Author's Note

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dBp1bn4f3YsjsS4BXnbwy4IiX54-XYRgc8yvTw0gZ2g/edit

So, this is sort of a climactic chapter... for now (hint-hint nudge-nudge). Also the main reason this story is tagged for gore, even if very low content. Suggestions for improvement always appreciated.

~Jaya Ballard, Task Mage

Stormbreak

“Cryss. Cryss? Are you listening to me- What they hay?” Silver had been rather enjoying himself up until then. It was not often that he had the chance to haze that poor excuse for a noble in class. However, as he delivered a rather well thought out speech on her lack of success, the young filly went into a daze, her eyes fluttered closed, before a bright orange glow lit up around her flanks.

Silver and his posse went silent, looking down to see a mark, her cutie mark apparently sear itself into her body. It looked to Silver to be a nearly black hurricane-like design with a gold star-burst in the center. “Huh. Seems you’re not as pathetic as you used t-”

The world ended. Or at least seemed to. There was an enormous crack as a lightning bolt struck the wall of the tower, blasting it apart. Ponies screamed, covering their eyes against the shrapnel. Silver, however, looked to Crystal again, mouth agape as he saw her eyes shoot open.

They were glowing a solid electric blue, her horn now ablaze with magic. She shot to her hooves, throwing her desk and chair aside with a blast from her horn. The the rest of the students were now in frozen in fear, most barely balanced against the gale force winds blasting through the steadily decaying wall of the tower.

Outside…well, nopony could see much outside. It looked as if they were within the center of a tornado, with stormclouds and debris swirling violently around the decaying structure. Another bolt of lightning struck, destroying a large portion of the mushroom domed roof, exposing the ponies more to the elements. The class screamed in unison as the chaos continued to unfold around them.

Silver was cowering under one of the few remaining desks in the class that had not been blown outside, watching Crystal in fear. Slowly, deliberately, not buffeted by the storm, she turned to face the rest of the ponies, malice and blinding magical light emanating from her eyes. The winds accelerated, reaching speeds that would have terrified even the strongest of pegasi. There was no escape.

Silver saw two ponies, mouths and eyes wide in terror, disappear through the open wall. Another pony was flung sideways into one of the remaining walls, his head nearly knocked off by a twisted piece of metal that had returned through the hole in the room. With his blood dripping off her coat, Crystal had an absolutely demonic appearance. But she was not stopping. The glow around her horn only intensified.

The crimson unicorn felt himself blasted with heat, then suddenly chilled beyond any natural temperatures. He cried out in pain as the snap freeze locked up his hind legs. Losing balance and grip, he was sent tumbling out from under his desk and into a crumbling wall, stunned, almost falling from the tower.

There was another strike of lightning. The roof was now completely eliminated, the room all but eviscerated, and ponies greeted with not but the chaos around them. There was no sight of blue sky; barely any light shone through the maelstrom.

Silver noticed an orange glow to his right, along with a piercing scream. Rotating, he saw a pony, one of his close friends, throwing themselves to the ground, his coat aflame. Training his eyes to the sky again, he began to see bright flashes of fire spontaneously appear as the air itself combusted. Then he himself cried out in agony.

With the roof gone, a downpour not noticed before was pounding the destroyed tower room. But, like anything else about the storm, this was no natural downpour. Because of the random and extreme fluctuations in temperature, the precipitation that fell covered the spectrum. The ponies were flailing about, thrown by the wind and now pounded by boiling rain, utterly freezing pellets of razor sharp hail, and everything between.

The lifeless body of one of Crystal’s friends went tumbling past Silver as he clung to the wall for his life. He saw multiple frostbitten lacerations as well as small third degree burns dotting her body before she were tossed out into the turmoil.

With no thoughts other than survival, the terrified young pony stared up into the storm, praying to Celestia, to Cadance, to anypony that he would make it out alive. A bright glow ignited in the clouds, but Silver never got the chance to see his hopes of savior smashed as the bolt of lightning, unnaturally charged by the demented storm, struck from the heavens, putting Silver out of his short lived misery.

