
The earth angrily shook to life as a burst of energy crashed into it, scarring the land with a crater and spitting debris into the air. Water from the nearby lake raced to fill the empty space, and Telos ran a hoof coolly through his mane as he watched the dust from his attack disperse. The sun was sinking and bathing the valley in its majestic orange glow. He cast a glance towards the horizon and snorted.
"The sunset brings back memories, does it not?" he called out as he began to walk along the bank of the lake. "It was not easy finding you. No... but we were never ones to shy away from challenges, from things perhaps forbidden from us."
Aurelius shook dirt from his mane, frowning as he dusted the rest of himself off. "I'm impressed, Telos. You've regained quite a lot of your strength. I'll bet you're still a lot stronger than I am right now."
Telos stopped rounding the lake when he was opposite of his enemy, and peered down into the water. They shimmered with the orange glow and reflected back the constantly distorted image of his face. "She always believed in the natural order of life," he said.
"Speak up if you mean to speak at all!" shouted Aurelius.
"She would want the current order to be untouched by your poisonous will! I fight in the name and honor of your sister, and I shall uphold the crown of the present! Our era has ended, Aurelius, and so shall our status with it."
Sharp ripples echoed across the water. The lack split as an invisible force crashed into the bank where Aurelius stood sending water and mud spraying from the impact point. Another crater formed and the lake waters once again raced to fill it and recede back to its center. The prince had taken flight, but the rush of air from the explosion had sent him higher than he intended, jostling in the air, struggling to regain control. Telos aimed a hoof at him and smirked. "You were never a good combat strategist..." he muttered.
Two beams of energy raked the ground this time passing beneath the water and abruptly surging into the sky as they hit the far bank. Aurelius growled, igniting his horn and ceasing his flight. He plummeted to the ground, narrowly missing as the beams crossed by one another. They continued up for a moment, but arced and curved back down to cross into the prince again. He flipped over and held his wings out, slowing his descent, and loosed a massive fireball from his horn into them. He barreled one last time as the explosion above him forced him into the ground at high speed.
The force being too great to land on his hooves, Aurelius slammed into the earth with a shout. He climbed to his hooves, wincing slightly before collecting himself. "Not bad, Telos. You certainly haven't lost your touch over the ages we've spent locked away." He sneered and began stepping backwards, putting distance between him and the lake. "You of all ponies know that attacking me alone is a death sentence."
"We are already dead, Aurelius," said Telos.
"Speak for yourself, you fool. If you are dead, then come to me as another minion."
Aurelius laughed while the sage glowered, death reflecting in his eyes. The prince stomped a hoof and the lake tided towards Telos leaving no water behind in the bed. Standing tall, Telos whirled around and pushed both of his forehooves towards the wave while muttering a spell. The tide reached his bank and prepared to crush him, but as it fell towards him a wall of flames ripped from the ground and burned it away in a matter of seconds. The area distorted in a steamy haze as the last of the water evaporated.
"I never thought I would live to see the day when you would use water as a weapon," remarked Telos. "You always prided your fire." He guided his forehooves past him, pivoting as the steam vanished and more water appeared. As he twisted, a new wave formed from the steam and saturated ground, gathering strength and volume until he completed his turn. It charged back across the empty lake bed. Aurelius attempted to take flight again, but the water suddenly warped into a snake and surged towards him at triple the speed. Nearing him, the end twisted into a funnel and pulled him in, twisting, flowing high into the air before crashing down and driving the prince into the earth. There was nothing to soften his impact and the water continued to drill him down, dispersing a short while later.
Aurelius gasped and coughed, visible scratches on him now, and he growled as he saw his blood staining the mud. Climbing to his hooves, he caught his breath and shook himself of most of the sediment. "Your powers never cease to amaze me, but you already know that such weak attacks are nothing to me. Join me Telos, and together we can accomplish what I've already started." He offered a hoof, some of the lesser lacerations on his body healing.
Telos scoffed. "Your despicable, hypocritical blood pact with the dragons—I remember. Anything for power, isn't that right? Even sinking so low as to take another's or paint yourself in innocent blood for it."
"Swallow your own words, old friend. An earth pony capable of magical wonders. Now, I wonder... How could one such as yourself be capable of magic, let alone becoming one of the mightiest mages of our history?" Aurelius sneered and scrubbed a hoof through his dirty mane.
Telos scowled and pulled his hood back slightly. "Nothing but the ramblings of a rabid animal. You despised me for being of common blood, too impure for your sister, yet you polluted your own. The powers I have are your very retribution! Make no mistake, Aurelius, I would throw my life away again and again if it meant preventing you from distorting this world." The earth quaked to life at his words, fluttering his robe, and he cloaked himself in a light aura.
"Then watch as I take your life from you a third time," cooed the prince.
Spreading his wings, Aurelius stood up and pressed his forehooves together, closing his eyes and focusing. He loosed a rising cry as his body began to shine white, and Telos stared at him in awe, his jaw hanging open and his head slowly tilting back, hood falling off. The whiteness took over his form and grew into a shell over him, expanding and growing larger. The sage formed a weak shield in front of him and crouched as the light exploded, a rush of wind and dirt blasting his way. The thick dusty haze around where the prince had stood obscured his view, but two crimson wings peeked out from the sides of it.
"Hahahaha... I suppose you have never watched me transform before, have you?" asked a heavy, almost growling voice. The wings beat twice and most of the dusty haze cleared. Two large red claws planted themselves on the edge of the lake embankment, their talons digging into the earth. Aurelius grinned, flexing his muscles and stretching his wings, the sheen of his scales glimmering in the fading sunlight. "It has been eons since I last used this form. It feels great after having spent all that time maintaining that rotted coil of before. I have you to thank for that miserable state."
Telos forced his awe away and scowled, his stomach twisting at the prince's new form. "Dragon Prince Aurelius, the shamed lord of the sun. You know that your draconic blood will not be of any aid to you against me," he called out. "Astra refused to believe that you would bind yourself to the vile dragons of our age. Even now, after all of your sinister manipulations, the Brood of this one continue to aim for peace and harmony, the same that she believed in."
"Sinister manipulations? Hahaha. Those are words best left for a mirror, Telos. I wonder how much you truly know..."
"I know that you're nothing more than a pitiless creature."
"Even if a pawn like you does not respect me, I shall have you respect my power with your dying breaths, you insolent whelp!" seethed the dragon.
Aurelius propelled himself from the embankment with great force, his large wings unsettling loose debris and carrying it in his wake. Telos mouthed an incantation and forced his hooves forward, lightning exploding from the air before him. It arced and struck one of the dragon's wings, but it was too late. Aurelius twisted slightly and crashed into the ground, one hand balancing him as the other seized the sage in its hateful grasp. Squeezing his hand shut, his eyes widened before he released it.
"I see that your memory is still hazy. If it were so easy to kill me, then you would have done so before I sealed us for millennia. Once again your arrogance reigns king over you, Prince Aurelius."
The dragon spun around to see Telos standing on the lakeside behind him, weaving another spell. Ice split from the air over the lake bed, honeycombing and racing towards Aurelius. The sage moved and swayed his hooves and it split further, casting its area wide into a net, then it thinned away as it cascaded over the dragon's body. The area around him darkened and a localized blizzard erupted around him, a violent storm of hail and snow. Aurelius slammed his hands down and roared; the vibrancy of his scales increased momentarily. The arcane winter ended and his scales returned to their normal color.
"These scales of mine are impervious to such pathetic magic. Why are you holding back, Telos? Aren't you here to kill me?" He rose up and extended his wings, casting a shadow over the sage. "My body alone is a testament to my power. No dragon would form a blood pact with a pony that couldn't rip their heart out."
Telos glared at him defiantly, staring back with anger, with hatred. He clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. His eyes wandered away from the arrogant dragon and to the fading light of the sunset. A blue shade was casting over the lake and it would only be minutes before the world was bathed in the shadow of the night. "Astra had me promise her that I would not kill you, but I fear that it will be the one promise that I shall never keep."
"You always speak as if you have the power to kill me. Your magic is strong. I'll give you that. However, I'm sure you have wondered if it's truly enough. Fight me to the end, Telos, or are you afraid that I will reunite you with my beloved sister?"
The sage glowered at his inflection. "A monster like you never deserved her as your kin—never deserved her mercy!" The air around him slowly swirled about, gently billowing his cloak. In a flash he vanished and appeared beside the dragon, his aura thickening into a burning white energy pulling away from his form. He clasped his hooves, and Aurelius leaped backwards, gliding backwards and putting cautious distance between them. "Tomb of the Divine!" The spell came to completion and a sphere exploded out from the sage, moving to the center of the distance between them and expanding until it held both fighters in its area. It cast a blue shade over them, yellow lightning streaking across its borders, crackling and jumping about.
"What is this?" growled the dragon.
Telos chuckled as he slowly stepped forward, and the sphere's border behind began to recede slowly. "Do you not recognize it, from the last moments of your free life as an alicorn? Indeed... this brings back many... pleasant memories." A streak of lightning snapped as it arced from the sphere's surface and tore through one of the dragon's wings. "I will enjoy this."
Aurelius snarled as he stared at the blackened flesh, the hole inciting memories. "This spell... I remember now." He curled his tail up beside him and frowned. "It's no surprise that you would doom yourself to kill me. The altruistic Oracle, never too prideful to throw his life away for the greater good. If you wish to die for a purpose, then die right now and be gone from my consciousness."
Blasts of magic blanketed the dragon and he used a wing to shield himself from most of them. It distracted him from the sphere's enclosure, and he roared as it receded onto his back. He lurched forward and gained some room, but his blackened scales were a grim sign that his draconic form could not shrug off the spell. Magical backlash from the sphere tore at his body again and again, a wince and a groan following each one, and then a step closer towards Telos.
Telos gave him a satisfied stare. "Now that you are a dragon, I have been wondering if you would be willing to eat a pony. Would that be cannibalism, I wonder?"
"That is what you think about in a moment like this? Hah. Come closer and find out..."
"Astra, forgive me," he whispered to himself. "Lunar Blessing!" Telos raised both forehooves towards Aurelius, then chopped them down in tandem. The dragon grunted, resisting the colossal force, but was soon pressed against the ground in submission.
"Powers... of the moon! You damned fool. Why do you keep trying?" Slowly, he began to force himself off of the ground, rising up inch by inch. "It was all... lies. It was always... a lie..."
"Die in peace... old friend..." Telos panted, pain clinching his chest and climbing into his head, pulsing like an internal quake. He coughed as the exertion wore his magic thin, but pressed on against the strain. He layered his magic over and over until the dragon could barely raise his head from the ground.
The sphere shrank, scathing Aurelius's body and marring his scales with black burns and streaking parts with bleeding flesh. He roared, bolstering his resistance, but it did little to dull the pain or lessen the strikes. The size of the sphere forced him to crawl to Telos, but as the area within ran out his impending doom had finally caught up with him.
In a flash, the spell ended in a cascade of explosions, tearing the lake bed apart and cratering the land around. When the lights faded, all that was left was the dragon's ravaged form; chunks of flesh were visible where scales had once been, and blood ran between ones that hadn't been destroyed. He looked as if his body had bites taken out. As he heaved in breaths of air he scanned the vicinity, but most of the ground was as blackened as his own flesh, the grass having been reduced to ash.
"Where are you?" he called hoarsely. His form shined white and shrank back down to his alicorn body, but the injuries he had sustained in his dragon form mirrored over, littering him with similar burns and missing flesh. Blood flowed down his face and sides, and he collapsed to the ground. "You're a damned fool, blinded by the past. That's all you are!"
Telos sat on a cushion in darkness. He opened his eyes, then after a few moments, pulled the cushion to his mouth and screamed into it. It was cut short as he broke down into a fit of agonizing coughs, falling limply forward and rolling onto his back, heaving in labored breaths. Fiery pain surged through him from hoof to head, crippling him further with a pounding migraine. He moaned as the pain peaked for a few seconds, then he went still, the rise and fall of his chest and the harsh sound of his breaths the only signs of life. I am too weak now. I cannot... use more than a few powerful spells before the strain becomes too much. I am a fool to have even used such powerful magic there. Several moments passed before he regained enough strength to stand. Grunting, he hoisted himself off of the floor of his chambers, and hobbled towards his bed in the dark. He stared into the void where he assumed his bed was and threw himself blindly onto the mattress with as little effort as possible, thankful he didn't miss. This battle draws near too quickly. Will there be enough time?
***
A quill scratched feverishly across a parchment as Twilight watched it, only offering it half of her attention in that immediate moment. The other half was drawn to thoughts of Nightmare, noting how strange it was that she was no longer there in her mind, no longer with her. It left her hollow and sometimes apprehensive when alone, always unsettled. Sometimes she wondered if she never should have jumped into that light, what it would've been like if Celestia had been chosen as Nightmare's new host instead. She shook her head to herself. No, it would have chosen me no matter what after... A rustling from behind Twilight broke her split concentration and the quill slipped off of the parchment, scrawling a large line off the paper.
Trixie had sat up as she awoke, her eyes still closed, and unleashed a noisy yawn, smacking her lips. She rubbed her eyes before opening them, and was greeted by the expectant eyes of her lover. "Good morning," she mumbled, rubbing at a light blue night cap on her head.
"Good morning, Trixie. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
"Not at all. You must've gotten up early," she said as she peered past the alicorn and to the parchment. "What's that?"
Twilight whirled around and frowned, the quill having smeared ink onto the desk. "Telos had me compile a list of materials and ingredients he needs for teaching me something. He didn't say what, but this list..." She levitated it to Trixie and watched her confusion grow as she read further down. "I've never used even half of these myself, let alone heard of the last ones." The parchment moved back to the desk and the quill scribbled the last few that were missing.
"It's nice, you know," started Trixie. Twilight gave her a wondering look. "To wake up with you here." She beamed and kissed Twilight on the cheek causing the alicorn to blush. "So, how are you going to get all of these?"
"I'm sending this to Zecora. She's the only one I can ask. I'm a senior archmage and even I wouldn't know where to begin with some of these. The royal vault contains mythril, but Luna is in charge of that. How do you even grind it down to dust?" she exclaimed as the note levitated between the two.
Trixie snickered. "I love it when you get flustered." She grinned as Twilight blushed. "Zecora... Isn't she the zebra from... uh... really far away that lives in the Everfree Forest?"
"She's a master alchemist and has extensive knowledge of far away lands and resources. If there's anyone who would know about these it's Zecora."
Trixie removed her night cap and moved to a large mirror and began to brush her mane, pulling out the tangles and smoothing her silvered hair while Twilight watched. "So, what's he teaching you?" she asked while meeting Twilight's reflection.
"Well, based on what I do know of these, it's probably some high level magic, but I can't even begin to imagine what it could be. It's going to take a few days for most of these to arrive."
Trixie rolled her eyes and turned around. "Sometimes I wonder if you like magic more than me," she pouted, adding a comparatively sad and adorable face.
"What if you're the most magical thing in my life?" cooed Twilight as she stepped to the magician and leaned up to her ear. "The spell that always has me bound," she whispered. Trixie's ears perked up, and she nibbled one before being shoved backwards onto the bed.
"Is that a figure of speech for hoofcuffs?" the magician asked seductively.
***
Twilight and Trixie walked down the castle corridors quickly, their cloaks fluttering behind them. "Ohhh," moaned Twilight, "I completely forgot what time Telos wanted us to meet him tonight." She halted at an intersection and glanced down each corridor, hoping she might run into the stuffy sage being late as well. Her eyes rested on a fully clad unicorn knight standing alone and staring at a stained glass window. Twilight continued down that corridor, passing the knight as they stared at a window depicting Nightmare's redemption. It never gets less weird seeing that, she thought. She glanced over her shoulder one last time before rounding a corner, still hoping to see Telos, and the knight was gone. "Wasn't there a..." She shivered as the corridor suddenly grew cold.
"What?" Trixie asked as she stopped to catch the bewildered alicorn staring back.
Twilight shook her head and continued walking. "Nevermind."
They arrived in the royal garden late in the evening, the moon watching over the night from a great distance. The air was cool, thick with a dampness that made Twilight feel almost sticky being outside. She frowned as she stepped off of the main path and onto the grass. It was slick with a light dew, and she hoped they wouldn't be staying out in the humidity for very long. Walking towards the rear of the castle, they came to a short set of stone stairs that led to a lower terrace. Carved bushes lined the open areas as they branched out in neatly trimmed hedge walls. Two small tables sat opposite each other across the wide stairs along with a few chairs, but they hadn't been disturbed.
They found Telos on the lower terrace of the garden, secluded on a far reaching path while he worked over runes, glyphs, and containers holding materials. Twilight recognized some of them from the list she sent to Zecora. She froze as her eyes rested on a plate depicting a large rune in the center. Why is that here? she wondered fearfully. It was the same rune that was engraved on the waypoint in Draconis. Her stomach churned as a memory flashed into her mind. Blood... so much blood... She took deep breaths and closed her eyes, focusing on just that for the moment. My blood. She shuddered and swayed a hoof out as she exhaled, the feeling leaving her.
"Are you okay?"
She opened her eyes to Trixie staring at her with concern. "Yes. Just a little light headed is all," she lied.
Telos looked up and glanced to them as he smeared something on the grass. "I was beginning to wonder if you two would ever show up. Your punctuality is faltering, Archmage Sparkle."
"Sorry, Telos. I had to make payments for those materials."
"It is alright. Preparation for this is tedious, so you would have likely had to wait on me. I've already informed the guards that I have reserved this area. We should not be disturbed." He stood up and stretched, then surveyed his work.
"What exactly are all of these for?" asked Twilight as she investigated a few of the more exotic items present.
"Some of them are for my personal use. The princesses require others for the reforging of the staff and purposes I do not know. However, the majority of them are for you."
"For me?"
"I intend to teach you astral projection." Twilight's eyes widened and Trixie gasped.
"That... The archmagi have been researching how to create that magic for centuries. Normally, I wouldn't even say it was possible, but... you've already broken several major magical laws," remarked Twilight with fading skepticism.
"How is that even possible?" asked Trixie.
"In my time, magic was closer to an art form, and though specializations from your cutie marks were no less common, many unicorns chose to train and vary their magic beyond just their innate talents. Archmage Lulamoon, you would be an excellent example of a unicorn with varied magic as a natural talent, thus making your skills more potent and your ability to learn new magic less restricted. However, imagine if the vast majority of unicorns sought such diversity, even if their magic could not be as powerful."
Twilight imagined Rarity as an archmage. The idea amused her, but her imagination mocked her with an image of a battle hardened version of the white unicorn. "So, there was more development of powerful combat magic. But still, astral projection has been chalked up to cosmic or even fringe magic."
Telos chuckled and sighed, seemingly at the same time. "I developed astral projection on my own. I did not need such a powerful spell becoming widely known, even worse if those loyal to Aurelius learned how to use it, or knew how to counter it, and that is why research halted on it, eventually becoming lost and forgotten, it appears."
"Were ponies with naturally strong and diverse magic more common?" asked Trixie. She lifted her cloak and nodded towards her cutie mark. "Like me?"
The sage shook his head. "They called unicorns like you naturalists. You were sought after by the royal army, or hunted by the vile dragons before your powers could fully manifest and your potential calculated." Trixie shuddered. "Eventually, they became a stigmata of the unicorn race. Lesser unicorns and ponies, so to speak, refused to interact with naturalists, fearful that they may be targeted and murdered by the dragon's hunting force."
The blood drained from Trixie's face, and Twilight put a comforting hoof on her back. "Can you also teach it to others?" she asked.
Telos glanced between the unicorn and the alicorn, frowning. "No," he replied simply. "We do not have enough time for that, and your alicorn traits and innate strength will expedite the process of learning how to use it."
Twilight stepped closer and watched as Telos adjusted the positions of some of the runes. Afterwards, he dipped a hoof into a container of a dark colored dust and smeared it across the rune in the center. She watched in silence as his hoof slid across the surface, coating it in a blue substance. She swallowed hard as she remembered her own blood pouring across the stone of the waypoint. "What... what is that rune?" she asked.
Telos looked up as he finished and wiped his hooves together. "An ancient dragon rune. It is used as a binding rune for preventing spells from bleeding or changing into something other than the intended creation. Some dragons say it means seal, but some of the more powerful ones translated it as meaning curse."
"Curse?" Twilight walked slowly around the ring of runes and materials, studying the draconic rune intently. Telos moved around, painting lines between the smaller runes and ensuring they were aligned the way he wanted.
"Nefarious things can be done with it, and the backlash from using one incorrectly can kill weaker unicorns and even some adolescent dragons. The most powerful dragons have scales strong enough to resist it, but it is still a mortal wound. I heard a rumor once that a naturalist had been captured and forced to use one, but the backlash of the experiment burned out his magic, rendering him mute forever." Telos paused for a moment. "A fate worse than death for a unicorn," he muttered.
She stopped on the opposite side of Trixie and surveyed the setup as Telos finished the final line. All of the runes were now linked with various colors that overlapped, and all of them linked to the central draconic rune. The magician gave her a look of uncertainty as she gazed at the rune again.
"The unicorns of my time hit a wall in their pursuit of astral projection. The first attempts at such a spell bore tragic results. Ponies had their minds split or disrupted. The strain on the body and mind could be too much and cause their magic to burn out and leave them as muted unicorns, or worse." He grimaced and motioned towards the center. "These runes prevent that from happening, but I did not find a use for them until long after the idea of astral projection had been abandoned."
"H-how do you do that?" asked Twilight, exchanging nervous glances with Trixie.
"You will require these." Telos reached a hoof to the base of his hood. He hesitated for a few seconds, then pulled his robe off.
Twilight and Trixie gasped and stared at his body in silence, taking in what they saw. Dark blue lines ran wild over his body in winding, curvy patterns; from knees to neck, he appeared tattooed with the strange glyphs. Since they had seen him for the first time over three years ago, Telos had never removed his robe or shown his cutie mark.
"If that's your cutie mark, then what's your special talent supposed to be?" Trixie asked in wonder.
A full moon stuck out against his sandy colored coat, but it held two shadows fading and curving down behind it towards his hocks. It was a strange mark for an earth pony, but given his even stranger magic Twilight thought it suited him. Her eyes took in the full view and her heart sank as she began to see a pattern in the runes painting the rest of his body.
"Curse..." she muttered aloud as the gears in her mind processed it.
The sage hung his eyes to his robe on the grass. "I see that you recognize the style of these glyphs. Indeed, they are a curse mark for those that use them, attempting deadly magic that is better left forgotten." He turned to Trixie and forced a grin. "Perhaps I'm always shadowing the moon." He looked up to it and his grin shifted into a genuine smile. "I think it's my destiny to forever be enchanted by Astra and all that she did for the world. Perhaps I am meant to uphold her legacy."
"So, I'll need those tattoos to use astral projection." Twilight removed her cloak and shook her body.
"I am afraid that I know of no other way. Perhaps with enough time I could discover another method, but that is a luxury I have been tracking. We do not have as much of it as I originally thought."
"Can these tattoos be removed?" asked Trixie.
"As long as you wish to use astral projection you will require them, but I won't lie to you. They could be permanent." Telos ran a hoof along one of the marks on his other foreleg and let his brow droop.
"I'll find a way when this is all over," said Twilight.
Telos motioned to the draconic rune. "Stand in the center when you are ready."
Twilight moved in between the other runes and raised a hoof to step on the center plate. She hesitated and stared at it nervously, retracting her hoof. She looked up to Trixie with her eyes full of fear and doubt. The magician gave an empathic wince and nodded. Twilight raised a hoof again, but this time towards Trixie. I didn't even say goodbye back then... I made you promise me you would save her instead. She stepped onto the rune and closed her eyes. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that.
Telos crouched down and laid his forehooves on the edge of the circle of runes. "You will want to stand back," he said to Trixie. "The feedback from this was catastrophic when I used it on myself."
The magician backpedaled several meters and stopped. She glanced around and grumbled before moving even further back. "Why not do this in the magic crypt?" she asked, her mouth twisting distastefully on the words.
"I do not know if it will work in one," he replied. He turned his head with a serious look in his eyes. "I have only done this once before, and I do not wish to risk Archmage Sparkle's life on an uncertainty." Trixie's eyes widened, but he turned his head back to Twilight. "I am afraid that this will be quite uncomfortable."
"Nothing will ever hurt more than getting these," she said, spreading her wings and then furling them back up.
The garden seemed to shudder at first, then rumbled as furious tremors came, rustling the plants and jostling several of the runes. Trixie's horn lit up and a barrier formed as the runes began to glow different colors, slowly shining brighter and brighter against the night. The runes reached full brightness and flashed, blinding Telos and Trixie. One last quake shook the garden, as if the earth itself rejected the magic; the alchemy circle and lines connecting the runes left blackened burn marks in the grass.
Twilight's wings burst open and she grunted as pain surged throughout her. The rune beneath her appeared with a mirror image just above, and she opened her eyes and looked up just before it floated down, its pattern—and many more—appearing all over her body. She screamed as they burned into her flesh, a glowing blue pattern spiraling and crossing around her abdomen, up her neck, and down her legs. The pain began to fade after a moment and she collapsed onto the now-blank plate below her, flesh still stinging where the glyphs were. The glow in the glyphs on her body lingered for a moment before fading to a dark tint.
"Twilight!" Trixie dashed to her side and pulled her to her chest, cradling her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine now," replied Twilight in a hoarse voice, moaning afterwards. Her chest expanded and shrank to steady, heaving breaths. She opened her eyes into a wince as the pain became more manageable. Shakily, she stood up on her own, gnashing her teeth, finally rising to standing on her own and shot a glare at the sage. "Quite uncomfortable?" she quoted curtly. "Next time I'll choose the hot iron," she finished with a growl.
"My apologies. My memory of this spell has faded with time." Telos shook his head. "In any case, it is done, however..." He glanced around at the royal garden. Shrubs and decorative plants had been set ablaze by the magical discharge and they were quickly spreading and devouring the grass in their dancing orange flames. He swayed a hoof and water coalesced in the air, tiding over the flames in a sweeping motion. "Your princesses will not be appreciative of the state of their garden. Your natural magic should be capable of mending some of the damage."
"I can't... use my magic... right now..." said Twilight, sucking in pained breaths. It didn't help lessen the pain, but it somehow made her feel better to try. She noticed the garden was now arid. Faded memory my ass, she thought bitterly.
Telos shook his head. "Not you,"—he pointed to Trixie—"her."
"Me? Can't you fix it without even breaking a sweat?"
"I cannot mend nature nor attune myself to it. My magic may be powerful, but it is still unnatural, even to myself," he explained. "As it stands, I have exhausted most of my magic for the evening on this ritual."
The magician eyed him incredulously. "You sure don't look like it."
"I am not a unicorn. I do not suffer the same symptoms of magic exhaustion as one."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Twilight nodded to her before stepping away from the runic burns. The magician stood up and ignited her horn with a green aura, but before she could begin the distant rumble of hoofsteps headed their way. In a matter of seconds several royal guards stacked up behind the alicorn while a few additional pegasus guards flew in overhead.
"Archmage Sparkle, are you alright?" said one urgently, stepping ahead of the rest. "We felt earthquakes and heard a scream."
Twilight frowned and glanced away briefly. "I'm alright. We're conducting magical experiments and there was an accident." She caught the guard leaning past her to glimpse the burned garden and quickly stepped in front of him. "Nopony was injured, and the garden will be fixed before we are done here."
"Are you sure everything is alright?" he said, still trying to catch a glimpse past the alicorn.
Twilight turned to Telos and Trixie, both nodding her way. "Yes, we're fine. You may return to your normal duties."
With a nod, the guard spun around and barked orders to the others. It wasn't long before they dispersed and the lower terrace was empty again. Twilight rubbed a hoof against her chest and groaned. So much for secrecy.
Trixie's horn glowed with a green aura again and she dug her hooves into the grass until she could feel the soil beneath. Closing her eyes, she let her magic mix with the earth, the glow from her horn growing to give her body a light green aura. She tensed for a moment, but soon new blades sprouted from the ashes of the previous layer, filtering through as a new, unkempt layer.
"You could do better," commented Telos as he investigated the new blades of grass.
Trixie huffed and gave him an indignant glare. "It's better than you."
"Telos is correct." The other ponies whirled around as Luna stepped into view, seemingly out of the distance of the night. She carried a questioning look while she examined Trixie's repairs to the garden. Frowning, she glided down the terrace steps and moved closer. Twilight shivered and threw her cloak back on, but not before the princess caught a glimpse of the glyphs wrapping her body. "So... that is what is necessary," she said. Twilight couldn't be sure if the princess spoke with disapproval in her voice, or regret.
"Princess Luna. What are you doing here?" asked Trixie nervously.
The princess slowly drifted her eyes between the ponies, then returned them back onto the magician. Twilight wondered if she took joy from watching her fidget and squirm under her gaze.
"I bear the finished shaft, reforged of mythril once more." Her mane roiled for a moment and then produced the staff into the aura of her magic. It appeared as little more than a dull grey pole in the dark, but it maintained all of the intricate carvings and sculpts of the original. Everything was exactly as the original. "All that remains now is the mounting of its spire." Twilight gazed at the staff, but all her mind saw was a way to speak to Nightmare, to hear her voice again.
"Perfect," said Telos without looking at the shaft. "It will be a while longer before I can complete the staff again."
Twilight broke out of her trance with a start. "You can't attach Nightmare Moon to it right now?" she asked, disappointed.
"I am afraid not, Archmage Sparkle. This is not a simple staff with a simple spire. It requires a ritual to bind its new spire as it contains a soul, and I have spent much of my magic already. Much like your body is now a conduit for astral projection, so too is the staff a conduit for your power, and the spire a conduit for your souls."
The thought of Nightmare becoming a catalyst for her power was chilling, but she had been growing so eager to reacquire her link to the Id that the delays were becoming agitating. Without Nightmare, she felt incomplete. She watched as Luna handed the gem and spire back to Telos, her gaze growing hollow the longer she stared at the gem.
"I'll be able to talk to her once it's finished, right?"
"Yes," replied Telos.
Twilight fidgeted, trying to avoid looking at the gem again. "And I can bring her back if I found her a new body?"
The sage nodded cautiously. "Yes. I could remove her and place her into your body again if... that is what both of you desired."
Twilight stared at the ground, blankness on her face, pondering the idea of sharing a body once more. "When this is all over," she started, lifting her eyes back to meet Telos, "I want you to do that... if she is willing. I don't... I don't like the idea of her being alone in the staff," she finished softly.
"What about us?" interjected Trixie, jealousy ringing in her voice. "Won't that be a bit... you know... invasive?" She wore a pouting expression as she half-glared at her.
Nightmare's presence the last time had caused too much confusion, and she wondered if it would repeat. "Don't worry, Trixie," she said, offering a reassuring smile. "I promise I'll make it work without her getting in the way of us."
The magician crinkled her mouth before nodding. "You better."
"Will binding the spire to the staff repeat the destruction displayed here this evening?" Luna asked as she threw a hoof to the mangled garden. "Your magical experimentation, rituals, and spellwork must be conducted elsewhere. I cannot risk the image of serenity on the castle grounds again."
"No, Your Majesty. Binding it does not require as much magic, and I will make sure no harm is caused to anything or anyone. You have my word," said Telos.
"Very well." She lifted a hoof and prepared to turn, but halted. Her eyes flowed back to Twilight and lingered. After a moment of deliberation, she broke the silence with a question, turning to Telos. "You can maintain powerful barriers, yes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Can you construct a cloaking barrier among them?"
"Yes, but why do you ask?" Telos gave her a suspicious look while the other mares eyed Luna with surprise.
The princess sized Twilight up, her eyes glazing in anticipation of something. It made her nervous and she adjusted the neck of her cloak.
"Once the staff is complete I wish to test Twilight's abilities," she said simply. "Personally." She spun on her heels and ascended the stairs, walking out of earshot without glancing back.
Twilight stared after her, dumfounded. "Test my abilities? We haven't sparred since..." She trailed off into deep thought. When was the last time we sparred?
Memories of her training to become an archmage popped into her mind. It wasn't until most of her training had been complete before the princesses insisted that they sparred with her. At the time, she felt they were worlds apart in power, and it had been strange battling with them like rivals. Now, the thought seemed ridiculous. Telos explained that they would be weak from the rites, but it only seemed to ring true with Celestia.
"It's been years since I've sparred with Luna. Isn't she still weak from the rites?"
Telos had taken to watching the moon while she sifted through her memories, and his attention had become divided. "Perhaps." He turned to her and offered a more complete answer. "I do not know how long it takes for alicorns to recover their powers from such a ritual. Perhaps it is a few more years, or perhaps a few more centuries. Or perhaps, Luna is simply confident in what powers she has already recovered. I'm very interested in observing, should you accept her request, that is."
Twilight found herself gazing at the moon, determination growing inside of her, and doubt. For every ounce of enthusiasm and wonder she felt about dueling the princess, she felt an equal amount of apprehension and worry—worry that Luna might be resentful or angry should she win or injure her. After few minutes of musing, she turned to the sage.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 24: Avatar of Silence
Twilight nearly stumbled, again, as she headed for the throne room, her hasty walk compelled by an urgency in her steps. She had donned a plain black cloak, much to Trixie's protest, and the edges of it fluttered by her hooves, always taunting her to trip and fall. The cloak seemed like a large shadow over her already darkened fur, and some of the castle staff gave her nervous looks as she walked by, appearing almost as if she had come from the black shadow of her cloak. She hardly acknowledged them, her thoughts consumed by the idea of speaking to Nightmare once more. The idea almost made it feel like a prize for dueling Luna. Almost. The castle staff and royal guards seemed to blur into the walls of the corridors as she focused only on the path to the throne room.
She skidded to a stop when she realized something was missing. "Trixie?" she asked, spinning around to find that the magician had fallen far behind her.
The light blue mare had broken into a gallop to catch up to her. "Slow down, Twilight. It's not a race!"
"Sorry. I'm just so... anxious to talk to Nightmare... and to spar with Luna," she finished begrudgingly. "It feels wrong to fight her." She continued at a normal walking pace when Trixie had caught up to her.
"It does seem weird. I've never seen Princess Luna fight before, and then she challenges you out of the blue—literally—after Telos put those glyphs on you? Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Twilight stopped and the magician nearly crashed into her, instead stumbling to standing beside her. She looked to the floor with concern, rubbing a hoof softly against it. "Yes. It's probably a good idea to test my strength. I haven't used my magic for anything but picking up books and quills since I woke up, and I haven't even started on training to use astral projection. This is a good way to keep my skills sharp."
"Twilight, please don't go through with this," Trixie said worriedly. "You're going to get hurt," she reminded.
"I can handle a few scrapes and bruises, Trixie. Besides, I've got you to nurse me back to health." She smiled and leaned over, planting a kiss on the other mare's cheek. "It's a duel, not a death match."
Trixie followed behind Twilight as she continued on to the throne room. "Oh, yeah? And when was the last time you heard of an archmage getting just a few scrapes and bruises in a duel, huh?" she grumbled.
Twilight rounded a corner and found Dash leaning against a windowsill and staring out of the window. She held a distant stare as she casually brushed a hoof across the window a few times, sighing all the while. It wasn't until Twilight had moved to stand just behind her that Dash became aware of her presence.
The knight did a double take, nearly sliding against the windowsill and falling. "Hey! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry, Rainbow. I didn't want to bother you while you were... doing whatever it was you were doing," apologized Twilight as she stifled a giggle.
"I was just... thinking about somepony is all." She glanced at the floor with disappointment before brightening her disposition. "So, what's up?"
"I'm on my way to spar with Luna. Do you—"
"Whoa, really? I gotta see this," exclaimed Dash as she dropped down to walk beside her.
Twilight frowned. "I guess," she said hesitantly. "Well, come on. We're meeting her in the throne room." Before she could move, another voice called out to her and she turned around to find the source. "Spike?"
The dragon's steps were so energetic he was almost bounding towards her. "Hey, I just heard about your fight with Luna," he said breathlessly. "How could... you agree... to that?"
"How did you even—Nevermind. It's not fight. We're just having a friendly duel," Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. "I don't need an entire audience worrying about us while I spar with one of my best friends and mentors. It will be fine." She loosed an exasperated sigh, then adjusted her cloak.
"This is a bad idea, Twilight," the dragon added after regaining his breath.
"Look, I have my own doubts about this, but Luna was the one who suggested it," she said.
"Then don't go through with this."
She stopped and flexed a foreleg out, holding her hoof up and staring at it. "No, I should do this, and I've already made up my mind. I need to get back on my hooves with my magic. Aurelius is getting his strength back, and so should I."
The dragon gazed at her with frustrated worry. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Twilight glanced to him, one corner of her mouth pulling up. "You aren't the only one. She turned her head back to Trixie, then continued leading the way to throne.
***
"Has the staff been reforged," asked Luna as she descended the stairs of the throne, "I do not wish to delay beyond this evening if it can be helped."
Telos tilted his head back and yawned loudly, following with a shake of his head and a smack of his lips. He rustled his robe before procuring the staff wrapped in a blue cloth from the depths of his garment. He tossed it onto the carpet at Luna's hooves and yawned again. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I... did not sleep well. Terrible nightmares followed the evening that I bound the new spire." He held a steaming mug between his hooves, hovering over it as he gently blew on the top of it.
"Is that so..." Luna's eyes trailed from the sage's baggy, tired ones and down to the wrapped staff. "Perhaps Nightmare Moon has an influence beyond her new confinement." She stared at the wrapping scornfully before stepping over it. "I require you to allay my personal fears, Telos."
"Oh?" he said, looking up and managing more attention. "And what personal fears might those be?"
Luna stared at the staff from the throne stairs. "Tell me, will the gemstone spire imprison Nightmare Moon eternally, or must I live every night wondering when a time will come when she may be able to free herself?"
The sage stared at her confusedly. "I did not design this one as a prison, princess. If she so wills it she could break free, but to what end, hm? Unless she can bind her soul to another, as she once did to you, and inadvertently did to Archmage Sparkle, she will, to non-magical beings, die." His look evened and he sat his mug down. "But something tells me that this is not ideal for you."
"Hm." Luna pivoted and took the wrapping in a sidelong glance. "Were it not for Twilight I would wish to see the shadow haunting my past dead at the gallows." Her eyes narrowed with contempt. "A hasty, painless death is more than she deserves."
"Do not dwell on the past if it can no longer defile the present, princess."
Luna growled. "You know nothing of my past!"
"I know a great deal about your past," he replied simply. Luna's eyes widened and she appeared as if she might start yelling. "As do you know much of mine. I am the past, princess, and I am burdened by it until either I die, or Aurelius lies dead at my hooves. However, you have been free of Nightmare Moon's influence for many years. I understand that her renewed presence rattles you, but she has made no effort harm to harm you now."
"You will never—"
"You do not understand." Telos stood up and moved to the wrapping. In one swift motion, he pulled an end of the cloth and the staff rolled out, immediately springing into levitating upright. Luna tensed and fixated on the spire intensely. "Your shadow is not here to pain you. Embrace that your past is the past, and that the present has allowed you to be here now instead of sealed once more as Aurelius had planned. Embrace this fact, Princess Luna, for it is more than I can have."
"No more, Telos. I am warning you."
"Perhaps fate had written this scenario, or perhaps it is time to forgive. If not her, then yourself."
Luna glowered at both the staff and the sage. "This conversation is over."
"Then I will begin a new one."
"Do not test me, Telos."
The sage narrowed his accusingly. "Why are you keeping this little duel from your sister's knowledge? She cares deeply for you and Twilight."
Luna met his eyes with a heavy stare for a while, but finally broke the silence with a short, aggravated snort. "I merely wish to understand some things is all."
"And what do Twilight, Nightmare and I have to do with your need to... understand these things?" The sage's look shifted to incredulity and he paced back and forth, his gaze still resting on the princess.
"A dual purpose each shall serve, and I am by my word of the spar's intent. Twilight's capabilities must be gauged, and her skills must not wane to idling with Aurelius's impending assault. That is all you need to know."
The sage watched her as she turned and sat back on a cushion at the throne. "I suppose that is enough for now," he said as picked up his mug and took a sip. The cloth on the floor levitated and wrapped the staff again.
***
The atmosphere inside of the throne room felt tense to Twilight, despite the casual air Luna and Telos maintained in her presence. The princess seemed completely unbothered by the idea of dueling her student-turned-archmage, even as she was likely still more powerful than her. The princess seemed almost excited to spar, though her candid demeanor was little more than a faint smile, upright posture, and bright tone.
"Is that... her?" Twilight asked, peering to the wrapping on Telos's back.
The sage nodded and began unfolding it. "Indeed it is."
Her eyes widened in hopeful expectation as the staff rolled out of the cloth slowly. Her heart sank as the staff appeared, a dull grey instead of the usual platinum sheen, but her spirits were lifted again as it sprang to life, just as it had done when she first saw it. She hesitated before taking steps towards it, fixating on the dark gem in the spire. It wasn't like the colorless gem of before that reacted to whatever magic she channeled through it. Reaching a hoof up to it, she stopped and swallowed, hard, her foreleg pulling away slightly. She peered past and to the sage and he nodded.
Her hoof touched the shaft and it flashed into its platinum sheen again, but the gem of the spire remained black, instead pulsating with a blue glow. A sense of power and majesty flowed through her, and with it came the nostalgia of having the staff's augmenting properties empowering her. She pulled it closer and investigated the new spire. Within the blackness of the gem were two orbs, one of a starry blue, and the other a vibrant purple. She blinked and the purple was gone, the blue having grown larger within.
Twilight... is that you?
Her hooves trembled as the staff slid down to the floor in her grasp, eyes still wide, staring into her reflection on the shaft. Yes, Nightmare. It's me. I'm here... she thought, her mind's voice reflecting her shakiness, her happiness. "I'm right here," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. So, you're—
Yes. I'm the new soul within your staff. I... I know this isn't the way you wanted it to be, but... but at least now I can protect you.
Twilight sniffled and wiped her eyes, a smile brightening her face. No, it's fine. I'm just glad you're alright. I'm so happy that you're here again.
"Twilight, we must be going," Luna spoke, interrupting her.
She nodded and allowed the staff to perch on her back once more. "Thank you for this, Telos—for everything that you've done for us, for the kingdom, and for me. I'm in your debt."
The sage bowed and smiled. "It is my pleasure to right the wrongs of Aurelius, and I would do anything to see his end. However, Her Majesty is right. We must be going." He took the last sip from his mug and released it. The cup fell slowly before fading into the air and vanishing.
Twilight motioned to her and everyone gathered around. "Where are we going, Luna?"
The princess eyed the staff suspiciously before answering. "To the field where Aurelius fell. It is an appropriate area and it suits our need for seclusion." With a nod, everyone vanished in a large flash of light.
***
The first thing Twilight opened her eyes to was the rusted lance, the anchor point for her teleport, and the shadow it cast over her from the moonlight. She tensed as the magical tax hit her, but even after it faded she still stared at the monolith remaining from the battle. The night made it seem like it a grim ward, scaring away any signs of life. A cool breeze rolled through the fields, sweeping the grass and chilling her. She tugged part of her cloak down and shivered, finally prying her eyes from the lance.
I don't like this, said Nightmare. Anywhere but here...
I know. This place gives me a bad feeling, but it's a good place to spar. She glanced up to the moon, partly obscured by clouds, and shivered again. I wish it was somewhere else.
"Construct the barriers, Telos. Use the lance as the nexus for the space and do not expend your magic upon a full enclosure. We shall duel here," Luna commanded. She turned and walked closer to the ruined weapon. Overhead, dark clouds swam across the moon and its light dimmed on the area, slowly growing darker as time went on. The princess almost seemed to blur into the night the further she moved away, her spectral mane all but vanishing with her.
"Come, everyone. Let us give them some room," said Telos. Everyone moved back and the sage crouched down, muttering to himself.
"Luna, why are we sparring at night if we're not using the moon?" Twilight asked, her eyes drifting from where the moon was.
The princess took flight and landed atop the lance, peering around as Telos's barriers formed. They surrounded them with a light distortion and a blue tint, but they did not stop the wind from passing through. "Do not worry, Twilight. The moon will not be imbuing your powers for this duel, but as the princess of the moon they shall forever augment my own, even if it is hidden from me." The last of the moonlight faded in a circle around Twilight before the moon was swallowed by completely dark clouds.
She is limiting your power, Nightmare remarked, and the wind picked up as a light drizzle began.
The princess stood on her hind legs, balancing deftly against the rapidly strengthening winds, and twirled her hooves as she raised her head to the sky. The light drizzle quickly into a heavy downpour, the cascade of water growing into a powerful ambiance. Puddles formed like shallow lakes and the grassy land soon became a flooded marsh. Twilight's cloak clung to her body like a sopping mat, and the chill of the rain seeped into her flesh.
Thunder exploded from the skies, punctuated by the crack of lightning, its light beating back the night in flashes. Luna's shadow cast harshly over everyone as the bolts struck in the distance behind her. Finally, the wind's strength culminated into blasting gales, and Twilight found it difficult to see as the rain sprayed her face and her cowl beat against her brow. Another thunderclap overhead and she held a hoof over her eyes, squinting to see the princess. The chill from her saturated cloak grew distracting and with a grunt she tugged it off and allowed the wind to carry it to Trixie.
"These are the conditions in which we shall duel, Twilight. Prepare yourself. This storm has only begun."
Be careful. She's not holding back, Nightmare cautioned.
A part of me was hoping she wouldn't, mused Twilight. Lightning split the sky between her and Luna, reaching down and blasting the ground. She went prone and covered her eyes as the wind whipped the dirt and mud her way. And neither will I. Nightmare floated beside her giving off a weak blue glow.
The princess dropped from the lance, gliding through the tumultuous winds effortlessly and vanishing from sight with the rage of the storm. The wind seemed to flow where she wanted to go, and the directional shift of the rain helped mask where she was.
Maybe I can use the wind to locate her, Twilight thought, straining her eyes to scan the sky.
Her horn ignited as she prepared a spell, but a gale splashed icy water into her face and she instinctively turned away to rub her eyes. In that moment, another bolt of lightning came down, striking Twilight before she could recover. Burning, shooting pain raced through her body, stunning her briefly and leaving her muscles aching. The smoke and smell from her singed fur and flesh was blown away in the wind, and she moaned before recovering completely.
She found Luna had perched atop the lance again. Lighting her horn again, she slammed her forehooves down, Nightmare mirroring her by tilting and the spire cutting to the ground. A crescent wave of light ripped forth, illuminating the area and refracting its emanation off of the rain drops. The princess swung on the lance and the wave slid past her before exploding in the sky, dispersing some of the clouds for a few seconds.
Twilight beat her wings, but the princess's horn shined with a dull glow, a hoof directing her focus at the violet alicorn below. Twilight had gained significant altitude before Luna's spell took effect, immediately slamming her into the ground with crushing force. She grunted, the only thing she could manage as her lungs were left empty from the crash. Gasping breaths quickly put air back in her lungs.
"It's going... to take more than... that!" Twilight shouted over the storm. She grunted and growled as she pushed herself off of the muddy ground and raised her head to the princess. It was a difficult battle just to stand, but she managed to keep herself from collapsing again.
Stop the gravity spell first, said Nightmare.
I'm going to shoot her off of her higher ground.
Nightmare moved into Twilight's hooves, and she crouched down to prevent herself from slipping and falling. Three streams of energy gathered in the spire, and she rolled onto her back with the staff in her hooves, exerting different magic against the gravity bearing down on her. A ball of energy formed from the spire and moved between her hooves. For a moment, it hung there, slowly vibrating. Suddenly, it shot at high speed through the storm towards Luna.
The princess had little time to dodge and fell from the staff as the sphere rocketed by, exploding into a brilliant light, bathing everything in white and black. The clouds parted briefly and rays of moonlight spilled through for a moment, but were swallowed soon after.
The gravity spell ended and Twilight stood up again, pushing her mane out of her face and allowing the rain to wash away the mud. She shivered, the chill draining her sense of feeling. She looked up and Luna was gone. She examined the skies quickly, but could not find her in the chaos of the downpour and shifting winds. A bolt of energy struck her in the side and she cried out as she reeled sideways. Her horn shined and she swung Telos blindly into the direction of the attack, a wave of magic sweeping the area.
Behind you!
Nightmare's warning came too late; Twilight turned in time to see Luna's hoof crash into her with magic behind it. She choked on her breath as she was toppled backwards and crushed into the ground, Nightmare fumbling to the ground. An energy pulsed from her body and she rolled over, trembling from the pain. When she collected herself, Twilight found that the princess was already perched on the lance again. She pressed one hoof against the wound on her abdomen while the other clutched the side of her face. The flesh was sensitive, but the internal pain was almost crippling. The pressure on the wounds helped alleviate some of the pain. What did she hit me with?
You cannot rely on your vision for this fight, Twilight. Our separation has left you without my ability to sense through the veil of darkness.
The pain spiked and she collapsed into the mud moaning in agony. Then how do I get it back? This is like phantom limb for me. I know she's there, but I just... can't pinpoint her.
Take me into your hooves again, then let me back into your mind. It will not be the same as the last time, but I will link us again. Quickly! urged Nightmare.
Luna moved her hooves in syntax, her horn glowing bright as she weaved multiple spells together. Twilight reached for Nightmare, but a small bolt struck the ground between her hoof and the staff. She spread her wings and allowed the wind to catch her, pulling her up into the air. She struggled to stay balanced while battling her way through the harsh winds and back to the staff.
A large jolt of lightning split the sky before her, touching down to the ground and splitting, webbing across it in a growing pattern. She went into a dive towards the staff, but abruptly, the lightning flowed from the ground and arced to the sky, striking and surging into her. She screamed as the pain rippled through her body, paralyzing her muscles and leaving them aching with a burning sensation. Falling back to the ground, she clamped her eyes as she writhed in pain, the cold rain feeling like hot drops to her cold body.
"She's going to kill her!" cried Spike to Trixie and Telos.
"You have to stop this, Telos!" added the magician.
"Princess Luna will not kill her," the sage said coolly. "Nor will she hold back against her."
"I'm going to stop this." Trixie started to move to the barrier's edge, but Telos put a foreleg out and stopped her.
Dash moved to stand behind Telos. "Listen, old timer. We're not going to watch as our friend gets put in the hospital over a sparring match."
"Get out of my, Telos," warned Trixie.
"Neither of you will interrupt this duel. Should the need arise, I can intervene, but I assure you your princess will not fatally injure her."
"And you're okay with watching this?" Trixie shrieked, pointing to the battered form of her lover ahead.
"I do not enjoy the violence any more than you do, Archmage Lulamoon, but this is a duel that I will respect."
Trixie moved forward and planted her hooves against the barrier, her horn beginning to glow. "This isn't a sparring match, it's a—"
"It is still no more than what it is. Sit down and allow your master to finish, Archmage Lulamoon," Telos said sternly.
Trixie gave him a dour look, but she turned her head back to Twilight and replaced it with a regretful, worried one. "You had better be right."
Twilight shuddered as the pain passed and she could move again, but the fiery aching of her body protested every action. She crawled through the mud and water towards the staff, the coolness of the liquid soothing some of her subsiding pain, and reached for it. It sprang back to life and moved into her hooves, and she dug it into the ground and climbed back to standing.
After a few heaving breaths, she swung the staff out, curving the motion up and raising the spire. The spire burned red and flames erupted around the lance, growing, reaching up the prongs and to the end of the shaft where the princess perched. The wind whipped the inferno around and the light cast shadows that danced across the puddles on the ground. More... power! She roared and the flames turned black, engulfing the entirety of the lance.
Her heart pounded in her chest and the pain in her body became distracting again. She slid back to the ground in a muddy splash, keeping herself propped up with Nightmare. The flames on the lance were quickly extinguished by the rain and wind as the spell was no longer maintained. She glanced up and scowled, as best she could, when she could glimpse a dark blue sphere of light emanating from the lance.
Luna's barrier faded around her, revealing her latching to the staff with labored breathing. She hung her head momentarily before looking back to Twilight. "Let us end this," she called down. Spreading her wings, she released her hold on the lance and flew back, higher from it. She tilted her head back and her horn shined against the darkness, growing in brightness until it distorted her face. Lightning exploded in the skies behind her, illuminating the clouds and ripping pieces of the ground out in bellowing flashes.
Did she really regain all of her magic? Twilight stood up and tried to form a barrier, but only a weak layer appeared over her form. As she watched the princess, a strain pushed her down into the mud again. I can't... focus my magic. Her lightning... I can't... she thought grimly.
Luna clapped her hooves and lightning rained down and around her foe, explosions of light and sound overloading the sensory of their observers. They shielded their eyes as everything went white for a moment, and Telos grunted as his barrier was tested. After a moment, the haze of debris and smoke cleared, and the observers' vision returned.
"I-Impossible!" Luna blurted.
A dark shroud of energy enveloped Twilight's form, a violent, shifting layer of magic. She slowly rose back up, the staff anchored to her back, and the shroud took the shape of Nightmare Moon, swallowing the staff and hiding Twilight. Luna's eyes went wide as she hovered in the air, fear sinking into her.
Nightmare glanced up and smirked. "She and I are connected, and I will protect her with all of my power."
The Id's voice was a ghastly, distorted one, and it chilled the princess to the bone. She landed atop the lance again and prepared to form a barrier against the coming reprisal, shaking nervously as she moved her hooves.
Nightmare's shroud lightened and energy coalesced in her horn, and she fired a burst of dark energy shot towards the princess. It completely missed her, sailing past and detonating in the sky behind. The area lit up from the explosion, but a lingering light prompted Luna to turn around, horror painting her face. The moon shone through the hole in the clouds, directly onto the violet alicorn.
Twilight could feel her magic growing stronger in the light, and she glanced up to the princess, the moon overshadowing her like a monument. "I'm sorry, Luna."
The princess turned back to Twilight, but it was already too late. She howled out her final spell and a titanic bolt of lightning split the night. Luna's eyes were wide as it struck the lance, splitting and forking across the ground. The thunderclap deafened them as the electricity seared and blackened the ground around its impact point.
When the light faded, so to did Nightmare's shroud, and the wind stopped making it easier to see through the rain. Luna's metal shoes fused to the lance, holding her aloft for a moment, but she went limp and fell, her shoes ripping from her flesh as she tumbled to the ground, crashing with a thud and a splash. Telos's barriers faded and the others came running up beside Twilight. She waited a few moments before walking towards the fallen princess as fast as her achy body would allow, stumbling a few times and ultimately falling, crawling the last few meters. Nightmare fell from her back and laid silently in the marshy grass beside her. A boom sounded in the distance, and Twilight's horn glowed on instinct, but it faded a few seconds later, her magic and body giving out.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Celestia bellowed, reeling high on hind legs. With a grunt, she stamped her forehooves and there was another boom, a pulse echoing from her impact that expanded, fading away as it reached the sky. The rain ceased, and the darkness of the storm had been replaced by a grey haze as the dark clouds moved on. The only evidence of the storm that lingered was a light breeze that soon died out.
"Celestia," said Twilight through clenched teeth. She tried to say the name with distaste, but the burning in her throat and chest took the strength of her voice away.
The princess scanned the area with such a dominating stare that even Telos could not meet her eyes. It wasn't until she looked over everyone else that she finally glanced down. "What do you—" She shrieked as she caught Luna, her eyes widening and her jaw quivering at the sight of her battered sister. She crouched down, eyes darting across the wounds and then to the violet alicorn, still shocked. "Wh-what.. wh-why...?"
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Luna moaned and managed to roll over and face them. "Do not be cross with her, sister. This is... my own doing." She gave a light cough before slipping into a fit of groans and laying her head down.
Celestia stood in an instant, anger and indignation shaking her form. "How could you be so foolish, so reckless, Luna? Did you truly believe I wouldn't notice something like... this!?" She motioned all around and to the sky. She held her anger for a moment, but it withered away into confusion. "Why, my sister? Why did you do this behind my back?"
"I requested a duel with Twilight, sister, but it was not without reason," Luna said.
"And you," Celestia snapped, "how could you agree to something like this?"
Twilight stood up on trembling hooves, unsure if they might buckle at any moment. "Don't, don't you dare start with me—about what I can and cannot do! I had no idea she set this up without you knowing," she said with a weak, shaky voice. She glanced over her shoulder as the others moved closer, each of them soaked by the rain and watching her with worry. Not here, she thought. Not in front of them.
They glared at each other for a few moments before Celestia next directed her anger to Telos. "You of all ponies would help them?" she barked.
The sage met her eyes guiltily and then stared at the ground. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I only did what was asked of me by Her Majesty, Princess Luna. Whatever affairs are going on between you two, it is not my place to involve myself. I am sorry." He bowed and maintained it until Celestia removed her gaze.
"Why...? Why would all of you keep this from me?" she asked softly. She looked around to everyone slowly this time, pain etched into her face.
"Because I asked them not to," replied Luna plainly. Celestia turned to her, her eyes begging for answers. "You have been holding back to me, sister. I am not daft, Celestia. You know more about what has been going on than you have shared." The sun princess's jaw hung open as she studied her. "You gave Twilight more of your power than I, but that is not all."
Celestia looked away, deep thought leaving her silent for a while. She broke the silence by stepping beside Luna and crouching down to her and laying her forehooves gently onto her abdomen. "A part of me is afraid," she said, barely above a whisper.
"There is only one way you could have known Aurelius's identity," Luna continued, looking her sister in the eyes, her powerful, even stare piercing into Celestia's soft, guilty gaze. She asked as softly as Celestia had spoken, but her collected voice seemed almost frightening. "Does Astra still live?"
"Why... do you ask?" she replied defensively, but without any willpower behind it.
"You can heal with the power holy magic; you knew of Telos and his legacy within the staff; you knew of Aurelius's true identity; you knew of his relation to Astra. And then there is the matter of Twilight's death in Draconis."
Luna tensed and coughed several times, blood spattering onto the grass. She wiped her mouth with her wrist and groaned. Celestia shook her head and began to heal her, the soft light flowing out from her hooves and onto her body. Her eyes fixated on her sister's bloody, mangled hooves where her shoes had once been. She shivered before focusing elsewhere, maintaining her silence.
Luna moaned and stilled after a while, but she still lacked the strength to move. "I know you have learned much in the time I was locked upon the moon, but I cannot delude myself into believing that all knowledge you have of the current events could have been gained during that millennium, and there are things that would be deemed lost to us. I knew many unicorns in the time before my banishment, and there were those among the pontiffs whom believed an ancient ruler—I now presume to be Soothsayer Astra—still existed in some incorporeal form. Must I ask again?"
Celestia remained silent.
"Answer the question, Princess Celestia," commanded Telos as he stepped closer, a desperate sternness surfacing. "Is Queen Astra alive?"
She turned towards him, staring at his hooves for a while. Finally, she met his gaze, her guilt showing more than ever before. "Yes," she confessed simply. "I asked her to watch over Twilight during these dark times." The sage trembled as he watched her, his mouth hanging open with a hundred unasked questions.
The violent alicorn snapped her head to her, her eyes moistening. "What... what do you mean watch over me?" she choked out.
Celestia focused back to healing Luna and allowed her mane to obscure her face from everyone else. "I mean exactly what I said."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 25: Closing the First Eye
Telos shook his head, visibly disturbed by the news of Astra's status. Twilight couldn't tell if the sage was angry or saddened, but nonetheless he approached the princesses, trembling. When he spoke, it was in a loud, disbelieving sputter.
"Astra... alive! Such a thing... is a lie!" he cried, his eyes wide and intense. Twilight took a few steps closer as he shook his head. "This is how Astra died!" he shouted again, perhaps to convince himself of his own words. He clasped his hooves together and a sphere of light formed between them, but Twilight placed a hoof over his hooves. Telos went still and looked at her with shock before lowering his hooves.
"Let her talk," Twilight said calmly, softly. Even she was surprised by how it came out, but both mages looked to Celestia expectantly. I'll whether I can believe her.
The sun princess shot Twilight a grateful glance, but the violet alicorn merely gazed back with the same, calm expectancy. There was a wonder in each of their eyes in that moment, but Celestia tore herself away when she recognized her one faithful student's gaze as a merciless one. She gave a heavy sigh as she finished healing Luna's most grievous injuries, and then stepped back and sat to where she could look between her and Twilight.
"Astra spoke of many things to me in what little time we had contact." She turned to Telos, an apologetic expression stretching her face with a tiredness that made her appear weary. "She spoke of her death, how she had been beheaded by her own brother, Prince Aurelius."
Telos's jaw seemed to unhinge as he trembled, and he staggered a step backwards, falling to his flank and maintaining his shocked stare. It soon waned beneath the weight of anger and he bared his teeth, shaking his head fitfully. "You are lying," he shouted. "There is no—"
Celestia cut him off with a stern voice. "This occurred before you appeared to us, Telos. Before the war. Spike's information was not how I learned of the Brood's ultimate plan to go to war with us, at least not in the beginning, though I deceived him and everyone else into believing that to be true." She winced as the dragon gave her a look of utter disbelief, and she allowed her sorry eyes to meet with his before flowing over everyone as she continued. "He only confirmed it after Astra had already spoken to me as I did not want to place my trust in her words alone." The sun princess's mane shifted over her face as she hung her head.
"How dare you keep such information from us!" shouted Telos accusingly. "And you would have us believe a fairy tale that Astra lives, foretelling the future? Even if such a tale were true, how could we ever trust you with you and your silvered tongue, Princess Celestia?" The title rolled out of his mouth with a sourness that almost made him spit. "How can we be sure you are not keeping more secrets from us, hm? Secrets that could be vital to the outcome of the dire situation we face?"
Celestia prepared to speak, but Luna coughed and spoke instead. "Do not... hate her," she said in a raspy, quiet voice. She gave a hopeful, warming look to Telos and it seemed to pacify some of his anger. "I bear my own disposition regarding my sister's actions, but I am beginning to understand those... things we spoke of, now." She took a long, deep breath and shivered. A mild scent of her cooked flesh carried in the air, and Twilight crinkled her nose as the repulsive odor twisted her stomach. "There are merely threads holding us together now, but we cannot afford to let these revelations sever them. Surely you understand that, Telos."
The sage took several sharp breaths before unleashing a frustrated cry, thrashing his head back and forth once more. "No... No! I do not want to believe you! But... but for you to know such details..." He regarded Celestia carefully. "I must know all that she said. I need..." The princess gazed back, her brow bent with guilt and regret, but she opened her mouth to speak. "No. Not... now... I must be alone for a while," Telos announced suddenly. With the end of his sentence, he glanced away from everyone.
"W-wait, Telos!" Celestia cried, but it was too late. The sage had already vanished in a flash. "There was just... never a right time..." she whispered to herself, her eyes downcast.
A moment of silence passed while she obscured her face with her mane and muttered to herself. Raising her head, she glanced to Trixie, Spike, and Dash. "May I ask that the rest of you give Twilight, Luna, and I some time alone?" There were protests from the others, and Twilight glanced to Trixie and Spike, each staring back at her with nervous worry. Twilight nodded and moved to them and they vanished in a flash leaving the alicorns. Nightmare remained behind, and Twilight brought the staff to her back.
"Anything you say to me can be heard by Nightmare," Twilight explained. "Don't lie to me, Princess Celestia. I deserve better than that."
"I..." she trailed off. Hearing her friend utter her title again was like a knife to her heart, but she was no longer twisting it with a spiteful emphasis. Her mane shifted away and she faced Twilight, looking her in the eyes, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to articulate a response—the response that would make everything alright. The searching culminated into words Twilight never wanted to hear, never wanted to believe. "I manipulated you," the princess said solemnly.
The notion was nothing new, but the reality of the confession hurt more than ever. Twilight tensed, twisting her neck as her throat and chest quickly began to ache. "I knew it," she muttered, forcing herself to keep up the tough demeanor.
"Perhaps Luna and I could've stopped Aurelius and the Brood without involving you as a proxy, but... I feared the damage. How many lives would've been wasted in a pointless war? How much destruction would have been wrought? How much... suffering would both of our nations have to endure?" She took a deep breath as Twilight struggled with her composure. "I put the kingdom and myself first, selfishly choosing to use you for the greater good. However..." Celestia glanced away for a moment before turning back to her and continuing. "I knew you would succeed. I knew all along that the mission I tasked you with would be successful."
Twilight's brows arched. "Then... what?"
"I wasn't made aware of the real Telos, or that Aurelius was a previous ruler and that he was the one driving the war. I didn't know that Nightmare Moon would be a part of everything. Astra was vague with what was to come and I chose the best course of action I thought at the time."
Twilight moved Nightmare to float beside her and she peered into the spire.
She... how could she not tell us—tell you? All this time you were right, Nightmare spoke in her mind. I didn't want to believe she would do this.
How ironic, Twilight thought miserably to herself. Her stomach churned as she replayed Celestia's words in her mind. "I manipulated you."
Questions flowed from Nightmare like a waterfall, but Twilight drowned her voice out with her own thoughts. She carried doubts about her anger and bitterness now; there was a curiosity that she felt in the turmoil of her anger, and the doubt only added to her confliction. She yearned for Nightmare to pacify her feelings, but the bond they shared now lacked the intimacy of the one before and their understanding was not as easily shared. Her chest ached to the point of burning and her throat clenched tighter the longer she did not speak. She had to release the feelings.
"I would have done anything for you, Celestia!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The sun princess jumped, staring wide-eyed at her, tears glistening in her eyes. "You took advantage of that—of me! You never asked me for my loyalty back then! Why would you use me if you and Luna could've fought, huh? I would have been there right by your side as a loyal unicorn archmage, still your faithful friend, but now I'm an alicorn because of you two! Why? Why any of this!?" she screeched, crying. The aching in her throat began to subside as she panted for breath, sucking in the brisk night air.
Celestia glanced to her sister, but Luna's eyes told her she would offer no help or reprieve. With a gulp, she faced Twilight once more. Her resolve faltered as she studied the pain on her former student's face and the tears that fell freely from her cheeks. Why? shone in her eyes as plainly as if the question had been repeated again. "I was... I am... afraid of dying. Afraid of..." she trailed off as her vision was blurred away by tears.
Twilight scoffed, choking on rattled breaths. "You're immortal and all-powerful, Princess... and you were going to sacrifice me—a mortal—because deep down you're a coward?" she asked in a hurt, disbelieving voice barely above a whisper.
"No! That's not it at all!" Celestia countered quickly.
"Then what is!?" Twilight snapped with a boom. Tears continued to race down her cheeks, pained squeaks between shuddered breaths escaping her where words could not. That was all that filled the silence. She used me... She betrayed me. I wanted to be wrong... so much... I tried so hard to convince myself. Why would she do this to me? Why? After all we've been through... How could she of all ponies do this... to me? Nightmare could give no consoling answer, and instead, a subtle warmth filled Twilight, but it did nothing to ease her torment. Her throat grew sore as it clenched again.
There was a long silence between them, and a cold breeze meandered through the fields again. Celestia sniffled several times before answering. "When Astra told me of what was to come, she assured me that whoever I chose—you—would be safe. I never would have gone through with this if I had believed you would die! Please, Twilight! Please believe me!" she pleaded, falling to her knees. It was the first time Twilight had noticed the princess was crying. "Please, I'm begging you to believe me! I'm sorry! I'm so... sorry..."
Twilight clamped her eyes shut as she stood there trembling and crying. But...
You were used... just like I was... mused Nightmare. In her mind, Twilight was sitting in the dark as the Id slowly circled her, a look of sympathy weighing her features. Nightmare reached out and placed a hoof on her shoulder.
I don't know what to do... what I should say. I want to believe her. I want to forgive her... You know what she means to me, said Twilight. I don't want this. I don't want any of this! This isn't how it should be!
I know that, in your heart, you know that she would not risk your life or throw it away. She believed that you would be safe. I will not tell you to forgive her—that is your choice—but maybe you can begin to forgive her. She is suffering knowing what she has put you through.
The staff levitated beside her and Twilight opened her eyes to gaze into the spire. And... and everything I've been through—everything that's happened, it's okay to forgive her with just this? Nightmare kept silent, and she moaned and cried again. She began whispering to herself to stave off her pain. "Why, why, why, why, why, why..."
"Do not hate my sister, Twilight," interjected Luna. "We are both at fault for this."
Twilight stopped and stared at her in confused wonder. The moon princess slowly pushed herself off of the ground, shakily rising back to standing. She slouched with her weakness, appearing frail as though she might fall back down at any second. Celestia turned to her and began healing more of her injuries, the soft waves of light spilling around her form and fading away from her hooves.
Twilight gazed at those waves, their even, cascading light flowing over Luna's contrasting form and fading seemed to ease her heartache in that moment. After a while, it eased her anger and she looked at Celestia, the princess meeting her eyes with cautious expectation held fast within. She could see her hope twinkling within, but also the fragility. Neither of us deserved this. "I forgive you," she said, anger and hatred no longer driving her voice. She gave her a sad look, but the princess returned a bittersweet smile.
"Twilight," she muttered back.
The violet alicorn turned her head sharply, trying unsuccessfully not to cry again. "I keep trying to tell myself... that it... it doesn't..." She turned back to Celestia, her jaw fluttering with unformed words, and she crumbled to the floor, weeping into her hooves. "That... none of this matters!" she screamed. "That I shouldn't be angry... or sad... or hurt... or any of this! I keep trying, but I just can't... distance myself from all of it. You'll make this right in the end, right? So why do I keep feeling like this!? I have to forgive you. I have to... I don't want to right now, but... if I don't..."
"Shh..." cooed the princess as she pulled herself away from Luna and stepped closer to her. She crouched down and lowered her head until she was at eye level with Twilight. "I made you a promise back then," she said, her tears drying on her cheeks. "I never once questioned it, but please... don't force me to keep it," she begged.
"But how can I go on like this knowing what we've both done?" Twilight choked out. "Spike will never look at me the same again. I can't do it, Celestia. I just... can't. Do you know what it's like to be hated by everyone you care about? Everyone... including yourself?"
The princess nodded slowly. "Twilight, you haven't looked at me the same since you returned. You blame me, and I accept that. I alone am responsible for what you've been through, what you still must endure."
"Sister," interjected Luna.
Celestia gave her a quick glance before continuing. "I understand your feelings completely, more than anyone else in the world, but I..." She swallowed and shook her head several times, wiping her eyes and attempting to recompose herself. "I can't live with you hating me forever. I can't live like I'm nothing more than a stranger to you. Please, Twilight... don't shut me out anymore."
The violet alicorn trembled. She wasn't sure if it was from the chill of the marshy ground or her own feelings, but it had made her sick. With an anguished sigh, she looked back up to Celestia. "I'm sorry."
The princess shook her head quickly as she stared at her. "No, no. Don't be, Twilight. You have every reason to hate me for what I've done. But I will never give up trying to earn your love and trust again. I will never stop trying." She extended a hoof to Twilight and smiled. "I'm always here for you, Twilight. Even if you hate me I will always be here for you. I can't bear the thought of seeing you in shambles, but..." She closed her in eyes in a pained look. "A promise is a promise."
Twilight's body stilled and she took the hoof, allowing herself to be pulled to standing again. "It's my choice," she said.
Celestia leaned close and whispered into her ear. "I would never take that away from you, no matter how much I want to."
Twilight shut her eyes tightly for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Let's... go. It's cold and Trixie has my cloak." Celestia smiled and Luna shot them an exhausted look as she slumped down. Twilight caught her and levitated her on to her back, perching Nightmare atop her.
Hello, Luna.
The princess's eyes widened and she unleashed a startled cry as she fell from Twilight's back. She crawled a few meters from her in the mud, staring at the staff and shivering. "Sh-she spoke to m-me!" she stammered.
Twilight glimpsed the staff spire, a wondering thought hanging in her mind. She moved the staff between them and gave the princess a nod. Luna stared at it fearfully for a moment, but she was soon overtaken by curiosity. She reached a trembling hoof out to it, then retracted it quickly, shaking it as if she just touched something sticky.
"Is... is it alright for... for me?"
Twilight nodded again. "She can't hurt you, Luna. Not even if she wanted to."
"But your transformation—"
"That only works if you're willing. If you don't want her in your mind, then don't let her in."
Luna stared at the staff suspiciously for a moment longer. She reached a hoof out to the staff again. Holding her breath, she touched it and went still, her body tensing as she swallowed hard.
Don't be afraid. I merely wanted to thank you for being a good friend to Twilight. She needs you and Celestia right now more than ever.
The concept of telepathy was new ground for the princess, but she willed her thoughts into words. You... can hear open conversation, yet speak only to those in direct contact?
Yes, but I can communicate with Twilight if she is nearby, replied Nightmare. I know you still hold ill feelings toward me. As Celestia is trying to make up for what she has done to Twilight, so too will I try to atone for what I have done to you... if you'll let me.
Luna snorted. And just how might one in such a predicament as yourself undo over one thousand years of sorrow and anguish, hm?
I don't know, but I have to begin by saying I'm sorry. Luna blinked open her eyes to see Twilight and Celestia staring at her. I'm sorry for everything that I have ever done to you. I'm sorry for getting you banished for one thousand years, and I'm sorry that... that you are not at peace with me. I just... wanted you to hear that.
Luna shook her head and closed her eyes, rubbing them gingerly. You have said what you have needed to say.
I hope that you'll want to talk some more, in time.
"Perhaps we shall," muttered Luna as the staff was pulled back to Twilight, their connection severing.
The violet alicorn turned to Celestia. "Is Astra really alive?" she asked, genuinely this time.
The princess was surprised and nodded earnestly, but she quickly shook her head afterwards. "Though alive might not be the right word, we did speak when she appeared to me. There have been stories passed down through the ages of powerful magical beings transcending to a higher plane after their death, but... they were merely fairy tales told in musty taverns and around campfires. Even the pontiffs of the ancient court never believed them, but now I'm not so sure I disagree anymore. Many magi still teach the belief that we simply leave this plane of existence for another."
"Then how did you two talk? Was it like... the way we used to?"
Celestia gave her another surprised look, but it morphed into a wistful smile. "I'm afraid not. She appeared to me like a spirit, or something like an astral projection. She introduced herself, and then she warned me of the impending hostilities with the dragon. She suggested the plan to ascend a unicorn into an alicorn for the war," she explained, her voice growing regretful as she went on.
Luna spoke next. "If Prince Aurelius was indeed her younger brother, then why did she not mention his presence among the dragons, that he manipulated the Brood and orchestrated the war himself?"
"I don't know," Celestia replied quietly.
Twilight wrinkled her nose. "I'm beginning to wonder if Aurelius's plan was to free his body from Telos's prison all along, but it didn't play out the way he wanted. If he took Canterlot like he'd first planned, he would have freed himself on his own, but instead... I did it for him." She grimaced and stamped a hoof. "I don't want to admit it, but Aurelius was smart. He didn't expect me, but he still found a way to use me."
"It is most troublesome that his plan succeeded in spite of Astra's divine intervention," said Luna. "We must not become divided now. If Telos is to be believed, then we do not have the time nor the resources to be at each other's throats." She shifted her eyes between the other two alicorns while wearing a frown.
Twilight glanced away and nodded. "Our differences aren't settled, but I will never abandon Equestria. I will always put my duties before my feelings. You have the archmagi and the Celestial Knights, Trixie and Rainbow Dash." She turned back to face Celestia. "And you have us," she finished, throwing a hoof out to Nightmare. The staff pulsed an eerie dark glow, as if the Id agreed.
Celestia smiled, but it was cut short when Luna asked another question. "If Astra has contacted you before, why has she not done so again? Everything has changed as a result of Aurelius's success. If she knows more and is an ally, why has she not reached out to you once more?"
"I'm afraid I don't know. For now, Telos is our best source of information. He may not trust me for a while after what I withheld." Celestia sighed. "Just one more thing I regret."
Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder, prompting the princess to look up. "But he still trusts us," she said as she motioned to Luna. "He knows what's at stake just as much as we do. I know he'll put his personal feelings aside."
"Thank you, Twilight."
The violet alicorn stepped between the princesses, Nightmare's spire shining as she glanced between them. She could feel her magic growing more focused, stronger, with the staff. In a flash, they were gone.
***
Twilight's eyes fluttered open to something unexpected. Grass and flowers flooded her vision in swathes. A lush meadow free from the overhanging canopy of nearby forest trees grew reached up all around her. Everything glowed with an almost surreal green tint, but she recognized it as a combination of moonlight and some kind of magic present in the air. I thought I...
The rustling of grass prompted her to scan the area. Astra stood in the center of the moonlit meadow, her head lowered to breathe in the scent of a particularly large flower rising above the rest. She gazed at her, studying her nearly colorless features. The former queen's mane held the color of the area's glow, but she couldn't be sure if that was her natural color. Her body took on the same tint and her mane and tail seemed like extensions to her body as they floated gently in the air, even more freely than the princesses.
Twilight heard the rustling of tree leaves in the distance and she turned to see a cloaked pony flying towards Astra. The dark cloak wrapped the pony's neck, billowing violently behind him as he broke the shade of the canopy. She recognized him as Aurelius. The young prince had a green-bladed sword clutched in his hooves, and pulled it back in preparation to swing. Telos entered the meadow from in front of Astra as the prince broke the treeline.
This moment—!
"You are a traitor to us all, sister!" shouted the prince.
Astra had not noticed him and spoke over him before she turned. "Oh, and what do you base—" The blade struck the queen in the neck as she finally glimpsed into her brother's eyes as he reached her, her own wide with disbelief and pain. Blood spilled down her body as she crumbled to the ground, the blade sawing through her neck with little effort.
Telos screamed as he watched her head tumble to the grass, his eyes following it as his jaw hung open. Bolting forward with all of his strength, he dropped down and slid to her head. "Wh-what have you done, Aurelius?" he asked as he quivered over it. He lifted the queen's head up to his chest and looked into her eyes one last time, her horror and pain etched into her face.
Aurelius cast the blade aside and rubbed his sister's blood from his face. "Only what is necessary for my subjects, Telos. My hoof has been forced, and my kingdom has no more time to spare as the chaotic dragons claw at our walls. Her vision has failed and our lives will not be the price we pay for it. I will crush the dragons and lead us to victory." He sneered at his sister's body before turning to leave.
"Y-You're a monster. How could you murder your own sister?" Telos shouted, tears running down his eyes.
"Those who stand in my way will die, even my weak-willed kin."
Telos sat Astra's head onto the grass delicately before charging at the prince. "Murderer!" A dark red aura enveloped him and whipped him across the meadow, impacting him into a tree. He yelped as he wrapped around it, then fell to the ground moaning and clutching his torso. "Sh-she loved you and b-believed in you. You betrayed her. W-why?"
"Have you met the King of Tragedy?" called Aurelius over his shoulder. "Until you have seen what I have, you will never understand." The prince turned around to face Telos as he climbed to his hooves, his sneer having been replaced with an apathetic frown. There was only a few seconds before the prince spun back around and walked away leaving Telos to stare after him.
Twilight saw it for a moment; the prince's eyes were sharp like a dragon's, the slits holding a coldness in them that could not be matched by words. She wanted to shudder, but somehow, she felt as though she understood what could create such a darkness. That understanding ultimately made her shiver, even in the warmth of where they were.
Telos crawled back to Astra's head. He pulled it up to him, stroking her mane out of her face, and began to turn her over to face him. He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut, more tears running down his cheeks. Placing her head back where it had been severed, he stood up and stepped away. "This is my fault... maybe if I never became your follower... your Oracle..." A shuddering sigh left him speechless for a moment. "Your lover."
Suddenly, a light engulfed Astra's body and head, humming as it grew in intensity. Telos gave a start and lurched backwards, stumbling and falling, shielding his eyes. It faded several seconds later and he jumped back to his hooves to find her remains had vanished leaving only her blood on the grass and imprints of the light muddling his vision briefly.
"Is that you, Aurelius!? Come to spit on your sister's memory some more, have you? Show your face, monster! I am not afraid of you!"
A light reappeared where her body had been taking the form of a small wisp no bigger than a hoof. More and more wisps appeared until they blurred into a singular mass, coalescing. Telos stared at it in awe, unable to peel himself away from them. They began moving as one and flowed towards him, swarming around him and lifting him off of the grass. They obscured his vision until all was white.
What is this? he tried to say, but his voice failed him. The hum returned, filling his mind until it was only his thoughts he could focus on. He felt a burning in his head, but at the same time he felt pleasure, and the hum slowly faded into a low ringing.
"Do not be afraid, Telos," came Astra's voice, clear and soft. "I knew my life could be forfeit had I put my faith in my brother to make the right decision for himself. I allowed this to happen hoping that perhaps I, or my death, could alter the vile path he now walks. I fear that it has not."
The pain and pleasure in Telos's head intensified and spread throughout his body. He arched his back, writhing as he tried to cry out, but his voice remained muted.
"I am giving you a piece of my magic, what I can, a parting gift. Use it to stop my brother from becoming what he should not, for I fear his actions will lead to a vain future if left unchecked. He mustn't be allowed to rule how he sees fit, lest we be led to senseless slaughter." Telos nodded, but the pain spiked and he twisted in agony. "Please, do not kill my brother. That is all I wish of you, my love."
Telos's voice exploded from his throat. "Astra! Do not leave me alone as this! Why would you allow yourself to be killed?"
When Astra spoke again, her voice was barely audible. "My beloved, Telos... You shall come to understand one day."
The light soaked into his body and all of the feelings ended at once. The only trace of the scene just moments ago was the sword Aurelius had used; Astra's blood had vanished completely. Telos fell to the ground, pounding on it as he screeched out. His breaths growing into angry heaves. "Forgive me, Astra, but I cannot—I will not—allow your brother to draw breath." He stood up and looked at his hooves, an orb of energy forming within. In it, images of Astra's final moments played out. "I will honor your desire that he does not rule, but I shall do so with his execution."
His new magic came naturally and he formed streams of energy in the air that flowed wherever his mind led them. He combined the streams before driving them into a cluster of trees, blasting several into a rain of seared splinters. He watched as they cascaded onto the ground, leaving little more than smoking stumps of their former glory. There was no strain from the magic, no draw that he could feel as unicorns were supposed to. An aura encased him as he further felt out his power.
"I will ensure that he never lays his vile hooves on the crown he desires," he said darkly. He pointed a hoof to the sword and moved into his hoof. A peculiar black ran up and down the blade now, like a billowing smoke. He stared at it for a while, then frowned and glanced to where Aurelius had left.
Abruptly, the scene flowed into a vortex and vanished. Twilight blinked, dazed by the world distorting and disappearing all at once, but she took a comforted breath that she was right where she intended to be. The familiar stained glass windows and red carpet of the throne room seemed foreign now, but the sudden change was not unlike her teleportation.
She found the real Telos standing down the carpet, his hood pulled down over his face. The others were there, Spike, Trixie, and Dash. They glanced to Twilight and the princesses, each at a loss with what to say. The knight reached to Moonlight's hilt and slung the weapon to the floor in a quick motion, the weapon rolling along the carpet to Telos.
"That's the same sword that was used to kill her? I-I can't use that!" She shuddered and pried her gaze away from it.
The sage was staring where the blood stain of the memory had been, but he moved his eyes from it to the sword, then the knight. "It matters not of its past. It is no more a tool then as it is now. Wield it as you have, and continue to fight for your kingdom."
Dash gave him a mild look of disgust. "It isn't right. Nightfall, or Moonlight—whatever the heck its name is—was a gift from Princess Luna for becoming a Celestial Knight. But now that I know where it came from..." She trailed off and glanced to a wall, frustration tightening her face. "It just doesn't feel right."
Telos remained silent for a while before picking up the sword and holding it with the tip of the blade to the floor. "There is more to this sword than even I understand. It was never a blade meant for a pegasus, I know that much. Magic is meant to flow through it, not unlike the way a unicorn or alicorn uses their own, but I have not been able to utilize it in such a way. Perhaps I can imbue it with a wave property, but that is all I can do."
The blade levitated before Dash and she resisted looking at it for a while. Finally, she sighed and took it, grumbling as she quickly slid it back into its sheathe. "Only because I still need a good sword." She rolled her eyes to the alicorns, but quickly straightened herself when the princesses gave her a disapproving look.
"How is she supposed to slash out waves with her sword if she can't use magic?" asked Trixie.
Telos smiled. "Observant, Archmage Lulamoon. The blade is ancient, and has lost some of its power over the ages. As I understand it, its wielder channels magic through it, but I believe I can store energy in it that will more than suffice for the remainder of Knight Dash's career." He turned his attention to Twilight. "Speaking of preparations, the ritual for your astral projection is not yet complete."
"Tell me you're joking," she replied while offering a serious look.
"I am afraid not, Archmage Sparkle. The last of the materials arrived earlier this evening, and we can finish now if you wish."
Twilight loosed a sound of discontent before nodding. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."
"I would like to observe it," said Celestia.
Luna nodded and spoke in a hoarse, almost smoky voice. "As do I."
Twilight craned her neck to see her own body, and Trixie followed her stare. The runes were nearly lost to the new darkness in her coat, and the magician had to step closer to begin making them out.
The ritual is not finished? Nightmare asked.
I guess not. I can still remember the sting from the first one, Twilight mused sourly, closing her eyes. The foreign pattern of the glyphs on her body were bothersome. Some looked similar to ones found in old, dusty scrolls, but the draconic pattern they bore frightened her most. Aurelius knows a lot about what the dragons do. I hope—
Stop that, the Id balked. Don't even think about it. I have been down that road of thought before, and you don't need to start going there.
Twilight smiled. You're right. Thank you. She opened her eyes to Trixie staring at her.
"Then we shall finish the ritual here and now," Telos announced as he placed his forehooves on the ground. There was a quick flash as several small boxes appeared stacked in a pile.
"Is it alright to be doing conducting this just after our duel?" asked Luna. Her hoarse voice twisted Twilight's stomach with regret. "Your injuries... I do not wish to see you exacerbate them, Twilight."
"She's right, Twi. You're already pretty banged up," chimed Spike. She could hear the disappointment of her duel still ringing in his voice.
"Are you sure about this?" Trixie asked, throwing on a worried expression. "I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already have."
"I'm..." Twilight lifted a foreleg and stared at it. Bits of the fur on it had been singed or burned down.
The Id's voice cooed in her mind. Listen to them, Twilight. I know you have a high tolerance for pain now, but are you sure you can handle this?
As the sage unboxed the materials, he pulled a mortar and pestle out of the largest box and began mixing materials in them. Twilight watched him with uncertainty as the mixture changed colors with each new material he added. He threw several chalk-like bars into it, his magic taking the pestle and crushing them down into the bowl. A prism floated out and was set beside the bowl, glimmering occasionally and refracting the light in the throne room look the chandeliers above. Lastly, he slowly poured a phial containing a dark, inky substance, stirring slowly until it was all mixed in. It appeared almost like a void inside the bowl and she gazed into it for a while, intrigued.
Once it was complete, Telos dunked a hoof in and scurried around, smearing a dark paste across the floor, the bowl floating just beside him. A thick circle encompassed a large area, running across the large red carpet and across the marble. Twilight caught Celestia and Luna grimacing as he went about making more work for the castle servants. She chuckled to herself, but it faded as she glanced back to the smears.
"Twilight," Trixie said, prodding her master, "those look like—"
"Dragon runes," Twilight finished with a breathy voice. "The glyphs on my body are made from dragon runes." She marveled at the finished creation of what appeared to be a multi-layered alchemic circle.
The dual lined outer rim, and its intricate weaving inside, were the perimeter of the spell and magic being used within. Lines that criss-crossed and snaked or bowed and flowed beside the patterns and shapes within were for spell sequencing. The shapes themselves varied from being spells to properties to be applied to existing ones. When the sage stepped back, she swallowed hard.
"Just... what... kind of alchemy formulation is this?" she said, scanning it in fearful awe. "I've never seen anything like this," she added, motioning to it.
I have seen one of those before from my time under Aurelius, said Nightmare. Twilight poised to ask a question, but the Id quickly responded. I don't remember what it was used for, though. Sorry.
It's alright.
"It is the kind of alchemy formulation that keeps you whole and prevents your powers from waning. Stand in the center, Archmage Sparkle, if you will." Telos pointed to it, but she found herself shuddering as she gazed at it. On one hoof, it was a scientific and magical masterpiece. On the other, it was an unknown and dangerous spellweave, and her doubts were rapidly growing that it might be too dangerous this time. "It will not bite, I assure you."
"Will it... hurt?" she asked, glancing nervously to Trixie.
Telos sighed. "You have run your body through a lightning storm this evening, so I understand your reservations, however... I am afraid that this will hurt more than the first ritual."
Twilight gave a distraught stare to Trixie as she leaned into her, and she draped a wing over the magician before looking back to the circle. "Will it be quick?"
"Yes."
With that, Twilight allowed Nightmare to remain standing beside Trixie as she walked to the center, each clop from her steps making her heartbeat grow louder. "I swear to—" She threw a glance to Celestia and frowned. "If you're lying..."
"There is no other in the world that can tell you what it is like. This part of the ritual will bind the ink into the glyphs so that they may hold their power. Now, should I be concerned that your injuries will prevent you from going through with this?"
She frowned at him. "I can handle it."
"This will be finished soon." Telos reached into one of the small boxes and procured a second phial.
Twilight glanced to all of her friends, then the princesses, the uncertainty painting her face. Trixie motioned to her and she kept her eyes on her. Telos crouched down to place his forehooves on the outer rim.
"Are you ready?" he asked as he looked up.
Twilight gulped. "Ready."
The circle slowly lit up in a fluorescent blue, the light flowing along every line and design. The phial floated away from Telos, its top off, and the prism levitated from beside the bowl and floated above her. Twilight glanced up as the phial poured over the prism and the circle's light bathed her in its glow.
"What is—" The question never left her throat as the phial's contents spilled onto her back. The glyphs on her body glowed brightly as the prism connected beams of magic from the alchemy circle and refracted them onto her. Burning followed where the ink flowed, coalescing over the glyphs across her body rather than run down her sides and drip to the floor. This... is... nothing! She did not scream, instead only shuddering and lowering her head, clenching her eyes.
After every glyph had been covered, the glyphs on her body shifted about, their pain moving with them. The light from the alchemy circle ended and the prism floated down, gently tumbling to the floor beside her. A light smoke trail could be seen drifting away from several of the glyphs. One of her legs buckled and she bent down with her mouth just above the floor as she panted, her mane growing damp with sweat and clinging to her face. Telos gave her a surprised look.
"Is... it... done?" she asked through clenched teeth. All of the pain passed slowly and her body no longer held her aloft. She collapsed to the floor, rolling so that her face was laid against the cool marble. It soothed the echoes of the pain in her flesh, but it doubled the burning of the glyphs where it touched.
"Yes. You are now ready to begin training."
Trixie moved to Twilight's side, bringing Nightmare with her. Twilight gave the sage an exhausted glance as she relaxed. "Are you okay?" the magician asked. The violet alicorn merely nodded, and Trixie looked back up to Telos. "The books we studied, even the one you gave us, never made any mention of astral projection. Since you can do it, why don't you show us?"
The sage met her eyes and nodded. "Very well." Trixie propped Twilight up against her and they stared at Telos expectantly.
"Well? Aren't you going to show us?" Trixie asked impatiently.
"Do you not see, fledgling archmage?" The magician nearly jumped out of her skin while Twilight's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Though it is magic that does not exist even now, I consider low level astral projection to be a single, controlled source." A duplicate Telos stepped up from behind Twilight and Trixie, moving to stand beside the original. The image's movements mimed the original perfectly, and Twilight couldn't help but frown.
"Is that it?" the violet alicorn said, unable to stymie her skepticism.
"If that was all such a skill could do I would be a fool to waste time passing it on to you," he said sourly. He shook his head and removed his robe, the runes on his body glowing a deep blue against his sandy coat. He swayed a hoof through his image several times before continuing. "I am merely demonstrating what your first successes will look like."
He stood up and his demeanor became more serious. "There are several elements of this technique that can be used for various purposes." He swayed his hoof to his image again, but this time it stopped against its body. "Your images can be intangible or solid." The image followed several of his movements in sync, but abruptly broke away and moved around on its own. "Of your movements, mimicking or independent." Lastly, the image grew in size until it was twice Princess Celestia's size, surprising everyone. "Large or small, though this function cannot work with a scaled strength on its own, nor in tandem with the most important ones."
"And what are those?" Trixie asked.
"Indeed, these by themselves, or even combined, appear as only minute tactical advantages on the battlefield for the amount of magic they will require to maintain. However, the finality of this spell is to utilize your magic through yourself and your projection."
"That... you can do that?" said Twilight.
Suddenly, the image cast a bolt of magic at Telos, and the original countered with an identical one, canceling them out. "Though I can teleport, it is far and away from the caliber of your own ability. I suspect that the spell in your hands will transcend my own one day, allowing you to teleport between your images."
Twilight gaped at him. Teleport between my images? Images that cast magic, and look identical to me. "Now I understand why this magic was lost."
"It is not impervious to the strong, nor is it insignificant to the evil. There are now only four ponies who have seen how it is created in its entirety." He cast a glance to Luna. "I have been using my astral projection to delay Aurelius from reaching Canterlot."
"So, you knew where he was all along," Celestia said, scowling.
"Not all along. It took a great deal of time to find him, but I have been tracking his movements since. Initially, he was hasty in making his way here, but he has since slowed to focus on his recovery. I fear that his assault draws near." His projection disappeared without a flash and he put his robe back on.
"Is he truly as powerful as you say?" asked Luna. "Surely he cannot stand before all of us."
"I am afraid that he is. He will not fight alone, however. He knows he cannot win against our combined power, but that is what I fear."
"That he won't fight alone?" Trixie echoed.
Telos gave her a look of disbelief, which prompted the magician to scowl back. "Not the idea, child. The Brood are no longer an option, and I don't know who he would use. That is what I fear."
"I'm not a child," Trixie grumbled.
"What if he uses them again with his... ability?" asked Celestia. She looked to Twilight as she spoke. "I won't have another misguided war with the dragons. There is already talk of becoming allies with them now that Garr is king."
"The Brood is no longer an option for him, but I worry that another empire could become his victims quickly. He has showed no signs of aligning himself while I have tracked him and that makes it all the worse. He may be brash and arrogant at times, but the prince is no fool."
"He cannot expect to rule an entire nation when he is brash and arrogant at all," added Luna.
"The crown was never something he squandered. He is not reckless in his rule." Telos shifted uncomfortably.
"So, Aurelius did rule after Astra's death," said Celestia.
"I am afraid so. He mete out his own justice to those who stood against him, those still loyal to Astra. Though her gift empowered me, my magic did not reach a capacity that would be enough to dethrone him. In the end, I still tried to honor her wish and spare his life, choosing to seal him away. Perhaps with more time, I would have killed him."
"We won't be sealing him this time," Twilight interjected curtly. "He will be executed." Everyone looked at her with surprise. "He is responsible for everyone that died and I will make sure he pays for that." The ribbons of color in her mane separated at the end and drifted apart. He is responsible for your pain and what happened to Luna.
"I agree," said a stone-faced Luna. "We cannot allow a being as capable and dangerous as Aurelius to live. Not after all that he has done and all that he will do."
"Execution," Celestia said, the word rolling off her tongue like a bitter grape, "is not something I would normally agree with, but... I think it's for the best. He could one day take hold of the Gryphon empire or the Crystal kingdom." The princesses exchanged regretful looks. "We cannot allow that to happen."
Telos turned and pointed to Twilight. "You must train your astral projection for combat until your images can independently operate. I wish to see what your first attempt amounts to."
Twilight gave him a puzzled look. "Images?" she repeated. "So I can conjure more than one?"
The sage's mouth wrinkled. "Perhaps a slip of the tongue in times past. However, make no mistake, Archmage Sparkle. This technique is dangerous in the wrong hooves. One image alone is beyond your current magical theories."
"Show me what I should be trying to do."
"I suppose a simple demonstration is fair enough." In the span of a blink, Telos created an image of himself, but it was incomplete, appearing faintly dark and transparent. It faced Twilight, as did the sage himself, and each did simple movements. "Combination magic is also possible without the need for the caster to blend the spells within their own container, but that is closer to the finality of the magic."
Twilight marveled at the possibilities of the spell, but there was a subtle fear lingering within her.
Nightmare Moon's voice stirred in her mind. This is something I would've—
But you're not the same as before, she thought, briskly cutting the Id off. I trust you.
"Can you teach us as well?" said Luna.
Telos glanced to the floor and put a hoof up to his chin as he thought. He eyed the princesses and Trixie carefully before answering. "Perhaps if I discovered a method that did away with the glyphs necessary. They are a curse in themselves and the resources for creating them are most rare, even in my time." Turning back to Twilight, he said, "Your first attempt, if you will. Your mind is your obstacle, archmage. Your magic, however, will oblige."
Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, visualizing herself as a second being viewing herself. Magic flowed through her and she could feel it beginning to become something. Abruptly, she felt dizzy and stopped, opening her eyes and squinting. "I don't feel so good," she muttered, swaying.
"The ill feelings will not last, and they will vanish with experience. Try again and persevere through them."
Closing her eyes again, Twilight concentrated, straining to maintain focus as her magic flowed through her. She could feel it coalescing and materializing into something. She blinked open her eyes, sensing her creation was complete, but she gasped at the final product of the spell.
"N-Nightmare?" she blurted and glanced around to see everyone equally as perplexed.
The Id blinked several times, seemingly unaware of her current status. "Where... am I?" she asked.
"Your projection... is the soul within the staff?" exclaimed Telos, marveling at Nightmare's form. The Id had used her powers through Twilight's link before, but never molding herself into an independent entity or vice versa.
The Id's body appeared with a blurry distortion, but her mane and tail had been rendered perfectly. She glanced around between the others confusedly, deftly avoiding eye contact with Luna. "Twilight?" she said as her eyes fell on the archmage. A wistful smile pulled her features up.
"I can do... this?" she said as she reached a hoof out to touch the Id. Nightmare reached back, but Twilight staggered forward and collapsed, the staff clattering to the floor beside her. Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but her image distorted and vanished before she could.
"Twilight!" shrieked Trixie, catching the violet alicorn before she hit the floor. "Twilight, are you okay?" She shook her gently before her fears were allayed. "She... passed out?" she said, glancing to Telos.
"It takes great energy to use this ability, and I'm afraid that her body is not accustomed to the strain it puts on the user. She merely needs to rest."
Twilight moaned and stirred. "No... I have... I have to summon her... again!" She shakily tried to stand, but she wobbled and her legs buckled, collapsing back into Trixie's awaiting embrace. "Ugh... I feel so... tired..."
Please rest, Twilight, encouraged her Id. Don't push yourself for me.
But I... want to... I need to... Twilight replied, her voice fading away.
The only thing you need to do right now is rest! the Id scolded. But... why did you project me instead of an image of yourself? The question came too late and Twilight had already fallen asleep.
"Twilight?" Trixie asked, shaking her gently, but she shook her head when she didn't stir.
"She will not awaken again this evening," said Telos. "I will have her train further once she is rested."
"Perhaps all of you should retire for the evening," added Celestia. "I will need to inform the local weather pegasi regarding the sudden storm over the fields below." She gave a hard stare to Telos, panning her view to make eye contact with the others as well. "An incident like that will not happen again. Do you understand?" They nodded in agreement and she headed for the door. "I don't want to see any of you here by the time I'm finished."
Telos vanished in a quick flash while Spike, Dash and Luna followed the sun princess out of the throne. Trixie levitated Twilight over herself and stared at Nightmare's staff for a while. Swallowing, she wrapped Twilight's black cloak over her and slid the staff underneath before leaving.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 26: Shackles of Valor
A flash of light lit the dark field briefly, and Telos blinked open his eyes, glancing up and scanning the sky. The haze of the storm had not yet dispersed, and a few dark clouds flickered their light high above, buried deep within the grey puffs. Glancing at the sword, he frowned. It's as you said. You don't feel it's right because it isn't.
The sage wandered towards a cloud still sparking with lightning. He stabbed the sword into the ground and moved away from it, then fired a blast of magic into the cloud. There was lull in its activity until, abruptly, lightning ripped from it and touched down the sword. Booming thunder deafened him and he teleported further back as his ears rung like a bell. He watched the sword from the distance, the bright flashes striking it over and over, illuminating the dark land in still frames of his vision.
After a while, the lightning died down, finally ceasing as the cloud moved on from the area. Telos moved back to the sword and eyed it carefully. The green glow was more vibrant than it had been before, but the weapon was otherwise unscathed from the electrical onslaught. He reached for the hilt, but stopped only inches away. The blade moved into his hoof and he looked up to the sky. In another flash, he was gone.
***
"Is it... done?" Dash asked as she eyed the sword carefully in the sage's outstretched hooves. She had donned her knight's armor, freshly polished, but without the helmet. The gleam of her armor had absorbed some of Moonlight's glow and cast back a pale green of its own. A tower shield took the place of her destroyed heater shield, bowing around her back like a protective shell. She cocked her head to one side and brought an armored hoof up to her chin as she leaned and inspected every detail of it.
"Yes. The sword can now slash with a magical element to it, increasing its overall power. This new property will bring an entirely new dimension to your swordplay, which is already advanced as a pegasus knight." The sage rolled his eyes when Dash's eyes lit up in excitement. "This is not a toy, child!" he added, waving in an emphatic hoof.
Dash recomposed herself and quickly took the blade, stuffing it into its waiting sheathe beneath her shield unceremoniously. "Sorry. Thanks, Telos. I owe you one."
"Be careful with it. I fear that you may injure yourself... or worse. A pointblank wave can lead to a dangerous explosion if used improperly. Moonlight should possess formidable range and I implore you to begin training with it immediately."
"Well, the other Celestial Knights are too busy to spar with them..." She trailed off and put a hoof to her chin again, looking to the sky for answer. "Ah-hah," she exclaimed, "I'll get Twilight and Trixie to help."
Before the sage could offer input, Dash took off into the sky, excitement boiling over and causing her to spin and flip as she went. The extra burden of her gear failed to slow her down as she continued to twirl and wind in her path. She hovered up above the castle courtyard for a moment, glancing around to see if she could spot either magical mare, but her eyes found another pair of ponies instead. She gasped and cracked a grin, then went into a steep descent towards them, reaching the ground and skidding to a halt perfectly in front of her targets, much to the shock of others around them.
"Hey, you two!" she greeted cheerily.
"Rainbow Dash? Is that really you?" asked the pegasus nearest her.
"The one and only, kid." Before Dash could say anything else, Scootaloo lurched forward and embraced her, nuzzling into her chest.
"I've missed you so much, Rainbow. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about us!"
Dash gave her a noogie and smiled softly. "I could never forget about my number one fan," she joked. Her eyes ran across the pegasus's uniform, nostalgia flowing into her as the signature Wonderbolts design and goggles filled her imagination. She turned her head to the other pony.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the hero, Rainbow Dash," she teased, eyeing the knight's armor. "The Wonderbolts miss you, you know."
Dash chuckled. "I know, I know. I miss everyone on the team, too."
"Why don't you come back?" Scootaloo asked quickly.
"I..." Dash swallowed. They don't know about everything going on. "I'm sorry, kid. I'm really busy with all this knight stuff. Maybe once it all calms down I could do both." Scootaloo gave her a hopeful look, but Spitfire offered a doubtful one.
"I don't know," Spitfire said. "You fell head over hooves in love with that pegasus soldier, and then you were gone, just like that. Something tells me you're going to follow her around forever."
Dash chuckled. "Aw, c'mon, Spitty. Don't be like that. We won't be soldiers forever." She scratched the back of her head and grinned. "Anyway, I need to go do some training. I'll see you two around." She turned and prepared to fly, but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her.
"Listen," Spitfire said, "You're welcome back any time, even to any events, parties, or practice. We'd love to have you with us again, but I understand you've got other duties now. Just don't forget about us."
The knight glanced between them and looked away. Memories from her time as a Wonderbolt flooded into her mind and she smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that." She latched onto Spitfire, hugging her tight before turning and taking off. She forced herself not to look back, into the eyes of a disappointed Scootaloo, but she meant to keep her word and try to balance her career desires. You're already livin' the dream, Scoot, she thought, smiling to herself.
Her flight meandered over the city for a while as she played some of her fondest memories of the Wonderbolts in her mind, but it eventually led her back to the castle. Other soldiers and guards nodded to her or waved, but none of them were the one she wanted to see. Sighing, she landed on a balcony that overlooked the city. Her armored hooves gave a metallic clank as she set down, and she turned to see the late morning sun lighting everything up.
"There is a door, you know," called Trixie from the room. The magician had donned her archmage's cloak, also wearing a matching pointed hat, much akin to her magician's garb. "And most ponies knock first."
Dash entered the room to see her standing before a tall mirror beside the bed. Twilight was lying across her bed, her eyes closed and wings spread down beside her. Nightmare was lying with her, the staff's eerie dark glow remaining static, but the entirety of it held a black color, replacing its once glorious platinum sheen.
"I used the pegasus door. You left it open again," joked Dash, smirking to an annoyed Trixie.
"Good morning, Rainbow," Twilight greeted as she opened her eyes.
A dark mist flowed from the staff and coalesced at the foot of the bed, manifesting into a coarse image of Nightmare Moon. The runes and glyphs across Twilight's body alighted as the image's details were filled out. Though complete in form, only the Id's mane and tail were rendered perfectly, the rest of her body having blurred severely.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash," greeted Nightmare. "You seem tensed by my presence."
By reflex, the knight reached for her sword, but her hoof stopped as it touched the hilt, and she slowly put it back to the floor. She gave Nightmare a weird look before shivering.
The Id glanced down. "Don't worry. Twilight is working on improving the projection."
"It's just... I'll never get used to seeing you," Dash said, turning her head away and scratching the back of her head guiltily.
"Don't worry about it, Rainbow. I'll have her looking like a normal pony in no time." The alicorn stood up and exhaled sharply, and Nightmare's image rippled and faded momentarily. The runes on Twilight's body shimmered, but both her staff and horn were oddly silent. "Wow," she said, out of breath, "this takes a lot more magic than I thought."
Nightmare crouched down beside her. "Please don't strain yourself for me."
Twilight smiled and sat back down and pressed a hoof to her chest. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"So, uh... I'm here to borrow Trixie," Dash interjected.
The magician gave her a sour look. "Do I look like some kind of knick-knack you can just take whenever you please?"
"What for?" asked Twilight.
"I need a sparring partner so I can practice with Moonlight." She unsheathed the blade and held it with the tip of the blade touching the floor; the eerie glow pulsed and faded slowly. "I need to practice with the new wave ability."
"What, do I look like some kind of indestructible training dummy to you?" Trixie crossed her forelegs over her chest.
Dash rolled her eyes. "You can make barriers and shields to block attacks. I can't test it out on any of the actual training dummies." She looked away and muttered under her breath. "The last time Luna fined me three months of salary for the damages..."
"You should do it Trixie," chimed in Twilight. "It'll help keep your skills sharp."
The magician gave her an unsure look before glancing to her staff. "Alright, but on one condition." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I get to borrow Nightmare Moon." When both alicorns gave her puzzled looks, she offered an abashed look and added, "For safety purposes. You can never be too careful with things you don't know. You taught me that."
Twilight beamed. "Is that okay with you, Nightmare?"
"I suppose... if you're okay with it."
"Alright then, it's settled," Twilight said, rising to standing. Nightmare's image dispersed into nothingness and she picked the staff up and moved to stand by the magician. "Now you two don't go overboard. The last thing we need is more injuries."
"I won't," said Trixie and Dash in unison. In a flash, all three teleported to the empty field below Canterlot.
"This is the best place I can think of to train away from others. Try not to make too much of a mess. It takes a lot of magic to heal nature," Twilight said.
***
Trixie squinted to the sudden sunlight, peering around. There wasn't much to see, but the familiar lance stuck out of the ground to mark their location. Always here, she thought, rolling her eyes. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Dash set her shield down took flight while Twilight stepped backwards to gain some distance to view. The sword sparkled in the sunlight when the knight unsheathed it, and Trixie strained her eyes to see her above.
"Hey, are you ready, yet? I don't see any barriers!" Dash called down.
Trixie glanced to Twilight and Nightmare levitated to her. She swallowed as the staff came into close proximity, then shivered when she touched it. The feeling of Nightmare's presence within her mind felt foreign, but she was thankful that they had opted not to exchange words.
"I've got ten bits saying nothing happens on the first try!" she shouted back.
Dash took the sword in both hooves and reeled it over her head. With a heave, she swung it down with all of her might. To everyone's surprise, a crescent wave of green light cut from the apex of her swing, rocketing towards the ground. Trixie's eyes were wide as she watched it, but her barrier formed in an instant. The energy wave crashed into it and dispersed. She lowered her barrier, her surprised look maintained as she peered up to the knight.
"Whoa!" Dash said in marvel. "You owe me ten bits!"
A notepad and quill appeared in front of Twilight as she glanced between it, Dash, and Trixie. "Wow. Telos did that to her sword? I've got to ask him what he did," she said as she took down notes.
Dash descended closer to the ground, giving light slashes and cuts to the air. Moonlight's waves varied in size and power depending on the force of the swing and her own intent, even producing none at all when she swung it sharply to the sky without wanting to cut a wave. "Telos wasn't kidding when he said this could bring a whole new dimension to swordplay."
"That I was not," affirmed the sage.
Trixie's eyes darted to the sage as Twilight gave him a surprised look. "I didn't even notice you," said the alicorn.
Telos ignored her and spoke only to Dash. "Do exercise caution. The velocity is neither instantaneous, nor is this new power to solely be relied upon." Dash nodded.
"Have you come to observe, too, Telos?" Twilight asked.
Telos shook his head. "Though I wish to observe, the princesses have summoned you."
Twilight sighed and stepped to Trixie. The magician had been watching and she gave her lover a disappointed look. "I have to go, Trixie. I'll try to hurry back as soon as I can. In the mean time, don't overdo it."
"I won't," Trixie repeated.
Twilight pointed at the staff. "You, too." The staff pulsed a glow in affirmation. In a flash, Telos and Twilight were gone.
"Quit lazing around up there and hit me with everything you've got!" Trixie shouted.
The knight slashed several times in her direction, the blade producing a wave for each stroke of the weapon. Trixie's barrier deflected them and each wave cut a groove into the ground around her, as if the sword itself had struck the earth. With Nightmare, she could scarcely feel the drain on her magic.
"Is that the best you can do?"
Dash groaned. "Fine. I'm not holding back at all this time. You and Nightmare had better block it!"
"We can take on anything!" Trixie could hear an aggravated sigh from Nightmare, but she chose to ignore it as another barrier was erected over her.
The knight beat her wings and circled around overhead, climbing into the sky. Once she was satisfied with her altitude, she took Moonlight into both hooves again and went into a dive, twirling as the wind resistance failed to deter her. The sword's energy leaked back behind her, giving her corkscrew two green tails and obscuring her from view.
Trixie braced herself, taking on a defensive stance and raising Nightmare in front of her. Her barrier's color shifted into a dark blue as she poured more of her magic into it. She gave a cry as Dash impacted the barrier, an explosion of lights erupting outside of her barrier followed by a plume of dirt and rocks. Her barrier faded, but the attack was over. She stood, gazing at where the knight's attack connected, a foreleg raised in defense, still. Trixie gagged as the dust in the air coated the inside of her mouth and she used her magic to blow it away.
Her eyes fell to the knight, but it took her a moment before she could fully absorb what had just happened. Dash had drilled into the ground up to her chest and was struggling to free her forelegs and weapon.
"Don't you dare laugh," Dash said.
Are you alright? Nightmare asked.
Trixie's brow twitched as she shook her head. "You could've killed me!" the magician bellowed, collecting herself.
I wouldn't have allowed that, but you should never underestimate your opponents.
"Quiet, you," Trixie rebuked.
"Who are you—"
"You," Trixie interrupted quickly. She raised the staff and a gale swept through, removing the dust from herself. She glanced to down to Dash and pried her free with a wave of the staff.
"I told you I wasn't holding back," explained Dash as she brushed herself off and straightened. "Well, now that I know what I can do, let's have a real duel," she added, smirking.
Trixie looked into Moonlight's eerie glow. The appearance of the black on the blade struck her as wrong in the daylight, standing out against anything else. She pulled her eyes away before answering. "An actual duel? Puh-lease. You may have been a Celestial Knight longer than I've been an archmage, but you don't have what it takes to stand with the best." She smirked back as Dash's confidence shifted into indignation, adding, "Like me."
Trixie, you shouldn't—
"Oh, you really think you can take me on? Twilight might be your teacher, but I've got the best mentor a Celestial Knight could have!"
Remember what Twilight said, reminded Nightmare. I'm here to protect you, but my power is merely an extension to yours.
"Didn't you get all of Twilight's memories?" Trixie replied. Before Nightmare could answer she went on. "Because I don't remember her ever doubting me."
The Id remained quiet for a moment as Trixie nodded to Dash. She doesn't know Moonlight's capabilities and she doesn't want you to get injured.
Once Dash was out of earshot, Trixie spun around slammed the spire of the staff onto the ground. "You can't be serious! She doesn't think I can handle myself!?"
It's not like that...
"Just once, I want to be the one protecting her..."
She... This is none of my business. You should speak to her.
"Are you ready, yet?" called the knight.
Trixie groaned and looked up to her. "I've got to let off some steam, and you better not cry for mercy!" She took up Nightmare as an aura formed over her, giving her a dark tint even in the sunlight.
***
"What is so urgent that the princesses need to speak to me right now?" Hurried hoofsteps punctuated Twilight's movement as she followed behind the sage. Her black cloak fluttered in her wake as she moved beside him and matched his stride.
"Time may be of the essence, Archmage Sparkle. Your princesses will brief you."
Twilight frowned as she recognized where they were going. The war room. It can't be... So soon?
Telos knocked swiftly and the door flew open, a royal guard just on the other side. He allowed them in, then stepped out and closed it with a low thump behind him. Luna stepped past Twilight and pressed her hooves to the door, a blue aura flickering over it, then she and Telos moved to loom over a table.
Twilight stepped up, recognizing it as a large scale map of Equestria, but there were landmarks even she did not recognize. The princesses looked tense, their eyes running along several of the markers to the north, and exchanging silent words with one another.
"Twilight, I fear Aurelius has made his first move," answered Celestia.
"One of our most trusted agents, a Celestial Knight, has been captured," said Luna.
Twilight's brow lowered. "Another Celestial Knight? There are more I don't know about?"
"The knowledge that the Archmagi and the Celestial Knights have of each other is typically limited. Admittedly, you are an exception and we have neglected to brief you as to the extent of their purpose and existence, but that is for another time," explained Luna.
Celestia swallowed and ran a hoof over one of the northern markers. "I know this is sudden and I don't have much information, but she must be rescued at once."
"So, we're thinking the same thing," Twilight said dryly. "If Aurelius has turned her, I can break his magic, but what was she doing all the way up here?" She motioned towards the marker Celestia had swept.
Luna explained. "Until recently, she was assigned to managing our borders with the Brood, ensuring that there were no dragons without an allegiance attacking. However, with the settling of the Brood and Aurelius's impending assault, she was reassigned to reconnaissance. I would sooner see Aurelius dead than wait for him to come to Canterlot."
"How do you know she was captured?"
"Though I had intended to conserve my magic, I scouted her with astral projection to be sure this was not left to speculation," answered Telos.
"Twilight," Celestia said sternly, giving the archmage a hard look. "We cannot afford to have this particular knight executed. If she is being controlled, you must do everything in your power to break that control."
"Just who is this knight?" Twilight asked, glancing between the princesses.
Celestia and Luna exchanged glances, but Luna was the one to answer. "Celestial Knight, and current Paladin, Derpy Hooves."
Twilight blinked. "Derpy?" she muttered. "Where have I heard that name before..." When the princesses gave her serious looks she dropped the subject. "Alright. Rainbow Dash is a Celestial Knight, so she will subdue her and I'll break Aurelius's control."
"I am afraid that it is not that simple, Twilight," said Luna.
Celestia continued in her sister's place. "Each Celestial Knight wields a blessed sword to bolster their service to the kingdom. Knight Dash was given Nightfall—now Moonlight—which is a powerful weapon, but even with its wave ability, she will be no match for Knight Hooves."
"How much power does this Knight Hooves possess? Surely Rainbow Dash is strong enough now that she has a wave capability," Telos interjected.
"Celestial Knights are physically greater than any natural strength that can be achieved. Their power comes for multiple sources, and their swords are one of them. Paladin Hooves wields the Glance Reviver, and it is one of the strongest blades forged." Celestia sighed and turned away from the table. "It can grant her a variety of abilities ranging from speed to basic spellcraft. Where Knight Dash moves with incredible speed, Knight Hooves can exceed even that were she to will it."
"That's impossible. There has to be a weakness."
"There is," said Luna. "The knights function as batteries for the abilities granted by their weapons. The drain of their abilities mirrors that of a unicorn and that limitation applies to Paladin Hooves just the same. They can exceed those limits, but at grave costs."
"Alright, then we'll need to wear her down. We'll form a three pony team. I'll need Rainbow since she knows how the Celestial Knights fight, and I'll bring Trixie so that—"
"Nay," interrupted Luna, shaking her head. "I will take Archmage Lulamoon's place. If an alicorn's magic is what is needed to break Aurelius's control, then I will join the mission as insurance. Should you fall, another must be there to break the binding."
"Are you sure, Luna?" Twilight asked.
"Discard your doubts, Twilight. My power is more than adequate."
Twilight nodded and glanced at the map, scanning over the terrain and markers again. "Where was Knight Hooves last seen?"
Celestia pointed to a mark above the one she had swept earlier. "Here."
Twilight glanced up. "How much time do we have to prepare?"
"I want you to be on your way in ten minutes," replied the sun princess.
"Derpy Hooves..." Twilight muttered to herself. The princesses stared at her but she paid them no mind. "Why does that sound so familiar?"
Luna interrupted her thoughts with a prod to her shoulder. "We must be going, Twilight. The sooner Knight Hooves is returned, the better for us all." Twilight nodded and they both teleported out of the chambers.
"I should be joining them. My astral projection would be a great asset if—"
"No," Celestia said quickly. "I want you here in case this is just a diversion. You know him better than anyone, and your magic gives him caution. I cannot allow you to exhaust yourself in the event he sieges Canterlot." She tapped a hoof on the marker for the capitol on the map. "I'm afraid that he will. I never could have imagined Paladin Hooves being captured. There are doubts within me that even my two best archmagi could bring her down."
"Was sending your sister into danger, knowing Aurelius was there as well, a good idea?" Telos asked.
Celestia looked up to him with stalwart determination burning in her eyes. "Luna knows what's at stake. She is right to have a second alicorn there. Recovering Paladin Hooves is of utmost importance. Both of them know that."
"You seem unsettled by the decision," Telos observed.
The princess stared at the northern marks on the map. "Knight Dash is the last Celestial Knight I would choose to battle her, but she is the only one available right now."
***
Dash barreled at high speed, narrowly avoiding an arcane bolt from Trixie, but her sword caught the ground and threw her off balance. She quickly recovered, cutting a second groove into the ground momentarily for stability. Moonlight gleamed before she turned sharply and cut a vertical wave towards the magician. Trixie countered with her own wave of magic and the two clashed, exploding in a plume of light and mist.
"Is that the best you can do?" Trixie taunted.
The knight spun herself around, her off leg swinging out to maintain balance as she drove herself down in a curve. As she reached the ground, she arced, then moved at high speed across the surface, closing in for a finishing strike. Trixie readied herself, gathering energy in the spire of Nightmare. She pushed a hoof out as her magic discharged and Dash swung her weapon.
Twilight appeared in the nexus of the two attacks. Nightmare moved to her in an instant, catching Moonlight, and with a free hoof she nullified Trixie's spell. Both sparring ponies froze in surprise, but Twilight merely composed herself. "I'm sorry to interrupt your training, but we've got a mission," she said.
What is it, Twilight? the Id asked casually the same time as Trixie asked, "What's going on?"
"A mission? I thought we were staying here in case Aurelius attacks," added Dash.
Twilight shook her head. "This is too important. The princesses want us on this right away. Another celestial knight has been captured by Aurelius?"
Trixie gave a gasp, but Dash slammed Moonlight in its sheathe and stepped closer. "Wh-what did you say? Please tell me I heard that wrong."
Twilight shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Rainbow, but Telos confirmed it. We'll be leaving in ten minutes on a rescue mission." Dash opened her mouth, but she cut her off. "You'll be a part of the rescue team."
"I'll go grab a few things and we can—"
Twilight turned. "Sorry, Trixie, but you're sitting this one out."
Trixie's mouth fluttered. "Wh-what!? Why!"
"I can break Aurelius's influence, but she suspects it's alicorn magic that can do it. Luna is taking your place as insurance, in case I'm incapacitated."
The magician's face was painted with disbelief, but it melted down to disappointment. "Why don't I still come? It will just increase our chances of success."
Twilight licked her lips as her mouth went dry. "I'm sorry, Trixie. You were my first choice, but we need to keep as much of Equestria's forces right here in Canterlot."
"So," Dash said, "who's the knight that got captured?"
"Paladin Derpy Hooves."
Dash stared at Twilight, her mouth hanging open as tears welled in her eyes. "No," she said breathlessly. "We have to hurry! W-we have to go right now! Right now, right now!"
"We're leaving soon," Twilight reminded her. "Who is she?"
Dash hesitated for a second before answering. "She's the reason I left the Wonderbolts. She's the reason that I... that I am a Celestial Knight."
"Don't worry, Rainbow. We'll bring her back."
"Well, since I'm not going, you had better come back safe," Trixie chimed.
"I promise, Trixie." Twilight leaned closer and gave her a kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Don't let your guard down." In a flash, they were gone.
***
"Halt your teleportations, Twilight," Luna said, raising a commanding hoof. "We shall fly the latter half of the journey. Our destination is to that of a forested climb and leaping blindly into the thick of enemy territory will only seek to get us killed."
Twilight panted, wiping a rim of sweat from her forehead. She should've warned us about how cold it was going to be, she complained to Nightmare. The air had grown crisp several teleports ago and it was making her sweat feel like icy water cutting through her fur. She shivered as a gust ruffled her robe and chilled her.
Sustain yourself with magic. You once survived in my blizzard. This should be nothing. Nightmare gave a noise somewhere between a haughty grunt and a proud harrumph, but Twilight couldn't tell which it was meant to be.
I don't want to spend any more magic. I'll need as much as I can get. She sucked in air through her nose and tugged her cloak closer as they took flight over a rapidly frosting landscape. Dash flew beside her as Luna led them, but the knight remained quiet.
Twilight looked up towards the sun, squinting and soaking in the sunlight. They had only just begun the flying segment, but she was already weary of the travel. The land scrolled by in a blur as she tried to maintain a conversation with Nightmare to pass the time during the flight. The conversation lapsed for a while, but the Id spoke up again.
