In Youth Eternal - A Dark Secret

by Barbecue Sauce

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Dark
Length: 58242

My first fanfiction I've written. Constructive criticism welcome, but be civil. :)

One may wonder how Princess Celestia retains her apparent youth and beauty. Most ponies don't think twice about it. But a certain purple unicorn may discover a rather… unfavorable secret. What will happen with Twilight when she discovers this dark secret?

This is my first fic. Comments and criticism welcome! Seriously, I won't know what I'm doing wrong unless you people tell me!

This fic now has a prequel!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-04-06 16:31:53 UTC

Chapter 2: Discovery

Chapter 2: Discovery

The lavender unicorn stepped into the Entrance Hall of Canterlot Castle the very next day, followed closely by Spike. The large doors closed behind them. The pair began to walk forward along a majestic red carpet with a golden trim. Light reflected brilliantly off of the marble floor.

Perched at the top of the grand stairs in front of Twilight and Spike was the majestic Princess Celestia herself. She glanced down at the approaching duo.

“I’m glad you could make it, Twilight,” the regal alicorn greeted. Twilight smiled up at her mentor as she approached the stairs.

“Hello, Princess Celestia!" Twilight greeted back, cheerfully. "So, what did you want to discuss with me?” A soft, warm smile passed over Celestia’s features.

“I would like to talk over dinner. There will be a banquet tonight. Meet me in the Dining Hall in three hours,” instructed the Princess. Her eyes then glanced over a little to see Spike standing near Twilight.

“I see you also brought little Spike along as well,” remarked Celestia, as she arched an eye brow.

“Oh... Yeah. I thought it would be okay if he came along,” said Twilight, glancing and at Spike and then back at Celestia. "It is okay right?" Twilight could not help but wince a little, having not actually asked if he could. The mare hated to disappoint her mentor.

A smile returned to the Princess. “Of course it is, my little pony,” she commented. “But for now, I must check on the preparations. I look forward to seeing you later.”

With that said, a flash of light enveloped the regal Princess for a brief moment before vanishing. Princess Celestia was gone.

Twilight turned to face Spike. “I think I’ll go visit the castle library in the meantime. Do you want to come, Spike?” Spike brought his claw up to his chin and pondered for a moment.

“I might as well. There’s not much else to do around here,” the baby dragon replied with a deadpan tone.

“Alright! I haven’t been to the castle library in such a long time. I wonder what they have there right now!” she exclaimed. Books always did get Twilight excited.

With that, the mare practically hopped off to the library, with Spike walking normally in tow.

*     *     *

The large double doors to the castle library creaked open. Twilight, followed by Spike, entered and glanced around at their surroundings. “Looks like they’ve done a bit of remodeling,” observed Spike.

Many shelves of books both new and old stood tall, with various paths running between them. Some stood by themselves. A number of lanterns adequately illuminated the large room where light from the stain glass windows would not reach.

At this time, no pony else was in the library. It was very quiet. Twilight and Spike split up to do their own book searching.

The unicorn trotted around various aisles with a smile on her face, her head swinging back and forth, looking at all books to see what would spark her interest. Luckily, she had brought her new book bag for storage, commenting as she went about her business.

"Hmmm. Star Swirl the Bearded's Autobiography? Own it. X-Ray vision and other Vision Enhancement Spells? Read it. Playmare? No thanks..."

Twilight Sparkle continued on as such for the time being.

Meanwhile, Spike spotted a book about gem stones at the top of one of the book cases. He began to climb to the top, grabbing each shelf and pulling himself higher and higher. The book case rocked back and forth a little bit as he ascended. This made him a bit nervous, but he continued regardless.

Spike smiled upon reaching the peak of the book case, despite it rocking back forth from being unbalanced. The young dragon pulled his book of choice from the shelf. “I can’t wait to r-” he began to say, before being cut off. “Wooaah!!” he yelled. The tall book case started tipping over on the side Spike was on. He quickly became frantic, scared that he might get crushed under the book case.

Fortunately, he would regain his composure in time to jump off as the book case came tumbling down. He may not have been crushed, but he was thrown into a nearby locked door. Spike crashed through the door and into a dark room. Although the door was wrecked and splintered, his scales acted as sort of a natural armor, preventing any serious injury.

Twilight rushed over to find what the source of all the commotion was, only to see a book case had fallen over and a broken down door. Twilight rushed into the dark room that the locked door once protected. She used her magic to illuminate the room. Spike stood up, somewhat dazed, but shook his head to regain his senses.

“Spike! Are you alright!?” the mare asked frantically.

“Yeah. I think so,” said the baby dragon, brushing himself off with his claws.

The room contained many shelves that lined the walls, filled to the brim with scrolls. The names of many ponies labeled different sections of the shelves. At the end of the room stood a small table with a book on top of it. The book was moderately thick. Being the only book in the room, this caught Twilight’s attention.

The two slowly approached the small small table, curious. Twilight leaned in, blew away what dust there was, and squinted her eyes to try and read the title. There was no title, however.

“What do you suppose it is?” asked the baby dragon.

“I don’t know, but I’d like to take a look,” Twilight said, as she used her magic to open the book and began flipping through its pages. Her curiosity only grew upon seeing the mysterious contents of pages.

“What is this?”  she rhetorically asked as she arched an eyebrow. Each page contained a photograph of somepony and Princess Celestia, all of them being unicorns. Twilight was beginning to feel uneasy as each profile listed each pony as deceased, including all of the far more recent ponies who should still be alive and well. Her thoughts raced in her head, even more so upon finding her own page, complete with the photo of her and Celestia. It was taken not long after Twilight began her studies under the Princess.

Her profile was the only one that didn’t say deceased.

“This is just bizarre,” she muttered, frightened. Twilight became a little frantic, trying to think of an explanation. “Why would everypony, including her more recent students, be listed as dead? I can't exactly make sense of that...”

“How should I know?” said Spike, who was equally creeped out. He started to become frantic. “What if... What if they exploded!?” he asserted. Twilight slammed the book shut and regained her thoughts.

“I doubt that’s why, Spike.” she deadpanned, giving him a disappointed look. Simply simply shrugged, with a sheepish grin.

Using her magic, the unicorn slipped the book into her book bag and closed it up tight. “But, we’ll look into this later. I dislike the thought of Princess Celestia hiding something. But for now, we should clean up this mess before somepony finds it,” said Twilight, looking back into the other room with the toppled book case. Spike nodded in agreement.

*     *     *

Three hours had passed.

Twilight and Spike approached the Dining Hall. An earth pony dressed in a chef's uniform was seen exiting the room with an empty cart, presumably having unloaded its contents for the banquet.

“Well, here we are,” said Twilight, pushing the door with her magic.

In the middle of the large room was a fairly large, round wooden table. A banquet was set up there, consisting of anything from tossed salad to baked goods. For Spike, there was a basket of gem stones.

“You may take any spot at the table,” Princess Celestia insisted. The Princess already sat at the far end of the table, opposite of the door. The regal alicorn's horn created an aura to levitate a cup of tea over to her mouth. She momentarily closed her eyes as she took the first sip, savoring the flavor of the dark colored liquid.

Twilight chose a spot near the Princess, but not before sliding her book bag off her back and resting it by the door. Spike decided to sit on the other side of the table from where they were to enjoy his gem stones in peace.

“So, Princess Celestia. What was it that you wanted to talk about?” She asked, nervously. The lavender mare couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness overcome her when spending time like this with the Princess.

Princess Celestia had lowered her tea cup and looked at Twilight. “I simply wish to spend a bit of time with you, Twilight. That’s all,” spoke the sun goddess. Twilight smiled and nodded. The white alicorn continued to speak. “I also wanted to reward you for learning so much about friendship. You make me proud, my faithful student.” Princess Celestia smiled warmly.

“Thank you very much Princess Celestia! This means a lot,” said Twilight as she made a nervous grin. Twilight brought a cup of tea to her with her magic and took a sip, her eyes glancing around.

“Is something wrong, my little pony?” inquired the Princess, arching a brow. Twilight shook her head after lowering her cup.

“Oh, not at all, your Highness. I’m just a bit tired is all,” said Twilight. The princess simply smiled and nodded. An awkward silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Spike’s gem munching. Twilight glanced around nervously again, before looking back up to the Princess.

“So, Princess Celestia. How many personal proteges have you had before?” asked Twilight.

“Oh, I’ve had many over the years. Why do you ask?” responded Celestia. Twilight glanced away for a brief moment before looking back at Celestia. A bead of sweat ran down her face.

“Oh, No reason, really. I was just curious...” she said, smiling sheepsihly.

Celestia arched a brow. “I see,” she replied.

“So, over the years, what’s happened to them?” the unicorn asked. Princess Celestia perked up a bit. Her visage gave the impression Twilight should not have asked that. However, she quickly reverted to her regular warm demeanor.

“Try not to worry about it. They have merely come and gone,” she said, with a warm smile. “I think you are in need of some sleep. Since you are tired, my faithful student, you are welcome to stay the night in one of the guest suites.” Twilight smiled and thanked the Princess.

“Thank you, Princess Celestia. I sure could use some sleep. It’s been a long day!” said Twilight, with a nervous chuckle. Celestia nodded and smiled again.

“Alright. I will make the arrangements,” assured the majestic alicorn. Twilight thanked Celestia again, and smiled. She made her way to the door, passing by spike who was rubbing his stomach in delight.

“Come on, Spike. Let’s go get some shut-eye,” insisted Twilight. Spike turned to Celestia and thanked her before following Twilight towards the door. The lavender mare’s book bag lifted itself off the ground with Twilight’s magic and slung itself around her as she neared the door. The two exited the Dining Hall, ready for a good night’s sleep.

Chapter 3: Conflict

Chapter 3: Conflict

Twilight did nothing but lay there in her bed, restless and unable to sleep. Spike had already fallen asleep at this point at the end of the bed. The lavender mare let out a sigh as she looked at the clock that was mounted on the wall. It was 1:00 in the morning. She couldn’t stop thinking about the book she found, and Princess Celestia’s suspicious reaction when asked about her former students.

Twilight decided that she had been waiting long enough. From out of her book bag came the mysterious book from the locked room in the library, shrouded by the unicorn’s magic. It hovered onto her bed and opened in front of her. Twilight’s horn remained lit to provide light.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Time to take a closer look.”

She flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning them intently. Sure enough, each one of them was deceased. She had not missed anything there. The most recent student before her apparently disappeared and died 2 short years before she began her own studies with Princess Celestia.

The bottom of the page consisted of a short description. Twilight’s eyes widened in shock at what she read.

“Heart removed; procedure successful.”

Twilight began to sweat with fear at this discovery, drops of the salty liquid drizzling down her forehead. She closed the book slowly as to not wake Spike. In fearful confusion, she glanced around a little, thinking, trying to make sense of what that description must have meant.

“Heart removed? Procedure successful?” she asked herself, rhetorically. Twilight felt too uneasy to even hope to sleep now. Such a description was downright disturbing.

“This couldn’t be Princess Celestia’s work, could it?” pondered Twilight, sweating cold sweat. The mare simply could not put her hoof on it. The Princess of the Sun never seemed like the type to murder ponies for whatever reason. However, a determined look crossed her a face. Twilight decided she would investigate a bit more to find the truth.

The door to Twilight’s bed chamber slowly opened, with the young pony poking her head out into the corridor. Twilight peered back and forth. There was not a single sound except for the light crackling of the torches that lit the halls. The mare quietly made her way down the corridor towards the Library.

*     *     *

After walking around for a couple minutes, making various turns throughout the halls, Twilight heard a couple of voices ahead. The unicorn quietly peeked around the corner to see who it was, keeping to the shadows.

It was merely a couple of royal guards chatting with each other about everyday, mundane things. The pair happened to be guarding the door to the library, as it had closed a few hours ago. But, it was nothing Twilight couldn’t get passed without a little a magic. Twilight receded completely back into the corridor.

A purple flash of light promptly engulfed her form. The guards stopped talking once they noticed a flash of light from behind the corner, in the corridor. They glanced back at each other before rushing over to investigate. They turned the corner into the corridor, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.

The guards were nothing but confused. “What could that light have been?” asked one guard, turning to his companion.

“I don’t know,” replied the other with a shrug. “It might have been magic. But who would be up at this hour?”

The two pondered for a moment, failing to have noticed a flash of light appearing out from the under the crack of library door.

She was in. The library wasn’t nearly as well lit as before since most of the lanterns were put out for the night. She quietly stalked through the library, using her magic horn as a flashlight.

Twilight eventually came upon the now repaired locked door. There would be no need to smash it down and make a lot of noise, since Twilight could just teleport inside.

With that, the unicorn once again vanished in a flash. Twilight reappeared inside the locked room. The light from her horn quickly dispelled the darkness. She proceeded to search through the many scrolls in the room.

Scroll after scroll levitated towards her, unrolling themselves at her whim. Their contents were letters to the princess, explaining a lesson learned in friendship. Many of them were the same lessons Twilight had learned. Although, there weren’t as many for most ponies, compared to Twilight Sparkle.

The mare continued to read through scroll after scroll, her eyes moving back and forth. Her thoughts raced in her head. But then, the door behind her clicked, and suddenly flung open, hitting against the wall.

 “Looking for something, my little pony?” a cold, yet familiar voice called out.

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as she began to sweat. Her magic faded, causing the scrolls she was currently looking through to fall onto the cobblestone floor, and the room went dark. It was then that another light source appeared behind her, from where the voice came from. It was golden in color.

The voice she heard behind her sounded all too familiar. Twilight slowly turned around, eyes widened in fear of having been caught snooping. Her heart rate picked up. She could feel each heart beat pounding in her chest.

Twilight's fear-ridden eyes locked on to a majestic figure. It was none other than Princess Celestia, in the flesh. The sleek alicorn took a few steps towards Twilight, looking down at her with a stoic facial expression. Twilight can’t hide her snooping from Celestia any longer.

“Princess Celestia!” she muttered frantically, with fear in her voice. “I... I... um...er...” the lavender mare choked. She could not find the right words to use to explain herself to the Princess.

“You shouldn’t go around snooping in places that are off limits, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. The sound of her voice, like her face, was stoic; cold and without emotion. It was uncanny. That, coupled with the gaze Princess Celestia gave her sent chills down her spine.

Twilight couldn't help but wince a little. Princess Celestia usually gives off a very calm and warm demeanor, but this was different. It was unlike her to appear so cold. Twilight’s thoughts raced again, looking for what to say. She didn’t know what Celestia might do at this point.

The unicorn’s thought processes focused on everything that she found out: The book and deceased descriptions, Celestia’s suspicious reaction at the banquet, and now the highly unusual behavior of the Princess. Twilight didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence added up. Princess Celestia was hiding a dark, sinister secret.

‘I have to get out of here!’  thought Twilight. She began pacing backwards when Celestia started towards her. She was highly imposing. Princess Celestia's gaze seemed to pierce Twilight's soul.

The young mare knew she was in for it deep. ‘Think Twilight, think!’ shouted her inner thoughts, frantically.

“I can’t let you leave here, Twilight Sparkle,” decreed Celestia raising her voice. With that, the two library entrance guards walked out from behind Celestia on both sides of her. Twilight’s eyes widened further. Her breathing became heavier with fear. The guards glared at Twilight.

“Arrest her,” demanded Princess Celestia, coldly. The guards dashed in front of Celestia and cornered Twilight.

“You’re coming with us,” said one of the guards.

As they closed in, Twilight’s horn erupted with magic. She would not go quietly. The guards were engulfed in a purple aura, much to their surprise.  Both of them were quickly transmuted into common house plants. As a follow up, Twilight’s body vanished in a radiant burst of purple light. She reappeared outside the room, back in the main library, and made a run for the door.

Princess Celestia turned to see her young student running away from inside the room. The light given off by Celestia’s horn suddenly flashed brighter. Her guards were restored to normal, no longer in the form of house plants. “After her!” ordered the Princess, noticeably angry.

The guards nodded and chased after Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight almost made it to the library doors when a sudden burst light blinded her. “Ahhh!” she yelped, stumbling back. Twilight rubbed er eyes with her hooves momentarily. The mare then looked up to see Princess Celestia standing before her. Her progress was halted.

Before she could react any further, the guards came up from behind Twilight, slamming into her. The purple unicorn fell to the ground with a thud. Her head struck the hard floor, leaving a bruise.

“No!” yelled Twilight, desperately. The mare hopped up onto all four hooves, facing the guards. Her horn lit up strongly, releasing a quick bolt of magic energy that sent one of the guards flying back.

The other one acted quickly, as to not meet the same fate. He dashed forth before Twilight could release another attack, knocking the purple unicorn square in the jaw with one of his front hooves.

Twilight fell back; her backside hitting the ground. She was in pain. The guard that was knocked back previously returned with a vengeance. The vulnerable Twilight found his hoof slamming into her stomach.

“You little brat!” he yelled, before striking her again in the same place even harder.

Twilight’s eyes closed shut as she yelped in pain, coughing up blood in the process.

Princess Celestia remained unmoved throughout the entire ordeal, merely silently watching.

The purple unicorn opened her eyes to see the intimidating princess looming over her; her cold eyes staring down at her. Twilight was losing hope of escaping her predicament.

"Princess Celestia... Why are you doing this?" she choked as her eyes began swelling with tears.

Her question was met with silence. Princess Celestia's cold eyes only continued to watching Twilight writhe on the floor.

“Princess Celestia... Please... You don’t have to do this...” pleaded Twilight; tears flowing down her cheeks.

It was then that a sinister grin crossed her face as she lowered her head to where Twilight was, whispering something into her ear.

“I know.”

With the sound of a thud, all went dark for Twilight Sparkle.

Chapter 4: Escape

Chapter 4: Escape

Spike awoke with a passing yawn. He sat up; his eyes heavy, still being sleepy after all. The baby dragon's arms stretched out as he stood up on his two feet. Spike glanced over to the other end of the bed where Twilight was. “Hey, Twilight?” he spoke.

Yet, something was amiss.”Twilight?” he spoke once more, trying to get the mare's attention.

Twilight was gone; her blanket lay open exposing the sheets beneath. Spike rubbed his eyes with his fists before looking again. She was still gone. He wondered where Twilight could have gone. He his eyes scanned the room, finding the door to be cracked open. “Hmmm...” he quietly muttered.

Spike lowered himself off the bed and onto the floor. The baby dragon turned and walked towards the door, giving it a shove when he reached it. He poked his head out into the corridor, glancing both ways.

“Twilight?” called Spike, seeing if the lavender unicorn was nearby.

There was no answer.

Spike stepped out into the corridor, the door closing a bit behind him. He pondered which way Twilight went. “Hmmm. If I were Twilight, where would I go?” he asked himself, tapping his chin with his scaly fingers. Then it hit him.

“The library!” he exclaimed with a sudden hop. With that, Spike trotted quickly through the corridors towards the castle library; his foot steps silenced by the red carpeting that ran through the center of the corridors.

*     *     *

A few minutes passed, with Spike taking the same path to the library as Twilight. “Almost there,” he said quietly to himself. “I wonder if she’s up to investigate more about that creepy book...”

Spike nearly turned the corner into the room with the library entrance when he heard somepony talking. He stopped dead in his tracks and hugged the wall for cover. ‘Now who could that be?’ said his inner thoughts. He narrowly peaked around the corner at the library door where the voices came from.

“-And make sure she’s secure in her prison cell,” ordered a cold, firm, and yet feminine voice as the library double doors swung open. The voice sounded all too familiar, and the tone was uncanny.

A royal guard could be seen exiting the library, carrying something on his back. Spike didn’t like what he saw.

It was Twilight Sparkle’s unconscious body. Her face was bruised, as was her torso. Spike saw blood flowing from her mouth. In addition to those injuries, her horn was mysteriously missing.

Spike started to gasp but caught himself; his hands shooting up to cover his mouth. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. ‘Why is Twilight knocked out? Why is she injured!?’ he thought, frantically. ‘And why is she being taken to a prison cell?’ The bizarre twist of events created a strong feeling of apprehension.

‘I’ve got to help her!’ yelled Spike, in his mind, widening his eyes.

The guard opened a door leading to another corridor towards the castle dungeon. It promptly closed behind him. Spike began to step out to make his way to the door the guard entered, until he heard somepony else’s hoofsteps.

Spike froze, nervously, before he could fully stepped out.

From behind the opened double doors, a second guard emerged. Right behind him, a multi-colored flowing mane and long unicorn horn poked out into view. Spike quickly receded into his cover. He instantly recognized who it was stepping out by the mane alone. It was Princess Celestia.

The young dragon’s heart thumped in his chest as his thoughts raced. ‘So Princess Celestia really is behind this!? This is bad... I need to get back to Ponyville!’ he thought. Spike knew that Twilight needed his help right now at this very moment, but the young dragon was certain there was no way he could do so alone under the current circumstances. A tear rolled down his cheek at the thought of losing Twilight.

The libarary doors creaked to a close. A shiver was sent down his spine when Celestia let out a sinister chuckle, breaking him from his thoughts. The baby dragon was very creeped out, hearing the usually warm Princess Celestia give such a chilling laugh.

Spike was officially terrified once he heard two sets of hoofsteps moving closer to his position. He knew he needed to get out of the castle now. They were going come for him now. The baby dragon was sure of it.

Still hidden, he dashed back through the corridors, staying on the carpet that silenced his footsteps. Various twists and turns brought him back to the guest bed chamber where he and Twilight slept. Spike wasn’t sure how far Celestia was behind him, so he knew he needed to act quickly.

Spike quickly grabbed Twilight’s book bag and slung it around his shoulders. He frantically glanced around the room; head turning and eyes shifting, looking for a place to hide. Then the window in particular caught his eye. He dashed over to it, jumping up to grab onto a handle. Spike secured himself with his feet pressed against the wall just below the window. He quickly kicked off, pulling the window open.

He dropped to the floor, only to pull himself up and onto the window sill, grunting a little from the extra weight of the book bag.

The baby dragon looked down. It was a straight drop down the side of the castle and mountain that it rested on. “That’s not going to work...” said Spike to himself, disappointed.

Then something startled him. It was the sound of the door to the room creaking open, slowly. His sweat turned cold as he silently panicked, unsure of what to do. ‘Gotta think of something!’ screamed his inner thoughts.

The door was finally open. A certain majestic white alicorn with a flowing multi-colored mane slowly trotted into the room with a royal guard. They both saw nothing. Spike was gone, along with Twilight’s book bag. The only point of interest was the opened window, with the sound of the wind passing by.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed with a soft grunt. Hoof steps sounded as she approached the open window.

“There’s nopony here, Princess,” said the guard, stating the obvious.

“Yes. It seems that way,” she replied calmly.

Her horn lit up, with an aura closing the window. Her scowl remained as she turned around and made way for the door. Celestia turned her head to look at the guard. “I want you to rally all the castle guards.” she ordered. “Secure all the exits, and contact the troops stationed in and around Canterlot to keep a watchful eye out for a purple baby dragon.”

The guard nodded and replied. “Yes, Princess Celestia.” With that, he sprinted out of the room to the guard’s quarters.

Celestia strolled out of the bed chamber, closing the door behind her with the use of her magic. The princess started for her throne room.

“You won’t slip past me, Spike,” Princess Celestia muttered to herself as her eyes narrowed.

*     *     *

Spike sighed in relief. He was a lucky dragon for one of the bricks of the castle wall to be jutting out. It had allowed him use the book bag strap to dangle from it about a foot below the window sill. Celestia had left, and he was safe for now.

The baby dragon managed to keep his grip as he climbed up to the window sill. The window was closed however, leaving him outside. He reached down and grabbed the book bag, pulling it up to him.

“That was way too close!” he said, with a hint of relief in his voice. He pushed on the window, causing it to swing open into the bed chamber. He hopped down onto the floor. “But now I need a way out.” He pondered for a moment.

Getting passed the guards when the castle is on alert was nigh-impossible. The baby dragon knew that. He glanced back at the now reopened window. The dragon winced. “This is my only escape, isn’t it?” he asked himself, rhetorically.

But then, Spike had an idea. He quickly gathered all of the bedding and put it in a pile on the floor. Wandering over a wardrobe, he opened it. The wooden piece of furniture contained extra sheets and blankets.

He spent the next several minutes tying each piece of bedding together. Spike carefully tightened each knot so it would hold his weight.

With that, the baby dragon climbed onto the window sill. He tied the blanket rope on the out of place brick that held him up once before. Once the knot was secure, he tossed the rest down the side of the castle. It fell quickly; its form almost slithering down the side of the castle and the cliff.

“Get back to Ponyville. Get help. Rescue Twilight,” he muttered to himself, with a serious look about his face. He hopped out the window, facing inwards. Spike simply grabbed the rope and began to climb down carefully. The book bag remained secure, slung around his body.

Only a few minutes passed before Spike reached the bottom of the rope. “Awww man...” he groaned. There was still quite a ways down. Fortunately there was river at the base of the cliff. He looked along the river, following its path. Off in the distance, Spike noticed that it ran close to Ponyville. Unfortunately, he heard the flapping of wings somewhere nearby.

Spike turned his head to the source. It was a royal guard pegasus, patrolling the area. Spike became worried, knowing that he would stick out like a sore hoof against the castle walls, dangling from a rope made of bed sheets and blankets.

The armored pegasus’s eyes caught Spike at the bottom of a long rope, almost immediately. “Hey you!” he yelled, pointing a hoof at the young escapee. The guard charged down towards Spike with great speed. His orders were to capture the baby dragon.

Spike became frantic, knowing that if he did not let go, he would be captured. He looked down one more time at the river below. The baby dragon swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. “Here goes nothing...”

Spike kicked off the side of the wall, letting go of the bed sheets at the same time. The pegasus guard had already closed in too much to react properly and pull away, slamming into the wall with a thud. Fortunately for him, he had a helmet, which kept his skull from breaking.

Screaming escaped Spike’s lips as he plummeted towards the flowing body of water below. He was scared, but he had to do whatever he needed to get back to Ponyville to find help. To rescue Twilight Sparkle. She was like a mother to him.

Spike shifted the book bag so it was below him. That way, the book bag would break his fall, meaning the impact on the water wouldn’t kill him. “So glad Twilight bought a new bag,” he commented to himself. The old one did not seem completely cover the book it carried, meaning it would get ruined otherwise.

Before long, there was a splash. Spike made contact with the water. The strong impact  forced him underwater; the currents carrying him down stream. At least the book would be safe in the new book bag.

*     *     *

The pegasus couldn’t have recovered in time to catch Spike out of the air, much to his chagrin. It would be too difficult to look for him now, especially when it’s dark out. With that, the armored pegasus sped off towards the nearest entrance.

“Princess Celestia will want to hear about this,” he spoke aloud. His flapping wings carried him swiftly through the air to an entrance. Once inside the castle, the royal guard rushed to the Throne Room where Princess Celestia was.

The doors to the Throne Room burst open with the armored pegasus rushing in. “Princess Celestia!” he shouted. “I have something to report.” He was sweating from having made his way to the Throne Room with such haste.

Lowering a cup of tea, she looked towards the guard. “Alright. Let’s here it,” ordered Princess Celestia, her eyes narrowing in anticipation for the following report.

Chapter 5: Hope and Despair

Chapter 5: Hope and Despair

All around her, it was very dark. She could not figure out where she was or how she go there, merely floating weightlessly in an abyss of darkness. All the mare knew was what she could remember. The pain, both physical and emotional, put a strain on the mare. Memories of good times flashed before her at random. Her time with her best friends. Her time spent studying magic under a majestic alicorn. But now the memories of that alicorn were painful. The emotional pain hurt more than any physical pain ever could.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle suddenly regained consciousness. Her head still ached from the violent conflict in the castle library, as did her bruises the guards gave her. She raised her head and looked around, trying to get a good grasp her surroundings.

The room was rather small and dank. A heavy iron door with very a small, barred opening seemed to be the only in and out. An opening in the wall on the other side of the door was also protected by iron bars. A shackle was clamped around one of the lavender unicorn’s hind legs, chained to the wall.

The only object of interest in the prison cell was small mirror, but it was only big enough to see one’s whole face in the reflection. Twilight peered into this mirror and saw the reflection of an injured lavender unicorn; dried blood present on her face, running down from her mouth. Her usually well groomed mane was now unkempt and messy.

The injured unicorn brought a hoof to her face and wiped the dried blood away. Something else was odd about the reflection she saw, however. Her eyes shut and her head shook rapidly, shaking her senses and thoughts properly back to her once and for all. Glancing back into the mirror, the mare saw it.

Her horn was mysteriously missing.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she brushed her mane aside to see her forehead. What she saw replacing her magic horn was a crest of some sort. The crest resembled Princess Celestia’s Cutie Mark down to the last detail. Twilight gasped, concluding her ability to use magic must have been sealed while she was unconscious.

Closing her eyes, Twilight had lowered her head, returning her hoof to the floor. Memories flashed again, regarding the unfortunate encounter in the library where she was attacked and captured. The mare gritted her teeth; tears of sorrow flowing down her visage and dripping onto the floor.

“Why?” she cried, emotionally distraught.. “Why? Why? Why!?” Twilight curled up in a corner of the prison cell, keeping her eyes closed. ‘Why?’ She just wished she could end it all, as the pain of Princess Celestia’s brutal betrayal proved too much for the lavender mare to handle. She figure that she would end up the receiving the same fate as her past students, and for the time being, would be trapped in this dank dungeon for who knows how long.

Memories flashed in her head once more. Memories of Spike. She perked up, remembering how Spike would likely be unattended right now. Twilight Sparkle knew nothing of his fate. Her thoughts expected the worst, considering what cruel twist had just befallen her.

Gritting her teeth for a second time, she asked herself ‘Could Princess Celestia have gotten him too?’ The brutal turn of events and thoughts of what Celestia may have done, or will do, with Spike made her angry, alongside her existing anguish.

Twilight stood up and faced the window. The sun had just barely started to peek over the horizon, letting just a little light into the cell. She moved closer to the window, propping her front hooves on the sill.

“Oh Spike,” she cried, looking out the window as despair loomed over her. A tear rolled down the mare's cheek as she let out a depressed sigh. “Please be safe...”

Those were the last words she uttered before curling back up into a corner, closing her eyes. Twilight Sparkle then drifted off into a saddened state of slumber with only a thin strand of hope.

*     *     *

“I witnessed a baby dragon scaling down the outside of the castle.” reported a pegasus Royal Guard.

The guard had begun his explanation to the Princess about his encounter with the escaping Spike.

“He was using a lot of bed sheets tied to each other as a rope. He was also carrying a book bag of some sort. It looked like there was something in it." the guard explained gesturing with a hoof.

Princess Celestia expression suddenly changed. Her eyes widened while maintaining a scowl. “Why didn’t you capture him?” she inquired harshly, glaring at the guard. The armored pegasus winced a little.

“I-I tired to! But the little rat made a jump for the river below right before I got to him. I didn’t have time to react and hit the wall instead...” he replied, with a nervous looked on his face. He lowered his head a little in shame.

The white alicorn simply closed her eyes while maintaining her disappointed scowl. “I see,” she spoke. It was calm, yet frustrated. Celestia’s eyes reopened, making eye contact with the armored pegasus. “You are dismissed.”

The pegasus nodded, giving a salute. “Ma’am!” he shouted, before turning and exiting the throne room.

Princess Celestia thought a moment. The river Spike fell into runs very close to Ponyville. Only a little bit of forest separated them. If she knew the baby dragon, she knew that was his destination, should he have survived the fall into the river.

“Captain Strong Wing,” she called out, turning her head to make eye contact with the white furred, gold maned stallion. “I want you and your stallions to guard the entrances and perimeter of Ponyville. I also want street and sky patrols. The target is Spike, the baby dragon. If you find him, kill him.” Her voice remained cold.

“Yes, your Highness,” he replied calmly, saluting. He then turned away to run towards the exit.

“Oh, and one more thing,” remarked the majestic alicorn. The Captain stopped and turned around. “About the book bag that Spike has. I want its contents returned to me.”

The Captain nodded in acknowledgement. “Yes, Princess Celestia. I will fill my troops in on all the details,” he said with his gruff voice. With that, he shifted towards the doors and sprinted off the rally his troops for their mission.

*     *     *

“Ugh...” he grumbled as he turned over onto his back. He could feel grass below him as he shifted. The sound of rushing water was prevalent. In fact, he could feel water flowing over his small feet. The air was fresh and cool as it drifted over his face.

Spike opened his eyes, dazed. He was laying at the river bank, having drifted downstream for an unknown amount of time. Staring up at the sky, it was mostly dark, but light crept from one side, implying early sunrise.

The baby dragon sat up and shook his head. “Holy guacomole...” he said to himself. He found that the book bag was still secure around his torso. Spike found the book to be just fine when he checked it. “Good thing this bag covers the whole book,” he commented before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Hi!” shouted a high pitched voice from behind. Spike was startled, reflexively jumping in shock. He turned around to find himself face to face with a certain pink earth pony, who was hopping up and down in place.

“Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here? How did you find me?” he asked the pink party pony. He was confused, but relieved at the same time. A wave of hope washed over him, having been found by a pony he can trust. Although, his heart still sank, knowing there was a long road ahead of him to get Twilight back.

Pinkie smiled. “Weeeell, I was up reeeaaally late baking lots of cupcakes when suddenly my Pinkie Sense went off! It was an ear flop then a tail twitch then jumping spasms! Or was it a tail twitch THEN an ear flop then a jumping spasm?” she asked rhetorically with out missing a beat. As usual, Pinkie Pie spoke with what seemed like the longest run on sentence ever. “...which led me here where I found you! Hey, you wanna-”

Spike quickly placed one of his claws over the pink mare’s mouth to silence her motor mouth. “Pinkie Pie, listen to me. Twilight needs our help!” he told her, with a saddened look in his face. “She’s been captured and imprisoned by Princess Celestia! She’s in SERIOUS trouble!”

Pinkie Pie jumped and gave a large, over-the-top gasp at the news. Even the normally happy-go-lucky party pony, the news made her a bit scared for Twilight. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “We have to tell the others!” The look on her face was very concerned. Even the pink party mare knew this must be serious business.

“How far are we from Ponyville?” inquired the baby dragon.

Pinkie Pie pointed with a hoof. “Over there!” she claimed. Just through the trees, Spike could see parts of humble town of Ponyville. He let out yet another a sigh of relief.

“Okay, good. I hope there’s time to save Twilight,” he spoke, solemnly.

"Yeah! Me too! We get to sneak into the castle and have blast!" she chimed, bouncing up and down.

“Pinkie Pie, I have a feeling Twilight is going to die if we don’t save her in time. She looked beaten up pretty badly...” Pinkie’s mane promptly deflated at the news as she ceased her bouncing. Her visage displayed an expression of sadness at the prospect of losing one of her best friends. Losing a friend was something she never took well.

“Oh No... Then we have to hurry then! Come on!” she said, taking off. Her mane popped back up to usual when serious determination crossed her face. Spike quickly followed, nodding in agreement.

He only hoped that he wouldn’t be too late, but that hope was fragile.

Chapter 6: The Gathering Part 1

Chapter 6: The Gathering

Pinkie Pie and Spike emerged from from the edge of the forest and into a field. Spike gazed across the field to see an apple orchard protected by a wooden fence. “That must be Sweet Apple Acres!” he exclaimed, relieved to find the home of somepony else he can trust.

As the two cut across the field, Pinkie Pie was biting her bottom lip in worry. “Hey, Spike?” she asked, her voice unusually calm for a pony with ADHD. “Why would Princess Celestia do this?”

“I don’t know Pinkie. But I have really good hunch, if this book means anything,” he replied, his voice solemn.

Pinkie Pie perked up with determination. She smiled at Spike. “Awww c’mon! Cheer up! We’ll save Twilight!” she exclaimed, regaining her usual demeanor.

