Tale of Two Tyrants and the Eternal War

Princess Celestia tore off her golden necklace and threw it against the wall, shattering the purple Amethyst inside.

"NO!! TWILIGHT, NO!!" Celestia screamed, banging her front hooves into her temples. The rest of the group walked out, leaving the broken Princess to grieve. Only Luna stayed.

"Come on, girls. We still need to finish the mission Twillight started." Said Rainbow Dash, leading them down the Palace steps. Dash led them back to the train station, where they piled into the passenger car. Fluttershy started to sob quietly as the train chugged along the iron tracks. Pinkie Pie sat next to her and gave her a comforting hug. Eventually, the train stopped at Ponyville station. The girls climbed out, soaking and filled with grief. They walked slowly through Ponyville, then through the gem fields, getting covered in mud. Through the woods, and up the mountain. They halted in front of the stone door, then entered the cathedral. Nightmare Rarity was waiting for them.

"What do you want with us!!" Pinkie snarled.

"What do I want? I want the night to last forever!!" Roared Nightmare. Tears welled up in Sweetie Belle's eyes.

"But why!? Why!? Why did you do this to us! What have we done to deserve this? Why did you take Rarity away from me?" Sweetie Belle sobbed, tears running down her cheeks. Nightmare seemed to look saddened, and even more surprising, she seemed to genuinely care.

"Sweetie Belle?" Nightmare choked. The dark mare then closed her eyes and shook her head.

"ENOUGH!! Now it's your time to die!!" Nightmare sent a blast of magic at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie's horn lit up with a pale green aura. There was a large blast, and when the smoke cleared, Sweetie Belle lay on the ground, unconscious.

"Looks like your little Unicorn used all her strength to put up a magic shield." Nightmare chuckled. Applejack was the next to take a stand. She shot forward and swiftly bucked Nightmare in the side. There was a sharp crack, and Nightmare stumbled slightly. She then used a spell to bind Applejack with sharp, thorny brambles. One by one, the ponies tried to defeat the demon Nightmare Moon, but they all failed, save two. Fluttershy cowered in the corner, Flora in her arms. Nightmare slowly approached, then charged up another magic blast. But no blast came. Fluttershy cracked open one of her eyes to see none other than Celestia and Luna, fending off the beast. The Princesses charged up a spell, then out their horns together, combining their power. Rays of both light and dark struck Nightmare Rarity, but not before she could fire a bolt of Arcane lighting at Fluttershy. Flora jumped out of her mother's arms, putting her right in the lightning's path. Flora fell to the ground. Fluttershy picked up her daughter.

Nightmare's magic dispelled, releasing the ponies. Sweetie Belle recovered, shakily rising to her hooves. Rarity lay bleeding on the wet stone. The group rushed forward, but stepped back for Sweetie Belle. Rarity opened an eye, then opened the other at the sight of her friends and sister. Rarity threw her arms around Sweetie's neck, tears of joy streaking down her bloody face.

"Sweetie Belle!! I missed you, my sweet little sister!" Rarity wheezed.

"I missed you too, Rarity." Replied Sweetie. Rarity broke the hug, then looked her sister up and down.

"Sweetie, what happened to you? Your eyes look simply awful!" Asked Rarity, her gentle voice filled with concern.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're back." Said Sweetie.

"Me too." Replied Rarity. The Princesses smiled softly.

................

"How are they, Doc?" Asked Dash, crowding around the doctor along with everypony else. The doctor pushed up her glasses.

"Rarity is suffering from 5 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken nose, and a concussion. It was tough, but she'll pull through. Sweetie Belle's eyes were permanently damaged, however. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. Applejack had a severe case of cholera. We'll do everything we can." Replied the doctor.

"Ms. Redd, how's Flora?" Asked Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, I wish this weren't true, but Flora now has a serious heart condition, and has to be on oxygen at all times. She also will never be able to fly, or…walk." The doctor replied sadly. Fluttershy started to sob quietly. Her Flora, her precious little Filly, had given up everything to save her.

"May I see her?" Asked Fluttershy.

"I'm not really allowed to do this, but come in." The doctor led Fluttershy inside, then magically pulled back Flora's curtain. She was nestled in a crib, a heart monitor on a rack next to it, and thin plastic tubes connecting to an oxygen tank, and to Flora. Flora looked up at her mother, and smiled.