A Line That Should Never be Crossed
This was all wrong.
Those were the thoughts running through Twilight Sparkle's mind as she tried to stand, only to make it to her knees. Where had it all gone wrong? She looked around at her friends.
Or what remained of them. All of them lay where Tirek had thrown them, their bodies contorted and twisted in ways that no amount of healing magic could help with, and even then their caved-in skulls would render any such aid pointless.
Healing magic did not work on the dead. Twilight would never forget the sounds of bones breaking, her friend's screams as they were contorted and twisted into shapes no sane mind would ever think of. The sounds of Spike's wings being ripped out, right before Chrysalis cut his throat.
The last one stung the most. The look of love he had given her, mouthing that everything would be alright. So many things Twilight had wanted to tell him, things she had been putting off for far too long. And now she would never have a chance.
"Turns out that the Magic of Friendship is your biggest weakness. A fitting end to your pathetic story," Tirek sneered as Cozy poked at Starlight's corpse. "Any last words princess?"
Chrysalis nodded. "Do plead and beg for your life, Sparkle. It'll make this so much more enjoyable."
Twilight groaned as she tried to stand once more, but she was too tired and had lost too much blood. With her magic stolen, there was little she could do now.
Cozy Glow laughed. "Golly, professor. I didn't think you were such a wimp. You've lost. Accept it! We've won!"
Twilight bit back the retort that came to her at that moment. What good would it do her? Equestria had fallen. No one was coming to her aid.
Off to the side, Discord watched with a broken expression. This was not how this was meant to go. "I am so sorry, Twilight."
Twilight spat, her anger blazing anew. "Don't lie to me, Discord. Because of you, Equestria is finished. Because of you, my friends, my family, are dead! Was watching Fluttershy be torn apart worth it? Was any of this worth it?"
Discord bowed his head. No, none of this had been worth betraying Equestria, his only friend, a second time.
Twilight turned back to the trio, who had done nothing during that little spat. But something in the back of her mind pushed its way to the front row. She could not say why, but she suddenly remembered a conversation she and Princess Celestia had once had, not long after she had become an alicorn.
"If there ever comes a day, Twilight, that all hope has failed, and you have somehow lost all of your magic. There is one final thing you may try."
"What is it, Princess Celestia?"
"I dare not say it's name, for to invoke even like this is not something to be taken lightly. Promise me, Princess Twilight, that you will never use such magic. Not until there is literally no other choice and the very future of the world depends on your use of it."
Twilight had promised. and only later had Luna told of her what her sister had spoken of. If such a time existed, then that time had come at last.
Pushing herself as high on her legs as she could, Twilight began to trace a shape on the ground with a hoof as she began to speak. "I invoke the Omega Oath. On the blood of the First Universe and the Slayer of Eternities, I beseech thee, oh Destroyer. Let the Judgment be passed. I offer myself so it may be so."
Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis all shared confused looks, even as Discord's eyes widened in horror, as Twilight removed her hoof to reveal the infinity symbol carved into the ground with her blood. As soon as Twilight removed her hoof, the symbol ignited in a burst of flame, before a shockwave blew outwards, passing harmlessly through everyone.
Chrysalis cackled. "What a waste! You spend the last minute of your life causing a little light show? I guess I was wrong about you, princess."
Twilight looked around hopelessly. Was that it? All that, for nothing? "I expected more, with how Princess Celestia and Princess Luna talked about this," she grumbled.
Discord shook his head, knowing what was about to happen. "You have no idea of what you've just done Twilight. I hope the price is worth it in the end."
Twilight gave him a confused look, but Discord looked away. It was as if he was afraid of something. Before she could ask him what he meant, she felt a raindrop fall on her. Looking up, she saw no rain clouds though. Only the snow clouds of the Windigos. Only for another drop to fall on her.
Cozy looked up as well and opened her mouth as more drops began to fall. She was rather thirsty now that she thought about it. She immediately, however, spat out what fell into her throat. "What the hay? That's not rain."
Tirek did as Cozy had. Though less disgusted by what he tasted, he was still surprised. "Blood. It is raining blood."
