I return from the dead at long last. You've probably all been wondering why it's been forever since I wrote anything. Long story short, depression and trapped in an endless cycle of soul-sucking sadness that stole away my will to live as much as my will to write.
But then I bought the MLP movie.
And I fucking loved it.
And just like that, my creative drive returned once more, in full force.
So now, to make up for all those months of waiting and wondering, I've begun this side-project of EWM, based on the movie. Bear in mind as you read, this is an AU of EWM, where the events of Seasons 2.5 and 3 never happened, and Twilight was ascended to an alicorn after Ganon's defeat. Some things will be the same as the movie, but most of it will deviate in various ways from the original.
With that in mind, please enjoy. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow.
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Chapter One: Worst Party Crasher Ever
Two years have passed since the defeat of Ganon, and Equestria is prospering as it never has before. With the slaying of Demise, the source of Ganon's power and immortal curse, the many monster tribes that once served the forces of darkness have found a new life and a new home in Equestria.
And it would not have been possible had it not been for the bravery, compassion, and unbridled heroism demonstrated by a motley group of friends and comrades who dared stand against impossible odds and won the day.
Twilight Sparkle, the newly-crowned Princess of Friendship and the bearer of the Element of Magic.
Rarity, the fabulous and fashionable wielder of the Element of Generosity.
Applejack, the strong and righteous wielder of the Element of Honesty.
Rainbow Dash, the fearless and steadfast bearer of the Element of Honesty.
Pinkie Pie, the energetic and playful wielder of the Element of Laughter.
Fluttershy, the quiet and quaint protector of the Element of Kindness.
Chrysalis, the haughty but determined Queen of the Changelings.
Gilda, a gruff but loyal Griffon from the Griffon Kingdom of Griffonstone.
Trixie, the flamboyant and dazzling student of Princess Luna.
Rover, the hardworking Alpha of the Rockjaw Diamond Dogs of Rambling Rock Ridge.
Daring Do, the legendary adventurer, children's novelist, and mother of Rainbow Dash.
Ahuizotl, the enigmatic former archnemesis and now lover of Daring Do.
And last but not least, Vaati, the Sorcerer of Winds and now husband to Princess Luna.
Since that fateful battle for Equestria, ponykind is now more determined than ever to spread the message of friendship across the world, and who better to deliver that message than the Princess of Friendship?
Twilight Sparkle has taken it upon herself to throw a grand celebration in honor of all the ponies and peoples of Equis: the Festival of Friendship.
But as the festivities get underway, dark forces stir. Though Ganon may be gone, other villains are more than ready to take his place. And a new foe, having grown his power in secret in the mysterious south far beyond Equestria's borders, has now set his sights on Equestria, and the power contained within the Four Princesses…
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"Oooooohhhhmmmm…"
Heedless of the preparations and partying outside, Princess Twilight Sparkle chanted in an effort to maintain her cool as she basked in the multicolored sunlight filtering through a stained-glass window depicting herself.
"Oooooohhhhhhmmmmy goodness, I can't handle this! Nothing is working!"
A futile effort, it seemed.
"Twilight, seriously, everything is under control," Prince Vaati huffed, folding his arms and rolling his eyes at his best friend's antics. Ever since his coronation and marriage to Princess Luna, Vaati had changed his look to something more regal, having finally forgone his trademark hat and outfit in favor of a crown and robe that bore some similarities to his Reborn form. "The best party planners in all of Equestria have combined their talents to put this thing together, and so far everything has gone without a hitch. People and ponies from all over the world are pouring in by the hour, and so far, everyone is behaving themselves. The Changelings even said Chrysalis is thinking of attending. Even Discord is limiting his chaos to pure entertainment purposes."
"Ugh, that's not what I'm worried about!" Twilight groused as Spike came into the room, carrying a bunch of scrolls in his arms.
"Then what are you worried about?" Spike asked, confused. "By the way, I got all your charts and graphs here."
