Insanity War

Chapters

Strategies
Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 1
Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 2
Revelations
Battle of the Elements
Fear and Forgiveness
The Guardian
Insanity Comes
Insanity Rises
Search for the Elements
Doorway to Insanity
Fury of the Elements Part 2
Fury of the Elements Part 1
Epilogue/ A New Day Dawns

Strategies

Chapter one- Strategies

Insanity’s release had turned Equestria into a new land. In three short months he had conquered most of Equestria. His power was ever growing from his constant feeding on the sanity of the pony inhabitants. The resistance that had formed was being driven back by Insanity’s creations more every day. They had been pushed back to the last remaining stronghold, the royal city of Canterlot. The only thing keeping Insanity’s influence out of the city was Celestia’s magic.

In the short time they had, everypony was given a task and a unit to command. Rainbow Dash was given command of the Air Corps. Applejack was in charge of ground forces. Rarity was given the task to design armor with minimum weight and maximum protection for the troops. Fluttershy was in charge of intelligence and reconnaissance using her animal friends to spy on enemy commanders and their troops to gauge strength. Pinkie Pie was in charge of infiltration due to her odd ability to disguise herself, hide in almost any place and fit in amongst enemy troops should the need arise. Spike was in charge of crafting armor and weapons for the different units, using his fire breath and forge to create them, an aging spell was used on the dragon in order to let him be more useful to the cause and he was given the title of Forge Master. Princess Celestia decided to stay back and protect the non-combatant ponies in Canterlot with the magic shield she had crafted. Princess Luna was given command of strategy and attack plans. She resided in what is now the war room with the remaining elements of harmony.

Their first mission: Locate Twilight and return her to Canterlot. They sat around a large map of Equestria, all of them tense and wondering where to begin their search for Twilight.

“We should start here!” bellowed Rainbow Dash.

“Your pointing at Cloudsdale, dear” said Rarity in a quick rebuttal.

“I know that! I want to find Twilight as much as you guys do but I’m worried about my home.” She said with concern her voice faltering as she finished her statement.

“Were all worried about our homes Rainbow, But shouldn’t we start with Insanity’s last known location instead?” Fluttershy said rather quietly, but her suggestion was well placed.

“An where was that sugercube?” Applejack asked quizzically.

“My bunny Angel said that it was at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.”

“Then we shalt start there.” Luna interjected. With a heavy heart and concerned look in her eyes she gave the order,

“Good Rainbow Dash, send the fastest flyer that thou have under your command, we cannot risk the Element of Loyalty disappearing or being injured if something were to go awry.” Luna cared for all the pony’s but war was raging and sacrifices were a necessity. “We shalt only need a Birdseye view of the Castle and surrounding area in order to plan the infiltration and investigation properly. “

“Right away Princess.” She said while saluting and she left the room to issue orders for the aerial recon and mapping mission.

“Fluttershy, could you send one of your bird friends to assist Rainbow Dash’s flyer?”

“Sure, I can do that.” She said timidly. She then also left the room to find the right bird to help Rainbow’s flyer.

“Spike, how goes the forging of the armor?” Luna asked the now larger purple and green dragon.

“Were a little behind schedule. The enchantments for the armor are taking a little longer than expected, but we should be done with the armor for the ground forces by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.” He said with a now deeper voice thanks to the aging spell. “The armor for the Air Corps is still in the planning and design stage though.”

Luna nodded and turned to Rarity.

“When will the designs for the Air Corps armor be complete?”

“I unfortunately have hit a snag in making the design light enough for quick and capable flight. I will do my utmost to finish the final design by the time the land crew armor is done, even if I have to pull an all-nighter.”

“Very well, see that it gets done. Both of you are dismissed.”

Rarity and Spike left to finish their respective projects hoping to be done by their promised time. Luna turned to Applejack who was wearing her wide brimmed hat, as always, and chewing on one end of a piece of hay.

“How goes the final stages of the ground forces training?” Luna asked AJ.

“Big Macintosh will be done with them by tomorrow morning guaranteed.” She said with a little pride.

“Fine. We begin the operation tomorrow at sun up! Dismissed!”

Those remaining left the war room. Luna called over one of her personal guards and asked him to give the plans to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

As the plans for the resistance were finalized and agreed upon Insanity was plotting his own strategy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

“How should I dispose of those blasted resistance fighters?” He thought to himself while sitting on his throne made from the bones of deceased resistance fighters.

“Maybe I could force a frontal assault upon their strong hold in Canterlot? Hmmm, no, no. They might be expecting that. Hmm, ahh that’s it, I know the perfect thing to do. General!”

A pony came forward and bowed to her master while speaking.

“How can I serve you, my lord?”

“Take a small group to my old prison and make sure that the resistance don’t get too close to anything that I don’t want them to know about.”

“Right away sir.” She began to walk away when he called to her once again.

“Oh, and make sure to be highly secretive and cunning. Do use my favorite technique my dear, make them go crazy and try to do it with secrecy and cunning. My wolf blood boils at the thought of doing something that is not very secretive or done in an ambush style.”

“Your wish is my command.” She then exited the room to begin gathering the small force necessary.

Insanity got up and looked out of his palace window. To watch the sunset and fantasize of his ultimate victory against the resistance and his taking of Equestria and the ultimate victory of killing the Princesses to rule unchallenged.

"Those resistance fighters are probably looking for their old friend, they will start with the Castle. Too bad though she's mine now. Hahahaha."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sun had set over Canterlot. Celestia had retired to her quarters to rest and recover while Luna ruled her night and kept the barrier up around Canterlot. Rainbow Dash was finalizing the scouting plans with her chosen flyer, Fleetfoot, of the Wonderbolts Special Operations unit. Spike had issued orders to switch shifts and gave command to his second while he retired to his quarters to rest for the day ahead. Before lying down for the night he looked out of his small window up at the moon and looked at the stars and wished that his friend was there with him.

“Twilight, where did you go? I miss you, we all miss you. Please be ok.” He said tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He lay down to dream of his friend and a better time.

Rarity continued to design the armor for the Air Corps well into the night. Fluttershy had chosen her hawk for as Fleetfoot’s assistant in the mission. Applejack went to check up on Big Mac.

“Are they holding up to our expectations?” She asked her unusually large brother.

“Eeyup.” He said in his usual manner.

“Good. I hope this all works out tomorrow. Get some sleep Big Mac, I’ll keep watch for a while.”

With that Big Macintosh retired to his barrack with his set of troopers. They all wanted to rest but at sun up their mission begins.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity was retiring to his chambers now as well. He went to his windows and drew the curtain closed. As he walked to his private room he thought to himself,

“The game is set. what will your move be Celestia? It’s time to play.”

Next Chapter- The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 1

Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 1

The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 1

The sun was beginning to rise and the now five elements woke from their unrest full slumbers. The mission would begin in exactly one hour and they were in a frenzy to prepare and make sure Fleetfoot and Fluttershy’s hawk were ready for the mission at hand. Rarity had completed the plans for the armor assigned to the Air Corps. She had delivered them to Spike’s lieutenant late in the night. He set to work on them right away. Applejack had begun to finish up the last of the land forces crash course training regime. Rainbow Dash was getting Fleetfoot ready for her first mission that was not a training session.

“Remember Fleetfoot this is about speed and also about accuracy. It would be completely uncool if you were to come back without an accurate map for us to use.” She said with a tone of absolute authority and seriousness.

“Yes ma’am! I will not fail.” Fleetfoot stated while saluting her commander.

“And remember your small size is an advantage. You can maneuver a lot easier than most other Pegasus pony’s, and your small size gives you less wind resistance so you can fly much faster than any other Pegasus. Well, almost any other Pegasus. But if anything goes wrong you get out of there and use your speed and maneuvering capability’s to their fullest to come back alive. We’ve lost too many as it is.” She said with a hint of sadness in her voice as Fleetfoot was her favorite Wonderbolt flyer before the war started. She did not want Fleetfoot to perish in this war. “Now report to Spike, he said he had something for you.” Fleetfoot saluted and left the room to report to Forge Master Spike.

When Fleetfoot arrived at the forge she saw Spike waiting for her. He stood up and had in his arm what appeared to be a newly crafted piece of chest armor.

“There you are, I have something for you. It’s the armor that was designed for the Aerial Corps. My lieutenant made it when he received the plans from Rarity. It’s all he could manage in the short time he had to build it for you. Try it on and we’ll go from there.”

Fleetfoot put on the new chest piece and it fit her like a glove.

“It’s very light and fits extremely well. This shouldn’t hinder my flight capability at all.” She said with excitement in her voice.

“It’s always nice to get a compliment. Now back to the topic at hand. The enchantment will keep Insanity’s influence out of your head for about four hours at most and even that is stretching it. You will need to be back before then. If you’re not then there is no telling what might happen to you.”

“I understand. I’ll be back within the allotted time.”

“Good. The enchantment will kick in as soon as you leave the barrier around Canterlot. Fly fast and fly strong.” The last sentence spoken were the words spoken to an Air Corps member when they flew on a mission or into battle.

With the recon mission approaching a voice spoke through an intercom made of magic.

“FLEETFOOT, PLEASE REPORT TO THE DISPACH HANGER. MISSION ‘FLY BY’ WILL COMMENCE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES.” The voice was Princess Luna issuing the final notice before the recon mission began.

Fleetfoot made her way to the dispatch hanger; waiting for her there was her commander Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Princess Luna. She made her way to the exit point and standing there ready to fly, the three of them made some last comments for encouragement and good luck.

“Look here, I want you back alive! If you sense any danger get out of there before you get yourself into trouble.” Rainbow said looking dead into Fleetfoot’s eyes.

“Fleetfoot, my hawk Rialto will keep you company but he also had very keen eyes. Just tell him where to look and he’ll investigate.” Fleetfoot nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“Fleetfoot you hand chosen for this mission do not let us down.” Luna spoke with authority and assertiveness. “Good luck to thou. Mission commence in three…Two…ONE! Begin mission Fly by.”

Fleetfoot sped off at an unprecedented rate. The hawk following closely behind. As she flew away they all spoke in unison “FLY FAST AND FLY STRONG!”

They then retired to the war room to await Fleetfoot’s return and to plan their next move.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Fleetfoot made her way to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters the General was putting her master’s plan into motion.

“You three are too guard the chamber where Lord Insanity was imprisoned and attack any resistance fighters that get through to you.”

Three of Insanity’s creations nodded in response and made their way down to the old chamber. The General continued her inspection of the surroundings and where the best places would be to set an ambush.

“Ugh, Lord Insanity’s power has warped everything around this place. The trees are either floating or are in different seasons. The sky is either blue like normal or turning black for some reason, why black, why not purple or something. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the sun and moon cycles.”

She continued to inspect the surroundings and placed creatures in the spots that would hide them well, mostly in shadowy places as Insanity’s creations were all a black or grey color depending on their time of creation. The grey monsters were a grey as they were under Insanity’s control to the extent that they would follow orders. The black creatures were all under his complete and utter control and would do literally anything he or the general would command. As she finished giving her orders she saw Fleetfoot fast approaching. She set herself in a ditch and was able to blend in with the shadows. She readied a magic bolt in her horn glowing a distinct red now instead of its original purple color.

“I let whoever that is have a quick look around, then open fire. I’ll give them something to fear.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fleetfoot and Rialto had finally arrived at the castle. Fleetfoot’s armor enchantment would only last another three hours, giving a two hour window to scout and map the area. She flew over the forest and hovered for a moment trying to take in the surroundings as quickly as her mind would allow. Then she saw a glistening on the ground near the now ruined castle.

“Rialto, go check there I thought I saw something.” She said while pointing to an area near the entrance to the castle.

The hawk then flew down to the indicated location and investigated shortly. Fleetfoot still hovering in the same spot, continued to take in the surroundings. She decided that it was time to move to a different location. She went around the castle specifically and began to note where the structure could be penetrated so the investigation team could go in and look around. While she was doing this Rosa came back to her.

“Did you see anything?” The hawk shook its head indicating that it saw nothing. With the hawks response given she decided that it might be time to go due to a bad vibe she was getting from this place.

“It’s time to go. We’ve got what we needed.”

Rialto shook his head in response. As they turned to leave, The General let loose.

SWISH! A bolt of black magic went flying through the air and struck Fleetfoot in the shoulder.

“AhhhAAA!” She screamed as blood came rushing from the wound. “What was that?! Ungnn, We need to go now!” Rosa and Fleetfoot wasted no time in turning tale and fleeing.

“You! Don’t let her escape, not without a few more injuries” screamed the General to one of her subordinates.” With the order given a flying type monster took flight and began to chase the Pegasus. “This creature is three times the size of the previous types of flying monsters master created, the others were the size of an average Pegasus pony this one is three times the size! A..HA…HAHAHAH!

Fleetfoot looked behind her seeing a hideous beast unlike anything they have seen previous. This beast of flight was about three times the size of Insanity’s original creations for flight. The beast had four massive claws and had a reach of about seven feet in front of itself. Its wing span was about forty feet from tip to tip, and its face looked like a pony’s skull mixed with that of a dragon’s, with charcoal black skin covering its body. It roared and began to catch the Pegasus. Fleetfoot could only try to fly faster but any time she tried she would wince in pain as the wound would shoot pain through her body. She was bleeding a little too much for her own comfort, and was losing blood fairly rapidly. The beast was catching up and quickly, she had to move faster. But it was too late the beast had caught up.

It began swiping at Fleetfoot and trying to knock her out of the sky while she tried to get back to Canterlot. With one massive claw it swiped in an upward motion. Fleetfoot now ignoring the pain she felt was able to dodge but only by an extremely narrow margin. The beast tried again this time swiping in a downward movement. Fleetfoot’s wound took its toll. She was able to dodge the brunt of the attack but was clipped in the side due to her strained mobility. Her armor only covered her underbelly and was thin on the sides and on the back as the Air Corps would mainly be used for an aerial assault and would not be in direct danger by hoof to hoof combatants. The new wound was deeper than the first she had sustained and she was now bleeding from her left side. Her armor was rubbing against it a little causing it to hurt more than it already did. This time the beast went for an all-out blow to end Fleetfoot’s life. It proceeded to fly above her matching her now slower speed and dive bombed. Fleetfoot turned onto her left side to try to maneuver before the beast could hit her. She was not able to maneuver quickly enough. The beast came crashing down and a sickening crack was heard and Fleetfoot let out a horrid scream of pain. The beast had hit two of her legs shattering the bones inside and had also clipped one of her wings cutting a small chunk out of it. She was able to continue flying but not for very long. The beast had disappeared as quickly as it had come.

She was now desperate to get back to Canterlot. Not only to pass on the info she had gathered but also for medical treatment that was necessary beyond all measure. Bleeding and in serious pain her body was beginning to give out and she began to sink in the sky not sure if she could make it home before passing out. She struggled on trying to keep herself motivated to keep going and trying not to pass out. The enchantment would be wearing off in thirty minutes and she had a forty minute journey ahead of her at her current pace.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Canterlot Castle the group anxiously awaited Fleetfoot’s return.

“Its been over four hours! Where is she?!” screamed Rainbow Dash in an impatient tone.

“You don’t think something bad happened to her do you?” Fluttershy asked in a quiet tone as not to try to sadden the mood.

“NO WAY! Fleetfoot is the best flyer next to yours truly! Nothing could happen to her. She’s too fast and is not easily caught when flying at only fifty percent her usual flight speed!” Rainbow yelled in exasperation.

“I think I can see something out yonder.” Luna said with uncertainty.

“Is it Fleetfoot?!” Rainbow Dash said with hope and excitement.

Upon a closer inspection of the object flying toward Canterlot it was discovered that it was in deed Fleetfoot. But something was wrong. Fluttershy looked through the telescope they had fashioned for keeping watch throughout the day and night.

“She’s been injured and very badly!” Fluttershy said in a panic and in a much louder voice than what she normally speaks with.

Rainbow Dash was horrified at the news and proceeded to rush out to help her get back to the hanger. She took off then and there making a rainbow colored trail behind her as she left.

“Wait, come back! His influence, you’re not protected!” Fluttershy said but it was too late Rainbow was out of the barrier and rushing to Fleetfoot’s side, the others standing their mouth agape as she left.

Rainbow Dash got to Fleetfoot just before Fleetfoot’s wings gave out and was able to catch her with her two front legs. Fleetfoot looked up at her commander.

“Hi ma’am, nice of you to come. Haha.” Fleetfoot said weakly trying to lift her commander’s spirits. She had now lost most of her blood and was beginning to lose consciousness.

“Hang in there! Don’t close your eyes! Were almost home! STAY WITH ME! DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES!” cried Rainbow Dash as she sped back to the castle, tears streaming down her face. But when they arrived Fleetfoot was gone.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

“How did stage one go my General?” asked Insanity with a grin on his hidden face. His grin only visible because of the red glow coming from his mouth.

“I let the resistance fighter have a look above the castle, when she left I sent Agrarious after her. He did a number on the poor Pegasus. I felt her life force disappear when she reached the barrier at Canterlot.” said the General.

“Good, very good. You impress me yet again my General.” He said in a dark tone and rumbling voice.

“Thank you master” she said while bowing.

“I wonder what their next move will be. I can’t wait to see. HAHAHAH! You have done well. I give you Agrarious as a gift. Use him well.”

“Uh, Thank you Sire, Thank you.” The general said with delight.

Insanity then sat back down upon his thrown and contemplated his next move.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“We hath lost yet another.” Luna said with a deep sadness.

“Yeah…RD’s not taking it well.” Applejack said in a state of concern for her friend.

“I can’t blame her. Fleetfoot was Rainbow Dash’s hero after all” Rarity said in Rainbows defense.

“So what did they do with Fleetfoot?” asked Fluttershy.

“Rainbow presented her flight uniform to the Wonderbolts this afternoon.” Luna spoke. “They were very saddened by the loss as well. Her chest armor was sent to Spike for repairs so we can have it as a memento of her being here. It will be presented to Rainbow Dash in a ceremony when it is complete. Fleetfoot herself was cremated and her ashes will be presented to both the Wonderbolts and Rainbow Dash in remembrance of her. It also saddens thy as well. Thy can only imagine what good Rainbow Dash must be feeling right now. All of you are dismissed we will continue tomorrow. This loss has taken a toll on all of us.”

They all left the war room and proceeded back to their respective posts. Applejack returned to the ground units training facilities in the Castle courtyard. Fluttershy went back to her room and mourned Fleetfoot’s passing with her animal friends. Rarity returned to her workshop. Spike continued to repair her armor well into the night, never ceasing. Pinkie could not smile that day when she heard the news. Even Celestia had a heavy heart when she heard the news while retiring to her chambers for the night. Rainbow Dash remained in her room the rest of the day and night humming the Wonderbolts old theme song to herself tears running down her face.

“We will stop him. We have too. This has gone on for too long, and now one of my old heroes is dead. We WILL stop you Insanity. I will have revenge for this. If not on you, then on the monster that caused this to happen.” She said while crying profusely, her voice shaky and cracking.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

A funeral service was held the next morning; brief as it was, it was somber and respectful. The Wonderbolts were presented with half of Fleetfoot’s ashes and Rainbow Dash the other. Her armor was presented to Rainbow Dash as well. Rainbow Dash then proceeded to speak for a brief moment before their planning would need to begin again. She addressed the Air Corps as they were the main group in attendance, along with the other Elements and their Lieutenants.

“My friends, comrades and fellow flyers, yesterday we lost a fellow Pegasus and dear friend to us all. We have had to add Fleetfoot to our list of casualties in this war. I do not wish to see any more of my friends perish in this war! And I will not allow it and neither will you! Fleetfoot sacrificed herself for the good of Equestria as did our other fallen friends! We will not let their sacrifices be in vain!”

A cheer rose up from all in attendance.

“Furthermore, Insanity used this act as a way to scare us into submission. We will not be afraid! He has inspired us to fight harder and to do our utmost to protect this place and rescue Equestria from his grasp! FOR OUR FRIENDS, FOR THE FALLEN!”

The crowd raised their voices chanting “for our friends, for the fallen.” The chant was louder than anything heard previous by anypony in the castle. The entire Castle was chanting the phrase making the ground and the walls rumble as their voices became one.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The ceremony was over and they all resumed their assigned duties, with a new passion and fire in their hearts. The five and Spike went to the war room to plan their next moves.

“What do we do now?” Pinkie Pie asked in a high pitched voice.

“We squash them like the bugs they are!” Rainbow yelled.

“Easy Partner, your sounding like Insanity now.” Applejack spoke with sarcasm.

“We must investigate the Castle. After what happened to Fleetfoot I know that thou do not wish to send anypony there but we need to find a way to combat Insanity’s forces.”

“I agree with the Princess. We need to know how to defeat them.” Spike said with something of an urgency in his voice. “If you can bring me back any plans as to their creation I may be able to fashion more effective weapons and armor for you.”

“Fine. Thou will proceed to the Castle when ready.”

Spike spoke up once again.

“I have a new type of armor ready for a test run. I built them after the ceremony. They have a more powerful enchantment to keep Insanity’s influence out for a longer period of time. I’d try them myself but they weren’t designed for a dragon.”

“We’ll try em out when we go to the castle, Spike” Applejack said with excitement at the thought of taking on Insanity’s forces.

“Your all dismissed. Please prepare yourselves you depart when ready.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

“They are going to try again. I can sense it. There are going to go to the Castle again. Make sure they find this.” Insanity handed a small package to his General.

She bowed and left, going to the Castle to plant the package.

“A victory in this pointless war. They must know that they cannot win against me. Why can’t they just roll over and obey me. If they continue on this path I will no choice but to eliminate them all personally, and I hate getting my hands dirty.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The small task force going to the castle was assembled. Applejack leading her small pack of ground forces. Rainbow Dash had a small group of her physically strongest flyers just in case there was another air battle. Pinkie Pie was coming along as well with her saddle bags full of her famous contraptions. They were clad in the newly designed armor Spike had built for them. They were ready to begin.

Next ChapterThe Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 2

Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters Part 2

“Were ready, Princess” Applejack said when they returned to report to the Princess before leaving.

“Good, thou leaveth immediately then. Spike, how long will the enchantments last?”

“The enchantment on those is the most powerful to date, so I would guess about two days give or take.” He responded to the Princess’s question.

“It’s a half days journey there by hoof. The day’s already half over. Do you think we should wait?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“I would normally agree with thou, but not this time. Time is of the essence. If we are to succeed thou needest to go to the Castle today and investigate what you can and return before the enchantments wear off. That’s an order. Go to the castle, find what thou can, return. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, but good luck to you all.”

The three of them along with their few soldiers departed on their journey to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

They had walked for a few hours. Rainbow Dash was using her Pegasus companions to scout short distances ahead in order to avoid any trouble they might run into on the way. They continued to walk, taking the sights of Insanity’s new Equestria. The trees floated or were in different seasons. The buildings were on their sides, upside down or floating. The weather was doing different things, raining popcorn or hailing ice-cream. The occasional hailing animals tended to occur during their travels. The animals were all behaving differently as well. The animals thought that they were of a different species and were acting as such. The roads would be changing their composition from dirt to the occasional metal stalagmite.

“Boy, this place has gone to heck. Ah wonder if we’ll ever see the real Equestria again.” Applejack proclaimed in awe and exasperation.

“If you ask me this is kind of fun.” Pinkie said to the group. In return she received evil stares from the entire group. “Uhh, hehe, maybe not.” She said clearing her throat.

“I can’t wait to buck that Insanity guy right in the teeth.” Rainbow Dash proclaimed with courage.

“We all feel the same way RD but we need to find a way to defeat his monsters first. Then, we can kick him in the teeth all we want.” Applejack responded in a logical tone of voice.

They were beginning to near the ruins of the castle.

“Ok everypony, be ready for anything.” Applejack proclaimed.

“You two fly above and keep an eye out for anything. Watch each other’s backs while you’re up there. Understand?”

The two Pegasus’ saluted in response and took to the air watching for anything that could mean danger.

“We need to keep going were almost there.” Applejack informed the others.

They continued walking until they arrived at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Shortly after arriving orders were given and the investigation began. Two of Applejack’s companions were assigned to guard the door and alert if anything were to happen outside. The other continued inside with them. They walked into the castle and located the passage way down into the basement where the events written in Orion Lunarius’ journal had taken place.

They continued down the steps for what seemed to be a very long time.

“Ah wish Twilight were here she could of just teleported us down there.” Applejack said with a tone of sadness.

“Yeah, no kidding! I wonder what happened to her after that flash.” Rainbow Dash admitted.

“Oh, she died, and was reborn.” A voice said in the air.

They all jumped and started looking for the source of the voice. They were visibly shaking now.

“HEEELP USSS!” voices rang sounding like they were in a panic.

“What’s going on? This is scary.” Pinkie Pie whispered to Applejack.

“Ah don’t know. This is creeping me out too.”

They made their way down the stairs and finally arrived at their destination. They entered the room and lit the torches that they had with them. The torches let out an eerie yellow glow illuminating only small portions of the large room.

“So this is where this whole problem started.” Applejack observed. “Everypony look around; holler if you find something of interest.”

They all dispersed and began searching the dark room for any clues as to the location of their friend Twilight and also for any methods of fighting Insanity’s creations. They all looked but it did not seem that there was anything of interest in this room. As they moved about they kept stepping on the remains of ponies from long ago.

“Who are all of these ponies?” Applejack said under her breath.

Applejack heard a noise come from one the ancient cells nearby. She went over to investigate the noise. She looked inside and saw the remains of a bear and a fully grown pony. The bear’s skull was fractured and the pony’s body was mutilated.

“What ever happened here must not have been good.”

“I found something!” yelled Pinkie Pie from the center of the room.

“What did you find Pinkie? Asked Rainbow dash as she walked over to Pinkie.

“I don’t know what it is but it looks funny.”

