Walking through the forest Daring felt uneasy without her dagger. Almost every little sound made her more and more uneasy and paranoid.
"Fluttershy...Do you..think we'll be...Attacked...?" Daring asked shaking a bit.
"No...We both know hoof to hoof combat so we'll be fine." Fluttershy reassured her friend. As they reached the forest exit they noticed that the land... It was completely dead the land covered in infertile and a desert wasteland. The cross from fertile and infertile was like a border. It was amazing how neat the cut was. As they came to the border they looked forward. The desert appearing endless.
"Shall we?" Fluttershy asked as she crossed the border.
"I...Wait up!" Daring ran after her walking next to her.
Location Canterlot, Date 4/30/1560, Time 1:36 PM
Celestia laid in her chambers alone. Luna at a meeting not do to return for another hour. Celestia laid in her bed thinking of what could possibly coming. Was it some demon? No, highly unlikely. Discord? In stone. Nightmare Moon? Dead. Chrysalis. Possible she was still alive. a well but still unlikely.
"Guh! What could it be!?" A knock is heard at the door.
"Princess are you alright I-"
That was a royal guard at the door of course, more then likely to check on her do to the yelling he heard. But why did he stop talking mid sentence. Celestia sat up.
"Guard...Are you ok?" Celestia walked towards the door. "Guard?" Celestia stood in front of the door in dead silence. What was he sleeping on the job...Her ear twitched.
"Thats...-" Celestia was cut off from her thought as a explosion goes off blowing her back smashing into her bed destroying the frame. That was no explosion though, looking at her body scorch marks on her stomach and her sides. That was a fireball. Celestia sits up slowly shaking and with only one eye open. She watched the door as somepony she never thought she would see again. Nightmare Moon. She walked forward into celestia's room two shadow guards to her sides.
"My what a nice room you have here sister."
"We're...Not sisters."
"No. Not since I got my own body, but in a way we still are."
"Wha...What do you want...Nightmare?" Celestia managed to get to her hooves, her body screaming out to her in pain.
"I want nothing more than to take you out.''
"To Dinner?"
"Yes...No!"
"Sure you don't want to..."
"No I want to kill you."
A fight, lovely. Just what she needed.
"Very well."
Nightmare smiled. Celestia just now noticing the royal guard on the ground bleeding from his chest. Nightmares horn glew along with the horn on both the shadow guards all taking in deep breaths.
"Fire style!" all three yelled.
Celestia's eyes widened. Fire magic nature!
"Fireball!" All three breath out a fireball at Celestia.
Her option were limited as all three converged on her combining into one big fireball. Incinerating the roof and floor as it grew closer and closer. Celestia had no time for a basic teleportation spell it would take too much time to use. So she decided to use a different type of teleportation spell. She disappeared in a small flash of yellow light. The fireball comes out of the wall flying into the sky away from the castle.
"We got her!" Yelled one of the shadow guards in victory.
"Fool she just teleported."
"Oh..."
Location Throne Room, Time 1:40 PM
Celestia flew back landing on her hooves, some of the fireball scorching her face.
"That was close" Celestia stood up and headed for her throne. She had no time to waste, Nightmare would sense her magic and realize she's not dead and return to finish the job. Reaching her throne she pushed the button under the armrest which nopony knew about it but her and Luna. A hidden door slides open from the ground in front of the throne and out of the door slides up a case housing a gold shoulder armor piece and a sword inside a gold sheath. One of Celestia's many weapons. As princess she has to be versatile in all forms of combat. She opened the case levitating the armor piece onto her shoulder. Her sword. Its name was solar eclipse. She put it on her back as the case slide back down and the door closed. Celestia hit her shoulder hitting the button, gold armor constructing around her body. Her helmet being the last thing to form. She was waiting for her opponent appear. Seconds later Nightmare and her two guards appeared.
"Ahh found you." Nightmare said.
"I wasn't trying to hide." Celestia stated in a metallic voice because of the helmet.
"Of course not because if you were you would have masked your magic level. And Oh? You're all dressed up, thats cute." Nightmare laughed evilly.
"Tell me Nightmare, why do you insist on coming back again and again only to get your flanke kicked each time?"
"This time will be different."
"Why's that?"
"Because this time around I'm fighting for somepony."
"Who?"
"The dark one."
"I have no idea who you're talking about."
"You know exactly who I mean."
"No...I don't."
"Right. He must have wiped everypony's memory memory of jos existence. But enough small talk."
