I think Twilight is technically at the center of the story. So it should be interesting, developing her character arc. Dahliah, too.
Actually, change of plans.
Since Flurry Heart becomes more significant later anyway, why not write the story from her perspective? It starts with the history of the Empire, her home. She's a curious little filly.
Sunburst pushed his glasses back up. "I think her magic is becoming too powerful for the spell. Even if we have Twilight cast it, her magic will continue to grow, and the spell will become useless."
"So what should we do?" Cadence asked.
"Would a magical item work?" Starlight suggested. "Something to absorb her power?"
"It would have to be very strong. Since magic can't be destroyed or just disappear, eventually the item would reach its limit, and that could have disastrous consequences not just for Flurry, but for anypony around her. No, I think Flurry will have to learn how to suppress it on her own."
"Young one...if you had been born in my country, you would be known as a Crystal Keeper."
"What's a Crystal Keeper?"
"Alidians could be born as a unicorn, or a pegasus, and had to earn their missing implement through trial and schooling. Earth ponies did not exist. But sometimes, an alicorn would be born. They were called Crystal Keepers, because they lived in the caverns wherein our crystal trees grew. They cared for the trees, harvested the gems, and were responsible for the movement of the sun and moon."
"Crystal trees? Like the Tree of Harmony?"
Lorelei blinked in interest. "You have one here?"
Flurry Heart shook her head. "Not really, I mean -- King Sombra destroyed it, but it grew back as a tree house."
"Interesting. I would enjoy hearing more about all of those things. Little one, I was known as a Crystal Keeper."
"Really?"
"Yes. The moment I was born, I was taken belowground to serve my country and watch over the trees."
"Did you get to go outside?"
"Oh yes, when the time came to move the sun or the moon. But that was all."
Flurry looked concerned. "So you spent the rest of it underground?"
"Yes."
"You didn't even get to choose?"
Lorelei stared at Flurry, her red eyes quiet and unmoving.
(Flurry's parents are gonna groom her to be the next leader of the Crystal Empire, and she's gonna be like, well what if I don't wanna do that?? so she sympathizes with Lorelei, in that both didn't get a choice in their destinies.)
Flurry's ears drooped and she frowned at the ground. "I know what that's like."
"You knew...?"
Celestia shrunk inwards, averting her gaze from her sister. "...I did. I...had a vision."
"When?"
Celestia took a deep breath. "Before the battle. Before --"
Luna's eyes were wide open, pained. "You--that was so much time! Why didn't you say anything?!"
Her voice cracked as it reached a higher pitch, and Celestia flinched in response, her ears laid back. "You've never believed me!"
"I--I was young. I didn't fully understand it. But she was our sister! Why didn't you at least try?!"
"NOTHING WOULD HAVE CHANGED!" Celestia shrieked.
Luna froze. She watched as huge tears bubbled up in her sister's eyes and splashed onto the floor.
"Every vision I've had, it's always a glimpse of what will happen. I couldn't save that baby bird (placeholder) from falling. I watched the wizards die weeks before we took over raising the sun and moon." She sank heavily onto the floor, tracing the lines in the stone with her clouded eyes. "I didn't want to tell anyone...I didn't want to believe it would happen. But it always does."
"I must return to my homeland. If I do not, I fear a great evil will invade this land."
"What will you do?"
"What I must, to ensure the safety of my foals. I cannot take them with me. Please, you and the villagers must care for them."
"You cannot abandon them! They're so young!"
"They will die if they return with me. Promise me you will all take care of them."
"I-they will be cared for."
"Thank you. Now, I must give this to you."
"What is it?"
"It is a seed, from my homeland. It holds great power within. It is necessary, for what you must do."
"What?"
"There is an even bigger task I must entrust to you. With this seed, it will not be as taxing, but you must have five other unicorns help you."
"What am I to do?"
"The sky shall change. The sun and moon will no longer follow their own paths. Because of this, you must take control of them."
"But, how could I? The sun and moon move on their own, don't they?"
"My people are the ones who control the heavenly bodies. But with the rising of this great evil, they will no longer be able to do it themselves. You must trust me, and perform the spell, if you wish to see the sun again. If you do not, the sky shall remain black.
"You will not be able to perform this task forever. That is another reason why my children must stay here with you. You must teach them, as I have taught you, so they may take over for you one day. This is their destinies.
"When the time comes, you must present them with the seed, and they must perform the spell."
"For today's levitation practice, you will be stacking these bales of hay. Concentrate on making the path each bale takes to the top of the stack as smooth as possible."
"I'm doing research for Twilight," Starlight said, picking her way carefully around the fallen stones. "
"Strange..."
Flurry looked at Starlight, who's eyes seemed unfocused. "Uh, Starlight? Is everything ok?"
Starlight shook her head a few times and rubbed the side of it. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just...felt a strong sense of deja vu."
"What's that?"
"It's hard to explain. Have you ever gotten the sense that something feels really familiar, or that you've been somewhere before, but it comes and goes faster than a speeding pegasus?"
Flurry's ears swiveled back. "Uh, maybe?"
Starlight sighed.
Andromeda glanced both ways before the river, scanning the shoreline intently. She turned left and began trotting patiently, picking her way over bushes and weeds. Soon she caught sight of a blue figure huddled beneath a tree.
Luna sat with her head bent over a scroll tucked neatly between her front hooves. The sound of the river brought her peace and she often stole away with a scroll to read while she sat quietly beside it, absorbing the soft rushing of the water as it passed.
Andromeda called to Luna, keeping her voice light so as not to startle her sister. Luna brought a hoof up and drew it across the scroll, her focus deepening.
"Luna," she called again, louder. Luna finally raised her head, looking impassive.
"What?"
"Time to study. Come on, I'll walk with you."
"I'm almost done."
Focusing on her studies was not one of Luna's strong suits, made only worse by her constant disappearances.
"Star Swirl wants you to finish today's practice first." Andromeda waited uncomfortably for Luna's response.
She sighed and began rolling up the parchment. "Okay." Tucking the scroll into her blue mane, she followed her older sister back downstream.
"I'm not sure you should keep coming out here by yourself," Andromeda said as they turned into the woods. "Somepony said they saw the dragons close by."
"Really?" This information caused Luna to look her sister in the eye.
"Star Swirl said he would investigate, and that we should stay close to the house for now. Watch out, there's a branch."
Luna ducked her head and pushed a low-hanging tree branch out of the way. "Are the dragons dangerous?"
"Well, they have sharp claws and teeth, so, they could be. I hope they don't attack us."
"You sound like (pony naaaame haha)."
(pony nuaame) was one of their caretakers, who also assisted Star Swirl and four other unicorns. They were all up long before the sisters each day. (mmmph pony) often fussed over the girls and worried for their safety. Today, with rumors of prowling dragons, she had been especially frantic and sent Andromeda out the minute Luna was missed.
"I try not to worry as much."
The pair emerged from the woods into strong sunlight as Andromeda continued. "She means well, anyway. I think she's just snippy because she's tired. So you mind whatever she and Star Swirl tells you."
The sound of hammering split the air as they passed the shell of a house. Stallions wielding stone hammers and straddling the frame of the roof stopped and waved as the sisters passed. Andromeda nudged Luna and they waved in return.
"If I gotta mind them, can't they let me read by myself?" Luna didn't seem to understand the potential for danger, and Andromeda wasn't sure how to make her see.
"Not right now. Like I said, we need to stay close to the house for a while."
"How long is a while?"
The ground beneath their hooves cooled as they entered the shadow of the wizard's house. It was one of the largest dwellings in the village, having had extra rooms tacked on to house the six wizards and their charges. Andromeda was saved from Luna's questions when Lavender Bloom rose from where she rested in front of the house and moved to meet the fillies.
"There you are, Luna." Her deep green eyes followed Luna as the young filly ducked her head and shuffled her hooves. "I'm glad you're safe. Come on." She stretched a hoof out and gently guided Luna into the house.
"I found evidence that suggests the dragons are, in fact, prowling about." Star Swirl leveled his gaze at the sisters. "That means no more galivanting about in the woods. You will all stay here and focus on your studies."
