The Mane Twelve

The cheering that was going on and about for the last hour or so was now gone as things started getting serious once again. Twilight had put her squeeing joy aside and gathered everypony around.

It may have been hard for Thyme to concentrate on her task now after that certain... incident with Heartfire. She tried putting him aside. Equestria was more important right now. However, it was not that easy even for a pony such as Thyme. What was that feeling that burned like an everlasting fire inside her? She shook her head and walked towards Twilight and Quill Soul which stood next to her.

"Phase 1 is complete," Twilight started, "Now it's time for phase 2. Everypony will enter the Republic. When inside, we will split into groups. The distraction team and the main team."

"Me, along with the rest of you guys," said Rainbow Dash, "will form the distraction team. We have to keep the guards away from the main team. Prepare for the worst."

Twilight looked at Rainbow and nodded at her.

"Me, along with Thyme and Quill Soul are forming the main team," Twilight carried on, "The rest of you will follow Rainbow. Since the Republic is big, split into two smaller groups."

"I'll take command of group two." said a voice from the crowd of ponies listening.

The pony moved forward, towards Twilight. It was the pony with the hood and the light pink coat, Violet Haze. Twilight noticed her confidence and nodded. Violet Haze gave out a determined smile and shook hooves with Rainbow, introducing herself in the process.

The ponies in the distraction group started spliting up, its leaders choosing the ponies to accompany them. Rainbow took the remaining pegasi -along with Grafix and Fluttershy- as well as a few unicorns and earth ponies. Violet Haze took Pinkie Pie and the twins Dolce and Octuro along with the rest of the unicorns and earth ponies.

As soon as the two groups formed, they gathered in front of the enormous door of the Republic and took their positions. Twilight, Thyme and Quill Soul focused their magic powers in one and shot a massive shot of magic, blasting the door open in front of them.

"Ponies...charge!" said Twilight and everypony ran inside shouting for their freedom.

Twilight and the two unicorns made their way towards the left while the other group split to the right.

To her surprise, as Twilight and her comrades were running in the corridor, there was no guard whatsoever. What's going on?! she thought to herself. This is too easy.Twilight smiled to herself and started accelerating, making Thyme and Quill Soul speed up as well.

After a little running, they reached what used to be the ball room. Such a large room. It brought back memories to Twilight. When she walked in here for the first time when she was just a filly. As she grew up and attended the Gala with her friends. It may have been a disaster, but they still had a blast. And then came the wedding of her elder brother or Captain of the Royal Command, Shining Armor. Another moment of happyness not for just her, but for everypony that day. But all that now was gone. It was all...fractured now.

"Well, we should keep moving." said Twilight after a small pause.

However, there was no answer from neither Thyme nor Quill Soul. Twilight turned around but saw nopony. She looked at shock in the empty space where there shouldnormally be the two unicorns that accompanied her till here. What's going on? she wondered to herself once again.

"What's going on indeed?" said a mysterious voice that came from upstairs, where one would proceed to the upper floors or where usually Princess Celestia would come down from her room. Twilight looked up to notice Celestia looking right back at her. She looked at her in shock. P-Princess Celestia? she thought. Celestia looked at her a little worried.

"What's wrong Twilight? Are you okay?" she asked with a bright smile on her face. "I thought you'de be glad to see me."

"I...I...I saw you-"

"See me what?" Celestia interrupted the unicorn as she went down the stairs. "Oh, that." she said after a while.

Quill Soul was in a state of total confusion. As soon as they entered the ball room, both Thyme and Twilight Sparkle were gone from her eyesight. Just like that. She started to worry and after a while looked around in shock. She was slowly panicking.At one quick turn of her head towards the right, she saw Dark Equun right in front of her, only a breath away. Quill Soul shouted in fear and fell down. After realising that it was only Dark Equun, she gave out a sigh.

"You really shouldn't scare me like that..." she told him.

Dark Equun was seeming to ignore her. He looked around as if he was searching for something.