“Ya really think so?” said Spike, looking towards Pinkie Pie.

“I know so!” Pinkie exclaimed, trying to cheer Spike up. Spike smiled back at Pinkie pie.

The duo reached the fence surrounding Sweet Apple Acres. Spike climbed through the horizontal gaps in the fence while Pinkie Pie simply hopped over. They quickly made their way through the orchard, passing many apple trees. Before long, they heard barking.

“S’the matter Winona? Sumthin’ out in the orchard!?” a voice called out from the farm house. A door slam could be heard from off in the distance. The barking quickly became louder.

“That sounded like Applejack,” observed Spike. He and Pinkie Pie continued onwards through the apple trees.

Suddenly, a small form leaped out towards them. It was only Winona. “Winona! What is it?” asked a nearby voice. Applejack finally appeared to Spike and Pinkie Pie. Winona simply started panting in excitement.

“Oh! Howdy, Pinkie Pie! Spike!” said Applejack, greeting her two great friends. She lowered her head to meet Winona, giving the dog a nudge. “S’alright Winona. Ya’ can go back to the house.” The dog barked once in response, and promptly disappeared into the orchard towards the house.

 “So what ya’ll doin’ out here this early?” she inquired.

Spike stepped forward. “It’s Twilight! She’s in danger!” he exclaimed. Applejack expressed concern with her eye brows perking up. “We were staying the night at the Castle. I woke up and found Twilight was gone. So I went to go find her, and saw her being carried off towards the castle dungeon at Celestia's orders. She was beaten up!”

Applejack’s face went from concerned to horrified. “What!? Ya’ll mean ta’ tell me that Princess Celestia had Twi attacked and jailed?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “But, why? That dun’ make any sense.”

Spike opened the book bag to retrieve the book that he and Twilight snatched from the library. “If this book is any indication, Twilight’s gonna die...” answered Spike, as his head lowered in despair.

Applejack couldn’t believe what she was hearing. But she knew Spike wasn’t lying. He would never lie about something like this. And being the element of honesty, she could tell he was sincere. “Well what are we waitin’ fer? Let’s go save her!” exclaimed the blonde and orange earth pony.

“Yeah Spike! We’ll save her!” chimed Pinkie Pie, bouncing into the air.

“Okay. We should gather the everypony else and figure out how,” suggested Spike. A serious look crossed his face. “Applejack, can you go get Fluttershy?” Applejack nodded in response. “And Pinkie Pie. Go find Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie saluted rather comically.

“Okey-Dokey-Lokey!” exclaimed the pink happy-go-lucky pony.

“Alright. I’ll go get Rarity. Meet up back at the Ponyville Library,” said Spike, with determination ever so obvious in his voice. Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded in agreement.

With that, the group split up to search for their friends.

*     *     *

A loud thumping sound startled the mare awake. Her head shot up quickly, looking towards the iron door. The small opening in the door revealed somepony to be standing right outside.

The door slowly opened, letting more light into the room from the hallway. A shadow was cast over Twilight Sparkle's form. The shadow of an alicorn. Her eyes gazed into Twilight’s, imposing a highly malicious intent.

“Twilight Sparkle,” spoke Celestia, calmly. “You’re probably wondering why I had you imprisoned, aren’t you?” questioned the Princess, a mocking tone accompanying her words.

Twilight lowered her head, her eyes displaying anger. She felt betrayed; hurt by the sudden turn of events. She was in utter despair, but intended to defy this evil princess until the end. “You’re damn right I do,” growled Twilight, looking back up to Princess Celestia.

A smirk had ran across Princess Celestia’s visage upon Twilight’s remark. She remained standing in the open doorway. “I’ll tell you, my little pony,” replied Princess Celestia. “I just wish it did not have to come to your imprisonment.”

“What do you mean?” inquired the imprisoned unicorn.

“Do you know about the nature of immortality, Twilight?” she asked. She was rather nonchalant about how she asked Twilight.

Twilight shot Celestia a hard glare, remaining silent.

“Immortality, my little pony, does not come naturally, even to alicorns.” revealed Princess Celestia. Twilight arched a brow, continuing to listen. The mare was admittedly surprised and intrigued. She had always thought that alicorn's had eternal life.

“We alicorns have long lifespans, yes, but they are still limited, just like everypony else’s. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have passed away by now,” she remarked, her face stoic.

Twilight thought for a moment, trying to piece together everything. Alicorns aren’t immortal, but Celestia seems to be anyways. Twilight then recalled the contents of the book; about how everypony in but her and Celestia was dead, with their hearts removed. On top of that, like her,all of them been been a personal student of Princess Celestia.

“Figured it out yet?” asked Princess Celestia, smiling rather mockingly.

“No way...” muttered Twilight. “You... Your students...”

“That’s right, Twilight Sparkle,” said Princess Celestia. “I have killed every single one of my students.”

Twilight’s eyes widened with small gasp, stunned at the revelation as she began to nervously sweat. The liquid expelled from the mare's pours quickly ran cold.

“They were sacrificed using forbidden, arcane magic; an ancient ritual that I discovered long ago.” Celestia continued to gaze into Twilight’s eyes, intimidating the unicorn.

Twilight turned away in despair and anger, her animosity growing for the Princess. She calmed herself however, and turned back to face Princes Celestia.

“Is Princess Luna in on this too?” inquired Twilight, curiously.

“No. I never told her about my discovery,” she replied.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Then, how come she-”

“An unintended side effect from the seal that was placed on her when I banished her to the moon. It stopped her from aging while she was there. But that’s not important,” interrupted Celestia, knowing what Twilight’s predictable question would be.

“What’s important, Twilight Sparkle, is that your sacrifice will sustain my immortality,” divulged Celestia. She let out a sinister chuckle, slowly approaching the imprisoned unicorn. “You see...” Celestia began to say. Twilight backed up into a corner as far as she could, her eyes widening in terror.

“The ritual needs a pony who has been strengthened by the magic of friendship,” spoke Princess Celestia, lowering her head to Twilight’s level, mere inches from the purple mare’s face. “I just wish you didn't go snooping so I could have taken you by surprise.” Princess Celestia brought a front hoof up to Twilight’s chin, raising her head a little, silently mocking her for the moment.

The look in Twilight’s eyes reverted to anger, and spat in Celestia’s face. “You won’t get away with this, Princess Celestia!” insisted Twilight, her voice angry.

Princess Celestia jerked back, wiping the spit off her face with a hoof. Her eyes narrowed has her hoof then moved to the side. Quickly, the hoof struck the side of Twilight’s jaw. She yelped in pain as her head jerked to the side, leaving another bruise. “Stupid mare. I’ve been getting away with it for the past thousand years,” claimed the Princess. The frustration in her voice was noticeable. Twilight sat there, looking back at the princess with a glare.

Celestia quickly changed her demeanor however. She put on an lightly arrogant smirk as her poker face. “I suppose you’re also wondering what I did about Spike,” Celestia speculated. Twilight’s glare diminished to a state of sadness before returning to its former flare of anger.

“YOU LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS!!!” Twilight demanded, shouting full force. The fire in her furious glare only intensified.

Princess Celestia remained unmoved. “He’s dead, Twilight Sparkle,” she claimed, keeping her smirk. “I killed him. Ran him through with my very own horn.” Princess Celestia chuckled with apparent content.

With that, Twilight was broken. He anger vanished, her eyes widened, her mouth hung low. Her face froze like this. The distraught mare’s eyes swelled up with tears, flowing down her face. Twilight could not believe what she was hearing. Absolute despair weighed down onto the mare’s shoulders like an ocean, and all hope vanished.

“No...” she whispered. Shaking her head, tears flying off her face, she continued, “No... No! NO!! NOOO!!!” Twilight couldn’t contain herself any longer. A surge of rage and despair flowed through her body like her own blood. Twilight lost all hope. She cried out, gritting her teeth as her head hung low, tears dripping onto the floor. “How could you do this!?” screamed the unicorn. Celestia did not reply.

Unbeknownst to Twilight Sparkle, however, Princess Celestia was bluffing. She doubted Twilight would find out Spike was actually alive, being confident that she could have the baby dragon hunted down and killed. The Princess relished in Twilight Sparkle’s intensified sorrow. The princess laughed softly, turning towards the door.

“Hmph. Despair while you can, my little pony. Your time is almost up,” she said, looking back at the broken Twilight Sparkle. With that, the door slammed shut, the door’s lock giving a click. The purple unicorn was left to her own devices again, alone in her prison cell, emotionally broken.

*     *     *

The sun was peeking over the horizon more, blanketing Ponyville in its morning light. The light shined through the partially closed drapes into the Carousel Boutique.

“Hmmmm. What else does it need?” questioned a certain white unicorn, looking over a recent design. “Perhaps a few more jewels here,” she suggested to her self, bringing a hoof up to her chin. The white mare was excited about her new client, a fairly well known marketer based in Canterlot. This could be good for Rarity’s business.

Rarity’s horn lit up, magic flowing through it as she trotted over a chest. It opened, revealing a number jewels, gems, and diamonds. “Ah, yes! This one is splendid!” Rarity exclaimed, levitating a diamond out of the chest. She trotted back over to her nearly completed dress, worn by a mannequin.

Without warning, before she could attach the diamond, Rarity heard knock at her door. The white unicorn looked up from what she was doing. “Hm. Now who could that be?” she asked herself, trotting over to the door. Rarity’s horn lit up, causing the door to open.

“Oh! Hello Spike.” she said, seeing the baby dragon on the other side of the doorway. She stepped aside to allow him entrance.

“Hey Rarity!” he exclaimed, his eyes drooping with love for a few a seconds. However, given the situation, Spike snapped out of his brief love trance. ‘Not now Spike! Twilight’s in trouble!’ asserted his inner thoughts. “Hey, uh, listen.”

“Yes? What is it Spike?” Rarity questioned.

He inhaled through his nose, closing his eyes, before letting out. “I need your help to save Twilight! She’s in serious danger!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.

“Whahaha!?” gasped the white unicorn in surprise, her visage expressing great concern. “What ever do you mean?”

“Follow me to the library. I’ll explain there. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are gathering the others,” he quickly explained. “We gotta hurry!” He made a run for the door, signaling Rarity to follow him.

Rarity couldn’t stand by idly knowing that her great friend Twilight Sparkle was in grave danger. She nodded in acknowledgement to Spike, promptly follow the baby dragon out the door. She used her magic to close and lock it once they were outside.

With that, the duo quickly made their way to the Ponyville library to meet up with the others.

*     *     *

“So, does everypony remember the mission objective?” inquired a gruff voice, touching down on the ground in the Ponyville city limits. The Captain of the Royal Guard had just arrived in Ponyville with his troops, ready to commence with their mission. Along with them were carriages with supplies and tents.

“Sir, yes sir!” shouted Royal Guard soldiers in unison.

“That’s what I like to hear!” he yelled in reply. “Now move out! I want the buildings searched thoroughly!”

Various squads of earth, pegasus, and unicorn stallions, equipped with their brilliant golden armor, split up. The entrances were carefully guarded, with sky and street patrols being conducted to search for the baby dragon fugitive. The Captain personally visited the mayor in her office to explain the situation.

A knock sounded at Mayor Mare’s door. “Come in!” she chimed. The door opened, with Captain Strong Wing entering the mayor’s office. “Ah! Captain Strong Wing! What may I do for you?” she asked.

“Miss Mayor, we have a situation. A fugitive has escaped and is hiding here in Ponyville. Our mission is to find and arrest him. Princess’s orders.” explained the Captain, his face stoic.

“Who is the fugitive?” Mayor Mare inquired, tilting her head a little.

The Captain unrolled a small wanted poster of Spike, revealing it to the Mayor. Miss Mayor raised her brow in surprise.

“Spike? But he always seemed like such a good baby dragon. What in Equestria made him a wanted criminal?” asked the Mayor.

“We have reason to believe he is responsible for the disappearance of element bearer Twilight Sparkle,” replied Strong Wing. He fed the mayor the cop out explanation, something everypony was going to hear in an attempt to rally support from civilians,

“Oh dear...” she muttered. A look of disappointment crossed the Mayor’s face. “Well, old friend, I wish you good luck on your search.” Miss Major briefly shook hooves with the Captain. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

“Your cooperation is appreciated,” he said. “But we have this under control.”

The Mayor nodded. Captain Strong Wing turned to the door and exited the Mayor’s office to personally assist his troops in the search for Spike.

*     *     *

Approaching the Ponyville Library, Spike and Rarity spotted several armored pegasi flying in the distance above the town. “Oh no! It looks like Princess Celestia has sent out troops, probably to find me!” shouted Spike, becoming frantic at the situation.

“It will be alright, Spike. We just need to meet the others and we’ll sort out this whole mess,” reassured Rarity, smiling at Spike. “Let us go into the library for now.” Spike nodded in agreement.

Spike and Rarity reached the door to the library. As the baby dragon reached for the door knob, he heard sounds coming from the other side, but he couldn’t make out what they were. Spike and Rarity glanced at each other before directing their focus back on the door. He promptly pushed the door open and stepped inside, with the white unicorn in tow.

The two Royal Guards who were searching library looked up towards the door, distracted from their searching. There, they saw the baby dragon in question, looking back them.

Spike’s eyes widened, taking a step back, having just been spotted by the guards. He could only say one thing.

“Uh oh...”

Chapter 8: The Reveal

Chapter 8: The Reveal

“Captain Strong Wing,” said the a female royal guard communications officer, entering the makeshift base of operations on the outskirts of Ponyville where they initially touched down.

The Captain looked up from what paper work he had. “Yes? What is it Scarlet Mane?” replied the gruff, experienced Captain.

“White Nimbus and his assigned partner have failed to report in,” she announced. “They were last seen entering the Ponyville Library.”

Captain Strong Wing narrowed his eyes in thought. “He always was the type to get into trouble. Too boastful and arrogant for an average fighter,” he commented, with little emotion in his assessment of his missing soldiers. Captain Strong Wing, from his experiences, was a rather genre savvy individual. Although White Nimbus was arrogant and bit of a trouble maker, he was at least consistent with reporting in.

“Orders, Captain?” the communications officer asked.

“Regardless, I will gather a few troops and investigate the library personally,” he said calmly. “I have a feeling that the both of them are no longer with us.”

Scarlet winced a little. “Are you sure, Captain?” she asked.

Strong Wing gave a nod. “In my experience, when soldiers who are normally consistent with reporting in fail to do so, especially in a town like this one,” said the Captain, a serious look appearing on his visage. “Well, I think you know where I’m going with this.”

“Yes sir.” she replied.

“Will there be anything further?” the Captain asked.

“No sir,” said Scarlet.

“Alright. You are dismissed,” he ordered. Scarlet promptly left the military tent to resume her usual duties. The Captain followed in tow to gather a few troops who were still at the camp to investigate the library. Strong Wing was determined to find out what had happened to them.

*     *     *

Spike was finishing up his account of the events that have recently transpired, from their visit to Canterlot, to finding the book, to his witnessing of Twilight’s capture, his escape, his return to Ponyville, and the fight in library.

“-And that was when you showed up and saved us, Rainbow Dash,” he finished explaining. The book was laid out on the table, open for the five ponies to see for themselves. Fluttershy began tearing up with worry at the whole mess. She held her face with her hooves, barely able to cope with Twilight’s predicament. Applejack placed a hoof on her to try and calm her.

“So what are we waiting for!? Let’s get this party started!” exclaimed a hyper active pink mare.

“Now hold on, dear. We don’t have plan. It would be suicide to just charge in like a group of brutes!” argued Rarity.

Rainbow Dash had an idea. “Hey! We should go find the Elements of Harmony!” exclaimed the cyan mare, ready for action.

“But Celestia keeps em’ locked up with some mighty strong magic. How’re we supposed ta’ get to ‘em?” interjected the blond earth pony, raising a valid point.

“We have no choice,” said Spike. “There’s noooo way we could beat Princess Celestia and her guards without them.” Spike closed the book, seeing no reason for it be open anymore now that everypony had seen its contents.

“Oh! Oh! I have an idea! I have an idea” claimed Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down in place.

“Drum roll please! Pinkie Pie has an idea, everypony.” Rainbow Dash snarked, sarcastically.

Pinkie Pie shot her a glare momentarily before continuing. “Aaaanyways. Maybe we could get help from Princess Luna!” suggested the hyper pink mare, smiling.

“Hmm. Well as far as I know she isn’t working with Princess Celestia,” Spike pointed out. “I guess that’s our best bet.” Spike grabbed a quill and scroll. “I’ll send a letter to Princess Luna and ask her to meet up with us.”

“But, um... What if she doesn’t listen to us?” said Fluttershy, softly.

“That’s a chance we’ll have to take. We have no other choice,” Spike replied as he started to write his letter.

‘Dear Princess Luna,

You have no doubt heard about Twilight Sparkle’s disappearance from Princess Celestia, and how I, Spike, am responsible. But please hear me out. I am holed up in the Ponyville Library with the other element wielders, but I don’t know how much longer we can stay here. I have proof that Celestia is hiding something sinister. Please hear us out. We need your help.

Twilight’s loyal assistant,

Spike’

Spike rolled the scroll up and torched it with his emerald green flames. The flames whirled around for a moment before vanishing. However, instead of the usual recipient, the letter was on its way to Luna instead.

“What do we do for now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“We’ll just have to wait and see if-” Spike began to say. He and the ponies suddenly heard a number of loud hoof steps storming into the main library. The group quietly crept up the stairs and listened through the door that led into he main room. To be safe, Spike quietly locked the door.

“Jeez, this place is a wreck,” a voice commented, regarding the state of the library interior.

“No kidding. It’s like a tornado swept through here,” replied another.

“I found blood!” a third voice sounded.

“You did? Any idea who it belongs too?” asked a fourth.

A fifth voice silenced them. “Enough chit chat. I want this whole place searched top to bottom for clues,” ordered a gruff sounding stallion.

The previous four voices replied in unison. “Yes sir!”

The sound of voices and hoof steps continued as they spread out. Two guards disappeared upstairs while three remained in the main room wandering around. One set of hoof steps drew near the door. Spike’s and Mane 5’s eyes widened as he drew near. The door shook a little.

“Captain! This door is locked,” shouted a voice from just on the other side of the door. They silently began to sweat, nervous at the possibility of being discovered.

“Break it down if you have to,” the gruff voice commanded. With that, Spike and the Mane 5 quietly pressed themselves against the door to prevent entry.

“Captain!” a voice sounded as two sets of hoof steps rushed down the stairs from the second floor. “We found White Nimbus and his partner, Yellow Bolt.”

“And?” the Captain inquired.

“They’re dead. Both of them,” he replied solemnly.

“Hmph. I thought as much,” said Captain Strong Wing. “I should have sent more troops with them. Maybe their deaths could have been prevented. It seems we’re dealing with a dangerous target.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile to herself, recalling how she swiftly defeated the two guards.

“We also found hoof prints,” one of the guards pointed out.

The Captain’s eyes narrowed. “So our target may have accomplices?” he asked.

The guard nodded in response. “It appears that way.”

“Well, for now, let us resume our investigation. The last place to check is behind that locked door,” spoke the Captain as hoof steps drew closer to it. “Alright. Break it down,” he ordered.

A power thud sounded, but the door did not budge. A second vain follow up attempt to break the door failed just as easily. “What the hell is with this door?” questioned one of the guards. He attempted one more time to buck it down, but once again failed. “Damn thing won’t budge.”

“Stand aside,” ordered the gruff Captain. “Let me try.”

Spike and the Mane 5 continued to press up against the door to hold them off in hopes that they will go away. However, the next attempt the buck the door in was much stronger. Spike and Fluttershy were knocked back. Fluttershy caught herself, but Spike fell down the stairs, creating an audible thumping. The sound created a silent panic among the group.

“Did you hear thumping?” asked one of the guards.

“Yes,” replied the Captain. “Something was just on the other side of this door,” he inferred. Strong Wing bucked the door again. The door caved in somewhat. It was pushed back a bit, breaking on its hinges. And yet, it seemed to pop back in place thanks to the efforts of the ponies. They became more nervous.

“Uh. Did you see that? The door just popped back into place,” observed one of the guards.

“Then that settles it. Somepony is still on the other side of the door trying to hold us back,” said Strong Wing.

By this time, Spike had gotten back up and brushed himself off. He was bruised a little from his fall down the stairs. The Mane 5 knew their presence was known now, as did Spike having still managed to hear the Captain’s observation.

Captain Strong wing glanced at two of his troops, nodding towards the door. They nodded their heads in response, turning around to buck the door with him. With that, one final attempt was made. This time, the door shattered with the group hiding behind the door all being knocked down the stairs.

Rainbow Dash managed to catch herself in the air, gritting her teeth. The first one through the door was the Captain. He took note of the pegasus floating before him, and the rest of the mane 5 that had fallen down the stairs. He arched a brow when he saw Spike was with them.

“I see you were hiding our target from us,” Captain Strong Wing said, firmly. “You will be charged with treason for housing a fugitive.”

The rest of the Mane 5 managed to get back up on their hooves. Rainbow Dash confronted the Captain. “Oh yeah?” she said. “I’m not scared of you! I’ll take you on just like I did that other pegasus! Mano a mano!” Floating upright, she put her hooves up and threw several warm up jabs.

“I see. You must be the one who killed White Nimbus and his partner,” stated Strong Wing. He observed how Rainbow Dash didn’t have so much as a scratch on her.

“Yep. Got the drop on the unicorn, then took the other one head on,” gloated Rainbow Dash. She smiled arrogantly as she narrowed her eyes in anticipation. "He was easy!"

“Hmph. White Nimbus was an average fighter at best. Too hot headed in combat for somepony of his level,” claimed the Captain. “I, however, am a whole different game from him.” The Captain scuffed the floor, narrowing his eyes. Rainbow Dash glared at him.

“All of you. You’re under arrest,” he told the group. “Make it easy on yourselves and go quietly.”

“Not so fast!” Rainbow Dash shouted, pointing a hoof at the Captain.

“So, you still wish to defy me? So be it,” said Captain Strong Wing. “You leave me no choice but to show you your place. Follow me.” The Captain turned around and receded into the main room. “If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get.”

Applejack facehoofed. “C’mon sugarcube. Ya can’t  be serious!”

“Don’t worry Applejack. I got this!” retorted Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash glided into the main room with rest of the group in tow. The guards scattered around the edge of the room. Once he was at a good enough distance, the Captain turned to face the defiant Rainbow Dash. Spike and rest of the group stood around by the door to the basement.

The cyan pegasus, narrowing her eyes, scuffed the ground several times. Both pegasi spread their wings to allow them to balance on their hind legs. “Go Rainbow Dash!” shouted a certain bouncing pink earth pony.

“Here I come,” warned Captain Strong Wing. His wings began to flap as he kicked off with his hind legs, charging straight for Rainbow Dash. His blazing speed caught Rainbow Dash off guard, considering the cyan pegasus is thought to be the fastest pegasus in Equestria.

Barely reacting in time, her eyes widened, as she leapt backwards, taking flight into the air. The Captain followed. Rainbow Dash made a valiant attempt to get the first hit however. She attacked with a number of jabs in rapid succession to overwhelm him. Each strike was blocked or parried by the Captain, however. He threw in a surprise kick to the stomach, sending Rainbow Dash hurdling backwards.

She winced in pain before catching herself to avoid smashing into a book case. Already the Captain was following up with another assault. He attempted to overwhelm the cyan pegasus with a combination of fast punches and kicks. “Ah!” yelped Rainbow Dash in surprise.

She had to focus her hardest to avoid taking more hits. The previous kick was quite strong. Her hooves were moving everywhere, blocking her opponents attacks. The pegasus was sweating with nervousness. ‘This guy is fierce!’ she thought. But she could not falter.

The cyan pegasus suddenly dropped below Strong Wing. She kicked up with her back hooves, her hooves connecting with the Captains lower jaw. He was knocked upwards, grunting from the fierce blow she gave him.

‘This one is tougher than I expected. It is no wonder she beat White Nimbus so easily, even if he wasn’t anything special,’Captain Strong Wing thought to himself after recovering. However, Rainbow Dash attempted to use his own strategy against by promptly following up with another assault in an attempt to overwhelm him.

Her wings flapped rapidly, allowing the cyan pegasus to close the short distance within the blink of an eye. Such is expected of somepony with her speed. One of Rainbow Dash’s front hooves shot up in an uppercut, landing another hit on the Captain’s lower jaw.

Strong Wing would remain composed however. He immediately counter attacked by throwing a hook, driving his hoof into the side of cyan pegasus’ head. He quickly followed up with a kick to the side of her rib cage, finishing with smashing Rainbow Dash downwards with both front hooves.

She yelped in pain as she was sent spiraling into the floor. The wooden floor cracked on impact. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and growled, now covered in bruises and bleeding from the mouth.

Captain Strong Wing flew straight down with front legs extended, going for the knock out. Rainbow Dash suddenly shot him a grin however, which surprised him.

She sprung up from her current position, leaping out of the way. The Captain’s hooves only connected with the floor as Rainbow Dash, now on all fours, bucked him full force. She struck his rib cage and sent the Captain flying into a book case. Despite this, no bones cracked.

The others all watched in aw at the intense fighting. RD’s friends were most impressed by her fighting ability, while the guards were shocked at how there was somepony as tough as he is. And that she’s a mare.

Rainbow Dash jerked her head back in surprise as the Captain rose to his hooves in moments to face her again. ‘Man he’s tough!’ she thought.

“You know, it’s a shame you are digging your own grave. You would have made a fine soldier in the Equestrian Royal Guard,” admitted Strong Wing.

Staring one another down, the two opponents made for a final charge. This was cut short when a burst of dark blue light erupted between them, causing both pegasi to stumble backwards.

Princess Luna stood between them. Both Rainbow Dash, Captain Strong Wing, and everypony else gave a bow to Equestria’s co-ruler.

“Enough of this!” said Luna. “Captain, I order you to stand down.”

Strong Wing was dumbfounded. “Princess Luna,” he began. “If I may ask, what are you doing here?”

“That is none of your concern,” she replied, looking him in the eye. “Now stand down,” she firmly ordered.

“With all due respect, Princess Luna, I take orders from Princess Celestia,” he remarked. Luna was visibly frustrated.

“Captain. These ponies claim to have evidence that my sister is hiding something sinister,” she pointed out. “I suggest you hear them out.”

Strong Wing closed his eyes, tilting his head down a little. “I already know,” he claimed, reopening his eyes. Princess Luna was shocked to hear this.

“Then why do you continue to pursue the innocent baby dragon?” she inquired, angered by the Captain.

“Because Princess Celestia ordered it. I will remain loyal to her until the end,” he said to defend his point of view, raising his voice a little. He kept a serious visage about him.

Princess Luna’s horn started to glow. A powerful dark blue light erupted from the tip, creating a blinding flash. When the light faded, Captain Strong Wing and his troops were unconscious. Luna turned towards Spike. “I wasn’t about to have him interfere,” she stated. “Plus, what he said. About how he already knows about what my sister is hiding.”

Spike nodded. “I’ll get the book and let you see for yourself,” said the baby dragon. He darted downstairs to retrieve the book.

“We’re so glad you could make it!” exclaimed Rarity.

“It was mighty nice.” Applejack remarked, with a smile. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

Spike emerged from the basement doorway with the titleless book. “Here it is,” he said. Spike set the book down on the central table, which miraculously managed to avoid having been hit during all the commotion. He promptly opened it.

“Okay Princess Luna,” Spike said. “I’ll start from the beginning.”

With that, Spike proceeded to tell Luna the same recount he told his friends, showing her the book.

And she was shocked, to say the least.

Chapter 9: Rescue Part 1

Chapter 9: Rescue

Author’s Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I just ran into a bit of a writer’s block. I wasn’t sure how I wanted the pacing, and what specific events will happen and how, without this chapter turning out as a heaping pile of crap. To be honest, I’m still not completely satisfied, but it’s all I got.

*     *     *

Princess Luna scanned the pages of the book as Spike explained the situation, recalling the events that have transpired. Her eyes were wide, observing how consistently even Princess Celestia’s recent students were all dead. The caption about heart removal didn’t help things very much.

“-And then that’s when you arrived and stopped the fighting.” Spike finished.

Princess Luna was at a loss for words, trying to process the situation; The Captain’s acknowledgment of a dark and sinister secret, Spike’s story, the profiles in the book. She could only come to one conclusion, although she didn’t want to believe it. She closed her eyes and frowned in sorrow.

“I can’t believe my own sister would do such a thing,” she muttered, the sorrow in her voice audible. Spike and the Mane 5 looked on, frowning at their saddened Princess. “I don’t want to believe that my sister would have such a sinister secret, and yet everything points that...”

Silence filled the room as Luna thought to herself for a moment. Opening her eyes, Luna turned her head and looked Spike in the eyes. “Spike, I wish to assist you in rescuing our friend,” she said. “But it won’t be easy. My sister is the more powerful out of the two of us.”

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in place. “But with all of us working together we’ll win for sure!” she claimed with an optimistic tone. Pinkie Pie gave a smile, creating a distinctive squee. Luna smiled and nodded in response.

“Princess Luna, do you think you can help us retrieve the Elements of Harmony?” asked Rarity. “Princess Celestia keeps them sealed up these days.”

She glanced over at Rarity. “Of course I can.” she said in response. “If I try hard enough, I might be able to break the seal where she keeps the elements. The gap in our power isn’t that huge.”

Sighs of relief filled the room.

“So, what do we do about them?” asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the unconscious Captain Strong Wing and his troops.

“They are under a sleep spell. We won’t have to worry about them for hours,” replied Luna, smiling. Everypony in the room smiled with relief, although Rainbow Dash was a little disappointed she didn’t get to finish her fight with the Captain.

“So um... I was just wondering, but,” Fluttershy started, looking timid as usual. “Should we save Twilight first, or get the Elements first?” she finished.

Princess Luna arched a brow, thinking about this. “Well, I’m not sure. On one hoof, we acquire the Elements of Harmony. But then again, it’s possible that Twilight may be hauled off to her death while that happens,” she speculated. “I think we should play it safe and rescue Twilight first.”

Nopony in the room objected, seeing that they should rescue their friend first.  With Princess Luna on their side, confidence built up in everypony.

“But, how in the hay are we supposed ta’ get in to the castle?” questioned Applejack. Her concern was reasonable.

“A good question, fair Applejack,” said Princess Luna. “It is likely my sister has set up an anti-teleportation barrier around the castle for extra security, otherwise I could just teleport us directly into the dungeon,” Princess Luna was uncertain of the best way to sneak them into Canterlot Castle. However, after a few moments of thinking, an idea struck.

“Ah ha!’ she exclaimed. “I have developed a plan!”. Spike and the Mane 5 looked around at one another, pondering what her idea was.

“Oh darling, I hope whatever you have come up with will work,” Rarity said. She looked at Princess Luna with uncertainty.

“I’m quite sure,” she replied, nodding. “So, here is how my plan will work...” Luna began to explain, unraveling her newly formed plan. The ponies and Spike simply looked at her, listening and nodding in acknowledgment.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle laid there on the cold brick floor, head hung as low as it could be in depression, her eyes closed from being tired. Her mane was frizzled and unkempt. She was starving. She hadn’t eaten anything since the banquet, and it was currently afternoon of the day after.

The lavender unicorn was also in suspense, not knowing exactly when Princess Celestia would haul her off to who knows where to perform the arcane ritual. In her current state of despair, Twilight would rather it come sooner, to free her from her pain.

It was then that a sound made the mare perk up; her eyes opening as she raises her head. Hoof steps echoed in the prison corridor. Twilight’s thoughts raced in her head, wondering if that was Princess Celestia coming to haul her off to her death for the sake of maintaining Princess Celestia’s immortality.

The mare peered up at the door, gazing through the small opening. Not to her surprise, she noticed a long, flowing, multi-colored mane pass and stop in front of the door. Twilight recognized the mane instantly.

A loud metallic click echoed moments before the door opened. Princess Celestia stood at the door way, gazing down at Twilight Sparkle with a calm, yet sinister smirk.

“I’m happy to announce, my little pony, that the preparations are nearly complete,” she said, in a rather mocking tone. “You may expect to be sacrificed within the the hour.”

Twilight glared at Princess Celestia, saying absolutely nothing. Anger and despair overflowed in the mare’s heart. Knowing what Princess Celestia had been doing for so long, coupled with her betrayal, topped with boasting about killing Spike, Twilight Sparkle was nothing but livid with Princess Celestia.

“Silent treatment?” inquired Celestia. “So be it. I just wanted to inform you that you’ll contribute to my immortality within the hour.” With that, Celestia stepped back completely into the corridor, closing the door with her magic. A metallic click sounded again, signifying the door was being locked. Celestia vanished in a flash of light, returning to her throne room.

Twilight cursed Princess Celestia in her thoughts. She desperately wanted to bring her to justice, but there was nothing she could do about it. With her hopes crushed, all she could do was wait for her to be sacrificed.

*     *     *

A dark blue flash of light encased a small area on the road leading to the castle. The main entrance to Canterlot Castle was in view beyond the gate to the courtyard. Although it would be easier to teleport directly inside, and into the dungeon, it was as Luna suspected. She was unable to teleport directly inside due to an unseen barrier that prevented such methods, forcing her to appear outside instead.

Princess Luna entered through the gate, followed by her cohorts, with no objection from the two guards stationed there. They promptly headed to the main entrance directly ahead, with the group chained and shackled together in tow. Other guards in the area noticed this, keeping an eye on the apparent prisoners. After several seconds of walking, they reached the main doors.

“Princess Luna,” began one of the guards. “Who are these ponies?” he inquired, looking over the group before noticing Spike. “Ah, I see.”

“Yes, that is correct. I have personally captured the baby dragon, and those that sheltered him,” she stated with a serious look on her face. “I want them escorted to the dungeons until we decide their final fate,” ordered Princess Luna.

The guard nodded before opening the large double doors that led into the Entrance Hall. Several guards approached the shackled group, awaiting orders. The door guard gave the command. “Take this group of criminals to the dungeon.” The 4 guards nodded before escorting Spike and the Mane 5 towards the dungeon, with their heads hung low.

“Thank you very much Princess Luna,” the guard said, bowing. “I shall go inform Princess Celestia.” He began to trot off before being stopped.

“That is quite alright. I have something to discuss with my sister anyways, so I can save you the trouble and inform her myself when I go see her,” she asserted, smiling warmly. “Now return to your post.” The guard simply nodded in response and returned to the outside to guard the main entrance. Princess Luna promptly vanished in a flash of dark blue light. Now being inside the barrier, she could freely teleport anywhere inside the castle.

Meanwhile, Spike and the Mane 5 were escorted single file down various stairs and corridors to the lower dungeons. Four guards escorted the group, two on each side of the group.

They came upon a set of heavy iron double doors. The door guard opened it for them, allowing for passage into the prison corridors. “Keep moving!” one of the guards ordered. The group didn’t react much, except Fluttershy, who winced in fear. They continued on through corridors.

The guards led them to a right turn in the corridors. However, there was an obstacle. Princess Luna stood tall in the middle of the corridor, smirking. “Princess Luna?” one of the guards said. The group and the guards stopped in their tracks.

Princess Luna’s horn lit up with a dark blue light. The light intensified to a blinding flare. Moments passed before it subsided, revealing the guards to be unconscious. Spike and the Mane 5 smiled at Luna.

“And now, to do something about those shackles.” Luna said confidently. Her horn gave off light again, creating an aura which blanketed over the shackles. They promptly vanished into thin air, having previously been magically conjured by the dark blue alicorn.

“Thanks Luna!” said Spike, smiling.

“So, what happens when they wake up? Won’t they know that you’re involved with a jail break?” questioned Rainbow Dash.

Princess Luna let out a chuckle. “Not to worry Rainbow Dash,” she replied. “I coupled the Sleep Spell with a memory wipe. They will have no memory of my involvement. Same thing with the Captain and his men back in Ponyville.”

