MLP-The Abstract Apocalypse. Phase II: Chapter XV.

XIV – SUNSET.
-
Emerald opened her eyes slowly and yawned. She looked around the dark room and sighed, no sign of him again.
The green mare got up and looked at her little filly sleeping quietly under the sheets. She looked at the couch that was near the bed and saw Twilight lying there, also caught in a deep sleep.
When she slowly opened the window the thought that came to her head was simple: “The sky will never be the same”. Those weird purple clouds were dominating the sky, but leaving the red Sun untouched. Part of that made her smile, she knew that Celestia was still alive and her Sun was still shining bright, but the black sky was still disturbing and the purple fissures were generating a distinct feeling of despair.
“Emerald?” she heard Twilight’s voice “Is everything Ok?”
Emerald looked at her and smiled. Besides knowing that the world was a total mess she still had hope.
“I’m fine.” She said “Had a good night of sleep?”
Twilight nodded and yawned. The Princess of Friendship stretched her legs and wings and quickly got out of the couch.
“She slept all night after that agitation.” The purple Alicorn said “And I ended up sleeping here.”
Emerald smiled again and walked near her friend.
“I loved the company Twi.” She said “I hope once this is over we can continue with our normal lives.”
A knock on the door was heard and a familiar voice came from behind it.
“Emerald! Flame!” Price was calling “You need to see this!”
Twilight and Emerald traded looks and went to answer the door; Flame was too exhausted to wake up. When they opened the door Price was surprised to see his mother there, but he shook his head to get his thoughts straight. The two mares were surprised to see him covered in bandages and using a cane to help him walk.
“General War Hammer arrived!” he said “And he brought some big reinforcements! And we received a message from the southern outpost; The Army of Auroram is almost at our borders!”
Emerald’s eyes shone with hope, she knew that Holly and Applejack were with the aurorians and that they had the Element, but most importantly her daughter was returning home.
Twilight smiled. The reinforcements of Auroram and the help of War Hammer, one of the greatest Generals that Equestria had ever seen, would grant them at least strategic advantage over the Dragons. But her true worry was the Army that was on the North. But something else was bothering her.
“Where did you get these wounds?” she asked her son with a painful face on “I told you to be careful when flying!”
Price smirked and scratched the back of his head with his good hoof.
“S-Sorry mom.” He apologized “Looks like the Kindness blessing wore off and my bruises from the fight against Shadow Moon are coming back. But don’t worry; Nicole is taking care of me.”
“And that’s a dream come true right?” Trip’s voice was heard and when the ponies look down the corridor they saw the salmon pony accompanied with a teal pegasi “two love birds together at last.”
Skipper poked Trip.
“Uhm… T-That’s a little bit inconvenient to say.” The girly male pegasi said.
“Nah.” Trip answered quickly “I’m just telling the truth.”
Price gave a scenic look towards the pony.
“You’re lucky I’m injured…” the purple pegasi said “And you should listen to Skips, he knows what he’s talking about.”
Skipper gave away a small cute laughter and blushed a bit. Price never understood why he was so shy; then again, he never understood Fluttershy’s excessive shyness as well.
“Anyway, the armies are assembling here in Canterlot, but there’s little space in the city.” Price said.
“Not surprising.” Trip said “We have all of Ponyville’s population in Canterlot. Maybe we’ll even receive refugees from Manehattan and Fillydelphia since the Dragons are coming that way.”
Silence grew bigger between the group; the thought of Geist’s Black Army marching through Equestria was uncomfortable. But also the thought of the Equestrian army getting ready and the Aurorean army getting closer also gave them hope.
They could win this war!
-
Dark Sunshine took off her dress as she looked back to her sister doing the same and putting on a small green skirt.
“You changed a lot Star.” She said “You’re not the same pony I once knew.”
Dana looked back and smiled.
“Call me Dana sis.” She asked “I like that name more. And I’m still me, I just… Had a hard time getting through all of this ‘Queen of Ages’ thing. It’s all so new, so disturbingly powerful…”
Sunshine walked close to her and putted her hoof over Dana’s shoulder smiling to her. The responsibility of such power fell upon her so quickly.
“I still don’t want to be a queen sis…” Dana said “I’m not a leader like you… All my decisions when I was younger were councils of Guardian Sword and Thunder. I still think you’re the real leader of our nation.”
