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Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:29:34+00:00

2011-11-17T06:29:34+00:00

Homecoming They were nearing the outskirts of town now, and the Apple Acres Orchards were seen in the distance. The sight of home cheered the group up, even Drax, who was still only a visitor. Seeing a place he had only imagined in his mind, or through the magic of television brought a tear to his eye, and a strange shortness of breath, which he did his best to hide. He felt.. Happy. A rare feeling these days for him. But then, it was the main reason he had fallen in love with the show. Twilight was still curious about what had happened earlier, and decided to broach the subject. “Drax? What you said back there to Fluttershy, about her being a druid, and the Green Mother, what was that all about?” “Oh. That. Ancient mythology on my world.” he shrugged. “One of many things I have researched over the years. We had a group of people who worship nature, and believed in a living spirit of the earth. I’ve found that I am descended from some of those people, and it seems some of their gifts run in my family.” “Oooo... that's cool!” Pinkie Pie piped up. “So do they dress up all creepy, with robes and stuff, and party all night under the full moon and make virgin sacrifices and stuff?” “Uhh.. I dunno. Legend says that stuff happened, but it’s not an active practice anymore. It was hundreds of years ago. Most of the old beliefs were wiped out by new ones, and very few records were kept.” He paused, “But anyway, I have a cousin that can pick up any animal. I’ve seen her walk up to critters nobody could get near and nearly strangle them when she was a foal.. err.. a child, and they wouldn't even fight back. They took anything she did, and never complained. Myself, I can make almost anything grow. All the females have a gift with animals, all the males have a gift with plants.” “I bet Applejack would love to have your help around the farm!” Rainbow Dash joined in, “There’s always stuff that needs help to grow there.” “Yea, well the gifts overlap, I am also good with animals, although not as good as the females in my family. I think that may have something to do with why you girls seem to trust me so easily.” Dash looked indignant. “We ain’t animals! We are PONIES! I only like you because yer funny... But I don't like being called an animal.” “I know, I know, I wasn't implying otherwise. What I meant was, you aren’t HUMAN. Hell even human children seem to be fascinated with me. Every child I meet just stares at me like I am the most amazing thing in the world.” He sighed. “Maybe it has something to do with you all being innocent. Innocence seems to be a common factor between children, animals, and ponies.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash both giggled. The pegasus replied, “Uhh Drax? In case you forgot about last night, we are far from innocent fillies.” The stallion just scowled. “That’s not what I meant. I am talking about the innocence from not living in a world of horror, hate, greed, and meaningless death. Not living in a society that crushes your soul, and demands more just to stay alive. Your world is a paradise compared to mine, and your entire world is innocent by those standards.” “Why don't you just laugh at the meany weenies when they try to make you sad?” Pinkie took a deep breath to start a song, but was cut off by a hoof on her muzzle. “Yea, its kinda hard to laugh when yer getting curb stomped for being different. Just being the wrong color gets you beaten and killed in parts of my world.” He stepped back and looked at the ground. “And I don't even wanna start about religion. Entire wars, killing millions, have been fought over differences of opinion on a book written thousands of years ago by people long dead.” Pinkie looked subdued by this, and just a little frightened. Some of the color faded from her coat, and she looked away quickly so that nopony could see the look in her eye. It was only a moment, and then the color returned, and she was back to normal, although without the smile. “I’m sorry Draxy, I was only trying to cheer you up. It sounds like you come from a nasty wasty horrible place!” “Meh.. It’s easier if you were born there, but yea, it’s pretty bad in some places. Just be happy you never have to go there, they would just as soon kill you or put you in a zoo as welcome you.” He grimaced, “Just because you are different.” “Wow, that's pretty messed up, Drax.” Rainbow Dash came forward and put her hoof on his shoulder. He perked up at the feeling of love and acceptance from his new friends. “Bah, I’d rather not dwell on it. I’m here now, with new friends, and happy for a change. Lets get to Ponyville and meet some more!” They all cheered, and trotted into the orchards they were now approaching. In the distance an orange pony could be seen galloping towards them. As they got closer they confirmed that the local farm pony was indeed coming to meet them. “Well hello thar folks! Twi, Dash, you two sure gave us a start!” The earth pony walked up to Drax and eyed him over. “So who’s tha new stallion in town?” She stuck her hoof out, “Name’s Applejack!” Rainbow Dash elbowed Twilight, whispering, ‘I TOLD you she will walk up and talk to anypony!’ Drax went into gentleman mode, sweeping up the hoof and bringing it to his lips. He then looked up and winked. “My name is Drax. A pleasure to meet you...” he replied smoothly, putting a deep resonance in his voice. She pulled her hoof back with a bit of a blush. “Ohh, a real charmer you girls got here.” Then she sobered a bit, “Yer not one o’ them uppity city folk are ya?” Drax broke into a giant grin and laughed, “Naw, Ahm jus messin wit ya. Ahm as redneck as you are, girl. My grandaddy was a coal miner. I just act all genteel fer tha ladies.” Applejack laughed at his flawless country accent, and punched him playfully on the shoulder. “Ahh like you! Yer allright pardner. Lemme show ya round the farm!” “Ahh, actually, as much as I’d like to see the farm right now,” he replied, dropping all the accents, “I really think we need to push on to Ponyville first. I need to get some cloths made, and it may be time to contact the Princess about my being here.” He looked back at Twilight, who was nodding. “I especially am worried since I heard that prophecy from Derpy about...” He was suddenly cut off as his vision was filled with the sight of a very angry orange pony in his face. “Don't. You. EVER! Let me hear you use that name!” Applejack was now directly in his face, very pissed and poking him painfully in the shoulder. That thar filly is one of tha most kindest, smartest, genteelest ponies you will eva know! And her name is DITZY DOO!” She grimaced, clearly very angry. “If’en I EVA Hea ANYPONY talkin bad like that ‘bout her, they will have ta answer ta ME!” His ears laid back, the stallion took a step back from the deranged mare. Her anger was palatable, and he did not want to provoke her further. He slipped back into his country dialect instinctively in defence of his actions. “Beg pardon M’am. Ah meant no disrespect ta tha Mailpony. Where Ah come from, there is still much debate over hah true name. She is known bah both names, and is onna tha most beloved ponies in Ponyville. We call her bah both names, but love hah all tha same.” He gave a brief pause, seeing the mare stop advancing on him. “She gave meh a ratha grave message. Ah am worried that it maght affect mah future hea in Equestria.” Drax shook his head, suddenly aware he had once again began to mimic somepony’s accent. It was a habit he wasn't proud of, and he had trouble controlling, but had saved him many times. “Dammit, I hate when that happens. Too much TV, and I have no accent of my own.” he sighed, looking back at the now passive earth pony. “Sorry. My family comes from the earth, just as yours do, and sometimes I fall back to their ways of talking. I really do not mean to disrespect the name of the Mailpony, but her real name is still unknown where I come from. So She has been given several names, none of them are given out of malice.” “You sure do talk funny.” Applejack replied, now eyeing him with suspicion. “One minute you talk all fancy-like, then you talk like a country-pony, now you have no accent at all.” She shook her mane in disgust. “Ah’m not sure Ah kin trust you.” Drax merely rolled his eyes, smiling at the orange mare. “Truth be told, I don't blame you. Trust is a hard thing to earn. I trust very few myself, so I can understand. I also understand the value of honesty, and I hope you can learn to trust in that. If there is anything you ever want to ask me, you can trust that I will always answer the truth. It is my way, and has caused much hardship in my time, but I will not lie for any reason. I have lost friends, family, and much else because I refuse to lie, but that is part of who and what I am. There are many more parts however, so I ask you to forgive me for being who I am.” The earth pony was no longer eyeing him suspiciously. Instead she was looking at him with a bit of an appraising look on her muzzle. Suddenly she broke into a grin and rushed forward to embrace the stallion in a hug. “Ah believe ya, ya big lug. Nopony can lie ta me wit dat kinda face. Ah am tha element of Honesty after all, and ah kin spot mah virtue in others.” Drax grinned happily, returning the pony’s hug, until she whispered in his ear, “Hmm... you smell mighty nice thar, fella...” His smile faded as he backed away with a frown. “Dammit.. I have got to find a way to fix that. I cant have every filly in Ponyville sniffin after my flank.” Applejack looked confused. “What Ah say?” Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle just laughed at this, and Pinkie Pie smiled knowingly. Drax just shook his head, and sighed. “Don’t worry about it. I will explain everything later, after I get to Ponyville.” On the way to town, Applejack explained that she was told by Fluttershy about their journey toward town. She had seemed rather distracted, and insisted that the animals needed her. The earth pony had abandoned her search, and returned to the farm, knowing they would pass that way. “So where ya headed first in town?” She asked, as they trudged toward town. Rainbow Dash had started flying circles, clearly bored with the long trek by hoof. “Well first thing I need to do is see Rarity about some cloths.” Drax replied. “I hope she wont mind.” “Wha on earth wouldja need fancy duds fer? Ya goin so some shindig?” “Trust me, I will need them. I’ll explain why when we get there. I’m gettin a bit tired of repeating the performance.” He grinned at her. “And you girls are in for one hellova surprize!” Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash started giggling at this. Applejack looked suspicious, but Pinkie Pie just cheered. “Yay! I Love surprises! Especially if they are Surprise Parties!” “Whats so danged funny?” The orange pony snorted. “Just wait and see. I’ll show you at Rarity’s. It’s prolly best that Fluttershy isn't there though, don't wanna scare the kid too much.” “Yea, that filly is a sensitive one. I seen her run from her own shadow once.” She shook her head. Twilight spoke up, “Well you wont have to wait long. There is the shop up ahead. Hopefully things are quiet in town.” And it was. Being late-afternoon, most ponies were headed home for the day, and some shops were closing. Nopony paid any notice to the newcomer and his new friends as they strolled into town and approached the Carousel Boutique. Rainbow Dash had flown ahead to make sure the coast was clear and tell Rarity they were coming. The elegant white unicorn met them in the main showroom, where she greeted them with open arms. “You girls! You gave us all such a fright. You dears really need to tell somepony when you disappear like that. The suspense was simply dreadful! Do you have any idea what that sort of stress does to my complexion?” She paused at the sight of the dark pony making his way in the door. “Oh, but I see you brought me a handsome stallion! And whom do I have the honor of addressing, my kind sir?” Drax turned on all the charm, stepping forward and bowing deeply. “Greetings Mistress Rarity. Your fame and beauty precede you. I am called Drax. I hail from a far off land, and I come in need of your services.” Behind him, the other ponies were rolling their eyes, Pinkie was giggling. Rarity was stunned for a moment, lost in the sound of the stallion’s voice, but quickly recovered. “Oh my! You are quite the gentlecolt, are you not?” She offered a hoof, which he brought to his lips with a smile. “Oh my, oh my.... Where on earth did you find him girls?” Muttering under her breath, she slid up to Twilight, “Is he taken?” Turning back to the stallion without waiting for and answer, she smile graciously. “My good sir, I would be honored to assist you with my meager talents. Whatever you may need, I would be happy to provide. So, what will it be, hmm? A new saddle? A suit for a party? No, no... I simply MUST do an entire outfit to fit your stunning colors! Your mane is almost as fabulous as my own, and I have just the fabric to make it shine!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at this, “Here we go again. Just like the Gala dresses, all over again. Trust me Drax, just let her design it for you!” “Ahh.. yes. About that. There is something you need to know first before you start working. Applejack, and Pinkie, you are gonna wanna see this too, just to get it over with.” He sighed and stepped back away from them. Rarity looking confused, and the other ponies just waiting expectantly. “Just promise me one thing. Don't freak out?” Rarity waved her hoof in the air. “I’m a professional, my dear! I have seen many things in my years as a designer, and I can assure you I will not ‘Freak Out’.” Chuckling darkly, he began to blur. He once again twisted and melted into human shape. He stood with his arms out, wearing only the blanket-kilt. Rarity fainted. Applejack freaked out. Pinkie Pie just laughed, perhaps just a bit too loudly. “What in tarnation are you?” The orange pony backed toward the door. “Yer some kinda freaky thing! Omygosh, yer just plain UGLY!” “Well gee, thanks. I feel so welcome and loved.” He deadpanned in a monotone voice. “Well ya are! What kinda critter are you?” She stood her ground now, seeing as he hadn't moved. Twilight stepped up to stand beside him. “He’s a human. Long story short, I accidentally summoned him here. He’s a friend now, and not going to harm anypony.” She gazed up to him, and he reached down to scritch her mane behind the ears. “He’s not so ugly once ya get used to him.” She smiled and leaned into him to better let him scratch. “And these hands are amazing...” Drax laughed at the pony’s response. “Never met a critter that didn't love a nice scratch behind the ears!” “Well allright sugarcube, Ah’ll take yer werd fer it. But he still looks funny.” Pinkie had stopped laughing now and was still grinning. “Ooh, I wanna scratch too!” She bounded toward him, bowling him over and landing on his chest. “Scritchy-scratchy, my mane is itchy!” He laughed and gave her frizzy mane a two-handed scratch, as her hind leg began to thump the floor like a dog. Twilight gave her a dirty look for the interruption, then stuck her tongue out before walking over to attend to Rarity. Rarity was just coming to, and was confused to see Pinkie Pie sitting on the strange creature’s chest with a happy grin on her muzzle. “W-what’s going on? What is that THING? Where did Drax go? And why am I on the floor?” She got up and gasped at her reflection in a nearby mirror. “Oh no! I got dust in my beautiful mane! I must brush this out right away! She excused herself to freshen up, and digest what had just happened, but was back a minute later looking her usual fabulous self, and back in control. Pinkie Pie had finally let the human stand up, and was bouncing in place. “Yay! That was fun! You smell nice! Can we do it again later? I can’t wait to throw a party and show you off to everyponyinponyvillesotheycanseehowcoolyouare andI’mtotallygladyourmyfriendsowecanhangoutallthetime...” Her flood of words was cut off my a hand on her muzzle, but she continued to smile and beam her blue eyes at him. “Umm, thanks Pinkie, I get the idea. But lets keep it a small Party for now. I’m not a fan of crowds. And if the reaction of your friends is any indication, it’s gonna be better if I attend as a pony.” “Okie dokie loki!” Rarity was back in command of herself, and suddenly all business. “So this is why you need clothing? But of course you do, without even a proper coat of fur on your body. It must get dreadfully cold at night! And those strange hooves of yours, how do you walk without injury? I will need to make boots as well.. Hmm.. this will be a challenge. Your body shape is all wrong for pony clothing, so I will need to start from scratch!” Drax shrugged, “I kinda like the cold, so it doesn't bother me much, but I do need some sorta protection. I was thinking more along the lines of a better kilt, but boots would be nice. “Pshaw! I am making you an entire outfit. And I will NOT take no for an answer! It will be a first of it’s kind and a masterpiece for my craft!” She floated over a writing pad and measuring tape, adjusting her glasses on her muzzle. “Now stand still, I need to get all of your measurements. Would you mind taking off that old blanket?” Looking at the ceiling, he let it drop to the floor. Rarity gasped. “Oh MY!” Twilight and Rainbow dash giggled. Pinkie pie let out a foalish “Ooooohhhh.....” Applejack exclaimed “Mah werd! Yew are funny lookin!” Sighing Drax kept his eyes heavenward. “Yea yea, its normal where I come from, and one of the reasons I need some cloths.” Rarity regained her professional demeanor again, and started taking measurements. Rainbow Dash suffered another bout of laughter as she fell to the floor. Pinkie Pie just continued to stare innocently. Applejack finally spoke up. “Welp, Ah’s gotta be gettin back to tha farm. Ah’s see you all tonight at tha libary. Take care Twi, Dash, Pinkie. Later Rarity! They all waved goodbye, Pinkie Pie left to start planning the small party at the Library for later. Rainbow Dash excused herself for some “Weather Pony Stuff”. Twilight was left behind, so she could guide Drax to her home when he was done. Soon the measurements were done, and Rarity declared him free to go. Before leaving however, she quickly stitched a much better quality Kilt, which fit him securely, and settled better on his flanks in pony form. He reverted back to the pony shape, and thanked her again. She bid them farewell, promising the cloths to be ready by the next day. It was quite obvious that she was blushing as she waved them off to the approaching evening. As they arrived at the Library, they both heaved a sigh of relief. Already he was thinking of his arrival point in this world as home. They both set about cleaning up the mess from the failed spell, and then crashed on some cushions to relax until their friend’s arrived. Twilight perked up a moment, floating something over to him. “Oh, I found this while we were cleaning. I don't know what it is, and I think it may have come though with you.” Drax blinked, then made a grab at the small black and silver object. “Holy shit! My iPod! How the hell did that make it through? It was on the stand next to my bed, but I came through nekkid!” Twilight shrugged, “I still don't even know how YOU made it through. So what is an eye-pod anyway?” Drax was tapping the device, frowning. “Bah, it’s a music player, and a kinda mini computer. But of course it doesn’t work here. Guess I need magic batteries or something. I’ll figger it out later.” They both looked at each other, and smiled. Sitting back and relaxing while they waited. “Thanks, Twilight. Thanks for everything.”

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:30:37+00:00

2011-11-17T06:30:37+00:00

Private Party First to arrive of course, was Pinkie Pie. She brought lots of party supplies as usual. Balloons, streamers, and plenty of food from Sugarcube Corner. Most of it was the usual sugary confections, baked goods, ice cream, and sarsaparilla. There was even a big cake with the words ‘Welcome Draxy’ on it. Drax groaned, glad that his sugar problems seemed to have gone away with his poor eyesight. He was also glad there was no hay or grass, not sure he could eat it even in his pony form. “Well I was gonna bring some black and purple balloons, like your colors.” Pinkie explained. “But then I realized it would be all dreary weary lookin like a funeral. So I brought lotsa bright colors instead!” “That's fine Pinkie.” Drax gave her a welcoming hug, and began helping place the decorations. “I appreciate anything you bring. I may be many things, but ungrateful isn't one of them.” “Yay! I like you Draxy waxy! I just know we are gonna be bestest friends!” Drax winced again at the cutified nickname, then sighed. Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie. Then he felt his stomach growl. “Oh man, I hope the others get here soon. I haven't had anything since that muffin Derp.. err I mean Ditzy brought me.” Pinkie Pie giggled at his near faux pas. “Don't let Applejack get to you Draxy. She’s just a bit touchy, and grouchy. Her and Ditzy were friends as foals, until she went to Flight School. Applejack used to look after Ditzy Doo, and beat up all the meany weany bullies that picked on her.” She bounced around the room, boxing and bucking imaginary enemies. “Ditzy doesn’t mind being called Derpy anymore, she is used to it, and even calls herself Derpy now. But Applejack never forgot.” “Yea, well I still gotta remember. Last thing I need is an angry, orange pony bucking my ass.” Twilight joined in, coming back from the kitchen with some more healthy snacks she was preparing in the kitchen. “Yea, it seems like not much of anything phases that little pony. She always has a smile on her muzzle and a muffin in her bag for everypony.” “Yes, she seems as nice as the fans made her out to be, but she still worried me with that prophecy.“ He shook his mane. “If it really was about me, then something will happen that will make me choose, saving this land or destroying it. And I don't like either choice to be honest.” “Why wouldn't you want to save Equestria?” Twilight looked puzzled. “Well for one reason, I have never been much of an achiever. No big grand plans. Just happy to help my friends, and live my life.” He sighed and looked both ponies in the eye. “And the other reason is, it would mean that Equestria needs saving.” “Woooohh.... “ Pinkie was wide eyed. “That’s deep! like meaning of life deep, n stuff.” Twilight shook her mane. “You have a good point there Drax. I really think I should write the Princess tonight. We need her input on this.” Drax shrugged. “Yea, yer right. I just hope she doesn't overreact, like everypony else has so far. Could you imagine a pissed off Sun Goddess? Or worse.. a scared one?” “I’ve seen Twilight mad, and that was bad enough!” The pink pony replied with a shudder. “It wasn't that bad Pinkie.” The unicorn replied. “Umm.. You turned white, and your mane burst into living flame.” Drax broke in. “Oh.. You know about that?” She laughed nervously, kicking at the floor with a hoof. “Yeap, Episode 15, Feeling Pinkie Keen.” Suddenly he facehoofed, realizing what he had just said. “I am such a Nerd.” Both fillies laughed at his self abasement. They went back to decorating as the others started to arrive. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash arrived next, with the yellow pony bringing flowers in a pot from the forest to Drax. “Umm.. I.. ahh.. thought you might like these. Since you said you are good with plants” She hid behind her mane, blushing again, and not making eye contact. “I ..umm... hope you like them.” She squeaked. He bent down and lifted her chin to look in her eyes again. “Thank you Shy, they are beautiful, just like you.” She blushed again, and turned away from his gaze with a smile. Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes and giggled at the shy pegasus. “Why don't you two just kiss and get it over with already?” Hearing this, the yellow pony meeped, and ran to stand behind Twilight. She peered from behind the purple unicorn, and stared longingly at the dark stallion. He was busy glaring at the other pegasus. “You know, yer a real asshole sometimes, Dash. I may have to give you some lessons in discretion.” She just stuck her tongue out at him. “Meh, I don't have time for that stuff. I’m too busy being AWESOME!” He just shook his head and sighed, then smiling at Fluttershy he raised the plant in her direction. “Thank you Fluttershy. I hope I can help you work on that mask some more, k?” She blinked, then tossed her mane away from he face to look at him directly. “Yes, sorry. I am still working on it. Thank you.” She smiled, sounding alot more confident. He winked and grinned, “Right back at ya, Blue-eyes.” She giggled in response, and visibly relaxed at his bantering. “So, we are still missing two of the Mane Cast. Anyone know what’s taking them? I’m famished! Rarity and Applejack chose that moment to arrive. Applejack was carrying some apple pastries from her farm, and Rarity had a beautiful purple and black kilt for the new stallion. “This will suit your colors nicely, darling. I plan to also do one with some green, to bring out your stunning green eyes and cutie mark. I should have the rest done some time tomorrow.“ “Thanks Rarity! It’s amazing. How on earth did you get a purple and black tartan cloth on such short notice?” He let her put it on him, still not sure if his unique kind of magic was up to levitating. He would have to give it a try later. Rarity beamed under the praise. “Oh, a girl has to have her secrets, you know.” They all laughed. Drax walked over to Applejack and gave her a welcoming hug. Then they parted and pounded hooves. “Yer allright thar Draxie. Ya should come bah mah farm tomarra, and meet mah family.” “I would love to. I love growing things, and mebbe I can give you a few ideas to use. Where I am from, we have some rather advanced techniques for farming that may help here.” “Tha’d be mighty neighborly of ya, Drax. Ah look forward ta yer visit!” The orange pony beamed, and pounded him on the back. To his credit, he didn't flinch under the assault, but merely returned her smile. Pinkie bounced up and down in excitement. “Yay! Everypony is here now! Lets start his PARTY!” Drax cheered along with the rest, belting out a loud call of, “YAY FEWD!!” They all settled in for the party feast. Pinkie Pie started a record player, with some party tunes. It sounded to Drax alot like Oktoberfest music, and he laughed as she tried to make up words to the beat. He was more determined than ever to try and get his iPod working somehow, so he could show them some music from his world. He has more than enough music and movies loaded to supply a party for days. If only he could get it to work! After everypony was sated, the energy died down again with them all nursing full bellies and half-full drinks. Drax added alcohol to his mental list of things to recreate. ‘Candy is Dandy, but Liquor is Quicker!’ Even if the ponies didn't drink, he would hate to live without some beer! Finally the party wound down, and the subject returned to him. They all sat around and stared silently as he began his story again, assisted by Twilight Sparkle on the parts he didn't know. Not a question was raised during the entire narrative, up to the point they reached Ponyville. Several glances were shot at Twilight and Rainbow Dash as their parts in the story were euphemistically glossed over. And Applejack exclaimed at Drax’s theory that Fluttershy possessed the powers of a fledgling druidess. Only Rarity seemed unaffected by the tale, keeping a straight face the entire time. Her “Professional Mode” was in full effect and she seemed to take it in stride, although Drax noticed an eye twitch a few times during the tale. When he was done, the other ponies just stared at him, not wanting to be the first to talk. Then suddenly Twilight broke the silence. “Well? What does everypony think?” All hell broke loose. Everpony began talking at once, and Drax put his head in his hooves until they quieted down. Rarity was the first to break the new silence. “So what are you going to do? You say you can do magic, you claim to not know why you are here, and the Mailpony gave you a Prophecy?” She rolled her eyes in disbelief. “That sounds like the plot to a bad novel.” “Yea, it sounds like one of those fan fictions you were telling us about!” Pinkie Pie jumped in, then slowly turned her head to stare at you, the reader. She has a knowing smirk on her face. “What are you looking at, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. The pink pony looks back, smiling brightly again. “Oh, nothing!” “Well the one difference between a crappy story and a crappy life, is that I am living this, not reading about it.” He threw his hooves in the air. “You don't think I keep asking myself if I have gone insane? Part of me keeps waiting for me to wake up in my bed, and get up for work. Part of me would not be surprised if I was in a coma from drinking too damn much. There is probably some idiot watching the show on a TV in the next room, and all you ponies are just a part of my diseased mind trying to survive.” “Well Ah dunno bout you, but Ah feel real ta me.” Applejack responded. “Iffen you is havin a dream, then Ahm havin one too.” “Meh. I’ve seen too many strange things in my time to dismiss this all out of hoof.” He shook his head. Real or not, I am actually quite happy with this reality. It’s better than my old one, and if I am dying somewhere, then I hope I die still asleep there, here with my new friends.” After a moment of silence, Pinkie pie let out a mighty cheer. She was joined by the other ponies as they all rushed the startled stallion for a group hug. “Thanks guys. You all make this old cynic happy.” He tried to hold back tears of happiness, but was unsuccessful. Rarity leaned closed and took a deep breath. “Oh my! You were right Applejack, he does smell DIVINE!” “DAMMIT TO HELL!” was all Drax could say to that, still embraced by the herd of fillies. After the other ponies had left for the night, only Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were left to finish cleaning up. Drax carried the rest of the trash outside, getting laughs from Twilight at his clumsy attempts at telekinesis. “It makes me feel better there is finally magic I can do better than you.” Twilight snickered playfully. Drax just chuckled. “Well I can think of a few other things I am better at, after last night” Pinkie Pie just giggled as Twilight blushed, and used her magic to throw a half eaten cupcake at his retreating flank. “You missed one!” After he returned, he broached the subject of sleeping arrangements. Pinkie Pie jumped up and down and grabbed him in a hug. Oh ooh oh! you should totally come to my place at Sugarcube Corner! The Cakes are out of town on a vacation for a few days and there’s plenty of room! Then tomorrow I can make you the most awesomest, yummiest, supertasticular breakfast EVER!” Twilight spoke up, “Actually that wouldn't be such a bad idea. I need to write my letter to Princess Celestia, and I want to do some more research on what went wrong with the spell.” She grimaced, glancing over at the runes that stood as testament of her miserable failure. “I really cant afford the .. umm.. distraction, tonight. I need some time alone to think this out.” Drax looked over at the pink pony, who was practically vibrating with excitement as she smiled hugely and shook her head like a rag doll. “Umm.. well if you think so, Twi. How bad can a night with Pinkie be?” ‘Lord have mercy on my soul...’ he thought to himself. “Aww.. you don't have to put it that way...” The earth pony frowned, just for a moment, then perked back again. “It’s ok. We can have lotsa fun!” Drax laughed. “That’s what I’m afraid of...” Even Twilight, already picking up a book, had to pause to laugh at this, as the odd couple walked out of the door into the night. She levitated over a quill and a blank scroll, and set about writing her letter. She would get Owelicious to deliver it before dawn. Dear Princess Celestia, As they arrived at the bakery, Pinkie ran around the shop, making sure everything was settled down for the night and ready for the morning. The Cakes had hired a temporary baker to handle the bulk of the morning duties, leaving Pinkie Pie to work on projects like deliveries and special orders. After making sure everything was right she led the stallion upstairs. He trudged slowly behind her, dreading what was in store. He always liked the pink pony, while at the same time finding her constantly happy personality a bit irritating. He did his best to keep a happy face on, not wanting to upset the energetic party pony. After the way all the other fillies had been reacting to him he was not surprised to find she was leading him to her own room, where a massive four poster bed was centered. The room was entirely in shades of pink, with only photos of her friends, and a sad pile of rocks wearing a party hat in the corner breaking the color scheme. Gummy was nowhere to be found, and he assumed the pet gator had other living quarters in the house. He shied at the entrance to the door, not liking where this was leading. He was just as male as the next guy, and didn't mind the attentions of attractive females, but this was getting to be a little much. He just wasn't used to this much positive female attention. ‘Dammit man, you are the luckiest Brony alive, what the fuck is wrong with you?’ He thought to himself. ‘Gah, too many times being the nice guy, not enough time being a player.. that’s what was wrong.’ He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Pinkie, why do I only see one bed?” She bounced on the bed and did a flip in the air. “Because I only have one bed, silly! Now come on over and lets get cozy for the night.” He grimaced. “Really Pinkie? I don't think that’s such a good idea. I’m not sure you are thinking clearly. Haven’t you noticed the way everyone reacts around me?” The pink pony frowned a bit, stopping in mid bounce. Somehow she remained in the air just a bit too long, before flopping down on her rump, a confused expression in her face. “Umm.. Well, Twilight and Dashie look at ya funny, and everypony says ya smell nice, and I really like you Draxy! But I don't see what’s wrong with that. Don't you like me?” Drax rubbed his forehead with a hoof, looking down. ‘Oh fuckin great, here it goes.’ He thought to himself. ‘Ok, Pinkie, you wanna do this? Let’s do this.’ He had been dreading this moment, but steeled himself for what had to be done. When he looked up, Pinkie Pie was staring at him with her straight-browed serious face. The one that most ponies never noticed, but he had. They only saw the smiling, happy Pinkie Pie that she wanted them to see. But he had been studying people all his life, and he knew better. He could read this like a book. Looking her straight in the face he replied. “No. I don't like Pinkie Pie.” Her face collapsed. Her mane started to uncurl, and the color faded slightly from her coat. “Y-you d-don’t like me?” She stammered, her lip trembling. “B-but... I thought we were gonna be bestest friends!” He kept his tone neutral, even though his heart was breaking at what he had to do. “That’s not what I said. I said, I don't like Pinkie Pie.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “But I AM Pinkie Pie.” “No. You’re not.” “I am! I really am! Nobody can be as pink and as partyriffic as me!” She sobbed. “If I’m not Pinkie Pie, then who am I?” Still using all of his strength to hold back from rushing forward to embrace the distraught mare, he maintained a neutral attitude. All he wanted was to make her stop crying, and comfort her, but he knew this needed to be done. “Let me put it a different way. I don't love Pinkie Pie. I love Pinkamina Diane Pie.” The sobbing mare stopped a moment, more confused than ever. She blinked back tears, as her coat faded more and her hair went completely straight. “H-how? How do you know that name?” “I know alot of things about you, your friends and this world.” He walked over to sit besides her on the bed. “I know who you are, I know what you are, and I know where you come from. I see alot of what I once was in you, but like me you hide it from the world.” She continued to blink at him, still crying, but the sobbing had stopped. “I am alot like you. We are social parasites.” She cringed at this, but he continued. “We feed off the emotions of others. We make others feel happy so that we can feel happy. Without our friends we wither away. I see that in you just as it is in me. But I found another way.” He reached out and embraced her, holding her to his breast. “You see, you are alot like Fluttershy, but your problem is the opposite. Where she leaves herself open to the world, and must learn to create a mask to protect herself, you have lived your life behind the mask and no longer know how to show your true self.” She looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face, still not understanding. “I was once like you. I learned early that if I hid my true self away, I could no longer be hurt by others. But my mask became my prison. The world saw me as the friendly fool, willing to do anything to make my friends laugh and be happy. Everypony thought I was happy, but I wasn't. Deep down I was never happy. Everypony loved me, but I never loved myself.” “You need to learn to love yourself Pinkamina. It is the real you that I love and respect. It is Pinkamina that I connect with the most. Pinkie is just the mask you wear to make people love you. But your true friends will love you no matter who you are. So doesn’t it make sense to be your true self around your friends?” Her tears had slowed, as understanding dawned on her. She looked up to him and trembled. “B-b-but... I LIKE being Pinkie! Ponies love me when I throw them parties, and smile all the time. I don't want to be sad old Pinkamina!” He sighed sadly, “But you are Pinkamina. You need to learn to accept that. Learn to love who you are. Pinkie is just a mask. Nothing more than a tool to use as needed, and then set aside. Be the happy pony at parties, if you have to, but be yourself around your friends. Let them love you, the real you. And most importantly, let yourself love the real you.” At this the last barrier of resistance broke, and she clutched at him, sobbing uncontrollably. Years of repressed emotion and self loathing flowed forth to be spilled upon his ebony chest and flow into his indigo mane. “It’s s-so. So HARD! I-I--d-d-ont wanna be happy all the time!” She cried rivers as the pain and suffering of so many faked smiles and forced emotions flowed forth to be washed away. He held her for what seemed like hours, letting her cry herself out. He just stroked her magenta mane and gripped her as she clutched against him in desperation. Finally the the sobs stopped, and the sniffling subsided. She looked up at him, and he saw the sight that made his heart leap for joy. The one thing that made all of this torture and pain he had put his dear friend through. All the pain he had himself endured. Being an Empath meant he shared the pain and emotions of those he was close to, and he shuddered to think how close the pink pony has come to engulfing him in her pain as it flowed forth. But this was what made it all worth it. He looked down and saw Pinkamina Diane Pie. And she was Smiling. His heart broke and rebuilt itself over again and his own tears started to flow with the happiness he felt for the now healed filly. She looked up with a brilliant smile. No longer forced, no longer fake. It was the smile of a newborn child, seeing the world for the very first time. It was the smile of TRUE happiness. It was the first true smile of Pinkamina Pie. And it melted his heart. “Thank you.” She replied quietly. He responded by kissing her on the forehead, and she hugged him fiercely in return. The full force of the mare’s grasp made him wince, but he endured it happily. “You are most welcome, my dear, dear friend.” She wiped away the last of her tears, still smiling. “Whew! I really needed that! Thanks Draxy.” Suddenly she grabbed him close for a kiss. It was fierce and quick, with all the passion of her new found self-worth behind it. “I really needed that too!” She giggled, then grinning wickedly, she shoved him back onto the bed. “Whoah there filly!” Drax exclaimed. The pink pony ignored his protests, and climbed on top of him. “I really need this too.“ She threw back her head and gave a shout. “WHOO!!! Pinkamina finally gets to party tonight!” She then turns to you, the reader, and winks. “Sorry folks, this here is private!” Then grabbing the curtains around her bed, she pulls them closed. “Umm, Pinks? Who are you talking to?” Drax asked quizzically. “Shut up, and FUCK ME!” Was all she replied.

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:31:40+00:00

2011-11-17T06:31:40+00:00

Revelations Something woke Drax from his sleep. Not sure what, he groggily blinked, taking in the room around him. Looking down, he saw a mass of cotton candy curls on his chest. Somehow he had reverted to human form, but couldn't remember how or why. Pinkie’s hair had returned to it’s usual curly mess, and she was cuddled up, sleeping on his chest, snoring softly. With a grin, he took a deep breath, taking in her scent of sugar, salt, and faint mare musk. ‘Pinkie may be the Party Pony, but Pinkamina was one hellova freak in the sack.’ He thought to himself, ‘Gotta love when repressed girls cut loose!’ He rubbed his wrists, a bit red where the hoofcuffs had been earlier. ‘Oh yeah! Super-freak, super-freak, she’s super freaky!’ Gingerly he tried to extract himself from the pink mass, only to have her cuddle tighter, muttering half asleep. “Don’t go yet, Draxy-waxy... It’s too early....” Grinning like an idiot at how cute she was, he considered that there were much worse places to be, none of them were important. “HUUUUMMAAAAAAAN!!” The sound made him come fully awake, as Pinkie’s head shot up and her blue eyes went wide in surprise. Somebody was outside, and they didn't sound happy. “Oh shit!” he cried, “I was afraid this was gonna happen.” “W-what? Who? W-whats going on Draxy?” the startled mare stammered, as they both scrambled out of the bed, and Drax dove for his kilt. “COME OUT YOU VERMIN! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE SOMEWHERE!” the voice cried out, seemingly magic-enhanced to make the walls shake. The voice, never heard in anger before, was still unmistakable. “It’s Princess Celestia.” sighing, as he fought with the clasp on his only piece of clothing. “She must of gotten the letter about me, and I am guessing she’s heard of humans before. And not favorably.” “But you’re a NICE human!” cried Pinkie, “She just has to like you! You aren't like other meany weeny-pants humans.” “You haven't met any other humans. We don't have a very good reputation in the animal kingdom. Top of the food chain, means we step on everything below us. I may be different, but I’m still human, and that's what people see first.” As they rushed downstairs to the exit, Drax motioned Pinkie to stay inside the shop. “I don't know what’s gonna happen, but it will be safer if you stay inside. I may have to defend myself.” “Be careful Draxy!” the frightened pony whimpered, “I really like you, and don't want you hurt.” With a grin, the human braced himself, took on his cheesiest heroic pose, and strutted out into the dawning sunlight to face the angry sun-goddess. She was not amused. “Human!” her voice was dripping with scorn, and barely suppressed rage. “You come to defile my lands! Your kind are NOT welcomed here! What do you think you are doing in my realm, bringing your cancerous taint to my innocent subjects?!” Wincing at the volume of her still magnified voice, the human rolled his eyes, replying “Well, apparently I’m being passed around like a bottle at a party.” The princess blinked, “What?” as the unexpected response startled her into dropping her amplification spell. “Sorry, was a really bad joke. I'm just visiting, no harm, just making friends.” “A joke?” scorn still heavy in her words, “You think to mock me? I am the ruler of all Equestria! The sun raises at my command. I created everything you see, and I will NOT allow scum like you to mock me in my realm!” Crossing his arms, he gave her another sloppy grin. “Sorry lady, but I mock everybody. I even mock myself. Especially myself. If you can’t laugh at yourself, then you will die alone and miserable.” “Funny you should say that...” Her anger tipped just a little to far, the white mare prepared a devastating spell. Her wings spread as her horn flashed a blinding white, then cycled through the spectrum of the rainbow. Rearing back, the light throbbed wildly and bolts of power crackled around her alabaster coat. With a lout CRACK! she slammed both hooves down on the cobblestones and pure power lanced out from her horn toward the human. To his benefit, he never even flinched. He didn't even lose his idiot grin as the power slammed into him... and did nothing. “What?” the mare cried as she saw this. “That’s not possible... Who... WHAT are you?” With a heavy sigh he lost his joking demeanor, and threw up his arms. “Really? I dunno.” “What?” she replied, flabbergasted at the turn of events. “I am being serious. I really don’t know. I know what I currently look like, I know what I can become, I know what I was born as, and have spent this lifetime as. But as for what I really am? I just don't know anymore.” “What?” Rolling his eyes, tempted to quote a movie line, he squashed the idea and tried again. “I am currently human. I was born a human 36 years ago. But in that time I have seen and done too many things, many of them not normal for humans. I have memories and feelings that are definitely not human. I believe once, I was something else. So what am I really? I Just. Don't. Know.” “You are still only a human.” The scorn back in her voice, hatred building again like a smoldering fire sprung back to life. “You humans are all alike! Everything you touch withers. You eat and destroy, you poison the lands you live on. And if destroying the land wasn’t enough, you turn on each other like rabid dogs. There is no virtue in your kind. You are like a plague of vermin, breeding and swarming over the land. And I will NOT Allow your kind to corrupt my realm!” “Well, I do have to agree with you there.” Drax replied, quietly at first, but growing more stern as his own anger began to mount. He was growing weary of this. “I hate humans as much as you do. In fact, I am sure I hate them more. I have lived this life surrounded by them. You don't know what its like to hate what you are, or live a life persecuted for being different. Tortured, beaten and ridiculed by your own kind because deep down, they knew, you just didn't belong.” His anger and resentment growing, he began to shout, paying no heed to the ponies around the village that were now creeping out of their hiding places where they had fled when they saw their goddess fly down in a rage. This was something nopony had ever seen, or even heard of in all the history of Equestria. Their gentle and loving ruler had come in blazing like the sun in her rage, but was now being berated by this strange creature that had emerged from the sweet shop. And he wasn't quite done yet, as the princess even took a step back, shocked at the outburst. “Yes Princess! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! I have watched all my life as my kind raped and destroyed the very world that gave us life. My kind have brought war, famine, and disease to every corner of the globe, in the name of greed and hatred. I have spent that life trying to be something better, only to be dragged down over and over by the society around me. I weep for the animals, I cry for the planet, and I HATE WHAT I AM!” The last part came out as a blast, mimicking the mare’s earlier amplification spell to broadcast across the buildings around him. Flushed with anger and self loathing, Drax panted and glared at the white Alicorn, who had lost all her righteous rage, and was now staring down at her hooves. “You’re wrong” she whispered, clearly heard in the silence following the outburst. “What?” It was his turn to look confused. “You are wrong. I do know. I know better than anyone what it’s like to live that life.” Raising her head to stare him in the eye. “We all have secrets. It’s time I told somepony mine.” Looking around at the gathering villagers, all staring from windows and doorways, “But not here.” “Hmm... well then where?” Now over his rage, and curious where this was leading. “If you describe it...” “I know a place, far away, even my sister doesn't know about it, and only one such as myself can get there. It is in a far away mountaintop, an old crater. I built a small house there long ago, and I...” “Got it!” he spouted with a smile, and snapped his fingers. The world went sideways. “What the hay?” Blinking from the sudden change of scenery, the mare found herself in front of the house she was about to describe. “That's not possible... How did you?” “Well, I have been doing the impossible alot since I arrived here. I have some theories as to how. Mebbe we can discuss them?” Nodding, the princess lead the way inside. Using her magic, she unlocked and opened the door, and then motioned him inside. “Ladies first!” he replied, beaming his most winning smile. “Such a charmer, and a gentlecolt to boot.” she chuckled as she walked ahead of him. “Aww shucks M’am! Twert nuttin...” he drawled in his worst southern accent. “You're funny. I may not kill you after all.” “That's mighty kinda ya M’am!” They both laughed at the interplay as they walked into the small cottage. It was a quaint single-room affair, with a small table and chairs, and what looked like a day-bed in the corner. A fire sprang in the fireplace as they entered, and they made their way over to the table. “I don't have much here, but would you like a drink?” She motioned to some cabinets, which opened as her horn glowed softly. Glasses floated out to them, and a bottle made it’s way to the table. “Only sarsaparilla, but it’s magically kept cold.” “Sure, I could use a drink after all that yelling.” He grinned sheepishly, and accepted the glass. Settling back and taking a drink, he sighed. “So Princess, what is your story on why you hate humans so much?” She didn't speak at first, only looking down at the golden grain of the wooden table in front of her. A tear formed and rolled down her cheek, and several minutes passed before she spoke. “I must ask you to promise me something.” she spoke slowly and softly, clearly having trouble bringing herself to speak of the matter. “I need you to promise, that no matter what, you will never reveal to another soul what I tell you today. Nopony in Equestria knows, not even my dear sister Luna. It must never be known that I was ever anything other than what I am today.” “I swear it. I have secrets of my own. Some I keep even from myself. I understand all too well that some things need to be kept.” “Thank you.” she sighed, and braced herself for the story. “I was born a human, just like you. Like you, I was not normal either, although my differences were harder to hide. The doctors had some long, fancy name for it, but basically what it meant was, I was trapped in my own body. My mind worked normally. I could think clearly, and I could see the world around me, but my body was not mine to command. Whenever I tried to do something, I just as often would flail wildly, as move my limbs under my command. I was told I was a pretty child, but everypony..err.. ..body thought I was an invalid. They looked at me strangely, some with pity, some with scorn, others with fear. They thought my mind was defective, because I could not express what was going on in my head. I was called a retard, a moon baby, and other horrible names. But my mother loved me, more than anything in the world. My father... he acted ashamed. At first he avoided me, working most of the time, drinking and fighting with my mother the rest. My mother stayed home to care for me, and bought me things to play with. I would spend my days thinking of far off places I saw on the television, and dream of a day I would have a new body, and be able to play like other kids did. They were all cruel. Everyone but my mother. People teased me when she wasn't around. My father ignored me.” “I watched alot of television, and it made me happy for awhile. I would escape into the worlds beyond the screen, and pretend I was one of the people in the shows. My favorite was My Little Pony, as I am sure you may have guessed. I watched it over and over. My mother brought me the toys, and many times when my body refused to work, I would regain my calm by brushing their manes. I would often have seizures. It was a nightmare, as my body totally refused to obey me and all my limbs would flail. It scared me, it horrified my mother. Often I would black out, and wake up in a hospital. They told my mother that one day I wouldn't wake up from the seizures. They thought I couldn't understand them, but I knew it meant I was dying. Sometimes I wanted to die.” “Then I got older. My father still drank, and fought with my mother, but he didn't work as much. Something about hours at his job. He started staying around the house more. My mother had to get a job to help pay the bills, and my father was forced to watch me some of the time. That was when he started noticing me for the first time. He had always acted like I wasn't there, now he looked at me, alot. I didn't like the way he looked at me. It felt wrong, like on those Saturday morning cartoons, when they warned you about bad people. He started touching me. Usually he was drunk, and he would hug me. His hands would do.. things. I tried to hide in my mind, thinking of the Ponies. I would brush their hair for hours to try and forget what had happened. My mom didn't know, she only thought I was playing with my favorite toys.” “Then one day she came home early. My father had been drinking alot. He had undressed me and was taking off his cloths as my mother walked in. She started screaming, I started crying. She called him a freak, a monster. My mother hit him. He hit her back, and he kept on hitting her. Over and over she screamed as he hit her, until she stopped screaming. I was scared and crying, and I couldn't stop. My father yelled at my to stop, but I couldn't. My body was not my own. Then he hit me. I had another seizure. I don’t know what happened next, but I must have blacked out.” “This time I didn't wake up in a hospital. I woke up here. Right on this spot in fact. It’s why I come here from time to time. As horrible as my other life was, I know I can never forget it. At first I saw the sun, and the flowers, the grass and the clouds. I saw everything but me. I had no body, I was just a glowing ball of light. I could see through myself like a flame. At first, I had thought I died. My family was not very religious, but my mom had tried taking me to church. She thought maybe if the doctors couldn't help me, maybe God could. But the priests only told her to pray, and hope. I knew about heaven and hell from them, and maybe I had reach it. But I was alone. There were animals, birds, and such, but no people. And where was my body? Wasn’t I supposed to be an angel now, with wings?” “No. I didn't want to be an angel. I remembered the worlds I had seen on TV, and I remembered my favorite one. I wanted to be a Pony. I concentrated hard and found I could make my own body. I worked for weeks, trying to get it right. I didn't always look as perfect as I am now. Eventually I got it right. At the same time, I taught myself magic. I found I could do amazing things. And finally, I had a body that I could control.” “It was amazing at first. Soaring through the skies, running through the fields. I saw birds, trees, animals of all kinds. Yet, I was still alone. After months of solitude, the thrill of my new body and home grew cold. What good was this world if I had nobody to share it with? So I set in motion a plan. Again I worked for years, practicing first on animals I found. Some I gave intelligence, some I gave new bodies as well as minds. The dragons were one such experiment, but proved to be too aggressive to befriend. Finally I realized that what I needed was another Pony. Someone like myself, a Sister. This was something I never had in my old life. I created Luna, making her a foal at first. She awoke with powers like mine, but no knowledge of a former life to haunt her. She knew only me and our world, and for a very long time we were happy.” “We made a game of creating magic. We reordered the way the world works, so that the sun and moon were controlled by our wills, and the very earth changed around us. We worked on projects, making other magical creatures. Finally we decided we needed more friends. I knew that to give our full power to too many would cause trouble, so we made the lesser Ponies. First just the regular earth ponies that I remembered from the show, then later we made the Unicorns and the Pegasi. We gave some of them magic, the Unicorns could perform some lesser magics with their horn, the Pegasi could walk on clouds and move as fantastic speeds. The Earth Ponies were given a different magic, being stronger. They could run faster, and lift great weights. Over thousands of years, they spread to every corner of the land, which we named, Equestria. It was a perfect world, built by ponies, for ponies. And never would the evil of my old world contaminate the new.” The pale mare finished her story, and sighed. She seemed to deflate, as if all the energy flowed out of her with the words as she spoke them. Tears were flowing freely down her dainty muzzle and her drink was long forgotten. “Wow, that's pretty fucked up.” was all the human could think to say. Blinking away tears, the alicorn looked up with a wry smile. “Now you understand. I know you better than you think, and I know the horrible side of humans. I have watched them with spells, and seen the horrors they bring on themselves. I could never stand to see that brought here.” Rolling his eyes he replied, “Yea, well you shoulda told yer lil teacher’s pet that before she summoned me. She was probably trying to use one of the spells you used to see the human world. Except, instead of a window, she got a door, and pulled my ass though it.” “Yes, my little Twilight has far more power than she could ever imagine. Somehow its attracted to her, much like myself and Luna. She just needs to learn to control it.” Smiling fondly, “I think I will have to keep a closer eye on her from now on.” The human came around the table, giving the large mare a hug. “We’ve both been through hell, so maybe this is our heaven after all.” He gently wiped away the remaining tears as he hugged her close. Leaning in close, the princess sighed. It was very seldom that she got to be held like this, especially in her role as Sun-Goddess, and ruler of the land. *sniff sniff* “Mmmm.... you smell good...” She murmured in a sultry voice. Jumping back, Drax let out an exasperated cry. “JESUS MOTHERFUCKIN HELL! Not you too!??” Princess Celestia let out a laugh, a deep hearty laugh that spoke of life and experience far beyond his own. Shaking his head, “Yer fuckin with me aren't you?” “Gotcha!”

