The Phoenix Princess

Chapters

A Fiery Mystery (Revised)
A fiery mystery part 2 (song edit)
The Mystery Deepens & The Nightmares Begin.
Summer Sun Tragedy
Things heat up.
A fire Sparks.
The broken soul
The Twilight Hour
The fiery conclusion: part 1
The fiery conclusion: part 2
The fiery conclusion: part 3.
surging strength. fiery clash.
Echoes of the Hidden Flame: Prelude to Awakening

A Fiery Mystery (Revised)

Her wings flared with the sheer strength of her kin, each feather shining like the finest fire ruby in the light of her mistress’s Rising Sun. She accompanied her every morning, swirling higher and higher as the night shadows returned the land to the hooves of sunlight.

~ Philomena the Royal Phoenix, unknown Post-classical author

More poetic opening than usual, but those creatures deserve it. They are even rarer than the “Poison Jokes” these days, but it would be a shame not to give them some spotlight.

Phoenixes.

Given the old reports, there used to be whole flocks of them residing in the forests around Equestria. Those mention periodical Phoenix migration every once a while, and I suspect it has something to do with Phoenixes following the great dragon migration to new nesting sites. Being used to your feathers burning surely allows you to live in a neighborhood of fire-breathing creatures. We’re probably in a Phoenix less period of Everfree today.

You can find a few pairs in the southern drier parts of Equestria, while some also reside in Whitetail. The rest now lives at the edge of the Badlands.

Surprisingly, not a lot of ponies comprehend that these regal birds are also birds of prey, the bane of squirrels and forest voles. Falcons are just as majestic to me, but nopony is surprised. Nevermind.

However, the rest of their lifecycle is unique.

Their feathers serve both as a fireproof shield and as a burning weapon. The rachis - that line in the center of the feather - can channel their fiery magic, allowing it to burn around their wings and tail.

Activating this is within the Phoenix’s will, but their feathers don’t lose this feature after being pulled out. It just becomes more random afterward. So those of you not ruling with levitation, try to avoid using Phoenix quills and those of you capable, make sure at least your face is far from it, but back to the Phoenix’s defenses.

Their bright feathers can tell that their bearers aren’t afraid of being spotted. Instead, their bright colors are warning to predators. Much like how a poisonous salamander’s color can get stuck with the label of “Don’t eat. Let it be.” in the mind of any animal that tried to taste it, bright red feathers are a non-pleasant reminder of the fire that burned its muzzle. Even the eggs are brightly colored, again as a warning.

A phoenix’s feathers can vary from yellow to red with lighter markings like females always having a pink stripe at the tip of their beak while pinkish markings on their wings are also possible. The second difference between the genders is the feathers on the head. A male has a “crest” of thick feathers, while the female’s head is adorned by a peacock-like crown thingy.

But how is it that they burn to ashes if their feathers are fireproof? And why do they even have to burn down? If they didn’t, they’d die. Fire is a great weapon, but it needs massive amounts of magic, and thus energy to be controlled accurately. Of course, there isn’t an indefinite amount, so the Phoenix’s body had to make a compromise.

To have fire-controlling abilities from a young age, their bones, muscles, and intestines take quite a short time to get worn out. The beak becomes distorted, wings no longer able to carry them, similarly does the neck with supporting the head and they start to cough heavily, lungs slowly collapsing and filling with mucus. Not very regal.

Simultaneously, the feathers start to fall off on their own with the small muscles operating them failing. This messy period of molting takes about a week, and it’s probably the only time when they are vulnerable.

You can find that one of them is shedding their feathers just by them lying all around. It’s almost impossible to spot the bird as they hide in the treetops quietly - except for the coughing - and wait till their fireproof shield is down. Then the remains of their magic are called, igniting the Phoenix from inside and turning it to ashes.

“Why do I get the feeling I know what that feels like?” A purple unicorn stated while the gentle summer breeze toyed with the magenta streak in her sapphire mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a purple starburst with a lighter star behind the first and five white stars orbiting them. This unicorn’s name was Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s Personal student. As she sat under a tree that was looking out over the city of Canterlot and its surrounding valleys she sighed to herself as she went back to her reading.

Nopony knows if getting incinerated alive is painful or not. In my opinion, it’s far better than what they must feel when their body starts to wear out. But every time I managed to see them ‘renewing’ they fell into some kind of comatose sleep right before. Another interesting fact is that their fire doesn’t ignite their surroundings.

Despite them being able to manipulate their ashes they can precisely recognize every part of their body - or at least if you throw their ashes to already cinder filled Hearth, you get the same Phoenix. Not bigger, not lighter - they try to choose their hiding place to be in the lee of the branches. Adult Phoenixes undergo the cycle twice a year.

“Philomena says that she undergoes it when she feels like it, but I think she’s just saying that because she’s embarrassed when it happens,” Twilight said with a chuckle, now understanding why the bird always tried to hide from her when she was entering her rebirth cycle.

There is a second version of their renewal cycle, mainly used for courtship and mating. After the female chooses the male - he would be sporting a beautiful feather crest and bright colors, though, the same should go for the female because males don’t accept the proposal just from anybody - they both start to perch and fly around, gently pulling out each other’s feathers.

When just a few feathers are left, they soar high to the sky, getting rid of them and together falling to the ground in a fire. When their ashes land, parts of them mix. This mix then gets absorbed into female’s body, making her pregnant. She then lays up to 5 eggs. During nesting, their fire-controlling ability is increased, making the parents stronger until the young ones hatch.

Their feathers take just a few days to grow fully, and the hatchlings start to fly shortly after. During their adolescence, the burning period prolongs from weeks to months till it stabilizes on sessions lasting half a year.

So, what to do when you have a Phoenix nearby? Don’t disturb them, not even in the ash form. Trust me on that. Even if your good behavior somehow managed to annoy them, you’ll do best to lay down and not move. They’ll just fly over you with ignited wings a few times and then leave. If it was scared in a worn-out state, it could explode into your face.

The only thing dangerous for them would be falling in water and then getting cold. I reckon that feeding them ice cream isn’t the best idea either.

“Philomena doesn’t seem to mind ice cream, though, she does tend to melt half the tub before I can get some,” Twilight pouted, before thinking back to what the author also wrote about phoenixes. “Plus I don’t believe that this author truly has been around a Phoenix during its regeneration cycle. Otherwise, he would have known that disturbing a Phoenix, even if it were ashes, all it would do would be to squawk at you and give you an earful at the worst cussing a bird can give...unless that’s only her.” She said with another chuckle.

“Luckily, though, it seems that for a bird, its curse words are not translated to be curse words for ponies. However, I have refrained from saying them in her presence,” Twilight said, before letting out a defeated sigh. “But this still doesn’t tell me about the Phoenix I’ve seen lately, or if it has any connection to why I’m sick.”

Recently, about a week ago, Twilight started feeling sick after seeing a strange colored phoenix; One that had a silver color as opposed to their normal coloration. At first, the sickness was only a shortness of breath and a heavy cough, nothing severe enough to warrant a trip to see a doctor, but lately, things have been steadily getting worse.

Just yesterday, she started coughing up blood and it felt like her insides were being set on fire. Her hair was matted with sweat and so tangled she would need to use her magic directly on each follicle just to detangle it.

Speaking of her magic, it was getting weaker and weaker each day. As it was at the moment, she could barely keep the books she was currently reading aloft without having to resort to holding them with her hooves or mouth.

The increasing severity of her sickness had reached a worrying degree that she had to go to the hospital to find out what was wrong with her. It was there that Twilight learned an unfortunate truth about herself; She was dying.

As it turned out, she had contracted a very deadly strain of Botulism. The sad thing was that because of how late they found it, even if they were to administer treatment, there would be nothing they could do to help Twilight except ease her suffering. Twilight sighed as she remembered the conversation that followed the announcement.

”What do you mean the treatment wouldn’t do any good?!” A light gray unicorn mare shouted at the doctor while Twilight was being held by her father sobbing.

“Please, Ms. Velvet, even if we caught it in time there is still the chance that the treatment would fail. Botulism is difficult to treat. There is a polyvalent (A-E) anti-toxin which is available from Dr. Whitlock at the New Colton Center, University of Whinneapolis. However, it costs about 3,000 bits per patient. The antitoxin is most beneficial if used when patients are first seen to be sick. With supportive care, they can recover but, if they are exposed to a large amount of toxin, most will die despite treatment, And this is not acting like any botulism case I’ve ever seen!” The doctor said explaining why the treatment wouldn’t help.

“Then what am I supposed to do!” Velvet cried, knowing that her daughter was dying and there was nothing they could do at this point. “Please! Tell me there’s something I can do!?”

“I’m sorry Ms. Velvet, but all you can do now is be there with her in her final hours,” He said, his tone sad and understanding, “Why not go to the Summer Sun Celebration that’s being hosted in Ponyville this year? It’s best if she was around her family in a stress-free environment as that would offer some comfort before it comes to pass.” The doctor said.

Twilight sighed letting out another horrible cough, before getting up and heading back to the castle to get ready to go to Ponyville. Just before she could take a step, her magic blinked out, causing Twilight to scramble to catch her books before they hit the ground. After grabbing her books, she was just about to put them in her saddlebags when she noticed a couple of the pages in the book she was just reading were stuck together. Sitting back down, Twilight started to pry the pages apart to see what they contained carefully. When she saw what was written on the page, her eyes widened in surprise, because what was written was a legend of the Phoenix she saw... And a filly.

Author's Note

Welcome to my new story.

Don't be surprised if updates are slow, I'm just now getting back into writing. If I do pretty well or if I get at least a good amount of Constructive criticism on the story, I might continue.
So here's the story.

Hello, Readers!

Hi Author!

Wha! Pinkie?! How did you get here?! I haven't even written you into the story yet.

Silly Author. I was always here. I was just waiting for you to finish the chapter so I can get my cool new-

Pinkie! Shh! I haven't gotten them ready yet! don't go blabbing the secret yet!

Oops. Hehe.

also, they won't be ready until you meet Twilight and go on your quest to find the elements.

But, I've already-

Shh! do you want to spoil the story.

oh.

don't worry Pinkie, you'll hopefully meet her soon.

Okie, Dokie, Loki. Don't forget the credits for the chapter, though.

Oh, yea I almost forgot, thanks, pinkie. I would like to thank EverfreePony for the permission to use a chapter from his story Natura Semper Liberi as the intro for this chapter.

the only credit I have are the scenes with twilight in them.

A fiery mystery part 2 (song edit)

As Twilight stared at the book she was reading, she took notice of the time of day. While she would like nothing more than to sit back down and read the legend, she was intrigued by, Twilight knew that her parents would be worried about her. As would the Princess.

Princess Celestia had gone to the hospital as soon as she heard that her student was ill, but when she heard the diagnosis of Twilight's condition she looked like somepony told her that she could no longer eat cake; And Twilight had first-hoof knowledge on how much Celestia loved her cake. The fact that she joined the Princess on her cake raids from time to time was just icing on the cake.

The Princess had decided to grant Twilight the privilege of being the official overseer of the Summer-Sun-Celebration as a way to say she was sorry she didn't realize sooner that Twilight had been sick.

While walking back to the castle Twilight recalled a mournful melody from her past. Strangely enough, she could remember every word, but she couldn't tell where she had learned it. To this day, she would always sing the song when she was sad. and yet, she always felt like she was never alone when she sang.

Normally Twilight would just hum a few bars of the song, but it seemed like it fit this situation perfectly that she just had to sing it

"A bright sunrise,
will contradict
the heavy fog
the weighs you down"

Twilight sang her song with a heavy heart knowing that this was going to be the last time she would be able to hold her little assistant again. She had felt such a strong connection to Spike ever since she hatched him that the thought of him being without her hurt her to the very core.

"In spite of all
the funeral songs
the birds will make
their joyful sound."

As she walked, Twilight saw three other ponies that once tried to make friends with her. She had always come up with excuses to not befriend anypony, but now, she saw just how much she kept herself isolated.

"you'll wonder why the earth still moves
you'll wonder how you'll carry on.
But you'll be alright, on that first day,
when I'm gone."

It pained Twilight to know that for all her life, or at least the life she could remember, she had always chosen to study rather than enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed. If she had the chance to live her life over again, she would take it in a heartbeat. Twilight just sighed as she walked past the other ponies without saying anything to them.

"Dusk will come with fireflies,
and whippoorwill and crickets call,
and every star will take its place,
in a silvery gown and purple shawl."

"you'll lie down in your big bed,
dread the dark, and dread the dawn,
but you'll be alright, on that first night,
when I'm gone"

After Twilight passed the ponies, one of them, a pony named Lyra, asked a question that was no doubt on their minds, "Why was Twilight crying?" She said, wondering what happened.

"You will reach for me in vain,
you'll be whispering my name,
as if sorrow were your friend,
and the world, so alien"

Though Twilight wanted to be afraid of what the future would hold for her family and Spike, she just could not bring herself to worry. It's not like she didn't care about what was going to happen after she died, but more like something within her was telling her not to worry.

"but life will call, with daffodils
and morning glorious blue skies,
you'll think of me, some memory,
and softly smile to your surprise"

As Twilight approached the castle walls, she saw the sky carriage that was to take her and her family to Ponyville, waiting for her arrival.

" and even though I love you still,
you will know where you belong"

Twilight smiled at the sight ahead of her, even though she knew it would be the last time she saw it. tears filled her eyes, knowing that given time, her family and Spike will be alright. and Spike would never be alone.

