Up in Mission Control, Applejack is making contact with everypony in the Crystal Empire, trying to figure out a counterattack.

“Red Trot 21, do you read? Do you read? I’m not-”

Every contact that Applejack made was going dead everywhere. She was all out of options. Turning to Lyra Heartstrings, she said,

“We need to set up a barricade! Buy me enough time until-”

“Applejack, it’s bad everywhere! All checkpoints are down, radios have gone silent, and the guards in this facility are dropping like flies! We are out of time!”

“Not on my watch! We just need a way to-”

Just then, they heard crashing and screams outside the control room. They looked outside the window of the door and it was nothing but carnage outside the room and the creatures outside have set up a blockade.

***

“Give me the Alicorn and I promise your final moment will be painless.” the creature said, unsheathing its claws.

“Over my dead body!” Starlight shouted, lighting up her horn.

“I was hoping you would say…”

Suddenly, the creature started breathing fire all over Flurry Heart’s room, forcing Starlight to run out of the room. The creature proceeded to chase after her as she ran. Carrying Flurry Heart on her back, Starlight dashed while trying to avoid the Creature's grasp. Keeping her face forward and trying to get the creature off her tail, Starlight fired multiple shots at the ceilings to slow the creature down.

“There has to be a way to get him away from us!” Starlight thought, looking around while still keeping distance.

Looking around, she sees various torches around the hallways.

“What if…?” Starlight thought as she looked at the torches.

While she still continued to run, Starlight fired at the torches everywhere in the hallways and fire started to spread all over the floor. This caused the Creature to stop running and back away after nearly touching the flame.

“What treachery is this!?” the Creature roared as it kept away from the flame.

“Hmph. Playing with matches will get you burned~! You do the math~.” Starlight said before running off with Flurry Heart.

Watching her run, the Creature roared in anger before dissolving to go elsewhere.

***

As Rainbow Dash and Gilda clashed, Fluttershy did whatever she could to evacuate the patients that were still hospitalized. Even with Rarity’s help, it was all in vain as the soldiers surrounded the medical area and killed every last one.

“How’re your wings? They must be outta shape since the time I broke them in Canterlot!” Gilda taunted as she clawed Rainbow Dash’s face.

“Oh, they’re fine. Just been waiting to do THIS!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted before punching Gilda in the face.

Roaring after feeling the attack, Gilda charged at Rainbow Dash and grappled onto her. Clawing and punching each other, it was all reeling as the griffin and the pegasus fought each other. Seizing an opportunity, Gilda opened her mouth and tried to bite Rainbow Dash. But she was only able to get her ear as the rainbowed pegasus dodged the bloodthirsty griffin’s fatal attack.

“SCREW THIS!!!!!” Gilda shouted before getting behind Rainbow Dash.

Reaching for her wings, Gilda proceeded to ripping them off Rainbow Dash’s back. Rainbow Dash tried struggling against Gilda, but it was all in vain as she punched her in the face to stun her. Seeing the blooding leak out a bit while she pulled, Gilda gleefully laughed as she did the unthinkable and pulled off Rainbow Dash’s wings.

“AUGH!!!!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed as blood gushed everywhere on the floor before Gilda through them near her face and going unconscious.

“Aw, look at this~? The poor little pegasus has got her wings clipped~. As much as I’d like to roast you on a spit, the king told me to bring you and the girls to the castle alive. C’mon, buddy.” Gilda said before grabbing Rainbow Dash and taking her to the castle, along with Fluttershy and Rarity who had their wings and horn taken off.

***

Pinkie was running across the hallway down to the dungeon. She was already aware of how far gone Twilight was, but to her, she was the only chance they had against the invading force. Even if they were to lose their lives to her, Pinkie knew that Twilight would annihilate the entire Shadow Army. Making her way towards downstairs, Pinkie said,

“She has to be downstairs somewhere…”

Looking through every cell, Pinkie was having a hard time when Twilight was nowhere to be seen in any of the regular cells. That was until she came across a huge metallic door.

