A small greyish purple unicorn filly watched the Cutiemark Crusaders newest escapade to get their cutiemarks. Her golden eyes lied on the three fillies. It was fun at first but overtime it got really boring to see them fail and fail again. So Dinky Hooves decided that it was time to talk with them about their stupidity.
"Uhm Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo... If you are so desperate for your cutiemarks. Why don´t you just get one?" The fillies looked at her like she said something stupid.
The yellow farm pony talked to her: "That´s what we are trying."
Dinky Hooves laughed at them, but in a generous, knowing manner: "But your doing it wrong. If you want to have cutiemarks come to my house at six o´clock. Mommy will get you one in no time." The fillies looked at each others. Could that really be? Was there a method to just get a cutiemark?
The small house close to Sugarcube Corner, they had been around here many times but never bothered to look at it twice. Now they were inside and even here nothing was out of the ordinary. Here they are suppose to get their cutiemarks? Scootaloo was lying on the couch, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom sat on the stairs. Dinky levitated a plate with muffins on the table. "Sorry, mom seems to have work late today."
Scootaloo devoured a muffin before she ask: "How is that suppose to work any way?"
Applebloom commented on it as well: "Ya? Even Twilight said there is no way to make a cutiemark appears before its time."
Sweetie Belle questioned even further: "Isn´t your mother a pegasus? How is she going to do it without magic?"
Dinky looked annoyed at them. "Oh Princess Twilight don´t know so there is no way my mother could know a method. Twilight knows everything under the sun that´s why she keep studing... because she already knows everything."
"Calm down, Dinky. Ah was just wondering..."
"Sorry, I am just sick that everypony underestimates my mother."
The door opens and a walled eyed grey pegasus entered the living room of her own house. Greeted by four fillies. "Is it true? You made your own cutiemark?"
The three strange fillies asked in unisono as her daughter had a big smile on her face. The mare put down her saddleback. "I would not say I made it, but..."
Derpy Hooves stand at a pond in the Everfree Forest. The moonlight shines on the water, it began to boil and change it color every second and every wave.
"If you want a cutiemark do as I told you." The cutiemark crusader looked at each others uncertain about this. After some moments Applebloom dived into the pond. The water was boiling but cold as ice. As she touched the ground of the pond she screamed as strong as she could.
Bubbles hit the surface and soon after Applebloom came out of the water. On her wet flank was a cutiemark. five bubbles. Sweetie Belle was next. Four bubbles. Scootaloo was last. Three bubbles.
"How about you Dinky", Derpy asked, "you want your cutiemark as well?"
"No I like my blankflank."
The school house was wild the next day. The Cutiemark Crusader have gotten their cutiemarks over night. The fillies and colt watched in awe but with a single question in mind. The teacher - Miss Cheerilee - hold her wine-colored hoof in front of her muzzle. The same question lingering on her tongue, but unsure how to approach it. Having multiple foals getting there cutiemark is one thing, you just split the class so each of them can show and tell about their special talent and the epiphany that has come with the cutiemark. But having THREE fillies getting cutiemarks that are practical the same at the same night...
A pink filly looked down on them asking about it straight out.
"So Bubblemark Crusader. What do you do?" The three fillies looked at each others realising that they had no idea what their cutiemarks meant.
"Ah dunno"
Miss Cheerilee broke her silence as she heard Applebloom say that: "How can you not know? It´s your cutiemark. You must know why you got it. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo what about you?" The fillies shook their heads. The teacher was aghasted.
Downright frightened for the fillies who did not understand why. Miss Cheerliee had some foals over the years that seemed to not interpreted their cutiemarks right - she herself had gotten her cutiemark wrong for a long time - but they all had a vague idea.
Dinky sat behind her desk. The only pony not interested in any Cutiemark Stories, besides she knew this particular already. Cheerilee tried to help their pupils asking them how they got their marks.
