Applejack put her hooves over her ears in a attempt to stifle the blaring sound of Ponyville's emergency evacuation system. "What in tarnation is goin on?" Applejack removed her front hooves from her ears and ran up a nearby hill to get a good view of the town below. On a cliff overlooking Ponyville was a orb of solid black, radiating lightning as if it was an overactive storm-cloud. "I guess that counts as a emergency, I wonder what it is?" Applejack took two steps off the hill towards the black ball, her curiosity easily overpowering her sense of fear when a voice in her head stopped her cold.

To all citizens of Ponyville, hear now the words of thine Princess of the night.

Applejack recognized the voice immediately as that of Princess Luna, however it seemed deeper, more agitated than usual, even angry.

All non-combatant citizens are to evacuate in a orderly fashion behind the barrier put up by the 7th legion to the north of town.

Applejack turned her attention to the north part of town and just as she turned her head a large purple barrier sprung up, blocking her view of Canterlot on the cliff-side. "That was quick, dem 7th legion folks don't play around."

To those that are members of the elements of harmony, I have set up a teleportation behind the barrier to lead you to safety. We cannot afford to lose you if I fail in combat. I pray that I can stop this monster before any more innocents are harmed.

"Wait, what?" Applejack didn't have time to think about what Luna announced when a very small vibration in the air sent chills down her spine. The black ball grew in size, pushing the sun out of the sky and putting a full, blood red moon in its place. "Oh horsefeathers, she means business." Applejack galloped down the hill and into the barn, quickly pulling herself into a harness and tying it to a cart. Applejack galloped into the front yard of her home, the cart in tow and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Granny, Apple Bloom,Winona, Big Mac!?"

Granny Smith opened the front door and trotted out to the cart, quickly followed by Apple Bloom and Winona. "All this hababaloo is ruining a perfectly good nap."

"Woof!" Winona barked in agreement.

"Complain later granny, we need to be gettin outta ere in a jiffy."

"Sis, what about mah friends?" Apple Bloom said with wide eyes and a curled lip.

"We can swing by their places on the way out, maybe give em a lift if needed but right now I need you both to stop stallin and get on the buckin cart. Wheres Big Mac?"

"He went to town earlier deliverin hay bails to the local restaurants. He should a been back by now though" Granny Smith said with concern in her voice.

"He's a big pony, he can handle himself." Applejack nodded her head to the side, ushering Granny Smith, Apple Bloom and Winona up onto the cart. All three nodded at one another and hopped onto the cart, closing the tailgate behind them. "Hold onter yer mane, I'm gonna go full speed ahead, yee haw!" Applejack rose into the air onto her hind legs, her front lags kicking the air and took off out the front gate the second her front legs hit the ground.

"Could ya maybe slow down a tiny bit? These carts don't have no shocks ya know" Granny Smith complained, her teeth chattering.

"I think this is fun, can ya go faster, big sis?"

"Bark, Bark!"

"Speak fer yerself, youngin."

As much as she wanted to slow down, getting her family to safety took priority over the comfort of her passengers.

"I wonder what all the hub-flub from princess Luna was about. What does she mean by monster?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Timber wolves? A Hydra maybe?" granny Smith asked.

"hrrmm hrrmm" Winona whimpered.

"I dunno you two. I reckon having Luna deal with Timber wolves would be overkill and Hydras can be taken care of by the local guards if needed, no whatever has gotten Luna that riled up has to be something we couldn't handle alone." Applejack came up to a fork in the road but It looked like somepony had broken down. "Hold up yall, looks like we have folks that need help." But as Applejack got closer she realized that the cart was empty and a large stack of hay bails were sitting next to it. Applejack pulled up next to the broken cart which seemed to have popped off a wheel that sat some distance away from it.

"Looks like they popped a wheel and just hoofed it to town."

"Errrr?" Winona busied herself smelling the air and hopped out the cart, smelling the ground around the cart.

"Ruff!"

"What is it girl? Somethin wrong?"

Winona walked along side of broken cart, smacking the wood sides with her tail. The wood started to flake off, showing a vast network of tunnels filled with busy termites chewing away at the wood. "Grrr ruff!"

"I see em girl, don't have to tell me twice about those varmints." Applejack pulled the cart a few yards away, as to not invite the termites making a meal out of the broken cart to dessert on hers. "You comin girl?"

Winona busied herself smelling a small dried up puddle on the ground near the cart. "Bark! Bark!"

"I think she found sumthin else Sis. What is it Winona?" Apple bloom asked.

Winona began to look to each side of her apprehensively, barked and jumped away from her own shadow. She then stood up on her back legs and began to move her front legs in a circle while trying to imitate chanting under her breath.

"Umm...Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom said ,shrugging her shoulders.

Winona shot Apple Bloom an unmistakable glare that read "seriously?"

"I thinkin she means Zecora." Applejack pulled herself out of the harness and tossed it over the side of the cart. "Imma investigate." Applejack walked up to the dried puddle on the ground and the smell assaulting her nostrils was unmistakable. living on a farm she has helped many an animal be born and the smell was very easy to distinguish. "Somepony is goin into labor!" Applejack walked behind the cart where the smell was much stronger. In the back of the cart was a mattress, some hay bails and a few strands of bright pink hair. Applejack moved the hair follicles onto the ground with her teeth and pointed at Winona. "Smell this girl, if it's Fluttershy, bark once."

Winona didn't bother to even smell the hair before she barked in confirmation.

"This isn't good. Winona, I want you up front by me. If ya smell which way they went bark a couple times." Applejack slipped back into her harness and set off toward the far end of town, Winona running along side her.

Bzzzt*Bzzzt* Bzzzt "All medical personnel, please move all possible patients to evacuation tunnel B, I repeat all movable patients to evacuation tunnel B. This is not a drill." The hospital announcement system blared with warnings and echoed with the sound of hooves clacking down the halls towards the basement.

"What in Celestia's yellow sun is going on Red-Heart?"

The nurse busied herself strapping the nearly panicking Fluttershy to her bed. "An evacuation order has been declared. Unmovable patients are to be relocated to the underground bunker for continued treatment. You heard Luna's orders."

"Yes, but we should be getting to the other side of that barrier" Zecora protested.

"Tunnel A collapsed last month. That was the disabled ponies tunnel. I can't move Fluttershy on this bed through the other tunnel. You are free to go but she must remain here."

*Pant*pant* Don't leave me hun , I'm scared" Fluttershy pleaded.

"I wouldn't dream of it, my love. I will go where ever you go."

"Eeeyup."

The deep voice of Big Mac nearly made nurse Red Heart jump out of her skin. "Is he still here? For such a big stallion he sure is stealthy." Red Heart fastened the last strap around the bed and started to slowly push it into the hall. "I could use some help if you would." Big Mac bumped his large head up against the back railing of the bed, pushing the bed out into the hall with ease.

"Big Mac, you should go, You need to get to the other side of that barrier. I'm sure your sisters and grand mother await you."

"Nnnooope."

"But-" Fluttershy and Zecora protested.

"But nothin. I said I would help you and that's what I'm gonna do. Apple's don't quit until the jobs done."

"I could use Big mac's help downstairs. We are short doctors becuase of the evacuation and the war so anypony with medical experience is a plus. I'm sure owning a farm he's helped on at least some deliveries."

"Sheep mostly, ma'am" Big Mac replied.

"Good enough for me. The elevator down is the last door on the right at the end of this hall." Red Heart and Big Mac pushed the bed down the hall, Zecora trying to keep Fluttershy calm the best she could.

"Everything will be fine, just concentrate on your breathing."

"I'll try" Fluttershy cried. She was putting on her best brave face but everyone know this must be terrifying for her, that every part of her body wanted to up and flee the danger as fast as she possibly could. The bed finally reached the emergency elevator. Nurse Red Heart pushed Fluttershy into the car along with Big Mac but found there was no room left for Zecora.

"Not enough room, the car will come back up after it lets us off. In the mean time I'll give Fluttershy a calming sedative when we reach the bunker, Pegasus have really strong fight or flight mechanism when giving birth." Zecora nodded in agreement as the elevator door closed.

Zecora of the Wind Runners! Why have you not fled the town!

Luna's voice reverberated angrily in her mind. Fluttershy is in labor, I cannot leave her in her time of need.

A few moments passed with only a ding from the elevator breaking the silence. I...see. Pray that I can stop her here or at least delay her. The second that foal is born I want you and the element of kindness behind that barrier. No telling what Maskia will do if she finds you or your mate.