Andromeda nodded solemnly. She glanced at Luna, who had a sullen look on her face, but sighed and nodded as well.
"Yes sir," said Celestia.
(Elegance with Rarity)
"Now darling, as a princess you must present yourself in the most graceful way possible. Your every movement must be as smooth as silk. Never make unnecessary movements. Also, your mane and tail MUST be shining and well-kept. A single hair out of place could be disastrous."
(Baking with Pinkie, some more technical details from Rarity)
"Baking is easy! Just follow the recipe and your cupcakes will ALWAYS turn out de-licious!"
"This is what is known as a 'double boiler.' If you put your pot of chocolate directly onto the flame, it is more likely to burn. To safely heat the chocolate, we will fill a larger pot with water, and place the pot of chocolate inside it. This creates an indirect source of heat, and is far better for heating delicate foods. But it is still capable of curdling or scorching the chocolate, so you must watch it closely, and stir often."
(Flying with Rainbow.)
"Alright Flurry, you ready to become the best flier out of all the princesses? Great! Follow me!
(Animal care with Fluttershy)
"Mr. Tom's claws have gotten too long for his paws, so we'll be trimming them down for him. Hold your hoof out gently to him. Let him sniff you, then carefully brush his side. There, he likes you! Okay, Mr. Tom, I will trim your claws, but you must let Flurry hold you. It'll be easier that way.
(Budgeting? with Applejack)
"Now this here is what we call a budget. Ya write down all yer expenses, and all the money ya make right here. Then ya gotta do some math. Since all the bills gotta get paid, ya take money from yer income and write that down. Now here's what's left, and here's all the things that need buyin' or repairin'. Ya gotta prioritize what needs ta happen first, and get that out of the way. Now which seems most important, buyin' lightbulbs to replace the broken ones in the house, or buyin' chicken wire to repair the holes in the fence around the chicken coop? Yep, the second one. Ya don't want yer chickens gettin' out, or predators gettin' in. Those lightbulbs will hafta' wait."
(Moon Spark)
She was walking through drifts of snow higher than her head. When she stumbled, somepony grabbed her and set her upright, shoving her along.
She had to climb, higher than she ever had before. It was starting to snow. It was getting worse by the minute, until the wind howled around them and drove stinging ice into her eyes. There were shouts all around her. The ground gave way, and she felt herself tumbling, amidst the sounds of screams and crashing, until she came to in a dimly lit cave. Somepony used their horn for light, and small beams cascaded from the ceiling. A wagon had fallen in with them, splinters of wood everywhere. Somepony gathered chunks of wood to make a fire, but when they got near the overturned cart, they dropped the wood and screamed. A pony had been crushed underneath the cart.
The circle of rations spilling out from under the cart shrunk as the days went by. They would be saved, someone said. They'll come back for us. The circle grew smaller, getting closer to the dead pony. Others were dying from injuries that could not be treated. The rations were gone. No...there was still some left. For those who were brave enough...or desperate.
Kind ponies cared for Moon Spark while her father raged. Someone tried to stop him. He threw them against a wall. Moon Spark's protective circle dwindled. He was going to kill her.
Something small and dark drifted over one of her legs. Her skin tingled. It was like a little wisp of smoke. Slowly it crawled upwards until it met her horn and sunk beneath the surface.
Her head buzzed violently. Every fiber of her body buzzed. Her father started shouting again. When he got close to her, a massive bolt of energy whipped past his ear and struck the far wall. More bolts erupted from Moon Spark's horn. The ponies around her were killed, and as the power within her surged, everything went white.
"After all this time, I still must be tormented by your wretched kind?"
Coal felt his knees go weak. He'd never encountered such a large creature. "Sir, I-I don't mean to disturb you--"
"And yet here you are," the creature rumbled angrily, his words slow. "Have you been sent to haunt this realm? You (gremlins) find every possible way to make my life miserable. You even follow me in death."
Coal was confused. "Might this be the fabled Inferius? But I was alive mere moments ago--"
"Inferius? Some pony word I suppose. And death finds us all, whether we're ready to meet it or not." The creature regarded this tiny newcomer coolly. His gaze went right through him.
"Your gem was given to me as a gift, sir. I merely touched it and was transported here."
"Gem?" the creature questioned, his head dipping down slowly. He was still for a moment, his eyes closing. When he opened them again, his gaze was unreadable. "It seems you are correct. Why do you have this...gem?"
"I was crowned today as the king of the Crystal Empire. My name is Coal."
A deep, rhythmic rumbling came from the creature. Was he...chuckling?
"Lesser beings should not think so highly of themselves," he stated. "I was a king." His eyes drifted through the smoke till they became almost level with Coal's. The glow showed him a massive pointed face covered in blood-red scales. His mouth opened to reveal gleaming, sharp fangs longer than Coal was tall. Coal felt a wave of hot air as the creature continued.
"Once I was the king of dragons. You may call me Sombra."
"Well, King Sombra -- I am no more important than my subjects. But they need someone to lead and protect them, and that is what I mean to do."
"If they were not so soft, they could protect themselves."
"If you mean the nature of our bodies, that's how we were born, and is something we cannot help. You seem to have a thick armor -- we would be lucky to have such a thing to protect us. But we don't, so we make do with what we have. I am not here because I mean to cause trouble, and if I knew the way out I would gladly leave you in peace."
"Hmm." The great dragon blinked. "For you there may be a way out."
"If I may..." Coal ventured, driven by curiosity. "You said before death comes for us all. Perhaps it has not come for you yet?"
"I might as well be dead. I cannot leave this place, and long thought myself to have been taken by the Black Dragon. However..." Sombra seemed to be thinking.
"By what circumstances did you come to find yourself here? Did someone trap you?"
"I do not remember," the dragon said idly. "Though it would not surprise me if ponies were the cause. They seem determined to blot me from existence for their own gains."
"With all due respect, not all of us are like that. In fact, most of my subjects are quite kind."
"You would do well not to be too trusting," the dragon warned. "You cannot lead with a soft heart."
Coal wasn't sure what to say to that. The dragon let out a puff of air through his nostrils, blowing Coal's mane back.
"You might be able to return to your body. However, a change has taken place. I can see through your eyes if I wish. You and I are now bound together."
"Is that true?" (EPIC CONCERN)
"Since I cannot leave this place, if you want to be separated from me, you will have to find a way to release me. If you do this, I will teach you what I know about being a leader. Ponies are soft and only understand softness. If you want to protect your subjects, I will help you."
"I appreciate the offer, King Sombra, and I will do my best to get you out of here."
"Good," the dragon rumbled. He almost seemed to smile.
(previous draft)
Before him he sensed the presence of an enormous creature. The air rumbled, and Coal's eyes flew open. Those great yellow eyes stared down at him, blinding him.
There was a great rush of air, as the creature breathed. And then it spoke.
"A pony." It was a slow male voice, and it rumbled deeply through the air. "In myyy domain. What brought you here?"
Coal gulped. His mouth was dry. "I-I don't know sir. I touched your gemstone, and now-"
"Gemstone?" The eyes narrowed. They flicked back, and forth, as if looking at something. And then a look of anger darkened those terrifying eyes. "It should not be a mere gemstone. What has happened? All this time I've been asleep, who DARED destroy my body?!"
As the voice grew louder and full of anger, dark shapes stirred the murky air before Coal. These were the limbs of the creature being flung about in his fit of rage. Something came at Coal through the mist, and he ducked. A huge mouth, full of rows upon rows of sharp teeth, snapped shut above his head with a great POP. A dull hissing escaped its lips and the jaws slid backwards into the darkness.
"Please, stop! I had no idea you were here, I did not wish to disturb you!"
The flailing stopped. And the creature looked down upon Coal with disdain.
"Yet here you are. How? Where is the rest of me?"
"I don't know. Your gemstone came to us some time ago, there was nothing else with it. No...no body." This was all quite strange indeed. If there was supposed to be a body attached to that mysterious gem, then what was here before him? A consciousness?
The eyes sneered at him. "So, I'm supposed to believe you. I will not. Your kind has proven to me time and time again that you cannot be trusted."
