Author's Note

Two music scores in this chapter... I must be getting lazy. After this is the Epilogue. Stay tuned.

Eclipse

Chapter 11: Eclipse.

“When the primordial gods created different races of ponies and slept, their children descended into corruption, chaos and ruin. When the gods awoke and found their creations in the cesspool of evil, they sought to punish their creations, which broke their hearts. After seeing pony after pony suffer the wrath of the primordial gods, the Ancestor created Apocalypse. Since the Primordial gods went back to sleep after a massive flood, the Ancestor destroyed the next best thing, the younger gods and spirits. The gods of the primal times and the age of gold long to be avenged, and in time, they will be. Looking back now, we should of listened to the gods in the first place.”

~Starswirl the Bearded.

(#:#)

“This is it, the final battle,” Twilight said as she looked at the Serpony army from the balcony. It was two in the morning, not dusk when the attack was supposed to happen.

She could see that the Serpony army soldiers were just as weary as the left over Celestian army that now looked nervously below, scanning their enemies.

Canterlot was going to take a frontal assault from the gates to the castle itself. All civilian ponies were evacuated to the Crystal Empire, where they should be safe. Her brother, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance where powering a shield that should keep out the invaders, but Twilight knew that the shield would get smashed pretty soon. Tartarus, Twilight crunched the numbers, and the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against them. Twilight used the Fell Brand to get stronger, but its power pales in comparison to Helm Lunar’s dark magics.

Regardless, Twilight knew she had to take a stand. If Canterlot was going to burn, she decided she will burn with it.

She pulled out her Levin Sword, and looked at the zigzag blade. So much was at stake here, so much was going to be saved, or thrown into the pits of Tartarus. She looked at the soldiers, whom have lost all sense of hope. They knew that many would not see their families again, never enjoy the warm embrace of their spouse or their filly’s laughter.

Twilight put on the coat that a former amnesiac gave her after giving her the Fell Brand, a coat with six painted eyes on it. She cut holes in it to allow her wings to move freely. She held the Levin Sword aloft and decided to start the battle for Equestria’s soul.

She brought down the sword, signaling the archers and ballistae ponies to load up. She then saw the dreadful wave of Serponies charge.

The final battle of an age old struggle began.

The charge was stopped when the soldiers connected with the magical barrier. Helm Lunar stepped forward and chanted his haunting Bitin, generating dark forces for his spell. He was joined by Lyra and Vinyl in casting the spell. The two unicorns were not dark magic advocates, but were able to lend their strength to help power his immense spell.

Twilight cringed as she saw the barrier flickered as it tried to resist the dark magic spell. The dark magic was too powerful for even the bond of Shining Armor and Cadance, and the barrier shattered like glass. As soon as the Barrier was taken down, Carnotaurus riders charged with the intent to break down the gates, the entire army of Serponies and Knights Lunar following behind.

Breaking down the gate was too easy for the dinosaur riders, who broke through it like a team of Fillyball players through a banner of paper.

The gate was breached, and Twilight knew the fate of the soldiers stationed there.

She watched with horror as the Carnotaurus riders speared and skewered Celestian soldiers without hesitation, without remorse. The rides themselves used their fangs and jaws to chew entire ponies whole, causing blood and guts to spatter on the street. Some soldiers got stomped on, and the sight from that made Twilight want to throw up everything she had for dinner. If that wasn’t terrible enough, the Pteranodon riders flew above the carnage, too fast for Twilight’s soldiers to shoot down, and the Pteranodon riders where killing soldiers by the tens with arrows so expertly placed that an arrow went through the eyehold of one armored Celestian, and killed him.

When the heroes of the army went through the gate, which included Ryoma, Ike, Julius Belmont, Vinyl Scratch, Lyra Heartstrings, Applejack and Fluttershy, Helm Lunar and Kenshi and the big heir himself, Featherfang, there were barely any soldiers to oppose them. They all gave the order to destroy Celestian resistance in the city, while they went to the castle to confront Celestia. Only Shining Armor, Cadance and Twilight herself stood in the way of heroes that accomplished far greater things than they ever did.

Twilight had to make her stand now. She pulled out her tome, Ragnarok, and her Levin Sword. She made her way to her brother and sister-in-law to make one final stand, one final time.

