Resparked

by JPHyperX

1. Chapter: The last Spark

Author's Note:

This story was written in German in 2012. My very first MLP fanfiction, and now I've decided to translate it, to learn a little more English. At that time Twilight was still a unicorn, so this story is set in a timeline between season 2 and 3. I hope you like it and leave a comment for your feedback.

Respraked

1. Chapter: The last Spark

Loud sirens blared in Canterlot on this stormy night. The rumbling thunderstorm and loud downpour blended with the panicked cries of the fleeing citizens. A huge monster loomed over the capital of Equestria. Its black paws crushed every tower and every house. It had glowing red eyes and fur as dark as night, bombarded by bright magic lightning.

Commander Whiteknife, a light grey unicorn in scarlet armor, galloped towards the chaos with two comrades. His shots had no effect on the monster, and he couldn’t think of anything better than simple incendiary spells.

“This is the end,” shouted one of his subordinates, desperation etched into every word as they reached the heart of the dusty marketplace. “We're powerless against it! This darkness... It's overwhelming!”

“I've never seen an Ursa Major this size,” said Whiteknife's sergeant, Shetland.

The commander remained stoic. With bitterness, he snorted the dust out of his nostrils. “I hope the princess is safe!”

“Do you mean Princess Celestia or Luna?” asked the lowest-ranking soldier a little confused.

Whiteknife rolled his eyes. “Good, grief! You’re a bit slow, aren’t ya? Obviously, I’m talking about Princess Celestia! Princess Luna's off on some field trip, remember? If she were here, she'd handle that creature without breaking a sweat.”

The bear began to attack Luna's tower, which had been a monument commemorating her return from her exile. For Whiteknife, it was ironic a creature of the night was destroying it.

“Commander! Who are those ponies?” Shedland suddenly asked. Not far from the marketplace, three mares appeared.

Whiteknife recognized their shimmering necklaces. One of them wore a crown with a purple star. “By grandfather's horn! These are the Elements of Harmony!”

---

The young unicorn Twilight Sparkle knew her hometown very well. Every cobblestone was a part of her foalhood memory. It hurt her to see everything in ruins. While Canterlot was once beautiful, this attack had stripped away some of its dignity. Twilight couldn't do much to prevent it, but she refused to let the enemy escape unpunished. The Ursa Major must be stopped at all costs. She was ready for anything, and turned to her friends. “Fluttershy! You know what to do!”

“Uhm… Are you sure he'll even listen to me?”, Fluttershy whimpered in her frightened squeaky voice.

“Don't worry,” said Twilight. “You've had worse beasts under control! Maybe you won't quell his anger. But he will listen to you until we can use the elements together. Hopefully, the others can evacuate the citizens in time.”

Fluttershy sighed and looked to the wet ground. “I don’t know. Couldn't we just rebuild Canterlot somewhere else?”

“How the hay should that supposed to work?” Applejack shouted in disbelief.

Twilight begged pleadingly, “Pull yourself together, Fluttershy! Canterlot needs your skills! Please, take off already!”

Finally, the timid pony summoned all her courage and flew into the cold, rainy night, while the other soldiers watched eagerly as she disappeared into the darkness. As Fluttershy was halfway to eye level with the Ursa Major, she cleared her throat. “Uhm… Mr. Major? Mr. Major? – Celestia dammit!!! Would you listen to me???”

The bear felt her louder words as a small breeze in its ears. It turned around and reared up in front of the small pegasus. The size of the creature was intimidating. Even the soldiers' knees started trembling.

Applejack shouted frightened, “Holy horse apples, that thing is humongous!”

Fluttershy gulped and made a wry smile. Then she waved sheepishly at the big bear. “He-Hello. I just wanted to say I don't think it's right how you're destroying our beautiful city! I mean, just look at Luna's tower! What do you think she would say when she comes back?”

The bear looked at his work, grumbling, and seemed to show a hint of remorse. Fluttershy continued with a calming voice, “I don't know what's bothering you! But with a little of love and toleran...”

“Fluttershy, Watch out!!!”

Another pegasus pushed her away before a huge paw lashed out at them. A house was torn apart and its fragments fell onto the market square.