Twilight sighed and turned her back to them. "I'm about to ask the most royal princesses in Equestria for a huge favor. What if they reject me?"
She lifted her head and glanced at the pale hand now resting on her shoulder before looking up at the smiling, youthful face of the Wind Mage. "The most royal princesses, you say? As in, your mentor, who has been like a second mother to you, your sister-in-law, who has babysat you since you were little, and last but certainly not least, my wife, who will happily do anything I ask of her, especially if it's for you? Or are we talking about three different princesses here?"
Twilight couldn't help but smile back, grateful as always that Vaati was there to keep her grounded and drive away her anxieties. "Thanks, Vaati. I-I think I'm ready now. Come on, Spike."
With Spike and Vaati following from behind, Princess Twilight magically opened the doors that led into the newly-renovated Canterlot Castle Throne Room, which had been utterly demolished during the final battle with Demise two years ago. It just so happened the other three alicorns were gathered together, taking note of Twilight's arrival.
"Good morning, Princesses!" Twilight began. "Thank you all for seeing me. I have an idea that will make the Friendship Festival the most wonderful celebration that Equestria has ever seen!"
As Vaati took his place next to his beloved wife, Celestia replied with a motherly smile, "Yes, Twilight, we are very excited."
"Ponies, monsters, and other denizens of Equestria have been arriving all morning!" Cadance declared. "Even Queen Chrysalis has decided to come tomorrow to join the celebrations!"
Nuzzling her lover, Luna added, "I'd like to think it's to see us, but I think Songbird Serenade might be the bigger attraction."
Vaati leaned down to kiss Luna on her cheek, eliciting a giggle from the Goddess of the Night. "Not as attractive as you, moon-dove."
"Ahem," Twilight began awkwardly before getting back into her groove. "Anyways, yeah, she's pretty much the 'mane' event."
Vaati affixed her with his patented and trademarked 'are-you-kidding-me' stare. "Did you really just…?"
"Yep!" Twilight chirped. "Anyways, in order to make it extra special, I could really use your help. Spike?"
Humming some unknown fanfare, Spike wheeled up a large whiteboard with a drawing of the stage. "Songbird Serenade's performance is not scheduled to start until after you begin the sunset." Picking up a marker in her magical grip, she drew on the board as she continued, "And based on my precise calculations, to get the very best lighting for the stage, Princess Celestia, I was hoping you could make sure the sun stays about 28.1 degrees to the south. And Princess Luna, if you could raise the moon 62 degrees north at the same time, it would reflect the sunlight on the other side and really frame the entire stage perfectly!"
All the other royals were perfectly silent. But before Luna could break it, Twilight interrupted, "But wait, there's more! Cadance, if you could use your crystal magic to create an aurora above the stage, the sun and the moon will shine through it and create a truly amazing light show!"
To reinforce her point, a burst of magic blossomed over the whiteboard as Spike climbed on top and declared, "Presenting Songbird Serenade!" as he waved around a toy of the famous singer.
He promptly lost his balance and fell to the floor. "Ta-da…" he weakly groaned.
Twilight forced a grin as she spread her wings out in a 'what-do-you-think' gesture.
The Prince and Princesses all were silent in awkward confusion.
Vaati was the first to break it as he muttered to Luna, "I can see now why she was worried about you saying no."
This prompted Luna to ask in a flat tone, "So, what you're saying is, you want us to move both the sun and the moon for the party?"
"Well, I'd do it myself, except I don't have your magic," Twilight replied with an awkward laugh.
"Twilight," Celestia finally spoke up, stepping forward. "Each of us uses our powers to serve Equestria in our own way." Lifting Twilight's chin, she continued, "You are the Princess of Friendship. You already have all the magic you need."
"So…that'd be a no?" Twilight responded weakly.
"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight," Vaati shook his head, kneeling down to her level and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're overanalyzing again. That's always been your weakness. Besides, if you really need help, I can just ask Nigellas to get some from Shanzom. With as much magic as the Golden Wizzrobe knows, I'm pretty sure he can do something to make it all look good."
