Arc

Chapter 4

Mirage:

I looked down onto my daughter’s fallen figure, she wasn’t breathing, she wasn’t moving. I dropped by her side, holding her charred hoof.

Then I cried, for the first time in a long time, I just sat and cried. I never knew Celestia would come so quickly, she wasn’t ready to face Celestia, and now she never could be ready.

“Please... don’t you take my daughter...” I prayed slowly. “Take me, but for fuck’s sake, do not take my daughter...”

Thalassa walked into the room, holding my shoulder.

She put a hoof on Rain’s chest, making some of her burnt fur fall off.

“Hey, champ.” She said with a weak smile. “You did good, you did good.”

A tear fell from Thalassa’s eye.

I looked back up at Rain Whisper, her body had almost been completely burned away, her mane and tail, as well as most of her fur was gone, only one of her ears remained, one of her eyes had a large cut through it. Her cutie mark had been reduced to only one koi, and half of the raindrop.

Twilight entered next, casting a spell around her limp body.

I didn’t question what she was doing, I already knew.

When she was set back down, her body was returned to it’s normal state, all of the burns had disappeared, and she went back to the beautiful state she was in the last I saw her.

But she still would not breathe.

“I’m so sorry Mirage, my magic won’t let me bring her back.” Twilight said.

Vinyl entered as well, she had been on tour when all of this had happened, but she came back immediately.

She cried, she laid on top of her daughter, begging her to come back, shouting in her face, her tears dripping down onto her lifeless daughter.

“Mirage, I need to speak to you.” A voice said, Princess Luna stood in the doorway of our home.

As much as I didn’t want to leave Rain Whisper, I knew Princess Luna could be the only pony powerful enough to bring her back.

We walked together on the streets of Ponyville, Celestia had left shortly after destroying most of the town, leaving ponies to drown in sadness.

“I can bring her back.” Luna said.

“I thought you would say that.” I said, looking up at her. “What’s the catch?”

Princess Luna looked down at me, a very serious look on her face.

“I have revived many of my Nightguard after they have fallen in battle, the bat ponies and vampires and lycans.” She said. “I know your daughter inherited your vampirism, and she can control it well.”

“We’ve touched on the subject extensively.” I said, “She can go for years without a single drop of blood.”

Luna sighed, “The Nightguard can barely go for a few hours, and still want more.” She explained, “I fear if I revive your daughter, she will become that way as well, if not worse.”

“How bad?”

“Will most likely need large doses daily, unless you can keep her from waking up the vampire.” The alicorn explained.

“Waking it up?” I asked, narrowing my eyes, this already sounded like a bad idea.

Luna gave me a small necklace.

“If she would wear this, she could go on living just like normal, but if she were to take it off, she will transform into a full vampire, and be more powerful than ever before, and be extremely dangerous.” She explained. “It is your choice whether this happens or not, even then, it still may not work.”

There was nothing in the world I wanted more than my daughter back, and everyone would need her if Celestia were to attack again.

“Do it.”

Rain Whisper:

A chain was jingling, I could hear it.

When I opened my eyes, nothing surrounded me, when I tried to walk, I could feel the ground, but I couldn’t see it.

Suddenly, a sharp pain elicited in my mouth, making me yelp in pain, I could taste blood in my mouth, but instead of the nasty, metallic taste I had remembered, it tasted sweet, like melted chocolate.

I swallowed it, licking my lips, trying to get another taste.

I blinked, when my eyes opened, a blinding light invaded my vision. I screamed, swinging my hooves in random directions, I was being held down, making me even angrier. I could feel my muscles tense and expand, my eyes tingled violently, and my teeth cut into my gums.

I blinked again, trying to get the feeling out of them, all I could hear was ringing, all I could see was light, burning into my eyes.

Burning, my body felt like it was on fire, everything was burning.

Then, everything stopped.

My eyes focused, I was staring at the ceiling of my room, I was in my bed.

I looked to my left, My father, my mother and Princess Luna stood, holding different parts of my body down. On my right, Cyber Burst, Twilight and Thalassa stood, doing the same.

