Phoenix Rebirth

Philomena found Twilight standing in the Canterlot Gardens, her gaze turned upward at the moon in the sky, transfixed by the changes it had undergone.

“Twilight, we need to talk.”

“Talk, now why would I want to do that?”

“You did unbecoming things in front of your former teacher, and you threatened our unborn foal. I understand you are angry Twilight, but that is no way to act, especially when it comes to what you have been doing with Luna.”

“Oh not you to,” said Twilight with a growl. “Why cant you just let Luna and I live our own lives how we want.”

“Not when it threatens to turn Luna into the monster she was before you freed her from it, don’t you even remember what she was like?”

“I do, but just like Celestia you fail to realize the beauty of what has happened to both Luna and I. We have not succumbed to our darker feelings, we have embraced them, and it has made us better for it. And what Celestia and you also failed to understand was that what I said in the throne room was not out of anger, I was merely stating facts.”

“…Prepare yourself Twilight.”

“Two steps ahead of you bitch!”

* Battle Music *

As soon as the words left Twilights mouth the ground underneath Philomena exploded, and Philomena realized how stupid she had been. She had walked right into a trap and hadn’t even realized it!

She quickly righted herself as she flew through the air, glancing around only to be hit in the back by a blast of magic, causing her to fall from the sky. She managed to land on her feat, quickly erecting a barrier while simultaneously sending out a shockwave of fire, clearing the smoke from the explosion and hitting taking away Twilight’s cover. She spotted Twilight and roared, her wings shooting out hundreds of fiery bolts that flew through the sky as they sought after the dark mare above her.

Twilight giggled, “What an amusing display,” she said as her horn lit up. Simultaneously all the fiery bolts turned purple, turning around and flying back to where they had originated. They struck Philomena’s barrier, causing the mare to cringe due to the strength of the blast, but otherwise her barrier stayed strong. “Its going to take a lot more then that to break my barrier Twilight, I was Celestia’s personal student since I was but a filly, she taught me everything she knows!”

“Ah but you forget little song bird, I was also Celestia’s personal student,” said Twilight with an evil grin. “And on top of that, I have had three years to prefect my magic on my own.”

Twilight unleashed a ray of magic, causing cracks to form in Philomena’s barrier due to the impact.

“Which means you have about a foals chance of beating me!”

Her mouth bulged, and Philomena screamed in alarm as Twilight unleashed a massive ball of pure magical energy from her mouth, breaking through her barrier and sending Philomena flying back into the air.

As she flew through the air Philomena pondered what had just happened, Twilight had just shot magic at her, not a spell, not a technologically induced blast, she had shot pure magic. Philomena suddenly felt fear race through her heart, for she realized how dire her situation had become, she could not hope to stand against the power Twilight now wielded.

She landed on the ground again, intending to send all she had to buy herself some time, only to gasp in horror at the sight she beheld. Twilight had collapsed onto the ground, black ooze seeping out of her skin, hitting the ground and slowly beginning to form a cocoon around her. “Twilight,” she yelled, making to run over to her. But just as she made to take her first step, a claw grabbed her by the shoulder, and she turned to see Discord standing behind her, fear gracing his yellow tinged eyes.

“Discord, what are you…”

“There is not time to explain, you need to leave now!”

“Wha…what are you talking about, what is happening?”

Discord signed, moving in front of Philomena and looking upon the cocoon that had grown around Twilight, Philomena noting a hint of familiarity in his eyes. “You know what’s happening to her; you’ve seen it before, haven’t you?”

Discord nodded, “I know what’s happening to her, as to how I know…I know because the same thing happened to me over a thousand years ago…its what turned me into the creature you see standing before you.”

Philomena gasped, turning from discord to the cocoon, then back again. “So…so you mean to tell me that Twilight is becoming a Draconeques, how is that possible?”

“I will explain latter, right now you need to get out of here. I will remain and hold her here, you must go and warn the others, they must know what is about to transpire.”

Philomena nodded and turned to leave, only to have Discord stop her once again.

“Before you go, take this with you,” he said, handing her a saddle bag made of dragon hide.

“What’s inside,” asked Philomena.

“Things that will explain what has happened, should I not survive this, now go!”

Philomena didn’t hesitate, leaping into the sky and taking of in a blaze of fire as Discord turned his gaze back to the glowing cocoon before him. Once again he was visited by a sense of dread, and like the first time he had seen her, he was visited by one simple feeling.

The day of his death had come.