Rainbow Dash stood over Twilight’s sleeping figure. Rainbow wanted to wake her up, but she knew that Twilight needed her rest. Casting magic could be tiring. She looked at Spitfire, who was lying a short distance away. Swordpoint’s words still echoed in her mind.

You have no place in my life, and you certainly have none in my heart.

Rainbow lied down and cried silently. She couldn’t stop herself; her tears flowed freely. I opened myself to him… why would he say that stuff? All I wanted was to help him… She was startled by the sounds of hoofsteps, and she quickly rose to her hooves as Fluttershy and Rarity strolled into sight.

“… and it’s not as if they’re invincible,” came Rarity’s voice. “After all, we’ve defeated quite a few of them, now.”

Rainbow started to trot deeper into the cave, but she stopped when she thought of facing Swordpoint again. She wiped her eyes and tried her hardest to fake a smile before she walked back in the direction of her friends.

Fluttershy’s eyes fell upon Rainbow. “Oh, Rainbow, you’re awake.”

Rainbow flashed her fake smile, and Fluttershy immediately frowned. “Yeah, heh… I couldn’t sleep.”

Whatever Fluttershy saw that made her frown seemed to have gone unnoticed by Rarity. “Darling, you really need to rest. The others are all on their way back here.” She pointed her hoof in the direction of the cave entrance. “We’re near the Crystal Empire, and we’re going to travel there tomorrow to ask Princess Cadence for supplies.”

Fluttershy continued to give Rainbow a concerned stare. “Rainbow…” she began, but Rainbow cut her off.

“Hey, sleep sounds good!” Rainbow couldn’t meet Fluttershy’s gaze, instead focusing intently on Rarity. She gave her best false smile, which Rarity returned with a smile of her own. She could feel Fluttershy’s scrutinizing stare.

“Glad to hear it,” Rarity replied. She yawned and lied down next to Twilight. She closed her eyes and was fast asleep soon after. Fluttershy calmly strutted to Rainbow, still holding her gaze.

“Rainbow Dash,” she began. Rainbow continued to look away. Fluttershy knew something was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.

“H-hey, Fluttershy.” Rainbow’s voice was shaky, despite her efforts to control it. Fluttershy’s stare was cutting into her.

“What happened?” Fluttershy simply asked. She stepped closer to Rainbow.

Rainbow wheeled around and took a step away from Fluttershy. “Nothing happened! I don’t know what you mean!”

Fluttershy moved closer to Rainbow again. “Rainbow, you know you can-“

“Hey, Fluttershy,” Rainbow interrupted, “I’m going to give Pinkie Pie a proper burial.” She trotted to where Pinkie’s lifeless body lied.

“Oh, but, I-“ Fluttershy tried to say, but Rainbow interrupted again.

“Look, maybe you should stay here. I know you’ve got a pretty weak stomach when it comes to stuff like this.” She hoisted Pinkie onto her backside and cantered in the direction from which Fluttershy and Rarity had emerged.

“But, I… Oh, darn it.” As Fluttershy watched Rainbow go, she thought about chasing after her. Ultimately, she decided it would be best to let her go. “I guess if something’s on her mind she’ll talk when she’s ready. I should really go to sleep; who knows what crazy things we’ll see tomorrow?”

--
Rainbow glanced behind to make sure that Fluttershy hadn’t followed her. Seeing nothing but the faint glow of the cave, she sighed in relief. The thought suddenly occurred to her that she was carrying the remains of one of her best friends on her back, and she hung her head shamefully. “I used you to get out of talking to Fluttershy. Man… I’m a real piece of crap.” She turned her head and looked at Pinkie’s body. Her lifeless figure was still smiling. Her wounds had stopped bleeding, although they still remained. “Well… I can still make this right. I’m going to give you the burial you deserve.” She faced forward solemnly. “And I’m going to keep smiling. For you, Pinkie.”

Feeling stronger, Rainbow Dash held her head high as she trudged toward the mouth of the cave. Even though she felt better, Swordpoint’s cruel words still stung her. She couldn’t purge them from her mind, and she found herself lost in thought. I wonder… maybe he’ll still come around. Nopony can enjoy being alone. But should I give him time? Or should I help him out? Ugh… why do I never know what to do? She was startled by the sound of voices.

“…but we don’t know for certain that the Crystal Empire will be protected. We could be walking into a trap, for all we know.” The Doctor walked into view, followed by Vinyl, Applejack, and Soarin. The Doctor was talking to Applejack.

“Look, sugarcube,” Applejack responded, “you weren’t there to see what happened to that mean ole King Sombra when them crystal ponies powered up that there crystal heart. Ah reckon it’s strong enough to keep out these here creatures.” Applejack glanced over and noticed Rainbow. “Rainbow!” She trotted closer, but she stopped when she saw Pinkie’s body. “Are you… y’know… gonna give her a proper burial?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah… I’d like to do it alone. I’ll meet you guys back there with everypony else when I’m done.” She prepared herself for Applejack to insist on coming along.

