This is War

Twilight Sparkle fell to the ground. Dark energy from that beam caused her pain, but she sufferen only bruises from falling. She looked around. Applejack lied without any movement in puddle of her own blood. Fluttershy was the same. Now she heard a few bodies falling. She saw Rarity fall to the ground with cracked horn. There was Rainbow Dash landing before her. As she looked at Dash, their eyes met themselves. They can both see sadness and pain in the other's eyes.

"I will protect you." Dash whispered and stood up with visible troubles. She was shaking. She suffered nothing more, than bruises, but still there was something odd with her left wing.

There was painful scream of Pinkie Pie. Twilight Spell grabed Dash and flinged with him somwhere behind Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash landed with loud crack. There was no sound of movement.

"So now it's one to five. How unfortunate for you. Now you lost everything." Twilight Spell said. Twilight Sparkle didn't say anything. I can't die here. It's too early. I just can't. I don't want. Twilight Sparkle said to herself.

"You have nothing to lose. You can only gain. Bow before me and I will grant you quick death." Twilight Spell said and laughed. In her despair, Twilight Sparkle tried to come up with some plan, but nothing seemed to be working. Yes. I have nothing to lose. Now I don't need to restrain myself. Twilight Sparkle was somehow calmed by these thoughts. In that moment of clarity, she saw one possible solution. She conjured her bow and started to draw the string. She felt new wave of power inside herself.

"What are you gonna do? Shot us all with one arrow? You know it's impossible for you in your state." Twilight Spell mockingly said.

Twilight Sparkle only smiled. Time seemed to nearly come to stop. Her eyes started glowing white and purple aura from her horn shrouded her. She was gathering all her sorrow in that one arrow, which started to turn grey as stone from purely white. Sun was started to rise.

Behind her Rainbow Dash regained counsciousness. Her wing were hurting. For a few seconds she thought that she saw an angel. Purple angel of vengeance. Beautiful purple mare was bathing in sun and before her were stunned mares. I could revere that creature. Dash thought before she passed out from pain.

"Run! Run! Celestia is awake! I will keep them there! Plan B!" Twilight Spell shouted and created magical shield around herself.

"I won't let you!" Twilight Sparkle said with firm voice and let the arrow. Arrow swiftly flew through small space between Sparkle and shield. Twilight Spell expected to block that arrow with her shield. Instead that arrow passed through shield and started to grow. Twilight Spell jumped back. The arrow hit the ground and it unleashed full potential of that arrow. Dark violet crystals started rapidly to grow from the ground encasing Twilight Spell and then these crystals built path to other ponies more quickly then they were running away. Briliance managed to grap Fluttercry and teleport outside before crystals reached her and power in arrow quickly reached it's limit. There were four large crystals, which were holding four ponies with terrible and painful grimmace on their faces.

"I will condemn you to eternal suffering." Twilight Sparkle whispered before she passed away from exhaustion.

"Twilight, I'm sorry that I'm late." Celestia whispered when she arrived and saw outcome of what happened. Celestia started to examine huge dark crystals.

"Was it really necessary to tap into that magic?" Celestia whispered for herself and then she started to look around. She arrived a few seconds after Twilight passed away. She started to run around and check up Twilight's friends.

When she finished, she had few good news, some bad news and some really bad news. Since her guards did not arrived yet, she took it upon herself to save what can be saved. She started to teleport her friends to the nearest hospital.

"Sister? Shall I speak with thou?" Luna asked. She was outside of Celestia's room, but doors were open.

"Yes, sister. Come in. And you should really try to stop speaking in that ancient dialect." Celestia answered. She was sitting in fron of her desk and looked at report from her guards. She was visibly troubled by something. Luna only smiled and closed doors behind her.

"Pardon me. How are you?" Luna said. She sat next to her sister and looked at that report. There was reason, why her sister was so troubled.

"It's all my fault. I allowed this to happen. I seriously underestimated our enemy. Should I abdicate?" Celestia whispered calmly.

"It was a long time since we were in war. Our own false sence of security led us to this. They caught us by surprise." Luna whispered back.

"I know, but these losts are too much. Look, nearly half of my guards are missing. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are dead, Applejack and Rarity are in coma, Twilight and Rainbow Dash still unconscious and it's all my fault." Celestia said and looked at her sister. She was nearly broken. Her student nearly died. Nearly all close friends of her student are dead or comatose. Half of her guards are missing and all of this was caused by her decision.