"Um, Dark Eq-"

"Weren't there two more unicorns with you just now?" he interrupted to ask her.

Suddenly, Dark Equun raised his head and looked forward, at the wall. He felt a presence behind him. It wasn't a friendly one however. He turned around and saw an alicorn dressed in fabulously shiny cloth, hoof-stitched, having a sword in a sheeth as well as wearing a golden crown on his head. His mane, perfectly combed and his coat not even having a single scar or bruise. He seemed like the perfect pony. Dark Equun looked at him suspicious as the golden eyes on his mask squinted, became thinner.

"Surprised, are you not?" said the alicorn to him.

Dark Equun didn't respond. He immediately teleported next to Quill Soul in a flash, grabbed her hoof and teleported her back at where she came, to the entrance of the corridor where they originally came from.

"Stay back Quill Soul," Dark Equun said to her, "I sense darkness in him."

"Don't trust this creature Quill Soul," said the alicorn to her, "This...thing...is a creature of darkness."

"Don't listen to him. Appearances can be deceiving."

"Quill Soul." said the alicorn once again.

"No, Qull Soul." said Dark Equun, holding her hoof.

Now, the only thing Quill Soul could hear in her head were her name being called by both Dark Equun and the mysterious alicorn. She had...a choice? Choose between one of her only friends, a pony she could trust, or a promising alicorn? Quill Soul freed her hoof from Dark Equun's grasp and grabbed her head in a state of shock and confusion at the same time. Please...make the voices stop. she thought, the voices of the two ponies still echoeing in her mind.

Thyme was in the same state as Twilight and Quill Soul. Upon entering the room, they both just...dissapeared in thin air. Thyme didn't back off however. She started walking towards the centre of the ball room, looking down at the structure. Such a beautiful floor it was in the middle, showing Shining Armor and Princess Cadence dancing together. It must have been carved after they came back from their honeymoon. Thyme couldn't stop looking at it, her mind shifting back to him. Heartfire. Now it was only him that she thought of. She and him, dancing in this ball room, looking at each other in the eyes, ponies standing around them and clapping. It would be...perfect. She gave out a sigh as she kept looking at the marvelous piece of marble floor.

"Oi." said a familiar voice behind her.

Thyme slowly turned around and gasped as she saw Heartfire entering the ball room with a weak smile on his face, his appearance still in a mess, although a bit better now.

"H-Heartfire?" she asked him as she stepped away from the centre, heading towards him, "How did you-"

Heartfire put his hoof in front of her mouth, ending her sentence right there. Thyme slightly blushed.

"I came to make up." he wispered as he slowly approached her and pressed his lips against hers.

Thyme's memory immediately flashed back to that moment they shared together during that night. That first and fierce kiss that Heartfire gave her. It was just like that even now. Thyme closed her eyes and grasped Heartfire tightly. As she moved her lips away, she wispered to him.

"Don't leave me again."

"Well, you see dear Twilight, it was all part of a little plan I set up."  continued Celestia as she got down the stairs.

Twilight could still not believe what she was looking at. It was Princess Celestia, the one and only Princess of the Sun, her mane glowing with bright colours and her smile being as warm and cossy as the setting sun. Without a second thought, she ran towards her and gave her a tight hug.

"I-I still can't believe it's y-you" said Twilight, her voice slowly starting to crack up and her starting to cry.

Celestia gave out another one of her warm smiles and hugged her back.

"It's okay my little pony."

Twilight let go and wiped her nose, her tears slowly starting to fade as she pulled herself together.

"Are you ready to walk?" asked Celestia with a caring voice.

Twilight looked at her with a determined look and nodded. The two ponies then started walking upstairs to where Celestia came from. So that explains the no-guards matter.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Dark Equun at the mysterious alicorn, taking him aback.

