Chapter 24

Night of Fire

“You monster! You’ll never win! Midnight and the Elements will stoooaaaAAAGGHH-!” Nightmare Moon’s anger was once again cut short by Bedlam, his Power Siphon spell sending waves of pain through her body. The dark alicorn hit the floor of her cage, panting heavily as she coughed out smoke. Her tormentor seemed unscathed by her disheveled state, too busy examining the last of several crystals he had just used to drain her power for the day.

“Very nice, Moony. Keep up the cliche rambling. Maybe someday, somepony might take the seriously again.” Raising the quartz gem to his nose he took a long, over exaggerated sniff, finishing it with a hearty lick at the end. “Ahh... vintage dark cosmic energy. Very potent, with a slight hickory flavor. If I didn’t need you, my dear, I would keep you locked up here and just feed off you forever.” The draconequus looked down at his captive, the mare seeming to not be paying any attention to him, all curled up on the floor and singed like that. He shook his head in disappointment, levitating the several now fully charged gems in orbit around his head. “Really, my dear, if you can’t carry on a decent conversation, then I might as well not be here at all.” Bedlam gingerly bound up the stairs of the dungeon, giving Nightmare a smile as he snapped his clawed fingers, making another cage appear beside her own.

“I’ll be bringing you a roommate shortly, my dear mare.” Nightmare Moon lifted her head off the floor of her cage just enough to catch Bedlam waving goodbye. “I’ll be out late with the kids, honey! Don’t wait up!” Bedlam opened the door and waltzed out, slamming it behind him as he left Nightmare alone in dark, once again. Slowly, though drained and hurting, the dark alicorn managed right herself, sitting on her haunches as she rubbed her head.

“Damn you, Bedlam... you heartless monster...” Nightmare lowered her fore leg, the tip of her hoof grazing a bar of her cage, sending a powerful bolt of electricity through her body. “AAHHHH!! AND DAMN YOU FOR THIS... BLASTED CAGE!” she cried out, recoiling in pain. The dark mare looked over her confinement, the electrocuting of the bars the cruelest aspect of her torment. If she angled her head just right she could see the cable attached to the top of her cage, leading up to a large crystal that Bedlam had filled with her own stolen ethereal power. The irony was not lost on Nightmare; her own dark energy now being used to keep her captive.

Allowing the pain to subside, Nightmare glanced over to the cage Bedlam had just manifested, the newest addition to the room. In size and shape, it looked almost exactly like hers; basically a collection of bars and two square plates making the top and floor. Like her own, the bars of this cage seemed almost far enough apart to squeeze through. If not for the massive electroshock she received every time she touched them, that is.

Her, above all ponies, knew what Bedlam had in store for Luna, the mad Chaos lord tormenting her with the details over the duration of her confinement. Soon, it would be Luna he was tormenting, her and Nightmare sharing this dank, dark prison until Bedlam was ready to set his hideous plan in motion and destroy the world. Right now, he and his Killjoy minions and that... heartless, soulless monster they created. Through all her rage and all her anger and all her wrath, Nightmare Moon found herself doing something she never thought she could. In the darkness, she allowed her hooves to slide on the floor of her cell until she lay defeated, flat on her belly. Though she tried to fight it, Nightmare brought her forehooves to her face, and started to cry.

“... oh, Luna... please, be alright...” she whispered out, sobbing stronger as the thought of sharing this torture with her sister entered the front of her mind. “... fight him... with everything you have, Luna... but if you are captured...” The dark alicorn curled up in her cage, her tears running down her muzzle and forming a small puddle on the floor. “... at least I can tell you... how very sorry I am...”

***

Luna peered through telescope at the top of the palace’s highest tower. The night had been quiet and still, her Night Guards and Celestia’s Guards making sure the city and surrounding countryside were secure and free of any approaching dangers. They were at the top of their game, this last week being the hardest period to be a Royal Guard in the last seven hundred years. Not since a threat of invasion by a joint alliance of the griffin kingdom and the minotaur hoards had they been this vigilant. Celestia and her were most proud of their noble warriors.

However, she knew it wasn’t just them. Lead by Trixie Lunamoon, with a minor assist by her nephew, Prince Blueblood, the heroes from the initial attack on Floodgate Market were shaping up to be quite the formidable fighting force. Then, there were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The six of them went above anything that could be asked of a normal citizen of Equestria, giving up their lives to help with security and public relations, remaining on standby until this entire mess was over with. They were not only the one of the greatest assets that Celestia and her had at the moment, but they also proved to be something that Luna never thought she would have; the truest and best of friends.

A clock tower down in the city rang out in the dark of night. Luna listened as the large bell inside rang out twelve times, alerting the few ponies that may still be awake to the current time. Down on the outer and inner walls of the palace, magically animated spotlights surveyed the area around the palace. The newest addition to the defense regiment of the Guards, the unponied sirens worked silently, ready to sound the alarm as soon as trouble showed itself.

“...Midnight...” the night goddess spoke aloud. The mere mention of the word brought comfort to her. Every minute that passed was another that brought the two of them that much closer together again. Through all this, he had been by her side, be it as a student, a friend, a warrior or as... Luna shook the thoughts from her head, trying to focus on the task at hoof. “Remain strong, old filly. Midnight will be back out your side tomorrow. He and Twilight will return in the morning, and we can finally take the steps needed to defeat Bedlam and return this land to it’s former peace.” For a moment, she allowed herself to smile. She could already imagine him running up and throwing his forelegs around her. She would close her eyes and squeeze him tightly in return...

“Midnight... return to me soon. Equestria needs you...” Luna paused, giving the city and surrounding country one more silent glance. From here, it seemed so peaceful and quiet, but she knew better. This peace wouldn’t last for long. Soon, very soon, for the first time in a thousand years, Equestria would be truly at war.

“...I ... need you...”

***

“What’s taking her so long? I wanna get to the ripping and the tearing sometime tonight!” Grimdark complained, pacing back and forth on the cliff overlooking Canterlot. Behind the troubled dire wolf were his three remaining teammates and master, all currently taking their waiting much better than he was. Behind Bedlam sat the end result of ‘Project Horsepower,’ primed and ready for it’s maiden run.

