Chapter 73- The Light
Me: I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time now.
Rarity: As have I.
Me: This is going to be exciting.
Rarity: Indeed.
Me: I don't own the rights to Naruto Shippuden or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
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Rarity appeared just outside of the barrier surrounding the Crystal Empire. A cold wind blew about her, heading from the east to the west; causing her dress to billow about her. She looked around but saw no one. To the south of her there was a raging blizzard that Rarity was glad she had managed to avoid. She looked back and stared at the giant pink translucent dome that surrounded the entirety of the Crystal Empire. She laughed.
"If you were trying to keep me out, you shouldn't have made the barrier translucent." She said with a smirk. She stared at the ground that lay just within the barrier and used the Mangekyou Rinnegan to teleport to it. She dematerialized and rematerialized within the barrier, striking an elegant pose as she did so. When she had completely rematerialized she opened her eyes and took another look around. She chuckled at the incompetence of the Empire. She walked forward, making her way toward the palace. The air within the barrier was nice and warm; a dramatic increase from the chilly winter air outside. As she walked through the silent empire, she looked to her left and right, observing the dark houses. They were elegantly designed and held a high prestige to Rarity. She had long admired the wondrous architecture of the Crystal Empire, and soon it would all be hers.
"What a great kingdom to overtake." She said. She looked ahead again and smirked as she saw she was closer to the palace than she had originally thought. She stood still for a moment, observing the beautiful architecture of the structure with glimmering eyes. She licked her lips. "Victory is so close I can practically taste it." She said.
Twilight and Spike guarded their faces against the powerful winds that blew around them, stinging their faces and bodies with the horrible and bitter cold. Snow was swirling in all directions, making navigation impossible. They soon became disorented, but continued to travel in a single direction, hoping to at least find the edge of the storm.
"Are you really going to kill Rarity?" Spike asked; shouting over the wind.
"I'm not discussing this right now!" Twilight shouted back, trying very agitatedly to find her way through the storm. Spike didn't say anything else, but closed his mouth and turned away from the wind. Twilight stubbed her hoof on something and stumbled, falling face-first into the cold snow. Spike was sent flying from her back and landed about five feet to her left. Twilight swore as she picked herself up out of the deep snow, looking around for whatever it was that had tripped her. Finally her eyes fell upon something metallic that was half-buried in the snow. She used her magic to dig it up and moved closer to it, wiping the snow from its reflective surface. It was silver in color and cylindrical in shape. It was about the size of her body and seemed to have two latches on one side. Does it open? She thought in wonder. She tried in vain to pry the latches open; they were too frozen for her to do anything.
"This could be interesting." She thought examining it further as Spike now picked himself up out of the thick snow and looked at her.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Come here, Spike; I found something." She replied. He shrugged and walked over to her, almost having to jump to pick himself out of the deep snow.
"What is it?" He asked when he had seen the strange cylindrical container for himself.
"I think it's some kind of container, but I can't open it. Maybe if we can warm it up a little, it would open." She replied. He leaned in closer.
"How are we gonna carry it?" He asked. Twilight hadn't considered that. Her mind had gone into a frenzy of possiblities of what could lay inside. She had forgotten that the container was almost as big as she was.
"We'll transport it using my magic. We'll send it to Inoichi and tell him to see what's inside." She replied.
"Oh, okay." He said. Twilight concentrated a little, having performed the levitation spell so many times lifting something of this size needed very little effort. A purple aura surrounded both her horn and the container and ever so slowly it was lifted into the air, perfectly steady despite the storm that still raged about them. Then she concentrated some more and used a teleportation spell on it, sending it to Inoichi's house. In the blink of an eye the container was gone, nothing left of it besides the quickly-filling imprint left in the deep snow. She stood up and brushed the snow from her dress. She picked Spike up using her magic and set him on her back.
"Come on, Spike. We're wasting time." She said.
Rarity approached the palace and found an entire legion of royal guards standing in front of Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor. The legion was unlike any she had seen before, standing at an impressive six hundred guards. Rarity smirked.
"What are your plans, Rarity?" Cadence asked demandingly.
"It doesn't matter. No one can stop me now." Rarity replied.
"No, we will." Shining Armor said. Rarity laughed.
"You should've brought a bigger army then." She said. Rarity concentrated and used Rainbow Dash's Path power to buld herself a pair of wings made entirely of curved blades that stood three feet long in length. She spread her wings with a smirk and watched as the entire legion of guards charged her at once. She charged at them and dove into their ranks, cutting down guards this way and that. The battle was a blur of metal, flesh, and blood. Rarity dodged and weaved through the many spears that targeted her and proceeded to cut down the guards who wielded them. She could hear their screams of agony as her blades pierced their bodies and lacerated them; often times cutting straight through their bodies. With the Mangekyou Rinnegan active, Rarity was able to dodge all of their attacks with ease. She surrounded herself with a thin coating of fire, so as to shield her body from any blood that might splash on her. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence looked on in awe and horror as Rarity was able to cut through their legion. When the numbers of the legion dropped below fifty, Rarity stood on her hind legs and turned her front arms into two long, thin blades. The remaining guards charged her and aimed to impale her with their spears. Rarity blocked their strikes with her blades and proceeded to cut through their bodies after disarming them with a swift flick. She took them out one at a time, twisting and turning, dodging and blocking. She cut through their bodies with ease, hearing them scream in pain as their blood spilled out about them and they collapsed to the floor. She continued to massacre the remaining guards until their was only one left. He stood his distance from her, afraid of her abilities and her power. She approached him on her hind legs, holding her arms at her sides.
"Congratulations, you're the last one alive." She said as she walked over the corpses of his fallen comrades. He took a step back in fear, dropping his spear to the ground. His eyes were wide with fear.
"Since you're the last one, I'll give you a special death." She said. She stood right in front of him, staring him in the eyes. Her face got close to his, and she stared into his eyes. "Now," She said. She reached her right arm back and stabbed him through the chest. She impaled him, the blade running through his heart and emerging from the other side of his body.
"You thought I would kiss you, didn't you?" She asked him. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but my love belongs to Tid." She said as she slowly withdrew the blade from his body. He collapsed to the floor, his eyes lifeless by the time he hit the ground. She changed her blades back into her arms, landing on her front two hooves and standing on all fours once more. She also dispelled her wings and turned to face Cadence and Shining Armor. They stared at her with wide-eyed horror. Rarity dispelled the flames that surrounded her body.
"Now, about that Crystal Heart."
Twilight and Spike emerged from the blizzard some time later, relieved to have their sense of direction restored. Twilight looked up with fearful eyes toward the sky to see if the dreaded dark clouds that would bring despair had arrived yet. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the night sky as clear as could be.
"Come on Spike!" She said and quickly started running straight for the Crystal Empire. She passed right through the traslucent pink barrier and ran straight toward the palace, taking the shortest possible route. Even going as fast as she could it was still a good five minutes before she appeared before the palace and stopped in her tracks at the horror that she now beheld. Her eyes were wide with horror as she saw countless royal guards lying bloody and deceased on the floor.