Twilight looked at her hoof. It was indeed blood. What was going on? Above, the clouds gathered into a swirling, blood-red mass, as thunder began to rumble. The windigos were ripped apart as lightning began to flash between the swirling mass of red clouds. However, before anyone could comment on this development, a bolt of blood-red lightning struck the ground between the two groups.
Discord rolled his eyes. "Show off."
As the flash faded, a new alicorn was revealed, made up entirely of celestial bodies. At her side floated a black Zweihänder that burned the eyes of those who looked at it. But it was the alicorn's eyes that made Twilight step back in fear.
Her eyes were filled with the very image of infinity. Eyes that held no remorse or love for mortals. The alicorn looked around with an unamused expression. "Who has used the Oath?"
Twilight, not knowing what else to do, raised her hoof and tried to smile, but it came out forced. "I did."
The alicorn's eyes softened slightly as her gaze fell on Twilight before she beheld the broken and mutilated remains of her friends. "What happened?"
Discord sighed. "They didn't monologue like they were supposed to, and went for the kill from the moment they showed up in Canterlot." He huffed. "What good villain doesn't monologue! That takes all the fun out of beating them."
Twilight groaned. Of course, Discord made a joke at a time like this. Because of course, he did. He never took anything seriously. To her shock though, looking behind the Lord of Chaos, she watched as a veritable army of every creature known to Equestria appeared on the horizon. Earth ponies, Pegasi, unicorns, dragons, changelings, hippogriphs. There were even a few zebras and diamond dogs amongst the horde.
And leading them were all, were her students from the School. Gallus, Sandbar, Yona, Smolder, Silverstream, and Occelus. Students that had shown time and time again the true magic of friendship. Now all stood together. Every race known to ponykind. United.
The new alicorn smiled as she saw the army rushing down to stand with Twilight as fast as they could. "No, Tirek. This is the true Magic of Friendship. Something the three of you will never understand."
Chrysalis laughed. "So what? We have all the magic in Equestria. You are nothing!"
The alicorn smiled darkly, revealing fangs. "I am your death, insect. You have chosen oblivion. My blade will drink well tonight on your blood and your souls. You will beg me for death, but I will not give it to you. You will never know the bliss of the afterlife or the torment of the damned. Only oblivion."
Cozy cackled. "You and what army? That pitiful bunch?" She asked, waiving at the assembled creatures.
The alicorn just smiled wider, which was somehow more unsettling than her previous expression. "I do not need an army. Know this before your end. My name is Cosmos. Remember that."
Before anyone could say more, Tirek charged up a full-powered blast of magic and fired it at Cosmos. Cosmos danced out of the way of the blast easily, before dodging another blast from Cozy Glow. Twilight wasn't sure if she was seeing things or not, but as soon as she had clear space, Cosmos grabbed a physical hold of both magic streams, to the shock of the two firing them, and pulled.
A thunderous crack echoed across the battlefield as Tirek's horns were ripped out of their sockets, while Cozy's horn exploded into thousands of pieces, leaving behind a jagged and broken mess, not unlike Tempest Shadow's own horn, Twilight, as she tried to fight back her gore at the site, even as the two fell to the ground in agony, their cries of pain breaking through even the most hardened of hearts of all those who watched.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna landed beside Twilight, but one look at the bodies around them told them all they needed. "Oh, Twilight. I am so sorry. We should have been here," Celestia whispered, her tears falling as Luna laid a wing around her sister.
Twilight sniffed, her sorrow finally finding a release as she watched Cosmos walk over and inspect Tirek and Cozy with a sneer.
Whirling around, Cosmos rammed her sword through Chyrsalis' midsection, the former queen having tried to sneak up on the alicorn while she was distracted. "Nice try," she whispered, before turning back to the other two, Chrysalis still impaled on the sword, and yet there was no blood coming from the wound, even as she slid down to the hilt.
Cozy looked up at her through tear-filled eyes. "Mercy," she whispered, trying to stay conscious through the pain.
Cosmos laughed, as she slammed the sword through Tirek's midsection, the blade growing larger to accommodate his size. "Mercy? You three have no right to beg for mercy after all you have done," she sneered. "No. You will feel all of this. A second will feel like an eternity."