Zecora hadn't thought about that, but would Maskia go as far as killing a unborn foal, her own great granddaughter to get her to do as she wished? Luna...I am sorry, I did not realized it was Maskia you were fighting.

No reply. Zecora shook her head and stepped into the elevator. "I hope for everyone's sake that Luna can stop her."

Twilight collapsed on the cold floor as the heat inside her body became unbearable. The ash around the room swirled into little ember ridden tornadoes, choking everyone in the room except one. Queen chrysalis stood tall as the embers bounced off her chitin body, the ash not so much as even bothering her. Twilight tried to move, maybe cast a barrier spell but the combination of searing pain, shortness of breath and the crystals in the walls around the room diffusing her magic was too much. Is...this it? Will I die, burned to death in this dreary place? Twilight looked around the room, Derpy was already out cold from exhaustion, great dents from her mace riddled the elementium door but wasn't enough to allow escape. Celestia laid on the floor exhausted, barely moving herself enough to shield the young Zebra colt with her body.

No...escape...for any of us...

Twilight began to slowly drift out of consciousness when she heard the cold voice of Chrysalis , almost as if whispering in her ear. "You will not die today Twilight Sparkle, not if I have anything to say about it." Twilight opened her eyes, the blurry black figure of Chrysalis stepped onto the large pillar in the center of the room. Green magic swirled around her body as she quickly shattered two of the crystals in the walls in the room. "Twilight, If I don't survive this, tell my children I love them." The counterclockwise heat in the room dissipated and began to swirl clockwise but this time with a soothing green light pervaded the entire room. The light swirled faster and faster until all the light struck Chrysalis , locking her inside a green orb of light.

"Ch- Chrysalis?" Twilight managed pull herself upright despite her burns. "I...don't..but why?" The light on top of the alter-like structure slowly swirled tighter and tighter until only a small light remained, which was quickly sucked up by something green and slimy on top of the pillar. Twilight dragged her scorched body over to the pillar and leaned against it, she pushed herself up to inspect the object. It was oval in shape, with small black spikes on the outside and a clear green shell. What shocked Twilight most was something was moving inside. Twilight moved closer to find a faint outline of a changeling, one that looked oddly like Queen Chrysalis. "An...egg? Twilight wanted to study the egg closer but her body was refusing to cooperate. She fell hard to the floor, her body exhausted and in severe pain, unable to move. Twilight could hear the yells from the hall, soldiers most likely. Twilight tried to keep her eyes open but she felt so weary...the last images she saw was of a fuzzy face lifting her up as she drifted off into unconsciousness. I...hope death isn't painful...

Twilight felt her hooves hit the soft ground, the grass tickling her hooves and the warm pollen ridden breeze blowing through her mane. She slowly opened her eyes to find that she was in a breezy summer meadow. Large sunflowers blooming, dandelions speckled along the ground for miles on end and the sun shining down on her back. If this is what dying feels like...it isn't so bad.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Twilight's ear perked up, she knew that voice anywhere but when she turned her head in the direction of her teacher and mentor all she could do was stare. It was Celestia, although a very weary Celestia. Her eyes were droopy, her mane was a muted pink and she looked as if she just ran the running of the leaves a dozen times over. "Princess!" Twilight galloped toward her mentor only to stop briefly when she realized what princess Celestia's presence must have meant. "Wait, if you are here does that mean...we both died?"

"Actually Twilight we are close to death but still very much alive. Although I have only been here once myself I figured out where I was rather quick."

Twilight looked around, confused. If she wasn't dead then where was she? "Princess, If I'm not dead then where exactly are we?"

"An informed question but rather difficult to explain. Have you ever heard of the saying "between life and death" ; purgatory even."

Twilight rubbed her hoof on her chin. She had read few books on possible after life's but found them lacking in the evidence department. "Yes but I remember purgatory being described as a vast empty void of white and not a massive field of flowers with..." on the horizon Twilight could see a black storm cloud that she hadn't noticed before. Squinting her eyes she could make out the smallest of piers that stuck out over a vast ocean.

"I see you noticed the pier. Now look along the grass to where it stops."

Twilight followed the grassy field as far as she could but noticed a trend. The closer to the pier the grass got the more dead grass, charcoal and obsidian sand there was. "I'll need to get a closer..."

"No!" Twilight fell on her haunches from the powerful bellow from Celestia. She may have looked withered but she still had some bark in her voice.

"Whatever you do Twilight do not go anywhere near that pier. If this place signifies the place between death then what would a loading dock full of dead things around it represent?"

Twilight blushed crimson. How could she have not seen what that pier meant? What was worse is she still had feeling inside her to run towards the pier as fast as she could. "So if I cross a certain line toward that pier, then I am officially dead."

"Exactly, watch closely."

A downtrodden mare approached the pier crying. Her head darting around looking for somepony as she approached.

"Wait, I recognize her." Twilight squinted her eyes and sure enough it was the same pony she had cut down after she had hung herself, Veria Whisperwind. "Celestia, we have to stop her. Her son is alive and well, there's no point in her..." before Twilight could finish her sentence a massive black barge decorated with bones and skulls and all sorts of "Nightmare Night" like adornments sailed into view. A gate lined with red carpet lowered onto the pier as the barge dropped it's anchor which looked like it was made of pure obsidian. Standing on the end of the path leading to the barge was a pony cloaked in a black shroud, Its features very skeletal from what she could make out.

Veria bowed her head somberly as she approached the barge and the pony in black.

"Princess I..."

"Don't you even think it, Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia yelled. "Do you have any idea who that is?"

Twilight on the other hoof didn't back down. "I know exactly who it is, all the more reason to for me to help." Before Celestia could reply Twilight took in a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could. "Veria Whisperwind!"

Veria's ears shot up and she stared at directly at Twilight, a "who are you" look on her face.

"You son is alive and well! Don't board that boa-" Twilight couldn't move as a black patch of shadow raced towards her, killing all the grass in front of the pier and all of it up until directly in front of her. A cold bone hoof ran along Twilight's neck and when she blinked she saw the face of death itself. Under the cowl it was wearing was a completely bone face, with sunken eyes, rotted teeth and two pits of fire set deep in its empty eyes. Twilight looked on the ground, her body felt very cold and it seemed only her back hooves were still on any living vegetation.

"Twilight Sparkle..." death said as his very breath reeked of death. "Let me show you what I do to those that interfere...."

"I need 25cc's of hydro-cortisone, stat!" one of the doctors tossed a needle from across the room and was caught by the others magic. "Her heart rhythm is out of pace, she's having trouble breathing too." The doctor uncapped the syringe and injected it into Twilight's neck, stabilizing her rapid breathing.

*beedeep deedeep* beep beep bleeeeeep. beep beep*

"Defibrillator, now!"

One of the other doctors quickly rolled a cart over to Twilight's body. The doctor tossed the syringe aside and picked up rubber handled metal pads connected to a fairly large generator. The pony picked up both paddled and rubbed them together briefly. "Clear!" The other ponies backed off as the two metal pads touched Twilight's upper ribcage and her body jumped up when the paddles contacted her body.

*Beeeeeeeeppp bip beep beep beep beep*

The doctor wiped her brow and set the paddles back down into their sockets. " I want the entire medical squad on her now, all life support and chemical balance spells we can muster."

"But what about the princess?" One of the doctors asked.

"She's stable, all she needs is rest to come out of her coma. Right now I'm more concerned with saving the arch mages life. After that we can figure out where this egg...thing came from." The angry mare looked about the room. "I said the entire medical squad. NOW!" The other doctors scrambled out into the camp to round up as many doctors as they could, leaving the angry pink mare with her wings fluffed out in frustration. "Don't worry Twilight, I won't let you die." The pony lowered her horn and began to pump magic into Twilight's body. "If only I was powerful enough to perform a full restoration..."

Death took a step back, allowing some of the living vegetation from under Twilight to grow back. "Take that as a warning to those that interfere with the cycle of life and death. Another move like that and I will make sure you die along with that other mare."

Twilight gulped, her entire body was shaking with fear but she had to do something. "So...you're death are you?"

"Well I ain't exactly the grand pope of cheese with this getup now am I?" Death laughed sarcastically.

"I'm going to get right to the point. Is there anyway to save that mares life?" Twilight pointed a hoof at Veria who seemed even more confused than before.

"No, death is a end, an absolute. She died nearly a day ago, by her own hoof even."

"There must be a set of rules about how death works or how you judge those in this realm to be dead."

Death stepped backward, somewhat taken aback. "There is." Death replied angrily. "But there is a cost in summoning that book, the requester must surrender one years worth of life force to me."