As the heroes galloped towards the castle, Twilight charged her spell. Just as the heroes came within fifty feet of herself, Twilight let loose the spell. In a flash of fire, a huge explosion rocked the area, sending all heroes in different directions, knocking most of them out.

Twilight was awe-struck at the lucky chance of knocking out almost all heroes. In fact, the ones that were still conscious were Featherfang and Kenshi.

Twilight nodded to Shining Armor and Cadance, indicating that all they have to do is beat these two, and the enemy army will retreat.

In a flash of silver, Luna appeared.

Twilight shed a single tear when she saw the alicorn of the moon, her flamberge, Moonbolt, in her hoof, ready to do battle.

Luna turned to Featherfang, “Go on and confront my sister. She should be in the throne room.”

Featherfang nodded and spread his wings and flew. He landed behind the three Celestian heroes and galloped inside.

Kenshi was next to Luna when he said, “I got the crystal royals. You sure about fighting Twilight?”

“I am. Kenshi, be careful.”

Kenshi nodded and drew Sento from its scabbard. He advanced towards Shining Armor and Cadance.

Luna then flew at Twilight, grabbed her, and threw her onto a castle overlook as large as the courtyard itself. Twilight hit the ground hard, gasping for air as Luna landed five feet away from her.

“hOW COULD YOU BETRAY YOUR OWN SISTER?” Twilight roared as soon as she regained her breath.

Luna was motionless and showed no emotion. She simply said, “that thing is not my sister. If it is… Then I disown her entirely.”

Luna readied her sword, “I know that you are blind to your mentor’s current insanity. She is not the alicorn you once knew, nor will she ever be one. She is gone Twilight. You must accept it.”

Twilight’s tears came more easily now. She looked at Luna with eyes of a pony that lost everything, “If you need to die to be freed from this insanity, from these lies you have been force fed, then I will grant you release as a friend. I will end your life, so you may be at peace.”

Luna responded, “you will try.”

Twilight flew at her, tears flowing from her eyes.

In a flash of sparks, the Levin Sword met Moonbolt. Twilight backed up and lunged at Luna, aiming for her abdomen, Luna smacked the sword thrust to the side with her flamberge and bucked Twilight in the face, sending her off the platform, and she landed on another, breaking a rib on impact. The platform was the same size as the first.

Twilight groaned in pain and slowly got up. Luna landed a couple feet away from her with enough force to crack the spot she landed on. Luna raised her flamberge and brought it down on Twilight, who blocked it with her Levin Sword. Twilight then chanted and a bolt of lightning erupted from the Levin Sword and struck Luna, sending her five feet away. Luna quickly got up in time to receive a slash that cut her flank open. She yelled in agony and fury and renewed her attack, slashing and thrusting at the student of Celestia. Twilight parried each blow and tried to counter as well, but with little success. She then chanted a Ragnarok spell and sent it at Luna. Luna held the sword to her face just as the platform exploded. Twilight fell through the air and landed on all fours safely in the castle courtyard, rubble from the destroyed platform falling into the courtyard. When the dust cleared, Twilight couldn’t see Luna’s body.

“Looking for me?”

Twilight didn’t even have time to look around as the blade of Moonbolt going through Twilight’s right side and out the other end, splattering the grasses and flowers with crimson.

Twilight’s mind tried to register what happened, but she flopped to the ground before she could put the pieces together.

She looked up to see Luna holding the bloody Moonbolt, with the saddest face on the alicorn of the moon.

“How...how…”

Luna held up the flamberge, “holding this sword grants me purely defensive powers. One of those powers allows me to erect a magical barrier to withstand any attack.”

Twilight choked out, “why. Why did you side with them? Celestia… forgave you…”

Twilight then passed out, and would of died if Luna didn’t use a healing spell. Luna said as the wound closed, “I did it to save Equestria from itself.”

(((())))

Kenshi dodged an incoming magical attack from Cadance and dodged a sword slash from Shining Armor. He was impressed with the both of them, they could really synchronize and attack as a unit, not a pair. However, he is used to fighting gods, demons, monsters and ninjas, so this was nothing new. If anything, he wanted them to think they had a chance of winning.

Kenshi used his power to telekinetically send Cadance into a wall, knocking her out. Shining Armor went into a furious rage as he tried to hack and slash his way to victory and vengeance for their previous encounter.

