Track 14: Spirits

A land, our once beautiful land, filled with such joy and happiness, now lies in ruin. The proud capitol that once housed royalty and was a beacon of peace and harmony, is a volcano that is ever consuming itself it blind fury of being forced awake. Everfree forest, where so much myth and mystery was nestled away, no longer is veiled in obscure, as the terrors of a demonic hoard are all too real. So many of the once bustling, lively towns and cities remain as skeletons, abandoned for the last bastion of salvation. Only those foolish enough to remain, or equally, stubborn, remain in the now barren stretches of Equestria, prey to the nightmares and monsters that spread ever farther. Wickedness all clamoring for their dominion, as they battle over ashes of our lost lands. Even the sky hangs heavy above, as much of a danger as the ground, with the awoken Rainbow Factory and its hungry Pegasus Device. A newer model of the same demon, more ravenous and effective than the last, and surely but a step toward another, even vile creature to come. The last line, the only safe place left, is besieged by King Sombra and the unlikely ally Queen Chrysalis.

My student, my friend… you have suffered so much. Do not put the blame on yourself, for I too was blinded to see how fast chaos was spreading. I was too consumed by other matters to help those nearest me… Your only true failing, was in being too much like your fool teacher…

Princess Celestia stood over the broken body of Twilight Sparkle, now resting in a cave high in the mountain range of the Frozen Wastes. She looked upon the fallen mare, with a deep concern, and a deeper guilt.

*

Twilight sat alone in the cave she had found herself in when waking from death. A soft fire was burning, giving little light and only but a little more in heat. She was inside her mind, as she evaluated herself. “Gave… it… all… everything I had, and it didn’t matter in the slightest… Fluttershy is happier now, or is that some game Discord dragged her into? Not that I can do anything about it… how cruel… if I had some powerful force I could ally myself with, I could fight these forces… then maybe I could actually do something…”

She fell hard back into the simple bed-like patch she had made, and curled into a ball. She was fast to sleep, not having enough energy to be awake, or motivation too.

**

“My dearest Twilight, if only you could rise now, and join with me” Celestia said as she watched Twilight sleep. “Together we could undo all this damage, and be together again” She gave a heavy sigh, the kind one did when feeling defeated by fate. “One day, you will be strong enough to come back”

***

Weeks passed as Twilight adjusted to life in the cave. She learned to live off the natural resources close by. The cave grew a foul, but nourishing kind of plant, and with the warmth of a thermal vent somewhere outside, a steady stream of water flowed in through a crack that was purified by the rocks. If not for the circumstances for being here, this would be a paradise. It remained though, a reminder of her imprisonment here, or she would risked the dangers of the broken world beyond. That was a world she would not return too, be choice or force. King Sombra prowled these wastes, with his newly risen army of Umbra.

Her stay passed into months, and Twilight had grown very adept at this life, yet she always envisioned herself finding someway to escape and save Equestria, this is why she continued to practice her magick.

****

Princess Celestia cleaned up the cave, sorting some of the records Twilight started to keep. The mare looked happier, with an anticipation. “Oh Twilight, my beloved and faithful student, I could never teach you to keep your study area in order as you go” She snickered. “Almost too bad you will be saving Equestria soon, for poor Spike will have to go back to cleaning up after you. I think he will welcome having to keep up with you again though” She looked at the sleeping mare, and held a loving gaze. “Rest, for tomorrow you reach a new level, and Equestria will again be free”

*****

Waking up more energized than she had even felt before, Twilight felt she could take on the world. She rushed through her morning routine, and was quick to practice her spells. During this worn trial, she felt a new sensation, and a rush of power. She stood engulfed in an aura of harmonic magick. The power was greater than any before, and there was no doubt in her mind that she was finally ready to face, and beat, all the villains.

“You have done it, my amazing friend” Princes Celestia appeared in the cave, surprising Twilight as tears began to stream down her face. We can not achieve victory so long sought, against all those who wronged Equestria! We can save everypony!”

“Yes!” Twilight responded. “How did you return, Princess Luna said that you were now one”

“Our merger was only temporary, that is why we really left, to heal up and recover. Now all three of us are back, and my sister awaits us. Let’s go!”

Twilight did not hesitate, and together they flew out of the cave at great speeds. King Sombra seemed ready for them, but he was no match for the two most powerful ponies in Equestria. They then made short work in destroying the Umbra. Queen Chrysalis was also waiting for them, and she swarmed them with her Changelings, but the Queen and her hive were just as easily bested.

Speeding to Cloudsdale, the two Princesses used their magick to undo the wickedness around Rainbow Dash, saving the Pegasus and restoring the mare to her true self. Now with Rainbow, they all flew to join Princess Luna, and combined they all destroyed the Nightmare entity, and brought back Rarity.

Making great time, the group grew as the collected Pinkie Pie and Applejack, healing their mental wounds, and nearly restoring the six mares of Harmony. To finish, they entered the Chaos realm, and readily defeated Discord. Turning the draconequus to stone again, and undo his spell on Fluttershy.

Standing together, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, with the princesses Celestia and Luna, they all combined their powers. Pulling from the harmonic energies and in a great rainbow wave, their magick washed Equestria on their power and cleansed the lands of all wickedness and taint of the last couple years. The spell turned the pages of history back, and Equestria was as it was, with all the love and happiness…

******

Princess Cadence was looking at a map in the meeting room of the Crystal Empire, she was alone, using her magick on the map to try and find ponies who were still lost out in the untamed wilds that once was Equestria. “What is this?” She asked to the empty room, seeing something abnormal upon the map.

