The Night Will Last Forever 6

Ch 6 To War A Goddess

Date: 0001
New Lunar Calendar

-3 Days after the Funeral-

Rarity

"Oh it is so nice to be able to have a decent get together again, my mind needs a rest from all this excitement." Rarity relaxed in her seat in the back of the Hay and Gourmet Restaurant.

"It is rather nice to be out of those crowded offices, even if it is only for a little bit." Twilight took another bite of her daffodil and daisy sandwich.

"I'm glad the three of us could find some time to be together, with all the commotion around town. Wouldn't you agree Pinkie?"

"You betcha!" Pinkie Pie tossed another hay fry into her mouth.

Twilight smiled, it had been awhile since Pinkie Pie had been outside, and she was glad she didn't seem to be taking everything too badly. In fact, she seemed like she didn't have a care in the world.

If only I were so lucky, she thought.

"So, Pinkie," Rarity said, "You said you had some sort of new recipe, something that will, ahem, knock our socks off?"

"I sure do! And you wanna know the secret ingredient?" Pinkie Pie grabbed the other two and pulled them closer. "The secret ingredient to my new cupcake recipe is..."

Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder suspiciously. "...a dash of rainbow."

"I beg your pardon?" Rarity pleaded.

"Rainbow, I imported some from Cloudsdale! It gives them a nice spicy touch! I think it'll make me enough money to buy out Sugarcube Corner, and then, the WORLD!"

Twilight giggled. "Pinkie Pie, sometimes I just do not understand you!"

The three of them laughed as three friends enjoying a peaceful get together should laugh.

Time passed, and the three of them ate and laughed in spite of the gloomy situation Ponyville found itself in. The restaurant was the only one still open, so plenty of ponies were eating and talking or even just catching up.

A few tables over the waiter was passing by to deliver a plate of rose leaves to a customer. Another pony accidently got out of their chair at the same time he walked by, knocking the waiter over.

He fell to the ground, clutching his knee. "OW! Agh, that hurt!"

"Oh Celestia! I'm so sorry!" The pony tried to help him. "I-I didn't mean to, I was just-oh I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I think I just sprained it." He grabbed his knee, wincing as he did.

Suddenly Pinkie Pie burst out laughing. She laughed harder then she had all day. She could barely control herself.

"Pinkie! That's completely disrespectful!" Rarity gave Pinkie Pie a stern look.

The waiter tried to get up but his leg gave way underneath him. Pinkie Pie laughed even harder, rolling on the ground grabbing her stomach.

"Pinkie! What are you doing? That pony just hurt himself! you shouldn't be laughing at him!" Twilight scolded Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie managed to get on her hooves again and ran out of the restaurant laughing uncontrollably.

"Well how rude..." Rarity glared at the pink pony running down the street.

"I'm sorry about that sir." Twilight helped the waiter to his hooves. "I hope you aren't hurt too badly."

"I'll be fine. But, why was that pink pony laughing at me?"

"Well, I don't really know." Twilight went back to the table Rarity was sitting at. "I think it's time we got back to work."

"I agree, we shan't waste any more time. I'm just concerned about Pinkie, that wasn't like her."

"I'm sure she's just a little off today, she hasn't been with anyone else for a while. We'd better get going though, we're supposed to meet the captain of the weather patrol today."

Rarity and Twilight left the restaurant, the waiter hobbling back to the kitchen. Something did seem wrong with Pinkie, Rarity thought. She never laughed when other ponies got hurt, she was normally one of the first ones to help them.

Something in Pinkie Pie's eyes bothered her, she didn't like the way she had laughed.

-One Hour Later-

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight and Rarity walked past a group of trees into a clearing. It was populated with dozens of pegasi, some talking to one another, others doing various exercises, and a few doing maneuvers in the air.

"Hello?" Twilight tried to get the attention of a large grizzled pegasus. "Hellooooo?"

'Wha? Huh? Oh, hey there, you must be that Twilight unicorn I've been hearing about."

"That's me, I'm glad to meet you, uh, Captainnnn-?"

"Just call me Captain. And yes, I'm in charge of makin' sure these pegasi are fit and ready to perform sonic rainbooms in their sleep."

"Aren't you bothered by the fact that only one pony has ever performed one?"

"Hehe, that's why I put a hundred bit reward for whoever does it first. I'm smart like that."

"I see."

