NaNo2014: Shadows of Friendship: Part 25

“This cannot be allowed!” Nightmare Moon protested, launching a wave of Shadows at Twilight and her friends, only for the dark magic to hit the spinning fragments of glittering gems and wash aside, protecting the group by the door.

The purple alicorn barely managed to raise a shield in time to ensure her own safety. For a few moments she strained against the tidal wave of Shadows then the star floating over the tree shattered into tiny shards and dove down. They wrapped around the Princess, glowing with an odd purple that was somewhere between the two shades of Twilight’s coat and their brilliance drove the surge of magic back.

The light only continued to grow, each set of glittering shards erupting in a blaze of glory that cocooned the pony they had been circling. Nightmare Moon could do nothing but watch in stunned horror as the Elemental gems and the ponies who represented them joined forces. The glow surrounding the five by the door shrank in until it was only around their necks. The Elements flashed brightly before dying out completely to reveal golden necklaces with a gem that looked like their cutie mark resting in the centre, but in the colours of the Elements.

Meanwhile the Element of Magic coated Twilight in a layer of magic which seemed to sink into not only her, but her puzzle too, filling the cracks with a purple glow. The final piece, the one that had been shaped like her cutie mark, started pulsing with the same purple as the Element.

“You won’t win.” Twilight informed the slightly panicking Shadow possessed Princess as she stared her down, able to feel the power surrounding them as a golden crown formed on her brown. It looked less like the crowns of Equestria and more like a diadum with Equigyptian patterns etched into the golden metal, though an amethyst purple star featured in the centre at the front of it. “I might not be able to destroy you, but I can save Princess Luna from you and bring back the Sun.”

“We’ll be back, we’ll always be back,” The Shadows spat at her, the odd echo in the possessed alicorn’s voice distorting in their anger, “We will break free from your final lock and when we do, we will destroy you and everything you hold dear.”

“You’ll have to get through us first, right girls?” Rarity asked, not quite sure what was going on but understanding that Twilight would need their backup.

“That’s right.” Rainbow Dash agreed, flaring her wings, standing tall and proud and refusing to back down here anymore than had against the trio of pegasi.

“We’ll be there to stop yer before you can even get to ‘er!” Applejack nodded, stamping her hoof and glaring at the tainted Goddess. “Yer won’t even get into Ponyville.”

“Yeah! No meanies allowed!” Pinkie agreed with a bright laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

“We’ll all do our best to stop you.” Fluttershy agreed, her voice soft but determined as she watched Twilight’s magic glow even brighter as they confirmed their friendship and unity with each other.

“See?” Twilight asked, her wings half extended as she stepped towards the alicorn, “You can’t win, because I am never alone, I have my friends. Now, get out of Princess Luna and bring back Princess Celestia!”

“No.” The Shadows hissed, launching a fresh wave of darkness that did nothing against the protection of the Elements, but gave them a chance to get their stolen form airborne, “No, we won’t, your precious Sun Goddess can rot, souless in her cell for…” They cut off, choking slightly and losing a couple of foot as, for a moment the blue coat that was so dark it was almost black, flickered to a slightly lighter midnight blue and her narrow, almost catlike green eyes widened to a more normal shape for a few moments before the darkness regained control.

It gave the ground bound Princess below a chance to cast a spell that trapped the almost-black alicorn in a magical circle that stopped her from going anywhere.

“I don’t think your host likes that idea.” Twilight smirked, pleased to see there was some sign of Princess Luna still being within the dark creature before them and still fighting. “Last chance.”

“Never.” Nightmare Moon spat. “I will never leave!”

“Yes, you will.” The part-time Princess told her, the Elements reacting to her desire and the desire of her friends to free Princess Luna and bring back the sun. The gems of all six Elements glowed brightly from within their settings, along with an aura that surrounded each of the ponies, while the golden glow of the puzzle mixed with the purple of the Element of Magic. Then all seven sources of power sent bright lights rocketing skywards where they twisted and joined together, swirling around and around at high speeds as they plummeted down again, forming a rainbow of colour and power as they struck the possessed Princess who screamed in pain as the power drove the dark intelligence out of her.