"...remember what you did. How you feeled as you got you cutiemarks. Recall every detail." The Cutiemark Crusaders were silent, pondering, starting to belief they did a terrible mistake. The mare faced Sweetie Belle directly: "Sweetie Belle, how did your horn react?" The filly was quite. She should have felt something in her horn when her cutiemark on her flank appeared? Cheerilee was shocked none of them had experienced the tranquil moment of an epiphany. The moment when everything seems to make sense. The moment a foal realized that it was not about a symbol on your rump. It was lost for them, forever.
"Miss Derpy" - Sweetie Belle ask the grey pegasus on her route from house to house - "Have you ever regret to get your cutiemark this way?" The walled eye mare put the letters in the mailbox.
"Why would I?"
"Miss Cheerilee seemed pretty puzzled..."
"Cheerilee is always puzzled."
"Really?"
Derpy Hooves smiled genuinely at the little unicorn. "Don´t worry I never had a problem with my cutiemark."
Dinky´s little hooves knocked at the castle door. As nopony opened she entered the hallway on her own. "Miss Twilight? Are you there?" She strived towards the throne room occasionally asking for the princess.
A little purple and green dragon opened a door a little before her. "Twilight is not here. Can I help you... uhm... Dinky was it, right?"
"That´s correct, Mister Spike. I wanted to ask if it is okay for me to use her library." Spike waved her to come along. Dinky Hooves was a very calm and friendly pony, Spike had never seen her upset about anything and she comes often to sit down in the library for hours. Rarely speaks to anypony.
They reached the big room in no time. Dinky went to a shelf to the right then sighed.
"What´s the matter?"
"Reshelfing Day... Mister Spike, what system did Miss Twilight this time?"
Spike rolled his eyes. How does Twilight expect anypony to keep track with that. "Let´s see... -" He scratched his head with his claw trying to remember. "-I think it was: Age group over Subject over Author."
Dinky looked at the books in the shelf to get a vague idea and swooped down the gangway. Spike ran after her, found her pulling out a giant book with her magic.
He looked around, they where in the adult section of the library.
"I don´t think you should be here. Better put that back on the shelf", he said - putting his claw on the greenish leather cover to prevent the filly from openning it.
Her golden eyes rest on him as she spoke: "It´s a history book. I would like to continue reading it."
Spike looked at the title -The three Generations of Desperation - by... Spike gulped, this book was written by an author he knew far to well. He really don´t wanted the young filly to read this book, but it was JUST a history book. This contemporary witness had described all the hideous and despicable actions of ponykind and herself. This book covers the darkest times in pony history.
It was a confession written by Princess Celestia.
Spike had an close eye on Dinky - after all she sat in the adult section of the library - and he noticed something. Every now and then she returned to a earlier chapter of the book before she returned to her reading. As the greyish purple unicorn did it again he asked her about it.
"It´s a murder case, Mister Spike. The general of the Pegasopolis Regime, a rebel group formed after the the first attack of the Changelings on Timbucktu. The pegasi whom did not beliefed that the Princesses could protect the Cloud Cities properly where united under the General Stormcloud. She... It´s... it´s complicated, Mister Spike."
Spike smirked: "You do know whos assistent I am, right?"
Dinky turned her head away staring out of the window. For a few moments there was only silence. "Okay. Mister Spike, General Stormcloud killed General Firefly. After years of working together to protect the heaven from griffins, dragons and so on. Stormcloud drowned her former friend..."
"That is horrible" - Spike said - "do you know why she would do that?"
"The Celestia|Luna Rift. Stormcloud lost the last trust in Princess Celestia while Firefly became her loyal general. During the Pegasopolis Regime´s coup d'etat in the third Celestial Year of peace they clashed with the Wonderbolts. There it happend." The tiny unicorn fondled the pages and wispered: "I wish I could talk to her."
"Why so?" The dragon stared at the filly. She had a hurt look on her face.
"For my mom, she always looked up to..."
"Your mom?"
Dinky was panicking and began to stumble over her tongue. "I mean... You see... I... my mom... Mister Spike... It... It´s family."
