Celestia and Luna teleported into the castle and ran through it as fast as they could.

“Where did you put the manuscript?” Luna asked.

“With the other scrolls…” Celestia said.

“YOUR KIDDING?!” Luna exclaimed.

“It has been too long since Celtus was sealed away! I needed to stow it away!” Celestia said.

“Then where do you suspect it is?” Luna demanded.

“In the forbidden section I would assume,” Celestia said.

“Then we must make haste!” Luna said as they ran down to the vault.

“AAAARGH!” Discord was rammed through several trees by the massive ape who pounced on the prone Draconequus and began slamming his fists on his face.

Discord fired a powerful beam that took a chunk of Celtus’s head off but it just regenerated.

“Oh poo…” Discord said before the creature transformed again into a giant snake and it began coiling around him and squeezing him.

“Agh!” Discord then opened his mouth and fired another beam into Celtus’s face causing an explosion that made the creature rear back but it then morphed its head into a ram’s and slammed it down on Discords head.

“OUCH!” Discord said looking dizzy.

The creature then morphed a pair of wings and changed into a giant bird and as Discord dropped to the ground the flying monster grabbed him with its talons and drove him headfirst through the surrounding land before tossing him and Discord tumbled down the hill.

Celtus flew through the air before turning and flying at Canterlot.

“Oh no you don’t!” Discord teleported onto Celtus’s back and grabbed his wings before forcibly folding them.

Celtus shrieked as they fell and crashed into the ground.

Discord felt Celtus morph again and he looked down before a giant tentacle grabbed him by the face and it was revealed that Celtus had turned into a giant octopus.

“Agh!” Discord struggled with him as they rolled down the hill next to Canterlot.

The ponies who didn’t join the fight were being escorted away from Canterlot.

And the ones aiding the guards were Cheese and Bulk who were helping the ponies get away from the fighting.

Bulk looked back at Canterlot longingly, wishing he had the chance to be there, to fight alongside Zap, but she had begged him to help the ponies who didn’t want to fight escape.

“Be safe Zap,” Bulk said as he saw Discord and Celtus fighting.

“C’mon,” Cheese said reminding Bulk and he resumed pulling two separate carts.

As Twinkle and the group made their way towards the area with the most fighting.

Several fused ponies came out of alleyways and went after them.

“I got em!” Zap ran forward and flipped over one swinging a sword at her and when she landed she spun kicked the pony sending him flying into the side of a building.

Another two ran at her but she dodged and punched the two down.

“I’ll help!” Charity said as she flew up on her created wings and fired some magic bolts down on the fused ponies.

“Hyah!” Twinkle fired a beam and even though several unicorns put up a barrier, Twinkle blasted through it and sent them flying.

“Careful Twinkle! Those are innocent ponies!” Spike called as he managed to knock an earth pony out with the back of his spear.

“TWINKLE!” Twinkle heard a voice call and she turned to see Flash flying towards her, he landed panting and Twinkle ran up to him.

“Flash! Are you okay?” Twinkle asked seeing him sporting a few injuries.

“I-it’s fine, I’ve just never been in a war before,” Flash said “More importantly are you ok?” Flash asked.

“I am,” Twinkle said helping him stand straight “Let me help you,” Twinkle said pulling a medkit out of nowhere.

“Thanks,” Flash said with a smile.

“Guys, we don’t have time for this,” Spike said, wondering how they could be lovey-dovey in the middle of a warzone.

“He’s right, I can handle some injuries, I’ll be right behind-” Flash said before they all heard chuckling and saw Dusk descending down to them.

“How cute, but aren’t you forgetting a currently seventy-foot problem just outside of Canterlot?” Dusk asked.

“You,” Zap said getting ready.

“Discord can hold him off until Celestia can reseal him!” Twinkle said also getting ready.

“Oh?” Dusk turned and they all looked up at a shadow that went over them and they saw Discord falling through the air.

“DISCORD!” Charity called.

“NGH!” Discord glanced back and he sprouted a hand on his tail and snapped his fingers creating a giant floating pillow to land on and not crush his friends.

“Seems like he’s struggling,” Dusk remarked.

“No…” Twinkle said seeing a giant crow-like creature flying above Discord before it turned into a massive whale and began falling towards him to crush him and smash most of Canterlot.