"just give it time, we'll both be fine,
When I'm gone."

After Twilight finished singing she noticed the moon coming over the castle; The picture of the mare in the moon shown clearly on its surface. As she stared at the moon she suddenly remembered the legend of Nightmare Moon returning on the longest day of the thousandth year, and the upcoming Summer-Sun-Celebration was the 1000th time it’s come about.

Unnoticed by Twilight, perched on a castle balcony were two phoenixes. The first one had the normal plumage of vivid red and gold feathers covering its entire body. The other, however, had feathers of silver. Its head plumage was a steel gray, with the tips a tinge of red-orange. The color of its wings and tail feathers were a cornflower blue while the rest of its body had differing colors gray. Its main body was a light slate-gray while its talons were darker. The two sat watching the young unicorn as she stepped onto the transport that was taking her to the beginning of her destiny.

"Re's grown quite vanima hasn't re Eternus?" The Phoenix on the right asked. While only a few ponies have ever heard a phoenix speak in its native tongue, none have ever learned how to speak it. "Re maa just ve' he` Atara."

"Tanya re has Philomena. I' coiasira naa fast approachien tanya yuuyo Atara ar' Tinu nauva reunited ar' amin can finally teach heabout he heritage. Heai elen has y' maranwe tanya ere' re can elea ar' ta naa de a' lye a' help he reach ta," Eternus replied, watching as Twilight took one last look at the castle and the moon before the carriage took off to her final destination, "Amin must auta sii' Philomena ten' i' nightmare has reawakened ar' re will anta help e' i' Tulien trials. Amin heart shall Nia tenna' amin elea lle au', iant Mellon" He said spreading his wings wide, ready to take flight.

Philomena spread her wings as well, but instead of joining Eternus in flight she performed a small bow, "Namaarie, amin aran. Amin wish lle i' best en' marth e' i' reunitien en' i' ithil. Tenna' ento lye omenta ar' Lotesse i' sul en' change always be ie' lle n'alaquel"

With that said the silver phoenix took off towards the castle of the two sisters, ready to reunite with an old friend; And destroy a Nightmare

Author's Note

if you would like me to explain a few of the scenes or if you would like to contribute a better scene, then pm me what scene and how you might make it better or what I could do differently in them.

sorry, I haven't updated lately, between work and playing the sims 3, getting up to writing went to the back burner at times.

for those of you who would like to have a translated version of the phoenix language, while I will give a translation of the phoenix speech, some of the translations have spoilers within them. so if you want a translated version pm me and I will send you a translated copy.

for those of you that would like to learn it yourself, go to this site and copy&paste the lines you wish to be translated.

here are a few translations. keep in mind that i won't translate all of the words as some of the sentences have spoilers for what is to come.

"Re's grown quite vanima hasn't re Eternus?" ("She's grown quite beautiful hasn't she Eternus?")
"Re maa just ve' heatara." ("She looks just like her mother.") "Tanya re has philomena. I' coiasira naa fast approachien tanya yuuyo atara ar' tinu nauva reunited ar' amin can finally teach he about heheritage. He ai elen has y' maranwe tanya ere' re can elea ar' ta naa de a' lye a' help he` reach ta" ("That she has Philomena. The time is fast approaching that both mother and daughter will be reunited and I can finally teach her about her heritage. Her little star has a destiny that only she can see and it is up to us to help her reach it.")

Amin must auta sii' philomena ten' i' nightmare has reawakened ar' re will anta help e' i' Tulien trials. Amin heart shall nia tenna' amin elea lle au', iant Mellon. (I must go now Philomena because the nightmare has reawakened and she will need help in the Coming trials. My heart shall weep until I see you again, old friend.)

Namaarie, amin aran. Amin wish lle i' best en' marth e' i' reunitien en' i' ithil. Tenna' ento lye omenta ar' Lotesse i' sul en' change always be ie' lle n'alaquel. (Farewell, My king. I wish you the best of luck in the reuniting of the moon. Until next we meet and may the wind of change always be at your back.)

The Mystery Deepens & The Nightmares Begin.

The stale stench of ancient paper tickled her muzzle. Twilight tried to open her eyes. Everything around her was a blur of aged yellow and black. A sudden bright flash blinded her. The feeling of cool floor underneath brought her back to reality.

"Twilight, I told you that Hayscartes' methods of entering books are really complex." Princess Celestia chuckled, giving her a motherly smile.

"But I did it Princess. For a few seconds!" The filly recomposed her form sprawled on the floor, huffing.

"Even my magic would allow me to stay in a book only for a few minutes. I'm sure you'll be even better once you master the spell, my faithful student." Celestia's wing embraced her.

"But princess, you are the best! I can't possibly-" A feather pressed to her lips quietened her.

"There are many talented magicians Twilight, I'm not the greatest and mightiest of them. Don't fret your head over it, my little pony," Celestia said, watching the filly. Defiant disagreement was written over her face. "The Sun is already fast asleep beyond the horizon. You should be too." She nudged Twilight in her side gently.

The filly grimaced at first, but added cheerful "Good night!" followed by a yawn.

"Good night Twilight." Celestia opened the door for her.

The filly trudged along the darkened corridor, occasionally sliding on the newly waxed floor. Strangely the halls seemed even more deserted than normal. The guards that normally patrolled the hall seemed absent. She stifled another yawn as she passed by the royal archives when its hinges creaked ominously behind her. Turning around she noticed the door swinging open slightly, as though somepony left in a hurry and forgot to lock-up.

"H-hello? Is anypony there?" Her words echoed through the corridor. Cautiously, she peeked the library door open. The shadows of the aisles rising from the darkness welcomed her. Everything was calm and unmoving. Twilight wanted to turn back already and go to bed when a ray of light caught her eye. Thinking it was a late-night reader Twilight slowly entered the library to find who was reading this late at night.

As she rounded another alcove of books where she thought she found her mysterious reader she noticed a small orange spark danced in the air, floating around haphazardly. Slowly it neared a bookcase, nesting on one of the books. At first Twilight thought the light might just be a harmless little firefly when she noticed a few cinders fall to the floor.

"Hey, don't ignite the books!" Twilight dashed forward, trying to capture the daring spark. As if startled by her words it fluttered in the air again, fleeing deeper into the library. Twilight carefully extinguished the last signs of fire, and started chasing it. ”Stop!"

She raced down the aisle, the spark hovering just out of her reach, seemingly laughing in her face. Books and scrolls blurred around her until even Twilight didn’t know where she was. Her hooves slid in the many crooked curves. She pressed on, deeper and deeper into the maze of library. The spark dancing ever so feverishly before her.

She soon started gaining on it only for it to slowly start disappearing in the darkness. Its dim light replaced by the impenetrable gloom of night. Without warning she tripped over a loose book and fell on her face painfully.

With a groan, Twilight skidded to a stop. With a little effort Twilight managed to stand back up on her hooves lighting her horn in the process. She fell on her back with a scream when pain spiked along her horn. Shakily rising back to her hooves, she braced herself for the pain and cast a small illumination spell to see what was around her. She had to giggle a bit when she saw her reflection staring back at her in one of the many hourglasses littering the library. A small movement next to her ear announced the presence of the small flickering spark that started this whole thing.

Shimmering in the darkness, it danced around the hourglass, swirling higher and higher. The sand trapped inside reflected the glow. The spark perched atop the ornate edge. With a screeching sound, the hourglass tilted forward.

Twilight gave a shriek, backing away. The glass slowly tilted forward more and more. With a final snap, it tumbled down on the floor. Sand and shards of glass exploded upon impact. Twilight shook in the corner of the room, hiding behind a fort of fallen books.

The spark slowly descended to the ground, zipping above the sea of sand as if looking for something. In a blink of an eye, it disappeared among the small dunes. After a minute of nothing happening an eerie orange glow started to radiate from them, creeping to more and more grains of sand.

Slowly, the sand started shifting and swirling, thin spires rising into the air. Some intertwined together, only to fall apart again the next moment, others snaked along the walls. Deliberately, they connected into a rough shape of pony head, possible rest of the body shrouded in darkness. The creature turned to Twilight, opening her fiery blazing eyes. Tilting its head to one side, it smacked its lips with such as fiery tongue. The filly curled into a tight ball. With a hissing sound, the creature lurched forward with gaping maw, dagger-like teeth of sand pouring over the filly.

***

Darkness. Darkness all around her.

One by one, the torches in the hall sparked to life. Twilight lay in the middle of a huge hall. Ornate pillars rose to the arched ceilings. Gold and blue banners draped along the walls. Two thrones of similar colors sat atop a short staircase.

"Where am I?" The filly turned around, scanning her surroundings.

A quiet laughter echoed through the room.

Twilight gasped, ears flattening against her head. She started backing away, tripping over her own leg.

There in a corner, the fiery eyes were burning.

"Hello, little one," The creature hissed like a water poured in fire.

It stepped from the shadows. This time, its body was more defined as if made of solidified lava. Swirls of runes snaked across the surface, embers occasionally shimmering in the cracks in between. But the true sight were its mane and tail; both made of living fire, rising high into the air and dancing over its back.
Slowly, it inched closer, burning marks of horseshoes into the floor.

Twilight was unable to move, too afraid of the creature slowing stalking towards her. She lay there, curled and tightly clutching her tail.

The creature of nightmares grinned, stepping closer.

"Not... another step!" A booming voice echoed through the room.

Both Twilight and the nightmare turned. There, next to the thrones, stood a beautiful mare.
She reminded Twilight of Princess Celestia. Not just because she had both horn and wings - Cadence had them too, after all - but because of her mane. It swirled like in invisible wind, shimmering and sparkling like a night sky. The only difference were the dark blue colors of her coat and her stern eyes. If Princess Celestia had a sister, she'd surely look like that. For some reason Twilight had a feeling that she knew who this pony was, But for the life of her she couldn’t remember how or why.

"Oh, princess. Long time no see!" The nightmare whisked its fiery tongue. It gestured with its head and a cage suddenly materialized around Twilight. “I was wondering when you would come looking for me after I managed to take the other one beyond the portal.”

The princess growled and bared her teeth, horn sparking to life. “What thou did to her was but an inconvenience compared to what i am going to do to you!” The alicorn yelled. Without warning the nightmare lurched at her. A beam of blinding light split the air as a fireball barreled across the room.

Twilight curled against the hot metal of the cage, shielding her teary eyes. Spells and fire stormed all around. The sound of battle continued on for a while until there was a lull in the fighting. She dared to take peek and what she saw astounded her. Where once was a beautiful domed stained glass ceiling, now only the moon and stars could be seen.

The thrones she saw were smashed to an unrecognisable state, though, strangely enough only the one with Princess Celestia’s cutie mark was completely destroyed while the blue princess’s throne was simply damaged.

In the middle of the room, where the two ponies battling was a cloud of smoke that obscured the two combatants. Soon enough the blue princess flew from the cloud of smoke, her feathers smoldering. At first Twilight though that the blue Princess won when an unseen force dragged her back into the smoke cloud. Twilight closed her eyes again hoping that somepony would get her out of here.

Another peek. The fiery creature was now backing against the wall, countering the spells with a wall of fire. The ground was shaking. The filly shut her eyes again.

The sounds of the battle continued. The whizzing of spells. The whooshing of fire. Hooves beating down the ground. The crackling of flames. The thundering of magic.
Light poured through her eyelids.The stench of burnt fabric penetrated her nose.

Suddenly, everything fell quiet. Twilight's eyes slowly opened. At first, she couldn't see anything. Clouds of smoke rolled around. Glints of red and orange occasionally blinked in the grey fog.

A silhouette of a mare could be seen on the floor. Twilight grabbed the bars of the cage, oblivious to their temperature. The tears streaming down her cheeks, strangely enough were evaporating. ‘Did the blue Princess win?’ Twilight thought as the clouds of smoke started to clear.

Soon a warm yellow glow bathed the room dissipating the remaining smoke, revealing a tall light figure standing guard above the fallen form of the blue princess.

Twilight's heart leapt for joy as her mentor stepped into the room protecting the mare that was helping her.

"Princess Celestia!" The alicorn passed her without a glance, eyes fixed on the nightmare.

"Greetings Tia. My pleasure to finally meet you. Sadly, it's also the last time we’ll see each other," the nightmare said, lazily reclined on the blue throne.

"Indeed, this is our last meeting, whoever you are." Celestia flared her wings.

"Oh, Luna hasn’t told you or do you just not remember?" The nightmare chuckled. It jumped off the throne, casually walking closer as walls of fire rose around the hall, blocking any exit. "I like to keep myself in the shadows. What you are facing now is a brave project of the three tribes. A creature designed to scare off the Windigos. Abusing its runes was so easy… fun too. I got to strip it of the friendly conscience that was made to protect the land, and twisted it to love nothing but destruction " It ran a hoof across its chest.

Celestia lit her horn, hurling the nightmare against the wall. “Monster! You would strip the very will of a creature just to have fun!!!” Celestia yelled incredulously. The creature snarled, spitting fire all around its form, making its body even more menacing.

The princess backed away. The nightmare smiled. A fireball flew across the room. Bits of debris fell to the ground. Cracks snaked across the walls and windows of stained glass.

Celestia stood in a corner, shaking. A strand of smoke unwound from her horn. Her smoldering feathers fell to the ground by dozens.