"The murderer of Firefly, THE Firefly, is your ancestor... don´t let Rainbow Dash hear that." The library was empty just the two of them sitting on the table.
"She probably knows. Mom is not even allowed to try out for the Wonderbolts. The whole family is banned from ever become a part of them. One of mommy´s broken dreams. -" Dinky sighed - "Please, Mister Spike. Keep it a secret, will you?"
"You can count on me."
"How deep a hero can fall." Dinky fondled the pages again.
The little filly had gone for hours as the dragon cleaned the library. He was unnerved - why had he promised to not talk about this. He was nervous, tried to not keep thinking about what Dinky had told him, but it was useless. So he put the broom against one of the shelfs and was going to get the book -The three Generations of Desperation - to read for himself.
The young unicorn was lying in her bed. Her pegasus mother sat on the side of her, gently tucking her in. "Mom, could you please tell me a story again?"
Derpy showed a soft smile on her muzzle: "Let´s see... how about the Grizelda the Princess of the Griffon Kingdom and the little green pegasus that..."
"How about Stormcloud?"
Derpy looked at her daugther and told her: "But you already know all the stories about her."
"Please..."
Soft grey feather tickled Dinky´s nose. "Okay, let me tell you the story of..."
Spike sat down on his chair in the throne room. The constant glow of the Cutiemarks of Twilight and her friends on the map will be a perfect light for his readings. He opened the book on the same page Dinky did and looked at the title: `The victory of Two´
Back in the days as Cloudsdale was nothing more than a stopover between Timbucktu and Horizon there where two young fillies growing up in it. The troubling times seemed to be over for a while. Ponykind called the time previous to them the two generations of pain, sadly they were mistaken. Soon there would be new trouble but for now at least the sky was save. The fillies became young mares and the few years of peace ended for our little friends. A swarm of pony-like creatures destroyed Timbucktu.
The young mare with the name Stormcloud stood in the center of the marketplace. Her wings wide open she shouted to a crowd in frustration: "The sky is no longer the limit for the evil forces that want to destroy ponykind! Far too long we have counted on the princesses to protect us. They could not defend the Crystal Empire and now they have let Timbucktu fall. Commander Hurricane would spit on us! We have to fight on our own. Who shall fight with me?" Not sure why nopony joined her that day. Maybe it was her inexperience. Maybe nopony thought she could achieve anything. Maybe the pegasi were just affraid. But that day only her foalhood friend Firefly stood on her side.
Half a year later things had gotten much worse for the sky cities. The Griffon War had begun, weakend due the lost of Timbucktu has every major city start to defend themself leaving every little cloudvilliage a prey for the griffins and occasionally dragons. So it came the day Plumefield was on the line. Six full grown dragons attacked the town for its food reserves. As they sat on the townhall to fed on their loot, there was a ever growing rumbling noise coming closer every second. Two mares broke through the cloud cover under the feet of the dragons. Their hooves covered in soild gold horseshoes like the ones the royal guard a wearing them today, with them they charged directly under the chins of two of dragons. One of them biting of his tongue off due the hit. Knocking them over onto the cloud cover that had been turned into thunderstorm clouds by the pegasi as they had flown through them. The lightning bolts take out three of the other dragons, but one of them charged after the mares. The Plumefield pegasi watched as the three rose higher and higher till they lost sight due another cloud. All of the sudden the dragon fell back to Plumefield. The membran of its wings were burning. The fireproof wings of a dragon had catched on fire. The dragon fell on towns square. The dragon lying on towns square laught in relief noticing that he had just landed on clouds. A giant blow of fire shoot up to the mares that dive towards him.
The eye witnesses discribed the dragon getting more and more frigthen as the pegasi continued flying through his flames. Than the mares landed on his nose. The soft pink pegasus trots over his snout stared him in the eyes. Rage filled purple eyes pinned him down as she spokes: "What of the flames?! Nothing burns hotter than my own fury!"