Applejack simply nodded. “Okay. Be careful, Rainbow.” She tipped her hat to Rainbow and the group continued their slow walk toward the others.

Rainbow watched them go in silence. When they were out of sight, she sighed and continued toward the mouth of the cave.

--
Celestia stared at the magical shield surrounding Canterlot. Even in the dark, she could see the reaplings as they continued their assault. Despite their efforts, the shield held. Celestia sighed and ambled back inside her tower. Hanging her head, she began to descend the spiral staircase. “For countless generations I have ruled over this land… and now it is being destroyed before my eyes.” She extinguished each torch she passed with a wave of her horn. “How has it come to this? I sit here idly in my castle and wait for the end. I wait for Twilight and her friends to save us all. Is this really the sum of my power?”

She came to the door which led out of the tower. She opened it with her magic and continued her slow pace down the hallway. Lining the hall were stained glass windows depicting various major events in Equestrian history. Celestia stopped before one in particular. “The three rulers of ancient Equestria… Celestia, Luna, and… Omnia. My dear sister.” Omnia was beautiful in this picture, sporting a stunning light blue coat and a flowing white mane. Celestia gazed at the window for a moment before moving on to the next one. This mural showed Celestia and Luna pointing their hooves in the distance. Walking beneath them was a twisted Omnia, her coat a dull grey and her mane striped with black.

“It has been 1323 years since I saw you, Omnia. Since I sent you away.” A tear came to her eye, and she wiped it solemnly. “Why did you change? You were so beautiful…” Memories came flooding back, but Celestia shook them off. She trotted toward her throne room, away from the window.

As Celestia entered the throne room, she sighed. Shining Armor was speaking to a battered royal guard near the main entrance. Celestia quietly closed the door and made her way to the two of them. As she drew near, Shining Armor wheeled around to face her. His expression struck fear into her heart.

“Princess… I have some news from Ponyville…” Shining Armor stuttered. His face was grim, and Celestia’s heart clenched.

“My sister… please tell me my sister is alright…” she pleaded. Shining Armor hung his head. He remained silent for a long time, unable to find the words to pass on the news to Celestia.

At last he looked back into Celestia’s eyes. “She did not survive the battle. We were compromised.”

Celestia’s heart broke. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. “Luna… dead…” She lied on the floor for several minutes before she remembered herself and shakily stood. She stared at Shining Armor. “Tell me everything.”

Shining Armor nodded and dismissed the unicorn. “There was a changeling in their ranks. Before anyone noticed, it stabbed her twice. The captain tried to resuscitate her, but she’d lost too much blood. I’m sorry, Princess…”

Celestia’s face drew grim. “Search the castle. Inspect every royal guard. Changelings seldom travel alone.” She opened the double doors with her magic and ran out into the castle foyer with Shining Armor close behind her.

--
Princess Omnia entered into her throne room from the dungeon. Grinning from ear to ear, she calmly sat in her throne. “You, there,” she snapped, pointing to a royal guardian standing nearby. He saluted immediately. “Where is Swordpoint? He should have returned by now.”

The royal guardian stepped forward. “Your highness, we have not received word from him. Perhaps he is still searching for information about the threat?”

Omnia shook her hoof angrily. “Oh, don’t be so daft. Look above us. Those Equestrian blunders have failed.” She stood once again. “I don’t care if those fools are wiped out. My kingdom shall not fall. And when the enemy is defeated, we shall emerge from the wreckage and retake what is rightfully mine.” She scowled, filled with hate. “Equestria will be mine again. I will wrest control of it from that scum I once called sister.” She turned to face the guardian. “I have orders for you.” The guardian stood at attention and saluted. Omnia gave him his orders and he simply nodded and departed immediately, his horn glowing faintly as he left.

--
Rainbow Dash emerged into the harsh blizzard. The cold and unforgiving tundra stretched out as far as she could see. The only noticeable feature was a small, dead tree near the mouth of the cave. She did not notice the shimmering in the distance which indicated the barrier of the Crystal Empire. “Well, Pinkie… you’d hate me for this. Being buried in someplace so cold like this.” Calmly, she trotted through the snow and ice to the tree. She carefully placed Pinkie’s body on the ground and began to dig through the snow. The cold bit into her, but she ignored it. She began to dig up earth once she reached the bottom of the snow. Her efforts were tiring, but she kept going. It felt good to work herself so hard. Swordpoint’s cold words were pushed into the back of her mind, and the only cold that mattered was that of the frigid air.