"Then I shall grant request this book in her place for her." Celestia managed to walk up behind death without him noticing.

"Ahh Celestia, Tsk tsk. Do you take me for a foal? I'm not dumb enough to take a year from a creature in which years are meaningless." Death stared at Celestia snidely. "You are very lucky I am bound by the rules of death, how I so wanted to take you on an eternal boat ride the last time you were here." Death licked his lips with what looked like a tongue made of fire. "With any luck I still can... eventually."

"My time will come eventually but it will be on my own terms" Celestia replied angrily.

"Not if you keep stressing yourself the way you have. Your contract with the sun only goes so far."

"Ahem?" Twilight cleared her throat, catching the attention of Death. "I will grant you a year of my life but If I find a way to save that pony then you must return it and any other associated costs to me."

"Very well worded, almost lawyer like. Very well." Death ran his bony hoof over Twilight's face, making her collapse on the ground screaming.

Twilight could see, just for a moment her own demise. A large black covered book causing her great pain every time she turned a page. Her own body already felt as if she was dunked in molten steel but it was nothing compared to what she knew she was about to endure.

"What did you do to her?!" Celestia's horn flared up.

"Don't even try it Celestia or I will kill you both on the spot. Besides how can you possibly think you can kill Death itself hnnmm?" Celestia lifted her horn up from the charging position and backed away. "Good girl, no pony interferes with the contracts of death." Death waved his hand and a large book appeared on the ground in front of Twilight. "Go ahead, learn the secrets of Death but remember, those secrets have a price."

Twilight turned the first page after the hardcover only to immediately feel immense pain on her body. A small flake of light escaped from her horn and landed on Death's bony hoof.

"The cost is one year of life for every page you turn. By my calculations that gives you just over fifty, maybe sixty page turns at most."

"But according to the appendix" Twilight turned the page and felt more pain and another flake of light leave her body. "The...appendix says the book is over five thousand pages long, the appendix alone is over a hundred pages."

"That sounds like a personal problem to me. I guess that means you wont even get past the appendix before all your life force belongs to me." Death had a wide grin over his rotted teeth, he was clearly enjoying this game too much.

I need to think of a way to turn the pages without accidentally killing myself, but how.... Twilight turned the page again, but this time she accidentally turned it over twenty pages at once and immediately wished she hadn't. The pain was unbearable, Twilight rolled on the ground screaming as a vast vortex of light escaped from her mouth and began to float in a ball above Death. The pain was as if her entire insides were being crushed and then pulled out of her body.

"Tsk Tsk, any pages skipped count as a year as well."

Twilight laid on the ground, breathing hard until the pain subsided. There has to be a trick to this...

Doctors around the table seemed completely baffled. "I don't understand, why is her body aging?" Twilight's once well kept lavender coat and indigo mane started to fade in brightness and strands of grey ran the length of her mane. "Princess, we just don't know, this has never happened before." The doctors looked at one another and then at Cadence. "We are sorry but there is nothing we can do short of a very temporary time reversal spell, but in her condition it could kill her."

Cadence didn't reply but held Twilight's body in a warm embrace, much to the dismay of the other doctors in the room. Tears rolled down her eyes and into Twilight's partially grey mane. "Please Twilight, please live...for me."

"Such a pity Celestia didn't request to see my book first, her immortality would make the life draining spell on this book moot point." Death twirled the ball on his hoof, the life force he had already stolen from Twilight radiating brightly. "Go on, you may even make it past the appendix if you're lucky."

All the yelling and screaming had attracted the attention of Veria Whisperwind. With death leaving a vast trail she was able to walk nearly right up to the group. "Can I ask what's going on? Isn't that boat supposed to take me to the afterlife?"

"I'm trying to s-" Twilight stopped cold as death sent her a glare that meant business.

"None of your concern. Go back and wait by the barge, I will be there as soon as Twilight here is done dying."

Veria looked at Twilight and then at Celestia. "Wait, Equestrian Arch Mage Twilight Sparkle?" While Death turned his attention to Veria, Twilight quickly nodded her head and sent a message via tail signals, hoping Veria would get the idea.

"I said get your dead flank by my barge, I will be taking you to the other side shortly" Death said threateningly.

Veria on the other hoof was not impressed. Showing courage Twilight never thought possible in the face of death itself she puffed her chest out and pushed her face right up into deaths cowl. "Or your going to what? Kill me?"

Twilight took advantage of Veria's boldness and sent her another set of tail signals of which she replied by quipping her lip in a semi-snarl as to not give any information to Death by accident.

"You know Veria, I could just leave you here in purgatory as punishment, maybe a hundred years of loneliness would straighten up that attitude." Death turned his attention To Twilight. "Are you done dying yet, I'm on a schedule you know."

Veria took advantage of Deaths gullibility and sent Twilight a set of tail signs that read "I wonder, can you turn pages with wind and it not affect you?"

Twilight thought for a moment. If touching the pages signified who the target for the spell was then what if there was nothing touching the pages at all? But how to figure out if it would work. "Death, I think Veria is trying to get your attention."

"Hmm?" Death turned to his side and Twilight quickly removed her hooves from the sides of the book but before she could test to see if blowing the pages still counted against her a gust of wind hit the pages from Celestia's powerful wings, blowing the book to well past the appendix. Twilight closed her eyes for the impending pain. How could Celestia be so reckless?" Twilight gritted her teeth but oddly, no pain at all. Twilight opened one eye to see Veria arguing with death, apparently he didn't feel the breeze.

"What do you mean my cloak shows I have no class? And what is this "Hot Topic" you said I picked it up at."

Twilight read down one of the pages and something struck her as odd. One of the rules on the page said Death could not kill any pony in the grass freely but was also restricted from helping them not die as a result. Twilight blew to the next page but accidentally whistled while doing so, catching deaths attention.

"Not dead I se-" Death stared at the book and then at Twilight. "How did you make it past the appendix? Let alone two hundred pages in?"

"Dumb luck I guess?" Twilight replied apprehensively.

"No, I smell a cheat, you die now." Death raised his hoof only to have Twilight back away yelling "rule twenty-six! Rule twenty-six!"

Death stomped his hoof on the ground accidentally turning the page with the impact he made. "Clever mare. Well now that you know about that rule It means I cannot kill you outright. It doesn't prevent me from tricking you into killing yourself however."

"Wait you would have killed me if I didn't know the rule?"

"You could report me to the higher ups. Death answers to no pony unless the pony knows death is dealing wrong."

Veria on the other hoof was busy reading the page he just turned and sending what she read back to Twilight with tail signals. Rule twenty eight mentions you can challenge death to a contest. If you win you can have any wish within his power granted.

Twilight grinned at Death. "I invoke rule number twenty eight and challenge you to a contest of skill."

Death gritted his teeth in anger and the book below him vanished , sending Twilight's life force back into her body. "Just had to do this the hard way didn't you? I'll have you know living for eons at a time leaves plenty of room for learning any kind of skill. Choose wisely."

Twilight sat on her haunches, scratching her chin when she remembered something. He didn't feel those gusts of wind earlier, he doesn't have a sense of feeling maybe? Twilight stared at death features for a moment. No skin, hair or pupils. Just rotted jutting teeth...wait...rotted teeth?

Death adverted Twilight's gaze in a attempt to act unconcerned but it was far too late. If he has no sense of touch then this will be too easy. "Death?"

"Have you decided on a challenge? Will it be magical arts?" Death rose into the air, a great ball of fire with many orbiting balls of flame in the air above him. "A dancing contest perhaps?" The ball of fire dissipated as death pirouetted in the air in a perfect seven-twenty degree spin. "Or maybe a game of monopoly?" A board game appeared below death as he sorted out property cards and gave him two blue ones off the bat. "If we play this we play by Deaths rules, I get the dark blue properties off the bat."

"None of those death, What I propose is so simple that even a foal could do it."

"Oh, trying to beat me with something simple eh? I'll have you know there is no skill I am not a master of!" Death reared up on his hind legs, lightning striking around him in a show of power. "Do your worst, Twilight Sparkle!"

"I challenge you to whistle the song "Old Mcdonald had a farm."

Deaths posture suddenly looked deflated. "Wait, repeat that again?"

"Whistle a tune death, even a foal can do it. I'm sure Death itself can do it."

Death sat on his haunches with a defeated look on his face. "Can I talk you into maybe a game of twister perhaps? I promise not to dismember myself" he pleaded.

"Nope, start whistling or I win by default" Twilight said haughtily while blowing grass off her hooves.