“Ugh, come on Pinkie Pie this is serious.” Rainbow Dash said as she slammed her face with her hoof.

“No, I think she might be on to something.”

What Pinkie Pie had found were the remains of the old well that created Insanity.

“It looks like a well. What is with that faint glow coming from it?” AJ asked to herself.

She moved a piece of the brick that made up its original structure and found a small amount of red water on it. She took a sample and put into a small container and put it in her bag. They continued to search the room and those adjacent to it. Finding nothing more they moved on to the next few rooms.

They made their way down to the lower floor.

“This is the bottom most floor.” Applejack told the others. “Let’s check these two rooms and let’s get out of here. This place is freaky.”

They dispersed once again and searched the two rooms. Applejacks room contained nothing of value. The other room on the other hand had clues that they needed. Applejack went to check on the others as they searched the other room. When she got there Pinkie and Rainbow only stood there with mouths agape. Applejack wondering what they had found made her way up to their positions to see what they staring at.

Upon the ground was the same type of circle that they had seen when twilight had disappeared, except this one was faded but still just visible under the torch light. Standing in the center of this circle was the General.

“You made it far into this castle. I’m surprised you had the nerve to come down this far. Truly impressive.” She said with a sinister tone while chuckling softly. She motioned with her hoove and two creations came in behind the ponies.

“Where did they come from?” Rainbow yelled in anger.

“They were hiding in the shadows of this castle, you’ll find that a lot of creations are hiding just about everywhere in this new Equestria.”

“Who are you? Tell me now!” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Oh, where are my manners, forgive me.” The General bowed and introduced herself. “My name is Mania. I am the loyal servant and general for the armies of Lord Insanity. I am also the one that ordered your little flyer friends death.”

At the last sentence Rainbow Dash lunged at Mania in a rage. Mania side stepped and hit Rainbow Dash square in the back of the head almost making her lose consciousness.

“Now that is not the way to treat an old friend Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty.”

“How do you know who she is?” Applejack demanded to know.

“Oh, I know all of you. We used to play together, go on adventures and write letters to the Princess about our discoveries about friendship, remember.”

“No, Ah don’t remember because I don’t know who you are.”

“Honest Applejack, you haven’t changed at all have you? Well I have and I have never felt better.”

“Tell us who you are miss meanie pants.” Pinkie Pie said shaking visibly.

“In time you will know. But I will give you a clue.”

With her sentence finished, she teleported out and in her place stood a box. Then the General’s voice came in a wind.

“Oh yeah, I forgot something. Only one of you can leave alive!”

The creations in the doorway began to move even closer making the three commanders and the one ground soldier back up toward the wall on the opposite end of the room. As the creations neared the four of them the creations let out a roar and lunged at the four.

“Look out!” yelled the soldier as he bucked at the creature to protect his commander.

He missed his mark and only clipped the creature. It did however slow it down enough for Applejack to side step and jump on top of it. She rode the creature as though she were at a rodeo. The beast was trying to get Applejack off of its back and eventually succeeded by smashing Applejack against a wall. She fell off of the creature in a heap.

“Applejack!” Rainbow yelled as she ran toward the monster.

She jumped up and reeled back one her hooves and punched the monster square in the nose. “CRAACK” the sound of the monsters nose breaking echoed throughout the room, its blood spraying Rainbow in the face. She continued to her friends side who now recovering from the unexpected blow. The monster fell to the ground writhing in pain. The other monster was upon Pinkie. Using her Pinkie Sense she dodged the beast as it lunged at her. She bounced upon its back and stamped on its head until it was unconscious, a method that took a little bit to complete.

The monster with the broken nose got up again clearly angry and hungry for revenge. It charged at Rainbow and Applejack roaring louder than previously. The guardpony for Applejack jumped in front of them as the beast swiped a claw at the two of them.

SCREECH! The claw had impacted the armor. It did not penetrate the chest pierce the armor the guardpony wore but the brute force had broken a couple of his ribs. The two of them looked on in shock. As Applejack stood up she no longer restrained herself.

“NO PONY, Hurts my friends!” She roared at the monster while charging it head on.

The beast followed suite and charged at Applejack. Applejack crossed her legs and slid toward the creature while spinning herself around. As she slid she delivered one last blow as the beast delivered his as well. The claw slid on Applejack’s side and her two back hooves met the beasts face dead center, thanks to all the years of apple bucking, and the beats fell onto the ground lo longer breathing or moving.

“Wowie, are you okay Applejack? Said Pinkie Pie while trotting over to them.

“Ahm fine Pinkie. It’s only a scrape.”

“He’s not, two of his ribs are broken. I can tell by the labored breath.” Rainbow said observing the injured guardspony.

“Can you get up?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” The guardspony slowly stood back up grunting. “All right let’s go while the other one still out.”

“Agreed. Let me just pick this thing up.” Applejack went over and picked up the box that the general had left behind.

“Alright let’s go.”

They made their way back outside the castle where to their surprise they found that another battle had taken place while they were inside.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity was awaiting his general’s return when he noticed a creature outside his Castle in the volcanic wastes where his castle was located. It was a dragon with an orange and red hue. Its body was large enough to rival the size of Canterlot castle, its wings the size of large mansions. It resided in the largest volcano in the region.

“A Lava Dragon. Amazing, and it is resisting me very easily even though I send my aura to its mind directly. Incredible. This is a monster I must possess.

He made his way out of the castle and walked across the scorched earth. He approached the volcano where the dragon resided. As he approached the dragon took notice and flew down to where Insanity stood.

“You are the creature Insanity, correct?” The dragon asked, his voice making the earth shake.

“Yes, I am Insanity, The ruler of Equestria, and what are you called?

“I have no need of a name as I have lived for centuries with none to disturb me until you came here. I have lived through enough to know that a name is not necessary for me.”

“I see, tell me lord dragon, how many battles have you lived through?”

“I have lived through countless and I hunger for the chance to sink my claws into flesh again.”

“Gooood. This might be easier than I thought.” Insanity thought to himself. “I can give you that chance; all you have to do is follow my orders.”

“Why should I follow your orders? Give me a good reason. I don’t want just any flesh I want the flesh of another dragon.”

Insanity pondered this information and remembered that there was a dragon sided with the Princess.

“I can give you what you seek. There is a dragon sided with my enemy. If you join me and do what I say then I can guarantee you the chance to fight with him.”

“Truly? You do not lie to me?”

“No. Why would I lie to a dragon of your caliber?”

“I suppose it could be a good alliance as long as I get to fight another of my kind like the old days.”

“Do we have a deal, sir dragon?”

“Hmmmm. Yess, we have a deal. I will do what you say when you need of my assistance so long as you hold up your end of the bargain.”

“Good. I very much look forward to your service. I will hold up my end don’t worry. I have a plan to get you what you crave so much.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the four ponies emerged from the ruins of the castle a battlefield lay before them. Some of Insanity’s creation lay on the ground. Some of their men also lay on the ground or were barely standing.

“What happened up here?!” Rainbow said loudly.

One of the earth ponies looked around to answer her question.

“We were ambushed by a unicorn calling herself ‘Mania’. She used these freaks to attack us but they were relatively weak compared to some of the others we have faced in the past. We unfortunately got hammered around though, as you can see. But were all fit to go.”

“We encountered her inside the Castle. She’s a bad pony. Ah’ve never seen anything like her before. But let’s go before we get into any more trouble than we were already in.”

The group started the long walk back to Canterlot. With the injured they had, it would take longer to get there.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Generaal, good of you to return. Tell me, how did things go at the castle?”

“Sire. Things went as planned for the most part.”

“For the most part? What do you mean?”

“Well sire, we had casualties this time not the resistance.” The General winced as she awaited the impending punishment that never came.

Insanity only stood there and looked away. He walked over to his window looking at the volcanoes outside.

“I expected this actually. So I made an arrangement while you were out.”

“An arrangement sir?”

“Yes, but one you need not concern yourself with. I have put a plan into motion that will demolish the resistance in Canterlot. But there is just one thing in the way. This is where you come in.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The group that had gone to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters finally arrived at Canterlot at about sunset when their armor enchantments were wearing off.

“We made it back.” AJ said with relief as they entered the castle.

Celestia met them at the large doors to welcome them back personally as she has not seen them for quite some time.

“How did the investigation go, my little ponies?” The Princess asked the group.

“It could have gone better, but we did run into somepony you and Princess Luna might want to hear about.” Applejack told the Princess.

“Oh? who could that be?”

“Insanity’s General.”

Celestia’s face went nearly pale and she could only stand there as this was the first any of them had heard of Insanity having a general to lead his forces. Up until now they thought he was the one leading them but from afar when there was a pony leading them on the front lines.

“His General? I have never heard of him having a general before.”

“Neither had we, but we met her today in the castle. She knew us somehow. She kept mentioning how we used to play together and go on adventures with one another.” Rainbow Dash said amongst the questioning.

“We should not speak of this here. Get your injured to the medics and we’ll talk in the war room. I will go get my sister.”

The group left the Princess at the door to get their wounded to the medics inside the castle. Celestia could only stand there trying to take in what they had told her. She stood there thinking.

“A General? And it’s a mare? Could it be? It’s possible that. But we need more evidence to be sure.”

She made her way back to the throne room to retrieve Luna and begin their meeting on the findings in the castle.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Do you understand your part in the plan?” Insanity asked his General with a very serious tone.

“Y..Yes Sire. I understand.”

“Good. And I will only give you Agrarious for this mission. He is the best suited and you need to keep your battle skills sharp or you’ll go soft and I can’t have that now can I?”

“No, sir. I will do as you command.”

“Leave then! And see that it’s done.”

The General left her masters throne room and left him alone. Insanity sat on his throne wondering if this was the right thing to do in order to take the rest of Equestria.

“She may not return from this mission. It is very likely. But I have a backup plan just in case. It is not yet time for the endgame but it is nearing. I must be ready and I will let them be ready as well. It’s not a victory if I don’t beat them on equal terms. That will be the ultimate defeat for them and the ultimate showing of my power. If I give them my General then they will be at full power and so will I be at that time. But I cannot release her yet. I still have use of her. When I am done with her however another will take her place, one more powerful than even she is. I will have Celestia. And with her out of the way and leading my forces nothing will stand in my way not even if they return the General to her original state. I will own Equestria and I will rule unrivaled. I will eat the sanity of every creature in Equestria and be the ultimate power of the world!”

He laughed in a more sinister manner than ever before and reveled in the thought of having one of the Princesses by his side leading his forces against her own subjects.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the Castle in Canterlot the five Elements, Spike and the Princesses would learn the truth behind Twilight’s disappearance and find the answers they have been seeking.

NEXT CHAPTER REVELATIONS

Revelations

The five Elements, Spike and the Princesses were all gathered around the large table in the war room where the discussion about their investigation was in full swing.

“You say you saw the remains of ponies down there?” asked Celestia trying to remember the days of old.

“That’s righ Princess.”

“Interesting. Did you find anything else down there?

“Sure did.” Applejack pulled out the sample of red water she had found on the remains of the well. “I found this on what looked like a water well of some kind.”

“This water. It can’t be. No. This is.” Celestia mumbled aloud. The others began to get nervous as she continued to pull the memories from her mind.

“What’s wrong sister?”

“This water is a type of substance created from using an ancient magic. Its creation requires a great many things to occur. Most of them considered highly dangerous and taboo amongst the magic wielding community. This is the byproduct of an ancient and forbidden spell used to bend creatures to the will of the caster. It was believed that if used properly the spell could allow the caster to rule Equestria and allow them to rule unchallenged. But the dangers of using such a spell were too great for even the ones who created it. Even the great Starswirl the Bearded dared not try it or touch the ancient manuscripts containing it. The pony remains that you found must have been the ones who made it.”

“Who would use such a spell?” Rarity asked with concern.

“I do not know but I have my suspicions. Tell me did you find anything else down there?”

“Yeah, the good General was kind enough to give us something. Applejack’s got it her saddle bag.” Rainbow said with a sarcastic tone.

Applejack nodded and pulled out the box the General Mania had left behind.

“Open it please, fair Applejack” Said Luna in a tone of authority.

Applejack opened the box and inside was a leather bound book with only a small strap to seal it.

“That’s the book Twilight was reading!” Spike yelled in a shock.

The group was startled by this as they did not know what had caused Twilight to do what she did.

“You mean this is the thing that made Twilight go crazy?” Pinkie asked while cocking her head to the side and making a face.

“It was some kind of research journal I think. At least that’s what I gathered from Twilights description."

Celestia levitated the book in front of her. She did not sense any danger from this book as Insanity’s influence had passed from its pages. She opened it and skimmed the first few paragraphs. She too shut it abruptly with a loud slap. Her face becoming visibly disturbed and down cast.

“What’s wrong Princess?” Fluttershy asked quietly concerned for the ruler of day.

“This book, this journal, belonged to an old scientist that disappeared a great while ago. His name was Orion Lunarious. He was one of my best researchers and the head of my magic research division. He disappeared shortly after I gave him a task to find a way to grant anypony the ability to use a limited amount of magic.”

“Why would you want to that?” Rainbow said with a loud tone of voice.

“Times were different back then. Unicorns were looked on with disdain and hatred after the Nightmare Moon incident. I thought that if anypony could use magic it would lead to a greater understanding of what unicorns have to control. Unfortunately he disappeared only a few weeks into the project. This journal could tell us why.”

She opened the journal again this time still being a little cautious because of its contents. She again skimmed the journal trying to find the answers they wanted. As she skimmed the words of the journal she began to realize that the mind control spell was not actually a mind control spell but a summoning spell of sorts, one that predated even her and Luna. Her face went more white than it already was as she finished the last paragraphs of the journal.

Celestia was sweating and her breathing was shallow as she read the final notes of Orion’s journal.

“Sister, what’s wrong?” Luna asked cautiously as Celestia’s state was clear.

“I…I… It can’t be possible. Why him? How could he do this?”

“Sister, snap out of it!”

Luna’s words snapped Celestia out her trance and she explained its contents to the rest of them.

“This journal is a dangerous book. I can see why Twilight went mad. The research team I organized tampered with a force that predates my and Luna’s very existence. Our father told us of a being that helped keep the world in balance before Luna or I took over. His name was Luken, meaning light bringer. He was the care taker of the knowledge of our ancestors and he would raise and lower the sun before our father took charge of the position. He was a kind and loving being who would pass on any knowledge that he possessed, the only requirement was a genuine want for the knowledge. But he became corrupted after stealing a piece of knowledge that our father never wanted to be revealed. After finding this knowledge, Luken went mad trying to comprehend the information that he had stolen from our father. When father found out, he took Lukens body and only left him his mind and soul. He was banished from where they all resided. Before he left, he took a new name and vowed that he would destroy the world and rebuild it in his own image. The name he took was Insanity.” She finished the story with a darkness in her eyes and a sadness none could comprehend.

“Were fighting a god?” Rarity said with worry.

“NO! We are not fighting a god! We are fighting a demon unlike any that has existed before. When he stole the knowledge from my father his power grew to the point that he could have rivaled him but I suppose he still had some respect for father or he would have fought back. He has the knowledge from the very creation of the planet, the creation of all living creatures and the knowledge of how magic itself works. He is a monster. A monster that must be destroyed once and for all. We have one advantage over him however.

“Wha’s that Princess?” Applejack asked wondering what advantage they could possibly have over a creature of Insanity’s caliber.

“The Elements of Harmony.”

“How are they going to help us defeat a demon when there are only five of us?” Rarity asked.

“The Elements are the legacy of my father. When he retired from the position of raising the sun and moon he put his power into the Element of Magic. The others that were with him at the time when they died also put their powers into the other five Elements. That is what makes the Elements so powerful. But in order to fight him we need to get Twilight back. That is where the difficulty lies.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The General returned to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters as was instructed and began to search for the item that her master required. In her mind she played out the orders over and over again.

“You will go back to my prison and find the ancient well that created me. Bring back any of its water that is left. As it is critical to my plans for domination. I gives off a faint red glow, that it how you will find it.”

The general looked all around the ancient room and could not find any of what her master required. Agrarious came into the room as well, shrinking down to be able to fit. He walked over to his master and made a series of noises and screeches. The general’s eyes widened and she became furious. She kicked Agrarious in the gut and stormed out of the room. Agrarious followed after her coughing slightly.

“Why didn’t you say something before?!” She said in a fury.

The wheezing creature only looked away. She grunted and looked away from him while telling him to grow to his original size so they could return. Agrarious regrew himself to his original size and the General hopped on. When they returned Insanity was waiting for them.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“How are we supposed to get Twilight back if we don’t even know where she is?” Fluttershy asked.

“We might have something Insanity needs.” Celestia levitated the container of the red liquid. “Insanity will need this to increase his power to its maximum if I’m analyzing this correctly. He is not yet at full power which could be why we have not seen him personally yet. This might be our way to getting Twilight.”

“How do ya know it will help us get Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“I’ve had the suspicion that Twilight is the General you keep telling me about, and after you showed me the water and the journal I’m sure of it. If he really does need this water to gain his full power than he will send her to us. I have a way to return her back to normal but I can’t do it from a distance, she needs to be right in front of me for it to work. Do you remember the spell Twilight used to get you all out of Discord’s control?”

They nodded in remembrance of the event.

“It’s basically a more powerful version of the same spell. Now if my hunch is correct we need to prepare.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the General and Agrarious descended from the skies by Insanity’s castle he looked up and awaited her report. They landed and Insanity approached the two.

“Did you find what I require?”

“N…no.. sir. The resistance got the last of it before I got there.”

Insanity flew into a rage and smashed the general against the ground with his mighty tail.

“HOW DID THEY GET IT FIRST?!” He roared while beating the general with his tail.

“I… AUghg! I don’t know!”

The General lay on the ground panting and writhing in pain.

“I’m sorry master. I don’t know how they found it first.”

“SILENCE!” He roared again and smashed the General into the ground. “Just because this is your first failure don’t think I’ll take it easy on you! Your first failure also happened to be on one of the most critical missions for my plan to succeed!”

After a few more times of hitting the general with his tail he picked her up by her head.

“You listen here General. You are to amass a small army and attack Canterlot head on. Do I make myself clear?”

“Ye…Yes sir.” She said with short breaths and hurting from the lashing she just endured.

“Good!” he said and dropped her on the ground with a thud. “Retrieve that water or don’t you dare show your face to me again! If you do I will END YOU! UNDERSTAND?!”

“Your wish is my command.”

“LEAVE! And do not fail me again!”

The General backed away quickly and ran to escape Insanity’s wrath and to carry out the mission that could very well be her last.

“Her usefulness to me is nearing its end. She will not return from this mission even if she does succeed. It is time to gain her replacement. The Princess. I will have her. But I will need some assistance in this matter.” He closed his eyes and thought deeply for a while. “I have it. The Lava Dragon will do nicely. He will fight his dragon, and then take the princess. If he can resist my power so easily then taking Celestia will be an easy task for him. We will both get what we desire. But there is the matter of the well water, the source of my power. Thanatos!”

A being came into the room made of shadow and dark mist.

“How may I serve you sir?” He said with a deep sinister voice.

“I need you to retrieve something for me. My General has failed in her task to retrieve it. I would like you to fulfill her mission while she attacks Canterlot.

“What is it you need?”

“The remains of the water from the well that revived me. It is essential not only to my power but for the domination of Equestria. It glows red and will probably be under heavy guard. But that should not be a problem for you. Should it my shadow monster?”

“Not at all sire. I will have what you seek. What about your General? Is there anything you like me to do to or for her while I am there?”

“Now that you mention it, yes there is a little something. Makes sure she does not return to this place.”

“Sire?”

“You heard me. I do not wish her to return. Another will be taking her place shortly, but before that happens I need that well water.”

“Very well. Any particular way you want me to handle the guards?”

“Do as you see fit. Just make sure their sanity comes to me after you get through with them. Dismissed.”

Thanatos left the room and went to begin his mission. Insanity began to prepare for the next phase after his general was disposed of.

“The time is nearing for my ultimate victory. Canterlot will fall, the Princess will be mine and I will have exterminated the Resistance once and for all.”

Insanity sat down on his thrown laughing and yelling into the air at his old friend who banished him from the palace of the deities.

“Do you see this you old geezer?! I will win and I will make you turn over in your grave! I will have your daughter by my side! She will lead my armies throughout Equestria! She will hurt the ones she loves most and I will destroy those disgusting Elements of Harmony that you and the rest created! I will have the revenge I have so longed for!”

NEXT CHAPTERBATTLE OF THE ELEMENTS

Battle of the Elements

The General was making preparations to attack Canterlot directly in order to get the last drops of the well water that Insanity required. She inspected her small army of about one thousand. There were five hundred ground units, two hundred flyers and three hundred were of the versatile variety, meaning they could switch between flying units and ground units.

“This should be enough to get what master needs. The siege will begin at first light tomorrow.”

The General led the forces through the volcanic lands and then through the forest and camped the night in the forest to begin the siege in the morning.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“All of you listen up the five of you will meet the General head on while the rest of the forces keep her grunts occupied.”

The five Elements looked at each other with concerned faces and worried looks in their eyes.

“How are we supposed to fight the general without backup?” Rarity asked.

“Don’t worry Rarity we can knock her for a loop, easy.” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“If this general Mania is Twilight than we can’t hurt her.” Fluttershy commented.

“I believe the General is twilight. Fluttershy is correct, you five need to capture and restrain her. However that will not be easy as she will put up a fight. You will need to lure her into a place where her magic will be useless to her. I have a room farther inside the castle where the old prison is. The cells were designed to neutralize any magic even mine and Luna’s. That is where you will need to get her to.”

“Alrighty Princess we’ll do our best!” Applejack said with confidence.

It was time for Celestia to lower the Sun so the Moon may rise. The five Elements, Spike and the Princesses went their separate ways to finish the preparations for the battle they knew would be in only a little while.

The sun rose the next morning both sides not getting much sleep as they knew this battle would determine the rest of their lives.

The General aroused her troops and began marching once again towards the castle in Canterlot.

The Resistance forces all stood outside the castle awaiting their opponent’s arrival. They waited for only a couple of hours until the first of Insanity’s forces were visible.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It is time. Attack once they are in sight and show no mercy to them, demonstrate the power of our master Insanity!” cried the general to her troops as they charged toward the Castle in a blur.

“Here they come!” yelled Applejack to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash flew up to the top of the castle where her Air Corps was waiting. She gestured with a hoof and within seconds the Air Corps in its entirety flew out of their dispatch hanger. That was the signal for Fluttershy to release her own units of large animals into the fray. She let them charge at the enemy forces in number. The five Elements gathered together and waited for the General to show up so they could have their inevitable show down.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

They two armies clashed in a daze the only thing visible was a mass of gray, black and different colored ponies smashed together in a blob. Claws flew at the ponies scraping on their armor and breaking bones while the ponies kicked and bucked at the creatures breaking their limbs and faces.

In the middle of it all was the General shooting off magic bolts that would hit their mark nearly every time. The bodies of both ponies and monsters were beginning to pile up and cause the battlefield to become congested and slippery with blood.

The general climbed over the bodies and made her way toward the castle taking any down who stood in her way. She continued to make her way to the castle bringing down ten ponies on her short trek. She made it to the doors to the castle itself. She blasted them open with a resounding bang, walked inside and standing there to confront her were the Five.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Oh. You again. I want that water you took from the Castle of the Royal pony Sisters!” the General yelled.

“Ok, General we’re here to take you on personally, and if you want that water stuff than you will have ta go through us first!” Applejack proclaimed to the General.

“Hm. Five against one? Now that’s hardly fair seeing as I will destroy you all quickly!”

“Oh, no you won’t!” Rainbow yelled charging at the General.

“Did you learn your lesson last time?” the general said side stepping in what appeared to be a repeat of the last time.

This time however Rainbow learned her lesson and as the general side stepped she changed course quickly to correct her position and struck the General in the face with her front right hoof.

“You hit me.” An angry look came to the general’s eyes as she let a magic bolt fly at Rainbow. Rainbow dodged the bolt only by a few inches.

The general then charged at the four still standing in place. Pinkie hopped in the air and threw small flash bombs made out of some party supplies she had left. They went off blinding the general for only a few seconds. Applejack took advantage of the few seconds she had and bucked the general right in the leg causing her to collapse to the ground in pain. Rainbow rebounded and was now flying straight for the general’s face. The general saw this coming and flipped to her back and kicked upward catching Rainbow just as she flew over hitting her in the stomach. The general came back up on her feet and summoned magic swords and sent them flying at the others. Fluttershy ducked letting the sword fly over her head. Applejack ran behind a pillar and let it stab through the pillar causing it to get stuck. Applejack was caught by the sword in the shoulder; luckily she managed to move so that it was only a light scratch. Pinkie again jumped up and came back down trapping the sword under her hooves. Rarity used what little magic she knew to slow down the sword so she could get out of the way. The general was now furious.

“Why can’t I hit them?” she asked herself losing her composure. “I will destroy you all!” she screamed releasing a large amount of magical energy. The beam of energy blasted past them clipping Fluttershy in the wing causing some trauma. She screamed in pain as the energy burned into her skin. She was crying and wincing in pain.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow screamed.

The others looked at Fluttershy in disbelief. The General was trying her best to end all of their lives! The four charged the general all at once trying to overwhelm her. The General was ready and put up a magic shield to which they all thrown backwards a few feet.

“Rainbow! Sonic Rainboom her!” Applejack yelled over to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash saluted in acknowledgment and summoned up a sonic rainboom. As she flew the sound wave it unleashed was amplified due to the close quarters in the castle. The pillars began to shake and crack due to the intense vibrations of the rainboom. Pieces of the ceiling began to crack and pebbles fell from those cracks. Luckily for them the structure was strong enough to hold under the intensity of the sound wave. The others plugged their ears to avoid damage. The General reeled back in pain as her ear drums were nearly shattered by the force of the sonic rainboom. She screamed in pain and seeing their chance they sprung on her. They were able to bind her legs as her ears bled and could not hear for a short time. They quickly dragged her to the old prison.