"Alright. I'd like to leave you in peace but -- frankly I'm not sure how to get out of this place."
"After so many bad endings...surely it's possible for us to have a good one?"
(after hanging around the assistant librarian for so long, Flurry Heart is allowed to ask Dahliah to teach her about pretty much anything.)
"Dahliah, what is death really? I've never seen somepony die, usually they just get turned to shadow or stone."
"I can tell you about that. It's an interesting process.
"First of all, do you understand how our bodies work as vessels for magic?"
"I learned a little bit about that in school. Lemme think -- basically, magic needs a container, otherwise it just sorta sinks into the earth. And it can't really be destroyed."
"Correct. As our bodies age, our magic begins to leak out because the vessel -- our body -- is no longer strong enough to contain it. Since the amount of leaked magic is very small, it just melts into the earth and is not dangerous to anypony. However, if a pony is killed, their magic is usually much stronger and doesn't immediately melt away. Raw magic can be dangerous in large amounts, but if you leave it be it will melt away in due time."
"What happens to the pony? Where do they go?"
"Well, nopony really knows the answer to that question. There are theories, such as an endless sleep or a divine entity. But nopony who knows the true answer has ever come back to tell us."
"So they're just...gone?"
Dahliah nodded. "Its like they're asleep, except they can never wake up again."
Flurry Heart's eyes were wide. "Wow...that's kinda scary."
"It is. Not many ponies are willing to discuss death for that reason. Knowledge is important enough to many ponies that they fear what they do not know...and death is a macabre mystery."
"Hey, look up," Celestia said, gesturing with her head.
Luna lifted her eyes upwards, just as a pale streak of light shot across the sky. She gasped. "What was that?"
"A shooting star." Celestia met Luna's gaze and smiled softly. "It's her way of saying hello."
Luna looked up again. The stars blurred.
"She's still with us."
"I've heard about this play of yours, Sparkle. "
"Really? You have?! Oh my gosh this is amazing! What did you think? How was the writing?"
"Quite inaccurate. For starters, I did not yet have my beard when I and the five wizards were in charge of raising the sun. I was quite young at the time. Speaking of which, those costumes that were supposed to represent the wizards -- that's not at all what they looked like!"
(I think we should write Moon Spark as one who cannot understand feelings. So she can see expressions and such, but we will not write that "this pony looked happy." No, more like "this pony smiled.")
She arrived not long after the Dragon War.
As the ponies of Brywood picked up the pieces of their lives amidst the rubble, they took stock of the dead. Since their arrival in Equestria many years ago, their numbers had swelled, to over double the size it was in the beginning.
The dragons had taken their toll, and the small graveyard off to the side of the town grew to accommodate forty-seven fresh graves.
If one stood a fair distance away from the town, one could hear a faint moaning, just on the edge of hearing. They might think it is only the wind, sighing its way through the stony bluffs. If one listened hard enough, they would recognize the distant wails of lamentation, echoing across the land in harmonious sorrow.
She did not know what this sound was, and approached the town without fear. In fact, no emotion stirred within her, except perhaps a quiet curiosity, as she found herself walking through a broken town. Once sturdy households now lay scattered like matchsticks, their timbers covered in soot and dust. Deep gouges in the earth crisscrossed the streets.
Two long-limbed mares stood nearby, their horns glowing and rubble floating through the air around them. One was taller, with a light pink coat, and multicolored hair that flowed in an invisible wind. The shorter one was much darker, but her hair flowed the same way. No other ponies had hair like that.
The two mares turned at the sound of crunching gravel behind them.
"What do you need?" asked the shorter one, her blue eyes studying the approaching mare.
"Wait..." the taller one interrupted, lifting a hoof. Her pink eyes narrowed. "You're not from Brywood, are you?"
The newcomer lifted her face. Her indigo coat was dusty and covered in scratches. Her electric yellow mane was messy and hung over her eyes.
"Are you ok?"
"Where did you come from?"
The mare's mane shifted, revealing wide green eyes that stared blankly.
"What's your name?"
These questions echoed in her mind.
Her eyes focused slightly, blinking as they studied the two mares before her. Her dry lips parted, and a raspy voice spoke.
"I...don't know."
----
As the ponies of Brywood slowly rebuilt their home, they each became aware of an unfamiliar presence. In small towns, everypony knows each other. All the ups and downs of life are shared. One can hardly sneeze on one side of the town without hearing "Bless you," from someone on the other.
Soon, everypony knew that a stranger was living among them. But no one knew who she was. Not even the stranger herself.
The Alicorn sisters, Celestia and Luna, took the young mare in.
"Tia, maybe we should write to Star Swirl, and ask him what to do."
"He and the Pillars might be busy. I don't want to disturb them." Celestia paced slowly, contemplation furrowing her brow.
Luna spoke from where she sat nearby. "But we've never encountered this before. Surely he would know how to help her."
Celestia sighed. "He doesn't know everything, Luna. "
It was cold.
Her bones shivered. She could hardly feel her hooves slipping occasionally on the icy ground beneath. Icicles had formed.
The cart had turned upside down, the rations spilling out the sides and sliding across the icy floor. The cart puller lay twisted in his ties, limbs splayed at odd angles. Red liquid seeping out from underneath him.
Somepony began screaming frantically, as the others began to pick themselves up. Shouts of dismay and horror filled the tiny cavern, bouncing off the sheer walls and creating an unbearable din.
"What happened?" "WHERE ARE WE?!" Clover, Clover?! Where are you?!" "LET US OUT!"
Moon Spark used her hooves to flatten her ears against her head and silence the cacophony.
A voice bellowed, "Everypony QUIIIEEET!!!"
The screams died away, and Moon Spark lifted her head. Her father stood ridged atop the rations cart, chest heaving.
"Just shut UP," he spat. "We're stuck down here now, and your screeching isn't solving anything!"
"Well what are YOU doing?" somepony shot back.
"Yeah, get down from there before you crush the food!"
"It's ALREADY CRUSHED!" he screamed. The veins in his neck bulged in his fury. "There's no point because we're STUCK down here!"
"You don't know that!" a quavering voice challenged. "We should look for a way out!"
He marched over, chest heaving. Moon Spark backed away defensively. He was muttering under his breath.
"You're useless, just -- useless." Suddenly he reached out and grabbed Moon Spark. She pulled hard against his grip and the two struggled.
A mare cried, "What are you doing?!"
Shouts were heard as hooves clattered across the icy floor. Somepony yanked Moon Spark away, as others began to fight with her father. She scrambled away and skiddered across the floor to the far side of their prison.
Moon Spark curled into a corner, shivering violently. Nopony paid her any mind. They were too busy fighting.
Something curled along the floor beside her. A tiny tendril of black smoke that slithered like a serpent. It slid over her matted tail and up her side, weaving through the strands of mane that stuck out from her head. It curled gently around her horn, as she suddenly sensed it's presence.
She felt something, deep within her horn. A strange feeling, a tingling...something she had never felt before.
"Are you okay?"
A voice startled her and the tingling suddenly erupted. A bolt of electric-yellow energy burst forth and hit the source of the voice, sending it flying across the floor.
She hardly heard the shocked and confused cries. It felt like her head was buzzing violently, and her mouth tasted strange. She wailed and curled into a ball, hooves clutching her horn.
"What's wrong?!" "Did she do that?" "What did she do to Posey?!"
The buzzing grew stronger. It pulsed through her limbs.
"MOON SPARK!" her father bellowed angrily. The ponies who were holding him back before had to step forward again as he made for his daughter. "Knock it off or I'll tan your hide! You're going t-" His words were cut off as another bolt shot past his head.
More and more erupted from her horn with loud cracks. Screams bounced through the room as ponies hit by the blasts flew into the walls of ice. Huge chunks broke off the walls and splintered.
"T-too much--"
Moon Spark lifted her head and let out an unearthly scream as magic exploded from her horn. Ice was carved away to reveal splintering rock. The ground beneath her caved in.
Part of the mountain was engulfed in the explosion. Boulders flew in every direction.
It was raining.
