Chapter 39:

Battling Slash!

After a few more encounters with Slash's Forces, Conduits, and Electric Knights, The Mane 7 and Spike finally made it to Slash's Fortress and used an elevator to reach the top. When they arrived, they looked around trying to find where Celestia and Luna are being held. Of course, it didn't take long for Spike to poke Twilight's shoulder, catching her attention, and pointed her and her friends to where the princesses are.

Ahead of them, they saw Celestia and Luna being held up by a pole, getting drained from the crystals. As much as it pains and scares them, the Mane 7 know they have to save them and fast.

But as the seven mares were approaching the trapped sisters, Spike was beginning to have the same feeling that Twilight did, well sorta.

"Um, girls?" Spike said, trying to get their attention.

While they were heading for the trapped princesses, the Mane 7 were unaware that Slash was watching them stealthily and growling quietly too.

"Um, Twilight?" Spike said, getting Twilight's attention.

"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked, looking at him.

"I still don't like this. It's almost like he's baiting us or something. I think I'm getting smarter," Spike said, still getting a bad vibe about this.

And Spike has no idea how right he is. For Slash knows why they're here and then suddenly, like an owl, he flew off swiftly and quietly.

"Twilight…Destroy The Crystals…," Celestia said rather weakly from her magic being drained into the crystals.

"...Quickly," Luna finished in an even tone also from her magic being drained.

"Quick, we need to get them out of here before Slash comes back," Twilight ordered.

"Come on," Rainbow Dash as they galloped to destroy the crystals from draining more of Celestia and Luna's magic.

But before they got close enough, appearing between them and the trapped Princesses is Slash as he stood tall over them and expanded his wings, trying to intimidate them.

"If only it were that easy, Little Ponies," Slash taunted in a low menacing voice.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-so…B-b-b-b-b-big," Spike stuttered in fear.

"About Time You All Learned How Complicated Life Can Be," Slash said, walking around Twilight and her friends, causing them to back up a little from him.

Slash raised up on his hind legs and slowly moved his head around and then quickly struck Twilight, tossing her away. Seeing their friend get struck like that, the Mane 6 tried to head over to help her, but Slash stopped them too.

As Twilight got back up, she heard Celestia pleaded, "Run…Twilight…All of you,".

"...Go, save yourselves!" Luna pleaded in an even tone.

But instead of running, Twilight stood her ground and looked at Slash with determination. It's time for her to stop running and start fighting.

"No, not this time. This time I fight," Twilight said in determination, ready to fight her fear.

Slash chuckled evilly, "You think you could defeat me? Your friends couldn't defeat me nor your mentors," He said, pointing to The Mane 6 and the trapped Princesses.

"Besides, I have heard that there was a special Alicorn, an Alicorn said to unite all the creatures of Equestria as one," Slash explained over Twilight's thoughts.

"Don't listen to him, Twilight. He's trying to get into your head," Sunset warned, clearly seeing what Slash was trying to do.

But her warning only brightened the fire Slash's eyes as he faced Twilight with his wings flared and an evil smirk on his face.

"So that is your name? Twilight." He said, almost rolling her name off his tongue.

"Finally, a worthy opponent. Our Battle Will Be LEGENDARY!" Slash declared with a raised wing in the air.

"We'll see about that!" Twilight insisted as she then charged at Slash and blasted him with her magic and used her aerial combat fighting skills.

The Mane 6 and Spike watched the battle unfold with concern and shock.

Back with the battle, Slash flew out and dived into the clouds below his fortress. Twilight looked around to see where he has gone until suddenly he appeared flying fast, ready to strike. Switching to her Earth Magic, Twilight quickly made a rock pillar appeared in Slash's way as the evil stallion blasted it away with his magic and landed to continue the fight. Twilight dodges Slash's attacks and tried to fight him off but unfortunately, it appears that Slash was getting the upper horn.

"Quick, you guys destroy the crystals. Pinkie, you and I have to help Twilight!" Rainbow Dash ordered as the Mane 6 nodded to each other and split up to do their parts.

Twilight was now having a hard time battling Slash as the stallion then kicks her to the edge of the fortress. And to make things worse, using his magic, Slash grabs Twilight by the neck , leaving her to choke and struggle to breathe.

Suddenly, as Slash was about to serve the final blow, Pinkie appeared in front of him and shouted, "SURPRISE!" and zapped him with her Electric Magic, causing the stallion to lose his grip on Twilight. But it also allowed Twilight to plummet down into the clouds below, screaming.

Seeing her friend falling, Rainbow Dash quickly flies down after her and uses her Air Magic to catch Twilight and lift her back up.

As Slash was about to fight Pinkie, he found his hooves getting tangled by some vines growing out of the floor and starts hitting himself with it, courtesy of Fluttershy using her Nature Magic.

"Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?" Pinkie teased with a giggle.

Having about enough of their tricks, Slash breaks free from the vines and grabs the two mares within his evil magic grasp.

"Rarity!" Pinkie called out.

"Sunset!" Fluttershy called out as well.

"Go, help them!" Applejack ordered as Rarity and Sunset set off to save their friends.

Rarity ran ahead of Sunset and flew into the air as she struck Slash with a huge wave of water, washing him almost close to the edge. Shaking off the water, Slash then sees Sunset flying around him blasting walls of fire onto the floor. Knowing what she's doing, Slash began to gallop quickly to get out of the ring of fire before he's trapped.

Seeing Slash heading towards them, Twilight turned to Applejack and gave her the signal, "Applejack, NOW!".

Applejack then flew into the air and slammed the ground hard with her Earth Magic, causing the tiles to become rock pillars in a wavy pattern. Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy moved out of the way quickly as the pillars struck Slash forcing him back as Sunset completed her fire ring.

"We got him!" Sunset said, seeing they got him trapped.

"Now!" Twilight ordered as she and her friends charged towards the evil stallion, screaming in determination, ready to defeat Slash once and for all.

Sunset flew ahead and blew her Fire Magic at Slash, causing the Stallion to nearly dodge the attack and screamed in difficulties.

Then Rarity ran to him and struck him with her Water Magic, washing him back to the edge.

As Slash struggles to keep his balance, Pinkie flew up to him and zapped him with her Electricity Magic.

Using her Nature Magic, Fluttershy quickly grabbed a vine and tossed it to Rainbow.

Applejack used her Earth Magic to make a rock pillar appear and hit Slash in the stomach.

Then Rainbow tangled the Alicorn Stallion in the vine and used her Air Magic to swirl him around in the air.

And serving the final blow, Twilight jumped off Rainbow and uses all the magic she has to send Slash over the edge of his fortress and cuts the vine, sending the Dark Alicorn Stallion to his doom down below, screaming.

With that the Mane 7 landed and took a breather for that was the fiercest and most dangerous battle they have ever done.

"Are you girls okay?" Spike asked, approaching them with concern.

"Do not fret, Spike. We're fine," Rarity assured the young Dragon.

"Come on, we need to get the princesses out of here and destroy those crystals," Twilight reminded them as they hurried to the trapped sisters to finish what they need to do. But if they stood around long enough they would've seen the red glow within the cloud cover.