Twilight, Nightmare began, garnering the lavender mare's attention, Why did you think I could change, even after all that I've done and after learning about who—what I am?
I... she trailed off, caught off guard by the question. After a moment, she smiled to herself. You already know the answer. She sighed when the Id stayed silent. I saw into your heart, your memories. I knew what you knew. I even felt what you felt. If it wasn't for that, I would just be guessing, but... Don't you believe that everyone deserves a second chance?
I never believed someone like me deserved a second chance. There's blood on my hooves. What about all of the innocent ponies whose loved ones I killed?
Twilight swallowed. I can't tell you what to do other than try to atone for what you've done. The feeling of what you... She took a deep breath and glanced to the ground. That horrible feeling will never go away, no matter how much you want it to. You just try to make it smaller in any way you can. The staff floated before Twilight, pulsing its strange glow calmly. Why did you ask all of that when you already know my feelings?
Maybe... I just wanted you to reassure me again that they hadn't changed...
Twilight prepared another thought, but she was interrupted as Luna descended to the ground.
"We shall land here," she announced. The trio touched down and stretched their legs, taking in their surroundings. Dash eagerly stepped about and practiced her brandish and shield draw while they took a few moments to rest their wings.
"Alright, enough rest. Let's get to Derpy pronto!" the knight said.
"Nay," said Luna. "We move by ground through the area. We do not know where exactly they are, nor can we move too quickly and risk stumbling into a trap." There was a twinge of regret in her face as she looked upon the knight, but she pivoted and raised a hoof to the horizon behind her. "The temperature falls as the light wanes. Though Twilight and I can sense through the darkness, you are at a disadvantage."
"Luna's right. We need to stay low and move carefully. If we're lucky, we can get the jump on them, without the need for a fight."
Dash gave a defeated shrug. "I'm a Celestial Knight just like her. I can handle her on my own. There has to be another way."
"No," said Luna sternly. "I wish to return Knight Hooves to Canterlot as swiftly as you, but I will not jeopardize our lives for it. Furthermore, though you are a formidable warrior, Paladin Hooves is much stronger than you are now."
"I..." Dash hung her head.
"Don't worry. We'll bring her back," Twilight said to reassure her. It wasn't much, but her words had managed to bring Rainbow's hope back to the surface, earning her a smile.
The march further into the northern lands made Twilight apprehensive. She expected there to be some kind of animals producing noise, any at all, but there was only an uneasy silence. She and Luna constantly scanned the surroundings, straining themselves to sense anything magical nearby, but only the silence answered each time. They reached a forest as Luna raised the moon, night falling and bathing everything in shadows, and they all stopped to peer into the darkness cast by the trees.
"This is it," said Luna as she stepped through a patch of snow. "The tactical advantage is hers, and we must'nt become separated. As I am the night, so is she, and she will not be easily tracked beneath my veil."
"Even if she has duskweave, I can still sense her," Twilight said, trying to feel out the forest for anything peculiar. What? If she's here, then why... "I'm... not sensing anything at all. Are you sure she's here?"
"I removed her presence in the night, much akin to the lunar blessing you had once received yourself. She does not possess duskweave, but you should not lower your guard."
The princess led them into the forest, moving quietly, cautiously. The party's eyes darted between the trees, fixating with frightful intensity to the location of any sound they heard. The rustling of leaves, the snapping of a tree branch, or the singing of wind—anything could be a fatal danger. Every shadow challenged their calm with adrenaline, taunting them to jump at anything and everything. Twilight grew nervous when Dash had nearly brandished her weapon and leaped at snow falling from an encumbered branch. But none of it prepared them for the snickering voice.
Dash and Luna froze on the frontline while Twilight spun around to cover the rear, raising Nightmare defensively. The snickering peaked to a laugh before dying back down to a snicker. Luna's horn ignited with a powerful glow, beating back the shadows around them and casting new ones from the trees in their place. Dash ripped Moonlight from its sheathe and stood ready, raising her tower shield.
Where? Where is it coming from? Twilight's mind reeled as the noise danced around them, her eyes shooting from shadow to shadow, tree to tree in the distance.
She's here, but I can't be sure where, exactly. Luna's blessing is more potent than I thought, said Nightmare.
"Well, if it isn't Princess Luna herself. My, when was the last time you stepped hoof outside of Canterlot for a mission, hm?" Derpy taunted, her voice continuing to bounce between the trees.
I'm sensing something else, Twilight, the Id added. Be careful. I'm not sure what it is, yet.
"Surrender at once, Paladin Hooves! There is no need for violence against one of my own!" Luna bellowed.
"You've brought Archmage Twilight Sparkle and Celestial Knight Rainbow Dash. This is almost perfect for King Aurelius. It's too bad, though. He isn't here to see this now."
Twilight's heart sank and Luna spun to her and Dash, her eyes widening. "It has begun. He lured us away to begin the assault! Quickly, Twilight. You can return to Canterlot the fastest! You must—!"
"I'm afraid that won't work," said Derpy.
Twilight closed her eyes and attempted to teleport. "What!?" she loosed, her eyes opening wide. "I... I can't teleport!"
"You're trapped in this forest's illusion now. Your teleportation has been sealed and any attempt to leave will loop you right back here. The only way out is to kill me. Do that... and you're home free."
Powerful magic is maintaining the illusion, said Nightmare.
How can I break it? Twilight asked.
A wave of white energy split the darkness of the forest, casting shadows anew as it traveled towards the trio. They divided to evade, but quickly regrouped once it passed, with Twilight and Luna behind Dash. In the wake, a shadow moved in the returning darkness, and Derpy appeared before Dash, making a vertical slash from the ground. Dash parried, hopping backwards from the recoil and poising herself for a following strike, but it never came. She had stopped between the other mares and maintained a defensive stance. The eerie moonlight refracted from a cut in her breastplate, a grim mark that she wasn't quite fast enough.
I don't know how to break the illusion, but I'll keep analyzing the magic, said the Id. Be careful, it could take some time.
There's no time. I'll figure it out on my own. Can you help Rainbow? Twilight said in a hurry, pivoting to watch all angles for a second attack.
Yes, but then—
It's settled. Help her. Luna and I can handle ourselves. Twilight spun to Dash and pushed a hoof towards her, Nightmare moving quickly to her and slipping under her baldric. The knight gave her a confused glance. "Take Nightmare. She can help you fight Derpy. Just be careful not to—"
Two skeletal dragons ripped from the ground and dived at Luna and Twilight, criss-crossing and catching each target in their jaws. They surged behind the nearest trees and into the shadows. In an instant, Dash was left alone with the staff and her foe.
"Twilight! Princess Luna!" she shouted. She blinked and threw her head in every direction, her heartbeat growing faster the longer her calls went unanswered, her blood burning as fear began to set in. Shit, they're gone!
Don't let your guard down! reminded Nightmare, her voice now filling the knight's head.
"I wouldn't worry about them anymore. After all, it won't be long before King Aurelius takes his rightful place at the throne of Equestria. The princesses will fall, but the only question that matters is whether or not you'll fall with them, or stand with King Aurelius." The words rolled off of the paladin's tongue with a dark inflection.
"What? The mare I know would never betray the princesses. Snap out of it, Derpy! Aurelius is just controlling you!"
It's no use, Rainbow. She can't free herself on her own. The most she can do is resist his will.
No! I'm not giving up on her! She would never betray Equestria. Dash grimaced at the reality.
"Come now, Rainbow. Join me and we can be together as we serve our new king."
Dash pleaded. "Stop this, Derpy. Please! You have to fight it!"
"There's nothing to fight. I serve my king, and you serve your princesses. Now, I know you've got your own sword. Why don't you show me what you can do with it, hm?"
There was a ripple in the forest's illusion, and Dash braced herself for anything. There was a pause of relief when a figure appeared ahead, but that feeling quickly roiled into anger. It was an image of Aurelius.
"My lord," said Derpy. Dash could hear her armor rustling, believing her to be kneeling.
The prince's image blurred heavily and didn't appear as if it would last very long, occasionally disappearing altogether, but nonetheless he spoke clearly. "Well, I must admit I had not expected the brave little knight from Canterlot to be here," he said, turning towards Dash. "It's a shame I never cared to know your name."
What do I do!? Dash cried to her own mind, half-asking Nightmare. The Id offered no response and she shook her head as she watched.
"Derpy Hooves, was it? Bring me their heads as proof of victory and move to Canterlot at once. If you return to see me claim my throne, I shall reward you handsomely."
"As my king commands," said Derpy, her armor rustling again as she stood. Aurelius's image flashed and vanished.
"Come on, Derpy, this isn't you! Snap out of it already!" Dash pleaded.
"I'm getting tired of hearing that..."
"I don't want to, but I'll take you down right here if I have to. After that, I'm going to kill Aurelius!" Her voice belied her fear, and she struggled just to keep herself from quivering.
"There's no need to get your hopes up," said the paladin as she slowly approached, her form sharpening the nearer she got. "You won't make it past me," she added, her voice now centering on her form. "Don't resist and I'll make your death quick, a token of my appreciation for all of the memories."
Where Dash's blood had felt like it was burning before, it immediately turned to ice as the paladin revealed herself in full. Her armor appeared as a charcoal grey beneath the moonlight, but she lacked her helmet and was equipped with no more than her blessed sword. But all of that paled in contrast to her eyes. The paladin's irises were now a wicked crimson. Derpy smiled as she stopped, her body fully in the light now, and it chilled Dash to the core.
She tightened her grip on Moonlight and focused on her anger, forcing it to well and drown out her fear and sorrow, sorrow that she had to raise arms against the one she loved. She succeeded and the fear was gone, displaced by her determination. I'm going to kill Aurelius!
"It's just you and me now," the paladin said as a sinister grin pulled the corners of her mouth. She drew Glance Reviver from its sheathe, the white glow of the blade appearing pale and sickly. "I really do hope you've made the right choice, Rainbow."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 27: Malediction in White
"Now, that's a pretty sword," Derpy said, staring at the green glow of Dash's weapon. She moved her shield in front of it defensively, earning a mockingly saddened moan from the paladin.
"It's called Moonlight," Dash said, finding herself unable to resist answering.
Derpy glanced up and gave a wistful smile. "The moonlight is always pretty. It's a good name."
Suddenly, Derpy charged, and Dash's body lurched forward to meet her. Streams of light moved forward with the paladin, striking all around her. Dash maneuvered between them, blocking and avoiding what she could, but several still cutting at her. The wounds were superficial, but she found the knight had made it behind her in the distracting light barrage. There was no time to react and the paladin kicked her in the back, sending her barreling forward. Her wings opened and allowed her to spring backwards onto her hooves again.
"A staff?" wondered Derpy aloud. "What are you doing with that? We can't use magic the same way as unicorns."
"None of your business," Dash snarled back. "Are you gonna take my head or what?" She rushed back in, meeting Derpy, attempting to keep up blow for blow. They parted and Dash spun around, slashing a large wave towards the paladin.
Derpy was surprised, but she made a rising vertical cut that split Moonlight's wave, both pieces crashing into trees just behind her. "Well, now this is getting interesting."
The tree trunks around became decorated with slashes, some being felled entirely in the carnage as both warriors clashed all around the shadowy forest. Clangs from their blades crossing with tremendous force rang out, waves of light peeling back the darkness one cut at a time. For every wave that Moonlight cut, Glance Reviver nullified it with its own. Dash struggled to keep up with Derpy's bursts of speed, her ability to dodge her attacks growing more and more frustrating with each attempt.
The divide in their ability grew more apparent over time as Derpy scored blow after blow, denting and puncturing her armor. Blood leaked from the holes where she had been stabbed, dripping onto the patches of snow. Cold air seeped in, chilling her and threatening to dull her movements.
I can't keep up, she thought to herself, glancing down to her wounds and grimacing. I'm going to die at this rate. She clenched her jaw and pushed away the cold and the pain, focusing only on her goal, and rushed forward again. The next clash left them sliding backwards from one another by force alone.
"Come on, Dashie. I thought you were the fastest flyer in all of Equestria," the paladin taunted.
Dash chuckled grimly before moving again. "And I thought you'd have killed me by now!"
Derpy bolted forward, faster than Dash could have anticipated. Afterimages chased the paladin's form like grey phantoms. She moved from side to side, breaching Dash's guard and slipping her sword beneath her breastplate. Dash cried out as it impaled her from the bottom, her eyes widening from the pain.
Derpy leaned in close. "If I take your head now, then there's no time to have fun." She pushed the knight back and ripped the blade free, leaping backwards with a delighted grin as she watched the knight crumble to the ground moaning.
Dash clutched where the wound was, releasing her shield and holding herself up with her other foreleg. She panted and coughed, the numbing of the cold returning stronger than before. How, she thought in disbelief. How did she do that?
You're losing too much blood. Use my power and I can give you a chance against her, Nightmare said quickly.
Not... yet. I can still fight on my own. She didn't hit any vital organs, Dash replied. She groaned as the pain spiked, but stood up and raised her shield, bringing it closer to her body than before. "How..." she began, wiping blood from her mouth, "can you move so fast?"
"Want to see an instant replay?"
Derpy moved again, this time directly for the knight. Bracing herself, Dash charged forward as the paladin broke the halfway mark, raising her shield and putting her weight behind it. Derpy, failing to anticipate the change in tactic, crashed into the wall of steel, loosing a shrill cry before the air was crushed out from her lungs. She stumbled backwards, dazed, swinging her sword blindly to prevent any follow up attack. When she regained her breath and bearings, she chuckled.
"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that," she said in a hoarse voice. She was left standing in the light and glanced up to the moon. "I'm going to take your sword as a prize. Moonlight doesn't seem fitting for somepony so..." She turned back to Dash and eyed her appearance from top to bottom. "Colorful," she finished, scoffing.
Dash stared at Glance Reviver, the pale light of the blade radiating against the moonlight; the blood on the blade did little to mar its appearance. She half hoped it would rust and break during their fight, but the weapons of the Celestial Knights were flawless in creation, but they never knew where they had come from. The white gleam of Derpy's sword had always mirrored her personality, but now it made Dash sick to see her wielding it now.
Dash trembled, her armor gently rattling with her as the cold gripped her muscles. No. It wasn't the cold. It was fear again. Even when facing the Ursa Major in days past, protecting Trixie with her life, she had never been this afraid. Her heart rate picked up as she tried to will it away, but she could only overcome the pain this time. She cut a vertical wave towards Derpy, but the paladin quickly side stepped and shook her head.
"It seems like you're getting slower. I guess you're at your limit now," she said as she moved forward.
Dash cut several more waves in her direction, attempting to slow her down or force her into a bad position, but the paladin proved too agile and maneuvered between and past all of them. Her movements seemed less like those of a warrior and more like those of a dancer. Reaching melee, Derpy swung towards Dash's left side, and she raised her shield in anticipation. The paladin twisted and side stepped a thrust as each moved to match the other's movements. The exchange ended with Derpy's sword to the back of Dash's neck, while Moonlight was raised to the paladin's throat.
Dash could hear her own heartbeat again, pounding with adrenaline, her fear scratching at her resolve. The stalemate ended when Dash ducked, thrusting Moonlight forward, but Derpy hopped sideways, deflecting the attack away, but not before ripping her shield from her and fully disengaging.
"What the!"
The paladin sheathed her sword and raised the shield. "I can kill you any time I want. I'm not in a hurry to return to King Aurelius. He'll understand that I want to have some fun with my protégé first." She charged forward, but stopped short, moving to the side.
Dash stepped forward, poising to meet her, but Derpy crashed right over her. Surprised by her own tactic being used against her, she rolled backwards, using her wings to land back on her hooves, and turned. Derpy had already taken the shield and swung it like an axe towards her neck again. Dash ducked, but it was too late. The shield collided with her head, an audible crack against her helmet. She cried out, barreling across the grass and snow into the darkness.
Dash couldn't see, her vision blocked out by the pain and ghostly ringing of metal in her head. She could feel blood running down the side of her head and from her torso, and she tried to stand several times only to fall back to her haunches.
Rainbow Dash! Get up! You have to get up! Nightmare tried to call, but her voice failed to pierce the veil of pain.
Get up, said another voice.
"Derpy?" Dash moaned to herself.
Never give up! said the voice again. You told me that once, remember?
Slowly, shakily, Dash stood again, removing her now-cracked helmet and trying to focus. Her vision was still blurry, but it was enough to gauge the paladin's form, and the absence of her helmet allowed her to hear and see in a larger field. "Who said I was ready to give up?" she said to herself.
"You don't have time to talk yourself, Dashie," said Derpy as she moved in for another attack.
Dash raised Moonlight for the attack, following the paladin's movements in anticipation. She swung the shield lower this time, aiming for her shoulder. In a hazy fury, Dash swung Moonlight as hard as she could at the shield, energy exploding from the blade and into the attack. The slash bisected the shield, blasting Derpy back as the pieces fell in her wake. The paladin narrowly avoided a mortal wound as she beat her wings to gain distance, a genuine look of surprise etched into her face. She drew Glance Reviver again and took on an odd stance, leaning forward as she tilted the blade downwards towards Dash, and holding her free hoof parallel to the blade.
Rushing forward, Derpy's images blurred with her, pushing the snow and dirt aside in her wake. Clarity returned to Dash's vision, and she ducked low as a deadly thrust narrowly missed her head. The paladin was moving too quickly to offer a second attack. Seizing the opening, Dash turned and slashed at her back, but Derpy took flight. She was too slow to hit her mark, but the attack caught one of the paladin's hind legs. She yelped before gaining distance and landing again.
Derpy grit her teeth and shook her head, balancing delicately on the injured leg. "You're going to have to do better than that," she said, her voice wavering. She groaned and pressed her free hoof to her head. "Where... am I?" she muttered, looking around in a daze. Her eyes found Dash again and lit up for a moment, but it crumbled to remorse. "Rainbow, you have to stop me! Aurelius has—"
"Derpy?" Dash asked, hopeful.
"There's no time. You have to—augh!" She staggered backwards and removed the hoof from her head. She stood up tall and shook her head quickly. "Sorry about that... I guess it's time to get this over with." A sickly white aura lit up her form now, removing her from the darkness entirely.
Dash's throat felt like as if it had been tied into a knot as she stared at the paladin, the white glow drawing her attention in a grim way. "I didn't become a Celestial Knight for this!" Moonlight gave Dash a dark green glow, the green of the blade glowing with her aura. The lapse in Derpy's control gave her hope and renewed her determination. "I'm taking you back to Canterlot, even if I have to kick your flank first, Derpy."
Both knights dashed to one another, a flurry of lights spilling away from their clashes. Bark sprayed into the air as stray waves ripped through trees, their explosive cuts illuminating the forest in a cascade of flashes. White and green, struggling to bathe it in its evanescent glows. The paladin accelerated, unleashing a sharp swing hunting for Dash's head. The cyan knight's green aura was replaced with a dark one and she quickly ducked under it and the two knights broke apart, only to clash again a moment later. They pressed their bodies against each other, the blades grinding as each rubbed down to the crossguards.
"How..." Derpy said, panting, "How did you... dodge that?"
Dash looked past Derpy to a series of trees that had been cut down by stray waves. She caught the paladin glancing past her to a similar series of felled trees, surprise lining her eyes. "I guess I'm better than you thought."
Derpy grunted. "Keep up with... this!" She disappeared entirely as she broke away, seemingly vanishing into the shadows.
Dash squinted, glancing around as she tried to follow the sounds she made. The paladin reappeared next to her. With a start, she narrowly parried a vertical slash, and she leaned and stepped backwards to regain her balance, lunging forward with a swift thrust. Derpy pivoted and grabbed her sword hoof, pulling Dash past her and disrupting her balance again. Before Dash could react, Glance Reviver's blade slid into her stomach a second time, the paladin leaning close to whisper into her ear.
"Don't you get it? You can never beat me."
Derpy pulled her sword free, then twirled into a horizontal slash. The blade scratched the back of the knight's breastplate, but was ultimately deflected leaving only a thick scratch. Dash attempted to leap backwards, but the pain in her stomach sapped her strength, and she relied on her wings to carry her a cautious distance. Staring down, she could see her blood leak from the wounds and onto the ground, slowly pooling. She pressed a hoof against her armor, trying to apply pressure to the wound.
"Please, Derpy... stop this..."
The paladin blinked several times and shook her head. "Rainbow!" she called out, suddenly. "I can't fight it... You have to kill me!"
"I... I can't do that, Derpy!"
"Yes, you can! Please, Rainbow! I couldn't bear it if I killed you." Derpy sheathed her sword and wavered for a moment, but she quickly flew to Rainbow, landing just in front of her, crouching down. "Kill me, Rainbow. Do it before it's too late!"
Dash stared at her, wide eyed, her armor rattling as her body shook. "I... I can't!"
"JUST DO IT, RAINBOW!" Derpy screamed, glancing up.
Moonlight was slowly raised, its glow painting over the paladin's face.
"I love you."
Dash screeched as Derpy lowered her head, Moonlight swinging down. "I'm sorry! I can't do it!" The two knights met each others faces with tear-laden eyes, their looks hollow with regret and sorrow. "I just... there has to be another way..." Dash said.
Snickering pierced the moment, and Dash's heart twisted as she realized what that meant. Glance Reviver sang as it flew from its sheathe, illuminating her in its sickly glow once more. She leaped backwards, turning and blocking as the white blade slid past her. She attempted to turn the defensive maneuver into a riposte, thrusting forward with all of her might, but Derpy evaded, gracefully dancing out of reach.
I have to take this fight to the skies. I'm not very good at ground combat.
Nightmare's voice replied to her thought. No, wait! If you—
Her attempt at a warning came too late as Dash propelled into the forest canopy. Just as she breached it, she took a deep breath as the sky came into view, and she glanced down as she gained altitude. Suddenly, the air was crushed out of her lungs and she went limp, sailing back down. She cried out as she neared the ground, and she twisted, stabbing her sword into a tree trunk to slow her descent. It was partially successful, but it slipped out of the bark and she still slammed into the ground. "Ugh. What... was that...?" she asked hoarsely, her head swimming. She looked up to see Derpy grinning at her, suppressing a giggle with a hoof over her mouth.
"Why do you think I haven't been flying? This forest's illusion doubles as a barrier. You won't be getting any advantages up there."
Dash collected herself in time to see the paladin slash a wave towards her. She countered with her own letting the explosion of light fill the distance between them. Using the distraction, she hid behind a tree, a hoof pressed tightly to her stomach wound. The numbness had returned and her dizziness only grew. Damn... Where is Twilight and Princess Luna?
I can augment your strength with my magic, said Nightmare.
Why didn't you mention that earlier!? Dash chastised.
My magic can overpower your conscience, bringing out only a primal bloodlust within you. If your goal is to save Derpy, then I can't guarantee her life if we do this.
Dash's heart sunk at hearing that. But if I don't... I have to wait on Twilight and Princess Luna.
I don't think you'll last that long, the Id said grimly. You can resist its effects, for a time, but I don't know how long. I will leave the choice up to you.
Dash mouthed a curse before glancing down. Nightmare was right. If Derpy continued fighting as she was, she wasn't going to make it, however long it took the alicorns to break the illusion magic. She only knew that her blood loss was only speeding up her own demise.
"Come out, come out wherever you are, Dashie!" Derpy called in sing-song fashion. "You can run from my light... but you can't hide!" The paladin spun around, unleashing a whirlwind of waves into the forest. They spread out, cutting down trees in every direction. One of the waves felled the one Dash was hiding behind, and she sank down low to stay out of sight behind its stump.
Do it, Dash said. I just hope the others make it in time. She turned and peeked over the stump as Derpy slowly walked and surveyed the area for the knight. I'm sorry, Derpy...
A blur whisked through the night towards the paladin, a black and green erupting from it and striking at her. Derpy managed to parry, but she was kicked in the chest as Dash passed her, knocking her off balance and sending her teetering backwards. She twirled and caught herself on three legs, spinning and sweeping, first with a foreleg, then with her sword. Dash evaded as a wave ripped from the blade. Beating her wings, she moved past Derpy, narrowly avoiding another strike as the paladin recovered, but she lost control and stumbled, rolling and then standing again.
Derpy wiped saliva from her mouth and adjusted her breastplate, raising her sword defensively in front of her. "I don't know what you did, but you're faster than before. Still," she said, raising her sword straight up and placing her off hoof against the blade, "you're going to need to be faster if you want to kill me."
I can't focus too well or control this speed, the knight thought to herself. The ache of her head from previous wounds was replaced; a throbbing soreness had been replaced by a pulsing heat that seemed to be growing.
Light exploded from Derpy's position, stealing away the paladin from view. Sensing the danger, Dash rolled to the side, her focus returning, to see Derpy incoming. They clashed, their blades singing and dancing with one another again. The light faded leaving Dash's eyes dilated and difficult to see as Glance Reviver suddenly dimmed. Pulling back and not chancing a blow she couldn't see, she rushed past the paladin to buy her time. It was short lived as Derpy quickly closed the distance in pursuit.
Dash found herself matching every strike, though lacking in the finesse of the paladin. She could feel herself swinging but, slowly, that feeling of control was slipping away. She mixed kicks and punches into her attacks to keep Derpy from going on the offensive, but most failed to connect with her.
Derpy broke away and faded into the shadows as Dash strained to see her in the darkness. Her eyes still hadn't readjusted from the earlier light, and the dizziness from her blood loss set in. The paladin returned to using her afterimages, gyrating around into a blurred whirlwind of blade and light. Dash heaved as she loosed a flurry of waves to fill the distance between them, but Derpy managed to maneuver between them.
She couldn't gauge the attack and, attempting to still the paladin's sword, swung blindly into her form. Moonlight's blade was deflected and three slashes came in quick succession. The first struck her breastplate, the second sawed through it, and the final cut rended her chest. Rather than pull back, Dash raised her shoulder and pushed in, bringing her sword back in for an unexpected attack. The paladin twisted and lurched backwards, but Dash's attack struck her right shoulder before she could dodge. The wave that followed the strike made the cut deeper, forcing her down before she could escape. Blood oozed from each warrior's wounds as they both clutched them.
"Who in their right mind would dive right in after an attack like that?" Derpy growled, her eyes seemingly shining brighter. "I'm going to make you pay for that, you cocky little brat!"
An aura surrounded Derpy as she switched sword hooves, then charged in. She broke Dash's guard with a downward slash and unleashed a flurry of slashes. Dash did what she could, but the onslaught was too much. Desperate, she thrust her sword forward and forced the paladin to back off. Collapsing, Dash held herself from the ground with just Moonlight, panting and attempting to clutch several wounds on her torso at once.
Despair filled her as she glanced up to Derpy through a sweaty, bloody mane. Her vision had begun to tunnel, slowly shrinking as she the paladin began to walk towards her. I can't win. She's too strong... I can't fight anymore, Nightmare. Your power wasn't enough, and neither was mine... If you ever see the others again... tell them I'm sorry...
Derpy stopped and loomed over the defeated knight, pity finding its way into her gaze as she took in the pool of blood. "I'm going to take your head back to King Aurelius. You put up a good fight, though. Why don't you smile for me?" she mocked, raising her sword.
Move... move... move! MOVE! Dash's body twisted and she deflected Derpy's executing strike. The paladin stumbled back as she regained her balance, but Dash stood up and screamed, driving Moonlight into the ground. A nova of green exploded forth, blasting Derpy away before she was swallowed by the light. The last thing Dash could see was the forest rippling before her body gave out. She fell into a slump on her sword, unconscious. Nightmare tried to call her, but to no avail.
Derpy appeared again as she stomped towards Dash. Blood ran down the side of her head with the ends of her mane singed and a cut through her breastplate leaking blood. "What, are you dead already?" she shouted at the knight. The staff on Dash's back had gone silent, no longer emitting a glow. Raising her sword, Derpy swung it down for a clean beheading.
The pale blade shrieked, sparks flying into the air as it crashed into the black staff.
"Don't you lay another hoof on my friend!" Twilight roared.
Derpy blinked, just noticing that the archmage had appeared and that the staff had come to life again to block her strike. She swung again, this time with a wave forming. A barrier formed over both ponies and nullified the attack. She took flight, slashing several more waves from a distance, but to no avail. The barrier showed no signs of cracking or fading, let alone breaking.
"I guess I underestimated how long those little prototypes would keep you busy," the paladin said as she hovered in the air.
"Prototypes?" Twilight blurted.
"Those skeleton dragons might be nothing like the real thing, but Aurelius has already raised an army of them," Derpy explained as she descended. A dark blast hit the ground where she intended to land, and she flew backwards as another followed it, narrowly missing again.
"Cease this charade at once, Paladin Hooves!" Luna commanded, landing beside Twilight.
Derpy grunted. "I've already succeeded in stalling you. I'll see you back in Canterlot for the grand finale."
"Ether Laser!" The concentrated beam of magic erupted from Nightmare's spire, splitting the forest before crashing into the ground and erupting an explosion of blue light and debris. Twilight gnashed her teeth as the paladin had vanished with her afterimages.
She spun around and turned her attention to Dash. "Are you alright?" she asked. The knight didn't answer. It was only now that she could begin to see all of her injuries, with Nightmare's voice cataloguing the slashes and blood loss to her. Luna gave Dash a concerned look when Twilight laid her down and began to heal her, the white light illuminating a paleness to the knight's appearance and the blood that had drained beneath her.
"This didn't work," Twilight said grimly. "I should be the one to fight her."
The princess sighed and turned to keep an eye out for danger. "I am afraid that we may not fair any better than Knight Dash."
"And why's that?"
"Celestial Knights are intended to be the opposite to the Archmagi, as well as a counterweight to their unrestrained magic. As you know, archmagi are scrutinized for potential corruption and dissent, but we cannot predict the path that they will walk in the future."
Twilight stared at her while healing, recalling her own vetting experiences. "So if an archmage goes rogue, a Celestial Knight is sent to kill them?"
Luna gave a flat, "Yes," in response. "They are many things, and bearing the burden of mageslayers is one of them. Specifically, the weight of that burden is carried by the paladin. Historically, Paladin Hooves has not had to raise arms against an archmage, but her predecessor has. However, she is more than capable."
"Even so, I'm stronger than you and Rainbow."
Luna shook her head and regarded the sight of the fallen knight. "It may seem like a simple thing for a unicorn to defeat a pegasus, simply stealing away their weapons or binding them with telekinesis, but that is not the case for the Celestial Knights."
Twilight grumbled to herself. "I should've known."
"The Knights are immune to such trivial magicks."
"But I'm an alicorn. Isn't my magic different?"
Luna stared at her thoughtfully for a while. "No. While Telos's magic originates solely from an alicorn, yours is evolved from a unicorn. In time, your magic will permanently shift, but that is time we do not have. The Knights do not have a profound defense against alicorn magic. We have never needed them to bear arms against one."
Twilight frowned. "Is that so they can't rebel against you?"
The princess's eyes widened. "Of course not," the princess snapped, indignity in her voice. "There has never been any need for such a thing."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply..." Twilight glanced back to Dash, a glum silence taking residence in the air as she finished healing. "How can we help her win if we get separated again?"
Luna gazed at Moonlight, eyeing the design up and down, but fixating on the black. "She will require Nightmare Moon's aid once more," she said.
Before Twilight could speak, Nightmare manifested herself from the staff, projecting as her ghastly, unevenly distorted form again. "And how will the next time be any different? I can't do very much to help a pegasus."
"You have shielded your charge once before, as I have borne witness to," replied Luna.
"Twilight and Trixie possess magic by nature. Your knight is only a pegasus. I can't help her in the same way without—" The Id cut herself off and turned her head away.
"Without?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Forget it," Nightmare said dismissively.
"Please," Twilight begged. "If there's anything more you can do, tell us. We have to do everything we can to help her."
Nightmare's resolve crumbled to dust as she stared into the lavender alicorn's pleading eyes. "My dark power is not like Luna's. Mine bears the terrible will I was created with. It will corrupt her."
"What do you mean?"
The Id shifted her eyes between Luna and Twilight slowly, caution glimmering within them. "Our bond is much different. For her, I will be giving her my magic to augment her abilities. You have become drunk with power just from touching Telos's staff, much the same as I have become overwhelmed by your memories. She will succumb to the turmoil within my magic."
"We do not have any other choice," Luna chimed in. "We cannot guarantee ourselves to be in the fight against Paladin Hooves. Knight Dash was the one who shattered the illusion that trapped us in the forest. I have no doubt we can, but will it be in time?"
Dash suddenly coughed and groaned, sitting up as Twilight offered a helping hoof. "I couldn't save her," the knight said in a raspy voice, turning to Twilight. "We have to catch up to her. You have to break the spell, Twilight! She's fighting Aurelius's control."
Twilight offered her a sympathetic expression. "We might not be able to, Rainbow," she said as delicately as she could.
Dash rose to standing and gave her a spiteful look. "That's bullshit! You have to try harder!"
The knight stepped back in fear as Twilight sprang to standing, quivering with anger. "Is it!?" she bellowed, taking a step closer. Dash shrank as Twilight's presence only grew, tears forming in her eyes. "Do you remember when I nearly killed Nightmare and Luna? Do you remember when I slaughtered the Brood's soldiers and royal guard? How about when I murdered King Render? I didn't know I could break Aurelius's control. I still don't know exactly how much magic it takes. I could've saved them, too, you know! But I didn't know. And right now, I'm trying to help save her, and if I use a spell too powerful, I will kill her, too, so don't you dare accuse me of not trying hard enough! Don't you ever speak to me like I'm not giving it my all when I'm out here fighting for my kingdom—for my friends!"
Dash had sat down, shrunken into herself while the other alicorns simply stared in shock. The knight glanced to the ground and cried. "I-I'm sorry, Twilight. I just... I have to save her. I have to... Seeing her like this is just wrong. There was a couple times where... Aurelius's control broke for a moment. She asked me to save her. She gave me the opportunity to kill her, even, and I just couldn't do it..." The knight trailed off before looking back up to Twilight. "What if we can't do it? What if I have to kill her?"
Twilight shook her head and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I will try my best to break his control over her, but... if I can't... I need to know that you're prepared to... to do what is necessary if we fail."
Dash appeared disturbed by the notion, but it faded into understanding a moment later. "I am."
Twilight pulled her into an embrace. "Don't give up hope. I won't stop fighting for her."
The knight nodded and smiled as she broke away, wiping her eyes. "Thanks, Twilight. And I'm sorry for... being a jerk. I just..."
"Shh... It's alright. I forgive you."
"I will do my best to help Rainbow Dash," the Id said, nodding to Twilight. "As long as she is aware of the risks." Her image dispersed and faded, the staff moving to the knight.
Dash stood up and sheathed her sword, readjusting her baldric and making sure the staff was secure. "Let's go."
The party walked in silence as they exited the forest, the darkness no longer haunting them with danger. They found comfort in the quietness after the battle, with Twilight focusing on further healing Dash's wounds as they pressed on. Her magic couldn't take away the exhaustion, and the knight periodically stumbled as dizziness from her blood loss hit her.
She won't last long without Nightmare's power, she thought. I just hope it's enough, for her sake. She pulled away as she finished doing all that she could.
"Twilight," spoke up Luna. "Will you be alright fighting without your teleportation?"
"I'll be fine. The skeleton dragons aren't as resistant to magic as the real ones," she replied. "I was able to incinerate the one that attacked me until its bones became brittle," she explained, images of the dragon's final moments popping into her mind. The flames engulfed it and it roared as it attempted to approach her. Its claws and arms snapped and broke as it fell down, the bones splintering while some turned to dust altogether. "They won't be a problem."
"We need to get back to Canterlot faster," Dash said. "Can you teleport us back?"
"I can," Twilight said reluctantly, "but my magic is going to run low by the time we get there."
"I will not hold back for the sake of all of us," Luna assured her. She raised a hoof and inspected it. "My magic has nearly returned in full since your ascension."
Twilight motioned for them to stand closer. "Brace yourselves. I'll try to go as far as I can."
The world changed in a flash. First, they appeared back into the middle of the tundra, the moon shining dully down to them. The next brought them to the outskirts where the snow appeared to be reaching to the untouched land. Another brought the party to a grassland, the bite of the cold air having vanished. Twilight grunted as she prepared each teleport, a flash into a new territory where she would wheeze for a moment and Luna would scan the surroundings. She pushed herself to try and catch up to Derpy before she could reach Canterlot, but there had been no sign of her.
Soon Twilight began to suffer the drain of teleporting the others, her final teleport landing them in another forest. She dropped down to her haunches and gasped for air, the drain of her magic overcoming her stamina. The middle of the night brought forth the heaviest darkness, and the forest canopy was much thicker than the snowy one. As she panted, Twilight raised her head enough to see Dash's anxiety begin to boil over, the knight constantly fidgeting and looking in every direction.
"C-can we not take a break h-here," Dash said, a hoof constantly on the hilt of her sword. "P-please, Twilight. Anywhere but here..."
"I'm... sorry... Rainbow," she said between pants. "But I... need... a break..." She slowed her pace and took bigger breaths, trying to recover as much energy as she could, but she offered as much sympathy as she could to her friend. Dash had nearly died in a shadowy forset to a friend, after all. "Just... a little... longer," she reassured her.
"Steel yourself, Knight Dash. All will be fine," Luna added confidently.
Dash did her best to remain composed, but every noise, every swaying tree served to put her further on edge. Nightmare manifested herself to complete a defensive scouting formation, offering consoling words.
"I won't allow you to lose," the Id said as she slowly oscillated her gaze.
"Thanks," Dash said half-heartedly.
"Something isn't right," Twilight said suddenly. Dash's eyes went wide as she stared at her, and the alicorns all exchanged glances with one another. Rising up, Twilight shouted, "She's here!"
White light cut through the forest, surging across the ground and scattering the party. Nightmare dispersed as the others leaped out of the way of the attack. In an instant, Twilight found herself alone. Damn it! She's already separated and trapped us again? She glanced around, cursing that she didn't have more time to recuperate from the teleports. If Rainbow can break this spell, then so can I.
Before she could conjure any magic, a skeletal dragon erupted from the ground. She quickly discovered her teleportation had been sealed again. She took to the air, flapping her wings to pull back as the dragon charged by. As she touched down, another emerged, crossing towards her again. Each time, she took to the air landing as a new one appeared. After seven had appeared in all, she landed on a branch and watched them circle around above like buzzards watching a vulnerable prey.
This is bad. I'm already exhausted and I don't have Nightmare... She wished that the Id was by her side more than anything, but she had no choice but to expend what magic she did have to fight off the dragons. Taking flight, she caught their attention and landed, waving her forelegs out and forming a barrier around herself. The first two dragons that tried to attack her were pushed back, their frames eroding to the strange energy of the barrier.
"Sorry, but I've got too much at stake," she shouted. Lightning crackled around her magical shell as she grunted. "Mana Crash!"
With her runes and horn glowing, the barrier hummed and turned into an opaque purple, particles and air drawing into it. As it sucked in all it needed, the air grew still and silent. In a silent flash, the barrier exploded outward in the seconds that followed, catching all of the dragons in its violent light. When it ended, the earth hid in darkness once more as splintered bones rained down around her. Twilight collapsed to the ground and slumped onto her forelegs, panting as she could feel the sickness of her magic purge coming on. Hurry, Luna. I don't have any magic left to break the spell trapping us. As she tried to relax and take deep breaths again, she heard movement behind her. She forced herself to stand and face whatever it was. Her eyes lit with fear and her head hanging with fatigue as she prepared herself.
***
Luna stood defiant and proud amongst a swarm of skeletal dragons, the bony constructs slowly circling her. She merely followed them with disinterested eyes, gauging how much magic it would take to eradicate them. Her mane stirred slowly in the air as her presence amplified. The dragons roared in unison before taking turns charging at the princess. She closed her eyes and her mane plumed in a starry mist above her, bolts of frost firing out of it and striking the dragons.
The magic proved to be overwhelming against some of them, shattering bones on contact with residual frost growing along their frames and slowing their movement. As they crumbled into themselves and fell to pieces, Luna opened her eyes as her mane shrank to normal size, a smirk spreading along her lips. "...Merely throwaways not fit to fall by my hoof," Luna muttered, disappointed. She surveyed their remains before preparing to break the trapping spell.
The clattering of bones drew the princess's attention back to her foes, and she frowned as they reassembled themselves from the intact pieces. "Oh? Your new trick will not help you before the might of the Princess of the Night. I shall return you to the earth where you belong!" Her voiced boomed through the area, a gust flowing with it. "I did not wish to show it before, with my magic feeling so nascent, but..." She stood up and raised her forelegs upwards, a black orb forming at the tip of her shining horn. The orb grew in size, floating only a few meters above her and gave off a dim light to everything around. "I can control our full powers—my true power, once again!"
The orb vibrated and the earth rumbled; the dark orb drew everything in the area towards it. The dragons roared and clawed at the earth, some trying to fly away, but they could not overpower the gravity of the orb. Trees were uprooted effortlessly, and the dragons were all slowly drawn into the spell as Luna watched from below, her eyes shining against the dim light, pride reflecting within. Her mane snapped and whipped sporadically until all had been drawn into the sphere. It hummed and flashed, then it was gone.
That should be enough, she thought as she glanced around. Her heart lifted as she spotted Twilight slumped against a tree, delighted that her magic had affected the spell that trapped them. Her joy was quickly washed away when the lavender alicorn's image distorted and faded. Surely you are already working on dispelling this, Twilight.
Coiling down, Luna gave a battle cry as she discharged magic towards Twilight's direction. The blast hit the illusion's wall, exploding and sending ripples across the rest of the illusion around her. Twilight's image flickered again and Luna fired several more times. There was a shattering as the final blast struck the wall, and shards of the illusion rained down and dissipated into nothingness. At last, she could see the true area where Twilight was and dashed to her.
The lavender alicorn barely reacted to her presence, an empty, hollow look in her eyes. Luna noticed black stains littering the ground her, but Twilight had cuts and gashes across her body, her cloak torn and ripped with dried blood patches on it. "Are you alright, Twilight? I will mend your wounds and we can rescue Knight Dash," the princess said quickly.
Twilight gave her a look of uncertainty and shook her head. "N-no!" she protested weakly. "You have... you have to help Rainbow. I'll be fine... Just get to her first. I don't have any magic left and you have to break the control on Derpy. I'll heal myself as soon as I can."
"Nay, Twilight. Your injures are grievous. I shall—"
"No!" the wounded mare snapped again, her voice beginning to rasp. Her form tightened and she shuddered. "Get to Rainbow. She needs you more than I. I'll be fine, I promise."
Luna regarded her with worry, calculating whether or not her friend would be okay without her help. Relenting, she nodded. "If you need me, just call for me." She stepped away and turned in the direction she last saw the knight. She continued speaking, hoping to keep Twilight engaged. "The spell that traps us is sturdier than I had expected. Have you analyzed it at all?" she said as her horn started glowing. Twilight didn't respond and Luna turned to find her collapsed on the ground.
"Twilight!" she shrieked, rushing to her side. "Hold on!" She began to heal her, worry etched into her face as the white glow of the magic washed over her friend. "Knight Dash must wait. I... we cannot afford to lose you," she said, her voice cracking. "I will not let you die."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 28: Closing the Second Eye
Dash's nerves boiled with fear once more, her body tensing while her heart drummed several times a second. The paladin could be anywhere. With Aurelius's influence and minions behind her, and her own fatigue from the previous fight, she was rapidly losing her confidence in Nightmare's presence to help her win the second time.
Abandon such useless thoughts. You are more than a formidable opponent. You may not be able to use my magic, but I can use you as a conduit of my power. Nightmare dispelled some of her doubt, but it wasn't enough to erase the fear still tightly gripping the knight's heart.
I know... but I cut through my own shield the last time, and I'm worried she'll cut through your barrier just as easily. Dash replayed the moment of splitting her own shield in her mind, a vain attempt to strike Derpy.
The Id harrumphed. It's not as simple as a strike to run through my magic. Do not fear her this time. It will only hold you back.
"I underestimated you the last time, but it won't happen again," the paladin called from deeper within the forest. Several small waves of light streamed across the ground, but Dash leaped out of the way and allowed them to pass by.
The absence of pieces of her armor and her shield allowed her to move faster, but she wondered if not having the extra defense would be too dangerous. "Come on out, Derpy!" she challenged. She broke into a run, Moonlight brandished and poised for combat. Her eyes raced between the trees, scanning every shadow for the enemy as she passed them.
Derpy charged forward, cutting three waves of light at high speed. The waves were different this time, bouncing and twisting as they flowed. Dash sprang into flight to avoid them, her eyes studying them. The distraction proved to be a mistake and she was struck in the back and sent spiraling back down. All three waves cut into her as Derpy observed from above.
"Even at your best, you're still the weakest Celestial Knight. What makes you think this fight will be any different?" the paladin taunted, an arrogant smirk highlighting her features. Her haughtiness quickly replaced itself with disbelief as Dash rose to stand, completely unharmed by the attack.
"Because I've got a new ace up my sleeve." A dark cloak of magic formed around Dash, flickering into a more solid image on occasion. Nightmare's image appeared over her several times, but it faded into giving the knight a dark tint.
"Your little trick won't save you from me." Derpy's eyes narrowed and she squinted to glimpse something. "The... staff?" she wondered aloud.
Suddenly, the sickly white aura formed around the paladin, and she tightened her grip on her sword. Bolting forward, she unleashed a maelstrom of attacks. Dash bared her teeth as she struggled to keep up with her superior speed, the clang and grind of their blades ringing in her ears. Derpy's speed overwhelmed her again and she struck her in the chest, slashing with a wave of energy releasing forth. In an instant, Dash's magical shroud had thickened and suffocated the burst of light, but a piece of it was ripped away, lightening its tint on her.
Dash broke away and recovered without any injury, Nightmare's influence having saved her from harm once again, but she knew it wouldn't last forever. Her heart sank as doubt surfaced once more. What am I going to do? She's just going to cut away your magic. I can barely see her when she's at full speed.
There was a lull before the Id answered, filled only by the knight's rampant heart beats. I'm not using all of my power to protect you. Don't worry, you won't lose this time.
Dash ran forward, taking flight to gain speed. Then you better start making me believe you! She crashed into Derpy, her wings beating furiously as she pressed into the paladin. They forced themselves closer, their blades grinding at the crossguards, but Derpy held her ground.
"A little better than before, but it's still not enough," taunted the paladin. She turned her head away, distracted. "It seems one of your friends barely survived my trap this time."
Dash tried to kick her, but it was blocked. As she broke away, she slashed down to prevent the paladin from charging at her, then grounded herself. She blinked and clamped her jaw. I don't feel... right... she thought.
"Twilight Sparkle is very dangerous. As the Paladin of the current circle of Celestial Knights, I'm not sure even I could kill her at her full strength if I was ordered to. But..." Derpy turned to Dash and grinned, her crimson eyes stark in the darkness. "Princess Luna doesn't seem to be at her peak. We're supposed to be able to kill archmagi. Mageslayers," she said distastefully, "that's all we really are in the end."
The paladin surged forward, a hum emanating from her as she closed in. Dash held her breath and swung wide, a desperate attempt to deflect. If she missed, it left Nightmare's shroud as the last line of defense. Glance Reviver thrust into her faster than she anticipated, sliding into her chest. Dash cried out, coughing up blood and pressed Moonlight against it to prevent the blade from moving any further.
Damn it! both minds thought in unison.
I thought you said I wouldn't lose, Dash said. Her chest convulsed and she coughed more blood onto Derpy, much to her dismay.
I was trying to hold out as long as I can, but... the Id replied cryptically.
Derpy attempted to wrench her sword, but a sudden blast of dark energy sent her flying backwards and ripping it free. She caught herself and landed in a skid, raising her sword as she kept her eyes on the knight. Dash became engulfed in a black sphere, energy coursing and running across its surface in violent sparks. The paladin charged and attempted to strike at her with a pointblank wave, but the sphere revolted and sent it back into her, detonating.
The sphere became quiet and shrank down to an ethereal form over Dash's body. The knight's colors had been severely darkened and she bore a black coat with three dark grey shades to make up the palette of her hair. Moonlight appeared in her right hoof, no longer with a smoky black design; the blade was entirely green and shone brightly.
"The light and the darkness," said Nightmare. "This is my favorite kind of battle." She licked her lips before vanishing and allowing the dark Dash to appear.
Derpy scoffed. "Your little makeover won't—"
She was interrupted as part of her left wing was ripped through, blood and feathers scattering into the air. The paladin barely had time to avoid any of the strike. Reappearing at a safe distance, she was left panting, her eyes wide as she looked upon the knight. "What... What did you do!?" she demanded, glancing to her mangled wing.
Dash slashed several waves at her, their natural green accented with a black at the front of them now. Derpy matched each of them with her own, but they almost failed to stop them.
I feel so hot... I want to... I want to crush her. I want to make her bleed! Dash thought. She shook her head. What's going on!?
You must end this quickly or my dark powers will consume you. If that happens, you will not stop until my powers fade from you, Nightmare explained.
Dash didn't hesitate and bolted forward with levels of speed she was unfamiliar with. She sped past the paladin and used her sword to slow herself down, stabbing it into a tree and sliding around it as she cut the trunk. "How do you control yourself like this?" she couldn't help but ask.
Derpy only offered silence and a sour look before rushing after her. The tides were turning as Dash was able to match her blow for blow, the clashing of their blades growing so powerful that they vibrated and rang as they pulled apart, readying for the next strike. Every slash, every cut bolstered Dash's confidence, but with each one she lost a part of herself, slowly chipping away at her control. Her once skilled swings grew wild and reckless with the new speed. Sparks and waves lit the shadows in their evanescent light, still frames of the battle lingering in their image between their strikes where their glows did not reach.
End it now! Nightmare roared in her mind, but Dash only heard it as a murmur fading into the void of her thoughts.
"This isn't enough to stop me," Derpy shouted.
Dash rushed forward and collided with the paladin at full strength, forcing Derpy to slide back with raw might alone. She tried to punch her with her free hoof, knocking the paladin off balance. Seizing the opening, Dash swiped her blade only to have it deflected away. Derpy's superior skill proved to be too great an obstacle for direct combat, even with Dash's augmented power.
Clang. More light as they met each other with determined blows. I have to be... Another deadly thrust dodged. Faster! One more deathblow parried. Stronger! The grinding of their blades seemed to pull her away from her focus. Just a little more! I need more... more power! her thoughts boiled.
You are losing yourself! the Id cautioned.
I don't care! You can bring me back after I beat her, right? Dash's heart sank as Nightmare grew slow to answer.
Yes... But will I bring you back before you kill her?
Dash pulled away, giving their high speed duel a pause. She grimaced at Derpy, Moonlight illuminating her dark face with a green tint. If she's going to die, it's better to be by my hoof, rather than as Aurelius's puppet. The last thing Dash could hear before her thoughts scattered was Nightmare's voice.
As you wish...
The dark shroud intensified over Dash's body and began to change her form. Magenta eyes turned turquoise, mirroring the Id's, and her body turned into an entirely black creature, meshing into the shadows where the glow of her sword didn't cast. When it was complete, her sword dropped to the ground and she leaned back, stretching her neck to the sky and roared. Her bloodthirsty battle cry made the earth tremble, and the paladin raised Glance Reviver in front of her face, placing a hoof to the side of the blade.
"I am the daughter of the m—" Derpy's voice was lost in the roars, but her aura expanded around her, bathing more of the vicinity in its sickly light. She swung the weapon slowly, a trail of light flowing with the blade.
Dash had ceased to be a pegasus knight as she dropped to all fours, growling like a rabid beast, and snatched Moonlight up into her mouth, then met the paladin with feral eyes. There was a moment of silence between them, but it was lost in an instant as both knights suddenly slammed into each other. Moments passed where neither were visible, only to meet in a titanic crossing of blades. Derpy was beginning to grow exhausted by her power while beast only seemed to grow stronger as a battery of dark might.
Dash's strength was enough to match the paladin, and she mixed strikes from her limbs into each assault. Derpy's speed was no longer an advantage, and she scrambled to use it to keep herself from having her guard broken. Every time she blocked the sword, she would have to maneuver her blade and body to meet the pugilism that followed. She went on the offensive, striking at the beast's body with a horizontal swipe, but it was blocked with a foreleg. The wave that flowed from the paladin's blade spilled into the beast, sinking into her body and cutting off Dash's baldric.
The attack showed no signs of wounding or inflicting pain to the beast at all. Dash twisted her body and plunged Moonlight into Derpy's side. The paladin cried out in pain as she flickered away in retreat, appearing at a safe distance clutching her side. Blood oozed from her armor and she slumped low. Sweat ran down her face as she panted, a mane damp with sweat and blood clinging tightly to her face.
"I can't... I can't believe it..." she muttered.
Dash howled in triumph before moving in for the kill, a deathblow seeking her neck. The paladin proved to be less than vulnerable as their blades met once more, but both appeared to have slowed drastically since their last exchange. There was less power behind Dash's attacks and less speed guiding Derpy's. The latter attempted to mix in her own reprisals, attempting to punch or kick, and even going so far as to switch sword hooves between swings. Her refined swordplay eventually led her into an opening as she ducked beneath a beheading swing, rising back up with a diagonal cut that ran across the beast's chest.
Blood spilled to the ground, but again there were no signs of pain from the wound. Dash charged her again, rotating the blade in her mouth. She dove at the paladin's neck in a thrust. Glance Reviver was raised to block, but a punch from each side forced her to narrowly dodge instead. Moonlight lodged itself into a tree, leaving Dash to fight with punches and kicks for a moment. She swiped a high haymaker, missing as Derpy ducked and pulled away, but the beast grabbed the hilt of her sword and spun, cutting the tree down.
The paladin removed her eyes from the beast for only a second to glimpse her own sword, but when she looked up again the beast was nowhere to be found. Dash attacked from above, gyrating her body. A punch from her left hoof knocked Derpy into the ground, followed by the wave of light cutting into her back. Derpy yelped and dropped her sword in pain, her aura and the blade's shine vanishing instantly.
That is ENOUGH! boomed Nightmare. Focus yourself, Rainbow Dash!
Wha... what am I doing? Where... am I? Dash asked herself, quietly falling through a void. She felt suffocated by it, her mind crushing to its presence, but Nightmare's voice continued to call out to her and push the feeling away.
Remember who you are!
The black shroud over Dash's form slowly receded, giving her back her normal form, and she dropped Moonlight. Sweat dripped from her face as she crumbled to the ground in a fit of shudders, her eyes unsteady as she mumbled to herself. "No... N-no... No... no, no, n-no, no!" The sense of falling vanished and the knight rose, staggering backwards and shaking her head while her senses returned in a rush. Her eyes returned to normal and steadied, her vision to the dim forest returning. The rage and turmoil of Nightmare's power still echoed within her, and she struggled to reign in her senses amidst the suddenness of control.
Derpy used one foreleg to clutch her stomach wound and the other to crawl back to her weapon. Dash regained control of herself and glimpsed a large gash across the paladin's back, the wave having split her armor. Derpy's body trembled as it neared Glance Reviver's hilt, and she groaned as she reached for it.
"It's over, Derpy!"
Dash quickly took both swords up, impaling the paladin's left hoof with Glance Reviver and the right with Moonlight, earning her two cries of excruciating pain. She grimaced as she looked upon her defeated friend, but scars and wounds on her own body became evident. She glanced at Moonlight and noticed that the black smoky design returned, but she shrugged it off and slumped down. Gnashing her teeth, she catalogued the injuries she sustained from the fight.
Welcome back, Nightmare said in relief.
Is this... sort of what Twilight went through? Dash asked. Her eyes watered as she looked upon the defeated paladin.
I'm afraid you'll never be able to understand what she endures, said the Id.
"You... You think this is over?" Derpy shouted. "You're too late! You're too... late..." she said weakly before beginning to sniffle and cry.
Dash's eyes rested upon the paladin in a pained gaze. "Just hang tight, Derpy. Help is on the way. We'll have you back to your old self, and heal you," she said, motioning to her injuries.
"Congratulations, Celestial Knight Rainbow Dash. You have defeated the paladin, the strongest Celestial Knight from your generation."
Dash jumped up, her stomach flooding with nausea as the familiar voice reverberated in the forest. She ripped Nightmare from her back and held it as her only weapon, fearful of removing Moonlight from binding the paladin. "It's too bad such a triumph will only prove to be a hollow victory." The voice snickered.
Aurelius stepped into the spell's space and towards Dash. His head drifted from side to side as he surveyed the destruction from their rematch. Some trees lay cleanly felled while others had been savagely chopped to pieces, and blood painted trunks and grass all over. The prince stopped in rays of moonlight and grinned as his eyes rested on both knights.
"Aurelius!" Dash growled, preparing to call upon whatever powers from Nightmare she could.
"You shall address me as King Aurelius," the prince said, frowning. "Though I suppose my title of Prince is still acceptable."
Before Dash could react, her limbs had been bound in place by a powerful telekinesis. She strained and struggled, slowly starting to break it, but more magic poured on and she was too weak to free herself on brute strength after her duel with Derpy. The prince stepped closer and raised a hoof, his grin growing wider.
"You are mine, and you will serve me," he said, stamping it to her forehead. The knight went limp and dropped Nightmare before standing up straight, a blankness in her eyes. "Hmph. A pegasus with a staff. How silly."
"M-my lord," Derpy said in a frail voice. "There is s-something you sh-should know." She twisted her neck to glimpse him, but she was met with the same hoof to her forehead.
"You have failed me, Paladin, and there is nothing you can say that will atone for that. Besides," he said, turning to Dash, "I have already chosen your successor."
The paladin groaned. "Where... where am I?" She appeared dazed for a moment, but it wasn't long before she recognized the situation she was in.
Aurelius glanced between the knights and cocked his head to one side. "You,"—he pointed to Dash—"Your first task is to kill her."
Derpy's eyes reverted to their natural, innocent golden to find Dash looming over her. "R-Rainbow!? What's going on here!"
"Kill her and come to Canterlot at once," Aurelius commanded. He turned and flew away, disappearing out of the spell.
"Rainbow! What are you doing?"
"You failed our king, and now you're going to pay with your life," replied the knight in a distant voice. Her eyes had turned a sinister crimson, and she stared down with the gaze of a judge.
"What!?" Derpy started, but her memories flooded back. Her encounter with Aurelius in the snowy north. Being defeated and put under control. The moments of lucidity in her fight with Dash. "Wait, Rainbow! Please, stop!" she begged.
"For King Aurelius." Dash pulled Moonlight free and raised it overhead, swinging down without hesitation.
In an instant, the paladin used her freed right hoof to brutally rip Glance Reviver from the left, defending herself in a flash of white. Her adrenaline and power numbed the pain, and she knew her injuries and exhaustion left her on the brink, but she had to fight for her life.
"Stop this, Dashie!" she pleaded, tears forming in her eyes and her voice cracking. They traded blows, but her mortal wounds afforded no advantage. Being forced back on a desperate defensive, she tried to draw upon more of her power. Her aura returned as an intense white, no longer stricken with a sickly tint.
Before she could utilize her last resort and fight, a flurry of blue blasts struck her from the side. She stumbled sideways and slumped against a tree, her aura fading as quickly as it came. She coughed blood onto the tree before dropping her sword and turning to slide down against it, her body too damaged to continue.
"Am I not too late?" wondered Luna. The princess had thrown Twilight over her back, and her horn glowed with magic at the ready. She caught sight of the discarded Nightmare and the injured Dash. "Are you all right, Knight Dash?"
"Wait!" Derpy croaked, reaching a bloody, mangled hoof out to the princess.
"Silence, you!"
"A-Aurelius has already taken hold of her. I'm not your enemy!" the paladin pleaded, her blonde mane smeared with blood clinging to her face and chest. "P-please, you have to listen to me!"
"That is impossible. Aurelius's control cannot be broken by any normal means," said Luna sharply. She began charging her magic and aiming at Derpy, preparing to break the prince's hold over her.
Dash slashed a wave at Luna before charging her, but the princess managed to meet it with her readied magic and nullify it. Changing targets, the knight attempted the same tactic with Derpy, but a flash stole her from view. Twilight appeared with Nightmare in her hooves and the paladin laying behind her.
"I didn't come this far for either of you to die!" she shouted.
Aurelius traded control of Derpy for Rainbow after we defeated her. I'm sorry, Twilight. I failed you...
It's not your fault, Nightmare, Twilight assured. I'll break his control here and now, and they'll both be free.
The archmage scowled in Dash's direction, wishing to unleash her unbridled hatred to her captor, rather than his captive. The staff levitated sideways, and Twilight ran a hoof along the shaft while she channeled magic into it. A dark bolt fired from the spire, but Dash countered with a powerful wave from Moonlight, completely crushing the weak attack and continuing down to her and the paladin. Twilight teleported them both to safety, but she winced and grunted as she reappeared.
"Your wounds are not even partially healed. Stand down and I shall take the lead from here," Luna barked.
"N-no! I should be the one to s-stop her," protested Derpy, but curt glances from both alicorns swiftly silenced her.
"You're right, but I'm not going to stop doing whatever I can to help," replied Twilight.
Please, Twilight. Allow Luna to take it from here. She can break his control and you won't need to strain yourself.
Before Luna or Nightmare could say anything more, Twilight took on a black shroud and teleported next to Dash. She reached for her, trying to gain physical contact for her magic, but the attempt was met with another wave. Twilight shielded herself and Luna struck the knight with a blast of magic that weighted her. The knight crashed into the ground too quickly to stabilize and Moonlight was knocked free from her grasp.
Derpy appeared with Glance Reviver in hoof, ready to land a crippling blow, but Dash managed to rise back up and duck beneath, rushing past her. After several more maneuvers, the spell broke and she soared free, turning around to scowl at the trio.
"I'll see you back in Canterlot," she called before turning and disappearing into the night.
Twilight's shield faded and Derpy fell onto the ground in tearful defeat, Luna holding an equally crestfallen look as she watched where the knight had flown away from. The princess stepped over to Derpy and began healing her, a dark look held away from meeting the paladin.
"My child," Luna began, garnering Twilight's attention, "How did you fall to Aurelius?"
Derpy shuddered and looked away. "I underestimated the strength of his magic."
"From the beginning," said the princess.
"As requested by Princess Celestia, I skirmished to the north to investigate the rumors of a red alicorn causing trouble. It was originally a reconnaissance mission, but I was detected after I found him." She hung her head in embarrassment and laid herself down. "I don't perform well in the cold, and a surprise attack grounded me. I tried to flee, but he trapped me in the area, just like I did to you." She waved a bloody hoof the forest and scowled. "I tried to focus on breaking it, but he trapped me with fire. It got hazy, and... I don't remember anything after that. I'm sorry, Princess Luna, but I failed you, and I failed Princess Celestia."
Luna moved a hoof to turn the paladin's face to hers. "You are not at fault. A valiant effort was made on your part for Equestria, and your comrades. He is an enemy of the likes we have never seen."
"Rainbow Dash is... much more than a comrade," Derpy said, glancing at her hooves. One had been healed, but the other was still closing. "I have to get her back."
Twilight picked up Moonlight and examined the blade. Something felt different within it, but the only effect she could feel was being drawn to it. She turned and stabbed it into the ground before the paladin. "Can you use both?" she asked.
Derpy gazed at it, losing herself in its eerie glow for a moment. "I usually have a shield, but I can't leave any treasured weapons laying around unused. It's not as strong as Glance Reviver, but I can dual wield."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware you were versed in dual wielding."
"I had a bit of a mentor... once," she said wistfully. "I just... prefer to use Svalinn."
"Then, you are hereby the sole assigned wielder of Moonlight in the absence of Knight Dash."
Derpy stood up and nodded, taking up Glance Reviver and Moonlight. She fetched Dash's baldric and sheathed both swords across her back. "Princess Luna, why is Moonlight such a weak sword? The other Celestial Knights use much more powerful swords. Where did hers come from?"
"It was meant to be wielded by an alicorn, as far as I can tell. It was originally Aurelius's sword," explained Twilight.
Derpy gasped and shuddered. "Then how was Rainbow able to wield it?"
"Telos charged it. My guess is that it's not at full power, but I can't be sure," Twilight added.
Luna nodded. "Indeed, we were not originally aware. Knight Dash is the newest Celestial Knight. I gave her Nightfall—Moonlight's former name—when she began the mission to Draconis. I did not believe she needed a potentially reckless power that lies within the other blessed swords."
"I would've told you that she would never abuse her power!" Derpy barked, throwing a hoof out.
The princess looked at her with derision. "I understand your feelings and your experience, however, she is young and her discipline can wane. I do not doubt her as she is the bearer of Element of Loyalty, but I will not break the laws that have been in place for ages just for her. She would have doubtlessly earned her rightful blade in time."
"But—"
"Enough, Paladin Hooves!" the princess boomed. "We do not have time for such trivial banter. We must return to Canterlot at once. Our other forces must be fighting as we speak." The paladin buckled in understanding, trying her best to put duty before emotion. Luna turned to Twilight, "Are you able to teleport us further on?"
She swayed her head low in regret. "I won't be of much help once we get there if I do."
"Then rest once we reach the capitol. I still have much magic left. Paladin Hooves and I are still able to fight, and we will formulate a plan once we have regrouped with Princess Celestia."
I know you want to be fighting now more than ever, but you're no help if you're out of magic, Nightmare reminded delicately.
And I'm no help sitting around while everyone else fights, retorted Twilight.
She stepped between the others and began the series of teleports and flashes onward to Canterlot. Her mind didn't commit any of the locations and they flew by as her mind sank into deep thought. I almost died without you. I'm not strong enough on my own, she chastised herself, glancing to her weakened comrades. The toll of her teleportations felt suffocating on her magic, and she had already depleted it more than once tonight. I can't be afraid in front of them. I can't be weak now when everyone needs me most.
Her confidence came to a grinding halt when she teleported them to the fields below Canterlot. Far ahead of them stood the rusty lance, jutting from the ground like an ugly tooth, casting a long shadow from the moonlight. Twilight fell to the grass, huffing and puffing as sweat dripped from chin and ran down her neck, her tattered cloak stuck to her body.
"I'm sorry. I... can't do another one," she managed breathlessly.
"This is fine. We shall fly the rest of the way."
A couple minutes passed with Twilight's loud, raspy breathing before she was able to bring herself to fly. Luna took the lead with Derpy right by her side. As they neared the mountain-based city, the scene of the tragedy made itself known. Faint orange glows came into view as they neared, thin trails of smoking snaking into the sky above them. Throngs of skeletal dragons swarmed the city skies with more fighting on the ground in the city streets. They reached the city and could better see the enemy forces, but what captured their attention was the royal guard and the bodies of fallen soldiers strewn about with callous disregard.
Luna's face twitched with rage. "To the palace with haste. We must see if my sister has already taken steps in this battle." She drank in the carnage, her eyes burning. "I will see to it that Aurelius is brought to justice for this..." she muttered.
Destruction muddled the once pristine vision of the city. Buildings were razed, some a second time, and repairs from the initial war with the Brood had yet to be completed. To their relief, there were no signs of rampaging fires, but it was quickly lost to the agonized wails and screams from soldiers still fighting to the end. One dragon made an attempt on a party of soldiers, but Luna dipped down. With her eyes whiting out, she fired on it with an orb of frost, freezing it completely and allowing the soldiers to take it down with little effort.
They reached the main steps to the castle to find Princess Celestia, Telos, Trixie, and two unusual ponies with them. Twilight saw one as a fully clad unicorn knight with a well cared for broadsword and a heater shield resting on their back. The other was a lightly armor-clad earth pony with two cestuses on her front hooves. A thick greatsword lay across her back and more, extending part of its foible and the tip off of her flank. Its edge appeared chipped and jagged, and it had a buckle in place of a crossguard.
There were few words above a whisper exchanged between Twilight and Trixie before they embraced, nuzzling into each other. Trixie silently cried as she held on.
"Sister! We have returned!" Luna called out as she landed.
The sun princess's eyes quickly lit with hope and relief at their sight. "Where is Knight Rainbow Dash?" she asked, looking around.
Derpy dropped down before her and bowed her head, raising it to meet her gaze. Her sorrow could not be subdued and reflected openly within her eyes. "I was defeated, and Aurelius showed up after I had been disabled. He released me and took Knight Dash in my place," she explained sullenly. "I tried... I did everything I could. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I have failed you and my comrades. I've failed her."
Celestia's eyes softened apologetically. She caught a glimpse of Moonlight seated upon the paladin's back. "You have her sword?"
Derpy gave a solemn nod. "We managed to disarm her before she escaped, but I wasn't in the condition I am now when we did." She stood up and brandished both weapons, Glance Reviver in her right hoof and Moonlight in her left. "I will give it back to her when we bring her back, Your Majesty."
"Status report of the situation at hoof, sister," interrupted Luna quickly.
Celestia's smile faded and she turned to face everyone at once. "The magi and royal guard have been dispatched, and the Celestial Knights have only just been assembled." She nodded to Derpy's return. "The city has been evacuated, and our forces are prepared to go on the offensive. We are without Knight Dash, and there are no others we can call upon that will aid us in time."
"What about former Celestial Knights?" the armored unicorn asked, but the sun princess shook her head.
A screech from above pierced everyone's attention, and a bone dragon began to dive bomb them. Derpy tightened her grip on both swords and rocketed upwards. As she closed in, she twirled and darted back and forth, effortlessly slicing it to pieces in a flurry of green and white streaks. The pieces of bone rained down below, and she dropped down next to the other knights and sheathed her swords.
"Paladin Derpy Hooves," said the armored unicorn, pulling back her helmet visor. Her armor seemed to be what Dash's was modeled after, but the unicorn's covered every inch of her, going so far as to have her cutie mark painted on both sides of the plating covering her flank. Her fur was blue, and an azure and white tail flowed out of her armor behind her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess it has. We need to rescue Knight Dash any chance we can. Keep your eyes peeled for her. Getting her back becomes our first priority if she's seen. We're going to need all the help we can get." Derpy stepped forward and placed a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Colgate."
"That's Knight Minuette to you, Paladin Hooves," she corrected coyly.
"Lady Celestia, we must begin the offensive now," interjected Telos.
"Alright. Archmage Trixie and the Celestial Knights will join the fray. I want all of you to split up. Aid and rally the soldiers battling and lead the push back against Aurelius's undead army. Make no mistake, my subjects. We are at war with this false prince." Her eyes flowed over them as she spoke. "Princess Luna, Telos and I will remain here to oversee everything."
"Alright, let's go!" cheered the knight with the greatsword, enthusiastically pumping one of her cestuses into in the air. She was plum colored with a mulberry mane and tail. There was a giddy eagerness about her as she stretched and flexed.
"Knight Berry Punch," Celestia called, prompting the knight with the greatsword to turn around. "The city has been evacuated. You have our permission to use your full strength if necessary." With a nod, she turned and dashed down the steps with Knight Minuette following in her wake.
"I have to do something," Twilight said, glancing at the other three remaining.
"You do not have the magic left necessary to fight, Twilight," said Luna. "Simply rest and gather your magic. We may need your assistance later."
Twilight frowned. She's right, damn it. "Trixie," she called. The magician looked at her with earnest. "Please be careful."
"You don't need to worry about me anymore," she replied said.
"I know, but that doesn't stop me. Take Nightmare with you. She can help more than I can." The magician accepted the staff and nodded. "I love you..."
"I love you, too. I'll be back soon." Trixie blew her a kiss before turning and dashing down the stairs and into the city.
Derpy gave a quick salute. "I'm going to take care of the aerial forces." She turned and took a step, but stopped. "I promise I'll bring back Knight Dash," she added, glancing back to the princesses. She blasted off into the sky above the city and out of sight.
"Why do you insist on having me remain here?" Telos asked impatiently, his eyes constantly keeping watch of the battlefield ahead.
Celestia explained. "Should Aurelius assault us directly, we should remain together. He cannot hope to stop all of us, even with Knight Dash on his side." Her eyes fell to the weakened Twilight, watching her sit down and focus on breathing. She pulled her gaze back to the city and frowned. "I pray that he doesn't have any more aces up his sleeve."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 29: Lights of the Ecclesia
A loud clunk echoed beside Dash, and she moved closer to the only other being with her, her eyes watching the dark skies as lights from small meteors lit them in streams. There was an uneasiness in the way she held herself, and she adjusted a makeshift baldric for a black metal rod on her back. Bandages crossed her body done up in a hurry, but her crimson eyes showed no feeling of pain. "Shouldn't I be fighting with them?"
Aurelius's gaze held the entirety of the battlefield. Burning buildings, skeleton dragons, the hazy sky, and the untouched castle resting on the opposite side of the city, seated to watch over Canterlot. A grin played across his face that reached his eyes, and he raised a hoof, closing one eye as he aimed at it the castle. "Your princess, Celestia, is the golden illusion, and her sister's crown is the silver lie I exposed. I require my rightful position at the throne, but I have waited ages for it." He turned and met Dash's thoughtful glance, his grin having faded. "You will have your time to serve, as will I mine to rule. We shall wait a while longer." He returned his eyes to the battlefield once more.
"What are you going to do about Telos?" Dash asked.
"Telos is merely the ancient thorn in my side," the prince said. He glanced up as a piece of burning wood dropped down to him. As it reached him, it burned away into ashes. "Twilight Sparkle is the anomaly, and she has Nightmare Moon by her side." He turned back to the knight one last time. "What you can predict is what you can prepare for. That crownless alicorn is one of the three most dangerous beings in existence right now." Taking a deep breath through his nostrils, he added, "And not even she realizes it."
***
Clanging marked Berry Punch's stride as she galloped towards a bone dragon. As she neared it, it opened its jowls and lurched forward for a kill. The earth knight stood up, skidding on her hind hooves, and pulled back her right cestus. "Eat this!" She swung wide, barely hitting the underside of its jaw and knocking its head away. She muttered a curse as the dragon attempted to claw her, twisting its entire frame into the strike. Ducking low, she moved closer under the rib cage as it turned, and swung directly upward.
Her cestus connected, breaking the thick ribs on contact and cracking the adjacent bones. The dragon roared and attempted to continue rotating, sweeping it's large tail through buildings to catch the earth knight. Berry tensed her body and swung her left cestus, a powerful blow breaking the tail off at the impact point. The dragon's skeleton shuddered for a moment, but it continued its rotation, finishing with another swipe from its claw, and another bite from the head.
Berry knocked the claw away, then drove a cestus into the face. There was a small boom as she hit the face, the entire frame shuddering as it cracked and splintered. A roar rang out as the bone dragon crumbled into itself, too many bones damaged for it to continue fighting.
"Score another for Equestria's royal army!" cheered the knight, pumping an armored foreleg into the air. "Come on, where's the rest of you?"
"Must you celebrate ever kill?" interjected Colgate, irritation in her tone. She watched from atop a nearby building, her grated visor down.
"Aw c'mon. Why don't you chip a little ice off that frozen sense of fun of yours and join in?"
"You aren't even using your sword!" the unicorn knight said. She leaped from the building and onto the ground, coiling down as she landed.
"Relax, Colgate. These aren't even close to as strong as the real deal. I bet I can take one down in just one punch." Berry smirked and flexed, raising her cestuses into the air. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be clearing the central areas?"
"I just want to make sure you're alright by yourself." Berry met her comrade with a disbelieving frown. "Oh, don't look at me like that."
Berry threw a foreleg around the unicorn and beamed, pulling her close. "Aw, Colgate. You're worried about me, aren'tcha? That's so sweet!"
Colgate wriggled herself free and stepped back. "Whatever! Just clear through the northern section." Berry nodded and galloped along a northern street and away. "And be careful!" she shouted, finally muttering, "Jerk," before heading into the central areas of Canterlot.
Berry continued up the street and it broke away into an opening. A group of royal soldiers were battling one of the bone dragons, but they were being overwhelmed by its monstrous size and strength. Charging in, Berry rose to standing and cocked back a cestus.
"Hey, bones! Why don't you pick on someone your own strength!"
As it turned to face her, she cried out and struck it in the jaw with an uppercut, sending it reeling back. It caught itself, pieces coming loose and falling from its jaw, and brought down both claws. Berry dashed underneath aiming for the ribcage again and leaped into the air despite the weight she carried, and struck it, cracking the bones. The dragon trembled and staggered backwards, roaring in some kind of pain, and began to crumble inward. The soldiers charged and cut it down in its weakened state, finally bringing it down.
"Soldiers," Berry shouted as they regrouped. "I'm Knight-Commander Punch, and I'm here to pass on Her Majesty's orders. Princess Celestia has sent us to lead an offensive, to push back against Aurelius's army. Right now, the other Celestial Knights are fighting in other areas. However, Knight Dash has been captured and is being manipulated. If you run into her, do not engage her in combat! Call for another Celestial Knight. Understood?" The soldiers gave words of acknowledgement and she continued. "I want your party to split into two groups and coordinate attacks from each side of a dragon. Try to pick them off one at a time. If you have to, fall back and regroup. I'm heading further north. Keep on this path until you reach the edge, then circle back around towards the castle collecting any survivors."
Clanging resumed as Berry continued on to a northern street, the soldiers hollering behind her as they marched forward in the wake of her assist. The density of the dragons was low, and she brought down only half a dozen in her path. She could hear the fighting of soldiers on other streets battling and the occasional crash as Derpy sent one plummeting from the skies, but the air grew quiet the further north she went.
The buildings broke away into a large park and she slowed to a walk, her eyes investigating the scene. It was a disaster. Bodies of the royal soldiers and guard had been scattered around, some no longer whole, and blood coated patches of grass. She grimaced at the sight, but her stomach did not turn until she glimpsed bodies of innocent citizens.
"I will avenge you," she whispered to herself, gnashing her teeth. Where are the dragons that killed them?
The earth rumbled as a dragon set down on top of a tree, smashing its trunk onto the ground, and garnered Berry's attention. It roared, stretching its neck towards her. Despite it being only a skeleton, it still blew air in her face, bringing with it dust and billowing her mane and tail. The earth knight cracked her neck and wrists, banging her cestuses together.
A claw swept from the knight's left, the talons hunting for her body. She raised her hooves in defense and blocked, the armor of her hind hooves grinding across the ground until she slid to a halt, the inertia from the attack having been nullified. Surprised, the dragon pulled its head back as if to examine the entire scene. Berry smirked and pulled back her right hoof firing a punch into the claw and sending it back with cracks running along its design.
The knight tilted her head back and howled. She charged forward and onto a cobblestone path, raising her left cestus as a guard and reeling back the right, the armored hoof nearly grazing her face as it passed. The air became still as she drove her punch forward, and the dragon brought its head down to meet her.
"Earthbreaker!" the knight boomed, swinging her left cestus behind her.
A boom resounded as her cestus connected with the dragon's mouth, sending a powerful ripple throughout its skeleton. The force echoed across each bone as the dragon stumbled backwards, but soon an explosion occurred. Bones shattered in a cascade of overwhelming kinetic energy; joints broke free from their sockets as it surged down to the beginning of its tail. The skull had been pulverized in the strike, and its body reduced into a pile of its own bone fragments, only the tail remaining intact.
The knight fell forward with the punch, landing awkwardly on all fours as she heaved for air and relaxed her muscles. She raised her head after a moment and scanned her surroundings. A displeased groan escaped her throat as she saw two more dragons circling in the air above the park. They appeared much like buzzards, casually circling a wounded prey, ready to swoop down for an easy meal. Berry pushed herself up to standing and called to them.
"Why don't you come join your friend?"
She kept her eyes fixated on them, refusing to let them out of her sight. I guess it can't be helped. Shaking her hooves quickly, her cestuses rattled off, falling and cracking the path where they fell. She massaged each wrist with the other before tilting her shoulder down and wrapping her right hoof around the large hilt of her greatsword. She pulled it loose from a set of metal fixtures that held it like a baldric. The weapon made a thick whoosh as she spun it overhead and rested on her shoulder again, standing up as she gauged her enemies.
The first dragon began a descent, putting its claws first as it prepared to attack the knight from above. Berry spun backwards as the dragon's talons came close, allowing her weapon to swing freely. That flat of the blade caught the dragon's claws, halting the attack and bringing it to a complete stop.
"End of the line."
Mist coiled rapidly around the thick blade and, suddenly, it blasted the dragon back, sending it toppling. It managed to sink its talons into the ground, cutting wide grooves as it caught and rebalanced itself. Berry tossed the blade back on her shoulder as she marched in for the finishing blow. "You guys are pretty weak, you know?" she said, her mouth twisting in a disappointed way. "I got called all the way from the Badlands for this. So far, you aren't even worth my time." The dragon started to move its body, but the knight jumped above the skull, swinging her sword down as she descended. The upper spine crumbled to pieces like toy blocks as the blade slid effortlessly through, the rest following shortly after. Force exploded outward from the impact point and spat dirt and debris away as the skeleton split apart, a groove cut into the ground to match the strike.
The last dragon dropped down on the far side of the park, the ground shuddering slightly as it took its full weight. Berry frowned and allowed her sword to rest on the ground in front of her, the tip aiming at the dragon. "You should've just stayed up there... not that it'd do you much good." The dragon planted its fleshless claws on the ground and threw its head back, unleashing a shrill roar.
"Shut up," the knight muttered, closing one eye and dropping her weapon to rub her ears. She snatched up her sword, spinning around before thrusting it forward with one hoof and aiming with the other. "Vanishing World!" Air condensed around the blade again, then abruptly, a distorted boom of force at the dragon's chest exploded, hurling fragments of bone in every direction. The knight sprinted forward and leaped above for the kill, bringing her greatsword down and crushing the skull into the ground. Another explosion destroyed the front of its body and sent her sailing away. She twirled in the air, locking her blade in its fixtures as she landed.
Her body quivered as she landed, her hind legs threatening to buckle. She sauntered over to an untouched bench and removed her greatsword to sit down. She took a deep breath as she saw all of the destruction that the sad park held within. A sigh escaped her lips and she silently prayed for her comrades that had fallen, her eyes glistening as she looked over the bodies again. Roars of the bone dragons echoed in the distance towards the central areas, but they were lost to her thoughts of that moment.
A shorter, higher pitched cry stole her attention as she recognized it. She jumped up and turned to face it, gauging its exact location. "Colgate!" she shouted, unaware that she had taken her sword and her body was already in motion for the source. "Hang on, I'm coming!" The heavy clomping of her hooves droned on like white noise as she rushed towards the heart of the city.
***
Colgate found herself dodging bones raining from the sky, even entire skeletons that crashed down, crushing buildings, lamp posts, and blocking paths. Every once in a while, she would need to dash beneath one. All of the raining remains were the work of the current reigning Paladin, Derpy Hooves. She glanced up with barred eyes to see her white and green lights on occasion, followed by a broken dragon slamming down into the street as it opened to a large plaza. Brick spilled into her pathway as it fell partway onto a building, and she was forced to climb over it. As she entered the plaza, another skeleton came speeding down on top of her.
She took a deep breath and walked forward as the body slowed its descent, reaching the ground only after the unicorn knight was clear. Turning, she opened her visor and looked at the now blocked off street, then to the sky. "I don't think the three of us will be enough," she said, slamming her visor down. A roar and battle cries came from the plaza, and she turned and began running again.
Three dragons were being battled by soldiers and civilians alike, desperate packs scattered around each as they tried to fight back. Colgate entered the first dragon's range and she drew her sword and shield as she rose to standing. Her weapon bore a somewhat wide and flat blue blade with a shallow fuller running much of its length. The crossguard was in the shape of a diamond with sloped sides.
"Knight Minuette!" shouted one of the soldiers. Like a sweep of courage, the soldiers rallied together at the name and held their ground, the civilians attempting to fight with them.
"Don't get distracted or you will die!" she called back through her helmet. She raised her shield as the dragon turned its attention to her, making a downward strike with its right claw. She twisted and swung her shield sideways to meet the strike, successfully deflecting it with little effort. The dragon attacked again, sweeping with its left claw. Maneuvering quickly, she parried at the wrist, again twisting herself and deflecting the arm over herself.
The dragon anchored itself with a claw and spun clockwise, bringing its enormous tail around for an attack. The others fighting it were swept away in the attack, but Colgate allowed it to connect with her sword, immediately stopping the foe. Frustrated, it began clawing at her furiously as it backpedaled in caution. The knight almost danced as she dodged, parried, and blocked the assault, and finally, the dragon threw itself on top of her in an effort to crush her with its gargantuan frame.
Colgate's horn shined for a moment, a trail of light following the tip as she moved. The dragon fell slowly and she jumped, slashing at the solar plexus and leaving a deep cut. The dragon stopped moving entirely, and she dashed and leaped, slicing it to pieces effortlessly. As it broke down into itself, the startled looks of the other soldiers met her.
"What... was that?" one asked in disbelief, but she faced him, her face hidden behind her visor and he went silent.
"Help the others. You'll need to work together as a group to bring them down. I'm pressing on alone." She watched as the group split apart to assist the others, and she waited a moment to make sure they could handle them before turning to leave.
Her mission was barred as three more dragons set down on the far end of the plaza, slowly advancing to her and the others still fighting. They snapped at and wrestled with one another for a moment. Fighting over rights to the kills? she wondered sourly. She roared as she charged at them, and her horn flashed. A bubble appeared over them, the space of everything within discolored to a tint of beige. The forms struggled to move, but they had managed little mobility within the spatial distortion. Colgate grinned to herself, once again dashing between them and chopping them to pieces. Their bones didn't fall freely, but instead hung in the air.
As she finished with the second and prepared for the third, the distortion ended. She to herself in the face of its roar, the pieces of the other two skeletons clattering to the ground. It lunged at her and she raised her sword and pulled her shield close to her body. The strength was more than she expected and she was forced into the ground, her armored hooves grinding and chipping at the stone street. She glanced around to her surroundings before roaring and throwing herself out of the way.
The dragon fell forward as she slid away, each quickly recovering. Her horn flashed again and she charged up its tail as it slowly turned to bite her. She ran along its spine, slicing up its back until she made it down to its head and jumped off. Landing with a clank of her armor, she turned to watch it fall to pieces. She sheathed her sword and set her shield on her back when she heard an explosion from the north. She must be having fun. One last glance over her shoulder allayed any worry she had that the others might not be able to handle the other two, but a bout of cheering poured into the air as one was felled, the group of soldiers fighting it swarming over the last one and quickly overwhelming it. The dragon thrashed before it was cut down and toppled.
Ahead, the street took a sharp turn to the right before curving back left. She slowed herself to a walk as she tossed her head glumly from side to side. Blood painted the walls as ponies' bodies lined alleyways. Some had scribbled messages in their blood before they had passed, and she closed her eyes, a quick mourning thought before she rushed on to an intersection. She stopped and glanced back, reexamining every body. Slash wounds? she wondered. Rushing forward briefly, she came skidding to a halt and put herself into a cautious stance as she watched a lone pony walk across the intersecting street ahead.
"Identify yourself!" she called. The pony turned and faced her, bandages covering their body, a black rod resting on their back, and their crimson eyes pierced into her. "Knight Rainbow Dash?"
Colgate drew her sword and shield swiftly, her heart rate accelerating as she met the eyes of her comrade. In only a few seconds, Dash had brandished the rod and closed the distance, striking Colgate's shield. She beat her wings, trying to add more force, but it only caused the unicorn knight to slide a meter backwards. Colgate kicked a hoof into the street, giving her traction and allowing her to push back. Dash pulled away, taking the rod into both hooves.
"Surrender yourself, Knight Dash! Aurelius's control over you will be broken." The words did nothing to stop the controlled knight, and she zoomed forward again.
Colgate made a weak defensive slash, but Dash swooped beneath it, then pushed herself off of the ground. She barreled over and delivered a heavy blow to the unicorn's side. She yelped in pain as she could feel ribs cracking, her armor denting to the force. Winded and painfully gasping for air, Colgate's horn burst with light, dyeing the world in beige around her. Dash planted her hind hooves on the ground and turned as it happened, attempting to swing again, but it was too late. The unicorn knight stumbled away and slumped against a building, using her sword to keep herself from sliding to the ground, removing her helmet and revealing her sweaty face.
"You're not even... a real Celestial Knight to me," she said through gritting teeth. "I'll show you just how weak you are." There was a popping sound and she slowly rose back to standing, breathing out a cool mist in relief. A thundering pain still echoed where the wound was and she removed her breastplate, revealing a purple bruise showing through her coat she had been struck.
A new voice entered, catching Colgate's attention with its mocking tone threaded into it. "I find it humorous that the Celestial Knight I had first controlled was the strongest, and now I'm left with the weakest. What an unfortunate trade."
"So, you're the one controlling her? Then I'll just cut the head off of the snake." She raised her sword and shield, stepping into the center of the intersection and scanning the area. Her sword's blue shined as she shrank into a defensive stance.
Snickering bounced off of the walls as Aurelius stepped into view of both warriors. "Foolish knight, you do not seem to understand the position you are in." A flash from the prince's horn erased the distortion affecting Dash. "Kill her," he ordered.
Dash quickly soared and brought down an overhead strike, but it narrowly missed Colgate's skull. The impact on the street sent chips of stone flying. Pivoting, the unicorn knight whirled back around, driving the flat of her blade into Dash's head. Dash stumbled and clutched the side of her head, her right eye clamped shut in pain. As Colgate attempted a finishing strike to disable her, Dash raised the rod and blocked it, their weapons grinding off one another.
What is that thing made of? I should be able to cut right through it, she thought. As they pulled away, she took note the lack of damage on the rod. It possessed no cross guard, grip, or any wear at all. Even where her blade's edge met it, it was untouched.
There was little time to spend thinking about it. The pegasus knight began an offensive, swinging wildly at her. Colgate skillfully maneuvered and blocked every attack; the pegasus knight was completely outclassed in swordplay. Dash tried for an opening, thrusting the rod towards Colgate's bruise, but it lost strength and slowed down as the unicorn knight focused on it. A quick bat from her sword sent the rod away from her body.
Dash's eyes widened and she pulled her head back. "What the!?"
Colgate swung her blade in for the finish, the pegasus knight left vulnerable by the phenomenon. Dash tried to pull back, but it was too late. The flat of Colgate's sword struck her in the head a second time. Dash toppled to the ground, unconscious, and the rod clattered loudly to the street and rolled away. "I'm sorry, Rainbow," she said before turning to glower at Aurelius.
"Pegasi comprise the grand majority of Celestial Knights. Their mobility and versatility is favored over that of unicorns and earth ponies. You would think earth ponies would be the rarest to be Celestial Knights, but you would be wrong..." He gave a disappointed frown to Dash's body before looking at Colgate with intrigue. "You are an interesting one, though. A unicorn Celestial Knight, and one with absolute control of not just one, but both of her magicks. So much so that you can extend your knightly power beyond its original potential. You are remarkable..."
"I'm going to send you to Tartarus," Colgate snarled.
"You are mine!" Aurelius held a hoof to her as his horn started glowing.
"Earthbreaker!"
Colgate's ears filled with a blast as the prince disappeared into waves of rubble. The buildings beside the prince had exploded in one direction, dust pluming into the air while brick and rock rained down where the street was. Berry climbed over the rubble of the first building, her chest bouncing up and down as she panted.
"Did I... make it in time?" she said, her mane matted to her face and neck.
"Berry? I found and disabled Rainbow Dash. Let's take her back to the castle and—"
Deep, rumbling laughter reverberated all around, and Berry leaped down to Colgate and prepared for more fighting. The rubble that buried Aurelius slowly raised, spilling off of an unknown shape shrouded in the dust. Berry placed a hoof on her sword as two red wings opened out of the plume, shearing the tops of buildings as a red dragon came into view.
Aurelius continued to laugh as he stood up, towering over the knights and raising his head above the nearby buildings. He appeared as large as King Render, but with a red coat that held a sheen with his scales. Sharp, crimson eyes focused on the two knights below and he shook himself free of all debris.
"I was hoping to wait a while longer before showing this form off, but..." He twisted and stretched his neck, then lowered himself to gaze at Berry. "I did not expect that."
The air grew thick and heavy as Aurelius took a step forward, the ground shuddering and the street cracking where his claw touched. His mouth stretched into a wide grin as his eyes shifted back to Colgate. "I will make you mine," he said. He raised a mighty claw and swung down with colossal force.
There was a rush of wind as the claw was stopped, surprising the prince. Aurelius's eyes widened as he struggled to finish the attack. Berry had dug her hind hooves into the ground and caught the claw, her muscles taut with strain.
"You're a lot stronger than any dragon I've faced," she said hoarsely. Aurelius pulled back his arm and she dropped to all fours, panting while sweat dripped from her face. She grinned as Aurelius gauged her.
"The strength of a colossus," Aurelius muttered. "You two may be more trouble than you're worth."
***
Trixie stormed down a southern causeway, her only companion being the staff holding Nightmare Moon and the shadows cast by the buildings. Her amplified magic easily struck down any dragons that she came across, but she slowed to a light jog as she entered a commons area. She had been burning through her magical reserves too rapidly and took the time to catch her breath and recharge some of what she had spent. Sounds of roars from soldiers and bone dragons alike periodically held the moments, but she tried to ignore them and focus on her task.
You need to be more conservative with your magic. There's no need to use more than you have to, chastised Nightmare.
Trixie panted a few more times before replying. Okay, mom.
I'm serious, Trixie. The extent of my power is to amplify your own. That's all I can safely do for you.
Trixie skipped a step and nearly tripped, but a short stumble returned her back to pace. Safely? What, you can do more? Like what? she asked quickly.
An irritated groan slipped into the magician's mind. While I can shield you with a strong barrier, I cannot give you my dark power without risking corruption.
Trixie frowned. What about Twilight? A dragon touched down, blocking Trixie's path. Without thinking, her horn ignited and a bolt of lightning ripped down from the sky. In a flash, its spine had been charred and made brittle, collapsing in on itself, and the magician galloped further along the southern street. She doesn't seem to have any side effects from using it.
She is different. Our magic is bonded, and we are both alicorns.
But what does—
That is all you need to know, Nightmare said curtly.
The magician neared the southernmost edge of the city, striking down only a few more dragons in path. She slowed to a walk as her eyes scouted out the surroundings, the area opening up to a sloping brick path that led to a large wall, the city's border. "That's weird," she muttered, her eyes gleaning over the untouched area, "There should be more here." She increased her pace as it grew quiet, the sounds of the central battlefield too distant to reach her.
Don't let your guard down. I don't like this...
Trixie reached the city's border wall and levitated herself to its top, setting down as she continued to glance around. She looked over to the distant horizon, catching Ponyville as a speck in her view. "What's going on?"
Nightmare manifested herself beside her and glanced down. "We must warn everyone at once." A blurred mass of bones shifted far below, and some started their ascent to the summit.
The magician followed her stare to the distance down the mountain. "No..." she whispered. She turned and jumped from the wall, Nightmare's image vanishing as she broke into a run as fast as her legs would allow. "That couldn't be—! There's too many!"
We'll come up with a plan. Telos can handle Aurelius while the rest of us fight off the invasion.
Trixie's thoughts were eased, but it wasn't enough to expel her doubt and worry. She continued running towards the castle, her heart thumping in her chest. After a while of running, the castle came back into view and she slowed to a walk to catch her breath, heaving and gasping as she hung her head. An explosion sounded north of her and she dared to glimpse towards its source. Where Knight Colgate had gone a red dragon's wings rose just into view above the rooftops in the night.
"Aurelius is here in the city!?" Trixie shrieked, her fear echoing off of the buildings. Her mind reeled with worry, her hooves quivering as she stepped backwards.
Focus, Trixie! Leave him to Telos, Nightmare reminded sternly.
The magician turned and bolted back towards the castle. As she reached the front steps, her tired body climbing them slowly, she could see the sage and the princesses casting confused glances to her, and she reached to the top before collapsing in a sweaty heap, her legs burning from the run.
"Archmage Lulamoon, why have you returned so soon?" Celestia asked first.
"P-Princess Celestia, Princess... Luna," she croaked, adjusting the collar of her cloak, "Hundreds more... Reinforcements... They're below the city. They're already... ascending to the city!" she managed between breaths. "There's too many!"
Luna stomped her hoof as she glanced ahead. "Aurelius has made his appearance. This is his decisive moment. We must join the fray and bolster our soldiers, sister."
"No," Twilight interjected. "I will go. It's my duty to be out there, and I can help against the reinforcements."
"Absolutely not, Twilight," Celestia barked. "You are in no condition to fight right now."
"She is right, Twilight," Luna agreed. "Your exhaustion has set in and you will be of no help against them."
"I can manage!" the lavender alicorn shouted back. "Why are you doubting me now of all times?"
"Because you could very well die in your state, Archmage Sparkle," chimed in Telos.
"Please listen to me," pleaded Celestia as she stepped closer. She opened her mouth to continue, but Twilight cut her off.
"You're right, but we swore our lives for Equestria. The Celestial Knights, the Archmagi... We're all here to fight until the end. I'm not doing this alone," she said, looking to Trixie.
"I will not allow—"
"I've made up mind, Princess Celestia. Are you going to stop me from fulfilling my royal duties?" Telos chuckled as Twilight took Nightmare back from Trixie. "What's so funny?"
"Well played, Archmage Sparkle. Your princess can't argue with that logic, but I won't allow you to throw your life away if I can help it." He began to remove his robe as he continued talking. "With Aurelius here, we have no choice but to fight him directly. If he dies, then perhaps his necromantic powers will fade. In any case, he must die." He dropped his robe on the ground, the runes and glyphs on his body pulsing a blue glow as he stepped closer to Twilight.
Celestia chewed on her lip and took her tiara off, massaging her temples before replacing it. "Please, Twilight. Stay here. I have a bad feeling about this," she said softly.
"I'm going, Princess." She turned to the sage. "What can you do to help, Telos? Can you recharge my magic?"
"I can do better than that. I will return her soul to you," he said, motioning to the staff.
Twilight's eyes lit up, but Trixie's expression evened as she took a step back.
"It will drain some of my magic, but..." He put a hoof to his chin and allowed his gaze to drift to Aurelius off in the distance. "The staff will lose unique powers it has, but mixing your magic again will be far more potent. However, sending you into battle is still a dangerous gamble with your life."
Twilight frowned. "Don't worry about my life. Will you do it or not?" she snapped.
"Twilight..." Trixie muttered.
"As you wish. I only hope the Celestial Knights deal a major blow to Aurelius. Lie down next to the staff. We do not have the magic crypt for this, so I must ask that the rest of you protect yourselves."
Everyone did as they were told and Trixie took her place beside the princesses, each forming a barrier around themselves. An alchemy circle formed beneath Twilight and Nightmare with light encasing the space within. Energy crackled and lashed around as the sage held his hooves up, stone blackening where it touched. Moments passed with the energy growing more chaotic, but abruptly it stilled.
"Soul Rend!" The ethereal scythe appeared in his hooves and sliced through the staff, ripping Nightmare free in a distorted mass. The scythe vanished and he clawed his hooves downward, struggling to drive the soul back into Twilight's body. With a final roar, he brought them down to the ground and the Id flowed into the lavender alicorn.
Twilight jumped up as the alchemy circle faded, shrieks of agony escaping her throat. She clamped her eyes shut, her body caving back to the ground as her muscles tensed, her head held low. Her mane covered her face as she slowly twisted and stamped her hooves, gnashing her teeth as she growled and yelped. One final cry and she collapsed back to the ground gasping for air.
"Twilight!" Trixie dashed to her side and held her head to her chest. "Are you alright?"
Telos fell to his haunches and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I did not... expect that to be so... draining," he said.
When Twilight's pain subsided, she was left with a euphoria coursing through her nerves, and she stood up, placing a hoof to her head as a throb took over briefly, her body wobbling back and forth.
The lavender alicorn turned to the city where Aurelius was and smiled. I've missed you, too. She turned to the magician, still smiling. "I'm alright, Trixie. Thanks." Trixie stepped back, her eyes darting across Twilight's body. "What? What is it?"
"Y-You," the magician stammered, pointing at her.
Twilight blinked and looked her own body over. She had taken nearly all of Nightmare's features on. Black coat, a misty mane and tail with three streaks of purple, and even the Id's polished cerulean armor. The only things she retained were her eye color and their shape and her cutie mark.
"Nightmare's magic is dominant, but I'm in control right now. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Trixie asked, hesitant to accept the new look.
Twilight stepped closer and brought a hoof to her face. "I promise, it's fine." She discarded her tattered cloak and stretched her neck. "We need to get going, princesses." Rather than wait, Twilight pulled the others to her and, in a flash, they were gone.
The princesses moved to the edge of the steps and stared off into the distance where Aurelius was. It wouldn't be long before the southern edge gave way to more bone dragons, and they both fidgeted to join the fight.
"I share your grim feelings, sister," the moon princess said. "Even with Nightmare with her again, I cannot cast aside my doubts about this."
Celestia removed her tiara again and set it down beside her. "Luna," she started, grabbing her attention. "Could I have done more?" She turned to her sister, regret lining her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I feel as though, after all I have done to ensure Twilight's survival, then why..." She paused and shook her head, taking a deep breath. "Why does it feel as if I just allowed one of my best friends to march to their own death?"
Luna shot her sister a disturbed glance before they both looked back to the battlefield, tears rolling down Celestia's cheek.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 30: Closing the Third Eye
Aurelius whirled around, his thick tail crashing through buildings and creating a torrent as it swept for the knights on the ground. Berry brandished her greatsword, light and air condensing around the blade like a thick mist, and she whirled around to meet the attack with force.
"No, wait!" Colgate cried, aiming a hoof at the earth knight. Her horn flashed and Berry's sword froze mid-swing. Before she could do anything else, or her comrade to protest, a set of white and green waves came down from the sky detonating on the ground and blasting the tail back.
"Almost," huffed Derpy as she set down beside them. "I just finished clearing most of the aerial forces. I thought you guys could use some help." She scanned the area and caught a glimpse of Dash's body; the cyan pegasus seemed peaceful amid the chaos, but she forced herself not to look for fear of breaking down.
"Look," Colgate said, pointing to the southern end. More bone dragons appeared in the distant skies, and each knight gazed at them, a grim hope reflecting in each of them.
"I give you this final chance to surrender your loyalty to me," Aurelius said as he faced them again.
"We'll never serve you," the paladin growled.
There was a boom of light between the dragon and the knights, dust blasting their vision; the knights shielded their eyes until the haze settled. Twilight and Telos stood side by side, peering around as the moment of silence hung.
Aurelius was the one to break, shouting the sage's name as his calm composure melted away. "I will take your wretched life before the night's end."
"I leave his undead army to you and your comrades, Twilight Sparkle," the sage said, ignoring the dragon. "Keep your battle as far to the edge of the city as you can. All non-combatants should be evacuated by now, and I pray that there are no longer any near this place." He turned and faced Aurelius and threw a hoof out to his side. A pocket of distortion fluctuated briefly and then a white staff appeared, snapping into his hoof as soon as it became clear.
Twilight's eyes widened as she stared at it. "There's more than one Holy Wand?"
"Yours was merely an exquisite copy." He relinquished his grasp and allowed the staff to float with him, its spire shining white against his sandy fur. "Take the knights with you. You will need them. Magic flows through you now, and you may feel energized, but make no mistake. Your power hinges solely on hers."
Twilight nodded and motioned the knights together, tossing Dash on top of her back and looking up to Aurelius, the dragon meeting her eyes. "When you kill him, make sure he stays dead." In a flash, they were gone leaving only a plume of dust in their wake.
Telos's staff shook violently, bubbling outward until it exploding into the form of a large disc. It orbited the sage at high speed, slicing through buildings around him before angling up and shooting towards the dragon's throat. Aurelius smacked away with a scaly claw before transforming back into an alicorn.
"It's a shame that I cannot sustain that form on such a small battlefield, but it matters not. The blood of a dragon still runs through my veins," he stated coolly. His horn glowed and his mane slowly ignited into a blaze.
"Your deviled traits won't save you against my magic, Aurelius. I would gladly give my life to secure your sister's legacy," said the sage.
"My sister," the prince growled. "Astra sealed her own fate with the choices she made. She was no longer a sister of mine." He stomped a hoof and a pulse of energy flowed out from him. "She deserved to die!"
The sage scoffed and his staff reverted to its resting state. "Deserved..." he said bitterly, turning his head away briefly. He snapped his head back and his eyes open. "Deserved!?" His voice echoed off of the buildings. The staff slammed down, creating a tremor in the area and resting debris was disturbed once again. "You never deserved your status. You never deserved her for a sister. And now..." The air grew still as the spire was engulfed by light, the runes on the sage's body illuminating brightly. "You do not deserve to draw breath."
"You grovel at her false memory, friend. The serpent of old is strung taut around your neck, hanging you for your loyalty. My only failure of the past was that I showed compassion for too long." His horn flashed and he stood up, raising his hooves to the sky. "But that is no longer and there will be no such mistake again. I shall rule alone this time. No blood, no bonds. No one to poison my decrees of what must be done." Meteors lit the sky as small, burning dots, growing larger as they plummeted to the ground.
No natural clouds, Telos noted quietly. Could you have ever foreseen this night, Astra? His staff exploded into a large disc again and levitated overhead, absorbing any meteors that would dare to strike him. The excess rained down around him, blasting into burning rock and forming craters with flames billowing fiercely inside. The staff returned to its resting state and Telos clasped his hooves, throwing them apart quickly. In the blink of an eye, there were two of him.
"A perfect image!" the prince spat, his nemesis maintaining a deadly calm. "Magic beyond even myself. My sister..." he seethed. "How dare she bless an earth pony with such potential."
"She believed in you until the very end, right up until you beheaded her like a savage. You repaid her love with jealousy and spite. Her final request was that I forgive you and never allow you to rule." The sage took a deep breath as his staff slowly rose into the air. "I will never forgive you for what you have done. I will keep you from your rule... by slaying you like the mangy dog you are!" With a motion, the staff slammed down again, its spire sparkling blue as it hummed.
A pillar of light engulfed Aurelius for a moment, stretching into the night sky, and he raised a hoof to look at it in wonder. After a few seconds, it solidified into a beam, blasting him into the ground. He grunted and rose up in time to see a black flame flowing from the mirror image and a freezing torrent from the original Telos. He retaliated with a tremendous arcane burst, blasting most of the spells away and allowing them to rain around him.
"Black flames," the prince said with distaste. "I'm honored you don't hold back."
"I will have you rue those words, Aurelius!"
"I am the Prince of the Sun! Your magic is nothing but foals' games to me!" Two balls of fire appeared beside the prince and he swung his forehooves to Telos, combining them and sending it surging forward. Debris in its path were reduced to ashes instantly and the ground was left blackened and charred in its wake.
Gales ripped from the image redirecting the inferno to the sky while Telos conjured a bolt of lightning. Aurelius increased the intensity of the flames and fought to drive it back down, simultaneously shielding himself from the lightning. The bolt struck his shield, but the magic had been dampened enough to prevent it from stunning him. Shrugging off the attack, he roared and drove the flames onto the original, the sage yelping as he was consumed.
The image paid its progenitor no heed and removed the staff from the blaze, swirling his hooves in the air in syntax with it. Icy comets cascaded to the earth, their tails reaching far behind them. Canterlot trembled with each impact, their explosions sending blasts of ice and rubble. Aurelius held his ground, his horn glowing furiously as he tried to deflect them away with force. His attempts faltered and he roared again, slamming both his hooves down as the glow around his horn turned into a flame.
"Ifrit!" he bellowed, a massive flame forming just above him, its power absorbing all remaining comets that sought his flesh.
"Shiva!" the image boomed, suddenly leaping backwards to gain more distance.
As his staff glowed blue the ground snapped and popped as ice stole the earth beneath him, a snowy wind gathering all around him. It flowed upwards, growing thicker and thicker until it coalesced into a mass of shifting cold. The prince's flame darkened as it remained in place, blackening the ground beneath and around him. In a cry, they sent both spells into the other.
Night was torn away as the spells collided, a maelstrom of heat and frost raging outward as they discharged. It took several moments for the calamity and haze to clear, but both ponies still stood, glaring at one another while ice and fire littered the vicinity, a grey haze capturing the sky as far as they could see. They both appeared with minor wounds, but the strain of the magic and their defenses reflected upon their demeanors.
"Clever that you switched places with your image," remarked the prince.
Telos stood up, holding his forelegs out, his staff floating just above the ground before him. A rumble escaped his chest as he called upon more power. Chaotic energy was pulled from the air, drawing to and condensing around his hooves, and they formed bubbles of light around them.
"I will not be buried in that accursed spell again!" the prince snarled. He breathed out a small flame, holding it in his hooves. He quickly poured magic into it, shaping it into another sphere as it expanded. Releasing it, he allowed it to rise above him while its color darkened from a fiery orange into a bloody red, then finally black.
"I have no need to entomb you this time," Telos said as he studied the flame.
"Then what hope do you have?" Aurelius snickered. Trails of black fire leaked from the sphere, touching down to the ground and sizzling as they ran freely, burning through anything they touched. "Thousands of years we have waited for this moment. Will you die screaming,"—he swayed a hoof to the roaring flame sphere—"or will you die with only a whimper?"
"Your pride blinds you to the powers I possess."
Aurelius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what powers might those be?"
Bringing his hooves together, the sage's runes shined again and a white orb expanded above him. Particles drew to it in three streams that snaked up to it from the ground, their flow audible as the mass hummed. "I bear with me the powers of the moon itself!"
The prince snorted, a grin running along his lips. "I shall incinerate you with your moon. Behold!" He held a hoof up to the mass of black flames, motioning it to the sage. "Ashen Star!" The mass stretched into a thick pillar, surging forward at the prince's behest.
"Divinity Crush!" The white mass split into three tendrils, each racing towards the prince.
Before the spells collided, an image echoed Telos from behind him. "Gravity Bless!"
Aurelius gave a startled grunt as he was driven to the ground, an invisible force holding him down. He roared, fighting with all of his might to stand against it, trying to break it with a combination of his magic and physical strength, but to no avail. The two spells crashed into one another, a schism of black and white light erupting as each spell tried to overpower the other.
The earth violently quaked as the spells exploded, their catastrophic discharge destroying anything left of the city around them in its nova, pushing waves of rubble into high arena walls. A cascade of shockwaves threatened to shear the mountain, but it held with only wide cracks running along the devastated ground. As the dust, dirt, and ash cleared, Telos peered around, his puffs for air the only sound now.
The sage was reduced to using his staff as a crutch, his blood painting over the platinum sheen and matting his fur. The runes and glyphs across his body had gone silent, patches of his flesh missing entirely, and he gasped for air before his legs buckled and sent him sliding unceremoniously to the ground. He tilted his head back and laughed, a pained, breathy laugh. As he finished, a familiar voice came from the edge of the devastation and turned his blood to ice.
"You were always a clever bastard," the prince called out in a hoarse voice. He emerged from the haze with parts of his scales missing. Blood ran freely down his sides and both of his wings had been torn and frayed, hanging limply to the ground. Aurelius coiled down like a wounded animal, taking in a deep breath. "But not clever enough!" He launched himself forward, a ravaged claw climbing high for a finishing strike.
"Celestial Stars!"
The claw never reached the sage. A stream of white lanced it, and Aurelius roared, pulling it back. More streams of light slammed into and around his body, but he refused to submit, clawing his way forward. He reached Telos and swiped him, but his talons merely cut through an image. Roaring, what remained of his scales shimmered as he turned and found the true Telos. With a last heave, be blew a flame at him. The hailstorm of light ended, but Aurelius was reduced to his alicorn form. Equally bloody and drained, he crawled towards the sage, a small smear of blood following him.
"Your smoke and mirrors have run out," he rasped angrily. His mane and tail had lost their flame leaving only auburn hair to hang, saturated with blood and ash. "You have nothing left!"
Telos appeared haggard, the drain of the battle leaving dark circles ringing his eyes. Calling his staff, he clamped an eye shut as he hobbled with his weapon supporting him as a walking stick. This was it. Aurelius had no magic left and was mortally wounded. All he had to do was carry out the execution.
Staggering forward, he nearly fell as the aches of his body and head spiked, but he forced himself to keep going. He reached Aurelius, and gazed down to him. "Do you have any final words before I end your life?" Telos asked coldly. Untold hatred burned in his eyes as he looked down upon the prince quietly, and he raised his staff up in preparation for the dark deed.
Aurelius tilted his head up, a large grin already spread across his face as he drew the sage into his vision. "Yes. One." His horn flashed. "Checkmate."
Telos's eyes had only begun to widen when a black rod tore through his body, the force so great it broke through every bone in its path and sent him tumbling over. He screamed as he hit the ground, his staff clattering out of sight. No! Not now! Not when... I'm so... close...! Tears welled in his eyes as he realized the rod had hit vital organs, and he gasped for air as his hope ran dry.
Aurelius chuckled, coughing periodically, and rose up. He stepped towards the fallen sage, a wobbly, swaying gait that grew more rigid with each step he took. He cast Telos a proud expression and threw his had back to laugh. "Your accursed astral projection... I had to be sure you were the real one." The prince moved in a preying circle around Telos, examining his battered body up and down, his eyes falling his blood as it pooled and ran from him. "How does it feel, hm?" he said joyfully. "Knowing you were so close to getting the revenge you have waited eternities for, only to die by my hoof?"
"You'll... never... seize... control..." The sage held a glare, but his body was beginning to submit to death.
"Are those truly your words, or merely those of the great puppet as its strings are finally cut? You died long before I killed that witch." When Telos only stared back with confusion Aurelius grimaced and knelt down, placing a hoof on the sage's head. "I have a message for her." He leaned close and put his mouth up to one of Telos's ears. "I've already won," he finished and pulled away, a grin stretching from ear to ear as he closed the sage's eyes.
***
Twilight teleported to the southern edge of Canterlot where hordes of bone dragons had already flooded into the area, with more coming from the cliff's edge. Trixie and the active celestial knights spread apart and prepared for the counterassault. Twilight teleported Dash away, the unconscious pegasus unable to aid them.
"Telos and the princesses are counting on us. We can't fail," she declared, teleporting to the front of the others.
Derpy crossed her swords, her white aura appearing, though far fainter than before. Moonlight glowed green to Glance Reviver's white and she took a deep breath before flipping the dark sword upside down in her off hoof. "I'll do my best, but I'm still exhausted from the duels. I don't know how much strength I have left."
"Whoever takes down the least of these things is buying the first round," Colgate said. "I wonder if you two can keep up with Gram." She drew her sword, an average length broadsword, its wide and flat blade already glowing blue.
Berry chuckled as she drew her greatsword from the clips on her back, her eyes navigating to the bruise on the unicorn knight's side. "I won't be the one buying."
Trixie stepped up beside them and swished her mane back, magic gathering in her horn. "I won't even need a weapon to beat you three," she chimed in, smirking.
"Civilians have already been evacuated," Twilight said, turning her head. "If we destroy this area of Canterlot while we fight, then so be it." She faced forward and readied her magic, but sudden spikes of pain in her head and chest stopped her. A hoof was thrown over her heart while she sank down, groaning, her eyes shut tight. "What's... happening... to me," she ground out.
"Twilight!" Trixie called, dashing to her side. "Are you alright?"
The alicorn huffed and rose back up casually, and when she opened her eyes they were no longer hers. "She will be fine," Nightmare replied, her sharp eyes casting evenly to the magician. She took in a deep breath through her nose before her horn ignited. Magic flowed over her and her mane distorted before blurring into a starry mist.
"N-Nightmare Moon?" stammered Trixie. She slowly moved back as she took in the abrupt appearance of the Id.
"You were sustained by power not your own. This is my magic and I shall do with it what I please. You will rest and wait," Nightmare said.
"Are you—"
"Silence!" the Id boomed, drawing the attention of all in the vicinity. The dragons swarmed together and began their assault; the party of soldiers split apart met them with weapons and magic readied. More and more dragons flowed up from down the mountainside and visibility between the fighters was dropping rapidly.
Berry was the first to strike, swinging Lævateinn into the nearest dragon. The air shifted harshly as she made a rising slash into a leg, the force rippling upwards and shearing it in half. Several more took its place, surrounding her as the bones of the first settled on the street. Twisting, the edge of the massive sword was dragged, grinding a mar into the stone before being snapped around her. A nova of force blasted them against nearby buildings, breaking their bodies and leaving fragments of their skeletons impaled into the walls upon impact.
"Hey, watch it! We're fighting too, you know!" chastised Colgate as she stabbed her sword into the ground to prevent herself from sliding away.
"C'mon, Colgate. I'm third in command. You've got nothing to worry about," countered the earth knight.
The unicorn knight galloped forward as a wave moved in and she stopped and pushed a hoof towards them, her horn flashing, and all of them slowed down in the midst of their attacks. She maneuvered through them, twirling and jumping as she slashed in key spots. As she reached the other side, her horn flashed again and they fell to pieces, the clunking of the cascading bones a cacophony in her wake.
"Just use Gram or you'll tire yourself out too fast," Derpy called from above, quickly barreling around and zooming between the airborne dragons.
"Why don't you worry about yourself," Colgate rebuked. As another wave advanced, much greater than the previous, she held her sword up. Icy mist formed around the blue blade, swirling up to the tip. She pointed the end of the blade towards the wave and muttered, "Absolute Zero", her breath misting.
Frost exploded out from her location, flash freezing the air and ground. It quickly swelled into a large zone that consumed all dragons within. Those that were in the air fell to the ground, shattering like glass statues while those on the ground were frozen in place. She smiled before accelerating forward. "White Tide!"
As she charged, the mist around her sword trailed behind it and the first dragon she struck crackled and started to crumble, but the mist flowed through and broke it down, gathering the pieces as it turned into a roiling force with the unicorn's strikes. She alternated between left and right, the mass of frozen bones and mist bounding over her back and forth with the motions of her attacks, crushing each foe and growing more powerful with each of the remains it devoured. She reached the edge of the zone of frost and to the next wave swinging Gram towards them. The torrential mist had become enormous, crashed through the frontline and reducing it to pieces before flowing into the final wave and freezing it, breaking pieces of them. She turned and raced back through the zone of ice and bone to regroup with the others.
The dragons above failed to take down the paladin, individuals being cut down without trouble. Metal and light rent them to pieces, forcing those directly below to be wary of the skies. Derpy huffed and puffed, trying her best to balance her knightly powers and her physical stamina, but the tolls of the previous battles weighed heavily on her movements. She ripped through several more dragons with waves of light, but the others stopped attacking afterwards. The aerial forces condensed and circled around her in layers, effectively trapping her in place.
The paladin hovered, the calm flap of her wings contrasting heavily to the fevered beats of the dragons. Abruptly, all of the dragons swarmed around her, passing and attempting to strike. She allowed them to come and flowed with their movements, rather than try to meet them. As they moved past, she dodged and struck them, allowing herself to be pulled by the air in their wake and remain fluid. The effort saved her energy as she was able to cut down the forces one by one. When the thick of them had been cleared they retreated for a moment.
Her forelegs hung tiredly at her sides, and she felt dizzy as she breathed quickly. Losing focus, she allowed herself to descend to the ground where she stood shakily. A pang of fatigue hit her and she crouched down, stabbing both swords into the ground for support. "I can't keep going like this," she managed aloud between pants.
Colgate sliced through several more dragons on her return trip before signs of a looming exhaustion became apparent on her features as well. "They might not be strong, but they've got the numbers and we don't. Even if the entire royal army was fighting with us, this wouldn't be an easy battle."
Despite their worries, Berry continued smashing and blasting her way through the dragons that advanced to their frontline. Every quake was a spray of bone and splinters, with signs of fatigue showing the least on her. As the wave dulled, she turned to chime in, but a huge explosion from the central section of Canterlot stole the moment.
Trixie formed a barrier over everyone as a haze swept the sky overhead, pieces of burning debris cascading over their battlefield, and gave them a moment to gather their strength. Nightmare looked over the knights and the magician before glancing towards the distant battle.
"I must go assist Telos. As soon as Aurelius has been defeated, I will return and clean up here."
"We're going to need your help here!" protested Trixie. The others added in their agreement, but Nightmare shook her head.
She responded by aiming a hoof towards the edge where the dragons were pouring in. "I cannot stay, but I can at least help ease the burden." A long, rising growl escaped her throat as she summoned tremendous magic. The ground shook and her horn shined furiously with a dark light, her mane shifting violently in itself.
Black energy lashed out from the point of origin, striking the two closest dragons. The area continued to quake until a dark vortex erupted from reality, immediately crushing those it appeared on top of. "Black Hole!" Nightmare bellowed, and the vortex expanded, its gravitational pull drawing in debris, bones, ice, and dragons. As pieces and dragons floated close, they were crushed in the distortion, then consumed by the vortex into nothingness.
Trixie and the knights gaped at the spell, awed as it consumed dragon after dragon. "What is this power..." she muttered as she watched them crushed into the spell.
The Id released a snort of contentment—and drain—before turning back around. "Do not wander too closely or too far and it will help you. It won't last very long, but it should be all I need to make it back in time." Rather than teleport, she beat her wings and flew towards the central city, Trixie lowering her barrier to allow her.
Dragons that surfaced over the ledge suddenly lost control of themselves and were slowly dragged in. Thick bones were folded and snapped, then crushed into dust before being compressed further and vanishing within the vortex. Every violent snap triggered a shudder in Trixie and she couldn't help but feel partially frightened by it. Is this what Twilight had to overcome in their duel?
"Focus, archmage!" barked Colgate, bringing the magician back to reality.
Trixie concentrated on the dragons that had escaped the vortex's proximity. With hooves raised and horn glowing, arcane lightning surged from her and arced between the first three, searing through them in bright flash. She switched her spell on the next wave summoning a meteor to crash into them before they could advance to the knights. The tax of her great magic was felt with each spell and her breaths quickly became labored as she fought on. She huffed and watched the knights fighting multiple foes simultaneously just before her, their cries resounding with the clack of their swords to bones.
"There's just no end to them," shouted Berry over the breaking of her latest victim. She spun around, letting her sword drag again as she gathered force. Making a second rotation, she cried out as she cleaved it into the air with a whirr. A wave of force shot forth, but the power it contained had withered; the dragons were blasted back and concussed with only the one struck by her blade being wholly destroyed.
One dragon breached the frontline and reached Colgate. The unicorn knight aimed a hoof at it, but there was no flash from her horn this time. She raised her shield to block an overhead slam, crouching down to strengthen her position. Two curving waves of light flowed through the arm, slicing it clean off before wrapping around and beheading it. Derpy landed in front of Colgate as she rose up.
"Are you okay?" the paladin asked as she wiped blood from a head wound out of her eyes and off her snout.
Colgate hesitated a moment before answering. "I am, but you're not. We're running out of stamina." She scrubbed sweat from her brow and glanced around to the piles of bones, frowning. With Derpy covering the aerial forces, Colgate covering the left and Berry on the right, that left Trixie in the back line to keep the knights from getting overwhelmed by the reinforcements. Only Derpy had been struck with an open wound, but the fatigue reflected in each fighter, and Colgate clenched her teeth as she gazed back to the bruise on her side. The bluing of it meshed with her coat, but even the dull pain contributed to her creeping weakness.