The grey mare floated over him for everypony to see and shouted: "This town is protected by the Pegasopolis Regime, dragon scum. Take the word and spread it."
Derpy finished the story airborned, after playing both roles - Firefly and Stormcloud - pointing her hoof down to Dinky in her bed.
Spike turned the page and kept reading about the rise and fall of the two.
Meanwhile there was something going on in the woods nopony could have seen coming. Shadows sneaked through the undergrowth breaking branches as they made their way deeper into the woods.
In their struggle Firefly and Stormcloud crashed into the forest that surrounded our old castle.
The surface of the small pond boiled in the moonlight. The ever changing colors were as mesmerizing as the night before. Two foals had pressed Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle so hard that they spilled the beans about how they had gotten her cutiemarks.
As the mare sat infront of me. Failed to unthrone me. The fallen hero of the pegasi did not ask for forgiveness, she only asked if she could be banished to the waters were she drowned her former friend.
Bubbles hit the surface of the pond. The colt came out of it with his new cutiemark. Two bubbles. The thin filly dived into the water. A scream under water and came back out of the water. One bubble.
Stormcloud spoke to me a last time before I banished her into the water. "One day Celestia ponies will see you for what you really are."
The water had gone wild as soon as she had left it. The cutiemarks on their flank glowed and the pond gone bright white. The pictures of the bubbles burst with a sound. Out of the water shoots up in the air a full grown mare. Her grey wings spread wide open. Her yellow wild mane like a flash on her grey body. She was dressed in a golden armor similar to the one of Celestias royal guard but the helmet had no crest. Also she was wearing bridles. Over her right eye was patch. Sweetie Belle asked unsure: "Miss Derpy?"
But the mare did not hear her over her own scream:
"!!!Down with Celestia!!!"
Small hooves left their trail in the Everfree Forest as five foals stampeded in the middle of the night towards Ponyville. Panic on their faces as if the headless horse himself was after them. They were knocking like crazy on the door and screaming: "DINKY! WAKE UP! YOUR MOTHER HAS GONE MAD!" The door opened a tired and annoyed looking mare stood infront of the foals. The young ponies screamed.
"Do you know how late it is? As I said you are always welcome I thought about daytime."
A door in the back of the living room opened a sleepy unicorn filly stepped slowly towards the the crowd in front of her home. Applebloom was the first that found her voice: "Derpy is here? But who was the mare at the cutiemark pond?"
"Cutiemark what", Derpy yawned.
"Ya know the where we got our cutiemarks!" She pointed her hoof at Scootaloos flank. Only, that it was blank.
"MOM!" Dinky yelled out loud. At once Derpy was wide awake for what ever her daugther needed to say: "What happend to YOUR cutiemark?!" Everypony looked at Derpys flank. The seven bubbles were gone instead there was a cutiemark consist of three muffins.
After a moment of shock Derpy spoke to the foals, especially the Cutiemark Crusaders: "What have you done to the memorial of my ancestor?" Horror was on the young ponies face as they connected the events in the Everfree Forest with a tomb. The thin filly fainted.
Scootaloo concluded: "We might have resurrected your ancestor..."
"The mare looked alot like you, thought", added Sweetie Belle.
Derpy pressed them all of the sudden: "Quick how did she act!! Where did she go? Did she say something?" The grey pegasus wings had been spread already. Sweetie Belle told her that the mare in the woods was confused to only see five foals - and only one of them a pegasus. The armored pegasus then had asked them where Celestia would be and they had answered her.
"She was very intimidating, I didn´t thought about it", admited Sweetie Belle. Derpy got airborne as soon as she heard that.
"Dinky -" Derpy ordered, "-run to Spike. If necessary break a window. He has to send a crisis alert to the princesses and alarm the royal guard."
"Why?" Applebloom wanted to ask, but the grey mare was already a few feet in the air.
She suddenly stopped in her movement for a moment shouting down to the foals: "He better informs the Wonderbolts. If that is really Stormcloud, we need ponies trained in air combat not a mixed up clusterfuck of royal guards."