Twilight backed away from the bars of the cage, the rage building up in her. Pebbles drummed around her, a few ricocheting to her hooves. She could feel her blood boiling and eyes twitching. That creature hurt that blue alicorn and now was going to do the same to Princess Celestia!

"What's this?! Is the Princess of the sun tired?" the nightmare smirked, leaning against the wall of flame. A whip of flame appeared behind it, cracking through the air provocatively. Celestia only raised her eyes, then turned away.

Apparently annoyed by Celestia refusing to join in the word battle, the nightmare arched closer.
"All those golden trinkets must be slowing you down, let me help you get rid of the useless weight." The whip wrapped around Celestia's horseshoes, the metal melting almost immediately.

Only a hiss escaped her lips. Magic wrapped around her golden jewellery, snatching it all off. Only few burnt spots remained on her hooves.

With a new found vigor, the princess stomped forward, eyes burning with fury. Oblivious to the sea of flame on the floor, she pressed on. The nightmare charged her. Celestia countered. Swirls of dust and smoke hid them from Twilight's scared gaze again.
Flashes of magic and fire blinked through the smoke. It invaded Twilight's lungs, forcing her to bent over in a fit of cough. It must have felt like being in the center of a volcano in the room, but to Twilight it just felt like she was curled by a fireplace on a cold winter's day.

A solid beam of magic shot out, pulverizing a few walls to dust and digging into the earth. A ravine appeared where it hit, snaking through the land. A few Quarry eels stuck their heads out of the newly created wall.

A deep rumble shook the castle, part of the ceiling toppling to the ground. Celestia's telekinesis caught it just before it could squash the blue alicorn, hurling it at the nightmare. It dodged partially, now pinned to the ground by the debris. The blue princess stirred and moaned slightly.

Celestia only stood, her eyes piercing the creature. Heaving a sigh, she kicked away the burnt remains of the once pristine carpet. The ragged wool was fused by heat to the stone trapdoor below, but just a few tugs of Celestia's magic pulled it loose and apart. The old mechanism, laying still since the defeat of Discord, set into motion with clicking and screeching, large branched pedestal raising to the light. The princess closed her eyes in concentration, fidgeting with the gems lying on the pedestal.

The blue alicorn tumbled back to her hooves with a cough. Casting a quick glance to Celestia tending to the pedestal, she started towards the caged filly with a worried expression. A few stones of rubble had fallen atop the cage, but not enough to free her.

"T-Twilight ," the alicorn extended a shaky hoof, "I-I'm sorry. Everything is going to be a-alright." Her eyes narrowed. She stared at the reflection of the nightmare.

Dark shimmering tendrils extended from the creature, creeping their way to Celestia. The princess was still focused on her arcane spells with the gems, five of them now floating around her.

The tendrils reached closer and closer, as if drawn by the gems.

"No!" The blue alicorn thrust herself forward. "Tia! Watch out!" The tendrils turned, tying themselves around her and dragging her back to the nightmare. Her hooves flailed and scraped at the ground.

This was bad. Really bad. Twilight knew it. Her mane started swaying and sparkling, her purple coat turning more pale. She tried to call on her magic to help the blue mare.

With a final move of Celestia's horn, the last gem aligned with the rest. They accelerated till they were a mere colorful blur around her. With a sigh, she released all her magic and opened her eyes.
Just in time to catch a glimpse of her unconscious sister in the embrace of a smiling nightmare. Then everything went white.

Twilight wanted to cry, but only a shriek escaped her lips. She felt as if someone dear to her was torn away. As if the blue mare was Spike or Shining Armor! She let out one more shriek, feeling her skin tingling. A wave of heat spread over her. Her mane turned to fire in one large blast.
The bars of the cage melted. Unsupported, the ceiling of the cage fell down. Twilight's vision blurred and reddened, then blacked out completely.

Twilight awoke with a start, profusely sweating as if she was standing next to a roaring bonfire. Ever since she was found lost in the Everfree Forest by a pair of royal guards who later adopted her, Twilight has been plagued with nightmares. It would always start differently, but three parts would always be the same. The first being of her being captured by the flaming entity, always in a different situation. The blue princess would always be there.

Those two parts felt relatively like how normal nightmare should feel like, but the third was the scariest.
The blue princess always knew her name. No matter how many different dreams or nightmares she had the blue princess was always there, in any situation, always with the same response. ‘I’ll always be there for you ‘Twilight’’ the blue princess would always say.

For some reason every time she said her name, Twilight felt an unbearable feeling of longing and loss, as if the mare was somepony important to her.

Feeling as if the cool night air would help clear her head, Twilight slowly got up from her bed, fighting the sudden wave of weakness the disease was causing her and headed out to the balcony of the library she and her family were staying in before the Summer sun celebration started.

She just sat there staring at the night sky, when she felt a gentle claw place itself upon her back. Looking over her shoulder, Twilight saw her #1 assistant, Spike, the only other being to know of the nightmare she suffered from. As they sat there, watching the stars, Twilight thought about what the future held for her family, silently hoping that come tomorrow, she would finally have piece.

Author's Note

sorry about the long wait for another chapter.
mostly i was losing my edge on the story and started running out of original ideas concerning the next part.

so as a way to at least get the story going a little faster I'm letting you readers tell me what you what the reactions of the rest of the mane 6.

these are the rules.
1. twilight has amnesia and does not know the mane 6
2. The others knew of twilight before they got their cutie marks but they never learned her name or where she was from. they also think she died in the everfree forest.
3. each meeting must have her disease progressing, minor or major but they must be there.
4. each meeting must also have Spike and/or 1 of her family members.
5. each scene must be over 1000 words, so no ' i thought you died' dialog unless it has a reaction to it.

if I like it I'll add it to the next chapter and credit the author. if I change any of it I'll post the original writing and credit the original author.

again sorry for the late post. Enjoy.

Summer Sun Tragedy

Ponyville was just starting to wake for the commencement of the Summer Sun Celebration festivities. Ponies of various ages, colors, and species came out to start setting up for it while others were mostly getting ready for the merriment that the festival would bring.

One pony, in particular, came bounding out of a house that looked like it had been made out of the very baked goods the bakery sold, though, a few weeks after it was built, the local dentist had more patients than she ever had before the bakery went up.

This new pony was an earth pony mare and was as pink as you could get. She had a raspberry pink mane and tail with her coat being a lighter color, while her eyes were a cerulean blue. Her cutie mark was a trio of balloons, with the lower two balloons blue while the middle was yellow.

This pony was Pinkamena Diane Pie, or "Pinkie Pie" for short. Every pony in Ponyville who saw her knew that she always had a smile on her face whenever and wherever she could, though, on rare occasions that smile would look strained or altogether missing.

This morning was one of those rare times when Pinkie had to put on a strained smile, knowing that today marked the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy that had occurred within the town.

That day, fifteen years ago, most of Ponyville had witnessed a tragedy that happened on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. It was close to midnight when a scream was heard from the Everfree Forest while Ponyville was getting ready to watch the princess raise the sun using a specially-made crystal.

Trying to figure who was screaming, the ponies started to get worried. The Everfree Forest was no place for any pony at night, so they began to think that whoever was out was trying to trick them.

After about five minutes (none of the ponies could accurately recall how long it was), some ponies were about to head back inside their houses when they heard a new sound, one that stopped their hearts cold.

"Mommy!"A filly's scream erupted from the forest and was quickly followed by the howl of a Timberwolf. Half the ponies of Ponyville immediately rushed to the Everfree forest, afraid of what they would see when they reached the woods, and what they saw indeed horrified them.

There, at the bottom of a cliff, were three ponies, having fallen from the now dangling broken bridge. It was soon apparent who they were when most of the town's ponies had bought apples from two of them just last week. However, no pony knew who the filly was when it became apparent she wasn't the little filly that hung around the stands trying to help sell apples. The foal's coat was a light mulberry, while her mane and tail were a deep Indigo blue with a violet and rose streak going through the middle. Further examination revealed a horn growing from her forehead, indicating that she was a unicorn, and likely only five years old due to the lack of cutie mark.

It was when they were about to bury the three ponies that a sound caught their attention. At first, the ponies thought that the sound was just the wind, but when a second, much deeper sound occurred, the ponies looked around trying to find out what it was. It didn't take long to find it, but when they did, most were shocked to find that the filly was still alive; if only just barely. She had several lacerations running down her forelegs, with two large gashes running parallel to her back. Her back legs were bent in completely wrong directions; her left leg looked like it should be on her right while her right leg looked like it belonged to a world record contortionist.

All those injuries alone would warrant quick and precise action, but what actually horrified the ponies, though, was when they looked at her head; or what was left of it. The fact that this filly was still alive after having half her face missing, along with an ear and a portion of her horn, was a miracle that she was even conscious, let alone alive.

The ponies quickly got to work freeing the trapped filly as fast and carefully as they could while setting up a perimeter around the ravine. It was as they were about to leave that they heard another scream come from the forest.

They were just about to hurry when the pony screaming ran towards them. The ponies quickly identified this one as the young Applejack. Her orange coat was easy to see in the midnight gloom of the forest. When she finally reached the team carefully placing the unicorn filly on a make-shift stretcher, Applejack surprised the ponies when she started apologizing to the young pony.

It turns out the filly had been stealing apples from Applejack's family's orchard, and she got caught. She then explained that she noticed the filly had visible ribs showing through her skin and had tried to get her to follow her to the farmhouse when she bolted into the forest. Applejack was about to chase her into the woods when her parents caught up with her. They told her to head back to the house and that they would bring the filly back with them when all three of them heard a scream.

Without even thinking of the consequences, Applejack bolted into the forest to rescue the filly. When she reached the area the scream had come from, Applejack was shocked to see the filly struggling to hold on from having fallen through one of the loose boards on the rope-bridge.

When her parents caught up with Applejack, even they were shocked to see the filly struggling. As one, both of them leaped into action. Her mother grabbed the lasso she always carried around in her saddlebag and quickly tied one end to herself and the other to her husband. As they slowly reached the young filly, they heard the bridge creaking and groaning. Concerned the bridge could give way at any moment, Applejack's father sped up to reach the filly before the bridge collapsed.

It was at this point in Applejack's explanation the pony listening to her had moved over to where she was sitting and drew her into a hug. Applejack tried to hold in her tears to finish her story, but after seeing the filly in such a critical condition, all she could do was cry. Sadly, even though the ponies had managed to get the filly to the hospital in record time, time was something she didn't have.

That was the day that the town of Ponyville built memorials for those three ponies. The first was a plaque commemorating the opening of the 'Bright Futures Orphanage,' 'Sweet Apple Memorial Hospital,' and the 'Lucky Sparkle Elementary.' The second was a small statue of a young unicorn with a beaming, welcoming smile and a small stone halo next to a small schoolhouse with a plaque reading 'Dedicated to teaching those who have nowhere else to turn. May they find peace and knowledge here.'

After reading about the tragedy, many ponies took time off from work to have a 'Memorial Day' of sorts; even Princess Celestia took the time to declare it a national holiday, as well as mourn the loss of her sister. Though most ponies had heard of the Lunar Princess, many were shocked to learn that the tails from their youths were in fact real.

Pinkie shook her head to dispell those thoughts and decided that she would let her tears flow another day. As Pinkie was getting ready to head back to the bakery, she passed by Golden Oaks Library and noticed a couple of new ponies coming out of the building and that one of them was a dragon. The first pony was a white stallion whose mane and tail were a mix of three different blues, each lighter than the last. The second pony was a—"gasp"—very familiar pony; One thought to be long dead.

Author's Note

greetings, again. :twilightsheepish: *sigh* sorry the updates are sporadic, but when you don't know what your doing coupled with work and a lazy attitude you tend to take too long in doing anything.

The next chapter that follows this one will be seen from the perspective of the remaining five ponies of the mane six.
We have already seen Pinkie's view. Now we only need the rest.
The problem is, is I don't have a plan for the remainder of the meetings, and so I don't have any chapters for that.

So I ask you ' dear reader.' if you would like to add a scene for Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and fluttershy?

The chapter will reflect who wrote the scene and what pony Twilight will be meeting in it.

[chapter name: (Pony name) Written by: (User name)

there are some simple rules, however, so keep that in mind.
The rules are:
1. At least Spike or Another family member of hers must be with her during the encounters.
2. she must have signs of both her disease and whether her disease progresses minorly or majorly.
and
3. As I mentioned at the end of the chapter, the ponies of ponyville all thought she was either dead or somepony else. So each reaction to Twilight must have at least a reference to either the Pony herself or a mention of that dreadful day.

P.M me with the scene, chapter name, which pony Twilight is going to meet and how her disease is progressing.

Things heat up.

Ever since Twilight returned from the hospital, Spike almost instantly knew something was wrong. It had taken a tub of ice-cream and a flawless diamond for Spike to calm down after learning that his best friend/mother/older sister was dying. For the rest of the day, Spike stayed by Twilight’s side. He even turned down the invitation to Moondancer’s party when some of Twilight’s classmates came by.

After arriving in Ponyville, Twilight and her family had first checked around for a hotel or inn, but couldn’t find any. Thankfully, the Princess set them up in the town’s library for the day, thinking that Twilight would like to be surrounded by something she was familiar with before the inevitable happened.

