2
Bam! Bam! A loud knock came to her door, startling Twilight awake. With a gasp she snapped her eyes open, and groaned. With a stretch for each of her four legs, she walked down the stairs. Yawning,her horn glowed a light purple as did the doorknob, swiveling it open to reveal a damaged Princess Celestia, whom collapsed within her frame. Her eyes widened, nearly popping out from her sockets at the sight. She was in utter shock, unsure if to cry and rush her inside, or scream from panic. Her heart rate picked up, and adrenaline flooded her veins as millions of thoughts and questions began crashing down upon her.
"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight screamed up in the air so she would be sure it would awake then cyan pony. It worked, she could see two ears prick up from behind a cloud, and then stood a pony with a rainbow mane who looked down at her. It didn't take her long to see the Princess on the ground, being brought into Twilight's house by a levitation spell. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Spreading her wings, she gave them a hard flap to the right and dashed off towards the hospital. Pinkie Pie saw her friend in a rush and hopped after her. On her way she passed Fluttershy and Rarity, who looked at each other and followed the pink pony.
"Pinkie Pie, uhm.. What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
"Following Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie chirped, not stopping her hops while she did so.
"Where in Equestria would Rainbow Dash be going this early in the morning?" Rarity pondered out loud. It was certainly unusual for their athletic friend to be awake so soon.
"Dunno!" Pinkie sang, stopping and hopping in one spot as Rainbow was then seen racing back in the very direction she came, with a doctor following right behind her, along with many nurses carrying medical equipment. At the sight of it, the worry that flooded through all three of them made Pinkie Pie stand still, all of them looking at each other before chasing off after them.
They had lost the nurses and doctor, and panted as they looked around frantically near Twilight's treehouse. Pinkie Pie and Rarity started to try and piece together where they could have gone, but Fluttershy twitched her ear back as she heard the creaking of a door, and the clatter of ponies falling. Glancing back, it was Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Rainbow Dash in a bundle on her porch as the door was then slammed shut.
"Rainbow Dash! Twilight, Spike!" Fluttershy called in her yelling whisper. She went over to them, the other two's heads darting in that direction and then followed as Applejack came to join the party, seeing the commotion when she was delivering some apples to another pony.
"What's with the commotion everypony?" Applejack questioned in her hardy southern accent. Rarity helped Spike up, as Pinkie also assisted Twilight and hopped next to her Fluttershy nuzzling Rainbow Dash in concern.
"Yes, do tell. What is going on!?" Rarity asked. Twilight looked at them all. She had tears flowing down her cheeks, her fur already soaked from the salt water.
"It's Princess Celestia.. She came to my door and passed out. She is severely injured.."Twilight choked out another sob. Dash sat by her and rubbed her hoof on the purple Alicorn's back to comfort her. Twilight gave her a pathetic smile in return. She wiped her face with her hooves to dry her eyes. Fluttershy gasped a little bit in surprise, deep concern now flowing throughout the rest of them. "If it wasn't for Rainbow Dash I don't know what I would have done. I couldn't thank her enough for going and getting the doctor." She nuzzled her friend. Dash smiled and waved her hoof.
"Aw it was no big, there's nothing I wouldn't do for the Princess." Dash told them. "Buuutt, I would be lying if I said I wasn't pretty great." She chuckled and looked to the side in pride. Her attitude made a smile creep upon their faces, but not for long. Twilight then stood.
"Alright, this is no time to be down about this! This means that there is somepony strong enough to do that to Princess Celestia, but what we need to figure out is who, how, and why." Twilight began to pace in front of her friends, looking down in concentration.
"But aren't Princess Celestia and Princess Luna the strongest ponies in Equestria?" Spike asked in question.
"They are, Princesses share equal power, but that hasn't stopped others from trying."
"Like Nightmare Moon, who wanted to shroud Equestria in eternal night." Dash spoke up.
"Yes'm but even Nightmare Moon didn't harm Princess Celestia like this. Not to mention she is Princess Luna who has resolved the conflict with Princess Celestia." Twilight told them, canceling that possibility.
"Well it couldn't be Discord, he's changed..." Fluttershy said, looking at them.
"Discord only wanted to turn Equestria into a big joke, he never had any intention of harming Celestia." Twilight agreed with Fluttershy, it couldn't be him.
"Could it be that Chrysalis Queen?" Applejack mentioned, looking at them all. Rarity nodded, also wondering.
"Although she has done the most damage to her than any other enemy we have faced before, I don't think so. Queen chrysalis feeds off of the love of other ponies, and then takes control of them, Celestia doesn't seem to be possessed." Twilight shot that down.
"What about King Meanie?" Pinkie chirped, hopping up and down again. Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her in question.
"You mean King Sombra?" She received an eager nod in return. She shook her head. "No, although her has been the most dangerous and successful, he would still be going after the Crystal Empire." Twilight responded.
"You don't think it could be Sunset Shimmer do you?" Rarity brought up, looking at her friends.
"Impossible, the portal hasn't been opened since I last went in, and with the incident that happened back there, I'm positive she has changed for good." They all fell in a thoughtful silence.
"That's every enemy you all have faced, so if not them, then who?" Spike spoke aloud the question that was on all of their minds.
