The Castle in the Sky

Chapter 6

The room was lit like the Grand Galloping Gala’s dance hall. The radiant light came from the eclipse outside that hovered in the sky for all to see. The inside of the room was a circular room with a high ceiling. It had 5 lower pillars that reached half-way to the ceiling, almost as if they were columns that were cut in half. The ceiling had a dome-like shape that had a small barrier built in its fixture. Inside the barrier was Princess Luna, finally beginning to awaken from her long slumber. On the floor, Twilight was sitting, tied down in the corner of the room and Celestia was asleep in the center of the room in a dome barrier much like Luna’s. The white room was silent for the time being until all the members of the castle arrived, awaiting the final phase of Operation Twilight Effect.

Princess Chronos, Rolling Thunder, King Aero, Queen Silhouette, and Crossfire finally gathered in the main hall, most of whom were escaping the fury of Pinkamena or Spike. As Aero, Silhouette, and Crossfire were catching their breath, Rolling Thunder looked up at Luna, trapped in the barrier above. He looked at her as if she was the moon on a clear night. Much like he would do with the real moon, he would gaze and think about his life thus far; his actions, his good and bad decisions, and what he has contributed to this operation. He felt little remorse over his own life choices but felt disgusted with the other lives he’s ruined.

He looked towards Chronos and asked, “The purpose of this mission… is it really for us to find out? Couldn’t there have been another way to gather this ‘data’?” Chronos was generally surprised by his response. She then grinned and said, “There is always another way Rolling Thunder. We are simply finding out the hard way.” She trotted about with a smile on her face when she finished. Rolling Thunder was dissatisfied with the answer and continued, “The hard way is when we suffer to find it out. This operation is only making them suffer for your personal interest in…” Chronos glared at Rolling Thunder and nodded her head upwards. He looked up and saw Luna fully awake, trying to listen in on the conversation. He held his tongue on the matter and finally said, “Fair enough. We’ll get this over with and once you have what you want, you’d better fill your end of the bargain.” He walked over to one of the pillars and flew up to the top. He sat there patiently. Chronos smiled and declared to everyone in the room, “Let us begin!”

The other three members flew to a different pillar and stood on top of it awaiting further orders. Chronos lifted herself with her magic to the top of the pillar and looked down at Celestia. “It’s time for a rude awakening…” She said with a devilish grin on her face. She charged the magic in her horn and fired a magical blast at Celestia’s barrier, cracking it. The small crack grew around the barrier. It looked like a 3d jigsaw puzzle of broken glass. The cracks surrounded the barrier and finally, the barrier exploded. The spell broke and from the inside of the barrier, an unbelievably painfully explosive noise rang in Celestia’s ears. She immediately woke up to bleeding ears and an insatiable ringing. Celestia’s body was already covered in bruises and cuts from Chronos having fun with her but now she was nearly deafened.

Chronos smiled at Celestia’s suffering and said, “Hey sleepyhead… Did you have a bad dream?” Celestia picked her head up slowly and glared at her with anger in her eyes. Chronos frowned and continued, “Oh boo… you’re mad at me. Then I guess you’re no longer little miss sunshine huh?” Celestia was pissed and yelled, “You ignorant brat! Release me from this infuriating imprisonment before I bring the pain of 1000 suns upon your skull!” Everyone in the room was silent and in shock of Celestia’s response. They never knew her to raise her voice at anyone, let alone make a threat that she can deliver.

King Aero, realizing the situation happening around them said, “Chronos, this is part of CODE PINK. All the members of their group each experience a character shift upon Pinkamena’s arrival in this reality. We need to finish this before Celestia becomes her other self…” Celestia looked towards King Aero out of curiosity of his words. She thought to herself, “What in the world does my anger have to do with Pinkie Pie? And who is my other self?” Then Chronos replied, “You’re right… Then let’s end her.”

All five of the ponies drew their individual weapons. Chronos covered her horn in a magical aura that shaped into a blade on her head. Rolling Thunder drew his blade and held it in his mouth. Silhouette pulled her scythe from her back and raised it high. Aero shrouded his wings in magic and sharpened it to razor like proportions. Crossfire blew his black flame on his claws and they ignited to make burning claws. They each jumped from their pillar and hit the floor running. They circled Celestia like a pack of hungry sharks... Luna, from up above, saw Celestia being surrounded and was mortified: she was reliving her dream from the night before her sister’s kidnapping.

Luna thrashed about in the barrier, trying to escape from her captivity and help her sister. Her premonition of this very event drove her to the edge. She wasn’t willing to lose the one sister she had in this world and the very first person to ever welcome her back to Equestria after. She yelled and screamed, “NOOO! I WON’T ALLOW THIS! SISTER!”