Twilight sighed and hung her head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."
Vaati stood up straight and smirked. "Tell you what? How about I go with you down to the festival and see how everyone's doing. Maybe Rarity could use a little more help to get the stage ready."
Twilight smiled. "Okay."
With that settled, Vaati turned to Luna, and they shared a quick kiss. "I'll see you in a couple of hours, Luna-bear."
Luna giggled. "You've no shortage of nicknames for me, do you, my love?"
"You love it and you know it. Let's go, Twilight."
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"Aw, yeah!" Rainbow Dash cried as she pulverized another cloud at lightning speed. "Skies cleared and ready for the Festival!"
Meanwhile, Pinkie blew up a balloon and tied it up into a balloon animal version of Discord. The real deal, hiding somewhere, promptly deflated the balloon, creating a strong enough breeze to send the big-name party planner flying. Meanwhile, the balloon blasted past Fluttershy, startling her singing birds.
"Head's up, Fluttershy!" Pinkie yelled, darting past her. "Out of control balloon!"
Fluttershy smiled. "I don't think it's the balloon that's out of control, Pinkie Pie."
She then shared a wink with Discord as he poked his head out of a nearby barrel before the Spirit of Chaos burst into laughter.
"Hey, y'all!" Applejack declared, pulling a cart behind her. "Anyone up fer some free samples'a mah family's apple cider?"
Rainbow Dash promptly nicked a mug out of Applejack's hoof. "Loved it! Thank you!"
Applejack was then surrounded by several thirsty Miniblins, chattering away as they tried to push each other out of the way so they could get the cider first. "Okay, y'all," Applejack chuckled, handing out mugs to each of them. "There's plenty 'nuff t'go 'round."
Rarity was humming to herself as she painstakingly fit a diamond on a red bow on the bottom of the stage. Leaving thirsty customers to pilfer her contents at their leisure, Applejack came up behind Rarity and said, "Wow, that's a mighty fine job you're doin', Rarity." Then, indicating the rest of the currently barren stage, she added, "'Course, ya might not git done till after the festival."
"Applejack, darling," Rarity tittered, "anypony can do 'fine'. Twilight asked me, and therefore she asked for fabulous, and fabulous takes time!"
Flying down to meet them, Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, "Fabulous takes forever. But awesome…" She then promptly became a blur of motion as she set up all the bows and gems around the stage and reappeared. "…can get done in four seconds flat! Faster if I do my Sonic Rainboom!"
"Personally, I believe you've done enough damage as it is," a deep baritone uttered from behind.
The three ponies all turned to see a familiar Darknut clad in black armor inspecting Rainbow's rather crude handiwork. Rarity immediately broke out into a wide grin. "Maulgrim, dear! You came!" she cried as she went over and hugged the towering knight.
"Of course," the Black Knight replied, bowing grandly and kissing Rarity's hoof. "Any excuse to see you again, my fair maiden."
"Ugh, get a room, you two," Rainbow uttered.
"How rude!" Rarity snapped, affronted. "Really, Rainbow Dash! First you have to do that truly wretched job with the bows and gems, and now you have to suggest such uncouth behavior between myself and this gentlecolt!"
"Pssh, it's fine!" Rainbow dismissively replied.
"When one places quantity above quality, you get the worst of both worlds," Maulgrim rumbled.
"Darn tootin'!" Applejack added as Rainbow promptly tried to race off with another mug of cider, but not before a Miniblin grabbed it at the same time, and the two of them immediately began squabbling over the beverage, wasting it all in the end by spilling it all over themselves in the struggle. "Like them Flim Flam Brothers had t'learn the hard way!"
It was at this moment that Twilight, Vaati, and Spike arrived, with Twilight checking over her list. "Okay, just 218 things left to do, and we're ready!"
"Just 218 things?" Vaati groused. "Didn't we just have a discussion about overanalyzing everything?"
"Hey, Twilight!" the rest of the Mane Six chorused. "Hey, Vaati!"
