TRUE LOVE DEFIES ALL

CHAPTER 5

Twilight's eyelids flickered as she slept, she was also digging her hooves into Flash's side. The orange pegasus sat up quickly with a panicked look on his face. "Call for back up!" He cried, then Realised where he was, a kicking alicorn beside him. Shivering as a cold wind swept past, the stallion wrapped his wing over Twilight, who seemed to be having a bad dream. Flash looked around the camp, all the others were asleep, and seemed to be cold aswell, as many of the couples snuggled closer to each other. "Twilight!" The guard whispered, into the lavender mare's ear, the ear flicking at his words. The princess kicked again, the pegasus barely getting out of the way. At the removal of the warm wing from her back the princess of friendship scrambled to her hooves, her deep purple eyes snapping open in shock. She gasped out loud and Flash moved to comfort her. "Bad dream?" He questioned worriedly at seeing Twilight's panicked expression. "I-I could feel his presence... He's growing stronger!" The alicorn worriedly glanced up at the looming tower high above them. Flash blinked his turquoise eyes in shock, before ruffling his wings back to his sides. "Would you like me to wake everypony up?" The Pegasus concernedly asked and Twilight Sparkle nodded "yes, we don't have much time!" The lavender mare moved towards some of her other friends. Discord suddenly, with a gasp, jackknifed into a sitting position before shivering madly, his body wiggling about like noodles on a fork. "Whoo! That can't be right..." Twilight looked at the draconequus worriedly as The Lord of chaos stroked his beard. Without warning both party planners sprang up from their slumber, their bodies shivering crazily as tremors raced down their spines. They both jerked to a sudden stop, blinking at each other with their eyes of blue and green. "That was a doozy!" The party planners both chorused. "Quickly, everypony get up!" The alicorn cried and the rest of the remaining ponies and dragon scrambled to their hooves at the loud noises. "W-what is it twi?" Fluttershy squeaked curiously, her teal eyes fluttering as she yawned. "Yeah what's got your tail in a twist Hun?" Applejack stretched as she questioned the element of magic. "I can sense King Sombra's power, he's growing stronger, we have to hurry!" The lavender mare lit her horn up, as it was barely dawn, and lead the group upwards, towards the dark looking tower. Their hooves and claws scrambled on the slippery surface of the mountain, the oxygen getting thinner and thinner as they climbed higher and higher, the icy wind lashing their faces making them squint as frost formed on their eyelashes. "How much further?" Rarity cried over the roar of the wind, the curls in her mane almost being undone but the force of the wind. Twilight glanced upwards, the light of her horn flickering precariously as she struggled to keep it from going out. "Just a little further, we should be there by the time the sun is in the sky!" The alicorn yelled back and the group trudged onwards. "I'm not sure I can make it..." Fluttershy whimpered to Discord, who was warily glancing up at the tower. The butter coloured mare let loose a spine racking shiver as the cold temperature chilled her bones, the pegasus's teeth chattering in their jaws. "It won't be too long!" Discord comforted his mare friend, as he attempted to use the small bit of magic he had left, but it wouldn't be summoned. "Twilight, this is ridiculous!" Spike cupped his claws so he could be heard from over the roar of the wind. " I know but we need to keep going before he grows too strong!" The mare answered with a yell. "If we keep going in this weather we won't be strong enough to fight him anyway!" Rainbowdash argued as the Pegasus determinedly strolled onwards. This was a reasonable point, and Twilight glanced around for somewhere they could rest. "We can't stop, there is no shelter to rest in, and if we just stop moving our bodies will give in to the cold!" The princess had tears slowly leaking from her purple eyes now as the wind forced them shut. Flash extended a wing and gently removed the tears with a feather. "We'll just have to keep going then!" He yelled and the group all groaned as they struggled up the large mountain.

"Twailight!" The alicorn turned as her friend's southern accent Ellen over the roaring winds. "It's Spike, he's collapsed!" Applejack looked on fearfully and Twilight instantly stopped and looked at the dragon. He looked like he was peacefully sleeping. "Oh no..." The princess stopped trotting up the steep mountain and knelt down to the reptile she considered her little brother. After a quick examination she concluded her hypothesis. "It's okay Applejack, Spike is just cold blooded, the temperature is making him sleep, he'll wake up as soon as we can get warmer!"

Applejack looked down at his sleeping form and bit her lip before the orange pony slid the dragon onto her back. Twilight glanced back up at the tower, they we're so close now...

As they neared the giant doors of the tower Fluttershy quivered. "Oh my it looks so scary, I'm not sure I can go in..." The Pegasus squeaked fearfully. But as the wind howled harder and another icy wind hit them she changed her mind. "Nevermind." She squealed and Discord gave her a comforting hug before the group entered. The large doors swung shut behind them and as their eyes adjusted to the light in the dim tower they noticed a cloaked figure, standing in the middle of the room with their back to the group. Twilight blinked curiously and took a step forward, using her magic to unreal the figure. They all gasped "Princess Luna?" They chorused and the dark blue alicorn swirled around, her mane a wave of sparkling stars. Her eyes widened "ah, tis Twilight Sparkle and friends, I should have expected my sister to send you here." The princess of the night took the rest of her cloak off and spread her wings. "Yes, but Luna, why are you here?" Rarity curiously asked, her deep blue eyes fluttering. Luna cast her eyes downwards as if thinking of something to say. "It matters not, but it does matter that we get up there and stop Sombra!" The alive on glanced upwards and the group noticed a staircase leading upwards. "Well... Let's go!" Twilight took charge and the group obediently followed.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Sorry this chapter is short, but the next few chapters will be really short as we are nearing the end of the story!