Luna never saw her sister crying. Her sister was always strong. Now it was her turn to be the strong one. She silently wrap her wing around her sister.

"Two of them escaped." Celestia whispered and let her tears flow.

"I will hunt these two in day and night. They cannot hide from me." Luna whispered and gently nuzzled her sister.

"You should go to bed. I will woke you, when some of our friends woke up." Luna continued whispering. When her sister nodded, she accompanied her sister until she was asleep.

"The worst is that they forced my Twilight to use soul spell. I fear of the consequences for her." Celestia said while she was getting into her bed. Luna noticed how her sister used word 'my'. She again realized how much is Twilight for her sister.

"I think that she will be fine. After all she never ceased to amaze you." Luna said quietly, remembering Nightmare night. Luna waited a while before she was assured that her sister is asleep.

Twilight Sparkle woke up in white nothingness.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle. You should know me, but I will introduce myself. I am Warden and you are here to pay for my help." Twilight heard and turned to the source of sound. There was black crystal in white nothingness. Crystal was floating before her and in crystal, there was pair of red eyes in crystal.

"What do you mean? What help? And where the hell am I?" Twilight asked and looked around.

"So many questions, but I will gladly answer them. First of all. We are in Void. There is nothing, but still there is everything. I took you here, because you are owe me something. You desperately wanted to imprison your enemies so I helped you. Now I want you to help me." Crystal resonated with voice, which was deep, but calming.

"So...that black crystals were your work?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, all my precious masterpieces. You wanted to imprison them for eternity, so I done that. You wanted to imprison them in hell so I added some enhancements. You know that it was my pleasure to do this. You said that you will do everything. So now I have a work you owe to me. You will assist me with one of my another pacts." Voice explained.

"What work?" Twilight asked.

"I want you to cause some problem. Kill somepony, or mutilate someone if you are into that. Physicaly or mentally. I don't know what you prefer. You will be protected during that job of course. I want you to prepare another job for me or some of my void friends. You know I can take care of those, who are willing to help me." Voice said with same calmness, but there was something that sent chills through Twilight's spine.

"I don't want to kill somepony or anything else, that will result in harming anypony." Twilight said. She coudn't believe her ears. This creature want her to harm somepony.

"I can release them and take you as punishment for not wanting to fulfill the pact." Warden said.

"NO! I...I will do it." Twilight closed her eyes. Small tear rolled over her cheek.

"Good, good. Now you look like you are doing this for the first time so I can help you. Do you want me to tag your target?" Warden asked. Twilight only nodded silently.

"So I want you to target young white mare. Her cutie mark is simple cloud. She is pegasus and her talent is cloudmaking. I will take you to your body when you will be done. You will find me in church tower. And don't worry about time. You are not limited by this thing. Take your time, make it special. Do it the way it pleases you." Voice said.

Church? But that mean it will be even before Equestia, or outside of it. I've read about this buildings. They are not connected with Celestia or Luna, but still connected to another god. Twilight thought.

Sound of cracking around Twilight forced her to open her eyes. There was night around. She was out of Void and apparently hired for assasination. She noticed visibly restricted view. She looked before herself, there was small puddle. She slowly walked to it and looked inside. She was changed. She had grey fur and light blue eyes and mane. She was wearing large coat, which covers her. Her view was restricting hood, which was making her hard to recognize. There was long bow on her back with few arrows. She heard some voices so she instinctively pressed herself against the church wall. She looked up. That church provided some good vantage point. There was no high building around and it would give her nice view over town. She teleported up to the church roof. Her magic was a bit weaker and color was light blue as her eyes and mane. Town was quite lively, but she could tell that she is now in year that is about at least thousand years before she was born. She teleported up to the church tower. There was some evening market in town. She teleported on roof of the building before church and pain throbbed in her head.

"This is how other unicorns feel? So little magical energy." Twilight silently growled and rested a bit. When her head stopped hurt, she galloped over roofs as quietly as she could. She was lucky there was no pegasus flying. She got to the market. It was not only market. It was some sort of festivity. She immediately spotted white pegasus, which suited the description. She slowly took bow and one arrow from her back and draw the string with arrow and aimed for neck of that pony.

I cannot. She looks so happy. How could I kill somepony. Twilight started to think.

You must. There is no way you could get back to your body without killing somepony and I agreed to it. I am sorry. Twilight closed her eyes and let the arrow go. String of bow played the tone of death and as answer, there was symphony of terrified voices. She opened her eyes. There was dead body of white unicorn in puddle of blood. Beside her was crying unicorn stallion, who she known from old paintings. She gasped as she realized who he was. Tears made her way to her eyes. Way back was a blur.