"It's my job to turn this simple pegasi into the toughest ponies around! Why, when I'm done with em' even Celestia's Royal Guard would be jealous."

"Are you sure you can do that? I mean, Ponyville has never been part of any conflict in history."

"Of course I can! I have to, it's the Mayor's orders, and I understand the importance of listening to orders. I'm not one to let anypony down."

CRASH!

"OW! Watch it!"

"You watch it!"

Two pegasi crashed into each other, knocking each other to the ground. The Captain simply facehoofed.

"Uh, like I said, we aren't quite there yet."

Twilight looked at Rarity who simply shrugged.

"Now go on, GIT! Our meeting is over, you need to go see the Mayor, she called you in again to talk about that spell or somethin'."

"Um, are you sure you have everything handled?" Rarity asked nervously.

"Of course I do! Now go on, go help save the world!"

The Captain pushed Twilight and Rarity back onto the path leading back into town. Rarity simply huffed in annoyance.

"Come on Rarity, let's go help the Mayor."

-Three Days Later-

Pinkie Pie

This was going to be so exciting! Pinkie Pie could barely control herself, she was bouncing around in excitement. The Project wasn't even supposed to begin until tomorrow, but she was already excited about it.

Pinkie Pie hadn't been part of the project, but that was fine by her, all she wanted to do was watch anyway.

"Wow, I'm so excited! I've never been so excited! Well, except for that one time...no...wait...I've never been this excited!" Pinkie Pie was hopping around her room happily. "There's going to be so many sonic rainbooms!"

The element of danger involved didn't seem to bother her. The fact that some ponies wouldn't even make it back didn't bother her either. In fact, it seemed to make her more excited.

Pinkie Pie pictured what might happen to a pony when they performed a sonic rainboom. She pictured a pony going faster and faster until they exploded in a flash of color and giggled to herself.

She couldn't care less what happened to the cloud or the ponies trying to break it, she just wanted to see a sonic rainboom again.

Nothing else mattered to her.

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight shook her head, trying to keep herself awake. She had been studying up on the technique for borrowing another unicorns magic and she had been awake for the past 48 hours.

Rarity poked her head around the corner of the library's basement.

"Look Twilight, I said I would help you but you can't learn anything if you drool all over your books and smear the pages. You need some sleep!"

"No..I don't...I have to...keep studying..."

"Really Twilight, you need to go to bed! Just look at your mane, it's filthy! You haven't slept in two days, how are you supposed to help the pegasi if you are asleep?"

"But-"

"No buts! You need rest! Everypony else is already prepared for tomorrow, I'll keep studying for you and tell you everything I find ok?"

"I..ok...fine...I'll go to be-zzzzzzzzz"

Twilight's head fell on her book, finally succumbing to her weariness.

"Awww, aren't you just adorable when you're asleep?" Rarity grinned and carried Twilight up the stairs to her bed.

"Now you get all the sleep you can, we've got important things to do tomorrow."

Rarity shut off the light and walked downstairs.

"And it's going to be a very busy day..."

-The Next Day-

-Project Day-

Princess Celestia

Princess Celestia walked through the plains of Equestria, not knowing where she was headed. She had awoken in the middle of a field without any indication of where she was. She didn't recognize anything around her, she had the entire land of Equestria memorized, but she didn't recognize where she was.

She theorized that Nightmare Moon somehow changed the landscape, perhaps pushing the cities and towns away from each other.

Either that, or she had destroyed them outright. But Nightmare Moon didn't want to destroy the world, she wanted to rule it. The thought cheered her up, but only a little. All she wanted to do now was find her friends and rebuild everything Nightmare Moon had undone.

As she walked, she saw a small yellow lump on the grass ahead, she ran towards it. As she approached, she realized it was the shape of a pony.

Fearing the worst, she mentally braced herself for a gruesome sight. Her fears were indeed realized.

A yellow pegasus was lying on the ground, her beautiful pink hair a tangled mess. She lay curled up on the ground, clutching a grey flower. Celestia could only stare at the unparalleled beauty that had once occupied this body.

The pony looked as if she had been walking for days, her hooves showed spots of red from where she had stepped on the odd rock or sharp branch. Her eyes looked worried and were stained with streaks of moisture down her face.

Celestia kneeled down next to the pony and pressed her head against their body. She couldn't feel that warm life that everyone gave off, hers had faded away not too long ago. Only a cold shell of what once was remained.

