The Lunar War

Chapters

Dark moon rising (prologue)
So it begins...
The Burning
The Aftermath
An unexpected protector
A fatal setback...
The continuing fall

Dark moon rising (prologue)

The moon had started is ascent into the sky when a dark figure strode through Canterlot. He looked all around himself as he ventured, wary of everything around him. He had only been in the city a couple times, and each time he was nearly killed by the guards or somepony else who did not like him being there. He looked up as he approached the towers of the castle. Above on the highest tower he saw his goal: Princess Luna. He had a message for her. He moved from shadow to shadow until he cleared the gates of the castle, then walked into the moonlight in the courtyard for Luna to see him.

He was a rather small colt with a dark blue fur, no wings, a horn, and blue eyes. He had a scar on either side of his flank....but he had no cutie mark. He had lost it years before when his teacher had become angered at him, and thought only that his special talent was no talent at all, but a curse, and had removed the Cutie Mark. What was it though? He had a gift....He could change the sway of ponies lives. He could manipulate ponies into doing anything...And soon he would be put to full use.

Luna looked around the city before finally looking down at the colt who stood below. Her eyes flashed white for a brief moment before her horn sparked, and she appeared on the ground in front of him. He bowed as she teleported to him, showing his respect. "My Princess....I bring information regarding the six ponies you wished for me to watch over. They no longer seem to be as close as once believed. In fact, they argue often now, and sometimes stop speaking to each other for a short time. Though they usually make up later, I believe we can use what little anger they have against each other...and possibly against her in the near future." He remained bowed as he spoke, and waited for her to speak.

"We could not be happier to hear this, Mephisto. You have done us a great deal, and have sacrificed much for us to bring forth our era of an Empire. And your idea of using them against my dear sister is perfect. When the time comes, we want you to start using your magic on them, start turning them against her. Turn Twilight Sparkle last. We want it all to come together perfectly. She has a gift, it seems. She has a foresight to know that something bad is happening. We want her to truly see how bad things can get before she helps us." Luna spoke quietly to Mephisto, knowing her sister could still very well be awake and watching. "Now then. Go back to Ponyville and continue watching. We will let you know when the time to change them is perfect. As for us, we are going to find a few things that will help in the plan...." With that, Luna stomped on the ground, finalizing all she had said, and vanished, returning to the tower, looking down upon him. She watched him for a moment, and returned her gaze to the city.

"My princess...." He whispered as he bowed and backed out of the main gates. Once through the gate, he started to gallop to the main city gates. He moved in and out of alley's and streets, avoiding all guards. Once to the gate, he moved out of sight, away from all who could be watching, and started back towards Ponyville. As he left the city, a voice touched his mind, Luna.

"Know that we will begin the L.W. within 2 days time...." Was all she said to him. He grinned devilishly and sped onwards....

A sharp cry rang through the castle. It was still night. The guards patrolling all looked around before turning and running towards the source of the sound. In one of the grander rooms of the castle, Cadence sat in her bed, shaking and crying. Shining Armor next to her, trying to comfort her. "It was just a dream, Cadence, it wasn't real."

"B-but I saw her fall from the castle tower. I...I saw her get hit with a powerful beam with all colors..." She stuttered.

"That would never happen. You and I both know the only ones capable of doing something like that would never, ever try and do anything against Celestia." He said in a soothing, calm voice.

"It was so real though! I felt like I was actually there watching it. And there was nothing I could do! Luna wasn't even there to help her own sister either! No nightmare has ever been this bad!" She started crying loudly again as she finished speaking. A moment after, loud banging sounded at the door.

"Princess Miyamore Cadenza! Are you alright? Is something wrong?" the voice cried out through the door. Shining Armor stood slowly to answer the door. He moved over towards it and peeked out.

"Princess Cadence is alright. You needn't worry, I assure you." he told the guard. The guard saluted, and turned to the others around him.

"Return to your post's." A few moments after they parted. A bright flash illuminated outside the door, and the door clicked open. Celestia had been woken up by the cry. As she entered the room, she saw Shining Armor still attempting to soothe his wife's distressed mind.

"Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, what is wrong? I heard you cry all the way up in my tower, and came to see if something had happened." She spoke to them. She approached the bedside and looked down at Cadence, who returned the look with sad, tearful eyes.

"Oh Celestia! I had the worst nightmare ever! It felt so real I thought it had actually happened!" Cadence cried suddenly leaping up and putting her hooves around Celestia's neck. "I am so happy it wasn't real though! I don't know what I would do if that happened!" She continued.

"My dear Princess Cadence, whatever it was, I assure you I would not allow it to happen. I do not like to see ponies unhappy...Especially my own Niece. You need not tell me of your Nightmare, for it is over now, and I am here." She replied softly, placing a hoof around Cadence as well. Shining Armor remained silent the entire time. He knew that this was a time for them to talk, and not he. "Now then, you two try and get some rest. And dream peaceful dreams." Celestia said warmly to the two before returning to her own chambers.

"I-I'm so glad...." Cadence whispered.

"There, there dear. Lets try and get some sleep like she suggested. Ok? And don't worry, I'm here with you." Shining said to her. She returned to the bed, and lay with him until they fell asleep once more, holding each other close.

So it begins...

Twilight yawned as the morning sun rose and shone brightly through her window. "Well that was a pretty good sleep. How'd you sleep Spike?" She asked looking over the edge of the bed at the sleeping dragon. "Hehe...I guess I'll let you sleep in. After all, it is the weekend." She got up quietly and made the bed with her magic, straightening the covers, fluffing the pillow, and returning it to it's place at the head of the bed before closing the blinds and leaving the room to give Spike some more time. She went to the kitchen, starting some tea on the stove. "I wonder what Rarity is doing today....Maybe I'll go by and visit her once Spike is awake. He would be so upset if I went there without him." She snickered a little as she thought of how the baby dragon had a crush on Rarity.

She moved around the kitchen, getting some breakfast whipped up and ready while she waited for the tea to finish. Upstairs she heard Spike moving around a little, but figured he'd be down in a minute. "Hmmm...I think I'm going to be extra nice to him this morning." She said quietly to herself pulling a few rubies she'd been hiding from him from a cupboard. She quickly placed them atop the pancakes she had made for him, and moved over to her tea, deciding it had been steeping enough. She moved her preparations to the table. She waited a few moments and looked to the kitchen door. "Where could he be? Usually he makes it down within a minute at most....Spike? Spike???" She called out to him. She heard nothing.

She stood slowly from her seat, and moved towards the door when a thud sounded from above, followed by a cry,"Twilight!! Help Twilight!!!" Twilight reacted instantly and teleported to the bedroom.

"Spike!!" She looked around quickly, trying to find out why he was so distressed. Within a second, she found the answer. A colt, deep blue in color, and scars on his flank. He looked at her with shock, like he hadn't expected her to get there so fast. "Put down the baby dragon!" She demanded as just floating behind him was a cloth sack that kept moving and squirming. He looked back to the bag, and back to her. His horn started to glow blue as a grim expression crossed his face. Twilight's reaction was instant. She quickly shot a beam of purple energy at the colt before her. His expression widened as he quickly brought a shield up to protect himself. In doing so, he lost the magic flow holding Spike up, allowing the bag to drop to the floor. Twilight shot a few more at the shield. Hitting it hard. The blue unicorn finally backed towards the window, getting away from the onslaught as Twilight did not let up. He had tried to take her baby dragon. He was going to get the go around.

"How dare you come into my home, attack my dragon, and then try and take him before trying to assault me!" She said angrily to him. He glared at her as he backed towards the window, and released the shield in an outward burst, sending everything in the room including, Twilight and Spike, flying into the wall. Twilight slammed into it and stood up looking at the window. He was gone. But she had saved Spike. Spike!! She turned to the unconscious dragon and picked him up with her magic. "Oh Spike! Please be okay!" She said worriedly, carrying him downstairs into the kitchen. She moved to the sink and brought a washcloth over, and putting it under the faucet. She then dabbed his head with it. A few moments passed of her worrying before he woke up.

"Wh-what happened...? Oh my gosh! Twilight there's a--!!!!"

"Shhh....it's alright Spike. I'm here. The intruder is gone. How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?" She asked him, setting him on the counter.

"I'm fine...Thanks Twilight....But why did he try and dragonnap me?" He asked her confusedly.

"I don't know Spike....And he got away before I could catch him...We must send a letter to Celestia. But I will let you enjoy your breakfast first...After having that experience, I think you should get a moment." She said to him bringing him to the table and placing him before the pancakes. She sat on the other side of him. And watched him as he ate. But the entire time, her thoughts were on the stranger. Spike finished and looked at Twilight.

"T-Twilight? Shouldn't we send the letter now? I'm feeling better now...Thanks for the pancakes Twi..." He said.

"Alright then Spike, take a letter. Dear Princess Celestia, this letter is of urgent importance as only minutes ago, a mysterious male Unicorn broke in and tried to take Spike. I managed to stop him before he could take Spike away, but I was unable to capture him as he used a powerful spell to send me and Spike into the wall before escaping out of the window. He was dark blue with scars where his cutie mark should have been. As I said, this is of urgent importance and requires your immediate attention. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." She finished speaking as Spike got the last few words in and sent it out.

It only took a moment before they had a reply. But it was not what Twilight had expected. "My dearest Twilight, I find myself in a position that I never imagined as I will be unable to aid you personally. The best I can do is send some guards to the town in an effort to search out and find the said pony. I would give you a more detailed explanation had I the time, but sadly I do not. All I can say is something is happening in Equestria." Twilight turned the letter over, and over again, as if to find more, sadly she found nothing. "What in Equestria could be happening to make Princess Celestia run completely out of time?" She turned and walked towards the window and looked out towards Canterlot. "I hope something bad isn't going to happen...."

"So yer sayin that he just tried to come in an' take him?"

"Oh my little Spikey Wikey! I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Oh Spike, I'm so happy you aren't hurt. That must have been so scary."

"If I would have been here I would have given him a piece of my hoof!"

"Were you scared? I bet you were! That would have been so scary! What if he had taken you? I wonder where he would have gone? I--"

"Pinkie please! Yes Applejack, that's what was weird about it. Like he had planned it so I wouldn't be in the room or something." Twilight finally replied after the others had arrived. She had sent letters to each of them after making sure Spike was fine once more, not long after the letter had arrived from the Princess. During the arrival of each of them, Spike had been bombarded with hugs, and even a kiss on the cheek from Rarity...which put the entire ordeal out of his mind completely. "And when I sent a letter to Celestia, she replied in a way that seemed rushed, like she had no time. She said something is happening in Equestria!" The other five looked to each other after she'd finished speaking.

"But what could be happening here in Equestria? I mean, sure, we haven't had the greatest luck with staying out of trouble, but so soon?" Rarity replied to Twilight.

"I hope there isn't something bad happening, because it must be very bad if it's got Celestia running short on time." Twilight stopped and looked at the others worriedly as they all nodded in agreement with her.

The guards of Canterlot gathered in the castle grounds waiting for Princess Celestia to give them urgent news, but she was running late. She'd been late all day. So, in her stead, she sent Shining Armor and Cadence to inform the guards. Shining stepped up onto the stage followed by Cadence. As they did, all the guards saluted until he saluted back to them. They both cleared their throats, and Cadence stepped forward. "A threat has been made against all of Equestria. We know not by who, or when they plan to strike." She started, allowing Shining Armor to step up and finish.

"But what we do know is whoever made the treat is very dangerous. Within the last day, over 15 towns and cities across Equestria have reported Riots, and deaths. Even here in Canterlot, as you all know, there was a fight at a night club that ended in the building burning down, and in the destruction of the buildings beside it. But all of these seem to be connected as there is no logical way besides that to explain why all of this started to happen. What I want from you, though, is the important thing. I want you to double up on guard duty. I know you don't want to, but your homes could be at stake, as well as your ruler. You will not go unrewarded for doing so either." He finished. The guards Saluted again. "Now, you have your orders, carry them out." Shining saluted them all, and put his hoof down, and the guards dispersed.

"I hope something happens soon that can explain what is going on..." Cadence said quietly beside him.

"So do I, Cadence....So do I...." Shining replied quietly back to her.

The day was starting to come to a close when the guards finally left Ponyville, unsuccessful in the hunt for the strange Unicorn. Twilight, and the other five sat in the library, drinking tea....well....except Rainbow Dash, she chose to just sit there without the tea. Twilight sighed after a moment. "I just don't know Rarity. I've told you, the letter doesn't say anything specifically, it just said something was going to happen. And I haven't gotten a reply from her since this morning, even after sending two more letters to her. I sent one to Cadence, and all she said was things were starting to happen, bad things. That was all she said." She finished in reply to a question Rarity had asked.

"Well we gotta do something! We can't just sit here and wait for something bad to happen! What if something happened here?!" Rainbow Dash finally cried out from where she was sitting. "And instead of asking any of the Princesses, why don't we just go find out for ourselves?" She said to them.

"We already tried that Rainbow Dash! The train to Canterlot is shut down, and the only one besides you who can fly is Fluttershy. And we can't just sit here while you and Fluttershy try and find something that we have no clue of what it is." Twilight finished. Spike had been sitting between Twilight and Rarity for the entire conversation, only offering a few words. But now he stood, ready to speak his mind. But before he could get a single word out, he belched out the familiar green flame. As Twilight picked it up to read it, the light outside seemed to change, but at the moment, none of them noticed. Twilight looked at the letter for a moment before looking at the others. "It's a letter from Princess Celestia!"

"What you waitin' fur then? Open it up!" Apple Jack exclaimed. Twilight nodded and opened it up.

"Something very bad is happening. You must evacuate Ponyville as soon as possible before it is too late." She turned it over, extreme worry on her face. "It doesn't say anything else!!!" She told them. The others looked at her worried, even scared.

