"Onyx, do you realize what you just did? You made us one short"
"We shan't have…I can't have a traitor in our midst.
"I don't see how he was a traitor. He wasn't doing any harm!"
"Oh come on, Sapphire! You said yourself they couldn't be trusted!"
"Yeah, but he didn't do anything wrong!" I moved closer to Sapphire's face, practically nose-to-nose.
"They are expendable" I turned to the ex-prisoners and the other Children "This place is your new home, get comfortable. When Celestia comes looking for us, we need to be ready. Everypony rest for now; soon we will fight for our new homeland and our mutual mother."
Hours pass, even days, but nothing happens. A week goes by and we have no word of Celestia coming after us.
"I think it's time to go after her" I proposed.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rayne responded.
"I like his idea" an ex-prisoner said.
"Then let it be so. We will assemble outside of Celestia's Castle. Gather everything you can use. This is her last stand before the rise of the great Nightmare Moon!"
"Yeah!" the crowd yelled in unison.
"Rayne! I want your group to be on the front lines against Celestia's Army. You!" I pointed to a prisoner, "What's your name?"
"Orion" the ex-prisoner answered.
"Orion, I want you to lead your group into the prison cells and release all of the prisoners. You and your 'army' will be distracting Celestia's Royal Guard so Sapphire and I can slip in and eliminate her. Sound like a good plan?"
"As long as you can remove of Celestia, we're in!" Rayne responded.
"Good to hear. Now go! Gather your things if you have any!"
"Uhh, sir?" one ex-prisoner responded "We don't have any weapons." Sapphire stepped up.
"I can help!" Sapphire reared up and slammed her hooves into the ground, raising a platform with crystallized swords, breastplates and helmets.
"This is perfect" I whispered to myself. The individuals armed and readied themselves. The Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies mixed together in a midnight blue crystal moshpit. I trotted over to a set of large crates and jumped up onto them. Overlooking my small army, I smirked.
"Today" I gathered their attention "Today we fight back, today we usurp the throne, today our mother comes home!" The group stomped their hooves and screamed in agreement.
"Tonight we make history! Stand still!"
During the few days leading up to tonight, I read my books to learn new spells. Now was my chance to fully put them to the test. I willed my horn to glow its neon color and engulfed the group, including Sapphire and myself, in the aura. With a flash of dim light, we appeared in front of the large castle doors.
"This is the time for reckoning, remember your roles and let's do this! For us, for Equestria, for mother!" We all split up in a blitz attack. Half stayed outside to draw the inner guards away; the others went to fight inside to distract Celestia's personal guard.
"Sapphire, with me" I advised her. She followed along to the top of the castle, sneaking by the guards who rushed by us to put down the uprising. We soon stood in front of the doors to Celestia's bedroom. Something felt off; the door was cracked open. I opened the door the rest of the way and walked in with Sapphire behind me. There was a tall mare standing on the balcony looking onward to the battlefield below.
"I've been waiting" Celestia started off "since the night I locked Luna away." I tightened my face in anger. "She tried to take Equestria for her own. It was not hers to take." I waited patiently for her to finish. "She expected everypony to follow her and support her; she was wrong. Yes, there were a few that wanted her to rule, but the majority disagreed with what she proposed."
"What did she want to do?" Sapphire asked.
"She wanted everypony to live in darkness, in fear, in ignorance."
"Lies!" I yelled and slammed my hoof down.
"I wish they were" Celestia responded in grief. You could nearly see the glimmer of a tear in her eye.
"I know what you're after. You can't defeat me. Not here, not now, not ever."
"LIES!" I yelled at her and ran at her with anger and adrenaline fueling me. As I dashed forward I knew I changed again. My teeth and eyes; I saw red, literally. Celestia turned to face me and I jumped and lunged at her. She quickly rose in the air to dodge me. I threw myself off of the balcony.
"Onyx!" Sapphire shouted "No!"
I noticed I was falling through the air and quickly opened my wings to fly back up. I rushed through the air as I heard the two talking.
"Oh Sapphire, why do you let him do these things? Leave him, join us. I will give you a home and welcome you as my apprentice."
"No! You're evil!"
"Not so, everypony loves me"
"You brainwashed them!"
"Where did you get that idea? Did Onyx tell you that?"
"No, I saw it firsthand."
I then flew up and landed on the balcony. I charged my horn and blasted a magic bolt at Celestia. Before the bolt struck, it stopped and was balled up and shot back at me. I evaded it and tried again. She did the same as last time and continued to do so as she walked closer to Sapphire, not turning around. I knew something was different about her; she had a golden chain around her neck with a pendant that held six different colored gems.
"Sapphire" I said "Time to go!" Sapphire then rushed past Celestia and stood at my side. I quickly blinked our way back home. There we stood in our castle. It seemed safe enough.
"What was that?"
"The amulet she was wearing…it was weird. Every time I shot a spell at her, it lit up and then the bolt was reflected back at me."
"That's weird alright, but what about Orion, Rayne, and the others?"
"We have to let them keep fighting; I have a bad feeling that we were followed…" I turned to the door. In the creases between the doors, a white light flashed behind them. "She's here" I whispered to Sapphire. The doors opened swiftly, crashing into the walls they were hinged to.
"You cannot escape your fate, Onyx. Everywhere the light touches, I can see." Celestia entered.
"I know" I shot a blast of dark magic at her when she reflected it back at me. The ball of purple barreled towards me and Sapphire. "Nonono! Sapphire, run!" I shouted and ran from the ball. Sapphire quickly followed. Sapphire and I were backed up to the wall and had nowhere to go. "In a thousand years Celestia! In a thousand years you will fear our return!"
The dark magic hit me and Sapphire and rapidly encased us in stone. Sapphire extended her neck upwards and said one thing before being fully consumed by the magic.
"I'll always be by your side" With those words I shed one tear which was sealed in stone with me.