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:33:26+00:00

2011-11-17T06:33:26+00:00

Interlude {The end is approaching, but life marches on} Life soon returned to normal in Ponyville. Nopony ever connected the incident with Princess Celestia to the new pony in town. There was some rumor at first that he may be a distant relation to the royal family, left to guard against the creature that had appeared that day. But after several week of not asking for any special treatment, he quickly just became another friendly face in Ponyville. The friends all agreed to keep Drax’s true form a secret, and that he should only appear in pony form while in public. He only appeared as a human while around friends, but the occasional sighting lead to the rumor of a creature, coming from the nearby Everfree Forest to stalk the town. Nopony ever got close enough to get a good look, and soon the legend of “Bighoof” was added to the many mysteries of living near the mystical forest. As for his life in Ponyville, it was peaceful. He was always kept busy helping his friends with various projects, and he never lacked for a place to sleep. Yet despite the many attempts to seduce him, he remained faithful to the hyper pink pony he loved. Pinkie herself thought it was a great idea to share her new toy with her friends, but the dark stallion managed to demure at each occasion, maintaining a “friendly” status with the other mares. Although there was the occasional rowdy sleepover at Pinkie’s place, she never was able to get her wish of an orgy. There were some lines Drax was not willing to cross. So time marched on, as it always does, and the dark alicorn became comfortable in his new life in Equestria. Adventures were had, friends made, life, love and tragedy. Yet despite his happiness, the secrets revealed by Celestia haunted him. Almost as much as the eerie prophecy that had yet to pass. Or had it? Traveling the edges of the Everfree Forest was one of the few times Drax could openly use his human form. Few ponies ever ventured into the forest, and if he was seen, it was chalked up to another sighting of the mysterious ‘Bighoof’. His latest mission, being recruited by Fluttershy, was to find some special herbs. His hands were far better at gathering plants than even his magic could do. Granted, it was getting better with practice, but he always loved working with his hands anyway. Every so often he would pause, and scan the area. Something was following him, but he paid it little heed. The creatures of the forest mostly avoided him in this form, and the few aggressive creatures quickly learned not to bother the biped as he roamed the forest. Having one’s stinger forcible inserted into a tender opening tended to deter even the the crankiest of manticores. Soon he was done with his gathering, and decided to head back to Fluttershy’s cottage with his spoils. As he rounded a tree, he knew something was wrong just a moment before the trap went off. A loud snap, and a groan was all the warning he got before a net sprung up around him, hauling him into the tree above. He wasn't worried about the situation, but neither was he amused. He was even less amused when three foals shot out of the woods, covered in hoof-made ghillie suits. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, JUNIOR DETECTIVES, YAY!” The sound blasted out like a grenade, making his ears hurt and his teeth rattle. “Oh great. I got caught by the foal scouts.” he sighed to himself, trying not to laugh at the situation. “You fillies selling any cookies?” All three fillies gasped in unison. They seemed to do alot in unison, like some sort of sugar-fed hive mind. “He can talk!” they chimed together. “Of course he kin talk. How else does he gran wishes?” Exclaimed the yellow filly with the red mane. The Orange pegasus retorted. “It doesn’t grant wishes, silly. It’s a mean nasty monster that eats foals!” “I heard it helps people, but will trick you if you make a deal with it.” responded a white unicorn with lavender and pink curls. “Well to be honest, ponies are a bit stringy.” The three stopped talking and stared up at the creature in the net, now looking down at them. Fear was plain on their faces. “However, a nice tender foal is delicious if you braise it slowly over hot coals. Muahahahahahaha!!” he ended with his most evil laugh. “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *gasp* Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!” The forest was once again shattered by the voices of the three young foals, now holding each other and screaming for all they were worth. It went on until the yellow one, wearing a large red bow, noticed that the creature was still laughing, but not in a menacing way. She shook the other two to get their attention and stop them screaming. “Wow. Fit a whole two lungfuls into that one, didn’ja?” Drax continued to laugh as the three girls stared at him. “Oh c’mon! Can’t ya take a joke? It’s the least you can do after getting me stuck in this thing.” “So yer not gonna eat us?” Responded the orange filly. “Naw, I haven't had meat since I moved to Ponyville.” He chuckled as they all gulped at the implication. “Hard to make friends if they are afraid you are gonna eat em!” The white unicorn perked up at this. “You wanna be friends with ponies?” “Ah don trust ‘im!” piped up the yellow earth pony. “Actually, I already have alot of pony friends.” He grinned at them. “I help folks out alot around town, and most never know I am there.” “I think yer right, Applebloom.” The pegasus filly growled. “I don't trust him either. I still say hes a mean monster that likes to carry away foals to eat em!” “Am not!” Retorted Drax. All three foals turned and yelled back. “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” As this was going on, a yellow pegasus moved into the area, hearing the shouting and wondering what had gotten the three girls so worked up. She was shocked at what she saw, and at first was afraid to reveal herself. Then she realised that the creature in the net was somepony she knew, and steeled herself to confront the situation. Gathering her courage, she put on her mask of assertiveness, just like Drax had taught her and strode into the clearing. “Girls!” she squeaked. But was not loud enough to be heard “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Umm.. girls, please.” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “Am not!” “Are too!” “GIRLS, PLEASE!” She managed to yell, barely above a talking tone. The effect was immediate. The group stopped instantly and all faced the now glaring Fluttershy. Well, as much as she was capable of glaring, when not using “The Stare”. “Please girls, umm.. stop what you are doing. Please let that man out of the net, and stop yelling.” She looked up at the human, who was now grinning like a fool in the net at the situation. “And you! Why do you have to provoke them Drax? You know how excitable the are. Meep!” Her hooves flew to her muzzle as she realized what she had just let slip, and her eyes went wide in horror. All six eyes turned around to stare in shock at the human standing before them, having blinked his way free of the net. The reality of who and what he was kept them stunned as if they had been hit by Fluttershy’s Stare. “Aww, sorry Shy. They snuck up on me and got me in this net.” He smiled evilly at the four stunned ponies. “I was just having a lil fun with them for tricking me like that.” Applebloom, usually the most level headed of the bunch, was first to recover. “Mista Drax? Is that really you? B-but yer ah big black ally-corn!” She shook her head in disbelief. He gave a sigh, and his smile faded a bit. “Yea, its me. Let me show you.” and he began to shimmer. In a blink he had resumed his pony form, and sat down in front of them. Scootaloo came too next, still looking confused. “But you hang out with Dash, and Twilight! You’re dating Pinkie Pie! I don't get it. How can you turn into that.. THING?” Sweetie Bell was next in the interrogation. “I think it’s romantic! Like Pony and the Beast!” Fluttershy had recovered enough to start falling over herself to apologise. “I’m so sorry Drax, I never meant to.. oh! Fluttershy, you are such a loudmouth!” He walked over to give the shy pony a hug. “Don't worry about it Shy. It’s ok now. These three would have found out eventually, the way they are always snooping around.” ‘Damn meddling kids!’ He snickered to himself. “It’s about time I shared my story with them. But on one condition.” The three looked at him eagerly and chorused, “ANYTHING!” He put on his serious face. “You must Pinkie Pie Swear to NEVER tell another soul, as long as you live.” All three chimed in again: “Cross my heart, Wish to fly, Stick a cupcake in my eye!” Drax grinned again, showing magically enhanced canines, suddenly appearing like fangs. “Good. I would hate to show you what happens to ponies that break promises...” All three gulped in unison, their eyes grown wide. And just as fast, his normal smile was back, and he plopped on his rump before them. “Ok then, here’s the story of how I came to Equestria, and how I got my CUTIE MARK!” At the mention of their favorite subject the three cheered just as loud as before. Training for months with Twilight Sparkle, Drax managed to hone what she called his “Blunt Force Magic” into something more delicate and precise. He wielded some of the most powerful magic ever seen in Equestria, but it was like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. At least, that was how she put it. Soon he had perfected telekinesis, and was able to move multiple objects with ease. Control was still slow coming, but he worked hard and his precision increased. Again at the library, he was in the process of levitating himself, several pieces of furniture, and sorting away several books to their proper place. Years of multitasking had helped him grasp this quickly, but he still had trouble sorting what went where, as he tried to stuff a lamp into a bookshelf. “You need to focus more, Drax! Let your magic senses feel each object, and catalogue where they are.” Twilight was berating him again at his fumbling. He was still able to do more at once than even her, but he grew distracted too easily and mixed things up. “Yes, Master Yoda. I will try harder.” he snarked back. She stamped her hoof in frustration. “Oooh.. why do you keep calling me that? It’s not funny! This is a serious lesson, and you need to FOCUS!” “Sorry Twi.” he responded, still not even opening his eyes. “Old joke, from an older story. I am trying my best to focus, but I need something else to occupy my mind. ADD is a bitch.” “What’s ADD?” “Trust me, you don't wanna know. Can ya put on some music or something?” He tried again, getting three books to stack in a row, but then placing them on a chair, instead of the shelf. “Oh, all right. But I don't understand how you can concentrate by adding more distractions.” She clopped over to a record player and started a song playing. It was a soothing classical piece from Canterlot. Much better suited to a night of study than the usual party music he got around Sugarcube Corner. At the thought of Pinkie Pie, part of his mind drifted. It was absurd that of all the ponies he had known, he would become closest to the one he had the least in common with. He had always had a crush on Rainbow Dash when watching the show. And her voice still gave him chills. But the Pink earth pony was the one he fell in love with. Her energy and enthusiasm tempered his normal cynicism and apathy. And her outgoing happiness offset his normal shy antisocial nature. She had helped to pull him out of his shell as surely as he had broken her out of hers. Now she was more sedate around her friends, and not as manic. They responded to this by taking more time to get closer to the real Pinkie, and she blossomed into much more complex person. No longer was it just “Random Pinkie”, but instead they asked, and understood her. In turn, Drax had himself become more open. He had always had and incredibly open mind, but his heart had often been shielded from years of hurt. Now he openly embraced his friends, without having to hide the flinch that was his reaction in the past. Even his agoraphobia had nearly gone. He walked happily through crowds of ponies, without a care. “Excellent!” Twilight cheered, breaking him from his reverie. “You did the best I have ever seen you do. That music really did the trick I guess.” She smiled at him proudly. The life-long student, now a teacher herself. “I may have to try it myself, next time I have a study session.” Drax looked around, seeing that he had not only put every book on the shelf, but alphabetized them, dusted the shelves, arranged the furniture, and moved himself across the room. “Uhh.. yea. It helps to block out distractions, and gives the hyperactive part of my mind something to focus on.” he shrugged. ‘Yea, like a certain hyperactive pink pony...’ he thought. “Well whatever works.” Twilight came over and gave him a celebratory hug from behind. “If you keep practicing, you will be able to do amazing things with that talent of yours.” He smiled at the praise from his new teacher in magic, then she started to massage his shoulders from behind. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling, before giving a big sigh and doing what he knew had to be done. “Thanks Twilight. But you really know better.” Twilight whined, a very un-Twilight sound. “Awww.. Drax. I miss how it was when you first got here.” wrapping her hooves around his neck, she placed her chin on his shoulder. “Ever since you and Pinkie started going steady, it hasn’t been as much fun with you.” “C’mon Twi, it was one time. It’s not like we dated or anything.” He turned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Pinkie is my heart now, and I would never do anything to hurt her. So now we are just friends.” He paused a moment, trying to keep his tone level. “Umm, and could you please stop stroking my wings?” Drax sat at a table inside Sugarcube Corner. He was taking a break after the morning rush, now that the crowd had died down, he could focus on his latest project. His hobby of cooking had paid off, and he helped expand the menu of the little shop. Now they featured a full service breakfast menu, and hot food was to be had every morning, in addition to the usual baked goods. Sugarcube Corner was now and the best bistro in Ponyville. Laid out on the table before him was the multiple intricate parts for a compact device. Even someone from his old would would be hard pressed to recognize the iPod in it’s disassembled state. Months of practice had honed his skills and control to a level that he could move and control each of the dozens of pieces with clockwork precision. Still more months of research and experimentation had lead him to a breakthrough in magical energy. He had found that certain gems could be altered to mimic his own magic absorbing abilities. Magical power could be charged into a gem, and act as either a capacitor, or a battery, storing it for later use. In the case of the capacitor, the energy could be released all at once, good for casting powerful spells that required more energy than the caster could supply. The batteries, on the other hoof, released a steady rate of power, and could be used to power other magical devices. What was better, since the battery also absorbed power, they slowly recharged themselves to capacity when not in use. And now he had a way to power his iPod. Concentrating, he began to assemble the device, as all the parts levitated in the air. Each part came together with a precision that would make a watchmaker weep, and yet he still had enough concentration to watch the world around him. In particular, a energetic pink pony that was busy bouncing around the room, preparing treats for an upcoming event. She was all over the place at once, in her usual energetic Pinkie way, balancing a tray of dark cupcakes on her head, freshly topped. He grinned and reached out with his magic to give her a telepathic smack on the flank, sending her jumping into the air with a surprised shriek. “Oooh! Draxy! Don't do that! You naughty, naughty pony! You almost made me drop the cupcakes, and I need them for the super awesome tasting party that I am having later. These are my super secret special new recipe I wanna try out.” Drax just grinned and swung the one cupcake that had actually fallen around in front of her. He had caught it as it fell, and now plopped it to her mouth for a bite. She squealed and chomped the treat, then dove into his lap. She gave him a big sloppy kiss, and he could taste the overwhelming flavor of dark chocolate and... something salty? “Sea salt?” he asked her with a puzzled smile, licking the still-warm frosting from his muzzle as they pulled apart. “Yep! That's my new recipe. I remember that trick you taught me about putting salty and sweet together, and I wanted to try it on some new cupcakes!” She bounced back out of reach, never letting the plate of cupcakes move out of level. “So whatcha think?” Drax grinned back at her, as the final pieces of the device on the table snapped into place. He seemed to be somehow better able to control his gift when he was distracted by the pink bundle of energy. His subconscious did all the work flawlessly while his mind focused on the pony he loved. “Very yummy, but not as yummy as you.” he winked at her. “Yay! I’m super happy that you like them, cuz I worked extra extra hard on the recipe to get it just right.” Pinkie squealed and bounced, blushing under his flattery. He returned his attention to the device in front of him. “Well, here goes. Time to see if this thing works or not.” He used his magic to press the power button, and held his breath. It took several minutes, and then the familiar silver apple logo appeared. He let his breath out in a rush, grinning as the device booted up. Pinkie, seeing his smile, broke into a cheer. “Hip, hip, hooray! It’s a wonderful day. Draxy is so awesome, The clouds go away! He makes things work, when trouble is in the way. Cuz he’s the awesomest pony, Hip, Hip Hooray!” Drax winced at the horrible lyrics, but not at the voice. It has lost some of it’s shrillness since her breakthrough, and now had a much warmer tone to it. The breathing exorcises he had taught her probably helped as well. And besides, he now loved her voice, no matter what its sounded like. However, no amount of practice could teach her better lyrics. He looked back at the device, now booted up, and carefully used the tip of his hoof to unlock the passcode. With a smile he made his way to the stored music, and pulled up a music video. This was one that had always reminded him of the pink earth pony, and now he played it for her at last. Using an amplification spell, he filled the room with music from another world, and they danced until they fell down, laughing from exhaustion. Right right, turn off the lights We gonna lose our minds tonight What's the dealio? I love when it's all too much 5 AM turn the radio up Where's the rock and roll? Party crasher, panty snatcher Call me up if you are gangsta' Don't be fancy Just get dancey Why so serious? So raise your glass if you are wrong In all the right ways All my underdogs, we will never be, never be Anything but loud And nitty gritty dirty little freaks Won't you come on, and come on, and Raise your glass Just come on and come and Raise Your Glass! Manehattan. Home to thousands of ponies, and one of the economic hubs for Equestria. The rich, and famous, as well as the powerful lived here. It was also home to the biggest recording studio in the realm, and THE place to get music published. Drax was here on invitation from the famous DJ Pon-3, to show off his iPod, and the music it contained. Sounds and music never heard in this world, but that had caught the attention of the famous jockey on her last trip to Ponyville, where she performed at one of Pinkie Pie’s massive block parties. Despite his newfound confidence with crowds, he was still rather intimidated by a place with so many ponies at once. A lifetime of agoraphobia does not go away easily. He made his way to the building he was told held the recording studio, rather annoyed at the flying restrictions imposed in the metropolitan spaces. ‘Traffic lights, in the sky? Really?’ But he still found the place, and walked into the lobby. After announcing himself at the welcome desk, he didn't have long to wait before the white unicorn with the impenetrable shades came down to meet him. Her look was rather distinctive, with the electric blue mane and the musical cutie mark. “Draxy!” The unicorn beamed. “I’m so glad you could make it. C’mon up and lemme show you around.” He followed her into the elevator, which took him up to her private studio. They made small talk about things in Ponyville. Yes, he was still with Pinkie Pie. No, he wasn't looking to ‘branch out’. Of course the elevator music was horrible, despite being in a record company building. Wasn’t all elevator music bad? Finally they made it to the studio floor and exited into a rather well decorated pad. The DJ’s personal studio apartment, in fact. He groaned, not liking how this was going. Again. Surprisingly though, the little pony refrained at making any passes at him, (other than the one in the elevator) and she showed him how the recording studio was actually built into her apartment. She showed him over to a comfy couch, where he could relax and talk terms. “So, what do you think you can do with what I have, DJ?” Drax leaned back, as the mare stretched out across from him. “Please. DJ Pon-3 is just my stage name. You can call me Vinyl Scratch.” She smiled at him, slipping the large glasses up onto her head. Drax stared a moment, and realized how much everything made sense. The bronies back home never did decide on a name for her, and everyone wondered why she always wore the glasses. Now he knew. “Wow, that’s pretty damn cool lookin.” She rolled her eyes, which were now clearly visible, and just as clearly, two different colors. One eye was a brilliant emerald, and the other a sparkling sapphire hue. “Yea, they call it heterochromia. I call it a curse. It’s not so cool when you are a foal getting picked on in school.” She shrugged, and smiled. “So now I hide my eyes, and hide my name. It makes things easier.” “Well it’s a shame, because they are beautiful eyes.” The unicorn blushed, and beamed under the praise. “I bet you say that to all the talented fillies that invite you up to their rooms!” Drax grinned back and waved a hoof. “Naa, I see some ugly ones, and I call things how I see em. But they still try to invite me to their room...” The both laughed at that. Vinyl had been around the dark alicorn enough in Ponyville to know his effect on other ponies. She had considered making a run herself, but was deterred by his obvious devotion to the resident party pony. ‘A shame.’ She thought to herself. ‘Too few stallions to go around as it is. And an alicorn to boot!’ She cleared her throat, and began. “So, down to business. I am willing to record any of the songs you have for me. Since they are not from this world, there will not be any ownership issues. My label will take ownership, and issue half of all royalties to you from any sales. In addition to that, you will have a deciding vote on any derivative works I produce from the songs.” Drax nodded in agreement. “Yea I figured as much, you being a DJ and all. You will probably want to remix things for your performances. I have no problem with that. I do have one stipulation though. I want to be a silent partner. You will get all credit for the production of the songs, and I will keep my muzzle shut. You pay me half, and you get all the credit. I don't want anypony to know about me, or where I got these songs.” Vinyl Scratch nodded. “That works just fine. I will not be using all of the songs personally though. I have a few other friends in the industry that would make better use of some of the stuff you have. The ‘Raggae’ stuff for instance. I know a filly down south by the name of Robin Marely. She would do some great things with that sound down in the islands. Also, the ‘Dub-Step’, as you call it, sounds alot more like stuff a friend of mine is working on in Baltimare.” She stopped a moment, unsure why the dark stallion looked like he was in pain. “Are you ok, Drax?” Unable to hold it back anymore, he started to laugh. “Oh man, I’m sorry. The puns are just too horrible not to laugh at.” The mare looked confused. “What puns are you talking about?” “Oh, sorry. I forgot you don't know my origin story yet.” He sobered a bit. “Let’s just say, my music is not the only thing that comes from another world. And we have alotta people and places with similar names.” Her eyes grew wide at this. “I KNEW it! That story about summoning that device with a spell, it was just too fishy.” She took off her glasses and started to twirl them. “Is it true? Did Princess Celestia summon you here to be her consort, but you rejected her?” Drax winced at that. “Ouch! That’s a new one by me Vinyl. No, the Princess never had any interest in me, and it was another pony that did the summoning.” He sighed. “But that is strictly confidential!” She waved her hoof at him. “Yea, yea. If you are in showbiz, you know all about secret identities. Yours is safe with me.” “Good. Now what else did you want to do?” “Well, I remember you told me you found a way to make a portable power source. I know a pair of colts outta Fillydelphia, unicorns, that are absolute wizards at making magical devices. They are working on making a device to make synthetic music, as well as a portable one for playing back music, much like your gizmo there.” “Go on.” He replied, very interested indeed. He was looking for someone to apply his new discoveries. She continued, “Well it just so happens I know them well. They are also a performance group, and I have worked with them on some song mixing. They go by the name of ‘Daft Pony’.” It took several minutes for him to stop laughing this time. Afterwards they agreed to terms. It seemed that Vinyl was part owner of the company, as well as it’s star performer. She had managed to spin her success into a profitable business, mostly run by her partner. This left her time for performances, and freedom to do things she wanted. Many of the songs were recorded from the device, some for immediate release, and others for use as fodder for new ideas on music. Some of the genres that he had brought were completely unknown, and would be saved for later, when Equestria was ready for alternative music styles. Within a month, a prototype was made for the music player, jointly developed by the two inventors and Drax, and was being mass produced under the name ‘iPon’. A week after that, “Equestria Girls” topped the charts as the biggest selling album in Equestrian recording history, and left all of Equestria wondering, ‘What is a Bikini?’ It was dusk, and the moon was rising. Princess Luna had been performing her duties for some time now, and it once again became second nature to her. As she sat staring at her work, she sighed sadly to herself. She was so happy to be back in the world, with her loving sister again at her side, but so far she was still otherwise without friends. Now that ponies had mastered the technology to light the night, they stayed awake at all hours, and for this she was happy. Yet her own shyness, and the stigma of what she had once allowed herself to become kept her from going out and making friends. As she stared longingly out into the night, she heard her sister trot up behind her to join her on the balcony. It was moments like this that they were best able to be together, and she treasured every moment. But today, the sadness was stronger than usual, and even her sister’s normally cheery disposition was hard pressed to pierce the funk she was in. “Beautiful work as always my dear little sister.” Celestia sat down beside the midnight mare, and gave her a loving nuzzle. “I so love having you around to make my nights worthwhile again.” Luna nuzzled back, but only half-heartedly this time. “I love you too sis. But I’m just not feeling myself right now.” A worried frown crossed her face as she looked at her younger sister. “Whatever is wrong, you know you can talk to me about it. I will do anything to make my dear sister happy.” “It’s nothing.” “Luna, you know better. Tell your big sister what’s troubling you.” The dark alicorn paused a long time, gazing up at the stars, then steeled herself. “It’s just.. I love you Celly, and I love being with you again. But... I still feel so alone sometimes.” She turned and looked at the white mare. “I want some friends. I want to find love. I want to... belong.” The white mare ruffled the smaller one’s mane. You will always belong so long as we have each other. As for friends, there is nothing stopping you from going out and meeting new ponies.” She tolled her eyes. “I mean, sure, you may have to wear a disguise at first. It’s not easy being a goddess in public. But once they see the real you, they will love you as much as I do.” The dark alicorn looked down, still feeling disconsolate at her position. “B-but... Celly? What if I want more than just a friend? What if I want someone to love? I don't want what I am to get in the way of them loving who I am.” She sighed. “I am afraid nopony would ever see anything more than Princess Luna, or even worse, the pony that was once Nightmare Moon.” Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister. “I wish I could tell you it will be easy, but it wont. I have never taken a consort, because I could not bring myself to be hurt when they grew old and left me. But you, my dear sister, you still have a chance at happiness.” She sighed. “It will not be easy, and there will be pain along the way, but if you search and have patience, love will come.” Finally gaining the courage to bring up her real issue, she timidly looked up at her sister again. “W-what about that other pony? The dark alicorn I saw you talking to before? Is he like us? Can he learn to love me, and not grow old?” Suddenly standing up, a shocked look in her eyes, the Dawn Princess replied. “Drax? Oh no.. No no, dear sister. You can never be with him. He has a dark destiny ahead of him, and we must never become entangled in his path.” She shook her head. “No, he is in love with another pony, and he has a dark prophecy looming over his head. For you to try to approach him would only find you hurt.” “But Celly! He’s the only other alicorn in Equestria!” The dark mare cried, plaintively. “We were meant to be together. I can make him love me, I’m sure of it. Then we can be happy together, forever!” The sun goddess stamped her hoof, now agitated. “NO! I forbid it. I will not see you hurt again, sister. You must stay away from Drax, or he will drag you down with him when his destiny comes to claim him.” Shocked at the sudden violence in her sister’s voice, Luna took a step back. Then just as suddenly the dawn mare’s feature softened again, and she stepped forward to embrace her younger sibling. “I’m so sorry Luna, I really am. I just don't ever want to see you hurt, the way I hurt you so long ago.” She nuzzled her sister then pulled back to look her in the face. “Please, Luna. Promise me you will not seek out the other alicorn. He is dangerous, both to you and himself. And I could never bear to let you be hurt that way.” Luna nodded, tears of frustration and sadness in her eyes. “I-I... I promise Celly. I trust your judgement. But I’m still so lonely...” she sobbed into her sister’s pastel mane, and was held by the only pony that could ever truly know her.

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:34:08+00:00

2011-11-17T06:34:08+00:00

Breakfast at Rarity’s As the bits flowed in from royalties ranging from his music sales, to the newest innovations based off his mana cell technologies, Drax found himself to suddenly be a rather wealthy pony. While the sources of his new-found income was known only to his closest friends, he took great pains to make sure he did not change. He still acted the same old friendly pony, and still dressed the same as he always had. The only real show of his new wealth was to build a house for himself and Pinkie to live in. It was a cozy affair, nestled just inside the Everfree forest, not far from Fluttershy’s home. Like the library, it was built into a living tree, and resembled Fluttershy’s cottage, yet with the usual Pinkie Pie flair. A garden of sweet berries and other fruits grew around it, so that the party pony always had something sweet to add to special recipes. The inside was decorated mostly in a perpetual party. Bright colors, and balloons painted on every surface, as well as colorful decorations all around. There was even a small dance floor for guests to enjoy. The house was close enough for Pinkie to still reach the shop easily, yet afforded enough solitude that Drax could unwind in his natural form without the fear of discovery. He kept a study where he tinkered on new gadgets and recipes, and kept it as the calm center in the riot of color that was Pinkie Pie’s decorating. Only bare wood for the furniture and walls, and he resisted adding any decorations, other than his shelf of books that Twilight had given him. Pinkie ran the house, but this was his sanctuary. She still worked part-time at the bakery, but Drax himself had given up his job to pursue his own hobbies now. Before leaving he trained a new cook to keep up the shop’s new menu. An old earth pony, with graying mane, and old scars from forgotten battles. He went by the name of Cookie, and his cutie mark was that of a rolling pin and a wooden spoon crossed. Claiming to be a veteran of the war, he often rambled on about old battles, yet nopony could remember any war within the last 1000 years. Despite his odd behavior, he could cook a meal from almost anything, and soon surpassed Drax’s own cooking fame. Despite all this, the dark alicorn was still troubled by some things. The prophecy had ceased to bother him, as his life drifted into one of quiet days, and rowdy nights with his personal party planner at his side. But still, he was troubled. As he walked into the dress shop, he was greeted graciously by the unicorn proprietor. “Greetings Drax, darling! It’s been so long since you have graced my shop with your presence.” She whipped her main to show its curls to full effect, fluttering her lashes at him demurely. “What so ever could I do for you? “Rarity, I’ve been thinking.” He began slowly, still not sure how to approach the subject that had been troubling him the past few months. “We really need to have a talk about something. Something really important. Something private.” He looked around the shop, now larger than when he had first cam to Ponyville. Dresses were arrayed in racks, as Rarity had progressed from merely a dress maker, to a fashion designer. Her dresses were now made by a team of expert seamstresses, and she designed them for the masses. Success has done her well. No longer making a dress at a time for individual clients, she now designed clothing for all of Equestria. He finished his inspection, settling on the white unicorn, now blank faced, and professional. Her voice was still full of it’s usual refined charm, however. “Yes dear, I can see something is amiss. Let me just close the shop for lunch, and we can talk privately.” She made her way over and locked the front door, turning over the sign to indicate she was closed. Returning to the table where she had been sitting before he entered, she motioned the stallion over to join her. “So now, tell me, what could possibly be troubling you?” Drax sighed. Just like his incident years earlier with Pinkie, he dreaded having do do this, but his instincts told him it needed to be done. “Rarity, why do you hate me?” She started, shocked at the unexpected reply. At first she thought it was another one of his twisted jokes that only he seemed to understand. Then she saw him looking her straight in the eye and awaiting a response. “W-what? What on earth gave you the idea that I would hate you? You are my dear friend! I owe so much to you for all you have done for me and my shop. Because of you I now own a dozen shops across Equestria. ‘Carousel Designs, by Rarity™’ is a household name in every city.” She paused for breath, looking rather flushed. “Ever since that silly song of yours was released, everypony in Equestria wants those silly bikinis. And it was me that provided them, thanks to your designs.” She looked at him sternly. “What on earth would make me hate you, after you have done all this for me?” Still staring at the pale pony, he never so much as twitched a muscle during her rant. Finally he spoke up, in the same tired voice. “Rarity, you can’s fool a fool. I know people, and I know ponies. I can read them like Twilight reads a book. And right now I can read you. Right now you are being as polite to me as you would to any annoying customer that dared to tell you how to do your job. There is no love in it. There is no happiness or welcome. Just a carefully modulated voice covering a loathing that you cannot afford to let show.” He leaned back. “You really should have been a actress instead, Rarity.” The Unicorn just stared at him, a look of shock plain on her face. “So I am going to ask you again, and I hope that you have the decency to give me an honest answer. So far every filly that’s crossed my path has fawned over me, despite my best attempts to steer them away. Even Fluttershy, who is too scared to approach me, is obviously infatuated with me. She cant even talk and look at me at the same time. But you? Every time I talk to you, you either become a professional robot, or a total ice queen. I want to know why. Right now I would like to still consider you my friend, but that can easily change.” He gave her a solemn look that brooked no argument. Suddenly the shock faded, to be replaced by a grim determination. “You want the truth, dear Draxy? Do you REALLY want the truth?” She threw her hooves up. “FINE! But on one condition.” She pointed at him with a dainty hoof. “I know how you value your honesty, so I know you will not lie to me. Now swear, swear to me that what I tell you will never leave this room! What I have to say concerns dear friends of mine, and I will not see them hurt because of your bullheaded insistence on the truth.” Drax merely nodded, replying, “I swear.” Rarity sat back, composing herself, and staring back at the dark alicorn before her. He waited passively for her response, and it was quick in coming. “The truth is, I don't hate you Drax. At least I don't hate who you are. But what you are is a different matter. You are a creature that does not belong in Equestria. Every day I see you I must fight down the urge to rail at your very existence. And what’s more, I hate what you do. What you and Pinkie have done has made a mockery of love. It is an ABOMINATION!” She slammed her hooves on the table, anger rising in her voice. “You come into the lives of my friends, and you turn the magic of friendship into a disgusting mockery of debauchery and evil. Pony is meant to be with Pony, and you have destroyed that simple truth with your relationship with my friends! I see them fawning over you. I see you and Pinkie Pie together, and it makes me want to VOMIT! You don't deserve her, and you are polluting her life by being here. THAT is why I hate what you are.” Drax sat back again, pondering the now panting mare in front of him. Her face was red, and her eyes were practically bulging. This was obviously a long time in coming. He merely chuckled, and then it turned into a laugh. This took the mare back, not expecting laughter at her confession. She tried to regain some of her poise, and professionalism.”What in Celestia’s name is so funny?” Drax stopped laughing almost as suddenly as he started. “You are Rarity, you are.” he pointed at her and chuckled again. “I mean, I have seen some real cliche things in my time since coming to Equestria, but this one really takes the cake. “ Now confused even more, she shook her head and fixed him with a stare. “What are you talking about? What is cliche? “The white pony is a bigot.” and he burst into laughter again. Enraged, the unicorn leaped to her feet, and growled between her gritted teeth. “That is a filthy and DISGUSTING word. Take it back!” Suddenly swinging back to sober and serious again, Drax shot back. “It’s supposed to be a filthy and disgusting word, Miss Rarity. I only call things as I see them, and right now I see a bigot, telling me that because I am not a pony, I am not worthy of her friends, or the mare I love. Well I have news for you Miss Rarity,” the name spat from his mouth like a curse. “Your opinion is duely noted. I accept your honesty, and am much relieved to know how you really feel. But in the interest of our friends, I will forget what you have said here today.” He held up a hoof, pointing it at her. “Don't get me wrong. I will never forgive you, but I will for now forget. But don't you ever let it interfere with my other friends, or with Pinkie and me. He turned to walk out of the shop, not even looking back at the unicorn when she shouted back at him, but pausing at the door to listen. “Well let me tell YOU something Drax. Pinkie Pie was MY friend long before she met you. She is still my friend, despite what you have done to her. And if you EVER hurt her, I will DESTROY YOU!” Before leaving the shop, Drax stopped to reply, “Poor, poor lonely Rarity. You really have no idea how love works? If I were to ever hurt Pinkie Pie, I would destroy myself first...”

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:34:38+00:00

2011-11-17T06:34:38+00:00

Awakening Blood. The first thing he noticed as he came awake was the smell. And the taste. It was something he had not experienced in a long time. The second thing he noticed was, he was not in his bed at home. This time he was not in a cozy little library either. It was cold, the air smelled of blood and the encroaching storm. He had trouble focusing his eyes, and his body ached all over. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He reached out with his magic to sense what was wrong, and felt.. nothing. The magic was there, flowing around him like it always did, but his will had no effect on it. It was like the old world, where he could sense things, but had no power over them. His magic was gone. He began to stand up, and clawed the ground in frustration. Clawed? Everything snapped into focus again, as a shot of adrenaline coursed through his body, realigning his senses and kicking his brain into gear. He looked down and saw he indeed had claws. he turned his head, and found that his neck was far longer than it had been. Now he saw his entire body, long, lean and reptilian. He was a dragon. How was he a dragon? Part of his brain wanted to make one of his usual peanut gallery jokes, ‘Never go full dragon!’. he squashed the thought, it was no time for jokes. Something bad had happened. He looked back down at his claws, and saw they were covered in blood. It was in the grooves under the claws, and ‘Oh god, it’s in my mouth!’. Further realization sank in. His stomach felt distended as if he had eaten a meal just a bit too large to handle. ‘Oh god, oh god, what have I done. What did I kill? WHO did I kill!?’ Panic started to creep into his mind, as he envisioned himself blindly going on a rampage among his pony friends. He tried to wretch. He wanted to empty the contents of his stomach. All that came forth was some bitter bile. It seemed the dragon anatomy didn't allow for such things. Looking around for a corpse, fur, feathers, anything, he saw no sign of whatever had fell victim to his nightmare. Nightmare. He suddenly remembered. For the last few weeks he had been having nightmares. Dreams of violence, hunger, and blood. He had always awakened to Pinkie Pie holding him, and a craving for meat. He suddenly missed meat. After two years of living on a vegetarian diet, he had stopped craving it. Except bacon. He would always miss bacon. But now after each night he awoke craving meat again. He never told Pinkie about this. The last thing an herbivore wanted to hear is her lover was craving the flesh of another living being. And since all animal life in Equestria seemed to have some small level of intelligence... He shuddered at the thought. He looked around, seeing he was under a large tree, and somewhere in the Everfree forest. The dark closeness, and dank smell of foliage and decay was unmistakable. There was surprisingly little sound for a forest. But then the presence of a large alpha predator tended to make the smaller creatures stay hidden. He needed to find out where he was, and how to get home. But first he needed to clean off the blood. Despite a lifelong dream of being a dragon, he had never attempted to try becoming one here. He was happy as a pony, with other ponies, and being a dragon would just upset his new friends. Now he had become one against his will, and apparently done something horrible in the process. He tried again to reach out for the magic, willing himself to change shape as he had done so effortlessly before, but nothing happened. The magic that had become like breathing to him was simply not there. Stretching his wings, he tested his new body. It responded just as naturally as his other forms, and other than a few stiff joints from laying on the ground, he felt fine. He launched himself into the air, glad to see he at least had some of the natural magic that Equestria seemed to give other large flying creatures. Wings alone would never carry his massive weight, any more than a cloud would hold a pegasus. Circling quickly to catch a dying thermal, he spotted a small stream, and in the distance, Fluttershy’s cottage. He glided in for a landing on the bank of the stream, still noticing a distinct lack of wildlife. The smell of the blood alone would be enough to drive off most smaller critters. He washed himself as well as he could, cleaning his claws and head. He at least felt presentable, although the full belly still twisted in knots of guilt. How was he going to approach his friends looking like this? What would Pinkie Pie think? The thought of Pinkie sent a icy shiver of dread down his back, tying his stomach in further knots. ‘Oh dear Celestia, what if I hurt her?’ He shook his head to banish the thought, but quickly swung it around as he heard a startled gasp behind him. Standing frozen in the bushes was a familiar yellow pegasus, eyes round in fear. “Fluttershy?” The pony meeped, and shrank lower, hiding herself behind a wing and shivering. “It’s me Shy, Drax. Your friend.” He slowly turned around to face her, lowering himself to all fours. “I don't know what happened, but I woke up like this, and I can’t change back.” The shy pegasus unwrapped herself and peered uncertainly from behind her pink mane. All the old fear and shyness was back in full force. “D-d-drax? How are you a..? Why?” Drax shook his head sadly. “I don't know Shy. I need your help. I can’t go into Ponyville like this, and I need to find out what happened. I need you to find Twilight Sparkle. Mebbe she can find out what happened. And you have to find Pinkie Pie! Tell her where I am. I need to know she is ok.” Fluttershy nodded, still unsure. “O-ok Drax. You can come stay at my cottage while I go find them. Um... just .. ahh. Please don't eat any of my friends?” He wanted to blurt out that he would never do such a thing. He wanted to. But the full belly and bloody claws proved otherwise. Instead he just nodded mutely and followed the gentle pony to her home. As they approached, most of the smaller animals that usually frolicked around the place scattered, hiding from the large dragon. He plopped down disconsolately, and laid his head on his claws. Part of him wanted to cry, but the rest just felt hollow and cold. “Please wait here. I will come back as soon as I can with help.” She quickly took to the air, an unusual sight for the ground dwelling flier, and sped away toward town. It was a while before she had returned, alone and looking even more frightened. A storm was moving in and the wind was blowing her mane, tears streaked her face. The rain had not started yet, and they were clearly visible as she approached the cottage. She came within a short distance, but would not approach the large dragon. Drax looked up, worried. “Shy, what’s wrong? Where’s Twilight and Pinkie? Why are you crying?” She was panting in fear, and looked as if she would run, but she steeled herself and took another cautious step forward before losing her nerve again. “Umm.. T-t-twilight. Ahh.. she. Oh Drax. She says she will be here soon. She n-needed to gather some books.” The lemon yellow pony stopped and looked at the ground, unable to go on. “What about Pinkie? Oh god, please tell me she is ok. TELL ME!” He suddenly roared, making the frightened pony jump and back up several feet. “I’m sorry.. I’m. I’m just so worried I did something and cant remember.” Fluttershy looked up at the tears now welling in the dragon’s eyes, and her natural loving nature moved her into action. She moved forward to comfort him, hugging his neck, which she could barely get her hooves around. “I’m so sorry Drax. I couldn't find her. I checked the shop, and I checked the house. She wasn't there.” She stopped and swallowed hard. “D-drax.. there was blood. Blood everywhere in your house. I didn't find anypony, but somepony must have been hurt bad there.” At this Drax’s mind froze. No. It can’t be. Not Pinkie. Not again, never again. It was happening all over again. The last time he had given his heart to someone in this way, bonding on such an emotional level, she had died while he was away on a trip. She had died alone, and thinking he had left her. The guilt had eaten him for years, driven him to attempt suicide at one point. Only his friends had saved him, pulling him back from the brink. The wound was still there, scarred over his heart where it would never be forgotten. And now, it had happened again. And it was his fault. He screamed. He roared. The forest shook with the might of his roar and the pain of his heart. To her credit, Fluttershy never left his side. She cowered next to him, huddled in a ball, but she stayed there all the same. He turned to her, and picked her up carefully in his claws. The scared pony meeped, but still looked up at him, fear and compassion warring in her eyes. Then he brought her to his chest and hugged her. She hugged him back with all her tiny might, and together they cried. Cried tears of pain and loss. And after what seemed like hours, they parted. She stayed with him as he lowered his head to the ground, all life gone out of him. He didn't have the willpower to even lift it anymore, and she just held him, whispering comfort into his ear as the tears continued to flow unheeded. She stroked his spiky mane, and told him everything would be alright. But he knew it wouldn't. He knew his life was over. The one thing he loved in the world had been taken by his own hand, and he didn't even understand why. Finally he opened his eyes. He saw Fluttershy, beautiful, kind Fluttershy. Mother to all, with a heart bigger than a dozen ponies her size. Able to wipe away fear to offer kindness. Kindness she was giving him now, like the mother he had left behind as a child. But all the love and kindness in the world could not mend the emptiness that filled him now. He was hollow, empty. He was a monster. He had destroyed the one thing he loved, and now he had only himself to destroy to make things complete. Getting up, he nuzzled the yellow pegasus, who looked at him sadly. “Thank you Shy. I am so sorry it has come to this, but I don't think I can be your friend anymore. I am now a monster, and as such I only deserve to live among monsters. Tell Twilight and the others not to look for me. I am going into the forest, and I will not be coming back to Ponyville. The pegasus gasped. “No! Drax, you cant leave! Twilight will be here soon and we can help you!” “No. Nopony can help me now. If I hurt Pinkie, then there is nothing left for me here. I must leave.” And without another word he launched himself into the air. Fluttershy had to run for cover as the wind buffeted her from his takeoff. The storm was beginning to empty onto the forest, and she was soon driven inside by the rain. The last she saw of the dragon was a dark form making for the canopy as lightening flashed across the sky. As he flew above the treetops, the lightening flashed around him. The storm was in full swing now, and the winds buffeted him. He ignored all this as he flew on, not sure where he was headed, but just heading away from Ponyville and his friends he had betrayed. He was approaching the old ruins of the Twin Sisters, when lightening stuck the archway. Brilliant light blinded him, but not before and image was seared into his mind. An image of a black pony, with dragon wings, and a violet mane. Diving sharply he came to a landing at the entrance. Nothing was there, but he knew what he had seen. Making his way into the chamber, barely fitting through the entrance, he came to the platform at the end of the hall. There standing was something that both confused him, and yet made some sort of perverted sense. It was him. The pony form of him at any rate. Wings flared, and horned head held high. “You have got to be shitting me. In a world of cliches and bad puns, I finally face the biggest one of all.” He rolled his eyes and clawed the stones beneath him.”Lemme guess, you are my shadow self, and now I gotta fight you for the princess and all that, yadda yadda, yadda.” The dark stallion shrugged, then grinned. “Took you long enough to get here. It’s something like that. Except you don't have to fight me if you don't want to, and I’m afraid your Princess is in another castle... or something.” He cackled evilly, and pointed a dark hoof at the dragon before him. Drax suddenly wished again that dragons could vomit.

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:35:41+00:00

2011-11-17T06:35:41+00:00

Atonement {The end is near. Repent ye sinners.} “What are you?” The dark pony laughed at this. “Oh, come now. Surely you know.” He waved a hoof in the air. “I’m YOU!” Drax growled. “How is that possible? I am me, there is only one me, and there will always be only one of me. I am a flaw, an enigma, a freak happening. There can never be another like me.” “Oh what an ego. You are so special.. Oooooh! Look at me, I am so special that nopony can ever be like me.” The doppelganger sneered. “Did you forget already? Oh that’s right, you never told any of your pony friends you were a friggin schizophrenic.” “No. That’s not true. I’ve always been in control. Each of my little mood swings has always been me, and I control them all. There is no way you are me, or any part of me.” “Oh really? What about that part of you that you hide from yourself?” The pony looked scornfully down his muzzle. “Your so called Dark Side. You kept me hidden away, only bringing me out to rage at how unfair the world was. You are such a pathetic emo pussy.” Drax thought hard. He had always felt that part of him, deep, dark, primal. He used to go into berserker rages as a child, but learned to control it, channel it. It had been a long time since that part of him saw the light of day. An now, reaching down inside of himself.. it was gone. Instead of the smoldering rage and resentment he always kept hidden, was calm. The scars were gone, and the hate wouldn't come. But he found a new kind of anger to take it’s place. Righteous fury. The urge to avenge his betrayed friends. The desire to avenge Pinkie Pie. “You. You are all that I ever hated about myself. My humanity, my evil, the part of me that used to delight in the pain of others. The part I denied long ago and have been fighting against ever since. I HATE YOU!” The dark stallion sat back and clopped his hooves together. “Oh yes! Now he gets it! I am one of your personalities, given life and power. And finally I have enough power to set up shop on my own. “ He tossed his mane. “I hope you don't mind, but I took the power with me when I vacated. You weren’t making proper use of it, and it rightfully belonged to me anyway.” The dragon started at this. “What do you mean? It was my power, and you took it.” “Haven’t you ever noticed how much easier the power was to use when you were distracted? While you were busy ogling pony plot, I was taking control and making things work. I was the part of you that had direct control of the power, not you. And certainly none of the other facets of your fucked up mind. You needed me. But now I am strong enough that I don’t need you.” The pony laughed, long low, an evil laugh he knew too well. Drax stared hard at his shadow self. Thoughts sped by at a frantic pace. If this was a cliche battle, then he knew all the steps, and now was the time for the talking to end. Gathering his strength, he launched himself at the dark pony, using the speed and strength of his larger dragon body. As expected, the pony merely jumped into the air to avoid the attack. Drax was ready for this of course. He was used to tricking his own self, and using a different part of his brain to process more than one thought at once. Now it worked against him, but only to an extent. His wings shot up as he passed under the alicorn and clipped him, sending the doppelganger off balance and falling to the floor. “Yea bitch, you forget how much I am used to fighting with myself in my mind. You really think having a real body will be any different?” The dragon laughed and turned on his fallen prey. There was nothing there to laugh at. A large chunk of masonry impacted his head, making him see stars and stunning him for a moment. “Really, dude? I am you. I know your moves, I know your thoughts. I know your thoughts about your thoughts. Hell, I am your violent side, so I know fighting better than you!” “Yes, but that makes me the part that has the smart ideas.” The dragon retorted, as his tail snaked around and yanked the pony out of the air. The stallion yelped, and used sheer magic force to free himself, shooting out of the building and into the open. Drax followed, taking to the air as soon as he was free of the entrance. He saw the pony hovering nearby, and took a shot at flaming him. The stallion easily shielding himself against the flame, but he didn't see the dragon rocket through the flame and slam into him, hurling him to the ground. Stopping short of impact, the dark pony hovered in place, laughing. “Oh good show! I am the one that is supposed to be fighting dirty!” He then shot a bolt of pure magical energy at the dragon. As he was larger, and slower to dodge, the dragon took the hit, and shrugged it off. Being a creature of magic had it’s advantages after all. “Wanna try again, pipsqueak? There is a reason I have always been obsessed with dragons, remember?” He flexed, and readied another attack. He knew it was strength against speed at this point. But what he couldn’t understand was, why he was being toyed with. The old him could have just ripped him apart telekinetically, or sucked the air away from him and killed him in vacuum, or worse. This so-called evil side was playing nice. Too Nice. The pony smirked, and saw the thoughts at they passed through his counterpart’s mind. “Oh now you finally join the party. Really, I don't see how I ever thought I was so smart, if you are taking this long to figure things out.” “You need me alive, don't you?” The dragon hovered in place, trying to puzzle the motives of the smaller creature. “Well, I’m not a big fan on suicide. Well, not this part of me at least, I left that piece of shit behind when I vacated. I am still you though, so I need you alive to exist.” The dark pony started to circle the larger dragon, taunting him, but the dragon just kept pace, hovering and rotating. “Now comes the part where you get to choose. Remember the prophecy that retard told you? The dark path you get to choose? Well this is it.” He stopped flying around and stopped before the large dragon. "You get to choose, you can go home, and wake up. You can go back to your old life and forget this ever happened. You will continue your dreary little human existence and forget all about ponies.” A gleam came into his eye and he grinned savagely. “Choice two. You finally have your wish. You can remain a dragon, mighty and powerful. Live for hundreds of years. And as a bonus, I will even make you forget you were ever a human, or a pony. You will be a dragon forever more.” “How about the option where I rip you apart, and strip the power from your disintegrating corpse?” Drax readied another volley of fire, attempting to test the shielding the other self had in place. As he let loose a blast, the dark pony dodged this time, not wanting to fall for the same trick twice. “Oh come on! Yer gonna just keep repeating yourself?” He spun around, and expecting the dragon to make another charge. Instead he was nailed from behind as a large rock was thrown at his head. He staggered in the air, and tumbled towards the ground, and the dragon followed, closing in for a kill. Before the blow was struck though, he snapped out of it and teleported away, using his sudden disappearance as a chance to viciously kick the dragon from behind. Drax bellowed in pain, and spun to face the opponent that had teleported behind him. He barely slowed his decent in time to avoid crashing into the trees below. The Darkness laughed. “I can keep this up as long as you can, Boyo. You can’t hurt me, because I am you. I can’t kill you for the same reason, but you would be surprised what a dragon body like yours can live through.” His horn flashed, and iron bands of force snapped the dragon’s wings closed, causing him to drop like a rock to the ground. The doppelganger landed on the ground before him, releasing his wings, but launching a bolder at his head, stunning him before he could react. “You know, I only need you alive. You don't have to be able to move, or even think.” He paced out of easy reach of the dragon’s attacks. “You should just take my offer. Choose your old life as a human, and forget this world, or just let me relieve you of the rest of that diseased mind of yours, and live a long life as a dragon. Dragons are fun after all! Look how much fun you are having tonight. You are big, strong, and if anything gets in your way you can kill and eat it.” The dark stallion cackled madly. “Just like you did to your friends!” “You know, I really believe you are my schizo half. Because you are fuckin crazy.” The dragon retorted. “I think I would rather die than take your choice. Mebbe you shouldn't have left that piece of shit part of me behind after all.” “Wrong answer” The pony responded, and then the world went dark. Drax woke with a start. His room was cold, and he pulled the covers over himself. He blinked awake, trying to remember the dream he had been having. Something weird as usual, and he couldn't remember any details, other being very pissed off. He groaned, and got up, looking around his room, just able to see by the LEDs of his sleeping monitors. He checked his watch, but it was missing, probably on his desk somewhere after a shower. He got to his feet with a groan, and made his way to the bathroom. Never failed, no matter if he took a 10 minute nap, he always had to piss when he woke up. Finishing, he snuck back to his room before anyone in the house could catch him flashing through. Good thing his room was across the all. He hated putting on shorts for such a short trip. After that he plopped into his chair and sat at his computer. Another long night of insomnia ahead of him as usual. The computer booted up to his familiar desktop, black space and colorful ponies. He really needed to get over this kick and move on to a new obsession. He already had one family member that was freaked out by it. Good thing they didn't know how bad it had gotten, heh. The image collection alone would probably get him committed. As he made his normal rounds, he checked message boards and news sites, nothing new since he had gone to bed. That was not too unusual, since he kept weird hours when alot of the world was asleep. He quickly grew bored, and tried to find his watch again, but it was still not to be found. It was unusual, but he did misplace it when he took showers from time to time. It was the only piece of adornment he had ever worn other than his ring. The ring. It was missing. That wasn't possible. He never took it off for more than a few seconds. It was as much a part of him as his finger it rested upon. It reminded him of his first love, who he had given a matching ring to years ago, before she left him, like so many others. But he still wore it always to remind him, that once he was loved. In a panic he searched. He ran back to the bathroom where he had washed his hands. He tossed the bedsheets. It wasn't there. The only time he had been without was the time he appeared in Twilight’s library. The library. Equestria. In a rush, he remembered it all. The magic, his friends, the pain, the fight. He snapped his eyes open. He was on the ground, the rain was pouring down in torrents, as lightening sparked across the sky. Before him was the dark alicorn, like a grim spectre of death. His eyes gleamed as he nodded, seeing that his ploy had failed. He shielded himself from attack. “What a pity. You would have been happier there, not knowing what you had lost. Now we have to go with option two.” With a crackle of power, he built up a spell, energy arcing from horn to wings and back again. “Say goodbye to your mind, dear, dear Dragon.” Getting up, Drax grinned insanely. He knew what had to be done. “No. I don't think so. I will die before you use me.” And with that he launched himself into the sky. He powered his way above the clouds, wings pumping and body taut against the raging storm. He put every last bit of his strength into gaining what altitude he could. The strange Equestrian magics enabled him to launch his body faster and farther than any normal flying beast could. No bird could match his power or peed. Only a pegasus could out climb him. He continued far above the clouds, chest heaving like a bellows in the rarefied air, and frost forming on his wings. His throat burned in the freezing cold of the highest altitudes. He stopped, seemingly suspended in air as he reached his apex. Looking down he saw Equestria far below him, the forest and storm just smudges stretching to the horizon. Near the edges he spotted a break in the cloud cover. Small colorful dots flitted about, breaking up the edges of the storm, and letting the lights of Ponyville shine through. The moon gleamed a pale silver, muting the landscape, yet the colorful dots remained bright somehow. He knew these would be the magical weather ponies, clearing the skies and letting Luna’s gift shine down. From the corner of his vision, he saw movement, and looked up to revise his earlier thought. Nothing but a pegasus, or an alicorn could match him. Hovering out of easy reach was his tormentor, grinning wildly. But it was too late, there was nothing that could be done to stop him. So he dove. He remembered all his studies on falcons, able to break the sound barrier by streamlining themselves in flight. He let the natural instincts of his predator’s body take over, and he dove, faster than any living creature, save for a certain blue pegasus. Nothing would survive this fall, and at last he would be free. As he broke through the clouds, the dragon shook his head. He was in a dive, but he saw no prey below him. With nothing to chase, he braked, and slowed his decent, stopping to hover above the trees. Something was wrong. He couldn't remember why he was diving, or even why he was here flying over the forest. He looked around, but no attack came, no prey was in sight. He should be in a cave somewhere, warm, with a pile of treasure and gems to keep him comfortable. He glided down to a clearing, outside an old ruins. Long since deserted, there was nothing of value to collect for his horde, but it offered one of the few clear places to land. He tried as best as he could, but he could not remember why he was out on such a dreary night. The storm was blowing over, and patches of stars shone through. Looking up he saw nothing but sky, clouds and the occasional glimpse of the moon. Something was very wrong and he couldn't remember what. Something had made him angry, but it was gone now. Whenever he tried to think about it, the thought skittered away like a dream after waking. He stomped around in frustration, unable to let the sense of unease go. Suddenly his stomach growled, and he remembered he was out to hunt. Yes, that must be it. His gem horde had been running low, and he wanted fresh meat to fill his belly. Taking to the air, he flapped to gain altitude. The winds had died down and thermals were almost nonexistent in the cool weather. He managed to circle, looking for prey, and spotted lights in the distance. Yes, there was the town of Ponyville. A ripe buffet full of tender pony flesh, waiting for the picking. He could be in and out, snatching up a meal or two, and be gone before an alarm was sounded. With a hungry grin, he turned his flight toward the sleeping town in the distance, thinking to himself, ‘Damn it feels good to be a Dragon.’ It would be remembered for generations to come as the Day of the Dragon. A Dark Dragon descended upon Ponyville, strangely immune to magic, and deadly black as the night. It came in the shadows of Luna’s night, killing ponies by the dozen. The death toll was staggering, and the attempts to stop the creature left devastation in it’s wake. The same night, the strange alicorn that had been living among them made an appearance, seeming to lure the creature off. Neither was seen again, but rumors spread that they still haunted the Everfree forest, and occasionally sounds of fighting could be heard on the night winds. By the time the Princess arrived, the attack was long over, and only the grieving and rebuilding was left to be done. A monument was erected in honor of the ponies lost that night, and nopony would ever forget the evil that was visited upon Ponyville. The prophecy had come to pass, and the path of destruction had been chosen.

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:36:22+00:00

2011-11-17T06:36:22+00:00

A New Hope {Trollestia made me do it, I swear!} Voices. He knew them somehow. He couldn't place who they were, and his mind seemed foggy, like he had been drugged and overslept. He fought the sleepiness and tried to listen. It was important that he listened. “Did it work?” High, young, female. “We don't know yet. It may take time for him to recover, if he recovers at all.” Deeper, older, still female. “It took alot of our power, and we still don’t know if we got him in time. It was a very close call.” Another young female voice. ‘Oh great, I am waking up in a hospital, and the nurses are checking out my junk.’ He groaned, and heard the others gasp at the sound. “I think he’s coming around!” The first voice was happy at this. Then he tried opening his eyes... Bright. Too bright. Why was everywhere he went too bright. ‘Damn daywalkers...’ He tried to focus, and everything swam. He saw.. Sun? Clouds? ‘Not a hospital then. Am I still at the crash site? Where’s the paramedics?’ Suddenly something large and purple came filled his vision. “Drax, are you ok? Can you talk? It’s me, Twilight.” ‘Twilight?’ Then again for the third time, reality snapped like a rubber band, and everything came crashing down. “What the fuck?” Princess Celestia sighed. “Yes, I guess that means he’s back.” Luna just giggled at the profanity, and Twilight Sparkle looked down at him crossly. He started to get up, and noticed he didn't have claws anymore. “No, really. What. The. Fuck?” He staggered to his hooves. Yes, hooves again. Pony Form. “What happened, and why am I a pony again?” “Well,” the lavender unicorn started, “You kinda died. Horribly.” The midnight mare giggled. “You went splat! It was quite a mess.” The Dawn mare stepped forward. “I’m so sorry Drax, but it was the only way. You had to die, so that the darkness would die with you.” She motioned to a nearby crater, where a black tail could be seen brokenly jutting above it’s rim. “We made you a new body, and pulled your soul back from the brink. Since the two personalities has fissioned apart, we were able to grab you and leave the darkness behind.” “Darkness?” he shook his head, clearing the lingering cobwebs. “You mean that asshole alter-ego of mine? I don’t understand. The last I remember was, I was about to destroy Ponyville. I FELT it! I turned feral, and nothing was left but my dragon instincts.” It was Twilight’s turn again, they seemed to be speaking as a group. “That was an illusion. He was in your mind, making you see all that. He needed you alive to stay alive himself, and he tried to trick your mind into pulling up from your dive.” She looked away nervously. “It didn't work. I...” she gulped. “I had to watch you die Drax. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.” Luna again took the lead. “We got her message when Fluttershy told her about you. We told Twilight to stay away, and wait for us to arrive. We had to combine our power to have the magic needed to pull you from the brink, and remake your body.” She shook her head. “Wow, the things that go through this little filly’s head!” “Hey! Get outta there, the spell is over!” Twilight stomped, now breaking the cycle of speech. The other two chuckled. “The good news is, you have a new body, and it’s a true pony body.” The alabaster mare explained. “You are a true alicorn now, and have all the strengths of the three pony tribes. Unicorn magic, Pegasus wings and speed, and Earth pony strength.” Luna piped up, “And you’re immortal, too!” Celestia nodded. “Yes, and you are immortal.” “Oh, and you aren’t a walking pile of pony-nip anymore either.” Twilight giggled. “Now you just smell like a normal pony to me. Although you are still pretty cute.” She bumped flanks with him. Drax flexed his new wings. No longer the wings of a dragon, but proper feathered wings. ‘Aww.. but I liked my dragon wings.’ He reached out for the magic to change them... and found nothing. He looked up in surprise at the sun goddess, still staring at him. “Yes, that is the down side. Your Darkness still had the creator magic when he died, and it went with him. You have all the magic of Equestria, but no longer will you be able to make your own.” Suddenly he remembered why he had tried to kill himself in the first place. “Pinkie.” He sank to his knees. “What if I don't want my new body, Princess? What if I don't deserve to live forever?” “Drax, Pinkie Pie is fine.” Twilight nuzzled him. “It was just a cut, it bled alot, but was easily stitched. She tried to follow you into the forest, but got lost until Rainbow Dash found her.” She pulled him into a hug, as he numbly looked back at the other two mares, tears falling down his face. “She’s at the infirmary, and it’s taking everypony we have to keep her there, and not out looking for you.” Drax looked down at his hooves, still seeing the blood and the claws. “Then what did I kill and eat? There was blood everywhere!” Luna responded, “Ugh.. you must have been craving bacon again. Yea, I peeked into your mind too, while we were stuffing it back into your body.” She grimaced in disgust. “You killed a rather large and nasty razorboar, after it tried to attack you. Yuck.. meat is gross!” She spat out the imaginary taste and looked thoroughly disgusted. At this the dark stallion laughed. “Funny thing is, I don't even like pork. But damn, I’d kill for some bacon!” His hooves flew to his muzzle when he realized what he had just said. Twilight just looked at him funny, while the other two laughed. “Well, I guess we better get back to Ponyville then. There is alotta explaining that needs to be done, and a very cute, pink pony that I need to fall in love with all over again!” With that they all cheered and headed back toward town. As the four ponies returned to Ponyville, a crowd was seen near the infirmary. A cheer went up from the surrounding crowd, mostly from the sight of the two Princesses, but in part from the return of the resident alicorn. Rumor had already circulated that something bad had happened in the forest, and it was a welcome sight to see one of their own return. As they approached the tent, the crowd parted to reveal four ponies trying to restrain a fifth, with a large bandage around her head, and yelling at the top of her lungs. “DRRAAAAXXXYYY!!!” Drax wasted no time galloping to her and throwing his hooves around her in a passionate embrace. His other friends all let out a collective sigh of relief that they no longer had to play nursemaid to the injured pony, and that their friend had made it safely back from his ordeal. “I am so sorry Pinkie, I never meant to hurt you” The dark stallion sobbed into her frizzy mane. “I thought I lost you, and it nearly destroyed me” Behind him, Twilight coughed, and he remembered that it actually HAD destroyed him, quite literally. Pinkie Pie giggled happily. “Don’t cry you silly billy pony. I just didn't want you to go away when you turned all super scary dragon on me, and I got a scratch.” She put a hoof to the bandage, then to his face, looking into his eyes. “It was all my fault for being a stupid twinkie Pinkie and trying to stop a big ‘ol Draxy Dragon. I shoulda knew better. My hoovsies were pricking all day, which means something mean and nasty was gonna happen.” “Well we don't have to worry about that ever again. The dragon is gone, and now I am a finally a normal pony.” He flexed his wings. “Looky, feathers!” Pinkie’s unbandaged eye went wide as a massive smile split her face. “Oooooooooo!! They are pretty, like Dashie’s wings!” At the sound of her name, Rainbow Dash came forward. “Oh no, nopony has wings as awesome as me! I bet I can still beat you in a race, Drax, anytime you wanna try them out!” Drax just stuck his tongue out at her, smiling. “Another day Dash, I need to get my little pony home for some tender lovin!” Behind him, he heard a cough, and turned to see the two Princesses waiting behind him. Celestia stepped forward with a smile. “I guess this means the Prophecy has come to pass. You chose the path to save us, and paid the ultimate price. Now you can write your own destiny from here on.” Luna looked longingly at the couple, but merely smiled and waved farewell. Both Princesses made their way to the waiting chariot, boarding for the flight back to Canterlot. Celestia turned to spot Twilight Sparkle still standing near the reunited couple. “Twilight Sparkle, my dear student.” She called to her. “Yes Princess?” the lavender unicorn eagerly replied. “I think you had best have a good, long talk with Drax about what he has learned about friendship. I am sure he has alot to say on the matter now, and I look forward to hearing your report.” “Yes Princess! I will get right on it!” She turned to find the pair in question were already gone, and saw Drax carrying Pinkie, flying quickly away to their home at the edges of the forest. Turning back to the chariot, she looked chagrined. “Umm... That is, as soon as they are done, I will get right on it.” Both Princesses laughed as the chariot took them away to Canterlot. Twilight was left looking embarrassed as she returned to join her other friends, who were waiting to hear her story.

Drax99

94

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Derpy Hooves,Main 6,Original Character,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Spike,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

"Angst Much?"

Twilight Summons a human, Cliche story ensues. Film at 11.

complete

<p>Twilight accidentally transports a human into Equestria, where he discovers he has unusual powers. No one knows his purpose, except maybe Derpy.</p>

mature

2011-11-17T06:18:26+00:00

2011-11-17T06:18:26+00:00

Epilogue Drax was again sitting at his favorite table at Sugarcube Corner, enjoying his favorite pastime. He watched as a bouncy earth pony flew all over the place at once, working on setting up yet another party. She was a beautiful and happy as ever, no worse for the injury he had accidental inflicted when she tried to stop a very confused dragon from leaving in the night. The scar ran down the side of her face, but was barely visible. Magical treatments by Twilight would eventually cause it to fade away completely, but he would forever see it. It would remain in his mind and heart as a reminder of how close he came to losing her. He turned away a moment to look out the nearby window, and into the wet streets outside. The weather ponies had scheduled a light drizzle to soak things down and give some relief from the summer heat. It kept most ponies indoors, and gave Pinkie Pie a day to set up for tomorrow’s big event. He couldn't even remember who it was for, but it was something that Pinkie had been humming about all day. As his focus shifted, he saw his reflection in the glass. For a moment, he was stunned. There in the reflection was not a pony, but a human face. His human face. The reflection moved of it’s own accord, and brought a single finger to it’s lips, begging silence. Trying to get a closer look he leaned forward, and the image was gone, replaced by his own pony muzzle, and the streaking rain outside. He puzzled over what he had seen, but was soon distracted by the vision of a plump, pink, pony posterior. Pinkie was backing up as she pulled a streamer out to hang. He gave her a playful clop on the rump, and she squealed in delight. He couldn't help but notice that the rump was a bit softer than he remembered. In fact, while he was definitely in the Sir-Mix-Alot club regarding girls with some bodacious booty, Pinkie seemed to have really packed on some pounds lately. ‘Tons of Fun, indeed’ He chuckled to himself. She was always a bit plump, but now she was bordering on fat. Her stomach seemed to be getting a bit bigger, and she was eating alot more than her usual fare. Which for Pinkie, meant twice a normal pony diet anyway. It was starting to concern him, and he finally decided to mention something. “Uhh... Pinkie. I gotta wonder. You do seem to be getting a little.. umm, fluffier than usual lately.” He paused as she spun around to look at him curiously. “I mean, I always love my little marshmallow pony, but you may wanna consider cutting down on the snacks, ya’know, for your health and all?” Pinkie just giggled, and loud piercing giggle like the old days. “Oh Draxy! I know you love me the way I am. And I was sooo caught up I forgot to tell you the surprise!” Drax started to sweat. “Um.. surprise?” He said nervously. “Well, I been feeling a little funny lately, so I went to see the doctor yesterday.” “Umm, Doctor? And, what did they say?” In response, Pinkie Pie stood on her back hooves and started singing, while rubbing her belly.” ‘Our little Pony, Our little Pony...’ Suddenly it dawned on him that all the decorations were pastel blue and pink. Twilight’s words echoed through his mind. ‘Even the three pony tribes cannot interbreed without special spells. And Princess Celestia is one of the few that know the cross-race magics.’ Drax just facehoofed, yelling, “DAMN YOU TROLLESTIA!!!” As the image of the happy couple faded from the viewing bubble, the Princesses of Equestria looked at each other and smiled at what they had seen. They both laughed at the dark stallions consternation, and knew he was just as happy, despite his protests. “So, Sis? Did you have to make him a fertile alicorn?” the darker sister asked. The dawn sister replied with a musical laugh. “I figure it’s the least I could do after we sealed away his power. And I remember it was you that decided to make him Immortal.” “Yes, well...” The midnight mare kicked at the floor shyly. “It’s like you said Celly, all I need is patience, and love will come to me. Now he has all the time in the world, and all I have to do is wait.” She looked up into her sister’s eyes. “He’s happy now, and I am willing to wait my turn. I deserve to be happy too, don’t I?” Celestia sighed. “And hopefully one day he will be ready, and we can return his power to him. Then you will never be alone again, and the two of you can rule together, forever .” Suddenly a large pink mass popped out of a flowerpot nearby, shouting. “FOREEEEVERRR!!!” Both alicorns jumped at the sound and faced the all-too-serious pink face. “Dammit Pinkie!” Celestia cried. “I told you never to do that in the palace!” The pink pony smiled brightly, “Sorry boss!” and disappeared out of sight again. The white mare chuckled. “That Pinkie Pie, always so RANDOM!” Luna just looked confused. “How the hay does she do that anyway?” Celestia just laughed, and winked knowingly. “Even I don’t know the answer to that one.” The dark mare shook her head, looking disgusted. “Those two are gonna have some really weird kids.”

