Friendship was magic: the Lunar Republic

Luna and Twilight approached the west tower, prepared for both a fight and an explanation from their cyan friend. Tesla had told them he would see them later, he was still attending to the soldiers as more medics started appearing from the ranks of the wounded. Twilights mind raced as she tried to figure out the situation placed before her.

'How did we miss her in the initial attack?' Twilight thought. 'Will she try to talk to us? knowing Rainbow Dash probably not to Luna, but she might talk to me though. On the other hoof, she might hold her loyalty to Celestia closer than mine now that we're considered enemies.' Twilight considered all of these and even more as her thoughts raced, even when they approached the door, she seemed oblivious to reality.

"What do you expect on the other side Twilight.?" Luna asked.

"U-huh." Twilight said flatly, clearly dead to the world at the moment. Luna waved a hoof in front of her face, but got no response. Until finally kicking one of her legs, snapping her out of concentration. "W-what?"

"I said, what do you expect on the other side?"

Twilight looked at the door in front of them, noticing a couple of differences from the other doors on Maelstrom. it had multiple symbols carved into it, the faint glow was barely noticeable. The only other feature was the painted on words that designated that the door led into the captains quarters. Even now she could barely find the words to her answer, even though it was so simple to say.

"I don't know." Twilight sighed. "Up until now, I've felt like this is suppose to be some sort of dream. But when I try to wake up, I'm still here, fighting against my friends." She lowered her head and stared at the ground. " All my friends are gone." She started sniffling as a few tears ran down her cheeks. "Even Spike isn't here, I'm all alone now."

"No your not." Luna lifted Twilights chin and smiled affectionately at her. "Your not alone. Not at all." She hugged Twilight, giving the mare some comfort from the sudden embrace. "Before I met you, I had no friends at all when I returned. I had subjects yes, but no friends. My only comfort was Celestia when I returned, that is, until I met you." Luna pulled away from the hug and smiled. "You're my first friend, Twilight. But not my last. After I met you, another friend popped up, although he is annoying at times." Luna remembered the 'jetpack' experiment. "But is still a friend I would never replace. We can help you get through this." She turned her gaze to the door. "One step at a time."

As the door opened, sunlight lit up the room and revealed a set of both familiar, and strange objects around the large room. Multiple cork boards and maps adorned the back wall, sitting behind a slightly used desk. The walls were lined with multiple posters, each one with a different Wonder bolt on it. The ages of the poster ranged from some of the very first posters ever made, to some that should still carry the smell of fresh ink.

Twilight and Luna searched the room, looking for the cyan mare. After looking around for another twenty minutes or so, they gave up and started rummaging around the room for anything useful. They found multiple documents, maps, strategies, and boxes filled with nothing but posters. But all the documents centered around something called 'Flight of the Phoenix'.

"Hey Luna, what's this 'Flight of the Phoenix' about?" Twilight asked.

"No, I've never heard of it." Luna walked over to Twilight to examine the document. "What is this?"

Operation Flight of the Phoenix

To one or all equines seeing this, Class IV clearance or authorization is required to participate in this program. Unauthorized personnel shall be converted into the shadow guard.

The first five steps of this program must be followed extensively in order for further development of future experiments.

1. Find suitable host for experimentation.

2. Host must be of above average intelligence.

3. Variations in resistance must be mild to severe.

4. Fore knowledge of multiple scientific theories, facts, and experiments both present and past.

5. Magical abilities of unicorns must be of above average magical abilities for infusion procedures.

Once steps one through five are completed, refer to your current protocol adviser for further instructions. All instructions must coincide with above steps. Failure to comply shall result in conversion.~ M.M.

Both Luna and Twilight were confused at what they just read. None of what the document made sense at all, especially these steps that were mentioned.

"What does this even mean?" Twilight asked out of confusion.

"I don't know, this doesn't ring any bells with me." Luna walked over to the door to inspect the markings on it. "These markings although, these look li-" A dark blue hoof hit Luna square in the jaw, causing her to be propelled out of the north tower. The last thing she saw before the door closed was a dark blue mare smiling smugly at her.

Twilight didn't have enough time to stop this unknown mare before Luna was thrown outside. The dark blue mare bolted towards the windows and pulled down the shudders, leaving a tri-colored stream of air behind her as the room became darker. Twilight shot magical bursts towards the mare, but she was just too fast. With the last of the shudders closed, Twilight had become enveloped in darkness.