"Hello, Spike," Rarity added warmly.
"H-hey, Rarity," Spike answered with a blush.
"Prince Vaati, 'tis good to see you are well," Maulgrim greeted, tilting his head in respect.
"I'm glad you could make it," Vaati replied. "If you're looking for Nigellas, he's with Overseer Shanzom and the other Wizzrobes over by Trixie's magic show. They're apparently all collaborating on something big."
"I will speak to him soon," Maulgrim said. "But I do believe my lady Rarity could use my help fixing Lady Dash's mess."
"Hey!"
"So what'd the other Princesses think'a your idea?" Applejack eagerly asked.
"I bet they loved it!" Pinkie Pie chirped in the background as she continued to chase after Discord's balloon.
Twilight sighed. "Not exactly. They think I can make this day perfect without their magic."
"To be fair, Twilight, that was…an unusual favor to ask of them," Vaati said.
"Well, I say they're absolutely right, darling," Rarity replied as she hung up another bow and gem. "Maulgrim, dear, could you start on the other end so we can meet in the middle?"
"As you wish," the Darknut Lord rumbled and strode over to the other side of the stage and set to work.
"Anyways, Twilight, this whole festival was your idea," Rarity continued. "And all of us firmly believe that you are up to the task!"
"But what if I'm not?" Twilight asked, her insecurity returning full-force. "What if Songbird Serenade hates the stage?! What if nobody makes a new friend?! And if I fail at the Festival, then who am I?!"
Vaati was about to open his mouth to try and talk more sense into Twilight (again) when Pinkie abruptly beat him to it. "Twilight. Look at me," she uttered, putting her face against Twilight's so that their eyes met. "This will be the biggest celebration Equestria has ever seen! As the Princess of Friendship, you cannot fail! This day will define who you are! The pressure is intense! It's almost too much for any single pony to handle! AAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!"
Awkward silence followed yet again, until Vaati flatly spoke up, "Pinkie Pie, have you ever thought about stepping back for a moment and thinking, 'maybe I should close my mouth and never talk to anyone ever again'?"
"Nope!" Pinkie chirped, jumping back into place alongside the other Element Bearers. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, I wouldn't worry! She's got us!"
As Applejack helped Twilight up, music started up, and Vaati groaned. "Oh no, not another song cue."
"It's time t'show them what you've got!" Applejack sang.
"It's time to go and get things done!" Rarity sang.
"But you don't have to do it on your own!" Fluttershy sang.
"Cuz you've got friends right here to make it fun!" Pinkie sang.
"We got this! You got this!
We got this together!" they all chorused.
Rainbow coaxed Twilight into the air, dragging Spike along with them.
"Sometimes the pressure gets you down,
And the clouds are dark and gray!" Rainbow sang as she punched a hole through a thick raincloud, letting sunlight filter directly onto Twilight.
"Just kick them off
And let the sun shine through!
And as scary as it seems,
More help is on the way,
'Cause friends have friends that want to help out too!" Rainbow sang as the Wonderbolts, including her smiling mother, Daring Do, flew around them in formation.
"We got this! You got this!
We got this together!" everybody chorused.
"It's the Festival of Friendship!
And we can get it done!" the Darknuts chorused.
"A festival that they won't forget!" Shanzom boasted.
"A party to be proud of,
A day of games and fun!
Just you wait and see!
A magic day in perfect harmony!" everyone in Canterlot sang together.
"You got this!" Fluttershy sang as she and Twilight were bear-hugged by her bear.
"We got this together!"
"With friends and family,
You are never alone!
If you need help, we got your back!
You can be honest,
Let your problems be known!" Applejack sang.
"Cuz you got us,
To pick up the slack!
We got this!" the Apple Family sang.
"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh uttered right before biting into an apple pie.
"We got this together!" everyone sang.
"Pay attention to the details,
Every gem even-spaced,
Make the colors perfect!" Rarity sang as she attached numerous heart-shaped diamonds to the stage.