“Just calm down, my furry friend. You’ll get to have your fun, shortly.” Bedlam reassured, the canine giving a bow and grunt in response as he walked in a circled and plopped down on the ground.

“Master’s right, big guy.” Crash added, walking over and giving Grimdark a noogie. “Nothin’s gonna stand in our way when we get down there tonight. Trust me.”

“Ya got that right, brother!” Without warning, a Royal Guard unicorn mare hopped out of a nearby bush, standing at attention before the group. All those present, save for Bedlam, quickly gathered themselves, ready to attack if the Guard came any closer. Their heightened alert was short-lived, however, the female Guard suddenly breaking into a fit of laughter. Sitting down on her haunches, she removed her helmet, her appearance changing almost immediately. Her bright white coat changed back to a checkered red and black outfit, the points of her jester hat falling out from underneath.

“Tumbler?” Crash and Burn asked simultaneously. The demented jester cackled as she tossed the enchanted helmet off into the woods.

“You shoulda seen the looks on your faces! Totally PRICELESS!” Tumbler said, laughing as she fell backwards. Though the members of her team regarded her with annoyed looks, Bedlam seemed relatively unphased. The draconequus strolled up to his laughing charge and leaned forward. With one fluid motion and a slight yelp from the mare, Bedlam’s clawed hand reached down, gripping Tumbler’s horn and lifting her into the air.

“I can see by the lack of burning buildings and screaming ponies that you showed a little bit about self-restraint. Good job.” Though in great pain, the manic jester grinned at the praise, knowing it was give so few and far between.

“T-thank you, Master. As much as I wanted to go and destroy Pinkamena, I knew the plan was much more important. And the news I uncovered, master... absolutely incredible!” Tumbler struggled to remain coherent and strong. Though the weight of her entire body now bear down on her delicate horn, she knew her master valued strength and loyalty, the showing of weakness being the ultimate punishable offense. “It seems... Midnight and Twilight Sparkle aren’t even in Canterlot right now!”

“What?” Bedlam asked, suddenly intrigued. “Well then, where the buck are they?”

“They’re both in Ponyville. Twilight was to research some type of spell regarding the Elements, and Midnight was to undergo some type of magical combat training. They’re both due to come back tomorrow on the first train from Ponyville.” Bedlam smiled ear-to-ear as Tumbler finished her report. This was the best stroke of luck he had since finding a beaten and drained Nightmare Moon in the Everfree. He released his grip on Tumbler’s horn, sending the mare to the ground with a thud. He spun back to face his followers, each poised and at attention, waiting for their next orders.

“Oh, this couldn’t have worked out better if I had planned it myself!” he hollered, laughing as he wrapped his fingers together. “With Twilight away, the other Bearers won’t be able to summon their Elements against us. I always suspected that’s how Celestia and Luna must have vanquished my dear brother, Discord, but there’s no need to worry now! And with Midnight away, we’ll be able to get close enough to grab little Luna and get away, Scot free!” The draconequus laughed maniacally into the night air, amused at the fact that events were unfolding for them as they were. Nervously,  his five followers joined in, only to all nearly jump out of their skins as Bedlam suddenly stopped them with a thunderous clap of his claws.

“This is it, my little minions; the final assault!” Slowly, bedlam marched back and forth before them, a green army helmet appearing on his head as he struck a suddenly materialized riding crop against his open paw. “Now, as much as I would like you all to go in there, guns blazing and all, we have a very specific mission here. Me included.” The five gave him a confused look, though none dared to ask his meaning. “You five... will be killing the Elements of Harmony.” Tumbler gave out a muffled squeal of joy, Bedlam grinning at his little follower. “I thought you’d like that, Tumbler, and yes; you and you alone may kill Pinkie Pie. The rest of you can divi up who kills who when you get there. Let no other ponies distract you. Only kill others if they get in your way. I love a good bloodbath as much as the next Chaos Lord, but I want us in and out as quickly as possible.”

“M-master?” Burn managed to force out. “That’s not a problem, but... what will you be doing? Would you need any of us to assist you?” Bedlam reached over and scritched the little unicorn on the top of her head, almost lovingly.

“No, my dear. None of you would be able to help, anyway. For you see... I’m going after Luna myself.” The five looked at their master in shock, almost recoiling at the claim. “Me and Klokwerk’s little... ‘toy’ will go right for the gold, so to speak. It’ll serve as an adequate distraction for that sunny little troll, Celestia. Now, on with the show.” With a snap of his fingers, Bedlam and his minions disappeared in a flash, the group reappearing in the deserted street just outside the Royal Palace. In an instant, a pair of magically animated spotlights turned at the sudden noise in the street below. As soon as Bedlam and his crew were recognized as unauthorized trespassers, the lights sounded an ear-piercing alarm, ringing out through the entire palace.

“That’s my cue, Killjoys.” Bedlam said, giggling a moment. “Hehehe... ‘Q’. Anyways, GOOD LUCK!” With another flash, Bedlam and his newest toy vanished in another puff of smoke, leaving the five mercenaries behind.

“Did he just...?” Grimdark asked, staring wide-eyed at his companions.

“Yes, he did.” Klokwerk sighed, materializing his control staff in front of him. His horn glowed brightly again, his hoof pressing the little red button on top, boosting the signal back to their original hiding place outside the city. The five killers could hear the explosion, even from their position deep within the city.

“The last hundred of my Iron Mare robots should be here shortly. Now... are you all ready, comrades?” Klokwerk asked with a grin. Around him, his fellow warriors took their places beside him, ready to charge into battle. They could already hear the approaching Guards, running forward to meet the now immanent threat. “Alright, then... ATTACK!!!”

***

The sudden ringing out of the alert sirens made Luna’s heart freeze, mid-beat. Running to the end of her balcony, the moon goddess could see the flaming wreckage of the Palace main gate laying across the first courtyard. In a moment, the five members of the Killjoys burst through the flames, pausing for a moment as the seemed to talk amongst themselves before the guards arrived.