Her cries were heard by Twilight, who was knocked senseless earlier by Chronos. Twilight looked ahead and saw Crossfire circling about her. She hopped forward and landed in Crossfire’s path. His claw sliced straight through her chain and she finally had her chance to escape. Twilight stood up abruptly and rushed to her Princess’s side. The magic ring was not removable from her horn and she wasn’t able to free Princess Celestia from her chains. With reassurance in her voice, Twilight said, “I promise Your Highness, I will stay by your side until the end.”  Celestia saw Twilight defending her in a last stand and found a slim hope if there ever was any. She and Twilight watched the five assailants circle them, waiting for the first strike.

Luna rested from thrashing and now looked down at Twilight and Celestia on their last stand. She cried, knowing what their fates would be if no one intervened. With tears running down her face, she said, “Twilight Sparkle! Whatever happens, you must stay with my sister! Please!” She stopped, crying from what she had seen before. Twilight nodded and kept a vigilant eye. The circling enemies were fierce but Twilight Sparkle was not going to fall easily.

Crossfire made a sharp right, heading straight for Celestia. He jumped into the air with his burning claws at the ready. Twilight jumped in the way and Crossfire slashed across her snout. The fire surrounding his claws cauterized the wound instantly, leaving a burn mark along with the scar. Crossfire, realizing that Twilight’s defense was wide ranged, pulled back and began circling around them again.

Silhouette and Aero rushed in from both sides, each with their weapons at the armed. Celestia saw Aero coming and lowered her head. His wing blade attacked her at the base of her horn. At the cost of a slight cut below the horn, Celestia’s seal on her horn was broken. She used a blast of light to blow Aero into the air. Silhouette simultaneously attacked Twilight. She attacked with her scythe in a downward slice. Twilight side stepped and dodged the blades. She then rammed Silhouette in her rib cage, causing her to flinch in pain. While Silhouette was down, Twilight bucked her in the side of her head and sent her flying back. Silhouette was slowly getting back up and Aero did an aerial recovery and stayed mid-air, above the fearsome duo of Twilight and Celestia.

Rolling Thunder jumped towards Twilight. With his blade in his mouth, he performed a mid-air barrel roll to make his blade spin viciously around him. Twilight could not defend herself from the impending blow. Then, a yellow barrier surrounded Twilight and stopped Rolling Thunder’s attack. He struck the barrier intensely, digging the ends or the barrier into the ground. He pulled back, realizing the shield wouldn’t break easily. Celestia dropped the barrier and began to breathe heavily.

“Princess! Are you alright?” Twilight said with concern in her voice. Celestia caught her breathe and said, “I’m alright Twilight Sparkle. It’s just that his attack was stronger than I had anticipated. We will need to use all of our strength if we are to escape.” Celestia used her magic to break the seal on Twilight’s horn. Both of them were now at full power.

Their eyes began to glow bright with the energy from the magic within each of them. “Are you ready, my most faithful student?” Celestia said, restoring her student’s hope. “Ready, your Highness!” Twilight responded. They both raised their horns high into the air and let out a magical blast that enveloped the room. The blast sent the five flying back. Aero, due to his high position, hit the ceiling and fell down to the floor below.

Celestia looked down at Chronos on the floor and said, “Whatever your plan may be; we shall end it here and now!” As Celestia charged her horn full of magic, it surged with yellow energies. Her eyes and horn glowed brightly. She stomped her forward hooves into the ground and pointed her horn at Chronos. Chronos, slowly arising from the combined blast from Twilight and Celestia said, “You can’t… be serious. You’re not going to…” “Yes, I will send you back to the world where time does not flow. You and your cohorts will be banished from Equestria for all eternity.” Celestia said in an intimidating voice.

Chronos had begun to back up, hoping to escape Celestia’s wrath but found herself against the wall. For the first time in her eternal life, Chronos was actually afraid. As she turned her head away, Celestia fired a wave of energy at her. Rolling Thunder jumped in the way with his blade in mouth and blocked the wave. The blade absorbed the magical energy whole. He placed the weapon on his back and said, “This blade was specially made to defend against unicorn and alicorn magic. It completely absorbs it and leaves your effort to nothing.” Chronos, trying to act as if she wasn’t afraid said, “Well d-done Thunder…” He turned to her with an angered expression and responded, “Get your shit together. And remember this, you owe me one.” She shook her head and returned to her hoity-toity self. She said, “We need results from this operation. Everypony, let us end this now!”