Celestia shed a single tear for the life that was lost. She focused her magic, her horn responded by glowing faintly. The yellow body began to glow softly, not resisting the magic. Celestia whispered a blessing to the lost pony, concentrating what magic she had left on the fragile body.

It began to glow brighter and brighter until it couldn't be seen beneath the veil of light. Sensing she was finished, Celestia stopped her magic. When the light faded, the print in the dirt was all that was left of the body.

Fluttershy could finally have peace.

Celestia looked past were the pegasus used to lay and saw a trail of flower petals going off into the distance. That had to be it. That just had to be the way she had to go, Celestia could feel an urge to go in the direction of the flower petals.

She knew now were she was headed, she was going to go find her most faithful student. Twilight would need her now more then ever, she had to find her.

Celestia pushed herself off of the ground and followed the trail of flower petals. She knew now what she had to do.


Mayor Mare

"Mayor! Mayor Mare get up!"

A voice shook the Mayor out of her sleep.

"Get up! You're going to be late! You're supposed to start the project soon!"

"Oh dear! I over-slept, tell them I'll be right there."

The pony that woke up the Mayor ran outside to tell the crowd of ponies waiting in the town square.

Well, Mayor Mare thought to herself, this was it. Time for all this planning to go into action. Time to fight for our right to have the sun shine down once again. Hopefully it would help the Princess, wherever she was. If she was still alive, maybe we could give her her power back?

Only one way to find out, she thought. She stepped outside to the podium, it was time to give her last speech. A crowd of cheering ponies answered her presence. Ponies of all different species and colors were holding banners and stomping their hooves.

Some of the pegasi were already wearing their new horseshoes, crafted by the most skilled earth ponies in town.

Mayor Mare scanned the crowd, she found so much courage in these ponies. They were willing to potentially risk their lives for the cause. For the first time in her career, she was speechless.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, I come before you a very proud pony. I am so very proud of you all, willing to put absolutely everything on the line. It makes me proud to be your leader..."

Mayor Mare hung her head.

"I have said everything I can to you, there is nothing left to do but take action. So let us fight, and win!"

The crowd cheered again, proud to have made her so proud of them.

"For the glory of the Princess and the sun! We strike at midday!"

She turned and left her town cheering behind her, she needed a moment to herself before the big attack.

-One Hour Later-

The Captain

"All right ponies, listen up!"

All the pegasi were lined up in formation in the park which was cleared for this very event.

"I know a lot of you are scared, and I know that no one has been able to perform a sonic rainboom yet, but that doesn't matter! Failure in practice means nothing! You can perform a hundred sonic rainbooms on the ground, but if you can't up there, then what's the point?"

"The only thing that matters is what happens in that cloud, you got that? I've seen a town full of peaceful ponies turn into a mean fightin' machine! You can do it, I know you can."

The ponies in front of him stood as stiff as a board.

"Or so help me I will tie a rock to you and make you do two sonic rainbooms! But enough of my gabberin', you all got your horseshoes, they've all been enchanted, so what are we waiting for?"

The Captain scanned his troops.

"Let's go save the world!"

Twilight Sparkle

"Ok...here we go..." She said to herself, trying to calm herself down.

She was positioned in the middle of the town, in front of a few groups of pegasi.

"You all remember the plan? A, B, and C teams will go in first, start to scramble it up. D and E teams, you go left side, F and G hit right. The rest will go in their formations."

"Yeah yeah, let's go already!"

Twilight inhaled, trying to gather her magic. This was going to be one of the biggest spells she ever cast. Her horn lit up, shooting sparkles outward.

A purple beam of magic shot into the sky, it smashed into the grey cloud and created a purple star where it hit. It broke through the underside and created a large hole.

"GO! And may Celestia's light guide you should you find it!" Twilight yelled her blessing to the groups of pegasi.

"Let's do this!" One of the pegasi shouted.

"Ad maiorem dei gloriam." The Captain whispered under his breath.

WOOOOSH!

Twilight was deafened by the sound of two dozen pegasi taking off with the force of a dragon. They flew higher and higher, out of the town and into the oppressive cloud. Twilight could only watch and hope they would make it.

The pegasi slammed into the grey cloud, filling it with the colors of their bodies. They began to fly in cirlces in their formations, disrupting the bottom of the cloud. Two teams of three pegasi in an arrow shape broke in beside them, easily speeding through the discombobulated cloud.

"So far so good." Twilight said. "All right Captain, you're up!"