For a moment, just the slightest of moments, Luna felt the need to hide.

She was their target. SHE was the reason they were here. The Chaos Lord Bedlam, the greatest threat to Equestria since his brother Discord, came to claim her for his evil plans, and none would leave until either she was in their hooves, or they were defeated. Only this time, there was no Midnight to stand between her and this threat. And to make matters worse, she knew without Twilight Sparkle present, the Elements of Harmony were useless. For the first time in more than a thousand years, the Night Princess Luna found herself afraid. But just as quickly as the fear entered her mind, it had vanished. She was a Princess, a defender and ruler of Equestria. It was her solemn duty to repel this threat, no matter how grave a fate she may face. Secretly, deep down, she wanted this. A moment to stand up against a true threat to her ponies, to show them that they could once again truly trust their Moon Goddess with their lives. In a moment, Luna knew exactly what she needed to do.

In a flash of blue light, Luna vanished from her balcony, her teleportation spell instantly taking her inside Celestia’s bed chambers. With her presence detected, the magical lights of the room turned on, showing her sleeping sister just starting to stir under her covers.

“Celestia! Sister, wake up!” Luna cried, running over to the bed and shaking the sun goddess with her hooves. Groggily, Celestia awoke, snapping awake as gaze fell upon Luna’s panicked eyes.

“Luna? What’s going on? Who sounded the alarm?” she said, quickly tossing off the covers and springing out of her bed.

“The killjoys! They’ve breached the main gate! The automatic search lights sounded the alarm, and my Night Guards are responding now, but I think there’s more.” The two sisters hurried over to Celestia’s balcony, looking out over the grounds of the palace. Already, Dark Guard pegasi flew to and fro, securing sections of the palace as the majority of them started to congregate towards the main courtyard. “Bedlam wouldn’t just send them after me by themselves. I think that monster may try something else while they attack.” Celestia suddenly closed her eyes, casting a wide net of magic over the entirety of Canterlot. The spell was simple enough; focus on the magical imprint of a creature and see if it sensed it’s presence nearby. Sure enough, she didn’t need to scan for long, the familiar dark aura of their foe coming up loud and clear.

“We must move quickly, sister...” Celestia hissed through her teeth. “It’s Bedlam...He’s here, too...”

***

The overhear speakers in the barracks of Luna’s special defense team rang out in the darkness, jolting the members of the elite force from their slumber. One by one, the group rose from their beds, startled by the sudden blaring.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on, here?” Breaburn asked, reaching for his night stand for his Stetson and vest.

“The high-alert siren!” Blueblood said, announcing the answer to everypony. “The palace must be under attack!” the prince exclaimed. For a moment in the darkness, the group stared at each other in disbelief. Night and day, since they volunteered themselves to the Crown, they had trained or this moment. But now that it had arrived, loud and very real, they almost felt lost. From her bed at the far end of the barracks, Trixie looked out over her crew. Though the same fear and shock ran wild within her, she knew exactly what her team needed.

“Well? Don’t just sit there, warriors! The Princesses need us! Move, move, move!!!” It was as though her own voice had somehow overruled the blaring of the siren, motivating the troops before her better than she could have anticipated. Soarin’ and Spitfire hopped from the beds, quickly changing into the Wonderbolts flight suits in record speed. Breaburn, Little Strongheart and Big Macintosh followed suite, the large, red work horse donning his heavy work collar as Breaburn helped his buffalo marefriend adjust her headband and feather. Prince Blueblood stood before the mirror on his night stand, calmly adjusting his mane as he magicked his tie and dress shirt. Farther down the row of beds stood Rover, the diamond dog already finished adjusting his vest as he reached for his collar. Beside him, Gilda took the least time to prepare, shaking herself from head to hindquarters before running the length of her claws through her beak to straighten it. As each of the creatures finished quickly preparing themselves, they lined up at the foot end of their beds, ready for inspection. As Trixie finished adjusting her own hat and cape, the young mare strolled down between them.

“Alright, this is it, everypo-um...” she stuttered, looking aver at the buffalo, griffin and diamond dog.  “everyone. The palace is under attack, and we’re needed. I can only assume it’s the Killjoys or those weird robot ponies attacking, so we’ll focus on our strengths.” Trixie turned to the two Wonderbolts, pointing a hoof. “Spitfire and Soarin’ will focus on quick, precise attacks. Keep away from getting locked up in hoof-to-hoof combat.” She then turned to GIlda, smiling at the griffin chic. “We’ll leave that to Gilda. You stick to hard, heavy strikes, and don’t be afraid to toss somepony if need be. Apple Family?” Big Mac, Breaburn and Strongheart suddenly stood at attention, standing at attention under Trixie’s scrutinizing gaze. “You seem to have a pretty good system worked out amongst yourselves. Strongheart, you stick to hit-and-run tactics, while Brea and Big Mac clean up in the confusion. Also, Brea?” The frontierspony raised an eyebrow, catching a wry smile from the wizard. “...keep that lasso close by. Now, I think we all know, unicorns are not known for their physical strength, so Blueblood and I will be doing our best to support everyone else with whatever magic we can. And that’s where you come in, Rover.” The diamond dog gave an approving growl, cracking his knuckles as his tail wagged. “You’re to provide protection for us until we state otherwise. Also, don’t be afraid to grapple anypony who get’s near you. You got the strength for it. Now then, you all have your orders.” Trixie strolled to the rear of the barracks, stopping near Blueblood. “And above all remember; if you see a teammate struggling, by all means help out! We’ll rendezvous just outside the main foyer. We got a world to save, creatures! Let’s GO!”

Among a flurry of whinnies and roars, the gang of soldiers filed out of the barracks, heading for their rallying point. All, except Trixie and Blueblood. Now alone with her most trusted charge, the showmare slumped her shoulders and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Good job, Trixie.” the prince started. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you sounded like-”

“Like I wasn’t really scared out of my mind? Thank you.” Trixie said flatly, sighing from under her hat.