"Taking one or two to taste!" Spike sang as he promptly ate one of said gems.
"Inside and out,
Beautiful throughout,
Generosity is what we're all about!" Rarity sang as she handed Spike a basket of gems to keep him occupied.
"We got this!" Spike sang through a mouthful of gems.
"You got this!" Rarity sang.
"We got this together!" Rarity and Twilight sang together.
"Today needs to be perfect,
It all comes down to me,
I don't know if I'm ready
For all the things they need me to be.
I am the Princess of Friendship,
But that it more than just a crown.
It's a promise to bring ponies together,
And never let anypony down!" Twilight sang as she flew all over the city, observing the festival and its attendees.
"We've got an awful lot to bake!
Each pony needs a piece of cake!" Pinkie sang as she and a pair of Pyromancer Wizzrobes busily worked on a massive quintuple-decker cake, the Fire Wizzrobes using their magic to bake it after Pinkie had finished mixing the batter.
Her attention was promptly diverted as Trixie, Shanzom and Nigellas did a special effects check for their magic show.
"Oh please! Here's something better we can do!" Nigellas sang as magical fireworks exploded over their heads.
"We're gonna need some more supplies,
To make a really big surprise!
She'll be so shocked,
She's sure to love it too!
You got this!" Pinkie sang. "We got this together!"
"It's the Festival of Friendship,
Together we are one!
A day we will never forget!
And now everything is ready,
So when the day is done," everyone, pony and nonpony alike, sang as they danced.
"The weather!" Rainbow sang.
"The banquet!" Applejack sang.
"The style!" Rarity sang.
"And music!" Fluttershy sang.
"All will be in perfect harmony!" everyone ended together.
Meanwhile, to close off the song, Pinkie's party cannon fired into the air, sending her giant cake flying. Twilight had only enough time to realize it was falling right over her before impact, and she was buried under five layers of delicious cake.
Which promptly melted into an unholy, sticky mess of cake batter and buttercream icing.
Everyone gasped at the mess as Twilight's head burst out of it.
"See?!" one of the Fire Wizzrobes cried out angrily at its partner off to the side. "I told you we didn't bake it long enough, but did you listen to me?! Nooooooooooo!"
"Well excuse me for deciding that 'bake for 35 to 38 minutes' meant BAKE FOR 35 MINUTES!" the other Pyromancer screamed back.
"I told you to err on the side of caution, Rhastabel! 37 minutes was plenty of time!"
"How would you know, Demetrius?! You've never baked a cake, especially with fire magic!"
"NEITHER HAVE YOU, YOU SODDERING BAG OF DISHRAGS!"
"Dishrags?! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"START FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS LIKE AN INTELLIGENT WIZZROBE AND MAYBE I WILL!"
"Boys, boys, boys!" Pinkie cried out, leaping out of her cannon and putting herself between the two (literally) steaming wizards. "This is supposed to be the Friendship Festival! Besides, my easy bake confetti cake cannon was supposed to finish the baking process, but it apparently needs a teensy-weensy bit of fine-tuning! You're both friends, so act like it and make up!"
Both Pyromancers looked affronted, until Demetrius finally caved and said, "I'm sorry I called you a pile of dishrags."
"I'm sorry I didn't follow your directions," Rhastabel wearily apologized.
"See? Now you're both friends again!" Pinkie beamed, squeeing as she squished the two Wizzrobes' faces together.
Twilight sighed at the fact she was totally being ignored due to the random argument. Her ears perked up as she suddenly heard ponies in the crowd whisper, "Look! It's Songbird Serenade!"
"Is it really her?" one stallion spoke up as he and several other ponies were gently pushed aside by two official-looking bodyguards decked out in suits and shades.
Behind them was Equestria's newest musical idol, whose hairstyle made Vaati want to chew on a rock until his teeth broke.
"Hiya!" Songbird Serenade introduced herself. "I'm looking for the pony in charge."
