Black Sun

October 26th

The tranquillity of the dawn was shattered as a beam of concentrated magic tore through the jungle. Anything in its path was reduced to ash and many trees at the edge of the blast caught fire from the heat and energy. After roughly a kilometre the strength of the magic faded and the attack petered out, leaving a charred trench in its wake, fifteen feet wide. The only living thing left was a lone unicorn, smirking to herself as she stood where the devastation had begun.

"I have to admit, this body never ceases to surprise me," Tantabus chuckled to herself, watching the fires start to spread. "It withstood damage that would cripple any reject, though that's mostly thanks to me. Now it retains its strength rapidly. Had you been born a proper alicorn, you could have been an elite of the true order. Maybe even surpassed the emperor."

She stood and waited, frowning slightly as that comment got no reply. Normally Sunset chimed in with some whiny little attempt to counter her words, despite being reduced to nothing more than an annoying voice in her head. The wastrel seemed to be totally out of it right now though. Then again, the healing process had taken a lot out of her. It had been necessary though, Tantabus couldn't be expected to deal with all that pain herself. Not when she had already suffered multiple major setbacks.

Being found wasn't a concern. These southern jungles were technically beyond Equestria's borders and no sane being of this weak era would look for her in such a dangerous region. That had allowed her to lay low and recover from the engagement at the vault, the intricacy of alicorn healing leaving her without a scratch. Exactly how she was supposed to proceed in such a way that guaranteed her inevitable victory over a pack of vermin however, now that had been much more troublesome. The alicorn amulet had been snatched away from under her nose, which would either see it hidden again or potentially utilised against her. Vaeac may have been refusing to leave her sister's side and join the fight, but a sufficiently powerful defect wearing the amulet could still give her trouble.

An even greater issue than that was the Tomb of the Gods. She had been able to track it down again by following the sheer power to a region in the frozen wasteland of the far north. But there was still no way inside with this pathetic body and her best chance at circumventing that had gone with the amulet. As if that weren't bad enough, her failure had allowed the Elements of Harmony to recover their relics without trouble. While her strength was stagnating, that of her enemies was only getting stronger. She needed to either find an alternate way into the tomb and regain the power that was rightly hers, or minimise the opposition until she could find such an opening. The latter option was the more likely right now. With how much she had heard while trapped in Nezzari's mind and the extra knowledge gained from Sunset, there had to be some way to cripple any resistance. Either physically or...

Tantabus smirked to herself as a germ of an idea came to her. One that would deal with all her problems at once. Almost all if Sunset attempted to interfere. She looked back to the burning trench she had created and her grin only grew wider, her eyes opening slightly more to take in the flames.

"As this forest burns, so too will your hearts," She said firmly, almost sounding happy at the prospect of what she had coming. As she turned to go and prepare she glanced up at the sun. "I will say, dear 'sister'. The destruction your light creates looks beautiful under my night. But I'm sure you'll see that soon."

Sweetie Belle shivered slightly as she made her way through the corridors of Ponyville Hospital, her pace as brisk as the early morning air. It wasn't that she wanted to rush her visit, but she was on the clock today. She'd barely checked in at reception before being told that better medical options had become available for Rarity and as her closest and fittest minded family, the decision to take the opportunity fell to her. It had been a relatively quick call, now she just had to break the news.

The emergency ward was a little warmer, yet even quieter. The stallion that had been there had either been discharged or moved elsewhere, leaving just the two occupied beds. Starlight was up and on her hooves, staring out of a window at the far end of the ward. She was mobile, but still heavily bandaged up around her front. On hearing Sweetie come in she looked over and stared at her, wincing from just that movement. Sweetie smiled weakly and nodded to her before turning to Rarity. The comatose unicorn was laid in the exact same position as the last time Sweetie had visited.

"Is everything alright outside?" Starlight asked through gritted teeth as she walked back over to her bed. It was clear that any movement was still painful to her, which likely explained why she was doing it.

"We're all good. It's been very quiet for the last few days. A lull before the next storm," Sweetie told her, pausing as a thought came to her. "Has, nopony been by to tell you?"

"Trixie's been visiting me when she can. But in general, no."

Sweetie shot her a sympathetic look, knowing that she deserved better. Both from everypony else and her own dark thoughts. She silently decided to hang around a little longer and give Starlight some company once she was done. For now she turned her attention back to Rarity, resting her front hooves on the bed and looking down at her peaceful face. The stark contrast between her look of nothing being wrong and her broken horn was enough to shake the young mare again, though she stayed strong this time.

"Hey, sis. Are you doing alright in here?" She said softly, managing another small smile. "I bet all that organisation you love is helping out now. Laying everything out so you know how to fix it. You'll be getting some help soon though...I took an offer for you to be moved to a hospital in Canterlot. They have the best doctors for your kinds of injuries, it's safer than Ponyville at the moment, and it'll be a lot easier for mom to come see you too. I'll make sure to visit regularly, but I'll also be sure to help deal with Tantabus before you wake up. Just rest up, you'll be getting the train this afternoon. I'll...I'll keep everypony going in the meantime."