Twilight fired a magical blast once again and Thunder blocked it with his blade. Then, Aero tackled Twilight from the side and slammed her into the wall. Celestia, trying to help her was stopped by Silhouette. Silhouette used a flare spell and blinded Celestia. She was dazed and could not focus. Aero stabbed a smaller blade into Twilight’s hoof and stuck her to the wall. He jumped up into the air above the blinded Celestia. Silhouette joined him and armed her blade. Thunder and Crossfire surrounded Celestia and prepared their respective claws and blades. Chronos commanded, “Execute her!” The four rushed inward towards Celestia. Luna looked down and knew it was Déjà vu: She was seeing her sister die the same way as her dream. She roared and cried, “Nooo! I cannot allow this! Augh!!!” She stomped her hooves down and rapidly fired magical blasts to break her barrier. It was finally showing signs of cracking and she pounded harder. As Luna was finally seeing the cracks, she refocused her sights and stopped in complete disbelief. She saw her sister, on her last breaths.

Thunder had his blade driven through Celestia’s chest and lung, Crossfire had his claws deep in her side, Silhouette’s scythe penetrated her back and pierced her other lung, and Aero stomped down on her back, breaking her spine. Celestia was bleeding profusely from her chest, sides, and mouth. Her eyes were beginning to fade and her breaths became shorter. She could feel her lungs filling with blood with every second that passed. As her heart beat grew slower, Silhouette drew her scythe from her back and placed its blade under her neck, picking her head up slowly. Celestia was blankly looking up, saw Chronos walking towards her. Chronos stopped within hoof’s reach of her head and raised her hoof above Celestia’s neck. She stomped down, forcing Celestia’s neck to be cut by Silhouette’s scythe. Chronos pushed her hoof all the way down to the scythe and completely decapitated Celestia. Blood spewed from Celestia’ neck and covered the floor with a crimson red. Her head was now on the floor, unmoving and drenched in more blood.

Luna saw her sister’s fall and cried. Her tears were bitter, her sadness was bottomless, and her hopes crushed. The sister who brought her back into the world, that was willing to reteach her of all of the world’s customs, the only sister she ever had was now gone. Not even the millennia she spent alone should amount to the pain she felt now. As she wept, she heard voices echo in her mind. “Why do you fell so weak and helpless?” the voice said. It continued, “Why can you not use me? We can erase them…” Luna knew the voice all too well, the voice of Nightmare Moon. She replied with no words, but with a tremendous roar. “URAAAAAAAAAGH!!!” The barrier began to fill with a black smoke coming from her flowing mane. The cracks in the barrier began to grow larger and eventually shattered to pieces. The black smoke dissipated and floating in its place was an enraged Nightmare Moon. She looked down at the murders of her sister and screamed once again, “AAAAAUUUUGH!!!” Thunder looked up and said, “Shit! Everypony move out NOW!” The five pulled back from Celestia’s dead body, and evacuated the room. Nightmare followed them furiously, ramming through any walls in her path.

Twilight, with her hoof still stabbed through to the wall, looked at her dead teacher. Tears ran down her face, but she made little to no sound at all. She didn’t scream, thrash about, or even cry aloud. She just sat there, almost like a lifeless doll. The blade came loose from the wall and her hoof fell with the blade still in it. She used her three good hooves to walk over to Celestia. She saw her cold corpse and felt an unending sadness come over her. She finally said softly, “I’m so sorry, princess… I couldn’t save you, my friends, no pony…” As she sobbed she looked up and saw the sun grow dimmer. The sun completely went dark and fell from the sky. Only the moon stayed floating above the land. Twilight sat down in the pool of blood, right next to Celestia and could not stop crying.

In the halls of the castle, Thunder and company were on the run from a storming Nightmare Moon. “Keep going! We have to reach the foyer to get out of this hell hole!” Rolling Thunder yelled. Nightmare opened her mouth wide and roared, letting out an overpowering blast of magic. Aero saw it was aimed at Chronos and he jumped in the air to block it. Not only did he get hit, but the blast vaporized him, turning him into dust. Silhouette saw his demise, and stopped immediately. She drew her scythe and jumped towards Nightmare Moon. She swung at Nightmare’s neck and it was stopped right at her skin. Silhouette realized that the scythe could not cut her skin. Nightmare grabbed the scythe from Silhouette and drove the blade into her stomach.  She ripped it upwards and cut her up the middle. Both halves of Silhouette fell to the floor and covered the hall in crimson. Her body faded into the ground. The remaining three looked back and realized that Nightmare was out for blood.

Crossfire exclaimed, “AAAH! I’m so fucked! I already have a dragon and a prince out for my head!” As he finished that line, the floor broke under all three and a large, green, flaming arm grabbed Crossfire. It was Spike, now teenage looking dragon, and Shining Armor. Spike brought Crossfire down and said, “No, we want all of you…in pieces.” Shining Armor used his magic to wrap the floor around Crossfire. Crossfire was trapped in the floor and they both looked at him. “Hit ‘em hard Spike.” Shining Armor said. Spike grew wings from his back and flew down the hall and stopped about 100ft away. Crossfire, cowering in fear said, “NOO!!! I didn’t mean to fuck your lovers! That bitch Chronos told us to do it or we-” “I… Don’t… CARE!” Spike yelled, rushing towards Crossfire. Spike charged his right arm and its flames grew brighter. He dashed towards the screaming Crossfire and punched just an inch away from his face. Even though it had not hit him, Crossfire could feel the force of the punch. It was slow at first, but then grew with power. Crossfire felt his face being ripped apart from the forces to the point where he felt his skin tear. When he was about to finally scream from the pain, it went full force and obliterated the top half of his body. The walls around him, flooring beneath and generally everything behind him was sent flying back. From the outside, the bottom quarter of the building was flying off, falling to the empty ground below.

