A new crisis

Chapter 6

Breaking Diamond - The dead fighting

Luna, Celestia and Twilight stood on a balcony of Canterlot castle. Luna and her guards had arrived the previous day, and had more then enough time to rest. Now it was finally time to prepare for the crisis at hoof. The three of them looked over Canterlot, and were all lost in their own thoughts. Cadence, Diamond and Stardancer were the only ones still missing. Without them it wouldn't make much sense to start the meeting. Just as Twilight grew impatient, and wanted to go and look for the three of them, Diamond came litteraly flying onto the balcony, hitting her back on the reeling. She quickly recovered however, and shot a quick glance over to the three stunned Alicorns.

"A little help maybe?", she asked sarcasticly, before taking flight to avoid being hit by a charging Stardancer.

The light brown Alicorns face showed an expression of utter rage and determination. Before any of them could do anything, she had already spread her wings and charged after Diamond. The two of them seemed equally matched, but that was not the point. Why was Stardancer attacking Diamond? The three just couldn't make any sense of it all. Luna was first to snap out of it. She had to deal with Stardancer and Shooting Star ever since they were little, and knew that they were prone to loose their temper once in a while.

Spreading her wings she flew after them and tackled Stardancer to the ground. Her granddaughter was not pleased in the slightest, and tried to wiggle her way out from under Lunas hooves, before she locked eyes with her grandmother. The stare the midnight blue Alicorn gave her, made Stardancer calm down in an instant. From experience she knew better ten to challenge Luna when she was actually angry.

"Care to explain?", Luna asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"My mother! She killed my mother!", Stardancer screamed defiantly.

"That was not me, but MY mother. I have tried to explain that to you, but you just wouldn't listen.", Diamond added, as she joined the two.

"That's true Stardancer. Moonsinger was killed by Chrysalis. Diamond here actually helped us in that war. She went against her own mother for what was right.", Luna elaborated.

"LIES! Changelings never to something, unless they would gain something from it! She is no different!", Stardancer tried to defend herself.

"True. I had my own motivations to help the Ponies, beside that I was sorry for them. But let me tell you this: I got what I wanted and made it my top priority to help Equestria. I even endangered my newly formed hive just to help you Ponies. Had  the situation arisen, I would have fought Chrysalis one on one, if it ment to defend even one of you. The Changelings you know, young one, are my mothers Changelings. My hive is much more peacefull and trustworthy. Besides, your mother was one of my friends.", Diamond explained, sitting down so she would be on eyelevel with Stardancer.

"I don't hold it against you, that you attacked me on sight, but you must understand that I am on your side, and that I could have defeated you any time I liked."

"AS IF!"

"Believe it or not, but I was holding back, out of respect for your mother.", Diamond said with a distant look in her eyes.

After a few more minutes, Stardancer finally calmed down enough so Luna could release her. She still didn't want anything to do with Diamond, but was willing to work together with her, if she had to. Her grandmother had been verry persistent at that.

Finally the meeting could begin, after Cadence also arrived in the throne room. Appereantly Diamond had gone ahead to inform the others that she would be late, before she ran into Stardancer.

"The most important thing we have to worry about for now, are our frontlines.", Celestia said, pointing at a map that was spead out on the floor.

"Yes. The garden will be the main line of defense against the Alicorns of old, should they really attack us.", Stardancer deducted.

"I don't doubt they will. We have to of their children in our custody. If they want them back without a fight, fine, but I doubt it.", Luna explained.

"Then I guess we have to evacuate all Ponies from farther south to a place behind the garden of shadows.", Twilight added.

"Correct. Appleloosa and the mining camps close to the buffalo tribes land will have to be evacuated. Speaking of the buffalos, we have to get them somewhere safe aswell.", Cadence said.

Celestia shook her head.

"I have already sent a messenger there before I gathered all of you, but they are unwilling to leave their homeland. We can't put our lines that far south, or we will be directly on the Alicorns borders, and we can't force them to leave.", Celestia said sadly.

"Then we are just going to let them die?", Diamond inquired.

"We can't order them to leave, and Equestria is a free country. If they were to seek our help, then we would not abandon them if at all possible, but as it stands now, they are on their own.", Celestia added.

"Then I'll go and try to convince them!", Diamond shouted.