"W-what the?" She asked in terror.
"Twi... light..." She looked up and saw her brother and his wife strapped to pillars on opposite sides of the Crystal Heart. She ran over to him and immediately began pulling at the chains.
"No Twilight, don't!" He said, but it was too late. The chains began to restrict even tighter on both him and Cadence. The chains were pushing against his ribs, threatening to break them. Twilight stopped immediately when this happened.
"The more you struggle... The more they tighten." He said through heavy breaths. Blood was spilling out of the corner of his mouth. Twilight looked upon him with teary eyes.
"Brother..." She said.
"Please, Twilight... You have to... Get out of here!" He told her.
"No, I won't leave you!" She replied.
"You've got no choice!" He shouted.
"B-but-"
"No buts! Go! I'll be fine as long as I don't move, just go!" He said.
"Oh I wouldn't say that." They heard a voice say. They both looked toward the source in surprise, the chains picking up the movement and began to tighten further, causing Shining Armor to wince.
"Those chains will eventually pick up on your breathing, and then quickly crush you and your organs." Rarity said as she walked from the top of the palace steps.
"H-how could you?!" Twilight shouted in fury.
"Well I hadn't originally planned to kill them; but you see, the Crystal Heart is under a magical protection spell that is sustained by the both of them. For my goal to be accomplished, they needed to be rid of." Rarity replied reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"Let them go!" Twilight pleaded.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Twilight. I'll give you ten seconds to say your goodbyes." Rarity said. Twilight looked to her brother, whom was still breathing heavily.
"Sh-Shining Armor..." She said.
"Shh, it's alright Twilight. I'm not afraid of dying, we all have our time." He said. She began to tear up.
"B-but you can't leave me..." She said.
"Twilight, this was going to happen eventually. There's no use in crying over my death." He said. She didn't say anything but instead looked at the ground, tears falling from her eyes.
"Twilight, look at me." He said. She looked up at him.
"I love you. I always have, and I always will. You're my sister, and I love you very much. Please Twilight, heed my advice." He said. Twilight turned to Rarity.
"Please, don't do this!" She pleaded.
"I'm sorry Twilight, but this has to happen so I can usher forth a new world." Rarity said.
"But that's not fair!" Twilight shouted. Rarity lifted her head a little when she heard Twilight say that, her anger starting to build once more.
"Fair? You want to lecture me on fair?" Rarity asked her. She tightened the chains binding both Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. They screamed in agony.
"You have no right. I'll teach you the true meaning of 'fair', Twilight Sparkle." She said. Then, with one swift motion, Rarity tightened the chains with as much force as was needed and crushed Shining Armor and Cadence's bones as well as internal organs. They both spewed blood and the life quickly left their eyes.
Rarity withdrew the chains binding them and their bodies fell to the floor. Twilight's eyes filled with tears and she began to weep at her brother's side, her eyes wide with horror. Rarity began walking toward the Crystal Heart.
"How could you do that, Rarity?" Spike asked her. Rarity stopped and looked at him, her expression unwavering. Her expression had hardened to one of solemn judgement since she had heard Twilight utter the word 'fair'.
"I have no need to answer to the likes of you. You were distrustful of Tid from the very beginning. If I were you, I'd shut your mouth to keep yourself alive for a few more minutes." Rarity replied. He recoiled at her words. She turned her attention back to the Crystal Heart and resumed on her way toward it; this time stopping just inches from the magnificent stone. She gazed upon the Crystal Heart with a certain twinkle in her eyes. It radiated a magnificent blue and green light, basking the surrounding area in a cyan coating.
"The time has come to usher forth a new world of complete understanding." She said. At that moment Twilight leapt from her spot and attempted to attack Rarity. Rarity held out her hoof and stopped Twilight in her tracks using her Path power. She looked at Twilight.
"I cannot have you interrupting me. Begone." She said. Then she enhanced the force being applied to Twilight and sent her flying and crashing into a building nearly twenty yards away. She returned her attention back to the Crystal Heart. She licked her lips with the malicious intent in her heart and her horn began to glow. She stood on her hind hooves and extended her arms to reach on either side of the sacred gem. A thin wisp of black and purple magical energy leaked from her horn and began to surround the Crystal Heart, slowly wrapping itself around it and tinting the glow.
"I have long awaited this moment, and now it has finally come." She said. As the Crystal Heart continued to absorb the magic that was filled with Rarity's malicious intent, it began to change from a blue gem to a dark purple one. The light radiating from it no longer felt warm and inviting, but rather cold and dispelling. Rarity licked her lips once more.
"Come forth, Crystal Heart. Bring to me what is truly mine, what this world needs. Bring forth the coming of a new era, one of darkness and suffering. Extinquish all light from this world and consume it in a never-ending abyss of darkness and suffering. Allow everyone to feel the same as I do, all across this wretched world. This is my plight. I call upon thee to make it so. Envelop this world in utter darkness!" She said, finishing with a shout. At the very moment she finished, black energy exploded from the Crystal Heart, passing by her in a wave that traveled in all directions and immediately raced toward the sky. The Crystal Heart had completed its transformation, changing from smooth and somewhat curved to jagged and sharp. It was the same shade of purple as her skin. Rarity laughed maniacally as she watched the black energy pool together and form a pitch black cloud that began to expand and rapidly race all across the world.
"That's right, spread, my darkness! Show them all how wretched this world really is!"
The barrier that had been placed by Princess Cadence had been changed from traslucent pink to opaque black. The barrier burned through the ground where it touched down and left scorch marks expanding about five feet from the edge. The barrier had been changed to vaporize anything that tried to pass through it, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the Crystal Empire. Rarity stood back on her four hooves and continued to laugh. She had completed what she had set out to do. As she laughed the globe was covered in the pitch-black clouds that blocked out all light from the world. When the entire globe was consumed with the darkness of the pitch-black clouds they began to pour rain down on the land. The entire Crystal Empire was protected from this rain via the barrier previously mentioned. Rarity licked her lips one last time before glancing at Twilight, who was still buried within the rubble of the wall of a house that she had collided with.
"Hmph, if you find the courage to face me, you know where I'll be." She said before turning and walking back into the palace.
Around the world the rain fell, causing despair and loss to creep into the hearts of all it fell upon. The first area to be affected was Rarity's home town of Ponyville. Thunder and lightning flashed, forcing all those that slept in their houses to awaken. They climbed out of their beds at relatively the same time and opened their windows to look outside; a mistake they would come to regret. As the rain fell upon their faces it began to soak into their skin, seeming to seep into their very emotions themselves. This was no ordinary rain; it was a rain created through a very powerful, very dark magic. This magic was the result of the powerful dark magic that Rarity had used on the Crystal Heart, which changed and shaped the world to match its likeness. The clouds created through this magic were made of pure dark energy, and the rain that fell was enchanted to reach into the very souls of the living creatures it fell upon and caused them to feel a deep loss, the same sense of loss that Rarity felt. After Ponyville came Manehattan, then Amareica, then Sadle Arabia, and finally, Canterlot. After only ten minutes of the rain, nearly ninety-eight percent of the entire world's population had fallen prey to the curse.