Strangely, Twilight, nor Spike could recall seeing any ponies in town when they had arrived the night before. Thinking back to last night when Twilight had seen the mare in the moon, Spike thought he saw a tear form in her eye, though, even he had trouble hiding his tears when he read the legend of ‘The Mare In The Moon.

Of how the younger sister sacrificed herself to save her elder sister from a terrible monster that nearly destroyed Equestria 1000 years ago. It came as a shock for him to have read that the ‘Mare in the Moon’ was in memory of Celestia’s sister.

Twilight woke up from her restless sleep the next morning with a rush to the bathroom, as she threw up last nights food, along with a concerning amount of blood. Spike was startled awake by Twilight’s rush to the bathroom, which caused him great concern. Spike hopped out of his basket and landed on the floor with a thump as he headed for the bathroom where Twilight was. Twilight finished heaving up into the toilet before slowly reaching out to the handle and flushing it. After a moment of her body shaking, Twilight moved to the door of the bathroom only to be greeted by Spike who was looking up at her with concern.

Spike’s concern radiated through his voice, “Twilight, Are you ok? Do you need me to bring you anything?” he asked, hoping that today wouldn’t be her last.

After coughing out the excess blood that started forming in her mouth, Twilight replied. “No. Thank you Spike, but I-I’m just going to not w-worry about it,” She said, knowing that the fact that she was coughing up blood almost every minute now, she was getting one step closer to the end.

Spike frowned in worry as he looked up into her strong lavender eyes before letting out a sigh, “Ok. I’ll just go get a glass of water for you real quick. That should help a little bit.” With that he turned and went off to get the glass of water leaving Twilight alone in the room as Spike exited the room and went downstairs to the kitchen. Twilight sighed when Spike left, knowing he’d be devastated to know that as of last night, her hair and fur had started falling out, though, she was confused a bit when she saw a lavender feather poking out of her mane while she was in the restroom.

It was there that Spike saw Twilight Velvet and Night Light preparing breakfast for the family. He greeted them with a small half-hearted wave, “Morning Mom and Dad. How are you all doing today?”

Velvet turned to him with a half smile, “Oh things are going just fine Spike. We’ll have breakfast ready in a bit. Did you come in here for something?”

Spike rubbed the back of his head for a moment before sighing, “Yeah. I came in here to get a glass of water for Twilight. She had another of her throw up sessions and it looks like it was one of the worse ones. I figured some water would help clear her throat at the very least.”

Velvet sighed sadly as she pulled a glass from a cupboard with her magic. She levitated it over to the sink before filling it with water. She proceeded to hand it to Spike with her magic, “There you go dear. Go on and take it up to Twilight. Your right in that she could probably use this right now.”

Spike nodded with a small smile, “Thanks, Mom. We’ll both be down in a little bit.” He turned and left the kitchen to head back upstairs to Twilight.

Spike entered the room a moment later with the glass of water in his claw as he spoke up in a cheery voice that was rather forced, “Here you are Twilight. This should help clear your throat at the very least. And you seem to be looking a lot better now.” He held out the glass of water and watched silently as she took it in her magical grip which was rather shaky. Twilight still managed bring it to her lips despite her waning magic affecting her telekinesis. She slowly sipped the water from the glass until it was all gone. Afterwards Spike quickly took the glass back as she let go of it.

There were several knocks on the door to her temporary bedroom of rather heavy variety. Though muffled, Twilight could still recognize her brothers voice, “Hey, Twilight. Breakfast is ready downstairs,” Shining said, opening the door in the process. After a moment he looked at the state she was in and almost rushed over to her, though he did move fast enough to catch her before she fell over. “I really wish this wasn’t happening to you sis. I’m supposed to be there to protect you from things like this, but how can I when it’s not something I can protect you from.” he cried as he felt Twilight coughing again.

Twilight looked up at him as she lay on her back in his forelegs, “I’m sorry big brother but there are just some things you can’t protect me from. This just so happens to be one of them. But there’s nothing to be worried about, I’ll be fine again in just a moment.” Her body shuddered for a moment before it stalled and she was able to slowly get back to her hooves with Shining Armor’s assistance. She cheerily spoke up, “So did you just say something about breakfast? Let’s go get ourselves some!”

Shining nodded as he and spike helped Twilight down the stairs, a little miffed that the bedrooms were upstairs and not close to ground level. Twilight leaned against her brother on the way down the stairs. And once on the ground level, was able to walk on her own towards the kitchen. She slipped into the kitchen to the table and took her seat on a stool even as her parents moved all the breakfast food to the table so they could eat breakfast as a family.

As the family is eating at the table Velvet decided to ask, “so Spike what is on the list that needs to be done?” Which made Spike give her a quizzical look before he realized what she meant and pulls out the list.

“Well, we need to check on food, weather, decorations, and music before the celebration can begin.” Says Spike, “the food is being taken cared of by the Apple Family at Sweet Apple Acres, the weather by Rainbow Dash, decorations by Rarity, and finally music by Fluttershy.” Throughout all of this Spike did quickly, once or twice, look at Twilight with a remorseful look. At the end of the list he looked to everypony else for help.

Shining saw this and concluded what might be the best solution. “Well, I’d say we take care of the weather since we don’t know where Miss Dash’s central location is.”

Night Light caught on what Shining and Spike was getting at and decides to add in.“Plus whoever we end up nearest to after we meet with Miss Dash is the one that is to be visited next.”

“But who is to be the main pony to be with you Twi since somepony needs to be with you to make sure that your illness doesn’t get worse.” Says Shining as all of them looked to Twilight.

“I think Spike is enough since he is my number one assistant.” stats Twilight to not make everypony worried.

“I would disagree Twilight for we don’t know when we need to get you to the doctors for when your condition gets worse.” Says Night in a factual tone.

Twilight opened her mouth to argue her case but she coughed a bit which made her sigh in defeat “I guess it won’t hurt to be careful.”

“I will be the one to stay with you since then I can carry you on my back with magic if need be.” Says Shining to Twilight with determination in his eyes to keep his little sister safe.

“Alright with that settled let’s finish breakfast and head off to our respective duties,” says Velvet before the family went back to eating their meal.

Unbeknownst to the family two sets of eyes was looking at them. The first set of eyes was a certain cerulean blue and what she heard made her a bit concerned of what this “condition” was and set to find out. The second set was the eyes of a blue jay and he too heard of the “condition” of the lavender unicorn and filed it away in his mind of later, but for now he is being called to do a rehearsal.

After the family had their breakfast and cleaned the dishes Twilight, Spike, and Shining has went out to find the head of the weather patrol, Rainbow Dash, but Velvet and Night Light had their own preparations to make. Luckily for the trio, the rainbow maned pegasus was doing one of her stunts but she was going to slam into Twilight, but with Shinings training he was able to see this ahead of time and made a small barrier for Twilight. Which did stop the cyan pony from (bumping) into Twilight but it left her dizzy.

“Thank you Shining.” thanked Twilight while she inspected the mare to make sure she was ok and to identify the pony.

“That is what big brothers are for.” Said Shining, “Now may I ask you of who you are Miss…?”

The cyan pony had shaken off her dizziness and began to introduce herself. “I am the one and only Rainbow Dash.” as she says this she starts to hover over the trio. “What, have you heard of me?”

“We’ve heard that you are supposed to keep the sky clear.” Says Twilight with a sigh, “I am Twilight Sparkle and this is my brother Shining Armor and my number one assistant Spike. The princess has sent me to check on the weather.”

“Ya ya, I’ll have it done in a jiffy after I’m done with practicing.” Quips Dash as she flys up to a cloud.

“Practicing for what?” Asks Shining.

“The Wonderbolts!” Dash exclaimed while pointing to a poster. “They are going to do a performance at the celebration and I’m going to show them my stuff.”

“The Wonderbolts?” asked Shining.

“Eyup.” Rainbow boasted, rubbing a hoof across her barrel.

“The most talented flyers in all of Equestria?” Asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow as a devious prank came to mind.

“Eyup.” Rainbow still boasted as she flopped onto her back on the cloud.

“Please, they wouldn’t accept a pegasus that can’t keep the sky clear for one day,” Twilight said with a smirk, knowing that this pegasus’s pride would play right into her trap.

“Oh ya I can clear the sky in ten. Seconds. Flat!” Rainbow said as she brought the cloud closer to Twilight.

“Prove it,” Twilight said, hiding the growing smirk.

Dash glared at Twilight before she took off at high speeds, kicking the cloud she was laying on and poofing it out of existence. This high speed takeoff had the unfortunate side effect of kicking up a lot of dust, making Twilight start coughing harder. After Dash has cleared the sky the trio was in shock at the display of speed.

“There see, ten seconds flat,” says Dash

“I must admit Miss Dash you are a fast flyer.” Complements Shining.

As the two were mindlessly taking to eachother Twilight felt her temperature rising due to her condition. She does sense it happening but doesn’t comment on it for it was, admittingly, relaxing for her. She realises that this shouldn’t be possible but she doesn’t feel the need to worry.

Twilight was about to let Shining and Spike be but her cough caches Shining’s attention. “I’m sorry Dash but i need to stay by Twi’s side so I’ll be seeing you later at the celebration.” Spike has said his goodbye as well before the trio went to the town hall

“Oh it’s cool and see ya three at the celebration.” Says Dash as she leaves. Before she completely leaves she looks at Twilight for a moment. “Huh, she does have same mane style as the statue of the filly.” Dash mulled over this thought for a bit. “Hmm, now that I think about it she did have the same posture as the filly too.” Alas Dash has concluded it to a form of a coincidence with a shrug and flies off.

Author's Note

sorry for the long wait, i've been both distracted from writing and lost the drive to continue for a while. namely cause i was stuck on who to encounter twilight first.

A fire Sparks.

After leaving Rainbow Dash to continue with the preparations, Twilight started to feel her legs getting stiffer like lead weights were holding them down. She saw a bench that just so happened to be right next to the town hall and decided to sit down for a break. Both Spike and Shining were worried for Twilight when she decided to sit down and sat down next to her. As this happened, Twilight Velvet came to the trio with a saddened smile, “How have you been doing?”

Shining looks to Velvet and says, “She did alright when we met up with the one in control of the weather, though that mare should watch where she’s flying when she’s practicing her stunts. Had to throw up a quick shield before she ended up plowing into Twilight,” Shining said, taking out the overseers checklist from his saddlebags. “Let’s see, next up is decorations, followed by the music, then food, and finally meeting with the festival planner, a mare by the name of,” Shining muttered as he looked for her name, before letting out an ‘ah-ha’ at finding it, “Pinkie Pie.” He said as he put a check mark by Rainbow Dash’s name.

Out of nowhere, said pony jumped out in front of them from behind Spike. “Oh did somepony say my name!” The energetic pony said, before looking at the group, gasping, and grabbing Shining Armor and hightailed it out of there with her too-stunned-to-react captive. Twilight, both mother, and daughter, blinked at the brazen ‘foalnapping’ of Shining Armor, but before either could open their mouths to respond to the absurdness of the situation, the pink pony re-appeared and vanished just as suddenly, leaving a card that stated the time and place for the party welcoming the five new ponies in town, and on the back side was a crudely drawn picture of Twilight and her family. “Well…….that was strange?” Velvet commented, before looking down to see the jaw-dropped expression on her daughter’s face, “Close your mouth dear, or you’ll catch flies.”

Twilight closed her mouth with an audible snap as her mind tried processing just what she had seen. Spike had been silent the whole time but decided to save Twilight’s sanity by speaking up. “I think we should get going to see how the decorations are coming along.” Twilight, still somewhat stiff-legged, managed to nod her head and start heading in the general direction of the town hall. At least that’s what her head told her until Spike dashed that by turning Twilight around. “Town halls that way Twilight,” he said with a giggle.

Velvet on the other hoof, just watched her daughter with concern and sadness, seeing the disease progressing further the longer the day wore on. “Oh Faust, why must you take her from us when she had finally started to get used to the idea of having a family again?” She said in a low whisper, watching her daughter try and get her legs to move a little less stiffly. She could still remember the day when her husband found her in the Everfree forest, hiding behind a tree, along with a Timberwolf pup of all things. She had cuts and scrapes all over her body, but the worst was the two large gashes on her back and the fact that half of her face was nearly missing. Thought nopony would ever notice them, the prosthetics were nearing the end of their charge, as they ran on the wearer’s magic.
Velvet sighs and walks with Twilight and Spike. As the trio entered the town hall, they see all sorts of decorations from ribbons and tapestries to curtains and flags. At the center of it all was a white marshmallow unicorn with a curly purple mane and tail.

“Beautiful,” Spike said, smoothing his spines and checking his breath, which to him smelt fine, but to Velvet, it still stunk like sulfur. Oddly Twilight didn’t seem to be bothered by it. ‘Come to think about it,’ Velvet thought, ‘there have been a few times when she would come home that she too smelt like sulfur. I just thought it was after hatching and raising Spike, but she smelt like sulfur before Spike hatched.’ Velvet was lost in thoughts a little longer than she thought for the next thing she heard was a yell and looked up to see Twilight being whisked off by the, from what she could tell from the brief glance, fashionista.

Worried about Twilight’s well-being Velvet followed as quickly as she can and entered what seems to be a fashion shop looking for Twilight, but what she saw next made her giggle.

Twilight was standing on a pedestal, being fitted with dozens of outfits, ranging from school uniforms to bad-girl attire, to the statue of liberty. Velvet giggled as she stepped in before the fashion pony could start getting Twilight to try on wedding dresses while hiding a small tear at the fact that she too wouldn’t get to see Twilight in one. “I assume you are miss Rarity?” Velvet asked, giving Twilight a chance to breathe.