Sweetie bowed her head as she gripped Rarity's hoof gently, fighting back the urge to cry again. She'd always seen herself as the emotional weak link among her friends, having the worst reactions to everything from changeling attacks to being caught in the rain. This was different though. Ponies were counting on her these days, she would do anything to bring them through to the other side. She wouldn't fall behind anymore either. The vault had been a baptism of fire and she'd come through by the skin of her teeth. From now on she was going to give even more than that. Remind herself and the others just why she had almost become Twilight's student.

"Huh, that's two of us." Starlight commented, drawing Sweetie Belle's attention as she stood back up.

"Two of what?"

"I'm being moved to Canterlot as well. Not my first choice but Princess Twilight requested it. Apparently she wants the best healing magic in Equestria for me, see if I can come out of this with my chest being held together by more than bandages."

Starlight looked set to continue speaking, only to cover her muzzle as she broke into a coughing fit. It lasted long enough for Sweetie to make her way over to her, watching with concern. Starlight was quick to move the leg she'd been using back under the sheets, but not quickly enough to avoid it being seen. Where she'd been covering her mouth, her pink fur had been stained a worrying shade of red. The glimpse was a fresh reminder of how much she had suffered, was still suffering. All because she didn't believe anypony would allow her to let go of a mistake. That just felt wrong.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll keep an eye on Rarity," Starlight continued once she was fit to talk again, seemingly misunderstanding Sweetie's expression. "If any trouble ends up coming to Canterlot, I'll make sure it has to go through me before anything happens to her."

Even now she was trying to help. There wasn't much that could be done in return, but sometimes one small thing was all that was needed.

"Thank you." Sweetie replied, smiling warmly. To her surprise, Starlight hesitated for a few moments before looking up at her in a mix of confusion and shock.

"...For what?"

"Well, for still wanting to look out for others, even with how badly hurt you are. For wanting to help Twilight out, no matter your history. For showing that despite thinking the world is against you, you still have a good heart and a desire to protect others. I'd say any one of those would be worth thanks on their own."

"You, meant it," Starlight looked down, awkwardly tapping her hooves together and leaning back against her pillow more. She looked similar to after she had been struck by Peace Walker, timid and lost. When she looked up again though, there was a glint of understanding in her eyes. "You both did."

"Both?" Sweetie asked. She wasn't sure where this was going but if it meant Starlight was feeling a little better, then she'd roll with it.

"With everything that I've done, that happened to me, nopony has genuinely thanked me for anything in about twenty-five years. But when I woke up here and realised I was still alive, the first thing I heard was Trixie saying those same words to me. I was in too dark a place to realise at the time but..."

"It's okay. You've been going through as much as any of us."

Starlight nodded and looked over at Sweetie again. For the first time since she had joined up, she was smiling. It was a small, weak little thing, but it was completely real. Sweetie could tell that she had found an opening to help the stricken unicorn through her doubts and self-loathing, sitting herself down next to the bed. She may not have been strong enough to help when it truly mattered, but if she could still make a difference for the better, no matter how small, it would be worth it.

"There you are." A voice came from the door to the ward. Sweetie Belle looked over toward it and saw that it was Scootaloo standing there. The pegasus was looking a little surprised at seeing her talking to Starlight but didn't comment as she stepped closer.

"Oh, hi Scootaloo. What's up?" Sweetie asked, moving round to the end of the bed.

"Pinkie's throwing a party at Twilight's castle. A little welcome back gig for Rainbow Dash. You coming?"

"I..." Sweetie hesitated, looking over at Starlight. She had looked away and pulled her covers up to her neck, looking crestfallen.

"Go ahead." Starlight said quietly, grunting slightly as she rolled onto her side. The sight was enough to make Sweetie's heart ache. She'd already made her decision before she even thought about it.

"I'll be by later," Sweetie told Scootaloo as she moved back round to Starlight's side. "I've got another friend who needs help right now."

Starlight looked up at her in shock, as if she could scarcely comprehend what she was hearing. She looked back over her shoulder toward Scootaloo, clearly anticipating such a ludicrous suggestion to be shot down in flames. Instead, she was standing there with an understanding look on her face.

"You're a better mare than many of us," Scootaloo commented after a moment. "I'll make sure Pinkie saves you some cake."

"Save us two bits," Sweetie replied with a smile, waving her friend off. Once it was just the two of them again she looked down at Starlight, raising a hoof to cut off her incoming comment. "That wasn't a sympathy thing either. You saved a friend of mine. Far as I'm concerned, that makes us friends."

Starlight stared up at her, looking lost over everything that had just happened. That glint in her eyes was still there though, a faint understanding of why this was being done for her. After a minute she slowly relaxed again and sat back up again.

"Thank you." She said simply. The significance hung between both of them for a moment before Sweetie smiled back and nodded. Starlight looked as though she wanted to keep talking, let out a lot of baggage she had refused to discuss with anypony for many years. She already knew that she would stay and listen for as long as it took. If Starlight was moved to Canterlot before they could finish, she would simply continue listening there.