"Gotcha!" The Captain saluted and flew back to the army of pegasi waiting in the park. "You all know the plan, so let's bring our princess back!"

WOOOOOSH!

The rest of the town's pegasi flew into the air, getting into their formations and awaiting their turn to go.

Twilight cast another beam into the cloud, opening another hole for another pegasus to fly in. They broke in without any trouble. Another broke in, and another, and another.

"I don't like this Captain, this is too easy. Nightmare Moon hasn't done a thing to it. I don't like this one bit." Twilight said.

"I know what you mean, maybe she's just waiting for all of us to get in so she can attack everyone at once."

"Yeah, but with those horseshoes they'll be safe from lightning."

"That's not what I'm worried about..."

Inside the cloud dozens of ponies were flying as fast as they could, desperately trying to perform the fabled sonic rainboom.

Suddenly a loud voice could be heard over sounds of flapping wings and lightning.

"HAHAHA! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! You are honestly ALL trying this now? Oh this is too good! You little foals can't do a thing! Go ahead and try, just like that one blue pony!"

The clouds began to stir up, the winds getting stronger and stronger. The lightning picked up it's ferocity, striking the town below. Some of the ponies began to get scattered, a few formations breaking up.

"Oh no..." Twilight gawked at the swirling cloud.

"It's her isn't it?" The Captain shouted. "Fine! This changes nothing! It wouldn't be a battle if it were easy! Twilight, keep using your magic, we need to get as many of us in there as possible!"

Lightning struck a flower shop, frying the weather pane on the roof. Twilight shot another few holes in the cloud, allowing a few more ponies inside the warzone.

"HELP! SOMEPONY HELP ME!" A pony cried out inside the cloud. There was no one around to help him, a darker cloud swirled over his body, causing him to cry out again. The cloud moved away, letting his limp body fall.

"LOOK!" Somepony shouted, pointing to the body falling out the bottom of the cloud.

"I got him!" Lyra shouted. She grabbed his falling body using her magic. She was one of the few unicorns that had not given Twilight their magic, in case of emergencies.

Not unlike this one.

"Is he ok?" "Is he alive?" "What happened?" Ponies gathered around his body.

He didn't move as Lyra carried him to the town hall.

"Oh no...I don't think they realize what they are up against." Lyra sighed.

Inside the cloud layer, more and more pegasi were either losing their formations or their lives. The dark clouds chasing down the ponies, swirling around them then releasing their limp bodies. Everyone was shouting in panic.

"Where are you?"

"Where is everyone?"

"It's right behind me!"

"Don't touch the darker clouds!"

"Somepony help!"

"What's going on?"

"Where's the Captain?!"

"Don't let it get me!"

"Look out!"

BOOOOM!

"What was that?" Twilight shouted.

An explosion rocked the clouds, shaking the very air around everyone. On the ground, a hole could be seen in the cloud layer. Someone had done it.

Someone had performed a sonic rainboom.

"I don't believe it! Somepony did it! Captain, get the rest of your team in there now!"

"It's about time I got to show Nightmare Moon what's what myself!" The Captain shouted.

The Captain and his team shot into the sky, Twilight spell flashing beside them. They easily broke through the bottom, the world around them shifting to a mad warzone. Ponies were yelling everywhere.

Lightning struck the town again, lighting another building on fire. The pegasi who didn't volunteer for the attack grabbed buckets of water to put the fires out.

"This isn't working..." Twilight said to herself. "Come on everypony...just hang in there..."

"CAPTAIN! I can't do this sir!" A pony in the Captain team yelled.

"Yes you can! The only thing stopping you is yourself!"

"But...I can't! I never have!"

"Neither did whoever it was that just did one! What's your name pony?"

"S-Storm sir!"

"Well Storm, you got a family? Someone you care about?"

"Y-Yes sir, another pegasis named Cinnamon!"

"Do you love him?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Did you ever tell him?"

"No...I never had the chance."

"Well here's your chance! You do this and then you go find this pony, you go start a family you hear me!?"

Meanwhile in a small house near the edge of town a pegasis lay curled up in terror in their closet. The grey pony kept trying to focus her eyes.

"Mommy?" A small purple unicorn opened the closet to where the cross-eyed pony was hiding.

"Why are you hiding in the closet?"

"L-Little Muffin?" The yellow-haired pegasis pulled the foal closer.