1pony4all

95

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Mirage

hiatus

<p>Princess Luna has been kidnapped, along with 5 particular ponies from Ponyville! Princess Celestia is a wreck and it's up to Twilight Sparkle and her dragon friend Spike to get to the bottom of whats going on. Just because something's not there, doesn't mean it can't hurt you.</p>

teen

2011-07-11T01:48:31+00:00

2011-07-11T01:48:31+00:00

“Go away...” Princess Luna was walking down one of the many hallways that filled her and her sister's castle in Canturlot, a rather annoyed look on her face. She had just raised the moon and bid good night to her sister, Princess Celestia. “But dear Luna, don't you see?” “There is nothing to see, I'm talking to myself...” Luna looked around again in vein. The voice was coming from her own head. She turned a corner and walked towards the ballroom. The halls in the castle were dimly lit, Luna had been using her magic every night to light the castle lanterns with a pale, white light, much like the moon's own. She never figured it would bother anypony since they were all sleeping, save for the night guards and her small staff of cooks. “If you are talking to yourself, then why don't you show yourself a little respect and listen to what you have to say.” “This is ludicrous...” Luna sighed. The voice in her head had been bothering her for a few weeks now, ever since the Grand Galloping Gala. At first is distressed her so much that she feigned illness to avoid going to the Gala, but she had gotten used to it by now, and was even getting the hang of suppressing it, until tonight anyway. “What is ludicrous is the fact that you deny yourself what you want.” “And I suppose you know exactly what I want?” Luna rolled her eyes to herself and tried to block the voice out again. She rounded yet another corner and found herself at the entrance to the ballroom. It was dimly lit by the full moon that had just barely risen from the horizon. All of the tables and chairs from the Gala had been packed into storage for use at the next big event in the castle. The empty room was enormous when there was nopony around, it was the perfect place for Luna right now. Spreading her wings, the Small, dark blue alicorn took off into the air, flying to the top of one of the dozens of pillars that held up the upper level of the ballroom. Quickly finding a ledge to perch herself on, she turned and faced the moon, her moon. “You're the only one...” “Perhaps you didn't pick up on my sarcasm last time.” There was a hint of anger in Luna's voice, “Let me spell it out for you: Whatever you are, you live in my head, you WILL listen to me, now be quiet.” Luna repositioned herself on the ledge to gain a more comfortable stance, and then, softly, she began to sing. She sang to her moon, she sang of it's beauty, of it's grace. Luna sang out her soul for her moon. The stars in the night sky seemed to respond to her singing, twinkling in unison to her inflections, dancing with her rhythms. Even the moon itself seemed to move with her voice. Princess Luna and her moon were dancing. Slowly, Luna flapped her wings and rose into the air, gently, every move deliberate, careful, planed according to her melody. As she conducted the sky full of her performers, she to became part of the show. Spinning, twirling and soaring throughout the ballroom , Luna was on stage in front of all Equestria. Her singing grew louder without her noticing, she lost herself in the song. She didn't care if anypony saw her now. She was with her night, and her night was with her. Together they danced for hours. Finally, little Luna was exhausted, her wings were numb from keeping her aloft for so long, her thought sore from singing. She gently landed on the ballroom's red carpet and looked at her moon again. It was much higher in the sky now, it must have been close to midnight. She smiled to herself, the moon was happy, she could feel it in her heart. Suddenly, she heard hoof clops coming from behind her. Somepony was applauding her. “Dear Princess Luna, that was truly breathtaking.” It was the voice again, but something was different, it wasn't coming from inside her head anymore. “Who's there!? Show yourself!” Luna spun around to the source of the cloping. She saw nothing. “It's quite a shame nopony saw you but me.” It was behind her again, from near the large window in the back of the room. Luna spun around again, her horn glowing a deep blue as she prepared to defend herself, “Guards! There is an intruder in the castle!” She cried, but when she looked at the window, there was nothing there again. Two of the castle's Pegasus guards crashed through the door and quickly came alongside the Princess, ready to defend her with their lives. “Princess, are you all right?” One of the guards exclaimed. “Where is the intruder?” The other guard asked, looking around the room. “I-I...” Luna wasn't sure what to say, “I... I must be more tired than I thought.” She said sheepishly. She looked at the window again, still nothing. “As long as you are safe Princess.” One of the guards reassured her, “We will double our patrols tonight, just to be sure.” “Thank you.” Luna smiled weakly. The guards turned and headed back to their posts. Luna decided to head back to her room. Walking through the dimly lit corridors again, Luna allowed her mind to wander a bit. She thought about her dancing. She had done it every night since she had started to live at the castle. At first, it was because she was happy to be back with her sister, back with her people. Slowly, though, she began to dance for the sake of the night. While she was... away, Her sister had taken the responsibilities of raising both the sun and the moon, but she never learned about the night, about it's subtleties, about it's wants and desires. She had neglected the night... “No no no!” Luna cursed herself for allowing her to think that way, “Celestia couldn't possibly have been able to find the time for such things. She had a kingdom to rule, and I...” “And you were locked inside of your own creation.” Again, the voice was back, and again it was outside of her head. Luna was suddenly overcome with fear. She dashed straight toward her room as fast as her legs would take her. She had recognized the voice this time, she'd never thought too much about it before, thinking it was some kind of Post Traumatic Stress, but now she knew what it was. Luna rounded the last corner, she could see the door to her bedroom. Using her magic, she threw open the door from afar and dove in, slamming and locking the door behind her as she landed on her bed. The voice was her's. It was her's, but different. It was deeper, smoother, full of anger and hate. It was the voice of Night Mare Moon. Luna quickly looked around her room, it was empty, save for her belongings. She breathed a sigh of frustration and relief. “I must be imagining things... She's gone... She's gone!” Luna yelled. Grabbing the closest pillow and stuffing her face into it, Luna cried. Suddenly, the room grew cold, darkness swirled around the small alicorn, suddenly, Luna felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Young Luna... why do you cry?” Night Mare Moon's voice was soothing, almost motherly. “No no no no NO!” Luna dashed off of her bed and into a corner. “You're not real, you can't be real!” Luna looked up at Night Mare Moon, she was a shadow of her former self, once a large, black alicorn with a deep blue mane full of stars, she was now nothing more than a translucent silhouette save for the bright blue helmet necklace and shoes which were glowing and seemed as real as anything else. “The armor!? It was destroyed!” “Hm, indeed, the armor was broken when those ponies used the Elements on us. Fortunately, those six ponies were not skilled enough to destroy me completely,” Night Mare took a few steps toward Luna, “they merely separated us from one another, encasing me in this armor. It took months, but I mustered the magic I could to repair it and to give myself this poor excuse of a body.” Luna was shivering uncontrollably in the corner, to afraid to speak. “Luna, why do you cower so? Do you not remember that we are the same? Do you not remember when I came to pull you out of that pit of despair over a thousand years ago?” “N-no... I'm n-not you...” Memories flooded back to Luna, memories of the jealousy, the hate she felt so long ago. Memories of when she fought with her sister, memories that she would rather forget. “We could be powerful again, we could rule the lands, rule the night!” Lightning cracked outside the castle walls. Night Mare stepped closer to Luna again, “We could make them love us.” Something inside Luna lit up at that moment. She was loved, her sister had forgiven her, she had made friends with the locals in Canturlot. She had discovered people that do appreciate her night. She no longer had a reason to be Night Mare Moon, no reason to fear Night Mare Moon. Princess Luna rose to her feet, “I don't need that kind of love. Things are different now, I don't need you!” She spat the words at Night Mare. Night Mare laughed softly, “Well well, it seems you've changed quite a bit since our parting.” Luna looked her right in the eyes, no fear. “I tried to be polite about this young princess, but now you leave me with no choice.” Night Mare's armor began glowing brightly. Suddenly, Luna felt something wrap around her legs and neck, something very heavy. “You'll find I've changed quite a bit as well my child.” Night Mare cackled as she lifted Luna into the air with the jet black chains that enveloped her body. “It was not an offer, your powers will be mine again, like it or not!” “No! Let me go! Guards! Guards help!” Luna screamed in vein. Before she could even begin to muster a spell of her own, the two of them disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

1pony4all

95

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Mirage

hiatus

<p>Princess Luna has been kidnapped, along with 5 particular ponies from Ponyville! Princess Celestia is a wreck and it's up to Twilight Sparkle and her dragon friend Spike to get to the bottom of whats going on. Just because something's not there, doesn't mean it can't hurt you.</p>

teen

2011-07-11T01:49:05+00:00

2013-02-09T19:26:02+00:00

“Ugh... why is everypony so... quiet?” A purple unicorn mare with a picnic basket on her back and a purple and green baby dragon were walking down the main street of the small village of Ponyville. “Spike,” The mare looked down at the tiny dragon, “you know that Princess Luna was kidnapped last week.” The dragon, Spike, instantly regretted what he said, “Oh, right...” “You need to learn to be more sensitive, Spike.” “I'm sorry Twilight,” Spike said to the mare, “It's just... I don't deal well with this negative air.” Twilight Sparkle had moved to Ponyville from Canturlot about a year before hand. Her and her assistant Spike were assigned by her mentor, Princess Celestia to study the magic of friendship. The task was thoroughly enjoyable though as she had met and quickly befriended five other mares in the small village. Together they had a few adventures and grew close. Twilight sighed, “I can't say I'm coping very well myself.” She frowned, “I hope they find her soon, The Princess is a wreck.” She thought back to the first letter the princess had sent her to tell her of the news, the ink was smudged with tears and the writing was shaky. Princess Luna, who was recently reinstated to her rightful rank as princess, had been kidnapped out of the castle in the middle of the night, there was no trace of her and she herself had reported an intruder on the grounds eariler that night. “Let's try to get our minds off of that for now.” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Yeah, today is our day off from the Library.” Spike said with a big smile on his face, he looked at the picnic basket on Twilight's back. “Yes, we've been planing this picnic for weeks now. Today is a day for fun.” Twilight smiled and looked up at the clouds. They were on their way to meet with one of Twilight's friends, Rarity, at her boutique. “Hmmm, Rarity...” Spike drifted off into another one of his daydreams about his crush. “Wake up lover boy,” Twilight joked, jarring Spike from his fantasies, “We're here.” They stood in front of a circular, white and purple building, the Carousel Boutique, Rarity's dress shop/house. Twilight went to knock on the front door, but it opened just before he hoof touched it and a small, white unicorn filly with a purple/pink, cotton candy mane stood in the doorway. “Oh, hello Sweetie Belle.” Said Twilight to the girl, “Is your sister home?” “I don't think so Twilight,” Sweetie said, “I've been looking for her all day, she invited me to the picnic with you guys.” “Huh, maybe she's waiting for us at Fluttershy's cottage.” Twilight guessed, “You can tag along if you want.” Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up, “Okay Twilight!” She gave a little hop and started to walk alongside. “We better stop by Rainbow Dash's house real quick,” Spike suggested,” Looks like she might have overslept.” He pointed to the many clouds that still hovered over Ponyville. “It's on the way to Appeljack's anyway.” Twilight sighed, for being the most loyal friend you could have, Rainbow Dash had a tendency to be unreliable from time to time. ********************************************************************** “Rainbow!” Twilight called up to her friend's cloud house. “Rainbow Dash, are you awake?” There was no response. A White Pegasus mare with a blue mane walked up behind Twilight with an annoyed look on her face. “Looking for Dash?” She asked. “Actually yes, do you know where she is?” “I don't know, but when you find her, tell her that when she skips out on here duties, somepony else has to pick up her slack.” And with an irritated flick of her tail, the Pegasus took of to the sky. “It's not like Rainbow to completely skip out on her job like this.” Said Spike in a slightly worried voice. “Hmmm, something doesn't feel right about all of this Spike. Let's get over to Applejack’s as soon as we can.” ********************************************************************** “Applejack!” “Oh no...” Twilight heard the small voice calling for her big sister. The three rushed over. Applebloom was searching the Apple Family Orchard. “Applebloom!” Twilight called out as she got closer. The yellow filly with a big, pink bow in her red mane looked over, “Twilight, Sweetie!” A smile replaced the worry on her face as she ran over to greet her friends. “Twilight, have you seen mah sister?” Twilight frowned, “No Applebloom, We were just coming here to see if she was ready for the picnic...” Applebloom's smile faded. “Oh, okay...” “Cheer up Applebloom,” Spike chimed in, “I'm sure shes waiting for us at Fluttershy's!” Twilight shot Spike a glare. “Oh, can I go with ya Twilight?” Applebloom bounced happily. Twilight didn't like this, all of her friends had mysteriously disappeared and she had a hunch Fluttershy wasn't going to be home ether, “Sorry Applebloom, I don't think that will be a good idea.” Applebloom's eyes widened and she fluttered her eyelids. “I... err... uh... Sweetie, why don't you stay here and keep Appelbloom company while we go looking for the others?” Sweetie Bell and Applebloom both began to pout. “Look,” Twilight said to the girls, “Something fishy is going on here, I'm just looking out for you two. Why don't you got find Scootaloo and play?” Twilight put on her biggest smile. “Aw, alright Twilight...” complained Appelbloom. The two fillies hung their heads and trotted off toward Ponyville. “Spike, take the basket back to the Library and meet me at Fluttershy's cottage.” “So... no picnic?” Spike looked disappointed. “Sorry Spike, but we have more important things to worry about right now.” “Aw alright...” Spike took the basket from Twilight's back and headed off to the Library. Twilight raced off toward Fluttershy's cottage, “Please let me be imagining things.” She thought to herself. ********************************************************************** The cottage was empty. Even the critters were gone save for the the chickens that were fenced in. “No no no no...” Twilight was stricken with worry, “There's no trace of them, it's like they just vanished.” She looked back at the cottage. It was oddly cold in the area without out the smoke rising from the chimney or the animals playing in the stream. “Twilight!” Twilight turned to see spike running toward her, a scroll in his hand. “Spike, what did you find?” “This letter came just as I was leaving the library.” “Well, what does it say?” Twilight asked impatiently. Spike unrolled the scroll, then squinted his eyes, “Uh... Twilight, I don't think the Princess sent this letter...” “What do you mean? Give me that.” Twilight used her magic to snatch the scroll away from Spike. She examined it closely. Spike was right, this couldn't be the princess's hand writing, it was almost totally illegible. “What is this?” She thought aloud. She examined the letter again, one word seemed to stand out through the smudged mess, “Everfree”. “Spike, I want you to go back to the Library.” Twilight said coldly. “T-Twilight?” “Now!” Spike quickly turned to leave, but he then realized what Twilight was about to do, “No Twilight, I'm not letting you go into that forest alone.” Twilight looked at the stubborn dragon, “Spike, it's too dangerous.” “That's exactly why I can't let you go alone.” “You've never been in there before...” “I'm going with you and that's that!” Twilight sighed, “Fine, but promise me you'll run at the first sign of danger.” “Only if you do the same.” Spike grinned. Twilight smiled, “Alright.” She looked at the Everfree Forest and swallowed. “Spike... I have a bad feeling about this.” The two of them took off toward the forest.

1pony4all

95

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Mirage

hiatus

<p>Princess Luna has been kidnapped, along with 5 particular ponies from Ponyville! Princess Celestia is a wreck and it's up to Twilight Sparkle and her dragon friend Spike to get to the bottom of whats going on. Just because something's not there, doesn't mean it can't hurt you.</p>

teen

2011-07-11T01:49:41+00:00

2013-02-09T19:30:08+00:00

Most ponies avoided the Everfree Forest, for good reason. In the majority of Equestria, ponies were nature's shepherds; they took care of the animals, plants and even managed the weather according to what was needed. The Everfree Forest, however, worked on a different set of rules. Weather was totally uncontrolled, unless you were paying attention to the clouds above the forest, you could be caught in a thunderstorm. Sadly, Twilight had not taken this into consideration. “Spike, hop on my back!” Twilight yelled over the howling winds. “If we get separated, we'd never find each other in this storm.” The purple dragon gladly hopped on the soaked mare's back, thankful for the rest. “Are you sure this is a good idea Twilight?” He spoke as he clung around her neck, trying to hold on as she sprinted through the forest. “Do you even know where you are going?” “I have an idea...” Twilight thought of the ancient ruin from her first trip here, where she and her friends fought Nightmare Moon a little over a year ago. “Call it a hunch Spike.” Twilight tore through the forest as fast as her legs could carry her, her hooves pounding along the wet grass and leaves on the forest floor. It had taken her group about 3 hours to reach the old castle last time, and she needed for cross the river again somehow. Suddenly, she heard a voice in the distance, but it was too far to make out. It sounded familiar. “It's coming from over there!” Spike exclaimed, pointing to what looked to be a clearing not far from where they were. Twilight changed course and raced over, hoping to find somepony she knew. “Do mine eyes deceive, or has Twilight Sparkle come to visit me?” Spoke a gray striped pony waring a hood. Twilight instantly recognized the voice and manor of speaking, “Zecora!” She yelled out as she nearly plowed into the foreign zebra. “OH am I glad to see you!” The mysterious zebra, Zecora was standing in the clearing wearing the trademark hood and cloak, a set of saddle bags were draped on her back containing what Twilight assumed were some of her homemade potions. “What brings out so far out of Ponyville? Hurry, come inside, if you will.” Zacora motioned to here house made of a hallowed out tree. Twilight shook here head, “Sorry, but we don't have time, have you seen any of my friends around here?” Twilight gasped for breath as she asked. “I'm afraid I have not seen a soul since morning,” Zecora shook her head, “Surely they must have taken the storm cloud's warning?” As the words left Zecora's mouth, the rain let up, but thunder could still be heard in the background. “I see...” Twilight hung her head, “My apologies Zecora, but the storm isn't going to stay calm for much longer, we must be going.” Zecora smiled from under her hood and nodded in understanding. Twilight turned to leave. All of a sudden, throned vines erupted from the ground, blocking the only way back out of the clearing. Twilight jumped back, barely missing the sharp thorns as they rushed passed. “What is this?!” Zecora gasped. A thunder clap rang out, a wisp of dark blue smoke rose out of the vines. It sped towards Twilight. Spike jumped off of Twilight's back, “Look out!” He dived into the frozen pony, knocking her out of the smoke's path. The smoke continued on it's way, right into Zacora. “Wha-What is-?!” Zacora's words were cut off as she was lifted into the air, the smoke swirling around her. “Zacora!” Twilight dashed to help her friend, but was stopped by a lightning strike at her feet. “Mahahahahahahaha!” A disembodied laugh rang out, lightning struck the all around the area. “AAAAAAAGGHHHHHNN-” Twilight could hear Zacora's pained scream from inside the vortex. Slowly, the swirling slowed and lowered to the ground again. As it touched the ground, the smoke vanished, leaving only Zecora standing, her face hidden by her hood. “Z-Zecora?” Twilight took a cautious step forward, trying to get a better look. A laugh came from under the hood, “Hmeh heh heh heh...” Spike fallowed Twilight, “Are you okay?” he asked cautiously. Zecora's head lifted, revealing a set of glowing, yellow eyes, her face shrouded by shadow. “Hahahahahaha!” She cried out, lunging at Twilight. Taken off guard by the sudden attack, Twilight was knocked back a few feet, narrowly missing the vines and thrones behind her. “Twilight Sparkle, how nice to see you again.” The dazed Twilight shook her head, “Zecora! Whats happened to you?” She picked herself up off the ground. “Don't worry yourself over this one.” Zecora spoke, he voice other worldly. “She's fine in here, with me.” “That voice!” Twilight thought as the recognition set in. “N-Nightmare Moon?” “Ah, so you recognized me yet again, you always were the intelligent one.” She chuckled a bit. “Sadly, I don't have time for pleasantries, you're coming with me.” Zecora reached into one of her bags and pulled out a green vial, then threw it at Twilight. “Catch!” Twilight jumped a foot to her left, dogging the vial as it shattered to the ground. A green vapor rose from the puddle of liquid at her feet. The smell made Twilight dizzy. “These bags are full of powerful medicine, this zebra is quite skilled at her craft.” Zecora laughed again. “I can't let he break many more of those, just one was enough to make me drowsy.” Twilight thought. Spike hadn't been so lucky, only managing to trip out of the way, landing face first in the puddle, he was out cold. Twilight used her magic to pick him up and place him on her back. “What do you want Nightmare?” “You're the last piece of my puzzle Twilight,” She reached into the bag with her mouth again, pulling out another, blue vial, “Everypony is waiting for you at my castle.” she spoke past the vial in her teeth. “So you kidnapped my friends?!” Twilight shouted in rage. She lowered he self a bit, spreading her legs to get a good grip on the ground. Twilight kicked at the ground a few times, signaling her charge. Zecora chuckled again, “Ah, this brings back memories.” Her voice coming clear through a stuffed mouth. Twilight took off running, determined to stop Nightmare, she lowered her head and prepared a stun spell she had learned a few years back, she hoped it would be enough to knock Zecora out without harming her too badly. Zecora threw the blue vial at the ground in front of her, it erupted in a large cloud of smoke just before Twilight made contact. Twilight ran through the cloud, there was nothing there. Then, she heard the sound of another vial breaking, near her feet, the green vapor adding to the the fuzziness in her head. “You little foal, you can not defeat me.” The sound was coming from above, Zecora had lept up to a tree branch at the last moment. Twilight backed away from the puddle, “Another one of those and I won't be able to focus on casting another spell...” She prepared the spell again, this time mixing it with one of her levitation spells and a near by rock. She flung the rock at Zecora, pelting her in the flank. The magic in the rock arked like electricity Through Zecora's body causing her to convulse in pain. She stumbled off of the tree branch. “Ha, Gotcha!” Twilight cried triumphantly as she ran up to Zecora's motionless body. Zecora's hood had fallen off, revealing her face, her eyes still a bright yellow. “Heh heh...” Her voice was strained, “You may have won this time, but I still have your friends.” The black smoke from earlier escaped from Zecora's mouth and flew off to into the night. Zecora's eyes returned to their natural, blue state. She let out a small moan and passed out. Twilight quickly checked over Zecora's body to make sure no major damage had been done. Pangs of guilt rang through her as the adrenalin of the short battle started to wear off. “Oh please be alright Zecora... I'm so sorry.” The vines retracted into the ground and the rain started again. Twilight decided it would be best to bring both Zecora and Spike inside the house for now. ********************************************************************** “Ungh...” A small moan escaped Spikes mouth, “Wh-where am I?” “Oh Spike, you're awake!” Twilgiht said happily when she heard the small dragon's voice. “Twilight? I thought...” Panic spread across Spike's face, “Zecora! Shewentcrazywhereisshe!?!” he cried in full panic mode. Twilight looked at the ground and sighed, “She... She's alright, or rather, she will be.” She motioned toward the bed on the far side of the room. Zecora was asleep on the bed, a bandages warped around her mid section. Her breathing was pained. “What happened?” Twilight explained about Nightmare Moon's return, how she took control of Zecora, and how she was behind the disappearance of the other ponies. By the time she was finished talking, Zecora moaned and rolled over on her bed. “What happened?” Zecora croaked, groggily. She winced as she tried to sit up. “Easy Zecora, you fractured a couple of ribs.” Twilight rushed over to try to comfort the wounded zebra. “Twilight? I remember the smoke... it had enveloped me like a cloak...” Zecora remembered. “Yes, you were possessed.” Twilight told her, “Please, lie still, you are in no shape to be up and around just yet.” “Possesed!?” Zecora shot up, a sudden burst if pain racked her body and she fell back on the bed. Twilight ran a grabbed some pain medication she had found while looking for medical supplies in the home. “Here, take this.” She levitated a vial of potion towards Zecora. “It should help the pain.” “Thank you.” Zecora popped off the cork on the vial and took a drink. “Twilight, if you'd be so kind, could you explain how I ended up in this bind?” Again, Twilight explained exactly what happened. As she finished her story, she added, “Zecora, I'm so sorry. There wasn't any other way... please forgive me.” She has tears in her eyes. “If you will permit,” Zecora said with a smile, “I feel I owe you quite a bit.” Thunder rang out across the forest again, the storm had picked up again. Twilight frowned, “Do you think you will be alright by yourself for a while?” She asked, fully prepared to stay longer if she needed, “Nightmare has my friends, I need to-” Zecora cut her off, “You have made your amends, go and save your friends.” She smiled and lied back on her pillow. Twilight nodded, “Thank you Zecora, I promise I'll be back.” He troted over to the door, “Spike, we need to go.” “Right behind you Twilight.” The young dragon said as he hopped up on the mare's back. The duo raced off toward the river.

1pony4all

95

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Mirage

hiatus

<p>Princess Luna has been kidnapped, along with 5 particular ponies from Ponyville! Princess Celestia is a wreck and it's up to Twilight Sparkle and her dragon friend Spike to get to the bottom of whats going on. Just because something's not there, doesn't mean it can't hurt you.</p>

teen

2011-07-11T01:50:07+00:00

2013-02-09T19:29:05+00:00

Twilight and her companion, Spike, raced through the forest, rain pounding on their heads. The unicorn used a small amount of her magic to keep the water out of her eyes, but it was next to imposable to see through the combined darkness of the forest and the rain being blown in every direction. A misplaced hoof sent the purple mare sprawling onto the ground and the small dragon on her back flying into the air, heading straight for the river. “Twilight!” Cried Spike as he flailed his arms, helpless to stop the inevitable splash into the river. Twilight jumped to her feet just in time to see the small dragon splash into the rushing waters. “Spike!” She cried, scanning the river bank for the purple dragon. Spike's head reemerged from the savage river a few feet farther down, “Help Twilight!” His small body thrashing agents the current in a futile attempt to fight it. He managed to grab onto a low hanging tree branch. “Hang on Spike, I'm coming!” Twilight quickly began to conjure up a levitation spell, but suddenly, Spike's body began to rise out of the water. “My my, is that who I think it is?” A voice came from behind Twilight. She turned to see a very large, very purple sea serpent with fiery orange hair and a fabulous mustache poking out of the river under another tree. “Oh it is! Oh dear Twilight! How have you been?” The serpent brought his tail up and over the river bank with Spike clutching on for dear life until he was safely over solid ground. The baby dragon hit the ground with a soft thud, soaked and shivering, but alright. “You saved me.” said Spike. “Oh it was not trouble at all little friend.” The serpent said with a smile, careful not to take his head out from under the protection of the tree. “Twilight, what are you doing out in such a dreadful storm?” Twilight was familiar with this purple serpent, they had first met during her first time in the Everfree forest after Nightmare Moon had ruined his prized mustache. After her friend, Rarity, helped restore said mustache, they had all become fast friends and he swam up river every once in a while to visit Ponyville. “Steven,” Twilight called the serpent by name, “I'm in a lot of trouble, would it be too much to ask if you could help me across the river again?” Steven looked at the pony and frowned, “You're not planing on going to that nasty little ruin again, are you dear?” there was concern in his voice. Twilight pleaded with the serpent “Please Steven, my friends are in danger.” “It's no problem at all Twilight,” said the serpent as he arched a part of his body over to the bank for Twilight to step on, “but please, be careful, there have been strange things happening at the dreadful place this past week. I don't want you getting hurt.” Twilight hopped on to Steven's back and he maneuvered his body to the other side of the rushing river. “Thank you, could you please check back here after a while, I'll need a way back if this storm doesn’t settle down by then.” “Anything for you, Twilight dear.” The serpent said with a smile. “Take care, and good luck!” He gave a small wave and disappeared back under the waters. *********************************************************************** A half hour later, Spike and Twilight came across the canyon before the ancient castle. To the pair's collective shock, there was a massive wall of roaring winds that cut straight down the canyon. The small wooden bridge, the only way across, had somehow survived the terrible onslaught of gale force winds. “Twilight,” Spiked spoke in Twilight's ear, “There's no way we can cross that, we'll be blown off!” Twilight thought for a moment, the only spell she had that could help them across was here teleportation spell, but she was afraid of where she might end up because she could not see the other side. As she sat, pondering on her new predicament, thunder rang out once more when lightning struck near the bridge. To both Twilight and Spike's amazement, a small gap in the winds opened around the bridge, just big enough for a pony to fit through. “N-n-n-nightmare Moon?” Stammered Spike, still transfixed on the opening. “She wants us to come...” Twilight said in a low voice. “Spike, if you want to stay here, I won't think less of you.” Spike looked up at Twilight, then back to the bridge. He puffed out his chest, “No way Twilight, I'm with you to the end!” Twilight smiled a bit, then motioned for Spike to hop back on to her back. She walked along the bridge slowly in order to make sure she didn't place a hoof through one of the holes where a rotted board had fallen out years ago. She looked around at the magical wall blocking the wind from the bridge, it even stopped the rain form getting in. Tree branches swirled around the bridge, caught in a vortex made by the disruption in the air. It was completely silent. When the pair finally reached the other side, they were shocked to find that there was no storm and the clear night sky was overhead. The full moon was centered right above the highest tower of the ancient castle and strange lights were flashing in it's windows. “That's where she is, Spike.” Twilight motioned to the tower, “This is your last chance.” The dragon's body was shaking uncontrollably, “I-i-i-i-i-i-i-i'm n-n-n-n-n-n-n-not, l-l-l-l-l-leaving y-y-y-y-y-y-you.” Twilight gave her assistant a stern look, but he remained clamped around her neck. With a sigh, She took off full gallop towards the tower. The air around them was charged, like static electricity, crackling with every movement. There was no wind, no sound at all other than the steady sound of hooves on moss covered stone, deep breathing and the occasional chattering of dragon teeth. The door at the base of the tower and long since rotted away, leaving the stairway open to all who dare to enter this place. The pair charged up the long, spiral staircase, up and up and up to the very top. Sounds of crackling and electricity could be heard, louder and louder as they dashed up the stair case. Nothing could stop Twilight from saving her friends now. Finally, once they reached the top, a pair of strong, iron doors blocked their way. Twilight looked at Spike on her back, he was still shaking, but he returned the look, signaling he was ready. Twilight used her magic to throw open the door. She was not prepared for what she saw. In the large stone room was a single, golden chair near the back wall and the remains of a carpet, long since rotted away, leading to the chair form the door. Floating above the room was a gigantic ball of what seemed to be electricity, arking in every direction. Inside this giant ball of light were Twilight's friends: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, all appeared to be unconscious. “Hmhmhmhmhm...” a soft laugh came from near the chair, “Beautiful, isn’t it?, I used this same spell to brainwash some of the guards 1,000 years ago.” The faint outline that was Nightmare Moon slowly walked toward Twilight, her light blue armored hooves clacking on the stone floor. “Let my friends go!” Twilight shouted. Nightmare Moon laughed, “And just what are you going to do if I don't?” As she moved closer, her outline became more and more filed in, albeit still translucent. “I'll... I'll...” Twilight grasped at straws in her mind. Once again, she lowered her head and charged at Moon, only managing to pass right through her. Unable to stop herself, she crashed into the golden chair. Spike was sent flying off of her back, smashed into the wall and fell behind the chair. Nightmare laughed again, “Tell me, do you have anymore bright ideas in that head of yours?” Moon's horn began to glow and she appeared right next to the dazed Twilight. “Where are your beloved Element of Harmony now?” Nightmare Moon cackled gleefully as a vortex picked up around Twilight, she felt a heavy weight around her legs and neck as she was lifted up into the air, struggling. “Struggle all you want, you'll never break these chains. You'll be my servant just like the others. The Elements will be MINE!” Twilight struggled with all her might against the magical chains, to no avail. “Let. Her. Go!” A voice rang out form behind Nightmare. Before she could turn to see, Spike jumped out form behind the throne and latched onto Moon's chest plate. Nightmare was helpless to do anything and the tiny dragon thrashed about wildly, trying to hit anything he could, only to have his claws and feel connect only with air. “Enough!” Nightmare shouted. A wave of dark magic threw Spike across the room, toward the door. “Spike!” Twilight cried, she knew he'd never survived if he fell down the center of the staircase. “No!” For Spike, time slowed to a crawl, “Heh, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.” he though, still speeding toward the door. “I'm sorry, Twilight.” Just as he was prepared to meet his maker, he felt a pair of legs wrap around him, he looked up expecting to see a dragon angle. “Am... I...” He said slowly. He saw a dark blue pony had caught him just before he had made his trip down the tower. “Pri-Princess!?” Princess Luna had caught the young dragon and saved him form his terrible fate. Her face was dirty, her forelegs were covered with dried blood. Her ankles were bused and swollen. She flapped her wings a few times and landed on the ground where she set Spike down. She stared at Nightmare, sheer determination in here eyes. “So, you escaped again young Princess!” Nightmare Moon yelled, “You're too late, I have what I want!” Princess Luna said nothing, She lowered her head and used her wings and legs to charge forward at Moon, stopping right in between her and Twilight. “Impudent child!” cried Nightmare. Luna quickly lunged at Nightmare, aiming her hoof and her helmet. She managed to knock it off of the translucent witch. “No! What have you done!?” Nightmare streaked and her head faded away, along with her magic. The chains disappeared from Twilight's neck and legs and she fell to the floor. Luna rushed over to help her to her feet. “Princess! You're alright!?” Twilight said in shock, then she remembered, “Spike! Where's Spike!?” She looked around and spotted him by the door. Twilight rushed over to the small dragon and warped her forelegs around him, “Spike, I was so worried.” she had tears in her eyes. “Luna rushed over to the pair, “We need to go.” she said flatly. Twilight looked up at the princess, “But, my friends, we need to save them!” Luna looked down at Twilight, “Twilight, she wants the Elements. If she gets them, who knows what she will be able to do.” Twilight looked up at her friends floating in the air, “But, you're Princess Celestia's sister, with our magic we can free them!” She stood up and look the princess in the eyes. “I-I...” Luna looked away. Nightmare Moon had manged to regain her headpiece, “She can't help you.” She said slyly, “She has no magic, not anymore.” Moon laughed again. Twilight's eyes widened, “You mean-” “We have to leave, now!” Luna yelled at Twilight and then she pushed her out on to the staircase, “We can't fight her, not now.” Twilight shook her head, dumbfounded. “Get back here you foals!” Cried Nightmare. A whirlwind picked up around the three. Horror spread across Luna's face at the prospect of being chained up again,“Twilight!” she cried, desperate to snap Twilight out of her trance. Involuntarily, Twilight's horn began to glow. The three of them disappeared with a blinding flash of light. Nightmare scoffed, “Pathetic foals...” She was ready to chase them herself, but inspiration struck. She looked up at the unconscious ponies above her. A wry smile spread across her face.

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-04-20T13:17:20+00:00

2012-04-20T13:17:20+00:00

SUNSIDE Rainbow Dash watched, bewildered, as the stallion with the hourglass mark practically danced across the library. His brown mane hung over his head, bobbing with each step he took, of which there were many. Everything about him seemed to be at a quicker pace than the world around him, as if his heart beat twice as fast, or perhaps twice as hard. It was the day after Twilight had taken the other ponies down to the lake to explain the truth. In the mean time, Applejack, who seemed to have taken over as the leader of the group and representative of their Twilight, had permitted the other Twilight access to the lab in the library's basement, on the off chance that something there would help them discover a way to cross over or retrieve Twilight. Fluttershy had gone into the Everfree forest to talk to Zecora, since it appeared the zebra knew more than she let on. While it seemed Zecora knew about the existence of the 'moonland', as she had chosen to call it, she refused to offer any advice on crossing over, and attempted to discourage the ponies from any attempts to do so. "Remember what happened the last time," she said, and the image of the twin graves again passed through Fluttershy's mind. So far, all of their efforts had been fruitless. Rainbow hoped that the Doctor would change that. Pinkie Pie had managed to contact the Doctor by a means Rainbow Dash didn't know, and Pinkie refused to explain. "It's complicated," said Pinkie Pie when Rainbow Dash had attempted to press the issue. "You can't just walk up to his home and knock; it doesn't work that way." Eventually, Rainbow relented and allowed Pinkie to do whatever she needed to do to reach him. Fortunately, it seemed he wasn't busy, as he showed up unexpectedly in Ponyville the very next day, albeit with no luggage and no form of transportation. Now, Rainbow Dash stood in the corner of the library with the others, listening to their newest guest. The way he talked was by the far the most interesting part of him, Rainbow Dash decided. He spewed out details almost as fast as anypony around him could process them, following one train of thought before jumping onto the next. The rhythm of his speech was inconsistent, passing quickly over the minor details but becoming slow and heavy for anything the Doctor wanted to put emphasis on. "Let's see what we're working with," the Doctor said to himself. "A library inside a tree. Interesting, a library tree. A tree of knowledge. Bit on the unfortunate implications, don't you think? Also, very flammable. Not a good dragon home. You might want to do something about that." He paused, inhaling deeply. "Oh, but you have! An interesting odor, the smell of magic but no resin. A stasis charm, probably, put on the whole tree. Makes it fireproof. Rot-proof, too. Well done, Twilight, was it?" He held out a hoof to the equally bewildered Twilight. "I'm the Doctor. Just the Doctor." Twilight took the hoof and shook it. "Twilight Sparkle. Can you really tell that just by smelling?" The Doctor paused, in thought. "No, not really, not with certainty. Hold that thought for a moment." He cantered over to the wall and gave it a solid lick with his tongue. "Definitely a stasis charm," he concluded. Twilight stared at him incredulously. "You know an awful lot about magic for an earth pony," she said. The Doctor froze, and then he approached her slowly, his eyes slanting. "Whoever said I was an earth pony?" he asked. Twilight didn't know how to respond, but an instant later the expression was dropped and the upbeat attitude returned. "Right. So, like I said, I'm the Doctor. Official consultant to the princess herself for all matters relating to physics, temporal mechanics, and butterscotch." He removed a wallet from a satchel on his side and opened it, revealing an official looking license, his name and picture displayed prominently at the top. Twilight reached to get a closer look at it, but the Doctor quickly tucked it away again. "Stay close, follow my orders, don't wander off," he added. "That last one's important; you wouldn't believe how frequently ponies forget that don't wander off part." Applejack looked at Pinkie Pie wearily. "What did you say ya did to make this fella owe you a favor?" she asked. Pinkie Pie giggled and vibrated slightly where she stood. "It has to do with the the story of how Equestria was made," she answered. Applejack stared uncertainly. "Come on," interjected Rainbow Dash. "She's just being Pinkie Pie. The point is, we have this mad pony on our side, so we might as well use him." "Right. This mad stallion is yours," exclaimed the Doctor, drawing an embarrassed blush from Rainbow Dash. "Because I always repay my debts. It takes a while, sometimes, but I get around to it. Usually on a Tuesday; those are easy. Not a Thursday, though. I never did like Thursdays. So," and he turned to face Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle, mare of the hour. Guest, inquirer, clientèle. How can I help you?" He paused, confused by his own statement. "That's a bit generic to say. 'How can I help you?' Makes me feel like a greeter at a convenience store. I'm not used to being wanted in the situation. Sometimes, but usually it's the other ponies wandering off, followed by an awful lot of running. And most of the time somepony has to die first, making this a refreshing change of pace. But yes, questions. Ask them." Twilight peered at the Doctor, not sure if he was in his right mind. "I was wondering," she said, "hypothetically, I mean, about the existence of other worlds." "Other worlds?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow uncomprehendingly. "Other realities," explained Twilight. "A multiverse, with worlds like ours, ponies like us, but different. And whether or not it would be possible to travel between them." The Doctor frowned, suspicion clouding his features. "Hypothetically," he repeated, scrutinizing Twilight with his gaze. "Yes," said Twilight, breaking into the widest grin she could manage. "Completely theoretical." The pair stared intently at each other, and the Doctor, seeing the ambition and intent in Twilight's eyes, stepped back. He knew he couldn't handle the situation lightly. "No," he said firmly. "I'm sorry. I can't help you." "But you know, don't you?" asked Applejack, forcing her way into the conversation. The Doctor turned, irritated at the intrusion. "This isn't anything to do with you," he said, growing flustered. Applejack trotted over to him, pushing Twilight aside. "Like hay it doesn't," she shouted, leaning in toward the Doctor, forcing him to take a step back. "One of my friends may be in critical condition, and I'm not going to just leave her. You're the Doctor, right? Then do what Doctors do. Help her." "Yeah!" added Rainbow Dash. "You owe Pinkie Pie anyway." "This isn't a simple request," begged the Doctor. "The gravity of what you're asking..." Pinkie Pie, who had been listening to the spectacle with a worried look, spoke up. "Alrighty then. Tell us your name," she told the Doctor. The Doctor froze, his eyes moving slowly until they were looking at Pinkie Pie. "What?" he said quietly. "You heard me," said Pinkie, knowing her plan would work. "If you'd rather pay me back in some other way." Pinkie Pie smiled devilishly at the Doctor, who was staring at the ground, swallowing and trying to stay afloat in the sea of mounting anxiety. Fluttershy, who had spent the encounter trying to stay as far away from the Doctor as possible, now moved behind Applejack, as if the sturdy earth pony offered additional protection against whatever theoretical danger Fluttershy had concocted. Twilight, also anxious, awaited the Doctor's next reply. The Doctor's head swung up, and he clapped his front hooves together. "Right then, parallel worlds. Neighcola Tesla theorized that there were many other dimensions; they were just too small to see. Of course, he later claimed to have misplaced one of them in his trouser pocket, so Celestia knows if he wasn't just off-canter." "You mean they really exist?" asked Twilight, attempting to feign ignorance and failing horribly. She was surprised the Doctor had changed his mind so quickly, and she decided that later she would have to ask Pinkie Pie what just happened. The Doctor frowned, giving Twilight a sinister glare. "Don't play games with me, Twilight Sparkle," he warned. "I don't believe for a moment that this is all just theory. You have every intention of finding a way across worlds, and I see now that if I just walk away, you're going to do something reckless, that for all we know will lead to a vortex destroying Equestria." Twilight had never considered that to be a possible outcome. "A vortex?" she asked fearfully. The Doctor ignored her. "So yes, it's possible to cross. Yes, I will help you find a way. But I need to know everything." Twilight sighed, relieved, and didn't notice Fluttershy escaping through the front door. Fluttershy didn't breathe until she was far away from the library. Everything that was happening was too confusing and strange. Fluttershy had never been able to handle changes well, and now that Twilight was no longer in desperate need of sympathy, Fluttershy was slightly scared of her. The Doctor certainly hadn't helped to calm her at all. She needed something more familiar to calm her nerves. Out of breath, Fluttershy sat down on a bench and panted. She was near Sugar Cube Corner, and she realized she had come quite a ways. She would return, when she was good and ready. In the sky above her, Ditzy Doo, the local mailpony, circled aimlessly in her route. Fluttershy, feeling a bit lonely, called out to the other pegasus. Ditzy circled around Fluttershy a couple of times before coming to an unsteady landing, true to her name. Fluttershy peered at Ditzy timidly but with a smile, thankful for something normal. As if anypony would call Ditzy normal, Fluttershy realized, but that was part of the pony's charm. She had a frightening appearance, as her eyes weren't always looking in the same direction. Ditzy had once admitted to Fluttershy that she couldn't always see clearly through her right eye, and that was one of the reasons she was such a poor flier. Fluttershy had wondered before what it would be like to see through Ditzy's eyes, but she never said anything, afraid she might offend. Yet, despite the disability, Ditzy never let it affect her relationships with others. She was always kind and friendly,even if what she said didn't always make sense. "H-hello," said Ditzy slowly as she forced the word out. "You w-well?" That was the other thing about Ditzy. She had trouble recalling words, and even more trouble saying them. As a result, she didn't often speak in complete sentences, not when a single word would do. "Yes, Ditzy," said Fluttershy, in the kind soothing voice one might use to address a loved one. "I'm doing very well. Thank you." Ditzy frowned at Fluttershy, sneering a bit. "N-not foal," she said, pained. Fluttershy's jaw opened, but no sound came out. She berated herself silently. She should have known better. "Right. I'm sorry," she said. "You're not a foal. I won't treat you like one." Ditzy nodded. "Not foal, not Derpy." She looked almost angry, a sight that looked silly when combined with her damaged eye. Ditzy's appearance always seemed precious to Fluttershy. Her mane shone in the bright morning light like a bale a hay, and while her coat was a dull gray, it always gave Fluttershy the impression that it was merely dirty, ashen, and that if she cleaned it hard enough, the beauty underneath would shine through. "Listen, Ditzy," said Fluttershy, "Can we talk? I mean, if you're not doing something else. I need somepony to be with right now." The gray pegasus shook her head, and her right eye suddenly swung over to the side, chilling Fluttershy. Ditzy seemed somewhat on edge. "Can't. W-work." She pointed to the satchel, filled with mail. "Well then," muttered Fluttershy. "I'll let you get to it. Say hello to Dinky for me. She's such a gem." Ditzy beamed, and then she suddenly frowned. Fluttershy feared she had said something wrong. "Letters," Ditzy said at last. Fluttershy feared her friend had finally lost the last of her marbles. Instead, Ditzy reached into the satchel and removed an envelope, offering it to Fluttershy. She took it. "See ya," said Ditzy. Then she took to the air, slowly, and was gone. Fluttershy looked at the envelope in her mouth. The word 'Fluttershy' was written in purple ink on front. There was no sender written, but in the corner was a familiar symbol, a black spiral in the shape of the sun. Fluttershy opened the envelope and removed its contents, which, much to her surprise, contained a second envelope in addition to a single page. She read the page first: My dearest Fluttershy, I hope this message finds you well. I have a favor I must ask, and no one can you tell. You spoke to me the day before to ask about the place A world like ours without the brightest star in outer space. I tell you now in confidence the story is quite true. Which brings me back to favors that I must now ask of you. Should you ever find a way to cross (you will, I have no doubt.) The pony whose name is written here, I ask you to seek out. When you do, I only ask you deliver this letter. Perhaps the two of us can make these worlds a little better. Indeed, there was a name written on the second envelope. Fluttershy read the note again, in case she had missed something. The 'no one can you tell' line unsettled her. What was so important about the letter that she wasn't allowed to tell anypony about it? She was tempted for a moment to open the second envelope and read its contents, as they probably contained answers, but that would be breaking Zecora's trust. Pinkie Pie had warned her about what could happen if she broke another pony's trust, and that was still true, even if Zecora wasn't technically a pony. Instead, Fluttershy put everything back in the larger envelope and started to make her way home. She needed to drop off the letter before she returned to the others; they would become suspicious if she came back to them with it. "Your plan is ingenious, Twilight. Projecting a cross force in quaternion space? It's brilliant. It just has one small problem." "What's that?" "It's impossible." Applejack tried her best to tune out the conversation between Twilight and the Doctor. She wasn't a stupid pony by any measure, but she knew she was over her head. They were using terms Applejack had never heard of before, and it was beginning to make her head hurt. She returned to the game of poker she had been playing with Rarity. This was where she could prove her smarts. Rarity revealed her hand. "A full house," she announced proudly. Applejack stared are her, dumbfounded. "And you're sure ya never played this game before," she asked. Rarity shook her head. "My first time, I promise. Why, what do you have?" Applejack attempted to elegantly lower the cards onto the table, but as she was only able to hold them in one hoof, they quickly fell out of her grasp. By reflex she attempted to catch them with her other hoof, but it quickly caught against the sling and the movement made her cry out. Rarity levitated the cards and returned them to the table face up. "A pair of threes," she said slowly. "And are you certain that you are all right?" Applejack pouted; she hated being pitied. "I'm fine," she insisted. "How did that happen, anyway?" asked Rarity casually as she began shuffling the deck. Applejack gestured over to Twilight frustratingly with her free hoof. "She happened," she muttered angrily. Rarity lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "Twilight did this to you?" she asked, concerned. "Did she attack you?" "Nah. I guess you could call it self-defense, though." Rarity dropped the deck as her magic faltered, and she leaned in toward Applejack. "You attacked Twilight?" she hissed. "I can't believe you!" "She ain't Twilight!" cried Applejack, defending herself. "Am I the only pony who sees that? 'Sides, you weren't there. You don't know what happened. She was going apple-brained. If I hadn't calmed her down, the whole town would have been destroyed in her fury." "Except you failed," interjected Rainbow Dash. She had been occupying the time by playing "I spy" with Pinkie Pie. "My turn!" the pink mare shouted excitedly. "I spy something rainbow-colored." Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "It's me, isn't it? Nothing else in this room is rainbow." Pinkie Pie gasped in surprise. "Fine then, Dashie. I've got a harder one. I spy something wearing a hat." Rainbow buried her forehead in her front hoof. In the middle of the room, Twilight had laid out a diagram on the floor. "No, look," she insisted to the Doctor. "It works. I've used it before. It works fine." "But only on small, inanimate objects, right?" Twilight looked at the Doctor, confused. "How did you know? It's because I don't have enough, power, right?" "No, your power level is fine," said the Doctor. Then he froze. "Out of curiosity, how much power were you using?" "For something Pony-size? Ninety-five thousand watts for a fifth of a second." The Doctor did the math in his head. "Assuming 250 kilograms for our pony, that's 19,000 joules. "Is that not enough?" asked Twilight, uncertain where the Doctor was trying to go with this. The Doctor groaned. "It's more than enough, Twilight. A lot more. Let me start over. You think you can't travel between worlds. Truth of it is, you never stop. Every particle collision sends you veering off into quaternion space. Only problem with dimensional travel is there's a wall between them that pushes you back in the opposite direction. Back and forth, like a tiny multidimensional pendulum. Only not at all like a pendulum and more like a spring. Does anypony have a spring?" Nopony had a spring. "Ah, well," sighed the Doctor. "Worth a shot. That point I'm trying to make, Twilight, is this." He galloped into the kitchen and returned with a plate. "The boundry between universes is strong and tough, like the walls of your home. A pony is soft and fragile and blunt, like this plate. What you're doing is trying to pierce the wall by driving the pony through it with enough force. But it doesn't matter how much force you use, because it's never going to be enough. The end result is always the same." The Doctor threw the plate like a discus, and it sailed into the wall and shattered. Twilight became incredibly pale. "You can send other things through because they're not fleshy like a pony, and because you probably enchanted them, hardened them first. But you can't harden a pony without killing her, so the most you can do is a sort of magic shell, which still won't soften the blow. You could send a whole army through with the amount of power you're using. But they'd all end up in pieces on the other side. Hence, as I said before, it's impossible." "I have an idea," suggested Applejack, who had started paying attention after the plate had shattered. "You used a memory exchanging charm to get over here yourself. Couldn't you use the same thing to get us back?" "And put us where?" asked Rarity. "Our doubles? Twilight admitted she's never met us before." "How about the first six Ponyvillians we come across?" said Rainbow Dash jokingly. Rarity failed to find the humor, and she stood aghast. "Absolutely not!" she screamed. "Am I the only pony here with morals?" "Besides, then we'd have six strange ponies running around in our bodies," added Pinkie Pie. "Actually, we can avoid that part," Twilight corrected. "It's theoretically possible to make the transfer spell one way. We'd be both here and there. The original owners of the bodies would just sort of disappear." Rarity's jaw hung a good foot below her face. Pinkie Pie's literally hit the floor. "And that would be wrong," added Twilight quickly. "There is another way," said Doctor, desperate to move the conversation in a direction away from body snatching. All of the other ponies turned to look at him. "If increasing the force won't help us, we can instead weaken the boundry between worlds." "That's what I've been trying to do," complained Twilight. "I've mapped out the strength of the wall, and it's thinner in the Everfree Forest than anywhere else. That's why I sent the other Twilight there to perform the transfer. I even made your Zecora move there to help facilitate the experiments on the other end." "Zecora helped you kidnap Twilight?" asked Rainbow Dash, horrified. "No. Your Zecora stopped helping me after..." Twilight trailed off, again trapped in the memory of the exploding pegasus. It was worse now, because Twilight knew it was her fault for not stopping to think about what she was doing. She had never considered that it was the journey itself that had caused the accident, rather than getting stuck halfway. "I mean weaken the boundary artificially," said the Doctor trying to keep the conversation going. "Like a rock through a window," Twilight said softly. "Exactly! Like a rock through a window!" The Doctor pumped a hoof triumphantly, then turned to Twilight mystified. "I have no idea what that means." "Yesterday, I said that the barrier between worlds was like a pond." Twilight smiled as she spoke, a glimmer of newfound hope in her eyes. "Magic passes through it really easily. But it's only a pond for magic or energy, and it becomes a wall when you try to send matter through. But remember what happened to the rock I used in the example? It sunk. It passed through. No, better than a rock, a book." She levitated a book off of one of the shelves and opened it, tearing out two pages. Rarity gasped, and Twilight shifted her eyes toward her, concerned. "What?" Twilight said. "The book's already in terrible condition. It looks ancient. Really, how valuable can a book like that be?" Rainbow Dash facehoofed for a second time. "Now watch," said Twilight, making sure she had everypony's attention. She placed one of the pages on top of the book, the other page hovering beside it. Then she dispelled the levitation. While the book and its accompanying page dropped to the floor quickly, the lone page fluttered slowly to the ground. "It's a nice little science experiment," said Applejack. "But would you mind tellin' us what it means?" Twilight grunted, irritated that the other ponies couldn't grasp at the metaphors she was trying to make. "The page fell quickly because it had no air resistance. It moved faster than normal because of the book. Alternatively, think about if I had tied a message to the rock before I threw it? The point is, instead of using magic to try and push us through, we can ride behind it, like a vehicle. I said that using magic causes ripples, distortions in reality that make our worlds different. If we can make a ripple intentionally, big enough and precisely calculated, we can make it break down the wall for us, and we slip through in its wake." The Doctor nodded, in thought. "That's the principle, yes. But you need to be careful when you're messing with the fabric of reality. If you let things get out of hand, boom!" and he threw his hooves upward, miming an explosion. "Vortex." "What exactly is a vortex?" asked Rainbow Dash. The Doctor hummed and waved his hooves around sporadically as he tried to come up with an answer. "It's kind of like a black hole," he said at last. Rainbow looked at the Doctor blankly. "A black hole?" said Pinkie Pie, excited. "Mrs. Cake said I have one of those for a stomach." Applejack rolled her eyes. "Here's an idea," she suggested. "Let's not have to find out what one of those vortex-majiggers is." Twilight nodded. "Agreed. But how do you carefully create an explosion?" Rainbow smiled and rubbed her front hooves together. "This ought to be good," she muttered excitedly, a lifelong fan of blowing things up.

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-04-21T02:57:38+00:00

2012-04-21T02:57:38+00:00

MOONSIDE After a day of helping Inkalina uproot potatoes and pick pumpkins, Twilight prepared to leave the farm for Ponyville proper. It was the next morning, or at least Twilight assumed so, for she had fallen asleep, dreamed of a life that wasn't hers, and then woken up again. The light hovering in the sky above Ponyville had descended for some time, but had now risen again. She packed what precious few belongings she had, her spare bandages rattling around in what was otherwise an almost empty saddlebag. In exchange for her work on the farm, the family gave Twilight a small assortment of fruits and vegetables. Twilight felt guilty taking it, since the farmers all seemed to barely get enough to eat themselves, but Rarity insisted. There was something odd about the way the other ponies listened to Rarity, like she was running the show. Twilight wanted to ask for an explanation, but by the time she would find a good opportunity, she would forget. Still, it was hard to miss the other ponies being incredibly careful around her. The only other pony they treated with this much respect was Big Macintosh, whom Twilight had unfortunately only managed to get a couple of glimpses of throughout the day. Twilight wanted to learn more about the new extended family at Sweet Apple Acres. She wanted to stay and do everything in her power to help. However, the drive for information was stronger. For all Twilight knew, Equestria's very history had changed, making half of everything she knew worthless. The past would have to be rediscovered, and the library was the perfect place to do it. Twilight doubted there would be any distractions or interruptions once she got there. At the front gate, a small gathering of ponies were waiting for Twilight. Rarity was in the front and center, and Twilight thought she had a impressive commanding presence under the wide-brimmed hat. Pinkamina flanked her on one side with Big Macintosh on the other. A gray stallion Twilight didn't recognize seemed to tower over Pinkamena, and Twilight assumed he was her husband. Like Rarity, he also looked intimidating, but he filled Twilight with nervousness instead the feeling of security she got from Rarity. Pumpkin was circling around the four grown ponies, never staying on the ground for more than half a second. Big Macintosh stepped forward to address Twilight. "You're leaving," he said, more a statement of fact than a request for confirmation. Pumpkin stopped jumping and looked up at Twilight with pleading eyes. "What?" she cried. "You can't go. You're too cool." Twilight nodded. "I need to figure some things out, and I can't stay here to do it. I hope you understand." "We do," Rarity said sympathetically. "We won't ask you to stay. Just know that you're welcome here." Her cheeks flushed a little, embarrassed. "I mean, you really were a big help, with that spell and all." Twilight had modified the gem-detecting spell the other Rarity had taught her to predict which potatoes were ready to be uprooted. Along with her telekinesis, she and Inkalina had managed to more than triple the work they had accomplished. "Promise you'll come back," wailed Pumpkin. Her father glared, silently telling her to stop talking and sit still. Pinkamena seemed to have lost her voice, as she did and said nothing. "Okay," agreed Twilight. "I'll come back. It's not like there's anyplace else I can go." The statement was a lie, and Twilight knew it. She had trouble sleeping the night before; the farm felt like a prison she had emerged from after twenty years, to discover that the world had continued after she had left it, evolving into something strange and new. Another night in the same bed would be unbearable. "Good," announced Pumpkin. "Come back in time for the wedding!" A wedding? This was news to Twilight. She looked at each of the ponies in turn, at their dreary, defeated faces, and tried to wonder what a wedding would look like. Only Rarity and Pumpkin had any energy, any fires in their hearts. They would be the only ones dancing. The others would move slowly, trying to create an illusion of livelihood that would fool nopony. Cheap mono-colored lanterns would be at the tables, as it was either the atmosphere or the food. Twilight prayed no wedding would look like that, and she hoped these ponies would prove her wrong and light up the sunless sky with the most memorable party this side of Nightmare Moon's victory. After all, they had Pinkie Pie to help them. And part of Twilight dared to believe that even the new Rarity wouldn't stand for gaudy decorations. "A wedding, huh?" Twilight asked Rarity. Pumpkin interrupted. "Yup! With cake and banners and tents on the lawn and everything!" she shouted, removing any doubt of her parentage. "We've been over this, Pumpkin," addressed Rarity, frowning. "We can't afford those. Or even find them, in all likelihood. It will be a simple gathering among family. And you, Twilight, if you like." Twilight expected this. "Why don't you make the decorations?" she suggested. "You and Pinkie Pie? I think you'd both do an amazing job." "But," began Rarity, "I don't think..." "Trust me on this one," asserted Twilight. "I think the two of you would do an amazing job." The conversation didn't last for much longer. The farm was waking up around them, and Twilight saw the other ponies begin to leave their homes and head into the field to begin work. She didn't want to keep Rarity and Big Macintosh and the rest from doing the job that fed them, but also, secretly, she didn't want to see the looks on any more ponies' faces if they found out she was leaving. She didn't know if they would be upset that a pony that had to potential to save them from starvation was selfishly running away, or glad that the ill omen, the foal killer, was going to leave them alone. Twilight felt that either possibility would devastate her. The only way to stop her from breaking down was to leave the question unanswered, so she hurriedly said her goodbyes and left, walking down the dirt path toward the only light in the sky. Traveling into town should not have taken long. Twilight could usually clear the distance in fifteen minutes, even if she walked at a slow gait. Now the journey took her thirty. It seemed that for every three steps she took toward Ponyville, she took one step back. No need to rush, she told herself. Ponyville will still be there, waiting for you, when you're good and ready. She finally neared the town, approaching Fluttershy's cottage. Although the house clearly was no longer Fluttershy's, Twilight circled around it, separating herself by almost her entire line of sight on the off-chance that Fluttershy, wings torn, caked in dirt and worse, was somehow inside. Once the cottage was safely behind her, Twilight was able to breathe again. The town looked almost exactly like it should, yet something she couldn't place unsettled her. Just like the lack of trees at the farm, something in the corner of her eye was bothering her, some detail she was unable to find. But her gut knew it was wrong, and no amount of cold logic would settle it. As if cold logic had any value at this point. It had done practically nothing to help her. Twilight navigated the streets of Ponyville, taking the most direct route to the library. As curious as she was to discover the fates of Carousel Boutique and Sugar Cube Corner, she didn't want to risk an encounter with anypony, especially a pony she knew. Fortunately, she was alone. The streets were completely deserted. Twilight shivered again. That was the problem. Nopony was outside. She was used to seeing large crowds of ponies every day, on the way to the market, or perhaps just enjoying each other's company, but it appeared that the residents of the new Ponyville had no time for company. Or maybe there were no residents, and Ponyville had become a ghost town. Twilight pushed the thought aside as the towering branches of the library appeared in the distance. The tree wasn't always a library, Twilight remembered. In Ponyville's early days, it was a prison. She silently prayed that the town hadn't decided to return the tree to its original purpose. However, a picture of an open book adorned the sign outside the front entrance, giving Twilight hope that her journey had not been a waste of time. As an added bonus, Twilight realized, if the ponies of Ponyville had to work so desperately to keep themselves from starving, then it seemed unlikely that any of them would be wasting time at the library to disturb her. The thought was incredibly selfish and only a small consolation. Twilight berated herself for even thinking it. Now she stood frozen, reflecting on her surroundings and herself as the true gravity of the situation sunk in. She had been numb to the horror, not because she doubted it was real, but because the world was so far removed from the Ponyville she knew that the plight of the starving ponies felt like something out of a book she had read or an opera Celestia had taken her to as a filly. As long as the deaths occurred offstage, Twilight wouldn't have much of an emotional response. She had always had little skill relating to others, but even less experience. She had been unable to truly understand, and thus unable to grieve. Now, if she began crying, she didn't think she'd be able to stop. Instead, Twilight forced herself not to think about anything other than her own personal goals. She hesitated at the door. She considered knocking but realized she didn't want to draw attention to herself. The library was a public facility, and she planned to use it as such. She forced open the door, which resisted briefly, and found herself in complete darkness. At first, Twilight could see nothing. Then, as her eyes adjusted, she became able to discern shapes in the blackness. She recognized a rectangular protrusion as a bookshelf and a series of parallel lines as the staircase. In the all-enveloping dark, Twilight finally felt home. She considered shedding some light with her horn, and for a moment the room was bathed in a wavering uncertain glow that was still too dim for seeing. After a second's thought, however, the room plunged back into the shadows, and a mischievous smile spread across Twilight's face. This was her home; she shouldn't need light to get around. Feeling slightly emboldened by her surroundings, she took a step forward and immediately tripped over a book, landing painfully on her face in another book. Lighting suddenly seemed much more preferable, and as her horn lit up again, she found herself at the edge of a mess almost comparable to one she would have made. She supposed that without her, there was no librarian. No librarian meant no green-scaled assistant to pick up. She lifted her head out of the book and closed it. Ecological Evolution: Equestria in an Age of Darkness, the title read, a picture of an aurora adorning the front cover as it bent and rippled across the starry sky. Twilight was shocked by the relevance of the book; it seemed to be precisely what she was looking for. She was also surprised by the book's wear. It couldn't be more than a year or so old, but it was tattered around the edges and remind Twilight of books that had been around for decades. She was so elated, however, that she didn't stop to consider what it was doing on the floor, instead opening the book to the first couple of pages. Equestria's socialized weather management system, founded in 128 C.E. (Celestia's Era), was the first attempt by a sentient race to use magic to control the weather. It was based on older research done by well-known Equestrian polymath Neighcola Tesla, who theorized that an ecosystem, once tamed, would become significantly easier to maintain. Crop failures, by flooding or drought, could be avoided, leading to higher yields for farmers. Cloud cities would no long risk destruction every time a minor storm passed through. The risks of such a practice were well known before its implementation, even in Tesla's time. (His work was discontinued due to the infeasability of safety procedures, and not, as many young fillies and colts are told, due to his sudden vanishing from the face of the planet. This disappearance, while true, happened more than a decade later.) The incredible amount of terraforming required would cripple any naturally occurring biomes, and would require hundreds of years before returns on the project could be generated. However, Celestia's curiously long lifespan and willingness to donate from personal funds in addition to tax dollars brought the project into the realm of reality. To combat the destruction of nature, certain regions were designated "Everfree", and would continue to develop as nature intended, without the guiding hand of the monarchy. The weather management system had one other risk. Should, at any time, the abilities of the weather ponies to perform their job become significantly impaired, and the carefully planned procedures cease, the ecosystem would become extremely unstable. Unable to protect itself from sudden changes, small fluctuations would sweep across the country, compounding like a snowball, causing no end of natural disasters. It is this exact scenario with which Equestria now finds itself. However, rather than admit defeat, the scientific community of Equestria decided to fight back with their most powerful weapon: knowledge. This new wilderness had overtaken the world, but it was not untameable, because of one simple truth: Everywhere in nature hide patterns. New nature meant new patterns, but this is the only difference. The discovery of these new patterns is what would lead to Equestria's salvation. In the following pages we have compiled over two dozen studies performed by Equestrian scientists in the year and a half, the ten months since the sun disappeared from the sky. Each study is examined closely and in turn, its conclusions analyzed and its implications considered. The chapters divide the studies by scientific field, in increasing scope, beginning with the individual organisms found in nature, traversing through habitats and ecosystems, and ending with astronomy and the possibility that our beloved sun's disappearance is not a complete or as permanent as we may have at first believed. Twilight lost track of how long she had been reading. The sky never really grew darker or lighter. She picked up the book and added it to her saddle-bag. It was everything she was looking for, almost. She still wanted to figure out what had happened on that day, two years ago, when Nightmare Moon's thousand year prison sentence ended, if anypony knew. Twilight tried to remember the dream she had of that day. It had ended abruptly, before Nightmare Moon took the stage, and the second part, if it was buried somewhere in her subconscious, had yet to show itself. But Twilight remembered Rarity was there. So was Applejack. If she ran into one of them on the farm, she would have to remember to ask. She would look like an idiot, but it would help her get her bearings. In the mean time, she looked around the nest of books that filled the floor. Somepony had been here before her, perhaps many ponies, and if she never found out who they were, she at least wanted to figure out what they had been after, and get a bit of cleaning done in the process. Some of the books she recognized. Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide and Predictions and Prophecies were both among the first books she picked up. Twilight rationalized that whoever was here must have been just as interested in the legend of the Mare in the Moon as she was. Other books covered a variety of topics, such as a book on the history of the Equestrian royal family, and one on protecting oneself against dark magic. As she finished cleaning, Twilight noticed the door to the basement. In her memories, when she had moved in, the basement was mostly empty space, perhaps for storage, and she had converted it into her lab. Now she wondered what had happened to it. She pulled open the door and slunk through, following the staircase down into the earth. Here the familiarity began to fade. Were she still at home, Twilight would have followed the wires that hung from the ceiling as she made her descent. At the bottom, she would round the corner into her lab, lit by electric lights in the ceiling, which, while expensive, were brighter than fireflies and less likely to accidentally damage her delicate instruments than an oil lanterns. While the stairs had the same shape, and ended with the same bend, there were no wires on the ceiling. When she finally rounded the corner, no lights hung from the ceiling. The large room before her was not her lab. Twilight did not immediately realize the room's purpose. A plush chair at the far end of the room was raised by a table, towering above anything else. A smaller wooden chair was at its side. Half a dozen seats formed a ring around the pedestal, for Twilight couldn't think of a better word to describe it. In the back, an assortment of mismatched benches and pews were filed in rows, some made of splintering wood, others made of red cloth. An image of the sun, its rays stretching out, filled the corners of one wall. The wall opposite, instead of one large picture, was a mural. Dozens of images ran together, scenes of a pegasus pony flying, fighting, and striking a number of poses that seemed to serve no practical purpose but looked impressive. In many of the picture she wore the golden armor of the royal guard. Whoever had painted it had put a lot of care and effort into both the design and the execution. The fringes showed the mare as a young filly, and she aged as Twilight's eyes approached the large piece at the center, a close-up of the mare, her wings spread behind the copies of her, forming a backdrop. Twilight swore she could make out each hair in the mare's pale white coat, and the brilliance of the mare's mane was painted in a brighter color than the sun she glared at so fiercely, and perhaps the coloring choice was intentional. This mare did seem to outshine even the sun. Twilight took a step back to take in the entire painting at once. The mare was indeed glaring; for a moment Twilight thought she had simply imagined that detail. The look was fierce, but not necessarily malevolent. Those who had done nothing wrong had nothing to fear. It was just. That was the best way to describe her. She was justice. As soon as Twilight made this observation, she realized where she was. Her lab had become a courtroom. The pedestal-chair was where the judge sat. The scene was thrown together with whatever parts looked even half-decent, but that somehow made the overall effect even more chilling, as if it were built by a frenzied madpony. Twilight stepped away from the mural to clear her head, and as she did she saw movement near the entrance from the corner of her eye. She turned in time to see a pale violet earth pony charge forward, driving his head into her shoulder. Fire arced across her body from the point of impact, and Twilight staggered. Her vision unfocused, she tried to back away from her attacker and prepared her counterattack. A purple lance began to materialize above her head, a rapidly solidifying mist. She had never used the spell in actual combat before, and she hoped now that the threat would pacify her opponent. Before the lance was even finished taking form, the stallion raised a forehoof and brought it crashing down on Twilight's horn. Twilight screamed, not expecting the new pain. She felt like her horn had been driven into her skull. The lance vanished, and her legs gave way. She crashed onto the floor, her opponent standing over her triumphantly. Twilight wanted to call for help or beg for mercy, but she was too occupied gritting her teeth from the agony. Her horn had never been treated like that, not intentionally, and Twilight hadn't expected it to hurt nearly as much as it did. The face above her wavered, and then dissolved into mist as Twilight fell into darkness. At first, all Twilight could see was the pegasus from the painting. If she had looked intimidating in the painting, the effect was even more powerful in real life. Every feature demanded attention, from her muscled frame to her outstretched wings to the way her eyes darted back and forth, taking in every fine detail of the cave. She wore the same armor Twilight had always seen her in, and it seemed to flash golden even with no light to shine on it. The mare was in command and knew it. Twilight hardly noticed the flashes of lightning from the outside storm; they were small candles compared to the light from the mare. "Twilight Sparkle." The mare seemed wearied by their encounter, but not at all afraid. "Truth be told, I was dreading the day we would meet again, and I prayed it wouldn't be just the two of us. But I've overcome my fears in the recent months, and I've come to look forward to this. I won't go down quite as easily this time, you know." This was another dream, Twilight knew, and as the impulses filled her head, she played along. "I remember you," remarked Twilight, stupefied. She knew the words she wanted to say, something along the lines of I'm sorry. Instead, she hardened her face and repeated herself. "I remember." "I should hope so," said the mare, almost bored. "Making such threats against another pony's life isn't an experience you just let die. I haven't forgotten you, either. You almost snapped my head right off, or so you claim. I personally question whether you would have gone through with it." "Stone Wall," said Twilight, and the pegasus stirred slightly at the sound of her name. "What are you doing here?" Stone Wall's eyes opened wide, and she stared at Twilight. "You're not a foal, Twilight," she said. "I'm here to reclaim the Element of Magic, obviously. Little good it will do us now, though. Do you know how many known bearers of the Element there are? One. Princess Celestia herself, and only she knows where she's gone to. I'm also here to bring you to justice, but that's second priority. Does that answer your question?" "No. I mean, why haven't you killed me yet?" Twilight gestured to the crossbow strapped to Stone Wall's side. "I've seen those used before. I grew up in Canterlot. And you. Your eyes were good enough to find this cave from above, something I designed to be impossible, unless you found some other way to discover where I was hiding. You had every upper hand, and you didn't use them. You could have taken me out before I even knew you were watching. Why?" Stone Wall grimaced, a combination of mourning and frustration. "This isn't a time for bloodshed," she answered sympathetically. "Too many ponies have died from this; I'm not about to add another body to the count. My goal isn't vengeance, Twilight; it's understanding. I know we used to be enemies, but that seems like ages ago. There is no longer a princess for me to serve or you to oppose. There is only our shared enemy, an enemy to all Equestria." A bolt of lightning struck outside, and the roar of the thunder briefly deafened Twilight. "That storm is because of her, you know. Nightmare Moon. After the Last Sunset, most of the weather ponies scattered. Some to find their loved ones, others to save their own flanks. What remained really wasn't large enough to keep much of anything under control. Please, Twilight Sparkle. I am coming in good faith, and I ask you for help. I believe that the two of us, together, can heal this broken world." Twilight wanted to hear what Stone Wall said next, but the voice was drowned out by a sudden wind. Twilight felt herself rising back up to the surface, and the world around her melted away. Desperate, she finally found the strength to say the words she had been longing to say. "I'm sorry." It wasn't in the original memory; Twilight chose to add it in. She knew that her dreams could not alter the past, but she hoped that, if anything, the words would help her to finally sleep soundly. Twilight's first sensation upon her return to the world of the waking was a rude shake by her captor. Too soon, thought Twilight. She awoke too soon. Just a little bit longer, and she would have had something she could use. Instead, as she looked into the angry eyes of the stallion, she remembered where she had seen him before. "Silver Shield." The stallion's face seemed to be uplifted at the utterance, and Twilight got her first close look at him. While Stone Wall was perpetually in a state of grace, the male guardspony seemed to have taken a fall long ago and never recovered. His pale brown mane was dirty and unruly; his fetlocks were unshorn. His eyes were wild and bloodshot, in constant motion. Twilight had never seen a pony look like this before, but she understood it well enough. Silver Shield had lost his marbles and was out for blood. Twilight began struggling to stand but was unsuccessful. Each motion brought friction to her ankles, and she realized her hooves were tied behind a chair. Looking out, she saw both painted walls and the doorway. From her perspective she realized she was in the chair adjacent to the judge's chair. The chair used for witnesses being questioned. "That's right," said Silver Shield. "I'm so glad you remember me after all this. I missed you." Twilight realized that struggling wouldn't do her any good. Trying to think, she considered using magic to escape. But the ropes were behind her, and using magic on something she couldn't see was like firing a bow into a dark alley; she would be clumsy and imprecise. A second possibility occurred to her. She knew where part of the rope was, the part that was touching her ankles. If she lit it on fire, the flames would burn through the rest of the rope. She couldn't escape without burning herself in the process, but it was the only thing she could think of. Her horn lit up. Silver Shield spun and bucked it as hard as he could. Twilight gasped as her breath left her, and the horn's light winked out. Every muscle in her body locked and then released, and Twilight almost fell out of the chair in the process, the rope keeping her forelegs connected. The strain on her legs was painful, but it worsened when Twilight attempted to lift herself back up. She fell to the floor again, as much as the rope would allow, almost on her knees, and started panting for air until the pain dimmed to a dull throb. She fought the urge to vomit again. She had read before that unicorn horns were sensitive, and her own experiences could confirm this, but she had never considered its potential for abuse. "Can you imagine my surprise to come home and find you waiting for me?" Silver Shield hissed. "It's like my birthday. Best present I could receive." "Your home?" murmured Twilight weakly. "Sure. The library's public property, so it belongs to the government. Which is me. When I came to Ponyville, the mayor graciously set up a little home for me in the back room. A place to sleep, and all the research material I could ever want. I figured out what you did that day, at the Summer Sun Celebration. I know about the Elements of Harmony. The one thing I didn't have, the final missing piece, was you. I made it my mission to find you. And here you are. Do you know why you're here?" When Twilight didn't answer, he kicked her again, this time in the side. "Celestia may be gone, but her kingdom lives on through me. She cannot be here to deliver her punishment, so I must do it for her. Look at me, Twilight. There are still laws, and I am the enforcer. I am Justice. And this is your trial." Each line was uttered without hesitation, as if the speech had been prepared beforehand and rehearsed many times. "The charges: one count of royal theft; grand treason; one, no, now two counts of breaking and entering; witchcraft; and two counts of murder." Twilight's mind froze as it tried to process the last bit. Two counts of murder. That wasn't possible. It couldn't be true. Another kick brought her back to reality. "I am your prosecutor, judge, and jury. You have now heard your charges. Twilight Sparkle, how do you plead?" Twilight realized he was waiting for an answer. With each second he grew more furious, and Twilight feared she would be kicked again. "Not guilty," she whispered. She couldn't have done what he claimed. Theft, she remembered. She had stolen the element of magic. Breaking and entering she had just done, although the library was public property; even Silver Shield had admitted that. But treason? Murder? Twice? Silver Shield seemed irritated at her answer but not surprised. "Well then. I suppose today is the first day of your trial. And the last day you'll ever see the sky."