Death gnashed his teeth but nodded "are you sure you don't want to do anything else? I would hate for you to lose so handily." Death finished proposing his alternative only to get angry glares from all sides. "Fine." Death inhaled but remembered that he didn't have lungs. "Give me a moment, I haven't taken in air in a very long time, I'll have to magically push the air though if you don't mind." Death formed a ball of air in his hoof and shoved it under is neck and into his skull.

*Shhhrrrrrrccckkkkk*

Everypony nearby immediately put their hooves over their ears in a attempt to drown out the horrible sound.

"It sounds like a train wreck landing on a chalk board!" Twilight yelled.

Death continued to try and whistle the tune of "Old Mcdonald" but more to the pitch machinery cutting steel or a saw blade cutting wood than anything remotely resembling a song. The tune went on for a grueling minute or two before death finally finished with a loud shriek that sounded closer to to a violin snapping than actual song. Death took a bow as the other ponies removed their hooves from their ears just in time to watch a few of Deaths rotten teeth fall out, no doubt a victim of the horrible vibrations he called "song".

"Top that I dare you!"

Twilight merely smirked and gave a wink to Celestia and Veria as they all began to whistle the tune of 'Old Mcdonald' a bit off key but still unfathomably better than Deaths torturous 'music'. When the song finished that all stared at death as he sat on his haunches, poking at the ground in defeat.

"So...I guess this means I lose right? That I must grant Veria here a second chance at life?"

"Exactly, and make sure she isn't brain damaged from lack of oxygen or anything like that" Twilight added.

"That request would require another challenge I'm af-" Death stopped his sentence short as Celestia stepped up and poked him in the side.

"Then I challenge you to a whistling contest as well to grant that request." She said with a triumphant look on her face.

"No, that's fine I'll grant both of them. I can't afford to lose more teeth." Death picked up a couple of teeth that fell on the ground and tried to shove them back into socket with little success. "One more thing before I grant these requests; how is it you knew I lacked the ability to whistle?"

Twilight smiled. "I noticed you couldn't feel wind and lacked both lips and an air capacitor, also known as lungs to properly form a tune. The lack of feeling ensured that even if you had all of the above you couldn't adjust to get the tune right anyways."

Death stood there for a moment , cursing to himself under his breath. "Very well then." With a wave of his hoof a green and golden light surrounded Veria, her once near grey coat bursting to life in all its white and black glory. The ground around Veria also grew wildflowers around her, surrounding her in a small patch of life among all the death and decay. "You have your life back and as an added bonus I am sending you all back to the living world post haste."

"Well that is awfully nice of him" Veria said as she walked over and gave Twilight a big hug. "Not nearly as nice as Twilight though, risking your life for a stranger."

"Oh, don't mention it. This isn't the first time I have risked life and limb and certainly won't be the last" Twilight broke the hug as she heard a very distinct 'ahem' from Death.

"Are we done yet, I would rather not have to tolerate your company any longer."

"Anytime you're ready." Twilight said with a grin on her face.

Death began to move his arms in the air, encircling each pony in a flurry of green and gold magic. "One more thing before I send you all back."

"And what is that?" Asked Veria.

"Tell Luna I'll be seeing her soon" Death said as he finished the spell.

"Wait, what?" All three ponies said in unison as they disappeared back into the living world, the last thing they heard was Deaths roaring laughter as they vanished from purgatory.

"Ahhh that one never gets old." Death said to himself while rubbing his chin triumphantly. "It doesn't matter if they beat me, once Maskia destroys their bodies I will be the last pony laughing." Death looked around the bright but empty field of flowers. "Well, back to playing chess with myself." Death floated back to his barge cursing about being bored under his breath.

Twilight's eyes shot open but the pain made her nearly wish she had died, despite all the bandages her body still ached and stung all over. Something was holding her a bit too tightly and as her eyes came into focus she noticed a familiar pink coat and a few stray pink feathers that seemed too big for a normal Pegasus. Twilight looked up into the face of none other than Princess Cadence, her tears still dripping into her mane. "Cadence?" Twilight said in barely audible voice.

"T-twilight?!" Cadence opened her eyes and stared into Twilight's still glazed over eyes. "You're alive!" Cadence hugged Twilight as hard as she could, much to Twilight's dismay.

"Ow, Cadence. If you keep hugging me like this I might still die." Twilight managed to meekly push herself away from Cadence, trying to catch her breath. It dawned on Twilight that she had no idea how long she had been out, or if Veria and Celestia made it back safely. "Is that colt you found with us alright? Did you find a pony with a noose around her neck in the fortress? What about that egg in the room you found me?" Twilight was nearly hyperventilating with all the questions she was asking Cadence.

"Calm down Twilight. The colt is safe, we haven't done anything with the egg yet, although my lieutenant tells me it's a changeling egg. The dead mare we found in the service quarters was taken to the morgue aboard ship thirteen..."

"Wait, the morgue? In a body bag!? We have to go to her immediately!" Twilight shot too her hooves only to collapse in severe pain.

"You lay still Twilight, you have second degree burns over more than half your body. It will take a few days for the salve we put into your bandages to heal them. Why such a rush to see a dead mare?" Cadence asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"That mare isn't dead, or at least she was but now isn't, I need to get to her immediately."

"But Twilight, the doctors said..."

"The doctors are wrong! At least they are now, please Cadence, teleport me to her!"

Cadence stood up slowly, her horn glowing brightly. "I still think you are a bit delirious from your brush with death but if taking you there will alleviate your worries than so be it." Cadence enveloped Twilight and herself in a vibrant pink aura and with a popping sound they arrived in the cold storage of the morgue.

"I forgot how cold this place was." Cadence said shivering to herself.

Twilight wasn't doing much better, the floor was far colder than the air above it. "Oh sorry Twilight, I'll carry you." Cadence lifted Twilight off the cold ground and set her just behind her wings on her back. "Let's see which one..."

Cadence was cut off by what sounded like banging of metal and muffled screaming. "Twilight, I apologize for my rudeness earlier, somepony IS alive down here." Cadence walked along the metal tubes where the bodies of fallen soldiers were kept listening for where the sounds were coming from.

"Cadence, just use the life vision spell." Twilight suggested.

"Good idea." Cadence's horn glowed momentarily and her eyes were replaced with a white glow. Cadence glanced over the entirety of the metal cross section were they kept the bodies and noticed a small glimmer of heat coming from a section on the far end. "I think you were right but we haven't much time!" Cadence charged over to the cylinder with the life heat coming from it and pulled it open. Cadence then quickly unzipped the body bag only to have a Zebra mare shoot right up at her gasping for air.

"Why....*cough* am I in a cold tube inside of some kind of rubber bag?" Veria yelled while trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry but our doctors mistakenly pronounced you dead and you were moved he-"

"Twilight!"

"Veria!"

Veria hopped out of the body bag and lunged into Twilight, hugging her; much to the mares displeasure. "Ow, ow ow. I'm happy for you too Veria, but I'm sore all over."

Veria broke the hug while apologizing. "Sorry Twilight, I couldn't help myself. I just had the urge to hug the mare that brought me back from the dead."

"Twilight!" Cadence said with disapproval in her voice. "You haven't been studying forbidden necromancy spells have you?"

"No, no. Nothing like that you see I- ah hachoo." Twilight shook her head after sneezing. "Can I explain back at the medical ship? This place is making my hairs...well, the ones I still have left, stand on end."

Cadence nodded and with a flash of pink light and pop they were back in the medical bay, although Veria stumbling a bit more than normal. "Sorry, was that your first time using teleportation?"

"Y-yeah, I feel a bit queasy."

"It will pass. Now Twilight could you explain to me how you brought the dead back to life without using highly illegal necromancy?" Cadence levitated Twilight over to a bed and pulled a cover over her back, she did the same with Veria , despite her protest that she felt perfectly fine.

"Cadence, I-"

"Won't need to explain anything." princess Celestia walked into the room slowly, a energetic young Zebra colt bouncing around behind her.

"Mommy!" The colt yelled as he jumped into the bed with Veria.

"Malak!" Veria replied as she hugged and kissed her son all over his face, despite him struggling.

"Mom, yer embarrassing me and getting me all salty." Malak tried to push away from Veria only to have her hug tighter , tears soaking his short cut mane.

"Twilight, your report to Cadence will have to wait. A 2nd division grenadier arrived just a couple minutes ago. He reports heavy death tolls and casualties from an attack from Maskia. She was on her way to Equestria a while ago but I'm sure you already know where she is."