Rock and shale dug into her hooves. Around her were the steep, sheer cliffs of a mountain. She was standing right in the middle of it...where there should have been solid stone.
As water dripped off the tip of her horn, Moon Spark wondered how she had come to be standing there. She looked down, lifting up a hoof for inspection. It seemed normal...but there was this peculiar buzzing, a tingling under her fur, as if the blood was rushing back.
Before her was a colt, about her age. He was short and thin, with a grey coat and blue eyes.
"Hello..." he said, his eyebrows drawing together as he looked at Moon Spark. "Who might you be?"
She stared at him, then squinted at the ground. "Huh?"
He took a small step backwards. "I asked what your name is. Are you alright?"
"But, Tempest, it'll be okay! We'll just change Chrysalis back, she'll be our sister again. We'll all be together!"
"You don't know that! Did you think about any of this before you dragged me into it? We don't know what's going to happen!"
[Time Whispers prologue]
"Through your dedication to you students, and your (immense magical talent), you have proven you are ready."
"Really? Oh Twilight, this is amazing! Thank you so much!"
"She's right here," Dahliah murmured, placing her eyes on the huddled figure.
The once fierce, powerful queen now lay in a heap of tangled limbs, eyes fluttering and chest heaving. Her strong forelimbs drooped weakly, sometimes shifting slightly in pain. Her silky green mane was matted and dull, a slight breeze lifting the frayed ends.
The three ponies disappeared into the shadows.
A dull creaking reverberated through the air, giving the impression of large bones and joints cracking and popping.
"LOOK OUT!" Tempest screamed, and all three of them dodged the incoming tendril. It slammed into the ground where they'd been, splintering the rock and sending up a cloud of dust.
Tempest rolled to the side, charged her horn, and a fireball of explosive magic erupted out, straight at Lorelei. She turned and her hooves came up, but the magic exploded before her, spraying her shadowed form with sparks that bit and stung. She shook herself as the magic dissipated, a sneer set on her muzzle.
To her right, Nebula was approaching, wings flapping furiously as she flew. A light spell enveloped her horn and she darted around Lorelei's head, shining the light in her eyes.
The specter snarled and shielded her eyes, and Dahliah galloped towards her from below, stopping just short of the dark cloud below the giant. Her coat tingled, and she cautiously reached out a hoof. Once her hoof touched the shadows, she immediately felt a chill run down her spine, and the fur along her leg rippled uncomfortably. She shrank back, then turned and galloped back to Tempest, who was firing more chaotic blasts at the enemy.
"Can we get in?" Tempest yelled, eyes focused on the two Alicorns above her.
"It feels weird, but I think so!" Dahliah cried back, glancing at her hoof. "Will you guys keep her distracted?"
"For now! Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"I'll be fine! I-" She paused, throat suddenly tightening. She blinked several times and shook her head. "I love you both!"
Tempest's eyes widened and she looked at Dahliah. "I'll -- no, you. You'll tell Nebula when you get back!"
Dahliah nodded firmly. "Okay." She glanced once more at both her sisters before turning and heading back to the edge of Lorelei's dark cloud.
Furious at the utter gall of these ponies, Lorelei's horn spat furious sparks, and she let out a yell as the spell exploded out, sending a cascade of lightning bolts ripping through the air. Horrified, Tempest and Nebula scrambled to dodge them, each spark missing them by only a hair. Dahliah, hesitating at the edge of Lorelei's shadow, looked up to see the lighting striking precariously close. Steeling herself, she ducked and charged straight into the darkness, barely escaping a bolt of lightning that shattered the spot she'd previously been.
Tempest, her eyes glancing back over Lorelei's shadows again, saw the shadows part and Dahliah stumbled out, tripping and falling heavily.
"NEBULA!" she bellowed, charging another fireworks spell. Her sister wheeled around in midair. "Get Dahliah!"
Nebula nodded and folded her wings, diving towards the ground. Lorelei snarled and started towards her, but Tempest fired her spell straight into Lorelei's eyes. The alicorn screeched, furiously pawing at her face.
Fanning her feathers, Nebula swooped in low, stretching out her hooves and scooping up her sister. She strained to keep her hold until she reached Tempest, dropping Dahliah at her side as gently as she could.
"I'll check on her, go!" Tempest pointed up and Nebula nodded once, glancing upwards and taking off.
Dahliah's eyelids squeezed together, then fluttered open.
"Hey, c'mon, you okay?" Tempest said, shaking her sister's shoulder.
(Twilight vs Shadow Spark)
They circled each other, muscles tensed. Shadow Spark's head was drawn in towards her shoulders, back arched like a cat's. A devious grin played across her face.
(Twilight vs Sombra)
His muscles bulged, every limb taut, rigid in absolute fury. His teeth bared, steam spewing from his flared nostrils. His eyes were fixed upon her, and peering into their depths, this is what frightened her the most. This, above everything else, caused her blood to run cold and every aspect of her being to scream a single word.
"You and your kind have plagued me long enough." His voice caused her to shiver -- he did not yell, did not unleash every scrap of his fury with harsh bellows. He merely spoke, a grating rasp.
"Every last one of you will burn in the fires of my wrath. Be it mare, stallion or foal, you will all suffer."
"So this is where you became an Alicorn." Starlight stared into the sparkling abyss.
-
"Are you sure you want this?" Twilight asked, raising a hoof.
Starlight turned to her former mentor, and nodded. "Equestria needs more protection."
Twilight dipped her head, and spread her wings. A white glow surrounded her, and Starlight looked down in surprise as a lavender ball of swirling light flew out of her chest, and surrounded her in a breezy whirlwind.
Pins and needles tingled across her back, and the light burst into brilliant intensity, as feathery shapes unfurled. And Starlight smiled, drinking in the warm pleasantness.
Her Cutie Mark flashed, then grew dark.
The light around her fractured, and a deep crackling rumble shook the air. Starlight's and Twilight's eyes widened in panic.
"Twilight, what's going on? What's hap-" Suddenly she convulsed, and a scream tore from her, slicing through the void like a crystal blade.
"STARLIGHT!" Twilight cried, horrified, as the light dimmed and things suddenly grew quiet. Her ears popped.
The darkness collapsed in on itself, and the void disappeared.
"Starlight, you haven't aged a day," Twilight greeted her, stepping forward and extending her wing to pull Starlight in for a warm hug.
"And you're looking regal as ever," Starlight said with a grin. "Still tripping over your hair?"
Twilight laughed and rolled her eyes. "No, not anymore, thank goodness for that." She brushed it away. "It took a little while to get used to it having a mind of its own, but I've handled way worse than floating hair."
Starlight laughed knowingly. "
"But you've lied to yourself, and hidden your true self from others." Twilight took a step closer, shielding her eyes from the wind.
"Sister...there is a hole, in my mind. Something is missing."
Celestia watched her sister rub the side of her head, eyes blankly scanning back and forth.
"What has happened? Where are these memories?"
Celestia turned away, staring at her own shadow beneath her. "Maybe you had a dream, and forgot about it."
"Do you know what's it's like to be truly alone?" Her voice carried softly, a low monotone. (Lorelei's standing next to Dahliah)
"To renounce feeling. Love. Friendship. To never be completely tied to anyone, or anything." Her eyes were blank. "The feeling of isolation was...unfathomable.
"But it has its rewards...and what it ultimately means is... there's no one to hold you back."
"*No, this isn't supposed to be this way!" Nebula paced faster. "I don't care if it makes me special, I don't want it!"
"Nebula, it is your duty!" Alstonite
-
What could he say? He agreed with her, but he couldn't put that in a way that wouldn't hurt her feelings.
"I'm scared...I've let ponies down so many times..." She turned to Coal, blinking away tears, the corners of her mouth quivering. "How could I take care of them?"
"You...you could go back..." Twilight whispered. "You don't need to do this...any of this. You used to be good...a wonderful friend. Don't you want that again?"
Lorelei's eyes flickered. Twilight lifted her own eyes, staring deep into the Alicorn's, searching for just a glimpse of the mare that was once her friend.
But there was nothing.
Lorelei's lips tightened, and she leveled a glare at Twilight. "Friendship is nothing to me." She straightened, dark locks of her mane falling over her cold, soulless eyes. "Nothing but a lie."