“Oh, why of course darling and I must say miss Twilight here has a wonderful coat, mane, and tail.” Rarity said while being careful not to nudge the prosthetics that her magic probing found. When she first spotted Twilight, Rarity had thought she was staring at a ghost, as she had been the closest to the apple orchard when the accident happened. It wasn’t until she manages to get her racing thoughts to calm that she noticed the differences, the fact that this mare was alive being the key factor. “And I presume you know her miss...?” Asked Rarity in the most polite manner possible.

Velvet softly giggled before replying, “My name is Twilight Velvet, and I so happen to be her mother,” she said. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d very much like to have my daughter back,” she said, finishing with a giggle to show that she held no ill will towards the Fashionista.

At this Rarity’s eyes slightly shoots open in slight shock, as she looked over to Twilight ”Oh my, I am sorry to miss Velvet, it’s just that when I see a beautiful mane or tail that looks less than perfect, I tend to act without thinking. Your daughter here was just telling me that you had come from Canterlot to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“Why yes we are and seeing as the decorations are moving along nicely I think we need to check on other things.” Velvet said,” Oh Spike do you have a copy of the list with you seeing as Shining isn’t with us.” She asked while turning her head to the said dragon.

Spike still somewhat aware of what’s going on outside of his ‘la la’ land had snapped out of it when Velvet asked him. He pulls out the list and reads it, “Well we have checked on the weather with Rainbow Dash, and now we’ve seen that the decorations in the town hall. Up next is the music.” Spike said before he puts away the list to enter his ‘la la’ land again.

Twilight managed to finally extract herself out the new outfit that Rarity locked her in, just in time to bolt out the door when her back was turned. After walking a little ways away from the building, she collapsed from exhaustion. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, even when she had just been standing still. Almost everything hurt, even more than it should. Twilight almost thought that she was about to die right there and then, before her heart calmed down, taking most of the pain with it.

However, high atop the boutique’s roof, was a bird with silver feathers. “lle coiasira naa il- de am’ amin Tinu, nan’ ta will il- be an(n) n’ala lye sarpsa au’” it said in a strange tongue before holding out a wing that glowed with a lavender aura that surrounded Twilight. “lle maranwe Uma il- tyela sinome, nan’ lye shall omenta iire I’ Anar ar’ ithil naa reunited once au’” and with that, it was gone.

Velvet and Spike ran after Twilight after saying their goodbyes to Rarity. In her mind, she looks back in her memory of both the filly and Twilight. ‘Hmm, Twilight and that filly do have the same coat and hair color that AJ described. Also what was with the feathers in her hair? They looked like they were growing from her. It’s probably just my imagination; there’s no way Twilight was the same filly that died fifteen years ago.’ She thought, before one thought struck her, ‘though what happened to her that caused her to have such grievous injuries that she needed prosthetics? And in the same places as that filly.’

Back outside Twilight and co. Has started to look for the one in charge of the music after she reassured to Velvet and Spike that she was okay. While the trio was walking Twilight heard the sounds of birds singing and followed the sound. After walking for a few steps, Twilight stopped as she heard something other than just birdsong. It was quiet, but Twilight could make out words being sung, strangely in time with the birds.

“Should I’ve stayed, were the signs, I ignored.
Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore?” they sang,
“We saw brilliance when the world was asleep.
There are things that we can have,
but can’t keep, if they say.”

Though Twilight felt it was just somepony singing a sad song once she started to hear the lyrics, she couldn’t shake the feeling it was about her or the fact that the ponies she was listening to might have been the birds.

“Who cares if one more light goes out in a sky of a million stars. It flickers, flickers.
Who cares if somepony’s time runs out if a moment is all we are or quicker, quicker.
Who cares if one more light goes out? Well, I do.”

Before the singing could continue, one of the singers let out an off-key note, breaking the trance the song put her in.

Twilight and co. Went to see what that was about, but saw a butter yellow pegasus flying over to the blue jay. “Oh um excuse me mister blue jay, I mean no offense but your rhythm is a teensy bit off.” the mare said. “Alright, I want you to take it from the top. If you want to, that is.”

Before the mare could restart the song, Velvet walked over and greeted the mare, scaring both her and her birds. “Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten your birds, My name Is Twilight Velvet, and over there is my daughter, Twilight Sparkle. We were just here to check up on the music, and I must say, it was lovely.” Velvet said, extending a hoof to the shy mare. Though strangely the mare wasn’t scared of Velvet, she was looking at Twilight with a faraway look as if she saw the impossible. ‘How… how is this possible?’ thought the shy pegasus.

The broken soul

‘How… How is she here?! Is she a g-g-ghost?!’ Fluttershy thought. She could remember seeing the same filly being admitted to the hospital while the pegasus was there with a sprained wing. Fluttershy’s room was closest to the ICU than she would care to admit, though that didn’t mean that she couldn’t hear what was happening in that room. She overheard the doctors talking about the foal and worried that she might not survive the night, even if they managed to stabilize her, due to how severe her injuries were. Though Fluttershy wanted to know if the filly would be okay, sleep caught up with her and she let her consciousness of the waking world slip away. When she had woken up the next morning, she once again overheard the doctors talking about how the other filly was ‘gone.’ Fluttershy just assumed that they meant the foal had died, but now that same filly was standing in front of her, looking the same as when she saw her the first time all those years ago, only older.

So lost in her thoughts, Fluttershy jumped in surprise when the older mare tapped her side, reaching the top of her rehearsal tree without flapping her wings in one jump. Looking around, Fluttershy noticed that the ‘ghost’ was gone, leaving her looking at a confused mare and ‘A Baby Dragon!’ Fluttershy mentally exclaimed, rushing towards the little dragon and accidentally knocking the older mare in the process.

Velvet was confused and concerned about the yellow pegasus’s actions. First, she just seemed to freeze up when she saw Twilight, allowing Night Light to come by and gather Twilight to check on the food with him, and subtly telling Velvet that the party was going to be at the bakery instead of the library Pinkie intended at first. And then the pegasus mare’s attitude did a 180 when she saw Spike.

Velvet backed up a few steps because the mare had suddenly got too close to her for comfort. She spoke up in worry, “Excuse me miss but are you okay?”

In her excitement at seeing a baby dragon, Fluttershy forgot about the other mare and froze when she heard the older mare speak. She let out a small ‘eep’ and hid behind her pink hair, slightly afraid that the mare before her would be like one of the ponies back in cloudsdale. She hadn’t always lived up to her name back then; she was a lot like her friend Rainbow Dash.

Velvet took a tentative step forwards as she frowned in concern. She spoke softly in her motherly tone, “Are you alright dear? You seem to be scared of something. Would you like to talk about it?” Her concerned maternal expression radiated off her face as she gazed at the trembling mare.

Fluttershy started calming down a bit when she heard the concern the mare was giving, but at the same time made her wonder if the ghost filly she saw was her daughter and that if she talked about it, it would just bring up painful memories. So instead, Fluttershy tried to change the subject. “S-sorry,” she whispered, almost low enough that unless she hadn’t been listening, Velvet would have only thought it was just the wind. “Y-you j-just s-startled me. I’m Fluttershy” she trailed off with just a mumble, to low for Velvet to make out the words.

Velvet tilted her head and continued to look concerned as she asked softly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t exactly here that last part. Could you please repeat that in a louder voice dear? And are you sure that you’re alright dear?” She stayed where she did, not want to scare the pegasus mare anymore then she might already be.

Fluttershy just pulled into herself further as she once again told this mare her name. “I’m Fluttershy.” she squeaked out, still too low for Velvet to make out what her name was.

Velvet frowned as she continued to watch the mare for a moment. She replied after a few seconds, “I’m sorry dear I still didn’t catch that. Am I scaring you or making you nervous in any way? I apologize if I am deary. My daughter was once the same way, though she was a lot younger than you,” Velvet said, before sighing as she remembered the terror that she saw in her daughter’s eyes when they had found her in the Everfree. “She was terrified of even leaving my side.” What Velvet was unaware of were the tears falling from her eyes, or the fact that Fluttershy came to both the right and wrong conclusion.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said as she bowed her head sadly. Though she didn’t want to bring up any painful memories for the older mare, she still managed to. The way the mare was speaking in the past tense and the fact that tears were rolling down her face told Fluttershy everything she needed to know, that her daughter had died.

Velvet wiped at her eyes and shook her head, “It’s alright dear. I’ll be fine. But are you alright? You seemed to be scared of something or nervous at the very least. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

By now, Fluttershy got over her shyness when she heard that this mare’s daughter was just like her, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the older mare. To Fluttershy, it was evident that this mares daughter had died at a young age and it didn’t take long for her to conclude that the filly and this mare were close together in coloration that she had merely mistaken the mare for her daughter. Breathing a small sigh of relief that she hadn’t seen a ghost, Fluttershy responded. “M-my names F-Fluttershy. I just get n-nervous around those I d-don’t know yet. That, and when I saw you, I thought I saw a ghost.” she said, as her birds returned to the tree, and tweeted in unison. Unbeknownst to the two ponies, what the birds chirped was a prophecy.

Author's Note

"Thoughts"

this chapter is shorter than my others, but that simply because i could figure out how to get past Fluttershy. I too am not truly satisfied by the ending, but if you like it, or wish to help improve it, then, by all means, tell me about what you liked or what needs fixing. can't get better if I don't know what works and what doesn't.

The Twilight Hour

While Twilight Velvet was talking to the timid pegasus mare, Twilight Sparkle and her father were heading to check on the final preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration; namely the food. Twilight had to lean against her father the whole trip, for her legs felt like they were going to fall out from under her.

“I know Twilight; I’m scared too.” Her father said in an attempt to alleviate the pain his daughter was going through. While he hadn’t said it to his wife or daughter, Night Light knew that what was killing his daughter was not botulism. Botulism was in its own right deadly, but in no way did it cause one to vomit up blood, or weaken the ponies magic. At times he wished he could go back in time and find what caused his daughters illness and buck it to the moon.

Twilight wheezed out some words he couldn’t make out, though he was pretty sure it was only due to the coughing fit she had after the left Velvet.

Cresting a small hill, Night Light and Twilight stared in awe at the vast apple orchard on the horizon. Upon hearing a solid *thunk* of something hitting the wood with force, followed by a bunch of smaller *thunks* told the duo that the pony they were looking for was in the orchard.

Coming over the final hill, the duo saw the source of the thumping noise. A large bright red stock stallion was currently hitching himself to the cart loaded with apples, after hitching a smaller cart loaded with various foods to the back.

Night Light stood with his daughter leaning against him on top of the hill for just a moment. Then they slowly made their way on down the slope as Night Light called out, “Excuse me! We’re here to check on the food preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. We were sent here by the Princess herself. My name’s Night Light and this is my daughter, Twilight,” Night Light said as he pointed to his daughter and himself. “Though from the looks of things, it looks like the food preparations are complete.”

“Eeyup,” the stallion replied, before sticking a leg out and catching Twilight before she fell face first to the ground, “easy there miss,” he said, expecting a small chuckle of embarrassment over the fantasizing most mare had of him. What he got however caused him to worry, as the mare was gasping hard, even holding her hooves to her chest.

“Twilight!” Night Light shouted, rushing to scoop his daughter in his forelegs, “What’s wrong?!.” he said, very worried that she wouldn’t get to see tomorrow, tears forming in his eyes.

“Can’t…...Breath…...Chest... Hurts.” Twilight wheezed out, just barely from the sounds of her labored breathing.

Night Light held her close to his chest as he cradled her, “I’m so sorry Twilight! I’ll see what I can do to make it easier for you.” He concentrated on casting a spell that would hopefully ease up the pressure on her chest so she could breathe a bit easier. The spell would also dull the pain if he were doubly lucky. His horn lit up with light as he accessed the spell with his thoughts. Touching his horn to Twilight’s chest, he unleashed the spell and watched as his magic washed through her. Sure enough, Twilight’s breathing started to ease up. Though it was far from clear, it was sufficient enough that she now could breath easier.

Night Light sigh in relief as he saw the effects, before pulling Twilight closer and breaking down, worried he’d end up watching her die before the day was done. He continued crying before he heard somepony singing.

“Just when you think
Hope is lost
And giving up
Is all you’ve got,”

Night Light was startled when he saw a mare walking towards them coming from the town. Her orange and gold mane and tail were giving a feeling of warmth, even if it didn’t give off real heat.

“And blue turns black
your confidence is cracked
There seems no turning back
from here,”

Night Light felt mesmerized by the singer, unaware that his eyes were glowing, as was the stallions.

“Sometimes there isn’t an obvious explanation,
While the holiest hearts can feel the strongest palpitations,”

She sang before kneeling down to scoop of Twilight, who had passed out a few minutes after the spell was completed.

“That’s when you can build a bridge of light,
That’s what turns the wrongs all right
That’s when you can’t give up the fight,”

She sang as both stallions watched the scene in a trance as Twilight glowed brighter and brighter.

“That’s when nighttime turns into day,
That’s when loneliness goes away,
That’s why you gotta be strong tonight.”

She sang as she lowered Twilight back down to Night Light, the glow dimming down revealing Twilight sleeping peacefully as if her body wasn’t on the verge of total collapse.