Twilight smiled to herself as she leaned back in her seat. Back when she had first taken up residence in the castle, she would have been rather unimpressed if Pinkie had suggested using the map room for a party. Today though, she was satisfied that it offered enough space for everypony and there was more than enough reason to celebrate. Even as she thought about it, she ducked her head to avoid being clipped by a metal wingtip.

"Sorry Twi!" Rainbow Dash called back to her as she pulled back round and checked she hadn't hurt her friend.

"It's fine. I'm just glad to see you back to normal." She replied, smiling more as the pegasus took off again.

Nopony had expected Rainbow to be on the first train back to Ponyville this morning, but she had a talent for constantly pushing the boundaries of what seemed impossible. Although she still seemed to be nursing through the last traces of her wounds, it was clear that they weren't slowing her down anymore. Her new wings were letting her handle slow speed flight as well as her old ones and had even been painted to match. Cyan with a light gold trim, wings that would look perfect if she ever returned to the Wonderbolts. She had been quick to admit that she would likely have still been grounded without Fluttershy and Scootaloo's help, not that had done anything to dampen everypony's spirits. Pinkie had been quick to set up a party for the occasion and the group had taken the opportunity to unwind with both hooves. Sweetie Belle was the only one who hadn't turned up, though nopony minded her electing to spend time with a pony that needed her right now.

Twilight smiled more as she watched Rainbow carefully navigating through the memory gems dangling from the root chandelier before looking round at the others. Spike and Applejack were attempting to finish a barrel of cider between them. Apple Bloom, Trixie and Peace Walker were using the map to go over all the places they'd been between them. Fluttershy had brought her family along and was teaching her son, Mist Chaser, a basic dance. Her husband Silent Breeze was off to the side with the infant Star Glider, Scootaloo and Trixie keeping them company for now. Quick Fix was talking to Deep Note, the two of them wrapped up in a discussion about flight teams. Pinkie Pie was...Being Pinkie Pie, pinging from group to group and making sure everypony was enjoying themselves.

For the first time in weeks, possibly months, Twilight could simply sit in place and relax slightly. Seeing everypony happy and together, that was what she strived for above all. She had an extra surprise to boost everypony's spirits for later too. Her studies through the restricted section of both the Canterlot library and the royal archives had produced results. While it had its foundation in highly dangerous soul magic, with some work she could form it into a new spell. One that could both separate Tantabus from Sunset and return her to Luna in one fell swoop. She still needed to find a way to do it without the separation killing Sunset, but between her and Princess Celestia, she was confident of finding a quick solution to that.

That just left the issue of subduing Tantabus. Wherever she was.

"Twilight." Aurora's voice came from the door, snapping her out of her thoughts. He'd left for a bathroom break ten minutes ago but she hadn't paid mind to how long it had taken him to return.

"What's wrong?" She asked as he came over, looking like he was trying hard to remain composed.

"Sorry if this spoils the mood, but I've been doing some thinking," He told her in a low whisper, glancing around like he was scared of being heard over the music. "About what's going to happen next."

"What do you mean?"

"Princess Celestia gave me access to her records of Tantabus' actions during the Lunar Rift, hoping I could spot a pattern that might predict her actions. I've gone through it all and I'm pretty sure I found one."

Twilight's heart sank slightly as she heard that. It looked like they were going back into action all too soon. She quickly pushed the feeling down and focused on the moment again, seeing Aurora was looking increasingly agitated.

"Okay. Take a moment before you tell me, use your magic." She told him, watching as his horn lit up and his eyes paled. As she'd hoped, he smiled slightly at the feeling of so much pleasantry around him before letting it fade.

"Thanks, I needed that," He said after a few seconds, sounding back to normal. "Anyway, I ran the strategies she'd most likely take through my head and figured she would go after something that isn't strong enough to resist her yet. Using it, and her overwhelming power, to break our spirits."

"What does that mean exactly?" Twilight asked, having a very bad feeling about where this was going. Aurora slowly inhaled and looked round the gathering before fixing her with a gaze so determined, she wouldn't need to ask if he was sure.

"...She's going to attack Ponyville itself."

Twilight only took long enough for his words to register in her brain to react. She primed her magic and grabbed him at the same time, teleporting the two of them out. She knew the others would be worried about their disappearance, but right now she had to weigh the brief concern of a dozen individuals against the potential lives of thousands. As the world rematerialized around her she knew they'd arrived perfectly on point in town hall, dead in the center of the mayor's office. Aurora quickly stepped back to get his bearings while she turned to the mayor's desk, only to be met by an empty desk and a pile of disturbed papers fluttering to the ground.

"Mayor Tiara?" She asked in surprise. After a few moments a white and light violet mane poked over the top of the desk, followed by a pair of blue eyes.

"Oh, Princess Twilight," Diamond Tiara sighed in relief as she stood up fully. "Sorry, you startled me. What can I do for you today?"

"I'm sorry to spring this on you," Twilight said as she stepped up to the desk, Aurora following her over. "But we need to evacuate Ponyville. Immediately."