“I was going to say, you sounded like a seasoned commander.” The noblestallion placed a hoof on her shoulder, rubbing gently and coaxing a smile. “Remember, Trixie; the same blood that flowed through the veins of the those that served Princess Luna thousands of years ago, now flows through you. You are a ‘Lunamoon.’ You can do this. You’re troops believe in you.” Blueblood placed his hoof under Trixie’s chin, raising her up till their eyes met. “Trixie... I believe in you.” The young mare smiled, quickly clearing her throat and standing up tall once again. Straightening her hat and cape, she stood before her second in command, a renewed sense of duty in her heart.

“Very well, Prince Blueblood. Then I shall now give you your orders for the campaign.”

“Very well, milady. I await your-” Before he could finish, Trixie quickly rushed forward, pressing her lips to his in a deep, loving kiss. Blueblood’s eyes went wide for a moment, slowly closing as he leaned back against Trixie’s lips. After a moment, Trixie pulled away, blushing slightly as she gave a glad smile to the stallion.

“Don’t leave my side, tonight. That’s an order.” The blue mare turned and towards the exit of the barracks, pausing by the door as she turned back to the stunned Prince and giving a wink. “Come on now, soldier colt. We on duty, after all.” Shaking himself out of his stupor, Blueblood grinned, ear to ear. Quickly, he galloped after Trixie as they both headed to the main foyer.

“Yes, ma’am!”

***

In the dark of her guest bedroom in the Royal Palace, Applejack slept soundly. For most of her life, the hard working farmmare was used to giving the day her all, pushing herself to the limits to complete her daily chores and accomplish her goals. At night, she would hit her bed and crash like a cross-eye pegasus. Tonight was no different. She and her friends had been running around Canterlot since Twilight and Midnight left, keeping up appearance and reassuring the populous that the Princesses and the Royal Guards had everything under control. Bucking several acres of orchard and storing the spoils was easy. Cavorting with the elite snobs of Canterlot at social events and remaining true to her Element of Honesty was absolutely exhausting. The soft-orange coated earth pony snuggled deeply into her pillow, taking soothing comfort in the warm, peaceful bed.

The sound of a loud wail crept into her ear, stirring her from her slumber. Instinctively, AJ brought a hoof down on the nearby dresser, attempting to stop her alarm clock and gain a few more minutes of sleep. However, after a moment of searching the night stand with her hoof, the farmmare realized the sound was not coming from any clock.

“... what in the hay and tarnation...” she grumbled, throwing the covers off herself and sliding off the bed to her hooves. She grabbed her Stetson, placing it on her head as she paused a moment. Applejack’s eyes shop open wide as she suddenly remembered the source of the sound, panic slowly creeping into her mind. “Oh, buck me silly...” Applejack quickly ran to the door and burst out into the hallway, looking around to see if there were any immediate causes for alarm. In an instant, Pinkie Pia, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy joined her, each still waking up from a deep sleep.

“Oh, what the hay now? What’s going on?” Rainbow asked to nopony in particular, rubbing a hoof over her bed-mane and instantly changing it into her signature style.

“Girls, I believe that’s the red alert alarm. The palace must be under attack!” Rarity said, shaking out her curlers with a panicked look. Immediately, Fluttershy bolted over behind Pinkie Pie, the party mare not seeming to mind the sudden presence of a pegasus hiding in her tail.

The five mares turned to the sounds of combat raging outside, all at once running over to a pair  of large windows on the side of the hall overlooking the main courtyard. Though dark, they could all still make out the images of Night Yards, going hoof to hoof with dozens of Iron Mare robots. And all the while, walking calmly through the center of the madness, were the Killjoys.

“Oh, no! I-i-it’s happening! I-it’s the Killjoys!” Fluttershy quickly bolted back behind Pinkie again, snuggling deeper into her puffy, pink tail. The partymare paid no attention, though, only looking with despair down at Tumbler as she hopped and skipped merrily along.

“Oh, Carousel... how could you...” Pinkie sniffled, feeling a tear start to form in the corner of her eye.

“We gotta do something!” Rainbow announced, jabbing her hoof against the wall. “We can’t just sit back and let this happen!”

“Rainbow, what are you saying?! You w-want to go fight those evil ponies? Without the Elements?!” Fluttershy said, poking her head out from inside Pinkie’s tail. The blue speedster swooped down, throwing her hooves up in the air before her.

“Well, what ELSE are we supposed to do?! Sit here and let our friends get stampeded over?” Applejack walked over beside Fluttershy, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“She’s right, y’all. Elements of not, we got a responsibility to defend the princesses, and all of Equestria, from whatever threatens it.” Rarity sat before Pinkie’s tail, extending a hoof towards her yellow friend.

“Sweetie, we’re all scared, but we can’t just sit idly by while others fight for us.” Fluttershy slowly crept out from under Pinkie Pie, taking Rarity’s hoof and standing upright again. Taking a cleansing breath, the pegasus whimpered, trembling slightly as she stood tall.

“You’re all right, girls. Everypony... Equestria needs us.” Putting on her bravest face, Fluttershy stated in her loudest, proud voice(which was, unfortunately, just slightly above her normal voice), “Let’s go help our friends.”

AJ, Rainbow and Rarity gave a collective cry of ‘YEAH!” the four all starting down the hallway together. Rainbow stopped mid-flight, however, noticing they were one pony short.

“Yo, Pinkie Pie! Come on, filly! We just had an awe-inspiring, rallying moment, here! Let’s go!” Pinkie gave the group walking across the courtyard one more glance before turning and running after her friends. With her friend now following her, Rainbow took off down the dark hallway.

“Carousel...” Pinkie thought, following her friends down the hallway. “... don’t do anything too bad, Carousel... I’ll find some way to help you...”