Sighs of relief filled the area. It would make things difficult if their strongest and most convenient ally were discovered to be involved.

Spike made eye contact with Princess Luna, his green eyes hopeful. “Where’s Twilight!?” he asked, excited that they are on the brink of rescuing their friend.

“Follow me. I have already located Twilight Sparkle,” the dark blue alicorn replied, smiling warmly. She turned around and galloped down the corridor. Spike and the Mane 5 quickly followed behind.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle had laid her head down, waiting for her demise. Half an hour had passed since Princess Celestia’s last visit. She knew her time grew gravely short. Then it hit her.

Twilight quickly raised her head at what sounded like several sets of quick hoofsteps. She winced with a mix of anger and despair. “This is it, isn’t it...” she muttered quietly to herself.

The sets of hoofsteps came to a stop in front of her cell. A loud metallic click rang out, with the door creeping open. Twilight closed her eyes and lowered her head in anticipation, as her time seemed to be up.

“Twilight!” a familiar voice shouted. Twilight’s head jerked up as her eyes opened. She gazed at the open door. What the lavender unicorn saw was not a group of guards to haul her away to her death, but rather a familiar group of friends.

Twilight Sparkle was at a loss for words. Her mouth hung open as tears began flowing down her cheeks. But these tears were different; they were of happiness, not despair.

Only one word could escape her mouth. “Spike...”

“Twilight!” he yelled again, running up to the imprisoned mare. He jumped onto her, hugging her with all his might.

“Oh Spike!!!” she yelled, her mouth turning to a smile as she closed her eyes, returning the baby dragon’s embrace with all her heart and soul. Princess Luna and the Mane 5 could only watch with tears of their own swelling up at the heartwarming reunion. Pinkie Pie however was comically crying out loud, with her tears erupting from her eyes like a fountain.

With that, the Mane 5 gathered around Twilight Sparkle and embraced their friend. They had found Twilight Sparkle. After several heartwarming seconds, they released their group hug.

“Oh Spike. I thought you were dead!” exclaimed Twilight, putting her hooves on his shoulders.

“I’m not, Twilight. I’m right here, with our friends,” he replied, smiling. The two embraced once more.

Pinkie Pie began hopping up and down in place. “Hey! You know what this calls for!? A PAR-” she shouted before Applejack brought a hoof up to her mouth.

“Hold it Pinkie Pie. We ain’t outta this here mess quite yet,” said Applejack. Pinkie stopped hopping up and down and gave a small frown. “C’mon sugarcube. We can have a party once we get outta here!” Pinkie gave a happy smile in response.

Twilight turned Princess Luna with a smile. Luna was smiling back. “Princess Luna! I’m glad to see you too!”

“Likewise, Twilight Sparkle,” she responded. “Here, let me do something about those shackles.” Princess Luna trotted over to Twilight and lowered her head. The tip of her horn drew close to the shackle and suddenly gave off light at the tip. The shackle around Twilight’s hoof broke off, freeing the young mare.

After raising her head, Princess Luna noticed Twilight’s horn was missing. Her lowered again, pointing her horn at Twilight’s forehead. A quick burst of magic came from the tip of Princess Luna’s horn. The crest that resembled Princess Celestia’s Cutie Mark promptly faded.

The lavender unicorn’s forehead suddenly burst with light. Everypony in the room winced away from the bright light. It faded after several seconds, revealing Twilight Sparkle’s unicorn horn. The lavender mare smiled with happiness to have her magic unsealed.

“Thank you, Princess Luna,” she said, giving a bow. Luna smiled warmly in response.

“You are quite welcome, Twilight Sparkle,” she said in respnse. “Now, we must go retrieve the Elements of Harmony to put a stop to my sister,” suggested Luna.

The Mane 6 and Spike all nodded simultaneously in agreement. A serious look crossed their faces, even Pinkie Pie’s. With that, Princess Luna’s horn suddenly gave off light before a flash enveloped everypony in the room. They had all but vanished in a flash

*     *     *

A dark blue light erupted in the middle of the long chamber that led to the room containing the Elements of Harmony. The light quickly subsided, with the Mane 6, Spike, and Princess Luna standing where the light once was. “Here we are,” said Luna. Everypony looked around the chamber. Strangely, it was empty. Rarity noticed something was off.

“Does this room seem a bit different than the last time we were here?” asked Rarity, looking around the chamber.

The stain glass windows were, for an unknown reason, secured with strong iron bars. The door that led out of the chamber was also secured with iron bars.

“You’re right. What’s with the bars?” asked Rainbow Dash as she flapped her wings and floated around the room, observing the bars.

“I’m not sure,” replied Princess Luna, shaking her head with uncertainty. “But for now, lets just retrieve the Elements of Harmony.” Luna trotted over to the sealed door that protected the Elements of Harmony. She promptly inserted her horn into the slot.

Spike and the Mane 6 watched as magic began to flow from Luna’s horn into the door. She gritted her teeth and concentrated as the intensity of the flow increased. “Almost... there!” exclaimed the dark blue alicorn.

She slid her horn out of the slot as the sealed doors began to slide open. Princess Luna backed up and waited for the doors to completely open as the rest simply continued to watch.

Within moments, the doors were finally open. The Mane 6 smiled and looked at one another with confidence before they all darted into the small room that contained the Elements of Harmony.

The first to reach the chest containing the Elements was Rainbow Dash. Without waiting any longer, she opened the chest to retrieve the Elements.

The chest was empty.

Rainbow Dash gasped, dumbfounded. The rest of the Mane 6 was equally surprised.

Without warning, a dark blue aura formed around Twilight Sparkle and promptly pulled her into the previous chamber with Princess Luna, followed by the doors sliding back into place. Spike and the Mane 6, except for Twilight, were trapped inside the small chamber.

“What in tarnation!?” exclaimed Applejack. The sound of her voice was muffled from behind the door.

Princess Luna let out a sinister chuckle, keeping Twilight suspended in the air. The lavender unicorn became frantic and confused.

“Princess Luna!? What’s going on?” she asked frantically.

Luna simply closed her eyes and smirked. “You may come out now, sister.”

A radiant light suddenly appeared several meters away from Princess Luna. As quickly as it came, it vanished, revealing Princess Celestia in its place.

Twilight’s eyes widened with fear as her jaw dropped. “W-What!?” she exclaimed, fear and confusion being audible in her voice.

Princess Celestia smirked. “Excellent work, Luna,” she praised.

“Just as planned.”

Chapter 10: Rescue Part 2

Chapter 10: Rescue Part 2

Just as planned.

These words struck the lavender unicorn hard. They echoed in her head as she looked at Princess Celestia, dumbfounded and fearful. Her eyes were wide, her mouth wide open in surprise.

“But... But...” she could barely manage to speak, still in shock at the recent twist. She glanced back and forth between Princess Celestia and Luna, frantically. “Princess Luna... we thought we could trust you!”

Princess Luna simply smirked, silently mocking Twilight Sparkle. Twilight then looked back over at Princess Celestia.

“And Celestia. You said she wasn’t involved with this!” yelled Twilight.

Princess Celestia’s horn lit up, creating an aura around Twilight, which forced Luna’s aura away. The unicorn was pulled by Celestia’s magic through the air, stopping her inches away from Celestia’s face.

“I lied.” she said with a smile.

Twilight Sparkle simply could not believe it. She had been betrayed by not one, but both Princesses. Her eyes shut as she gritted her teeth, trying to hold back her anger to remain calm.

“I swear it, Princesses. You won’t get away with this!” shouted Twilight. Princess Luna and Celestia looked at each other before breaking out into laughter.

“Face it, Twilight Sparkle. We have basically already won. You have lost!” asserted Princess Luna. Twilight shot Luna a hard glare.

“Now...” Celestia began, turning using her telekinesis to force Twilight to turn around in mid air, forcing her eyes open. She was forced to look at the sealed door where her friends were trapped. “Let us see how your friends are doing.”

At regular intervals, a thud sounded from the other side. “Nothin’s workin’!” shouted a certain southern accent.  Princess Luna’s horn created an eerie light that shined on door and the surrounding wall. It acted as sort of an X-ray, allowing Twilight and the Princesses to see into the room where her friends were.

Applejack could be seen attempting to kick the door down, but to no avail. It was too strong. Rainbow Dash was hovering around the room to look for any other viable escape options. Spike and Rarity were attempting to comfort a frightened Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie was being Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash looked up to see numerous holes in the ceiling. They were close together and littered the ceiling. “Hey! What’s with these holes?” asked Rainbow Dash’s muffled voice. Although Twilight could see through the walls due to Luna’s magic, they were still there, causing sounds to remain muffled.

Twilight suddenly gasped as her eyes widened with fear. Spikes suddenly shot out, protruding from the holes in the ceiling. With that, the ceiling began to descend.

Twilight began to panic, but was forced to watch. “Isn’t it lovely?” asked Princess Celestia.

“Haha! We rigged that chamber to act as death trap,” said Princess Luna, excited.

Spike and the ponies trapped in the small chamber screamed in unison as they watched the ceiling creep ever so closer to the ground. Pinkie Pie and Rarity panicked while Fluttershy broke down into tears. Applejack was frantically trying to kick the door down as Rainbow Dash placed her hooves on the ceiling between spikes, leaning her head back so she wouldn’t be impaled. The cyan pegasus was attempting to hold back the ceiling, but she couldn't slow it down.

Princess Celestia brought her mouth to Twilight’s ear. “See that, my little pony?” she said with a disturbingly calm and warm voice. “You and your friends have lost. Now watch them perish.”

She couldn’t move. Twilight Sparkle’s visage was frozen with despair and fear. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she watched her friends vain attempts to escape their death trap.

Only one word could escape her lips. “No...”

“Oh, I think yes,” taunted Princess Celestia, with Princess Luna snickering at her sister's little joke.

Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. The spiked ceiling was more than halfway to the ground. Spike and the Mane 5 looked on in fear at the descending death trap.

“No!” yelled Twilight, trying to shake free from Celestia’s magic hold. She gritted her teeth rather violently.

“Do not bother, Twilight Sparkle. My magic field is also actively suppressing yours,” Celestia gloated, her eyes narrowing. She sounded very serious and cold.

“NOOO!!!” screamed the lavender unicorn. She began struggling harder, thrashing around violently, wanting to save her friends. The spiked ceiling was almost upon them.

Memories flashed through her head like a strobe light. Twilight recalled the best times she had with her best, closest friends. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks like rivers.

The muffled screams of Spike and the Mane 5 sounded suddenly, as the group could do nothing but watch as the death trap crept dangerously close to them.

Then it happened. Twilight Sparkle let out a final skyward scream as an explosion of purple magic erupted from her entire body. Celestia’s aura was blown away, with Luna’s X-Ray-esque spell being interrupted. Their eyes were wide with shock as they stumbled backwards from the force of explosive aura that encased Twilight.

Magic continued erupting from Twilight’s whole body, creating an strong, outward gust of wind at the same time. Inside the fierce and bright aura, Twilight’s eyes were glowing as her mouth hung open, as if she were in a trance.

Quickly recovering, the princesses attempted to use their power to subdue the unicorn, launching a beam of magic from their horns, but to no avail. Bolts of purple magic struck back against the regal sisters, stunning them on contact. Neither Celestia nor Luna were prepared for this sudden powerful outburst of power.

Suddenly, the mass of purple magic containing Twilight charged at the doorway, leaving a purple trail behind it in the air. Any dust on the floor was kicked up as her brilliant form zoomed a mere couple feet above.

The furious mass of magic easily smashed through the door. The ceiling was already lowered to normal pony’s head level, with Spike and Mane 5 hugging the ground tightly for dear life. Twilight’s magic-amped form cleaved through the thick low ceiling without much resistance, stopping in the dead center of the room. The spiked ceiling was forced to a stop before it began to recede upwards from the force of Twilight’s erupting magic.

With that, a final burst of light engulfed everypony in the small chamber. The spiked ceiling was forced back into its default position, the mechanism to lower it now broken.

 Princess Luna and Celestia regained themselves, dashing up to the broken down door way. Their eyes were frantically scanning the room.

They were gone.

Princess Celestia gritted her teeth, furious at the outcome of things. Princess Luna,  on the other hoof, was even more visibly frustrated as she stomped her hooves on the floor several times, breaking the tiles her hooves connected with into pieces.

“Argh! Twilight Sparkle got away! Where did she get all that power!?” shouted Luna in her anger. She was breathing heavily, her eyes narrowed with anger.

“I do not know, sister. But I do know that we will have to send more troops to look for her!” asserted Princess Celestia. Her eyes narrowed further.

“Twilight Sparkle will not escape her fate,” she said, slowly inhaling. A moment passed before the while alicorn exhaled calmly.

“I will make sure of that.”

*     *     *

Spike grunted as his eyes slowly crept open. Having been laying on his back, he sat up and shook his head to regain himself properly. He glanced up to see the canopy of a forest looming above him. Moments later, his gaze shifted around him, spotting a number of familiar mares. The baby dragon promptly raised himself to his feet. Mere seconds passed before the other mares began to awaken, with one exception.

Twilight Sparkle remained unconscious, while the other mares regained their thoughts and senses.

“What in tarnation? Where are we?” asked Applejack, glancing around at her new surroundings. She was still a bit light headed, attempting to shake it off.

“It looks like we’re in the Everfree Forest,” replied Spike as he walked over to Twilight.

The Mane 5 gathered around with Spike, observing the unconscious lavender unicorn. “Hey... Twilight?” said Applejack, giving her body a nudge with one of her hooves.

No response.

Pinkie Pie placed her hooves one Twilight’s shoulders and began to shake her. “Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!” she said, raising her voice. Applejack put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder moments later. Her face was solemn.

“No more, Pinkie Pie. It don’t look like she’s gonna wake up...” the orange earth pony said. Her voice was heavy with concern.

Fluttershy put an ear up to Twilight’s chest. She sighed in relief once she heard the beating of the lavender unicorn’s heart. Fluttershy raised her head back and looked around at her friends. “Um, well, her heart is still beating, at least,” she claimed, her voice still timid and soft.

Everypony unanimously let out a sigh of relief. At least Twilight Sparkle was still alive. However, concern still lingered in their thoughts, as she wasn’t waking up. Even the happy-go-lucky Pinkie Pie couldn’t bring herself to smile and laugh at this point. Her normally fluffy mane promptly deflated.

“Well, what do we do now!?” asked Rainbow Dash, firmly. “We’re like, wanted fugitives now!” She threw her hooves into the air before crossing them, as the sentence escaped her mouth, clearly frustrated by the recent turn of events.

“Ah don’t know, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, her heart heavy.

“Chances are, we will have all of Equestria against us. No doubt the princesses will work on smearing our image and hunting us down,” Rarity speculated. Indeed, it would be the sort of thing the princesses would do. The solemn look in everypony’s eyes indicated no objections to her assertion.

The group could see gaps in the canopy, seeing a cloudy sky. Judging by the lighting, evening was upon them. The sound of thunder boomed high above them, to which drops of water began to fall from the clouds. The canopy of the Everfree Forest kept most of the rain at bay, save for the gaps. Rain poured through unimpeded in those spots.

“Come on, guys,” said Spike, with a calm but serious tone. “We should look for Zecora. Maybe she has something that can help Twilight.” The group nodded in agreement. Fortunately, they weren’t terribly far from Zecora’s hut.

Applejack lowered her head by Twilight’s unconscious body, nudging her up and letting her slide down onto her back. “Well, ah reckon we better get goin’,” suggested the orange earth pony.

With that, Spike and the Mane 5, with Applejack carrying Twilight, began to make their way to Zecora’s hut in hopes that she can help Twilight awaken.

*     *     *

Captain Strong Wing and his troops awoke in the Ponyville Library, dazed from Princess Luna’s sleep spell. A glance outside showed that it was raining, and that evening had come.

The captain grunted a little, still having not fully recovered from some of the blows Rainbow Dash had given him. He shook his head a few times. “Hmph. Just what in Equestria is Princess Luna thinking?” he said out loud. The troops weren’t really listening as they were just regaining their senses.

The Captain waited a few moments for his troops to be ready. Once they were, he would give instructions.

“Alright. There does not appear to be much we can do for now. We will return to base for now,” he ordered. The Captain made his way for the still broken down doorway before stopping again. He turned to face his troops. “Ah, and be sure to retrieve White Nimbus’ and Yellow Bolt’s corpses.”

The guards saluted and shouted “Yes sir!” before rushing over to retrieve the corpses from upstairs. The Captain hastily exited the Ponyville Library, eager to return to base. He knew his troops knew how to find their way back without him. Fortunately for him, it didn’t hurt very much to fly despite some of the hard hits he took from Rainbow Dash.

*     *     *

Captain Strong Wing had returned to the make shift base near the outskirts of Ponyville after a several minute flight. Normally he could have gotten there faster, however he was cautious to strain himself after that rough encounter with the cyan pegasus. The troops that accompanied him had yet to return.

Scarlet, the communications officer greeted. “Welcome back Captain, sir!” she said, giving him a firm salute.

“At ease, Scarlet,” he ordered.

“Sir... are you injured?” inquired his communications officer.

“A little, yes. But I don’t think anything is broken,” he replied, calmly. His body was still bruised though. The communications officer nodded. “However,” he continued, “I will go to the infirmary just in case.” Strong Wing was an experienced stallion. He knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

The Captain began to make his way to the infirmary tent, followed by Scarlet. “Also, Captain...” she began to say, as they walked. “We have received new orders from Princess Celestia. I have the scroll right here,” she said, as the scroll levitated in front of the Captain in a scarlet-colored aura.

“I see. I will be sure to read it carefully after my check-up,” he responded, somehow grabbing it with one of his hooves. “Is that all, Scarlet?”

“Yes, sir,” she said.

“Alright. You are dismissed,” Strong Wing muttered. Scarlet promptly saluted before returning to her duties again.

Chapter 11: Recovery

Chapter 11: Recovery

“Hmmmm. I see. You have every right to worry,” said a certain zebra living in the Everfree Forest, in response to the explanation of everything so far, given by Spike and the Mane 5. Zecora put a certain emphasis on the ‘y’ in ‘worry’ to keep up her rhyming speech pattern. Their eyes solemn, they nodded in agreement with Zecora’s statement.

Spike stepped forward towards the zebra. “So, Zecora. Can you help her? Can you help her wake up?” he asked. He looked up at her with hopeful eyes that were on the brink of tears.

Zecora smiled warmly, with a chuckle passing her lips, looking down at the baby dragon. “Do not fear little Spike. To help Twilight Sparkle, I would like,” she said. Applejack laid Twilight on Zecora’s bed for her to be examined.

The zebra had taken a few minutes examine Twilight. Fortunately, it did not take her long to come to a conclusion. Zecora turned to Spike and the Mane 5, whom had looked on, awaiting her answer.

“Okay, Twilight Sparkle will be. Merely unconscious from severe exhaustion and stress, you see,” she told them, with a warm smile and nod. Zecora had come to this conclusion based off her examination and the explanation about Twilight’s little magic outburst earlier. Spike and the Mane 5 were relieved to hear it at least wasn’t life threatening.

“Is there anythin’ you can give ‘er?” Applejack asked, gesturing with hoof. “Ya know, somethin’ to give ‘er strength back!”

Zecora turned to her cauldron in the middle of the room with a smile. “Yes, I know of a potion that will do just the trick! But, I need one more ingredient to give it that extra kick.” Zecora explained, still maintaining her rhyming speech pattern.

“What do you need? We’ll help you get it.” Rainbow Dash offered. She was eager to help Twilight regain her strength and consciousness. The tone of her voice made that glaringly clear.

“Oh, do not worry, Rainbow Dash. It is not far. I will return in flash,” Zecora claimed. She was content with getting it her self, and as she said, the ingredient was not far from her hut. With that, Zecora promptly exited her hut, shutting the door behind her.

At this time, Spike and the Mane 5 could only wait for Zecora to return with the needed ingredient.

*     *     *

Fifteen minutes passed by uneventfully. Most of them spent the time looking around at Zecora’s various herbs and books out of curiosity, and Pinkie Pie was still being Pinkie Pie.

At last, somepony began to speak up. “So, um... Zecora has been gone for a while,” spoke Fluttershy’s soft voice. They all turned to Fluttershy with listening ears. “Do you think, maybe, we should go find her?”

“You’re right, Fluttershy. We outta go find ‘er,” Applejack replied.

“Are you sure? I mean, it is filthy out there” Rarity pointed out, giving a sheepish grin. Spike and the others looked at her, unamused scowls present on their facial features. “Well, maybe she will be back really soon?” she continued, nervously. Rarity was worried about getting herself unnecessarily dirty.

“Well we don’t ALL have to go! Right!?” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, who had recently regained her usual optimistic, bubbly demeanor. “I mean, some of us could stay here and watch Twilight and have some of us go and look for Zecora!” She began to bounce up and down in place, making some sort of distinctive springing sound.

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Ah’ll go n’ look fer Zecora.” asserted the orange earth pony, taking initiative.

“I’ll go too,” volunteered a certain cyan pegasus. “I got your back just incase anything goes wrong!” Applejack smiled confidently and nodded at Rainbow Dash, who quickly responded with a nod of her own, smirking arrogantly.

“Then it’s settled. Me n’ Rainbow Dash will look fer Zecora. Ya’ll stay here n’ look after Twilight,” Applejack ordered. With that said, she darted through the door way to go outside, followed by Rainbow Dash who glided through the air using her wings. Fluttershy closed the door behind them.

Once outside, the duo looked around. “So, which way you think she went?” Rainbow Dash asked. Having been living in the forest for a while, Zecora was experienced with leaving as few tracks as possible to avoid viscous creatures from finding them, which could lead them to her.

“Ah dunno, sugarcube,” Applejack responded.

“Hmmm,” muttered the cyan pegasus under her breath. Her wings flapped more as she raised her altitude. She kept fairly low to the canopy, quietly gliding around in the surrounding. It was then that she heard something.

Off in the distance, it sounded like somepony, or rather, a group, was chattering. Rainbow Dash took note of the direction and promptly returned to the forest floor where Applejack was.

“I thought I heard somepony talking from over there,” claimed the pegasus, pointing a hoof to the north of their current position.

Applejack nodded. “Alright, ah guess that’s our best lead!” she responded. The two mares took off in the direction Rainbow Dash pointed them, passing many trees and bushes along the way.

It wasn’t long before they came across the location. Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided to keep a low profile, hiding in the surrounding bushes. The duo peaked over them to see who they had hoped. It was indeed Zecora, but she was not alone. The duo spotted a pair of pegasi, adorned with golden armor. They were likely interrogating their zebra friend.

“Royal guards? Out here?” whispered Applejack, turning to Rainbow Dash.

“They must have started making sweeps of the forest, probably looking for us,” answered the cyan pegasus with a whisper of her own. Applejack gulped with concern.

“Think we should get rid of those guards?” asked the cyan pegasus.

“Ah dunno, maybe-” she began, cutting off her sentence as soon as she saw of the guards strike Zecora, yelling something at her at the same time. Zecora was visibly afraid, and a bruise was left where she was struck. The other armored pegasus facehoofed at his comrade’s unnecessary violence.

The two onlookers gasped at the same time. Rainbow Dash became noticeably angry. ‘How dare they hurt Zecora like that!” shouted Rainbow Dash’s inner thoughts. ‘If I get the drop on them I should be able to take them right out no problem!’

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and took off straight for the pair of royal guards from out of the bushes. Leave’s from the bushes trailed out from Rainbow Dash’s sudden charge. Fortunately for her, the guards happened to mostly be facing away from her location. Meanwhile, Applejack quietly took off after the cyan pegasus to back her up, just in case something went wrong.

Rainbow Dash’s strong wings flapped furiously, accelerating her body as fast as they could. Within moments of initially taking off, both front legs outstretched, Rainbow Dash collided with the royal guard who had attacked Zecora, at a high velocity. She had nailed him right in ribcage while his guard was down. The royal guard’s bones shattered, causing severe internal bleeding.

The armored pegasus was knocked to the ground, only able to cough up blood as he writhed in serious pain. His comrade went wide eyed at the sudden attack, only to turn his eyes to anger, gritting his teeth. He  made an attempt to attack Rainbow Dash, who just set herself on the ground in front of him, only to find a pair of orange back hooves bucking him in the side of the head.

Applejack’s years of apple bucking on the farm made her legs a force to be reckoned with. The armored pegasus was knocked unconscious, denting his helmet inward.

Zecora was taken by surprise, but quickly calmed down upon recognizing her saviors. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, ” she stated. The zebra had not yet collected her final ingredient, having been stopped and interrogated by the those royal guards.

“Ah, it was nothin’,” Applejack said modestly, smiling at Zecora. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof started gloating. Applejack quickly got her to stop however, reminding Rainbow Dash of the importance that they help Twilight.

“Anywho, ya’ll right, Zecora?” said the orange, blond-maned farmer, concerned with the zebra’s well being.

A smile passed Zecora’s lips. “Although I am unarmed,” she began, clearly unarmed for self defense, “I am unharmed.”

“Well, that’s good!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Anyway, so did you get the ingredient yet?”

The zebra shook her head. “Not yet, my friend. But my search is nearly at an end,” she replied, pointing a hoof to patch of exotic flowers that rested a small distance away. Zecora had just reached the location of her ingredient when she was found by the guards.

“We outta stick with ya ‘till ya get back,” suggested Applejack, with Rainbow Dash nodding in agreement. “Just in case ya run in ta’ anymore trouble,” she continued, smiling.

Zecora returned her smile and nodded, before all three went to gather the potion’s final ingredient.

*     *     *

He awoke several minutes later from a dark abyss of nothingness, dazed. He grunted as he stood up, balancing himself on his hooves. He quickly shook himself to his senses. The pegasus glanced around at his surroundings for moment. Nopony seemed to be there. In truth, it did not take long for Zecora, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash to collect the ingredient and move on.

He then noticed that his helmet fit him differently, as it felt out of place on his head. Removing it, he noticed that it was heavily dented on the side.

“Oh, right,” he said to himself. The armored pegasus, named Cloud Runner, began to recall how somepony had flanked him, knocking him out when he tried to engage the cyan, rainbow-maned pegasus in combat. He slipped his helmet back on anyways. Then he remembered something else. “Oh crap!” he shouted, glancing over at his fallen comrade’s location.

He was dead. Blood stained all around his mouth from all the blood the poor pegasus was coughing up until he passed away. Cloud Runner recalled the sudden attack the random cyan pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane had launched, crushing his comrade’s rib cage with a high speed attack while his guard was down. The shattered ribs had lacerated his internal organs, proving fatal in minutes.

“The Captain will definitely want to hear about this,” he said aloud solemnly, despite nopony but himself being there to here it. Giving one last look at the corpse of his fallen comrade, his wings lifted him into the air and above the Everfree Forest canopy.

Without wasting time, he quickly took off towards the makeshift base to report the incident to Captain Strong Wing.

*     *     *

Captain Strong Wing sat in his personal tent, finishing carefully reading through the scroll that Princess Celestia had sent him. He rolled it back up, setting it on his makeshift desk, having no further use for it. He began to think to himself about the situation.

‘Hm. Who would have thought Princess Luna was involved with thattoo,’ spoke his inner thoughts as stared off into space, his face calm. ‘Would have been nice to know a little earlier though.’ He stood up and briefly stretched his legs. The Captain (somehow) grabbed his helmet with his hooves and slipped it over his head, letting it fit nice and snug.

The Captain made his way to the entrance of his tent to give the order for Scarlet to send out the messages to order the troops back to base. However, he was stopped by a sudden sound. It sounded like rushing wind, followed by a thud. It sound like several hoof steps that sounded simultaneously. He opened the entrance to his tent to find an armored pegasus with a dented helmet standing before him.

“Sir!” the guard shouted, giving a salute.

“Ah. Cloud Runner. I see you have returned early. Where is Tempest?” inquired Strong Wing, arching a brow.

“That’s just it, sir,” replied Cloud Runner, his voice solemn. “We were ambushed. Cloud Runner was killed by some cyan colored pegasus with a rainbow mane.”

Captain Strong Wing’s eyes narrowed, recalling a run in with a certain pegasus pony of that description. “Go on,” he insisted, wanting the armored pegasus to continue his report.

“Tempest’s guard was down while we were interrogating a local, and she crashed into him at high speeds from out of nowhere! It shattered his ribcage...” continued Cloud Runner, his voice slightly frantic now, but still mostly maintaining a calm demeanor. “And before I could engage her, somepony else flanked me and knocked me out.”

Captain Strong Wing shut his eyes. “I see...”

“I will deal with this soon,” said the Captain, his eyes reopening. “For now, get some rest. I’m sending out an order to bring the troops back here. Then, I will fill you all in on the new developments.” Cloud Runner gave a nod in response and saluted before heading off to get a bit of rest.

Captain Strong Wing stepped out of his tent and tracked down Scarlet, who was predictably found in the communications tent.

“Scarlet.” said the Captain. The scarlet-colored unicorn was briefly startled, turning around to find the Captain had entered the tent. She dropped the scrolls she was handling at the moment.

“Sir!” she shouted, saluting.

“At ease, Scarlet,” Strong Wing said calmly, nodding his head.

Scarlet nodded back before using her magic to pick up the scrolls she dropped. The Captain waited patiently for her to finish organizing them. Once she was, she turned to him. “So, what is it, Captain Strong Wing?” the unicorn asked.

“Send out a message to all the troops that are still out patrolling to return to base,” he commanded with his gruff voice. “We have some new developments.”

*     *     *

Zecora was stirring the crimson liquid that sat in her cauldron, gripping a large wooden spoon of sorts in her mouth. A low fire below the large metal pot kept its contents warm. It was almost ready, as the zebra had already mixed the flower roots in with the strange elixir. The aroma of the crimson red liquid was similar that of a cherry.

Spike and the Mane 5 stood around patiently, keeping themselves busy with idle chatter or twiddling their hooves. As usual, Pinkie Pie was still being Pinkie Pie.

After a minute or two further, the zebra pulled the large wooden spoon out of the potion-filled cauldron. She tapped it on the edge of the large black metal container to remove any of the potion that remained on the spoon.

A glass vile was resting on a stool next to the cauldron. With it, was a ladle. Zecora picked up the ladle with her teeth and carefully scooped up some of the crimson red liquid. The zebra slowly brought it to the glass vile, and tipped the ladle, allowing the strange elixir to flow into the glass. Afterwards, she set the ladle down.

“So, is it ready?” a certain baby dragon asked with hopeful eyes. Spike was eager to see Twilight back to her old self as soon as possible.

The zebra replied with a simple warm smile and nod. Zecora tilted her head and gripped the glass vile containing the potion. She carefully brought it over to the unconscious lavender unicorn. Spike followed her over to Twilight, holding the mare’s mouth open to be able to receive the warm vitality potion.

The glass vile hung over Twilight’s mouth, gripped by Zecora. The zebra carefully tilted her head in the other direction, allowing the the crimson liquid contents to flow out of the container and into the mouth of Twilight Sparkle.

Chapter 12: Hunted

Chapter 12: Hunted

Captain Strong Wing had already informed his troops about the new developments, explaining how the fugitive Spike and his cohorts were still at large. He ordered his troops take no prisoners, and to kill on sight. The Captain left the camp with a group of guards, one of them being Cloud Runner. Cloud Runner took point, leading to the location of the ambush.

“So, Captain,” Cloud Runner started, glancing back at his leader who followed in tow towards their destination. “You said you’ve encountered this blue pegasus before?” He arched a brow.

“Indeed I have,” replied Captain Strong Wing. “I tangled with a pegasus of the exact description you gave a little while ago.” He narrowed his eyes. Deep down, he wished he could have finished his fight with Rainbow Dash. Although Princess Luna interfered to lure then Mane 5 and the baby dragon into a trap, it failed, and he had fully intended on finishing the cyan, rainbow-maned pegasus in that final charge.

“How strong is she?” he asked, curious about the pegasus who survived a direct confrontation with the Captain. Rainbow Dash was indeed a world class athlete.

“Too strong for you to handle alone. That is why I am seeing this through personally,” he said in response to Cloud Runner’s question. “Anyways,” he continued. “I find it likely that where we find her, we will also find her cohorts.”

“Heh. Sure makes our job easier,” remarked Cloud Runner, letting out a small chuckle as they arrived at their destination. Cloud Runner came to a stop in mid air. Like a chain reaction, Captain Strong Wing and the rest of the troops that accompanied them came to a halt as well.

The grass rustled softly beneath their hooves as they lowered themselves to the ground. It was cold and damp, if a little a muddy. The flight had only lasted several minutes. It was darker now; the evening sky looming overhead as it slowly passed on. The fully dark, star filled night sky was only a couple hours away.

Their wings folded back up, pressing against their bodies, having no further use for now upon touching down. The group of armored pegasi arrived at the scene of the ambush on Cloud Runner and Tempest.

“Right here. This is where it happened,” claimed Cloud Runner, pointing a hoof in the direction of Tempest’s dead body. It was still there, unmoved and untouched by the local wildlife. It made things easier than to have to search for a missing corpse.

Captain Strong Wing calmly approached the corpse of the pegasus. Lowering his head to inspect the body, he could tell that Tempest’s final moments were that of excruciating physical pain. He turned to a pair of guards and ordered them to take the body back to the base.

“-And rest of you will remain here. We’re hunting down the perpetrators,” the Captain ordered, giving a sweeping glance at his troops. They all returned the Captain’s orders with a salute.

With that, a pair of the guards retrieved the corpse of Tempest and took flight, returning to their makeshift base. As this happened, the Captain instructed his men to split up and search the area in pairs.

Four guards remained with the Captain now, one of them being Cloud Runner. Captain Strong Wing carefully investigated the surroundings around where the body of Tempest once rested. He took note of a number of hoof steps that led away into another part of the forest.

To his observation, there appeared to be two sets of tracks. One set was a lot less noticeable than the other. Cloud Runner and the other guards also took notice, only after the Captain had.

Captain Strong Wing turned to troops, his eyes narrowed. “I suspect this will lead us to the fugitives,” he claimed, his voice gruff as ever. “Let’s move!” the armored pegasus in command ordered, darting off into the forest, following the tracks indented into the damp ground.

*     *     *

The deed had been done, and now, they waited in anticipation.

Twilight Sparkle had been fed the crimson red vitality potion, brewed by Zecora. The zebra had made it clear to the friends of Twilight that the potion would take just a little while to kick in and restore Twilight to her former self.

“I can’t wait for Twilight to wake up! I’ll have to throw her a super-duper ‘You got better’ party!” exclaimed a certain bouncing pink earth pony, her eyes closed and smiling with excitement. Rainbow Dash facehoofed, given that now isn’t the best of times to be throwing parties.

“Listen sugarcube, ah know yer’ happy n’ all that Twilight’s gonna be okay. We all are!” said Applejack, giving a sheepish grin. “But now ain’t the best time.”

Pinkie Pie slumped a little and frowned, disappointed. Fluttershy trotted over put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder and smiled warmly, attempting to comfort her party loving friend.

“It’s okay, Pinkie. We can always have a party once this whole ordeal is over,” she spoke softly. She was always a very motherly pony.

Pinkie Pie perked up and nodded, giving a Fluttershy a chipper smile.

“So how much longer is this gonna take?” asked Rainbow Dash, leaning against a wall as she crossing her front legs as if they were arms. The tone of her voice indicated her patience was growing thin. Then she threw her hooves into the air. “It’s been like, 15 minutes!”

“Patience, my friend. I assure your wait is almost at an end,” replied the zebra. Indeed, the potion would take a little while to kick in, as it needed to be processed in Twilight’s body like any other medicine. Rainbow Dash remained leaned against the wall as a sigh passed her lips.