The big Mind Unicorn hugged her and brushed her blonde mane.
“I can help you ruling, but you’re the queen.” She told her “It’s your right. I’ll help you as I can.”
Dana held her sister close. The warm feeling of hugging her again was nostalgic and comfortable. Then she realized she missed that pony more then she had known.
“I missed you so much sister!” she hugged Sunshine tighter.
Dark Sunshine giggled as some tears started rolling down her cheeks as she cuddled Dana tighter.
“I will be always with you little Star.” She said and Dana giggled between her sobbing, her old nickname reminded her of the old times “And you’ll know that deep in your heart.”
A knock on the door was heard and both Mind Unicorns interrupted their hugging as Princess Luna opened the door and entered the room smiling.
“It’s great to know that you have the control of your Kingdom back.” Luna said “And I must say, it’s an honor being with the Queen of Ages.”
Luna started to bow, but Dana’s hoof stopped her.
“Do not bow to me Your Highness.” She said bowing “I’m honored to have a daughter of Archangel in my humble palace.”
Dark Sunshine bowed as well.
“Your Highness has an appointment with the Queen?” the Nightmare guild leader asked “Should I leave?”
Luna asked them to get up with a gesture.
“Thou can stay Miss Sunshine.” The Princess of the moon said “I’m just here to inform that our armies are assembled in Canterlot. General War Hammer is already commanding our forces and that the armies of Auroram are almost here. But one thing I need to ask you.”
The two Mind Unicorns looked at her confused, what could they say?
“There’s a magic barrier around Equestria.” Luna said “And I want your magic specialists to study what it is and how can we dispel it.”
Sunshine assumed a more serious expression and posture.
“The Abstract and Dream Guilds have the best researchers in the whole world.” She said “I’ll ask Archmage Lullaby and Pretor Soul Binder to look into the case Your Highness.”
Luna nodded and looked back to Dana.
“Your friends were looking for you.” She said “Maybe you could go visit them when your duties are done.”
Dana smiled and bowed again.
“I have lots to do here.” She said “I lost lots of years and I need to be filled in with the details again. Being just a wanderer for years might have… Clouded my thoughts about my monarchy.”
Luna giggled and winked at her.
“Any tips just look for my council.” She offered and Dana’s smile widened “After all we’re friends.”
The Queen of the Memory Empire hugged the Princess of the Night who hugged her back.
The number of alliances Equestria had been growing. The Memory Empire and Auroram were going to help them in the war against the dragons. She just had to hope Celestia came back with great news.
-
Blaze slowly opened his eyes just to see the fading silhouette of a light-teal mare with deep blue eyes and dark mane, who was smiling towards him. And when his vision got better the first thing he saw was Melinda’s figure sleeping while lying over a rock.
His hearing returned and the sound of rain could be heard outside.
The second BroKeN slowly got up and looked the cave entrance and what he saw wasn’t at all expected.
Cyan Flame was sitting by the entrance of the cave, looking at the rain. Blaze slowly got up and summoned some of his shadows.
“Everything is confusing…” he heard the bluish-gray BroKeN “But if it wasn’t you… Who was it?”
Blaze widened his eyes and made his shadows retreat. How did Cyan’s opinion changed so much? What had happened? He also heard some noises behind him and when he looked back he saw Melinda getting up and smiling towards him. Something was really wrong.
“What happened?” Blaze asked “I just remember…”
Melinda approached him slowly.
“We discovered that weren’t you who killed his father.” She said “And that it was you who took me out of that circus.”
Blaze was surprised. He remembered taking Melinda away from that abusive circus and leaving her with Celestia, but discovering that he didn’t kill Cyan’s father? How did they do that?
“I think your shadows showed us that you’re not an evil guy.” She got closer “And that we need to help you, for all of our sakes.”
“Doesn’t mean I like it…” Cyan mumbled loud enough for the two ponies to hear him.
Blaze sighed annoyed by his attitude.
“What else do my shadows need to show you?” the second BroKeN asked “What do you want from me?”
Cyan got up and looked back at him. He looked like he haven’t slept for the whole night.
“I want something! Anything!” he said “Anything that makes me believe that some pony took your form and assaulted my village and killed every pony I knew!”