A soft lavender light enveloped Twilights horn, allowing her to see a few feet around her. She slowly started to panic, not knowing when the mare in the darkness would attack. I need to get to the door. It's my only chance to defeat this mare. Twilight galloped to where she thought the door was, and luckily, had found the door, closed tightly. She tried pulling at it with her magic, but something was holding it back. She even tried banging against the door, but to no avail.

"Twilight, is that you?" Luna said through the door in a muffled voice.

"Luna, help me! The door won't open!"

"I'm trying! But the runes won't let me!"

"What runes?!"

"She means the runes on the door." A voice from the darkness frightened Twilight, her senses tuning out Lunas futile efforts to open the door. "The runes on the door are a trap that acts like a spider web. The pray flies in, but doesn't fly out." The figure started to become dimly visible in the darkness. A far cry from Rainbow Dash, but still vaguely similar to her. "It's nice to see you again, Twilight."

Twilights pupils dialated, causing the mare to go into a complete sprint away from the look alike. She kept running around the room until she was tripped and fell flat on her face. The next thing she knows the mare walks over to her tripped form and proceeds to put a hoof on Twilights neck and started to push.

Twilight started to choke out breaths, her entire body begging for air. The mare stared smugly down at her while she held Twilight down.

"Don't you remember me, Twi?" The mare asked.

"Who....are.....you?" Twilight was able to choke out.

"I feel hurt that you don't recognize me." The mare faked a hurt look and chuckled. "It's me, the element of loyalty." Twilights eyes widened as she gasped for air. Her gaze fell upon a necklace around 'Rainbow Dashs' neck. It looked similar to her element of harmony, but instead of gold it was a tarnished silver. The gem itself had become the head of a serpent. "Or I used to be before you betrayed us."

Rainbow Dash kicked Twilight across the room, the aura surrounding her horn started to flicker. Once again her voice came from the darkness, adding to Twilights fear. "After you betrayed us, we all fell apart. None of us are the same anymore, I couldn't trust anyone after that. I have no loyalty now, only malice in my heart." Rainbow Dash walked out of the darkness and picked up Twilight by the throat. "It's time to stop this little rebellion, once and for all." And with that, she flew through the window, and into the courtyard.

"The hell is that?" Medical-Shield asked Tesla as they wrapped a bandage around one of the soldiers.

"I can't tell." Tesla squinted his eyes to see the tri-colored blur. "I think that's...." His eyes widened in shock when he saw the lavender blob being held onto. He galloped towards the blur as fast as he could, but gave up the pursuit when the blur disappeared. He heavily breathed for a few minutes before he saw blue blur flew by. He quickly called out to it. "Luna, go get Phoenix! I'll follow them!" He grabbed the closest jetpack he could find and dashed off towards Twilight.

Tesla quickly flew towards the blur, trying to gain speed towards them. But after a couple of minutes trying to keep pace, he lost sight of them.

"I have no choice."

He pressed the overdrive button and immediately regretted his descision. He rocketed through the air like a bullet, almost breaking the sound barrier even. Teslas eyes were watering as he sped towards his target, almost flying past them. He altered his course a little and the next thing he knew was the three of them spiraling towards the forest.

When Tesla opened his eyes, he was met with the crumpled form of an unconcious Twilight and a limping mare with a piece of splintered piece of wood. He crawled over to Twilight to protect her from the other mare, pure hatred in her eyes. They both reached Twilight at the same time, their eyes meeting. For a second Tesla swore he saw something dart across the mares eyes, before she grew an amused smile.

"It's been a while, Science. I see you've been busy."

"Who are you?" Tesla started convulsing and coughed up a little blood. He looked down and saw a piece of wood sticking out of his woods.

"Remember the fire from that fateful night Science? Of course you do." The mare picked up the piece of wood again and started making small gashes on the back of Twilights back.

"I Killed...." He spat up some more blood. "you."

"Oh you know death is only the beginning. But today is the end for you two."

Before she could pierce Twilights neck, Tesla uttered one word, a word that could kill entire armies, but could never be used lightly. "Morietur." The mare stopped dead in her tracks, frozen like a statue. She slowly backed up and started to convulse uncontrollably. She dropped her weapon and held her head with her hooves and let out a blood curling scream. After that, she slumped to the ground and could barely breath. "Rest, vile demon."

Tesla blacked out because of his new wound, only seeing small tidbits of what was happening. He saw three blurry figures approach him, and the last thing he remembers is being told one word before blacking out again.

"Sleep."