Itachi Uchiha had been attending to Celestia's wounds when the clouds spread overhead. He activated his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and surrounded the both of them in his Susano'o. The ethereal warrior took shape around them and protected the both of them from the rain that soon followed.
"What is this power?" She asked him looking around at the completed form.
"This is my Susano'o. Every Uchiha who has awoken the powers of both eyes with their Mangekyou Sharingan can use it." He replied resuming the medical care.
"I see." She said. Then she remembered seeing something very similar to this in her battle with Rarity. "Itachi, did Tid awaken the powers of both of his eyes?" She asked. Itachi nodded.
"Actually, with the Mangekyou Rinnegan, he could probably summon his complete Susano'o if he wanted to." He said.
"Itachi, Rarity used the Susano'o in my fight with her." She said. Itachi looked up at her. The situation was worse than he thought.
"I see. If she learns to use its full power, then I'm afraid not even I could stop her." He said gravely.
"What does that mean?" She asked. Usually she had all of the answers, but this was not her field of expertise, and she knew nearly nothing about it. He finished wrapping her limbs in bandages and stood.
"It means only one person can stop her now." He said. He kneeled down and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her over to a shielded portion of the castle that still stood. He set her down and turned his back to her.
"Where are you going?" She asked. He looked over his shoulder at her.
"To visit an old friend." He replied. Then he jumped, the Susano'o still surrounding his body as he moved. He landed on the rooftop and began to run southward. "This is our only hope." He said.
Twilight lay amongst the rubble that had fallen on top of her from the collision. She had hit the wall hard enough to knock her unconcious for a few minutes. When she woke up, she sat up and shook her head, some of the rubble falling from her body. She dazedly looked around and saw no sign of Rarity. Then she looked at the Crystal Heart and her heart sank. She saw its drastic change, as well as the change to the barrier that had protected the Crystal Empire. I'm too late. She thought in despair. She looked around for Spike and found him still unconcious a few feet away; the rubble having barely missed his body. She painfully moved over to him and shook him.
"Spike, wake up." She said. After a few seconds his eyes fluttered open and he sat up to look at her.
"Twilight? What happened?" He asked holding his head.
"Rarity's done it. She's transformed the world." She replied. His eyes opened wide and he looked around. He also noticed the Crystal Heart's new look, as well as the barrier surrounding them.
"But, I can't see the sky." He said. Twilight stood.
"Neither can I. She must've done something to the barrier. Come on Spike, we're going in." She said.
"What? Going where?" He asked. She used her magic to lift him up onto her back.
"We're going into the palace to face Rarity." She replied.
"What? Are you kidding? We can't!" He said.
"No Spike, we can. We have to. It's the only way to reverse what has happened." She said. He didn't say anything after that. She walked briskly up the steps that led into the palace that gave off an ominous air. She pushed open the large double-doors and walked up the stairs that led to a large hall. She entered this hall and had to keep herself from running toward the other side, where the throne room sat. She paced herself, taking deep breaths and letting them out trying to calm her nerves. You can do this, you can do this. She thought to herself. She paused just before opening the double-doors. It's all up to you now. She thought and pushed them open.
Rarity sat in the throne room patiently waiting for Twilight to walk through those doors at the other end of the room. She sat on the throne with one leg crossed over the other, her head resting on one hoof. She had also used her magic to transform herself into her previous form. Luckily she didn't have to wait long before she heard Twilight's hoofsteps on the other side of the door. She took her hoof from her head and stared at the door, waiting for her to open the door. Finally the double-doors opened and Twilight stepped in, a brave look on her face. She notice Spike flinch upon seeing her in this form. She grinned. She could use that to her advantage.
"Why hello, Twilight. So glad you could join me." Rarity said. Twilight walked halfway through the room and stared at her.
"I'm here to kill you, Rarity." Twilight said.
"Kill me? Whatever for? I haven't done a single thing." Rarity said in mock surprise. Twilight gritted her teeth.
"I swear, it wasn't me, it was my evil form. I never did any of those things." Rarity said. The words she spoke had a different intention than what they were appearing to be. Twilight was growing increasingly angry by the second, while Spike was growing more and more confused. He climbed off of Twilight's back and walked forward, stopping at the base of the steps that led to the throne.
"R-Rarity, is that you?" He asked.
"Indeed it is." She said. He didn't say anything but stared at the ground. Then she changed back into her Nightmare form. Twilight's eyes widened.
"Spike, look out!" She shouted; extending her hoof.
"Are you afraid your life means less? Are you concerned you might be next?" Rarity asked. He looked up, his eyes widening with shock and fear. She raised her hoof and he went flying vertically into the air.
"Don't worry, I'll catch you." Rarity said. Then she licked her lips.
"But you might break the fall." Then she brought her hoof down in front of her and Spike came crashing down into the ground below him, cracking it and shattering the ground, causing a crater to form and sending a cloud of dust into the air. Rarity leapt from her throne and landed just before him, pinning him to the ground with her hoof and transforming the other into a cannon. She pointed the cannon at his face, waiting for him to look at her.
"Look at me Spike, and know it was I who ended your worthless life." She said. He opened his eyes, tears streaming down his face. She charged up the cannon, red and orange spheres of energy flowing into the barrel.
"Die." She said. Then she fired; an explosion engulfing the both of them.
Twilight watched helplessly as the two were engulfed in fire. She braced herself against the heat of the explosion, the powerful wind bringing with it more of the heat. When she looked back, Rarity was standing before her; standing over an empty crater that contained nothing but scorched earth and ash. Rarity was breathing heavily, a wide smile on her face. Rarity stared at Twilight with an expression that said 'You're next'. Twilight's sadness gave way to pure rage. She gritted her teeth before screaming at the top of her lungs. This surprised Rarity, causing her to take a step back. Twilight looked back at Rarity, her eyes glowing with purple energy. Rarity grinned.
"Finally, a real challenge. Let's see if you can put up as much of a fight as Celestia did." She said. Twilight teleported behind her and swept her legs from under her. As Rarity fell to the floor Twilight teleported once more, using all of her might to shove Rarity's face into the ground with as much force as possible. Pain shot from Rarity's face from the surprising amount of force that Twilight was able to muster. Twilight teleported again and flew above her, tucking in her wings and turning face-first toward Rarity for a dive-bomb. Rarity managed to pry her head from the ground and lifted her hoof, using an Almighty Push to block Twilight's attack and knock her out of the sky. Rarity looked at Twilight, standing up as the mare hit the floor.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed by your abilities, Twilight. However, if that's the best you can do, I'm afraid it's not going to be enough. You'll end up like all of your other friends." She said.
Twilight painfully rose to her hooves and stared at Rarity with a fierce look in her eyes.