“Twilight…?” Pinkie said before looking at the switch on the right side.

Pulling it, the door started to unlock and Pinkie stood back in silence. She may have no idea what has happened to Twilight, but she knew that it didn’t matter so long as she was the one who would help destroy the Corruption. Upon seeing the door finally open, Pinkie enters to see a chained, unconscious Twilight on the floor. Rushing to her side, Pinkie moves Twilight’s body to get her to wake up.

“Twilight! Please! Wake up!” Pinkie pleaded.

Twilight wouldn’t budge as Pinkie kept rocking her.

“We don’t have time for this! If we don’t do something, everypony we know is gonna die! Please! Wake up!” Pinkie begged before deciding to pull on the chains.

Slightly opening her eyes after hearing the rumbling outside, Twilight starts to wake up and notice Pinkie by her side.

“Pinkie…?” Twilight asked in a tired voice.

“Oh thank goodness! I thought you were done for…” Pinkie said, filled with relief.

“You need to get me out of these chains.” Twilight said, looking around her body.

“O-Of course! Just need a key for them.” Pinkie said, looking for the key.

“It's outside by one of the dead guards. Check them.” Twilight said.

“Going outside the cell, Pinkie rummaged through one guard who didn't have the key. She went to the other who did, in fact, have the key. She ran back to Twilight, holding the key.

“Okay. How do I get you out?” Pinkie asked.

“There's a mechanism near my horn. It's what's keeping me from getting out of this prison. Just place the key inside and unlock it. But I have to warn you. I'm a little weak at this very moment.” Twilight instructed.

Doing as she was told, Pinkie inserted the key and unlocked Twilight from her bonds. Upon being released from her shackles, Twilight fell to the ground, weak from her spell-induced prison.

“Are you okay, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, helping Twilight up.

“I am. There’s just one thing that I require.” Twilight said.

“Anything.”

“I require… a sacrifice.”

Hearing this shocked the everloving daylights out of Pinkie the moment Twilight said those words.

“I-I don’t understand-”

“No. You don’t. But if we hope to beat back the ensuing Corruption… I need your life. If you give it to me, we might stand a chance.”

Pinkie was hesitant to go through with this. She had no idea if Twilight was telling the truth or if she was pulling the wool over her eyes. But before she could think on this further… she was suddenly stabbed in the abdomen by Twilight, absorbing the souls in the process.

“W-Wha-? What are you doing…?” Pinkie asked, falling to the ground while trying not to bleed out.

“You know there is no other way. We have to fight it back. By any means necessary now.” Twilight said before a surge of power came out of her.

“Twilight… don’t do this…” Pinkie begged while bleeding to death.

“Don’t worry, Pinkie. Your death won’t be for nothing…” Twilight said as she started levitating into the air.

A ball of light started engulfing her and she started screaming in agony as she began to transform. Sharp-cyan adorned her hooves, her wings grew larger and more violet, her mane growing longer, and her teeth grew sharper. Her eyes were surrounded by cyan-blue flames that strangely resembled glasses and her eyes became blue and cat-like. Soon, her screams were replaced with cackling as she started to embrace the transformation. Afterwards, she triggered a shockwave and it destroyed the entire dungeon. Settling herself to the ground, out came a figure where she nowhere near resembled Twilight and Pinkie could only guess who it was.

“Twilight…?” Pinkie asked as she coughed out blood.

But instead of hearing her best friend’s voice, it was something far more sinister than anypony could comprehend. In response, Pinkie was stabbed all the way with her scythe before the creature emerged from the smoke.

“BEHOLD!!!! MIDNIGHT IS BORN!!!!!” the evil Alicorn declared before flashing her wings.

With that, Midnight teleported out of the dungeon without leaving a trace. Bleeding out and having no way of surviving, Pinkie could do nothing but cry as she reflected on what she just did.

“I’m sorry… everypony. I was… only… trying…” Pinkie sobbed before finally dying from blood loss.