"E-evacuate? Why though? What happened? What's going on?!" Fluttershy asked Twilight.

"I don't know!" She threw the letter onto the table and looked towards the window. "Wait...wasn't it still light out a few minutes ago?" She stood and went to the window, looking into the sky. The sun had been blotted out by the moon. "What in the name of Celestia is going on? There wasn't supposed to be any eclipses like this for a few months!" She said. A moment later, spike belched out another letter. Twilight turned and ran over, grabbing it. "To my dearest Twilight, and all of her friends. You are alone, and very exposed. My sister, Princess Luna has claimed rule over the day and night once more, and this time I fear I may not be able to stop her...I am so sorry for all that is about to happen...But I must do my best to save Equestria. So, it is as your Princess, that I tell you possibly, my last goodbye. If I should not speak with any of you again, know that in the thousands of years I have ruled, that there has been no ponies more important and life changing to me, than you six. So it is with great sadness that I tell you, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie pie....Goodbye.....Princess Celestia." Twilight stopped reading as a tear fell from her fur onto the piece of parchment. The others were shocked into silence.

"Oh no....What 're we gonna do gals? If the Princess can't stop her sister, then who can? We ain't got no way to get ta Canterlot to get the Elements. And even if we could, I doubt Luna'd let us." Apple Jack finally spoke up. The others looked around at each other and her, but none had an answer, even Twilight. She was still in too much shock from the farewell letter. Celestia had been like a mother to her, in a way, as she had been there for her for most of her life, helping her control her magic, and helping her to become friends with the most wonderful ponies in Equestria......She couldn't take it. Her vision blurred and she lurched to the side, fainting. Her mind unable to fathom ever losing Celestia...

"Twilight!!! Wake up Twilight!!! We have a major issue here!!! TWILIGHT WAKE UP!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled, finally picking Twilight up with her hooves and shaking her. "Twilight! Ponyville has come under attack by Luna's dark steed ponies! They killed Spike!!!" Twilight groaned a little as she opened her eyes. But the last words struck her chest like a sledgehammer. Spike dead? No....that was impossible....he couldn't be...NO! Her eyes snapped open as they lit up brightly with light. The darkness from the eclipse had turned a red as dark magic poured over Equestria now. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash before letting out a scream of agony and sadness, as well as a wall of magic that sent her flying into the wall of a half destroyed home.

Twilight's mind had one thing in it. Find Spike. She is lying. Spike had to be alive!!! She looked around herself quickly, her magical energy rising. She finally spotted the Library and teleported. She appeared inside of it, or what remained of it. The entire top half had been burned off, and some of the lower walls were cracked and caving. But sure enough, there in the center, laying peacefully with the Fire Ruby he'd given Rarity on his chest. His little claws had been placed gently on top of it. Horrible burns were all across his body, the worst at his chest, beneath his small form was a dark puddle. The sight tore Twilight from her temporary craze as she rushed over and looked down at the baby dragon. She lifted him with magic and hugged him, starting to cry heavily. Her baby dragon was dead....After all the years of taking care of him, feeding him, teaching him, loving him...he was gone. Twilight arched her head back and let out a loud, sorrowful cry.

A loud thud sounded nearby as she quieted. "Well, lookie who it is. It's the pet of Celestia." A male voice. Twilight looked straight ahead upon hearing his voice, starting to shake..."Oh and she has the weak little dragon. How sad, isn't it? When we first arrived, we went for the library, knowing you would be there. And when we burst in we found you guys. You on the floor, the others around you. Since Luna's plans were ruined by you stopping Mephisto, or at least, they were setback, she decided that she no longer needed you guys, so she told us to kill you. Sadly before our attack struck the white one, the dragon dove into the path. Of course he died instantly, but what do you expect?" He grinned devilishly at Twilight who kept her back to him. Her shaking had worsened. "Then after only a few moments, the entire building was burning down, and they were escaping out the back with you. I don't understand why the body of that thing remains though, and why he isn't covered up. But I guess I really don't care. And now, I guess it's time for you to die. So would you care to say anything first?" He finished, charging up a beam of energy.

"Would I like to say anything.......?" Her voice was hollow, and filled with violent undertones now. "I guess I would......." Her horn sparked as a shield flared behind her, and she stood, facing the Evil Stallion. "This.....is for killing Spike....." Her face was contorted in rage as her eyes glowed once more, glowing a bright gold. Her horn glowed as well as a thick, and powerful bolt of lightning struck out from the shield and struck the Stallion in the chest. The damage caused was extreme. A hole had been blown through his armor and his chest, leaving a burnt, bleeding gouge in his body. He had also been sent flying through one of the remaining walls of the Library, causing more damage. He had been killed instantly. Her eyes continued to glow as she turned her gaze to the rest of ponyville. Her shaking worsening every minute. "You come to my home and kill Spike...You burn my house down.....you attack my friends....destroy the town......and then try to kill me....." She stopped as a small tear fell from her eye. "You will all pay for this...."

Suddenly, she let out a loud yell as she was enveloped by light and lifted into the air. Her Horn sparked and glowed as the light grew brighter. All the foul stallions flew towards her, their attention caught, and their intent to kill. None of them made it to her. The light around her shot outwards catching them, and causing instant 3rd degree burns to their entire bodies. Their wings were burnt off, as well as their horns. Their fur was vaporized. As the light had expanded outwards, it had also let off beams of pure, unrestrained energy. These beams caught a few of the stallions, piercing through them completely, and dropping them to the ground, twitching, and bleeding to death. Those that came afterwards got the worst of it. More came up behind her, trying to catch her off guard, but her reaction was instant as she spun around and faced them. No more words were said....No more tears were shed.....Nothing but sorrow remained in her heart.....Nothing but rage remained in her thoughts.....

The war had begun, and the fight for night and day had arrived.

The Burning

Twilight woke and looked around suddenly, jumping to her hooves. She had no clue where she was, or if anything had been real. A light appeared on her horn, and she realized she was in a familiar house. "A-Apple Jack? Sweetie Belle? Anypony?" She called out in the darkness. What time was it? She didn't really know. She went to the window, but found it barred shut from the inside. She managed to peek through a crack between boards, and gasped. The entire farm was destroyed. The barn was torn to pieces, the apple orchards looked like they'd never been alive in the first place. As did all the plants. She backed away from the window, and bumped into some pony else. She froze for a split second and turned around, the magic on her horn turning red as she prepared to attack.

"Wait Twi! It's me Apple Jack!" Shouted the figure. Sure enough, as Twilight finished turning around, she saw the familiar face of her friend. But something was off....She looked like she'd been crying for hours. She had streaks going through the fur on her face, her hooves were completely covered in dirt and muck, and a red bow was around her left leg. Twilight looked her over once more, then it snapped. She looked down at the red bow and looked up into her face, shaking her head, and mouthing the words no. Apple jack hung her head and nodded. Twilight instantly brought a hoof to her own mouth in horror. Then her thoughts came rushing back. Spike was dead. Library was gone. Luna had taken over. Celestia was nowhere to be found.

"I....I'm so sorry Apple Jack. There's nothing I can really say.....H-how did it happen?" She asked her friend shakily.

"Well Twi.....While we were off at the Library tendin' to ya and hearin' 'bout what happened to Spike, those darned Unicorns attacked the farm and started destroyin' everythin'. Big Macintosh told me that Apple Bloom.....She was in the Orchard....And.....And he said she didn't have a chance....They burned her alive Twilight! They burned Poor Apple Bloom alive!!!" She started to cry once more. Sobbing nearly uncontrollably. She sniffed a moment, and looked her in the eyes,"Whats worse is she was alive when we got you here....But she was in awful pain....There was nothin' we could do....I...I had ta...." She couldn't finish speaking. Her words not wanting to come out, for good reason. Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder, then took her in a hug.

"I'm sorry....I'm sorry....This should never have happened....W...where are the others?" She asked her pulling back after a moment.

"Rarity...Fluttershy....Rainbow Dash....an Pinkie Pie are in the other room. We can't find Sweetie, an Scootaloo isn't doin to well. She had her Wings snapped, an it was all Rarity could do ta stop the bleeding." She told her. Twilight looked to the door behind her, then back to her.

"Come on, Apple Jack, lets go to them..." she said, putting a hoof around her friend again to assist in turning her around. they left the room, and made their way to the kitchen where most of the others were. "Where's Granny Smith and Big Mac at?" Twilight instantly asked, noticing they were missing from the group. Apple Jack looked at her and shook her head slightly.

"Big Mac...He's off buryin' Granny Smith.....She couldn't handle the loss of Apple Bloom....Her heart...It just broke...." She slunk over to a small mattress in the corner, and laid down on it, succumbing to the tears once more. Twilight took a moment then to look around the room. Rainbow Dash had a bandage around her torso, and a blood stain on the left side, Rarity's mane was a mess for once. Pinkie Pie wasn't smiling. Fluttershy lay in another corner, shaking horribly as she slept uneasily. A terrified look was across her face. Scootaloo lay next to Rainbow Dash, her wings twitching occasionally, and each time, bringing a wave of pain that brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes.

Twilight went over to Rainbow and Scootaloo and knelt next to them, looking at Scootaloo. "I'm going to try and help your wings, alright? I will try and make it as painless as possible, but I will have to re-break the skin and pull it across the bones, otherwise it won't heal right. Is that alright?" She asked her, allowing a very small, weak smile. Scoot looked up at her, pain and terror on her face. She looked to Rainbow Dash, and back.

"O-okay...Twilight...." She said quietly. Rainbow pushed a piece of wood towards Scootaloo, bite marks already on it from before. She picked it up with her mouth and buried her face into Rainbows chest. Twilight's horn started to glow again as she prepared the spell she intended to use.

"1....2....3" Twilight counted down, giving her a chance to prepare as much as possible. Once the count hit 3, she cut the skin with magic, and pulled the skin up and over the bones. Instantly Scootaloo let out a sharp cry through the wood and Rainbow's fur. Rainbow Dash put a hoof around her head, gently, and held her there. Twilight kept it from bleeding with her magic, and made a new incision up her wing so she could see the damage. The bones were shattered. Even the best doctor in Equestria could never give her her wings back. So, she did what she could. She started mending the bones as best as she could. She put blood veins back together, and even reattached muscle's and sinew. When she was done with the first wing, she looked to Scootaloo. She'd been screaming in pain for over 5 minutes until she had passed out from it. The others had looked over to them, wincing and quickly turning away, feeling her pain. Twilight worked on the other wing, and closed it up as well. She looked to Rainbow Dash then.

"Thanks Twi...." She croaked. Her voice had been worn out from yelling earlier. "She'll never fly, will she?" She asked her, examining Twilight's face. She shook her head.

"I don't think even the best Doctor in Equestria could make her wings work for that. But at least....at least they won't hurt as badly now, and there won't be internal bleeding either." She said to her.

"How ever did you know what to do, Twilight?" Rarity whispered, approaching and joining the two on the floor. "Even I couldn't do much more than seal the skin to keep her from bleeding to death. And the entire thing was simply awful for the both of us."

"I read about the layout of Pegasi wings once while I was still studying at the Castle. So I did my best to help her, but her wings are so small and under-developed so it was hard. Plus her bones are still softer than a full grown Pegasi, so they wouldn't heal right either, not with my magic." She explained. Rarity nodded and looked down at her, placing a hoof gently on her side, behind her wing. She looked at Twilight and stood, trotting away quietly. Twilight looked over to Rainbow a moment after Rarity had walked away. "Would you like for me to help your side, Rainbow Dash?" She asked her, looking at the bloodied bandage. She shook her head.

"Rarity managed to slow the bleeding, and wrap it up. I don't want you wearing yourself out. We may need your magic, and can't have you passing out on us for 2 days again like you did when you lost your control back in Ponyville." She told her.

"Lost my control? What even happened? Last thing I remember was killing.....killing that one colt in the Library...." She said, shaking at the thought that she'd killed.

"You went completely nuts and sent out a wave of energy that killed at least 20 of them, before you turned to the rest and just started to drop them like flies everyway you could. The last thing you did was what put you out for 2 days. Hundreds of them were coming in, we had already left town to get to safety. We looked back and saw you float into the air with electricity around you before a tower of light and electricity shot up, consuming you, and then consuming all of Ponyville. Thank Celestia no pony was there anymore, because all that's left is a crater and debris. We pulled Spike out before we left, and Apple Jack gave him a proper burial next to Apple Bloom and the others." She told her. "You can go see it...if you want....it's over in front of where the barn was. They are all named too." She told her. Scootaloo twitched and she looked down at her before hugging her gently, and laying her head down.

Twilight nodded and stood, going to the door, and going out. She closed her eyes before going out, and opened them as the door clicked shut. She was instantly hit with the smell of smoke and death. She looked around in the dim light of the moon, and saw the wreckage of the barn. She approached it and looked in front of it. There had to be 25 graves easy. She approached the graves and started to read them. The cakes; all 4. The mayor. Derpy. Spike. Apple Bloom. Lyra. Lily Blossom. And many others. She went to Spikes grave, and sat before it. She saw that he'd been given an Epitaph.

Here Lies Spike.

In life, a great friend, and wonderful family to us all. In death, a hero who gave his life to keep Rarity the

Unicorn alive. He will always be remembered and loved. And most of all, he will be missed greatly by his

closest family, friend, and teacher, Twilight Sparkle. May Celestia guide him into heaven, and may he

rest in peace.

Twilight broke down and started crying once again as she finished reading it. It was a touching epitaph. And a true one. She would never forget him as long as she lived, and her heart would never be whole again. There was an emptiness in her heart now. She felt it. Like some pony had put a cart of fruit on her chest. She didn't know how long she sat there crying, but it took Big Mac's touch on her shoulder to pull her out of her depression.