“Not so fast Moby!” Discord said before he flew up to the falling whale and caught it, grunting under the strain Discord managed to tilt him to the side and they fell onto the ground next to Canterlot.

Celtus morphed into a jaguar and lunged at Canterlot but Discord grabbed him and rolled down the hill with the monster.

“Heh, better help him, or else,” Dusk said.

“We take you down this all stops!” Spike said.

“No, it won’t, I’ve ordered my soldiers to not interfere, just keep attacking and bringing more ponies for me to hypnotize and fuse, the tides are gradually turning, and not in your favor,” Dusk said before he created a dozen tendrils “What’s more important? Settling this grudge, or stopping Celtus?” Dusk asked.

“....” Everyone began to look conflicted.

“I could just wish you all fused into one if I wanted, that would be interesting, but no, I have better ideas for the wishes, so why not go take care of Celtus while I finish up here in Canterlot,” Dusk said.

“...We need to stop Dusk,” Twinkle said.

“What?” Flash asked.

“Twinkle, what about Discord?” Charity asked.

“What about Celestia and Luna? If Dusk goes after them they’ll never be able to seal Celtus, we need to stop Dusk here and trust Celestia and Luna,” Twinkle said.

“...Ok,” The group nodded.

“Seriously?... You're going to put your faith in those two while your friend's life is on the line? And I thought I was cold,” Dusk chuckled.

“We trust our friends, and that’s something that we’ll always have over you and your forced cronies, trust,” Twinkle said.

“Trust is a useless thing, I trusted Celestia and look where it got everypony? You’ll see it my way when everything you love is gone!” Dusk said before flaring his magic.

“Go on guys! Let’s end this!” Twinkle said before they ran forward towards Dusk.

“A poor choice,” Dusk said before he unleashed his tendrils.

The group dodged and weaved around the tendrils that tried to grab them but Spike and Charity were knocked back by a couple of tendrils.

“AH!” Charity yelped.

“Ow!” Spike grunted.

Zap spread her wings and took off towards him and swung a kick.

Dusk put up a barrier and her leg glanced off of it.

“Huh?!” Zap said.

“I’m wearing a magic enhancer ring, you won’t be able to chip my barriers apart this time,” Dusk said before he rapidly expanded his barrier and it hit Zap out of the air.

“You coward!” Zap said as she landed.

“There’s a fine line between cowardice and tactics,” Dusk said as he flew backward firing more shots of magic at the group but they dodged around.

Flash threw his spear at Dusk but Dusk caught the spear with one of his tendrils and threw it back, Flash narrowly ducked it.

“Flash!” Twinkle said before her Twinkle sense warned her and she teleported away from the several tendrils that tried to grab her.

Spike ran up towards Dusk and he breathed a fireball at him, Dusk teleported higher in the air and fired a blast into the air and it split into many and rained down.

“Form up on me!” Twinkle said and the group did and Twinkle put up a barrier blocking it.

Suddenly a narrow beam pierced her barrier and Twinkle looked up in surprise before a tendril snatched her through it.

“AH!” Twinkle cried before she was raised up and slammed into a house through a wall.

“TWINKLE!” Flash cried.

“Hahaha, wishing you left now?” Dusk asked before firing beams at the house collapsing it.

“NO!” Flash flew out at Dusk who slam-punched him away with a tendril fist.

“A war is no place for newcomers to violence,” Dusk said as he landed and raised another fist to kill him.

“No!” Everypony cried.

Before a purple fist destroyed his green one.

“Huh?” Dusk turned and saw Audacia, Starshine, and Trixie exiting an alleyway.

“Leave my friends alone!” Audacia said bringing out her tendrils.

“Hmmph… well would you look at that? The one I was looking for came to me,” Dusk said.

“Guys, go help the others,” Audacia said.

“I’ll help you,” Stashine said.

“Ok,” Audacia said.

“I can sense merge magic on that mare, but not mine, odd, but she’s quite strong,” Dusk thought “I’ll have to take them both down,” Dusk said before he unleashed his tendrils and flared his horn.

Trixie meanwhile ran over to the others who were still recovering.

“Guys! You ok?” Trixie asked.