“Well, I’m just worried that we’ll be found before Twilight can wake up! That’s all,” asserted the cyan pegasus, recrossing her forelegs. “If they sent out scouts to search the forest, there’s no telling when they’ll find this place... Not that I couldn’t take them or anything.” she said sheepishly, yet with a hint gloating.

“We’re just gonna hafta wait, Rainbow Dash,” remarked Applejack. The earth pony trotted over to impatient pegasus and placed a hoof on her shoulder as reassurance. “Ah’m sure Twi will wake up any minute now.”

Rainbow Dash made eye contact with Applejack and lowered her head with a sigh. “Alright alright...” she replied. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie simply listened to the conversation. They knew Rainbow Dash was getting restless and nervous about the guards, and how they had made their way into searching the Everfree Forest.

It was then that heard the voice of a mare groan. Everypony in the room suddenly shifted their eyes to the source of the sound, curious as to who it was.

Twilight Sparkle was shifting around in the bed a little as she gave off another groan. Smiles began forming on everypony’s visage, thrilled to see that the potion was finally taking affect, and giving Twilight Sparkle her strength and consciousness back. They all gathered around Twilight as she awakened.

The lavender unicorn’s eyes slowly crept open as she let out one more groan. She started to sit up, somewhat dazed. Her eyes, mostly open, shifted to see her friends surrounding her.

“Wha... What ha-” began Twilight. Her friends suddenly tackled her in a group hug. This jerked Twilight to a fully awake state. “Ah!” she exclaimed. Her friends couldn’t be happier.

“You. Guys. Are. Crushing. Me!” remarked the recovered lavender unicorn as she had the life half-squeezed out of her. With that, Spike and the Mane 5 let go of Twilight. Each one of them expressed happiness in their smiles.

“Glad ta’ have ya’ back, Twilight,” said Applejack softly.

“Indeed, darling. We were all so worried!” a white, purple maned unicorn commented.

Pinkie Pie began crying tears of joy. Tears which spouted like fountains out of her closed eyes. Then, within the blink of an eye, her expression changed to one of happiness as she opened her mouth to speak. “Hey! You know what this calls for!? A par-” Applejack shoved a hoof in her mouth.

“Yes, we know Pinkie Pie. But now ain’t the time fer one,” Applejack said. Pinkie looked disappointed again. “Remember what ah said earlier, sugarcube? We can have a party after this whole mess is over!”

Pinkie smiled in response, although she was still a little bit disappointed about not being able to throw a party.

“So, what happened? How long was I out?” asked the confused lavender unicorn, tilting her head.

“Well, um, you were out for just a little while,” began Fluttershy.

“But Zecora fixed ya right up!” Applejack finished, interrupting the shy yellow pegasus. Twilight briefly smiled and nodded. She turned her head to face the zebra, who had merely been watching the scene quietly with a smile on her face.

“Thank you very much, Zecora,” thanked Twilight. Zecora merely replied with a nod.

After that, the unicron began to think. Twilight put a hoof to her chin, trying to remember what had happened. Memories flashed in her head, recalling how the small chamber housing the Elements of Harmony had been rigged as a death trap. She could remember how intense sadness and rage exploded at the sight of her friends almost being crushed to death, and how the Princess sisters were proud of their work.

The next thing she remembered was how her anger exploded. The memory was fuzzy however, but she could at least recall having felt immense power flowing through her.

“What is it Twilight? Is everything alright?” inquired Rarity.

Twilight snapped out of her thinking trance. “Oh! Yes. I was just trying to remember what happened before I blacked out,” she said, with a small grin. She proceeded to let out a sigh of relief. Things seemed to have calmed down for now, and she was with her friends. A tranquil smile formed on her visage.

*     *     *

“Captain! Look!” a royal guard shouted. “There appears to be a hut over there.” The pegasus emerged from behind a few shrubs, followed shortly by the other guards and his captain.

“Hmm. So there is,” said Captain Strong Wing, calmly. He noticed that the tracks they were following led straight to the front door of the hut.

“It must belong to the zebra that Tempest and I were questioning,” Cloud Runner stated.

Captain Strong Wing grinned lightly, gazing towards the hut. He could see a bit of movement through the window from his location. He could feel it; At least, another chance to snuff out the fugitives, and the opportunity to retrieve the target. “Then perhaps, it’s time we drop by for a visit.”

*     *     *

Inside Zecora’s hut, Twilight Sparkle had just gotten out of the and began to stretch her legs. Her ears had suddenly perked up however. The mare thought she heard something.

“Did anypony hear that?” she asked, giving a sweeping glance at her friends. “I thought I heard voices from outside.” They all shook their heads, having not noticed. As this happened, Pinkie Pie started getting a bit a twitchy.

Her ears flopped, followed by her eye lids fluttering rapidly, finishing with her forelegs shaking. Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie sense had activated. “Uh oh...” she said with concern. Everypony in the room looked at Pinkie Pie.

Her sentence was cut off by a loud and sudden thud that caused the door to Zecora’s hut to cave in and fall over. The sudden event startled everypony in the room, especially Fluttershy, who squeaked and hid behind Applejack. Their eyes, frantic, shifted towards the doorway.

Captain Strong Wing was the first to enter Zecora’s hut, with Cloud Runner and the other guards in tow. “Well well. Look what we found.” the captain remarked with his gruff voice. His eyes narrowed as he gave a sweeping glance at the startled ponies, the baby dragon, and the zebra.

“What? You again!?” shouted Rainbow Dash, pointing a hoof at Strong Wing in anger.

“Yes, it is me again,” he replied. “Now, I regret to inform you that all you are going to die,” he continued. “Princess’s orders.”

Applejack stomped a hoof on the floor. “We ain’t goin’ no where or doin’ no dyin’!” she protested, loudly. The orange mare gritted her teeth. She wasn’t about to let her friends die at the hooves of Celestia’s mooks.

“We still have a score to settle!” remarked Rainbow Dash, narrowing her eyes and scuffing the ground. She wanted to charge him head on, being the impulsive pegasus that she is.

Twilight decided not to waste anytime. Her horn suddenly gave off a purple glow. With a flash of light, she and her friends were gone. Only Zecora remained inside. Captain Strong Wing gritted his teeth a little, but mostly kept his composure. He and his troops turned around to see the Mane 6 and the baby dragon outside.

“Come on! Run!” shouted Twilight. With that, the Mane 6 and Spike made a run for it, deeper into the Everfree Forest. Even Rainbow Dash complied, despite how much she wanted to have a rematch with Captain Strong Wing. As she glided away, she turned her head a shot a glare back at the Captain.

“Forget the Zebra! After them!” the Captain ordered, raising his gruff voice. He and the guards took flight to pursue the fugitives, maintaining an altitude below the canopy. “Don’t let them escape!”

The Captain was a little irritated that he wouldn’t able to fly at his full speed, lest he lose control of himself trying to avoid hitting one of the numerous trees. He knew he would be unable to pursue the group of fugitives from above due to the cover provided by the forest’s canopy.

“Stay close girls!” yelled Twilight, galloping in full sprint to escape the pursuing royal guard. Spike rode on Twilight’s back to allow him to keep, given his small size.

Twilight’s horn lit up again before flashes of purple light engulfed her body, and that of her friends. She used her teleportation spell again, sending her and her friends off further ahead to drastically widen the gap between them and the Royal Guard.

“Oh buck! Where did they go?!” asked one of the guards, shouting in frustration.

“They couldn’t have gone far with that. Pick up the pace! We need to catch up to them!” the Captain barked as his eyes narrowed.

“You won’t get away, Twilight Sparkle...”

*     *     *

A flash of light abruptly appeared on a river bank in the Everfree Forest. In place of that light, once it subsided, was the group of fleeing ponies and the baby dragon. They all stopped to catch their breath from all the sprinting, with the exception of Spike and Rainbow Dash. Spike was still on Twilight’s back, and Rainbow Dash could fly fast for a while before getting tired.

Twilight Sparkle was unsure how much more she should teleport like that, bringing all her friends with her using that spell. It was taking more of a toll on her than she would like, given how she had only just recovered. But she was determined to evade capture and be used as a sacrifice.

Dwelling within the river nearby, was a familiar serpent they hadn’t seen for a long time. He poked his head out from the water, revealing his well groomed hair and his fabulous mustache, which still had Rarity’s tail fur merged with it.

“Oh! It’s you guys again!” he exclaimed, excited to see the group of ponies. He lifted more of himself out of the river and towered above Mane 6 and Spike. They all turned towards the large river serpent, surprised.

“How have you all been? It’s been quite a while!” chimed the serpent.

A certain pink bouncing blob was the first to reply. “Hi!”

“Oh, hello darling! I see your mustache is still fabulous as ever,” Rarity observed, smiling at the serpent.

“Oh yes! I’ve taken good care of it!” said the serpent, making a kissy face.

“Anyways!” a lavender unicorn interrupted. “We don’t have time to stop and chat! There’s no telling how close behind they are!” asserted Twilight, referring to the Royal Guard.

“So uh, would ya kindly help across this here river, Mr. uh-” Applejack began to ask, unsure of the serpent’s name. During their first encounter, nopony had actually learned his name.

“Steven. Steven Magnet!” the serpent replied, informing the group of his name.

“Oh. Yeah, so uh, can you help us across the river, Steven?” the orange mare asked again.

Steven nodded, prompting parts of his body to arch above the surface of the water, creating a number of platforms for the Mane 6 and Spike to hop across. Fluttershy and Rainbow dash had no need for them, however.

With that, the ponies thanked the well groomed serpent for his help as they made their way across the river. One by one, they hopped across Steven Magnet, reaching the other side rather quickly. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy simply glided over to the other side.

Once they had all made it across, the Mane 6, with the baby dragon, continued their retreat deeper into the Everfree Forest.

*     *     *

After a few more minutes of flying, Captain Strong Wing and his squad stumbled upon a river. The river bank was open, not covered up by the trees. The Captain noticed a serpent swimming off into the distance, downstream, but he didn’t think much of it. They stopped for a moment to take a breather.

The moon was bright and visible in the sky, looming over the tree infested hills. The sun was setting on the other end of the sky, being late in evening and all.

“It is getting late...” he stated out loud to himself. The guards merely glanced at their captain. “So we shouldn’t waste much more time. Let’s keep moving, now!” he ordered. The guards nodded in acknowledgement before they took flight once more.

Once they glided over the river, the Captain spotted a large number of hoofprints. He recognized 5 different sets of tracks, and immediately recalled how, despite there being 7 of them, only 5 of them actually traveled on hoof.

Cloud Runner also noticed the tracks. “Looks like we found their tracks, Captain,” he said, turning to look at Strong Wing.

“Indeed we have. Let’s move!” he commanded.

They weren’t going to waste anymore time. The group of soldiers and their captain quickly took off, carefully following the tracks left by the group of fugitives.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle and her party of friends came upon an old, rickety looking bridge.

“Hey, isn’t this that bridge that led us to that old castle?” Rainbow Dash questioned,remembering how she tied one of its ropes to a post to allow safe passage during the Nightmare Moon incident.

“Yes. It is,” replied Twilight, giving a nod. “I think we lost them, so we should rest up in the castle ruins and try and make a plan.” Upon finishing her sentence, she began to trot across the bridge.

“Ah’m with Twilight,” said an orange mare wearing a stetson hat. “It’s gettin’ mighty late.” She promptly followed Twilight across the bridge.

The others had no objections. With that, the remaining Mane 6 crossed the bridge towards the Ancient Castle of the Royal Sisters. As usual, Rainbow Dash kept to the air.

A short walk brought them upon the entrance of the ancient, forsaken castle. The group of friends didn’t hesitate to enter the decrepit ruins. They headed into the large chamber where the Elements of Harmony once rested.

“Ugh. My hooves are killing from all that running,” Rarity complained. She winced a little as her eyes scanned her hooves for any visible irritation.

“Well, don’t worry. We’re safe for now. We should just try and get some rest,” the lavender unicorn replied. Spike had fallen asleep, still holding on to Twilight. She hadn’t even noticed he was asleep. Looking back at him, she smiled warmly and left him alone. He was still a baby dragon after all, and needed his sleep. He’s been through a lot for a dragon his age.

*     *     *

The Mane 6 had all sat down and rested their hooves, with Twilight doing most of the talking. She explained to her friends about what Princess Celestia had told her; about how she sacrificed her personal students to sustain her immortality. Looks of horror spread like wildfire among their faces at what they heard.

What they failed to notice however, was an armored figure flying above them, watching them. Most of the roof in this section of the castle had long since collapsed, revealing the chambers inside.

The figure promptly flew off a small distance, and descended to the ground outside the castle, meeting back up with a group of similarly armored stallions.

“Sir, I’ve confirmed their location. They are resting inside the ruins,” spoke the armored pegasus.

“Good work, Cloud Runner,” the Captain spoke. “They don’t even know we’re here. This makes it easier on us.”

They began their approach on the main entrance of castle. The Captain let out a satisfied grin. This would likely be their best chance to dispose of the fugitives, and he knew that.

“And remember, that purple unicorn,” began the Captain, giving one last command. “We need her alive.”

“The rest, can die.”

Chapter 13: The Showdown

Chapter 13: The Showdown

Author’s Note: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ will indicate the following scene happens at the same time as the previous one.

*     *     *

“So Twi, what do ya’ reckon we do?” asked an orange earth pony wearing a stetson hat, arching a brow.

 Applejack laid down, resting her hooves along with her friends as they discussed their next course of action, despite not being as tired as some of the others.

“I don’t know, Applejack,” replied the lavender unicorn, solemnly. “But whatever we do, it won’t be easy. Princess Celestia must be stopped, one way or another,” she continued, gesturing with a hoof. Twilight made sure not to move around too much, however. Her number one assistant was sleeping soundly on her back.

“But how are we supposed to take on the Princesses without the Elements of Harmony?” inquired Rainbow Dash, visibly frustrated as she hovered around the room, restless. The cyan pegasus didn’t require nearly as much rest as most of the Mane 6, given her excellent athleticism.

Twilight Sparkle let out a brief sigh as her head drooped. “I don’t know, Rainbow Dash. But we can’t lose hope,” she replied. “Fortunately, we should have some time to keep thinking,” continued Twilight.

“I agree with Twilight,” interjected Rarity. She was laying down on cold stone floor. It wasn’t very comfortable for her, but she knew there was no better alternative in the area. “All we have to do is just be calm and rational,” she finished.

However, upon Rarity finishing her statement, Pinkie Pie’s entire body began shaking rapidly. Everypony in the room, with the exception of the sleeping baby dragon, turned towards the pink earth pony as her Pinkie Sense went off.

“Uh, Pinkie? Remind what in tarnation that one means again?” Applejack asked, arcing a brow.

“This one is a doozy!” Pinkie Pie responded. Then, she let out a gasp. “And it’s supposed to happen right here!!” she shrieked, stomping a hoof into the floor. Her head shifted around quickly, looking up and around the room. Naturally, the first thing she noticed was the lack of most of the ceiling, revealing the night sky above them. Then, something else came into view, the moonlight gleaming off of its shiny surface.

A golden helmet crept into view, perched atop the walls of the ruins where the ceiling would have connected had it been there. Then, several more silently came into view. The rest of the Mane 6 glanced up where Pinkie Pie was looking, seeing the exact same thing. Fluttershy went and hid behind Applejack, who took on a defensive stance, gritting her teeth. The rest followed Applejack’s example with great haste.

The Royal Guards, with their Captain, had been preparing to ambush the Mane 6. Of course, the Captain and his guards noticed that they had been spotted before they could attack and overrun the group of friends while their guard was down.

“Hmph. It seems we lost the element of surprise,” remarked Captain Strong Wing calmly, leaping from the top of the wall and landing on the floor below. His troops followed in tow, standing at his side once they too had landed. His visage appeared stoic, however, he was irritated deep down.

“The pink one sure is a lot of trouble,” remarked Cloud Runner, annoyed at their foiled ambush.

“Hey!” shouted a certain cyan pegasus, who remained airborne. “Can’t you just leave us the hay alone!?” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing as she stared daggers at the Captain. A part of her wanted her friends to be left alone, and yet there was still Rainbow Dash’s impulsive and competitive side who wanted a rematch with the Captain.

Captain Strong Wing returned her glare with one of his own, although his was much more calm than Rainbow Dash’s. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said in response.

The commotion jerked Spike awake. causing him to tumble off of Twilight’s back, hitting the floor with a light thud. “Huh? What’s going on!?” he said frantically, looking around. He noticed his friends standing off against the guards. The dragon was somewhat afraid, remember how he and Rarity had struggled against White Nimbus and his comrade back in the library, and how tough Strong Wing ended up being. He quickly hid behind Twilight.

Twilight looked down and trembling Spike as he placed himself behind her for protection. A serious look crossed her face as she turned back towards Captain Strong Wing. The lavender mare was determined to protect Spike.

“Well, we ain’t goin’ no where!” protested Applejack, stomping a hoof into the floor for emphasis.

“That’s right. You’re not going anywhere,” Captain Strong Wing pointed out. “The lot of you are going to die right here.” His troops quickly spread out , surrounding the group from all sides. “And I assure you... Rainbow Dash, was it? Each one of my soldiers here are tougher than White Nimbus. You won’t claim victory here.”

The Mane 6 all backed closer towards one another, taking defensive stances, with the exception of Spike and Fluttershy, who remained hiding behind one of their friends.

They silently picked out an opponent. each one making eye contact with the guard they would face. Applejack glared at Cloud Runner, who returned hers with of his own. Rarity Twilight, Pinkie Pie also each made eye contact with another three of the guards. And lastly, Rainbow Dash, who remained hovering, albeit low to the ground, pointed a hoof at Captain Strong Wing, then to herself, finishing her gesture with colliding her two front hooves together.

The opposing sides silently stared down one another, the only audible sound being a breeze that swept through the area that rustled the trees. A bead of sweat ran down Applejack’s forehead in anticipation, then down her cheek before dripping off and onto the floor. The drop of sweat echoed upon connecting with the floor.

With that, Applejack charged Cloud Runner, with a sort of war cry. The others followed her example immediately.

The battle had begun.

*     *     *

Applejack dashed towards Cloud Runner in a zig-zagging pattern to try and throw him off. She was quick on her hooves, and surprisingly agile. Cloud Runner followed the orange mare closely, his eyes sweeping back forth to keep up with her movements.

Within moments, Applejack closed the distance between the two of them. Making great haste, the cowpony pivoted on her front hooves, quickly turning 180 degrees. Her strong back legs shot out like canons, aimed for Cloud Runner’s head.

The armored pegasus ducked down, his body lowering very closely to the gorund as Applejack’s hooves harmlessly passed overhead. Cloud Runner quickly kicked off with his back legs, lunging up at Applejack’s defenseless underside. His hooves shot out, driving into the orange earth pony’s stomach. His momentum went unimpeded as Applejack was knocked over and flipped onto her back. She yelped in pain.

Immediately following, his wings flapped and kept him airborne after his upward lunge at Applejack. He dived downwards to attack Applejack again, his hooves extended in front of him. However, the orange mare braced her self with her forelegs, and kicked upwards with her strong legs.

Cloud Runner was knocked upwards once Applejack’s counterattack connected with his face. He grunted in pain. but still managed to keep himself airborne. Applejack was a little surprised, as Cloud Runner withstood the attack when previously, back in the forest, he was knocked out. Applejack figured it was because his guard was down before, and hadn’t expected to be flanked.

Applejack sprang up onto all fours while Cloud Runner was recovering. She jumped upwards in an attempt to strike Cloud Runner with a headbutt, however he recovered in time to move out of the way. This left the farmer vulnerable. He quickly dove towards Applejack, his wings flapping furiously.

Cloud Runner tackled the mare in midair, and continued flying towards a stone wall with Applejack locked in front of him. The mare held onto the armored pegasus as she glanced back, seeing that they were flying towards a wall. Her head turned around again, shooting a glare at her foe.

However, her glare turned to a grin as she bucked her hind legs out just before they hit the wall. The wall cracked upon the impact, with Applejack’s hind legs stopping them both dead in their tracks. Cloud Runner’s eyes widened, his attempted to crash Applejack through the wall foiled.

One of her hooves let of the pegasus, only to strike him in the same side of the head that Applejack had once bucked him in. Stunned, Cloud Runner dropped Applejack. The mare safely landed on all fours, looking up at her opponent with confidence.

Cloud Runner scowled as he lowered himself to the ground in front of Applejack. The two enemies shot each other hard glares before they both charged at one another.

The two opponents braced themselves with their hind legs as their front hooves connected with each others in a hoof lock. Their faces were inches from each others. They pushed on one another in an attempt to gain the advantage. Applejack began forcing Cloud Runner back and into submission, but not before he managed to do the same to her. As if taking turns, they went back and forth with pushing the other back.

Cloud Runner was starting to tire, but was didn’t want to lose. The armored pegasus reared his head suddenly. Applejack’s eyes went wide as Cloud Runner’s head, adorned with his helmet, had then jerked forward quickly and collided with her forehead with a thud.

Applejack fell back, hitting the ground. The blond mare cringed in pain as she laid on her back. Cloud Runner followed up by stomping down on her chest with a front hoof, pinning her helplessly to the floor. She gritted her teeth and grunted in pain once more. Cloud Runner looked down at the helpless Applejack, grinning, as he raised his other front hoof.

Applejack gave a quick glance down at Cloud Runner’s body before a confident smirk formed on her visage. Cloud Runner was just about to drive his hoof into Applejack’s head, when her hind legs suddenly shot up at Cloud Runner’s underside, striking him directly in his testicles. Cloud Runner had neglected to think of the possibility of that happening.

Cloud Runner’s eyes shot open as wide as they could get, with his jaw dropping, as he began to tremble. Guttural sounds escaped his mouth, his body frozen. Then, he doubled over onto his side, and began screaming in agony as beads of tears flowed down his face. He brought his hooves to hold his crotch, unable to do anything else as he writhed.

“AAAUUUUUUUGGGGGHHH!!!” he cried at the top of his lungs, his voice eventually cracking into a squeal.

Applejack stood up and over Cloud Runner, trying to hold back her laughter. “Now, how do ya’ like THEM apples!?” Applejack taunted, driving a hoof into the side of Cloud Runner’s head; they very same side in which he had been struck twice. There was an audible, satisfying crack upon impact.

Cloud Runner’s movements and screaming suddenly ceased.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down towards her opponent with a happy-go-lucky grin on her face. With each bounce that propelled the mare into the air, there was a distinctive springy sound. Understandably, the armored pegasus before her was confused, arching a brow.

Pinkie stopped bouncing only several feet away from him. Her opponent took on a defensive stance and gritted his teeth, standing on his hind legs with his wings spread, ready to attack at a moments notice. Pinkie Pie, however, merely looked at him with a smile.

“Hi!” she said, maintaining her cheerful smile. “My name is Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? Do you like parties?”

The armored pegasus could only stare, dumbfounded by Pinkie Pie’s strange behavior, given the combat setting of the current situation. “If you MUST know, my name is Sky Chaser. But that’s not important!” he pouted. “You do know I’m going to kill you, right?”

“Uh huh!” replied Pinkie, hopping up and down again in place.

Sky Chaser narrowed his eyes. He didn’t want any of Pinkie Pie’s nonsense. He threw his right hoof forward in a strong jab to knock Pinkie to the ground. However, his hoof only struck thin air as Pinkie Pie nonchalantly bounced out of the way. His eyes widened briefly before sending two more jabs at Pinkie with his left hoof, followed by his right hind leg swinging itself up to meet with Pinkie’s rib cage, in a sort of roundhouse kick.

Pinkie Pie was having fun though, dancing around Sky Chaser’s attack as if she knew what he was going to do. Sky Chaser was visibly frustrated at the happy-go-lucky pink mare before him. He couldn’t believe how easily she evaded his quick attacks.

He carefully slid one of his hind legs back a little before kicking off with all his might. He attempted to tackle Pinkie Pie to the ground. Much to his irritation, Pinkie Pie simply hopped into the air, and landed on top of Sky Chaser as he passed under her. The pink mare quickly jumped off of him, forcing him to crash into the floor with a hard thud, while Pinkie Pie simply landed safely on on all four hooves.

“Hey! That was fun! Can we do it again?”  the bouncing pink blob chimed.

Sky Chaser was flat on his stomach. He hoisted himself up a bit as he looked back at Pinkie Pie, who simply smiled at him. He grunted, gritting his teeth in utter frustration. Sky Chaser, one of Captain Strong Wing’s elite guards, was being made a complete fool of by a happy-go-lucky pink mare.

Sky Chaser fully stood up and turned to face Pinkie Pie. He resumed his bipedal stance, with his wings spread. He carefully stared Pinkie Pie down, watching her every move. He knew he couldn’t let his guard down around this one.

“Tell me, pink mare. How are you able to react to my every move?” Sky Chaser inquired, as he glared at Pinkie Pie. He briefly thought back to when Cloud Runner inferred that the pink one would be a lot of trouble. He was right.

“Pfft. I used my Pinkie Sense, silly filly!” she happily replied, bouncing up and down in place. In truth, Pinkie Pie had indeed been utilizing her Pinkie Sense in a similar fashion to how she used it to easily evade the falling debris of the collapsing building during the Mare Do Well incident. Due to her Pinkie Sense, defeating Pinkie Pie in combat would truly be a tricky task.

Sky Chaser narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “Do NOT call me silly filly!” he yelled. Sky Chaser flapped his wings as he kicked off the ground, flying towards Pinkie Pie at a high velocity. He pulled away at the last second, inches from Pinkie Pie and snaked his way around her.

He raised one of his front hooves and attempted to strike Pinkie Pie’s spinal chord. Just before he could do so, however, Pinkie Pie bucked him without warning, hitting him square in the jaw.

Sky Chaser stumbled back in pain before wiping away the blood that began to drip from his mouth. He was absolutely dumbfounded, being made a complete fool of by this odd pink earth pony. What irritated him even more was when Pinkie Pie turned around to face him, maintaining her usual smile, as if to mock him.

“Stop mocking me!” he yelled, his voice filled with anger. With that, Sky Chaser attempted another assault. Jab after jab, hook after hook, and kick after kick were thrown at Pinkie Pie as fast as he could in an attempt to overwhelm the annoying pink mare. And yet, she continued to fluidly dance around his attacks, or parry them when dodging was not an option. And she still smiled.

But this time he got an idea. He darted at Pinkie Pie again, pulling away at the last second and appeared behind the mare like he did before. But this time, he was ready. Pinkie Pie took the bait and tried to buck him, but this time he caught her hind hooves, leaving her defenseless. With that, he delivered a rough kick to Pinkie Pie’s underside.

Sky Chaser grinned as he observed Pinkie Pie yelp and flip onto the floor from his kick. He quickly followed up with another assault on the grounded mare, only to strike the floor when Pinkie Pie quickly rolled out of the way and sprung onto all fours.

“Hey! That wasn’t very nice!” she complained, dropping her smile for the time being. Sky Chaser narrowed his eyes and scuffed the ground, ready to attack once more.

The armored pegasus attempted another high speed charge, but something would happen differently this time. Just before he reached Pinkie Pie, he observed how she reached behind herself with her front hooves, balancing on her hind legs. She grinned widely.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Pinkie Pie pulled out a large cannon and placed it in front of her. Her Party Cannon was larger than usual. Being Pinkie Pie, she likely made it bigger so it could fit more party related things.

Sky Chaser’s eyes widened, unable to stop or turn away in time. The next thing he knew, it was dark and cramped. The pegasus was trapped inside of Pinkie’s Party Cannon. He began to squirm wildly to try and escape.

“Hey! Let me out of this bucking thing!” he commanded, yelling at the mare.

Pinkie Pie aimed her Party Cannon at the nearest wall. “Okie Dokie Lokie!” she cheerfully exclaimed, pressing the button on top of the cannon.

A boom sounded as streamers, confetti, and Sky Chaser were launched out of the cannon. Sky Chaser screamed during his flight before smashing all the way through the wall and hitting the ground with thud. His body lie there, bloodied, limp, and motionless.

Pinkie Pie began bouncing up and down in place.

“I never leave home without my Party Cannon!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fluttershy and Spike were left opponentless as stood by each other. Spike was watching as Rarity wasn’t able to do much against her opponent. She wasn’t much of a fighter.

“Come on Fluttershy! We gotta help Rarity!” he pleaded, looking up at Fluttershy with hopeful eyes. The timid pegasus glanced around the room before looking back at Rarity, determining that she needed help the most, as she was practically running away from her opponent.

“Um, well, alright... but I don’t know how much I can really help...” she said softly.

“We gotta do something!” he exclaimed as he dashed off towards Rarity’s fight. Fluttershy became a little frantic at the baby dragon’s charge, prompting her to follow him.

“Hey ugly!” shouted the baby dragon, determined to protect his crush at all costs. The armored pegasus that pursued Rarity stopped and glanced over at Spike. “We’ll take you on! All three of us!”

 Rarity dashed over to Spike and Fluttershy, standing behind them.

The armored pegasus gave a sweeping glance at them, before letting out a chuckle. “Let me get this straight,” he began. “A baby dragon, a fashion designer, and a frightened weakling want to fight me?” He chuckled even harder. "You serious?"

“That’s right!” yelled Spike, glaring at the armored pegasus.

“Hmph. Alright then,” he said. “I, Thunderstorm, will fight all three of you.” He let out one more chuckle before taking a fighting stance on his hind legs, spreading his wings.

Rarity was feeling more confident now that she had two others to help her out. Spike and Rarity sprinted towards Thunderstorm. The armored pegasus slid one of his hind legs back in preparation to defend himself. Fluttershy simply squeaked and stood in her spot. She wasn’t sure what she could do.

Thunderstorm easily batted the duo away with a couple of attacks, knocking them back. Rarity yelped upon being struck and hit the ground with a thud, bruising her. Spike wasn’t hurt as much due his natural scaly armor. The onlooking Fluttershy gasped.

“Is that all you’ve got?” mocked Thunderstorm, giving the group a condescending grin.

Spike and Rarity glared intensely at the armored pegasus before them after getting back up. Then, Spike turned to Rarity and whispered something in her ear. The snow white unicorn listen intently.

“Are you sure?” she asked out loud. Spike nodded in response before turning back Thunderstorm.

With that, Spike alone charged towards Thunderstorm. The pegasus focused his attention on the baby dragon. But what he failed to notice, was what Rarity was doing.

The white unicorn’s horn illuminated in a blue aura. Thunderstorm was still too focused on Spike to take notice. The baby dragon jumped, diving towards the armoed pegasus. Thunderstorm attempted to bat Spike away, but found something odd.

His movements were severely hindered, only able to move a little bit, as he himself was surrounded by a blue aura. That’s when he noticed Rarity’s horn was glowing. Whatever movements he could make weren’t enough to deflect Spike.

Spike grappled onto Thunderstorm’s body with his claws. Then, with a sharp inhale, the baby dragon let loose the mightiest emerald green flames he could muster from his mouth.

The pegasus caught fire very quickly. The severe, burning pain caused him to scream and thrash around violently, shaking off both Spike and Rarity’s binding magic. He dropped to the floor and frantically rolled around, attempting to put out the flames before too much damage was one. Fluttershy, still spectating, winced and cringed at the scene before her.

Thunderstorm at least managed to put out the flames after a few seconds, but not without damage. He grunted and groaned in pain as he slowly stood up. His white fur was somewhat stained black from the burns.

He opened his mouth to speak, panting. “I... Will... Make... You... Regret that!!” He was very angry now, as his brow arched inwards.

Thunderstorm kicked off the floor, gliding low to the ground at a high speed towards Rarity. He reared one of his front hooves, ready to strike.

Rarity’s eyes widened at the incoming pegasus. She wasn’t able to react in time before Thunderstorm thrusted his reared hoof, driving it into Rarity’s jaw in a bit of an uppercut motion.

The white unicorn yelped in pain as she flew back. The impact of Thunderstorm’s hoof almost knocked her out. Rarity hit the floor with a thud.

“No!!” cried Spike, scrambling to get up. His eyes narrowing, he darted towards Thunderstorm, who turned around to see the baby dragon. A sinister smirk crept onto his burnt visage.

Thunderstorm turned around, delivering a kick to the side of Spike’s head as he attempted to jump onto him again. The baby dragon was flung off to the side. As a follow up, the armored pegasus put his hoof down on Spike’s head. Unfortunately for the baby dragon, his head was facing side ways, meaning breathing fire onto Thunderhooves was no longer an option. This reminded him all too much of the fight with White Nimbus in the Ponyville Library.

Fluttershy became very frantic, and began to hyperventilate. “Oh no!” she cried. “Oh no oh no!!!” She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as Thunderstorm began to apply pressure to Spike’s head, causing the the baby dragon to cry out in agony.

She reopened her eyes and saw the scene unravel, and then glanced at Rarity, who was struggling to get up after nearly losing consciousness. Fluttershy knew she had to do something.

Fluttershy tensed up, her brow narrowing inwards as she closed her eyes. After a few moments, she reopened her eyes.

“You BIG. DUMB. MEANIE!!!” she yelled loudly, an intense anger present in her eyes and voice. Her yelling had caught Thunderstorm’s attention, who glanced at the angry yellow pegasus.

Her eyes were wide, her brow arched inward. Thunderstorm could see it. An intense, burning rage that pierced his very being. He wished he hadn’t ever made eye contact with the once timid mare.

His body froze up, beads of sweat pouring from his forehead. The armored pegasus’ eyes went wide, but not out of anger, but out of something he personally had not felt in a long time.

Fear.

It was as if all time had stopped, with the exception of Fluttershy, who continued her approach. He finally managed to move, dropping to all fours and slowly backing away from the terrifying yellow pegasus.

Spike manage to get back up, brushing himself off before he darted over to Rarity to help her up.

Thunderstorm finally backed into the wall behind, with Fluttershy stopping only several feet away from him.

“JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? I WON’T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS!!  YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!!” screamed Fluttershy. She hadn’t yelled that loud since the Grand Galloping Gala incident.

Thunderstorm couldn’t speak a word. The only sounds from his mouth were fearful grunts.

Meanwhile, Rarity got back onto her hooves with Spike’s help. She was still a bit dazed, but quickly shook it off. The white unicorn looked on Fluttershy and Thunderstorm. She saw the look of absolute terror in his eyes.

Rarity decided she would take the opportunity to strike. She went full gallop towards the the terrified Thunderstorm. The armored pegasus was too preoccupied with Fluttershy to take notice to Rarity.

The white unicorn lowered her head as she neared her target; her horn pointed directly at him. “I’ll show you, you ruffian!” she shouted, her voice angry. With that, Rarity ran her horn through Thunderstorm’s body, blood splattering from his wound.

At first, there was no reaction from the pegasus. However, it was merely delayed, as after a few moments, his terrified gaze slowly shifted down to Rarity pulling her horn from his body, blooding gushing down his side. The only sounds to escape his mouth were guttural sounds. The white unicorn had punctured a lung.

Fluttershy ceased her terrifying stare and blacked up as Thunderstorm coughed up blood. His body was slumped against the wall; his back slowly beginning to slide down the wall until he hit a sitting position. The timid pegasus winced at the sight.

Spike dashed over to the two ponies who stood before their fallen foe. “Rarity! Your mane!” he shouted with concern.

Rarity gagged, bringing her hooves up to her mouth. A moment passed before she returned to normal. “Oh, it’s alright... I can always wash it later,” she replied, giving a sheepish grin.

Fluttershy was a little shaken by the violence, but was comforted by Rarity and Spike. Thunderstorm, on the other hoof, attempted to stand, but couldn’t gather the strength. The trio turned to look at him. His eyes narrowed as blood continued to flow from his mouth and his wound. Guttural sounds a grunts continued to escape his mouth, until it happened.