"Mommy, I thought you said to never be 'fraid?" The small unicorn asked her mother.

Another explosion rocked the house. Derpy Hooves wimpered in fear again, tears forming in her eyes.

"You said to always be a super strong and brave pony!" The foal looked deep into her mothers eyes with a look of sadness.

Derpy looked back at her foal, she had fought hard to keep this child, and here she was cowering in the corner. Her crossed eyes fought back tears, but the foal could still tell she was crying.

The cloud had turned into utter chaos, ponies running away from the darker clouds and others trying to go fast enough to break the sound barrier.

"I-I will sir!" Storm stammered back to her Captain. The clouds drowning her words in the chaos.

"You have something to fight for! The only thing keeping you from him is yourself! You have the ability to do a sonic rainboom, I know you do!"

"But Captain, I ca-"

BOOOOOM!

A grey and yellow blur shot past them and created a shockwave bigger then they had ever seen. A large hole formed in the middle of the clouds, almost blinding the ponies with it's light.

"Was that-?"

A hole was torn into the cloud, blasting away any of it caught in the blast.

"See? If she can do it, so can you! Now GO! Go save the world!"

The Captain pushed Storm away from himself, throwing her towards the swirling clouds.

BOOOOOM!

The ground shook from another pony breaking the sound barrier. There were a few small dots along the underside of the cloud where the ponies had performed the sonic rainboom.

"It's working! We might just be able to pull this off after all..." Twilight said.

"WOO HOO!" A pink pony skipped around the town square. "This is so much fun!"

"Pinkie Pie? What are you doing? Run, it's not safe out here!" Twilight yelled at her.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Oh Twilight, you party pooper! It's like one big party out here! BOOM! Haha!"

Pinkie Pie bounced off, laughing like a little school filly. Twilight shook her head, she didn't believe it, ponies were dying and she treated it like a joke!?

She didn't have time for this, she had to help the other pegasi. It felt like hours had passed, no one was left at peace, everypony in town was frantically trying to put out fires or help those who were wounded.

It was war.

No one had said it, the word was never spoken that day, but it was war.

It was war against the Night Goddess.

BOOOM!

It was chaos, ponies were frantically running or flying around the small town of Ponyville. The sounds of chaos were running rampant throughout the town, many were panicking, but the rest were either pounding their hooves on the ground or staring up at the sky intently.

The sky was black with the shadows of the quick bodies of pegasi and the swirling cloud of grey above.

BOOOM!

Another explosion shocked the ground, and a flash came from within the cloud layer. It parted and let a small column of that impossibly sweet sunlight through. Earth ponies and unicorns looked up at the cloud, it had holes dotting its underside, each letting through another column of sunlight.

Lightning flashed across the town, striking the top of another thatched roof and causing a burst of flame.

Almost every pegasus was in the air by now, desperately trying with their lives to break into the bottom of the cloud layer. Some had succeeded, others did not.

BOOOM!

Another shockwave as the sound barrier was pierced yet again.

"Come on! Come on!" Cloudkicker banged her hooves on the ground, desperate to fly into the chaos.

Twilight concentrated for the hundredth time that day, she grunted and a beam of magic shot out of her horn and pierced a tiny hole in the oppressive cloud layer.

"GO! And may Celestia's light guide you should you find it!" Twilight yelled her blessing she gave to all the other pegasi she had helped into the cloud layer.

Into their deaths.

Cloudkicker shot into the air, leaving a light violet streak behind her. Her eyes were only focused on the swirling grey above Ponyville.

Twilight looked with determination and hope up at the pony who was speeding away. When Cloudkicker pierced the clouds Twilight sunk her head. She didn't want it to be like this, she didn't want to waste lives to try and bring back the sun.

BOOOM!

It was too late for that.

"Oh ponies of such little size..."

BOOOM!

"Why do you fight the night you so despise?"

Twilight froze, her ears hearing an icy voice through the chaos. She recognized that voice.

"You...what are you doing here?" Twilight asked, taking a pose ready to defend herself.

Swirls of dark magic came out of the ground and took the form of a zebra wearing a brown cloak. Her yellow eyes pierced through the crowds and took the air out of Twilight's lungs.

"It matters not what I have to say, I simply remind you you will never see the day." Zecora smiled that sinister smile.

"I guess Nightmare sent you to stir up more trouble? Because we already have enough of that." Twilight wanted nothing to do with the evil figure in front of her. "And I will not let you interfere!"

