Children of the Night

Children of the night

Chapter 18

Broken Bonds

Moonsinger could not believe it. She had been in bed, and asleep, but once she felt it, she awoke in an instant. Her connection to her mother was severed. How could that be? She immideatly thought of the most horrible thing. Her mother... was dead. She began to cry, but all the same, kept it together. Now she had done it. Had Chyrysalis attacked the garden before, and deserved her wrath, now she would definitly kill her. The biggest problem would be, that even she would not be able to leave the garden now.

"Damn you Chrysalis..."

She hissed and ran outside. Everywhere other ponies did the same and looked up to the barrier in tears. She would have to act quickly now. The barrier also had a connection to their mother, and that one would surely be severed aswell. Still crying, but more in rage then sorrow, she raced to the middle of Geminis town square. Having arrived there, she began to draw upon as much magic as she could manage. She controled the moonlight. A part of the moons mana. SHE was compatible with their mothers mana. She had never wanted to do this, and the potion Zecora gave her, made it all the much harder, to draw in enough magic to do, what she had to do.

Moonsingers horn began to hurt and burn, as if she had stuck it into a furnace. Her guts were turning themself inside out and every fiber of her bidy screamed for her to stop what she was doing, but she still pushed on.Their mother, was gone. As her daughter, it was now HER duty to protect her brothers and sisters. Mumbling an appology to Zecora, Moonsinger gave in to the burning in her body. In a grey flash of light, her body began to burn. Her coat melted away, and she screamed in pain.Her eyes glowing all the while, using her gifts to draw in extra power. Several of the onlookers tried to come and help her, since they thought she had finally lost it, but Moonsinger cast a shield around herself to keep them at a distance. If anypony approached her now, they would burn in her magical aura. Now her flesh melted, and she felt it all. The mercy of unconciousness did not come however. Moonsinger screamed even louder and her body began convulsing, as her molten flesh reformed on her, and her bones stretched themself. The process was so painfull, that soon, she couldn't even scream any more, but was consent with gritting her teeth and almost breaking them.

It lasted only seconds, but for Moonsinger, it felt like aoens. As the light surrounding her finally faded, Moonsinger was panting heavily and dropped to her knees. Her spark... was gone. She had used it all up, but was able to live on. She had now an independed power source. She had done, what even her mother had warned her about. She had become and Alicorn.... Had it failed, the energy could have backfired on her, even more so that she had already taken her potion. Had that happend, she would have fried her own brain with it. But she had suceeded, and that was all that mattered. Struggeling to her hooves, she ignored the amazed onlookers, and proceeded with her duties. Her brown coat, was wet with her sweat. Her mane and tail also were dripping sweat, but she did not care.

Moonsinger raised her hurting head. Her burning muscles protested, but she still ignored any warning signs. Looking at the moon, she began to draw upon it's mana. Her horn felt ready to burst, due to the strain it had to endure before, but she ignored it all. Linking herself to the barrier, she became it's new power source. She had gone over the procedure with her mother centuries ago, and she had stressed the point not to do it, unless it was impossible to do something else.

Finally having completed her first Alicorn spell, Moonsinger collapsed. The potion was taking it's toll, trying to supress her magical ability. Strange enough, even so she had more magical power then ever before now, she did not feel the urge to use her special talent. She hoped, before she fainted, that this would atleast one benefit she gained, from going against her mothers will...

Two hours later

Celestia was helping in a field hospital, treating the wounded. Many of them were not part of the enforcers she had led into battle, but rebels from Dodge city, who had interfered in the fight. Their injuries were not serious, but those of the Enforcers.... They had used almost all of their magical energy in a desperate attempt to win the fight for Luna. After Solar had teleported them all here, the other children of the night, had reacted quickly and brought them here. Their condition was serious. Most of them would take months before they can only get better by absorbing the barrieres energy, and that takes time.

One particular patient, worried her the most. It was Moonsinger. When she had arrived, only minutes after the Enforcers had been teleported there, she had layn on the townsquare, with several onlookers. Her shieldspell was still in place which is why nopony was able to approach or help her. The newly born Alicorn had done something remarkable, that much Celestia had to admit. But it also had been more then stupid. Celestia had broken her shield, and gotten her out of there. Only a few moments, she had been awake, but that was enough to tell her one single sentence.

"Luna is alive."

She had smiled at that, and closed her eyes again. Celestia thought that she had relived some of her nieces worries. But... one Problem remained. Moonlilly would have to ascent into Luna again. Until then their offensive was on a halt. None of the Enforcers would be able to leave the barrier. She just hoped that her sister knew what her being reborn as an Unicorn had caused. She just HAD to ascent again, as quickly as possible.

"Quite interesting, that Moonsinger. I can sense great potential in her."

"Yes, she is strong, but that was stupid!"

"No kidding. Had she wavered even a little, she could have blasted this whole city away, and my teleportation spell would have brought your Ponies into nothing but a giant crater."

"You really think she is that strong?"

"Are you kidding? I havn't seen a naturally ascended Alicorn in centuries Celestia. She has the same potential as me, even so she is NOT as strong as me yet, she could be if she is given the time. You wouldn't know what her talent is, would you? That could be a crucial information to have."

"I think it was something with controling the moonlight, to make it impale everything in her vicinity."