"Come on missus Twilight. Let's git you inside now." He said to her. His voice seemed the same as ever, but his face showed true pain and loss. Twilight looked up at him, her fur soaked from crying. She looked back to Spikes grave. Her horn illuminated for a moment before the headstone, which was a plank of wood vanished, and was replaced by a marble slab. As was every pony else's. She stood and slunk slowly towards the house. Big Mac looked at what she had done, and put a hoof on her shoulder, stopping her for a moment. She looked back to him, and he nodded weakly, showing his approval for her spell. It was after that, they went inside.

The sound of hooves running across a tiled floor echoed loudly in the halls of Canterlot Castle. Guards were running all over the place. The castle was in complete chaos, as was the city, and everything around. Luna had launched an attack from someplace unknown to Celestia, so she could only defend from the unending onslaught. The front doors of the castle cracked....They would soon be inside. A guard made note and quickly turned, running to inform Celestia who was currently in the center of the massive building. It took him a few minutes to get to her location, but once he found her, he relayed what he had seen, and what he knew.

"If what you say is true, then it seems we may need to vanish for a while." Celestia replied to him. She looked down to the ground in thought for a moment before looking back to him. "And have we any news from ponyville?"

"M'lady! According to scouts and spies across the city, a large tower of energy was seen coming from ponyville...That is all we know." He saluted as he finished speaking. Celestia dismissed him and turned from the door going into a second room with seating where Cadence and Shining Armor were already present.

"I have some dark news, Cadence and Shining Armor. They will be breaking through the front doors soon, and will be inside the castle. There is nothing from Ponyville except information that says a large tower of energy was seen at the site of the town. So as far as I know and am able to tell you now...Ponyville was destroyed. I'm sorry you two." Cadence brought her hooves to her mouth as she started to tear up.

"Twili....." Shining Armor couldn't form words. Twilight had lived in Ponyville, and the town was gone....did that mean she was gone as well? "I...I have to go find my sister. I have to. If I don't at least try, then what kind of older brother am I...." He said to Celestia and Cadence. Cadence put a hoof around his shoulder.

"I-I don't want you to go, but if you must go, then go. Just make sure you return safely....and find Twilight. Please find her." Cadence said to him. He looked at her and nodded, and looked to Celestia.

"I swear, with you here as my witness, that I shall find Twilight, and will return here with her, safely." He announced, saluting Princess Celestia before turning towards the door. "I know I may not see either of you for a while, but I will go as fast as I can so I can return to you both as soon as possible." He quickly ran out the door. Cadence turned to Celestia for a moment, and back to the door.

"Do you think he will be alright?" She asked her worriedly.

"He will be fine, Cadence. You need not worry as he knows what he is doing. Lets just hope he finds her as she is important to all of us." She finished and returned to the other room without the chairs, and continued pacing.

"I want her now!" Luna demanded. "Bring me Twilight Sparkle! She is the ticket to getting those three from hiding." Her tone was filled with irritation and anger. She'd heard nothing from her battalion she'd sent to Ponyville, and even the few scouting groups hadn't returned. She expected results from her soldiers, but when all she got was nothing, it was especially vexing. "If I don't have Twilight Sparkle in the prison within one hour, I will be forced to take much, much more drastic measures." Every word she spoke, she meant, and the soldiers knew it. They saluted and left, going to their mission. "As for you, Mephisto, I am displeased that our original plan had to fail because of you and your incompetence. If not for you waking the dragon and alerting her, we would instead have the baby dragon, and her, and her friends would now be losing their faith in my sister. Instead, we had to just start the assault, and hope when the time comes, that I will be strong enough to kill Celestia." She finished, turning towards the window and looking down at the rest of Canterlot. She'd taken the tower with ease, so she might watch her forces take the city.

"I'm sorry for my failure Princess Luna. I had not planned on the dragon being awake and making the bed. But if you must punish me for it, then I understand." He told her, bowing to her.

"Punish you.....yes. That is exactly what needs be done. And it will make the others see just how much trouble they can get in for failure." She turned to him and lifted him off the floor. A sharp crack resounded followed by a scream of pain. She'd snapped his horn off, jaggedly for effect. "There is no such thing as simply being 'punished' by me, Luna. Everypony gets one chance." She told him. As he was held in the air, he kept flailing, trying to put a hoof on his broken stump of a horn, hoping to make the pain go away. Tears were streaming down through his blue fur, staining it darker. Luna turned towards the balcony and ventured out onto it. The city was starting to burn down on the farther side. "We shall use the Royal Canterlot voice for what we are about to say!" She announced. "Anypony who does not meet expectations for their duties shall be dealt with. Here is your warning!" She went silence, and turned away, returning inside. She quickly flicked Mephisto off the tower as she went inside. His scream lasted only a few seconds before a thud sounded below.

"Now....Lets hope those foals I sent after Twilight Sparkle return. Otherwise, I shall do much worse than this to them..."

The only noise in the house was the sounds of it settling, and the sounds of the others breathing. An occasional whimper escaped Scootaloo's small form near Rainbow Dash. But aside from that, nothing moved. Twilight had passed out in a corner after returning inside, having used a large amount of magic making the headstones. The others had been worried at first, but they had decided that she needed the sleep, regardless of what she had done. It was about halfway through the 'night' when a loud clanging sounded outside the farmhouse. Immediately at the door was Big Mac. Ready to defend what was left of his home, and his family. Twilight slowly came to as he unbolted the door. He prepared to open it when the sound of frantic knocking and clattering came at the door. Big Mac quickly threw the door open and looked out.

"Whoever's out there y'all better show yerselves right now!" He yelled. The small sounds of crying tore his attention to the ground where Sweetie Belle lay. Her horn was cracked, her fur burnt in a few spots, and even a few minor cuts were noticeable. "Sweetie Belle! Where in Tarnation have you been? Your sister has been worryin about you." He quickly pulled her in with a hoof, keeping an eye out around the area until he pulled the door shut. Rarity had woken up during the event, and before Sweetie Belle could even stop crying to say anything, she was taken into a hug by her sister.

"Oh Sweetie Belle! Whatever happened to you?! I looked everywhere! But I simply could not find you and had to stop. We came back here, and ever since all I had been thinking about was your safety. I was worried sick! Never do that to me again Sweetie Belle! Now lets get you cleaned up." She started in immediately wanting to put her sisters looks over her well being.

"Rarity..." Twilight approached her, putting a hoof onto her shoulder. Rarity smiled weakly and looked to Sweetie Belle, hugging her gently again and sitting quietly. "We are glad you are still alive Sweetie Belle, but there is somepony here who needs a friend, go to her." She told her, motioning towards Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle nodded and ran past her, going to Scootaloo. It took her a few minutes, but after finding out what had happened with Scoot, she looked around then spoke out.

"W-wheres Apple Bloom? Apple Jack? Where is your sister? She's alright isn't she?" She looked to Apple Jacks eyes, waiting for the answer, but when all she got was a somber head shake, she started to lose it. "Apple Bloom can't be gone! She can't be! We never found her cutie mark! You're lying to me! She's upstairs and sleeping is all!" She ran towards the stairs and went to look for Apple Bloom. She came sprinting down a few seconds later. "Come on! Please tell me where she is! Where is Apple Bloom!?!" She had tears overflowing from her eyes as she tried to deny the truth. Twilight motioned for her and went out the door heading to the barn, and the row of Headstones. She led her to the one stone she knew the small pony did not want to ever see. Sweetie Belle looked at it once...twice...three times....and finally she gave in. She let the tears take her. "Apple Bloom....APPLE BLOOM!!!!" she fell to the dirt and started to bawl.

"I'm so sorry Sweetie....We all have lost alot to this war....but this is just the start. You just have to keep trying. Lets go back inside, ok?" She laid next to Sweetie and looked back to the house. As she started to stand, she used a spell to lift the small crying pony towards the house. She made it four steps. As she started to take the next step, a massive black Pegasus landed in front of her.

"Twilight Sparkle! By order of Princess Luna you are to come with us immediately. Failure to comply will result in us forcing you, and killing the others." He waited for her reply upon finishing his missive. Twilight slowly placed Sweetie Belle on the ground and leaned down towards her.

"I want you to go hide. Hide and don't come out until they are gone. If something happens to me, or the others, stay hidden." Her face had taken on a hardened appearance as she showed no emotion for the Stallion. Sweetie nodded and moved away slowly, wiping her eyes. She moved out of sight. The large pegasus flapped his wings once but did nothing more. Twilight stood straight and faced him. "I have a better idea. Leave. Leave before I am forced to make you." Twilight threatened him. He started to laugh. "I wouldn't be laughing in your state....I was the one who stopped them all earlier. That tower of energy and magic you may have seen? That was me." She tried to intimidate him. His stopped for a second then took his original stance.

"Well then, you are the reason why the Princess is not happy then. So you can know that there will be consequences for what you did." He started to pace around her, trying to push her into a corner as he moved. He had not expected her to remain motionless and watch him. "I can see then, that you would prefer the second option. Very Well then." He brought a heavy hoof to the dirt, stomping loudly once. Fifteen of the batwing ponies with the horns landed around her, waiting. "Take her alive. The rest, kill them. Start with the white one under the wagon." Twilight's eye's widened as she turned to face the wagon where she saw Sweetie Belle. She looked up and found flying above were two of the unicorns both holding rocks large enough to destroy a small house. They let them go.

Twilight looked down at Sweetie Belle again. Sweetie saw the look in her eyes and sat up. She put a hoof out towards her, more tears starting before she vanished under the weight of the two rocks and the wagon. A very miniscule scream was heard, but nothing more. Twilight remained in her spot, looking at the dust settling where the wagon had been. All she could think about was the small pony she'd seen there only a second earlier. She still had to be there. She had to! Twilight prepared to run, but realized her thinking was very irrational. Sweetie was dead now. She'd watched her get crushed. Why hadn't she stopped it? More questions started to flow through her head. Why hadn't she saved Spike? Apple Bloom? Ponyville? There were many more but a scream of terror brought her to reality. Rarity had been watching through the window. So she'd seen the entire thing.

"SWEETIE BELLE!!! NO!!!!" Rarity cried out, trying to bash her way through the window and over to the rocks. Big Mac kept her inside, but it was obvious he would have preferred to let her tear them apart. "SWEETIE!!!!" Rarity cried out again, going into full body tremors as the pain and the emptiness inside of her grew to consume her and pull her down. Twilight looked to the house, hearing her friend cry out in agony. A mistake. The stallion in front of her laughed and leapt at her, a barrier materializing before him as he slammed into Twilight, sending her through the air into the wall of the barn house. The wall cracked, but did not give. Twilight, dazed laid there a moment. She hadn't expected him to do anything so suddenly.

Before Twilight even had a chance to regain herself, he was standing over her. Using his magic, which was a dark red like the darkened skies above, he grabbed her by her rear left hoof, and flung her headlong into the house the others hid inside. Twilight felt a crunch as she slammed into. But thankfully the crunch wasn't from her neck, face, or horn....But it was from her front forehoof. She'd tried to stop herself from hitting it, and had only succeeded in breaking her front ankle. She screamed out in pain as she fell to the ground and held her hoof close to herself. She looked up, still dazed, and saw him approaching her slowly, an evil grin on his face. "You know, she never told us we couldn't have a little fun~" His grin became darker, more menacing. He obviously had needs he wanted to relieve, and he planned on doing so with Twilight. She could see it in his eyes. And all she thought about was how much she didn't want it.

Slowly Twilight stood, balancing on her left front leg, the right raised off the ground. "You won't get any such thing from me..." She breathed out raggedly.

"Oh I don't think you have a say in it. Look at you. You're a mess. You can barely stand, and so far, you haven't done a thing to stop me. So I doubt you even can." He was getting closer. Twilight's mind was racing. What should she do? She couldn't risk losing it again and destroy the farm. But she couldn't let him hurt her, and have his way with her either. She looked past him and saw the large rocks that lay on Sweetie Belle, and the slabs of wood around it. Many containing nails, or having broken sharp edges....Thats it! She looked to him and let her magic start to flow.

"I can't do anything? I can't stop you?" She asked him. Her magic collected the planks. The other soldiers around them watched on to see what he would do before they went about their task in killing the others. The boards all gathered by the rocks, and each aimed in different directions. All had sharp edges. The ones that did not vanished as the remainders had nails jutting out from multiple areas. "Then I guess I should just give up, shouldn't I?" She said to him. "But I can't....Because if I give up... I give up on my friends, on Celestia, my brother...and Equestria!" As she yelled out the boards shot out through the air, all aimed for different ponies. Some were able to dodge, but a few fell from the sky with the boards sticking out of them. Most dead on impact. The other boards appeared around the stallion before her, and all slammed into his sides, face, flank, and legs, pushing the nails on them into him. A cry of pain, anger and astonishment came from him as he felt the nails sink in...but that wasn't the end. The boards started to pull back and slap him everywhere, continually impaling him with nails. He fell to the ground, his cries getting quieter until they were no more. As for the remaining ponies who had dodged the boards, they looked on with rage, but flew off before she could kill them.

Twilight stood panting as the effort had taken a lot from her, organizing the boards and shooting them off, and turning the others invisible and putting them around him, all without getting noticed. She stumbled a little and shook her head. She stood there a minute, waiting to see if any others would appear, but when none came. She let her head fall low. She looked to the large rocks again and limped over to them. As she got closer, she saw a small white hoof. She stopped and fell to her flank. Once again, a flood of emotions overcame her, and she turned her attention to the dead stallion only a few yards away. Her rage for him having Sweetie Belle killed came back as she turned and limped to him.