“NO!” the General roared and broke loose of her bindings. She stood up on her back legs and smashed down on Rarity.

“Aaaahhh!” Rarity screamed as a scorching pain filled her body. The general managed to break some vertebrae but not enough to paralyze her. Rarity collapsed to the ground squirming.

The General was slowly backing up. She knew she was outnumbered and possibly outgunned.

“I…I… I AM THE GENERAL MANIA! I will not be beaten by the likes of you!” She charged one last time.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie charged as well. They collided with a great thud. Applejack had broken a leg in the collision, Pinkie Pie had broken her nose and Rainbow Dash had broken a wing but the general lost something much more important.

“My… My HORN!” The General wailed as she cried from the pain. “You broke it!”

“Surrender General! You can’t use magic no more.” Applejack said panting under the pain of her broken leg.

“No…No I can’t surrender and I won’t!” The general stammered up from the ground, her horn laying on the ground and her head bleeding from its previous location.

She again tried to attack them but Rainbow came in and stood up on her back to legs and fell forward while reeling thrusting her hoof at the Generals face. It hit her square in the face, the General stumbled backwards her head now facing away from them. The General’s helmet flew off as the General collapsed on the ground in a heap.

“I think that did it.” Rainbow Dash said panting.

Lying before them was the General, her face finally revealed and lying on the ground was none other than Twilight Sparkle former protégé of the Princess.

“Look! It’s Twilight!” proclaimed Pinkie Pie.

The others looked on in amazement. The Princess was right. The General was indeed Twilight.

“I just can’t believe it. The Princess was right after all.” Applejack said. “We need to get her into the cell before she wakes up. Even though she is our lost friend she is still under Insanity’s control.”

The ones who were able to walk dragged Twilight to the cell that the Princess had indicated earlier. The same patched up the others the best that they could.

“Tell the Princess we have her. And please bring us some of the medics, would ya sugercube?”

“You can count on me.” Pinkie Said as she left to inform the Princess.

The others breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since Insanity’s release.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

As their battle transpired another was watching the entire fray.

“Good. Just what master wanted, the General defeated and captured. Now for my mission.”

Thanatos dissolved into his form of shadows and mist and made his way through the castle looking for the water that Insanity required. He traveled for what seemed to be a few hours. He stumbled upon a room located deep inside the Castle and it was guarded by at least a dozen or more guards.

“This must be the right place.” Thanatos thought to himself.

He solidified one his hands and tapped on the wall farther down the corridor from which he came. The guards all looked in that direction. The commander issued orders for two of them to go check out what had happened. The two of them made their way down the corridor.

“SMASH!” The guards collapsed in a heap where Thanatos had smashed their heads in with his hands. The other guards took quick notice of the sound and half of the remaining made their way to where the noise originated.

“BOOM!” Thanatos hit them with his transformed hand. He morphed it into a wicked sword and in one nasty swipe and had broken their necks or severed a few of their heads with it. The commander was now only left with two other guards. They decided that it was their turn to try to fight whatever was causing this to occur. They made their way down the corridor but

Thanitos had other plans for the remaining guards and their captain.

He did not materialize but used his shadow form to scare the two other guards and steal their sanity for his master. He literally reached into their minds and took their sanity and all of their knowledge from them. The two guards instantly started darting back and forth and began acting like children and hitting their heads on things. Their commander was now terrified.

“Where are you?!” He yelled into the corridor.

“I’m everywhere and no-where.” said a ghostly voice behind him.

The guard commander stumbled backwards and fell on his haunches looking in every direction his neck would allow. He was sweating and breathing shallowly.

“Show yourself!”

“Very well, you asked for it.” Thanatos materialized in front of the guard. “Hello, my name is Thanatos, meaning death.”

With that he killed the guard commander mercilessly. The commander slumped to the ground in a pool of blood and brains.

“That’s the last of them.”

Thanatos made his way into the room using his mist form and before him stood a pedestal with the well water he was sent to retrieve.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The General awoke inside of the cell her horn missing and she helpless.

“I can’t go back to master now and I can’t use magic anymore. I failed.” She said while slumping her head to her chest.

My army was defeated and now I’m stuck in a prison cell in the enemy capitol.”

Then a voice came on the wind.

“Poor General. You were in master’s highest esteem and now look at you. Haha.”

“Who’s there?!”

“Only me.” Thanatos materialized again and stood inside the cell with the General.

“Thanatos! Why are you here?”

“I was sent by master to clean up your mess. And I was to make sure that you did not return to master’s side.”

The General’s face went pale; she couldn’t believe her ears, or what she could hear out of them.

“What? Master didn’t want me back?”

“That’s right he said another was to take your place after this battle and he wanted me to make sure you were not to interfere. Good bye General. Have a nice life. HAHAHA!”

Thanatos disappeared and left the general in her cell. She was now a broken pony with nowhere to go. Thanatos had delivered a death blow to her by telling her she was no longer welcome at Insanity’s palace. She could only lie in her cell and wallow in herself pity.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanatos returned to Insanity’s palace and delivered his report.

“My mission was successful sire.” He handed over the red water to Insanity.

“Finally the last piece of my existence finally returned to me. What of the other part of the mission?”

“Also successful. I delivered your message to the General as she sat in a magic cancelling cell, and you’ll find this next part quite amusing.”

“Oh and what would that be?”

“In the midst of her battle she lost her horn!”

At that statement Insanity smiled and laughed in pure amusement and happiness.

“How fitting, she would lose her horn in her final battle! It’s to perfect! She was useless to me after her failure at the Castle of the Royal Pony sisters and now she sits helpless and unable to use magic! How perfect! You have done well Thanatos, you are dismissed, you have my appreciation and gratitude.”

“Thank you Sire, it was an honor to serve you.” Thanatos bowed and left his master.

“Finally, my power will be at its maximum. It is time to seize the Princess as Mania’s replacement.” He then drank the last amount of the well water. He grew another foot in height and he roared as though he were now a dragon himself. His robe changed into a black skin and changed his scales to a glossy black. Smoke erupted from his mouth a sign of a constant readiness to spew fire onto any who would oppose him. His face became more elongated and looked like that of a wolf. He still stood on two legs, his fingers became nothing but sharpened claws and a new aura surrounded him.

“I am complete. My power is at its maximum but it is not yet time to reveal my new form and my true power to the world of Equestria. I must remain until I grow accustom to my new body. As I had to when I took over Draco Alterian’s body and mind.”

He walked over to the window and called for the great Lava Dragon. The dragon came flying over to the window that the new Insanity stood.

“What is it, Insanity?” His voice making the ground and castle shake.

“It is time for me to hold up my end of our bargain and I have an order for you so that you may fulfill your end.”

“Very Well! What must I do?”

“Go to the Castle at Canterlot. Take the goddess of the sun and bring her to me. Those are your orders.”

“I will be able to fight a dragon?”

“Yes, they have a dragon that serves their army. Do with him as you please. The princess is my only concern right now.”

“Agreed then! I will fly out on your order.”

“Go as soon as you feel fit to do so. Roar when you leave so I may make the proper preparations for your return.”

“Fine.”

The Lava Dragon flew back to the top of his mountain to await his proper time to leave for Canterlot. Insanity walked to his throne and sat down once again, this time planning his strategy for when it would be his time to reveal himself to the world and to take the rest of Equestria.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The General waited in her cell until the princess arrived to see her.

“Hello Twilight Sparkle. It has been a while.” Celestia said to her former student.

“I don’t go by that name anymore. My name is Mania!” She ailed at the Princess tears streaming down her eyes as she knew this would be the end of her life. “Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with. I know you want to!”

“It would not solve anything if you died Mania. However, I need your persona to die.”

“My persona? What are you talking about?”

“It is time for you to resume your life as my student Twilight Sparkle.”

“What? I can’t use magic anymore. My horn is gone and I would rather rot in here than serve master’s enemy!”

Celestia entered the cell and stood towering above the unicorn.

“YOU have no say in this matter and you will be Twilight Sparkle again!”

Celestia’s horn glowed and she touched the General’s head and the persona of the General Mania died and Twilight Sparkle once again emerged from her mind. When the whole procedure was finished the General lay before Celestia no longer. Instead her former student twilight Sparkle lay in the cell; Celestia teleported her to a bed within the palace so she might recover from the traumatic experience.

“I’m sorry Twilight, I could not erase the memories of your deeds but you will be your old self again, and that is what is important to me my faithful student.”

NEXT CHAPTER

FEAR AND FORGIVENESS

Fear and Forgiveness

Twilight awoke to the sound of birds chirping and a breeze coming from the window. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to wake herself up from what seemed to be a very long nap. She sat up in the bed and looked at her surroundings. Around her was a large spacious room with minimal furnishings. A table to her left a few paintings on the wall and a large red carpet with gold trim. She got out of the bed her eyes watery from sleep. She stumbled a little bit not knowing why. She tried to open the window so she could see where she was but no magic appeared. She tried again and the same result. She took one hoof and raised it to her head. She felt around her head for the mark of a unicorn. She felt nothing.

Her hoof dropped to the ground and she fell onto her haunches. Tears beginning to fall from her eyes. She sobbed there on the ground for an unknown amount of time when a great light appeared in the room with her. Twilight covered her eyes with her foreleg trying not to look directly at it. When the light dissipated there stood Princess Celestia looking down at her student.

“You’re up! I’m surprised that you recovered so quickly. My dearest Twilight you’ve been crying. What for?” She said with the look of a caring mother in her eyes.

“My horn is gone. I can’t use magic anymore. The thing that made me, me, is gone.” Twilight said tears beginning to fall again.

“Your horn was lost in your fight with the other Elements.” Celestia said with mourning in her voice.

“What?! My fight with my friends? When did that happen Princess?”

“Think Twilight, the memories are there, I was not able to erase them when I turned you back to your old self.”

“Princess I don’t understand what you’re telling me right now.”

“You have been gone a long time Twilight. You disappeared a few months ago after reading a research journal. You resurfaced later as the general for our enemy’s army.”

“What? I don’t remember any of that! I never disappeared! The last thing I remember is a strange pony leaving some type of book on my front porch in Ponyville.” Twilight said while straining her mind to remember the events that took place only months before and a few moments ago.

Celestia conjured up a little magic in order to help Twilight remember the events of the past. She touched her students head with her horn and looked into her mind to find the memories she needed to remember.

Celestia delved deeper and deeper into Twilight’s mind and found what she was looking for after navigating the twists and turns of Twilight’s now confused state of mind. She dragged up only the most important memories and a few of the worst, not to make her student suffer, but to make sure she knows the deeds that she and Insanity committed together.

Celestia pulled away from her student and looked into her eyes. Twilight’s eyes had darkness in them like a storm cloud. She was running through the events of the past that her mind naturally tried to seal away. She eventually came to but not without collapsing to the ground in a stupor.

“Twilight?”

“Princess. H…How could I do all those horrible things? I don’t know what to say or do.”

“There is nothing to say Twilight. And you were not the one who did all those things, Insanity did them.”

“But he used me to do them.” Twilight wailed as she cried now more than ever. “I killed Fleetfoot and countless other ponies that had done no wrong.”

Celestia came closer to her crying student snuggling up against her and placing her wing around her in a gentle embrace. She nuzzled her neck trying to comfort her student.

“Listen Twilight Sparkle, your right he used you to do his evil deeds but you also have the power to make it right.” Twilight looked up at Celestia with a look of hope in her eyes, tears forming in the corners. “What has happened has happened and the ponies that have left this world can never return to it, but it is possible to make things right. Not only with us here in Canterlot but also with the rest of Equestria.”

“How can I make things right when I have caused so much harm to everypony in Equestria?”

“That is up to you my student. All I can tell you is that true friendship transcends almost any misdeed. If your friends are truly your friends than there is nothing to fear from them. They will forgive you and accept you back into the group without hesitation. The only thing you can do is try.”

Twilight looked at her teacher then at the floor thinking over what Celestia had just told her.

“But I can’t face them without my horn, I’m not me without it. I need it not only to look like myself but my special talent is spells and I can’t use any without it.”

“I know you can’t. There is a special gift only Luna or I can bestow upon another pony. It is the gift of revival but it can only be successful if the one receiving it is pure of heart. And I have no doubt that you are pure of heart Twilight Sparkle.”

“But how can I be? I committed all those horrible crimes and…” Celestia put her hoof to Twilight’s mouth to quiet the poor unicorn.

“Trust me Twilight Sparkle. I know it will work for you.”

Celestia gathered the necessary amount of magic that was required for the spell of revival. She again touched Twilight on the head and a great light flashed from the room illuminating some of the streets outside the castle. When the light faded and Celestia stood back from her student Twilight opened her eyes and felt the top of her head again searching for the mark of a unicorn. This time she could feel it there. The spell had worked. Twilight’s horn was replaced by Celestia.

“My horn it’s back! Oh, Thank you Princess! Thank you!” Twilight squeeled in happiness.

“Now my student it is time for you to see your friends again.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Princess and Twilight made their way down through the many hallways and corridors of the castle passing a few guards who only stared as Twilight was beside her teacher again. After what seemed to Twilight after an eternity of walking they arrived at the war room, where everypony was waiting for them. Celestia entered first followed by Twilight. The discussion on the aftermath of their battle cut short by their entrance into the room.

“Twilight is that you dear?” Rarity asked quizzically.

“H..hi everypony. Yes it’s me Twilight.” she said nervously.

Just then the whole room burst into laughter and joy, everypony in the room was crowding Twilight giving her hugs and kisses to the cheek, the kisses coming mostly from rarity.

“I don’t understand. How can you all just accept me back after all of the terrible things I’ve done?”

“Yer our friend aint ya?” Applejack said.

“Yeah! You’re not miss meanie pants anymore. So there is no reason not to accept you.” Pinkie spoke up.

“That’s right, besides what would the Elements of harmony be without the Element of Magic?” Rainbow Dash spoke.

“Thank you everypony. I don’t know what to say accept thank you.”

“Forgive me for being abrupt with this but we need to continue our little meeting on what we need to do next in order to

stop Insanity from taking over the rest of Equestria.” Luna interjected.

The group all sat down around their large map of Equestria including the newly restored Twilight and Princess Celestia.

They discussed everything from past victories and past losses to the present date so that they could analyze what tactics worked best in their favor. After about two hours their meeting was concluded. They all retired to their quarters except for Twilight and Celestia.

“Where are we going Princess?”

“I know of somepony else who missed you a great deal during your absence.” Celestia said with a look in her eyes that made Twilight a little nervous.

They continued walking until they reached the forge in one the basement rooms of the Castle.

“Forge Master, There is someone to see you.” Spike's lieutenant said.

“Really, who could be visiting at such an hour?”

“The Princess, Sir and she has guest with her as well. Princess Celestia said she is an old friend of yours.”

“An old friend? She?.... It could be?” Spike ran out of his quarters and proceeded to the entrance of his forge. When

her arrived he was greeted by the Princess and a purple mare with a look of confusion on her face.

“Spike is that you? You’ve grown a lot in my time away.” Twilight said.

“It is you. I thought you were gone forever!” Spike said as her took his friend in his arms and hugged her.

“It..it’s good to see you to Spike! I can’t breathe!” Twilight said gasping for air while she struggled for air.

Spike released her from his grip.

“I thought that you disappeared forever Twilight. Where have you been?”

Twilight could only look at the ground at this question. She could not tell him of her time as the General Mania. “It’s a long story. Maybe I will tell you some other time.”

“Well I’m really glad your back. When this whole thing is over, let’s have Pinkie Pie throw a big party for your returning home.” Spike said with amusement.

“I’d like that actually.”

“I’m sorry to cut your reunion short but it is late and Twilight needs her rest.”

“Right. I want to talk to you tomorrow during any off time I have ok.”

“You have a deal my number one assistant.” Twilight said with a large grin.

Spike could only smile and reminisce about the last time she had called him that. They parted ways and all returned to their quarters in the castle.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Morning came and it was the usual business around the Castle in Canterlot, commanders training their units, guards making their rounds etcetera. Celestia was in the throne room when a guard came running in a panic.

“Majesty!” said the guard who came in.

“What is it?” Celestia said with concern.

“Something is heading this way! I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Can you describe this beast to me sir?” Celestia said now in alarm.

“It looked like a dragon. Except its body was the size of the castle and it had an orange and red hue to its scales. It roared as it flew closer to the guard tower….”

While in the middle of his description a roar came from the distance it shook the castle and the ground. The roar was so powerful it could of split the sky in two.

“That was it! It was that roar I heard!”

Celestia looked at the guard with a surprised look on her face.

“Xiuhcoatl! It can’t be him.” Celestia mumbled to herself in alarm.

“Guard, gather every able bodied pony to aid in this battle for it will be the most challenging yet!”

The guard bowed and ran out of the room to carry out the orders.

“You! Run and get me forge master Spike!” Celestia yelled at another guard.

He too ran to carry out the order.

“I fear Spike is the only chance we have of defeating this ancient dragon.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Within minutes the whole crew was gathered in the throne room. All of them with nervous and alarmed looks on their faces.

“What is it Princess?! What was that sound we heard?”

“That was Xiuhcoatl. He is an ancient dragon, one with power equal to that of the mightiest of dragons. He survived the great dragon wars, and he ended it as well.”

“What do you mean Princess?” Spike asked his curiosity about ancient dragon history piqued.

“He ended the war by personally killing the dragons who ruled the two factions. He killed one and took control of that faction and then proceeded directly to killing the other leader. After he killed them both he took control of both factions and united them. Naturally there were those who disagreed with him and he killed them in formal challenges to display power and strength.”

“What happened to him after that?” Spike asked once again.

“After ruling the dragons mercilessly for two hundred years he disappeared. Never to be seen again until now. I can only assume that this is Insanity’s doing. Xiuhcoatl would not just reappear without a reason.”

“What do we do to defeat him Princess?” Rainbow Asked.

“I don’t know I have never had to face a foe like this before. But I do know that in legend he can only be defeated by a dragon of a special kind, a rare breed if you will.” Celestia looked at Spike with a remorseful and downtrodden look. “Forge Master Spike, you will need to face him.”

Spike looked at the Princess in shock. He had never fought before, at least he didn’t fight anything larger than Twilights pet owl.

“I can’t Princess. I’ve never been on a battle field before.”

“I know that is why it hurts me to ask you to do this. Listen to me Spike, you are the only dragon that can stand up to Xiuhcoatl.”

Spike looked at the floor deep in thought and finally after a few long minutes looked up at the Princess.

“I’ll do it. I’ll fight the dragon.” He said with a downtrodden tone of voice.

“Spike you can’t!” Twilight yelled at him.

“I have to! There is no other way!”

“But, but. Princess please there has to be another way!” Twilight said with anxiety and sadness.

“I’m sorry Twilight if there was another way I would have told you already.”

Twilight collapsed to the ground with tears in her eyes mumbling to herself. The others all looked at one another with

the same look that Celestia had in hers.

“Spike, were all counting on you. Before you go into battle I will use the aging spell to put you to your full grown size so that you will stand some chance at defeating him.”

“I will do what I can to stop him from accomplishing whatever he is coming here to do.” He walked over to Twilight gave her another hug. “I’ll keep my promise, I still want to talk to you.” He said in her ear.

Twilight shook her head in agreement tears flowing freely from her eyes.

“I’ll be alright Twilight. Don’t worry. I’ll be back and we’ll do things at the library just like old times ok?

“Ok. I trust you. You had just better come back. I just got my number one assistant back.” Twilight said calming down a little bit.

Spike left the group and proceeded to the designated spot where he would be hit by the spell and would face his largest challenge yet.

NEXT CHAPTER

THE GUARDIAN

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note

In case any of you readers are wondering Xiuhcoatl is a Nahuatl name meaning "fire serpent" or "weapon of destruction."

The Guardian

Spike waited for the Princess to begin the procedure so he could do his part in this war. He stood in the hanger wondering what he would have to go through in order to keep the ponies in Canterlot safe from harm. Spike was determined to keep all his friends safe, especially now that he had Twilight back, his only family.

“I will protect my friends and my family from this dragon. I will stop Xiuhcoatl from getting his way.” He said with determination.

While he contemplated what he would need to do Celestia entered the hanger while Spike’s back was turned away from the entrance. She came up and touched his shoulder with her hoof. He jumped a little startled. He turned around and looked at her. Celestia looked into his eyes and could see some fear in them but she could see something else, she didn’t know what it was.

“Are you ready to begin?” Celestia asked the dragon.

“Yes, Princess I will do what is ever necessary.” He told her with an unnatural determination in is voice.

“Very well.” Celestia’s horn glowed a vibrant white and she touched Spike’s body with her horn.

After what seemed to be a long time her horn dimmed and finally stopped glowing. She looked at Spike and was amazed at his full grown size. Spike now towered over Celestia but he was not standing full height. He was crouching so as to not break the roof in the hanger. Celestia stepped back to examine the now fully grown Spike.

“Spike? Can you hear me?” Celestia called to Spike.

Spike looked around the hanger and only blinked while taking in his new vantage point for his familiar surroundings. He looked around the hanger until his eyes saw the white Alicorn standing on the ground. He arched his neck down to meet her gaze. Again Celestia had to speak to him.

“Spike? Do you know who I am?” Celestia asked him. Celestia knew that when a dragon ages he becomes different in the mind. They lose some of their memory in the aging process when they age artificially via magic.

He looked at Celestia again and spoke, his voice loud and rumbling.

“Princess.” Spike said bowing his head as low as he could manage.

“Good your memory wasn’t affected as much as I had anticipated. Spike I would like you to wait outside the castle for Xiuhcoatl. I sense his presence getting closer to the Canterlot. Wait outside the barrier. The mind of a fully grown dragon is resilient to many kinds of magic and are not easily manipulated.”

Spike nodded his head in understanding and proceeded to the gate of Canterlot, his new found size making it difficult to navigate its streets without stepping on something. When he emerged from the hanger he stood up, his body the size of about half the castle. He was only a fraction of the size of his new found enemy, Xiuhcoatl, the ancient dragon that ended the great dragon wars single handedly. He proceeded to the main gate, stepping over it and laid down waiting for his enemy to come.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours passed when he heard it, the roar that could split the sky. Spike looked up and stood on all fours. Looking into the distance for his foe. Xiuhcoatl came into clear view and he was approaching very rapidly as he had caught Spike’s scent and was excited. Xiuhcoatl landed right in front of Spike and looked him over.

“Not very impressive for a dragon are you?” He said in his great booming voice.

“I don’t know why you’re here and I really could care less. All I know is that I need to keep you from achieving whatever it is you came here to do.” Spike retorted.

“You? Stop me? Hahaha, that rather amusing my boy. But I care not what you think child. I have lived through more than any dragon in existence. Listen here, child, I have come because I made a deal with Insanity, he has promised something that could be a reality shortly if what you say is true. However I have my end to keep. And in my time a promise was kept no matter the cost.”

Xiuhcoatl stepped back in order to ready himself to get into the city. Spike realizing what he was doing stepped forward to try to keep him from getting any closer to the gate. The ancient dragon only laughed and roared his mightiest of roars. The ground split apart and Spike being caught in the brunt of it was blown away back to the gates of Canterlot. He smashed right through them in the shock wave of Xiuhcoatl’s mighty roar. Spike staggered back up to his feet and looked at the dragon that just blew him through the gates. Spike was shaken but was not injured. Spike let out his loudest roar in direct challenge of Xiuhcoatl. Spike’s roar was not as powerful but still spoke volumes of his determination not to fail in his mission.

“So, the boy has a little bite after all. Come child! Show me your power!” Xiuhcoatl said to acknowledge the challenge set forth by Spike.

Spike charged Xiuhcoatl using his wings for a speed boost. Xiuhcoatl braced himself for the impact. Spike smashed head long into Xiuhcoatl’s chest making the ancient dragon heave a breath. Spike was now directly underneath Xiuhcoatl’s body and slashed at it with his claw. Spike winced in pain as his claw made contact with Xiuhcoatl’s scales. They were harder than granite from all of the years Xiuhcoatl had been fighting. Xiuhcoatl leaped into the air in order to find his target. He saw Spike standing there in awe of the damage on his claw from the hardness of Xiuhcoatl’s scales.

Xiuhcoatl readied his attack meant to be his last against his smaller opponent. Spike looked up in time to see Xiuhcoatl readying an attack. Spike leaped into the air in order to avoid Xiuhcoatl’s attack. Xiuhcoatl let his attack fly even though he knew Spike was no longer in the spot he was aiming at. Spike looked on in fear as Xiuhcoatl’s attack blasted from his mouth. It was a fire breath attack that appeared as a comet entering the atmosphere. The fire bomb hit the ground in a massive explosion the left a crater in the ground that spanned at least a mile and scorched the frontal portion of Canterlot itself.

Spike could only look at how the fire left such destruction in its wake. He stared at the ground and at the portion of Canterlot that was burned by the attack. He could only look on in anger and hatred at the dragon that had caused that destruction. Xiuhcoatl only wore a smile on his face as he remembered the destruction he caused so long ago. Spike looked at the ancient dragon and looked at his grin and Spike’s anger only grew.

“I WILL NOT LET YOU LEAVE HERE ALIVE XIUHCOATL!” Spike roared at the top of his lungs and charged the great dragon.

Spike darted at speeds unknown to himself previously. Xiuhcoatl heard his name and only turned his head with amazement in his eyes at hearing his name again. Spike smashed into Xiuhcoatl again and this time lashed out at the massive dragon’s face with all his might. Spike swiped and scratched at Xiuhcoatl’s face, scratching his face but also sustaining damage to his claws. Xiuhcoatl regained his composure and knocked Spike back with a mighty blow to his chest. Spike reeled back in the air but found his wings and hovered there in the air.

