Beyond the Darkby AshrunelChaptersThe Dark BeyondThe Siege of CanterlotClash of the GodsThe Dark BeyondThe last remnants of daylight fell below the horizon as they were extinguished by the darkness of Luna’s night. One by one, countless tiny pinpricks of light began to appear in the darkened sky, sparkling against the blackness. A shooting star passed by overhead. Celestia had to admit it was beautiful. Even though she was daylight incarnate, the physical manifestation of the sun, she could still appreciate the beauty and wonder of her sister’s domain. It had a certain magic to it that the daytime lacked. Something about the vast darkness broken only by minuscule pinpoints of light…it was almost humbling, in a way. And more than a little ethereal. “Admiring my night sky, sister?” Luna’s voice sounded from behind Celestia, just inside the doorway to the balcony she was sitting on. Celestia smiled, not turning around. “You could say that, sister,” she replied warmly. Luna walked onto the balcony of the royal palace overlooking Canterlot, taking a seat beside Celestia and joining her in gazing up at the night sky, now in all its glory and brimming with stars. They sat in silence for a while, before Luna spoke up. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” Celestia sighed, turning away from the night sky for the first time to look at her sister. “I should think so. It will be strange, of course, but I know that Equestria will rejoice in the newfound purpose of our Summer Sun Celebration. It will no longer celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but rather, for the first time, the celebration of the return of my sister and the reunion of Equestria’s princesses.” She paused, sighing again. “How are you faring in regards to the Celebration?” Luna shrugged. “Like you said, it will be strange indeed. I just hope that ponykind will finally accept me as they accept you. I know most ponies still haven’t forgiven me for the atrocities I committed as Nightmare Moon.” Luna turned to her sister, shifting her body. “Sister, I should know better than anyone: you are not Nightmare Moon. She is not who you are in your soul.” Luna turned as well. “I know that you know that, sister, as do I, but what about the rest of ponykind? Whenever they look at me, all I can see in their eyes is fear. Since my return, not a single pony has spoken to me more than a simple greeting, and even then they acknowledge me just because I’m a princess and it’s their royal duty!” She huffed, slightly exasperated. Celestia reached out, placing her hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Tomorrow, sister, they will see. Their eyes will be opened, and they will all see you as I see you: as a loving sister and a kind ruler, not something to be feared in the slightest, but rather respected and adored.” Luna averted her gaze from her sister. “I hope you are right, sister." “We shall see what tomorrow brings,” Celestia assured her. “Until then, all we can do is have hope for the future.” “I suppose you are right, as always, sister,” Luna agreed. Celestia smiled and returned to gazing up at the night sky. After a few moments, Luna did the same. Celestia has always been a master with words, and she had to admit that her sister’s reassurance had indeed helped her feel better, even if just a little. She sighed. She was very lucky to have Celestia as a sister, friend and fellow ruler indeed. Suddenly, there was a strange hissing and crackling noise, and a green luminescence appeared in Luna's peripheral vision. It went up in smoke, dissipating to reveal a letter. Celestia immediately grabbed it with her magic, bringing it before her and quickly unraveling it. “Sister?” Luna asked, curious. “What is it?” Celestia didn’t respond, instead focusing on the letter. Her eyes widened as she read it. She finished the letter and wound it back up, glancing at Luna in alarm. “Sister?” Luna said again, slightly panicked. Celestia took a deep breath before responding. “That letter was from Twilight Sparkle. Something has happened. Something…awful.” Luna was confused. “Twilight? Your student who resides in Ponyville? What has happened, pray tell?” “Ponyville is under attack,” Celestia said. “Quickly, sister, with me. We must make for Ponyville with all haste if we are to save its residents.” Luna didn’t bother to ask more, instead following her sister as she spread her wings and shot into the air at an unbelievable speed. The two sisters quickly accelerated through the sound barrier, and were well on their way to Ponyville within a matter of seconds. Zooming over the Equestrian countryside, the faint lights of Ponyville came into view. The two sisters angled downwards, and in a matter of moments they had landed in Ponyville’s town square. All around them, Ponies who were walking about and minding their own business jumped in fear at the concussive sound that the two sisters made as they touched down to earth. Celestia looked around frantically, trying to spot any sign of the attackers. Wait—ponies walking about and minding their own business? What kind of ponies with any common sense would be doing that when their town was supposedly under attack? Celestia scanned the town even more closely, looking for anything out of the ordinary. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find a single thing out of place. Not a single stone overturned, not a single thing broken or ruined. And definitely no sign of an attack. “Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Luna asked angrily. “I thought you said Ponyville was under attack!” “I am unsure, sister,” Celestia replied, dumbfounded. “Twilight Sparkle’s letter clearly stated that Ponyville was under attack by an unknown force. But yet, I can see or sense nothing out of the ordinary here.” Her musings were interrupted by a voice. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Golly gee, what in tarnation are you doin’ here?” The sisters turned to look at the source of the voice, and spotted a bright orange earth pony galloping towards them. She reached them, slightly out of breath, before falling to her knees and bowing. “Uh, I mean, respectfully, your highnesses.” “Applejack,” Celestia said urgently, not even bothering to tell her to rise. “What happened? Where is Twilight Sparkle?” Applejack got to her hooves and cocked her head in confusion. “Uh, what?” Luna stepped in. “We received a letter from Twilight Sparkle not two minutes ago informing us that Ponyville was under attack! And yet we find nothing out of the ordinary here. What is the meaning of this?” Applejack looked dumbfounded. “I, uh, I’m not sure, your highnesses. Nothing’s been out of the ordinary here, and I should know--I’ve been in the town all day selling apples." “Very well,” Celestia said. “Can you at least tell us where we might find Twilight? Hopefully she has an explanation for all of this.” “Oh, well, that would be the library, of course, your highnesses,” Applejack replied. “But I haven’t seen her all day. Then again, that’s not out of the ordinary for our Twilight. Figured she was just cooped up in the library tryin’ to learn a new spell or research some obscure topic or something. You know how she is.” Celestia nodded. “Indeed, Applejack. Would you mind accompanying us to the library?” “It would be my honor, your highnesses,” Applejack responded, tipping her hat. A minute or so later, the three of them were standing outside the door to the library. Applejack knocked. “Twilight? Twi! You in there?” She waited a few moments for a response, but none came. She knocked again. “Twi? Twi, I’m comin’ in.” Applejack pushed open the door to the library and walked inside, followed by Celestia and Luna. It was immediately clear to them that nothing was as it should be. While the library had looked as it always did from the outside, the inside was a different story. To say the library was a wreck would be an understatement. Every single book had been thrown off the shelves by some unknown force, and every piece of furniture was overturned. Some of the upper windows not visible from the front were shattered, with broken shards of glass lying everywhere. But what really made the scene chilling was not the destruction; it was the black fire that burned in small patches all over and yet gave off no heat, light or sound. “What in tarnation…” Applejack breathed. She turned to look at Celestia and Luna, who were staring at the scene in horror. “Your highnesses? Any idea what happened here?” Celestia seemed to snap out of a slight trance and regain some of her composure. “Yes, Applejack, but more than an idea. Black fire is not natural. It is wholly evil. And it only originates from one place: the Dark Beyond." Applejack gulped, the mere mention of those words sending shivers down her spine despite her not knowing anything about what they referred to. “The, uh…the Dark Beyond?” Celestia nodded. “It is the void that surrounds the plane of existence we reside upon. It is unreachable by anything except alicorns. And to do so, one must succumb to the darkness in their heart. In exchange, they are granted immense power at the cost of losing who they used to be. And it looks like my faithful student has fallen into that great darkness." “Wait just a second,” Applejack interjected. “You’re sayin’ Twilight did this?” She gestured to the state of the library and the black flames with a hoof. Celestia nodded grimly. “It would appear so.” “But how’s that even possible? First off, Twilight doesn’t have any darkness in her, we all know that. She’s the Princess of Friendship, for cryin’ out loud! And even if she did, why on earth would she do…whatever it is she did here?” “You are mistaken, Applejack,” Luna said solemnly. “Everypony has the potential for darkness inside of them, whether they know it or not. Take Nightmare Moon for example. It was never something I intended to become, but I became overwhelmed with so many negative emotions that my soul merely…darkened. The same thing could happen to anypony.” “Except the more powerful magic one possesses,” Celestia said, “the darker their corruption will be. Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn, and if she has indeed made contact with the Dark Beyond, for whatever reason…what she has become now will make Nightmare Moon look like a playground bully.” Applejack shuddered at the thought. “What do you mean?” Celestia sighed. “The Dark Beyond corrupts absolutely. It is worse than what happened to my sister. With my sister’s transformation into Nightmare Moon, it was merely her own negative emotions darkening her soul, like she has said. But the Dark Beyond exists to corrupt. And the greater the potential for darkness, the darker they will become.” “Think of it this way,” Luna said. “If somepony like Nightmare Moon were to make contact with the Dark Beyond, they wouldn’t change very much, likely only a slight boost in power. This is because their souls are already so close to darkness and evil just on their own. Now take, for example, Twilight Sparkle, the paragon of good and embodiment of friendship, who always fights for what is right. What the Dark Beyond could…no, likely already has done to her…is almost unthinkable.” “So where is she?” Applejack asked. “And what’s the deal with that letter that she supposedly sent?” “I do not know, Applejack,” Celestia replied grimlly. “My knowledge of this situation is limited at best. The only things we can know for certain are that Twilight Sparkle has been corrupted into something horrendously evil…and that Equestria—no, the very plane of existence upon which we reside—is now in grave danger.” She turned quickly to Applejack. “We must assemble the remaining Elements of Harmony, and quickly. There is no telling when my student may make her move." … Two hours later, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were assembled in the throne room of Canterlot, facing Celestia and Luna. Each of the remaining five had their respective Element hanging from a gold pendant around their neck. “So…Twilight is…evil now?” Fluttershy spoke up. “What could possibly have caused her to succumb to darkness?” Rarity said softly. “I wonder if she looks scary now!” Pinkie exclaimed. Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I’m not scared. This is Twilight we’re talking about!” “Except it’s not, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “It’s not Twilight anymore, from the sounds of it. At least, not entirely.” “Applejack is right,” Celestia said. They all turned to look at her. “Of all the threats, from both your past and future…you’ve never faced anything like this.” Fluttershy gulped. “What do you mean, ‘future?’” Celestia merely regarded her with a mysterious look in her eyes. The silence grew uncomfortable. “You know what this reminds me of?” Rarity spoke up, breaking the silence. Everypony in the room turned to look at her. Rarity glanced around at each of them in turn. “Oh come now, don’t tell me you all don’t remember? This isn’t the first dark threat we’ve faced on the eve of a Summer Sun Celebration.” The room visibly tensed, with Luna stiffening more than the others. Of course they all remembered. How could any of them forget? It was the day they had first met Twilight, the day they had all become friends, the day that they had all wielded the Elements of Harmony for the first time in order to defeat Nightmare Moon. They all let out a collective sigh, clearly thinking the same thing. That day had felt like so long ago. If only they could return to those times, when everything was simple. “First things first,” Celestia said, bringing them all back to reality. “You all need to be prepared in case Twilight attacks.” “What would her motive be for attacking?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Impossible to predict,” Celestia responded. “The corruption of the Dark Beyond affects each individual differently. It takes the purest things in their heart and breaks them, leaving almost nothing of the original self behind.” “Uh, princess,” Applejack spoke up. “Just out of curiosity…how do you know so much about the Dark Beyond?” Before Celestia could respond, a distant boom sounded, the throne room shaking slightly. A small amount of dust rained down from the ceiling. Fluttershy squealed, diving to the floor beneath Rainbow Dash, shuddering. “W-w-what was that?" Another boom sounded, slightly louder and closer this time. The throne room shook again and Celestia’s gaze steeled. “She is here." The Siege of CanterlotThe throne room shook again. Distant screams could be heard. “Luna! Remain with the Guardians of Friendship! Protect them at all costs!” Celestia shouted, spreading her wings to ascend into the air. “Sister?!” Luna cried. “Where are you going?” Celestia turned to look at her sister, a grim expression on her face. “Twilight Sparkle has made her move before we were able to adequately prepare. This outcome, though unfavorable, was predictable. All we can do now is take matters into our own hooves. I move to engage the enemy, Luna. Remain here and hold the throne room at all costs. It is our stronghold. And let no harm come to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. If I cannot defeat Twilight Sparkle, then they may very well be our last and only hope.” With that, Celestia disappeared in a blinding flash of light, leaving Luna and the other five ponies in a grim silence. None of them spoke as more distant booms sounded. The screams were getting louder. After what seemed like an eternity, Rainbow Dash broke the silence. “This is stupid! We can’t just do nothing when other ponies are in danger! As the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, we shouldn’t be sitting around here like a bunch of cowards! We should be on the front lines with Princess Celestia!” Luna turned towards Rainbow Dash. “You are indeed the bearers of the Elements,” she agreed. “But that makes you all the more valuable, and therefore it is of utmost importance that you stay out of harm’s way.” She turned and walked towards one of the large stained glass windows of the throne room, gazing out of it. Soft bursts of orange light glowed through at different intervals, each one coinciding with one of the distant booms. “We must have faith in my sister. If anypony has the power to deal with this, it is her.” Rainbow Dash grumbled but didn’t argue any further. Deep down, she knew the princess of the night was right. “I can, however,” Luna continued unexpectedly, causing all of them to perk up, “equip you to defend yourselves, should the need arise. We must make haste. My sister’s power is not infinite.” … Celestia came out of her teleport in another blinding flash of light. She was high above Canterlot Castle, in order to get a good view of the situation at hoof. Along the eastern edge of the city, she spied the source of the distant booms: orange explosions of magical light. Celestia gasped. Even from her place high in the sky, she could sense the raw magical power emanating from the blasts. Celestia knew that everypony in Canterlot was in danger. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, before speaking in a magically-amplified voice that could be heard by all in the royal capital. “Citizens of Canterlot, we are under siege by a powerful and dangerous enemy! All ponies are to evacuate to the western gate immediately! To my soldiers and royal guards, take up your arms and fight to defend our home! Make with all haste for the eastern gate, for that is where our enemy has breached our walls! Now, my ponies, to war!” With that, Celestia steeled herself and teleported to the eastern gate. The instant she came out of her teleport, a flash of orange light blinded her and she was hit by a concussive force so powerful it sent her flying backwards into a building, demolishing it instantly. Her alicorn stamina rendered the blast virtually ineffective, thankfully, and she was on her hooves again within a second. Still, though, the fact that the blast had been powerful enough in the first place to knock her off her hooves… She quickly sensed the ruins of the building she had accidentally demolished to see if there were any ponies trapped beneath the rubble. To her relief, she found none. Her magical senses told her that the hundreds of ponies that resided in Canterlot, save for her guards and soldiers, were racing for the western gate as she had instructed. Good, she thought to herself. Now I can fight in this area of the city without holding back. She stepped out of the ruins of the building to survey her enemy. She instantly spied a large group of figures that vaguely resembled ponies. They were pitch-black and had black-gray fire for their manes and tails. Their eyes glowed an unnatural white, and they all sported a pair of skeletal, demonic-looking wings. Celestia glowered at the group of enemies, before closing her eyes and incinerating them in a golden ray of pure sunlight that burst forth from her horn. The strange beings uttered an unnatural, bone-chilling screech as they were reduced to ashes in a mere instant. When the light faded, nothing remained save for a pile of smoldering embers. Celestia sighed. Had Twilight--if she could still be called that--attacked with underlings as weak as these? She almost laughed to herself. Her star pupil would have to do better than that to even phase the princess of the sun. Suddenly, a strange noise caught her ears. She looked to the pile of fading embers, and was horrified to see the ashes rising up into the air, defying gravity. They slowly blended together into a swirling mass until distinct forms began to take shape. Celestia could only stare in shock and terror as the ash settled to reveal twice the amount of black-flamed creatures as before. What in the name of Equestria? What kind of dark magic is this? That shouldn’t be possible, not even for someone touched by the Dark Beyond. Celestia grimaced. She would just have to obliterate her enemies so entirely that not even atoms remained. … The group of nearly two hundred Equestrian soldiers and royal guards galloped through the dark, empty streets of Canterlot. Leading the charge was Brimstone Noble, the general of Celestia’s armies as well as captain of her royal guard. He was a pale red unicorn who wore a brilliant white cloak emblazoned with Celestia’s shining sun. He grimaced to himself. In all the decades he’d served Princess Celestia, he had never heard her sound so alarmed as when she had relayed that magically-amplified message. And when did she ever mobilize the entire army and the royal guard? Just what kind of threat were they facing? The answer came to him quicker than he expected as he and the mass of soldiers behind him rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a large group of hideous-looking creatures wreathed in black flame, about twenty in total. He held up a hoof and he and the army behind him came skidding to a halt. He eyed the group of creatures wearily before speaking up. “This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” he said to his army without turning around. “These dark forces have our princess and ruler worried, which is a bad sign in and of itself.” He threw out a hoof to the side. “Split into ten groups and sweep the eastern half of the city! We must ensure that none get past us and harm the escaping citizenry!” The army responded with a resounding cry of “Yes, sir!” Doing as they were told, the mass of ponies broke off into smaller groups and galloped off down numerous side streets. Noble now stood facing the group of unnatural enemies, flanked by about twenty of his remaining soldiers and royal guards. “Now,” he said to his group, “forward to battle!” He cried out and charged forward, the soldiers behind him following suit, uttering their own resounding battle cry as they surged towards the enemy. They were quick to reach their opponents, who had seen them a long while before and had assumed hostile positions. Just as Noble was about to collide with the first enemy, he teleported in a flash of red light and reappeared behind the group of Darkflames, effectively flanking them in under a second. The creatures were slow to realize his presence, and by the time they did, four of them had already been cut down by a blood-red glowing blade that Noble had produced from seemingly nowhere. It was at this moment that the Equestrian soldiers rammed into the enemy at full force, piercing them with spears and hacking at them with swords. They fought tooth and nail, and between them and Noble, the group of Darkflames were wiped out in about thirty seconds. All that was left was Noble and his men, standing over the corpses of the Darkflames that were strewn across the ground at their hooves. “They were easier to take down than I expected,” Noble stated, sheathing his red blade in a holster at his side. “Their strength may only be in numbers. If they are all as weak as this, we can divide and conquer them. That strategy should allow us to gain victory.