She dug for over an hour. When she had finally finished, she turned to Pinkie’s body. It was covered with snow, and Rainbow grew angry. Pinkie, you deserved better than this. You really did. She lifted the limp body into the makeshift grave. She stared at the lifeless form that was once Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie… You were always my favorite. I know I’m not supposed to pick favorites, and I love the other girls to death, but… you always knew how to make me smile. Your happy face got me through a lot of rough times. I hope you’re smiling wherever you are. Goodbye, old friend.” She hung her head in silence. The sounds of the fierce blizzard whipping past her went unnoticed.

At last, Rainbow raised her head and set to work filling in the grave. By the time she finished, the blizzard had eased a little. She took one final look at the grave before trotting back into the cave.

Rainbow Dash silently trotted in the direction of the others. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. When she reached them, they were all asleep. When she saw Swordpoint, her heart sank. Shaking off the feeling, she lied down next to Twilight. Despite her emotions, her exhaustion saw that sleep came quickly.

--
Rainbow’s sleep was far from restless. In her dream, she stood in a ruined city. The buildings were all made of stone, and the landscape around her was barren. Standing beside her was Swordpoint. He was covered with scratches and scars. In front of her was a large obelisk covered with unreadable symbols.

“This…” she mumbled. “This looks just like the tower which brought that thing here.”

“That’s because we designed it from their technology,” a mysterious voice called. Rainbow wheeled around but saw nopony.

“Wha… who’s there?” Rainbow called. She couldn’t see anyone but herself and Swordpoint, and Swordpoint seemed not to have noticed the voice at all. “Swordpoint? Did you hear that?”

“He won’t respond,” the voice told her frankly. “You are not here, and neither is he.”

Rainbow continued to look around. What the hay… I must be dreaming.

“A dream? Or a vision? A glimpse of truth to guide you on your way.”

“O-okay…” Rainbow stammered. “So you’re just in my head?” She glanced at Swordpoint, who was still examining the Obelisk. She quickly realized that he was frozen in place.

“Now is not the time. Your questions may find answers in time, but not now. Even our vision is cloudy, and we fear that this world’s destruction is approaching quickly.”

Rainbow placed her hooves over her eyes. “But what am I supposed to do?! I don’t have any fancy magic!” She put her hooves back down and strolled toward Swordpoint. “Why are you talking to me about this stuff, anyway? Twilight’s the one who’s going to save us.” She tapped Swordpoint with her hoof, but he did not budge.

“Your friend will be needed elsewhere. This is your burden to bear, and together, you can succeed.”

Rainbow stared past Swordpoint at the muddy red stone of a demolished house. “Together. Heh. Right. Like he’d ever want to work together. He hates me.” Her gaze fell downward.

“Enough. We will show you what must be done.” Rainbow glanced up to find Swordpoint moving again. She trotted beside him.

“Hm…” Swordpoint mused. “Twilight said her magic activated the other device… perhaps it simply needs power from magical energy.” He took several steps back from the obelisk and closed his eyes. His wings began to glow a dull gold which slowly grew brighter. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with brilliant yellow light. He crossed his wings in front of himself and then opened them quickly, and magic flowed from him into the obelisk. Swordpoint’s eyes and wings returned to normal.

The obelisk sprang to life. The symbols glowed a bright blue, and the top of the structure folded outwards. A blue orb rose from the center of it, shining luminously. Rainbow watched in awe as magic gathered at the top of the orb. The structure continued to do this for several minutes, during which time Rainbow stayed perfectly still. Her mouth hung wide open.

The magical energy concentrated atop the orb suddenly shone brightly. Rainbow had to shield her eyes as a beam of magic shot from the orb into the ground in front of her. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that there was a circle of blue light inscribed with the same symbols as the obelisk. The great structure itself had fallen dormant, the orb completely dark.

“What…” Rainbow spoke, although she found that she couldn’t say anything else. Swordpoint took a step forward, but Rainbow grabbed him. “What are you, nuts?! We don’t know anything about this!” He looked into her eyes and froze again.

“Do not be afraid,” the ethereal voice boomed, causing Rainbow to jump. “Your ultimate goal lies beyond the portal. Remember that the needs of the many outweigh those of the one. We wish you the best of luck.”

Rainbow looked back at Swordpoint. He continued to stare blankly. “Uh… Are you going to show me something?”

Swordpoint’s mouth opened suddenly. “We have little choice. For all of your friends who have sacrificed themselves, and for the sake of the world, we must go.” He took her hoof and walked into the portal. Rainbow looked into his eyes for a moment before stepping next to him. A bright flash of blue light engulfed them, and all went dark.