"Nightmare Moon needs to hurry the heck up," shouted Trixie, loosing another meteor on advancing forces. It crashed through a couple dragons in the sky before smashing several more at the impact on the ground. "I'm running low on magic!"
Berry chopped down a dragon and let the weight of her sword lay on the ground, her chest rising and falling rapidly to her heaving breaths. "I wish I hadn't left behind my cestuses. They're a bit lighter than this," she said while watching the frontline.
Colgate slowed her breathing and peered around, gleaning the bleakness from everyone's faces, then to the vortex. Nightmare's spell swallowed one last dragon before it closed in on itself, dispensing dust beneath it. "This is the end of the line for me," she announced suddenly. The others turned to her with worry and wonder in their eyes, but she focused herself forward as more dragons landed and marched forward. "I'm going to sacrifice my energy to buy you three some more time."
"That's not your command to give," Derpy interjected quickly. "I am the—"
"—Paladin, I know," the unicorn knight said bitterly. "You don't need to remind me, but my power is stronger than her magic,"—she pointed to Trixie—"and I don't see any other option."
"Whoa, Colgate. We're not quite there, yet," chimed in Berry. "We can keep going, right?" she said, looking at everyone, but they glanced back with tired, disagreeing expressions. "Let me do it, then. I'll break the cliff and the boulders will smash any that are coming up the mountain."
"You and I both know that's too risky. Have the archmage put up a strong barrier when I start." The unicorn knight put her shield on her back and raised Gram, its glow having dimmed over the course of the battle. She turned to Derpy and stepped to her, pulling her close with a hoof and staring into her eyes with a heavy gaze. "In case we die, I want you to know something. I've always resented you for taking the title of Paladin over me without seniority."
Derpy's eyes widened. "But Colgate..."
It was too late. The unicorn knight charged towards the oncoming waves, Gram's glow rekindling brighter than before. She slowed to a stop as they drew near and her breath began to mist. She flipped her sweaty mane out of her face. As it draped against the rest of her armor, the blue within froze, crackling as it moved up her body. Ice formed a shadow underneath her and she cast a glance behind her to ensure Trixie had raised a barrier, each of the fighters watching her with tense wonder. A dragon stomped its way to her, raising a claw to strike. She stabbed Gram into the ground and her horn ignited into a blue fire as the claw swung down. She pursed her lips as her breath misted one last time, her body turning to ice from the ground up.
"Shatter!"
A nova of blue exploded from the unicorn knight, ripping through everything in the vicinity. Dragons turned to ice instantly, their forms crackling, as the magic expanded and swallowed nearby buildings. The frozen structures and forces in the sky held still like a picture for a moment, then everything fell, shattering. Popping from the ground battled with the cacophony of shards cascading down. Colgate's body thawed and she collapsed beside Gram, the sword and ground shimmering their own blue light against the hazy night.
Trixie ended the barrier as everyone gazed in awe at what the unicorn knight's power had done. Berry dashed forward and retrieved Colgate's body, shivering as she touched it, and carried her to the back line, propping her up against a slab of concrete. She scowled at her unconscious form, then to the battlefield. The shrill roars of more dragons climbed the cliff.
"I'm surprised she isn't an archmage instead of a celestial knight," said Trixie, wiping her face of sweat.
"Both of her parents were archmagi," Berry said, turning to her. "But she never talks about them."
"I didn't know that," Derpy muttered. "Why does she want to be the paladin so badly?"
Berry shrugged. "Who knows. She's wanted it since the last paladin was promoted over her, despite seniority over them as well."
"Who was the last paladin?" Derpy asked. Dragons made their over the cliff wall, touching down and gathering on the frozen streets. She tightened her grip on her swords as Berry hoisted hers onto her shoulder.
"Anypony that was around when they were active won't say and the records were sealed. That's all I know." Dragons began to charge through the frozen land, and Berry sighed as she poised herself to fight again.
"Wait a second," Derpy said. "They've slowed down."
"There's a spell active in the area," Trixie said, her eyes darting around as she tried to sense its source. She traced it back to Colgate's sword. "She's slowed their movement over the ice field. I don't know how long it will last, but we better use it to our advantage." Pushing both hooves outward, she bared her teeth while channeling magic. It might not be anywhere as strong as hers but this'll do the trick. An alchemy circle formed in front of her and a beam shot forth. "Ether Laser!"
The beam of energy annihilated every dragon in its path, disintegrating their bones in several seconds. She took a deep breath, grunting as she moved the beam across, sweeping up as many as she could before the drain on her magic became painful. With an exasperated cry, the spell broke and she collapsed to her haunches, wheezing heavily.
"That should buy you two more time to rest. We should alternate the waves to maximize on recovery. It's all we can do to hold out until Nightmare Moon gets back." She coughed and wheezed, wiping her face again as she peered haggardly to the frontline. Nightmare's vortex had vanished now, but they still had Colgate's last resort to aid them.
The knights nodded their thanks and agreement. "I'll try to take out as many as I can in the air. You take the next wave after that," Derpy said. She lifted off into and sheathed Moonlight. She held Glance Reviver in both hooves, the white shine of the blade glowing brighter with each second. Dragons poured into the air to meet her and she raised her sword, waiting until the last moment when one came close. As the first dragon reached her, she swung down, a wave of light ripping forth and slicing through any dragons in its path. She took in a gasped breath and pressed her free hoof to the flat of the blade.
"Aura," she breathed. The word incited Derpy's white aura to return, slowly growing into a shell of energy, then an expanding cloak. Beating her wings, she moved forward as more waves advanced, her aura growing until it reached towards the ground "Grand..." she heaved, as the first dragon came within striking range. "CROSS!"
Trixie and Berry shielded their eyes as the light became too intense to glimpse, Derpy's avatar of light swallowing her form. The mass of light surged forward, lashes of energy slicing through dragons at its edges, while those too close were burned to ashes as it absorbed them. The aura consumed all enemies in the air, and those on the ground were critically wounded. Only ash and charred bones rained down in Derpy's wake, and the aura faded as she hovered over the mountain's edge. Glancing down, her eyes widened as she allowed her sword to lower. "There's just no end to them." Even after her attack, more and more dragons were flying up the side of the mountain. In a white blur, Derpy appeared beside her comrades and collapsed to all fours on the ground, gasping for air as mixed sweat and blood dripped to the ground.
"Whoa, pal," Berry said, helping her back to standing. "What is it?"
How did she do that? Trixie wondered.
"Thanks, Berry," she said, but she couldn't remove the grim expression on her face. "There's more coming up the mountain. We don't have long before they get here." The others groaned.
"You've gotta be kiddin' me," the earth knight said, slapping a hoof to her face. "I've got one, max two, waves in me before my powers are out."
"That was the last of mine," the paladin said, drawing Moonlight again. "We're not going to be able to hold out."
"We have to until Twilight can come back," said Trixie, attempting to reassure them. "No matter what, I'm going to keep fighting until she returns."
Derpy shook her head. "We're running out of time, Trixie. I want to stay optimistic, but we're going to need to retreat at this rate." She glanced to Colgate. "If we can."
Berry agreed and turned to face the frontline, the shrill roars of the dragons signaling they were nearing the top. "I can fight a bit longer, but after that... we're really out of time."
***
Nightmare soared over the buildings, but her eyes went wide as she glimpsed the battle ahead. Dust and ash had swept through the streets, the epicenter of the duel marked by a canyon of rubble. She could barely make out the figures, but Aurelius's red and orange form made it clear which pony was which. She held her wings to glide into a descent, but a boom of magic sent gales rippling back and disrupting her advance. She grunted and redoubled her efforts to battle through the bursts of wind.
She kept her eyes on the battle as she continued to fly, watching as Telos formed a sphere of white energy, Aurelius creating a sphere of black flames to match. Even at the distance she could feel the amount of magic contained within each spell and it filled her with dread. It's too dangerous to teleport with the intensity of magic they're using, Nightmare mused.
Spells of that caliber could kill even us unprotected, agreed Twilight. As she drew closer, they fired their spells at each other. Look out!
Nightmare only had time to glimpse the flash as the spells collided before she teleported directly to the ground below. Crouching down, she braced herself and formed a small dark barrier over herself, layering it several times with magic. The ground violently revolted with the magical explosion just ahead, and she watched in awe as structures were crushed like sand castles and pushed beside her, the cacophony of destruction muffled by her barrier. Nightmare could feel Twilight's horror as parts of her home city disappeared in an instant. I'm sorry, Twilight, the Id said as she stared at the flow of debris.
It's not your fault, the lavender alicorn reminded.
As the avalanche of rubble halted, Nightmare stamped her hooves. Her barrier exploded upwards, clearing a path out, and she flew through as dust and chunks of concrete clattered against her body and armor. The battlefield was obscured by clouds of dust, ash, and smoke from the explosion, but the winds soon cleared enough to see again. Telos stood by Aurelius, his staff in his hooves, the prince laying defeated on the ground.
"It seems Telos is victorious," Nightmare said as she descended into the vicinity, but her heart tensed. "Something isn't right..." There was a sense of magic coming from some of the rubble, and as she scanned the area and found its source, she threw a hoof out. "Telos!"
Hurry, urged Twilight.
She was too far for the sage to hear and a black rod propelled from the rubble, impaling him. Nightmare gasped and teleported the last of the distance, arriving close enough to see the sage's end. The prince took a breath and wiped blood from his face.
"Far too close," Aurelius said, and he turned, his expression lighting with surprise and fear as he caught Nightmare.
The Id carried a fury about her as she huffed, baring her teeth and lowering her head. Her mane stilled with a deadly calm as her legs trembled, her anger rising. "You... You..." she managed, unable to articulate all of her feelings at once as she looked upon the wounded prince.
"I had hoped my undead army would kill you, Nightmare Moon, but I suppose I made you stronger than that. It looks like I won't be killing Princess Celestia tonight." A flame formed around him as Nightmare stepped slowly closer. "But you cannot stop—" A dark spike split the ground and pierced his chest. He yelped and coughed up blood, staggering backwards and placing a mangled hoof over the fresh wound, and his eyes fell on the Id, splotches of black appearing in her mane, her horn shining with a dark lights.
Calling to his trump card, Aurelius ripped the black rod from the sage's body, a spurt of blood as it pulled free, and sent at rocketing at Nightmare. The Id focused on it, attempting to catch it with her telekinesis. Her eyes went wide and she roared as it impaled into her flank. Why... didn't my magic...!?
The rod having missed vital organs, Nightmare took a step forward, sweat running down her face as she moved through the pain. "You're... going... to..." Her mane latched onto the rod and violently ripped it from her body with only a wince on her part. "PAY FOR THAT!" A dark hand erupted from the ground, snatching the prince and locking him in place.
Aurelius squirmed and thrashed, but it only made the hand constrict around him, compressing his body until joints popped. "You're more... resilient than I thought," he croaked. "But... you've forgotten, Nightmare Moon." In a light, the hand was broken free of and dispelled, and the prince expanded into his draconic form. His bloody, patchwork body carried all of the previous wounds, but he gave a deep chuckle in spite of them. "I didn't come this far to die here, to you of all things." He breathed out a flame that swept the ground in front of him.
Nightmare leapt backwards, allowing her wings to carry her further, but the landing was too much and she crumbled backwards into the ground, blood gushing from her wound. There was a wince to her features as she gnashed her teeth and stood again, her mane roiling now. This pain is nothing!
"You won't let such a small wound bring you down, will you? Why don't you let the lavender one out?" he mocked. He took a step forward and plucked Telos's body from the ground, dangling the body in front of his face.
Is he...? Twilight started, panic in her voice.
"Y-You wouldn't dare," Nightmare shouted.
"Oh, but I would." He tossed the sage's body into the air and caught it in his mouth, his hind legs protruding between his large teeth. He grinned before chomping down, chewing slowly as blood leaked from his mouth.
Nightmare's stomach turned sour and she grimaced away as she could hear the crunch of Telos's bones. She could only focus on her anger for the prince, her blistering hatred. Those feelings overpowered her nausea and she turned back to Aurelius and watched him swallow. "I have always despised you. And tonight is the last night you will draw breath," she snarled. She loosed a battle cry and began summoning great magic, her mane fluctuating wildly as her horn shined. "I'll show you a true nightmare. The nightmares only a soulless monster like me could have!" the Id bellowed. Magic spilled beneath her, pooling on the ground into a black, shifting void that grew around her, drawing in what light there was around. Twilight's runes shone against her black fur as her mane glowed. A monstrous avatar climbed out of the ground upon the Id, its ghastly, feral shape mirroring her features, and it cloaked her in darkness.
"Infin—"
Suddenly, Nightmare groaned. Her magic ceased and her avatar dispersed, the void on the ground vanishing with it.
Wh-what's happening to me!? she asked.
I don't know!
A white light engulfed Nightmare and lifted her into the air, whirling around. She could no longer move her own body, instead, Twilight finding herself in control. She tried to beat her wings to move, but the light held her firmly in place. "This... This is just like Draconis!" she screeched in terror.
FORGIVE ME, TWILIGHT SPARKLE
A voice echoed throughout both Mares' minds while the light anchored tendrils on opposite sides, two more piercing into their chest, slowly tugging in opposite directions. Twilight went numb as she found herself being torn from her own body, Nightmare appearing in her place again. They shot each other looks of fear and surprise as they glimpsed each other as separate entities for the first time since becoming more than enemies.
"Twilight! What's going on!?" the Id cried.
"I... don't know!"
Aurelius took a frightened step back, raising an arm to the light. "A-Astra? Here? It can't be!" He turned and attempted to flee, his ravaged wings flapping as hard as his body would allow, but he had been rooted to the area in much the same way. He screeched and tried to claw himself away, but his efforts were in vain. "Your meddling only delays the inevitable, sister. Release me at once!"
A white portal appeared between Twilight and Aurelius, drawing each in while Nightmare was thrown back. Their alicorns's mental link had been severed, and she scrambled to stand up and chase after her. She desperately tried to pull her back with magic, but it would not reach her. She charged forward, but a force pushed her back, humming in her ears, louder the harder she fought it. Twilight continued to float towards the white portal, pleading for Nightmare to rescue her. Aurelius's draconic form was canceled as he drew close to it, and he shouted curses to his sister as he was pulled inside.
Nightmare fired magic into the portal, but it only phased through and struck ground on the other side. In a last, desperate attempt, she tried to blast herself to Twilight, but the force caught and repelled her. She rushed back to as far as the force would allow her, the humming ringing in her head, and watched helplessly as Twilight reached the portal.
"I will find you, I promise!" she screamed, tears streaming down her eyes. "I won't stop!"
Twilight cried out her final words, but the hum in her head wouldn't allow her to hear it. As the lavender alicorn disappeared into the white portal, it closed in on itself and the force repelling her faded. Nightmare stumbled forward before charging for the portal before it closed entirely, but it suddenly collapsed on itself. She raised a barrier, but the explosion was too great, shattering it and sending her flying back as its light grew and shook the area. When she recovered, Nightmare bolted through the haze of dust for where the portal faded.
"N-No. Where? Where is it?" she shouted, throwing her head in every direction, trying to find a magical origin for the portal. "Where is it? Where are you, Twilight? Where did you go!?" she screamed as she broke down into sobs. A powerful drain hit her and she collapsed to ground as she continued to sob, blubbering and moaning. "Twi... Twilight! Why? Why did... this happen?"
Forcing herself to stand against her body's protests, she looked around again while quieting her sobs, giving one last effort to trace the portal or its victims. She could not even find a trace of the prince. There was nothing. It was only now that she noticed the grievous wound in her flank was gone, but it only reminded her that Twilight was gone, too. Continuing to sob, she fell to her haunches, tilting her head back as tears ran down her face.
"TWILIGHT!"
She sniffled and collapsed to the ground as the drain loomed over her consciousness. "You promised me... you promised me you would never leave..."
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 31: Sleepwalker
The princesses stared in disbelief at their beloved city. The dust and ash above Canterlot hung thick in the air, casting a sickly dread over the ruination. Fires from Aurelius's attacks started to die out, but their smoke trailed to the sky and added to the haze. Much of the northern sectors were untouched, but the central plazas and far southern corner had been all but erased in the wake of the assault.
"Sister, what just happened?" Luna muttered as their gazes gravitated back to the center. "That light... It was not natural."
Celestia's legs trembled, but she forced her voice to remain steady. "It looks like it's over. The soldiers have their orders. I need... We need to find Twilight."
"Oh, Canterlot..." muttered the moon princess, closing her eyes tensely for a moment. "I should have joined the fray. I should have—"
"No, Luna! The decisions have already been made." Celestia's eyes watered as she watched her sister hang her head for a moment, hesitance and guilt shimmering in her eyes when she raised it again. "The soldiers will begin returning soon, but we need to find everyone who was fighting."
"A-As you say," Luna said, shaking her head quickly.
Celestia led a slow, mournful flight over the cityscape, her eyes gleaning the catastrophes below while darting around briefly to ensure that she could be prepared were they to be attacked. The bodies of subjects and soldiers alike twisted her stomach, the sight of destroyed homes compounding her guilt. It can be rebuilt, she tried to reassure herself, but the lives could not. She cast a glance to Luna, but the moon princess was too busy mourning the battlefield to look her way.
They touched down to the ground when they reached the epicenter of Aurelius's battle, where the explosion of light had been. Much of the land was bare from the magic used, the rubble savagely pushed outward as a result.
"Where is everyone?" Celestia wondered, her horn glowing to illuminate the area. The princesses split apart as they investigated the area, slow and cautious steps toward craters and mounds of debris. Where are the bodies?
"I do not know. This is where Aurelius was fought. Were we wrong and he was victorious? Could he have fled with Telos's body?"
The questions came as distant noise to Celestia, her focus drawn to the piles of rubble and empty landscape. No blood. No bodies. Not even remains of any bone dragons were in the area. She sighed quietly and began to turn when something in the distance caught her eye. Twilight? "There!" The sun princess bolted forward, emitting a brighter glow to expel all shadows around, Luna trailing just behind her.
"Twilight," Celestia said the same time as Luna said, "Nightmare Moon."
The Id was lying limply on the ground. She angled her head to squint at the princesses while moaning. She raised a weak hoof to shield puffy, reddened eyes from the bright light. "Princesses?"
"Thank goodness you're okay," Celestia said in relief.
"Are you two hurt?" Luna asked, crouching down to examine her body. "You seem ill, but I do not see any injuries."
Is she experiencing... eparation anxiety? Celestia wondered.
The Id squeezed her eyes shut, but no tears came out as she quivered on the ground. "She's... she's gone."
***
Trixie folded and covered her ears with her hooves as Berry unleashed a shockwave down the line of bone dragons, watching in awe as they were blasted apart by the invisible force. It streamed down the path, carving a groove through the icy field and down the ranks. It was now her turn to fight and Berry's to rest. She watched as the mighty knight fell to her haunches and lay her sword beside herself, large, strained gasps causing her chest to rise and fall rapidly.
With her horn glowing, Trixie prepared herself for the next wave, but her body protested with an achiness that touched every fiber of her being. The call for magic brought with it a migraine. Damn, I'm almost going to be bedridden after this is all over, she lamented. Her vision started to jump at her as she watched the cliff intensely.
Derpy dropped down beside the magician, hitting the ground and stumbling before she caught herself. The paladin had gashes and bruises across her body, wincing as she faced the others. She panted while wiping blood and sweat from her face, then crouched and used a sword to lean on as she rested. "I don't think you can buy us enough time, Trixie," she said, twisting her neck to look towards the central areas. "I don't know what that light was," she continued, shuddering, "but I don't think she's coming back because of it."
Trixie snapped her head to the paladin. "Don't say that again. Twilight will come back."
"Look," Berry said, pointing to the icy zone. "It's already thawing."
"Damn..." Trixie muttered as the next wave reached the top and filed into the area. The lingering effect of Colgate's Giga Freeze had expired and the dragons moved without delay towards them. "I'm not going abandon my duty!" Crying out, lightning rained down on the dragons, striking only a few down and concussing the rest. No, damn it—Not yet!
The attack had given pause to the advance, but she fell to sitting as the drain lashed at her with pain and fatigue. With the black hole gone and the ice zone thawed, there was nothing left to aid them anymore.
"We'll die if we stay, Trixie," Derpy said, driving both swords into her baldric. "If we retreat, we at least have a chance to regroup with other soldiers."
The magician rose to standing, staring ahead. She unfastened her cloak and discarded it before pressing her hooves together. "Take the other knight and get out of here," she said quickly.
"Trixie, we can't leave you here!" protested the paladin. "It's our duty to fight just as much as you."
The magician slowly pulled her hooves apart, a sphere of energy expanding between them. It crackled loudly, growing in volume as it expanded in size. "I am not letting any of these things past me! We're the only line of defense until the soldiers return, so I'm staying!"
"But you'll—"
Berry grabbed one of Derpy's hooves and shook her head. "We might not be unicorns, but we can sense a little bit of magic. I know you can feel it in the air. We can't stay for whatever she's doing." She quickly locked her greatsword on her back and threw Colgate's body over it.
"Are you sure about this, Trixie?"
"I'll be fine. You think I'm going to let these pathetic little things kill me? Hah!" Trixie's eyes flowed across the battlefield and towards Gram. The sword was still a blade of ice and hadn't melted, a mist continuing to radiate from it. "Now get out of here."
She could hear the clanging of the knights' hooves growing distant behind her, leaving her alone. The sounds of the dragons coming up the mountain became lost in the crackle of the sphere. She slowly marched forward as they arrived and filled the area. She moved towards Gram, in the center of the zone, as the dragons poured in and surrounded her. This is going to hurt.
When all of them filled out the area, cautiously watching her maintained sphere of energy, she roared and it expanded, taking all of them in the area inside. With a clap of her hooves, the sphere sealed itself and began to shrink. Confused, the outer dragons were destroyed as the edge receded, and the closer ones attacked Trixie. She crouched down into a ball and formed the smallest barrier she could over herself as the skeletal monstrosities raged about, some thrashing each other into the sphere's edge to try and survive in the diminishing space.
"Please... Please... Please..." Trixie muttered to herself as they struck at her barrier. She could feel it weakening, hearing them inflict a crack into it, but she dared not look up. Her lucky stars were counted as she realized the dragons had fought for space as much as they fought to kill her. As the last one toppled over onto her barrier, its body was erased as the sphere shrank down to her. The barrier revolted against the spell for a few seconds, but it shattered.
This is it!
One last ember of magic escaped Trixie in that moment, linking her to the frozen sword. The sphere exploded, a discharge of energy ripping through the buildings and shearing the land. Fissures spread out from the point of origin, uplifting slabs of concrete and ruining the ground. When it ended, Trixie collapsed onto the slab beneath her, blood gushing from burns and open wounds that riddled her form while other parts of her appeared to be frozen, rapidly thawing. The tip of her horn was blackened, and she loosed a languishing groan as she used her forelegs to crawl to an upright slab. Through one eye, she watched the cliff as hope waned within her.
The haunting sounds of more bone dragons emanated from it.. I'll wait for you, Twilight. No matter what... I'll... wait... She allowed herself to slide and fall to the ground, a smear of blood on the slab she had laid against. She suppressed a yelp and tried to relax through the pain, hoping playing dead would work. The last thing she saw as she closed her eyes was the dirty haze in the sky, but she allowed herself a smile before going limp.
She could hear the dragons landing, their slow movements as they scanned the area. She cursed her bright colored fur, hoping she wouldn't get noticed otherwise. It wasn't long before they found her among the rubble in the night. Please work. Please think I'm dead. Ugh... it already feels like I'm dead. Cracking an eye, she watched as it lowered its head to her, opening its jaw. Is... this it? Am I going to die? She squeezed her eye shut, her fur bristling as fear ran along her spine, the pounding of her heart filling her head. She screamed as the she could hear the creak of the jaw starting to close.
A dull clang silenced her wail, and she took a frantic breath. Her body quaked with fear in the moment of silence that followed. Opening her eyes, she could see the bone dragon with two metal protrusions preventing the mouth from closing, and she strained herself to raise her head and follow their length. They merged into a single rod with a real dragon holding the weapon, casting a grin to her.
"It is a surprise to see you again, little one. Perhaps you could use our help," Garr greeted. Trixie collapsed back to the slab in shock, her body trembling with relief and pain. She laughed deliriously as Garr stepped forward and moved the bone dragon back with the lance, then torqued it. The dragon's neck broke down into itself beneath his strength, and he spun around and brought the lance down, crushing the front of its frame.
Trixie couldn't even say her thanks as she lost her focus to the sound of draconic roars and Garr barking orders. Of course... more dragons...
***
"What... what do you mean she's gone?" Celestia choked out confusedly. "Aren't you both connected... in the same body?"
Nightmare's tear ducts had long since spilled their reserves, but the mixture of sorrow and fear hung on her face. "Something... I don't... I don't know," she stuttered. "It... It pulled us apart. I don't... I don't know!" she cried, slipping into incoherent cries and murmurs.
Luna pivoted and scanned the areas, frowning. "Where is Telos?"
Nightmare regained enough of her composure to answer. "Dead. Aurelius killed him," she replied hoarsely.
The princesses shared wide, grim looks before looking down to Nightmare. Luna watched with surprise as Celestia crouched down and stroked a hoof through the Id's magic-drained mane in an effort to calm her down. It seemed to work for her nerves, but her body continued to tremble.
"If Aurelius slew Telos, then where is the prince now?" Luna asked.
Nightmare hesitated before answering. "I don't... know. He... he was also pulled into that... light. The portal..." Celestia helped the Id to standing as she glanced around. "Where is everyone? The bone dragons... the soldiers?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," replied Luna. When Nightmare gave her a guilty a look, she quickly added, "There shall be time later to recount these events." The alicorns turned to leave, but a yellow, transparent sphere of light illuminated the southern skies. "Sister. Is that not—"
"One of Telos's spells! Could he have survived?"
Nightmare grimaced as images of the sage's final moments surfaced in her memory. Her mind played the crunching of his bones and gushing blood back to her, threatening to cripple her with nausea once more. When she shrugged off the feelings, Celestia launched herself towards the location, leaving the others in a hasty flight.
The darker alicorns chased after her, catching up as they soared over the cityscape. The walls of rubble eclipsed the tops of most buildings, and Nightmare blinked away the memory of her and Twilight defending themselves when coming to aid Telos. A roar prompted the Id to look ahead. Large, dark figures thrashed with the bone dragons in the distance, equaling their size. One held an odd black weapon one claw, brutally bashing and striking down the bone dragons as they reached it.
"Dragons!" said Luna and Nightmare in unison.
In the distance, they could make out two ponies galloping towards the castle, and Luna recognized them as the Celestial Knights. Descending, they landed in front of them, prompting them to halt. Derpy quickly knelt in the presence of the princess while Berry awkwardly bowed her head.
"Status report, Paladin," said the moon princess.
"We fought until we exhausted ourselves, Your Majesty. Knight Minuette used up her power to buy more time for Archmage Sparkle's return, but we were unable to outlast the enemy forces. Archmage Lulamoon stayed behind to ensure our escape." Derpy raised her head to meet Luna's gaze. "I'm sorry, Princess. We failed."
"It should've been me," spat Berry.
"Do not dwell. It is already done," Luna reminded her. "What of the dragons aiding Archmage Lulamoon now?"
"Dragons?" said both knights, with Derpy continuing, "She was alone when we left."
"Quickly, come with us. They may need help," Celestia said as she took flight. The others joined her in flight with Derpy beside Luna.
"We don't have much energy left, but we'll try," said the paladin as she tried to keep up.
"Oh, come on. I don't have wings." Berry groaned from below as she started to run back down the path, muttering curses to herself.
They reached the battlefield at the southern cliff several minutes later, touching down as three dragons brawled against their undead counterparts. The black lance was jutted into a bone dragon, lifting it into the air before slamming it onto the ground and breaking it into pieces. Noticing their presence, the black dragon pivoted to face the ponies.
"Greetings, Your Majesties. It seems an ally was needed in this trying time," Garr said, giving a quick bow.
Celestia nodded. "I'm glad you came, Garr."
"We owe a great debt to Twilight Sparkle, and by proxy, her nation. The freedom of the Brood cannot be measured. This is a small effort to repay her kindness. We'll talk more once these dragons have been dealt with." As he turned to begin fighting, Luna dashed ahead of him and his two allies.
"Stand behind me," she shouted, prompting the dragons to finish off their enemies and pull back. Celestia dashed to stand beside her sister as she drew magic into her horn, and formed a barrier in front of them. With a battle cry, Luna pointed a hoof into the distance where the dragons flowed in. "Black Hole!"
Nightmare blinked away deja vu as the familiar spell appeared before her eyes again, drawing in the bone dragons and erasing them. Luna's version of the spell was not as strong, drawing them in from a smaller zone, but it was still as effective at reducing them to nothingness. After several minutes, the dragons had stopped coming over the cliff entirely and Luna ended the spell.
"Is that all of them?" she asked, suddenly panting for air.
"More of the Brood are dealing with those at the base of the mountain. If they have stopped attacking the city, then the rest will soon be destroyed."
"Where is the archmage?" Derpy asked, glancing around.
Garr's eyes fell to the knights and his demeanor changed. "The mysterious Executioner of the Badlands. So, you are a warrior in service to Equestria... This is... unfortunate news."
Derpy found herself with a hoof to her swords and standing sideways to the dragon. "What did you call me?" she said, her eyes narrowing.
Berry gave the dragon a heavy look, but remained still with Colgate on her back. "What do you care? I don't see you out there."
"Berry, what's going on?" Derpy asked, not taking her eyes off of Garr.
The dragon's eyes narrowed, but he became placid. "The archmage is over there," he said, pointing to his side. Trixie lay on a stained slab of concrete, her tattered cloak reduced to bandages soaked with blood. "The little one is mortally wounded, but she will survive."
Garr and the knights stared at each other for a while longer before the dragon pried his attention away. Derpy gave Berry a confused, worried glance, but the earth knight shook her head.
Celestia reached the magician and crouched down, prompting Trixie to open her eyes. "P-Prin...cess?" she rasped. Luna stepped into her view with a concerned, but relieved look and illuminated her injuries. "Is it... over?"
"Yes," the sun princess confirmed. "Rest now. I'll heal some of your injuries." The white glow of the healing spell emanated from her hooves, lighting up the area.
Nightmare moved closer to them, trying to remain out of sight, but the magician twisted her neck to glimpse her. "Twilight? You came back," she said, smiling.
"I..."
The Id froze as she stared at her. Fear and guilt wrapped her heart, slowly constricting as Trixie's eyes lit up at seeing her, and her stomach flooded with nausea as words escaped her. No. She can't know, yet. She can't... She slowly moved closer, her guilt and grief trembling her body until she stopped moving. It'll only be until she recovers more. She cast Trixie a grim, hollow look before closing her eyes and shaking her head. Why can't I lie to her? Why now of all times can't I bring myself to lie? Fragmented memories flashed into her mind of Twilight and Trixie's relationship. For a moment, she saw the magician in the same way as Twilight had, but the feeling had vanished as quickly as it appeared. "She's not... here."
"What... do you mean?"
Nightmare opened her mouth to speak, but Celestia answered instead. "Don't worry about Twilight right now," she said in a soothing tone.
The magician closed her eyes and lost consciousness, much to Nightmare's relief. She cast the sun princess a thankful look before observing Trixie. As she watched her surface wounds close, more fragmented memories filled her head, muddling her thoughts. She gnashed her teeth and forced herself to walk away, her legs still trembling. She eavesdropped on the knights to distract herself.
"Hey, why did you call me the Executioner of the Badlands?" Derpy asked sourly, prompting Garr to turn and face her. She no longer had a hoof on the hilts of her swords, but she had remained ready to draw them.
"That is the name the Brood has given to that of a dragonslayer from the Badlands, said to have slain many dragons by themselves."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up," Berry said quickly. "The Brood aren't even from the Badlands."
"The Brood may not, but I am. You may not be killing members of the Brood itself, but you are still killing dragons." Garr lowered himself to better meet the eyes of the knights. "To some of my kin, you are little more than murderers."
"Is that what they call us? The ones fighting for everyone's safety?" Colgate said, stirring, and Berry crouched to allow her to climb off her back and stand. "We keep everyone safe by thinning their ranks, and we get labeled by their enemies? Why don't you spend a couple nights there and see if you last?"
"Blood for blood is not the answer," Garr said, his voice growing heavy.
"Well, we'll see about that... won't we?" the unicorn knight said.
"Enough," Celestia shouted. "I understand your disagreement with the duties of my knights, but your indifference should not be directed at us right now," she said, motioning to Luna. "Now is not the time for arguing the morality of how the Badlands are handled."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Colgate said, kneeling.
Garr bowed his head. "You are right. Forgive me, Princess Celestia. I know all too well of the danger there, even to our own. It is not my place to judge, so far from the areas impacted."
"I know about the massacre in Draconis," Derpy said. Garr gave the paladin a questioning gaze. "With that, and that you know we've killed dragons before the recent war, why would you help us now?"
"Silence, Paladin Hooves," Luna barked.
"No, it is a fair question to answer. This one hides no malice in her heart. If you know of the massacre, by now you must also know that the entirety of the Brood's council had been manipulated by Aurelius. Those of the royal guard, and King Render himself, were not of sound mind at the time of Equestria's assault. We hold no ill will towards her or Equestria for the result of Aurelius's machinations. If not for her, the Brood would still be subjugated to his poisonous will. Are you satisfied?"
"Yes, and I'm sorry for what happened."
Garr chuckled, much to everyone's surprise, and he lowered himself to the paladin again. "We mourn the past so that we may face the future with a clear mind."
Colgate held wary eyes to Garr as she strode past him and retrieved Gram. She hesitated before pulling the blade from the ground and surveyed the area. With a heave, she pried it free, fragments of ice falling away from it, and slipped into its sheathe.
"Come," Garr said as he extended a wing to the ground. "There is still much to be done." Everyone climbed atop the dragon's back, with Celestia carrying Trixie on her own.
As the black dragon lifted off towards the castle, the Id cast an empty look to the battlefield. None of it matters, she thought as the shadow-laden destruction passed in a blur. Everything we did. Everything you tried to do... None of it matters without you. She snapped her head up as a hoof rested on her shoulder.
Luna offered her a soft look. "I know it is sudden, but this is not how she would want you to carry on." Nightmare turned her head away, but the moon princess used her hoof to turn it back to hers. "We had shared such terrible feelings for ages. I... know."
Nightmare clamped her eyes shut as she tried not to cry, but she found herself quietly weeping into the princess's neck when she pulled her close. "Why... would you take pity... on... on me?"
"You mistake empathy for pity. Ages of anguish passed us, but here we remain. Do not give up on her. You have never submitted yourself to defeat in the past, and now is not the time to begin." Celestia stepped closer and raised a hoof, but Luna shot her a glance and shook her head, prompting her to only watch. "A thousand years I cannot properly remember. I know now what you had done for us in the past, and what you had not. We will find her." Nightmare pulled away and nodded, wiping her eyes.
The dragon set down on the steps leading to the castle's entrance landing, extending a wing for everyone to disembark. Ponies had already gathered on the landing, wounded and uninjured alike. Medical personnel were already in the throes of triaging those injured while members of the council relayed commands and information among the others. All of the chaos there paused for a tense moment as the princesses returned, with relieved faces smiling to her and avoiding the dragon. As their eyes traveled over the knights and princesses, they lost their glimmer when they met Garr's, and quickly went back to their duties.
"Your Majesties," said Chancellor Leo as he rushed to greet them. "We panicked when we couldn't find you here."
Celestia set Trixie down as she began to awaken. "Forgive us, Leo. We had to be sure the worst was over," she replied. She examined the area and all of the injured, her expression weighing to the grisly sight of blood and soldiers writhing from their wounds. "How many...?"
"As bad as to be expected, but the efforts of the knights assuming the frontline has spared many. The Archmagi had been devastated by Aurelius's first assault and I cannot bear magic to represent them. I'm afraid we won't know the total of how many perished in the battle until we sweep the city in the hours to come."
"I want the search and care for survivors to be our priority. We will send for aid to rebuild the city once that is done," said Celestia.
"As you wish, Your Majesty." He half-turned to regroup with the other council members, but he stopped for a moment. "Has my daughter sustained any permanent injuries?"
"No."
Leo nodded and returned to the others, quickly slipping into the conversation.
"I shall tend to the needs of the knights. Do not hesitate to ask me for anything, sister," Luna said quickly and gently. "The loss is all of ours to bear. We will shoulder the burden together."
"Thank you, Luna. I will find time to mourn later." Celestia turned to address the crowd, offering explanations and orders, trying to bolster their morale after so many had just watched their homes burn and their friends die.
Nightmare moved to the far end of the landing, wishing to be away from others, and gazed at the ruined city. She listened absently for her name, but the sun princess mentioned her as little as possible, much to her relief.
Luna found Derpy cradling Dash in her lap as she soothingly hummed to her. The paladin nodded to her and she pulsed magic into the cyan knight's body. Dash wrenched her body and groaned, but she quickly relaxed as Derpy stroked her mane, resuming her humming.
"That should be all. Inform us at once if something is amiss with her," Luna said as she moved to the other knights.
"Thank you, Princess Luna," Derpy called after her.
Trixie rose to standing and glanced around to the chaos. Ponies were scurrying about, shouting and hollering to one another. Celestia was speaking over many of them, but all of it fell to the background for her. She glimpsed Nightmare standing far off to the side by herself, staring at the city with a blank expression. Hobbling to her, she leaned herself against a column, her magic exhaustion sapping her physical strength. "Twilight?"
Nightmare flinched, then slowly turned to face the magician. "No."
"Is she sleeping?"
"No, Trixie." Nightmare replied, turning her head away. "Twilight is gone."
"What do you mean?" Trixie said, leaving the column and forcing herself to stand closer as she faced the Id.
"A light ripped us apart and took her into a portal. I don't know what happened or where, but I... I couldn't stop it." Nightmare winced, hanging her head in shame. It took a moment for the magician to process the information, and she raised her head to gauge her reaction.
"Y-You didn't stop it!" Trixie's eyes widened and she shoved the Id into the next column. "Or did you just stand by and watch so you could steal her body?" she hissed.
Nightmare did not know when or how, but her magic had erupted on its own. A dark sheathe held Trixie in place before her. "How can you accuse me of that?" she snapped back.
"It's easy," the magician replied. "You were evil and selfish before. What's to say that you aren't now, huh?"
Nightmare's anger vanished instantly as the words hit her ears, and she released her magical hold. She fell to her haunches, her mouth quivering. "N-no! All of that was before..."
"Before?" Trixie echoed, moving to loom over her. "Before what? Before you needed another body?"
Nightmare raised her head, the pain shining in her eyes. "Before she defeated me. Before she saved me. Before I... I fell in love with her."
The magician lurched backwards into the column, her body shaking as she glared at her. "What did you say?"
***
"Twilight," a muffled voice sang. "Twiiiiliiight," it repeated again, its sweet tone piercing into her sleep.
She twisted her body, eyes still closed, and moaned. "I don't want to get up. Just a few more minutes," she mumbled, rolling back over.
A nudge to her side elicited another protesting moan. "Come now, Twilight Sparkle. It is time for you to awaken."
Sitting up to face the voice, Twilight yawned before opening her eyes and taking in the world through blurry vision. However, the entire scope of it had been occupied by her awakener. Startled, she fell onto her back while her awakener moved to stand over her, leaning down. Twilight shivered nervously as they brought their face closer to hers.
"P-Princess Celestia, d-don't scare me like that! What are you doing?" she asked quickly.
The white mare occupying her view cocked her head to one side, a plain look on her face. "I am not Princess Celestia," she said softly.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 32: Eldritch Reality
Twilight blinked several times, hoping that the alicorn before her would pull back, but she remained gazing at her. She sank further into the floor as they slowly gravitated closer, then panned themselves around her for inspection. What is she doing? Her face flushed and her eyes widened until, finally, the alicorn pulled away. Confused, Twilight sat up again, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "Who are you?"
The question was immediately clashed by another one as she peered around. All around was a thick, pale whiteness that seemed to enclose her and the alicorn into a localized space. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Where... am I? she thought. No walls. No floor. No ceiling. Just the pale whiteness. Even the floor below her bore the same bizarre appearance and had no indication it was even separate from the existence of everything else.
"I am Astra," the alicorn said, her eyes never leaving Twilight. Stoicism held her demeanor the entire time she observed her, but her eyes kept an amused glaze.
Twilight stared at her, studying her features as the name slowly grew familiar. I hate those eyes, she thought as the steely orbs peered back. "Astra," she echoed. She surged to her hooves as the name sank in. "You! You're Soothsayer Astra." She had never seen her directly, but she knew the name.
Astra did not respond, choosing only to observe Twilight in silence.
She looks a lot like Celestia, Twilight thought.
The soothsayer's body was a chalky white, but with a faint, translucent blue aura to it, giving her distinction to everything else. Her mane and tail floated in thick masses of a darker shade of blue, defying gravity. Despite the distinction, the resemblance to the sun princess made her uncomfortable. She took a cautious step closer to see Astra's furled up wings. No! she thought, stumbling back the same steps.
"You... were in Draconis..." she muttered, but her voice quickly thickened with anger. "Weren't you!"
"What makes you think that, Twilight Sparkle?"
"Your wings. Mine became just like them, and the magic that brought me here was the same."
Astra unfurled large, white wings. Twilight scowled as the feathers faded into tendrils of light, blending in with the surroundings. They danced and billowed in the air, one extending to her. Twilight blinked as it seemed to stretch to her. She fell backwards, blinking again to see them furled back up in the next instant.
"Where are my wings?" Twilight looked herself over, stunned by her appearance. She was a unicorn again, no longer bearing the darkness to her coat from Nightmare or her own wings. She could not summon the magical sheen to her mane or coat at will, either.
"Twilight Sparkle, do you know where you are?" Astra asked plainly. When the unicorn shook her head, she brought a hoof up. "This is the ethereal plane."
The hoof was swayed to her side, seemingly touching reality. A stream of light sprung from the contact and whirled through the air before finalizing as a flat band between them. Twilight recognized images of herself and Celestia playing across them.
"Are these my... memories?" she said, trembling as her eyes scanned the images.
"Where your Princess Celestia and Princess Luna preside over the mortal realm, it can be said that this is now my domain. As you are here in it now, you are as much a part of it as you are a part of me, so to speak."
Twilight felt her heart crash into her stomach, her mind racing. She sat down and glanced down at shaky hooves. Memories of the slaughter in Draconis popped into her mind, followed by being torn from Nightmare Moon. Glancing up, the same images played back to her in chilling clarity. The implication of Astra's presence, and now meeting her, turned her stomach sour. "Am I... dead?" she asked, fearing the answer.
Astra's eyes narrowed on her. "Dead? No." Hope wormed its way back into Twilight, but the soothsayer's placid gaze quickly stymied it. "You are simply not bound to the mortal realm, so to speak. The ethereal plane is a stream of existence, energy and imagination."
"Imagination?"
"As you are here, you are the combined existence of magic and collective thought. You,"—she pointed at her—"are your soul." The images in the band changed to various depictions of Nightmare Moon. "Her existence is much the same as yours is now. Merely a soul without a static, unique form."
"How am I the same as Nightmare Moon? Aurelius created her to corrupt and take control of Princess Luna." One of the images briefly showed the Id vomiting in the throne room; she forced herself not to think of the cause.
"I loathe my brother's ill-willed actions. He is ruled by his sinister desires. It has led to many... vulgar choices." Astra's nose crinkled with her disgust.
"Does that start with murdering you?"
Astra's eyes widened for a moment, but she closed them before speaking. "That was something... I did not believe he would do, I must admit."
"You're called Soothsayer, but you didn't see that coming?" she challenged.
Astra regained her stoic composure. "My subjects accorded me that title." When she opened her eyes to see Twilight maintaining her stare, she added, "No, I did not."
Twilight loosed a frustrated groan while maintaining eye contact. I hate her eyes. "Why did you involve me in all of this? Wouldn't Celestia and Luna have been able to stop Aurelius themselves?" There was a pause before Astra answered, and Twilight stomped her hooves. "Answer me."
The soothsayer didn't flinch or react, furthering Twilight's aggravation. After another long moment, Astra cocked her head to one side. "My brother would have likely slain one of your princesses and succeeded in taking over. I did not choose you. Your princesses chose you. If you feel there is blame to be placed, it lies not with me."
The band of images vanished and Astra turned around, taking several steps forward and standing. She thrust her forelegs in front of her, slowly parting them, reality tearing between. A black void ripped through the whiteness, but the soothsayer obscured Twilight's view. Something crashed onto the ground and she stepped to the side. However, Astra moved out of the way as the void closed up.
"Greetings, dear brother. It is good to see you again," Astra intoned, her face absent of interest or joy.
Twilight gaped as Aurelius stood up, brushing himself off and looking around in a daze. The fiery prince lacked his magic and appeared as a light, dull red, his darker mane appearing as unkempt hair. He appeared much younger than when she had encountered him all times prior.
Twilight lost herself to anger, charging both siblings. She took a swing at Astra, but phased through her. She squealed as she crashed into the ground. Rising up, she attempted to attack Aurelius, only for her attack to phase through him as well.
Astra turned her attention to the unicorn. "Twilight Sparkle. This is a domain comprised of my magic and thought. If I do not wish it, then it shall not be."
"What the heck is going on?" Twilight seethed. Those damn eyes!
"Astra?" the prince said as he gained his bearings. "I had always thought... No. I knew! But tell me oh beloved sister, how are you still alive?" he asked bitterly.
"Dear brother, I never died," the soothsayer replied simply.
Aurelius tried to call upon his magic, but nothing answered his command. He attempted to transform into a dragon, but it failed as well, leaving him shocked as his gaze slowly fell back to his elder sister. Rekindling his resolve, he attempted to strike her, only to fall victim to the same fate as Twilight.
"That won't work," Twilight said, but the prince didn't acknowledge her. He can't see me?
The prince jumped to his hooves. "I killed your little pet!" he shouted. The prince found himself levitating, raising high above the ground. In the next moment, he was driven into the floor, a painful yelp escaping his throat, only to be drowned out as he was slammed into the floor a second time.
"This is my domain now. Your stay is merely temporary and superficial, but I shall make it less than pleasant for you, dear brother." For once, Twilight was frightened by her emotionless voice, and the prince shrank into himself in fear as the pain rippled across his features.
"If it's temporary, then why are we here? Can I get back to the real world?" Twilight asked quickly, stifling any ill-feelings she held for the soothsayer in favor of answers.
Astra stepped to the side and plunged a hoof into the whiteness, the end of her leg disappearing, or blurring into it as far as Twilight could tell. "Aurelius shall depart from this dimension before long, but you shall not, I must admit."
"What!?"
The prince grinned viciously as he finally took notice of Twilight, causing the latter to flinch in surprise. He rubbed his forehooves together. "Oh, how delightful, sister. You're removing one of the biggest obstacles for me!" He stepped beside Astra, leaning up to her. "You are truly wonderful, do you know that?" He grinned and wiped a stream of blood from his mouth.
Astra was neither amused nor angered by his sarcastic affection, but she turned her attention to him nonetheless. A black light smothered the prince's mouth and he tried to flail and shout. As he found his movements restricted, his front right leg made a sickening crack as it folded forwards. Despite the agony of his movements, no sound escaped his throat. Twilight stared at him as he writhed in anguished silence, then rubbed her own leg.
I have to get out of here!
"Dear brother, Twilight Sparkle is going to be your end." She stared at him with her blank expression while he glowered back death, tears in his eyes. For a moment, Twilight saw a faint smile as she spoke. "Have I ever been wrong about predictions beyond us? Do you perhaps feel I shall be incorrect with this one? I wish to hear your thoughts on the matter."
The black light covering the prince's mouth faded, but a slew of curses streamed out once he could speak again. "I'm going to make sure you suffer for an eternity, Astra!"
The soothsayer gazed at him until he stopped speaking, having grown nervous and fearful of her again as silence fell between them. "I do not... suffer, dear brother." His left foreleg snapped this time, and he screamed again without anything to quiet him.
As his agony died down, tears flowed down Aurelius's cheeks. His breaths were labored, but the pain subsided and he glowered at her again. "I know... I know what'll... anger you," he said between pained pants. He grinned and mentally prepared himself for a third broken leg. "I finally killed him. I finally killed your precious little Telos. As a dragon, I ate his lifeless body. I chewed him into nothing but mush and swallowed." He tilted his head back and half-snorted, half-cackled between sharp breaths. Astra stared blankly at him for a long while. "What, nothing to say now?"
Twilight collapsed to the floor, her eyes wide for a moment as the memory of Telos's demise played in her mind.
"I do not desire to hear your voice any longer." The black light returned over the prince's mouth as both of his hind legs snapped.
Twilight looked up to watch the prince writhing in pain again, his body convulsing as every fiber of his being cried out for mercy. She found herself unable to pull her eyes away; instead, she took a step closer, drinking in his suffering. Why... am... I...? Her muddled thoughts scattered away as Astra removed her hoof from the whiteness and turned to her, but she failed to notice. I... feel...
"I apologize for our interact—" Twilight tilted her head back, cackling as she stood up. "Twilight Sparkle?"
"Can you... torture him some more?" she asked as she shifted her focus from the prince to the soothsayer. "I want to see him suffer," she added as she looked to the soothsayer, a pleading glaze to her violet orbs.
Astra's eyes narrowed for a moment, but she glanced at her brother. "I will not. I did not take you for a sadist, I must admit."
"Why not? Just another broken bone, a twist of a wrist. Preferably his neck, but I don't care either way," she said in a casual manner.
Astra's eyes narrowed again as she glanced to Twilight, and Aurelius disappeared in dark flash. "While it is of no consequence, I do not enjoy the violence."
LIAR! "Are you kidding me!?" Twilight dashed to stand in front of Astra, peering into her eyes as anger boiled over once more. "That's awfully hypocritical. You torture your brother, and you use me to slaughter the Brood, but you don't enjoy violence?" Astra stared back with her blank expression. "Say something!"
"Forgive me—"
"I could never forgive you for that," snarled Twilight. "You're just like Celestia."
Astra's eyes lowered into a deep, listless expression. "I do not typically explore the lives of others, but I believe it is of no consequence to you what I do." She tapped a hoof to the floor and it faded into a view of Nightmare Moon. "Divert your focus from my brother for now."
Twilight sank to the floor as her anger was drowned by grief, her eyes welling with tears. "She's..."
"In pain," Astra finished.
Nightmare was fixated on a cracked helm on a worn vanity, a broken mirror behind showing a scattered reflection of tears streaming down her cheeks. She slowly levitated the helm closer to her face, her reflection showing in its fading polish. With a heavy sigh, she placed it upon her head and reached for something unseen. As she turned, she paused and gazed directly at Twilight. Can she...? But the Id blinked and continued on, the unseen object's levitating glow following her just out of view.
"Why are you showing me this? What does this have to do with me?" Twilight said quickly.
"You shall be reunited." Twilight's spirits rose at the words. "As it is currently, I am holding Aurelius and allowing for Celestia to lick her wounds, so to speak." She tapped her hoof again and the floor turned white. Nightmare and Twilight—as an alicorn—stood back-to-back between them.
"Why am I a unicorn here," asked Twilight, changing the subject.
"Do you hold pride in becoming an alicorn?"
"What, can't see into my mind now?" Twilight replied sarcastically.
Astra sighed. "I saw only what was necessary to see." She swayed a hoof and the alicorns combined together, creating the dark cross fusion with Twilight dominant, but the unicorn didn't react. "I find amusement in the truth of your maddened words. I assure you, however, that I do not take pride in assisting in their creation." The fusion of both alicorns shifted into Twilight's transformation against the Brood's royal guard and King Render. "You did not ask why I intervened in Draconis."
"I don't know if I even care anymore. Why should I ask now?"
"I thought you might have wished to know."
"Fine." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Why did you, oh great and almighty goddess from beyond death, help me, a victim of duty and circumstance, in Draconis?"
"Very well." Astra stomped her forehooves and the image of her transformation was replaced with the entire vicinity warping into Draconis, just moments before Render impaled Twilight. "If you had not prepared yourself to transform, you would have surely died, so to speak."
Twilight jumped and yelped as Render's lance crashed into the ground in a cacophony, the outside perspective haunting as the memories of the experience flooded every corner of her mind. She shivered as she stared at her body, wide-eyed, the chill of death as the blood drained out of her body returning to her nerves. Trixie's scream pierced her thoughts causing her to grimace and look away for a moment. When she looked back, she could see the magician crying as they said their goodbyes. Twilight reached out a hoof to her as tears welled in her eyes, but in a flash, her friends were gone.
"You are truly a noble soul, Twilight Sparkle," Astra commented, but the unicorn ignored her and wiped her eyes.
Render lumbered over to the lance and grabbed it, turning his head away as he tore it from the ground. Twilight shivered, but did not blink as she watched him whip the blood off of it, her body sliding free and hitting the ground. It rolled several meters, a smear of blood on the waypoint to mark her impact. Her legs quaked as she watched the blood flow over the stone, forming runes she had not seen since her days as an archmage still in training. Blood filled in the grooves in the waypoint as particles of light formed above, slowly drifting down. The particles flowed into her body as the blood stopped, soon receding back into her. Twilight gnashed her teeth as the explosion of light came.
I died, she thought.
"My influence began the moment you sought to invoke your higher form. Your princesses should have forbidden you from using such a power. Never could you have mastered it in so little time, even with your extraordinary gifts." Astra paused as Twilight conversed with Render, waiting until it was finished before continuing. She motioned to above her transformed version when she returned back to Draconis in the memory. "You could not have possibly seen it at the time. I know that you felt it. Had I not intervened, you would surely have perished. It took great effort to ensure you did not fully comprehend my influence."
Twilight cringed when the first attack brought down two red dragons. She watched the scene with equal parts awe and disgust. When the black flame appeared, she couldn't remember it.
"A black flame is the pinnacle of fire magic. In such a state, fire is not easily controlled. You resisted my will, but you maintained your finesse. Quite impressive, I must admit."
"No..." Twilight muttered as she stepped back, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "No! You were going to kill all of them anyway?"
Astra stepped closer, cocking her head to one side, the flame erupting from the ground behind her. "I was all that prevented your death, so to speak." She swayed a hoof outward, drawing in a stream of blue energy to it.
"I-I would have been fine! None of them had to die!"
"Oh? Was the vulgar display of power not to your liking? Perhaps I was mistaken when I linked myself to you. Tell me, then, would you have truly, absolutely gated your power—if you could have—had you not had my... assistance?"
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She froze, her heart pounding as the cries of dying dragons behind Astra filled the silence between them. After a moment, she collapsed to the floor and held her hooves over her eyes. "I never... wanted any of this..." she whimpered.
"In my initial contact with Princess Celestia I did not name anyone. I informed her of the risk of doing everything herself, but she was the one who asked if invoking the Rites of the Alicorn would be a better option." Astra rose up, throwing her other hoof out and drawing in a second stream of energy, the memory of Draconis fading back into whiteness behind her.
"And then she picked me..."
"She trusts you." Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. "From the perspective of a ruler, she made the correct decision." Astra was met with a glare from the unicorn. "She could not have accounted for the unforeseen. Even I cannot see all."
"How did you not know about Nightmare Moon, or your own brother, but you manifested yourself to tell Celestia about a war with the dragons?" She stood up and approached the soothsayer. "You didn't even care about your own lover, and he gave up everything for your legacy."
Astra loosed a sigh, swirling her hooves around and drawing energy from different points. The streams flowed from the nothingness, the whiteness. "You must put your world first unless you wish to see it end. That is what your princess—and I—have done many times. Were I in her situation, I would have made the same decision without a second thought. The toll of being a leader is more than one on the outside can understand." She moved with a rhythm to the energy streams, but after a moment, her eyes fluttered open as she bared her teeth. With a sharp groan, she collapsed to the ground, the streams fading away.
"What's wrong?" Twilight moved closer, but the soothsayer held a hoof out to ward her away.
"I... underestimated my brother's power," she said as she slowly rose to her hooves. "He shall soon escape this realm and resume his plans."
"What, how?"
"Neither of you are dead. I am merely holding you both here for a time, but you are weakened and detached from your corporeal form." Astra took a few deep breaths, relaxing completely and drawing in energy again.
"What about me?"
"What about you?" the soothsayer mimicked.
"So, I can leave just like Aurelius? I can just go back to my body, right?"
"No." Astra offered her a blank expression as she spoke. "I removed your soul from it. That body now belongs to Nightmare Moon, so to speak." Twilight's legs trembled as her mind comprehended the soothsayer's words. "Your soul is no longer bound to a physical form, and thus, you do not have anywhere on the mortal plane you can return to on your own." She turned away to focus on her energy siphoning.
"N-No!"
Twilight staggered backwards as her hind legs buckled. She sat down and quivered as she replayed her final moments in the physical plane in her mind.
I will find you, I promise!
She froze as Nightmare's screams flooded her thoughts, and she clenched her eyes shut as she wept into readied hooves.
I won't stop!
"I'm stuck here?" Twilight shouted, as if hearing it would comfort her. Grief and fear quickly turned to rage, and she sprang up. "So... what! Aurelius just gets to fight his way back out and win? Everything I've done... everything I've fought for... It's all for nothing!?"
"Yes," replied Astra simply, her attention still focused elsewhere.
Twilight attempted to strike the soothsayer again, but she phased through her once more. Again she tried to call upon her magic, but nothing happened. She screeched out her frustrations and pounded the floor instead.
"Why would you bring me here? Why is this happening to me? It isn't fair!"
"Fair?" Astra scoffed. "Perhaps you are even more naive than..." she trailed off. "As I had originally predicted, you will succeed in ending Aurelius's war," she reassured.
"How? You just said—"
"I should have been clearer." The soothsayer turned to finally face the unicorn. "My answer was to your second question, though I suppose it could apply to all three. You are not truly stuck here, so to speak. When you are able, you shall be returned. I am binding my brother for as long as is reasonable. He will soon be free of my grasp." Astra ceased her siphoning and stepped to the side, beginning to draw in two new streams of energy. Twilight shielded her eyes as bright orange and bright blue blinded her momentarily before the vibrancy of the energy evened out.
"Are you going to put me back into my own body with Nightmare Moon?"
"No." The streams stopped and Astra tilted her head to the floor. "It would seem as though my brother has escaped. There will be some time before he regains any of his strength, but I must remind you. All that you have fought for will be for naught by the time I am able to return you to your world." Three more streams of energy were drawn from the nothingness into the soothsayer.
"What... do you mean 'by the time I am able to return you'?"
"Time is merely a mortal idea, Twilight Sparkle. It is an idea that does not follow the same perception in this realm as it does in yours, so to speak." She took a deep breath before continuing. "As such, I expect no less than a year to have passed by the time you are ready to return."
"Ready to return?" Twilight echoed.
"Yes." Before she could elaborate, her energy siphoning ceased and she turned as the whiteness beside her tore open. Aurelius stepped through, his body looking worn and his face carrying a haggardness to it. Despite his injuries only moments ago, he was standing on unbroken legs.
"Did you really think you could keep me here, Astra?" he growled.
"Of course not, dear brother."
The prince attempted to strike her, but it phased through her again. "Damn you..."
"This is my realm, dear brother. You bear no influence here within any capacity." Aurelius turned to Twilight attempted to strike her the same. She froze in fear as the attack phased through her just the same. "My direct influence is all you can affect. Though it has not been diminished, you are free to return"—she paused and ran a hoof through her strange mane, flattening it to a more natural look—"to a location of my choosing. I assure you, it shall be most... uncomfortable for you, dear brother."
"There's nothing you—"
"Do you remember our most trying and tragic war?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at the emphasis, but what piqued her interest most was the prince's reaction.
"N-No! You wouldn't—"
"Oh, but I would." Twilight gaped as Astra cracked a smile before shoving her brother. The prince's face distorted into fear, but before pleas could be articulated a tear appeared in the whiteness and swallowed him, closing in the same moment. As soon as Astra noticed the unicorn's shock, her smile faded. "I apologize for my displays. Telos most certainly painted me a saint."
"I'm glad he was wrong." Astra frowned. "He's not the first to be blinded by love."
The soothsayer blinked. "I suppose he is not." She drew in a blue stream of energy to her as she continued. "I am going to give you a natural alicorn body for you return to your world in."
Twilight's eyes widened. "A natural alicorn body? I was already an alicorn."
"Through the Rites of the Alicorn, yes. You were merely an artificial alicorn. Despite your ascension, you did not bear the same constitution, nor potential of that of a natural one." She ceased her energy siphon and moved closer to Twilight, looking her straight in the eyes with a heavy gaze. "I must warn you. There is no reversing this process once I have bound your soul into the new body."
"What about Nightmare Moon? She's an alicorn and her soul can be transferred."
"Yes, but she was," Astra pursed her lips briefly, "created to do such. Her soul attaches itself, rather than occupies... what we shall call existence. To corrupt your Princess Luna, she needed to be much like a natural alicorn. That is why they bear many similarities, even apart. You, however, have given her a uniqueness that Aurelius had never intended."
"What's that?"
"Despite my brother's lack of understanding of her creation, she is very much like a normal soul. You have given her love and hope, befriending her despite the past sins she was made to commit." Astra smiled again, and Twilight was beginning to feel it was dangerous for her. "You remind me of someone."
"Who... Telos?" I guess we have one thing in common. We're both dead now.
"Not quite. You will know the answer, and its meaning, some day."
"You?"
Astra chuckled and opened her wings, drawing in more streams of energy through them. "I am afraid not." Each stream was silent and colorless, but the blue stream drawn to her horn began to make a humming noise. Twilight recognized it as the same hum from when she was pulled from Canterlot, and she grimaced as she recalled Nightmare shouting to her, only for her voice to be suffocated by that same hum.
Twilight sat down and folded her forelegs across her chest. "When can I leave?"
Astra returned to her stoic demeanor and eyed her up and down. "When fate allows."
"This is your realm, you said. Shouldn't you be able to tell me when?"
"You do not seem to understand, so you must forgive me."
What now? "Can you, I don't know, maybe elaborate on that? Some of us aren't fluent in vague."
"You are the prediction, yet, you are the one I cannot predict." Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but the energy streams exploded into violent conduits, roaring as they flowed into the soothsayer. They flowed around her in undulating streams, shifting into various hues of color, only to be canceled out by the vibrancy of the other streams. After a few moments, they vanished and Astra collapsed to the floor panting. She glanced up to the unicorn with an apologetic look. "I... need some... time..."
Twilight rushed to her side, crouching down to examine her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Astra took several gasps of air before her breathing normalized. "I am afraid not. This is my realm and you cannot interact with it beyond what I will. You cannot grasp at anything outside of this..."
"Prison," Twilight finished, glancing away in annoyance.
Astra stood up as if nothing happened and glanced around. "From your perspective, I suppose it could be viewed as such."
Twilight released an exasperated groan. "There. Is. Nothing. Here!"
Astra turned to her with a blank expression, her voice returning to a dull tone once more. "Forgive me, Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps you may consider this beyond death. There are things that you cannot fathom as you are now. Your mind could break, or your soul could shatter at the mere comprehension of some of the knowledge I have obtained."
Twilight looked at her incredulously before standing up. Panning her vision around to the white nothingness, she crossed her forelegs over her chest again. "Yep. Looking real transcended here. You're dead, you're stuck here, your premonitions suck, and all you seem to have accomplished is two abductions and a couple light shows. I'm not impressed, I must admit."
Despite Twilight's sarcasm, Astra remained placid. "I have transcended what you call death. However, that is an explanation for another time. You are neither dead nor bound to this realm. You will be returned to Equestria and end my brother's machinations once and for all.
"Right, right. The whole natural alicorn body and sent back to Equestria thing. I've read books with worse stories," she said, mimicking quotations with her hooves.
"I shall bind you to my body and it shall become yours. I cannot return to it," Astra lamented.
Her body? Twilight cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean your body? You're dead. Telos watched you die. He even showed everyone his memory!"
Astra gave her a faint smile. "That was a most... unfortunate and unforeseen incident. Yes, I did die, so to speak." Twilight continued to stare at her in disbelief. "And my body, do you recall what became of it?"
"It... vanished. Then some kind of energy was absorbed into Telos. That's how he got his magic, right?"
"Indeed. It was my final gift to him." Astra stood up again, extending her wings and drawing in streams of energy again. She closed her eyes as all of them resumed. Twilight watched in awe as the streams expanded. The soothsayer's body faded in and out of reality several times before the streams died down.
"I don't trust you, Astra," Twilight said flatly.
"I do not need your trust. I do not even require your cooperation. You will do as you are fated."
Twilight glowered at her. "Why did you stop me from killing Aurelius?"
Astra gazed back in silence, but before Twilight could voice her aggravation to that, she turned her head away and spoke. "You may not have been successful. It was a risk that I was unwilling to take, so to speak."
"Telos weakened him! He died right in front of us trying to kill him. And still, you stopped us from avenging him and killing Aurelius." She dashed to stand in the soothsayer's view as her face contorted in anger, but her focus was elsewhere. "I would have ripped his head from his body as he begged for his life."
"Perhaps if Telos was aware of..." she trailed off. Shaking her head, she refocused on the unicorn. "I could not warn him in time to prevent his demise." She turned around and hung her head, her mane lowering to obscure her face.
Is she crying? Twilight wondered. She relaxed her voice and glanced away. "Why did you stop us? I would have killed him and ended all of this."
"You seem not to fully understand the capability of my brother. Your sister princesses, they are far more capable than you have ever seen. The Rites of the Alicorn crippled their power. My brother is much the same way."
"I'm not buying it. Together, Nightmare and I are stronger than he could possibly be."
"Your arrogance is unbecoming." Twilight frowned, and Astra rose up and spread her forelegs in a cross as lights swirled to and around her. They made no sound as they wrapped around her several times before flowing up to her horn. "Are you aware of what is growing inside of you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You are capable of fighting my brother only as long as your princesses are alive. So long as they continue to draw breath, he cannot seize control of nor utilize their powers. In your case, the boons they provide are... not as they should be."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Have you not been aware of just how truly slow your magic recharges in the daylight?"
"I..." Twilight thought back to all of her day time battles. She always assured herself that the sun was a wellspring of magical energy, but Astra's words made her question whether or not her magical endurance and sheer force of will was what truly kept her going. "It works just fine," she said quickly.
"Your disfavor of your sun princess affects you whether you acknowledge it or not. It is most evident in the way you speak of her. What was once exaltation is now forlorn affection at best." Astra's expression turned to disappointment. "Something is within you. Whether it is a gift or a curse, I cannot say. Be wary of yourself."
"Whatever! Are you going to keep speaking in riddles until I leave?"
"I am nearly ready."
"Finally," Twilight muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"Do not be sad, Twilight Sparkle. A blade may have two edges, but the one that cuts in your favor has always been the goal." Astra gave her an apologetic look. "It is not fair for the ones that are sacrificed. For that, I am truly sorry for what you have had to endure. Your princess must always see something in you that others cannot."
"I am not sad about that. I don't need your sympathy. I just need you to put me back in Equestria, so I can get this over with already." Twilight looked up to Astra expecting a heavy or blank look, but the once stoic gaze she held had been replaced with a wistful sorrow. It cast a warmth to her and she contemplated that feeling until she closed her eyes. "Hey—"
A surge of energy shot from Astra's horn and hit Twilight, forming a pillar of light around her. It hummed loudly, scrambling her thoughts as she staggered backwards, clutching her ears. It faded a few moments later into an aura.
"What did you just do to me!?" When she opened her eyes, Astra stood before her with her stoic expression again. She cocked her head from side to side as she took in Twilight's aura.
"Meddling in the affairs of you mortals shall no longer be my business after this. I am loathe to say this, Twilight Sparkle, but there are no more second chances beyond this. You cannot fail." Astra swayed a foreleg to her left and a dark portal tore open in the whiteness. "When you leave my realm, you shall return to life in your new body."
Twilight's eyes widened to the sight of the dark portal. It seemed as if it called to her, to bring her back to the real world, but she found herself fearful of entering. This is it. This will bring me back to life. What've I got to lose? I'm already dead if it doesn't... She pried her attention away and to Astra. "It's your body. Won't I look like you?"
"No. It shall bear your dark guise. Nightmare Moon has influenced you too much, I am afraid."
Twilight gulped and turned back to the portal. She took a trembling step closer to it as it became audible. "Y-You said I would return a year after Aurelius, but it's only been an hour, right?"
"The way time is perceived and interacted with in this dimension is different. As a mortal, you are only capable of observing its flow in a limited capacity, but I"—she raised a hoof up—"see things beyond your understanding." Twilight shot her a confused glance. "Do not tarry here. Time slips by the longer you delay."
Twilight could feel the portal begin to pull at her, but she resisted it. "Where is Telos? He's dead, too. Why isn't he here with you?"
Astra glanced away. "I... cannot sense him. He is beyond my grasp."
The pull from the portal grew stronger, but still Twilight stood her ground. It began to hum as she turned her entire body to face the soothsayer. "Can you tell me what's changed? If I'm going up against Aurelius again, I don't want to be blind."
"If my brother is not to disappoint, I expect him to be king. As for your comrades, pray that he spared them. Perhaps he found a use for them, but I advise you to steal yourself and gather allies."
By now, the portal had begun to disrupt her balance with its pull, and Twilight turned to face it, preparing to take her final steps. "I have to know one last thing."
"What is it?"
Twilight turned around. "If you can see the future... What happens to me?"
Astra cocked her head as her composure tore itself between surprise and caution. "I do not know what you mean."
"What happens to me at the end, when this is all over?" The hum rang in her ears as the pull of the portal grew stronger. There wasn't much time left before it would simply vacuum her in. Astra looked away and there was a long while before she did anything.
"Do you believe in fate?"
Twilight gave her contemptuous glare. "No." She blinked, and the soothsayer was standing just before her. She flinched as the taller mare's presence intimidated her.
All fell to silence as Astra spoke, and the pull of the portal ceased momentarily. "Then I cannot quell your curiosity. Of all the beings I have ever encountered throughout the ages, yours and your shadow's futures are the ones I cannot see. Even when I could not foresee my death at my brother's hooves, I saw a grander picture beyond words. For you, my sight is obscured."
"So, you can't see my future."
"Be wary, Twilight Sparkle, you walk with two shadows, even when you are surrounded by light."
"What do you mea—"
Astra emitted a force, and Twilight shrieked as she was blasted back into the portal. It sealed itself immediately and Astra closed her eyes, sighing. She turned and moved back before standing up to draw in more energy, but she hesitated. She smiled as she twirled her right hoof, drawing in a blue stream to it.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 33: Manufactured Paradigms
Twilight's body wrenched and jerked as she moved through darkness. It undulated, pulsing as if alive, but she couldn't tell if she was moving at all. Slowly, it applied pressure to her, until finally she could feel a part of her break and the darkness seep in. After a moment, it broke away to a dim light, illuminating a small area on a plane below. The world seemed familiar as she felt herself drift down, landing with little more than a tap of her hooves. She threw her head around as the dark offered nostalgia that threatened to twist her stomach.
"Is anyone there?" she called to nothing.
Large eyes opened up before her, unmoving. At first they seemed far, but they expanded until they were much larger than herself. Blank irises gazed at her with a sinister glow before gaining a purplish hue that darkened. Twilight didn't know how to react, so she merely gazed back, equal parts cautious and fearful. Her spine bristled when they blinked, but the eyes shrank down to the size of another pony's, matching her height.
"Who are you?" Twilight growled as she took on a defensive stance.
A body to the pony formed as it stepped forward out of the shadows themselves. There was no mane, no tail; merely a clear slate without features; blank eyes, no horn, no wings; a frightening amalgamation of unknown. There was not even a mouth. The creature, as she likened it to, circled her like an observant predator, stopping before her once again, only to stare further.
"Who are you?" repeated Twilight as fear started to rise.
The creature closed its eyes, only to open them once more. The left was now red and the right was now blue, and a crest of light began to appear on the creature's head. Fear stabbed Twilight's nerves and her body recoiled from the sudden changes, her body offering a cold sweat. The creature's fur took color in the dim lighting, matching Twilight's own. Before the crest could fully form into something recognizable, she turned and bolted into the infinite void.
You cannot run from me.
***
Twilight could not open her eyes as she slammed into something. Hard. She could feel her joints creak in protest as they settled, her muscles swimming harshly within her container. She tried to push herself up from the surface, only to find her body unresponsive and weak.
I can't move! she thought, laying in a timeless darkness, unable to even open her eyes.
"Is that her?" a voice called in a hushed shout after Twilight had long lost track of time. It was a mare. "It's... I don't believe it. It's really her! Quickly, grab her. We need to get out of here. The Lords are already in the city."
That voice! It came familiar, but she could not place its owner. It seemed unusual in the way that it presented itself.
"By Celestia. It really is Twilight!" another voice cried.
Twilight... is that me? She could feel her leaden body lifted up and draped over someone, followed by a cloth laid over her.
"Shh! If it's really her, we can't be spotted now. The loyalists will turn her in if they find her."
"You're right. I'm sorry."
It was a bumpy ride as her two saviors dashed out of the city. Occasionally, they slowed down and spoke to each other in whispers. She couldn't follow their conversation very well, but she heard a few words.
"We must get through the plaza," her identifier said quietly.
"No, there's too many guards on patrol. I can't let you get caught either," the one carrying her protested.
"Then we'll fight our way out," said the identifier.
"But you're—"
Twilight's carrier flinched as she heard the other move. "You're forgetting who trained you. I'm more than a match for a few city guards with a blade."
"You're too sick and weak!"
There was a moment of silence for a while before the identifier moved back to stand beside the carrier. "You're right. Pull your hoods low and blend in with the crowd. If we cause a commotion, one of the Lords could catch up to us."
As they pressed forward, Twilight's consciousness waned, but the last thing she heard was a relieved sigh, then a voice in her mind.
You cannot run from me.
***
Light shone onto Twilight's face. She clenched her eyes and turned her head, her body moving at last, if weakly. Her eyes slowly opened to a wooden ceiling, her vision blurry. She kicked herself up against a wall, propping up as while her eyes slowly adjusted. With a gentle rub and several blinks, her vision focused to view sparse wooden walls and a single, paned window with sickly light rays pouring through a layer of grime. Even the sheet and blanket covering her held dust stains.
Where am I?
She could hear others talking just outside her room. It was the same two that found her.
"We can't stay here for long," she could hear the carrier say with urgency.
"We'll stay as long as it takes for her to recover," the identifier said.
Twilight twisted to place her hind legs over the edge of the bed, opening her mouth. Her body protested and she let loose a squeak as she fell to the floor in a thump.
The other two rushed into the room, and her view quickly shifted from the dirty floor to the ceiling as they lifted her back onto the bed.
"Are you okay, Twilight?" the identifier asked. Twilight turned to finally face the two that had moved her.
"L... L..."
"I'll get you some water," the other said, leaving the room.
When the other returned with water, Twilight quickly downed it.
"Are you... Luna?" she asked hoarsely, blinking away lingering blurs.
"Yes," she replied, pulling off a grey hood.
Twilight expected to see the princess's dark blue coat, her living mane of stars and constellations, but what she saw was far worse than she could have imagined. The once dark blue fur had faded into a chalky light blue, and her proud, stout body showed signs of emaciation. Her mane appeared brackish and unkempt, a loosely tamed mess framing a now-gaunt face.
"W-what happened to you, Luna?" Twilight choked out. "Why... are we here?"
The moon princess gave her a confused look. "What do you mean, Twilight?"
"I was..." Her memories crashed into each other from her last night in Canterlot, and she blinked several times trying to organize them. "We were in Canterlot only a few hours ago, when Aurelius attacked. What happened?"
Luna's eyes widened as she spoke. "Twilight," she said softly, her mouth twisting in discomfort as she cocked her head away. "That was over four years ago."
"Wh-what!? That... that can't be right."
Luna nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Twilight, but Canterlot fell to Aurelius eight months after that."
Twilight petrified at the news, her chest tightening as it was processed. She was... off¸ she thought. She glanced around. "Where is everyone?"
"I don't know," Luna replied sadly. "Some were captured, others have been missing for years."
"We're the only ones that escaped the fall of Canterlot," said the other.
Derpy¸ she identified her carrier. The paladin appeared better for wear than Luna, but her fur appeared thin in places, a strip of gauze wrapping her head just under her mane. "What about Rainbow Dash, and the other Celestial Knights?"
Luna answered in Derpy's stead. "They stayed behind to fight. Aurelius controls them now."
Twilight's stomach turned into a knot. "Wh-where is Nightmare Moon! Did she...?" she said quickly, unable to finish the question.
Luna shook her head, relieving her slightly. "No one has seen her since the weeks after you disappeared. I'm afraid I don't know what happened to her."
"So, she's still out there?" Hope filled her again and she was standing before she realized it, but her legs buckled and she slumped onto the frail princess. Luna sat her back on the bed before her weight tested the frail princess's strength. "I'm sorry. I just... I have to find her."
"I know, and I'm sorry I don't know more. Everything since Canterlot's fall has been... difficult."
"If you and Derpy are here, where is Celestia?"
The two exchanged glances and the knight spoke instead. "We should take a walk, Luna. We'll know if the Dragon Lords have caught up to us."
Twilight noted that they avoided the question, and it was only now that she noticed Luna in a robe and Derpy with a cloak over her. They left the room and Twilight followed after. As she followed the knight to the door, Luna stopped her. "Here," she said, handing her a dusty brown cloak. "We need to be careful."
The time-lost alicorn shot her a confused look, but complied nonetheless. "It's not as comfortable as duskweave," she found herself joking.
Luna snorted. "Such a wondrous item would be most fortunate to have."
"Princess!" Derpy called.
"I... am sorry."
Twilight watched them step out the front door, and she nervously stopped before the light hit her. It's been over four years? How long was I... really gone for? How much could have changed?
She squinted as the light hit her face, burning her eyes to blindness for a moment. Rubbing them, she stopped and hung her head in the shade of her cowl. After a moment, she looked up to see only Luna waiting for her.
"Where did D—"
Luna raised a hoof to Twilight's mouth, shaking her head curtly. "She is my traveling companion out here. Don't use her real name."
Twilight looked at her incredulously for a moment before it dawned on her. "Where did she go?"
Luna motioned closer and they started to walk together. "She is scouting," she whispered. "She will never be too far, but it is best she keeps a watchful distance."
Twilight's eyes darted towards rooftops, between ponies, to balconies, anywhere the paladin might be. She nearly walked into another pony before she realized where she was. Everywhere around her ponies filed by, clad in worn cloaks, frayed robes, or tattered shirts. She fidgeted and took a step back, her eyes jumping from face to face, from grey cowl to brown hood. Where is Luna? her mind raced. Taking several more steps back, she stumbled and fell into another pony.
"Calm down," Luna said in a hushed whisper as she caught her and lifted her back to balance.
Twilight stared at her for a moment as her heartbeat slowed. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't like it here." Her eyes drifted to the faces of other ponies as they passed her. Listless, haggard faces with purposeless gaits carrying them to destinations unknown. The dirt streets were messy and ill-maintained. Everything appeared to hold a layer of disarray over it.
"It's safe, my lady," said Derpy as she appeared beside her. Twilight blinked and they began moving together with the knight taking the rear, a distance of several ponies behind them.
"We shouldn't get separated," the princess said. "There's more at stake now than ever before."
"What do you mean?"
Luna nodded towards the wall of one of the buildings and they moved through the flow of traffic to look at it. Twilight stared in shock at a poster. She tried to tear it from the wall with her magic, but it would not heed her call. She quickly swiped it with her hooves and held it up to her face, trembling as she scanned it.
"Though you're believed to have died before the fall of Canterlot, Aurelius has put a price on your head just in case. It seems his paranoia was right," Luna explained.
The price on her head was enormous, more than she could have ever seen Celestia or Luna offering as a reward for someone. There was a moment of pride as she saw a picture of her face staring back to her with the bounty attached, but it quickly faded into a mixture of anger and indignity. The image of her was with her violet coat, devoid of Nightmare's darkening features. Somehow, that made her angrier.
Twilight balled the poster up and discarded it, slumping to the wall as her stomach churned. "That bastard," she muttered.
"He... knew?"
Twilight ignored her and straightened up. "What now with all of this secrecy?"
Derpy regrouped and chimed in. "I heard a couple whispers, my lady. They might search this town. We need to leave."
"They?" Twilight asked.
"They are the Dragon Lords, Aurelius's personal lieutenants. They are a mockery of the Celestial Knights," she sneered.
"My lady!" Derpy blurted.
"I... am sorry. It's hard for me," she said.
"Your speech..." Twilight trailed off.
"I'll do whatever it takes to survive. Sometimes that means sacrificing something, even a part of myself." Luna offered a bittersweet smile. "Besides, I've been modernizing my speech for years."
"The Dragon Lords, my lady," the knight reminded with urgency.
"Alright. Twilight, just stay close to us, and try to keep your head down," Luna instructed.
She did as she was told, keeping her head low with her cowl tugged down, but enough to see in front of her. They moved at the same pace as other ponies, blending in perfectly with the bland, tired crowd. She followed behind Luna with Derpy somewhere around—she couldn't be sure where—as they headed for a larger area. The street opened into a bazaar of sorts with peddlers and carts along the outer walls, though much of the center area was left for traffic.
Twilight observed the vicinity as she and Luna were forced to a snail's pace from the congestion of carts and ponies in the bazaar. Time slowed to a crawl, everything seeming as if it moved in slow motion. Her throat tightened painfully as the atmosphere came bearing down. Suddenly, amidst all of the discomfort and strangeness, she felt something familiar. She looked ahead, her eyes just barely peeking out from beneath the edge of her cowl and glimpsed four ponies standing ahead, their heads swaying back and forth as they surveyed the ponies.
She couldn't see them very well from the distance, but the one standing in front was clad in scarlet and white cloth, a white mask with a red crest on it hiding their face. As Twilight stopped and gazed, she struggled to breath. The masked pony looked her way and her blood turned cold, her body tensing. She could not peel her eyes away, and after a few moments the masked pony swayed their gaze elsewhere.
Twilight found herself loosing a relived breath, but her tension was raised again as she was pulled to the side and shoved against a wall. A hoof was pressed firmly over her mouth as Luna occupied her vision.
"They are the Dragon Lords, Aurelius's lieutenants." The princess removed her hoof, and Twilight sucked in as much air as she could.
"The one... in the mask..." she panted.
"No one knows. It could be an archmage, a rogue sorcerer, or perhaps even a warrior from another land. When Canterlot fell, the fate of the remaining archmagi was left unknown. For all we know, it could very well be an alicorn." Luna looked off to the plaza. "Strange... There are no dragons with them this time."
Twilight raised an eyebrow and chanced another look at the ponies ahead. She couldn't see any wings, but they could've been hidden under their attire and cloak, but the masked pony did not appear to be pudgy as if wings were under there. She thought back to when she wore the duskweave and how normal she appeared with that. Could it be an alicorn?
"What now?" Twilight asked.
"We need to leave," said Derpy. "I'll create a distraction to draw the Dragon Lords away, and then you two escape." Luna turned and opened her mouth to protest. "Don't worry about me. I'll catch up to you."
"If you don't, I will find you when my magic has recovered." The two mares nodded to each other and Derpy shuffled back into the crowd behind them. "Now we wait," the princess said.
Twilight and Luna sat against the wall in silence, but it was far from quiet with the appearance of the Dragon Lords. Word of their presence rapidly spread through the city and the townsponies were whipped into a frenzy, moving and running about. The plaza with the Dragon Lords cleared around them, and they eventually moved on.
Ten minutes passed, by Twilight's estimate, before a loud explosion came from the distance. The roar of the crowd and the sound bouncing off of the walls made it difficult to discern where exactly it came from. In an instant, Twilight was lifted to her hooves.
"That's our cue!" Luna shouted over the cries of the crowd. "Come on, let's go!"
They broke into a run towards the city exit across the plaza, pushing by ponies that got in their way. Luna stumbled several times, and Twilight struggled to keep up, but suddenly the princess halted.
"Teleport, Twilight!"
"What?"
"Teleport out, now!" the princess roared, turning to her with a fierce look.
Not thinking about it, the violet alicorn vanished in a flash of light. Unfamiliar with the surroundings, she appeared back in alley before the plaza, the only place that popped into her immediate memory. Despite ponies cramming by her, she looked out to the plaza to see that Luna was gone, the central area clear once more.
A light, smoky fog filled the area, obscuring her view beyond the plaza. A tap on the shoulder caused Twilight to jump, whirling around to find Derpy.
"Where's Princess Luna? You two were supposed to get out of here."
"She told me to teleport away. I didn't know where to go, so I came back here."
"Damn it. Alright, wait here. I'll come back for you while the Dragon Lords are investigating the explosion." With that, the knight disappeared back into the crowd of ponies.
Once again, Twilight was left to wait in the alley. She sat back against the wall, tugging her hood down and pulling herself closer. Her mind wandered, tuning out the uproar from the crowd.
Who was that pony? Was it a unicorn? Or what if it's an alicorn? She drew the masked Dragon Lord's image from memory, trying to scrutinize any details from it she could to identify them. The red crest on the mask wasn't anything she had seen before, but it could've been Aurelius's. The white and red scheme gave nothing away, but there was one detail that stood out to her. The folds of the cloak by their neck. Why does that seem familiar? She dwelled on it for a moment longer before allowing herself to analyze the familiarity of the masked pony's presence. She could not determine anything else other than she had felt it before. It seems so long ago, she thought.
Be wary, Twilight Sparkle, you walk with two shadows, even when you are surrounded by light, Astra's voice played in her mind.
Is she one of the shadows? Before she could ponder it further, Derpy and Luna returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I got a bad feeling as we fled, and it turned out right. There was a Dragon Lord close by when I told you to teleport."
"They're all on high alert now," Derpy said. "I don't think we're all getting out of this city."
"What do you propose we do now?" asked Twilight.
"We're going to need a bigger distraction," the princess replied.
Twilight shifted nervously "Like what?"
Derpy bowed to Luna and placed a hoof on the hilt of her sword. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do, Your Majesty," she whispered.
"Do not call me that in public!" Luna said in a hushed voice, looking around nervously. "What are you planning to do?"
"Blend in with the crowd and you'll make it out of here," Derpy whispered before flying over the ponies in the alleyway.
Luna and Twilight were left to watch as Derpy landed in the plaza and began marching towards the exit. One of the Dragon Lords appeared and stood in front of her, prompting the paladin to halt. Another Dragon Lord appeared from the side alley and closed in. The fog swirled and any ponies in the plaza quickly abandoned their intent and rushed to the edges or down the other streets.
"What, no one-on-one this time, Colgate?" Derpy said as she drew a very chipped and dull Glance Reviver.
Colgate stepped closer, her red armor contrasting her blue fur. "You've been branded a heretic and a traitor by King Aurelius. Come quietly and you won't be hurt, Derpy Hooves."
"I'm not going anywhere with you." The former Celestial Knight's eyes were crimson, and Derpy drew a cracked and deneted heater shield from beneath her cloak.
"Then I'll break your wings and drag you back to Canterlot myself."
Derpy smirked. "I'd love to see you try."
The unicorn knight fired a blast of magic from her horn at Derpy. The paladin evaded, the ground turning to ice where the attack struck. As she moved to the side, there was a crack as the other Dragon Lord's hoof collided with her breastplate. Derpy let out a painful squeal as she was knocked back towards the center. Coughing and heaving, she rose back up.
"You're getting slow, Derpy," Berry said as she stepped out from the outer edges of the fog.
The earth knight charged her, swinging wide. Derpy pulled back for the first punch as Berry continued to charge. The flash of her crimson eyes made the paladin uncomfortable. She set down and thrust, attempting to strike one of the earth knight's hind legs. She missed as Berry spun, striking a readied shield. The impact of the counterattack rippled through Derpy's body, and the earlier punch caused her body to go frail for a moment. She collapsed under the blocked strike, but allowed her wings to pull her away.
"You're the traitors!" Derpy shouted, attempting to fly away into the depths of the city. Before she could get far, a burst of magic engulfed the area and she slowed down. "What the—" she cried, glancing around as everything around her slowed inside a tint bronze.
A blast of magic struck her, wrapping her torso and encasing her wings in ice. The time distortion ended and she crashed into the ground, crying out and relinquishing her sword and shield. The ice holding her wings shattered on impact, but they went limp from the pain. She spat blood from and stood back up, retrieving her sword and shield as the Dragon Lords closed in.
"Surrender, Derpy. You haven't even recovered from the last time we cornered you. You're not escaping this time," said Colgate.
"I'll die by my sword before I let you take me to be executed in Canterlot," the paladin growled. She charged the unicorn knight, but Berry blocked her path.
Too tired and injured, Derpy couldn't force her body to dodge Berry's next blow. It struck her in the stomach and she was lifted off the ground and tossed back. As she landed, she rolled several times, her dusty cloak wrapping around her as blood ran down her mouth and neck. She shuddered several times and swept her hooves on the ground for her sword. After a moment of disorientation, she wheezed and collapsed.
"We have to do something!" Twilight cried, preparing to run out ahead.
Luna barred her path. "No! You can't be seen!" she said in a hush.
"But they're going to kill her!" shouted Twilight.
Luna forced her up against the wall. "Don't you think I know that?" Tears ran down her cheeks. She held Twilight for a while before releasing her and relaxing. "Stay... here." She put her back to the violet alicorn and hung her head. "If they capture me, go to the west. Far to the west. There is a desert. There's rumors of a resistance army forming outside of Aurelius's reach. Make contact with them. See if you can overthrow him with that."
"L-Luna, wait!" It was too late.
The princess dashed into the plaza, taking up Glance Reviver, much to the surprise of the Dragon Lords. She threw off her hood, revealing her pale, but determined face. She stood in front of Derpy's body as she pointed the blade at her attackers.
"I will not allow you to take her!" she roared to them.
The two Dragon Lords backed off and exchanged worried glances.
Are they actually afraid of her?
"Just come quietly, Princess Luna, and you will not be harmed," said Colgate softly.
"Watch your tongue, traitorous knight! Do not forget where you came from," Luna shouted back. "Have you forgotten who trained the two of you? I made you the very Celestial Knights you are and I will just as easily break you!" The Dragon Lords took a few more steps back. "Leave now and it is you who will not be held to the guillotine!"
Colgate frowned. "You think you can stop both of us?"
"I know I can," sneered Luna, a grin forming on her face. "Do you dare try?" She took a combative stance, but oddly held a hoof towards Derpy.
The fog thickened to the point of obscurity, drawing into the center of the plaza. It whirled around for a moment before blasting away. The masked pony appeared at the center, prompting Colgate and Berry to immediately kneel in their presence.
"Lord Vibe!" they cried in unison. The masked pony glanced at them, then to Luna, regarding the unfaltering princess for a moment. "What do you command us to do?" added Colgate.
A deep, rumbling voice akin to a dragon filled the air. "We have been summoned by King Aurelius. They are no longer our concern at this time."
"But we can capture them here and now, Lord Vibe!" Colgate protested. Vibe turned to her and she coiled down with silence.
"When the King summons us, there is nothing of more importance. These two are no longer a priority. We are leaving at once." The others obeyed and galloped away.
"Are you not going to try your hoof at capturing us here and now?" Luna called to the masked pony.
Vibe gazed at her in silence before turning to walk away, but he stopped halfway. Luna tightened her grip on Glance Reviver and never took her eyes off of the masked pony.
"You should be thankful that there is someone, or something, looking out for you. Farewell for now, Princess." Vibe walked away, disappearing into the fog and out of sight entirely.
Luna held her ground for a minute longer before her body shook and she collapsed, dropping the sword. She panted as she held herself from off the ground. With danger gone, Twilight ran out to her and helped her back to standing.
"The others... they called him Lord Vibe. The other Dragon Lords answer to him, but it seems this Lord Vibe answers directly to King Aurelius," said Luna.
"Do you know who he is?"
Luna shook her head. "I don't know any ponies of importance with that name. If he's Aurelius's number two, then it has to be a pony with power at the level of an archmage or a celestial knight."
"You said it could be a rogue sorcerer."
Luna shot Twilight a grim look. "He hasn't used any distinguishing magic, yet. I'll keep trying to find out who he is. I'll be fine. Help Derpy."
Twilight crouched down to the unconscious paladin. As she pulled off pieces of her armor she cringed at the sight of bruises where the blows had struck her. Holding her hooves over her torso, she called on her healing magic. The white glow was distinct in the fog, and she glanced up to curious watchers from the crowds, but they continued to keep their distance. The bruises faded and the paladin moaned in her sleep, but didn't wake up.
Twilight's magic felt strange to her. Healing Derpy did not give her the same sensations as healing other ponies in the past, and she felt as if she might lose her ability to use her magic at any second. The feeling of foreignness passed after a few moments, but it made her feel no less awkward. She stopped healing after a while, only to discover it had only accomplished triage.
Luna gathered up her sword and pieces of armor while Twilight threw Derpy on her back. She found her to be surprisingly light as they walked back to the house they were staying in. When they returned, Twilight laid the knight on the bed while Luna cleaned her face and stripped her of the rest of her armor.
"This is bad," Luna said quietly. "They could have captured us right then."
"Colgate and Berry were afraid of you," reminded Twilight. "It's a good thing they didn't call your bluff."
The princess shot her a shocked look. "You... knew?"
Twilight gave her a thoughtful stare. "I could sense it, but I wasn't sure until I saw you. You have almost no magic left."
"It's... true."
"How long?"
"My magic began to wane just over a year ago. In the more recent months, I am no different from an earth pony. Sometimes I can use telekinesis. Other times, I am stricken with malaise for merely trying." She turned to Twilight with a hollow look. "I feel as if I am carrying a great sickness. It is much like my magic has been utterly depleted, but never recovers. It... shows," she finished, holding up a hoof from under her cloak. Her skinny, pale leg meshed in with the dreary room before she set it down and allowed her cloak to hide it.
"I'm sorry, Luna."
"It is not your fault. Come," she said, heading into the kitchen, or what there was of one. Twilight found a table with two chairs and took a seat. Luna brought them each a cup of water. "The Dragon Lords know we are here, but have backed off for now. Derpy can't leave until she has recovered, and she is my bodyguard."
"What are you going to do after she recovers?"
Luna sighed. "We will continue to the desert, chasing the rumors of the resistance. If that does not work, we must appeal to the Gryphon Empire."
Twilight crinkled her brow in curiosity. "Why the Gryphon Empire?"
Luna gave her a confused look, but it faded into acknowledgement. "Forgive me. I had forgotten you were unaware of the current political state." She shook her head. "The gryphons have escaped Aurelius's alliance. Currently, the Crystal Empire and the Brood have some sort of alliance with him, but the Gryphon Empire has distanced itself."
"Alliance? What about my brother and Cadance? They wouldn't go along with him. And what happened to Garr being the new Dragon King?" Twilight asked quickly.
"I am sorry, Twilight, but I do not know."
Twilight jumped out of the chair, shaking. "I-I-I have to go. I-I have to find them."
"Hold on, Twilight. The world thinks you are you dead."
Twilight blinked. "And m-my family?"
The princess gave her an apologetic look. "They... insisted on a funeral. Celestia resisted at first, but she could not deny them their right to bury you."
"No... no-no-no-no..." Twilight trailed off, pacing circles for a few moments. Ultimately, she slumped into the chair and stared at the floor. For a moment, it was quiet, but her face contorted into anger. "I'm going to kill him," she ground out, breaking the silence.
Luna gave her worried look. "Him?"
Twilight glanced at as she stood back up. "Aurelius." She adjusted her cloak tightly around her neck. "Go find the resistance, Luna, but I won't be going with you."
"What? Why?"
"I'm going to tear the crown off Aurelius's head right before I slit his damned throat."
She turned and headed for the door, but Luna rushed in front of her. "I can't let you go off alone, Twilight. We need you!" she pleaded.
"I'm going to take out Vibe. That should keep the Dragon Lords off of your backs while you make it to the desert. Try to get the Gryphon Empire to help."
"It will be better if you stay with us. If you get discovered, they will come for you."
"I am going, Luna, and you cannot stop me."
The princess regarded her for a long while, but finally gave a sad sigh and stepped aside. "I wish you would stay with us, Twilight. With me."
The violet alicorn hung her head. "Me, too, but I have to go." She moved to the door and prepared to open it, but Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Before you go, take this with you."
She removed a baldric and sheath with a sword from beneath her cloak and handed it to her. Twilight drew the sword out from its sheath for a moment. A black and green blade slid out, the familiar glow within the green of its design absent. "Moonlight?"
"Yes. Derpy has not used it since the siege of Canterlot those years ago, and I cannot wield it. It is immune to my magic."
"It was immune to mine, too." Twilight drew the sword and ran a hoof over the blade. Nothing. She thought. She prepared to sheathe it when she stopped. Something. She shook her head and accepted the weapon. "Thank you, Luna."
"Good luck. If you find Cadance or Shining, or Garr, and if they can be trusted, tell them of our plans." Luna gave her a hug. "Be safe. I hope this is not the last time we see each other."
"It won't be, Luna." Twilight returned the hug.
"One more thing." The princess gave her a worried look. "For all the time that you have returned, you never once asked about Trixie."
Twilight's eyes widened. "I... It must have slipped my mind. Do you... know where she is?"
Luna shook her head. "We could really use her help right now. You trained her well."
Twilight tugged her cowl down as tears welled in her eyes. "I know." She opened the door and closed it quietly behind her, sighing as she stepped onto the street. She tore a strip from the end of her cloak and wrapped it around her face.
She could feel Moonlight resting on her back, the blade casting a presence to her for the first time. Again, she pushed the feeling aside and headed for the exit of the city. A main road flowed out, and she opted to follow it. She stared at the ground, lost in thought as she walked on. Who is Vibe? Who, or what, are the two shadows? The light? Where are Nightmare Moon and Trixie?
Her thoughts were lost when a pony, clad in light armor, bumped into her.
"Sorry, ma'am," he said, removing his helmet briefly to bow. He stepped to the side of her and veered off the road. Twilight stopped and glanced around, now noticing that there were many more ponies in light armor heading in the same direction. She prepared to ask why, but her eyes fell to the target. Three dragons lay off to the side of the road, their bodies slashed.
She trotted up to the pony that bumped into her. "Hey, what happened?"
The pony glanced to her with a confused look. "Your guess is as good as mine," he said, throwing a hoof to the scene. "Dragons of the King's army have been littering the middle cloister around Canterlot for a couple years now, some even in the inner cloister recently." He slowly walked between the bodies, Twilight in tow, as he continued talking. "Patrols of them wind up dead, all exactly like this." He swayed a hoof to a particularly gruesome sight of a green dragon that had been cleanly cut to pieces, from decapitated limbs to a split stomach that leaked intestines. Twilight gleaned the agony of its final moments from the terror frozen on its face.
He spun around to a red dragon and shook his head. "And some like this one."
Twilight marveled at the clean cuts of his dismembered parts. Perfect slices of flesh lay piled on the ground, as if someone or something had aimed to cut it to ribbons. "Two years and no one knows how they die?"
The armored pony removed his helmet and scratched at his head. "Not even the Dragon Lords know. There have never been any survivors. There's only rumors." The armored pony caught a glimpse of Twilight's sword as she examined the various giblets around her. "A weapon, eh? You'd best be careful traveler. There's reports of bandits in the parts of the main road that are least patrolled, and you'll need to hide that if you plan to enter the inner cloister."
"Why's that?" Twilight asked, her eyes catching sight of small weapons on the other armored ponies around.
"Weapons are forbidden in the inner towns and cities without express permission from the King or his Dragon Lords."
Twilight frowned, but paid the warning no mind. "These dragons don't smell. How long have they been here?"
"These?" The armored pony scratched his chin. "They're not even a day old. Crazy that whatever is doing this has never been seen. A patrol found them just this morning. No trace of who, or what, did it." The armored pony shook his head. "Why? Do you think you might know something?"
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 34: Rust Storm
The walk down the road was, for the most part, uneventful for Twilight. She had no bits to her name, and had to resort to stealing food from any towns she passed through, even stealing a few apples from a fellow traveler. She didn't like thieving, and yet it filled her with a sense of exhilaration. Avoiding the guards was a tedious effort at times, and she would rather take what she needed and dispatch any that stood in her way. She resisted her urges and tried to avoid contact with them and drawing attention to herself.
The quiet of lying low and traveling alone left her to ponder everything that had transpired, taking in the way the world had changed in her absence. She was in the middle cloister of land surrounding Canterlot, and the amount of guards was neither heavy nor light. Though she heard of dragons frequently patrolling the middle cloister, she had not encountered any, wondering if they perhaps met the same fate as those outside Luna and Derpy's hideout town.
The sun started to dip in the horizon before Twilight, bathing the world in an orange glow soon to die down into purple. She stopped and shifted Moonlight, its weight making the shoulder it rested on sore after the day of traveling. She would need to find somewhere to stay the night, and she didn't want to camp out in the open. As she walked on, looking for a comfortable place to sleep, three ponies walked her way. When they neared, she veered out of their way, but they moved to block her path again. Twilight stopped and frowned.
"What do you want?"
One of the ponies produced a sword, while the other two produced a knife. "Well, if it ain't a young mare walking around this area all by herself. Don't you know the roads can be dangerous?"
The sun was nearly behind the horizon, and everything was darkened to a purple tint. Twilight reached under her cloak and brandished Moonlight, the sword dull and dark in the night. "I should ask you the same thing."
The pony with the sword laughed as the other two moved to flank her. "This one's got a mouth on her. Tell you what, cough up your valuables and we might not carve you up."
Twilight lowered the cloth covering her face, her anger distorting her features. "Drop your weapons and I might not show you what your intestines look like."
"That's it, bitch. I don't like your attitude."
The bandit with the sword lunged at her, and she struck his sword away with such force that he was knocked off balance. The two with knives came at her from behind and she whirled around, her cloak rising up and obscuring Moonlight. The dark blade cut the knife-hoof off the first pony, eliciting a howl of pain as his weapon dropped to the ground, while slashing the second across the stomach. The first fell while groaning, the second staggering back as he clutched his fresh wound.
Twilight watched as they writhed in pain before turning to their leader. He tightened the grip on his sword and jumped back in, poised to attack. When he swung for Twilight's neck, the blade stopped, engulfed in a dark purple glow.
"What the—! You're a unicorn?" He flailed and strained his foreleg, trying to pull himself away or finish the attack, but the sword did not move. "Help me, you idiots!" he cried to the others as the sword was torn from his grasp
Turning, Twilight grasped them in her magic and brought them to their leader, positioning them kneeling before him in front of her. "Do you have any valuables?" she asked quietly. Without a word, the two kneeling produced a small pouch each. "Good. You just bought yourself a front row seat," she cooed. She placed Moonlight in the bandit leader's hoof.
"Wh-what are you doing?" His foreleg took on violet aura and slowly turned the blade on himself, the tip reaching his stomach. "N-no, s-stop! Please don't!"
"No one will hear you scream," Twilight whispered as a dark light covered his mouth and those of his companions.
Moonlight carved across his stomach, splattering blood on the faces of his companions and spilling the rest to the ground at his feet. They shuddered in wide-eyed terror, muffled cries their only sound, as they watched him thrash and convulse, before his eyes finally rolled into the back of his head. Twilight released him from her magic and he fell into a pool of his own blood. The whimpers of the other two bandits doubled as a blood covered Moonlight landed before them.
"I was an archmage once," she said as she bent down and grabbed the sword, the glow of her horn illuminating the blood to them. "I would say that I still am. It was part of my duties to deal with criminals, bandits like yourselves included. Typically, you would be arrested. However, it seems that times have changed." She lifted the corpse of the bandit leader up with her magic and inspected her work, his guts peeking from the stomach wound. "I'm kind of liking capital punishment. It sends a message."
The bandits exchanged fearful glances. Twilight stepped between them, sliding the flat of Moonlight against their necks, the chill of the blood eliciting a shudder from each as it smeared. "I'm going to allow you to speak. If you scream, you die... slowly. You have twenty seconds to tell me why you shouldn't share the same fate as your friend." In an instant, they were able to use their voices again. A flurry of words escaped their mouths each trying to speak over the other as quickly as they could. "Stop," she said, immediately causing both to go silent. "You first," she said, pointing at the one missing a hoof.
"P-please! I'll never hurt anypony again! I'll never steal again! Just let me go, please!" Twilight stepped behind him and regarded his plea for a moment.
"Pardon denied." She spun around and cut his head clean from the center of his neck. The other bandit watched in frozen horror as it rolled by. "Convince me to spare your life," she said as she turned to the last bandit. "Twenty seconds."
"P-please! I'm innocent," he said.
"You're guilty as far as I'm concerned."
"They threatened my family. Bandits plague the area, and they force ponies like me into their gangs. I-I only did it to survive. It's not easy so close to the outer cloister. The dragons refuse to patrol enough out here, and sometimes they don't even care enough to do anything!"
"Oh? And just how many innocents have you robbed? Killed?"
"Wh-what?"
Twilight leaned in close to his face, her violet eyes shining with contempt. "How. Many?"
"P-please, I only did what I had to! Nothing more, I swear!"
"That's not an excuse!" she seethed. Taking Moonlight in both hooves, she cleaved for his neck.
"I'm innoce—!"
Twilight watched as his head rolled away, the glow of her horn vanishing as there was nothing left to bind with her magic. She wiped the blade off on his fur and shivered, covering her face once more. "No one is innocent anymore," she whispered as she grabbed the pouches of bits and continued down the road. Not even me.
***
Night had fully taken hold of the world, and Twilight decided to call her travel for the day and retire at a small outpost. She observed the quaint inn from a distance for a while, watching who entered and left, carefully eyeing the accompanying buildings around it. After spending some time ensuring it would be safe to stay there, she moved to the entrance. She pushed open a large wooden door, the whining creak of a worn hinge welcoming her. Ponies inside in the lobby glanced her way, but most paid her no mind. She kept the ones whose stares lingered in the corner of her vision until they looked away. Are any of them loyalists? Bandits? she wondered.
A voice at the front desk prompted her to refocus on why she was there. "Are you from the outer cloister, traveler?" an older stallion asked, scratching at a bushy, grey beard.
"Yes," Twilight lied. "It's been a long walk." She placed one of the satchels of bits on the desk.
The stallion eyed her incredulously until he caught the hilt of her sword protruding out from beneath her cloak. "Them roads out there be dangerous. You travelin' with anypony else?"
Twilight gave him a blank look. "Not anymore. We... parted ways," she explained, picturing the head of the last bandit. "I only need to stay one night." She poured the satchel on the counter, and the stallion cocked his head in confusion.
"It ain't even half that for a night," he said, gleaning the value of the bits before him.
"I need information," Twilight said, shooting a sidelong glance to the ponies in the lobby. "And I require discretion."
"Well, I'm not sure a codger like me knows anythin' useful."
Twilight returned her attention to him and lowered her voice. "The Dragon Lords. Do you know where any of them are heading? I have... information for them."
The stallion's eyes widened. "No-no. I'm afraid I can't help you," he said quickly, his eyes darting to the ponies in the lobby. Twilight followed his nervous gaze briefly. The ponies in the lobby cast them a regarding glance. Twilight picked up the extra bits.
"If you suddenly... remember something, you'll know where to find me." He scooped up his payment and gave her a key. Nervously scratching at his beard, he watched the lobby as Twilight followed a set of stairs up to the rooms.
Finding hers, she entered and closed the door behind her, pausing for a moment to listen. Quiet, she observed. Something is off here¸ she thought. Turning, she cast a warding spell on the door before moving to the bed. She lay Moonlight in its sheathe under her pillow, the hilt exposed for quick brandishing if need be. With a sigh, she relaxed and allowed herself to fall asleep.
***
Dark fog flowed around Twilight, the roar of its movement the only sound. She watched as it moved around her, cutting her off from the void of nothingness beyond. It invoked a familiar feeling within her as it stopped and floated.
"N-Nightmare Moon?" she blurted, watching it intensely.
Snickering played in response, reverberating from the fog all around, and the silhouette of a creature appeared in it before her. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not Nightmare Moon."
"Then who are you?" Twilight called back, cautiously watching it.
The creature emerged from the fog, sporting a dark purple coat, but no mane or tail hair.
"I am... you," it replied, a mischievous grin spread along its mouth.
Twilight's eyes fluttered open, and she lurched a few steps backwards. She stared at the creature in fear, unblinking. "This... isn't real," she muttered. You cannot run from me, rippled through her mind. "You're not real."
The creature stepped closer to her, its grin unfading. Right eye of blue, left of red, Twilight's spine bristled as it gazed back to her. "Is that what you believe, or only what you're trying to convince yourself to believe?" The creature slowly paced around her in a wide circle.
"This is only a dream. Only a—"
"Nightmare?" the creature finished coyly. "Oh, but the only nightmare on this night is the grisly murder of three ponies on the main road that didn't have to die."
Twilight recoiled from the information, but calmed herself down. It's just my mind playing tricks on me. It's just a dream.
"I'm impressed by your penchant for violence. Well, I am you, after all." The creature stopped pacing and took a single step closer. "You've been growing fond of it ever since Draconis. Little by little, you've become more aggressive, more spiteful. Now, why is that?"
"I don't have to listen to this," spat Twilight. She huffed, her breath misting in the air briefly.
"You're right," the creature said, sitting down. "At least, for now." Three loud thumps quaked the dreamscape, and Twilight threw her head in every direction. "We will see each other again soon."
She glanced at the creature as three more thumps permeated through the air. The creature smiled, blinking twice. The first time, its eyes were violet, then again they were blue and red. A final three thumps and Twilight opened her eyes.
"Wake up, you traitorous scum!" a pony shouted through her door. Twilight sat up as it was kicked in, several ponies with weapons pouring into the room. "You rebels fetch a nice bounty from King Aurelius," said one holding a mace.
Twilight blinked away the blur of her grogginess as he lunged at her. Ducking, her heartbeat accelerated as she ripped Moonlight from its sheathe and slashed him in the stomach as he passed her. He yelped before slumping across the bed.
Damn, I should use my magic, she thought as she backed into the corner of her room near a window. But if I attract the attention of a dragon patrol...
Another pony came at her, and she recognized him from the lobby. He came at her with a short sword, swinging frantically. Twilight dodged past him in a blur of her cloak. I can be subtle, she thought over the drumming of her heart, glancing at the pony bleeding out on the bed. Subtle enough. Grunting, she lifted the latest attacker off of the floor with her magic and threw him through the window, the crash of glass was proceeded by the thud of his body and a squeal of pain. There were two more ponies watching in shock from her door, unsure if they wanted to provoke her wrath.
No witnesses, she thought as she approached them. I can't have this fall back on Luna's plan.
They let out battle cries as they charged her, but she bat a hoof at them blasting one against the wall and the other into the hallway. Rushing to the one at the wall, she quickly stabbed him in the chest before hunting the last one. She found him winded, crawling down the hallway. Another guest opened their door to glimpse Twilight as she stood over him, Moonlight in her hoof.
"Stay inside," she said quickly, causing them to slam their door shut. She pulled the pony on the floor up to her. "Who are you? Why did you attack me?"
The pony quivered in her grasp as frightened eyes locked with angry violet orbs. "Th-there's bounties on the heads of r-rebels," he stammered.
"And what makes you think that I'm a rebel?" Twilight seethed.
"Y-you were asking about th-the Dragon Lords."
"Is it really so wrong to ask about them?"
The pony caught his breath and slowly stood up. "Only a rebel would ask about them out here." He produced a knife and lunged for her throat.
Diverting the attack with her magic, Twilight plunged Moonlight into his stomach. He dropped the knife and froze in pain, a guttural heave escaping his lips as she slowly drove the sword further into him. "Tell me where I can find one and I'll make it quick," she whispered into his ear.
"I... don't... know..." he croaked.
"Wrong answer," she said, twisting the blade.
What breath the pony had in his lungs was spent by a blood curdling cry as the sword was wrenched. When the last vestiges of his life faded, Moonlight was pulled free. Twilight stepped back into her room to see if any of the others had survived. She put a hoof to the throat of the one by the door. Dead. She kicked the one on the bed over, but it was clear by the frozen agony on his face that he had already expired. Moving to the shattered window, she looked to the ground below. The attacker on the ground still wriggled and moaned, one of his broken forelegs laying mangled at his side.
Several clops of hooves came from behind Twilight and she turned to see the exasperated face of the innkeeper. "By Aurelius's mane, what happened here?"
Twilight sheathed Moonlight and stepped closer to him, reaching under her cloak. The innkeeper's eyes shot open as he flinched when she produced an item. He relaxed as it was the other satchel of bits. "They attacked me," she said. "Or..." She brought one of his hooves out and set the satchel in it. "There was a dispute between random guests and it turned bloody. You don't know what happened and you didn't see anything." He glanced around at the bloodbath between the room and the hallway. "Which story is better for you?"
Sweat ran down the side of his head. He swallowed hard before relaxing. "Damn travelers got into it again. I'm gonna have to call the undertaker again. I'm gettin' too old for this crap."
"Good answer." Twilight took a step passed him, casting one last glance back to ensure they were dead. "Don't ever sell anyone else out again," she said. "I will find you."
She moved headed down the stairs, leaving the innkeeper to quiver. Outside, she found the final pony having moved several meters from his impact location. She looked around, the morning light greeting her. There were a few onlookers, but they kept their distance. Twilight crouched down to the pony and turned him to face her.
"I'll get you to a doctor if you tell me where I can find the Dragon Lords."
His eyes swam in his head in the haze of pain for a moment as he thought over his answer. "There's one a ways... up the road... They can't... be too far off." She nodded and stood up, but a tug at her hoof stopped her. "Please... you said you would get me to a doctor..."
"You're right, I did." Looking around, she found some pieces of wood from the window. With a few anguished groans, Twilight set his leg and fashioned a brace for it, tearing strips of cloth from her cloak to tie it in place.
"There," he said, motioning to a building. Twilight propped him up beside the door. "Thank you," he muttered.
She crouched down beside him, draping her cloak over him. She pulled Moonlight from its sheathe. "I never said I'd get you to one alive." A dark light covered his mouth as Twilight stabbed him in the side, thrusting the blade into his heart. His eyes fluttered open briefly, then closed. She undid his splint and thrust one of the pieces of wood into his fatal wound. Hopefully, no one looks too closely. She grabbed the other piece of wood and the strip of cloth, then maligned his foreleg once more before teleporting away.
My magic is starting to feel better, Twilight thought as she walked down the road alone once more. She stared at the ground as her steps flowed one after the other, her mind playing over the morning's chaotic events. I... killed more. Should I have spared them? she wondered. She nearly stumbled over a rock and stopped, straightening her posture. No! They would've alerted authorities. I can't have these 'Dragon Lords' expecting me. Making peace with her decision, she glanced up to see the shadow of a town far in the distance. I'll find you, yet, Vibe. I have to know... Who are you?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 35: The Colossus
Twilight wiped her brow of sweat, wishing the burst of air from her teleport would flow her way. Her eyes blinked away the suddenness of her new location, slowly scanning over the road, the orange tint of the setting sun offering a quick morose in the absence of its princess. Casting it away, she found herself eager to find the dragon lord just ahead, eager to see if it was Vibe. Too eager. Glancing around, there was little to offer beside the hard packed dirt road laying out before her, and the trees and fields spread on either side for miles and miles. She raised a foreleg to shade her eyes and peered down the road behind her. There wasn't a single pony in sight.
Pivoting back, she looked ahead to a heavy wooden gate, a lone guard leaning against one of its riveted doors. She moved towards it, but veered off of the path and along the wall. She stopped and scanned the area for any significant magical presence, but little more than the traces of magic from an average unicorn could be sensed. Is Vibe not here? she wondered. She placed her forehooves to the wall and concentrated harder, attempting to visualize everything around, tapping into nature itself. The odd sensations filled her body as she pushed herself to track the presence. As she began to feel and catalogue the ponies beyond the wall, she raced through as many of them as she could, cycling through their signatures at an accelerating rate.
Where are you!? Where—
A familiar presence stuck out to her briefly, but she lost sight of it before she could analyze it any further. Tapping into the natural side of her magic proved a lot more draining than she remembered, and she quickly crumbled to the ground, panting while she tugged at the collar of her cloak. She slowed down her sensing to catch her breath, but ultimately ended the process altogether. Her legs jittered as she pushed herself back up to standing. As her stamina returned, she started walking and calculating the distance she traveled versus the speed of an average pony; however, the gate guard found her skulking along the wall.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
The voice cut through her concentration, immediately erasing all of her efforts. Twilight gnashed her teeth as she tried to put on an innocent expression before she faced the guard. Doing the best she could to suppress her fatigue, she whirled around and scratched at the back of her head, looking to the ground. "N-nothing. Just catching my breath is all," she replied innocently.
When she looked up the guard shot her an incredulous look. "You better not cause any trouble unless you want to be hanging from the gallows in Canterlot. There's a dragon lord here."
Twilight blinked a couple times before the information was fully absorbed. "Oh, me? I would never do such a thing!" She continued to maintain her innocence beneath the guard's scrutinizing gaze. He cocked his head and squinted, crows feet in his eyes giving him an air of intimidation, then huffed before turning around.
"Don't you forget what I said, kid."
That was... easy enough. Wait... kid?
Twilight quickly stepped by him and through the gate, a wary glance thrown over her shoulder. 'Hanging from the gallows in Canterlot'? Executions haven't been sanctioned since... She shuddered to think of Celestia or Luna presenting a pony's death on public display, their limp body dangling in the wind for all to see. Shaking her head, she forced the idea to the back of her mind.
The town was certainly more maintained than the one she had awoken in, and it appeared more populated. As she walked through the streets, her eyes drifted between the ponies and the buildings, grimy windows to occupied doorways, worn signs to peeling trim. Whatever dragon lord was there wouldn't be too hard to spot, even among the calamity of the late day. They always seemed to draw attention without trying. She wandered aimlessly through the streets and plazas, straining her ears to catch a whisper or word of the dragon lord's whereabouts, or of whom it might be. Most of the conversations she caught were merely gossip and the woes of life, rather than anything of relevance to the mission.
After a while of searching, she sighed and looked up to the sky, eventide a purple glow, slowly fading to blue. A part of her wanted to keep searching, a voice in her mind, inaudible, pushing her to continue on. However, logic won, and she knew fighting Vibe while exhausted wouldn't work. Might as well rest up for the night, she thought, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
She found the nearest inn and spent the last of her pilfered bits on a room. Casting a ward on the door, she placed Moonlight under her pillow again and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts wandered to the dialogue with the creature from her sleep. What was with that dream? The doppelganger claiming to be her was bothersome, but she couldn't place why. Am I... going insane? The notion caused her to snort and laugh out loud. Yeah, right.
She sighed and rolled onto her side. Where are Nightmare Moon and Trixie? Celestia? My friends? It wasn't until now that she put her losses in front of her. Four years had passed in the blink of an eye for her, but for others the world had slowly become something else entirely. Equestria had fallen beneath the shadow of her enemy, and now she abandoned the only ponies she knew for her own mission. What about my... home? My family? A tear rolled down her cheek and she wrapped herself in her cloak and blanket. I'm... alone again.
***
"Ah, right where we left off," a familiar voice rang into the air. Twilight blinked and she was face to face with the creature from her dreams, the sickly mocking in its voice eliciting a frown from her. "This time, there's no one to cut us short."
"Who are you?" Twilight hissed.
"I already told you. I am you. You are me. One. And. The same."
Twilight's fur bristled. "Then what are you?"
The creature cocked its head to one side and grinned. "Now that's an answer you would have more fun figuring out for yourself."
Grimacing, she scratched her head violently, ruffling her mane. "What do you want from me?"
"Want?" The creature put a hoof to its chin and glanced up. "Nothing. I only want to watch you. To see all that you do. To see... you. It was not so long ago that you would do everything in your power to avoid taking a life. Now... you scarcely give it a second thought. Now, that is interesting."
A chill ran up her spine, her eyes fluttering open. "Th-that—! I don't have to explain myself!"
The creature took a step closer, its grin pulling the corners of its mouth wide. "You're right. You don't! I already know!" The creature snickered, and Twilight's stomach twisted.
"How do I make you disappear?"
"Oh? Do you want to kill me, too?"
"N-no. That's not what—"
The creature began to circle her, like a predator observing its prey. "Oh, I'm only teasing, but you don't want me gone. I can help you, you know. Honest."
"And how can a figment of my imagination help me?" Twilight sat down and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "You're as bad as Astra."
The creature stopped and frowned. "Do you spit on everyone that helps you?" When Twilight opened her mouth, the creature spoke again. "I will not give you power. I will not teach you spells. I will not give you direction when you are lost." The creature licked its lips. "You are missing only one thing."
"And what could I—we be missing, then?"
The creature stood up, leaned back, and swayed its forelegs apart, staring around to the nothingness. "Perspective. Everything around you has changed. It's time you looked at it as it should be looked at."
Twilight rolled her eyes. Stop grinning. She flinched when the creature did as she thought. "And what should I look at differently?"
"You are guilty of terrible crimes. You have slain ponies and dragons alike, in the name of your kingdom. In the name of yourself. I'm sure the Brood feels no different from how you've slaughtered their king and kin alike."
"You're not exactly helping," Twilight seethed.
"But you don't see it," the creature cooed. "That badge of amnesty that you wear like a shield to your consciousness."
"What are you talking about?"
The creature took two more steps closer to her. "You whispered in her ear, didn't you?"
The air froze as Twilight stood up, her eyes widening. Her breath misted as she connected the dots. "H-how...?"
The creature grinned once more. "I'm you. Remember? Have you never thought that you may forget yourself before you are done? Or maybe it's before you begin? All of the pain, all of the regret. Do you care? Does it matter? Or are you going for absolution? You live as if you already know where you will end... or is it begin? I forget... But what of Nightmare Moon? Can you live with what you will have done to her?"
Twilight's eyes were as wide as they could be, tears welling in them, but not from surprise. She bared her teeth and stamped a hoof. "Enough!" she bellowed. "You know... nothing! You... are nothing! I will do whatever I have to, and I will bring Equestria back from all of this!"
The dream world was ripped away in an instant and Twilight awoke to the haze of sunlight filling her room. She sat up while her chest rose and fell to rapid, sharp pants, her pillow damp with sweat. As her breathing slowed, she gazed at the floor where rays of light brightened the wood, illuminating the dirt-stained, gnarled planks. Her mind fought to maintain memories of the dream just a moment ago, but she found it difficult to concentrate on the dream itself. I can't do that... Her thoughts drifted away from the dream and to the creature's words. After a moment, she climbed out of bed and moved to the window where the light poured through, staring down at the ponies shuffling about in the morning. She regarded each of them carefully in a dull, half-awake gaze. It's not right. She turned and glimpsed Moonlight's hilt poking out from under the pillow. She moved to it and pulled the blade from its sheath. Its green glow had returned, and the black siphoned away the sunlight surrounding it, allowing the green to shine freely.