Thunderstorm released a painful sigh as his body went limp, and his eyes, lifeless.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Twilight Sparkle made a direct, brave charge towards her opponent as her horn lit up. The armored pegasus, named Blaze Bolt, took immediate note of that. He had sparred with unicorns before, and was familiar with magic-based tactics. He quickly spread his wings and stood on his hind legs, much like his comrades were doing. Blaze Bolt reared one of his front hooves, ready to strike.

Twilight Sparkle continued to charge, not slowing down for a moment. once she was close enough, Blaze Bolt began to telegram his movements, indicating he was about to strike. But this was a bluff.

Twilight’s body vanished in a flash of light. It was just as he had expected. Blaze Bolt could hear the sound of Twilight reappearing just behind him. His form leaned forward for balance as one of his hind legs shot out behind him in back-kick.

Twilight Sparkle had been struck square in the snout, sending her backwards. The lavender mare yelped in pain, landing on her side with a hard thud on the cold stone floor. Blaze Bolt turned around to face her.

“You’re lucky, you know. We’re only supposed to subdue you,” he claimed, in a mocking tone. Blaze Bolt trotted up to Twilight and pinned her down with his front hooves. “Don’t worry. I’ll only break a few of your bones. And your horn.”

Twilight shot him a hard glare before her horn illuminated once more. Blaze Bolt would have done something if not for the fact that his body was encased in a purple aura, restricting his movements and lifting him into the air.

Twilight got back up onto all fours before staring daggers at Blaze Bolt. “Don’t underestimate me!” said the lavender unicorn. With that, using her telekinesis, she slammed Blaze Bolt into the ground. The stone floor actually cracked a bit from the impact.

Twilight watched her opponent in anticipation to see if he would move. After a few seconds, Blaze Bolt rose to his hooves, although he was bruised. Blaze Bolt wasted no time, taking off towards Twilight as as he could.

Before the purple mare could properly react, the armored pegasus slammed into her, tackling her to the floor. They rolled over one another, with Blaze Bolt emerging on top. He quickly followed up by driving his hoof into Twilight’s stomach.

Her eyes shut hard as she yelped in pain upon being struck in the stomach. Twilight Sparkle knew she was losing the battle, but she couldn’t let herself falter, for the sake of herself, and that of her dearest friends.

She opened her eyes to to see Blaze Bolt looming over her with a smirk on his face. In response, Twilight shot him another glare.

“Just give up,” he insisted.

Twilight said nothing in reply. Instead, her horn emitted a powerful, radiant glow. A bolt of pure magic energy erupted from her horn, hitting Blaze Bolt before he could react properly. The armored pegasus was knocked into the air, but he managed to catch himself with his wings. His underside was charred.

Although he managed to catch himself in the air, he still cringed in pain from Twilight’s magic attack. His narrowed as he glared at the lavender unicorn. Twilight smirked confidently, despite being bruised.

The unicorn followed up with another bolt of magic that raced towards its target. The armored pegasus successfully dodged before flying towards Twilight in a zig-zagging pattern. The mare tried to hit him with several more blasts, but to no avail. Blaze Bolt reached Twilight, successfully striking her with a front hoof.

The mare doubled over, but she wasn’t about to give up. Blaze Bolt took to the air once more. After creating enough distance, he dove straight down towards the downed mare.

Twilight had something else in mind, however. She had no plans on taking another blow. Her horn illuminated once more, creating a purple barrier around her body at the last second. Blaze Bolt collided with the barrier, unable to break through. Since he hadn’t expected it, he was momentarily stunned.

Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t let up though. Following her defense, a purple aura enveloped Blaze Bolt’s body, restricting his movements. He was helpless.

Twilight hoisted herself onto all fours, requiring more effort than normal, bruised and bleeding from the mouth. “It’s time to end this!” she yelled, her horn glowing even brighter.

A thinner, more compressed bolt of magic escaped Twilight’s horn this time. Time seemed to stop for Blaze Bolt as he helplessly watched the blast of magic energy rush towards him.

A cry of severe agony escaped Blaze Bolt’s lungs as Twilight’s blast drilled clean through his body, leaving a charred hole. His eyes were wide with pain as he coughed up blood. Twilight released her magic grip on him, causing his body to flail downwards to the cold stone floor.

Blaze Bolt's body didn’t move.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rainbow Dash and Captain Strong Wing gazed into each others eyes as they both took on a combat stance. They balanced on their hind legs with their wings spread.

“I won’t hold back this time,” said Strong Wing, coldly.

“Then neither will I,” Rainbow Dash retorted with an arrogant smirk.

With that, the two enemies kicked off the ground, charging towards each other. They both left trails of dust in their wake before they were in melee combat range.

Rainbow Dash was the first to attack. She attempted to strike the Captain with a barrage of quick, strong punches. Strong Wing merely blocked or parried them. Rainbow Dash then went for a round house kick, which was promptly blocked.

Captain Strong Wing returned her assault with hook, aimed for the side of the mare’s head, followed by an uppercut. The cyan pegasus brought a hoof up to her side, stopping his hook. Afterwards, she reared her head, narrowly avoiding the Captain’s uppercut.

Rainbow Dash jumped back before taking to the air, her wings flapping to keep her airborne. The Captain followed her into the air, charging right for the mare at high speed. Her eyes narrowed in anticipation. He was closing in.

At the last possible second, Rainbow Dash suddenly moved to the side a little bit, and snaked her way around the oncoming Captain, driving her elbow into the back of his head as he passed by, unable to change his course in time.

The armored pegasus seemed to stumble in the air, only to quickly recover. He turned to face the mare, only to see her closing in fast for another furious assault.

Rainbow Dash began to unleash another barrage of attacks. The Captain, however, parried her first two blows, and forced her hooves off to the side. He jerked his head forward, slamming his helmet into the mare’s forehead.

The cyan pegasus was knocked back, yelping in pain. But she would not let that stop her. Rainbow Dash very quickly recovered, immediately charging at the Captain again. She reared one of her front hooves, as if to prepare another jab. Instead, she quickly spun around in mid to allow one of her back legs to kick the Captain in the side of the head.

Strong Wing silently cursed himself for not seeing through such an obvious bluff, having taken Rainbow Dash’s surprise kick. His helmet flew off his head, hitting the stone floor with a metallic thud.

Rainbow Dash wouldn’t let up though. The cyan pegasus began to fly circles around the Captain. Any normal pony would only see a rainbow colored ring. The Captain, however, was able to keep track of Rainbow Dash, his eyes shifting back and forth, following her movements.

The mare then broke from her ring, attempting to flank the Captain from the side. Reacting quickly, though, Strong Wing dropped his altitude as he flipped upside down. As Rainbow Dash passed over him, his hind legs shot up, striking the cyan pegasus in the rib cage.

She was knocked upwards, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, trying to ignore the pain. Captain Strong Wing flapped his wings harder, propelling himself upwards as he reared one his front hooves. Once he was within range, he bludgeoned Rainbow Dash in the side of the head.

Rainbow Dash fell to the ground with a thud. She hopped up onto her feet quickly however. The pegasus wasn’t about to give up.

Strong Wing lowered himself and charged at Rainbow Dash to begin another brutal assault on the cyan pegasus. He flew at her parallel to the floor. Rainbow Dash took on a defensive stance on her hind legs, but this was a bluff.

Rainbow Dash allowed her body to fall over onto her back once the Captain was close enough. She kicked upwards with all her might, driving both hind hooves into his stomach as he passed over her.

Having been knocked upwards, Strong Wing cursed himself silently once more. He was becoming careless.

The cyan wasn’t about to stop though. She quickly sprang into the air and flapped her wings to pursue her stunned opponent. Rainbow Dash drew both of her front hooves back, ready to hammer on Captain Strong Wing.

The moment she was in range, the cyan pegasus shot her right hoof forward first, striking his stomach again. Next, her left hoof, which nailed him in the rib cage. Her hooves alternated, taking turns striking the Captain in various places.

Despite this, the Captain managed to regain himself for just a moment to shield himself with his forelegs before deliver a quick, harsh kick to Rainbow Dash, who was promptly knocked away.

Both of them descended to the floor, glaring at one another. For the most part, they seemed to be evenly matched.

The Captain brought a hoof up to his mouth to wipe away the blood that leaked out. “I meant what I said back in the library.” he commented.

Rainbow Dash arched a brow, wondering what it was. Then it hit her.

‘You would have made a fine soldier in the Equestrian Royal Guard.’

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel proud of that. But regardless, she was going to beat Strong Wing. “Thanks, I guess.” she replied.

However, the two of them had been so locked into combat, they failed to notice their surroundings at this point in time. It only hit them during their little stare down, as they weren’t directly focused on attacking and defending. Both Rainbow Dash and Captain Strong Wing glanced around at their surroundings.

There was no fighting, and the room had fallen silent.

Chapter 14: Surrender

Chapter 14: Surrender

Captain Strong Wing couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His eyes went wide with sock, although me maintained a serious looking scowl. His gaze shifted from place to place around almost frantically.

Cloud Runner, Sky Chaser, Thunderstorm, and Blaze Bolt...

All of them were dead.

He hadn’t spotted Sky Chaster immediately, but he noticed a hole in the wall that wasn’t there previously, with blood around it. He quickly concluded that must be where Sky Chaser’s corpse was.

Then, the pedestals in the center of the room where the Elements of Harmony once rested caught his attention. The Captain noticed the rest of the Mane 6, as well as the baby dragon, had gathered in front of it. They all looked at him with confident smirks staining their faces. Rainbow Dash jumped back to to stand by her friends.

His thoughts raced as to how something like this could happen. His troops, killed by a group of mares? In all his years, he had never seen anything like this.

“How could this happen?” he asked slightly less calmly than usual. Strong Wing was one for keeping a level head, but this was unprecedented. His body tensed up, trying to keep his composure. He knew he couldn’t win in a straight up fight against all of them.

“Those were some of my finest soldiers!” he spoke, raising his voice noticeably. “How could you have possibly beaten them!?” He gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed, shooting glares at every one of them.

The Mane 6 all looked at each other before Twilight stepped forth.

“We may not look like it at first, but we can take care of ourselves,” said the lavender unicorn. “Especially when I have to look out for my friends! I couldn’t allow myself to be defeated,” she continued. “And I know my friends all feel the same way! We have determination! And we will not allow the Princesses to continue on with the murder of innocent ponies for their personal gain!”

They all nodded in agreement, confidence emanating from their smirks.

His thoughts continued to race in his head. Determination? How odd. Captain Strong Wing, despite his years of experience, never expected something like that to play such a large part in victory. Even if a weaker pony had determination, surely he or she could not stand up against trained soldiers.

He grunted with frustration. He too had determination, but in his mind, it wouldn’t be enough to save him in a skirmish against the whole group. Rainbow Dash was challenge enough, but all of them? That would be suicide.

“So, I’m sorry to say Captain, but you have lost,” Twilight Sparkle remarked, meeting his scowl with a confident smirk.

Captain Strong Wing had to think of something. He had two options: Fight or flight. On one hoof, he could die in the heat of battle, a fitting death for a warrior. But then the fugitives would escape for sure. Or, he could make a hasty retreat, recover, and chase down the mares with an entire army in tow rather than a squad.

He wasn’t normally the type to retreat, but the Captain concluded that it would be the smartest course of action. The Captain began to calm down, returning to his stoic demeanor.

It was then than idea struck him. The stallion had just thought of something even better than those two choices. Now, the Captain had something to say to the Mane 6.

“Allow me to leave you with you with something,” he began, giving a sweeping glance at the ponies and baby dragon. Twilight in particular arched a brow.

“If I should die here by your hooves, and you eventually overthrow the princesses,” he began calmly, “then tell me. Who would be left to rule in their place?” Twilight perked up a bit as the others looked on at the unraveling scene.

“Think about it, Twilight Sparkle. Nopony else is suited to rule Equestria in their stead.” he claimed.

This got Twilight thinking hard, bringing up a hoof to meet her chin. Her confident smirk was quickly fleeting, her eyes shifting, deep in thought. The mare honestly couldn’t find a retort to the Captain’s point.

“At a loss for words, are we?” said Strong Wing.

“Twi?” asked Applejack, approaching the unicorn. The features of her visage implied concern. “Twi, are you alri-”

“He’s right...” interrupted Twilight.

Captain Strong Wing couldn’t help but grin a little.

“Wait, what the hay?” replied the orange earth pony, arching a brow.

Twilight Sparkle lowered her head at the revelation. “He’s right. If we take down the princesses, nopony else would be able to take their place,” she said solemnly. Her friends became rather nervous.

“It was Princess Celestia’s leadership and policies that kept our lands at peace,” remarked Captain Strong Wing. “If she and her sister were to go down, so would all of Equestria. Riots will break out, chaos would ensue.”

Twilight Sparkle felt despair in her heart once more. In order to preserve the peace and harmony of Equestria, she would have to die. The Captain could tell what she was thinking.

“That’s right, Twilight Sparkle. Your sacrifice will be for the greater good,” he commented.

Twilight didn’t particularly want to die. She was a young mare with her whole life ahead of her still, but at what cost would it be at this point? Twilight didn’t want to be partly responsible for driving Equestria into ruin either. A tear ran down the unicorn’s cheek. She knew she would have to do the right thing.

“So, will you comply?” inquired the Captain, taking a step forward. Rainbow Dash and Applejack jumped forth, landing between Strong Wing and Twilight. They both shot a nasty glare at him. “I promise your friends will be spared if you go quietly,” he claimed

Captain Strong Wing knew that it was against his orders. He was supposed to have the mares, along with the baby dragon, killed, as to silence them. However, he did not want to pass up what probably was his last opportunity to capture the target. If he retreated empty handed, they would simply flee farther away. He couldn’t let that happen.

Meanwhile, the lavender unicorn processed his words; her brain’s gears grinding away to come to a conclusion. Twilight wanted to harm to come to her friends. She knew the Captain could just swiftly retreat, gather an army, and hunt them down again. But she didn’t want it to come to that. With that, Twilight Sparkle finally came to a decision.

“I’ll do it...” spoke the lavender unicorn, solemnly. All of her friends gave a surprised glance at Twilight.

Captain Strong Wing knew he had her. He managed to convince the mare to willingly go through with her sacrifice. All that was left was to escort her to the castle so she may sustain Princess Celestia’s immortality, as well as that of Luna’s. He was admittedly a little proud of this, as it reinforced his beliefs to keep a level head. Had he lost his composure at his squad being decimated by simple mares, he might not have been able to use his silver tongue to convince Twilight Sparkle.

An awkward beat of silence filled the room. The only thing to break that silence was a gust of wind that softly passed by, entering through the mostly non-existent ceiling. They all wanted to say something, yet couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, my friends...” choked Twilight. She slowly trotted over to the Captain, giving a glance at her friends. This was the last time she would seem them. “I’ll miss you all...”

Then, somepony spoke up.

“Wait!” a voice cried out.

Spike, the baby dragon, rushed at Twilight, tears flowing from his eyes. He latched onto one of the Twilight’s leg, and he didn’t want to let go. The baby dragon’s sorrowful eyes met Twilight’s.

“Please don’t go...” he pleaded.

Twilight shut her eyes, tears streaming down the sides of her cheeks. She regretted having to leave her friends on such a note, especially Spike. She was like a big sister, or even a mother to the baby dragon.

Once more, their eyes locked. “I’m sorry, Spike... But I have to do this.”

“But...”

“No buts, Spike.”

The baby dragon’s head sagged as he reluctantly let go of Twilight’s leg. The onlooking Mane 5 silently shed tears, with the exception of the very audible Pinkie Pie. Then, another pony stepped forward.

“Are ya’ sure, sugarcube?” asked the tearful orange mare.

“Yes, Applejack,” replied Twilight.

“Ah see...” murmured Applejack, her head drooping.

There was another beat of silence before the Captain spoke up again. “Now, are you finally ready to go, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes. I am,” she stated. The sound of her voice implied an attempt to sound indifferent, as if she had come to acceptance of her fate, yet still audible was the sound of regret.

“Then we shall go. Get on my back and I will fly us back to base,” he ordered, lowering himself to allow the lavender unicorn to hoist herself onto his back side.

Twilight promptly situated herself onto Captain Strong Wing’s back as her friends watched on with tearful eyes. They wanted to stop Twilight, and yet they couldn’t. It was because the mare that brought them together did so of her own will. Or, at least that seemed to be the case.

The Captain’s wings began to flap, lifting the two of them into the air. Within moments, they had ascended above where the roof would be.

Twilight Sparkle, just before she disappeared into the night, gave one last sorrowful glance down at her friends. Not a word was spoken between anypony, but the message of Twilight’s visage spoke enough.

‘Goodbye, my friends.’

*     *     *

Stars dotted the night sky, the moon looming over, casting a dim and pale light on the canopy below. There were few sounds to interrupt the peaceful nighttime flight.

The flight back to the makeshift base had been rather uneventful. Neither the Captain nor Twilight had anything to say to one another. All the mare had done was think to herself as she gazed at the landscape under her. It was surprising to see how calm it seemed the Everfree Forest could be at night.

Twilight unmounted from Strong Wing as soon as they touched down at the base. Various lanterns were scattered around to illuminate the area. Several nighttime guards were on patrol. She felt a hoof suddenly touch her shoulder. She turned to face the Captain.

“We will leave tomorrow morning. For now, get some rest.” he calmly ordered. Twilight solemnly nodded in reply. The Captain then turned away, seeing a nearby pair of guards. “You two. Escort Miss Sparkle to a tent and guard her.”

The pair nodded before escorting Twilight to a tent for her to stay in. The Captain made his way to the Communication’s tent. He brushed away the flaps that acted as the door to the tent, finding Scarlet asleep at her desk, her head resting on a pile of paper work.

Strong Wing knocked on the desk a few times with a hoof, prompting Scarlet’s eyes to slowly creep open. The scarlet colored unicorn slowly lifted her head, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. Then, she noticed that it was the Captain who had woken her.

“Captain!” she exclaimed, letting out a gasp. She stumbled up to give him a salute. “I apologize for sleeping on the job, Sir!”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s been a long day,” he said, prompting her to be at ease with hoof gesture. “For now, just send Princess Celestia a message.”

Scarlet nodded as she lifted a quill and parchment in front of her with her magic. “What shall I say?” she inquired.

“Princess Celestia, we have captured the target: Twilight Sparkle. She will be delivered first thing in the morning.” he stated, with Scarlet quickly writing down what he said word for word, dragging the quill across the parchment. Her strokes were very fast.

The aura surrounding the parchment forced it to roll up, followed by a piece of cloth wrapping itself around the parchment to keep it rolled up. Then, the magic aura compressed itself as it twist and turned. The parchment containing the Captain’s message dematerialized before vanishing in a swirl of light. The spell worked very similarly to Spike’s flames.

“The message has been sent, sir,” the mare informed the Captain. Although, it wasn’t necessary. Strong Wing saw it happen before his very eyes. He thought it a little amusing however. Scarlet always was a bit of the obvious-stating type.

“Alright. Thank you, Scarlet,” he said, turning away as he began to approach the exit.

“Yes, Sir! Anytime, Sir!” she barked, saluting.

Strong Wing stopped, turning his head around to see his communication’s officer giving him a salute. He couldn’t help but find it a little cute how Scarlet was always trying to be so formal with him, and trying to impress him with her work. Indeed, she had a good work ethic.

“Remember, Scarlet. You don’t need to be so formal me,” he remarked calmly, as to not intimidate the mare.

“Okay... Thank you, sir,” she replied, in a more casual tone.

The Captain gave a nod before exiting the tent. Scarlet let out a sigh of relief before slumping down over her paperwork again. The tired mare peacefully drifted off to sleep.

The Captain strolled towards his tent, tired and ready for sleep. It had been a very long day, and a lot of fighting. He armored pony was still a bit troubled at how some of his finest troops fell to a group of mares, but he didn’t want to dwell on it.

Once he entered his tent, he promptly slid the remains of his armor off. He gave the metallic thud no though before settling into the simple mattress that was laid out on the ground. The Captain let out a sigh as his eyes shut, drifting off into a deep slumber, awaiting the dawn.

*     *     *

A peaceful dawn arrived; the sun not yet fully in view. It had barely peeked over the horizon, only just beginning to fill the sky with light. Spike, the baby dragon, and Mane 5 had managed to get some sleep and rest in for the night. It wasn’t comfortable, given the stone floor.

Applejack was used to getting up early to get started on farm work. Naturally, she was the first to awaken from her slumber. She wiped her eyes out with her hooves and let out a yawn. The orange mare proceeded to trot around the room and awaken her friends as well.

One by one, the rest of the Mane 5 and Spike were finally waking up. Various tired grumbles sounded, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, who one awakened, was quickly filled with energy.

The group huddled around in front of the Elements of Harmony pedestals. to discuss their next move. Being best friends with Twilight Sparkle, they wanted nothing more than to save her life.

"Everypony, Ah feel that we outta go after Twilight," said Applejack. Her visage had a serious tone emanating from it.

"Are you sure? I feel the same way, but this is Twilight's wish," commented Rarity, cringing a little.

"I don't care if it's her wish! I wanna go save her!" shouted Rainbow Dash.

Applejack gave a nod towards the cyan pegasus. "Ah don't care what Twilight said. This ain't of 'er own will! That Captain fella' was just foolin' her!" she said, anger and frustration audible in her voice.

“Do you really think the Captain will keep his word and spare our lives?” inquired the timid Fluttershy.

“Ah’m sure he will. Ah have heard some stories ‘bout him around the market place when sellin’ apples. Ah’ve heard he is a stallion of his word,”  answered Applejack.

“Then, it’s probably at least safe to return to Ponyville,” concluded Rarity.

“I sure hope so,” commented Spike.

“Well, Ah think we outta head on back ta’ Ponyville. Then we can plan our next move,” the orange mare began, giving a serious sweeping glance at her friends. She began gesturing with a hoof. “Ah can tell ya’ll wanna go save Twilight as much as Ah do, even though she said she's willin’ ta’ do this.”

There was a beat of silence before each pony, and Spike, all nodded in acknowledgement. Applejack responded with a grin and a nod of her own.

With that, the group decided to hurry back to Ponyville, the lot of them dashing out the main entrance of ruined castle and quickly across the old bridge. To keep up, Spike rode on Applejack’s back.

Spike narrowed his eyes in thought. Twilight Sparkle was his only family. The lavender mare was like a mother to him.

Memories of his closest friend flash in his head as he closed his eyes. They were warm memories; pleasant memories. Fond memories. One memory in particular surfaced.

-Twilight Sparkle darted out of the Everfree Forest, trailing her new pet Owl, Owloysius. Relief overcame Spike as they had outran the pursuing Dragon that attempted to kill them.

The unicorn skidded to a stop, with Spike dismounting from her back. Twilight was panting from exhaustion before she spoke up. "Spike! We were so worried about you! *I* was so worried about you! Why did you run away?" she said, raising her voice.

"I thought you didn't need me anymore... And that you didn't love me anymore..." he replied, solemnly.

Twilight appeared rather saddened momentarily. "Spike... Sure I was disappointed, but you are my number one assistant and friend!" she told the baby dragon, now giving a warm smile "And you always will be." -

A tear ran down the baby dragon's cheek. It was one of his most heart warming memories of him and Twilight Sparkle. Even after he had acted, and ran away, Twilight came to him in his time of need. When it was his life that was on the line.  The baby dragon knew Twilight didn't want to have to die. No matter what, he was going to protect his closest friend.

‘Things will turn out okay, right? I know we can make them turn okay!’ thought the baby dragon. He was already thinking about how the whole dilemma could be resolved without Twilight having to perish. He was more determined than ever now, as was the Mane 5. After all, the mare that had brought them all together was on her way to her death.

‘Hang on, Twilight! We’re coming!’

Chapter 15: Return to Canterlot

Chapter 15: Return to Canterlot

The sun had risen a little more now, peeking over the hills in the distant horizon. Its radiant light was more prevalent in the still mostly darkened sky. Dawn had arrived in Equestria.

Twilight Sparkle awoke to the sound of a harsh voice.

“Get up! It’s time to go!” it barked, with a certain coldness.

The mare’s eyes jerked open, startled. Before her was a common unicorn royal guard. He had been sent by the Captain to awaken the Twilight.

The lavender unicorn slowly rose to her hooves, a little groggy from her rude awakening. She let out a yawn as she brought a hoof up to her mouth, closing her eyes as it happened. The unicorn guard was impatiently tapping a hoof.

“It’s time to go? Already?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. It is dawn. The Captain is waiting for you,” he said, his voice calmer than it was before. Twilight figured his harsh, loud voice was simply a fast wake up call. It had worked like a charm on the tired mare.

The guard motioned with his head for Twilight to follow as he turned around and exited the tent. The lavender mare promptly followed in his wake, the tent door flapping open.

As she trotted behind her escort, Twilight gazed up at the early morning sky. Towards the east, she could see the sun peering over the horizon, its radiant light struggling to climb all the way over. Towards the west, the sky was still dark. Some of stars dotting the sky were still visible.

The mare had been getting lost in a train of though before a voice shook her to her senses. “We’re here,” he spoke. The unicorn guard motioned his head at Captain Strong Wing, who could be seen issuing orders to his second in command. Near him was a chariot, with two pegasus guards mounted up, ready for take off at a moments notice. He was also adorned with new armor.

The second in command gave a salute to the Captain before trotting off to give orders to the base to pack up. Strong Wing himself glanced at the onlooking Twilight Sparkle and her escort.

“Ah, I see you’re awake now,” he observed. The Captain gave a simple nod towards the armored unicorn, prompting him to take his leave. “Now, Miss Sparkle, we are to leave immediately,” he said, climbing into the chariot.

She reluctantly trotted over to the chariot before climbing in herself. Twilight was nervous, despite keeping up a stoic facade.

With the Captain and Twilight Sparkle in the chariot, the pair of armored pegasi at the front of the chariot dashed forward, flapping their wings. Within moments, the golden chariot was lifted into the air. Twilight leaned her head out the side, observing as the base camp below was shrinking in size as they made their ascent into the skies above.

*     *     *

Spike and the Mane 5, after making great haste, finally reached the outskirts of Ponyville. They were tired, exhausted from the hasty travel through the Everfree Forest. It was miracle in itself how they managed to avoid dangerous encounters. Although, the last time they travelled that deep into the forest, Nightmare Moon had directly instigated their dangerous encounters.

Regardless, without giving it a second though, the group rushed over to the sight of the base camp that was set up by the Royal Guard. Normally, one could see it fairly well from a distance, especially since the sun had risen ever further into the sky. The stars were no longer visible in the sky, and the dark void of the night sky had further diminished.

Instead, what the group saw as the approached the sight was an empty lot. Holes in the ground were present where the stakes that held the tents down once laid. Many hoof prints littered the ground where guards had trotted.

Rainbow Dash looked up into the sky to see what looked like air wagons, hauled by armored pegasi. The last of the base camp had been packed, and had just departed back for Canterlot.

“Ah, shoot! We missed them!” shouted Rainbow Dash in frustration, throwing her hooves into the air.

“Twilight must already be on her way to Canterlot to be sacrificed!” Rarity remarked, frantic. “This is the WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!”

Her friends all gave her unamused glares. Rarity smiled sheepishly. “Well it’s true...” she retorted. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Well, that’s why we gotta hurry!” said Applejack. “Ah ain’t wastin’ anymore time.” The orange mare took off towards Canterlot full gallop, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

The rest of the group all looked at one another for a moment before follow her example. Time was of the essence, and they couldn’t afford to waste any of it.

*     *     *

Time passed by uneventfully, minutes seeming to take hours. The only sound that the two chariot passengers heard was rushing wind and the  flapping of the armored pegasi’s wings. Twilight nonchalantly gazed at the scenery below, lost once more in a train of thought.

Thinking.

Thinking.

Thinking.

Coupled with her thoughts, were memories. Once more, much like during her despair in her prison cell, memories of the best times of her life flashed in her mind. Her best friends were present within all of the.

She remembered the time spent at the Grand Galloping Gala. She recalled the heart warming moment after she and Owloysius rescued Spike after he ran away. The mare was brought back to the joy she had with her slumber party with Applejack and Rarity, and many more warm memories.

A tear slowly crept its way down her cheek. She quickly swept the tear away with a hoof, attempting to maintain her stoic facade. On top of that, she couldn’t help but feel absolutely livid with how the Princesses tried to have her closest friends murdered. All just to keep the element bearers quiet about their dark secret.

Strong Wing gave a brief side glance towards Twilight. He could easily see through her facade. He turned his head entirely and looked directly at the mare.

“I know you’re nervous. It’s understandable,” he commented calmly.

Twilight perked up and returned his glance with one of her own. Then, her head dropped a little, dropping her poker face.

“Yeah...” she replied quietly. “I am.”

“Just remember, Miss Sparkle. You will be doing Equestria a great service,” said Captain Strong Wing, reassuring Twilight Sparkle about her sacrifice. She gave a reluctant nod in response to statement.

A beat of silence ensued between the two. Twilight did not feel like verbally responding to his reassurance. Instead, she had resumed her train of thought as her stoic gaze returned to the scenery around them.

She gave a sweeping glance at the landscape before something in front of them caught her attention. Canterlot had come into view. The majestic castle was slowly but surely getting bigger. She could see torchlight coming from various windows scattered along the sides of the castle.

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled. Captain Strong Wing gave another nonchalant side glance towards Twilight. He kept his words to himself.

Very soon, would the lavender unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, meet her fate.

*     *     *

The large, regal double doors creaked open, leading into the Canterlot Castle throne room. Twilight Sparkle, following Captain Strong Wing, followed the red carpet through the large chamber. It did not take long before the pair reached the flight of steps that led up to the grand throne.

Perched atop the throne was none other than Princess Celestia herself, sipping from a glass of wine. The glass hovered before her, encased in golden aura. The alicorn lowered the glass of wine as her eyes seemed to pierce Twilight’s soul; a warm smile adorning her features, yet somehow eerie. Twilight cringed a little as beads of cold sweat ran down her face, averting her own gaze as to not make eye contact.

The Captain gave Princess Celestia a bow before he spoke up. “As promised, Princess Celestia. I have captured Twilight Sparkle,” he reportedvcalmly.

The majestic alicorn shifted her gaze to meet the Captain.”Well done, Captain. You never fail to complete your objective, as always,” she replied. The sound of voice implied she was indeed greatly pleased.

“Thank you, your majesty,” he said, giving another quick, yet respectful bow.

“Now, Twilight Sparkle. I would like to ask you to leave the room for a moment while I have a word with the Captain,” she said to the lavender mare.

Without hesitating, the Captain escorted Twilight outside of the throne room, ordering the pair of guards on the other side of the door the stand and watch her. They gave him a salute as the large double doors closed, leaving Twilight Sparkle outside the throne room with a pair of unicorn guards.

The Captain promptly made his way back over to Celestia, who wished to speak with him privately.

“So, if I may ask, Captain. How did you do it?” inquired Celestia.

There was a beat of silence. Strong Wing was always honest with Princess Celestia, since she could tell if he was lying. There would be no point in hiding details. He knew deep down that she wouldn’t be pleased to hear how Spike and the Mane 5 still lived.

Princess Celestia raised her wine glass, taking another sip as she arched a brow, curious as to the Captain’s odd lack of response. Then, he decided to speak up.

“We cornered Miss Sparkle and her friends at the old castle ruins. However, they somehow managed to kill all of my soldiers that accompanied me in combat,” he began. His voice remained calm and gruff.

“I was outnumbered by then, of course. Instead, I managed to convince Twilight Sparkle to willingly allow herself to be sacrificed.” he said. Princess Celestia arched a brow.

“And, what was it that you told her?” the alicorn asked.

“I explained to her and her friends that maintaining your immortality would be for the greater good of Equestria,” he explained, gesturing with a hoof. “She decided to allow herself to be sacrificed, and hasn’t seemed to question it since.”

Celestia thought for a moment, twirling her wine glass with her magic slowly, watching as the red liquid sloshed in a circle. “There is one thing that still bothers me, Captain.” she said, averting her gaze back meet his eyes. Strong Wing already knew what she was going to ask, but decided not to interrupt.

“You said your soldiers were killed. Does this mean her friends are still alive?” she asked, narrowing her eyes a little. Strong Wing, of all stallions, was now nervous. This was the something Celestia would not be happy to hear.

“I’m afraid so, Princess Celestia,” he said calmly, maintaining a poker face. Another beat of silence ensued for a few seconds before it was broken.

“I see,” Celestia deadpanned, bringing her wine glass to meet her lips, finishing off the last of the wine with a silent gulp. The magic aura simply set the empty glass down next to her.

Despite no noticeable change in Princess Celestia’s demeanor, the air in the room became cold. Strong Wing could see severe disappointment in the alicorn’s eyes. He stood his ground silently, awaiting Celestia’s next statement.

“You are dismissed. Send Twilight Sparkle in,” she ordered.

“Yes, your highness.” replied Strong Wing, giving one last bow before turning to exit the throne room. The double doors opened, revealing Twilight Sparkle to be waiting patiently outside. The Captain gestured with his head for the mare to enter the throne room. Another nervous look crossed her visage.

Twilight reluctantly entered the throne room, the doors creaking shut behind her. The mare slowly trotted down the red carpet to meet with Princess Celestia.

“Welcome back, Twilight Sparkle,” said the regal alicorn. Her voice had an odd and eerie warmth to it in stark contrast with how she spoke back in the dungeon, or even when she was first caught snooping. Accompanying her eerily warm voice, was an equally creepy warm smile.

Twilight wanted to look away, but found herself unable to. The unicorn was visibly nervous, being face to face once more with Princess Celestia. Their eyes met, gazing into one another from their respective spots. There was a sudden, very brief gleam in Celestia’s eyes as they narrowed ever so slightly. But Twilight did not give it much thought.

“I am pleased that you came to your senses, my little pony.” commented Princess Celestia.

Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to say something, but found herself unable to speak out of nervousness. Celestia chuckled lightly at this.

“Please, follow me,” she calmly instructed, stepping off of her throne. She strolled towards the double doors, passing by Twilight. The Princess turned her head back, motioning for Twilight to follow. “We have work to do.” Twilight decided it was best to stay on her good side, and promptly trailed behind Celestia.

Once they passed through the doors, they took an immediate right turn , entering a corridor. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The pair idly passed by torches that lit the hallways, as well as the many tapestries that decorated the walls. After a few moments, Twilight finally said something.

“I want to ask you something,” stated Twilight.

Princess Celestia’s ears perked up as she turned her head to look directly at the lavender mare. “And what would that be?” she inquired softly.

“Before, in the dungeon... You said Princess Luna had nothing to do with this,” Twilight pointed out, her face and voice stoic. "And yet, Princess Luna showed her full support for you."

Princess Celestia stopped in her tracks and spoke up before Twilight asked the official question, already knowing what it would be. “I partially spoke the truth.” she said, before Twilight could ask her question. The Princess then resumed her stroll through the corridors.

“Huh?” muttered the the unicorn in a fit of confusion.

“Luna had not previously known, nor been involved. I discovered the means to achieve immortality very shortly before she tried to usurp me as Nightmare Moon all those years ago,” she explained. Twilight merely looked at Celestia, listening intently.

“However, now that she has returned to her true self, I felt that I could let her in on my little secret,” she finished.

“Where is she now?” Twilight asked, arching a brow.

“She is sleeping in her quarters,” replied Celestia, glancing back at the curious mare with another eerily warm smile.

“Oh...” Twilight said in response, averting her eyes to avoid looking at the Princess. Twilight had trouble getting over how creepy it was when Celestia did that now.

But regardless, that was all she had to say for now. The lavender unicorn had the answers she wanted. Her thoughts raced within her mind as she continued to follow Princess Celestia through the twisting corridors.

She briefly shifted her eyes to look at Princess Celestia again, finding that the Princess was now looking ahead. Twilight’s eyes narrowed, staring daggers at Celestia behind her back. She had one more question for the Princess now.