--
Twilight awoke with a start. She opened her tired eyes slowly and examined her surroundings. Her friends lied nearby, all sleeping. She forced herself to stand, her legs shaking as she did so. What happened…? I remember teleporting with the help of Vinyl, Rarity, and Swordpoint, but… Her memory returned to her slowly, and she felt her stomach drop. “Oh, no… Where’s Pinkie Pie?” She searched the room, taking note of each pony around her.

When Twilight failed to find her silly pink friend, she hung her head. She stood still for a moment before remembering her duty. She steeled herself and looked around the room again. “Everypony, wake up!”

Her friend began to groggily awaken. There were many questions of “What’s going on?” and “C’mon, just a few more minutes…”

“Everypony, this isn’t the time to be sleeping!” Twilight cried. “We have an important task laid out for us!” She watched as her friends stood one by one. It took some time, but at last everyone had awakened. Twilight looked at the faces of her friends and reminded herself of her goal.

“Okay, everypony,” Twilight announced, “I know that our situation gets more difficult every day, but we have to push through and keep our goal in sight.”

The Doctor stepped forward. “Twilight, we are all prepared. And we have something to tell you, as well.” Twilight gave him a quizzical glance.

Soarin spoke up. “We’re about a mile or two away from the Crystal Empire. We’re tired and hungry, and we need supplies, so we were thinking we should stop there and ask Cadence for some stuff to help us on the road.”

Twilight pondered this for a moment. “Hm… Yes, that’s probably a good idea. We should be on our way as soon as possible.” The others nodded in agreement and began to talk amongst themselves.

Swordpoint approached Twilight and spoke to her quietly. “Could we speak in private, perhaps?” His expression was troubled, and Twilight was struck by this strange change in the normally calm stallion.

“Y-yes, sure…” she replied. Swordpoint pointed in the direction of the cave’s entrance, and Twilight nodded. She followed as he trotted toward away from the others.

When they were out of view of the other ponies, Swordpoint stopped. “Twilight,” he began, struggling to find words for his thoughts. “I… have recently remembered an incident from my past. I feel a cloud of guilt hanging over me. I ask you to please not turn me away, but I have committed acts of atrocity in the name of my Princess.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “There was a pony who sacrificed himself for me, even after I helped oppress his people. He could well have left me to die, as I was being crushed by the iron claws of a dragon, but… he saved my life.” He stared at the ground beneath his feet.

“So… what would you like me to do?” Twilight asked him. She couldn’t help but shift her gaze around the cave. Swordpoint raised his head and Twilight’s mouth nearly fell open. He had tears in his eyes.

“I… fear I have hurt your friend, Rainbow Dash. She opened her heart to me, and I… brushed her aside. Where she gave me kindness, I responded with cold cruelty.” He absentmindedly wiped a tear from his eye. “But now I find myself wanting to accept her offer of friendship. What can I do to let her know of my regret? How can I attempt to fix what I have done?” He gazed at Twilight with hopeful eyes.

In that moment, Twilight felt pity for Swordpoint. She gave him a small smile. “Well, you should start by apologizing. Let her know that you feel terrible about what you said. Show her you want to make it up to her.”

Swordpoint gave her a questioning look. “But how will I do this? What if she does not believe me?”

Twilight sighed. “Well, if she doesn’t, then you’ll just have to show her through your actions. Words can’t fix everything, you know.”

Swordpoint gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Twilight. Perhaps… we can be friends, as well?”

Twilight was caught off guard by this, but she still smiled back. “Of course! Now we should get back to the others and leave this cave. We need to see Princess Cadence and make sure that everything is alright with the Crystal Empire.”

Swordpoint nodded and the two returned to the others.

--
Rainbow Dash noticed when Swordpoint and Twilight went off by themselves. She felt a bitter pang of jealousy, and it had not dissipated by the time they returned. Swordpoint immediately headed toward Rainbow, but she scowled and walked away.

“Okay, everyone,” Twilight announced, “we should head for the Crystal Empire. I… don’t think I’ll be able to cast the wing spell again. I still haven’t fully recovered. I’m sorry.”

Applejack smiled. “Hey, sugarcube, it’s not a big deal. Why don’t we get a move on?” She trotted in the direction of the mouth of the cave, and the others followed close behind. Rainbow Dash made sure to keep her distance from Swordpoint, always keeping at least one pony between them.

They reached the mouth of the cave to find that the blizzard had calmed slightly. Twilight could see the barrier into the Crystal Empire. “Come on, everypony. Celestia is counting on us.” They trudged through the deep snow toward the magical barrier, each pony walking in silence.

Swordpoint kept stealing glances at Rainbow Dash. She must be so terribly angry with me… How can I bring myself to speak to her? He was so distracted that he bumped into Twilight when she stopped moving. “Oof!”

