Chapter 15

A Prison For Two

“What do you mean you didn’t see them in the caverns?!” demanded Snap Shot to his unit.

He and his team had left the underground shelter when they couldn’t find the two Princesses that were supposed to be in hiding with the rest of the city’s inhabitants. Their search led them back outside where the smell of smoke met their snouts. The city grounds were abandoned. To their knowledge, they were the only guards who were wondering around the empty streets.

“Sir, we didn’t see them down there with the others!” said one of the unit members. “We thought they went to see their friends amongst the crowd and after that we only saw Luna, but shortly after she vanished too.”

Snap shot placed his hoof on the bit of forehead that wasn’t covered by his helmet and groaned. How was he supposed to keep an eye on the two Princesses when they weren’t even around? The shouts of worried guards drew closer as they saw a herd of Royal Guards both galloping and flying in their direction.

“We need to get to safety!” shouted one the terrified guards flying past them.

“Not until we find the Princesses!” shouted Snap Shot.

“Um, sir?” questioned one of the pegaguards as he pointed a hoof at something above him. “Would that be one of them?”

Snap shot looked to where his comrade was pointing and saw a body slam right through the roof of one of the empty houses. Flying up to the hole, Snap Shot peered inside and saw Luna rubbing her head after sitting up on the bedroom floor. He landed beside her to help.

“Where in Equestria’s name have you been?!” he said relieved but annoyed.

“Fighting, what have you been doing?” she asked back shaking debris off her wing.

“Looking for you and your sister!” said Snap Shot unamused. “We need to get you to safety your high… Hey!”

Luna swatted Snap Shot’s hoof away and stood up. Seeing the hurt look he was giving her she apologized and made to leave, but was stopped by her tail being grabbed.

“Let go Snap Shot!” ordered Luna.

“Not on your life!” retorted Snap shot hanging on to Luna’s tail with his teeth.

“I have no time to explain Snap!” shouted Luna. “I need to get back and help my family!”

“Snap Shot! We found the prisoner!” called out one of the guards.

“She escaped?! It doesn't matter, just go arrest her!”

“No!” said Luna and she landed on the city grounds with Snap Shot.

Seeing that Luna wasn’t going to fly off again at anytime soon by having been told this new information, Snap Shot let go of her tail.

“Um, Princess, you do know what she did right?” he asked unsure if he heard right.

“Yes, I am aware of what she did!” said Luna impatiently. “Look, I don’t have time to explain, just go assist with whatever it is she's doing would you?”

“Go help a unicorn like her?! No way!” Snap Shot spat back.

Luna’s anger got the best of her and she let her voice ring out to the guards that stiffened up immediately.

“Snap Shot, as Princess of Equestria, I am ordering you and your soldiers to help Nimph!”

“But… Your highness,” began Snap Shot but Luna cut him off and in a calmer tone tried her best to explained their situation.

“Snap Shot, you have to trust me on this. Nimph knows what she’s doing! Now please, go and do whatever you can to help her.”

“Alright your highness,” said Snap Shot bowing to Luna “But, what about you?”

“I am needed out there," said Luna looking up at the sky. "I must assist my family!”

Snap Shot didn’t like what he had heard, but the new authority the young Princess was emitting gave him no choice but to trust her. With a meaningful salute to Luna he and his unit galloped off to where Nimph was spotted. Luna flew back to the Everfree Forest where sure enough, she could hear the sounds of The Defiler’s cries of fury at the Alicorns who dared to attack him. The dragon’s right eye showed a misty color while his left remained unmarked. Try as he might, the Alicorns ducked, dove and flew out of range from his blows! Growing impatient by his lack of success in defeating them, he began to spin while breathing out fire. In a matter of seconds, the air around him became a spinning great ball of fire! The Alicorn family retreated as the flaming wheel grew and tried to catch them. Luna soared overhead and landed beside her sister.

“Luna, Thank heavens! Where were you?” Celestia asked relived that she wasn't in any real pain.

“Telling Snap Shot to help Nimph,” said Luna simply.

“And he did what you asked of him?” said Celestia impressed.

“I might have used a more suitable approach for the situation,” Luna said matching her sister’s grin.

“No more games little ponies!” The Defiler shouted when the fireball died out. “I was going to let you have front row seat to the destruction of your kingdom. But now I think I will spare myself the trouble!”

“Luna, tell me Nimph was ready to cast the counter spell,” said Celestia looking up worriedly.

“I don’t know." replied Luna also looking up. "We’ll just have to give her more time!”

“We won’t have enough time for ourselves if he’s planning on ending it here and now!” said Celestia masking her fear.

“Counter Spell? What counter spell?” growled The Defiler stopping his last attack short.

Seeing that the talk of a plan of defeating the dragon had distracted him, Celestia pressed on.

“Oh, didn’t you know?” she asked slyly. “I thought a great and powerful dragon like yourself would have known that even someone as strong and ferocious as you could be stopped?”

“Lies!” The Defiler roared. “No one can stop me now that I have been released! No one!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said Celestia waving her hoof lazily. “What if I were to tell you, we know how to stop you?”

“What childish trick is this?” The Defiler demanded showing his rows of pointed teeth.

“No tricks here,” said Celestia seriously. “I wouldn’t be surprised if by now, our accomplice has finished solving the spell and is ready to use it at our command!”

The Defiler looked scared now. His eyes shrank and for a moment he puzzled on how the Alicorns could possibly know a way to defeat him. His sense of panic left him as something in his memory came to light. He grinned at the white Alicorn challengingly and snickered.