Princess Celestia was at an absolute loss as she orbited the sphere of violently rotating cloud. She had been preparing a speech for the ponies of the school when this anomaly began. It had absorbed Professor Fraust's classroom, whom upon seeing it, had both panicked and broken into tears. The Princess had no idea who or what could have started it, but right then, the only concern was that it was threatening the young lives of the students.

Only moments after that thought had occurred to her, a corpse was flung far free of the storm, spurring her into action. Celestia had caught the body of the young filly, set them body down, then launched herself up towards the tower.

All efforts to magically eliminate the maelstrom had been fruitless, and so she flew in circles, staring at the turbulent mass, completely unsure of herself. It was no natural storm, that much was obvious even from just looking at it..

The air around her felt saturated with chaos, but it was unlike that of Discord. This felt rancorous, uncontrolled, and violent. Still, Celestia almost would have preferred the storm be Discord’s; at least then she might have had an explanation for why she could not control it. Seeing no alternative, and it being her duty to stand up for her subjects in the face of adversity, Princess Celestia steeled her nerves, and dove into the maelstrom.

Breaching the outer wall of the storm, the alicorn was nearly thrown off her wings by the strength of the winds. It had been too long since she had flown in a gale like this. Forging on, she dodged and wove through all the debris being carried around the tower, which she figured could not possibly be in any decent shape. She was right. Breaking the inner wall of the storm, she had to quickly readjust her path to avoid slamming into the crumbling remaining wall, only to be promptly nailed in the head with a small stone which sent her crashing down.

Celestia slammed into the scarred wooden floor of the classroom, dazed. The number of remaining living ponies had dwindled depressingly low. Looking up Celestia saw the source: a young blue filly, two-shaded mane flaring in the winds, her eyes glowing a neon turquoise and her horn ablaze with magic.

Crystal Cross?! The daughter of the Cross line is the cause of so much chaos?!

Even through the storm, the Princess could tell Crystal was reaching her end, whatever that was. She seemed unsteady on her hooves and her coat was starting to smoke. But that was not what had Celestia the most concerned. There’s no way she could be alive with the amount of magic she’s using… this shouldn’t be possible, there has to be something else involved. The Princess felt a charge in the air, like everything around her was becoming electrified. Without warning, a blast of wind struck Celestia, causing her to slide backwards, dangerously close to the edge of the tower. An isolated vortex had spun up around Crystal, yet she remained unaffected. As smoke steadily trailed off of the the unicorn, a large cloud of it gusted to her side, then, to the alicorn’s wonder, coalesced into the shape of a pony. the figure stood mere feet away from the center of the maelstrom, staring at its “creator”. It wandered in an arc around the young pony, observing her as she continued channeling toward her death, not even bothered by the winds. In this moment, Celestia noticed something that, despite the harrowing circumstances, brought a small bit of warmth to her heart. So she finally has her cutie mark. But… what this could mean… Equestria would not be ready to take her… if she lives. Regardless of events, there is never a time where it’s nothing short of special for a pony to receive their cutie mark.

A strange hollow feeling brought the Princesses attention back to the smoky figure, which was now “looking” in her general direction, despite not having eyes. The alicorn shuddered. She felt as though this thing was staring into her, tearing out her deepest secrets and fears. “Go away…” she whispered, though unable to hear herself in the turmoil. In a final crack of red lightning, Crystal and the smoke pony disintegrated, their remains swept away by the gale, which moments later ceased entirely.

Winds blew themselves out, launching the debris they carried across Canterlot. The clouds dissipated into the atmosphere. The temperature stabilized. The hellish precipitation abated. There was nothing left to show the storm had ever been but a ruined classroom full of dead, injured, and terrified students, plus one alicorn Princess.