“Will you spare my friends’ lives?” she asked the regal alicorn. Twilight knew that Celestia knew that her friends were still alive. In truth, Twilight could hear bits of the conversation she had with the Captain through the doors of the throne room.

At first, the majestic alicorn hesitated to answer. She inhaled, then exhaled audibly. “Yes, Twilight. I will,” she finally said in response.

The unicorn's eyes narrowed ever further. She could tell Princess Celestia was lying to her. It made her feel angry. The mare felt her blood boil within her veins. But Twilight did not let it show. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” said Twilight, relaying a false sense of gratitude.

Eventually, the pair made one more turn before coming to an apparent dead end. Twilight Sparkle looked on as Celestia casually walked up to the wall at the end of this short corridor. As she did so, Twilight turned around and gave the surroundings one last look, finding nopony else in the area. With that, Twilight turned back to face the Princess.

The tip of Princess Celestia’s horn lit up, tapping the wall in front of her. A golden light suddenly flooded the crevices between the large cobblestone bricks. After a few moments of silently watching, the light faded away, taking the entire wall with it.

Behind this wall, was a staircase that led downwards a ways, the walls adorned with torches to light the way. It was far less regal than the rest of the castle, comparable to the dungeons in fact.

“Well then,” Celestia began to say, staring directly at Twilight. “Shall we go?”

Twilight Sparkle did not immediately respond to Celestia’s question. Instead, she turned around, facing away from Princess Celestia as her head drooped. “Well, actually,” she began. “There is one more thing that I want to say before we go.” Her voice was solemn.

The Princess of the Sun arched a brow, tilting her head a little. “What is it?” she asked, curious as to what Twilight had to say.

She observed as the mare before her lifted her head back up. Princess Celestia could not see it, but Twilight’s eyes were narrow with anger. Then, it happened.

Twilight’s horn suddenly lit up as she spun around rapidly to face the Princess, followed by a quick lunge.

The alicorn’s eyes widened with surprise, unable to react in time. The next thing she knew, there was a sharp, and very deep pain in her chest. Princess Celestia grunted in pain.

Slowly, her eyes moved down to see Twilight’s forehead resting against her chest with no sign of her horn, blood gushing down onto the mare’s head.

After a moment, Twilight Sparkle pulled away, revealing her unicorn horn at last. A purple aura surrounded it, but it was different than usual. The aura was refined in its shape; twice the length of the horn itself, and had a very sharp tip to it.

There was a hole in the alicorn’s chest, where blood continued to flow from. She shifted her gaze to meet Twilight’s face, which burned with rage.

With that, Princess Celestia felt strength leave her body, causing her to collapse onto the floor, coughing up blood. She could only mutter one thing.

“Sh-shit....”

Chapter 16: Foiled

Chapter 16: Foiled

The bright, round sun was in full view, hovering over the hills and mountains in the distant horizon. The darkened sky was all but gone, replaced a blue morning sky. Clouds, lingering in the sky, were few and far between.

The group of friends, rushing towards Canterlot with all of their determined might, had left Ponyville quite a while ago. Despite this, they still had a little ways to go before they would reach the the Royal Canterlot Castle. Although, getting there was the easy part. It would be getting in to the Castle itself that would be the hard part.

Spike and Mane 5 relied on the chance that the Captain kept to his word that their lives were to be spared. Even if he promised, that wouldn’t mean that the Princesses themselves wouldn’t override his orders. With luck, the order had not yet been given to slay them on sight.

At this point, Spike was riding on Pinkie Pie’s back to keep up with the group, instead of Applejack this time. The orange mare had previously taken off full gallop, while the rest of them followed shortly after. They had managed to catch up to the farmer, however.

They traveled down a dirt road in the country side, passing by many trees as well as opens fields, being that this what type of landscape that rested between Ponyville and Canter. However, travelling at full gallop for any extended period of time enough to tired out anypony. Once more, Rainbow Dash fared the best, as she could use her wings to travel instead of going on hoof.

The group had no choice but to stop and catch their breath. Even Pinkie Pie, with her seemingly limitless energy was showing signs of exhaustion. Having to carry Spike on her back may have contributed however. It would then be, during their break, that somepony decided to speak up.

“So, when we get to Canterlot, how in Equestria are we supposed to get into the castle?” a certain white unicorn asked. “I doubt they would just let us in.”

“We could force our way in!” suggested Rainbow Dash, smashing one hoof into the other, excited at the thought of fighting with more of the guards. A confident smirk found its way onto her visage.

“I don’t know... that, um, seems a little reckless...” Fluttershy retorted softly, timid as always.

“Well, unless you got any better ideas...” Rainbow Dash began, crossing her forelegs as she hovered in the air.

“Fluttershy is right, darling,” Rarity commented, giving Rainbow Dash an unamused facial expression. “It was tough fighting those ruffians at the old castle ruins. And they were just a small squad,” she continued. Indeed, the white unicorn had a point.

“Well, we could try and sneak in,” asserted the baby dragon. “I don’t think we could fight off a whole army.”

Then, Pinkie Pie suddenly had a huge smirk. “I have an idea!” she chimed, bouncing up and down in place. Spike held on for dear life, trying not to fall off.

“I could distract them while you all sneak in!” she began to say. It wouldn’t take long for the pink mare to begin trailing off and running her motor mouth, much to the annoyance of her friends.

Applejack trotted over a put a hoof to Pinkie’s mouth. “We get it, Sugarcube.” she said. Pinkie Pie seemed to stop talking. With that, Applejack let her hoof down.

“That’s actually a good idea, Pinkie Pie. You of all ponies would know how to make a distraction!” Spike commented. “Where did you come up with that?” he inquired.

“It was the writer’s idea, silly!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie in response.

Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie like she was insane, completely confused as to what she meant. “Who?” they all asked in unison.

“Never mind!” she said, laughing. Her friends all gave confused glances at one another before getting back on topic.

“Anyway, now that we have a plan, Ah say we get goin’!” asserted the orange earth pony. Her friends nodded in agreement as they took off towards Canterlot once more, having managed to catch their breath and come up with something.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle watched, her eyes searing with anger, as her former mentor writhed in pain on the floor before her. The sharp, lance-like aura surrounding her horn receded. Twilight trotted a little closer to the gravely wounded Princess Celestia.

“Princess Celestia, I will never forgive you for what you have done...” she growled with a harsh tone of voice. Princess Celestia could do nothing but return Twilight’s glare with a shocked expression of her own.

“I could not let you get away with this!” said Twilight, scuffing the ground. “You have killed innocent ponies. You have tried to kill me!” she continued. “And to top it all off, you tried to kill my friends!!!” The recollection of the ways Celestia tried to murder her best friends only fed her burning rage more.

“I don’t care if it’s for the good of Equestria or not right. I’m not going maintain your immortality, you monster!” she shouted. It was rare that Twilight Sparkle was this livid. Although, it was understandable given the circumstances.

Princess Celestia’s shocked expression turned to one of anger. “Y-you... shouldn’t have done that... Twilight Sparkle,” the alicorn spoke, struggling to let her words out. “You don’t know what you’re doing...” The Princess coughed up more blood upon speaking those words. It seemed that her life was fleeting. Princess Celestia may not age, but she could still be killed. At least, that's what the lavender mare hoped for. It was a chance she was will to take, having attacked Princess Celestia like that.

“No, Princess Celestia. You and Luna have overstayed your welcome!” she replied, maintaining her hateful glare. “This. Ends. Now!” Twilight Sparkle drove her horn through Princess Celestia’s neck as the sharp, pointed lance-like aura returned, encasing her horn in the blink on an eye.

It passed clean through the injured alicorn’s neck, even piercing the stone floor under her. The alicorn’s expression reverted to one of complete shock and pain once more. Her multi-colored mane began to dim as her eye lids slowly closed, the eyes themselves rolling up in their sockets. Princess Celestia could not even make a sound.

The sharp aura surrounding Twilight Sparkle’s horn retreated for the last time. “Now... It’s over,” Twilight said to herself, glaring down at the lifeless alicorn, panting a little. The lavender mare’s anger was diminishing. “And good riddance.” Twilight then let out a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes.

“Hm hm hm hm...” a familiar voice chuckled.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes suddenly shot wide open. She saw the once lifeless body of Princess Celestia gazing up at her, as if staring into the very depths of her soul. The sinister chuckle that she had let out was accompanied by an equally sinister smirk. It sent shivers down Twilight’s spine as she slowly backed away, horrified at the sight before her.

“Look behind you,” muttered gravely injured Princess Celestia, with an eerily calm tone, her eyes still ever piercing.

Twilight’s head slowly turned around, her eyes widened with shock. The rest of her body soon followed. At the end of the short corridor, the mare saw something that she wished she didn’t.

A tall, sleek, and majestic alicorn adorned with a crown as her multi-colored mane waved as it usually does. She was completely unharmed; not a scratch on her to ruin her perfect, white fur.

Twilight’s jaw dropped, her eyes so wide they felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. The mare frantically glanced back to the fallen corpse of the regal alicorn.

It was gone.

There were no blood stains or anything where her body once was. The only thing of interest was the deep gash in the floor where Twilight had previously stabbed Celestia through her neck.

The lavender unicorn quickly turned around to face the sinister, unharmed Princess. Adorning the alicorn’s features was a calm smirk. Twilight Sparkle was dumbfounded at this turn of events.

“But... but...but...” she began, pointing a trembling hoof at Princess Celestia.

“What... Surprised?” the regal alicorn inquired.

Twilight Sparkle gritted her teeth as her eyes narrowed. Her visage conveyed anger at her former mentor. But at the same time, tears streamed down her cheeks.

“No...” she said strongly, with hints of both despair and anger.

“Come now, Twilight Sparkle. I know you better than anypony else. Since when were you under the impression that I wouldn’t be prepared for something like that?” she asked, the tone of her voice slightly mocking the shocked and angry lavender mare. Twilight backed away slowly by several feet as the Princess nonchalantly approached her, maintaining her calm, yet triumphant grin. Twilight was speechless.

“I thought it was highly suspicious that you would have given in so easily. I know you’re more stubborn than that, my little pony,” criticized Celestia. She shook her head in disapproval. “I knew you may try something like this, which is why I cast that illusion.”

Twilight remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out when the Princess would have cast an illusion. Then it hit her. “Wait... That gleam in your eyes when we made eye contact... Back in the throne room...” she speculated, her voice frantic.

Princess Celestia nodded her head. “Indeed, Twilight Sparkle. I had been trailing behind you this whole time, waiting to see if you would do as I suspected you would,” explained the sinister alicorn. “That’s twice that you have been tricked now.”

Twilight Sparkle gritted her teeth again, scuffing the ground with a hoof. Her plan to surprise attack the Princess had spectacularly failed, but she wasn’t about to give up. It was now or never.

However, unfortunately for the lavender unicorn, Princess Celestia’s horn began to emit a radiant golden light. Twilight Sparkle found her self hoisted into the air by a golden aura, suspended helplessly as she flailed around, trying to escape Celestia’s magical grasp.

“Now now, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve let you have your fun,” she mocked, looking directly into Twilight’s eyes. “But now, it is time for us to go.” Twilight shot an angry, yet tearful glare at the Princess, who returned her glare with a warm smile.

Suddenly, Twilight was launched backwards, sending the mare tumbling violently down the secret flight of cobblestone stairs. Twilight repeatedly let out yelps of pain as she hit many steps on the way down, eventually landing with a hard thud at the bottom. She found herself in another corridor, the walls lined with torches. An iron door was present at the end of the hallway.

The lavender mare was bruised, battered, and bleeding a little from the mouth. She winced in pain as she tried to stand up on all fours, struggling at first to do so. Within moments she heard hoof steps descending the stairs after her. The injured unicorn looked up to see Princess Celestia coming into view.

“Sorry. My magic must have slipped,” she said jokingly, as if it weren’t a big deal that she just threw Twilight Sparkle down a flight of cobblestone stairs. Twilight couldn’t help but shoot a hard glare at Celestia. And yet, nothing she could do could intimidate the regal alicorn.

“You won’t get away with this...” Twilight threatened as her horn lit up, preparing a spell. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the smug Princess Celestia. The lavender unicorn was determined to take Celestia down for the horribles things she has done.

“Do you really think you can win, Twilight Sparkle?” inquired the regal alicorn, arching a brow as she maintained her smirk. Princess Celestia had full confidence in her abilities to subdue the her protege. "If you were smart, you would give up now."

“I have to try!” she shouted in response, scuffing the floor with a hoof.

“Here I come!”

Chapter 17: Assault Part 1

Chapter 17: Assault

The daytime sky was entirely blue, looming over the illuminated land scape. Very few clouds had dotted the sky. The streets of the regal city of Canterlot were bustling with merchants, selling their wears. Nobles trotted down the streets with their heads held high.

Spike and the Mane 5 kept to the alleyways as to not draw too much attention. The sun had not yet risen too high into the sky, as it was still morning. Shadows filled in most of the ally ways, and high class nobles tended to stay away from such ‘filthy’ places. The perfect way to get around without drawing attention.

They would eventually arrive near the castle gates, leading into the courtyard where the central path would take one to the main entrance. The exit from the ally, into the street, landed near where the entrance gate was, allowing them to remain undetected whilst near their goal.

“Alright, Pinkie Pie. You know what to do right?” whispered Rainbow Dash to the bubbly pink earth pony.

“Of course silly filly!” she chimed, bouncing up and down. Applejack stuffed a hoof into Pinkie Pie’s mouth.

“Shhh!” the orange mare ordered. “Do ya want em’ to hear us back here?” Applejack asked, this time whispering. Pinkie Pie shook her head. With that, Applejack lowered her hoof.

“Alright, darling. It’s time for you to shine,” said Rarity, motioning for Pinkie Pie to distract the guards at the gate entrance. The pink mare nodded, smiling as she did so. Pinkie Pie turned around and faced the street. To the left, down the street a very short distance, was the entrance gate. The mare had a confident look on her face.

She bounced out of the alley and into view on the street. The pink mare had a happy go lucky smile on her face as she nonchalantly bounced towards the entrance gate. The guards spotted her, but remained stoic and unmoving.

Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing in front of the gate, and looked at the two guards on each side of the gate. “Hi!” she exclaimed. Neither guard moved a muscle, nor replied in anyway.

Pinkie Pie took a few more steps forward towards the gate until both guards suddenly burst from their spots and blocked Pinkie’s path.

“Halt!” one of them ordered.

“What business do you have at the castle?” the other asked.

Pinkie Pie stared at the pair of guards before hilariously crazy grin formed on Pinkie’s visage. “I’m here, to PARTY!” she shouted, as she hopped over both guards and quickly bucked the gate open. Their jaws dropped as they watched the crazy pink mare illegally enter the castle grounds without a care in the world.

Pinkie Pie darted into the large court yard without hesitating, laughing all the while. The guards glanced at each other for a moment before taking off after the crazed pink earth pony.

“WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” she yelled in excitement, tearing through the court yard, making as much noise as possible. Other guards stationed in the area looked on at the rampaging pink mare, surprised by her suicidal boldness. They promptly took off after Pinkie Pie to help catch her, leaving the area unguarded as planned.

The wonderful thing about Pinkie Pie is her incredible speed for an earth pony. Pinkie Pie had full confidence she could outrun any of the royal guards. The mare has demonstrated speeds matching even a flying Rainbow Dash, on hoof. Pinkie Pie eventually lead her pursuers towards the Royal Sculpture Garden, away from main court yard.

She glanced back to see a number of armored pegasi and unicorn guards chasing her. Pinkie Pie stuck her tongue out at the pursuing authorities, mocking them. They were visibly annoyed at this, growling at the mare.

One of the pegasi branched off and flew to the main entrance, where he entered the castle in hurry.

As the commotion began trailing off into the distance, Spike and the Mane 4 quickly approached the unguarded entrance and slipped in through opened gate undetected. The group of friends peeked around, finding the area deserted.

“Heh heh. Good ol’ Pinkie Pie,” said Applejack, with a chuckle.

Suddenly, a boom sounded off in the distance, coming from the direction that Pinkie Pie had lead the guards.

“Was that her Party Cannon?” asked Rarity, arching a brow.

“Probably. She never leaves home without it, after all,” Rainbow Dash replied, amused at Pinkie’s antics. But before any more could be said, in the distance, they saw the main doors creep open.

The group dove behind some hedges nearby to hide from whoever was emerging from the doorway. They peeked through small gaps in the hedges to see who it was.

The pegasus that had previously entered the castle emerged from the door, accompanied by more guards. Then, the last one to emerge from the main entrance was Captain Strong Wing.

“Ugh. The Captain again?” Rarity whispered, frustrated.

“I’ve just about had it with him,” replied Rainbow Dash, somewhat angered.

“Just control yerself, sugarcube. We ain’t here to get caught,” commented Applejack. Rainbow Dash huffed a little, but she knew that AJ was right. More talking ensued between the group before somepony interrupted them.

“Um.. Girls... They went after Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy said quietly, having observed the Captain and the guards taking off towards the Sculpture Garden.

They fell silent for a moment.

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” ordered Spike, darting out of the hedges towards the door, which was currently unguarded. The Mane 4 quickly followed after him, arriving at the main doors without wasting any time.

With that, the Spike and the Mane 4 pushed the doors open, gaining access to the Castle without a hitch.

Now, it was time to find and rescue Twilight.

*     *     *

A streak of golden light tore through the air, striking the lavender unicorn head on. She yelped as she flew backwards from the blast. The mare came out with scorch marks on her fur.

Twilight Sparkle struggled to stand up; bruised, battered, bleeding, and now a little scorched. She was grunting and panting in pain the whole time. The mare was losing too much blood by this point. One of her eyes was partially shut from her injuries.

Purple light was emitted from Twilight’s horn as she crouched a little. A thick bubble of lavender materialized around her form, while beneath that, another aura surrounded her body. The unicorn attempted to ward off any more attacks that Princess Celestia may throw while simultaneously attempting to heal the damage that had been done to her.

Princess Celestia, recognizing what she was trying to do, wouldn’t give her much time. Strands and beads of golden magic energy gathered at the tip of the regal alicorn’s horn, quickly growing in size as she tilted her head forward to point her horn at the lavender mare. With that, Princess Celestia unleashed another wave of light that blazed towards Twilight Sparkle, this one being more powerful than the previous attack.

Upon contact with Twilight’s barrier, the beam exploded with a radiant, golden light. The floor around where Twilight was would be torn up and damaged, as were the walls on either side of the mare, kicking up a lot of dust and smoke in the process.

Princess Celestia waited a moment for the unintentional smoke screen to clear. Once it did, she found Twilight’s barrier heavily cracked, before shattering like glass. The alicorn wasn’t pleased with this however, as she had intended to blast right on through the barrier.

‘Hmph. I held back too much,’  she thought, giving an annoyed look.

Twilight stood up completely now that her barrier had shattered, leaving her vulnerable. With in the given time frame, the lavender mare had at least managed to stop the bleeding, and alleviated some of the pain. Although, she had hoped for more time to recover.

‘Come on! Think, Twilight, think!’she shouted in her head, gritting her teeth. Given how the encounter was going so far, she knew she didn’t stand a chance in a traditional battle against the Princess. Twilight would have to use her wits if she was to have any chance of victory.

“This will be the last chance I give you to surrender, Twilight Sparkle,” claimed Celestia, with a stinging coldness to the way she spoke. The Princess promptly narrowed her eyes.

Twilight ignored the Princess Celestia’s words, and instead, chose to continue thinking. But she would have to do so fast.

“Well?” Celestia demanded, growing impatient.

“Not even in a thousand years!” shouted Twilight in response, her horn beginning to emit more light. The mare had just now managed to come up with strategy that she hoped would work.

With that, the light from her horn suddenly exploded into a blinding flare. Princess Celestia brought a hoof up and winced to shield herself from the blinding light before her. Unfortunately for her, she had already looked directly into the flare for just moment, impeding her vision.

Twilight Sparkle had used this as a diversion of course, having teleported during the blinding flare. The lavender unicorn quickly materialized directly behind the stunned alicorn, her horn still glowing.

Twilight lunged forth at the Princess Celestia, the aura of her horn shaping itself into a lance-like shape once more. ‘This is it!’ she though. The tip of her sharp aura drew ever closer. It seemed as if time had slowed down as the decisive blow was being delivered.

But then, something suddenly stopped Twilight Sparkle dead in her tracks, the tip of her horn’s aura mere inches away from Princess Celestia. No matter how hard she tried, she could not force herself forward any farther.

It was a barrier. This one was usually invisible to the naked the eye. However, it revealed itself upon being struck, a golden light appearing where the lavender mare’s attack had struck. Sparks of magic energy erupted from the point of contact, the unicorn’s sharp aura trying to force its way though Celestia’s shield, only to no avail.

Twilight was suddenly thrown back towards the stairs she had previously fallen down. The barrier had successfully repelled the mare, leaving Princess Celestia unscathed. She promptly landed inches away from the bottom step, glancing up towards the top.

‘Darn! A barrier!? This isn’t working... I need to get away from here and form a new plan.’ thought Twilight, wincing in fear a little. A sound caught her attention. Her eyes shifted towards Princess Celestia as she stood up on all fours.

The regal alicorn was grunting from the bright light that flashed her eyes. Although, she seemed to be recovering. The Princess brought her hoof down, no longer needing it. With that, she turned around to face Twilight Sparkle.

“A classic tactic. But unfortunately for you, I came prepared with my back side guarded,” she chuckled, as if to mock Twilight’s failed attempted to harm her.

Twilight shot Princess Celestia a nasty glare. “I’m not through yet!” she claimed. Her horn lit up quickly, only to flare up again with a blinding light. However, Princess Celestia shielded her eyes before she could be blinded again.

During the moments she shielded her eyes, a bolt of magic struck the alirocorn’s barrier. Afterwards, she thought she heard distant hoof steps, but something was wrong. They were, becoming dimmer, as if running away. Then, it hit her.

Twilight Sparkle used had used her flare once more as a distraction in conjunction with teleportation. This time, however, the mare had retreated in an attempt to buy her more time to fully recover and plan an effective counter attack. Twilight Sparkle didn’t care how long it took, she was determined to take Princess Celestia down once and for all.

Princess Celestia on the other hoof narrowed her eyes, annoyed at Twilight’s sudden retreat. She slammed a hoof into the floor, cracking the cobblestone below her. ‘I should have been more aggressive,’she thought to herself.

The regal alicorn’s body vanished in a quick flash of golden light, only to reappear passed the top of the stairs, back in the corridor above. She listened for the hoof steps of Twilight Sparkle to determine which way she went. Fortunately for her, she could still hear the lavender unicorn’s hoofsteps. Princess Celestia promptly gave chase down the corridors, hunting her protege down.

“I’m coming for you, Twilight Sparkle,” the alicorn said to herself, narrowing her eyes.

“And this time, I won’t go easy on you.”

Chapter 18: Assault Part 2

Chapter 18: Assault Part 2

Pinkie Pie zipped through the sculpture garden with ease, zig-zagging her way around the statues, leaving a trail of dust and a pink streak in her wake. Her pursuers attempted to keep up, but it was no easy task against a bubbly pink mare who could match speed with the fastest flier in Equestria, or possibly even exceed it by unknown factors of magnitude.

Pinkie Pie gave a confident backwards glance, having widened the gap between herself and the guards The mare pulled her Party Cannon out of seemingly nowhere once more. She excitedly hopped in a foot or two into the air as she slammed a hoof onto the button on top of the cannon. Hard candy and pastries exploded out of the barrel with a thunderous boom. The happy-go-lucky mare laughed the entire time, having the time of her life. Pinkie Pie was just being Pinkie Pie, despite the crisis at hoof.

The mare grabbed hold of her Party Canon with her front hooves and promptly shoved into an unknown pocket of space at her side. The guards, who were closing in on the mare were completely dumbfounded at her seemingly impossible antics. But they kept charging towards her none the less, attempting to tackle Pinkie Pie to the ground, and kill her if need be.

However, one after the other, Pinkie Pie hopped around, nonchalantly dodging armored pegasi as they harmlessly flew by, crashing into the ground behind her one at a time. Once again, she used her Pinkie Sense in the same fashion as before, making it nigh-impossible to hit her. On the other hoof, armored unicorns and earth pony guards surrounded the bubbly pink mare.

“We’ve got you surrounded!” an armored unicorn said. “Make it easy on yourself, and come with us quietly,” he ordered, glaring at Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie, the entire time, had a simple smile on her face. She listened to the unicorn’s orders, but didn’t care. “Nope!” she chimed, bouncing up and down. The guards inched a little towards the mare, glaring at her. A few of them started grumbling. Despite this, Pinkie Pie still had a smile on her face.

The guard narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth. “Why you little...”

“What is going on here?” a gruff voice interrupted as a number of hooves could be heard touching down on the ground.

Everypony turned towards the source of the voice, witnessing Captain Strong Wing, accompanied by his second-in-command, Wind Rider, and a number of other armored pegasi and unicorns arriving on the scene.

The Captain trotted towards the group of soldiers surrounding a pink mare. The guards in his way quickly stepped aside, revealing a familiar pink mare.

“Hi!” chimed Pinkie Pie, waving a hoof at the Captain.

Captain Strong Wing sighed and facehoofed upon seeing the pink mare, followed by shaking his head. Pinkie Pie just kept smiling. The Captain scowled at her once he put his hoof back down.

“It’s you again...” he said.

“You know this mare, Captain?” Wind Rider asked.

Strong Wing turned his head to face his second-in-command. “You could say that,” he replied.

“Now,” he began, turning back to Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing up and down in place. “If you’re here, I can only assume your friends aren’t far off. And given the commotion you’ve been causing...” he continued, pausing briefly. “I’d say you’re acting as a distraction to allow your friends to slip into the castle unnoticed. Am I correct?”

Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and winced a little at how quickly he had figured out their little plan. The Captain took note of Pinkie’s reaction.

“Hmph. I thought so,” he said. A number of the soldiers turned to one another, discussing between themselves at the revelation of the Mane 5’s plan. Their voices mixed, making for an incoherent chatter.

“Enough,” said Strong Wing, giving a sweeping glance at all of the guards in the area. “I want all of you to return to the castle and locate Princess Celestia and Luna on the double! If you find any unauthorized ponies, capture them on the spot,” he ordered. “I will take care of this mare myself.”

The guards quickly did as they were told, and retreated back to the main entrance to enter the castle with haste. As this happened, Captain Strong Wing returned his gaze back to Pinkie, giving her a little grin. He spoke up once all the guards had left.

“It was a nice try. I’ll give you that,” he said to the bubbly pink mare. “But, I’m a bit too experienced to fall for such simple tactics,” he explained. His visage then returned to a more serious state.

“You had better not hurt my friends!” Pinkie Pie shouted, now somewhat angry at the Captain. She knew her friends would be in danger, now that the guards were returning to the castle. Pinkie had hoped to buy them more time before security tightened again.

“I promised that I would spare your lives. That is why I ordered for their capture,” explained Strong Wing, calmly and seemingly emotionless.

“Oh... well, still!” she shouted, taking up a defensive stance. The pink mare kicked up a little dirt as she scuffed the ground, ready to charge at the Captain full speed.

“Your name is Pinkie Pie, correct?” he inquired.

“Well duh," she replied. "But why do y-” Pinkie Pie was promptly interrupted.

“I’ll be honest with you, Pinkie Pie,” he began, keeping his cold gaze fixated on the mare. “You and your friends should not have come back. You should have crawled back to your homes and resumed your daily lives.” Pinkie Pie lowered her head, closing her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. The mare dropped her defensive stance. A beat of silence became present before Pinkie thought of retort.

“Life without our best friend would never be the same again... Forever...” said Pinkie Pie, solemnly. “Twilight is an innocent pony who has her whole life ahead of her! She is there for her friends. She is a wonderful mare...” Her mane deflated, hanging flat and straight on her head, rather than the cotton candy like state it was usually in. Strong Wing arched a brow at the sight.

“Twilight is our best friend. Forever and always. I don’t care who it is... I will never forgive whoever would kill Twilight!” she ranted, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Her breathing became heavier. It was rare that Pinkie Pie would ever get like this. It only seemed to be the case at the prospect of losing a dear friend.

Captain Strong Wing closed his eyes in thought. “I see,” he calmly muttered. After a beat silence, his eyes opened again, fixating a cold gaze at Pinkie Pie. His thoughts raced in his mind, processing what Pinkie Pie’s point of view. He felt something from Pinkie Pie’s words, but convinced himself to stay focused.

 “I’m afraid I cannot let you take back Twilight Sparkle,” he insisted.

Pinkie Pie stared daggers at Captain Strong Wing. Feelings of unrest, anger, and sadness all bubbled within her heart at once. The pink mare wanted nothing more than to save Twilight Sparkle; the mare who had brought them all together.

Silence ensued between the two ponies, only staring into the each others eyes. Pinkie Pie’s were full of animosity. Meanwhile, the Captain’s eyes were calm, but serious. He intended to keep Pinkie Pie from accomplishing her goal.

A drop of water splashed onto Strong Wing’s nose. His eyes shifted up to see storm clouds having rolled in. It was probably scheduled by the Pegasi to rain at this time. Neither Pinkie nor the Captain had noticed however, as they were fixated on what they were doing. However, he did not bother to think much of it, returning his gaze back to the angered pink mare before him.

More drops of water descended from the grey skies above, more frequently with each passing second. Before long, full blown rain was present, quickly soaking everything below the clouds.

Pinkie Pie and Captain Strong Wing paid no attention to the cold drops of water that battered them, water running down their faces. Overhead, lightning brilliantly flashed, followed by the monstrous boom of thunder. Their gazes never broke, not even for a second despite the change in weather.

After a few more moments of silence, Strong Wing decided to speak up. “There is something you should know,” he began, his voice cold and gruff. “There is another reason you should not have come here.” Pinkie Pie perked up a bit with curiosity. “Even though I promised to spare your lives, Princess Celestia has... other plans.” The implication of what those plans would be were as plain as day. And that, was the breaking point.

In a fit of unrelenting fury, Pinkie Pie made the first move. The mare darted straight towards the Captain, leaving a brilliant streak of pink in her wake. The glare on her face did not let up. Her movement was swift and fierce, closing the distance in almost the blink of an eye. Such is expected of a pony who can keep up with the likes of Rainbow Dash. Although, the Captain would not know this.

Strong Wing’s eyes widened in shock as the pink blur closed in in what seemed to be the blink of an eye, although his visage remained adorned with a serious scowl. Time seemed to slow down as the pink mare before him shot a hoof out, aimed for his cheek. The Captain was taken by surprise at the pinke mare’s speed. Never in his life had he dreamed an earth pony could move so fast.

The Captain barely had any time to move. Unfortunately for the stallion, he could not move enough in time. Pinkie Pie’s hoof connected with his cheek, causing him to stumble backwards. The pink mare quickly continued, her hooves digging into the wet dirt as she kicked off. Pinkie Pie closed the small distance within the blink of an eye, striking Captain Strong Wing in his other cheek, followed by an uppercut from the mare, send him onto his backside.

His thoughts raced, his mind trying comprehend what was happening. He quickly found himself laying on his backside, his jaw aching with pain. Just as the Captain regained his thoughts, he saw Pinkie Pie descending from direct above him, with her hind legs outstretched to nail him in the stomach. Without hesitating, he pushed himself to the side with one of his wings.

Strong Wing, having narrowly dodged her attack, immediately jumped up and took on a defensive stance on his hind legs, his wings spread. His eyes narrowed themselves as a hind hoof slid back, bracing himself further. Pinkie Pie's attack struck the wet ground where he was moments ago.

The mare promptly jumped back, away from the Captain, bracing herself.

'This mare... I've never seen speed like that from an earth pony,' he thought as a scowl appeared on his features. 'She completely caught me off guard. I cannot drop my guard around this one, not even for a second.'

With that in mind, it was Captain Strong Wing who went on the offensive this time. His hind legs kicked off the ground, sending him into the air. His strong wings flapped, allowing him to maneuver through the air with great agility. His flight pattern including flying in confusing patterns to catch Pinkie Pie off guard. His speed quickly picked up, eventually creating after images of the Captain in several different places.

The pink mare, however, stood her ground on all fours; her eyes darting all around, following his movements. It would take more than a few tricky flight patterns to throw off a mare who had some degree of precognition.

His circling of Pinkie Pie gradually got closer to the mare before he suddenly broke from his maneuvers. His form swooped down towards Pinkie Pie, his speed rivaling that of Rainbow Dash. Pinkie had other plans, however.

At the last possible moment, Pinkie Pie quickly hopped into the air. Strong Wing had no time to maneuver to safety, finding himself passing underneath the livid pink mare. Her legs shot downwards, connecting with his backside. With a wet thud, the Captain was slammed into the ground.

This wouldn’t stop him though. Within moments, he flipped out of his vulnerable position and ascended into the air. Strong Wing hovered at a safe altitude, his wings flapping to keep him airborne. The stallion’s hardened eyes locked onto the pink mare, narrowing slightly.

‘She not only has speed, but good reaction time as well?’ he thought himself, unaware of the existence of her Pinkie Sense. The armored pegasus was admittedly impressed by her combat capabilities. With that, Strong Wing descended to the ground, and stood his ground in a defensive stance.

Pinkie Pie gave no hesitation before attacking again. The mare quickly leaped into the air towards the Captain, rearing her front hooves in preparation. Strong Wing simply side stepped at the last second, causing the attacking mare to strike the ground instead. The Captain wasted no time in raising a hoof above his head before slamming it down on Pinkie Pie’s spinal cord, only to strike thin air instead.

Despite seemingly not having seen his movements, Pinkie Pie’s hind legs suddenly kicked the ground, sending the mare successfully out of harm’s way. Pinkie Pie spun around in mid air to face the Captain. She shot him a nasty glare before dashing straight for him again. She was as quick as ever.

Suddenly, with tricky hoofsteps, Pinkie Pie snaked her way around Captain Strong Wing, suddenly appearing behind him. The mare's hind hooves shot outwards, bucking him in the back. Strong Wing stumbled forward, cringing from the pain of the earth pony's fierce buck. And yet, he did not allow himself to falter. He quickly spun around, still on his hind legs, to face Pinkie Pie, only to find her charging straight at him one more.

Captain Strong Wing, prepared for Pinkie’s speed this time, allowed himself to fall backwards as the mare closed the distance between them. He (somehow) caught Pinkie Pie’s front hooves with his own  as he rolled onto his back. The Captain shot his hind legs up, striking the angry pink mare in her stomach. Pinkie Pie yelped in pain as she was sent flying straight up.

Without hesitation, the Captain quickly rolled over onto his stomach and braced himself with all four legs. With full force, he pushed off the wet ground as his wings flapped furiously.

His form, appearing as a blur, shot up into the sky towards the stunned, flailing pink mare. His right hoof extended once the distance between the two had closed. Strong Wing (somehow) grabbed Pinkie Pie by her mane with his hoof. Following that, he shifted his flight pattern.

Strong Wing proceeded to (somehow) grab Pinkie Pie with his other hoof as well, holding her in front of him with both hooves. Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened as she let out a high pitched scream, seeing that she would soon be slammed into a castle wall at high speed.

Her fear soon came true, with Strong Wing violently driving her into the castle wall. The sturdy, stone wall was busted open, and collapsed with Pinkie Pie being driven inside the castle by the Captain.

She was dazed. She was injured. She nearly blacked out from the impact. The mare’s eyes slowly opened. Although dazed and hurting all over her body, Pinkie Pie tried to stand, but to avail. Then, she heard a hoofstep behind her in the corridor. The injured pink mare turned her head and shifted her eyes.

Looming ominously over her, was Captain Strong Wing. His emotionless eyes stared condescendingly down upon her. The mare felt his gaze pierce her soul.

