Land of the Fogotten, Cry of the Moon Princess

As they turn, the three ponies and one dragon could still barely see the castle as it visibly shook. They wondered what was going on in there, but didn't want to return to find out.

"lets go, the others are awaiting assistance." Spike said, a look of worry on his face.

"He's right y'all, we should be helpin' our other friends while we still can." Apple Jack turned to Spike and put and hoof on his shoulder. "She'll be alright sugar cube... After all, it is Twilight for cryin' out loud."

"I know Apple Jack, that's why I'm worried... You haven't been with her as much as I have to notice, but something deep down in her has changed... I can just feel it..."

"Where in Equestria IS everypony anyways?" Rarity was ready to get some pay back for locking HER of all ponies in a dungeon!

" Quite a ways into the Everfree Forest." Spike looked at her. "It'll be faster if I just carried everypony there." Spike turned and opened his gallant wings, a dark shade of emerald, with blood red along the bones and veins, giving them a majestic, yet intimidating look to them.

"Oh Spike... What stupendous wings!" Rarity was mesmerized by them, and by how strong Spike had gotten. After all, she still loved him even though he left her for that rude, inconsiderate, cocky little griffin.

"Thanks Rarity, but now isn't the time for adoration." Spike had stretched out a hand and took Apple Jack's hoof first, then told Pinkie to climb onto his back and Rarity he held under his other arm and took off.

"So..." Pinkie Pie started, but too quiet for anypony but herself to hear. "What do we do now?..." Pinkie's naturally crazy and fluffy main was laying flat and straight, a sad and depressed look on her face.

"You say something Pinkie?" Spike asked as he flew on. Pinkie was clearly upset. But what did they do to her?...

"No... It doesn't matter anyways..." Pinkie answered solemnly.

Pieces of castle fell as the Princess and the monster were fighting neck and neck, with equal strength. "How are you this strong?" Spiritus was shocked that she was keeping up with him, even though he was just toying with her.

"You ready to get this fight actually started yet? I'm getting a little bored." Twilight mocked as she threw a beam of magic at him. After dodging and returning the fire, both shots making holes in the walls, exposing them to the light of the sun. Luna looked over and could see now, Twilight was more powerful than she ever was, even as Nightmare Moon. "Why don't we spice it up a bit, huh?" Twilight smirked and landed on the ground, to he honest, more because her wings were getting tired than to talk face to face with the creature.

"What do you mean, dear Princess?" Spiritus was also getting bored and was about to fight her seriously; there were so many mistakes she made as they were fighting, but he was just toying with her.

"I'm not the only one who has been leaving myself wide open." Twilight pointed out that she knew he was toying with her, and inferred she too was just playing around.

"So what is your proposal, Princess of, what was it again? Friendship?" Spiritus laughed and wiped a tear from his eye.

"We are both holding back, not fighting seriously. Let's take this fight outside and finish it. Right now." Twilight just didn't want to completely destroy the castle, it is where she grew up.

"Why take it outside? Let's end this, now." Spiritus had created a suit of armor of dark blue marble with dark green veins, and the helm left his face open, forming to his cheek bones. The shoulders were turned up at the end and came to a sharp point, while the elbows for his arms had thin, blood red blades, and the suit outlined his very defined muscles, giving it an even more intimidating appearance. The power was incredible, the amount of magic used to create and maintain such a detailed suit of armor was so immense, Twilight could do this, but only for about a minute.

"Twilight, lets go. Shining Armor will explain everything when we are back and safe." Luna shouted to Twilight over the crashing of more parts of the castle. "Oh, and try not to completely destroy the castle." Luna turned and put a hoof on Shining Armor and looked at Twilight, waiting patiently.

"I still need to grab Cadence and Celestia!" Twilight was shocked she would suggest leaving without them.

"As I said dear Twilight, your brother will explain everything upon arrival at safety." Luna sounded pointed, and more serious about their leaving.

"And if I refuse?" Twilight was not going to leave. Her eyes grew darker and darker, her main and tail flowed like liquid on an invisible breeze; a horrid look in her eye.