Derpy and Dinky part ways immediately, while the Cutiemark Crusaders was dumbfounded at the crass words the normally so nice pegasus had spoken, but they soon jumped after Dinky. The colt tried to wake the thin filly up, who was still fainted.
Derpy begged that the foals just had made a very sick joke with her as she headed towards Canterlot Castle. The sky was cloudy what could only make things worse if they had not.
The four foals run towards the Ponyville Castle. "Is the mare dangerous?" Scootaloo asked Dinky while running. "Dinky?"
"Hey Dinky?!"
The greyish pruple unicorn cried out at them while still kept her pace: "Why must everything with you end in a disaster?! Do you know how long I dreamed to meet her? To ask her why she did all these things... And than you girls just showed up and send her on another rampage!!" Scootaloo stumbled over her hooves as Dinky screamed at her with tears in her angry eyes.
Stormcloud swung herself higher and higher into the air. She wasn´t happy at all, but if nopony - but five foals - was standing up against the tyrant then so it be. She could have been halfway to Canterlot by now, instead she was gathering - as fast as she could - clouds. Pulling them around her hip and along her wings. The cloud mass evergrowing on her way to the castle. More and more firepower to destroy the hated enemy.
Spike had been sleeping in the throne room as the fillies woke him up. "Spike, a letter fast", Scootaloo had bursted out towards him.
"Can´t this wait till morning?"
"No, by then it would be to late!" Applebloom amplifies.
Spike yawned: "What ever you did I am sure Applejack will forgive you, now let me sleep." Spike got a hoof to his head. "What´s the deal?"
"You will write now!" Spike looked into very upset golden eyes. Up to this point he could not even imagine how an upset Dinky would have looked like; but now. The little unicorn had a weird mix of emotion on her face. Her eyes were crying while being angry and determined at the same time. Her ears pinned down to the side of her head as if she did not wants to do what she did. Her lips trembling while she spoke, still managing to speak loud and clear: "These idiots have somehow released Stormcloud. A letter to Princess Celestia. Now!"
Spike sat down with quil and paper writing the crisis alert to the Wonderbolts.
"Emergency - Look out for a pegasus heading from the Castle of the two Sisters to the Canterlot Castle. Probably approaching fast and dangerous. Details following later. - High Secretary Spike the dragon." In his green flames the message was out.
The young dragon looked stern at the fillies: "I need all the information you have about the enemy. If she is half the mare that Celestia had banished. The wonderbolts need any information..."
"Ha! Ah told ya she is no Zombie."
"Yeah yeah you got it right." Spike and Dinky shared a baffeld look as they heard what Applebloom and Scootaloo were fighting about. Sweetie Belle repeated what she had told back at Derpy´s house: "She did look alot like Derpy."
"Don´t say that", Applebllom and Scootaloo said together.
"But she did..."
"Have ya not heard what Spike jus told?"
"But..."
"No, buts. If you say she looks like Derpy the Wonderbolts will attack her!!!"
The dragon rose one of his scaly eyebrow: "If they look that similar... What about her cutiemark?"
Sweetie Belle answered with a clueless expression: "We could not see it, it was covered under an golden armor."
Spike shaked his head over their obliviousness and put the quill on another piece of paper. "ANYTHING ELSE I should put in the second letter?" Scootaloo remembered the patch and the bridles.
Dinky had sat aside, thinking, with low voice she brought up another point: "The thunderstruck eagle..." Everypony - plus Spike - was looking at her not understanding what she was referring to. Dinky also noticed that she had talked out loud a part she didn´t wanted, but a crucial part and she decided to inform Spike: "Tell them they have to clear the sky around Canterlot. If family history is right, Stormcloud gets more dangerous the more clouds are around her."
Only the head stick out ouf the rumbling, grey cloud mass covering her body. The ancient war pony stroke her wings - The long trails attached to them moving along. Her wings seemed six times their size. Pulling the long, chubby body of clouds behind her. The golden helmet and the blond hair gave the whole thing an almost bird like appearance.
