This is War

"What is this?" Twilight looked at egg-shaped portal. They were with Princess in gardens. There were still remains of Discord statue, but there was portal hovering few inches above ground.

"This look like portal. It appeared here few moments before you left to library. I assigned few guards here. I don't want you to go through. It's too dangerous, but I thought you, Twilight, want to see what will came through this portal so I made preparations. You can stay here and your friends too, if they want to." Celestia said while she was looking at the portal.

"Thanks, Princess. I'd love to research this, but I'm a bit afraid. That scroll said that the world behind this portal should be evil." Twilight said.

"I know. It was me, who declined that research. I shared his fears. Now we must face, what is ahead of us. You know, Twilight, there is one thing I fear. I fear that I won't be able to protect my subjects." Celestia said and Twilight could see sadness in her eyes.

"I...I understand. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done." Twilight said.

"Thank you, Twilight." Celestia quietly whispered, "Be prepared. This will be dark times." and then Celestia lef Twilight and her friends before portal.

"It's like looking through water. A really bad water." Fluttershy quietly said.

"It's dreadful, isn't it Twilight?" Rarity asked Twilight.

"Yes. You can feel it too?" Twilight asked Rarity. Rarity simply nodded.

"Feel what? I cannot feel anything dradful." Rainbow asked.

"Unicorns can feel magic. Through this portal is escaping some energy from all that magic in their world. I and Rarity can feel it. It's nothing good." Twilight explained.

"If you are talking about that...I can feel something too. My guts are just telling me that something bad is gonna happen." Rainbow shook herself and folded her wings.

"Ah have some chilling in mah spine." Applejack said.

"Let's go back to library, girls. We may find there more about this. There is no point in staring into this." Twilight said and turned around.

"Nothing here!" Rainbow shouted from far upper corner of library. They were looking for something in main library room. Rarity was staying outside of the library room, because there were a lot of dust in air from pegasus wings flapping, Pinkie's chaotic running around and Twilight's quick searching with her magic.

"What?" Twilight whispered quietly for herself. She felt fading in magic flowing  through portal.

"Girls, I think something happened with portal. Let's go and see it!" Twilight said more louder to be heard.

"Please, please! Don't hurt us!" Pony said. She was looking like Applejack after a long and really bad fight. Bruises, piece of left ear bitten off. The others looked similar. There was something like sad Pinkie Pie, charred Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash without wings, dirty Rarity. Only Pony, who was looking like Fluttershy was looking physicaly unharmed.

"We were running whole way to the portal. We saw opportunity in starting anywhere else. Our world is terrible as you can see. We are glad that thing closed behind us." Charred version of Twilight said.

"This can be lie. Don't go anywhere alone, girls." Twilight whispered very quietly to all of her friends.

"We are not going to hurt you, but...who are you? I mean, you look like us." Twilight asked group of themselves from another dimension.

"I'm Twilight Spell. This is Applebuck." charred version of Twilight pointed at pony looking like Applejack.

"This is Cupcake and Fluttercry." Twilight Spell pointed on pony looking like Pinkie Pie and then on pony looking like Fluttershy.

"And there is Rainbow Runner and Briliance." Twilight Spell pointed on Rainbow Dash without wings and dirty Rarity.

"Wow. We have similar names. I'm Twilight Sparkle. There is Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarity." Twilight Sparkle said while she was pointing on her friends.

"We have the same cutie marks. Did you get your cutie marks from Sonic Rainboom?" Twilight Spell asked.

"You have done Sonic Rainboom? So you lost your wings? Why?" Rainbow Dash asked his twin.

"After my first Rainboom, there were group of jelous ponies. They tie me up in sleep and cut my wings off." Rainbow Runner said with a bit of cold in her voice, she looked at ground and in her eyes was sadness and shame.

"Ow...sorry. You didn't have to tell me." Rainbow Dash said. She looked a bit shaken by destiny of her twin.

"No. It's fine. I don't mind telling somepony, but it's still hurting. You know I'm pegasus, but without wings...it's like I've lost myself. No more Sonic Rainboom, no more flying. I think, you understand me well." Rainbow Runner said.

"Now I realize...where are guards? There were plenty of them." Twilight Sparkle noticed missing guards.