Look above to see the light
Shining from the land of love
Joy and happiness reign
In the realm of Elysia
In-between lies murky grey
A place for those forgotten
The Ether, veil of dark and light
-
Beneath resides the demons of time
Their hearts reflect the black
"So where did Sombra go?" Chrysalis inquired.
Grogar glanced down at the crystal ball, then raised a hoof and waved it above it. An image faded into view; Equestria.
"There exists several worlds alongside what you know as Equestria," he rumbled, his tone turning spiteful as the image brightened, as if the sun had come to rest at the center. "Above, there is a place only of light and love; Elysia. The domain of the pure."
The light faded, turning grey.
"In-between, the Ether. A place for those who have been beaten down, their power taken away." Chrysalis watched as the grey darkened, bleeding into every corner of the sphere, until it was completely black.
"Below is where the demons reside. Dispelled from the lands above. No creature can escape....Inferius."
Chrysalis felt a chill.
"Oh -- Twilight!" Celestia sounded relieved to see her. But at the same time, there was an underlying tone that made Twilight anxious.
"Celestia -- Celestia!"
The Alicorn looked up in surprise at her door. A moment later it opened, and Luna came in.
"Luna, is something wrong?"
Luna stopped. (Something could very well go wrong.) "I...I don't know. But, I have something you must see." In her magical aura, a bundle of papers hung in midair. It floated before Celestia and the aura changed from blue to pale gold as Celestia took them.
"What are these?" she asked uncertainly, switching her gaze from Luna to the inky papers.
Luna hesitated, her ears laying back slightly. When she finally answered, her voice cracked. "Everything."
As Celestia read what was written, her breathing slowed. She read faster and faster, her head giving tiny, disbelieving shakes.
Her horn went out, and the papers flew everywhere.
"Where...where did this come from?" Her voice shook.
"I've been finding them all over the library," Luna answered. "Tucked into the strangest places and books. And...I fear they are multiplying. I don't know where they are coming from."
"We need to find them, all of them --" Celestia said, muscles tensed, "-- before somepony else does."
(I have to make sure I don't make this sound like Dahliah is staring at Tempest because TEMPAST IZ SO BUTYFUL. DEY BE SISTAHS.
Also, I almost want the readers to know that Tempest and Dahliah are sisters before they know. So there's tension or something -- like, when are dey gonna figgur it out??? Huuuuh?????)
Twilight noticed that Dahliah was staring at Tempest. It almost seemed like she was trying not to; she would occasionally turn her gaze towards the sky or a hill in the distance, before turning back and openly staring at Tempest like she was (a really good book?)
Twilight cleared her throat. "Hey uh, Dahliah, have you met Tempest yet?"
Dahliah blinked and looked at Twilight. "No, I don't think we've been introduced yet," she answered, looking embarrassed. Tempest turned to look at the two mares.
"Tempest, this is Dahliah. She's been visiting Ponyville for a little while (wut? She *been visiting? wut dat mean?)," Twilight said, gesturing to the Earth Pony. "Dahliah, this is Tempest -- or Fizzlepop Berrytwist, if you prefer your real name," she quickly added.
Tempest shook her head. "Call me whatever. I don't really care."
Twilight's eyebrow twitched as Tempest addressed Dahliah. "I basically wander around Equestria, telling other creatures about the friendship castle."
Dahliah's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, cool! You travel all around Equestria?"
Tempest smiled. "Yeah, I did a lot of it when I was a filly, so I'm pretty much used to rough travel."
The Earth Pony mare was very still. "Why'd you travel a lot as a filly?"
Tempest blinked, and rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. "Well, uh...
Lorelei growled. "Not finished yet? You haven't learned."
Her horn glowed red, growing brighter and brighter, and a curved red shockwave exploded from her horn with the ear splitting sound of stone striking stone. It hit Twilight with a bone-shattering thump and sent her flying. Lorelei sprang into the air after her, grabbing the princess by the wing and immediately diving towards the nearest (cliffside, building). Seconds before impact, Lorelei let go and banked upward, leaving Twilight to slam straight into (the thing). Turning a perfect loop in the sky, the enraged Alicorn's horn lit up once more, sparks of red billowing across her frame as she divebomed Twilight Sparkle.
The force of the impact (either cracked the stones or completely demolished the house), sending debris flying in all directions.
Twilight coughed through the thin cloud of dust, her chest seizing (or cramping) painfully in protest. Lorelei stood over her, her face now passive.
"Twilight --" Tempest interrupted. "I've seen these crystals before. They're similar to the crystals that came from the Storm King's staff."
"By golly, you're right," Applejack said, examining the crystals in a new light.
"T-Twilight..." Twilight turned at the sound of Fluttershy's voice, breaking slightly.
"Fluttershy? Is -- something wrong?"
She felt her heart plummet when she caught the look of (despair, there's nothing I can do) in the watery cyan eyes of the Pegasus.
"I-It's --" Her voice caught again, and she looked deep into Twilight's eyes, forcing herself to go on. "It's Discord," she whispered.
-
(so, Sombra's magic is slowly turning Discord into crystal from the inside out.)
"Sweet Celestia..." Applejack breathed.
"Discord..." Twilight whispered.
Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash stood silent, each shattered by the prospect of what was to come.
Fluttershy grasped Discord's paw in her hooves, pressing it to her tear-streaked cheek. "Y-You didn't have t-to, save me --" she hicupped.
"Fluttershy." Discord's voice was soft, and he blinked at the little Pegasus. "It was my sacrifice to make. You are my dearest friend...you've given so much of yourself to me all this time. And...I can never thank you enough for the kindness you've shown me.
Fluttershy began to sob, her eyes clenched tightly shut against the tears, clutching Discord's paw so tightly it seemed she would never let go.
"One thing I'm most curious about is...how did this Nebula just -- get her wings? I mean, when I received my wings, Celestia took me to this weird astral-plane-void-thingy and helped me get them! I didn't just stand out in public and they appeared on my back -- how does that make sense?!"
Celestia raised her glittering eyes to the stars, searching. After a moment, she whispered, "Did you do this? Have you cursed us to live this long?"
She waited, her lips pinched together. No answer came from the darkness above,
(Lorelei is gradually letting Flurry Heart come to the conclusion that Inferius is a cool place, and all the ponies / creatures must die in order to get there, but that's not so bad.)
"You poor thing," Lorelei murmured, gently brushing Flurry Heart's cheek with a wing tip in sympathy. "I know it's hard, watching the ones you love die." Her voice was so reassuring.
Flurry sniffed, and wiped at her nose with a hoof.
"But where they are now, they do not suffer."
"H-how do you know?"
She smiled warmly. "Because I've been there. And I was brought back here, by one of your friends." She turned her eyes upwards wistfully.
"But, why did they have to go there?" Flurry hiccuped once.
Once again, the regal Alicorn smiled down at Flurry. "They deserved to go. It's where they belong. And you do, too -- but we need your help."
The shivering filly took a deep, shaky breath.
"That's it," Lorelei coaxed soothingly. "Are you ready?"
Flurry hesitated a moment, before giving a tiny nod. Lorelei nodded back and draped an elegant wing over the filly's shoulders, guiding her gently over to Sombra and Shadow Spark. Flurry stared at the ground, not wanting to see their faces. She took comfort in the soft feathers of Lorelei's wing.
As the two passed, Sombra and Shadow eagerly followed them into the swirling cloud of darkness.
It started when they came...
Those accursed bearers of crystal, come from a distant land in search of freedom.
With no respect for this land they found, or the ones who had come before them.
When they encountered us, they were appalled by our nature, our way of life. But there must have been more...for why would they return, come to steal the crystal heart of my only?
Our hearts have special magic, but perhaps they knew more about us than it would seem...the empire they built for themselves in so little time, and the protection they provided their newest relic, evidence of this?
I swore hatred against their kind, and sought to plague all like them, sending my own out to pillage and destroy in various degrees. But as I turned my fire upon two who were most like them, who perhaps not even had anything to do with them, a third appeared. What followed is...indescribable, save for a white sphere that engulfed the ones who would thereupon leave me no choice but to take my kind to a different land.
