Author's Note

This is the final chapter. There will not be any epilogue or other endings. This story has gone far enough and this will be the end.

Final Battle

Twilight bowed in the throne room, "I'm sorry Princess Celestial but the spell was more on instinct than thinking. I had thought that with a night's sleep, I could think of it."

Rainbow snarled, thinking, 'That was a lie. Starlight did the spell!'

The princess sighed, "It's alright, my faithful student. Magical bursts could happen to any unicorn, even an advanced one like you. Today, we will all be fighting."

Rainbow asked, "Why are we all fighting?"

Princess Celestia looked outside, "Our forces are dwindling in a rapid rate. This is our last possible attempt. If we lost, all of ponykind will be gone sooner than you could blink. That is why this is very important."

Suddenly a horn blared and the princess sighed, "Change into these clothes," she said while levitating clothes, "And go outside. There wasn't time to find a strategy so it's chaotic fighting. I shall be outside." The princess teleported, leaving the others. Rainbow put on her outfit, which was similar to the Wonderbolt's armor, which made flying faster and easier. Twilight's horn was the most protected it hers. Fluttershy got metal wings, a helmet, and regular clothes. Rarity's horn was also slightly protected and her body was completely covered. Pinkie only had a small suit of armed and Applejack had boots that made her quicker and stronger. Starlight didn't get anything but a small protector for her horn.

Twilight signaled them, "Let's go girls." All of them ran outside, save for Fluttershy who was looking outside before looking back in. Twilight blasted stun magic attacks at griffins, which took her energy and other made the griffins collapse on the ground for 30 seconds. Rarity was levitating knives and hurling them at the griffins. Pinkie was annoying the griffins. Rainbow was taunting them before dodging their attacks to make them harm another griffin and Starlight made a force field around herself. Rainbow landed next to Starlight and Starlight extended the force field to cover both of them.

Rainbow asked, "So we aren't going to do anything?"

Starlight calmly said, "It is their war, not our war. We don't need to be involved."

“It’s not fair to leave them out fighting! Yes, they are not our friends, but do you want to fight the griffins? Sometimes, we need to be loyal to our kind, and not be so stubborn.” Rainbow flew out of the forcefield to fight. Starlight stared after Rainbow before sighing. Although she didn’t like the other ponies, Rainbow was still her friend and she should help her fight. Rainbow smiled at Starlight before flapping her wings, creating storm clouds. She concentrated to flash lightning to various griffins, burning them. Starlight flashed out paralysis spell. The princess looked at them, surprised that her pupil lied and that Rainbow could do magic somehow. The rest of them also looked before Twilight realized that the Storm of Terror, which it was known as, was created by Rainbow and not by some natural causes.

Twilight smiled before turning to the others, “Applejack and Rarity, take the South. Fluttershy and I should take the East. Pinkie, you will fight in the West. You’re an one pony army either way.” They nodded and took off in their various pairs. Rainbow flew higher, reaching a really high altitude, her wings crackling with lightning and her coat was abstract against the dark sky, making her a highlight. Anypony that got too close would be zapped and killed immediately. Starlight levitated herself up, wincing from power overload and zapped griffins that were too close. Out of the corner of Rainbow’s eyes, she finally found that her previous friends and the princess were trapped in tied within the span of 4 minutes.

She landed with Starlight and they galloped across.

Rainbow recognized the griffin guarding immediately, “Gilda, let them go.”

Gilda laughed, in a dark tone, “Oh Rainbow, you are so foolish. Only you have some hope in defeating us but if there’s too many, you can’t do it, even with the powerful unicorn next to you.”

Rainbow looked around to see griffins all over the place, “You wouldn’t dare.”

Starlight whispered, “Go Rainbow and protect the people. I’ll hold them off for as long as I could... Just don’t die, okay?”

Rainbow looked at her before shaking her head, “I am not leaving you behind Starlight. You could teleport away and save the other ponies. I have a chance of holding them off.” Starlight hesitated before nodding and leaving, understanding the solemn tone of her friend.

Gilda smirked, “Well, well, Rainbow. You’re alone now. I’ll give you a 10 second head start to fly.”

Rainbow looked at the ponies tied up, who were looking at her with various emotions, “I won’t let you kill them Gilda.”

“9 seconds, Dash.” Rainbow gritted her teeth before waiting until there was one second left and taking off, with the griffins banging into each other, creating chaos. Still, there were griffins still chasing her and she made it to the highest altitude possible with oxygen. Seeing the griffins still chasing her, she was going to go to the East to lose them and make sure that none of them would hurt anypony until she saw... Gilda, still below, with a knife inching towards Fluttershy’s neck.

Rainbow cried out, “No!” Her wings flashed with lightning, and she dove. In light speed, she created a Sonic Rainbow, breaking its barriers and making the griffins fall to the ground. Gilda’s knife began to cut Fluttershy’s throat. Urging her wings to fly faster, Rainbow pushed her limits and she felt her body beginning to give way to a double Rainboom. Gilda was now choking Fluttershy and one more second would kill her. Then, she made the Double Rainboom occur, making Gilda’s knife rebound and kill herself. The Rainboom knocked all the restraints away and just about every griffin was gone, save for a few. The clouds cleared away instantly, revealing a full moon in the night sky. Rainbow tried to go up just as the Rainboom was done but her wings were going too fast already and it’s too late. She crashed onto the ground, creating a giant hole that dug far in the Earth.

She took her last breath, “I’m sorry.”

Princess Celestia stood up, remembering what Rainbow did. She dove in after Rainbow, frantic to catch her but she heard a crash and her heart raced with worry. She levitated Rainbow out and Rainbow’s previous friends wept. Fluttershy alone was already creating a river of tears while the others were in denial.

Starlight teleported back and stared at Rainbow’s body, “What?”

Twilight whispered, “She promised that she would not let them kill us. She never said that they wouldn’t kill her.”

Fluttershy screamed, which was a rare nature for her, “I treated her so badly! I-I betrayed her and she was only loyal to us.” Princess Celestia looked into the night sky, remembering her sister.

The princess looked down, “I’ve got to go and make up for my mistakes.” She picked up Rainbow’s limp body and teleported into the place where Luna made her ritual. The five graves were still there. Princess Celestia buried Rainbow before putting a random tombstone with her named carved on it. She took her sister’s too.

Princess Celestia remembered her sister saying that raising more than one dead would kill anypony, experienced of not.

The princess looked at the moon, “I’m sorry sister. There could’ve been another way. I just hope that it isn’t too late for forgiveness.” She chanted the words that Luna said and almost lost her balance as she felt the most painful torture that she had ever encountered. Rainbow and Luna’s spirits rose up and formed full bodies. The last thing Princess Celestia saw was the two ponies she betrayed looking at her with a blank face.