“Only love can build you a bridge of light.” The mare finished with a flash, vanishing before the stallions could wake up from the spell she placed on them ended. Had anypony looked up, they would have seen a phoenix flying back towards canterlot castle. When the spell ended, the stallions couldn’t recall what they had been doing, until they shook their heads and remembered the food preparations needed to be delivered.

Night Light looked down at his peacefully sleeping daughter and carefully picked her up before setting her down on his back. He then nodded to the big red stallion, “I hope you don’t mind if I come along for now.” he asked as he made sure Twilight wouldn’t fall off his back.

The stallion nodded after a few seconds and started on down along the trail leading towards the farmhouse that Night Light could see in the distance. They walked on along in companionable silence not needing to say anything.

The stallion looked at the sleeping mare with a frown as he could swear that she looked like the filly that caused his parents death, though he knew that it couldn’t be true as the foal had died on the operating table. He just wished that he had been able to comfort his sister before she lashed out at Applebloom when she was only six months old. He was glad she calmed down before she did anything she regretted. But at the same time, he had to hide his tears as he knew what the mare’s father was going through.

By the time the two reached the farmhouse, the sun had already started to dip below the horizon, bringing Night Light a small smile, and a fresh batch of tears as the sky was now bathed in twilight. It saddened him that soon, Twilight would forever be part of the sunset in the heavens.

The fiery conclusion: part 1

Night Light stared at his sleeping daughter as he placed her on the couch in the den of the Apple family’s farmhouse before letting out a sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. A week ago, she was as healthy as you or me; then she started getting weaker and weaker the more time passed. I don’t want to lose her, not like our second child.” he said after a minute of silence between him and the stallion, who introduced himself as Big Macintosh, or Big Mac as he wished to be called. Upon seeing Big Mac’s questioning look, he continued “Stillborn.”

Bic Mac nodded his head in understanding. Before he could speak up, a young mare’s voice reached his ears. “Hey, Big Mac! Ya haven’t seen a couple of new ponies around have ya?” The pony said as she entered the door, “Pinkie’s holding the part- Oh! Well howdy,” she stopped suddenly when she saw Night Light.

The pony was a light orange, with a straw-colored mane and tail. Her emerald eyes had a pure honesty to them that, were she from Canterlot, she would be ranked in the same noble category as Fancy Pants and Blueblood. “Ma name’s Applejack and welcome...to- Sweet Celestia!” The mare, Applejack, exclaimed when she saw Twilight sleeping on the couch. For a moment, Applejack saw red as all the pain and grief of her parent’s death came rushing forth at the mare that had the gall to try and steal her apples so long ago, before calming down to look closer. As quick as her rage came, it faded as fast when she saw the state the mare was in and the fact that there were subtle differences between the two.

“W-What happened to her?” Applejack whispered, having flashbacks to the nearly starved filly she saw so long ago.

Night Light sighed with a reply, “I don’t know either.” He turned back to Twilight with determination, “but what I do know is that I want her to see her next and final dawn.”

Applejack looks up at Night Light shocked by his answer. Wanting more answers she inquires, “W-What do you mean by her final dawn?” Big Mac nodded in agreement with his sister’s question for Night Lights statement made some sense, but he wanted to understand as well.

Night Light turned to the two with sadness in his eyes and heart. “She’ll more than likely not make it tomorrow due to her current illness.” He said when the three of them heard Twilight softly moan in some pain, but it’s mostly just from her starting to wake up.

When Twilight opened her eyes, Night Light and the two Apple sibling’s jaw dropped; where before, Twilight’s eyes were a common violet, now her eyes had a deep crimson to them, along with being pupiless. As she moved, though, something strange happened. Her body started changing from lavender to a bone white, while her mane and tail burst into flaming feathers accompanied by wings made of fire.

During the spectacle Twilights body slowly turned into ash. After a few moments, Twilight was seemingly nothing more than a pile of fuming ash.

Before anypony could react, however, the trio heard music coming from seemingly nowhere.

“Where’d you get the notion you’re only a pony?” the singer said quite suddenly before one of the flames in the lit fireplace started moving freely from the source.

“You know there’s a dark place
that will make you something more”

Night Light watched in growing terror as the flame started morphing from a single ember of fire to a pony of fire, looking like molten magma was flowing through its veins.

“I could sell a one-way to absolution,
To the wholly abstract
Where we’ll never drift back ashore.”

Just as the pony made of fire fully formed a vortex of wind surrounded the ash pile that was once his daughter. With a bright flash, Twilight was no longer a pile of ash, but now alive again, but Night Light could feel something was wrong. For one, the fact the Twilight was still bone white, her mane and tail still looking like feathers on fire, and the wings made of fire were still there, it was her eyes that worried him the most. Even though they had been pupiless before she turned to ash, they still had life behind them. Now, they looked as lifeless as a puppet, and Night Light just knew that was what she was at the moment.

“I’ve been living on the far side
Leaving hoof prints in your mind
Tell me all your secrets
I could be your key to the afterlife.

Feel the rhythm in my cold heart
I could make your soul a work of art
Just a touch of heaven
Walking with the dead makes you feel alive

We could take a ride on the road to paradise
You’ll abandon your bones
For a desolate home away
Have you seen the watcher’s castle born of ice?
It’s a comforting hold
For the wandering souls to stay

I’ve been living on the far side
I’ve been leaving footprints in your mind
Tell me all your secrets
I could be your key to the afterlife

Feel the rhythm in my cold heart
I could make your soul a work of art
Just a touch of heaven
Walking with the dead makes you feel alive”

The Apple siblings looked at Twilight in a way as if they’ve never in their lives seen something like this before. However, the one who was genuinely terrified was Night Light, as he was watching his daughter become a ‘puppet’ of this creature.

“Oceans away from home
Deep in the danger zone
I’ll carry you

Skipping the pain of death
I’d like to steal your breath
And make you new

Live beyond this divide
I promise you the other side
Abandon light inside of you

You’re ascending now
And breaking through
Nothing living is ever true

Twilight’s color slowly returned to its respective colors, albeit slightly darker. The feathers that made up her wings, mane, and tail had the primary color as her lavender coat as well as being tipped with the two iconic variants of purple. Her tail itself is now longer and thicker than it was in her previous form. The only things that remained unchanged were the fact that her eyes were still crimson and still wholly pupiless and the lifeless, glassy look in them.

I’ve been living on the far side
I’ve been leaving footprints in your mind
Tell me all your secrets
I could be your key to the afterlife

Feel the rhythm in my cold heart
I could make your soul a work of art
Just a touch of heaven
Walking with the dead makes you feel alive.”

As the final lyrics were sung, the fire pony lit up its horn and started to form a fireball above its head, but what was worse was Twilight’s horn lighting up as well, albeit with some struggle, and creating another fireball. Her eyes were dead, and no emotion could be seen in them. Before either pony could fire off the spells, three blurs of silver, gold, and blue slammed into the two. The silver and gold blur’s slamming into the fire pony, while the blue blur slammed into Twilight, knocking her out, somehow also removing the spell that was being placed on her. Before her eyes closed, Night Light saw his daughter’s eyes change back to their violet color, and the pupils were on her crimson eyes before closing.

Author's Note

this arc is soon coming to a close.
next chapter is the end of the discovery arc

The fiery conclusion: part 2

"Twilight," a voice said, cutting through the darkness. Twilight grumbled, trying to evade the hoof prodding her side. "Come on, Twi, wake up. I don't have much time," the urgent voice continued.

Twilight mumbled as she woke up and looked at the pony poking her. The pony had a yellow coat with a red and yellow mane and tail. Her cutie mark resembled a sun split between red and yellow in a yin-yang fashion. Looking around, Twilight started to panic when all she saw was a white expanse. "W-where am I? W-who are you?" Twilight asked, struggling to understand what had happened.

The pony's expression shifted to one of sadness and longing as she gazed at Twilight with teary, sorrowful eyes. "You don't remember me, do you? I had hoped that after all this time, you might remember. I'm your sister—Sunset Shimmer. Although I guess you don't remember that anymore. As for where we are, well, we are in your head at the moment. It took quite a lot of effort to contact you this way," Sunset explained.

"S-sister?!" Twilight exclaimed, her voice unintentionally high-pitched. "I have a sister!" she shouted again, prancing about in excitement at the revelation of her mysterious past. "I can't believe I have a sister," Twilight said before her excitement faded, and sadness overcame her. "I never knew. I can't even remember my life before living—or rather surviving—in the Everfree Forest," she expressed.

Sunset winced, her ears folding back in response to Twilight's voice. She shook her head, trying to clear the ringing in her ears, and then regarded Twilight with a somber expression. "I know. But it was actually in the Everfree Forest that you met me. You don't remember due to an accident you had. I was hoping your memories would come back in time, but I guess they haven't. That part of your life seems to be sealed. However, while this discovery is significant, I contacted you for a reason. I need your help. I'm trapped inside my own body, which is controlled by my inner beast. I can't stop it, and I don't have the strength to fight it off. Please help me! I don't want to hurt anyone again. I already cost us our mom," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please help me! I have no one else to turn to." She looked at Twilight, sobbing.

Before Twilight could respond, a beastly roar reverberated through the void surrounding her and her sister. "N-no! I-it's too soon. Please, Twi! You're my last hope of returning home. I miss mo—" Before Sunset could finish, a flaming orange-clawed hoof erupted from the void and dragged Sunset away.

"Sunset!" Twilight yelled as the void shattered around her.

Twilight awoke with a gasp, followed by a massive fit of coughing. As she looked around, she found herself on a couch, but the reason behind it eluded her memory. In her attempt to roll over, she accidentally pinched one of her new wings, causing her to yelp in pain. Overwhelmed with confusion, Twilight began to believe that she had died, and the wings were a symbol of her complete demise. The realization filled her with sorrow, knowing she would never again celebrate Spike's birthday or witness Shining Armor's potential wedding.

For twenty minutes, she cried uncontrollably until a small filly approached her. "Hey, miss, why are you crying?" the filly asked.

"I-I died, and now I won't get to see my family again," Twilight replied in a low, almost despondent voice, lower than the yellow pegasus she had met before.

Confused, the filly looked up at Twilight. "What are you talking about, miss? You look alive to me. You resemble one of the princesses, although your wings are quite different. So, who are you?"

Twilight gradually ceased crying, but her response still clung to the notion of her demise. "Of course, I look alive, but it's not the truth. How else can you explain the wings if I was born a unicorn?" She began to curl in on herself, mumbling about missing Spike and not being able to try the new triple chocolate mocha frappuccino that Princess Celestia said she would have to wait until she was older.

The filly scratched her head, briefly glancing behind her at someone invisible to Twilight. Making a few faces and shrugging, the filly turned back to Twilight. Finally, she spoke, "Miss, if you were dead, then would I be able to feel this?" With that, she walked up and pinched one of Twilight's forelegs, causing a sharp pain to shoot through Twilight's limb. The filly let go and stepped back.

"Yeouch!" Twilight exclaimed, wide-eyed. "That hurt!" The realization that she was not dead suddenly struck her. "Wait, that hurt! You're not supposed to feel pain when you die, s-so that means..." Twilight trailed off, her realization sinking in. "I'm alive!" she shouted before bouncing around the room in joy.

The filly giggled as Twilight bounced about. She returned to the yellow pegasus in the room, looking up at her and speaking softly. "I think she's come to her senses now, Miss Fluttershy. I'm glad I could help. But I should be going back to my parents now." With her words spoken, the little filly headed home, leaving Fluttershy with a haunting memory from her past.

'How is she still alive? From what I remember seeing as a filly, those wounds would have killed anyone,' Fluttershy pondered, recalling Applejack's recent explanations.

[Flashback]

Applejack emerged from the surgery doors, her orange coat pale, carrying both the weight of an old bitter memory and the sickness induced by witnessing so much blood. She walked unsteadily over to Fluttershy and Night Light, who had been sitting silently in a chair in the waiting room, and took a seat next to her. Applejack remained silent for a while before finally speaking, her gaze haunted. "Fluttershy, it's just like it was all those years ago. This mare looks just like that filly from when we were little, and her wounds are just as severe, if not worse. The doctor and his team are doing their best to ensure she makes it through, but they aren't sure if it will be enough. Apparently, she also has some kind of disease that's been draining her strength all this time. What do we do, Shy?"

Fluttershy stayed silent, finding solace in the pony who had allowed her to stay with her when she first arrived in Ponyville. "I don't know," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Everything about her reminds me of what that filly must have endured in her final moments. I hope we don't experience a repeat of the past. I don't think I could handle it again." Fluttershy continued crying into Applejack's shoulder.

Applejack pulled Fluttershy closer, tears streaming down her own face as she comforted her friend. The two ponies held each other tightly before Applejack leaned back slightly and whispered, "We can only hope and pray to Princess Celestia that the mare will pull through. I don't know if I could bear it if she dies just like the filly did. My heart already feels like it's about to burst; one more blow and it might shatter completely."

At that moment, one of the doctors emerged from the room, accompanied by a few nurses, all wearing expressions of defeat.

Doctor Head Trauma sighed, knowing this was the hardest part of his job—informing friends and family of a pony's passing. However, just as he was about to speak, one of the nurses burst out of the surgery room, speaking rapidly and barely comprehensible. Applejack managed to catch some of the words. "Doctor, something's happening. The wounds... they're closing up on their own!"