I remember little of my last days whole and hale -- or hale as one might be while raving mad. I was brought down, and lay dying...until a peculiar wizard came. Though she was like the accursed, she offered something I could not possibly refuse...
Life.
She took the remains of my own crystal heart, sealing it in an Amulet, to be hidden in the most ironic place...the home of the bearers of crystal.
I would wait, until one found me and fell to my manipulation. Then a transformation would take place, and I could return to my full form, perhaps even more powerful than before. Powerful enough to destroy every last one of those spineless little heathens.
I should have known better than to trust one of them.
"Celestia, Celestia!" The door banged open and Luna flew in, eyes wide.
"What, Luna, is something wrong?" Celestia stood up quickly, a worried expression on her face.
"Sister --" she panted. "I -- I've just learned what the name of the king of the Crystal Empire is."
By the reluctance seeping from her sister, Celestia wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.
When her sister uttered the name, a chill struck her deep, all feeling bleeding out of her.
"...King Sombra," Luna whispered.
-
"This could be more difficult to pull off than we anticipated, sister..." Celestia murmured, studying the horizon. The Crystal Empire lay just beyond those mountains...preparing to meet her and Luna.
"The Crystal ponies know not what they are doing," Luna said regretfully. "They may try to end us..."
"We must try our hardest not to do the same," Celestia said.
"And -- what of the king?" Luna's voice cracked.
Celestia sighed after a moment. "I don't know."
For a moment, they sat in silence. Then Luna's eyes focused and she straightened.
"What about that spell Star Swirl said he used on that pony who attacked him while we were gone?"
Celestia looked over her shoulder at her sister. "Which spell?"
"Didn't he say he turned the pony into shadows?"
"I think he did...but do you really think that's the best solution for this?"
"You know what he did." Luna's voice was still, low. "What he is doing Now. His reign needs to end."
---
"Celestia -- something --" Luna trailed off, her eyes searching Celestia's. "Something has happened."
"You felt it too?"
Luna nodded, seemingly relieved that she was not the only one who had felt something. "Like a magical appearance?"
-
"What...? No -- *no!" Luna's soft features were suddenly contorted in disbelief and rage as she howled at the sky. "How could he have returned? How could he still be alive?!"
Celestia trembled. "He never died, Luna," she muttered. "We only turned him to shadow."
"Then we should have killed him!"
"We had no way of doing that!"
"We should have driven our own horns straight through his heart!" Luna raged.
"Luna!" Celestia bellowed. Her sister flinched but did not cower.
"We can't change what has already happened. Look at me!" Luna reluctantly raised hooded eyes to meet her sister's. "Do Not obsess over this. Help me find a way to send him back."
"Why not kill him?" Luna snapped, baring her teeth. "If we send him back to the Ether he'll have a chance to come back Again!"
"Because we're not like him!" Celestia cried, slamming a hoof down atop the table. "We're not killers!"
Nebula's breath caught in her throat, and tears came to her eyes. "I...I could have stopped...I could have stopped king Sombra..." she choked out (how about, tight, tight voice), and -- was struck by the undeniable, immense guilt that now clouded her gaze.
"Nebula, no, don't!" -- snapped, grabbing her by the shoulders as she began to collapse, now sobbing. "C'mon, please --" -- voice cracked, and -- bit -- lip. (male or female? which character?)
"I-I could h-have s-stopped -him!" She had to force out every word through her efforts to breathe, and her chest jerked with each hiccuping sob. She let out a heart-wrenching wail.
"So, what am I supposed to do?! I can't talk to Cadence or the Crystal ponies, and you won't even tell me why you told me all of this!"
"Well, I can't even explain it to myself!" Dahliah blurted.
Taken aback, "What?" was all Twilight could say, raising an eyebrow.
"I understand why you're frustrated with me," she said, pacing in an agitated manner. "But -- if I told you how I know this, you wouldn't believe me! I don't even know why I told you. It's --" She stopped, scratching at her head. "-- complicated."
(Heeheehee, Imma make this a conversation she had in her head. Twilight decides to go right ahead and talk to Cadence, and doesn't notice Dahliah's 'inner struggle'.)
A purple aura sparked around her horn, and with a magic poof, she'd teleported out. Dahliah glanced at the spot where she had been with an expression bordering on shock, concern, and dread.
--
Flurry glared at the toy in front of her muzzle, stark still in utter concentration. Her little tongue began to poke out, a sparkling yellow glow coming to life at her horn. The toy glowed, then floated gently into the air, towards Flurry Heart, and into her waiting mouth.
"Ghnom-nom-nom --"
"Oh, Flurry," Cadence said, exasperated, coming over and removing the book from Flurry's mouth. The filly made garbled noises at her mother, presumably insults. Paying her no mind, Cadence placed the book on a shelf far away from her daughter, after wiping off the damp cover.
She heard a magic poof, and turned around, ready to snatch the next inedible item from the filly's mouth, but stopped with one hoof in the air at the sight of Twilight Sparkle, mane slightly disheveled, mouth set in a grim line.
"Oh! Hi, Twilight!" she greeted, smiling warmly.
"Hi Cadence," Twilight mumbled, glancing at Flurry. She seemed -- distracted.
"Um...is something wrong?" Cadence asked, her smile fading slightly.
"Well, no -- I just wanted to -- talk to you about something," she said reluctantly.
"Like what?"
"Like...where you came from."
Cadence's eyes widened slightly. "Why do you want to talk about that?"
Twilight scrunched up her eyes. "Because I was just talking to somepony who seems to know a lot of things but won't tell me HOW she knows them!" she muttered, her hooves shifting. "But, I was just kinda curious! Uh -- whooo were your parents?"
Cadence pondered this. (or did she?) "Sapphire and Granite. They raised me." She walked over to Flurry Heart. "I suppose I've never really talked about them before, considering they put me in Celestia's care for a while --"
"Okay, so, what colors did they have?"
"Uh, Sapphire had a really deep blue coat, and Granite was a kind of light grey --"
"And you're pink!" Twilight immediately pointed out.
Cadence looked at her suspiciously. "Twilight, what are you getting at?"
"I don't know. Nopony knows! Or nopony will tell me things they know!" Twilight shouted, head thrown back. "Maybe if I go back to that pony, she'll tell me how she knows now!"
Poof
Utterly confused, Cadence stared at the spot where Twilight had been moments before, her expression bordering on shock, concern, and dread.
Flurry Heart spluttered in excitement, and floated a chunk of crystal into her waiting hooves.
"My lord..." A hesitant pony stepped forward, questioning. "What is it you want us to do?"
(THAT'S A GOOD FUCKIN' QUESTION, WHAT DOES HE WANT THEM TO DO?!?!)
"So, there's another being out for power up there," Shadow Spark commented.
"An interesting development, to say the least," Sombra mused. "Considering her original alliance."
"Heh heh. The irony there is rich," Shadow chuckled, smirking. "D'you think she's gonna leave anything for us?"
"Perhaps." He shrugged. "And what would we do if she comes here?"
Shadow Spark frowned. "Hadn't thought of that -- think she might try to steal our magic?"
"We cannot risk it either way. Be on your guard for now. If she comes to us, let me --" He broke off when he saw Shadow Spark's eyes focus behind him and narrow threateningly, and a growl sounded deep in her throat.
Hoofsteps echoed through the darkness, each step a light clap. "Pardon me -- I seem to have interrupted your conversation."
Sombra turned to face the newcomer, watching her step out of the surrounding shadows gracefully. "Indeed."
Her lips parted in a friendly smile.
-
"I'd almost forgotten," she said, wistfully.
"Wait, what does that mean?" Shadow Spark raised an eyebrow, suspicious. (and curious)
"This isn't my first time here," Lorelei admitted, gazing upwards. "It's been many moons, but it seems nothing has changed."
"Hold on just a second -- you've been here before? How is that possible?" Shadow scoffed.
Still looking at the empty space high above their heads, Lorelei answered. "I was reincarnated by a special pony. She possesses the power to bring creatures back to life -- though she wishes she did not have this power."