***

Far away, in the quiet town of Ponyville, three creatures slept in the peaceful silence of Golden Oaks library. Twilight, Midnight and Spike were all snuggled in their beds, the three having retired earlier than usual so as to ensure an early rise for Twi and Midnight. The pair’s trip back to Canterlot was scheduled for the first train out in the morning, the two opting out of another airship trip to keep their travel more low-key. Together, they rested up, sleep coming easy after their last long day of training and preparing. Coming easy for two of them, at least. At the moment, the little baby dragon of the group was tossing and turning with a sudden onset of horrible indigestion. Quietly, he groaned in his sleep, rolling back and forth as he held his stomach. As the discomfort grew, Spike found himself sitting up, holding his belly tightly as he groaned out loud, this time, feeling a sudden rising in his throat. His cheeks bulged as he felt the pressure rise in his throat, finally releasing in the form of a green fiery belch.

“W... what the...” he mumbled, half awake but thankful the pain had finally passed. With blurry eyes, he reached for the floating scroll before him, taking it and unrolling it in his claws. Gently, he blew a small flame from one nostril, barely bigger than a candle’s flame, and read the message. It was simple, but direct, and clearly written with an air of urgency.

“SPIKE, DROP THE SCROLL AND WAKE TWILIGHT AND MIDNIGHT, NOW!!!”

Acting as though they were spoken from Princess Celestia herself, the message instantly snapped the little drake fully awake. Tossing the scroll to the corner of the room, he hopped out of his basket and ran over to Twilight, shaking her awake.

“Twilight! Twilight! You gotta get up! I just got a message from the Princess!” The purple mare grumbled awake, eyes flying wide open as her little charge’s words quickly sank in. Kicking the covers off herself, she hopped out of bed and looked around the room.

“Where is it, Spike? What’s-” Before Twilight could even finish, the loose scroll against the wall of the room started to glow. Slowly, a slight breeze grew from the piece of parchment, quickly turning into a blowing gail force winds around the bedroom. All the while, Midnight slept through the disturbance, oblivious to any drama around him.

“Midnight! Get UP!” Twilight grabbed one of her books of a nearby shelf, dropping it hard with her magic onto the stallion’s stomach, waking him with an ‘Oomph!’

“Gah! Alright, I’m UP! I”m... oh.” The pegacorn warrior stopped as he noticed the disturbance all around him. The glowing scroll on the floor unrolled itself, slowly rising up off the ground. In an instant, the scroll stretched and pulled, expanding as wide as a doorway before them. The surface glowed brighter, the words on it disappearing into a field of pure white before finally forming into an image of Princess Celestia, her horn glowing with her magical energies.

“Twilight! Can you hear me?” the image spoke, an almost panicked look in Celestia’s eyes. Slowly, Twilight, Midnight, and Spike approached the altered scroll in disbelief.

“P-princess? What’s going on?” Midnight asked, wiping his eyes with a hoof.

“You’re both needed at the palace right now! We’re under attack! Bedlam and his soldiers have returned!” Celestia said, her horn glowing slightly brighter as her image wavered. “Please, friends! This portal spell requires a great amount of concentration. I can only maintain the spell for so long! Twilight, gather your Elemental tiara and the two of you, jump through the portal!” Twilight recoiled from the directness of her mentor’s request. She had always been calm and meticulous in her requests. But this was no simple assignment. THIS was a direct order from the ruler of their country to one of her citizens. Twilight jogged in place for a moment, preparing to ransack her home as her mind struggled to remember where she had hidden her Tiara for the night.

“Way ahead of ya, Twilight!” Twilight turned around, finding Spike standing beside her, holding the precious golden tiara in his claws. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, levitating it on her head as she patted Spike on his with her hoof.

“Thanks, Spike. Take care of the library when I’m gone, alright?” Spike quickly lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his sister’s neck in a tight hug.

“Be careful, Twilight. Come back safe, OK?” Twi returned the hug, then slowly moved the little dragon out of her grip.

“Will do, Spike. I’ll be back soon, alright?” Twilight leaned down, quickly moving into a gallop. As she approached the portal, she leapt into the air, passing through and finding herself in the palace throne room. As she landed, she noticed Celestia cringe, her horn flickering and then glowing brighter as she compensated for the strain on her spell.

“Midnight, please... hurry! We’re under attack and... I can’t hold this spell for long!” Celestia shouted, adding a new hint of urgency to Midnight’s transition. For his part, Midnight had been gathering the armor that Luna had given him just before he and Twi left the palace. Now, he stood beside Spike, wearing the body armor and hold the helmet in his magic, ready to join Twilight on the other side.

“Don’t worry, Spike. I’ll take care of her. She’ll be back before you know it” he said, reassuring his young friend. Sliding the helmet over his head, he crouched down, moving into a gallop. He focused on the image of Celestia, still wavering as he ran towards the portal. However, just as he approached, a bright flash of red filled his eyes, the clueless stallion crashing blindly into a bookcase.

***

Over the last several century or so, the sun regent had grown used to traveling by more conventional means. There has barely been a time in a thousand years when she didn’t either use her own wings or her flying chariot, pulled by her Royal Guards, to travel around her nation. It had been a long, long time since she had to use her portal or teleportation spells. Right about now, Celestia was regretting ever letting herself fall so far out of practice. The elder princess struggled to maintain her portal spell as Twilight passed through it, feeling her knees buckle a bit as time and space energy warped around her apprentice. A hindrance that did not go unnoticed by Twilight.

“Oh, no! Princess, are you alright?” Twilight asked, running to Celestia’s side. The princess smiled weakly, standing straight again.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight. It seems I can’t tear a hole in all of reality like I used to.” she said with a slight giggle. Looking forward, she could already see Midnight, charging at the portal opening on his end.  “As soon as Midnight passes through, we can-”

!!!!BOOM!!!

A violent explosion from the far wall tore through the throne room, shaking the two mares off their hooves and causing Celestia to break her spell. Instinctively, the sun goddess extended a wing over Twilight, shielding the unicorn from the rain of stone and stained glass that flew in upon them. Quickly, Celestia rose to her hooves, moving closer to examine the injuries on her fallen student.

“Twilight! Speak to me, are you alright?” The young mare groaned, rubbing her head with a hoof as she stood up off the ground.