“I will admit, I am impressed with how well you fight,” he suddenly spoke, his voice calm and stoic. "Somehow, at your age, you already outclass any earth pony in the Royal Guard. However...” The Captain briefly closing his eyes. A beat of silence ensued for a moment before his emotionless eyes revealed themselves once more. “Your inability to fly was your greatest disadvantage against me. You have lost.”

Pinkie Pie wanted nothing more than to knock some sense into the Captain. Despite her injuries, despite being to weak to get up on her hooves, she stared back at him with fury in her eyes. However, the Captain was in way intimidated.

“You... big... meanie...” she managed to blurt out, struggling to say the words due to her harsh injuries. The mare continued to struggle onto her hooves. A fiery determination burned in her eyes. She panted and huffed as she finally limped onto a her hooves.

Pinkie Pie could barely raise her hoof. It trembled in place due to her injuries before she drove it forward in an attempt to strike the Captain. However, it merely tapped against his body, harmlessly. The pink mare grunted in pain as she fell over from her failed attack.

In all his years, Captain Strong Wing had never seen such fierce determination. Even though Pinkie Pie was battered and bleeding, barely able to stand, she still tried to fight for Twilight. The armored pegasus’ eyes actually widened a little with surprise.

“Why?” he asked Pinkie, actually showing a little emotion in his voice. Pinkie Pie once again attempted to stand up and face him. “Why do you continue to fight? You have lost. You can barely stand,” he continued. The Captain was actually somewhat moved by Pinkie Pie’s determination.

Hearing his words, a smile crossed Pinkie’s bruised visage. “Because... Twilight is... my friend... We always... stick together...” she said before succumbing to her injuries. Pinkie Pie fell unconscious.

The Captain gazed down at Pinkie Pie’s unconscious body. He took a moment to reflect on what she told him; about her friendship with Twilight Sparkle. He observed the mare’s battered, bleeding body. She was only trying to save her friend from certain death. Strong Wing, admittedly, felt something once more. Something he hadn’t for a long time.

Regret.

Strong Wing’s eyes solemnly closed shut. He felt uncertain as to what he should do at this point. He had won his fight against Pinkie Pie, and yet, he did not feel any satisfaction in his victory.

Letting out a sigh, he spread his wings and scooped Pinkie Pie up his forelegs. His wings flapped as hovered in the air with the KO’d Pinkie Pie tucked safely in his hooves. “I... will take you to the infirmary for now,” he said. Although, his words fell upon deaf ears at the moment.

With that, his form took off down the corridor with haste, making his way towards the Castle Infirmary. He wasn’t going to leave Pinkie Pie there to die, as it would be... dishonorable.

*     *     *

Twilight Sparkle desperately rushed down the corridors, attempting to lose Princess Celestia. So far so good, the alicorn was no where in sight.

Eventually, the lavender unicorn decided to hide in one of the rooms. She saw an entrance way. Next to this entrance was a sign with the silhouette of a stallion. Twilight quickly concluded it was a restroom. A stallion’s restroom. The mare promptly trotted through the doorway, immediately turning a corner, followed by another corner, entering the restroom.

It was a rather nice restroom. The floor tiles made of brilliant marble, the sink bowls forged of pearl, adorned with golden water faucets. The toilet stalls had fancy designs carved into the mahogany wood of which they were made. Fortunately, nopony was using it, as Twilight observed not a single set of legs inside any of the closed stalls.

The mare quickly made her way to the farthest stall from the entrance, entered, and promptly closed it behind her. She hoisted herself on top of the toilet seat, not letting her legs touch the ground, which could make them visible to anypony who would check.

“Okay Twilight... Think think think... How can I beat Celestia?” she whispered to herself. A direct confrontation was suicide, given how badly she fared earlier. And Princess Celestia was going easy on her. To top it off, a traditional sneak attack wouldn’t work either. Princess Celestia had herself shielded. Twilight would need to get the jump on the sinister alicorn. Her thoughts raced as she tried to form a plan.

However, as she formulated a strategy in her head, Twilight proceeded to resume her recovery. Her horn was encased with a sparkling purple aura, which proceeded to engulf her entire body. Twilight was relieved as as she felt more of even more of pain subside. Slowly but surely, her wounds were healing themselves.

It was merely a matter of time, something she did not know how much she had.

*     *     *

Spike and the Mane 5, having entered the castle undetected, splitting up to find Twilight. From the entrance hall, Applejack and Rainbow Dash paired up to search the west wing of the castle, while Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike took to the east.

For the moment, most of the guards had left the castle to confront Pinkie Pie, although no pony knew how much time that would buy them. All they could do was rush through the castle, hoping to find where Twilight was.

Unbeknownst to the rescue party, however, mere minutes passed before the royal guard returned to the castle at the Captain’s orders, and they knew full well about the intruders now.

“Split up and search the castle!” a voice of authority called. Wind Rider, Strong Wing’s second-in-command, took charge of the search of Canterlot Castle, to hunt down Spike and the Mane 5.

Now, it was a race of who could find who first.

*     *     *

Princess Celestia huffed with frustration. The alicorn had lost Twilight’s trail. Corridors split off from one another into other corridors. She had no idea which one Twilight could have taken. Princess Celestia had to think for a moment about what Twilight would do in her situation.

A few moments passed, and then it had occurred to her; Twilight was likely using the healing spell to recover from her wounds while hiding. “Hmph,” she grunted.

Princess Celestia’s horn lit up as she closed her eyes in concentration. The spell she activated allow her to sense any magic activity nearby. To her fortune, Princess Celestia could feel a familiar source of magic nearby in the castle: Twilight Sparkle.

The alicorn deactivated her spell as a smirk crossed her face. “Found you,” she said ominously. Wasting no time, the regal alicorn was engulfed in a flash of golden light. The next thing she knew, she was present in a restroom. Celestia thought she heard a gasp of surprise.

Her sinister eyes scanned the room, not immediately seeing anypony. Although, she was quick to notice a purple light emanating from furthest stall from the entrance. A smirk crossed her face as she trotted in front of the closed stall door. With a quick glow of her horn, the stall door was ripped from its hinges.

There, inside the stall, was a shock Twilight Sparkle in the process of healing. Princess Celestia looked down at her protege with a sinister smirk. The alicorn could see the fear in the little unicorns eyes.

With that, Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to speak.

“Oh crap...”

Chapter 19: Finale

Chapter 19: Finale

A large, and very powerful explosion rocked Canterlot Castle at its very foundation. The blast was visible from outside the castle, leaving a large, gaping hole in its structure. Smoke swirled into the atmosphere as a fire burned around the damaged area.

In the epicenter, Princess Celestia stood tall, unharmed by the explosion. Her sleek alicorn body was indeed very durable. The restroom, and most of the corridor it was connected to, had been absolutely wrecked. The wall she was closest to was all but gone, revealing a view to the outside.

It was a only a few meter drop to the roof of another (albeit relatively low) part of the castle. There were also a few towers that rose well above where the restroom was. Beyond that, was the entrance courtyard. Princess Celestia had a rather clear view of it, despite the rain. It was then that the form of a lavender unicorn caught her eye.

Twilight Sparkle, although scared, had managed to teleport herself out of harms way in time, traveling to the castle’s courtyard. Although, her chest had a painful scorch mark. Princess Celestia’s attack had all but merely grazed her chest before she finally teleported. She was lucky to have avoided most of the blast.

The lavender unicorn had to take a moment. That simple graze had still done some damage, causing a sharp, burning pain. For the moment, Twilight focused her healing spell on the scorch mark. Fortunately for her, the rest of her wounds were doing nicely, thanks to the time she bought by hiding.

Unfortunately for her, though, she wouldn’t have time to heal the scorch mark. All Twilight had time to do was relieve most of the pain, as a burst of light erupted from thin air before her. She flinched back reflexively, covering her eyes with a hoof.

“You won’t get away, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice spoke. Twilight lowered her hoof to find Princess Celestia standing ominously over her. Her cold, sinister eyes piercing the very foundations of her soul. The sight sent shivers down the mare’s spine.

It then occurred to the mare, that no matter what, she had to stay alive. With that, she shook her head to properly regain her thoughts. She quickly jumped back to widen the distance between them. Twilight glared at Princess Celestia, scuffing the wet ground with a hoof.

“You’re kidding... You’re kidding, right?” Celestia deadpanned, admittedly surprised at Twilight’s fierce determination, despite being outmatched on all levels. “You know, I won’t be going easy on you this time,” she stated coldly.

Twilight would not humor Celestia with a response though. Instead, the mare maintained her glare, ready for a fierce showdown.

Princess Celestia merely narrowed her eyes at the lavender unicorn. The regal alicorn was highly displeased with her protege’s unwillingness to cooperate. With that, she would once again have to take Twilight by force. “Alright, my little pony,” she deadpanned. “You asked for it...”

*     *     *

“Did you hear that?” inquired a cyan pegasus pony.

“Rainbow Dash, Ah felt that,” replied the orange earth pony.

“It sounded like an explosion!” shouted Rainbow Dash, throwing her hooves into the air. “You think it might have something to do with Twilight?”

“Probably. We ought ta’ check it out,” said Applejack. “Ah think it came from over here.” The earth pony pointed a hoof down a nearby corridor. She quickly took off down the large hallway, with Rainbow Dash gliding closely behind her.

A few more twists and turns later, and the pair of ponies found themselves staring down a corridor that looked like a hurricane had been through there. From where they were currently standing, the damage wasn’t significant. However, further down, they could see the damage was greatest where a huge chunk of wall was missing.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned to each other and nodded before quickly approaching the damage zone. The pair peeked around the newly formed corner into the what was once the restroom. Although, in its current state, it would be difficult to infer that.

“What in the hay happened here?” asked Rainbow Dash, rhetorically. Naturally, Applejack wouldn’t actually know. She only knew as much as Rainbow Dash.

“Ah dunno, Rainbow,” the orange earth pony replied. All she knew, all they both knew, is that this was the sight of the explosion they heard. There was no other explanation for the copious amounts of damage. The pair promptly entered the room (or rather, what was left of it) to investigate.

“What do you think this room was before?” inquired the cyan pegasus, trying to make heads or tails of the wreckage.

Applejack thought for a moment, as she cleared various pieces of rubble on the floor. Eventually, the orange mare found what looked like a beat up toilet bowl. “A toilet?” she said, rather surprised at what she had found.

“Wait, you mean this is a bathroom? What the hay was an explosion doing in a bathroom? Did all the toilets get clogged at the same time or something?” Rainbow Dash asked, beginning to crack up a little at the thought of exploding toilets. It would make for a wonderful prank.

“Ah guess so,” Applejack replied, arching a brow.

It was then that the two of them heard what sounded like a pair of hoofsteps coming their way. Applejack and Rainbow Dash glanced at one another before assuming defensive stances, just in case it was the guards. They were ready to fight for their lives if need be.

Before long, a familiar white unicorn, adorned with a well groomed purple mane poked her head into the devastated area. Her eyes widened with shock and nearly fainted at the ghastly sight.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack sighed with relief at the sight of their familiar friend Rarity. The two of them couldn’t help but smile as Rarity came into full view with Spike on her back, followed by Fluttershy. So far so good, everypony was safe, except for...

“Pinkie Pie!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Is she still out there?”

“I can’t say, Rainbow Dash. I do hope the darling is alright though,” replied Rarity, concerned for their pink friend as well.

Before long, the group of friends made their way towards the huge gap where a wall used to be. What was immediately obvious was the fact that it lead outside. It was a very short drop onto the a roof. However, something very important caught their eyes. In the entrance courtyard, the group spied a lavender mare, facing down a certain regal alicorn.

“Twi? What’s she doin’ out there with Celestia?” asked Applejack.

“Maybe she didn’t want to go through with it after all,” said Spike, rubbing his chin.

“HALT!!!” a very loud, stern voice cried out.

Everypony jumped, with Spike barely hanging onto Rarity. It was as if somepony had spoken into an amplifier at the max volume. Upon turning around, the group of friends noticed none other than Princess Luna, followed by many royal guards, had gathered behind them.

“Art thou responsible for this collateral damage!?” Luna inquired, taking a step forward. She still raised her voice. Although, the dark alicorn was no longer using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Applejack stepped forward, visibly nervous before the Princess of the Night. “Uh...Well....Ya see...” she began, struggling to find the words to explain.

“SPEAK!!!” yelled Luna, once more in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The dark blue alicorn narrowed her eyes. Indeed, she was curious as to whether or not they were responsible, but planned on how she was to dispose of them once they answered. Princess Luna had not forgotten their last encounter.

The force from Luna’s Canterlot Voice surprised Applejack. The mare, eyes widened, brought a hoof up to her stetson hat and adjusted it on her head, as it had fallen lopsided.

“Look, we didn’t do it! We don’t know who did it!” said Rainbow Dash, annoyed at this confrontation.

Luna paused for a moment. “I see.”

Silence ensued between the group as tension rose. Spike and the Mane 4 hadn’t forgotten about their last encounter with Luna either.

It was then, that another explosion shattered the tense silence that lingered in the air. The group of friends turned around, peering into the courtyard. It was there, that they saw a smoldering crater near Twilight. Princess Celestia’s horn was glowing. It was simple for the group to put two and two together.

“What are you all looking at!?” barked Princess Luna. The alicorn shoved her way past everypony and looked out into the courtyard. Naturally, she saw the same thing that Spike and the Mane 4 had.

Luna said nothing as she turned and trotted back over the many guards who accompanied her. The Captain was not present. However, his second-in-command, Wind Rider, was among them. Princess Luna lowered her to whisper something in the armored pegasus’ ear.

With that, the Princess of the Night turned her head, glaring at the Mane 4 and the baby dragon before vanishing in a burst of dark blue light. Considering that Princess Luna was on Celestia’s side, the group of friends feared the worst as they all turned to view the courtyard once more.

A dark blue light flashed near Princess Celestia, revealing Luna standing next to Celestia. Twilight, visibly afraid, slowly back up. Against Celestia alone, Twilight stood little chance at all. Against both of the Royal Sisters, however, she was as good as dead.

“Oh crap!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Come on! We gotta go help-”

“Not so fast!” interrupted Wind Rider, stepping forward to confront the group of friends. “You lot are coming with us.” He wore a serious scowl on his visage, similar to that of Strong Wing. Although, he was not quite as intimidating, being a smaller pegasus and all.

“No way, pal!’ yelled Rainbow Dash, pointing a hoof at Wind Rider. She practically growled at him.

“You stupid mare!” Wind Rider growled right back.

Applejack rolled er eyes, having had enough of this. “C’mon!” she yelled, leaping onto the roof outside. Her hat and fur quickly got wet from the rain, but that didn’t bother the determined earth pony. The roof was slanted downwards somewhat. Applejack allowed herself to slide down the roof towards the sight of the battle. ‘Ah’m comin’ Twilight!’

The rest of the Mane 4 turned to face the guards, smiling sheepishly before taking off after Applejack. This made Wind Rider furious. He gritted his teeth as they disappeared onto the roof.

“After them!!” he barked, pointing a hoof. Various pegasus and unicorn guards immediately took off after the fleeing fugitives, giving chase. Once outside, the pegasi took to the skies while the unicorns, naturally, kept to the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Applejack had reached the end of the roof. It was quite was fairly long drop down to the ground, but nothing an earth pony as strong as Applejack couldn’t handle. The orange mare slid right off the edge with a confident grin “Yeehaw!” she chimed with excitement, as an adrenaline rush took charge. The excitement was almost euphoric.

As she dropped, Rainbow Dash zoomed on over head straight towards the confrontation between Twilight and the Royal Sisters.

Fluttershy glided after her. Although not as fast as Rainbow Dash, there was a crisis on their hooves, causing the kind pegasus to fly relatively quickly.

Moments passed before Applejack finally reached the ground below. It was a cobblestone sidewalk. The earth pony bent her legs as all hour hooves slammed into the ground to absorb some of the shock. The cobblestone cracked a little from the impact, but Applejack was unharmed and ready to go. With that, she took off full gallop behind Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

Behind them, Rarity, with Spike on her back, had also slipped off the edge as well. The  white unicorn cringed upon seeing the distance she had to fall to reach the ground. she was unsure of herself, unsure if she could land without injury. And then, it occurred to her that she had a special little passenger on her back. Rarity had to focus to keep them both safe.

The horn on Rarity’s forehead lit up with a light blue aura. The aura expanded, encasing both her and Spike. The mare managed to slow their descent and land safely on the cobblestone sidewalk below. Rarity, with determination in her eyes, took off full galop as well, following Applejack’s example.

In hot pursuit, the royal guard continued to give chase. The armored pegasi zoomed after Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, while the armored unicorns performed the same feat as Rarity, using their magic to soften their landings on the cobblestone walkways.

Zipping into the air, overseeing the chase, was Wind Rider. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth upon seeing his soldiers failing to catch up to the targets in time. The Mane 4 had almost reached the Princesses, who were dealing with their fugitive cohort.

Rainbow Dash blazed forth, her speed picking up. The mare didn’t have enough time to perform a Sonic Rainboom, but she already had mach cone around her, indicating great speed already.

For Princess Celestia, it seemed to strike out of nowhere. The cyan pegasus slammed into Celestia’s barrer with both front hooves outstretched. She would try to force her way through, but to no avail. The strong shield repelled Rainbow Dash, causing her to be knocked back. She narrowly missed hitting Fluttershy, who swooped over to catch her, preventing a rough landing.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash affectionately. Fluttershy smiled and nodded in response.

“Well well. It looks like I will definitely need to have a little word with Captain Strong Wing when this is all over,” muttered Celestia under her breath as she looked over at the deflected Rainbow Dash. The alicorn narrowed her eyes. As it turns out for the Princess of the Sun, the Captain’s promise to not kill them has come back to bite her in the flank.

Twilight on the other hoof, dropped her jaw at the sight of her friends. In the short distance, she could see Applejack on the approach, with Spike and Rarity in tow. But behind them, in hot pursuit, was the Royal Guard.

Before long, the rest of the Mane 4 arrived, stopping a short distance away from the two sisters and Twilight. The only pony still missing was Pinkie Pie.

Normally, she would go greet her friends with a heartwarming hug or two. This time, instead, Twilight took her chance, now that Princess Celestia was distracted. Twilight had an idea.

She had previously observed that Princess Celestia’s barrier was shaped like a bubble, leaving space inside the barrier. This was a fatal weakness of non skin-tight barriers against who can teleport. With that, Twilight Sparkle put her simple strategy into action.

With a flash of light, the unicorn had vanished. Princess Celestia perked up upon noticing a flash of light appear from directly underneath of her, from between her tall, sleek legs. Twilight Sparkle had teleported inside Princess Celestia’s protective shield, appearing in a crouched position to allow her to comfortably in that spot.

The alicorn’s eyes went wide as Twilight’s horn created the sharp pointed, lance-like aura much like she had back in the castle. And with that, Twilight thrusted her horn up to run Celestia through once and for all. But not before she was blinded by a burst of light.

The unicorn rubbed her eyes with her hooves to regain use of her sight. Once she could see again, she quickly took note that Princess Celestia was no longer standing directly over her. Instead, the regal alicorn stood several meters away, facing her. Twilight became frustrated at this, her best shot at defeating Celestia foiled. The mare gritted her teeth.

As all the happened, the Royal guards surrounded and formed a perimeter around the sight of the battle. Many more guards arrived on short notice, forming several layers around the perimeter. Princess Celestia glanced around, with a sinister smirk adorning her visage.

“Well well. What will you do now, Twilight Sparkle?” mocked Princess Celestia. Twilight was in a tight spot. Her friends may have arrived, but the lavender unicorn was still uncertain if that would be enough.

Wind Rider quickly swooped in, hovering over the area. “We have you surrounded! Surrender immediately or die!” he barked at the Mane 5. As much as it pleased Princess Celestia to know her loyal guards were always willing to help her, she simply rolled her eyes. She was actually rather tired of the Royal Guard’s attempts. She hadn’t had this much fun in centuries, while the Royal Guard had already proven inept at capturing the wielders Elements of Harmony.

“NO!” Celestia’s voice boomed, in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Stand back! All of you! I will not have any interference. You all have proven incapable of capturing them. I will do it myself!” the alicon ranted, anger burning in her eyes.

Wind Rider was speechless as he winced from Princess Celestia’s harshness. But regardless, he decided to comply, signalling the Royal Guard to back down. They all backed away, giving the Princesses and the fugitives much more space.

“Luna, restrain them!” ordered the sinister alicorn, turning her head to face her sister. Luna replied with a nod before a dark blue aura surrounded her horn. With that, Spike and the Mane 4 found themselves bound in the air, floating helplessly.

A chuckle passed Princess Celestia’s lips, turning back towards Twilight. “It is just you and me, my little pony,” she said with an eerie calmness, staring directly into Twilight’s fearful little eyes.

Her heart suddenly felt heavy. Her friends were restrained and unable to do anything. The lavender unicorn, once more, had to face Princess Celestia alone. She felt helpless. She felt the weight of Princess Celestia’s power pressing on her shoulders as she stood before the regal alicorn. Her power was nothing next to the Princess of the Sun. Twilight shut her eyes hard, trembling. It was then, that a voice called out.

“Come on Twilight! Kick her butt!” cheered Rainbow Dash.

Twilight glanced towards her best friends, who all began to cheer her on.

“Darling! Please! You must win! YOU MUST!!” exclaimed Rarity, dramatic as usual.

“You can do it Twi!” Applejack yelled.

“You rock! Woohoo!” said Fluttershy. Her voice was still rather quiet. But it was a cheer none the less.

“I believe in you!” Spike chimed, cheering on his closest friend.

It was now or never. With her own life and her friends at stake, Twilight Sparkle managed to strengthen her resolve. “Thanks guys...” she said under her breath, smiling; a tear running down her cheek.

‘Now, I really need a spell that can help me out against a stronger opponent...’ thought Twilight. She would take anything that could grant her an advantage, given that Princess Celestia was much more powerful than her. Twilight quickly searched her memories of her spells, trying to think of which one (or ones) could help. Fortunately, Twilight thought of one that may help out a lot. She had read about it in a spell book about ocular enhancements once.

The first thing she did was feed magic into her eyes, utilizing a spell to help her ‘see’ magic better than the naked eye. It was a type of magic sensory spell. The mare had to find a weakness in Princess Celestia’s barrier. This spell could enable Twilight to see it.

The sclera of Twilight Sparkle’s eyes were suddenly flooded with a purple hue. It was then that Twilight could see Princess Celestia’s barrier. ‘Ugh. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’  the mare scolded herself in thought. ‘This could have saved me a lot of trouble...’

It was then that she saw a large mass of magic gather at the tip of the alicorn’s horn. Twilight could see what would be otherwise be an invisible flow of magic energy. It allowed the lavender unicorn to gauge how much power was being devoted to the spell. But something else caught the mare’s eye.

As more power was devoted to charging her attack, Twilight could see Princess Celestia’s barrier weakening. The realization hit the mare like a brick. Offensive spells, such as the powerful blasts of magic Celestia likes to throw around, and strong defensive spells are far more taxing than regular spells. In order to properly feed enough power into her attack, the alicorn had to take away from maintaining her barrier. An Offense-Defense trade off.

Twilight scolded herself again for not realizing it sooner, as even she already knew how exhausting offensive and defensive spells can be. It’s mostly why the mare tends to stick with simpler offensive spells, such as relatively weak bolts of magic, or condensing and shaping the aura of her horn into a weapon-like state.

Twilight’s eyes were locked onto Princess Celestia. Seeing the flow of magic, she was able to determine the moment when Celestia would release her attack. Twilight spread her hooves out and crouched a little, ready to move at a moment’s notice. ‘Aaaand... Now!’

Princess Celestia pointed her horn and released the mass of built up magic. A large golden blast erupted forth, tearing up the ground as it sped towards the intended target.

However, Twilight timed herself just right, darting out of the way as soon as the attack was launched. The mare kept her eyes on Princess Celestia. Her attack had not yet subsided. During the the moments it was maintained, Twilight noticed there was no barrier around her former mentor. Princess Celestia had to drop her barrier altogether in order launch her attack.

Some of the Royal Guards frantically scurried out of the way of the oncoming blast. Those who didn’t make, were practically vaporized. The golden beam of light continued until it struck Canterlot Castle itself.

A violent explosion ripped through the castle, taking a very noticeable chunk away. Debris of all sorts flew away from the epicenter of the violent explosion. At least 20% of the castle had been obliterated.

Princess Celestia and Luna winced a little. “Hm. It seems I overdid it a little.” said Celestia sheepishly, receiving a glare from Luna.

“Sister, please try to not hit the castle!” scolded Princess Luna. It was never cheap to have something like the royal castle repaired. Especially from that much damage.

"Haha! Sorry, Luna. I just haven't had this much fun in ages." Princess Celestia chuckled. However, the alicorn knew her sister's concerns were valid. She decided on trying a little change in strategy.  A quick flick of magic sparked from her horn as a bolt of magic, almost faster than the eye can see, launched itself at Twilight. However, the lavender mare was gone with a flash of light just before it struck her, only to reappear several hooves from her initial spot.

 Having missed the target, the bolt of magic struck the ground behind where Twilight once stood, creating a small, yet highly potent explosion, leaving behind a smoldering crater large enough to bury a pony in.

Princess Celestia arched a brow at Twilight’s suddenly enhanced reflexes. Normally, she shouldn’t have been able to react so effectively. The regal alicorn narrowed her eyes at Twilight Sparkle, before suddenly noticing what had changed.

By looking into Twilight’s eyes, Celestia finally noticed the strong purple tint to the unicorn’s sclera. She immediately recognized it as the Magic Ocular Enhancement Charm, something Star Swirl the Bearded had developed. Princess Celestia knew exactly what that meant; that Twilight would know about her weakness. The white alicorn knew she had to stick with less taxing offensive spells to allow herself to maintain the barrier.

A smirk crossed her visage as her sharp horn lit up once more. The regal alicorn conjured several energy spears at her side. One by one in rapid succession, they bolted towards the lavender mare.

Twilight Sparkle could see that Celestia’s barrier had only weakened somewhat with that attack. But regardless, Twilight was going to need to push Princess Celestia into using something more taxing.

With a confident smirk, Twilight’s horn emitted several small bursts of magic. For each little burst from her horn, another would appear directly in the path of each of Celestia’s magic spears, knocking them off course. the lavender unicorn didn’t need to move, as each spear harmlessly missed her. Indeed, the ability to read Princess Celestia’s magic power helped increase her chances greatly.

And yet, Princess Celestia smirked. It was very off putting to the mare. Without warning, over a dozen energy spears had materialized, surrounding Twilight. Without hesitation, the spears all closed in on Twilight Sparkle. With a flash of light, Twilight teleported several away from where she just stood, allowing the spears to miss harmlessly. Princess Celestia was irritated at Twilight’s mundane, yet successful methods of avoiding harm.

The two enemies glared towards one another. Princess Celestia would love nothing more than to simply restrain Twilight and break her legs, although such a tactic would be moot. Twilight’s could show her a way to escape based on the flow of magic energy. A weak spot of sorts with the levitation spell.

But that’s when she had another idea. Although, that Princess Celestia would need to act fast in order to pull it off.

The alicorn’s horn unleashed a sudden, but powerful bolt of magic, aimed for the ground. The cobblestone area exploded, and for just enough time, it sent all sorts of dust and debris into the air, blocking Twilight’s view of her. Twilight flinched some, bringing up a hoof to shield her eyes from any dust or debris. That was all she needed. With that, Princess Celestia was gone in a flash.

The sinister Princess of the had reappeared behind Twilight, smirking confidently. Twilight on the other hoof, looked around frantically. Under normal circumstances, the flow and pattern of Celestia’s magic power would have given away where and how far she was going to Teleport to Twilight’s eyes, but not if her vision was blocked.

Princess Celestia raised a back leg, bucking Twilight with bone shattering force. Being an alicorn, she could hit harder than even Applejack. There was a sudden plethora of gasps from the onlookers.

“Twilight!!” yelled Spike and the Mane 4 in concern, still restrained by Luna, who smirked upon watching Twilight fall to the ground. It was heart wrenching for them, not being able to do anything but watch. That one rough blow was all Princess Celestia needed to gain the upperhoof.

The lavender unicorn heard something snap as she was flung onto the ground. She could feel a very sharp pain in her ribs. The yelped in agony, holding her rib cage with her hooves. She had at least fractured some of her ribs from Celestia’s kick. Due to the pain, she lost almost all concentration. The Magic Ocular Enhancement Charm wore off, leaving her eyes in their regular state.

“Game over, Twilight Sparkle,” mocked Celestia, turning around to face the incapacitated mare. A spine chilling chuckle escaped her lips once more.

“Now,” she began, shifting her head to glance at her sister. “Kill them,” ordered Celestia. Princess Luna smirked and nodded.

Without warning, the bodies of Spike and the Mane 4 were slammed into the ground, forcing them to lay there, defensless. Dark blue spears of energy materialized over each captive.

“Nooo!” pleaded Twilight, unable to do anything but watch. Tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. “PLEASE DON’T KILL THEM!!” she pleaded loudly, her voice frantic and afraid. She reached a hoof out to her friends in desperation.

“Sorry, Twilight Sparkle. But it must be done,” said Princess Luna.

‘No...’spoke her inner thoughts. The mare closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She couldn’t watch. Despair flooded her heart at that moment. ‘I... I need more power! I need to save them!!” she thought frantically. It would take a miracle at this point. And then, one happened.

A boom echoed throughout the courtyard. Follow that, an excited, bubbly yell could be heard in the distance, quickly getting louder. “WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” it yelled. A pink projectile streaked through the air like a bullet. Everypony in the area looked towards the source of the sound in confusion.

Pinkie Pie had launched herself from her Party Cannon from the destroyed restroom.

Princess Luna in particular widened her eyes as Pinkie Pie, whose hooves were outstretched, was heading straight for her. Her mind became flustered at the sudden random event. But it was too late to do anything. Pinkie Pie struck Princess Luna in the side. An audible crack could be heard, indicating severe injury. The Princess of the Night fell onto her side, writhing in pain. Any magic of hers was quickly dispeled.

Pinkie Pie stood up from on top of Princess Luna. Adorning her visage was her usual little smile. She stepped off the incapacitated alicorn, turning her head to look at her.

“Thanks for breaking my fall, Luna!” she chimed. Afterwards, she immediately darted over to the injured Twilight. As she did so, Spike and the Mane 4 stood up, and quickly following Pinkie over to Twilight.

“Pinkie... Pie?” she said, struggling with the pain of her injuries. The mare shifted her eyes to see Pinkie Pie, followed shortly by the rest of her friends, standing over her. Tears of happiness now flowed from her eyes.

“We’re all here Twilight!” the pink earth pony chimed, bouncing up and down.

“So, where were you?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie took a deep, exaggerated breath. “Weeell, after a big epic battle against the Captain I found myself in the infirmary where the Captain took and he explained something about being so moved by me that he thought reeeaaaally hard about everything and decided to help me out so he showed me where to find these!” she explained in one run on sentence.

Pinkie Pie pulled a bag out of seemingly nowhere before opening it up, and pulling out 5 golden necklaces, and a golden tiara. They gasped in a delighted surprise.

“The Elements of Harmony!” said Rarity, quickly putting hers on. The rest of the Mane cast put theirs on, with Pinkie Pie resting Twilight’s element snug on her head for her.

Princess Celestia’s jaw dropped. “WHAT!? Where did you find those!?” she furiously inquired. “I had those hidden away!” The alicorn gritted her teeth as rage burned in her eyes. The Mane 6 now possessed the most power artifacts in Equestria.

Nopony answered her question as they all smirked at her in confidence. In an uncharacteristic fit of rage, Princess’s horn lit up, very quickly and violently gathering magic energy at the tip. The majestic alicorn reared her head before thrusting it forth, releasing the gathered energy in an attempt to slay the Mane 6.

However, something stopped the blast dead in its tracks, when moments before it was tearing through the ground like a hot knife through butter. Within moments, her attack had harmlessly dispersed; particles of magic lingering in the air as they floated away harmlessly.

Princess Celestia’s eyes widened, dumbstruck at what she witnessed. The Mane 6 hovered in formation, with a fully healed Twilight Sparkle in the center.

Twilight could feel vast amounts of raw power flowing through her. She felt as if she had a limitless supply. She was able to feed so much power into the healing spell, that it very quickly regenerated her wounds. With a quick flick of magic, Princess Luna was teleported, resting next to her sister, still injured.

Princess Celestia glanced down at her injured sister before returning her fearful gaze towards the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. “Nooo! NOOOOOO!!!” she yelled, with hints of both anger and fear in her voice.

Princess Celestia couldn’t believe. She had lost. Her thoughts raced. Her very life flashed before her eyes as the Mane 6 began glowing as bright as ever; their eyes whited out by the mystic power that flowed through them.

With that, a large, powerful Rainbow emerged from the glowing Mane 6, swirling through the air before turning its sights on the two royal sisters.

The blast didn’t even hit, and yet she could feel the weight of its power on her shoulders. Her body locked up, as if the power of the Elements of Harmony kept her from doing anything. Her fearful eyes looked on at the on coming Rainbow. It was bright. Princess Celestia had finally managed to let out one more yell.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!” her Royal Canterlot Voice echoed as she and Princess Luna were engulfed in the massive Rainbow. The sound of her voice stopped as a bright light, almost as bright as the sun, filled the entire courtyard.

After several moments, the Rainbow blast subsided, and the glow surrounded the Mane 6 vanished. Standing tall, in a frightened position, was a statue of Princess Celestia, with one of Princess Luna, in her injured position, right next to her.

The Royal Guards all looked on in complete shock. Their jaws hung in complete silence as they watched Twilight Sparkle slowly approach the statues of the Royal Sisters.

Twilight levitated herself up to Princess Celestia’s level, looking her statue right in the eyes. “Now, Princess. Now you have your immortality, trapped in that statue.” she spat, glaring at the former Princess. The lavender unicorn knew Princess Celestia could hear her, which gave her a sort of satisfaction.

A terrible, yet well deserved irony had struck Princess Celestia. She wanted immortality, and now she had it, encased in stone.

With the Royal Sisters trapped in their stone prisons, the Mane 6, with Spike, shared a heartwarming and tearful group hug. It was over.

It was all finally over.

Chapter 20: Epilogue

Chapter 20: Epilogue

A tense and awkward silence lingered in the damp air of the courtyard. The onlooking Royal Guards were absolutely quiet, silently watching. Even Wind Rider fell silent, unable to say or do anything at the time. The only sound to be heard was the sound of the raindrops striking the cobblestone walkways, and the occasional booming of thunder in the distance.

The armored pegasus, second-in-command of the guard, felt utterly lost at the moment. He had no idea where Captain Strong Wing was, and the Princesses had just been trapped in stone seals before his very eyes. He was in shock, but at the same time, he felt a strong sense of duty to arrest the treasonous element wielders.

It was the only thing he could think to do. After all, the princesses ruled Equestria, and the wielders of the Elements of Harmony had just dethroned them. To him, acts of treason should be met with execution. With that in mind, he made a decision. Breaking the silence, he gave the order.

“Guards! Execute them!” Wind rider yelled, pointing a hoof at the Mane 6 and their baby dragon accomplice. The Mane 6, having no time to celebrate yet, jumped into defensive positions. They each stood back-to-back, surrounded by dozens and dozens of guards that closed in around them.

Tensions rose quickly, as the Mane 6 may have yet another fight on their hooves. Twilight Sparkle, still adorned with the Element of Magic, could still feel immense power flowing through her. The mare’s horn lit up brighter than usual, erecting a barrier around her and her friends.

The guards rushed the purple colored barrier en masse, attempting to break it down with all their might. However, it was to no avail. Twilight had far too much raw power at her disposal for her barrier to be broken easily. Even the armored unicorns and their magic could not pierce it.