But why shouldn't I? I've already been doing it. She replaced the blade and fastened the baldric underneath her cloak, wrapping her mouth with a cloth strip again. She headed towards the door, but stopped and cast one last glance to the sunlit window. To kill in the name of the real Equestria—my Equestria... Her eyes followed the light rays until they reached the shade, the darker tint of the wood floor just as unsightly as the rest. What would she think? she wondered as she departed out of the inn. Stepping out into the streets, she squinted as the brunt of the late morning sunlight hit her eyes. What does it matter? In the end, you aren't the one who can change anything. I made sure it was my decision alone. She purged her mind of troubled thoughts and focused on the surroundings.
A foreleg was raised to shield her eyes until they adjusted. Lets just get this over with. Scanning the ponies around, she spotted a guard slowly walking along the side of the street, a frown painting him unfriendly. Worth a try.
"Excuse me," she said as she approached him. The guard whirled around and gave her an annoyed look, but she ignored it. "I heard there's a dragon lord here. Can you tell me where I can find them?"
"That's none of your business. Get lost, kid," the guard retorted, turning away.
Kid? What a grouch. Twilight frowned behind her wrapping and tensed for a moment. "I really need to talk to them," she urged, trying to maintain a sincere tone.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Gritting her teeth again, Twilight took a deep breath. "Look, I have information about a rebel force nearby. They're planning an attack!" The guard's expression lit up as his jaw flapped for a moment.
"W-Well, why didn't you say so? Come on, I'll take you to her."
Her? Damn, it's not Vibe.
The guard motioned for her to follow and they weaved by any other ponies as they headed towards what appeared to be a town hall of sorts. The large building had two guards stationed at the front steps on either side of the door, and more waiting in the main hallway. Twilight gulped as she was led through the main hall and to a small auditorium, a red carpet guiding the way. Many ponies of importance greeted her with curious or concerned glances, most looking much her senior with greying hair or wrinkles on their faces, and wore some form of finer clothing than anyone else she'd seen in town.
Leaning against the right wall from the entrance, Twilight spotted the dragon lord with her eyes closed. It wasn't Vibe in all of his elegant red and white attire, but Berry Punch clad in worn armor. Its red paint appeared dull and faded, scratched and marred all over the minimalist breastplate design, foregoing full sleeves. A two-piece of heavily plated greaves covered her stomach down, and armored forelegs were crossed over her chest, with smaller cestuses covering her forehooves than Twilight last remembered.
"Who is this?" one pony asked, breaking away from a conversation with two others. Studying him, Twilight noted the crows feet of his eyes and a gnarling of his muzzle. As he turned, a red sash encircling his torso at an angle was made visible.
"This one wants to talk to the dragon lord, mayor," the guard replied as he bowed. "She claims to have information about a local rebel force."
Twilight's eyes darted to Berry, gauging her reaction, but the dragon lord cast her a sidelong glance. I have to get her alone.
"Oh? Many ponies claim to have information on the rebels, each of them trying to collect a quick bounty. What makes your claim more genuine than any of the others we hear?" the mayor asked. "We do hope you're not trying to fool us," he said, his tone becoming heavy and serious. "Why don't you take off that mask, hm?"
Twilight looked around, her eyes shifting between all of the ponies present. "I can't," she whispered. "There's spies in your town's guard, and possibly your cabinet, mayor," she added. The other ponies in the room exchanged startled looks as the mayor catalogued their faces. "I will only speak to the dragon lord. Alone."
The mayor raised a suspicious brow to her, and Twilight tensed as he scrutinized her very carefully. "Matters with the rebels are handled by Canterlot or any present Dragon Lords," he glanced to Berry, "correct?"
She met his gaze and she loosed a long, drawn out yawn as she stood up and stretched, the cracks of her joints eliciting a clink from her armor. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, missy. We can go somewhere private." The mayor gave a dismissive wave and turned away to speak to the others in the room. Twilight lingered for a moment hoping to catch valuable information.
"Yes, the dragons being disemboweled and sliced up is most bothersome," the mayor said. "But that is the king's problem. Cel—Equestria knows the outer cloisters have problems of their own, and half of them the king's very own dragons. Good riddance."
Berry headed out into the main hall, Twilight trotting just behind her. The dragon lord turned and pushed a door open, motioning to go in, but Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head.
"No. Not here. I don't trust anypony in this town," she whispered, feigning a concerned glimpse to a guard in the hallway.
Berry peered around and rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll talk outside town. I could use some fresh air anyway. All the politics make it stuffy in here."
Perfect, Twilight thought as she followed Berry out of the town, her legs threatening to hop between steps. She observed as the townsponies immediately made way for them on the streets, clusters of them splitting apart in seconds when they spotted the two of them coming. Are they really all so afraid of them? she wondered, her eyes flowing to the back of Berry's head. They were Celestial Knights. There's no way...
As they left the town, Berry stopped as soon as they were out of ear shot of anyone else. "So, about that information... Tell me about this rebel force."
Twilight brought a hoof up to her mouth, earning a disgruntled look from her enemy. "Shh. Let's go further this way. I can show you where they're setting up camp."
The dragon lord rolled her eyes again. "Whatever. Just as long as you're not wasting my time. I could be taking a nap right now."
This is perfect, Twilight thought. She's letting me lure her away. As she walked into a forest, heading away from town, she thought over her tactics. This is going a little too perfect. I'd better be careful. Maybe I should wait for nightfall. She looked over her shoulder to Berry absentmindedly watching the areas beside. No, I don't need to waste time on that. This will be quick and easy, then it's back to finding Vibe.
This should be far enough. No one to save you out here, she thought as she could no longer see the town while squinting.
She stopped walking after Berry stomped a hoof. "This is far enough. Now tell me what you know, and I want to know where it is we're going."
Twilight turned around and looked up to the sky. The trees offered reprieve from the shining sun, but it was impossible to wait for the magic-enhancing night. Show time. She loosed a gleeful snicker. "We're already here," she replied.
Berry looked around at the trees and grass, a breeze gently rustling the leaves. "There's nothing here. Where is the rebel force?"
"You're looking at her."
The dragon lord stared at her for a moment and burst out laughing. "Is this some kind of joke? If you know who I am, you shouldn't be wasting my time screwing around."
"Oh, I know exactly who you are. You're the one that's going to tell me where Vibe is," Twilight sneered.
Berry adjusted her armor and cestuses. "Oh, really? And what makes you so sure you can even go hoof-to-hoof with me?"
"I know what the celestial knights can do. You're nothing but a brawny brat with some armor to me."
Berry took on a cautious stance. "How did you know I was a celestial knight?"
"It doesn't matter. Tell me where Vibe is and I'll be on my way." Twilight adjusted the wrapping on her face.
"Cocky, aren't ya? I'll tell you over my dead body," rebuked the former knight. "I've been itching for a fight." She clanged her cestuses together and grinned. "So bring it on!"
The dragon lord charged at her, the heavy steps from her armor forming a rhythm. She planted a leg and grunted, driving an armored hoof towards the archmage's stomach. Twilight lowered the wrapping on her face and conjured a barrier, a smirk plastered on her face.
"A direct attack won't work on—"
Twilight's confidence melted away as the barrier shattered, the armored hoof impacting her stomach. Her eyes widened as she could feel her organs compress and her hind legs leaving the ground. Blood spilled from her mouth as Berry sent her sailing backwards, and she hit the ground and rolled, Moonlight clattering with her. Cries of pain erupted from her briefly, and she coughed up blood as she struggled to fill her lungs with air. The pain in her gut ravaged her nerves; it hurt to breathe, and it took all of her willpower just to stop herself from whimpering.
"What kind of a weak spell was that?" the dragon lord chided.
H-how? What in the name of Astra did she use? Shakily, she rose back to her hooves and turned around. "Im...possible. That.... that was a fluke," she said breathlessly, clutching her stomach and losing groan. She wiped excess blood from her mouth. "Let's see you handle... this!" Her horn ignited into a bright purple glow, and she called down a thick bolt of lightning. It hit the ground, consuming the dragon lord in a tremendous explosion of light and dirt.
When the flash faded, Berry remained standing, head hung low, and her mocking expression had been replaced with a dark and serious one. "That... hurt," she growled, gnashing her teeth. In a shrill cry, she tore a damaged piece of plating from her back, burnt skin and hair clinging to the underside, and exposed bloody flesh. Her greaves had fused together and she appeared immobile.
Twilight was impressed that she had resisted much of the magic, but her eyes shot open when Berry roared and broke the fused plating apart with raw strength, resuming her attack again. The dragon lord swung higher this time, aiming for her head. Twilight conjured a more powerful barrier this time to account for the earth pony's monstrous strength. The ground trembled as the cestus connected, and the alicorn leaned back in fright as the barrier cracked. Several more punches followed and the shield shattered from the attack. The armored hooves struck her several times in the chest before a haymaker to the face sent her spinning backwards. Her sense of balance was erased, and she hit the ground once more, the world continuing to spin in a whirlwind of pain as she lay motionless.
How is this possible!? her mind raced. She's not even a unicorn!
Twilight laid there for a moment, Berry's voice slurring into incoherency as the pain in her face and chest felt like magma had been splashed on her. She slowly picked herself up off of the ground as she approached again. As her vision sharpened, she charged up magic in horn, wiping away blood from her mouth. "You insolent bitch. You will tell me where Vibe is, even if I have to break every bone in your body!"
Berry moved in for another attack and Twilight unleashed a torrent of flames, the temperature wilting the tree leaves and grass around her. The dragon lord breached it with a leap and battle cry, the paint missing from what remained of her armor, and delivered a high kick. Conjuring another barrier, yet stronger than the last, Berry's kick shattered it with a small grunt and struck Twilight's left foreleg, smashing it against her side.
She yelped as a grim snap heralded the bone fracturing. She teleported back to gain some distance as the pain rippled across her leg, her wrist going numb. Her head, her foreleg, her stomach; all of the pain threatened to destroy the last of her focus. I can't... She's too strong...
"Come on, you're not even a real challenge," Berry shouted, smirking. "I was hoping you would put up more of a fight since you had the stones to challenge a dragon lord."
Twilight's body trembled, sweat running down the sides of face, mixing with blood by the time it dropped from her head. No... No. No! NO! I'm not losing to her. I am stronger! I am... I am...! "I am going to break you," Twilight snarled, her voice cracking from the pain. "You are nothing but an earth pony! You. Are. Nothing!" Roaring, Twilight gathered magic into her horn, a bright blue energy that siphoned the light around her. "Ether Laser!"
The concentrated magic exploded from her horn with a loud hum, bathing everything in a blue-white glow. Berry's face lit up and she crossed her forelegs in front of her as the beam collided, enveloping her body in its path. The beam continued past her, burning away the grass in its path and any trees standing in its way. When the light faded, Twilight panted and dropped to her haunches, clutching her stomach with her uninjured leg. Her left eye had already swollen shut and the ringing in her head intensified. Keep it together, Twilight.
"I'd love to see you... get up... from that," she said, loosing a pained snort.
"That... really... hurt."
Twilight's blood turned to ice, her eye shooting open. She stood up and slowly peered towards her foe. Berry slowly rose out of the ditch caused by the attack, patches of her mane and tail burned away. More pieces of her armor were missing, and blood ran down her face and neck all the way to her exposed chest, where new open wounds appeared.
"H-How did you...?" Twilight muttered in disbelief. "What in the world are you?"
Berry began charging her one last time, roaring as Twilight poured as much magic into another barrier as she could. "No mage has ever hit me like that. You've got some real scary power. I'll. Give. You. That!"
With horn shining and a hoof towards her attacker, Twilight shrieked out as the dragon lord punched it dead on. The barrier held for the initial impact, but it quickly cracked.
She has this much strength left after that!? What in the name of Astra is she!?
With a battle cry, Berry shattered the barrier and drove her hoof into Twilight's jaw. In an instant, Twilight was sent careening backwards, her body no longer responsive. She could feel blood draining from her head, but she wasn't even sure where the wounds were. She toppled to the ground and rolled, Moonlight clattering with her again. She couldn't muster the strength for more than a quiet, agonized whimper, and she lay on the ground as her body offered her signs of shock.
I... lost, she managed in thought, tears welling in her eyes from the pain. Her head pounded from what was no doubt a concussion. This isn't how it was supposed to be. Her uninjured eye closed as the pain grew stronger, the throbs feeling like explosions in her nerve endings. Berry's steps were lost in the ringing in her ears, but she knew she was nearing. Am I going to die? The dragon lord stopped as she reached her. No... I'm already dead...
"Well, missy. You've got yourself an audience with the king. He'll decide what to do with you."
If this is just one of his lieutenants, how am I supposed to kill Aurelius? I'm not... strong enough. I'm never... strong... enough...
As consciousness faded, Twilight heard Berry utter a shriek. She opened her eye, but all turned to black before she could glimpse the dragon lord.
Weak. Pathetic, a familiar voice taunted before Twilight fell unconscious.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 36: Within, Without Eden
Twilight shivered and sat up, but she tensed as memory of her grievous defeat to Berry hit her. Bracing herself for the agony of her broken body, she clamped her eyes shut. After a moment of feeling nothing, she opened them, throwing her head in every direction. She stood up and looked over her body quickly, feeling only a chill in the air. There wasn't a single injury, but her fur had darkened, slipping closer to Nightmare's black coat.
"You won't feel any pain here."
Twilight's surprise faded into irritation. "And where exactly is here?"
The creature of her dreams stepped into view from the shadows, slowly circling her like a predator. "We know."
Twilight frowned. "How did I get here? Why am I here? I don't need this."
The creature snickered and stepped closer, the last vestiges of darkness fading from it. It now possessed Twilight's mane, though devoid of color, but Twilight found herself more bothered by the different colors of the eyes. Azure and scarlet. "You pretend to be fearless," it said.
"I'm not afraid of anything," Twilight retorted. "Certainly not some figment of my imagination."
"You have been avoiding using all sides of your magic. You, an archmage, the second vessel of Nightmare Moon, have taken to her powers, as she has taken to yours. Now you fight for Astra, as well as Equestria, but still you hold back." The creature took a step closer. "What are you afraid of?"
Twilight tried to use her magic, but nothing happened. "I don't need her type of magic anymore."
"Oh?" The creature swayed a hoof and an image of Twilight's broken form, heavily decorated with casts, blood-soaked gauze, and attached to medical equipment appeared. Her right eye was visible, but discolored and swollen, while her left was thickly bandaged. A tube running into her mouth had been secured with medical tape while a bag of liquid loomed from a fixture just beside her. "Holding back doesn't seem to have gotten you very far." The creature slowly turned back to her. "Has it?" Twilight growled and imagined the image away, only for her anger to diminish when it faded. The creature smiled. "Now you are starting to catch on."
"What the heck is this?" Twilight asked. "You still haven't answered why I'm here."
"This time? To help you see the error of your ways. Give in to your urges. Use your magic. All of your magic. You wouldn't want to disappoint her would you? She's invested a lot of faith in you. Or... are you just a coward that is willing to watch the world burn because you are afraid?"
Twilight's eyes expanded. Her breath misted and she lunged for the creature, attempting to drive a hoof into its smug face, but everything blurred into nothingness the moment she reached it.
***
"Doctor! She's waking up!" a pony shouted.
Shut... up. Be... quiet, Twilight thought. You're too loud. Why is everything so loud? Her body resisted her efforts to move, but the moment she shifted her body her left foreleg erupted with pain, her torso and head reminding her of the devastating impacts they suffered in battle. She loosed a dry squeal and whimpered as she returned to lying motionless on her back. Minutes passed, but she slipped in and out of consciousness, recalling only moments of excruciating discomfort as the tube was removed from her throat.
Steps could be heard in the room as other ponies shuffled about. Two sets entered and moved about without saying anything, then departed as two more took their place.
"Twi...light?"
Luna?
"By my sister's grace, what in Equestria happened to you?" Twilight's mouth opened, but she struggled to articulate anything, her dry tongue and throat failing her. Luna grabbed something and tapped Twilight's mouth. "Open and drink." The cold liquid felt heavenly as it flowed down her throat. After a few large sips and a painful cough, she was finally able to speak.
"Lu...na."
"Yes, I am here," the princess said, clasping Twilight's right hoof. "That won't be necessary, doctor." Twilight guessed she had turned away to speak to him for a moment, and she heard the other set of steps exit.
"Wh...where...? H...how?"
"You're in a hospital in the outer territories of Equestria. The doctors say they found you outside only a few mornings after you... They said that some of your wounds had been triaged before you were brought here... just enough to keep you alive."
Twilight tried to organize her thoughts in her head, but the pain—and what she presumed to be painkillers—muddled her concentration. She opened her mouth to speak again, but her strength waned.
"Shh," Luna cooed. "You are safe. I... will protect you. Rest for now."
Twilight could hear her voice fading, but she couldn't open her eye to see. But I... don't want to... sleep...
***
Twilight's eyes opened back to the dream world with the creature lying down and staring at her. For once, it did not speak first, though nothing else had changed. She took a deep breath, watching as it misted in the air several times before deciding what to say.
"I'm scared of..."
The creature cocked its head and watched her intently. Twilight rubbed one foreleg with the other as she glanced away, biting her lip.
"When I fought against Nightmare Moon, I was terrified of killing Luna, or watching her kill Trixie and Rainbow. I knew that her being back would hurt Celestia, even if she never admitted it. I was never afraid of dying."
The creature swished its tail back and forth, but continued to watch and listen in silence, going so far as to sit up.
"When we reached Draconis, I chose to go into the keep alone, and assign Trixie and Rainbow to fetch the dragons' war plans. They're strong, but... they'll never be as strong as me. I didn't want to put them in harms way. I left the keep and waited for them. I saw them rushing out, but nothing was happening. I was worried, but I thought we would make it out together, that we were close to the home stretch of ending the war."
Twilight took a deep, staggered breath before hanging her head.
"Render's lance pierced me. It happened so quickly that I didn't even know I had lost the use of my legs, but I knew... I knew that in that moment I was going to die. I tried to save them, and I tried to save myself, so I did the last thing I could and tried to tap into my ascension."
Glancing up, tears dripped from Twilight's eyes.
"I failed! I was so scared of using that power, so terrified that I might kill my friends instead, or lose control of myself forever. And for what? I saved them and I died. I should've killed the dragons." She pounded a hoof into the floor. "I should've killed them all from the start, and none of that would have happened. I don't know if I could've killed Aurelius, but I was going to try." After a moment of labored breaths, she quieted herself and relaxed. "There were other archmages in the past, early on when the order was started. I researched the power, tried to find records of it, but there were none. The princesses only spoke of it during the few training sessions for it, and the other archmagi had never heard of it. They had no idea what I was talking about."
Twilight brought her forehooves up to her face, staring at them as they trembled.
"Then I became an alicorn. My magic had gotten stronger, and I knew that would make my ascension worse." She glanced up to the creature, its face remaining placid, its tail still swishing back and forth. "If Astra hadn't intervened in Draconis, would I have killed only the royal guard and Render? If I had transformed against Nightmare Moon, would she and Luna still be alive? If I had transformed against Aurelius, would I have killed my friends? Or..."
Twilight looked away, hanging her head once more.
"Would everything have been better if I had just stayed dead? If I had just refused... I'd spent years studying psychology, reading books about it among all of my other studies. I prepared myself for being an archmage, but I never... ever... could have predicted all of this." She sniffled several times and wiped her eyes. "Why won't you say anything? Isn't this what you wanted?" The creature continued to stare in silence. "Answer me!"
"I. Know," it replied simply, stilling its tail.
Twilight blinked several times. "What—"
"I mean what I said. I am you, and you are me. But, saying it out loud does make it easier, doesn't it?"
Twilight grimaced. "I've changed my mind. You're worse than Astra."
The creature stood up and took a step closer, then cast a warm smile to her. "You don't believe that."
"I don't know what I believe anymore," replied Twilight, allowing her shoulders to sag. "I just want it all to end. Dying would be easier."
"But dying is a dull end."
Twilight snorted. "I never said it would be better." She shivered and rubbed herself. "Why is it so cold here? Am I actually dying?"
"No," the creature answered simply. "Death isn't one of your concerns. At least... not your own."
She turned to the creature with a wondering look on her face. "What should I do, then? Everyone I've killed, dragons and ponies, many of them were innocent. They were being manipulated, or they were forced."
"Just keep telling yourself the same thing you have been all along."
"And what's that?"
"No one is innocent anymore. They've made their choices, and now they must live, and die, with them."
Twilight rose up and offered the creature a defeated expression. "I guess you're... right. I can't stop now. I need to keep going, no matter what."
The creature rose up and slowly paced its way around her. "Yes. There are many who are going to try and stop you, to stray you from your mission. Never bow. Never relent. Kill any that stand in your way. You can't afford to fail again."
"I won't fail again," Twilight said, closing her eyes.
"I know you won't," the creature replied as everything receded into nothingness.
***
"Lu...na?" Twilight took a slow breath as she mentally prepared herself for the shockwaves of pain she was about to feel. Opening her 'good' eye, she raised her uninjured foreleg slowly up to her face, throwing a quick glance to her other one, encased in a thick cast, fixing its angle. Her delicateness wasn't good enough, and the weight shift immediately extracted something between a grunt and a squeal out of her. She could feel the adjusting of more gauze and wrappings across her torso. The best she could compare the feeling to in her more sensitive areas was sandpaper grinding across open flesh as it was set aflame.
"Not so fast, Twilight," she heard the princess say, but her eye was already clamped shut as she shuddered. She would have clenched her jaw, but she could feel the bruises through the bandages. After a few moments, her nerves stabilized and she opened her eye to catch Luna's worried gaze, but glanced away.
"I'm... fine," she replied, unsure of what else to say in that moment.
"Are... are you sure you're okay, Twilight?"
"I told you I'm—" Turning back to her, she found the princess had risen and backed up, taking on a defensive stance. What was once worry was now replaced with fear and concern. "What!"
"Twilight, I know your fusion with Nightmare Moon had brought about some... changes to you, but now that you are separated..." A mirror floated to Twilight, face down, as Luna spoke. "I do not know what to make of this now that she is gone."
Twilight took the mirror into her own magic and slowly rotated it up to her face. She blinked several times as she took in the change, and its oddity.
"Are you... afraid of me, Luna?" she asked, laying the mirror down.
The princess turned her head away. "I-I am not afraid of you. I just... Please explain it to me. It is unsettling given the circumstances."
Twilight lifted herself off of the bed, clenching her jaw as the bruising of her chest reminded her it was still there. With a few heaving grunts and gasps, she managed to sit up, slouching forward. "I'm still me. I'm just tapping into what she left me. Her magic changed me before, and it's changing me again." She swept her blanket from her legs, revealing her darkening fur. Throwing them over the side of the bed, Luna moved to support her underneath her right side.
"Easy, Twilight. You should be resting. You only just woke up." She supported her to a chair by the bedside.
Sitting down, Twilight winced and exhaled sharply, her stamina already depleted. "How long was I out?" The princess' lips curled inward as her eyes slid away from her. "Luna," Twilight said as she cocked her head to her. "How. Long?"
"The doctors say you were in a coma for two weeks. They found your battered body laying outside, covered in bloody bandages, your leg in a crude splint." Luna motioned to the cast. "There was no trace of anyone else around."
Twilight's jaw flapped as her eyes widened. "T-two... weeks?" She stood up abruptly, but groaned loudly, a hoof to her chest. Collapsing back down, she slumped forward in painful defeat. "Why... Why do I keep losing time? I'll never find anyone at this rate." She sniffled several times before bawling dryly into her foreleg.
Luna levitated a chair next to her and sat down, pulling her friend to her chest. "I... am sorry. I wish you had stayed with Derpy and I." The princess cradled her head as she sighed. "I lay the blame upon myself for this. Had I tried harder, had I pushed you to stay, then... perhaps you would not be in this state."
Twilight raised her head, huffing and sniffling, ignoring the pain of her wounds, and turned Luna's face to hers. "This is. Not. Your. Fault. It was my decision. I have no one to blame but myself for this." She wiped her eyes and calmed down. "I underestimated my enemy again, but most importantly..." She trailed off and stood up, managing only to bare her gritting teeth as she straightened herself. "I underestimated myself." She curled her uninjured hoof in front of her.
Luna watched in awe as Twilight gnashed her teeth and took steps on her own. "This pain... is nothing..." Her left leg gave out and she fell; however, she never hit the floor. She groaned, but looked up to see Derpy, the paladin shouldering her back to the bed.
"You need to rest, Twilight. There's only one pony I know that could walk around with injuries like that," she said.
Twilight snorted. "Is it that Celestial Knight, Berry Punch?"
Derpy cocked her head. "How did you—"
"Because she did this to me," Twilight interrupted, a quiet anger weighing over her gaze.
"Good heavens, Twilight," Luna said, jumping to her hooves. "Had I known that you were going to fight her, I would have warned you."
Twilight pulled the blanket back over her and frowned. "Warned me about what? That she's an unstoppable juggernaut that can take a direct hit from concentrated, lethal magic and still attack me with enough force to break a concrete wall? Yeah, that sure would've helped to know."
Luna and Derpy exchanged uneasy looks before Derpy spoke. "I, uh, wouldn't fight her head on. For as long as I've known her, Berry has been incredibly strong."
"Indeed. Her physical might and fortitude cannot be matched."
"Why? Is she blessed like I am?"
Luna took a seat and scratched a hoof on the arm of her chair as she explained. "Yes, and... no. Berry Punch is descended from ancient giants of... well, even Celestia and I had only seen a couple in our youngest days. It is rare to see their strength contained within a pony, but she appears to possess all of their facets, save for their size. She is a force to be reckoned with, and it is extremely rare to elevate an earth pony to the status of Celestial Knight. She is newer to the ranks than even Derpy, but dangerous nonetheless. You cannot fight her with external magic. Her resistance to it is akin to that of a fully matured dragon."
Twilight growled and slammed her right hoof on the bed. "Then how am I supposed to fight her? She broke through my barriers like they were nothing! Even my strongest ones in our fight could only take several punches. One kick and she breaks my leg. One hoof to my chest and I'm winded." She let out a pained growl and sank into her bed, huffing and puffing.
Luna stared at the floor in silence for a while, her eyes unmoving. After a moment, she slowly stood up and moved to the bed. Slipping both hooves beneath Twilight's plastered foreleg, she lifted it up, earning a few Ow's and a wince from her friend. "Your constitution... has changed," she noted aloud. "Celestial Knights were meant to keep archmages in check. To see you defeated by one is nothing short of their successful function." Twilight glowered at her.
"I'm not just an archmage anymore," she retorted, returning her foreleg to resting at her side.
Luna stifled a grin. "I shall devise a plan, but you must recover in the meantime." She moved to the door and turned, "Come, Derpy. You will have questions."
"A half-giant? Why didn't she ever tell me!" the paladin cried.
"She, herself, is unaware of her true heritage. Now come. Twilight must rest."
Twilight sank into her bed, loosing a harrumph as their voices faded away. After a moment, she sat up and looked around. "Luna?" she asked, her ears flicking and bending. Strange. I thought I heard talking. She laid back down and rolled onto her right side, wriggling into a comfortable position. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Moonlight leaning against the wall, resting quietly in its sheath.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 37: White Noise
Twilight clutched her jaw for a moment before wiping it clean of her saliva; it was the fourth time she had fallen asleep during Luna's instruction. What was to be a gentle prodding from the princess to awaken her became pain amplified by her bruise with an integer the archmage couldn't quite quantify. She refrained from a yelp, but when she refocused on Luna, all she could do was glare death.
"The next time you try to wake me, try yelling so it doesn't feel like I just caught a train with my face... again!" Twilight grumbled, a gentle hoof already easing the throb in her cheek.
Luna bit her lower lip. "Forgive me, but I would not have to awaken you if you would simply stay awake in the first place."
A loud yawn escaped Twilight's mouth as she tilted her head back and allowed her tongue to loll partway out of her mouth. Luna was right. Her recovery had been chocked full of sleepless nights and restless days, and now that she was able to walk around again on her own she had garnered no additional sleep. Darkness ringed her bagged eyes, and she frequently rubbed them and yawned.
"I'm sorry, Luna. I just haven't been sleeping..." Twilight squinted around the room, trying to quicken their adjustment. "At all." It wasn't like her not to sleep. She had read books on the subject, conducted sleep studies, some of them on herself. Even when tired and feeling less sore she couldn't sleep more than a few winks at most.
"Right. Well." Luna rose from the uncomfortable hospital chair and moved to the blinds of the only window in the room.
Twilight's eyes widened as they slowly tracked the princess. No... No. No! Damn it, Luna, don't!
In one swift motion, the princess unleashed the full power of the bright morning sun into the room and Twilight groaned, clamping her eyes shut and shielding them from the flood with her forelegs.
"Come, Twilight," Luna chirped. "You are able enough to join Derpy and me outside. Your stay here has ended, and you must train yourself in the event that you must battle Berry again." She trotted out of the room before Twilight could complain.
Grumbling, then sighing, Twilight climbed out of bed, her body stiff and her left foreleg still in a cast. She yawned as she gathered up her cloak and Moonlight. On her way out of the room, she caught a glimpse of her haggard appearance in the mirror. Rolling her eyes, she chalked up her appearance to echoing how she felt. At least my fur hasn't gotten any darker, she thought.
Luna and Derpy awaited her outside, the paladin looking far perkier and ready compared to the rest of them. She was already clad in what remained of her battle-worn armor, performing stretches and exercises.
"Good morning, Twilight," greeted Derpy as she stood up to attention.
"I thought we were supposed to be laying low." Twilight cringed and shut her eyes, turning away as she met the full force of natural light. After a moment, her eyes fully adapted and she began to enjoy the regenerative properties of the sun. It slowly peeled back the agony of her sleeplessness.
Luna glanced around the hospital grounds and shook her head, smiling. Trees dotted the area, with rays of light honeycombing the shade through the leaves. Birds could be heard chirping and tweeting songs from above. "This territory is much too far for Aurelius's reach. Though there are likely loyalists this far, the kingdom's influence is scarce or neglected, even within the outer lands of Equestria. He has no concern for what goes on here. This is one of the more peaceful places, unaffected by the unruly dragons that serve the king." She enunciated the title with distaste before watching other ponies taking walks in the morning. Twilight noticed her wistfulness and cleared her throat.
Just how far did someone take me? Twilight decided to push the question away for the time being. "You wanted to teach me how to fight Berry, right?"
Luna blinked a couple times, her head snapping back to Twilight. "Right. Of course. I shall do my best."
Derpy moved beside Twilight. "I'd like to learn, too, Your Majesty."
The princess pursed her lips as she regarded the paladin. "I am afraid that this is not something for you, Derpy. I intend to have Twilight use her magic. Your powers should be sufficient... once you are at full strength, that is." The paladin stared at the ground in disappointment.
Twilight scoffed. "My magic? She barely flinched when I hit her with some of my spells. I watched her break her own armor apart with raw strength, just to keep going."
"Indeed. Her physical might and resilience is akin to the Brood's royal guard. She will be a most formidable opponent for you now."
"So, how do I beat her?"
Luna's horn lit up as a ball of magic formed. "Celestia and I had allowed ourselves to succumb to rust before Aurelius's initial assault. Following that, we began to train ourselves once more in your absence. Though one would never believe it, she is a fierce combatant when she wants to be. We aimed to develop new magic to aid us. One idea I had been experimenting with is... this."
A sphere of blue energy formed in the air, and Luna held a foreleg out. The sphere touched it and molded onto and around her form, solidifying in color. Luna grunted and bared her teeth as it coated her entire foreleg. "Unfortunately, it is merely in experimental stages," she ground out.
She moved to one of the trees and pulled back her magic-coated hoof. With a cry, she punched it. The trunk dented as pieces of bark fell away and the magic dispersed. Leaves on the branches rustled in discontent while some fell away. Twilight found her interest in the ability piqued, but disappointment in the final result.
"I'm fairly confident Berry can punch the tree into paper," Twilight blurted.
"Knight Punch could clear an entire forest with her bare hooves," added Luna, "but that is beside the point. I have been working to mold magic over myself to bolster strength and defenses, aside from what our natural ability allows. Though unicorns do not tend to gain physical properties from stronger magic, it increases our stamina and ability to resist damage. I am hoping to amplify and even push beyond that limitation, converting magic into raw power."
Twilight imagined converting her magic into physical strength, but the daydream was cut short when Luna took her uninjured forehoof. "Your affinity for magic is greater than any other. Give it a try."
Twilight glanced between her hoof and Luna. Smirking, she summoned magic, without the sphere, already around her hoof. "Like thi—"
Her confidence was crushed when it felt like her bones were being compressed inside the magical shell. A great weight pulled her towards the ground, and she gnashed her teeth before she dispelled it. Panting, she stood up straight and looked at the awed Derpy and worried Luna with disbelieving eyes.
"I am afraid that I have not had much time to devote to this," the princess lamented. "I will continue to work at it, but having you to help will surely bring this ability to fruition in due time."
Derpy shrugged and shifted her armor. "Are you sure something like this could be used against Berry? I've seen her stop an attack from Aurelius, and even keep fighting with broken bones. I've never seen any direct attack slow her down, let alone stop her."
Luna beamed. "With enough magic funneled into it, I believe it can. However, we must first figure out how to harness it without these debilitating flaws. The condensed magic is encumbering, and the bracing it applies to our forms must be lessened. Once these limitations are overcome, I believe Twilight has enough magic to outclass Knight Punch in melee combat."
Twilight attempted to immerse her hoof in magic again, this time bracing herself for the pressure and unexpected weight gain. She wobbled at first, then beat her wings to stay standing for a moment. She released the magic and panted. "This is going to take some serious effort. Do we have time for me to learn this?"
Luna looked through Twilight for a moment. "It is always a gamble, but we have not seen or heard of them since Vibe called them elsewhere on Aurelius's behalf." She refocused on Twilight's face. "Nevertheless, we should use this newfound precious time to our advantage and bolster our might." She glanced to Derpy. "My magic may be returning, but I still rely on Paladin Hooves's strength."
The paladin hung her head. "But if I fall—"
Luna raised a hoof. "Do not dwell on that thought. We have options, even if they are limited." Twilight gnashed her teeth and growled as she coated her hind legs in magic. "W-wait, Twilight. That is much too fast!"
Roaring, Twilight charged the tree Luna had struck and delivered a kick to it. The tree heaved with a loud crack, its leaves rustling as it partially uprooted and settled at a tilt. Ponies walking about the hospital grounds all froze and stared at her in awe and confusion as violently loosened leaves fluttered down around her. She huffed and dispelled the magic, crumbling to the ground.
"I... have... to get... stronger," she muttered. My legs feel like butter after that. Despite the drain, she glanced up to see a split running up the trunk. That's more like it.
Luna exchanged concerned glances with Derpy, then examined the tree trunk. Her eyes lit up as the damage was catalogued. "I must admit... I am impressed. Such a short time... I think that is more than enough progress for today. You should sunbathe and recover your magic more. Perhaps it is time to mend your own injuries. Derpy and I have some business elsewhere for now. You are safe in this town for the time being."
"Business elsewhere?" Twilight asked as she shakily rose back up, using a hoof to the tree trunk and flaps of her wings to help her stand.
Luna shrouded her head with the cowl of her cloak. "Perhaps we may dig up a lead on this elusive resistance."
Twilight debated on inviting herself to accompany them, but after a moment of pondering she decided against it. "Alright, be careful and good luck."
After they left, Twilight took Luna's advice and strolled into the sun, the heat permeating into her body. It energized her, relaxing her body and easing her soreness, but it unsettled her mind. Where is Celestia? she wondered, squinting to the all powerful star briefly. It was tempting to try and get some rest, but the idea of defeating Berry in combat was too enticing. She formed a sphere of energy in the air and held her right forehoof to it. I'm going to break her!
***
It wasn't until midday when Luna and Derpy returned, and Twilight had spent the time alone with her thoughts, switching between lounging around in the sun and attempting to utilize the new magical technique. All she had managed to accomplish was melding it over more of her body, but she had not made any progress on relieving the physical strain to increase the longevity of its power. She mentally logged her experiments, trying out different ways of adapting it, but the technique continued to be too much to bear. Luna's voice pierced her thoughts as she released an attempt at slowly layering the magic over herself.
"You're looking a bit better," Luna observed with a smile.
"You don't look as tired," added Derpy.
Twilight chewed on her lower lip. "I took a nap," she lied. "I'm feeling a bit better now. What about you? Did you find anything out?"
"Indeed, but it is... peculiar to say the least," the princess replied.
The paladin shifted her mouth, her face becoming pensive. "There's a rumor that the resistance has a former celestial knight among its ranks."
"A celestial knight? But I thought you were the only one that escaped. Maybe Rainbow Dash got away on her own," Twilight said.
Luna shook her head. "A possibility only were my sister to have freed her. The dragon lords had been tracking us well before you returned, and I cannot fathom her staying away now when we need her most. I do not believe it is her."
"Then who could it be if Colgate and Berry are already serving under Aurelius?"
Derpy slowly raised her head and turned to Luna. "Princess, who were the celestial knights before Berry and I joined? Colgate is the only one that served with any from a previous order, but she never spoke of them." Luna only gazed back in silence. "Luna," the paladin pressed, taking a step towards her as her face grew hard. "What former celestial knights are still out there? If there's more, we need their help!"
Still the princess remained silent for a while longer. "I am afraid I cannot answer that in a way that will raise your spirits, Derpy."
"What does that even mean?"
Luna coughed into a hoof briefly. "As you should know, when a celestial knight retires their divine powers are relinquished. Once a successor to their seat is chosen, the power is passed unto the new celestial knight. To say that there is a fifth celestial knight is very suspicious. On one hoof, the order is not well known, serving the kingdom closely. On the other hoof, the only ones that would make such a claim... would be those who knew of it. The rumor is very suspect either way."
Twilight cocked her head to one side. "Then who did Rainbow Dash succeed?"
"No one from the generation Berry Punch has served in. The fourth seat of the Celestial Knights remained vacant for some time as there was simply no need. Her promotion came as a mixed result of circumstance and necessity."
"Then who did Berry Punch succeed?" Derpy asked.
Luna was still deep in thought as she turned to her. "That is what troubles me. I do not know for sure."
"That doesn't make any sense. You are the one that trains us. We have to follow the rumor, Your Majesty. What if it really is Rainbow Dash? We have to—"
Luna silenced her with a raised hoof. "I have already made up my mind. We will investigate this, but very carefully. I remain wary of such a rumor."
Derpy melted into joy and relief as she thanked the princess profusely.
A fifth celestial knight? Twilight thought. If Colgate, Berry, and Derpy were fighting on the borders, and Rainbow was with Trixie and me during the war with the Brood, where the heck would a fifth have been? She watched as Derpy departed to retrieve supplies for their journey. Magic formed around her hoof again, but she released it only a moment later when the strain became too much. I have to take down Berry Punch. A sour memory of the knight shattering her barriers and delivering a crushing blow filled her mind briefly.
"Twilight, are you alright to travel with us?" Luna asked. She blinked several times to find the princess staring with a curious look. "I hold doubts of the progress of your recovery allowing it right now."
"I don't know if I'll go with you," she replied absentmindedly.
Before she knew it, Luna had erased the gap between them and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I will not allow you to leave my side again! I let you leave the first time and you wound up crippled in a hospital! Were it not for whomever triaged and brought you here, you could have died!" Her eyes were wide, her body fidgeting from deep breaths.
Twilight chewed her lower lip as Luna shouted at her, but after a moment the princess looked around and realized others were staring. "F-forgive me," she murmured as she glanced to the ground. She tried to hide the tears welling in her eyes, but Twilight had caught a glimpse of them already. "I have lost family, friends, and comrades to this nightmare." She slowly looked up. "I do not want to lose another, after only getting them back not so long ago."
"I'm.... sorry, Luna. I just... Something keeps telling me to fight alone. I don't know why."
Luna wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not letting you go this time. You cannot face Aurelius and his minions alone."
"I still have one trick up my sleeve. The one you and Princess Celestia taught me."
Luna's eyes shot open wide again as her mouth fluttered for a moment. "Do. Not. Dare," she whispered. "There is still much we can do without resorting to such an accursed thing. Promise me, Twilight Sparkle. Promise me that you will never use that unless there is nothing left!"
Twilight coiled back as Luna stepped towards her, her face hard with fear. She had never seen Luna so rattled before. "Alright, alright, but I'm not going to forget. If I lose to Berry like I did last time, I might have to."
"No, Twilight! It is much too dangerous. Berry is not unstoppable, nor must you use such a terrible thing. The result of the first instance was pure luck. You cannot risk mind and magic, lest you be muted."
Mute, Twilight thought. A shiver ran down her spine. The thought was harrowing, that her own power could burn out her magic and end her ability to use it forever. "You're right," she responded quietly. "It's not worth it if I can help it."
"Thank you," said Luna. She stepped back and the atmosphere loosened while she changed the subject. "We shall depart in the morning. You should rest up. Your physical injuries are healing nicely. How fares your magic?"
"I didn't exert myself as much as I could have. That knight... she caught me off guard. I've taken on Ursa Majors, multiple dragons, the Brood's royal guard, Aurelius, and even Dragon King Render. I never expected a pony could be so strong." Twilight sat down and glanced at the leg that was broken. "Isn't Derpy supposed to be stronger since she's the Paladin?"
The princess sighed. "Physical strength is not all that encompasses a celestial knight's power and status. When one is elevated to bear, their natural strength is brought to its full potential, and their weapon abilities are unique to the knight in question. The former paladin's divine gift is nothing like Derpy's, even though they are..." She trailed off. "The previous incumbent for Knight Punch's seat was a pegasus, as most celestial knights are."
"What about Rainbow Dash? She had Moonlight, but it wasn't a blessed sword."
Luna grew pensive for a moment before answering. "I am afraid that I do not know her unique weapon power. Celestia and I were in a rush to prepare her, and we could not unlock and manifest it in time. She has one, but I cannot tell you what it is until it reveals itself."
"What about Colgate? What are her powers?"
The princess hesitated to answer for a long while and the silence made Twilight shift uncomfortably. Luna looked her in the eyes and shook her head slowly. "Do not engage her. Though your magic is far greater than most, you struggle to wield and gate your potential at times. You must understand, Twilight. The number of unicorns to be elevated to Celestial Knight status is few and far between. Colgate has the gift of her parents' magic in an unusual form, and her weapon power. She has gained mastery over two paths of magic and allowed her to gain properties of both, effectively doubling her stamina. I loathe to say it, but she outclasses Derpy in combat and is one of the strongest celestial knights to have ever lived. If we are to battle her, outnumbering her is merely a good start to dealing with her twinned magic."
Twilight mulled over the information. A unicorn stronger than me? I don't believe it. "How powerful is her magic?"
"It is not as strong as yours, but it is the unique capability that could set you apart on the battlefield. Her divine powers are ice and water, to which she has an archmage's finesse over. However," Luna took a deep breath and loosed it slowly, "her natural power is to distort time. I must admit, I do not know her full capability with it. She can manipulate it within localized areas, or specific targets she has marked. It is something she scarcely resorts to. Were you to fight, she could slow your attacks and effortlessly evade and counter, should you become marked."
Twilight's eyes widened. "So, what? Just play keep-away and blast her from a distance? That doesn't sound too difficult."
Luna snorted. "I am afraid that you cannot make light of the celestial knights so easily. You are stronger than an archmage, but a mage nonetheless. The celestial knights were created as a balance to keep archmagi in check, even kill them if they become rogue. Normally, it is the paladin's duty to carry out their very execution in such a situation."
Twilight hung her eyes to the ground for a while, her thoughts moving about wordlessly in her mind. After a while, she responded. "So, Derpy has killed archmages before?"
Luna shook her head, much to her relief. "Thankfully, such a vile thing has not occurred in several generations of knights and archmagi alike. We have had problems more recently than that, but they were handled without requiring the loss of life."
"I don't like this, Luna. If Colgate is stronger than Derpy, and she's under Aurelius's control. What chance do I have?"
The princess moved to her and patted her on the shoulder. "Do not worry. I am sure we will come up with a plan when the time comes. For now, Aurelius seems content to keep his dragon lords,"—she made a disgusted face with the title—"closer to Canterlot. We must press on and find out how strong the resistance is, especially if there truly is another celestial knight among them." Luna turned and prepared to step away, but she cast a doubtful glance back to Twilight. "If there even is a resistance." She gave a wave. "You can spend another night in the hospital if you would like. I shall pick you up in the morning. For now, rest up for the journey ahead, Twilight. With your help, we will restore Equestria. I swear it."
***
Rays of moonlight cut across Twilight's body as she wandered beneath the canopies of trees. Night had fallen hours ago, but she remained unable to sleep, the rejuvenating effects of her earlier sunbathing having long faded back into restlessness. The agitation of her insomnia was wearing heavily on her, and she had hoped a long walk would bring her sleep. So far, she had done little more than wander in agony as the world around her dimmed to a murky blur, seemingly mocking her efforts. A gentle breeze licked at her mane, but her body refused the soothing sensation. Snapping her head up, Twilight realized she had wandered outside of the quiet town and into the areas beyond. Areas unknown.
Where... am I? she thought as she peered around. The moon was distant, and its glow failed to fully illuminate the grass and trees around her, instead giving it all a melancholy shade. How long have I been walking?
The breeze kicked up into a wind and snaked into her fur, eliciting a shiver from the lost archmage. It was not cold, but it still felt chilling. A screech or a roar played in the distance, but Twilight could not tell what made it. Her sleep-deprived mind could not focus, her thoughts crashing into each other only to be buried beneath the constant nagging to go to sleep. The screeching sound grew suddenly louder, nearer. As she pivoted towards the source and glanced up, a massive body abruptly crashed down onto the ground and rolled beside her, flattening trees and leaving a trail of liquid in its wake. Twilight stared at the unusual scene, trying to muster the energy to react appropriately. Nonetheless, she forced herself to investigate, if only to distract her from the waking nightmare she was stuck in.
"What the—!"
She lurched backwards at the sight of what appeared to be a patrolling dragon, the liquid following its body having become a river of blood. Eyes wide, Twilight lit her horn to examine the beast. She slowly moved around it as she grew alert, sleeplessness pushed aside for now.
The dragon was not moving, and it was evident by the organs leaking from a slice running up its stomach that it had already checked out of life. Suddenly, the gears in Twilight's mind clicked and she shrouded herself in a barrier. If something killed the dragon, there was no telling if its slayer was a friend or a foe.
"Who's there!?" Twilight bellowed as she took flight to hover over the corpse. She shined her horn to the surrounding fields, and then slowly followed along the path of blood, glancing around. There was a presence in the air, but it was faint to the point of being unrecognizable. She couldn't tell whether it was her own lack of rest or the unknown's skill in masking themselves. "Show yourself! I know you're there!"
There was a long silence of nothingness as Twilight remained poised to defend herself, or attack, whomever laid the dragon to rest. After a while of only the breeze lapping at her fur, she dropped down and lowered her barrier. I must be... dreaming, she rationalized. Yes, I'm just sleepwalking and this is a dream. Convincing herself that the entire encounter was in her head and she would awaken to nothing occurring, she turned and headed back towards the town. She continuously threw glances over her shoulder at the dead dragon as it slowly shrank in her view. Just as it was about to completely vanish into darkness, the wind stilled. Twilight's fur bristled as the wind suddenly whipped into a roar, a dark fog forming and surrounding her from the rest of the night.
"So, you're still here!" Conjuring a barrier once more, she whirled around and watched as the fog flowed in a ring around her, thickening and pulsing. "Who are you!?" Her head snapped to different points all around her, trying to find something to focus on.
The fog coalesced into a thin pony, its features undefined as it remained with a foggy form, but as it slowly finalized the form, Twilight's eyes widened and her barrier receded. Her breath slipped away and she struggled to breathe, choking on the words she wanted to say. The words she neededtoscream.
"NIGHTMARE MOON!"
The name tore from her throat as the foggy mare remained in the immaterial state, staring. Twilight could only hear the roaring of the wind driving the fog around her while she gazed back. She collapsed to the ground panting, her heart ready to burst from her chest. Tears flowed from her tired eyes as clarity returned. Jaw fluttering, she managed to stammer out her words. "Y-You... Y-You're alive! Y-You're s-s-safe!" Swallowing, she managed to find the strength to stand up back up. "I-I kn-knew it. I'm so g-glad to s-see you," she added, rubbing the tears from her eyes, only for them to blur again as more formed. The foggy form raised its muzzle before turning and walking into the fog.
Twilight choked on her breath as she took a step toward her, eyes widening. "W-wait! Where are you going? Nightmare? Nightmare!" Before she knew it, she broke into a run after her, charging into the depths of the fog. "No, Nightmare! What's wrong!? Don't leave. Wait!" The foggy form blended into its surroundings and began to vanish. "Where are you going? Come back, Nightmare!" Her heart drummed in her chest as tears reached full flow and she continued to run through the fog, unable to see anything beyond her fixation. "Nightmare, please! Don't leave me!" she screamed. Frantically, she loosed a torrent of force from her body, blasting the fog away and dispersing it, but the foggy form of Nightmare Moon was gone.
Twilight crumbled to the ground in a fit of sobs and trembles, her stomach turning, body growing weak and jittery from the shock. Incoherent babble filled the gaps between her wails and cries. "Why would you leave me? After... After everything... I need you..."
As her crying died down, she found herself shivering, truly cold, only to discover that she had run back to the dragon’s body and collapsed in its blood. Why? Why would you leave...? You promised to find me. I don’t... understand. Before long, the last vestiges of her willpower left and consciousness waned.
Can you hear me, now? a voice came, soothing her mind, but failing to calm her emotions. Rest now… You don’t need to cry anymore. From now on, I’ll protect you.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 38: Ember of the Past
Twilight elicited a loud gasp as her head shot up, her body managing to lurch backwards into a standing position. Startled, she glanced around before her memories returned, then her eyes fell listlessly to the floor as she crumbled to sitting. “What do you want?” she murmured, no longer interested in expressing her disdain.
There was a moment of silence where she expected an answer, but she glanced up to find her doppelganger looming over her, its form large and daunting. The grin it once wore proudly was replaced with sympathy. It offered a hoof to Twilight and slowly nodded. She took it and rose up to her hooves, preparing to offer a weak thanks. However, when she blinked, the creature had taken on her appearance entirely, save for the heterochromatic eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the creature shook its head and gently placed a hoof behind her head, pulling her closer.
“I will be the one to protect you, now,” it whispered to her softly. “I will not allow anyone to hurt you like Princess Celestia or Nightmare Moon ever again. I promise you that.”
Twilight stared at her doppelganger in shock and wonder, but calm washed over her and her eyes closed. Crushing doubts were soon lifted from her heart, and the anguish of betrayal turned to resolve for vengeance. There were many things she wanted to say to convey the feeling, to summarize her experiences, but she could only offer an answer to the creature. “Okay,” she whispered back.
When she opened her eyes the creature was grinning once more.
***
Muddled voices called out to her, repeating her name with growing desperation. Twilight opened her eyes to sunlight from a cloudy sky and unleashed a monstrous yawn, smacking her lips. She stared at the clouds for a while, trying to envision them as familiar objects or ponies, but to no avail. Rising up, she stretched and found that she felt truly energized, and that her grievous injuries had nearly vanished. A lingering soreness echoed in her bones and face, but it wasn’t enough to distract her. Glancing around, she realized she was lying beneath the trees she had wandered under last night, but the entirety of the scene was amiss to her.
Where’s the dragon? she wondered, peering around in confusion. Where its blood flowed there was nothing more than a faint path through the trees that stretched on. Rays of light pierced the spot where the tree was crushed by the dragon’s body, with unblemished grass drinking in the light. What in the world is going on? her mind roared.
The voices calling her name grew louder, nearer, but a feeling inside her urged her not to be found. That feeling soon manifested into a voice in her head.
They will make you stay, it told her.
Twilight cast a wary glance towards the direction of the voices that would soon be upon her, then a wondering one away.
You cannot trust them.
Twilight recognized the voices of Luna and Derpy calling out to her. “Why? Luna is one of my best friends and a mentor. She would never betray me.”
The only way you can guarantee your revenge is to be alone, the voice cooed.
“But…” She pondered the thought for a moment as she thought back to Luna’s reaction upon seeing her again. The sad look in her eyes as she pleaded for her not to leave. Twilight resisted for a moment, but her thoughts pulled her to beckoning of the voice. “You’re… right. Luna would never let me go off to fight alone again. I can’t waste any more time, either.”
With a deep breath, she turned and fled, beating her wings as she flew beneath the trees. I’m sorry, Luna. She did not know where she was or where she was going, but she already had a starting goal in mind. I’m going to hunt down Berry and Vibe. I’ll kill Aurelius and fix this. Nothing can stop me, she thought as the wind ran through her fur, her magic coursing through her at full capacity. As she flew towards a tree trunk, there was a small flash as she vanished in a teleport. The world ran away from her in a stream of arcane distortion and blurs of colors, a smear of scenery brushing past her.
This isn’t—!
A startled cry escaped her throat, her body plummeting to the ground. She bounced and rolled before coming to a stop. Coughing, she quickly rose up and shook dirt from her fur, ruffling her wings and straightening her mane. Her heart thumped in her chest as she threw her head in every direction.
“Where am I?” she mumbled, looking around. The scene was just a simple forest, far away from Canterlot and its surrounding lands. For a moment, it seemed familiar as she walked around and surveyed it. Too familiar, she thought.
Gasping, Twilight found the area to be where she had been defeated by Berry Punch. Blood had long been washed away from the ground, but the scars of her magic remained. Instinctively, a hoof was brought up to her eye, a memory of pain reminding her of the bitter defeat and her arrogance. She frowned and bared her teeth. “That won’t happen again,” she whispered.
It won’t. Together, we will destroy Aurelius piece by piece.
Twilight blinked, her eyes jumping from tree to tree. “It can’t be…”
Yes, you can hear me now. I have been calling out to you for a while. It’s time to hunt down the knight that defeated you. You will find her, and this time… you will crush her. The creature haunting her dreams spoke into her mind, its haughty voice slithering through her thoughts. You need to prove who is truly superior.
For once, Twilight agreed with it. Chuckling, she replied, “I still have my pride as an archmage. I’ll show Aurelius that I’m stronger.” She pressed a hoof into the ground and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose. With a surge of determination, she sprang into the air and scanned the distances around her. Cities and towns sprinkled the green landscape, but one in particular stood out towards the regions closer to Canterlot. It would have appeared like any other, but thick, stone walls rose up around it, affixed with what she guessed to be anti-air weaponry. If the Brood is serving Aurelius again and he’s ruling, why would they need those? With a destination in sight, she soared towards it, enjoying the wind through her mane and fur again as her blood burned with anticipation. I won’t lose this time.
***
“Twilight!” Luna shouted, her voice slowly becoming hoarse. “Where are you?” She glided around the landscape, hoping to find any sign of the archmage, but no traces of her presence remained. Derpy crisscrossed along the ground, her eyes ricocheting from tree to shrub and back again. Both ponies dropped down to land, and the paladin could only offer a glum look and shake of her head.
“I… do not wish to believe that she would have left on her own again,” Luna said.
“Maybe she’ll come back,” Derpy said, sounding as if she didn’t believe her own words.
Luna gave the grass a defeated look. “There is something going on inside of her, but I do not know what.” She sat down as her voice wavered. She slammed a hoof on the ground and spat, tears welling in her eyes. “Celestia and I saw it! Signs of this strange war eroding her, but we. Said. Nothing!”
“H-Hey, don’t blame yourself, princess,” Derpy offered, but the look she received was less than welcoming. “She wasn’t introduced to it like I was, or Rainbow. I never thought I could stand to do this, and if it wasn’t for you neither of us would have made it this far.”
Luna sighed, her demeanor softening. “Be that as it may, we have still lost Twilight once more. In my heart, I know that she will be alright, but… to have allowed this to happen… to have stood idly by as she began to unravel. When she battered my sister after we thought Aurelius had been killed, that was when I should have intervened. Whatever promise Celestia made to Twilight before her ascension seemed null afterward. They shared a mental connection, once, but Twilight severed that long ago. That battle with Aurelius tore her apart and we never even gave a second thought as to Twilight’s state of mind!” She glanced up to the sky as she continued. “There is only one pony that can truly understand what is going on inside of her, but we know not her fate.”
“Her marefriend, Trixie?”
Luna shook her head as her gaze fell back to the paladin. “Nightmare Moon.” The name rolled off her tongue with a hint of disdain, her mane increasing its flow momentarily. “Their symbiosis changed them in ways I can only speculate. Twilight was the only one willing to give that mare a chance at redeeming herself and, in the end, it paid off.” She raised a hoof to ward off Derpy’s input. “I have always wondered if she became a victim because of it. Nightmare Moon was my evil. If she is no longer that, then what has she become to Twilight? Has her darkness warped her? Could Twilight be too far gone now? I have held many questions regarding the matter, but I was afraid of what Twilight may think were I to press the subject.”
The paladin shuddered at the line of questions. “Do you… really think that Twilight could become something like what Nightmare Moon was?”
Luna gave her a heavy gaze. “I do not know, but you must be prepared to take her down if she manifests into something like that. My reunion with her, seeing her transformation, was frightening. I am not sure what to make of it, even now. One moment she is calm and collected, another she could be volatile and manic. It is not so unlike her panic attacks when she was young, but this is something far more severe. She has been… tense, but that is understandable given all that has happened since her disappearance, and after her return. Her unpredictability now is something I’ve grown apprehensive of.”
“Then we have to go after her, princess. If she really does get out of control, we can’t have her going on a rampage if she loses control of herself.”
Luna stood up and turned westwards, facing the direction of the town they were staying. “I am afraid that we cannot press on to find her. Time may be of the essence and we must trek to the desert to continue our efforts.” She swallowed hard, her eyes stilling. “I pray that this celestial knight rumor is a hoax, for our sake.”
“I’m still the paladin. I can protect you,” said Derpy.
“It is not me that I worry for,” Luna muttered under her breath. “Let us grab a few supplies before we depart. We will need plenty of water for the journey.” She took several steps before casting a glance over her shoulder. “You may want to discard your armor once we reach the sand. It will be most uncomfortable if it gets inside, and the heat will be even less forgiving.”
Luna gathered water in several canteens while Derpy acquired cloaks for them. When she returned, the paladin had two of them draped over her back and a look on her face suggesting she did her best. The princess took one and threw it over her regular brown one and immediately frowned as an excess of dirt dispersed into the air and sank into her mane.
“Sorry,” the paladin muttered as she did the same with her own. “It was all I could find.”
Luna manually shook out her mane and rolled her eyes. “It will be adequate for our needs. This journey was never meant to be easy.” She lifted her cloaks and rattled her assortment of canteens. “This should be enough for the day travel, but we will be cutting it close. Let’s go. I pray Twilight is safe, wherever she may be.”
Luna set a brisk pace of walking westwards, beyond the town and into arid, scorched lands. Earth began to crack and peel, as if reaching out as it died. Grass snapped down as it turned white, the last vestiges of life fading as they walked along dried and eroded ground. Luna stopped and peered around to buttes and boulders, small breezes carrying dust and tumbleweeds across the flatland before the sand.
“It has been… too long since I have journeyed this far west outside of the scope of the Equestrian Empire,” the princess said. “I shall manage through this heat without a doubt, however,” she eyed her comrade up and down, “I implore you to leave your armor behind.”
A tongue flicked across drying lips. “I’ll be fine, Your Majesty. I’ve traveled in worse conditions.” She lowered her visor and nodded. “Why don’t we cross at night when it’s cooler?”
“Worse is relative here, Derpy. Night in this desert reduces the temperatures to chilling levels, only to rekindle to sweltering during the day. A fire at night to keep us warm could attract creatures of the desert, or enemies that seek us out.” Luna reached under her cloak and pulled out a canteen. “We must stay hydrated if we are to cross this wretched place.” She took a deep breath of the parched air. “And survive.” She produced a canteen and held it out.
The paladin eyed it carefully before shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
Winds licked at the landscape ahead, roiling dust and sand into a wispy haze. Luna lowered her hood and produced several more articles of cloth as the desert heat cut into her body. Wrapping them around her face and neck, it was all she could do to keep cool without expelling precious magic. Peering ahead, her confidence wavered at the sight of the endless wasteland.
There may not be enough moisture to readily produce any water or ice with my magic. Her eyes drifted to Derpy, the paladin doing her best to make her battered armor comfortable. Luna was thankful that it had long lost its gleam. We did not come this far to perish in a desert. “Let us tarry no longer.” Stepping ahead, she sighed to herself. I wish you would have stayed, Twilight.
The march through the desert proved to be more than anticipated. It wasn’t long before they had reached the sand dunes, with their peaks sprawling across the landscape. The winds had died down, but they were left with only the unrelenting heat of the sun. For once, Luna wished she could become Nightmare Moon herself, if only to bring the almighty star down to sunset.
Several halts in their journey were made as Derpy sank into the sand, all the while muttering curses about it invading her sabatons. She continued to insist that she would wear her armor in case of an emergency. However, each passing minute Luna could see the toll it took upon her to keep it. Each stride grew smaller and drawn out until the paladin was reduced to a haggard trudge, periodically opening her visor to wipe sweat from her brow or take a fresher breath. At every request for her to drink some water she reluctantly took a small sip, offering reassurance that it would be all she needed.
Silence was filled only by the quiet clank of the paladin’s armor and her occasional vocal frustration of the conditions. Her usual discipline was lost in the wake of the unrelenting heat.
“Where exactly are we going out here?” she asked while sliding a sabaton off, hobbling along as she banged on the bottom of it.
“A particular oasis town exists out here. It is our destination and our salvation from here. Though”—she peeled back her hoods for a moment and wiped sweat from her face—“I do not recall this desert to be so… hot.”
She paused and Derpy added, “But?”
“The heat is more intense than I last remember. This desert was not so devoid of life. The oasis had flourished as a hub of travel, but we have not seen even a pegasus traveling the skies, let alone a dragon under Aurelius’s command.”
“Why don’t we fly?”
Luna offered a sympathetic look. “I have had a bad feeling about this place since I first heard the rumor of what may be out here. I wish to get there faster as well, but you are at a disadvantage if we get attacked.” Derpy removed her helmet to reveal her sweat-soaked face, raspy pants escaping cracked lips. A sweat-drenched mane clung to her reddened face as she huffed for air. “This is not a place we should be forced to fight in.”
Derpy let her head hang. “You’re… right, but,”—she threw her head back and wiped it of sweat again—“I don’t think there’s anything out here that could be dangerous.” Her voice had grown wheezy. When she looked up, Luna held out a canteen.
“Drink now, as much as you are able, or I will force it down your throat.”
The paladin did as she was told and quaffed the canteen. “What… about… you?”
Luna took out another canteen and took a few sips before capping it and stashing it beneath her cloak. “Do not attempt to save face now. It is too dangerous.”
“Sorry.” She wiped tendrils of her sweaty mane from her eyes and replaced her helmet. “How much further is the oasis?”
Luna beckoned her to follow and they climbed a massive sand dune. The princess stumbled and sank into the sand, but Derpy offered her a helping hoof to keep going. Reaching the top, she squinted and panned her view around, struggling to keep her vision focused. This heat is even getting to me, she thought. Trusting her instincts, she pointed ahead. “It is not far beyond our sight. However…” she trailed off and looked all around the skies. “We may need to fly after all. If night falls, I’ll be forced to use my magic to keep us going. We are not equipped to survive it.”
“So that’s why we didn’t travel at night?”
Luna gave her a brief look of confusion. “I had forgotten that you have never been dispatched to this location. Forgive me.”
“The Celestial Knights are supposed to be able to cover any environment. If it’s not us, is it an archmage that would come out here?” The princess’s eyes widened as she slowly pried her eyes from the paladin and stared ahead. “What, what is it!?” Derpy blurted as she followed her gaze.
“No… It could not be. Impossible. Two, three of order generations. Any of them could…” She placed a hoof to her chin as she stared across the sandy wastes. “Such capability has fallen out of the cycle. Where could it have gone? I do not… understand. Not bestowed, remained dormant. I maintain completeness. Hmm… Not… possible.”
“Princess, princess!” Derpy shouted as she shook Luna. “What is going on?”
Luna cast a hollow look. “S-sorry. I was lost in thought. This celestial knight rumor… I keep considering the possibility of a celestial knight truly alive, but it does not make sense to me. The way your powers are succeeded does not allow another celestial knight to exist in form.” She cleared her throat. “One that has retained their bestowed powers, that is. There is no one that could know better than I. The rumor must be false.”
Derpy eyed her incredulously. “You don’t sound too sure of yourself.”
Luna frowned. “That is the worrisome part. If the rumor is false, then what awaits us?” She reached under her cloak and produced another canteen of water, passing it to Derpy as she sipped on the first. “If you are thirsty, drink every last drop. I need you in fighting shape if it can be helped.”
“I’m alright for now,” Derpy said after a few sips. She placed it around her neck as Luna led the way forward.
The princess periodically swept her view skyward, then slowly lowered it and panned around, squinting. She repeated the behavior over and over as they trudged on through the sand, occasionally taking a sip from her canteen to keep up her pace.
“What is it?” Derpy asked as she took a gulp from own canteen.
Luna wiped her brow and adjusted her cloak. “Look. The horizon. It’s… changing…” She took a deep breath and blinked several times. “Right?”
Derpy looked ahead and raised a brow. “How can you tell? Everywhere you look is sand. Are you sure there is an oasis town out here?”
“Y-Yes,” she muttered as she turned around. The trail of hoofsteps in the sand didn’t stretch far back, periodic winds erasing them. “Derpy…” she started as she took a few steps back. “How long have we been walking?”
“Um…” She trailed off and met Luna’s eyes, concern etched into her face.
Luna turned forward and grinned, a foreleg pointing. “Ah-hah! Look, Derpy. Our destination is that way!”
The paladin sighed in relief. “Finally,” she said, marveling at the blurry buildings in the distance.
Luna blinked several times and her joy faded. The oasis had vanished. “Wh-What?”
Derpy offered the same befuddled expression and they exchanged glances. “Luna, what’s going on?”
“I-I don’t know. You saw it, too, didn’t you? We should head that way.”
“I don’t know, princess. That’s not the same direction we were going.” She glanced behind them, but the lack of a long trail was casting its doubt. “Was it?”
Luna swallowed hard, her throat feeling as if it had endured ash. “We must press on. That has to be the oasis. The desert must be playing tricks on us.” She raised a hoof to her brow and breathed through her nose. Is the heat getting to me? she wondered.
Sand licked at their bodies as they marched on, veering their path toward the town that vanished in the distance. Over and over the princess played the images back in her mind, reassuring herself of what she had seen. Glancing up, all that she could in the distance was the blur of more sand, the heat haze obscuring their horizons.
“We must be nearly there, Derpy,” she rasped, her body haggardly moving forward with each dragging step. “I don’t know how much… more I can take of this heat.”
The paladin shambled just behind, her head hanging as sweat dripped from her helmet. “Yeah,” she replied weakly, unable to offer anything more. She grabbed her canteen and opened the cap, tilting it upright to her open mouth. With eyes closed and tongue lolling out, she immediately frowned when nothing but a few drops escaped the container. “Princess, I’m out,” she said with a wheeze, holding up the canteen.
Luna cast her a tired look before checking beneath her cloak. One canteen remained. “How long have we been walking?” she asked.
Derpy eyed her questioningly. “What?”
“Walking. How long have we been walking?” Luna repeated.
The paladin’s face stretched with exhaustion. “All day, I think.”
Luna cringed. How long have we been walking from the start? From when we saw the town? She didn’t know the answer to that question, and her mind was too distracted by the overwhelming heat to try and recall.
“Thanks, Derpy,” she muttered. “We have to be close. This is the last dune. I’m sure of it.” She stopped walking when she realized she could no longer hear the clink of the paladin’s armor. “Derpy?” Looking around, she found her collapsed in the sand. “Derpy!”
She jumped and hit the sand, sliding back down to her comrade, pulling her helmet off and revealing her sweaty, reddened face. “No! I will not allow you to die to this heat.” She produced the final canteen and stared at it for a moment. Damn. I did not think this desert would be so merciless. I underestimated how much water we would need. She ripped off the cap and took a drink before forcing Derpy to consume the rest.
After some wheezy coughs, the paladin sat up and finished the rest. “What is with this desert?” she blurted.
Luna stared at her for a moment before shaking her head. “The heat has gotten to us. We’re running out of time.” She helped Derpy to her hooves and led the way to the top of the dune. Peering down below, she sat down and exhaled. “It must have been a mirage,” she shouted joyously. Wind blew sand in her mouth and she sputtered and spat.
Derpy threw her head back as the oasis came into view. “More water. Food. Some shade. Come on, Luna.”
They began their descent down the final dune, jumping into the air and gliding, but the wind picked up again and pulled them back up to the top.
“What is this?” Luna looked up to see a dark wall of sand reaching high into the sky headed their way.
“Uh, princess. We’d better run if we’re going to make it,” said Derpy nervously.
“What do you—“
The wind ripped Luna’s hood from her head as a second, opposing wall of sand roared towards them. Two sandstorms? Now of all times! “Come on!” the princess roared as the howl of the wind neared.
Sand raged through the air as they rushed down the dune, ignoring the heat as particles scratched at their cloaks and bodies. Luna kept a hoof on her cowl as she ran, but she tripped and rolled, dragging Derpy with her. They barreled down the sand as the storms began to collide, obscuring their view of the oasis ahead. Luna hit the bottom, but could barely see more than a couple meters ahead. Squinting, she shouted. “Derpy! Where are you?”
The paladin scrambled up beside her. “Just run!”
Luna dropped to all fours and bolted forwards. She could no longer see the oasis, but she knew it was there. The winds slowed her to a strained walk, and she clamped her wings to her side as her cloak billowed wildly, the bursts of sand fraying it. Despite the wind, the heat continued to beat at her body, draining her stamina rapidly. Why is the wind not cooling me?
“Nothing as lowly as a sandstorm will stop me!”
A burst of light tore from Luna’s position, pushing back the storms. Her horn emitted light and formed a barrier. I didn’t want to use my magic, but I don’t have any stamina left! She fell to the ground, maintaining the barrier.
The paladin moved up and draped one of Luna’s forelegs over her shoulder as she pushed on. The oasis was just up ahead, but the barrier began to shrink. “Come on, Your Majesty. Just a little furrther!”
Luna grunted and exhaled as her barrier collapsed. “Forgive me, Derpy. I am too weakened.” The storms collided onto them briefly, then suddenly they ceased altogether. The pair halted in their tracks, their jaws agape as the sand settled and the winds ceased.
“What in the world…” Luna muttered as she forced herself to stand alone, wobbling.
“What kind of freak sandstorms were those?” Derpy removed her sabatons to shake sand out of them again before draping her cloak back over herself.
The princess brought her gaze to the oasis and coughed dust from her lungs. “Something is not right. Both sandstorms were conjured. We’ve fallen into a trap.”
“Could there be unicorns out here with that much magic?” the paladin asked as she warily looked around.
Luna tugged her cowls down and slowly walked forward. “I do not know who could be an enemy this far out into a desert, but their magical class is that of an archmage. Be careful.”
Sand lit up the sky again as a figure burst from the ground, clouding the party’s vision. When it flowed away, a pony stood in front of them barring their path. They were clad head to hoof in a sand colored body suit that even extended to wrap their tail and they wore a ragged cloak to match. Tinted goggles obscured the eyes, with a mask over their face. Luna tugged her cowl as low as she could without losing sight of the unknown.
“Assassin!” Derpy bellowed. “Get down!” In an instant, the assassin rushed toward Luna.
She has no weapon drawn. I still have some magic left.
Derpy moved between them, her blade flashing into the sunlight as it slashed wide. To her surprise, it was stopped by a much smaller blade. “Wrist swords!?” she blurted as a second one reached for her throat. She leaned backwards to avoid it as the assassin spun around and continued her assault.
Where have I seen this technique before? Those weapons? She fights like a… Luna thought, backing away from the fight, her eyes never leaving the new foe.
Derpy parried one of the blades as the assassin whirled around, but she thrust forward in an instant. To her surprise, the blade was caught between both wrist swords and the force was deflected away. Off balance, the paladin beat her wings to remain fluid and stable on the sand. She twisted to avoid more strikes and brought Glance Reviver back, putting as much power into the swing as she could muster.
Both wrists swords were brought together to defend this time, crossing as the sword fell dangerously close to the assassin’s head. Derpy flapped her wings and pulled back, then charged and put her might into another chop, using both hooves to drive her blade to its target. The assassin parried again, but this time one of the wrist swords cracked and broke away. The enemies split apart and the assassin ditched the subtle blades, drawing their own sword.
“Who are you?” barked the paladin as she eyed the generic looking sword. The assassin remained silent.
Taking to the offensive, Derpy moved forward and swiped, her sword whistling through the air. The blades clashed and the assassin’s sword wobbled, but held true. Suddenly, Derpy was forced back by a flurry of wild strikes. The clang of blade to blade rang in her head as she concentrated on defending herself. There was a pause in the attack as the assassin pressed their blades to the hilts. A muffled voice came through the mask.
“What’s wrong? Never used a sword before?”
Derpy was too shocked to notice the kick to her chest. She barreled backwards as the assassin attempted to point their sword to her throat. However, she flipped over and slashed the attack away following it up with a downward strike, only for it to miss as her foe hopped back. “Don’t underestimate me!”
The paladin heaved as the heat bore down on her, the steel prison of her armor roasting her. Her stamina was nearly depleted and she had to end the fight soon. A few feathers came lose as her wings whipped into a frenzy, and she surged forward. The assassin lost their balance as another vertical swing forced them into the sand, and Derpy followed it with several more strikes. She made an opening with her blade poised low and slashed upwards for a definitive blow. In an instant, Glance Reviver was parried by a second blade.
The assassin knocked her attack away and stepped back to the top of the sand. Derpy made a desperate thrust and caught the collar of their cloak, slicing it away and revealing wrapped wings pressed tightly to her opponents’ sides, but the attack left her open. In an instant, the second sword made a rising slash that cut through her breastplate and helmet, splitting them open. Another kick sent her crashing into the sand, lying on her back.
Out of energy and her armor rendered useless, the paladin stood up and ripped her cloak off. She peeled off her damaged helmet and squinted through the unfiltered sunlight. “I don’t know who you are, but if you’re going after her you’ll need to kill me first!”
The assassin suddenly froze, their forelegs falling limp to their side. Both swords slipped from their hooves and clattered together onto the sand. After a moment, they slumped down to the sand, shuddering, their head lowered.
“Wh-what’s going on?” Derpy demanded as she straightened up, wiping sweat from her face. “Too afraid to fight, now?”
The assassin shook their head, a single, choked word coming through their mask.
“Ditz?”
Derpy’s eyes widened, a ghastly look taking hold of her features. “No one calls me that anymore… I gave that name up a long time ago. Who are you? How do you know my name? Answer me!”
The assassin gazed at their swords on the ground for a long while. Finally, they stood back up and turned their head away, peeling back their cowl and head of the body suit. There was another moment of hesitation before they pulled their mask and goggles off. Turning back, tears glistened in the eyes of the would-be assassin, a bittersweet smile crossing their face.
“It’s me, Ditz. It’s your sister,” the mare replied, barely able to maintain her composure.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 39: Kindling a Flame
“My sister is dead!” Derpy seethed, raising her sword. “I don’t know who you are, but you are committing treason.”
“Dead? Well, I…” The pegasus cut herself off. “Don’t you recognize your own sister? Here…” The pegasus removed her body suit, revealing a sandy colored coat and grey mane with multiple shades. A compass rose cutie mark appeared as she stepped to the side. “I can’t believe it’s really you, Ditz!”
“Stop calling me that! I don’t have a sister.”
Clapping interrupted the two mares as Luna stepped forward and removed her hoods and makeshift mask. Her mane flowed weakly while sweat framed her face. “Well, well, well. I must admit, even I didn’t think you were alive, Daring Do,” she chimed with a hoarse voice.
“L-Luna!” blurted Derpy. “She has to be an impostor.” When the princess did not meet her eyes, she added, “Right?”
“Doesn’t that just beat all? Well, then.” Daring dipped into a bow. “Paladin Daring Do, at your service.” She winked and grinned. “The one and only.”
“Paladin? What’s going on? There can only be one paladin.”
Daring raised an eyebrow. “Yeah… That’s me.”
Derpy raised her sword again, but Luna stepped in front of her. “Stop. This is not a fight you could ever win.”
Lowering her sword, the grey pegasus shook her head. “What are you talking about? I’m the current paladin. There’s no way she’s stronger than me.”
“You should no longer bear your knightly powers, Daring Do. Those should be forfeited when you deserted the Celestial Knights and Equestria. However…” Luna’s focus shifted to Derpy’s damaged armor. She levitated the helmet to her and inspected it. The dull plate was not cut, but melted along the slash. “You seem to retain control of some kind of power. Any closer and you would’ve slain your little sister.”
Daring bared her teeth. “I’d never hurt a hair on Ditz’s head and you know it. Explain to me why my sister is with you.” She snatched up her first sword and held it horizontally in front of her. “And you better hope I like your answer.”
Annoyance painted the princess’s features as she animated her words with her hooves. “Still bitter about the past are we? I thought you would have come to your senses by now, but seeing as how you have isolated yourself out here tells me that you have not.” The princess wiped her face on one of the cloaks. “Meet your successor, so to speak. This is Paladin Derpy Hooves.”
Fire ignited in Daring’s eyes, and she surged at Luna with both swords in her hooves. Both blades gleamed in the sunlight before clanging down on Glance Reviver. Derpy had managed to place herself between the two, but her lack of strength left her with one of the swords cutting into her shoulder.
“I won’t… let you… hurt her…” Derpy growled. Her strength faded away, but Daring pulled back, rage contorting her face as she glared at Luna.
“Enough!” a voice boomed from behind Daring. She sheathed her blades and put on her body suit and cloak.
“This isn’t over, Luna,” the sandy pegasus spat.
Hobbling out, a robed pony came to a stop just before Derpy. “Well, well, well. I find it no surprise that the paladin survived,” a stallion said as he pulled back his hood. Luna smiled as he looked at her. “Princess Luna, as I suspected.”
“Chancellor Leo. It is a relief to find you well in these severe times.”
Leo waved a hoof in the air. “There’s no need for formalities here. I’m glad you’re alright. I suspected you might find me, though your presence is… strange.”
Luna looked past to him and met Daring’s scowl. “I loathe to admit it, but encountering Paladin Daring Do here could not have been a greater fortune. I did not expect her to live, however. You have much to answer for.”
Leo cocked his head, a glumness tugging at his lips. “When Celestia learned of her being alive she asked me to maintain secrecy. Her worries seem to have paid off.”
“Now I understand the rumor of another celestial knight that I did not know. It wasn’t just a knight… it was the former paladin. Your daughter will not like this.”
Leo sighed. “That is a matter for another time. She has never taken the decision to be passed over… lightly, especially when it occurred twice.”
“Princess?” Derpy asked, one hoof clutched to the wound on her shoulder, “Was Daring—Is she really the former paladin?”
Luna grimaced. “You will need to speak directly with her if you wish to know more about it, but yes. You, Paladin Derpy Hooves, succeeded Paladin Daring Do.”
“How is she a paladin? I thought there could be only one active at a time.”
Luna sighed. “That’s just it, Derpy. There is only supposed to be one—the one attuned to me. Daring Do and I had very limited interaction, and I was not the one that trained her. I know not her power, but she appears to be attuned to Celestia. All this time, both of you were paladins and I was never made aware. Perhaps this was Celestia’s intention.” She heaved and sat down.
Leo knelt by her side. “Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
“The heat… We have been out of water for some time. I am at my limit.” She glanced at Derpy, the knight’s mane matted to her face and her eyes reddened. “I know you are far beyond yours.”
The grey mare nodded. “But I have to… I have to know more!” After a moment, she attempted to sit down, but collapsed into the sand. “I have… to know…” she muttered before succumbing to the heat.
Leo turned to Daring and held a foreleg up. The pegasus crossed her forelegs in front of her chest and frowned, shaking her head. Leo gave her a stern look, cocking his head slightly to the side. After a moment of staring each other down, Daring rolled her eyes, threw her hooves into the air, and walked away.
Luna took in a deep breath as the air in the desert grew cool, but she did not have long to enjoy it before she could feel her consciousness slip away.
***
Derpy’s body ached as she lay in darkness, the wound on her shoulder throbbing. Voices and music could be faintly heard above and away, muffled by walls, but she struggled to open her eyes or pinpoint where it was coming from. Outside of the room she could hear two ponies having a heated discussion.
She recognized Daring’s voice first. “This is bullshit, and you know it.”
“I am not giving you a choice, Daring. You know what must happen next.” It took her a moment longer to realize it was Chancellor Leo’s voice.
There was a pound against the wall. “I will never work with her. I do not serve under her. I never did, and I never will. My allegiance is only to Princess Celestia.”
“And Princess Celestia is not here. Are you suggesting that you won’t obey your own royalty in wartime—even if it’s not the one you favor?”
Another pound. “Are you questioning my loyalty to Equestria as Paladin?”
Leo coughed. “A paladin. I’m questioning your ability to put your duty above your petty beliefs.”
“Petty,” Daring screeched, silencing the music and voices in the other room. “Petty! How can you stand there and tell me that it’s petty!?”
“I have long forgiven Princess Luna, and I was the victim. She made the right decision. Why, after all this time, can’t you?”
Daring loosed a cry of frustration. “Whatever. I don’t trust her, so I’m not working with her. You figure it out.”
The door to the room opened and Derpy could hear Daring slam it abruptly behind her. For a moment, the other pegasus leaned against it and brooded, her angry breathing audible in the silent room. The music and bustle in the other room picked up again, and Daring moved over to Derpy, sitting down beside her.
“I never should’ve left you. I promised mom and dad I would protect you, but… Now look at this mess. You’re a paladin… Luna’s paladin. Why didn’t Celestia prevent this?” There was a lull of silence and Derpy could feel a cold, wet cloth placed upon her head, and Daring snorted. “As if I could ever blame you for being amazing. My little sister… the next paladin. I’m proud of you, Ditzy, and I bet mom would be, too. I wonder what your power is…”
A knock at the door prompted the older sister to rise up and leave without another word. Derpy slowly opened her eyes and sat up to find herself in a bedroom of sorts with her wound well dressed. She was lying on several pillows in the center of the room, though a bed was pushed into one of the corners. A dresser stood beside it, running partway along the wall. She stood up and winced, pain reminding her of the injury she incurred. She moved to the dresser finding several pictures framed on it. She gasped as she recognized them.
On the far end contained a picture of a unicorn and a pegasus side-by-side. Mom and dad? Derpy wondered as she gazed at it. She had been young when they had passed and struggled to remember them. Upon closer inspection, she could see an archmage’s robes on their father, the unicorn, while the pegasus wore customized plate armor with a sword and shield on their back. Mom was a celestial knight, and dad was an archmage?
A picture in the center showed Daring grinning beside Celestia, the princess draping a foreleg over her and pulling her close. It was an odd one, as the sun princess wore no regalia, and Daring wore only a pale green vest and a pith helmet. When did she become a celestial knight?
The picture closest to the bed was of Derpy when she was a filly, riding on her sister’s back. For a moment, the paladin stared at it and felt her chest tighten, tears welling in her eyes. She rubbed the tears away and set the picture face down before moving to the door. I have to find Princess Luna. As she pushed it open she nearly fell through as Leo pulled it from the other side. She loosed a squeal before regaining her balance.
“Ah, awake at last, Paladin Hooves?”
“Where is—“
“Her Majesty is resting in another room. It seems the trip through the desert was a greater toll than she was willing to admit.” Derpy blinked when he held a large cup out to her. “However, you nearly died of a heat stroke. Drink.”
Reluctantly, Derpy did as she was told, slurping up the entire cup and smacking her lips. “Now… where’s Princess Luna?”
“She is fine,” Leo replied softly, taking the cup back. “Why don’t you speak to your sister? I know that it has been… some time since you last saw each other.” Leo turned and walked away.
“I don’t trust her. I want to talk to Luna.” Leo ignored her and rounded a corner, out of sight. Sighing, the paladin trotted after, following him through the narrow halls and up a staircase into a bustling lobby of sorts. Ponies had gathered around a table and were shouting and hollering. Derpy watched Leo move to a counter and speak to another pony, but she found herself drawn to the crowd and stepped over to investigate.
She ignored their chants and hollers, weaseling her way to the table itself to get a view. Arriving, she found Daring and a large stallion sitting opposite one another, hoof wrestling. Despite the struggling stallion, Daring maintained confidence while slowly lowering his hoof to the table, but the sandy pegasus caught a glimpse of her. Startled, she slammed the stallion’s hoof to the table, eliciting more cheering from the crowd. The losing stallion tossed several bits on the table.
“Heya, Ditzy. Feeling better?” she chirped.
“Where is Princess Luna?”
The cheering of the crowd eased up at the name, and Daring’s joy flatlined. “Princess Luna is fine. She’s resting right now.”
“Take me to her,” Derpy ordered, placing her hooves on the table and leaning forward.
Daring leaned back in her chair and propped her hind legs on the table. “You’re welcome, you know,” she said before switching her voice and mimicking the princess. “’Why thank you, Daring Do, for saving us from the harsh desert. It’s not like we almost died or anything.’”
“Where is she!?”
The room went silent and the crowd stepped back. Daring sat up and peered around. “Ugh, how can you be so loyal to her?” Derpy slammed a hoof on the table and Daring stood up and met her scowl with her own.
“She was there when you weren’t.”
A few boos came from the crowd and Daring stuck her tongue out in their direction. “It was a complicated situation, Ditz. I had my reasons.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Then what do you want me to call you?” Daring folded her forelegs across her chest. “Luna took the idea of your sister away. Did she take away your name, too?”
Derpy’s face contorted in anger. “I am Celestial Knight and Paladin Derpy Hooves.”
“What was your title before becoming the Paladin?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Daring rolled her eyes. “Must’ve been something pretty badass.” She huffed and placed one hoof on the table and extended the other. “Look, Princess Luna and I have an issue to work out, but I shouldn’t hold that against you. I’m sorry.”
“Where is she?” Derpy echoed.
The sandy pegasus motioned to follow and led her back downstairs, to a room down the hall from the one Derpy awoke in. She pushed open the door to reveal the princess lying on her back on a cot, snoring loudly. A tendril of drool ran down the side of her mouth as a ruffled blanket lay only over her belly. “Satisfied? I wasn’t letting her sleep in my room while she operated that chainsaw,” she said while folding one ear down. Derpy nodded and Daring closed the door.
“What’s your problem with Princess Luna?”
Daring brushed past her, but a foreleg was placed in front of her face, prompting her to face her younger sister. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“I heard you and Leo arguing about it.”
Daring rolled her eyes once more. “It’s none of your business, Ditz.”
“Answer me,” Derpy ground out.
“Just drop it, Ditz!”
“Stop calling me that!” Derpy pinned Daring against the wall, and peered into her eyes. “If you’re a threat to the princess, I will not hesitate to deal with you,” she whispered.
“Are you freaking kidding me with this!? She’s in there right now, perfectly fine. Just like you saw.”
Derpy punched the wall on one side of Daring. “You tried to kill us.”
Daring didn’t flinch and stared her sister down. “If I wanted to kill you, you would’ve died when I cut through your armor. I would never hurt you, Ditzy, and I would never kill Princess Luna. I can pull my punches when I need to. I want to cut her or punch her face in, but I’m not going to take her life. Now, get out of my way.”
“Not until you answer me why you hold a grudge against Princess Luna.”
Daring rolled her eyes again and shook her head. She wrapped a wrist over Derpy’s and pulled the hoof back. “The answer is no.” Her sister blocked her again. “Oh, for crying out loud, Ditzy. Stay out of it.”
“Then I’ll make you tell me.”
Daring stared at her for a long while before shrugging. “This isn’t how I planned the family reunion, you know. My first time seeing my little sister in years and we’re already fighting.” She crossed her forelegs over her chest. “Go get Glance Reviver and meet me outside. The desert isn’t as hot as it was. If you can beat me in a duel, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” With that, Derpy relented and Daring took flight in the narrow halls, maneuvering with relative ease. She flew around a corner and out of sight.
Derpy returned to Daring’s room and found her belongings and sword right beside where she awoke. Drawing the blade, she swung it several times, her eyes widening. How did she know the name of my sword? She eyed the weapon mournfully; what was once a beautifully finished blade was now dulling, chipped, and jagged, with nicks in the crossguard and a piece of the tip missing. Sliding it back into the sheath, she picked up her helmet and examined the cut Daring made. Friction? she wondered, examining the melted metal along the cut. She set it down and headed out. When she reached the pub where she found her sister, Leo greeted her with another mug of water.
“Stay hydrated, young paladin. You and Her Majesty were delirious when we brought you here, murmuring in your sleep. I’m surprised you’re awake so soon.”
Derpy drank it quickly in large gulps, smacking her lips. “Thanks, but I recover quickly.”
The chancellor’s eyes narrowed on her. “I know of your capability more than most. You are far from your peak condition. Do be careful against your sister.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll finish it in a flash.”
Leo took the mug back and smiled. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”
Derpy looked at him incredulously for a moment before she moved to another flight of stairs leading up. The paladin trotted up the steps, pushing open doors to the outside. Sunlight hit her eyes, and she mentally braced herself for the overwhelming heat as her hooves touched onto sand covered stone. However, after a moment, nothing came but a cool breeze gently brushing through her mane and fur. What the—? This can’t be the same desert Luna and I just crossed. She took a deep breath and stretched, flexing and warming up her muscles for the duel ahead. After a moment, she moved into the oasis town, seeing many ponies in varying amounts of clothing, from robes to simple vests.
Lining the streets were vendors selling all sorts of goods and wares from food to pottery to jewelry. Canopies for shade had been constructed all along the marketplace areas, and ponies hustled about. Trees rose up from the ground and grass could be seen in unblemished patches in some areas. How could anything grow here when it gets so hot? she wondered as her eyes took in the remarkably lush scenery.
“Hey, Ditzy. Over here!”
Derpy turned to see Daring waving at her from beside a fountain. The sand colored mare was lightly clad donning only hooflets that extended over her wrists and sabatons. Daring stretched and twisted, revealing two baldrics crossing her back. One was a newer, simple design with two steel brackets holding it together and a plain hilt and crossguard at its end. The other was far more ornate in nature, with a worn intricate gold carving Derpy couldn’t quite make out from the distance reaching up and down its entirety. The sheathe was upside down, sitting parallel with the other, and the hilt and crossguard were worn as well, with a round pommel holding an engraved crest. Daring faced her again and cleared her throat.
“We can do this here,” she said.
Derpy looked around and raised a brow. “Other ponies could get hurt,” she replied. “We should do this outside of town.”
Daring shrugged. “There’s no need.” She drew her plain sword from the upper-oriented sheath and flew around in a wide circle around them. Other ponies took notice and started to gather. “Everything stays inside this line. If you’re a paladin, then you should be able to manage that.”
“Fine.” Derpy drew Glance Reviver and held it aloft. For a moment, she yearned to have her tower shield with her, feeling awkward fighting with only a single blade and no other armaments, but she slowly placed her other hoof on it.
“I’m all warmed up, so ready when you are, Ditz. Give me your best shot!”
Derpy charged forward, a scowl darkening her features. “I told you to stop calling me that!” Their blades clanged together as Daring effortlessly deflected every blow with one hoof on her sword.
“Come on. Are you even trying?”
The taunt incited the paladin to try harder, and she increased her speed.
“Now that’s more like it, but you’re still too… slow!” Daring parried a thrust and spun inward, uppercutting her sister in the jaw and causing her to stagger backwards. “I know you’re holding back. As long as you stay inside the circle you don’t have to.”
Derpy rubbed her jaw and took a deep breath through her nose. “Don’t say I never warned you.” In a flash of steel and light, the paladin closed the gap.
Daring gasped, but managed to block the blow. A flurry of slashes came her way, and she switched to evading and countering. In another flash, Derpy brought down a swift follow up, bringing Glance Reviver down in an opening. A dull clang came as Daring knocked the attack away with the hilt of her sword and stepped back, panting.
“Even I have to admit you’re pretty good,” she said, inspecting the fresh crevice in the bottom of her hilt. The paladin had nearly cut through. “But it’s still not enough.”
“I’m not finished, yet!” Derpy surged forward, her wings beating, as she began another assault. Ponies gathered around to watch the sisters spar, making sure to keep back from the mini arena.
“Look! Daring Do is fighting another mare, and she can even keep up with her!” a pony shouted, but it fell away to the ringing of their blades.
“Why… won’t… you… tell… me…” Derpy ground out between attacks.
“Because it doesn’t matter. Why are you even a celestial knight, let alone the Paladin?” she rebuked.
Derpy loosed a battle cry and thrust forward. Daring twisted her body and returned with her own, only to stop it short from impaling her sister. “You should understand, since you were the last paladin.”
They stared each other down for a moment, but Daring finally sighed and stepped back. “No, Ditz. I don’t. You were never supposed to be a celestial knight. Ever.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, huh?”
“It’s done. Whatever. If you can’t beat me, I’m not giving you any answers.”
Derpy swung at Daring again, only for it to be blocked, but she suddenly blurred and left an afterimage. The elder sister’s eyes widened and she pulled back, glimpsing a finishing strike from overhead. She crouched low and drew her second sword. Roaring, she rose up and swung, her body moving in an arcing motion with the swing. Her second sword struck at the center of Glance Reviver to drive the attack back, but the blessed sword was sliced through, and Daring stopped short of hitting her sister once more.
Derpy watched in horror as the top half of her blade fell to the ground with a sad clatter. She dropped to the ground and snatched it up. “H-How?” she muttered.
“Sorry, Ditz,” Daring replied as she sheathed her second sword. “I tried to keep you away from this life, but I failed.” She turned and started to walk away.
“Why?” Derpy asked as she stood up, gloom taking hold of her voice. “Why did you leave? How could you leave me after…” Daring stopped and hung her head. “I didn’t know mom was a knight and dad was an archmage. But why did you leave me after they died? I was all alone.”
Daring turned to face her younger sister, a solemnness taking hold of her features. The golden eyes of the paladin had filled with tears, and for a moment she hesitated to answer. “To give you a better life. It was the only way I could think of to keep you out of this.”
Derpy’s body quivered, her voice unsteady. “Mom and dad served Equestria. What is so bad about following in their steps, huh?”
Daring hung her head again. “What’s so good about it? I’ve slain dragons, monsters, and animals. I’ve traveled all across Equestria and beyond. And you know what I have to show for it?” She removed her vest and slowly parted her fur along numerous scars across her body. “I made a contract. I would be a celestial knight in exchange for you having your life setup and tucked safely away from the Equestrian military. Celestia would make sure you were taken care of and always keep an eye on you. To see you now, as a paladin… I don’t know what to think.”
“Celestia felt that, after your death, that part of your contract was rendered null, Paladin Do.”
“That’s bullshit!” Daring spat as Luna stepped up behind Derpy. “I put in my time. Celestia would have never agreed to my sister becoming a knight. I made sure Leo would make it back!”
“The decision to recruit your sister was not made by I alone. You and I both know that is not how celestial knights are chosen.”
Daring bared her teeth as she spoke. “You have nothing to do with me. I never served under you and I never will. My loyalty is only to Celestia. At least we know she didn’t usurp the throne and try to bring the world into eternal darkness twice in a thousand years.”
Luna frowned. “You have been away for far too long. The search for Nightmare Moon carries on after the fall of Canterlot.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s true,” Derpy chimed in. “Luna never became Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon was created by Aurelius to take control of her mind.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Daring said. “I don’t trust her.”
Derpy sheathed her broken sword and picked up the piece of cut blade. “I trust her with everything. It’s you I can’t trust.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not the one that kept secrets from you all these years. She knew I was alive. She knew who our parents were. She was aware of my agreement with Celestia.”
Luna took a deep breath and relaxed. “Our time knowing each other was very short, Paladin Do. I may not have been the one to bind you, but dictating your actions was well within my dominion in the absence of my sister that night.”
“No,” Daring replied. “If it wasn’t for me, Leo would be dead. If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be what he is now.”
Luna remained silent as Derpy glanced between the two mares. She loosed a cry of frustration. “You’re going to have to trust Princess Luna if we’re going to take back Canterlot.” Silence formed between the two mares. “We have to retake Canterlot and dethrone Aurelius. The only way we can do that is if we work together and find Twilight Sparkle, Nightmare Moon, Trixie Lulamoon, and Princess Celestia. We have to get back the other celestial knights.”
“Psh. Nightmare Moon. I don’t know who the other two are, but we don’t need Luna. Leo’s resistance and I can take care of it. Stay out of the war, Derpy. Glance Reviver is broke and you can’t fight anymore.”
She grimaced at the blade shard in her hooves. “I-I can still fight.”
“You two fighting alongside one another would be great for us,” added Luna.
“There is only supposed to be one paladin. It would be better if we had Colgate.”
“Knight Minuette would never work with you given our… history,” the princess said, letting the last word roll off of her tongue with distaste.
“No, but Leo can make her come around. Where is Berry Punch?”
Luna and Derpy exchanged glances. “You will need to be debriefed of the situation of Equestria,” said the former.
“Look, I’ve got my own problems without you showing up! Maybe I should just stay here and let you deal with your own,” growled Daring.
“H-How can y-you say that?” sputtered Derpy as she stood up. The elder sister immediately regretted her words as she could see the pain in her eyes again. “Mom and dad died for Equestria. You are a paladin! And now,” she said, her voice straining as she held up the blade shard with one hoof and braced her shoulder with the other, “You’ve even tried to take that away from me! I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, to believe you would help us.”
“Aw man, Ditz. I didn’t mean to—“
“But I guess I was wrong! You’re just selfish! Maybe you should just stay here!”
Before Daring could go on, Derpy threw the shard on the ground and blasted off into the air at high speed. “Ditzy, wait!” It was too late. The grey pegasus bolted away as fast as she could fly. “Damn it!” She glanced at Luna, her eyes full of anger, but it washed away after a moment.
Luna sighed and took a soft tone. “Hate me as much as you feel you should, but your sister does not deserve that. She is proud of what she has done and where she is. She cares about everything and everyone. Perhaps a reunion between you two was the worst scenario.”
Daring stared at the ground. “Why… did you and Celestia never tell her about our parents? I know I asked you not to tell her about me being a celestial knight, but even after I was gone for so long…”
“You…” Luna hesitated to go on, but when Daring looked at her, she turned her head away and continued. “We didn’t know how she would react to learning her entire family had served before her and perished. When Leo returned, he said you died following the incident, and that your body had been destroyed.”
“But… Celestia. She had to have known all along.”
“How?” Luna asked, shooting her a puzzled look.
Daring grimaced as she planted a hoof on her face. “Every celestial knight has a power, a form of magic in a way, when they become celestial knights. Do you know what my power is, Luna?”
“I believe I have observed some of it during your fight with Paladin Hooves. Is there something that I should know?”
Daring swiftly shook her head. “Nevermind it. I’m going after Ditzy. I… I have to fix this. Tell Leo where I went. You and I will finish this conversation later.” With that, she leaped into the air and flew off after her sister.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 40: Fuel to the Fire
Derpy raced across the desert, the dry air flowing through her mane, but the crippling heat no longer present. It was still hot, but nothing compared to the miserable trudge through the sand dunes. Her heart ached as she pressed herself to go faster, her wings whipping with a painful frenzy while the sand smeared past her. After a while, she had crossed the entirety of the desert back to greener lands, and she allowed herself to glide to the ground stumbling upon landing. She sat down and put her back against a tree, furling up her burning wings. For a while, she wept in silence only drawing her broken sword to gaze at her reflection in the dulled metal. Sighing, she glanced up and wiped her eyes gazing at the tree leaves as they gently swayed to a breeze. Her thoughts drifted to the past and she choked up for a moment as she sheathed the weapon.
Derpy wandered the halls of the castle as she awaited further orders. It had been eight months since Aurelius had besieged Canterlot and laid waste to the city. The images and worries from that night plagued the paladin even then, and she tried to purge her mind with aimless wandering. Guard and patrol duties in Canterlot were always boring and uneventful, and she longed to be out racing the skies or conducting missions. It wasn’t long before Luna found her, and she automatically gave a salute as she snapped out of her daze.
“Any new orders, Your Majesty?” she asked.
The moon princess sighed and shook her head. “I know that remaining here, as with the other Celestial Knights, is not what you had expected, but your primary functions will resume soon.”
Derpy scratched the back of her head. “Is Rainbow Dash…”
Luna nodded. “Enjoy the down time, Paladin Hooves.” She started to walk away, but another question stopped her.
“What is going on with Nightmare Moon? Should I be worried?”
“That is… out of my hooves.” Luna turned to face Derpy with an unreadable expression. “With the loss of Twilight, she has chosen to find her on her own. Though Celestia and I appealed to her to stay until things have settled, so that we may conduct a full scale search united, she has refused our offer.”
“Are you okay with letting her go? She was instrumental in stopping Aurelius and she shouldn’t go alone.”
Luna coughed into a hoof. “In honor of Twilight, we have decided to allow Nightmare Moon to go.” She glanced away briefly before adding, “I do not agree with her, but I do not enjoy her presence on the castle grounds, either. The matter is over for now. Should she return, she is free to come and go and has been given her own chambers here.” She pivoted sharply and walked away without another word.
Derpy sighed and decided to head for the throne room. Guards greeted her and saluted, offering respects to her service to Canterlot, but she only returned absentminded replies and half-smiles. She stopped when she noticed Trixie walking her way, her expression full of scorn.
“Couldn’t be better,” she replied swiftly, haughtily. “That little spider is leaving… to find Twilight. But I’m stuck here!” She gnashed her teeth. “I will find Twilight before her. I don’t care if she loves her. She is mine! I won’t let that harlot come between us!” She stormed off, grumbling under her breath.
“S-sorry I asked,” Derpy muttered before continuing on.
The throne room was open, and Derpy found every major staff and military figure in all of Equestria there. Circles were formed where several ponies at once were discussing things from threat assessments to damage control to reconstruction, with Princess Celestia in the center struggling to juggle many inquiries and tasks. Her face brightened as she caught sight of the paladin.
“Ah, Paladin Hooves,” she said loudly, interrupting the ponies attempting to speak to her. “Have you seen Princess Luna? I could use her help.”
“She went for a walk. Should I go get her?”
“Please,” Celestia insisted, offering a wincing smile.
Derpy spun around and dashed out of the room, tapping into her heightened speed to maneuver through the halls. When she found the moon princess in front of the castle, she stopped and hid behind a column, catching Nightmare Moon walking down the steps.
“Cease this pointlessness at once, Nightmare Moon,” Luna called out.
The Id’s mane stilled and she turned around, facing the princess above her. “It’s not pointless. Staying here and waiting for all of you is pointless. Twilight is out there, somewhere, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find her and bring her back.”
“’Whatever it takes’” Luna echoed warily. “Is that what your weapon and armor are for? And just what do you feel is necessary, hm?”
“I will kill for her, as she has for me. My life for hers, if it comes to that.” The slits of her eyes bowed and expanded briefly. “Nothing will stand in my way.”
“I implore you to wait a while longer, Nightma—“
“Stop calling me that, Luna. I’m not your nightmare any longer, nor was I ever hers. I’ve taken my new name, so start using it,” Nightmare bitterly interjected.
Luna’s eyes narrowed as her voice grew low. “I will never forget the nightmare you caused me. Twilight may have a purer heart for you, but you are condemned in my eyes. You are forever the nightmare of the moon, the shadow that shall always loom over me—my nightmare.”
“From where I stand, it is the moon that casts and lords over the shadow,” Nightmare retorted. “Do as you wish, Luna, but I’m leaving again. I hope one day that you forgive me. If it wasn’t for Twilight, I would have never forgiven… myself.”
“Stay yourself… Mi—Nightmare.”
Nightmare stopped. “There is no one that will stop me. I’m heading far south. If anyone knows anything about Aurelius and his sister, they will be there.”
Luna trotted down the steps quickly and barred Nightmare’s path. They exchanged heavy stares for a while. “We will find you if she returns, but do not die.”
Nightmare pulled a hood over her head, and hid her entire mane inside of it. “It’s not like you to worry for me,” she muttered as she walked on, the low clanging of her armor to the pavement filling the air.
Derpy peeked around the corner to watch Nightmare walking away, a dark weapon getting swallowed into her mane. Billowing over the Id’s dark armor was a black cloak, and she recognized Twilight’s cutie mark embroidered into it, fluttering proudly as she disappeared outside of the walls.
“Reveal yourself, Paladin,” Luna shouted. Derpy stepped out from behind the column, guilt evident on her face. “I am not angry that you eavesdropped, but this exchange remains private. Do you understand?”
Derpy nodded and cleared her throat. “Princess Celestia needs your help.”
Luna glanced to the exit of the castle grounds for a moment. “At least someone knows that they do.” She turned and trotted up the steps motioning for the paladin to follow. “Nightmare’s presence here is never to be known.”
In the throne room, the other celestial knights and Trixie had gathered at tables setup near the entrance. Luna moved to help Celestia direct the crowd of ponies about. The others sat down, but the archmage shouted over everyone.
“Hey! Why am I still here? I should be out there looking for Twilight!”
Luna frowned, and Celestia answered. “Soon, Archmage Lulamoon. Things are nearly set here and we will have tasks for all of you. Please be patient a bit longer,” she replied delicately.
“Screw that. Nightmare Moon gets to go look for Twilight, but I have to stay? What good is having us holed up here if we could be out there doing something?”
“Silence!” Luna roared. “Do you not think that we all feel as you do? That one of our dear friends and comrade deserves to be brought home? You will not speak another word out of turn if you value your tongue, Archmage Lulamoon. Make no mistake, I wish to be out there ripping apart any loyalty Aurelius had with my bare hooves to find her, but for now our nation must be put first.”
Trixie traded heated glares with her for a moment before sitting down and looking elsewhere, her forelegs folded across her chest.
Derpy scratched the back of her head and exhaled slowly. She found Rainbow Dash staring out a window by herself, tuning out the shouting and conversations going on.
“H-Hey, Dashie,” she greeted.
Instantly, the other knight turned and smiled. “There you are. Where’ve you been? All this stuff is boring. We should be out there tearing it up,” she said.
Derpy glanced to her comrades, their faces drawn with restlessness and annoyance, and then to the bustling and antsy staff. “I know, I know. I feel the same, but this is important going forward with rebuilding. It’s always good to have a plan.” She wrapped her forelegs around the cyan pegasus and pulled her close, nuzzling into the nape of her neck. “I always have a plan,” she whispered into her ear before kissing her on the forehead. “But, then again, you’re just plan B.”
Rainbow flushed as she returned the hug. “Ouch. I’m too good to be anything less than A,” she replied as a sly grin tugged her lips up.
Abruptly, the ponies speaking with the princesses began to disperse and file out of the throne room. The two mares relinquished their embrace as the princesses turned to the knights and Trixie.
“I’m sorry for the wait,” Celestia started, “but Luna and I worried that further attacks could occur. Keeping you here was in the best interest of Canterlot, and I’m glad that you were all here just in case. Enough time has passed that I feel you can return to field operations.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed on Trixie. “I know that some of you have been eager to resume your external duties. To that end, we have not been sitting on our hooves. Reconnaissance has been keeping an ear open for any leads regarding Aurelius, Twilight Sparkle, or any being potentially affiliated with him. Thus far, Mi—Nightmare Moon has suggested that he may have some connection to the Badlands dragons.” The knights and Derpy exchanged wary glances.
“Hey, what’s up with the Badlands?” Rainbow whispered.
“You know the Brood, right?” replied Derpy. When she received a nod, she continued. “The Brood is the main faction of dragons. They’re organized and led by a king and usually some kind of council, but… Far to the south, far beyond Equestria’s lands, there’s a place we call the Badlands. There are dragons that come from there once in a great while. They’re extremely hostile and deadly, stronger than any the Brood has to offer. No one knows where they come from, who leads them, or if they have any goals. Most of the time a small cell of celestial knights and, or archmagi are sent to cull the ones bold enough to reach our borderlands. Only the strongest go.”
“Whoa,” Rainbow muttered. “Have you been there before?”
Derpy slowly nodded. “It’s… a terrible place. I’ll never forget it,” she replied before focusing back on the princesses.
Celestia cleared her throat as she offered a sympathetic look. “Yes, we know what this means. For the first time in the history of the Order of Celestial Knights, we will be carrying out a reconnaissance mission deep into the Badlands. This time, all of you will be going together. I wish to minimize the risks by having as many of you there at once.”
Colgate stood up and shook her head. “This is insane. You’re sending all of us out there, deep into unknown territory, with the deadliest enemies we know, to chase a lead?”
Berry stood up beside her and nodded. “It sounds like a suicide mission, Your Majesty. I know we're strong, but this is seriously pushing our limits. Knight Dash is still green, and the archmage roster is pretty cleaned out. We would need more time and forces to carry this out.”
“They’re right, Princess Celestia,” Derpy chimed in. “We would need at least another high level Celestial Knight in the ranks, and that’s including Archmage Lulamoon joining us and Knight Dash after she has received her sword. Maybe we can bring a former knight or paladin out of retirement to help us.”
Luna shook her head. “I am afraid that is not an option at this time.”
Celestia gave her sister a peculiar look, and then glanced to Derpy. “She is… correct. There are no knights or paladins that can be restored to active duty at this time.” She offered a solemn expression to the ponies before her.
Derpy blinked. “That was it,” she muttered to herself. She jumped to her hooves as she replayed the moment in her mind. “She knew Daring was alive all this time!” For a moment she paused. “But… how?”
“Do all of you truly lack the confidence of completing such a mission?” Luna asked.
The knights exchanged their regrets in silence before Derpy spoke. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It’s just too risky with such a small team. We try to push further and further into the Badlands when we can, but being so far away from Equestria—resources and backup—it’s simply too dangerous to go with a small team if we’re going to push through. The Badlands dragons are nothing like the Brood’s vagrants and we never encounter more than a few, if any, in each trip.”
“Very well,” said Celestia. “We will shelf this mission for now while we gather our forces. The Badlands have always been an enigmatic and dangerous place, and I would like to have it thoroughly investigated in this great push, but I will not send you to your deaths from lack of preparation. Paladin Hooves, I leave the organization and preparation for such a task in the future to you. Report to Luna and myself what you require, and when you and your team feel confident you have what you need, only then will we commence such an extraordinary mission. In the meantime, you will be given new orders shortly. Perhaps it is time to expand the roster of the Celestial Knights, but the screening will not be loosened, no matter how dire the need for additional forces is. All of you are dismissed.”
Derpy turned to Rainbow and could see the questions on her face. “It’s a terrible place,” she repeated.
Light exploded from towards the throne, and the princesses shielded their eyes as something appeared. A distorted, light blue ring with an opalescent portal appeared a roaring from within as magic stretched reality around it.
“What in the world is this?” Luna managed to ask as the knights drew their weapons and moved in front of the princesses.
“Could it be?” Celestia muttered, her mouth agape as she slowly turned her head to her sister. “Didn’t Midnight describe a similar portal when Twilight disappeared?” The moon princess remained silent.
Aurelius stumbled out of the portal as it closed behind him quickly. The prince appeared dazed for a moment as he focused on the welcoming party. As he regained his bearings, he smoothed out a rough, burgundy mane and rubbed his eyes. “Oh, ho ho ho. It seems navigating that was not as hard as I thought.” He grinned as his eyes shifted between the knights, the princesses, and the archmage. “Well, well, well… That little pawn and my former associate aren’t here to save you now, Princess Celestia.”
“Aurelius,” the sun princess hissed. “Where is Twilight Sparkle?”
The prince blinked in surprise before he grinned again, splitting his face as he slipped into a fit of chuckles. “This is perfect! She lays the trap for me, but I catch you instead!”
“Seize him!” ordered Luna.
“Not so fast!” Aurelius aimed his forelegs at Colgate and Berry, raising a barrier around himself as his eyes shined crimson. “These two are mine!” The two knights clasped their heads as they dropped their weapons and fell to the ground.
“Colgate, Berry!” Derpy cried as her aura erupted around her. She surged forward and struck at the prince’s barrier, her blade grinding against the magic. “Let them go!”
“It’s a shame you won’t be joining them this time. You did give me a lot of trouble up north, and I would’ve liked to keep you as a lieutenant.” He frowned. “Submit to me or I will have you languish in a dungeon.”
Derpy’s body blurred away and Aurelius’s eyes widened as a bolt of yellow light struck his barrier, shattering it. He staggered back and raised another, baring his teeth. “I see you have regained much of your strength, Celestia.”
“Tell me where Twilight Sparkle is and I promise I will leave you with a muted life,” she growled.
“The truth is… I don’t know. She is beyond my reach or care. I have what I need. A perfect opportunity to finish this.” Berry and Colgate rose up, their eyes turned scarlet. “Whether you die here is up to you. Submit to me and I will spare your lives. That deal won’t be on the table for long.” The princesses turned to find Berry charging Luna as Colgate turned and hit Rainbow Dash with a blue bolt.
“Rainbow!” Derpy cried as she appeared beside her lover in a flash. It was too late and she had been frozen solid, her mouth open in fright.
Berry brought down her greatsword upon the moon princess, but the paladin maneuvered between them, raising Glance Reviver with both hooves to block. Shockwaves rippled through her bones as the sword chipped, but it remained steadfast.
Two blue-white beams of magic blasted Berry and Colgate into the walls. Trixie cleared her throat as her anger boiled over. “I will rip out your spine while you’re still breathing if you don’t tell me where Twilight Sparkle is. Right. Now!”
Celestia turned and whispered something into Luna’s ear before facing Aurelius. “Paladin Hooves. You are bound, and so now I order you to retreat with Princess Luna.”
“No, Princess. I can’t abandon all of you.” She was met with a fierce gaze from the sun princess.
“Do as you are commanded, Paladin. It is our only contingency. Go. Now!”
Aurelius fixated on Derpy and Luna. “You won’t escape this time.” He unleashed a fiery blast at the moon princess, but Celestia formed a shield before them and blocked it, the flames spreading out into the air. As Derpy blurred away, he conjured a stronger blast. The ball of fiery energy exploded through the barrier, engulfing the room in a bright flash.
Derpy surged through the corridors of Canterlot at blinding speed, flames of the explosion chasing just behind her. Luna was silent in her forelegs as the crashed through a window and surged away in the skies. “Don’t worry, Princess Luna. I will protect you.” Droplets fell onto the princess and she looked to the skies, but there were no clouds.
Derpy gazed at the ground, feeling only apathy in that moment as she recounted the anguish she had to push away that moment. She reached for Glance Reviver, but stopped halfway and allowed her forelegs to fall limp at her side, and then sit down. It’s over, isn’t it? she thought. With Aurelius in control, Glance Reviver can’t be reforged.
“I’m a failure,” she said aloud.
“No,” another voice said, startling her. “I am.” Daring stepped out from behind the tree Derpy had been resting against. The elder sister was met with the younger having already drawn her broken sword, but she only offered a solemn gaze to it. “You were right.”
“About which part?” Derpy growled, sheathing what remained of her weapon.
“A lot of it. I was being selfish, but… I really didn’t mean to break your sword.” When Derpy gave her a confused look, she drew her own. “I know there was always suspicion about my death. No one would ever believe Leo failed to retrieve my sword,” she said as she held the blade in front of her. A golden hilt with black leather and a red weave grip appeared with little wear. The sword was identical in dimensions to Glance Reviver, but it held an orange tint in the sunlight, shimmering but not gleaming. “It’s not my place to step into your life after all this time and tell you that you’re not cut out for the one you’ve already chosen and lived.”
Derpy sat down and took a deep breath. “Was it true,” she asked, “that you joined the celestial knights after mom and dad died?” Daring nodded slowly as she put her weapon away. “Why… that? I’m the paladin, and I don’t understand. Was mom a paladin?”
The sandy pegasus shook her head. “Nah. Mom wasn’t a paladin, but she wasn’t bottom on the roster. She met dad through her work with the Order.”
“Oh.”
Silence fell between them for a moment, and Daring awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and shifted topics. “So, um. Sorry about Glance Reviver. But hey, it can be reforged.”
Derpy’s ears perked up. “You know a spellsmith with access to orichalcum?”
Daring leaned as she rolled her eyes slowly in the same direction. “Wellllll, no, but—”
“Then it can’t be reforged. I should’ve known it would break. I’ve fought so many battles since we’ve fled Canterlot. I haven’t had time to recover my strength, let alone repair it.” She grimaced. “I can’t use my power beyond a few moments anymore and I don’t have my shield with me.”
“That’s alright. Even with what you have, we will make a great team.” Daring grinned as her sister met her expression with wonder. “Oh, don’t give me that look. You’d really think I’d pass up a chance to fight with my little sis?”
Derpy chuckled as Daring lurched forward and wrapped a foreleg around her neck, giving her blonde mane a rough noogie. “H-hey! Cut it out!” Daring laughed as she fell onto her back.
“Man. How long’s it been? You look exactly the same, just… bigger.”
The grey paladin eyed her suspiciously. “Funny. I’d say the same things about you, except you’re still the same size.”
Daring smiled and coughed. Abruptly, she became serious and stood up. “Someone’s here,” she said, poising herself to fight. She glanced around, but remained still.
“What? Who?” Derpy placed a hoof on her hilt and froze. What can I do with half a sword?
Wind rattled the leaves of the trees, kicking up into swaying and creaks from the trunks themselves. A plume of smoke filled the area before rapidly washing away.
“Colgate?” Derpy blurted.
The unicorn knight tilted up her visor to reveal a toothy grin. “What a surprise. I don’t believe it… It was only a matter of time before we found you again, but now you’re right here.” As a hoof swiftly reached for her sword, she stopped.
“Who’s this clown?” asked Daring as she fixated on the comrade beside her.
“Who might this be, Colgate?” Vibe asked, his heavy voice suffocating the air.
The unicorn knight froze as her eyes fell to Daring, and she began to quiver inside her armor. For a moment, they gazed at each other in silence until Vibe spoke again.
“There was no mention of another pegasus. Who is this?”
“L-Lord Vibe. I don’t b-believe it, but that’s the… the former paladin. Paladin Daring Do.”
“Well then,” Vibe said as he adjusted his cloak and mask. “It’ll be nice to get a real fight before we drag them back to King Aurelius.”
Daring brandished her sword, but Derpy maintained her stance. If I show them Glance Reviver is broken we’ll be done for.”
“What’s wrong, Colgate?” Daring sneered, her eyes flowing up and down her armored form. “I can see you shaking from here. I’m just burning to take you on.”
Colgate looked to Vibe. “We need to retreat.”
“Why?” the masked unicorn asked. “They can’t possibly be stronger than us.”
The unicorn knight shook her head. “No. We can’t win against two paladins. This isn’t two on one anymore. We need Berry, and maybe…”
Vibe stared at her for a long while before turning to face Daring. “Another paladin, huh? I’ve never seen this knight so scared before. Very well, Colgate. We’ll retreat… for now.” Magic was emitted from his horn briefly, but it ceased for a moment. “Good call. Something else has come. I don’t recognize it, but being caught in a three way battle would not be good for us.” In another plume of smoke the pair of unicorns had vanished.
“What was that about?” Derpy asked. “And Vibe was right. I’ve never seen Colgate so afraid before. She’s certainly not afraid of me.” Daring maintained a silent gaze ahead, but focused on nothing in particular. “Just what is your power?”
“We have to get back to the oasis,” she said as she beat her wings. “Something’s wrong.”
“How can you tell?”
Daring turned to her sister with concern in her eyes. “I got complacent.” She took off towards the desert with Derpy following shortly after.
They raced across the desert in silence, the sand dunes stretching on and on as they flew. Derpy could have sworn the distance was shorter, but she chalked the disparity in her experiences up to the heat and her accelerated speeds while emotional. After a long while, the oasis appeared in the distance, blurred by the heat haze. It slowly grew sharper and sharper until they could make something odd out in the sky.
“N-no!” Daring cried as she picked up the pace.
Derpy struggled to keep up with her using her natural flight. “What’s wrong?”
“Ditzy. Find Princess Luna and Leo. Get them and everyone else underground as fast as possible!” They began a descent towards the entrance to the oasis.
“What? Why?”
Daring turned to her with a look of uncertainty. “Just do it! I’ll distract them until everyone is underground.”
Two black dragons came into view ahead, appearing to have just begun an assault on the desert sanctuary. The sisters dropped to the ground as Leo ran out of the gates to greet them.
“Leo. Get the—“
“We’ve already started. Hold them off just a while longer and everyone will be safe,” the chancellor said.
Daring nodded and turned to Derpy. “Give me your sword,” she said.
The grey paladin shook her head. “No. I’ll fight with you. We can take a couple dragons.”
Daring and Leo exchanged glances. “Has she fought them before?” the chancellor asked quickly.
The elder paladin shook her head. “No. Sorry, Ditz, but you’re sitting this one out. Get underground.”
“I can still fight!” she insisted.
Daring stepped to her and ripped the broken Glance Reviver from her baldric. “No! You can’t fight a Contractor with a broken sword. Now, go!”
“Contractor?” she asked, but Leo took hold of one her hooves.
“Listen to your sister and come with me,” he said as he dragged her into the gates.
Derpy watched as Daring sheathed her sword and drew her own, bursting into the sky with blade shimmering in the sunlight.
“Oh, if it isn’t the little executioner,” one cooed.
The other grinned as he spoke. “All alone, but never to be underestimated.”
Daring maneuvered between their swipes and tail lashes, flying through their wakes and slashing at them. Her blade grinded against their scales in trail of sparks, and Derpy watched helplessly from below, only glancing in front of her to ensure she did not trip over another pony as Leo continued to pull her. She stopped as they reached the underground entrance to the pub to see her sister fighting one last time without her. A breath of flame missed the elder paladin and struck the ground, becoming a blaze in mere seconds. One last tug drew Derpy down the steps.
The oasis ponies were led far below to several cellars with lights and stored goods. They spoke among each other, their worried words and prayers clashing with another to be heard clearly. Derpy gnashed her teeth and hung her head.
“I’m sorry, but this is a fight you aren’t prepared for,” Leo said softly, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Your sister will be fine.”
Luna moved through the ponies and concurred. “Though we are all at odds right now, I have the utmost faith in Paladin Do.”
