Magic and Loyalty

Twilight barely had time to dodge Rainbow's first attack, jumping out of the way of a pounce. Rainbow's wings were extended, the tips of her feathers were glimming softly in a cyan light as she turned around, her wings pointing at Twilight.

"I lost so much Twilight." Rainbow growled. "I lost so much and no one cared. And since no one cared about me anymore I began to care less and less about others or myself." She lunged at Twilight, stretching her left wing in an attempt to stab Twilight.

Twilight took a step back, dodging the stab, she ducked beneath a jab, using her shoulder to shove Rainbow away.

Rainbow tripped, landing on her stomach. Looking back at Twilight her mien was dark, her voice vibrated with anger. "And soon after, I begun to hate." She stood up. "I hated my 'friends' because they thought that their problems were more important than our friendship. I hated myself because I wanted their help. I hated Luna and Celestia, I hated all of Ponyville." She bend her body, her left wing was kept low, pointing to the ground, her right was extended and pointed up. "And soon my hate became unbearable. I fled into rage-" Rainbow lunged forward, twirling around she used her right wing in a slashing motion, like a blade.

Twilight dodged, jumping to the side.

But Rainbow was faster.

Twilight felt air brush through her coat as Rainbow turned quickly and attacked with her left wing. Twilight yelped as she felt heat rush through her shoulder as Rainbow's feather singed through her coat and skin. The smell of burning flesh assaulted Twilight's nostrils as she stumbled backwards, looking at the bloodless and cauterized wound.

Rainbow didn't stop. She jumped forward, crushing into Twilight. They rolled over the floor, Rainbow kicked and jabbed, while Twilight just tried to get the cyan pegasi off of her.

Rainbow managed to get the upper hoof. She sat on Twilight's stomach, looming over Twilight, her wings extended as she readied herself to cut through her friend.

Twilight eyes widened as she saw the wings rush down, heading right for her neck.

Time slowed down.

And Twilight finally had time to look at her friends face. The angry look, the pained expression. Sadness, anger, pain. All of them and more feelings were reflected in Rainbow's eyes and complexion.

But one was missing.

She lacked confidence. Her face and eyes didn't have the glimmer she had whenever she tried something hard, there was no determination in them.

Time continued and Twilight used her lower body to throw Rainbow off balance, the feathers cut deep into the iron floor as Twilight, for the first time in her life, used her hoof to hurt somepony. She slapped Rainbow across the face.

Stunned, Rainbow held her cheek as Twilight shoved her off of her.

"I can't..." Twilight swallowed her tears. "Even begin to understand Rainbow." She looked at her former friend. "To see them lose themselves, to lose yourself in the pain and the agony of loss. But..." At this point she was looming of Rainbow. "You, the real you, had never given up that easily. You would have fought till the bitter end. You would always find a way. That you are here right now, talking shit about how you are Legion's left hand..." She shook her head. "That's not y-"

Twilight coughed up blood.

Rainbow's left wing was digging into Twilight's chest, smoke was rising from the wound as the coat around the feather began to blacken.

Rainbow scoffed. "The Rainbow you just described." The wing burned deeper and Twilight felt how her breathing got shallower as her lung began to simmer. "Only existed in the confinement of Equestria's rules. She was never free to do as she wanted. She was caged in the rules and laws of a world that hated her."

Twilight gritted her teeth, raising her forelegs she grabbed Rainbow's wing. She ignored the burning feeling in them or how her hooves began to blacken. She pressed down on the appendage in her grasp. She felt Rainbow squirm and trying to pull back.

"Twilight... wha-"

And Twilight wanted. She wanted to hurt Rainbow.

And with a deep earshattering crack Rainbow's wing broke.

Rainbow's agonized scream echoed through the room as she squirmed and pulled, even kicking at Twilight to get her away from her wing.

But Twilight's grasp was stronger. She pulled at the wing, keeping it in place as her eyes narrowed. She focussed and right behind her four of her spikes appeared.