She promptly struck a dozen poses as cameras flashed all around her before she continued, "I need to set up for my sound check."
I think that hair of yours needs a reality check, Vaati wanted so badly to say out loud.
"Ms. Songbird Serenade?" Twilight spoke up, forcing herself out of the ruined cake, coated in icing and batter. "Um, I was just going to check on you!"
"Twilight, at least make an effort to look presentable," Vaati smirked before he cast a wind spell that blew all the icing and batter off of Twilight…and all over a nearby Moblin's chest. The pig-man's response was to lick it all off with its fingers without a care in the world, snorting in pleasure.
Setting her mane back into place, Twilight greeted, "I'm Princess Twilight. This is Prince Vaati. And sorry about the mess."
"Our main baker likes to experiment," Vaati offered a reply.
Songbird laughed in response. "We all go through that phase, Princess. Anyways, I…"
Suddenly the diva was cut off by a peal of thunder, startling everyone. As one, pony and monster alike turned towards the source of the noise to see thick, dark clouds gathering over the city alarmingly fast.
"Storm clouds?! I ordered perfect weather!" Twilight exclaimed. "Rainbow Dash!"
"Uh…I don't think those are storm clouds," Rainbow uncertainly replied as the roiling black clouds loomed over them all.
Vaati narrowed his eyes and said in a dark undertone, "Neither do I."
Ponies nervously chattered amongst themselves as the monsters, sensing something amiss, all began to converge in the plaza, drawing the weapons every one of them always carried, no matter what.
"Warriors, ready arms!" Maulgrim boomed, settling immediately into his leadership role. "This might be an attack! On your guards!"
"Magic users, to me!" Shanzom shouted. "Form a perimeter! Get the civilians behind us!"
"Why?!" Nigellas complained to the heavens. "Why does this kind of stuff always happen just when things are going so well?!"
Meanwhile, all the Lizalfos and Blins in the area rallied alongside the Darknuts as they assumed formation. "Form a battle line on me! Protect the royalty and civilians!" Maulgrim barked out orders, drawing his sword and shield.
Then, everyone watched as what appeared to be a pale blue pair of jagged eyes appeared from the murk.
No…those weren't eyes.
From out of the stormclouds emerged what could only be described as a large airship awash in dark, intimidating colors.
"Ooh!" Pinkie chirped, blissfully ignorant of the situation. "I bet those are the clowns I ordered!"
The airship roughly touched down, smashing a display of props and balloons for a clown's usage in the process.
"You are definitely not the clowns I ordered," Pinkie uttered, finally realizing something wasn't right.
A ramp smacked down onto the ground, popping a discarded balloon animal in the process with a mournful squeal.
"Brian, noooo!" somepony wailed in the crowd.
Then, all watched as a small figure slowly descended the ramp, breathing heavily as they carried a metal box with that same jagged pattern on the ship. The diminutive creature then dumped the box on the ground with a grunt as it opened up to reveal itself as a megaphone. Clearing his throat, the creature brought out a mike and looked up at the gathered crowd.
His grin immediately fell at the sight of the grim-faced army of monsters looming rather menacingly over him. "Whoa, you guys look new. Uh, did…anybody else know about this? …No? Uh, okay then. Ahem…ponies of Equestria! And…whatever the heck you guys're supposed to be…We come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty Storm King!"
A banner unfurled over the airship, revealing what was assumed to be the aforementioned Storm King. The speaker looked slightly unsettled by the fact that none of the monsters looked even remotely impressed, but gathered his courage as he continued, "And now, to deliver the evil, evil message, put your hands and hooves together for COMMANDER TEMPEST!"
At this, a tall pony with sharp, cerulean eyes and a scar over her left eye emerged from inside the airship, magical sparks flying out of her forehead.
"Is…that a unicorn?" Twilight whispered in shock.
"I…think so," Spike confirmed. "But what happened to her horn?"
It was at this moment that the other three Princesses arrived, putting themselves between the monsters and the airship.