"I will go and evacuate Appleloosa and go talk with them when I'm done there.", she added.

"Are you sure you want to go there? That it awefully close to enemy terretory.", Cadence asked worried.

Diamond nodded.

"Yes I am sure. We Changelings can only feed on Ponies so my mother had peacefull relationships with them. I am sure they still remember me."

"Then I will go to the garden and prepare our defenses.", Stardancer said, a determined look on her face. It was obvious that she still didn't trust the Changeling queen entirely.

"Ok. That's settled then. Diamond will evacuate the Ponies from the south, and Stardancer will organize the defenses in the garden. Stardancer, when you head through Ponyville you should pick up Spike. He can send messages directly to Celestia, and we will need a quick and reliable way to communicate.", Twilight summed up the meeting.

"I will go and see that the refugees have a place to stay in the neaby towns. Ponyville, Hoofington and Muzzleton should have enough room to house the Ponies from the south.", Cadence said.

With that they went to their appointed tasks. Twilight would try and find some kind of weakness in their enemy, together with Solar Flare, while Luna was to travel to the Chrystal Empire and take charge there. At first she objected the idea, but Cadence gave her a letter that explained the situation. Should anypony try to stop her this would officially mark her as her appointed second in command. Diamond did the same, so Luna would be able to mobilize her Changelings.

******

The mare lay half burried in hot sand. She did not know where she was, or how she got here. All she knew was that she obviously had layn here for quite a while. Her head felt as if it was ready to splitt, and her body felt weak because of that. She just could not remember how she got here. The last thing she did remember was that she had struggled to be pulled somewhere... But where? There had been others... Others that she did not like....

But there was an even more pressing question, that tormented her mind.

"Who.... am I?", she stuttered as she struggled to her hooves.

The light was way to bright for her, and she began shielding her eyes with a wing. Her headache instantly got less painfull. When she closed her eyes, the complete darkness felt like an old friend that was welcoming her back in his embrace. As she opend them again, see a settlement in the distance.

"Apple... loosa?", she wondered.

The mare did not know how she knew that name, or if she had been here before. All she knew was that she wanted to get out of this burning light that hurt her eyes. Using her magic to clean the last of the sand that clung to her coat, she started to trott towards Appleloosa at a slow but steady pace. Visions of blood and violence plagued her mind all the while, but she kept her vibrant green eyes fixated on her destination.

******

Stardancer landed in front of the tree that was the Ponyville library and knocked on it's door. A purple and green dragon about her own size opend the door.

"Oh ehm... Aren't you that Alicorn that was with Twilight and the Princess the other day? Is there anything I can do for you?", Spike asked, taking off his blue apron and hanging it on a hook by the door.

"Are you Spike? Former Assistant to Twilight Sparkle?", Stardancer asked, some of her rage from before still showing in her voice.

"Ehm.. yes? Even so I wouldn't say "former", since I never really... HEY!", Spike started, but was interrupted by Stardancer enveloping him in her magic and levitating him to her side, as she galloped towards the Everfree forest. The surrounding Ponies were a little shocked at the display, but none of them dared to stand in the way of an Alicorn.

"I am sorry for my actions, but there is no time to loose.", she explained to the struggeling dragon.

"What's the matter? Put me down? Where are you taking me and why?", Spike demanded.

"The garden of shadows. I need you to relay messages for me, since the garden will be our first and final line of defense in a potentially gruesome conflict. Also, Twilight Sparkle wanted me to give you this.", she added as she levitated a purple feather over to him, with a note attached to it.

"Dear Spike,

please make haste and follow Stardancer to the garden of shadows. The situation is more dire then you can imagine. No time for questions.

With Love

Twilight Sparkle"

******

"They WHAT?", Twilight exclaimed, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Alicorns that die will be drawn to the Alicorn stone. I took this precaution so their corruption would never reach Elysium.", Solar repeated.

"But that would mean...."

"Yes. Even so I am not certain of this, but there is a possiblity that we might see my sister again. Nightmare might have been trapped in the stone again, before it broke. If that is true, she is most likely verry eager to get to Luna."

"But that is horrible! We have to warn her!", Twilight exclaimed.