Sombra's eyes narrowed. "Reincarnation?" he rumbled.
"Yes."
Shadow Spark gaped. And then gulped.
"Shadow Spark, did you know of this pony?" Sombra asked.
"No! I didn't even know reincarnation was possible, otherwise we could've done something other than keeping you in a cave, I guess."
"No matter -- there's nothing to be done about it now," he muttered.
Lorelei watched this exchange curiously, then touched her chin with a hoof. "Who are you two? You certainly strike an imposing figure," she said to Sombra, whose mouth turned up slightly at the corners.
"I used to be a dragon king, before I was mortally wounded by ponies."
"I put his heart in an Amulet so he could possess a pony, in order to regain his dragon body," Shadow Spark put in, albeit somewhat gleefully.
"I'm no judge of these things, but -- it seems like a bit much." Lorelei said ponderously.
Shadow's eyes grew steely. "Excuse me?" She bristled.
"Well, I don't know if I know more about dragons than the two of you, but making him possess a pony seems like making a mountain out of a molehill." (I dunno if that makes any sense.) "And you say you were killed by ponies?"
"Yes."
"Do you harbor no ill will towards this one?"
He glared at Lorelei. "Of course I do. Ponies have been a constant thorn in my side for ages. However, I decided to ally with her because she promised to help restore me." His gaze slid sideways, eyes slitted. "Though she has yet to uphold her promise."
Shadow Spark snorted. "I'm working on it! And I seem to recall a certain promise you made to me!"
" 'The skins of the pesky princesses' is hardly something I can be held up to!" Sombra shot back. "You seem to think I can be used as a prized hunter...but, surprisingly enough, it's difficult to track rural ponies as a pony!"
Shadow Spark howled in rage and turned her back on the bristling shadow king. They both almost jumped out of their skins at the sound of an amused chuckle.
"Excuse me?" Shadow growled, turning to face Lorelei, who was holding a hoof near her smiling mouth.
"Oh, forgive my interruption --" she said, trying to regain her composure.
"Exactly what is so funny?" Shadow Spark quietly snarled.
"Oh? Well, just something you said," she answered, waving a hoof dismissively.
"Like. What?" Shadow seemed to be on a short fuse.
"Allying with each other. You two are at odds with one another, yet you work together." Her gaze was curious. "What power you two might have together, if not for your limitations."
"So we send groups of dragons to each kingdom, and drive them apart so they cannot assist the ponies," Sombra said thoughtfully. Lorelei nodded slowly.
"But that would severely divide the army. If all of the troops are out fighting other tribes in all the corners of Equestria, then what troops do we have here?" Shadow Spark asked sharply.
"We have Timberwolves and Slingtails."
"And Golems," Lorelei said, rubbing her chin.
The two ponies looked at her curiously. "Golems?" Shadow asked.
Lorelei nodded. "They used to be everywhere. But they feed on raw magic, and deteriorate without it, so it's difficult to keep one."
"Can they feed on dark magic, or does it have to be light?" Sombra questioned.
"Could use dark," Lorelei answered. "However they could prove to be unpredictable."
"On the previous subject," Shadow interjected. "Even with the Timberwolves and Slingtails, we still have limited resources."
"Perhaps they could try recruiting some from the tribes. A Changeling or two could be useful, and the Griffins could be used as hoof soldiers, so that we don't use up our dragon reserves."
"An interesting idea," Sombra noted.
"Y'know, I'm starting to question the point of all of this," Shadow muttered.
"I think it would be fun to make them suffer as much as possible before the end comes. We have a little time," Lorelei said coolly. "Why not use it?"
"Woah..."
Before them, a beautiful glowing plant towered over their heads. The ground around it shimmered with deep amber stripes, the trunk laced with pale turquoise and gold. Broad leaves lined with crimson fanned out at the top, swaying gently.
"Woooow...that thing is beautiful!" Andromeda whispered, grinning at Celestia. "Do you know what it is?"
"I know as much about it as you do." She took a deep breath through her nose. "Does it smell -- weird to you guys?"
Andromeda and Luna inhaled, too. "I can't tell what it smells like," Luna said, wrinkling her nose.
"Uhhh...it smells -- nice," Andromeda decided.
Luna snickered. "And so does grass."
"But this doesn't smell like grass!" Celestia put in.
"Hi. Just uh, came over to introduce myself. The name's Smolder," she said, jabbing her chest with a claw.
Sombra raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, hatchling?"
"Just, uh -- wanted to meet you!" she declared, throwing her arms out.
His expression darkened.
"Eh heh, I mean, everydragons' been talking about how you used to be king of the dragons, but like -- forever ago!" She grinned. "What was it like back then?"
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Less involvement with ponies -- or at least, less (diplomatic? friendly?) interaction with them."
Smolder crossed her arms with a huff. "Things have changed. We haven't done pillaging in ages." Her voice held a touch of resentment.
"Have you yourself done any?" Sombra asked.
"Yes! A while ago, though -- I barely remember it." The new king watched her as she gave a rough sigh. "It was so much fun, I wish we could do that again."
Invasions.
"Dad, what's that?" Silverstream asked, pointing to a grey shape collecting on the horizon. "Is it gonna rain, because that would be really bad for the party --"
"Hmm. I'm not sure," Sky Beak said thoughtfully, peering at the mass. "It doesn't quite look like rain clouds. But why don't you let the others know they might have to take shelter soon?"
"Alrighty!" she said with a salute. Her father laughed as she flapped off.
Spotting Ocean Flow and Terramar by a fruit patch, she went over to chat.
"Hey, it looks like a storm might be on the way! We might have to take cover."
Her mother grinned at her. "Might be fun to stay out in the rain. It's no different from wat--" She paused for a moment as a cough rattled her, and Terramar smiled painfully at his sister.
"And maybe the rain would help your cough," he teased, brushing up against his mother.
-
A thrill went through her when she heard shouts and the whoosh of flames. They were starting up the fireworks! She scrambled to finish her task, and raced back towards the beach, grinning wildly.
Huh, maybe there was an accident with one of the fireworks, because there seemed to be an awful lot of ye--
A dark shape burst through the foliage before her, knocking her to the ground as it raced past. She felt a twig break beneath her, scratching her wings.
"Hey!" she screeched after the retreating form, but they did not slow. Fuming, she got back on her claws, in time for a searing ball of fire to shoot past her face.
"Woah!" she cried in surprise, almost falling over. She watched the fireball hit the base of a tree and quickly began spreading through the beautiful grass around it.
"Augh!" She raced towards the nearest river, yelling, "Fire, fire!"
-
"Silverstream, run!" Stratus roared, right before he was engulfed in flames that seared Silverstream's face. She cried out in pain and shut her eyes, shielding her face with her wings.
Turning, she ran blindly back the way she came, hearing wretched screams behind her over the sound of grass and twigs crumbling beneath her claws. She let her wings slide away from her face, and slammed headlong into a tree.
Thump!
Ears ringing, head spinning.
Head splitting.
Voices creaking through the ringing, squawking nonsense.
Strange buzzing...
No feeling.
(Don't forget: Liliane, battling the Nightmare Forces.)
"N-No..." she breathed, all air leaving her.
The sky all around was dark and clouded, swirling with winds that blew loose dust across the land and into her eyes. She heard the rumble of collapsing buildings,
"Dahliah? Dahliah!" Nebula cried, relieved. She raced towards her sister, skidding to a stop at her side.
"T-Too much," Dahliah choked out softly. She was holding her shaking hooves over her ears, and tears leaked out of her tightly closed eyes.
"Dahliah!" Nebula shook her. (Note, concern.) "What's wrong?"
Her sister let out a strangled sound, like she was frustrated and terrified at the same time. Her head gave a slight jerk, and she slowly stopped shaking.
"C'mon, get up, what's wrong?!"
"Nebula...? Is that you?" Dahliah's eyes opened, gazing at Nebula sadly.
"Yes, it's me! What's going on? Are you okay?"
"P-Please, back up -- I can't handle more --"
Confused, Nebula only stepped closer. "What? What do you mean?"