“How do you know my name? I buried that name long ago.” Xiuhcoatl asked Spike with frustration.

“That’s none of your business. The only thing that matters is stopping you.”

Xiuhcoatl glared at Spike with disdain in his eyes at not receiving an answer to his question. Before Xiuhcoatl could react again Spike was already charging at him once again.

“ENOUGH!” Xiuhcoatl roared.

Spike was careening toward Xiuhcoatl at high velocity. Spike neared his target quickly but Xiuhcoatl was ready this time.

Xiuhcoatl brought a massive claw across his body and smashed Spike with the back of his claw when he was within reach. Spike was sent flying and Xiuhcoatl did not stop attacking. He chased Spike as he was trying to recover from the devastating hit. Xiuhcoatl caught up and smashed Spike into the ground with a mighty force .

Spike was sent into the ground. The impact left a large crater and a mighty earthquake in its wake. Spike lay in the crater some bones broken and bleeding.

“I will kill you boy. Then I will complete this deal and sever all ties to Insanity.” Xiuhcoatl said as he again prepared his fire bomb.

Spike stood up in the crater wincing in pain from the injuries he had sustained. He looked up at Xiuhcoatl determined not to let him win this fight. He couldn't get his wings to move, his body was in shock from the hit. Xiuhcoatl was ready to fire and he did. Spike released his own fire breath attack.

The orange fire bomb collided with Spike’s green flames. The fire mixed together creating a colorful spectacle in the sky. However, this beautiful array of colors was powerful and deadly. The fire bomb and Spike’s fire breath were mixing in the sky creating a large fire ball in the center. Neither Spike nor Xiuhcoatl were giving in. Even though Spike was injured he didn’t give in, he had friends and his only family, Twilight, to protect. The fire ball expanded and expanded until it finally burst releasing fire and energy in all directions.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spike was again pushed back into the ground by the force of the blast. Xiuhcoatl was pushed into the sky. The land around them was all but destroyed. The trees were burnt to the ground the forest outside Canterlot were almost completely decimated by the blast.

“You are strong boy. I believe I might have underestimated you.” Xiuhcoatl said to himself as he recovered in the air from the blast.

Spike slowly stood up and looked at Xiuhcoatl with a fire burning in his eyes. Xiuhcoatl looked down at his tiny opponent.

“Those eyes! I’ve seen them before. Those are his eyes!” Xiuhcoatl said to himself with a small amount of fear in his voice.

“I will… I will STOP YOU!” Spike roared once again and dashed up into the sky, again charging top speed at the ancient dragon. Xiuhcoatl could not get over his shock at the fire in Spike’s eyes and was hit in his chest by Spike’s claws. Xiuhcoatl heaved for breath and reeled back in pain.

“He broke one of my ribs? What is this dragon? His eyes burn with a spirit I have only seen once before. If he is who I think he is than I need to end this quickly.” Xiuhcoatl thought to himself as he was impacted by Spike.

“I will keep them safe!” Spike yelled as he began to relentlessly attack Xiuhcoatl. Each hit was getting harder and Xiuhcoatl was beginning to lose his edge.

“I need to end this quickly!” Xiuhcoatl thought as he reeled back a claw made into a fist and swung down at Spike’s head.

His fist only scraped Spike’s head but it was enough to get some space from Spike. Xiuhcoatl flew toward Canterlot hoping that being in such close proximity to the city will limit Spike’s aggressiveness in his attacks. Spike recovered quickly from the attack and followed Xiuhcoatl to the area just outside the city. Xiuhcoatl stopped near where the gates used to stand.

Xiuhcoatl landed on the ground stumbling a little bit. He stood there looking at Spike who was now landing on the ground and locking eyes with him.

“Who are you boy? What is your name?”

“My name is Spike. Why are you asking me this?”

“Your eyes, they burn with a spirit I have only seen once in my long life.”

“So what is your point? What does it have to do with our battle?”

“It has everything to do with our battle! That spirit that possesses you, it the spirit of a dragon I knew a great long time ago. He had an unhatched egg that went missing. He passed it to you! He passed his power to you! The power you possess, it can only manifest under certain conditions. Tell me boy, why do you fight me without regard to your own life?”

“I have friends I need to protect, If it means being killed in the process than fine.”

“I see. Then I can no longer deny your heritage and your power. I must prove once and for all that I am the ultimate among the dragons by killing you!” Xiuhcoatl charged one last fire bomb attack.

Spike did not move a muscle, only looking to the castle in Canterlot where his friends and the Princesses were taking refuge. He stood there staring right down Xiuhcoatl’s mouth waiting for the impending attack. He ran through everything they had been through from the Nightmare Moon incident to the present. Xiuhcoatl fired his last attack at Spike.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

A large explosion was seen and heard by all those in Canterlot Castle. The Elements and the Princesses all ran to the balcony facing that direction. They stood there in disbelief of what they saw. There was a flaming mushroom like cloud in the sky.

“Princess what happened?!” Twilight said in worry.

“I don’t know my student.”

“Is there any way that we can see what is happening?”

“I can only get a glimpse using magic, but I can’t do it for long without dropping the barrier around Canterlot. I’ll see what I can.”

Celestia used the limited amount of magic that she could afford in order to see what had happened on the battlefield outside of Canterlot. What she saw broke her heart. All around the forest was gone a part of Canterlot was destroyed with no way of telling how many civilian casualties there were. And outside the gate was Xiuhcoatl laughing in pleasure at the inferno before him. Celestia stopped looking as to not feel any more sorrow.

“Princess, wha happened out there?” Applejack said.

“Yes, what happened to my little Spikey wikey?” Rarity asked as well.

“Listen my little ponies, Spike has lost the battle.” She said struggling to keep her tears back and saying the final half of her sentence with great difficulty.

The group couldn’t believe what they had just heard. They all stared at one another then at the Princesses and back to one another. Twilight upon hearing the news fell onto her knees and began to cry uncontrollably. The others all gathered around Twilight in a futile effort to comfort the purple unicorn.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It is done. I win boy. I am the ultimate among the Dragons!” Xiuhcoatl said with pride.

He turned to complete his part of his bargain with Insanity when inside the inferno something caught his attention. He turned back around to see his fire dispersing in a massive tornado of orange and white fire. He looked on and all he could see for a moment was a pair of green eyes glowing out of the fire.

“What is this!? It can’t be!” Xiuhcoatl said in a panicked state.

When the flames had all dispersed, there standing before him was Spike, with another there as well.

“NO! NO! No,no,no! How is this possible?!” Xiuhcoatl said staring right into the face of a dragon he had only seen once before.

“I WILL PROTECT MY FRINDS!” Spike roared with a voice so powerful it sent Xiuhcoatl reeling back in pain. The sound wave that permeated this roar dealt him massive amounts of trauma, causing him to bleed and hear his own bones break under its pressure.

“That voice! It is him! The WHITE FIRE, AODHFIN!” Xiuhcoatl yelled in absolute terror.

“You will be stopped Xiuhcoatl! Your threat ends HERE and NOW!” Aodhfin roared.

Aodhfin charged at Xiuhcoatl at a speed greater than any dragon could ever hope to achieve. Xiuhcoatl was frozen in fear at the dragon charging at him. Aodhfin smashed Xiuhcoatl into the air. Aodhfin launched his most powerful attack to finish off Xiuhcoatl, a fire meteor made of fire so hot it burned a pure white, which hit its mark on the first shot. I seared Xiuhcoatl’s scales and skin to an unrecognizable state. Xiuhcoatl fell out of the sky and smashed into the ground in a heap.

Aodfin descended from the sky and landed next to the charred body of Xiuhcoatl. Aodhfin’s spirit dissipated leaving Spike standing by Xiuhcoatl.

“You are his son. Hehehe.” Xiuhcoatl said weakly.

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked recovering from the massive expenditure of energy.

“You are the lost son of Aodhfin, The White Fire. He was the first ruler of the dragons before the wars. He was considered a god amongst us but he past his power onto another. An unhatched egg that went missing shortly after his power was given up to it. That egg was you. After today’s battle, now I am sure. I have lost to the best this day.” Xiuhcoatl said as he passed away from the world.

Spike stood there looking at the now dead body of the great Lava Dragon Xiuhcoatl. Spike then proceeded to go back to the palace to recover from the wounds sustained from Xiuhcoatl.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity sat on his throne meditating and keeping tabs on the battle between Spike and Xiuhcoatl. When the battle finished his eyes snapped open and he flew into a rage.

“HE LOST! The mightiest of dragons lost to a pup like him!? That's not possible yet it happened in front of me!" Insanity roared while smashing up any furniture in the room and lashing out in a fury. "My time has come! IT is time to finish this! And I WILL FINISH IT PERSONALLY!"

NEXT CHAPTER

INSANITY COMES

Insanity Comes

When Spike arrived back at the palace the spell used to make him full grown had worn off and he was now at his forge master size. He was greeted by two stunned Princesses, five Elements and a crying Twilight. Twilight ran up to Spike and tackled him in a large hug at his return. The others all had their mouths agape in shock and awe of the purple and green dragon.

“What happened to you? You turned into something else; I have never seen such a thing.” Twilight asked between sobs.

“I don’t know what happened to me, but Xiuhcoatl said that my father came to help.” Spike answered.

“Tell me Spike, Did Xiuhcoatl tell you his name?” Celestia asked him.

“Yes, he said his name was Aodhfin, The White Fire.”

At hearing the name of the dragon that came to help Celestia looked shocked.

“His name was Aodhfin?” Celestia asked to confirm that she heard Spike correctly.

“Yes.”

Celestia backed up slowly not looking behind her and collapsed onto the floor. The others rushed to Celestia to make sure she was ok. Celestia nodded them away and stood again.

“Sister, why did you collapse like that?” Luna asked Celestia.

“Forgive me everypony, the news just got to me I guess.”

“Why did you collapse at the name of my father?”

Celestia let out a sigh and looked at Spike in the eyes.

“Your father, Aodhfin, was a mighty dragon and he was also a hero among his dragon hordes. However, before he was tyrannical and ruthless ruler. He would invade other territories in a mission to conquer them so he could be the sole ruler of Equestria.” Celestia explained to Spike.

“My father was…evil?” Spike asked concern in his voice.

“Yes he was, but something happened. He left on a journey and did not return for a very long time. I believe it was nearly one hundred and fifty years. While he was away, the dragon wars started and Xiuhcoatl took power in that time. When Aodhfin returned he wished to take his thrown back. Xiuhcoatl naturally liked the power that came with his new found position and would not give it up. So, in accordance with the new laws set in place, Aodhfin issued a formal challenge to Xiuhcoatl. Naturally Xiuhcoatl accepted. When the battle was over Aodhfin stood victorious. Xiuhcoatl was humiliatingly defeated and he wanted revenge. It took Xiuhcoatl three years to plan his revenge and in that time Aodhfin had four eggs. Three of them hatched on time, the other never did. When Aodhfin saw that his other egg did not hatch he used an ancient magic known only to him and a select few dragons. He transferred all of his power into the egg, hoping that it would hatch. It still remained unhatched. Aodhfin was disheartened and was slipping into a depression. Aodhfin left in order to clear his mind so he could think clearly. Seeing the opportunity Xiuhcoatl wanted to take revenge in the worst way possible.”

Celestia stopped trying to consider the right way to tell Spike the end of the story. Seeing that there was no other way to say it in a way that would not hurt she said it like she would anything else.

“Xiuhcoatl killed the three hatchlings and threw the unhatched egg off of the mountain. The only reason that the egg did not break upon impact was the power that Aodhfin had transferred to it. It had hardened the shell into a nearly unbreakable matter. When Aodhfin returned he found the three dead and his egg gone and Xiuhcoatl sitting on his thrown. Aodhfin attacked Xiuhcoatl and used an ability thought to be a myth. He split his soul and body and attacked Xiuhcoatl simultaneously. Xiuhcoatl with difficulty destroyed Aodhfin’s body but Aodhfin’s soul remained. Aodhfin issued an ultimatum to Xiuhcoatl, he told him to leave or he would steal his soul and would destroy it. Xiuhcoatl would never know the afterlife. Hearing this Xiuhcoatl left and was not seen again, until recently.”

Spike looked at Celestia in disbelief. He could not believe that his father would be a tyrant only to change after some adventure that lasted over one hundred years. What struck him most was that he was the last of his family and the last of his species of dragon.

“So, then what about my mother?”

“She remains unknown to me. I’m sorry Spike.” Celestia said with sorrow in her voice. “Spike you had a long and hard battle. Go get some rest and recover from your injuries.”

Spike could only nod in agreement. He slowly walked away toward the forge and his room. Twilight tried to follow but Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head from side to side indicating not to follow. Twilight conceded and stopped. Celestia looked at them and spoke again.

“Listen all of you; I don’t think that Insanity will take Xiuhcoatl’s defeat lying down. I believe he is going to do something terrible on a large scale.”

When Celestia finished her head began to ache and she collapsed screaming in pain. The others ran to her side trying to figure out what happened. A few seconds after she collapsed a loud shattering sound was heard and Celestia stopped screaming and began to pant.

“Sister! What happened?” Luna said trying to comprehend all that had transpired.

Celestia did not answer; she only stood there looking at the floor.

“Sister?”

“Celestia is not here right now.” said a deep, ominous voice.

“Who is there? What have thou done to my sister?!” Luna screamed.

“I have taken over her mind for a short time. I managed to destroy a part of the barrier keeping my influence out.”

When they heard the words my influence they instantly knew who it was.

“Insanity! What does thou want?” Luna yelled at the possessed Celestia.

“I’m here to tell you that you have approximately four hours to unconditionally surrender before I eradicate your entire resistance and your precious city.”

“You have failed thus far Insanity! Thou will never win!” Luna said.

“Correct. I have failed this far but the time has come to bring myself out of my castle and reveal myself to Equestria. I will fight you all personally.” He noticed that Twilight was trying to hide behind a table in the room. “Mania, my former general your failure was most devastating but your betrayal was an insult. I will save your punishment for last. Your punishment will be the most devastating. I will watch your heart and soul break in two. As for the rest of you, I will take all you hold dear from you and you will suffer.”

Rainbow Dash hearing enough of this garbage spoke up rather loudly.

“Bring it on you freak! I will watch you suffer!” Rainbow yelled at the possessed Celestia.

“Oh? Aren’t you the brave one, my rainbow colored nemeses.” Insanity said with sarcasm.

“That’s right! And I’m gonna stomp you into the ground!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

Insanity let out a laugh of pure joy at this statement. He hadn’t heard such a brash statement come from anypony before.

“What’s so funny?” Rainbow said now aggravated.

“Nothing. Now then as I said before you have four hours to surrender unconditionally, or I will level your precious city.

But I will not guarantee that I will not do to you all what I have said previously. I have left a way for you to contact me with your choice, if I do not hear anything from you I will take your answer as a no. I look forward to your response.”

His warning now issued, Insanity disappeared from Celestia’s mind. She collapsed again in a heap and woke again after a few minutes. She staggered onto her hooves and looked at the group in the room.

“No need to worry, I’m okay now. I already know what he said. He was unable to get rid of me completely; I was able to listen in at least.”

“So princess what are we supposed to do?” Twilight asked.

“I do not know. We have four hours to come up with something to stop him from taking over Equestria. Let's get started then.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“My warning has been issued.” Insanity said getting up off of his thrown. “With their many successes thus far, I may need to release my full power against them. But it will be absolute pleasure to break my former general’s spirit as I kill her friends and take all she holds dear.”

Insanity walked out onto his balcony and looked down at his full army of creations. He looked them over and decided that they were no longer necessary for his plans. He waved a hand and his entire army was destroyed in a split second. He reentered his castle and prepared himself for his departure to Canterlot, the scene of their final showdown for Equestria.

“I know they will not surrender. They are too stubborn for that.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Our time is almost up! Has anypony thought of something?” Twilight shrieked.

“Our only choice is to fight him with all we have at our disposal.” Celestia said gloomily. “I have gathered all of the Elements for you.” Celestia’s horn glowed and the elements all went to their perspective users. “I can only hope we can stop him in time.”

“We all do Tia.” Luna replied.

Celestia let out a sigh. “Well then my little ponies we should prepare ourselves for our final fight for Equestria.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity had finally finished all of his preparations for his journey to Canterlot. He wore a new robe, black as night itself with red cuffs and an ancient symbol of war on his back closely resembling a dragon skull. He smiled as he remembered how much time had passed.

“Four hours and no response. I was hoping for this. Now I will put all of them into their place and the Elements will die and the princesses shall do my bidding.”

He let out a deep sinister laugh and the seven foot mix up of creatures teleported away.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The princesses and the now six Elements stood all together in the war room hoping that this would not be the last time they would see each other. As they stood in the room Twilight walked to the window and looked out at the sky. The moon shone brightly in the sky and all was quiet. It was a perfect night. She looked on as she hoped that she would stargaze again someday and share many more memories with her dear friends. Then Twilight noticed that the moon was beginning to change color. She looked on as the stars went dark and the moon turned a crimson color. She began to visibly shake and ran back in inside to inform the others of the happenings.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“My moon has changed color for my arrival how fitting and the stars have darkened. Oh, this will be a night to remember.” Insanity said as he made his way to the front gates of the City of Canterlot. His power seal was still active allowing him to remain undetected while he made his way into the gates of Canterlot.

“Time to make my presence known.” He said as he released his power seal. A great power was released from him. His body was enveloped in a sickening red aura that appeared as fire on his body. He stood there admiring the sight of his body enveloped in this fire. He appeared as a torch in the darkness. He put his two claws together and a large ball of red energy formed in his hands. “Now…. I will have my prize.” He said to himself as he released the energy from his hands and into the city.

The beam of energy hit the city’s center square and leveled it and the surrounding area in a four mile radius.

“HAHAHA! Yes…Yes! And only a portion of my power! They will fall!” Insanity flew above the square using his draconic wings and found the palace with ease.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

An explosion was heard by the princesses and the six. They all looked around wondering what had happened when an injured guard had shot into the room and smashed into the back of the room. The group looked on in horror as the guard was missing a wing, the ribs on his left side shone and his right eye had been blown out of his head. Celestia did not need to ask what had happened to know the cause of such a grievous injury. Celestia turned to the group.

“It is time. Prepare yourselves. He is here.”

NEXT CHAPTER

INSANITY RISES

Insanity Rises

INSANITY RISES

The dust was beginning to settle after the door was blasted off of its hinges and the princesses and the six looked into the dust and smoke to see a face looking at them with glowing blood red eyes and two claws coming out of the smoke on fire with power. They all stood awestruck at the hideous sight of him.

“Oh, how precious. They’re frozen with fear.” Insanity said through the smoke amused. He then vanished and reappeared in front of Celestia, the rest looked on in terror. Insanity grabbed Celestia’s chin and began to run his hand along its length. “Celestia, my you’ve grown in to a beautiful specimen. You look so much like your mother, that it’s haunting. Hehehe.” His deep baritone voice resonating off the walls.

Celestia was frozen in place as his power slid from his hand down to her body. She was not going to go easily. She snapped back and began to hyperventilate a little bit trying to catch the breath that was taken from her.

“Ohhh, Celestia it’s not that bad is it?” He said mockingly. He snapped two of his clawed fingers and he disappeared in a mass of red energy. The eight of them looked around the room from where they stood.

“Where are you Insanity!?” Celestia yelled into the empty air, her voice a little shaky.

“Here.”

Insanity reappeared behind Celestia and as she turned he smashed her face with the back of his claw and she was sent soaring into the wall opposite of them.

“Sister!” Luna shouted as she looked on to see her sister hit the wall.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you Moon Princess.” Insanity said as he sped over the ground not touching it and this time made a fist smashed the princess’s head into the ground with a blood curdling thud.

The Elements could only look on in severe fright as Insanity pummeled the princesses into the wall and the ground.

Celestia was able to recover from her devastating hit to the head, thanks to her regenerative abilities, and staggered to her feet. Celestia’s horn began to glow a bright white color. Insanity turned his attention to the six. As he made his way toward them Celestia fired a bolt of bright white magic. It impacted Insanity in the middle of his back. His chest arched out wards and he stumbled a few steps forward. He let out a small moan. He turned to the still staggering Celestia.

“That wasn’t very nice.” He said menacingly. He charged his own attack in his clawed appendage. A crimson red orb formed in his hand he put his hand in front of him. “Block this!” He fired his own attack at the Princess of the Sun. She summoned a shield spell just in time. The Red energy beam hit Celestia’s shield spell head on. “Your quick with spells aren’t you. I guess I should not be surprised. Your mother was too.” He said not even breaking a sweat while Celestia was struggling under the force of the attack. The ground under Celestia began to crack under the force of the spells combining. Celestia looked down for only a second.

Insanity noticing this small movement increased the power of his attack a small amount. Celestia began to hurt now. Her horn was getting hot and changing color from its natural white to a burnt red color as she expelled more energy into her shield. Insanity increased the power only a small margin once again. Celestia’s horn began to ache horribly and she was in extreme pain. Celestia was struggling to keep herself from getting hit by such a massive amount of pure energy. The Castle walls were beginning to shake and crack and collapse in a few places due to the massive amount of pure energy in the area.

Luna had regained consciousness and slowly made her to her feet as well. She looked at the sight to her left. She could see her sister struggling to keep herself from getting killed. Luna charged at Insanity’s side and made contact with her horn using it like a large dagger. Insanity collapsed a bit to his side and landed on his knee. His beam of energy was weakened enough for Celestia to be able to expel it completely before she too collapsed to the ground in exhaustion hoping to recover in time to help her sister.

Insanity stood once again and his wound healed nearly instantaneously with a spiral of red energy. “That was clever. Princess, I’ve never seen a horn used like that before. But it was foolish!” Insanity leaped at the Princess of the Moon and got one hand on her neck. She yelped in pain as his claw made contact with her flesh cutting it slightly. He picked her up and looked at her the eye. “You may be an immortal Princess but you’re still so young.” He laughed as he threw the princess into the ground below himself. She hit the ground hard and blood escaped her lips upon impact. He proceeded to brutally attack her without mercy. He stomped on her head, jumped on her ribs and went so far as to electrocute her with beams of red lightning. Luna could only scream in pain as the attacks continued for what seemed like an eternity.

Celestia, seeing the brutality of the attacks against her younger sister, realized that she had no more time to recover from her energy expenditure. She got to her feet and summoned another powerful spell. She fired it directly at Insanity’s head. The bolt of fire as hot as the sun itself hit him head on. Insanity stepped off on Luna’s body and stumbled backwards tearing at his head trying to put out the fire. Celestia knew she would have a few moments to get closer to her sister to defend her. She rushed over to her sister who had already begun to heal slightly, though not as fast as Celestia could.

The fire on Insanity’s head had finally dissipated and he looked on to see his victim being healed bit by bit by Celestia. He charged them once again this time no holds barred. The power that surrounded his body became more intense and he brought his claws above his head in fist shape and smashed down at the ground releasing a shock wave of energy in their direction. Celestia Teleported away from it, with Luna still unconscious, out of its path.

Celestia turned to see the six Elements standing there too scared to move. “All of you! Go get out of here NOW! Luna and I will do what we can! You have to get out of here! Get Spike and GO!” Celestia shouted at them. Twilight looked at the Princess with disbelief in her eyes and tears beginning to well up in them. “GO!” Celestia shouted again and the six still not wanting to leave the Princess knew that there was nothing they could do. “QUICKLY! While he is still recovering from his attack!” The six began to move slowly at first and ran out of the room as fast as they could but Twilight hesitated at the door and looked back at her mentor and teacher. Celestia noticed this and mouthed the words “I’ll be fine. Go.” Twilight turned and ran to catch up with her friends. Celestia watched as Twilight and her friends left, she could only think that they had to live even if Luna and she did not.

Celestia turned to see Insanity in the final recovery of the damage he had sustained and his own powerful attack. She planted her hooves on the ground and stood there with a determined look on her face. Luna began to stir and eventually stood up herself and stood next to her sister in the same manner. Insanity now stood with an angry looked on his face and stared at the two Princesses standing before him. He looked around to see that the six Elements were nowhere to be seen.

“Where did the little ones go?” Insanity said to himself.

“They are gone. They have to live to even if Luna and I do not!” Celestia shouted at him.

“It is of no consequence. I will deal with them later.” Insanity said turning his attention to the two alicorns in front of him.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The six elements were running through the castle toward where Spike resided. They had to jump over the dead bodies of friends and soldiers alike and some of them vomited on the way from the smell. They had to concentrate if they were to find a way out of the castle before it was too late.

After non-stop running for what seemed like hours they finally arrived at Spike’s forge. They ran inside only to find more of the same carnage they had seen outside in the halls. They ran in calling for Spike and Rainbow Dash found him by the forge under a pile of stone, wood and metal. She called the others over and they all dragged Spike from out under the debris.

“Spike we need to go now. The Castle is going to come down at this rate!” Twilight said to him.

Spike was staggering to his feet only to collapse to one knee due a severe cut in his side. “I can’t make the trip you need to go without me.” He said with remorse at his words.

“NO! You’re coming with us Spike, and that is final!” Twilight said in absolute seriousness.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have much time left anyway. Listen, I can buy you more time to escape by throwing the castle off balance. The magic in the forge has enough power to blast out enough of the foundation to throw it off balance. That should give the princesses a slightly greater chance of at least wounding Insanity beyond repair.”

The six of them stared at him in surprise, not ready to lose another friend.

“That’s crazy! I’m not going to leave my number one assistant behind to die here!” Twilight yelled teary eyed. The others also crying. “Please! I don’t want to lose another one of my friends!”