Twilight's horn ignited with a brilliant glow. In an instant, a shimmering force field enveloped the entire square, deflecting the incoming debris with a resounding crash. The unicorn shut her eyes tight. As she reopened them, she saw Rainbow Dash whirling around the bear with Fluttershy in her arms.

Eventually, Rarity and Pinkie Pie appeared just in time. “Girls! You made it!” Twilight shouted in relief.

“The last train has just left the station! Canterlot is now clean and clear!” Rarity said with joy.

“This party won't end like this without us!” Pinkie Pie shouted excited.

Twilight felt a bittersweet happiness, like when they faced Nightmare Moon together. But as she looked at her friends, she couldn't shake a feeling of worry. They were heading into danger, and Twilight knew their friendship might face its toughest challenge yet. “Alright, girls! Let's do this! Just like in the good old days!”

The Ursa was busy catching the two pegasi. Rainbow Dash circled the bear twice and pranced around on its head. The bear took a swipe at her, but the pony was far too fast for him. Fluttershy held back and kept trying with talking, unfortunately without success. It was difficult to find a suitable formation for the elements, which worried Twilight and Applejack very much.

“It's nice y’all are here, but RD shouldn't ride this raging bull for too long!” The apple farmer said.

Rainbow Dash executed a daring loop, accompanied by a series of provocative gestures unfit for public display. But before anyone could react, a massive paw hurled her towards the nearest tower with tremendous force, creating a gaping hole into which she vanished. Her friends screamed in horror.

---

Commander Whiteknife was astounded and looked at his guards. It was clear from the outset that Princess Celestia would send the Elements of Harmony to the front if there were no other options. At this point the commander didn't see the mission quite as darkly as before.

"We should follow them! You never know if we'll be needed!"

Commander Whiteknife was known for his caring and helpfulness, which the soldiers greatly appreciated.

"Yes, sir!" they shouted and ran after him.

---

Rainbow Dash crawled out of the crater. Red lines of blood flowed under her messy rainbow mane. She spat and wiped the sweat from her forehead, but when she noticed the head wound, fury flashed in her eyes.

“I’m going to kill you!” she snarled and shot out of the hole, heading for the bear's face. Suddenly, a magic spell held her tail. It was Twilight, standing on a broken rooftop with a serious expression.

“Rainbow! Going solo won't help! We should retreat and attack together!”

“But... Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash shouted, waving her arms.

Twilight looked over. The Ursa Major had started chasing Fluttershy. He swatted at her angrily, like trying to catch a bee.

“Leave it to me!” Twilight said determinedly and teleported away. Rainbow Dash sat down on the roof and watched her friend magically move from one house to another.

“Man! I wish I could do that now!” she muttered.

Fluttershy screamed in panic as she evaded swift strikes. Each new attack drained her strength. Suddenly, a radiant protective bubble enveloped her. Twilight had arrived, using her magic to remain airborne. As she floated beneath the Ursa Major's gaze, Fluttershy gasped in disbelief.

“Twilight?” she breathed.

“I'm sorry for dragging you into this!” The unicorn apologized without looking at her. Then, Twilight was ensnared by the bear's massive paws, squeezing her tightly until she choked.

Twilight!!! Nooo!!!” Fluttershy screamed and struggled frantically in the magic bubble.

---

The bear's relentless grip tightened around Twilight until her bones cracked. Despite the excruciating pain, she gritted her teeth and focused her mind, channeling her magic through the searing agony. As her horn began to glow with an intense light, Fluttershy's terrified cries faded into the distance.

The Ursa noticed how she was fighting for her life and squeezed even tighter. Twilight let out a strangled scream as her spine snapped. Blood and saliva flowed from her mouth. Her horn grew even brighter and then her mane began to ignite.

The Ursa Major, driven by its instinctual aversion to fire, released its grip on the engulfed pony. At that moment, Twilight was able to release her stored power. She shot a magenta-colored beam into the bear's head. The sky lit up brightly and shortly afterwards there was nothing left of the monster. As Twilight's powers faded, the force field around Fluttershy dissipated.

Rainbow Dash had seen everything. Now she could no longer sit still. She made an explosive thrust to help Twilight and Fluttershy. But she missed her wingless friend by a long way. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Twilight disappeared into the dusty rubble of the palace. The rain had stopped.