"No I do-" Twilight remembered what death had said before she was sent back to the living world. "No she couldn't have-" Twilight pointed her horn towards Equestria and felt something dark and heavy. A terrifying power her magic was too weak to comprehend the very first time she encountered it. "Is...that?"

"Yes, that's Luna. She must have found Maskia, only she can put off waves of shadow magic that powerful" Celestia said somberly.

"But..." Twilight felt out how the magic was flowing with her horn. "It feels so alien, Luna is there but something else, darker, deeper than the darkest night." Twilight looked up at Celestia with a tear in her eye. "She...she.."

"Is unleashing the full might of the nightmare."

The rest of the room went silent, except for Cadence. "Well why are we sitting here, we need to mobilize the fleet immediately. You, me and Twilight can teleport on her to assist."

Celestia nodded her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "There's too much magical interference for a teleport. And as spent as Twilight and I are, we would only get in her way. In her rage she just might strike one of us down unintentionally." Celestia shook her head I hope you can handle that kind of power little sister, the last time you used it in anger you nearly destroyed both of us.

"Then why do we just sit here why my aunt fight's alone?" Cadence got up stomping in anger, huffing as she spoke. "No, I will not stand for this. I nearly lost my little sister" Cadence sent a glance toward Twilight. "I'm not about to let that monster try and take my aunt too."

Cadence ran outside the medical bay and beckoned one of the soldiers to her. "Sargent, how much time would it take to get every ship mobilized and back to Equestria at full speed?"

Celestia called after Cadence. "You don't have the authority to order a full fleet operation like that."

Cadence poked her head though the doorway glaring angrily. "You may think we have no ability to help but I know of a couple ways we can still help." Cadence pointed to Twilight Sparkle with her hoof. "We still have the elements of harmony on our side."

"But, Cadence..."

"But nothing auntie Celestia. If you don't order the move I am forcefully removing you from duty, as per my professional doctors override."

The Sargent stepped forward. "Your umm...Highness's?" The solider didn't know how to phrase his response correctly. "It will take forty minutes at full speed for all airships to arrive in Equestria. With the proper power output and wind direction we can make it in twenty-five."

Cadence stared at Celestia. "Well, what will it be?"

Celestia looked about the room, everypony's eyes were on her. I guess it's time I face my fears... "Sargent?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Mobilize the fleet, I want this entire fleet back to Equestrian shores ASAP. I want two detachments, one to help with the refugee's and the other to deal with the casualties at the 2and division grenadiers camp and Cadence...."

Cadence looked up at Celestia expectantly. " I want you to help heal Twilight's wounds. She will need all the strength she can muster if she is to use the element of magic. Also I want that egg we found at the back of the fleet, properly incubated.

"But your highness, it's a changeling egg?"

"That egg contains Chrysalis, she is the reason Twilight and I are still alive. I have duty to make sure she is protected."

Cadence shot a quizzical stare at Celestia. "Even in times of war you are still willing to help even a mortal enemy?"

"I have to stay true to who I am Cadence. Even if it ultimately spells my own doom."

The room fell silent for a brief moment. "Enough staring, we have a country to save!"

Maskia watched as the ball of shadow slowly began to reveal Luna's true form. Her coat, once a night dark blue was now oil black, her body skinnier and her wings far more pronounced than before. Covering her body was a collection of dark blue armored plates, one of them covering over her now sharper horn. As she stared at what once once Luna she felt something she hadn't in a long time. Fear - she could nearly feel her body shaking under her silver armor. The battle hadn't even begun and all she could feel was anticipation and fear, like Luna's mere presence alone was causing it. "Are you quite done with the theatrics already? I thought it was the villains job to be melodramatic about these kinds of things."

"Watch your tongue, wretch!" The voice coming from Luna was not her own, if was far more chilling and absolute than before. "You will have plenty of time to complain after I tear you still beating heart from your chest!" Luna put both front hooves together, a beam of light from the very moon itself struck her clasped hooves. She slowly began to move them apart, a white hot beam of light between both hooves as she spread them apart. Her forelegs reached the full distance apart and her left hoof grasped on one end of the bar of light, the other curing down in a crescent motion, the light much wider and thinner than the bar itself. The light began to dissipate, revealing a long, obsidian shaft with a black double crescent handle and guard at one side and a very large crescent blade on the other that seemed to be on fire with flames made from pure night itself.

"A scythe? Seriously? Could you possibly pick a more clumsy and cliche weapon? What, do you miss nightmare night so much that you must carry a reminder of the only time of the year you're important?"

With a flash of black Maskia barely had enough time to block Luna's first swing. The scythe came down a second time and she blocked again, this time Luna had managed to graze her on the nose, singing the hair around her muzzle. The sheer weight Luna was putting into her swings was mind boggling, her muscles already felt like bucking under the weight and the decorative steel on her hoof-plates around her forelegs was already peeling away.

"A clumsy weapon a scythe may be, using it as a cutting weapon is foolish at best." Luna took another swung at Maskia, which she blocked only to have her back hooves sink a few inches into the dirt from the impact. "Only foal's use it as a slashing weapon! I use it to crush my enemies!" Luna swung the scythe like bat which Maskia parried but still sent her tumbling down the hillside from the force.

Maskia managed to right herself as she slid down the hill only to find a pair of Luna back hooves firmly striking her in the side. Despite her armor she could still feel her bones creaking from the impact. Maskia tumbled to her side, reeling from the impact only to just barely block a swing from Luna at her throat.

"Did you expect me to be a pushover like my sister? Did you really think coming into the heart of Equestria which seats one of the most powerful beings on this world was smart?" Luna slammed her scythe into Maskia's breastplate sending her crashing though a nearby empty house and out the other side with many splinters cutting up her back legs in the process. Luna leaped onto the roof of the house. "Had enough yet? Ready to beg for your life?"

Maskia staggered to her feet, using her spear as a crutch. My spies never reported her having anywhere near this kind of power. I have no choice but to use the power I have stored. Maskia pointed her spear at Luna threateningly. "Oh I am far from done with you." Maskia began to chant under her breath, her eyes glowing a bright white when suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side, breaking her concentration. Maskia tumbled to the side but kept on chanting as Luna charged her again just barely missing a swing that would have decapitated her.

"No need to release the power you have in that weapon. There will be no deus ex machina non-sense going on while I kill you." Luna swept both her back legs under Maskia, tripping her and then immediately knocking her into the air. Luna then leaped up from under Maskia and grabbed her by the waist, coming down hard with both back legs in Maskia's back.

"Ghhhaaaa!" Maskia screamed out in pain, rolling off to the side , just barely able to keep her weapon in her possession. She barely had a moment to catch her breath when the business end of Luna scythe collided with the shaft of her spear, pinning her against a brick wall.

"Ever heard the saying that one eventually drowns in their misdeeds?" Luna pushed the shaft of Maskia's spear into her neck, slowly suffocating her. "Well, this isn't exactly drowning but I'm sure you get the idea." Luna pushed harder on her scythe, hard enough to start cracking the brick wall behind Maskia.

No choice...must release power the...other way. The end of the spear exploded in a burst of light flowing into Maskia's body, allowing her to slowly push Luna off of her. "I will not die here swine, I have a destiny to fulfill." Maskia pushed hard on her spear shaft, hard enough to break the wall behind her.

Luna leaped back as a cascade of bricks fell on Maskia, burying her. "That was what, three tons of brick at least? Not a classy Victory but I'll take it all the same." Luna put her scythe over her shoulder only to have brick fragments strike her face as Maskia exploded from the pile of debris.

"En-guard wretch!" Maskia leaped into the air with what looked more like a trident than a spear. Luna spread her wings and met Maskia in the air, the ends of their weapons colliding and pushing each one back down onto the earth. Maskia immediately charged and collided with Luna knocking up a large cloud of dust. Luna replied by doing the same. They went back and fourth until nothing but a pillar of dust and dirt was in the air around them.

Luna leaped to her side to clear herself of the pillar of dust only to have Maskia collide with her just as she breached the edge. Both combatants swung their weapons with expert precision until Luna found the upper-hoof, landing a large gliding strike on the Side of Maskia's armor. Maskia immediately countered with a punch to Luna's face and lunge pinning Luna up against a house which collapsed on top of her.

Luna broke free from the collapsed debris and grabbed Maskia around the waist as she missed a thrust. She hoisted Maskia up above her shoulders and suplexed her onto the remnants of the house's porch face first. Maskia kicked Luna In the back and rolled forward grabbing her spear and turning to parry Luna's follow up attack, Launching Luna into the air from the force of the attack.