Applejack's head shot up in shock as she gently shook Fluttershy to bring her out of her daze. "I don't know about you, sugarcube, but I'm going to check on the mare to see if she's healing, just like the nurse said. If it's true, then she'll survive, and we won't have another death on our hooves. Do you want to come with me?"

With a determined nod, Fluttershy and Applejack rushed to the surgery door, only to have their jaws drop at the sight that greeted them inside.

The mare's right foreleg, which Applejack hadn't noticed was a prosthetic before, was regenerating with a fiery aura surrounding it. Her chest was closing up wounds and removing stitches, while her head was the true spectacle. Her eyes were open, radiating a bright white light as she floated off the surgery table, her mane, tail, and wings engulfed in flames. The regeneration took less than a minute, and the light show faded, leaving the mare still unconscious but with a completely rejuvenated appearance as if she had just fallen asleep.

[End of flashback]

Fluttershy observed as Twilight settled down from her ecstatic state of realizing she was alive. She cautiously approached the mare, still feeling anxious and scared. Gradually, she got close enough to tap Twilight on the shoulder and spoke in a calm, gentle voice, although a bit louder, "Um... excuse me, miss... excuse me... Are you alright?" Fluttershy's nervousness was evident as she spoke.

Twilight slowly focused her attention on Fluttershy and, without warning, pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, unaware of her newfound strength. Fortunately, Fluttershy had developed a resistance to such hugs thanks to her experiences with Harry and Pinkie.

After Twilight released her, Fluttershy spoke again, her voice slightly less nervous. "Um... well, it seems you're fine... that's good. Are you hungry or thirsty? I have a little food and water with me." She kept a few steps distance from Twilight, looking up at her through her mane. Fluttershy couldn't help but be captivated by Twilight's eyes, which seemed to hold a depth of experience beyond what would be expected of a pony so young.

"I'm alive," Twilight whispered again, reaffirming her realization that she hadn't died. She then turned to Fluttershy with a crucial question. "Um, I know this may sound strange to you, miss, but how am I still alive?"

Fluttershy squeaked nervously, her eyes widening in response to the question. She remained silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts before responding, "Y-y-you were healed by magic... Some kind of fiery aura that healed your wounds. Even that prosthetic leg of yours was transformed back into a regular leg. Your eyes glowed white, and then your wings appeared in a blaze of fire."

Twilight stared at Fluttershy for a while, processing the information, before simply saying, "Oh." She then promptly fainted once again.

Just outside the cottage, a dark alicorn observed through a window, watching as Twilight passed out while Fluttershy frantically tried to revive her. The name on her tongue escaped her lips, and with it, a glimmer of hope that had almost faded completely rekindled. "Twilight." The dark alicorn felt a surge of renewed optimism.

Author's Note

sorry for the wait. between work, and lack of editors or proofreaders, i haven't had much time to write this chapter. don't expect an update for a while, also sorry if i tend to make it confusing to read. im still learning how to write.

The fiery conclusion: part 3.

“Anyway T-Twilight,” Fluttershy squeaked, after finally waking up the passed out mare, “We should start heading to the town hall if you want to that is.”

Twilight rubbed her head from where it made contact with the floor, while also trying to remember what happened. Deciding that a headache wasn’t worth it, Twilight followed Fluttershy towards the town hall. Along the way, she was pulled into a tight hug by her family, who had all left the hospital to as they didn’t want to see or hear the flatline they knew had to be coming. Even though he saw his daughter die and come back from the ashes, Night Light naturally thought it was just an old stallions hope to play up a picture. Still, seeing Twilight walking with a steady gait, Night light’s hope started to shine brighter.

As Twilight walked towards the town hall to join in the celebration, she felt that her burden had lightened the tiniest bit. She didn’t feel quite so achy or pained, and it felt as if she had a better grip on her magic now. She still felt stiff in some places, though, like some parts just haven’t woken up yet. Twilight winced as she felt the familiar pins and needles sting of having something waking up, a feeling she knew all too well from sleeping on her forelegs after a three-day study session.

Fluttershy was still somewhat uncertain about what she had seen herself concerning this mare. It always seemed so strange and unreal that this mare was here before her and looked remarkably like the young filly who had perished before. She had thought this mare would die the same way the filly had but somehow she had pulled through. She looked to be better than she had before and was now walking with a much steadier gate and there didn’t appear to be a wound or stitches anywhere on her from where the doctors operated. She led the way to the town hall rather quietly as she kept stealing glances back at the smiling mare.

Entering the town hall, Twilight was awed at the fact the decorations looked twice as beautiful in the darkened light than they did in the daylight. Her musing was interrupted by a small purple missile slamming into her neck, before latching onto it.

Spike had been stubbornly trying not to cry when he had heard that Twilight was in the hospital, and had rushed off to Celestia, (and Pinkie pie apparently,) knows where, and was found by the said pink mare. She managed to calm down by telling him that Twilight was going to be alright and that she’d never leave him. Strangely, she also said that the ‘chapter would be boring if Twilight stayed with Fluttershy.’ Spike had no clue what the ‘chapter’ was, or what being with fluttershy would make Twilight boring.

Spike was still in a funk until he saw Twilight walking through the door and flung himself into Twilight’s embrace, slightly surprised that she hardly budged an inch, where before they would go tumbling to the floor.

All the ponies were happily gathered in the town hall as they looked around and chatted with each other while waiting for the celebration to start. Mayor Mare walked up onto the stage with a soft smile as she tapped on the microphone to get their attention, “Hello everypony and welcome to Ponyville’s Summer Sun Celebration. We are honored to have the princess herself come here to raise the sun on this, the longest day of the year. So without further ado, I give you Princess Celestia!” She waved her forehoof, and the curtains opened to reveal nothing on the other side.

“This can’t be good,” Twilight whimpered.

“Remain calm everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation for this,” the mayor said trying to calm the crowd down.

“Ooh, ooh I love guessing games. Is she hiding,” Pinkie said, before literally just standing in place and just moved her head in what seemed to be a pattern of up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, before she just posted letters on her face in the form of a,b, a,b and then start. How and where she got the sticky notes, was a mystery, as was her disappointment in something Twilight, nor her brother could explain, despite his long O&O gaming habit.

It wasn’t long before a dark blue mist, followed by an orange-ish smoke drifted out onto the stage.

The dark mist floated in and formed into a dark mare that looked just like Princess Celestia in body shape. But she had a dark blue coat and was wearing what appeared to be silver armor. She cackled at them as lightning flashed behind her, “Hello My loyal subjects. It is I. Your Princess of the Night!”

The orange smoke started to form into a creature that Twilight only thought existed in the nightmares that had been plaguing her recently. The beast was equine in shape, but from there, things diverged rather rapidly. This mare’s skin was orange, but it was glowing, and her mane and tail appeared to be comprised of pure fire. And not just any typical kind of fire this was pure sun fire albeit in a more dark sort of way. She also had plumes of fire coming out of the backs of her legs that reached from cracks in her coat and skin. The surface of her coat and skin looked like it was made entirely out of some volcanic rock and the top of her head consisted of swirly horns curling from the sides of her head and up top into a dark sort of heart shape. Swirling designs covered her body which also showed cracks through which this Sunfire threatened to pour from. The mare’s wings seemed to be made of obsidian and glowed with Sunfire between the feathers that one could see on her wings. The mare was wearing no armor because she did not need it. Neither was she wearing any Raiment or armor. For what armor could stand up to the power of pure sun fire. So for those of you out there who still have a hard time picturing this. Think of a Fire Atronach from Skyrim except in a pony shape with wings, and you have a pretty good idea of what this orange alicorn being was. Twilight whimpered in fear as she realized that this creature must have been what her sister meant when she said she was trapped inside her inner demon, for that was not a pony in any way, shape, or form. Suddenly, the orange creature that had to be her sister started to sing in a strangely masculine voice.

“we’re locking up the sun, the light of reason gone,
n’ hope has been successfully undone
The question is burning on, where is it coming from,
no-one seems to know the monster born.

It’s a bad trip on a sinking ship when no-one seems responsible
Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable
Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible
And find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away
Who doesn’t turn a blind eye to a crime

They’re locking up the sun; they have their chosen one,
you know this time they’ll make her play along
They’re taking to the arms, the fathers, and their sons,
there’s nowhere left to run and hide

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time.
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away
Who doesn’t turn a blind eye to a crime

And in the emptiness, there’s a solution,
just look within yourself for absolution.”

Twilight looked up in shock to see that her sister looked just like the one from her nightmares. What was she doing here with the black alicorn who she knew had to be Nightmare Moon? If what her sister had said was true then her name was Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight was her last chance of breaking free of some horrible darkness. She appeared to be just fine albeit grumpy looking at the moment.

Mayor Mare was scared as she stuttered, “W-w-who are yy-you two?”

The orange creature sneered, as cracks started to form on her as she turned towards the mayor, revealing a pulsing orange light. “Well, well, well. It seems that we’ve been forgotten. Were we not regal enough for you precious sun lovers? Did our crowns mean nothing after being gone for so long?” she said, gleefully looking at the terrified mayor.

Pinkie PIe gazed at the orange creature in front of her and all the other ponies before she gleefully looked up at the two, “Ooo, Ooo more guessing games. I’m good at guessing games. Uh, Hokey Smokes, no wait that’s the orange one, how about Queen meanie, Ooo black snooty, Black Snooty…” Pinkie would have kept spouting out random names had Applejack not decided to shove an apple in Pinkie’s mouth. Her bubbly personality did affect one of the two ponies as the orange one was now on her back kicking her legs in the air laughing up a storm at all the nicknames Nightmare Moon had.

Pinkie’s gaze then switched back to the orange creature as a thoughtful look crossed her face for a moment. Then she grinned as she pulled out a helmet from behind a pony and stuck it on her head. It was a metal helmet with two horns curving downwards and two slots for her eyes that she got from a recent trade. She grinned as a fake plastic sword was latched to her back, and a wooden shield was set on her foreleg, and she walked forwards towards them. Speaking in the same monotone that her sister Maud was known for, Pinkie said, “I used to be an adventurer like you till I took an arrow through the flank,” she said as showed her flank that had a fake plastic arrow shaft attached to it.

To her credit, she did look a little freaked out at the way the orange pony looked at her, hearing her mutter something about “the Dragonborn, Here?” before reality snapped back in place. And she realized that every pony was looking at her strangely because of her helmet and the fact that she was staring off into space expecting something to happen.

Twilight was the first to break herself out of the stupor the pink pony put her in, but looked up at the two and steeled her courage, even though she was genuinely terrified and walked up towards the two. “I know who you are,” Twilight said, though she was also trying to keep her legs from shaking, “Your N-Nightmare Moon, the p-pony Princess Celestia took her sister from her.” Twilight pointed at the dark mare, hoping that her resolve wasn’t as flimsy as it felt to her.

Nightmare Moon looked at her as she smirked, “Ah. It seems that one among you at least remembers me. Which will make it all the sweeter as I begin my reign of eternal night!” She flapped into the air as she started to laugh maniacally and lightning and thunder sounded behind her.

“Seize them!” the mayor shouted to the guards “they know where the princess is.” The guards flew towards both ponies with spears at the ready.

“You foals!” Nightmare moon shouted as both her and Sunset both blew them away with a few well-placed hits.

The rest of the ponies finally broke out of their stupors and fled the hall as fast as the could. Twilight knew there had to be a way to beat them, but before she could leave Sunset dropped down in front of her. Chuckling sinisterly, Sunset started creeping her way towards Twilight. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, dear sister” Sunset said as her horns started to light up in a blood red glow before a small fireball formed on each of the tips, “Such a shame that it will also be the last, for after tonight all that will remain is nothing but ashes.”

Off to the side, Twilight’s family was equally hindered by Nightmare Moon. “Now, now,” Nightmare moon hissed, “We wouldn't want to interrupt a family reunion, now would we?” she said with all the charm of a black widow.

Twilight’s eyes widened in fear as she saw the fireballs grow at the tips of Sunset’s horns. She took a few steps back as Sunset laughed at her concern and misfortune before launching the fireballs at her. Twilight ducked and rolled to the side out of the way of the fireballs. Sunset was less than pleased that her fireballs had missed and figured she might as well do it the old-fashioned way, with her own four hooves. She walked towards Twilight as she laughed again, leaving fiery hoofprints behind her. She stood over the cowering Twilight with a hoof raised to bring down on her chest.

Spike, seeing this from across the room gasped in fear before his eyes narrowed in determination. He darted from his spot next to the rest of Twilight’s family which surprised Nightmare Moon. She had not been expecting one of them to be so brave suddenly and was unable to stop Spike who raced across the building to Twilight.

It was right as Sunset was bringing her hoof down that Spike managed to reach the two of them. He managed to get right between them both as the hoof came down but that was his downfall. The hoof punched right through his chest easily like a knife through hot butter and collided with his heart. “Twi...light,” Spike said with a flaming hoof still sticking out of his chest.

“Hmph, pathetic whelp,” Sunset said as she pulled her hoof back leaving a singed hole in spikes chest.

Twilight just sat there in stunned silence as she watched spike stumble over to her, her body moving on autopilot as she pulled him into a hug even as she felt the blood pooling from the holes. “S-Spike,” she whimpered, trying to deny what her eyes were showing her. ‘Spike can’t be dying,’ she thought, ‘This is just a trick, right? Right?’ she thought as she pulled spike into an even tighter hug, feeling him getting weaker and weaker, unaware of one of the feathers in her mane falling into the open wound. Spike’s last few words before his spark faded and he fell limp and lifeless broke Twilight, “I…. Love…. You. Mom.”