“Yeah, no, wait! Where’s Twinkle?!” Spike asked before turning and seeing her hand sticking out from under some rubble.

“TWINKLE!” Flash ran along with the others to help her out.

They removed the rock and saw her unconscious body.

“Twinkle!” Flash said trying to shake her awake.

Celestia and Luna were tearing through the archives, looking for the scroll.

“Why didn’t you have it on you?!” Luna demanded.

“I had sent some guards to retrieve it! I don’t know what happened to them!” Celestia said as she looked around.

“We must hurry, Discord cannot hold the line forever,” Luna said.

“We can only pray he does,” Celestia said.

Discord staggered back holding his broken arm as the massive lion monster approached him.

“Hah….hah… can… can we call halftime?” Discord asked.

Celtus roared and jumped at Discord and despite Discord's attempt to dodge it, he was grabbed by his tail and he swung him onto the ground.

It then jumped onto him and began scratching him and it bit down on his shoulder.

“AAAGH!” Discord grunted.

“ROOOAAAAR!” Celtus slammed his paws into Discord’s face.

“Hurry up Sunbutt! I can’t do this much longer!” Discord thought frantically as he grabbed at the beast's face with his free working hand.

Twinkle was floating in a void.

“Huh?...” Twinkle looked up and saw nothing “Am… Am I dead?” Twinkle sadly asked outloud.

When no answer came she started to cry, wondering what she was going to do “I failed Celestia… I failed Canterlot… I failed Flash… and worst, I failed Twilight and Pinkie…” Twinkle began to sob….. Until a glowing hand settled on her shoulder and she looked up in surprise.

And saw Twilight and Pinkie.

Audacia and Starshine impacted a wall and struggled to their feet.

“I’m barely breaking a sweat here, maybe it’s because I’m just so strong,” Dusk chuckled.

“YOU MONSTER!” Dusk turned to see Twinkle's other friends running up to him.

“You all are like pests, I swear,” Dusk said before forming two tendrils into sharper forms, like blades.

He ran forward and dodged Zap’s punch and then he blasted the pegasus away.

“AGH!” Zap grunted.

“NO!” Charity flew up and fired a beam at him and Spike breathed fire at him.

“Pointless,” Dusk formed a barrier and rapidly expanded it blocking their attacks and sending them flying.

“Trixie will be the hero this time!” Trixie said as she fired a blast at Dusk who sidestepped it and blasted her sending her back.

“Nice try Mrs, hero,” Dusk said before he turned and clashed with Flash’s spear.

“You hurt Twinkle!” Flash said as he swung his spear a few times at Dusk who easily parried.

“I don’t even really know you, nor do I want to,” Dusk said as he dodged a swing and stabbed Flash in the abdomen.

“NO!” Starshine exclaimed and she ran forward as Dusk kicked Flash back and she fired a strong beam at him, he turned and fired his own beam and they had a struggle.

“Not bad, you're certainly strong,” Dusk said.

“Ngh!” Starshine grunted.

“Twilight? Pinkie Pie? I-I thought you were-” Twinkle said.

“Nope!” Pinkie chuckled.

“We do exist as part of you now, but it seems you need our help,” Twilight said.

“I…I’m so sorry, I never should have come into being, you two gave up so much and-” Twinkle said before Twilight hugged her along with Pinkie “Huh?”

“We don’t resent you,” Twilight said.

“If anything, it’s my fault, not yours, but looking back on it, I wouldn’t go back anyways,” Pinkie said.

“Wh-why?” Twinkle demanded.

“Because silly, this is your life now, I couldn’t forgive myself If you disappeared because of me,” Pinkie said.

“And I am rather content to, it’s obvious you’ve forged your own life, who are we to take that from you?” Twilight asked.

“But what about your lives?! You have as much reason to live as me! And I still chose to stay, because I was scared…” Twinkle said.

“And that is understandable, but you need to stop living in the past, we’ve accepted our circumstances, you need to as well,” Twilight said.

“And live like you, not like us,” Pinkie said.

“But… Dusk is so strong, I’ve lost every time I’ve fought him,” Twinkle said.

“Then try again, maybe you were missing something that you needed,” Twilight said.

“What is that?” Twinkle asked before noticing everything turning white.