---

The blue pegasus pony soared through the biting dust and called for Twilight, but there was no answer. All that was left of the palace was an empty, dark gray ruin. A few fragments and broken statues could be seen here and there. Rainbow Dash hated this place already. She wished Twilight would show up the next moment. Then she heard footsteps behind her.

“Twilight?” She turned around and saw a heavy armored soldier.

“No! I'm Commander Whiteknife from the First Unicorn Company! Follow me! We've found your friend!”

The unicorn soldier led Rainbow Dash to a tiled area of marble where the entrance hall once stood. Two other unicorns cleared away the rubble and uncovered a nondescript purple body. Rainbow Dash recognized the star-shaped cutie mark on its flank and gasped, eyes wide open.

Twilight Sparkle had never looked so terrible. Her mane was soot-black from top to bottom, the deep wounds and dark blue marks had left her in a bad way, not to mention her bruised body. Rainbow Dash felt her battered face. She was still alive, which was a real miracle.

“Raainboww...” Twilight breathed weakly and opened her tired eyes. Rainbow Dash couldn't bear to look at her. She pressed her head against Twilight's forehead and tried to find words of reassurance, making her voice literally shake.

“Don't worry! We can fix that! You've always had a plan! Your whole egghead is full of plans!!!”

“Rainb...hhh...” Twilight couldn't manage more than an unintelligible, weak groan. Her tired expression and gasping for breath gave Rainbow Dash an alarming sign.

"No! Twilight! Stay awake! Say awake! Stay awaaake!!!" Rainbow Dash shook her screaming and pressed her hoof on her heart to revive her. But it was no use. Twilight had already fallen asleep.

Commander Whiteknife placed Twilight's hooves gently on her stomach and saluted, as was customary for the fallen. Rainbow Dash stared at her friend's lifeless body for a long time. Finally, her tears could no longer hold back.

“I... wasn't fast enough, Twilight! I just wasn't fast enough! I'm so sorry! I messed up! Why couldn't I save you? Why...? I learned so much from you... Hhhh... Without you, I never would have...”

She broke down crying over Twilight's body. Her loud wail could be heard throughout the ruins, echoing even to the other ponies, who soon found her.

The friends were in great pain. Pinkie Pie had clung to Rarity's neck, howling, Applejack sat in stunned silence, her expression frozen in shock. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash held each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.

Twilight Sparkle lay motionless on the ground, her once vibrant presence now subdued. Beside her, the crown remained untouched, a silent testament to the trials they had faced together. Yet, the spark of the element had been extinguished, leaving behind an emptiness that seemed to linger forevermore.

The smoke over Canterlot finally cleared, revealing the cool, white full moon over the mountains. The inhabitants returned home, if their houses were still standing. Unicorns retrieved valuables from the wreckage, while the earth ponies and pegasi hauled the rubble out of the town. The repairs would take months, maybe even years.

But Princess Celestia didn't care as soon as she heard the sad news.

---

A few days passed. The gates of the cathedral, called the Hall of Heroes, opened on a dreary morning. Four ponies pulled a black carriage into a long hall. It was Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, standing in the harness with their heads hanging down. Rarity walked beside the carriage, accompanied by the young dragon Spike, who had hidden his face under a handkerchief.

The ponies still wore the Elements of Harmony, because they wanted to. Their faces were as gray as the cold stone on the walls and pillars. The carriage was decorated with roses, tulips and an array of other flowers and carried a glass coffin with golden accents.

All citizens of Canterlot and Ponyville were present just to pay their last respects to a pony. The funeral procession moved slowly through the crypt, towards the new grave on the right-hand side of the aisle.

The tombstone was adorned with intricate inscriptions and gentle illustrations, and a small alicorn figurine gracing its center. At the foot of the stone slab, a narrow opening awaited, perfectly sized to accommodate the coffin. As the ponies detached themselves from the cart, Princess Celestia gave the signal to ring the bells to mark the start of the funeral ceremony.

All the ponies looked up. A golden spell lifted the coffin with the flowers and carried it slowly to its final resting place. Here they would see Twilight Sparkle one last time.