The alicorn gasped in disgust upon hearing this insult. Dark Equun kneeled and helped Quill Soul get back to her hooves. She raised her head and looked at his glowing eyes looking right back at her. Dark Equun said nothing. He looked forward at the alicorn who didn't respond. He was a mysterious one indeed.

"Quil Soul," said Dark Equun after turning his sight at her once again, "Whatever you do, don't run and don't listen to him. I'm here for you."

Quill Soul was about to break down into tears but after hearing Dark Equun, she nodded and stepped back. Dark Equun looked at the alicorn with a look of anger. The alicorn gave out a smile. However, his smile was gone when Dark Equun stood right in front of him right at that moment.

"Wh...Wha-" hardly said the alicorn before Dark Equun grabbed him by his garment and charged his other hoof, releasing it into a large blow, striking him in the stomach, making the alicorn gasp for a breath. Dark Equun let go of his garment and he fell to his hooves.

"Appearances can be deceiving after all." Dark Equun said to himself.

"Indeed, t-they can..." spelled the alicorn as he merged with the ground, making Dark Equun lose sight of him.

Suddenly, a loud laugh hcould be heard coming from every wall of the room. Dark Equun turned around every now and then and tried to find the alicorn. The laughing continued and Quill Soul found it harder with every minute not to panic. Out of the blue, the alicorn got out of the wall behind her and put his hoof around her neck, grasping her tight. Dark Equun heard Quill Soul's shout and turned around ready to storm towards her.

"One move and I'll snap her neck!" said the alicorn, grasping Quill Soul's neck tighter, making her pant for her breath.

Dark Equun stopped suddenly and stayed in one place. The alicorn smiled and merged with the wall once again, this time taking Quill Soul with her.

"QUILL SOUL!" shouted Dark Equun as he ran towards the place where Quill Soul would normally have been when he followed the alicorn's orders.

It was OBVIOUSLY a trap! thought Dark Equun inside him with his blood boiling. He bashed the wall, his rage still surging in his body.

"Well, you sure took that one seriously. Hah, imagine the look on your face when I threaten to kill her." said a mysterious yet so familiar voice behind him.

Dark Equun quickly turned around and saw the same alicorn once again in front of him, just like he saw him for the first time. He didn't have any wounds. But, wasn't the blow supposed to harm him even a little? What's his game? Dark Equun thought. However, his rage was not gone.

"What did you to her?!" shouted Dark Equun at him.

"Woah there bigshot," replied the alicorn calmly, "I'd like to stay and listen to your...opinion but, I got other business to attend to. Please stay, or your friend dies. Chao." he ended and vanished in thin air.

Dark Equun had no choice.

"So, what is your plan really Princess? Not that I'm complaining that is." asked Twilight as she, along with Princess Celestia progressed to her personal chambers through another corridor.

"When these five menaces arrived, I created a substitute but it required a ton of my power. I left and hid in order to regain my powers. I knew you'd come."

Twilight blushed when she heard that last sentence. She had heard a lot of compliments from the Princess before but that one really showed how much she trusted her student. Twilight squeed inside of her.

"So, what now Princess?"

Princess Celestia stopped for a moment. Twilight immediately stopped as well and looked at her in wonder. She seemed...frozen. Twilight waved her hoof. No response.

"Princess, are you okay?"

Celestia shook her head and took a moment to concentrate.

"It's...nothing. It's just those moments these days when I need to freeze in space and time to regenerate my magic." she replied with a smile.

"Phew, for a moment, I thought something happened to you." Twilight replied with a smile as well.

Thyme and Heartfire lied down at the soft marble floor and looked outside the glass ceiling, gazing at the moon while they held each other's hoof. At one moment, Thyme turned her head and looked at Heartfire. He seemed happier than usual. He may have had a weak smile on his face but Thyme could sense happyness in him. True happyness. He didn't seem to care about his wings anymore. Thyme smiled to herself. But at that time, her mind switched back to what happened. This reunion made her forget about Twilight and Quill Soul. She let go of his hoof and got up.

"What's wrong Thyme?"