Standing unsteadily and generally uninjured, Celestia turned immediately to the remaining students. To ask if they were alright would be stupid. Instead, she directed her attention on the wall which held the door to the stairway down the castle. Focusing, she sent a pulse of magic into it, blasting it, and the debris in front of it, apart. “Fillies! Colts!” She shouted, amplifying her voice to old royal proportions, “Please, follow me! You are all safe now! No more harm will be brought to you!”

The surviving ponies whom could walk, crying from terror or pain, fell in behind Celestia. A few remained behind to watch over the gravely wounded until more help arrived. They somberly walked the spiral staircase down the tower, which save for Fraust’s room at the top, was perfectly intact.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted en masse by worried parents, medical unicorns ironically enough, and concerned citizens. Celestia however, had one issue on the forefront of her mind. Weaving through the crowd, she found Rose and Star Cross whom had just arrived and were attempting to push their way through to the front.

“Your highness!” gasped Star, he and his wife kneeling. “We came as soon as we had heard! Please, where is Crystal?! Is she alright?!

“I couldn’t forgive myself if I let anything happen to her,” cried Rose. Shuffling, Celestia collected herself. It would take every ounce of her being to deliver this news. She had a personal connection to the Cross family for many generations as they had been more help to her than she could ever have hoped for, always able to be counted on in times of crisis. But never before had she had to break to any of them that they had lost a child in such a manner as this.

“Uh… Princess Celestia…?” Rose asked shakily. “Is… is everything alright…? Crystal’s okay, right?” Closing her eyes for a second, the Princess took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the effort of delivering this harrowing news.

“Mister and Misses Cross… I- I regret to inform you that your daughter… Miss Crystal Cross... was lost in the events that unfolded this afternoon…” She sniffled a bit. “I am terribly sorry for your loss…” Dropping her head, Celestia closed her eyes. “I… There was nothing I could do.”

Rose erupted into tears, Star himself was almost there. He pulled his wife into an embrace, still staring at Celestia. The alicorn felt as if she had failed. Seeing these two ponies, whom she trusted above nearly all save her own family, break down like this, and knowing that she was the one to deliver the news, it nearly put her over the edge. Still, she held her resolve.

“There is... ehm... one thing I must tell you.” the Princess looked up, swallowing nervously. She had no idea how the devastated pair might take it. Rose looked up again, eyes red from crying. Her husband tried to remain stoic, but there was an obvious tremble in his voice.

“And that is what, exactly?” he half-snapped, foregoing all royal consciousness. Celestia be damned if his daughter’s life and death were the concern.

“Crystal…” Celestia began, unsure of how to phrase her words, “it is… the events of this afternoon were… they were her doing. It was her magic alone that caused the storm, and her magic alone that ended it, as well as took her life. I… I was in the anomaly with her, I watched it happen. Trust me, please, I tried my hardest to stop her… she just… Her magic was unlike anything I had dealt with in a long time, I couldn’t stop the storm… I couldn’t do anything to save your daughter.” She forced the final sentence out, then dropped her head again in dejection. It had been centuries since she had to admit she was unable to do something. Even worse was having to admit to parents that she couldn’t save their daughter.

Shock overtook the Crosses. Rose resumed her crying, while Star, holding his wife, stood completely stunned.

“I… I don’t want to believe this. There is no way she could have… but… if you say she did, and you were there to see it… it is your word that stands.” he clenched his jaw, grimacing, and struggling not to cry.. “Please. Make sure her life is remembered. I don't care how, but I do not want anyone forgetting the goodness in her.” He fell silent once more. There was little else to say. “Thank you for… for coming forward to us. I think that we shall be off now. Thank you Princess.” Turning slowly, Star led Rose, both teary eyed, out through the growing crowd, away from the ruined school. Away from the loss of their beloved daughter.
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“Ponies, citizens of Equestria. We are gathered here in memoriam to honor the lives of those lost in the tragedy that took place within our beautiful capital city.

“One week ago, we faced a tragedy unlike any seen in centuries. An isolated event of pure and malevolent chaos overtook a classroom of my school. The students of Professor Lawrence Fraust were put through a very trying and painful ordeal. Many hurt. Many lost. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims; your foals will be remembered forever.