"She was a little filly. Scared. Homeless. Parentless. Her only family was just over in that house. She had her entire life ahead of her. She hadn't even gotten her cutie mark....You...you bastard....." Without a second thought, she brought a rock the size of her head over, and started to bash the dead stallion. The more she did, the angrier she got. Blood started to spray everywhere as she continued to crush him. Within a few strokes, she was covered in it. She started to yell in anger as she continued to flatten him. She brought it down on his head with a sickening crunch, and continued to do so. She felt tears start to flow. After a moment, the rage was replaced by complete sadness. The rock started to slow, then finally stop as she broke down and cried in the bloodied dirt around her.

From the window, Rainbow Dash watched on. When she saw Twilight start to break down, she went to the door, and kicked it open, going to her friend. At first, she didn't want to touch her, as she would get blood on her coat, but once she got close enough to hug her, she had already stopped caring. She took Twilight into a gentle hug. "Come on Twi....Lets....lets go inside and get you cleaned up...There's nothing you can do...not about her..." She looked to the small hoof and started to feel sick. She turned back to Twilight,"Twilight....I know you tried all you could. I know you did. And if there was anything you could have done, or could do now to save her, then I know you would have done it already. But we have to keep going on. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom...All of them would want us to keep trying. I know that. And so do you." The words struck Twilight. Hard. She stopped crying for a second and looked her friend in the eyes, before a fresh wave of tears washed over her and she pushed her face into the cyan fur of her best friend, staining it red from the blood that coated her own purple coat. She cried heavily. She put a hoof around her as well, but kept the other tucked against her side.

Before she knew it, the others were there as well, except Rarity who stood by the rock, holding her sisters small, lifeless hoof. She'd lost everything that was dear to her except her friends. She'd lost her Boutique, her family, even her pet, Opal. She released her sisters hoof as it fell against the ground, and lay her head on the rock. Her cries were soon echoing across the barren farm. The cries were filled with emptiness and sorrow. She muttered something nearly incomprehensible,"Dumb rocks...." The others slowly made their way to her, even Twilight who still cried herself. The 5 took Rarity gently and pulled her away from the rocks, facing her away from the small hoof. Now it was Rarity's turn to cry. She buried her face into all of them, and let the pain out.

"How dare you return here without her! I told you not to return unless you had her! And it had to be within one hour! Since you cannot handle this one little task you are of no use to me for anything!" Luna roared in rage at the few who returned from the attempt to capture Twilight. She stomped her hoof, and tendrils of magic snaked from the ground and held them in place. They struggled against them, but could do nothing. "Your punishment for this failure is death." The magic tendrils punctured in through their legs and reappeared from their chest, tearing their hearts from their bodies. They were dead in seconds. Still in her rage, Luna stomped again, and crushed the hearts before tossing the bodies from the tower as she had done with Mephisto.

Luna went to the balcony and looked out towards Ponyville. "I will deal with this in my own way then." She growled to herself in a menacing tone. Her horn started to glow as she charged a powerful fire spell. "I will burn the entire Everfree down, along with everypony in it, and every town along it. Nopony will escape." The fireball shot forward towards the forest. It sailed through the air and became smaller and smaller as it went further away until it vanished in the center of the mass of trees. At first, it seemed like nothing had happened. But only after it vanished into the tree's a flash lit the landscape up as a tower of flames hundreds of feet tall exploded into view. Within seconds, thousands of tree's were burning, and fast. The fires, being fed by magic were hotter than any normal flame, and were spreading at about five miles a minute. They would reach the remains of Ponyville in just ten minutes.

"Let this be a lesson, Twilight Sparkle. Do not go against my will." She said looking at Ponyville once more, before turning herself away from it forever.

Twilight had just closed the door of the Farmhouse behind her when she heard a rumble and felt the ground shake. She was on the verge of breaking and just giving up. The events were tearing at her like a pack of starved wolves would tear at a deer. She knew she couldn't give up, but every fiber of her being told her to. She turned slowly, and looked towards the window. She knew whatever had happened, she didn't want to see it. She slowly approached it, and closed her eyes as she got to it before lifting herself up with her good leg, and looked out. Out across the farm, above and beyond the thick black wall of tree's she saw a bright orange glow. Was it the sun?! She looked closer. "Somepony help me upstairs!" She called out, limping towards the steps. Pinkie ran over to her and carried her up to the second floor. "Quick Pinkie get me to that room!" She pointed to a room that faced out towards the light she had seen.

Pinkie ran to the door and pushed it open and dropped her friend on the floor. What Twilight saw when she got to the window was not what she had expected or even wanted. She had a hope that the sun was rising and Celestia was taking control again...she was horribly wrong. What she saw were flames. Massive flames from the forest. And the worst part was they were heading directly towards them, and fast. "Oh no....no no no no!!!! We need to get out of here! We need to find somewhere to hide or somewhere to run!" She was joined in second by Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash as well. Fluttershy had remained downstairs to comfort Rarity.

"What you yellin' 'bout Twilight?" Apple Jack asked her, looking towards the glow from the window, but not paying too much attention to it at the moment.

"The entire forest is burning down! We need to get to someplace we won't be burned alive!" She exclaimed. Apple Jack looked at her and at the window before going to it. She looked out and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over the others.

"Sweet Apple crisps she's right! But I think I may have me an idea. Come on gals, we need to get to my apple cellar!" They took off leaving the room, Pinkie carrying Twilight. Apple Jack ran through the house, grabbing her hat, her rope, and a saddle bag to bring into the cellar. She also grabbed a few blankets as well, tossing them inside the saddle bags. When she got downstairs, the others were there helping Scootaloo and Rarity out of the house towards the Cellar by the barn. "Gosh dangit! You go on without me. I can't find Granny Smiths Apron!" She yelled out. She was trying to find an item from both members they had lost to hold as keepsakes. But without even a care, Big Mac grabbed her and flung her out the door.

"Dangit Apple Jack we don't got time! Move!" He demanded. Apple Jack looked inside with a longing stare, as if she was leaving someone dear. But she didn't get long as Big Mac grabbed her by the tail and dragged her quickly to the Cellar. The flames were only a couple miles out by the time they got to the cellar door, and would soon be at the farm. Apple Jack and Big Mac were the last ones in.

"Everypony! Get back away from the door! Get to the back of the Cellar quick!" Twilight yelled out. All did as they were told. They moved to the back and huddled together, Big Mac huddled in front of them to block any heat that might get in.

"Uhm...Apple Jack? I have just a teeny tiny little question...that is...if you don't mind...." Fluttershy whispered.

"What is it Fluttershy?" She replied looking at her friend, some fresh tears falling from her eyes as the imminent burning of her home approached.

"Well...will the cellar hold? I mean...it is under the Barn." Fluttershy asked.

"I sure hope so, Fluttershy....I hope so." She replied.

The room started to heat up, and a roar was heard as the flames reached the edge of the forest. Then he ground started to shake as it ignited the barn above them. The door to the room started to glow as the flames washed over it before igniting it as well, and burning it off the hinges. All eight of them closed their eyes and hugged each other, even Big Mac. The sound of the flames grew louder, and the heat continued to rise. Twilight tried to speak, but the heat was overwhelming, and after only a few moments....all but Twilight were unconscious from the smoke and heat. She did the only thing she could think of before she too fell unconscious, and put a bubble around them. As her vision blurred and blackened, she thought of one thing. At least she would be with her friends in death...

The Aftermath

Twilight awoke in a fit of coughing. It was hot. Very hot. But something had changed....There was no rumbling. The fire was long gone, but it had super-heated the ground above, and from this, caused the room to be unbearable. She coughed a few more times, and slowly cracked her eyes open. She was looking straight into the motionless form of Big Mac. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or otherwise though. She turned her head and looked around the room in the dim light. The others were around her, and every one was sweating and panting in their sleep. Even she herself was allowing a few small pants. But then...why wasn't any sound coming from the biggest pony in the room? She searched around in the darkness and saw the shape of Apple Jacks hat, then gently lit her horn, just bright enough that it would illuminate Apple Jacks face when she leaned close enough to whisper to her, but still not so bright as to hurt her eyes.

"Apple Jack....Apple Jack!" She whispered quietly at first, but resorted to a sharper whisper when Apple Jack didn't stir right away. It took a little shaking and some more speaking in her face before she finally woke.

"Huh....? Twilight......Eh...is somethin' happenin'? Did we make it?" She asked her dazed from the heat and from being unconscious.

"It's Big Mac...I can't tell if he's moving or breathing...And I didn't want to find out....not by myself...to be honest. I'm sorry for waking you to have you check with me.....It's just--" Apple Jack put a hoof to her mouth.

"If anyone should find out first Twi...I...I reckon it should...be me...." She trailed off at the end of the thought of losing her last, closest, family member. She stood slowly and used the dim light from Twilight's horn to guide her. She approached Big Mac. "Twi...could you come a little closer?" She called back quietly. Twilight did as she was told. A sharp inhale sounded from Apple Jack, before a quiet moan, and sobbing accompanied as Twilight came within a better range. While she had been making her way over, Apple Jack had put her ear to Big Mac's side, and hugged him. She had felt no heartbeat, breathing...And his back, and other side felt hard, and hot. there was no fur there. The heat from the door had killed him. But he had managed to save them in the end, but using his own body as a shield from the heat.

"I....Poor.....Oh Apple Jack!" Twilight let the spell go away and moved as fast as she could in the confined space. she took Apple Jack in a hard embrace. Immediately Apple Jack was sobbing uncontrollably, filling the small space with her cries. The others stirred at the sound of her crying, and slowly woke up. All started to cough immediately as the heat had sapped all the water from them, leaving them dehydrated. Apple Jack continued to cry into Twilight's shoulder, her cries developing hiccups. If anything, she, out of all of them, had lost the most. Her farm had been burnt down. Her sister left to die after being burned to death, leaving her to end the suffering. Her closest family member, Granny Smith had died of heartbreak, and now her big brother, Big Macintosh was gone after shielding them from an intense heat. She couldn't take it.

Fluttershy was the first to fully awake and stop coughing long enough to go over to the two. "Oh whats the matter Apple Jack? Or is that a bad question to ask? I'm sorry....I won't ask it again..."

"Fluttershy....It's Big Mac...." Twilight replied to her. Apple Jack hadn't even heard Fluttershy's question. She was too far gone at the moment. Fluttershy looked to Twilight and back to Apple Jack, before she looked to the dark form of Big Mac. Twilight, after noticing for a moment the others were moving around, illuminated the space a little more so they could see. She quickly dimmed the light upon seeing Big Mac in the better light. He hadn't just been burned badly, but half of him was blackened. And the expression that remained on his face was one contorted in pain and misery. Twilight could only think of what his last thoughts might of been. Then something came to her."Apple Jack...I know it may not mean much....But you know....The last thought's he had were probably of your safety. He loved you enough to protect you to the death. And in death, I'm sure the last thought in his head was that you would stay unharmed...."

Apple Jack's crying stopped completely for a moment as the words struck her. She pulled back slowly and looked at Twilight before breaking out into fresh waves of tears. "Oh Twilight! Why!!! Why did this have ta happen! Why couldn't we have done somethin'! Anythin'! I coulda saved him Twi! I coulda saved Apple Bloom too! And then Granny Smith would be alive! I can't stand it Twi! I just can't!!!" Her crying returned with renewed force. Fluttershy sat, still in shock of hearing what Twilight had said, and from seeing Big Mac's face before Twilight had dimmed her horn again. The others sat around them all, watching Twilight and Apple Jack. Pinkie's face was contorted into a frown that didn't match her personality. Twilight looked at her crying friend, then at the others.

"Lets all give our prayers to them, and most of all....To Apple Jack." The others all bowed their heads as she finished speaking, and Twilight took the lead. "We give our prayers to those whom we have lost. We give our love to those we miss Dearly. We pray, that Celestia guide them into their final resting place. Most of all...We pray that those of the Apple Family that have passed away. Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh. Please let they be at peace, and may they, and you, Princess Celestia, watch over Apple Jack, and help guide her. And give us the strength to help her. It is to you, we pray. For Celestia."

"For Celestia." The others spoke quietly together. Apple Jack had gone quiet during the prayer, and looked around at the others, tears still in her eyes.

"Oh....I can never thank ya'll.....Never.....It....It means so much ta me. And now....Ya'll are all I got left. I...And...Ya'll are the only ones who are keepin' me goin. Without you gals, I think I'd have given up after losin' Granny Smith. And if I hadn't, I'd have definitely given up now had ya'll not been here for me....I....I love all of ya!" Apple Jack started to lose it again, but the others finally came in, even scootaloo, and hugged her. They let her cry. And even cried with her. Finally all letting the weight of what had happened to this point come down on them all. None of them knew how long they sat there. But they cried until they had no more tears to cry...

Twilight, and the others who remained had lost track of time. They didn't know whether it was "day" or "night" any more. Ever since Luna had taken control, they had been stuck in a continuous night that wouldn't end until she was taken down from her position. Twilight knew there would be only one way to do this, but the thought of it nearly made her sick. There wouldn't be banishment for Luna again, because it would end the same. She would spend 1000 years on the moon, and then she would return again and repeat the process. The only way to keep history from repeating itself a third time in the future should she be removed...would be to remove her existence. And that would be no easy task as she had never heard of an Alicorn being killed. After all...Luna had spent 1000 years on the moon with no food or water, Cadence had even spent a few months in a cave with the same. As far as Twilight knew, there was no way, but it would have to be done.