Melinda’s eyes widened. Took his form? That sounded familiar.
“Sounds like a BroKeN power…” Blaze said “But I know every single living and dead BroKeN pony… Only Offscreen can do something like that… But.”
“But?” Cyan asked impatiently.
Blaze looked at Cyan. He hated that Unicorn, but he felt like he owed him an explanation at least. He didn’t know where Offscreen could be, or what he could be doing.
“I don’t think he would do such thing.” He told him “He’s not like that; I’ve known him for his whole life. But that leaves us clueless…”
Cyan stomped the ground and some cyan flames erupted from his nose. He was frustrated, but, for the first time in years, he didn’t want to attack Blaze like he used to.
“Maybe…” Melinda’s voice was heard “I might know something.”
Both unicorns looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She stepped forward and looked to them.
“There was this pony in the circus.” She said “He was my only friend for a long time. He told me that I could help him with something. Since I liked him I helped, I gave some blood for some sort of research that he was doing. He just said he needed time and we both would be out of the circus forever.”
‘BroKeN blood?’ Blaze thought, what that could possibly lead to Cyan’s father assassin?
“I remember he said that once he had all the material he needed he would be able to copy my powers and from others like me.” She told them “He said that he would be able to have and grant power like none other had ever done. I was just a filly so I didn’t understand a thing he said.”
Blaze frowned. What use could that have?
“He once told me all BroKeN originated from an experiment.” She said making the two unicorns widen their eyes in surprise “And that replication of a BroKeN DNA could, hypothetically, lead to another genome. I didn’t understand anything and still it doesn’t make any sense. But could he do it? Could he replicate Blaze’s power and also Offscreen’s?”
It didn’t sound possible! Neither Star Swirl, the bearded, discovered the origin of the BroKeN ponies. If what Melinda was saying was true the pony she knew had the key to the BroKeN gene! And all of its mysterious secrets.
“Who is this pony?” Cyan asked.
Melinda looked away for a bit, she was trying to remember the name of that pony.
“I think…” she started “I think his name was Mimic Mask. He was a clown in the circus, but he was one of those sad clowns you know? Every pony called him ‘Frowny’. But I think he might be an old horse now, or he might be even dead.”
Cyan looked at Blaze and the purple unicorn sighed.
“It’s a start.” He said “Not a plausible one, but it’s. We will look into this once our business with this war ends. You have my word.”
The grayish-cyan pony smiled for a bit. Now he wasn’t clouded by anger against that pony, although the thought of having him near him was frightening.
“I’ll go too.” Melinda said “I made a promise and I want to keep it.”
Blaze looked at her confused.
“With Cyan? Or with the clown dude?” he asked and Melinda giggled.
The yellow pony got close and hugged his leg laying her head over his chest.
“With your shadows.” She said smiling “I promised something to her.”
“Her?” Blaze asked, his shadows were female?
Melinda and Cyan laughed a bit from his reaction. It would be a long journey back to Canterlot.
-
Celestia screamed as she went flying out of the Crystal Palace’s window.
The white Alicorn sprung open her wings and flew away as the Death followed her swinging his scythe and destroying the wall.
The Princess of the Sun swung her spear and pointed it towards the Dark Titan and a magic golden circle appeared. When she shouted a huge Sunlight beam erupted from the spear homing towards Death.
The pale Centaur smiled as he swung his weapon changing the direction of the beam, which hit the ground and exploded lots of crystal houses where it hit.
“Your destructive power is incredible!” Death shouted “You could easily be my new Queen if you wish!”
“SILENCE!!” Celestia was using her royal voice, showing that she wasn’t joking about that. The Princess quickly made another three magic circles and fired the magic Sun beams through them, but when they were about to hit the Titan he simply swung his scythe and the three beams were deflected.
“You don’t learn!” he said raising his left hand where a dark-red energy was starting to form “You won’t be able to defeat me without any magic from The Book! Because I have tons of them!”
The dark-red energy began to grow more and more as it seemed to suck air around it. Ozone scent started to fill Celestia’s nostrils.
“Chapter 3…” Celestia mumbled “Page 30, Line 8: Dark Lightening!”
Death smiled when he heard her.