Spike wanted to go with them but he knew there would be nothing he could do. He gathered them up in a huge bear hug. All six of them fit in his arms. He shed a single tear and whispered in Twilight’s ear “I’m sorry.” He squeezed them all together so they could not escape and walked with all of them to his room. The six of them were struggling trying to get free.

“What are you doing Spike?!” Rainbow Dash said as best she could. “We’re trying to save your life!”

Spike kicked his window out and some of the wall went with it due to the weakness in the castle’s structure. “I’m sorry.” He said to the group and he threw them out of the window with all the strength he could muster. The six Elements went flying out the window and crashed into the ground a few meters away. Twilight got to her feet as quickly as she could and began to run back toward the castle only to see Spike flash a smile and bring down another portion of the structure covering the exit he had created for them. She stopped realizing that she could not stop him.

“Twilight! We gotta go now!” Applejack yelled. Twilight did not respond.

“I got her!” Rainbow went and picked up Twilight struggling to hold her because Twilight was fighting back trying to go to the castle.

The six of them went as fast as they could to get away from the castle.

Spike now very weak from loss of blood and slowly made his way back to his forge. When he got there he opened up the bottom of the forge. Inside sat a great red crystal endowed with a strong heat magic and when it is removed would create an influx of energy becoming a powerful explosive.

He got to his knees and put his hand on the crystal inside.

“This is it. Rarity, my one true love, may you live happily and find the stallion that you’ve always wanted.” He let out a small chuckle. “And Dad, looks like I’m coming home.” He put his hand on the crystal prepared for what would happen when he heard a voice and saw a great white claw on his own.

“You’ve made me proud my son.” Aodhfin’s voice said. “We’ll be waiting for you.” The white claw disappeared and so did Aodhfin’s spirit.

Spike pulled on the crystal with all of his might.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity stared at the two princesses with hatred in his eyes.

“Now it is time to take what is mine.” Insanity said charging the Royal Sisters.

Luna and Celestia both jumped into the air releasing magical energy at the rampaging monster below them. He was struck by both attacks in each shoulder. He didn’t even take a step in recoil he only shrugged and let out a laugh. He was giving in to his own madness and it was dulling pain making him physically stronger and caused him to feel no fear. He let out another laugh.

“You’ll need to do better than that!” he roared while taking off into the air to match the princesses altitude. He circled around and shot a massive claw at Celestia. She dodged and circled back releasing another energy bolt at Insanity. He noticed the glow of her horn and threw a claw at Luna who was not quite as fast as Celestia in flight. He swung her around and used her as a living shield. The magic bolt hit Luna in the heart area to Celestia’s horror. He laughed again and threw the injured Luna at Celestia. Celestia caught her sister’s body with her own and they fell down to the hard stone floor below them. The two sisters got onto the feet with much struggle. Their horns began to glow in unison. Insanity charged his own attack still making his way towards them.

Then a massive pillar of magic and fire shot through the right half of the castle where Insanity was standing. He was seared on his right arm. He let out a roar of pain. Even with his dulled sense of pain it still hurt him badly. Celestia knew the cause of the pillar. She had warned Spike of the crystal's unstable nature and that it would only be stable in the special holder she had made herself.

The right side of the castle began to crumble and collapse at an extremely rapid manner. The left side would fall to where the right of the castle stood in a few seconds. Celestia teleported herself and Luna to safety outside the castle. Insanity began to make his escape when he was hit head on by a pillar and some large stones that had once made up the war room. He roared again and was dragged down into the depths of the now ruined Canterlot Castle.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The six who had now been running for almost a full hour heard the explosion and all stopped and turned. They could see the remaining few seconds of the pillar of fire and watched as the castle collapsed to the ground. They knew that it was Spike who had caused the explosion and caused the castle to collapse. They all started to mourn their lost friend. But it was Twilight who took it the hardest.

“This is all my fault.” She said while tears streamed down her face without ceasing. “If I hadn’t read that stupid book! He used my love of books against me, and now all my friends and family are gone!” She screamed.

“It’s not your fault sugarcube.” Applejack said while embracing her heart broken friend. “Come on we need to find a place to hide fer now. We can mourn Spike then, ok?”

Twilight, still crying, nodded her head in agreement and they continued their search for a safe place to hide, if there were any left.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Luna and Celestia had teleported to a safe distance from the collapsed castle.

“Sister, our home. It’s gone.” Luna said weakly.

“I know. We’ll be ok. We can always find a new place to live, little sister.”

But it was too early to think of their futures when a red glow began to flood the wreckage. The two sisters watched as the glow became brighter and brighter until it became so bright they had to shield their eyes from it. Then another large explosion. This one rocked the ground with incredible force and in the middle of the wreckage stood a new Insanity. His body remained the same but his full power was now released. His body was surrounded by a swirling vortex of red energy mixing with black lightning and causing the earth itself to change its own properties. They sky became red though the Moon was still visible. The plants and trees began to wither and die. His robe was blown off by his power and revealed was only a monstrosity. His skin and scales had now all but disappeared all that remained was a roaring creature made of bones and red energy. The energy burning around him like an inferno. He studied his new look quickly. “My true form revealed. Now nothing can stop me.” He turned to the two sisters his full attention now on them.

“This is MY WORLD! AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE IT FROM ME!” His voice now comparable to the loudest of thunder cracks. His voice shook the ground and the sky. “You two may be gods but I will still have my prize!” He began to speed toward the princesses. The two of them charged their most powerful spells. Their horns both glowing intensely and they released their attacks. Insanity was till charging and had shrugged off their attacks as though they never happened. He roared again making the ground break and crumble beneath him. He no longer needed to worry about having a sure footing. He knew his power would keep him afloat. His wings now more for decoration than function. The princess looked on as he neared them faster and faster. They could not move, the spells they used rendered the caster unable to move for a few seconds. But in that time he got to them and grabbed them both by their heads. The vortex of power had dissipated but his power still remained as an intense flame on his body.

“NOW I WILL RENDER YOUR MAGIC USELESS TO YOU.” He smashed them into the ground and put a foot on each of their necks so they could not escape. He grabbed both their horns and ripped them out of their skulls. Blood spewing from the areas on their heads. They both let out a scream of intense and unbearable pain. “DO NOT WORRY I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE, YOU TWO ARE MY SECOND PRIZE NEXT TO EQUESTRIA ITSELF. HAHAHAHA!” The princesses faces were covered in tears and blood but Insanity was not done yet. “NOW ABOUT THOSE WINGS, WOULDN'T WANT YOU FLYING AWAY FROM ME.” He used his own magic to suspend the two of them in the air. “IT SEEMS ONLY FAIR TO START WITH THE ELDEST OF THE FAMILY.” He walked a few steps to where Celestia was floating coated by Insanity’s red magic. He grabbed her wings and began to pull. Celestia wailed in pain struggling to fight back. This only made Insanity want to savor her screams more but alas all good things must come to an end. Insanity eased up a little bit and used all of his might to pull Celestia’s wings off of her body. When he pulled all that could be heard was a blood curdling ripping sound and Celestia’s scream of pain.

Luna could not believe what she was seeing in front of her. She began to cry and scream Celestia’s name between sobs. Insanity let Celestia drop to the ground a bloody mess as though she were a doll to be tortured and discarded. Insanity turned to Luna who was till screaming Celestia’s name and crying uncontrollably. Luna saw the look in insanity’s eyes. She could only see madness and pleasure at the crimes and actions that he was committing.

“IT’S TIME FOR THE LITTLE SISTER NOW.” He said letting out a sickening laugh and cocking his head from side to side on the joint of his neck.

“No! NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!”

Luna’s screams would fall on deaf ears as Insanity proceeded to repeat what he had done to her elder sister.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The six Elements had run for about three hours with short intervals for a break. They had run to the mountains and had found a small cave to hide in for the time being. They all gathered together and collapsed on the ground with exhaustion.

“Ah think we should be safe here fer the time bein.” Applejack said panting for air.

“I hope so. I want to be able to recover from that run. I never thought I would run that much before and now I look awful.” Rarity said.

“Stop your complaining! Were lucky to be alive after all of that!” Rainbow Dash yelled as best she could.

“Yes, I agree with Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy squeaked.

Twilight did not speak while this transpired. All she could think about was the guilt she felt at releasing Insanity and now she had run away from a battle and had not helped her teacher, mentor and friend. She could only sit and cry. And now she had lost Spike as well. She didn’t know how much more grief she could take before she reached her breaking point. How many more tears she could shed she did not know as well.

“We have to stop him.” Twilight spoke up causing the others to stop and look in her direction. “We’ve lost too much to sit here and do nothing. I don’t care how long it takes but we must find a way to stop him once and for all.”

The others all looked at each other and smiled, determination written on their faces.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insanity stood over the bloody bodies of the two princesses. He looked down at them, satisfaction in his eyes as he hunched over them.

“NOW GIVE ME YOUR MINDS.” His voice still booming. He straightened back up and reached for their bloodied heads.

“P…Please s…stop.” Luna said weakly her body writhing in pain.

“BEGGING FOR MERCY ARE YOU? THERE IS NONE TO GIVE. YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST DONE WHAT I ASKED IN THE FIRST PLACE.” He said with menace and no pity to be found in his voice. He grabbed their heads and began to absorb their sanity and their free will. The two sisters could no longer scream. Their throats were ravaged by the previous events. They could only lay there and eke out sounds of discomfort and pain. Insanity smiled as he finished the procedure and stood again at his full height.

“NOW THAT THESE TWO BELONG TO ME, ALL THAT’S LEFT TO WORRY ABOUT ARE THOSE SIX PONIES WHO FLED EARLIER. NO MATTER, IF THEY ARE AS LOYAL TO THESE TWO AS I BELIEVE THM TO BE THEY WILL COME TO ME. NOW TOO DO SOMETHING WITH ALL OF THIS RUBBLE AND WRECKAGE. HMMM, AH THAT’S IT A TROPHY. A SYSMBOL OF THE NEW EQUESTRIA. A NEW CASTLE BUILT TO MY LIKING FROM THE REMAINS OF THE OLD CASTLE. HOW FITTING.”

Insanity used his magic to rebuild the castle of Canterlot using the remnants of the old castle. When it was complete it looked warped and disturbed. Insanity made his way to his new throne room, his two pet princesses by his side and proceeded to sit in his new throne with satisfaction, the princesses taking their places to his sides, Celestia on the right and Luna to the left both hornless and wingless. Insanity sat in his thrown a smile on his face could be seen if he still had skin.

“AND SO I HAVE TAKEN MY RIGHTFUL PLACE AS RULER OF EQUESTRIA! DO YOU SEE THIS OLD MAN!? LOOK AT WHAT I AM NOW! I HAVE YOUR DAUGHTERS AND I SIT AS RULER OVER THE PLANET! I HAVE BEATEN YOU! NOW I WILL FINISH MY CONQUEST BY RIDDING THE WORLD OF THOSE BLASTED ELEMENTS OF HARMONY!”

NEXT CHAPTER

SEARCH FOR THE ELEMENTS

Search for the Elements

In the time since Insanity had taken his place on the thrown of Equestria the world became void of plant life and the surviving ponies had become his personal servants or the food source for his own power. The princesses remained in the condition of that night when they had been nearly killed. Now they sat in the throne room chained like animals to the walls. Metal collars around their necks and four hoof cuffs on their feet also chained to the wall. They no longer had their wings or horns. Their bodies had not been cleaned since then; their fur caked in their own blood causing it to be discolored in areas. Massive scabs had formed where their horns and wings had once been. The beauty of the princesses and their regal presence had now been defiled and marred by the recent events. Insanity had ransacked all of Equestria, killing indiscriminately all those who did not bow to him. If one did not bow then the whole town and everypony in it was destroyed. This had transpired in roughly one month. Only the Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie pie, Twilight and Fluttershy remained free from Insanity’s grip.

Insanity looked out upon his Equestria and reveled in it. He turned and looked at the two captured princesses, their bodies maimed and ugly. He laughed in pure pleasure and happiness.

“MY WORLD, MY EQUESTRIA. HOW I HAVE DREAMED OF THIS DAY. AND YET MY VICTORY IS NOT YET COMPLETE. I STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY THE OTHERS CREATED. WHEN I DESTROY THEM MY VICTORY AND REVENGE WILL BE COMPLETE. BUT WHY HAVE THEY NOT COME TO ME AS I HAD PREDICTED? IF THEY WILL NOT COME TO ME, THEN I WILL FIND THEM MY SELF. THE GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE BEGINS THEN. IF THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE CHOSEN.” He said while looking at the princess of the sun. He turned back around and placed a hand on the ground, his red power began to cover a portion of the floor and in its place a large table and a map of the new Equestria had appeared. He began to look it over trying to pinpoint the most likely places the six Elements could be hiding.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the past month the six Elements have moved from place to place after every few days to a week at the most. They knew that if they had stayed in the same place for too long they would be found before they would be ready to face off with Insanity. In that month they had changed. They knew they could not stop Insanity if they faced him when princess Celestia told them to flee. They had used the month to discover the inner secrets of the Elements of Harmony. Many of their secrets lay hidden to them still yet they had discovered ways to release more power than they had used previously. However Twilight had been the one leading the charge to unlock their secrets and the events of the previous month were starting to take their toll on her mentally and physically. After a long day of travel they had finally stopped in a mountainous area near the volcanic lands where Insanity used to reside. They found a crevice in the rocks near their location and used what they could to make a makeshift shelter. After it was built they all huddled together in the small space. They all had had enough of running.

“How much longer do we have to keep running from him?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Until were absolutely ready ta take Insanity down!” Applejack responded loudly.

Rainbow Dash let out an aggravated sigh and turned trying to get a little rest before they had to move on again. Twilight had not slept for a long time due to her constant want, need in her mind, to avenge the princesses, Spike and all the others whose lives Insanity had taken since his release. She only looked up at the blue sky with both the sun and moon hanging in the sky as though they were taunting her because of her ‘failure’.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Spike, Fleetfoot and every other pony who have lost their lives in this war will be avenged someday. I will stop him for all of their sakes and restore Equestria to the way it was.” She said to herself. Unfortunately for her it was loud enough for the others to hear it.

“Ya know ya don’t need to do this alone Righ?” Applejack said facing Twilight’s back.

Twilight turned her head around not moving her body to acknowledge that she had heard Applejack’s statement.

“I know, but I feel responsible for everything that has happened! I need to make it right.”

“And ya will. Just not by yourself. Were your friends we’ll always help anytime we can and we’ll help each other no matter what. So, you get yourself to bed and sleep a little bit. You need to okay?”

Twilight nodded and lay where she stood. She put her head in her forelegs and drifted into sleep for the first time in days.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

After nearly two hours of reading over his map of Equestria and considering different places the six Elements could hide he had narrowed it down to two possible locations and a third one as a backup. He went back to his thrown and sat down. He outstretched his arm and swirled a small orb of magic. He released it and it became a creature of dark shadow and mist.

“THANATOS, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.” He said to his newly revived minion.

“My lord? You don’t look the same as you did before.” Thanatos said to his master.

“MUCH HAS TRANSPIRED AS YOU CAN SEE.”

Thanatos looked around at the room where Insanity sat and noticed the two princesses on his left and right. He stared at them in disbelief and horror at the sight of them. “Sire, you defeated the princesses? Was it necessary to maim that as you have done?”

Insanity stood up at Thanatos’ second question in a rage. “DO YOU DARE QUESTION MY ACTIONS IN MY OWN THRONE ROOM?!” his voice booming making the walls shake.

“No, sire I just wondered what could drive you to do something so evil. Sire they were the princesses of the old Equestria doesn’t that entitle them to some form of respect?”

Insanity stared at his most trusted minion and walked over to him. Standing at his full height he towered over the being of shadow and mist. “YOU OF ALL OF MY CREATIONS SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO QUESTION ME IN THIS MANNER, THANATOS. I WILL OVERLOOK YOU TRANSGRETION FOR NOW, BUT DO IT AGAIN AND YOU WILL SUFFER THE SAME FATE AS THE PRINCESSES. UNDERSTAND?” He said angrily.

“Y…Yes sire, forgive me. What would you like me to do?” Thanatos said looking away from his masters eyes.

“I HAVE PINPOINTED THREE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT EQUESTRIA WHERE THE SIX ELELMENTS COULD BE HIDING. I WANT YOU TO SEARCH THEM AND TELL ME THEIR LOCATION. THOSE ARE YOUR ORDERS, GET MOVING.”

Thanatos did not respond. He simply evaporated and disappeared into the air to carry out his master’s orders.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanatos traveled to the first location, the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. He materialized at the entrance and looked at the devastation that had occurred here in the previous months. He looked at all the bodies of the ponies decaying and smelling like death. Flies and other creatures flew around the corpses or were nibbling on them for food. Thanatos put his head down and went inside the castle in search of the Elements.

He proceeded through the ruins of the castle looking in every possible location and every room. He entered the room where Insanity had been revived and found the remains of the ancient ponies that revived and sealed him. He searched the room with no regard for their remains. Seeing nothing he left and searched the rest of the castle in a few minutes deciding that it would be better to search in his shadow form allowing him to travel faster. He found no sign of the six in the castle and proceeded to the next location.

The second location was Ponyville itself; while it was unlikely that the Elements would be there Insanity had decided that it was a possible location so he had to search it as well. He materialized in the town square where the statue of Celestia had once stood. He looked in all directions taking in his surroundings. Buildings were reduced to rubble and ponies lay in the middle of the buildings there body parts sticking out of the debris. Thanatos walked to one of the buildings when something caught his eye. He proceeded to make his way through the rubble of the ruined home. He found a child’s toy, a small scooter with the handle bars missing. He lifted pieces of the rubble to discover a sight that nearly tore him in two. Three young children, three fillies, one was wearing a cape that was torn on the corners and most of the sides and it had the initials CMC on the back. They were all huddled together in a ball, likely huddling together trying to stay safe from the collapsing of the house. At seeing this Thanatos, for the first time since his creation long ago and now, collapsed to his knees, his vision became blurry and he felt wetness in his eye and it began to travel down to his nose. He lifted his arm and wiped it away. He looked at his arm and the darkened stain it had left.

“A…A tear? But how? I’m not supposed to be able to feel remorse or sadness, only hatred and madness. But I have never seen the results of what my master has done, only the after math of what I commit for him.” His voice wavering from his new found emotion. He looked back at the three young fillies no older than school children, one had a yellowish coat with red hair and the remnants of a bow in her hair, the other a snow white unicorn with purple and white hair and the last a Pegasus with small wings, a purple mane and orange fur. “Children. Children. Children?! CHILDREEEEEEN!” he cried at the top of his lungs. Thanatos had begun to go crazy, he beat the ground with his fists and kicked the rubble around him, tears now flowing freely. He fell to his knees again and this time grasped the three of them not caring about their condition of decay and hugged them tightly to his chest.

“How? Why them? Why them? He cried into their lifeless bodies. “They still had their whole lives in front of them. They didn’t deserve this.” He looked around at the remnants of Ponyville and his anger and hatred grew, but its direction had changed from the ponies of Equestria to his master and creator. “They didn’t deserve this! None of them did!” He roared into the air.

He looked down to the three fillies he still had clutched to his body. The tears began to fall again. He lifted the three of them up as he stood careful not to drop them. He walked out into an area that did not have any debris or rubble blocking the way. He placed the three fillies on the ground near a collapsed building and went back to the spot he had found. He bent down and began to dig with his hands never ceasing until he completed his project.

After some hours of digging he had finished his project. He stood up and walked to where the fillies now lay. He picked the unicorn up first and placed her in the dirt her front hooves crossed over her body, next he picked up the Pegasus and laid her beside the unicorn, then finally he went to the earth pony, he took the cape off of her neck and put it in the pocket in his cloak. He picked up the earth pony and placed her in the ground next to the Pegasus all in the same position as the unicorn. He filled the hole with the dirt that had piled up from his digging.

When he was done he found a stick and stuck it in the mound. He then took the ruined cape out of his pocket and tied it to the stick in the ground. The cape waving in the breeze like a flag, the letters C.M.C reflecting the sun and moon light as it flapped. Thanatos stood there looking at the grave he had dug for the three fillies. He stood and looked at the waving cape and looked at the mound of dirt, the ruined town not knowing how many more parents, children, pets and others were laying buried in the rubble not to be discovered. He bent down to one knee and placed a hand on the grave and let his head hang in silence for a moment. He stood up again after a few moments and let out a cry of sadness and shame that was unlike any heard before.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The six Elements had been traveling for many days and hours. They were exhausted at this point and saw a building in the distance. They made their way to the building which was in the volcanic lands practically on the other side of Equestria itself. They looked at the castle of black and granite. Only twilight knew this building and she knew it well for she had lived there for a few months.

“Wow this place is creepy.” Pinkie Pie claimed with a face.

“Yes, it’s kind of scary.” Fluttershy said quietly.

“It should be scary; this was where Insanity lived before he took over the throne of Equestria and killed the Princesses.” Twilight said matter-of-factly.

The others looked at her with a faces of shock and disbelief.

“This is where he lived before he attacked the Princesses?” Applejack piped in.

“Yes it is. And I used to live here to before I was rescued by Princess Celestia. Come on, it’s abandoned now, we should be safe inside for a few days at least.”

They made their way into the castle with slight hesitation unsure as to what they would find inside.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanatos turned from the grave and looked to the South.

“One last location; please let them be there.” He said to himself. He vanished instantly traveling through the darkness and shadows to his last location, the castle where Insanity had once resided.

He finally made it to the castle after hours of travel via shadows. He materialized once again in front of the castle. He looked at his old home and wished that it had never stood. He walked to the door and blasted it down with his own magic abilities. He wanted to be heard and he was.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

A large crashing sound was heard by the six in the old throne room they had found after exploring the castle. They ran down to where the sound was heard hoping that it just a broken hinge on the door that had broken causing the door to fall down. When they arrived standing in front of them in the door way was Thanatos, Insanity’s Death Dealer.

“You!?” Twilight said while preparing to charge.

“Mania. Listen to me I have something important to OOOOF!” Thanatos was rammed in the gut by Applejack. He stumbled over and fell to the ground. He began to stand up when Twilight fired a magic bolt of lightning at him. It hit its mark and sent him flying back into the volcanic lands outside of the castle. He stood up quickly and roared.

They six all stopped in their tracks at this mighty sound. Thanatos cleared his throat. “Now, as I was saying, I have something important to tell you.” his voice deep and resonating. “You need to face Insanity now. You can’t run anymore.” The six of them looked at each other wondering if this was a trick.

“Why should we trust you? You helped Insanity kill all of those ponies and he killed the princesses! So why should we trust you?!” Twilight yelled at him.

Thanatos was not surprised by this question and answered as best he could. “There is no way I can earn your trust, I know, but you need to listen to me. Your princesses are not dead, just severely wounded; Insanity keeps them as living trophies chained to the wall next to his throne.”

They looked surprised and also suspicious of this information.

“Can you prove it to us?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, I might be able too. I’ll try to show them to you.” Thanatos raised his hand and it began to glow crimson. He put his hand in front of his body and projected an image of Insanity’s throne room. He panned his vision around to the throne. The six gasped when they saw Insanity sitting there on his throne. They observed his new form of nothing but bone and red energy holding it together. Thanatos was able to turn his vision to the princesses on either of his sides quickly allowing nothing more than a glance before he had to quit the projection due to his exhaustion.

“Well, ah never thought ah would see the day that one of Insanity’s minions would be telling us the truth.” Applejack said a little more relieved but still doubtful because of his past actions.

“Sorry, I had to stop. I’m not very powerful with projection magic otherwise it would have lasted longer.” He said while breathing somewhat heavily. “Your princesses are alive and there is something else.”

The six Elements were perplexed, not only had a minion of Insanity showed them that their princesses were alive reinforcing his point that his message was in fact important, but now he had something more to tell them? They looked at him wondering what else he could possibly have to say.

“I…I want to help you stop Insanity.”

The six of them practically fell down in shock and disbelief at his statement. They were now highly suspicious of Thanatos and his words. They dint know if they could trust him giving everything that he had done.

“Really? Why would you, Insanity’s master assassin, want to help us?”

“Actually, the term is Death Dealer” he corrected. “I want to help you because when I was searching for you to do his bidding and I found…” his voice trailed off getting quiet. He made fists and began to tremble a little bit.

“Wha did ya find?” Applejack asked trying to get an answer from him.

“I…I found three young fillies huddled together in a pile of debris.” He said quickly trying hard to not choke on the words. “I found them huddled together in a small ball. There was a yellow colored earth pony with a red bow, a white unicorn with a purple and white mane and a small orange Pegasus. One of them was wearing a cape that had gold letters on it. It had the letters C.M.C on the back.”

The six of them were now dumbfounded by the descriptions of the fillies. Playing it in their minds over and over again. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe their ears.

“Those fillies, you were talking about. Where did you find them?” Applejack asked not wanting to believe.

“I found them in Ponyville huddled together in what looked like a school building.” Thanatos said. “I didn’t see anything else except for the remnants of scooter missing the handle bars.”

“That means that…” Rainbow Dash said beginning to become teary eyed.

“Yeah, I reckon it does.” Applejack said beginning to cry.

“Sweetie Bell is…” Rarity said under her breath also falling to the floor.

“I made a grave for them. If you would like to go and see it, I can take you there.” Thanatos spoke up. The six, in unison made nods of recognition and signs meaning ‘take us there’ to him. Thanatos charged his magic again and after a few moments they were teleported to Ponyville’s front gate.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

They all made their way through the wreckage of Ponyville not wanting to look at the buildings that their friends had been buried under. They walked in silence still not wanting to believe that Thanatos was telling the truth. Yet they had to believe him because of the wreckage that they were looking at.

“Turn here.” Thanatos spoke as he guided them around a wrecked building.