"Girls...We should get out of here. We need to leave this place behind and try and find some other ponies who made it alive. We can't just stay in this cellar. There's no food...and we need to bury Big Macintosh, and as far as I see it, the easiest way would be to use this as the grave." Twilight spoke up to the others. They had been sitting in silence for hours now, trying to let the pain ease, and trying to think of something to do. None of them had been successful in either. Especially Apple Jack. Her mind was too preoccupied by the loss of her entire family. And, naturally she was the first to protest the idea of collapsing the room on Big Mac.

"But Twilight! We have ta give him a proper burial! We can't just drop the roof on him! He's my brother Twi! I won't allow it! If'n I have ta, I will stop you from doin' it cause it just ain't right!" She cried out, vehemently opposing the idea.

"Apple Jack! We don't have time to start fighting over how we bury Big Mac! And it would be proper as he would be buried under dirt, and most importantly, he would be buried with the things he loved to work with! Look around you, we are in your Apple Cellar. And they may have all been ruined by the heat, but they are still apples! You know he would want to be buried with his work, and on his farm. Plus the ground will be so hard it would be impossible to dig a grave, and if I used my magic then I would strain myself and that would leave us open if more of those batwing ponies returned. Would you rather we just leave him here in the open instead of doing either? I don't want to make you unhappy, but dangit Apple Jack! It's our best, and easiest option!" Twilight didn't like arguing with her, but Apple Jacks mind wasn't in the right place at the moment, and she needed to see that this was the ONLY option they could do.

"But Twilight--"

"No! I'm sorry Apple Jack!"

"Girls...could you please stop fighting...."

"But he---"

"I said NO APPLE JACK!"

"GIRLS! STOP FIGHTING!" Rarity had had enough. "Now Apple Jack! You simply must accept what Twilight is saying. She's absolutely right. We cannot have her being unable to fight them off, and digging is completely out of the question as Twilight here also has her Broken Hoof. Which...Oh dear Celestia Twilight! Your hoof! You must try and mend it! You haven't done a thing for it since it broke and if it's not fixed soon, you may be unable to walk on it ever again!" Rarity quickly moved over to her friend and pushed her onto her flank, taking her hoof and looking it over. "Oh Twilight, your poor ankle is all swollen and bruised! This is just dreadful! How could we have forgotten this?" Twilight grimaced in pain as Rarity handled her injured leg. It hurt...bad. And now that she had just reminded her, the pain really started to grow through her leg.

"I...I don't know how to fix a broken bone Rarity....I never learned how. I only knew the basics for helping Scootaloo's wing from a book with diagrams. And even then I wasn't able to fix them so they could be used ever again." Twilight told her, gasping as Rarity gently pressed on her ankle. The pain sent her mind reeling, and caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Even the most minor of touch was unbearable.

"Well we need to do something about it!" Rarity replied to her. Suddenly Pinkie pushed her face in and looked at Twilight's leg.

"We need some sticks! Anypony got some sticks? How about some rope! We need rope! Apple Jack!" Pinkie turned and jumped on Apple Jack, pinning her to the ground. "Where's your rope!? We need your rope!"

"But what the hay is a few sticks and a rope going to do for Twilight's leg?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie incredulously.

"You take the sticks and put them on either side of her hoof, then tie the rope around it and it holds it in place so it won't move or get hurt, silly!" Pinkie replied. She was the only one who seemed to be able to have a charismatic outlook. Or perhaps she was just trying to be a comedic relief and help them calm down.

"Pinkie! You're a genius!" Twilight exclaimed, grabbing pinkie with magic and pulling her over, hugging her with her good leg.

"Nope! I'm a pony!" Pinkie replied. Apple Jack got up and retrieved her saddle bags, pulling her rope out.

"How much we gonna need Pinkie?" She asked the pink pony.

"Dunno. Now we need some sticks!" Pinkie started darting around the room, and within seconds, returned with a few straight pieces of straight wood, and a 2x4.

"Uhhh Pinkie...That one's going to be too big." Twilight said, pointing at the 2x4.

"Well duhhhh! That's why you are going to split it in half with your magic Twilight." Pinkie replied.

"Oh....that makes sense....Hold on...." Twilight focused on the board, and let the magic loose, with a gentle "crack" the board split perfectly in the middle and became two, perfectly straight sticks.

"Oh, and Twilight....You may want to bite down on this and look away." Pinkie said, offering a small piece of wood. Twilight looked at the wood and bit down and looked away. She took a deep breath, and nodded.

The pain. Oh the agonizing pain! Pinkie had wasted no time. She had immediately taken the sticks, and placed them around her leg, tying the rope tightly, drawing the wood against her injured ankle and putting pressure on it. Twilight gasped and the wood fell to the floor. Pinkie pulled the rope tight. Twilight Screamed in pain and started to pull away.

"Rainbow Dash! Hold her steady! She's going to hurt herself more!" Rarity Exclaimed as Twilight smacked Pinkie in the face with her hoof, causing a streak of pain to shoot up her leg.

"Got it!" Rainbow replied and bolted into action, grabbing Twilight and holding her as best as she could. Thankfully Twilight wasn't as physically strong as she was, so she had no trouble holding her. But then the unexpected happened as Twilight's horn lit up, and sent her into the wall behind them with a loud thud. "Ouch! Twilight Why'd you do that for?!?" Rainbow asked incredulously.

"It hurts too much! Make it stop please! Take it off! Take it off!" Twilight cried out.

"Rainbow Dash! You must suck on her horn!" Rarity cried out.

"What the buck you telling me to do Rarity!?! This isn't time to get your rocks off! No way am I doing that!" she replied to her, spitting the words out.

"No Dash you must do it! It will cause her to lose her concentration and she won't be able to use her magic! Do it or she will never get her leg fixed at all!" Rarity couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Get her rocks off? She was a mare! Not some whorse who wanted to see her friends do dirty things to each other for pleasure!

"What?! How the bu---Alright fine! I'll do it!" Rainbow Dash jumped forward and grabbed Twilight again. Just as her horn started to glow again, Rainbows mouth closed down on it. Suddenly the magic stopped, but a tingling started in Rainbow. "Huwwy Pinnnie!" She said with her mouthful of Twilight's horn. Pinkie quickly darted forward and finished her work. She tied the last knot and jumped back.

"Okay Dashie! Let her go!" Pinkie said to her. Dash leapt back, pulling her mouth off Twilight's horn. Twilight fell to the floor. She'd passed out from the pain.

"I am never doing that again, Rarity! Not for all the cider in the world!" Rainbow Dash said to Rarity, glaring at her.

"Oh be quiet Rainbow Dash, you probably liked it." Rarity replied. "Now we need to try and get her out of here since she passed out. She was right, we can't stay down her. And to be honest, Apple Jack, the longer we stay, the greater the chance that the roof collapses, or that, I'm sorry for saying this, but the better the chance that Big Macintosh starts to decompose and we all get sick and die in a week from malnourishment and disease."

"What did you say to me Rari---"

"Can it Rainbow. Rarity...You're right. I hate ta admit it, but we can't stay here. Twi was right too. It's best to bury Mac with the apples. He'd want it that way." Apple Jack admitted her defeat. "But how do we get her outta here? Can't just drag her out. An' we can't exactly...Wait...Rarity, why don't ya just lift her with magic? I know you can at least do that."

"Of course I can! It's basic magic to know how to lift things, dear Apple Jack. What kind of Unicorn would I be if I couldn't do basic magic even?" She said to her, gently lifting Twilight into the air.

"An Earth Pony with a pokin' stick." Apple Jack replied. Pinkie giggled a little. It was nice to joke and have a few laughs, especially in what was happening. Rarity let out a quiet "humph" and turned her nose away, slowly going around the form of big mac, and towards the door.

"Here we go girls..." Rarity whispered back as she took the first steps outside into the burnt, and black world they used to call home....

"Princess Celestia! We need to get you out of the castle now! We don't have the numbers, or the power to keep them out any longer. We are unable to take the tower back from Luna, so you will have to leave through the tunnels. I have called back the remaining guards to this room so we can escort you, and the Princess Cadence out." A guard had burst into the chamber Celestia and Cadence were in, tearing their attention from a mirror that Celestia was using to scry Twilight. All she could see was smoke, and ash.

"What of Shining Armor? Did he make it out alright?" Cadence quickly asked the guard, wanting to know of her husbands fate.

"We are unsure, Princess. Last we saw him, he was running out the front gates of the castle with his shield put up around him. But there is also news that Luna burnt the entire Everfree Forest to the ground in an attempt to kill Twilight Sparkle. We do not know if it was successful. The odds are not in her favor though..." The guard hung his head slightly.

"Inform the guards who are pulling back that we will be leaving immediately. We will be going someplace not even my sister knows of. Shining Armor will need to hold on as long as he can without our support from here. Princess Cadence, I need you to trust me, and come with me. The place we are going to is safe...I promise you. And from there, if we are found, we can hold them out as long as we need as that is where I have kept my most elite guards, and had them trained." Celestia spoke out. She turned and looked to the guard,"Go get the others now." The guard saluted and left.

"What if Shining Armor didn't make it? What if he died? You must look for him in your mirror! You must please!" Cadence pleaded.

"I cannot Cadence. Since I cannot get to my tower, I don't have the sight needed. And since I don't know which direction he headed first, I cannot even try. The only reason I can attempt to find Twilight is because I know where Ponyville was. But all I see is ashes and death. I am sorry Cadence." Celestia replied to her niece. Cadence hung her head low and turned to the door.

"Oh Shining....I hope you are okay...."

"How the hay are we supposed to tear that down on top of him without killing ourselves?" Rainbow Dash growled. "We don't have enough rope, and Rarity doesn't think she can collapse it with her magic. We can't kick the wall supports out since they have dirt to help them. So what the buck we supposed to do?!" Dash was aggravated. She couldn't fly well because of her side, and she had been the one who had to drag the Unconscious Twilight out of the hole.

"Now calm down, Dash. We can think of somethin'." Apple Jack Replied. "We just gotta put our heads together. What would Twi do...."

"What is putting our heads together going to do? Make us a strange mutated 5 headed pony? Ohhhh....Think of all the pie we could eat if we had some!" Pinkie spouted out, being the usual Pinkie. The others looked at her strangely and just looked away, not commenting.

"Ummm...What if we tried jumping up and down on it? Or...I mean...would that not work?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Remember what Twilight said? That ground is far too hard, Fluttershy darling. And besides, we don't want to break our hooves now, do we?" Rarity chimed in.

"Look around ya, Rarity! The land is ruined! Our homes and Families are gone! And you're worried 'bout breakin' a hoof?! Ya need to stoppit! Stop carin' about your looks and fashion for one minute and try and think of some way we can collapse that instead of naggin' and complainin' bout each of the ideas we come up with!" Apple Jack yelled in frustration.

"Well excuse me! I guess I am just unable to change in an instant even if everything around us did! I was just trying to save you all the pain! But I guess you just don't care if you are unable to put weight on your hooves. So go ahead then! You go kick the ground to your hearts content! See if I care when you break your hoof down the middle!" Rarity replied in equal frustration.

"What if we just tried to wake Twilight up?" They all stopped and looked to the one pony that had been quiet for most of the time. Scootaloo. "I mean, if she's just passed out, can't you just try and wake her up with your magic or something? There has to be something like that you can do." She continued on.

"Oh Scootaloo what a marvelous idea!" Rarity replied, instantly forgetting about the other idea's the others had mentioned. She turned and looked at Twilight and moved to her, thinking. "So....what is the best way to do this...." She used her magic to prod Twilight a little before she tried gently shaking her. "Twilight? Twilight?" She whispered to her.

"Rarity....you can't expect that to wake her if carrying her didn't wake her, and especially if our yelling did nothing." Rainbow Dash said.

"You are quite right, excuse me. Umm....Well....I was never really great at this kind of stuff...Anypony got a bucket of water?" She asked, looking around. "Didn't think so....sorry for asking...."

"Don't got no water, and besides, it'd be a waste to dump it on Twilight. Though ya could always empty yourself on her." Apple Jack said, trying to make a small joke.

"Do a what on her?" Rarity replied, looking at Apple Jack, obviously appalled she would suggest such a thing. "Perhaps if you fall asleep somepony could do the same to you to wake you instead of trying a much cleaner method. Then when you awake smelling of nastiness, we can tell you that we couldn't wake you, so we decided to urinate on your face." Rarity returned to looking at Twilight, trying to think.

"You know, the few time's I've been knocked out, or fainted from something, I generally woke up after a short time." Rainbow Dash told her.

"Oh and how short a time was that? Like how about when you crashed and broke your wing? You were unconscious for over an hour! Do you really want to sit here that long? And anyhow...This is different. She had you and Pinkie Brutally force her leg into a shoddy brace without so much as a spell to numb her leg, or make her pass out before hand for a set amount of time." Rarity was getting tired of all these poor suggestions. Though she had none herself, the ones she was getting were far worse than trying to wake her calmly.

They stood there, coming up with idea, after idea. But most often they were worse than before, or just impossible like using magic to enter into Twilight's mind. But had that been possible...they'd have found themselves in a very strange place as in her mind, everything was swirling around. The final issue is they wouldn't have ever found her subconscious as she was in a place that nopony could reach. She was not dead....But in a sort of limbo....

Twilight's vision had blurred and spiraled around her before she had passed out. She had expected to go into a very heavy, almost dreamlike state, but she found herself suddenly in darkness. She couldn't see anything except a light that shone around her in a perfect circle. "Where am I? Am I dead? I can't be dead..." She looked around. Her leg was no longer in pain, in fact....it was perfect. She looked around for a few moments."Hello? Hellooo?" She called out, there wasn't an echo, or even a reverberation. It was as if she was speaking into a sort of microphone that just cancelled out all extra sounds and effects. She tried to use her magic, but nothing happened. She looked up to see her horn was gone. "What is going on here?" She asked herself out loud.