With that, she rammed the sword through Cozy's midsection as well, but to her surprise, there was no added pain, as Cosmos lifted the sword with the trio impaled on it high into the air. Runes flared to life all along the blade, burning a bright red.
To the horror of all watching, the blood seemed to begin flowing out every available surface of the trio, before being sucked into the blade itself. Their mouths opened to scream, to do anything, but all that came out was a dry rattle. How long this went on for, no one knew, yet none could look away.
Finally, Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis slumped, their bodies flopping around like wet noodles. At this, Cosmos let them slide off the blade. As their lifeless bodies fell to the ground, she seemed to draw what looked like ghostly shapes out of their bodies, which dissolved away like ash on the wind.
"What are those?" Gallus asked as he and his friends joined Twilight and the princesses.
"Their souls," Discord said, as he too joined them. "All that remains of them now, and that will not last much longer."
Cosmos ignored him as she looked the trio of spirits over, seemingly trying to decide what to do with them. With a shrug, she blew on them, and the souls of Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow, faded away into nothingness like a mirage in the desert.
Everyone watched on in mute shock and horror, unable to truly understand what had just happened. "So. Did we win?" Silverstream asked, doing her best to remain her usual cheerful self, but it was proving difficult even for her.
"I think so," Smolder replied, before looking at the bodies lying around the now quiet battlefield. "But I don't feel like celebrating."
Cosmos nodded as she walked to stand before Twilight. "There is one more thing to be done. A price must still be paid. You understand this, Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight nodded. With help from Celestia and Luna, she managed to stand to her full height. "And I will gladly pay whatever it might be." She bowed her head. "All I humbly ask is that I alone pay the price. Equestria has lost too much to lose anymore."
Cosmos smiled. For the first time since had arrived, Cosmos genuinely smiled with warmth. "And that is why you deserve the throne of Equestria, Twilight. You put others before yourself, nor do you seek power for its own sake. Equestria will need you. All of you, in the days to come," she said, looking at the assembled host. "Therefore, I will only take a small, trifling thing."
Reaching out with her magic to every creature there, and all across Equestria who may not have been there. Even across the dimensional divide to Canterlot High her magic reached out to seven students in particular. "Sleep now, Twilight Sparkle. Tomorrow, your new life begins."
Before Twilight could ask what she meant, she felt a tickle below her horn, before sleep claimed her.
Cosmos smiled as the assembled host collectively fell to the ground, the sounds of sleep coming from a thousand throats all at once. Looking down at the fallen, her heart sank in sorrow. She would not bring them back to life. To do so would destroy the whole meaning of the Oath. But she could give them the peace and rest they all deserved.
Carefully, her magic flowed over the bodies of Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight Glimmer. Wounds healed instantly, and their bodies returned to a healthy and pristine condition. One could mistake them for sleeping as well, but for their lack of breathing.
Cosmos spread her wings. Behind her a portal opened and two shadowy figures stepped out. An emerald-eyed Pegasus as tall as Celestia, the other an equally large, amber-eyed nine-tail fox. Her guardians of lost souls across the multiverse. "You know what to do."
"As you desire my lady." The pair spoke together in harmony.
The Pegasus raised her wings, as the Fox raised his tails. magic filled the area and lifted those lost heroes.
"Rest now, everyone. You have all earned and found peace at last."
With a glow of magic, Cosmos, Her Guardians, and the bodies of Twilight's friends vanished.
Author's Note
Something I've been meaning to do for a while now. The Omega Oath has been mentioned in other stories of mine, but only now has it ever actually been used. As Discord said, the Legion of Doom cut out most of their dialogue from the Ending of the End and went from the kill from the start.
One more chapter to show just what price Twilight paid for invoking the Oath.
"You look beautiful, Princess Twilight," Celestia smiled, as she and Luna entered the room where Twilight currently getting ready for her coronation.
Twilight blushed, bowing her head. "Thank you, princess. I still don't think I'm ready though. Look what happened last time."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes. You bested the Legion of Doom, as you have done with many other threats to Equestria. I dare even say that you are overqualified to rule Equestria." She smirked. "Just look at Tia and me! We hadn't done a thing when we became princesses."