"Why? Why did you have to kill him?!" She asked.
"Why? You're asking me why?" Rarity asked. Her expression hardened again. They began to circle each other, neither of them blinking.
"Allow me to explain it to you. I despised Spike for the longest time before I finally killed him. Every day he would pester me, trying to woo me, though I made it blatantly obvious to him I did not love him. Then I met Tid, a man whom I did love. I loved him almost from the start. Spike, on the other hand, despised him. The mere thought of the two of us being together was enough for Spike to hospitalize him." Rarity said. They continued to circle each other slowly, never once taking their eyes away from each other.
"And then Tid and I started dating. Despite the fact that I was so happy with Tid, Spike continued to try and drive a wedge between the two of us. He despised the relationship with a burning passion, which furthered my hatred for him as well. He continued his attempts to woo me, and with such atrocity at that. Honestly, the nerve of him to attempt to woo me when I had already given my heart to Tid infuriated me. I have long held this hatred for the dragon within me; and it has been growing with every passing day." Rarity continued. Her expression never chaned once while she spoke. Twilight said nothing, for she knew everything Rarity said was true.
"Then, the day came when the war ended. Tid sacrificed himself to save not only me, but the entirety of Equestria. I was devasted by my fiance's death; but did Spike care? Not in the least, I can assure you. He was the very first of you to attempt to convince me to let go of the times I had spent with Tid. It was then that I had decided I had had enough. Since then I had put his death high on my priority list; falling right after sharing my darkness with the world and eradicating everyone else that had caused Tid pain. Now that Spike is gone, I no longer have to put up with that newt of a dragon." She said. She activated the Mangekyou Rinnegan, which she had deactivated after taking over the Crystal Heart.
"And now, it's your turn, Twilight Sparkle."
Rarity stopped abruptly and opened five of the Eight Gates. She almost never opened all seven at once. The green aura surrounded her once more and she felt her power increase. Twilight also stopped, able to do nothing more than watch her transformation.
"Don't worry Twilight, I won't kill you right away. I want you to suffer, as I did. I want to show you your own wicked ways. I want you to see the darkness you have created!" Rarity said. The aura surrounding her changed from green to jet-black.
"I'll show you the monster you have helped create!" She said. Rarity launched herself at Twilight, shattering the ground beneath her hooves and aiming to deliver a punch to the side of Twilight's head. Twilight blocked the punch with a powerful barrier and teleported behind Rarity. In a fraction of a second Rarity spun around to face Twilight and delivered a punch to her face. Twilight was sent flying backwards, crashing into the crystal walls. She winced as she slid down the wall, her face and lower back seering with pain. She opened her eyes and surrounded her horn with black flames. She concentrated and the black flames began to expand in the air before her, traveling in a jagged wisps that moved in unpredictable zigs and zags toward Rarity with a frightening speed. Rarity laughed.
"Flames? Do you really think that will-" She was interrupted as something within her told her to dodge them. She ducked low and the flames passed over her. Rarity's eyes widened as she discovered she could feel the intense heat from the black flames. When the flames collided with the wall behind her, they didn't disappear like she had expected, but rather continued to burn when they should've extinquished. Rarity looked back at Twilight.
"Don't tell me that's-"
"The Amaterasu." Twilight finished.
"The only flames Tid isn't able to absorb. H-how are you able to-?"
"It was a while ago. Itachi gave me this power before you killed Applejack. He used the Transcription Seal on me, just like Tid had used on you." Twilight replied. She was standing now, her expression solemn and determined. Rarity looked closer and saw her right eye was bleeding and bore Itachi's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Rarity scowled.
"Damn that Itachi; he had thought ahead. He knew we'd eventually face off. Still, I have to admit his plan was nearly flawless." She said. Twilight wiped the blood from her face and stood in a battle position. Rarity did the same and stared at Twilight. She still had the advantage in power, and that's all she needed.
Rarity made the first move and launched herself at Twilight. She surrounded her body with a flaming aura and released Tid's chains, planning to restrict Twilight's movements. Twilight teleported away and began charging a beam of purple magical energy. Rarity turned around just in time to recieve this very powerful beam to the chest. The beam was a one-shot and not a continous beam like the others Rarity had taken; which she was grateful of. The others had caused immense pain that had long-lasting effects on her body, but this one caused minimum pain for her. The same could not be said for her dress, which was now tattered and torn. Rarity began to grow even more angry, as one of her only memento's of Tid's time with her was now tattered and nearly ruined. Then her eyes widened as she remembered one other thing she had nearly forgotten about. She still wore the ring Tid had given her on her horn. It was a wonder it had not cracked, gotten lost, or broken after all of the fights Rarity had been through. It was a true testiment to the gem's integrity. She opened the Sixth Gate and charge Twilight once more, this time able to outspeed Twilight's teleportation. She enveloped Twilight in the chains and used her brute strength to throw her into the air, the chains shooting from her arms as they extended. Rarity jumped and delivered an uppercut to Twilight's stomach. This sent Twilight flying into the ceiling, cracking the crystals and causing small chunks to fall to the floor. Then Rarity pulled on the chains and Twilight was sent flying toward the floor. Before she collided with the ground, however, Rarity pulled on the chains once more and delivered a punch and a kick to Twilight's stomach and face; the Hidden Lotus. Twilight flew back down into the ground, forming cracks in the ground and shattering it as she sank further into the floor. Her face and stomach burned, and blood was leaking from the corner of her mouth. She felt several of her ribs crack and her nose felt broken. She used her magic to repair her nose and stop the bleeding. The chains that had surrounded her were released and Twilight was able to move once again. She stood, her breathing ragged and heavy. Twilight still had one trump card left that Rarity didn't know about, and it would be unstoppable if she were to deploy it. Fine, I'll use it as soon as I can. She thought.
Rarity landed on the ground, the flames still burning powerfully around her.
"Tell me, Rarity. Was killing your friends really necessary?" Twilight sked.
"Yes. Not only did they conspire together to kill Tid, save for Pinkie Pie, they're also going to help me defeat you." Rarity replied.
"What do you mean? You mean their Path powers?" She asked.
"That, and so much more." Rarity replied. She stood on her hind legs and changed her left arm into a cannon, firing at Twilight. Twilight leapt from the spot, the explosion decimating the area she had been just a second before. Twilight could feel the heat from the explosion, the wind blowing her mane around her face. She concentrated her Chakra around her horn and drew in the electricity from the air surrounding her, focusing it into a powerful bolt of lightning that raced toward Rarity. Rarity absorbed it using a barrier and the Preta Path's power.
"Applejack protects me from your lies that try to fill my heart!" Rarity said with wide eyes and a wicked grin. Then she summoned the King of Hell, a cloud of smoke exploding from the ground where her hoof touched as the King of Hell sprouted from the ground and opened his mouth. His toungue shot forward and attempted to grab Twilight, but she dodged and ran.