She stood there for a time before she decided to walk into the darkness. She had thoughts of beasts hiding in the darkness, or that if she left the light, she'd never return, and would never find out what happened. But she had to do something, and standing here wasn't going to solve anything. She took a step towards the darkness and stopped at the very edge. She took a deep breath and lunged forward. She had expected anything to happen. But when she found herself in a sort of free fall state, she couldn't help but scream. The scream made no sound, and though she felt her voice box grow agitated from the effort, it was like something was swallowing all sound.

Suddenly she landed on something hard, and in a heap on the floor. She couldn't see a thing. Then a glint caught her eye. It appeared so distant. She stood slowly and made sure she could move and wasn't hurt, then started to walk slowly towards it. She continued to try to call out, but still made no sound. She saw the glint again, and moved faster. Yelling in silence more. The glint became a steady light far ahead. She started to run. Crying out mentally for something, anything, to explain what was happening.

All of a sudden she found herself falling again. This time her scream sounded out and echoed all around her. The sound startled her, causing her to scream louder. But instead of falling onto a surface like before, she felt something catch her. She looked around in the darkness again, realizing something. Light was starting to appear. She felt herself get set upon the ground. She had no idea what was happening, but she had to get to the bottom of it. She strained her eyes, trying to make anything out in the slowly growing light. The glint she had seen vanished. "No! Come back!!" She called out. She stood and ran again towards where it had been but stopped, seeing nothing. She sat on the floor and hung her head. "I....I need your help...." She spoke softly.

She looked longingly towards where the light had been when a sound behind her caught her attention. The sound of a hoof on..tile? She stood and whipped around. There before her was a sight she had never expected. Standing before her was a celestial pony that stood taller than Celestia herself. One that seemed to be made of water and stars almost. It was clear with glints of light inside it. It's eyes appeared as galaxies. A strange ethereal glow was being emitted from it. She looked at it for a moment before speaking. "H-hello? Who are you? Wh-where am I?" The pony held a hoof up.

"Come with me, Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville." It's voice seemed filled with endless knowledge, and had a double tone, as if more than one pony's spirit resided in it's body. "I am the caretaker of the universe you have come to know. I created it. I made it what it is today. And I even created the two beings who now clash, and cause the greatest grief your home will ever know. I have known of it's coming for over a million years. And until now, I hadn't known of a way to stop it, or end it. But then you came. I had never seen you in anything. Or more specifically...I had never seen a pony with your ability to magic, and most importantly, with your determination." The pony spoke out.

"S-so are you a....a god of some kind then..?" Twilight asked quietly. All around her, light was illuminating more and more. She was in a grand hall, pictures hung everywhere along it. In each photo was a pony from legend. Starswirl the Bearded, Celestia, Luna, Nightmare Moon. Ponies from every era, and even ponies from times that had been unrecorded. A photo of the three lords even hung along the wall.

"If that is what you would wish to call me, yes. I created the planet you inhabit. And I created all life there. I have been given many titles, god being one of them. The original master of that title was Starswirl. And like you, he was once here as well. Very few ever get the chance to come here." The pony turned and started to walk down the hall, leading Twilight. "He called this hall the Path of History. This hall recalls all great things that have happened, are happening, and will happen. And until you came here by accident, just as Starswirl did, it ended abruptly." The pony stopped before a large painting, greater than the rest. On the painting was an image of Luna wearing a crown, and the date underneath it was from a few days ago when she had attacked. There was no other date. Twilight looked over to the painting of Celestia, there was a birthdate, and a second date that was only a few months away.

"What....What does this second date mean?" She asked. A feeling inside her told her that she wouldn't wish to hear it.

"That, Twilight Sparkle, is the time that Celestia shall pass from the world." The pony told her. "But it used to be different. The date on it used to be the same as the one now printed on this painting. She was foretold to die the day Luna took control." it told her. "And from the moment Celestia Died, there would be eternal night for Equestria. But a strange anomaly appeared only a few moments ago with your arrival. Look under the picture, next to the date on this one." Twilight did as she was told and looked closer, slowly a second date was appearing on the painting showing Luna as the ruler. Though it was undecipherable as of yet.

"What...What does this mean?" Twilight asked, looking back at the other pony.

"This means, Twilight Sparkle, that your arrival has altered the future. Luna will not remain where she has placed herself. But that also means that you are destined for something far greater than you had ever imagined. There is another I would like you to see." The pony stepped back towards the center of the hall again, as did Twilight. Suddenly the halls around them had come alive, moving and swirling around them. And just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped, showing a painting of a Purple Alicorn with Twilight's Cutie Mark. It showed her birthdate, and next to it was a spot that appeared to have been recently erased. "You Twilight Sparkle, are destined to rule. But to get to that point, you will lose much. Losing your baby dragon Spike is only the beginning."

Twilight slowly approached the Painting and put a hoof on it gently. She was going to become an Alicorn? How? Why? Why her? And what else could she possibly lose? The thoughts started to come to her, but she denied the option that they would occur. "What about my friends? My family?" She asked the strange pony.

"I cannot tell you, Twilight Sparkle, for that would end in your demise. I have forseen only as you just asked it. And though the miseries you will endure will surely test you, they will grant you, and only you, the ability to stop Luna." Twilight listened as they spoke. It had to be impossible. How could anything like that happen? It was not only impossible, it was so far out of concept that it was madness! A unicorn defeating an Alicorn? Yeah right. That would happen when Spike crawled out of the ground unharmed. "This will be hard for you to understand until the moment happens, but when it occurs, you will realize why fate has picked you." The pony said.

"B-but why me? Why does it have to be me? Why can't Celestia remain? W-what if I am unable to rule properly?"

"All questions will be answered in time. But as for now, your time here is done. We will meet many times more. Some soon, and some will be in the years to come. But you are needed now, Twilight Sparkle. Your friends need you. Your world needs you. I shall give you something though, before you leave. A gift none ever shall receive after this time. In times of need, you may speak with me, and in times of sorrow, you may seek my guidance. In times of anger, you can ask for my aid. The only thing Twilight is you may never speak of me to anypony, unless I give that permission." The pony's eye's glowed bright white for a moment as a small sliver of energy transferred to Twilight's head. "Now you must return to your own world Twilight. Your friends are calling to you..." The pony vanished, and the paintings did as well. The darkness did not return though, instead, Twilight found herself surrounded by thousands of stars and other celestial objects. Then it began to turn. All began to spin around her and the feeling of falling upwards took control. She saw the light from before as she careened towards it. She closed her eyes as she got closer, and let the feeling end.

Twilight awoke slowly, her mind heavy, and her body aching. She heard the voices of her friends around her, arguing. She slowly opened her eyes, and felt a burning. They were outside? But she'd been in the cellar when she passed out. She let out a small noise, trying to let the others know she was awake, but they continued arguing. "G-girls?" She spoke out quietly. That got their attention.

"Twilight!" They all exclaimed in unison.

"Twi! Oh am I glad you're alright. We were startin' to get worried you weren't gonna wake up." Apple Jack cried with relief.

"I could tell....Somepony help me up." She responded. Pinkie Pie moved over and picked her up setting her on her hooves. Twilight instinctively tucked her hurt leg so she wouldn't cause more pain. It hurt bad enough already. "W-where are we?" Twilight asked, looking around through he falling ash and darkness. The world seemed alien with nothing she recognized in sight.

"Were Standin' above the Cellar, Twi. We been tryin' to think of a way to drop it so to bury Bic Macintosh, but none of us knew how. So we decided to try and wake ya, but none of us could think of a SANE way ta do it." Apple Jack replied to her. Twilight looked to the ground and saw the pitch black entrance to the cellar only a few feet away. Her horn started to glow as she acted instead of spoke. Instantly, the sound of snapping came from inside as the supports broke. When she was done she looked around.

"Everypony, move out of line from the entrance, we don't need to get hit with debris." They all listened to her. Once they were safely out of the way, a final 4 snaps sounded and the entire room collapsed with a loud "Whump!" Rocks and dirt flew out of the entry way, but nothing deadly.

"Thank ya Twi...." Apple Jack said, looking to the last part of her home collapse.

"Gather around, girls....Lets give our final respect to Big Macintosh, and all the others, and then let's go." Twilight said. They all fell in, and hung their heads for a moment. When they finally looked up, Twilight had a determined expression plastered on her face. "We need to get to Canterlot. Even if it takes us a year to get there by hoof, we need to get there. We have to stop Luna!" The others nodded in agreement, and fell in to help Twilight.

As they moved around her, Twilight couldn't help but think of what the strange pony had told her. Spike was only the first thing she would lose? She felt she knew what it had meant, but pushed the painful thoughts from her mind. She had a goal, and that was to save Equestria.

An unexpected protector

It had been over 5 hours since Twilight had seen the mysterious pony, and nearly as long since they had started out on their mission for Canterlot. But there was an issue. They had no bearing on where they were. The darkness alone made it hard to navigate, but now that everything was burnt to a crisp and blowing around in their face, it was impossible to know exactly which direction they were heading. The only thing they had to go on was where they front of the cellar had been in comparison to what used to be around it. But even then, Apple Jack hadn't paid much attention to what she was looking at every time she went in and out of it. She'd usually been preoccupied carrying apples.

Now as they moved onwards, they had to be guided by memories. They eventually stopped and sat amongst the ash and dust. "I don't even know where we're going. I can't see squat! Everything looks the same! Were doomed!" Rainbow Dash finally cried out.

"Calm down, Dash. We'll find our way out. We just have to keep moving....that's all..." Twilight responded. Her tone wasn't very ensuring at all, but it still had hope in it, that's all they needed. "Maybe if we tried to remember where the train tracks were..." she started but trailed off.

"Ya know the time fer that's passed, sugar cube. We left Ponyville a while back and can't turn back now. Besides, if we did, we'd probably get more lost than we already are." Apple Jack said to her.

"You're right. I guess we just have to push straight forward like we've been doing." Twilight sighed. She looked around trying to make out something....anything in all the smoke and darkness, but couldn't see more than a few inches ahead of them. Their eyes were all burning, their breathing was labored as well. She dropped her head and released another sigh.

"Twilight, darling, are you doing alright? I mean, I know that is not a very good question, but I mean, is your hoof hurting you too much? Do we need to stop for a minute so you can rest?" Rarity asked her, walking up to her side.

"I don't know....My hoof is hurting, yes, but stopping won't make it any better. And besides, if we stop now, we won't want to keep moving. I just wish I could see better. I could cast a spell to light up the area, but that would stand out like a hoof on a cat. And the last thing we need is more of those evil unicorns coming after us. I really don't want to waste the energy on fighting them again, mostly because I really don't think I could. We haven't really eaten anything, or for that matter had a single bit to drink. We are in no shape to do anything physically taxing." She replied to Rarity.

"Well I think it doesn't matter anyways! Whether or not you cast a light we are probably going to die out here!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, throwing her hooves in the air.

"Now don't you be thinkin' like that Rainbow! If you start in on that I will give you a headache you don't soon forget!" Apple Jack warned her. "We need to stay positive, ya hear? If we let ourselves get into a depression we won't ever save anypony and we might as well have just not tried to fight back. Heck, we might as well have just stayed in that apple cellar til' we starved."

"Apple Jack is right...We can't just stop and give up. Even if we don't know which way we are headed, we need to keep moving." Twilight said to them all. "For now, lets just keep trying to go in the same direction. Were bound to get somewhere eventually, right?" she finished. The others nodded, except Rainbow Dash.

"And how do you know? What if stopping and giving up was easier than the other choices? Huh?! And anyways even if we reach Canterlot and find the princess and your brother, IF they are still alive, then what? How the buck are we supposed to help against Princess Luna? She's an Alicorn, Twilight! Or did you forget that? She has more magical ability than you and Rarity combined! If Celestia couldn't stop her, how are we supposed to even try?" Rainbow Dash shrieked.

"RAINBOW DASH! I said that's enough! Do you want me to come knock some sense into ya? Cause I gladly will! Just give me the word an' I'll do it!" Apple Jack yelled out.

"GIRLS! Stop fighting! Rainbow Dash! You need to stop being such a pessimist! How do you know we won't stop her?! You don't! None of us know! And we'll never know until we try!! So get up off your flank and MOVE!" Twilight yelled out at both of them. They all went silent except....who was crying? Fluttershy was the first to notice.

"Rainbow Dash? Is that you crying?" She asked.

"Why the hay would I be crying? It must be Pinkie or Apple Jack..." Dash responded.

"Taint' me." Apple Jack said.

"It's not me silly!" Pinkie chimed in.

"Well who is i---" Twilight had started, but stopped immediately. She looked around and saw the smallest pegasi among them sitting off to the side, barely noticeable in the darkness and ashes. "Scootaloo? What's wrong?" She limped slowly over to her and sat down behind her. "Come on Scoots....What's wrong?" Scootaloo looked back over her shoulder and away, continuing to cry. Rainbow Dash sighed and stood up, walking over.

"Hey Scoots, whats bothering you?" She asked her.

"GO AWAY!" Scootaloo cried out. Dash staggered backwards a little from the yell.

"Hey Scootaloo, what is wrong, really? You can talk to us." Twilight tried again.

"I...I don't know!" She started to cry harder. Twilight looked over to Dash, she felt she knew the problem, but didn't want to say anything.

"Come on...Please stop crying. I know things look grim, but we can still make it through this." Twilight said to her.

"Its not that!"

"Well could you please tell us? We just don't want you so upset....I know the conditions and after all that's happened, its hard to not cry...." Twilight continued on.