"Well, you probably weren't there but, I have an objective."

Heartfire looked at her in wonder. He shrugged and got up on his hooves as well.

"I'm all ears."

Thyme looked away. She didn't want to spoil that moment so abruptly. She felt a little embarassed.

"I was supposed to find the leader of the Republic along with Twilight Sparkle and Quill Soul."

There was a small pause for a while.

"But that's suicide!" said Heartfire, a little tense now.

There was a moment of silence for a while once again between the two ponies. Heartfire approached her and held her hoof.

"Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we leave Equestria?"

Thyme was shocked to hear that. Heartfire looked at her with a weak smile. Thyme was at a loss of words. After a while, she looked down and said nothing.

"So...what do you say?"

"Heartfire..." she wispered.

Thyme let go of Heartfire's hoof and stepped away from him. Heartfire looked at her worried.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

"The real Heartfire would not abandon his purpose," said Thyme, still looking down, "that's why he sacrificed his wings. In order to save this world," she continued and raised her head, now looking at him with a cold look, "The real Heartfire cares for everypony and put them above me."

"W-What are you saying, Thyme? I am Heartfi-"

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT NAME AGAIN!!!" she yelled at him.

After saying that, her horn started glowing, dark blue aura starting to surge out of her body, runes forming and hovering around her. Her normally lavender eyes had turned bright blue, the exact colour as that of her runes. As she gritted her teeth in utter rage, swords out of pure magic energy started forming and hovering in the air, their tips pointing right at 'Heartfire'.

"Ways of the Moon : Sword Swipe!"

The swords stormed with great speed at Heartfire and stabbed him one after the other, making him take a step back with every stab. After being stabbed by at least ten blades hanging from his body, Heartfire fell to his hooves and coughed blood all over the beautiful floor where there was the painting of the royal couple. He struggled to raise his look and looked at Thyme with a big grin on his face.

"Y-You're...clever," he hardly spelled, coughing blood once again, "I'll give you that."

Heartfire got up and started taking out the swords, one by one, not caring about his injuries. After removing them all, he concentrated his look once again in Thyme, still maintaining his big and menacing grin.

"Well, time to lift the curtain." he told her and started burning up, his flesh disappearing and showing his true identity underneath it. It was an alicorn, perfect in appearance.

"I am the Pony of the Apocalypse, Pestilence." the mysterious alicorn told her, his garment starting to wave as a small breeze surrounded them.

Thyme's reaction didn't change. She was still angry and it could be seen all over her expression. The dark blue aura around her started getting thicker, stronger. Pestilence looked at her with amzement. He started clapping.

"Very good my little unicorn. Embrace your greed. Admit it little filly. You are in, hm, love."

Thyme looked at Pestilence in shock. Her expression soon changed however back to her previous one. Pestilence's words only made her rage grow more. Her aura started shifting, creating large bones that started getting covered in flesh and fur, turning itself into a creature that looked like a wolf out of pure magic energy. In the middle, representing the heart, was Thyme, her eyes now completely bright blue. The wolf howled, shaking the earth underneath it.

"I have to admit that you simply impress me every minute my dear." said Pestilence, remaining calm, clapping once again after seeing the spiritual wolf.

"I don't care about him anymore, I only care...on destroying YOU!!!" Thyme yelled at him.

The wolf raised his paw and slashed the air, three massive claw projectiles storming at Pestilence. Pestilence gave out a smile and grabbed his sheeth with his magic, placing it in front of him, making the claws strike the sheeth. They struggled to get through. Pestilence swung it to his right, making the projectiles change direction, blowing up the wall. Thyme roared, making the wold roar as well, making the ceiling tremble and the entire room rumble. Pestilence looked around, admiring the mayhem.

"Magnificent, bravicimo my dear. Look at you. You may not want to accept it, but it is your denial to greed that makes you strong. Imagine if you gave in, imagine all thepower!"