“So you’ve read from The Book…” he said “Excellent!”
The Dark Titan sprung open his fingers and an absurd dark-red lightening bolt was shot towards the white Alicorn. Celestia barely evaded the energy beam, but the air around it was enough to suck almost all air from her lungs and she tried her best to grasp for air.
“The magic that the Titans created was never used by mortal beings.” Death started while Celestia landed on a little house trying not to faint from the lack of air “It has lots of different properties. The beam can kill a being without even touching it. I love the Chapter 3, because of...”
Celestia showed her teeth in anger towards the Dark Titan and swung her spear sending three Sunlight beams towards him. But he simply evaded them.
“The dark spells you wrote!” she shouted “Nothing more than that! You’re a corrupt monster and I’ll put you down!”
Death readied his scythe and lifted one of his eye-brows, a silent challenge to the Alicorn Princess, who charged her horn and spear with magic and dashed with insane speed towards the Dark Titan.
The weapons collided and a huge sonic boom erupted from it. It devastated the landscape turning the crystal buildings into almost nothing then ashes, the only construction that stood still was the Crystal Palace. Centaurs and ponies from the Brotherhood ran away from the ferocious combat afraid, but still cheering for their lord and Master.
Celestia quickly swung her spear trying to get a hit on his shoulder, but the Centaur moved to the right and quickly raised his fist hitting the Princess on her flank and sending her flying meters away from him.
“I have power beyond your recognition Celestia!” he shouted with a laughter “I have unlimited power!”
The Titan stretched his fingers towards her and hundreds of lightening flew towards the Alicorn from the tip of his fingers.
The Princess of the Sun widen her eyes and flapped her wings creating a crater from the insane impulse she gave, fortunately she succeeded evading the lightning bolts. And that made Death smile more, a terrifying and sadistic smile.
“Excellent!” he shouted “Oh most excellent! I couldn’t expect less from you!”
Celestia cringed her teeth and pointed her spear towards the Sun and closed her eyes. Suddenly the earth began to quake beneath Death’s hooves and the Titan laughed in ecstasy.
“I am the holder of the sun’s magic, answer me now, oh star that shines upon…” Celestia started.
“Even though you’re the daughter of a Titan you can’t summon The Spells without reciting them.” The Dark Titan smiled and dropped his scythe “COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE!”
“Book of the Titans.” The Alicorn opened her eyes and pointed the spear towards her foe “Chapter 7, Page 3, Line 1: Sunlight’s Wrath!”
Suddenly an impossible light beam came from the sky following Celestia’s command and hit the Dark Titan precisely where he stood still. She could hear his laughter while the Sunlight beam was burning everything beneath him.
“Yes! YES!” Death was shouting in excitement “This power! I can feel it flowing through you!”
The Dark Titan moved his hands and with them he opened the light beams, dark energy was surrounding his fingers as he looked up towards Celestia and laughed.
The Princess of the Sun tried to make the beam grow stronger, but her efforts were in vain. The Centaur simply dispelled her magic when he opened his arms wide. His scythe also flew up to his hand when he opened his fingers. The Titan swung his weapon and fired a crescent-like dark energy towards the Alicorn Princess, who made a quick maneuver to evade it, but just the wind it made was enough for her to almost loose all balance.
Celestia landed breaking the floor beneath her and looking up towards the Centaur charging towards her with an insane smile in his face. The Alicorn Princess got ready and lifted her spear just in time to clash it against his scythe. Another shockwave lifted stones and broke rocks around them.
Sparks flew as their weapons grinded. Blade against blade.
Death approached his face to Celestia’s and licked his lips.
“Once I’m done with you” he started “I’ll go after every pony you ever loved and cared about! And I’ll give them Hell!”
Celestia forced her spear forward pushing Death’s scythe a little.
“I’ll never allow you to win!” she said “You’re not going to touch any of them! Over my dead body!”
The Titan swung his weapon and jumped back charging dark-red magic in his right hand. The Princess of the Sun realized what he was doing and carved her spear down, creating a shield made-out of Sunlight. The impossible beam that came from the Centaur’s hand hit the shield and made Celestia cringe her teeth holding all that power. Her hooves were stuck firmly on the ground making a little path of moved dirt and a little pile of rocks behind her back hooves.