The power flooded out, in a wave of rainbow light that did not just erase the darkness from every last corner of the ruined castle, wash away the illusion that Nightmare Moon had cast to make the place seem whole again and return the soul of the prisoner down in the cells below, but spread out through the forest, breaking down the Challenge that had silenced the entire forest and cut it off from the outside world before continuing out into Ponyville and consuming the mist that had spread out from the forest, finally dying out as it reached the edge of the corruption.

Not that fillies were aware of any of that, the flare within the castle had overwhelmed them, leaving them flash blinded and sprawled on the ground. Applejack was the first to awaken and she gazed around blearily, trying to work out why her head felt like it had exploded and why the others were unconscious on the ground.

“Fluttershy?” She asked, nudging the nearest pony to her and becoming relieved when the pale yellow Pegasus filly stirred and opened her eyes, shaking her head slightly to shift her mane so she could see their surroundings properly.

“Wh…what happened?” Fluttershy asked as the others started coming around. “And…oh wow…look at your necklace! It’s lovely!” She gestured to the golden collar which had an amber apple with emerald leaves embedded amongst the swirling pattern engraved in the shining gold.

“Yours is too.” Rarity informed her, her hoof going from her own amethyst diamond to the rose quartz butterfly with its golden setting that rested around Fluttershy’s neck.

“Look at mine, look at mine!” Pinkie Pie was the first to get to her feet and she bounced around the courtyard, moving over to Twilight’s side, allowing the pony, who had reverted to her unicorn form when she had passed out, to see the pale blue topaz balloon on her collar.

“I don’t do jewellery.” Rainbow Dash commented as she found a reflective surface and looked at the ruby lightning bolt within her necklace, “But I think I can make an exception for something as cool as this.”

“Twilight’s is the prettiest.” Pinkie said bluntly, gesturing to the diadum, which, with its odd patterns and pink garnet star, looked unique.

“What happened to the Princess?” Twilight asked, looking for the alicorn, unaware of what had happened while she had been transformed. The Princess who had been struck directly by the rainbow of power, was led at the foot of the tree. Free of the darkness, which seemed to have been burned away by the bright light of Harmony, Luna looked about the same age as them. Her coat was a gorgeous midnight blue and her mane and tail was much shorter, though they still looked like the night sky. The purple unicorn could finally get a good view of the Princess’s cutie mark as she carefully approached, the almost black splodge on her rear had a silver crescent moon on it.

It was a good symbol for the Moon Goddess, Twilight decided as she lowered herself at Luna’s side and gently nudged her with her muzzle. “Excuse me, Princess Luna?”

The Alicorn blearily opened her eyes, seeming dazed and confused as she blinked around at the ponies who were slowly gathering around her. They came to a stop on Twilight and a small frown graced her features, “You were an Alicorn...” She shook her head as if trying to clear her head, “Are you all, alright?”

“I do that,” Twilight told her softly, a smile on her features as she nodded and supported the exhausted looking Princess as she got to her feet, noting that her mane was fading to an odd pale shade of cloudy grey and blue. “I should ask the same of you, you’re not hurt are you?”

“No, but I need to get down to the dungeons.” Luna staggered and leaned into Twilight as her hooves scuffed the floor.

“Easy, easy.” Fluttershy murmured as she got on the alicorn’s other side, “You were a lot bigger a few minutes ago, you just need to adjust. Let us help.”

“I…” For a moment the ponies were worried that Princess Luna would not let them as she held herself proud and tall, proving herself just a little taller than them all. Then her shoulders sank and her gaze turned towards the ground. “It would be for the best, thank you. My sister…It has been many years since I have seen her like this and I do not…” She trailed off, looking worried. “She will hate me for all I did…”

“I’ve known Princess Celestia since I was a filly.” Twilight told her quietly, making the others lean in a little to hear, wanting to hear more about their new friend, “She took me on as her personal student when I lost control of my magic and hatched a baby dragon’s egg. In the time I’ve studied under her, I’ve heard story after story about you, how you two worked and played together. About all those…I guess I have to call them pranks that you both played on the nobles… she misses you. I can tell.”