Luna raised her head, the first blast of power swept over Darkside and threw him back. The monster groaned, his shadow reaching up to block the lightning bolt that followed. Twilight wanted to watch, to see this monster get what he deserved but she was needed elsewhere.
"Come on Pinkie." Twilight urged helping her pink friend to her hooves and supporting her as they stumbled back to Fluttershy and the others. Pinkie was still alive and still conscious but wasn't able to walk well, and defiantly not on her own. Each step seemed to be turning her legs into jelly, shaking at each pained step.
Twilight reached Fluttershy but the Pegasus didn't even seem to notice her until she spoke. "Fluttershy, how is . . . how are . . . they?" She didn't know what to ask or even how to ask it.
The butter Pegasus looked up and wiped her eyes on her bandaged hooves. The poor mare was beside herself and tried to talk, her words more jumbled and hushed than normal. "A-applejack's leg is . . . b-b-broken." She said petting her orange friend's head. "Rarity's hurt real bad, W-whatever L-l-l . . . he did, it didn't help enough. She needs help. Here, lay down Pinkie." The yellow mare helped ease their pink friend down next to the line of injured and sleeping friends.
Twilight saw Rarity on her side, bandages wrapped around her side their color gradually darkening to red as she watched. Applejack was unconscious but her face winced in pain every few seconds. Her hind leg was twisted like a corkscrew, the bone tearing the flesh. Fluttershy had apparently not tried to tend to it in fear of making it worse. Her eyes finally fell to the blue Pegasus. "What about Rainbow Dash?"
Fluttershy jumped as if startled and walked over to her blue friend combing the wild rainbow mane. "She needs help. She finally passed out b-b-but I-I can't . . .can't stop the b-b-b-bleeding." Twilight looked to the ripped stretch on the Pegasus's back. The flesh and bone was gone only a jagged hole in her skin flowing blood through the layers of gauze that already covered it. "She needs help." Fluttershy cried weeping over her friend. Rainbow shook in her unstable slumber, trembling in what must have been pain, but she was at least unconscious so the worst of the pain she couldn't feel. Twilight was happy for that one saving grace.
"It's going to be ok Fluttershy. Luna's here, we'll get her some help soon." Twilight said placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. The mare didn't respond to the touch but instead was bent over Rainbow Dash whispering something to the unconscious Pegasus. Twilight looked away, it felt like she was intruding. She looked up to where Lloyd was lying, his body still limp his eyes still closed. When she couldn't bear the sight anymore she looked back to Princess Luna. We just have to trust her.
. . .
Another bolt struck the shadows and this time they quivered from the impact. Damn she's strong! Darkside cursed as he dashed aside evading another crescent shaped blast from the alicorn's horn. I don't have the power to kill her. Not straight up.
His shadows parted giving him a direct view of the princess. She stood strong and regal, no signs of fatigue showing on her blue face. Darkside however was huffing, blood still dripping off his body from dozens of wounds, cuts, scarps, and his deformed wings he had earned in his battle.
Luna knew she would win, he was weak, she was strong, and he barely seemed able to block her attacks let alone fight back. His shadows were fading, each blast seemed to chip them away a little more, their once solid impenetrable form was wavering like smoke.
She was going to destroy him.
Then he started laughing.
Luna stepped back, the maniacal laughter taking her by surprise as the monster let his shadows fade from around him leaving his body exposed.
"You are . . . one tough bitch." He chuckled before laughing madly again.
Luna readied another bolt but didn't fire. Something about how he was acting, it was off, it felt like a trap. She watched the monster carefully as he stood back to his fully height.
"You are indeed a really strong one. You might even be stronger than the other one, your sister I mean." He said as he stretched his bloody and broken body. "It's a shame really, to see such power wasted."
Luna stood never letting her spell waver but something in his eyes drew the words from her mouth. "What do you mean?"
Darkside only smiled again. "I see you, a princess of so much power she can even rival me! And what has become of you?" He chanced a single step closer and Luna didn't attack so he tried another. "The princess of the night, so much power yet no one appreciates it. You live your life in your sisters shadow. Never will anyone think of you as her equal, you will always be the second sister. "
Luna stepped back as the monster neared her. He was scaring her somehow, not that she was afraid of him harming her, but it was. . . something else. At the same time what he said was true, she had felt like that before, that feeling of being the second to Celestia.