Kenshi parried his sword attacks, looking for an opening he could exploit. When he found it, he slashed at his legs, crippling him. Kenshi then telekinetically held him in the air. He then slammed the crystal ruler into the ground five times, breaking two ribs. He then slammed him through the castle gates, making him the literal key to the gate, opening it for the Serpony army. It also knocked him out cold.

Kenshi sheathed his sword saying, “better luck next time.” and turned to help his unconscious allies.

()()()()

Featherfang paused outside of the throne room door.

He wanted to push it open, to confront Celestia and make her pay for all the Tartarus she put her own people and his through. He wanted to defeat her and restore his people to their former glory.

So what was keeping him?

Featherfang shook his thoughts out of his mind and entered the throne room. As he expected, Celestia herself was there, a black scabbard holding a sword the had dark energy curling off of it.

“Featherfang. Son of the storm and wind god, and the thorn in my side that ended up making my wound fester.”

Featherfang growled, “greetings, Celestia.”

Celestia turned and looked at her throne. She said, “you know, don’t you… You know who I really am.”

“I know that you are a cold-blooded ruler, and a murderer. You and your ancestors have tried to enslave and kill my people i order to make sure a god doesn’t appear after your ancestor tried to hunt him down like a rabid dog. You tried to send a hired thug to assassinate me, you sent your troops to kill me at Appleloosa, you abandoned your own people when you heard that I was coming for you. You planned to commit mass Genocide on me, my people, and anypony else that was helping us.”

Celestia gave an evil laugh that chilled Featherfang to the bone. “Oh, Featherfang. I was never really Celestia. I hid her away and took on her form to pave the way for my master. He grows tired of all the waiting for Hoshido and Nohr to fully duke it out with each other. Now that Corrin refused to pick a side, let’s just say that my master likes to have another world ready for his taking to expand Valla and gather more resources for his takeover of Nohr and Hoshido, after that, the world where the Belmonts live, and after that, a galaxy far, far away, and after that, Tellius. Soon nopony can withstand the might of my master’s power. He can conquer the entire multiverse!”

Featherfang pulled out Wind Piercer and began to twirl it, “So… you are not Celestia. You are just a harbinger of death, here to sow as much chaos as you can so your master can come here and take over this world… so be it.”

“Huh?”

Determination blazed in Featherfang’s eyes as he shouted, “Then I have no qualms about killing you, monster. I will end your terrifying rule here and now!!!”

The impostor slowly drew Apocalypse from its scabbard, dark energy wafting off it like fog. “I will kill you Featherfang, and your death will generate so much chaos that my master will come here way earlier than expected, Your people will die, your friends will die, and I will be rewarded beyond my wildest dreams! Its over Featherfang. Time for you to die!”

Featherfang charged at the mongrel, determined to kill him, even if it's the last thing he did.

Featherfang swung his weapon, and the Impostor blocked the strike. With an evil laugh, he kicked Featherfang with enough force to slam him into the throne room wall, slightly cracking it. Featherfang ignored the pain and flew at the Impostor his spear leveled at its heart. The impostor couldn't block the spear fast enough, and ended up getting impaled. Ghostly flames came from his wounds instead of blood. The cazy part is that the Impostor grabbed the shaft of the legendary Wind Piercer, and slashed it with Apocalypse, breaking the legendary weapon. Featherfang then got hoofed-slapped into the floor, breaking a rib. In pain, Featherfang spread his wings and flew to the ceiling. He whipped up the winds with his wings and sent pressurized wind that could cut steel beams in half towards the Impostor. The Impostor dodged all but one of the blades of wind. And that blade sliced off its hind leg. The fake Celestia laughed as a hind leg formed out of ghostly/invisible flames. The Impostor then appeared behind Featherfang and upperhooved him in the chin, sending him crashing through the ceiling.

Featherfang landed where Luna and Twilight fought earlier before. Featherfang landed on his hind leg in a wrong way, snapping his leg bone, making him cry out in pain.

The Impostor appeared on the platform, laughing maniacally.

“Don’t you see, little snake? I’m out of your league. My power far exceeds that of your own.”

The Impostor Then brought down Apocalypse and stabbed Featherfang, pinning him to the platform, causing him to scream in agony.

“Hmmm. Compared to a mare, a stallion’s scream lacks charm.”