Secretly, the mare left the castle and headed for the source of her interest. She had a suspicion, but Cadence did not want to get Shining Armor’s hopes up, if it was not Twilight she found… or if she had, but not alive.

******

Twilight Stood with her friends and the princesses, in a restored and saved Equestria. She noticed the new arrival, and greeted her warmly. “Dear sister-in-law, I’m so happy to see you again, and here after we’ve won back our home, and families and friends. With Princess Celestia and Princess Luna back, we can go back to being just normal ponies”

Cadence looked at her strangely. “I am a princess, Twilight, and have been for some time. Your brother and I rule the Crystal Empire, going back to ‘normal’ just isn’t possible. You are an Alicorn now, those days of being ‘just another pony’ are in the past. We must accept our fates…” She shook her head, and getting out of this odd debate. “That is not what concerns me at the moment. What are you doing here in… this barren cave?” To Cadence, in reality, it was just as she described. Twilight was haggard, dirty, and spouting nonsense. The cave was dank and empty, save for the bit things Cadence could not begin to describe or understand.

In Twilight’s reality, she was at Canterlot, with her friends after a great victory. “Barren? Open your eyes, this is the royal throne room of Canterlot. Princess Celestia is seated right there, Applejack and Rarity are socializing, Rainbow Dash is trying to impress the Wonderbolts, Pinkie Pie is having fun with the guests and I’m sure Fluttershy is in the royal garden with the animals. It's the Grand Galloping Gala!”

The clear minded mare felt her heart sink and crack on its plunge into the depths of pain and sorrow. She wished it not to be so, but it was all too clear that Twilight had snapped and was lost in a safe delusion. She tried to hide her tears and pain, as she fed into the illusion. “O-of… of course, dear sister-in-law, Equestria has never looked better, and what could be better than to hold the Gala?.. Y-you saved us all…” She was too far gone, too far for Cadence to hope she could bring her old friend back from. All she could do, was help Twilight stay where she would no longer suffer. Twilight had endured so much, with so much placed upon her. Here, in her mind, she could finally be happy again. Cadence would make it safe for the mare to remain here, letting her old friend pass into obscurity and remembered as a champion who gave it all for the good of Equestria, and not be the broke mare rambling in a cave.

Every moment here drove the emotional dagger deeper into her heart, but Cadence had to wait until Twilight was asleep to truly get to work. She set up self-substantiated ecosystem in the cave, so Twilight could life here in illusion, and then she set up a protective spell and ward that would keep all dangers out and Twilight in. If only to make Cadence suffer more, it seemed that Twilight’s dreams were not as safe as her waking moments. As Cadence worked, she could hear the mare mutter in her sleep. “Just keep on walking and don’t look back, just keep your eyes forward and stay on track. We’ll find a way out of this mess I’ve made, as long as the spirits guide our way” It was spoken slow, melodic, like an old song. It was clearer that Twilight was lost between two fractured minds, one where all was well, and one much closer to reality.

Returning to the castle, Princess Cadence was confronted by her husband. The whole Empire had been searching for her, and she had to explain why she had been gone and just where too. “You had us all worried, not a trace of you could be found, not even a message!” Shining scolded her. “Times like these, we can’t just disappear. What remains of Equestria is looking to us now. What caused you to act like this?”

“Twilight!” she started, wanting to yell back at him for treating her like a filly, but she understood it was out of fear and concern her had acted so. She was at fault for going so suddenly. When he heard the name, his reaction twisted like a knife in her as it was filled with both fear and hope. She knew which would win, and it was her to give it victory. “I… I thought I found her…” She had to weigh her options, of telling him the truth or a lie. Eventually she felt it would be better for him to think her dead, not mad and lingering like a suffering spirit in a spiral of madness. He could mourn her like a hero, not suffering a specter of guilt like she had to; knowing that nothing could be done. “She’s… dead… Killed by Sombra… I’m certain it was him or the Umbra” She knew he hated the villain and his shadowy monsters already, and why not place the blame on them? “I wanted to reclaim her, but it is too deep into the Frozen Wastes. I didn’t want to raise your hopes, or get you involved when the living here need us more as you said”

A fury burned in him, it seemed he would explode and destroy part of the castle as he sought blood. To his credit, her kept himself in check, and refocused the anger to motivation. “I vow revenge on King Sombra, and the Umbra. I will personally see to it that he dies by my hooves or my horn! He and the Umbra will all die for what they have done!”

As he stormed away, likely to cry to himself, Cadence questioned herself. “I preserved Twilight, but I’ve also condemned another in doing so. Shining will at least be focused upon his vengeance, fighting Sombra not searching for his lost sister” Slumping into a nearby chair, she was too heavy with all that had happened today. “I do not thing any path would have ended well, I just hope I didn’t just choose the worst one…”

Many Years Later:

A figure darted in and out of the ruins of an old town long left to its decay and rot, not lingering long enough to be noticed, not making much of a sound to be heard. As their shadow passed over the ground, the distinctive shape of a western hat was the only hint to who was now exploring the remains of Ponyville.

Despite their efforts to be hidden, this long lost pony was being watched by another who was even better at hiding themselves. In an old cloak that covered all but the single striped leg adorned with bangles, the other watched to figure who was this mystery pony and the risk them may pose or be in…

Continue in Shatter Storm: Stormbreaker

Author's Note

Short and bitter sweet end to the story, but the Storm still rages on.

Another story waits to be told, as a more epic tale looms on the horizon. Who will rise to change the tides after many years of unending destruction, and will the Storm be stopped, or whipped into a greater frenzy? Find out in Shatter Storm: Stormbreaker.