“Y-yeah... thanks. What the hay just happened?”she asked, shaking the dizziness from her mind. From the gaping hole in the wall came a deep, sinister laughter, the last of the smoke and dust dissipating to show the floating form of the creature responsible.

“Oh, that was just a little bit of good, old-fashioned chaos!” he said, holding his belly as he laughed again. “Most ponies would use a key to get into a locked room. But why do that when you can just turn a stone in the wall into a bomb?” The two mares stood ready to defend themselves from another attack, horns glowing as they gathered their magic for whatever the draconequus had planned.

“Bedlam, you monster! You and you followers are to leave the palace this instant! Get out of my home!” Celestia shouted, the anger apparent in her voice. The floating monster only sneered.

“Come now, my dear Celly. You know I’m only here for your Little Lu-Lu. Let’s face it, dearies; without your pet human-pony here to help you, you haven’t got a prayer. Just give me what I want, and I’ll call off this whole, crazy ‘siege’ nonsense.” he said, slowly floating into the throne room. With a flash of purple energy, Twilight activated her Elemental tiara, summoning the magical armor she uncovered in her studies of Star Swirl’s research. Defiantly, she stood between her princess and the monster, staring daggers as she readied herself to attack.

“That’s not happening, Bedlam! Me and the other Elements will stop you, even if we don’t have Midnight’s help!” Bedlam paused for a moment, smiling smugly before laughing at the little mare’s bravery.

“Well, that’ll be quite a feat, considering they’ll all be dead in a few minutes!” Twilight’s expression dropped, Bedlam breaking into another round of laughter. “As we speak, my Killjoys are on their way to wipe out your poor, defenseless little friends. Good luck befriending five more suckers before I destroy the world!” In a snap of his fingers, Bedlam vanished, his laughter echoing off as Twilight started to tremble. She turned to Celestia, already feeling tears well up at the thought of losing the five mares who meant the most to her.

“P-princess... my friends-” she started, pausing under the strong stare of her teacher.

“Will be alright, Twilight!” Celestia said firmly, moving closer to her student. “We planned for something like this. Already, I’ve sent Luna on her way to gather your friends. And if I know them at all, they’re probably on their way to the Element vault right...” Celestia trailed off, a sudden realization hitting her and sending a chill down her spine. “Oh, no... Luna and the Elements are probably together on their way to the vault, right now...” Twilight tensed up, the cause for her mentor’s worry suddenly occurring to her as well.

“Which means, they’re one great, big target for Killjoys! That evil Tumbler knows everything about the palace from her time spying here. They’ll be just waiting there for Luna and my friends show up!” Celestia turned from Twilight, quickly galloping towards the throne room doors.

“Not if we get there, first. Come on, Twilight; we have some madponies to stop.”Twilight nodded in response, galloping after her. Together, the two ponies raced off, hoping to intercept the raging band of assassins before they could stopped Equestria’s heroes before they had a chance to fight.

***

With a mighty !CRACK!, another would-be hero Guard fell, Crash delivering another massive headbutt as he and the rest of the Killjoys casually walked through the front doors of the palace. Behind them, the first wave of Royal Guards to respond to their arrival either lay unconscious on the ground outside, or were still too engrossed in combat with Klokwerk’s creations to mind their passing.

“Ya know, this is turning out to be almost TOO easy.” Tumbler remarked, spinning on her back legs as she brought struck a shaking rookie guard across the face, knocking him cold. “At least I’ll plenty of strength left over to have my... ‘fun’ with Pinkamena.” Beside her, Grimdark sighed, the monstrous wolf looking around the large, front foyer of the palace.

“Again with the ‘Pinkamena’... I hope you DO get your hooves on her, Tumbler. Then at least you might finally shut up about it.” Crash and Burn chuckled from behind their hooves, catching an annoyed look from the jester mare. Klokwerk, however, did not share in the dark humor.

“Just keep our goal in mind, everypony. The sooner  we find the kill the Elements, the sooner Master can grab Luna and get us all out of here.” Walking before his team, the engineer stallion stopped in the center of the room. The single massive set of stairs stood before him, leading to the double stairs that lead to the upper levels of the palace where their targets lay waiting for them. “The Element bearers should be right up on the third floor, in the guest chambers. We just need to get up there and-” A sudden crack of thunder left the five mercenaries stopped in their tracks, all of them suddenly staring at the smoking singe mark on the carpet just before Klokwerk. Gritting his teeth, the mad doctor looked up to the top of the foyer stairs, meeting the defiant gaze of two very angry looking unicorns.

“You’re not going anywhere, you maniacs.” Trixie proudly proclaim from under her wizard’s hat. Beside her stood Prince Blueblood, tall and proud, his horn still glowing from casting the lightening spell.

“If you have any good sense left in those deranged minds of yours, knaves, you’ll surrender right now.” the white stallion decreed, taking a step forward. Slowly, the Killjoys looked at each other, all chuckling lightly at the noblestallion’s demand.

“Well, this is cute; the fraud magician and the wanna-be prince think they can stand against us.” Grimdark said, he and his companions flanking Klokwerk on both sides. Trixie and Blueblood stood still as stone, prepared for whatever they five had in store for them. “C’mon, now, silly ponies. Do you really think the two of you can really hold all of us off, all by yourselves?”

“Whoever said they were alone, doofus?” Suddenly, the Killjoys had their attention drawn to the area directly above the landing where the two unicorns stood. Slowly, three more forms drifted down into view; a strong, female griffin, flanked on both sides by a pegasus stallion and mare, both wearing Wonderbolts suits. “Hey Spitfire, Soarin’. This direwolf thinks we’d let our friends hangin.’ What do ya think of that?” Gilda asked, all three slowly hovering to a stop just above their friends.

“I think this silly little wolfie has another thing coming.” Spitfire added with a grin. Placing her hooves at the sides of her muzzle, the Wonderbolt leader shouted down to the floor. “Hey, what do you guys think?” The doors beneath the foyer stairs opened, the last four members of the group stepping out to join their friends. From the left of the stairs came Little Strongheart and Breaburn, with Rover and Big Mac from the right, all of them regarding the Killjoys with the same hostile stare.

