Chapter 26:

This Has To Stop!

Stone Heart cackled evilly as he turned to see Twilight getting overpowered and piled up by the Outsiders, the Alicorn Queen whinnied in pain and anger as the Outsiders began to overpower her.

"Twilight Sparkle. You're mine," Stone Heart snarled wickedly as he and two of his followers jumped off their post and approached Twilight ready for the kill. Stone Heart was determined to see Twilight dead, and he wanted to be the one to do it. Twilight had taken everything from him, so he felt he should be the one to end her.

As the Outsiders keep attacking her, Twilight managed to knock them back off of her and attacked them with her magic. But while she was busy fighting, Stone Heart approached her as the other Outsiders moved out of the way wisely, they know this was their leader's wish. And just when Twilight was about to attack him, Stone Heart struck first quickly and knocked her back to the ground with his magic, knocking off her helmet.

The Outsiders and Equestrians stopped fighting each other and turned to see the final battle between their leaders. Twilight recovered and got back up as she glared at Stone Heart ferociously for hitting her, now he has definitely crossed the line. Twilight's closest friends and family were most worried. They didn't want to lose Twilight, but they didn't want to see her become a killer. What happened to Chrysalis was her own fault, but this time it looked like Twilight was going to cross the uncrossable line.

Stone Heart began to circle around Twilight, looking at her with a vicious look and snarling with hate. Twilight watched him circle around her, not letting her guard down and watching his every move like a hawk. Soon the two Alicorns began circling each other as their followers watch the final battle about to be unfolded.

Stone Heart and Twilight rose up on their hind legs and their horns begin glowing intensely, preparing to end the fight between Equestrians and Outsiders. But just when they were about to charge to attack each other…

Lightning flashed again, and suddenly, Dusk and Ocellus jumped out of nowhere whinnying and landing in the center of the circle, staring at their respected parents with angry glares.

"Dusk?" Twilight asked, her tone was confused, seeing Dusk getting in her way and not moving as the Prince gave her a stern look.

"Ocellus! Move," Stone Heart ordered in anger, but Ocellus didn't do what her father say and just glared at him.

"Stand aside…" Twilight demanded, her tone now getting annoyed with her son's interference.

"Mother This Has To Stop Now!" Dusk replied to his mother, standing his ground and not moving.

Twilight was surprised to hear her son say that, let alone stand up to her and tell her what needs to be stopped.

"You're even weaker than I thought, Ocellus. Get out of the way!" Stone Heart snarled with his voice filled with anger and hatred at Ocellus.

"You will never hurt Dusk or Twilight Sparkle. Not when I am here…" Ocellus replied, standing her ground and refusing to let her father hurt the pony she love and the pony who started to trust her. She was prepared to fight her father and anypony else who threatened them.

Stone Heart snarled with shock, seeing his own daughter siding with their enemies and leaving behind her destiny.

"Stay out of this, Dusk," Twilight ordered her son, wanting to finish this war once and for all.

"A wise queen, that I call my 'mother', once taught me 'We Are One'. I didn't understand her that day when I was a colt. But now I do," Dusk said in a soft tone, reminding his mother of what she taught him all those years ago.

"But…They…," Twilight tried to say, trying to explain to her son what the Outsiders had done.

"Them? Us? Look at them, mother. They are us. What differences do you see?" Dusk said as he looked at the two bands and the Equestrians and the Outsiders looked at him in surprise, starting to see the wisdom in his words.

Twilight followed her son's example and looked at both the Equestrians and the Outsiders. The rain has washed off the mud off of the Outsiders and now they looked normal again. Twilight realized they looked just like the Equestrians. They weren't any different, they were Alicorns just trying to survive and come back from a mistake that they had made so long ago. They were wanted and begging to be forgiven, despite everything that had just happened.

Pharynx and the other Outsiders saw it too as well and were beginning to think that Dusk is right all along.

That's when Twilight knew that it was her own fault. She had spurred on the fighting and let her paranoia get the better of her, just like Flash and Cadance warned her about. And now this is what it led to. No blood had been shed yet, but they had come close.

Twilight looked at her son as Dusk looked at her with a soft smile on his face and the rain had stopped coming down. Sunlight began to break through the clouds and Twilight looked up at the sky before turning back to her son with a soft smile too.

"Dusk, you have truly become the King I raised you to be," Twilight said motherly as she came forward and hugged her son, feeling proud of Dusk.