Derpy glanced up to her. “It doesn’t feel right, hiding down here while she fights. I’m still a paladin and it’s my duty to defend everyone here.”
“I know,” replied Luna softly. “I feel the same when you fight in my stead.”
A thunderous quake rocked the cellar and elicited shrieks from the crowd. Leo turned and hollered out words of reassurance to calm them.
“What was that?” asked the paladin.
Luna stared at one of the lights as it flickered. “I… can only imagine,” she muttered.
Another quake shook the cellar followed by a series of rumbles. The lights rocked back and forth, dimming and going out sporadically as Leo continued speaking to keep the oasis ponies’ fear at bay.
“I need to know what’s going on,” Derpy said as she turned and moved towards the exit, but Luna barred her path.
“Even I wish to know, but I can feel something happening above. I cannot risk you injury. Have faith in your sister.”
Derpy slumped against a wall, planting her hooves over her eyes. “I can’t stand this!”
An otherworldly shriek drowned out the voices and the roars of the dragons before a shockwave ripped through the cellar, snapping a support beam and collapsing part of the room while the lights went out. A blue barrier held up the damaged beam and illuminated the room as Luna’s horn shone.
Derpy and Luna exchanged nervous glances as more roars and shrieks could be heard. More quakes occurred as something impacted the ground above. Thumping following as the paladin presumed one of the dragons was reduced to the ground. After a while, a second crash rattled the cellar and everyone remained in silence, listening and feeling the intensity of what was going on above. Finally, two titanic quakes hit back to back before all fell to silence.
“Is… is it over?” Derpy asked.
“I hope so,” added Luna.
Leo turned to them and nodded. “It is over.” He turned to the oasis ponies and began instructing them to depart in an orderly fashion while the princess and the paladin quickly moved to the surface first. When light hit Derpy’s eyes again, her jaw hung open as her eyes took in the cataclysm that just happened to the oasis.
The two massive dragons lay unmoving beside one another in blackened sand. One was missing both wings and an arm, a massive, charred gash running from the side of his head and wrapping down his neck to the opposite side. The second dragon had three parallel streaks running diagonally across its stomach, with burnt entrails lying on the ground. All of the wounds on the dragons were too deep to be made by a sword. A substantial section of the oasis town lay in cinders while another part of it was angrily burning away, filling the skies with ash and a smoky haze.
“Daring!” the grey paladin found herself calling out. She dashed out to find her sister, but did not need to go far.
The elder paladin stood on the ground between the dragons, drenched in blood and something else with her head tilted back. Her dark mane clung to her body while her forelegs hung limply at her side, a sword clutched in each. She took a deep breath and lowered herself to sit before collapsing to the ground.
“Daring! Are you okay?” Derpy cried as she moved to her side.
The elder paladin looked at her, eyes locked in a daze for a moment, and then gave a weak smile. “I must be a bit rusty if two contractors took this much out of me.” She snorted before exhaling and fainting.
Derpy lifted her body up and threw her onto her back. “What the?” she said as a dark grey slime rubbed off her sister’s coat and onto her hooves. What is this?
She shook her head and collected the swords. As she walked back to find Leo and Luna, she paused to inspect the triple strike marks on one of the dragons. She sat Daring down and took her sword. Holding the blade incited an odd feeling within her, but it was unfamiliar. Slashing at the dragon’s corpse, the blade clanged as it hit the scales. Are these things made of iron? She struck it again just to dispel her imagination, only for the blade to clang again when it was deflected. Retrieving her sister, she continued on, her eyes still drifting to the wounds on the dragons as she thought.
I thought every paladin would have the same power, but… She watched as Luna and Leo trotted over to her, the latter not looking surprised. What kind of paladin are you?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 41: Unbreakable
Twilight slowed her flight as she neared the city with anti-air defenses, she noticed flags hung brightly in the air, but they still bore the crest of the princess sisters. That’s strange. Princess Celestia is missing and Luna is a fugitive. Why would they still fly the old flag? Morale?
At first the cannons seemed unmanned, but when they came into full view she could see two ponies shouting to one another as they dashed up beside each cannon. A voice boomed out to her as the cannons took aim.
“Halt! This is a no-fly zone as per the order of His Majesty, King Aurelius. You have ten seconds to land or you will be fired upon!” one of the cannoneers shouted through a loudspeaker.
A no-fly zone? That’s unheard of, she thought.
Don’t fear them and their insignificant weapons. They can’t hold you back. Twilight nodded to the beckoning of the voice, its words compelling her forward.
“I repeat, this is a no-fly zone. You will be shot down. Land immediately!”
“Come on. Show me what your little toys can do!” Twilight yelled back, a smirk creeping along her lips.
She could hear the cannoneer shouting “Fire!” as a dull boom resounded ahead, a spark of light and plume of smoke escaping the barrel of the weapon. An explosion occurred just beside her where the cannon shell exploded, sending her trailing off course. It took her several seconds to regain her balance from the aerial.
What the heck is in these weapons? she thought while flapping her wings harder to remove particles from them. It feels like it’s disrupting my senses.
The cannon fired again and she barreled over as the shell impacted beside her again while shrapnel rained against a readied shield. Once more, she lost control of herself from the forces and had to regain her balance. No. It’s… affecting my magic? I better not take a direct hit.
More cannons pivoted on the rampart and fired on her, resulting in a flurry of flak explosions around her, their blasts ringing in a low symphony. Twilight shielded herself, but the shrapnel struck her barrier and rapidly drained away its strength. Null-magic? she wondered.
Don’t get hit, Twilight. Take them out. Destroy them all, the voice cooed. There is no mercy for any who dare attack you.
Twilight pulled her head back as she flew forward, magic rapidly gathering in her horn. “Ether Laser!” A purple-black beam erupted forth, striking a rampart with two cannons and erasing it where the beam touched. Brick and lumber fell away as the structural integrity was compromised, the cries of the fleeing ponies signaling the end of the defenses as the wall burned and crumbled in. She took a deep breath before hurling an arcane bolt at the next cannon. To her surprise a barrier manifested around the cannons to absorb it before they returned fire again. Additional cannons were manned and armed with their thick barrels lighting as they fired volley after volley.
“Alright. Now this is just pissing me off.” Twilight barreled over to evade and increased her speed, but a hail of cannon fire stopped her from advancing any further. Try and stop this! In a flash, she appeared beside one of the cannons. Her grin reappeared as the cannoneers turned to face her, their mixture of shock and fear running through their bodies.
The wood creaked as Twilight enshrouded herself in condensed magic, a whining heave before she drove a hoof downward into the rampart floor. Cannoneers scrambled to flee from the wall as it was destroyed and the anti-air weapons swallowed by the rubble. Twilight slowly turned to destroy the other cannons, her dark gaze petrifying their operators momentarily. As magic gathered in her horn they spun around and fled, some leaping from the wall entirely.
Good, the voice said. They will know to fear you. Your very name will become the harbinger of destruction.
Twilight glided down from the carnage on the walls and to the streets below, her ears bending to hear where her next enemy would be. Four unicorns had appeared side-by-side to meet her. Silver charms dangled gently from their horns as they mouthed incantations.
“What are you supposed to be?” she asked as she gathered magic in her horn. Their horns took on a red aura and a pulse emanated from them and ran through Twilight. Her voice seized in her throat and she gasped in surprise as the gathered magic slowly dispersed into wisps. Anti-magic!?
Fire surrounded Twilight as bolts of energy were hurled her way. They struck her one after the other as she attempted to raise a barrier, but the unicorns continued to disrupt her ability to control magic. She bared her teeth to the burn and drains of each blow, her mind racing to formulate a way to regain control.
They cannot contain you, her doppelganger cooed, sparking an idea.
Twilight grinned as she analyzed the disruption. She could not gather and utilize controlled bursts of energy for spells, but could they handle large ones? With a roar, she unfurled her wings and stood up, drawing in energy in a larger quantity. For a moment, she could not feel it returning to her, but the unicorns began to struggle and glance at each other before a storm of energy raced around her. As the alicorn archmage watched the unicorns cower in fear of her overcharged magic, she could feel herself grinning once more.
“Nice try.” As she prepared to mete out justice, a familiar voice halted her will.
“Well, well, well. She followed me home. I wonder if I can keep her.” Twilight turned to find Berry Punch approaching and signaling for the unicorns to flee. The armored earth pony appeared to have fully recovered, though she appeared slightly patchy where her burns were. “You’re really becoming a thorn in my side, Twilight Sparkle,” she grumbled. “After your little guardian angel saved you the last time, I won’t be making the same mistake of underestimating you again.”
“Guardian angel? What are you talking about?”
Berry raised a brow. “Don’t play dumb with me, missy. I know you’re not working alone.” Before Twilight could ask, Berry rushed at her with a hoof raised. “I’ll just take both of you on!”
Reflexively, Twilight formed a shield, absorbing the punch, but it shattered. “I’ve been waiting for a rematch.” She readied her magic, but was caught off guard when Berry’s hooves surged forward and locked her in an iron grip. She was swung and thrown over the wall in a single, swift motion. She loosed a squeal before teleporting to the ground. The knight followed her out into the grass and trees, stretching and popping her joints. “The king will skin my hide if any more damage comes to this place.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about Aurelius,” said Twilight as a dark purple layer of magic engulfed her hooves. “He’ll be too busy scraping your body from the ground when I’m done with you.”
Berry snorted. “After the beating you got last time, do you really think you can take me on?” She stood up and held a hoof to her chest. “Dragon Lord Berry Punch, and I’m going to bring you to King Aurelius, whether you’re conscious or not.” Her scarlet eyes flickered light within themselves as she charged forward.
“A direct attack won’t work on me, not even from you,” sneered Twilight.
The knight raised a foreleg and aimed for Twilight’s head, her hoof impacting with titanic force and creating a shockwave into the earth. The alicorn’s wings shot out as she leaned back from the attack, but she did not move from where she stood.
“W-what the heck?” Berry pulled back her hoof to reveal a thick purple coating over Twilight’s face, receding to show her sinister grin.
“Is that all you’ve got? I think I’ll call this little technique Black Diamond.”
Twilight returned with a devastating haymaker, striking the knight in the jaw. A gut wrenching crack split the air before she staggered back. The alicorn took a step and lunged to follow up, but the drain of the magic took her breath away and she feinted before pulling back. Damn, is that all I’ve got? I have to find another way to make this work.
Berry remained stunned for a moment before she recovered enough to fight. Blood dripped from her muzzle while a bruise had already begun to show through her fur. She swung wide and struck a shield. “I guess you can’t keep that little trick up for long.” She swung with her other hoof, hitting another shield. “Your magic won’t protect you forever.”
Twilight teleported backwards and crouched down, her body aching as she caught her breath. She’s right. I can’t keep this up like this. It’s still not enough. I have to find a way!
The knight began a slow advance as she grinned. “Oh, what’s wrong? For an alicorn archmage I expected a lot more. This is only going to turn out like last time.” Her scarlet eyes flickered again.
Twilight blinked. Last time… Last time… This won’t be like last time, her mind repeated. She raised her head, a placid expression dulling her features while a faint memory resurfaced. “It will not be the same as the last time,” she said, echoing Nightmare Moon. She conjured the violet magic around her body, but instead of compressing it to her form she dispersed it and remolded it into a dark shroud. You saved me then, and you saved me now, Nightmare Moon.
“What the heck is that?” Berry said as she stopped.
The shroud surged and raged over Twilight’s body before calming into a steady flow and thinning enough to display the dark alicorn’s features. “What? You mean this?” she said, her voice distorting and echoing. “It’s just a… memory.”
“Your magic isn’t strong enough to take me on. Remember our last fight?” Berry leaped ahead, throwing a punch forward.
“Who said anything about using magic on you?” Twilight cackled as she propelled forward and met the hoof with her own.
The ground trembled as their punches collided; part of Twilight’s shroud dispersed from her body before reforming and layering over itself. Berry’s eyes were wide as she stared at the violet alicorn.
“What, are you scared?” she mocked. “You look just like Luna when I had this around me… just before I crushed her!” Bones bowed beneath the force of her next attack as her hoof crashed into Berry’s chest. The knight staggered backwards, her cheeks flapping as the air in her lungs was violently forced out. “Do you think I can be stopped?” she continued as she threw another punch, further causing her foe to step back. “Do you think I’m afraid of you just because I underestimated you once?”
Destroy her for her insolence! the doppelganger cheered. She must know her place!
Twilight snorted. “I am unstoppable. I am absolute!”
Berry recovered and blocked the next strike, returning several jabs. Twilight blocked them and maneuvered closer, but the knight ducked low and lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around her stomach. A squeal escaped the violet alicorn’s lips before she was flipped overhead and face first into the ground, her neck popping as the impact reverberated through her spine. Her shroud dispersed some more, but she twisted herself free and wiped the dirt from her face.
The knight pivoted and attempted to sweep her foreleg for another attack, but it was with an equal force, stalemating them into a stare down. “I know exactly how strong you are now,” Twilight said.
“I’m just getting warmed up!” retorted the knight.
Suddenly, Berry overpowered her and pulled her in. Twilight was met with a knee to her gut and a punch to the face. Pieces of her shroud were blown away with the attacks, but the pain she felt was negligible. A quick teleport several meters back allowed the shroud to reform, and she forced herself to breathe back in the lost air. Berry surged forward and launched a flurry of blows. The alicorn struggled to defend herself against the superior pugilist.
The purple coating returned and Twilight thrust herself through the attacks and delivered a devastating uppercut to the knight’s jaw. She could feel teeth crunching together through her hoof as she sent her toppling to her back. As soon as the augment appeared it vanished, and she slumped and heaved to the weakness setting in. She crouched down and held herself up with a foreleg, her breathing accelerating. The shroud waned for a moment before returning to full strength, but it did little to bolster her confidence.
She’s so strong, was all she could think. How can I win against this?
She is nothing. She will be begging for mercy as you show her who is truly strong. The voice snickered in her mind. Get up. Fight.
Twilight slowly rose up, sucking air in through her nose as she watched Berry climb back to her hooves. She began to calculate how much stamina and magic she had to keep going versus how the knight appeared to handle the beating she had been taking. The odds didn’t favor her so far.
Berry threw a punch her way in spite of the distance. However, a shockwave ran through Twilight’s body. She froze for a moment, her muscles seizing to the force, but she regained control as Berry closed the distance and swung. Dodging, the blow grazed her left shoulder and she could feel the muscles erupting in pain before quickly becoming numb to her will.
Twilight’s horn sparked as Berry swung again, and a spear of darkness slid down from the sky. The knight grunted as it struck her and the punch lost force. Twilight coated her body in purple once more and gnashed her teeth through the drain, driving an augmented hoof into the side of the knight’s face. There was another crack of bone as she was knocked back, and Twilight roared as she pushed on, taking a step and sweeping into her eye with another punch. Berry yelped as she covered her face, staggering backwards until she fell.
The alicorn lost her purple coating but the shroud of magic remained. She stomped to the knight and sat on her chest firing punch after punch to her head. Berry’s hooves protected her, but they could only do so much. As she ravaged the knight’s face Twilight saw herself beating Celestia’s much the same. She paused to catch her breath, but the knight torqued her body and attempted to pin the alicorn down using her hind legs. Twilight managed roll herself out of it and scramble back to her hooves.
“I can’t… believe… you’re still… going…,” she muttered between pants.
Two pegasi flew out of the city carrying an object between them. They released it and it crashed into the ground. Twilight recognized it as the earth knight’s gargantuan sword. “Lord, your weapon!” one called down. “Reinforcements are mobilizing to apprehend her.”
Berry quickly collected her weapon and turned to face Twilight with a smirk. “Tell them to back off. They can’t handle an opponent like this. I’ll bring her in, myself.” She watched the pegasi nod and return to the city before refocusing on her foe. “It’s over now. Give up and I won’t break any bones before I bring you to King Aurelius.” She hoisted the blade onto her shoulder and winced, rubbing blood from her mouth. Her right eye had begun to swell shut, a dark bruise forming around it. A similar, larger bruise had appeared on her chest.
“This isn’t over, yet!” The alicorn started to advance, but Berry swung the sword towards her. Twilight froze as the shockwaves it emitted ran through her body, magnified by the weapon. Pain in every joint petrified her and nausea twisted her stomach. “What… the…” A migraine formed that felt like a jackhammer was being pressed against her skull, and she crumbled to the ground. What… is this… power?
Weak, the voice chided. You are stronger than this.
Shut up. I know what I’m doing. Twilight blinked as the pain subsided, but the nausea continued. She sucked in air through her mouth and shakily stood back up. Waves. Vibrations. Something else mixed in, I’m not quite sure what it is. I can handle this.
Another cleaving of the air sent the vibrations towards Twilight. She pointed a hoof towards the attack and formed a barrier, but she raised the other in a slant behind the spell. The barrier twisted and changed shape with a design forming across it and shifting from violet to red.
The attack passed through the barrier and struck Twilight again, but the effects were greatly lessened. Her body ached, but she recovered in a few moments. Success. She took a breath and smirked. “That’s a nice power you’ve got, but I’ve already figured it out.”
“I guess I’m the one doing the underestimating this time.” Berry charged forward and swung horizontally at the alicorn.
Twilight ducked as the blade whooshed past her, the wake tugging her in its direction. As she stood back up, the vibrations moved through her body again. Even after she’s missed? Freezing up in pain again, the knight let go of her weapon and delivered a jab to the alicorn’s gut. Twilight cried out as she fell to the ground in agony.
“I’ve got to admit. You really gave me a run for my bits.” Berry lifted her up and threw her over her shoulder, tossing her blade over the other as she marched towards the city. “Did you really think you could win?”
Nausea that was once ignorable was magnified into a debilitating ailment; Twilight’s eyes swam in her head as she attempted to recover her faculties, struggling not to vomit. Before Berry could go far, she managed to squirm enough that the knight was forced to set her down. She teleported a short distance back and caught her breath.
It has a blast radius. I won’t be so careless the next time. If I get hit now, she gulped, I’m done for.
Twilight crouched down as pain reminded her of the previous injuries. Her left shoulder held a soreness that limited her physical capability to pained spell weaving; her stomach wrenched with nausea; and her joints felt like they were grinding against each other whenever she moved.
Berry moved in close and chopped towards the alicorn. Twilight erected the red barrier as she dodged nullifying most of the distance vibrations, but the knight punched through and struck her. New vibrations surged into her body and she grunted through clenched teeth.
What is she made of? she thought, jabbing a reprisal. I can’t protect myself against any contact.
The knight blocked and attempted to grapple her again; Twilight lurched backwards and yelped as the soreness in her shoulder was replaced with a fiery pain. Berry succeeded in taking hold of her again and pressed her to the ground, the shroud dispersing entirely.
“I told you it would end up like last time, but I’m going to make this so much worse on you,” the knight whispered into her ear.
Twilight’s eyes widened as she could feel her right foreleg being slowly bent back. Her heart thumped and she clamped her eyes shut as she could feel the joints in her shoulder stress, her tendons screaming in agony. The joint cracked and popped as it reached its limit, an agonized howl tearing from her throat as dread sank into her heart.
Something changed within Twilight, and she lost consciousness for a moment. Hundreds of memories streamed by her mind’s eye in a blur, but she recognized every one of them. Memories from her past, her archmage training, of Celestia, of Trixie. Of Nightmare Moon. Suddenly, all of her feelings fell into place and the doppelganger cackled in her mind.
Break her.
Magic exploded from her body sending the knight tumbling away. Twilight could feel no pain and no drain to her magic. The shroud she empowered herself with returned in force. It took on a familiar image as it encased her, the energy surging and raging to a tight form. After a moment, it solidified into a black sheen over her body. She scanned the area and found the knight staring at her in surprise. For a moment, she recognized fear in those scarlet eyes as she took her first step towards her.
She found her mind to be scattered by a maelstrom of vicious impulses. Images of the knight’s broken body and anguished cries filled her mind. There was a sickening glee as she saw each choice before her very eyes, and in the pit of her stomach it repulsed her. But she couldn’t shake the feelings they invoked. Her body had already intended to act on some of those impulses.
“I’m not afraid o-of you!” the knight stammered. She took her sword and cleaved at the violet alicorn, white mist clinging to the blade as it split the air.
Twilight roared as a hoof engulfed in a fiery dark magic collided with the blade. The earth quaked as the blade was halted, the ground splitting near the nexus of attacks. Berry’s eyes widened and she pulled the blade back.
“That’s impossible! Nothing can stop my sword!” She swung again, driving the sword harder with her strength. Once more the blade was stopped with a hoof. “This isn’t possible!” The knight continued to swing, and the coating on Twilight’s hooves extended up her forelegs. She moved and blocked in silence, a malevolent anger lining her dark gaze as she concentrated. As she guarded herself against every strike, she positioned herself closer and closer inside the knight’s defense. Finally, the greatsword was stopped mid-swing; she unleashed an energy charged punch to the knight’s chest, sending her stumbling backwards.
Berry clutched the impact point and groaned, but after several breaths she took the weapon into both of her hooves and charged. She leaped into the air and brought the sword down with a cry. “Vanishing World!”
The greatsword crashed down onto the dark alicorn, the earth convulsing under the monstrous force of the attack and spraying dust and rock. Shockwaves sheared the land, splitting and spreading out from the impact. Berry flinched as the dust settled and Twilight remained standing. Her black body remained untouched while she crossed her forelegs in front of her, a cracked barrier extending around her. The sword rested against the purple coating and had chipped. Berry’s eyes followed the cracks in the ground with her eyes. Dread sank into her face as she realized that they flowed outward from Twilight and not behind her. The alicorn had absorbed her strongest attack.
“Wh-what a-are you!?”
Twilight swatted the weapon away as the knight backed away, her legs shaking more and more with each step. A grin split the alicorn’s face as she followed after, her teeth appearing sharp and elongated from the distortion. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about what I am. If I were you,” she cooed, her voice steady—Berry swung at her a final time before Twilight struck the topside of the blade and drove it into the ground, cracking it—“I would be more worried about what you are about to be.”
A fiery hoof surged forward and Berry struck back with all of her might in a last, desperate attempt to overpower the alicorn. There was a crack as their hooves collided again, but the knight recoiled and groaned, clutching it with her other hoof. Twilight took a step and pressed another punch into the knight’s stomach. She watched with glee as the knight’s mouth burst open, her silent anguish as she had no breath to shriek with. Berry crumbled to the ground clutching her stomach.
Twilight slowly circled her prey, the grin never leaving her face as she triumphantly watched her foe tremble. She used a hind leg and rolled her onto her stomach before crouching down and taking hold of one of her forelegs. “What was it you said earlier? Oh, right.” She leaned down low and whispered into the knight’s ear. “‘I’m going to make this so much worse on you.’” With a harrowing crack, she snapped the knight’s foreleg back, eliciting an anguishing screech.
She watched the knight writhe and whimper before attempting to flee. She followed, taking slow steps alongside her prey as she crawled with one foreleg. After a while of listening to the whimpers, she stepped in front of her. After a long while, Berry looked up, her swollen face streaked with tears and snot. “P-please… n-no more!”
Twilight crouched down and leaned close to whisper. “You still have another one.”
Berry despaired and pleaded, but the voice in Twilight’s mind had already compelled her.
Break her, it echoed.
Another crack filled the air for an instant as Twilight broke the knight’s other foreleg. She screamed and rocked in place, her eyes clamped shut, while the alicorn watched in silence.
Kill her, the voice urged, but Twilight did not move. I said ‘kill her’! it repeated.
No, Twilight said back as she fought back her violent urges.
“Where’s… Vibe?” Berry continued to moan and whimper, but Twilight pressed a hind hoof to the knight’s chest. “Where. Is. Vibe?”
The knight shivered as she looked into the eyes of the victor. “H-H-He w-went t-to towards P-Ponyv-ville. Th-There’s a t-town near it. L-Large c-cath-thedral dedic-cated to P-Princess C-C-C…”
Twilight smiled and stood up. “Thank you.” She kept her eyes on the defeated knight and watched her squirm.
“P-please. D-Don’t k-kill m-me. I s-s-surrend-derr,” she begged through sniffles and sobs, one eye too swollen to glimpse her.
After a while, the dark alicorn turned and walked away in silence, her shroud fading away. Something rattled throughout her body, but she forced herself to be steady against her nerves. The tax of her new abilities had begun to take their toll on her body and she threatened to wobble with each step.
Why didn’t you kill her!? the doppelganger fumed. She is one of Aurelius’s lieutenants now. She is your enemy.
She is broken, Twilight replied simply. She’s no longer a threat to me.
So long as she remains alive she is a threat. She will come again.
Twilight took a deep breath through her nostrils and closed her eyes. Then let her come. I will break her again and again until she knows only fear. When the doppelganger fell silent, the alicorn’s thoughts did not form words, but coalesced into two ideas. Control. Lost?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 42: The Forgotten Road
Derpy flinched as Daring writhed in her sleep, and the grey paladin quickly set to stilling her elder sister’s body. As she braced her sister to the bed, Derpy watched in solemn worry as blood splotched her bandages and parts of the blanket covering her belly and hind legs. She had done her best to wipe away the grey grime clinging to her fur and wings, but blood still easily found its way out of obscured wounds and into the blankets. When Daring calmed down she relaxed and sighed, spreading her wings and falling to her back. Her thoughts wandered while her eyes ran along cracks in the ceiling wrought by the cataclysmic battle her sister fought alone.
What were you thinking, Daring? You could have been killed! I should have been there. I’m a paladin, too. She mulled over striking the dragon’s plate-like scales with Daring’s blessed sword, the dull ring concerning her. Mature dragons were known for their tremendously durable hides, even against bladed weapons, but it was still easy enough for a celestial knight to exert themselves to cut through it. Nonetheless, her sister’s power remained unknown, but so did the mysterious new breed of dragons.
Daring whimpered in her sleep prompting Derpy to snap to attention again. She watched as the sandy pegasus gently pawed at the air before murmuring something. The grey paladin leaned in close to listen.
“I’m… sorry.” Sweat beaded on the elder sister’s forehead, the blanket rumpling while she twisted in her dream. “I’m sorry,” she repeated faster. “It’s… my fault… My fault… I’m sorry… Please don’t… hate me…”
Derpy raised an eyebrow. “I’m here, Daring,” she whispered, squeezing one of her hooves in her own. “I don’t… hate… you,” she added gently.
She twisted again, uttering one last phrase. “I failed… Celest…”
Celestia? “What did you fail, Daring?” Her effort to press for an answer ultimately failed when her sister fell silent.
The door to the room creaked and Derpy jumped as Leo stepped inside, a jug of water and small stack of cups in his hooves. “How is she?”
“She’s the same. She opened some her wounds again, but they don’t seem to be that bad.”
“She’ll be fine.” Leo poured two cups of water. “You must be thirsty. The desert can dry the life out of you if you’re not careful.”
Derpy took a few small sips before observing Leo sit down opposite her and attempting to wake Daring.
“Why… If she’s alive after all this time and a former paladin…” Derpy trailed off as she stared sadly at her sister.
Leo cleared his throat. “For a paladin, I am honestly surprised you were unaware of your sister’s status.”
Derpy’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Leo gave her a confused look. “I realize you’ve been kept in the dark regarding her, and I suppose that reason rests with her will, but you never knew your sister was a warrior at all?”
Derpy crossed her legs over her chest. “I just assumed… when she left with the royal guard and I never saw her again that she had eventually died. I tried to find her, but I never got any answers. When I look at her now, I feel relieved…”
“And?”
She met his eyes, but quickly looked away. “Betrayed.”
“Do you not trust her?”
“Absolutely not!” Derpy blurted. “How can I? I have too many questions and she won’t give me any answers.”
Leo smiled warmly and poured her another cup of water. “In time, Paladin Hooves. I’m sure she has good reason for this.”
“I just… don’t understand, Chancellor. Why would I not be allowed to see my own sister again?”
“Because she is a coward,” Luna said sternly.
Derpy whirled around and saluted in the same motion before quickly sitting back down. “Y-Your Majesty, please don’t say that. A coward could never be a paladin.”
Luna stepped closer and gazed down at the sleeping pegasus. “Not of the battlefield. Of her own guilt. If we are to move forward she must accept the past.”
“What are you talking about, Luna?”
The princess’s eyes fell to Leo. The chancellor stared into his water for a moment before taking a sip. “Shall I tell her, Leo?”
He set his cup down and smiled. “No. I think… it would be better coming from Paladin Do. You are not wrong, Princess Luna.”
Derpy tensed and cocked her head to one side. “Please… I need to know… If it’s something that would make her untrustworthy—“
Luna raised a hoof. “Nay, Derpy. Her trust in you I do not doubt. It is her in trust in me that is problematic.” She shook her head and Derpy grit her teeth. “Enough of this. We must move on from this place. If these so-called Contractors have left the badlands then things have grown dire.” She moved to a dresser and looked over the framed pictures spread across it, studying them carefully. “An army will be needed to besiege Canterlot. If we may overthrow Aurelius quickly in a single day, then we can avoid much bloodshed. However, two paladins and a princess do not make that army.”
Leo chuckled once more. “I have not been sitting on my hooves all this time, Princess Luna. The resistance has many numbers. I can mobilize many ponies into a militia given enough time to prepare. However, if we wait too much longer our numbers may dwindle for whatever is going on north.”
Luna turned. “North?”
The chancellor frowned and set his cup down. “Aurelius has been conscripting various ponies from all across Equestria and sending them north. Somewhere just beyond the Crystal Empire. We do not know for what purpose and all we could learn is that he is using them for labor. It is not a single type of pony. Our spies have tried and tried to obtain more information, but Canterlot remains under lock and key since he has taken control.”
Luna’s eyes went wide. “What of my sister’s fate? Please, if you know anything.”
Leo gave her a grim look and shook his head. “Princess Celestia’s fate remains unknown, I’m afraid. As are the fates of the others that vanished defending Canterlot and have not reappeared since.” The princess went silent, her pensiveness expressed through a hoof tapping at the floor.
Daring coughed several times and Leo readied a cup for her as he sat her up. “Drink, Daring. You’ve gone and dehydrated yourself again.”
Derpy watched her as her thoughts wandered for a moment. “We need Twilight Sparkle if we’re going to attack Canterlot directly. We need as many powerful ponies as we can get, and she is definitely strong.”
Luna took on a glum tone. “I… do not know if I can convince her to join us directly, but I know that she is making her way there. I feel as though she will be there when the time is right. However,” she levitated Leo’s cup before her face, “I would much rather find Archmage Lulamoon and… Nightmare Moon.”
“Why them and not Archmage Sparkle?” asked the paladin.
Daring groaned as she was laid back down, but she peeked open an eye. “H-hey,” she greeted in a raspy voice. “You just couldn’t wait for an autograph, eh Luna?” The princess harrumphed and turned her nose up to the sandy paladin. “Aw, don’t be like that.”
Derpy sighed and relaxed. “Thank Celestia you’re alright.”
Daring grinned. “You can thank her yourself whenever we run into her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Luna asked quickly.
The sandy paladin opened her mouth to reply, but when she saw the confusion in her sister’s eyes she snorted. “Ah, forget it.” She sat up on her own and Leo passed her the jug of water. Derpy and Luna stared in disbelief as she consumed the entirety of what water remained before smacking her lips and handing it back. “Can I get some more?” Leo nodded and departed the room. When she found her sister and Luna staring, she cocked her head. “What?”
Luna gave her a hard look. “Can I… trust you, Paladin Do?”
Daring crossed her forelegs across her chest. “And what if you can’t, huh? It’s not like we need you to retake Canterlot. Last I checked, you can barely cross a desert, let alone fight like a unicorn.” Luna growled. “But!” Daring held up a hoof, glancing to Derpy. “For the good of Equestria, and for Celestia’s sake, we can put our little issue behind us. For now.”
Luna relaxed enough that she could maintain an even tone, but her contempt reflected in her eyes. “Very well. I would like to understand your reverence for my sister, though.”
Daring smirked. “What’s wrong? Feeling a little eclipsed by big sis?”
The princess lost her composure and began to step towards her, but Derpy placed herself between them in the blink of an eye. “Will you two idiots knock it off for one second!?” The two bickering ponies stared in disbelief as Derpy glowered between them. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, since no one will tell me, but this has got to stop if we’re going to work together and take back Equestria. We don’t know what happened to Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia, Nightmare Moon, or Trixie Lulamoon, and Twilight Sparkle is off who-knows-where. The last thing we need is two of the most powerful ponies in our ranks fighting with each other. We’ve got bigger problems to deal with than this… this pissing contest between you two!” Silence fell between the three of them as Derpy slowly stepped back and frowned. “Now… Before we can even attack Canterlot, I need my sword repaired.” She turned to her sister. “How can I do that?”
Daring had been left dumbfounded by her speech, but she collected herself and stood up. The grey slime that clung to her fur had dried and encrusted, but parts of it flaked and dispersed from her form in puffs of smoke. “I don’t know how maintenance of our weapons was specifically handled for the Celestial Knights, but repairing our swords requires orichalcum and a spellsmith.”
“Neither of those things is openly beyond the royal army,” Luna interjected.
Daring smiled and held up a hoof, taking a deep breath before replying, “Yes.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “But, you know, there hasn’t been a lot of exploration down in the Badlands in recent years.” She moved past Luna and to the dresser, rummaging through various drawers while muttering to herself. After tossing garments out of several drawers, she exclaimed. “Ah-ha!” She produced a soccer ball-sized chunk of gleaming metal. Derpy squinted at it until her eyes adjusted.
“H-How!” Luna blurted.
Daring set it on the dresser and presented it with both hooves like a magician, a toothy grin on her face. “Very carefully!”
“Did you steal this from Canterlot?” the princess quickly accused.
“Whoa, hey. Of course not. This one was picked up from the badlands. Those contractors have some of it out there, but this is all we’ve really found. Leo and I decided it would be good to hang onto if I broke my sword.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “As if that could ever happen.”
Derpy frowned. “Glance Reviver broke.”
“They don’t make ‘em like they used,” the sandy paladin responded. When she received a glare she quickly continued. “It just so happens that we have a spellsmith in training for, almost, precisely a time like this.”
“Almost?” Luna said, suspicious.
Daring chewed her lower lip and glanced away for a moment. “Wellllllll, it wasn’t meant for a broken sword, rather forging a new one.”
“That is absolutely forbidden!” Luna moved over to the chunk of orichalcum, but Daring snatched it away.
“In case you haven’t noticed, princess, Equestria could really use another Celestial Knight, but now that doesn’t matter. We can reforge Ditzy’s sword instead. We have the pieces, and we can save any extras for maintenance, or if we’re lucky still making another sword.”
Luna frowned. “That is highly unnecessary.”
Daring set the chunk back on the dresser when she was sure Luna wouldn’t take it. “And why is that?”
“If we hit the royal weapons vault, we’ll have access to more material.”
Daring blinked. “Well, why didn’t I think of that?” She smacked her own head as she glanced up at the ceiling, exaggerating her facial expressions. “Oh, that’s right… The royal vault just so happens to be in the royal capitol of Canterlot! How the heck do you expect us to get in there? I’m good, but come on, I’m not a ghost.”
Luna scowled. “We can retrieve Derpy’s shield and my old war hammer.”
“Well, that doesn’t fix Glance Reviver, so we’re still going with my plan on that.”
Derpy shifted uncomfortably. “But we don’t have a spellsmith.”
Daring grinned. “We’ve got the next best thing. A unicorn training to be a spellsmith.”
“And just whom might’ve taught this unicorn how to be a spellsmith?” Luna asked.
“Hey, Leo knows all about that stuff. He left her with a lot of study material and some resources to practice with. The unicorn is a contact of ours in Ponyville. Hopefully, they’re still there.”
Derpy and Luna exchanged glances. “Ponyville?” the princess spoke. “Could it be… Archmage Lulamoon?”
The sandy paladin went on. “So we’re not going to be sticking around the oasis much longer. It’s not safe.” Daring began moving about the room collecting garments and her sword.
Derpy marveled at the orichalcum but managed to pry her eyes away from it. “What about those contractor dragons?”
Daring stopped and sighed. “I don’t know what brought them all the way out here. I’m sure Leo doesn’t, either. That’s what’s so strange. We might not know much about them, but I can’t think of a single thing that would draw them out here. I’ve been out here for a while, but there’s no way they were coming after me. There aren’t a lot of ponies that can kill them on their own, and I can’t imagine a whole lot of the Brood’s strongest could, either.” She offered a solemn shrug. “My only guess is that they followed you two.”
Luna and Derpy exchanged glances again before the princess spoke. “What would they want with us? We don’t know any more about them than you do, maybe even less so.”
Daring took a deep breath and shook her head, the same solemnness in her face. “I… don’t know. It scares me to think that this place could be wiped out by them. From what I know, it should be a long time before any more leave the badlands, but this is still extremely far out of the way for contractors. Hopefully I’m right and they are after you two. If not, let’s hope we’re fast enough to take back Canterlot and deal with them afterwards.”
Leo pushed open the door and returned with another jug of water. He handed it to Daring and spoke as she began to rapidly consume it. “It seems that Daring has filled you in on most of the details. We really must be going.”
“What of your army, Leo?” asked Luna.
“They will know when to come together. I have already put out word that the time to fight is coming, but that there are still some final preparations we must take care of.” Leo took the empty pitcher from Daring as she loosed a sigh of contention. “We shall travel to Ponyville. Reforging Paladin Hooves’s sword is of utmost priority. Come, Princess Luna. There is something I wish to discuss with you.” He motioned for her to follow.
Luna followed him to the door, but she stopped and cast a wary glance to the two paladins. “Don’t let me down again, Paladin Do.”
Derpy gave her a confused look before turning to see her sister packing the chunk of orichalcum. “What’s she talking about?”
The sandy paladin shot her a quick look before continuing. “I… don’t want to talk about it.”
Derpy placed a hoof over her saddlebag. “I want to talk about it.”
The air grew tense before Daring sighed and took her sword, equipping her baldric and moving to the dresser. She lifted up a facedown picture and gave it a bittersweet smile. “I’m… not ready, alright?” Facing Derpy, she slid the picture frame into one of her saddlebags. “I promise I’ll tell you soon. Maybe not until after we retake Canterlot, but it will definitely be then if not sooner.”
“I need to know something else.” When Daring turned around, Derpy was standing just in front of her. “Your wounds, and this… stuff on you. Are you going to be alright to travel?”
When the sandy paladin gave her a confused look, Derpy quickly rubbed her fur and produced a grey dust cloud. “Oh, right. Look, that’s nothing to worry about. Just a little something I picked up in the fight with the contractors. It’s nothing. And don’t worry about me traveling. I’ll be fine.”
Daring tried to move to her first saddlebag, but Derpy blocked her path. “Give me your sword. I’m in better fighting condition than you.”
The sandy paladin glanced between her bags and her sister’s determined face. “Alright, but only because we shouldn’t encounter any more contractors, and I want to… check something.”
“Check something?”
Daring smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” She passed her baldric to Daring. “Try not to scratch the paint.” She snatched up her other saddlebag and darted out of the room before Derpy could say anything more.
The grey paladin was left in silence as she gazed at the sheath. She placed a hoof on the hilt of the sword. Glance Reviver had always invoked a sense of power and pride, and she slowly pulled the hilt until the blade was revealed. Seeing the detail of the design in full, she raised an eyebrow. The engraving is a phoenix? That’s a strange personalization of hers. Maybe it was on there before it was given to her, or Celestia put it there because she has Philomena. Abruptly, she ripped the blade out of the sheath and held it straight before her face. Something filled her, but she couldn’t quite discern the feeling. It fell somewhere between exhilaration and remorse. The feeling magnified in intensity the longer she held it and she quickly slammed the blade back into its sheath, panting.
Daring poked her head into the room. “Hey, Ditz. Are you comin’ or what?”
The grey paladin whirled around and replied, “Yes!” She took a quick breath. “I’m just taking it all in.”
The sandy paladin glanced to her sword and then to Ditzy. “Okay.” She put up a wondering expression before leaving again.
Derpy trotted out of the room and up to the surface, squinting as sunlight hit her eyes. She found Leo and Luna waiting for her, with the chancellor in a grey robe and the princess having donned her sand-worn cloak again. Daring only carried her saddlebag, but she offered the grey paladin her armor back. “You know, I’m impressed you managed to wear this all the way across the desert.” When Derpy shot her a frown, she quickly added, “I mean, I wouldn’t have recommended it. This heat is brutal.”
Oddly, it was quite cool in the sun, but Derpy equipped her armor anyway and threw a cloak over it as they prepared to set out. “I made it,” she muttered as she shifted the pieces to make her comfortable for the long flights ahead. Going back to Ponyville to reforge my sword, huh? Why is it I have such a bad feeling about this… She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I hope Rainbow is alright. She placed a hoof over the neck of her breastplate and paused for a moment. “Let’s go.”
Daring carried Leo as they took flight across the desert. Despite the additional weight of the orichalcum and the chancellor she did not show any signs of strain. Wisps smoke trailed her for a few minutes as the last of her loose, grey coating fell away to the wind.
“How long has it been for you?” the chancellor asked, breaking the silence.
“What?” Derpy replied.
Daring chuckled before replying. “I don’t know. It’s… been a while.”
Derpy glanced over to them and raised a brow. “Been a while since what?”
The sandy paladin’s smile faded into glumness. “You should know, Ditz. Since I’ve been back… home.”
Derpy stared at her for a while. When she finally focused on the skies ahead of her, she bit her lip. “Me, too…”
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 43: Among the Willows
Twilight’s body screamed at her to quit moving, every muscle aching as her magic dwindled dangerously close to none. Her bones felt as if they would crumble at any moment, yet she shambled on, teleporting when she was able. He strides grew shorter and shorter until she veered off of the roads and collapsed against a tree trunk. Wheezy breaths punctuated the rise and fall of her chest, a painful groan erupting from her throat every other breath. Slowly, she slid down the trunk until she was sitting against it.
Those Celestial Knights… mage slayers trained and empowered to kill archmages, like you… the doppelganger snickered. Even they fall before your might.
In that moment, Twilight tuned out her darker spirit’s ramblings and praise, focusing only on her own breathing. Even that hurt to do. Dried blood encrusted some of her fur, and she could feel bruises where Berry had struck her, but nothing felt worse than her head. A pounding migraine followed her every second on from the moment she received the knight’s sonic attack. She could take excruciating amounts of pain; her body was almost accustomed to it now, but the ringing in her head made it difficult to organize her thoughts.
…and killing Princess Celestia should be no problem.
Twilight blinked, tired half-lidded eyes. “Killing… the sun princess?”
Of course. Isn’t that what you want? Revenge for everything she has done to you?
Twilight’s eyes slowly made their way skyward. The sun was setting and she would soon be able to view the stars. “Yeah… want revenge,” she muttered. She closed her eyes and took a deep, wheezy breath. When she opened them again she was greeted by a grinning mare.
“And what else is it that you desire?” they cooed.
If not for her wounds and exhaustion Twilight would have flinched at the sight of her doppelganger in front of her, but she failed to offer more than wide eyes. “H-How—?”
The doppelganger chuckled. “Oh, come now. We’ve been over this.” They leaned closer as their grin expanded, stopping only a few centimeters away and whispered. “What else do you desire?”
Twilight gazed into what appeared to be a very real copy of herself, but with different colored eyes. “I want…” She hesitated. Her heart longed for many things. “...you to shut up,” she finished as she closed her eyes. The doppelganger frowned as one of its brows twitched. “I’m tired. Can you just let me sleep? The sun is gone and I need to recover my strength.”
The doppelganger slowly receded backwards as it faded into the darkening world. “Fine. When you forsake everything else just remember who your real friend is.”
Twilight opened her eyes and smirked. “You’re going to be waiting a while.”
The doppelganger’s body vanished, but a toothy grin lingered in the air for a moment longer. “Oh, I have a feeling it will come sooner than you think.”
The archmage blinked and her doppelganger was gone. Damn that thing creeps me out. To her surprise, it did not respond. Huffing, she scooted away from the tree to lie down, but discomfort split her back. Rolling, she managed to pry the forgotten baldric out from under her. This is still with me after all of that? she wondered. Automatically, she slipped the blade partway from its sheath and stared at the green glow of its smoky design. It distracted her from her aches and pains momentarily, but she replaced the blade before settling herself again. Vibe better be at that cathedral. I’d almost feel bad having to go back and break that knight’s hind legs, too.
***
“Wake up!”
Twilight sat up with a start, but immediately winced and groaned. “Ow…” After a few minutes she cast a glare at her awakener. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“You’ve recovered enough. Let’s get going,” the doppelganger barked.
Twilight threw her head back and unleashed a loud moan while she yawned. Sometimes I wonder how I don’t wake up in a jail cell. She snatched up Moonlight and stretched, but her bones quickly reminded her of the day before. Gritting her teeth, she shuffled forward with a few gentle steps that scarcely dragged across the ground.
“Why don’t you heal yourself?” the doppelganger asked.
Twilight stared at it for a moment, and then looked at her hooves. “It… hasn’t been working. It’s like I can’t use that kind of magic anymore.”
“Maybe that knight broke you.”
The archmage scowled at the doppelganger’s innocent expression before continuing on. She walked in the sunlight as much as she was able, stopping periodically to catch her breath. Celestia had given her many things, but throughout all of this she was most thankful for the solar blessing. She occasionally teleported further and further distances, feeling out her magical capacity. Berry had drained her tremendously, and it would take time to fully recover, but she hadn’t suffered any lasting effects from her fight beyond the wear on her body.
How much further is Ponyville? the doppelganger asked.
Twilight glanced around. Weren’t you just—? Nevermind. She unfurled her wings and tried to fly, but those ached just as much as the rest of her body and she was forced to continue walking. Once she breached the trees she could see Canterlot in the distance. “Ponyville is a good deal closer than Canterlot. Vibe can’t be much farther from it.”
What will you do after you’ve dealt with Vibe?
Twilight eyes were glued to the ground as she walked. I hadn’t… really thought about it until now. I’m going to kill Aurelius, but I never made a plan as to how And Vibe just became another obstacle. When she looked up, the doppelganger was walking beside her. “Will you stop that?”
It eyed her up and down. “You need to finish resting before you take on Aurelius.”
Twilight frowned again. “Why do you even exist?”
The doppelganger smiled. “Because without me… you’d already be dead,” it said in a serious tone.
“I doubt that.” She adjusted her baldric and ran a hoof through her mane. “If Berry captured me it just would’ve brought me closer to Aurelius.”
Snickering filled the air. “You honestly believe you would be allowed to have your magic if you were brought to him? My, my, we still need to work on your arrogance.”
Twilight fired a blast of magic at the doppelganger, but it phased through and hit the ground behind it. “You’re getting on my nerves. I don’t need you.”
It grinned. “And yet… I’m still here.” It faded out of Twilight’s vision, its grin lingering for a moment once more.
The archmage’s mood shifted several times as she dwelled on more things that had happened. She had plenty of time to herself as she trudged on through grasslands and forests, taking care to avoid any primary roads. She was surprised that there weren’t very many dragons or ponies around, despite what she had been led to believe about areas closer to the capital. However, when she found several with their bodies hacked and eviscerated it troubled her.
“Who keeps doing this? Another enemy of Aurelius?” she wondered aloud while she studied her reflection in one of the pools of blood.
“Jealous of someone else’s work, perhaps?” The doppelganger appeared beside her, its eyes glazed with interest.
Twilight skimmed over most of the wounds, but found one of the dragon’s eyes to have been left open, pain stretching its face back. As she stared into it her fur bristled. The memory of the first time she had to kill a dragon without hesitation flashed into her mind, and the nausea that accompanied it. She took a few sharp breaths and blinked away the terrible memory. “Whoever did this made it quick. They never saw it coming.”
Clean gashes and full cuts separated body parts through thick bones, as well as savage tears into the flesh ripping organs free. The bodies had not rotted, but they were cold. I should be careful. Whoever did this can’t be too far ahead of me.
Twilight continued on when she felt there was nothing else to discern from the grisly killings. They had spanned all across the lands she crossed, from the moment she returned and walked out of the first town without Luna and Derpy, and now almost to Ponyville. The kills were varied, but featured the same sets of wounds. Did someone know I was coming back to the real world? She nervously cast a glance over her shoulder, and then panned around her. There was only silence. Or does someone know that I’m coming for Vibe and Aurelius and they’re paving the way? Both thoughts made her uneasy. Unknowns were the biggest threats of all, and an enemy that her enemies could not see was frightening.
“It’s not like you to look so nervous,” remarked the doppelganger.
Twilight raised a brow at it, and then shrugged. “You’re… right. I’ve taken on everything thrown at me. I shouldn’t be worried about someone that only kills a couple dragons at a time. I slaughtered the Brood’s royal guard and killed their king all in one battle.” Despite her words, the swiftness and discreetness of the kills continued to bother her. Killing a mature dragon is no easy feat, let alone several at a time, but to do it fast and quietly? She shuddered. They’re on par with the archmagi or the celestial knights. Who has that level of power that is still around?
It took all of the morning and the early afternoon to reach Ponyville, a mixture of teleports and steady walking driving her pace. Little by little, Twilight’s pace increased, and she returned to her usual stride after absorbing hours of sunlight. Throughout the journey the doppelganger frequently appeared and vanished, taunting, mocking, or conversing with her at every opportunity it could. The mysterious being took delight in its new ability to project itself to her. Childlike grins and devious snickers punctuated its thoughts and words, but it failed to trigger much reaction from the archmage beyond glares and growls. Twilight was thankful as it was unable to speak through her mind every time it appeared making it much easier to ignore in favor of her own thoughts.
“Isn’t this where you grew up?” the doppelganger asked as it gazed down from the edge of a steep hill.
Twilight offered a solemn look to the town below, her eyes drifting slowly across it. They fell to the tree library and hung there before she blinked and glanced elsewhere “No. My home is Canterlot. This… is just memory lane to me.” She raised a leg to take a step, but hesitated. Dragons dotted the town in the distance, though only a few. I should check on my friends. Pivoting, she changed directions and headed towards the northwestern point of town.
“Oooh, are you—“
Be quiet, for once in your miserable existence, Twilight thought furiously. The doppelganger abruptly vanished without another word. Blinking, she took a deep breath and continued on in silence.
Fearing ponies might recognize her, she stole some garments from a pony’s clothesline along the way and fashioned them into a makeshift cloak with a cowl. It wasn’t stylish, but it hid her face without making her stand out as more than a traveler.
She avoided meeting the faces of others ponies, hanging her head as she moved along the outskirts of the town. The air had grown cool when she arrived at her first destination. The sign denoting Sweet Apple Acres welcomed her, but the farm itself was lacking trees. As she walked along the path towards the house she could hear shouting coming from the orchard.
“You varmints keep destroying mah trees and damagin’ the orchard. How do y’all expect us to make a livin’ if ya keep wreckin’ our farm? This is our livelihood!” Applejack shouted. “We’ve got a business to run!”
A dragon, red, promptly sat down; snaps and pops boomed from beneath its hulking body. “Starve if you have to. I don’t care. King Aurelius having me keep watch on a pathetic earth pony is punishment enough.” He began to reach for her. “If only the king would let me eat you,” he cooed. “What’s another dead pony to the king?” Applejack bucked his hand away, prompting him to growl. He swept his tail, uprooting and folding more apple trees over, roiling up a haze of dirt. “You should consider yourself lucky you can even stay on your farm, pony.”
The farmer erupted into another tirade of threats and curses while the dragon mocked her, but they both fell silent as Twilight approached with her head down. One of the dragon’s claws was planted just before her, its menacing talons stretching out of her view.
“This farm is closed off to civilians.”
“That’s funny,” Twilight said without looking at him. “I don’t recall asking a pathetic whelp about it.”
The dragon’s eyes lit up and he started to rise, but he stopped to observe as Applejack muttered. The farmer’s eyes widened as her mouth hung open, glee slowly taking hold of her. “That voice… T-Twi. Is… is that you?” She took a couple steps closer, her mouth still open.
Twilight looked up and met her eyes. “It’s been a long time hasn’t it, Applejack?”
The farmer was in shock for a moment before rushing over to embrace her friend. Twilight winced as she was squeezed and lifted off of the ground, but she managed a smile when she put back down. “We were told you were dead, Twi. I can’t believe it… It really is you!”
“Who told you I was dead?” The archmage cocked her head to one side.
Applejack removed her hat and held it against her chest as she looked away. “Nobody wanted to believe it less than me, Twi. But they searched for ya for months, the princess and the royal army. All of us. The princesses declared you dead when they couldn’t find any clues. Princess Celestia….” She replaced her hat and bowed her head. “She held a funeral for you.”
Twilight grimaced. “A funeral? Why?”
“It was your family, your parents especially. They wanted closure if they never saw you again. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor came all the way from the Crystal Empire to be there. All of us were there, even Spike. Trixie was there, but she refused to say anything after Princess Celestia gave a eulogy. I was told Nightmare Moon was supposed to be there, but she never showed up. I guess she just couldn’t bear the thought of it.”
Twilight fought back tears and swallowed hard. “W-Well… Here I am,” she choked out in a hoarse voice.
Applejack chewed her lower lip. “Ya don’t look so good, Twi. A bit darker than I remember.”
Twilight gave a weak laugh, and glanced away. “I’ve… been through a lot.”
Applejack chuckled. “I’ll bet. It’s been over four years since we’ve last seen ya. Ya gotta visit the others.”
“Oh, how sweet. A reunion,” the dragon finally interjected. “At least one of the other dragons can be your chaperone since you’ll all be in one place. But you,”—he pointed at Twilight—“will pay for your insolence.”
Applejack leaped out of the way as he attempted to strike the archmage, but his claw was stopped by a dark barrier. Slowly, Twilight turned to face him. “This is the only warning you will get. Leave Ponyville right now and I’ll let you live.” As his face contorted in rage, she added, “I’ll consider it payment for your insolence.”
“Who do you think you are?” the dragon snarled as he attempted to smash her again. His arm stopped several meters before Twilight this time. “What!?”
Dirt clung to it in thin strands, rapidly growing thicker and pulling it back. He struggled as more dirt appeared and piled against his body, bracing him in an awkward combat stance.
Twilight slowly pulled back her cowl to reveal her horn shining with a dark violet light, her dark fur lightening in the sun. She gazed at him as dirt compressed and stilled his wings, the earth rumbling as his feet slipped beneath the ground. With a blank gaze, she stepped closer as his head was brought down to her level.
“Y-You… You’re the one the king is looking for! You’ll… you’ll die… for this!” the dragon roared, struggling against his doom. He muttered curses at her, but a ball of dirt formed and was shoved into his mouth.
“I don’t recall asking a pathetic whelp about it,” she repeated in a hushed voice.
Twilight lowered her cowl as the quaking grew stronger, the earth swallowing the dragon’s body whole. She twisted and twirled her hooves in the air as he completely vanished into the earth. After a moment, it grew quiet as a flat patch of land replaced him.
She turned to face her friend as she spoke. “Sorry about that, Applejack.”
The farmer was petrified. Her mouth hung agape, eyes wide as she fixated at where the dragon was standing only a moment ago. A damp breeze blew her hat onto the ground before she finally pried herself away.
“T-Twi… What did yah just do?” she whispered.
“I killed him,” the archmage replied simply. She turned to the dragon’s grave. “Well, he probably has another minute or two of air left. It doesn’t matter, though.”
“Y-You can’t just kill one of Aurelius’s dragons! Y-Y-You can’t just m-murder a dragon… o-or a-anyone!”
Twilight merely stared at her. “It was good to see you again Applejack.” She turned and began to walk away.
“T-Twi. Twilight!” the farmer called after her. Twilight stopped and turned to see her friend, confusion and pain etched into her face. “What happened to yah, Twi? You ain’t the same pony I remember. The Twilight I knew would never do a thing like that!”
Twilight stared at her for a long while. Silence filled where nothing was said, and she turned and continued on without another word. Applejack did not move and only watched as the archmage departed.
Twilight reentered town and headed to Sugarcube Corner, careful not to attract attention from other ponies. There were hushed conversations about the earthquake that just hit, and another dragon’s shadow cast over the road quickly as it soared towards Sweet Apple Acres. She paid them no mind as her stomach growled, and seeing Pinkie Pie and getting something to eat was her priority. When she arrived she pushed open the door, a sad jingle announcing her arrival.
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner,” a familiar voice intoned. “How can I help you today?”
Twilight looked up to see Pinkie Pie behind the counter, an empty and disinterested look on her face as she flipped through a cookbook. Her mane was no longer the wild mangle it had once been, now hanging flatly against her face and obscuring her right eye. When she looked up she cocked her head to one side and squinted. “Twilight? Is that you?”
Removing her cowl, the archmage gave a weak smile. “Hey, Pinkie Pie. I think I’ve missed a few birthday parties.”
The cookbook was slammed shut as the party pony vaulted over the counter and dashed into an embrace. She sobbed into Twilight’s chest, trembling and blubbering incoherently for several minutes. “Y-You w-were d-d-dead!”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” she replied. Pinkie shot her a confused, teary look before resuming her sobs. Twilight held her, the party pony bawling out her sorrow and joy until she was reduced to huffs and shudders.
Twilight’s stomach growled, but before she could ask the party pony had already whirled around and started grabbing various baked goods. She motioned Twilight to a table as she made a modest spread of goodies. “T-Take whatever you n-need, Twilight! Oh, we’ve all missed you s-so much. W-We have to let everyone know that you’re back! We have to let the w-whole town—“
Twilight enveloped her in an aura. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I can’t let you do that.” She set her down and sighed.
The party pony cocked her head. “But why, Twilight?”
“I’m just stopping by to see my friends. I’ve already spoken to Applejack.” She grabbed a particularly plump muffin and took a massive bite out of it.
Pinkie’s eyes drifted away. “Won’t you stay, Twilight? Even for a little while longer?”
She shook her head and smiled. “I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie. I’d love to, but I can’t. My mission still stands.” Twilight took another bite and quickly swallowed. “Even now.”
Footsteps came from the stairs behind the counter and the archmage’s heart rate spiked as she fixated to it, her magic already prepared to strike down any threat. A pony appeared with a tray of cups in their forelegs.
“Pinkie, am I going crazy or did I hear you talking to—“ The tray fell the rest of the way down the stairs, shattering a tea set it was carrying. A yellow pegasus stood frozen as she gazed past her friend.
Twilight’s magic faded and she stood up. “Fluttershy? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
The pegasus stumbled as she tried to descend the steps as quickly as possible. Tears welled in her eyes as she drew closer, crying as she reached her friend. “T-There w-was a f-funeral for you, and… and…” she choked out.
Twilight pulled her into an embrace as she broke down. She shushed and cooed, gently rubbing her back. After a moment, the pegasus pulled away and smiled, wiping her eyes as Pinkie moved to support her.
“What happened to your cottage, Fluttershy?”
The pegasus became crestfallen. “Aurelius evicted and replaced me with another animal caretaker. He said he wanted the Element of Harmony users to be closer together so it was easier to keep an eye on all us at once. Pinkie and the Cakes offered to take me in until I can move back. Applejack was lucky enough to stay on the family farm.”
Twilight looked around. “What about Rarity?”
The pegasus’s grief washed away. “Oh, she’s still running the Carousel Boutique, but she hasn’t made many dresses… or anything, really.”
“Yeah, Rarity has been keeping to herself since the dragons moved in,” Pinkie added. “I think they remind her of Spike.” She sighed. “She’s been really busy with other stuff, so we haven’t talked to her much.”
Twilight’s heart sank. “Where’s Spike? Is he in Ponyville?”
The two mares exchanged uncomfortable glances. “We don’t know. After the funeral he talked to the princesses and Shining Armor, but we haven’t seen him since.”
“I… see.” Twilight sat down at a table and gobbled up the food Pinkie brought her, consisting mostly of sweets. She tried to force the thought of her number one assistant out of her head, lamenting their previous encounters involving Nightmare Moon.
“How’s Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked. “Have you seen her at all? She isn’t in Ponyville, or Cloudsdale. I asked around. Last we heard she was in Canterlot with you.” She bit her lip and glanced away when Twilight gave her a confused look. “Oh, but I guess you haven’t been there in a while…”
“I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I don’t know. When I came back, Luna and Derpy found me. I’m still learning what happened after I, uh, disappeared.”
Pinkie’s eyes lit up. “Princess Luna is okay?”
Twilight nodded. “She was the last time I saw her. We… had to go our separate ways. They didn’t know what happened to Trixie, Rainbow, Princess Celestia, or Nightmare, though.”
“Midnight,” Fluttershy chimed in.
Twilight raised a brow. “Midnight?”
“That’s what Nightmare Moon insisted she be called after you… you know,” Pinkie said. “She’s a pretty weird mare, but at least she isn’t the same as she used to be.”
The archmage scratched at her chin. She never wanted a different name when we were fused. “Midnight Moon, huh? Did she say why?”
Fluttershy explained. “They called the first war with the Brood the Midnight War because it took place at night and was short. She said she didn’t like anyone calling her Nightmare anymore. It reminded her of everything she hated about herself.”
“Oh.” Abruptly, Twilight finished her food and stood up. “Thank you, girls, for the food and the conversation. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go.”
“Please be careful,” Fluttershy said at the same time as Pinkie cried, “Already?”
“I’m sorry, Pinkie. I’m going to see Rarity before I leave Ponyville.” She turned to head towards the door, but stopped. “Have either of you two heard of a unicorn named Vibe? I’m looking for him.” Each mare shook their heads. “Alright, thanks.” Twilight departed Sugarcube Corner before they could say anything else. A humid breeze ran through her fur and left her with a sticky feeling. A storm is coming, she thought. I’d better make this quick. Carousel Boutique wasn’t far, but she maintained a brisk walk through town, careful not to seem like she was in a hurry and stood out amongst the other townsponies. She received several looks, but moved on before anyone could get a closer look at her.
When she arrived at Rarity’s home she stopped to take in the view of the fashion shop. Its once vibrant and well cared for appearance had faded over time. Paint peeled and rolled back to reveal faded wood, and the door’s handle was tarnished and revealed scratched brass underneath. It almost appeared that no one lived there anymore, but a sign in one of the more visible windows indicated it was still open.
Pushing the door in, an agonizing creak of the hinges gave way to the dull clank of a different bell. Rarity’s display room was typically filled with dresses and well presented, but dust bunnies and piles of fabric had accumulated in the corners, with grime climbing the windows. Is she really still making dresses in here? she wondered as she scanned the dingy sight. The dusty curtain to her show stage had been drawn back partway, but there was nothing on it but old mannequins.
“I’ll be right with you in a minute,” the unicorn called from a back room.
Twilight continued to meander around the room inspecting its disarray and lack of maintenance. It was unsettling to think that the neat-freak unicorn had allowed her residence to devolve into staggering levels of filth.
“Hello, and welcome to the Carousel Boutique. How may I—“ Something hit the ground hard as Rarity interrupted herself. “Oh my Celestia!” she shrieked. Turning, the archmage found her to be staring, her mouth hanging open. “It… it really is you,” she whispered. Tears welled in the fashionista’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
Twilight gave a warm smile. “Hi, Rarity. You look, um… different,” Twilight remarked as she eyed her friend’s unusual choice of dirty and stained overalls for attire. Rarity’s mane was unkempt and frazzled, but tied up in a bun. Splotches of grime patterned the white fur of her face and body. “Fluttershy said you still made dresses, but…” She pivoted and took in the whole room, the unicorn following her sweeping gaze. “I’m guessing they went out of style,” her eyes landed back on the fashionista, “a long time ago.”
Rarity glanced down at herself before snorting. “Well, times have changed and a nice, hoof-stitched dress isn’t really in demand in Ponyville.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You’re not quite as surprised to see me as the others.”
Rarity snatched up the object she had dropped when she entered the room, a large mallet, and set it on one of her workbenches. “I had heard you were alive, but it’s not as if any of us wanted to believe you were dead.”
Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, Applejack told me about the funeral. Nightmare Moon really didn’t show up?”
Rarity chewed her lower lip. “I’m sorry, dear. She even advocated for putting it off several times. She kept insisting you were alive… somewhere. I’m glad she was right.”
Twilight sighed and sat down. “Have you seen her at all?”
Rarity shook her head. “I’m sorry, Twilight. None of us has heard from her in years.”
“Years?” Rarity offered a solemn nod. “I see…” Twilight stared at the floor in silence for a moment.
“Now, what is this atrocious thing you’re wearing?” the unicorn asked as she stepped closer and inspected the garment Twilight had fashioned for herself.
Snickering, she replied, “I was hoping you could make me something a bit more stylish, but it looks like we went for the same thing.”
Rarity grinned. “Well, I have just the thing already prepared for you. I’ll be right back.”
“Already prepared?” Twilight echoed, but Rarity had already dashed out of the room.
The archmage was left alone for a long while before she returned, a new garment folded and resting on her back as she came back. “It’s not quite as good as your official archmage cloak was, but I think it will keep you comfortable and low profile on your way to Canterlot.”
“How did you know—“
The unicorn quickly held up a hoof. “I know more about your duties as an archmage than the others. Between Spike and Trixie I managed to stay a bit more in the loop, but I don’t know all of the details.” She gave Twilight a sad look, her eyes focusing on her fur. “Frankly, it’s probably better that I don’t. The others have largely gone about their lives, but I cannot stand what has happened.”
Twilight removed her makeshift outfit while Rarity unfolded the new one careful not to get any grime on it. “And what has happened?”
As Rarity ensured the designs on the new garment were complete, she replied. “The disappearances of ponies, the absence of Princess Celestia, the occupation of the dragons…” She trailed off and glanced at Twilight’s darkened fur. “I heard a most unsettling rumor recently.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of rumor?”
“That Princess Celestia didn’t vanish at all, and that she has been in Canterlot this entire time.” Rarity grew pensive. “But it doesn’t make sense.”
Twilight looked away briefly. “He could be keeping her prisoner, but I’ll find out soon enough.”
“That’s what I thought, but the rumor suggested she was not a prisoner.” She quickly shook her head when Twilight shot her a heavy look. “It is only a rumor. Here you are, darling.” Rarity levitated the garment to her.
As Twilight held it in front of her it appeared much like her archmage cloak, complete with a cowl, but the material wasn’t as soft. Two crests were woven into the inside, but they were not her cutie mark, rather, it was a subtle toning of Nightmare Moon’s and Trixie’s. It could not be noticed other than up close, and she loosed a gasp.
“She had me make it for you shortly before she left Canterlot. She said that if I ever saw you to give it to you. I objected to her cutie mark over simply your own, or Trixie’s, but she was quite insistent that this is what you would prefer.”
Twilight smiled as she wrapped herself in the dark blue garment. It was soft and certainly more comfortable than the pile of cloth she had used earlier. “She was right. It’s nice to have a reminder of what I’m still fighting for.”
“It looks nice on you, darling, but I have to ask.” Rarity pulled back the cowl as soon as Twilight put it on. “What has happened to you? I don’t think I need to point out how different your appearance has become, but I think I will. From your dark fur and the changes to your mane you are quite a sight to behold. You look a lot like Nightma—ahh, Midnight does.”
“My mane?” Rarity held up a mirror to Twilight’s face. Three different colored strands still curled back and floated above her eyes. “I’d forgotten all about that.”
“Is everything alright?” the unicorn asked lowering the mirror to reveal her concerned face. “I know you’ve had to do some… difficult things, but I have been wondering if you are the one responsible for the dragon murders happening all across Equestria.”
Twilight was taken aback at her words. “So… You know about those, too?” The unicorn nodded. “Well, you can tell they’re not my kills.”
“How so?” Rarity cocked her head.
Twilight lowered the cowl and stood up straight as she faced her. “Because there’s still a body.”
Rarity fidgeted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to strike a nerve. Aurelius has been investigating them for a while, but there are never any clues. I just thought that—“
“—Maybe one of your best friends is on a killing spree?” Twilight finished. “I mean, who could doubt me? I’ve killed so many dragons as an archmage. Across Equestria… In Canterlot… In Draconis where I slaughtered the royal guard and slayed their king without much second thought.” Twilight watched as the blood drained from her friend’s face and she shrank down. “I’ve killed several ponies and crippled one of the celestial knights. I also just killed the dragon terrorizing Sweet Apple Acres, and all of that was just since I’ve returned.” She began to step towards Rarity, the unicorn backing up with her. “So, just what were you trying to get at, Rarity?”
The unicorn’s eyes darted back and forth as she coughed into a hoof. “W-Well. You probably must get going.”
Twilight continued to back her into a corner, her gaze growing dark. “I don’t like how much you seem to know about me or what’s been going on. The others know nothing, but you…”
Rarity’s rump hit the wall and she stood up and put her back to it. “Twilight, you’re s-scaring me.”
Taking more steps, Twilight tugged down the cowl and moved until her face was just inches away from the fashionista’s. “Do you know a unicorn named Vibe? Answer me truthfully, Rarity. I don’t have much patience for liars these days.”
She swallowed hard as Twilight placed a hoof beside her head. “I-I know of him, b-but I don’t know w-who he is. I heard h-he likes to rest in a nearby cathedral to the s-south during his time off.” Twilight cocked her head to one side. “I-I swear that’s all I know!”
Twilight lingered in her face until she was satisfied, then quietly pulled back. “Thanks for the cloak, Rarity. It was good seeing you again.”
“Y-You didn’t have to scare me like that, you know!” the fashionista shouted back, panting.
Twilight shot her a placid look. “Probably not, but I had to be sure.”
Rarity exhaled deeply. “If you run into Spike, can you tell him how much we miss him and to come home?”
The archmage nodded. “I will. Take care of yourself, Rarity.” Her eyes scaled the walls of the dingy room again. “And you might want to clean this place up.” She quickly left Carousel Boutique and paused outside as the door shut with a painful creak behind her. Looking up, grey clouds of varying shades blotted out the sun and the sky. She could feel the humidity in the air rising even further. Taking a deep breath, she started off southward out of town.
The doppelganger’s voice slithered back into her mind. So, how was memory lane?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 44: Season’s End
Thunder resounded in the blackened skies, booming down like an angry shout. Every so often a bolt of lightning would push back the night in brilliant flashes in the clouds, and Twilight found herself glancing up in anticipation. For a brief moment, it appeared as if the rainstorm froze time and she could see every drop of water around her. It reminded her of one of the first archmage training sessions with Celestia. When she could feel a bolt of lightning coming her bristled and she readied her magic. In a flash, the rain stood still once more, but this time it lingered with the dark glow of her magical aura capturing hundreds of rain drops around her and holding them, illuminating the area in an eerie purple glow.
After a moment, she released them and smiled to herself as she continued along a muddy road towards her destination. It barely touches my magic now, she thought proudly. Open fields rolled out to her left while trees walled up her right, and the shadows stretched with her during every flash.
The archmage flinched as a chain of lightning strikes occurred all across the fields beside her, the cracks of their close impacts deafening her momentarily, the flashes blinding as they assaulted the land in her direction. It took her a moment to regain her vision and hearing.
“Your progress has exceeded my predictions,” a familiar voice said as the ringing in her ears subsided and the faltered to a sprinkle. The lightning storm, though the clouds remained thick and black with distant rumbles of thunder. Twilight frowned as that familiar being’s body stood out in stark contrast to the night. “But such is the one I predicted, but cannot predict,” finished Astra.
Twilight’s eyes were wide and she blinked several times, and then rubbed them quickly. However, the alicorn continued to hold a stoic gaze upon her, her light blue eyes drilling into her memory; they almost glowed in the night.
“H-How are you here?” she asked, pulling back her sopping cowl and wiping strands of her mane from her face.
Astra’s eyes slowly took in the view around her before refocusing back on the archmage. “I could ask you much the same. I have been observing you since I returned you to this plane, as I had kept an eye on you in times past. When that brutish earth pony left you battered and crippled I expected you to die, I must admit.” She raised a hoof and inspected it. “My… clairvoyance, we shall call it, could not see how you survived. That is a most peculiar thing, though it would not be the first time I was unable to see something or someone. I suppose that is not relevant now as I observed you the victor her in your next encounter. You are a most adaptive and clever pony indeed. The brutality you display can be a most fetching trait where it is warranted.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “What do you want, Astra?”
The alicorn frowned. “That is Queen, though I permit you to refer to me as Soothsayer if you so desire. My name is not necessary in either instance.” She walked towards Twilight and circled around her, a glint of interest in her eyes. “How fares the hunt for my brother’s head?”
The archmage kept her eyes on the Soothsayer at all times, pivoting as she circled. “You don’t need to worry about him, not that it matters to a ghost.”
Astra lurched forward and planted a hoof into Twilight’s snout, knocking her back and into the mud. “No more, no less. You’re getting ahead of yourself with presumptions. I am… and I am not.” She cleared her throat and smiled faintly.
“Why are you here?” Twilight grumbled as she attempted to brush herself off and rub her nose at the same time. “You said you weren’t going to interfere with us anymore.”
Astra looked up to the clouds before bringing her eyes back down to the archmage. “You remember correctly. Though, I specifically said directly, which you appear to have glossed over.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “What’s the difference?”
The Soothsayer’s smile deepened as she leaned closer. “I have a proposal for you, or rather additions to the first.”
Twilight used her magic to wring out her cloak. “I’m listening… not that I have much of a choice.”
Astra’s head tilted back to the sky, her eyes trailing away to the capital barely visible in the distance. “When you are poised to remove my dear brother from the throne I wish you to also ensure that neither Princess Celestia nor Princess Luna returns to the throne nor, we’ll say, reset things to being as they were.” Her eyes fell back to Twilight having lost their glint. “This is an absolute and there is no compromise for this request.”
Twilight tilted her head to one side. “Why? Getting Equestria back to normal is exactly what we need. It’s what I’ve been fighting for all this time. Besides… even if I said yes, what’s in it for me? What could you say that would possibly want me to stand in their way?”
Astra’s smile faded away. “I will reign once more as I did, as I shall.”
The archmage snorted and broke into a fit of chuckles. “Last I checked, dead ponies can’t lead a country.” She attempted to grab the Soothsayer with her magic, but it failed. Abruptly, Twilight was engulfed in a blue-white aura and lifted off of the ground before being bound within the aura, unable to move. It slowly constricted her body until breathing became difficult.
“I believe that you are confused as to the ramifications of saying no, Twilight Sparkle.” The alicorn’s gaze darkened and any compassion in her eyes died as the aura tightened even further, constricting her throat. Twilight began to feel lightheaded as Astra’s voice became harsh and low. “I will kill anyone that should dare oppose my rule, and your princesses are not beyond this. Any soldiers following their orders to stand against me will die. Any dragons that show allegiance to any name but my own will be slain without a second thought. I will eradicate the Brood should they feel their power is above mine, though history suggests that will not be the case.” She muttered something under her breath before bringing the archmage up to her face and returning to a delicate tone. “Regardless of your choice or the outcomes, you will live so long as you do not raise arms against me. For slaying my brother you will be rewarded with a comfortable retirement of your choosing, and so shall your direct lineage for eons to come. Alternatively, you may stand with me in the future if you wish to remain active in similar duties. That is an open offer regardless of your choice or the outcomes, provided you are still alive.”
Twilight was gently set down before the aura receded away. She collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit for several moments before she could take a full breath. Breathing again did little to calm her nerves as she processed the proposal and what just happened.
“I suppose this is an informal way of asking you to succeed Telos as my new Oracle. He was a fine envoy for my will, and though his passing is a great loss, his position remains mournfully vacant.”
The archmage shuddered, but it wasn’t from the cold of the rain in her fur or the chill of a breeze in the storm. “If… If I don’t agree you’re going to kill the princesses?” She swallowed, suddenly finding her mouth dry.
“That is the most likely outcome. It does not invoke any sympathy in me, I must admit. I do not have weak enemies. There are the ones I kill before they become a true threat and the ones that require a much more delicate and calculated strategy to destroy.” Astra blinked several times and glanced around. “My time runs short, Twilight Sparkle. Will you become my new Oracle, or do you wish to observe the outcome of my will from a more pedestrian position? You may intervene on the behalf of your friends and comrades when the time comes, even if you say no. You will not be faulted for that, so long as you remain passive to me.”
Damn it. Why this? Why now? This isn’t how things were supposed to be. She drove a hoof into the mud. After a few minutes she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, raising her head to meet her light blue eyes. “If I do this… I need to have some conditions.”
Astra smiled warmly, her eyes filling with a peculiar delight. “Certainly. I did not expect you to agree to these terms alone, and I am more than willing to offer you whatever else you desire in exchange for your services. After all, you have aided me far more than you know.”
Twilight pulled her cloak alongside her and glanced at the subtle cutie marks inside. “I get to deal with the princesses. Whether they live or die is my choice and I get to handle it. If they want to die to you, then they’ll have to get through me. If you’re really so strong, then it shouldn’t matter if I get to deal with them. You’re going to be queen again regardless, right?”
The Soothsayer chuckled, much to Twilight’s surprise. “Very well. They are not a true threat to me. I’ll allow their fate to be in your hooves. I do not enjoy Princess Celestia’s complacency, but I find Princess Luna to be an intriguing specimen. It would be welcome to have her alive under my rule.”
Holding up a muddy hoof Twilight continued. “Nightmare Moon and Trixie Lulamoon, and all of my friends are to be unharmed. Whether they continue with their military employment is up to you, but they are not to be held accountable for standing up against you at the time you step into control. I can convince them and stop them from any further aggression after their initial shock. I will make sure everyone understands our… arrangement.”
Astra became placid. “That is fair, but should they rise up against me later I will not hesitate to dispatch them. I hope that they will understand that allegiance to me is not a concept to be distorted.”
“There are a few things I want to know,” added Twilight.
“Oh? What do you wish to learn from me, Oracle?” The title rolled off Astra’s tongue with joy, and Twilight hesitated for a moment.
“Where are Trixie and Nightmare Moon?”
The Soothsayer went silent for a long while. Her eyes drifted to the horizons that could be seen, but eventually gravitated back to Twilight. “I do not see them as I do you. I am afraid I cannot invest myself into finding them for you at this time. I apologize,” she answered.
The archmage groaned. “How do you plan to come back? You’re not even alive as far as I know.”
“That… is not something I can assist you in comprehending at this time.” She shifted back into a smile. “Discard your worries for my well-being, Oracle, for you will come to learn that answer in the future.”
Twilight frowned. “Last question for now. Who, or what, is a true threat to you other than Aurelius? Should I be worried about them?”
The Soothsayer’s gaze darkened and she stiffened. She remained silent for a long while as she merely locked eyes with the archmage. The gaze made Twilight uncomfortable, but she fought away the urge to glance away. When Astra broke the silence she spoke slowly and quietly. “Should you stand with me at the end of this you shall know that answer. However, since our deal remains unfulfilled you are merely to focus on the current task before you, and that is my dear brother. Is there anything else, Oracle?”
Twilight glanced away. “I… hate your eyes.” When she met Astra’s face again the alicorn was smiling.
A portal opened up behind her. “That is truly a shame to hear that from you. It is time for me to leave. If I am able we shall have a dialogue again in the future. I look forward to speaking with you again, my Oracle.” She turned and walked towards the portal, but paused just before it. “A shadow has been stalking you for some time. Do be careful. I do not wish to see you suffer more than you have. I have developed a fondness for you.” With that, she disappeared into it. There was an overwhelming flash as it collapsed, blinding Twilight. When she could see again, the storm had returned in force.
I hate that mare, she thought.
Oracle, the doppelganger echoed. It’s a nice title. You should wear it with pride.
Twilight grumbled. Archmage worked just fine, and I earned it.
You don’t think you’ve earned Queen Astra’s title?
She glanced back to where the Soothsayer was standing, the image of her eyes burned into her memory. I don’t have a choice. I know my friends will object to her taking Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s places as the ruler of Equestria. Rainbow, especially. If I don’t step in she’ll kill them.
The doppelganger snickered. Afraid of your new queen, are we?
Twilight didn’t answer. There was no need to say anything. Astra had done things to her that were beyond fathom in mortal magical studies, and she had nothing more than wild stories and experiences behind her. Being ripped from one dimensional plane into another and being rendered helpless and altered inside left a fear inside of her. She couldn’t place Astra’s power, but watching Aurelius effortlessly crippled and cast aside like garbage before her eyes made her skin crawl. His grievous injuries and muffled screams unsettled her, and she decided to keep moving to stave off the ill feelings the memory brought.
The rain began to recede as Twilight reached what appeared to be a small town, or what remained of one. The main road ran straight ahead to the cathedral, but she narrowed her gait to a small walk. Her head drifted left and right as she took in the buildings. “What is this place?” she mumbled. She expected to receive a cheeky reply from her doppelganger, but it had been quiet since Astra’s appearance and continued to say nothing.
Houses and storefronts were abandoned with shattered windows letting water in. Vines grappled the sides of walls and climbed as high as they could. Overgrowth from everything was seizing control of the land again with tall grass making it difficult to stray from the path.
Why does this place seem so familiar? thought Twilight as her fur bristled.
She continued forward to the cathedral, discovering the overgrowth surrounding it had been cleared. The building itself appeared in good condition in contrast to the surroundings; though very worn, none of the windows or external decorations had been destroyed. Several small statues of ponies could be seen, but any distinctive features they once had were long eroded by the elements with small cracks snaking up their forms. In a sudden burst of fear, Twilight whirled around and stared back down the road she came.
“I’ve… been here before… But I don’t remember when or why.”
It took several deep breaths to calm down again and she faced the cathedral doors for the last time, moving up the steps and onto a large stone landing. The thick, stained wood loomed over her, the rusted knocker seeming to leer. Will it… be the same? she wondered nervously. Placing both forelegs on one of the doors, she pushed it open with a grunt and a blaring creak of the hinges several times.
The doors gave way to the nave and a dim light spilled out of the way and onto the landing. She turned and cast a glance back over her shoulder, taking in the sight of the night as the storm picked up. This is it. She stepped into the cathedral and allowed the doors to shut behind her with a creaking boom. Dust rolled away from the entryway and piled up in an arc before it.
Lightning illuminated the room through the windows with each bright flash, a faint image ingrained briefly into Twilight’s eyes each time. The cracks of thunder from each one were muted, but the storm sounded no less fierce as the rain assaulted the glass. Braziers in the corners of the room gave a faint orange light to fight back the shadows, and Twilight could make out the rough details of the walls as her eyes adjusted to the lighting.
“I’ve been watching you for a while now,” a voice carried across the room. “I’m surprised you didn’t defeat Berry Punch the first try, but I guess I overestimated you.” Twilight looked up to see Vibe sitting on the sanctuary beside a podium, his back to her. The red cape of his attire ran down the step behind him like a sheet of blood. He stood up and turned to face her, his mask greeting her with its blank expression. “But you never fought an anti-mage before, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Vibe.” Twilight took a breath as she sensed the unicorn’s power. Reacting, a light blue aura formed around him, his power filling her thoughts. “Join me against Aurelius,” she shouted.
“Kneel to Aurelius and you’ll keep your life,” he rebuked. His white aura solidified and stretched around him, his cape fluttering. “That is the only offer you get.”
Twilight struggled to breathe. Try as she might, the atmosphere crashed down on her, encumbering her. The power that flowed forth from Vibe was staggering for a unicorn. After several moments, she managed to catch her breath again, deducing that he was above the average archmage. Finally, it dawned on her why, despite her usual confidence, she was unsettled. I'm a bit scared... It’s been a long time since I’ve been afraid of fighting another mage... “I don’t kneel to anyone.”
The masked unicorn stood up and reached beneath his scarlet cloak to remove a staff. Holding it in front of him, he released it and it came to life. "Telos," he uttered slowly, "is one of the strongest magical conduits a pony has ever seen. Telos himself could stand against an alicorn with such a tool by his side. And here an alicorn comes to me ready to die. You stand no chance against the might of Aurelius's strongest general."
"H-How do you have that? I destroyed it!” Her eyes fell from the staff to the pony. “Aurelius is just using you. I can break his control on you if you let me. Resist it. Join me and we can take him down together," Twilight said. She brandished Moonlight from under her cloak and readied it. "With your power we can easily defeat him. Even if you don’t I’m going to stop him whether anyone stands with me or not, but it will be easier with a pony of your caliber with me. There’s a resistance that will rise up against him."
Vibe seemed to step back at the presence of the grim sword. Telos moved to float at an angle just above him. "If you can kill me, you’ll have your chance at slaying another king.” Twilight gasped. “This cathedral has been magically sealed in more ways than one. You cannot break it, the windows will not shatter, and no magic can be sensed outside of these walls. One of us shall die in this place." Vibe swayed a hoof out. "Don’t hold back against me, Twilight Sparkle."
How did he know about Render?
Twilight’s horn ignited with a fiery, violet aura and her shroud manifested. The cathedral trembled, but nothing dared to move under Vibe’s enchantment. “You seem to know a lot about me. Do you think you can stand against me after everything I’ve done, and everyone I’ve killed?”
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! the doppelganger chanted into her mind. Not even Aurelius’s strongest general will be more than a fool groveling at your hooves for his life!
“I’m told I should kill you, but I think you would make a better ally,” she said. Moonlight shed its black design and shone green against the dim light. She dashed forward and swung at the unicorn. The staff caught the strike, sparking as the blade’s edge grinded against the shaft. When she pulled it back there was damage to the staff. Not so indestructible anymore, she thought.
“Do you think you can convince me? Defeat me?” Vibe tapped a hoof to the floor and a barrier formed. Magic coalesced on the surface, forming bolts of energy that fired at Twilight. The oracle leaped backwards as they struck the floor leaving small plumes of smoke where they impacted. She returned several waves from the sword that hit the barrier and dispersed. “Clever,” the unicorn remarked. “Avoiding using your own magic to feel out mine and conserve your own. However,”—he adjusted his mask and cloak—“this is not a fight you want to win.”
“Don’t do this, Vibe. We can be allies. I don’t have to kill you here.” Twilight straightened herself and chewed her lower lip. “Aurelius is destroying Equestria.”
Why do you try to save this one? said the doppelganger. Hm?
Shut up, retorted Twilight.
The unicorn offered a hearty laugh. “You don’t have any idea what’s going on in the world, do you?” Vibe clasped his hooves together as tremendous magic was gathered. The space around him tinted with a faded yellow. “But that doesn’t matter right now. The reason this cathedral has been enchanted is because I didn’t want to take any chances with you.” Slowly, his hooves pulled apart to reveal a yellow ball of energy, blue streaks of energy crackling along its surface. The sphere expanded and engulfed the entire room in its glow, passing through Twilight.
Twilight gasped, her eyes expanding. The magic felt familiar. Too familiar. “Is that… Telos’s spell?” Damn, this is getting dangerous. I can’t afford getting caught in that. Her dark shroud manifested as she drove Moonlight into the floor, its black design returning.
Vibe chuckled while he reinforced his barrier with several layers. “This battle was over before you even arrived. What do you think you’re going to do, Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight straightened as streams of energy rapidly flowed into her horn. “Whatever I have to.” She forced her hooves forward, a violet beam erupting forth. It struck Moonlight before changing to an intense green. “Ether Laser!”
Telos moved inside Vibe’s barrier and pressed its spire against it. The concentrated magic struck the barrier and continued on, striking into the edges of Telos’s spell. Darkness dispersed as both spells exploded, the entire cathedral quaking. When Twilight could see again, the unicorn’s barrier scarcely remained, but his spell had been successfully disrupted.
Vibe’s barrier reformed in full. “I’m impressed. You stopped even a weak version of that spell with just one of your own.”
Twilight snapped up Moonlight and stroked two waves of green light down the aisle. The waves of energy struck the barrier, and she followed with a large overhead swing. A dark wave flowed from the edge and slammed into the barrier, shattering it at last. In a flash, she appeared beside the unicorn, energy gathered in her free hoof. With a roar she drove it into the unicorn’s side as he turned to face her, sending him tumbling towards the door.
Vibe coughed several times and picked himself up from the floor, dusting his garment off fastidiously. Telos appeared standing with him, gently tapping the floor with a clink. “I always forget that you can teleport. Why don’t we even the odds?” The staff hit the floor with force and emitted a dark wave that ran up the walls and across the ceiling.
Twilight took a sharp breath as it passed through her. Blocking my teleport? So this is how it’s done. She processed the feeling against her magic. I don’t have time to counter this. Taking a deep breath, she drove Moonlight into the floor again and focused on her foe. “Always forget?” she echoed. “Who are you? Telos? I know Aurelius has some necromantic ability. I wouldn’t be surprised if he raised you from the dead.”
Vibe chuckled again. “Telos? Hah. I surpassed him, but that doesn’t matter.” The staff rose up and shifted blue before the bottom of the shaft struck the floor again. A nova of frost blasted outward taking the room in a blue light as ice coated the surfaces of everything. Twilight responded with a burst of flame that accelerated through the ring, breaking it, and veering into the walls. It ricocheted several times before she brought her hooves down.
Fire and lightning exploded all around the unicorn as he erected a barrier against the spell. Despite his magic, the barrier faltered to the blasts. Cries battled the sound of the explosions as parts of his flesh were seared. A burst of force pierced the explosions and struck Twilight sending her barreling backwards into the sanctuary steps. She groaned as she lifted herself up in time for the spell to end, the soreness in her back quickly setting in. Not pausing to recover she began to gather streams of white and grey around her dark aura, but she paused when she glimpsed her foe’s next spell.
“Let’s see you handle this!” A massive alchemy rune scarred the floor in blue lines; the cathedral quaked every other second as it erupted in a brief pillar of light. Stones burst through and set upon the floor as more slowly followed after in a slinky chain. Vibe laughed as he stepped back. “Can you feel it, Twilight? A spell the likes hasn’t been seen in centuries, maybe even millennia!”
The oracle’s gathered magic dispersed as she watched the stones fully arise from its summoning and assemble together into a towering construct, her eyes following up to a head with a single blue gem for an eye. “A… golem?” she muttered as her breath left her briefly. “There aren’t very many ponies that could possibly know that spell.” She looked through the construct at her enemy. “Which one are you?”
“You don’t have time to speculate,” he warned. “Golems are highly resistant to magic, like dragons. I’ll be disappointed if it smashes you.”
The multi-stone ‘creature’ shambled forward, its heaving steps threatening to rattle Twilight to the floor. She glowered and pulled in black streams of magic coalescing them into a large, inky sphere of energy. “Do you think even a golem can stop me? I’ll show you the power I’ll kill Aurelius with!” She threw her head back and cackled. Images of the doppelganger’s grin flickered into her mind as more dark energy was funneled into the sphere. It grew weighted against her control and she strained to keep it contained. The golem neared her and raised a stony fist to the ceiling, and then brought it down. There isn’t enough room in this place! We’re both getting caught in this.
The sphere was unleashed, propelling forward as sickly black trails chased its core. Twilight solidified her shroud into her Black Diamond technique as it crashed into the golem with a deafening explosion. Void seized the room as the blast rippled and reverberated throughout the cathedral. Too powerful, Twilight and Vibe were ripped from the ground and sent careening away from one another despite their barriers. The unicorn hit the doors as the oracle smashed through the podium and hit the wall, dropping onto the sanctuary with a thud. Slowly, Twilight rose back up and dusted herself off, her shroud receding to a lightened tint.
Vibe took longer to recover, and punctuated his movements with a pained cough. He stood up and half-heartedly dusted himself off. For a moment, he lifted his mask and turned his head to spit blood to the side before adjusting it. “Impossible,” he remarked. “You destroyed my golem in a single spell…” He extended a hoof outward and his staff snapped into his grasp. “I’m impressed.”
Twilight glanced at Moonlight and fired a stream of lightning towards the weapon. Vibe conjured another barrier as it jumped from the sword to him, striking against his magic. The barrier melted away after several seconds and burned into his body before throwing him back against the doors once more.
“Just surrender and I’ll break his control. It isn’t absolute. This doesn’t have to end for you here,” said Twilight. “I don’t want to kill you.” She sighed and took on a colder demeanor as she started walking forward. “But I will if I have to. I’ve had to kill a lot to get here. Ponies. Dragons. There might’ve been a gryphon somewhere along the way. I’m not sure. It’s a little hard remembering everyone I’ve had to kill.”
Vibe stood up and tilted his mask to spit again. He replaced it and wobbled before taking a deep breath and straightening himself. “You don’t get it,” he replied, his voice having gained a gruffness to it. “You just don’t understand.”
Halting at Moonlight, Twilight pulled it from the floor. “Don’t understand what?”
Vibe laughed aloud as he stared at her. “I’m not being controlled. I serve King Aurelius willingly. I haven’t been indoctrinated like the others.”
The words processed quickly and Twilight gave him a sidelong look, her eyes wide. “N-no. I refuse to b-believe a unicorn like you… c-could serve someone like… like him!” She trembled at the notion. He’s doing this freely? That can’t be! What unicorn with archmage-class magic would do that? We can fight him… I’ve defeated him before and I’ll do it again. Why… Why would anyone…?
Oh, you know why, her doppelganger responded. They’re a coward. Cowards hide in the shadows of those stronger than them. If he serves willingly in his shadow, then he will die in that shadow. He needs to die and you know it! Now… killhim.
I… I don’t know if I can—
You’re having second thoughts about killing another pony? The doppelganger snickered. That’s unlike you. Doubt will get you killed. The voice faded with another snicker.
“I assure you. I’ve stood by His Majesty for years, and I have done it all of my own free will. That’s my choice. Why don’t you surrender?” Vibe extended a hoof towards her. “I’m sure King Aurelius would love to have a pony like you serving him. You would be great in his empire, and you could have the life you did before. Think about it. Everything would be in its proper place with you as an archmage again.”
Twilight muttered and mumbled to herself for several moments as she mulled it over. “N-No! I… I won’t! You’re being controlled. You have to be! Serving him is insane!” Her eyes held a distance as she gazed at the unicorn. “I would never serve a monster that murders his own sister for more power. I can’t betray the true Equestria. I-I won’t! I’ll put Astra back in power and fix everything. You’ll see.”
“Astra back in power? Just what are you trying to accomplish?” Vibe growled.
Twilight cocked her head to one side. “What do you mean? She’s going to restore order, and even if she doesn’t Aurelius will be dead and the princesses can take control again.”
Vibe balked. “You talk of me being used, yet you’ve deluded yourself into bringing back the dead again.”
“I’ve done it before, but that part doesn’t matter!” She took several quick breaths. “I can fix this. I’ll fix everything.”
“Then how do you plan on that? A lone alicorn fighting against all odds. No friends, no family, no allies.” Telos moved above him and aimed at her. “What makes you think you can kill Aurelius?”
Twilight raised Moonlight and it discarded its darkness again. “I killed him once before, and I’ll kill him again in time. Do I need to show you?”
Vibe grew silent for a moment. “It doesn’t matter. The perfect little alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, thinks she can fight her way to Aurelius and kill him alone. I’ll show you how wrong you are.”
Telos lit up and unleashed a stream of white while Vibe shot a second yellow beam after it. Moonlight was sliced upwards, then diagonally to meet the attack. The energy collided in a flash of white, snuffing out the shadows in the room. The unicorn charged through the lingering plumes of smoke.
“You’re making a mistake!” replied Twilight.
Telos darted to her and she blocked its attack with Moonlight. A wave of energy slipped from the blade and detonated before her, obscuring her vision in a vibrant green haze. She failed to notice Vibe move past her, and she felt two hooves press against her side. Ice sprayed over her form while cold tore through her nerves and muscles. With her body shivering, the oracle turned to see herself quickly encasing ice. She tried to swing the sword at him, but her mobility was too restricted.
“D-Damn y-you,” she said through chattering teeth.
Her foreleg froze with Moonlight aloft, but the blade didn’t freeze. Ice continued to pop as it ran up to her neck, and then finally entombing her whole.
Vibe shook his head as he paced around her. “With all of your boasting I’m disappointed that this is all you had to offer.” He stopped and gathered energy in a hoof. With a roar, he lunged and drove it into the block of ice. There was a boom and a resounding crack, but the ice remained steadfast. Vibe lurched backwards with a screech, cradling his striking foreleg. After a few seconds he whimpered. “What… How!?”
The ice honeycombed with cracks before crumbling into small shards around Twilight and melting. Her teeth chattered for a moment longer before she thawed completely. “I guess you can’t punch through diamond, huh?” She shook her body to remove the last pieces from her mane and cloak.
“Alchemy,” the unicorn growled. “That should have been impossible while you were being frozen. How did you manage that?”
Twilight adjusted the collar of her cloak and took a deep breath. “An archmage isn’t worth their salt if they can’t prepare spells quickly, even in dire situations. Performing a little external alchemy while being frozen is foal’s play. After all,”—she grinned—“I’ve casted spells with a magic-sealing lance lodged between my lungs as I bled to death.”
“How could anyone forget…” muttered the unicorn.
W-What did he say? Twilight’s throat clenched and she tightened her grip on the sword. “You… know about Draconis?” Vibe remained silent as Telos bolted towards her. She lashed out with her blade and parried its attacks, while the unicorn stood behind and directed it. Knocking it away she rushed to him and swung down. He evaded and Telos struck her in the shoulder, but she whirled around, dragging the edge of her sword along the ground before completing her turn and slashing upwards.
Vibe created a shield as a storm of energy waves came his way, battering against it. His shield held, and he dispelled it and unleashed a wall of flames her way. The oracle drove Moonlight into the floor and held her forelegs into the air as the flames drew closer. Red and orange consumed everything in her vision, but she seized the flames and raised them around her; they turned black and flowed into the floor, vanishing.
The unicorn immediately conjured a barrier, his head darting all around the cathedral. He focused back on Twilight, but she continued to guide her hooves in an unknown pattern. Suddenly, the black flames erupted from beneath him, shooting into the ceiling and running along the walls. His barrier melted away with metal quickly following suit. Howls of agony ripped from his throat even after the flames faded away, and the sickening odor of his burnt flesh found its way into the air.
Twilight squinted at his wounds hoping to glean the color of his fur, but only bloody and seared flesh was exposed. The repulsive smell hung in the air, and she took sharp breaths to avoid feeling queasy. Vibe shivered and raised a hoof, beckoning Telos to him with stiff, reluctant movements. Twilight took up Moonlight and glanced away.
Kill him. The doppelganger’s thought slinked its way back into her mind. Doubt will get you killed.
Twilight chewed her lip and shook her head, stopping back on the unicorn. “Just surrender to me. You don’t need to die here. Please, we can work together.” Her eyes darted to the walls as she noticed the blue and yellow hues appearing again. I thought I broke that spell.
The unicorn offered a pained snicker. “You still don’t get it. What makes you think I would bow before your princesses? Aurelius already defeated Princess Celestia to take control of Equestria. Ask yourself, where are your princesses now?” He quivered again, but straightened up.
“I killed Aurelius once before,” Twilight retorted. “I’ll kill him again, and this time I’ll make sure he stays dead. If you think he’ll kill me, then stand aside and watch me. What’ve you got to lose?”
Vibe laughed. “It’ll take more than a single alicorn to stop him. You weren’t fighting alone the first time, and he has all of his magic back. He’s not the same undead shell you remember.”
Twilight snorted. “You’re right. I wasn’t alone that day. And I won’t be alone when Aurelius is brought down. The resistance will be fighting him, too.”
Vibe gazed at her for a long while, his silence giving hope that he would change his mind. “You’re the one that should give up. You’ll only get yourself killed.”
The oracle grit her teeth. “You have to be under Aurelius’s control. I just… can’t believe someone like you would serve him.”
“Someone likeme, huh? I’ll show you why I serve the king!” Telos’s spire burned with a furious red.
Twilight leaped backwards and flapped her wings to return to the sanctuary as the entire cathedral rocked to the unicorn’s call. A stream of black fire snaked out of Telos and hit the floor, swirling around him and swelling in size. The walls darkened as the temperature rose, and she started to sweat in the heat. The flames continued to grow, filling upwards to the ceiling and consuming more room in the dark blaze. She knew this spell. This was Aurelius’s spell. She filled with dread as her eyes took in the scope of the flames.
This is going to cost me a lot of magic if I counter it with just my own spell. I have to… She glanced at Moonlight. I wish I had Telos, my Telos, but this will have to do.
Vibe weaved the spell with both of his hooves as he held the flames at bay. “Surrender, Twilight Sparkle. You were never meant to win this fight.” He extended a hoof outward, as if inviting her into the jowls of the dark blaze. “Join Aurelius, and you’ll get your old life back. I promise you that.”
Twilight’s magic started to flow out and her shroud shifted green as she retuned her magic. A grin stretched her mouth corner to corner. “The only one I serve… is myself!” Energy coursed throughout her body, but her shroud stabilized into an aura. Twilight’s violet irises shone through the green as her grin remained. “I’ve died twice already. Go ahead and just try to kill me again!”
Vibe sent the flames after the oracle in a series of movements from his hooves. Despite the cathedral’s enchantment, the walls scorched and blackened where the flames licked at them, and he disappeared behind the wall of fire.
Twilight gathered energy into Moonlight and pulled the sword back overhead as magic exuded from it and distorted its form. With a cry, she swung down, a massive wave of energy ripping from the blade and charged forward into the maw. The light surged for the unicorn, splitting the flames and splashing them against the walls. She shielded her eyes as it connected in a brilliant flash. As the flames dispersed and fade, Twilight walked to her foe, stopping as she reached the center of the cathedral and dispelling her shroud. Did I overdo it? She glimpsed the unicorn attempting to stand, only to slump against the cathedral doors and slide to the floor, a smear of blood on the wood behind him.
“I… have to know… I-I just have to know if… if you’re r-really doing this with your own will.” She reached a hoof out and attempted to grab his mask with her magic, but his own rejected it. “So, you still have some fight in you. I’m surprised. I don’t like relying on anything but my own raw magic, but you’ve forced me to improvise.”
Vibe managed to stand up again, but there was a smear of blood on the floor beneath him, with his cloth garments absorbing most of the drip from his wounds. Only the cloth of his outer armor remained, and his mask had a large crack running between the eyes with burns on both sides. Despite this, none of his appearance could be seen aside from the bloody and charred flesh of his wounds.
“I… am,” the unicorn panted. “I never liked the title, but I’m Dragon Lord Vibe, King Aurelius’s strongest…” He coughed several times into his mask, failing to lift it, and it slowly dripped from the bottom as he spoke. “I’ll show you how strong I’ve become. I surpassed Telos, and now… I’ll surpass you!” He took the staff into his hooves and the cathedral rumbled once more as the spire shined blue.
Twilight’s eyes snapped to the blue and yellow hues on the wall. That spell is still active!? She watched as it pulled away into a sphere that began to recede. She slashed several waves at it as she stepped backwards away from Vibe, but they were consumed on contact. She looked back to the unicorn as he coated himself in a blue aura.
“I perfected the late Telos’s signature spell, Tomb of the Divine. He used this to corner Aurelius and weaken him, but he couldn’t escape his own creation. Instead of dying, he sealed himself within his staff. Aurelius escaped with his consciousness, but most of his power had been sealed away.” The sphere receded through him with no effects. “As you can see, it doesn’t harm me.” He turned as a blue aura enveloped one of the cathedral doors and pulled it back. The winds had died down, but the rain had only grown heavier. “This is goodbye, Twilight Sparkle. I’m sorry that I couldn’t… convince you.” With that, he stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
“W-Wait,” cried Twilight. She attempted to move closer, but the chaotic energies within the sphere appeared and drove her away from the edge.
Walking away… The doppelganger scoffed. He thinks you’re weak, that you’re insignificant. What will you do?
Twilight hung her head as the sphere slowly shrank, the crackling growing louder as her impending doom drew nearer. She gnashed her teeth and she snapped her head up. “H-How dare he! How dare he ignore me! Trapping me like an animal instead of finishing our duel like a true mage.”
Her eyes shot around hoping to glimpse salvation from the spell. Reaching out a hoof, she allowed the barrier to recede around it. Immediately, she yelped and pulled it back. She inspected the damage; her fur had been burned away and her flesh seared. Worst of all, she could not feel her magic through that part of her body. Endorphins flooded her head and the pain dulled enough that she could ignore it. Looking up, the sphere had receded to the size of a small room.
“Damn you, Vibe. I’ll show you… I swear I’ll kill you for this!” The sphere was nearly upon her, and her cloak billowed into it and burned away. As the ashes sprinkled into the remaining space she closed her eyes and her dark shroud formed. She set down Moonlight and bowed her wings in front of her as energy gathered in her horn and aimed for the doors. “I’ll teach you to walk away from me! Ether Laser!”
A black and purple beam exploded from her horn and crashed into the sphere, emitting a hum that soon turned into a grinding screech. The sphere was pushed back, its yellow and blue hues darkening and twisting into a sickly violet. Sweat beaded and ran down Twilight’s face as she exerted her magic, baring her teeth as more energy was used to drive her spell. This is one of my strongest spells and it’s struggling to break it? With a roar, the beam pierced the sphere with it rippling back as it started to wobble and dispel. The energy continued to lance forward, erasing the doors of the enchanted cathedral in its path. Vibe was partway down the road outside as he turned in time to glimpse it strike him. A massive explosion obscured Twilight’s view of him and she ended the spell.
She heaved as the tremendous drain hit her, her shroud fading away. Grabbing Moonlight, she stumbled forward and held herself up against the large hole in the doors for a moment to catch her breath with rapid pants, wiping away sweat from her brow. Stumbling on, she found the unicorn crawling out of a crater. Approaching, she snickered as she mustered a partial grin. “Well, well… well. It looks like the big bad Dragon Lord wasn’t strong enough to stop the evil alicorn. What now, Vibe? Huh? Will you surrender, or will I kill you right here and now and leave your body to rot in the middle of nowhere?” The unicorn stood up and faced him, his cracked mask still intact. She glowered and shook her head. “I’m sick of that damn mask. It’s time I find out who you really are.”
“S-Stay back,” Vibe said weakly. He held a hoof up and a damaged Telos appeared in front of him and emitted force against her.
Twilight was stalled, but she whirled around and threw Moonlight at him. The sword moved through the magic without hindrance and impaled the unicorn. He cried out in pain and froze. Telos fell lifelessly to his side as the spell ended, and he slowly pulled the blade out of his body, blood oozing from the new wound.
Charging forward, Twilight gathered energy into a hoof. With a shrill cry, she punched the unicorn in the mask and, using telekinsesis, lifted him off his hooves and slammed him onto his back. She stumbled and collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The unicorn coughed several times before rising again, and she stood up and turned to face him.
The oracle watched with bated interest as the mask on the unicorn’s face cracked and shattered, piece by piece falling away to the muddy ground. A tired, pained face was revealed with blood leaking from the mouth, their eyes half-lidded.
“N-No…” Twilight muttered as her eyes grew wide. Her world stopped as the last of the mask fell away and no doubt of Vibe’s true identity was left. “It… It can’t be…”
The unicorn brought a hoof up to a waiting mouth, coughing blood into it as the other hoof clutched where Moonlight pierced. “I’m… sorry. This… isn’t how you… were supposed to find out.”
Twilight stared, wide-eyed, her lips twitching and trembling, but she could not find any words. Emotions and questions stormed within her mind and she began to feel sick, falling to her haunches as her eyes dropped to the ground. N-No. Wh-why? After all this time? After all this time of hoping… H-How… Why is everything going so wrong? This is wrong… This is all wrong! Her mind reeled from the revelation and her entire body shuddered. After several minutes of silence, unable to ask a question, she snorted and broke into a fit of chuckles.
“Heh. An enchanted mask. That’s pretty clever,” was all she could say without falling apart, unable to bring herself to look up. “I shouldn’t be surprised… Trixie.”
The magician winced at her name, and she could be heard sniffling. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m so… sorry.” Twilight gazed at the ground while Trixie stared at her, silence hanging again. It was only broken when the magician fell to the ground and coughed again. “Please… let me explain!” she said in a raspy voice.
“Explain what?” Twilight’s voice boomed off of the buildings around. Her face contorted as she bared her teeth to the muddy ground.
Betrayal! She is a traitor! She is a liar! A lying traitor! the doppelganger howled into her mind.
“Please, Twilight. If you’ll just let me—“
“How could you betray Equestria, Trixie!? You’re an archmage! You were my apprentice!” She trembled as she shouted and shook her head. She finally raised her head and looked the magician up and down as she began to cry. “Were my apprentice.”
Tears flowed freely down Trixie’s face and she struggled to stand up. “Y-You don’t understand, Twilight! How could you!? You were gone for four years. Four. Years! You just… vanished! When Aurelius came back, I was there fighting to stop him. W-Where were you!?”
Only the sounds of the rain drops hitting the earth could be heard for a moment as Twilight stared at her, shaking her head. “Don’t you dare try to blame me for anything! Do you think I asked to be torn away from the world? It wasn’t my choice to disappear! Nightmare and I cornered Aurelius. We were about to kill him and end this, all of this, but then Astra stopped me! She saved him and pulled me from Nightmare Moon. I didn’t think I was ever coming back!”
Trixie gasped. “Then… she wasn’t lying about that.”
“Why would she? She’s the only one that was there! Astra didn’t take her, too. She split us apart somehow. I-I don’t know how.” Twilight stopped and took several deep breaths. “None of that matters now! Here you are. Aurelius’s best servant. How could you ever justify this to me? He killed you.” She threw a foreleg out. “You died right in front of me because of him! H-How…. H-How could y-you of all ponies… d-do this… to m-m-me, Trixie? I love you. I wa-wa…” Twilight crumbled to the ground sobbing as she held her forelegs out, imagining the magician’s lifeless body in her embrace as the memories flooded her vision. “Why…? I… survived Draconis. Dying… That wasn’t even the worst thing… Seeing you dead, knowing that Ifailed to save you…”
Trixie sniffled and looked away, chewing on her lip. “It was either serve him willingly, or he would take away my free will and force me as some kind of mind slave. We lost the fight when Aurelius came back. Princess Luna and Derpy escaped, but Princess Celestia and the other celestial knights stayed to fight. We weren’t prepared and he took control of the knights. Afterwards, there wasn’t much I could do. Serve him and keep my will, or he would just take control of me like the others. What choice did I have? At least this way I had an opportunity.”
Twilight put a hoof to her head, tilting it back and laughing while tears continued to stream down her face. “This is just… too perfect. Why didn’t you flee like the others? Luna and Derpy are still out there fighting to take back Equestria.”
The magician wiped her eyes. “You don’t get it! I’ve been keeping Berry and Colgate from capturing them! Most of the time we search for them at night because they can’t be tracked at night. They aren’t being caught because I’ve been able to sabotage our efforts from the inside.”
The oracle’s laugh died down to giggling. “Did you know I was back? I saw you on my first day, you know. I could sense your magic, but I didn’t recognize it. I never could have seen this.” She motioned a hoof to her. “My marefriend serving the enemy. Everything is insane, hah!”
“No, I didn’t. Not even Aurelius knows you’re alive, yet.” She wiped her eyes of more tears. “I’d heard you fought Berry Punch. I visited her after she won the first time, but I lied when I told her I reported your return to Aurelius. When you defeated her,” she threw up a sad smile, “I knew I had to beat you to Canterlot.”
Twilight blinked away her tears and cocked her head. “Why? Why would you go through the trouble of this”—she threw a foreleg out again—“and challenge me?”
“I had to know how strong you were. I… had to know if we could take down Aurelius together when the time came.” She looked past Twilight to the hole in the cathedral doors. “I was hoping that, for once, even if for a little while… that I might be stronger.”
The oracle shook her head. “You’re powerful, Trixie, but I haven’t had to… use everything, yet. Berry almost pushed me to the brink, though.”
“Everything?” Trixie echoed.
When Twilight opened her mouth, there was a red flicker in the magician’s eyes. “What was that?” she asked quickly.
“N-Nothing,” replied Trixie.
Stepping closer, Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You lied to me, Trixie. You are being controlled!”
“N-No, I’m not! I know what it looks like, but I swear I’m not under his control!” The magician backed away as Twilight took several more steps, a deadly calm taking hold of her.
The oracle’s voice became gentle and quiet. “I…” She hung her head as memories of Trixie flooded into her mind. The day she met her. The first night she kissed her. The first lesson she gave her. The day she was inaugurated into the archmagi. The moment she said she would always be by her side. And the moment she had to watch her die. “…Don’t believe you.” Tears ran down her face again while her body became black, her shadow expanding beneath her like an inky void. You were right.
Snickering filled her mind. I told you so.
“P-Please, Twilight! You have to b-believe me!” Trixie pleaded. “W-What do I have to do to p-prove it to you? Please, a-anything!”
The black alicorn stepped closer as her shroud returned. The inky shadows followed and stretched out around her, swallowing the rest of the world. “Die,” she replied simply with a smile.
The magician gasped as her eyes widened and she fell backwards, shrinking into herself. “P-Please, Twilight. I l-love you. I would n-never betray you! I swear!”
Twilight hesitated briefly, and then her smile reached her eyes. “I can’t trust you anymore. Does it make any difference now?” The shadows moved around Trixie and pulled up from the ground, looming over her as she shielded her eyes and screamed.
A blast of magic exploded on the ground between them, and it pulled them together briefly. Twilight’s shroud and shadows vanished as they were suddenly hurled apart. Trixie hit the ground and rolled, but the magic surged through Twilight’s own. A counterspell…? she wondered as pain gripped her. She tried to shield herself and fight it off, but it caught her off guard. She hit the mud with a splat, and her body became unresponsive as darkness took over her vision. A crack of lightning resounded nearby and left a ringing in her ears as consciousness faded. Damn, if only I was…
Steps could be heard as something walked through the area. It moved to the magician and she could hear a spell in several stages. Afterwards, they moved to Twilight. She couldn’t move, but she could feel their presence. “Don’t give up, yet. Hold on a little longer.” Twilight strained her ears to recognize the voice, but the ringing in her ears muddled it too much to discern. Her body and mind relented to the disrupting spell and she managed to open her eyes one last time to glimpse the presence.
She was greeted by the doppelganger with a stoic gaze, two eyes of blue meeting her own as it spoke without moving its lips. Now do you see? I’m the only one you can trust.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 45: Under the Rose
Derpy grit her teeth as she pushed her wings to keep going, clenching her eyes and mentally reminding her she was almost there. With a few final beats through a breeze and heavy pants she managed to crest the last hill to Ponyville, but her body gave out. An exhausted breath escaped her lips before she hit grass and rolled, spinning faster and faster as she barreled down the side. The clattering of her armor rang with her as she hit the bottom with a painful thud and slowed to a halt on flatter grass. Her chest heaved up and down as she placed herself upon her back and stared up to an overcast sky, the sun setting in the horizon and casting a shade over the land.
It was a few more minutes before Luna appeared, panting much like the grey paladin, and she fell to the ground and lay with her wings draped out beside her. She cast a weary, sweaty face to Derpy before allowing her head to rest on the grass. Even down below the paladin could faintly hear her labored gasps.
Minutes passed in silence while Derpy rested, and she stated to doze off in relaxation. She could hear hollering from the top of the hill as her sister breached her vision. Leo fell from her grasp and she missed the top of the hill, crashing into the opposing side and grinding to the bottom. Groans and curses were muttered before she rolled over, her chest rising and falling. Derpy sat up to see grass and dirt in her sister’s fur, and her dirty, sweaty face meeting her gaze with half-lidded eyes.
“We… made… it,” she announced before closing her eyes. “Never… a-gain…”
“You’re the one that wanted to try as fast as possible,” replied Derpy. She stood up, wobbling terribly, and brushed herself off. The tumble to the bottom of the hill still spun her world, but she managed to straighten herself. “I can’t believe you carried Leo all the way here by yourself.”
“I can’t… be…lieve… you wore… armor… the entire… way.”
Derpy prepared to speak, but she could hear Luna and Leo descending the hill, albeit mostly by sliding down the grass. The princess had pulled down her cowl, using the edges of her cloak to wipe the copious amounts of perspiration from her face. Leo, however, merely stretched and yawned.
“You’re a tad out of shape for the long flights, aren’t you, Paladin Do?” he said as he inspected the sandy pegasus.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a couple hundred hay burgers too fat, aren’t you, Leo?”
The chancellor chuckled before helping her to her hooves. “We’re just on the outskirts to Ponyville, but perhaps we should rest up before we go into town.”
“Luna and I can get in at night undetected, but I don’t know about you two,” said Derpy. She exchanged tired looks with the princess. I don’t know if I can go on right now, she thought. Her wings could barely furl up, let alone push herself if she needed to escape the town. “Maybe we should rest tonight.”
Daring panned her head all around. “I don’t know. We could stay in Ponyville. Our contact could put us up at their place.”
“Who is your contact?” Derpy asked.
“In due time, Paladin Hooves,” replied Leo.
Luna coughed to clear her throat and sat down once more. “While a bed is preferable to the earth, we may not have a choice but to risk entering town and seeking out shelter.” She pointed to a cluster of dark clouds reaching the town. “I can feel the moisture in the breeze. This will be far more than a drizzle.”
Derpy flinched as a water droplet hit her snout, more quickly following. “Let’s go. Save your strength in case we have to fight.”
Daring groaned. “I’m so tired.”
“We could have split the trip into two days, but you insisted,” Derpy reminded.
“Hey!” Daring made an exaggerated frown. “This is for your sword. Not mine. I treat my sword with the love and respect it deserves.” Derpy gave a quick smack to the side of her head. “What was that for!?”
The grey paladin smiled. “I save the love and respect for my sister.”
Daring’s frown became genuine, but it quickly shifted into a grin. “Aww, you called me your sister.”
Derpy rolled her eyes. “Let’s go. Hopefully whatever dragons are assigned here are asleep.” She glanced over her shoulder as her companions lowered their cowls, and Daring adjusted her saddlebags. Pulling her own down, she led the way towards Ponyville in the waning light.
Nightfall came as they marched to town, and the hike in the darkness was hampered by a heavy downpour. Thunder boomed overhead, sometimes cracking several times as lightning struck something close by. When they reached the road light came from the edge of town with a large gathering.
“What’s going on?” asked Luna as she stepped up beside the grey paladin. She tugged back her sopping cowl. “This is unusual for Ponyville during this time, and especially this weather.”
Derpy eyed the gathering suspiciously, gleaning it to have unicorn light and a few torches. “Hold on. I’m going to scout ahead. You three wait here.” Before she could move her sister dashed to her side.
“Whoa, you look way too strange with the cloak and dagger look. Let me go with you.” She passed her saddlebags to Leo. “Hang back and I’ll ask questions. I look innocent enough.”
Derpy gave her a sharp look, and studied her. After she noticed that the sandy pegasus had cleaned herself up she nodded. “Alright, but be careful. We’re trying to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”
Daring led the way forward with a casual gait, but she occasionally wobbled seamlessly from hoof to hoof, murmuring to herself. As they reached the gathering, she stiffened and stopped. The earth rumbled gently as the steps of a dragon could be heard ahead, a slosh of his steps impacting saturated grass.
“Who…” the dragon uttered, his head sweeping overhead of the crowd and examining something. “Who dares to usurp King Aurelius?”
Daring shuffled into the edge of the crowd quickly, and Derpy slinked around at the edge of the light. When she could finally glimpse what the dragon was talking about, she gasped. This… isn’t good. The light reflected off of a pool of blood as it illuminated the corpse of another dragon. Its head lay atop bloodied grass several meters away, and pieces of flesh sliced to ribbons were scattered by the main body. All of the severed flesh boasted clean cuts, but a large gash across the dragon’s chest was torn, with a snapped rib protruding gruesomely through, and another pried outward just below it. Did Twilight do this? she wondered.
“There will be an investigation into this death and the disappearance of the other, and there will be justice for this,” the dragon growled as his head snaked lower to the ground. The crowd of ponies whispered among themselves before moving back. “Mark my words. Any found guilty of this crime will die.” As he watched the fear grow within them he stood tall. “Run home, little ponies. The curfew will be violently enforced tonight.” With that, the crowd dispersed, with some ponies galloping as fast as they could to get home.
“What about me?” Daring asked as she peered up to him with innocent eyes, the light from the crowd quickly leaving her in shadows. “I’m just a weary traveler looking for a place to rest.” The townsponies paid her no heed and continued their rush.
Damn it, Daring! What are you doing!? Derpy slid a hoof under her cloak and firmly grasped her sister’s sword. Her heartbeat picked up as the dragon lowered itself to inspect her.
“Ponyville is closed to outsiders. Sleep in the woods. Sleep in the road. You will not stay here tonight. Turn back and leave now, or I will kill you.”
“Oh, golly, Mr. Dragon. That would be an awful thing. I’d hate to see another dragon get killed tonight.” A grin spread wider the more she spoke.
Daring, for the love of Celestia, STOP! Derpy’s mind reeled. She pulled the sword halfway from its sheath, and coiled her achy limbs down.
The light from the crowd was gone and Daring walked backwards, disappearing into the darkness around. There was no hesitation as the dragon unleashed a large flame right where she was, engulfing and lighting up the ground.
“Daring!” the grey paladin screeched as she bolted forward with the sword drawn, but it was too late. She stood at the edge of the flames with her mouth agape. She fell to the muddy ground and clutched her breastplate as her heart thundered within. Why did you have to be such an idiot! Tears welled within her eyes as she hung her head.
“That’s a pretty toasty breath you’ve got there,” Daring said as the flames dispersed. She appeared unscathed, but strands of her mane were glowing. “But I’ve eaten peppers hotter than you.” She ruffled her mane to loosen embers ending the glow. Her eyes swayed around before falling back on the dragon, sullen. “It looks like there’s no one around to hear you die now.” Thunder bellowed over and over as lightning struck multiple times in the distance.
Derpy took an extra second to collect herself before surging at the dragon. He never glanced her way as she plunged the sword into his throat, driving it deep and gyrating herself to wrap the deathblow around his neck. Blood spilled free as he made a choking gurgle, but it was lost to the thunder. The grey paladin flapped her wings hard to set his body down gently. She pulled the sword free and stepped closer to her sister. Her fur was drenched in the spill of blood, and she panted as she tried to remain still, the booms of thunder ceasing. She trembled, the last of her strength expended to silence the dragon.
“What the heck were you thinking?” she loosed in a hushed shout. “What did I say about drawing attention to ourselves?”
Daring didn’t even look her way as she fished the last ember out of her mane. “Look, Ditz. You and I both know the only way to be safe is to kill the dragons parked here. Besides, Ol’ Flamey here gave us the perfect opportunity to eliminate him by scaring all of the ponies away.”
Derpy wiped blood and rain from her eyes. “And what now? There’s more than one dragon in Ponyville!”
Daring stepped over to her and placed a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. She made a disgusted face at the blood on her hoof and quickly wiped it on the ground. “Relax. I overheard that guy was the last one. There were three here. One went missing, the other one fell into a giant paper shredder, and…” She glanced at the third dragon’s gushing throat. “Well, I’m sure you don’t need an instant replay.”