"I...I don't know. We shouldn't be alone here. Nightmare surely sent some scouts before us. Or something worse." Twilight Spell said. "After all that portal was on her gardens."

"Let's go to Celestia." Twilight Sparkle said.

"You wanted me? I'm here since I felt change around the portal. I have nothing against your idea of starting here again, but I'm watching you." Princess Celestia said and revealed herself. She was hidden inside of very complicated spell barrier.

"Thank you, Celestia." Twilight Spell said.

"I have another condition. You have to stay in my castle until you earn my trust." Celestia said and slowly left.

"At least we were not imprisoned, tortured or killed." Applebuck said quietly.

"I don't know Twilight. I don't believe them. The portal closed behind them. There is high chance that they are opposite of us." Rainbow Dash said. Six friends was sitting inside of castle in one of it's many rooms. They were hidden behind spells made by Twilight Sparkle.

"I know, Rainbow. But we should give them a chance. It's what we learned about friendship." Twilight Sparkle said.

"Fine. I give them a chance, but don't say I didn't warn you." Rainbow Dash said.

"It's too easy. Maybe they don't believe us, but we are here and we have all kind of informations." Rainbow Runner said. Another six friends were sitting in similar room.

"I know, but don't be to confident, Rainbow. We must be careful. We must steal the Elements first. Ponyfolk wouldn't believe us before we stole them. It would be easy if we scare them. First things first. We must put both princesses under a sleeping spell. It's your speciality, Briliance. We do this during night time. Then we attack them. We must scare them to run for the Elements, but we must let them finish unlocking them. Then, we will kill them. They are useless after this point. Then, we will kill both Princesses. We wouldn't have enough power before we corrupt the Elements. And then we can summon our Nightmare to us so she can devour this pathetic world." Twilight Spell said with evil smile.

Later that night.

"It's time. Do your best, Briliance." Twilight Spell smiled.

Briliance's horn started to glow. She smashed little blue gem with her hoof and moved her horn to gem powder. When glowing aura, surrounding her horn, touched remains of gem, spell started to grow. Two tentacles of dark blue energy shot from her horn and then glow was gone. So was the gem powder.

"They are sleeping as hard as death." Briliance said.

"Now it's time to chase some chickens." Twilight Spell laughed and ran out of the doors with the others following her.

The other group of friends were sleeping peacefully until...

"Chicken? Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash whispered, woke up and lift her head when she heard familiar voice. She shook her head when she saw that there is nothing happenening. There was only a bit disturbing silence. I need a bit of flying. She thought and lift herself. I don't like it being here. She shuddered a bit and unfold her wings. She noticed that there is one pony missing in room. Twilight. She smiled, because she known that Twilight is easy to find. She quietly walked outside to balcony. Then she jumped over the rail. Few seconds of free fall and then few flaps with her wings.

It was disturbing. Normally this routine should calm her, but it only made her more awoken and more afraid.

Within few seconds, Rainbow Dash landed before library. There was few lights inside. Only one wasn't moving. She slowly trotted inside. After few minutes she made her way through few floors and met few guards, who reassured her, that she was going right way.

"Hello, Twi. Can't sleep?" Dash asked.

"Hi, no I can't. You?" Sparkle asked while she was reading large and thick book, which looked really old.

"As you see. I feel that something bad is going to happen. What are you reading?" Dask asked.

"Something about offensive magic. I realized that defensive magic is useless if i had to take care of myself." Sparkle said.

"Did you realized this when you were imprisoned under Canterlot?" Dash asked.

"Yes. And it was first time I used this kind of spell. But it was not that sophisticated like ones in this book. That spell I used was more like representation of my emotions, but spells in this book are nearly for determined and cold blooded ponies." Sparkle said with smile conjured by amount of informations in book and having somepony to talk about it.

"Would you mind showing me something from this book?" Dash asked. It's surely some cool spear or fireball. Something dangerous. She thought.

"Fire spells are banished from library, but this should be easy." Twilight looked in the book.

"I thought so. With all that paper around..." Dash said. Sparkle was concentrated on spell and Dash was looking at her. Ever since she defeated that Ursa Minor, she was interested in unicorn magic. It was so different from her own magic. She had magic to manipulate weather and clouds, but unicorns had more varied spells. Since she was pegas, she had a bit of battle in her blood and seeing magical weapon. It's irresistible opportunity.