“Belief in the whole, and not the halves,” Twilight and Pinkie said before they vanished.

“WAIT!” Twinkle cried before she woke up.

She looked around and struggled to her hooves and she exited the house she was knocked into.

And she saw something horrible.

Her friends were all defeated.

And standing over them was Dusk as well as several fused ponies who were looking like they were about to leave with them.

“.....DUSK!” Twinkle said and he turned to her.

“Oh, the pauper princess has awoken,” Dusk said with a sigh.

“What did you do to my friends?!” Twinkle demanded.

“I didn’t kill any, I think, I need more fused after all, and they will do nicely,” Dusk said bringing out his lantern.

“No, YOU WON’T BRAINWASH THEM!” Twinkle shouted.

“And who’s going to stop me? You? I think we’ve cleared up that you can’t win against me,” Dusk said.

“....I can,” Twinkle said remembering what Twilight and Pinkie said and she shut her eyes and focused.

“Heh, willing to fight to the last, the new Equestria needs somepony like that, seize her for me,” Dusk gestured to Twinkle and the fused ponies began approaching her.

“I… am not Twilight, I am not Pinkie either…” Twinkle said as she looked up and her eyes began to glow a little.

“Hmm?” Dusk raised a brow.

“I am Princess Twinkle Pie Sparkle, nopony else!” Twinkle said as her horn flared brightly and she glowed.

“What the?” An approaching unicorn said as he saw this.

“What is she-” Dusk questioned before a massive bright light shone around her and he had to cover his eyes.

“Huh?!” Dusk looked through the light and saw when the light had cleared Twinkle’s injuries were healed and she seemed to be emanating power.

“What the?... How did she… no forget the injuries, she’s much stronger now,” Dusk said cautiously.

“Get her!” A female pegasus shouted and the fused ponies ran at her.

Twinkle flared her horn… and a magical shockwave blasted them all back.

“Huh?!” Dusk said as he witnessed this.

“Now I know why my true power has always been sealed, it’s because I kept denying what I really want… I want… to live my life! And my future, is my decision, NOT YOURS!” Twinkle shouted before she shot forward leaving a magical contrail.

“Crap!” Dusk summoned his tendrils and formed a barrier but when Twinkle who was surrounded by magic rammed it he was sent flying through several buildings.

“AGH!” Dusk grunted, his barrier barely absorbing the impact.

He flipped up and landed on his feet but Twinkle jumped out of a trashcan nearby and fired a beam at him.

“Hmm?!” Dusk spun and fired his own beam and it collided with hers “Take this!” Dusk made the beam separate into two and they flew at Twinkle.

“Nice try!” Twinkle flared her horn again and her beam suddenly broke away and looped back and struck through the beams from the side causing them to fizzle out.

“What?” Dusk said, surprised she was able to manipulate her beam's path while keeping the power behind it.

“Now it’s my turn,” Twinkle ran at him.

“Hmmph,” Dusk flared his horn and shot a beam into the air and it split apart and began raining down.

Twinkle continued running and when the beams came down on her her mane began bouncing and shifting in various ways and mini barriers formed blocking them.

“What?! How is she-” Dusk said.

“Twinkle sense! Something I have over you!” Twinkle said before she teleported.

“Redirect!” Dusk looked to his left and fired a beam, expecting her to have been relocated there… only to feel a tug on his ear.

He turned and got a fist to his face sending him stumbling back.

“What? How did you just-” Dusk was sure he redirected her.

“Simple, I used redirect to re-relocate myself,” Twinkle said.

“Impossible… I invented redirect! How did you learn it!?” Dusk said getting up.

“I figured it out, I am a genius after all,” Twinkle said.

Dusk looked at her in shock and took several steps back.

“She ‘figured it out’... no, how!? She would have to figure out the magical formula for it!” Dusk thought looking angry.

“Give up Dusk, I’m not your lesser anymore,” Twinkle said.

“You… Do you think yourself superior? Just because a few hits were landed?... No, I am more than ready to break that arrogance of yours,” Dusk chuckled before he lit his horn up and many tendrils came out of his hands “You aren’t my better! NOPONY IS!” Dusk growled.

“Dusk… stop this, don’t make me go all out,” Twinkle warned.

“You weren’t before?” Dusk growled.