"You know I'm right, that's what you want right? You just want other ponies to understand you, to worship and respect you as they do your sister. I mean, they should. Your stronger, you're better, you bring the night, a glorious night. Why shouldn't you be the one in charge?" Darkside said, his voice reclaiming its lost suave edge as he stepped ever closer to Luna. They were only a few feet apart now, but Luna still held her magic to her horn.
"The great princess Luna, ruler of Equestria. I can see it dear, it's what you want, it's what you deserve." He whispered to her as the last few feet dwindled to inches.
Twilight had watched, for so long she watched and only now did she see it happening. His power! "Princess, don't listen to him! He's just trying to trick you!" Twilight screamed jumping towards the princess.
Darkside gave a single hiss and his shadow reared to life, spreading over him and Luna like a veil blocking out the loud unicorn. "That's better. Did you hear that? Another neigh sayer, she thinks you don't deserve the same respect as Celestia, but you do." Darkside resumed his smooth whisper now only an inch away from the princess. "You deserve it all Luna, and you should take it." The last two words he whispered delicately and quietly into her ear making her whole body shake from his warm breath.
He was right! She had done so much, more than any pony would ever know. She had suffered through so much and done all of this work. Her night was beautiful and divine and so many ponies simply ignored it. Did she not deserve the same respect as her sister? Did she not deserve to be royalty, to be divinity as her sister was? They held the same power, Celestia was not superior to her, if anything she was superior one! The stronger one, the one who brought the night! Night shall fill the world and then all ponies will know of my beauty, my power! It will be-
Eternal night.
She had done it before, she had brought everlasting night once before, but not her. Nightmare Moon. It had been in that form she had done this, she had done horrible things, the pain of the other ponies, their sadness, all the pain she had caused. She had done it all before and then she was saved from it, brought back to herself. She had realized her mistake before.
Nightmare moon.
Luna's eyes shot open and only then did she realize the truth, how close the stallion had come to her, that they were shrouded in his shadows and that he was smiling to her warming and affectingly. It made her sick. Her horn glowed as her eyes narrowed in fury at the monster who dared touch her. As her eyes narrowed his widened.
"Uh oh." His only words before the blast from Luna's horn struck him flinging him back through the air. The blast was more than simply from her horn, The blast came from her very core. The blue explosion erupted out throwing him around till the demon rolled over the ground.
Twilight stared in awe as the blue light faded reviling Luna, in all her glory, power shining from somewhere deeper than simply her horn.
"Silence!" She boomed. "You dare tempt me? I have committed my crimes and I have paid for them. I am not the jealous foal I was before. I have seen my evil and Nightmare moon rules me no more!" She declared stomping the ground as she spoke.
Darkside stumbled to his feet and looked at the proud alicorn. "Damn," he cursed. "Another one like Lloyd." He spat a glob of blood and stood to his full height again. "Ya know what? Fine. You wanna do this the hard way, we do this the hard way!"
Darkside roared and rose to his feet. The shadow leapt ahead sweeping over the ground at Luna's legs. Luna stomped one hoof and shadows shattered under a wave of blue that overwhelmed them. Darkside didn't relent and rushed the princess with his head bowed low. Luna's horn glowed like a lone star in the night, its radiant blue light erupted like a bomb streaking at the stallion. Darkside didn't relent, even as the bolt struck his shoulder, the smell of burning flesh in the air.
Luna furrowed her brow and her horn glowed bright as light enveloped Darkside himself lifting the stallion off the ground. The black monster growled and thrashed in the air before Luna hurled him aside slamming him into a wall. The wood shattered under his weight sending him into the home. Luna stood back taking another regal stance as she waited for her enemy.
"You are seriously pissing me off." The demon's dark voice hissed from the dark hole. Slowly, his hoof stepped from the broken home and stood in the square. He slowly twisted his neck as a sick crack like bones grating on each other came before he righted his mangled neck. "I swear when this is over, if I don't kill you by accident, I'm gonna make you watch me rip that sister of yours in half." He grinned his teeth smeared in blood. "Maybe have some fun with both of you before it's over."