“I think we’re gonna have to show these here varmints how we deal with troublemakers ‘round these parts.” Breaburn answered, his large, red cousin already pawing his hoof at the floor.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh sat down on his haunches, raising his forehooves to his large collar. Slowly, he raised it up over his head until is was off, then tossed it across the room to his side. The large wooden yoke hit the floor with a heavy thud, causing some of the members of their team to raise an eyebrow in surprise. The diamond dog beside him chuckled slightly, folding his arms in front of him.

“I think you guys are in trouble.” Rover said, bearing his teeth at the Killjoys in a large grin.

“This is your first, last and only warning, Killjoys:” Trixie stated, her horn glowing brightly a she primed her magic. “Surrender, NOW.” At the other end of the large room, the five assassins readied themselves, flaring their wings and charging their magic as they prepared to attack.

“Never! We’ve been given a mission by our master, and we will NOT let him down.” Klokwerk proclaimed, proudly. “No matter what you say, we’re not stopping till the Elements are dead, and Master Bedlam has captured Luna!” Trixie shook her head, the blue mare actually feeling a little disappointed at their response.

“Very well, then. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Alright, ponies:” Trixie announced to her team. “ATTACK!!!”

The nine warriors flew and galloped toward the Killjoys, the enemy soldiers already charging towards them with dark energy shining in their eyes. Their missions were clear, their determination unwavering. In the dimly lit foyer of the palace, the two groups of warriors would clash for one final time.

***

Five mares made their way down the dark hallways of the palace, pausing with each explosion or battle cry that erupted from outside the stained-glass windows lining their path. Their destination; the vault containing the Elements of Harmony.

“Oh... I can’t t-take all this! Those poor Royal Guards...” Fluttershy rested her forehooves on one of the windowsills, gazing out as a small group of earth pony Guards struggled to push back a trio of Klokwerk’s Iron Mares. The shy mare almost jumped out of her fur as gentle blue hoof touched her shoulder.

“All the more reason we need to get to vault, Fluttershy.” Rainbow dash said, trying to comfort her friend. “The sooner we get our hooves on our Elements, the sooner we can send those baddies packing.”

“I don’t know exactly what we’re supposed to do when we get them.” Rarity added, running past them with Pinkie and Applejack in hoof. “Without Twilight to activate them, I don’t know how effective they’ll be.”

“Well, we can’t let the princesses and all our friends down!” Pinkie stopped a moment, her tail twitching and ears flopping like crazy. “Oh! All this terrible, not-fun stuff going on... My Pinkie Sense is starting to go CRAZY!!!”

“Pinkie’s right, y’all. We gotta do something, with or without Twilight!” Applejack peeked her head around the corner at the edge of the hall, surveying for any dangers. “Who knows, anyway. Maybe the Celestia will be able to get Twilight and Midnight here in time.” Motioning with her hoof to the rest of her friends, the farmmare lead the way as they headed down the next hallway towards the Element vault. “We’ll all just haveta-AAHHH!” Without warning, one of the large stained-glass windows of the hall exploded inward, causing the five to jump backwards as a large, metallic object burst through onto the floor. Slowly, the projectile rose up, revealing itself as one of Klokwerk’s Iron Mares. Half the faceplate of the monestrous machine was already torn away, exposing a series of wires and gears, a shining black crystal protruding where the eye of the thing would be. It’s front left leg was detached from it’s shoulder, hanging by only a few cables and strands of copper. Shakily, the mechanical menace lumbered forward, reaching towards the mares, all too frightened to move.

“AAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even the damaged Iron Mare all turned their attention skyward, a blinding streak of yellow flashing before their eyes. It would be the last thin the crystal eyes of the Iron Mare would ever register before it was crushed to the ground.

“NO, NO, NO! YOU EVIL, EVIL BAD GUY! GO AWAY, YOU BIG DUMB! MEANIE-FACE!!!” In a matter of moments, Klokwerk’s creation was crushed to the floor by a flurry of yellow hoof-stomps, Fluttershy having dived down on top of it from her hover in the hallway. Bolts, screws, washers and gears flew in every direction as sparks and streaks of magic flew out from the pile of lifeless metal, still being trampled under her desperate barrage. Eventually, though, the pink-maned mare had to stop, the build up of adrenalin in her veins finally subsiding. Cautiously, Rainbow Dash approached her friend, reaching out and placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“Fluttershy...?” she said quietly, getting her attention. “That... was... AWESOME!!!” Rainbow quickly pulled her into a tight hug, the yellow mare smiling in disbelief at her own actions. However, as quickly as the moment for celebration had arrived, it was taken away. At the far end of the hall, a dark mass galloped toward them, causing the five to once again ready themselves. This cautious move was abandoned quick enough, the figure calling out to them as it grew closer.

“Girls! Oh, thank the stars you’re safe!” All together, the five squinted their eyes at the figure, the pale moonlight from the broken and cracked windows showing the voices owner.

“Princess Luna!” the five Elements proclaimed at once, running forward as the night goddess opened her dark wings, embracing them in a comforting grasp.

“I’m so glad you’re all safe! As soon as the attack started, I raced to get you as fast as I could!” Releasing her hold, Luna turned back to the direction she came, motioning for the others to follow. At that, the six mares raced down into the darkness.

“We can already guess what’s happening, Princess. Bedlam and his followers?” Rarity asked, shaking her purple mane from her eyes.

“The Killjoys have already breached the palace walls.” Luna answered, a dim light from her horn the only illumination the group had as they entered the deeper areas of the palace. “I’m sorry to say, but until my sister calls Twilight and Midnight back, We won’t be able to use the Elements of Harmony. Right now, the only ace in the hole we have is Trixie and her group.”

“How are they fairen’ against these goons, princess?” AJ asked. Luna suddenly seemed to bear a worried look, even noticeable in the faint light.

“Hopefully, they’re putting their training to good use. The last I heard, the Killjoys were heading for the main entrance. Trixie’s warriors would most likely engage them there.”