"I agree." Celestia draws her sword in her mouth. Nightmare responds making a demon like sytch appear in front of her as the shadow guards step back Seems it was going to be a one on one fight. Just the way Celestia liked it. Nightmare takes the scythe into her mouth and charges Celestia. Celestia does the same meeting her half way their blades colliding. Both pushing against each one another. Both jump back from each other. Nightmare and Celestia levitate their weapons over them. Charging each other again. They slash at each other at blinding speeds, only being able to see slashes and the clang of metal against metal. Some of the slashes cut Nightmare leaving small cuts and Nightmares scythe cutting some of Celestias armor. That sytch was dangerous. Both jump back from each other.
"You've gotten more powerful since last time."
"Haha I'm not even trying." Nightmare chuckled making Celestia growl. She wasn't trying just yet either. Celestia got into her fighting stance again.
"Fool. Watch your sides."
"Huh?"
Both Shadow guards come out of the ground from both her sides chains coming up out of the ground as well wrapping around her holding her up by her hind hooves and restraining her front hooves to her side, keeping her from moving. The chain was reinforced with Blitz fibers. She could never break free by magic or strength. Celestia lost her focus on her magic and the magical field around her sword dissipated as it clanged to the floor. The shadow guards pulled on the chains keeping Celestia restrained. Her armor being the only thing keeping her ribs and lungs from being crushed. Celestia growled.
"Haha. So focused on me you forgot about them."
"Grrr this won't hold me for long."
Nightmares horn glew.
"It doesn't have to. Wind style!" Celestia's eyes widened as Nightmare took in a deep breath.
"Wind blast devastation!" Nightmare breathed out a huge ball of compressed magic air.
Celestia struggled trying to get free the wind blast getting closer. She kept struggling till the blast hit her. The blast ripping apart the chain making a huge cloud of smoke and dust on impact. Disappearing slowly revealing a hole in the wall but no Celestia just pieces of her armor.
"Ha...Hahahahahahaha!" Nightmare laughed evilly. "I killed her! I finally killed her!" Nightmare yelled in victory. Both guards examined the area where Celestia used to be.
"Her armor is here mistress."
"Good."
"But."
"But?"
"Her sword is gone."
"What?!"
Celestia was on the ceiling holding her sword stuck to her hoof. Her helmet was blown off her face along with over Ninety percent of her armor. Only her hind hoof guards, shoulder, and thigh armor remained. Over Nightmare she winced. She was bleeding profusely from her head, flank, and sides. She was so woze from blood loss and she more than likely had a concussion, but she had to stop Nightmare before she could do anything else. She positioned her blade letting the magic go making her fall from the ceiling dropping at Nightmare with the sword facing down to stab into her. Just as she was about to stab Nightmare she spun around scythe in hoof the blade stabbing into Celestia's chest making her hit the ground as the scythe went all the way through embedding the ground through Celestia making her cough up blood.
"Guh!"
Nightmare laughed as blood seeped out through Celestia's wound.
"So how does it feel?" Nightmare gets closer to Celestia getting in her face.
"How does it feel to be bested by me. Nightmare Moon!?"
Celestia attempts to speak but she only blood comes out.
"Hahaha! Don't worry we won't let you die. We have plans for you."
Celestia's eyes grew heavy trying to fight death but soon she lost her battle closing her eyes. Her last though being. The last thing I see before I die is Nightmares ugly face? Buck me.
Location Desert, Date 5/1/1560, Time 1:40 PM
Daring and Fluttershy were 50 miles into the desert and without a sign of life or a town. Daring fell to the ground.
"Daring!" Fluttershy turned and galloped to her side.
"Go...on without me...so...thirsty..."
"Come on we can fly the rest of the way."
Daring just groaned. Fluttershy put her on her back and flew into the air flying forward as fast as she can. After 10 minutes of flying forward the heat got to her as well. About to pass out she sees a small town. Small yes but still a town. Fluttershy landed in the town...Deserted. No pony was there at all. Doors swung open shut by the wind. Buildings showing visible signs of father times handy work.
"So...Empty..." Fluttershy walked forward. This was such a old town. How did she know where to look for water. She looked around as she walked. This was a small town, One street small. So she could just check all the buildings to see if they had running water. Continuing forward thinking what building to go in first. Daring mumbling in her sleep. Something about a crystal skull. But other than her, it was quiet...so peaceful...so... Her ear twitched as she hears the low squeal of a Filly. Fluttershy rushed to the building she heard it from keeping Daring on her back. Running in she saw a Light purple pony keeping what looked like a zombie pony from attacking a filly. Using a blue rod to keep it from hurting her. But that pony. Her aura though. No mistaking it she was a wielder. The pony looked at Fluttershy the zombie growling. The pony smiled.
"Mind lending me a hoof?"