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-04-21T01:41:02+00:00

2012-04-21T01:41:02+00:00

SUNSIDE Rainbow Dash shivered in the late evening cold. She knew it shouldn't bother her; after all, anypony who had flown above the clouds, or through them, must have faced worse temperatures at one time or another. Anypony who could break the sound barrier and not mind the wind chill had no right to complain about a breeze. Yet attitude was ninety percent atmosphere, and Rainbow Dash knew this more than most ponies. And in the suffocating darkness of the Everfree Forest, even the gentlest sensations could feel threatening. After Doctor Whooves had left, the group had adjourned while Twilight worked on a plan to open a gate between worlds. Knowing each passing hour could mean the difference between their Twilight's rescue and her death, Rainbow Dash found herself unable to focus on anything. She had flown down to the weather center, to let Cloudkicker know she wouldn't be showing up to work for a while and to ask the other pegasus to take over for her. Cloudkicker, perhaps seeing the request as an opportunity to prove herself, accepted gleefully and without any questions. When Rainbow Dash returned home, she found a note taped to her door waiting for her. A time, place, and an unusual and probably illegal request. And now Rainbow Dash was outside the Castle of the Royal Sisters for the second time that week. "I'm glad everypony could make it," said Twilight, looking over the five ponies she liked to think were her friends. "I asked all of you to bring something for this experiment. First, Applejack." The orange pony brought forth the bundle of rope she had carried on her back. "I don't see what this'll be good for," she said. Twilight took it out of her hooves with telekinesis. "This is perfect, Applejack. Thank you. Now, Fluttershy, the stakes." Fluttershy approached Twilight, a cloth bag swinging from her mouth containing six metal stakes left over from the construction of her chicken coop. She dropped the bag at Twilight's feet and raised her head to look at the strange familiar pony. For some reason, Twilight had become far more disarming since she had managed to regain some control over her life. Fluttershy wished the unicorn could be weak and helpless again, so she could help again, instead of being scared, but the thought was selfish and Fluttershy did her best to ignore it. This Twilight was still the same pony she had protected in her time of need, even if she didn't act like it. Fluttershy quickly retreated to the other thing she was asked to bring, a first aid kit. Twilight lifted each stake, one at a time, and she brought them in a circle around her, about four feet across. With a single swift flick of her neck, each stake sped downward and was buried in the ground, only a couple inches sticking above the ground. The rope slithered around the stakes, and the two ends tied themselves together; the result strongly resembled a snake swallowing its own tail. Twilight stared disapprovingly at the knot, which began to glow more brightly. When the light faded, the knot was gone, the rope now a single loop. Rarity inspected the hexagon. "It's nice, dearie, but what's it for?" "It's a spell circuit," explained Twilight. "A circle, or close to one, at any rate. Everything in magic is about circles, one way or another. In this case, it's about establishing a boundary. Defining the scope of the magic." "A controlled explosion," echoed Fluttershy. "You mean the explosion's only going to be inside that circle?" "That's the idea. Assuming everything goes as planned, we won't feel anything more than a warm breeze. Rarity, I trust you memorized the spell I gave you?" Rarity's face went pale. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I tried, but I couldn't make any sense out of it." She could tell Twilight was disappointed, but there really was nothing she could do. She had read over the entire spell once and tried to figure out where to start making heads or tails of it, but the effort was wasted, as if the spell, even the footnotes, had been written in a completely different language. "I'm a dressmaker, you know, not a wizard." "Maybe not," said Twilight, "but I know a sorceress when I see one." "Excuse me?" Twilight peered at Rarity, sighing. "Do you really not know anything about magic? There are three types of spellcasters. There are wizards, like your Twilight. They study magic, understanding how it functions at the most basic level, and they build from there, making more complicated spells by combining simpler ones that they've already mastered. In theory, wizards are the most versatile, since almost all magic is available to them, provided they have a fully-stocked library and lots of free time to research. Then there are sorcerers, like you and me. We don't need to know how magic works to use it. We can see how the parts of the spell fit together, which parts supplement each other and which parts clash. We use our gut and intuition, hitting the books only when we have to. Thus, we're the most adaptable on the field of battle, since we can change strategies on the fly with little consequence and try things that feel right, even if we haven't studied them. When it comes down to it, for a wizard, magic is like building a machine, shaping each gear. For a sorcerer, magic is like painting, or dressmaking. I think you'd make a very good sorcerer if you put your mind to it." This was indeed news to Rarity. She had never considered a future in magic before. "I'm flattered, really," she said. "But that doesn't change the fact that I can't memorize an entire spell in the span of a few hours." "Fine. At least you brought the other item I requested?" Rarity nodded and removed the ruby hairpin she had been wearing. "Take good care of it," she told Twilight. "It's expensive." Twilight nodded as she took the hairpin, barely registering the request. She focused on the hairpin, prying the ruby off with telekinesis and crushing it into powder. Rarity, aghast, almost began crying. "What's the third type?" Twilight heard Pinkie Pie ask. "You said there were three types of spellcasters." "Warlocks. I have a bit of that in me too, I guess. Since magic is my special talent, it means I'm not locked into learning magic of a specific school. Most gifted mages are a bit of all three, although I'm a lot more of a warlock than your Twilight is. Warlocks are all about power. Gathering up as much as you can at once and then releasing it, which is interestingly basically what we're trying to do right now. They can be deadly if they catch you surprised or unprepared, but otherwise they're pretty easy to handle, since they only have one strategy and one setting. Unless they're paired up with another spellcaster, in which case they can channel all their energy into powering up their partner's spells." Twilight strung out the powdered ruby into a ribbon and began writing symbols around the perimeter of the hexagon, just inside the circle. "What're you doin' now?" asked Applejack. Twilight grunted, wishing that the others would just let her work instead of asking so many questions. "External storage space," she answered. "Spells take up space in the working memory of the caster. Rarity seems unable to lend her own brainpower to the cause, and it's too complicated for me to handle on my own, so this is the alternative. I'm writing some parts of spell into the circle itself, so that I won't need to hold them in my mind the entire time. It's not as elegant, and it probably doubles the risk of us all being killed in the rebound, but it'll do." She glared at Rarity, silently letting her know, if we die, this is your fault. "Alright," she said when she was finished. "Rainbow Dash, your turn." The multicolored pegasus nodded and nudged forward her item, an unstable thundercloud. Small arcs of lightning leaped from the surface, not enough to kill, but certainly enough to give any non-pegasus a long-lasting fear of storms. Rainbow Dash, immune to the cloud's small bolts, pushed against the cloud uninhibited until it was just outside the circle, whereupon she dragged it to a stop. "We're blowing up a cloud?" she asked, trying to understand how that would work. "No. A bomb has two parts, a fuse and a payload. The cloud's the fuse. We don't want the entire thing to just blow up on us; that's a walking disaster, so we have one part we can control that triggers the rest." She turned to the only member of the group who had not yet contributed anything. "We're going to use Pinkie Pie's military-grade explosives. Celestia tier." Pinkie Pie bounded into the center of the group, a crate labeled "Danger: Do Not Shake" in all capitals strapped to her back, jostling with each step. Rainbow Dash stared, dumbfounded, but decided that she truly didn't want to know why Pinkie Pie owned a crateload of volatile explosives or where she had obtained them. Like everything involving Pinkie Pie, it was easier to simply accept. The pink mare stopped at the edge of the hexagon and shook off the crate, which landed perfectly in the center of the circle with a resounding thud. Rainbow Dash squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the worst, but when they opened, nopony had been reduced to cinders. Twilight carefully maneuvered the cloud so that it was over the box. The setup complete, she turned again to Rarity. "At the very least, Rarity, can you at least pipe the spell and channel it?" Rarity's face was blank. "Do what?" she asked slowly and after a good pause. Twilight squealed infuriatingly. "I form the spell and pass it to you so you can add your own power to it. Is that too much for you?" Twilight wondered how any unicorn could possibly be unfamiliar with one of the most basic magic techniques. Rarity nodded, recalling the miniscule amount of formal training she'd actually received on the subject. "I think I can handle that." "Good. Go stand on the other side." Rarity walked around to the far end of the contraption. She eyed the storm cloud worriedly. "Are you sure this is safe?" she asked, trying to find an excuse to chicken out and get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. Twilight was unable to respond. Her eyes were squeezed shut in concentration. The rope closest to her began to turn a iridescent purple like it was made of glass and filtering sunlight, only the light came from inside it. The rough form of multiple bound threads melted into a single cylinder, and the effect spread around both sides of the hexagon, pulling it into a circle in the process. The magic met at Rarity's feet, and as the two links met, she felt her mind fill with feeling. There was no logic in what Rarity saw. She was expecting to see a neat diagram, with each part of the spell conveniently labeled. Instead she faced a jumbled mess of shapes, colors, and emotions. Twilight had been right about one part, though. Even though Rarity had only looked at the spell in its written form once, and she had barely understood it at the time, she could sense which parts of the spell were meant to connect to each other. Colors that clashed should stay far apart. Conflicting emotions shouldn't be adjacent. She still didn't understand what the spell did, even remotely, but she knew how to assemble it. In her mind's eye she guided the parts together with a gentle hoof, strengthening the bonds with her own energy. One element, a red bit that reminded her somehow of Rainbow Dash before a race, became the output for the rest of her power. She could now feel the spell straining against the boundaries Twilight had placed it in. It wanted to be released, and Rarity wasn't going to stand in its way. "Is this safe?" echoed Twilight. "Not at all." But it was too late to stop what had already begun as the thundercloud shot downward, colliding with the crate. The resulting sound was deafening. Rainbow Dash tried to stand her ground, but found herself sliding backward, pushed by a force worse than any storm she had ever encountered. Beside her, Pinkie Pie rocketed back, thrown by the explosion but seemingly not caring. The heat of the blast engulfed Rainbow Dash, and for a moment she felt like she was being cooked alive. She swore she could smell singed hair. Then the magic kicked in. A shimmering barrier rose up from the circle, pushing the explosion back. Rainbow Dash watched as the fire was compressed into a sphere about the size of the circle, spinning erratically above it. Every couple of seconds part of the fire would break free and jet out, only to be quickly forced back into place. Rarity felt the spell straining under the force of the explosion, and she fought to maintain its structure. Twilight, as the spell's caster, was subjected to more of the backlash, but she seemed to be controlling the spell with much less strain, although Rarity saw that she was sweating. The world around the ponies seemed to be rippling, distances elongating and suddenly contracting. Only the sphere in the circle seemed to have focus; everything else was bent awkwardly at an angle, as if it was being swung around the sphere at massive speeds. And through her constantly shifting viewpoint, Twilight was certain she saw trees that weren't there before, skeletal and bare, a second castle, even more decayed and downtrodden than the first, and fleeting, shifting figures peeking out from the windows, their green eyes watching the events unfold. She tried to reach out to it, draw it closer to her and keep it there, but already the image was slipping away. The shield, unable to take any more, vented the fire upward, and Twilight and Rarity simultaneously collapsed to the ground. Nopony spoke. A minute passed. Then another. All Rainbow Dash could think about was the world on the other side, the world she had now seen. Fluttershy trotted up to Twilight and nudged her. When the unicorn didn't respond, Fluttershy dug her head beneath the collapsed mare and slowly lifted Twilight onto her back. "Come on," she said to the others. "Let's take them back to the library." They had failed. Rainbow Dash realized this now, although it should have been obvious for some time. Twilight's plan to get them across hadn't worked. Rainbow Dash was about to help Fluttershy carry Rarity when something in the distance caught her eye. Pinkie Pie and Applejack bounded over to Rarity, hoisting her up and balancing her on the pink mare's head. "You coming?" Pinkie Pie called. "Yeah." Rainbow Dash peered into the darkness between two of the trees. "I thought I saw somepony, but I'm not sure." "Who?" asked Fluttershy. "I don't know. I didn't get a good look, and it's not there anymore. Maybe I just imagined it." She gave up and took half of Twilight onto her back. As the friends left the clearing to head back to town, Rainbow Dash dared one more look into the darkness, and she swore she saw a pony's head looking back at her. MOONSIDE Twilight tried to focus on Silver Shield through the haze, her stomach still lurching from the attack. He was pacing the room, muttering to himself. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but she didn't have to. The important part was clear enough; he wasn't paying attention to her. Trying her best to push the pain aside, Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, and her horn began to glow softly. Behind her, a small seed of violet light appeared. It spun, stealing wisps of energy from the air as its elongated ends approached them, and it grew in size. When it reached the size of a small apple it slowed to a stop, and as it hovered small strands escaped, only to quickly be reabsorbed. The surface constantly shifted and roiled, giving it the appearance of a miniature purple sun. Silver Shield turned to address his captive and then raised an eyebrow, amused. "You're really going to try magic again?" he asked, bored. He stepped forward, and Twilight instinctively flinched. The sphere shuddered but maintained its shape. Silver Shield looked at Twilight mournfully. "I'm not going to hit you again, Twilight. You're not stupid, and you can understand how this is going. I'm in control, not you. I trust that you're not going to do anything to make me angry." Twilight didn't want to admit that he was intimidating her, so she merely nodded silently. Silver sighed. "I suppose we should just get this over with. The prosecution is ready to make their case." Prosecution? They? Twilight wanted to ask Silver Shield what he meant, but her breaths were still ragged, and she couldn't force the words out. Instead, she watched as Silver climbed onto the judge's chair, perhaps because the witness booth was already occupied. "The prosecution calls to the stand their only witness," he announced with an air of theatricality. "Silver Shield, of the Silver Star lineage, royal guard of Canterlot. Please state your relation to the victims." Twilight again tried to speak, trying to figure out how to admit she didn't know whom she had killed, but Silver Shield cut her off, and it became apparent that he had begun talking to himself again, playing both sides of his own interrogation. "I owe it to my family," he said. "Without their disregarded advice, their overbearing presence, and my loveless captivity of a childhood, I never would have met her. My father had high hopes for me, even before I was born. Success runs in my family's veins. Not quite as literally as some of the other aristocratic families, but nonetheless, the very name Silver Star struck awe in every Canterlot pony, as it should. An endless line of scholars and mages, all of them with the strongest of minds and the purest blood. And all of them unicorns. Keep it within the upper tiers, they said. Don't defile something so precious. And then I popped out. You can imagine the scandal. There were accusations of infidelity. I was their mistake. And when the reputation of the family began to falter, I was their scapegoat as well." Twilight didn't understand why the speech was unnerving her. She knew she shouldn't be feeling any sympathy for the stallion who had taken her hostage. She couldn't relate to his life at all; magic had always been her gift, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be surrounded by it but unable to use it. His treatment of her had afforded him no respect. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw fear, overwhelming panic as he struggled to bring justice to whatever small pieces of his life he had actually cared about. Silver Shield was afraid of the world and had nothing to live for but revenge, and as Twilight realized this her heart broke. "They named me Silver Shield. I used to think it was something to be proud of. I was too young to know the truth, that my name was some secret inside joke. Silver may be beautiful, but it makes a terrible shield. It's too soft. It tarnishes. It can't do what it was made to do. It's expensive and yet worthless, and that's what my family thought of me." Silver Shield lowered his eyes, downcast, and Twilight seized the moment to finish the spell, visualizing the last piece that would bind the loose ends of the spell together and connect them. She built the set of instructions for the sphere so that it could run parallel to and independently of her own will, sending them over the pipeline. She felt the sphere acknowledge the connection, and she activated the final trigger. The spell complete, her horn faded just as Silver Shield looked up and resumed his speech. "I was determined to prove them wrong, that I really could amount to something. So I joined the royal guard. If I couldn't give my life to my family, I could give it to my country, the country that kept the Silver Stars safe, kept them from being torn apart by dragons and griffons and who knows what else. And maybe, just maybe, I could win back a shred of respect. And it almost worked. I wasn't scrap anymore, just damaged, impaired. And then I met Stone Wall." Behind Twilight's back, beads of red bubbled to the surface of the sphere, combining with each other into a circular mass covering a fourth of the surface. Slowly, the skin on the red circle lifted, and Twilight's Third Eyed opened, awaiting its next orders. "I don't know what my family was expecting. On one hoof, they wanted to salvage what was left of the diluted bloodline. On the other, however, they had made it clear that any unicorn who would defile herself with anything less than perfection was scum. I suppose they were hoping I would wither up and die, and they could prune the less stellar branch of the family tree, trying to pretend that I had never happened, that I was just some bad dream. Instead, when I found Stone Wall, I lost their respect. And I realized something that had never occurred to me before: I didn't care. I didn't care that my family hated her; I didn't care that she was a Pegasus. For the first time, I was happy." Twilight took in the new image granted to her by the Eye. Until now, she had been scared to use magic to untie herself. If she couldn't see where to aim, any attempts to sever the ropes would be ineffectual at best and harmful at worst. Now, aided by the Eye, she was a bit more confident in her ability to not miss the rope and strike skin instead. "Are you listening to me?" Twilight froze. Silver Shield was glaring at her now, intense contempt filling his eyes and frown. "I'm getting the feeling you don't even care about what I have to say, sometimes. Like you're not taking this trial seriously. Do you even value your own life, Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight feigned ignorance, hoping Silver Shield would continue his speech, distracting himself from her escape plan. After ten seconds of silence, Twilight realized he was awaiting a response. "Yes," she choked. "I want to live." "I find that hard to believe," sneered Silver Shield. "Do you believe I'm even worth your time? Because I don't have to do this. This trial, this whole presentation is out of the goodness of my heart and my respect for an established system. If you'd rather, we can both agree on your guilt and I'll just kill you here and now. It would save us both a lot of time, don't you think?" He pushed his face close to hers; she could feel his ragged, panicked breath, and she was certain he could feel hers. "Or is this all because I'm not a true unicorn?" Twilight sputtered, not comprehending. "I don't," she began, desperate to say something, but she had no idea what word should come next. "Don't interrupt me," barked Silver Shield, forgetting he had been awaiting an answer. "I refuse to be patronized by your type. I used to buy in to all of that garbage. My parents had me thoroughly convinced about the superiority of our breed. That magic conquers all. That one day the earth ponies and the pegasi and the sea ponies would all be put in their proper place. And I believed it. I believed I was worthless, and I wished that somehow, things could be different, that I would wake up in the morning and be more like my beautiful, perfect family." He slapped Twilight across the face. "That's the effect that you have!" he screamed, and then he instantly quieted. "And I thank you for it. If it wasn't for their abuse, I might have turned out like they did. I never would have joined the Guard. I never would have met Stone Wall. My family did one thing right; they opened my eyes to the truth. "But all good things come to an end, and my life ended when the Darkness fell. Our chain of command was toppled at the top when Celestia vanished, and everything was thrown into chaos. I was a coward; I wanted to run and hide. Stone Wall, on the other hand, was a natural leader; she took charge and held us together. She believed that there was a way to fix things, to bring back the sun. But she wanted your help. She trusted you. And that was her last mistake. A month after the Darkness, Stone Wall told me she had tracked you down. Somewhere in the Swayback Mountains. She said you had something that could save us. The Element of Magic, although I didn't know it at the time. That night was the last time I saw her. "The question that is now put before this court is: what happened to Stone Wall? The answer is obvious. We know where she went; she visited a known enemy of hers who had multiple reasons to kill her. To remain hidden, to avoid being brought to justice, to protect her treasure. No other pony with motive to kill her would have known where to find her, and most would not even have been able to reach her. In addition, Stone Wall was a competent fighter, a strong flier with excellent eyesight. The only way she could have been subdued would be if she were betrayed, attacked when her guard was down. Logic dictates the truth, Twilight Sparkle. She put her trust in you, and you betrayed her. This is proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, that for the charge of ponyslaughter, the jury finds you, Twilight Sparkle..." "Wait," cried Twilight, panicking. Silver Shield eyed her with the contempt he would spare for a horsefly. "This is a trial, right? Don't I get a chance to defend myself?" Silver Shield cursed as he realized that he was going to have to follow his own rules. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Of course. The defense calls to the stand Stone Wall. Oh, wait, they can't. Because you murdered her!" As he spoke the last sentence her shoved his face against Twilight's, his mouth drawn into a vicious scowl. "Anything else you'd care to present? It's clear from the stakes we can't trust the testimony of the accused. "Please," Twilight choked out. As crazy as it seemed, even to her, the truth was her only chance. "I don't know who you're looking for, but it's not me. I'm not the one you want. I don't even know you." She watched Silver Shield's scowl as it transformed in utter rage. "You're not Twilight Sparkle?" he asked, barely managing to keep an even volume. "Yes. But no. I don't remember you, or anypony. I don't even know who I am." Silver Shield pondered this for a moment. "So you plead insanity," he finally concluded. Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "I'm tempted to believe you," admitted Silver Shield. "It would certainly explain how you were so easy to catch, like a bumbling foal on her legs for the first time. And there's definitely something wrong with you, although that's not a new development. But there's one gaping problem with that. The first thing you said to me when we met. Do you remember what it was?" Twilight didn't, and she shook her head to say so. "You looked me in the eye and said 'Silver Shield'. You called me by my name, even though I never told it to you. Which tells me two things. Firstly, that you're not quite as dumb as you're claiming to be. You're not an amnesiac. Secondly, there's only one place you could have learned my name. From Stone Wall, right before you killed her." Twilight desperately thought, trying to remember where she had heard Silver Shield's name before. Was it possible that he was telling the truth? Had she killed Stone Wall? She knew the answer was somewhere in her subconscious, if she could only fall asleep again and find it. "Please," she begged, one last time. "I don't want to do this." "Too late," growled Silver Shield, and he raised his hoof to strike her horn again. Then he paused. "Wait. Don't want to do what?" Twilight smiled, but her expression was not joyful. If anything, it was her way of asking for forgiveness. "This," she said softly, before she executed her new-found unconventional use for her Third Eye. The bright purple sun behind her, at her order, flew around the chair and into Silver Shield's face. The stallion reared back in surprise, falling over on his back. Taking advantage of the distraction, Twilight closed her eyes, trying to recall what she had seen of her own backside. Drawing a line in her mind, she prepared to make the cut. Her horn lit up, a single crack rang throughout the room as a lance of hardened wind struck the ropes, and Twilight was free. Silver Shield howled, trying to push the Eye away from him, but every attempt only scorched his hooves. Finally, he managed to hit it on the soft red flesh, and it flew backward before changing direction in the middle of its journey to follow its master. The stallion blinked rapidly to eliminate the dancing spots that now obscured his vision. To his left he saw a large shrinking shape, and although he still couldn't see clearly, there was only one thing it could be. He stood, taking only a second to steady himself before charging after his enemy. As Twilight ran, she noticed that the view from the Third Eye had gone out. Whatever Silver Shield had done, he had blinded it. Twilight wasn't sure what to make of this; she had only used the spell a couple times in the past, and that had never happened before. If Twilight had to give Silver Shield credit for one thing, it was his speed. She left the makeshift courtroom and entered the long hallway, and as she turned the corner she heard Silver Shield impact the wall less than a second behind her. She knew she couldn't outrun him; the only question was how far she'd be able to get before he caught her. She bounded up the stairs, forming what she hoped would be enough of a plan to save her. She could feel Silver Shield's breath on her flank, and knew this was her only opportunity to escape; if she didn't pull some sort of trick immediately, he would never give her a second chance. Through the Third Eye, Twilight saw a light. This struck her as odd; the Eye was damaged; it shouldn't be seeing anything at all. The light stretched and sharpened until it looked less like a light and more like an incredibly blurry image. An image of a pony that, in the last couple of days, had become very familiar to Twilight. Twilight didn't understand how this was possible, but the pieces of the puzzle slowly began to come together. The Eye was always supposed to be broadcasting an image. Now, unable to look at the outside world, but still having to send something, the Eye was, somehow, looking at her memories and surface thoughts. In any other situation the effect would have been useless, perhaps even unnoticeable. Now, however, it was a stroke of luck. As Twilight passed through the doorway onto the first floor of the library, she slammed the door shut behind her. Then, holding the door shut, she began to concentrate. All she needed to do was teleport; it was a spell she'd done many times before, but in the heat of the situation it came to her with difficulty. She felt Silver Shield's weight slam into the door with regular rhythm, and she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to manage. She needed to escape; she willed her body to dissolve and take her somewhere, anyplace but where she currently was. Her horn lit up and sparks flew off of it, but one last kick against the door, combined with fatigue from her exertions, finally sent her sprawling. Distracted in the middle of the spell, her horn sputtered and the light died. Silver Shield knocked the door off its hinges and entered the room, looking even more enraged than he had been before. To him, Twilight had not only doomed Equestria and murdered his lover, but now she had made a fool of him in his own home, while he was supposed to be in control. He loomed over her, and Twilight knew that she was about to die. Desperate, Twilight did the only thing she could think of. Her horn lit up once again, and with it came another figure. The new pony appeared next to her, slightly transparent and flickering in and out of focus. At first, Silver Shield stared at the projection, pacified. Then, he became even angrier. "How dare you!" He shouted. "How dare you defile her image like this? I'll kill you!" And Twilight had no doubt that he would have killed her, had the projection of Stone Wall not taken that moment to speak. "Listen carefully to me," it said, pulling words from the memory Twilight herself could not conciously remember. "We can save Equestria, together, but first I need to die. You have to kill me, Twilight Sparkle."

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2011-08-10T04:55:05+00:00

2011-08-10T04:55:05+00:00

Act II – Part 4 – The First Divergence The moon shone brighter than Twilight had ever seen it before. The stars were a thousand glistening spearpoints in the sky. The thousand wasn't a wild estimate, either. When they had begun appearing she had counted each one, but she knew that would quickly become unfeasible, and she adapted a new strategy. She counted the rate at which she found new stars until that two was impractical. From there she extrapolated. "You really think there's a thousand of them?" asked Luna, her stargazing companion. "Nine hundred and sixty three, actually. But who's counting?" "It sounds like you are," said Luna mischeviously. Twilight quieted, flushed with embarrassment. She didn't understand why she was getting so nervous. Luna's comment wasn't really that humiliating. Everything had been planned out, by the books and with a rigid schedule. Wasn't that supposed to make it officially fun? You're trying too hard to impress her, thought Twilight. Relax, enjoy the company. This is the perfect night for stargazing, using your deck and your telescope. That wasn't a guess either. Twilight had asked Rainbow Dash for a favor, and as a result there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Luna seemed to sense that Twilight was withdrawn. "Is everything alright?" she asked sympathetically. Twilight blinked, as if she were just noticing Luna for the first time. "Yeah," she said with fake cheerfulness. "Yeah," she repeated, this time despondently. "But I'm not impressing you, am I? You probably already know all about the sky. You got a closer look than I ever did." She instantly shut her mouth, afraid that she'd just crossed a very serious line. "Oh gosh," she stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't..." She was interrupted by Luna nuzzling her cheek. "It's fine," she said, but the wavering in her voice told Twilight that it wasn't. "Tia told me to make friends, and she recommended I start with you. You do a really good job." "What are you talking about? I'm terrible at making friends." "But you're really close to the others, even though you've only been in Ponyville for a week. I think Fluttershy admires you a lot. So does Rainbow Dash, although you'd never get her to admit it." Luna reclined and watched the stars. "Do you know why I like the sky so much?" "Because you're the moon princess?" guessed Twilight. "Only until the coronation. Then I'm the moon queen." Luna had mentioned this once before, confusing Twilight. "Why isn't Celestia queen?" Twilight asked. "She's never given me a straight answer." "Probably because she couldn't tell you. Not without bringing me up. Twilight, Celestia isn't the heir to the throne, I am. Under Equestrian law, she can't become queen unless I die." "Not even if the current heir is trapped on the moon?" "Her advisers probably wanted her to, but instead she waited. She became acting ruler, but she continuously refused the title. She was keeping it safe for me, because she knew that one day I'd be coming back. The reason I like the sky is because it doesn't change. Sure, it's different depending on the seasons, but the constellations never go away forever. A thousand years ago tonight, the stars would all be in the same positions." Twilight felt a pang of sympathy for the temporally displaced mare. "I imagine it can be hard to get used to. All the new magic research, a less conservative culture..." "Tia's changed a lot too," murmured Luna, making clear that she didn't really care about what Twilight was saying. "What's she like now?" "You keep bringing up the princess," said Twilight. "I know she hurt you, but you need to let that go." Luna snorted. "It's not because she hurt me. It's because she's my sister. I love her. And she loves me. That's why she waited a thousand years for me to return. I want to now how she's changed. I'm worried about her well-being." Twilight was about to say something to calm Luna, but she was distracted by a unicorn that was watching the pair from the ground below. Something about the unicorn bothered Twilight. It's because she's not supposed to be here, part of her said. This is wrong. She wasn't here the first time around. "Excuse me for a moment," said Twilight and she stood and leaped off the edge of the balcony. Luna watched in amazement as Twilight fell, decelerating as she neared the bottom. She slowed to a near stop just before the grass, and she landed gently on four hooves. The other unicorn chuckled at the display. "'Twilight' doesn't know how to do that trick yet," she pointed out. Twilight sized up the stranger. The mare's coat was the same bright purple of Twilight's, but she was taller and older, and her mane was styled differently, flowing neatly down the back of her neck instead of getting in her eyes. After half a minute of intense scrutiny by Twilight, the older mare gave up. "Yes?" she asked. Twilight peered up into the stranger's eyes. "Do I know you?" "You tell me. I've already given you everything you need. Do you remember any of it?" The mare looked incredibly familiar, and it disturbed Twilight. She knew she had seen the mare before, but she couldn't figure out where. Around Twilight, the world seemed to be blurring, melting into new colors. The only things that stayed constant and real were Twilight and the newcomer. "Do you know where you are right now?" asked the older unicorn. "That's a stupid question. I'm outside my house," answered Twilight. "Wrong. You're outside Twilight's house. I know you wish you were her, but you're not. For starters, she's nowhere near this antagonistic." A series of images flashed in front of Twilight's eyes. Stone Wall. The cave laboratory. The botched spell in the Everfree Forest, and then Twilight realized where she was. "I'm dreaming," she said softly. Then she looked up at the mare. "If this is my dream, how are you here?" "We had this conversation a long time ago. At least, I did. You're just experiencing it for the first time. I could also say I'm experiencing this right now, and you haven't yet. I remember you, and now you get to remember me. The circle of life." Twilight stared blankly; she didn't understand a word of the mare's strange ramblings. "We've met before, Twilight, and we'll meet again. Remember when, and where." The mare turned, as if to trot away. "Is this why you brought me here?" Twilight asked. "Just to let me know that we'll meet again?" "You assume too much, Twilight. I didn't start this dream. I have about as much control as you do. If you really want advice, though, hear this. When the dog barks, run. And don't be afraid to follow your dreams." "Why the riddle? Why can't you just tell me what's going on?" "Would you listen to me if I did? You still have a lot of growing up to do, Twilight Sparkle." The image of the larger pony began to fade away. Twilight felt the air grow thicker around her, as if she were under water. The air was forced from hung lungs, and she saw the bubbles she expelled float gently up toward a light somewhere above her. All the remaining colors of her world melted away, and suddenly Twilight was rocketing upward, toward the unknown. SUNSIDE Twilight broke the surface and gasped for air. She was in a white tent, lying on a bed; Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were looking over her. Twilight tried to remember where she was, how she had gotten there, but the cacophony of different thoughts and memories bouncing around in her head forced her to lie back and try to sort things out. This wasn't the first time she'd had such a detailed dream. It only took her a few nights to figure out what was going on. Somehow, the other Twilight's memories were still there. The transfer hadn't wiped her mind of its previous occupant's history, only suppressed it. And every time she woke up, the new experiences battled for dominance or a place in her timeline until they finally gave up and just hovered, fragments without a reference point, a beginning, or an end. The other Twilight appeared to be on a first-name basis with Nightmare Moon, who seemed to be quite a bit smaller than Twilight remembered from her battle. She made a mental note of this and decided to ask one of the other ponies if the right moment presented itself. "Shes... alive," said Fluttershy, tears falling from her face. "Of course she is," stammered Rainbow Dash, whose eyes were red and puffy. "I told you she was going to be all right." She noticed that Twilight was now looking at her, and she balked. "I wasn't crying!" she squealed, before any accusations could be made. "I don't cry. Really. It cramps my style." Twilight glanced around groggily. "Did it work?" she mumbled. She didn't recognize her surroundings, so she figured that maybe there was a chance they had made it across. "Where are we?" "Nurse Redheart's. Worst case of fatigue she'd ever seen. But with a little bed rest you'll be fine." "And Rarity?" At the other unicorn's name, Fluttershy gave a cry and burst into even harder tears. "Rarity!" she moaned, before running out of the room. Twilight slowly turned back to Rainbow Dash, a look of horror on her face. "Rarity's fine," explained Rainbow, exasperated. "She woke up before you. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are looking after her, and Applejack's crying like a foal." She then added, quietly, "Seriously, what's with all the tears? I'm like the only pony here who isn't sobbing." She leaned in toward Twilight, sticking her snout in Twilight's face, and her demeanor instantly changed. "Good thing she's not hurt. If we found a scratch on her, I would have bucked your face in." Twilight stopped breathing, the sudden change in mood startling her. "Look," said Rainbow Dash. "Everypony makes mistakes, and I'm glad that you're trying to atone for yours. But that doesn't change the fact that you're dangerous. Like a rabid animal. And the most humane thing to do to a rabid animal is to put it out of its misery." "Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow's features softened. "Yeah, Twi?" "What happens if we don't find a way across?" The question shook Rainbow Dash, even though she had already given it a lot of thought. She would have been surprised if one of them hadn't considered the possibility at least once. "Then life goes on," she said at last. "We'd have to grieve the loss of a very close friend of mine, and we'd be reminded of our loss every time we look at the pony who murdered her, who looks exactly like her." Twilight swallowed, and her body trembled. Rainbow grimaced. She had been expecting to feel better after putting Twilight down. After all, it was justified revenge. Yet somehow, her behavior only made her feel worse. Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and pulled the unicorn close to her. "But you will find a way, Twi," she said, trying to comfort. "I know it. This is just like the Best Young Fliers competition. I didn't think I'd be able to pull of the Sonic Rainboom, but when my friends were counting on me, I found a way to pull through and save the day. So don't sweat it." Twilight frowned. "What did you just say?" "Don't sweat it?" "No, before that. You mentioned a Sonic Rainboom." "Yeah. It's when a sonic boom and a rainbow..." "Sonic Rainbooms are impossible. You're joking." Rainbow Dash grinned. She never got tired of this. "Maybe in your world," she explained. "But over here, you're looking at the only pony to ever pull it off." She struck a pose, raising her head majestically. The sudden shift left her unprepared when Twilight pushed her and stood. "A controlled explosion," she mumbled, "a large burst of energy." She took off toward the door. "Twi?" Rainbow Dash called after her. "I need to check something," Twilight called back. "But I think I know how we're getting to the other side." "For the last time, Applejack, I'm fine." "Like hay you are. You can't even walk steady." "Because you won't let me, you imbecile. You keep reaching out and grabbing me the moment I take even a single step." The Doctor looked up from the book he was reading. The interruption was a real pity, he thought. He was just getting to the good part. He closed the book and focused on the door. He heard a "Hey, wait!" followed by rapid hoofsteps. The door jolted open, making a dull thud as Rarity impacted it and a louder one as it hit the wall. As Rarity stepped over the threshold, she tripped, receiving a jaw full of a welcome mat that read "Tome Sweet Tome." "Now listen here, Missy," ordered Applejack as she stepped around the unicorn. "I'm going to help you, and you're going to..." She looked up. "What the hay is he doing here? And why is the door unlocked?" The Doctor grinned and waved his forehoof. "What, I can't check up on my new friends? See how they're doing?" "The door was locked." "Then perhaps you should make it more difficult to force open. I suggest wood." The Doctor resumed his read, paying no attention to the other ponies. Applejack was about to resume bickering when she noticed the Doctor was reading Twilight's diary. She quickly ran forward and grabbed it in her teeth. Looking for a place to put it, she finally just dropped it the saddlebag that Fluttershy had left behind. "What's yer problem?" she nearly yelled at the Doctor. "You can't just go reading other ponies' private writing." She just hoped he hadn't stumbled open the page at the halfway mark. "It was just lying on the floor. I thought it could have some clues about finding your friend." He then stuck out his tongue in mock disgust. "Unfortunately, it was as dry as Appleloosa creek in the summertime." "That's hardly the point," said Applejack, but before either of them could continue the discussion, they were interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. Rainbow Dash tumbled from a window, but she instantly righted herself. She was grinning sheepishly in a way that reminded Applejack of the time Rainbow got to spend a whole day with the Wonderbolts. She didn't notice she was bleeding, or perhaps she noticed but didn't care. "Twilight's coming!" she shouted. "She has a plan! And it's about me!" Rainbow suddenly teetered unsteadily on her hooves. She looked down at her forelegs, noticed the cuts from the glass, and nervously laughed. Her other three hooves gave way, and she fell onto her stomach. "Gosh, this floor is comfortable," she remarked. When Twilight finally arrived, Rainbow Dash and Rarity were both asleep on the floor, and Applejack was doing her best to push the Doctor out the door. The Doctor's ears were hanging low, and he was growling, but he perked up when he saw her. "Twilight!" he cried. "Doctor." The Doctor leaned in close. "Rainbow Dash says you have a plan. She seems really excited." Twilight nodded. "You said we needed an explosion. I was thinking of a sonic rainboom." "Those are impossible." "In that case, you can't really help us, can you? I think we're capable of managing on our own, without you." She didn't say what was really on her mind, but she didn't have to. The Doctor understood. "You don't trust me." "It's nothing personal. A strange stallion showing up on my doorstep? Forgive me for not putting all my faith in you, when I don't even know your name." The Doctor nodded and moved until he was standing beside Twilight, facing the opposite direction. "I guess I'll be on my way, then. However, can I ask you something? You told me your theories about this other world. It's remarkable research, really, and one part intrigued me. You said that magic causes divergences, differences between our world and theirs. You concluded that, sometime in the past, there was a very significant release of energy that created major changes, like a butterfly effect. Have you given any thought as to what this release was?" "No, sir. I didn't think it mattered." The Doctor was horrified. "You're trying to travel into unknown territory. Your only clue is that the world is defined by some critical moment, some Divergence. And you haven't even bothered to figure out what it is? If you ask me, that's the real mystery here. You solve the mystery of why the other world exists in the first place, you answer a lot of questions, don't you think?" Twilight hadn't thought about this. It was something to be curious about, but Twilight didn't think that figuring out why there were two different worlds would actually benefit them. It didn't change their current situation. "One more thing, Miss Sparkle, and then I'll depart," said the Doctor. "I'm not nearly as flexible as you make me out to be." As the Doctor left, Twilight grimaced, confused. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked Applejack, who was watching from the doorway. "Best not to dwell on it," mumbled Applejack, blushing.

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-04-20T00:14:34+00:00

2012-04-20T00:14:34+00:00

Act II - Part 5: Memories MOONSIDE A silence fell over Silver Shield and Twilight Sparkle as both pairs of eyes settled on the illusion conjured in the middle of the room. Twilight's breathing froze, while Silver's seemed to quicken. They both felt their hearts racing. The image of Stone Wall stood proudly, her golden mane flowing down her back. Her lustrous armor hid most of her fur, but white tufts jutted out at the edges. The only thing that had changed about her since Twilight's last dream was her expression. Before, she had been smiling, and every part of her face had been filled with kindness. Now her eyelids hung lower, her frowning mouth revealing her desperation. "I need you to kill me," the image repeated. "Help me, Twilight Sparkle. You're my only hope." Stone Wall froze, her piece given. The illusion flickered, stretching and shearing in different direction, making it obvious she wasn't real. Silver Shield's eyes darted between Twilight and Stone Wall, his jaw hanging open and quivering. She could tell he was trying to find a way reestablish control over the situation, and that involved figuring out exactly what was going on around him. But every time his brain started down a particular line of logic, it froze up in contradiction. Nothing made sense. There was no explanation. "What... is... this?" he finally thought to ask. Twilight looked over the newcomer. The picture was startlingly detailed. The mare's silver armor even seemed to reflect the light that was already in the room naturally. "I don't know," Twilight said as she stood up and began to move around Stone Wall, examining her from every angle. "I think..." She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, forcing herself through the strain that had started in her horn and was beginning to work its way down her body. "Stop," warned Silver Shield. "Don't act. Explain." Even though Twilight was no longer in any immediate danger; she could maybe teleport away before Silver Shield would be able to reach her, the force and conviction in his command persuaded her to obey. "The memories are there," said Twilight, softly. "Even if I can't recall them on my own, they still exist, somewhere in my brain, just out of reach. Maybe I can use magic to draw them out." If Twilight had been offered a choice for her circumstances, she would have asked for a week alone, with her computing machine, all her books on magic, and her trusted abacus. Improvised magic, such as what she was now suggesting, was not her area of expertise. It was possible, she knew, devising spells on the fly; many of the mages on Celestia's court were sorcerers, but she had always considered it a crude form of spellcasting. Less understanding meant less capability. She thought back to the time she had tried to hypnotize the parasprites, figuring that the spell would be easier if she had a baseline to work from. This time, however, she would be retrieving thoughts instead of implanting them. She tried to remember how that spell had felt as she had cast it. Next, she buried her consciousness into the fine-woven structure of the Third Eye spell, trying to figure out where in her brain it had begun looking. Silver Shield watched her, quickly becoming bored. To him, Twilight appeared to be quietly meditating, her face occasionally twisting up in concentration before settling back into a relaxed state. She was interesting to watch at the beginning, but after five minutes Silver turned his attention to Stone Wall. Twilight had captured her beauty well. Looking at the image, knowing it wasn't real, still took Silver Shield's breath away. Stone Wall was the most dazzling pony to ever grace Equestria. Silver softened, remembering the times he had spent with her. Chasing the infamous jewel thief Sapphire Stones down a back alley in Tampa Bray, escorting the Princess on her diplomatic mission to the Land of Fiends and Fire, and even that time he and Stone Wall had gotten caught in the vicious ice storm after the Canterlot weather crew had fled; Silver Shield remembered all these things and let himself fall into their comforting embrace. Then he remembered why these were only memories instead of his current fate. He remembered the mare who had killed his lover. "Are you done yet?" he asked Twilight. The unicorn opened one eye and looked at Silver, unfocused. "Just about," she said as she grabbed the pointer from the Eye's emulated brainspace and fed it into her projection spell. She smiled, pleased with what she hoped was success. "Would you like to see the whole scene?" Silver Shield wasn't impressed. "How do I know you're not making this all up?" he asked. "How do I know that what you show me is real." Twilight scoffed, and the act did much to improve her attitude. "I almost died today. Do you really think I'd have the clarity to improvise an entire exchange with somepony you know a lot better than I do? If I'm faking, you'd probably be able to tell." "Good point," said Silver Shield, feeling foalish for suspecting that a brute like Twilight would be able to make up a story about his beloved without him immediately seeing through it. "But if you try to teleport away, I'm tying you up again. Or maybe just killing you outright. I can recognize a teleport spell now." He thought back to the book on defending against dark magic he had been reading. One thing he had learned was that different spells had distinct visual effects upon use. Thus, a trained observer would be able to recognize if a spell being cast was attack magic or escape magic, even before the spell was completed. Of course, his statement was still a bluff. Silver doubted he'd be able to remember exactly which effect corresponded with which spell. Twilight nodded and closed her eyes again, feeling around her own mind, guided by the pointer. Each new fragment of the memory was fed into the projector, and the image expanded, revealing rough rock walls and the lab equipment Twilight had seen in the cave in her previous dreams. Silver Shield became extremely disoriented as the floor fell away beneath him. The blackness that replaced it slowly faded into a stone floor that Silver could feel beneath his hooves. The new setting was unfamiliar, and Silver Shield slowly took it in. He assumed this was Twilight's base in the Swayback mountains, and he wondered if she had found the cave or if she had carved it herself. While the walls were flat and the corners sharp, parts of the room seemed unfinished and natural, like the stalactites that hung from the ceiling. In addition to Stone Wall, the illusion now contained a second Twilight. Silver Shield could easily tell them apart, as the younger Twilight was missing the scars and bandages that obscured parts of the older Twilight's face. The scene began to rewind. Both ponies' lips moved, but neither made any intelligible sound. The fake Twilight took steps backward. The movement slowed to a crawl; the scene had halted, ready to play from the beginning. Twilight looked down at the floor, as if she was trying to process some new piece of information, but she was shaking, and her breathing was ragged. Silver Shield suspected that she had just seen what she was about to show him. Whatever she saw had startled her. "Are you ready?" she asked, managing a weak smile. "This is Stone Wall's final message to you." The words "final message" chilled Silver Shield, but he refused to let it show. "Do it," he ordered. The image of Stone Wall lost its statuesque appearance as it took on the movements of a living, breathing, being. "I am coming in good faith, and I ask you for help. I believe that the two of us, together, can heal this broken world." Impossible, thought Silver Shield, but he said nothing. Stone Wall wouldn't reach out to the enemy like this. "You're wrong," said Fake Twilight. "I'm hardly suited to save anypony." Stone Wall laughed, softly and gently. "I think you underestimate your own ability." "I don't know what stunt you're trying to pull," said Twilight. "At worst you're cruel. At best, you're overly optimistic. Neither of those traits cause anything but pain and disappointment. You don't know the first thing about me." "Twilight Sparkle. Daughter of Sun Sparkle and Twilight Star. Sister to April Bluff, also known as The Great and Powerful Trixie. Graduate of the Hoofington School of Wizardry. According to Professor Tweed Jacket, you show amazing potential but suffer from a lack of control. Overall, however, he thought you were one of his most inventive students." Twilight was dumbstruck. "How did you..." she began. "It turns out," explained Stone Wall, "that private records are a lot easier to access if you pretend to be a Shadowbolt." Twilight shivered, and Silver Shield shook with her. The Shadowbolts, Silver Shield knew, were Nightmare Moon's trusted pegasus guard. They were the eyes and ears for the tyrannical pony and were spread all across Equestria. Together with the Ironhooves, an army of earth ponies, and the Aethernauts, Nightmare Moon's circle of magi, the three Shadow Cults were the most dangerous forces in Equestria, short of the Nightmare Queen herself. "And I see you haven't let your magical talent go to waste," Stone Wall remarked as she gave the cave the scrutinous look-over. "I can't begin to guess what half of these things do, but surely something here can help us." "Us?" "There's quite a few of us ponies who still want to fight, Twilight. We're not all broken shells. Granted, the hard months have gotten to a good deal of us. There's only a couple of ways to get food, and that's to be born rich or work for Nightmare Moon. As our supplies ran low, quite a few of us defected." Stone Wall, while she talked, meandered over to a machine mounted on the wall, examining its features. It was nearly a perfect cube and was decorated with lights and dials. "Perhaps that's for the best, though. It means those who stayed are the truly loyal ones, the ponies we can trust. But we still need a miracle, and that's where you come in." "I still think you have the wrong pony," scoffed Twilight. "And don't touch that." "Why? Is it fragile? It looks sturdy enough to me." She pressed a switch with her hoof, and a grinding sound emanated from deep within the machine. A tube connected to the machine began to glow with golden light, and Stone Wall followed it to an oversized bowl with half a dozen equally spaced cylindrical protrusions all pointing to a space above it. Stone Wall felt the heat before she saw the light. The air rippled around the bowl, as if everything around her were merely painted in precise detail into a tapestry that was now blowing in the wind. From a seeming fold in the imaginary fabric, a small red sphere appeared above the bowl. The ball burned bright spots in her vision, and she shied away. "What is this?" she asked, already having a sneaking suspicion. "It's an artificial sun," explained Twilight. "It's an idea Madame Orange came up with. It mimics the properties of actual sunlight, and we can use it to grow food. Or we could, if I could figure out the right proportions of elements to include in it. The current model can't be sustained for more than half a minute, if we're lucky." As she finished speaking, the sun shook violently and then exploded, splashing Stone Wall with a searing and sticky red liquid that matted her fur. The pegasus yelped and tried to shake it off. Twilight, panicking, cast a spell that condensed the water vapor around Stone Wall, soaking her in water that dissolved the liquid. Silver Shield shot the real Twilight a disapproving glance. "You really don't remember any of this?" he asked. Twilight shook her head. "It's strange," she said slowly. "I'm still trying to figure it out. But she doesn't seem much like me. She's too cold." In the illusion, Stone Wall laughed softly, never losing her cheerful demeanor. "I suppose I deserved that," she said. "That's ingenious, though. What else do you have?" The friendly attitude startled Twilight. Weren't they supposed to be enemies? she thought. "You really think I can help you?" she asked. "Listen to me, Twilight. I know the ponies around here don't respect you; they fear you. But it's not all like that. You were the first pony to stand up to Nightmare Moon, even if you lost. You fought her when she first appeared at the Summer Sun Celebration, and nopony's forgotten that. You're an icon, Twilight Sparkle. An inspiration. I know for a fact that some of my comrades get through the day by thinking of you. You're already a hero. "Now, I don't think you've spent these last few months hiding and doing nothing. And if you have anything, anything at all, that can stop Nightmare Moon, I want you to share it with us. Save us, Twilight." Save us. Twilight had never been called upon before for a favor of such magnitude. "You want to know," she said slowly, "if I have something that can defeat Nightmare Moon. Some sort of weakness." "Pretty much. Anything would be a lifesaver at this point." Twilight paused, wresting with the decision to share her greatest secret. "Fine," she said at last. "I may have something." "A weapon we can use against Nightmare Moon?" "Better than that. A lot better." Twilight motioned once for Stone Wall to follow her and began walking deeper into the lab. Twilight's sudden enthusiasm bewildered Stone Wall. What is she planning? the pegasus wondered. Twilight was smiling now, the sort of smile that meant she had a secret that nopony else knew. Something that gave her an advantage, and she knew it. Stone Wall wondered what could possibly give Twilight such a spring in her step, and she followed eagerly. Twilight led Stone Wall all the way to the back of the large chamber, stopping at the far wall. Small cylindrical rods were attached to the wall at even intervals, each one studded with smaller spikes and ending with a disc. They reminded Stone Wall of mechanical flowers. "There's a question every little filly asks, at least once. Have you ever gazed at the stars and wondered what's out there, miss Stone Wall?" Twilight was giving her "miss", Stone Wall realized. She was certainly putting on a show. "You mean, like life out among the stars?" "Not quite. The question, technically, is 'Are we alone in the universe?' The answer is no. There's life out there. Zecora and I found it. But it's not in the stars. It's here, in Equestria. Just a stone's throw away, but it's hidden out of reach." She pulled a switch on the wall, and the protrusions began humming with energy. Stone Wall watched the bolts of energy that built up in each rod before jumping between them. The bolts smoothed and became a bright, pulsating grid that slowly faded into an image. At first, Stone Wall wasn't sure what she was looking at. Within the transparent picture was another cave, although this one appeared more natural than Twilight's base. Many more stalactites hung from the ceiling, and the corners were rounded, much unlike the blockish shape of the lab, which were signs of deliberate intervention by hoof. The high level of detail in the image almost convinced Stone Wall that the room had suddenly doubled in length; in fact, when she moved the image seemed to shift with her to a new vantage point, as if she were looking through a window, but she could still faintly see the wall behind the picture. The physical Twilight and Silver Shield were equally dumbfounded. A glimmer of something unidentifiable flared up inside Twilight, perhaps determination or familiarity or some combination of the two, as she desperately tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. All she could tell with certainty was that this memory was important, and critically so. "What is this?" Stone Wall asked for the second time. "It's a very specific type of mirror," explained Twilight. Stone Wall shifted again, watching the angle of the image change. Indeed, it did seem to behave how a mirror should behave, except for an obvious glaring problem. "I don't have a reflection. And this isn't your lab." "I did say it was a special mirror. It filters the light that passes through it. I assure you, what you're seeing is real. It's just not something you can usually reach. Or even see." "What am I looking at?" To Stone Wall, it just looked like a normal cave. Clearly, there was something special, something Twilight found extraordinary, but Stone Wall wasn't able to comprehend it. "The B-side of the world. An alternate universe. Filled with alternate versions of me and you, in theory. And more importantly than anything else, a sun." Twilight had expected this revelation to stun Stone Wall. Instead, perhaps because Stone Wall had never encountered anything of this sort before, she did not quite understand what she was looking at, even after the verbal explanation. The full impact and implications of this discovery were lost on her. The same impact was not lost on the real Twilight. For her, the nightmare around her finally made sense. This was not her world. She was not the Twilight Silver Shield was hunting. She glanced over at Silver Shield to see if he was coming to any of the same conclusions. His expression was blank, and he was completely focused on the scene playing out before them. "I don't understand," said Stone Wall. The Twilight in the illusion decided to create an example. "Why did you decide to join the Royal Guard?" Stone Wall thought for a moment. "I grew up in Trottingham," she said. "I was a little filly during the griffin occupation." Twilight had heard about the occupation. It was part of a series of conflicts between the ponies and the griffins before Twilight was born. Although she didn't look it, if Stone Wall was a filly during that time, then she was nearly old enough to be Twilight's mother. "One day, a fight broke out in town square, and I was caught in the crossfire. A curse, cast by one of the unicorn soldiers, struck me, gummed up my insides. It was the most painful thing that had ever happened to me, and I thought I was going to die. But I didn't, clearly. As I was lying there, in the middle of the impromptu battlefield, one of the griffins thought I'd make a good prisoner of war. And prisoners aren't effective bargaining chips if they're dead. So one of the griffin soldiers who knew a little bit about magic patched me up. And in the days following that, we got to know each other a little better, and it turned out he didn't help me just because he was ordered to. He was just as opposed to the war as I was. A lot of griffins were. The whole thing was their chief's idea, and he was starting to get old. Soon, he thought, one of his offspring was going to challenge him for the throne, and most of them didn't want the war either. "About a week after I was captured, there was a raid on the complex. I was rescued, but the ponies that saved me slaughtered all the griffins in the place, including my friend. I never even got to learn his name. "Before then, I hated all the soldiers, Pony and Griffin both. It was because of them that so many ponies I knew died. But I realized that it didn't have to be that way. A true soldier sought peace and understanding. A true soldier protected everyone around her, kept them safe. I couldn't control the actions of those around me. The only way I could control a soldier was to become one myself. So I did. Eventually I was promoted to the royal guard. And who knew? Maybe, in time, I could join the Princess's cabinet, make some real changes to this world." "All in the unknown name of a griffin." Stone Wall sneered at the lack of respect Twilight was giving her fallen friend. "Yes." "An honorable motive, I suppose, becoming a soldier. But what if you hadn't? Can you imagine where you might be if only things had played out differently. What if the pony that shot you had been assigned someplace else? Or the griffin who helped you? Perhaps you never decided to join the royal guard. Perhaps you're dead. What do you imagine the world would be like." Stone Wall didn't know. "It's an interesting thought to ponder," she said, "but I don't see the use of it. It doesn't matter what would have happened; it didn't." "Fortunately, then, Stone Wall, you don't need to imagine. You may be looking at it." For the first time, Stone Wall understood what she was looking at. "You're saying that there's another me out there, through this mirror, in a world where I turned out differently." "I believe I may have said that, although not in as many words. And it's not just you that's changed. It's a world where the sun still shines." In the back of the mirror's image, the cave began to slope upward. Stone Wall could barely make out the sunlight streaming in from the opening. "Tell me, Twilight," began Stone Wall, her voice suddenly losing all of its enthusiasm. The sudden shift came with a drop in pitch that startled Twilight. "Is it possible to actually travel to this world?" Twilight felt for the pegasus. She understand the allure of the mirror world, the desire to reach another world where everything was better. "Theoretically," she said. "We've managed to transport small objects, so presumably you can move a pony as well. We just haven't tried it yet." "Listen carefully to me," said Stone Wall with newfound determination. "We can save Equestria, together, but first I need to die. You have to kill me, Twilight Sparkle." Silver Shield was dumbfounded. He had hoped that this performance would shed some light on Twilight's motives or his lover's disappearance. Instead, they were back at the beginning, and nothing was any clearer. Even in context, he couldn't comprehend why Stone Wall would say what she did. The Twilight in the memory was equally shocked. "I don't follow," she said sheepishly. "Think about it. This other world, for some reason or another, is free from Nightmare Moon. Now either she never existed over there, or she did and was stopped. This world is, if anything, proof that Nightmare Moon is not invincible. Somepony defeated her, and maybe that somepony can help us. All we need to do is find her and ask her for help." "I don't see what this has to do with you dying, Stone Wall." "I want to travel to the other side," said Stone Wall, her voice lacking a single shred of doubt or insecurity. "If the other world is the paradise you claim, I want to see it firsthand, and leave this world behind. As far as this world is concerned, I'm dead." "That's not dying, Stone Wall." "Isn't it? I cease to exist in this world. I leave behind everything I know, this sinful, tragic earth, and ascend to paradise. How is that not dying? I need you to kill me. Help me, Twilight Sparkle. You're my only hope." Twilight groaned as she realized she was dealing with an existential poet. "It's not that easy," she argued. "We barely know anything about the barrier that separates the worlds, except that it incurs a large amount of stress. I wouldn't want to send living tissue through it once, let alone try and make a return trip." "That's fine, Twilight," said Stone Wall, smiling softly. "I have no intention of returning." Twilight stared into Stone Wall's fierce eyes and felt like she was falling into a tide of unending resolve. Something was driving her. Nopony was this determined on a whim. In the same moment, both Twilights realized what was pushing the pegasus. She was running from something. Somepony. Somehow, despite Stone Wall's confidence and courage, she had seen paradise and decided she needed to escape to it. Still, Twilight was hesitant to use Stone Wall as her test subject. "I can't do this," she said. "I'm sorry, Stone Wall. I can't help you." Stone Wall seemed brokenhearted. Her eyes were cast downward, and she slowly raised them, tears forming at the edges that somehow failed to diminish her resolve or force of presence. "You don't understand," she said. "I have to do this. A pony I love dearly is counting on me. It's the only way." Twilight knew that she wasn't going to change Stone Wall's mind, and the guardpony was still the one in control. Twilight had no doubt that Stone Wall was fast enough to subdue her before she could use magic, and the pegasus was under order to bring Twilight to justice. "Fine," relented Twilight. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" Silver Shield, who had been gradually becoming more and more furious throughout the entire presentation, used this moment to finally snap. "Enough!" he cried, and he charged into the scene and through the illusion of Twilight, which dissolved like mist. He then wheeled on the other Twilight. "I thought I told you not to try and pull one on me!" Around the destroyed Twilight, the image began to dissipate, like a frayed carpet. The floor fell away and was quickly replaced by the wooden floor of the library. "I didn't!" assured Twilight. "This is what really happened!" "Stone Wall's dead, Twilight! You killed her! And to cover it up, you made up some stupid story about her leaving me forever to travel to some fantasy land! As if Stone Wall would ever abandon me! She loves me. Nice try, though, the bit about her leaving to protect me. But that's not her. The things she said, the things she did, I know us better than that. So don't even start that bullcrap!" Silver Shield padded his front hooves on the ground twice, gave an unintelligible scream of rage, and charged toward Twilight. Twilight, seeing no other option and too surprised to prepare magic, ran toward the front door. She emerged from the front of library and into the empty street, turning a sharp right as soon as she was able to do so. Silver Shield, not expecting the turn, skidded out into the middle of the street before chasing after her. Twilight had already figured out that Silver Shield was a faster runner. A chase like this would be futile, and brief. She quickly charged a teleportation spell, leaving the destination field blank. She didn't care where she ended up. She could land on the moon, for all she cared. Right now, what she needed was to escape. The energy built up in her horn, but before she could release it, she felt a large force crush her flank. She cried out and reared instinctively, and Silver Shield launched himself into the air and landed on top of her. The air left her lungs and her magic left her horn as she crumpled to the ground. "This is it," said Silver Shield, raging. "It's over, Twilight. For the crime of two counts of murder, I find you guilty. Your punishment is death." Glancing down at her flank, Twilight realized that Silver Shield had bitten her. "Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle. If you follow a god, then pray he have mercy on your soul." He raised his forehooves and brought them down against Twilight's neck, blocking the flow of air. Twilight was frozen, unable to move or think clearly. She tried to struggle, to push Silver Shield off of her, but her movements were sluggish. She kept trying to breath, but every attempt created an unbearable and unnatural strain in her stomach; she felt like she was going to explode. A strange light was filling the corner of her vision. Is this what it's like to suffocate? she wondered. The stories she'd read seemed to imply everything would go black instead. She closed her eyes and tried again to teleport, but she could find neither the strength or the focus to pull off the spell. Tears pooled on her face as she realized she was going to die. Then Silver Shield screamed. Twilight opened her eyes instantly closed them again as she was blinded by a bright light. Squeezing her eyes shut did not fully protect her, as the light stained the back of her eyelids a dull throbbing red. She felt Silver Shield's weight leave her, and her breath returned, rapidly and raggedly. She stumbled backwards and opened her eyes. An intense glowing ball was pressed against the stallion's face, and he had released her to shield his eyes from the glare with his hooves. At first Twilight thought the ball was her Third Eye, but it was a pure brilliant white, with a small hint of amber, as opposed to the Eye's solid violet. The Eye probably dispersed when Silver Shield destroyed the projection, anyway, she thought. Looking into the light, Twilight thought she saw movement, but the intensity of the glow quickly drove her away. This was her chance. The light had saved her, and now it was providing her distraction. She focused on the magic inside her, willing it to well up in her horn and take her away. The spell was slow, slower than she was used to, and she hurried it along as quickly as she could, panicking as she strung the subroutines together. She wasn't used to casting under stress, but she knew that this was her last opportunity. Teleport now, or die. The world winked out around her. Twilight opened her eyes, exhausted and out of breath. She was somewhere up in the mountains. Away from Ponyville. Away from Silver Shield. Satisfied, Twilight collapsed onto the uneven rocky floor. She nearly fell asleep, but she felt a hoof nudge her face. "Twilight?" a voice asked quizzically. Twilight froze. Somehow, Silver Shield had tracked her down. Now she really was going to die. In her fear and panic, it took her seconds to realize that the voice belonged to a mare. A very familiar mare. Twilight looked up and into the comforting gaze of Madam Orange. Below her, in Ponyville, Silver Shield howled as he tried to bat away the light that had blinded him. It wasn't fair, he thought, falling for the exact same trick twice. Whatever stunt Twilight had managed to pull this time, he swore she would regret it. The light moved away, and Silver's vision cleared. Twilight was gone. Vanished. He was so close to finally getting his revenge, and he had lost her. He tried to stare at the light, but he ended up squinting. Whatever the light was, it seemed to sense that he was looking at it, because it bobbed once, and then slowly ascended back into the sky, moving in a careless looping pattern as it rose. On the rooftop a few buildings away, an adult unicorn watched it rise. The strong wind tore at her mane, which somehow managed to still appear elegant, as if the wind were merely cradling it as a mother would a small foal. "What are you?" she whispered as the Ponyville Light resumed its place in the sky. "You're the only riddle I haven't solved. The only missing piece of the puzzle. You saved her life, and I don't have the first clue where you came from." She sighed as she removed a book from her plain brown burlap saddlebag. The paint on the cover was flaking off, revealing the splintered wood underneath. The mare closed her eyes and inhaled; in all the years she had owned the book, the smell was the only thing that hadn't faded, and it reminded her of the dew on grass in the morning. The book was her most precious possession. It was also her most useful one. "I'm not going to screw this up," she said to herself as she began flipping through the book, somehow simultaneously quickly and daintily, rushing but taking the utmost care not to bend any pages.. "Not when we're so close to the Final Moment." Giving up, she put the book back in her bag. She needed to prepare for her meeting with Rainbow Dash.