Twilight felt two teeth break as she gritted them even harder, and with a flick of her mind she shoved all four spikes into Rainbow. One into her left shoulder, two into her hips and one right through her abdomen and spine, pinning her to the floor.

Rainbow's screams got louder, her right hoof was pulling at the spike in her shoulder.

And with a cry of her own Twilight placed her right backleg on Rainbow's chest.

The sound of ripping flesh filled the ears of the two ponies as Twilight used all her strength to rip off the broken part of Rainbow's wing which was still digging into Twilight's chest.

The broken part landed with a soft thud as Twiligh dropped it unceremoniously, pained gasps and wheezing accompanied Rainbow's harrowing screams.

Twilight wobbled. She felt the lack of air finally getting to her as she fell back on her haunches. She closed her eyes, grabbing her chest.

'Lungs...' Her mind whispered. 'I need to...' She felt cold relief spread through her pierced and charred chest as her Dark Soul began to work.

A crack and the feeling of strength returning to her made Twilight open her eyes.

Rainbow had broken the spike in her shoulder and was now working on the one in her abdomen. Heavy gasps escaped her as she growled, her bleeding wing was resting on her side.

Twilight coughed. She felt lightheaded as she concentrated. She created two more spikes, and with that reached her maximum of five and shoved them both into Rainbow's shoulder.

And Twilight saw smoke rise from the spikes as each began to heat up, singing Rainbow's coat, she saw Rainbow's mouth open and she heard the far away sound of her screams.

Twilight's eyes drooped, she struggled to stay conscious. Her lung still wasn't healed and the spikes were using up the rest of her energy.

'I... I can't.' She felt the spikes shatter, one after another and her strength returning. Slowly opening her eyes. she saw Rainbow lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

The two ponies were coughing and wheezing.

"Not... bad... Twilight." Rainbow spoke between deep breaths, she glimpsed at her. "But... your... attacks... lack... killing... intent."

Twilight finally felt blood flowing through her lung again and her first reaction to that was to cough it up.

Rainbow sat up. "You... can't win... like that." She pulled herself towards Twilight.

Twilight felt how Rainbow's hoof landed on her shoulder, softly hitting it. The attack was painfully weak and felt more like a nudge.

Twilight raised her own hoof and hit Rainbow's nose. But her leg was as weak as Rainbow's and it looked more like she was booping her.

She felt a soft tremor go through her body as Rainbow's hoof connected again with her shoulder. And she saw the same happen to Rainbow as Twilight continued her 'booping' assault.

The two were sitting next to each other, trading 'punches' and not soon after the two began to giggle at their weak attempts.

"This... is so stupid..." Rainbow murmured, Twilight coughed in approval.

Suddenly a loud clunk echoed through the room, pushing the two apart and throwing them each into a wall, Twilight landed on her haunches coughing up more blood. Rainbow landed on her stomach, groans and pained gasps escaped her.

Legion was standing, a cane-sword resting in his hand and a deep dent in the floor beneath it.

"You disappoint me Rainbow." His voice was cold. "You know that your enemy isn't even trying to kill you and what do you do? You hold back your strength." He glared at the cyan pegasi. "Maybe I should take care of this?"

Rainbow's shook her head as she sat up.

"The end is nigh, Rainbow." Legion whispered. "Finish this. Now."

Rainbow stood up, looking at Twilight.

Twilight looked back at her.

"Twilight?" Rainbow's voice was distant.

"Yes?" Twilight answered raspily.

"I missed you." A sad sigh escaped her. "A lot."

Twilight nodded, not saying anything.

Rainbow readied herself, her wings spread wide and glowing. "Ready?"

Twilight summoned two spikes, hovering over her. She nodded again.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she began to move towards Twilight, her walk quickly turning into a sprint.

Rainbow was in reach, her wings pointed at Twilight, she jumped and-

Author's Note

*in Mortal Combat announcer voice*

CLIFFHANGER!

Yeah, this is the... welp next to last chapter. The two endings are the last thing coming up, and yes they will also be seperate chapters but I will publish them simultaneously.

I hope you had fun so far.

Well...

Whatever...

See ya next chapter/s