Chronos and Thunder saw the destructive power and could not believe their eyes. Aero was dust, Silhouette was sliced in half, and the top half of Crossfire’s body was gone from existence. “This entire mission is a bust! We need to cut our losses and get out of here!” Rolling Thunder exclaimed at Chronos. She yelled back, “No! We haven’t seen the true result of the Twilight Effect! We need to-”Just then, Pinkamena and Fluttershy show up below them as well, now with Shining Armor and Spike. All five of them stared down Chronos and Thunder. Chronos continued, “Escape! We need to escape!” They both ran for their lives down the corridor. The four ponies and the dragon chased after them. Finally, the door was in their sights and Chronos and Thunder rushed through it, to end up in the first hall that the mane six, Shining Armor, Spike, and Trixie ended up in when they first arrived. Chronos quickly used her magic and opened a portal in the room. Before they jumped out, Nightmare and company busted into the room and quickly surrounded them.

Chronos said in fear, “You have no power over us! We will not bow down to you insignific-” She stopped feeling a blade pierce her back. She turned slowly, to see Rolling Thunder, back stabbing her literally and metaphorically. She yelled, “You Traitor! What about the deal? It’s not like I can perform spells when I’m dead!” Rolling Thunder replied, “You were never planning on keeping your word. We all knew that and were going to do this once it was all over. Even though the others are gone, I can still get what I want and cut the loose ends at the same time.” His blade drained the magic from Chronos’s body and she feel to her knees. When he drained nearly all of her magic, he pulled the blade from her back and placed it on his back. He said to the five that surrounded them, “She still has enough energy to take a savage beating. Have fun with her.” He jumped into the portal and disappeared.

Chronos, whimpering in fear and pain, looked at the five that surrounded her. Nightmare flew directly above her and looked down at her. “YOU SHALL PAY FOR THE CRIMES YOU HAVE COMMITED AGAINST EQUESTRIA! AND WE SHALL DELIVER YOUR JUDGEMENT!” She charged her entire body with magic and crashed down on Chronos.

An enormous blue, magical explosion split the building in two, sending it crashing to the ground below. The building fell to pieces; chunks of rocks fell all around the group who was still in the air. The castle in the sky fell, decimating the open plains below. The explosion was seen for miles in the night sky, illuminating the ground below. The explosion even sent the clouds flying back and left them encircling the explosion’s blast radius. The group was seen floating right where the hall used to be.

Fluttershy was carrying Pinkamena, the Winged Spike held up Shining Armor, and Nightmare Moon floated by herself, looking for Chronos’s remains. She looked and saw Twilight, sobbing as she fell to the ground. Nightmare flew and caught Twilight mid-air. Nightmare looked down and saw Celestia’s body on the floor now. As Twilight laid on Nightmare’s back, crying into her mane, Nightmare could feel her own sadness envelop her.

The group flew down to the floor and landed. Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, and Soarin’ joined the group and saw Celestia’s dead corpse. “T-that can’t be… no…” Dash said, already crying from the loss of AJ. Now she sat on the floor and sobbed more. Spitfire and Soarin’ did not even know where to begin and simply hung their head. Nightmare Moon’s form changed and she was Luna once again.

“Everypony, listen closely.” Princess Luna said, wiping the tears from her ears. “Today has been a grave day for us all. In 3 days, I will hold a funeral in Canterlot to remember all of those who were lost today. If you wish to grieve alone, you are more than welcome to. Otherwise, everypony is welcome to attend.” Princess Luna walked over to Celestia’s body and placed a hoof on it. The same black smoke covered her and Celestia and they disappeared into thin air.

When she left, Twilight looked back at everyone with sadness streaked across her face. Pinkamena was slightly sadden but still pissed. Shining Armor had a stern look on his face, even in spite of losing Cadence. Spike was simply angry; no other emotion could have been more blatantly put on his face. Fluttershy was depressed, showing no energy in her expression as if she was dead herself. Twilight realized that it was over for all of them and said, “Everypony… just go home.” The other three walked back to town and Spike stood by Twilight. He walked up to her and sat next to her. She lied down and put her head on his lap, sobbing silently. Spike slowly stroked her mane and said softly, “You have to let it out Twilight…” She inhaled deeply and wailed out loud, crying her heart out.