"Pinkie Pie helps me to see through your deception!" Rarity shouted, her expression equally as wild as before. She was enjoying herself. Twilight stopped in her tracks as she emerged from the cloud of smoke to see Rarity standing on her hind legs with twin arm cannons pointed at her. She had just enough time to raise a barrier before the cannons fired, the spheres of energy colliding with the barrier and exploding, sending powerful gusts of wind from each blast. Twilight gritted her teeth and began to sweat from the amount of effort she was putting in to keep the barrier up. Her eyes widened as she began to see cracks that resulted from the continous onslaught of explosions. She crouched and prepared to jump as the cracks began to spread further and further from the center. When the barrier shattered she leapt aside and started running, feeling the wind from the explosions that rocked the palace as they collided with the wall behind her as Rarity followed Twilght's movements with her cannons.
"Rainbow Dash gave me the power to shatter any walls you put up to stop my message!" Rarity shouted. Rarity laughed as she watched Twilight struggle to evade her attacks. Finally Twilight tripped as she ran down the stairs leading from the throne, tumbling and falling on her face at the bottom of the steps. She sat up just in time to see Rarity point the cannons at her. Rarity grinned.
"Now die!" She shouted and fired; or at least, attempted to fire. When she tried to fire the cannons, nothing happened. She swore under her breath. Celestia's Chakra ran out. She thought. Twilight smirked and stood up.
"My turn." She said.
Rarity changed her arms back from cannons into their normal forms just in time to block Twilight's punch, which she had delivered after a split-second teleportation. Rarity turned toward Twilight and they went into hoof-to-hoof combat. Rarity was surprised Twilight could move as fast as she did, but was unimpressed with her power.
"Oh come now, Twilight." She said as they were stilll fighting. "You can't really expect to defeat me like this, can you?" Tiwlight was struggling to keep up, her arms getting exhausted from blocking all of Rarity's powerful punches. Rarity teleported just behind her and turned around with a wicked grin on her face as she punched Twilight in the back, sending her flying into the wall that had been nearly decimated by the explosions of her cannons. Twilight hit the wall face-first and fell limply to the floor, blood pouring from her mouth. She used her magic to heal herself as much as she could before she attempted to stand. Her efforts were stopped by a Rarity who had opened the Seventh Gate pinning her to the floor. Twilight was laying on her back, her arms pinned on either side of her body as Rarity stared maliciously into her eyes.
"Now, I'll be taking your Path power and become the Mare of Six Paths." Twilight's eyes widened in shock. Rarity started casting a genjutsu but something happened. Twilight's left eye began to burn with a pulsating pain as her eye transformed into Itachi's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Rarity's eyes widened then went blank as the Tsukuyomi was cast on her.
Twilight lay there, panting as Rarity stood above her, her expression locked into one of surprise. Twilight had done it, she had won. She pried herself from Rarity's arms and managed to crawl out from underneath her, standing and looking at the evil mare that she had once called her friend. She was about to activate the Amaterasu to burn Rarity's body to ash and end it all, but something stopped her. She transfered her focus into the Tsukuyomi to see exactly what Rarity was seeing. Rarity was nailed to a black cross by her hooves, her shoulders hunched as gravity acted on her. The sky above was blood-red and the clouds were as black as they were outside. Twilight stood a short distance away from her, Rarity's head hanging limply as she faced the ground.
"Rarity." Twilight said. Rarity lifted her head slowly, staring with defeated eyes at her.
"Twilight, why haven't you killed me?" Rarity asked her. The malicious intent in her eyes and her voice had gone. She sounded more like the Rarity Twilight used to know.
"I was curious about the Tsukuyomi. Besides, I wanted to ask you something." She replied.
"There's nothing you can ask me that I haven't already answered. I've told you why I decided to kill my friends, and why I've hated Spike so much. What more could you possibly ask me?" Rarity asked as she let her head hang limply once more.
"Rarity, Tid bequeathed his powers to you. He was the Outer Path, so why haven't you brought him back using the Samsara of Heavenly Life yet?"
"Because I can't!" Rarity shouted lifting her head and looking at Twilight. She was crying.
"Don't you see? I don't have the power to revive him! I could never amass that much power..." She said with depression sinking into her voice. Her voice was beginning to break as she choked on her sobs.
"I'll always be a failure." She said letting her head fall limp once more.
"Spare her life, Itachi." She heard a voice say. Her eyes widened with shock as she stared at the ground. She slowly looked up and her heart jumped to see Tid standing there with his arm outstretched toward Rarity as he stood between Rarity and Twilight. Twilight was equally as shocked. Tid activated his Mangekyou Rinnegan and placed his hand on Rarity's head, and Rarity could feel it. She could feel his hand actually touching her. It wasn't just an illusion, it was solid. Then the world around them began to crack and shatter, revealing them standing in the throne room of the Crystal Palace. Rarity looked around frantically for Tid, but her heart sank when she found no sight of him. Her eyes drooped with sadness. I guess I'll have to accept the reality that he's really not coming back. She thought as a tear fell from her eye. Rarity looked up at Twilight, whom was still paralyzed with shock. Rarity bound her with chains to the floor, forcing her to lay flat on her back. She walked over to her and stared down at the helpless mare. Without saying anything, and without a change in expression, Rarity touched her horn to Twilight's, beginning to absorb Twilight's Path power. A blue light radiated from Twilight's forehead and Twilight screamed in pain as the blood marking that Tid had written on her forehead appeared. It slowly began fading away as Rarity absorbed it. After a few minutes the marking had faded completely from Twilight's forehead and the blue light also faded. Rarity lifted her head and took a step back, still staring at Twilight. Then, something strange happened. Rarity's entire body began to burn with pain, as if she were set ablaze from within. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees as Twilight looked on in surprise. Rarity's eyes burned with the greatest pain Rarity had ever felt over her entire life and felt as if they were about to explode. The pain continued to increase with unbearable intensity until a green light exploded from all over Rarity's body, causing Rarity to scream even louder. The light shot directly upward and seemed to travel through the roof of the palace as it raced to an unkown location somewhere to the south. Rarity's eyes began to bleed as the light continued to shoot from her body. Twilight watched in surprise, shock, and horror as Rarity continued to scream from the unbearable pain. The building began to shake and bits of the roof began to fall to the ground and the windows shattered. With one final scream the light surrounding Rarity stopped abruptly and so did the pain. Rarity sat on her hind legs, panting, her eyes wide and blood dripping down her face.
She looked at Twilight, then down at her hooves. When she had caught her breath, her shock disappeared and was replaced instead with the sadness that had consumed her. She stood and released the chains binding Twilight before walking back over and sitting on the throne.
"You're free to go." Rarity said as Twilight sat up, rubbing her body where the chains had bound her.
"Free to go?" Twilight asked. Rarity nodded. She rested her head on her hoof and crossed her legs.
"I no longer have the desire to kill you, or anyone else for that matter. I'm letting you go, Twilight." She said. Twilight was utterly dumbfounded by this.
"Why?" Twilight asked.