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, however, a horrible squelching noise filled his ears. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Noble whirled around, trying to locate the source of the noise, until something grabbed his hoof. He looked down in horror to see the corpse of one of the Darkflames latching on to his leg, struggling to stand as its fatal wounds seemingly healed themselves. He yelled in shock and drew his blade, shearing off the Darkflame’s forearm in an instant. He leapt back, away from the reach of the other Darkflames, who were all somehow coming back to life. “Get back!” He shouted at his soldiers. His brave men, however, were rooted to the spot in fear, the sheer horror of the scenario playing out before their eyes paralyzing them. The Darkflames’ forms twisted and bent. Wounds healed, broken bones mended, and black blood flowed backwards into their bodies. At the same time, severed limbs and other body parts began to morph and grow, forming legs and heads. In a matter of moments, double the amount of Darkflames as before were standing before them, fully healed, and more vicious-looking than ever. For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the Darkflames moved. Almost quicker than the eye could see, they had advanced upon Noble’s men with a horrible, earsplitting screech. Overtaking the soldiers, the Darkflames produced sharp appendages resembling blades from their very flesh, rending them through Noble’s men in an instant. They all screamed, blood spilling from fresh wounds as they collapsed to the ground, dead. Noble was surprised at the speed the Darkflames had moved with. Why hadn’t they attacked like this when they first encountered the army? And how in the name of Equestria did they not only come back from the dead, but also multiply upon reformation? No magic he knew of could do that. So just how were they going to beat these enemies? Killing them, at least by conventional means, seemed to be impossible, and would only serve to multiply their forces. They were, from a purely objective standpoint, the perfect soldiers. He would have to retreat for now. He needed to reach Princess Celestia and have her use her magic to warn the rest of his soldiers to hold off and not attack the enemy, at least until an effective counter-strategy was developed. And if anyone could come up with that strategy, it would be Princess Celestia. Suddenly, a bright orange glow appeared out of the corner of his eye. Noble silently cursed himself. He had been distracted by his thoughts for a brief moment. He quickly teleported away, but not before the brunt of the blast hit him. He came out of his teleport, flying from the force of the blast, hair singed, and crashed headfirst into a market stand, destroying it in a shower of wood splinters. He groaned to himself, struggling to get to his hooves. The blast had gotten him good. And where had it even come from? It hadn't seemed to have originated from the Darkflames themselves, seeing as how they had slaughtered his men with grotesque weapons made from their own body. No, the blast had been the work of something else entirely. But what? The raw power behind that blast had been unlike anything he had ever felt before. It made him feel weak in comparison. If he hadn’t teleported when he did, the full force of the blast likely would have killed him. Thankfully, his quick escape had at least allowed him to get away from the group of Darkflames, at least for the time being. He shook himself off and galloped off down the dark street, reaching out with his magical senses. He had to find Princess Celestia, and fast. He hoped that wherever she was, she was faring better than him. … She was not. Celestia was a ball of energy, moving so fast that she was only a streak of light. She was cutting down Darkflames left and right with a blade that seemed to be made of pure sunlight. No matter how many she killed, however, two more took their place thanks to their harrowing multiplication ability. She was, despite her immense power, starting to become overwhelmed. She had tried so many different methods of killing to see if any of them would fell the Darkflames for good, but nothing seemed to be working. Whether they were burned to ash, beheaded, bisected, drowned in their own black blood, impaled through the heart, or anything else in between, they always reformed with a second partner by their side, fully-healed and ready to attack the princess. She needed to stop. To fall back and retreat for the moment, lest her actions render the Darkflames too numerous to even count. Yes, she decided. She had to return to the throne room and form a new plan with Luna and the other Guardians of Friendship. And she would have to order her soldiers to retreat as well. If she was having this much trouble fighting the Darkflames, she could only imagine what horrors her men were experiencing. She spread her wings and shot up into the air, avoiding a group of Darkflames who had lunged at her, and teleported back to the skies over Canterlot. She opened her mouth to address all of Canterlot on the change of plan but suddenly stopped. The air around her had suddenly changed. It felt cold, and…wrong. Evil, even. The hairs on the back of Celestia’s neck stood up. She glanced around wildly, trying to find the source of this new and horrible sensation. In an instant she wished she hadn’t. Hovering in the air not fifty feet from her was Twilight Sparkle. Or at least, what used to be Twilight Sparkle. Much like the Darkflames, her mane and tail were now composed of black fire, and her coat was entirely black as well. Around her neck was the Element of Magic, glowing a bright burning white. Her eyes glowed this same color. And she was looking-- Celestia shuddered. Her faithful student was staring directly at her, and the expression on her face was something that did not belong on Twilight Sparkle. It was twisted in a grotesque, sadistic smile. Celestia could do nothing but stare at Twilight in shock. “Hello, princess,” Twilight sneered. Celestia noted that her voice sounded the exact same despite her change in appearance. “Did you miss me?” Clash of the GodsCelestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the sweet morning air to fill her lungs. Her sun shone down upon Canterlot Castle, basking the royal city in its warmth and light. Celestia exhaled and opened her eyes, surveying all that she ruled. Far below her, she could see ponies milling about in the city, going about their daily business. She smiled. It truly was a peaceful morning. The quiet of the morning was suddenly shattered by a blinding flash of light and a thunderous boom. Startled, Celestia looked skyward, and saw a massive circle of rainbow energy traveling out from a single point high up in the sky. Whatever had caused the blast was long gone, and all she could see beyond the rainbow energy was the clear blue sky. Before she could process exactly what had happened, her thoughts were torn away from the heavens as another noise caught her attention. It was a burst of magical energy, and suddenly, the roof of the tower to her left was torn apart as a massive dragon head burst through it. She took a few moments to process what was happening before teleporting into the tower. The instant she came out of her teleport, she could tell something was seriously wrong. In the center of the room, a small purple filly floated in an aura of purple magic, her eyes glowing white. She seemed to not be in control of what she was doing, as she was struggling around in the air. Celestia also noticed that four other ponies--the judges for the entrance exam to her prestigious school of learning--were floating in another aura of magic created by this filly. To her side, two plants stood motionless--a cactus and a fern. Celestia assumed that these were once ponies and they had accidentally been transformed by this young filly’s magic. On top of all of this, the lower body of the massive dragon was engulfing most of the room. She stepped forward and reached out a hoof, placing it on the young filly’s shoulder. The filly instantly turned around to look at her, and after a few moments of eye contact with the princess, the white glow faded from her eyes, reverting them to their normal purple. Moments later, all of the magic in the room dissipated. The four floating ponies fell to the ground in a heap. The two plants reverted to a mare and a stallion--Celestia assumed these were the young filly’s parents. Finally, the dragon shrunk down to a baby. Now that everything was under control, Celestia recognized the young filly. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said. The young filly winced, clearly believing that Celestia was upset with her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean--” Celestia cut her off. “You have a very special gift. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities.” “Huh?” Was all the confused filly managed to say. “But you need to learn to tame these abilities through focused study,” Celestia continued. “Huh?” Twilight uttered again, more confused than before. Celestia would soon make everything clear. “Twilight Sparkle,” she declared, “I’d like to make you my own personal protege here at the school.” “Huh?!” Twilight uttered for the last time, completely dumbfounded. Celestia leaned down to her. “Well?” Twilight glanced back at her parents apprehensively, who nodded eagerly in encouragement. That was all Twilight needed, it seemed. She shot into the air, ecstatic. “Yes!” She exclaimed. “One other thing, Twilight,” Celestia said. “More?” Twilight asked, falling to the ground. Celestia approached her and merely pointed a hoof at the filly’s flank, where a pink star surrounded by smaller white stars had appeared. Twilight turned her head back to look, and her eyes widened. “My cutie mark! Yes yes yes yes yes!” Twilight bounced around Celestia in a fit of joy. Celestia watched the filly, smiling. She hadn’t been lying when she had praised Twilight’s abilities. The raw power this unicorn had was astounding. Being able to do all this while still just a filly…Celestia predicted that if Twilight reached full magical potential, she might even be able to come close to rivaling a lesser alicorn in power. The thought was a bit frightening, yes, but she knew that Twilight Sparkle would wield her power for the good of Equestria and all its inhabitants. All she needed was time and guidance, and Celestia would be sure to give her both. And when her work was complete, anypony who sought to make Twilight Sparkle an enemy would be met with a fate graver than death. … “Hello, princess,” Twilight sneered. “Did you miss me?” Celestia gaped at her protege, a part of her still refusing to accept what she was seeing. She had known that her student had become corrupted by the Dark Beyond, but actually physically seeing that corruption, and what it had done to her protege, was still incredibly shocking and horrifying, even for the most powerful being in Equestria. Or maybe the second-most-powerful now. “What’s the matter?” Twilight taunted. “Cat got your tongue?” Celestia regained some of her composure and managed to speak. “Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight did a little bow and flourish in midair. “In the flesh.” Celestia gestured with a hoof down at the city, the eastern half of which was beginning to break out in flames. “You don’t have to do this. Call off your minions. We can work together to find a way to rid you of the Dark Beyond’s corruption.” All the while she was saying this, Celestia knew that Twilight would never accept these terms. But she had to buy as much time as possible. She could only hope that Luna was helping the Guardians of Friendship to become weapons of war, using the power of their Elements. She knew it would take a while. Still, every second she could give them mattered. The more Twilight was focused on her, the less she would be concerned about Luna and the Elements. Celestia assumed that Twilight’s goal was to obtain the latter. With all of the Elements under her control, as well as her status as an alicorn on top of the power boost from the Dark Beyond, Twilight Sparkle would become a god incarnate. Celestia had to stop her before that happened--while she still had the chance to rival Twilight’s power. Twilight threw her head back and laughed derisively. “When did you get so funny, Princess Celestia? You of all ponies should know that I’ll never give in, not when I have the Elements of Harmony within my grasp.” Celestia’s gaze steeled. So Twilight was after the Elements. She would ensure that Twilight never reached them. The fate of Equestria--no, of the entire world--depended on it. “I mean, seriously, Princess, what in the name of--” Twilight didn’t get to finish her sentence. Celestia had accelerated through the sound barrier in a fraction of a second, and had tackled her former pupil in midair. Celestia’s goal wasn’t to kill Twilight, just render her unable to fight. But she knew that since her protege was now an alicorn as well, it would take a serious amount of power to do so. The two alicorns careened through the air, trading blows with one another, the shockwaves from their punches and kicks reverberating throughout the entire city. Just one of those blows would be enough to flatten a building. To each alicorn, however, they were merely brushed off. The pair hit the ground, demolishing multiple buildings as they landed. In an instant, they were both on their feet again, sizing each other up. They had created a massive crater in the ground, destroying at least three city blocks when they had landed. “Twilight, stop this!” Celestia pleaded. “All of Canterlot will be laid to ruin before either of us begins to tire even remotely!” Twilight sneered again. “Well that’s too bad, Princess. See, I don’t care about collateral damage. In fact, the more that’s destroyed, the better!” She grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming with a chaotic malevolence. Celestia glared back at her. By this time, Canterlot was likely completely evacuated, save for her soldiers, Luna, and the Guardians of Friendship. And then there was Twilight and her Darkflames. The city could be rebuilt, even if it took years. Right now, her only priority was stopping Twilight--could she even call her that anymore?--here and now. Once again, she accelerated through the sound barrier towards Twilight, but this time her faithful student was ready. She dodged the impossibly fast attack and threw out her leg, kicking Celestia square in the gut. Celestia gagged, all the wind instantly knocked out of her, and was sent flying across the crater and through several nearby buildings. Just like that, she was back on her feet again in an instant, however, and threw up a bright golden shield to deflect Twilight’s next attack, a massive ranged attack of dark purple energy that completely vaporized the ruins of the building she was in. Celestia lowered the shield and threw out her own ranged attack, charging up her horn and shooting out a beam of pure sunlight towards Twilight. The younger alicorn dodged it, shooting upwards into the air. Celestia followed her with the beam, attempting to strike Twilight, but the alicorn dodged this way and that at an unthinkable speed, zig-zagging through the air in wild yet graceful maneuvers that easily avoided the harsh beam of magical sunlight. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Celestia killed the beam and shot towards her student once again. She can’t dodge an attack in midair, the princess thought to herself, conjuring a magical blade of sunlight. As she did so, Twilight’s wicked grin grew impossibly even wider as she herself conjured a blade of dark purple energy. Meeting Celestia’s attack head-on, a massive shockwave of both golden and dark purple energy exploded out from where their two swords met, instantly dissipating any clouds that were over the city. The two glared at each other, swords locked in midair, each struggling to gain the upper hand and push the other one away. “What’s the matter, princess?” Twilight taunted. “None of your attacks seem to be working. How long until you run out of options to try and kill me with?” “I am not trying to kill you, Twilight,” Celestia responded, and for a brief moment something shifted in Twilight’s eyes. “I am merely trying to stop you. There is a difference.” At these last words, she summoned all of her alicorn strength while Twilight was slightly off-guard and pushed her student away from her. In an instant, she moved to the air above her faithful student and brought her sword down as hard as she could. Twilight threw up her sword to try and block the attack, but it was too little too late. The force of Celestia’s attack sent Twilight careening straight towards the ground at breakneck speed. She crashed head-first back down into the crater that their landing had created earlier, making it even bigger than it was before. Celestia teleported down to the ground where Twilight had landed. “Surrender, Twilight. We may be evenly matched, but you can never hope to best me in combat.” On the ground, Twilight’s body started convulsing oddly, shaking rhythmically. Celestia was confused at this until she heard it. The laughter. Not happy laughter that would be uttered at a joke or during good times with friends. This laughter was completely devoid of any warmth, and it sent chills down Celestia’s spine. This laughter was cold, and dark, sadistic, evil, and…wrong. Twilight continued to laugh as she slowly got to her feet. She slowly turned towards Celestia, who had to fight the urge to take a step back. When Twilight spoke, it was not her voice, but deep, dark. and monstrous. “Your taunts are hollow, Princess of the Sun. This vessel I have acquired will become more powerful than you could ever hope to be. And once I have the Elements of Harmony, I will be truly free, broken out of my dark and timeless prison. Then, this world--no, this universe--shall be mine.” Celestia blinked, stunned, rooted to the spot in an unnatural fear. What was that? What was speaking through her faithful student? Her thoughts had distracted her. She felt a strange sensation in her chest and looked down to see the hilt of Twilight’s dark sword protruding from it. She gagged, coughing up a mouthful of blood. She shuddered, collapsing to the ground, blood pooling around her. Her faithful student had run her through completely. And this was no ordinary sword. It sapped both her magic and her life, slowly but surely. In a daze, she looked up at Twilight, who was grinning down at her. “You shouldn’t have let your guard down, Princess,” Twilight taunted. “Now, that mistake has cost you everything. To think, the almighty Princess of the Sun, the Ruler of Equestria, felled because she was merely distracted. You’re honestly pathetic, you know that? You could never have beaten me. Not now. Not in a million years. Goodbye, Princess.” At this last sneer, Twilight raised her sword, prepared to deliver the finishing blow. Celestia closed her eyes. Luna, she thought. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I failed, I-- The entire world went silent. In a fraction of a second, Celestia blinked, trying to figure out what had happened. Then, the heavens exploded in a massive ring of vibrance. In an instant, Twilight had been sent flying by a glowing rainbow blur so fast that Celestia barely saw it pass by. The sun princess struggled to get to her feet, but was too weak. Suddenly, there were ponies by her side. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Fluttershy. Luna. And… “Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Please tell me you guys saw that Sonic Rainboom! That was so epic!” She laughed giddily. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly darling, how could anypony miss a spectacle such as that?” Luna had rushed to Celestia’s side. “Sister, are you alright?” “No,” Celestia said truthfully. “Twilight bested me in combat. I was…foolish and let my guard down.” “Nay, sister,” Luna reassured her. “Do not admonish yourself. Your actions bought us enough time for the Guardians to merge with their Elements.” Celestia looked around, really taking in the Guardians of Friendship for the first time. They were each glowing the color of their Element, and each wore divine-looking spectral armor, in which was encased their Element. “They are each now as powerful as an alicorn,” Luna said. “Together, we can defeat Twilight Sparkle.” “Are you so sure about that?” The group whirled around, instantly on guard. Twilight had approached them, and was flanked by a massive army of Darkflames. The Guardians of Friendship and even Luna stiffened visibly as they laid eyes on this dark Twilight for the first time. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out. “What in the hay happened to you? Why are you doing this?!” “I wouldn’t expect someone of your mental fortitude to even begin to understand, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight mocked. “I have found a new purpose in this life: to bring the Dark Beyond into this world.” “Well we aren’t gonna let that happen!” Pinkie shouted, taking a step forward. “She’s right, you know, darling,” Rarity agreed. “We will stop you, here and now, whatever it takes!” “Because we have something you don’t,” Applejack chimed in. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh, and what might that be?” Fluttershy spoke up for the first time. “We have harmony.”