Luna spread her wings, recovering quickly as she spun her weapon around, creating a vortex of shadows in the sky. Luna threw her scythe at Maskia, the end of it engulfed in a massive fireball of shadow. Maskia stabbed her trident into the ground and put her shoulders out toward the fireball of shadow.

Is she out of here psychotic little mind? Luna thought as the scythe collided with her back plate. A white flash of light illuminated where Maskia was standing. So much so that Luna had to briefly shield her eyes. When the light finally disappeared Maskia was standing on the shaft of her scythe smiling.

Maskia picked her trident out of the ground and examined the scythe, a semi invisible strand of magic linked the weapon to Luna's right hoof. Maskia put one leg on the shaft and her right foreleg over the strand of magic and tugged as hard as she could. Luna lurched forward, her body in an uncontrollable dive headed right for Maskia's trident. "Impaled night pigeon, coming right up!"

Luna had little time to react, she outstretched her left hoof and began to form a second scythe. However the magic didn't have time to harden the weapon and it buckled, shattering upon impact with Maskia's trident. The trident was deflected but the shattered weapon sent pieces of malformed scythe shrapnel into Luna's left wing; cutting her shallowly. Luna Tucked and rolled as she landed, pulling her weapon back into her possession as she righted herself.

Maskia didn't escape the collision unharmed either, a small blade had cut her just above her right eye. Maskia turned to Luna, blinking the blood out of her eyes and spread her metallic wings wide, charging Luna. Luna' raised her scythe to block but both ponies were slightly off, the weapons slid down each others shafts, shallowly puncturing Luna in the ribs and cutting Maskia across her back leg.

"Arrrggg!" Luna staggered back in blistering pain, as if somepony had dumped boiling oil all over her body. She could feel her entire essence lurching and twisting, doing everything it can to flow into Maskia's trident. Luna gritted her teeth and regained control of her escaping power just in time to block a thrust from Maskia stopping her just barely above the her neck.

"Stings doesn't it? Like your entire body is being drained from the inside out."

Luna parried Maskia's thrust away from her and swung around, slugging her across the face with the shaft. "So you got one hit in on me, tis nothing!" Luna pressed her advantage by deflecting Maskia's next thrust with the shaft and landing a clean hit on Maskia's side with the blade, peeling off a large chunk of elementium plate in the process.

Maskia winched in pain for a moment, the flames from Luna's scythe burning a chunk of hair from her side. Maskia tumbled to the side to avoid another armor peeling attempt from Luna. Maskia spun around, swiping Luna off her feet with the handle and kicking her in the chest, sending her tumbling though a house. I have to keep delaying her, it's almost to full power. Luna leaped from the debris , front flipping, her blade spinning like a lawnmower of death. Maskia thrust her trident into the air, colliding with the very tip of Luna's scythe as she came out of her front flip.

It felt like those few seconds were an eternity to Luna, the sparks flying, the heavy breathing from both ponies from the strain and something...off. A grinding and cracking sound from her weapon, as if screaming in pain. Luna, took a closer look and found out why; the tip of her weapon was bucking from the stress. Luna couldn't react in time as the tip of her scythe snapped off and she soon found Maskia's trident puncturing her breastplate.

Maskia watched in glee as Luna's scythe gave way, allowing her to break through her defenses but falling just short of stabbing flesh. Maskia figured a way to give her leverage and immediately arced her trident into the air, slamming Luna to the ground, pushing her trident further into her breastplate.

Luna struggled to get a hit in. But found her weapon pined to the ground by Maskia's leg , the tyrant just above her pushing the trident into her.

"I'm going to open you up like can of beans and drain that wonderfully powerful soul for myself!" Maskia pushed harder, ignoring the pain from the multiple kicks in her midsection from Luna. Luna attempted to grab the end of the trident with her hooves only to have the burning sensation make her release it. Maskia pushed harder and with a sound of bucking metal, all three tips of Maskia's trident sunk into her flesh.

Everyponies ears behind the 7th legion shield perked up. The screams of torment coming from town were unmistakably Luna's. Pinkie pie galloped up to one of the guards-ponies holding the shield up and tugged on his armor. "We have to do something!? Luna could be hurt or..or even worse, doubly hurt..and with no Pie to make her feel better."

The guard gritted his teeth as if every word he was about to say disgusted him to his very core. "I want to help, everypony does but we haven't finished evacuating all the civilians yet. Luna entrusted us to that task above all else, even her own safety."

Pinkie pie walked away, worried and defeated when she heard something akin to a slapping sound coming from behind her. Rarity had put a fore-hoof right across a guards face. "And if Luna dies, no pony will be safe." The guard moved to restrain her when he was blocked by a tenacious orange coated, bland maned, stetson hate wearing Earth pony.

"Back the buck off hotshot!" Applejack pushed the guard back head first. "I know she's after us but running taint gonna do no good iffin Luna dies in there. We all know that. Worse yet, my best friend Fluttershy is in the hospital bunker this very moment with my brother, don't you think she will go after the most vulnerable of us?"

The guard stuttered but left his mouth hanging open dryly as he spoke. "You're right, the element of kindness is unaccounted for."

"Darn toot'in I'm right. Even if it means getting caught up in that brawl down there we need to get her out." The guard nodded and ran to talk with his superiors, sending back frightened glares at Applejack.

"Oh, Applejack you are so very brave, standing up to that ruffian like that. What's your secret?" Rarity asked nearly swooning over the earth pony.

"I'm only brave cause I need to be sugarcube. I'm just as scared as any pony here." The others looked at Applejack as if she just lied to them. "But...I would rather die standing on my own four hooves, facing my fears than die with my tail between mah legs."

"Oh can we sing about facing our fe-" rarity put her hoof Right into Pinkies mouth.

"No time for giggling at the ghosties, Pinkie." Rarity said curtly.

One of the guard ponies ran up to the group. "I have orders to take a detachment of ponies into the medical evacuation tunnel to extract Fluttershy."

"Good, I'm going with you."

"But Luna's order's..."

"I said I'm goin." Applejack attempted to walk up on the guard pony, trying to intimidate him only to receive a quick shot to the gut, knocking her out cold.

"You ruffian!" Rarity said.

"Meany mean pants! Pinkie Pie stared at the solider for a moment. "Well, meany no pants!" said Pinkie Pie.

"No one hits my friend and gets away with it, jerkface." Rainbow Dash flushed her wings threateningly.

"Enough!" One of the guards yelled over all the arguing and stepped toward the group, his war decorations gleaming in the sun. "I know you want to save Fluttershy but I promised Twilee I would not endanger any of you. I will go though that tunnel with a detachment and personally escort her back here. "

The other ponies stared at each other for a moment before Pinkie Pie popped the question on every ponies mind. "Who are you and why are you calling Twilight by her nickname?" The decorated solider laughed to himself and slowly removed his helmet.

"Shining armor?!?" The three said in surprised.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Voice changed a bit from being sick, now nobody recognizes me unless my cutie mark is shown or I remove my helmet. Anyways, you three stay here." Shining armor walked up to the solider who had the unconscious Applejack over his back. "As for you...I am very disappointed in you solider. No solider should ever hurt a civilian, let alone a lady."

"But, but, she was being completely irrational!" the solider whined.

"No excuses! I will reprimand you later, for now I want her and the other three near that teleport pad to the bunker in Canterlot. If this shield fails I want them out of here in an instant, do I make myself clear?"

"C-crystal, sir."

Shining armor turned his attention to three stallions and a mare who were busy keeping the shield up. "You four, I want you in full war gear and at the hospital emergency tunnel in three minutes!" Shining turned his attention to Rarity and the others. "I promise, I'll protect whoever is left at that hospital with my life. I know you want to charge in and do it yourself but at times like this you need to trust the professionals." Shining armor gestured for the solider put Applejack down and follow him, which he did without hesitation. The pair walked off, shining berating the younger solider as they headed toward the hospital emergency tunnel.

"So...what do we do now?" Rainbow Dash asked shrugging.

"Oh that's easy, we do what proper mares always do." Rarity said as she ran a hoof though her hair.

"Oh,Oh! is it food related?" Pinkie Pie received the typical round of awkward stares.

"No darling, we go ahead and rescue Fluttershy ourselves."

Luna writhed on the ground in pain, screaming as Maskia twisted the trident that was now firmly buried in her flesh. Her entire being burned, twisting and lurching, she could feel her power draining into the trident in horrendously painful bursts. Worse yet was the maniacal laughter coming from Maskia as she pressed weapon deeper.