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2011-09-11T04:06:58+00:00

2013-04-21T04:40:46+00:00

Act II - Part 6: Through the Looking Glass SUNSIDE Rainbow Dash stood at the edge of the cloud, looking down. The sun was rising over Ponyville; swaths of long pale shadows cast Rainbow's surroundings in a shifting mosaic that seemed to reflect her inner thoughts. Everything was changing around her and moving too quickly. She could sense the cloud moving beneath her hooves, a feeling she thought she'd gotten used to long ago. All she wanted was for everything to go away and give her a moment to herself to think. Looking at the trembling yellow pegasus next to her, Rainbow remembered that she wasn't alone. All of her friends were scared, and right now they were counting on her. Or maybe Fluttershy was just being herself, scared of anything that moved and quite a few things that didn't. Living on the ground, she had never quite gotten used to the sensation of walking on moving clouds. Rainbow Dash had once tried to explain it to Twilight as being like seasickness, but, having felt both before, there wasn't much of a comparison. When seasick, Rainbow still had a hard surface to stand on and give her her bearings. "I'm ready," lied Rainbow Dash, hoping it would get Fluttershy to leave. "Tell Twilight I'm ready to do this." Rainbow Dash had gone back and forth when it came to calling "Twilight" by her name. It wasn't an alias; the pony's name really was Twilight. Besides, just using pronouns seemed dehumanizing, reducing her to an object, and if Rainbow's talk with Twilight in Redheart's sick bay had taught her anything, it was that the emotional Twilight was not an object. Fluttershy had come to keep Rainbow Dash company and to get away from the confusing Twilight. Around Twilight, Flutteshy was thrown by an overwhelming mix of pity and fear, one urge to comfort her and another to run away as quickly as possible. Desperate to escape, Fluttershy had decided that today was the perfect day to try and overcome her fear of flying, in a sky where Twilight couldn't follow her. Now Rainbow Dash was asking her to return. She sighed and swallowed her heart that was leaping around in her chest; the thin air had done nothing to calm her nerves. She leaped off the cloud, although Rainbow would have described it better as "fell," and she fluttered haphazardly to the ground. Alone, Rainbow Dash reflected back on the plan. She had been excited, at first, when all she knew was that the plan involved sonic rainbooms. Now that she knew all the details, including the danger involved, she was worried. Not that she would ever admit that. Rainbow Dash never got scared. Just like she never cried. According to Twilight, special mirrors were the only way to cross over. That was why their last attempt to cross was at the Castle of the Pony Sisters, the same place the Twilights had traded minds. The mirror she had used before was still sitting there on the other side, waiting to be used again. For their new plan, however, Twilight had determined that the mirror she had built was too small a target. No matter how much Rainbow Dash had insisted she could hit it, Twilight refused, insisting she could build her own, on this side. Unfortunately, building a mirror large enough to make Twilight complacent was impractical. The other option was to enchant an already-existing mirror. Rainbow Dash looked out over the edge of the cloud at Sky Mirror Lake, miles directly below her. She couldn't believe that Twilight considered this the smallest acceptable target. If Rainbow couldn't make this mark, then she didn't even deserve to be a pegasus. Still, hitting the target was easy enough. Surviving was going to be another whole challenge on its own, especially considering what Twilight had asked Rainbow Dash to do. "You want me to do what?" Rainbow had nearly screamed when she had found out. "You need to be breaking the sound barrier when you hit the water. Preferably, you perform the rainboom as close to the water's surface as possible. The closer you are, the longer the portal stays open." Rainbow Dash had made the mistake of speeding into water before. "Let me explain something," she had told Twilight. "The faster you go when you hit water, the harder the water is. I can do it; you've come to the right pony. But at those speeds, even a pony as awesome as me will be shredded. I'm not invincible. See these wings? They're like tissue paper, and they break all the time. All the clopping time." Twilight frowned, and Rainbow had the distinct impression she was trying to develop an excuse. "You won't actually hit the water, though, I think," she finally said. "After the rainboom, the entire surface of the lake should be weak enough to push you through to the other side. You'll be reflected, like a beam of light. There won't be any water for you to hit." Rainbow had finally agreed, but now, as she prepared to jump, she had second thoughts. What if her fear of going too quickly prevented her from reaching the sound barrier? What if she couldn't break it, and it just pushed her away like it had done so many times before? She tried to see if she could spot her friends, waiting patiently at the waters edge to jump through after her. A bright light flared up on the ground, the signal that Twilight had finished enchanting the lake and that they were ready for her. Even though she couldn't make out any of the others, she swore that Pinkie Pie was eating popcorn. Feeling suddenly more powerful, Rainbow Dash smirked. She would do this for Twilight, and to put on a good show for Pinkie Pie. She leaped. For a moment she hovered in the air, and time seemed frozen around her. Even time had slowed. The world was just Rainbow Dash floating in the expansive cloudy sky. Then Rainbow began to accelerate. The clouds sped past her as she picked up speed. She recalled the name of each type of cloud as she encountered it; each new cloud type meant another layer was gone, another buffer expended. Some of the clouds went right through her, blinding her temporarily and soaking her coat. The temperature at the high altitude was much colder than Rainbow Dash was used to, and the strong wind chill didn't help at all. She shivered, the freezing water numbing her skin. She should have spent more time training, acclimating herself with the high-altitude weather. She had read somewhere that the Wonderbolts spent an hour warming up before every performance. She had always laughed at the fact and wondered why ponies as cool as the Wonderbolts needed to warm up in the first place, why they couldn't just pull off their stunts any time they wanted. Now, Rainbow Dash was wondering if an hour would have been enough for her. The ground was quickly approaching, and Rainbow Dash knew she wasn't anywhere near the sound barrier. She could only see the beginnings of the cone forming around her. She wasn't going to make it. Rainbow Dash squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the water racing toward her. She wondered if it wasn't too late to pull out of the dive; she'd made more ridiculous turns in the past. I'm sorry I'm letting you down, she thought. But sonic rainbooms had never been easy to pull off. She'd only done in twice in her lifetime, out of hundreds of attempts, and even then they had been in special circumstances. Both times she had been much to busy having fun or saving Rarity to think too much about her actions. Now, Rainbow worried that her self-awareness was causing her to slip up. She felt the turbulence of the cone as it rocked her body. In a few seconds it would reject her and fling her far off into the horizon. She took comfort in the fact that at least she wouldn't hit the water. But she still knew she was letting Twilight down. I'm sorry, Twi, she thought in her head. I wanted to save you. I really did. At the very least, she would have to get revenge against the impostor, make her pay for what she'd done, make it clear that she would never replace their lost friend. Except that the impostor really was Twilight, in a sense. It had taken Rainbow Dash a while to see it, but now she understood their similarities. Both Twilights had the same sort of shyness. They were both determined but stubborn, and they buckled under pressure. The false Twilight reminded Rainbow of her very first meeting with the real one, before they had become friends. Would it really be fair for Rainbow Dash to destroy all that was left of one of her best friends? Twilight Sparkle. The mare that had brought them all together. Rainbow didn't care about her first sonic rainboom earning everyone their cutie marks. Twilight had said that they were all bound together, as if by a thread, and she agreed. But it was Twilight, not her, that had united them when they fought Nightmare Moon. Without Twilight, they'd all still be living in Ponyville, but they'd know each other only by name and by the brief glimpses of when they passed on the streets. Twilight was the common thread. She was a hero, a stronger pony than Rainbow ever was. As Rainbow thought this, she saw the light penetrate her closed eyelids, the same spark she'd sensed so many times before, whenever she stood up for her friends. She saw her Spark of Creation and let it guide her. And she came to a decision. She was going to save Twilight, whatever it took. She owed the unicorn this one. Even if she failed today, she'd try again tomorrow, and the next day, and so on until she found a way to repay her debt. Yards above the water's surface, the world exploded in every color of the rainbow. From atop her home within the Everfree Forest, Zecora watched the display of colors that rose above the canopy. She doubted a single pony in Ponyville would miss it. She smiled, but she was unable to mask the concern in her eyes. All she could do now was hope for the best. She began rhyming quietly. "And so begins young Twilight's path To find herself, her better half Who waits beneath the vengeful moon And prays the light will reach her soon. Across the stars, another world Is filled with stories not yet told There's so much nopony knows In a world without rainbows." She had promised to deliver the letter over a year ago, but because of her own decision, she had no means of doing so. And so she had passed it along, hoping that Twilight and her friends would succeed where she failed. Everything depended on Fluttershy now. In the skies above Ponyville, the mailpony stopped mid-flight to watch the rainboom as it expanded outward across the sky below her. For once her eyes were both looking in the same direction, watching the six ponies assembled at Sky Mirror Lake as they dove into the lake, one after the other. Ditzy realized that the image was probably more beautiful for her than for any other pony lucky enough to see it. She wished she could stay and watch it longer, but she was on a tight schedule. The mail wasn't going to deliver itself, after all. Her job wasn't the most fulfilling, but it payed the bills. More importantly, it allowed her to get a good view of everything that happened in Ponyville, especially when everypony thought she was a fool and paid her no mind. She'd have to pop around later, after the route was done. Ditzy Doo resumed her flight, trying to think about what she would be making for dinner. Probably something with muffins. Dinky loved muffins almost as much as she did. One of her eyes shifted downward, spotting movement in the street below her. She recognized the ponies almost immediately. This was certainly something that demanded her attention. The mailpony flew down to join them. MOONSIDE The history of teleportation had always fascinated Twilight, and she had written many papers on the topic during her time at the Hoofington Wizardry Academy. Or maybe it was Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. One or the other. In the beginning of its development, teleportation magic wasn't invented but rather discovered. Various magical creatures had the skill figured out long before unicorns ever put their hoof to replicating it, and for sorcerers, ponies of innate magical skill, it was often just as easy. However, for the wizards, the learned mages who gained their powers through study, emulating what they saw in nature proved to be quite difficult. The early trials had side-effects on nearly all the unicorns who attempted it. The lucky ones would reappear with heavy foreign accents, or recolored manes. The unlucky ponies would return disfigured or not at all. Mass teleportation spells were even more error prone. In time, the spells became refined and more stable, but the process was still not completely flawless. While Twilight was better at the spell than most ponies, a feat Celestia often attributed to her double status as a student of magic and a source of great magical potential, she was still often disoriented after teleporting under stress, or across large distances. The instability and unreliability of teleportation was probably another warning sign Twilight should have listened to before she had attempted to transfer Stone Wall to the other side. She could feel a dull throbbing pressure in the back of her head, and her vision seemed to come and go with her heartbeat, sharpening and blurring the outlines of the angular rocky hillside around her. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the pain to go away. The air was thinner than it had been a moment ago, something that would have gone unnoticed had the change not been so abrupt. She was at a higher altitude, probably in the mountains somewhere. She hadn't bothered to specify a destination for the spell; she had been in such a rush to leave. She wondered what part of her subconscious had brought her here, or if her location had just been due to chance. Also, somepony was calling her name repeatedly, but in Twilight's confusion and pain, she didn't really consider that to be a high priority. Still, it was annoying and distracting her from sleep, so she figured she might as well make it shut up. Looking up, she saw an orange earth pony glancing down at her in confusion. She recognized the mare almost immediately as her good friend Madam Orange, although she seemed to have grown out her hair quite a bit since the last time they had seen each other; it now fell over her shoulders in a ponytail. A couple of other ponies were gathered behind her. "Twilight?" asked Madam Orange, her voice thick with an unfamiliar accent. "You alive down there?" She was desperate, choking on her own words as she forced them out. Twilight smiled, and she chuckled as hard as her battered and bruised body would allow. Her reverberating chest hurt as it rubbed against the hard rock. "Madam Orange?" she managed weakly. The orange earth pony stared blankly. "Beg pardon?" she asked, taking a step back nervously. Twilight's heart was racing in her chest, and she felt a giddiness rising up in her, despite her exhaustion. Madam Orange wasn't like Silver Shield. She was gentle, like a mother. Those under her care were safe. Twilight could never remember feeling afraid around her. They were rivals. Twilight liked to think they might even be soulmates. She smiled and then gave up struggling against the rising tide of darkness. Everything was going to be alright. Applejack didn't know what to say. She had been looking forward to her reunion with Twilight, hoping they would find her alive but aware of the possibility that they wouldn't. And she did have to give the other Twilight credit; she had known exactly where to find her counterpart. Applejack had spent their climb up the mountain planning exactly what to say should they be reunited, and now that they had, none of her pre-formed words could address the situation. The unicorn's health hadn't exactly filled her with much hope, either. She had bandages across her face that were beginning to slip, revealing the long gashes beneath them. Still, prior experience had now given Applejack a pony to turn to when things got strange. "Twilight?" she asked. After a pause during which the purple unicorn in front of her stirred slightly, another voice behind her spoke up as it realized Applejack was addressing her. "Applejack?" In a dry monotone, the earth pony asked, "Who's Madam Orange?" Behind Twilight, the four other ponies exchanged confused and worried looks. Twilight fidgeted, feeling the other ponies' eyes on her. It was strange for her to hear those words said by Applejack, even if they had different accents. "She's you." Applejack scowled darkly. With two words, Twilight had managed to change the entire game. Applejack berated herself for being so stupid. She knew that there was a second Twilight, and that they were venturing into her world, but the true impact of that journey, the discovery that there were alternate versions of themselves, hadn't really been in the front of Applejack's mind. Once the shock faded, she realized that she still had questions, but Rainbow Dash beat her to it. "Wait a tick. Why would Twilight get Applejack mixed up with her? Wouldn't it be the other way around?" "Um, excuse me," muttered Fluttershy, but nopony heard her. Twilight felt like her mouth was glued to the roof of her mouth. Even if she wanted to tell the others her theory, she knew they wouldn't want to hear it, and a part of her was demanding she keep quiet. But the six pairs of eyes on her made her feel small and helpless. Applejack isn't your friend, Twilight reminded herself. She may look like her, but she's from another world entirely. She has her own friends, and she'll do whatever it takes to save them. "I think," began Twilight, "I think..." The glared became expectant stares, and Twilight couldn't tell if they were better or worse. She was on trial, and if she slipped up and said the wrong thing, if she was found guilty, she would be at the mercy of the court. "Do you remember what I said before, about how it was possible for the memory transfer to be one-way?" Rarity was aghast. "You didn't..." she breathed. "Not intentionally," cried Twilight, desperate to finish her explanation before they just decided to kill her. "But that's because of the way the spell works; it's not guaranteed to stick. It doesn't overwrite the original memories; it only suppresses them. And when we're not fully conscious, say, if we're asleep, or drunk, or aroused, it's possible for the host memories to resurface. That's why I thought she might be here. Maybe she saw my lab in a dream, or some subconscious impulse brought her here. But I was right! And it's been happening to me, too. I've been seeing her in my dreams." And another pony too, she added silently. She wasn't quite ready to share that detail before she'd had a chance to work it out for herself. The ponies considered this new piece of information. "You're saying Twilight's drunk?" asked Rainbow Dash. She moved around Applejack to get a closer look at the Twilight from their world, but her face went pale when she saw the gashes. "No," she muttered. "Maybe," said Twilight. "Or maybe she's lost a lot of blood, or she's exhausted. Madam Orange and I didn't exactly perform clinical trials when we designed it." She regretted the words "Madam Orange" as soon as they left her mouth. Applejack stiffened and held her breath. Twilight could tell that she was stressed, that she was trying to find an appropriate response to handle this delicate situation. "Um, girls?" repeated Fluttershy. "I think I know why you call her that," said Applejack, "but she's not me. I chose to leave that life. Even if I hadn't left when I did, I would have eventually. I wasn't happy there. If she stayed, she's not me." "Left where?" interjected Pinkie Pie, startling Applejack and Twilight as she seemed to have dropped from the nonexistant ceiling. "Manehatten," said Applejack. "She grew up there, didn't she?" "She's the city's largest entrepreneur," said Twilight proudly, even though she knew that pride wasn't what the situation called for. Applejack frowned, struggling to envision herself as an entrepreneur. She was an apple farmer. Always was, always would be. That was why she had apples on her flank. "Really? What's her cutie mark, then? A bunch of bits? 'Cuz it sure as hay ain't apples." "It's a martini," explained Twilight. "It's supposed to symbolize rhetoric. Persuasive conversation." The other ponies stared at her blankly, not seeing the connection. "You know, a drink to facilitate the negotiations? She's the drink. The fact that she likes it herself probably doesn't hurt, though." Fluttershy tried again. "I really think we should," she began, but she was interrupted by Applejack. "What are you going on about? I always stay away from the stuff. Stole some of Granny Smith's hard cider once, when I was a filly. Couldn't stand it and haven't touched it since." "Hey! Listen!" All the ponies turned to see Fluttershy panting and snarling. "Enough! Twilight needs help. We need to get her someplace safe. So stop arguing and carry her!" Her breathing slowed as she recovered. "I mean, if you want to." Twilight sighed, realizing Fluttershy was right. "The lab's not that far from here," she said. "I'll lead the way. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, you can carry her." The two athletic ponies each nudged their heads beneath their Twilight's body and struggled to lift her. The other Twilight focused, using her own energy to assist them and lift the body off of the ground. Before any of this nonsense with alternate worlds had happened, Twilight would have been able to lift her counterpart on her own, effortlessly. Yet since the mind-switching spell, she had noticed her power levels had decreased substantially. Magic power was like a muscle, she knew. Exercising magic daily allowed for increased output when the situation demanded it, and such regimens had always been a large part of Twilight's training. Other ponies may have called it inelegant or not befitting any civilized mage, but Twilight had learned at a young age that there was a certain level of force that nothing would be able to stand up to. She had spent her life trying to reach that level, and it was part of her motivation for acquiring the element of Magic. Now, after training her body for about a decade, she had passed it on to her counterpart, who had spent the same time learning to better manipulate magic. Now her counterpart had both power and skill, and Twilight herself had been left with neither. She wondered if the other Twilight had noticed this increased magical potential. While she was thinking, Pinkie Pie had bounded up beside her. "I was thinking," she said. "You're Twilight." "Yes?" "And so is she." "I suppose." Twilight didn't see where the pink pony was going with this. "Well, isn't that going to get confusing? You need different names. I'm thinking we should call her Sunlight. You can be Moonlight!" Twilight cringed at the nickname. It was a constant reminder that this world, the world without the sun, was her fault. "Can't we choose something else?" she asked as politely as she could manage. "Like, Twilight-A and Twilight-B or something?" Pinkie Pie ignored her, having already made up her mind. "We already have a name for the other Jackie, so she doesn't have to change hers. Now Rainbow Dash, that's going to be tricky. Moonbow Dash? No, no, no. I guess we'll wait until we meet her. Two Dashies, though. Can you imagine if they met? What if they challenged each other to a race? Which one would win, do you think?" Moonlight did her best to tune out Pinkie's ramblings. The crested a small peak and began a descent, approaching an indentation in the side of the mountain. The Twilight being held by Applejack and Rainbow Dash stirred a little. "Applejack?" she murmured groggily. Applejack almost started crying. "That's right!" she declared. "And don't you forget it!" "Where are we?" "Don't you worry about that, sugarcube. You're safe now. We're going to get you out of here." Fluttershy, noticing Twilight was awake, trotted over and nuzzled her cheek gently. "Yay," she whispered, her nerves calming for the first time since this nightmare had begun. She felt like Twilight deserved more, to know exactly how relieved she was, but she couldn't find the words to say and settled for simply burying her face as far into Twilight's soft stomach as possible. The group carefully maneuvered down the slope and into the cave. "Welcome home," announced Moonlight. "It's not much, but it's always been good enough for me. I'll fetch Zecora, and she can help you with other me. She's a much better doctor than I am. She's patched me up a few times, even." She then called into the cave. "Zecora?" As the group stepped into the shadows, Fluttershy was struck by the complete lack of visibility. "It's... dark," she said, summing up neatly what everypony was thinking. "Yeah," agreed Rainbow Dash. "How about some light?" Some small part of the proceedings disturbed Twilight, as if some ancient memory was flaring up but fading again before she could get a firm grasp on it. Moonlight laughed, and then she began beating her hooves on the floor. Two clops, a pause, and then three clops. The lights flickered on, and Moonlight was shocked by how much her lab had changed since she had last seen it. Her computing devices had been crushed and gouged in by massive claws. Furniture was overturn and in pieces. "Do you normally live like this?" commented Rainbow Dash. "Stay back," ordered Moonlight. Damage was to be expected, she realized. She had been attacked, after all. She cautiously made her way across the lab toward the tunnels in the back. "What do you think did this?" Fluttershy asked Rainbow Dash. "I don't know," lied Rainbow Dash, who had figured out exactly what had happened but was praying she was wrong. "I just hope it doesn't come back," said Applejack. From within the tunnels, Moonlight cried out Zecora's name. Fluttershy and Applejack shuddered to think about what she had found. Twilight didn't have to imagine. She remembered. The walls weren't slick now, like oil, or sketchy or faded, but Twilight recognized the scene, and she knew exactly what was about to happen. There was no explanation for how she knew, but Twilight was seized with a sudden compulsion. She had to act now or Moonlight would die. She struggled to stand on her weak legs and charged toward the tunnel. She began shouting her own name without realizing the absurdity of it. "Hey!" cried Rainbow Dash as she watched Twilight stumble over her own legs. "Get back here!" Then Moonlight screamed. Twilight, driven to do something, anything, but unable to walk properly, lifted one of the machines with her magic and launched it into the tunnel, hoping it would hit the monster that was now certainly towering above Moonlight, preparing to strike. An anguished roar informed her she had hit her target. Within seconds, Moonlight came bounding out of the tunnel, the large creature from Twilight's dream at her heels. It was large, taller than any of them, although not by much. Its four burly legs carried it effortlessly across the stone, its claws easily finding traction against the floor. Twilight imagined the wings would have shone like a golden mirror were they not clinging to each other in different angles with dirt and blood. She doubted the creature's blood was its own, and more of the blood was found on its talons and on the side of its large curving beak. Twilight had seen pictures of griffins in books before, and had met one in person, but nothing had prepared her for this display of ferocious power. The griffin's large eyes looked at each pony in turn before they froze on Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had recognized the claw marks on Twilight's face. Now, as she looked into her old griffin friend's eyes, wondering if she recognized her in return, she didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified. "Hey!" chirped Gilda in a jovial, almost seductive tone. "Glad you decided to come back for round two. And you brought company! What perfect timing; I was just thinking about getting a bite to eat."

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2011-10-10T00:12:36+00:00

2013-05-21T04:37:08+00:00

Act II - Part 7: Loyalties Trying her best not to cower in the presence of such a powerful display of savagery, Rainbow Dash wracked her mind for an explanation, any alternative to accepting that the griffin before her was her old friend. Maybe it was just someone else who looked like Gilda. That was excusable, was it? There weren't many griffins in Equestria; nopony could fault her for getting two of them mixed up. A tad racist, perhaps, but plausible. Except that Rainbow knew this wasn't true. The way she limped slightly on her left back leg when she walked, the result of a childhood accident she had refused to explain, and the familiar patterns on her wings, subtle but obvious to anypony who knew her well enough, were both signs told Rainbow that this was Gilda who was standing before them now, caked in Zecora's blood. And even if Rainbow Dash had been blind, she would have recognized the voice: gruff, with a hint of irritability, even when she was happy, and that small bit of genuine empathy that nopony but Rainbow ever seemed to notice. Rainbow Dash wanted to deny it, but she had been close enough to Gilda to recognize her. And now she was faced with a different dilemma. This wasn't her Gilda. The Gilda on this side led an entirely different life. For all Rainbow Dash knew, they had never met before. She looked into the griffin's eyes for a sign of recognition, but they were focused on the two Twilights now, switching back and forth between them. "What's this?" Gilda asked sarcastically. "Twilight Sparkle has friends? I did not see this one coming. Seriously." The voice, although familiar to Rainbow Dash, was so completely wrong. Gilda had always had a mean streak, but she was never this cruel. She was never brutal. She wasn't a killer. Gilda began a long circle around the ponies, looking over each one for a few seconds. "I'll admit, the Twilight clone is a bit freaky. What is she, your sister? Not that it's too important. I'll just kill you both, for good measure. The rest of you can go, actually; I don't care, and I'm not too hungry. You got ten seconds to make up your mind." The ten seconds were excruciating for Rainbow Dash, frozen with indecision. Too much of her mind was preoccupied with making sense of her surroundings. Whatever Gilda was doing, she only seemed to care about the Twilights. Twilight was on her stomach near the center of the room, Moonlight close beside her. If Rainbow Dash moved quickly enough, she might be able to pick up Twilight and get her out of the cave before Gilda could respond. Moonlight and the others would have to fight their way out, but the odds would be stacked, five to one. Four to one, Rainbow Dash corrected herself, choosing to not count Fluttershy. Maybe three to one, if Fluttershy was more of a liability than an asset. It was still a battle the ponies could likely win, but not without injuries. Besides, Rainbow didn't want to hurt Gilda either, not while nopony had any idea what was going on. The small part of Rainbow Dash hoping for a peaceful way out refused to let her move. The other ponies must have had similar thoughts, Rainbow Dash realized, because none of them made any move to escape. "We're not leaving," said Rarity, deciding that she should speak if the Element of Loyalty wasn't going to. "Twilight is our friend, and we won't abandon her." "'Friend'?" echoed Gilda as she walked. "That's really the word you dweebs are going to use? Twilight Sparkle doesn't have friends. She's a solitary creature. A poor, pathetic loser who spends all her time playing with toys so she doesn't have to admit she screwed up. I don't know what's worse, the things she's done or the fact that you're standing up for her. And now time's up. Pity. You don't all look like bad ponies." As she finished speaking, she completed her semicircle and maneuvered in front of the entrance to the cave. Moonlight grimaced as she realized too late what Gilda had planned. The griffin's show of theatricality was a distraction while she blocked off their only means of escape. Fluttershy, literally rigid with fear, backed herself against the cavern wall and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Twilight looked up weakly from the floor, trying to focus her eyes on Gilda. Moonlight swallowed, berating herself. She shouldn't have come back here. She should have known the creature would still be here, waiting for her. Pinkie Pie had stopped bouncing and was glancing around the room nervously, trying to find anything that could help them. Her eyes settled on a small circle in the ceiling, about a foot in diameter, from which light was shining into the room, and her face lit up, an idea forming. "You meany-pants!" she shouted at Gilda. "What's the big idea, threatening to hurt my friends?" "Excuse me?" said Gilda incredulously. "That's your defense? Your elegant, sophisticated, intelligent response is to call me a meany-pants?" "But you are a meany-pants! What did Moonlight ever do to you? You just want to boss her around to make yourself feel better, and you're nothing but a bully, just like last time. You haven't changed a bit. Who would have guessed you'd be a grumpy party pooper in both worlds!" Gilda's jaw quivered as she tried to process Pinkie's rant. "Moonlight? Last time? Both Worlds?" Pinkie continued, undeterred. "Well guess what, missus meany mc-bully fun-sucker murder queen? I'm not going to let you hurt my friends. I'm going to save every last one of them, just like I know they would for me." Gilda smirked, intrigued. "Really? And just how do you plan on doing that?" Instead of answering, Pinkie turned her head to address Moonlight. "Get ready to move when the time comes." "What time?" asked Moonlight. She was inspired by Pinkie Pie's courage, but she had no idea what the pink pony could possibly be planning. "Oh, you'll recognize it when it happens," answered Pinkie. "But I want to keep it a surprise for Gilda." "Well?" demanded Gilda. "Don't keep me waiting. I can't wait to watch you fail. But I'll give you an A for the effort and eat you last. That way you can the watch your friends as they get torn to pieces. So go ahead. What's your brilliant plan to stop me from eating all your friends?" "Five taps," answered Pinkie Pie. "What?" Gilda scowled but then froze as another part of Pinkie's speech registered in her brain. "You called me Gilda," she muttered softly. "I'm sorry, Gilda. I'd love to stay and try to turn that frown into something happier, but my friends need me." She beat her right forehoof on the ground twice. Moonlight and Rainbow Dash smiled, realizing what Pinkie Pie was planning. Rainbow stretched her wings, preparing to launch. "Goodbye, Gilda," Pinkie announced before she stuck her hoof against the stone three more times in rapid succession. The lights went out. Fluttershy squealed and pressed herself even more tightly against the wall. All she could see was Gilda's silhouette blocking the perpetual moonlight from outside. A shadow passed in front of her vision, blocking out all the remaining light, and Fluttershy fell, trying to make herself as small a target as possible as Rainbow Dash rocketed past. The rainbow-maned pegasus raced toward where she remembered Twilight to be, trying to reach her friend before Gilda got the same idea. She looped her forelegs around Twilight's, fumbling awkwardly in the dark, and a vicious, unnatural scream echoed through the cave. "Wrong move, ponies!" snarled Gilda as Rainbow Dash secured her grip on Twilight. Rainbow heard a rush of air from Gilda's wings as the griffin took off, launching toward them. "Hold on," Rainbow whispered to Twilight. "This is gonna get messy." Twilight's neck snapped back as Rainbow Dash threw herself toward the cave entrance. Rainbow let her hind legs dangle so she could measure her distance to the cave floor. She needed to be as close to the ground as possible, as she wasn't going to get much clearance. She thought she could hear Twilight's belly scraping the ground, but she ignored it and pressed onward. Injury was better than death, she thought as she tried to fit in the gap between Gilda and the floor. The painful sensation of claws digging into her back and becoming ensnared in her wings told Rainbow she had made the squeeze, if only barely. After a second of intense pain, she was free. Gilda could only turn and watch, beak agape, as Rainbow Dash extended her wings fully and carried Twilight through the cave opening and out into open air. Angrier than ever, the griffin flexed her wings and took off in pursuit. "Everypony into the tunnels," Moonlight commanded, seizing control as soon as Gilda was gone. Fluttershy, too overcome with fear to put up a fight, obediently bounded to Moonlight's side. "What h-happened?" she asked. "I thought she wanted to, um, you know, kind of kill you?" "Isn't it obvious?" asked Pinkie Pie. "She went after Twilight because she got them mixed up. She wanted Moonlight and went after the wrong pony." "Hold up a minute," added Applejack. "How would Gilda do that? They're two of the same pony." "Nope!" Pinkie Pie drew her hoof down Moonlight's face, mimicking the gash on Twilight's face. "Because Gilda marked her prey." "Fine. But instead of talking, shouldn't we be, ya know, running away from the slaughterhouse, and not cornering ourselves into it?" asked Applejack. "There's a back exit," explained Moonlight hastily, "a series of natural tunnels beneath the lab. Naturally formed and here before me. We can use them to put more distance between us and Gilda. Rainbow Dash can meet up with us later; she'll find a way." She started toward the leftmost tunnel, and the other ponies followed behind her. "Plus," she added, "there's something I need to pick up. The other reason I came back here." The path sloped down, and Moonlight had to dig her hooves into the tunnel to keep from slipping. She really wished she had taken the time to build stairs when she had been given the chance. When the path leveled out, she turned at the first opportunity into a new room, much smaller than the first and filled with various scrolls and magical components organized neatly on shelves. A few bookcases in, she pulled from a shelf a small circular metal object, slightly smaller than a pie plate. Rarity leaned in and read the name off the side of the device. "Columbus?" She looked up. "What does this do?" "A last resort," answered Moonlight. "It will bring us to safety." She lowered it to the ground and stomped on it. A crack sounded, and Rarity worried Moonlight had broken it, but it was still in one piece when she lifted her hoof, and a series of green lights were now flashing on the machine's perimeter. "Good. It's transmitting. Now we just to get where she can find us." "Shouldn't we be helping Dashie?" asked Pinkie Pie. "I mean, I told Gilda I was going to save all of us. Letting her chase after Dashie while we escape isn't exactly all of us." Moonlight sighed and furrowed her brow. "And how do you suppose we do that? Rainbow Dash and the griffin are locked in their own aerial battle right now, and you can't fly. Out of all of us, Fluttershy's the only one that could even reach them, and frankly, I really don't want to put her in any more danger than we're already in. So, basically, unless any of you know how to sprout wings, the best thing any of us can do is get as far away from Gilda as we can." "Perhaps we can't grow wings," said Rarity from behind her, "but what if we were to wear them instead?" Moonlight turned to see Rarity lifting a metal harness above her head. From each side of the harness a segmented metal sheet extended, strongly resembling a pegasus wing. "Tell me, Twilight," she continued. "Did you not mention this remarkable piece of engineering because you forgot, or was it because you knew we'd insist on using it?" Moonlight used her telekinetic grasp to pull the artificial limbs away from Rarity. "Because it's dangerous. The Daedalus Mark II is a project Madam Orange and I abandoned long ago. It was, well, unethical." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Unethical?" "The Daedalus binds to the user's nervous system. The integration is painful, crippling, even. And there are side effects." Rarity's voice instantly dropped. "And what," she growled, "makes you think I wouldn't do anything to keep my friends safe?" "I'll do it!" shouted Pinkie. "Ooh! Let me! Flying sounds like loads of fun!" "Thank you for the offer, Pinkie, but I should be the one to do it," said Rarity. "I've had experience flying before." Now it was Moonlight's turn to be surprised. "You have?" she asked skeptically. She remembered dreaming about something like that, but she had decided it was merely that. A dream. She'd had crazy dreams all her life, like the one where she was trapped in a never-ending snowstorm, or the one where she murdered Celestia. "Indeed. At the Best Young Flyers competition in Cloudsdale. I had the most beautiful set of gossamer wings I'd ever laid eyes on." "Even I thought so," added Applejack. "And that ain't easy." "And therein lies the problem," said Moonlight. "You're used to flying slow and gracefully. That won't work with the Daedalus. It's heavy, so you'll need to maintain a minimum speed to keep aloft." "I still have more experience than anypony else. If anypony's going to get in that thing, it's me." "Exactly. If anypony uses it, it'll be you. But nopony's using it, so it's a moot point." "This is not up for discussion. Now answer me truthfully. Will wearing that thing allow me to help Rainbow Dash and the other you?" Moonlight paused, trying to come up with any alternative answer. "Yes," she finally admitted. "Then put it on me." Moonlight placed the Daedalus snugly over Rarity's body. "Do you even understand what you're about to do?" she asked, her last attempt to get Rarity to change her mind. "Not at all," admitted Rarity. "Nor do I care." "Very well." The device activated with a soft hiss. Rarity gritted her teeth and screamed. Pinkie Pie started to move toward her, but she raised her head at growled, keeping the pink pony at a distance. "Stay back," Rarity warned. "Don't try to stop this." The wings extended involuntarily to their full length, an impressive span of almost ten feet. A grinding noise began from within the Deadalus, and Rarity's cries increased in volume. Rainbow Dash struggled to keep herself aloft. Her injured wings weren't responding properly, and she had to grit her teeth with each beating. She hoped they were only bruised and not torn. Either way, she knew she was going to have to land soon. Could she take Gilda in a fight? The two had fought before, when they were friends, but it had always been playful. Neither of them were actively trying to kill the other. And for all Rainbow Dash knew, this Gilda was much more skilled. Rainbow tumbled out of the sky, spinning in the air at the last moment so that she would be the one to take the impact instead of Twilight, who remained safe cradled in her forelegs. She felt the impact as Gilda touched down a dozen yards away. Rainbow quickly set Twilight on the ground and turned to face her former friend. "I don't want to fight you," she said as calmly as she could, although she knew her voice was shaking. "Then why are you defending her?" Gilda asked. It took Rainbow a moment to realize it was a serious question. Gilda didn't want to fight either. "She's my friend, like Rarity said. I don't know what she's done to you, and I bet it's something bad, but she doesn't deserve this. I have to believe there's a better way than killing." "What she's done to me?" echoed Gilda, surprised to hear the comment. "She hasn't done anything to me. Not personally. But that's just the way it is sometimes." Twilight raised her head and tried her best to look Gilda in the eye. "You're an assassin," she surmised. For a moment, Rainbow Dash thought she saw Gilda's impenetrable image break, the beginnings of a sympathetic smile forming. "Sorry, sister," said Gilda, regaining her composure. "This wasn't my plan. I always thought you were pretty cool, personally." "Who hired you?" demanded Rainbow Dash, but she was too late; Gilda's defenses were up again, her professionalism overriding any empathy. Instead, the griffin shook her head. "This is just the way it is," she repeated as she turned her back to Rainbow Dash and spread her wings for takeoff. Rainbow dared to believe Gilda was leaving. As Gilda took off, Rainbow sighed in relief, and then watched in shock as Gilda looped around in a circle, descending in a straight line toward the helpless Twilight. Rainbow let her instincts take over. Before Gilda could reach Twilight, she was intercepted by a rainbow blur that knocked her off target and send the pair of fliers rolling down the rocky slope. Luckily for Rainbow Dash, the pair stopped with the pegasus on top. "If you won't do this for Twilight, do this for me," she begged. "You?" Gilda's intonation was impossible to read. "It's me," said Rainbow, taking a gamble. "It's me. Rainbow Dash." "You," repeated Gilda flatly. Then, with rage, she screamed, "You!" Rainbow Dash had never felt as much force behind the griffin as she did then, as Gilda kicked off of the ground, carrying Rainbow Dash aloft with her. "Why in the world would I do anything for you after what you did for me? I don't owe you any favors, Rainbow Dash!" She dropped Rainbow Dash in midair and kicked her in the jaw as she fell. Rainbow Dash barely managed to right herself and achieve flight before hitting the ground. She quickly ascended to keep up with Gilda. "I'm really sorry," she said, trying to figure out the best way to phrase the question and wondering what the other her could possibly have done. "But what exactly did I do, specifically, to make you mad like this?" Gilda stopped flying and hovered in midair. "You don't know," she said dryly. "You really don't know. How did you think I would react after hearing about what happened at Buraq? Every pony I asked told me you were dead!" Rainbow Dash almost forgot to keep flapping her wings. "But I'm not dead," she protested before the full implications of the statement hit her. A coldness began creeping up her back, making her wings stiff and impairing her flight. It reminded her strongly of how she had felt during the Best Young Flyer's competition. Was this what it felt like to go into shock? she wondered. She was dead. "Gosh," she said softly, still trying to come to terms with the revaluation. She saw things from Gilda's perspective now. She was a ghost, a memory, and she had just walked right back into the land of the living. "Gilda, I'm so sorry..." Her words did nothing to calm Gilda. "I knew there had to be a mistake," she continued to scream. "I hoped that you'd found a way to survive. But then, why would you have never attempted to find me? Or even let me know that you were alright? I finally accepted it, that you were dead and gone, when you show up like nothing had ever happened, and you're trying to protect, of all ponies, her!" Gilda was acting hysterical, Rainbow thought. This wasn't like her at all. She was supposed to always be in control of the situation. Gilda was the queen of cool, and what was happening was completely uncool. Gilda shot toward Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow, still trying to come to terms with the revelation, didn't have time to defend herself. The pair plummeted, crashing to the earth and knocking the air from Rainbow's lungs. In the distance, through blurry vision, Rainbow Dash spotted a shape rapidly approaching their location. "Gilda?" she asked weakly? "Buck you, Rainbow Dash!" cried Gilda. "So no. I will not do you any favors. I will not spare the life of your girlfriend. You haven't changed a bit, you know that? You're still pretending to be a hero. You're still just a stupid loser who likes to go and get herself killed, and you're still asking for sympathy. Well, guess what, Rainbow? Killers like us don't deserve any sympathy." If Gilda was about to say something else, she was cut off by a streak of silver that cut into her side as it passed. The griffin hissed and turned to face the new foe, but it had already moved beyond her and was out of reach. Rainbow Dash, taking advantage of Gilda's distraction, took to the skies again and chased after the blur. She saw now its purple mane and tail flowing behind it, obscuring the white flank and revealing it only in flashes. With a bit of difficulty, Rainbow Dash managed to catch up. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Glad to see me?" she asked smugly. Rainbow watched as she attempted a smile, struggling against an invisible strain. Giving up, Rarity returned her gaze to the land in front of her, narrowly avoiding a boulder. "You're flying," said Rainbow Dash, unable to do anything but state the obvious. "Again." "I can't stop," Rarity told her, not moving her eyes. "You need to keep her away from Twilight. Keep her distracted until I can do another pass." Rainbow nodded and broke away, turning back to Gilda, who was examining the new gash in her side. "The hell..." muttered the griffin, as she clutched the wound with one claw and looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash barrel into her and pin her to the ground. "Ready to give up?" Rainbow taunted. A look of rage was glaring back at her. Rainbow Dash knew that this was her moment to attack, to cause as much damage as she could, to bite or stamp or claw, anything that would leave a permanent mark on Gilda. But she couldn't. Even to protect her best friend, she couldn't bring herself to hurt Gilda. The moment of hesitation was all Gilda needed to throw her off and send her tumbling. As soon as Rainbow recovered, she charged again. She had to keep Gilda focused on her, and keep her from noticing Rarity, or going after Twilight. Gilda, ready for Rainbow, knocked her aside with a sweep of a claw as soon as she was in range. Rainbow Dash struggled to her feet, snarling at Gilda like a bull. It was no longer about creating a distraction or bargaining for peace. Gilda was making a foal out of her. Nobody made a foal out of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow saw Rarity level off behind Gilda and speed toward them, the sharp metal wings reflecting the moonlight. Rainbow had already seen the damage a glancing blow could do, and she didn't want to think about the damage that could be caused with a direct hit. Gilda, noticing the change in Rainbow's eyes, turned to face Rarity, and her eyes narrowed. She had no intention of letting that vermin get another attack in. She flexed her wings and raised her claws, and she was trying to figure out the best way to take on Rarity's attack when Rainbow Dash tackled her from behind again. Rainbow Dash caught Gilda by surprise, but by the time the griffin hit the ground, she was already planning her next move. Rainbow Dash couldn't stay on top of her for long without forcing Rarity to give up her attack. After all, unless Rainbow Dash moved, Rarity wouldn't be able to get a clear shot and risked hitting her friend instead. Rainbow Dash counted the seconds in her head as Rarity approached for her second pass. Everything would have to be timed perfectly. It began to occur to Rainbow what she was doing. They were going to seriously hurt Gilda, maybe even kill her. Rainbow's breath came to her fits and starts. She didn't want to be a killer. This was never supposed to have happened. But it was too late to stop. Everything was in place, and all Rainbow Dash could do was escape and save her own skin. "Why are you doing this?" she begged of Gilda. "Don't make me do this." She looked into Gilda's eyes, trying to find that small glimmer of compassion, the sliver of kindness she had always seen but was invisible to everypony else. She thought she had seen it in this Gilda, back in the cave, but now she wasn't sure. Was this Gilda really so far removed from the griffin Rainbow knew that she would kill a long-lost friend to finish her mission? "You were my best friend," continued Rainbow, "my hero. Why did you have to go and become," she paused and made a broad gesture with one of her hooves, "this? Don't you care about anything?" Gilda, for the first time in the battle, was at a complete loss. She imagined that Rainbow Dash was offering her hoof, showing her a way out. But the rational part of her knew better. There was no way out of this world. There never would be. "I did," she confessed. "I used to care about something. A lot. Then she died." She felt Rainbow loosen her grip, and she seized the moment, kicking hard and throwing Rainbow Dash off of her, straight into the path of Rarity. Rainbow Dash didn't feel what happened next, but she heard it. The blunt, almost hollow sound of the collision and the sickening wet squelch that followed. Rainbow Dash fell, her weight bringing Rarity down and throwing her off course. One of her metal wings dragged into the ground, and Rainbow heard the metal being torn from the joints. Half of the wing, separated from the rest of invention, skittered along the mountainside at high velocity, narrowly missing Gilda. Rarity, now off balance and unable to steer, but still moving at only a slightly reduced speed, found herself carried by her momentum for a hundred more yards, her one remaining functional wing slowing her descent, before she touched down again and tumbled along the ground, over a steep embankment, and out of sight. Rainbow Dash didn't know how to react. Rarity had vanished, as quickly as she had appeared. The battle was back to Rainbow and Gilda. Rainbow tried to stand again when she realized she couldn't feel one of her forehooves. Slowly, and with intense trepidation, she looked down to examine the damage. She was honestly surprised the hoof was still attached. A deep gouge cut almost halfway into her leg, and the hoof at the end of it wasn't responding to her commands. She felt multiple other scrapes and cuts along her body, but none of them seemed to be as bad as this. She looked at Gilda to see the griffin's reaction. Slowly both sets of eyes turned to Twilight, neither combatant forgetting what was at stake. They ran, Rainbow to protect her friend, and Gilda to finish the job she'd started. Rainbow was much closer, but she hobbled, avoiding her butchered hoof, and she reached Twilight only seconds ahead of Gilda. She threw herself on top of Twilight, using her own body as a shield. It was the only thing she could think of, and she was much too tired to continue fighting. Gilda seemed fatigued as well, and now she became frustrated. "Step aside, Rainbow Dash," she demanded, her voice rising. Rainbow Dash hugged Twilight tighter, trying to cover as much of the unicorn's body as she could. "I said, step aside, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow Dash cradled Twilight's head in between her hooves, pushing the purple mane from the unicorn's eyes. Twilight's eyelids fluttered, but in her state of injury and exhaustion, she only seemed acutely aware of what was going on around her. "I'm sorry," Rainbow Dash whispered. "I'm so, so, sorry. But it's the only way. I can't kill her, and I can't let her kill you. I'll protect both of you, and this is the only way to do it." She closed her eyes and waited for Gilda's claws to strike her. She waited for Gilda to beat her legs against her defenseless flank, to rake her side and watch her bleed out. She tightened her grip around Twilight. No matter what happened, no matter what she was forced to endure, she wouldn't let go. She would protect Twilight, even up to her last breath. And even then, she would wish Gilda the best of luck prying her lifeless body from the pony she cared so much about. "Damn you, Rainbow Dash," she heard a voice say. It sounded like Gilda. It had to be Gilda. Rainbow Dash didn't care. Nothing mattered except keeping Twilight safe. Seconds passed. The seconds stretched into a minute. Finally, Rainbow Dash dared to open her eyes. Gilda was gone. It took another minute for Rainbow's breathing to return to normal. She sat on her rump, holding Twilight gently and watching her breathe. She had kept her promise; she had kept Twilight safe. But not without cost. Rarity was gone. Not dead, Rainbow prayed, but gone nonetheless. But Rarity was strong. She'd been in worse situations before. Even though she didn't like to get her hooves dirty, she would, if the situation required it. And Rarity was smart. Rainbow had faith that she would survive until they could rescue her. Rainbow turned her attention her injured hoof. It was bleeding rather freely, staining her coat and Twilight's. She knew she needed to get back to the others. Fluttershy would likely know how to treat it. "Rainbow Dash?" asked Twilight, who was once again coherent. "What happened? Is she gone?" "Don't worry about anything. You're safe. Just hang in there, and everything's going to be okay." Rainbow Dash pushed her head underneath Twilight's body and lifted her onto her back. Fortunately, neither of her wings had been broken or damaged to the point of inoperability. They hurt, worse than Dash could ever remember, but she could still fly with them. "Everything's going to be okay," she said again, straining as they rose slowly into the air. "This never should have happened," she added to herself. As for Twilight's questions, Rainbow Dash didn't have any answers. She scanned the sky and the ground, looking for any sign of Gilda, but it really did seem that the griffin was gone. Her thoughts turned to what Gilda had told her. The her from this world was dead. Rainbow Dash wondered if this was really true, and if so, how she had died. The fact didn't seem to bother her as much as she thought it would. What was the place Gilda had mentioned, the place where it happened? Berrick? It sounded vaguely familiar. Still, Rainbow Dash felt like she was taking the news of her demise rather well. It was something else Gilda had said that terrified her. "Killers like us don't deserve any sympathy."