"Enough!" She declared. "You have no power here monster!"
"indeed." He said shaking his head. "I'm exhausted, my magic burned, my power weak, even my body is damaged."
"So you yield?" Luna said though she was doubtful.
"Oh please." Darkside chuckled. "Ya know you all are a lot like humans. I myself hate humans, but there is one trait, one thing I have in common with them that is their most admirable trait." Darkside stood to his full height. "Tenacity. Humans will fight to bitter end and no matter how badly you beat them they won't stop. They will try any tactic, any trick to survive and to win." He placed a hoof to his chest. "I admire that and fully agree."
"So you intend to fight to the end?"
"I intend to show you how even though I'm weaker now, I'll still win. Everyone has a weakness, yours happens to be easy to see." Luna lowered her head but didn't make any other comment. What he was saying, it was unnerving her. "Did you really think that shadow you destroyed earlier was all I had?" His hoof rose to the air. "Let me show you your weak point."
Luna watched for some sign of an attack but it never came. The scream did.
"Ahhh!" All eyes but the gleeful red ones were drawn to the sound of a high pitched scream. From the dark ground sprang two black monsters. To glance they may have been shadow colts but these had longer limbs each ending in hooked talons. Their wings seemed limp and useless but sharper, and their once chilling grins were replaced with venomous snarls. Fluttershy screamed as they pounced over her before she could do any more than scream. The first one was on her, landing on her back and pinning her to the ground making the butter colored mare scream more as it ravaged her frail wings with its talons tearing blood and feathers into the air.
"Fluttershy!" Twilight yelled turning her glowing horn on the monster she tried to pull the monster off but it's talons dug deep to the bone electing more tortured screams from her friend. She couldn't pull it free as it continued to maul her friend's back and a second later she had to stop. The second monster leapt over its partner and barreled at Twilight making the unicorn scream herself, a panicked lightning bolt shooting out and striking the monster's face but the black demon simply collapsed around the bolt vanishing before reforming like smoke while the rest of it continued its mad dash seemingly unaffected.
Luna stared at the smaller mares being attacked and turned to help them only to realize her mistake. "There it is!" The demon's voice cackled from her side. Luna spun just in time to erupt a blast of power from her horn and strike the black stallion's chest sending him careening back. Luna spun back and held back her own scream.
Twilight screamed plenty for everyone as the black twisted shadow colt tackled her full speed and the two rolled over the ground, each tumble making its claws rake her flesh tearing fresh blood. Twilight screamed as the demon pinned her to the ground its claws digging deep into her shoulders. She tried to focus on her horn to push it away, to try anything but no sooner did her eyes close in focus than did she clench them in pain. The shadow had clamped its teeth tightly around neck. She could feel its teeth, unnaturally long and sharp piercing her neck. She gave one choked gasp as she felt the sharp bones graze her windpipe.
"Hang on Twilight!" Luna called. Her horn glowed in one mighty flash so bright it rivaled the sun. The shadows both paused trying to shield themselves from the blinding light but their momentary blindness gave Luna her chance. With a swell of power she gave one tug, tearing the colts away from the battered girls and lifting them in the air. She gave a vicious growl, lifting them high before slamming the two together so hard their forms blended together. Another orb of blue light consumed the pair of black colts. The orb erupted in a show of light like a massive firework and as the dust settled no trace of either shadow was left.
Luna looked down and trotted towards Twilight. "Twilight, are you alright?" She called. She could see the purple mare was hurt, blood leaking from several deep slashes over her shoulders and stomach and even the large open tear in her neck, but she was moving, rolling on her belly with a wince of pain to look back at her. But as Twilight opened her eyes they shot wide.
"Princess look out!" She screamed.
Luna stopped, only then becoming aware that there was something else near her. She turned her head, looking to her right before the visage of a grinning Darkside filled her vision. "Boo." He hissed and before she could even curse a strong hoof struck down across her face.
Luna twisted with the blow and tried to step back but Darkside was already on her again ramming his head forward to knock her back and before her head had stopped reeling from the blow the monster lunged up and clamped his teeth around her large neck, throwing the alicorn to the ground beneath him.