"What's wrong princess? Not so godly now are we?" Maskia pushed the weapon harder but found something was stopping it from impaling Luna. "I see that tough immortal hide of yours prevents me from going further. No matter, I can drain your power and soul this way." Maskia twisted the trident again.

"Arrhhhhgggg!" Screamed out in agony when something in the back of her mind whispered to her. Nightmare, let me take over from here.

I cannot trust our very existence to you! You may be talented in combat but you lack the power to crush your opponents.

That's exactly the problem. Look at her weapon and armor.

She gritted her teeth to bear the pain and watched how Maskia weapon and armor interacted with her body. Little flakes of magic from the air around her were flowing into the weapon on top of copious amounts of her own power. I...I think I understand. She's been using my own power against us.

Exactly. That's how she managed to break our weapon as well. Maskia pulled her weapon out of Luna's chest and went for her jugular with the tip.

Use the power you have left! hit her with magic on the underside, it's not elementium! Luna's eyes glowered hot white, her horn churning with power and she leaned forward and struck Maskia in the underbelly with nearly everything she had left. Maskia tumbled back, dropping her trident and clenching her midsection.

Give me control, you're exhausted and fighting with raw power isn't going to win us this battle.

Luna's coat began to fade from the oily black complexion back into a deep night blue, her horn shrunk in size; no longer pointed and long but stout in it's shape. Her wings became much smaller and her body overall decreased in size, parts of her armor falling off as the last vestiges of Nightmare's powers seeped back into the depths of Luna's psyche. Luna stood up, pulling her punctured breastplate off and began to close the wound while Maskia did the same with the plates that were covering her belly.

Maskia was having less luck however, the plates were so heated that they left a sizable patch of 3rd degree burns on her midsection, tiny ember fragments were making the wound difficult to heal. "When I get up I swear I will rip the flesh from your hide and eat it!"

Luna jerked her right hoof, returned her damaged scythe to her. She examined the tip closely while forming a matching scythe in her other hoof. Seems that I was correct, her strikes have been draining the magic, structural and all away from me; starting at the tip.

How do we keep her from breaking our weapon again? Luna's other side asked.

By not swinging it around like a hammer for starters. The structural magic I can compensate for but stressing the blades with such impacts isn't wise.

Do whatever is needed, just don't get us killed.

Maskia staggered to her feet, breathing hard, clearly still in pain from the burns. "Everything you have done to me will be repaid tenfold! I swear it!" Maskia's eyes glowed white, attracting her trident into her waiting hoof. Maskia's metallic wings spread wide, blue and white flames spewing from them as she charged forward like a rocket. Maskia thrust her spear at Luna only to find the princess of the knight standing on top of the shaft.

"Extra point." Luna flipped backwards, landing both her back legs squarely in Maskia's jaw. The zebra spun out of control, slamming into a nearby cottage. "Yaaaahhhhh!" A flash of white illuminated the night sky as the building Maskia landed in blew to pieces, the angry zebra rising from its burnt remains. Maskia growled a few words under her breath, her eyes glowing bright white as she stood in the flames. "Why won't you die?"

Luna charged forward, parrying a thrust by Maskia and landing a small superficial cut across her shoulder. Maskia swung wide which was immediately blocked and pinned to the ground. Luna countered by sliding by Maskia, landing another shallow cut along her side. Maskia dislodged her weapon just in time to block a swing at her spine but getting another cut across the leg in the process. Maskia jumped backward to give herself some breathing room only to have Luna come at her with a flurry of blows.

What is she playing at? These strikes have barely any force behind them. Maskia received another shallow cut across her muzzle, drawing a little blood. Is she attempting to bleed me out? Maskia blocked another strike aimed at her throat and just barely managed to block the off-hoof swing aimed at her shoulder.

Luna flipped over Maskia blocking her thrust and landing a minor flesh wound on her already burned midsection. "Arrrgg!" Maskia jumped back clutching her midsection, adding two more minor cuts along her side during her retreat.

"Are you ready to surrender?" Luna asked.

What are you doing you foal, kill her now and be done with it!

Luna ignored the protest of her other side and rephrased the question. "Surrender now or I will make sure your death is a long, painful one."

Maskia didn't respond, she just glared are Luna, gritting her teeth in pain and rage. She's too fast and with two blades it's nearly impossible to block them both with my heavier weapon. My only other option is...

"I see you are contemplating whether or not to surrender. Let me show you what you face if you refuse." Luna's horn glowed a muted black and two more scythes appeared to each side of her, suspended by her magic. "If just two were giving you trouble, I would imagine four will cut you to ribbons. So what say you?"

I have come too far to be stopped here! "Blow your pity out your ass for all I care, when this is over I will hang your broken corpse from the tallest tower." Maskia lowered her trident, ready to fight once more.

"Have it your way then." Luna charged forward, parrying a swing from Maskia and landing a twin pair of cuts along her chest. Maskia swung again, shattering the end of one of the weapons but being blocked by the other scythe behind it. Before she could react the other two lashed her back, one of them unhinging her shoulder armor in the process. Maskia ignored the pain and kept up her assault, shattering another scythe just as Luna summoned another one, grazing Luna across the cheek.

What is she made of? She should have gone into shock from blood loss already. Luna parried and landed three scythes on Maskia's chest, shattering her breastplate and drawing copious amounts of blood. Luna followed up with another parry and a quick turn, kicking Maskia though the town hall building.

"You need to stop, you will bleed to death within the hour if you do not" Luna pointed one of her scythes threateningly. "I never wished to kill anypony but as the saying goes...." Luna leaped forward before Maskia could get her bearing and came down on all sides with her scythes. One of the found new home a few inches into Maskia Lung, another just under her kidney, one holding her up by her neck with the blunt side and the last firmly embedded in her torched midsection. "There is a first time for everything."

Luna swung the struggling mare around and flung her; weapon and all though another building. The insurance company is going to kill me if I keep this up. Luna approached the shattered building she casually tossed Maskia though and watched as she slowly crawled out of the debris. "Surrender now and I may yet spare your life."

What are you doing foal, kill her now! End her tyranny!

Luna ignored her other sides advice. Despite all the evil Maskia had done Luna wasn't exactly ready to end her life if she could help it.

"T-take your mercy and choke on it!" Maskia said as she coughed up some blood.

Not the answer Luna had hoped for, she could just have her locked away but without breaking her spirit to fight she could one day escape and start another pointless war. "Very well then, I will make your death swift." Luna levitated her blades into something of a oval hole of death and slid them slowly around Maskia's neck. "Any last words?"

Maskia laid silent, only her own rage was keeping her alive though all the blood loss at this point. Luna shook her head somberly. As she prepared herself to pull the blades to execute Maskia she hesitated. Everything in her being was screaming that this was wrong.

Do It! Killing her now is doing us and her a favor.

Luna wanted to listen to Nightmare but she just couldn't find it in her heart to pull those blades.

While Luna was busy with her internal conflict Maskia uttered a few words under her breath. Luna pulled the blades from Maskia's neck so she could speak.

"What was that?" Luna asked.

"T-those who hesitate...are lost." A bright white hot light appeared behind Maskia, her trident was floating in the air above her broken body. "Engele dood..."

A beam of purple and red light fired from the end of the trident. Luna just barely managing a defense with her scythes taking the brunt of the hit. Luna pushed hard on the beam but she realized quickly that she was in a losing battle. Her weapons began to creak and bend at the edges, sparks flew off the tips as once powerful magical steel was becoming molten. No good, I can't funnel enough power into them to stop it all. Luna focused the rest of her magic through her horn and threw her weapons aside, allowing the blast to hit her head on.

The blast slammed into Luna, sending her hurtling though many homes in Ponyville. As her body slammed though building after building she could feel one of her wings sheering off entirely. Some..thing is different about this attack... While the impact and the heat from the magic hurt it wasn't anywhere near as painful as she thought it would be. It wasn't until she saw her hair blow in front of her face did she realize this attack wasn't one that destroys or cuts flesh. Why is my mane...like a normal ponies and not...

She's stripping us of our immortality you impudent foal!

Luna headed the shouting from her other side and angled herself to roll of the event horizon of the blast. Her body slammed hard into a dirt road just outside of Ponyville. She could feel both of her back legs breaking with a sickening crack and her entire left side of her body sheering a cross the ground at high speed, tearing off fur and leaving nasty abrasions all over her side. "Guh!" Luna finally slowed to a halt , her back leaning up against a barn painted with carrots on the side. her head felt heavy and her vision blurry as if wanting to slip into unconsciousness. "At...least Maskia is disabled as well...."