"Because seeing Tid inside of the Tsukuyomi made me realize something: All of this is pointless. No matter what I do, no matter who else dies, their blood will not resurrect my beloved fiance. He's gone, his soul in limbo for all of eternity. My efforts cannot call him back to the realm of the living, and that's how it always has and will be." Rarity replied. Rarity began to cry, her tears washing the blood from her face. As Twilight watched, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. True, she had killed all of her friends and even Twilight's older brother and Spike, but Twilight somehow found forgiveness for her. Twilight stood to her hooves and stared at Rarity, who was still crying on her throne.
"Rarity, I'm sorry Tid died." She said.
"How can you say that with a straight face?" Rarity asked bitterly.
"What?" Twilight asked in confusion.
"I heard what you said. Tid didn't belong. He had to be rid of, so you plotted to kill him." Rarity said.
"Rarity, I never said that."
"Don't lie to me. I watched you talking to the others when you said it." Rarity said.
"Rarity, I'm not lying. If you want, you can use Pinkie's power to interrogate me." Twilight said. A second later the King of Hell emerged from the floor and grabbed Twilight's tongue.
"Did you or any of the others conspire to kill Tid?" Rarity asked. The King of Hell released her tongue to allow her to speak.
"No." She answered. The King of Hell grabbed Twilight's tongue once more and Rarity watched with genuine curiosity at what the result would be. Finally, the King of Hell released Twilight's tongue and it sank back into the ground. Rarity stared at Twilight with disbelief.
"H-how?" She asked.
"I told you Rarity, I'm not lying. We didn't plan to kill Tid." Twilight said. At that moment the doors burst open.
(Switch of viewpoint)
I sat with my back against nothing in the emptiness of limbo. I sat with my head buried in my knees, my arms holding my knees together as my eternity continued on. I heaved a sigh of sadness for the nth time and lifted my head so that my eyes peered over my arms. Before me and all around me stretched a pure-black emptiness that either encassed me in a cold black box or stretched on infinitely. I then thought about her again. I wondered what it was she had been doing since my death. I wondered where she was now, where she had risen to in the world, whether or not she was happy... Whether or not she had found someone else. I had wondered these things countless times in the time that I had spent in limbo. Sometimes I closed my eyes and remembered the times we had shared together, how happy we had been. I would recall them with such vividness they would almost seem real, her warmth covering my body each time; but each time I would open my eyes again, and then she was gone. The warmth was gone. Sometimes her image would appear in the space before me, staring at me with warm eyes and giving me a great smile. I would stand up to see her, and reach my hand out to touch her. My hand would always collide with what seemed like a cold wall, her image rippling at my touch. I would begin to long for her even more, staring at the image for countless minutes before letting my arm fall to my side again and sitting back down to watch the image. After a time of staring at me, her expression would begin to change from happiness to sadness, and her eyes would droop. She would turn her head slightly as she lowered it, her eyes closing and tears streaming down her face; her body shaking from her sobs. Each time I saw it it would make me cry. It would make me sad to know I couldn't help her, to know that I was stuck here while she lived her life there. Then she would open her eyes, tears still falling from her face and she would stretch out her hoof toward me, and I would do the same. Then the image would fade to nothing, and I would be left sitting there in the darkness with my hand outstretched to a Rarity that I would never hold again.
This happened once more, the same events that were mentioned before playing out exactly as I had described.
"Don't go..." I whispered to her. When the image had faded and I withdrew my arm again and I sat in silence; my sobs shaking my body as I buried my face in my knees once more. I don't want to go on like this. I thought in despair. All of a sudden I felt a warm glow coming from above me. I lifted my head and looked toward where it was coming from and I saw a green light shining above me. I stood and it enveloped me in its warm glow, surrounding me as if it were an aura of some kind. Then the space above me opened and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Rarity at the far top reaching her hoof out toward me. I was lifted off the ground by a seemingly magnetic pull and I began floating toward her. As I began floating up in the air I stretched out my hand toward her. She seemed to be nearly falling off of the edge trying to reach me. I began to ascend more quickly as I stretched out my hand more and more. Finally, I began to slow in my ascent as I was so close to her my fingertips could practically touch her hoof. Finally I grabbed onto her hoof and she pulled me up onto a grassy field as the hole closed behind me. I tumbled and landed on top of her, my arms holding me up so that my face was mere inches from hers. We blushed and I moved to the side so that I was sitting right next to her. We sat in silence for a while, just staring at each other. I reached my hand out slowly, reaching toward her face. I touched her cheek and I nearly cried with joy as I felt her smooth skin under my fingers. She jumped forward and nearly tackled me as she threw her arms around me and kissed me, tears of joy streaming down her face. After a good minute or so she broke the kiss and lay staring at me with sparkling eyes and a great big smile.
"I love you, Tid." She said. "I love you too, Rarity." I replied.
She held me close, tears still streaming down her face. She began to sob as she held me, and I wrapped my arms around her.
"I missed you so much, Tid!" She cried. Her voice wavered with every sob.
"I missed you too, Rarity. It was absolutely awful without you here." I said.
"Promise me you'll never leave me ever again!" She said holding me even tighter.
"I promise. The next time we die, it'll be together, as husband and wife." I said. She held me at arms length and smiled.
"Thank you!" She said. I touched my forehead against hers.
"You're welcome." I said. Then she looked me dead in the eyes, a frown on her face.
"Please, Tid, forgive me." She said.
"Forgive you? For what?" I asked. She took her arms from around me and sat facing away from me so that I was viewing her at profile. She stared at the ground, a look of shame on her.
"When you died, I was devastated. The next night, I decided to kill everyone. I killed first Robert, then Vinyl... And then..." She said. I sat in silence as I listened to her, becoming more and more astonished as she spoke.
"Then I moved on to our dear friends. First Applejack, then Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." She turned to me, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry!" She said. I pulled her close and rested her head against my chest, stroking her mane.
"Shh, it's okay, Rarity. There's got to be more to it than that." I said. She didn't reply, but instead she kept sobbing. I gently set her on the grass and stood. She sat up and looked at me.
"Tid, where are you going?" She asked.
"I'm going to clear this situation up." I replied. I looked at her.
"You brought me back to life, so it's time I started living again. I'll see you on the other side." I said.
"Okay, but please, be careful." She said. I smiled.
"Don't worry, I made a promise to you, and this time I'm gonna keep it." I said. With that I vanished, leaving her sitting in the field.
As I transcended from the realm of death into the living, I was stopped about halfway through by something mysterious. I was standing in a blank, empty space that was eerily similar to my previous accommodation. I looked around but saw no one; that is, until I returned my gaze back in front of me. Before me stood a glowing white alicorn that seemed to be made of light itself. Her wings were large and magestic, and so was her horn. She stood as tall as I did and her mane flowed about her in a peculiar fashion, one that is hard to describe. Her features were indiscernible.
"Welcome, Tid." She said. She seemed to speak not through her mouth, but through her mind.