"Why do you think I made her go to the Chrystal Empire? To be as far away as she could be ofcourse. Luna is strong, but so is Nightmare, and I don't know which of them would win if they were to clash. That is why Celestia and I have decided to handle Nightmare personally, should she really show up again.", she added.

"But... Well... I guess I can't talk you out of it... But please... What was that about "the Source" again? I didn't fully understand."

"The source is what anchors us Alicorns in this world. As I've already told you, we are not of this plain of existance. Almost two hundred thousand years ago, there were no Ponies in this world, nor were there any other intelligent beings. We Alicorns are something like the royal guard is to the royal palace back in Elysium. It is a purely spiritual plain. But there are also good and evil there. Some of those evil spirits came to this plain and started corrupting what little life there was. The grand council decided that we were to act against that, and so we Alicorns were sent to this world to fight them. To anchor ourself here, the source was created. It is a gigantic Chrystal that is burried miles beneath my former kingdom. After we had defeated the spirits that had aimed to corrupt this world, it was decided that we were to stay here and keep watch over this world. For many, many years we did just that. We saw how the first Ponies were created by the maker, who is the creator of us all, and we watched over their well being. What we had not anticipated however, was that one of the spirits we had been sent here to defeat, had survived the war. It corrupted the source, to which we are all connected. That brought with it the emotional imbalance that we full Alicorns suffer from. It also brought with it the first corruptions. We, who had been sent here to protect this world, had become it's greatest threat. The maker and the council sent more Alicorns to fight us, but they either died trying or joined our ranks. It was not until I had to face one of my old servants in battle, that I finally snapped out of it and saw the evil in my ways. Sadly, it was not until I had stomped her head into the bloody dirt that I realized what I had done. Northwind had not only been my servant, but she had also been my friend. For her to fight me with all she had, I knew I must had turned into something despicable.... It was indeed her brother who later saved me. He was an agent in my palace, and spied on me for the rebels. When he saw that my own husband and sister were trying to kill me, and heard that I was shouting at them that we had to change our ways.... That I even went so far as to demand the destruction of the source so we could all face judgment in Elysium.... He rescued me and brought me to the rebells." Solar explained in great length.

"That is quite the story.... And quite much to take in... But atleast you saw that you were wrong and did everything to set things right again.", Twilight tried to console the now crying Alicorn.

"No. It does not lessen my sins. If I ever return to Elysium, I will face the punishment the creator sees fit for me. I am not afraid of it. I know that I, and all of my former subjects, deserve it.", she added.

Twilight could see that Solar tried to sound as resolute as possible, but the shaking of her body gave her fear away. Whatever punishment awaited her, it must be something truly horrible to make this mighty mare tremble like a little filly that is afraid of the boogymare.

******

Diamond landed in Appleloosas townsquare, or atleast what was left of it. The buildings were all but destroyed, while the ground consisted of a mixture of sand and blood. She could feel the lingering emotions in the air, that spoke to her like the ghosts of the dead. It was a sad and horrible story of tremendous pain, chilling fear and .... death. The Ponies here had obviously tried to defend themself against what ever had attacked them, but had not the slightest chance. Anger rose in her. She had not seen such carnage since the war over sixty years ago, and even then it had been from battles, not a meaningless slaughter like this. Even the war with Celestia had never produced carnage on THIS scale.

She wanted to know who did this, and followed a bloodtrail that ran down one of the sidestreets. Diamond could feel a powerfull magical aura coming from that direction, so she knew she was on the right track. Pausing for a second, she took a deep breath, and regretted it instantly. The stench of blood in the air was almost enough to make even her stomach turn. As she stepped out of the alley between two buildings, she could see the owner of the presence she felt. It was an Alicorn mare with pure white coat and a green mane. A red stripe ran through it, and her cutiemark was a blood red tornado.

"Where are they?", the mare asked, without turning to Diamond.

"Who?"

"My children. Speak now, abomination, and I might let you live."

"I don't know what you are....", but then Diamond remembered. Luna had mentioned something about to Alicorn Foals.

"Wait a second... Do you mean a colt and a filly?"

"So you do know where they are.", the mare stated.

"Well not exactly. But tell me, why did you do this?"

"They could not tell me what I wanted. So where are my children? Tell me.", the mare demanded.

