Pony Kombat

Babs Seed and Twilight Sparkle walked into the tower where Pinkie Pie was being kept.

“I hope your friend is worth Princess Celestia's anger, Twilight Sparkle,” Babs Seed said.

“Notice that I am ignoring you,” Twilight responded coldly. She looked around for Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was nowhere to be found.

“They must have relocated Pinkie Pie,” Babs Seed pointed out. Suddenly, the doors behind them opened, and Chrysalis came through them. The doors in front of them opened as well, and Shadow Dash entered the tower.

“We have indeed,” she said. “We knew somepony would come for her.” Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed prepared to fight their adversaries. Twilight took Chrysalis and Babs Seed took Shadow Dash.

“May you join her in death,” Shadow Dash said. She and Babs Seed began to fight. With both of them possessing the ability to teleport, very few hits were actually landed. Babs Seed used her razor-edged hat to gain a slight advantage over Shadow Dash's dark magic, eventually winning the fight.

“Be thankful I choose not to spill your tainted blood,” Babs Seed warned. As Shadow Dash lay groaning, Babs Seed walked up to her.

“Who are you?” she asked. “There is something… familiar.” Babs Seed could hear Twilight Sparkle fighting Chrysalis. She looked over and saw Twilight getting beaten rather badly.

“You need any help?” Babs Seed asked. “Dark magic against light is hardly a fair fight.” Just then, a booming voice came from behind. It was Scarlet.

“Twilight Sparkle?!” she cried out as Babs Seed turned around. Scarlet gave a roar, ready to fight Twilight Sparkle once again.

“You have had your match against Twilight Sparkle,” Babs Seed informed. “Now you will face me!” Scarlet and Babs Seed began to fight. The powerful Changeling fought long and hard against Babs Seed, but Babs' will to win was stronger and more powerful. She quickly won her match.

“Now if you have any honor left,” she said. “You will tell us where Pinkie Pie is.” Twilight Sparkle had just defeated Chrysalis, and had come over to help confront Scarlet.

“She has been taken to the coliseum,” Scarlet said, reluctantly. “Where she has no doubt been executed.”

“You lie!” Twilight raged as she stomped on Scarlet's face.