When they finished walking around the building they saw it, the grave mound that housed three small fillies without a cutie mark, the stick still standing with the cape waving gently in the breeze. They walked over to the mound and Fluttershy grabbed the cape in her mouth and held it still so that the others could read it clearly. There they sat taking in the sight. The golden initials, just as Thanatos had said there would be, were imprinted on the ruined cape that once belonged to young Applebloom. Fluttershy let go of the cape and let it fall back to waving in the breeze. The six had stood there in silence still unbelieving even though the evidence lay before them.

“Thank ya, Thanatos.” Applejack said quietly.

“For what?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders, not knowing why she was thanking him.

“Fer burying them and giving them a place to rest. At least now they can play and be free from all of this just like the others. But I have to ask why did you do it. Ah thought you weren’t supposed to have feelings like this.”

“I guess I always had feelings. I guess I just ignored them for so long that I had forgotten about them. When I saw these three children I guess they were reawakened. Now all I want to do is to listen to what my feelings tell me to do and right now they are telling me to help you. So, if you don’t like it then… tough.”

“Nah, not tough, good luck. Righ now my feelings tell me that ah can trust you with all my heart. Agreed Everypony?” she said while looking at the others. They all nodded in agreement. “Listen Mr. Thanatos can we have some time to say our goodbyes? Ya see that white unicorn was Rarity’s sister and the one with the bow was mine. Scootaloo was really a fan girl of Rainbow but they had become quite close to each other almost like sisters.”

Thanatos agreed with a nod. “You may. But try to keep it brief, for the sake of the world. The sooner we go after Insanity the better. Alright?” Applejack agreed and she went to join the others who had already begun to say their goodbyes to the three little ones.

A few moments later they were finished with their goodbyes and Thanatos joined them by the grave again.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked them all, his voice still somewhat quiet.

“Yes. Were ready. Take us to him.” Twilight said to Thanatos.

Thanatos nodded and they all disappeared in a wave of shadows and mist.

They reappeared in front of the new Canterlot Castle where Insanity now resided. Thanatos stepped in front of them.

“The castle has nearly the same layout as before so you can find the throne room easily. I know how to restore the princesses back to normal, so I will free the other ponies that Insanity has under his control then I will retrieve their horns from his vault in the basement of the castle.”

“You mean that the princesses can be restored to what they were before he did all of that to them?” Twilight asked with surprise.

“Yes, an Alicorn’s magic comes from within right? But without their horn it has no place to go. The way I see it, the magic inside of them has been building over the past month and when their horns are reattached then that magic will release and restore them to what they once were before. But, listen all of you; this will be your hardest and most challenging battle yet. Are you ready for it?” Thanatos asked them all.

They all responded in unison by saying yes. Thanatos turned his back to them and faced the castle in front of them. They began to walk toward the massive black door. Thanatos spoke again to them as they walked.

“It’s time to end this.”

NEXT CHAPTER

DOORWAY TO INSANITY

Doorway to Insanity

The black door to Insanity’s castle stood before them like a great demon from bowels of the nether world itself. They stopped mere inches from the massive gateway into Insanity’s twisted world of evil and madness. Thanatos placed a hand in the door and forced it open with a push of his own magic.

“This is where we part ways. I will find the princesses horns and you will go to the throne room. Everyone clear?”

The six nodded and Thanatos disappeared again in a cloud of shadow and mist travelling down the corridor to his own destination. The six waited for a few moments outside the door. Twilight looked at her friends and gave a slight nod. She proceeded through the door the others following closely behind her. They had now entered into the mouth of the castle, the gateway of madness. The realm of madness incarnate.

The corridors of the castle were not the majestic white stone as before. Now they were black as night, as though they were black holes waiting to suck them in never to be seen again. A chill went down their spines as they walked. Rarity felt the cold breath of a being on the back of her neck.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Uggh, please would you stop breathing on me Pinkie? It’s rather unbecoming.” She retorted. Rarity turned her head to try to see behind her. There was nothing, only darkness. She turned her head back to its normal position. Nothingness lay in front her. Her friends nowhere to be seen. “Twilight? Fluttershy? Rainbow dash? Pinkie Pie? Applejack? Where are you?” she said fear permeating her voice.

“Come play with me. Can I help you with your new designs? Why don’t you play with me, Rarity?” a small voice said behind her sending chills down her spine, the voice sounding eerily familiar.

“Whose there. Show yourself.” Rarity said visibly trembling, fear entering every fiber of her being. She looked all around her, still nothing could be seen, only darkness. Then she turned her head to its frontal position and standing before a faintly glowing, small, white unicorn.

“Come play with me Rarity.” Sweetie Belle said to her elder sister, her voice sounding like it was echoing a little.

“Sw…Sweetie Belle? But I…” Rarity started to say in disbelief. Sweetie Belle went and grabbed her sister’s leg with her two front hooves.

“Come on Rarity. You promised that you would play with me today.” She said while looking into her sisters eyes with eyes as big as saucers.

“Bu…But where can we play? There’s nothing around to play with.”

Then all around her, the darkness vanished and what lay before her was Ponyville as it had once been. All of the ponies going about their normal daily lives, the streets crowded and ponies out at their stands selling their wares. And in front of her was the playground she had promised to take Sweetie Belle to someday.

“Come on Rarity! Push me on the swing, ok?”

Rarity still dumbstruck by the event stood in shock. When she snapped out of her trance she saw Sweetie Belle on the swing waving at her to hurry up and calling her name. Rarity made her way over to the swing set and began to push Sweetie Belle on the swing. Sweetie Belle’s laughter and calls to go higher only made Rarity feel more comfortable and happy inside her aching heart.

“Higher! Higher Rarity!” Sweetie Belle called to her sister.

Rarity smiled for the first time in months and began to laugh as she pushed her sister on the swing, Sweetie Belle also laughing and having fun. A short time later, Sweetie Belle got off the swing and asked if they could go get something to eat for lunch. Rarity smiled and agreed. She asked Sweetie Belle to sit on a nearby bench while she went to get some sandwiches from the store on the street. When she returned she found Sweetie Belle lying on the ground in the dirt. She dropped her sandwiches and ran to her side. She flipped her over and saw that her body was now a decaying mess. She screamed and dropped her body while stumbling backwards. She made her way to her sister’s body and picked it up while sitting on her haunches.

“Sweetie Belle? Sweetie Belle?!” She screamed. She looked around and Ponyville had disappeared into the never ending darkness. Sweetie Belle’s face was now a rotting form of its former self. “Sweetie?” Rarity asked tears falling from her eyes again, she looked around to see if any help could be found. Sweetie Belle’s body stirred in her arms. Rarity’s head snapped back to the rotting corpse in her arms, her face becoming one of dread as the body moved its head from side to side on the back hinge of its neck. Sweetie’s head snapped up to face Rarity, changing into a form of bones and red energy. Rarity screamed and dropped her sister’s body onto the ground. She stepped away slowly as the body before her stood up on its own and began to walk toward her. Rarity stopped backing up feeling something solid behind her.

“What’s the matter sis? You don’t look too good.” The body said to her.

“No…No stay back you vile monster.” The body stopped and looked at Rarity.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you recognize me Rarity? It’s me. Sweetie Belle.”

“NO! You’re not Sweetie Belle!” Rarity screamed at the creature before her.

“Yes I am. Come on Rarity, stop lying to me. I know you know who I am.” said the decaying body in front of Rarity.

“No! You’re not my little sister! You have her voice, but not her looks!” Rarity screamed back. The body began walking

toward her again. “Stay Back! Stay Back I said!” Rarity screamed as the body came closer and closer.

The decaying mass came to a stop at Rarity’s feet and looked into her eyes with her burning red sockets. It stood there for little while and only stared at Rarity’s eyes. Rarity’s face had begun to contort into a look of absolute terror and fear.

“YOUR IN MY REALM NOW ELEMENT! WHAT’S THE MATTER!? AFRAID?!” the body roared making the walls and floors shake. Rarity screamed in terror and fainted.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hello? Who’s there? Ah know yer out there! Come out now, ya hear?!” Applejack yelled into the darkness. She looked all around her and in the distance there were faint colors of green, red and brown. She ran over to where the colors were emanating from to see the main gate to Sweet Apple Acers.

“What the hay?” Applejack said to herself as she stared at her orchard.

“What ya’ll doin there Applejack? Come on, granny’s got supper ready.” Applebloom called to her.

“Applebloom?” AJ said in disbelief. Applejack charged into the orchard and nearly tackled Applebloom to the ground tears in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Applebloom, Ah thought ya were dead.”

“Dead? Why would Ah be dead?” Applebloom asked while pushing on her sister’s head trying to escape. Applejack let go of her younger sister and stood there hoping this was not a dream.

Applejack went inside her house and sat at the table with her family surrounding her at the dinner table. She looked at them all smiling and laughing at the table as they put their dinner on their plates and passed the casserole pan. She took it from Big Macintosh on her left and put some on her plate and passed it off to Applebloom on her right smiling from ear to ear and laughing her famous accented laugh. They talked and laughed with each other at their dinner table and enjoyed each other’s company as they had done so long ago. When dinner was done and the table cleaned up they parted ways to get some sleep for the coming day. Applejack lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling in her bedroom.

“Ah hope that this aint no dream.” She said to herself before falling asleep under her covers.

A few hours passed and she was awakened by screaming and yelling outside of her door. She woke up slowly and began to realize that her family was yelling at her to wake up. She got up quickly not caring to tie her mane back in a ponytail as she would usually do. She ran to her door and opened quickly enough that it almost came off the hinges.

“Wha’s wrong?! Wha’s goin on?!” she said quickly and worriedly. She could see here entire family standing outside her door and smoke coming up through the floor in the hall way.

“Come on sis! The house is on fire! We gotta go!” Applebloom shrieked at her.

Applejack looked stunned but regained composure and scooped up Applebloom and began to run while Applebloom rode on her back and Granny Smith on Big Mac’s. They ran down their stairs into the kitchen when a part of the ceiling came crashing down in a fiery mass in front of them. Applejack reared back and Applebloom almost fell off of her sister. They made their way around the fire ball on the floor with haste and almost made it outside when something in the house caused a massive explosion propelling them out of the house in a fiery explosion coating them in flames.

They crashed hard into their front yard, their fur scorched and their skin burning. Applejack tried to stand but realized that her left, front leg was broken by the impact. She fell back down onto the ground. She looked at the others. Her older brother Big Mac was on fire and lying on the ground. He was in the back when the explosion occurred making him take the brunt of the flames and the force of the explosion. Granny Smith lay close by not moving, her neck broken. Applebloom lay close by to Applejack. Applejack reached out for Applebloom and scooped her tiny frame into her right arm and pulled her close to her face. Applebloom was not moving, her yellow colored fur blackened by the flames. Applejack looked at her blackened and bruised face . She began to cry and kissed Applebloom on the forehead trying to wake her up. Tears fell down her cheeks and onto the blackened earth below them. Applebloom’s eyes did not open; they remained closed signifying her passing from the world. Applejack cried again, tears falling freely from her eyes. Her body hurt and her skin burned. She looked up at their demolished house, the flames traveling from it to the trees nearest to it and so on. Applejack tried to stand up again. She forced herself up through the pain and burning of her body.

She limped toward the flames wanting nothing more than to join her family in the afterlife but stopped short, unable to continue. She turned her head looking at the devastation around her, tears continuing to fall from her eyes. She turned her head back to her burning home. She stood and waited for the flames to reach her body. The flames made their way to her body and began to lick at her hooves on the ground. She winced in pain and slowly lay down on the ground to make her death quick and painless. A few moments later the flames enveloped her entire body. She could feel the fire searing away at her skin and her muscles. She could feel the flames tearing away at her but she could not die, she could only wish for death to come. She screamed in pain until her throat refused to scream again.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’ll fight ya! Show yourself so I can kick your butt!” Rainbow Dash said while rearing up on her hind legs forcing her front hooves out in front of her like a boxer.

“Hey Rainbow Dash! Come on! Remember you promised to teach how to fly today!”

Rainbow Dash looked behind her and she Scootaloo standing there with a cheesy looking smile on her face ranging from ear to ear. Rainbow Dash looked at the orange and purple maned Pegasus for a moment.

“Uhh…Yeah alright squirt. What should I teach you today? Mmmm…I got it why don’t I teach you how to do turns and stuff?” Rainbow said to the little Pegasus. Scootaloo only nodded quickly the smile still on her face.

“Alright then first thing first, you need to get airborne.” Rainbow told the little Pegasus. Scootaloo began to flap her wings as quickly as she could to get airborne and hover in place for the lesson. “Good. Now in order to turn lean your body to the left or the right in order to turn in that direction. But don’t turn to hard or you’ll…” Rainbow stopped midsentence to see that Scootaloo had already leaned too far and had crashed into a tree to their left. Rainbow Dash face hoofed and walked over to help the little Pegasus. “Ugh, come on squirt, let’s go try something else. We’ll try turning again later.” She said while lifting Scootaloo off of the ground. Scootaloo nodded and trailed behind the rainbow maned Pegasus in front of her.

They made their way to an open field just outside of Ponyville and near the edge of the Everfree forest. Rainbow Dash stopped and examined the surroundings making sure that it would be safe for them to practice here. She concluded that it would be fine for the time being. Rainbow Dash flew up and grabbed a small cloud from the sky. She motioned for Scootaloo to step up on it. Scootaloo jumped on it, obeying the motion. Rainbow Dash pushed the cloud back up into the sky.

“Alright, Scoot, I want you to try to hover just off of the cloud. I’ll catch ya if you start to fall. So, don’t worry about it.”

“Ok Rainbow Dash, if you say so.” Scootaloo said with hesitation. She flapped her wings has hard as she could and began to hover just off the cloud. Rainbow Dash waved a hoof beckoning her to come closer to her. Scootaloo leaned forward and began to drift closer to rainbow, a lesson they had covered previously. Rainbow backed up a little bit and allowed Scootaloo some space to hover.

“Good. Now try to hold it as long as you can. When you start to feel tired move back over the cloud and drop back onto it.” Rainbow instructed.

Scootaloo nodded and held a hover for a time, longer than what Rainbow had expected her to hold for. Scootaloo began ot get tired but ignored it trying to impress her hero. As she continued rainbow Dash began to get a little nervous. She was right to be. Scootaloo’s wings locked up after another minute of hovering and she began to plummet toward the ground below. She called for help and Rainbow Dash sped down to catch her. Rainbow caught Scootaloo just before she hit the ground but the awkward catch made her spiral out of control and smash into a nearby tree. They were covered in scratches and bruises. Scootaloo let out a whimper and rainbow slowly stood, wincing in pain and limping slightly but nothing was broken. She found Scootaloo under some brush and sticks. She grabbed the scruff of her neck and picked her out from under everything and set her down gently. She examined Scootaloo who was still clenching her teeth and mumbling something under her breath. Upon a closer investigation Rainbow Dash discovered that Scootaloo’s wing had been badly injured nearly turning itself around on its hinge joint where it connected to her body. She was surprised that Scootaloo was not screaming and crying, probably trying to impress her.

Rainbow picked her up and placed her on her back. She began to walk as fast as she could without further injuring Scootaloo’s wing. She approached the hospital when it suddenly disappeared into darkness as did the rest of the scenery. Rainbow Dash began to get very nervous her usually calm and proud demeanor changing to fear for her little fan.

“Rainbow Dash, my wing hurts.” Scootaloo said weakly from atop Rainbow’s back.

“I know squirt. We were almost to the hospital when everything disappeared. I…I don’t know what to do. I’m sorry Scootaloo. Scootaloo? Yo squirt?” She beckoned while turning her head back to where Scootaloo lay on her back. Scootaloo’s head was facing her with black voids for eyes, she recoiled in shock making Scootaloo fall to the ground with a tiny thud. “Sc…Scootaloo? Squirt?” Scootaloo did not respond, she lied there on the ground silent. “Hey now, don’t do that! That’s not funny! I’m really worried about you right now.” She bellowed at Scootaloo’s lifeless body. She approached it and examined the body of her little fan girl. She winced as she turned her over and her stomach almost ejected its contents. Scootaloo’s head was bone with pieces of flesh and fur dangling of off it in places. She had maggots and worms slithering across the bridge of her nose, through her mouth and the all went into her empty eye sockets.

“Why didn’t you come for me? You were my hero, my idol, and like a sister to me Rainbow Dash. Why didn’t you come for me?” Scootaloo said lying on her back the worms and maggots still crawling on her face.

“What? I..I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rainbow said her voice shaky with a hint of fear.

“You didn’t come for me. You left me there, in the building. You didn’t save us. You were supposed to be a hero. You were my hero. You didn’t come for me.” Scootaloo said standing up, her skin peeling and falling off as she stood. She limped over to where Rainbow Dash was standing, her bones creaking and falling out of their sockets a few times.

“Sq…Squirt? Wha…Wha…What happened to you?” She asked trying to get the thing in front of her to talk. Scootaloo’s decaying body advanced ever closer to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash stepped backwards trying to stay away from the decaying mass in front of her.

Rainbow could no longer hold back her tears and they began to stream down her face. She fell to the ground, the little body of Scootaloo coming closer. It stopped in front of her face and raised a hoof, the bones scratching and creaking. Rainbow looked at the skull in front of her orange fur still covering small areas of the face. The creature let her hoof come right across Rainbow’s face with a resounding “SMACK.” The body spoke to her yet again.

“I would be alive if you had come for me that day. But you were too busy running like a coward. You never cared about me did you? You never cared. I’m not the monster here you are!” The body collapsed in a small pile of bones, skin and fur.

Rainbow Dash looked at the pile in front of her and stood up slowly her head spinning. She stumbled a little bit when she got to her feet. She looked around her the darkness covering 360 degrees of her surroundings. She stared into the void around her and she began to feel sick. Her stomach ejected its contents onto the floor. She reeled back and felt a presence behind her. She turned her head to see red aura that was a perfect resemblance of her. She took a few steps back and bumped into another then another. She was surrounded by these red doppelgangers. They all kept calling her monster in her own voice for a few moments. Then, they all at once jumped on top of her and began to bite and tear away her skin and body parts. She felt her skin, body parts and innards being torn out, screaming at the top of her lungs she slipped into unconsciousness.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy lay in the darkness curled into a ball crying at losing her friends somewhere. She felt a small tap on her forehead. She looked through her pink mane and saw Angel standing there with his arms crossed and tapping his foot in a fury. She looked at him and she noticed that he did not look well.

“Oh…Oh, my. Angel, are you ok? You really look awful.” Fluttershy asked in concern. Angel nodded his head left to right. She grabbed him in her mouth and placed him on her back and looked behind her looking for her cottage. Her cottage appeared as it had always looked. She quickly went inside only to find all of her animals lying on the couches, stairs and floor sick, some lying in their own vomit and blood in some cases. Fluttershy nearly panicked at the sight of them all. She hurried into the living room and placed Angel on the carpet that she had in the middle of the room.

She ran into her kitchen looking for her medicine stash that she kept in case of emergency’s but she had never had this many animals sick at once. She found her large medicine stash and went back into her living room. She looked at all of her animal friends lying sick and in pain in the middle of the floor. Her heart was breaking; she had never seen anything like this before. Her little friends began to throw up blood and phlegm, their bodies curling up in pain. She began to cry as she ran to each one of them trying to give them the medicine but none of them would take it. Fluttershy pleaded with them to take it in order to help them feel better but still they would not or they could not respond.

One of the animals began to cough violently and blood came spurting from its mouth. After a few minutes of nothing but violent coughing it lay still no longer moving. Fluttershy was standing over it stroking it with her hoof, tears streaming down her face realizing that it was too late for the creature. She looked around the room and all of her animals began to either cough up blood or vomit it in large quantities. She began to panic; for the first time in her life, she had no idea how to help her little friends. She broke down and began to cry on the floor, her animal friends’ blood covering her underbelly and hooves. She sat there and cried as her animal friends all died around her, not knowing how to help.

“I’m sorry everypony, I’m so sorry.” She said in between her sobs. She lay there and cried as all of her animal friends died around her one by one bleeding and vomiting.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pinkie Pie was walking in the darkness trying to locate her friends when she heard Mrs. Cake calling for her. She turned around and saw the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner. She thought it was strange how it appeared but she didn’t care; she was home and ready to bake cupcakes. She went behind the counter and started her usual routine of getting all of her supplies and ingredients ready. Once those were ready, she began to make the cupcakes. When all the ingredients were mixed and the batter placed in the cupcake pan she placed them in the oven and awaited the ten minutes to their completion. She sat staring at the oven with a large grin on her face. The timer went off and she grabbed them out of the oven and let them cool before starting her favorite part of the project; decorating. The cupcakes cooled down and Pinkie Pie began to decorate them in a flash. She was done in only a few minutes if not less. She placed them on the counter top so she could put them on the rack later when the store opened.

When the store opened, Pinkie Pie was ready and waiting at the front desk waiting to fill any order that came in. A few minutes after the store opened a new stallion came walking in. He was a red unicorn with a black mane and a crossed sword cutie mark black in color to contrast against his coat.

“Hi! I’ve NEVER seen you around here before! Are you new here!?” Pinkie exclaimed in a loud voice.

“YES, I AM NEW BUT I’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT MISS PIE.” He said his voice deep and loud.

“Really? What have you heard?”

“ONLY THAT YOUR CUPCAKES ARE TO DIE FOR.” He replied.

“I’ve never heard that one. But I don’t care would you like one?”

“ACTUALLY MISS PIE, I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE THEM. AFTERALL IT WOULD ONLY SEEM FITTING TO HAVE THE ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER EAT HER OWN GOODIES, DON’T YOU THINK?” he said with a sinister tone.

Pinkie’s smile went away and she gave him a quizzical look. “How did you know that I was the Element of Laughter?” she asked suspicious of the pony in front of her.

“BECAUSE ELEMENT! YOUR IN MY WORLD NOW!” the unicorn bellowed and blasted her cupcakes with a large beam of red magical energy.

“HEY! What did you do to my cupcakes and what do you mean your world?” she yelled at him.

“YOU’LL SEE SOON ENOUGH.” He said disappearing into thin air, a chuckle emanating from the air in the building.

Pinkie watched as her cupcakes grew into large behemoths and grew faces, mouths, lines of sharp teeth and appendages. She backed up slowly still oblivious as to the unicorn’s identity. She watched as her beloved treats began to make grunting noises unable to talk and slid their way closer to her. She stared at them and began to laugh because of their display. The cupcake monsters stopped and looked on as Pinkie was rolling on the floor laughing at them. They roared at her and she sucked in her lips and watched them. They had frosting running out of their mouths as though it were drool. They slid their way to Pinkie who was a little nervous now and was no longer laughing.

The cupcakes began to smash the store with their arms and slid using their legs for momentum. Pinkie Pie jumped up began to scream at them to stop destroying here home and the shop. One of her cupcakes grabbed her in midair and held her in its hand. It stared at her and roared coating her in frosting spit. She escaped it and ran to the far side of the wall screaming. The giant cupcake followed her and cornered her IT licked its ‘lips’ and smashed down onto Pinkie Pie gulping her down in one massive bite.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight awoke to darkness. She could not see in front of her or around herself. The only thing that she knew was that she could not move. She tried to raise her arms and legs to get free but they were strapped down by something. She would have used her magic to escape from whatever this was but her magic would not work, it was as though it was being blocked. She struggled to get free again but again to no avail.

“OH, COME NOW TWILIGHT. YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU CAN’T ESCAPE THIS PLACE.” A loud voice boomed.

“Who’s there? Wait…” she thought for a moment. “Insanity! I know it’s you show yourself!”

“YOU’RE NO FUN TWILIGHT, BUT VERY WELL, I WILL SHOW MYSELF TO YOU AND I’LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING ELSE.” Insanity’s voice rang in the darkness.

The darkness vanished instantly and there Insanity stood looking over Twilight with a grin on his face, his old form returned. Twilight looked in horror as he stepped away to reveal similar sights to herself. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were in similar restraints their faces bloody and broken and their bodies were covered in cuts and bruises.

“What have you done to them!?” Twilight yelled at her former master.

“WHAT DID I DO TO THEM? OH, TWILIGHT, IT’S NOT WHAT I DID TO THEM; BUT WHAT YOU DID TO THEM.” He said to her matter-of-factly.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to them!”

“OH BUT YOU DID. YOU BETRAYED THEM REMEMBER. YOU BECAME MY GENERAL AND HURT THE ONES THAT THEY LOVE AND CARED ABOUT. AND SO, THEY CAME LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT OF THEIR MISERY BUT AS YOU KNOW I LOVE TO SPREAD CHAOS AND MISERY AND MAKE PONIES GO CRAZY.”

“You’re…You’re lying! I know you are!” Twilight screamed at him, unable to act upon her anger.

“YOU KNOW THAT I’M NOT LYING. BESIDES, I CAN REVERSE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU… INCLUDING, THE STATE OF THE PRINCESSES.” He said to her.

“The princesses? Their alive?”

“OF COURSE. YOU DIDN’T THINK I WOULD DESTROY THE DAUGHTERS OF MY MOST HATED ENEMY WHEN I CAN KEEP THEM AS TROPHIES INSTEAD. HAVE A LOOK.” He said snapping his fingers and another part of the room illuminated and there chained to the wall were the princesses. Insanity raised the table that Twilight was trapped on and turned it around for her to see them. Twilight’s heart broke at the pitiful state of her mentor and Luna.

“What do I need to do?” Twilight asked in defeat.

“SIMPLE, BECOME MY SERVANT ONCE AGAIN.”

Twilight’s mind went crazy trying to figure out what to do. She wracked her mind so she could figure out the best course of action. Whether to join Insanity once again, this time of her own free will or to stand by as a guardian of Equestria and say no.