Scootaloo asked Dinky: "If Stormcloud is that dangerous, why is your mother after her?"
"That is the reason!"
"But..."
"My mom flew alongside the Wonderbolts against Tirek despite that they did not want her there!"
The sky infront of her got cleaned more and more stars brighten the dark heaven. Clouds perished around Canterlot. The enemy has taken action Stormcloud smiled, to late Celestia I already have a stormfront and I will bring them to you. The covered mare noticed a swarm coming towards her position and thought: "Well I AM the closes cloud." She went over to floating and waited for the pegasi to get closer.
"Don´t just look for clouds-" the mare in the center of the group shouted "-The subject is a grey mare. She will be hard to spot." Two ponies get closer two bust the massive cloud, as the cloud swiflty moved forward. An electric pulse went through their wings. Numb, they came into a tailspin. Other pegasi jumped to help them so they would not crush many feet down on the ground. The giant grey cloud flashed up in multiple lightnings.
"Enemy encounter!"
"What?!"
"Inside..." The cloud sprung into action, spread wings like it was a sentient being. The golden helmet like a beak. Catching as many pegasus - with a spin of her body - into her right wing as she could, Stormcloud released another burst of electricity taking out as many ponies as possible. However the ancient mare was in for a nasty suprise. The mares and stallions whom she had not covered the wings or face had not gone numb.
"Lightning Proof suits? What are you, cowards!?" Thunder roars like the exclamation mark for the sentence.
A fierce battle battle broke loose, the blue and yellow covered mares dodging the thunderstruck eagle while trying to bust the dense cloud. Parts of the cloudbody got destroyed but nealry everytime it did another pegasus gone with it. The leadpony screamed commands to their wingponies. Thunder and Lightning everywhere! A wonderbolt was able to cut of the wing extension on her left, but the - still - covered mare was able to catch it before it got fizzled. Slowly reducing the cloud mass of the giant beast the Wonderbolts managed to get closer. An orange maned mare came finally into reach to examine her enemys face. The wonderbolt rushed over the back and took a good hunk of cloud of it. This skilled flier performed a tight revers loop and came back in aggravating speed, screaming angry: "Derpy Hooves! Are you finally showing your true colors?!"
Stormcloud had turned already and replied: "Wanna see how derp my hooves are!" As the mare came closer the ancient pony jumped out of the cloud and drop kicked her out of the sky. It was a mistake. Without direct contact to the cloud the few remaining wonderbolts nearly destroyed the rest of the cloud.
The fillies and Spike were looking towards Canterlot as if they could see anything from this distance. Ludicrous they could not see anything.
The fight was over. Stromcloud was mad of rage. Her special weapon reduced to just two fraction of clouds, one for each wing and only double her normal wingspan. No more clouds on the way to Canterlot. If she would restock somewhere than Celestia would have time to strengthen her protection. So it was on, she had to reach the castle with those pesky lightning proof ponies out of the way. The tyrant was way to good prepared for this attack anyway!
Her troops out of the way, a special force against her most dangerous attacks and cutting of the supply. That old witch had stepped up her war game. Canterlot came closer every second. The unicorn city of greed, how fitting that you resident here - thought the grey pegasus.
The second defensive line made Stormcloud laugh. Maybe Celestia had put all her hope in the first line. The royal guard pegasi flew up to her. All stallions in golden armor. "What is that!? Celestia sending her harem to fight!?"
A calm luring voice answered on that insult, it muddled Stormclouds brain: "This would be unfitting. These are my guards." From a nearby tower, there floated in a tall, dark blue mare. She had horn, wings and a mane like the night itself.
Impossible, Stormcloud remembered this mare. The Night Mare, Luna. The princess, who had fight alongside the Pegasopolis Regime for Horizons safekeep. "You are dismissed, I will not need any assist with this one." The guard obeyed her order and flew away to their positions or back home to sleep. Only Luna and Stormcloud have been left, floating over Canterlot Castle. "This must be very confusing for you old friend. So many things have happend", Luna embraced the mare infront of her. Their heads lying on each others back. The princess, she was back. Luna spoke soft to her: "I will help you."