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-05-06T05:07:20+00:00

2013-02-03T22:09:08+00:00

Act II - Part 8: Singlet Moonlight carefully maneuvered down the steep gradient, being careful not to lose her balance. “Come on,” she urged the other ponies. “We need to put as much distance between us and Gilda as we can.” The underground tunnels had opened up on the unstable cliff-side. The steep plane stretched downward with no obstacles except for the occasional rocky protrusion that looked as if part of the mountain had been wrenched out of place. The terrain changed with every step, from flat stone to mud to gravel, all equally treacherous and all the same dull gray. Above Moonlight, the sky had somehow managed to become darker and more morose. She couldn't tell why. Thick clouds had grouped in the sky, but it wasn't as if they had a sun to mask. The moon, which before had shown brightly, was now no longer visible. Maybe the clouds were hiding the moon, or the Ponyville Light, whatever that strange sphere truly was, had settled in for its nightly nap. Moonlight was trying her best to balance a desire to hurry and an even stronger desire to not die. Pinkie Pie had bounded ahead and was in the lead of the pack, miraculously managing not to slip. The progress of the other ponies, however, was much slower. Applejack was trying not to put too much pressure on her broken leg. Fluttershy, her wings locked rigidly to her body, was taking a minute for each step, prodding the earth with her hoof multiple times to make sure it was solid. Moonlight was trying to coax her along. “Why can't you just fly?” she begged as Fluttershy took another step, and then quickly took it back. Applejack looked back and forced a smile. “Do ya always get all blue in the face the minute things don't go yer way?” she asked. “You're all happy and chipper-like when you're in charge, spouting commands like, 'Let's put distance,' but you get all flustered the moment you ain't the leader. It's like you can't stand to be ignored.” “Are you this cross around everypony?” called Moonlight, trying to ignore the outburst. “Not really. I'm usually pleasant. It's just you, I suppose.” Moonlight grunted audibly as she tiptoed across the rocks to meet Applejack. “What did I do to deserve this?” she muttered under her breath. “You really want me t' answer that?” Moonlight landed in front of Applejack and shoved her face up against the earth pony's. “Will you quit grumbling and just take one for the team?” she demanded. Applejack chuckled. “I was about to say the same to you,” “Does this really matter?” cried Pinkie Pie, who had had enough. “The last thing we need is more fighting! We're already down three of us.” Applejack's jaw froze mid-swing. Pinkie Pie's voice was entirely void of humor. If Pinkie wasn't laughing, then things were serious. She started to speak up to defend herself, but no words came out. She had no words to saw. She closed her mouth, thought for a moment, and then started again, but she still couldn't find the words. “I know you two aren't getting along,” said Pinkie, the strain in her voice clear, “but can you please set aside your differences until we're safe?” Applejack grumbled. “I'll be nice if she is,” she mumbled under her breath. “Same. I'll show respect if I receive it.” Applejack turned to face forward. “Good,” she announced. “Problem solved,” even though it wasn't. For emphasis, she stomped her front hoof on the ground as she began climbing again. The slick gravel slid beneath her feet as the mountain gave way. Applejack, carried forward by her momentum, lost her balance and toppled head over hooves down the mountainside. Moonlight panicked, and her breathing froze. She hadn't been expecting this. “Fluttershy!” she managed to cry. “Grab her!” “I can't!” Fluttershy stood, completely frozen, in a complete panic. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh,” she began to mutter to herself. She wanted to help. She knew she needed to, but she couldn't get her wings to respond. Her legs finally began to answer her, and she instinctively backpedaled, trying to distance herself from the accident. No longer carefully plotting her course, she felt her too begin to slip as one leg landed carelessly, and soon she was tumbling down after Applejack. Not stopping to think, Moonlight reached out with her telekinesis, growing tendrils of energy that chased after Fluttershy and reached around her waist. Moonlight gasped as the air was knocked out of her, and she nearly lost her footing herself. Even though Fluttershy wasn't physically connected to her, she could still feel the pegasus straining against her bonds, being pulled along by gravity. She could not arrest Fluttershy's momentum with inheriting it herself. Magic could do many things, but it couldn't stop physics without proper planning beforehand. Moonlight felt her own hooves begin to slip. She desperately tried to regain traction, but in her distraction accidentally released her grip on Fluttershy. Freed from Fluttershy's weight, she fell backwards, losing the air in her lungs again and losing all balance. “Pinkie!” she called to the remaining pony still on her hooves. As Moonlight began to roll down the cliffside, she caught a glance of Pinkie Pie. To her dismay, the pink earth pony was rolling along with her, treating the disaster as some sort of game. Amidst Applejack's hollering, Fluttershy's unearthly wail, and Pinkie Pie's exuberant hoots of joy, the four ponies rapidly descended the mountain. Rocks and trees spun around the edges of Moonlight's vision, blurred and indistinct, coming into view and leaving within a second. She could feel each revolution as her back collided painfully with the rocky slope. She desperately tried to think of magic she could use, but she knew that rhythmic attack to her spine by the hard stone would have prevented her from focusing anyway. She let go of any remaining focus in her vision and she was carried downhill, off and over a sudden drop. Rainbow Dash scanned the ground below her as she flew, looking for a sign of her friends. All of the mountainous region looked the same, and none of it looked familiar. This had to be near the mountain, but nothing stood out. The cave entrance which had seemed so obvious from the ground was invisible now. How in Equestria did Gilda find it, Rainbow wondered. It didn't make any sense. She began circling around, increasing her radius slowly and searching for something, anything. The weight of the unconscious Twilight was beginning to wear her out. She needed medical attention. They both did. Finally, Rainbow swore she saw a splash of pink amongst the gray. Then it was gone, and she wondered if she had only imagined it. Really, it didn't matter. She couldn't afford to keep flying. She had to land, and if Pinkie was there to greet her, all the better. She touched down in the largest clearing she could find and began to make her way towards where she thought she'd spotted it. She rounded a corner and blinked, startled. For a moment she thought she'd stumbled across a mirror. The pony in front of her was also struggling under the weight of a purple unicorn, her head bowed low as she tried her best to provide support. Then Rainbow saw the pink mane. “Pinkie?” Fluttershy lifted her head, her eyes filled with desperation. “Help me,” she murmured before she saw that Rainbow was also carrying Twilight. “Oh, dear,” she added. It took a few tries for Fluttershy to get the fire started. Rainbow Dash was amazed. It never would have occurred to her to bring flint on their journey, but it was certainly proving to be useful. “What else do you have in that bag?” she asked, trying to make Fluttershy more comfortable before she brought out the more difficult questions. Like where Pinkie Pie and Applejack were. “Oh, not much,” said Fluttershy, her face flushing at the attention. “Food, mostly. Some medical supplies.” She eyed Rainbow's injured hoof. “Speaking of which, we should probably take a look at the hoof of yours.” “That's alright,” said Rainbow Dash as she quickly tried to hide the hoof behind her back, but the sudden movement made her wince. “It's fine,” she lied. The last thing she wanted was to spook Fluttershy with all the blood. A pony so scared of her own shadow would probably faint at the sight of such a gruesome injury. Fluttershy's eyes narrowed, a look of concentration and authority overcoming her. “Please, Rainbow Dash. I mean, I don't want to force you or anything, but please.” “Promise me you won't freak out,” Rainbow Dash murmured. “I'm an animal caretaker. That includes being a veterinarian. I didn't get the job by having a weak stomach.” Rainbow Dash reluctantly held out the injured appendage, but was surprised as Fluttershy delicately cradled it and examined the wound. “It's not too bad,” she concluded. “We'll need to disinfect it, of course. That won't be a problem, will it?” Rainbow laughed nervously. “Of course not!” she boasted. “Who do you think I am?” Her smile wavered as Fluttershy reached into her bag. Fluttershy rummaged about in the bag for a couple seconds and then frowned. Rainbow Dash began to panic. The anticipation was killing her. “Fluttershy?” she asked. When Fluttershy removed her hoof from the bag, she was holding a book. “I didn't put this in here,” she remarked, and she opened it. The contents were written in a neat hoofwritten scrawl. She flipped through the pages, trying to figure out what she was looking at. She recognized some of what was written. The Dragon on the mountain, Winter Wrap-Up, The Best Young Fliers competition. “The is Twilight's diary,” she realized. “How did this get in here?” “Can we hurry up?” asked Rainbow Dash, who wanted to get the unpleasentries out of the way as soon as possible. Fluttershy retrieved the bottle she was looking for, labeled on the side with a peppermint leaf. “Alright. Give me your hoof.” Pinkie Pie was bouncing along a rocky trail, the Columbus device grasped firmly in her mouth, when she heard the scream. Her gait changed to a quick gallop as she took off in direction of the cry. “Hold on Rainbow Dash!” she cried. “I'm coming!” Rainbow Dash clamped her mouth shut so that she wouldn't scream again. Her eyes were beginning to water. There were so many words she wanted to say, but few of them had more than four letters. “Rainbow Dash!” hushed Fluttershy. “You don't want to wake up the Twilights!” She froze up, trying to come to terms with the inanity of the statement. “Maybe one of the others will have heard that,” said Rainbow Dash through clenched teeth. “Yeah, or Gilda.” Rainbow Dash shut up. To Fluttershy, she looked like she'd been kicked. “What happened out there?” Fluttershy asked. “Where's Rarity?” “We lost her.” Fluttershy didn't know what to say. “Oh.” “No, not that!” cried Rainbow Dash, her voice cracking as she frantically tried to correct her mistake. “She's not dead. I hope. We just lost track of her.” “Same here, with Applejack and Pinkie Pie. What about Gilda?” Rainbow paused, trying to figure out the right words. “Honestly? I don't have the first clue what to think. She's the same griffin I used to know, but at the same time, she's completely different. And I think she feels the same way. She's just as confused, just as lost. I think that's why she let me go. It's so hard for both of us. Can you imagine what it's like to have someone you know, someone you're close to, someone you've shared so much of your life with, so many experiences, and then you run into another version of her where that's all washed away, like it never happened?” Fluttershy cast a sideways glance at the two Twilights, huddled together. Neither of them had woken up yet. “Oh.” The ponies sat in silence, trying to work out their thoughts so that they could have something to say. “What do you think of her?” Rainbow Dash finally asked. “Gilda?” “No. The other Twilight.” “Moonlight? I think she's, um, really intimidating.” Rainbow Dash balked. “You're kidding, right? You're the one who calmed her down back in the library. You showed her kindness when the rest of us were afraid to.” “That's different!” cried Fluttershy defensively. “It's like treating a wounded animal. You don't have time to think, because every second counts. You forget you're supposed to be afraid. She was helpless, so I did what I had to do. What anypony would have done, really. But Applejack was right. Now that Moonlight's back in control, I can't be like I was before. She scares me too much. And it gets worse.” “Oh?” Rainbow Dash, for the first time in conversation, had her curiosity piqued. “We rescued Twilight, but I can't help but look at them the same way, like they're the same pony. Which I guess they are. I look at her and I feel exactly the same.” “You're scared of Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash, confused. “No! Of course not.” Fluttershy paused, quivering, as if she was afraid to admit what she was saying. “I don't know! I don't understand it myself. It just so hard to think about!” As Fluttershy sat with her head in her hooves, attempting to regain her composure, she was startled by the sound of laughter. It started as a light chuckle, but soon Rainbow Dash had to stuff a hoof in her mouth to keep herself from waking the whole camp. Still, for half a minute afterward, Fluttershy could still hear the muffled giggles. “What's funny?” Fluttershy tried to demand, but it came out as more of a desperate plea. “I don't get it.” “It makes so much sense” said Rainbow Dash with bewilderment after she had recovered. “It's so perfect, and I hadn't thought about it.” “Thought about what?” “The recluse and the bookworm. Why would it ever be anything else?” She began laughing again. She smiled at Fluttershy, and then her eyes moved past Fluttershy, staring at something out of view. “Don't panic,” she said quietly. “But there's somepony watching us.” Fluttershy's attempt to avoid panicked failed. She dove to the ground, covering her head in her hooves. Rainbow Dash maneuvered in front of her, protecting her from the intruder. “Who are you?” she called. “Show yourself.” The stranger wasn't Gilda; it was definitely pony-shaped. But it was too far away, and in the dark. Slowly, the figure approached the fire. It was a unicorn mare, older than Fluttershy. Her dark mane flowed down her back, extremely unkempt. She locked eyes with Rainbow, and her face, at first tense and wrought with apprehension, flooded with relief. “Rainbow Dash,” she breathed, a wide and almost euphoric grin rapidly forming. “It's you. Good. Took me long enough; I'm terrible at following maps. Reading them, sure, piece of cake. Using them is something else though. Not really the explorer type.” Realizing that she had started rambling, she shut up. She reminded herself that this was their first impression of her. She was a stranger to them. “How do you know my name?” asked Rainbow through bared teeth. By the time Rainbow Dash had finished her question, the mare had managed to recompose herself. Professionalism had won out, and she stood tall. When she spoke, she did so more slowly, more controlled. “I know a lot of things about you, Rainbow Dash. You embody the element of loyalty. You'll always protect your friends in their time of need. You're one of the few ponies to ever pull off a Sonic Rainboom, and you've done it four times.” “Three,” corrected Rainbow. “Details. The pegasus behind you is Fluttershy, your closest friend. You both earned your cutie marks the same day, when you defended her honor in a race. That was the first Rainboom. That Rainboom, due to a series of interesting events and contrived coincidences, resulted in you, eight years later, saving the world from eternal darkness.” She rolled her eyes upward toward the sunless sky. “I suppose I don't have to tell you that I also know you're from another universe.” Rainbow Dash was silent as she thought this over. It sort of made sense, in a way. Had she never performed the Rainboom in this version of reality? It would certainly explain why Madam Orange still lived in Manehattan. Everypony everywhere has a special magical connection with her friends, maybe even before she's met them. Rainbow Dash had always considered this to be a blessing. Her Rainboom had made a positive difference in the lives of so many ponies. But what if this connection was a curse as well? Because she failed to make the Rainboom, Applejack's life had been completely thrown off course, possibly for the worse. But Applejack wasn't the only one who had been affected by the Rainboom. Twilight never would have become Celestia's apprentice. Rainbow Dash never would have met her. They never would have stopped Nightmare Moon. “Is that what this is?” she asked weakly. “This is what would have happened if I didn't do the Sonic Rainboom?” The stranger pondered the question. “Technically. The split in time goes back a bit further than that, but you're more or less correct. In this world, you did not win your race against that braggart colt.” “Why not?” Rainbow Dash felt insulted to think she would lose a race to those brutes, in any version of reality. “You were distracted.” “Distracted? By what?” “By me.” Silence hung suspended in the air. Rainbow Dash's frustration quelled instantly and left her speechless. “I think we should sit down for this talk,” suggested the mare. “I brought us some food.” A meal of campfire roasted carrots and potatoes later, Dash began to find herself strangely acclimated to the newcomer. By all reason, she should have been scared of this newcomer. Instead, perhaps due to some sense of familiarity she didn't quite understand, she had made the decision to trust her. “What's your name, anyway?” she asked as she chewed. “It's not really fair that you knew mine.” “You can call me Stargazer,” the unicorn replied, having already finished. It was much easier to eat with telekinesis. The fact that Stargazer had avoided answering the question hadn't escaped Fluttershy, who had been listening in on the few spoken words, but hadn't been contributing. “Is that your real name?” she asked. “No.” “Then what is?” asked Rainbow Dash. “That's hardly the most important question you should be asking right now.” “Right then,” said Rainbow, cutting to the chase. “You said this world is like it is because you kept me from performing the Sonic Rainboom. Why?” “It wasn't intentional, I assure you. But I was there, and that was enough. You see, I'm not like you. Or Fluttershy. I don't belong in either world.” “What do you mean?” “I'm a singlet. There's two of all of you, but there's only one of me. And that makes me dangerous. This is all my fault. I did my best to not touch anything, to let things go on as they should, but some things were unavoidable. Somewhere, somehow, I stepped on a butterfly. I altered a key point in history, a point that so many future events hinged upon. Your Rainboom was a defining point in time, and I broke it.” As Stargazer neared the end of her speech, her pacing grew less controlled and more sporadic, and the words seemed to be becoming more difficult. “I make the universe asymmetrical. I'm what's wrong with everything.” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were at a loss. They wanted to comfort her, but neither of them really were in any position to do so. Stargazer knew so much more about this predicament than any of the others did. Telling her this wasn't her fault would hardly be convincing. Stargazer looked longingly at the rest of Fluttershy's food; the pegasus has barely touched her meal. “Are you going to finish that?” she asked. Fluttershy fidgeted. “I'm saving it for Twilight. I didn't think it was fair that we got to eat and they didn't.” Stargazer shook her head. “Sorry. You can't give it to them. I can't leave any traces behind. They can't know I was ever here.” “What?” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash cried simultaneously. “Twilight is important.” Stargazer explained. “Kind of like your Rainboom, she has a big impact on the world. There are things she's supposed to do, mistakes she has to make, and I can't get in the way of them. I've interfered enough, just to balance out the damage I've already caused, to get her on the right track, but this isn't one of those moments. If she knows I've been here, it might throw everything off. I can't afford that.” “How can you know that?” asked Rainbow Dash suspiciously. “Who decides what's supposed to happen?” “It's my special talent,” answered Stargazer, earning herself two pairs of raised eyebrows. “In my dreams, I can see these important things, these critical moments. Things that have already happened. Things that need to happen. Different possible futures. But I don't know everything, Rainbow Dash. That's why I chose this moment to approach you. I could have waited a day or two, until you were in these mountains alone, but I wouldn't be able to find you. I wouldn't have the first clue where to look.” Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow, trying to synthesize all the information she was receiving. “But why did you come in the first place? Because right now, it sounds like you want to tell us what to do to clean up your messes.” Stargazer shook her head. “Nothing like that. This is just a social call. I'm tired of communicating through riddles and dreams. It's too impersonal and unreal. I just wanted to talk to a familiar face. You don't know how long I've been waiting to see you again, for real, Rainbow Dash. I miss you. I miss you all.” She stood and walked over to the two Twilights, both still asleep. “Hello, girls,” she whispered as to not wake them up. “Do you still remember the good luck charm I gave you all those years ago? Don't be afraid of it, Twilight. You've been groomed for a great destiny.” She returned to the campfire. “I should go, before they wake up. Thank you, Rainbow Dash, for letting me talk to you. And for not telling Twilight about me.” “What makes you think I won't tell her?” Stargazer's response was curt. “Because you won't.” She flashed a smile at Rainbow Dash, gave Fluttershy a quick nod, and closed her eyes, recalling the components of the teleportation spell. She felt herself lifted off of the ground as the magic flowed through her. “One more question,” interrupted Rainbow Dash. Stargazer lowered herself back to the ground and opened one eye. “Yes?” “Why are you doing this? What's your motive?” “I already told you. I'm not a spy or anything. I am merely attempting to fix the mistakes I've made. Call this an atonement, if you will.” “That's it, then? Set right what once went wrong?” “More or less.” “Fine, then. Goodbye, Stargazer.” The light began to glow again, and it increased in intensity until Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, she was gone. “Atonement my flank,” said Rainbow Dash after Stargazer had left. “She's up to something. What do you think?” she asked Fluttershy. “Um, I'm not sure. She seems nice. But, but...” Rainbow Dash smiled. “You noticed it too, huh?” Fluttershy nodded. “I've only seen one other pony with that cutie mark.” A couple of minutes later Pinkie Pie mounted a nearby crest and began racing toward them. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, overjoyed, rushed to meet her. After the longest hug any of them could remember, Fluttershy asked the question. “Is Applejack with you?” Pinkie, stung, looked at the floor dejectedly. She spat out the Columbus to speak. “I was hoping she was with you. What about Rarity?” “We'll find her,” asserted Rainbow Dash. “I'll scour every square inch of this mountain until I spot her. I promise.” The images were unfocused this time, jagged, reaching out of the darkness to grab hold of her but splintering into fragments before they could reach her. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, sounds and sights flickered through her mind, forming an incomplete image. Moonlight felt as if she couldn't move, as if a large weight was pressing down against her, forcing her back. The room was dark, except for a small sliver of light that was steadily shrinking. In a few seconds she would be alone in the cold and the dark. Again. She swore she saw a pony's face in the light. Angry. Hurt. It spoke a couple words, but she couldn't make them all out. One of them sounded like “Punishment.” Moonlight awoke, or at least it felt that way. Her sight was still blurred, crags bursting out at her from the edges of her vision, but their edges seemed rounded, blended seamlessly with the sky. Unable to learn anything from her eyes, Moonlight's first real observation was the heat of the campfire warming her side. She turned to get a closer look at the heat source, regretting her decision as soon as she exposed her previously heated back to the cold winds behind her. It was always cold up this high in the mountains, although her lab was magically heated. In front of her, three figured were huddled around the flames, a blob of yellow, a mass of pink, and a blue one that were quickly becoming more defined. Rainbow Dash noticed Moonlight first, and she nudged Fluttershy to get her attention. Her vision beginning to clear, Moonlight watched the yellow pegasus burst into tears. Then, silently and without coordination, the three ponies trotted over to her and embraced her in a hug that enveloped both her and her counterpart. Eventually the other ponies left to clean up the campsite, leaving the two Twilights alone. The other Twilight had woken up too now, and was staring at Moonlight with a analytical glare that made her feel like she was being dissected. “You're me,” said Twilight slowly. She had considered that this confrontation might eventually happen, but suddenly thrust into the event, her wellspring of knowledge had dried up on her and left her babbling obvious statements. Moonlight tried to crack a smile. She had no idea what reaction she was about to receive. Anger, fear, and bewilderment were all likely candidates. “Yes.” “I'm really in another universe.” “Again, yes. I don't want to startle you. Please don't freak out.” “Oh, I'm not startled. For once, things are starting to make sense. I've finally got a firm grasp of what happened. And you're not a stranger. I know you. Not only because you're me, but because I've been seeing you in my dreams.” She paused. “Why is that?” Moonlight balked. She didn't want to admit what she had done to Twilight, but she figured refusing to talk would be worse. “We swapped minds, initially. Our memories, however briefly, occupied the same space.” “Okay...” began Twilight as she mulled it over. “I'll take your word for it. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but you are. Which means I am, I guess. But that doesn't explain my dream about your cave.” “Excuse me?” “Your encounter with Gilda. I had a dream about it before it happened. Just having your memories wouldn't do that, would it?” Moonlight laughed, but knew it sounded fake. “You must be mistaken,” she said. “You can't dream about something that hasn't happened yet.” “But I saw it.” “I've been in my cave before. Maybe you saw something else that happened there.” “But I saw Gilda. And I heard Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy talking, but I didn't recognize them because you wouldn't have. At least, you wouldn't have known them like I do.” “Listen, me,” said Moonlight beginning to become irritated with her other self's incompetence. “You still study magic, right?” “Of course.” “Then you know that magic doesn't work that way. Magic is about making a specific thing that you want to happen, happen. It's not clairvoyance. You can't see the future because the future hasn't happened yet.” This time it was Twilight who smiled, sympathetically and genuinely. “Wow,” she said, managing to capture all of her astonishment and fit it into the word. “You really are me, aren't you? A me who never learned about friendship.” “What does friendship have to do with any of this?” “A lot. Because it was a friend,” and Twilight paused, interrupted by a sudden gust of wind. After it passed, she continued. “It was a friend who taught me that just because you don't know how something works doesn't mean it's not real. That a real scientist studies the seemingly impossible to learn from it, not to dismiss it. She taught me to be open to other things, other kinds of magic. You could learn a lot from her.” “That still doesn't change the fact that what you're describing is completely impossible.” Moonlight, exasperated, laid her head down in her hooves when she remembered something said to her just the other night, in a dream of her own. When the dog barks, run. And don't be afraid to follow your dreams. The first part was still complete and utter nonsense. Was she talking about a Diamond Dog? But the second part stirred up a bit of curiosity is Moonlight, and she decided to ask. “Hey, me. Have you ever been imprisoned?” “Imprisoned?” “Yes. You know, like as a punishment for committing a crime.” Twilight didn't have to think long. “No. I can't say I have. Does this have anything to do with my dream?” Moonlight decided to table the discussion and file it under her list of things to deal with later. Predicting the future was impossible, because the future hadn’t happened yet. There was no other way about it. Besides, it was becoming too difficult to focus with the sporadic bursts of wind that had begun roaring through, each one louder than the previous one. Pinkie Pie leaped a couple yards up into the air in surprise as the Columbus device began to flash and vibrate, and she slowly fell back down to the ground, shaking with the machine. Refusing to spit it out, she pranced over to the Twilights, her hooves vibrating to quickly for her to maintain full contact with the earth for more than an instant. “W-w-w-what's happening?” Pinkie Pie managed to cry, although her voice was incomprehensible beneath both the Columbus and the constant shaking. Moonlight groaned and pulled the machine from her grasp, causing her to fall forward. “Is this an earthquake?” asked Fluttershy, who was trying to back away from whatever was causing the wind, oblivious to the fact that it was all around her. “She's here,” said Moonlight, once quietly and to herself, and then she repeated herself more clearly. “She's here!” “She?” asked Twilight, confused. “Who's she?” Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, looking in all directions for the source of the currents, had finally decided to look up. “Uh, guys?” she interrupted. “What's that?” Twilight and Moonlight followed Rainbow's gaze. Twilight was frowning in concentration, while Moonlight smiled widely with anticipation, bubbling with mirth. Fluttershy lowered her head between her front hooves and hid. “I don't see anything,” said Twilight. She spoke slowly, out of fear of sounding like an idiot for missing something obvious. “Exactly. Where are the stars?” The stars were not completely gone. Rather, it appeared to Twilight that a single oblong swathe of stars had been cut out, leaving an oval of blackness. An oval that was slowly getting larger. Whatever was blocking out the stars was getting closer. Unable to tell how large it was, Twilight felt as if it would crush them at any moment. Yet it remained aloft, giving the unicorn an ever-increasing impression of its size. “She's finished it,” breathed Moonlight. “Last I heard, it was just theoretical, but she's done it.” “Again,” said Twilight, slightly more irritated. “Who's she?” “Somepony marvelous. A wonderful and inspiring genius. A visionary in her own right. A leader among mares and stallions, and the most dependable of ponies.” As the shape got closer, Twilight was able to make out the rotors. Four disks, one at each corner of the object, were shimmering, letting the stars shine through dimly. It took a moment for Twilight to realize they were rotating blades. These rotors were keeping the machine aloft, and they were also the source of the erratic winds. The shape stopped growing. It was directly above them, nearly blocking out the entire sky. Rainbow Dash launched, deciding to investigate up close, but the force of the winds from the rotors quickly knocked her back into the ground. A light appeared on the underside of the ship, for that was now what Twilight suspected it was. Like her hot air balloon, but many times larger. The underside, now clearly lit, appeared to be almost entirely a dark canvas stretched over a metal framework. A cabin was suspended beneath the sphere, itself bigger than Twilight's balloon. A rope fell, landing next to Moonlight, who neatly sidestepped out of the way. A shadowed figure appeared above, quickly descending the length of the rope, coming to a stop just a few feet above the ground. The first thing Twilight noticed was the pony's smile. She was adventurous, cunning, devious, and her smile reflected that. It was a smile that demanded full attention, and it prevented Twilight from looking at anything else for a good while. “Twilight! You're looking sharp! Amazingly composed, all things considered.” The mare's voice was pristine, punctuated, perfect. Only the lingering trace of an accent remained to betray her roots. She wrapped Twilight in a suffocating hug. “I'm so glad you're all right. Every Columbus we've built, I never thought I'd see the day when yours would activate. I knew I'd have to come myself. Why, if anything had happened to you...” She paused, noticing the other ponies for the first time. “And you brought friends! What delight.” She turned to greet Rainbow Dash, and Twilight noticed her body. The mare's yellow mane was tied up in a beehive, which kept it out of her eyes. he was missing a lot of the muscle Twilight was used to seeing, and she had become a bit pudgier. The bright orange coat sunk beneath her belly, and Twilight followed it down to the cutie mark on her flank, a red beverage in a margarita glass, complete with a olive and toothpick. “Your ship,” murmured Twilight, still awestruck at what was going on around her. “Yes ma'am. The S. S. Mooncatcher. I told you we'd get it off the ground. The perfect combination of rotary thrust and hydrogen cells allows it to change altitudes without having to vent or drop ballast. Truly one of the most remarkable of inventions. But then, you should know. You helped me create it.” Rainbow Dash was frozen. “Applejack?” she whispered. The mare scowled, as if the name tasted bitter on her tongue. “The name's Madam Orange,” she said, extending a hoof. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. It sounds like you've got quite a story.”

uberPhoenix

96

Gilda,Main 6,Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A World Without Rainbows - Act II: The Twilight Hour

The mane 6 are invaded by a world where Rainbow Dash failed her Rainboom and Nightmare Moon rules.

complete

<p>- <a href="/story/92" rel="nofollow">Act I</a> - <b>Act II (You are here)</b> - <a href="/story/5197" rel="nofollow">Act III</a></p><p>Twilight Sparkle has been forced upon a revelation. The life she thought she had is not real. Her memories are deceptive.</p><p>As Twilight tries to establish a hold on her new life, she realizes that her actions have consequences, even if she doesn't remember those actions. An embittered stallion eager for revenge against Twilight tells his story, and Twilight realizes just how precarious her situation is.</p><p>Meanwhile, and a world apart, a group of six ponies led by another Twilight Sparkle desperately search for a way to rescue their friend before her identity gets her killed. Rainbow Dash uncovers clues about her counterpart's past in the form of an old friend.</p><p>The appearance of an enigmatic mare with unknown motives threatens to complicate the rescue plan and warns that the interaction between the two worlds is more than anypony initially thought, for plans have already been set into motion.</p><p>Act I can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/92" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/92</a></a><br/>Act III can be found here: <a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://fimfiction.net/story/5197" rel="nofollow">http://fimfiction.net/story/5197</a></a></p>

everyone

2012-08-02T19:07:25+00:00

2012-08-02T19:07:25+00:00

Twilight had never been to Manehattan before. It was every bit as glamorous as described. The S. S. Mooncatcher had cleared the distance from the Swayback Mountains to New Yoke City in a matter of hours. As the airship approached the city limits, Twilight was caught by the beauty of the city. Towers and spires springing up from the earth itself decorated the horizon. Something itched in the back of Twilight's brain, but she couldn't place it, and it quickly became second in importance to the beauty of her surroundings. She ignored it. The Mooncatcher docked in a specialized port atop one of the tallest buildings in the city, and the occupants disembarked. Madam Orange led, followed immediately behind by the two Twilights. She seemed to be parading them, showcasing her star business partner for the world to see. Neither Twilight was particularly comfortable with this layout. The Twilight who was new to this universe was unsettled further by the guards. The term Madam Orange used was "allies." But they were definitely guards, devoted not to Madam, but to their jobs. Their faces, while not expressionless, were by no means welcoming. They had spent a good deal of time watching over both Twilights, perhaps because they saw the unicorns as the greatest threats, until Madam had specifically ordered them to give the girls some privacy. Neither of the Twilights were eager to challenge the guards, though, as all of them were armed with swords. Twilight had explained the situation to Orange on the ride, figuring that there was no point in denying the existence of the alternate universe when she and her counterpart were standing next to each other. She had explained that their one desire was to return home, as soon as Rainbow Dash had succeeded in locating their lost companions. Rainbow had voluntarily stayed behind in the mountain range, aided by two of Madam's pegasus guards. The identities of these missing companions was a detail Twilight had intentionally obscured. She wasn't sure how Madam Orange would react to the idea of her counterpart, and Twilight wanted to put this reveal off until she could find a good way to introduce it. Throughout her entire explanation, she stressed the importance of returning home, but Madam Orange had another idea. "In your time, you defeated the Nightmare Queen?" confirmed Madam Orange, impressed. "How? By exploiting a weakness of hers?" And so Twilight found herself explaining the Elements of Harmony to a very attentive Madam Orange. "We knew about the Element of Magic," explained Madam Orange when Twilight had finished. "Supposedly the most powerful magical artifact in Equestria, kept safe in Celestia's vaults. Or it was, until my Twilight stole it. We tried to use it against the Nightmare Queen when she first arrived, but it didn't work. We never figured out why. And now you're saying that we had only one of six?" Twilight nodded. "All six are needed to bind Nightmare Moon's power. But it's not just an issue of finding them. You need the spark to activate them. And for that, they need to be wielded by the right ponies." Something about Madam Orange's story finally clicked. "Wait. Celestia had the Element of Magic? The reference guide said the Element had been lost." "And who do you think wrote the book?" Madam Orange asked. "Although, where did you find it, then, if it had been lost?" "I had it. Inside me, the whole..." her voice trailed off. Celestia, you sly manipulator, she thought. You had that planned the whole time, didn't you? "I suppose the more pressing question," posed Orange, "is whether it needs to be the same six ponies that wield the Elements of Harmony." "I don't know," confessed Twilight. "I mean, I'm not the only pony who's ever wielded the element, since the princess used it one thousand years ago in her battle against Nightmare Moon." "Regardless, it might do us well to locate the other versions of your friends. If not for them to save the world, than at least to ease your mind concerning their safety." Twilight agreed, having been thinking the same thing, but the ship had docked before they could discuss the matter any further, and Madam Orange, noticing their arrival, refused to talk to Twilight any more until she and her friends were, in Orange's words, "a good deal more presentable." Twilight, realizing that she hadn't showered since she arrived in this reality, didn't argue. On arrival, Madam Orange's top priority was the health and well-being of her guests. Her first request was that they all get some cleaned and well rested for the trials they would undoubtedly face. As Twilight quickly discovered, Madam Orange's definition of cleaning was more meticulous, and many times more expensive, than anything Twilight would have come up with. She followed along, trying her best to enjoy the grooming and the spa treatment, but the itching in the back of her brain had returned. Something strange and unidentifiable, floating on the edge of her awareness just out of reach, was preventing her from getting the most out of her experience. All this, and Twilight still hadn't left the building they had docked in. It began to occur to her just how incredibly wealthy Madam Orange must have been. And it was while Twilight was having her hooves cleaned by a suave and sturdily built gray stallion with a foreign accent that she noticed the tapestry. It was made from a material Twilight had seen before, but only in Celestia's castle in Canterlot, and it was made up of a series of still images. Some of the features were easily recognizable. A number of houses dominated the center of each image. A small town, Twilight realized. A number of ponies were standing around the town, their backs to it. From the fringes of the tapestry, monstrous creatures, vaguely pony-like in appearance but with malformed muzzles and spindly elongated limbs, were clamoring toward the town. As Twilight followed the series of images, the ponies fought bravely against the monsters, but by the time her eyes reached the bottom of the tapestry, the creatures had won. In the last image, the town was completely gone, and only the monsters remained, scurrying away. Awkwardly, unsure of the proper way to address the pony tending to her, she asked him if he knew anything about it. He turned around to get a better look at it. "That thing?" he asked skeptically. "Some ancient decoration that was dug up a couple years back. Madam has a thing for antiques, so she scooped it up." This explanation gave Twilight pause. "Wait," she said slowly, processing the information. "The tapestry belongs to Madam? As in, Madam Orange Madam?" "Yes'm. So does everything in this building. Including us." The stallion probably meant she owned the salon, and that he just worked for her, but the words still made her jump. Madam Orange wasn't just rich. She was practically an empress. The itch came again, and this time Twilight knew what it was. How could this possibly be in the same world as the Ponyville she had been in only a day or two ago? Why was it that a couple day's journey by hoof away, ponies were very nearly starving, and here she was getting every square inch of her body cleaned? She suddenly had some more questions for Madam Orange. "Is there any reason you're asking about the decoration, ma'am?" The stallion startled her back to reality. "Besides simple curiosity, I mean." "No, not really. It just looks really familiar, that's all. Like I've seen it before, somewhere else. What's it about?" "It's an old mare's tale," explained the stallion. "Beastly ponies, called Shades, are said to live in the Everfree zones. Sometimes, according to the legend, at least, they'll venture out into the rest of the world, find a town or city, and devour the whole thing, including everypony inside. When they're done, nopony would ever be able to tell there ever was a town there." The story sounded vaguely familiar. "If they eat everypony there, how do we know it was the Shades that did it?" asked Twilight. The stallion sighed. "Congratulations, miss. You have discovered why this is a legend. A fairytale." "Where was it before it was here?" Something about the tapestry was grabbing at Twilight's attention, and whatever it was, it was pressing, important. But she couldn't figure out what it was. The stallion narrowed his eyes confused. "Nowhere. It's always been here. It was put on auction soon after it was discovered, and it's been residing in this room ever since." Twilight thanked the stallion and closed her eyes, trying to enjoy the rest of the cleaning. She failed. There were just too many questions burning in her mind. Some of them were for Madam Orange, yes, but during her time in the spa she had also created a small list of questions for her alternate self. Two of them were more pressing than the rest. How did I get here? And the most important one: What happened to Stone Wall? The next time she saw either her other self or Madam Orange, they were together, and Orange had an unpleasant surprise for her. "This is your bedroom," said Orange, waving a hoof at the open doorway and adding dramatic flair to her voice. "For which one of us?" asked Twilight. Orange paused, not prepared to answer the question. Then, she repeated the motion. "This is your bedroom," she said again. Twilight glared, slightly disgusted, before peeking her head through the doorway. The room inside was huge, and amazingly decorated, with giant patterned curtains covering a rose-tinted glass window that stretched from the floor up at least twenty feet. And although even the bed was super-sized, there was still only one. "Oh, it's just you," said Orange when Twilight pointed this out. "How awkward could it be?" Before either Twilight could respond, Orange turned, making her way back toward the stairwell. "Now, you two should really get some rest," she said, looking back over her shoulder. It was still five in the afternoon, and Moonlight told Madam Orange so. "Still, both of you two are running dangerously low in the sleep department. Don't try to deny it, darlings; you have exhaustion written all over the both of you. This is your time to relax, get on the same page. There's no point in trying to save the world if we're all too tired to think straight. So sleep, and then we'll come up with a plan. I expect you two have a lot of catching up to do." She paused, stumbling over the words she said next. "I'm really sorry about Zecora," she told Moonlight. "She was a good mare." Moonlight tensed, trying to forget the image of her friend's lifeless, partially consumed body. "Yeah," she said softly. "We need to give her a proper burial. She deserves better than to lie about in some cave." "And she'll receive better," assured Orange. "We'll do it her way. By her customs. It's what she would want, don't you think?" Moonlight nodded glumly and, without another word to either Orange or Twilight, turned away and crossed over the threshold into her new bedroom. Madam Orange tried her best to smile cheekily at Twilight, but Moonlight's weariness weighed her down, and she soon gave up and departed silently. When she was gone, Twilight followed Moonlight into the room, desperate to have her questions answered. It only took one look at Moonlight's downtrodden face for Twilight to realize that now was not a good time to be asking these questions, but she knew she was going to ask anyway. Nothing bothered her more than not having answers that were just out of her reach. Knowledge was power, after all. She tried to approach the subject cautiously, but she couldn't think of anything to say. In the end, she sat down next to Moonlight, embracing her alternate self. "I don't understand," bemoaned Moonlight. "Who was that griffin? Why did she want us dead? What did Zecora do to deserve a fate like that?" Twilight bit her tongue to keep herself from revealing that Zecora's only crime had been her association with Moonlight, that the unicorn was Gilda's intended target, not the zebra. She imagined Moonlight wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. "I don't know," lied Twilight. "You should have let me be the one to break it," mumbled Moonlight bitterly. Twilight didn't understand. "Break what?" she asked. "The news. To Madam Orange. I should have been the one to tell her that Zecora died. You don't even know her." "I knew the other her." Moonlight bared her teeth, irritated. "That's not the same thing, and you know it. She was my friend, and there was a good chance her death was my fault. I should have been the one to tell her." "Agreed," said Twilight, trying to calm the other her. "But you should tell that to Pinkie and Fluttershy, not me. I wasn't the one that stole your moment." Moonlight turned away, embarrassed. Twilight used the silence to pose one of the less harmful questions she had been pondering, or so she thought. "Why did I end up here?" she asked. "You said we switched minds, but that doesn't explain why." She saw Moonlight bury her head in her forelegs and realized she'd misjudged the severity of the question. "I was jealous," answered Moonlight quietly. "So I... stole you." Twilight was about to express her surprise, but she stopped herself. She tried to consider things from Moonlight's perspective, and she realized that, given the state of the world she was in, she would probably want to escape too. "How does it work?" she asked, because of both genuine curiosity and a desire to steer the conversation away from Moonlight's confession. "Do you have any diagrams?" For the first time, Moonlight's eyes lit up. "Would you like to see them?" Ignoring Madam Orange's imposed curfew, the pair, with Moonlight in the lead, descended the stairs of the building into an enormous room filled with books. "Madam Orange's personal library," said Moonlight as she gestured to it with a flourish. "It contains some information you won't find anywhere else, like records of the spells I designed while working for her." It didn't take long for Moonlight to find the scroll containing the memory-switching spell, and Twilight read over it with fervor. "You're not moving memories," remarked Twilight as she read. "You're copying them, with the expectation that the news ones will displace the old ones." This was a frightening thought, or would be if it weren't for the fact that the displaced memories were also being copied and the fact that such a displacement clearly hadn't happened. "Does this mean that every one of your old memories is still bouncing around in this head I'm using now?" "Not intentionally...but yes, probably. You can't recall them because your subconscious hasn't realized they exist yet." "Is there any way I can extract them?" She remembered the trick she had pulled with the Third Eye, but that was a glitch, and not something she could easily repeat. She needed some reliable way to finish the scene that Silver Shield had interrupted. She needed to figure out what had happened to Stone Wall without bringing back painful memories for Moonlight. "Recall them from your head? No. But you could just ask me, you know." Twilight tried to change the topic to Madam Orange's history, but Moonlight persisted. "What did you want to remember?" "It was nothing important, really." "No it wasn't. What did you want to know? I'll tell you." Twilight relented. Moonlight, hearing the request, swallowed hard. "I need to know the truth," clarified Twilight. "I know you agreed to fake her death, but if she's alive, she's on my side. It's something I need to know." Moonlight mulled over Twilight's words before finally hanging her head in defeat. "Close your eyes," she commanded. "And show me your horn." Twilight obeyed. Moonlight brought their horns together, focusing on the memory she had hoped she would never have to experience again. The jolt was sudden, and the shift nearly threw Twilight off balance. She felt as if an eye inside her, which had until now been closed, had suddenly opened up. At first, the sensations were meaningless chaotic flashes of emotion and sound. Her mind had no way to interpret what she was seeing. She forced herself to peer into the maelstrom, willing the pieces to come together in a way she could understand. The cave. She saw the same cave that had appeared so frequently in her dreams. Against the far wall, amidst a mesh of crystals woven into a lattice pattern, a pegasus stood tall, her eyes closed in anticipation. Two other figures, a unicorn and a zebra, stood at the control station ten yards away. Both ponies were nervous, but the zebra was worse than either of them. She kept murmuring under her breath, and then pulling the unicorn aside and speaking to her in hushed tones. Twilight could not help but feel the gravity of Zecora's concern. Still, she insisted, the subject was willing. If Stone Wall had no objections, why should they? It was a moment where, in hindsight, the outcome should have been obvious. The lesson of exercising caution was clear to Twilight now, and she realized how much her counterpart must have beaten herself up over this incident. She knew what was going to happen before the memory of her ever pulled the lever, and she discovered she had no desire to watch it unfold. The machine activated, and for a second there was nothing but the soft hum of the mirror powering on. The situation almost seemed hopeful, inspiring. Then Stone Wall burst into flames. Twilight, horrified, watched as the flames began on the pegasus's mane, charring it a dark black and staining parts of it gray with ash. The fire quickly spread onto her coat, and she was no longer a pony, but a vaguely pony-shaped inferno. Twilight tried to close her eyes and block out the horrific torturous image before her, but squeezing her eyes shut did nothing to stop the nightmare. The image came not from her eyes, but from their magic. She was seeing what the other her had seen, and the other her had kept her eyes open in terrified fascination. Stone Wall took a step forward before collapsing to her knees. And before anypony could rush to her aid, the sound of a large explosion rocked the lab, and Twilight similarly collapsed. Her head was ringing, and her sight had become blurred. She struggled to stand, to make her way over to the flaming pony, but Stone Wall was gone. In her place was a couple chunks of flesh and singed hair, with half a wing sticking out of the gore seemingly untouched. As Twilight approached, overcome with horror but unable to stop looking, she discovered that Stone Wall, or what was left of her, was looking back. A single eye rested on top of the charred remains, and it seemed to be looking directly at Twilight. Beneath the smell of the burnt hair, Twilight thought she detected something actually marginally pleasant, but she began to gag and recoil when she realized the smell was the odor of cooked meat. Defeated, Twilight collapsed again. Her entire face clenched up as she attempted to vent her frustration and rage, but she found no outlet. The only pony that deserved her onslaught was herself. Screaming incoherently, she levitated a rock from outside the cave and brought it smashing down on her backside. How could she have been so stupid? She lifted the rock and hit herself with it again. This wasn't fair! Another assault. She should have been the one on that platform. Maybe she'd use it on herself, just to get a taste of what Stone Wall experienced. She felt a soft hoof on her shoulder, and she turned to watch Zecora wrap her into a hug. And, not knowing what else to do, Twilight cried. The image shattered, and Twilight was back in the library. She realized that she really was crying, and she quickly wiped the tears away. Moonlight wasn't faring much better. "I'm so sorry," said Twilight after she had finally worked up the courage to say anything. "I didn't mean for you to go through that again." "I didn't know it had killed her, at first," replied Moonlight, pausing repeatedly for heavy breathing. "I dared to hope she'd survived. Zecora, your Zecora, found her, brought her back to her home. But her injuries were too great. Maybe, if there had been a mage on hand. Unicorn magic is powerful. It can even regrow lost limbs. Not perfectly, but enough to save a life. But there wasn't a unicorn to help her. She died that night. You deserve to know. I take it you've met Silver Shield, then, if you knew about this. It's not fair if he tries to hurt you for something I did." Twilight nodded. "So, were Stone Wall and Silver Shield..." she trailed off, the rest of the sentence obvious. Moonlight nodded. "Lovers. Yes." "Oh." Twilight looked down, and then: "I can see why he wanted to kill me." Moonlight shifted uncomfortably, making Twilight suspicious. Was there something she wasn't being told? That was the reason Silver Shield wanted her dead, right? There was the whole jury setup, where Silver Shield had read Twilight her charges. She still remembered his voice; she didn't think it was something she'd be able to forget. "One count of royal theft; grand treason; one, no, now two counts of breaking and entering; witchcraft; and two counts of murder." Two. Not one, but two counts of murder. "Moonlight," she spoke cautiously, not wanting to upset her counterpart further but knowing she likely would. "What else is he blaming me for?" Then she remembered something else. Something Pinkamena had told her on the farm. "A foal killer. Pinkamena said Silver Shield told ponies that I killed foals." Moonlight tensed up, but Twilight pressed forward. "Why did he say that?" By now Moonlight was biting down hard on her tongue. She would occasionally open her mouth agape, as if she was going to speak, but it closed before words could come out. Her breathing became even more intense, something Twilight hadn't thought possible. "Never mind," said Twilight. "This is probably really personal." "No," came Moonlight's reply with a level of conviction Twilight hadn't expected from the distressed mare. "I dragged you into this. You deserve to know." She paused, and Twilight waited tensely while she formed the right words. "I didn't find out until later," she began. She had to pause as she hung her head, trying and failing to combat the shame and choke back the tears. Twilight embraced her. "I didn't know at the time," she continued after she had calmed down a little. "I had no way of knowing, I swear. It was too early for it to be showing. But after Stone Wall... was gone, after your Zecora and I had decided to bury her on both sides, Zecora made a discovery." Twilight's jaw dropped. She had not been expecting this. But now, all of Silver Shield's rage made sense. "Stone Wall was pregnant," she finished when it became clear that Moonlight might not be able to. Moonlight nodded. "Silver Shield wants me dead, wants you dead, because you didn't just kill his lover. You killed his child." She paused. "I suppose that's why Stone Wall wanted to cross over so badly. She wanted a safe home for her foal. I wish now we'd been more careful, though…done more research. Maybe, if we had, we wouldn't have tried to send her over, especially if we'd figured out the real reason your side still had the sun." Twilight was confused. "Because we defeated Nightmare Moon?" Moonlight froze in surprise. Twilight swore she very nearly smiled. "What day is today?" she asked, with an air of cleverness that told Twilight she already knew the answer. As she should; it wasn't a particularly challenging question. At least, Twilight didn't take it for a difficult question until she racked her brain and realized that she didn't know. "Well, it was the twenty-third of Armonia the day I first came here, and it can't have been more than a week. The twenty-seventh, maybe?" Moonlight tried to play up her actions to overcome the crushing moroseness of the previous conversation, but she never managed more than a slight curl of the lips or a soft chuckle. "It's the fifth of Genidor. Didn't you see the calendar in the lab?" Twilight frowned. "That can't be right. That's still two months away. I haven't been trapped here that long. Please tell me I haven't been trapped here that long," she asked anxiously. "I missed the Grand Galloping Gala. The princess would be freaking out." "Relax," assured Moonlight, but her flat tone did little to make Twilight obey. "You've only been here around a week, at the most. And a week ago, it was the twenty-seventh. On your side, at least. Time doesn't flow at the same rate across the dimensional border. We didn't know that at the time, simply because it had never occurred to us to ask your Zecora for the date, or even the time of day. When we saw the light streaming in from your world, it wasn't because Nightmare Moon had been stopped. It was because she was still imprisoned." Since nothing could be done to change the past, Twilight tried her best to change the topic of conversation again, and lift Moonlight's spirits. The task proved much easier than either of them suspected. They were the same pony, and as such felt immensely comfortable around each other, as if they had known each other for years. Yet they clearly hadn't, so they had a lot of catching up to do. Twilight intentionally posed her questions in order to uncover where Moonlight's life had differed from her own. She discovered that Moonlight had failed the entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and had attended the Hoofington School of Wizardry instead. "How are Mom and Dad?" asked Moonlight, a question that gave Twilight a great deal of pause. "You do keep in touch with Mom and Dad, don't you? Even I still managed to keep in touch with Mom and Dad until they disappeared." "Mom and Dad are missing?" asked Twilight, shocked. "A lot of ponies are missing. Probably dead. But please tell me you at least try to maintain correspondence." Twilight was silent. "Really? Celestia's School turned you into April." April Bluff, Twilight's sister, had attended Celestia's school with her until she dropped out to live a life on the road, declaring "The bondage of society is too restricting to contain my undying spirit!" That was the last Twilight had heard of her. "I am not April in the least!" objected Twilight. "For starters, I graduated." "Your April quit school?" asked Moonlight, amused. "Mine was top of her class. Got a little too uppity, you could say. Started demanding to be called The Great and Powerful Trixie." If Twilight had been drinking anything, she would have choked. "I guess I really have been out of touch with the family," she admitted. Eventually, the conversation turned to Twilight's favorite topic, astronomy. "You like astronomy too?" asked Moonlight excitedly. "Of course! We both did, back when we were little fillies. Remember? On our eighth birthday, Dad bought us that glow in the dark star chart for our bedroom ceiling?" Moonlight finished the story. "And we got mad and threw a tantrum because the size of the stars weren't to scale?" "Yeah," muttered Twilight. "We've grown since then, haven't we?" "I still like the stars, though," added Moonlight. "Most ponies will look out into the vastness of space and feel small. The idea that there's so much out there that's out of their reach, that they can't touch and will never touch, makes them seem worthless and insignificant. But I don't agree, because it's all a matter of scale. I'm still the same size I was before I learned that I could fit inside the sun a million million times over. The world is huge, and vast, and even though I could never see it all if I wanted to, that doesn't upset me. Because it means that no matter how far I wander, there's always going to be some new sight to behold and knowledge to learn. I don't have to be intimidated by the stars or the moon or the aurora when I can learn about them." "Except the aurora isn't in space," interjected Twilight. "It's in the atmosphere, created by solar... Oh, Celestia." Moonlight peered at Twilight, awaiting an explanation. "Oh, Celestia," Twilight continued, "of course. How did I not see it?" "See what?" "This whole time I thought it was a riddle, but it never was. It was always meant to be taken completely literally. She wasn't trying to confuse me; she was telling me flat out what I needed to know, and this whole time I've been looking at it from a completely wrong angle." By now Twilight had leaped to her hooves and was prancing around excitedly. She managed to hold herself still long enough to give an order: "Me. You know your way around this library, right? Think you can find a specific book?" Moonlight inspired by her counterpart's enthusiasm, responded promptly: "If not, I'm a failure to library science!" "Good. There's a book we need to find." She paused, trying to recall the name of the book she had seen once, just a couple of days ago. "Ecological Evolution: Equestria in an Age of Darkness." Moonlight nodded and rushed to find the card catalog, but she stopped halfway across the room and turned, confused. "That book shouldn't exist on your side," she remarked, confused. "No. But I found it in the Ponyville library." Moonlight's jaw hung open, recognition showing in her eyes. "Is that where you met Silver Shield?" Twilight nodded. "Alright. But what's so important about that book?" Twilight smirked. "The cover." Madam Orange, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy sat around half of the circular table that filled the meeting room. Twilight and Moonlight stood tall at the other end, bags hanging underneath their eyes, but they were too excited from their recent discoveries to be affected. "Darlings," said Madam Orange before the Twilights were able to begin their presentation. "I thought I told you to get some rest, not spend the whole night planning some sort of show for us." Fluttershy seemed to have lost her focus and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Only Pinkie Pie seemed fully alert, her eyes bouncing around in her head as she anxiously awaited the report. "We have a plan," began Twilight, trying to be as direct as possible. "A course of action. And while I can't speak for all of us, you should know that I am now fully committed to staying and helping you find a way to deal with Nightmare Moon." As her planning session with Moonlight the night before had progressed, Twilight had become more and more certain that this was true. She began to see Moonlight as an extension of herself, and she realized that even though she had been dragged into this misadventure against her will, her own misfortune didn't change the fact that there were ponies here that needed help and guidance that she could easily give. The very least she could do would be to share her information on the Elements of Harmony. "Firstly," Twilight continued, "I believe it's imperative to find out as much as we can about the differences between these two worlds. If anything, this knowledge could serve as a clue to help us locate the First Divergence." "The First Divergence?" asked Fluttershy, who figured she may as well try to figure out what was going on. "That's what we're calling the initial split between worlds," explained Moonlight. "We believe that at some point, these two worlds were the same, or very nearly the same. But then something happened to send them down different paths. We're calling this something the First Divergence. And while we may not have the first clue what it is, my other self figured out a way to calculate when it happened." Twilight stepped forward. "Time doesn't flow at the same rate between worlds. It's not the same date here that it is over there. Yet clearly, before the split, there was only one side, with one date. Using Madam's records of other me's correspondences with our Zecora, I was able to make a graph comparing the amount of time displacement in both worlds. I connected the dots, extrapolated the lines, and got a date. Ten years ago, which places it about two years before the rainboom which clearly didn't happen." "Are you sure?" asked Fluttershy. Stargazer claimed her birth was the cause of the disruption, but she was much older than ten years. Of course, Fluttershy had promised not to reveal Stargazer's presence, which left her unable to explain her objection. "Not with certainty," said Twilight. "It's only a theory. But regardless, the more we understand about our situation, the better. Which brings me to the second point: there's a unicorn out there who's been giving me messages. I don't know her, but she knows me, and she told me something important, that the sun's wind can reach where the sun can't." "A guessing game?" Pinkie Pie perked up at the possibility of a game. "I thought so too, at first. But it couldn't be clearer. The sun's wind is solar wind, ionized particles from the sun. When I figured that out, I remembered seeing this." She slid the book across the table so that the others could get a good look at it. "It's an encyclopedia of sorts, detailing changes to the Equestrian ecosystem after the Final Day. What caught me, though, was the choice for the cover image." Fluttershy leaned over the table so she could see the sparkling Aurora that danced across the book. "All images in the book were taken after the rise of Nightmare Moon. At first I thought the author chose that image simply because it was visually stunning, which it is. Breathtaking, really. But I now feel that there was a second reason, an ulterior motive, as a symbol of hope. Can anypony here tell me where the Aurora comes from?" Madam Orange was the only pony to answer. "If you're going where I think you're going with this," she responded, "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess solar wind." "Correct. Creating an aurora is too complicated for a pegasus weather team to pull off. Solar radiation gets caught in the planet's magnetic field and is carried off toward the poles. Of course, as the wind approaches the poles, there's less room for the same number of particles, and they begin colliding with each other. These collisions create the light that we know as the Aurora. The point I'm trying to make is thus: If there were no sun, where does the solar wind come from? No sun means no Aurora, yet clearly the Aurora is still present, and so must be the sun." Pinkie Pie raised her hoof and waved it frantically around as she jiggled around in her seat. "So if the sun's not gone," she said when Twilight called on her, "where is it? You can't just hide a big giant ball of fire in your pocket, you know." "Exactly," said Moonlight, picking up where Twilight had left off. "And it seems silly to think that even a being with the Nightmare Queen's power could make the whole sun vanish. It's far too massive. But there is one place you can hide it." She gestured to Twilight, who placed their second prop on the table, a globe. "The planet is round, but only half of it is habitable. Thus, to shroud the world in eternal night, Nightmare didn't have to destroy the sun. Only move it to the opposite end of the planet. The antipode. Celestia's sphere of influence would be limited to the section of the planet where nopony can survive." "Very impressive dears," said Madam Orange, "but I don't see how that helps us at all." Twilight, now longer able to contain herself, spilled the beans. "I think we can talk to Celestia," she blurted. "By journeying to the dead half of the world? I'm sorry, darling, but not even my own guards are that eager to die." "Not there. Just to the Aurora. If I can tap into the stream of the solar wind, I may be able to contact Celestia, no matter where she is, based on her connection to the sun. If anypony will be able to help us in the battle against Nightmare Moon, it will be her." "Then I think we should split up." Twilight froze at Madam Orange's suggestion. "Pardon?" she asked weakly. "We already know that somepony's after your head. I hope you won't mind me saying that time is of the essence. Not to mention that the longer we wait, the more we risk the Nightmare Queen herself realizing that there are two of you, and that's an element of surprise I'd prefer to keep hidden." Madam Orange stood, taking charge of the situation. "The way I see it, our objectives are threefold. Firstly, to communicate with our lost princess. Secondly, to find the Elements of Harmony. And thirdly, to find the ponies that can wield them." "Actually," said Twilight, "neither of those last two should prove to be much of a problem. We know where the Elements are. Or, at least, where they were two years ago, in the old Palace of the Royal Sisters in the Everfree Forest. As for the bearers, I've been fortunate enough to run into five of them already. The only one we're missing is Rainbow Dash, and we'll probably want our Dash to help us track down yours." "Three groups, then" suggested Madam Orange. "The first group will travel to the Aurora in the Mooncatcher, and should consist of both Twilights, plus enough of my own men to fly the ship. The second group will seek out Rainbow Dash. That group should consist of your Dash, of course, so we'd need to wait for her to find your friends. And they are?" Twilight realized it was time to bite the bullet. "Their names are Rarity and Applejack," she confessed. Madam Orange smiled awkwardly in surprise. "Really?" she said, impressed. "So I've got a clone of my own to meet? I suppose I'll be joining Rainbow Dash in her journey, since she'll need a guide that's familiar with this world. I don't know how the other me will feel about meeting me, as keen as I am to meet her. I suppose the remaining assignments are left up to personal choice. We need a third group to venture into the Everfree Forest to claim the Elements of Harmony." "That spooky woods sound like a barrel of laughs!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "I'd like to stay with Twilight, if that's okay," said Fluttershy quietly. "Then it's decided," announced Madam Orange. "I hope you're all ready to save the world." Applejack groaned as she regained consciousness. The world seemed to be sliding around her, and she felt a rough friction on her back. Her vision was mostly of stars, with the occasional tree or crag coming in from the side but quickly moving past. It took her a few moments to realize she was being dragged through the mountains, carried on another pony's back. "Hello?" she asked groggily, and the pony carrying her froze, nearly dropping her. She craned her neck as far as she could, and she saw a dirty yellow coat beneath a matted pink mane. "Fluttershy?" The yellow mare recoiled at the sound of her own name, and this time she did drop Applejack, who landed painfully on the ground. "What in tarnation?" Applejack looked up at her friend. She tried to stand up, but her broken hoof hindered her success. Blasted hoof. If it hadn't been broken and in a cast, she might have been able to regain her balance back when she was with the others. "Wait. You're not Fluttershy. You don't have wings." The earth pony backed away slowly, hiding her face beneath her mane. This was definitely Fluttershy, Applejack realized. But she was acting very strange. She had no reason to be scared around her friends. It clicked. "You're the other Fluttershy, ain't you? It's okay. Please don't run. You got no reason to be scared of me. But how in blazes did you find me?" Fluttershy stopped retreating and looked Applejack in the eye. Applejack tried her best to take on a compassionate demeanor, as if to say, "It's okay. You can trust me." It must have worked, because Fluttershy opened up a bag at her side, removed a metal plate, and set it on the ground. Applejack stared, confused, until Fluttershy pressed a button on the plate and a shimmering column of light sprang up between them. Through it, Applejack saw clouds, and the sun shining brightly. "Where did you find this?" she asked, but Fluttershy shook her head. The time for asking questions had ended. Applejack tried to stand, and she realized rapidly that more than just her hoof was injured. Her chest was badly bruised, and a second leg refused to respond to any of her commands. She had taken quite a tumble. She resigned to let Fluttershy pick her up again and carry her. After a while, Fluttershy began talking, without prompting. She spoke slowly as if she wasn't used to it and had to get the hang of it back. "I found it in a clearing," she explained. "I looked through the light and saw a bunch of ponies. You were one of them. There was another who looked like Twilight, but she was missing the injuries she had when I treated her. And there was a pegasus who looked like me. I was scared. Really scared. But I was also curious. So I started following you. I followed you down to Sky Mirror Lake, and then you started showing up here, for real. I almost ran, but I didn't. I kept following you, at a distance. When I saw you fall, I knew I had to help you." "Where are you taking me?" "You're really hurt. You need bed rest, which is something I can't give you easily. So I'm taking you to some ponies who can. They're nice, nice enough that I can talk to them sometimes. They'll help you." "They? What they?" "They have a farm. It's called Sweet Apple Acres." END OF ACT II Act III can be found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/5197