“I’m still learning as I go, but I haven’t hit my ceiling yet,” Twinkle said.

“Well then… let’s find out, and better yet, Let’s show you the difference between us!” Dusk said before he unleashed many more tendrils and even tendrils splitting off from other tendrils, until he had hundreds, he flew into the air, looking down at her.

“...” Twinkle got ready.

“Let’s end this so I can finish my work!” Dusk said, before he unleashed a massive swarm of tendrils at Twinkle.

Twinkle shut her eyes… and she flew at him, relying on her fully powered Twinkle sense to guide her… and she dodged around each and every one seamlessly.

“WHAT?!” Dusk said genuinely surprised she’s avoiding the onslaught “How about this then!” Dusk fired a multiplying bolt at Twinkle.

“....Now,” Twinkle opened her eyes and they were glowing, and then she fired a blast that tore through Dusk’s blasts.

“Tch!” Dusk formed a barrier to protect himself.

And the blast tore through the barrier and struck him sending him flying, and the power-enhancing ring on his horn shattered.

“NO!” Dusk yelled as the blast pushed him up high and exploded, sending him flying to ground level.

Dusk cried out as he was sent flying but he managed to use his tendrils to land gently.

As he got up he saw Twinkle land in front of him.

“How…? Where did all this power come from!?” Dusk demanded.

“It was bottled up because even though I said it, I didn’t truly believe I was rightfully me, but you know what? I think I’m having clarity for the first time in my life, what happened to Twilight and Pinkie was tragic, but I am not them! I am me!” Twinkle said with determination.

“Don’t give me that, you're just another pony, I am Equestria’s true future, the future of a nation untrampled on by the other nations!” Dusk shouted.

“You are nothing but delusional, and I have to stop you, no more questions about it,” Twinkle said.

“All these years… all my work, it can’t end like this,” Dusk said as he unleashed his tendrils and they all sharpened into blades.

Twinkle got ready and he lashed his tendrils out.

Twinkle listened to her sixth sense and began maneuvering around the stabs seamlessly.

“No!” Dusk shouted firing bolts at her as well but she simply deflected each one with a wave of her horn “This can’t be… I am one of the strong! I can’t let her win!” Dusk said before forming the tendrils into a fist and trying to slam it down on her.

Twinkle teleported.

“Redi-”

“-rect” Twinkle said at the same time as she reappeared behind him and grabbed him in her magic and she flung him against a wall.

“AGH!” Dusk grunted as he fell down.

“I’m ending this,” Twinkle prepared to fire a bigger beam.

“No….I’m not going to lose to you!” Dusk said as he got up and flared his horn brightly with a mix of fusion magic and his.

“Don’t attempt it,” Twinkle said realizing what he was trying.

“I refuse to lose to a bright-eyed follower of Celestia! If I have to kill you then fine! My plans won’t be derailed by you!” Dusk said as he built up a lot of magic.

“I warned you,” Twinkle took her stance.

And they fired their massive beams at eachother… and Twinkle's beam easily bored through his and blasted him sending Dusk flying.

Twinkle ran through the smoke to see if she killed him or not, and she saw Dusk crawling out of the crater, coughing.

Solemnly she approached him and stood over him.

“Don’t you look down on me… I can still…” Dusk grabbed his lantern and tried to spin around and flash Twinkle…. But it simply crackled and powered down “No…” Dusk looked at it and it was broken.

“It’s over Dusk,” Twinkle said.

“I.. refuse…” Dusk said as he struggled to his hooves and formed a tendril blade.

“Stop, this is over,” Twinkle pleaded.

“It’s not over, not when I was so close!” Dusk said as he stumbled forward and swung his blade at Twinkle only to miss and fall over, dropping something in the process..

“The ponies you brainwashed should be waking up soon, you’ve lost,” Twinkle said.

“....No I haven’t… did you forget about something?” Dusk chuckled.

“Huh?” Twinkle said before hearing a roar echo about the area and she turned and saw Celtus was approaching the city with the appearance of a hyena, and clutched in his jaws was Discord's limp body.

“No… DISCORD!” Twinkle exclaimed.

“Heheh… I told you, your friend was fighting Celtus all alone, but you chose to subdue me first, looks like Celtus will destroy us all,” Dusk said subtly lighting his horn.