“Sweetie?” My mom said.

I licked my teeth, then opened my mouth.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Oh, thank goodness.” She said, falling onto my chest.

“Glad to have you back, kid.” Cyburst said, scratching my head and ruffling my mane.

I didn’t understand, I was just in...

My mind blanked, Where had I fallen asleep? Where was I last.

Suddenly, my mind screamed, bombarding my thoughts with images of fighting, the alicorn, her final spell that I couldn’t fight off, and the burning.

“Did I...”

“Yes.” Princess Luna said, “My sister, Princess Celestia has come back to fight for leadership of Equestria again.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes, she is a tyrant, she has gone mad with her own power and thinks she alone should rule over Equestria.” Luna explained. “She tried to once, but was ultimately defeated.”

I had heard much about the war before, but never asked anypony about their role in it, I always thought that would be disrespectful.

“She seeks to destroy the Elements of Harmony and the Elemental Ponies, giving her the power to overthrow Equestria without any resistance.” Twilight said.

“But, if we all work together, we can beat her like before.” Cyber Burst added.

I tried to sit up, but Luna pressed me back down.

“There are things we must go over, before you can leave.” She said.

Luna’s magic pulled on a necklace I hadn’t noticed before that was around my neck.

“Whatever you do, do not ever take this off.” Luna spoke carefully and slowly, like I was a foal.

The six ponies surrounding me studied me carefully, I began to feel claustrophobic, like I was encased in between them.

“What happens if I do?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That is for you to find out.” Luna said, pulling me up. “Come with me.”

I walked behind her, trying to keep my balance, my body seemed to be slightly off, I felt like a foal first learning to walk.

I fell to my left, but felt a presence, holding me upright, it was my father.

“Try to regain your senses.” He said, holding me upright as we followed Luna.

When we exited the house, I gasped, most of Ponyville lie in ashes, the few buildings that remained had long burn marks on the sides and some had crumbling walls.

“She did this.” I said, looking up to Luna, “Celestia, I mean.”

“Yes, we all underestimated her power when she came back.” Luna said, looking towards the horizon, where the sun was just beginning to come up. “It seems she has grown stronger since we last saw her.”

“But you have too, right Luna?” I asked.

Luna stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke carefully. “Of course I have.” She said.

We remained quiet as Princess Luna took us to the center of town, eventually only I stood in front of the two.

“Now, for the town’s safety.” Luna said, charging a spell.

I felt the necklace shudder slightly, I looked down at it, the dark red cross was now glowing brightly.

Suddenly, a large dome appeared around me, stretching throughout the center of town, but leaving my father and Luna out.

“What is this about?” I asked, studying the spell.

“If you are going to transform, you need to be alone, out of harm’s way.” Luna said.

My father nodded, “Luna is right, you need to learn to control this as best you can.”

“But, you told me to never take it off.” I said.

Luna stepped closer to the dome, putting her hoof on it. “I meant when you were capable of being harmed, or harming somepony.”

I narrowed my eyes questioningly, but nodded nonetheless.

“Take it off whenever you are ready.” Luna said. “But try to remain in control as much as you can.”

I put a hoof on the necklace, feeling in vibrate in my grasp. I pulled upwards, taking the necklace completely off.

I braced myself, waiting for anything to happen.

I cracked open an eye, had it worked? I didn’t feel any different than before, had I kept complete control?

“Did it wo-”

Just as I spoke, an overwhelming amount of pressure pressed me to the ground, it felt like I was hit over the head with a sledgehammer, I tried to scream, but all that came out was a quiet hiss.

My eyes rolled back in my head, the pain was excruciating, I closed my eyes when dizziness began to overcome me. I felt my horn tingle then begin to ache badly.

I opened my eyes again, darkness was invading the sides of my vision.

I heard angry wing flapping in my direction, looking up I saw a swarm of bats coming down around me, encircling my body and lifting me completely off of the ground. All of my senses failed all at once.