“Sorry, Swordpoint,” she said as she examined the surroundings. “Hm… There it is.” She pointed to the shimmering barrier a short distance away. “Glad we made it.” She trotted toward the barrier, but as she reached it, there was a flash of light. Twilight was shocked and thrown to the ground. Everypony gasped. Twilight stood slowly. “What happened?! The barrier isn’t supposed to stop ponies from going in!”

The Doctor cantered to the barrier and examined it closely. “My dear, I don’t think this is the normal barrier. This is far stronger, meant to keep out anything and everything. It can even block magical spells, so teleportation will be ineffective. There’s no getting in unless we are let in, I’m afraid.”

Twilight growled in frustration, but quickly fell silent when she heard voices on the other side of the barrier.

“…pretty sure that’s Twilight and her friends!”

“That sounded like Cadence,” Twilight remarked, eyes wide. “Cadence! It’s me! Let us in! Please!” The barrier disappeared almost immediately, revealing the warm, sunny Crystal Empire in all of its glory. Standing just beyond where the barrier had been was Princess Cadence. Twilight smiled wide. “Cadence! Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs—“

“Twilight, we don’t have time for games,” Cadence told her. “The situation is grim. Princess Luna is dead, Canterlot is under attack from the reaplings, and another force is moving toward Ponyville. All of you need to come inside right away. We have to get this barrier back up.” Cadence waved her hoof urgently.

Twilight almost couldn’t comprehend what she heard, but she still listened to what Cadence told them. The group trotted inside, and Cadence used her magic to raise the barrier once again. Twilight trotted next to Cadence. “Um, Cadence?” Twilight asked nervously. “Did you say… Luna is dead?”

Cadence nodded gravely. “Yes. Everything’s going to Tartarus. I received a letter from Princess Celestia early this morning.” Cadence recounted the tale of Luna’s demise and the reaplings’ invasion of Canterlot while Twilight listened with growing horror.

“But… the barrier will hold, right? And the guards can protect Ponyville?” Twilight practically pleaded for Cadence to tell her yes.

Cadence simply shook her head. “According to Celestia, the barrier is weakening. She predicts it will fall before the night comes. And when it does… they will all die.” Cadence dropped her glance to the ground at this.

“What about the empire?” The Doctor asked. “That barrier is surely the work of more than the Crystal Heart, but how have you given it such magnificent power to repel everything?” He eyed Cadence eagerly.

Cadence smirked. “Little trick Shining Armor taught me. But now’s really not the time. What are you all doing out here, anyway? I was worried that you might’ve… you know…” She looked around at the group. “Say… where’s Pinkie?”

Rainbow clenched her teeth. “Gone. Thanks to those things. And she wasn’t the only one, either. They got another friend of mine, Lightning Dust.”

Cadence gasped. “Oh… I’m sorry… Let’s get to the castle. We can talk more there.” She trotted amongst the crystalline buildings to the brilliant Crystal Castle as the other ponies followed.

When they reached the Crystal Castle, Cadence swiftly opened the doors with her magic. “Come on, I want you all to sit down with me. We can talk about your plans and what supplies you need. Celestia told me that all of you are our best hope, so I’m going to help however I can.”

Speartail panted. He barely made it inside the barrier before it rose again. “Huh… what are you doing in a place like this, Swordpoint?” He sighed to himself. “No matter. He’ll be glad to see me, I’m sure.” Speartail’s black armor clinked as he walked. He lit his horn and closed his eyes. He sweeped his head slowly from side to side. “Hm. In the direction of that castle, seems to be.” He galloped toward the castle at once, passing from the fields into the residential district. The crystal ponies watched him go fearfully.

At last, he reached the castle. Before him stood two large, wooden doors. He did not knock, but instead lit his horn with a black glow. He disappeared in an instant and reappeared inside the castle. He scanned his surroundings to find himself in a large foyer. The walls and floor were made of crystal, and they all shone brilliantly. “Now, where are you?” He lit his horn again for another location spell. As quickly as he cast it, he released it. “I see.” He trotted through the foyer toward a grand door. He could hear voices on the other side. He used his magic to open the door and found eleven ponies sitting around a table. When he entered, their conversation quickly fell silent. Swordpoint’s mouth fell open.

“Hey, how did you get in here?!” Cadence demanded. She stood and readied herself. Swordpoint stood as well.

“Stand down, Cadence,” Swordpoint told her. “This is Speartail, a member of the royal guardians of Ponynesia.”

Speartail grinned. “It’s good to see you alive and well, Swordpoint. I’d wager that you miss this armor.” A smirk came to his lips.

“Why have you come? Did Omnia send you, as well?” Swordpoint’s expression was wary. He slowly approached Speartail.

Speartail was slightly unnerved by the look Swordpoint wore. “Y-yes… I’m here to inform you that you are to return to Ponynesia. You were unsuccessful in stopping the star’s approach, so she is calling for a massive regrouping of troops.”