Twilight screamed but the pain in her whole body made her stop. Everything hurt, not even the least of which was her bleeding neck. Blood. Blood everywhere. She could fell the warm fluid wetting her coat, matting her mane. It was everywhere. That was bad. Ponies couldn't lose this much blood, could they? Hadn't she read how much blood was in a pony? It was . . . her mind raced, shot and failed.
Stop Twilight! Some voice in her mind yelled. Fluttershy! Help Fluttershy, then worry about what you can't remember.
The purple unicorn obliged her mind and clenched her muscles to force herself to her feet. Her legs hurt too, both from being beaten and from the lack of blood in her body to sustain the act of walking. Twilight stumbled the distance between her and her friends and quickly fell next to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy," She said touching the mare gently.
The yellow Pegasus pulled tight to herself and Twilight couldn't help but cry. Her wings were ripped and torn, the muscle torn like bloody party streamers, her wings almost all gone and laying around her in a mess like someone had torn a Fluttershy colored pillow open. The Pegasus herself was curled tightly trying to hide the blood and cuts on her face. "It's ok Fluttershy." Twilight said trying to calm her friend rubbing her back but being careful of the damaged wings. "Just stay here. We'll get you some help." She slowly coaxed the mare to scoot closer to her other friends and laid her down.
Blood feathers pain death. She felt her chest tighten again, the breathing getting quick and short again. The world was swimming in red, her stomach turning with the ground.
NO! Not now! Your friends need you!
The voice, whatever it was brought her back. Not now, not like this. She shook her head, the red dripping away and the swirling world coming back into focus. When she saw the world again she realized she could hear it too, and the sound brought her mind back to what was going on behind her. "Luna!" She screamed turning around.
The princess of the night rolled over the ground as Darkside hurled her. He charged roaring and raising his hoofs to stomp her but Luna flashed her horn throwing him back. Darkside hit the ground and looked up as the blue alicorn stood to her full height if a bit unsteadily, but Darkside was up before she could get her breath, his whole body leaping up as she spread her wings trying to take flight.
Darkside fell on her, dragging her down and slamming them both into the ground. His hoof flew up smashing across her muzzle knocking her to the ground under him. The larger alicorn wrestled the princess to the ground and shoved one hind leg into her back while his forelegs quickly found their goal. Luna panicked and thrashed but as she tried to kick away, his hooves jerked sharply and her majestic wing snapped with a shattering of bone and a tortured scream.
"No more wings for you bitch!" He growled shoving her to the ground grabbing her head and slamming it back into the ground. Again he snapped down clamping her in his jaws and lifted her whole tiny body before slamming her into the dirt. Luna screamed again as he beat her into the earth. He released her, blood dripping from his teeth and gave her a final good kick to her side striking her wing in the process making the princess scream again.
"You may be stronger with that magic while I'm in this state, but I'm still physically superior to you." He leaned over and shoved her, rolling the princes on her back. Two tendrils snaked out and grabbed her legs holding them to the ground. "Remember though, I'm not gonna kill you yet. You can watch me take them all apart, right after I take the other wing." He cackled, blood and spit dripping from his teeth over Luna's crying face. "What? The princess gonna cry like her bitch sister?!"
Luna glared up looking deep in the stallions own venomous eyes before grunting and thrashing once. Her head shot up, her horn not glowing but striking straight up. Twilight watched in shocked disgust and Luna felt the touch with bile in her stomach as her horn drove deep into Darkside's right eye.
"Ahhhhhhh!" He screamed leaping back from Luna and thrashing on the ground. "Ahhh! You bitch! You fucking bitch! My mother fucking eye! I'll kill you worthless whore! I'll fucking tear out your heart!" Darkside squealed and screamed while he thrashed wildly on the ground both hooves clasped over his wounded eye. Even his black shadow flailed around him like a mad octopus. "All of you, I'll kill all of you! I'll fucking kill all of you worthless fucking whores!"
