Fractured

Applejack, Applebloom and Luna were sitting on the porch. Scootaloo and Sweetiebell were inside entertaining Dawn while they discussed what needed to happen.

"You came here to tell me of Night's capture, but how did you get here? I thought he refused to tell anyone.”

“He only told Fluttershy, he knew she could resist many of the Queens tricks.”

“I see, but why did you come? He would have sent a letter to me had this happened to anyone else.”

“Only he could send the letters, they could only be sent here by one pony or else they could be tracked.”

“So do you want to ask me or make me ask you?”

Applejack looked at her with a question in her eyes.

“Ask you what?”

“You did come here to ask me to come back with you, correct?”

“That’s what Fluttershy wanted, but now that we’re here….

Her sentence drifted off as she looked through the window to where Dawn was beating Sweetiebell at tic-tac-toe.

“You have a daughter, I can’t ask you to bring her into this.”

“She wouldn’t have to, three of you could stay here and one can help me on the way back. When it’s over I will come back and you can leave.”

“That’s not a bad idea. But who would go?”

“Sweetiebell probably.”

“I see, what do you think Applebloom?”

“I will stay here if I need to, but I would like to go back with Luna.”

“May I ask why you feel this way?” Luna asked.

Applebloom drew in a large sigh and gave her explanation.

“I feel that I haven’t done enough in this war because I’ve always been looked on as immature, or weak. I feel like babysitting is just another, another busywork!”

“Applebloom” Applejack cautioned. If she read the princesses eyes right this could go badly.

“Busywork? You think caring for my daughter is busywork? Let me give you my view of your reasoning. I would be leaving my daughter. Do you realize what I would be asking you to do? Feed her, train her, and teach her. Most of all protect her if someone attacked. Never call caring for my daughter busywork again. No pony trusts you because unless you’re in the heat of battle you consider what you’re doing worthless. You don’t think. You just act. Now I will ask you, will you care for my daughter? If so, then tell those three what is to happen. You’re their leader. Lead them.”

Applebloom nodded and went inside. Luna turned to Applejack and asked,

“So how did it happen?”

“What?”

“What happened to your legs?”

“Ahh. That’s a long story.”

Applejack adjusted in her chair and began to tell the tale.

It happened right after you had been driven away. Rainbow and I were trying to get as much food away from the farm as possible, when she came. Without warning a storm of her guards ambushed us and we had to fight them back. After a dozen or so of her guards fell she decided to get closer. Rainbow raced at her with all her speed, but then the unthinkable happened. Twi- simply grabbed a spear and threw it right into Rainbow. The shock left me petrified until I noticed that her guards were flipping the food wagons on top of me. They left me for dead. I was found a few days later by Macintosh and Applebloom. Once they had unburied me I noticed that every single body was gone .They even took Rainbow’s. We all assumed the worst.

Luna realized she had tears streaming down her cheeks. She asked quietly,

“So you can’t confirm that she’s dead?”

Applejack looked at her with hard eyes.

“No one could have survived what Twi- did.”

Luna sagged and began to think. Twilight’s turn of heart still baffled her. She had seemed so calm and controlled, and then one day she just... snapped. It started when she used a spell to accelerate Spike’s growth. It worked. But then she kept pushing her experiments to the extreme. Celestia had decided for a confrontation but by then... it had been too late. Twilight had gained so much raw power that nothing could stop her. Her anger overwhelmed them, and they lost.

Applejack said something.

“I’m sorry, what was that Applejack? I wasn’t paying attention.”

“I asked if you think we can help her.”

Luna shook her head.

“I don’t know Applejack. I just don’t know.”

Night fell back as a fist broke more cartilage in his nose. He desperately fumbled to block the following attacks. Another burn raced down his arm causing him to yell in pain. He cut one of Tyrannus’s fingers off, allowing him enough time to spring backwards and recover. He leaned back on his right leg to find that it no longer supported his weight. He sank to one knee and tried to catch his breath.

Tyrannus laughed at him again.  Her finger grew back right before Night’s eyes.

“It doesn’t matter how strong you are, I’ve fought many more powerful than you. They all wore down in the end.”

Night grinned and attempted to wipe the blood off of his face.

“Tell me, does it hurt?”

The question seemed to unsteady Tyrannus for just a second.

“Of course it hurts; I can only heal wounds, not numb pain.”

Night laughed and spat into the dirt.

“Good, then every little bit is worth it.”

Night suppressed a groan as he pushed himself onto his feet. Night pointed a lightsaber at Tyrannus.

“There is only one way this ends, and that’s when one of us drops. I perfectly intend to make you pay for every inch. Now come, I will show you how much of a ‘hero’ I am.”

Night sprang forward and battered Tyrannus’s lightsabers out of line. He snapped an elbow into her face and felt the satisfying crunch of bone. Reversing the grip on his lightsabers he plunged one into her shoulder and the other into her thigh. He ignored the drawn out shriek from Tyrannus and tore the lightsabers from her body. Night choked off the scream by punching her in the throat, causing her to choke.

Night ducked under a wild swing, and balancing on one foot, snapped a kick into Tyranuns’s face. The force from the kick sent her spiraling backwards, and she disappeared in a whirlwind of dust. Night crouched, lightsabers bare, and waited for her to come back.

A buzzing filled Night’s ears, slowly growing until he heard laughter echoing around him. Night spun about, trying to discern where the laughter originated from. Night screamed into the cloud of dust.

“Come out you coward! Face me!”

Night saw stars as his face cracked against the ground. He let out a shout when a lightsaber pierced his shoulder. Searing agony raced up his arm, causing his shout to grow louder into a scream. Tyrannus slowly twisted the blade, causing more pain to race through his arm. Wracked with pain, Night struggled to free himself, kicking Tyrannus in the stomach. The lightsaber withdrew, and Night crawled forward.

A kick met his ribs, and he fell to his side, breathless. It was followed by another kick, further driving the air from his chest. Night choked as blood filled his lungs.  The lightsaber plunged though his back and out his chest. The blade scraped against his ribs, sending waves agony about his body. Screaming he launched a kick as hard as he could at Tyrannus’s face. He felt connection and she fell back, leaving the lightsaber in Night’s back. Night staggered to his feet, shouting in pain the entire time, and pulled the lightsaber out.

He projected a message out in the few seconds he had left. It had only one word. Run.

Night stopped shouting, and then stopped breathing; he felt his will curl in on itself. The dreamscape disappeared and was replaced with darkness. Never-ending darkness.