"Fine....." She said quietly, sniffling. "I....I don't want you guys fighting....And...And when Rainbow Dash said she thought it was pointless to continue on.....and....and thought it would be better if we had just stayed back there and done nothing.....I....I....Why would you say that? I don't want to die! I don't! I don't! I don't! Please!!!" She burst into a new wave of tears, turning around and hugging Rainbow Dash tightly, her little legs and hooves wrapping around Dash's foreleg. Dash looked down at the small pegasi, speechless. She didn't know what to say. She had forgotten all about the small pegasus, in fact. But now that she had the small pony crying and pleading with her, she felt she had no other choice than to move on. She looked up at the others around her in the darkness. "Alright....Lets keep moving guys.....I....I'm sorry...." She said to them, before returning her look to Scootaloo, and hugging her gently so as to not cause her more pain. Twilight smiled weakly and nodded, standing again.

"Lets go girls." She said quietly. The others nodded, and waited for Scootaloo to finally stand before nodding her head weakly.

At some point in time, the 7 had stopped and fell asleep. It was a restless and uneasy sleep, but sleep nonetheless. But they had no idea the rude awakening they were in for.

"GET UP YOU LAZY WEAKLINGS!" A voice shattered their sleep. An angry, and unfamiliar voice. With the yelling came a bright glow from a horn, revealing many others standing around them. At first, Twilight had no clue what was going on, but then it hit her....just like the magic spell that cast her through the air. She landed rolling in the dirt and ash. "Now won't the Princess be happy when we bring you all back to her!" The voice said, laughing out. Twilight hadn't made a single sound, but the pain had whipped through her body. She opened her eyes and shook her head, getting the sleep out, and trying to shake the pain away, only thing she lost was the sleep.

"Wh----" Another spell caught her and flung her further through the air, slamming her into a rock a few feet away. The impact drove the air out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for air.

"TWILI---!!" Apple Jack had been the next target. As she had tried to yell out for her friend, a heavy pair of hooves caught her in the side, sending her head over hoof across the ground. She landed heavily and groaned in pain.

"Any of you others want to speak out of line?" The stallion said darkly. "No? Good. So, you 7 are going to come with us. To the castle. If you have any objections, then go ahead, speak them, we'll be glad to kick you in the mouth so you can't object anymore." He said. A few laughs erupted from around them. "So, if you all would, stand, and we can be off." The others who had been untouched slowly stood, except Rainbow Dash.

"No." she replied to him.

"What did you just say?" He said, turning upon her and looking down at her. "And for that matter, who told you to speak?" He slowly approached her.

"I said: NO." Dash replied bluntly.

"How about this then." He took another step towards her, then let a sudden blast of heated energy shoot from his horn, taking her in the side, sending her flying through the air. She landed heavily and with a loud thud. She remained on the ground, writhing in pain, but still, did not stand. "So, then. Stand UP!" He ordered her.

"N-NO!" She yelled out through gritted teeth. All eyes had turned to the stallion and Rainbow Dash.

"You ungrateful Whorse!" He roared, charging at her. As he got near her, he reared up, preparing to bring his fore hooves down on her to crush her when a beam of blueish magic caught him in the chest. The spell melted his chest plate, causing intense burns, as well as sending him backwards rolling. A sickening crack was heard as he landed on his head. His neck had broken. Dash looked up to where he had been, then around the area, incredulous. Who had just saved her? It wasn't Twilight or Rarity....But who?

"What do we have here? Ponies who kick others when they are already down? Trixie does not approve." Came the all too familiar voice of the Unicorn, Trixie.

A fatal setback...

There was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to face the new pony who had arrived. The most surprised of all was Twilight. Trixie had been the last pony she would have imagined to turn up. So why had she? Surely it wasn't to just save them from an impending death. Last time they'd met, Trixie had been running from town after being made a fool of for not having any power what so ever. So what was the catch?

"And just who the buck are you?" The second in charge yelled, running out to face Trixie.

"Did you not hear me? I am The Great and Powerful Trixie." She replied in a tone that sounded to belittle the stallion.

"Well no shit, but who do you think you are coming in here and attacking us? We are on an important mission from Luna herself! You have no right." He roared back.

"Ummm....Sir...I don't think we need to tell her....Why don't we just...uhh...Oh I don't know, KILL HER and be done with her?!" Another from the side said to him.

"Oh shut up and let me handle this." He growled back."Now, if you would answer my question, then we can fast forward to the part where I kill you and screw your corpse." He said, returning his dark glare to Trixie.

"Trixie is not amused, and is growing quite bored from your weak comebacks. In fact, it's time to show you who you are messing with." Her horn began to glow, creating a blue ethereal light in the immediate area. She started to walk towards him after a moment, a smirk on her face. The stallion started to back away slowly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!? Don't give her any ground!" Yelled the same pony from a moment before.

"I said shut up!" The new commander yelled, shooting a black beam at the pony. The beam caught him in the shoulder, taking his left leg out. Suddenly the entire area was in chaos. All the dark Unicorns began to fire off beams. Most aimed for Trixie and the leader, but as their luck continued to fall, they realized Trixie was not really there as their beams shot straight through her, leaving her untouched. The beams instead carried through and towards the others across from them. Before anypony knew it, they were shooting at each other, each magic blast a different energy and spell. The Stallion in charge growled as he brought a shield up around him, negating any attack on him. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed, releasing a shockwave of black energy with red lightning coursing around it. The shockwave struck everypony within a 30 foot radius, sending them backwards, which was bad news for Twilight and Rainbow Dash who were already injured and knocked around.

As they, and the other 5 were knocked backwards, they all expected a painful landing, and braced, but it never came. They instead found themselves levitating in the air, suspended by the same blue magic. It carried them out of sight before the others could notice.

"Just what do you jackasses are doing?!! We came here for those ponies and instead you start screwing around and killing each other over a damned illusion?! Now! Even though I attacked him, you had NO RIGHT in attacking me! I am the commander here! And I punished him for questioning my motives! So if we can get back to the fucking point!" He lowered his shield and looked back towards where he had sent Rainbow Dash, but saw nothing. "Luna DAMNIT!!! Where the hell are they!??!" As he shouted, the 7 who had been before him were being hidden away by a spell, and would not be seen again any time soon.

Twilight and the others were set down gently in the ash a few hundred yards away, hidden behind a small hill that once used to be home to a few hundred tree's. As they were relocated, Twilight instantly started to look around for the source of the spell: Trixie. She hadn't been over with them, obviously, but had been conjuring her illusions from a safe place. It didn't take long for her to find the small glowing patch of light surrounding a horn. "Trixie...?" She whispered after finally being placed. She stood slowly, and shakily, still in pain from being thrown around, and hobbled over to the source of the magic.

"Yes...it is I...Trixie....." She said quietly. It was nearly impossible to see her.

"I can't see you....." Twilight responded.

"You may illuminate the area....Trixie has placed wards...." was the reply. Twilight nodded in the darkness and brought forth a small blue orb of light. A small gasp escaped her lips, and the spell vanished briefly. She took a moment before bringing the orb back. Trixie, as she sat in the dirt on the ground, seemed almost completely changed. She wasn't different in the means that she had a new manestyle, or had matured, but she looked beaten. Her blue fur was burned all over, she had massive cuts which were poorly sutured, her horn was cracked down the middle. Her hooves were black, both from walking in the ashes, and from walking across the scorched land when it had still been hot.

"Wh....what happened to you?" Twilight asked, a small tear falling from her face for the pony who now sat before her.

"Trixie....has not had good luck since this all started....when the Batwinged Pegasi came to the town Trixie was in...Trixie only just escaped with her life. They chased Trixie....and shot her with magic meant to hurt...not kill....When Trixie retaliated....they shot more....Then as Trixie ran for hours being chased....The flames came.....They burned all around....But Trixie did not....could not stop. They stopped chasing...but Trixie never gave in....She kept running....even when her hooves started to burn and hurt....When her cloak caught fire and burned her....And even when she ran headlong into a stone wall, cracking her horn, and chipping the tip off...Trixie kept running....She stood from nearly being knocked out...and ran and ran....until ending up here and seeing those Ponies fly overhead towards you....Trixie....scryed them with her magic, and saw you...So she decided to help the ones who hurt her....All...in a hopes of being helped herself..." She seemed to have difficulty speaking, her breathing was torn, and ragged. And from the way she told the story, Twilight could tell....Every word....From running from a town...To running into a wall....All of it...was True. But then there was a question that popped into her head.

"Haven't you tried healing spells?" Twilight asked her.

"Trixie cannot heal." Was the reply. Twilight couldn't really believe it....and yet she could. After all, the last time they had met, all Trixie had done was a bunch of 'tricks' and nothing more. Nothing major or serious.

"Well this is all good and fun, but I too, have a question. Why, after all this time did you pick now to actually do somepony any good besides yourself, dear?" Rarity chimed in suddenly.

"Trixie.....does not know...." Trixie looked down to the ground, looking slightly confused, and even sad. She had never been known to help anypony but herself, then suddenly the apocalypse happens and she became helpful? "Maybe it is because...Trixie wanted to feel like she had done something other than trick ponies, even if it was going to be the last thing she could do...." Twilight watched her for a moment, and although she had never ever felt one bit of remorse or empathy for the pony before her, she felt she had to do something other than vocally thank her. Twilight hugged her.

"I can never thank you enough....WE can never thank you enough for helping us get out of there. We would have been taken prisoner if not for you, Trixie." Twilight said to her, smiling a little. Trixie was shocked, as were the others. But once Twilight had finished speaking, a small, slim smile appeared on Trixie's face. She had a feeling of accomplishment growing inside her. But it was only to last a few seconds. Her expression fell grim, and she started to cry, heavily. Twilight pulled away and looked at her. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Trixie is sorry!" Trixie pushed Twilight away, crying harder. Twilight had no clue what was wrong, she started to look around, something she felt she should have done in the first place. She could barely make out the area, so she made her light spell brighter.

"Oh no.....Why.....Why Trixie! Why?!" She turned to the blue Unicorn, terror in her face. Trixie had led them away from danger alright. But she'd put them in an even worse position. Trixie, as well as the seven from Ponyville, were sitting in a ponymade hole, dug out with magic, and then lined with a spell that would keep them from even attempting to climb or fly out. Trixie had been bait, as well as a puppet to bring them all in. "How could you do this to us Trixie?!?! I believed you!"

"And that is what made it so perfect, Twilight Sparkle." A voice spoke from above. Not the stallion from earlier. But it wasn't anypony she knew. She looked up into the face of a pale white Unicorn. No wings. Was this pony with the others?

"Who are you!?" Twilight yelled up to her, backing into a corner farthest away, charging a defensive spell.

"Me? I'm nopony important, at least, not yet. And I wouldn't shoot off that spell if I were you, Trixie may have told you that she put the shield up, but in fact, I put it up. It's a magical cage. One only I can produce. It deflects all magic inside of it back. So, if you fire...well....Let's just say that I wouldn't become famous for bringing you to Luna. After all, she want's you alive and kicking." She replied with a tone of delight. She had captured the most wanted, and thought to be dead, ponies in all of Equestria, at least, aside from Celestia herself.

"Why would you do this? Don't you know Luna will just kill you anyways?" Twilight continued on, trying to somehow change the mysterious white mare's mind.

"Oh? And you know this how? Is that why you had to defeat her before because you tried to help her, and she tried to kill you? And then when ponies asked you just told them you did it to save Equestria? I think not. The only way to know is to bring you to Luna, and if she does kill me, then there will still be an eternal night. At least I helped with that." she replied to Twilight, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare to bring you to the castle." She finished, turning away.

"You know what you are? Yer a good fer nothin' rat!" Apple Jack suddenly hissed up at the Unicorn. She stopped, listening in. "An' that's what you'll always be. A rat. Ya ain't got no backbone. Ya ain't got no heart or soul. I hope Luna does kill ya. Or better yet, I hope she just imprisons ya an' tortures ya til ya ain't nothin' but a little blabbering baby who can only beg for death."

"Is that it?" The white mare said, her back turned to them still.

"No! I tell you what, if I was up there I'd make yer head spin from the beatin' I'd give ya." Apple Jack continued on.

"Umm...Apple Jack...maybe you should--"

"Now just wait a sec, Fluttershy, I ain't done. I bet if Twi here weren't hurt and tired, she'd whoop yer flank even worse than I could!" She went on, interrupting Fluttershy.

"Then why don't you show me just how well you can 'beat' me." The white mare replied, whipping around. A white rope of pure energy lashed out, grabbing Apple Jack by the throat. It slowly lifted her out, choking her as it did. Once out of the magical cage, it held onto her. "Well? Aren't you going to give me a beating? I was so sure I was going to be dragging myself away from you as you kicked me all over Equestria." She sneered, lifting Apple Jack higher into the air. The caramel pony was unable to breath. The magic around her neck continued to tighten the higher she was lifted. She pressed against it with her forehooves, but accomplished nothing, from the corner of her eye, she could barely make out the hole beneath her, she reached out towards it with one hoof. Her mind was racing. Why hadn't she just listened to Fluttershy?

Twilight and the others watched in horror as their friend was lifted higher and higher into the air. Rarity turned her face away. Fluttershy began to bawl. Rainbow Dash could only watch as she couldn't even find the strength to tear her eyes away. Pinkie, for the first time in her life, was also speechless. She was laying in the dirt, covering her head. "Please make it stop! Let her go!" She cried out. Twilight immediately knew all too well how much the white mare would listen.

"Oh Pinkie..." She whispered. She couldn't say anything bad as it was what they all wanted. They didn't want to lose their friend, they wanted her to be set back down safely...

"Alright, have her back." The white mare's magic suddenly twisted violently. Apple Jack continued to reach for them as the magic around her throat suddenly tightened and spun her. All her thoughts raced through her head, then a peaceful feeling fell over her. She saw Big Mac running towards her in a flash of light, followed by Apple Bloom and Granny Smith.