The cloudcovered wings shoot up against Lunas head. Then multiple thunders were roaring as flashes went directly to the Alicorns skull.
Stormcloud curses herself and Celestia - mostly Celestia - how could she fall for this obvious ploy that hated Alicorn had prepared? The royal WE. Luna would have never spoken that softly and intimately it is not right for a princess. The mare remembered the night of the last battle for Horizon and the words Luna said: "WE SHALL GO STRAIGHT THOU SHALL FLANK THOSE SIDE." It had been a quick fight against the last stand of the rebellion.
Only now the lightning stopped, the lifeless body slipped off her back. This will you pay me double Celestia, were the last word before the grey mare entered the castles throne room right through a window. In fragments of broken colorful glas all over the floor stood Stormcloud finally infront of her enemy. The incarnation of evil sat on her throne as if nothing had happend. Her horn three times as long as that of a normal unicorn. Her wings mesmerizing and powerful - dangerous. To top it all of she was tall as a Saddle Arabian horse. Twice the hight of her subjects. This is the white mare who killed and banished her way to the top and after she got rid of her enemies she had started - and by now most likely finished - to get rid of her allies.
"So it really is you, General Stormcloud."
"Don´t try to smooth talk me, Celestia!!! I defeated your army and your assassin! You had better run as you had the chance!"
The white Alicorn had no idea who this assassin was suppose to be, so she just told her: "If I had run you would have terrorized the city to find me." Her horn light up in a warm golden aura. Stormclouds hooves hit a magical shield of the same color.
With dissapointing eyes and a monotone voice the ruler of Equestria said: "I was hoping you would have calmed down in the water."
"Stone weathered, water is patient!"
Celestia smirks at the mare on the shield: "And the storm rages on?"
"EXACTLY!!!" The golden horseshoes crashed rapidly against the magical shield. Celestias eyes widen as the shield begans to crack. With every chip breaking out of her shield, a flash shot out of the remaining clouds in Stormclouds wings. "You thought I don´t know HOW to fight magic?"
A grey blur shoved her hooves deep in the side of Stormcloud. Two grey mare, practical twins, were lying in front of the Alicorn. Stormcloud stared at the mare that had shove her over. "Is this another trick of yours?" Derpy stood up, as did her ancestor, standing between her and the alicorn.
"You have to stop it. Princess Celestia is not evil. She brought us peace." Derpy clinged to Stormcloud as she tried to jump at Celestia again.
"What is that suppose to be? My inner struggle? You crossed the line when you banished Princess Luna!!!" The clouded wings touched Derpy shocking her but to surprise of the mare she didn´t loose her grip.
"Nightmare Moon tired to kill me, so she could rule over Equestria herself."
"LIES! LUNA WOULD NOT DO THAT! YOU WOULD!!! KEEP YOUR DIRTY STINKING LIES TO YOURSELF!!!" Another flash hits Derpy. Even stronger than the last one. Stormcloud punched Derpy in the face over and over again. Blood running down her forehead. "Let me go you freaking doppelganger!"
"I don´t", Derpy cired out awaiting the next lightning or punch. The hoof came.
"I have to stop this tyrant!" The grey mare holding her back cried her face wet from blood, sweat, tears and snot.
This mare replied to her in a manner that stopped her track: "I have to stop my hero, because there is nopony to rescue."
Stormcloud just stood there looking in that determined but sad face. For the first time in a very long time she questioned her actions. "Who are you?"
For the first time since the start of battle Princess Celestia spoke up to Stormcloud: "She is your legacy. A thousand years of blood shame, passing through every generation." Stormcloud had to take that in.