"Mhmm.... That sounds familiar. I knew a mare once that had a simliar ability. Tell me, can she control it?"

"I don't think so. She always seemed pretty afraid when we spoke about it."

"That might be a good thing. Her inability to control it, could have been due to the fact that she was a mere Unicorn. Her transformation, could have fixed that. If she can't however, as much as I hate to suggest it, it would be better to put her down."

"How could you!"

"I don't mean anything bad by it. But imagine how much damage she could do when she was a Unicorn. Enough to make her afraid of her own talent. What would she be able to do, now that she is an Alicorn.....?"

Celestia paused for a moment. That thought had already crossed her mind aswell, and the implications were bad. When Moonsinger lost control over her special talent, she might, without meaning to, destroy half or all of Equestria. Also she would hate to have to tell Luna that she had put down Moonsinger. It was no use to think about it. She had to think of their offensive right now. Turning inwards, she once again attempted to convince Solar Flare to use her power to help them in this war....

Moonlilly had been dozing on the floor near the fireplace, when she suddenly felt something. She had already noticed that her connection to her children had been broken, but she didn't worry about that too much. Aslong as they stayed inside the barrier, they would be safe for atleast a month. No. What made her wake up, was a enomous wave of moon mana that washed over her. She was no Alicorn any more, but she still felt like it was her own. This could only mean one thing. Moonsinger.... had ascended.

One day later

Moonlilly could not wait anymore. She needed to ascent as soon as possible, and therefore there was no time to wait for her magic to regenerate naturally. Also she would have to connect herself with the barrier, and her children again. She didn't want her daughter to bear that kind of responsibility.

Twilight was helping the former Alicorn, after she had explained her what she had to do, and why. She didn't like it, but Moonlilly had been pretty serious. Unwavering Twilight continued to pour her own mana into Moonlilly, who was now absorbing it and transforming it into her own. On her face, Twilight could see that it hurt her a great deal. Arteficially regaining once magical ability could be deadly, if ones concentration was broken.

Moonlilly could feel it. Her magic was coming back to her and in addition to the power Twilight was pouring into her, she now began to draw in as much magical energy as she could. Her inner storage, was already full, but she continued to do so. She had never ascended the natural way, so she did not know what to expect, but her instincts told her she was doing the right thing.

Soon a dark blue light began to envelop Moonlilly, as blue flames began to burn her coat. The unexpected pain, almost made her break the link she had established with Twilight. This could have been a disaster. No... it WAS a disaster. Moonlilly felt it. The magic was not enough and was beginning to escape her control. If this failed, she would die a painfull death, or in the worst case, suffer severe brain damage.

Fluttershy interfered with the two mares. She grabbed both of them, by enveloping them in her magic. She did not know why she did it, or how she knew it was the right thing to do, she just did. With the last bit of Discords magic, she teleported the three of them out of their rooms, and onto the verry peak of mount Unicornia. There, a beautifull moon sat in the sky, as if it had awaited it's mistresses return, and gentle rays of mana, began to envelop the Unicorn that had once been Luna.

Yes, Moonlilly felt it. Her body was reforming, while incredible pain ran through her. Only a second, after the moons mana enveloped her, she spread her wings, breaking her connection with Twilight, and embracing the moons mana. She did not feel any pain anymore. It felt right to be an Alicorn once again. Her name, was once again Luna, princess of the night. She looked down on the two mares that had helped her ascent again. Twilight Sparkle had tumbled back, and was now sitting on her haunches. The Unicorn mare however, lay motionless in the mountains snow. Luna enveloped her in her magic, and checked for herself. A tear formed in the corner of her eye.

Fluttershy, the element of kindness, had stopped breathing. Her Unicorn horn was charred and her eyes were bloodshot. The elements of harmony, were broken. Their beares stripped of their power.... She could only imagine what had caused the mares death. Fluttershy had been clever enough to somehow know what she needed, and bring her to a place where she could get it. The magical potential of her ascention, and the energy flowing through her connection with Twilight Sparkle, must have created a feedback impulse when she had teleported them. The energy that was going out of control, had homed in on the only horn, that had not been concentrating to contain it, and fried Fluttershys brain....

"I am not even an Alicorn for an hour now, and I already have blood on my hooves..."

Luna thought, looking worried at Twilight Sparkle, who had also noticed her friends demise.  Luna could not bear to look at her. It was her fault that her friend had died. Her hurry do ascent again, had caused this....

"Take her with you, when you go back inside, Twilight Sparkle... I am... sorry for your loss."

Twilight just stared at her. But she didn't look back. She had a duty to perform, and she would do it. Jumping off the edge of mount Unicornia, she spread her wings and soared into the direction of the Everfree forest. No Changeling would dare to approach her. Her magical presence was now almost twice as strong as it had been, when she had been fused with Nightmare Moon. This power, was all hers. No alter ego interfering with her any longer. No fear of emotions anymore. And finally a possibility to end this war in one swift attack, by three fully grown Alicorns. Yes, fully grown... Her natural ascention had finally matched her body with her age, making her a fully grown adult now.

Her mane and tail, having always sparkled like the nightsky, were now even more radiant and wonderfull. It felt so good to feel the moonlight again. It felt wonderfull to be able to feel it, for the verry first time, without another being poluting the experience.....