"Princess." Twilight said urgently from her side. Luna rolled weakly to Twilight and allowed the unicorn to carry her in with her magic and using her back to support the larger alicorn. Twilight ignored the raging demon and slowly carried Luna over to her friends. The moon princess couldn't even move her legs. Her broken wing hung limply over her side, deep bloody bites dripping some sick pus dot her neck and each of her legs were covered in blood clearly her own. Luna collapsed when Twilight could no longer carry her, Luna's flowing mane not as vibrant or majestic, its light fading with Luna's eyes. "I've got you princess, you're safe." Twilight said rubbing the injured neck.
"Safe?!" Twilight turned to see the black stallion back on his hoofs one fore hoof still covering his wounded eye. She watched in fear as he lowered the hoof but never saw his eye as the shadows seemed to cover it quickly in a series of quick strands of black. The shadow bandages wrapped over his eye leaving only one glowing orb to pierce her soul. "No one's safe, no one's going to live. You've pisssed me off! Now I'm just gonna kill all of you, and anyone you know!" He started cackling like it was a joke. In mid laugh he ran forward charging Twilight and the princess.
Twilight spun quickly, the world still turning as she tried to steady herself. Darkside leaped in the air strands of sharp shadow trailing behind him while he cackled like mad. The purple unicorn clenched her eyes tight, her horn glowing brightly as a light violet shield appeared around her. Darkside struck the glass like surface, the shield bending before bouncing back and throwing him away. Twilight quickly took several strained breaths before her horn glowed again and her shroud grew to cover not only her but all of her friends and Luna under a veil of purple light.
The black stallion was on his feet charging again and collided with the shield again, this time holding his head against the barrier. Twilight winced as the demon pressed against her shield but stood her ground. Her lips curled back in a growl as she pressed more power to the shield holding back the oppressive stallion glaring at her through the veil.
"Why are you even bothering?" He snapped as his shadow lashed out, black tendrils stabbing the shield around him. "Honestly, how long can you even keep this up?"
"Shut up!" She yelled. "I'm going to protect my friends!" Twilight closed her eyes ignoring the streams of sweat dripping off her brow.
"Protect? Protect what? Are you protecting the farmer who'll never walk again? Maybe the one winged bitch who can't fly? Maybe that dumb white whore, or that little pink freak? Or is it the yellow one my shadow's molested?" He chucked as he spoke. "Honestly, if you had any brains you would run now, save yourself, you can at least do that." The shadows stabbed the shield all over while Darkside pressed his head and the stub of his horn against the barrier. "Why are you even bothering, give up."
"No!" She yelled straining her horn to hold back the shield. "They're my friends and I'm going to protect them. No matter what you say! I-I love them. I owe them so much and I'm going to save them from you!" Twilight declared stomping her hoof in the dirt. "I've learned more about friendship in this past year then I thought there was to learn. Now when they need me, I'm not going to abandon them!" Her eyes fixed on his. "I'm going to protect them all because they're my friends, no matter what."
Darkside stared blankly for a moment after she spoke. "Cute. Naïve but cute." Darkside reared his head back once more and butt the shield with a roar. Twilight cried out as the bubble of purple rippled once and shattered like glass. Twilight fell to her haunches and looked up as the black alicorn loomed over her. "It's over dear. Your friends, your princess, your savior, all of them gone. I win." The shadows coiled around like anxious snakes waiting to be given the order to strike while Twilight looked up at the large alicorn.
Her mind went back, to a book she read ages ago when she was still in Canterlot. Unicorns, Pegasus, earth ponies and Alicorns, a guide to all things ponies and their bodies, was the name. It had just been for an assignment on unicorns but she couldn't help but read it all. She remembered the unique traits to each pony race. Pegasus had lighter bones, hollow in their wings so they could fly well. Unicorns had weaker bodies than the other races, but their head and back bones were stronger for being able to ram with their horns or sustain the strain of magic. Earth ponies had naturally stockier builds with more muscle and denser bones.
And then there was Alicorns. They possessed traits of all the other races. Hollow wing bones, stronger back and head bones, firm muscles, all of the best traits, as well as one unique to them. A pressure point. Alicorns, for whatever reason had a single point, just below the base of their horn and above their eyes where their skull was weaker, not unnaturally so but it was a single anomaly among an other wise perfect being. Being struck in said spot was dangerous as with enough force an alicorn could be knocked unconscious, lose control of their magic or even die. Because of its position it was never really an issue for any natural accident but for Twilight it was right where it needed to be.