Author's Note

sorry for the wait. i lost the drive a bit and hit a roadblock. but now im back and the next chapter will be the last, for this story at least. i plan on doing a spin off with random funny moments in Twilights day to day life after this with her new phoenix powers.

surging strength. fiery clash.

Twilight's heart pounded in her chest, each beat a painful reminder of Spike's absence. She could feel the surge of power coursing through her veins, fueling her determination to avenge her fallen friend. As Sunset and Nightmare Moon taunted her, their words piercing her already shattered heart, she felt her anger reach its boiling point.

"No!" Twilight shouted, her voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief, grief, and fury. She tightened her grip on Spike's lifeless body, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! Spike!" Her anguished scream reverberated through Ponyville, its intensity chilling those who heard it.

Unaware of the storm brewing within her, Twilight turned her gaze towards the ones responsible, her eyes burning with a fire that matched the lightning flashing outside, despite the clear skies. She pointed a trembling hoof at Sunset and Nightmare Moon, her voice shaking with a potent cocktail of pain and rage. "You won't get away with this!"

With each flash of lightning, Twilight's emotions surged, causing her form to briefly change, a mere glimpse of the power dwelling within her. But she was unaware of her transformation, her focus solely on her burning desire for revenge. "I'm going to destroy you!" she declared, struggling to contain the overwhelming rage pulsating through her being.

Nightmare Moon cackled, attempting to mask her nervousness with arrogance. "Foolish little pony," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "You cannot comprehend the darkness that resides within me. You couldn't even protect that pathetic whelp. Face it, little pony, you are no match for us."

Those words shattered the last fragments of Twilight's restraint. The anger within her surged beyond control, and her entire being erupted with power. Her coat, once a deep mulberry, transformed into bone-white, while her mane, tail, wings, and hooves burst into vibrant flames. Her once-violet eyes blazed with a deep crimson red, radiating a raw intensity that mirrored the color of blood.

Twilight had tapped into a power she never knew she possessed.

As Sunset and Nightmare Moon made their escape, Twilight's eyes narrowed with unwavering determination. Without a moment's hesitation, she spread her fiery wings and took to the air, leaving behind a trail of sparking embers. The sheer intensity of her power crackled in the air around her.

A sphere of pure magical energy materialized in Twilight's hooves, pulsating with an otherworldly glow. With a forceful motion, she hurled the sphere toward Sunset and Nightmare Moon, unleashing a devastating explosion of magic.

A fierce battle ensued as Twilight unleashed a relentless onslaught of magical projectiles, each one more potent than the last. She soared through the air with astonishing speed and agility, evading the retaliatory attacks of Sunset and Nightmare Moon while launching her own ferocious strikes.

Sunset sneered, skillfully blocking Twilight's blows, her facade masking the pain she felt with each collision. "Oh, dear sister," she taunted, her voice dripping with contempt. "You should know better than challenging us. You were always so weak, so easily swayed by your emotions." Charging up her horn, Sunset prepared to launch a point-blank fireball into Twilight's face.

"You took everything from me!" Twilight's anguished cry pierced the battlefield, a culmination of pain, rage, and grief. Her voice cracked with raw emotion as she stared down her adversaries. "Why did you take him from me? Why?!"

In the midst of the chaotic battle, Shining Armor and the others stood frozen, their grief overwhelming their ability to move. The aura surrounding Twilight was overwhelming, emanating a power they couldn't comprehend. Nearby, Pinkie's mane and tail took on an unusual spiked appearance, and she donned a bizarre oversized eyepiece with a green screen displaying strange numbers. Before anyone could question it, she removed the eyepiece from her head and let out a sorrowful, yet determined, cry.

"Her power level is over 9000!" Pinkie's voice resonated with grief and rage, her words carrying an air of desperation. Suddenly, she produced a megaphone from her seemingly endless mane and shouted with every ounce of her being, directing her words to Twilight. "Kick their flank, Twilight!"

The atmosphere grew heavy with heartbreaking anticipation as Twilight's transformation built up slowly, the tension thickening with each passing moment. And then, in a blaze of fury, she unleashed her full power upon her enemies, her resolve unyielding, her grief channeled into an unstoppable force.

It was a battle that would be remembered for ages—a clash of darkness and a phoenix rising from the ashes of despair. And Twilight Sparkle, consumed by her emotions and driven by her undying love for Spike, would stop at nothing to bring justice to those who had stolen her dearest friend.

The battlefield crackled with raw magical energy as Twilight and her adversaries clashed in a mesmerizing display of power. Each movement, each spell cast, was infused with the intensity of Twilight's grief and rage. Her attacks were swift and precise, guided by an inner fire that burned brighter with every passing moment.

Sunset, her confidence shaken, struggled to keep up with Twilight's onslaught. She deflected magical projectiles with great effort, her defenses slowly crumbling under the relentless assault. "You think your anger will save you, little pony?" Sunset sneered, her voice strained. "But you're merely a vessel of emotions, while we possess true power!"

Twilight's eyes blazed with an otherworldly fire as she dodged and weaved, her body moving with a grace she had never before achieved. "You don't understand, Sunset," she retorted, her voice dripping with determination. "This isn't just about anger. It's about justice. Spike deserved better, and I will make sure you pay for what you've done!"

Nightmare Moon, her arrogance fading, unleashed dark spells in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hoof. But Twilight's fury propelled her forward, her movements guided by an unknown force. She weaved through the dark magic, her fiery wings leaving trails of shimmering embers in the air. "You won't escape this time," Twilight hissed through gritted teeth. "I will bring you both to your knees!"

The battle raged on, the clash of magical forces resonating throughout the battlefield. Twilight's attacks grew more potent, her flames intensifying with each passing second. It was as if the very essence of her being had become intertwined with the raging inferno that enveloped her.

Unbeknownst to Twilight and the others, a single feather, seemingly innocuous, drifted down from above. It gently landed on Spike's wounded chest, right where the hole had been. And as if guided by some mysterious force, the feather dissolved into a soft golden glow, seeping into Spike's now unconscious form.

Pinkie, her eyes darting across the chaotic scene, caught a glimpse of the feather's intervention. A knowing smile tugged at her lips, but she said nothing, allowing the events to unfold as they were meant to.

As the battle neared its climax, Twilight's attacks grew even more relentless. She unleashed a torrent of flames, engulfing her adversaries in a blazing inferno. The searing heat seared the ground beneath them, and the intensity of the flames mirrored the turmoil in Twilight's heart.

Sunset and Nightmare Moon, their forms battered and bruised, staggered back, their strength waning. But a twisted smile played upon Nightmare Moon's lips as she whispered to Sunset, her voice laced with a mixture of pain and determination. "Retreat... for now. But know this, Twilight Sparkle, your flames may burn bright, but they will eventually be extinguished."

With those words, Sunset and Nightmare Moon vanished into the shadows, leaving Twilight standing alone in the charred aftermath of their battle.

As the smoke began to clear, Twilight's fiery form slowly dissipated, her flames flickering and diminishing until she returned to her normal appearance. Breathing heavily, she staggered towards Spike's motionless body, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Spike," she sobbed, her voice choked with sorrow. "I failed you... I'm so sorry..."

Unaware of the miracle that had occurred, Twilight's trembling hoof reached out to touch Spike's cheek. And at that moment, as her hoof made contact, Spike's eyes fluttered open, confusion etched on his face.

Twilight recoiled in shock, her gaze locked with Spike's bewildered eyes. Her voice trembled with disbelief. "S-Spike? But... how?"

Spike blinked, his expression mirroring Twilight's astonishment. "Twilight? What... what happened?"

The truth of the situation slowly dawned on Pinkie, her eyes wide with a mix of wonder and satisfaction. She had known all along but chose to keep the secret locked within her cheerful heart.

The others, still in a daze from the battle, began to stir, their gazes turning to Spike, who was now alive and breathing. But none of them could comprehend the true nature of the events that had transpired.

Author's Note

Hey there, dear readers! First off, I apologize for the lengthy delay in updating this story. Life can be quite unpredictable, and the writer (me) found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of adventures and deadlines. But fear not! I have emerged from my self-imposed bunker, where I had been hiding from the Spike fans who were out for my blood. Yikes!

Now, as I timidly peer out, hoping the coast is clear, I must admit that I am still in awe of the overwhelming response to Spike's demise. Who knew that the little dragon had such a dedicated following? Your passion truly frightened me... in a friendly and creative way, of course!

And speaking of friendly and creative... let me tell you a little secret. As I was hiding away, there was one pony who seemed to be in on all the inside jokes and twists in the story. You guessed it—Pinkie Pie herself! She somehow managed to break through the fourth wall and give me the scare of a lifetime. You can imagine the look on my face when she appeared right beside me, grinning mischievously. I may have let out a high-pitched squeal that only dogs could hear.

So, as I bravely soldier on, continuing this intense and emotional battle, I want to thank you all for your patience and unwavering support. The story is far from over, and there are still surprises to come. Stay tuned, my dear readers, and remember to keep your guard up in case Pinkie decides to pay you a visit too!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be double-checking all the closets and under the beds. Pinkie's stealth skills are no joke. Wish me luck!

Yours in storytelling madness,

Rainboom_dash.

"and Pinkie."

GAH! Pinkie! I thought I told you to stop breaking the fourth wall. that's the fourth... wall... you've broken, pin unintended.

Echoes of the Hidden Flame: Prelude to Awakening

In the quiet aftermath of the cataclysmic battle, the midnight air in Ponyville was dense, laden with the scent of scorched earth and the remnants of potent magic. Despite the hour, the town's inhabitants, who had been mere spectators to the monumental clash between light and shadow, now ventured cautiously from their shelters. Their eyes, wide with a blend of disbelief and awe, reflected the moon's relentless glow, a celestial body that hung stubbornly in the sky, its descent halted by the powerful magic of Nightmare Moon.

Twilight Sparkle, her heart caught in a maelstrom of emotions, was at the epicenter of the bewildering aftermath. The miraculous revival of her dear friend, Spike, challenged the very fabric of her understanding. His bewildered gaze, an innocent mirror to the chaos that had just transpired, deepened the enigma. In the face of the impossible, the question of his survival hung heavily in the air, unanswered.

Around her, the ponies of Ponyville, emboldened by curiosity and a shared sense of wonder, congregated. Their whispers, a gentle murmur against the stillness of the midnight hour, wove a tapestry of speculation and amazement. Shining Armor, wearing an expression where relief met a profound concern, made his way to Twilight. His hoof, placed gently on her shoulder, was a comfort and a silent plea for understanding. "Twilight, what happened here? How did you...?" His voice, laden with the weight of the unseen and the unexplained, faltered, surrendering to the mystery.

With her gaze still locked on Spike, Twilight's response was a soft echo of her inner turmoil. "I don't know, Shining. I really don't; I want to question it myself: How could Spike be alive when I saw the hole in his stomach, felt it, and saw the floor on the other side? But right now, Spike is safe and alive, and that's all that truly matters to me."

Amid this, Pinkie Pie observed the unfolding scene; her vibrant spirit dimmed but was not extinguished by the gravity of the night's events. Her silence, atypical yet profound, held its secrets. Her eyes, gleaming with a knowing light, hinted at truths yet to be unraveled, understanding that some mysteries were destined to unfold in their own time.

As the moon continued its silent vigil, unyielding in the sky, the shadows it cast seemed to stretch with a life of their own, weaving into the fabric of Ponyville a reminder of the thin line between light and darkness. The town, marked indelibly by the day's trials, embarked on the delicate path of recovery, its pace measured and introspective.

Twilight, her spirit fortified by the trials she had weathered, recognized the transient nature of the peace that enveloped them. The retreat of Sunset and Nightmare Moon loomed in her mind, portents of trials and tribulations yet to be faced. Yet, in this moment of calm, she allowed herself a respite, a fleeting embrace of the peace that cradled Spike's inexplicable survival.

However, unknown to the weary inhabitants of Ponyville, the tapestry of their fate was being observed from the veiled depths of the Everfree Forest. A figure, enshrouded by the embrace of shadows, watched with keen interest, a sly grin unfurling in the darkness. "So, That was the power of the Phoenix," it murmured, its voice a chilling caress. "Intriguing... most intriguing. Twilight Sparkle, Soon you and your kind will be a part of my collection." the figure leaned forward, allowing the moon to light his scarred face, "Soon, the power of rebirth will be mine."

Back in the heart of Ponyville, under the unyielding gaze of the midnight moon, Twilight sat in silent vigil beside Spike. Her thoughts, a complex labyrinth of questions and fears, remained her own, a silent testament to the unfolding journey. The true essence of her power, the path that lay entwined with her destiny, remained enshrouded in the secrets of the night, a tale whispering to be told: Who, truly, was Twilight Sparkle?

Author's Note

Pinkie! Get in here.

Yes? Pinkie said, popping out from behind the bookshelf... that was up against the wall.

Hands Pinkie a sign that reads: "Up for adoption, please credit me If anyone picks this story up."

Keep Twi oblivious to her nature until after Nightmare Moon, though, as it makes a better plot twist than my poorly executed one.

Until then, this is the end unless I find motivation again or I'm asked to help whoever picks up the story.