Upon saying that, Thyme stopped for a while as a pause was in the air and the only thing that could be heard was the dust around them.

"Power..." Thyme repeated after slowly calming her expression.

"That's right my dear, you could have anything. Money, power, and every stallion youever wanted."

The last bit of the sentence echoed inside Thyme's mind. Every stallion you ever wanted. She looked down, looking at the ground with wonder.

"Heartfire..." she wispered.

"That's right my dear," said Pestilence with a friendly smile on his face, "Heartfire can be all yours when you become...a queen."

"A...queen..."

The enormous spiritual wolf around her started to slowly fade, its fur and flesh starting to strip, its bones slowly desintergrating and the aura starting to disappear. Thyme's eyes stopped shining and turned bland, like she was empty inside of her. Pestilence approached her and patted her head.

"Right. A queen, with us. So...what do you think?"

"NO!" shouted a voice from the end of the corridor.

Thyme slowly turned her head around, her dead look looking at a dark grey stallion enter the large room, his dark, red-striped mane shining under the light of the moon.

which seemed to shine brighter with the presence of the stallion.

"You're smart Thyme, and I know that this is not the real you."

Thyme looked at him, her cold, dead look staring into him in wonder.

"The real...me?" she asked herself.

"Don't listen to this fool Thyme," said Pestilence behind her, "When you'll be queen, you can have him and ten more to love you. You have to trust m-"

"No," Heartfire interrupted him, "You must never trust greed, and if there's one pony that did that, a pony that put her own desires below the ones she wants to save, wasyou, Thyme."

After that, Thyme's eyes started shifting, changing back into normal. She shook her head to get over her confusion and looked at Heartfire. Pestilence teleported away for the two ponies and away from the room.

"This is not the last you have seen of me." this sentence echoed in the room, slowly fading with every minute.

Thyme looked at Heartfire and gave out a weak smile, then looked down. Heartfire slowly approached her and slowly lifted her head with his hoof.

"I heard what you said back there."

Thyme looked away, trying to hide the tears that formed in her eyes. Heartfire gave her a weak hug. Thyme shut her eyes and hugged him tightly. Heartfire could hear her sobs as she burst into tears. Heartfire hugged her tighter.

"You will find somepony better than me. Hm, you'll see. I'm no good for you anyways." he wispered to her.

Dark Equun sat in the room for minutes, his head looking down, hoping to see that bastard once again with Quill Soul. Although he had no idea why he was with her in the first place, he just knew that he had to protect her. And he had failed. He banged the floor with one of his hooves, making a small hole beneath him. Suddenly, he heard somepony rambling. He got up and looked around to see him.

"YOU!" Dark Equun shouted at Pestilence.

Pestilence turned around and saw Dark Equun staring at him in anger.

"Oh, it's you," Pestilence said and sighed after a while, "Fine, take her, I got bored anyways."  he ended and stomped his hoof gently on the floor, making a hole open in the wall, spitting Quill Soul out. Dark Equun teleported close to her.

"She's in perfect condition. Feel free to proceed." said Pestilence and walked away.

Quill Soul was unconscious but Dark Equun knew that Pestilence said the truth after he felt her heart still pumping. Dark Equun sighed in relief and put her behind, on his back. He started walking upstairs where Pestilence had proceeded.

"You'll be fine. I'll protect you." Dark Equun kept wispering to Quill Soul as he walked up the stairs.

After a moment, he stopped and looked behind him. He turned around and headed back to the middle of the room again, putting Quill Soul in the ground. He then covered himself with his cloak, disappearing in thin air.

"Princess, only one question. When I entered the ball room, there were two more with me. What happened to them?"

Princess Celestia said nothing and kept walking. Her colour looked like it started to fade away. Like she was fading away.

"Princess?" asked Twilight a little worried as she came closer to her. "Princess?" she asked once again and when she touched her, Celestia faded into thin air, as if she was...an illusion. Twilight looked in shock as she now touched emptyness.