Derpy prepared to scold her once more, but she could see Luna and Leo emerging from the shadows down the road. The princess was shocked, but Leo seemed unfazed by the scene.
“Now look at the mess you’ve made,” he said softly.
Luna’s expression was torn between anger and worry. “H-Have you gone mad? Why did you go and kill a dragon here of all places?”
Daring sighed and straightened herself as she spoke, but her eyes continued to survey the town. “He was the last of the dragons staying here. It sounded like he was going to alert Canterlot about the other two dragons’ fates. One went missing and the other was already dead. That would have put a shorter time limit on our being safe here. I don’t know how often they reported to their master, but we may have bought ourselves more time before they investigate the deaths.” Luna and Derpy blinked while Leo nodded. Daring turned and faced them beaming. “Besides. I wanted to see how strong these dragons are.”
Leo cocked his head to one side and raised a brow. “And?”
Daring began to slink to the shadows as she replied. “They’re nothing to write home about. Now, come on.”
Sneaking through Ponyville was uncomfortable, but not difficult. Derpy hanged back to watch the rear while Daring led the way. The grey paladin cast uneasy glances to the other shadows in the vicinity despite knowing that all the ponies were indoors and not paying attention to the storm outside. Her sister was right that the dragon had to die, but it seemed far too coincidental to put her at ease. Nonetheless, her eyes tossed to windows and fixated on any that spilled light out. Shadows frightened her, with the flashes of lightning illuminating them briefly. For a moment, it reminded her of trying to kill Rainbow while having her will overridden by Aurelius. She shuddered at the memories. Seeing Ponyville as a ghost town, even at night, already put her on edge. The party rounded a corner as Daring froze and they crashed into one another. Before anyone could speak Luna stepped ahead of them.
“What is it?” Derpy asked as she tried to move closer.
The princess turned her head enough to reply, but not take her eyes away from what she was looking at. “A pony is still out at night, but I can’t see them very well.”
Derpy peered around them. “Can we go around?”
“No,” chimed in Daring. “Our contact’s house is just ahead. Let’s just wait until they leave.”
The party lined up and went prone in the shadows as they watched the lone pony. They appeared to be staring at a streetlamp, babbling to themselves. As Derpy watched, she began to move closer, breaking away from the party and moving through the night. There was no sound as she maneuvered, and her grey fur and blonde mane seemed to sink into the night. She could hear the whispers for her to return to safety, but she had to be sure it wasn’t a threat. She stopped once she reached earshot of the pony. The unknown pony chuckled as she fully stepped into the light, and Derpy’s heart skipped a beat.
“Archmage Twilight Sparkle has a nice ring to it,” they said, their violet fur sliding into the light.
Derpy’s eyes did not have time to fully process the sight before Luna burst from the shadows.
“T-Twilight!” she called, unable to fully suppress her joy and relief. “I’m so glad you’re here, that you’re alright!” Twilight reeled back as her eyes widened and her lips fluttered. She was unable to move as Luna pulled her into an embrace and nuzzled. “I had been fearing the worst for you, ever since we parted ways in the outer lands. I wish… I wish that I had fought more for you to stay, but here you are! I am so glad that you are well.” Twilight blushed as Luna released her, and she continued to struggle to articulate anything more.
“Please, come with us, out of the light. There is much we need to talk—“
Luna cut herself off as her eyes took in the violet mare’s form. She slowly stepped back as her horn lit up and a barrier constructed around her. Her gaze darkened and her voice grew low and heavy. “Who are you?”
“Wh-what do you mean, Princess Luna?” she replied. “It’s me, Twilight.”
Luna bared her teeth. “Twilight has wings, dark fur, and does not refer to me as princess. I’ll ask you one more time, imposter. Who are you?” Twilight gulped as Daring and Derpy stepped out of the shadows beside her.
Twilight took a shaky step backwards as her eyes danced between them. “A-Alright! Please, don’t hurt me!” she blurted quickly. “I didn’t m-mean to…” Luna quickly moved forward and aimed a hoof at the mare’s neck, a ring forming and beginning to constrict. A green flame rippled across Twilight’s body and she was released, dropping to the ground in a coughing heap.
Luna staggered backwards. Her lips flapped several times before she uttered a name. “Chrysalis… I don’t believe it.” She took a moment to collect herself. “Why are you here?” she ground out.
The changeling queen’s ragged form could be seen in the light. What remained of a tattered cloak draped over her body, but as she sat up her tall, lanky form partially came into view. The holes of starvation and damage in her legs and horn were visible, and though she was skinny before, her emaciated body seemed as if it would collapse under its own weight at any moment. The small crown she had always donned was strangely absent.
“Where else is the Queen of the Damned supposed to go?” she muttered softly. She did not look up, casting her gaze aside as her scraggly hair covered her face. “There’s nowhere left in the world for me. If you’re going to kill me,” she sighed and faced Luna with dejection, “just get it over with.”
Luna petrified, her magic fading instantly. Her resolve against the foe faltered as she took in the miserable sight of a once formidable enemy, now reduced to a shell. “What… has become of the Swarm?”
Chrysalis blinked. “You… don’t know?”
Luna shook her head. “I have been on the run from Aurelius for years. Safely acquiring information has been difficult, let alone learning of other races. What of the fate of your kind, Chrysalis? It is not like you to be alone.”
The changeling opened her mouth and paused, but ultimately hung her head again as she spoke. “I… failed them. We had begun to reintegrate into your society, to survive once more. However, King Aurelius stopped that. His magic is unbelievable, and he was able to find some of us. Most were cast out, some were killed. I…” she glanced over to the lamp post. “Well, I was exiled.” She slowly brought her eyes back to the princess’s. “From the Swarm.”
Luna balked. “How could the swarm oust its own queen? You are the sole leader presiding over your drones.”
Chrysalis offered her a grim smile. “When you fail to feed your people they don’t want you to lead them anymore.” Silence fell between them for a while, but she spoke again. “My last hope was to find Twilight Sparkle, and offer her in exchange for salvation for the changelings.” She motioned to the lamp post.
Derpy moved to it and snatched a piece of paper attached to it. “It’s a Wanted poster for Twilight.” She squinted at it. “She doesn’t look like this anymore, though.” She flipped it around and it showed her as an Archmage, complete with attire. Her cloak was shuffled back to show her side and cutie mark. It was one of her lesser used official portraits.
Chrysalis snorted and laughed. “I guess turning into her and letting some drones turn me in wouldn’t have worked, either.”
“What should we do, Princess?” Derpy asked, unsure of herself. “We can’t stay out here like this.”
Leo stepped out from the shadows. “We can’t leave her here like this, either.”
“We can’t keep her around,” added Daring, earning looks from everyone. “She’s the queen of the changelings. Disgraced and exiled or not, she is still a dangerous enemy.”
“You should listen to that one,” said Chrysalis as she pointed at Daring. “She knows pity is wasted on me.”
Luna closed her eyes as the others discussed among themselves ideas, with the sandy paladin remaining adamant that the changeling queen was still a threat. They all fell silent as the princess opened her eyes and stepped forward, crouching down before Chrysalis.
“Be at ease, Queen Chrysalis. You will not be harmed. I do not wish to see you perish here, like this, with so much more that can be done. True, we may have been enemies in the past, and perhaps we shall be enemies once more in the future, but for now I see a potential ally against a common foe.” She extended a hoof. “Help us. If you aid us in retaking Equestria I will do whatever I can to find salvation for your people. Fight for me, and I shall fight for you. But I will not kill you here so long as hope remains. Can I trust you?”
“Why would you trust me? Why would you waste your time on me? Don’t you get it!?” The changeling had tears in her eyes. “My own people have forsaken me. I’m worthless to them, and what makes you think I wouldn’t sell you out for them the first chance I got, huh?”
Luna gazed at her while the rain continued to patter down all around. She smiled softly and extended a hoof. “Someone once showed me mercy and kindness when I deserved nothing less than their hatred and wrath. Nearly all others had forsaken me in much the same way. That someone went on to offer those gifts again… for someone that deserved it even less than I. Now, I offer you a second chance, as they had done for me. I will not force you to come with me, but I will not leave without giving you that chance. Show me, Chrysalis. Show me that you are worth that chance.”
Chrysalis stared into her eyes, stunned. Her mouth twitched, but no words came out. Tears came again and poured down her cheeks as she stood up and wrapped both forelegs around the princess’s. She nodded profusely as she squeaked and sobbed, and Luna pulled her into an embrace, bringing her mouth to her ear. “Do not make me replace my mercy with wrath, queen of the Changelings,” she whispered. “I have not forgotten what you had done to Equestria, Canterlot, or my family.”
“I-I’ll do anything to save the Swarm,” blubbered the changeling. “Even if I have to sacrifice my own life. W-Whatever it takes!”
Luna released her and smiled. “I pray it does not come to that. Come with me, Chrysalis. We have been out of the shadows for too long.” The changeling nodded and followed closely behind the princess. Daring took the lead while Derpy took the rear, her eyes glued to the changeling queen.
I don’t know about this, but I trust Princess Luna. Her eyes drifted to her sister ahead. You’d better not try anything.
The party arrived at a dark and gloomy building, its circular design and faded white paint casting an eerie tint around itself. No lights shone nearby, and nothing could be seen inside the dirty windows in the night.
“Isn’t this—” Derpy started, but Luna interrupted.
“Your spellsmith is… Rarity?” Luna turned to Leo and Daring with as much incredulity in her eyes as she could muster. “A low-level unicorn with a penchant for designing dresses is supposed to be the one to manipulate and forge orcichalcum into a magical weapon capable of holding great and varying power.” The princess’s sarcasm rolled off her tongue with displeasure and she narrowed her eyes on Leo.
“She is reliable and trustworthy, Your Majesty. The Element of Generosity is far more trustworthy than a stranger with no history, regardless of their magical talent. She can learn, and I would rather have taken the safe route than risk inviting an enemy into our fold.” Leo crinkled his nose as his eyes rolled over to the changeling. “Do you have a better candidate?”
Luna frowned and shook her head slowly. “Have you met face to face?”
“No,” Daring replied, “but she should know us.”
“I, uh, don’t think it’s a good idea if you go first,” chimed in Derpy. “Luna and I can sneak in without startling her, and we’ll let you in afterwards.”
“Alright, fine,” muttered the sandy pegasus. She eyed Chrysalis before slinking into the shadows beside the boutique, the others following suit.
“I’ll unlock the door,” whispered Luna.
Derpy watched as she nearly vanished into the darkness only a few meters before her. As she reached the door, she dispersed into a deep blue mist that flowed beneath the door. The grey paladin’s eyes quickly jumped around the vicinity. Good. There’s no one out here. She could hear a click and a muffled creak as Luna opened the door manually, a hoof beckoning her in.
Moving quickly, Derpy entered with a silent dash, stopping inside and peering around. Her eyes adjusted to the lower level of light and she could make out the shapes of mannequins inside, but they still made her skin crawl. She tried not to stare at any of them for too long. The others quickly filed in, careful not to make too much noise. Leo and Daring sat at the doorway, but Chrysalis meandered around the room inspecting everything.
“Wait here,” whispered Luna.
Derpy followed on her heels as they moved into a back room and found a set of stairs. Nodding, Luna ascended the steps, her legs seemingly drifting from step to step in silence. The paladin ambled from step to step shifting her weight with focused precision, and avoided any creaking. When she reached the top she loosed a quiet breath of relief. Walking down the hallway they found Rarity’s room. As Luna prepared to become immaterial bright light exploded into the hallway. Derpy clamped her eyes and turned away, groaning as Luna fell backwards to the floor in surprise.
“Who are you!?” a voice roared from down the hallway.
Derpy cracked an eye open and could barely see something coming her way. She threw her body forward and latched onto the princess, rolling until her back was facing the voice. Something sharp struck her in the back and she yelped, but her hold on Luna remained steadfast. Thumps reverberated from the steps as the rest of the party raced up the stairs.
“Whoa, take it easy!” Daring called. “We’re not here to hurt you! I promise!”
“Rarity, there is no need for violence.” Luna stood up and blinked several times, casting a sympathetic glance to her loyal paladin. Derpy rolled her head over to see the unicorn’s devastation, her hooves clasped over her mouth.
“P-Princess Luna!” she cried as several metal objects fell from her magic. Derpy guessed they were spears or swords, but her eyes adjusted slowly as the pain slinked into her back. “It’s really you…” Her eyes fell to the languishing paladin. “I’m so sorry, Derpy. Please, let me help you.” She rushed to her side and began inspecting the wounds.
Leo stepped closer. “Lady Rarity. I am Chancellor Leo. I believe you and I have been in contact for some time. We are the rebels that have been hoping you could become our spellsmith.” Rarity glanced up in surprise, her eyes dancing between the three ponies standing before her. “This is my associate, Paladin Daring Do.”
Daring winced and rubbed the back of her head. “Hey, uh, look. I’m sorry we startled you. We were really hoping to avoid that, but, uh…” She looked down. “You kinda stabbed my sister.”
“Sister?” The fashionista looked down at Derpy. The grey paladin slowly sat up. “I thought you were an only child.”
“Aw, c’mon, Derpy!” spat Daring, throwing a hoof out. “Now I don’t even exist!”
The grey paladin stiffened. “It’s a long story. Can you pull these out?” She threw an angled nod to her sister. “I’ve already got this brat as a giant thorn in my side.”
“Sure, sure.” She removed them quickly, and the paladin was helped along by Luna. “Come downstairs. Oh, you haven’t introduced me to your other friend,” she said, pointing past Daring. “Who are you?”
Confused, everyone turned back. A skinny unicorn with dark green fur and a faded blue mane blinked, her eyes darting back and forth. “Uh, I’m…” She began to sweat as she looked to Luna.
“This is Nympha. She’s my friend and a member of the resistance,” the princess introduced quickly.
Rarity moved to her and took a hoof into her own. “It’s nice to meet you, Nympha. You have a lovely shade for your mane.”
“Um, thanks,” she replied, rubbing the back of her head.
“Everyone, come with me.” Rarity led the way down the creaky stairs, and further into the heart of the boutique. Her workshop in the back was messy, with cloth, unfinished dresses, mannequins, and designer supplies and tools strewn about the tables, benches, and floor. She quickly bandaged Derpy’s back, and then shoved a large pile of unused items out of a corner to reveal a rug. It slowly peeled away to reveal a hinged door on the floor. “Aurelius frequently has his loyal goons, those wretched dragon lords, force their way into my home to keep an eye on me and what I’m doing. The others probably have nothing to hide, but it’s a real pain trying to work in secret. It’s not easy feigning art block and depression every single time, but my determination drives me to help overthrow him.” Opening the door, she descended the steps with the others following.
“You put all of this together yourself?” Derpy asked, marveling at the rough tunnels. It soon opened into a larger set of rooms with a furnace on the end of one. Everything was bare, save for the tools to forge metal weapons and the bright overhead lights.
Rarity stopped in the room with the furnace and nodded. “I take my work very seriously. I meant it when I told Leo that I would help, even if I wasn’t suited. There aren’t many who would try, and I have to keep my ties small. The others can’t be involved in my risks.” A cupboard opened and first aid materials levitated to her. She quickly bandaged Derpy’s wounds.
“Thank you, Rarity.” Luna bowed her head. “I will not forget this.”
“We are all in this together.” The fashionista levitated a pair of goggles to her and set them upon her forehead. “If you’re here now, then it must mean we are prepared to move forward.”
Daring took the saddlebag from Leo and opened it up, pulling out the chunk of orichalcum and holding it before her. “We’re grateful you’ve dedicated yourself all this time, Rarity, but we need this done now. Derpy’s sword was broken and we need it reforged.”
The fashionista marveled as she gazed into the reflective, almost white chunk of metal. “I… I honestly don’t know if my skill is advanced enough. You once gave me a small piece to work on, and I held out for as long as possible before using it. However, forging this material is drastically more difficult than working with more conventional metals. Besides,” she met Daring’s eyes, “I thought commissioning your second sword was more important.” Derpy and Luna shot her wondering looks.
Daring chewed her lower lip. “That’s not important. A second paladin in our forces will probably be just as good as me at my best. Please, Rarity. You have to try. Whatever you need we’ll get it for you.”
Rarity glanced at the hunk of metal again and placed a hoof to her chin. “Okay, but I’ll need some magic materials from Twilight’s library. Oh, I wish she would have stayed a little longer. Her expertise in this stuff is worlds apart from mine.”
“Twilight was here?” blurted Luna.
“Why, yes. You just missed her. She left only yesterday evening when it started to rain. She was only here for a little while. She’s… not the mare she used to be. I’m frankly worried about her.”
The princess moved before the fashionista and towered over her. “Where!? Where did she go?”
“She went after that dragon lord, or whatever they call themselves,” she squeaked. “Vibe, was it? I told her she likes to rest at a cathedral south of Ponyville in some abandoned little place. I don’t know the name.” Rarity fidgeted out from under her gaze and took took the orichalcum, levitating it to one of her workbenches.
Luna spun around to Derpy. “If she is so near we must go after her! She will stop at nothing to advance to Canterlot once Vibe is dead.”
The grey paladin placed a hoof to her shoulder. “You and I both know that’s not a good idea right now. If we wait until morning I can look for her.”
“Nay, we must go together. I stand the best chance at convincing her to stay with us.” Luna grew pensive. “I worry that it might take some force, but she would not respond to that kindly.”
“Twilight, as in Twilight Sparkle?” asked Nympha. “I don’t think I should be around if that happens.”
Luna took one of her hooves. “I promise she will not harm you. I will make her understand.”
Rarity stepped between them. “Princess, just what is going on with Twilight? She looks nothing like she used to, and acts even less so. Her physical changes and her accusations were most unsettling to behold.”
“I’m sorry, Rarity, but the Twilight you knew is barely there. Celestia and I had witnessed her changes, but we never decided on how to handle them. We failed her, and now I fear losing her forever. I asked her to stay with us after we found her, but she refused. I should have tried harder.” The princess sighed. “She plans to assault Canterlot alone, and I hope we can catch up to her and synchronize our attacks.”
“I… see.” Rarity pivoted and sparked a flame in the furnace. “I’ll provide you with a list of everything I’ll need to try and imbue the sword. I’ll also need whatever you have left of the original.” She quickly prepared a list on a small sheet of paper and gave it to Luna.
The princess scanned the list and nodded. “It will be done within the hour, Rarity. Leo, come with me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said.
“W-Wait, I’m coming, too,” added Nympha.
Derpy shuffled. “I should be there, too, Princess.”
“No, Derpy. Stay here with Rarity and help her with anything she needs done around here.” The grey paladin nodded, reluctantly.
“I’ve gotta take of a couple things,” said Daring.
Luna raised a brow. “What things?”
The sandy pegasus moved to Derpy and took back her sword and baldric. “I need to get rid of the dragons’ bodies. If there’re any loyalists in town I’d rather they think the last one already went to alert Canterlot.”
“Very well. Let’s go.” Luna headed for the exit, but Rarity galloped up beside her.
“Wait,” she said. Leaning up to the princess’s ear, she whispered, “I heard a rumor that Princess Celestia is still in Canterlot, but not as a prisoner.”
Luna froze. “Where did you hear that?”
Rarity shook her head, keeping her voice quiet. “It was only a rumor passed around from a pony that left Canterlot. I dare not ask and draw attention to myself. I’m sorry I don’t know more. I told Twilight the same information.”
The princess’s eyes widened briefly. “Thank you, Rarity. It is the first I have heard any information on her.” She headed for the exit, nearly walking into one of the walls on her way out.
Derpy watched as Leo, Daring, and the disguised Chrysalis followed after. She sighed and yawned. “What do you need help with, Rarity?” She produced her broken sword and laid both pieces down on the workbench beside the chunk of orichalcum.
The fashionista became pensive. “I hadn’t expected this. Your sword wasn’t destroyed, but merely broken. I can work with this.” She levitated tools from more drawers and took a sheet of paper out. Measurements and notes were rapidly scribbled onto it as she inspected both Glance Reviver and the magical metal. “Do you have any requests in your new sword? I can’t guarantee they’ll come out exactly to spec, though.”
Derpy shrugged. “Glance Reviver always felt natural to me. I had two swords for a while. I guess I’m one of the few celestial knights that can dual wield, but I normally fight with my tower shield. I had to leave it behind in Canterlot, though.” She grabbed the hilted half of her weapon and looked it over. “Before I became a celestial knight I used a partisan.” She scratched the back of her head. “Maybe extend the hilt, so using it with both hooves is better. Hmm, maybe a slightly longer blade. I will never be able to beat Colgate in a duel without a little more reach.”
Rarity nodded and changed notes and measurements on the sheet before holding it up. “I will do some test forges with what I have to try and produce these dimensions. Once the first one is finished we’ll go from there to narrow it down until you’re comfortable. This is more than enough material to repair and modify you sword, so I might be able to finish your sister’s second sword.”
Derpy smiled and set the hilt down. “That’s great. Do you have a design for Daring’s second sword?”
Rarity quickly snatched another sheet of steel from the other side of room and displayed it. “I’d have thought she would want it to match the first, but… it’s nearly identical to the one you brought me to repair.”
The paladin’s eyes narrowed on it. She was trying to make a copy of Glance Reviver? Why? She mulled the thought as she stared at it. That doesn’t make sense. There’s no way the power of my sword could be replicated in it. She pulled away and looked at Rarity. Could it? “Can you make the copy? What’s different?”
“Well.” Rarity propped the design up against a wall. “If all goes well with yours I should have no problem forging a second one of yours, but if there’s any complications in trying to modify yours beyond the repairs I might only have a copy of yours.” Her eyes shifted between the notes for Daring’s second sword and the pieces of Glance Reviver laid together. “Truth be told, the only difference in forging is that hers requires several magnitudes of more heat. I’m not sure I can even produce these levels here, let alone without cooking myself to death.”
Derpy chewed her lip for a moment. “Make the second Glance Reviver, then try to repair mine and make the modifications. I’d rather have another sword at our disposal. We could vet another celestial knight, or…” She trailed off and gazed at the floor.
“Or?” Rarity repeated. “What is it, dear?”
“Rainbow Dash never officially got her sword and she was given something of an initiate weapon on short notice for the mission to Draconis. The way the celestial knights gain their powers isn’t exactly normal, so she never had a true blade of her own. If we have a third one, we could give it to her. I don’t think Daring needs a second one. She can use a shield or a backup like she has.”
“Well, I’ll make your weapons, but you’ll have to do the rest. I can’t wait for this to be done and over with. My boutique has really fallen into shambles, and I’d like to get back to making what I prefer.” Rarity set aside the modification sheet for Derpy and took up Daring’s again. “I hope you’re ready to sweat because it’s going to get very hot in here. I’ve become a tad acclimatized to the heat necessary for spellsmithing, but sometimes I wish I was roasting in a dragon’s fire.” She lowered her goggles over her eyes.
Derpy blinked. “I can handle it.” As she set herself to helping her mind drifted to her sister. How did Daring survive that dragon’s breath? Only my tower shield could survive that unscathed, or an archmage’s barrier. As the temperature rose in the room she saw something within the forge flames. A winged animal roiled within in before briefly fading. She blinked and wiped her brow of the rapidly forming sweat. It’s just the heat…
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 46: Visions
Daring moved through the rain in silence, her dark cloak muddling her shape as she appeared only in the flashes of the lightning. Whenever a sound unnatural to the storm made itself known a hoof flew to the hilt of her sword, her eyes fixated on the sound’s location with extreme focus. Her heartbeat elevated, but she maintained composure. Nothing, she thought as she started to move again. The downpour had increased and she had been soaked to the bone, but felt no chill. Why am I so on edge here? The dragons are dead and our plan is going well. She stopped at a corner of a house, her body lining up against it as she peered around the corner beneath her sopping cowl. Too well, maybe?
She dropped down low and dashed from shadow to shadow, the only indication she existed being the splashes of her scarce steps. The buildings started to smear past her in a mess of darkness, but she froze in the shadows as something caught her eyes. What the—? Her gaze snapped to where it was going, and she remained still, only blinking. I knew it. Someone or something is here with me, and it’s not Princess Luna. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her hoof was already to her hilt before she realized it. Lightning cracked several times as a bolt struck nearby, bathing everything in light, but the puddles of water reflected it and obscured Daring’s vision. Something moved again in that brief moment, but she could not get more than a hazy glimpse.
“Hey!” Daring called as she raced into the shadows at her target. Blasting forward, she landed with her sword drawn, but froze as she took her stance. It was a trap.
“So, you managed to detect me, but you still can’t see me,” an unfamiliar voice came.
Daring could not move, and a flash of lightning illuminated a long, dark blade reaching around her neck. “Who are you?” The voice seemed to move around out of the sandy pegasus’s view, but the blade at her throat remained still.
“I should ask you the same.” The voice grew silent for a moment. “However, I have more pressing matters. Now that I know someone like you is here you won’t find me again, whoever you are.”
“Why are you here?” Daring blurted. “Are you with Aurelius?”
Silence passed, and the seconds ticked away like an eternity under the drone of the rain. “I serve no one but myself. Follow me again, and I’ll kill you.” After a pause the voice snickered. “Or maybe you might kill me. You’re incredibly powerful, and skilled at hiding that power. Still… There are only a few ponies that could detect me in a storm like this, so take pride in that.”
Lightning crashed nearby and in the instant the light bloomed Daring whirled around and attempted to glimpse her captor, her blade swinging to knock away the one at her neck. However, when the flash died down there was nothing there. Not even the blade at her neck seemed to have ever existed and she was left in the shadows with the rain pouring down, her eyes adjusting to the dark again.
Who the heck was that? They could have struck me down right then and I’m not sure I could have survived a fight. She sheathed her sword and looked around slowly. A hoof pressed against her chest, listening to her heartbeat. My heart won’t quit. That was scary. Am I… hallucinating? Shaking her head, she continued onward to the entrance of town where the two dragons had been slain.
She arrived at the spot they had been, their bodies still fresh. It looks like no one is around. I hope no one is paying attention. Drawing her sword, she took a deep breath as she gazed down to the dragon that Derpy killed. “Hey, I’m only returning the favor.”
***
Leo coughed as Luna lifted him out of a puddle that could only be described as a lake. He’d taken a step, but it was too late to pull back once he’d shifted. As water dripped from him, the princess chuckled. Chrysalis followed right on her heels, mimicking her steps to avoid the chancellor’s fate.
“Perhaps you should wait at Rarity’s. It’s not too late to go back,” she offered while wringing out his cloak.
Leo gave an annoyed glance as they continued on, his steps avoiding the centers of puddles now. “I’ll have you know I’ve worked in worse conditions than this.”
Luna chewed her lower lip. “I’m sorry, Leo. I sometimes forget—“
The chancellor held a hoof up. “There is no need to apologize. I often need to remind Paladin Do of how far we have fallen. She tries to stay upbeat, but everything she has done… it weighs upon her soul.”
“Leo,” the princess started slowly, “her service is before my time. Why do you still refer to her as a paladin when that title has since passed down to her sister?” Bellows of thunder interrupted them for a moment, and Luna nearly stumbled into a lake-sized puddle of her own. Chrysalis caught her and they exchanged nods.
“That is because this is the first time in the history of the celestial knights that a preceding paladin has not retired or died. Daring is one of the strongest, and Derpy trails her power considerably. The thought of referring to her as anything less is… odd.” Luna stared at him for a long while but he did not return her look. “I know what you are about to ask, so ask it.”
“She is considerably stronger than Derpy? What is Paladin Do’s power? I should be privy to that information.”
Leo exchanged a heavy look with her. “Why must you know?”
“I have trained the celestial knights since my return, but she is an anomaly. Her power was not bestowed by me, and she comes from the time before my return.” Luna grew pensive and she returned her eyes to the terrain. “I don’t fully trust her, and I do not know her power. Should she breach my trust I need to know what I will be dealing with.”
Leo stopped abruptly. “That is her advantage, Your Majesty. As Paladin Hooves is bound to you, she is your loyal guard and the lunar blessing you have given her enables such strength. I know Daring’s powers… intimately. They are not so different from her sister’s. Since there is only one Paladin Do could be bound to I’m sure you can deduce some idea of her power as there is no else like her anymore.” Luna’s eyes widened. “She will never betray you. Do you now understand why? She can be petty, but you are forgetting her place. She did not become the paladin without being able to overcome her own feelings when it matters. Rest assured, Your Majesty. Whatever power she holds will never be used against you.”
“Then why withhold that information from me, Leo?”
The chancellor sighed. “The truth of the matter is no doubt more surreal than you think.”
They arrived at the Ponyville tree library, and Luna studied it through the flashes of light as best she could. The lush tree had lost some of its leaves, with several of its limbs appearing gnarled and creepy. It invoked a mournful feeling inside of her.
“I know Twilight built her own laboratory here, and Trixie ran experiments of her own as an apprentice, but what is to say that any materials have remained?”
Leo stepped up to the door. “There isn’t, but have faith. I believe Twilight Sparkle to be the type to have some kind of stock here.” He placed a hoof on the door handle and slowly pressed it open. “Luckily, this is considered a public domain again after Archmage Lulamoon’s departure.” He stepped inside and Luna cast one final glance around. Lightning cracked and peeled back the night, but she remained. The chancellor poked his head back out of the door. “Are you coming?”
Something is… off, thought Luna as her gaze scanned around. Lightning split the sky once more as the thunder resounded through the air.
“What is it?” Chrysalis asked as she huddled beside her.
“I’m… not sure.” Something whisked at the edge of the shadows. What was that? She turned to Leo. “You two get inside and gather what you need if you can find it. I’m going to investigate something. I’ll meet you at Rarity’s if I’m not back sooner.”
“Your Maj—“
Luna threw a hoof up and shot him a sharp glance. Chrysalis darted into the library and Leo shut the door.
I know there’s something out here. I don’t like the way this feels. Thunder rumbled and roared while the lightning streaked down. Several booms and bolts appeared consecutively in the distance, but the storm was centralized to the town. The downpour increased again and Luna began to struggle to see. However, the off feeling only grew stronger, and she moved about the shadows in focus. This feels so… familiar.
The hunt began as she could feel the presence moving from shadow to shadow, Luna attempting to stay in proximity. She could not see, but she could feel. Doubt slipped into her and she began to weigh the usage of magic against being detected, but the odds did not favor her. The presence forced them to circle each other on opposite sides before drawing the princess deeper into the town.
More shadows, more places to hide. Do they really think they can lose the Princess of the Night where she is most comfortable? Luna inwardly scoffed at the notion while she kept up the pace. As they neared the center, the presence began to move wildly before surging back towards the library. No! It was leading me away! Is it an assassin!? Her heart beat accelerated as she gave chase after, attempting to gain on it. Why is this so familiar?
As they cleared the town and reached the library, Luna used her magic and pulled back the night, finally catching a cloaked figure in front of her. She surged forward and tackled the target before they could shroud themselves in the darkness once more. Both of them hit the mud with a grunt and rolled, but the princess scrambled to her hooves and barred the figure’s path.
“You will not make it past me. I will die before I allow you to harm my friends. Who are you and what are you doing here?” the princess called out.
The figure rose up, their long cloak drenched and hanging tight against the upper half of their body. They hung their head and Luna noticed something elongated hanging from the cowl. At first, she mistook it for a face, but it was something else entirely. Lightning flashed as they brought their head up, and it was a skull.
A dragon skull? Luna wondered as she braced herself for a fight. “Answer me.” The figure stood tall and reached out, prying the mouth of the skull open.
“Y-You!?” Luna’s legs threatened to buckle, her eyes widening as much as they could.
“I have to admit,” said Nightmare, “I never expected to find so many of you here all at once, but seeing you here, now…” She took a deep breath through her nose. “That explains the death of the last dragon here.”
“You’ve been missing for years. The last time I saw you was the night you were heading for the Badlands. You didn’t even show up to Twilight’s funeral! Where have you been, Nigh—“
Nightmare raised a hoof. “Watch your tone with me, Luna! I have my own name now. And I’m sure you can see my recent work all across Equestria, even here in Ponyville. My business is none of yours. All that you need to know is that I have been keeping busy. I’d love to stay and chat,”—she rolled her eyes—“but we’re not exactly friends.”
Luna cocked her head to one side. “What do you mean your work?”
The Id swayed a hoof out. “I’m sure even you’ve seen the dragons I’ve cut down all across Equestria. Aurelius had many that still served him, but I’ve reduced those numbers without killing those still loyal to the Brood and King Garr. But I don’t have time to explain myself. Why are you here? This is the last place you should be.”
The princess gazed into Nightmare’s sharp eyes, their turquoise irises standing out in the night. “We’re here to overthrow Aurelius. You should join us. We have a plan and we’re making the final preparations. We could use all of the help we can get.” Luna took a deep breath. “I am relieved that the deaths of the dragons were of your doing and not Twilight’s. I was begin—“
“What do you mean relieved they’re not Twilight’s kills?” Nightmare interrupted quickly. “What do you mean by that?”
“She may have returned, but she has changed, and I fear for her mind right now. Something is amiss with her, and I failed to keep her by my side and protect her.” Luna’s eyes widened as Nightmare closed the gap between them.
“Returned? Changed? How!?”
“You… didn’t know?” Nightmare’s lack of information only now sank into the princess. “She went to kill Vibe, towards a cathedral to the south. I wanted to go after her, but we decided to wait until day. We had no idea where you were, and she’s been searching for you all this time.”
Nightmare stamped a hoof in the mud and pressed it against Luna, sneering. “The Princess of the Night waiting until day to search? Are you serious?” She quickly snapped the dragon skull shut. “If she went to kill her…” The Id shook her head and glanced at the ground. “Damn it! This is too much all at once! I… I have to get back to her as fast as I can.”
“Wait, her? Ni—Midnight! What’s going on? Is Twilight with you?” Luna called.
The Id started to move, but she stopped and turned her head back. “I don’t have time to wait for you, and I’m faster on my own. I’ll be back with Twilight as soon as I can and I’ll explain, but you have some answering to do!” She surged into the darkness and vanished, the flutter of her wet cloak the only marker that anyone was there at all.
Luna stared in disbelief after her, still processing whom she just encountered. A pattering behind her caused her to whirl around and ready her magic, but it ended as she caught sight of Daring.
“Who was that?” the sandy pegasus asked as an armed hoof aimed in Nightmare’s direction.
“That was—“ Luna stopped and raised a brow as she could see the pegasus slowly being washed off of a slimy grey substance. “What happened to you?”
Daring blinked before looking down. “Oh. This?” She quickly scrubbed a hoof through her mane and splattered some of the grey matter onto the ground. “I slipped and fell in the mud. Those puddles can get deceptively deep,” she said, snorting. However, her voice abruptly became serious as she raised her sword into a combat stance. “Who was that? Someone caught me in a trap and let me go. I never even saw them. If there’s danger I need. To. Know.”
The princess swallowed. “There is no danger and that was…” she trailed off, her eyes drifting to Nightmare’s exit. “Just a shadow,” she muttered, motioning for Daring to follow. “I have been exposed for too long.” The pegasus sheathed her sword and trotted after her, her vision panning to the stormy night around.
Luna pushed open the door to the library, its creaking lost to the rain. As she viewed inside, she found Leo crouched down with a large candle lit beside him and Chrysalis lying on the floor before him. His eyes jumped to the ponies entering.
“What happened?” asked Luna.
The chancellor shook his head. “She mumbled something and fainted. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about changelings. This is beyond my expertise.”
“Isn’t she starving or something?” Daring chimed in as she moved closer. “Maybe she passed out from the hunger.”
Luna and Leo exchanged solemn glances, and the chancellor spoke. “Perhaps I should—“
The princess held up a hoof and closed her eyes. “It shall not be you. This is my gamble, and I will honor my word. She may not make it to the end, but neither may I. Besides,” her eyes drifted to Daring, “you do not need my strength when you have two paladins. Go, both of you. Find what we need to finish Paladin Hooves’s reforge. I trust you can handle yourselves if she betrays me.”
Luna watched as they headed downstairs to the basement. After she could no longer hear them she leaned down and tilted the changeling queen’s head to hers. “Wake up. I will not have you die like this.” She smacked her face several times until she stirred.
Chrysalis groaned and opened her eyes, struggling to focus on the princess. “Just… leave me. I can’t go on. I’m too hungry,” she muttered, raising one of her holey legs.
Luna leaned in close and spoke gently. “You need to feed.”
The changeling queen closed her eyes and laid her head back down. “It’s hard to eat… when you have no food.” Suddenly, Chrysalis found herself sitting up and staring at Luna.
“You will feed upon me.” Luna held out a hoof, but quickly retracted it and glanced away, rubbing the back of her head. “I, um… do not know how this works.”
Chrysalis gaped before snickering. “Hold still,” she commanded weakly, bringing her forelegs up. She placed them on the princess’s head.
“Will this hurrr—“ Luna’s eyes went wide as a stream of green energy flowed from her to the changeling queen. Is this… how they feed? The question was quickly answered when her strength waned. She could feel her body growing heavy and her limbs sag. Dizziness set in and, as she started to wobble, Chrysalis stopped. Luna fell to the floor panting. “Wha… I feel so… weak…” she murmured as the room continued to spin. Her eyes floated around before fixating on Chrysalis. The changeling queen took a deep breath and tilted her head back before snickering. Luna’s heart sank and she bit her lower lip.
“Ah, that feels much better.” She exhaled and extended a leg to Luna. “Sorry about that. The drain will pass. You have plenty of love to devour, but… I won’t take more than I need to keep going.”
The princess breathed a sigh of relief and took the help to stand. “I… did not expect it to be so sudden and intense.”
“Here, let me help you.” Chrysalis wrapped one of Luna’s forelegs around her neck and helped her down the stairs to the others. “I can’t have you dying on me,” she said, snickering again.
Luna offered a weak laugh. Neither can I…
They reached the bottom and took in the sight of Daring and Leo moving about collecting supplies and setting them upon a large worktable. The pegasus bumped into a large beaker and knocked it off, quickly managing to catch it with an extended wing.
“Look at how cluttered this place is. How are you supposed to find anything in here?” she complained. Leo frowned and placed a hoof on the door of a cabinet, pulling it open and revealing large shelves of ingredients and items organized alphabetically. “I knew you were more clever than you looked!”
“Better than looking more clever than you are, Daring,” he quipped with his eyes scanning the ingredients.
“How fares the search?” asked Luna, her half-lidded eyes taking in the room.
“What did you do?” growled Daring, a hoof already upon the hilt of her sword.
Luna raised a hoof. “Stay your blade, Daring Do. She did nothing but take what was offered to her.”
It took an extra moment before the pegasus relaxed and placed her focus elsewhere, but she continued to keep the changeling queen in the corner of her vision.
“I’m glad it went well. How are you feeling?” he asked as he set several things into the satchel.
“I’ve had better nights,” she replied before standing on her own. She nodded to Chrysalis and then unleashed a monstrous yawn. “It was more than expected.”
“We have everything we can use from here, but we’re going to be doing some severe improvising. I’m not sure the makeshift forge Rarity has will be enough.” His eyes glossed over several more things on the shelves before he closed them and hung his head. “I don’t want to have come this far only to come up short.”
Luna fidgeted. “What do we need to finish the reforge?”
The chancellor sighed. “Heat, far more than we could produce down there, but that we have. It’s what comes after that worries me.” He slowly looked around the room before shaking his head. “Princess. The amount of heat we need would cook us down there. To finish the reforge we must add the final imbuement of magic and tempering outside, and that will no doubt attract unwanted attention.”
The princess straightened. “What did you have planned for this?”
Leo ran a hoof through his mane and stared at the floor. “We had hoped our spellsmith would have managed a larger forge at this point, but it seems that producing the blade’s base down there is all we can do. It must be finished where we can vent larger amounts of heat. The storm is certainly not working in our favor here.”
Silence overtook the room for a moment, interrupted only by the rumble of the thunder outside. “Very well,” said Luna. “We’ll take on whatever comes. We still have Derpy and Daring. I’m sure Rarity has produced some kind of standard weapons.”
“Are you sure?” Leo asked. “Derpy is injured, and you are weakened. I would rather we not risk—“
Luna shook her head. “I have confidence.” Her eyes drifted away as she recalled Nightmare’s sneer. “Things have changed and we must bring this plan to bear. This shall be a long night.”
The princess procured water for the party before resting on a large pillow she brought from upstairs. Leo moved about mixing and preparing ingredients for the final part of the spellsmithing. Luna tried to remain alert, but the drain from Chrysalis’s feeding continued to affect her. It felt much like magic exhaustion in that her physical stamina was drained without any exertion. Dizziness had been intermittent for a while, but she managed to keep her thoughts focused.
“Are you okay?” the changeling queen asked as she sat beside her.
Luna’s eyes slowly drifted to her and she loosed a yawn. “I’ll be fine. I am more worried about you. I cannot sustain you in these conditions forever. Will you be alright? Once we complete the reforging I will be unable to sustain you any longer. Though I was weak only a short time ago, my magic has since returned and I will need all of my strength for the battle ahead. If you had a source of food that could bring your strength up we could use your power.”
Chrysalis nodded slowly. “I need only something with the capacity for love to feed on. Whether it’s you or another doesn’t matter, but I have to ask.” The princess eyed her carefully. “When we enter Canterlot, should I feed on any of the ponies there just to keep going, or should I drain some more thoroughly to restore my strength?”
Luna curled her bottom lip and chewed on it. “I… do not think I should condone that.” Her eyes slid over to Leo and Daring as they finished up. “However, this is a war and I have long since abandoned my regal pride to survive. Do what you must, Chrysalis, but you do not have my permission to kill any ponies in the process. If you can drain a dragon instead that would be much more welcome.”
The changeling queen snorted aloud. “Dragons are…” She paused as her eyes twisted up to the ceiling. “Inedible.”
“Alright, we’re done, Your Majesty,” Leo announced as he placed the materials in a saddlebag. “Now comes the hard part.”
Luna rose to stand and wobbled briefly, but Chrysalis was quick to stand beside her and offer support. “Let’s go. I’m sure those two are ready for the next step.”
After exiting the tree library Luna appointed Daring to lead with her in the rear. She couldn’t help herself from allowing her eyes to wander. Are you still out there? she thought when her eyes stopped on a shadow in an alley. Did you make it to the Badlands? Nothing would have stopped you from getting there. Rumbles of thunder muffled Chrysalis calling her name, and it wasn’t until she nearly shouted that Luna snapped out of her thoughts.
“Luna,” the changeling queen barked, a hoof pressed against the princess’s shoulder shaking her. “Are you okay?”
“Huh?” she blurted. Luna had stopped walking altogether and was staring into the abyss between two houses. “S-sorry,” she muttered as she continued walking with the party again. She felt as if Chrysalis’s drain had been wearing off, but she still worried. Will I make it? I have to make it. I cannot falter now. We are so close. Her eyes drifted between Daring and Derpy. They seem so… familiar together. I only wish they were both bound to me. She eyed Daring’s sword as best she could in the night. I loathe admitting it, but I need her more than anyone else.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 47: Painting Dawn
Luna shivered in the rain, even beneath her cloak, as she continued to trail the others. Chrysalis stayed close and kept an eye on her while the princess gazed at the flooded ground, periodically being ushered along by the changeling queen. Her thoughts seemed to drift away from the tasks at hand more than ever as she pondered her interaction with Nightmare Moon over and over again.
She’s right. I should have gone after her, but how has she been unaware all this time? What has she been up to? She sighed to herself. Even now I still feel I cannot trust her, and without Twilight as her warden my apprehension of her has only grown since. A pang of guilt hit her and she raised her eyes ahead as they neared the boutique. Perhaps it is I that is at fault. This isn’t what Twilight would have wanted, and my petty feelings should not be getting in the way now. Her eyes drifted to Daring. I must move past this.
Daring quickly scouted the surroundings before motioning the others to enter the boutique. Even inside the thunder boomed and the tapping of the rain could be heard over most everything else. Chrysalis changed into her “Nympha” alias before the fashionista and grey paladin greeted them, sweat running down their faces and matting grimy fur.
“Well, then,” Rarity said as she exhaled, “I’ve done all I can on my end.” She levitated the sword before the rest of the group. “I don’t know what to do from here. Derpy’s sword is ready to be finished, but,” she levitated a second sword before them, “this one needs to have the entire magical process completed. I’m afraid that is well beyond my capabilities.” She removed her goggles to reveal rings the grime had surrounded her eyes perfectly.
Daring took her sword and inspected it. “This will do nicely. It doesn’t have to be like my original, but it has to be strong enough to cut through steel and dragon scales.”
Rarity’s mouth pulled back in uncertainty. “Well, I don’t know about that, but it should work like any other once it’s complete.”
“We will need to move your tools outside into the rain,” said Leo. Meeting her surprise he continued. “In order to finish the swords for celestial knights we’ll need a much greater level of heat than you can produce in your forge here, Rarity. Furthermore, the final stage requires some fairly potent magic. Normally, this would be conducted by high level unicorns in a controlled environment with a set of specific materials, but I’m improvising in what will be terrible and volatile conditions.”
“You do know that we’ll attract any dragons within a mile radius of this place,” she responded.
“Indeed,” said Luna. “That is a risk we must take. We will fight whatever comes, but you will need to continue the process with Leo.”
The chancellor glanced at Luna and shook his head. “Paladin Do will be unavailable towards the end of the final process.”
“And why is that?” asked the princess. Before she could receive an answer Daring darted into the back, returning moments later with several tools.
“We don’t have time to explain,” she said before shoving the materials into Leo’s saddlebags. She motioned for Derpy to follow her. “Let’s go get the anvil.” The younger sister groaned before trotting after, Leo following quickly behind.
“Rarity, I will need a weapon. What do you have that could fit my stature?”
The fashionista sized up the princess with several angled glances before nodding to herself. “The largest weapon in my arsenal is a battle axe.” She turned and headed downstairs.
Luna looked around and found the changeling queen had been staring at a mannequin, too distracted to notice the princess observing her. “What is it, Chrysalis?” she asked softly.
“Oh,” she murmured before meeting Luna’s gaze. “It just reminds me of the hive, of my people. We are… blank templates to be anything.” Her eyes drifted away momentarily. “We can identify one another, but others cannot easily tell us apart. I stand alone in that regard.” She focused back on the princess and offered a bittersweet smile. “Quite literally now that I’ve been exiled.”
Luna stepped closer and observed the mannequin she had been looking at. “It is not so different from ponies,” she said.
“How so? How is it different being born to look like everyone else of your race, but having the power to turn into someone else from another? Our uniqueness is only borrowed from someone else. You ponies are born unique.”
The princess chuckled. “Our identities must be discovered for ourselves. Though our cutie marks may have a significant impact on our livelihood there is still much beyond that in which we must find out about ourselves. I am more than the Princess of the Night, the oft-overlooked princess whom raised and lowered the moon each evening and morning. If that was all I was, then the world from the moment I left to the night I returned would have been no different than as if I had died. My sister had already replaced me as I was and the world moved on without ever mourning my loss.” She levitated a dusty hat and dress from one of the piles in the corner of the room and outfitted the mannequin. “I may never stand beside her in admiration and acknowledgement, but I have rediscovered myself and more in the world since my absence. I owe much of that to Twilight. She saw that I was struggling, that I was no more than a lost foal in a world I no longer understood. Perhaps,” she levitated the hat and rested it upon Chrysalis’s head, earning a bewildered stare, “you need only someone show you that you are more than what others believe you should be.”
The changeling queen blushed and turned away, manually removing the hat and unceremoniously draping it over the mannequins head and face. “It is not so easy for us to be more than we are, let alone unique. We are changelings. When you are meant to be everything else, how do you define yourself?”
Heavy steps could be heard coming from the back room as Daring and Derpy burst through the doorway with the anvil between them. Each were grunting and flapping their wings as they carried the hunk of metal towards the door.
“D-Door,” Daring grunted as she nodded towards it, struggling to keep her side of the anvil off of the floor, her wings flapping to keep steady.
“Hurry!” blurted Derpy.
Luna quickly opened it with her magic and the sisters shambled out into the rain. She prepared to move after them, but Leo returned with more items and Rarity followed after with the aforementioned battle axe.
“This is the only large weapon I made, and it wasn’t intended to be used. I cannot endorse its usage, but I would rather you be armed with something comfortable.” Rarity passed the weapon to Luna and glanced away. “So, this is it. It’s all coming together tonight.”
“This is a weapon more suited to my sister’s tastes.” The princess took the axe, inspecting its double-edged head and sighed. “And I’m afraid so. Are you ready? I know you are not a combat unicorn, so I do not expect you to join us in the push for Canterlot.”
Rarity rubbed the back of her head. “I was never ready for this, and I will not be joining you in Canterlot.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sure you understand, even if I volunteered for this. We can’t give up hope. Just promise me that you’ll free all of the ponies that Aurelius has extradited to the north.” She met Rarity’s gaze. “After tonight, I’ll have done all that I can to help, and I won’t take risks any longer. I’ve been apart from my sister and friends for much of the time since the fall of Canterlot.”
Daring stumbled into the entryway and rested on the door frame, one foreleg wiping her brow of rain and sweat. “Are you guys coming, or what? I’m not putting that thing back, you know.”
Luna nodded and followed her into the storm with Rarity and Chrysalis on her heels. The downpour had not let up in the slightest and visibility was still obscured with only the flashes of lightning clearing her view momentarily. She found the anvil a distance away from the boutique with Derpy draped over it and panting. Leo had already finished an alchemy circle, detailing the center.
“We are ready, Your Majesty. Once we begin there will be no turning back.” He removed his cloak and revealed his sopping body. “I don’t advise your cloaks. They could catch fire.” Rarity put on her goggles and stepped to the anvil as Derpy drew one of her swords. The others discarded their garments as advised.
Luna stood the axe up beside her and ran a hoof through her mane. “We are ready. Rarity. Leo will guide you in these final processes while the rest of us shall hold off whatever may come. I trust this won’t take too long.”
Leo shook his head. “It will take longer than spellsmithing a blade traditionally, but I’ll do my best. My lady, if you will,” he said, motioning Rarity to the anvil. Derpy’s unfinished repair was laid out with Daring’s copy, and the unicorn took up her smithing hammer.
The clang of steel to steel erupted and reverberated into the air, bouncing off of the walls over the rain. Leo moved about reciting incantations and periodically sprinkling materials over the weapons, and soon they started to glow against the rain.
“We’ve already woken up the neighbors,” Daring called out as she motioned to ponies peering through their windows. “Let’s hope there’s no loyalists here.” She drew her sword and guarded the left of the anvil, Derpy taking the right, Luna taking the front, and Chrysalis watching the rear of them as Nympha.
Minutes passed slowly to the cacophony of the rain, but Leo and Rarity didn’t miss a beat in the hammering and the incants, but a distant roar put the defenders on alert. Lightning flashed and Luna saw three dragons in the distance.
“Damn, we’ve got company already,” shouted Daring. “Someone must’ve spotted us at night.”
Luna scowled. “Expand the perimeter. Not a single dragon can make it past us!” She turned to Chrysalis. “Generate a barrier around them in case they breathe.”
“What about you? I don’t have a lot of strength, and you’ll need all the help you can get.”
The princess took the axe into both hooves. “I shall be fine, even with a makeshift weapon.” Lightning bloomed in the skies and more dragons appeared behind the first set. What the—? We’re going to be overwhelmed like this. She glanced at the ragtag party of warriors and she could see the uncertainty on Chrysalis’s face, and the exhaustion on Derpy’s. However, Daring appeared to be ready to fight. The first dragons reached them and the party divided to take them individually.
Luna leaped into the air, using her smaller form to whisk between its swipes and claws. She spun and bent her body, flowing between its strikes as she built up momentum. Twirling through its defenses, she slammed the axe head into its chest, puncturing the hide and bringing it down. The dragon roared and furiously swiped at her, striking the top of the axe. Luna ducked underneath a claw and roared as she swung wide, catching the first wound and carving its chest open wider from it. As blood poured forth, she struck her deathblow into the neck and watched as it toppled forward into the grass. She turned to see Derpy had already made a similar precision strike against her foe.
Daring’s dragon dropped out of the sky with the sandy pegasus riding it. Her blade protruded from the back of its neck in a single killing attack. She nodded to the others as more dragons neared their perimeter.
“Hey, Leo. How much longer before you need me?” she called over the bellows of thunder.
The chancellor finished an incantation and replied without looking up. “I’ll yell for you when we’re ready. Just hold them off for as long as you can.”
The next wave arrived and the paladins were forced to double up on enemies. Derpy struggled to see in the rain, but she used her nimbleness and the night to her advantage, striking limbs and wings as she maneuvered about.
Luna was one on one again, but this dragon was faster than the last. She switched tactics to striking at their limbs, managing to chop off one of the attacking claws as it passed her. A dragon appeared overhead and unleashed a wide breath of flame over the area.
“Chrysalis!” the princess yelled as the breath flowed over them. A green barrier appeared briefly as the flames receded, and the changeling queen’s transformation had been lost.
“Keep… going,” she said. “I can still block a few more.” Rarity turned and looked over her shoulder, spotting the changeling queen. Startled, she nearly dropped the hammer. “Don’t stop… I’m on your side.” Reluctantly, the pounding of steel continued.
Leo finished another incantation as he laid another material over the blades. Rarity’s hammer sparked the metals and they ignited with a blue flame.
“Leo, what’s happening?” she asked.
The chancellor turned to Daring. “We need your fire now, Paladin Do. Fight off this wave and join us. The rain is slowing us down.”
Daring blocked a strike from a dragon, the sword just barely keeping the talons from reaching her. “Hey, that’s not exactly an option right now.” When another flash of lightning hit, she could see more reinforcements on the way. “This is getting dangerous. I can’t fight so close to you guys, even in a storm.”
“We must finish this.” He turned to Luna and Derpy. “It’s up to you two. Can you handle it?”
Luna roared and cleaved through the dragon’s other arm, striking into its side in a single attack. She quickly spun backwards and used the other edge to strike into its ribs. A choking cough escaped their throat before the dragon crumbled.
“I cannot guarantee your safety, but I will do my best. I do not have my war hammer, and this axe will only be able to handle my attacks for so long.” Her horn started glowing and the head of the axe shined blue with it. “Derpy, I will cover Daring’s side. Keep fighting!”
Daring dropped down to the anvil. “Alright, are you ready? I haven’t done anything this small in a while.”
“I trust you, Paladin Do. This is our only gamble.” Leo started a new incantation with more fervor in his voice, retrieving materials from his satchel. He dropped small cubes over the blades and Rarity quickly pounded them in.
The sandy pegasus pointed her sword at the anvil and flames ran along the blade before burning over the weapons being forged and flowing down the sides. Derpy caught the glow in the corner of her vision and turned to glimpse her sister. In that moment, a claw came down and viciously raked across her body. She dropped to the ground and receded closer to the anvil, clutching the wounds.
“Derpy!” Luna cried as she cut down another dragon. She moved to help the paladin, but a warding hoof stopped her.
“I can still fight! We can do this,” she replied.
The princess nodded, turning to face two more dragons. Damn. We need Daring with us or we’re not going to last much longer. Every flash of lightning seemed to reveal additional enemy forces on the way, and every dragon she brought down felt less like a victory and more like delaying the inevitable. A shriek of frustration escaped her throat as she leaped towards a dragon’s head. The axe blade shined blue and she struck at the skull, smashing it in a burst of blue light, blood spattering her body and dragon immediately dropping to the ground. Landing, she glanced at the weapon, noticing she had broken that side of the head. The second dragon whipped its tail around across the ground, splashing mud, grass, and water at the princess.
The anvil is in range! Luna realized, and she threw herself towards the end of the attack to catch it. “You little whelps think you’re stronger than me? I may be weakened, but you are nothing to me!” With a battle cry, she tightened her grip on the tail and ripped the dragon from the ground before slamming him overhead and flat onto its stomach. She took the axe and ran up its stunned body before reaching the middle of the spine and hacking at it repeatedly. By the third hit she had reached the bone, finally severing it and killing him.
The light from the anvil had grown since Daring took over, but Rarity had been forced away and the sandy pegasus was now pounding the blades while simultaneously emitting fire into them. Plumes of smoke and steam rushed into the air, obscuring any overhead attackers.
“Your Majesty, it is nearly finished! Please, hold out for a little while longer!” called the chancellor as he backed away and resumed his incants.
Luna glanced at the axe, only a few jagged pieces remaining of the edge. I was hoping to conserve more magic, but I’ll leave the fighting to Derpy. She discarded her weapon and moved to the anvil, raising her hooves momentarily as her horn shined brilliantly. A dark blue barrier manifested over them. “Derpy, do what you can to keep them away. I’ll hold this for as long as I have to!”
The grey paladin turned to face her, revealing the three deep slashes running down her torso. “I can’t do much more, Princess Luna. I’m too exhausted.”
Luna’s eyes widened, as Derpy wobbled and flames struck the blue barrier while other dragons piled on and started to attack it. The strain hit the princess instantly, and she bared her teeth as sweat ran down her head. Heat from the spellsmithing quickly filled the inside, only adding to the stress of maintaining their safety. Derpy moved outside and started to distract and strike the dragons back, but an unseen tail whip sent her crashing back inside of it.
“I’m sorry, Princess. All of these battles without rest have finally caught up to me. I thought I could do it, but… I’m not strong enough.” The grey paladin crawled over to her and lied down, her chest rising and falling rapidly, streaks of blood running down her sides. “I did my best. I was hoping… to see Rainbow Dash… one last time…”
The barrier cracked, but Luna glanced down and smiled. “Thank you. Having you by my side is all I could ever ask for.” The storm could scarcely be seen or heard through the dragons surrounding them, each attacking at the barrier. “If this is where I am to die, then I am glad it was fighting with you.” The barrier continued to crack and they glanced up as the dragons came down in force. A smaller, green shield suddenly covered them.
“You… can’t… seriously… be giving… up… now!” Chrysalis ground out through clenched teeth. “The starving changeling… has to outdo… another princess!?”
Luna took a deep breath and moved beside her, adding her magic and relieving some of the strain. “You’re right, Chrysalis. I’ll burn myself out before I give in now.” Despite the second wind, the heat in the area had begun to make her dizzy, and she struggled to concentrate. How much longer is this going to take? We’re not going to last through the night. Rarity joined in, adding what little magic she could, but the combined efforts started to fail. Several moments passed and the barrier threatened to shatter beneath the horde of dragons.
“It is done!” announced Leo. “Now, everyone! GET DOWN!”
Light and flame exploded from the anvil in a ring of intense heat as Leo tackled the three to the ground, dispelling the barrier. Luna rolled to glimpse the source, but it was blinding. Dragons screeched and roared, their shrill howls filling the air as the night rolled back in an inferno. A stream of orange light surged through one of them, burning a crevice into its body before redirecting its path and slamming into the chest of another, burning completely through its chest. The stream of light continued to rip through various vitals of the attackers as they attempted to strike at it and breathe upon it.
Dragon breath did not deter the light, nor were the strikes slowing it down. Luna caught sight of one dragon successfully striking it with its talons and shift its trajectory, only for the talons to melt away. In a brief moment, as the light began to die down, she caught a glimpse of a winged creature engulfed in flame, rushing between each dragon that got close. Finally, after several had been killed by the stream of light, they began to retreat.
However, the light chased them, cutting off limbs, or burning through wings, grounding them all. Luna lost sight as the light moved away and her eyes were blinded in the shift back to the darkness, but she could hear the dragons roaring and crying in the distance. Finally, after what she estimated was ten minutes, there was only rain. Leo stood up first and helped the princess to standing. She noticed Derpy had passed out, but she looked around and could not find the sandy paladin.
“Where is Paladin Do?” she asked as she scanned the surroundings.
Leo pointed to a mound of dragon corpses, some still burning in the rain. “There.”
Daring looked down at her with a heavy gaze, two swords impaled into the head of the dragon she stood upon. She offered a solemn nod as a grey dust filtered into the air around her before quickly congealing to her form.
Her power is heat? Luna thought as she examined her from afar. This is not a normal flame, though. What is it truly? Her heart sank as she realized what the grey slime from earlier had been. Now I understand why we needed you to finish the forging. You could generate and withstand the heat we needed.
The sandy paladin whirled back and forth quickly, loosening as much of the grey slime and dust from her as she could before taking her swords and gliding down. Without speaking, she moved to the anvil and took Glance Reviver, setting it down beside her sister.
“Thanks, Ditzy. Rest easy. I’ll take it from here.” She leaned down and kissed her forehead before turning to face the others. “The cavalry has arrived, Leo,” she said, aiming a sword in the distance opposite of Canterlot. “I see the first ponies of the resistance coming.”
The chancellor exhaled and collapsed. “Thank, Celestia. I thought we were going to die. We’ll get your sister some medical assistance.” He watched as the sandy pegasus flew off to greet their allies.
Luna shot him a surprised look. “You are the calmest and most collected pony I know, and you have been betting on Paladin Do this entire time. Yet, you gave up hope?”
Leo sat up, brushing grass and dirt from his back. “You’re right, Your Majesty. It’s been quite a night, and we have more fighting ahead. I’m afraid there’s not much time to rest.” He peered off towards the ponies marching towards their location. “It seems all of the hiding and preparation Paladin Do and I have done is finally paying off.” He cracked a grin and turned to her again. “You referred to her as paladin, Your Majesty. Not once, but twice.”
The princess frowned. “What difference does it make?”
Leo chuckled and rose up. “I suppose it doesn’t do anything but give you more questions than answers.” He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “There will be time for that, I’m sure.”
“U-Uh… um…” Rarity chimed in. “Just wh-what is s-she doing here?” She had a hoof pointing at Chrysalis as she cowered back from her.
Luna moved to shoulder the exhausted changeling. “She is an ally at my behest, Rarity. I promise you that she means no harm. I have not forgotten what she has done in the past, but we need as many allies as we can get.”
The fashionista swallowed hard. “O~~~kay,” she responded slowly. “This makes me very uncomfortable, though!”
Chrysalis abruptly assumed Rarity’s form, earning an even more shocked expression. “Not as uncomfortable as this does, I hope,” she said, snickering.
“Knock it off, Chrysalis,” said Luna, gently smacking her.
The changeling reverted to her own form. “Okay, mom.”
The princess sighed. “Let’s get Derpy to the hospital. I’m sure we can handle any attention we’ll get from here on out.” She cast a glance over to Daring while she was still talking with the ponies of the resistance. She’ll come when she is able, she told herself. With a glow of her horn, she levitated the grey paladin over her back. “I’ll watch over her.”
Leo nodded. “There’s some cleaning up to do here. We’ll join you when we’re finished.”
“This is the end of the line for me, I’m afraid,” added Rarity. “I won’t leave Ponyville, but you’re welcome in my house if you ever need a place to stay. Do not hesitate to call upon me for assistance if you need it.”
Luna smiled. “Thank you, Rarity. You have helped far more than you know.”
Chrysalis trotted up beside the princess. “I’m not going anywhere without you. I don’t trust anyone else,” she said, looking nervously to the militia Daring had begun to organize. Several of them had already taken notice of her.
“That’s fine,” replied Luna as she started to walk towards the hospital. Her eyes drifted up to the windows of houses, catching light and awed faces within. She wasn’t sure if they were more surprised by the appearance of Chrysalis, or the long missing princess, or perhaps the piles of dragon corpses in their wake. For once, she felt at ease walking out in the open, and the presence of the changeling queen was welcome. “Hey, Chrysalis.”
The changeling yawned. “Yes, what is it?”
“Are your people capable of feeling love?” the princess wondered aloud. Chrysalis stopped and stared at her in bewilderment. She snorted, at first, and then erupted into laughter. Luna scowled and continued walking. “Forget I asked.”
“Oh, come now, pretty princess. You’re asking someone that devours love and drains creatures of it to survive if they themselves can feel love. Do you know how ridiculous you sound?” She died down to a fit of snickers. “You’re going to kill me before the hunger does.”
The princess rolled her eyes as her head sank low. “I just wanted to know. Your race is a mystery to us, even after you crashed the wedding of Princess Cadance and Knight Armor.”
“Oh, I remember. Overpowering Princess Celestia made it to the front page of the scrap book.” She made a final chuckle before coughing. “Any more silly questions?” she asked, but abruptly bumped into the princess’s rump. They had reached the hospital, but Luna froze as she met eyes with her shadow once again. “Hey, she looks kind of like y—“
“Did you find Twilight?” Luna asked quickly.
Nightmare opened the dragon skull to reveal her disappointment. “Yes, but I was too late. She was going to kill Trixie before I stopped her. I left her unconscious, but I couldn’t stay while that unicorn was bleeding out. I’m going back for her.”
“W-Wait,” Luna pled with a hoof in the air.
The Id turned to her with a glower. “Why? You do enough for the both of us,” she retorted. “Besides, you seem to be preoccupied with something else.”
“Do not dare try and blame this on me! We have been preparing overthrow Aurelius, and I cannot abandon that effort now, even for her. What have you done all this time?”
The dragon skull snapped shut with a loud clack, and Nightmare pulled a black cowl over most of it, but the shine of her sharp turquoise eyes was still visible. “You and I have different priorities, Luna. Mine is, and will always be, Twilight. Nothing else is more important to me right now, even you or killing Aurelius. Until she is safe with me your mission doesn’t matter as far as I’m concerned. And I owe you nothing, least of all an explanation.” A dark mist started from the ground, rising up around her and obscuring her body. “Why don’t you go make sure that unicorn didn’t die? She matters to Twilight, even if she isn’t herself right now.”
“Wait, Midnight don’t—“ Luna was cut off by the Id’s body vanishing into the mist and then dispersing. Did she… teleport?
“Who was that?” asked Chrysalis.
The princess sighed as rain pelted her. “Nightmare Moon. She was… she is a part of me in some way. Jealousy of my sister’s fame and adoration over a thousand years ago led me to become her… once.” She met her bewildered stare with an apologetic look. “It’s… complicated.”
“You’re not very good at relationships, are you?” the changeling joked.
The princess frowned and decided not to rebut her. “She must have dropped Trixie off. Let’s go see her.”
They entered the hospital with Chrysalis assuming her alias, but Luna garnered astonished and frightful looks, with some of the night staff loosing startled cries at the sight of her. After passing Derpy off to doctors that swore their loyalty to her, she inquired the magician’s location.
“We don’t have anypony here under the name of ‘Trixie Lulamoon’, nor archmage, nor Great and Powerful. Are you sure this is correct?” a doctor asked, pushing up a large pair of glasses as he perused the check-in book.
“She has light blue fur and a silver-colored mane. Her cutie mark is a wand and some twinkles. Surely she must have been gravely injured if she was admitted here.” Luna attempted to crane her neck to view the book, dripping water all over the counter, but the doctor made an annoyed sound as he angled it away from her.
The doctor raised a brow at her. “A unicorn was brought in with that description, but she was not identified and is currently in critical care. Do you know what happened to her?”
Luna curled her bottom lip and chewed on it for a moment. “I do not know what happened to her, but she holds vital information. I must see her.”
The doctor snapped the book shut. “Absolutely not. She is in critical condition and will be left to rest once she has been triaged. I will not risk her recovery even for you, Princess.”
Princess, Luna growled inwardly. Magic took hold of the doctor’s coat and lifted him up. “You are impeding a war effort, doctor. I have long since lost my patience for the evening. You will take me to her, or I will find her myself. I pray I do not need to give you any more contexts.” She sat him down and he cowered beneath her gaze.
“Y-Yes, right away, Your Majesty.” He nearly bounded the reception desk as he started down a hallway, careful not to move too quickly for the princess.
“Wow, I’m impressed. And here I thought all this time you were just a prissy mare that didn’t do confrontation,” remarked Chrysalis.
Luna shot her a fierce look, compelling the changeling to nervously laugh it off. Nurses and doctors in the hospital had begun to stare and whisper among themselves, but they paid them no mind. The clop of their hooves to the tiled floor was more than enough to drown them out. The doctor stopped before a door, and Luna could see the magician inside with two nurses finishing bandage wraps and hooking her up to machines.
“She is in a delicate state. Though she doesn’t need surgery, her body has been brutally maimed. I urge you to leave her to rest.” He placed a hoof on the door handle and gently pushed it open. Luna and Chrysalis entered and the nurses quickly attached an oxygen mask to the magician and left, shutting the door quietly behind them.
“This… does not bode well,” Luna muttered as she stared at the bloodstained bandages wrapping Trixie’s body. “I fear my best friend may have become my worst enemy in the future.”
“Twilight Sparkle did this?” asked Chrysalis. “It doesn’t look worse than what that pegasus did to those dragons.” She moved to a chair in the room and sat down, a contented sigh escaping her throat. “If she’s your best friend, why would she fight against you?”
Luna’s eyes did not move from the grisly sight as she spoke. “Twilight has grown stronger than Celestia and I had anticipated, but this war and the things we had asked of her were too much. Her mind has become twisted, and though she is not entirely wrong to be bitter about the things that have occurred, she has become much darker, more determined to push through this at any cost than ever. Trixie is her lover, but if Twilight has reduced her to this…” She trailed off as her dark gaze shifted to Chrysalis. “What do you think she would do to a mere friend?”
The changeling swallowed and took a closer look at the magician. “What do we do about her? Is she going to be a problem?”
Luna sat down and closed her eyes. “I do not know, and for once, I am afraid of what the answer may hold. I will not know where her allegiance or her mind sits until I see her again.” Muffled groaning started her and she stood up as the magician shifted in bed. “Be at ease, Trixie. I, Princess Luna, am here with you now.” The magician attempted to raise a foreleg to her mask, but she couldn’t lift it high enough. Luna gently slipped it down.
“Stop…” she murmured.
The princess leaned closer. “What?”
“Stop… her. She can’t… go to… Canterlot… alone. She can’t… learn the truth… alone.” Trixie’s eyes opened, but they rolled around in their sockets.
Luna’s eyes widened. “What truth? Is it something about Aurelius? About my sister? Please, tell me.”
Trixie coughed as gently as she could. “Stop her… before she… reaches… Celestia…”
Luna wanted to press harder for answers, but Trixie struggled to breathe, and she replaced the mask. Her mind roiled with questions, but the magician lost consciousness again. She headed for the door and Chrysalis was right on her heels again.
“Where are we going?” the changeling asked.
Luna led the way to the Derpy’s room, her gaze intense once more. “I have once again been left in an impossible position. We cannot mobilize on Canterlot without first resting, but Twilight already has a head start on us. If Nightmare Moon is unable to bring her back, then I pray whatever Trixie’s warning was for ends up being wrong.” As they arrived outside in the grey paladin’s room, her mind slipped into a frenzy of thoughts while she watched nurses cleaning and wrapping her wounds. One thought stuck out to her in particular. So, Celestia is alive and in Canterlot, but what does that mean? Is she a prisoner, or is she helping Aurelius? Both notions made her sick. Daring approached the room with a concerned look, but she did not need to ask to receive an answer. “She is being taken care of.”
The sandy paladin nodded, but stopped as she placed a hoof on the door handle. “Thank you,” she whispered without looking.
“You saved my life, all of our lives. It is I whom is indebted to you,” replied Luna.
Daring shook her head. “No. I’m… sorry about what happened in the past, but I have to know something.” The princess raised a brow at her. “Was it you or Princess Celestia that led to me muting Leo all those years ago?”
Luna opened her mouth to speak, but froze for a moment. “Does it matter anymore?”
The sandy paladin turned to her. “It does to me.”
“I gave the orders on her behalf. I know you may not believe me, but you may ask Celestia yourself. Trixie confirmed that she is alive and in Canterlot.”
If Daring was surprised by the news, she scarcely showed it. “I… see.” She pushed open the door and quietly shut it behind her.
“Should we put more guards here with them?” asked Chrysalis.
The princess shook her head. “There isn’t a force in the world that could harm Paladin Hooves now.” She led the way towards the hospital’s exit.
Chrysalis cocked her head. “What makes you say that?”
“There is nothing I would not do to protect my sister, and Daring Do is no less different in that regard.” Luna took a deep breath. I have never wished for day more than tonight.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 48: Home
Where… am I?
Twilight was stiff and sore, but still she forced herself to stir and move anything to keep from being still longer than necessary. The stone floor of the cathedral was chilly and had been unkind to her spine. After rubbing her eyes, she managed to twist and push herself to sit up, groaning and coughing away the dryness in her mouth. Slowly, she opened her eyes to the dim lighting. A boom of thunder reverberated throughout the cathedral, and her gaze snapped to the entrance door, its hole allowing rain and sound in.
I’m inside now. Where’s Trixie? Is she…? Her head rotated around the room, scanning the surroundings as her body attempted to keep up with her intent. Her gaze stopped on a cleared spot beside her where blood had been smeared across the floor, a small pool in the center of the scene. Strips of bloody cloth were strewn haphazardly around the spot, and a blood drip trail led towards the exit. Her wounds… An image of the magician impaled by Moonlight struck her mind. Pangs of pain followed and she groaned again, a hoof rubbing her temples.
“You killed her.”
Twilight jumped, wincing as her muscles protested the abrupt movement. She took a deep breath and frowned at her doppelganger. It grinned at her like usual, but its appearance mirroring her unsettled her most. “I… don’t know that.”
“You know deep down that you meant to kill her. She was a traitor, and you executed her. That is your duty. Maybe she felt guilty and dragged you inside, but it’s clear she wandered off into the storm. With that much blood loss there’s no chance she survived.”
The blood drained from her face as she stared at it, the realization sinking in; it felt like electricity surged through her nerves. I… killed… Trixie? Tears rolled down her cheeks and she rose up. “N-No! You’re wrong! I would never kill her!” She took reluctant steps towards the door, following the thick blood trail outside. Rain had washed away any trace beyond the stone steps and she peered out into the darkness. Diluted blood was running down the steps, but had nearly faded entirely. Horror drew her features back, and she collapsed to the stone landing. I-I would never k-kill her… The rain battered her body as lightning split the night above, mirroring her tumultuous thoughts. For a long while she laid there and listened, wading through fuzzy memories of anger and scornfully cast spells. Would I? she finally asked herself.
Oh, it’s not a matter of if. You killed her. She won’t be getting in your way again, replied the doppelganger.
Its words bit into her more than they comforted. She screeched out her frustrations, and adrenaline caused her to charge out into the darkness. Harsh breaths could be heard over the rain with her puffs of air misting out, her eyes glued to the ground looking for any sign that the beloved magician may yet still live. Blood. A hoofprint. A shred of her cloak. She raced across the roads, expanding her search radius before surging down the one that led to Canterlot. She had to have gone back to Canterlot if she was serving Aurelius as Vibe, she thought as she galloped at full speed down the road towards the mountaintop capital. She said they still didn’t know about me. Maybe… Maybe she… After several minutes, she had been reduced to a jittery walk, panting and frantically looking around. Suddenly, she fell to the mud. Trembling forehooves met her horrified face as she reached a dark conclusion. Trixie would never have made it that far alive.
“I… I killed her… S-She’s dead… and I killed h-her. Wh-what have I done!?” she wailed.
“Why would you mourn the death of a traitor?” the doppelganger asked, appearing before her and sneering down. “She was your enemy. She betrayed you!”
Twilight ignored it and continued to weep into her hooves. “What have I done? W-What am I doing anymore?” Her cries soon died down as her maelstrom of sorrow shifted. “Why should I even keep going? I killed my apprentice… a mare I loved… I’ve lost four years of time and now my home and kingdom is gone. My friends are all scattered… or worse. The ponies I trusted most in this stupid war have all betrayed me. And Nightmare Moon is…” Her heart skipped a beat. She’s… still out there. She has to be! Taking a shuddering breath, she shakily stood up. I’ll keep going. I have to find her… I can’t… go on without her.
“Oh, not giving up just yet? Good. There is still work to be done, Oracle.” The doppelganger vanished.
“You’re right. I still have to get rid of you. Permanently.”
Oh? But I’m here to help you. You’re stronger with me here, it replied. You don’t need that fake alicorn to help you kill the prince.
I’ll find Nightmare Moon, and I’ll kill Aurelius. I don’t need you to do either, Twilight snapped back. She shook her head and marched on towards Canterlot. I’m going to make Aurelius suffer, she thought as violent images of her options emerged in her mind. I’ll torture him until his mind breaks. I will carve my name into his soul! The hatred welled within her and she picked up pace, her stamina returning. Astra won’t get a corpse or a head. That’s not enough for me. She’ll get a shell of her little brother, a living trophy for all eternity to display and pity. He’ll pay for everything! She stopped as her eyes flowed up to the city in the distance. She lowered the cowl from her burned up cloak and trudged on. And so will Celestia.
Oh? And what is it you will do to her? asked the doppelganger evenly. For once, there was no tantalizing or glee in its voice. However, the oracle remained silent. You have always guarded your intentions with her. Even I can’t see into your memories with her. What is it you’re hiding, hm?
It doesn’t concern you, she replied curtly, tuning out his coaxing taunts.
Twilight reached Canterlot’s mountain as noon light bathed the mountain, the rain having stopped before dawn. She wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious, but relief washed over her as she had time to soak in the energizing rays. The march from the cathedral had been slowed by the mud of the heavy downpour and she frequently fought back the urge to fly. Trixie had managed to bring down a substantial part of her magic, and now she needed any precious time to recharge, but attracting the attention of any dragons would further delay her from her goals. Her stomach growled, but she would have to survive on her magic and force of will until she could steal in the city.
The external elevators to the capital were heavily guarded, and even fortified since the last time she had seen them. She paused and observed from a distance as the guards patrolled in pairs. Unicorns with the same jewelry from the town Berry occupied were among the guards, as well as cannons for additional defenses.
Anti-mages again? Not even the princesses employed them long ago. Who are they for? Luna’s magic is powerful, but she rarely fights directly with it. Trixie had already sided with Aurelius. Outside of Nightmare Moon and I fused this seems overly cautious for him. Her heart sank as she recalled the wondrous feeling of their melding together and sharing their experiences. She took a deep breath and refocused. I’m not interested in a fight just yet.
She started to scratch a rune into the ground, cleaning its details once she had finished. Let’s see if this works. With a small flash and a blink of her eyes, Twilight was inside Canterlot, or more precisely, the northern park. The runic teleportation was disorienting, and she inwardly lamented not having kept up with the practice. It didn’t take long for the morning-goers to take notice of her sudden and off-putting appearance. Whispers rolled through them while wide-eyes took in her sight, and some quickly scurried away. Taking another deep breath through her nose, Twilight peered around. She could see one pony speaking to several guards and motioning in her direction. Time to go.
Pivoting, she dashed away in the opposite direction and out of the park, tugging her cowl down. It did little to hide her black fur, and she appeared menacing even from a distance, but it obscured her face. After a few blocks of running she ducked into an alleyway to catch her breath. Concentrating, she sensed her surroundings and revealed no one had followed her. She sighed and looked over herself, extending a wing to inspect. Black fur is extremely rare, especially in Canterlot. Alicorns are even more suspect. I won’t be able to get to the castle without illusions. Grumbling, she straightened and cast a quick spell. I hate illusions. A small wave of light rolled over her body, shifting it into a light grey while her mane was left with a flat blue. She did her best to smooth and slick it back, but her magical influence straightened it and rolled the ends back allowing them to float above her eyes once more. This will have to do.
Why do you hate illusion spells? Don’t like pretending to be something you’re not? the doppelganger teased.
Twilight paused and frowned. It’s low level magic. It’s beneath me. Enchanting garments with complex spells are much more appropriate for a mage of my status. Trixie’s enchanted mask was impressive to say the least. The magician’s name turned her stomach and she quickly stepped out of the alleyway and directed her thoughts elsewhere. She moved down the sidewalk and lowered her cowl, her eyes drinking in the sight of an unfamiliar city. For a moment, she lost herself among the towers of grey stone and the ponies shuffling about in gloom.
“Oh… right,” she mumbled. Canterlot had to be rebuilt after it was razed during Aurelius’s siege. She sighed and began to deduce her whereabouts. I should still be close enough for a runic teleport. She closed her eyes and visualized her chambers within the castle, but she was unable to teleport. Repeated attempts gave her the same results. It felt as if a force was pushing back against her magic, even when focusing on a rune. So, Aurelius has adapted whatever teleport-blocking spell he had into something more. No matter. That’s more time to recover my magic.
She continued on, her eyes darting between the faces of every pony, her gaze lingering upon unicorns for a second longer. Home, she thought. But thoughts soon turned bitter. It’s not mine anymore. This isn’t the Canterlot I remember. It’s a lie. She moved to glimpse the tops of the castle in the distance and frowned. I’ll bring this whole façade crashing down.
Feisty, are we, said the doppelganger. It appeared ahead, walking backwards as it faced her. It still maintained its grin, but its body shifted and distorted before turning into something, or rather someone familiar.
“Celestia,” Twilight growled.
“Do you think she has something to do with this?” the doppelganger asked as it swayed a hoof to the ponies around. “They all seem so disillusioned. Just look at their faces, their eyes. So hollow. So… empty. Is that how they always were?” Twilight closed her eyes for a moment and wished death upon the doppelganger. To her relief, it had vanished from her view. As she went to take a breath, it reappeared beside her still donning the guise of the sun princess. “You feel it, don’t you?” it whispered in the sun princess’s voice as it leaned in close. “Deep within the very core of your soul,” it cooed. “She is guilty of this treason. You want to punish her. You want to… kill her.” It exhaled as its voice grew ever softer with sinister delight. “You’ll have your revenge. We know you will.”
Magic began to boil within Twilight as it snickered and pulled back, and she turned to face it ready to annihilate its existence externally, but it was gone. She quickly restrained her anger before she caused a ruckus, but it was too late. Her illusion had faded away and she was left receiving surprised looks. Ponies quickly shuffled by her and away, thinning the crowd. Damn you.
“Twilight?” a voice called from across the street.
She turned to glimpse them, preparing herself to fight or teleport if necessary, but her eyes widened to a light grey pony with a purple and white mane trotting towards her. N-no! This can’t happen. Not here, not now! Shaky steps back brought her rump to a wall.
“It really is you… You’re alive!” the mare’s voice shook, tears welling in her eyes. Before Twilight could react, she was embraced. “I can hardly recognize you.”
“M-mom…” she choked back while stumbling to reply. “What… are you… doing here?”
Velvet pulled back and clasped her daughter’s face, a bittersweet smile taking hold of her features. “I can’t believe it’s really you. What happened to you? Where have you been all this time? Your father and I… your brother, your friends… Th-there was a f-funeral.”
Twilight pulled her mother’s hooves from her face. “Mom, please. I don’t have time for this.” Immediately, she knew she had chosen the wrong words.
Tears rapidly fell from Velvet’s eyes while her face had twisted with sorrow. “H-How can y-you say th-that? Y-You s-should always have time for your f-family. We… we thought we had lost you f-forever!”
Ponies had begun to gather again. Too many eyes, thought Twilight. It’s too late to take my time now. She had to get away, but at the same time she owed her mother an explanation. Damn it. I can’t break her heart again, but I can’t afford to do this. Aurelius probably already knows I’m here! Damn it!
Twilight pushed Velvet away, earning a confused, hurt look, and formed a weak barrier around herself. “I’m sorry, mom. I love you, and tell dad and Shining. I promise I’ll explain later.” She stared at her mother as she opened her mouth, but she was instantly replaced with a fountain. Loosing a long sigh, Twilight spun around and stared down the main street to the Canterlot castle. The building loomed in the distance, seemingly untouched by time and the calamity in its own city. She hung her head, the misery of saddening her parents once more weighing over her, and trudged forward.
***
Luna yawned as the sun shone through her mane and into her face. Standing up, she stretched and rubbed her eyes, blinking several times until she could see. Derpy was still asleep in the chair next to her, but her eyes trailed up see the elder sister standing and leaning against the wall beside the door, her eyes closed and forelegs crossed.
“Was there any incident?” she asked.
The sandy pegasus gently shook her head. “I made sure the nurses were just that. Can’t be sure with the company we keep.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen your pet changeling in a while.”
The princess frowned, and then looked to the magician lying in bed slowly breathing while a machine and mask fed her oxygen. “How is she?”
Daring opened her eyes, but she only stared at the floor. “Critical. She will need a long time to recover, far too long to delay retaking Canterlot for. Our resistance force is ready, but we’ve gotten new information that Colgate is there.”
Luna sighed. “You must handle her.”
Daring glanced up. “Why? Are you not planning to help?”
Luna gently shook Derpy as she spoke. “I am afraid Twilight may be beyond your sister’s strength, but since I do know some measure of yours I do hold confidence that you two together may be able to subdue her. However, confronting my friend is something I must do. I may be able to bring her to our cause, but she would not take kindly to those she does not know.”
Daring watched as Derpy stirred and rubbed a tendril of drool from the side of her mouth. “If she’s so dangerous, why are you putting your life on the line?”
The princess smiled. “For my dearest friend I shall face death to save her, even if she is the one that dare to take my life. Her power I do not fear, for I have witnessed firsthoof her madness. My sister has as well, and I do believe Knight Dash and Archmage Lulamoon have from their accounts of past events.”
The sandy pegasus drew her second sword and inspected damage already inflicted upon the blade. “Are you forgetting why I hated you?” She drew her first sword and rested it on her head. “Or did you ignore it?”
Luna maintained an even look. “I will not allow you to mute her. That is…”
Daring jammed both swords into their sheaths. “Our duty. Are you forgetting that I have carried out that duty before? My best friend, and my partner. It kills me inside to this day that he can walk around and act like it never happened. There had to have been another way!”
Derpy blinked and yawned. “What are you talking about?” Her elder sister chewed her lip and looked away.
Leo entered the room quietly and frowned. “There probably was another way,” he chimed in, removing the hood of his robe. Slowly, he parted the front of his mane. “Look, Paladin Do,” he said as he stepped in front of her. Daring refused, but the chancellor swiftly grabbed her face. “I have moved on. Why can’t you?” Daring’s eyes twitched as she stared at the grisly scar where his horn once was. “There is some nerve damage to this day, but it does not hurt as it once did. I mourned your loss and my own that day, and my daughter was acutely aware of whom muted me. I will never perform magic like the archmage I once was, but I survived. This is what we do, and what I understood when I ascended that day. Do you think, after all this time, that I would blame you of all ponies, or Princess Luna? If the decision had come from Princess Celestia we would not be having this conversation at all. She gave the correct instructions and your true master would have given the same ones.” Daring stared at the scar, and then glanced past to Luna and Derpy. Her younger sister stood up and cocked her head.
“You… cut off Chancellor Leo’s horn? That’s what this is all about?” Her gaze quickly grew more intense. “How long ago was this?”
Leo turned around and quickly reset his mane. “Far too long for it to matter. Your sister’s petty grudge—“
Daring placed a hoof on his shoulder. “How can you call it petty? Imagine if you were in my position and you had to cut off Colgate’s horn? How do you face anyone after you’re forced to cripple someone you would call family? How can I look myself in the mirror when I know in my heart there was another way? H-How…” She turned away and went silent for a moment. “How can I face my sister now knowing that she may one day have to do the same thing!?” Her body shook as she grit her teeth, but she subdued her voice to just above a whisper. “Every day of my life I spent wishing she would never have to do something like that, and here she has ended up exactly like me not knowing the pain of what it feels like every day to know you made the wrong decision and crippled a friend for the rest of their life. It only hurts more knowing you forgave me when you were the one that was robbed of everything.” She glanced up to see the princess wide-eyed and her sister’s jaw hanging open.
“So… that’s it, huh?” muttered Derpy. There was a long silence before she spoke again. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but if that’s what I would have to do to save my best friend then I’ll do it.”
“Ditz, please try to—“
“Understand? I get it, Daring.” She adjusted her armor and tightened her baldric. “I know what a paladin has to do, but if I let myself be afraid of my duties when I need to do them most I’ll get myself or others killed.”
Daring hung her head and fought back tears, but Leo placed a gentle hoof to her face. “You made the best decision you could have that day. We were overwhelmed. It was the first of the contractors we had ever encountered and we were not prepared. I played my trump card and lost control of my power. At first, I was angry and felt betrayed. I hated that my career was over, but I eventually came to terms with it. I was no longer angry at you, but upset because you never let me thank you for giving me another chance to see my daughter grow.”
The sandy pegasus shivered as tears fell from her obscured eyes. “I… can’t… do it, Leo. Not again. She hates me, and when we face her I can’t bring myself to do the same thing to her as I did to you if it comes to that. I just… can’t.”
“Then I’ll do it,” replied Derpy. Daring glanced up to her with tears streaming down her face. “She has been jealous of me taking the Paladin title ever since it was left vacant. You don’t need to bear the burden of doing something so terrible again. I will live with that. I took my oath knowing full well that this could one day happen.”
Wiping her eyes, the sandy pegasus took a deep breath. “No. That won’t happen again. This time… we will find another way.”
Luna loosed a sigh, relief washing over her as the tension faded. She turned to the magician. “I am… starting to see some connections I did not before. We must find Celestia before Twilight. I do not know what to expect with her, but I am sure… we can finish this conflict. Leo, are we ready to depart?”
The chancellor eyed Daring as she wiped her eyes. “We are, Your Majesty, or the best we can be. The militia will hold the enemy forces at bay, but you three must hurry to the royal vaults as soon as you can. The Paladins will be needed to hold the battle outside. However, I fully expect my daughter to join the fray and she will be far greater a danger than the dragons.”
“She will be difficult before we reach our armaments. Nay, she will be a great obstacle even once we have them.” Luna put a hoof to her chin as she stared at the floor for a moment. “One of you will need to hold her off if we encounter her. Once Paladin Hooves has her shield and I have my hammer we can split off. You two will aid our allies in the city while I find my sister and Twilight. Perhaps we can dispatch Aurelius ourselves. We must reach the vaults in haste. The longer Twilight is a factor the more volatile the situation in the castle becomes, and I do not wish to see her captured or worse. For now, we can count on Aurelius drawing her ire, but I fear my sister may be her target if she appears.”
“We won’t let you down, Princess,” said Derpy as she gave a salute. “C’mon, Daring,” she said as she walked out the door. Her sister took a deep breath and followed without looking at anyone else.
“Will she be alright to recover?” Leo nodded to the magician.
“I have guards stationed here in the meantime,” replied Luna as she adjusted her cloak fastidiously. She spoke again before the chancellor could and turned to face him. “She reveres my sister, and to this day I do not know the extent of that loyalty nor her power. That bothers me even if Paladin Hooves has gotten her to overcome her distaste of me. I do not like trusting ponies I cannot measure.”
Leo cocked his head. “Oh? Have you not seen enough?”
Luna gave him a heavy look. “Do you recall Twilight’s powers? Her thirst for knowledge? I had once feared she would gain a lust for power. If you could see her now you would see that fear manifest. That is what happens when there are no boundaries for an archmage. They say there is a first for everything. For the first time I fear an archmage. My best friend. And it is because I cannot measure her. Her power. Her intentions. Her psyche. Her loyalty. She is heading right to the heart of a war that has been going on longer than she has been in Equestria. Things have changed, and if she abandons her allegiance now there may be nothing in anyone’s power to save her.”
Leo chuckled, earning a surprised half-glare from the princess. “Do not sell us short, Your Majesty. I have lived to see Daring’s potential, but I do not need to see yours to know it. This day will end in a victory in one way or another. Have faith in yourself.”
Luna pushed open the door and calmed. “I wish I could share your confidence and outlook in the matter, but I simply cannot relinquish these fears. However, I will not allow myself to succumb to despair.” She took a deep breath. “Let us go. We shall see what awaits us in Canterlot. The end of Aurelius’s reign shall be this day.”
She made her way outside to see many ponies already gathered and organized. Many took notice of her presence and straightened up while the paladins scouted the skies. A brushing to the princess’s side startled her, and she only just realized that Chrysalis had appeared closely beside her. She had donned her Nympha alias. “Where have you been?”
The changeling queen didn’t meet her eyes. “I’m not exactly a welcome guest among your kind. I thought it would be best to be out of sight until you were awake.”
Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You do not need to isolate yourself. I will protect you and show them.” Before she could receive a reply, Daring landed before her and saluted.
“We’re ready to go. We can take some of the ground forces by train, but getting anyone else into the city without being noticed will be impossible. Dragons patrol the skies, and the elevators are all guarded. Once the train team makes it in there will be alarms.” She cast a glance at the changeling queen for a split second.
Luna let out a disgruntled breath. “We have no other options open to us. It is now or never. I am afraid that, even though we do not know how to utilize any of Twilight’s teleportation abilities or runes, we must press on.”
A low, hoarse voice came from behind. “That’s not true.”
The princess turned to see the magician had staggered out of the hospital. Dried blood crusted her fur with thick bandaging for her sword wound. More bandages covered burn marks, with a final one wrapping around her head and covering her right eye. “Archmage Lulamoon, you should be resting. You are in no condition to—“
“Shut up,” she retorted, earning looks from the readied militia in earshot. “Your Majesty,” she added. “You’re not getting into Canterlot, even by train. Unicorns are in place to check the passengers before they even get off the cars. If you made it to the city there’s more patrols to deal with. Your only hope of getting everyone inside is through me.” She coughed several times and groaned, slouching forward and clutching her wound.
“We cannot allow you to risk your—“
The magician glowered. “Shut up.” She coughed again and took a deep breath as her two nurses exited the hospital and rushed over to her. She held up a hoof and shot them a look. “I can open a portal to one of Twilight’s runes. I studied her research and notes. It’ll take most of what I have just to do it, but I can get you there. And before you even ask, no, I won’t be joining you.”
Luna nodded. “That is a relief. Will you be alright here?”
Trixie looked at the nurses with a much more welcoming glance. “I don’t know. With my mask destroyed and my uniform gone I doubt I can reach out to Aurelius’s forces for support if necessary. I’m a traitor to him anyway. I’ve been passing information on to Rarity for a long time, but just talking to you like this now would seal my fate.”
Luna gasped. “So, you’re Rarity’s spy.” Trixie smirked for a moment, but her pain stole it away just as quickly as it came. “Before we depart, I must ask, what of my sister? What has happened all this time? What is the truth Twilight must not learn alone.”
The magician grimaced. “Princess Celestia has been alive and well in Canterlot since its fall. I’ve only seen her twice since becoming Vibe. Once, in the very beginning, when she was bound in chains and brought to him. And the second time I saw her in the halls of the castle alone in a robe. She walked by me and dropped a note. All it had said was, ‘Buy everyone time.’ She is a secret to even the other dragon lords—Aurelius’s little hounds.”
“Buy everyone time?” Luna repeated, mystified. Could she have known we were working on a way to free her, or is there more to this? “Do you know what she meant?”
Trixie shook her head. “I had planned to sabotage that bastard prince from the moment I agreed to work for him, but he should’ve known that. He was always watching me, always making sure. I had to be careful, but to this day I’m sure he knew. I kept us from catching you, but the prince even delayed or threw off our pursuits of you and Derpy. I don’t know why. It’s like he wanted you to stay just out of reach.”
“That is troubling to hear.” Luna shook her head. “Is there anything else?”
“One last thing.” Trixie took a deep breath and groaned. “Princess Celestia is not locked in a dungeon. I could never confirm it, and Aurelius always warned me of asking about it, but she might be working with him. I only saw her twice, and she vanished after the second time. That was over a year ago. I even tried to find her.”
The princess stared at the ground in silence for a long while. She would never work with him. There would have to be a good reason for that. “Thank you, Trixie. We must depart. Twilight is far ahead of us in time.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She motioned for the nurses to follow and led them to a clearing nearby. “I can’t hold this forever, so you’ll need to hurry once this is opened.”
She took Derpy’s sword and shuffled around, scratching marks and lines all around. A large alchemy circle came to form, but she did not stop, continuing to add more details and pictograms within the quadrants and lines. It became far more complex and detailed than most of Twilight’s had been. After she finished, she dropped the sword and fell to the grass.
Luna rushed to her side. “Are you alright? Will you be able to cast the spell in your state?”
She slowly rose and nodded. “I have to compensate for Twilight’s magical talent with a more intricate design, but it will work. To be honest, I developed this spell for something just like this.” Her horn sparked and flared, producing a brilliant light. There was a loud hum as a portal of blue light burst forth, swirling as it expanded to form. It shimmered and billowed, emitting a low hum.
“Get going!” she shouted.
Derpy collected her sword and led the forces in, with Daring staying back to hustle them. Leo stepped in with the rest of the unicorns. Luna watched as they filed in until it was only herself and Chrysalis remaining.
“I will not forget this,” said Luna as she approached the portal, marveling at its existence.
“You better get my dimensions right when you build my statue,” Trixie replied as the light from her horn faded. “Good luck. And knock some sense into Twilight for me.”
Luna nodded, and glanced to Chrysalis. “Let’s go.” They disappeared into the portal and it closed shut.
Trixie collapsed to the ground, a hoof pressed tightly to her sword wound. The bandage had stained with blood and leaked out. “I bought all the time I could, Princess Celestia. I don’t know… what you have planned… but it… better… work…” She collapsed as the nurses lifted her and carried her back to the hospital.
***
Twilight quickened her pace through the city, attempting to maintain as much of a low profile as possible. Despite her best efforts, her black fur made her stand out against the light stone of the city buildings and the brighter shades of those around her. She inwardly groaned at the looks she received, but accelerated into a gallop to avoid lingering. Illusions seemed like a good idea after her teleport, but pairs of unicorn guards patrolled and they could more easily notice one. Their suspicion would call for an investigation into her use of such magic, and a quick dispel would give more alarm to her appearance. Wary glances were better than a risk for reinforcements. She wondered if her cutie mark being exposed even mattered now, but at least her fur would distract from it as she raced by.
The looks from strangers continued to put her on edge, and she tried to balance her urgent gait with attempting to move naturally. She failed and looked just as nervous as suspicious. The buildings loomed, and she began to imagine voices in her mind. Insults and cries for guards plagued her thoughts, her chest thumping in her head. She snatched a passing pony’s lunch and darted through the crowd and into an alley road. She shuffled away from the open street and took a gasping breath. Am I… having a panic attack? she wondered, pressing a hoof to her chest, and then calmly waving it out as she sucked in air. It took several moments to equalize herself, but it was offset by her suddenness to consume what she stole. Catching her breath, she stepped out of the alley and continued on.
She halted near the castle gates and peered to the grand steppe beyond sweeping up to the entrance. Memories burned her heart as she thought back to all the times she had walked up and down them with friends. With pride. She gnashed her teeth as she thought back to Trixie walking with her, but her bitter thoughts were interrupted as two pegasus guards approached her, with two more still at the gate.
“Stay where you are,” the first commanded sternly.
She quickly blinked back to focusing before ripping her cowl off. “Get out of my way,” she growled.
“You are to be detained. Come quietly and you won’t be harmed,” he continued.
The second guard attempted to circle her, but a ring of magical fire quickly formed around him. “Cross that ring and you’ll be burned alive.” Her eyes focused back on the guard in front of her and she extended a hoof towards him. A dark purple aura gripped him and raised him up, rapidly bringing him up to the oracle. “Where is Aurelius?” she asked forcefully.
“I’m not afraid of you!” he snarled, squirming within the aura.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak, but a horrified scream from beside her interrupted. She stared into the eyes of the guard before her as his fixated upon his burning companion. She did not need to look to know the fear in his eyes as the other guard ran and flailed in flames. Armor clamored about as he attempted to discard it or roll, but it didn’t matter. “I warned him. I’ll let you use your imagination for what will happen if I have to ask again.”
“C-Castle! T-Throne! G-Gathering!” he stuttered quickly.
Twilight lowered him to the ground, however he could not move, yet. She glanced over her shoulder as more guards and townsponies had begun to discover the commotion. The other guard had put himself out, but whimpered in agony. “Where is Celestia?”
The guard glared at her. “I won’t let you harm Her Majesty!”
“I hate the smell of burning flesh.” A blast of fire shot from her horn and struck him as she walked by. His screams filled the air behind her as other ponies cried out. As she neared the gates she attempted to coax them open, but they resisted. Wards? That’s new. She continued towards it and her horn lit with magic. Each half of the gate was gripped with the dark purple aura before being forcefully crushed and pulled from the hinges. She threw the bent pieces to her side, a cacophony of rattling steel, and continued without missing a step.
Impatient, are we? the doppelganger remarked, breaking its long silence.
I guess you could say that, she replied as her anger slowly rose.
More guards shuffled in behind her while some exited the castle to investigate. It wasn’t long before they barred her path and surrounded her. Orders to surrender were called out, but one of the castle guards shouted above the rest. “Stop! Do you know who this is!? Look, you fools!” He aimed a spear towards her flank. “It’s Twilight Sparkle, the rogue archmage!”
Twilight frowned. “Good,” she cooed. “We can skip the formalities. Where is Aurelius?” she called out, sizing up the numerous guards.
The captain frowned as she smirked back, and he lowered his spear. “Stand down, all of you. There is nothing we can do against her. Make way.” The guards at the castle entrance grumbled before moving aside and she continued on. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered as she passed.
She stopped and glanced at him. “Your concerns are noted. Where is Celestia?”
He shook his head and shuffled into the crowd.
Ignore him. Focus on your goal, the doppelganger urged. Don’t waste your energy on them.
She hesitated, but heeded the advice and entered the castle, the stares of the guards on her back. The red carpet running into the entry hall and main steps remained, but new banners of the prince hung all around. Tapestries with crests she did not recognize and new furnishings reminiscent of the Brood’s culture now decorated her former home. Anger distorted her face as two tapestries bearing the prince’s cutie mark erupted in flames, rapidly turning them to small piles of ash.
That bastard has desecrated this place! Abruptly, unicorns funneled into the room, and Twilight took note of a pulsing wave of magic. It was subtle, but distinct. A magic alarm!? She braced herself as she recognized the intricate decorations, masks, and light garb of her new foes. “Anti-mages,” she muttered with disgust.
“You will go no further, Twilight Sparkle,” shouted a member of the antimagi at the top of the stairs. “Surrender and you won’t be harmed. Resist and your defeat will be… uncomfortable.”
This will only slow you down. Find a way past them or take them out quickly, urged the doppelganger.
I shouldn’t be wasting magic on them, but… She took a deep breath as she attempted to sense them all. Twenty two, twenty four… twenty eight, she counted. Their magic nullification had already seeped into the air, but their efforts were in vain. “None of you are strong enough to suppress me,” she noted aloud.
“Together, we will bind you,” the leader called back.
The force of their nullification was brought to bear, and Twilight struggled to resist it. The link to her own magic grew thin, and she feared she would lose it entirely. This is too much to ignore. I have to fight back. Cursing, she enshrouded herself in her dark aura and concentrated as the antimages descended the stairs and encircled her. Practiced words escaped her lips as she pieced together multiple incantations. When she finished, she grinned. “Your weakness is that you can’t suppress magic you can’t comprehend.” A white, opaque barrier formed around her that rapidly drew in energy. She could hear cries to flee, but the barrier exploded, rippling outward and destroying the room. When the dust settled, most of the unicorns had been rendered unconscious and the décor in the room had been reduced to rubble and burnt fragments. She smirked as she watched one of Aurelius’s tapestries burn away. Huh? She peered around the piles of unicorns, overlooking the ones still conscious and moaning. That’s odd. This place should be filled with ponies after all of that. Her eyes drifted to the corners and across the ceiling. A powerful enchantment is on the entranceway. No sound escapes this room. Have they been expecting me all along? Her heart skipped a beat. No. That wouldn’t make sense. Why is this room silenced, but with a specific alarm? How many more are like this?
She proceeded forward up the stairs and to the leader. He lay across the middle landing clutching his stomach while moaning. “Are you going to kill me?” he wondered aloud in a pained voice.
Twilight cocked her head. “You’re not worth the energy. Where is Aurelius? The throne room?”
The antimage hesitated to answer. “Sounds like you already know. It won’t matter. Once the king knows you’re here you’ll be drowning in dragons before the afternoon is done. You’re not escaping this place.”
The oracle knelt down, her face just inches from his mask, and spoke softly. “I murdered the Brood’s entire royal guard, and then the dragon king. Alone. Now, tell me. What would a bunch of whelps do, hm? I killed Aurelius once, and I’ll destroy him again.” She could hear the unicorn shivering beneath the mask. “Yes,” she cooed. “That’s the fear you should feel the next time you hear my name.” She stood up and walked on, leaving him to his wounds.
Excellent spell choice. How did you know they could not block that?
They disrupt magic by suppressing your ability to sense it. That spell is cast by modifying an existing one. They can’t stop that reaction without countering it, but I needed an incantation and more energy than normal to cast it. I’m not sure how much longer I could have waited before they forced me to resort to something more… drastic. She moved through the halls, her appearance startling castle staff. Several royal guards saw her, but they merely watched and said nothing, their even stoic eyes and faces following her and nothing else. They aren’t even trying. I would think this place would be less receptive to me. As she reached the throne hall, the large doors were shut tight, with a pegasus on each side armed with a spear and buckler.
“Beyond this point is invitation only,” said one guard.
Twilight frowned. “Is Celestia in there as well?” The guards exchanged nervous glances. “I’ll find out for myself.” Her horn lit, but a spear was at her throat before she could use telekinesis. “I suggest you remove that or we’re going to see if I’m accurate enough to lodge it between all of your organs without killing you.” She smirked as the spear was slowly lowered. “Both of you leave or you will die. I won’t give you a second chance. Evacuate as many ponies still loyal to the true Equestria as you can. I don’t tolerate betrayal kindly.” The guards once more exchanged nervous glances before galloping down the hall.
After they disappeared around a corner she took a deep breath and placed a hoof on each door. This is it. I’m finally here, and I’m ready to end all of this. She hesitated. This… is easy. Too easy. Something isn’t right. Getting into Canterlot was too easy, but not many knew of my runes. Escaping the guards was too easy. The castle guards stood down. The antimages were the only real threat and they don’t mesh with the other soldiers that should be here. All of this is off… She removed her hooves and began analyzing the hallway, and then the door, and finally the room ahead. All but four ponies within were beyond normal magical capability, the throne featured the same soundproofing enchantment as the lobby; however, there was no alarm spell present. Among those four she sensed she could only determine that one was not particularly strong, but the magical signature was tricky and unique. She attempted to analyze the magic, but it was unknown to her. She had never encountered anything like it in her travels.
Having doubts? You dispatched the antimages easily because you are powerful. They are nothing before the might of an archmage, an oracle of Astra.
Despite the encouragement from the doppelganger, Twilight couldn’t relinquish her doubts. They were starting to spiral into worry and fear. She took another deep breath. “Forget it. I’ve come this far. I can take on anything. I’ll deal with my own entropy if I need to. Today I will get my answers and my revenge.” With a heave and a push from her magic, the doors swept open to the throne room.
The large red carpet ran across the center of the room like a bloody tongue, climbing up a few steps to the throne landing. Enormous, extravagant chandeliers hung down, shimmering and illuminating the room with crystal splendor. Waiters were moving about with beverages and snacks while many ponies of nobility or high esteem were in groups speaking to one another. However, their eyes were now upon her. Twilight blinked several times. Dizziness hit her and she struggled to maintain her focus. Her eyes danced between the stained glass on the sides of the room, and her anger overrode her ill feelings. Their depictions were no longer of the princesses, or Twilight, or her friends. They were of dragons and the prince himself. She recognized a crystal pony in the crowd and her thoughts drifted to the Crystal Empire momentarily. She shook her head.
“Aurelius!” she bellowed. “I’ve come with a message.”
The prince, now a king, sat at the throne with a disinterested gaze upon his subjects. A lavish manteau rested over his back and shoulders, and an ornate crown ringed his head, resting gently against his horn. As her words reached him his eyes widened. He slowly stood up as his gaze shifted to a mixture of surprise and deep concern. It took him a moment to collect himself. “So… She found a new hound in you after all,” he responded coolly. “What message could a dead mare’s dog possibly have for me?”
“Astra will have your head.”
His gaze was now only with concern. Suddenly, a massive boom could be heard in the distance outside. “All of you, get out. Now!” he shouted down to the ponies in the room. They rushed by Twilight in whirlwind of hoofsteps and fearful words, taking care not to get too close to her. When all were gone, three ponies remained. One to the king’s right, a unicorn concealed with a white cloak, their cowl hung over their head, and another to his left, a unicorn fully clad in armor. “You. Go investigate that. See if the other dragon lord has recovered. I’ll need you two keeping those vermin in line.” With a nod, the armor-clad unicorn marched out. Twilight sensed their magic as they passed by.
Why do I sense two with that one? she wondered. She approached the throne’s landing, her scorn playing across her features. “Are you ready to die, little prince?”
Aurelius ignored her and spoke to the cloaked figure. “You’ll need to buy me some time. I can’t have her slowing me down. If she’s here now I must go.” The figure nodded and the king whirled around, blasting open one of his stained glass windows. “Remember, if I fall, you lose your best chance.” He made his escape, but Twilight took flight to pursue. The cloaked figure barred her path.
“Get out of my way! I’m not letting that bastard leave this place alive!” she roared.
She attempted to remove the figure was unable to touch the figure at all with her telekinesis. Anti-mage? Startled, she didn’t realize a kick from an armored hoof coming her way. With a crack, she was struck in the jaw and sent spiraling away and onto the steps, rolling to the bottom. Twilight moaned as she brought a hoof up to gingerly massage her jaw. “Who are you?” she asked as she stood up, her anger redirected. “I can’t touch you with my telekinesis.”
The figure removed their cloak in one swift move to reveal their large body to be lightly clad in armor. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I was hoping it would not come to this.”
“Celestia,” the word escaped Twilight’s mouth like a lost breath as she gazed upon the sun princess in awe. It was surreal to think that her mentor, friend, and the ruler of Equestria would protect the very enemy that shattered their world, but here she stood between her and her mark.
The princess maintained a delicate voice as she spoke. “There are things you don’t understand, Twilight. Things you can’t understand. Not as you are now. Please, do not fight. Hear me out.”
Her words did not reach the oracle and she hung her head to the floor. The pleas of the sun princess were muted, and the explosions and commotion from outside were reduced to a dull roar. There was only quietness to her as she stood up. In silence, her shroud appeared and its appearance was absolutely still. Is this… it? Is this the end? She… betrayed me to Aurelius. She sent me to kill him, and now she’s protecting him. What… am I anymore? What am I even doing? Am I… just a lie?
“Twilight, are you listening to me?” the princess asked urgently. “Please, just surrender.”
Her eyes met with Celestia’s. “There is nothing you can say to me…” She glanced up to the sun princess. “…that would make me want to do anything but cut out your lying tongue.”
Kill her, the doppelganger growled into her mind. The light in the room dimmed, and for a moment her mind’s eye melded with the world. Her doppelganger—her Id—had embraced her. She is a liar! She is a traitor! You serve Astra. A true queen. Its words no longer sickened her. It had been right, and she had doubted it. She didn’t trust it, but it had been keeping her on the path. She did not need to see its grin. She could feel it.
Celestia’s eyes widened and Twilight took a shambling step closer. A wide grin slowly split her face from ear to ear as she spoke softly. “You are… not Equestria’s princess. You are not my princess.” She gently shook her head and chuckled. “Not anymore. You are a liar, and you are a traitor.” She took a deep breath as her magic readied. Standing up, she swayed her forelegs out, as if welcoming her. “Today… I am going to retire you, Princess Celestia.”
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 49: The Iron Maiden
Celestia shuffled back when Twilight’s dark shroud of magic started to roil. “P-Please, Twilight. I don’t want to fight you. Just listen to me!” Her lips curled in as the oracle’s aura manifested briefly in a dark purple mass. It sank back into her like a sickly goo.
“I’ll bring down your day.” Twilight extended a hoof towards the princess and her grin vanished. Grunting, she bared her teeth as her horn shined a dark purple. “Damn it. Even now I can’t reach you with my telekinesis. I don’t understand…”
The princess collected herself and shook her head. “Twilight, please…”
A wave of dark energy ripped from the floor, flowing into the throne and consuming the princess’s body. Twilight raised her hoof and it erupted into the ceiling. When it receded, Celestia was glaring down to her from inside of a golden barrier. She glided back down and discharged a yellow-white ray of energy from her horn. The beam raked across the floor, forcing Twilight back to the door.
“I will not take an unnecessary beating from you,” she spat.
The oracle snorted and rolled her eyes over the stained glass windows as she spoke. “There’s nothing a liar like you can say to convince me otherwise.”
Celestia chewed her lower lip briefly. “Twilight, I can’t fight you. Much of my magic has been suppressed.”
“I don’t believe you.”
A loud hum preceded a black and purple beam piercing Celestia’s barrier. She groaned as she was blasted back, but remained standing. Spots of her alabaster fur were singed, a mournful glance cast to the damage. The light armor she wore lost its luster but was intact. Twilight slowly walked towards the princess, her horn buzzing as she readied another attack. “Don’t give up just yet, Celestia. I’m already enjoying this. But honestly, your sister put up a better fight when we sparred.”
“I beg of you, Twilight. I am not your enemy!”
Twilight scratched at her ear and turned away. “Begging for your life didn’t work out so well for Trixie.”
Celestia’s eyes fell to the floor. “N-No! Vibe… You didn—“
Twilight gave her a dark look as the tone of her voice flattened. “Oh, but I did. I don’t tolerate betrayal from anyone.” Her eyes narrowed. “Not even you.”
The princess swallowed as Twilight drew closer. She leaped into the air and flapped her wings, flying towards the doors, but another beam struck her right wing and she spiraled down. With a thud, she hit the floor and rolled. She lay there for a moment before rising once more. Frowning, she held out her forehooves and presented silvery bindings attached to them. “My magic is suppressed. I cannot fight you with my full strength even if I wanted to indulge you.”
The oracle stared at them in silence. It would make sense that Aurelius would suppress her magic, but she was still able to block one of my spells. “I’m calling your bluff, princess.” Charging towards her, her shroud darkened into a thick shell, and she drove a punch into the princess’ stomach. She leaned in close as the shell receded from her face, grinning as she watched Celestia’s jaw fly open. The air in her lungs had been smashed out, and the absence of breath was punctuated with pained, guttural sounds. Twilight reeled her hoof back as the princess hit the floor. She stared down at the writhing body of her former mentor. Disappointment had already filled her. Closing her eyes, she visualized the space around her, slowly expanding beyond the castle grounds. No guards were coming, but new, much stronger creatures had appeared in the city. I recognize two of these, but that third one… She pondered the last being. They’re hiding a massive amount of power. It seems even more familiar than the other two. Could that be the same…? She turned and stepped to the throne as she continued to analyze what was outside, paying no heed to her injured foe.
“I… don’t want… to fight you…” Celestia called to her with a hoarse voice, interrupting the oracle.
Twilight whirled around and shrugged. “I guess you weren’t bluffing. Why don’t you take off your bindings and face me with all of your magic. I’ll crush you just like everyone else that’s gotten in my way. Your betrayal just makes you one more obstacle.”
The princess took a slow, deep breath and eyed Twilight cautiously. “Am I still held to our promise?” Twilight gazed back in silence before hanging her head. Celestia continued as she approached the throne with delicate steps. “Then I suppose this is not the end after all. I helped raise you. I trained you. I know you. You are not the posturing monster that stands before me now, so take your best shot, Twilight. I will not kneel to your power, nor your sins. Am I allowed before you now because I am all that you have left? Am I wrong?” She reached the steps and stared back fiercely, but Twilight rapidly descended and struck her in the face again. The princess toppled to the floor.
Twilight loomed over Celestia, her eyes drinking in the sight. She had yearned to get revenge—to mete out her own justice—but the damaged body of the sun princess left only a feeling more empty and hollow than the one that drove her on. The doppelganger whispered into her head, but it was muddled and distant. She could not understand its words as she stared down at the sun princess with apathy.
Moving to where the throne had been, she sat down and allowed herself to continue analyzing the situation. Celestia wasn’t lying; her power was grossly diminished to the point that she wasn’t far above an unicorn adept. “Why are you suppressing your own magic?” She watched as the princess picked herself up and rubbed her face. “You are… and you aren’t. There isn’t any fun in this if you can’t fight back.”
Dull clinks reverberated when Celestia bent down and banged one on the floor several times. “Then there will be no fun to be had. Hear me out, Twilight.”
The oracle snapped up and fired a blast of energy at one of the bangles. When the puff of smoke faded it appeared unfazed. Made of null-magic runes? Then that means… Her eyes focused on Celestia, and she took a step back. To have this much magic under direct suppression… “Take them off. Both of them.”
“I… won’t.” The princess chewed her lower lip again. “Why are you so eager to fight?”
“If you won’t fight me now I’ll just have to come back later. You’ve already wasted enough of my time here.” She turned and stepped towards the hole the prince escaped through, but a blast of energy passing her head stopped her. Twilight stiffened. “With your magic suppressed you aren’t even a threat to me.” Celestia charged her, but Twilight spun around and kicked into her abdomen, knocking her away. She pivoted to walk away, but a new presence burst through the doors and stopped her. The magic they held was enormous. It was a familiar strength, one that she had faced before, but one that was never as strong as she felt now.
***
Alarms and shouts had already filled the air when Luna arrived on the other side of the portal. The resistance forces splintered into smaller groups and pushed out from the landing point of the portal. Luna watched as it closed, lamenting that Trixie could not join them. Daring and Derpy were in the skies issuing commands while Leo recounted the unicorns’ plans to them one last time. After a moment they marched into the fray, and Derpy dropped from the skies to the princess’s side.
“Let’s go, Your Majesty. You will be recognized immediately, and we need to reach the vaults as soon as possible. I’m still injured, and I’ll need my shield if I’m going to keep fighting dragons.” The grey paladin drew Glance Reviver and took a deep breath.
“Hey, we’re not hanging around for the battle outside.” Daring landed beside them, both of her swords already drawn. “We need to go now, while we still have the element of surprise on our side. The faster we get your weapons the better.”
Luna nodded. “We shall fly. I am unarmed and will try to conserve my magic if I can. Can you two handle anything we encounter?” The sisters exchanged glances before nodding in unison. “Let us hurry.”
Large bells pealed atop towers while dragons dotted the sky with many landing and meeting the resistance forces on the ground. Unicorns worked together to shield the soldiers fighting or bind their enemies’ movements, but they struggled against the raw might of their enemies. Luna’s stomach twisted as she watched several ponies of a cell outmatched. Dread filled her as she watched one being eaten alive, loosing one final scream before he was crushed among the dragon’s teeth. Just continue on. Their loss means nothing if this battle cannot be won.
Two dragons blocked their flight and Derpy attempted to strike, but Daring soared in front of her. “I’ll take these on and catch up with you later. Just keep going! I’ll leave the rest to you, Ditz!” Derpy nodded and they picked up pace.
Light rose from the city behind, and the princess peered over her shoulder to glimpse a watchtower with a bell come crashing down. A thick plume of dust and debris licked at the sky, and she turned to the castle as they drew nearer. “I fear the resistance needs their strongest fighter now.”
Derpy shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Protecting you is my priority. I’ll do whatever it takes to take back Equestria, but we still need to find Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash.”
Luna’s heart skipped a beat. The lost celestial knight had been absent from her mind until now. “I pray neither of us will come to do more things we would never otherwise.”
Pegasus soldiers rapidly marched out from the castle, and the pair braced themselves for a fight. With only glances her way, they soared past the princess in silence. Do they not recognize me? Am I not a threat, or are they not enemies? She did not have time to watch as they reached the castle grounds. Luna could feel herself being pushed back, and the harder she flapped her wings the greater the resistance became. Forced to land outside the gates, she noticed two black spots marring the ground while both pieces of the steel gate before them had been crumpled and tossed aside. “This must be of Twilight’s doing. I can think of no other. Tread carefully. If we see her, do not overtake me.” They entered the castle grounds, finding bodies of veiled unicorns in the ruined grand entranceway. There weren’t many, with some helping each other and checking wounds. When Luna entered, they froze as they gazed at her.
“Is that… Princess Luna?” one called out. Whispers fluttered in the air before Luna spoke.
“I am indeed. Am I facing loyalists of Aurelius, or unicorns that served beneath the banner of my sister and me? Stay not thy tongue.” What unicorns could move gathered towards the center of the room before them. Derpy poised to draw her sword, but they stooped into a bow and removed their veils.
“We are the royal anti-magi, but we are not loyal to King Aurelius. We serve Equestria’s true crown, Princesses Celestia and Luna. If you have returned, then we are at Your Majesty’s service.” The unicorn speaking glanced to her comrades. “Those of us that are able.”
Luna smiled. Finally, some good news. “Then I ask of you to aid our allies in the streets. Remove your veils and stand against the prince’s pets outside. Drive out those wretched beasts and help us reclaim our capital.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.” The anti-mages stood up and marched out, but Luna raised a hoof before them.
“Before you go tell me what happened here,” she asked, motioning to the wounded unicorns.
“Archmage Twilight Sparkle. We were following orders to subdue her, but she proved too powerful for us. She continued on to find Princess Celestia. We could not stop her.”
Luna grew pensive for a moment. “Go. I shall seek out my sister and handle Archmage Sparkle myself.” She watched as they departed. When they were gone, Derpy exhaled loudly and wiped her brow.
“I’m glad they’re on our side,” the paladin muttered before looking at the princess. “Where is the royal vault? Even I don’t know where it’s at.”
Luna fought off every feeling in her body to race to the throne room and find Celestia and Twilight. Her body trembled as she forced herself to move to the right, rather than go forward. I will not be enough should a fight break out. Now is not the time to take a risk! she reminded herself. “This way,” she nodded after a moment. “Come. Time is not on our side in more ways than one.”
The clop of their hooves rang down the long corridors as they hustled past stray ponies. The castle was largely deserted of staff, but an enemy patrol attempted to impede her. Derpy dashed ahead and made quick work of the common guards, knocking them out with blows from the flat of her blade and the pommel of her hilt. One had made it past her and attempted to attack the princess. Luna drove a hoof into his chestplate, denting it and tossing him aside. He was left writhing as he struggled to remove his armor. She shot him a dark glance before continuing on at full pace.
Towards the right wing of the castle they reached a dead end, ornately decorated with tapestries and paintings neatly displayed. The opposing wall held a table with a vase. Colorful flowers reached from its lip, with a sunflower standing tall among them. “We are here.”
Derpy looked around before sheathing her weapon. “Is there a switch, or do we need magic?”
Luna stepped towards the end where one of the paintings hung. She gazed up to it while simultaneously motioning for the paladin to come closer. Within the frame was a darkness with a single inverted candle, its light bleeding back the darkness on the floor, rather than the ceiling it was affixed, and revealing a piece of carpet. It was not lit enough to discern any details and the painting itself seemed dull and out of place with the other fine art that hung in the castle.
“There is a trigger,” said the princess quietly as Derpy neared.
The paladin blinked and suddenly they were within the room in the painting. Everything was dark, save for the candle hanging from above, seemingly from the darkness itself yet illuminating only the small space of floor they occupied. A hoof flew to her sword’s hilt as she turned and looked into the void around.