Her parents and her brother, Shining Armor and his wife, Princess Cadence, stood in the front row. There was no question that the mother, Mrs. Sparkle, cried the loudest for her foal. As the coffin sank into the hole and the choir began to sing, the five friends had to control themselves.

Rainbow Dash shook her head with eyes closed, unable to bear this bleak period. She ran towards the grave to see Twilight once more. The unicorn lay in the padded bed of the coffin, surrounded by flowers and grasses as provisions for her final journey. She was wearing this simple dress that had been a birthday present from Rarity.

Then the thick granite slabs slid back over the hole. Rainbow Dash tried to catch a last glimpse through the notches between the stones, but rough hooves dragged her away. She didn't resist, because there was no reason to. Rarity and Pinkie Pie, in her long, sleek hairstyle of grief, looked at her angrily. But Rainbow Dash didn't care.

The funeral slowly came to an end. One by one, all the visitors left the crypt until finally five ponies and a small dragon remained. They stayed even longer than Twilight's family.

Rarity released a heavy sigh, her voice laden with disbelief. “I still can't believe she's really gone!”

“She died for us and for Equestria!” said Applejack monotonously.

Rainbow Dash's sobs echoed through the chamber, tears streaming down her cheeks to pool on the stone floor. “I couldn't save her! She looked to me, but I... I couldn't do anything!”

Rarity turned her head. “What’s in your mind, darling?”

“Do you know what it's like when... when a friend dies in your own hooves? She was badly wounded; I was with her and yet... I've so rarely cried in my whole life and now... now it's all coming out like a waterfall.”

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash kindly. “Right now, you can cry all ya want.” Her eyes became moist. “That ain't no shame!”

Pinkie Pie looked lost in thought at the royal mosaic pictures showing pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies. She closed her eyes as she recalled all the memories with Twilight. “I can still clearly remember our first meeting. I was so happy to see a new face. Then she became a great friend.”

She lay down on her back. Her long, straight hair scattered across the floor. “I hate it when friends leave! But I love the memories of them even more! Don't you, Fluttershy?”

Everyone looked at Fluttershy, who had barely spoken since Twilight's passing. She was still silent, but the ponies could see thick tears hanging in her long mane. Applejack nudged Pinkie Pie. “It’s better to leave her be! She ain't done reckonin' with the shock jest yet!”

Suddenly, the door at the other end of the hall swung open, revealing none other than Princess Celestia. She stepped into the room bathed in the morning sunlight, casting a solemn glow over the six mourners who gazed at her with tear-filled eyes.

“You've been here for two hours!” she stated, her voice carrying a mixture of empathy and sorrow.

“We miss her very much!” Pinkie Pie replied and sat up.

The princess walked up to the grave and looked at it scrutinizingly, as if she wanted to speak to the deceased.

“Twilight did her best,” she said, “but we couldn't prevent her fate.”

“I don't want to seem rude! But don't you feel sad for Twilight?” Pinkie Pie inquired with curiosity, earning a stern glance from Rarity. Celestia turned away from the grave, meeting the ponies' gaze with sincerity.

“I am very sad! I just process my grief differently than you do! I've had many friends who have long since been buried. With my long life, friendships don't last!”

Rainbow Dash began to sob again, louder this time. “But Twi was too young! She didn't deserve such an end!”

“No! She really didn't. But unfortunately, that is what happened, there's nothing we can do about it!”

These words sounded hard as steel in Rainbow Dash's ears. Twilight was dead and not even Celestia's magic could bring her back. This realization ate her up inside. She bit her arm to keep from losing control as she let out a stifled sob. But then a gentle hoof patted her back. Applejack looked at her like a good old friend who hadn't been seen in years.

“Come here, RD,” Applejack said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Life will go on! Somehow!”

At the same time, Pinkie Pie snuggled up to the two of them. Then Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike joined them. Rainbow Dash felt as if she had fallen into a warm pool. Her friends were always there for her. They suffered with her and shared her pain, yet she felt another heavy burden. A deep sense of guilt...

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

where Celestia's powers no longer play a role.

Has Celestia’s powers ever played a role in the story at all in canon?

[Princess_Twilight]

This is so sad :<