"A pony far more dangerous than all of those combined I'm afraid." A voice behind them spoke. Turning, it was Celestia who was standing in the doorway, bandages all around her waist, her legs and even on her cheek.
"Princess Celestia, please, you are in no condition to be standing, please come and Kay back down!" The doctor pleaded with her.
"Princess Celestia!" All seven of them exclaimed, joyed to see her conscious. Twilight hurriedly came over and gave her a soft nuzzle, a tear of excitement and relief going down her cheek. Princess Celestia smiled softly and gave her a soft rub in return, then her expression changed.
"I need to speak to all of you immediately inside." She said, then turning to the medical staff. "I and you for all that you have done, but I must ask you to leave at once." She said. They quickly nodded, gathered their things and ran out back to the hospital. She then headed back inside of Twilight's house. The friends all looked at one another and then followed her inside. Twilight closed the door behind them. "What I am about to tell you all is very important, you must not take it lightly. This enemy is so powerful that.. That.." Celestia closed her eyes, feeling a painful swelling in her throat as she was trying not to let tears spill. "That she has managed to kill Princess Luna." All of them gasped at that news. Rarity, Spike, Fluttershy and Pinkie's eyes swelled with tears, Applejack lowered her hat over her chest and looked down in sorrow, Rainbow Dash had her teeth clenched tightly, glaring down at the floor. Twiligt sat down in complete and utter shock.
"I thought Princesses were immortal though.." Twilight blabbered out finally, her voice cracking.
"We are, however that does not mean we cannot die, it simply means we do not die of old age. Even if we do die, within time we will be reborn." She turned to them. "However this is not what is significant at this time. I do mourn for my sister but if you do not act fast there will be many more casualties." She spoke sternly. Spike and the mares wiped their eyes, and looked up. Applejack placed her hat. Ack upon her head and listened, and Dash casted her glare over to Celestia to show she too was paying attention. "As I had mentioned just moments ago, this enemy is more powerful than anypony you have ever crossed before, even moreso than my sister and myself. She in a single night has wiped out Canterlot and one of Equestria's greatest protectors." She paced around as she lectured. "It was many centuries ago. A Princess was born within the Crystal Empire-"
"Princess Cadence, right?" Spike interrupted. Celestia looked down at him and then back up.
"No." She turned her back to the girls and looked out the window. "No pony has ever known this, not even Cadence, but she has an older sister. Her name, is Evaris."
"Evaris? I've heard that name before.. It was in the ancient archives.. It's in a dead language now, isn't it?" Twilight asked, thumping her head with her hoof.
"Yes, very good Twilight. Evaris was born only shortly after Luna was, and in that ancient language, her name means 'greed'. Even at a young age she showed great potential as a magic wielder, however as a leader, she lacked the skill. She terrorized her subjects, and destroyed anything she wanted to. Her parents couldn't handle her, so they sent her to me. I tried to teach her what it meant to be a Princess and how to rule a Kingdom properly, but she refused to listen. I had no choice but to banish her in a far off land. I feared the worst for Equestria if I hadn't, and I had every right to. Even her own Cutie Mark is the very ancient symbol of evil. Yet it seems that she had not taken this lightly. She must have been studying up on magic in her banishment and gaining more power than even I could ever imagine, more magic that I am worried even the Elements of Harmony won't be able to overcome it, but here I ask you.. No, I beg you all.." She turned to them. "You must stop her for the sake of Equestria." They were all silent. Dash then gave a quick flap of her wings and hovered high in the air.
"I'm in! I want to give this Evaris a good cold dish of payback for what she has done to our Princesses and Canterlot!" She yelled, punching the air with her hoof and flipping in the air with a kick of her hind leg, nearly knocking over the horse head statue Twilight head.
"Me too. No pony, no matter who they are, will harm Equestria, not as long as we're 'round!" Applejack stood up, joining in, her thick accent heavy with determination with as milk on her muzzle.
"Oh, oh! Me too me too! It wouldn't be fun if all the ponies were scared!" Pinkie included.
"This Evaris sounds just positively dreadful, destroying everything. We should show her how to be neat, tidy and clean." Rarity agreed.
"Same. She won't get away with this Princess Celestia, I promise!" Twilight stomped her hoof on the floor, a gleam of sincerity in her eye. Fluttershy whimpered her eyes wide, pupils small and ears laid back. She lowered herself down closer to the floor, hiding behind her hair. Dash landed next to her.
"I.. I can't.. She sounds.. Scary.." She whispered, closing her eyes tightly and whimpering some more.
"C'mon Fluttershy, I know you're scared, but we can't work the Elements without you!" Dash told her, trying to help. "And.. And if Evaris wins, what's going to happen to all the animals?! What about Philamena, She won't have Celestia as her owner is Evaris succeeds and Equestria will be in ruins. They won't survive!" She asked, flailing her hooves in the air above her head. Fluttershy opened her eyes and sprang up. She narrowed her eyes.
"I'm in!" She said. Twilight smiled, and turned back to Celestia.
"We will do whatever we can Princess, you can count on us! Just tell us all that we need to know." Twilight smiled at her.
"She came from the East, so I assume she is hiding within Foal Mountain, or Hollow Shades..."