“Calm yourself. You see as I do and there is nothing to fear. I made you as you are to gain those same benefits. A Paladin for one, and so…” The candle’s light grew stronger and illuminated the royal vault, revealing treasures of various design. “Was a Paladin made for the other. As you know, your powers and your blessing are bound to me. I have thought long and hard about the Celestial Knights and the Paladin from the moment my sister and I made the final decision to reinstate them. I was unaware that, all along, she had already done so and taken the liberty to bind a paladin to herself.”
Derpy spun around and met her serious gaze. “Do you mean Daring?”
The princess nodded and began scanning the treasures. “The Chancellor leaves me to my speculation of her strength, but I feel I have finally reached a conclusion as to what power she wields.”
“And what is her power?” asked Derpy as she followed after her, her eyes glazing at the myriad of gold, artwork, and weapons neatly organized and dustless.
Luna stopped near a wall where a long object was wrapped in grey cloth. “Her power is derived from my sister’s. Seeing what she has survived, where she has thrived, and to understand the trials she has overcome… She can only come to possess an aspect of the almighty radiance that Celestia holds. I do not know the extent, but I know enough now to fear it.” She motioned to a vacant spot beside the wrapped object. “My sister’s weapon is missing. Perhaps she has prepared for a day when she would need to truly take up arms once again.” Against what, I wonder. There was a crash from behind them and Luna took the object and whirled around in one swift motion, raising it aloft.
Coughing, Daring straightened and gave them an uncomfortable look. “Uh, sorry I took so long. That first one was pretty flighty.” She brushed herself off while her sister ran a hoof over her face. “Nice bed sheet, Princess Luna.”
Luna frowned and ripped the wrapping off in a single motion. Her massive warhammer towered beside her, the shaft reaching to the tops of her flowing mane. The head was almost as large as Derpy’s abdomen, and one face could cover the profile of her own head. One side of the hammer held a waxing crescent moon in faint orange, while the other a waning crescent outlined in azure. The air in the vault drafted to her swings, the princess stretching and twisting her body with the weapon’s weight.
“Ah, I have longed to wield this in battle once more. I wish only that it was for a different reason.” She set it down with a heave. “Oh, but of course.” She found a small wooden box where the hammer rested. The lid creaked open to reveal a pair of silver bangles resting on cloth.
“What are those for?” Derpy asked as she studied them.
Daring rolled her eyes. “Unless those help with the fight, I really don’t think dressing up is the best time.”
Luna shot her a disappointed glance. “I’ll have you know they were designed to complement my appearance and my technique.” Sliding one onto each wrist, she took the hammer up again and moved to the center of the room. “Your shield, Paladin Hooves.”
Derpy perked up. “R-Right!” She quickly darted to the opposite side of the vault and returned with her tower shield and a strap. The wall of steel stood nearly as tall as herself, and she quickly fastened it to her back.
The sandy paladin gawked at it. “What the heck is that thing, the door to your house?”
“Svalinn,” Derpy replied simply. “It can block just about anything. Even your smart mouth.”
“Ha. Ha, Ditzy.” Daring drew her second sword and immediately swung at her sister. In an instant, the shield was raised and the sword struck it. There was a tinny clang as the blade collided, bending slightly before fracturing. Both Derpy and Luna’s eyes went wide.
“What the heck are you doing!?” cried Derpy the same time as Luna bellowed, “Have you lost your mind, Paladin Do?”
“Relax, I’ve got—“
Derpy closed the distance between them. “After all that trouble to get you a second sword and mine repaired, you just go and break it!? I got injured for that! Twice!”
“Paladin Do, are you trying to sabotage our own efforts?” asked the princess in a heavy voice.
Daring frowned, looking between them as they waited for an answer. She spun around and strode through the treasures. Rattling of metallic objects and several clattering to the floor resounded in the vault before she returned with another sword. “That copy was just for me. I never thought it would be used in some real fights. That burst of energy that I used to take down the dragons wasn’t from my weapon power. It was from my own strength as a paladin. I’m still recovering from exerting myself last night and in the desert.” She drew the sword from its sheathe and held it before her face. She drew the second and crossed them. “So, having both of my swords will help me compensate for that.”
“You… had a second blessed sword crafted for you?” Luna inspected both of them before the sandy paladin sheathed them into her baldrics. “I… suppose there is no time to doubt you.”
Daring shook her head. “We need to get going. The resistance needs Ditzy and I back in the city. We have what we came for. Now let’s get out of here!”
The trio nodded, and Daring dashed into the center of the vault and vanished. Derpy followed behind Luna, and with a blink they were back in the end of the corridor.
Daring was down towards the other end and waved to them. “Come on! We’ve got work to do!” she shouted. She drew a sword and shattered a window before taking flight out of it.
Luna inwardly grumbled before turning to the grey paladin. “You may accompany me to the throne room. After that, I must insist you aid your sister,” said Luna. The paladin opened her mouth to protest, but a hoof was raised toward her. “Whether I enter the throne room and find my foe to be Aurelius or Twilight does not matter.” She took a deep breath as her mane billowed just above her eyes, opening to a serious gaze. “I will not require your aid this time.” Derpy nodded as they continued on.
Several guards rounded the corner and found them. Before the paladin could react, the princess had already charged to engage them. She moved in silence with dancing steps, and twirled into a counterclockwise spin. The head of the hammer did not strike a guard, but was driven into the wall. A monstrous quake rocked the corridor and the paladin nearly fell as she observed. The guards had all been knocked out.
“I can handle myself if you wish to see yourself to your sister! Purging the city of Aurelius’s pets is equally important. A king without an army is nothing more than a peasant.”
The paladin grew pensive for a moment. “Are you sure? You are my charge right now, not her.”
Luna turned to her and smirked. “I order you to protect Paladin Daring Do and expedite the removal of enemy forces from Canterlot’s city.”
Derpy smiled and nodded. “As you command. Good luck!” She turned and went down a different corridor, flying out of sight.
The princess took a deep breath. It is not luck that I shall need. She broke into a run towards the throne room, knocking aside a few stray guards with a quick sweep of her hammer or its shaft. Gone were her polite blows and she struck quickly, angrily. As she reached the final corridor she slowed to a walk. The doors were closed, but she could already feel magic emanating from the other side. There are strong enchantments on this room. They do not feel familiar. Perhaps they are of Aurelius’s doing. She could hear a yelp from the other side of the doors and she surged forward, smashing the throne doors open. As the light poured out to her she could see Twilight at the broken throne, and her sister laying at the bottom of the stairs. Patches of Celestia’s white fur had been singed, and Twilight turned, her black form striking fear into the princess of the night.
For a moment, her heart felt strangled as she gazed into the eyes of her nightmarish friend. The eyes were perhaps the only part of her that did not seem changed, but they pierced her soul. “What… have you done, Twilight?” she asked shakily, crouching down to examine her sister. “Celestia, are you alright?”
The sun princess cleared her throat and stood up. “Thank goodness you’re alright, Luna.” She lurched to embrace her younger sister, but Luna stepped back. “I’m fine. These wounds are superficial, but you must stop her from pursuing Aurelius!”
Incredulity pulled Luna’s brow down as she stared at Celestia. She glanced to Twilight and then back to her. “Sister, have you gone mad? We are here to overthrow Aurelius.” A hoof was placed to her chest.
“No, you cannot. Like it or not we need him.” When Luna attempted to shrug her away, Celestia placed both of her hooves on her shoulders and occupied the scope of her vision. “Do you trust me, Luna?”
“Of course, but—“
The sun princess moved closer, her eyes and face absent of doubt. “Then now, more than ever, I need you to trust me now.”
Luna chewed her lip. “I don’t know about this.”
“She’s a traitor as far as I’m concerned,” called Twilight. “Luna, if you value our friendship and my loyalty, and you trust me, you will not listen to her and help me kill Aurelius.”
The moon princess swallowed and glanced at her sister. “And… if I choose to believe my sister?”
Energy gathered around Twilight and an aura formed around her body. “Then you will be nothing more than a traitor to me.”
She… is serious about this ultimatum. “You are asking me to choose between my sister and my best friend. I ask you to trust in my judgment, Twilight. I will bear the responsibility if she is lying.” She moved to have Celestia behind her. “Please, do not raise arms against us. Trust me, Twilight.”
“Trust?” The room trembled at the word. Twilight took a deep breath as her aura faded. “You’ve already chosen her, Princess Luna. I guess I can’t be surprised. Betrayal just runs in the family, doesn’t it?”
Luna hoisted the hammer onto her shoulder. “It pains me greatly to have everything come to this, but you have forced me to make an impossible choice. If you will not relent, then I will subdue you. This will not be like the last time, Twilight Sparkle. To threaten my blood and family, and to save my best friend from themselves, you shall bear the full extent of my wrath.”
A wide grin split Twilight’s face as she chuckled. “You have no idea. I’m trying to save you from yourselves.” She snorted. “As usual, your sister compensates for you, Celestia. Come Luna. I’ll show you what happens to those that get in my way.”
Celestia stepped beside her sister and spoke in a gentler tone. “Please, Twilight. Stand down. We need to talk.”
Magic roiled within her core, and her horn crackled to life. “It tells me that I will kill you both. I wonder how right it will be. It’s never lied to me, after all.”
The princesses exchanged glances. “It?” they asked in unison.
Twilight descended the steps and sneered. “You will surrender your status or you will die. I won’t lose to you here. I can’t.”
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 50: Deicide
Twilight tilted her head to the side, swaying her gaze to the stained glass windows again. “I remember when all of this mattered. It wasn’t that long ago for me… for you, Princess Luna.” A beam fired from her horn and struck the one depicting the cleansing of Nightmare Moon. She glowered as it melted away. “Everything has been taken away. I’ve been fighting just to try to get it all back.”
Luna’s hammer was lowered. “Wait, Twilight. Nightmare Moon still lives.”
She’s lying. The whisper licked at her mind with something sinister.
There was a glimmer in the oracle’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “You’re a liar. Just like your sister.”
“Nay. I would not lie to you. I encountered her briefly in Ponyville only a day ago. She was in pursuit of you. Stop this madness and we will find her together.” The moon princess took a softer demeanor. “Surely you wish to find her more than continuing with this… crusade.” A hoof swayed towards her.
More whispers invaded the oracle’s thoughts. Coarse. Persuasive. Tantalizing. In her mind’s eye, the doppelganger was embracing her, its head just behind hers to whisper into her ear. The embrace made her feel comfortable within the space it had long twisted with its presence. She did not need to see its grinning face anymore. Every part of its being she could feel within her. They’re trying to distract you. They’re afraid of you. This is what you need. Now… show them who you really are. A beam split the princesses as it struck the floor where they stood. In spite of the magical explosion it created the floor had only blackened.
Twilight shook her head. “I’ll have to pass. You could never hide your feelings about her. That you would even mention her at all shows you’re desperate.” The moon princess opened her mouth to speak, but her sister interjected.
“Luna, I’ve been suppressed.” Celestia held out her hooves. “Get these things off of me.” She laid out her forelegs on the ground. Without hesitation, the hammer was brought down. There was a tinny crack as it struck, and it was pulled away immediately. Celestia’s bindings had been crushed, but no harm had come to her. “Thank you.”
“Can you fight? Together we can end this quickly. The battle outside must still be won.”
The sun princess shook her head, but kept Twilight in her view. “I need to recover my magic. It won’t take long. Can you stop her alone?”
Luna stepped in front of her and took a combat stance. “Do not flee, sister. I am putting my trust in you.” She took a deep breath. “I shall hold the line or subdue her, whichever comes first.” Celestia shattered the nearest stained glass window with a burst of magic and prepared to leap out. A hail of arcane bolts prevented her from exiting, but Luna conjured a shield for her. “Go!” she bellowed. Celestia disappeared into the day and Luna moved to the center of the room.
Twilight’s gaze grew heavy as she regarded the remaining princess. “She should’ve stayed to watch you fail.”
“She will be back. My sister would not abandon me in this most trying hour. Even now I do not abandon you.”
The oracle extended a hoof to her and exerted her magic, a furious glow engulfing her horn, but nothing came of efforts. She growled and bared her teeth. “I can’t even touch you. I don’t understand. I should have enough magic to use my telekinesis on you.”
Luna chuckled. “Oh, Twilight. How little you truly know…” There was a gust of air as she dashed forward. Her body seemed to float and dance across the floor.
Twilight raised a hoof towards her. “Do you really think a direct atta—“
Before she could finish the sentence the head of the hammer was driven into her stomach. Organs compressed towards her spine as she was lifted from the floor, tendrils of saliva and blood escaping her lips. The attack did not cease and the forces carried her against the piece of metal as it swept into the air, finally coming down and smashing her against the floor. The pain disrupted her magic and she could not focus through it to generate any external defenses. Guttural sounds could be heard as she fought for a breath. The moon princess loomed over the small crater she now laid in.
“Your arrogance has gotten the better of you, Twilight.” She crouched down and placed a hoof on her chest while she continued to writhe and squeak for air. “Give up willingly and I will not be forced to take any further actions. I do not wish to harm you.”
A hoarse, choked noise escaped Twilight’s mouth, and a foreleg pressed to her stomach. “Li..ar…”
She barreled over and covered herself in a shell of magic. Before Luna could react, she was blasted backwards. Flipping through the air, she landed gracefully and scowled. “I suppose you will waste my time after all. Very well. You will become the example you so crave.”
Twilight rose up and wrapped herself in a barrier. “You… got lucky,” she spat before coughing and taking a pained breath. “It won’t happen… again.” With command of her magic restored, a flurry of beams was unleashed at Luna.
The princess struck the floor thrice in succession before swinging a gust at Twilight again. Charging through the hail of bolts, she reached the oracle and struck the side of her head with the bottom shaft of her hammer. Keeping momentum, she spun and delivered a strike to the other side of her body and knocked her away.
How!? Twilight’s mind reeled as she rolled across the floor. Picking herself up, she rubbed her wounded side and clenched her teeth. She dispelled my barrier from a distance. What is she— She teleported to the other side of the throne room and took a deep breath. How could I miss it? Her eyes fixated on the hammer. It’s a pure iris. She chuckled. “I just now realized how clever you are, princess.”
“Oh?” Luna smirked.
“That weapon is your iris. It’s just like a staff.” An aura of dark energy formed over Twilight again and she readied her magic. “I didn’t take something like that into consideration because I’ve never seen you use one before.”
The princess advanced to Twilight, and a white mist gathered upon the hammer head. Black Diamond manifested over the oracle’s body as Luna brought the weapon down upon her. There was a thud as it was stopped by her hoof. Energy spilled over her body and onto the floor, but did little more than fade an instant later. Lunging, she punched the princess as hard as she could into her stomach and watched her stagger several steps back.
Luna groaned and coughed. She paused and stared at the floor before snorting. “It looks like you’ve gotten the hang of that technique I showed you. I’m impressed how far you’ve come in such a short time.” Glancing up, she grinned. “It would have been a wonder if you had mastered it.”
She charged again and Twilight maintained the ability. Dodging the hammer swing, she attempted to strike the princess in the chest. A crack emanated from the impact, but Luna did not budge. The princess looked down to her with a smirk.
“Tut. Tut.” With a rising kick, Twilight was knocked into the wall. Dizziness set in as she stood up and looked upon the princess. Luna’s entire body was covered in a thick, blue sheen of magic, just like her ability.
“You… already had this power all along?”
The princess moved closer as it receded away. With her magic, she lifted Twilight before her. “You forget our divide in time, Twilight Sparkle. Though I know you shared yourself with Nightmare Moon, even she did not know everything about me. I will disable your magic… for now. This fight is over.”
She reached out to place her hoof to Twilight’s head, but a wave of energy pulsed from her body, knocking the princess back and freeing herself. “This is over when I say it is!” she snarled. The pain in her chest dulled beneath her rage, but the dizziness from the last attack still lingered. She felt unbalanced in her motions and magic, but it wasn’t enough to deter her. “You think I’m weak! Just a pawn in your little game!” She rubbed a tendril of blood from her mouth. “I’ll show you how far I’ve come. How far I’m willing to go!”
Luna’s gaze darkened and she moved to strike, but energy erupted from Twilight’s horn. She slammed her hammer into the blast, splitting open a path. Running through, she prepared an overhead strike, but it was stopped again by Twilight’s augment. Pushing through, Luna utilized her own and struck Twilight in the face. She earned an angry glare before she was punched back in the shoulder. The oracle struck with her other hoof, landing a hit to Luna’s face. She staggered backwards again and Twilight moved forward, but another kick to her abdomen stopped her.
I can’t stop! I am stronger than her! Fueled by her rage, she roared and continued on. The augment ate away at her magic, but she raised both hooves and slammed them into the princess. She released her weapon and Twilight kicked her away. Luna took a deep breath and rose up, but Twilight reached for the hammer. Grunting, she tried to lift it from the floor. What the? How much does this weigh? Even her telekinesis failed to aid her.
Luna stepped to her and snatched the hammer from the floor. With a fluid motion set of motions, she twirled and brought the head down onto the floor beside Twilight. A shockwave tore through the ground and into her body, breaking her augment. Before she could react, the weapon connected with her side again. There was a yelp before she hit the floor and slid to the wall.
“This is not for you to wield.”
Twilight glimpsed the floor where the hammer struck and it was completely untouched. Was I… wrong about her weapon? Luna reached her and readied for a finishing strike. An ether laser burst from Twilight’s horn and consumed the princess, burning away her shell and pushing her to the other side of the room. The weapon once more slipped from her grasp and she toppled to the floor.
Wobbling, Twilight rose up and placed a hoof on the wall for support. “Your magic is more specialized than mine, but I’m betting I can beat you in raw potential.”
The princess recovered and grabbed her weapon. “You are still within the shadow of the first archmage, Twilight.” Her body flickered in and out of reality as she surged forward. “Your naïveté is beyond your comprehension.”
Energy lashed out from a readied barrier as Luna viciously sank blow after blow into it, the throne room trembling to the waves of force emanating outward. Safe within, Twilight could feel the monstrous strength behind each hit, and she watched with fear as her barrier cracked. The princess raised the hammer high with both hooves and poised a crushing blow, but Twilight teleported to the throne. She panted while the hammer crashed into the floor, another shockwave rippling into her. Even from… this distance?
The effects twisted her stomach, and she groaned as she reached out. Wind spiraled around her left hoof as fire gathered around her right. With a mutter, she weaved the two together.
A fiery tornado formed within the throne room, and Twilight directed it to her foe. The heat seared the floor as it danced around, but the chaotic spell reached its target and expanded to engulf the princess, consuming the lower terrace of the throne room. Luna drove the hammer into the floor, smashing it into the stone, and formed a barrier as it raged around her. The heat haze blurred her into a mess of blue and orange, but she held fast. After a moment, she rose up, maintaining her defenses and pulling her weapon free, and trudged forward.
Twilight took a shaky step back as Luna reached the steps. “How can you even move through that?” Their eyes met and she glimpsed the anger within as the heat haze was escaped. Luna shed her barrier and struck Twilight with a bolt of electricity. She felt little more than tingling, but that sensation instilled her with dread and her tornado dispersed. She loosed a cry before being pulled onto the hammer head. She’s magnetized me!] Her efforts to free herself failed, and she sought to shield herself as the weapon was flipped over.
“I created the archmagi, Twilight, and just as easily so, too, can I destroy them!”
Once more, Twilight was smashed into the floor, but she kept the air in her lungs and her concentration. Flopping over, she whirled around back to standing and slashed out a wave of magic with her hoof. A bloody mark was carved into the princess and it dripped to the floor. Twilight took her foe’s injury as a small victory, and pushed her away with a burst of wind. Abruptly, it was followed with a massive beam of energy, blasting the princess out of the throne room. Twilight panted while she watched for her to return.
She’s… so powerful. It’s almost like she’s not even trying. The huffs of her breathing were punctuated by snickering from her doppelganger.
And she’s alone. Do you really believe you’ll lose to just one princess?
She quickly stepped to a window and rested in the sun, closing her eyes and allowing her tension to dissipate. I haven’t had much time to rest since I’ve come back. I’ll need all the energy I can get. The tapping of hooves on the floor caused her to flinch, but when she opened her eyes it was not Luna in the room.
“I see you’ve fended off my sister for the moment,” Celestia said as her focus was towards the door. “I’m saddened to see you haven’t reconsidered your choices.”
Twilight glared at her. “I could say the same to you.”
Celestia moved to the middle of the room and formed a golden barrier around herself. Light almost seemed to draw into her body, but in the blink of an eye, her mane turned into a white-orange flame that quietly rolled within itself. “I can’t think of a time when we sparred outside of your training.” She offered a bittersweet smile. “Shall we see if your power and your heart align?”
Twilight sneered. “Gladly.”
Before she could ready herself, a beam of yellow energy pierced her aura and she fell backwards against the wall. “Wh-Wha—“
More fired into the air, reaching to the ceiling before raining down in a cascade toward her. Twilight stood up and shrieked as she was left with an excruciating burn, but her flesh was unmarked. Where Celestia had struck her it continued to feel like she was burning through her body, and the pain strangled her mind. With a cry, a new barrier formed around her and reflected the second wave of beams. They hit the walls, while some exploded into the ceiling.
Slabs of stone fell, crashing into the floor with a haze of dust and debris obscuring her vision. Celestia blew it away with a shout and moved to stand in a ray of sunlight. Energy gathered within her and the glow of her fur in the light amplified. Twilight watched as the floor around her body sizzled and blackened before expanding outward beneath an intense whiteness. Quickly, she sensed what she could of the princess’s magic. Incredible amounts welled within her, and it appeared as though she might burst from it.
“Can you see it, Twilight? The majesty… of the sun!”
As the room flashed white, the oracle dove behind one of the slabs of concrete. The light overwhelmed her eyes, and the heat erased any moisture from the air. When she could see again every inch of the room had been blackened, and her eyes dried as she examining the damage. No decorations could be seen, and the remaining stained glass windows melted to the bottom of their frames. The ornate chandeliers that once captivated the ceiling were missing. This is worlds apart from my ability to control the weather or fire. With spells like this… She swallowed as the heat haze set in and her dizziness grew stronger, with the temperature continuing to feel as if it was rising. I could actually die. The space behind the slab she occupied was the only part of the floor not to be destroyed by Celestia’s attack. The slab exploded away and the sun princess’s smiling face came into view.
“Are you having fun, Twilight?” she asked nonchalantly. Suddenly, she frowned and her tone flattened. “Because I’m not.” She fired another beam, and Twilight rose up and met it with her own. The spells detonated on impact, and the oracle teleported back to the entrance. The sun princess slowly approached her. “I had hoped to avoid all of this, but you’ve changed into something I hardly recognize.”
The oracle harrumphed. “That’s funny coming from you.”
Celestia sighed. “In spite of everything he has done I need Aurelius alive for a while longer. I haven’t forgotten what he has done. He will face his due justice when all is said and done.”
Laughter filled the air briefly before Twilight groaned. Her adrenaline was waning and the painful blows from Luna returned. She gnashed her teeth as the burning from sun princess’s first attack grew stronger. “I guess we’re at an impasse because I need him dead right now,” she ground out.
“I need you back on my side, Twilight, but not as you are now.” She offered a sad expression. “What has happened to you?”
The oracle swallowed. “Do you think you intimidate me, Princess Celestia? I’ve been forced to make a deal with someone stronger than me because I’m afraid of them. They’ve done things to me that I could only dream of doing with magic.”
You’re getting distracted again, warned the doppelganger. Do I need to put you back on track?
Celestia grew concerned. “Like what, Twilight? Tell me everything. Perhaps we can figure things out together. Like before. It doesn’t have to end the way you… thought it would.”
She shook her head. “I can never trust you again.” She placed her hooves on the ground and a large alchemy circle formed. Two… two… two… twin! Water swelled around the walls of the room, drowning out the sunlight while a spark formed above the center. “Your power is heat. Fire. Your sister was a lot more dynamic.” The sun princess advanced towards her, but a wall of water impeded her.
With a flick of her wrist, it evaporated. “You will be hard pressed to use fundamentals of magic against me here, Twilight, but I commend the thought.”
She continued again and Twilight conjured a barrier. More water filled the room and converged upon the princess, but it evaporated and started to fill the room with steam. The alchemy circle turned blue as she summoned more water. It was reduced to steam as it neared the princess. Only now did Twilight notice that the water wasn’t reaching her at all. The floor beneath Celestia was corroding from the heat she radiated. Twilight brought down the spark from above and collapsed the entirety of the water upon the princess. Electricity exploded across everything around, but her vision became obscured by the hot, saturated air. The pain in her chest was becoming too much and she manifested ice at the impact point, soothing the invisible wound. A cyclone appeared in the throne room and cleared the air, allowing sunlight back in clearly. Twilight roared and charged the princess, manifesting her augment. Balancing on one hoof, she punched to her.
“Just give up, Twilight,” she offered with a remorseful look.
The punch never connected, and the oracle howled as she lurched backwards. The sun princess’s aura of heat had burned away her shell, and through her natural magical resistance, searing her flesh in a bloody and charred mess. She panted as ice manifested around it and stopped the burn from spreading. “H-How… how strong are you?” Slowly, she pried her eyes from the devastating wound from her former mentor. The princess distorted briefly in the sunlight, a heat haze forming around her.
“Please, Twilight.” She extended a hoof towards a window viewing the chaos in the city. “It does not have to be this way.”
The gears in her mind grinded to a halt as the ice on her hoof melted. Agony wafted through her and she rapidly froze her hoof again. She teleported to the throne and trembled as she looked upon the sun princess. Luna entered the room again, but she appeared scarcely harmed.
“Forgive me for not being here, sister. I felt the need to dispatch some unruly guests.” She approached slowly, but maintained distance from her burning sibling. “I see you have resorted to drastic measures.”
Celestia chewed her lower lip. “The battle in the city will not go as well as you may have planned. We must finish this."
They’re stronger than you! snarled the doppelganger. Are you really this weak? Did you come all this way just to die now?
“N-No… No! I can’t… lose to you. Not here. Just surrender to me!” Twilight opened her wings and lifted herself into the air as massive energy gathered in a purple and black sphere at her horn. “You need to give up! There’s no other way!”
Before she could unleash the spell, Luna leaped into the air, spinning around and delivering a blow to her chest. Twilight’s eyes lost focus as she felt energy tear through her core, an excess discharging out of her back and into the wall behind her. The moon princess flipped backwards and landed on the ground with a bow as Twilight’s body hit the throne landing with a thud.
Cries of pain were interrupted with coughs and Twilight’s body shuddered and trembled as she roll over to face her foes. “N-No! I’ve pushed t-through too much to get this f-far. I can fix this. I will fix this!”
Luna lowered her hammer. “Surrender, Twilight. It is over. You have been defeated, and your crusade ends here.” Celestia reverted to her normal form and took a deep breath before gazing at the oracle with concern.
Suddenly, the cries and coughs stopped. Twilight began to laugh. “I’d almost forgotten,” she said before laughing some more. Energy slowly gathered to her in a mist sweeping from the floor.
“What’s so funny?” asked Luna.
“I’ve been so afraid of my own potential for so long, that I’d almost forgotten something you taught me. The only other time I’ve used it…” She glanced up, a distant look in her eyes, before focusing on the princesses. “Was in Draconis.”
Celestia shook her head and started to move closer. “No, Twilight. You don’t mean—“
The oracle stood up with a grin. “That’s right. I’m playing my trump card, princesses, and I hope you’re ready. If I fall here, it just might be all over for us anyway. I have nothing left to lose.” An alchemy circle formed around her as violet light engulfed her body.
Luna charged her with her hammer carrying a massive amount of magic. “No, Twilight! It’s too dangero—“
As the hammer was being brought down the pillar solidified, and a violet light exploded outward. The moon princess was blasted from the throne room once more while Celestia shielded herself. Darkness flooded into the room as the erupted energy slowly receded back. The magic suffocated the room, but it vanished a moment later. Luna galloped back up to her sister, gashes lining her torso, and looked on in horror.
The figure that was now before them appeared nothing like the shadow of their former student as it hovered above the floor. Twilight was enshrouded in a black cloak covering her entire body with a cowl that hung low and obscured her face in shadow, its lip hanging just above her right, violet eye. The left half of her face melded into a cosmos. She hovered quietly in the air for a moment as her eye scanned the room, finally falling upon the princesses.
“I… see now.” Her voice started distant and quiet, gradually returning to its normal tone.. “I had forgotten how this… felt.” She drifted down to the bottom of the steps. “This time… This power is mine and mine alone to control.” In the blink of an eye she was between the princesses. “The world you know will be torn apart.” They turned to glimpse her, but each was encapsulated in a violet glow. Celestia was brutally thrown against the wall while Luna was smashed into the ceiling before being allowed to fall. As they hit the floor, Twilight was back at the throne. Energy gathered in a roar just above her and a blue orb formed. It emitted a gentle mist and a tumultuous aura. Celestia returned to her burning form as Luna’s body concealed itself in an augmenting shell. Twilight’s head rotated all the way back for a moment. Aurelius is going to the Crystal Empire? What could he possibly want there? She refocused forward as the princesses charged her.
Luna’s hammer was repelled with a shield. Telekinesis gripped her body and she was slammed through a side wall and out of sight. Celestia drew close, and her aura burned through Twilight’s barrier, but she kept her at a distance. Abruptly, the floor beneath her exploded in flames and she teleported away. However, the flames appeared with her at the new location.
In another teleport, she was beside Celestia. The heat sheared through her magic as she shielded herself from the effects, but her cloak gusted open as she grabbed the sun princess by the neck. Wide eyes drank in the sight of what Twilight’s body now was. The entire left half of had been consumed by the cosmos while the right was covered in glyphs. She could feel the grip on her neck tightening. Her body bloated and exploded in white light, blasting the oracle back.
She appeared near the entrance, panting. “It seems I will need to take you seriously from here on out.”
Twilight’s eyelids lowered. “You were posturing earlier. I can see that now. How much magic did you use?” Her orb gathered energy and swelled to become larger than herself.
There was a stomp as Luna appeared behind her, her hammer shining with magic, before delivering a colossal smash to the oracle. The room quaked as energy ripped through Twilight and spilled into the open air. Twilight’s body appeared as she dropped to the floor, and the cosmos within her cloak spilled onto the floor like a diseased mist, slowly seeping out from the source. Luna stepped back as she stared in horror at it.
Wh-what’s going on? I’m… My mind… My body… I feel like I’m falling apart! I can’t control my magic! She could not move, and sickness took hold of her. The dizziness and pain of her injures hit her again. “Whaa,” she slurred as the essence leaked from her mouth. “Whaab dib you doo tuh meeee?” Panic set in and she slumped over, watching as the essence escaped her.
The princesses watched in horror as magic started to spill into the space around, gathering into a violent storm. Streaks of energy arced outward and lashed at the walls, and the princesses. Luna was hit by several and backed away, conjuring a powerful shield.
“She’s lost control!” Luna shouted over the growing fury. “She must be put down or she will level the castle!”
Twilight crawled to the edge of the steps, reaching out to a shielded Celestia. Am… I going to die? Without Astra… I can’t control my magic like this!
Stone crumbled from the scorched walls and was swept up in the torrent of magic, breaking down and vanishing into it. Luna began to move in, but something stopped her. Twilight’s eyes widened as Celestia started to channel something into her. After a few moments, the magic died down, receding into the oracle’s body. Seizing the opportunity, Twilight formed a bubble and pulled the rest of the essence back into herself. She crouched to the ground, obscured in her cloak.
Pathetic. You needed the help of your enemy just to stay alive, berated the doppelganger.
Twilight ignored it and catalogued the events. Celestia’s overwhelming power and Luna’s magic disruption are too much. These direct hits are too much.
“What… just happened?” asked Luna as she continued to back away.
Twilight panted, and then took a deep breath. “Another form of entropy.” She spun around, her forehooves poking out of the cloak, and waves of energy sliced towards each princess. Luna batted hers away while Celestia countered with an opposing wave.
Torrents of water came crashing down as the iris floated overhead, rapidly filling the room until the space within was occupied. Underwater, Celestia roared and burned everything away in her vicinity, but the surrounding liquid continued to rise in temperature faster than it turned to steam. As she worked to attack Twilight, Luna struggled to move.
“S-Sister, you must… cease your… radiance…” she called out, muffled.
The sun princess increased the heat and attempted to burn it all away, but more water continued to pour in and replace the evaporated liquid. The heat abruptly stopped and she generated electricity. The water flashed as it surged all throughout, coursing through Twilight, and it soon receded into the floor. Twilight groaned and slouched forward as Celestia dashed to her sister’s side. The shock stunned her and she could do little more than listen.
“Luna, are you alright? I’m sorry.” She lifted her up as she coughed water onto her.
“I’ll… be fine,” she replied breathlessly. After a moment, she rose up and tightened her grip. “She is clever, isn’t she?”
Celestia frowned as she looked to Twilight, having now teleported to the entrance. “She always was.”
“It seems I’ll need to deal with you two differently,” she grumbled.
Lightning coiled around her body as her hooves emerged from the cosmos within her cloak. Chaotic energies lashed out before being concentrated into a sphere. Magic flowed out from her cloak and into the sphere, morphing it into a dark ball. “Let’s see how you handle this!”
She surged it at the princesses and it detonated with a tremendous boom, blasting away the ceiling. Twilight shielded herself from the blast as she waited for the results; however, when the haze of residual energy cleared the princesses remained standing. Together, they were channeling a barrier around themselves.
They combined their magic? I can’t waste my time spellweaving this entire fight. This is getting annoying.
Luna gathered energy into her hammer and bolted forward, her body flickering in and out of existence, but Twilight could see her phasing. She appeared inverted, her body seeming to bleed into the second reality. Each time she flickered more energy gathered into her. What is this technique?
Twilight prepared to counterattack, but she was struck by a large beam of energy from Celestia. She grunted and stepped back, Luna followed after with a devastating blow. Twilight did not move at the impact of the hammer to her skull, but the forces it carried echoed through her frame and into the floor. A large crack webbed out from beneath her, but she remained standing. More blows followed, but she shielded herself, her magic rapidly draining to the combination of attacks.
Celestia moved closer, but was no longer generating heat and Twilight took that as her magic wearing down. Abruptly, the sun princess produced an axe in measure to Luna’s and sliced through her barrier, dispelling it. Her sister’s hammer fell just after, forging a mighty shockwave. Twilight was blasted backwards into the corridor, hitting the floor and tumbling as cracks followed in her wake. As the princesses neared she teleported back to the throne, panting and struggling to maintain focus.
My natural defenses are draining my magic. I took too many hits from them before my ascension. Damn it! They’re overwhelming me.
Luna was first to return for the attack, flying overhead to strike. Twilight spun away as the hammer hit the floor, but she leaped from the ground as the shockwave hit. Spinning, a solidified wing reached out from her cloak and caught a second strike. She raised a hoof to shield herself, but Celestia did not attack from a distance.
The sun princess surged towards her and swung upwards, a slice of energy ripping just past her face. As Twilight rolled in the air, she took the princesses into telekinesis, exchanging their places briefly, before finally driving Celestia into the ground and Luna out of the area. She roared as she dived and struck the sun princess in her back with all of her strength. Bones could be heard popping and a yelp from her lips, but she rolled and swung out. The axe struck true and ripped through the cloak and its cosmos within. Twilight fell down the steps as a trail of blood chased her. Examining the wound revealed it wasn’t fatal, but she could not afford a long fight.
Celestia glanced up, but her burning form had faded. She crawled to the steps without her axe and her hooves landed in the blood. Her eyes darted to Twilight as she clutched the wound, her back hunched over. “You can’t keep this up.”
Kill her! She is weakened! the doppelganger commanded.
Twilight staggered forward, each step causing her to ooze more blood from the wound. Her vision tunneled and the doppelganger continued to sink whispers and dark thoughts into her mind. As she drew near, she failed to realize she was holding something. What… is this? Moonlight was in her other hoof, its green glow drawing her into it. When did I…? I still had this? For a moment, she could see something within the sword, and she gazed into it, peering deep within the magic it held. But there was no more time to look.
Luna charged in from a window, her hammer head appearing like a storm had gathered around it. With a single, shattering smash, it was driven into the oracle one last time. Energy exploded all around them, splitting the floor and quaking the entire castle. Twilight could feel her magic being crushed out of her body, her mind twisting and flattening all at once. When the haze of energy dispersed, Celestia was laying in the same spot, looking awed. Twilight remained standing, but her ascension was gone. She remained slouched forward, with Moonlight in her grasp, but she had been stunned. Blood continued to leak from her gash and she could not move to stop it. Her black fur had absorbed dust and she appeared greying in the sunlight.
“It seems,” Luna choked out quietly, “that I cannot bring myself to... kill my most beloved friend.” Twilight strained to twist her head just enough to view the victor, but it was not what she was expecting. “I concede to you, Twilight. For just as you would not kill Nightmare Moon to save me… I could not kill you to save us… to save you from yourself.”
The hammer lay on the ground beside her, the head coat with blood, but Twilight couldn’t be sure if it was hers. Luna’s right foreleg had been broken in two places, with much of a bone having ripped through the skin and protruded out. Her left hind leg featured a single fracture at her foot, appearing as if the bone tore out of its own flesh, and a hole where it had been. Smaller gashes littered her body while bruising discolored through the fur. She collapsed forward onto the floor and revealed the space between her wings had been burned away, leaving only a bloody wound. The wall she had entered from was gone.
Twilight’s mind attempted to process what had happened, but the magic the moon princess forced into her continued to disrupt her mind. Despite lacking in external wounds, it felt as if every joint in her body had been violently fused together with still-molten metal. Her muscles begged for mercy, and her nerves suffered ripples of torment throughout. She could not move, only study the scene. The destruction was just a meaningless picture she could not yet comprehend.
Her senses slowly returned and she took in the sight of Luna’s mangled body and the razed throne room. What… have I done? Her eyes returned to Celestia. She could see tears in her eyes as she reached for her axe, but she stopped part way and looked to Twilight.
The oracle began to move again, fidgeting and attempting to take a step. It took all of her mental fortitude not to break down and cry in agony, but she continued. Something was compelling her to keep going, to try and ignore the damage within. Each step threatened to bring her to the floor, but she managed to reach Celestia. Raising Moonlight as she loomed beside her head, she paused.
“Was all of this necessary?” the sun princess asked softly. “You’ve won. What is it that you are fighting for?”
Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes. “This… was for your own good,” she said just above a whisper.
The doppelganger attempted to drown out her thoughts. Kill her! KILL HER! SHE DESERVES TO DIE FOR WHAT SHE DID TO YOU!
“D-Don’t, Twilight,” called Luna. “P-Please… do not take my sister’s life. H-However you feel... Even if it is v-vengeance... Take that out upon m-me instead. I beg of you.”
As the sword came down, there was a barrage of memories in her mind. Her childhood flashed by, shuffling through every moment she had spent with the sun princess. Every lesson she had been taught, every praise, every question answered. One last memory shone in her mind above the rest, and tears trickled down her cheeks. I made you promise me! What will happen to me… without you?
“Do what you must, Twilight.” Celestia sighed. “I’m sure you have your reasons, and I trust that. I want you to know that we don’t regret choosing you, only that I… wish I could do more for you.”
Twilight hesitated. “I… know.”
A clang reverberated as the sword stopped before its mark. Celestia’s eyes went wide, her gaze going past Twilight. A large blade had reached around Twilight and caught the sword.
There was a deep breath before a familiar voice came. “I've finally caught up to you again.”
Twilight’s chest tightened and her heart began to race. “Night…mare… Moon?”
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 51: Convergence
Agony twisted nerves and muscles alike as Twilight braced herself to turn. The yearning inside her made the pain grow distant and small while sweat dripped from her face. The doppelganger continued to speak, but she tuned its spiteful words to background noise. Violet eyes followed the black blade to a shaft, and then watched as the weapon was slowly pulled away. Her gaze passed over Celestia and she took a shaky step to view the voice’s owner.
A dragon’s skull met her face, but the sharp, draconic eyes of Nightmare Moon glowed unnaturally in the sockets, her horn rising from the top. For a moment, Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of it, but the black fur visible from beneath the parting of her cloak offered a sense of ease. The skull was pulled open and the Id gazed at her with caution. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sword slipped from Twilight’s grasp. It clattered loudly to the floor and hid her steps as she lunged to her. She caught the oracle as her scythe hit the floor, and held the oracle as she started to sob.
Nightmare gazed past her to the princesses, meeting Celestia’s eyes. The sun princess looked confused for a moment, but she slowly stood up. A quick glance to her axe before focusing on Twilight unsettled her, but she maintained her composure.
“I’ve missed you so much, Twilight. More than you could…” Nightmare trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. “No. You’re the only one that could know.” She sighed and returned the embrace, her cloak wrapping around her protectively. “What’s happened to you? What’s going on here?” Choked squeaks and incomprehensible words escaped the smaller alicorn, and Nightmare could only force a smile as the sobbing resumed.
A hoarse squeak managed to make its way above the sobs. “Be… careful…” said Luna before she coughed.
Twilight stepped back and wiped her eyes. “They attacked me,” she said, turning to glare at Luna with glassy eyes. “I had to defend myself.” She wiped her eyes and faced the Id.
“What?” she asked, and Twilight huddled into her as she trembled. Nightmare glanced to Celestia, and the sun princess offered a regretful look.
Nightmare shoved Twilight back and took the scythe up. “I know Twilight. She would never attack Celestia. Who are you?”
The oracle looked shocked and hurt as her eyes watered once more. “H-How can y-you…” Suddenly she grimaced. “So, you’re going to turn on me, too? After everything we’ve been through?” She hung her head for a moment and sniffled. “I guess I can’t be surprised. Everyone betrays me in the end.” There was a sinister flick in her eyes as she glanced between Celestia and Nightmare.
“Detain her!” Celestia took up her axe and started to charge her.
Nightmare’s horn shined blue as she prepared, but Twilight snatched Moonlight and disappeared in a flash. “Where did she go?”
“She still had some magic left?” Celestia stopped and huffed. “Damn it. She’s out of control.” She dropped her weapon and dashed to her sister’s side. “Your wounds are bad, Luna. We need to get you triaged.” Nightmare approached and looked over her injuries and the smears of blood reaching out from her, and then she slowly looked over the destruction of the throne room.
Luna groaned. “I can’t believe… that she would try to kill you, sister.”
Nightmare’s attention snapped back to her and her eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible.”
The moon princess arched a brow. “You caught her blade as she was trying to execute her. How can you say it’s impossible when you bore witness to her insanity?”
Nightmare shook her head. “She can’t kill Celestia. Even if she has come to this… however extreme it may be… she needs her alive.”
“What… do you mean?”
The Id cocked her head before turning to the sun princess. “So… you never told her?”
Celestia chewed her lip. “It… never came up. It was to be between Twilight and I, in case she changed her mind.”
Luna attempted to sit up, but her mouth twisted and her eyes clamped shut and she hit the floor again. “What are you talking about? Sister, tell me.”
Nightmare frowned and stepped to a ruined window viewing the carnage in the city. “Before Twilight would agree to go through with her original ascension to assassinate the dragon king she made Celestia promise her…”
“Promise? A promise of what?” asked Luna.
The Id turned around and peered over them to the empty space that once held the window depicting her purging. “That at the end of whatever happened, and if she survived, she would not be allowed to remember any of it. She was afraid of doing it… what it would do to her, so she wanted a contingency.”
Luna gestured to her sister and she was lifted into sitting up. “But that does not solve what she has become, what she has done, and…” Nightmare met her gaze. “She would remember nothing of you. She will have lost time. Everyone else would live with what she has done… what she will have forgotten. Is this some twisted gambit for absolution now?”
Nightmare shrugged. “We didn’t know. This idea was hers and she was not afforded the time to prepare.”
“You have her memories, don’t you?” asked Celestia. “What is she planning?”
Nightmare threw a hoof up. “I haven’t seen her in years! How do you expect me to know?” She let out a long sigh. “There was a darkness within her that I saw. I could not determine its origin, but I had hoped to root it out. However, all my presence did was suppress it. I had hoped that… after all this time it would be gone, but I see it’s only gotten worse. I need to go after her. Can you handle this on your own?”
Celestia stood up. “You don’t even know where she’s going. Stay and fight with us. We can track her down together afterwards.”
“She is pursuing Aurelius, isn’t she? Where is he going?” asked Nightmare.
The sun princess chewed her lip. “To the Crystal Empire, but we need you here. There is too much chaos in the city. You won’t be able to catch up to her, and as wounded as she is she won’t get far.”
Nightmare loosed an agitated grunt, and then glanced to Luna. “Am I still unwanted?”
The moon princess glared at her, and then to Celestia. “My predilections are irrelevant. I find it disgusting that I was not informed of this. Had I known this all along I could have done something more to keep her from this path she now treads. I cannot fathom how Twilight sees the endgame here knowing this now.”
“I can,” replied the Id as she closed the dragon skull and faced the window. “We are not finished here.” With a few beats of her wings she was gone.
***
Twilight yelped as she warped from the castle and into open sky. The sun greeted her as her wings lazily opened out, catching a gust of wind. No enjoyment came from the sensations, and panic rapidly set in as she plummeted, unable to find the strength to keep herself aloft. Too high, she thought as she could view the real target far below. A train could be seen moving away from Canterlot, gradually growing larger as she drew closer to the ground. For a moment, she wondered if hitting the ground would be better. She reigned in her thoughts, but struggled to find any magic left to save herself. Come on. Just one more time!
Concentrating, she calculated how much magic she would need to precisely teleport onto the train, or at least the roof, and how close she would need to be to the ground to do it. Dread poisoned her with doubt as the train came into earshot, and she closed her eyes. She could feel the shift, and when she opened her eyes she was lying on the floor of the caboose. The knocking of wheels to the track and the car drifting forward brought her back to reality. She pushed herself up from the floor before noticing she had left a spot of blood on it.
Oh, right. She inspected it and started to calculate her blood loss against whether she would reach medical treatment, but her mind seized halfway through the effort. Looking around, it became clear the car was not meant for passengers. Luggage surrounded her, and she opened the nearest one. To her luck, she found clothing and quickly tore a white shirt into a long strip, fashioning it into a makeshift bandage. She pulled it tight over the wound, and then wrapped her hoof with another piece before getting as comfortable as she could. The muffled droning of the cars to the tracks brought her exhaustion to bear and her eyes strained to remain open. Did I lose too much blood? I can’t even… think right now.
Her thoughts drifted to Celestia. I can’t… believe I attacked the princesses… What am I even doing anymore? she wondered.
What needs to be done, replied the doppelganger. And if you won’t do it… I will.
The doppelganger’s words chilled her blood, but she decided not to ask it for elaboration. Her thoughts sank into ideas again and she did her best to avoid the subject.
I should make it to the Crystal Empire. Maybe I can see Cadence and my brother. Or maybe… Her mind drifted to Nightmare Moon. The tall, dark mare smiled at her before pulling her close and nuzzling her. A smile crept onto Twilight’s face, but the last words and look she received from the Id quickly soured the moment. Before she knew it, sleep had come to her.
***
Derpy surged through the castle corridors in a smear of light and drab décor, cutting around corners with an uncanny finesse. Red carpet flowed under her like a river, and steps blurred while she descended into the depths of the castle. The corridors dimmed, but her own light kept them illuminated. Abruptly, she stopped before a large wooden door. Her light faded to the immediate surroundings and she pulled the door open. As she entered, she was met with walls opening behind iron bars on the sides of the path.
“Rainbow?” she called out as she hurriedly stepped forward. Many ponies appeared in the cells and called back, but none were the chromatic pegasus. Her eyes darted among them, their pleas to be freed growing louder the more she walked on. A rumbling shook the castle, and she swallowed as they went silent for a moment. It was soon broken by shouts and hollers her way, but she ignored them and moved deeper within. The cells grew empty the further in she looked, but she reached the last one and found her mark.
“Derpy?” came a familiar voice. The cyan pegasus stood up and lurched to the bars, a smile lighting up her dirty face. “I can’t believe it! It’s really you! I knew you’d come back for me.”
The paladin reached in and hugged her, smiling as tears escaped her eyes. “I’m so sorry it took so long, but there’s no time to catch up.” She stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Stand back,” she added as she brandished her sword. In four streams of light, the bars fell away to an exit. “Can you fight?”
Rainbow stepped out and stretched. “I don’t have a weapon or my armor.” She appeared thin, but her movements and demeanor hid any weakness she might have had.
“Here.” The paladin removed her shield and produced a second baldric. “It’s nothing special, but it’ll have to do for now.”
Rainbow took the baldric and equipped it. “What’s going on Derpy? Where are the others? What’s happening outside?”
“Resistance forces and those still loyal to the princesses are combating Aurelius’s forces. Archmage Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna went to overthrow Aurelius, but I don’t think it’s going well. I’ve been ordered to secure the city, but I had to come get you first. My sister is already in the fight. We need to go!”
Rainbow took a step, but stumbled into a halt. “Whoa, wait. Your sister?”
Derpy shook her head. “There’s no time to explain. Now, c’mon!” She equipped her shield and grabbed Rainbow, bursting out of the castle dungeons as fast as she could.
***
Sirens blared over the cityscape, a blanket of sound masking the battles below as Nightmare soared into the skies. It had been a long time since she had been here in the open, but she felt lost without Twilight. The city under attack was nothing like it had been before, coming to her like an empty room. Without Twilight, it had become a bitter place punctuated by Luna’s contemptuous looks and Celestia’s sympathetic reassurances. The first dragon she neared took notice of and broke her chain of thought.
“A dragon’s skull?” he growled. “I’ll make an example out of you.” He took a deep breath, swelling his chest with an orange tint, and unleashed a breath of flame towards her.
Nightmare barreled over and her ragged cloak expanded to wrap around her briefly. The cloth unwound as she breached the flames unharmed. Rage filled her, and with a roar she brought her massive scythe down and sliced through his shoulder. He flinched and groaned, and she flipped with her momentum and cut again, this time into his neck. She was unable to make a clean cut and had to pry her weapon out of a gushing wound. The dragon was not defeated, and a swift backhand knocked her free and away.
Nightmare sailed through the air as the dragon skull was smashed to pieces, her mane flowing free. She shook her head and her cloak shrank down, reducing its coverage and hindrance to hiding her neck. “You’ve caught me on a bad day,” she remarked. She beat her wings and surged towards him, the blade of her scythe shining blue as it was pulled back.
The dragon attempted to strike out at her, but she maneuvered between the rakes of his claws. Rather than aim for the side, she flipped forward and brought the blade down into his skull. The crack of the bone splitting signaled his final moment and she glared into his eyes as the life was cast out. “All that serve Aurelius will die,” she said to him before ripping the weapon free and watching him plummet to the ground. Below, soldiers glanced up to her in surprise, but their shock was interrupted as two more barreled down the streets towards them.
The Id dropped into a sharp dive towards the first, spinning in a whirlwind of steel and magic as she reached the ground. Blue waves of energy trailed her scythe while slats of blood hit the walls and street. With a thud the dragon’s head hit the ground and rolled away, and she quickly turned her attention to the next.
“Regroup with a larger force. I’ll handle this one!” She turned over her shoulder to the small unit of resistance soldiers, meeting their wondering and fearful gazes with her own of determination. “Go. Now!” They quickly acknowledged her and disappeared around the block.
Nightmare took in the appearance of the dragon before her. It was different from the usual ranks of Aurelius’s army and the Brood. It was a dirty grey, with thicker scales coating its body like large plates. She shuffled forward and kept her focus on its movements, making light swings and focusing on evasion. The tail smashed through an adjacent building like a wrecking ball, sweeping the debris into an avalanche. Dust plumed into a thick sheet before her, the dragon’s silhouette shifting beneath. A claw pierced the dust and she lurched backwards, the talons narrowly missing her face. One of his wings shot forward, striking her away, but she extended her own and launched into the air. With a heave, she brought her scythe down upon his appendage. She grunted as it bounced off with a resounding clang, the blade wobbling for an instant. Metal!? The dragon caught her in its grip and brought her to its face. Beady red eyes drilled into her own as it regarded her curiously.
“You’re different from the rest,” he muttered, cocking his head to one side.
Nightmare writhed and struggled in his grasp. “That’s funny… because you’re all the same.” The scythe blade furiously glowed blue and cut his hand off. Whirling free, she drove the blade towards his neck, but the back of his other hand caught it. There was a muffled clink before it scratched itself off and she pulled back. “What the—“ The tail swept back through the other building, leveling it on top of her. She formed a barrier as it poured over her, waiting until it settled before blast it all away.
The dragon inspected his lost hand, cocking its head to Nightmare in the same view. “Dragon eyes,” he remarked as he lumbered closer. “I think the king will want to see you.”
Nightmare’s barrier reformed and she glared death at him. “That’s going to be hard after I rip Aurelius’s eyes from his skull!” The scythe’s glow twisted into a burning violet, casting its hues upon her face.
The dragon offered a long, rumbling chuckle. “The little brother. The king would gladly watch that.”
“King?” Nightmare took a step back.
The dragon eyed her cautiously. “Dragonkin, where does your allegiance lie?”
He reached for her with his other hand, but she knocked it away with her scythe. Surging forward, she flipped and brought it down to his skull as he backed away. She missed and it cut through the front of his muzzle. He staggered backwards, coiling his tail for balance, and unleashed a dark flame.
The heat ripped away at Nightmare’s magic, but she sustained her barrier and breached it. Releasing the spell, she could see the dragon’s claw coming down for a deathblow. As she started to react a light pierced through the dragon’s body, and fire exploded from both ends of the wound into the air and onto the street. She watched in awe as his eyes went wide before rolling into the back of his head. The large body seemed to clank as the tension released and he fell forward towards her, roiling the dust once more.
What killed him? she wondered as she peered around and attempted to scan the area.
“Hey, be careful!” a voice called. She recognized it, but wasn’t sure where. “This one isn’t like the others.”
Nightmare traced the voice to a pegasus stepping out from the flames. They moved to the dragon’s body and tapped one of their swords to his scales, earning a dull clang. “Who are—“ She remembered the voice, and drew her scythe, meeting the pegasus’s sword at the same time.
“You!” cried Daring Do. “You’re the one that caught me in Ponyville. Who are you?”
The Id chuckled. “You’re impressive for a celestial knight. Have you come to kill me?”
Daring growled, but suddenly relaxed and sheathed her weapons. Stepping back, she laughed. “Well, doesn’t that beat all? You were killing dragons, so you’re alright in my book.” She spun around and reached out a hoof to the bewildered alicorn. “The name’s Daring Do, paladin of the Celestial Knights. Nice to meet you.”
Nightmare glanced at her hoof, and then to her face. “Paladin? That is… not you.” She poised to attack with her scythe, but Derpy landed next to her.
“What are you doing? There’s still more of Aurelius’s dragons in the city!” She glanced to Nightmare and went wide-eyed. “Nightmare Moon,” she muttered. When she received a frown she corrected herself. “Midnight Moon. Sorry. Uh,”—she rubbed the back of her head as she glanced away, “is my sister giving you trouble?”
“Sister? This one claims to be the paladin of your order.”
Derpy nodded. “It’s complicated, and there’s no time to explain. We have to help the resistance.”
Daring nodded. “Right. It was nice to meet you,” she said as she took off. Derpy flew right after and Nightmare prepared to do the same, but something stopped her.
A magical presence sank into her with a dreadful aura. She spun around and glimpsed a figure move around the corner. What was that? She stared at the corner for a moment, and slowly began to approach. As she neared, a pony with dark green fur and a faded blue mane stepped out.
“D-Don’t hurt me! I was just watching!” She slinked back until just her eyes and the top of her head could be seen.
Nightmare followed her around the corner. “Hey, if you’re not hurt you need to make your way to the castl—“ Bodies of ponies littered the street, but they were not maimed victims of the dragons. In a blur, she spun around and slashed away a beam of green energy. “You’re no pony. Who are you?” The pony’s form faded as a small green flame rolled over its body and revealed that of a dark, holed frame with insectoid features. “Queen Chrysalis, of the changeling Swarm. What a surprise to find you taking advantage of this. Really. What are you doing here?”
The changeling’s eyes were wide. “How do you know who I am? I’ve never met you before.”
Nightmare’s scythe blade started to glow blue. “She always wondered what happened to you…”
Chrysalis took a few shaky steps back as Nightmare’s magic welled. “W-Wait! I’m a friend of Princess Luna’s. I had to feed, but it was only a little on each one. They’re not dead or completely drained. I swear, you can check for yourself.”
The Id maintained a glare on her as she moved to several victims and examined them, her eyes flicking away from the changeling for an instant. She’s not lying… she thought as she pressed a hoof to a unicorn’s head. But I don’t trust her. “Luna didn’t mention you.”
The changeling’s face blanched and she turned to run. Nightmare dashed at her and cleaved towards her body, but there was a flash as it was stopped completely. Derpy appeared between them with a tower shield catching her blade.
The grey paladin’s teeth were clenched as she halted the attack. “She’s on our side, Midnight. She’s with Princess Luna.”
Where did she come from? She eyed the grey paladin intensely for a moment and then glanced at Chrysalis. “I don’t trust her.” The scythe was pulled back and she released her tension. “But I will trust Luna. Don’t forget to clean up after yourself, queen.” She turned and surged into the air and out of sight.
***
Daring glided across the skies, scanning the battles below and the foes still in the air. I wish we had more time… she lamented as she could see buildings burning across the city. Her gaze drifted to the castle, but she ripped it away and plunged to the ground to aid fellow resistance forces in a plaza. She flipped as she reached the dragon they were fighting, and stopped on the ground beneath with her swords extended out. The beast reeled back in pain and fright as it raised its arms, both claws missing and replaced with bloody stumps.
The dragon inhaled sharply before spitting a flame at Daring, and she moved through it, leaping up to drive her swords through the top and bottom of its mouth. A choked howl escaped its throat and it spun around, a wild swipe of its tail missing her. She ripped her weapons free, leaving its jowls in bloody pieces before finally driving her blades into its neck.
The resistance forces behind her offered thanks and a quick cheer, but she turned and silenced them. “Regroup with the others. Fight them in close quarters and you’ll have an easier time.” Before they could say anything else she was back in the sky.
“We can’t keep this up,” Derpy said as she flew up next to her. “I don’t have the energy.”
Daring glanced her way. “Neither do I, but we’ve got a problem. That was a contractor back there.” Her sister’s eyes went wide. “That one the alicorn was fighting… I spent a lot of my power to kill him. I’m not sure if there’s more, but it’s a bad sign.” Her focus shifted back to the grounds.
“What’s a contractor?” asked Rainbow.
Daring glanced over her shoulder to the knight. “Who’s this?”
The grey paladin opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted. “I’m Celestial Knight Rainbow Dash.”
The sandy pegasus glanced between them with an eyebrow raised. “Is she alright to fight?” she asked, motioning to Rainbow’s physique.
“She’ll be fine,” replied Derpy. “We’re supposed to work together with the resistance forces, but I don’t know what we’ll do if we fight any of those armored dragons.”
“Let’s just hope he’s alone.” A barrage of fireballs caused Derpy and Rainbow to split away as they passed through Daring. She glared ahead to the attacking dragon and charged. The pair watched as she slashed at him, leaving three dark and bloody marks across his chest before he crashed into a building below. Her return was marked with heavy breaths. “I’m heading for the castle. I have to see if Princess Celestia is here.”
“I’ll go with you,” her sister said.
“No. Stay here and help the others.”
Derpy blocked her flight. “I need to check on Princess Luna.”
“What about her?” she motioned to Rainbow.
“I’ll help the others. Just come back soon,” replied the cyan knight.
Derpy moved to her, quickly embracing and kissing her. “I promise. Don’t overdo it!” The sisters raced back towards the castle as Rainbow descended to join the others.
“So,” started the elder sister, “when were you going to tell me you had somepony?” Derpy slowly met her eyes, her aggravation scarcely hidden. “And that somepony just happened to be a celestial knight?”
The younger sister glared back. “My personal life is none of your business, Daring.” Her glare quickly shifted to surprise. “Look out!” She latched onto Daring and attempted to roll them out of the way, but a large fireball from below hit both of them.
“Ditzy!” cried the sandy pegasus, as she held her dazed sister. Derpy’s tail was burning, and she rolled midair to brandish a sword and slice the end off, but struggled to maintain her grip. “C’mon, snap out of it! I can’t fly us both like this.” They reached the castle, but Derpy slipped free. Sheathing her weapon, Daring dropped into a sharp dive. Catching up, she latched onto her, but it was too late to avoid crashing. “Hang on, this is gonna hurt!”
Abruptly, they collided with something solid amidst the castle rooftops, and the light faded away as they continued to descend through a tunnel. Debris fell with them as they reached the end, and stones chased them into a small, dark chamber. The pair’s fall was broken by a stone pedestal and punctuated with a sharp cry. Coughing mixed with groans filled the chamber while stone and dust settled.
“Where… are we?” asked Derpy. The grey paladin rubbed her eyes before squinting to murals that ran along the walls.
The elder sister stood up and dusted herself off, but her eyes went wide. “Are you okay?” She rushed to her side, giving the grey paladin notice to a slab of stone resting on one of her wings.
“I didn’t even notice…” Derpy attempted to wrestle away, but she yelped and became still. “I can’t move. Can you lift it?”
Daring shoved a sword beneath and attempted to pry it free, but it shifted over and crushed her wing more. “No-no! I’m sorry!” she blurted at her sister’s cry of pain.
“T-Together,” Derpy managed, drawing her own weapon. At once, they attempted lift the stone from her, but after a moment of grunting and curses, they ultimately failed. The blood drained from Daring’s face as her sister offered a solution.
“Cut my wing off.”
“What?” Daring winced, her eyes already wide. “I can’t do that!”
“What good is it going to do me if it’s crushed down here? Just… Just get it over with! I know you can cauterize the wound.” She turned her head away, her expression somewhere between a scowl and a wince.
“But you’ll never fly again. I can’t—“
“Just do it!” shrieked Derpy.
Daring swallowed and glanced up the hole. Her eyes wandered to the chamber door before finally settling back on her sister, a shiver running up her spine. “I hate this place. Give me a sec.” She turned and moved to the entrance and drew a sword. It glowed orange briefly before the chamber door opened outward.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and cut me out!” shouted Derpy through clenched teeth. “This hurts more than you think.”
Her sister returned with a grimace on her face and shook her head. “I’m going to try one last thing before it comes to that. I just needed to use my magic on the door before I burn it trying to rescue you.”
“What do you—“
Daring brandished her second sword and stepped to the other side of the stone. With a roar and flourishing orange light in front of her, the stone slab slowly lifted. For a moment, Derpy glimpsed that her sister was gripping it with fiery claws, the stone was dropped and it ushered dust back into the air. When it settled, Daring was slumped against the wall, panting, both of her swords lying on the floor beside her.
“How did you do that? And what did you mean by your magic?” Derpy asked. She offered her injured wing a mournful glance while she slowly furled it up.
“Don’t… worry about… it…” replied Daring between pants. After a moment, she stood up and sheathed her swords. “Are you okay? Is anything else injured?”
“I won’t be doing any flying, but I can still fight. That flame took a lot out of me, though.” Daring moved to her and helped her walk, and they trudged down the chambers without a word. As they ascended stairs and reached more familiar parts of the castle she broke the silence. “Thank you. Whatever it was that you did. Let’s check on the princesses and finish the fight in the city.”
Daring nodded. “I already did. They’re fine.”
A bewildered expression rapidly formed on Derpy’s face. “What? How?”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll see them later.” She offered her younger sister a grin. “I’ll take care of the skies while you help the soldiers in the streets.”
Derpy nodded as she looked out into the city. The smoke rising from the buildings and the roars of dragons in the distance soured her mood. Daring always left her with too many questions, and she watched for a moment as she took off into the air. With a deep breath, she galloped down to the city streets.
***
Hours passed as the resistance forces and those loyal to the princesses forced the dragons back. Many fled the city in the carnage as their kin were overwhelmed and cut down by the combined effort. Smoke drifted slowly to the sky as everyone worked together to snuff out fires and begin cleaning up the aftermath.
Nightmare’s legs buckled as she landed in the castle gardens, gracelessly crumbling into the plush grass. The grass radiated a faint fragrance that overpowered the sickly scent of blood carried by her cloak. For a moment, she merely lay there soaking in the last rays of the sunset. It felt soothing, and she chuckled at the irony. She started to drift to sleep, but was interrupted.
“Honestly. Is that all the stamina you’ve got?” mocked Luna.
The Id regained her strength and grumbled. Rising, she brandished her scythe. “Are those little scartches going to stop you from a fight?” However, she relaxed as she took in the moon princess’s injuries.
“Yes. They are.” Luna sat on the steps leading to the lower terrace. Her broken legs were in reinforced casts, but her pain was displayed in tenseness only. Her torso had been wrapped in bandages that crisscrossed between and around her wings. Silence fell between them for a moment, but she continued. “Thank you,” she muttered.
“If you hadn’t asked I would have chased after her,” Nightmare replied, laying back on the grass and gazing up to the coming eventide.
Luna followed her gaze and sighed. “I mean for everything. Without you… I don’t know how things would be now.”
Nightmare chuckled again. “Who knows? I didn’t have my own body until…” She glanced to the princess and grew somber. “Everything fell apart.”
“Our lives can be rebuilt. All is not lost, even for you.” Luna met her eyes and gently shook her head. “Tell me more about Twilight. I need to know everything when we face her again.”
Nightmare grimaced. “There isn’t much I can tell you that you don’t already know. Whatever happened to her from the time she vanished to now… it’s changed her for the worse. I wish I could link our minds one more time… just so I can… understand.” She sighed. “I never thought I would be free of Aurelius by becoming another pony’s prisoner and jailer, and now I finally have real freedom. I don’t know if it was worth it.”
The princess offered her a smile, much to Nightmare’s surprise. “Perhaps, but I believe it is. You are worth more as a being than a mere soul. We will save Twilight from herself in time.”
“I… never expected to hear that from you.” Nightmare put a hoof to her chin as the skies faded to purple. “Twilight was not acting like herself, and I’m wondering if another soul has taken my place inside her.”
Luna cocked her head. “She spoke of an… it telling her things. Would she be hearing voices, or something more?”
“I don’t know. When we shared the same body and linked our minds I could see her memories, and her mind… and yours. It was like a… blurry picture of emotions and fragmented ideas. If we tried, we could hide our thoughts from one another, or push them away. With enough willpower, we could override the one in control. When she was weakened in Canterlot those years ago and I took over, she was unable to access my magic. It seems now she has full control over the magic she gleaned from me.”
The sun started to disappear behind the horizon and Luna took flight. Nightmare watched as the moon began to rise over the opposing horizon. “My sister and I taught Twilight her archmage’s ascension. Never could we have imagined that it would be used against us.”
Nightmare snickered. “Your wounds are bad. I’m surprised Twi—“
Luna shook her head. “These are self-inflicted,” she interrupted, raising the wounded foreleg aloft. “She wasn’t able to fully discern my abilities in our fight. I can externalize my magic in a way she is only just beginning to learn. As such, I can drive it into and out of objects in a manner of my choosing. I could have killed Twilight when I overcharged my magic in my final attack, but I could not bring myself to put her down. Instead, I ran it through her body, but the excess had to be discharged somewhere safely. The only option I had was… through me.” She stood up and turned around, revealing bloodied bandages. “The pain was... is…excruciating. I used everything I had, and it took everything to spare her.”
“Thank you.” Nightmare rose and moved to her. Abruptly, she pulled her into an embrace, hugging above her wound and resting her head on her shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for… everything you’ve been to Twilight. She thanks you, even if she can’t do it right now.”
“I…” Luna’s eyes watered and she snorted. “It’s not quite the same… hearing it from you.”
Nightmare released her and stepped back. “Nothing is the same coming from me. I have only her memories and feelings. I can’t express them the same way she would.” She sighed. “I only wish I could have expressed myself to her, without the… complications of our bond.”
The princess gawked at her and wiped her eyes. “Your affections for her… How strong are they?”
The Id gnawed on her lower lip as her eyes darted away. “I… love her. I confessed that to Trixie. I felt it would be better to tell her sooner, rather than later.”
The princess choked on whatever words she first attempted to articulate, but managed to speak softly. “Her… marefriend. You divulged your feelings first… to her marefriend.” She, too, chewed on her lip. “How… specific are your memories of the two of them together?”
Nightmare flushed. “I don’t have those if that’s what you’re referring to. There was a mutual agreement that those memories were off limits. I’m not… ugh… nevermind.”
“Well,” Luna started, swaying her gaze back to the Id. “I believe she reciprocates your feelings. She was very determined to find you above all else, even before finding Archmage Lulamoon.”
“I… don’t know. She wasn’t very receptive when we were fused. I… tried more than once, but we slowly just grew to want each other. I don’t know if love is what she feels for me.” Nightmare loosed a long sigh and glanced up to the stars in the darkened sky. “If Celestia is to fulfill her promise in the end, I will do whatever I can to win her back.”
The princess followed her gaze. “It will be torture. Living with her memories and her never knowing of what happened and who you were to her. That you even exist will be a shock. Can it be said that you can handle that?”
“I… know. But this time would be better.”
“Oh?” She glanced back to Nightmare and met her gaze. “What makes you say that?”
The Id smiled and looked past her. “Because I’ll get to do it my way. I also have the advantage of knowing her.”
Luna gave her an incredulous look. “If that is what you desire, why don’t you erase your own memories?”
“It doesn’t work that way, and that wouldn’t help me. There’s a… let’s call it a marker… in her memories. Everything before that marker will remain intact. Her life before the war, before all of this chaos… before me… will stay exactly the same. The marker will make it so every memory after will have never existed for her.”
“Could she… one day remember?” asked the princess.
Nightmare’s smile faded away. “No. The memories are destroyed. There won’t be anything to remember. She will go back to being exactly the same as before. Just the normal Archmage Twilight Sparkle that everyone knew back then.”
Luna took a deep breath. “That is… a dangerous promise. With a reset to her life and sins like that… I loathe to imagine just how far her she will go before all is said and done.”
The Id nodded. “That makes two of us.”
“Three of us.” Celestia landed beside her sister, a somberness taking hold of her demeanor. “I never wanted this for her. It will feel like I’m killing her, or stealing away her life in some way. The collateral damage… The cost of all of this will be everyone else. You stand to lose the most, don’t you?” she glanced to Nightmare and took a deep breath.
Nightmare turned away. “It’s not my decision and never will be.” She took a deep breath and faced them again, watching as Celestia checked over her sister’s bandages. “In all honesty, I’m afraid of losing her. I searched into her feelings and memories as much as I could, but I couldn’t find the answer I was looking for.”
Luna shooed her sister away. “And what is the question?”
“Would she see me as I am, or will she see the monster she once fought years past?” Nightmare glanced at her bloodied cloak. “I can’t escape what I’ve done, but I can be at peace with it if it means I can have a future.”
Celestia smiled. “Don’t give up hope, Midnight. Both of you rest and recover. I’ve sent missives to Cadance and Shining Armor. We’ll sort out Twilight soon enough. For now, you’re welcome to rest in the castle. I’ve already had a room prepared for you.”
Luna yawned. “Some real sleep in my bed will be wonderful after spending so long in rustic conditions.” She got up and departed towards the castle.
“Thank you, Celestia.” Nightmare bowed her head and moved to follow after Luna, but the sun princess held a hoof out and stopped her as she passed.
The sun princess spoke in a hushed, but intense tone. “If it comes down to it, and there truly is no saving her… Can you bring yourself to mute Twilight?” Nightmare’s heart thudded painfully in her chest, and she met Celestia’s gaze. Her eyes were still and serious, a grimness captured in them that unsettled them both. “It is the very last resort… aside from having you two bonded once more. I don’t want to take Twilight’s livelihood, but her magic is the only other option.”
The Id’s eyes fell to the ground, and several tears dampened the stone path. After a long while she took a deep breath. “Her magic would be a small price to pay for her life.”
“Is that how she would feel,”—Celestia turned her face to hers, her gaze no less hardened—“or is that what you believe?”
Nightmare stared back in silence before prying herself away. “I can do it,” she replied quietly before continuing towards the castle, her head held low.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 52: Neverland
Wake up! bellowed the doppelganger.
Twilight sprang up, abruptly clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth together as the voice filled her head. A choked cough escaped her throat as she tensed, and a leg scraped over her chest. She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, blinking rapidly. A large tourniquet wrapped her wound where shredded fabric once did, with a faded splotch of red occupying the center. The room almost spun as she threw her gaze at every inch, studying the surroundings, but the walls told her where she was.
“Take it easy, Twily!” called a familiar voice. She couldn’t quite place the origin until a stout white unicorn stepped into view. A concerned gaze poked out just beneath a groomed blue mane. “You almost bled out by the time the train crew found you.”
“Shining… Armor…” she muttered as she allowed herself to relax. The name rolled off her tongue with a distant unfamiliarity.
“Just lay back and take it easy,” he cooed as he helped her down. “I just… can’t believe you’re alive.” He wiped his eyes before any tears could be seen. “What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?”
For a moment, she only stared back at him with an eerie listlessness, and he raised a brow to her. “I flew a little too close to the sun”—she held up the hoof Celestia had burned—“I’ll be fine.”
“Well…” He fidgeted before rubbing the back of his head. “I’m just glad you’re alright now. Can I get you anything?”
Her eyes rolled around the room once more before settling on her brother. “Take me to Cadance.”
Shining rubbed the back of his head again as he offered a sheepish smile. “I really don’t think you’re in any condition for that. I meant food or—“
Twilight sat up again and her eyes focused on him. “Cadance,” she repeated flatly.
The prince sighed. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but you need to be resting. As your big brother, I refu—“
His eyes went wide as he was engulfed in a dark violet aura and lifted from the floor. “Your little sister doesn’t have time for this. I am going to see Cadance, with or without your help.” He drifted back to the floor and was gently set down.
Shining’s features tore themselves between concern and worry. “Alright, alright. We… We thought you were dead. I don’t want to lose you… I can’t go to your funeral again, Twily.”
She climbed out of bed, her immediate notice that the majority of her pain had grown small. The lingering soreness and tenderness remained, but she had the freedom of being mobile once more. You’re welcome, her doppelganger chimed into her thoughts. Try not to tear your wounds open.
“I’m sorry about that. I’ll explain everything one day.” She limped towards him, and he offered to help, but she waved him off. “I’m in a hurry, so let’s go.” His concerned gaze was cast her way one last time before he led her out of the room.
The walk through the crystal palace was filled with her brother attempting to make small talk, but any time she could find interest in the conversation the doppelganger reminded her it was meaningless. She struggled to silence it this time and the voice drowned out her own thoughts as they neared the throne.
“Will you just… SHUT… UP!?” she screeched out.
Shining spun around on his heels and met her with wide eyes. “Wow, Twilight. I didn—“
“N-Not you, Shiny. I just… I’ve been so distracted lately and my thoughts got the better of me. I’m… I’m sorry.” Despite the apology, her brother still appeared hurt.
“It’s… okay, Twilight,” he replied softly. “I’m sure you’ve been through a lot. You’re safe here, so just take it easy. Cadance is just in here.” His gaze lingered on her for a moment, as if hoping she would open up to him, before turning and opening the doors.
A guard on both sides nodded to them as they entered, with two more by the throne acknowledging them with looks. Cadance had already moved towards them when they entered. “Thank goodness you’re alive, Twilight!” she called. “We were so worried when they found you.” She moved in for a hug, but Twilight held her back with her unharmed hoof. “Ah, sorry. It’s just… we thought you were…” She glanced to Shining.
Twilight offered an awkward cough. “It’s complicated. Look, I’d love to catch up, but I came here for Aurelius. Where is he?”
The pair exchanged glances before they started walking to the throne together. Cadance spoke as she looked around the room. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but he hasn’t come here.” When she reached the throne, Twilight had moved to the middle of the room, her gaze heavy upon her.
After a moment, she closed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
Shining shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you, Twily. He hasn’t come here in a long time.”
Twilight’s horn lit up as she opened her eyes. “You should know, brother, of all the ponies in Equestria, that you can’t lie to me.” She reached for him with his magic, but a barrier formed and blocked her. The guards quickly dashed to surround her.
“Twilight, what’s gotten into you?” Cadance asked as she huddled beside her husband.
Violet light snatched the guards and balled them together before launching them through the entrance. The doors slammed shut with a gust of air, and she approached the barrier. I can’t hurt them, she thought.
You’re right, the doppelganger replied, snickering. Twilight visualized its mouth, the devious grin spreading across its lips. And suddenly, she was seeing the world from a distance behind her eyes.
What’s… happening? she wondered. She could see herself moving, and even feel the movements, but she could not feel control. There was no intent within those movements, no thought or emotion as she witnessed her actions.
A blast of energy struck the barrier, crackling and sputtering before fizzling into a small plume of smoke. “Impressive. Shining Armor, was it?” She grinned as dark energy enshrouded her. “I’m betting she used to admire your shielding abilities when she was young, but let’s see how long you last against her magic now.”
Another blast of energy hit the barrier and Shining strengthened it. “You’re no sister of mine. Who are you? What have you done with Twilight?”
“It’s me, big brother,” she replied, her grin reaching her eyes. “I’m just a little tired of wasting time is all.” She struck the barrier with a hoof, leaving a crack. She gazed over the damage at the pair before striking again. To her dismay, the crack had vanished. “How long can you keep this up?”
“As long as I need to,” her brother replied.
A hole formed in the barrier and a pink beam shot through, ripping through Twilight’s shroud and sending her back. “Did you really think you could attack us after Canterlot?” Cadance growled. “We know you don’t have the strength to fight after that.”
Twilight picked herself up as the shroud returned. “Twilight may lack the willpower, but I do not. Her magic will suffice even now.” She charged forward and the shroud solidified into a dark sheen. Another pink beam sliced across her body, but it only slowed her. A second hit her, much more powerful than the last, and she stumbled to the ground. Glancing up, Cadance took a deep breath before readying her magic again. Twilight reached the barrier and began striking it over and over, more cracks forming. They were repaired, but it grew slower and slower each time.
“Together, Shining!” cried Cadance. All at once, the barrier fell and a burst of magic exploded forth from them.
It ripped through Twilight and she fell backwards as she was engulfed in the light. When it faded, her defenses had vanished, but her shroud remained in a thin, wispy layer. She took a deep breath and picked herself up, trudging towards them once more. “You’re strong, but can you really kill me, your little sister?”
“What?” Cadance panted as she signaled for the barrier to be reformed, but Shining’s breathing was becoming heavier. It started to take shape once more around them, but Twilight latched onto it and ripped it apart, dispelling it in a flash. Cadance threw herself between them, but a blast of force sent her to the side.
No! Don’t! cried Twilight.
She reached her brother, and she struck him; his head hit the floor before the sweat from his face could. He grunted before he was punched over and over again.
Stop it! Stop! STOP! she screamed within herself, watching helplessly as her brother’s face bruised and his blood leaked to the crystalline floor. It shimmered off of the crystal, burning its image into her mind.
Cadance cried out as she neared, and another blast of force failed to send her away again. She reached them and generated a burst of energy that ripped Twilight from her brother and launched her into the air. She caught herself with her wings and descended to the ground.
Cadance was sobbing as she clutched her husband’s battered head in her hooves. “Why… Why would you do this?”
“I’ve come for Aurelius, and you’re in my way,” she replied as she loomed over them. “She might not have the resolve to do what is necessary, but I do.”
“Are you going to kill us, Twilight? Your own family?” she snarled back, tears glinting in her eyes. “I don’t think you have it in you.”
Twilight gave her a malicious grin, looming over her. “Tell me where Aurelius is, or we might just find out.”
She turned to Shining as he moaned, and her tears fell upon his bloodied cheeks. His eyes had already started to swell. “I don’t even recognize you,” she whispered, turning to the dark alicorn.
The battered unicorn reached a hoof up his wife. “That’s… not Twilight… anymore,” he rasped. “Just tell her… where he is…” She took his hoof into her own and nodded.
“Tick, tock, princess. My patience is nearly gone,” said the oracle, her grin dropping.
Cadance’s voice wavered as she stifled her sobs. “He went south. Far to the south. To the Badlands. He didn’t say why.”
Twilight did not move as she spoke, an unsettling twisting of energy around her as she maintained her stillness. “Why did he come to the Crystal kingdom? I’d heard he forced labor here. What was he excavating?”
“A key. We never saw it. We don’t know why he wanted it or what it was for.” She cast a sad look to Shining and murmured something Twilight could not hear. “That’s all we know. Now leave us alone.” She stood up and faced her. “Leave and never come back. If you do, I swear I’ll make you pay.”
Twilight grinned and bowed graciously, one leg to her belly and another extended. “Thank you, princess. Thank you, brother.” She moved towards the entranceway and opened the doors. Many of the royal guard had filled the corridor leading out. “Tell them to get out of my way or the walls will have a new color.”
Cadance glowered at her through teary eyes before calling to the guards. “Stand down and let her leave the city. That’s an order.”
The guards offered her looks of surprise before shuffling out of the way. Twilight maintained her grin as she walked past them, their expressions of disgust filling her with glee. As she reached the castle exit, she took flight and soared out of the city until the guards could no longer be seen trailing her.
Suddenly, she squealed and came crashing into the ground. She blinked and everything that she saw started collapsing onto her mind. The memories sickened her, despair chasing them into her heart with blades. It felt as though a nightmare had ended, only for her to awaken within a new one. “Wh-What… have I done?” she muttered with quivering lips, and tears streamed down her cheeks. “M-My… b-brother… He’ll n-never… ever f-forgive me…” She sobbed into her hooves.
I did what you could not. What was necessary. If it wasn’t for me we would have never left.
Rage boiled within her despair, and magic exploded out from her and blasted the surrounding earth away. She panted before collapsing and slamming a hoof on the ground beneath her. “Y-You’re a disease. I have to get rid of you. I will get rid of you!”
Your task is not complete until Aurelius is dead, the doppelganger reminded.
She surrendered her immediate anger, but her thoughts stormed inside her mind, replaying everything that just happened. The thoughts splintered into ideas once more. It… took control of me. I would never hurt Cadance and my brother… Never… I would never… try to kill… Celestia… What’s… What’s wrong with me!? What… do I do?
She shuddered and slowly pushed herself back up from the earth. There was a peculiar twitching in her body as she stood up, and she took a deep breath. Her wounds had closed, but not healed. Looking to the horizon, she could see the wintery northern lands in the distance. With a last glimpse over her shoulder to the pristine Crystal Empire, she disappeared in a flash.
***
Nightmare awoke early, jumping out of bed and hurriedly grabbing her armaments before heading out of Twilight’s chambers. She slept well, but being in the oracle’s room brought her absence to bear. She chewed her lip before casting it one last glance, the door closing with a quiet creak.
“I expected you to rest longer.”
The Id flinched as she spun around to greet Celestia, hesitating to reply. “I… got all the rest I needed.”
The sun princess yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Well, we should grab some food before going. I’ll have the staff prepare us something.” She yawned once more as they walked.
“Did you sleep well? I don’t want to do this alone.”
The sun princess shook her head. “Luna’s injuries and inquiries kept her restless, so I debriefed her on everything that’s happened while…” She paused and sighed. “While she’s been away.”
“We only heard rumors of your fate. How did you manage to hide away for all this time? I hunted down Aurelius’s minions outside of Canterlot, interrogating them for information about you, or anything else I could use. No one knew what happened to you in the aftermath of Canterlot’s sudden fall.”
Celestia sighed. “I was in no position to fight back once Aurelius had seized control of the situation. To be honest,” she glanced to Nightmare, “I didn’t expect to survive.”
“I didn’t expect him to survive, either. If only…” Her eyes fell to the floor as the night of Twilight’s disappearance slipped into her mind. “I could have killed him back then.”
“An untimely intervention for both sides. Astra saved her brother by ripping Twilight from you and taking them both. I’m… sorry you didn’t get your justice.” Sympathy drew the princess’s features soft for a moment. “But I’m afraid it will still have to wait.”
“What do you mean by that?” Nightmare stopped.
The princess motioned for her to follow into the dining hall. “Over breakfast. I’m hungry and there’s much to tell.” Nightmare gave her an aggravated stare as she walked ahead.
When breakfast arrived, the Id seemingly inhaled her food as Celestia watched a few seats away. Before she could finish half of hers, Nightmare had consumed all of her own and requested more.
“As you were saying?” she said as she passed her plate to one of the morning cooks.
The princess swallowed her bite and looked into the sharp eyes, rubbing her lips together before she spoke. “Aurelius may not… be… the main threat…” Before the Id could finish processing the words, she strengthened her resolve. “It’s true he is our enemy, but his sister’s machinations will tear Equestria apart if left alone.” A cook returned with another plate of food, but Nightmare fixated on the princess. With a bow, he set it on the table and dashed away.
“The one… that took Twilight.” Nightmare’s gaze hardened. “What power could a dead alicorn hold, and why would she take Twilight?”
The princess cleared her throat. “Aurelius said she intends to return. She has done so eons into the past, but it takes tremendous amounts of energy for her to resurrect.” Her utensils were allowed to rest on the plate and she wiped her mouth, meeting the Id’s eyes. “She took Twilight to help her.” She watched as the blood drained from Nightmare’s face, her dejected eyes casting over the plate of food before her. “We don’t know why, and if that’s her plan it’s certainly not what I saw in her eyes.”
“I… How…” She slowly raised her head back to the princess. “Let’s say I believe you… I understand killing Aurelius. He’s in her way and it’s something we all want, so she’s fit that into her plan. I don’t understand how removing Twilight for four years while her brother establishes power helps her. We could have killed him that night and prevented all of this.”
Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry. We could never find an answer for that. We considered her needing Twilight as a vessel, but she was torn from her own body and provided a new one, somehow. Whatever Astra is planning it still hasn’t come together, yet, and we can’t see the endgame. All I know is, for now, we must get Twilight back, or stop her. I fear her mission goes well beyond herself and killing Aurelius.”
“Is it possible Astra is controlling her? Just like Aurelius had done to me?”
The sun princess’s eyes narrowed. “No. Aurelius assured me she does not possess the same ability as him. It shouldn’t work on alicorns, as he cannot project his will over their natural magic. He attempted to do so with me before bargaining.” She sighed and gazed down over her food glumly.
Nightmare suddenly stood up, her chair scraping backwards. “I’ll wait for you outside. I’ve lost my appetite.”
Outside the castle, guard patrols eyed the Id and her weapon with concern, but she paid them no mind. Her eyes lay upon the city, blind to the latest damage; she could only see the burning remains of the city during its sieging. She tore her thoughts away as she could hear steps behind her.
“Thank you for waiting,” said the princess as she appeared in burnished armor similar to the Id’s. “I’m afraid the last train evacuated yesterday and we’re still on alert, so we’ll be flying.” Her greataxe was stood beside her, its double-head and phoenix-adornment rising to the crest of her helm. Abruptly, it was devoured by her mane. “This… is bad.”
A crystal pegasus with a flight jacket and messenger bag frantically flew over the gates before coming down onto the stone landing. Sweat rained down to the stone as he bowed his head, a hoof extended with a piece of parchment. “An urgent missive from Princess Cadance, Your Majesty.” Celestia frowned and snatched it, quickly unfurling and scanning the contents.
“Twilight?” asked Nightmare.
The sun princess nodded to her. “I sent a warning to Cadance regarding Twilight as soon as I could. It appears that she made it the Crystal Empire, as I expected.” She turned to the pegasus and offered a smile. “Rest, messenger. There is no need for a reply. We are already headed there.”
A weak smile tugged the corners of his mouth up before he flattened onto the stone. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he rasped.
“Shouldn’t we bring an army, or at least a battalion with us?” asked Nightmare.
The sun princess gave a defeated snort. “Canterlot needs its defense right now. It’s unlikely we’ll find any hostile forces between here and the Crystal Empire. At least for now.”
The alicorns coiled down and leapt into flight, quickly beating their wings and gliding towards the Crystal Empire.
“There’s one thing I must know before we confront Twilight,” said Nightmare. “To know that I can trust you.” She waited for the princess to meet her eyes before continuing. “Why did you never betray Aurelius? Even Trixie was undermining him.”
Celestia’s eyes fell to the passing fields below. “Several things happened in the aftermath of his return. I don’t know if he knew how he would return, but he was certainly prepared for it. When he took control of the celestial knights and failed to subdue me, he made me his offer. At the same time, Archmage Lulamoon was not under his control. If I did not agree, he would subdue her and one of the three was to die. He threatened to kill more, but I didn’t want to call that bluff.” She sighed. “However, for Trixie to remain free, she had to make a blood pact—“
Nightmare’s eyes widened “Trixie is bound to a dragon!?”
The sun princess shot her a solemn look. “She was provided the benefits, but it also left her vulnerable. She’s formidable, and she could’ve likely escaped when she had the chance. I tried to change Aurelius’s mind, anything to keep her from that.”
Nightmare continued to fly straight as she maintained her gaze on Celestia. “Do you know the dragon she is bound to?”
“Garr, the dragon king of the Brood.” Celestia clicked her teeth as she looked ahead. “To keep the political balance and prevent them from fighting, he kept me alive and Trixie in check at the same time. If the Brood were to align with anyone else to fight back, he would kill her and cut the head off of their faction for a while at the same time. It was better to stand down than prevent another war built upon lies with them. If not for Garr, we might be at war. They did not take kindly to King Render’s assassination, and I can’t say I blame them. I’ll carry Twilight’s fault for that, but she bears the guilt.”
“If Aurelius still intends to use that against us…” Nightmare trailed off as she peered ahead. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I hope for a lot of things, but for now let’s focus on Twilight.” The princess flew ahead as she led the way towards the crystal empire.
The heat of the sun raked over Nightmare as they pressed on, and she trailed the sun princess. “Could you… you know…” she started. Celestia slowed down until they were side by side.
“What?” she asked, studying the Id’s face.
“Tone down the heat. I’m not immune to it.” She brought a hoof up to her head, removing her helmet with magic and wiping her brow before replacing it.
Celestia loosed a hearty chuckle. “I didn’t expect you to be this bothered, but I’m afraid I can’t adjust the sun just to make you more comfortable.”
“It was worth a try,” muttered Nightmare as her mane shifted and stilled, forming an awkward shade for her head. The resulting image brought more laughter from the princess as she bobbed up and down in flight.
“You look ridiculous,” she blurted before chuckling some more.
“I’m trying to save my magic,” the Id grumbled, casting her an annoyed glance. “Let’s just hurry,” she added, and flew ahead.
In the distance the Crystal Empire arose, the palace shimmering in the face of the sun. Refractions cast down to the rest of the city, bathing it in breathtaking hues while Nightmare squinted at it. Her tired wings made her hope it wasn’t a mirage, and she shifted into a glide, sweeping a hoof over her sopping brow. A glance to Celestia ensured that the sun princess hadn’t fallen behind, and she appeared much less fatigued by the journey.
“They’re not going to attack me on sight, are they?” asked the Id.
“No,” replied Celestia. “As long as you are with me you will be fine.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Celestia looked to the Id, and followed a pointed hoof to the edge of the city. “Were they expecting us?”
The sun princess soared ahead and led them to touch down at the perimeter. Several crystal ponies moved to meet them, with more pegasi and a unicorn behind keeping a watchful eye.
Celestia held a hoof to her chest as she spoke. “I am—“
“—Princess Celestia!”
The princess scanned the guards to find Cadance moving through them, but when the Crystal Princess emerged she did not bear any joy.
“Tell me what happened, Cadance,” she said softly. “I’m afraid this is not a social call.”
The crystal princess’s eyes were on Nightmare. “She looks just like Twilight.”
Nightmare’s eyes widened and she met Celestia’s sympathetic gaze. “I’m guessing she is no longer here.”
“No,” Cadance said bitterly. “She stayed just long enough to nearly smash her brother’s face in.” Nightmare hung her head as Cadance turned away and took a deep breath. “Did you come for her?”
Celestia sighed. “Yes. She is… not the mare she was. The resistance forces have overthrown Aurelius, and Twilight led the attack. However, she was not allied with them. She came for Aurelius, but I stopped her pursuit. She turned on Luna and I before escaping.”
Nightmare’s stomach twisted to the words. Why did it come to this?
“So that little murderer Aurelius was right?” Cadance grimaced. “We have to stop her…”
“I don’t believe there’s a right answer to that,” the sun princess said mournfully. Her gaze shifted to Nightmare. “Has Aurelius come and gone? Did he find what he was looking for?”
“A while ago.” Cadance looked to the horizon as if viewing her memories. “We shut down his excavation and sent home as many ponies as we could. Whatever it was he found it was buried deep beneath King Sombra’s old empire. It was some kind of key, but he wouldn’t say what it was for. He took it and left.”
“Where is he going?” asked Nightmare quickly. “She’s going to kill him, so she will surely follow him.”
She frowned at the Id. “I told her Aurelius is going to the Badlands.” The Id opened her mouth, but the crystal princess cut her off. “I don’t know why he’s going there. If Twilight plans to kill him, I almost don’t think we should stop her.” When both ponies shot her surprised glances, she repeated, “Almost.”
Celestia shook her head. “I don’t think she is lost. At least not yet.”
“Tell that to my comatose husband.” The crystal princess turned up on her heels and headed for the city. “You’re welcome to stay, auntie, but I’ll have the Canterlot train released for you right away,” she called back.
Nightmare watched Cadance leave, scraps of Twilight’s fond memories of her seeming so foreign now. “She… attacked her brother,” she mumbled, as if to herself.
“After me, are you surprised?”
The Id shifted her gaze to her and shook her head. “No. You… were supposed to be the line she could not cross. I never thought she would use her contingency plan as an ultimatum. However, with all of this damage to her family and friends, her home, and how much she wants vengeance…” She took a deep breath and watched the guards reform their perimeter in the princess’s absence. “I can’t tell if she still expects you to destroy her memories, or if she is truly gone.” She turned back to Celestia to find her silently crying.
“Neither… can I…” She wiped her eyes, speaking with a quiet, uneven voice. “We should return to Canterlot. We can rest on the train.”
Nightmare let her take the lead, her eyes noting the prismatic mane obscuring her eyes. Seeing her tears felt like an iron plate had been laid over her heart. Luna’s memories conveyed the sun princess as being compassionate and composed, almost to a fault. Her own memories only showed her that she did not shy away from the difficulties of her duties. As she followed her, her mind started to delve into the memories of Twilight, and pain welled within her as she briefly saw Celestia as the oracle once had.
She stopped as she could recall the moment she finally saw Twilight again. For only a fraction of a second, time had stopped for her as their eyes met. You’re still there, she thought. I won’t let you go.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 53: Gloam
For a moment, Luna thought she heard herself snoring as she stirred awake, but it continued even as she sat up. Glancing over her shoulder she found, to her surprise, Chrysalis had been coiled up beside her on the bed. The changeling queen’s absence from the previous evening was of little surprise. She had slinked away quickly with her powers, and the princess presumed she would feed and escape. It was odd to Luna to see her slumbering, a formidable opponent that had previously attempted to usurp her people and turn them into a permanent food source. A myriad of memories snaked their way through her thoughts and she climbed out of bed, stifling groans as her body reminded her of the wounds she still bore.
I’m not awake enough for all of this, she thought as she hobbled towards a mirror. A brush floated over to her and ran through her mane. While unkempt, it seemed to lose its shifting property, appearing more like a set of constellations that had been dropped together into a lopsided mass. When she opened her eyes, only then did she realize the snoring had stopped; Chrysalis was standing behind her reflection.
The brush returned to a nearby dresser. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“You didn’t,” she replied.
An awkward silence fell between them and Luna turned to head for the door. “Do changelings eat food, or is it all love that you survive off of?” The changeling was already on her heels before she knew it.
“We do eat, but it doesn’t offer the same sustenance.”
Luna cocked her head towards her companion. She was not proving to be a good conversationalist in the morning. “Well, I’m going to get some breakfast—“ She cut herself off as she glanced to the light coming through windows and illuminating her chambers. “I suppose it would be lunchtime. You should join me.”
She learned of Celestia and Nightmare Moon’s earlier departure and of the crystal runner’s news over breakfast. Chrysalis was left with an array of fine dishes to sample, but she merely nibbled on each item and watched the princess as she ate. The food was satisfying, but the constant staring was growing unsettling.
“Well, aren’t we all just one big dysfunctional family,” remarked Daring Do as she strode up and took a seat near the princess. Rainbow Dash and Derpy Hooves followed in behind whispering to one another and giggling quietly.
“Where is Chancellor Leo?” Luna asked.
The sarcastic demeanor of the sandy pegasus dampened before she spoke. “He’s taking care of the militia and getting hold of Canterlot. There’s a lot of unrest, and overthrowing Aurelius didn’t come without casualties.” She swallowed and the other two pegasi beside her grew silent. “The citizens have been through a lot. The archmagi need to be rebuilt and reorganized.”
Derpy chimed in. “I hate to say it, but we’ve got bigger problems than that.”
“Bigger problems?” echoed the princess. “What could be bigger than re-establishing order and cleaning up both Aurelius’ and our mess?”
“Contractors,” said Daring, her face sullen and eyes becoming distant. “At least, that’s what we call them. I found one in the city. That black alicorn, whatever her name is, was fighting him. I killed him before things could get out of hand, but it’s a bad omen.”
Luna bit into an apple as she listened. “What makes these contractors so special? You say they’re stronger than regular dragons, but we know little else.” Chrysalis took an apple and started to eat it, but her eyes remained mostly on the princess.
One of the servants arrived and brought food to the pegasi as they listened, but Daring shook her head. “Just a salad, and pitcher of water,” she muttered to him. She cleared her throat as she focused back on the princess. “Dragons aren’t much of a match for us celestial knights in the field in very small numbers, but the contractors are different. They’re all fully matured dragons, so their hides are thick and they’re very resistant to magic. But what’s worse, they’re covered in some kind of natural, stony scales. They’re incredibly thick and make them virtually invincible to conventional attacking methods.”
“You killed two in the desert by yourself. I have doubts about the durability of these new dragons when I do not know how powerful you are to measure them.” Another apple from Luna’s plate drifted towards the changeling, and she had to steal it back with her magic.
“I can confirm what she’s saying about the scales,” interjected Derpy. “I tried to cut through one with her sword after she slew them, but it was like hitting iron.”
Luna stood up, taking her last apple with her—the changeling made a small huff—and slowly paced back and forth. “These things come from the Badlands, do they not?”
Daring nodded. “They stay in the Badlands, and we stay out of the Badlands. It’s very rare for them to wander into our lands, but we don’t know how many there are or how they survive. It’s rough out there and we’ve never gotten very far into that place.”
“You say they are resistant to magic, but Archmage Sparkle was made to easily dispatch multiple dragons at once, should the need arise. What sort of expectation should I carry about their defenses against spells?”
The servant returned and placed a salad, water pitcher and a cup beside the sandy pegasus. She ignored the cup and took the pitcher, rapidly gulping it, much to the others’ surprise. As she consumed most of it, she wiped her mouth and continued. “It will take more magic to break through. Concentrated or focused attacks. They can even shrug off great magic. I have to focus my—“ She glanced around and cleared her throat. “It just takes a lot out of me to take them out quickly, but more than two and I’m not sure I can win. Without Colgate and Berry, we’re at a severe disadvantage if we’re attacked again, and I’m still exhausted from last night.”
Luna returned to her seat and eyed her apple, rotating it before her. “My injuries will prevent me from any serious combat for the time being, as will Archmage Lulamoon’s. The archmagi themselves are not what they once were, so we only have our own army for defense. Still, they take time to amass. How likely are we to be attacked by these contractors? For now, the Brood is an ally and we could request aid once word reaches King Garr that Aurelius is no longer in power.”
Daring shook her head. “I don’t know. Usually the strays fled back into the Badlands after a short while or we took care of them. They’re dangerous, but never went far. To see one all the way up here in Canterlot…” She took a deep breath and finished the water pitcher, loud gulps and a smack of her lips as the last of it was drained. “He had to have come for Aurelius. I can’t think of any other reason.”
The princess passed her apple to Chrysalis, watching as she bit into and rapidly consumed it until it was down to the core. “There is no answer to that mystery that makes it any less frightening. For now, we must gather our strength and recover the stability of Equestria. We do not know how far Aurelius spread his influence. As soon as Celestia returns, we shall see about appealing to our allies and the other races to bolster our defenses if need be.” She turned and looked to Rainbow. “I shall require both of you to bring Knight Dash’s power to bear. Speak with Leo and see to it that she is properly armed. It has been a long time coming.”
“Understood, Your Majesty,” replied Derpy. Rainbow looked at her with a grin quickly spreading across her face.
The princess motioned for Chrysalis and they left the dining hall together. “I am unsure of what use you could be in our hours of need, given your… nature.”
The changeling queen strode up beside the princess, staying close as they passed castle staff and masons. The eyes of others glued to her, but Luna continued on, only casting a stern look down on anyone whose gaze lingered upon her companion too long.
“You know how strong my magic is—“
“—can be,” the princess corrected. “My sister is stronger than you last recall, and you are quite formidable… when you are at full strength.” She stopped and faced Chrysalis. “I am unwilling to gamble on your strength when we need it in the long game.” They had stopped before a window overlooking the courtyard. Off to the side, the remains could be seen of one of the throne room walls. Ponies were cleaning up debris and rebuilding off of what still stood. “If Knight Do is to be believed, these new dragons may require more than we’ve ever asked of another.”
Chrysalis stared at the damage. “What did that?” When Luna did not answer, she turned to find her continuing on down the corridor, and she quickly scampered up to her side again.
The princess sighed. “I did.” Her mane shifted out of the way and wings unfurled, revealing the bloody bandages crossing between. “Admittedly, I was surprised that Twilight could stand her ground against my sister and I at once, but power begets power. She drew out Celestia’s serious side, when I could not muster the resolve. Still, it felt as though there was a part of her yet missing.” There was a moment of silence between them.
“I find my hunger to be… less ravenous as of late.” When Luna looked at her, the changeling appeared just as unsure of the claim.
“Well. We’ll see about that.”
Luna led them to the castle infirmary. Moans could be heard emanating from within, and as they opened the door, chaos became the scene. Resistance forces and royal soldiers and guards alike filled the beds with varying injuries. Nurses and doctors shuffled back and forth with supplies and consultation, some ponies being moved about on gurneys. A large smear of blood was near the center of the room, a pegasus hovering above and swishing a mop back and forth over it.
A doctor glanced up to see the princess. “Sorry for the mess, Your Maje—eeeh!” He jumped and then stiffened, the room going silent as all eyes fell on Chrysalis. Luna followed their gazes to her companion.
“I’ll just… make myself scarce,” Chrysalis murmured, turning away.
“Stay,” said the princess. She turned and stood tall to the room of ponies, her voice becoming loud. “There is nothing to give pause to your work. I have come to change my bandages and nothing more.” Everyone in the room quickly scrambled back to their tasks, their eyes now shying away from the changeling. The doctor that acknowledged them fetched supplies from a cabinet and motioned the princess to a side room. As the doctor peeled away her bandages, the bloody flesh became visible, and Luna winced to the fresh air.
“So, the great Princess of the Night is not so invincible after all.” Luna matched Chrysalis’ smirk with a frown.
“Unless the next time you wake you want to find yourself stuck to a giant fly trap, I suggest words of encouragement.” She watched her and remained rigid as the doctor lathered a salve upon her back and wrapped the wounds. He started on her leg injuries soon after.
Chrysalis seemed to contemplate the princess’s words briefly, but she rolled her eyes. “So what if you got a little eclipsed. I’m sure you’ll shine brighter the next time.” She quickly slinked out of the room before Luna could grab her with her magic.
When Luna left the infirmary, she found the changeling waiting outside in her Nympha form. “Just what is the extent of your transformation ability?”
Chrysalis cycled through several random ponies, but stopped on Cadance. “Oh, you know… Whatever to look the part.” A silence punctuated with the narrowing of Luna’s gaze caused her to revert to her base form.
“Can you turn into something to fight?”
The changeling paused before answering. “Yes, but if I’m changing into another creature entirely I cannot use my magic. I can shift back and forth again, but it wears through my power the stronger the creature.”
Luna pursed her lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
***
Nightmare stared absently out the train window to the rolling terrain. She had been mulling over Twilight’s behavior for the entire ride back to Canterlot, falling to silence even when Celestia attempted to maintain a conversation. It wasn’t until the private booth had dimmed and the sun princess’s chromatic mane offered some illumination that she caught her staring.
Nightmare sighed. “A part of me didn’t want to believe it.”
“All of me didn’t want to believe it… any of it,” Celestia replied.
The arrival at Canterlot was marked by an announcement and the deceleration of the train, causing Nightmare to sway. The grinding of the brakes came, and it slowed to a halt. They watched as most of the train car exited in the hallway outside, their shadows moving across a drape beneath the light.
“I’m… scared,” the Id confessed. “I was afraid of being without her, but I coped. I survived. She was my place in the world, and I didn’t know where I belonged. My life truly began with her.”
“I tried to get you to stay. Even if my sister would object, her scorn would wear down eventually. You could have had a home in Canterlot.”
Nightmare stood up and stretched. “I wasn’t concerned with Luna’s feelings. Without Twilight, it wasn’t home to me.” The pair exited the train, and on the platform they found Derpy, Luna, and Chrysalis awaiting them.
“Welcome home, sister,” Luna greeted. “I presume it did not go well.”
Celestia moved to embrace her sister, but stopped as she saw the bandages. “Twilight had fled long before we arrived. She attacked her brother.”
“I… see.” Luna glanced past to Nightmare. “I am sorry.” The Id shook her head and walked past her in silence. Derpy and Chrysalis stayed beside Luna as they walked and talked.
“It is good to see you moving about again, Luna. I know that can’t be easy.”
“Nothing is easy,” she said as she gazed at the back of the Id ahead of them. She cleared her throat as they ascended the stairs, herself taking hold of the railing and taking shuffled steps upward. “We have received the resistance forces and begun damage control to the city and castle. Those that stood with us in overthrowing Aurelius are to be investigated for pardoning in the future, however, what shall we do with those that still harbored loyalty?”
The sun princess paused atop the stairs and watched her sister, holding her answer until she arrived. “Treason will not be tolerated in the severe cases, but I wish to offer leniency to those that can make a sound case.”
“As you wish.” A carriage was waiting for them at the street, several guards standing prepared to drive it.
As they boarded, Luna stopped her sister. “There is… something of a surprise for you at the castle.”
The sun princess cocked her head to one side. “Oh? What is it?”
“I desire to see your unfettered reaction, so you must wait.” Luna boarded and left her sister pensive for a moment.
***
Luna continued her status report to her sister, relaying her outlines for plans to her, but she received only half-formed responses. Celestia had divided her attention between Nightmare—her eyes laden with worry—and Chrysalis—a wary look that Luna recognized as suspicion. She found Chrysalis to be hovering over her, but her attention split between her and the Id as well.
The carriage arrived at the castle, and everyone filed out. The princesses took flight together, exchanging the sun and the moon’s reign over the skies and completing the shift from day to night. As they landed, Derpy offered a bow.
“I’m going to check on Knight Dash’s progress.” Luna nodded and prepared to reply, but Nightmare spoke first.
“I have somewhere to be,” she said quietly and took off into the night.
“Well,” started the moon princess, “I think any discussion for a battle plan is left until we’re all at our best.” She turned to the changeling. “You can retire for the evening if you wish as well.”
“I’ll stay with you,” she replied, receiving another wary glance from Celestia.
The princesses led the way back to the throne room. As they entered the still-scorched room, the hastily rebuilt throne of the sun princess was occupied.
“What do you think you—“
Daring stood up, her eyes wide, and she quickly glided down the steps, her eyes locked with Celestia’s.
Luna extended a hoof towards the sandy pegasus. “Sister, this is the surprise… that I…” she trailed off as she took notice of the sun princess. Her mouth was agape, her eyes wide. Trembling steps drew Daring and Celestia towards one another. Suddenly, they dashed the rest of the way, the larger alicorn taking the other into an embrace, the smaller nuzzling into it.
“You’re… home,” Celestia said softly. Her eyes watered, but she blinked away any tears that were forming.
She chuckled. “I can’t run away when my princess needs me, can I?” They separated and she straightened up. “It’s good to see you again. I feared the worst when I heard of Canterlot’s fall. I… I should have been here.”
Celestia shook her head. “No. It’s alright now. You might not have been able to do anything when it all happened.”
Daring sighed. “I… guess we’ll never know.”
The sun princess pulled her close and embraced her once more. “You are not a coward,” she whispered. “I understand… and I forgive you. I hope you have forgiven me for breaking my vow to you.”
The legs beneath the pegasus buckled and she crumbled to the floor, her eyes hiding beneath her grey mane as she shuddered. “Th-thank you, and… I have,” she said with a quiet, choked voice. After a moment, she wiped her eyes and stood up. “I had a lot of time to think about it.”
Luna and Chrysalis exchanged puzzled looks.
“Do you mind explaining this, sister?” Luna asked curtly.
Celestia took a deep breath. “Before your return, Paladin Do was bound to me.”
“That much I have already figured out for myself.”
Daring stepped up beside the sun princess and bowed. “Paladin Daring Do, at your service.”
The moon princess scoffed. “I think you made it quite clear whose service you are in. You two knew each other were alive… didn’t you?”
Celestia slowly nodded to her. “Yes. Her binding offered a connection. I could sense her, faintly, somewhere out there, in a similar manner as Twilight once before. I knew she would return home.” She smiled to Daring. “One day.”
Derpy stepped into the room with Rainbow in tow, a look of awe on her face as she viewed the pair. “Welcome back, Princess Celestia,” she muttered.
“Whoa, you two know each other?” Rainbow blurted.
“We’re, ah, old friends. Daring Do was the previous paladin. I should have been more upfront about her status, but I felt the time was not right to ask for her to return. I am sorry for the secrecy.”
Derpy’s gaze evened out as she listened. “You should have told me.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, I should have, but it seems things have smoothed over before your arrival. I’m glad for that.” Derpy opened her mouth, but was silenced by a hoof. “When all is said and done, I will tell you anything you want. I promise.” The paladin smiled and nodded. She turned back to Daring and placed a hoof on her head. “You have been taking care of yourself. I trust your burden is not too much to bear.”
The sandy pegasus grew solemn for a moment. “It’s… hard sometimes. Without you… I was worried about what could happen.” She placed a hoof over her heart. “But I don’t have to worry anymore now that I’m here with you.”
“You have spent all of this time by yourself, but you were never without me. You never had anything to fear, Paladin Do.” The sun princess embraced her one last time, earning a smile from her. “Thank you.”
“This,” began Chrysalis, “is all very touching. I’m sure. But what should we be doing?”
The sun princess focused on her. “I would like to know how the queen of the changelings came to be my sister’s companion. I would have had you thrown in the dungeons the moment I saw you were it not for her.”
Chrysalis blanched, but Luna spoke up. “We found her dying in Ponyville. She had since been ousted by the Swarm as their ruler. I vowed to aid her and her race, should she aid us in retaking Equestria. She has honored her word thus far.”
“Ousted by the swarm?” echoed Celestia. She studied the changeling queen as she shrank behind her younger sister. She put a hoof to her chin as she glanced away. “You appear to trust each other,” her eyes shifted between the two, “and I won’t interfere with the bond you have now.” The changeling opened her mouth to speak, but she froze. “I leave her in your care, Luna. I trust I don’t need to say anything more.”
Chrysalis appeared relieved, but she maintained her demeanor by the side of the moon princess. When Luna looked to her, she half-shrugged.
“You do not. She will be fine with me for the time being.”
Celestia panned her gaze around the room. “I expected Nightmare Moon to have returned by now. Where has she gone off to?”
Luna shook her head. “I fear her short-lived reunion has been weighing heavily upon her mind. She knows she is welcome here.”
The sun princess sighed. “That’s not quite it. I’m worried she may run off on her own again.”
“I’ll go find her,” replied Luna.
“I’ll go with you,” chimed in Chrysalis.
“Uh,” Derpy rubbed the back of her head, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You two didn’t exactly meet on the best of terms.”
The changeling chewed on her lower lip. “You’re right. I’ll just… wait for you in your room.” Luna nodded and the pair left, Chrysalis right at her side again.
Celestia turned to Derpy. “What is the status of Knights Punch and Minuette. Are they still… missing?”
The paladin shuddered. “Yes. I’m guessing that they’ll be with Aurelius when we next see him, but we can’t afford to go searching for them. I’m… not looking forward to that reunion.”
Daring put a hoof on her shoulder and made an expression between uncertainty and worry. “You and me both.”
“We need to get them back,” said the princess. “I won’t have them controlled by Aurelius any longer than they have to be. But for now, you’re right, and I’ll need you two together. Rest easy for the time being while we recover and gather our strength.” The trio nodded to her and left the throne room.
***
Luna meandered over the castle grounds, taking in the ruination from the previous battle. It was nothing like the destruction from Aurelius’s siege, but the city had been rebuilt quickly in its aftermath. Too quickly, she thought, recalling much of the surface damage. She had raised the moon already, but it was hidden among the clouds, casting only a murky shade upon the landscape. The darkness had little to do with her inability to find the Id, but if she was hiding herself it would still prove a challenge to find her.
She started to think over the locations she could be, but during the peace following Twilight’s disappearance she spent much of her free time in Twilight’s chambers. The most anyone saw of her was if she was summoned regarding plans for searches, but her restlessness led to her own investigations. It bothered Luna that she departed on her own, regardless, but she understood the frustration.
As she glided around, she thought of another place the Id might have gone to, and she turned from flying over the edges of the castle grounds to the old ivory tower. It housed its own library and many items that the archmage had been fond of using. The tower grew to be a place of solitude for her when she found the rest of the castle to be distracting. Luna landed at the top, finding a balcony with one of the doors open partway. She entered quietly, taking care to move without making a sound. Descending the stairs, she took in the sight of the darkened bookshelves, now covered in dusty drapes. The moonlight scarcely shone through the windows, but she reached the bottom of the stairs to find Nightmare staring absently out of them.
“There you are. Celestia was worried about you.”
Nightmare turned her head, but not enough to glimpse Luna. “It’s strange that you volunteered to look for me.”
The princess took a deep breath and slowly moved up to her, sitting down and gazing out of the windows with her. “Perhaps, but if you were hiding I am the best choice for finding you.”
The sharp irises of the Id met her own. “What if I’m not hiding, but I don’t want to be found?”
Luna’s heart sank and she turned back to the windows. “I was that way… once. Far lost in my sister’s shadow, long after I had grown to loathe her. ”
“That’s not the same,” Nightmare replied. The clouds thickened upon the moon and the light cast in the tower grew darker, and even the edges of the bookshelves could barely be seen.
Luna allowed the silence to linger a moment before speaking. “I do not believe I properly thanked you for the solace you gave my mind during our imprisonment. I cannot recall much of it, nor what you did.”
“Sleep,” the Id said. “Both of us, for much of it. It was easier when the rage died down, but I couldn’t do anything during the beginning, and nothing for the hatred.”
The princess eyed her thoughtfully in the dark. “I… see. Thank you. I believe it helped.”
“You should leave,” remarked Nightmare as she stood up and moved into the darkness in the back.
“And if I want to stay?”
The Id’s body vanished into the pitch black, but her eyes could be seen when she turned, along with her misty mane glowing faintly. “And why would you want to do that?”
Luna turned back to the windows, the moonlight starting to return as the clouds thinned away. “I wish for your forgiveness.”
“By pestering me?”
She frowned, even if the Id could not see it. “I… do not know of any way that would ease your tensions with me.”
Nightmare paused for a moment, and she could hear steps moving about behind her. For a moment, Luna thought the Id had left, but she spoke from the shadows again.
“Last I checked you were the one that hated me.” The aggravation leaked through her tone.
The princess stood up and moved into the shadows, walking past her, but never meeting her eyes. With her magic, she retrieved two items and placed them where they had been sitting before the windows. With a quick dusting, they were revealed as pillows and she sat on one. She glanced over her shoulder to the Id before turning to the windows. After a moment, Nightmare made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan before taking a seat on the pillow beside her.
“So much has changed, and much more I’ve come to learn about myself. I have had much time to reflect on the events of the past since you had last resided in Canterlot. I have come to realize certain things as a result.”
“Oh?” Luna found the Id’s half-lidded eyes meeting hers. “And what things did you realize?”
The princess’s voice grew quieter, slower. “I… did not treat you well. I did not treat you fairly in the wake of Twilight’s absence. I still… find your existence separate from mine to be… difficult to accept. I have wanted someone else to blame for over a millennium for Nightmare Moon. Someone other than myself.” She turned to the Id, sadness growing in the pit of her stomach. Nightmare’s gaze had grown more interested on her, but she was unsure if her own feelings were showing. “And then… I learned you were no longer a part of me. That you never were. You became a being all of your own, and you could no longer be someone I could blame.” The moonlight became lost behind thick clouds again and the tower darkened once more.
“I was created to use your feelings against you, you know,” Nightmare muttered back, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I do know now.” Luna took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “You did not deserve my blame, and for that I am truly, deeply sorry. For my behavior then, and up to this point. I was right to have my doubts back then, but they were unjust long after Twilight’s disappearance. You were loyal to her and her memory long after, and respectful to us.”
Silence welled between them, and Luna’s stomach twisted as she waited for a response. After several minutes, Nightmare finally spoke.
“You want my forgiveness?” she asked, and Luna nodded. “Why? Because it would be what Twilight would want?”
“No,” replied the princess, turning to the windows. The thick clouds passed and the moonlight started to shine, peeling back the dark shadows and casting its dim, somber light through the tower. The darkness remained, but the shelves could be seen once more. “I want it for myself.” She turned to Nightmare. “Because I wish to sever all ill feelings with my past and no longer allow myself to punish you for it. My past is not your fault, and I shall not carry that grievance any longer.” Nightmare’s eyes grew wide as she stared at her. Luna rubbed the back of her head and looked out the windows again. “I… do not need your forgiveness, as I must move on with or without it, but I just… needed to apologize. It felt appropriate. Necessary.” The Id remained silent for a while longer as she looked out the windows. “L-Look, my sister is better at this than I. Please say something, even if it is to reject my apo—“
“I forgive you.”
Luna’s moist eyes met with the Id’s sharp, draconic eyes. For the first time, Luna felt as if there was no animosity within Nightmare’s eyes when she was looked upon. The twisting of feelings in her stomach washed away into relief, and she felt her hoof being delicately taken.
“I forgive you, Luna,” she whispered.
The princess wiped her eyes and smiled. “Thank you.” They sat in silence, watching the shifting of the moonlight beneath the clouds one last time. “As my sister and I have said before, Canterlot is as much a home to you as it is to Twilight.”
The Id stood up and took a deep breath. “Sorry, Luna… but it won’t be home to me until Twilight is here.”
“Fair enough.” Luna rose after her, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Would it be acceptable to now refer to you as a friend?”
Nightmare offered a surprised look, but she snorted and chuckled. “I’m not sure I could ever get used to that.” Her eyes slid to the windows as the clouds cleared away. The tower illuminated faintly with the melancholy light. Luna found the Id’s demeanor to have softened, but she peeled away from the sight and moved for the stairs before she could glimpse her face.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 54: At the Gates
A slow pattering of steps across the road left no marks in the hard-packed dirt. Cool breezes lapped the land with gentle waves, rustling the trees and plants that reached from the earth all around. Evening came quietly and lonely while Twilight treaded the path with a reluctant pace, her movements dull and haggard. She stared at the ground as each step drove her forward, but with less enthusiasm than the last. Her stomach growled, and her wounds ached, but she had grown numb to the pains and yearning. Thoughts were poisoned with the doppelganger’s words, and the now-oracle began to doubt her own beliefs. Memories she once held rigid in shaping her judgments and actions now seemed unclear… and untrustworthy.
With a sigh, she stopped and looked up, watching the night layer itself upon a tree and casting the road in growing shadows. The breezes came to a light chill, but it was pushed beneath the same sheet of numbness as the rest of her discomforts. As the doppelganger droned on, she tried to suffocate its voice with anything she could think of, any memory of any other voice. She pulled Nightmare Moon’s voice and face from her mind, but as she drew comfort from it, the doppelganger quickly overpowered it.
“Are you even listening?” it asked, appearing beside her. The hallucination manifested into form again, and she inwardly sighed at it.
Any solace in the memory was lost and she marched forward again. “Please be quiet,” she intoned to it, her eyes listless and aimed ahead.
The mirror image of herself moved freely and unhindered as it seemed eager between steps. “I’ll be quieter when you start paying attention. You let your guard down to that… that thing. She could have killed you!”
It had grown hard to weather its accusations, but it seemed only to prattle on about her loyalties and the perception of right and wrong. Sometimes, Twilight would begin to believe it, and other times she wasn’t sure what it would be talking about; she could no longer tell when her thoughts were occupied elsewhere as it spoke.
“Maybe she should have,” the oracle muttered.
The doppelganger moved in front of her. “What did you say?”
It was quickly reminded of its lack of presence as she moved through its body, but she could feel its glares on her. She shrugged it off, preparing for its complaints and criticisms once more. However, after a moment, there was nothing but the soft rustling of leaves around and the pattering of her steps once more.
Quiet, she thought. The peace was short lived, and several minutes later she began to feel dizzy. A growl from her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten in a great while. Her magic sustained her to a degree, but she could not overcome her body’s need for nutritional energy.
A light formed around her horn, and leaves from the foliage nearby rapidly collected into an aura, forming a meal floating before her. The doppelganger’s words kicked up again, but she continued walking as she stuffed leaf after leaf into her mouth. She cringed as she found the taste to be flat and lifeless. Just like me¸ she joked in her mind. After eating, she sighed and hung her head, gazing down the road into the depths of darkness. Luna’s blessing allowed her to peer through the veil of night, but it gave her no relief as the road stretched as far as she could see.
“I need to rest,” she announced, looking over her injuries. Dried blood stuck parts of her fur together, scabbing and crusting it in an unkempt mess. If not for the black that had taken hold of its tint, its grotesque appearance would have stuck out.
Curving off of the road, she moved into the safety of the trees and searched for a spot to settle in. She found a tree with roots rising to the sides, but the chill of the night had grown, or perhaps she had recovered enough strength to feel it—she couldn’t tell. A hoof dug into the dirt, and she sensed the area around her for any other presence. Nothing. With her waning strength, she excavated dirt between the roots until she had created a small hovel beneath it. This will have to do, she thought, extending a yawn to her work. She climbed down into it and clumped the loose dirt behind her to seal most of the entrance, but left herself enough a hole for air. Stretching out, she laid on her side with her eyes to the vent and yawned one last time. Rolling over, she groaned as something dug into her back.