Swordpoint felt his heart beat faster. So. The gauntlet is laid. I should have foreseen this. But I suppose I must choose now between my homeland and these ponies. He stole a quick glance at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow saw Swordpoint’s eyes fix on her for just a second. Her chest was clenched tightly, and she was holding her breath. This is it, she told herself. He’s going to leave us. Just like that. She stared down at the floor.

Swordpoint saw Rainbow’s despair. He bared his teeth with anger and stared directly at Speartail. “No.”

Speartail flinched as if he’d been struck. “What? Surely, you jest.” He chuckled nervously. “We must be on our way.”

Swordpoint simply stared at him. “No,” he repeated firmly. “I am terminating my service to Princess Omnia.”

Speartail recovered from his initial shock. “You speak of treachery, Swordpoint,” he warned. “Stop this nonsense and let us depart.” He trotted to Swordpoint and held out his hoof.

Swordpoint knocked away Speartail’s outstretched hoof. “You may call it treachery, but I call it awakening. Do you not see what horrors we have committed in her name?” Hate burned within Swordpoint, and Speartail was unnerved again. “We’ve both murdered mares and foals in the name of her twisted ambitions. Did it ever occur to you that we’ve been facilitating evil? Or worse, that we’ve been committing it?” There were several gasps around the room.

Speartail growled. “I don’t bother with these things because I know my place. Good? Evil? They are only fabricated ideas. I follow my orders, as you yourself once did.” He took a step toward Swordpoint, and Swordpoint stepped away from him. Speartail scoffed. “Your time here has obviously corrupted your mind. You will return with me or you will die. Make your choice.” His horn glowed black and a hefty spear appeared from seemingly nowhere. He gripped it tightly and trained the tip on Swordpoint.

Cadence shot up from her seat. “Stop! Or I’ll kill you where you stand! You have a lot of guts coming into my castle and threatening my friends!”

Speartail suddenly howled with laughter. “Friends?! Hahahaha! That’s quite the joke, ‘Your Majesty!’” He swung his lance and pointed it at Fluttershy, who only squealed with fear. “You are weak, and your petty ideas of ‘friendship’ only serve to weaken you further. You are powerless to save yourselves, let alone one another.”

Swordpoint saw Speartail’s leg muscle twitch subtly and jumped toward him. Unfortunately, he was too late. Speartail plunged the lance into Fluttershy’s chest. Swordpoint came barreling down upon him shortly afterward, throwing him to the ground. His armor made a dull clank against the crystal floor. “YOU BASTARD! What have you done?!” Swordpoint’s eyes were narrow, and his rage was unfathomable.

Speartail snarled and threw Swordpoint off of himself. Swordpoint crashed into the wall with a mild thunk. Speartail stood again and brandished his lance. “This is the sum of your might, you worthless curs. Now, who shall be the next to die by my hoof? Perhaps you?” He pointed the lance at Twilight. “Or you?” He moved it toward Spitfire.

Spitfire gave Soarin a subtle nod and leapt into the air. Soarin followed suit, staying right behind Spitifre. She reached out her hoof to grab Speartail’s lance, but he swiftly moved it beyond her reach. He swirled it back around and caught Soarin in the chest, tearing open his stomach. Soarin gasped and crashed into the wall, leaving a bloody stain where he had impacted and creating a bloody pool on the ground.

Cadence saw all of this, yet she could not move. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

Speartail searched the room for his next target as Spitfire ran to Soarin. He saw Cadence staring in shock and a sort of twisted rush came over him. He leapt into the air and swung the lance wide. Speartail was surprised, however, when his lance struck something hard and created a loud clank. He landed nimbly and examined what had stopped him to find a metal block in front of Cadence. Twilight stood with her horn at the ready.

“YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE!” Twilight screamed. She lit her horn once again and began to assault Speartail with lightning spells. Speartail easily dodged several, but when a stray bolt struck him, he was quickly and painfully immobilized. The electricity arced through his armor, searing his flesh and causing him immense pain.

Twilight held the spell with no intentions of stopping. She felt such blind fury that she wanted to tear him limb from limb. Speartail, however, would not give in so easily. He forced himself to move, undoing the clamps on his armor. It fell to the floor and his electrocution ceased. His black coat was charred in several places, and the smell of burning flesh was pungent. Speartail snarled.

“You’ll have to try harder than that, worm!” Speartail spat. He lit his horn with a fell black glow, and Twilight quickly jumped away. She realized too late that she was not the intended target, as a black cloud formed above Cadence, who was still in shock. The Doctor galloped at full speed toward Cadence and jumped above her just as the black cloud condensed into a sword. It dropped directly downward as the Doctor struggled to stop it. His efforts proved futile as the sword impaled him and Cadence in a kind of twisted kebab. The two screamed as the sword dissipated, and they crumpled to the floor.