Twilight's horn glowed with characteristical purple glow. She had closed eyes. Glow started to get brighter and within few seconds, there was bow formed from light howering few inches above her horn. Spell slowly faded away and so the light from bow. She gasped.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Dash asked.

"Yeah, I am. This is my soul weapon." She smiled and observed her bow. It was made from similar material as her horn.

"I don't understand, but it's still cool." Dash smiled. "I wish I could have my own."

"There is a lot information about them. You just had to read them. Everypony should be able to create them through their magic, but it's long forgotten technique. But how am I supposed to fight without arrows?" Twilight asked more herself, then Dash. Dash dived into that book. She didn't liked that, but desire for something special was larger. Maybe it could be useful in her tricks.

Twilight was having a hard time with thinking about how to get an arrow. Book said there was everything needed for that weapon included. "How am I supposed to fight without arrow?" She groaned at bow.

"How about pull the string?" Dash asked nearly subconsciously.

"Uh?" Twilight stopped admiring her weapon. After few seconds she realized what was Dash trying to say and slowly pull the bowstring. She felt a reasonable bit of her magic energy leaking away. She hold her bow without even using her levitation. She stood firmly on her hooves and she was pulling bowstring slowly. Arrow created from her own magic was burning with white flame and waiting for shot. She aimed for an apple, which was at nearby table and she released that arrow. She immediately regreted that decision. Magical arrow shot apple and exploded covering whole library wing with tiny apple pieces.

Dash quickly stood up startled by sudden explosion.

"Whoops. I guess I lost part of my snack." Twilight remarked sheepishly.

"That was...well dangerous. I understand that this is nearly a secret, but still it's most cool think, you did, Twi." Dash said and started rolling on the ground laughing.

"Well, if you execuse me, I have something to make clean again." Twilight said quietly and started to clean nearby books with her magic.

"Yeah, yeah." Dash said paying full attention to the book. Twilight stared few seconds on that sight. She wanted to remember Dash with her nose burried in book, which is from non-fictional category.

Few minutes later, Twilight interrupted bright light, which quickly died.

"It's not cool." Dash grunted.

"What?" Twilight turned her head and looked at Dash. There was celurean colored long sword howering above Dash.

"It's blue sword. It's simply sooo uncool." Dash was staring at her sword.

"You should try it before you start grunting about it." Twilight said, picked another of her apples from table and throw it at Dash. Startled Dash instinctively swung her sword against that apple.

"I guess it is cool at least a bit. It's like having another hoof or your magic." Rainbow said, examining both halves of apple. Her sword vanished silently as Rainbow lost focus.

"Yeah. I wonder which thinks we can do with this things. And don't worry. The sword appears whenever you want it." Sparkle said when she saw Dash looking around to see, where her weapon had gone.

Sudenly doors to library was shot open. There were Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy standing and looking frightened.

"That scroll were right. They are evil!" Rarity said. Evil laughter was echoing through halls.

"Elements, quickly!" Sparkle said and six ponies started galloping through Canterlot castle.

"This brings memories back." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Everything is going according to plan, but it's too easy. We are missing something. Be ready for anything" Twilight Spell whispered to her friends.

Six friends stopped before doors with six gems around them and one horn-hole.

"What are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I think we are screwed." Twilight whispered.

"Don't say you don't know how to open this doors, because do you realize what that mean about our attemp to recover them at the wedding?" Dash's voice sounded a bit more annoyed.

"Well, I'm saying exactly that and I know what that mean." Twilight Sparkle said. She was angry mostly at herself, because she did not thought about it that way. If it wasn't for dire situation in which they was right now, she would surely find it hilarious. How could Celestia possibly forget to tell her, how to unlock this doors? And is it even possible for six of them?

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Rarity asked.

"We have not enough time to teleport outside and our only escape route is blocked. We have to fight back." Twilight Sparkle answered. Her friends looked at her with firm faces. She could see fear in their eyes, but also resolution. Even Fluttershy looked to be prepared.

"Expect anything and watch out." Sparkle whispered and faced their counterparts, which were now slowly approaching.

"You are not going to use Elemenst agains us?" Twilight Spell asked with hint of amusement in her voice.

"We don't need anything to defeat you." Sparkle retorted.

"You don't know how to open these doors." Spell said flatly.