“Well, shouldn’t we go help them? They could be in trouble!” Pinkie asked, somehow still bouncing as quickly as all her friends were galloping.

“Not without your Elemental jewels, you’re not!” Luna snapped, adding to the sense of urgency they all already felt. “If... WHEN Celestia brings Twilight and Midnight here, you can face them AND Bedlam. But not until they both arrive.”

For the rest of their run through the palace, the mares remained silent, the weight of their duty to the Crown playing on their minds. As they approached the hall containing the Elements vault, the five ponies were once again greeted by an unexpected, albeit much welcome sight. Standing at the doors of the hall was Celestia, waiting with another mare, dressed from head to hoof in glowing armor. As they grew closer, they were greeted once again by a surprising, albeit not unwelcome voice.

“Girls! Oh, thank goodness you’re all safe!” The armored mare bolted away from Celestia, straight towards Luna and the Elements. Though clearly dressed for combat, the five friends from Ponyville had no trouble recognizing their dear friend.

“Oh, my gosh, that’s Twilight! Twilight’s back!” Rainbow Dash shouted, flying quickly ahead of the group as she swooped down, scooping up her purple friend in a tight hold. The unicorn returned the embrace, Rainbow lowering her down now into the awaiting forelegs of her other friends.

“I’m so glad that you’re all alright! Bedlam said... h-he said-” she started, only to be silenced by comforting touch of her mentor’s wing.

“It’s alright, Twilight. He’ll never get the chance. Not now, at least.” The reunited friends took a moment to greet and talk about their experiences this night. As they went over everything, from the beginning of the attack to why Twilight was wearing armor, Celestia slowly approached her younger sibling. Already, the concern was evident in her eyes, even as Celestia took her first breath.

“Something happened, didn’t it.” Celestia didn’t even have time to think of a way to soften the blow before Luna took her guess. The sun goddess could only close her eyes and nod solemnly, much to her younger sister’s dismay. “I suspected that was the case, the moment I didn’t see him here with Twilight.”

“It was Bedlam.” Celestia answered in a low tone. “He disrupted my spell before Midnight could make it through the portal. He’s... still in Ponyville. I don’t think He’ll let me gather enough strength to open another before his next attack.” The sun regent looked away, seeming ashamed of her difficulty in summoning a spell that came so simple to her in the past. Luna gently nuzzled the side of her neck in gesture of comfort, pulling away just enough for the two alicorns’ eyes to meet.

“Then we shall continue our battle without him. He would want us to keep fighting, with or without his help.” Celestia smiled in confidence, the dark alicorn taking this as confirmation of her own abilities to inspire others. It was a pity, she thought, that she could not inspire it in herself. Silently, her heart was broken. Her defender, her hoof-chosen champion, was miles away. With him by her side, she could stand tall against the coming wave of chaos, even now tearing and bashing against the very walls of the palace as they spoke. Luna had little choice but to put on her bravest face, and press on. “Come, sister, let us retrieve the Elements. I believe we may have a chance at winning this battle, yet.”

The celestial sisters steadied themselves, taking a deep breath as they approached the sealed door of hall which lead to the Element’s vault. Twilight and her friends stood aside, allowing them to pass, the two stopping just before the doors. Together, they each raised a forehoof, pressing it against the door as their horns began to glow bright. They pressed their hooves to the door, allowing them to fall back to the floor as a pair of glowing hoofprints remained on the door. Slowly, lines of energy traced across the huge doors, spreading from the hoofprints and tracing along the outline of the entryway. The light of the energy faded, the doors opening to reveal the long, decorated hallway, the closed vault hidden behind the mural in the wall at the end.

“Come, loyal subjects. It is time we do our part to defend Equestria.” Luna said, ushering the Element bearers inside with her wing. The mares, followed by Celestia and Luna, entered the hallway. As the sounds of the battle outside rang hollow through the hall, the six friends looked over the stained-glass history of Equestria, looking down on them on both sides. The founding of Equestria, the defeat of the griffin armies, the first defeat of Nightmare Moon. Finally, they stood in the light of the latest window; the very one depicting their battle with the resurrected Nightmare Moon, just under a year ago.

“Here it is, my little ponies. The vault.” Standing the entire length from floor to ceiling was the door. To the untrained eye, this would only appear to be a decorative mural, emblazoned with stars, swirls and gems, the symbol of an alicorn at the top. However, Celestia and Luna knew better. They knew the power held within, and they knew only they could be the ones to access it. A fact that brought them much comfort as Celestia prepared her spell. “I require silence as I ready myself to undo the seal. This will only take a moment.”

Celestia closed her eyes, reaching out and touching the mystical seal of the door with her magic. At first there was resistance, the spell doing exactly what it was supposed to do. But in a matter of moments, the sun goddess had the required energy she needed to break the seal, and access the Elements. With her eyes still closed, Celestia lowered her head, the energies slowly guiding the tip of her horn to the center of the sun symbol that would unlock the vault and grant them their last hope. Unfortunately, with her eyes closed, Celestia didn’t see the small flash that heralded the arrival of the cause of their grief.

“Oh! Celestia, you flirty little minx! That tickles.”

She recognized that voice instantly. Opening her eyes, Celestia turned her gaze forward at the creature now blocking her path. Standing before her was Bedlam, Celestia’s horn lightly pressing into the chaos lord’s chest. The great beast raised a hand, gently guiding the sun regents horn off to the side, Celestia now joining her sister and their friends as they stared up at the monstrosity in silent horror.

“Hello again, Celestia. Did you miss me?”

****************************************************************************************************************************

Get your popcorn and chips ready and find a good seat, kiddies, the mane event is about to begin! With Midnight miles away in Ponyville, will the Elements, Trixie's warriors and the Royal Pony Sisters be able to hold back the oncoming wave of Chaos already bursting through their doors? Will the Royal and Lunar Guards be able to hold out long enough for our hero to arrive? And what will become of the tortured Nightmare Moon? All this, and MORE, in 'When the Bad Guys Win', the next exciting chapter of...

"STAR CROSSED!!!" Next Chapter: When the Bad Guys Win Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 46 Minutes