The pictures of the book came back and she visualized exactly where it would be just above his covered eye and below the stub of a white horn he still had. That spot, if she could hit it with all her magic she might be able to stop him. But he had stopped all other attacks in the past so she knew she had to wait. Wait until he struck first. In that one instant where he couldn't evade or block she would hit with all she had and that might stop him.
Might. Even then Twilight, if you wait that long you can't stop his attack either.
She knew that. It was a give and take. If she hit him, he would hit her. And she wasn't sure if she could take another hit, her vision was already blurry and her legs shaky from the blood loss. For my friends, I'll pay that price. She said with determination. The feeling chilled her and eased her pain. Maybe this is what it's like to be Applejack or Rainbow Dash? To be brave and devoted to your friends.
"I admire you girl." Darkside's voice brought her back. "Not running, but accepting this." He slowly raised a hoof the black shadows twisting around it to make it into a sharp blade. "I'll kill you first."
It scared her. Not the attack that was coming, not even pain but what she was doing. I'm going to die. She said to herself. It was strange how calm she was about it, death had always scared her, she never approached it, never thought about it, it just seemed like something that would never happen but now she had seen so much death and here she was about do something that was going to kill her. I'm going to die, and its ok. There was so much she had never done, so many things undone or unfinished. Never found love, never truly told Celestia how she felt. She was scared of what would happen. Would she vanish? Be reborn somewhere else? Would Celestia miss her? Would her friends? what about spike?
It was all for them. Her life for them. In her mind she smiled. If I have to die, let it be for them.
Twilight watched the hoof start to move as her own power built in her horn, the spell ready. All her power on that one spot. The hoof came down.
Now!
A piece of paper flew past her face.
Both ponies froze in place with their eyes following the random piece of paper that had come between them. Then another flew by, this one grazing Darkside's muzzle, then another and another. Twilight looked to the sheets of paper, each one yellowed with age, soon there were more, dozens of them not just in the air but flying around them circling them. Their circle tightened and quickly began to tightly spin around the black stallion as more pages added to the whirlwind.
"No." He whispered. Darkside's red eye franticly jerked around and Twilight followed his gaze.
Just beyond them both was a grey colt, his mane burnt away, his tail only a few strands of black hair. A large hole was in his shoulder above his leg, the blood leaving a red trail along his leg that was placed firmly on a thick book with more pages magically tearing out and flying at the larger stallion.
"Bullshit. I killed you. You're dead!" Darkside slowly built up to a yell as more pieces of paper struck him.
Lloyd took several deep breaths before he finally spoke. His mouth opened but no sound came out then he closed his jaw shook his head and glared at Darkside. "Try harder next time. Now fuck off." He raised the bloodied hoof and slammed it on the book.
All the pages whirling through the air, their numbers in the hundred by now converged on Darkside with the pages striking him and clinging. Despite their size the dark monster screamed as though each were made of fire heated steel and they began pulling the monster closer to the book.
"NOooooooo!" He howled. "I'm not done! I have to kill them!" He screamed and thrashed as the pages pulled at him. The monster snapped his jaws at Twilight trying to catch the purple unicorn. But she pulled away. His shadow flashed out but even it could not escape the clutch of the books pages. Lloyd stood firm as a statue as the monster was slowly and loudly dragged to the book. The book itself glowed brightly tendrils of white light lashing out to snare the beast as it drew near.
"It's not over Lloyd! I'll see you soon! And when this over I'll come back and burn this world to ash!" Darkside screamed once more and then started laughing cackling madly as he was pulled over the book, the light opening like a giant jaw to devour him. The black stallion gave one last yell as the light swallowed him up and sucked him into the large book. All the pages flew back to the book recreating themselves before the book slammed closed of its own power. The dark red cover and the two figures sitting peacefully on the cover.
Lloyd breathed once more and pat the books cover. "Game over." He said before his eyes rolled back and he fell to his side.
Ya what you should do now? leave a review, I mean it's right there, just a click some words, and wham! I am motivated. . . . . . . . please.