"We are leaving. Nopony else is here to save." Luna knew that'd get her attention.

"What!?" Twilight looked at Luna. Taking his chance, Spiritus fired o blot of Saphire blue and blood red lightning at Twilight. She figured he would take advantage of her letting her gaurd down and teleported behind him just before it hit her, causing it to hit the large doors leading into the hall and making them explode in deadly shrapnel. Twilight threw a ball of magic at him from directly above him, hitting him with enough force to break the ground he was standing on, making him fall to the next floor down.
"If we're leaving we need to go now!" Luna was frustrated that she still wanted to fight. Twilight teleported back to Luna, who then teleported the three of them to a few paces behind where the door to their hideout was. And saw a terrifying sight.

"What's up?" Rainbow Dash, Golden Rain, and even Fluttershy, were covered nose to tail in blood and entrails. "Can we go inside now to wash up? Thiiis is kind of gross." Rainbow Dash looked at herself and refrained from licking her lips to find out what it tasted like.

"Um, I think we should wash up too..." Fluttershy was tired and wanted to take a bath, hopefully with somepony else; she had an itch that needed scratching thanks to her fighting along side Rainbow Dash. Not a shadow-ling was in sight, and the three pegasi were filthy and tired, laying on a throne of dead shadow-lings, waiting for the rest of the gang to show.

"Did we make it before Spike, Rarity, Apple Jack and Pinkie?" Twilight looked around for those four, finding only dead bodies and the three pegasi.

"Looks like." Golden Rain seemed content in her bloody mess.

"We late?" Spike asked as the four of them showed up just above the lowest branches of the trees, Spike carrying all three.

"Not horribly late." Twilight laughed and went to greet the four; they were still some distance off. "Rainbow Fluttershy and Goldie took care of it all before we even got back, which was just long enough to ask where you were when you showed up." Twilight took Rarity and Apple Jack from him, one with her magic the other on her back.

"Pinkie..." Spike started and decided not to continue. She should be back to her normal self soon right?

"Don't worry about me... Its not like I'm special or anything..." Pinkie hopped off and sat down on a dead body. "Its just that every pony that's any pony is dying... So I won't die..."

"Pinkie... You mean the world to at least eight of us here right now... I don't know about Golden Rain, but me, Rarity, AJ, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Shining Armor, Twilight, Luna, we all care for you, and would do anything to help you. You're our friend, we'd never let a friend in need down, promise." Spike reassured her and Pinkie smiled.

"Thanks Spike..." Pinkie seemed to be feeling better. "You really are a great friend..." She gave him a hug and went inside as Luna and Twilight brought the door into existence.

"What's wrong with Pinkie?" Twilight asked Spike.

"She's just having a hard time dealing with the whole Celestia issue... As are we all..." Spike looked down, rubbing his arm.

Twilight walked up and wrapped a wing and hoof around Spike. "She isn't dead." She was so glad she could say this, but she still didn't know the details of why she was able to say this. Spike started to cry in relief.

"I don't even want to know how that's possible." Spike embraced Twilight and gently kissed her forehead.

"My brother will explain everything to us when we're all in and settled down." Twilight said as she walked Spike inside. "Golden Rain, are you coming, or just going to lay there in dead bodies all day?" She threw a look at her, thinking to herself that this Pegasus really was crazy. "Doors closing." Twilight said and Golden Rain sadly got up and hurried through the rapidly closing doors.

"So, about Celestia and Cadence..." Shining Armor started, then looked around to make sure every pony was present, which they were.

"Did I hear my name?" Celestia was somehow standing behind the ponies, who were all in the center of the room, facing the doors where Shining Armor stood. How did nopony notice her? They all walked in that door, all over nine ponies and one dragon seemed to miss that their beloved (thought-to-be-dead) Princess was standing almost literally in the center of an obscenely large room she even seemed to surprise Shining Armor, who was looking that direction the entire time. "Allow me to explain..."