“And yet still, we persevere. Those who lived will keep on living. We will not dwell on these horrific events. It is always best to put the past behind you, for it can never be a gift like the future. Given time, we will continue our lives as we had, never giving disharmony a helping hoof. That is our way as a loving species. It is as we have been since the dawn of Equestria, and it is how we will be until the very end of time. And nothing, I repeat, nothing, will ever knock us down, or trample us over.”

Princess Celestia turned, stepping away from the podium, somber applause following her through the doors of the school. It had been one week since the disaster had passed, and the school was just preparing to open once again. Celestia was there to deliver a remembrance speech, to confirm to her subjects that everything would be alright. By then, news had reached all across the land, and many relatives had flocked to the city to console their families. Letting her strong poise slip, she looked back, seeing the crowd of ponies, both adults and children alike, standing silently as the names of the lost were read, wreaths hung in honor above the entrance.

The ceremony froze, silence overtaking the mourning ponies as Principal Lazara stuttered off the final name on the list. “Cry-Crystal Cross”. Celestia waited, worried by the response she knew was coming. By now, any surviving children would have doubtlessly told their parents what they had seen, and the knowledge that Crystal had been the one to create the storm would have spread across the city. A wave of mutterings washed across the crowd as ponies looked at each other in a mixture of confusion and anger.

“Why is her name on the list?”

“How dare they honor the death of the pony who so brutally and ruthlessly killed our children?”

“She killed my son… My Silver…”

Many looked in the direction of Star and Rose, as well as Brigid Cross, Star’s mother, the matriarch of the Cross family who was in Canterlot for the ceremony. They shifted uncomfortably, knowing that these events would stain their reputation for the long foreseeable future. Even Professor Fraust looked mildly agitated. He had always liked Crystal as a pony, but now she was gone, and her death was seen in a very negative light.

Principal Lazara stood, still holding the wreath bearing Cryss’s name. She was split, unsure whether to hang it or not. While not doing so would be of utmost disrespect to the Cross family, there was so much hatred amongst the crowd, and dealing with the emotions of nobility was never a task to be taken lightly. She felt a slight magical tugging on the wreath, and looking out over the group of ponies, saw Rose Cross, eyes closed, her horn lightly aglow. Releasing her mental grip in the wreath, Lazara watched as it was overcome with a silver glow, then hung on its hook above the entrance to the school. She saw Rose open her eyes, a tear slipping onto her cheek. It nearly broke the Principal’s heart. How it must feel for them to stand among a crowd who believed their daughter deserved no respect in death; it was an experience no pony should have to go through. Nodding to the Crosses, Principal Lazara continued on with the ceremony.
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The Princess shuddered. Her sleep had been plagued with dreams of that day, watching over and over again as the colts and fillies were sucked from the tower, beaten with rubble, struck with lightning. But worst of all were her memories of Crystal. She always manifested as a demon-like pony, bathed in blood, grinning with gleaming teeth and eyes that shone with piercing light. Or the strange smoky figure, a ghostly apparition in the chaotic nexus, which felt as though it had left a cold hoofprint on her soul. They were fragments of a scarred memory, and would have to wear themselves out. But now she’s gone…right?

The alicorn, despite what she saw, had doubts. In her millennia of life, she had seen magic, especially chaos magic, pull incredible feats, even more so when relative to the survival of it’s user. And so, while having witnessed Crystal Cross disintegrate right before her, Celestia considered, though in the back of her mind, that the young pony of chaos was still living. Somewhere, somehow, she may still be. And if she is… well… that will be decided when certainty is made.

Shoving the thought from her mind, Celestia walked through the halls of her empty school, attempting to get back on track. She was still the leader of Equestria, and thus she still had duties. Exiting a back door, the Princess spread her wings, and took off up over the castle.
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Death. Cold. Dark. Lost. Unformed. Power. Longing. Loneliness. Chaos. Life.