She pulled Moonlight from the dirt where she lay and studied it. I keep forgetting I have this, she thought. Its glow unsettled her, and she shoveled dirt over its glow before closing her eyes. A snort escaped her, and she opened her eyes to stare at the blackness above her. Look at how pathetic I am…Sleeping in a hole… She sighed. How much longer to the Badlands? she wondered, too tired to estimate it.
Just rest, the doppelganger cooed. We’ve still got more traveling to do, and you’re going to need your strength.
How do you know how far it is? However, sleep took her before the question could be fully formed.
***
Sunlight gleamed off of a large piece of metal as it stood by itself, giving a luster to the mural of a radiant sun across its face. Below the sun, clouds climbed towards it and further down trees could be seen with a lake just below, and finally a crescent moon within. Derpy glanced around and removed a bracer, fastidiously scrubbing a smudge from her tower shield. As she pulled her bracer back on, she caught Rainbow behind her studying the shield.
“How heavy is that thing?” she asked. She was lightly clad in armor, much like the other celestial knights during travel, sporting only greaves, a breastplate, bracers, and sabatons.
The paladin took a step back. “Why don’t you try lifting it?”
Rainbow stepped up to and attempted to wield it. She grunted as she tried to hold a guard towards her lover, but she toppled forward attempting to mimic the motions of swordplay. Derpy quickly caught her and propped the shield up again.
“Our armaments are meant to be enchanted so that others can’t use them,” she explained. “But I’m starting to doubt that. My sister—“
“Can wield your sword, and vice versa?” Daring interjected from, landing just beside her. “It’s not true for all of them.” She wore even less body armor than her comrades, but her twin swords were across her back. She took the shield and drew a sword, taking a combat stance towards Derpy. “See? It’s not so heavy,” she added smugly.
Rainbow folded her forelegs across her chest and frowned. “So, if you’re a paladin too, you must be really strong.”
Daring tossed the shield to her sister and bowed. “Yeah, something like that. Anyway, we’re here to train—“
“I want to see you two spar,” Rainbow interrupted.
The sisters exchanged glances, and Derpy rubbed the back of her head while she sheepishly answered the idea. “I don’t know if we—“
Daring wrapped a foreleg around her sister and smiled. “That sounds like a great idea. Let’s inspire her!” Her jovial demeanor was met with irritation from her younger sibling. “What, no rematch? Are you still angry about our duel in the desert?”
“Yes,” the paladin growled, “I still am.”
Daring drew both of her swords and quickly flew in a circle, carving a small arena in the grass of the royal gardens. Derpy grimaced, muttering, “Ugh, Luna and the groundskeepers are going to be mad.”
The sandy pegasus finished and snorted. She looked over her shoulder to parts of the damaged castle. “I think they’ve got bigger problems.” She took a low stance, with only one sword drawn.
Derpy took up her shield and stepped up to her, drawing Glance Reviver. The freshly reforged sword gleamed in the sunlight, and they stared at each other, tightening their grips.
“Same rules?” the paladin asked.
“First one to get knocked out, knocked down, pushed out of the ring, or any armor punctures loses. Sound fair?”
Derpy smirked. “I hope you’re ready this time.”
“I am,” Daring replied as she lunged forward.
Their swords clashed, and Derpy parried it away, spinning and moving within her sister’s guard. Immediately, the older sister drew her second blade and halted the advance, locking blade with blade, and blade with shield.
“Do you think you can keep up with me?” Daring taunted.
The paladin spun back and put distance between them, but her sister launched a barrage of strikes, and she danced behind her shield, maneuvering to mix dodging and blocking. Several swings breached her defenses, and she parried them with her sword. Her speed increased, and she pivoted, bringing the shield close as her sister attempted to stop her rotations. Daring failed to land a strike between the shield and her sister, and a kick struck her in her unarmored torso. She coughed and staggered back, but there was no time to recover.
“What’s wrong? Can’t fight against a shield?”
Daring snorted and her swords glowed. “I’ll just… even… the odds!” Swinging both weapons at once, she swung at her sister, only for both swords to collide with the shield in the same spot. The blades wobbled and rang as they bounced off. “What is that thing made of?”
They danced around one another, clashing steel and kicking up grass, but Daring abruptly changed her movements. She began to move around her younger sister’s attacks and with the strikes, flowing with the movements. Derpy increased her speed, but Daring did not, only evading closer and closer to her strikes.
In an instant, Derpy blurred and bashed her sister with the shield. The elder sister wobbled on one hoof and beat her wings to gain balance. She crossed her swords to an incoming slash, but she flowed with the movement and threw the strike away. Derpy brought Svalinn to her front as Daring spun and prepared for another strike. To her surprise, Daring moved even lower than her guard and swept her legs, bringing her to the ground. She blinked and both blades were at her neck.
The sandy pegasus extended a hoof to her. “Quit holding back. I’ve seen what you can do.”
Derpy took it and rose back to standing. “I don’t know what you can do. It’s not like fighting Colgate where I know exactly what I’m up against.”
“Celestia and I trained Colgate,” Daring remarked, picking up Glance Reviver and tossing it to Derpy.
The paladin’s eyes went wide and she fumbled with the blade before hugging it to against her armor to prevent it from harming her. “You? You two fight nothing alike. I’m not afraid of fighting you, but I’m afraid of fighting her.”
A sigh escaped her elder sister’s throat. “Well, when she combines her magicks it always gives me chills.” Shaking her head, she chuckled and took a straighter stance. “Alright, round two before we get back to it.”
Derpy smirked and surged forward, driving her sword toward her sister. However, Daring spun just beside the blade, moving into her guard and striking her in the chest with her hilt. She released the shield and allowed it to balance on its own, taking Glance Reviver into both hooves. With a cry, she moved around it, striking at her sister and forcing her to deflect while they circled it. As they battled around to the inner side, they crossed blades. Daring relinquished one of her swords to her sister and spun around, driving her free foreleg into the enarmes of the shield in a single motion. She continued to gyrate, and swung the shield. With a cry, Derpy blocked it with both swords, but it left her open to Daring’s.
Adrenaline gripped her as she watched the blade move towards her chest. She vanished, appearing behind Daring and unleashing a flurry of attacks. Daring leaped, hovering above the ground while she blocked attacks, occasionally dropping to the ground to use the shield for support and prevent low strikes.
How is she doing this? She knows exactly where I’m going to attack from. Am I that predictable?
Daring’s freeform defense was proving difficult to handle, and she spun around to buck the shield. She could hear her sister groan as it crunched against her body, and she moved to strike from the side. The sandy pegasus released the shield and caught a swing from both swords with her own, directing the attack around and past her. She moved in and delivered an uppercut to Derpy’s jaw. The paladin stumbled back and, as she was about to fall, she left behind a trail of images, moving again to strike from behind her. However, Daring swung ahead of the images and back to the point of origin, catching Derpy before she could complete the motion. Surprised, Derpy failed to pay attention to the follow-up kick, and she was launched from the ground. She caught herself, but she was out of the ring.
“You’re really good, Ditzy,” she said, smiling. She turned to Rainbow and made a gracious bow. “Congratulations, knight. You just might be the first pony to ever witness two paladins sparring.”
The cyan knight was awestruck as she glanced between them. “That’s incredible. Can you teach me to fight like that?”
Daring opened her mouth, but hesitated before speaking. “Not exactly. At least not in one lifetime.” She pulled her sister into an embrace, much to her chagrin. “I’m not sure how long I could handle her if she wasn’t handicapped by this little circle and her recovery.”
Derpy rolled her eyes. “What? Do you really want to fight me in an open space?”
“Ditz, nothing is equal between us.” She scrubbed a hoof through her sister’s golden mane and smiled. “I won’t let your ego stop me.” She received a jab to her stomach and she coughed and chuckled at the same time. “Aw, c’mon, Ditz. You know I’m just joking. Really, you’ve earned your title.” She turned to Rainbow and took a breath. “So, I don’t think I’ve had the chance to properly introduce myself.” Taking another bow, she grinned. “I’m the one and only Paladin Daring Do, older sister to Paladin Ditzy Do.” She motioned to her sister, receiving an eye roll in response. She leaned towards Rainbow and smirked. “I’m everything you’ve never heard about me,” she declared.
Rainbow gave her an incredulous look. “Yeah, Derpy never mentioned a sister… or another name.” Daring’s expression crumbled into disbelief.
“I honestly thought you abandoned me!” Derpy protested to her gloomy face. “But it is true that my name is Ditzy Do.” She grumbled something under her breath, as her sister moved to pull her into an embrace. “I didn’t want anything to do with her until recently.”
“Well, I’m back now, and I’m not checking out of the Do family reunion. I never stopped being a paladin, but my sort-of-desert-vacation is over. I’ll help you train your marefriend, and… uh… nurse her back to form, I guess.” Her smile crinkled as she looked over Rainbow’s thin form. Derpy blushed and wriggled out of the awkward hug. “I’m not judging, sis. I’m happy for you.”
“I don’t need your approval.” She quickly threw a hoof towards her sister. “What about you? You can’t tell me you’ve been alone this whole time. Were you and Princess Celestia a, uh…” She swallowed, hard as her face burned. “A thing?”
The question took her sister by surprise and Daring stared at her bewildered. After a few seconds, she burst out laughing, coughing and wheezing between breaths and fits. “Oh, man. That’s a good one.” It quickly died down and her face flushed as it dawned on her Derpy was serious. “Oh, geez. You must’ve seen that old picture, and with our reunion the other night…” She scratched at the back of her head while her eyes darted back and forth across the grass. “Of course not. It’s nothing like that. We’re just really good friends. Oh, shoot!” She became worried for a moment. “I hope Luna doesn’t think that, too.” She chewed her lower lip as she looked absently into the distance. “I really hope she doesn’t think that.”
The grey paladin straightened up. “W-Well, it’s none of my business a-anyway.” She motioned to Rainbow. “Let’s get started already.”
The knight drew her weapon, revealing a gleaming bastard sword. The hilt was silvery with a freshly wrapped grip and a small, round pommel. A storming cloud was inlaid into the sides of the pommel, while a carved wing on each side of the blade stood just forward to the cross guard. The wide blade carried a subtle fuller and a very short central ridge.
“It’s called Durendal. I’ve practiced a little bit already, but I haven’t unlocked any special powers with it. I can still cut waves, though.”
Derpy took the blade and inspected it. She passed it back to the knight and nodded. “It looks a lot less weird than the other one you had.”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. Whatever happened to that one?”
“Princess Luna gave it to Twilight Sparkle.” Derpy swallowed. “I wasn’t in much of a condition to use it back then. She thought it would serve her better than us.”
Daring snatched the sword and swung it several times. “Neat,” she remarked, passing it back. “I think it suits you.” The other pegasi stared at her with confusion.
“Do you know what it does?” asked Rainbow.
“Try to hit me.”
The cyan knight blinked several times before smirking. “Think you can dodge?” Daring drew one sword and took her low stance. “I think you’re going to need both swords for me,” replied Rainbow, her confidence etched into her face.
The sandy pegasus chuckled and tossed it on the grass, pointing at it. “We’ll call that the first goal. I hear you’re strong, but let’s see how good your swordplay is. Now, try to hit me.”
The cyan knight surged at her, cleaving wildly at her opponent. Furious slashes were met with open air, and her blade whistled quietly as it was evaded each time. A feint for a horizontal strike led her into a rising slash as Daring took flight, but she kicked the flat of the blade away before dropping low and head-butting the knight in the stomach.
Rainbow slid backwards and clutched her stomach, her mouth and an eye clamped shut as she tried to regain her breath. Picking herself back up, she started on the offense once more. Daring continued to maneuver out of her attacks, picking a thrust to move in close. However, Rainbow was prepared this time and used a wing to absorb an incoming punch.
“Hey, you’re a quick stu—“ Daring ducked as one last slash came her way. “H-Hey! Draw, draw!” She quickly ran a hoof through her mane as she made a sad face. “I hope I didn’t lose any hairs.” She replaced her composure with a serious demeanor and drew both swords. Her gaze darted towards the far edge of the gardens.
Derpy followed her gaze. “What? What is it?”
Several dragons flew into view, one by one their shadows casting on the landscape. Other ponies in the gardens quickly fled from their path out of view or towards the castle. A black dragon led the way, with two more close behind.
“They don’t look hostile—“ Derpy trailed off as her mouth and throat became dry. She tried to build up saliva to articulate, but she struggled. Turning to her sister, she took a nervous step back. The sandy pegasus seemed brighter in the sunlight now, but her face was turned towards the incoming dragons.
They landed just before them, the gardens trembling beneath the wait briefly. Each step left a small indent in the grass, thumping when they stepped onto the stone pathways. Rainbow had already drawn her weapon, but Derpy remained neutral, still struggling to gain any moisture in her mouth back. Even the air itself felt dry.
“It has been a long time, knights,” the leading dragon addressed, his eyes moving between Derpy and Rainbow. Derpy recognized his voice, but when she went to speak there was a fit off coughs that came out, her hoof covering her mouth. When it cleared, she looked up to see Daring with both weapons aimed at his neck.
“Stand down, Daring. This is—“
“A dragon,” she growled back, her blades and gaze unmoving.
“This is the dragon king, Garr,” the grey paladin explained.
The dragon’s title caused her sister to waver for a few seconds, but it did not disarm her. Derpy found herself preparing to defend against her sister, poised to move as fast as she needed to.
“Are we unwelcome?” Garr asked, motioning for the two dragons behind him to come closer. As they did so, Daring coiled down. Derpy tightened the grip on her shield, but another voice immediately brought her to a bow.
“At ease, Paladins. They are friends,” called Celestia.
Derpy relaxed and saluted, with Rainbow mimicking the motion, but Daring merely sheathed her swords and stepped aside. She kept her head low, even as the princess approached.
“I did not think the rumors were true about you, Princess Celestia, but I had to see you for myself when your signature met my eyes,” said the dragon king. His steely blue gaze slowly moved over the knights present. “It seems a lot of that has gone around in recent years, but it’s good to know familiar faces remain.” His eyes stopped on Daring. “Some that seem all too familiar, yet… not.”
“You have nothing to fear, King Garr. There have certainly been trials as of late, but I hope our alliance has not wavered.”
Daring’s head snapped up as she echoed the princess. “Alliance? What do you mean?”
“You have been away for too long, Paladin Do. There is much to explain when it comes to the Brood.”
The sandy pegasus turned away and trembled. “I… need to excuse myself.” She offered a half-bow to Garr, and saluted the princess before taking flight.
“That one seems uneasy, yet… familiar,” observed Garr, his eyes narrowing upon her. “I feel as though we’ve met before.”
Celestia cocked her head. “She has only recently returned to Canterlot, having spent much of her time traveling the western and southern outskirts.”
“The… southern outskirts? Hmm…” The dragon king stared after her a moment longer before prying his eyes away. “Forgive me. I did not travel all this way to waste your time with déjà vu. How fared your kingdom in your absence?”
Celestia motioned for everyone to follow. “Better than I had imagined. My sister and some others escaped the fall of Canterlot and continued fighting, and they joined forces with a resistance group. Ultimately, Aurelius was forced to flee, but I fear he has escaped for the time being.”
Garr’s gaze slid to the distance. “That is… troublesome news. I am dismayed that he had infected another empire. I hope you understand why I kept the Brood away from him.”
The sun princess turned to face him and smiled. “It’s alright, King Garr. I would have considered the same if it was the Brood again. I don’t know if it’s fate or luck, but Twilight Sparkle was the one to intervene at the very end.”
The dragon king chuckled. “So, that one saved you. I cannot imagine the cost.”
Celestia’s smile waned. “It was… severe. The cost of freedom always is.” She looked into the distance for a moment. “She is part of the reason I have summoned you.”
“Oh? And why exactly have you summoned me, Princess Celestia? I would have expected you to take this time to recover.”
“Twilight Sparkle has gone rogue, I’m afraid. And while she is still an ally against Aurelius, I cannot say that she is a friend to anyone else. She is pursuing Aurelius into the Badlands with the intent of killing him, however…” She trailed off and swallowed, taking a few seconds for reaffirming herself and facing the dragon king again. “I need to stop her because I need Aurelius alive.”
Garr’s eyes widened and he stiffened. He glanced back to his subordinates, each of them returning similar befuddlement. “Pray tell,” he said quietly as he turned back to the princess, “Why must Aurelius live after everything he’s done?”
Celestia swallowed again. “He may be the only hope we have of dealing with his elder sister, the late Queen Astra. I believe your kind has more knowledge of her than ours.”
“The Soothsayer,” Garr muttered. He hung his head for a long while. Breaking the silence, he sighed. “I have an idea as to where that cunning monster is going. To the dragon’s original capital city, far into what you call the Badlands. Rethaska, our original home.”
Celestia grimaced. “I had not thought of that. We had speculated it had been abandoned for eons. What could possibly still be there?”
Garr turned and motioned for his subordinates. “Only graves for those to be forgotten. This is a grim turn of events, and I must return to Draconis immediately. I will gather forces to assist your journey, but I do not know how many I can offer you.” He sighed, a guttural rumbling as he started to turn away. “Forgive the sudden departure, but farewell for now, Princess Celestia.”
They watched as he flew away, the sweeps of his wings in the air gusting loose grass and dirt, and once he was gone Celestia turned around to find Daring Do.
“I feel it, too…” Her eyes slid away as she stared into the distance. “I wish I could say no to what you will ask.” The sandy pegasus’s eyes drifted to the ground and she sighed. “I know I can’t say no…”
Celestia slowly nodded. “We need you, Paladin Do, perhaps everything of you. I must brief Luna, and then counsel for this joint effort.” She turned towards Derpy. “Send a runner to the gryphons and the minotaur. I want to take every precaution and gather as many forces as possible. Should they decline, I will personally negotiate for them if need be.” She pivoted and turned to the south. “Daring, I must ask that, no matter what happens, you spare Twilight Sparkle if the circumstance arises. Promise me, Paladin.”
Daring bowed. “I promise, and I’ll have Knight Dash ready for this mission quickly as well.”
Derpy watched as Celestia left before peeling her eyes away. She drew her sword and watched Rainbow Dash and Daring as they spoke and practiced. She outlined stances and techniques, but the grey paladin’s thoughts drifted away as she watched her sister. Everything of you? She recalled the unseen cataclysm her sister wrought in the oasis, but she failed to conjure an explanation that made sense. The environment wasn’t destroyed, but there was no denying the otherworldly battle that happened above. She snapped out of her thoughts as Daring yelped.
“Th-that’s… g-going to be a r-real u-useful power against the c-c-c… dragons.” Daring trembled and stuttered before finally shaking her body and straightening. Their swords had clashed for a moment, and Rainbow appeared worried. “Relax, knight. I’m alright. You just caught me off guard there. Now the real training begins.” She smirked as she motioned for Derpy. “Come on, Paladin. You’re going to help, too.”
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 55: Weaving a Future
Twilight’s heart pounded, her breathing fighting back the sound of hurried steps as she raced through what seemed like ruins of stone. The eroded surroundings drank in a peculiar light, bathing everything in a blue hue. She had no time to look around as columns and dilapidated statues flowed by in the murkiness. Something drove her, something deep. Something primal. Fear. She chanced a look over her shoulder, but her hooves hit a loose stone slab and she tripped, her face grinding against the stone beneath as her body slid to a halt. Wasting no time, she teleported back to her hooves and continued forward.
The fear washed over her, turning her skin to ice until it consumed her entire body. She reached an open area, the blue hues growing brighter as columns surrounded the outer edge. She stopped to catch her breath and observe for a few precious seconds, scanning the massive chamber before looking up to an empty darkness. She surged forward again, this time using her wings to give her legs a break. The thump of her heart only made the fear worse, but she stopped as she crossed to the other side. Whirling around, she could see a figure approaching.
“I’ve come for you, Twilight. It’s time. There’s no need to run anymore.” Nightmare Moon emerged from the shadows, a warm smile on her lips.
Twilight stared at her, eyes wide as the adrenaline coursing through her made reasoning difficult. The Id appeared serene, but something within the oracle refused to let her guard down. The fear had shaped her instinct, and she braced herself to fight as Nightmare approached. From the depths of a black cloak, the monstrous scythe came into view. “Do not be afraid, Twilight. Everyone must face their fate.”
“S-Stay away from me! You’re not… You’re not her!” She took a panicked step back as the Id quickened her pace. “You’re not r-real.” She swallowed as she loosed a wave of force, but it did not stop her advance. “You’re not real! You’re not! Real. You… Are not… re…al…”
She struggled to force the words out as it felt as she was suffocating. Her lungs seemed to fill with something other than air. As Nightmare reached her, she was lifted up by her aura, and it slowly constricted her neck. Not… real…
The Id spoke one last time, but her words were muted as Twilight’s heart frantically tried to keep her alive, but the oxygen was leaving her. She caught one last glimpse of Nightmare close up and realized what was off about her.
Her eyes were not sharp, not draconian; they were the eyes of someone, something else. Real… Are you?
***
Twilight awoke with a scream as her head shot up. She slammed into the underside of the trunk, coughing and wheezing as she tried to get her bearings amid darkness. Thunder boomed outside and her hovel had flooded. She quickly lurched out, tumbling through the collapsed dirt door she made and out into the rain and mud. As she rolled, Moonlight poked her in the back again, reminding her of its existence. She threw the blade before her and huddled over it, panting and shuddering. The fear within the dream still held her, but it was rapidly fading.
Her mind tried to piece it together before it slipped from memory. Soon, all she could concentrate on was her breathing, letting the cold rain batter her and wash away the mud. She took her sword and stood up, looking across a grey haze of a sky. As the thunder roared, she looked to the distance and could see the lightning flash, ripping the grey clouds apart in fleeting streaks. A deep breath filled her lungs as reality finally smothered the fear. She focused and pulled the last moment of her dream back to the front of her mind. Those are not her eyes.
Lightning cracked in the distance. “Is that… you, Astra?” Twilight asked aloud. The lightning in the distance maintained its sporadic appearance while the thunder marked it for those that failed to witness it. She took a deep a breath, taking solace in it just being a regular storm, before continuing on through the rain.
-----
Luna awoke to a crash just outside of her room, snapping up and dashing to her chamber door. As it flew open beneath her magical grasp, another crash boomed just behind her. Whirling around, she watched as the outer wall of her chambers collapsed, shouts and hollers coming from the other side. Stone dust rolled through her room and she shielded her eyes. After it cleared, she stepped to the edge and looked below to see ponies scrambling to check for injuries. The princess peered down, sleep still in her eyes.
A stallion with a hardhat and neon vest called up to her. “Sorry, Your Majesty. This part of the castle has suffered structural damage. Didn’t mean to take this wall out, but we’ll have it fixed in no time.”
I don’t feel like dealing with this. Luna spun around and exited her chambers. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she bumped into someone else and stumbled.
“S-Sorry, Your Highness,” they stammered. She turned around to see a gryphon bowing, his head held low.
“Forgive me. I did not… see you.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I did not expect the gryphons to respond to our request so quickly.”
“Oh, I’m just an ambassador as a liaison,” he replied. “I’m just here to keep the politics in place.”
Luna plucked a brown feather from her fur. “Very well. I suppose I should find Celestia.” She brushed the gryphon off and rounded a corner, smacking into another figure. She stepped back and quietly growled. This time it was a minotaur.
“Whoa there, princess. Didn’t see yah there,” he said. When she merely stared back without saying anything his eyes darted away. “Uh, I’ll be going now.”
Did I sleep for a week? Luna wondered. She had little time to think on that before Daring Do trotted down the hall to her.
“Good morning, princess,” she greeted in a sing-song voice.
“Paladin,” Luna grumbled, her eyes narrowing.
“You look like you slept well. Princess Celestia is waiting for you in the dining hall. She figured you would want some breakfast.” Daring walked beside her, bouncing between steps. “So, we’ve already got everything set with the gryphons, the Brood, and the minotaur. The only ally we haven’t turned in right now are the changelings.”
Luna froze. “W-Where’s Chrysalis?” She thought of where the changeling queen might be, but Daring Do stepped up behind her.
“Who?” she asked.
Luna frowned as she glanced between the two Darings. “I am not in the mood for this.” She trudged forward as Chrysalis reverted and stuck by her side, with the real Daring Do on the other.
“I can’t provide any drones,” the changeling lamented. “You’ve only got me.”
Luna eyed her thoughtfully. “I am sure we will be fine with the allies we have. I am thankful that you are here at all.”
Chrysalis chewed her lower lip. “N-Not much of a choice…” she muttered. “I don’t want to go to the Badlands, but that’s where you’re going.”
Luna found her sister at the dining hall table amidst scrolls, books, and other objects. Several advisors were at her sides, while a plate of pancakes rested precariously on a book. The book burst open within a magical aura, and the plate spun over while the sun princess had her eyes in another book, her mouth addressing questions by one of her advisors.
Luna caught the plate of food in her magic and set it back on the table before clearing her throat. “I see your hooves are full, sister. How may I offer assistance?”
A pancake was enveloped in the sun princess’s aura and compacted before being stuffed down her throat. Luna couldn’t help but stiffen at the sight. After Celestia managed to swallow it whole, she finally responded. “Ah, you’re awake. There’s no need, Luna. The Brood’s forces are on their way as we speak, and the minotaur and gryphons are already here.”
“So… soon?” Luna cocked her head as a gryphon entered the room, fully clad in armor and clutching a scroll.
Celestia nodded to Daring to accept it. “I will not sit idly by while Aurelius is free. The faster we can get rid of him the better. With Twilight somewhere between him and us, time is of the essence. I’m using all of our reputation and will to get this done.” Daring passed the scroll off to her mentor and it was quickly scanned. Abruptly, it burst into flames and the ashes trickled to the floor.
“When do we begin?” asked Daring.
“Get the soldiers organized. The dragons will operate as a separate unit, but I want the minotaur and the knights at the vanguard. The gryphons shall cover our flank with the dragons leading the sky. Our unicorns will be protected and able to offer their full support. Speak with Paladin Hooves for the full details.” Celestia took a deep breath and faced Luna, her eyes quickly noting Chrysalis’s presence.
“I would have one of us stay behind, but I’ve already created a contingency should our mission unravel.” Everything before Celestia erupted in her aura, fanning out and then cycling before her eyes until a notebook and a loose sheet of paper were isolated. It was moved to Luna before everything was reorganized and settled. “She was still in the middle of her research, so she never allowed anyone else to use them. Archmage Lulamoon has been able to extrapolate some of the practical theory, but Twilight is years beyond us in her knowledge.”
“These are… runes?” The moon princess flipped through several notebook pages detailing rune designs and esoteric documentation of magical transmission. “This is Twilight’s work into teleportation runes. Can we use them?”
Celestia sighed. “They’re everywhere. She used them for her archmage work, but they are hidden. How to use them and where exactly they’re located are a mystery even to me, but I believe I can get one working.”
“Just one?”
The sun princess nodded. “A one-way trip back to Canterlot. It will take tremendous magic, and it will destroy the rune. Twilight’s research into such long distance teleportation was left mostly to theory before her ascension. Whether it can be done or not… well, I can’t say from the notes, and we don’t have time to study them thoroughly and conduct tests.”
Luna swallowed. One of us to live for the kingdom, the other to die for a chance. I hope it never comes to this. “Exactly how much time do we have?”
Her sister waved her advisors away and shook her head. “We begin the march tonight.”
“Tonight!” Luna echoed. “We have hardly had the time to lick our wounds, let alone prepare for such a risky foray into enemy territory. Our city is in shambles and our government no doubt in chaos. Please reconsider a little more time.”
“That’s not necessary, Luna. The celestial knights had been ironing out an operation for much time. You knew that. We’re adapting their knowledge and plan to accommodate the additional soldiers from the allied races. I want to spend more time gathering our strength as well, but there’s no telling what Aurelius plans to do, and what it will mean. The last time he had time he sieged Canterlot with an army of undead dragons. We’re lucky they weren’t the real thing. Matters regarding Canterlot will be fine among our counsel.”
Luna grimaced, and Chrysalis put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Very well. I shall see to it that I am absolutely ready. Some shortcuts will be needed for my healing.”
“You will be fine.” Celestia gathered her things and organized them once more. After her sister had left, she was alone in the room. “She doesn’t seem to have noticed,” she announced.
A black mist coalesced at the ceiling and funneled down to the other side of the table. Nightmare stepped out of it as it dispersed and frowned. “Remind me again why I kept them asleep?”
Celestia looked up as she floated a pancake before her. “She suffered more grievous injuries than I to stop Twilight. I want her as strong as possible for the battle ahead, and she would have hindered that by throwing herself into working with me.”
The Id nodded. “This is all moving too quickly.”
Everything in the sun princess’s grasp ceased moving as she peered at Nightmare. “You are the last one I expected to say such a thing. What brought this on?”
Nightmare sighed and turned her head away. “I didn’t think I could feel this way, but… I’m afraid of seeing Twilight again. No one wants to get her back more than me, but it’s different when you’re finally faced with the end.”
Celestia smiled and moved to her, placing a gentle hoof on her. “Your fears are understandable, but you have all of us. We will get her back. With the paladins and our allies assisting, we will be successful.”
The Id’s apprehension faded and she nodded. “I have something to ask you, since you’ve been around for much longer than I have.” She swallowed when the princess turned and gave her a hard look. “Ahem. I mean… After Twilight fled Canterlot, I encountered a dragon in the city. That fiery pegasus of yours said he was a contractor, but he called me a dragonkin. Aurelius has many shortcomings, but magic is not one of them. I spent much of my isolation thinking about my origins, and that was the moment my suspicions were affirmed.”
“You think you are part dragon?”
“I know I am, Celestia.” Nightmare glanced at one of her hooves. “I have seen Twilight’s memories, and while they come and go like normal, I recall the Rites of the Alicorn quite vividly because of her. I am not a natural being in any sense of the word. If I was to have been borne from a similar process, just how much of a dragon’s traits could I have?”
The princess gazed at her in surprise as she processed her words. “You… think I would know how to create a dragon hybrid?”
The Id shook her head. “I’m sure such experimentation is against some moral doctrine, but given what you’ve done for Twilight and how her power has grown, can you speculate on what that could be like for me? I want to know everything about myself and how to use it to my advantage. I was supposed to be a homunculus, a soulless creation designed to attach to Luna and corrupt her. Aurelius failed in making me what I was supposed to be, and I will use every bit of that failure against him.”
Celestia stared at her for a long while, but slowly she pulled her gaze to the books before her. “Our information on dragons is a bit sparse. Between the falling out from Aurelius and their relatively private culture, we don’t have much to go on. What they can do with magic, or anything else, we don’t know. Twilight, Archmage Lulamoon, and Knight Dash had a firsthoof look at Draconis. The only other pony that might have any idea is you… through Twilight’s memories.”
Nightmare shook her head again. “There is nothing there that could be of use to me. What of the Rites? What were they supposed to do for her?”
“Empower her, simply, with a forceful change to her constitution.” The princess crinkled her mouth for a moment. “Twilight has always pushed herself as far as magic goes, and already had an advantage as the Element of Magic incarnate. This also made her the best candidate for the ritual. As an alicorn, she gained greater magical resistance, a larger pool with which to use, and even greater control over her powers. As an archmage, we trained her for her ascension and continued growth. Combined, she was to be unstoppable, and then…” She closed her eyes and hung her head. “I never had to say it, but I feel it meant something that I didn’t. We sent her on an assassination mission through and through.”
The Id nodded and started to pace. “And if you had to hazard a guess when it came to me?”
“Mature dragons are incredibly resistant to magic. They recover from wounds quickly, and they have unparalleled endurance. If you’re truly a hybrid, I’m not surprised you’ve retained those gifts. How you manage to appropriate Twilight’s body to you is another matter entirely.”
“Dragons are also arrogant,” reminded Nightmare. “I’ve largely overcome that side of me, but I wonder if there’s some other weakness that could be used against me.”
“I can’t imagine having your wings cut would stop you.” The princess started to chew another pancake. “Your magi- is on a leve- with Twahl-ght’s, bu- you don- wiel- it t-e same way.” She swallowed and smacked her lips. “Sorry, I haven’t even had time to eat this morning.”
Nightmare waved her apology away. “I don’t think anyone can use magic like Twilight, even you. I have seen to the very depths of her power, and it is terrifying. Even she is scared of what she can do, but I don’t know if she’s conscious of it.”
Celestia nodded. “She has a good heart and understands the burden of carrying that power more than most.”
“When we merged, I could tap into that power, just as she can into mine. I don’t wield my magic the same way because I can’t be as efficient as her when it comes to greater magic. Luna and I are similar in that we both like to use an iris.”
This time, Celestia shook her head. “I would not be so quick to compare yourselves there.”
The Id’s mane plumed and slowly produced the head of her scythe. “Yes, she did always have a certain style to her strength. I can’t say we’re the same, but it’s hard to look past us using the basics of magic focus. Adapting them into weaponry had always fascinated me. I would give up mine for Telos’s staff if I could, but I’m sure I’m better off with this.” The scythe receded back into its magical storage.
The princess shuddered. “I would hate to think of what Twilight could’ve done in our fight had that not been destroyed. While I’m sure Luna could’ve subdued her all the same, it would have been much worse for me.” She looked at her materials once more and sighed. “I’m afraid I’ll need to be getting back to this. I have to make sure everything is in order before the march. Please keep an eye on Luna. I don’t want her to think she’s been left out of matters on purpose… again.”
Nightmare nodded. “It will be tricky. She is very perceptive, especially when it comes to me, but I’m more worried about her companion.”
Celestia paused. “About that… I’d like you to also keep your eyes on Chrysalis.”
“Do you think she’ll betray us?”
The princess sighed, her eyes closing. “I don’t… know, but I can’t allow the risk unchecked at such a crucial time. If my sister wasn’t vouching for her I would’ve thrown her in the dungeons to rot. She’s been staying by her side and keeping out of trouble, but it’s a threat I can’t ignore just at her insistence.”
Nightmare stepped closer to her and lowered her voice. “If she tries to betray us I will kill her. I won’t have some pet insect getting in my way to Twilight.”
“I was afraid you’d say that, but I’m also just as relieved.” She took a deep breath and offered a faint smile. “For now, she has done nothing to warrant suspicion. She seems to have grown attached to Luna, so just keep an eye on her.”
Nightmare nodded and turned to walk with the princess to the exit. “I won’t do anything that doesn’t need to be done. You have my word.” With that, she departed down a different hallway.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 56: Moving the Pieces
Twilight gazed down the desolate expanse, a jagged and lonely world marked by dusty valleys and old buttes. So… these are the Badlands, huh? She stepped forward, leaving what she knew of Equestria’s lands and towards the dry, lifeless earth ahead. Endless sun bore into the rock, bleaching everything into a milky orange. She paused as she passed an enormous boulder, her eyes darting to what it hid. Skeletons of ponies, gryphons, minotaur, and other races piled up. Fresher, or at least fresh enough to still have decaying flesh, corpses were among them. She reexamined the path into the Badlands and took notice of crumbled rocks. Approaching, it became clear that they weren’t rocks, but rather the old, sun-worn bones of a long dead dragon. She pressed a hoof to a rib, slowly applying pressure until it cracked. A warning sign, or—
A weakling, her doppelganger commented.
The oracle frowned and continued forward. I’ve never been here before. It could be interesting. She gave a faint smile to the wasteland. I like the idea of that.
Don’t let your guard down. You’re an uninvited guest here.
Twilight teleported to the top of a cliff and scouted the path. It stretched for miles, shaded by its walls of rock, but she took notice of a peculiarity to it. The path looks unnatural. Something carved it. Still, she could spot no life from her vantage point. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing her magical sense to the area before her. Visualizing a rising green aura around her, it burst outward until it vanished. Nothing. She pivoted slowly, maintaining concentration as the spatial detection shifted, and suddenly she could feel something familiar. She gasped and stumbled backwards out of her senses.
“What is it?” the doppelganger asked as it appeared beside her.
Wide eyes stared back towards Equestria. “The princesses… They’re coming! They’re close… closer than they ever should be.” Her mind raced as she considered her options and the reasoning. I’m hunting Aurelius, but there’s no way both of them would come after him… unless… She swallowed. “They’re coming for me.”
The doppelganger snickered. “The hunt is on, oracle. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know… Nightmare Moon is with them,” she replied, her words trailing into whispers.
“What!?” The doppelganger moved to better view the path she treaded. “She cannot interfere. Not when you’re so close. Don’t waste any more time here. Aurelius is here, and you must kill him!”
Twilight nodded as she turned back and teleported down to the main valley of the Badlands. “For once, I agree with you. But what should I expect here? You seem to be… familiar with this place.”
The doppelganger returned to her mind. Dragons.
“Dragons are nothing I need to worry about. I can avoid fighting them, or overpower—“
You won’t be overpowering these dragons easily. Avoid fighting at all costs and let the princesses deal with them. Your hosts here will not be the same as those in Draconis.
She broke into a gallop, and then into flight as her heart matched the pace. Her wings carried her across the rough terrain with ease, and she took joy from the wind hitting her face and running through her feathers once more. The journey from the Crystal Kingdom had given her ample time to recover her physical state. Gaining height, she soared up to the tops of the cliffs and glided over the landscape. As Equestria became lost on the horizon behind her, she noticed something in the distance to her side.
I’m being followed, she noted.
Picking up the pace, she dipped back into the valley and took a deep breath. What she felt suddenly engulfed her magical senses, and she could feel it flowing all around her. The feeling shifted and spread before suddenly uniting and moving as one. Confused, she rose back out from the valley to find herself flanked on both sides by dragons in the distance. What the heck? She stopped and landed atop the nearest peak, watching as the dragons did so. They pivoted and focused on her. Abruptly, more appeared from the valleys and crevices ahead, perching atop the cliffs and watching her.
Twilight swallowed as her heartbeats grew heavier. She cast a glance behind her, and the way back to Equestria was still clear. She could only garner the faintest trace of the princesses now. If not for experiencing their magic in full force she wouldn’t sense them at all. Turning back, the dragons still watched her. She slowly lifted off and continued forward, and again the dragons to her flanks mirrored her, but those in her path did not move. Two were directly in front of her and simply waited.
“This isn’t looking good,” she muttered as she kept her eyes on them. “I don’t even know where I’m going.”
You’ll know it when you see it, the doppelganger replied, but the notion failed to reassure her.
As she neared, the dragons took flight and charged her. Moonlight gleamed as it was brandished into the light, and she propelled herself between them, attempting to score a wing during the pass. The blade halted, grinding against what sounded like stone or dense metal, and she spun around and glanced back to see the unscathed dragon turning to give chase. What was that? she wondered.
Dust roiled in the wake of their wings, and Twilight maintained her speed while she observed them over her shoulder. Their bulky forms and thick wings made their flight slower than the Brood, but something else about them seemed strange. Looking all around her to view the dragons in the distance, it dawned on her. They’re all the same color. Every dragon was the same dusty grey-brown, and nothing else seemed different among them beyond size and minor body variations.
A fireball sizzled by her and crashed into the ground ahead, a liquid-like flame rolling into the air as it splashed outward. Several more chased her and she whirled over while energy gathered at her horn. She spun again, righting herself before them. With a deep breath, she fired a violet beam at one of the dragons, striking him in the chest. It yelped as it tumbled down onto the ground, becoming a ball of dust. She snickered and continued her flight, casting a prideful glance back over at her work. However, the dragon shook itself off and continued its pursuit, a black mark on its chest where the beam struck.
H-How did he get up from that? I put enough energy in that to stun one of the Brood’s royal guards.
“You’re only going deeper into the maw,” the nearer dragon called to her. “You won’t leave this place alive.”
Twilight repeated her aerial maneuvers and charged another beam, this one darker and larger than the last. It struck the speaking dragon and she watched as he fell backwards out of the air. When he rose from the dust cloud he was slower than the first, a claw clutching a bloody wound, but still he continued on. Her eyes darted to the sides in time to see the other dragons narrowing in on her.
“How far is this damn place? As much as I’d love to kill these things I can’t afford to waste magic on them.”
Get down!
Twilight thought she heard the doppelganger speak, but at the same time she descended into a valley. She looked up in time to see fireballs and dragon breath scorching the air she had just occupied. Did my body just… move on its own? She shivered and pushed the thought away as she moved inside the shade. More fireballs rained down overhead and around her, the cliff providing natural cover to some of the attacks.
A fireball hit the ground beside her, splashing its liquid flame onto her wing. She bared her teeth and dropped to the ground, her hooves skidding over the land. Her horn flared, and she grunted, a pillar of sand erupting in her path. Rolling through the wall of sand, she came out the other side with the fire out, but pain lingered on the wound. Ahead, the earth started to slope, the cliffs rolling over to a yawning cave.
That has to be it, she thought. More fireballs came from behind, and she teleported forward as the heat crawled up her back. In the moment of transition, she could see the world around her warping, distorting as she visualized her destination melding around her. Abruptly, she stopped, hitting an invisible wall and toppling backwards. As she lied on her back, she could see her foes halting, their eyes heavy on her. The injured dragon clutched his wound, his gaze heavy, but he maintained his position.
Twilight rose up, magic ready for a fight, but they did not attack her. She stared back, studying their body language, but soon more dragons arrived and stood at the perimeter of the cliff overhang, all watching her. Magic coursed through her body, and she could almost feel a hum within herself while she poised for survival.
“What? Not going to make the first move?” she taunted. They did not speak, continuing only to watch, their only movements their breathing. What is going on? Why aren’t they attacking? She stepped forward, but they did not move. She stopped after a few steps, observing the surroundings, and then slowly tilted her head back. They aren’t entering the cave? She pivoted, peering into the depths of corridor; the maw of darkness piquing her curiosity.
She moved into the darkness, listening intently for any movement. Suddenly, a red force field manifested and took hold of her. Jolts of energy rippled through her, and her body convulsed before being thrown back. Her mind was reeling before she hit the ground, and fear slipped in as forced herself to rise and face the dragons, yet still they had not moved.
“You are trapped,” the injured dragon declared as he watched her, a red glyph appearing on the crest of his head.
Twilight coughed and snickered. “Well, we’ll see about that. I know you won’t—or maybe you can’t—cross this line.”
She turned and trudged to the force field and closed her eyes. Concentrating, she found the trap and started to unravel its mechanisms. It only allows certain creatures to enter… Dragons… Dragonkin? Dragon magic was foreign and complicated to her, and there was no time to dispel or temporarily disable the trap. I guess I’ll need to do this the old fashioned way. She turned and shot a smirk to the dragons watching her.
“Do you think you can escape us?” the glyph-marked dragon called to her.
“I’m wondering if I could kill all of you right here and now,” she replied. The dragons exchanged glances. “But I’m not here for you.” She turned back to the cave. “Your deaths are going to have to wait.”
Closing her eyes, she channeled her magic into an avatar of herself. Translucent, purple, and larger than herself, it stepped forward and plunged its hooves into the force field as it appeared. Centering the force, it grabbed into the field and Twilight growled, slowly ripping it open, but suddenly it crushed her avatar and pushed her back again. Damn it! This thing is stronger than I thought. What are they protecting? It can’t be Aurelius… She turned and looked at the injured dragon. Can I use his body to get through? She calculated her odds of killing him and fleeing against how much magic it would cost, but the situation didn’t favor her.
The earth started to rumble, and she could see something coming in the distance. Slowly, more and more beings appeared until a shadow formed at the edge of their vision. Twilight blinked and scanned the distance for traces of magic; Equestria’s forces had arrived. The dragons turned and took in the newcomers.
“Kill them all,” shouted the glyph-marked dragon. “The king must not be disturbed.” Twilight watched as all took flight, fanning out to meet the encroaching forces. The glyph-marked dragon turned to her and snorted, removing his hand and placing it on the ground. “Stay there, little pest, and quietly watch your people burn before your eyes.” The wound on his chest no longer leaked blood, though the plate-scale was still charred.
Twilight frowned, blinking slowly at him. “I want you to remember this moment, dragon. It’s the moment you thought you were superior. It will be your final regret when I take your life.”
The dragon offered his disdain through a snort and lingering gaze before turning and flapping a wall of dust at her. She coughed and flicked a hoof, gusting the dust away while she watched him go. Returning to the warding spell, she reached out to it and closed her eyes. A dark world opened to her, phasing into existence as a blurry mess. Slowly, it became clearer as lines appeared and connected together to form what represented the barrier. Once the world was in focus, the structure of the magic could be observed.
Bizarre, yet intricate spell weaving was done to create the barrier and she marveled as it continued to unravel before her mind’s eye; however, it continued to grow and reach out far beyond anything she had ever seen. It was becoming daunting and her confidence waned while she studied the spell’s manifestation blooming ever outward. The magic bore no signature of any race or order that she recognized. It even seemed alien to what she had seen of the Brood’s designs in Draconis. Once it reached completion, the design felt familiar to her in some way, but more she studied it the more she struggled to place its origins.
“Who… could have possibly made this?” she blurted in frustration. Her eyes shot open as she glared into the darkness of the maw. Aurelius was close, but she was now impeded by the most complex magical barrier she had ever seen. She could dispel it, or find a way through given enough time, but that was something she didn’t have a lot of. Explosions in the distance broke her concentration; she whirled around to glimpse plumes of smoke rising from where she had come from. “Damn you, Celestia. You should’ve just done what you’ve always done and watched me handle our problems.”
---
A shifting, shadowy cowl hid Nightmare’s mane and most of her face from the others in the small army she marched with. The rapidly assembled forces of gryphon, pony, dragon, minotaur, and an assortment of elites offered by other races and territories comprised the group. Chrysalis remained the only changeling, and she was glued to Luna’s side every step of the way. Nightmare never let her attention stray from the changeling’s presence for very long. Whether she noticed her watchful gaze or not didn’t matter; if Chrysalis had to be put down, she would never see it coming.
A nudge from the side perked her up briefly, but she settled as she realized it was Celestia. “Relax. There is no need to focus on her so much.”
“I promise you that I’m just as aware of our surroundings. I can sense all around us at the same time, and I know you can as well.” Nightmare’s eyes strayed to the cliffs. “I’m glad we’re no longer using airships for this part, but this still feels like a trap.”
The sun princess followed her gaze and took a deep breath. “There could be an ambush waiting for us, but dragons are not normally the type for such tactics.”
“And dragons aren’t normally covered in magic-resistant plating,” she reminded. Several rocks and pebbles rolled down from a cliff, clacking and clattering on the way down. Nightmare instinctively rose up and reached towards her cowl but stopped as she fully realized what the disturbance was.
“You’re jumpier than usual.”
The Id exhaled slowly. “Twilight is here. I feel her presence every second calling to me. And every second that I’m reminded of it I see her face… the way she looked at me…” She slowly turned to Celestia. “What she has become.”
The sun princess grimaced as their eyes met. “I… understand all too well.”
“Enemy dragons!” bellowed a minotaur in the front of the march. “Brace for impact!”
“An ambush!? Why couldn’t we detect them?” The Id threw her cowl back and ripped her scythe from her mane.
Celestia did the same, brandishing her axe. “Luna, we shall take the vanguard.”
The moon princess already had her hammer at the ready, offering a sideways nod before turning to Chrysalis. “Stay with the magi and provide support from there.” Luna pivoted and called, “Paladin Hooves. Defend the rear. Paladin Do, join us on the front line.” Derpy turned and hovered at the rear of the forces, her sword and shield drawn.
The sisters flew to the front of the march and joined the others as dragons came into view. Volleys of fireballs and rakes of dragon breath spread through the canyon, but shields conjured by the mages protected them. The first dragon hit the ground with a thunderclap, attempting to stomp through, but Luna gathered energy into her hammer and, with a shrill cry, drove it into his chest. The force boomed off of the plate scale, jangling the rest in a rumbling cacophony. With a yelp, the dragon stumbled and collapsed forward through roiling dust, the earth trembling fell. Several of the minotaur were caught underneath a wing, but with a combined effort, they heaved and roared in unison and pushed it off.
The stunned dragon shook itself, blinking into alertness as it rose up. Rage filled his gaze, and he swept a wing towards her. The minotaur were blasted back even as Luna rushed to stop it from carving through more of the forces. The other wing came up behind Luna, and Celestia intervened, catching it with her axe. A growl rumbled out of his throat, his head pulling back; his body reeled up as his chest swelled, and he loosed a brilliant orange flame onto his foes. The ground scorched and crackled, the heat haze obscuring his vision, before it wafted into the air. A blue barrier appeared in the wake of the breath with Chrysalis and the magi standing on the other side, their horns bright with magic.
Grey streaked down from the sky through the flames, and Daring appeared at the scale Luna had struck. She seized the opportunity and drove her blades into the flesh beneath. She pried, grunting as the bloody flesh held fast. The dragon yelped and peered down, but the the new weak point had already met both swords. The dragon growled and spun, but still Daring held on. Flipping over and anchoring herself with her weapons, she planted her hooves to the body and torqued them until the scale was carved away. The dragon stopped and she spiraled away, crashing into the dirt while his enraged roar boomed off of the cliffs.
The dragon staggered backwards with a claw masking the wound, blood oozing between the talons. He shrank inward, bringing both armored wings close to his body, and two more dragons landed in front of him.
“Split up,” Celestia shouted. “The other races can work together for one, and I’ll bring one down with Paladin Do. Paladin Hooves and the Brood have the aerial and rear.”
Luna nodded and gathered magic in her hammer head once more. “Midnight and I shall fell another.”
The Id nodded, and from the depths of her dark cloak a blade emerged, the blackened steel drawing light to its razor edge. “We need to save as much magic as we can. We don’t know how many we’ll have to fight.”
Celestia and Daring broke off to the left of the advance as Luna and Nightmare took the right. Two more dragons engaged the arm, a fiery battle beginning overhead between the Brood, and the other on the ground with Derpy and the gryphons.
Luna was the first to attack, gathering magic in her hammer and aiming for the chest. Abruptly, the dragon forced its wings out and spun, shrouding itself in a haze of dust. The tail extended and whipped as it completed its rotation, blasting the army with rocks. The shields came too late, and stones rained into the unicorns and minotaur like meteors. Those not too injured rose up with groans, blood leaking from the sides of their heads, or welts forming on their bodies through the fur and dented armor.
Luna clamped her eyes as the tail batted her against a wall, but she growled and shrugged it off, her grip still tight on her hammer. As she prepared for a reprisal, the dragon inhaled deeply, his mouth aglow with furious orange. The shield of the supporting forces was prepared, but the flames did not come for them. The dragon unleashed it to his side, consuming Celestia and Daring off of his ally. From the rolling flame, Celestia bellowed. “Switch!” Two pairs took flight and switched foes, with Nightmare chasing the dying flame to follow Luna.
Daring dove into her foe’s open jaw, driving one sword through the roof and the other through the bottom. The dragon snarled and whined as she carved through the tongue, another fire breath gathering in its throat. Glimpsing the impending flame, she brought her limbs and weapons to her body, pushing through the blood and saliva through the bottom of the jaw. Barreling over, she watched the flames erupt from the new orifices, charring the wounds. Celestia leapt into the air, her mane becoming a yellow flame, and her fur a blinding white. As the dragon’s head reeled back in his agony, she roared and drove her axe into its exposed neck. There was no clang of metal, only the sizzle of her blade to the flesh. Nightmare turned to see the dragon as he toppled backwards before his wounded ally, but quickly refocused on the one Luna had engaged.
Luna dodged between scratches and swipes, maneuvering closer with each deflect from her hammer. The dragon hopped back, the earth trembling as it landed, and beat its wings. The princess was forced to shield herself before the storm of sand and rock. With her prey distracted, Nightmare moved in from the side and aimed for a hamstring, but her scythe struck plating and bounced off.
Damn, there’s no cutting through this without magic.
Reversing with the new momentum, she took a righting step and spun back as fast as she could, her scythe leaving a blue trail of light. With a cry, she forced it through the dragon’s entire foot, separating it from the rest of the body. She lurched backwards while it fell, the thick plates clinking as the wings plunged into the ground and stabilized him.
“H-How can you cut through my scales!?” the dragon cried, his eyes shooting to her.
Suddenly, everyone doubled over and clutched the ears as a thunderous ringing exploded through the canyon, even the dragon wincing as the sound screamed off of the cliff walls. Nightmare’s eyes swam in her head, and she scanned the source of the cacophony; Luna trembled as she staggered away from the dragon, her hammer unceremoniously falling from her grasp. The princess recovered, but was too late to react, her eyes focusing as the dragon’s hand took her. The talons constricted and she yelped, but it stopped when a stream of fire reached the hand, two slivers of steel glinting in the sunlight in the hand.
Daring bared her teeth, struggling to pry the talons apart. “F-Fight, damn it. I… can’t… hold… this…!” Luna took a deep breath, her sweaty reddened face revealed when her mane shifted away. Grunting, she pushed back with the blades, but one of the swords slipped, and a pop preceded another yelp.
A battle cry came from above and Celestia dove with her axe, crashing the glowing head into the wrist. Her horn flashed, and the axe severed the hand, her sister hitting the ground and freeing herself. The dragon snarled and rapidly inhaled, fixating on Luna. Daring whirled around and pushed Luna away before spreading her body in front of the moon princess. Nightmare watched in awe as the breath streamed over them, but her eyes drifted to the severed hand. Molten metal dripped from the wound, rapidly cooling back and hardening.
Luna emerged from the fading flames with her hammer and sprang into the air. “We’ll see just how much force those scales of yours can take.”
She flew high into the sky, and then dived straight down to the dragon’s back. She surged and spun, whipping herself into a blue funnel, finally driving the hammer into the center of a back plate. Her teeth bared as the sweat fell from her face on impact, blue light bloomed through the dragon’s chest, exploding onto the ground beneath. He heaved and caved downwards, but he rotated and his wings started carving through the earth while his tail swept debris and batted it towards the magi. Nightmare moved beside Celestia and formed a shield together, the boulders and pebbles stopping or bouncing off entirely. The dragon collected himself and retracted his wings for protection, furiously clawing at Luna.
Daring flew in from behind and landed on a wing, diving into the gap beneath. Her shoes made a small tink with each step, running up the spine. She found Luna’s impact spot, a scale cracked and sunken with blood pooling. With a vulnerable spot, Daring’s blades were plunged into the wound, twisting and prying the pieces apart. She wobbled and released her swords as the dragon thrashed and howled in pain. Her wings burst open and she stabilized before snapping forward and latching onto the weapons again. With a battle cry, they erupted into a roaring flame, and she dragged them down his spine before taking off.
The dragon’s eyes rolled into his head as he stumbled forward, his wings falling away and revealing the bloody, molten gash running down his back. Finally, his body came to a silent rest against one of the cliff walls. With the first wave falling and the party regrouping, Luna propped herself up on her hammer and panted, an absent hoof sweeping sweat from her face. Chrysalis flew to her side and examined her.
“Are you alright?” the changeling asked, circling her.
Luna waved her away. “Remain with the group. It is safer that way. I will be fine when the… ringing in my head subsides.” Nightmare watched as she rejoined the magi, the changeling’s concerned gaze still on the moon princess.
So far so good, she thought.
The forces gathered and advanced deeper into the Badlands, with Derpy scouting ahead. She made several passes in silence before dropping to the princesses. “The dragons’ scales are camouflaging them. I can’t see any in the distance, and there are too many crevices in the landscape to watch all at once. Everyone needs to stay on high alert.”
Nightmare glanced over her shoulder to the bulk of the forces. The injured were loaded onto the back of a Brood dragon and triaged, several magi tending to their wounds. Minotaur hauled supplies to them as needed, but the bulk of the force remained intact. She looked ahead as Twilight’s presence grew stronger, but failed to notice Luna had moved to her side.
“Smart of you to try and disable the dragon,” she commented.
“Smart of him to use his wings for support,” Nightmare replied.
Luna’s expression became pensive. “He managed to brace his wing, even while using it for stability. It felt like I was hitting an unbreakable wall. I’ve never encountered anything like it.”
Nightmare exchanged thoughtful glances with the moon princess before her eyes strayed to the cliff tops. Derpy occasionally darted back and forth, maintaining her scouting vantage. “I cannot pierce the plating without using my magic. If my scythe were to be destroyed it would be very annoying to fight.”
Luna snorted. “You would be just fine. I know what you’re capable of, though perhaps I can offer you a technique.”
“Oh? And what—“
The princess stepped closer and silenced the Id by placing a hoof to her head. She turned to her other hoof as it encased itself in a smooth, shiny sleeve of magic. Nightmare gasped, her magic linking to Luna’s as the ability spread over the princess’s entire body. She could feel what it did, and how it flowed. Every second she could understand more and more of the spell, the whole of its creation and application blooming into her mind.
“A technique I once demonstrated to Twilight. Always a quick study, she learned how to use it with just a few hours of practice. I once regretted not teaching her the full ability at the time, but I was right to trust my instincts.” She met Nightmare’s awed gaze. “Synchronizing my magic like this can only be done with you… We may prefer different manners of combat, but our magic is still the same. Yours is based on mine, and no other could understand the way I share this to you.” Luna retracted her hoof and the sensations vanished, but the understanding remained. Layered beneath that understanding of the technique was something… else. Like a faint memory long eroded by time, the sensation of phantom limb came to her.
What… is this? A feeling? A spell? Her scythe slid down her grasp, and it felt as if she could feel the world with it. The sensation faded, but she became acutely aware of the presence her weapon and all of its potential to her. The Id stared into the distance and cleared her mind of what she had just experienced. “My connection with Twilight worked similarly. She taught me how to teleport like her once we allowed our minds into one another’s’.” She marveled as she manifested the magical sleeve over a hoof, slowly turning it over as it completed its shell, and then receded when she ended the spell.
Luna raised an eyebrow as they resumed marching with the others. “Curious. Her magic has changed since then. Perhaps you are the reason why.”
Nightmare swallowed at the thought. “She saved me, yet I dread to think I could be the reason why she’s become so twisted. She’s seen all of me, and I’ve seen all of her. My pain… melted away when I was with her. I never thought that she might… become my sin eater. That’s what I always tried to be for her. I was used to the pain, and it ceased to exist as long as she was… there…”
Luna’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Derpy shouted from overhead. “Reinforcements incoming!”
Here we go again, Nightmare thought, raising her scythe, the new feeling of its presence encompassing her combat instincts. Before she could examine it, more dragons emerged from the flanks, their shadows casting over the small army. With Chrysalis’s help, the magi formed their barrier over the bulk of the forces before the valley was filled with dragon breath. Nightmare’s face burned, the dry air scratching her lungs. She peered around to see the group faring much worse than her. Celestia and Daring quickly moved together, each of them seemingly shrugging off the extreme rise in temperature.
“I’ll protect the group,” Daring offered, but Celestia shook her head and raised a hoof.
“No. Save your strength for now. We don’t know what’s ahead. I’ll be fine out here in the sun, unlike you.” The sandy pegasus bowed her head as the sun princess took flight. Her body started to glow in a golden aura, and she grew in size. “Disperse the shield!” Her words boomed off of the cliff walls, and even in the face of the fatal attack the magi obeyed.
As the shield fell, a shade engulfed the party and the heat subsided. Everyone looked up to see the princess’ massive form, her wings delicately surrounding them like an embrace. After a moment the light returned and Celestia turned away. Her horn shined against the sun, a brilliant white glow pushing back any shadows the cliffs could cast. Nightmare could hear the discharge of magic, but she could not see the attack in the light. The anguished wail of a contractor drew her eyes to a cliff top. The thick plates were melted away to reveal a hole in his chest, and he crumbled forward. Vibrations in the ground reached the Id in the valley, and the dust cloud from the corpse plumed over his body. The other dragons looked on in shock, but it quickly cleared as the princess shrank back to her normal size, slouched forward and panting.
“Go, Paladin Do…” Celestia ran a hoof across her face, scrubbing her mane away from her eyes. “I can protect the group… but not much more for the time being. Remember. Your power is the last resort… never the first line of defense.” She took a full breath and exhaled hard before straightening herself.
“I… know,” the sandy pegasus replied before darting into the air.
The group split apart to engage different dragons, with the magi working to aid them. The Brood attempted to restrain the opposing brethren with their might while concerted attacks were used to dislodge the defensive plating. Several groups were successful in rendering their foes vulnerable, but others failed. Gryphons were burned alive out of the air, and minotaur were crushed underfoot as one of the contractors escaped its hold. He turned and bit into the shoulder of his restraining dragon, wrenching away pieces of the leathery flesh away. Pained growls and snarls were unleashed as they grappled with each other. The dragon attempted to breath, but the contractor bashed his throat with a wing, pivoting to a second attack with sharp talons.
The Brood dragon’s stomach was ripped open, scaly hide hung like tattered rags and bloody organs spilled forth. The contractor wasted no time and searched for an ally to free. Locked in the dying Brood’s claws were several bloody, plated scales. Streams of light cascaded across the exposed flesh, chased by blood before a final stream drilled into the body. Derpy pulled back, her grey fur painted in red, and watched the contractor topple to his grave. Her eyes hung on the sight of the dying Brood, and they exchanged nods before he slumped back and exhaled to stillness.
“I can’t do much after that,” she called to Daring. “But we have to take every chance we get.”
Her sister nodded. “Fight with the others, and save as much strength as you can. We don’t know how many there are.”
A boom, followed by several thuds drew everyone’s attention towards the path ahead. A larger dragon landed and stepped towards them. His plates clinked like the others, but they made a different sound, one that was higher pitch. Nightmare watched him coming and listened closely.
It sounds like glass, but that’s not quite it… She watched as he stopped and sized the party up, a red glyph appearing on his head. “Brave of the lesser races to enter the king’s lands together. Bold of the ponies to bring their leaders to their graves.” He inhaled, drawing in air and dust.
Nightmare’s eyes widened as she could feel something coalescing within the dragon, and the atmosphere bearing down on her. That’s not a normal dragon’s breath! Her fur bristled; she turned and screamed as loudly as she could with the air in her lungs.
“GET OUT OF THE WAY, HE’S AMPLFYING WITH MAGIC!”
A scarlet light exploded forth from his mouth. The paladins were out of the blast, but Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare were in the path, as was much of the army. A shield was cast to protect them, but it disappeared in the light. The beam tore through the valley and detonated in the center of the army. Nightmare was cast into the cliff walls by the explosion, her helmeted head banging on a rock. She groaned as the light faded, but her ears rang for a moment longer, and dust obscured immediately her vision.
Squinting as it cleared, the sunlight revealed the carnage of the attack; buried amongst the rubble were dragons, gryphons, ponies, and contractors alike. This new dragon had indiscriminately fired on its own kin, striking them down with all of the rest.
Luna climbed out of some rubble, appearing banged up, but lacking in any major wounds. Celestia appeared to have escaped the blast entirely, but spent only a second surveying the casualties before her eyes were on the dragon. He shuddered and his head hung low. Whatever that attack was, Nightmare thought, it took most of his power. She climbed down from her blasted perch and made her way down to regroup. Her hearing returned and she could hear her counterpart’s frantic cries.
“Chrysalis! Chrysalis! Where are you!?” Luna tossed stones and boulders as heavy as a dragon aside with ease. “Come on, you damned insect, I know how tough you are!” Stone after stone was tossed around until she found the changeling queen. Luna dragged her out into the light and firmly slapped her face several times. “Wake up!” she shouted into her face.
Chrysalis stirred and groaned, weakly swatting the offensive hoof away. “I’m alive, damn it. Knock that off.” Nightmare blinked in surprise as the moon princess took the changeling into an embrace.
Luna exhaled slowly. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”
The changeling regained her bearings and swayed her gaze to the casualties. Surviving forces climbed out from the rubble and regrouped, but the party had been diminished to half. “This isn’t looking good.”
Nightmare turned her attention to the cliff walls. The remaining contractors were perched atop, their idle gazes on the forces in the valley. Some were wounded grievously in the attack, but even the unharmed ones remained watching. The glyph-marked dragon had cut down his own forces considerably, but his presence put grim odds on victory.
“How do you want to die, Princess Celestia of the pony empire?” the glyph-marked dragon asked. Abruptly, he started to step backwards. “The oldest among us still remember her. Her face. Her ruthless smile. You look just like her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Celestia snarled back.
The glyph-marked dragon shook the plates across his body and rose up, starting to inhale again. Nightmare coiled down low to the ground. He can make another attack like that so soon!?
“You’re no less arrogant than she was, and you shall pay for that with your life.” Scarlet light appeared in the glyph-marked dragon’s mouth, bathing everything in front of him in its glow.
Nightmare swallowed, her eyes wide at the incoming attack. Even if we survived, there’s no way we can keep going together after this!
The light from the sun dimmed, as if being drained away, and a violet and black beam split the ground. A grand quake shook the Badlands as it crashed into the dragon. He screeched out his pain as the right side of his torso was ripped away in the light. His right arm, plated scales, and flesh blasted against the valley walls, and he choked on his breath. Immediately, his wings enclosed over the fatal wound, and he drew his left arm over for additional protection where a hole in his right wing had appeared. Blood pooled beneath him and ran out from under his now-shuddering body. His neck twitched while he twisted to glimpse over his shoulder, and Nightmare sprang into the air to follow his gaze.
“I’ll kill you for this… you damned… witch… I swear you’ll suffer slowly!”
From the distance, Twilight shouted and brought a hoof to her chest, “You’re just another pathetic dragon. Remember this moment… That I killed you.”
The color adorning Nightmare’s body faded into a void, her body thinning and stretching as she surged towards the dragon’s wound in a streak of inky black. It slipped between his defenses. Her scythe emerged from her void, the blade thick with a blue aura and humming loudly. The glyph-marked dragon’s body stiffened as she sliced into him, rending vital organs and carving chunks of flesh out onto the ground. Several quick slashes revealed the heart, and she drove the blade into it as quick as she could. The organ drained out as the dragon died, falling forward onto the ground in a bloodied heap.
Nightmare’s body slithered atop it and her features emerged as the void settled and receded into her. With closed eyes, she tilted her head back and breathed in deeply, the blood that should’ve been covering her appeared in a pool around her. Opening her eyes, she glimpsed Twilight in the distance and her heart fluttered. Please don’t leave, she begged. The oracle met her eyes for a moment, a ruthless gaze to crest her dark grin, before she stepped backwards. Her black fur caused her to vanish into the darkness of the cave almost immediately. Chills ran down the Id’s spine. Looking at you is like… looking into a mirror to my past… What have you become?
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 57: Lonely Pond
Nightmare peeled her gaze away from Twilight and back to the ravaged party behind her. All eyes were on her, even those of the contractors on the clifftops, and they wore their shock openly. She glanced to the successfully assassinated dragon beneath her, but she did not need to absorb her work; hundreds of dragons had met their end at her blade in the preceding years. Suddenly, the foes on the clifftops began to move, shouting furies down to those below.
“They’ve slain the guardian!”
“The king will be furious!”
“You’ve won your audience.”
The Id’s interest was piqued, even as she poised for more fighting. I’ve won my audience? What does he mean by that?
In unison, the dragons breathed in, their chests glowing before flames and fireballs rained down in a storm. Though a barrier formed over everyone else, Nightmare was left alone to defend herself. She sprang into the air as liquid fire hit the corpse of the guardian contractor and splashed over its body. She spun, narrowly missing a drop from reaching a wing, before rushing towards Twilight.
She turned and shouted over her shoulder. “Get to that cave! We’re going to need more cover!”
Contractors moved to bar her path, and she was forced to descend as a wall of fire rolled towards her. It came too quickly, and she dived sharply, hitting the ground and skidding. She lost her balance and rolled across hardened dirt and rocks. As the heat passed, she popped up, gritting her teeth through the pain while the rocks fell from the indents in her flesh. Before she knew it, Luna was at her side.
“Breach them together! Waste no time on killing,” said the moon princess.
Nightmare watched as Luna rapidly gyrated, a white ring appearing around her. Her hammer smashed a defending arm into the dragon’s chest, a titanic blow that rippled through the air and gusted the Id to the side. It did not kill, but the attack broke the arm and stunned the contractor out of the air. Nightmare’s body shifted into a black, starry shell, a shroud of darkness bubbling around her new form. With a distorted roar, she rocketed into the chest of the other contractor and delivered a single blow to his chest. The force paled compared to Luna, but she cracked the scale and winded him, dropping him to the earth. The shell faded, and the contractor slumped forward, and then curled to the ground.
Equestria’s forces rushed past, an inferno chasing them, growing with each fireball from the rest of the contractors. The flames were about to overtake them when Celestia appeared once more as a giant, her wings absorbing the onslaught.
“Keep moving!” she bellowed, pivoting and fanning the contractors back. Two sweeps of her massive wings and the flames were gone, but the strain on her face was evident. Her steps punched craters into the earth as she walked over her allies to the cave. She turned when she reached the mouth and took a deep breath, tilting her head back and spreading her wings wide. With a heave, she brought her wings together in a thundering clap. Cliffs and boulders sheared to pieces as the contractors were blasted away in the gale that followed. Abruptly, the princess shrank to her normal size and collapsed.
Daring collected her body as they pushed into the cave, moving deeper and deeper. “Prepare a shield if they return to breathe flames upon us,” ordered Luna. As they hustled deeper into the cave, a blue barrier appeared and pushed most of them back.
Nightmare blinked and turned back when she realized only her and the Brood had made it. “What happened?” The dragons exchanged confused glances with her.
Daring moved to the barrier and raised a hoof to it, activating its appearance. “It seems to lock out anything that isn’t a dragon, but…” Her eyes narrowed on Nightmare Moon. “She’s not a dragon.”
The Id swallowed as the Brood took steps back from her. “What are you,” one of them asked, “if not a dragon, yet allowed through?”
Nightmare only stared back pensively as she thought of an answer. “I… don’t know,” she replied. “There was an armored dragon in Canterlot. He… he called me dragonkin.” She swallowed again as the gazes grew heavier. “He said the king would want to see me, but…” Silence fell as everyone kept their eyes on the entrance of the cave, or the Id. “I’m beginning to think there’s another dragon king here.” The Brood exchanged glances in silence.
Luna loudly cleared her throat. “We have no time to be questioning Midnight’s origins. She has proven her allegiance time and time again. Our magi must find a way through this barrier.”
“Twilight made it through only a moment ago,” reminded Nightmare. “She’s not like me, and I possess her original body. This can’t be tied to physical traits alone.”
Chrysalis moved to the barrier. “I wonder…” She transformed into a dragon and stepped forward. The barrier appeared suddenly and tossed her away, dispelling the transformation.
Luna lurched and caught the changeling, her eyes drifting to the walls as she gently set her down. “Look.” A hoof aimed towards the edges where the barrier formed. “Perhaps she overpowered it.”
“No,” a raspy voice chimed in, followed by a series of coughs. Celestia shakily stood up with Daring’s help. “She wouldn’t have had time, and certainly not with such a devastating beam from earlier. Twilight’s natural talent is magical concentration, and by proxy, compression. This is why she has always been capable of such high levels of spellcraft, and how she was able to utilize your technique so quickly, Luna.” Celestia coughed several times and moved to the barrier. “We don’t have many options, and I don’t think a simple dispel will be one of them.”
Luna brought a hoof to her chin for a moment as she looked to the ceiling. Her magical shell formed and she stepped to the barrier. It formed, but she stepped forward and only struggled briefly. On the other side, it faded away. She growled to herself and turned around. “Of course… I taught her the only way through. What about everyone else? I do not even teach archmagi, let alone do we have the time to teach it to those among us now.”
“We need to break it,” Celestia declared. Uneasy glances were brought her way, but she ignored them. “In order to do this quickly, we need to simultaneously stress and destabilize it. It is ancient, but it will not have existed for all this time without weakening if the creator has not cast it again.”
Nightmare moved to the barrier. “What do you need us to do?”
“The Brood, Luna, and Nightmare Moon will all stand within it. As many of our forces that can will move into it and maintain its activation. The magi, myself, Luna, Midnight, and Chrysalis will channel our magic into it and attempt to unravel it completely.” She turned to the changeling. “I trust that you can see what it is we’re working with.”
The changeling swallowed. “I’ve… never done something like this, but I’ll try.”
“Good.” The sun princess turned to her sister. “Do you think you can handle disrupting and dispelling at the same time?”
Luna snorted. “I have been craving a challenge for some time. I did not think I would get them all at once.”
“Alright. Let’s begin. Everyone get ready.” As they lined up to the barrier, Celestia closed her eyes and began to visualize the spell. “Now!”
The Brood and Nightmare moved into the barrier, having it form and harmlessly display across their bodies. The rest of the forces moved in simultaneously, with Luna baring her teeth as she fought it, repeatedly digging her hooves into the ground.
Nightmare closed her eyes and could see the entirety of the spell. I’ve… seen this before. Somewhere… Aurelius made this? No… but he may have had a hoof in its construction. The combined efforts saw the barrier weakening, and Nightmare could see the spell fraying. She joined in with them, channeling her magic into it and unraveling it. After several minutes, it started to fall to pieces. As it collapsed, the Id’s eyes shot open. “Get back! It’s going to discharge the remain—”
An explosion ripped outward, blasting everyone back, and the ensuing shockwave caused stalactite to rain down. Chrysalis was the first to rise, and she dove and tackled Luna, rolling away from the worst of it. Shields formed over the party members and the pieces of the cave rolled safely to the sides.
“Are you okay?” Chrysalis asked, watching as Luna stood up and dusted herself.
“I am fine,” she replied, turning to offer a helping hoof. However, a gash running down the changeling’s side caused her to lift her with telekinesis. “You did not need to do that. My constitution is sturdier than yours.”
“You know…” Chrysalis growled. “Most say thank you.” A minotaur came to her and triaged the wound.
Luna bowed her head, earning a sidelong frown. “Thank you, Chrysalis.” The changeling muttered something, but it was too quiet to hear. The moon princess turned away and regrouped with Nightmare and Celestia.
“Excellent work, everyone,” said Celestia. “Let us advance. It seems we are safe in here for now.”
The princesses and the Id took the lead, and Nightmare couldn’t help but sense Twilight’s presence throughout the cave. They were only minutes behind her, and that fact burned her soul. We’re so close, she thought bitterly. Her memories of Ponyville moved to the front of her mind, and she sighed. She had to choose between saving Trixie, and being there when Twilight had awoken. A part of her wished she had let the magician perish anyway, to keep the archmagi to herself. She sighed again. That wasn’t the part of her Twilight had given her back. She pushed the dark what if of her past choices away and looked ahead. A massive gate now stood in their path, reaching at least as high as two standing dragons. The trio moved to it and placed a hoof on it, peering into its construction.
Nightmare and Celestia swallowed, and Luna knocked on it. There was a tink from her solleret, but it was barely audible. The same hoof was brought to her mouth as she chuckled. The stars in her mane began to twinkle, and constellations could scarcely be seen within.
“I know what you’re thinking, Luna,” spoke the elder sister.
Luna grinned to her. “And you know it is the fastest, most efficient method among our resources.”
“I’m worried you’ll injure yourself,” Celestia said, placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder.
The moon princess cast a hoof to the corridor. “Fear not, sister. There is more than enough space in this old cavern. We have no time to break this down any other way, nor should we expend more resources than necessary. You know this is the best option.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Chrysalis as she approached and stood beside Luna. A white bandage wrapped her torso, with a bloody splotch where her wound was.
The constellations in Luna’s mane became clearer, gently twinkling in the dim light. “I am going to shatter this gate, so that we may move forward.”
Chrysalis moved to the gate and tapped a hoof to it. “Shatter…this? I doubt that… a lot.” She turned and raised a brow to the moon princess.
Luna frowned. “Stand back. Far, far back with a shield, and witness.”
The changeling cocked her head to one side. “Witness what?”
Chyrsalis and Luna began to move back, but the sun princess placed a hoof on Nightmare’s shoulder. “A word, if you don’t mind,” she whispered.
The Id eyed her carefully, but quieted her voice nonetheless. “Are you worried about the changeling?”
Celestia shook her head. “Twilight. Our confrontation with her is inevitable, and so is you being there. There’s something I need to pass to you. With the extent of her memories, do you recall how she and I communicated before… before Aurelius?”
Nightmare blinked as she searched her memory. “Telepathy? I don’t know anything more than that.”
Celestia sighed. “It’s not a… circulated spell, but it exists. Both ponies must actively be listening for the other to make the connection. You two shared such a… unique bond, but I’m wondering if you wou—”
The Id placed a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder and shook her head. “What we were… and what we shared… That cannot be replicated. I spent a lot of time on my own after she vanished, and I’ve learned things about her resurrection I wish I could forget.”
“Oh? And what is that?” The pair could hear Luna hollering for them, and they turned to acknowledge, but remained.
“I dare not say. Not because I don’t trust you,” Nightmare said, preparing to walk away, “but because I don’t know if it’s true, or if it even matters now.”
The sun princess stopped her. “I’ve been thinking about this for some time, and I wonder if it will work. A full link would require a ritualistic spell, on both ponies’ part, but you can temporarily establish a connection if both of you want it.”
Nightmare blinked. “How? For how long?”
Celestia took a deep breath, but maintained her hushed voice. “For only as long as you touch. Here,”—she produced a small scroll from her mane and presented it to the Id—“you will need to memorize this. If you can reach her, if there is any way to bring her out of this safely and peacefully, I will give my life for it.”
The Id studied the complex formula on the scroll before absorbing it into her mane, mouthing some of its contents silently to herself. She glanced up to the sun princess and shook her head. “You and I both know it will never come to your life for hers.”
The pair started for the main group, and Celestia continued on, hollering for them to move further back down the corridor. Even as they stopped, Luna encouraged them to move even further back, but Nightmare declined.
“I cannot guarantee your safety at this distance,” said Luna.
The Id shook her head. “I don’t know exactly what you’re going to do, but I can… feel something coming. The magic welling within you is… incredible. I want to see this as closely as I can.”
Luna smirked. “Perhaps it will be all you need to know to see all sides to this power of ours. Very well. At least stand to the side behind a boulder, or carve yourself a nice crevice to shelter in. This will not be a pleasant experience… even for them,” she said, casting a hoof to the rest of the group.
The princess placed her hammer down and ran a hoof over her mane, smoothing it backwards and out of her eyes before it floated and flowed renewed. As she did so, it seemed as though no individual stars remained; everything had formed into beautiful constellations. Galaxies, or so Nightmare thought, seemed to glint inside of the blue void, but she wasn’t entirely sure. Whatever they were, they burned within, and the deep blue of the mane had started to take a subtle cosmic appearance. The longer she gazed, the more it drew her in, as if it desired to assimilate her. She jumped when Luna put a hoof to her face.
“I need you to witness this, more than anyone else. Once you have seen it, you shall fathom these powers, and you may very well need that for Twilight, and whatever else may await us.”
Confusion was etched on the Id’s face, but she moved to the edge of the corridor, finding a crevice and peeking out from it to observe Luna.
The princess closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment. All external light seemed to draw into her mane, and it burned in the darkness it created. She picked up her hammer, the designs on the head glowing with life while it gathered energy. Rising up, she took the hammer in both hooves and poised to move. With a deep breath, she exhaled slowly and rushed forward, her wings bursting open and taking her off the ground. However, she blurred into a white light, piercing through the darkness.
Nightmare’s eyes opened wide, her heart suddenly racing. I have only seen Twilight bring this much magic out once. She swallowed as Luna became a white ball with a tail. And that power could have annihilated Aurelius, but she chose to do use it for something else in that moment. More streams of light spiraled away from the tail, and Nightmare formed a powerful barrier over herself. …Life.
Luna collided with the gate, and reality seemed to warp at the impact point, pulling the air inward in a vacuum. A suffocating light blossomed at the location, erasing any details and darkness. The explosion of energy tore backwards, shredding the cavern walls and forcing all debris and dust away. The impact itself would have deafened the Id at her distance, but the barrier dampened the sound. Even with that, the sound of the metal shearing apart and rocketing past her caused her to cover her ears. The cacophony made it sound as though the gate did shatter. The discharge of magic rippled through her body, and her legs threatened to buckle, a queasiness washing over her stomach and head.
There was no dust to settle in the aftermath of the striking point, only a period of adjustment for Nightmare’s eyes to clearly see the damage. Her jaw absently fell open as she looked at what used to be the gate. The doors appeared as though they had been punched inwards, with thick slabs of metal being bent, snapped, sheared, or even melted depending on how close to the impact they were. Deep, textured indentations into the metal and stone inside marked the doors’ movement at the bottom, while the tops were bent and no longer on any kind of track.
Nightmare peered around the vicinity to take in the lack of what remained, and her head started to pound from the raw energy still lingering. Grooves in the earth, whether on the floor or ceiling, were completely clear of loose dirt, and all of the carved erosion and detail could be seen. There were no stalactite or stalagmite remaining, but large shards of metal pierced the walls, floor, and ceiling at the same distance of her wake. Some melted, and some snapped cleanly, but all bent or distorted in some way; the array of pieces offered the cavern teeth.
The Id took a deep breath and glimpsed Luna in front of the door. The princess lied on her back, her chest heaving, and her mane stopped flowing, the lights having gone out of it completely; it was a mess of silky blue strands. Nightmare approached slowly, the residual magic in the air intensifying her headache and queasiness, and it created an eerie glow in the area. Raspy breaths became audible as she walked the last few meters, but Chrysalis soared by her. Instinctively, Nightmare’s scythe was in her hooves, and she prepared to remove the changeling’s head. Her body melded into the magical hues of the room as she slipped closer.
“What the heck was that!?” the changeling cried. She lowered herself and took the princess upon her back. She moved to the hammer and attempted to lift it, but several attempts of it not budging deterred her. “Are you okay? I’m taking you to the medics.” The Id relaxed and slipped her scythe into her mane and emerged before the princess.
Luna still could not catch her breath, and her eyelids drooped as she glimpsed the Id. “I am… fine… Just wait… here.” Chrysalis set her down and sat beside her, keeping her from collapsing to the ground. The princess’s chest moved in a sweeping rhythm, and for a minute, it was the only sound among them. With a large gasp, she finally appeared to recover enough to keep her body aloft on its own, albeit wobbling. The changeling grew pensive when Luna raised a trembling hoof to Nightmare. “Do you… see?”
The Id swallowed. “You terrify me, Luna.”
Luna’s face grew plump for a second, her eyes widening, before they snapped shut and she snorted. Abruptly, she fell into a fit of laughter. “You’re such a… silly pony.”
Nightmare scowled. “Do you even have any magic left?”
The rest of the group approached, but many of them shuffled along uneasily. The shell shock of the blast echoed in their faces, the awe in their eyes, and they fanned out to examine ground zero. Celestia moved to her sister and shook her head.
Luna’s eyes were on her sister, but she replied to the Id. “I used sixty… perhaps seventy percent of my total capacity. My body is strained and fatigued, but I shall recover that and be capable of fighting some more. However, my contribution to our efforts from this point forward shall be minimized until then.”
“I still find that reckless, Luna,” Celestia chimed in. “We don’t know what’s inside, or if there are any more gates like that.”
The moon princess cleared her throat and stood up, relying on the changeling for support. “It is clear that this place has not been so disturbed in eons. With such sweeping defenses on the exterior, and these contractors being hardy foes, I highly doubt their inner domain will boast such defenses.” She sighed. “Still, I must concede that you could be right. Let us pray that Aurelius, and even Twilight, can clear such obstacles for us. For now, I am prepared to move onward.”
The group looked forward through the destroyed gate and into the sanctum within. Braziers and torches along the walls lit the way. Oddly, they seemed to cast more light than they visibly produced, but Nightmare could sense a magical element to their existence. The corridor led to a chamber that opened ahead, but she could not see into it. She felt something powerful drawing her, and took the lead. Twilight is close. It seems she hasn’t gotten much further ahead of us.
“Wait. There could be traps,” Celestia called from behind her, but she only increased pace.
The familiar sensations of Twilight’s magic grew stronger and stronger. She paused at a break in the corridor and took a deep breath. Her eyes shot open and she peered ahead. I smell blood… So much blood. She quickened her pace as she drew closer to the chamber ahead.
“Midnight!” the sun princess called again.
The Id whirled out of her trance and glanced back to her comrades. Another barrier manifested and barred their path. It shone red, and glyphs just beyond it glowed and emitted a soft hum as Luna pounded into it with partial magical augments. However, something else caught her attention; the Brood could not pass.
“That one seems to be unaffected,” spoke one of the dragons in a rumbling voice, pointing a cautious talon her way. “Yet, even we dragons cannot pass.”
Nightmare approached the barrier, stopping just on her side of it. She scanned the faces of those stuck behind, their eyes all on her. With a deep breath, she turned and started to walk on in silence.
“Surely there must be a way to disable this from the inside,” Luna called.
Nightmare paused, twisting her head back. “You don’t understand. This is not a place meant to be entered by us. I…” She swallowed, diving into her memories of Aurelius. No matter how deep she went, she could not find an origin point. Only bitter moments of the past welled to her mind, and it wasn’t enough for an answer. “I am different. I don’t know why I can move through the barriers, but I can’t wait and figure it out. Twilight is just ahead.”
Daring frowned and drove a blade into the barrier, grinding it across, but to no avail. “So, you’re not going to help?”
Nightmare shook her head. “I’ve never hidden my motive. Twilight is the most important thing to me. I will not allow her to escape me again when I am so close. None of you are in any immediate danger.”
Luna beckoned. “You will need this,” she said, offering her hammer. The Id eyed it for a few seconds, and finally returned to the barrier. Stepping through, she took it into her grasp, and Luna wrapped a foreleg around her own. Nightmare tensed, but the moon princess smiled once more. Two silvery bangles drifted out of her mane. “Until you are comfortable with using our power, you shall be aided by these.”
Nightmare nodded and equipped them on her forehooves. The hammer slid into her starry mane, disappearing into the depths of the deep mist. “Thank you, Luna.” She lurched forward and took the princess into an embrace. “Please forgive me.”
“What do you—"
Blue light engulfed the pair, burning for a few seconds, and then rapidly flowed into the Id. As it ended, the princess toppled backwards and Chrysalis fired a blast of magic at the Id. Nightmare surged to her and dispelled it with a gentle touch of her hoof. As the changeling reeled in shock, the other hoof came from around her head and forced her to the ground. The rest of the group moved to subdue her, but she dashed to the other side of the barrier, a solemn look on her face. Several members of the group shouted in anger at her, others in confusion. She turned her back to them and prepared to step away, but Luna called out to her again.
“It seems… that I must surrender all of my faith for Twilight unto you… Nightmare Moon. Do not disappoint me.” The princess started to lose consciousness.
Nightmare looked to the cold stone at her hooves and nodded. The stars in her mane had connected into constellations, and she glanced over her shoulder a final time. The sharp eyes carried the emotion that her face refused as she locked eyes with her counterpart. “Sweet dreams, Luna.” In a flash, the space beyond the barrier was empty.
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 58: Trial by Drowning
Twilight blinked several times, her vision blurring to darkness each time. Breathing had become strange, and she struggled to see properly. It seemed every other flick of her eyelids she could perceive less and less of her surroundings. The doppelganger’s maddening whispers lined her thoughts with spoken word, and her concentration waned. Abruptly, she coughed up a thick fluid, clamping her eyes shut as she wretched a metallic taste into the darkness before her. As it cleared her throat, she opened her eyes slowly, regaining her vision.
Where am I? she wondered, peering around. Dead dragons scattered the massive chamber she found herself in, with an ethereal light from above bathing them in an eerie blue hue. Her stomach twisted and she was reminded of the liquid in her mouth. Her bottom lip curled inward and she bit down when she realized what it was. Blood. She lurched backwards, her eyes fixated upon the freshly slain whelpling in front of her, a pool of blood beneath it, and a welling in a large wound in the neck. “Ha-have I… been drinking… its blood?” She trembled and wiped her mouth instinctively.
The doppelganger explained, pride hanging in its voice. You need to replenish your strength. Dragon blood is useful for that.
Twilight stared at the corpse, her wide eyes absorbing every detail of its death. When her gaze rested on its face, she saw Spike in it, and her eyes watered as she turned away. Her stomach churned, and she heaved in the stale air of the chamber and the stench of blood it mixed with. She stood up and took wobbly steps away, careful not to trip over any corpses. In a blink, the sickness from the act was gone, and her mind refocused. The whispers fed her reassurance, and she could feel herself bettering in spite of the depravity. She pressed forward as the screeches of more whelps came from ahead. Moonlight appeared in her hooves and pushed back the darkness. A grin pulled the corners of her mouth up as she took flight; the whispers fed her joy.
***
Nightmare appeared at the end of the corridor, out of view from the party she abandoned. The isolation was welcome, though she already lamented her choice. Twilight was just ahead, and the eagerness nearly stole her caution. With alert mind and eyes, she ascended massive steps and exited the corridor into a massive room. The smell of blood hit her in full force, and she breathed in deeply. Bodies of dragon whelps were everywhere, with blood splattered across the floor, on columns, and against the walls. She moved onward, hastening as she realized they were all dead. This place is guarded by armored dragons, and one that can use magic. These look like ordinary dragon whelps, though… When she reached the other side something blasted overhead, and she whirled around as dark figures crashed onto the floor near the entrance.
Nightmare observed a glowing green sword piercing a whelp’s neck, and a shadowy figure drawing it out ever so slowly. The anguished death wails the whelp let out ended as soon as the blade was removed entirely, spurts of blood blanketing the metal. She prepared to call out, but the figure turned, and Twilight’s face was revealed. The violet eyes she expected were not there, but instead stolen away by two orbs of blue that shined back at her. Nightmare met, unblinking, the maddened and distant gaze. Shadows gathered around the oracle, swirling gently as she stood up. Twilight’s muzzle emerged from the cowl; her blackened fur scarcely different from the darkness she commanded around her being.
“Twilight!” Nightmare finally called. She began to smile, and closed her eyes while relief washed over her. “I’m here now. And I—”
Suddenly, monstrous amounts of magic saturated the air, and her eyes shot open. A dark violet beam encompassed the entirety of her vision, a wall of sickly light and death. Her heart raced as instinct kicked in, and she brandished her scythe, driving the shining blue blade into the stone floor, a stream of blue light chasing the arc. With a battle cry, she channeled magic into the weapon as the beam collided. The waves of energy screamed by as they split at the scythe, burning while they grazed her body. The few centimeters of space on either side of her were not enough to spare her from the heat of the raw magic. After several seconds, the attack ended and the air glowed in a purple light as the residual energy lingered. Sizzling could be heard emanating from the scythe and the floor to her sides, and a wave of heat washed over her before rapidly dissipating.
Nightmare’s legs threatened to buckle, beads of sweat racing down her face. With heavy pants, she dislodged the scythe from the floor and pulled it up to her face, inspecting the impact. Though she split the attack with less magic than a barrier, the top of her blade distorted, with the black being replaced by multihued damage that bled across the blade. The once flawless edge now held a scar, and distorted on the top. “Wh-why?”
Twilight slumped over to the floor, panting momentarily, before standing back up and taking a deep breath through her nostrils. Her eyes had returned to their normal violet. “Damn. I was really hoping to take you out on the first shot when your guard was down, but… I’m not surprised you survived. Stay out of my way, Nightmare. I don’t have time to deal with you.”
The Id blinked. “Why would you attack me, Twilight?”
The oracle swayed back and forth, the cowl billowing over her eyes several times. “I know what you’re going to say… that you’re going to try to stop me. I’m here to kill Aurelius.”
Nightmare allowed her mane to devour her scythe. “I’m not here to fight you, Twilight. Please join us, and we can figure this out together. We’ve… we’ve been apart for so long.” She took a deep breath. “Too long. I know you. When did you become… this? How?”
A chill in the air manifested, and Twilight’s breath fogged out from beneath the cowl. “You knew me,” she replied, tilting her head down and obscuring her eyes. “What we were… doesn’t exist anymore.”
“I know that’s not true. No matter what you’ve been through, I know your feelings haven’t changed.”
Twilight peeled back her cowl, a wide grin across her face. “Just shut up and stand aside already. If you won’t get out of my way, I will make you.”
Nightmare’s scythe was already in her grasp again. “I guess you won’t listen to reason right now. I’ll just have to beat this senselessness out of you.”
The grin the oracle wore took on a sinister sharpness. “I’d like to see you try…”
Abruptly, the blood of the dead whelps coalesced between the two alicorns. Blue light glossed over it quickly, and then it erupted in a spray around the room. Everything it hit left patches of ice, but they continued to expand outward. Nightmare formed a barrier as she could hear Twilight speaking an incantation. The blood-ice patches exploded in red frost, and a blizzard began. The chill magnified as the corpses froze solid.
I’m glad to see your spell weaving hasn’t faded a bit, the Id thought as she surged forward with her scythe. Frozen corpses were telekinetically grabbed and launched at her, whizzing by and shattering against the walls and columns upon impact. The spray of red crystals plumed into the air. Twilight fired more and more, but grabbed several in front of her and crushed them into dust. The bloody ice dust completely obscured Nightmare’s vision, and she stopped and cleaved in front of her. The blade struck something and sliced through, but she could hear a column falling in the distance before her, pushing the dust back into her face.
Sensing Twilight’s magic, Nightmare unleashed flames around her. The dust melted, but a red haze took its place, muddling what she could see. Damn, you’re clever. Several blasts of energy rained down onto her barrier, and she leaped into the air to breach the haze. Wind gusted everything upward, and the haze combined with dust to obscure her vision even further. All around her she could sense magic, but she could not pinpoint Twilight’s location. The haze absorbed sound and seemed to carry magic in undulating sheets, sweeping her senses over and over. She spiraled downwards while a flurry of magic came her way, narrowly dodging and deflecting bolts and beams. With magic coursing through her, she landed with a crash, and the haze billowed away briefly. The clearing was enough to sense Twilight charging, and she slashed out to meet her.
*crack*
Nightmare released a pained groan as a hoof drilled into her side. She pivoted and cleaved where the attack had come from, but the blade slid freely through the air. Another strike hit her in the back and she fell forward, tumbling and then righting herself. The blows left her sore, but the surprise bothered her more. Another beam pierced the haze, and the Id raised her scythe to bat it away. Once more, she was struck from the side, and the beam burned across her helmet. Grunting, she ripped the stinging metal from her head and cast it aside. I’ve had enough of this. Another beam was fired her way and she teleported elsewhere in the haze; she wasn’t sure where she ended up, but the beam struck a wall in the distance.
A sliver of magic hit her senses just beside her, and she formed a shell as Twilight struck. Abruptly, it exploded and cleared the haze. With a roar, magic violently roiled in Nightmare’s horn, and the haze was burned away, but she continued until there was no more mist remaining in the air. The repulsive odor combined with the stale air, and Nightmare couldn’t help but grimace as it hit her nostrils. Twilight dusted herself off, her horn already alight with magic. Water welled up between the details of the floor, rapidly filling the chamber.
She’s pulling moisture from within the earth!? Nightmare attempted to fly, but suddenly the water overtook her, and she formed a barrier and sank to the floor. Heat ran through her fur and dug into her skin while the water filled the chamber to the top. It continued to grow hotter and hotter until the water churned and bubbled. Boiling me alive, huh? Nightmare generated heat of her own, but the water did not relent. She growled and tensed, pushing more magic into heating her surroundings. Her efforts failed as more water displaced what she burned away, but the heat was not subsiding. In a full boil, her barrier was fading, and she panted in the superheated oxygen. “It looks like I can’t crush this one outright. Well done, Twilight,” she muttered to herself. Magic gathered in her horn as she sucked down the hot air. It made her woozy, but her focus held.
Suddenly, Twilight appeared before her within the barrier. Nightmare flinched and lurched backwards, but there was little space. Moonlight came down towards her head, slicing through her misty mane. Twilight’s eyes went wide as there was a loud clank and the blade stopped somewhere within. The magic gathered in the Id’s horn remained, and she clamped her eyes shut. There was no time for the oracle to teleport, and a mighty shield formed. Nightmare’s barrier faded and the boiling water pulled in towards her before being blown away. You let me… become something more!
A blue-white beam exploded from Nightmare’s horn, and pushed Twilight away and into the wall, exploding as she impacted. The water immediately cooled and fell away, no longer supported by the spell, and washed itself out of the chamber in a sweeping tide. Nightmare coughed and gagged, spitting up liquid as steam rose around her. She panted and took in the cooler air, running a hoof over her mane. She watched as Twilight climbed out of a crevice in the wall and collected herself.
“I… didn’t think you could use that. You’ve never—”
Nightmare snorted. “I’ve got to admit, Twilight. I’ve wanted a rematch with you for years. Ever since our duel back in the forest after I hunted you down. It’s an itch I never thought I’d get to scratch, a desire I share with Luna, apparently.” She shook her head and smirked, her sharp eyes cutting through the darkness. “I knew I was going to have to fight you from the moment I saw you in the throne room of Canterlot again. You’d better not hold back because I won’t. If you think you can kill me… then hit me with everything you’ve got. I won’t let you get away again.”
Nightmare sprang into the air, and Twilight channeled a beam towards her. It missed, carving across the ceiling. The oracle raised a hoof, encompassing all pieces of the shattered earth, slamming them vertically into the ceiling, and then down to the floor. Nightmare barreled and shielded herself as the rocks criss-crossed into her and hit the ground, shattering into dust. Larger chunks of stone were grasped once more, and the oracle jutted them into the ceiling again. Nightmare whirled and attached herself to the ceiling as the stones came. An explosion rippled across the air, blowing everything away in a dusty burst. Twilight shielded her eyes, and the Id appeared on the ground, her mane moving in plumes, rolling over one eye at a time.
“You’re fast. We’ll give you that,” Twilight said as she gathered magic.
Nightmare twirled around, dancing with the scythe in her hooves. Round and round she moved in syntax to an unknown rhythm. Time felt as if it slowed while Twilight studied her movements. Every inch of her body seemed to stand out against the environment, drawing her gaze into the details of the motion. The Id pivoted to swing, an arcing motion with all of her reach, spinning and swinging the scythe outward.
“What do—”
Twilight blinked and the weapon was the size of the arena’s lower terrace, sweeping and carving through the pillars, the floor, and deep into the wall; a wave of rubble formed, roaring as it came upon her in an avalanche. Terrifying amounts of magic were behind the attack, and she crossed her forelegs and wings before her, channeling the strongest shield she could form in the time. The scythe crashed against her, and she rooted herself in place, gnashing teeth while channeling into her barrier. The boom snuffed out the tide of rubble, and when she felt the attack cease, she blasted it all away.
Panting, her stance crumbled while she slumped over. Her successful defense taxed her more than she’d like, but she was unharmed. She looked up and Nightmare was still twirling and dancing with her scythe.
“What… the…” she muttered as her eyes scanned the room. There was no damage to anything that the massive scythe had just carved through. It was as though the Id had never moved. “Am I… hallucinating? That couldn’t have been an illusion…”
Nightmare launched herself to the ceiling and anchored to it, observing the oracle from the distance. A storm of prismatic bolts rained into her position, and she rapidly darted between the blasts. Weaved among them was a different spell, a yellow sparking orb that moved faster. She failed to notice the difference quickly enough and it struck her, blowing her into the ceiling. The spell itself caused no pain, but the Id already knew what was to come.
Suddenly, Nightmare’s body was snapped out of the air and driven to the ground. She braced for the impact, slamming into the floor and barreling away. As she stood up, Twilight attacked, drilling a hoof into her side. The Id gnashed her teeth and her body distorted, stretching into an inky black. She slashed at Twilight, with the blade finding its mark in her abdomen as she attempted to retreat backwards. Continuing to swing, the weapon carried and then launched her away and into a wall. Nightmare exhaled as her body returned to normal, and she watched as Twilight emerged from the attack unscathed, a violent sheen enveloping her.
“So, Luna taught you a few of her tricks, too, huh?” called the oracle, sneering.
I’m sorry, Twilight, but you haven’t even begun to see what I’m capable of now. With a hoof, Nightmare cast an inferno all around them, burning away the last vestiges of moisture and debris. In its place, a thick scent of old blood filled the chamber. Magic lingered in the air, and she could feel it permeating around her. She took a mental note of that, but kept her focus on Twilight.
“Hmph. Sometimes I forget you can even use proper magic.” Twilight’s hoof channeled a yellow glow, and she fired a beam at Nightmare. “But you’re just a brute like Luna. You’re out of your league against a real mage.” It surged towards the Id, and she raised her scythe to deflect, but it flowed through her and dissipated instantly.
Nightmare’s eyes widened, and she pivoted and struck the blade of her weapon into the floor behind her. Magnetism had already started drawing her towards the oracle. At first, she resisted it with her own strength and magic, and then Luna’s augment, maintaining her position. Still, the magnetism placed on her was too powerful to resist any longer. The pull overwhelmed her, and the scythe carved through the floor inch by inch as it dragged her towards her foe.
“Come closer, Nightmare Moon. Your death awaits,” cooed the oracle, readying a spell.
Damn, I can’t even hold my ground. Well, then. She pivoted again. I hope you’re ready, Twilight!
The scythe broke free from the floor and Nightmare rocketed towards the oracle. With her augment on, the oracle lunged for the Id, magic blazing behind her strike. Nightmare whirled around and swung with all of her might, a wave of blue light flowing behind her blade as she passed by her.
The Id drove the blade down into the floor again, carving through to slow down. As she stopped, a shrill scream filled the chamber, reverberating. “I honestly didn’t want to hurt you, but you’ve left me no choice.”
Turning back, she saw Twilight clutch herself, bleeding out from beneath her cloak. “M-My leg!” she wailed. She fell forward, blood oozing out from beneath the dark fabric, and crawled towards her severed limb, smearing blood behind her cloak as she shuffled towards the limb. Nightmare merely watched while she crawled across the floor, whimpering and muttering things to herself. After a moment, she enveloped it in her cloak and darkness enshrouded her completely. When it cleared, she shakily stood up, wiping her eyes of tears. Her body trembled violently for a few seconds, and she steadied herself. The limb was reattached, but the severing had somehow taken far more of a toll than expected.
“N-Nightmare M-M-Moon?”
The voice was meek, and the Id cocked her head, her heart fluttering. “Twilight?” She refused to drop her guard again, eyeing the oracle cautiously.
Twilight took a deep breath, her eyes opening wide. “K-Kill me! You have to kill me! It’s somehow taken over my body now, and I—”
“What has?”
The oracle stared at the floor between them. “Something in my mind. It’s been here a long time. Please, cut my head off—something! I can’t… stop it from killing you. I couldn’t stop it from attacking my own brother. I could barely stop it from… Oh, Celestia…”
“There has to be another way. I’m sure—”
“I’m SCARED!” screeched Twilight. There were no tears in her eyes, but she did not need any; Nightmare could feel the fear in her voice, see it in her gaze. Fear was rarely something she admitted to when it came to magic.
The Id hung her eyes. “I promise. If there is no other way… and that is what must be done…” She clenched the scythe in her grasp and looked up to her, intense pain restrained in the features of her face. “It will be done by me and no one else. No one shall take your life but me.”
The oracle nodded before shuddering and slumping over, and a few seconds later she straightened up. “Sorry, about that moment of… weakness. It won’t happen again. I must admit, you’re a greater adversary than I thought, Nightmare Moon. You really show how ungrateful Twilight is for all of my help.”
The Id’s features distorted away, her body stretching into an inky black, with her mane the only other distinctive detail. Her eyes and mouth whited out, and the scythe rapidly whirled around in the grasp of her new form. She surged towards the oracle in her warped state, arriving in a whirlwind of vengeful steel. Clanging against a myriad of shields, her strikes rained down in fury, but the oracle stood with a grin, her horn alight with magic.
“You’re just a monster, the shadow of the smaller sister, Luna.”
Abruptly, the shields were sliced away, a blue wave of energy chasing the strikes of the scythe in a flurry of lights. The grin was ended, and a final barrier formed, but it was cracked as soon as it was struck. “Y-You’re augmenting in that form? Th-that shouldn’t be possible! Your body should be crushing itself!” She hopped backwards, avoiding a crossing slash, but the wave arced forward and struck the barrier, adding another crack.
Nightmare’s mouth opened, and a shrill laugh escaped. “What’s wrong? Afraid of a shadow? You should know that shadows are real.” With a wave of the oracle’s hoof, a colorless sphere formed above her own head, and the Id halted. “Oh, you think you’re being clever now…”
Drawing Moonlight, the grin returned. “I thought that’d keep you back. This mare has so much power. I haven’t even begun seeing how far she can go.”
“Then you’d better move quick!” The Id bolted forward, gathering light behind her scythe again. A wave of flames burst from her horn, and she moved through and ahead of them, striking out.
The oracle teleported behind her, emitting force. The Id’s legs left the ground as she flipped over, and the iris fired a beam at her, leaving her between both spells. Distorting further, new limbs stretched to the ground in an inky stream, and she pulled out of the way of the beam, a new appendage redirecting the flames towards the oracle, and another redirecting the beam to follow. Forced to dodge, Twilight flailed Moonlight blindly to the wall of flames.
Nightmare reformed and lurched backwards with incredible speeds, blasting away the obscuring flames before she could reach striking range. There’s something wrong with that weapon. Dread filled her as she stared at the sword, and the feeling grew stronger as it was swung her way. Something tells me not to guard that with magic… But… why?
She failed to notice more irises in the air, and beams fired at her in various arrays. She cartwheeled and distorted, moving between the blasts, but she was cut off from reaching the oracle directly. Springing into the air, she continued to dart between the magic, barreling and bending her thin, inky body out of the way. At the bottom, surrounded by an array of irises, Twilight fired an ether laser, but it was small. The beam missed, but it hit an iris and fractured, splitting across multiple at once. Another ether laser followed, and it was evaded, but it bent and turned back around.
She can redirect that it that much? Nightmare thought as she became trapped in the net of beams. With no more options left, she disappeared in a flash, and the beams rained down on the floor in a cascade of explosions. Reappearing beside the oracle, she swung with all of her might, but Twilight was prepared. The scythe struck a barrier, and the sword aimed at her neck. Once more, there was a dull clank as the sword struck into the mane. Too close. Twilight lunged and wrapped a wrist around the scythe, spinning backwards and delivering a kick. Nightmare’s body was knocked back, and she hit the ground and rolled, returning to her normal form. She stood up, scarcely affected by the blow, but the oracle now had her scythe, sheathing the eerie sword into her own mane.
“I’d say this is an odd choice of a weapon, but you were designed to amplify all of the worst impulses and darkest desires of Princess Luna. She likes to present a certain… image, but you…” Twilight chuckled and regarded the weapon in her hooves, examining every inch of it. “Your anger and hatred drive this persona you’ve made. An unwieldy weapon, yet… so fitting. Only an abomination like you would dare utilize something so menacing.”
Twilight teleported behind the Id, and she whirled around to counter, but another teleport overhead left her open to an attack. Instinctively, a shield manifested to block the attack, but there was one final flash. The Id’s mane plumed as the dark sword plunged into it, her body blurring as it moved.
The air was thickened with a clank, and Twilight shrieked as the scythe was parried away with gusting force, the Id gyrating faster and blurring into a mess of starry blue and magic. A hammerhead drilled into the oracle’s body with a bellowing thunderclap, the entire chamber trembling as energy discharged through her body. Twilight howled briefly before all remaining air departed her lungs, and crashed backwards to slide across the floor. The scythe fell away in a clatter of metal as she writhed on the ground. After several seconds, she grunted heavily and stood up, slouching forward and loosing several pained coughs. Wheezing in more breaths, she turned her head and spit blood to the side.
“What the hell was that…?”
Nightmare grinned and stretched, twisting and shrugging away any stiffness she might’ve had. “You’ve didn’t see…”
“What?” Twilight snarled back.
“That I am her evil. You… whatever parasite you are… you took her… Somewhere along the way you didn’t realize that she belongs to me, and I belong to her. There is nothing you can do to stop me from getting her back.”
Nightmare teleported to the oracle, raising the hammer, but Twilight teleported. Flashes chained in sequence as they appeared all around the chamber, across the ceiling and in the air. However, Nightmare closed the gap until the oracle was struck, but the attack held no charge. The mighty weapon still knocked Twilight across the room, but she shrugged it off and stood up.
“Oh, so you can’t carry magic in that thing while you’re teleporting?” She grinned and gathered energy in her horn. “Well, aren’t you just precious…”
Damn, she’s right. I can’t draw magic into it while I teleport… It feels like… Her eyes trailed down to her hooves. The silvery bangles had grown dull in the combat, but they were still there. …Like I’m being unfocused. She slid one off and tossed it aside, listening to the dull tinks as it bounced and settled. “You’re quite a pain, but I do enjoy a good fight.” She took a deep breath and settled into a combat stance, effortlessly holding the hammer out behind her while she prepared to dash.
The oracle lunged and teleported into the Id’s dead zone, sweeping her sword wide as a magic erupted from her horn. Nightmare spun away, a shield deflecting the magic as the black and green blade narrowly missed her stomach. Twilight continued the pursuit, aiming for vulnerable points. Magic crackled in the hammer, yet what once flowed like water from her being now felt like sludge being seeped into the weapon. She took a deep breath and gnashed her teeth. Eat this, you bastard!
Energy rippled outward from the hammer head striking the floor, quaking the chamber and loosening debris. It missed the oracle, but she was left stunned beside it with a barrier up, yelping out agony that permeated her body. Pain-blinded eyes tried to focus on the Id, but she ultimately staggered back, barely hanging onto the sword. Nightmare took a wobbly step back, sucking in air. That feels different. Almost like it’s draining me, but it’s not taking any more magic than before. She shook her head and loosed a moan as she poised herself again. Twilight recovered, but her glance to the weapon told the Id all she needed to know; she was afraid of it, or at the very least the powers it could unleash.
“I admit, you caught us off guard, but we’ve already solved that power.” She erected a new barrier, shining a brilliant red.
“I, huh? Your facade is slipping.” Nightmare smirked, earning a glower from her.
Charging the hammer again, Nightmare rushed towards the oracle. Flurries of magic hurled her way, erupting the floor in lights and smoke. Several rained across her body, but they did not slow her advance. As she reached Twilight, the hammer came down upon her in a fury, blasting onto the barrier. The oracle sailed backwards, and she wrapped around a pillar as the defense faded. Groaning, she stood up, her eyes dancing between the weapon and its wielder.
“That’s impossible. It’s the same power!”
Nightmare pulled the hammer back, and the experience felt easier this time. Looks like I’m getting used to this power already. She smiled to herself and snorted. “You’re a fool to think Luna’s power could be like anything else. You’ve underestimated that I could be anything less than her.”
Twilight growled. “We were hoping to overpower you, but you’ve proven that’s a bit difficult. We have to admit we were wrong.”
Flashes all around the Id bloomed, and the oracle teleported from place to place. Nightmare squinted through the lights, cleaving wide around her, but she appeared one last time behind the hammer’s arc. As the Id spun and tried to counter, a brighter flash took her vision away. The hammer whooshed where Twilight had been standing, and there was nothing. A few seconds later pain pierced her gut, and she unleashed the hammer’s wrath into the origin point. Twilight was struck, but she could not see how much damage the attack did, falling to the ground just after and clutching the wound.
Clever… she thought to herself, her vision slowly returning. Scraps of cloth rested on the floor in the trajectory the oracle flew, and Nightmare could see her approaching. The attack left little impact on her health, but her blistering gaze and tattered cloak said otherwise. The Id slowly stood up, casting a look to the leaky wound. It’s not bad, but it’s going to slow me down if I hold back. She took a deep breath and tensed, her horn quickly burning red. Energy hit the hammer’s head, shifting the metal to a glowing orange. With a roar, she pressed a corner to the wound, screeching through clenched teeth. The flesh sizzled and the wound closed, but she fell back to the ground, dropping the hammer and panting. Her eyes held shut, uneven breaths filling her lungs; she focused deep, pushing the pain into a void. When she opened her eyes, magic was swiftly gathering in Twilight’s horn.
A dark beam fired towards Nightmare, and she swept up the weapon once more. Whirling, she gathered magic into the hammer and struck back, unleashing it into the oncoming attack. The spell disrupted, and the feedback exploded at the collision, dispersing the energy in violent streaks around the chamber. Twilight teleported close and thrust her sword before Nightmare could reel the hammer back. Once more the blade found the Id’s flesh, but the wound was a graze this time. Frosty gales rippled out of her horn as she staggered back. Abruptly, Nightmare vanished in a flash, beginning a series all around the room. Twilight pursued her with her own teleports, and they appeared all around the chamber. The flashes quickly overlapped, keeping the chamber alight more than not, and the frequencies soon synchronized until they were swinging at one another.
As the oracle caught up to her, one last teleport from each found Twilight at the newest location first, and she augmented herself, lunging in for a deathblow. Got you… A blue wave crashed into the oracle’s stomach, and she yelped as she was hurled around by Nightmare’s scythe. What the… Why isn’t it working!? Further driving her magic into the weapon availed nothing, and she slung the other alicorn into a pillar. She panted as the scythe’s glow receded back to the heat-scarred metal.
Twilight rose up and dusted her cloak off, grinning ear to ear while a trail of blood ran down her jowl. “Oh? Trying to remove me from her? It won’t work… We’re one and the same now. You’re quite quick. I didn’t even notice you retrieve the scythe.”
Sweat dripped from Nightmare’s face, and she took a heaving breath. If I can’t rend their souls apart… I don’t know if I can save her… She took a deep breath, calming herself and recalling the earlier lapse in control. She feels their pain, even when she’s not in control. Her head hung to the solemn realization that hurting the thing in control would hurt the oracle as well. Forgive me, Twilight. You would do the same for me, and I wouldn’t ask for anything less. She raised the last bangle and stared at it. No matter the cost… You will be free… The silvery metal was discarded, bouncing away while she switched back Luna’s weapon. Magic moved through her and into the hammer, but the sensation was a battle of its own. Every bit she tried to push into the weapon seemed to hit a wall, and it would not charge at all. She tried harder, but it felt as if it was now pushing back against her, rejecting the magic. Damn it. I know she uses this like an iris. She showed me how it works, but why won’t it respond to me?
Twilight fired a beam at her, and she tried to evade, but it bent to reach her. As a shield was formed, a second beam hit her in the back, burning into her flesh before both collided and exploded. The Id was cast across the chamber, sliding away to the side. She coughed and stood up, examining the myriad of wounds across her body before determining the origin of the second attack. The conjured iris drifted back to the oracle as she grinned and started to charge her magic. Ugh, I’m too distracted. I forgot about that… Heaving in another breath, she tried once more to push magic into the hammer. It denied her again, and she hung her head. The oracle mocked her as it approached, forming more satellites for the beams. Her thoughts tuned it out as she tried to scour her memories for an answer, frantically tearing through every word, every idea imparted to her. Right… It’s not an iris. She chuckled to herself as magic burned the air, and she threw up a shield against a flurry of spells, a gentle smile on her face. Raising the weapon once more, she roared as she struck the ground, blasting her shield forward and crushing the attacks.
Twilight took a step back, casting a hoof to throw the oncoming attack away, but the Id was charging behind it. A storm had gathered around the hammer, and the oracle moved her hooves, laying multiple barriers as the satellites prepared to fire. Nightmare leaped the last of the distance as the beams fired on her, and she swept the ground around her in a low pivot, dragging the hammerhead across the stone floor. A stream of energy arced upwards around her body, drawing the beams into the ceiling. She continued gyrating and returned to standing, delivering her strike to the side of the barriers. Twilight’s eyes went wide as the energy shot inside, roiling the space with its power. Her defenses fell and she shrieked as she was blasted across the room once more.
Nightmare heaved as the air left her lungs, and she collapsed, barely hanging onto the hammer’s shaft to keep herself standing. She hyperventilated as she scarcely found the strength to keep her eyes on Twilight picking herself up. The oracle was rattled, trembling as she regained her bearings. This… power is incredible. How does Luna stand to even bear it? I feel like I’m going to lose consciousness, and I haven’t even begun to use it like her. Taking in a few more deep breaths, she stood up and prepared her stance.
“I don’t know how you did that…” The oracle shook herself of the last of her trembles. “But I’m going to make sure you regret it.”
“Hah.” Nightmare slowly exhaled and smiled. “Regret is not something you can make me feel.” She surged at the oracle, swinging wildly at her.
Twilight spun and lurched, dodging between the swings while blasts of fire and ice shot back around her. The hammer rolled and exchanged hooves multiple times as the Id twirled and maneuvered seamlessly between attacks, weaving in her own in a deadly dance. Every few swings were met with Moonlight, clanging and halting the dance, only for it resume in a new set of steps. Slowly, the hammer started to glow, and Nightmare charged it, splitting her focus between the preparation and the assault she was conducting.
So… draining, she thought. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she took a deep breath, missing a step. Twilight slashed her vertically from shoulder to leg as she spun, but she ignored the pain and clenched her teeth. I can’t… keep… going… For a second, her vision went to black, but pain once again returned her to reality, and she yelped as Moonlight was thrust into her stomach. The energy in the hammer faded, and the oracle pulled away as a reprisal came her way.
“Oh, my. Don’t fall asleep on us now…” The vicious grin painted her face with delight as her eyes fixated on the dripping wound.
Damn… I have to loosen its grip, but pain is the only thing keeping this draining fatigue back. She sighed and bared her teeth, raising the weapon over her head. “I’m not even awake!” She pressed the bottom of the shaft to her wound, her eyes going wide, but staring through her foe. With a snap, the wound tore open more and she grunted through clamped teeth. Her horn lit the hammer head with heat, and she cauterized the wound, screaming as the head was dragged over the cut, the pain overwhelming her threshold. However, she straightened as the flesh sizzled and took a deep breath, letting sweat drip from her head. The energy storm reformed around the hammer head and she dashed to Twilight. The oracle teleported across the room, grinning all the while.
“You can’t hold your charge while you teleport. All I have to do is keep aw—”
Nightmare appeared behind her and the hammer’s head was driven into her body. The oracle’s hooves left the ground as magic burst, the swing bringing her trajectory into the air. She howled with pain as she hit the ceiling and fell towards the ground. She flailed as her wings struggled to save her, but she hit the floor and rolled away. The Id trudged to her, gathering energy again. Blood leaked from her wounds, and her teeth were on full display as she held onto the excruciating pain.
“What the hell… Just a moment ago you couldn’t even control that. How are you doing this!?”
Darkness bubbled above the Id, and she swapped back to her scythe as she slowly made her way to the oracle. “There’s nowhere to run, now,” she called in a shrill voice, the black blade glowing blue in the emptiness she exuded. A chuckle escaped her lips as she took her advancing steps, the scythe glowing once more.
Twilight began weaving monstrous magic, hurling it at the Id. Hungry infernos, blistering frosts, and cataclysmic lightning cascaded her way. Nightmare weaved and fired back, maintaining the scythe’s spell. Explosions of fire, ice, and lightning ripped across the chamber as they cast at one another. However, the Id continued her advance, using the scythe to deflect some of the spells and direct her own. As she arrived, a barrier encapsulated them together, and Twilight was unable to teleport away.
“H-How have you sealed our teleport!?”
“It’s time you disappeared!” The scythe crashed into the oracle, and threw her to the other side of the barrier. “Wh-what!?”
Twilight coughed and rose up, dusting herself off. “Haha. Fool! There’s nothing to separate! We’re one and the same!” Abruptly, a dark beam tore through the Id’s body and sent her back, dispelling the barrier.
Nightmare caught herself and cut through the beam, but her wounds were beginning to tax her as much as the hammer’s power. I know she’s still in there. She teleported and tried to strike the oracle, but Twilight lurched and grabbed onto her, charging magic. Your mistake…
“Nowhere to run, homunculus.”
Kill me, Nightmare! I’ll give you the chance!
The explosion cascaded over the Id’s body, but any pain or damage sustained was lost to her thoughts. Twilight? She smiled to herself as she glanced up to find the oracle’s haughty grin.
“Looking so smug? We doubt you have much magic left, or if you can take any more hits. You’ve given us so much trouble, yet it looks like you’ll bleed to death any minute. You were made to be a shadow, and now you’ll die in one.”
The Id smirked as darkness gathered around her body, folding over her being until only her sharp eyes remained. When she spoke, her voice was shrill and distorted from its usual tone. “It’s over.” Raising the hammer, energy started seeping into it from all around the room, and she started to walk towards the oracle. Her body grew numb, not from her wounds or her shroud, but from pushing energy into the weapon she held. Sensations of magic and her sensory of it slipped away with each step, yet the weapon continued to carry more. Her mane bubbled with a deep void, and an inky black spilled out before her, quickly taking hold of the floor. The storm above her shifted the ceiling into a cosmos as she treaded over nothingness.
Twilight fired beam after beam from her horn, striking barriers on the Id. “How do you still have this much magic? No weapon or iris could spare you that much!” The attacks grew more powerful until she unleashed an ether laser as powerful as the first.
I can’t afford to sacrifice the magic to protect myself… The beam surged through her, ripping away her shroud and revealing her mangled body, but the magic gathering continued as lights split into the cosmos above. “Hah… Is that all you’ve got?”
“N-No! She still has so much more magic left. I’ll disintegrate you! Burn you to ashes!” Beams fired successively, burning the Id with each hit, but she was drawing closer and the attacks were cause less damage. The final beam came her way, and she bat it away with a hoof. “Looks like you’ve got nothing left.”
“No! There’s so much more! I can feel it! Why can’t I use it!?”
“Because it’s my magic!” The oracle froze in place, writhing within herself. She dropped to the ground and looked up as Nightmare approached. “Do it, Nightmare! Kill me!” she roared, gnashing her teeth. “I can’t hold it back for long.” The Id reached her, a gentle smile on her lips while tears welled in her eyes. “I wish… I could’ve given you the life you deserved.” Twilight clamped her eyes shut. “Goodbye, Nightmare Moon. I love you…”
The lights coalesced in the weapon, and she brought it down. Twilight lost control and the doppelganger raised a barrier, but the weapon distorted into the scythe. “An illusion…? No…”
Energy split the oracle’s despairing expression with a thunderous crack, and Twilight screamed as the doppelganger was ripped from her body. She collapsed into a heap while a grey apparition of her floated just over her, echoing her pain.
“How! How are you so strong? You were not meant to be this powerful. Aurelius made you to be a weapon against…” Its eyes went wide upon the Id’s murderous gaze. “No… That fool. How did he create you from—”
A blue-white beam erased it from reality, and Nightmare stared until the light cleared. The Id huffed and dropped the scythe once the darkness settled, crouching down to Twilight. She picked her up and examined the myriad of wounds. Shuddering the oracle opened her eyes to a tear-stricken smile. “It’s over, Twilight.”
The oracle gave her a weary look, a faint smile reaching her gaze. “I don’t… hear it anymore… I’m me again… I’m finally… free…” Her eyes shut as she went quiet and relaxed.
Nightmare clutched her to her chest. “I love you, Twilight. I will never leave you again. I will protect you, and I won’t fail this time. I am… sorry. I am so sorry…” She rested her head to the oracle’s, listening to her faint breaths in the silence of the chamber. “Maybe I deserve more, but I have you, and that’s… all I want. That’s all I ever needed…”