“Don’t worry, guys. I’ll just teleport us away from here!” she exclaimed. Her horn lit up brighter, just about ready to teleport her friends away. Before she could, however, a voice called out.

“That is enough!” shouted an approaching gruff voice. The guards stopped trying to break through Twilight’s barrier, turning to face the source of the familiar voice. As they did so, Twilight stopped her attempt at teleportation, also turning her head to the source, followed by the rest of the her friends.

Captain Strong Wing swooped down to the ground from out of the sky. He touched down several meters away from where the guards surrounded the Mane 6.

“I order you all to stand down at once!” he ordered, raising his voice to assert his authority. The guards looked nervous as they backed away from the edge of the barrier. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were somewhat confused, giving strange looks, with the exception of Pinkie Pie.

“Hiya Captain!” chimed the bubbly pink mare, bouncing up and down as she waved a hoof at him.

Captain Strong Wing simply nodded back at the the pink earth pony in response.

Recalling Pinkie Pie’s explanation, and remembering his promise, Twilight lowered the protective barrier. It seemed that he only wanted to talk.

“All of you, return to the castle immediately. I will take care of things from here,” he ordered, giving a sweeping glance at the guards. The tone of his voice continued to carry a serious authority. The guards were hesitant to leave, but complied regardless. They knew their Captain would know what he was doing. With that, the armored ponies, Wind Rider included, retreated back to the castle.

They all herded their way towards the main castle entrance, which was partially destroyed as collateral damage from Princess Celestia. Wind Rider had decided to oversee immediate repairs to the castle.

Now that the Captain and the Mane 6, with Spike, were alone, conversation and explaining would ensue.

“Ya ain’t gonna try an’ rough us up again, are ya’?” asked Applejack.

“No,” replied the Captain, calmly shaking his head. “If that were my intention, I would not have sent the guards away,” he explained as he made gestures with a hoof. “But, I do suppose some explanation is in order, given how I have done nothing but antagonize you.”

“That would be appreciated,” said Twilight, giving a sheepish grin.

“Very well,” the armored pegasus replied, nodding. “You see, I owe a lot of it to your pink friend,” he began to explain, gesturing a hoof towards Pinkie Pie. The pink mare smiled and bounced up and down in place.

“It was because of her, that I saw how strong your friendship was. After taking her to the infirmary, where I had our best medics arrange for her quick and swift recovery, I thought hard about everything,” he spoke, his voice calm. “I thought about all of the moral implications of sacrificing for immortality. I thought once more about the bonds of your friendship. I thought about Equestria’s future without the princesses. I have to admit, the next best thing after them is indeed you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight blushed at his last comment, but she couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, she had excellent organization and leadership skills.

As his explanation continued of things, the Mane 6 and Spike listened intently. The group of friends could not help but smile more and more as it went on.

“...Afterwards, when your friend’s recovery was nearly completed, I retrieved the Elements of Harmony for you, which were hidden in Princess Celestia’s bed chamber,” he continued. “Once her wounds were healed, I gave her the elements and sent her on her way, where she went to aid you all immediately.”

Captain Strong Wing had finished his explanation. “And that, as they say, is that,” he said, commenting on his own little speech. Everypony gave him an approving smile.

“Well, I don’t think we could have won without your help. So, I thank you!” replied the lavender unicorn, smiling happily. However, despite the victory that Twilight and her friends attained, there was still one more problem lingering in the back of her mind. A valid problem, about the very future of Equestria from now on.

“But, something still bothers me,” said Twilight, turning her head towards the now statue-imprisoned royal sisters with a solemn look. The Captain easily caught on to what she was getting at.

“About who will rule Equestria, and move the sun and moon across the sky,” he stated, finishing her thoughts. Twilight turned back to the Captain, giving him a slow nod.

“I wasn’t lying when I said you are the next best choice in terms of leadership. However, the Sun and the Moon are indeed a different story.” he told the lavender, looking up into the sky. The rain had ceased, as the clouds were beginning to clear, letting streaks of golden sunlight pierce through the gaps in the clouds. “I’m not sure today’s unicorns are prepared for such a task.”

Twilight lowered her head. The princesses, tyrants in their own right, had at last been defeated. And yet, the land almost needed them to survive. The cycle of the moon and the sun was important for the ecosystem after all. And the ‘heros’ just broke it.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle,” said the Captain, somewhat solemnly. “But, I must be off to inform the guards; to fill them in on everything that has transpired.” The Captain began to trot off towards the castle. But then he stopped, and turned his head to look at Twilight. “And, later, I would like to discuss the leadership situation. Meet me in the castle when you’re ready.”

With that, he spread his wings and gracefully took off towards the castle, leaving a blazing wind in his wake. The Mane 6 kept their eyes fixed on him until he disappeared into the damaged castle.

“So, what will you do, Twilight?” Rarity inquired, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. She showed a saddened concern in her eyes.

The lavender unicorn remained silent for a moment, thinking about everything that’s happened. Although the mare wasn’t fond of the idea, Twilight knew in her heart what she should do. Her head hung lower.

“For the sake of all of Equestria,” she began. The mare lifted her head, giving her friends a sweeping glance. “I know I must take up the throne. Even if I don’t want to, there is nopony else who can.” Her voice carried impressions of discontent.

Spike slowly walked up to Twilight, giving the lavender unicorn a warm embrace. “We’ll stick with you, no matter what your decision is. Right guys?” Spike said, turning his head back to face the rest of the Mane 5.

“I know I will!” said Rainbow Dash, being the element of loyalty.

 The others smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Even if you are the new Princess, that doesn’t mean we can’t stop being friends. Right?” Rarity said, embracing Twilight alongside Spike.

“Yeah! We can still have visits and parties, can’t we Twilight!?” chimed Pinkie, joining in on the hug.

A tear rolled down Twilight’s cheeks as a smile passed over her visage. “Of course, my friends,” she said with a calm, reassuring happiness. Everypony leaned in to complete the group hug. They took a moment of silence as they embraced, each one deep in thought.

Then there was light. Blinding lights suddenly emanated from each of the jewels encrusted in the Elements of Harmony. The group of friends broke their embrace at the sudden surprise in a state of understandable confusion. A single beam of light from each of the Elements of Harmony, striking the statues the royal sisters had been trapped in.

The group looked on as the beams of light ceased, but a haunting glow surrounded the statues of the sister alicorns. The horns and wings of Celestia and Luna mysteriously faded away, causing the pair to merely resemble tall, sleek earth ponies.

Moments passed before the mysterious light suddenly leaped from the statues of the royal alicorn sisters. The group could barely blink before the light struck Twilight Sparkle, knocking her back. However, floated several inches above the ground, as the light became much brighter. The group couldn’t even look at Twilight, having to bring their hooves up to shield their eyes from the radiant light.

Twilight was in a trance like state as the light enveloped her body. The lavender unicorn had been overcome with vast amounts of the raw power. She could feel herself gaining more power, while at the same time, her mind was flooded with all sorts of additional knowledge and wisdom. Her head hurt a little, taking in so much information at once.

The light subsided after several seconds as Twilight Sparkle was dropped onto her haunches, dazed. Her friends lowered their hooves (or in Spike’s case, claws) as they opened their eyes. They all looked on in awe.

“Tw-Twilight?” Spike choked, pointing at her with a claw. The others were speechless.

Twilight smiled warmly as she looked skyward, her eyes calm. “It’s alright, my friends. I... I feel so much power. I suddenly... know so many things. It’s unreal...” she said with an eerie calmness, momentarily overcome with a euphoria of power.  The mare shifted her head, looking back down at her friends.

“What... happened?” asked Fluttershy, tilting her head just a notch.

Twilight stood back up properly on all fours as she looked to her back, spotting a pair of wings. With a quick glance up at her forehead, she observed her horn was a little longer and sharper. In addition, her mane, while maintaining its usual color scheme, appeared to be flowing.

With that, she returned her warm gaze with a stress relieving sigh. “I know what’s going on,” she claimed, giving a sweeping glance at her friends. “The Elements of Harmony have decided to transfer the roles of Celestia and Luna to me, giving me their power and wisdom. The knowledge of this phenomenon was among the information granted to me,” the new alicorn finished, with a light chuckle.

“So, the Elements of Harmony made you into an alicorn?” inquired the cyan pegasus as she tilted her head. Twilight simply nodded.

A beat of silence ensued, the friends of Twilight Sparkle unnerved. What would happen from now on? They all felt uneasy, now that it was clear that Twilight would indeed have to be the next princess. All doubts about that vanished now that Twilight was an alicorn.

Twilight could see the uneasiness that her friends felt, and wanted to reassure them. “Don’t worry, guys. This will not have to affect our friendship at all. Remember?” the lavender alicorn spoke, smiling warmly at her friends. “No matter what, we’re friends. Forever.”

No more words needed to be spoken as the final bit of reassurance struck their ears. Tears rolled down the cheeks of her friends, as they smiled back. From the looks of things, her reassurance worked. The friends grouped up one more time for an enormous, warm embrace.

This time, it went uninterrupted.

*     *     *

Captain Strong Wing directed his attention to the door as he heard a knock. The seasoned veteran got up from his chair as he set down a book that he had been reading on his night stand. He had turned in for the day. The past few days had been long and tiresome. At the moment, he was not wearing his armor.

The pegasus trotted over to the door of his personal quarters, nudging it open to see who it was.

A lavender figure came into view upon the door swing open. Her mane flowed in the air, as if caught up in a breeze. A horn, longer and sharper than a normal unicorn’s, adorned her forehead. A pair of wings hugged the sides of her body in a folded state. After a brief look over, he made eye contact with the mare before him, who smiled at him.

“Hello, Captain,” greeted Twilight Sparkle, stepping into the Captain’s quarters. The stallion made no objections to Twilight’s entrance into his quarters. He promptly shut the door behind her.

“Miss Sparkle... I didn’t expect to see you this soon,” said Strong Wing.

Twilight chuckled lightly as she turned towards him. “So, I take it you explained everything to the guards to make them understand?” inquired the lavender alicorn.

The Captain nodded. “Yes. At first, they were shocked, but they eventually came to understand. I also told them to expect confirmation as to whether or not you will take up the throne,” he explained. Then, his eyes scanned Twilight’s body one more time for a brief moment. “And, I have observed you are now an alicorn. How peculiar,” he stated calmly.

“Well, fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to decide.” she told him. “And, we have the Elements of Harmony to thank for me being an alicorn.” Strong Wing arched a brow at this.

Twilight quickly noted his curiosity. “The Elements of Harmony somehow transferred the power and wisdom of both Celestia and Luna to me,” she explained, gesturing with a hoof. “To be honest, at first, I didn’t want to take on the role of ruler of Equestria. However, now that I have the combined powers and wisdom of Celestia and Luna, I don’t feel afraid to take up the throne anymore.” With that, Twilight smiled warmly, having finished her relatively brief explanation.

“I see,” the pegasus replied. “I shall make the announcement confirming your ascendance as the new Princess.” Captain Strong Wing closed his and gave Twilight a bow, acknowledging the new alicorn as his ruler.

“Please... You do not need to be so formal with me,” muttered Twilight, placing a hoof on the Captain’s shoulder.

Strong Wing rose from his bowing position and nodded. “Alright then,” he said calmly. “Now, if you will excuse me, I will go spread word of this.” With that, Strong Wing began to exit his quarters.

“By the way,” spoke Twilight, with Strong Wing stopping in his tracks. He turned to look at the alicorn. She simply smiled. “There are no hard feelings,” she said, referencing their earlier conflict under Celestia’s rule. "I would like us to become friends."

Her words had actually managed to get the hardened veteran to crack a genuine smile. With a smile adorning his visage, he promptly nodded. "I think I would like that," replied Captain Strong Wing. Twilight returned his response with a warm smile.

And with that, he darted out of the room, making his way down the corridor to alert the rest of the Royal Guard on the new developments of the situation.

Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly once more after the Captain left. Her horn lit up, and with a flash, the lavender alicorn vanished.

*     *     *

A month flew by since Princess Twilight Sparkle took up throne as the new ruler of Equestria. The announcement to the entirety of Equestria, and following ceremony had all passed by pleasantly. The first order of business she attended to was adjusting to her new life, and helping rebuild the damaged castle. Due to her direct help, the castle had been repaired in no time.

Strong Wing continued onward as the Captain of the Royal Guard, faithfully serving Princess Twilight Sparkle. The two had formed their own friendship bond, something that the Captain would admit felt warm. Friendship felt... nice.

The citizens of Equestria were initially surprised at the change in authority. For their whole lives, the ponies of Equestria lived under rule of Princess Celestia, followed by assistance from her younger sister, Princess Luna a little later on. Fortunately, Princess Twilight Sparkle had managed to educate the population on the situation, while leaving out the gorier details in her speeches.

Afterwards, she worked diligently to create elaborate schedules for her duties as Princess; something that came easily to her. She did not feel the need to change too much. Rather, the lavender alicorn tweaked existing policies to improve them, or remove any unnecessary ones.

Day and night, Princess Twilight would use her newfound power to raise the sun and moon in place of Celestia and Luna, whose statues had been since been moved to the statue garden outside the castle. It was there, that they would remain trapped forever in their stone prisons. An ironic end, that Princess Celestia and her sister got what they wanted *that way.*

Due to her power and knowledge, moving the Sun and the Moon were like second nature to her. Twilight found that the task to be easy enough to perform in her sleep, should it come to that.

During the past month, the alicorn had also come to take up a protege of her own. A unicorn mare named Radiant Dawn, who was sky blue in color, with yellow and orange mane. Her cutie mark resembled a four-pointed star, which was golden in color. Fortunately for this mare, Princess Twilight had no intentions of sacrificing her for immortality. There would be no dark secrets this time.

Due to having a smooth time running Equestria, Princess Twilight always had time to schedule something very dear to her. The alicorn, with Spike and Radiant Dawn at her side, made weekly visits to Ponyville to visit her best friends, and spend time with them, devoting the whole day to visiting. The alicorn’s protege always had wonderful time getting to know, and partying the other element wielders.

Pinkie Pie always threw a party to welcome Princess Twilight on her visits. They never disappointed. Her five best friends never failed to show up to the parties, which naturally had the usual Pinkie Pie style of fun.

Princess Twilight Sparkle could not be happier with her life now. Nothing changed between her and her best friends, and had made a new one in her own protege, despite the drastic change in her life. That was most important to her.

With that, Princess Twilight Sparkle had a wonderful future ahead of her. Although, it disheartened her to know that she would outlive her best friends by several centuries. Alicorns, not having immortality, but merely longer life spans, could outlive other ponies by at least a thousand years. Princess Twilight would however find comfort in knowing that she too will one day pass away, to join her friends in he afterlife. But that was still a ways off.

And now, wouldn’t just be a new day for Equestria. It would be a new age for Equestria, ushered in by Princess Twilight Sparkle. She planned to work hard to create an even superior utopia for all ponykind.

And life was pretty good.

Chapter 1: A New Day

In Youth Eternal; A Dark Secret

By AAAAAAAB

Chapter 1: A New Day

It was the beginning of a new day for Equestria as sunlight crept through the crack in the closed drapes of the Ponyville Library. The thin stream of light shined down upon a waking Twilight Sparkle. Slowly, the mare's well rested eyes crept open. The blanket slid off of the purple mare as she stood up and stretch her legs, causing her flank to raise into the air, giving a moderately loud yawn.

The drapes dispersed quickly with the touch of the unicorn’s magic, causing light to flood the room. Twilight moseyed on down the steps from her bed, where she found Spike was still sleeping. A check list and quill levitated over to Twilight, encased in a purple aura. Before looking it over, Twilight turned her head and looked at the still sleeping Spike.

Twilight trotted over to Spike, giving him a little nudge with her hoof. “Oh Spike~! Wake up! We have work to do!” said Twilight with a wide grin. Spike simply mumbled something and turned over in his bed. A mildly annoyed look crossed Twilight’s face, only to form into a scheming grin moments later.

“Well, I guess a certain baby dragon won’t get to have his green emerald for lunch today,” taunted Twilight, with a playfully sarcastic tone. Spike bolted up quickly with widened eyes at the very prospect.

“Alright alright... I was hoping to sleep in more though,” he deadpanned as a scowl adorned his features. The dragon felt disappointed at having to be up and about this early.

“Sorry, but we have things we need to do today. First we are supposed to help Fluttershy tend to her animals,” replied Twilight, glancing at her check list.

"But I will get to have my gem, right?" asked Spike, drooling at the thought of consuming the succulent emerald.

Twilight glanced at Spike, chuckling softly. "Of course, Spike," she replied.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Spike opened his mouth to speak. “Alright. Let’s go, then.” Twilight smiled at Spike again. The mare made her way towards the front door with her number one assistant following behind, opening the door with her magic.

With that, the two stepped out the door and embarked onwards to Fluttershy’s cottage.

*     *     *

A number of hours passed.

The door to Fluttershy’s cottage flung open, with the graceful, pale yellow pegasus pony gliding outside. “Oh, thank you so much, Twilight! There were so many animals to help today,” she spoke, with her soft, calming voice as she held the door open.

Stepping outside, Twilight replied with a friendly smile. Fluttershy smiled back at her.

“I’m glad I could help, Fluttershy!” said Twilight. “I just hope next time Spike doesn’t accidentally let the chickens loose again,” she joked, giving Spike an amused look. Spike rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath in irritation.

The two ponies exchanged their goodbyes for now, with Twilight and Spike departing from Fluttershy’s small home.

As the pair made their way down the dirt road, away from Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight turned to Spike. “So, what’s next on the list?” asked the lavender unicorn. Spike glanced at the check list, his green eyes quickly scanning the contents, and then back at Twilight.

“Next, we’re supposed to help Applejack and Big Macintosh carry apples into the barn. After that, we’re supposed to help Pinkie Pie with- ugh!” Spike’s sentence was suddenly cut off. He stopped in his tracks and began to gag until emerald green flames erupted from his mouth. The flames swirled for a brief moment, and materialized into a rolled-up scroll.

“A letter from the Princess? Now?” said Twilight, curiously. "I wonder what it's about."

Spike unrolled the scroll to read its contents. *Ahem!*

“My Faithful Student Twilight. I would like you to meet me at my Castle tomorrow afternoon. I have something I wish to discuss with you.” Twilight arched a brow after Spike finished reading the scroll. The mare had hoped the letter would have been more specific.

“What could the Princess want to discuss with me?” she asked rhetorically. Spike simply shrugged and shook his head briefly.

They began to walk towards Sweet Apple Acres, pondering the situation. However, Twilight was quick to move on. “Well, we will worry about that tomorrow. For now, let’s just focus our tasks,” she said, as they continued towards Sweet Apple Acres.

*     *     *

The purple pair eventually came upon the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres.

The apple farm was a pleasant sight as usual. Surrounding the paths that ran through farm were whole fields of lush apple trees. Occasionally, there were other crops as well. The smell of fresh apples lingered within the air, much to Twilight's delight.

The pair made their way towards the barn, where they saw Big Macintosh. The red stallion was just now trotting into the equally red wooden structure with a load of apples in the saddle bags, which were mounted on his back. Applejack exited the barn ust as Big Mac disappeared behind the doors.

The orange cowpony quickly noticed the Twilight and Spike. “Well howdy Twilight! Spike!” said Applejack, giving a nod to the pair.

“Hello Applejack!” chimed Twilight with a friendly smile. "How are you?"

"Ah am fit as a fiddle," replied the orange earth pony, beaming with confidence.

“Anywho, Ah’m glad ya’ll could make it today. Got a lotta' apples ta' harvest and we’d like to finish up early,” explained Applejack, gesturing with a hoof. The orange earth pony turned around to see Big Macintosh exiting the barn. “Isn’t that right Big Mac?” she exclaimed.

“Eeyup!” replied Big Mac, with a calm and relaxed smile. He was a pony of few words.

“We would be glad to help!” said Twilight. “Let’s get started.”

"Alright, follow me," Applejack ordered with a friendly tone.

*     *     *

It was now the afternoon.

Twilight entered the barn, carrying her final load of apples on her back, followed by Spike who was dragging his own basket. She gave a sigh of relief as her baskets dropped onto the floor with a thud. Sweat drizzled down her face from the previous hours of hard work.

Applejack and Big Macintosh soon entered the barn themselves with their respective final loads. “All in a day’s work!” exclaimed the orange mare.

“Eeyup!”

“I’m just glad we finished before my back broke,” joked Twilight as a sheepish grin crossed her face. Although, her back and hooves were sore from all of the work. Overall, her body felt heavier as a result of exhaustion. Applejack and Big Mac seemed to be fairing better, being used to such farm labor and all.

Applejack laughed in reply. “Hehe! Well anyways, thanks a bundle Twi!” Applejack said. The orange mare turned to look at Spike who was also tired from hard labor. “And Ah'd like ta' hank you too, Spike!”

“Don’t mention it,” said the baby dragon, wiping sweat off his forehead.

“Why don’t we go in for some cider?” suggested Applejack.

Twilight smiled, but had to decline. “We’d love to, but we also have more things we need to do before the day’s end.”

“Ah, well, come by anytime, sugarcube,” Applejack said. The orange mare felt a little disappointed, but understood that Twilight needed to take care of important things.

They all exchanged their goodbyes for the day. Twilight and Spike left Sweet Apple Acres physically sore, but happy to have helped their friend and her brother. Now it was onward to Sugarcube Corner to help Pinkie Pie set up for Derpy’s birthday party.

*     *     *

“Well, that outta do it!” exclaimed a certain pink pony. It was another job well done setting up a party. Streamers and balloons of all sorts of colors were set up around the room. Various tables of baked goods and punch were scattered for anypony who wanted a snack. A single round table had a number of gifts stacked on it for the special birthday pegasus. A turntable was set up so Vinyl Scratch, stage name DJ PON-3, could DJ for the party.

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in place with her usual happy-go-lucky smiling. “This will be Derpy’s best super special Birthday Party ever!!” she exclaimed. “Do ya wanna stick around Twilight? Do ya do ya do ya!?” As usual, Pinkie Pie ran her motor mouth, speaking quickly with excitement.

Twilight nodded. “Fortunately, this was the last thing on the check list for today.”

By this time, a large number of ponies had gathered to attend Derpy’s party. They mingled around for a while to wait for the her to arrive.

A few more minutes passed, with Rainbow Dash pushing a sitting Derpy through the doors of Sugarcube Corner. The ditzy grey pegasus was blindfolded, as this was a surprise party. Knowing what a silly klutz she was, a blind fold would have made it downright dangerous for her to travel alone.

“Okay. We’re here, Derpy,” Rainbow Dash told the ditzy pegasus, panting and sweating from the hefty task of pushing her.

With that said, the blond-maned pegasus removed her blind fold. Her eyes were crossed as usual. But that didn’t stop her from lighting up with joy at the sight of her Birthday party. “Wow guys! I just don’t know what to say!” chimed Derpy; her eyes beaming with glee. The adorable klutz was very happy.

Pinkie Pie hopped over to her. “Happy Birthday!”  she exclaimed, as the music started. Party lights turned and everypony started to have a great time. Although Derpy was a rather clumsy dancer.

*     *     *

The doors to the Ponyville Library opened with Twilight and Spike stepping into the main room. “Wow. I am exhausted.” said Twilight.

“But still, the party was great! Especially the part where Derpy accidentally got her head stuck in the cake,” Spike said, laughing at the memory.

“Yeah.. That was pretty funny,” replied Twilight. “But now, I need to get some sleep. I’m supposed to visit Princess Celestia tomorrow.” She strolled on up the stairs and into bedroom.

“Hey, Twilight?” said Spike, entering the bedroom after her. “I’ve got nothing to do tomorrow. You think I can tag along?”

Twilight looked down at Spike and smiled. “I’m sure Princess Celestia wouldn’t mind!”

Spike climbed into his small bed and covered himself with his blanket. “Oh, good thing. I’d have nothing to do otherwise,” he said. Spike looked up towards Twilight. “Anyways, goodnight Twilight.”

The lavender unicorn promptly closed the drapes with her magic. “Goodnight Spike. Sleep tight. We have a big day tomorrow,” she pointed out. "Whatever it is the Princess wants, I'm sure it's important." A sparkling purple aura lifted a blanket over the mare as she laid down in her own bed. She snuggled briefly, closing her eyes.

With that, the two fell into a peaceful slumber, waiting for tomorrow to arrive.

Chapter 7: The Gathering Part 2

Chapter 7: The Gathering Part 2

“Well well well. Look at what we got here!” shouted the pegasus Royal Guard, staring down the surprised baby dragon. His strong wings flapped, keeping him airborne. Rarity was equally surprised, looking on with with widened eyes. The guards approached the duo slowly, the other guard forcing the door shut with magic, being a unicorn.

Upon the door slamming shut, both Rarity and Spike quickly glanced behind them, startled. Spike looked back towards the malicious Royal Guards. The baby dragon and white unicorn couldn’t do anything but fight back. He set the book bag down by the door to keep it safe.

“You know, baby dragon. I still haven’t repaid you for making me crash into that wall,” claimed the pegasus, gritting his teeth. Spike remembered back to his escape, how a pegasus Royal Guard had caught him trying to escape, and how he hit the wall hard after he jumped into the river below.

“You... You’re the one who spotted me,” realized Spike.

“That’s right, punk. And I have been itching to pay you back for that,” he replied, narrowing his eyes, ready to attack. "I swear. The opportunity of combat always did make me excited," he said, chuckling.

“Who do you ruffians think you are picking on poor little Spike here?” questioned Rarity, walking a semi circle around Spike to his front, placing her self between the baby dragon and the Guards.

The unicorn solider spoke up. “Step aside, lady. This does not concern you,” he ordered.

“You’ll simply have to go through me then,” said Rarity, confidently.

“Hmph! So be it,” exclaimed the armored pegasus. He took off towards Rarity, intending to plow right through her to reach Spike. However, Spike and Rarity split up, running in opposite directions away from the door, Spike going right and Rarity darting left.

This time, however, the pegasus stopped himself before hitting the door. “The same trick won’t work twice!” he claimed loudly before turning around making a charge for Spike. The unicorn guard decided to turn his attention to Rarity.

As Rarity ran, she used her magic to fling books off the shelves at her unicorn opponent. The books were caught rather easily by the guard’s magic and swept aside. The armored unicorn quickly counter attacked.

His horn lit up as his eyes narrowed, creating an aura that pinned Rarity to the nearest book case. The fear in Rarity’s face was visible. He snorted a little, scuffing the ground with his front right hoof, lowering his head a little. His horn was pointed directly at Rarity’s torso. He then charged the female white unicorn, intending to run her through for the kill.

Rarity screamed as her horn flowed with magic. A large number of books launched themselves at the charging unicorn very quickly, hitting his legs and face. He lost concentration as he was tripped by the books, landing face first on the floor. Rarity dropped to the floor, quickly sprinting away from the book case.

She used her magic again, this time her blue aura enshrouding a large number of books that remained on the shelves en masse, the dozens of books flew off the shelves at the same time, creating a bit of an avalanche of books that engulfed him. Rarity thought of how mad Twilight would be for that, but she had to defend herself against this unicorn.

The armored unicorn's eyes widened at the on coming avalanche of books before being knocked down and overwhelmed by it.

As this happened, Spike was attempting to run away from his pegasus pursuer. The armored pegasus quickly got the upperhoof however, as he sped around Spike and landed in front of him, cutting him off. Spike stopped as fast as he could.

The baby dragon jumped backwards to keep a bit more distance. With haste, he grabbed and pelted book after book at his enemy. The armored pegasus effortlessly deflected them with his hooves. “You’ll have to try harder than that,” he mocked, grinning arrogantly.

Without warning, the pegasus leapt forward in the blink of an eye, closing the distance. He pivoted on his front hooves, turning 180 degrees. Spike’s eyes widened in surprise as his foe’s back legs shot out from behind him. A loud thud sounded.

The baby dragon yelped in pain, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he was sent spiraling into a book case. His small body bounced off the shelves and on to the floor. The impact knocked books off the shelf, raining the baby dragon with a number of books, burying him.

Spike stood up from the pile of books, holding his head in pain. He looked up to see the sinister pegasus approaching him with a malicious grin. Spike promptly grabbed one of the books from the pile for self defense. The armored pegasus laughed. “Books again? That didn’t work the first time!” he yelled.

A glare crossed the baby dragon’s face as dashed straight towards the pegasus. He threw the book as hard as he could, aiming straight for his face. Following up, Spike jumped immediately afterwards. The pegasus brought a front hoof up, slapping the flying book out of the way. However, what he saw right behind the where the book just was in midair, was a baby dragon flying directly towards his face.

The pegasus couldn’t react in time. Spike swipped at his left eye with his claws. He reeled back in pain, closing his eye lid. “Ahhhh!!” he screamed, angered by the baby dragon.

While stunned, Spike took the opportunity to use his fire breath. After inhaling, he let emerald green flames erupt from his mouth, catching on the pegasus. He dropped the ground, thrashing and rolling as he screamed, trying to put out the flames.

Back with Rarity, she let out a sigh of relief the mass of books completely engulfed the armored unicorn. “That was too cl-” she began to say. The large pile of books dispersed from a burst of magic the armored unicorn had created. He stood up, a little bruised. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Rarity cringed in response.

She quickly found her self hovering in mid air, encased in a magic aura. Her foe’s horn was glowing. Rarity yelped as she was slammed into the floor, face first, causing a loud thud. As a follow up, she was thrown violently into the now empty book case, pinning her there. “This time I won’t let you trump me,” muttered the armored unicorn with a scowl on his face.

Rarity was bruised, bleeding from the mouth. One of her eyes was partially shut from her new found injuries. Rarity wasn’t a fighter. Applejack or Rainbow dash could take the damage a lot easier, but not her. As it turns out, Spike was no longer fairing so well either.

The armored pegasus stood up after the flames went out. He was panting, growling with each breath. Part of his coat was burnt, leaving black scorches over parts of him. His left eye was still shut, blood gushing down his cheek from the wound. “You. Little! BASTARD!” screamed the pegasus. He charged Spike at full speed, knocking the baby dragon onto his back.

Spike, now bruised from the fighting, laid there helplessly, his head pinned under the armored pegasus’ hoof. His head was on its side, preventing him from effectively using his fire breath as a counter attack.

“I’m going to enjoy crushing your bucking skull,” laughed the pegasus, in a rather sadistic tone. Spike groaned in pain as his opponent slowly applied more pressure on his skull.

Meanwhile, the armored unicorn scuffed the ground again in preparation to run his horn through Rarity’s torso. With that, he took off towards the pinned unicorn. Hope seemed lost for Rarity and Spike. Their lives were in the hooves of the enemy.

Fortune smiled upon the distressed duo, however.

Without warning, a speeding blur shattered the front door. Both guards looked up towards the door, distracted from what they were doing.

The armored unicorn couldn’t react in time to do anything further. All he saw was a rainbow colored blur blazing towards him. A cyan colored hoof struck him square in the snout with great momentum and force, sending the unicorn flying back into another bookcase. It broke, causing books to fly off the shelves. However, he was already dead before his body struck the book case; the heavy blow from the cyan hoof having ended his life. Rarity landed on her flank as soon as the magic wore off. She remained leaned up against the wall.

The armored pegasus looked on in aw, only able to make small guttural sounds in response. He quickly shook his head and changed his demeanor. He shot the cyan pegasus a nasty glare.

Rainbow Dash set herself down on the floor. She snapped a hoof at the pegasus. “Hey bub! Let him go!” she demanded. The armored pegasus smiled arrogantly, despite his wounds.

“You got a lucky shot on my comrade, but that won’t happen with me!” he said, releasing Spike to challenge Rainbow Dash. “Think you got what it takes?”

Rainbow Dash shot him a glare as her wings flapped. She lifted off the ground. The armored pegasus did the same. It was Rainbow Dash that made the first move.

The cyan pegasus took off with great speed. She charged the armored pegases with a hoof in front of her. Her speed caught him by surprise, and with one working eye now, he lacked depth perception. He didn’t have time to dodge as she she closed in too quickly.

The armored pegasus shielded himself with his front hooves from Rainbow Dash’s attack. Their faces were inches apart. The two fighters looked into each other’s eyes, growling.

The cyan pegasus quickly started throwing a number of quick hoof jabs. He could barely keep up with the her until he parried one of her jabs, leaving her open. The royal guard drove his hoof forward for Rainbow Dash’s face as a counterattack, only to hit nothing but air.

She had quickly dropped herself in the air a couple a feet, effectively ducking under her enemy’s counterattack. Rainbow Dash returned his counterattack with one of her own, nailing him in the jaw with an uppercut. The pegasus’ head jerked back from the impact.

Rainbow Dash followed up with a strong kick while he was stunned. Her hoof connected with his rib cage. “Augh!” he cried, hearing and feeling a crack in his rib cage.

The pegasus coughed up blood as he back away in the air, barely keeping himself steady. He held himself where Rainbow Dash had struck him, with his hooves. Guttural sounds of pain escaped his mouth as he scowled fiercely.

Rainbow Dash crossed her front legs as if they were arms, tiling her a head a little. She gave the armored pegasus an arrogant smirk to silently mock him.

“I’ll ‘bucking KILL you!” he shouted with anger, despite his further wounds. The armored pegasus started slowly started towards his foe with malicious thoughts. Rainbow Dash took off again, this time flying circles around him before he could do anything. His eye widened, with it tracing back and forth trying to keep up with her speed, but all he could see was a rainbow colored ring around him.

Without warning, a hoof struck him in the back of the head. His helmet partly shielded him, but it was dented inwards. It made little difference in the end. He fell out of the air and hit the ground with a loud thud. The impact on the floor made his rib injury worse. He curled up, holding his rib cage as he writhed in pain.

Rainbow Dash lowered herself in front her fallen opponent. Her wings remained spread, allowing her to balance on her back legs. She crossed her front legs, looking down at the pegasus with a serious frown. He returned her frown with a frustrated one of this own.

With that, Rainbow Dash raised her back right hoof above the armored pegasus’ head while remaining upright. A thud, with a simultaneous crack, Rainbow Dash had brought her hoof down on his head, killing him upon contact.

Rarity and Spike were dumbstruck, but relieved. The two of them could barely hold off the pair of royal guards, only to be overpowered in the end. And yet, Rainbow Dash came in and took them both out all willy nilly. Though they were battle damaged and one was taken by surprise, it likely would not have made a difference.

“Woohoo! Yeah Rainbow Dash!” a voice shouted from the doorway. Pinkie Pie was hopping her way in through the doorway, a smile on her face.

“Pff. It was nothin’!” said Rainbow Dash in a gloating manner.

Spike got himself up, trying to shake off his injuries. “Oh boy am I glad you showed up when you did!” he said. “Rarity and I would have died if you didn’t.”

Rainbow Dash turned to Spike, smiling. “Don’t worry Spike, I got your back!” she claimed.

Another voice came from the door way. “Wut in tarnation happened in here!?” it said. Applejack walked in through the doorway with Fluttershy in tow.

“We were attacked by those ruffian royal guards.” replied Rarity, resting up against the wall still.

Fluttershy displayed concern in saddened expression. “Oh my...” she said, timidly.

“So what was this all about again?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well,” spike began to say, before being interrupted.

“Uh, ah don’t mean to interrupt or nothin’, but shouldn’t we hide the bodies incase somepony comes by?” Applejack suggested, walking over the armored pegasus’ corpse, nudging it with her hoof.

They all nodded in agreement. “Okay. Let's do that, then I’ll explain everything in basement,” said Spike.

Without waiting further, Rainbow Dash and Applejack dragged the royal guards’ corpses upstairs with the mouths. Fluttershy drifted over to Rarity and helped her up. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but she still ached.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash strolled back down into the main room as Spike ran over and grabbed the book bag by the door. “Okay,” he began. “Let’s meet in the basement. I will explain everything from the beginning...”