The Dark BeyondThe last remnants of daylight fell below the horizon as they were extinguished by the darkness of Luna’s night. One by one, countless tiny pinpricks of light began to appear in the darkened sky, sparkling against the blackness. A shooting star passed by overhead. Celestia had to admit it was beautiful. Even though she was daylight incarnate, the physical manifestation of the sun, she could still appreciate the beauty and wonder of her sister’s domain. It had a certain magic to it that the daytime lacked. Something about the vast darkness broken only by minuscule pinpoints of light…it was almost humbling, in a way. And more than a little ethereal. “Admiring my night sky, sister?” Luna’s voice sounded from behind Celestia, just inside the doorway to the balcony she was sitting on. Celestia smiled, not turning around. “You could say that, sister,” she replied warmly. Luna walked onto the balcony of the royal palace overlooking Canterlot, taking a seat beside Celestia and joining her in gazing up at the night sky, now in all its glory and brimming with stars. They sat in silence for a while, before Luna spoke up. “Are you ready for tomorrow?” Celestia sighed, turning away from the night sky for the first time to look at her sister. “I should think so. It will be strange, of course, but I know that Equestria will rejoice in the newfound purpose of our Summer Sun Celebration. It will no longer celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but rather, for the first time, the celebration of the return of my sister and the reunion of Equestria’s princesses.” She paused, sighing again. “How are you faring in regards to the Celebration?” Luna shrugged. “Like you said, it will be strange indeed. I just hope that ponykind will finally accept me as they accept you. I know most ponies still haven’t forgiven me for the atrocities I committed as Nightmare Moon.” Luna turned to her sister, shifting her body. “Sister, I should know better than anyone: you are not Nightmare Moon. She is not who you are in your soul.” Luna turned as well. “I know that you know that, sister, as do I, but what about the rest of ponykind? Whenever they look at me, all I can see in their eyes is fear. Since my return, not a single pony has spoken to me more than a simple greeting, and even then they acknowledge me just because I’m a princess and it’s their royal duty!” She huffed, slightly exasperated. Celestia reached out, placing her hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Tomorrow, sister, they will see. Their eyes will be opened, and they will all see you as I see you: as a loving sister and a kind ruler, not something to be feared in the slightest, but rather respected and adored.” Luna averted her gaze from her sister. “I hope you are right, sister." “We shall see what tomorrow brings,” Celestia assured her. “Until then, all we can do is have hope for the future.” “I suppose you are right, as always, sister,” Luna agreed. Celestia smiled and returned to gazing up at the night sky. After a few moments, Luna did the same. Celestia has always been a master with words, and she had to admit that her sister’s reassurance had indeed helped her feel better, even if just a little. She sighed. She was very lucky to have Celestia as a sister, friend and fellow ruler indeed. Suddenly, there was a strange hissing and crackling noise, and a green luminescence appeared in Luna's peripheral vision. It went up in smoke, dissipating to reveal a letter. Celestia immediately grabbed it with her magic, bringing it before her and quickly unraveling it. “Sister?” Luna asked, curious. “What is it?” Celestia didn’t respond, instead focusing on the letter. Her eyes widened as she read it. She finished the letter and wound it back up, glancing at Luna in alarm. “Sister?” Luna said again, slightly panicked. Celestia took a deep breath before responding. “That letter was from Twilight Sparkle. Something has happened. Something…awful.” Luna was confused. “Twilight? Your student who resides in Ponyville? What has happened, pray tell?” “Ponyville is under attack,” Celestia said. “Quickly, sister, with me. We must make for Ponyville with all haste if we are to save its residents.” Luna didn’t bother to ask more, instead following her sister as she spread her wings and shot into the air at an unbelievable speed. The two sisters quickly accelerated through the sound barrier, and were well on their way to Ponyville within a matter of seconds. Zooming over the Equestrian countryside, the faint lights of Ponyville came into view. The two sisters angled downwards, and in a matter of moments they had landed in Ponyville’s town square. All around them, Ponies who were walking about and minding their own business jumped in fear at the concussive sound that the two sisters made as they touched down to earth. Celestia looked around frantically, trying to spot any sign of the attackers. Wait—ponies walking about and minding their own business? What kind of ponies with any common sense would be doing that when their town was supposedly under attack? Celestia scanned the town even more closely, looking for anything out of the ordinary. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find a single thing out of place. Not a single stone overturned, not a single thing broken or ruined. And definitely no sign of an attack. “Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Luna asked angrily. “I thought you said Ponyville was under attack!” “I am unsure, sister,” Celestia replied, dumbfounded. “Twilight Sparkle’s letter clearly stated that Ponyville was under attack by an unknown force. But yet, I can see or sense nothing out of the ordinary here.” Her musings were interrupted by a voice. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Golly gee, what in tarnation are you doin’ here?” The sisters turned to look at the source of the voice, and spotted a bright orange earth pony galloping towards them. She reached them, slightly out of breath, before falling to her knees and bowing. “Uh, I mean, respectfully, your highnesses.” “Applejack,” Celestia said urgently, not even bothering to tell her to rise. “What happened? Where is Twilight Sparkle?” Applejack got to her hooves and cocked her head in confusion. “Uh, what?” Luna stepped in. “We received a letter from Twilight Sparkle not two minutes ago informing us that Ponyville was under attack! And yet we find nothing out of the ordinary here. What is the meaning of this?” Applejack looked dumbfounded. “I, uh, I’m not sure, your highnesses. Nothing’s been out of the ordinary here, and I should know--I’ve been in the town all day selling apples." “Very well,” Celestia said. “Can you at least tell us where we might find Twilight? Hopefully she has an explanation for all of this.” “Oh, well, that would be the library, of course, your highnesses,” Applejack replied. “But I haven’t seen her all day. Then again, that’s not out of the ordinary for our Twilight. Figured she was just cooped up in the library tryin’ to learn a new spell or research some obscure topic or something. You know how she is.” Celestia nodded. “Indeed, Applejack. Would you mind accompanying us to the library?” “It would be my honor, your highnesses,” Applejack responded, tipping her hat. A minute or so later, the three of them were standing outside the door to the library. Applejack knocked. “Twilight? Twi! You in there?” She waited a few moments for a response, but none came. She knocked again. “Twi? Twi, I’m comin’ in.” Applejack pushed open the door to the library and walked inside, followed by Celestia and Luna. It was immediately clear to them that nothing was as it should be. While the library had looked as it always did from the outside, the inside was a different story. To say the library was a wreck would be an understatement. Every single book had been thrown off the shelves by some unknown force, and every piece of furniture was overturned. Some of the upper windows not visible from the front were shattered, with broken shards of glass lying everywhere. But what really made the scene chilling was not the destruction; it was the black fire that burned in small patches all over and yet gave off no heat, light or sound. “What in tarnation…” Applejack breathed. She turned to look at Celestia and Luna, who were staring at the scene in horror. “Your highnesses? Any idea what happened here?” Celestia seemed to snap out of a slight trance and regain some of her composure. “Yes, Applejack, but more than an idea. Black fire is not natural. It is wholly evil. And it only originates from one place: the Dark Beyond." Applejack gulped, the mere mention of those words sending shivers down her spine despite her not knowing anything about what they referred to. “The, uh…the Dark Beyond?” Celestia nodded. “It is the void that surrounds the plane of existence we reside upon. It is unreachable by anything except alicorns. And to do so, one must succumb to the darkness in their heart. In exchange, they are granted immense power at the cost of losing who they used to be. And it looks like my faithful student has fallen into that great darkness." “Wait just a second,” Applejack interjected. “You’re sayin’ Twilight did this?” She gestured to the state of the library and the black flames with a hoof. Celestia nodded grimly. “It would appear so.” “But how’s that even possible? First off, Twilight doesn’t have any darkness in her, we all know that. She’s the Princess of Friendship, for cryin’ out loud! And even if she did, why on earth would she do…whatever it is she did here?” “You are mistaken, Applejack,” Luna said solemnly. “Everypony has the potential for darkness inside of them, whether they know it or not. Take Nightmare Moon for example. It was never something I intended to become, but I became overwhelmed with so many negative emotions that my soul merely…darkened. The same thing could happen to anypony.” “Except the more powerful magic one possesses,” Celestia said, “the darker their corruption will be. Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn, and if she has indeed made contact with the Dark Beyond, for whatever reason…what she has become now will make Nightmare Moon look like a playground bully.” Applejack shuddered at the thought. “What do you mean?” Celestia sighed. “The Dark Beyond corrupts absolutely. It is worse than what happened to my sister. With my sister’s transformation into Nightmare Moon, it was merely her own negative emotions darkening her soul, like she has said. But the Dark Beyond exists to corrupt. And the greater the potential for darkness, the darker they will become.” “Think of it this way,” Luna said. “If somepony like Nightmare Moon were to make contact with the Dark Beyond, they wouldn’t change very much, likely only a slight boost in power. This is because their souls are already so close to darkness and evil just on their own. Now take, for example, Twilight Sparkle, the paragon of good and embodiment of friendship, who always fights for what is right. What the Dark Beyond could…no, likely already has done to her…is almost unthinkable.” “So where is she?” Applejack asked. “And what’s the deal with that letter that she supposedly sent?” “I do not know, Applejack,” Celestia replied grimlly. “My knowledge of this situation is limited at best. The only things we can know for certain are that Twilight Sparkle has been corrupted into something horrendously evil…and that Equestria—no, the very plane of existence upon which we reside—is now in grave danger.” She turned quickly to Applejack. “We must assemble the remaining Elements of Harmony, and quickly. There is no telling when my student may make her move." … Two hours later, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were assembled in the throne room of Canterlot, facing Celestia and Luna. Each of the remaining five had their respective Element hanging from a gold pendant around their neck. “So…Twilight is…evil now?” Fluttershy spoke up. “What could possibly have caused her to succumb to darkness?” Rarity said softly. “I wonder if she looks scary now!” Pinkie exclaimed. Rainbow Dash scoffed. “I’m not scared. This is Twilight we’re talking about!” “Except it’s not, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “It’s not Twilight anymore, from the sounds of it. At least, not entirely.” “Applejack is right,” Celestia said. They all turned to look at her. “Of all the threats, from both your past and future…you’ve never faced anything like this.” Fluttershy gulped. “What do you mean, ‘future?’” Celestia merely regarded her with a mysterious look in her eyes. The silence grew uncomfortable. “You know what this reminds me of?” Rarity spoke up, breaking the silence. Everypony in the room turned to look at her. Rarity glanced around at each of them in turn. “Oh come now, don’t tell me you all don’t remember? This isn’t the first dark threat we’ve faced on the eve of a Summer Sun Celebration.” The room visibly tensed, with Luna stiffening more than the others. Of course they all remembered. How could any of them forget? It was the day they had first met Twilight, the day they had all become friends, the day that they had all wielded the Elements of Harmony for the first time in order to defeat Nightmare Moon. They all let out a collective sigh, clearly thinking the same thing. That day had felt like so long ago. If only they could return to those times, when everything was simple. “First things first,” Celestia said, bringing them all back to reality. “You all need to be prepared in case Twilight attacks.” “What would her motive be for attacking?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Impossible to predict,” Celestia responded. “The corruption of the Dark Beyond affects each individual differently. It takes the purest things in their heart and breaks them, leaving almost nothing of the original self behind.” “Uh, princess,” Applejack spoke up. “Just out of curiosity…how do you know so much about the Dark Beyond?” Before Celestia could respond, a distant boom sounded, the throne room shaking slightly. A small amount of dust rained down from the ceiling. Fluttershy squealed, diving to the floor beneath Rainbow Dash, shuddering. “W-w-what was that?" Another boom sounded, slightly louder and closer this time. The throne room shook again and Celestia’s gaze steeled. “She is here."
The Siege of CanterlotThe throne room shook again. Distant screams could be heard. “Luna! Remain with the Guardians of Friendship! Protect them at all costs!” Celestia shouted, spreading her wings to ascend into the air. “Sister?!” Luna cried. “Where are you going?” Celestia turned to look at her sister, a grim expression on her face. “Twilight Sparkle has made her move before we were able to adequately prepare. This outcome, though unfavorable, was predictable. All we can do now is take matters into our own hooves. I move to engage the enemy, Luna. Remain here and hold the throne room at all costs. It is our stronghold. And let no harm come to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. If I cannot defeat Twilight Sparkle, then they may very well be our last and only hope.” With that, Celestia disappeared in a blinding flash of light, leaving Luna and the other five ponies in a grim silence. None of them spoke as more distant booms sounded. The screams were getting louder. After what seemed like an eternity, Rainbow Dash broke the silence. “This is stupid! We can’t just do nothing when other ponies are in danger! As the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, we shouldn’t be sitting around here like a bunch of cowards! We should be on the front lines with Princess Celestia!” Luna turned towards Rainbow Dash. “You are indeed the bearers of the Elements,” she agreed. “But that makes you all the more valuable, and therefore it is of utmost importance that you stay out of harm’s way.” She turned and walked towards one of the large stained glass windows of the throne room, gazing out of it. Soft bursts of orange light glowed through at different intervals, each one coinciding with one of the distant booms. “We must have faith in my sister. If anypony has the power to deal with this, it is her.” Rainbow Dash grumbled but didn’t argue any further. Deep down, she knew the princess of the night was right. “I can, however,” Luna continued unexpectedly, causing all of them to perk up, “equip you to defend yourselves, should the need arise. We must make haste. My sister’s power is not infinite.” … Celestia came out of her teleport in another blinding flash of light. She was high above Canterlot Castle, in order to get a good view of the situation at hoof. Along the eastern edge of the city, she spied the source of the distant booms: orange explosions of magical light. Celestia gasped. Even from her place high in the sky, she could sense the raw magical power emanating from the blasts. Celestia knew that everypony in Canterlot was in danger. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, before speaking in a magically-amplified voice that could be heard by all in the royal capital. “Citizens of Canterlot, we are under siege by a powerful and dangerous enemy! All ponies are to evacuate to the western gate immediately! To my soldiers and royal guards, take up your arms and fight to defend our home! Make with all haste for the eastern gate, for that is where our enemy has breached our walls! Now, my ponies, to war!” With that, Celestia steeled herself and teleported to the eastern gate. The instant she came out of her teleport, a flash of orange light blinded her and she was hit by a concussive force so powerful it sent her flying backwards into a building, demolishing it instantly. Her alicorn stamina rendered the blast virtually ineffective, thankfully, and she was on her hooves again within a second. Still, though, the fact that the blast had been powerful enough in the first place to knock her off her hooves… She quickly sensed the ruins of the building she had accidentally demolished to see if there were any ponies trapped beneath the rubble. To her relief, she found none. Her magical senses told her that the hundreds of ponies that resided in Canterlot, save for her guards and soldiers, were racing for the western gate as she had instructed. Good, she thought to herself. Now I can fight in this area of the city without holding back. She stepped out of the ruins of the building to survey her enemy. She instantly spied a large group of figures that vaguely resembled ponies. They were pitch-black and had black-gray fire for their manes and tails. Their eyes glowed an unnatural white, and they all sported a pair of skeletal, demonic-looking wings. Celestia glowered at the group of enemies, before closing her eyes and incinerating them in a golden ray of pure sunlight that burst forth from her horn. The strange beings uttered an unnatural, bone-chilling screech as they were reduced to ashes in a mere instant. When the light faded, nothing remained save for a pile of smoldering embers. Celestia sighed. Had Twilight--if she could still be called that--attacked with underlings as weak as these? She almost laughed to herself. Her star pupil would have to do better than that to even phase the princess of the sun. Suddenly, a strange noise caught her ears. She looked to the pile of fading embers, and was horrified to see the ashes rising up into the air, defying gravity. They slowly blended together into a swirling mass until distinct forms began to take shape. Celestia could only stare in shock and terror as the ash settled to reveal twice the amount of black-flamed creatures as before. What in the name of Equestria? What kind of dark magic is this? That shouldn’t be possible, not even for someone touched by the Dark Beyond. Celestia grimaced. She would just have to obliterate her enemies so entirely that not even atoms remained. … The group of nearly two hundred Equestrian soldiers and royal guards galloped through the dark, empty streets of Canterlot. Leading the charge was Brimstone Noble, the general of Celestia’s armies as well as captain of her royal guard. He was a pale red unicorn who wore a brilliant white cloak emblazoned with Celestia’s shining sun. He grimaced to himself. In all the decades he’d served Princess Celestia, he had never heard her sound so alarmed as when she had relayed that magically-amplified message. And when did she ever mobilize the entire army and the royal guard? Just what kind of threat were they facing? The answer came to him quicker than he expected as he and the mass of soldiers behind him rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a large group of hideous-looking creatures wreathed in black flame, about twenty in total. He held up a hoof and he and the army behind him came skidding to a halt. He eyed the group of creatures wearily before speaking up. “This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” he said to his army without turning around. “These dark forces have our princess and ruler worried, which is a bad sign in and of itself.” He threw out a hoof to the side. “Split into ten groups and sweep the eastern half of the city! We must ensure that none get past us and harm the escaping citizenry!” The army responded with a resounding cry of “Yes, sir!” Doing as they were told, the mass of ponies broke off into smaller groups and galloped off down numerous side streets. Noble now stood facing the group of unnatural enemies, flanked by about twenty of his remaining soldiers and royal guards. “Now,” he said to his group, “forward to battle!” He cried out and charged forward, the soldiers behind him following suit, uttering their own resounding battle cry as they surged towards the enemy. They were quick to reach their opponents, who had seen them a long while before and had assumed hostile positions. Just as Noble was about to collide with the first enemy, he teleported in a flash of red light and reappeared behind the group of Darkflames, effectively flanking them in under a second. The creatures were slow to realize his presence, and by the time they did, four of them had already been cut down by a blood-red glowing blade that Noble had produced from seemingly nowhere. It was at this moment that the Equestrian soldiers rammed into the enemy at full force, piercing them with spears and hacking at them with swords. They fought tooth and nail, and between them and Noble, the group of Darkflames were wiped out in about thirty seconds. All that was left was Noble and his men, standing over the corpses of the Darkflames that were strewn across the ground at their hooves. “They were easier to take down than I expected,” Noble stated, sheathing his red blade in a holster at his side. “Their strength may only be in numbers. If they are all as weak as this, we can divide and conquer them. That strategy should allow us to gain victory.