"Y'all came to help me...." She thought quietly. A tear fell from her face as a second passed and all went dark forever more. The sickening crack sounded all the way down to where Twilight and the others sat helplessly. A feeling of deep sadness fell over her, and a feeling of emptiness suddenly overcame her. The white magic holding up Apple Jack suddenly vanished. As the body of their friend fell towards them, Fluttershy let out a scream that pierced the night air. Rainbow Dash dove forward in the path of Apple Jack, and caught her. The feeling of emptiness spread among all but Trixie, as they all finally brought the attention to their friend. Rainbow Dash sat there, holding her in her hooves, an expression of complete and utter loss and sadness on her face. The feeling of losing something had never been so great. Sure, she had lost races and things like that, but this was different....It was her friend. Her family.....The pony in her arms was her sister practically....and now she was gone forever....

"No.....No! please no!!! You're alright! Please! Wake up! WAKE UP!!!" Dash started to cry out, shaking Apple Jack. The earth pony in her grasp was limp, and did not respond. "Apple Jack! Come on! Please!!!"

"Rainbow dash...." Twilight barely whispered. Her own heart hurt. The others were unable to do anything other than sit there watching Rainbow Dash try to wake a pony they all knew to be dead.

"NO! SHE CAN'T BE DEAD! SHE JUST CAN'T!" Dash screamed at Twilight. "WAKE UP!!!" She dropped her friend and started to hit her chest, hitting harder and harder.....then softer and softer before she was just leaning against Apple Jack, crying heavily. She couldn't believe it. But she had no choice. Apple Jack was dead. The next to join in was Fluttershy who hugged Dash from the side, crying into her feathers. Then Rarity, Pinkie, and even Scootaloo. Although she had nowhere near the connection to Apple Jack, she still felt sorrow. Twilight was the last, before she gave in to the sorrow, she looked up to the white mare who looked down to them, an evil grin on her face. In her mind, Twilight vowed that she herself, would be the one to kill this mare, for Apple Jack. She would prove her friend's last words correct, for her.

The continuing fall

Twilight and the others huddled around Apple Jack, leaving Trixie to sit by herself, as they were forcibly moved inside their cage. The white Unicorn who help them captive hadn't said a thing since the devastating blow she'd dealt to them, instead, she'd just lifted them into the air and started walking towards Canterlot...Or at least, what once was. The city of Canterlot which now lay under Luna's control, after only 3 days, was miles ahead, and no longer the gleaming star of Equestria. Instead, it was a dark city, surrounded by blue flames. The once majestic castle was now black and red. Burnt by the flames, and stained by the blood of ponies who refused to bow to Luna's whims and commands.

"Princess Luna! I have news from the ash around the Ponyville crater." Luna waved her hoof as a soldier came to deliver news to her. she sat high in her darkened throne she had crafted in place of Celestia's old one. "The Unicorn Twilight Sparkle and her friends are still alive. But a pony by the name of Trixie tricked the soldiers, allowing them to escape." The soldier finished, and bowed. He knew that most of the soldiers before him delivering news of failure had been throne from the tower, having their horns removed so they couldn't stop themselves from falling to their death.

"Well, then I guess I shall still have the honor of killing them myself. Excellent. Thank you, you may leave." She replied, catching the soldier completely off guard. He was shocked she had not thrown him from the tower, but he did not question. He left the chamber silently, going off to perform his duties. Luna stood and started to slowly trot towards the stairs leading to the top of the tower. "I had thought them dead, but now I get to hear them beg for mercy before taking their lives away. All I need now is to capture them." She started to laugh darkly as she ascended the stairs into the tower. "And then, my sister will be so destroyed and distraught that she will have to come out for she will be unable to let the atrocities I place onto them stand another second....And when she does, I shall do what she had done to me, and Banish her to her sun where she will burn for 1000 years while I keep all of Equestria in eternal night forever!"

Rainbow Dash was the only one who remained at Apple Jacks side now. The others had gone over to a different side of their cage now to move away from their once helpful and honest friend. Twilight had encased her in a shell of magic meant to freeze her body in time, to keep her from decomposing and to keep the flies out. It was taking it's toll, she could feel sleep and exhaustion clawing at her every fiber, but she couldn't sleep; she couldn't give in. She kept a careful eye on Dash, watching to see if there was any change. She started to nod off for a second, then shook her head, keeping her watch. Oh but sleep...It beckoned her....

Once again, Twilight was in the dark abyss where nothing existed. Where she was surrounded by black, with a single beam of light on her. But this time, she stood, waiting silently. Her pain from losing Apple Jack did not subside while here, it only seemed stronger. What would the celestial pony tell her this time? No doubt it would be more sad news... The light vanished from above, and a sensation of tumbling through the air overcame her. A moment later, she was in the Path of History, as Starswirl had once named it long ago. She blinked and looked around, waiting for the light to gain. As it did, she felt the pit in her stomach churn as she realized she was in a wing of the hall representing the Element of Honesty, Apple Jack. Why here? She didn't want to see this place! Even if she had been her friend, any image of her only hurt.

"Twilight Sparkle, so we meet again." the familiar voice of the pony spoke around her. But this time, the god pony did not appear.

"Why am I in this place? And why am I in this hall? I don't want to be in this place!" Twilight cried out.

"Twilight, be still, and be soundless, for I shall show you the peace that has come to your friend's soul. She lives in a Haven now. Her own personal Haven where you, and your friends are. At least, to her." An image started to form on the wall, and suddenly, it came to life. A bright, happy Equestria. One where Apple Jack was trotting to town to go see her friends, who all stood at the edge, waving to her and calling out. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy, they were all calling out. As Apple Jack got closer though, the road seemed to stretch out.

"B-but how is that a Haven?" Twilight asked looking around. She didn't understand, how could that be a Haven if Apple Jack could never reach them?

"I call it a Haven as she lives in peace now. Though she cannot reach you, no matter how much she runs, as long as you all care for her and remember her, you shall remain in her sight. She will never forget you. And when all your times come, she will be the first to meet you, having been the first to pass. And once the second one falls, they will be following behind her. And as you are thinking, I called it her Haven, but her Haven, and all of yours in the end, are the same. The one true Equestria you all know, love, and miss." The image on the wall faded, showing them no more.

"That doesn't tell me why I am here in this place again! I don't want to be here! You only ever seem to deliver news that nopony would ever wish to know!" Twilight screamed out. The light in the room changed to a light blue, a soft, comfortable lighting.

"I bring you here so you may know your friend is at peace. But know, your other friends shall not gain peace so easily, as your other friends have not, and will not have the quiet happiness she felt before dying. Would you like to know what she saw as she passed?" The being continued on. All the information the pony was telling her seemed stupid. Why would this 'god' bring her here just to tell her more things that were painful? "The thing she saw was what she hoped and longed for most. Her family. As they had all passed before her, they all came for her. She saw the pathway into the Golden Corral you ponies call heaven. And in the end, many years from now, when it comes time for you to join her, and your friends who are soon to leave you as well, you will see everyone you have ever met in your life. All the ponies who have made you better, all the ponies who you will save. Everypony in the Equestrian heavens will come to welcome you home once again for an eternity everlasting."

"How long must I wait once Equestria is saved? How long must I suffer after I have done this deed you think I can do? I'm just a unicorn who is the same as every other pony now! One who just want this madness to end and to wake up, and find it was one big nightmare crafted in my head!" Twilight cried out, breaking down on the floor, sobbing nearly uncontrollably. "I know you are supposed to be wise and all knowing, but I just don't know if I can take it! My heart has already broken at the loss of my Dragon and one of my best friends! Not to mention all those whom else I have lost and had not the time to grieve for!"

"Be patient Twilight Sparkle, for nopony should know when they themselves are to pass, for then they shall live their life in misery waiting for that day to come when they finally sleep eternally. But, I will tell you the time you have until your final meeting with the Princesses meet. Two weeks from now, all will seem lost, and in a moment of desperation, and confrontation, when you lose the final light in your path, you will know what to do." The light started to fade, and Twilight knew it was time to return to reality. Why was this pony releasing all this information to her, and her alone? Why could she not share it? Most of all....Why did it have to be her.....

Twilight awoke to screaming as the darkness from her 'vision' faded into the darkness of reality. But....who was screaming? Was the white Unicorn hurting another one of them? She jolted awake, and looked around quickly, as she did her eyes moved over the source of the sound for a brief second before shooting back to it. Rainbow Dash. But she wasn't the source of the female voice screaming though. She looked closer in the darkness, and gasped. "RAINBOW DASH NO!" She lunged forward, reaching for the rainbow pony. In the few minutes she'd been out, Dash had practically snapped, jumping at Trixie, kicking, hitting, biting. But why? As Twilight struggled with the Rainbow Mare, she started to scream.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT SHE'S GONE!" She continued to repeat it over and over, trying to kick at Trixie who now lay gasping and crying, barely able to move. Twilight finally got Rainbow Dash away from the blue mare, tying her back with magic. Trixie had already been in pain, suffering, and with Dash beating her the way she had, she had gone from bad, to much, much worse.

"Trixie...I'm so sorry..." Twilight whispered to her. She could tell just by looking at her now, she wasn't going to survive the trip. Dash had successfully snapped her horn off, as it had already been weakened. She was bleeding from her mouth and nose, a heavy gash on her face from where Dash's hoof had struck her bled profusely. "I always wished we could have been friends. That you would have changed and came back to Ponyville. I never wanted the chance of our friendship to end in despair and with you dying alone...All I can say is I am glad that you at least saved us....even if you doomed us further....At least you did something." Twilight looked down at her, she seemed nearly unresponsive, but after a moment, she turned her head slowly and looked up at Twilight, opening one eye, as the other was swollen shut now.

"All I....ever wanted was someone who cared for my....someone to call my friend....But....I guess I'll never have that now.....Will I...?" Tears started to well up in her eye.

"I'm sorry Trixie....if it counts for something, I can at least be your friend for a while, until the time passes...." Twilight said to her, sitting down. Trixie looked at her for a moment, then laid her head down.

"Trixie...I....Would like that...." The tears she had welling up started to fall as she started to shake. Nothing more was said between the two, but Twilight did her best to comfort her with magic by summoning different things. A non-existant pillow of magic, a blanket of warmth. She sat by her, and when Trixie could feel her energy starting to completely fade, she let a small weak smile cross her face. She spoke, but not to Twilight, but to someone who was not even there."Look...I made a friend in the end...Aren't you......Proud....." Trixie's eye slowly started to glaze over, and a long exhale proceeded from her. The blue Unicorn then lay completely still.

"May Celestia guide your soul in these hard times...Trixie Lulamoon...." Twilight whispered to her. She closed her eye with magic, and let the magic that held her in comfort fade. Her head fell to the base of the shield holding them. Twilight turned from her, and cast the same spell she had on Apple Jack. It wasn't a very taxing spell, which was why she could sustain Apple Jack's for so long, and she felt even Trixie deserved it now. Rainbow had stopped struggling against the spell after a short while. And when released, she glared at Twilight.

"I don't know why you think she deserves such treatment after what she did." She said scornfully.

"Everypony has lost alot, Dash. And just because her hoof was forced into capturing us doesn't mean she had to suffer and die without somepony there to be with her when she passed. Nopony should die alone. No matter what they did before all this happened...." She finished, she looked over her shoulder to the one who held them captive. "No pony should....but alot have....and will..."

"Princess Celestia! We must do something before it's too late! We cannot sit idly by while Luna destroys everything and everyponies dreams! Were we not once a land of happiness and harmony simply because you kept it so? Because that is all everypony ever dreams of now! A land that we once had! And even though it's only been what? 4 days at best? All still feel pain!" Cadence pleaded with her Aunt. She couldn't hardly stand it. They had no clue what had become of Shining Armor, for all they knew, at least, to Cadence's knowledge,Twilight and the others were all dead. But that did not mean every other pony who was caught in this hell had to stay in it forever. "Answer me!"

"Enough Cadence!" Celestia replied sharply. "You think I don't want to? You think I can't feel the land dying and the ponies hurting? I know what needs to be done! But I cannot do it without the Elements. Luna has gained much strength while I have lost mine. Without the sun, I feel my energy draining. I don't just raise the sun for the ponies, I raise it for myself as well. And with Luna having basked in the night for this time now, she has already gained more power than even I! Why do you think I had to banish her before? She had raised an eternal night for only a short time, but in that time, her power rose over mine until I used the elements."

"So what are you going to do if the Elements can't come to your aid? What if Twilight is dead? What if they are all dead? Are you just going to give up then?" Cadence asked her.

"If Twilight was dead, I would know already...I cannot say the same for the others, because I have not shared the bond I have with Twilight. She was almost like a daughter to me. And were she to die, I would feel a piece of myself die, as it were." Celestia replied.

"If any of them die, then a piece of you will die as well! You used to be connected to the Elements of Harmony! So when the ponies they are connected to die, you will feel it, won't you?" Cadence continued on.

"I don't know....When the Elements fell from my control, I lost all connection to them." She replied yet again. Cadence looked at her, tears starting to flow.

"You are not the Celestia I knew....You....You have just given up then. Instead of facing your sister, and doing everything in your power....You have hidden yourself away in a cave....The Celestia I knew....she would do everything she could....Like she used to do before Luna was ever banished...." Cadence turned and left the room, not giving Celestia another chance to speak to her. Celestia lowered her head, and locked the door with her magic. She stood up and walked over to the mirror she had in her room, and looked upon herself. Scrutinizing every inch.

"She's right....You have become weak." She spoke to herself. "You are letting your subjects die....You have failed them." She dropped her head, and for the first time in over a thousand years, since having to banish her sister, she cried...