Swordpoint forced himself to stand. His body was riddled with pain. “Everypony leave this to me! The skills of a royal guardian are not to be trifled with!”

Speartail grinned. “You know, Swordpoint… I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time. You’ve always been weak, and certainly undeserving of your rank. You? Commander of the royal guardians? Bah!” Speartail spat in Swordpoint’s face. “Come, then! I’ll prove that I am superior, and my Princess will reward me handsomely for my work this day.” Speartail’s horn glowed once more, and the two were engulfed in a black barrier.

Swordpoint scowled. He extended his wings and focused his energy. A small, golden light emerged from them, creating a shining cloud above him. It materialized into a lance, and Swordpoint caught it as it floated gently downward. “You’re not leaving here alive,” he growled.

Speartail smirked. “Perhaps. But neither are you.” He readied his lance, a sick smile dancing on his lips.

--
Rainbow ran to Fluttershy and put a hoof around her. “Fluttershy?! Can you hear me?!” Fluttershy was still. Although she didn’t want to, Rainbow looked at the wound which Speartail had inflicted. She could see that the impact had shattered several of Fluttershy’s ribs… but it had also torn open her heart. Rainbow felt her head reeling. She took several steps away from Fluttershy’s corpse and vomited.

Spitfire stood over Soarin. He wasn’t moving. As she bent down to examine him closer, she noticed that his neck hung at an odd angle. She realized at last that the snap she heard when he hit the wall was the sound of his neck breaking. She winced, but lightly slid her hoof over his face and closed his eyes.

Rarity and Twilight ran to Cadence and the Doctor. Like the others, Cadence was lifeless. The Doctor, however, was still breathing. Twilight gasped. “Doctor! You’re…”

The Doctor coughed. “Ah, yes, but it’s no matter! I can just sort this right out. By the way, I’m going to… change.” He gasped and coughed again. “I’ll still be me, just a… different looking me. It’s too complicated to explain right now, but here we go!” A brilliant, golden light encased the Doctor’s body. Twilight watched in stunned silence as the Doctor’s body changed. When the light dissipated, the Doctor stood. “Haha! I love it. Always makes me feel great!” His coat was now bleach white, and his mane was red. But the most interesting change was the addition of wings.

“Oh! Would you look at that?!” the Doctor mused. The sounds of clanging broke his fascination.

The ponies gathered around the barrier, each murmuring something.

Rainbow was the first to burst out. “We have to help him!” She smashed her hoof against the barrier and received a painful shock. Undaunted, she struck it again, only to receive another shock.

Applejack jumped forward and grabbed Rainbow by the tail. “Stop it, sugarcube! You’re just gonna hurt yourself! You ain’t gonna help nopony like that!” She struggled to keep Rainbow from shocking herself again.

Rainbow fought Applejack’s grip. “He needs our help! Please! Let me try!”

--
Swordpoint faced Speartail. The two ponies stood in silence, each anticipating the first move.

“The ‘mighty’ Swordpoint a traitor,” Speartail taunted. “Tell me this, at least. Do you really think you will find ‘salvation’ in this place? How can anyone save you from yourself when you can’t even hold yourself together?”

Swordpoint stared into Speartail’s eyes. “My eyes have been opened. Life is worth living for more than this. There’s still time, Speartail. Lay down your weapon and surrender. Join me and help us save the lives of billions.”

Speartail laughed hysterically. “And why would I want to save these pathetic Equestrians?! Perhaps you’ve forgotten of the tyrannical Celestia’s cruel exile of our Princess? Really, Swordpoint, what led you to believe that Omnia would ever have you serve Celestia?” He chuckled again.

Swordpoint’s eyes narrowed. “I believed that Omnia understood the dangers which threatened not only this land, but our own. I thought that it was more important that we end this horrible nightmare. I see that even now, she manipulates the situation to suit her own ends.” He stepped closer to Speartail.

Speartail took another step closer as well. “Well I think we’ve chatted enough. Ready to die?” He raised his lance.

Swordpoint readied his weapon. “Let your lance speak for you.”

At once, Speartail dashed toward Swordpoint, quickly closing the gap between them. He thrust his lance toward Swordpoint, but Swordpoint easily deflected it with his own. Speartail was thrown off balance, and Swordpoint swung his weapon wide. Speartail attempted to dodge it, but he still received a gash in his side. He tapped his hoof to the wound and licked the blood, wearing an expression of pure insanity. Swordpoint swung his lance again, but Speartail easily blocked it. The two locked their weapons together, each snarling at the other.