“Does your so called help happen to be that weak little worm from the village? By the time I was done with her home, it was nothing but a ruined wasteland at my feet! And I already got rid of the only one who could have stopped me! By the end of tonight, no one will ever dare to defy me again!”

The Defiler opened his mouth again and prepared to send the final blow when from somewhere from the edge of the forest came a voice calling out to them. It started out faint, but then grew in volume. The Defiler could make out the words being said and he quickly flew toward the source of the language he could understand. Nimph had found a clearing in the burnt down forest and began to draw the mark of The Defiler in the blackened ground as she recited the spell aloud. When she was done, she waited for the dragon to find her. She didn’t have to wait long. The giant reptile came zooming toward her at an alarming speed before coming to a halt at the spot where the large burnt clearing had formed.

“You!” he snarled at the orange unicorn. “How did you do this?! I got rid the last pony who could have known how to speak my tongue!”

“It wasn’t hard,” said Nimph, glaring up at the dragon. “I am an expert of solving puzzles after all! And by the way, “Si mi stronger loupon si vorq”

“Stop that!” The Defiler spat.

“Thric throdenilt, qe gethrisja," "I will send you back from whence you came!”

“You will do no such thing!” The Defiler shot back.

He was about to dive at her when a strong flash of red light hit him in the face making him turn to see Night Shade and his family swoop in and cast their spells at him. Nimph stood in the center of the mark and focused her magic while the dragon was being distracted. Her horn began to emit bright blue light and the mark itself responded I the same color.

“That’s it!" she cried out excitedly. "Celestia lead The Defiler over here!”

At once, all four Alicorns were swiped aside by a clawed hand and fell into the burning forest again leaving the Defiler and Nimph alone; Face to face! The dragon showed his teeth at her and smoke began to rise from his snout and mouth just like it had done the night he was summoned.

“You dare to stop me? A scared little weakling like you?! Do you really think this will make up for what you have done? Where was all this energy when I destroyed your village? You cannot stop me! You are not ready for this type of magic! You cannot win!”

“You’re right,” said Nimph refusing to brake eye contact. “I am scared and I’m not ready for this branch of magic! Star Swirl was right to deny me his knowledge! But if you think I will stand aside and not do anything, you’re wrong!”

The Defiler began to prepare himself for the dive and Nimph waited for the inevitable. The dragon took one last deep breath before his jaw opened wide and the heat of the fire came crashing down on the Unicorn. Nimph’s horn was still glowing but nothing else was happening! She couldn’t understand, the symbol was supposed to create a type of funnel around her at this point. She could feel the heat of the flames, closed her eyes and… Nothing happened. Nimph opened her eyes to see the tall stature of Queen Star Bright standing in front of her! Her horn glowed bright as an invisible shield was cast protecting her, Nimph, and the symbol from the flames.

“Allow me to help you!” she said still holding up the shield and with the combined magic of the two mares, the symbol in the ground glowed brighter than ever.

Once The Defiler closed his mouth allowing the fire to die out; Star Bright released her shield spell. Nimph was now standing beside her. They could feel the power of the symbol practically fighting to be released. The Defiler snarled at them and prepared to launch himself at them.

“Nimph, you did well, now leave the rest to me!” said Star Bright ready to do what had to be done.

“Sorry your majesty, but I can’t allow you to do this,” said Nimph sadly.

Before Star Bright could respond She felt herself go light and a second later, she teleported away from Nimph reappearing on the far side of the clearing. From the moment Nimph had teleported the queen to safety she felt the weight of the spell fighting her but she had to keep its power in check until the right moment.

“What did you do?” Demanded The Defiler.

“Never mind that,” said Nimph glaring up at the dragon in front of her. “Now its just you and me! So, lets settle this shall we?”

The Defiler hissed at her and after lifting himself off the ground he shot himself at the unicorn, prepared to swallow her hole. Nimph didn’t move, she waited until the dragon was inches away from the glowing symbol. It was now or never! She couldn’t have held the power back any longer. she spoke the counter spell aloud and this time, a large beam of blue light emerged from the ground around her. The Defiler collided with it and was instantly sucked into it. He felt his body become heavy as he looked down at the unicorn whose eyes were glowing along with her horn.

“There’s a reason why this is dark magic Defiler,” said Nimph rising to his eyes level. “But you already know this don’t you? You will be sent back your imprisonment, but this time I will join you just like the last Alicorn who vanquished you! And after tonight, nopony will ever release you again!”

“You would actually sacrifice yourself for them?” questioned The Defiler his lip twitching with rage. “Truly, the bravery of your race never ceases to amaze me. But you must know… I will not go back quietly!”

The Defiler snapped and clawed at his blue cage. His clawed hand reached the outside, but only for a brief moment before the blue beam began to burn his wrist. In desperation he breathed fire down on the unicorn, but a strong magical shield she had cast protected her from the flame and they were both engulfed in a fiery blue funnel. Nimph lowered her head as she felt the spell begin to take affect and from the terrified roars The Defiler began to give off, she knew that he was being effected as well. The powerful black dragon let out one last cry of rage as his voice died out and only Nimph remained. She felt herself become light like a feather as her body began to wither away like leaves in the autumn breeze. She didn’t feel any pain. No she was completely relaxed as she looked up into the little bit of night sky she could see out of the blue funnel. she closed her eyes and thought,

"Big sister, I told you I could fix this, and I never go back on my word."

Nimph smiled to herself as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Rose Petal, Your Auntie has done it. I will miss you all and I have but only one regret. One that I can’t say to you now… goodbye…"

The remaining bit of Nimph vanished and along with it, so did the blue beam of light.

Author's Notes:

Next weekend, the final Chapter will be posted! :) Thank you all for sticking with the story!