Celestia giggled. "Indeed. But through more trial and error than I care to admit, we earned it as well. Even Princess Platinum finally came around and became one of our most vocal supporters."
Her smile grew as she lay a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "And you will not be alone. Your friends and family will always be with you. And though we may retire, you will always have us to seek guidance from."
Twilight smiled. Well when it was put that way, it didn't sound so bad. Her whole family was here of course. Her parents, Shining, Cadance, and Flurry Heart. Even her Canterlot High friends were attending, after much pleading and many a sleepover to make up for her lack of visiting more often.
Again, there was a faint tug at the back of her mind when she thought of her Canterlot High friends. As if something vitally important was missing. Just as quickly though, it was gone, and Twilight pushed the inaccuracies between the two worlds to look at another day.
At that moment, Raven Inkwell stuck her head through the door. "Five minutes to show time, everypony. We can't be late for our own coronation now can we? Equestria needs this day. A day to celebrate after all we've been through recently."
Everypony giggled as the maids finished with the final work on Twilight's coronation dress. "Are you ready?" Luna asked.
Twilight did Cadance's breathing technique several times before her heart returned to a somewhat normal rhythm. "As I'll ever be."
The crowd cheered as Celestia and Luna appeared on the balcony. Down below, Twilight's Canterlot High's friends, even knowing something of the two from what the princess and Sunset had told them, suddenly felt very small. And yet, they could still feel the same love and warmth they always felt from Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna radiating from the two alicorns as well.
Celestia cleared her throat, and the cheering died down for the moment. "Citizens of Equestria and beyond! My sister and I have ruled this land for quite some time, but even we know that change eventually comes to us all. And though we know it can be unsettling, it's as natural as the rising and setting of the sun and the moon. Both of which my sister and I feel confident leaving in the hooves of the pony who will come after us."
If it was possible, the cheer that greeted this was even louder than before. Luna waited a moment before she raised a hoof for silence once more. "And so without further ado, I give you the new ruler of Equestria - Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
At that moment, Twilight stepped out onto the balcony as well, just barely managing not to trip on her coronation dress as she did. Celestia and Luna, however, saw the misstep, and smiled knowingly, while Twilight could only smile sheepishly.
Igniting their horns, the sisters removed their crowns, Floating them over to each other, the crowns merged together into one solid gold piece, emblazoned with Twilight's cutie mark on the front. As the glow faded from the newly forged crown, a pair of birds settled it slowly onto Twilight's head.
Surprisingly, for how large it looked, Twilight felt no real added weight from the crown, and it settled comfortably, almost seemingly to refit itself to her and her alone. Strange. Maybe it was just all of the excitement talking though, and she was imagining things.
Celestia and Luna made way so that Twilight could look out across the assembled crowd down below. "Hail, Princess Twilight! May her reign be as eternal as the Armor of Eternity itself!" Luna cried.
The roaring cheer was almost deafening now, as the Wonderbolts completed their flyover, a sonic boom left in their wake. And as Twilight waived to the crowd, her confidence growing by the second, a single thought came to her mind.
Yes. Everything was going to be just fine!
From a fold between dimensions, DIscord watched the coronation with a sad smile. "Good luck, Twilight. Whatever else you may face, you will never have to worry about me ever again."
"A wise choice," Cosmos chuckled, as she materialized next to the Lord of Chaos.
Discord only rolled his eyes. "You deleted their memories. As far as Equestria is concerned, Spike, AJ, Crash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Glim Glam never existed. Bringing in their human counterparts won't change a thing."
Cosmos nodded. "Yes. Twilight will never know just how she got to where she is today. And why you will always remember them. All of this. Remember just how much you failed."
Discord bowed his head. Point. "Did you really have to bring in your Guardians?"
Cosmos smiled. "Oh don't act surprised. Pearl will never be a problem. Kohaku had nothing to worry about. His kind has never existed in this universe. There was never going to be repercussions. They are my Guardians of Lost Souls for a reason."
Discord rolled his eyes, though he still did not understand why she had that to the two of them, before fading away. Cosmos stayed a time longer, watching as Twilight greeted each and every dignitary, no matter how long it may take, before she too faded away.