"Tempest, is it?" Celestia began, stepping forward as she attempted diplomacy. "How may we help you?"
Tempest smirked coldly as she replied, "Oh, I'm so glad you asked. How about we start with your complete and total surrender?"
Right after those words left her mouth, someone teleported between the Princesses and Tempest, while Twilight meekly took her place alongside them.
"You must have spent your entire life under a rock if you think anyone here is going to fall for that," Vaati, looking regal yet threatening as a light but steady breeze flapped his hair and robes around enough to reinforce the effect.
Tempest quirked a mildly-surprised eyebrow. "And…just who, or what, might you be?"
Vaati laughed, a pitiless chuckle that managed to send an involuntary shiver down Tempest's spine, though she did not show it. "Oh, I'm so glad you asked. I am the one who will turn you and your ugly little doorstop here to stone unless you go crawling back inside your little hot-air balloon and run home to that cheap mockery of me you call a master."
Tempest's stump of a horn sparked dangerously as her eyes narrowed threateningly.
"Um, yeah, hi there," Twilight abruptly spoke up, standing rather hesitantly next to Vaati. "Princess of Friendship. Not exactly sure what's going on, but I know we can talk things out."
She tried to flash a friendly smile, but it was obviously strained in worry.
"Oh, goodie," Tempest replied with no visible emotion as she began to descend the ramp. "All four Princesses. Here's the deal, ladies. I need your magic. Give it up nicely, please, or we make it…"
She abruptly jumped back as a bolt of energy struck the ground where her hooves had been. She looked up angrily to see Vaati ready to cast again.
"The next one won't miss," the Prince of the Sky's voice was like ice.
Tempest glared back at him for a moment, but then her smug attitude returned. "Hmph. I was hoping you'd choose difficult."
Suddenly everyone's attention was diverted as a dozen other airships appeared overhead. Ponies gasped and screamed in fear.
"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" Maulgrim roared as hordes of hulking black monsters with white manes and spiked masks descended from the airships, landing all over the plaza. Some were unarmed, and others carried two-pronged spears and black shields. "There's the enemy, men! CHAAAARGE!"
Battle was joined all over the festival plaza as the panicked attendees scattered. The Storm Grunts quickly proved to be a worthy match even for the skilled Darknuts and powerfully-built Moblins as the battle quickly spilled over the whole plaza.
As he blasted a Storm Grunt aside with a fire spell, Shanzom noticed that some of the Grunts were trying to capture ponies and immediately cried, "Wizzrobes, defend the civilians! Nigellas, organize the evacuation! Take them to the Crystal Caves where our secondary base is! NOW!"
"Yessir!" Nigellas cried, trying to gain some control over the frenzied crowds.
Meanwhile, Vaati turned around to blast Tempest to stone, but the disabled unicorn moved first, leaping high into the air and kicking a black ball coated in green magical electricity at the Princesses. Cadance immediately threw up a shield around the four of them, and Vaati could not help but stare in shock as the Dark Crystal Orb inexorably dug its way through the shield and hit Cadance.
All of them gasped as Cadance immediately began turning into crystal.
"Cadance!" Celestia cried in horror.
"Ugh! I-I can't stop it!" were the last words Cadance uttered before she was completely crystallized.
Vaati's jaw dropped at this display of power, finally realizing Tempest was a very serious threat. But the commander was already on the move, readying another Orb.
But Vaati anticipated it this time, summoning a massive horde of his infamous Eye Sentries before yelling, "Protect the Princesses!"
Tempest actually skidded to a halt as the Eyebats swarmed all around the remaining three Princesses, momentarily unsure of how to proceed.
This was all Vaati needed.
"Twilight, Luna! Listen to me!" Vaati cried over the din of the surrounding battle. "You and Celestia have to get out of here! They're after you!"