Zecora simply stood and smiled.

"If you won't go peacefully, then I guess I will have to make you!" Twilight shot a purple stream of magic at Zecora.

Zecora leaped to the side, easily dodging the attack. Twilight shifted nervously, Zecora had easily out done her last time when she had taken Fluttershy, and even with all this new magic she had, Twilight didn't know if she could beat her.

Still, she had to try, she couldn't let anything get in the way of their attempt to bring back the daytime. She had only glimpsed at a few spells that had any sort of offensive use, and that was only so she could find a spell with enough power to penetrate the clouds.

She never thought she would have to make use of them. Yet here she was.

Zecora shifted the saddlebags she was wearing and pulled out a number of vials. Before Twilight could guess what they were, Zecora threw one at a nearby building. The bottle crashed against the straw and stone and exploded in a ball of fire, engulfing much off the house.

Twilight sat in shock, she watched as the building started to burn to the ground. Zecora threw another bottle at another random building, roasting it as well. Twilight concentrated, trying to find a spell that could quickly extinguish fire, she had to keep as much of the town safe as she could.

Zecora laughed and threw a third fire bottle. Twilight snapped her eyes open and caught the bottle with her magic and threw at back at the zebra. Zecora vanished as fire exploded around where she stood.

Reappearing behind Twilight, Zecora spoke into her ear.

"I see you zealously want back the light, then let the fires illuminate our fight!"

She knocked Twilight back with a swift kick of her hooves. Twilight grunted, slamming hard into the dirt. She would have to think of something fast, she had no idea how to beat Zecora or even how to stop her from destroying anything else.

Twilight shook her head and got to her hooves. She focused her magic, she needed to get rid of her potions as quickly as she could, without them, she would be much less of a threat. Twilight focused her magic on a patch of dirt on the ground. She tossed the dirt up into the air, creating a dust storm that peltered the cloaked figure.

Twilight charged at her, head lowered. Getting as close as she could, she turned to kick the bags containing the vials. Zecora twisted around and returned her kick with another kick of her own, sweeping Twilight off her feet.

Twilight shook the dust of her face again. She would have to work with her strengths if she was going to win, and that meant staying as far away as she could. She focused her magic again and released it as a bright ball at Zecora.

Zecora brought up a purple shield in front of her body. Just before the sphere made contact with the shield, Twilight yanked her head, shifting the sphere's flight. The magic ball went past the shield and impacted the saddlebags, blowing them all up.

Zecora disappeared in a huge fireball, her fire potions detonating all at once. Twilight heaved, it worked, but it took quite a bit of effort to move the ball of energy that quickly, but after a few tense moments, Zecora was still no where to be found.

"Woah! That was so cool!"

Twilight turned to see a younger pony yelling to her. She grinned sheepishly at the compliment. She hated fighting, but Zecora had to be stopped.

"That was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen! She was like 'WHAM!' and you were all 'ZOOSH!' and she was li-ZZZZZSNAP!

The pony was cut off mid-sentence by a lighting bolt crashing into their body. The bolt flashed and turned their body to ash in an instant. Twilight turned in the direction of the flash and saw Zecora looking at the ashes with a smile, her eyes glowing yellow.

"You...why did?...How?" Twilight gawked, completely at a loss for words.

Zecora threw her head back and laughed. "You have learned much I certainly admit, but now I must end our little fit." Zecora launched a bolt of dark magic at Twilight, launching her across the street.

BOOOOM!

The sounds of a sonic rainboom could be heard in the skies above. A hole opened up and shined a column of light onto the street they were fighting on. Even if Twilight was loosing hope, the rest of the town was still fighting the battle.

Twilight lay on the ground, cringing in pain. Rarity was trying to help transport water from the town's well when she saw the evil figure knock her friend to the ground. She put down the buckets and ran towards the two.

"As much as I enjoy our little fun, your time in this place is done." Zecora stopped smiling, her eyes glowing again. She gathered more magic, getting ready to shoot another magical lightning bolt.

"TWILIGHT!" Rarity came running down the street, trying to save her friend.

Zecora launched the bolt straight at Twilight, Twilight's eyes widened as she watched death approach her at incredible speed. Just as it was about to hit her, a white pony jumped in front of her, holding her arms out wide.

Rarity was slammed by the bolt and was instantly turned to ashes. Twilight's eyes shot open, unable to believe what just happened. Rarity had just given her life to protect her, she lay on the ground, her mouth wide open.