“AND HERE’S A LITTLE SOMETHING TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.” Insanity said waving his hand. Small clouds of red formed near Twilight’s five friends and the princesses. Out of them came hideous looking creatures, small in size. They climbed onto her friends and the princesses and with Insanity’s command they began to bite down into the flesh of her friends. Her friends began to scream and squirm in their restraints as their skin was torn from their bodies.

“NO! Stop it please!” Twilight screamed.

“THEN WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?!”

“I…I…” Twilight stuttered.

Insanity did not call off his little creatures.

“REMEMBER IF YOU MAKE THIS DEAL I WILL REVERSE ALL OF THE DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND THE PRINCESSES JUST SAY YES!”

Twilight looked around the room furiously at her friends and she had no choice but to agree to Insanity’s deal. She looked up at him when the room began to shake and crack.

“WHAT IS THIS? WHO’S DOING THIS?!” Insanity said in surprise.

The room continued to break and crumble as a hand came down from the ceiling and grabbed Twilight. Twilight fought it trying to escape so she could go and save her friends and the princesses from what was happening to them. But the hand would not let her go. She fought and fought it until all was dark again.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Twilight awoke with a great gasp for air, she was flailing her limbs and her eyes were darting around the room in a hurry trying to figure out where she was.

“Calm down, calm down! You’re safe now.” said Thanatos trying to calm her down, her friends looking at her with worry.

“What happened to me?” Twilight asked with worry in her voice.

“Insanity tried to drive you all crazy so that he could gain control of you. You all had visions.”

“So that wasn’t real?” Twilight asked in disbelief.

Thanatos shook his head.

“But, it was so real, I thought you all were going to be eaten alive right in front of me.” She rubbed her head with her hoof and looked at all of her friends. “What did you all see?”

“I think it’s best if we don’t talk about it right now there’s no time to waste. The sooner we stop Insanity the better.” Thanatos told them, to which they all agreed not wanting to remember their visions. They all stood up and turned in the direction of the throne room.

“THANATOS?! YOU’RE THE ONE! YOU WILL PAY DEARLY FOR SUCH TREACHERY!”

They all looked in front of them a red aura silhouette. Forming in the distance.

“I WILL MAKE YOU ALL SUFFER FOR THIS! YOU DARE TO INVADE MY HOME TO TRY TO OVERTHROW ME! YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS! ALL OF YOU!”

They watched as the aura became closer revealing Insanity, his body bone and red energy. He glared at them as though he were going to wipe them out then and there.

“I WILL KILL YOU ALL!”

NEXT CHAPTER

FURY OF THE ELEMENTS

Fury of the Elements Part 2

Really sorry of the mega long wait for this. I had another idea I wanted to get started on before I forgot. I hope the wait was worth it to you the readers, if you have any questions about why this took so long or editorial comments PM me any other comments drop them below.

___________________________________________________________________________

Fury of the Elements Part 2

Insanity circled the purple Alicorn known as Endrita while she followed him with her eyes.

“You have returned to me. I knew you would come back to me eventually.”

“No. I did not come back for you I came back to stop you. Look at what you have become brother. You are no longer the little brother I loved as family, you are nothing more than a monster and villain.” She said sadly.

“You’re wrong! What I am is beautiful. It is majestic and powerful. I am the king of this world now! As I should have been from the start!”

“Look at this world, what it has become. It is not the result of a good king but of a tyrant and madpony. Please stop this now and reverse the damage done and you will be forgiven and all will be normal.” Endrita walked up to Insanity and wrapped her hooves around him. “Please, brother.” Insanity put his claws on her back in an embrace.

“It was good to see you again but what you have said, it is not the truth!” he roared while grabbing her mane and throwing her across the room. He walked quickly and struck her chin with his foot making her squeal in pain. “Do you honestly believe that I want to go back to the way things were? Where I was the humble librarian with greater ambitions that that! I am the king now, I am in charge for once and I hold all of the power! I refuse to give that up no matter what the consequences may be! And I will trample over any that stand in my way!”

“So you are lost.” Endrita cried getting up.

“No, not lost, I have found what I am what I have always longed to be.”

Endrita stood dumbfounded at what she was hearing and witnessing form the one that she called brother. She hung her head and her horn began to glow while Insanity’s back was turned during his little speech.

“I must stop you!” she screamed shooting a wave of magical energy at her used to be brother. Insanity sidestepped quickly and glared at his sister.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He said happily charging his own attack.

He ran at Endrita holding his red energy in his claw and caught her before she could move. He lifted her slightly and fired his attack pointblank and watched as she flew into the air and slammed into the ceiling taking the full brunt of his attack. She fell down from the ceiling when Insanity hit her with his tail sending her to the other side of the room. She staggered to her feet and fired round after round of magic bolts. Insanity ran straight through letting the bolts hit him to prove his power.

“You’re supposed to be a god like me and you have such little power!”

Insanity closed in on her swiftly and was ready to deliver a kill strike. Endrita put up a barrier and watched as Insanity’s attack came and bounced off of her shield with minimal give.

“I will give you one last chance brother! Stop this and let this world be!” she cried from behind the shield. Insanity stood enraged and brooding at his sister’s wishes.

“I will see you dead at my feet! Then I will be the last of the gods and I will reign supreme!” he roared. Endrita closed her eyes and had calmed her tormented and saddened soul. Her horn glowed once more the purple aura becoming greater with each passing moment. “What are you doing in there?”

“I call upon those of the past, I call upon the present and I call upon the future, lend me your strength to quell the tyranny of an evil king. I call upon my ancestors; I call upon the gods of old and their spirits. Give me the power to unravel all that is beheld and all that will be and all that has been…”

“No, no you can’t! I will not allow it!” Insanity growled while realizing what she was doing. He began to pound the shield with his hands relentlessly. The shield began to crack and bend until it finally broke shattering like glass. Insanity tried to grab her but she was burning like the sun. He pulled his hand back and he backed up a ways.

Insanity charged two balls of red energy one in each hand and put them both together forming a massive orb that only continued to grow. Endrita did not move but continued her spell. Insanity fired a blast of energy powerful enough to destroy a planet. She remained still and the red energy overtook her. Insanity stopped the attack only to find the red energy warping itself around Endrita’s body encasing her in an orb of red energy. The red color faded and was replaced by purple and was absorbed into her body.

“You have given me all the power I need to stop you and now I will. I hope you’ve had a good life brother because you will have never existed after this is over.”

Endrita’s horn began to glow white while Insanity stood by and watched as they were thrown into another dimension allowing them to see the events of the past present and future all around them. Endrita was straining to keep the spell working at full power as the strands began to weave, disappear and change.

“No! I will not allow you to undo all I have worked for thousands of years to complete!” Insanity yelled in desperation. He charged at Endrita and swiped at her head and body hoping to make her lose concentration. The fabrics of time and space continued to swirl and change as he attacked. Desperately he charged his most powerful and devastating attack. Red energy radiated from his body and began to pulsate all around him in short waves until his skin and scales had been seared off of his body leaving only a flaming red skeleton. “Now die and leave my world!” the energy expanded in an explosion great enough to envelope the earth and the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Endrita saw the explosion coming and rushed to finish her spell but the explosion reached her first. Her fur and skin were burnt nearly too a crisp and she was almost unrecognizable. She watched as the fabrics of time and space collapsed around them revealing Insanity’s throne room once again. She looked around horrified as her most powerful ability had been stopped by Insanity.

“Now what will you do Endrita you have failed in your mission to stop me and now your fate is sealed in stone.” Insanity neared his sister his skeleton all that remained under the plumes of red smoke that flew from his skeleton. “Now that you have been rendered useless I will see you dead at my feet. Your life and the lives of all the others and the inhabitants of this world they are nothing more than dust in the wind, to be blown away when I see fit. I, on the other hoof, am truly immortal, I can never die.”

Insanity reached for his sister and was blasted by a bolt of purple energy from the side. He recoiled and looked at his new assailant. Princess Luna was standing with her horn and wings attached to her body while Celestia stood by her side and the Elements of Harmony next to her.

“What? How?” He turned to the charred body of his sister. “You weren’t trying to kill me you were trying to revive them!” He roared.

“That’s right Insanity and now it’s time for you to die.” Celestia said angrily.

“I would love to see you try.”

Celestia and Luna charged their horns while the six Elements of Harmony stood at the ready to deliver their attack. Endrita began to heal what she was able while leaving enough energy to help the others in their attack on her brother.

“Ready everyone?” Celestia asked.

They answered in unison.

“Come on then! Show me what you can do!” Insanity roared.

Celestia, Luna, Endrita and the Elements released their attacks all at once. Endrita was wavering from the start due to her extensive injuries. Their magical energies mixed into a rainbow of every color across the spectrum. Insanity put up his own defensive barrier to block the incoming attack.

The rainbow beam of magic impacted Insanity’s barrier and it began to spark and wail immediately on impact. Insanity struggled to keep the attack at bay much to his own anger. Insanity pushed back on the attack coming from the Elements, Princesses and the goddess. His red barrier began to crack and waver under the pressure.

“I will not fail, not now.” He told himself. “I’ve come way too far to let you ruin everything!”

“You cannot win Insanity! You stand alone while we stand together!” Celestia called.

“I will not allow you to defeat me not after all those years of planning!” Insanity increased the strength of his shield closing the crack.

The attack from the nine defenders of Equestria was beginning to wane slowly while Insanity seemed to have an unlimited well of magical energy. The walls of the throne room shook and crumbled under the magnitude of the energy being produced.

“You are nothing to me! I can defeat you!” Insanity growled while pushing farther to the Elements and three Princesses.

Insanity inched closer and closer to the originating point of the attack against him slowly gaining the upper hand in his proximity to the others. He kept approaching as the others tried to increase the power of their attack to keep Insanity at bay. He got too close to them and the magical energies cancelled them-selves out resulting in an explosion nocking all of the assailants apart. Insanity got to his feet the fastest and stumbled back to his knees spent. His scales had returned leaving him back in his weakened form and state.

“You…You managed to drain most of my power. I’m impressed with you. But just because I can’t use magic does not mean I can’t still fight.” He said getting up off of his knees. “I will have my victory once again and I will rule unchallenged.” He said tiredly.

Insanity regained his footing and made his way slowly over to where the others lie. Insanity was ready to take advantage of his situation and make it work in his favor by overpowering all of them physically. His first target was his traitorous sister, Endrita.

“Now Endrita, you will know suffering beyond what you could ever imagine.”

“Wha…Whatever you throw at me could not possibly hurt as much as seeing you fall so far, brother.”

“Threatened with suffering and still you wish to win me over with your petty sentiments?”

“No. Not any longer, Now!”

Insanity felt a sharp point penetrate his scaly skin and penetrate all the way through his mighty torso. He looked down to see a spear tip coming from the left side of his chest dripping with his crimson blood. He felt another impact on his right side and he collapsed to the ground in agony. His skin had begun to sizzle and catch fire.

“What is this?! It burns!” Insanity roared from the ground.

“They’re spears tipped with a metal alloy given to me by Endrita.” said a Purple dragon emerging from the darkness with Thanatos at his side.

“This will eventually destroy you master.” Thanatos said.

“You two I saw you die, dragon.” Insanity said from the ground the wounds still burning with flame. “How did you survive?”

“I didn’t, at least not in this timeline.”

“Wait…Endrita? What did you do?”

Endrita stood up at her full height.

“When you attacked me while I was changing the time lines you made me stop prematurely but before the time lines collapsed I was able to make contact with the Spike and Thanatos from another time, pull them into this one and gave them the directions to forge the only weapon that could kill you permanently.” She said sadly but with pride.

“Serefilicalcum Arientus.” Insanity said weakly.

“Yes, however they only had enough to make the two small spear tips as a precaution in case they missed the first shot. Had I known that this would be your state I would have had them only make one.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I can only see other timelines when I use that spell not the current one. I had no idea that this would be the turn out.”

“I see. My strength has left me and I can no longer move. I have been defeated for now. But mark my words, so long as there is madness in the world I will always exist.” Insanity muttered as his flesh became like fire and disintegrating into nothingness.

Spike, Thanatos, Endrita, the Six Elements and the Princesses all relaxed knowing that their battle was done and the end had finally arrived.

“What will happen to this world now?” twilight asked to none in particular.

“I think I can answer that.” Endrita said stepping forward. “Now that my brother has been destroyed his grip on this timeline is gone. That means that this timeline will reset itself and everything will be as it was supposed to be from the start of all of this.”

“Will we still know everypony? I don’t think I can live without my friends.” Rarity spoke up to the agreement of all in the room.

“Well, when this timeline resets I cannot guarantee that you will still know each other. However, I can use my remaining power to try to manipulate that small aspect of this timeline and from wherever all of you were supposed to end up in time you will still know each other as you do now and you might also remember everything that has happened because your memories will come from this timeline. Would you like me to try?”

The six Elements thought for a minute and all agreed unanimously.

“Wait! What will happen to me and Thanatos if this timeline resets?” Spike spoke up.

“Thanatos will…”

“I know. I will simply cease to be, a fitting punishment for all of the crimes I committed in this war.” Thanatos interrupted.

“Yes, and as for you Spike, you will be sent back to your own alternate timeline, the one that I pulled you from and you will continue life from when I took you away and you will not remember anything that has happened here today.”

“I see, it was good to see you all again and take care of yourselves.” He said disappointed.

“I cannot delay any longer; this timeline must be set right before this becomes permanent. Good bye everypony and good luck to all of you.” Endrita said as her body became white as snow and she faded.

Insanity’s throne room vanished instantly with all inside and the world was washed a blanket of white energy never to be seen again.

Fury of the Elements Part 1

Here it is. I hope it's better now. Sorry for the freakishly long wait. As it is summer this might become a more regular occurance seeing as I have a full time and part time job now. So patience for the rest would be nice and thank you for hanging with me for this long.Fury of the Elements

Insanity continued to walk toward the six Elements. Their eyes growing wide with every step he took. His red aura began to grow and expand. It was whipping this way and that searing the parts of the wall that it touched. His footsteps made the granite slightly rumble under the weight of his steps.

“Be ready, this will be the ultimate test.” Thanatos told the six, who all nodded in acknowledgement.

Thanatos summoned a blade to himself holding it to his side with both hands. The six elements prepped themselves and braced for an attack while Rarity and Twilight channeled magic into their horns. Insanity’s aura disappeared before them and the darkness took his place.

“Where did he go? Fluttershy asked quietly almost a whisper.

“I don’t know Fluttershy but be on your guard.” Twilight responded quickly also lowering her voice.

Thanatos was scanning the room, never letting go of his weapon. He started to lower it slightly trying to fool his former master into attacking them. His eyes frantically moved about the room taking in their dark surroundings. The area began to play tricks with his eyes. He began to see things moving that were not there. He shook his head trying to clear his eyes of the illusions. Thanatos turned to see if his companions were doing the same. They were all scanning the area trying to find the monster that was once before them. As Thanatos lowered his weapon a little bit more a thunderous sound echoed off of the walls around them.

“It’s not good to lower your weapon with your enemy so close!” Insanity’s voice reverberated off of the walls. Thanatos felt a sharp pain in his arm. He looked over too see that he had been cut. The wound was shallow and did not draw much blood. “Did you think that this place was not under my control!? As i told you before…this is my domain!” his voice thundering off of the walls again.

“Everyone, stay on your guard. He can control the shadows.” Thanatos told the others using a low tone, trying to listen for any sounds that could indicate Insanity’s location. The six did not look at him but nodded and went back to trying to pinpoint him on their own.

The shadows moved and rustled across the floor, taunting the six and Thanatos. They moved in the direction that the shadows would prod from. Insanity was toying with them and they knew it. They stayed in the same spot waiting for an attack that never came. The shadows no longer prodded at their legs. They began to get nervous. The seven of them were perspiring; their breathing was quick and shallow.

The shadows danced around them, keeping a short distance away. Thanatos brought his sword above his head and made a downward strike at the shadows. His sword hit the ground with a loud clang. The vibrations from the metal traveled into his hands and up through his arms causing them to ache. He turned trying to gauge where the shadows were being controlled from.

“What’s the matter? Can’t find me?” Insanity said through the darkness. “Inside my castle, I am everywhere and nowhere. You cannot hurt me.”

The six elements and Thanatos were at a loss as to what they could do. They could not see Insanity nor could they harm him. They stood motionless for a few moments continuing to listen and wait. A few minutes passed without incident and they were beginning to relax little by little. When they were sure that the immediate threat had passed they relaxed fully and stared at one another.

“Wha da ya’ll think happened there?” Applejack inquired from the group.

“He’s playing tricks on us. He’s only toying with us!” Thanatos said angrily.

“I don’t know what’s going on but I do know that the immediate threat is gone. I think he wants to fight the six of us alone.” She looked up at Thanatos, who had lowered his sword. “Thanatos, why don’t’ you go and do what you had originally planned to do.”

“But don’t you need me for this fight? Insanity was my former master after all.” He said looking at Twilight.

“We’ll be fine. If you succeed then there will be no need to worry about us. The princesses will be restored and they can help if the need should arise.” Twilight told Thanatos matter-of-factly. Thanatos nodded and went down the corridor on his own mission.

“That means that it’s going to be just us for this fight.” Twilight said to the others.

“We can take em!” Rainbow Dash said raising her voice.

“Truly? Well, how about we put that statement to the test?” Insanity said seeing an opportunity to increase the duration of his fun. The six jumped in surprise, believing that Insanity had left them earlier. “If you think you can beat me, then come to my throne room and we shall test your mettle.” He said.

“Fine!” We’re coming, and when we get there you’ll be sorry you monster.” Twilight said half growling.

“GOOD, GOOD. I’LL BE WAITING THEN.” he said watching them through his magic orb he had fashioned. “They are doing exactly what I had hoped they would, in a short while they will be nothing more than a memory.” Insanity thought to himself.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The six elements made their way down the corridor and found six different pathways from the main corridor.

“Which way is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know but it’s strange that there are exactly six different pathways.” Twilight responded.

“Ah agree with Twi. This is jus plain fishy.” Applejack said.

“Well, there are six of us and six different ways, should we split up and try all six at once?” Rarity asked.

“That’s not a good idea Rarity, we should stick together.” Twilight said.

“Even so, we need to get to him.” Rainbow spoke up.

Twilight though hard for a while “Alright, we’ll split up, but if anything goes wrong you must holler. Got it everypony.”

She said against her better judgment. They all chose a pathway and walked their separate ways.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Applejack made her way down the path that she had chosen when she came to a dead end.

“Well, it aint this way.” Appljack told herself. She turned to leave when she heard a scraping sound on the wall nearby. “Who’s there? Ah, now you’re there, com out now ya hear!” she called.

A creature faded in through the wall. Applejack jumped back a little at the sight. It was a tall creature. It was hunched over slightly. Its arms were large and muscular. It had a hand on each arm but its fingers resembled razor blades more than fingers and it had large toned legs. Applejack studied the creature for a moment, her eyes never leaving it. It turned to face her.

“Come little pony, show me what you’re made of. I want to see your guts by my feet.” it said with menace.

Applejack tilted the brim of her hat up a little bit and took a charging stance. The creature tensed itself and took its own defensive stance. Applejack charged at the creature. The creature stayed still and waited for his moment. Applejack turned and bucked. She smashed her back hooves into the creature’s face. She lowered her hooves and turned to look at the damage that she had inflicted. Her eyes got wide and her pupils went to the size of pinpricks.

“That was good pony. That almost hurt.” The beast said never moving from its original position. “You have some strong legs there. Now how do you like mine?!” it said while swinging its leg in a roundhouse kick. Applejack ducked and let its leg sail over her head making a small breeze as it passed.

Applejack stumbled backwards knowing that the kick could have taken her head off. She got down in a fighting stance again her eyes narrowed in a determined stare. The creature lowered itself into a fighting stance again as well.

They both charged one another and Applejack slammed into the creature’s massive shoulder and he ran her into the farthest wall. Applejack slammed hard into the wall and some blood escaping her lips. The creature eased off and watched Applejack fall to the ground coughing and spitting up some blood. She tried to stand but her legs would not support her. The creature towered above her and went in for the killing blow using its razor like fingers to pierce her body. Applejack saw the creature’s hand coming down and she moved her body over just enough to survive the blow. The creatures fingers cut through the floor and only one of his bladed fingers hit her skin. Applejack winced a little and tried to stand once again. She was able to find her footing and stood up, her legs shaking slightly.

“Not bad Element. You have some fight in you after all. Or have you been holding back?” the creature asked the Element of Honesty.

“Come on over here ya varmint and find out.” Applejack stated a small grin on her face.

The creature’s face contorted into a face of rage at being insulted in such a manner. He roared and ran at the earth pony. Applejack readied herself for the attack. The creature thrust its fingers at her and she waited until the last second to move. She sidestepped and his hand smashed into the wall behind her. He let out a roar of anger and tried to get his hand free. Applejack used the few seconds she had to buck at his outstretched arm and hit it square on the elbow. A loud snapping sound was heard and the creature let out a sound of intense pain. Applejack stepped back to get ready for another shot at the creature.

The creature stopped wailing and used his other hand to cut its own arm off of its body. It let out a cry of pain as blood rushed from the wound. Applejack was dumbstruck for a moment. The creature turned its newly freed body from its lodged hand and stared at Applejack with fury in his eyes.

“You are going to pay for that!” the creature roared while running at the still frozen Applejack. She woke up from her trance and used the short time she had to brace for the impending attack. The creature lifted its leg and shot it forward a hard as he could. Applejack could move in time and was smashed in the face by the creature’s foot. Her nose was almost flattened to her face and she was sent backwards into the wall behind her. The creature stood there breathing heavily as he watched Applejack squirm on the floor clutching her face with her hooves. “Now you insect I’m going to squash you like the bug you are!” he roared bringing his foot above Applejack. He forced his foot down as hard as he could manage with the massive blood loss from cutting off his arm.

Applejack rolled to the side and watched as his foot smashed a small hole into the floor. Knowing he missed, the creature used his other foot to attempt a punt kick on Applejack. Applejack swiped at the creature’s knee with her hoof and he stumbled. Applejack managed to stand and punch him in the face. He fell on his back and lay there for a moment. The creature got up roaring n frustration. It lunged at her while crouching. The creature caught Applejack on the side with its remaining claw as she tried to dodge it. She did not fall to the ground as the creature had predicted instead she turned and bucked it in the side of the head. Applejack winced after she bucked the creature as blood shot from the wound because of her movement. The creature’s neck snapped its head smashed to the wall in a bloody mess. The creature slumped to the floor unmoving.

“Heh, guess ah won.” She said walking along the wall using it for support as she clutched her side trying to minimize the blood loss. She continued walking but did not reach the main area. Her vision was fading and she felt dizzy. She collapsed to the floor unconscious.

__________________________________________________________________________

Rarity walked down the path she had chosen timidly. She looked around her with caution and fear, her vision still ingrained in her mind. She made her way down the long hallway and stopped a moment so she could compose herself.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of Rarity, this is just a hallway, nothing scary about it.” She told herself trying to calm herself down. She kept going forward until she came to the end of the hallway. There was a door in front of her and she opened it hoping that it was the throne room so she could call her friends. “What’s in here?” she asked while opening the black door. She cautiously peeked inside not knowing what she would see. She opened the door to its full amount and stood there looking into a dark room.

“What is with this place?!” she hollered to herself. “It’s always so dark in here, why can’t there be some form of light?” she said appalled by the lack of color and light sources. She studied the room with the limited light she had until she got fed up and started making her horn glow to give her more light. She walked inside and stood in the center of the room. She turned her head trying to study the room. It had nothing in it; the door was the only object there. Rarity heard a screeching noise before the sound of latch could be heard. She turned to see that the door had been closed and locked from the outside.

“What is this?! I demand to know right now!” she yelled into the empty room expecting somepony or something to answer her.

“My you’re a bossy one. How do any of the other Elements put up with you?” a voice asked the white unicorn.

“Who’s there? And I am not bossy but because I am a lady, I expect an answer.” She said defiantly causing the voice to become agitated.

“Whether you are a lady or not makes no difference here or to me!” the voice called.

“And that is another thing, come out here and speak to me face to face! It is very impolite to speak without looking at the other pony that you are talking too.” she said in her famous ‘I am a lady’ voice (S1 E19).

“GAH! You are insufferable! Truly! How does anyone put up with you!? The voice said angrily.

Rarity threw her nose in the air “Well I never!” she said stomping to the door. Putting a hoof on it she tried to pull it open with no success. “I demand you open this door immediately!” she called into the room expecting her agitated conversation partner to speak once more and do as she commanded.

“Will you shut up!” the voice roared. “How did that idiot dragon put up with this all the time? For Insanity’s sake, you are the most insufferable and stuck up creature I have ever had the displeasure of talking to!” the voice roared, its voice ringing off of the walls.

Rarity looked up, rage in her eyes. Her breath was heavy and quick. She stopped listening after the ‘idiot dragon’ comment. “H…How Dare you! How dare you insult Spike!” she roared into the dark space of the room. Her horn began to glow more vibrantly until the room was completely illuminated. In the corner of the room sat a being with his beet red eyes fixed on her, he had a small smirk on his face.

“Ooohhh, looks like I touched a nerve with that dragon comment.” he said studying her face a little longer. “Wait, you liked that dragon didn’t you?! Oh, how perfect! Not only was he an idiot for putting up with you but you had a crush on a freaking dragon!” he laughed at her. Rarity’s cheeks turned red with rage and charged at the creature sitting on his small chair.

“You will shut your mouth about him!” she bellowed while running at the creature. The monster had not time to react; Rarity was upon him in an instant. She began to punch the solidified shadow creature in the face, its dark face becoming slightly bruised under the assault. The creature grabbed her two front hooves as she brought them down once again. Rarity could not escape his grip. The shadow creature stood up to its full height lifting Rarity completely off of the ground. The creature’s eyes burned with rage. He looked at her in the eye. Rarity thought that he was burning her soul, his gaze menacing.