“She may yet live,” Babs Seed said. “Let us go.” Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed left the tower to rescue Pinkie Pie.

~~~

At the coliseum of Tartarus, Shining Armor was fighting Spitfire, and losing badly. Spitfire landed hard blow after hard blow. As Shining Armor made an attempt to attack, Spitfire grabbed his leg and snapped it backwards, after which knocking him over, ending the fight.

“Spitfire wins!” Sunset Shimmer cried out to the audience. They cheered loudly. As Shining Armor was pulled off the arena, Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed entered the tournament. They looked around for Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle found her chained up to broken pillars.

“There's Pinkie Pie,” she said. “I must free her.” As Twilight ran over, Celestia tried to stop her.

“Not now,” Celestia said. “Derpy and Shining Armor have been defeated, and I no longer sense Big Mac or Cadence’s presence here in Tartarus. Despite my doubts as to whether you are Equestria's savior, you must fight!”

“But I am not 'she who must win',” Twilight said. Celestia glared after her as Twilight went to free Pinkie Pie. Nightmare Moon watched Twilight Sparkle, then called out to Celestia.

“Celestia,” she said. “Put forth a worthy champion, if you can.” Babs Seed began to enter, but stopped for Celestia's approval. Celestia looked over at Babs Seed.

“Perhaps you are meant to be the victor,” Celestia said. Babs Seed nodded and entered the battlefield. Celestia watched with anticipation. Nightmare Moon announced Babs Seeds opponents.

“You will face Sunset Shimmer,” she called out. Sunset Shimmer chuckled. But Nightmare Moon wasn't done yet. “And Octavia.” Octavia and Sunset Shimmer walked out onto the field to fight. This duo worried Celestia.

“No Equestrian mare could stop this Deadly Alliance,” Octavia said.

“On that, we agree,” Sunset Shimmer said. The fight began. Babs Seed began to fight quickly. Sunset Shimmer and Octavia tagged out often, giving Babs Seed a hard time fighting both of them. Eventually, Babs Seed took down both sorceresses and won the fight.

“It is done!” Babs Seed cried out.

“No Babs Seed,” Sunset Shimmer hissed. “Not nearly so.” As she got up, a cage in the coliseum wall opened. Another Changeling warrior named Narzissa entered the arena and the audience cheered loudly. Narzissa roared out, causing the audience to cheer even louder. Babs Seed narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Narzissa approached her.

“I will eat your heart!” she bellowed. The fight began. Narzissa was even more powerful than Scarlet, making her even more of a threat. The fight lasted a while, with equal blows being landed. But Babs Seed suddenly made hard contact with Narzissa's neck, breaking the vertebrae. As Narzissa clenched her neck, bent over, Babs Seed gave a hard chop to the back of the neck, breaking Narzissa's vertebrae even further. This maneuver ended the fight. Babs Seed chuckled at her victory. The audience booed at Babs Seed. However, Babs merely took off her hat and gave a bow. She then turned to Celestia.

“See, Celestia?” she asked. “Equestria is free...” Her victory was rudely interrupted by Nightmare Moon, who snapped Babs Seed's neck and instantly killed her. The audience roared with approval.

“Babs Seed!” Celestia cried.

“No!” Twilight Sparkle yelled. Celestia built up electricity, furious.

“I will tear the flesh from your bones!” she cried out. Twilight Sparkle tackled Nightmare Moon and knocked her down. The two wrestled for a bit before getting up. Nightmare Moon laughed.

“Worthless mare,” she said. “Do you know who I am?”

“The murderer of my friend?!” Twilight rhetorically responded, pissed.

“I am Nightmare Moon, Conqueror of Worlds!” Nightmare Moon announced. “You will taste no victory.”

“You will taste your own blood!” Twilight Sparkle growled. The final fight of the Tartarus tournament began with a brutal start. Twilight Sparkle immediately began beating down on Nightmare Moon, furious at the murder of her friend. She took next to no hits as she furiously took down Nightmare Moon. As Nightmare Moon was knocked to the ground, Twilight yelled at her.

“On your feet!” she yelled. Nightmare Moon struggled to get up off the hard dirt as Twilight Sparkle encircled her. Celestia looked on. When Nightmare Moon finally stood up, Twilight Sparkle charged up a flaming hoof.

“For Babs Seed, the Unicorns, and Equestria!” she cried. She charged at Nightmare Moon and plunged a fiery hoof into her chest. The punch passed throught Nightmare Moon's heart and out her back. She gasped for air as Twilight Sparkle gritted her teeth, trying to kill Nightmare Moon faster. When she felt she had her hoof in Nightmare Moon long enough, Twilight pulled it out. Nightmare Moon fell to her knees, gasping. She coughed out one breath of blood before falling to the ground, dead. Sunset Shimmer was in shock.

“I cannot believe Equestria has won!” she cried. A golden light lit up above Twilight Sparkle.

“The Elder Gods have spoken,” Celestia said. “Equestria is free of Nightmare Moon forever.” Sunset Shimmer beckoned for the Tartarus warriors to leave the coliseum. Pinkie Pie walked up to Twilight Sparkle, who was still looking down at the fallen Nightmare Moon. Twilight looked at her and briefly smiled. But the smile faded as she walked over to Babs Seed's body. She and Pinkie Pie knelt down.

“But the price of victory was almost too steep to pay,” Celestia said. “Babs Seed's death is my fault. I encouraged her. Our triumph was not meant to be achieved in this way. I see now. 'She must win' refers to you.” She motioned at Twilight Sparkle. “But to prevent Armageddon, you needed to defeat Nightmare Moon, not Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia took off her amulet to watch the cracks heal. But to her abject surprise and horror, they only got worse.

“It cannot be,” she gasped. “Nightmare Moon is dead. Yet the future remains unchanged.” Twilight Sparkle looked up in surprise. Celestia didn't understand why the cracks had not healed, despite Twilight Sparkle's victory against Nightmare Moon.