When the beam disappeared Celestia had to make a quick movement dodging the incoming blade of the scythe that hit the ground creating a shockwave that threw the Sun Princess in the air. But she just opened her wings and floated looking down at her foe. Sweat was dripping from her forehead.
“Your father trained you well…” Death said looking up “He knew you’d have to fight me one day. That you would need this amount of power, to accomplish what he never could!”
He pointed the scythe to her and smiled while that dark-red energy started to cover his muzzle.
“But I am supreme!” he said “No one escapes Death!”
Celestia growled and swung her spear creating lines of light in front of her. Death stepped back a little when he realized what she was doing.
The lines of light were forming an image, an eight-pointed star surrounded by a big circumference. The Princess of the Day swung her spear a few more times adding some little details outside of the drawing of light.
“It’s not about my father you have to worry Death…” Celestia said pulling the spear behind her, the magic circle was complete “It’s with my Mother’s training!”
With his face almost covered with the dark-red energy Celestia could only see his eyes and that made her confident. He widened them, clearly surprised.
Celestia pierced the magic circle with her spear and it seemed to fuse with the weapon, which also started to glow golden.
“Book of the Titans, Chapter 8.” When Celestia recited those words her eyes instantly glowed golden “Page 10, Line 9: Aurora’s Wrath!”
The spear’s blade seemed to open like a lyrium flower in bloom and a multi-colored beam of light exploded from it flying towards Death, who lifted his scythe trying to block it with his bizarre energy. But his shield did not hold the energy that Celestia shot at him; it simply broke his defense and consumed him.
The Sun Princess heard his screams of pain and felt a little bit relieved that the magic had worked. She lifted the spear and Death was kneeling trying to get up with the help of his scythe. His legs were shaking and his mane seemed to have gotten smaller, also his tail and the dark fire around his hooves.
“My mother’s magic is stronger than yours.” Celestia said as the spear returned to its normal state and she landed a few meters away from the Dark Titan “You can’t win against her part of the Book.”
A laughter was heard. It was weak and feeble, but its volume was increasing and it came from Death, who now was getting up. He looked up and Celestia saw why that dark energy was getting over his face.
It had turn into a helmet that only let his deep red eyes appear. He stumbled a bit, but got on his feet thanks to the scythe, which he used as a cane.
“You think you know what true power is?” he lifted his left hand and pointed his finger towards her, his arm was shaking “You know nothing of true power…”
Celestia smirked confident, he could be a Titan. But without his full power he wasn’t that oppressive.
“That comes from some pony who can’t even stand still.” Celestia mocked “You’re done for good Death! I’ll finish this war before it star-”
A black magic circle appeared around Death’s finger and Celestia stopped her sentence when she saw it. It was an upside down triangle with a different type of cross inside it, an ankh. The circle itself was sinister enough, but the magical energy flowing from it wasn’t bizarre like Death’s power. It was… Different.
“You think only the power of Destruction is at hand here…” Death said, slowly getting on his hooves “Life and Death are parts of living. But Death is certain! Even for immortals.”
Celestia backed off for a little, that Energy wasn’t natural. Not for Death anyway. It was a power she had sensed before. In Canterlot, in her visions from…
“The Orb…” she mumbled “This isn’t you… This is… Her!”
Death’s eyes became darker when she spoke and the magic circle grew. It wasn’t ready yet.
“That’s why you were able to defeat father and the others!” she was a fool to trust that he was the most powerful of the Titans, only now she had realized it “Not even you, the Titan of Chaos and Destruction, could defeat all of them easily like you did! You would need more power! Absolute power!”
Death held his scythe tighter. She was talking too much. The circle got a little bit bigger.
“This isn’t your magic! You only know destruction and hatred!” Celestia stepped forward and swung her spear creating another magic circle similar to the other one she had done “This is the power ‘She’ had! The power you stole from ‘Her’!”
“SILENCE!” he pulled his arm back and as if he was throwing something at her he pointed his finger and the dark magic circle released a wave of darkness upon her.
Celestia lifted her spear and her sunlight shield rose, but she only then realized it wasn’t going to work. The sunlight was getting “eaten” by that darkness. That wave of magic was deadly and even Light could hold it.
