Equestria & Beyond

Across a bleak and battle-scarred wilderness, a lone mare awoke suddenly; gasping for air. She cleared the dust from her lungs and then lifted her head to survey the landscape. Strewn with broken earth, discarded weapons, and the lifeless bodies of friend and foe alike, it was an unsettling sight. Even more so were the still-fresh memories of the horrific battle that had caused the scene hours before.

She shakily struggled to her hooves. Had she passed out from exhaustion or blood loss? At this point she couldn't tell, nor did she care. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.

Nor sooner had she begun to reach out across the ether to look for survivors than an ear-splitting rumble broke the solemn silence. The tremor that followed almost tossed her back onto the ground. She scrambled for stable footing among the rocks and earth that had only moments before been sure and steadfast. Huge rips of what sounded like thunder echoed from the distance, and then as soon as the noise started, it quickly dissipated.

Although she couldn't see what happened, something within her told her exactly what had. Another pang of sorrow and loss racked her with grief, like an integral piece of her soul was suddenly ripped away; the third one this fateful day. What little greenery had survived the wreckage quickly wilted, the color draining from the earth and plants around her. A few tears instinctively began to well up her vision, only to be shook away by her now even more determined spirit. It was all up to her now. If that tumult signified what she thought, she hadn't a second to lose before the fight would return to her.

She lifted a hoof and cast a quick spell, a thin shape whizzing across the battlefield at her command. She grasped her spear through the ensuing cloud of dust as it came to her, it's highly-conductive crystal head shining through the ash; crackling eagerly with energy.

She crouched and burst into the sky, her great wings carrying her far across the graveyard below. An unearthly howl of a dozen voices rang through the sky; she had even less time than she thought.

The alicorn glanced behind her, judging the distance between herself and her still-out-of-sight enemy.

She took a deep breath and let her own cry resound throughout the land with all her might, "TO ME!", both in defiance of the unseen and in calling her surviving allies to her position.

Her lithe gray frame dove through the clouds, landing among the streets and vacant buildings of her eldest daughter's city, probably one of the last strongholds remaining. High stony peaks surrounded the floating city like a bowl, acting as a shield against the wind.

Her choice of stage to face the coming darkness was soon manifest, as she watched dozens of flashes of light streak over the sharp mountains, heralding the arrival of some of the greatest warriors she had ever known; a contingent of her eldest's pure white pegasi, donning silver armor of the purest steel.

They flew to her position, kneeling respectively in their Queen's presence.

One colt inquired, "What are your orders, your Highness?"

A smaller mare piped in "Our forces are spread thin, should we rally them to Lumeria?"

"And what of the King?" asked one from the back.

The Queen bowed her head in response, looking solemnly at the ground for a second. The ponies around her quickly understood, allowing a moment of silence to pass.

"Then what shall we do? Is the Aspect of Compassion alone enough to vanquish this evil?"

The gray alicorn touched the crystal embedded in her breastplate, "I am ... afraid not. There's no telling how powerful he's grown now, and the four of us could barely handle him before- ", flashbacks from only earlier that day flooded her mind. She hadn't the time to mourn the tremendous losses now, the memories were still fresh, as was their blood.

She looked back up at the dutiful angels surrounding her, ready to carry out her every command and who'd gladly give themselves to preserve her own life. But even they were uneasy, the prolonged battle had worn their spirits and strength thin. The sight was enough to re-kindle her conviction.

The gray alicorn stood up tall once more, bringing light back into her soldiers. "We'll draw him here, bringing the fight back to where it all began..."

"At once, your Majesty, we'll evacuate the emergency shelter", one of them said as he circled to gallop down the street.

"That won't be necessary."

The colt halted, slightly confused. "And what about the citizens?"

"You are the last hope my daughters have, I need you all here for when this evil rises once more."

A small gasp escaped several ponies, "You mean?-"

The Queen nodded, "I will use what magic remains in me to seal the Nightmare Forces inside the crystal core below us. This city will be the light that pierces this darkness when it breaks free."

Another mare spoke up, "But your Highness, in your current condition you'll-"

"I have already accepted my fate. If it gives them enough time to prepare to banish this shadow once and for all, so be it."

The angels nodded and flew off to join the others in the underground vault. She stopped one of them, "Wait... I have a special request to ask of you."

"Yes, my Queen?", he answered, a unicorn colt with blue-green eyes and a short gray mane.

"Only time will tell how long this seal lasts, could be millennia, could be centuries, could be a decade... Nevertheless, when you are free I need you to continue the duty I entrusted you with all those years ago; protect them with your life. They'll need you when they must inevitably face this darkness themselves one day."

The colt could feel the trust being placed upon him once more through the gray alicorn's gaze. "Of... of course, your Highness."

Another eldritch scream split the air, much louder and closer than before. It sent shivers down her spine as she watched the last angel gallop down the street.

The Queen reared up and called a bolt down from the sky, re-charging her spear. It was time.

As if on-queue, the sky itself began to darken as colossal clouds of the blackest night reached over the tips of the floating valley, tentacles of shadow larger than buildings curling around the peaks, pulling it's true ghastly form over the mountains.

Several sets of menacing eyes and gaping maws with razor-like teeth adorned the misshapen storm of darkness. Various colors of magical lightning danced across it's hideous hide. Gigantic equine heads emerged and shrank from it's mass like a boiling hydra.

"Well hello again, ugly...", the Queen said to herself as she clashed her spear head against the ground, sending out an electrifying buzz as a challenge.

One of it's main heads whipped towards the sound, viewing the minuscule but determined alicorn in the middle of the town square. The Nightmare Forces emitted a low growl that turned into a guttural bellow as it charged over the mountains, the size of it's body rivaling the city below.

The royal mare didn't move an inch. She knew the giant crystal that kept the city afloat was directly beneath her, the only gem around big enough to contain so much dark energy. It was one of her son's most ingenious creations, and now the prison-to-be of this monster that had taken her friends and family.

It bent into the sky and came flooding down as it neared her position, going in for the kill. The writhing sea of shadow began to block out the sun as it came down on top of her.

The sun. The fleeting glimpse reassured her in what would be her final moments, a gentle but firm reminder that hope was still alive. Her daughters were still alive. And the future was now in their hooves.