“Now, I’m going to make sure you can’t open your mouth again!” he roared at her. He tossed her across the room. Rarity landed on the ground hard and slid back a couple feet.

Rarity staggered onto her hooves and took a charging stance. The shadow beast walked toward Rarity not caring to take any fighting stance. Rarity charged a fire spell into her horn and charged at him. The shadow monster crouched low and put his hands up to grab her shoulders to keep her from stabbing him with her horn. Rarity made contact with his hands and was stopped dead in her tracks. She smirked and launched her spell form her horn. The shadow monster was hit pointblank causing him to reel back in pain a little bit.

“She hid her spell in the light caused by that light spell.” He said grunting in pain. Rarity stood panting and watched the creature get to one knee. “Alright, that settles it. I’m going to turn your white coatred!” the creature said lunging from its lower position. He let a fist fly which caught Rarity on the side of her mouth. Rarity’s head shot to the side and her body followed suite. She landed on her side her mouth throbbing.

The creature stood over her and picked her up by one of her hooves. Her mouth had a small trail of red coming from her lip. The creature smiled with pleasure. He did not stop looking at her closed eyes taking in the sight. He managed to stop her mouth from moving. He chuckled while admiring his work when her felt a sharp pain rise from his gut. He looked down and saw a white hoof in his stomach. He dropped Rarity and put a hand on his stomach. Rarity got up and looked the creature angrily.

“How dare you lay a hand on me you ruffian!” she screamed. She turned around ready to buck him the gut to finish the job.

“DIE!” roared the shadow as his foot met her stomach. Rarity was lifted off of the floor by the force of the kick and hit the ceiling. Falling she was caught by the shadow creature. He turned her head to his face. “You’re a clever one. But it’s time to stop this farce!” he said bringing a fist back and launching it at her jaw one last time, intent on ending her life. Rarity put up a small barrier to keep his hand from reaching her. “That won’t help you!” he said bringing his fist at her full speed. His hand made contact with the barrier making a sizzling noise before the unmistakable shattering sound. Her barrier broken, his fist went unhindered into her face. Rarity was launched from his grip by the force and smashed into the wall and fell to the ground in a slump. Blood was seeping from her mouth; he had broken her jaw.

Satisfied the shadow creature went to leave the room when he heard a stirring from behind him. He turned to see Rarity trying to get up. Her eyes locked with his and she stared for a moment. Her horn glowed once more and released a beam of pure light energy into the shadow monster causing him to yell in pain. The monster of shadow fizzled and evaporated as the light seared him into nonexistence. Rarity’s eyes closed and her head hung at her chest, exhausted from the injuries and the extent of her energy use.

_______________________________________________________________

Fluttershy continued down her pathway. It was a small and narrow corridor but she didn’t care. She walked slowly, occasionally stopping too look behind her because she kept thinking that something was there. She would let out a small ‘eep’ sound whenever she had heard something. She was becoming more frightened with every passing moment because of she was alone in such a dark place.

“Don’t be afraid little one.” said a small voice. Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the small whisper.

“Who’s there?” she asked, her face sinking into her pink mane.

“It’s alright. You have nothing to fear from me.” it told her. Fluttershy came out her mane only a small amount, her nose barely through it. “That’s right you have no reason to hide. I won’t hurt you.” It said comfortingly. Fluttershy’s face was now almost completely visible. “There you go, was that so hard miss?”

“Um…no.” Fluttershy responded weakly. “But who are you and why are you helping me?” she asked quietly, trying not to offend the creature or pony that the voice belonged to.

“My name is unnecessary right now. As for why I am helping you, that is my little secret. You’ll just have to trust me, alright?”

Fluttershy gulped and hesitated for a while. “Alright, I’ll trust you.”

“Now then, just keep coming this way and you’ll be back with your friends before you know it. No more being scared ok?” At the mention of being back with her friends, Fluttershy did not answer. She began to run as fast as she could down the small corridor. “Well, that was easy.” the creature thought to itself.

Fluttershy reached the end of the hallway where a medium sized door waited. Fluttershy studied the door for a moment, trying to decide to go through. Her ears perked when she heard something on the other side. She opened the door slowly and found that there was no room waiting behind but her old cottage stood in front of her. She reached out for it timidly and when her hoof passed through the entry the space around it rippled making the picture of her cottage become wavy.

“What is this?” she yelped while pulling her hoof back quickly.

“What’s the matter child?” the voice asked like a concerned mother.

“Why is my cottage here, and why did the picture have ripples go through it?” she asked the disembodied voice.

“Child, is this not you wanted? To go back to the way things were?” the voice asked.

“Well, yes but my friends need my help and if I leave then I won’t be able to help them.” Fluttershy responded with a small pang of guilt in her voice.

“Oh, child.” The voice said quietly.

Fluttershy felt the ground shake and the walls begin to close in on her. She stood frozen in place and could not move. Her face was buried deep inside her mane and she had tears forming in her eyes. The ground continued to shake and the walls caved in front of her causing her way back to become blocked. When the ground stopped shaking, Fluttershy peeked out from behind her hair and looked around her.

“Listen child!” the voice roared, “You have two choices now! You can go through this portal back to your home to when things were peaceful and happy or you can close this door and try to find a way back!” Fluttershy shot back behind her mane and started to cry at the sudden outburst from the voice. Her body began to tremble slightly because of her fear. She suddenly shot back out and stood there trying to be brave in this new situation.

“No, I will not be afraid.” She told herself. “But what should I do? I don’t want to abandon my friends.” She said looking at the floor.

“Your friends are waiting for you in Ponyville. I went to them all earlier and they all went back, you’re the only one who has yet to do so.” It said in its most convincing voice. Fluttershy’s face beamed at the news. She didn’t want to make her friends wait for her any longer so she ran through the portal and the door closed promptly behind her. “You and I are going fun.” The voice said after the door closed.

Fluttershy looked at her new surroundings. Her face became downtrodden and tears poured from her face. She had been tricked. The picture of her cottage was only a picture, nothing more. The room she now resided in had a lone candle in the corner casting shadows across Fluttershy’s face. She collapsed to the ground and began to cry until she heard the sound of wind permeating from the wall behind her. She looked behind her, tears still training down her face. In the corner of the room she saw a glowing face with a sinister smile. She squealed in fright and backed up to where the candle was sitting.

“Poor Pegasus, you’re so frightened.” said the glowing face. “Now then I have some plans for you little one. Are you ready to begin?”

“B…b..begin what?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“It’s a little something I do to any creatures that I can capture with false hopes of home and friends.”

“What do you do to them?” Fluttershy asked; her face soggy with old tears and new falling down her face.

“You’ll see.” The face said to her grinning widely.

Fluttershy tried to back away knowing that whatever this thing does to any that it captures is more than likely to be horrid in nature. She tried to back away but was stopped by the wall that she was already against. The face charged at her with its mouth open. Fluttershy let out a scream. The candle went out and darkness returned to the room, followed by complete silence.

_____________________________________________________

Pinkie Pie continued down her chosen path and the corridor did not seem to end. She kept walking for what felt like hours to her. She was beginning to become frustrated that she did not come to the end of her path by this point in time. Her face was contorting into an angry and frustrated one when she smashed head first into a solid wall. She recoiled and rubbed her nose cursing herself for not paying attention.

“Who put this here?” she stated while rubbing her nose her voice more nasally because of her squished nose. “Oh well, guess I have to go all the way back.” She said turning around. She started to take a few steps away from the dead end when she heard a big crash and a…a confetti popper? She turned around and the wall had disappeared and in its place stood a brightly colored room decorated from top to bottom with party decorations. Her face beamed and she was off like a rocket leaving a smoke trail.

She stopped in the door way looking about to find where the best place to start would be. As she stood another pony came up to her. She was an ice blue earth pony with a cake adorning her flank.

“Hi! Can I assume that you’re new here?” She asked Pinkie Pie.

“Sure am! Nice party, I love the decorations!” Pinkie boomed out causing the ice blue pony to recoil slightly. “OH! I almost forgot, my name is Pinkie Pie!” she said grinning widely.

“Uhh, thank you. My name is Ice Vein.” She stated somewhat awkwardly. “Hey come on in we have plenty of food and things.” Ice Vein and Pinkie rushed inside to partake in the festivities.

“Hey, what’s the occasion anyway?” Pinkie asked.

“Does one really need a reason to throw a party?” Ice Vein replied.

Pinkie made a big inhalation sound. “YOU’RE RIGHT! Nopony should need a reason to party! Let’s GO!” she bellowed while pulling Ice Vein along quickly causing her to drop her drink. For the next hour Pinkie and Ice Vein partied hard.

“Whoa, Pinkie I’m going to go sit down for a minute.” she told Pinkie Pie while panting. She made her way into the adjacent room and took a seat. “Where does that one get her energy from? I’m sure she’s already broken at least all of the laws of physics in the first two minutes of being here. But…all fun must come to an end sometime.” She said with a devious tone. “She likes cupcakes, yes? Well what if one became her demise. My name isn’t Ice Vein for nothing. I have blood like ice water.” She said while chuckling quietly to herself. She went back into the party room.

“There you are Ice Vein. I was starting to get worried.” Pinkie said rushing over.

“Pinkie Pie, would you mind helping me bake some cupcakes? We’re beginning to run low.” Pinkie Pie about lost it then and there.

“Out of cupcakes!? Not on my watch!” she said while bolting away somehow knowing where the kitchen was. Ice Vein ran after her trying to keep up.

They got into the kitchen and gathered all of the necessary supplies. They began to bake them once they had finished with mixing the ingredients and putting them into the pan. They chatted for the time being until the cupcakes were finished.

Pinkie pulled them out of the oven and set them on the counter top to cool for about five minutes. Pinkie had begun ot clean up the mess while Ice Vein remained for a moment. She went to the cupcakes and put a light powder on the entire sheet. Pinkie Pie returned hoping the cupcakes were ready to be eaten by now.

“Hey Pinkie, how about you eat the first one since you helped me out with this when you were a guest at my party.” Ice Vein said with a grateful look on her face.

“Wow! Thanks Ice Vein!” Pinkie exclaimed while gulping down the entire cupcake in one large bite. “Hey Ice Vein, I don’t feel too good.” Pinkie said while her face contorted into a sick look a short time later.

“I know. It won’t be long now.” Ice Vein said triumphantly.

“What are you talking about, grrulp.” she asked while trying to keep her vomit down. She began to stumble around until she collapsed onto the floor. The last thing she saw before succumbing to sleep was Ice Vein standing above her with a devilish grin on her face.

_________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash slowly flew down her path never setting foot on the ground. She hoped that it would give her an advantage should she end up in a fight. She had flown down her path for what, to her, felt like hours. The hallway appeared to go on forever, a tunnel of never ending darkness. She was getting agitated and began to speed down the hall leaving a rainbow colored trail in her wake.

Rainbow sped down the hall when a trail of blue sped by her. Rainbow increased her speed and tried to stop when she saw. Rainbow Dash followed the blue trail for what seemed to be minutes at the speed that she was traveling. Eventually she was able to make out the figure in front of her. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was racing Fleetfoot.

“F…Fleetfoot?” she said under her breath, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

Fleetfoot stopped and landed on the ground. Rainbow Dash flew down to her and landed as well. Rainbow Dash watched as Fleetfoot turned to face her. She saluted to Rainbow Dash.

“Ma’am.” Fleetfoot said.

Rainbow Dash tried to compose herself to no avail. She jumped and tackle-hugged Fleetfoot. Rainbow Dash let tears flow into the blue Pegasus’ mane. Fleetfoot was stunned and did not move for a moment.

“Ma’am?”

“I thought you had died that day. After your return from the recon mission.” Rainbow dash said while still letting the tears flow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I remember flying in and passing out. Then I remembered a sharp pain on my body. It was like I was being burned.” Fleetfoot said flatly.

Rainbow Dash’s heart stopped. Had she just heard correctly? She stepped back and recalled the events of the day when Fleetfoot died. She remembered Fleetfoot dying in her arms and yet she was telling her that she was alive the whole time.

“No. That’s not possible I held you in my arms when you died! You couldn’t have been alive!”

Fleetfoot went up to Rainbow Dash and looked her dead in the eye. Rainbow noticed something off about her eyes. They were not their original color. They had become a lighter shade. They were the eyes of a walking corpse. Rainbow Dash stepped back.

“You’re not fooling me Fleetfoot! I know you died and your eyes prove me right!” Fleetfoot’s face changed from serious to one of infuriation.

“Do you know why my eyes are that of a dead mare?!” Fleetfoot shouted.

"Because you died when you came back from your recon mission.” Rainbow Dash cried.

“You let me die! I would have made it if you had just flown faster!” Fleetfoot shouted in Rainbow Dash’s face. Rainbow Dash’s heart sank. She did not want one of her heroes to die the way that she had.

“Fleetfoot, I…”

“Shut Up! Do you know what it’s like to be so close to home, to see it in the distance only to fall short on the doorstep? I didn’t even get to see the rest of my crew before I died!” Fleetfoot cried at the top of her lungs. Rainbow Dash could only remain silent and stood. “It’s your fault I’m gone! It’s all your fault!” She screamed. Rainbow Dash had tears flowing from her eyes as Fleetfoot spoke.

“I’m so, so, sorry Fleetfoot. If only I flew faster.” Rainbow said, her voice wavering. She bent her head and closed her eyes.

“So, after all of this you can’t even look me in the eye anymore. Fine!” Fleetfoot yelled while bringing a hoof across Rainbow Dash’s face. Rainbow landed a short distance away with a thud. Rainbow Dash stood up.

“If this is the price I have to pay then fine” she said under her breath. “Come on then, show me what you’ve got.” Rainbow said with confidence.

Fleetfoot screamed and pounced upon Rainbow Dash delivering blow after blow to Rainbow’s face and body. Rainbow Dash remained standing, though wavering at times. Fleetfoot brought another hoof to Rainbow’s jaw and she hit the wall and slumped to the ground unable to recover. Fleetfoot did not relent. Fleetfoot pounded Rainbow Dash into the ground until Rainbow’s chest had stopped moving and blood covered the floor.

___________________________________________________

Twilight continued down her path which was different than the others. As she walked, the walls appeared to play images of her past; days of happiness and sadness. They played the days of old when she was in school under the tutelage of the Princess to the most recent of events. Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head trying to erase the images that had been burned into her head by the walls. Her steps became somewhat irregular the farther she went. She would stumble and stop with every few steps.

“Congratulations Twilight Sparkle, Faithful Student of Princess Celestia. You found me.” Insanity said; his voice quiet and unassuming. Twilight watched as the walls collapsed and vanished in clouds of black smoke.

As the smoke cleared she could see Insanity sitting upon his throne with the Princesses on either side. He sat straight and unmoving. His eyes burned with pleasure at the sight of the purple unicorn. He moved his hand down to his side and began to pet Celestia’s head like she was nothing more than a pet. He studied his prey like a wolf waiting to strike. Twilight stood unmoving at the sight of the Princess being treated like an animal and at her grossly distorted figure.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like seeing them like this?” Insanity asked, still petting Celestia.

“You…you’re a monster.” Twilight stated choking back tears.

“Yes, I know. And I could really care less about what you think. But answer me this, why did you come alone? I thought you had to have your friends with you in order to defeat me.” he said with a hint of confidence.

“I was just about to call them.” Twilight said while her horn glowed and she tried to teleport her friends into the room with them. She gave up resting for a minute before trying again. Her horn charged up with purple magic and again nothing happened. “What’s going on? Why isn’t this working?” she said while she strained trying to summon her friends. Insanity straightened himself.

“Having trouble? That’s unusual for a magic wielder of your caliber.” He said on the verge of laughing. “The reason that your spell is not working is because, your friends are already here.” He said while standing up.

“What are you talking about? They can’t be here. I saw them go down different halls!” Twilight said becoming extremely worried.

Insanity snapped his fingers and the throne room became illuminated revealing that the other Elements were indeed already with them in the throne room. “You see? They are already here.” Twilight looked around the room in horror as she witnessed her friends lying on the floor around them or lying against the walls. Their bodies battered, maimed and unmoving.

“How… I… I don’t understand. How could this have happened?!” Twilight wailed from her spot in the room.

“I will tell you how this and everything else came to be, my dearest pony.” Insanity said while walking to her side. He placed a claw on her shoulder. Twilight shuttered under his touch. “You already know a little about my origin, yes? About whom I was before and how I became what I am?” Twilight remained silent. “Good. What your dear Princess did not tell you was that it was not the old stallion that was Celestia’s father who contained the knowledge that drove me insane but another.” Twilight remained unmoving. “It was my older sister. She was unnaturally similar to you actually. Tell me, do you know why everything has transpired?”

“I read a book and released you, that’s all I know.” Twilight stated flatly trying to hold back the memories of that day.

“Yes you are close. But there is one minor detail that I neglected to mention. That knowledge that I stole was a tome written by my sister. She had a rare talent, not even Celestia’s father possessed it. It was the gift of foresight. She would write her visions within its pages and would warn us of any terrible tragedies that were to come.” Twilight’s face contorted trying to comprehend Insanity’s story. “Yes I know, it’s difficult to understand. My sister could see the future, none of us knew how far but she saw a particular vision that made her worry more than any other. That vision was my future. The future Equestria under my rule and under my command. She shared the vision with me in order to try to keep me from going down the path that I was destined to follow. But when she told it to me, I couldn’t resist. I wanted that future to occur. I knew that if those events came to pass than I would be more powerful than Celestia’s father, our maker.” Twilight shivered with fright when he had finished, she did not want to listen any longer. “That brings me to how this came about.” He said while waving a claw in front of his body pointing to the room and everything and everypony in it. “You see, your friends were always here inside this place. Those paths they took were all illusions. By going along with the plan to split up, you gave me the opportunity to take care of your friends one by one, making easier to defeat you. Tell me, why did you go along with a plan that you knew would yield this result?” Insanity asked while walking to the center of the room and turning to face Twilight.

“I…” her voice trailed off unable to answer.

“It is because I told you too.” Insanity stated flatly. Twilight’s head shot up and stared at Insanity.

“What… What do you mean?!” she screamed.

“I mean that you have always been my puppet! I have been influencing the events of your life to lead up to this point! I made you what you are! I crafted your life ever so delicately and changed events so that you end up here in my throne room!” Insanity said smiling. He walked up to the shocked Twilight and got down to eye level with her. He put of his clawed fingers to her chest. “In a manner of speaking, I created you.” He whispered into her ear. Twilight jumped back and fell to the ground her heart pounding and her mind racing thinking back on her life up too this point.

“No…No…No! H…How? The Princess freed me from you and I have always lived my life the way I wanted to. You were sealed in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters! You couldn’t have used me!” she screamed while tears flowed.

“Silence!” Insanity bellowed while storming up to her. “I weaved your life around my will! You made choices that I told you to make! I put you under the tutelage of Celestia! It was I who gave you the life you had; even being an Element of Harmony was my doing!”

“No…No! Please stop!” Twilight wailed while covering her ears to keep from hearing any more.

“You have never been free! Even when the princess ‘freed’ you of me, I still controlled you ! I was the god of knowledge, remember? I knew how to manipulate the flow of time, the flow of the universe. The life you had then and the life you have now, it was all, my doing. You have always been my little pony.” He said still eye to eye with Twilight. Twilight could not take much more. She felt as though her head would explode.

“Why…Why me?” Twilight asked stuttering slightly.

“An apt question my dear. You see my sister decided to give up her godhood and become a mortal like you.” Insanity said with disgust. “Why she decided to do this none of us knew. What I did know was that she shamed all of us in doing so but the only one who was glad to see her do this was the Father of Celestia. It was him who talked into her ear planting that nonsense. He was the one who made her turn her back on us, on me! That is why I had to make this future occur. That! Is why I do what I do and have done what I have done!” Insanity tried to calm himself in order to keep himself from destroying them in that moment. “But to answer your question about why I picked you out of all of the other unicorns in the world, I picked you because you are her descendent.” he spoke. “I picked you to make my sister and the old coot suffer beyond all measure. I wanted to make my sister cringe in her grave when I manipulated her offspring into the scourge of the world. I made it so that her offspring would become the gateway for me to take over this world and the best way to do that was to weave the threads of time into what I wanted them to be. I have been manipulating every event of every day, of every hour, of every minute ever since Celestia and Luna took over the throne. And now I have succeeded. I rule Equestria. I rule time and I rule you.” He said with deviousness unlike any before.

“How can this be? I am free of you, I…I always have been.” Twilight said breathing short, sharp breaths. Insanity walked back over and stood looking down at Twilight.

“No! After my sister told me my future, I have been planning your life since before the original Elements were created! She told me of you of your latent abilities and of your life. Your life was to be so grand, becoming queen one day and leading Equestria into an era of benevolence and a golden age unlike any the world had ever seen before. You were to live to see your grandchildren’s grandchildren grow up and become leaders and political figures. You were to have a life that only I deserved.” He said with bitter resentment. “Once I discovered the way to control time and space I began to twist your life away from what it was meant to be. You weren’t even supposed to be an Element of Harmony! I made sure the true owner of your Element was never born and destroyed his family line in an instant.” Insanity was beginning to become more infuriated by the memories of times past. Twilight had lost it. She lifted her head and hoof and struck Insanity in the knee causing him to collapse.

“Ughg. Stupid girl!” he bellowed while grabbing her and tossing her into the wall. “You were not supposed to be born into the family you were! You were to be born to the. Great! Princess! Celestia!” Insanity roared while punching Twilight’s stomach in between words. Twilight lay on the ground coughing and trying to catch her breath. “When the others became old and they transferred their powers into the Elements of Harmony I was unable to continue because I had to draw power from the others in order to succeed. I was not powerful enough on my own at the time. I waited for years before the waiting drove me mad! I had to read that tome in order to stay sane and continue waiting. But in time I went mad. I was cast out! My madness granted me some power but it still not enough! But then I was summoned by the good scientist Orion Lunarious. After devouring his colleagues and taking as much of his mind from him as I could I had enough to continue. My plans were able to move forward but not until I was sealed in that blasted castle!” Insanity picked Twilight up by the throat and held her tight. “But even when I was sealed I was unhindered in manipulating time and space. I planned the rest of your life to this point and once I have killed you I will take the Elements and rebuild them using a dark magic I know. I will bring about a fury unlike any the world has ever seen before and I will be the sole ruler of this world now and for the rest of eternity!” Insanity told Twilight who was struggling to escape his grip. Twilight went limp and he threw her to the ground, his mission complete. Satisfied he began to gather the necklaces off of the others before he went over to Twilight.

He had gathered the five necklaces from the other Elements when they began to glow. The jewels had become hot as fire and were burning Insanity’s hand. He threw them down and began to heal his claw before the damage became greater. He looked on as the jewels began to levitate and they flew over to where Twilight lay. They touched her skin and were absorbed into her body. The jewel in her tiara did the same.

“What is this?” Insanity said with venom in his voice, holding his claw in the other and walking over to Twilight’s body.

Twilight’s body began to glow a vibrant white and lifted into the air. Her features began to change. Her face became more elongated similar to the Princess’s and she grew large and vibrant purple wings. Her coat color had become a lighter purple and she had golden shoes on her feet. Her mane became long and flowing. Her eyes opened and a pair of glowing sapphire eyes pierced Insanity’s very being with their stare. She was set back upon the ground and stood.

“No, it cannot be.” Insanity’s said in disbelief while his face contorted with anger and hate.

“You will do no such thing! I will not allow it!” the Alicorn said. Insanity growled for a moment and regained his composure.

“Endrita, my dear sister, How nice to see you again.”

Epilogue/ A New Day Dawns

Twilight Sparkle stood at her desk inside the royal library with her mother Celestia by her side.

“It’s strange calling you ‘mom’ sometimes and other times it just comes naturally. I guess this is what was supposed to have happened, at least that’s what Insanity said before…you know.”

“Yes I know and it is strange hearing it as well but I think everything has worked out for what we remember. Now what did the others say?”

“Oh yes. The letter I received today from Spike.”

They bent over the letter and Twilight read it aloud.

“Dear Princess Celestia and Twilight,

Rainbow Dash has just been accepted into the Wonderbolts and begins training on Saturday, she says that she will try to visit as quickly as she can so she can tell you all about it. Granny Smith has passed the role of Farm Head over to Applejack officially. She has even tried to expand business outside of Ponyville and the outlook is bright. Pinkie Pie still works at Sugercube Corner with the Cakes. She is training their two children to cook treats when she has time off and when Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake come back from school. Fluttershy opened up her own veterinary firm and she is doing extremely well for herself. In fact Mayor Mare wants her to open a school where she can teach other ponies to care for their specific pets. Rarity’s fashion business has become a sensation within Canterlot from what I've heard from her. Her clientele has nearly tripled and has some of the biggest names in fashion like Fancy Pants and Photo Finish ordering her dresses for all sorts of things. And just in case you were wondering, I’m going to ask her out on a date before I come back to Canterlot. Hopefully she will say yes. See you soon, maybe.

From your Number One Assistant,

Spike”

“I’m glad to hear that everypony is doing so well. If you will excuse me Twilight I need to go and raise the Sun before Luna returns.” Celestia said hugging Twilight tightly with her wing.

“Bye mom.” Twilight called back. “That’s still weird calling her that. Maybe now all of Equestria can exist in true peace and happiness.” Twilight said yawning. She rolled up the scroll and placed in the drawer and looked out the window to see the sun rising. “A new day is dawning in Equestria and from here on out there will be peace forever more in Equestria. Though his last words still haunt me. If Insanity decides to return we will be ready to defend our homes and loved ones.” She blew out the candle and left the library to accompany Celestia during her court hours.