“You could have avoided all of this if you’d just come with me!” Speartail shouted. “But just look where we are now. The Crystal Princess is dead, along with a few of your ‘friends.’ And when I finish with you, I’m going to kill the rest. I think I’ll take special care of that rainbow colored one.” Speartail licked his lips. “Oh, yes. I have special plans for that pretty mare.”

Swordpoint felt his rage burning inside him. “You wouldn’t dare touch a single hair from her mane,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Rest assured that I will do more than extinguish your life.” Swordpoint knocked away Speartail’s lance and thrust his own toward Speartail. Speartail deflected it yet again, and the two stepped back.

Speartail gave Swordpoint a murderous grin. “Oh, have I struck a soft spot? You care for her, don’t you? Well perhaps I should delay our little encounter for some fun!” His horn glowed black once more, and the barrier was gone. The ponies watching on gasped. Speartail stared at Rainbow with his twisted grin. “Well, hello, beautiful. You’re mine.”

Swordpoint’s rage exploded. His vision went red and he let out an ear piercing scream. “RAAAIINBOOOOOW!” he screamed.

Speartail, still wearing his insane smirk, quickly cast a magic spell. Rainbow was shocked when she saw that Swordpoint was frozen in place. Her friends beside her had stopped moving as well. She jumped into the air, but Speartail was too quick.

“Now, now, my dear, let’s not be so hasty,” he chided. His horn glowed again, and Rainbow was thrown to the ground. Before she could stand, manacles appeared from the floor and locked around her ankles.

Speartail calmly cantered to where Rainbow lied. Speartail giggled, and Rainbow swore he sounded like an insane child. “Yeeees, this is perfect. How do you like that, Swordpoint?” Speartail turned to face Swordpoint, giving him a smirk. He wheeled back around to look Rainbow in the eyes. “He can see this, you know. They all can. But not one of them can move. I have you to myself, and they will all watch.” He had started to drool, and he licked his lips. “You're going to scream when I kill you. Not quickly, of course. I’ll take my sweet time.” He touched his hoof to her snout and she tried to bite him. He quickly recoiled. “Ha, you’re a feisty one! No matter. You will still be mine."

Rainbow was sweating. She couldn't move, and she knew that the insane unicorn meant to kill her in front of Swordpoint. The fact of the reality just made things worse. "Someone help me!" she screamed.

Speartail laughed his insane laugh once again as he took a small knife from behind his armor. He lowered it to her chest and slowly began to drag it against her skin, leaving a thin red trail as he cut her. When he had reached her side, he quickly jerked the knife away, leaving a larger gash at the end. Rainbow screamed, and Speartail shuddered with what appeared to be ecstasy. "Oh, yes... this is going to be so much FUN!" He lowered the knife to her again, this time training it on her wings. Rainbow's eyes were filled with fear.

The Doctor suddenly sprung to life. He tackled Speartail to the ground and turned his sonic screwdriver on him. A blast of electricity shot from it, immobilizing the crazed unicorn. The Doctor then trained the sonic screwdriver on the manacles holding Rainbow down. They snapped quickly, and she got to her hooves.

“H-how did you—“ Rainbow tried to ask.

“This really isn’t the time, Rainbow! I’ll explain later!” the Doctor shouted. He galloped to the stunned Speartail. “Hm… I can’t say that I have a lot of experience with magic, but I suppose this is worth a try.” He touched the screwdriver to Speartail’s horn. There was a loud crack followed by the sound of galloping hoofsteps. Swordpoint was no longer frozen in place, and he was blinded by rage. When he reached Speartail’s disoriented form, he snarled and drove his lance into Speartail’s chest. Speartail howled in pain, but Swordpoint ignored him. He began to twist and jerk on his lance, tearing open Speartail’s organs. Speartail's screams grew louder each moment, and they began to grow gurgled and muffled as his throat filled with blood. The others looked away from the gruesome sight. Blood gushed wildly from Speartail's chest, but Swordpoint refused to stop. He continued his mad assault until Rainbow grabbed his lance.

“That’s enough!” Rainbow cried. Swordpoint turned his head to face her, and she was shocked by what she saw. His mouth was wide open, his teeth bared. His face was full of hate, but tears were streaming from his eyes.

Swordpoint stared at Rainbow for a moment and felt the rage begin to ebb. He dropped his lance, and it hit the ground with several clanks before settling silently.

Rainbow felt tears reach her eyes as well. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Swordpoint did not reply… instead, he smiled. Exhausted, he collapsed into silence.

Author's Note

At the suggestion of a reader, I removed the attempted rape. Probably better this way, anyhow. Now he just tortures her a little.

Also, I've noticed that double spaces are ignored by FimFiction's parsing system, so PoV changes are now marked with two hyphens (--)

Sorry, but I don't want to change the spacing.