"Well, it's hard for me to make friends --"
"What? What are you talking about?" Twilight laughed. "We're your friends!"
Dahliah looked at her in confusion. "Really? I just thought..."
"Thought what?" Twilight asked, now concerned.
"Well, other ponies always seem to just -- take me for granted or something," she said rapidly, shrugging her shoulders. "They like me because I like to listen. They think they can dump all their problems on me and it's fine, which it is, to an extent -- but -- they don't really listen to me." Twilight watched her, surprised. It seemed to be taking a lot of effort for her to say just that; her body held taut, her face caught in a frown. "I just -- I want a friend who can listen to me, the way I listen to them."
"Sir, we've just spotted Silurian."
"Is he coming here?"
"Appears to be so, sir."
"How far off is he?"
"Approximately halfway here. Should I ready the soldiers?"
"Yes, indeed, get them ready as quick as possible. I'll send word to warn everyone."
-
"Excuse me, sir -- please excuse my abruptness --" The soldier, barely out of colthood, stood stiff and nervous before him.
"You have something to say?" he asked, waving a hoof in a sign of relaxation.
The colt's features loosened slightly. He took a deep breath. "Well, uh -- I was just thinking, about Silurian. He comes and attacks the front gate all the time, and sometimes tries to get in by the cliffs, y'know? But what if he tries getting through -- underground?"
He raised an eyebrow in interest. "What makes you think he'll do that?"
The soldier shifted his weight. "I heard the reports from the scouting of his territory, and they say he has tunnels that go beneath the earth."
He remembered that well. "Yes. Your point is?"
"Do we have ways to protect the underside of Portmanteau?" the soldier asked.
"Celestia! The dragons are coming!" a guard yelled.
"Stand your ground, everypony," the sun princess commanded. "We must protect the civilians!"
A cloud of dragons could be seen headed straight for Canterlot -- hundreds of them, smoke and fire pouring from their maws and trailing behind them, like the wings and tail of a great behemoth. A collective roar rumbled through the air, growing and shooting through the ears of the ponies sharply. Some cowered; most steadied themselves in protective pride.
The first wave hit just as the shields went up.
Too close to the shields to stop, the front row of dragons crashed straight into them, screeching in frustration and pain.
The second wave hit like a avalanche, claws, teeth and flames ripping through the Equestrian army. Shrieks of fear and hatred tore the air, and blasts of magic tore the scales off the enemy.
"She plays an important part in the future. If she doesn't die, Equestria might fall."
"How can her death keep Equestria from destruction?" Star Swirl asked, confused and intrigued.
"I..." she breathed. "I don't know, for certain..."
Celestia's eyes filled with tears, and she gazed out the window, watching memories play across her vision. "I-I had forgotten...but now..."
Star Swirl approached her cautiously. "I'm surprised you had forgotten it so easily --"
She bowed her head. "Oh Star Swirl...I'd used a spell to bury my memories of her, so I wouldn't feel so much pain."
"What do you mean...there's one more?" Twilight asked, incredulously.
Celestia nodded. "There has always been one element of Harmony stored away." She ignited her horn, and the air beside her became a picture to showcase her words. "All seven elements together are a powerful force. Not even us Alicorns can use all seven at once. So the last element has always been kept safe." She looked to Twilight. "Additionally, if the Elements are destroyed, they can be restored if at least one element remains. So by hiding the seventh, we ensure the safety of the Elements, as well as our own."
Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
I miss Nebula. Even though I know now that she was never my sister -- that doesn't change anything. She was my sister despite the fact. She was always there beside me. We helped each other, cared for each other.
Why did I have to hurt her? She didn't deserve it, she never deserved all the pain I put her through.
"Dragons...I appeal to you. Those ponies must be put in their place. It is a shame that Dragon Lord Ember associated with them; she was a fine leader, full of potential. We must make them pay for what they did to her, and me."
Garble glanced at his fellow dragons, then approached Sombra and knelt. "Former Dragon Lord Sombra, we would be honored if you would be Lord again."
Sombra huffed. "Spare me the pleasantries. It's sickening. You're a dragon, are you not?"
Garble stood. "Yes!" he shouted.
"Aren't you ALL dragons?" Sombra bellowed to the rest.
"YES!" they yelled back.
"Then do what your ancestors used to! Lay waste!" The dragons roared as one, some breathing fire into the sky. Smoke from the flames turned the day into twilight,
"Hmm. Ponies these days don't know their own history, do they?" the mare said quietly to herself, examining a hoof. "Well, I think you can call me -- Shadow Spark." Her eyes flashed, and a grin split her face.
"We may not be pureblooded, but that doesn't change anything," Tempest said, stepping forward. "We're still the last living descendants of a purebred Alicorn. We're all that's left of them."
Lorelei scoffed. "Please. Your ignorance pains me..." She rolled her eyes.
"Did you drop that on purpose?"
"Yup."
"Was it because of the monster?"
"No."
"...
"So what happened?"
"I dropped it."
*facehoof* "Well, duh! How?!"
*irritated glare that says what-why-so-impatient-I'm-telling-you-what-happened*
"What -- grr -- we must keep the Element bearers alive."
"What does that have to do with Twilight Sparkle and her affiliates?"
"They don't have to live. I guess that, since they no longer wield the Elements, the connection isn't as strong. Don't worry, I'll leave them for you. You must leave the Pillars for me." -- Shadow Spark and Sombra.
They sighed. "I can see how you would think that...some of the violence in stories is depicted in ways that make some want to avoid it at all costs. But without discipline, we cannot grow. We cannot know the difference between right and wrong if there are no consequences when someone commits a deplorable act."
"But the definition of right and wrong varies between individuals."
"Indeed. So we must establish firm definitions.
"I enjoyed this conversation. It's not often one finds another who will discuss this sort of topic with you in a gentlemanly fashion."
But the middle sister was torn between her siblings. She relished and found beauty in both the day, and the night. She wanted to please both of her sisters.
"What's to stop you from taking control of my mind once I teach you how to use the spell?" Sunburst asked skeptically.
"Hmm, you're quite the perceptive one, aren't you?" Chrysalis said slowly, eyes narrowed.
"Oh, really, you ponies are so dense." A magic poof, and Discord was lounging next to them, juggling loaves of bread. "Exactly how long did it take you to figure this out? I stopped paying attention ages ago."
"Discord, what's THAT supposed to mean?" Rainbow snapped, irritated.
"Discord..." Twilight said warningly, "Do you know something about this?"
"Well, my dear Twilight, I can't say I have anything to do with this -- am I right in assuming that's what you're assuming? -- but come on, it was obvious from the beginning that something was not right with Starlight." The bread disappeared, and Discord tapped his chin with a claw. "Hmm. I do believe that rhymed."
"So what yer sayin' is, you knew Starlight wasn't right in the head, but yah didn't say anythin'?" Applejack asked, glaring at the draconiquis. "Why in tarnation would yah do somethin' like that?"
"Applejack, my dear, it's very simple --" He snapped his claw, and a whiteboard poofed into existence behind him. On the whiteboard were stick figures and random arrows.
"If I had told you of Starlight's true self, you ponies never would have come together to form these -- New Elements." He rolled his eyes and muttered something before continuing. "The old Elements were losing power, right?"
"Right..." Twilight said slowly.
"So naturally," he drawled. "
"Starlight, please! You have to be in there somewhere!" Twilight pleaded, reaching out a hoof.
"Get away from me, you poser! You are not a true Alicorn!" she snarled, igniting her horn and spreading her wings. Twilight flinched away in terror.
"And I am no longer Starlight Glimmer! I know who I once was." Her eyes were barely visible, narrowed as they were and dark with unyielding hatred.
"I am the puppet master, manipulater, destroyer of the lands beyond. I am Lorelei!"
Tempest goes to her sisters, Dahliah and Nebula.
"So, I found something a while ago..."
"Hmm?"
"Well... I think you two should come take a look at it. Nebula, seeing as, you're an Alicorn, this might be interesting for you. And Dahliah...well, maybe your talents could come in handy."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just pack some saddlebags and meet me out here. I'll take you there."
*Shrugs* "Okay."