Zecora only smiled that terrible smile once more.

"No...Rarity...you...I can't believe this...no...." Twilight stared at her friend, reduced to nothing but ashes. She closed her eyes, forcing back tears.

This couldn't be happening, there was no way, absolutely no way! NO! This was not happening! Twilight beat the ground, feeling rage flare up inside her. Nightmare Moon had destroyed so much, but this was too far.

She could never let her get away with this. She would destroy this foul beast standing before her.

"You..." Twilight wearily got on her hooves, "You did this...I won't let you get away with this any of this, not anymore..."

She felt magic start to build up inside her, fueled by her pure rage and pain.

"You monster..."

Her horn glowed softly, illuminating her face. She felt power rise up inside her.

"I am going to destroy you..."

She couldn't even feel the incredibly powerful magic flaring up inside her anymore, all she cared about was killing this horrific monster.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Twilight's eyes shot open, her pupils flared pure white. Her hair flew outward, pushed away by the raw uncontrollable magic. She floated into the air surrounded by pure pulsing magic. Magic unlike anything the town had ever seen came from her body, causing cracks in the ground and shaking the very earth.

In a flash, she charged towards Zecora, bent on nothing less then crushing the life out of the zebra. Zecora jumped out the way faster then any anyone could see, zipping backwards down the streets of Ponyville.

Twilight chased her, flying on a cloud of pure magic. She saw nothing but her target, shooting back and forth throughout the streets. They chased each other through alleyways and parks, flying around corners, buildings and plants becoming a blur.

BOOOOM!

Another shockwave shook the town. Another pony had succeeded in their plight. Ponies flying everywhere saw two figures running through town faster then they had ever seen. One was flashing bright purple, the ponies could feel the raw power coming from the unicorn.

Twilight threw random bolts of magic at her target. Zecora dodged each one as she ran through the town. With every missed shot, she became more and more angry, feeling more and more magic control her body.

She didn't care about her body anymore, she didn't care if beating this enemy meant her death. All she cared about was murdering this creature that had taken away her best friend.

Zecora laughed over her shoulder at her pursuer. Twilight screamed at her again, another wave of magic pulsing from her body, shaking the ground anew.

Princess Celestia

Celestia walked along the lonely path to wherever she was headed. She still had no idea, but wherever that pony had headed from had to be where she needed to go.

She hoped that she was headed in the direction of her student's last known location, Ponyville.

A powerful earthquake shook Celestia's hooves. She looked up and saw a bright light flash off in the distance.

"Is that-? No, it can't be, not again." Celestia stared as the light slowly dimmed. "It is..." Celestia broke into a gallop, running full speed towards the direction of the light.

"I'm coming my faithful student! Please hold on until I arrive! Do not let yourself lose control!" She ran as fast as she could, determined to reach her student in order to save her life.

And possibly the lives of others.

Twilight Sparkle

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Twilight yelled as she launched balls of magic at Zecora. Zecora dodged each one, they crashed into houses and buildings, blowing up half of anything they touched.

"That's it little pony!" Zecora taunted, abandoning her rhyming mannerisms. "Kill me! Crush me!"

Twilight grew even angrier, magic continuing to overtake her being. Zecora ran into the middle of town and turned around to face her pursuer. Twilight shot another blast at Zecora, who easily jumped away.

Zecora's eyes glowed and she shot another lightning spell at the town square. The bolt hit the town hall with an enormous explosion. Twilight stopped and stared at the exploding building for a moment. The town hall was reduced to nothing but blackened debris in only a few moments.

"You...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Twilight screamed. Her eyes lit up once more, this time even stronger then before. All those ponies that were in the building that now lay in ashes.

She would avenge them all.

"WOULD YOU JUST DIE!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs.

Then she felt it, she felt magic take complete control of her. She couldn't stop the powerful flow of uncontrollable magic rip it's way through her. Her thoughts immediately shifted away from trying to kill Zecora to pure panic.

It was happening again, she had lost control of her magic. It wasn't the first time, but unlike before, she was only a little filly. Now her magic had grown considerably, she didn't know what would happen.

Twilight floated uncontrollably in the air, squirming her limbs in panic, trying to stop herself from causing any more destruction. But she couldn't, she couldn't stop it, not anymore.