"Face it, you are a bad liar. We certailny did not expected this. It looks like we need to kill you and then Celestia. We thought there will be no need for killing her by ourselves, but you are not giving us any other options. At least, you will be easy prey." Spell continued her speech in mocking way.

"Don't split." Sparkle whispered to her friends, but it was too late. First was Rainbow, who took of the ground and prepared herself for attack from above. Applejack seeing opportunity when everyone was watching at Rainbow, charged at Applebuck. With her own grace and years of training at her trees, she bucked her counterpart with all of her force, sending Applebuck rolling on the ground. Rainbow Runner siezed the opportunity and kicked Applejack. Unfortunately for orange mare, she managed to hit her head. There was a loud crack. Five friends gasped in horror. Applejack fell down to the ground and little pool of blood started to form around her head.

Twilight Sparkle was unable to do anything in moment of surprise. Applebuck rose from ground wisibly shaken, but not wounded as hard as her counterpart. Six counterparts had similar smirk on their faces.

"Applejack!" Rarity screamed and started to run to him only to be knocked down by fireball. Applejack didn't moved a bit. Rarity hopefully recovered fast.

"Is this all, you've got?" Cupcake asked. Her voice sent chills in Sparkle's spine. There was barely audible "eeep" comming from Fluttershy.

"You thought that you can fight us? Have you ever been at war? You are pathetic." Twilight Spell said mockingly and shot bolt of dark energy towards Twilight Sparkle. Sparkle was barely able to block it with shield and immediately retaliate with her signature purple bolt. Rainbow Dash swooped at Applebuck with her sword, but her target was faster and dodged attack. Pinkie Pie got her party cannon from nowhere and immediately shot a huge ball of sticky stuff at their enemies. Cupcake jumped and let herself to be hit by that sticky ball.

"Enough of this kids play." Twilight Spell growled and slowly started to move. Various veapons started to form around her. Once they were created, they randomly targetted one of the six ponies and shot to them. Twilight Sparkle focused. Hopefully she was able to block every single of that deadly projectiles. Pinkie jumped and tried to punch Twilight Spell, but she was knocked back by shield. Pinkie shivered a little. That shield was lightening based.

Briliance was checking on Applejack. "One down, five more to go." She said with joy in her voice. This simple sentence shattered hope in other five ponies. Something shuffled behind Twilight Sparkle.

"How dare you." Fluttershy silently whispered with coldness in her voice rivaling with Cupcake's. "How dare you!" She shouted and tried to use her stare at them.

"How? Easily." Fluttercry whispered into Fluttershy's ear. Nopony noticed that she disapeared and now she was at the worst place. It was the last thing, Fluttershy heard. Fluttercry holded magical dagger in her hoof, which was now covered in blood. Fluttershy slowly turned her head to look, why she have wet fur on her side, then she slid down into pool of her own blood without a word.

Rainbow Dash tried to help Fluttershy. Dash swung her sword at Fluttercry in nearly blind rage. She managed to cut Fluttercry before she jumped back. Dash continued swinging and darting to Fluttercry. In a few swings, she managed to wound her enough to be unable to continue fight. Fluttercry was now holding her own artery with hint of fear in her eyes.

Briliance blinded Rainbow Dash by flash of light from her horn. Rainbow Runner was there to help Briliance and bucked Dash.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were succesfully holding back Applebuck and Cupcake. In a few exchange of blows, Applebuck and Cupcake determined, who is weaker. Both of them were now focusing on Rarity. They managed to catch Rarity off guard. Both striked with their full force. There could be heard a few cracks and cling of horn fragment. Rarity was knocked back with her horn cracked and some bones broken. Pinkie Pie was one agains two.

Both Twilights were fully focused in their fight of minds. Twilight Spell was now focusing beam of dark energy at Sparkle, who was deflecting it with her shield. Twilight Sparkle became visibly tired of constant use of magic. If she was not shielding herself, she was trying to retaliate, but far more exhausting were deflecting Spell's attepmts to attack her friends. I can endure two of these beams at most. I should quiclky come up with something. Think, Twilight. Think. Twilight Sparkle said to herself.

"You are pitiful. Comfort breeds weakness. Now I see, how much true is behind proverb." Twilight Spell said and used much powerful version of that beam. It shattered Sparkle's shield.