"This has gotten very ridiculous. I got bored half-way anyways." said a voice behind her.

Twilight immediately turned around and saw Pestilence standing right in front of her.

"You're-"

"Pestilence?" he said as if he expexted Twilight to say it. He sighed to himself. "You're not fun at all, Twilight Sparkle. Oh well, time for a reunion." he ended and stomped his hoof on the ground, fading away as wimpering, coming from downstairs could be heard. Twilight started running towards the stairs, looking at Heartfire with Thyme and Quill Soul on the ground unconscious. She smiled to herself as she got down the stairs.

At the upper floor of the Republic, right in front of the large glass wall, sitting in a throne, gazing outside sat an alicorn in the shadows. Without turning around, he looked behind as Pestilence appeared out of nowhere.

"One would expect more from the incarnation of greed." the alicorn told him.

"What can I say my lord? I got bored." Pestilence answered, his answer accompanied by a shrug.

Pestilence was approached by Death, his mask still giving him the shivers, his bright eyes staring into his soul.

"What is it with the look?" he asked in irony.

"We have found ourselves the new Pony of the Apocalypse. And you have proved us wrong. You will not be necessary in the future." said Death with a cold look, his scythe behind him starting to glow from Death's dark magic, slowly lifting itself in the air.

"W-What are you implying, Death?" asked Pestilence, now a little panicked, starting to walk backwards, trying to avoid Death.

Death started walking towards him. Pestilence kept walking back until he was blocked by a wall. Death stood right in front of him, his scythe swiniging in the air.

"It means that you no longer the incarnation of greed." said Death, his scythe moving backwards, ready to assault Pestilence.

"No," said Pestilence frightened, "No! You can't do this to me! My ki-"

He never finished. Death's scythe fell and chopped his head, blood spilling all over the wall, his crown falling to the ground, its metal clang echoing all over the room. The body started disintergrating, forming a thousand bugs that burnt from Death's presence near them. Death turned around and looked at the alicorn, Nightmare Chaos.

"If you shall excuse me, my lord, I need to attend a matter." he said and vanished into the darkness.

"I hope everypony is okay." said Twilight to her comrades.

Quill Soul had gained consciousness a while before and Thyme had stopped crying, Heartfire standing right next to her. After a pause, all of them nodded.

"Okay then. We can continue moving."

After that, all four of them walked up the stairs and headed to the throne room or the meeting point as it was called in the plan. Twilight hoped that the second group was okay. Thyme and Heartfire, along with Quill Soul followed behind her. At one point, Thyme felt an ache in her head and stopped suddenly, feeling her forehead with one of her hooves. She gave out a shout of pain and fell unconscious to the ground. Her senses started to give up on her as the ponies gathered around her, shouting her name. Their voices got weaker and weaker until Thyme could hear nothing, falling in the black.

Thyme opened her eyes to find herself in a void. Completely white around her as far as the eye could see. No obstacles, not a single pony in sight. She turned around and saw a pony in a dark cloak, wearing a mask, making him and Thyme the only two in there.

"I suppose you already know who I am," stated the alicorn, "and it is so that I need not introduce myself. I know you, so you need not introduce yourself neither."

"Am I...dead?" asked Thyme the alicorn.

Death chuckled to himself.

"I would call it a comatose but if this is what you think, so be it. Yet this is not the reason I chose you specifically."

Thyme looked at Death confused. What did he mean by that?

"Chose? Me?"

"I know you all too well. A unicorn that stood out from the rest, from a town far away from Equestria. She lived in happyness until the town's leader left. Then, the ponies realised that she was unique. Special. They made her an oracle. That is why she left. Left to get away from it all, her curiosity as her only compass."

"H-How do you know that?" she asked him with even more confusion.

"My action was a precedent to yours. It was me who left that village. It was I who was...The Voice of the Moon."

Thyme looked at Death in shock, her jaw starting to shake after it was left slightly open by that name.

"It...can't be. F-father?!"