"You did all this, just because they didn't tell you what they didn't know? I think it is best you leave now, before I loose my temper. Your children are safe. If you leave now I will arrange that they are brougt back to you saf....", Diamond tried to negotiate, but was interrupted by the mares face suddenly being only inches from her own. Her deep blue eyes were draconian in shape and seemed to stare into her verry soul.

"Garden of shadows.... Tell me creature.... Where is that?"

Diamond took a step backwards, only to collide with an Alicorn stallion that had suddenly appeared right behind her. His red eyes had the same shape as the mares, and they looked down on her like she was an insect he was about to crush. Try as she might, she could not stop shaking. The mare had just read her mind, and this stallion seemed atleast equally capable. The sheer amount of magic needed for that, was something that frightend her quite a bit. With a quick teleportation she found herself back in townsquare. Before she could lift off and try an escape however, she felt as if she had held her face right in front of a train as a telekinetic blow hit her.

******

The mare had almost reached the city. From within she could feel magic. Strong magic. Magic meant to hurt somepony. Was there a fight going on? She didn't know, and was not eager to find out. Her strength had started to come back to her, and the visions in head had intensified. She saw the moon... She saw a purple Unicorn with two toned mane and tail.... She saw a midnight blue Alicorn with green eyes, just like hers. She saw a forest and ruins. She saw a Zebra.....

From the town, she could now hear screams. Three different voices, that much she could make out. Two were female and one was male. One of the female voices screamed in pain, while the other two screamed in rage.

******

Diamond struggled not to be caught off guard again. These two were certainly stronger then her, but she was faster then them, and she tried to use that to her advantage. The only problem was, that her magical blows did nothing to them. Their fur got only slightly burned, when she hit one of them. Theirs on the other hoof, had already created painfull cracks in er chitine armor.

"Ok, if magic doesn't work, then hoof to hoof it is.", she thought to herself, turning around mid flight and dodging the magical projectiles that flew at her.

With faster then a speeding bullet Diamond rammed her shoulder into the black stallion who plummeted to the ground with her. On impact they created a small crated, with her towering above him. She took some pleasure from the mixture of pain and confusion on his face. He had clearly not seen that one coming. Diamond could not enjoy this for long however, as she was yanked off of him by her tail and thrown into the ruins of a nearby building. The force was enough to throw her right through it, and she could barely breath by the time she came out on the other side. Rolling a few times, Diamond lay on her side, breathing hard. Her white mane was now red in places, and one of the spliters of wood from the building had pierced one of her eyes. She tried to struggle to her hooves, not whilling to admit defeat, when a pair of hooves crushed her hips. Diamond crashed to the ground again, screaming at levels of pain, she had never imagined possible.

"Is this the end then?", she thought to herself as the Alicorn mare stood over her.

******

The mare entered the town and stood in the shadow of a building. It felt as if she had done something simliar before.... Hiding in the shadows seemed natural to her. Shaking her head, she looked at three figures standing not too far away from herself. One was lying on the ground, while the two others seemed to try to interrogate her. As the mare saw the face of the beaten up figure on the ground, a new flash of pain ran through her head. It all came back to her.... But how it was at all possible that she was now standing here, could wait. She had to act.

******

Diamond looked up at the mare that towered above her defiantly. She was not going to spill the beans. The garden was not ready yet to deal with an attack, and even if she died here, her hive would live. Just as the mares horn lit up in a reddish glow once again, as she tried to read Diamonds mind, something rammed into her and tackled her off of Diamond. All the Changeling queen could see through her foggy vision was a streak of brown, and something yellow pass over her as the stallion groaned in pain.

"Stardancer?", she asked, her voice weak and barely above a whisper.

"Stardancer? No not really my friend. I don't remember you being so weak. Not eaten well enough lately?", the brown and blond blob teased her.

Diamond tried to make sense of it all, until she recognized the voice. Rubbing at her remaining eye with a hoof she tried to clear her vision enough to see a light brown Alicorn mare, dark brown ears, a blonde mane and tail, and a cresent moon with two clouds as a cutie mark. She stood in front of her, her wings extended protectivly, her head lowered and ready to charge. As Diamond turned her head to see what had happend to the stallion, she saw him lying in the dirt with a twisted neck.

"I think the reunion celebration can wait. Before that, I think I have something else to do.", Moonsinger said as she charged at the still suprised Alicorn mare who had hurt her friend.