~~~

In Nightmare Moon's throne room, Chrysalis, Sombra, Pinkamena, Fleetfoot, Applejack, Zecora, Scarlet, Sunset Shimmer, and Shadow Dash were arguing among themselves.

“Nightmare Moon is finished,” Scarlet said.

“Pinkamena is her heir,” Zecora said. “She should rule.”

“Pinkamena?” Sunset Shimmer asked. “She exists only because of my sorcery.”

“And you breath because I restrain mine,” said a voice behind the group. It was Nightmare Moon, alive and walking, but wounded. Octavia was with her.

“Empress!” Chrysalis cried.

“You live!” Scarlet cried. All in the room bowed except for Sunset Shimmer.

“I am not so easily killed,” Nightmare Moon said. “Octavia accelerated my recovery.”

“Empress, I...” Sunset Shimmer began.

“Not. One. Word.” Nightmare Moon hissed. “Because of you, Tartarus can no longer merge with Equestria!”

“There may yet be an alternative, Empress,” Octavia said. “Invasion.”

“What?! Invasion?” Sunset Shimmer said. Nightmare Moon held up her hoof to stop her from speaking further.

“Do you mock me?” Nightmare Moon asked Octavia. “Trixie's ward prevents me from stepping foot in Equestria.”

“Have you considered why she chose to betray you in this particular fashion?” Octavia asked.

“Of course!” Nightmare Moon said. “But even after a millennia, her motives are a mystery.”

“She realized the safeguards made by the Elder Gods of Pony Kombat are but fiction. She sacrificed herself to give protection the Elder Gods could not, so Equestria could not suffer as had Canterlot.”

“Indeed,” Nightmare Moon agreed.

“I have mastered the spells necessary for her resurrection,” Octavia continued. “Her ward will be nullified, and with it, the barrier that prevents your entry to Equestria. I will return her to you, of course. You will find her much more… cooperative.”

“This is a very magnanimous offer,” Nightmare Moon said, intrigued.

“I wish only to serve, Empress,” Octavia said.

“I am weary of sorcerers, Octavia,” Nightmare Moon said. “Prove your worth. Bring her to me.”

~~~

In the desert of Tartarus, Shadow Dash was watching over a spell Octavia had cast earlier. A green cloud of necromancy was encircling a point on the sand, where Trixie was buried. Octavia walked up next to Shadow Dash to view progress. A skeletal hoof burst from the sand. It was Trixie's. Octavia smiled. Another skeletal hoof emerged from the sand and proceeded to pull the skeleton from the sand. When the skeleton had fully emerged, Octavia flipped it over onto its back and began to restore the flesh and internal organs. Trixie screamed in pain as she was brought back to life. Shadow Dash got ready to fight. When the process had finished, Trixie sat up and began to gasp for air. Octavia knelt down.

“Trixie,” she said.

“Octavia?” Trixie asked.

“Nightmare Moon looks forward to your return,” Octavia said.

“The Empress?” Trixie remembered. “Yes.” Octavia motioned for Shadow Dash to relax. Shadow Dash let her guard down.

“What of Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked.

“Pinkie Pie now allies herself with Equestria,” Octavia said. Trixie gave this some thought.

“Then she is no longer my daughter,” Trixie grumbled. “Take me to Nightmare Moon.”

“Yes ma'am,” Octavia said. She stood up. “The invasion of Equestria can now begin.” With Trixie resurrected, Equestria was now under the threat of invasion. The Pony Kombat tournament had been won by Equestria, but now invasion was imminent and would threaten the realm.