It has took one thousand years to gather five hundred ponies to break the banishment. Her army was not stolen away, they were dead, died on old age before the next one unhappy with Celestias reign appeared. Stormcloud had to sit down, Derpy still clinged to her. One thousand years... ONE THOUSAND YEARS!!! The mare in her golden armor had a terrible realization. Her voice was trembling as she asked: "Did Princess Luna ever returned?"
"Yes, my sister had returned to my side."
Emptiness filled her whole body. "Kill me."- Stormcloud fell on the ground before Celestia -"Kill me. I killed your sister. Kill me."
The sound of hooves echoed over in the hallway. "We do not approve this request..." A frazzled Luna stumbled into the room. Her legs barely supporting her weight. "If we have to talk in the royal we to make you trust us. We will do."
Derpy still holding her tight, her voice almost not to be hear: "Thank you Princess Luna..." The two sister standing together infront of the ancestor and the descendant.
Stormcloud still insisted on her punishment: "I did horrible feats, you still have to banish me."
Celestia closed her eyes slowly nodding, but it was Luna who spoke up: "That night was to dark for all of us, it´s time for you to see some light."
Celestia looked at her sister in surprise, than a smile formed around her snout. "Indeed." The royal sisters granted amnesty to Stormcloud. Derpy Hooves smile but looked at her new cutiemark.
"This will take some time to get used too."
The grey mare from the past sat at the pond in the Everfree Forest that she had been banished to for the past centuries. Her trusty golden armor was stored at her descendants home only her bridles and her eyepatch was she wearing. This little piece of water she had drowned Firefly in was all she had left of the world she used to live in.
"Hello, Firefly", she start talking to the water, "I haven´t talk to you in a while... Okay, a very long time. This new age is strange... ." A moment of silence. "You should see Cloudsdale today. This beautiful giant sky city. I would describe it as the new Timbucktu. So many layers. So many happy pegasi and..." the mare sighed while scratching her neck "the Wonderbolts did pretty well. Don´t get me wrong they are pathetic fliers, but they are still around after all this years and pretty popular in this generation too. All they care for is style and speed these days."
Stormcloud laughed out loud. "I wish we could show them what flying meant to us... then again we only flew like that because we were flying for our lives. This time is so peaceful...even the Everfree Forest has lost its terror. I hate to admit it, but Celestia seems to be a good ruler. Now I am able to see what you already saw back then."
It took her five minutes before she found a new topic so she could avoid an apology for killing her friend. "I have a unicorn descendant, a little filly. Very polite, very eager to learn. Can you imagine to fall in love with a unicorn? Me neither, I mean they are nice and all but... Not preening each other, no warm feathers to snuggle you in and that ugly horn..."
"You think I am ugly?" The greyish purple unicorn filly she had met for the first time a week ago was standing behind her.
Golden eyes seem to be dominant in my bloodline, Stormcloud thought for a moment before she answered: "No you are adorable."
The filly sat down next to her. They were listening to the sound of the forest because they hardly found an edge to start talking.
"Grandma..."
Funny back in my time I had a tiny colt, now I am sitting in this age with a mare and a filly
"...why do your wear bridles?"
"It´s not a fashion choice for me if that is what you wanted to know."
"Okay but still..."
"It's an oath, Dinky. Once I promised that every action I do will be for the good of the pegasi. The bridles will remind me to steer my powers in the right course... seems like i have gotten off track pretty bad..."
The golden eyes sparkled at her and an overjoyed voice came out of the foals mouth: "That´s excatly what mom always said when I asked her about her banishment."
"She did...?" Stormcloud look sad at the pond infront of them. "Dinky, do you want to hear a story about the greatest pegasus ever?"
"I know every story about my mom."
"What makes Derpy the greatest?" The mare wanted to know. Her offspring did not look like a very strong pony to her. She could take some beating, thought.
"Because she tries to be what she sees in you, always trying to make the world better even if nopony thanks her for that." Stormcloud laught softly, the love this filly has for her mother is so adorable.
"Okay then let me tell you about an equally amazing pegasus and the best friend a pony could ask for."