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:15:25+00:00

2011-07-11T02:15:25+00:00

Number 12 Twilight looked around as she walked down the old roads of Ponyville. On occasion she missed the large cityscape of Canterlot . Though Ponyville was indeed nice, with it’s own charm, she could not escape that feeling of homesickness, the hustle and bustle of the city, the millions of ponies of all shapes and sizes, the buildings stretching into the clouds. She missed it. And yet, she had never been out of the city before her trip here. Canterlot and Ponyville were the only homes she knew.“Perhaps all I need is a change of scenery.” She mumbled to herself. “Ponyville is beginning to feel a little small.” The purple unicorn was shaken from her thoughts by a large boom. Something blue hurtled from the sky, leaving a trail of smoke in it’s wake. It collided with something in the distance with a thundering crash. Twilight stood, stupefied for a moment, until she realized the location the sound had come from.“My Library!!!” Twilight galloped down the road at full speed towards the smoke in the distance. *Theme Music* By the time Twilight had arrived in the town square a small crowd of ponies had collected around the tree which once housed the library. The left wing was in splinters, the smell of burning paper hung heavy in the air. “My books!” She yelled. Then she thought a moment. “Spike!!!!” More distraught than ever, she raced through the door, coughing in the smoke as she worked her way forward. The shock wave created by the object had knocked almost every book from it’s shelf, the whole library lay in disarray. The paper crinkled and shifted under her hooves, but she had more pressing matters to worry about. “Spike!?” Twilight looked around wildly. “Spike!? Please tell me you’re alright?” Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “Spike....” “What’s all the ruckus Twilight?” “Spike!” Twilight whirled around and grabbed the small dragon in a full body hug. “What!? Geeze, what happened to the library? I was sleeping then I hear you in here having a fit. What’s going on?” Spike tried to wiggle out of Twilight’s grasp. Twilight froze. “You slept....through the whole thing?” She leered at the dragon. “You slept through the whole thing!!!” She tossed the small dragon down on to the book covered floor. “I was worried about you! Uhg! You lazy reptile, not even an explosion could wake you up from your nap. Here I thought you had died!” “Ow! Okay I’m not! I’m sorry! Geeze, I’ll sleep more lightly next time.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “Alright apology accepted. Now, I suppose you didn’t see any of what happened did you?” “Nope, I went to sleep, I heard you yelling, woke up and here we are.” “Well,” Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Something came from the sky, and crashed into the library from what I saw.” She turned and headed downstairs. “I’m going to see what it was. I’d very much like to know the reason my books are in such disarray.” “Twilight, wait!” Yelled Spike. “You don’t know what’s down there!” “Well I intend to find out, one way or another.” She said looking back over her shoulder. “Fine, then.” Spike yelled back. “But at least slow down!” The object had cut a path through the left wing of the library down into the basement. In places, as they walked, embers burned in the scorched bark, charred grey and black. “Oh, my poor tree.” Whispered Twilight. “I know, it’s worse than I thought.” Said Spike. As they descended the stairs the smell of burning wood became stronger. Twilight and Spike coughed as smoke began to wind it’s way up the staircase, which had amazingly stayed intact. They came upon the thing that had crashed into their home. Smoke curled around it’s frame, It was blue, they could see that much through the thick haze. “What is it?” Asked Spike. “I don’t know, Spike, but it’s going to take a lot of magic to heal this tree, and I want to know why.” “Careful, Twilight! Spike stayed on the stairs as the unicorn neared the blue object. “It’s a....box....” Twilight said bemused. “and there’s not a scratch on it. I didn't think anything could survive something like that.” “Okay, it’s a box, now let’s let somepony else deal with it. Come on.” Spike implored. “Who else? This is our home, and I need to know what damaged it in such a manor.” Twilight walked up to the box. “Police Public Call Box,” she read aloud. “There’s writing on it! And windows, and doors! Spike, come here and look at thi-.” She was cut off as one of the doors swung wide, and the head of a brown stallion popped out. “Hello there.” said the strange stallion . He stumbled out unsteadily, he looked quite dismayed. “Dear me, four legs....that’s new. Well I’ve been worse.” he walked in a circle examining his body. “A tail! That’s certainly different. I’d say from the hindquarters definitely equine. That’s rather daft. A horsey Time Lord, look at that! Or maybe I’m a Timey Horse Lord, or a Lord of Horsey Time. I’m really not sure yet. Oh! And look at that, there’s an hourglass on it, never had a tattoo before, love a tattoo.” He looked at Twilight almost like he had forgotten for the moment that she was there.“Oh! Hello there! Can you talk as well? Perhaps I’ve just eaten some bad fish.” Twilight stood dumbfounded. “Hmm, perhaps you can’t, I shall never eat starfish again. Which is really a shame, because they are so delicious if you can get them out of the star at just the right time.” “I-I-I.” Twilight stuttered. “I-I-I?” The strange brown stallion repeated. “Is that what horses say here? They said ‘neigh’ last time I checked.” Maybe I should check again.” He circled Twilight, looking her up and down. “Why, you’re purple aren’t you? A purple horse, imagine that. Although, perhaps you’re not a horse, judging from the very large cranium and severely shortened snout. Those ears of yours don’t quite mesh either, now do they? Not to mention your hair is remarkably human for a horse.” “I-I’m not a horse.” Twilight managed to get the words out. The stallion jumped back “Fascinating! It seems to have gained the power of speech!” “It!?” Twilight yelled, offended. “Look Mr. You’re the on that cashed into my house an I want some answe-” “Well what do you expect me to call you?” “....What?” Twilight’s head was spinning. “If not ‘It’, what? Judging from the voice you’re female, what do you want to be called? How do you feel about the name Georgia?” “No!!” Twilight yelled, trying to get a grip on things. “No! My name is Twilight Sparkle, I just want to kno-” “Twilight Sparkle?” The stallion raised an eyebrow. “I like Georgia much better.” “I just want to know what’s going on here!” Twilight paused. “And it’s a fine name I’ll have you know!!” “I’m sure it is by this world’s standards, though it would have quite a different connotation on my side of the pond.” Twilight just stood there mouth slightly ajar. “Ah yes! How rude of me” “You mean crashing your box into my house?” The stallion looked around seemingly surprised to see the crash. “Oh yeah, that too I suppose, but I haven’t introduced myself.” The stallion attempted to bow. “I am, The Doctor.” upon finishing that he fell on flat on his face. “The gravity must be weird here.” Twilight had had about enough of this nonsense. “Look here ‘Doctor’ you’ve destroyed my home, my books and about an hour of my time with your box and your ramblings. Now will you tell me, What.Is.Going.On?” “Going on?” The stallion looked confused. “Whatever do you mean?” He looked around, upon looking behind Twilight his eyes shot wide. He leaned in close and whispered. “Do you mean the reptile behind you? Don’t be alarmed, it looks like it’s only a baby. Looks remarkably like a dragon doesn’t it? Twilight tried to respond, but he was off like a rocket to the stairs where Spike cowered. “Well, isn’t this curious!” He turned to Twilight. “Don’t be alarmed my dear, but I believe this is a dragon!” “Well what did you think I was, a salamander?” Spike bolstered his courage, and stepped up to the stallion . “Oh my! Now this is fascinating! He has the power of speech as well!” He looked back at Twilight. “Are you seeing this, Evening Glitter?” “That’s Twilight Sparkle.” She said exasperated, “And that’s Spike, he always talks.” Twilight marched up to the stallion , and put her nose against his. “Now tell me, really, who doesn’t know that? Who are you?” Suddenly the stallion looked like he was going to be sick. “I’m *Burp*” at that, a small coil of golden smoke made it’s way from his mouth. He swayed back and forth. Twilight and Spike jumped back. “Excuse me, sorry, it appears I’m not quite ready yet.” he swayed still more as he spoke. “But as I told you, Morning Glory, I’m the,” He fell to the floor. “Doctor...” he whispered. Then he was out cold. “What a werido,” Groaned Spike as he and Twilight hauled the unconscious stallion up the stairs. “A heavy weirdo.” They shuffled over to the couch, and dumped him there. “Weird or not, I’m getting some answers from him when he wakes up.” said Twilight “This is all far too strange. None of my magic seems to wake him, and the tree won’t heal where that Celestia forsaken box is.” She signed. “How did he fit in there anyway? It looks too small to hide somepony of his size and none of my magic will open it.” “Well, perhaps we should turn him over to the Mayor?” Spike suggested. “She could probably use her pull to get more answers than we can. Plus he did destroy your library.” Twilight looked over at the stallion slumped on the couch. His chest rose and fell in slow breaths. “I suppose we could do that.” she pondered “But I’d really like to give him a chance to explain himself before we go turning him over. Even if he does deserve the trouble.” “Fine, but he’d better wake up soon.” As Spike spoke, the Stallion’s mouth opened, and more golden smoke poured out. “And he’d better stop doing that.” Above Ponyville, a small hole opened in the sky. A creature slowly floated downwards. The observer would would notice it looked a lot like a Pegasus pony made of stone. It’s abnormally large wings covering it’s eyes. Then it was gone. Twilight Sparkle sat watching her ‘guest’ as Spike slept nearby. His chest continued to rise and fall, if a bit fitfully. Every now and again a stream of golden smoke would roll from his mouth into the air. “What is that stuff?” she wondered aloud. “Oh, I hope he’s not sick...” Twilight trotted up to him, and nudged him with a forehoof. He didn’t respond. “Hello? Can you hear me? You owe me some explanations.” She poked him again. “Mr.Bluebox?” Still he lay unmoving. Twilight put her ear against his chest. “It’s beating at least.” she paused. “But that’s odd.” she moved her head to the left. “There’s four beats....” Twilight, nudged Spike. “Hubawah? No I don’t want opals, gemstones please.” he mumbled. “Spike, wake up!” “What! what!” Spike was jumped, up. “What is it!” “Listen to his heart. I think it sounds...funny..” Said Twilight. “Funny? Like funny ‘ha-ha’ or like funny ‘oh-no’?” “Will you just listen?” She shoved the small dragon towards the couch. “Okay, okay, geeze.” Spike put his head to the Stallion’s chest. “Do you hear it?” Asked Twilight. “Yeah! That’s so weird! It’s like a funky drumbeat!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Spike, this is serious. A pony’s heart shouldn’t sound like that. Maybe there’s something wrong with him, maybe we should take him to a doctor.” Suddenly the stallion’s head shot up. Eye’s wide awake. “You called?” Twilight and Spike yelped jumping back. “What!?” Twilight yelled. “You said Doctor, do you need my help?” “What? No! Do you need any help?” The stallion looked confused. “Well why would I need any help?” “It’s your heart.” said Twilight. “it’s beating fun-” “Hearts.” he interrupted. “What?” “Hearts, plural, I’ve got two.” Twilight began to get annoyed. “Look mister, I’ve read several books on the subject, and ponies only have one heart that I’m su-” “So you don’t need me?” He interrupted looking at her like she’d just drooled on the floor. “No!!” She yelled in exasperation. “Okay then.” The stallion fell back, unconscious. “No! Wait! I mean yes! Yes I do need you! You haven’t answered any of my questions! He didn’t move. “What is wrong with this pony!!” Twilight screamed. “Perhaps he hit his head in the crash?” Spike suggested.“Either way, this is getting us nowhere, he’s a loon. Everyone knows only manticore’s have more than one heart, and they’ve got three. I bet that pony couldn’t find his tail with a map. Let’s dump him outside and get back to cleaning up the library.” “Spike!” Said Twilight, aghast. “Though I admit that while he’s unconscious cleaning the library takes top priority, he’s obviously unwell, we cannot simply ‘dump’ him outside, no matter how much of a loon he seems to be.” “Fine, fine, fine,” Spike conceded. “but if he’s not awake in the morning, we’re calling someone.” “Fine by me.” Said Twilight. “Somepony’s gotta make the stormy nights.” Night Sift mumbled to himself as he moved the clouds into position over the moon. Most other Pegasus Ponies were asleep, so it was his job to make the night time storms. It was hard work, but he was most active during the night, and a strong pony to boot. He worked diligently, though there was very little thanks. “I suppose that’s it.” he said finishing up. Since he was mostly the only one active at night, he had developed a habit of talking to himself. “Time to head in.” He said glumly. The gray and black Pegasus flew down to seek shelter from the coming rain. Something rustled in the bushes near the cakeshop. “Hello?” He asked mildly. “Is someone over there? It’s about to storm, I’d get inside if I was you.” The rustling stopped, everything was silent. “Must’a been some animal.” He shook his head. “No one besides the coons are ever awake this late but me.” he turned around and marched for home, The rustling started again. Near the spa, closer this time. “Huh, if I didn’t know better, you’d think I was being followed.” The rain began falling lightly. “Never been followed before.” The rustling was closer this time. “Perhaps I smell like food.” He mused. “It’d be better than I normally smell I suppose.” He looked back towards the rustling. There was a flash of lightning. “Must be my imagination.” He turned still looking at the bush. “Ouch” Night shift bumped into something hard.“Excuse me, I didn’t see you there. Normally nobody in their right mind is out this la-” Then there was silence. The rain continued to fall, but the Pegasus was gone. “Twilight!!” Spike yelled, shaking the purple unicorn back and forth. “Wake up! You’re not gonna believe it!” Twilight rolled over and eyed the small dragon drowsily. “Spike?” she rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “You’re never up before me.” “Twilight! You’re not gonna believe it! He made breakfast!” “Who made breakfast?” she asked, closing her eyes again. “That brown pony!” Twilight jumped up. “He’s awake!?” Spike deflated a little. “Well, no. But there’s a note! Come on!” Twilight followed him into the kitchen, where there were several waffles steaming on the table along with various flowers. Cups had been laid out, filled with sweet smelling liquid next to the two place settings on either end. “When did he do this?” Twilight asked awestruck. “I don’t know, but he left this.” the dragon handed her a note. Dear Midnight Twinkle, I awoke last night with a hunger, so I made myself a small snack. Getting a new face makes the body hungry does it not? So upon finding something to my taste I indulged. Did you know Daisies are really rather delicious when dipped in chocolate? In any case I took the liberty of preparing breakfast as thanks for my lodgings. I need to recoup after my regeneration. You see I was fighting some rather nasty creatures along the Medusa cascade when we fell into the abstract plane. Things got rather nasty and I’m afraid it did not turn out as I had planed. Rather nasty business, but with all luck nothing followed me through. Thank you and your small reptilian friend for your hospitality. I shall need some more time to regenerate, and then I shall depart. Also just in case something did follow me, if you happen to see a large statue, don’t blink. Many Thanks, The Doctor. “Did you understand any of that?” asked Spike. “I got lost after the word ‘Breakfast’” “I can’t make heads or tails of it really.” Said Twilight, as she walked slowly towards the table. “But the food does look good at least. No need to let it go to waste!” Two waffles floated onto each plate. “You got that right!” Spike concurred. The waffles were warm and delicious. As it turned out the cups were filled with lemonade to wash them down with. “Say what you want about him!” said Spike. “But he certainly knows how to make breakfast!” Spike scarfed down waffles with reckless abandon. “Yes,” said Twilight as a napkin floated up to wipe her mouth, “this is quite good I’ll admit. but I still want to know who he is.” she got up. “Let us check on our ‘guest’. He keeps calling himself ‘The Doctor’, doctor who? That’s what I’d like to know. The two walked gingerly into the living room, where the brown earth pony lay, unconscious again, on the couch. “Who are you?” Twilight mumbled. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. “Twilight!” Called a voice. “Are you alright? I just heard about what happened! I was so worried! There was a boom, and smoke, and everything!” Twilight recognized the voice. “Pinkie Pie?” The pink pony burst in. “Yeah! Who did you think it was!?” she grabbed Twilight in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, I mean if you weren’t okay, I don’t know what I would do, then who would I ask for advice? Well I suppose I could ask Applejack, but who would I ask for Twilight’s advice if there wasn’t a Twilight!! Oh I’m so happy!!” “Pinkie...you’re choking me..” Twilight gasped. “Oh,” she released her. “Sorry.” Twilight righted herself. “It’s alright, Pinkie, I’m fine I promise. There was just a small accident is all. “ Pinkie was looking passed Twilight’s head, oblivious. “Um....Pinkie?” Twilight waved a hoof in front of her face. “Hello?” “Who is that!?” Pinkie screamed. racing past Twilight in a blur. “What?” Twilight was disoriented for a moment. “Oh!” She turned to find Pinkie Pie buzzing around her ‘guest’ “What’s his name!? When did he get here!? What’s his favorite drink!? I hope he likessarsaparilla, because that’s my favorite drink! Is he nice? Why’s he asleep? It’s far past noon, he shouldn’t be asleep! Ponies should be up after noon, otherwise they get lazy, and if they get lazy then they eat too much, and if they eat too much then they get pudgy! And that’s not good. Not that I have anything against pudgy ponies, they can be so cute! Do I smell waffles?” At that she was off into the kitchen. “Oh boy.” Said Spike. “Now you’ve done it. When he wakes up he’s in for a Pinkie tour of Ponyville. I hope he’s the exercising type.” “Oh, I’m sure she won’t try too much. Still I wish he’d wake up. Maybe some time with Pinkie would mellow him out.” Twilight chuckled. A scream came from the kitchen. “Pinkie!” Twilight and Spike raced to the kitchen. The pair of them found Pinkie sitting at the table, half a waffle hanging from her mouth, staring at a large statue. “Pinkie are you okay!?” Twilight asked. “Mmmph, Mmmph.” mumbled Pinkie around the food. “Where in Equestria did that come from?” asked Spike. “It looks like a Pegasus pony.” “I don’t know Spike. How did it get into our kitchen? She walked up to the statue. It was cracked and old. It’s wings folded oddly in front of it’s eyes. “It’s kind of pretty.” Twilight remarked absent mindedly. “Mmmhhhppp! Mpook mhpout mmhpilight! Mphont phink!” Pinkie screamed. Twilight looked back at the pink pony. He eyes were red and tearing. “What?” She asked, confused. Pinkie spit out the waffle. “Look out, Twilight! Don’t blink!!” “What do you mean? Are you alright?” Pinkie’s face was scrunched up in effort, her eyes were turning red. It dawned on her. “You’ve been reading that stupid letter haven’t you? That’s a bunch on nonsense, you can blink, it’s just a statue.” Pinkie blinked. “What letter?” “You didn’t read it?” Twilight asked. “Then how did you know about not blinking around statues?” “Um....Twilight?” Spike pulled at her flank “.....Look” Twilight turned. To find herself nose to nose with the statue. It’s wings curled around her, their tips cruel and pointed, it’s mouth filled with sharp teeth. Twilight screamed, scrambling to back away, tripping over herself and the statue’s wings. “Look at it!!” yelled Pinkie. They all stared at the stone Pegasus, none of them dared to move. “What is this thing!” Twilight yelped. “I don’t know,” said Spike warily “but I think we should listen to Pinkie.” “Well we can’t stay here all day!” Said Twilight “We need a plan.” Spike yelped. “Twilight?! I think we need a plan really fast!” “Why?” “Look.” Twilight made sure Pinkie was watching to stone Pegasus, and turned to see where Spike was pointing. Directly behind them, another stone pegasus stood less than a foot away. Wings outward, teeth bared. “Oh no.” Twilight whimpered. “That plan Twilight!?” “Okay, okay, okay!” Twilight looked back and forth, trying to keep her eyes on both the living statues. “Pinkie, Spike, keep your eyes on them! We’re going to back out of the room. Don’t take your eyes off of them! Okay, slowly.” The three of them backed towards the door, taking slow cautious steps. The statues remained still. As soon as they were out the doorframe Twilight yelled. “Keep an eye on those statues! Take turns if you have too! I’m going to go get some help!” She galloped towards the library entrance, tossing the door open she almost ran headlong into another statue. She jumped back and screamed. “Twilight!” Called Spike. “Are you alright?” “There’s another one Spike!” I’m not sure what to do!” Already her eyes were beginning to ache. She backed towards the living room. “Twilight! Don’t blink! We’re coming!” Spike yelled from he kitchen. “Oh.....hurry” Twilight backed further into the living room. “I can’t keep this up much longer! Her eyes burned with effort. She couldn’t hold out much longer. “Spike!? Pinkie?!” “We have to keep our eyes on these, Twilight! We’re coming as fast as we can!” “Oohh.” Twilight whimpered. She couldn’t maintain her gaze, any longer. She blinked. When Twilight’s eyes opened she found a set of very sharp teeth less than an inch from her nose. She screamed again. Trying to back away from the statue as fast as possible. Only to find her back against the couch where the brown stallion lay. The creature mere feet from her, it’s wings encompassing her escape routes. “Oh no.” she whispered. “Twilight! Are you still alright?” Called Spike, backing into the living room. “Not for long I’m not.” Her eyes were already beginning to burn form the strain. “Pinkie! The other statue has got Twilight cornered! We have to hurry!” Spike increased his pace. “Can you handle this one on your own for a second?” Pinkie called from the kitchen. “Sure, it’s like a staring contest! I’ve never played with a statue before, if I win this I wonder if there’s a prize! I hope it’s edible.” Spike raced into the living room to find Twilight trapped against the couch. “Spike, Help!” Her eyes couldn’t stay open much longer. “I got it Twilight!” He dove under the creature’s wings and looked it dead in the eye. “Now what?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know! I figured it was your job to think that far.” “Spike!” Twilight yelled. “This is no time for jokes! Pinkie can’t hold her eyes open forever, and who knows what’ll happen if these things get close enough to do whatever it is they’re planning.” “We need help.” said Spike, looking towards the unconscious pony on the couch. “Well he’s in no position to give it! He’s out cold. Ohhh,” Twilight whimpered. Pinkie backed into the room. “Twilight? I don’t think I’m gonna win this staring contest.” Twilight looked at the doorway. “Blink, Pinkie, it’s alright, I’m looking at it.” As soon as she got the words out, the statue was in the doorframe. The second it was in Twilight’s field of vision it had stopped cold, mid dive for the pink earth pony. “Twilight?” Pinkie asked. “I don’t think these guys are very nice, even if they are good at staring contests.” Spike looked around wildly “This is bad. Really bad.” “I know!” Said Twilight. “Pinkie! Get over here, we can stand in a circle and take turns blinking. Quickly!” Pinkie joined the other two in front of the stone Pegasus. “Twilight, we can’t stay here forever, what do we do!?” Spike huddled in close. “I don’t know.....” Twilight face scrunched in concentration. “Keep an eye on them!” Twilight turned to the brown earth pony on the couch, shaking him with her forehooves “Wake up! Please wake up!! You left us that note, you know what these things are! We need you!” The brown pony didn’t respond. “Come on!! Please...” Twilight implored. “Mr.Bluebox! We need your help!” Still he lay there unconscious. “Twilight!” Spike yelled. “What?” she whirled back around to find the statues had moved. “They’re doing something!” “Huh!? Did you blink!?” The dragon shrank back a bit. “It’s dusty in here.” The Pegasus statues were facing away from them now, their wings pointed towards the various windows at the top of the library. “Maybe they’ve lost interest in us?” Twilight asked hopefully. One of the windows suddenly dimmed, as though a curtain had been drawn. The sunlight was cut off from coming inside. “I don’t think so!” Yelled Spike shrinking back further. The windows fell like dominos, one after the other dimmed until no sunlight could pass. Soon the only one that remained was at the top floor of the library, casting the three of them in a small circle of sunlight. It blinked. The creatures, in a flash, had turned again towards the trio, teeth looking sharper than ever, wings ready to wrap around anyone unfortunate enough to get close. “Twilight!?” Spike wrapped his arms around the unicorn’s leg. “What are we going to do now!?” “I don’t know!!” she screamed. The light blinked again, the creatures were even closer. Twilight turned back to the unconscious pony on the couch. “Please wake up!! Please!! We’re in trouble!! We really need you. Somepony, anypony!? The light blinked again, the creatures were mere inches away. “Doctor!!” Twilight yelled. The earth pony’s eyes flew open. “Do you really need me this time?” He asked. Twilight was stunned for a moment. “Well, do you? The last time was a false alarm, very rude you know.” “Yes!! Yes we need you!” Twilight pointed to the stone creatures closing in. “What are these things!” The stallion got to his feet and examined the closest one. “Well, now that’s just weird.” He turned back to the ponies and dragon. “Weeping Angels, though I suppose we must call them something else now though. They don’t look much like angels anymore. Perhaps Weeping Pegasus would be a more apt description. They appear to have been altered, much like myself, by the fall through the abstract plane. Though I must say I pull it off much better.” “Okay then,” said Twilight slowly. “What do they want!!” “Want?” the Doctor looked perplexed “Well now that’s a very good question, normally I’d say the TARDIS, but I made sure it was locked before I exited, so they probably just want to feed on our P.E.” “P.E?” asked Pinkie. “Oh,that was my favorite class in school! We’d play ball, climb things, and run everywhere!” The Doctor looked somewhat surprised. “Um, no, not that kind of P.E my dear....what was your name?” “Pinkie Pie!” “My dear Pinkie Pie, by P.E I mean our Potential Energy. They’re creatures from the beginning, they feed on lives never lived. They’d fling you back and time, and then feed on all the stuff you never got the chance to do. Nasty stuff. Although in this case they’ve got me, so they’d probably just snap your necks and then do something horrifying to feed on my energy.” “In that case, ‘Doctor’,” said Twilight. “Why are you standing around explaining!! And for that matter, why are we still here?” “Hmm?” The Doctor looked back at Twilight. “Oh, they’re a bit less hasty to try something with me awake I suspect. Probably wondering what I’ve got up my sleeve.” Spike looked hopefully at the Doctor. “Well, what do you have up your sleeve?” “Oh.” The Doctor bent down to look at Spike. “Absolutely nothing.” There was silence for a moment. Then once again, the light began to dim. “Well what do we do now then?!” Yelled Twilight. “Oh, well that’s really quite simple.” said the Doctor as the light faded. He turned to face the couch. “We do this.” The Doctor grabbed hoofrest of the couch in his mouth, and yanked sharply to the left. The light went out, and the ground dropped from beneath them. “Ow....are we still alive?” asked Spike, trying to disentangle himself from a jumbled pile of manes, hooves and tails. “Quite so.” said the doctor, wincing as he got to his feet. “A bit of a longer fall than I estimated. But we’re quite alive.” “What was that!?” asked Twilight. “What?” asked the Doctor. “How’d we fall through the floor? We’re in the basement!” “Oh, that. Well you see, after I made you breakfast, which you’ve yet to thank me for, I installed a trapdoor in front of the couch. Why did you think I went back to sleep there? It certainly wasn’t for comfort.” “But you said you didn’t have anything up your sleeve!” Twilight marched towards the Doctor. “I was scared to death up there! I thought we were done for!” “Well, I didn’t have anything up my sleeve.” Said the Doctor. “I don’t have sleeves, I really quite miss them. Pockets too, I’m rubbish without pockets.” Spike tapped the Doctor’s Flank. “Won’t those things just come down here to get us? I don’t think a fall is going to stop them.” “Good thinking, Spike, but don’t worry, I placed a mirror behind the couch. When we fell, it moved aside, now they’re looking at themselves, completely harmless for the moment.” He marched off toward the stairs Twilight dashed in front of him. “Look you,” she blew a stray hair from in front of her face. “I have been waiting a long time for answers, and I’m going to get some. Explain to me, right now, what’s going on, or we’re not going anywhere!” “Do you mean how I installed a trapdoor in your floor in little under an hour, or my recipe for waffles? I’d be happy to tell you both, Afternoon Diamond.” “Twilight Sparkle.” she stomped a forehoof. “For the last time it’s Twilight Sparkle! And by ‘What’s going on’ I mean all of this!!” She strode forwards, forcing the Doctor to step back. “You crash into my house in a box, fall asleep on my couch, I’m attacked by statues not long after, you installed a trapdoor in my living room, almost concuss me in the fall, and you can’t get my name right!!” she’d backed him into a wall by this point. “I.Want.To.Know.Everything.” The Doctor’s eyes shifted back and forth. “Well if you really want to know, Sunset Glint, follow me.” “It’s Twi-light Spark-le, it’s not that hard to re-.” she sighed. “Oh never mind.” The brown stallion set off again for the stairs, this time Twilight and the others followed. They marched down to the area in which the blue box lay. The walls of the tree had already begun to heal, but where the box sat the bark was still dark and burned. “I wonder if she’s ready yet.” the Doctor said vaguely. “Oooh.” said Pinkie. “I love blue! It’s such a lovely color, like the sky, and blueberries, and blueberry pie! Do you like Blueberry Pie, Doctor? I bet you do, otherwise I bet you wouldn’t have painted your box that way! I never knew anyone who kept anything that blue and didn’t like blueberry pie! Maybe Mrs.Cake can make you one when we get back! Oh she’d be so happy to meet you! And so would every pony! I’ll have to introduce you! There’s Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, the Mayer, Snips and Snails, Lyr-” “Pinkie!” Twilight interrupted. “I think he gets the point.” she turned to the Doctor. “What is that thing anyway? I saw it in the sky this morning, is it magic?” “Magic?” the Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “I suppose you could call it that.” He smiled mysteriously. “In any case, this is the TARDIS.” “TARDIS?” Spike asked.“That’s a funny name.” “It stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space, TARDIS is for short. It’s how I get around.” “Could you have gotten around with less crashing do you think?” asked Twilight. “Did you want to critique my driving skills, or did you want those answers I promised?” asked the Doctor. “In both cases we’ll have to go inside.” “Inside?” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “It doesn’t look like one of us besides Spike could fit in there.” The Doctor smiled, you’d be surprised my dear Midnight-” “Twilight.” “What? Oh yes. anyway, you’d be surprised.” The Doctor walked up to the large doors. “Let’s see, normally I could open the doors by snapping my fingers...but I don’t seem to have any, do I?” He looked around, searching for something. “Aha!” He dipped his head into a nearby pile of ash. When he came up his face was stained black, and he was holding a small key. “Here it is! I knew I put is somewhere!” With some effort, he got the key into the lock and turned. The doors swung open and light poured out. The doctor turned to look at the three standing behind him. “Coming?” The Doctor strode confidently into the TARDIS, the light coming from the blue box momentarily blinded Twilight and the others. After rubbing her eyes with a hoof, Twilight stepped forwards. “If it makes any of this make sense, I’ll go anywhere.” She stepped through the doors. The inside was massive, the ceiling reaching at least a story and a half above her head. The floor was made of some kind of glass. Below her all kinds of machinery pinged and whizzed in constant motion. In the center a large round control panel jutted from the floor, handles and leavers covered it’s surface at all angles. A large glass tube was it’s most obvious feature, inside several large white objects shifted up and down slowly. “It’s bigger o-” “On the inside.” The Doctor finished for her. “Yes, it is, I love it when people say that. Welcome to the TARDIS, Nighttime Shine.” Twilight’s mouth mouth hung upon. She was in too much shock to correct the Doctor again. He two friends filed in behind her. “Whoa....” Said Spike. “Oh! I get it!” Said Pinkie. “The outside on the inside! That’s amazing! Probably some dimensional distortion.” All three of the TARDIS occupants stared at the pink pony. “That’s....right...” said the Doctor slowly. “Lucky Guess.” Said Pinkie, then she was off zooming through the TARDIS. The Doctor turned as she went down a hallway “Watch out for the swimin-” There was a splash. “Pool.” “Doctor?” Twilight asked slowly, still in shock. “Yes?” “What is all this? I’ve seen magic before, but I don’t think Celestia herself could do something like this....” “Magic?” The Doctor paused. “I had supposed this world was one of magic instead of science, but when you get down to it,the two are really the same. My science is is your magic and vice-versa. When in Rome as they say.” Twilight was about to ask what ‘Rome’ was, but paused. “Wait, did you say ‘this world’?” what do you mean by that?” The Doctor stepped away from the controls and looked Twilight in the eye. “You see it’s like this.” he pointed to a grate in a nearby wall. “There’s a multiverse, as represented by this grate. Each one of these little holes in the grate is a universe, they are all floating in it. The universes are separated by really tough stuff, in this case metal, and don’t normally interact.” The Doctor pointed at one of the holes. “Let’s say my universe is here,” he pointed at another hole on the far end. “and yours is here. I say it’s all the way over here because our worlds are so different. Under normal circumstances, we would never meet one another. But,” he pointed at the TARDIS controls. “When the Weeping Angels and I fell through the abstract pane, we fell onto the metal stuff, which piped us through to your world at random, and here we are.” He looked at Twilight “Understand?” “So, if I’m to believe you, you’re from another world?” said Twilight raising an eyebrow. “Quite.” “And so are those statue things-” “Weeping Angels, or Weeping Pegasus for the sake of congruency” “Okay.” Twilight put a hoof to her cheek in thought. “If that’s the case, my world is just one of many?” “Indeed, there are billions if not more.” “What’s yours like?” “Well, in my world I come from a place called Gallifray.” “Gallopfray?” “No...Galifray, really, must you people name everything after horses?” “Sorry, go on.” Twilight urged. “Anyway, normally I resemble something called a human being. Do you have them in this world?” “Human being? I’ve never heard of them. What do they look like.” “Well, they’re bipedal mostly hairless primates, the only hair being on the tops of their heads, not unlike your hair for that matter, only less...colorful.” Twilight looked uneasy. “By your description, I’m not sure I want to see one.” “Hey! The Doctor looked affronted. “I used to look like one, and let me tell you I was quite handsome.” “Wait, you used to be a hairless primate? You look like a pony to me.” Twilight looked the brown stallion over. “I regenerated.” “You what?” “Regenerated, It’s something that happens when I’m about to...expire. My body heals itself, but in the process I get a new face, a new body, a new everything.” “Do all humans do that?” “Oh, I’m not human.” said the Doctor shaking his head. “Well if you’re not human, and you’re not a pony...what are you?” Twilight took a step back. “No need to look frightened. I’m a Timelord. That’s why I’ve got two hearts. You listened, didn’t you?” “Timelord? Isn’t that a bit boastful?” “Not really.” said the Doctor turning back to his controls. “Anyway, if the Angels are here that means really bad things for....whatever this place is called.” “Equestria” The Doctor stared at her. “Of course it is.” he rolled his eyes and went to look at a monitor on the far end of the panel. “Now let’s see, I thought they wanted me or the TARDIS. But, that begs the question of why they didn’t just come down here and get it without alerting you and the others.” His face scrunched up in thought. “Is there a large power source nearby?” Twilight thought a minute. “Power source? The only power around here is magic.” “Yes, magical world, magical power source.” Said the Doctor “Keep thinking.” “Well, in this town, I’m the most magically inclined.” “Aha!!” the Doctor exclaimed. “That’s why the TARDIS was drawn to your house! That’s why the angels attacked you in the kitchen!” The brown stallion whirled to face her. “They need more power! They were weakened in the fall. Even if they went for the TARDIS it would take several of them to get it open at full strength, let alone these few stragglers. “They need energy. They want you!” “Me? What did I do?” asked Twilight, afraid. “Nothing I’m sure, but it doesn’t matter, with your powers they could use you like a battery for at least a few years and open the TARDIS with ease. It’s also been weakened apparently.” “Well what am I going to do?” Twilight whimpered. “Not to worry, Night Light!” “Twilight!” “What? Oh yeah right. Not to worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.” “Well thanks for that, but what are we going to do against them? They’re faster than anything I’ve ever seen! What’s a pony in a box going to do?” The Doctor stared her dead in the eye. “I’ll tell you what this ‘Pony in a box’ is going to do, this ‘Pony in a box’ is going to make sure you and your friends come to no harm. This ‘Pony in a box’ is going to find a way to defeat the Weeping Pegasus, send them back into the rift, and this ‘Pony in a box’ is going to save the whole of Ecuador!” “Equestria.” “That too.” The Doctor turned back to the monitor. “Tell me, has anyone gone missing since I arrived?” “Missing? No, not that I know of.” Pinkie came clopping down the hall back into the control room. She was dripping water from head to toe. “Did you guys know there was a pool in here?” she asked. “This is no time for swimming, Pinkie Pie. We’re trying to figure out if anypony’s gone missing lately.” “Missing?” Said Pinkie scrunching up her face. “Do you mean like Night Shift?” “Night Shift?” Twilight asked, confused. “Oh, he’s the weather pony who makes the nighttime storms!” Pinky replied with a bounce. “Every time there’s a stormy night I bring him a cupcake in the morning for all his hard work! He can be a grumpypants but I think that’s because he never gets thanked.” Pinky looked momentarily forlorn, but her smile was back quicker than it left. “But he always cheers up when I bring him a cupcake!” “And that’s very sweet of you Pinky, but we’re looking for missing ponies.” Twilight said patiently. “That’s the thing Twilight.” Pinky replied. “We had a huge storm last night, and when I went to take him his morning cupcake, he wasn’t there.” “Are you sure he didn’t just wander off to town?” asked the Doctor, suddenly interested. “Oh no, Doctor, he’s never not there. He works all night, so he’s always home in the morning. I’ve never seen him leave before it was dark.” “Alright then.” said the Doctor hopping down from the controls. “Can you show us where this ‘Night Shift’ lives?” The ponies and dragon made their way back up the stairs. “So, you say he lives on the edge of town?” Asked the Doctor looking back at Pinkie. “Yep, next to the old dress shop! The one Rarity used to use before she bought the new one. Have you met Rarity? You should! She’d love you! I aught to introduce you, then we can go out for cake together!” The Doctor stared at the pink pony for moment. “One thing at a time my dear.” Twilight stopped short at the top of the stairs. “Oh yeah, that’s right, nopony’s met you yet besides me and Pinkie.” “Is that really important at the moment?” asked the Doctor. “Well, this is a really small town, in a place like this, a new pony popping up is a big thing, we won’t get two feet without anything short of a celebration.” “Well, while I do like to celebrate, now is certainly not the time.” The Doctor put a hoof to his lip in thought. “Is there any less populated route we could take to reach our destination?” “We could go through the back door.” Twiligtht supposed. “It leads to the alleyways behind all the stores. There should be very little ponies’ there.” “Perfect! Onwards and upwards!” As they walked towards the back door, Twilight paused to look at the stone pegasus. The Doctor was correct, and after the couch had moved, they stood frozen staring at their reflections. “Are you sure they’ll stay like that, Doc?” asked Spike. “I don’t fancy tangling with those guys again, my eyes still hurt from the last time.” “Not to worry Spike, as long as they’re looking at their reflections they’re quantum locked, they can’t move an inch. As long as nothing gets between them and that mirror they’re harmless.” The brown stallion turned to Twilight. “No time to worry about them. Where’s this back door?” “Right through the library, this way.” Twilight dashed off down the hallway. The others in followed in pursuit. Behind them, the Weeping Pegagus stared at their reflections, never moving, never blinking. In the corner, the mirror began to crack. “Ah! Fresh air! exclaimed the Doctor as they reached the back alley. “I haven’t been outside since the crash, it’s nice to get out of that stuffy old pla-” He caught Twilight staring daggers at him. “Er, I mean, of course the house is lovely, but nothing like that fresh clean morning air!” “Of course, Doctor.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “So, Pinky, lead the way.” The pink pony took up the lead. “Okey-dokie! Follow me!” she set off bouncing down the alley. “After you, Daylight.” The Doctor ushered her forwards. “It’s Twilig-, oh you know what, just forget it.” she marched after Pinkie, head in the air. The Doctor looked down at Spike. “What did I do?” “Fillies, can’t live with um.” Spike shrugged and followed. The Doctor looked confused for a moment.Then he looked around, and realised everyone had left “Uhg, it seems some things are the same in every world.” He raced to catch up. Twilight and Pinkie reached the end of the alley. Pinky peeked her head around the corner. “Pinkie, do you see anyp-” “Shhh” Pinkie put a hoof to Twilight's mouth. “We have to be very very quiet. We’re hunting Night Shifts.” “But-” “Shh! Sompony’s coming!” There was a sound of hooves coming towards them. “Pinky, I don’t think this is necessar-” “Shhh!” “What are you girls doing?” asked a voice behind them. Both pony’s jumped, they whirled to find Rarity staring at them. Her saddlebags were full of various links of fabric, her eyebrows raised.” “Oh, well, hello Rarity!” Twilight chuckled uneasily. “We were, just....um, trying to....-” “Find our way to the library!” Pinkie interjected. “Um, yes, find our way to the library.” “But you live there, Twilight.” Said Rarity suspiciously, “And it’s the other way.” “Well, we were-” “Taking the scenic route!” Pinky finished. The white unicorn eyed the two ponies. “Well, I’ve got to get these new fabric orders into the shop I suppose. Have fun taking the ‘Scenic route’” She turned to go through the back door of her shop. “Umph!” She bumped into the doctor galloping to catch up. Fabric spilled everywhere in patches and rolls. “Oh! My materials! You really must watch where you’re going Mr...Mr....” she looked the Doctor up and down. “You know I don’t think we’ve met.” “Oh, quite sorry!!” The doctor picked up a roll of fabric and put in her bag. “In a bit of a hurry, I’m the Do-” “Clockwork!” Twilight yelled. “His name is Clockwork.” The Doctor stared at Twilight bemused, then back at Rarity. “Yes, that’s it, my name is...Clockwork.” Rarity’s eyelashes fluttered at the brown stallion “Well, it’s very nice to meet you clockwork. Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before.” “Well, I-” “He’s visiting from hoofdale!” Twilight interjected again. “Oh, a visitor!” Rarity said excitedly Well, let me welcome you to Ponyville, how long have you been in town, dear?.” “Oh, only a couple days.” said the Doctor shooting Twilight a glance. “Well you must tell me about it! My family comes from Hoofdale, how is the old place?” “Oh...well it’s...better than ever! Really....hoofy.” “Splendid.” Rarity picked up the last of her fabric. “Well you must come in and tell me all about it!” “Well, I would, but I have t-” “He’d love to!” Yelled Twilight. “What!?” The Doctor looked around desperately. “But I-” “Could think of no better way to spend the day, I’m sure!” Rarity herded the Doctor through the back door to her shop. “Plus I think I have some outfits that would look absolutely splendid on you!” The Doctor looked frantic. “Flashlight!” “Twilight do you mean?” Said Twilight smugly. “Don’t worry, we’ll meet you back at the house ‘Clockwork’” she chuckled. The door closed behind them. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.” said Spike. “I figure some time with Rarity aught to change his attitude.” she turned and walked forwards. “Now lets see what’s so important about Night Shift.” Night Shift’s house was rather plain, it was an old sagging blob of a house. It’s paint had probably once been brown, but was now gray with slightly less gray patches. A tree grew sadly in the yard, bent and withered, a few leaves hanging stubbornly from the old branches. “Well this is cheery.” said Spike sarcastically. “I know! Isn’t it?” asked Pinky without so much as a trace of irony. “No time for commentary.” Twilight marched up to the door and knocked. “Mr.Night Shift? Oh Mr.Night shift! Are you there?” she waited several minutes for a reply. When there was none she tried the door. “It’s locked. Quite securely by the looks of it.” “He doesn’t like to be bothered in the morning.” Pinky said. “He’s really grouchy when he’s interrupted from his morning sleep.” “Well, I hate to use magic, but there’s a lot at stake, so I suppose I must.” Twilight concentrated, her face scrunched up as her horn glowed purple. There were several clicks and the door flew open. “Nice.” said Spike. “Do you think you could do that with my old lunchbox?” “Later Spike, besides anything that’s in there is long past it’s due date.” “I know, I know.” Said Spike, “But still food is food.” The three walked slowly into the old house. The inside was made of old slightly warped wood. They made their way down the hallway and into the living room. The furniture was plain and in various states of disarray. There was a fine layer of dust over everything. “Wow, he must have been gone longer than you thought, Pinkie.” Spike said “It doesn’t look like most of this stuff has been moved in ages!” Twilight put a hoof to her chin as she looked around. “That might not be the case, Spike.” she walked over to a small table. “ Look, in the dust, there’s a perfect imprint of a saddlebag and a plate.” “Yeah, so?” Spike shrugged. “So, that means he moved this stuff fairly recently. He’s such a sleepy pony, he only has time to do so much, and dusting isn’t on the top of that list.” she pointed to table. “Judging from the complete lack of dust here, I think this is where he always put his saddlebag when he came home.” “I’ve never seen him without his saddlebag!” Pinky exclaimed. “Well, I hardly ever see him, but when I do see him, I’ve never seen him without his saddlebag!” “So that means he must still be out somewhere....but where?” There was a crash from front door. “What was that!” yelled Spike. “I don’t know, Spike, but I have a feeling it’s not good..” Twilight took a step back. eyeing the hallway. There was silence, the ponies and dragon stood quietly for several minutes. Spike let out a breath “It must have been nothi-” All at once, they were surrounded by the Weeping Pegasus. They screamed. “I thought the Doctor got rid of these guys!” Spike looked around wildly for a way out. The three of them stood in a circle, surrounded by the stone creatures, their wings blocking any route of escape. “They must have escaped somehow!” Yelled Twilight. “Well what do we do?! The Doctor’s probably having tea and crumpets about now! I don’t know what these guys did to Night Shift, but I don’t think I want the same treatment!” “I know!” Twilight bit her bottom lip, “It was stupid of me to send him away! I was mad, and I let my anger get the best of me and I’m sorry...” Tears welled up in Twilight’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” “That’s all I wanted to hear!” “What?....” Twilight looked up. The Doctor strode in, “Sorry I had to pick up some new duds. How do I look.?” He did a little spin. He was wearing a brown stripe suit with a red bow tie. There was a small hourglass on the lapel. “I thought a suit would be quite uncomfortable in my present form, but your friend really knows her stuff! And look!” his head dipped into the suit. “Pockets!” When his head reappeared he was holding a small object, there was a glowing light at the end. He pointed it at the floor. “If I were you, I’d hold on to something.” The floor began to vibrate. “What’s happening!?” Twilight yelled. “I think It’s kinda fun!” Pinky said shakily. “I think I’m going to be sick!” Spike looked green. The circle of Pegasus began to sink into the floor. “Come quickly you three, don’t worry, they can’t move.” Twilight took a leap over the heads of the Pegasus. Spike followed. Pinky jumped onto the nearest one and jumped from head to head. “It’s like hopscotch!” “Pinky!!” yelled Twilight. Pinky jumped down. “Sorry.” Twilight turned to the Doctor, her ears lowered slightly. “Thank you.” she said softly. “What was that?” He asked holding a hoof to his ear. “Thank you okay!?” she blushed slightly. “I’m sorry I sent you away.” “There we go. Apology accepted. Now, back to business!” He turned and began looking through Night Shift’s things. “One question, Doctor.” said Twilight. “Yes?” “How did you do that? What’s that stick of yours?” “Sonic Screwdriver.” “What?” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Sonic, Screwdriver, you know, it’s a screwdriver, that’s sonic. I’d thank you not to call it a ‘stick’.” “Oh, sorry.” “Quite alright, you see, this world is mostly ‘magic’ which basically means the laws of nature are a bit different. To put it basically, everything is a little bit alive. So, with a bit of sonic resonance, I just asked the wood to assume a liquid state and presto! Stuck Pegasus!” “You asked it?” Twilight stared. “Oh never mind thank you in any case.” “You’re welcome, now if we can only find something to tell us about this ‘Night Shift’, everything will be fine and dandy.” “But, Doctor, those stone freaks are trapped, what else is there to do?” Asked Spike. “Well, my dear Spike, they are only trapped for a small amount of time, they’re weak. but not that weak. As a matter of fact, we’re in a fair amount of peril just standing here.” “Then why are we!?” Twilight asked exasperated. “Yeah, what’s finding Night Shift gonna do now?” asked Spike “Well,” The Doctor bent to look Spike dead in the eye. “For one, it would help an innocentperson who is probably very scared, and for all I know in danger.” “Oh, well there’s that.” Spike replied suddenly sheepish. “And for two,” the Doctor continued. “It will tell us more about what these things are planing to do. Sure, they want Guidelight, then they want the TARDIS, but then what? they can’t reproduce, it’d just be the three of them, in the whole of the universe. What’d be the point? Three ex weeping angels, they could feed for ages hardly noticed. But no, they attacked you in your kitchen, and they keep tangling with me. Something they wouldn’t do unless it was well worth it.” He put a hoof to his forehead. “What do they want? We need an answer, and it’s not just going to pop up on the doorstep.” The doorbell rang. A silence settled over the house for several minutes. The doorbell rang again. “Pinkie, I thought you said no one ever bothered Night Shift?” said the Doctor. “Oh, no one ever does, he’ll hardly open the door for me, and I’ve got cupcakes, that means he’s really serious about it.” “Well in that case, who could that be?” Twilight asked. “One way to find out.” the Doctor set off down the hallway. The others close behind. The doorbell rang again. “Who is it?” The Doctor called as they reached the door. “Mail!” said a voice. “Mail?” the Doctor opened the door. A blue and yellow Pegasus pony sat on the doorstep. Her eyes both staring off in different directions. “Mail.” she said again. “Um..thanks.” said the Doctor. “Mr.Shift is out currently, I’ll take it for him.” “Sure as bubblegum!” said the pony distantly. She dipped her head into her bulging saddlebags. “Mhher” she said around a large, dingy letter. “Thank you.” he took the letter. “Who’s it from?” The pony’s head lolled to the side slightly “Night Shift.” then she was off like a rocket. The Doctor closed the door and walked back into house. “Hmm, well that’s interesting. Could you open this?” He said, offering the letter to Twilight. “I’m not extremely used to having hooves yet. “Sure.” the letter floated over to Twilight, it folded open, with a small plume a dust. “Wow, this is old.” The Doctor stuck his tongue into the dust cloud. “Yes, I’d say about 108 years, 4 months and 23 days old.” He looked at the three other’s staring. “Give or take a few months. Read it if you wouldn’t mind.” “Alright.” Twilight began to read. To Whom it May Concern I, Night Shift, write this letter to inform all of what happened to me all those years ago. It is more than possible no one has noticed I am gone. Besides perhaps that pink pony who always brought me cup cakes, for which I am eternally thankful, though I never said it. If this letter is read by her and no one else, I will be happy with my lot in life. In any case, on the night of August the fifth in the 1000th year of Celestia’s rain, for reasons I still do not understand, I found myself setting hoof once in the present, and again in the past. The year 892 to be precise. At first I was confused and afraid. For a while I was a recluse. Ponyville is just an outpost these days. If only they could see the progress they will achieve, the looks on their faces would be priceless. Alas it is not to be. Do not fret on my behalf, I was a specter in the future, something neither seen nor heard. Here I have found ponies who appreciate me. They have not perfected the art of weather control, I teach them and in return I am respected. I found a mare who I love dearly, oddly her name is Sunny Day, now Sunny Shift. We are perfect for one another. I am happy, though I have aged. I sit here, and old workhorse now, writing to tell you hello from a long time passed. I hope my home is well, and the pony’s that live there. They shall have to find a new pony to make the stormy nights, I’m too busy enjoying my Sunny day. Be well. Night Shift. There was a sniffling sound. “Pinky?” Twilight turned to look. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” the pink pony sniffed. “Don’t be sad, he found somewhere he bel-” “Sad?! Are you kidding!?” Pinky yelled with a bounce. “I’m so happy! That was so romantic! I only regret I couldn’t throw him a going away party!” she frowned. “Wait! I can throw him an already gone party! I wonder what color balloons you order for that....green?...Blue?” Twilight smiled. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” she turned to the Doctor. “How does this tell you what they’re planning?” The brown pony frowned. “That depends, does the year 892 have any significance? Anything fundamentally different from any other year? I have a feeling they didn’t just dump Mr.Shift there at random.” “Wait....Mr.shift?” Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “That sounds familiar.” “Familiar?” asked the Doctor, “had you met him before?” “No, Pinkie’s the only one that knew him.” She tapped her chin. “Mr.Shift...Mr.Shift.” “Mr. and Mrs.Shift!” Pinkie interjected. “Don’t forget, he got married! I wonder who made the cake?” Twilight’s face lit up. “Mr. and Mrs.Shift!! The famous weather pioneers! They’re famo-” Suddenly she looked distraught. “But...but I’ve known about them forever! Read books about them! There are seven in the library alone! How’s that possible!?” The Doctor put a reassuring hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Time travel my dear, you get used to it.” He grabbed the letter and stuffed it in his suit pocket. “There, see? Everything is so much easier with pockets. Now, I need you not to be alarmed.” “Why?” asked Twilight. “Because the Stone Pegasus are gone.” “What!?” Twilight looked into the living room. Where the stone creatures once were giant holes yawned open in the wood. “Where did they go!?” Twilight looked around wildly. “Gone.” said the Doctor simply. “Where!? Why!?” Twilight yelled. “Now that,” said the Doctor marching towards the door, “is and excellent question. They had the perfect opportunity to snap our necks, and yet we are still here. I’m quite offended actually.” “Why!? Isn’t that a good thing?” “Well under normal circumstances yes. But one thing that means is,” he turned and pointed to the holes. “If they’re not here, and we’re not dead, that means they had more important things to do. I like to think I’m very important you know.” “You would.” “Yes, but besides that, at the moment,” he paused. “What was so important? If they couldn’t spare a second for us, what are they up too?” Twilight gulped “Good point...it can’t be good.” “Anyhoof,” the doctor strode back towards the door. “Let’s see those books of yours. I’d like to know more about Mr. and Mrs. Shift. “But, Doc,” said Spike “what about those stone freaks?” “Spike, I’m afraid if one of them doesn’t want to be found, it will not be found. We shall have to wait for them to attack our poor Evening Siesta.” “Twilight....Sparkle” Twilight said crossly. “Hm? Oh yes, that. In any case, back to the library! Onwards and upwards!” By the time they reached the library it had begun to get dark. Most ponies had begun turning in for the night, so they were able to take to main roads without a fuss. “I’m glad to get home, for a second there I thought I’d never see this place again.” Said Twilight. “Yes, one must love a library. The pen is mightier than the sword! That means books must be mightier than some other medieval weapon. Perhaps a catapult.” The Doctor mused. “In any case it’s time to arm ourselves. You said you had seven books on Night Shift?” “I do,” Twilight nodded. “Though they might be a little hard to find, because someone destroyed half of the east wing!?” “Well, you’ve still got the other half haven’t you? Good odds I’d say.” He looked away. “Besides, I’ll replace them.” “Really? And how to you plan to go about doing that?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m the Doctor.” said the Doctor, “You’d be surprised what I can do. In any case,” he bounded up the stairs “We’ve got books to find.” Twilight used her magic to light the lamps around the library, and the search began. Though they had cleaned the library to a degree, in places mountains of books lay in disarray, and any system there once was was no longer of much use. “Spike!?” Twilight yelled. “What’s this book about Harmonicas doing in the science section?” “What? Playing harmonica is a fine science. More fun than those other dusty old books too.” Twilight sighed. “It’ll take forever to find anything in this mess.” “I doubt forever,” said the Doctor, “but a very long time at the very least. Where were they before everything got jumbled.?” “In the weather section, under S.” “Have you looked there?” asked the Doctor eyebrows raised. “That was the first place I looked! No luck.” Twilight sighed dejectedly. “Well I suppose we shall simply have to look until we’ve found it. No matter how long it takes. We must perseve-” “Wow, Night Shift looks really nice in this old photo!” Pinky lay in the corner hunched over a large old book. “And that must be be Sunny! She looks so pretty! “ “Pinkie....” asked Twilight. “Where did you get that?” “Over in the little ponies section. It was under C.” “C?” “For Clouds silly. There’s some more back there if you want them.” Twilight’s mouth hung open for a moment. “And you neglected to tell us this!?” “I’m sorry, it’s just you looked so busy, I didn’t want to bother you.” Twilight put a hoof to her forehead. “That’s alright Pinkie,” she said calmly. “just show us where you found them. They found the books where the pink Pony said they would be, all lined up in a row. “And how long ago did you find these?” asked Twilight. “About an hour ago.” said Pinkie cheerily. “They’re really interesting.” “No matter!” said the Doctor. “As long as we know where they are now. Bring them into the living room. I want to get a look at them.” The books were large and heavy, it took both the Doctor and Twilight to get them on the table. The Doctor flipped through it, seemingly at random. “How will you know what you’re looking for that way?” asked Twilight. “Wouldn’t it be more efficient t-” “Done!” said the Doctor. “Next book, this one is mostly pictures.” “Y-you’re done? With what?” asked Twilight. “The book, I read it, nothing of interest. Bring me the next one.” he noticed her staring. “Yes, I know, impossibilities and all that rot, let’s just say it’s magic. Now time is of the essence!” “Um, yeah of course.” Twilight trotted into the library to get the next book. “ So, Doc, what are we looking for anyhow?” Spike asked. “Well, my reptilian consort. Anything that might be unique to the time period, and Mr.Shift. I have a feeling the Pegasus had more in mind with him. The fact he’s central to this world’s history makes me believe it all the more.” “Well in the mean time do you think those stone freaks will attack again?” Spike looked apprehensive. “I don’t like not knowing where they are.” “Not to worry, Spike, they should not bother us as long as you all stay together near me.” “In that case...” Spike trailed off. “In that case what?” “Well, should you really have sent Twilight to the Library by hers-” A scream rang out through the halls. “No, no, no, no no!!” The Doctor ran through the library at a full gallop. Spike and Pinky close behind. “Twilight!!” they both yelled. “Help!!” Twilight’s voice cried. They rounded a corner to find the purple pony almost totally enclosed in the wings of a stone Pegasus. Only her head was visible, less than an inch from the sharp teeth of the creature. “Doctor....” Twilight said quietly, her voice filled with fear. “Don’t worry!” The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver was out in a flash. He walked around the creature, scanning wildly. “How do we get her out of there!?” Spike yelled. “I don’t know!” the Doctor tossed his screwdriver down in frustration “I can’t find an opening!” “Do the liquid wood thingy!” Pinky said, distraught. “That’s what you did last time!! The Doctor’s eyes darted everywhere, looking for a solution. “No, no, no, that wouldn’t help, then she’d just be stuck in the wood and stuck with that thing! There’s no way it’ll let go of her now.” “Doctor?.....What do I do?” Twilight bit her lip, holding back tears. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!!.” The Doctor pounded his head with a hoof.Eyes scrunched in concentration. There was silence for several minutes. Then he calmly lowered his hoof, and walked over to Twilight. “I’m going to need you to trust me for a while.” he turned and gazed at her two frightened friends. “All of you.” “Doctor.... what are you planning?” asked Spike slowly. “Well, I’m going to count to ten. And on ten, I’m going to need us all to blink.” “What!?” All three yelled in protest. “But that thing! It’ll kill her, Doctor!” Yelled Spike, tears welling up in his own eyes. “You can’t let that happen! You just can’t!” The Doctor bent down to Spike’s level. “They won’t kill her Spike, they need her, she’ll be fine for at least a little while. I need you all to trust me.” Pinky looked the Doctor dead in the eye. “You’d better be right.” The Doctor turned back to the purple pony. “Don’t fight them when you close your eyes, everything will be fine. I promise.” “How can you be sure?” she said with a slight sob. “I can be sure. Because I’m going to save you. Twilight Sparkle.” She gasped. “My name....you got it right..” “Haven’t I always? Now, I need you to be brave for a moment, Ms.Sparkle, until I come to get you.” He turned and stared hard at the stone creature that held her. “Be warned, you’ve done the wrong thing now. You’ve gone and made me mad. No matter where you go, no matter what you’re planning, I will find you, and when that happens, you’re going to wish the Abstract Plane had turned you into a pebble.” the Doctor turned away. “On my count. Are you ready?” “No.” Said Spike. “What he said.” Pinky concurred. The Doctor smiled. “Good.” He drew in a breath. “One...Two...Three....Four...Five....Six.....Seven...Eight....Nine...” “Bye Twilight.” whispered Pinkie. They all closed their eyes. When they opened them. Twilight was gone. “Okay folks!” said the Doctor. “No more Mr. Nice Doctor.” He galloped back to the library. “What do we know?” he called back as Pinkie and Spike raced to catch up. “That Twilight’s gone?” Spike said sadly. “Besides that, what?” The Doctor flipped through a book. “Come on! What!?” “Um...That the Angels want to use Twilight for energy?” said Pinkie. “Yes! That. What Else?” “That they needed Night Shift in 892 for some reason?” Spike hazarded. “Yes! Good, and Mr.Shift was a....?” “Ooh, ooh! Weatherpony!” Yelled Pinkie. “Yes, but not just any weatherpony, the weather pony. The original.” he flipped through the pages faster. “And what do pioneers like that often receive?” “Cupcakes?” guessed Pinkie. Spike gave her a look. “I don’t know, books, statues, there’s an exhibit in the museum if that counts.” “Aha!” the Doctor yelled. Spike and Pinkie jumped. “It says here that the artifacts of his life are at the Ponyville Museum of History. Including his saddlebag. I have a feeling it’ll be in there!” “What will?” Spike asked. But the Doctor was already out the door. “Wait up!” The museum was a large old building. Stone columns jutted up to support the roof. Twilight Sparkle tried to open her eyes, but found she could not. She could feel that she was moving fast. Incredibly fast. But everything else was a mystery. In the dark she could hear breathing, there was hardly any break between breaths, it was almost one continuous low hum. She waited. “Doctor,” Said Spike breathlessly as they reached the entrance to the museum. “Are you sure she’s going to be in there?” The Doctor pointed a hoof to the door. It had been crushed inwards, what was left hung on the hinge at an angle. “I’m sure.” The inside of the museum hadn't fared much better. Display cases lay in splinters on the floor. Exhibits were scattered and broken everywhere. “It seems the weeping angels are looking for it same as us.” “Humph, I’m never allowed to touch the art!” Pinkie said crossly. “After we rescue Twilight I’m going to have a word with the curator.” The three walked gingerly deeper into the gloomy library. “Keep your eyes peeled.” The Doctor advised. “I doubt the angels will be as kind to anyone else they catch.” There were two hallways to take at the end of the hall. “Does anyone know the way to Night Shift’s exhibit?” Spike and Pinkie shook their heads no. “Well we’re certainly not splitting up.” He held a hoof up “Eeny...meeny...miny...mo! This way!” he veered off to the left. “Well that’s an advanced way to choose things..” said Spike sarcastically. “Do not mock the Eeny Meeny, Spike. That’s how I choose most things!” said Pinky “Now come on!!” They raced to catch up to the Doctor, stepping over the destruction caused by the Pegasus. The lights were out, and what little the moon provided cast shadows along the smashed displays and broken artifacts. “I’ve never been here before...and this is a heck of a way to see it.” the small dragon huddled closer to Pinkie. “Don’t worry Spike, there’s nothing to be scared of.” Pinky put a hoof to her chin. “Well except living stone creatures from another dimension that have your best friend trapped in their clutches and can end your life if you so much as blink in their presence, hurtling you back hundreds of years to live your life in solitude knowing you’ll never see anyone you know and love again as they feed on all the experiences you’ll never have.” she noticed Spike staring. “Other than that, there’s nothing to be scared of.” she finished sheepishly. They came up on the Doctor peeking around a corner. He put a hoof to his lips. “Ssshhh” They peeked to see what he was looking at. Twilight lay on the floor, her eyes closed. Spike looked at the Doctor “Is she?” “No, she’s breathing, I suspect they’ve established a psychic link, forcing her to keep her eyes closed.” he whispered. “Well where are they? The Pegasus I mean.” The Doctor looked around. “Probably still looking for the saddlebag. It seems they’re not very good at finding things are they?” “Well why don’t we just go get her?” Spike whispered urgently. “She’s right there!” The Doctor took stock of the situation. “That’s exactly it, Spike. If you were a bunch of living statues who’d just captured the thing they were after what would you do?” It dawned on Spike. “Keep a guard?” “Precisely. Somewhere, very close by I suspect, there’s a statue that doesn’t belong.” Spike gulped. “So what do we do? We can’t just stay here.” “I suspect it doesn’t know we’re here yet. Otherwise I severely doubt we still would be.” the Doctor looked along the floor. “We need something reflective, that way maybe we can see it, before it sees us. Look for shards of glass, maybe a mirror if we’re lucky. And don’t get near Twilight while you do it either. You’ll probably be safe as long as you stay under their radar.” Twilight heard whispering, did the Pegasus whisper? She wondered to herself. She tried, again, unsuccessfully to get up. The same force binding her eyes had extended to her legs. She had been laying here for some time. She knew the creatures were close by, but could not fathom what they were doing. She was scared, more scared than she could remember being in a long time. She tried watching the colors behind her eyelids, but it didn’t help. She could only lie here and hope the Doctor would come soon. She heard a noise to her left. she tried to call out “Doctor?” but found her mouth as inert as the rest if her. A stone hoof told her it wasn’t who she had hoped. The Doctor had told her not to fight, but still, she could not resist the urge to move, to struggle in some way though at the moment there was no way to do so. Suddenly there was a new sound, like jewelery banging together. Then a crash, followed by several other sounds she could in no way identify. She wanted so much to open her eyes, but they still did not respond to her efforts. She felt a tap on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” said a voice. The Doctor! She tried to say yes, to say anything, but could not. “It’s worse than I thought. They didn’t just lock her eyes, she can’t move at all.” “Can you fix her?” she heard Spikes voice. “Yes, I believe so if I had time. But that’s something we have in very short supply. It shall have to wait.” She wanted to protest, what could be more important? But she felt herself being tossed over the Doctor’s back. That made her her want to protest even harder. “Was that the guard?” she heard Spike again. “No, it’s still around somewhere, but it can’t get to us as long as I’ve got this.” What? She wondered. “I think this was one of the scavengers, look!” she heard rustling. “It found the saddlebag, what luck!” She felt the Doctor bend to pick it up. Sending her headlong onto the floor. “Oops.” She was going to have some words for him when she could move again. “Twilight!” She heard Spike rush over. He put his hands on her head. “Don’t worry, she’ll be quite alright. Can you open it Spike? I don’t do zippers. I think with what’s in here, I may be able to wake her.” “Um, sure, Doc.” there was the sound of a zipper. There was yet more rustling. “Let’s see, no...no..no...how long do you think that’s been in here?...no....aha! Just as I thought. Place this against Twilight’s forehead Spike.” She felt something cold. “Now lets see.” there was the ring of a sonic screwdriver. Twilight opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was Pinkie holding a battle axe in her mouth next to a pile of rubble. “Twilight!” the pink pony rushed over and picked her up in hug. “I got that mean old Pegasus, he won’t bother you again!” “Not precisely true, with time it will reform. But for the moment it’s harmless. A roundabout way to do it, but effective.” said the Doctor. His suit was covered in reflective surfaces, glass, pieces of tile, precious stones, and on the back of his head hung an antique mirror. “You look ridiculous.” Twilight said holding back laughter. “That’s a nice thank you.” said the doctor jangling as he moved. “It’s so the Pegasus can’t sneak up on me.” “Sorry, thank you.” she said. She tried to move her front hoofs, but found she still couldn’t “Um, Doctor.....I still can’t move.” He frowned. “Darn, I was afraid of that.” he picked up a small stone. “It appears I was only able to break the hold on your oral and visual functions. Nothing else.” “What! Will I ever be able to move!? “ Twilight asked fearfully. “Oh yes, this is a piece of an angel, with it I could break their hold, but it appears they must be close for me to do so.” He nodded toward the pile of rubble on the floor. He walked up to Twilight getting very close. “Are you alright?” Twilight stared at him for a moment, she noticed his eyes were blue, and looked very old. “I’m fine Doctor. Thank you really.” “Good.” he walked towards the hall. “Now! I’ve got what the Weeping Pegasus really want! A piece of an angel, 108 years, 4 months and 23 days old, waiting to be activated.” “Activated?” asked Spike. “What do you mean by ‘Activated’.” “It’s quite simple. This fragment is a piece of the Pegasus, they sent it back with Night Shift, and because of that, it has been among the belongings of a very famous pony. Imagine, he took it with him everywhere, in his saddlebag, probably kept it because it was in there when he arrived. A harmless stone. But! When someone gets to that level of recognition it generates a lot of power. The adoration, think of it, how many little ponies must have seen the exhibit? Looking with bright eyes? How many people learned from his skill? Read his books? All that was focused at on one point in history, and this was at the center of it. Gorging on the energy. There’s power in numbers, and it’s got millions.” “Well what are they planning to do with it? And if they have that, why do they need me?” Twilight asked. “Well, my dear Twilight, this isn’t simply a powerful object. It’s also a beacon.” “A beacon?” “Yes, you see with this a million angels could flood in through the abstract plane into your world. A whole new universe, filled with energy waiting to be devoured like so much starfish.” Twilight gasped. “As to why they need you, this is very powerful, and to put it bluntly they’re not. They need something with enough power to activate it. Ring the dinner bell as it were.” “Me?....” Twilight whispered. “B-but I’m not even that powerful! Sure I’m good a magic, but I’m not as strong as they think.” “Oh, I have no doubt right now you’re not that powerful. But that’s because you don’t know how to use everything at your disposal. They have no such problem. They need power, not direction, it’s in you, they just have to reach in and use it, pure and unchanneled.” “Well I won’t let them!!” Twilight yelled. “I will not help those things, take over Equestria!!” “Oh I fear much more is at stake here. Most every universe has more than one inhabitable planet. One like this most certainly. Equestria is only one small piece in a very big puzzle about to be thrown into a fire.” He looked away. “Besides, I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter.” “What!? What do you mean, Doctor? What do you mean I have no choice!?” Twilight cried. “Well, I was unable to break the hold on everything but two of your functions. They hold everything else, magic included. They can’t just stop you from doing things. They can use you like a puppet as long as they have a hold.” He said sadly. “I’m sorry Twilight, but until I can break it we’re in terrible danger just being around you.” Twilight began to cry. “What am I suppose to do!?” she tried hard to move, but still nothing would respond. “Just relax, they don’t know we’re here yet. The one Pinkie disabled can’t alert them until it’s reformed.” “Relax!? I’m a ticking time bomb! It’s only a matter of time until those things come to get me! Then what?” she sobbed. “Doctor?” He put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight, remember earlier, when I said I would save you?” She sniffed. “Yeah.” “That promise is still valid, and I will save you. That I can guarantee. I’m not going to abandon you, and there’s no way we’re going to let that happen alright? ” his old eyes stared at her. She sniffed again. “Okay.” The Doctor turned to her two concerned friends. “Alright, so there are two more Pegasus to worry about and one more pulling itself back together! We need to work fast, so listen closely.” Twilight lay in the dark. Staring at the wall. Waiting for something to happen. She couldn’t move her neck for a different view, so she was stuck staring at it. She wished she had fallen in front of a painting, or something more interesting. It could have taken her mind off things. She began to worry about all the things that might go wrong. Listing them in her head one by one. A sound behind her shook her from her thoughts. She closed her eyes. The wind ruffled her hair as something stepped next to her head. she could hear the continues hum she had come to know as it’s breathing. It got closer until it was right next to her ear. Had she been able to move she would have shivered. Instead she threw her eyes open. The creature was frozen inches from her face. She had grown so used to it she didn’t even scream. The Doctor dashed out from behind a pillar, the fragment in his mouth. He quickly pressed it against Twilight’s forehead. She found she could move again. For the second time in the last few minutes she wanted to cry. “I can move again!” She did a little jump! “Thank you, Doctor, thank you!” she threw her hoofs around the brown earth pony. “Er...Quite alright, Twilight.” he said breaking from the hug. She noticed he was frowning. “Well, this is really bad.” “Why in the world is it bad!? I can move again! I never thought I’d be so happy to be back on my own four hooves!” she chuckled. “Well, you see, dear Twilight, it’s for the very fact that you can move, that we’re in so much trouble.” “Why’s that?” The Doctor looked around. “Well, I only count two stone creatures here. Each one holds a different function. That one,” he pointed to the pile of rubble. “held your speech and sight. And that one you just froze held your movement.” “Yes, and?” Twilight asked turning her head to the side. “That means the last one, the one that isn’t here, holds your magic.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized the implications. “Oh no.” She tried to lift something magically, and found she could do it no more than she could move her legs earlier. “We need to get it back!!” “Yes, but first, we need to incapacitate this Pegasus.” when he turned to Pinky she was already holding the battle axe. “I see you’d like the honor?” Several smashes later there were two piles of rubble. “That takes care of them at least.” Said the Doctor brushing some stone dust off one of his mirrors. “Now, by this point the third Pegasus must be aware of what we’re doing. Which begs the question of why it hasn’t acted yet.” “What could it do?” asked Spike. “With you in that disco ball getup, I thought they couldn’t touch us?” “Well it doesn’t have to touch us, Spike. With Twilight’s magic it could easily do a number of things without showing itself. So why doesn’t it?” “I say we don’t rush it!” said Twilight. “I don’t like the idea of someone using my own magic against me!” “It’s just I’m really quite curious, with that power this could be over very quickly. So,” the Doctor turned and spoke to the air. “What’s the problem?! Huh? You have all that power! Why aren’t you using it?! You could turn my hooves into daisies, or my head into a fishbowl, but you’re just sitting around! You scared of something?” “Doctor!” Twilight urged. “What are you doing! Don’t encourage them! “Well why not!? It’s obvious it’s not going to do anything. Probably found someone in the sculpture section to spend it’s time with. Hmmm? A nice Michelalhoofgelo? Come on! Show me what you’ve got! Turn me into a butterfly why don’t you? Maybe a nice wart filed toa-” Suddenly the Doctor was gone. His mirror covered suit fell to the floor in a heap. Twilight’s horn stopped glowing. “Doctor!!” she yelled. “Oh, what have I done!!” She raced over to the pile of clothes. “Doctor!.......Doctor!!” she looked around wildly. “This is wrong.” Twilight hung her head. “This is all wrong.” “Twilight! Look!” Spike pointed to the heap, where something was moving. “What?” her head shot up to see a lump slowly moving towards the sleeve. A rather cross looking toad hopped out and croaked. “Doctor?!” She picked the amphibian up with a forehoof. “Is that you?” There was a croak of confirmation. “Oh I’m so sorry!! I didn’t want to do it, they have control of my magic.” Another croak. “He makes a really cute toad!” Pinkie remarked. “Without the Doctor what do we do now!” Spike cried. “I don’t know.” Twilight said quietly. “But I know one thing, you and Pinkie have to get away from me Spike.” “What!? No, there’s no way we’re leaving you with that thing!!” “And there’s no way I’m going to let it harm you. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. Run, warn people of what’s coming, send a letter to the princess, I’m sure she’ll think of something.” “Twilight....I” Her horn started to glow. “Go!” She screamed. “Quickly! Go!!” Spike ran, gabbing Pinkie and dragging her after him. He paused for a minute and turned back. “I love you.” When she looked up there were tears streaming down her face. “I love you too.” “Don’t worry Twilight.” Pinkie said. “We’ll see you again.” Spike dragged her away. The Doctor’s coat rose slightly by the pocket. It slipped away to reveal the Angels Fragment. Twilight could hear that sound she had come to know behind her. The continuous hum of a Pegasus breathing. The fragment floated towards her. She could feel something tugging at her magic. A feeling that something was inherently wrong, but she could do nothing to stop it. Like a subtle shock, that grew stronger and stronger. Her horn glowed brighter and brighter as the power increased, forcing her to close her eyes. “I’m sorry Equestria.” she whispered. Suddenly everything was dim. She opened her eyes to find a smug looking toad floating in front of her. It’s stomach glowing purple. She felt a new tug, a subtle one, she allowed her power to flow into a new stream. The toad glowed brighter. In a flash of light the Doctor was standing in front of her again. “Hello, Twilight. In a bit of trouble?” he asked. Twilight stood, stunned. “You shouldn’t stand with your mouth open, you’ll catch flies. Trust me, it’s not worth the effort.” He turned to the Pegasus. “Now, on to y-” he paused. “Oh wait a minute” In another flash of light he was wearing his suit again. All the mirrors were gone, it looked brand new. “Now, on to you. If I remember correctly your the one from the library.” his face took on a terrible calmness. “You see that’s a problem, because you kidnapped one of my friends. I don’t like when people do that. It’s really not very polite, so you’ve given me quite a dilemma. What should I do with you? Twilight?” Twilight smiled. “I have a few ideas.” “I knew I liked you Ms.Sparkle. May I borrow some magic?” “Certainly.” “Thank you. I was thinking a stone toad? You?” the Doctor asked. “Oh I couldn’t think of anything better.” Twilight concurred. In a flash the Pegasus vanished, and in it’s place sat a happily painted green lawn frog. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “The paint’s mine.” Twilight chuckled. “I like it, now to finish this” Twilight felt another tug. Her horn glowed fiercely, there was a flash of light. Twilight awoke in her bed. She looked around. “What happened?” she said groggily. She noticed Spike in bed. She nudged the small dragon. “Spike, Spike!” His eyes fluttered open. “T-twilight? What’s goin on?” his eyes closed again. Then shot open. “Twilight!!” Spike jumped up to hug the purple unicorn. “You’re alright! What happened!?” Twilight laughed. “I’m glad to see you too Spike! I don’t know, the last thing I remember I was at the museum.” She noticed a slip of paper sticking out from under her pillow. It floated in front of her face. “It’s a note....From the Doctor.” Dear Twilight Sparkle. If you’re reading this it means I was successful . The Weeping Pegasus are gone, and will no longer trouble you. I opened a rift to the Abstract Plane, and sucked everything back from whence it came. Well, minus one Weeping Angel and plus one happy frog. In any case, I’m sorry to say this means I must go as well. It has been wonderful meeting you and your friends. But I must return. I’m sorry for all the trouble my visit caused you, but as a token of my thanks, I have left you something. Go into the library. Always your friend. Onwards and Upwards. The Doctor. “He’s gone...” Twilight whispered. “But..he didn’t say goodbye.” Spike put his hand on the unicorn’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Twilight, look on the bright side. We saved the whole of Equestria! We’re awesome!” Twilight smiled sadly. “Yeah, I suppose we are.” she got up. “Let’s see what this ‘something’ is.” Twilight walked towards the library. “What do you think it is?!” asked Spike. “I bet its some cool alien stuff! Like a raygun, or a jetpack!” “Spike, I’m sure its nothing like that.” Twilight chastised. “It’s probably waffles knowing what happened last time he left a note. That’s o-” she paused, mouth agape as she entered the library. It was immaculate. Everything was in it’s place, not a book out of order.The damage to the east wing had been completely repaired. Twilight ran along the shelves. “They’re all here! All the books that were destroyed in the crash! How’s this possible!?” She noticed a not attached to the shelf. It floated up to her nose. Told you I’d replace them. The Doctor. Twilight blinked away some tears. “Thank you Doctor.” “You’re welcome.” “What!!” Twilight turned around to find the brown earth pony standing behind her reading a book. “I’ve got a lot of history to brush up on if I’m going to be affective.” said the Doctor. “B-but the note! I thought you’d left! Gone back with the Weeping Pegasus!” “Me too, I sent everything back through, apparently I’m not included in ‘everything’ who knew?” The doctor turned the page absently. “Perhaps there’s more stuff to be done around here. That or something kept me from going.” he looked at Twilight,. Twilight looked off in another direction. “Perhaps something did. I wonder what?” The Doctor smiled. “Yes...I wonder what. Anyway, whole new universe, lot’s of stuff to do. I could stick around a while.” “I can’t say I’m totally unhappy.” said Twilight with smile. “Rarity does have an empty room, I’m sure she’d be happy to have you.” The Doctor’s face fell. “What!? But I-” The doorbell interrupted the Doctor’s protest. “Come in!” Called Twilight. Pinkie burst through the door. “Twilight!! Doctor!!” she raced over and grabbed the both of them. “I’m so happy to see you, Twilight! And I’m so happy to see you with less warts, Doctor! You look terrible in green!” “Pinkie....choking...” Twilight gasped. Pinky released them. “Oh, sorry.” she said sheepishly. “Now, Doctor, I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced!! I’ve got a full itinerary! We’ll start with Mrs. Cake and work our way down! Then we’ll have a party to celebrate!” She dragged the Doctor towards the door. He shot Twilight a look that said “Help me.” She just waved. “Enjoy your party Doctor! I have a feeling you’re going to like it in ponyville.” The door closed and he was off. “I’m glad you’re back.” she whispered. “What’s that?” asked Spike. “Oh, nothing, Spike.” she walked off. “Let’s find something for the party.” The End?