The ground shook harder and harder. Ponies stopped running in fear and stopped to look at this new disturbance. The purple haze around Twilight grew with each passing second. If she couldn't find a way to stop it, the whole town might be destroyed.

A lightning bolt shot out from Twilight and blasted a hole in a nearby building. The magic was quickly growing more and more out of control, pulsing with flashes of lightning and sparkles.

Zecora stared at the possessed unicorn and nodded her head.

Her work here was done.

Zecora vanished, leaving Twilight and the town. Another flash, this one obliterating a well. Cracks in the ground formed and slithered away from Twilight. The ponies on the ground were being pushed away from her by the force of the wind.

This was it, Twilight thought. If I can't stop this then everyone is dead because of me.

It's my fault again...

BOOOOM!

Yet another pony had pierced the sound barrier, creating a beautiful circle of color. The ponies in the cloud were still trying to break up the oppressive grey, completely unaware of the purple pony tearing apart the town they were trying to protect.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie Pie hopped happily out into the street, seemingly unhindered by the force of the winds. She didn't have a care in the world. "Is this some party or what!"

"Pinkie..." Twilight managed to grunt out a few words. "Run! You...have to...get...out of here..."

Suddenly another lightning bolt snapped out and vaporized Pinkie Pie, reducing another of Twilight's friends to a pile of ash.

Nonononononnonononono this isn't happening! Twilight tried to hold herself back but she couldn't move, a slave to the unstoppable magic coming from her body.

This can't be happening, Twilight thought. Her mind was wracked with guilt and pain and heartache. She had caused yet another one of her friends deaths, and if she couldn't stop this, the rest of the town would follow her into oblivion.

The clouds overheard began to react to the powerful magic happening below. They started to swirl and twist around into a funnel above Twilight. Another wave of dark clouds came out of the funnel and slithered about the clouds.

"What's going on?"

"What is that?"

"SOMEPONY HELP ME!"

"Is this the end of the world?"

Pegasi were shouting everywhere, trying to keep away from the new threat. The darkness swirled around and around, growing larger and threatening to envelop the entire sky.

"By the Goddess..." The Captain of the pegasi whispered to himself.

Lightning struck out and vaporized a pony that had flown too close.

"I thought these horseshoes protected us from lightning!" A pony flying with the Captain yelled.

"They do! But this is different, way different!" He yelled back.

A yellow pony flew straight past them and straight into the darkness screaming something incomprehensible.

BOOOOM!

A sonic rainboom ripped through the dark clouds, tearing a hole straight through them. But before anyone could celebrate, it reformed almost immediately, leaving no trace of the mighty rainboom.

"Oh Celestia! Captain what are we gonna do?!" The pony pleaded to her commander.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die like soldiers!" The Captain yelled back.

He flew straight at the darkness, ready to give everything he had left to do what good he could against the threat.

It wasn't much.

Lighting circulated out of Twilight's body and up into the funnel gathering above her. It started flashing a dozen times a second. Ponies were being picked out of the air left and right, those stuck on the ground tried to dodge bolts of magic or hide in their homes.

Most were obliterated.

What have I done? Was the only thought going through Twilight's head as she struggled and squirmed.

As the ground quaked and the sky roared, Twilight felt one large push from within her. Something had caused the last bits of magic to release themselves all at once. Twilight screamed as the magic made it's way through her to the world.

The lightning and the earthquakes all stopped at once. For a moment, it was all quiet. Before she could think a huge burst of light came from inside her, along with a wall of pure magic.

It exploded outwards, overtaking homes and ponies running from the blast. The explosion of magic engulfed the entire town in a matter of seconds. Anypony caught in the blast simply vanished, not even their ashes remained.

The entire cloud broke into one large mass of darkness. A lightning bolt bigger then anyone had ever seen shot out of Twilight and into the darkness. It spread instantly throughout it, not leaving  single inch unsinged.

Every pony in the air and on the ground were gone in only a few seconds. The town was in a state of ruin, and no one was even left alive to see it.

Maybe it was the end of the world.

When the thunderclap had passed and the sky dispersed of electricity, Twilight was still left in the town square, floating above a crater that had dug itself into the earth. Tears streamed down Twilight's face.

What have I done?!

Twilight's mind tore itself apart over what had just happened. She had destroyed the town and everyone in it.

And she still couldn't control it.

But above all the chaos, all the magic coursing through her body, all the struggles of her mind she felt something else.

A presence.

Someone was here.






Princess?!