The Impostor began to twist the dark sword in the wound, causing Featherfang to writhe in agony and sheer pain. Blood poured from the wound, soaking through the cracks caused by the sword when it not only go through Featherfang, but the platform underneath as well. Featherfang's Blood-curse had now kicked into full overdrive. Growling, the heir of the Serponies thrashed and shrieked at the Impostor.

The Impostor frowned, “maybe I should take that from you.”

Ghostly flames engulfed Featherfang, diminishing the curse and causing extreme pain that nopony had ever experienced before. It was like somepony was trying to used a flamethrower inside of him, and stabbing him with acid drenched daggers.

Featherfang then saw a red orb form above the Imposter’s horn. The Impostor stabbed the orb with his horn, causing the orb to make a screeching sound and it went up in crimson flames. “No more Blood-curse to help you anymore.”

Featherfang’s hope had fled him. Determination was dead inside him. He was going to die a painful death. There was no do overs, no second chances. He failed everypony. His chance to live a happy life with Lyra, his chance to redeem his people, all of it was dashed against the jagged rocks of despair as he felt his life fleeing from his body.

“I can’t die… not now...not now.”

The Impostor laughed, “You will die, and I will enjoy it.”

“ENJOY THIS!” a voice boomed as a stream of energy blasted the Impostor, causing the fake Celestia’s body to completely disintegrate, revealing a ghostly outline of the fake Celestia wreathed in ghostly flames.

Suddenly, Lyra and Fluttershy appeared on the back of Quetzalcoatl, who just fired the beam. Lyra and Fluttershy lept off of Quetzalcoatl, who kept firing beams of energy at the Impostor, keeping him stunned. Fluttershy pulled Apocalypse out of Featherfang and threw it on the ground, weary of the legends that ell that the sword corrupts anypony who touches it. Lyra began to chant a healing spell. The spell will heal the wound that pinned him to the platform, but not his broken ribs. If Lyra wasn’t empowered by Quetzalcoatl, she couldn’t heal Featherfang. Even doctors couldn’t do what she was doing now.

Featherfang flet a lot better, but still had a broken rib. He weakly got up and Fluttershy handed him Ganglari, saying, “quickly, you must run it through with this sword. It was forged in its world, so it has the power to end him.”

Featherfang nodded as he took Ganglari.

Suddenly, Apocalypse flew back to the Impostor’s ghostly hoof. Quetzalcoatl stopped his beam attacks and said, “HE IS WEAKENED ENOUGH FOR YOU TO KILL HIM. HE IS STILL DEADLY, SO WATCH YOURSELF, MY SON.”

Featherfang nodded and spread his wings and flew at the Impostor. The impostor snarled and blocked the incoming attack with his sword.

It was in this clash of blades, this clash of wills, this legendary battle between good and evil, divine power versus the evils of mortals. It was all on the line in this moment as blades clashed together and the battle of Canterlot raging below. The impostor slashed Featherfang’s cheek, and stabbed his eye. This caused Featherfang to cry out in agonyas his right side of vision was put out. He continued to fight on. He had to keep fighting, he must keep fighting, he must!

The Impostor, after taking out Featherfang’s eye, grew more reckless with his attacks, had an opening in his guard, and Featherfang took the opportunity to slash at his hing leg, permanently taking it off. It screamed as pain entered its mind for the first time. It began to fall over, but not before Ganglari sliced its head off.

The Impostor simply blew away in the gentle breeze, finally dead.

Featherfang stood there in disbelief. It was over, IT WAS FINALLY OVER!

Featherfang turned to Lyra and Fluttershy, and smiled.

Lyra’s eyes began to pour out tears as she galloped and nearly tackled Featherfang with a hug, with Fluttershy and Quetzalcoatl looking on as the rays of dawn appear on the horizon.

)()()(

Luna, galloped into the room where she and her “sister” summoned Erron and Kenshi. After she witnessed the Impostor’s confession while using magic to see where Featherfang was, she searched all over the castle in hpoes of finding her sister. She had gotten a familiar presence of magic in this room. Her sister was somewhere in here..,

She spotted the symbols on the floor glowing. She then knew that the Impostor had sealed her away in the very magical foundations of the castle. Luna put her entire magical power into the spell. In a flash of light, Celestia appeared.

Celestia then said, “Lulu… is that you?”

“It is I, Celly”