"Who is disabled?"

Luna lifted her head, her eyes going wide in horror as Maskia limped toward her from a nearby hill. "Who is disabled? It surely isn't this old Zebra." Maskia was talking big but most of her coat was covered in a grotesque mixture of blood and dirt. Her armor sticking out at random angles, most of it completely unserviceable for protection any longer.

"But...you are, lung shot. You couldn't even move earlier."

"I have survived much worse." Maskia continued to limp toward Luna, brandishing her trident which now had only one tip left on it unbroken. "I have survived impalement, dragons fire and multiple spears to the side, this is nothing." Maskia got within stabbing range of Luna but just stood over her gloating triumphantly. "Your hesitation allowed me to heal some of the more lethal wounds."

Luna didn't know what to do, she couldn't move her body and most if not all of her magic reserves were entirely exhausted. Am...I going to die here?

"Can you feel that?" Celestia asked anxiously.

"Yes, auntie Luna is fading fast." Cadence replied.

"The interference is too strong by her still but I can just get myself to shore. Will you follow me?"

"Without hesitation, we can fly the rest of the way."

Both Alicorn lit up their horns and with a bright burst of yellow and pink light were gone from the deck of the airship.

Luna felt the tip of a spear just barely puncture her skin above the shoulder but unlike before the burning and draining sensation was very much muted. "W-what's wrong fiend, not strong enough to finish what you started?"

Maskia wouldn't admit it but her powers were nearly gone. Luna's immortal hide will make killing her with a weakened spear difficult. "I can always just bleed you out with flesh wounds you know." Maskia lifted the spear out and slashed it across Luna's cheek. "Rampant stabbing isn't my favorite way to kill but I'll take what I can get." Maskia slashed across Luna's chest but barely managed to trim her coat.

"You best hurry and finish trimming my hair before my big sis gets here."

Maskia's ears shot up, she could feel the bottomless pit of power from Celestia not to far from her position. I haven't much time, I need to find Zecora and force her to remove the seal! Maskia looked down on the defeated Alicorn. "As much as I would love to kill you myself, something else will have to do." Maskia's eyes glowed hot red and a spear of light surrounded Luna where she laid. "Now for the second part." Maskia grabbed the bottom part of her spear and peeled away a small fragment, which immediately morphed into a replica spear of sealing. Maskia then stabbed the spear onto the top of the sphere like a lightning rod. "Enjoy the slow death, I have a country to conquer once I get my hooves on Zecora" Maskia ran off out of sight, leaving Luna for dead.

Luna couldn't make out exactly what the sphere was for. She didn't have the power to spell sense it's true purpose. "Maybe If I..." Luna reached out to touched the sides only to find them slowly closing in on her. "Is she trying to crush me or suffocate me?" Within seconds the walls of the sphere we bound tightly on her skin, the spear above pulsing with magic. This isn't too bad, I can still break free from this. As Luna Moved her forelegs to break herself out a bolt of lightning from the tip of the floating spear struck her in the back. "Arrrgghhhh!?!!" The pain was back like before, except now it was all over her body, slowly draining away at her essence. "This...must break...." The spear went into overdrive, slamming her body into the ground with power, leaving her writhing in agonizing pain as the electricity flowed through her body. "So-somepony..help...me.." The night filled with the agonizing screams of Princess Luna, her body twisting and writing in pain. Moments later the night was silent...

"Sister! No!" Celestia fired up her horn and teleported in mid flight, Cadence close behind.

Celestia and Cadence arrived to witness a motionless Luna encased in a ball of light, a replica spear of sealing firing cracks of lighting into her still body. Celestia rushed up and kicked the spear off the top of the trap, breaking the barrier around her body.

"Cadence!"

Princess Cadence galloped to Luna's side, magicking some of her medical supplies into existence next to her. Cadence quickly put on her stethoscope and ran it over Luna's body. " No, no, no,no,no!" Cadence checked again but the truth sunk in harder the second time. There was no heartbeat, no breathing, and not a hint of magical power left in her body. Cadence lifted her stethoscope off off of Luna's body and used her hoof to close Luna's eyes. She turned to the teary eyed Celestia, trying her best to hold her own tears back. "I'm...I'm sorry auntie , there is nothing we can do for her."

Celestia lunged at her sisters corpse, hugging her tightly as she cried out. "No! You can't leave me like this! A thousand years without you was bad enough...but this...this." Tears rolled down Celestia's eyes and into Luna's mouth. The mare was unresponsive, her body was limp in Celestia's forelegs, her body becoming cold.

Cadence just shook her head when something caught her eye. The replica spear Celestia had knocked away was leaking blue magic out of the back side of it. As she approached she immediately recognized what it was, the remnants of Luna's power. Cadence quickly picked up the spear in her teeth on a hunch and ran over to Luna, knocking Celestia off her sister.

"Why did you?" Celestia stopped and looked down at the spear. A glimmer of hope in her eyes as she say small puffs of deepest night escape from the cracked shaft. Cadence laid the spear next to Luna's body, the magical essence slowly leaking into her body as they both waiting with baited breath.

"Will it be enough? Will it work?"

Both Alicorns stared at the lifeless body of the once princess of the night. Nothing, not even a twitch. Cadence bowed her head somberly. "I'm sorry auntie, it seems too much of her power leaked into the air." Cadence turned and walked away and Celestia sat crying over the corpse of her sister. "I'll prepare the funeral arrangements."

*Cough*

Celestia's eyes opened. "Was that you Cadence?"

"No."

Cadence and Celestia stared at Luna's body, her chest going up and down. "Out of the way Auntie, I have a job to do!" Cadence pushed Celestia out of the way and began to listen to Luna's chest cavity with her stethoscope. "Yes, good and...not so good." Cadence pulled her stethoscope off and pulled out an oxygen mask, strapping it tightly to Luna's muzzle.

"Celestia, she has class three burns in her lungs and multiple fractures. I need you to get me and iron lung from the nearby base camp."

"The hospital is closer-"

"And probably in ruins like most of Ponyville, no arguments. Iron Lung. NOW!"

Celestia took to the skies like a bat out of hell while Cadence immediately began to funnel magic into Luna's body. Luna's eyes began to open slowly, her breaths becoming more ragged as she tried to speak. "Cadence?"

"Hush auntie. You need not be talking with such injuries." Cadence busied herself with cleaning some of Luna's more lethal wounds. "I saw...a field of flowers, but...I as standing on a shore line in pitch black obsidian sand. There...was a pony there with a sunken bony face, laughing hysterically as he pushed me onto some kind of barge."

"I think you were delirious in death auntie, the brain sends many signals during death, some of them self comforting."

"But...it felt so real. It was laughing about how he finally bested an immortal, how he got revenge on my sister for cheating him."

Cadence paid no mind to Luna's story, instead she worked frantically; closing as many open wounds as she could.

"But then some grass grew beneath my hooves just before it pushed me onto the barge. He called me a double dealing...death cheating whore and tried to push me onto the barge but...his hooves broke when they touched my skin. I don't exactly know what to make of it...was I...dead?"

Cadence finished wrapping Luna's back leg into a splint. "It doesn't matter where you were or if you died. The fact of the matter is you are here and alive, so just focus on staying that way." Cadence replied anxiously.

"But..."

"Luna what was the last rule in the medical handbook? Do you remember?"

Luna stressed her mind, thinking back to the handful of medical training classes she ever bother to take. "Was...that the medical override rule?"

"Yes. No disrespect auntie Luna, but you need to shut that pie hole of yours. You can talk once we get you into the iron lung, and speak of the devil..."

Celestia was high in the sky a entire brigade of soldiers from the 7th legion by her side, carrying a large steel tube. "How is she holding up?" Celestia yelled.

"She's awake but I have ordered her to cease talking."

Celestia landed with the rest of the brigade, which immediately broke out the stretcher, slowly levitating the incapacitated princess onto it. "S-sis" Luna said softly, barely able to keep her eyes open as they administered anesthesia.

"I'm not mad at you Luna. Just quiet down like Cadence said, we will handle Maskia. I already have the guards in the city looking for her."

"No...after...Zecora..."

Celestia could barely make out what Luna was saying. "Zecora? Where is Zecora?" Luna moved her lips but no sound came from them. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she closed them, the anesthesia taking effect.

"Cadence! Wake her, I need to know where Zecora is!" Celestia said as she shook Cadence by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry auntie. Once that healing anesthesia takes hold the pony afflicted is sound asleep for at least a day."

"Does anypony know where Zecora is?" One of the younger stallions, a lieutenant stepped up.