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, however, a horrible squelching noise filled his ears. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Noble whirled around, trying to locate the source of the noise, until something grabbed his hoof. He looked down in horror to see the corpse of one of the Darkflames latching on to his leg, struggling to stand as its fatal wounds seemingly healed themselves. He yelled in shock and drew his blade, shearing off the Darkflame’s forearm in an instant. He leapt back, away from the reach of the other Darkflames, who were all somehow coming back to life. “Get back!” He shouted at his soldiers. His brave men, however, were rooted to the spot in fear, the sheer horror of the scenario playing out before their eyes paralyzing them. The Darkflames’ forms twisted and bent. Wounds healed, broken bones mended, and black blood flowed backwards into their bodies. At the same time, severed limbs and other body parts began to morph and grow, forming legs and heads. In a matter of moments, double the amount of Darkflames as before were standing before them, fully healed, and more vicious-looking than ever. For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the Darkflames moved. Almost quicker than the eye could see, they had advanced upon Noble’s men with a horrible, earsplitting screech. Overtaking the soldiers, the Darkflames produced sharp appendages resembling blades from their very flesh, rending them through Noble’s men in an instant. They all screamed, blood spilling from fresh wounds as they collapsed to the ground, dead. Noble was surprised at the speed the Darkflames had moved with. Why hadn’t they attacked like this when they first encountered the army? And how in the name of Equestria did they not only come back from the dead, but also multiply upon reformation? No magic he knew of could do that. So just how were they going to beat these enemies? Killing them, at least by conventional means, seemed to be impossible, and would only serve to multiply their forces. They were, from a purely objective standpoint, the perfect soldiers. He would have to retreat for now. He needed to reach Princess Celestia and have her use her magic to warn the rest of his soldiers to hold off and not attack the enemy, at least until an effective counter-strategy was developed. And if anyone could come up with that strategy, it would be Princess Celestia. Suddenly, a bright orange glow appeared out of the corner of his eye. Noble silently cursed himself. He had been distracted by his thoughts for a brief moment. He quickly teleported away, but not before the brunt of the blast hit him. He came out of his teleport, flying from the force of the blast, hair singed, and crashed headfirst into a market stand, destroying it in a shower of wood splinters. He groaned to himself, struggling to get to his hooves. The blast had gotten him good. And where had it even come from? It hadn't seemed to have originated from the Darkflames themselves, seeing as how they had slaughtered his men with grotesque weapons made from their own body. No, the blast had been the work of something else entirely. But what? The raw power behind that blast had been unlike anything he had ever felt before. It made him feel weak in comparison. If he hadn’t teleported when he did, the full force of the blast likely would have killed him. Thankfully, his quick escape had at least allowed him to get away from the group of Darkflames, at least for the time being. He shook himself off and galloped off down the dark street, reaching out with his magical senses. He had to find Princess Celestia, and fast. He hoped that wherever she was, she was faring better than him. … She was not. Celestia was a ball of energy, moving so fast that she was only a streak of light. She was cutting down Darkflames left and right with a blade that seemed to be made of pure sunlight. No matter how many she killed, however, two more took their place thanks to their harrowing multiplication ability. She was, despite her immense power, starting to become overwhelmed. She had tried so many different methods of killing to see if any of them would fell the Darkflames for good, but nothing seemed to be working. Whether they were burned to ash, beheaded, bisected, drowned in their own black blood, impaled through the heart, or anything else in between, they always reformed with a second partner by their side, fully-healed and ready to attack the princess. She needed to stop. To fall back and retreat for the moment, lest her actions render the Darkflames too numerous to even count. Yes, she decided. She had to return to the throne room and form a new plan with Luna and the other Guardians of Friendship. And she would have to order her soldiers to retreat as well. If she was having this much trouble fighting the Darkflames, she could only imagine what horrors her men were experiencing. She spread her wings and shot up into the air, avoiding a group of Darkflames who had lunged at her, and teleported back to the skies over Canterlot. She opened her mouth to address all of Canterlot on the change of plan but suddenly stopped. The air around her had suddenly changed. It felt cold, and…wrong. Evil, even. The hairs on the back of Celestia’s neck stood up. She glanced around wildly, trying to find the source of this new and horrible sensation. In an instant she wished she hadn’t. Hovering in the air not fifty feet from her was Twilight Sparkle. Or at least, what used to be Twilight Sparkle. Much like the Darkflames, her mane and tail were now composed of black fire, and her coat was entirely black as well. Around her neck was the Element of Magic, glowing a bright burning white. Her eyes glowed this same color. And she was looking-- Celestia shuddered. Her faithful student was staring directly at her, and the expression on her face was something that did not belong on Twilight Sparkle. It was twisted in a grotesque, sadistic smile. Celestia could do nothing but stare at Twilight in shock. “Hello, princess,” Twilight sneered. Celestia noted that her voice sounded the exact same despite her change in appearance. “Did you miss me?”
Clash of the GodsCelestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the sweet morning air to fill her lungs. Her sun shone down upon Canterlot Castle, basking the royal city in its warmth and light. Celestia exhaled and opened her eyes, surveying all that she ruled. Far below her, she could see ponies milling about in the city, going about their daily business. She smiled. It truly was a peaceful morning. The quiet of the morning was suddenly shattered by a blinding flash of light and a thunderous boom. Startled, Celestia looked skyward, and saw a massive circle of rainbow energy traveling out from a single point high up in the sky. Whatever had caused the blast was long gone, and all she could see beyond the rainbow energy was the clear blue sky. Before she could process exactly what had happened, her thoughts were torn away from the heavens as another noise caught her attention. It was a burst of magical energy, and suddenly, the roof of the tower to her left was torn apart as a massive dragon head burst through it. She took a few moments to process what was happening before teleporting into the tower. The instant she came out of her teleport, she could tell something was seriously wrong. In the center of the room, a small purple filly floated in an aura of purple magic, her eyes glowing white. She seemed to not be in control of what she was doing, as she was struggling around in the air. Celestia also noticed that four other ponies--the judges for the entrance exam to her prestigious school of learning--were floating in another aura of magic created by this filly. To her side, two plants stood motionless--a cactus and a fern. Celestia assumed that these were once ponies and they had accidentally been transformed by this young filly’s magic. On top of all of this, the lower body of the massive dragon was engulfing most of the room. She stepped forward and reached out a hoof, placing it on the young filly’s shoulder. The filly instantly turned around to look at her, and after a few moments of eye contact with the princess, the white glow faded from her eyes, reverting them to their normal purple. Moments later, all of the magic in the room dissipated. The four floating ponies fell to the ground in a heap. The two plants reverted to a mare and a stallion--Celestia assumed these were the young filly’s parents. Finally, the dragon shrunk down to a baby. Now that everything was under control, Celestia recognized the young filly. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said. The young filly winced, clearly believing that Celestia was upset with her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean--” Celestia cut her off. “You have a very special gift. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities.” “Huh?” Was all the confused filly managed to say. “But you need to learn to tame these abilities through focused study,” Celestia continued. “Huh?” Twilight uttered again, more confused than before. Celestia would soon make everything clear. “Twilight Sparkle,” she declared, “I’d like to make you my own personal protege here at the school.” “Huh?!” Twilight uttered for the last time, completely dumbfounded. Celestia leaned down to her. “Well?” Twilight glanced back at her parents apprehensively, who nodded eagerly in encouragement. That was all Twilight needed, it seemed. She shot into the air, ecstatic. “Yes!” She exclaimed. “One other thing, Twilight,” Celestia said. “More?” Twilight asked, falling to the ground. Celestia approached her and merely pointed a hoof at the filly’s flank, where a pink star surrounded by smaller white stars had appeared. Twilight turned her head back to look, and her eyes widened. “My cutie mark! Yes yes yes yes yes!” Twilight bounced around Celestia in a fit of joy. Celestia watched the filly, smiling. She hadn’t been lying when she had praised Twilight’s abilities. The raw power this unicorn had was astounding. Being able to do all this while still just a filly…Celestia predicted that if Twilight reached full magical potential, she might even be able to come close to rivaling a lesser alicorn in power. The thought was a bit frightening, yes, but she knew that Twilight Sparkle would wield her power for the good of Equestria and all its inhabitants. All she needed was time and guidance, and Celestia would be sure to give her both. And when her work was complete, anypony who sought to make Twilight Sparkle an enemy would be met with a fate graver than death. … “Hello, princess,” Twilight sneered. “Did you miss me?” Celestia gaped at her protege, a part of her still refusing to accept what she was seeing. She had known that her student had become corrupted by the Dark Beyond, but actually physically seeing that corruption, and what it had done to her protege, was still incredibly shocking and horrifying, even for the most powerful being in Equestria. Or maybe the second-most-powerful now. “What’s the matter?” Twilight taunted. “Cat got your tongue?” Celestia regained some of her composure and managed to speak. “Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight did a little bow and flourish in midair. “In the flesh.” Celestia gestured with a hoof down at the city, the eastern half of which was beginning to break out in flames. “You don’t have to do this. Call off your minions. We can work together to find a way to rid you of the Dark Beyond’s corruption.” All the while she was saying this, Celestia knew that Twilight would never accept these terms. But she had to buy as much time as possible. She could only hope that Luna was helping the Guardians of Friendship to become weapons of war, using the power of their Elements. She knew it would take a while. Still, every second she could give them mattered. The more Twilight was focused on her, the less she would be concerned about Luna and the Elements. Celestia assumed that Twilight’s goal was to obtain the latter. With all of the Elements under her control, as well as her status as an alicorn on top of the power boost from the Dark Beyond, Twilight Sparkle would become a god incarnate. Celestia had to stop her before that happened--while she still had the chance to rival Twilight’s power. Twilight threw her head back and laughed derisively. “When did you get so funny, Princess Celestia? You of all ponies should know that I’ll never give in, not when I have the Elements of Harmony within my grasp.” Celestia’s gaze steeled. So Twilight was after the Elements. She would ensure that Twilight never reached them. The fate of Equestria--no, of the entire world--depended on it. “I mean, seriously, Princess, what in the name of--” Twilight didn’t get to finish her sentence. Celestia had accelerated through the sound barrier in a fraction of a second, and had tackled her former pupil in midair. Celestia’s goal wasn’t to kill Twilight, just render her unable to fight. But she knew that since her protege was now an alicorn as well, it would take a serious amount of power to do so. The two alicorns careened through the air, trading blows with one another, the shockwaves from their punches and kicks reverberating throughout the entire city. Just one of those blows would be enough to flatten a building. To each alicorn, however, they were merely brushed off. The pair hit the ground, demolishing multiple buildings as they landed. In an instant, they were both on their feet again, sizing each other up. They had created a massive crater in the ground, destroying at least three city blocks when they had landed. “Twilight, stop this!” Celestia pleaded. “All of Canterlot will be laid to ruin before either of us begins to tire even remotely!” Twilight sneered again. “Well that’s too bad, Princess. See, I don’t care about collateral damage. In fact, the more that’s destroyed, the better!” She grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming with a chaotic malevolence. Celestia glared back at her. By this time, Canterlot was likely completely evacuated, save for her soldiers, Luna, and the Guardians of Friendship. And then there was Twilight and her Darkflames. The city could be rebuilt, even if it took years. Right now, her only priority was stopping Twilight--could she even call her that anymore?--here and now. Once again, she accelerated through the sound barrier towards Twilight, but this time her faithful student was ready. She dodged the impossibly fast attack and threw out her leg, kicking Celestia square in the gut. Celestia gagged, all the wind instantly knocked out of her, and was sent flying across the crater and through several nearby buildings. Just like that, she was back on her feet again in an instant, however, and threw up a bright golden shield to deflect Twilight’s next attack, a massive ranged attack of dark purple energy that completely vaporized the ruins of the building she was in. Celestia lowered the shield and threw out her own ranged attack, charging up her horn and shooting out a beam of pure sunlight towards Twilight. The younger alicorn dodged it, shooting upwards into the air. Celestia followed her with the beam, attempting to strike Twilight, but the alicorn dodged this way and that at an unthinkable speed, zig-zagging through the air in wild yet graceful maneuvers that easily avoided the harsh beam of magical sunlight. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Celestia killed the beam and shot towards her student once again. She can’t dodge an attack in midair, the princess thought to herself, conjuring a magical blade of sunlight. As she did so, Twilight’s wicked grin grew impossibly even wider as she herself conjured a blade of dark purple energy. Meeting Celestia’s attack head-on, a massive shockwave of both golden and dark purple energy exploded out from where their two swords met, instantly dissipating any clouds that were over the city. The two glared at each other, swords locked in midair, each struggling to gain the upper hand and push the other one away. “What’s the matter, princess?” Twilight taunted. “None of your attacks seem to be working. How long until you run out of options to try and kill me with?” “I am not trying to kill you, Twilight,” Celestia responded, and for a brief moment something shifted in Twilight’s eyes. “I am merely trying to stop you. There is a difference.” At these last words, she summoned all of her alicorn strength while Twilight was slightly off-guard and pushed her student away from her. In an instant, she moved to the air above her faithful student and brought her sword down as hard as she could. Twilight threw up her sword to try and block the attack, but it was too little too late. The force of Celestia’s attack sent Twilight careening straight towards the ground at breakneck speed. She crashed head-first back down into the crater that their landing had created earlier, making it even bigger than it was before. Celestia teleported down to the ground where Twilight had landed. “Surrender, Twilight. We may be evenly matched, but you can never hope to best me in combat.” On the ground, Twilight’s body started convulsing oddly, shaking rhythmically. Celestia was confused at this until she heard it. The laughter. Not happy laughter that would be uttered at a joke or during good times with friends. This laughter was completely devoid of any warmth, and it sent chills down Celestia’s spine. This laughter was cold, and dark, sadistic, evil, and…wrong. Twilight continued to laugh as she slowly got to her feet. She slowly turned towards Celestia, who had to fight the urge to take a step back. When Twilight spoke, it was not her voice, but deep, dark. and monstrous. “Your taunts are hollow, Princess of the Sun. This vessel I have acquired will become more powerful than you could ever hope to be. And once I have the Elements of Harmony, I will be truly free, broken out of my dark and timeless prison. Then, this world--no, this universe--shall be mine.” Celestia blinked, stunned, rooted to the spot in an unnatural fear. What was that? What was speaking through her faithful student? Her thoughts had distracted her. She felt a strange sensation in her chest and looked down to see the hilt of Twilight’s dark sword protruding from it. She gagged, coughing up a mouthful of blood. She shuddered, collapsing to the ground, blood pooling around her. Her faithful student had run her through completely. And this was no ordinary sword. It sapped both her magic and her life, slowly but surely. In a daze, she looked up at Twilight, who was grinning down at her. “You shouldn’t have let your guard down, Princess,” Twilight taunted. “Now, that mistake has cost you everything. To think, the almighty Princess of the Sun, the Ruler of Equestria, felled because she was merely distracted. You’re honestly pathetic, you know that? You could never have beaten me. Not now. Not in a million years. Goodbye, Princess.” At this last sneer, Twilight raised her sword, prepared to deliver the finishing blow. Celestia closed her eyes. Luna, she thought. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I failed, I-- The entire world went silent. In a fraction of a second, Celestia blinked, trying to figure out what had happened. Then, the heavens exploded in a massive ring of vibrance. In an instant, Twilight had been sent flying by a glowing rainbow blur so fast that Celestia barely saw it pass by. The sun princess struggled to get to her feet, but was too weak. Suddenly, there were ponies by her side. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Fluttershy. Luna. And… “Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Please tell me you guys saw that Sonic Rainboom! That was so epic!” She laughed giddily. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly darling, how could anypony miss a spectacle such as that?” Luna had rushed to Celestia’s side. “Sister, are you alright?” “No,” Celestia said truthfully. “Twilight bested me in combat. I was…foolish and let my guard down.” “Nay, sister,” Luna reassured her. “Do not admonish yourself. Your actions bought us enough time for the Guardians to merge with their Elements.” Celestia looked around, really taking in the Guardians of Friendship for the first time. They were each glowing the color of their Element, and each wore divine-looking spectral armor, in which was encased their Element. “They are each now as powerful as an alicorn,” Luna said. “Together, we can defeat Twilight Sparkle.” “Are you so sure about that?” The group whirled around, instantly on guard. Twilight had approached them, and was flanked by a massive army of Darkflames. The Guardians of Friendship and even Luna stiffened visibly as they laid eyes on this dark Twilight for the first time. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out. “What in the hay happened to you? Why are you doing this?!” “I wouldn’t expect someone of your mental fortitude to even begin to understand, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight mocked. “I have found a new purpose in this life: to bring the Dark Beyond into this world.” “Well we aren’t gonna let that happen!” Pinkie shouted, taking a step forward. “She’s right, you know, darling,” Rarity agreed. “We will stop you, here and now, whatever it takes!” “Because we have something you don’t,” Applejack chimed in. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh, and what might that be?” Fluttershy spoke up for the first time. “We have harmony.”