"So you are done. Let's take you back to your body. It was pleasure to work with you I knew you could do it." Familiar voice said. Black crystal was hanging in tower instead of bell.

"You knew it." Twilight said. There was tears in her eyes.

"What? That you killed a lover of Starswirl? You didn't asked." Warden answered.

"You are demon. I hate you." Twilight said coldly.

"I never asked for you to love me. Now let me take you back and I think we will never meet again. But if you want to trade, now you know my name." Warden said in same cold and calm manner as before. Eyes in crystal closed and before Twilight could say something, loud crack kicked her unconscious.

"Celestia! Celestia! Come with me, sister. She woke up!" Luna stormed through castle.

"Finally! Let's go." Celestia cheered a little and both of them headed to hospital.

"She is crying all the time she is woke up. I didn't understand a word and she instantly drive me out of her room, our Majesties. Other than that she seemed fine." Doctor said to the Princesses before they walked into her room. There was only quiet sobbing.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked quietly.

"P-princess?" Twilight asked and looked at her. In Twilight's eyes was great sorrow and fear.

"Dear Twilight. I'm so sorry. Everything will be all right I promise." Celestia dashed to her bed.

"No. I was the one, who caused death of lover of Starswirl. It was necessary for keeping black crystals. I am sorry." Twilight said.

"No. His lover was killed by well known assasin Whiteshade." Celestia said.

"Yes, but I was the one, who guided him. I killed his mare." Twilight said.

"Was it payment?" Luna asked.

"Yes, how do you know?" Twilight asked. Her gaze turned at Luna.

"I refused to pay once." Luna answered quietly, closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"I'm sorry for that too. I kept you from soul spells, but I think you understand why." Celestia said.

"What is soul spell?" Twilight asked and looked at Celestia.

"Basically it's spell, where you trade your soul. You are lucky that you could buy your soul back. There is nothing known about entities, which are trading with you. There is theory that they are demons from Void. Which is place between spaces." Celestia answered.

"How are others? Doctors didn't wanted to say anything." Twilight asked.

"You want to know truth, don't you." Celestia asked and looked into her eyes. Twilight nodded.

"Pinkie and Fluttershy didn't make it. Rainbow is unconscious after operation and other are in coma." Celestia whispered. Twilight closed her eyes and did not hold her tears.

"I'm sorry. You are fine so you can go from hospital after you check out, but I can understand that you want to stay in Canterlot so you can visit your friends. Especially Rainbow, who should be waking sometimes around this afternoon. You are welcome in our castle. You can stay as long as you want. I can order Spike to come here too." Celestia continued.

"I want to see my friends." Twilight whispered. Her pain colored voice was crushing heart of Celestia.

"As you wish, my dear student." Celestia said. She looked like she have hard time keeping tears from her eyes.

They slowly walked through hospital after they checked Twilight out and met her parents, who were waiting all the time outside of her room. They picked doctor to give them informations about their living friends.

"Here is miss Applejack. She suffered severe brain damage and blood loss. We don't know when she woke up and if she will be fine. There is huge chance that her brain damage is too high." Doctor said and slowly walked to another bed in the room. Twilight was hidden under Celestia's wing and quietly cried.

"Here we have miss Rarity she have badly fractured horn and we are convinced that she tried to cast some spell during her injury. That spell probably backfired. We are waiting if her brain recover from this, but chances are small." Doctor said. They left beeping room and in another room, there was more white than blue pegasus in bed.

"She had few bad bone fractures, but other than that, this mare is luckiest from you all. She will be fine in few weeks. Physically of course. I couldn't tell what mental damage was done since she is unconscious. We can tell more within few hours. She should be waking up around now." Doctor said and slowly left. Twilight slowly moved from her hiding to the chair next to her friend's bed.

"I will be here for you Rainbow, Rare and Applejack. I promise you that I will protect you. I was not able to protect all my friends, but I will protect at least you. Now without hesitation." Twilight whispered.

"Then I take it, my angel." Rainbow whispered with stoned voice as she was waking up from narcosis. Twilight giggled a little. Luna left to inform the Doctor.

Rainbow Dash was fine. Celestia was watching two mares, who were comforting each other.

I fear that something else came through that portal and we will soon be swept aside by it. Again, Twilight, you amazed me. Celestia thought.