The Sun Princess impulse herself up when the shield was almost gone and was able to get out of the wave of death, but when she saw the light of day again there was a figure upon her.
A hooded Centaur with a huge, deformed scythe was in front of the Alicorn and swung his weapon at her. Celestia was too surprised to react. A loud noise was heard and was followed by a painful scream from the Princess of the Day.
Death smiled as he lowered his arm making the dark wave disappear just as Celestia fell to the ground breaking it a bit. Not far from him another thing fell. A white unicorn horn.
The hooded Centaur landed in front of the lying Alicorn and stared down at her. Celestia looked up, but saw no face under the hood, just shadows. She saw nothing, but despair.
“The Harbingers of Death.” She said “So it’s true… You used Her powers to your advantage…”
The hooded Centaur disappeared into a dark fog returning to Death’s mane as the Titan walked towards his foe. The helmet disappeared slowly from his head and Celestia could see his face again. Floating above his left hand there was her horn.
He then let smoke cover his body, turning him back to his Alicorn form. The Dark Titan turned the Alicorn Princess up and pinned her to the ground with his hooves. His muzzle almost touching hers.
“You failed.” He said “But I must give you one compliment. You discovered my little secret, and for that I’ll keep you alive.”
Celestia tried to get up, but her body wasn’t agreeing with her thoughts. Her muscles weren’t responding to her commands. Her magic was nowhere to be found, what was left of it was fading away.
“Why would you do that?” she asked, weak and helpless “Winner’s arrogance? Or…”
Death pulled her up and hugged her. The gesture itself was strange, but what burned inside Celestia was more and more hatred for that being. He chuckled lightly.
“You really think it would be that easy for you to escape punishment?” Death whispered. There was joy in his voice, she was completely at his mercy “I’ll not kill you now, but not because I’m merciful. I want you to see the embers of your world become nothing more than ashes.”
Celestia’s eyes widened.
“I want you to see your precious kin being slaughtered by my armies.” He continued “I want to see your expression when I turn your precious student and your beloved niece into nothing more than dust.”
Tears began to appear in her eyes, she tried to speak, but the terror that had now consumed her wouldn’t allow that.
“I want to hear your screams of despair and pain when I hold your sister’s head in front of you.” Death said with a sadistic pleasure “And when there’s nothing more for you to hold on, when I take every single symbol of hope from you…”
He released her and looked deep inside her eyes.
“I will allow your suffering to end…” the Dark Titan said while drying one of Celestia’s tears with his hoof “And then there will be no more pain for you Tia. And you’ll be reunited with your precious family in the beyond, or to whatever ponies go when they die.”
The Princess of the Sun felt her hooves fail her, her vision got blurry as Death returned to his Centaur form.
The Dark Titan snapped his fingers and a dark thread pierced through Celestia’s horn and hugged his neck, making a necklace with the horn as an amulet. The monster turned towards his army at the hills and lifted his huge scythe.
“I HAVE DEFEATED THE ENEMY!” he shouted “THEY ARE DEFENSELESS WITHOUT THEIR SUN! LET US TASTE FROM THEIR DISPAIR! LET US HEAR THEM OF THEIR SCREAMS OF TERROR! OUR ARMADA WILL DESTROY THE HEATHENS!”
Cheers of joy and chants of victory erupted from the army, but for Celestia they just sounded muffled. Everything around her faded to gray as the final drop of magic escaped her body from the horn wound. An image of a blue-grayish mare appeared n front of her with a sad expression.
And then there was silence.
-
Twilight felt something sting her spine. But when she looked up to the sky from the balcony she immediately realized what it was. Luna’s expression wasn’t a good one. A mixture of despair, terror, disbelief and sadness came through her and as well through the ponies around her.
“T-Tia…” Luna whispered to no one.
Tears started flowing through her eyes and fall to the ground.
Twilight felt her own eyes getting filled with tears as she failed to stand and fell to the ground, her whole body shaking in fear and sorrow. Could it really be? Celestia was always indestructible, she had to be!
Luna fell to the ground screaming, but Twilight couldn’t hear anything properly; just the muffled sounds of the ponies around her.
Grief, sorrow and despair.
All of Equestria felt those emotions when the Sun turned gray and cold.
The Princess of the Sun had fallen.
-
END OF PHASE III