"No!" Celestia responded in a commanding tone. "I'm staying here! I have to protect my subjects for as long as I can! Vaati, take Luna and Twilight and head south beyond the Badlands! We need to seek help from the Queen of the Hippo…"
Celestia was suddenly interrupted as Tempest shot an explosion of raw magical energy at the Eyebat swarms, knocking most of them out of the sky where they lay twitching feebly in piles all around them, disoriented. Tempest wasted no time in kicking another Orb at them. Vaati and Luna quickly dodged, but Celestia hadn't noticed in time, her attention diverted by a particularly-brave Storm Grunt. Vaati, Twilight, and Luna watched in horror as Celestia immediately turned to crystal, her face immortalized in an expression of fear and disbelief.
"NO! CELIE!" Luna screamed, unable to look away.
"Luna!" Vaati cried, pulling at her shoulder. "Luna, we have to go!"
"LOOK OUT!" Twilight cried as Tempest sent another Dark Crystal Orb hurtling towards them.
Vaati immediately called upon the Triforce of Power and sent a holy bolt of energy at the Orb, and to the utter shock of Tempest, the Orb shattered into a million fragments on impact.
"What?! Those orbs are supposed to be magic-resistant!"
Power growing behind his words, Vaati boasted, "You'll find that I'm full of surprises. Case in point, TO STONE WITH YOU!"
However, Tempest was not without a few surprises of her own, and with amazing speed and grace, she avoided Vaati's most dangerous spell while simultaneously throwing another Orb at them. There wasn't enough time to dodge.
"NOOO!"
The Orb exploded, coating the victim in crystal. Tempest laughed in victory, but then stopped as she got a good look at the victim in question.
Vaati and Twilight would have recognized those misaligned eyes anywhere.
"D-Derpy!" Twilight gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth in horror.
"Enough of this!" Vaati cried, and before Tempest could act further, Vaati unleashed a huge gust of wind that caught her off-guard, sending her and numerous combatants flying. "Let's meet up with the others and get out of here!"
Twilight and Luna could only nod.
"Go, Vaati!" a familiar voice bellowed over the howling winds.
The three of them looked up to see Maulgrim having just slain a Storm Grunt, with Nigellas at his side. "We will cover your retreat!" the Darknut Lord declared.
"The civilians are evacuating through the Crystal Caves!" Nigellas cried. "Go with them and get the word out! All of Equestria needs to know what's happened here!"
"Are you sure about this?!" Vaati called out.
"We can handle these fools!" Maulgrim confidently rumbled. "And when you find Lady Rarity, tell her that her knight will always carry her in his heart! Now fly! Fly, you fools!"
Vaati and Maulgrim locked eyes for a moment before Vaati curtly nodded in abject respect. With that, Twilight, Vaati, and Luna began to weave their way through the surrounding battle, dodging Storm Grunts, monsters, and ponies as they went.
"Over here, y'all!" Applejack cried from where she and the rest of the Mane Six as well as Spike had gathered.
With the whole team together, they all made a break for it, rushing towards the entrance to the Crystal Mines as numerous Storm Grunts gave chase. They had just made it to a bridge over a huge waterfall when two armored Grunts blocked off their escape route.
Luna immediately shot a powerful beam of dark energy at the Grunts, but one raised its shield, and the beam reflected off its surface and rebounded on them, taking out the bridge beneath their feet.
Vaati, Luna, Spike, and the Mane Six all screamed as one as they all plunged hundreds of feet into the river below. They all coughed and gasped for breath as they surfaced, helpless against the strong current that carried them inexorably towards the edge.
All they could do was scream again as they plunged over the edge, disappearing into the waterfall as they fell thousands of feet.
Grubber, the diminutive grunt with the mike, looked over the edge alongside two Storm Grunts.
"Oh, this ain't good," he muttered worriedly. "Tempest isn't gonna like this...So, uh…which one of ya's going down there?"
The two Grunts growled in the negative.
"Okay, then one of ya's gonna hafta deliver the bad news," Grubber continued. "That's two Princesses that got away."
The Grunts narrowed their eyes and loomed threateningly over him. "Uh…g-guess it's gonna be me then."