"Uh, hello." I replied.
"Do you know who I am?" She asked. I shook my head.
"I am the Queen of the pony race. I have created and shaped this world, and I have looked over it for all of time." She said. I took a step back in astonishment.
"There is no need to be alarmed. I have seen your deeds, and your sacrifices." She said. I stood there, silent, staring at her in awe.
"Your friends have fallen to the clutches of death, just as you had done. The world itself has been surrounded by a veil of dark magic that causes loss to seep into the hearts of all it touches." She said.
"Really?" I asked. She nodded.
"There is no one left alive in this world that could possibly defeat Rarity as she stands now. This is where you come in, Tid." She said.
"Me?" I asked. She nodded once more.
"It will be up to you to stop the hatred that has taken hold of your fiance. I will give you some of my power to assist you." She said. A magical aura surrounded the both of us and I felt a strange tingling sensation all over my body. After a few seconds the sensation stopped.
"I have given you the power to turn back time. When you banish the hatred from your fiance, you will be able to turn back time only once. It will return you to the day after the end of the war, and it will be as if you had never died. Everyone's memories of these past events, save for those who have recieved my blessing, and you and Rarity, will be erased." She said. I looked down at my hands in awe.
"How do I activate it?" I asked her.
"You'll know when the time comes. If you prove to me that you can control this power, I'll later give you the ability to survive the golden flames." She said. I looked up at her.
"The golden flames?" I asked.
"Until we meet again, Tid." She said. With that I was sent on my way.
I was lying in an open coffin when I opened my eyes. My arms were crossed over my chest and I was laying as stiff as a board in the spacious white marble tomb. I uncrossed my arms with great discomfort and sat up with an equal amount of discomfort. I looked around and saw Itachi standing next to me, his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan active.
"Itachi? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I came to get you. We need your help." He replied.
"How did you-? Never mind. Help me out, will you?" I asked grabbing the sides of the coffin and trying to hoist myself out of the coffin. He took me by the armpits and lifted me out with great ease. I landed on my feet and nearly fell, as my legs were asleep.
"Jeez, how long was I dead?" I asked.
"About three weeks." He said. I started swinging my arms about, trying to loosen them up. I grabbed the heel of my foot and pulled it up as much as I could to stretch out my legs. When I was nice and loose I turned back to Itachi.
"Well, I've got to stop Rarity from killing anyone else. Let's go." I said. I started walking toward the white stone door that was surrounded by marble columns that lined the walls. It stood at the end of a smooth quartz path that led from the door to my coffin (or in this case from my coffin to the door).
"Hold it," Itachi said clasping his hand to my shoulder and nearly pulling me backward.
"What?" I asked.
"If you go out there, you'll be affected by the dark magic. You need to use your Susano'o." He said. I turned toward him.
"I don't know how to use the Susano'o!" I said.
"Just concentrate and manifest your Chakra on the outside of your body." He replied.
"Manifest my Chakra on the outside of my body? Hmmm." I said. I activated my Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Tid, what happened to your Mangekyou Rinnegan?" He asked upon seeing my Sharingan.
"Oh, I let Rarity use it." I answered casually.
"You mean you transfered not just the Chakra required to use it, but the actual ocular jutsu itself?" He asked. I nodded.
"Incredible. A Transcirption Seal of that level is beyond legendary." He said in awe.
I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. I tried to picture my Chakra manifesting outside of my body. After a few minutes I felt a burning sensation all over my body that forced my eyes open. When I opened my eyes I saw an ethereal warrior that was as black as coal enveloping me in its ribcage. It continued to form until it was nearly complete, forming muscles from each of its joints and spaces in the skull before donning armor of the same color. When the Susano'o was finished forming, it stood as tall as the mausoleum we were standing in. It had two sets of arms, like Itachi's. Its armor was plated and almost scaley in appearance with curved horns on the shoulder plates and helmet. In its right hand it held a long sword that curved only slight near the end, almost like the Totsuka Blade. In its left hand it held a book for some reason. I looked down at my hands inside of the Susano'o in awe.
"Is this my Susano'o?" I asked.
"It looks like it." He said. I grinned and clenched my hands.
"Come on Itachi," I said turning away from him as he activated his Susano'o. "We've got a world to save."
Itachi and I exited the mausoleum and I saw the dark world that Rarity had created. I looked to the sky above and saw pitch-black clouds dropping large raindrops that seemed to evaporate at the touch of Itachi and I's Susano'os.
"She's currently residing in the Crystal Empire." Itachi said answering the question I had been about to ask him. I decided to put it to mere coincidence and began running, Itachi following close behind. As we ran Itachi caught me up with everything that had happened since I died. "
I see. And your sure that's what happened to her?" I asked him. He nodded.
"Did you check her Chakra to make sure?" I asked.
"I did once, and that was before I came up with the theory. However, since then, I have not been able to." He replied. I swore. I had given her my Mangekyou Rinnegan to protect herself, not to become a savior of darkness. By the time that he had finished we had already passed Canterlot and were halfway to the Crystal Empire. I was using the power of the Seventh Gate and Itachi was using his incredible speed to keep up.
"Don't blame yourself, Tid. Not even I thought this would happen." He said.
"I'm sick of this Curse." I said in anger. Itachi didn't say anything. As we approached I saw the massive black barrier surrounding the entire Crystal Empire.
"How do we get in?" I asked.
"Our Susano'os should be able to protect us." He answered. As we got closer I felt the need to say something.
"Itachi, let me deal with her, okay? I don't want you to get involved, under any circumstances." I said. I looked over my shoulder. "This is something her and I have to do together." I said. He nodded.
"As you wish." He said. I smiled.
"Good." I stopped just before the barrier and he did the same. I looked at him and he nodded.
"See you when its over." I said. He nodded once more and I turned to the barrier, took a deep breath, and stepped into it.
The Susano'o surrounding me began to slowly dissolve as it moved through the barrier. Within seconds the armor surrounding my Susano'o was gone, leaving only the muscles and skeleton left. By the time I emerged from the other side of the barrier, only the rib cage of my Susano'o remained. I deactivated it and ran toward the Crystal Palace. I jumped and traveled along the roof tops, waking some of the residents within. I jumped onto the roof top of the building that stood just before the Crystal Palace and found a horrible sight. Hundreds of royal guards lay bloodied and lacerated on the ground, all of them dead.
"Has Rarity really grown this strong?" I asked to no one in particular as I observed the scene. I shook my head to shake myself out of the daze that had gotten hold of me and I leapt from the roof top. I landed just in front of the pillars that surrounded the Crystal Heart. I looked to my left and saw Shining Armor laying dead on the ground with what appeared to be chain-marked bruises on his mid-section. I looked to my right and saw Princess Cadence with the same injuries. I sighed and walked forward, passing right by the transformed Crystal Heart and up the crystal steps toward the large doors that separated me and my fiance. As I walked the wind blew my hair and cloak around me, chilling my skin and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I paused just before the large doors, staring at them with uncertainty. I heaved a sigh and pushed them open. I made my way through the halls of the palace and almost found myself marching toward the throne room. I maintained a steady pace as I walked through the corridor, my expression serious and unwavering. In that moment I felt almost like Itachi, which amused me. Finally the double-doors of the throne room stood before me and I pressed my hands against them, pausing for a moment. I heaved a sigh and then I pushed open the doors.