“And you're okay with this?” Twinkle asked.

“My life is a small price to see Celestia’s world crumble, just like mine did,” Dusk said before he flared his horn and a bright flash of light came over the area.

Twinkle covered her eyes and when she looked, he was gone, looking to her left a little she noticed he had forgotten something.

A large pearl, she knew what this pearl was, so she picked it up, Twinkle then turned towards the approaching Celtus and then ran off to find her friends.

Cadence looked on as Shining clutched his head and the glow faded from his eyes, when he looked up he saw Cadance and smiled before hugging her.

“Thank you Cady, for stopping me,” Shining said.

“No problem Shiny, now come on, Canterlot is about to have a colossal problem,” Cadence said and the two ran off.

Celestia had searched through three shelves, and still didn’t find it, she was about to exclaim in frustration when she heard Luna cry out.

“I found it!” Luna ran around a corner.

“Alright, then we must make haste,” Celestia said and they ran out of the room.

Zap and Charity and the others stood as they brushed off the soreness from the fight.

“Everyone ok?” Zap asked.

“Yeah,” The others said.

“Where is-” Charity began to ask before she saw Twinkle running up to them.

“Guys! We have a problem!” Twinkle said.

“Twinkle!” Spike hugged her and she hugged back.

“Where is Dusk Heart?” Charity demanded.

“Taken down and limping, but we have bigger problems,” Twinkle turned to gesture to Celtus and the limp DIscord.

“No… DISCORD!” Charity wanted to run over and help but Twinkle stopped her.

“We need a plan, otherwise we’re finished,” Twinkle said.

“Yeah,” Zap said but before she could speak Twinkle did.

“Wait… where’s Flash?” Twinkle asked before looking over at him sitting against the wall in a pool of his own blood, the stab wound in his stomach still bleeding.

“No… FLASH!” Twinkle ran over to him and knelt beside him.

“Twinkle?... It hurts…” Flash hissed in pain.

“I’m so sorry Flash! I never should have let you partake in this,” Twinkle sobbed as she knelt beside him.

“I did this Twinkle… I wanted to fight alongside you for once,” Flash said.

“I can’t lose you like this Flash, please,” Twinkle said as the others gathered around “Charity! You know how to heal this right? You help injured animals all the time,” Twinkle begged.

“Animals, not ponies, I’m sorry,” Charity said with tears in her eyes.

“Zap?” Twinkle attempted but Zap just looked down as well.

“Twinkle… I’m sorry,” Flash said as his breathing was getting shallow.

“No! I refuse to lose you!” Twinkle looked around for anything to help… and found the pearl, in the heat of the moment she had almost forgotten about it.

It had a two on it…

“Twinkle?...” Zap said before nodding in understanding along with the others.

“I wish Flash was healed,” Twinkle said and the two became a one and Flash Sentry glowed and his injury closed up.

He gasped loudly and coughed and sat up clutching at his side.

“Flash!” Twinkle hugged him.

“Twinkle, thank you, b-but the wish I-” Flash said.

“We still have one more, and even if we didn’t it’s a worthy sacrifice,” Twinkle said.

“...Thank you,” Flash hugged her back.

The tender moment was ruined by a loud roar and they turnd to see Celtus just outside of Canterlot.

“I have to go,” Twinkle said.

“We can just use the wish to-” Flash said but Twinkle interrupted.

“No, we need to save it to fix everything,” Twinkle reasoned.

“Ok, so, how do we stop Celtus?” Spike asked.

“We distract him long enough until Celestia gets here,” Twinkle said and she looked to her friends who nodded.

“Zap, Charity, you're with me, everypony else, stay put,” Twinkle said flaring her horn.

“Wait what?! NO!” Spike said before they teleported “TWINKLE!” Spike cried.

The trio reappeared outside of Canterlot as Celtus approached, stopping a good fifty feet away, Celtus glowered down at them.

“You're not going to destroy the capital!” Zap said.

“We’re here to stop you!” Charity said.

Celtus roared at them and chucked Discord aside before mutating into a tiger and roaring at them again.

“Let’s go girls!” Twinkle said before they got ready.

Author's Note

I had alot of fun writing this, hope you had equal fun reading it.