Rarity turned her attention to the figure standing in the doorway and nearly jumped out of her seat, but managed to remain seated. She took her head off of her hoof and her jaw dropped to see who was standing there. Twilight turned around and her mouth also fell open. Rarity stood slowly to her hooves in awe.
"T-Tid?" She asked. She could see his luminous Mangekyou Sharingan staring at her. She walked down the steps from the throne and stood at their base still staring at him in awe.
"H-how are you alive?" Twilight asked. Instead of answering her he looked at her and she fell to the ground, her eyes glazed over. He then turned his attention back to Rarity. He walked toward her, his expression hard and unwavering. His eyes stared at her with a cold and unnerving stare. She watched in partial fear as he approached, not sure of what he would do. He spoke to her as he approached, his tone resembling the expression he had worn. She gulped as he stopped just inches from her; her eyes wide with fear. He reached out his hand and lifted her chin so that she was looking into his eyes; his Mangekyou Sharingan seeming to be bigger than ever and even more cold. They stood there like that for what seemed like minutes; and Rarity all the while was in fear that his Mangekyou Sharingan would start spinning. Then, he kissed her.
I opened the doors and Rarity's jaw dropped when she saw me. Twilight turned around, confused as to what could make Rarity react like that and then her jaw dropped as well.
"T-Tid?" Rarity asked. She then walked down the steps and stood at the base.
"H-how are you alive?" Twilight asked. I looked at her. Sorry Twilight. I thought before I put her under a genjutsu. Her eyes glazed over and she crumpled to the floor; unconscious. I then turned my gaze back toward Rarity and started walking toward her.
"Rarity, how far you've fallen." I said as I walked. She continued to watch me with what now resembled fear.
"You have let your hatred consume you," I said. I then closed my eyes and continued my next sentence with a sigh. "Though I suppose that could also be because of me." I opened them again and looked at her.
"However, now is not the time to discuss that. There's something I must tell you." I said. I stood before her and cast my genjutsu over her, knowing she would likely not consent to saying what needed to be said of her own free will.
"Rarity, I need you to recite the poem with me." I told her.
"Alright." She replied.
"The world is vast and plentiful," I began.
"There are many wonders," She continued.
"However, there is no wonder greater than a bond,"
"Bonds that can be broken, or saved, in an instant,"
"But there is one bond that cannot be broken,"
"That bond is the bond that is shared between two lovers,"
"Two people who truly love each other,"
"Two people that would sacrifice everything for one another,"
"Two people that stand up for one another,"
"Two people who cannot be separated even by death,"
"For that love is like a flame,"
"A flame that cannot be put out, by smothering or by water,"
"A roaring flame that burns eternally,"
"The flame, of our love." We both finished.
When we had finished I lifted the Genjutsu and lifted her chin with my hand and kissed her. We both closed our eyes and began to float into the air. As we ascended a golden stream of light surrounded and enveloped the both of us, filling us with warmth as it purified Rarity. It surrounded her horn and her horn returned to its previous size, doing the same with her mane and tail. She shrank back to her normal size as the light wrapped itself around her midsection. Then, it flew around her and entered through her chest. It traveled through her body and the midnight-purple of her Nightmare form dissolved as it traveled and revealed the magnificent white underneath. As it reached her flank the extra markings on her Cutie Mark dissolved into her body and returned to its former image. When the transformation was complete, we opened our eyes and held each other at arm's length; staring into each other's eyes.
"I promise, I'll never leave you like that again." I promised.
"Thank you." She said and hugged me.
At that moment, Rarity and I were once again affected by gravity and we fell toward the ground. I landed on my feet and caught Rarity in my arms.
"Oh," She said looking up at me and blushing. I chuckled and set her down on the floor. She stared into my Mangekyou Rinnegan.
"Does this mean you took your powers back?" She asked. I nodded and bit my thumb to draw blood. I wrote the kanji for Deva on her forehead like I had done before and I transferred the powers of the Deva Path to her. As the marking dissolved Rarity looked at me in astonishment.
"You really trust me with this power again?" She asked. I nodded.
"Rarity, it wasn't your fault that all of this happened. I'll explain it later. You shouldn't feel bad about what happened, and no one is going to blame you anymore. In a few minutes, it will be as if this never happened, and we can go back to fighting as a team and everything will be as it was." I said to her.
"Alright, I suppose I can't argue with that." She said smiling slightly.
At that moment the entire building began to shake and bits of dust and debris fell from the ceiling.
"This is not how we plan to end!" Hissed a voice from somewhere beyond the walls. A few seconds later what looked like black flames began to pour from the crevices in the walls and roof and swirled together with a black gale of wind before the throne. Rarity and I took a few steps back and watched in surprise as this happened. After a few seconds the gale died down and the black flames took form and shaped themselves into solid figure that resembled Rarity's Nightmare form.
"What?!" I shouted in shock. Rarity looked at me in fear.
"What is it?" She asked. Her hatred is so strong it manifested? I thought in wide-eyed surprise.
"That's right; we are the very manifestation of Rarity's hatred. We have taken a solid form to destroy all those who dare to oppose us." It said. Rarity looked at me.
"That's… My hatred?" She asked with the same wide-eyed shock as I wore on my face. I nodded. The figure closed its eyes for a few seconds, and when it opened them again, my Mangekyou Rinnegan was staring back at me. I recoiled at the sight.
"We have retained all of your powers, Tid. You and your fiancé cannot possibly hope to win." It said. I turned to Rarity and tapped her forehead with two fingers, forcing a Sharingan to take its place in both of her eyes.
"You're giving me your Sharingan?" Rarity asked. She was smart enough to know what a Sharingan felt like, having been exposed to it for so long.
"No, I told you I'll explain later. For now, we need to defeat your hatred." She stared at me for a few seconds before grinning and nodding. We turned back to the figure and it laughed; which sounded like many souls laughing at once.
"Defeat us," It hissed. "Preposterous! We'll destroy all who stand in our way!" At that moment several dark clouds that manifested into black spirits with glowing red eyes appeared, the most prominent of which appeared to take the shape of a dragon with a long neck and no body. I glanced at Rarity.
"You ready?" I asked her.
"Indeed I am." She replied. I nodded and we charged the figure, the spirits (save for the dragon) extending toward us as well. The battle had begun.
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Me: Well, that was by far my longest and most exciting chapter.
Rarity: I'm so glad my Tid is back. Now all that's left to do is banish my hatred once and for all.
Me: That's right. Everyone else, stay tuned for the next chapter that brings the full battle and the exciting conclusion to the Wrath of Rarity arc! See ya then!