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T17:45:47+00:00

2012-09-19T17:45:47+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:46:58+00:00

2012-09-19T08:46:58+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:48:49+00:00

2012-09-19T08:48:49+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:54:47+00:00

2012-09-19T08:54:47+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:52:39+00:00

2012-09-19T08:52:39+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:53:51+00:00

2012-09-19T08:53:51+00:00

Squeak-anon

99

Doctor Whooves,Pinkie Pie,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Number 12

complete

<p>A blue box has fallen out of the sky, and crashed right into Twilight's Library! A strange brown stallion, calling himself the Doctor stumbles out. Soon after, strange stone Pegasus are everywhere, one of resident weather ponies has vanished, and Twilight is tossed in the middle! The Doctor and Twilight have to find out what's going on, before it's too late!</p>

everyone

2013-02-13T10:32:14+00:00

2013-02-13T10:32:07+00:00

Don't know why I haven't put this here yet. Fair warning, if you plan to watch all of this in one sitting I hope you brought food, water and have a really strong bladder. The Start of things Of Cats and Cures Back Through the Looking Glass

katsotse

100

Romance,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Who Really Cries Happy Tears?

incomplete

<p>When Bon-bon mysteriously shows up at Lyra's house in hysterics, it's up to the mint-colored unicorn to make things right. But after reflecting on their relationship, her feelings, and discovering shocking news, she discovers within herself the power to finally do the one thing she's always wanted to do.</p><p>Just a very short story with an ending open to interpretation. I may make a sequel of sorts if it gains any popularity.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:09:44+00:00

2011-07-11T02:09:44+00:00

Thick, hot night air flowed in through the windows of Lyra’s cottage like honey. The minty-coated unicorn shifted uncomfortably as the draft envoloped her already-sweating body. Using her magic, she levitated a glass of water up to her lips and took a long sip. She shuddered- it was lukewarm and bitter. Hadn’t she just put ice in that? Shaking her head, she lowered the glass and returned her attention to the book she was reading: A Tale of Two Fillies by Cocoa Nick’ns. It was the very peak of summer, and Equestria was suffering a particularly miserable week in terms of weather. (Some ponies speculated it must be the Princess’s “time of the month”.) The pegasi of Cloudsdale had tried to block out the intense heat of the sun with coulds, but every attempt simply ended with them burning away under the blaring rays. The Mayor ensured Ponyville that the heat wouldn’t last long, and that an early Autumn was scheduled. Still, even the promise of Fall wasn’t enough for most ponies. They remained cooped up in their houses, out of the direct heat of Celestia’s sun. Doors and windows remained propped open even at night to allow the circulation of what little coolness was to be found, and Mr. Breezy had found business to be booming. The same couldn’t be said for other local retailers, though. The trees at Sweet Apple Acres, so close to starting to bear fruit, were beginning to wilt. Tanks full of water had to be hauled in from nearby lakes, much to the disadvantage of those assigned to do the hauling. Sugarcube Corner was forced to close down due to the mess melting chocolate and frosting ensued. Plus, who would want to work with hot ovens now? An apparently thirsty fly persitantly landed on Lyra’s damp pelt, itching her with it’s filthy little mouth as it lapped up perspiration. No matter how much she swatted and twitched and cursed at it, it simply wouldn’t let her be. Currently it was buzzing around her face, distracting her from her book. Boiling with annoyance, Lyra finally smacked it down with a violent swat. It twitched as it landed on the edge of her chair, then with still. The unicorn’s nostrils flared as she huffed. As much as she had understood it’s thirst, she simply wasn’t going to tolerate being mouthed by an insect for much longer. That’s Bon-bon’s job. She thought secretly. The simple idea made her blush, and she tenatively turned to glance at her cream-colored friend, as if worried the earth pony had read her thoughts. Said cream-colored mare was passed out on the couch after devouring a tub and a half of ice cream. And a carrot dog. And a bag of popcorn. And a- oh, Lyra couldn’t remember what else Bon-bon had eaten. Her eyes had grown tired of reading, and after sliding a bookmark into her current page, she set it down on her chair and hopped off, trotting over to Bon-bon. She was sprawled out rather ungracefully, mouth hanging wide open and a thin trickle of droll running out. Lyra giggled and wiped it away with a hoof. Oh, Bon-bon was SO cute sometimes! The green unicorn hopped up onto the couch and settled into the one, tiny space Bon-bon wasn’t occupying. Her small, thin frame just barely fit, and in order to make it more comfortable she was forced to snuggle up against the sleeping mare. When she initially sunk into the soft, pillowy form known as Bon-bon’s flank, she felt as if a jolt of electricity had coursed through her body. She pressed her nostrils against the cream fur, smelling the familiar, seductive aroma of chocolate Bon-bon always seemed to carry around. Settling in, Lyra found herself as secure as a foal cuddling with it’s mother. This was the first time in months they had slept even in the same house, and definately the first Lyra had managed to get this close. Bon-bon wasn’t really the touchy-feely type, which was a shame because of how huggable and soft she was. “All those sweets and treats really go to your hips, eh Bon-bon?” Lyra whispered playfully, though she knew her words met deaf ears. Bon-bon let out a brief snort in “response”, though, which forced Lyra to giggle. She knew she would never be able to tease an awake Bon-bon about that. She was so sensitive about her weight. “I think it’s part of what makes you different,” Lyra had once told her. But the colorfully-maned mare had simply turned away bitterly. “Yes, of course it makes me different! Can’t you see how morbidly fat I am?” “Oh, Bonny, it’s not that bad, and you know it. At most, you’re curvy. I think it’s quite sexy.” That last part slipped out accidentally, and she instantly regretted it. Bon-bon turned to face her again, meeting her with wide, surprised eyes. “Pardon?” Lyra bit her lip, hoping to Dear Celestia she wasn’t blushing. “Well, what I mean is... um... I’m sure any sane stallion would love it!” But Bon-bon simply shook her head. “No, they like mares like you, Lyra. Celestia only knows why you don’t already have a coltfriend.” Because I love you, can’t you see? Lyra wanted to scream the words, but instead stood there ackwardly. “N-No,” she stammered, trying to regain verbal footing, “I’m just a bony little thing. You’re the pretty one, Bon-bon.” Bon-bon smiled slightly, and Lyra’s heart leapt. “How kind of you. It doesn’t change anything, though. C’mon, let’s get going. I heard the Weather Patrol has some rain planned this afternoon, and I don’t wanna get caught in it.” And so they had galloped off. Bon-bon never brought up the subject of her weight again, but Lyra could tell that she flinched whenever she walked in front of a mirror, and was hesitant when they had gone to get dresses fitted at Carousel Boutique. Oh, why can’t you see what makes a mare is so much more than her body? You’re kind, and funny, and caring... beautiful in every way. As she savored the sensation of Bon-bon’s body against hers, her mind drifted back to earlier this morning, when the mare had shown up on her doorstep in tears. Lyra still had yet to know why, but she was sure Bon-bon would tell her when she was ready. The unicorn had lead the earth pony to the couch, where the two sat down and Bon-bon cried her woes away on her shoulder. They sat there for a long time after that in utter silence, until Lyra suggested they watch a movie. Bon-bon obliged, and before long they had torn through half of Lyra’s film collection, losing complete and utter track of time. Half-way through Manespray Bon-bon had gotten up to get a snack, which originally just consisted of a handful of her namesake, but slowly escalated to a large portion of Lyra’s pantry. Lyra didn’t mind, though; she could get more food later. She just enjoyed her best friend’s company. After the credits began to roll, Bon-bon collapsed and Lyra tucked into a random book from her shelf. After having gone through the whole ordeal in her head, she realized something: she hadn’t eaten in hours! She wasn’t really that hungry, but she was thin enough and, if anything, would gladly take a share of Bon-bon’s rump (in more ways than one.) Careful not to disturb her sleeping companion, she carefully got up and tiptoed out of the living room and into the kitchen. She clicked on a lamp and was greeted by Bon-bon’s mess. A bowl here, a bag of flour there, some spilled blueberries... Oh, right, Bon-bon had also baked muffins! Lyra scanned the room and quickly spotted them, grinning widely as she trotted over. Now, she was a rather light eater, and really only nibbled on things. But Bon-bon was a fantastic cook, and she could eat her food all day! She plucked up the smallest muffin (okay, maybe “eating her food all day” was an overstatement) and took a bite, savoring it’s... blue-berry-ness. After a few bites, though, she felt a bit queasy and set it back down, eyeing it guiltily. That had been her problem since fillyhood. No, she wasn’t like those stupid mares who didn’t eat on purpose- Lyra simply couldn’t handle much food. Her mother had taken her to a doctor when she was young, and she was diagnosed with some type of digestive disease. Still, she felt terrible. She saw the dark looks Bon-bon’s face took on whenever she eyed Lyra’s body. Yes, Bon-bon was well aware of Lyra’s condition, but that obviously didn’t do much to dissolve the tension the earth pony seemed to harbor. Grimacing, Lyra forced herself to finish the muffin. Even if it made her sick, she would do it because she cared about Bon-bon’s feelings. And her own health, too. As she swallowed the last bite, she groaned and staggered over to the kitched table, leaning into some sort of flat leather object upon it for support. She waited a moment for the nausea to subside, then stood up. There was a sudden flop, though, and the leather object slid off the table and onto the floor, spilling it’s contents. It had been Bon-bon’s saddlebag, and within it, her daily mail. Lyra cursed silently and bent down to pick up the mess. As she sorted the papers and enveloped neatly, though, she came across one ravaged, open envelope with a crimson seal on it. The coroner’s seal. Lyra recognised it from when she got the letter about her father’s death a few years back. Was this what had upset Bon-bon? She didn’t want to pry into business which was not her own, but concern for her love got the best of her. She removed the letter within the envelope and unfolded it. The first thing she noticed was a small photograph papercliped to it. It was of a mare and a stallion, with a sweet little filly no older than those darn Cutie Mark Crusaders. She recognised the mare, for she looked a lot like Bon-bon. Sher coat was the same color, save for being a bit lighter, and she had wavy hair of light pink and baby blue. And her eyes- her eyes were excactly the same as Bon-bon’s. Upon her flank was an image of cotton candy. Candy Floss, Bon-bon’s sister! Oh Celestia, no! Her husband was a handsome pegasus of a very familiar sky blue, with an electric yellow mane and alert fuscia eyes. His cutie mark was a sharp white lightning bolt, accented with lime green. Flash Blitz. He’s Rainbow Dash, the weather pony’s brother, isn’t he? Finally, bewteen the happy couple looked a bright and cheerful little blank-flanked filly of the lightest pink, with a pastel rainbow mane and clear blue eyes. They all looked so happy in this picture; so happy, in fact, Lyra was hesitant to lift up the photo and read what horrors may lie in the coroner’s letter. But she had to know. Her stomach felt like an icy pit as she began to read the empty, typewritten print. Dear Miss Bon-bon, We regret to inform you your sister, Mrs. Floss, along with husband Mr. Blitz, passed away in a fire yesterday morning. Royal guard investigation has lead us to beleive the fire was caused by the recent weather patterns. You are permitted to visit our offices within the next week to claim your share of Mrs. Floss’s will. This includes, as followed: -1,000 bits -Any furniture or jewelry you wish -Your neice, Toola Roola. Our condolances, Marbel Toom, Head of Coroner’s Dept. Lyra gaped at the letter. First, it was from the news of Bon-bon’s sister’s death. Then, in response to the sheer... distance of the letter. How could they be so insensitive and short about a death? And third, oh Dear Celestia third, Bon-bon had just been given custody of her niece. She looked back at the picture of the then-happy family, little Toola Roola beaming up at the camera. She couldn’t bear to think of what that little filly was feeling now. She felt her face grow hot and even sweatier. She struggled to hold back tears as she neatly folded the letter, returned it to its envelope, and placed all the mail into Bon-bon’s bag on the table. As she was adjusting it to look as it had before, a soft “ahem” sounded from behind her. Lyra froze. Bon-bon was right behind her, wasn’t she? “Going through my mail, I suppose?” There was an edge to Bon-bon’s tone that unsettled Lyra. She turned slowly towards the object of her affections, trying to look as innocent as possible. It clearly didn’t work. Bon-bon tapped her hoof steadily, her harse stare not once wavering. “I...” Lyra uttered, so softly Bon-bon scarcely heard, “I’m so sorry.” Bon-bon’s eyes narrowed, and her mouth quivered. Lyra braced herself for a verbal beating, but instead found herself in a shuddering embrace by Bon-bon, who had begun to sob. She was surprised, but instinctively wrapped her hooves around her friend in response, murmuring softly to the crying pony. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. Maybe it was only seconds, or maybe it was hours. When Bon-bon’s sobs ceased, she lifted her head to look up at Lyra. “You’re always so nice, so kind, so... caring. I don’t know what I’d do without you...” Tears began to stream down her face more rapidly now, and she buried her nose in Lyra’s fur. Lyra stroked her back gently, her eyes following the curl of her hair and the unique shimmer on her pelt. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, either.” she responded. Lyra didn’t know what consequenses may come of her next actions, but she was willing to face them. With a tender hoof she lifted Bon-bon’s chin, looking straight into those beautiful blue eyes. “I’ll be here for you, Bonny. I’ll always be here, no matter what. I don’t care what happens or what you think or say or what others think or say or how you look or how I look or-” she took a deep breath, “anything like that. Because you know what, Bon-bon? I love you.” And she kissed her. The End

TheAshenKnight

101

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Crossover,Human,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Doctor

The Doctor visits Equestria on a randomized 'vacation,' but it soon takes a turn for the worse...

complete

<p>The Doctor visits Equestria on a randomized 'vacation,' picked by the TARDIS. However, it turns out to be more than he counted on, as he must overcome some old enemies, and save not only Equestria, but history as he knows it.</p>

everyone

2011-12-19T23:57:33+00:00

2014-01-07T23:47:58+00:00

The first rays of Celestia’s glorious sun had finally touched the land and the humble houses of Ponyville. Everything seemed peaceful; the birds were chirping, roosters calling, and the wind was rustling the grass, making it sway back and forth. The inhabitants were beginning to wake to their routine tasks, oblivious to the events that would soon turn their lives upside-down. At the same time, on the edge of the Everfree Forest, there came an odd sound from seemingly nowhere. It sounded, in a way, like a car engine starting, although nopony would have recognized the sound. It was foreign to them. Then it happened again. The noise woke the small denizens of the forest, who came to investigate the strange sound, which stopped as suddenly as it had started. They were met by an odd sight. A strange tall, blue box with a small cylinder on top was now standing where there used to be just the grass and some tiny flowers. The area near the top was lined with glazed windows, and the top edge of the box had strange words on it. “Police Public Call Box” Silently, one panel on the box with a handle on it swung open, and a light brown stallion with a messy dark brown mane and hourglass cutie mark trotted out and tripped. He looked down at himself and straightened his messy tie and aligned his ill-fitting jacket, clearly annoyed, but also slightly amused. “Blend in with the locals,” he said. “Locals indeed!” He sniffed and continued muttering to nopony in particular. “Looks like this thing was a piece of junk. At least it’s pretty interesting,” he continued, now eyeing his hooves, then spinning around in circles to look at his tail. “What am I? A... pony?! Hah! Brilliant! It may be a piece of junk but it’s a pretty hilarious one.” He chuckled, then looked around at his surroundings. The small animals that had been watching him shrank away into the dense foliage of the Everfree Forest. “Pretty peaceful, nothing life-threatening yet, there’s a plus... and a village! Now to meet some of these ‘locals.’” He chuckled again, and set off toward the direction of Ponyville in a leisurely trot, all the while looking around, admiring his peaceful surroundings. Suddenly he tripped over a small rock on the road, falling flat on his face and sending dust flying everywhere, then stood up once more. “This could take some getting used to,” he muttered again. The colt then set off once more, although this time he glanced at the ground occasionally with an apprehensive glance. At the same time, Pinkie Pie had woken up, bright eyed and as cheery as ever. She got ready for the long day ahead, (She could tell. Her Pinkie Sense was going off again.) then took her usual morning “walk” (Which for her was more of a bounce.) around Ponyville. She got a few odd glances, but she didn’t mind. Ponies-boring ponies, anyways- ALWAYS did that when she walked by. She’d tried throwing parties to lighten them up a bit before, but they always seemed to go back to their old boring attitudes the next day. She didn’t understand those grumpy-pants ponies! What was it with-THUMP! Pinkie had been so absorbed with her thoughts that she hadn’t paid any attention to where she was going, and accidentally bumped into a light brown earth pony, sending him tumbling down. “Ohmygosh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to bump into you I was just thinking about all of the grumpy-pants ponies who never ever seem to lighten up or laugh or have any fun that I didn’t see you and then I sort of crashed into you and I didn’t-” For once, Pinkie Pie actually cut herself off mid-sentence, rather than somepony else. She didn’t recognize the earth pony who was staring back at her with a shocked look on his face, and she knew everypony in Ponyville. “WOAH! Hey, you’re new! Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?” she rattled off excitedly. The earth pony was still lying on the ground with a dumbstruck expression on his face. Suddenly that same expression turned into a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear. “Talking ponies, who would have thought? Haha! Brilliant!” The earth pony then got up and looked at the bouncing Pinkie Pie. “Oh, right, sorry. I’m the Doctor. Pleased to meet you Miss Pie,” he said, sticking his hoof out to Pinkie, who took it and nearly shook his arm off. “Ooh, doctors! I like doctors! They help cure everypony-” Here the Doctor’s grin grew wider, and he stifled an amused snicker, but Pinkie didn’t notice. “-of everything like seeing too many things at once or cuts or bruises and stuff. Speaking of that, I know a pony, well, I know everypony in Ponyville-” The Doctor stifled a slight chuckle again. “but this pony has her eyes all crazy-rific! Her name’s Ditzy and she sees two of everything but the doctors couldn’t cure her, not even those mind doctor people, but she doesn’t mind and- Heeyyyy.” She paused here. “Doctor who?” The Doctor seemed a bit frazzled over all of this happening at once, (Although mostly amused. ‘Everypony. Haha, brilliant!’ He was thinking.) but he quickly recovered and replied. “W-Oh. Er, I’m just the Doctor.” Pinkie Pie stared at him for a few seconds, and he stared back, his grin shrinking slightly to an obvious bit of curiosity and a slightly apprehensive look, but she burst back into a smile a few seconds later. “Okie dokie lokie!” she said, bouncing up and down once again. “I have to go now and get everything ready for your surprise!” With that, she started to set off toward a certain building in town with the name ‘Sugarcube Corner’ hung on a sign beside it. “Er, for what, exactly?” The Doctor asked the bouncing pink figure. “If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret you silly filly!” she called in response. The Doctor just stood there, quite puzzled, but also quite entertained by all of this. ‘Everypony, now that’s just brilliant. And a surprise! Wonderful!’ he thought. It was then he realized that everypony’s eyes were on him. Ponies were obviously curious how the newcomer would react to Pinkie Pie’s antics. “Um, sorry, business and whatnot. Allons-y!” he shouted a bit too loudly, and then he trotted off at a quick pace to nowhere in particular. Everypony shrugged and continued on with their business. Every time somepony new came to town this happened, so why should this be any different? The Doctor continued on his way, taking in his amazing surroundings. At first when he arrived, he thought the ponies were workhorses, but that assumption changed when he bumped into Pinkie Pie. He was now intrigued by this world the TARDIS had picked as his ‘vacation spot.’ He decided to set off to the first place he could think of to learn more about this world, as he couldn’t recall what it was; the library. Well, if he could find it, that is. Twilight Sparkle was relaxing in the library she now called her home, reading one of the hundreds of books that it contained. It was an off day for everypony, and she intended to make the most of it. After all, why intrude on her friend’s off times as well? Her horn glowed and one of the pages from the book that was sprawled out in front of her turned. It make a soft rustling sound. Then another rustle came from another room... wait, no, it was her imagination. “Oh Spike...” she muttered with a soft sigh. She missed the baby dragon, but he was off in Canterlot on royal business, which left Twilight by herself to tend to the mountains of books. Twilight continued reading her book, and flipped another page. Then out of nowhere, a sharp tapping filled the room. It was coming from the door. “Hello?” A stallion’s voice called. Twilight was startled by this, and nearly ripped a page that she was turning. Now who could that be? It wasn’t any of her friends... “Come on in!” she called to whoever was behind the door. It swung open almost immediately and a light brown stallion with a dark brown mane peered inside. “Sorry to bother you, but-” He looked around some more, his eyes falling on the numerous books that lined the walls. “Oh, it looks like it is. Right. Can I come in? This is the library, correct?” “Um, yeah, this is the library.” said Twilight timidly. Who was this? She’d never seen him before. “You can come in.” she added quickly. The stallion gave her a smile and trotted in. “What are you looking for, Mister...?” “Hmm? Oh, I’m just the Doctor.” he replied while looking around curiously, causing Twilight to look puzzled. “I’m looking for a history book on this pla-er, the area.” “Sure thing.” Twilight said with a much more cheerful tone than she thought. This pony certainly was odd. Twilight Sparkle’s horn glowed and one of the many books that lined the circular walls of the library came off of its shelf and hovered to the now grinning ‘Doctor.’ He gingerly grabbed the book and laid it on the floor. ‘Absolutely amazing.’ he thought as he opened the book. He flipped through the book quickly and saw the name “Equestria” appear several times. He closed the book again and handed it over to Twilight Sparkle. “Your book. Thank you for all of the help Miss...” “T-Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” She nodded at him and picked up the book. “Are you sure you’re done? You only glanced at it.” She gave him a puzzled look. The Doctor looked baffled for an instant, as if he didn’t understand her, then gave her a grin. “I’m a fast reader. Thank you.” he turned and trotted out the door, but not before stopping and shouting, “Allons-y!” Twilight just stood there staring at where the ‘Doctor’ had been a few seconds before, puzzled at the strange events. Who in Equestria was he? She’d never seen him before, and he certainly was an odd character. And Twilight could have sworn that he was about to say ‘planet’ instead of area. What was going on? Her mind shifted to a different line of thought once Pinkie Pie came bouncing through the door, however. She gave Twilight a huge grin. “We’re going to have a party today in Sugarcube Corner for this new pony I saw and it’s going to be GREAT because it’ll have cake and balloons and cupcakes and muffins and streamers and party hats...” She continued on like that for a few more seconds before taking a breath. “Wouldya like to come?” “Um, sure...” Twilight said. New pony? Could this be the ‘Doctor?’ “Okie dokie lokie! It’ll be this afternoon in Sugarcube Corner! Seeya later Twilight!” As suddenly as Pinkie Pie had appeared she had gone again. Twilight shook her head and giggled. What was she so upset about? Pinkie Pie had the right idea. This was just a new pony in town. It’s not like he was another Zecora, who ended up scaring everypony for no good reason, just because she was different. This stallion was just different too. It was nothing to worry about. Twilight turned to pick up her book again, now that her mind was at ease, and went back to reading once more. What was there to worry about? ‘Equestria, how could I have forgotten? I knew this place was familiar!’ The stallion was now trotting around town aimlessly, thinking about what to do. ‘I should leave. This place plays an important...’ Sugarcube Corner appeared around a bend in the street, showing off its colorful display of food, and his stomach growled. He had forgotten how hungry he was. Even Timelords had to eat. ‘Well, maybe a bit longer. After all, this is supposed to be a vacation... A very interesting one at that. How could I have forgotten a planet with talking ponies?’ The Doctor chuckled once more and trotted toward Sugarcube Corner, but then stopped. ‘Right, money.’ He then took off as fast as he could in the direction of the strange blue box. Over at Sugarcube Corner itself, things weren’t looking well. Pinkie knew a hungry pony when she saw one, and the Doctor seemed pretty hungry as soon as he saw the shop. She was glad he seemed to have forgotten something, however. The preparations weren’t done yet! She had invited all of her friends (Which to her meant everypony, although mostly Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. They didn’t really seem to mind her antics too much, unlike everypony else.) but she hadn’t put up the decorations! Just then, Rarity walked in. “Ah, hello Pinkie Pie!” the beautiful mare said to the other. “Hiya Rarity!” Pinkie replied, bouncing up and down again. Her first guest had arrived early! Rarity looked around with a small smile, which quickly turned into a frown of the same size. “Darling, you haven’t gotten everything ready yet!” “Nopie lokie! Do ya think you can help me reeeaaally quick?” She leaned in close to Rarity when she said this, who just gave her a weak smile, and backed away a tiny bit. Did Pinkie Pie know about personal space? The nerve! Oh well, she was a friend, after all. “Of course dear.” replied Rarity, and Pinkie backed off instantly and gave her a huge smile. “I wouldn’t dream of not helping with a party. Who’s the pony this is for, anyways?” “OhthankssomuchRarity! And it’s for this Doctor pony I met earlier. He’s new, so this is to welcome him to Ponyville!” Rarity smiled at Pinkie again. She was always so... random, as Rainbow Dash would put it, but her heart was in the right place. “Well, we had best get started then!” For the next few minutes, Rarity helped Pinkie Pie set up the decorations, (Sparkle did the trick, once again.) and ponies from all over Ponyville funneled into Sugarcube Corner, including Applejack, (“Them are some fancy decorations you two!”) Rainbow Dash, (“This is so cool!”) Twilight Sparkle, and finally Fluttershy. Once everypony was there and the decorations were set up, Pinkie bounced over to the window in anticipation. Suddenly she saw the pony she was looking for trotting down the street... straight toward Sugarcube Corner! “He’s coming everypony! Quick, hide!” Pinkie waved everypony back into multiple doors that were in Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie herself leaned against the wall, right next to where the light switch was. She shushed everyone, then waited... and waited... she hated waiting... And there! The bell attached to the door rang, and Pinkie immediately switched off the lights, as to make things more mysterious and interesting, but mostly just to make the surprise more surprising. “... Well that’s interesting.” She heard a voice say. Now was her chance! She flipped on the lights and everypony yelled, “Surprise!” Much to her disappointment, the Doctor didn’t jump, but he did look shocked... For an instant anyways. A second later his shock turned into a wide grin, and he started laughing. “Oh yay! He’s happy!” Pinkie immediately went over the the chuckling figure and started bombarding him with questions while bouncing, just like she had done with Twilight Sparkle when she was new. (Who was looking at the scene, giggling to herself.) “So didya like your surprise? I sure hope you did, I mean, you’re laughing and laughing is great! I hope that means yes! I bet you were surprised!” “Hahaha, brilliant! Wonderful... uh... Pinkie... Cake.. Pinkie Pie! Yes, wonderful job Pinkie Pie! This is for me?” asked the Doctor, still chuckling. “Yep! Were you surprised? Huh?” Pinkie Pie was still bouncing in front of him, which, he had to admit, slightly disoriented him. “Very.” laughed the Doctor. “Where is the food, exactly? I was just coming in to buy something to eat. “Oh, it’s over there!” Pinkie said, pointing over to a table in the corner of the room. She had stopped bouncing, thankfully. How any creature could have that much energy, the Doctor would never know. Well, technically he could find out, but for the time he’d never know. Pinkie Pie then trotted over to the middle of the room where she yelled out to everypony, “Alright everypony, let’s get this party started!” As soon as she had said that, the music had turned on, the lights dimmed, and everypony started to dance. (Or stand in the corner and watch, for some of them.) The Doctor, meanwhile, had gone over to the concession stand that Pinkie had pointed out and began shoveling food into his mouth. (Or as well as he could. The hooves were still fairly new to him, but he was getting used to them quickly.) He hadn’t remembered when food had ever tasted this good. This could end up being fun! He’d still need to leave, but a little party wouldn’t hurt. He decided to sit in the corner and watch the events of the night unfold. He’d like to be out there on the dance floor (He was quite good at dancing. Well, he was in his regular Timelord form. He wasn’t sure how it’d work out as a pony.) but the personalities of these people-well, ponies- couldn’t be tampered with. It could have serious repercussions on the universe. It may not, but he couldn’t take the chance with- He felt someone next to him. He turned and saw the purple coated pony he had seen earlier at the library looking at him. What was her name... Dusk... no, Twilight... Twilight... Sparkle! That was it. “So...” she ventured carefully. “Enjoying yourself, um, Doctor?” “Hmm, yes.” he said. He’d rather be enjoying himself more, but this wasn’t bad either. (Especially with Pinkie leading a conga line.) It was proving to be an interesting day. “Good, good...” she said. She never was very good at small talk. Spending so much time in the library hadn’t really helped with that either. The two ponies sat and watched the party happen in front of them, neither of them really doing anything aside from watching and thinking. Twilight was still intrigued by this so called Doctor, but she had loosened up a bit after her encounter with Pinkie and her part invitation. He still seemed to... well, not scare her. The stallion was more mysterious than anything. He seemed like Princess Celestia in a way; wise and old, but he was but a young stallion. Very curious indeed... Out of nowhere, the lights turned off, and the music screeched to a halt. “Heeeyyy. Who turned out the lights?” called out Pinkie Pie, obviously annoyed, but she kept up the good attitude regardless. The Doctor, in the meantime, had stood up to his full height immediately and looked around wildly. ‘Oh no... no no no no... please not here.’ He thought. Hopefully this was just a power failure, and not one of his enemies... Then his worst fears came to life, as the small sound of a running motor came to his ears, and a large, slightly cylindrical, silhouette appeared in the main doorway, which smashed the door off of its hinges. “Doctor.” The strange creature spoke with a scratchy, metallic voice. “You will come with us immediately.” The Doctor looked onward, stunned. Everypony’s eyes turned toward him. He leaned in toward Twilight, who looked terrified, but also very curious. “When I give the signal, run, and get everyone out of here.” He turned back toward the metal creature. “And if I don’t?” He shouted, barely a hint of fear in his voice. The creature paused, then turned its domelike head so that an odd pole with what looked sort of like a plunger at the end faced him. “Then we will take you by force, and exterminate every life form here.” Everypony gasped, (Even Pinkie, who was usually extremely cheerful in the face of danger.) and looked back toward the Doctor, who was looking around the room, trying to find an escape route. Outside the windows he could see more of the creatures. Maybe the stairs... No, he could see the shadow of another of these creatures there too. There was no escape. Wait, no, he couldn’t be that negative. There had to be one somewhere, something he had missed. He could feel his expression turning into a panicked look as he swung around, and then caught Twilight’s eye, which was shining brightly. ... Her eye? That couldn’t be right. No, it was her horn... Then everything flashed brightly. The Doctor was still standing looking at Twilight, but everything had changed. For one, Twilight was panting now, and was lying on the floor... Er, ground. He looked around, and saw everypony standing in a large cave. The creatures were gone, thankfully, and everypony seemed to be alright, but what had happened? Then it dawned on him; Twilight had teleported them all out of there! Teleportation at it’s finest! “Twilight, that was brilliant! Perfect timing!” He yelled, and then turned to see the unicorn passed out on the ground of the cave, and then a pony with a rainbow colored mane in his face. “Okay Mr. Doctor. What were those things, and why did they want you?” the pony demanded. “Um, well...” “Well...?” “Would ya calm down Rainbow Dash?” another voice added. Out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see an orange pony with a... cowboy hat. He had to straighten out a grin. Even after all of these events, these ponies were still amusing. “Give him a little breathin’ room, will ya?” continued the orange pony. Rainbow Dash backed off from the Doctor, but gave him a glare. “Ah’m sorry about that Doc.” said the orange pony. “My name’s Applejack. Rainbow Dash here is just pretty scared-” “Am not!” shouted the pony defensively. “Well, sorta worried. Could ya explain what just happened back there at the party?” The Doctor reached an ironic realization. “Always the parties...” he muttered. He coughed, and then spoke full on to the pony. “Well, this might take a bit to explain. You know space?” He motioned upwards, then realized that the ceiling was there. “Well, beyond the sky? Well, there are millions and billions of planets out there, and I travel between them, as well as time. Long story shot, they don’t exactly like me from a war between our races, but I honestly don’t know how they found me, let alone why they’re here.” The Doctor paused and observed the two... wait, five, ponies. A pony with a shimmering white coat and a curly purple mane had walked in behind Applejack, and behind her, Pinkie Pie and a yellow pony with a pink mane trotted into his vision. The white pony looked deep in thought. Rainbow Dash, however, had a disbelieving frown on her face. Applejack too, had a frown, but was staring at him back, studying him carefully. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, had her jaw slightly hanging open, while the yellow pony shrunk behind her when looked at. The Doctor looked each of them in the eye to attempt to let them all know that he was telling the truth, when Applejack returned the stare carefully. “Ah... believe ya. I dunno why, but ah think you’re tellin’ the truth.” “WHAT?!” shouted Rainbow Dash a little too loudly. Everypony in the cave turned to look at her from reassuring each other, but she didn’t seem to mind. “He’s obviously lying! He visits other planets? Seriously?” She shot the Doctor another glare intended to make him shrink back and admit to lying, but he stayed steadfast with his story, which made Rainbow even more annoyed. “It don’t make any sense to me either Rainbow, but when I look in his eyes...” Applejack turned and looked directly at the Doctor. “Well, ah can tell he’s not lying. Ah dunno what it is, but ah can just tell. An awkward silence then started between all of the ponies there, when a moan came from the floor beside the Doctor. “Oh... What... happened?” Twilight groaned, and the pony with the white coat was suddenly at her side. “Oh darling, I didn’t see you there! I’m so sorry, are you alright?” “Ugh... Rarity? What happened... Last thing I remember...” Twilight suddenly sat up and stared straight at the Doctor. “You! What’s going on Doctor?” “I’m a space and time traveler, those guys don’t like me, thank you, that was brilliant.” He replied far too cheerfully. “... Huh?” “We don’t understand it either sugarcube,” said Applejack, “but ah think he’s telling the truth, especially after what happened at Sugarcube Corner.” She shuddered slightly after saying this, not wanting to relive those few terrifying moments. “W-What were those things?” asked a timid voice from behind Pinkie Pie. The Doctor leaned around Pinkie Pie to get a look at whoever was talking, and saw the yellow pony with the pink mane from before. “Oh, hello there! I didn’t see you miss...?” he said. The pony shrunk back, however, and stared at the floor for a second before replying. “Oh, I’m Fluttershy.” she whispered, looking at the ground. “Hmm?” asked the Doctor. “Her name’s Fluttershy, Doc,” said Applejack. “She... don’t really talk much. So, what were those things?” The Doctor’s face suddenly turned from a slight grin to a serious expression. “Ah, those...” he said, looking away slightly as if recalling some long lost memory. “They’re called the Daleks. I don’t exactly know what they want with me, but I can tell you that they’re probably going to exterminate everyone-that is, everypony-on this planet.” Everypony gasped at this, but the Doctor smiled immediately. “Unless,” he continued, “I do something about it.” He suddenly set off in a gallop toward the cave entrance, the 6 other ponies quickly following behind once they had gotten a grasp of the situation. “Now hold on mister,” said Rainbow Dash from behind the Doctor, who spun around at this. “Sorry, terribly busy saving the world and whatnot. Can’t chat right now.” He then twisted back around as fast as possible, and galloped away again. Rainbow Dash just groaned and took off after him, as did the rest of the ponies. “WAIT!” she yelled much more loudly, and this time the Doctor completely stopped, and turned around once more. “You aren’t just going to leave us!” The Doctor paused at this, then said, “Well, yeah, I suppose I am.” “Now hold on!” said Twilight, panting and gasping from running so fast after them both. She paused to catch her breath, and then continued. “You aren’t going to let us help?” “I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous. You had best stay up there and wait for me to take care of this,” the Doctor said, annoyed. “Not when Equestria is at stake!” she yelled. “You think we’re not going to try and help everypony?” “No, not really. It’s very dangerous, so you had better not have planned on it.” “We’re going to help, Doctor. We simply cannot let these ‘Daleks’ take over Equestia,” said Rarity coming up behind them. The Doctor just stood there, staring at the six ponies assembled there in front of him, sighed, and then broke out in a wide grin. “Brilliant!” he said cheerfully. “Can’t stand people who don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. Alright then! Allons-y!” He then broke off in a fast gallop down the mountain in the general direction of Ponyville, which could be seen in the distance. The other ponies were slightly confused about this strange change in personality, but quickly recovered, and chased after the Doctor. Several minutes later, the group had arrived at Ponyville, and returned to see it deserted. Deserted, that is, except for the Daleks, which were hovering around town and going inside buildings, searching for the ponies that had disappeared. The Doctor, realizing this, leaned in close to Pinkie Pie. “Was everyone at that party Pinkie?” “Yep!” She replied loudly. The other ponies hushed her up quickly, and then looked around to make sure none of the Daleks had noticed. Luckily, none had. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Good,” said the Doctor, who sighed with relief. “Alright, you had better stay here and out of sight. I need to go get my TARDIS.” “Your what?” asked Twilight, confused. “TARDIS. Er, Time and Relative Dimension in Space.” Twilight still looked confused. “Uh... it’s my time machine. No time to explain. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” and with that, he trotted off as quietly as he could, and snuck through Ponyville. The other ponies didn’t quite know what to think, but they decided to stay where they were and hope for the best. The Daleks, in the meantime, continued their patrol, and more than once passed dangerously close to their hiding spot. They didn’t know what the Daleks would do to them if caught, but they had a vague idea of being ‘exterminated,’ which was enough to make them hold their breath when they passed by. It seemed like an eternity before the Doctor came creeping back into view, but he was approaching from the direction of the mountain this time, rather than from the way he left, which sparked Twilight’s curiosity. The other ponies seemed too relieved at his return to notice, however. “Alright, I got it,” he clarified. “This way.” He set off back in the direction that he came from, and everypony followed him swiftly. Eventually they came to a large blue box standing at the foot of the mountain that they came from. “Hold on, why didn’t we see this when we came down the mountain?” asked Rainbow Dash suspiciously. She still didn’t entirely trust the Doctor. “Space travel,” he said, which confused the pony even more, including the others, except Twilight. “I, uh, parked in a different spot, you could say.” “Which means...?” asked Rainbow Dash again. “Space in this case means a different area, rather than the space we normally think of,” Twilight cleared up. “He just moved it from wherever it was before to here.” The Doctor grinned at this. “Precisely Twilight! Now come on, inside.” He pushed open one of the doors and walked in, but none of the other ponies followed him, but he didn’t notice until about a minute later, when he poked his head outside. “Uh, inside means in here.” Applejack spoke up at this. “Pardon me for askin’, but exactly how do you expect us all ta fit in there?” “You’ll see. Allons-y!” He got weird looks for this expression. “It means let’s go,” he clarified. One by one, the ponies carefully walked inside, each gasping at the marvel before them. Rainbow Dash’s reaction amused the Doctor quite a bit, as her mouth just hung open, no longer caring to protest or question him. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, stared blankly at the scene for a moment before trotting outside and around the box. “Wha-how?” she said as she trotted around, baffled. “It’s... it’s bigger on the inside...” The Doctor just chuckled. “I get that a lot.” He stood there grinning for a moment, and then his face turned serious as gave a purposeful cough, which woke the ponies from their amazed stupor. “On to business then.” He turned around to a circular control panel with a large cylinder in the middle and attempted to turn a dial with his hoof, but couldn’t. He just frowned and said, “Well, this will take some getting used to,” and then used his teeth to turn the dial instead. Immediately, a map of Ponyville from above appeared on a screen beside the dial, and the Doctor began to study it at once. The other ponies came over as well in an attempt to help. The map, meanwhile, began flashing all over with a neon green. “What are you looking for?” asked Fluttershy timidly, noticing his careful watch on the map. “Interesting...” he muttered, then said, “I’m looking for anomalies around this area. There has to be something that attracted the Daleks here. There’s no way that they could have tracked me.” He paused for a moment and looked at the flashes on the map again, and then pointed at one flash in particular that was right over the center of Ponyville. “There!” he cried, pointing at the flash as he did. “That’s a rift in the fabric of space and time. I’m not sure what it’s doing there or why it doesn’t seem to be affecting anything, but it’s there.” The Doctor then attempted to press a few more buttons with his hooves, occasionally pressing more than one at once to which he sighed, but eventually his button pressing zoomed in on the flash. It also opened up a list of data written on the side in a language that none of the ponies could read. “Oh now that’s interesting,” remarked the Doctor, and he leaned in close to the screen to make sure what he was reading was correct. “What, exactly, is ‘interesting,’ do tell?” asked Rarity casually. “Well,” said the Doctor, pulling away from the screen, “it looks like that certain rift has connections to the Time War.” He looked crestfallen at this. “Time War? Now what’s that, exactly?” asked Applejack, intrigued. “It was a war. A terrible, terrible war, between Daleks and Time Lords; my race. Long story short, they destroyed each other, causing millions on billions of deaths,” everypony gasped once again. How something so terrible could have happened was beyond them. “and eventually ended up destroying them both. From the rift, I think that they’re somehow trying to affect the outcome of the war, and make it so that they come out on top, rather than them ‘losing.’ My guess is that it’d end up in the destruction of all non-Dalek life in the universe.” The ponies all pondered his words in silenced shock. This was much worse than they had expected, but it still involved them. And had the Doctor said that he was something called a Time Lord? Applejack was the first to recover. “So you’re sayin’ you’re one of those Time Lord things and you fought in that war? You look like a regular pony ta me.” “That’s because I’m using this device that I bought to help “blend in” with the locals. Normally I look like something called a human. Anyways, yes, I fought in the war, and it was terrible. As far as I know, I’m the only one that escaped.” The Doctor trailed off there and seemed to get lost in the memories of the war he had described. Suddenly he snapped back to life. “Well, no time for that. I’ve got a planet to save... somehow...” he seemed to go back into a dead, thoughtful mode, and the other ponies looked on in silence. They wanted to do something, but what? They barely had any idea of what was going on. Once again, the Doctor shot up, and a grin spread across his face like wildfire. “That’s it!” he shouted loudly, shocking everypony out of the thoughtful trances they were in. He then started to run around the console, mashing buttons as fast as he could with his hooves, turning multiple dials, and flipping switches. “What’s what?” asked Pinkie Pie curiously, tilting her head to the side slightly. “I have an idea Pinkie Pie! A brilliant, brilliant idea! I just need to fly the TARDIS into the rift and close it, and in the process I could make it a time vortex as well, sucking up the Daleks! Absolutely brillia-” He cut himself off, then slumped down onto the floor of the TARDIS. “Of course...” “What’s wrong Doctor?” asked Twilight. “If you have a plan, shouldn’t you try and implement it?” “I’d love to Twilight, but it’s the Daleks,” said the Doctor. Twilight gave him a weird look, so he elaborated it more. “I can’t just fly the TARDIS in there are close the rift. The Daleks would stop me, and draining the rift would take too much power, so I’d be defenseless.” Rainbow Dash then stepped up. “Well, let us help then! We can take ‘em!” she yelled, boxing invisible enemies. “No, fighting them would be pointless. It’d get you nowhere. I just need...” The Doctor stood up again and yelled excitedly, “A distraction! Can you give me a distraction so I can close the rift?” “Uh, yeah, sure.” said Rainbow Dash. “Wonderful! We’re going to do it then! What exactly can you do to create a distraction?” “Well, I could take a team of pegasus ponies and fly them through town. That should get their attention.” “Brillian-” “Oh, and I can stall them with my magic!” said Twilight. “And ah can give ‘em a taste of the Apple family’s apples!” The chatter continued as the ponies added more and more ideas, but the Doctor waved them away quickly. “This will be dangerous. Are you sure?” The ponies all gave an unanimous nod. “That settles it then,” said the Doctor. A few hours later, the ponies had returned to the top of the mountain and assembled distraction teams, although it took some convincing of the other ponies. (Many had similar attitudes to Rainbow Dash, but they eventually went along with it all, once looking in the Doctor’s strange and deep eyes.) Rainbow Dash led a team of pegasus ponies along with Fluttershy, who was doing her best to overcome her fears. Meanwhile, Applejack led a band of earth ponies armed with apples, Pinkie was armed with various party pranks, and Rarity and Twilight led a team of unicorns to send things in the way of the Daleks with their magic. Every single one of the ponies were nervous, but were also steadfast, as all of Equestia was at stake. (Which was especially evident by the Dalek sweeps going farther out from Ponyville, and ever so slowly creeping closer to the mountain everypony was hiding out in.) They were all standing at the mouth of the cave, waiting to be addressed by the Doctor, when he appeared. He walked from outside of the cave from observing the situation, which didn’t look good by his account. They were running out of time, but luckily everything was about to start, and the fun was about to begin. “Alright, I’ve never been one for speeches, so I’ll make this fairly short; Daleks are bad,” he said seriously, although a few ponies giggled slightly, regardless of the nature of their situation. He gave a half grin in response, but immediately took up the serious tone again, coughing as to restore the mood. “This is dangerous. The Daleks all have laser weapons that kill on contact, so keep moving at all times. Your goal is to keep the Daleks as far away from the center of town as possible for as long as possible. When the Daleks are are... how should I put this.... ‘sucked’ away toward the center of town, then you’ll know that I’ve succeeded and you’re all safe. Any questions?” No hooves raised, and the Doctor grinned. “Absolutely brilliant. You all are, that is. Well, Allons-y!” At the ‘code word,’ everypony immediately set out of the cave. The pegasus ponies lagged behind a bit, as they were faster, but if the plan was to work, then the attention couldn’t all be on the pegasus ponies, as they would get picked off by the Daleks. The plan was that they would all enter Ponyville from different angles at once to cause mass confusion in the Dalek ranks. Meanwhile, pegasus ponies would fly overhead and distract the flying Daleks. If all went according to the plan, it would work out beautifully. The Doctor, in the mean time, had gone back to the TARDIS and attempted to pilot it as best as he could toward the rift. Normally this was hard to do, if not impossible, by yourself, but now that he was a pony it made things all the more difficult. Then he realized that the device he was using to ‘blend in’ could be turned off. Oh how forgetful he was becoming... He quickly tried to switch off the device, but then realized that the button was much too small to press with hooves. He would need something much smaller. His pinkie finger might have been able to press it, not his hoof. Until he left this planet, he’d be stuck in this form. ‘Well, no matter,’ he thought. ‘It’ll make this far more entertaining.’ He gave himself a quick laugh, and then went back to attempting to pilot the TARDIS, constantly bumping into trees, rocks, and other items out in the wilderness. At least he was heading in the right direction... mostly. Soon, all of the ponies had reached Ponyville and surrounded it, waiting for the TARDIS to bob into view. Once it did, all of the ponies charged into town, and chaos ensued. Although nopony was killed, many were injured by the flying objects zipping back and forth at the confused Daleks. Lasers were flying everywhere, but all of the objects were interrupting with their targeting systems. A few lasers actually managed to go in the right direction, but none of them made their mark. The ponies were following the Doctor’s advice well as to keep moving. The Daleks themselves were trying to get closer to the ponies as to get a better shot, which ultimately helped the Doctor’s plan as to distract them. Although none of the objects could damage them, the ponies were all a nuisance to their plan. Soon, the TARDIS entered town, far above Ponyville, where only the pegasus ponies and a few Daleks were, all flying around in circles. The ponies were taking evasive maneuvers, and trying to get two of the Daleks to crash into each other. The Doctor, meanwhile, had managed to get some sort of control over the TARDIS, and although it frequently dipped in altitude, he got it right back up again. Once he was at the rift, all he’d have to worry about was closing it, luckily. Thank goodness the TARDIS could hover in one spot with nopony managing it. Eventually he made it to the rift, and began to channel energy into it in an attempt to seal it. The TARDIS buckled and groaned from the sudden loss of energy, but stayed operational and afloat in midair. “Come on...” the Doctor muttered frantically. “Just a little bit more....” Then suddenly, the draining of power had stopped. The rift shouldn’t have closed by now. What was going on? He looked around.... “Oh no... no no no no....” ...and then he opened one of the doors. A completely different sight met him than what he was expecting. He should have seen open sky and let in fresh air when he opened the door, but instead he saw the interior of what looked like a dark and gloomy ship. He seemed to be in a large chamber of some sort, and in the middle was his TARDIS. In front of him was also a figure... “I am Dalek Kaash,” the figure said with the strange, metallic voice all Daleks had. This one had a slightly deeper voice, however. “You will come with me, Doctor,” it continued, pointing a laser at the Doctor. What could he do? He was trapped now. Ultimately, the Doctor decided to follow the figure. “What do you want?” he asked the Dalek, who was turning to go into what looked like a larger chamber. The Dalek’s head swiveled around to face the Doctor and it said, “You will see. Come.” The Dalek then continued to scoot off toward the other chamber, and the Doctor followed silently. Once they had reached the chamber, its once dim lights flickered on to reveal a vast, brown metal dome. In the middle was what looked like some sort of portal or gate, with many different consoles and buttons next to it, filling most of the room. The Dalek turned to face the Doctor and said, “You will now open the rift into the Time War, Doctor.” Sudden realization of everything occurred to him with that one line, but he needed time... “And if I don’t?” he asked, much more bravely than he felt. The Dalek twisted its head to ‘look’ straight at the Doctor’s face. “Then all life on this planet will be exterminated.” That was it. The Daleks’ unnaturally brilliant, foolproof plan. There was nothing the Doctor could to. Equestria played a much too important role in Earth’s history to be destroyed, and he wouldn’t let that many innocent lives die anyways. “So that’s why you needed me,” the Doctor said to the Dalek standing in front of him. “A whole universe full of brilliant minds, and you want to capture mine. Why? Because you can’t operate this thing,” the Doctor gave a cold laugh at the irony. “You Daleks have it all; massive weapons, numbers, the will to destroy every single living thing in the universe.... but you can’t operate this thing to do it with. You needed me. That’s why you didn’t kill me right away this time. If you had, your plans would be ruined! It all makes sense now!” The Doctor trotted over to the console, attempting to close the rift with the tools. “It is no use, Doctor,” Kaash said, looking directly at him, seemingly undeterred by the Doctor guessing their plans. “You cannot destroy the rift from this console. Only open it.” The Doctor seemed to realize this situation as well. After fiddling around with the controls a bit, he realized that his objective was an impossible objective. He slumped down on the floor of the ship. There was literally nothing he could do to stop the Daleks. Closing the rift here was impossible. Even if he destroyed the equipment it wouldn’t get rid of the rift. The portal appeared to only be a channel of the rift, rather than the rift itself. He thought it over, and over... and over.... There had to be something wrong with their plan, there had to be... No. This was it. There was nothing that he- The ship started to groan, and it tilted to one side. The gravity generators appeared to be offline, because everything started sliding, including the consoles and the Dalek that was guarding the Doctor, who had no idea what was going on. Then, the ship seemed to be stretched and pulled in one direction, ripping it open where the gateway used to be. The Doctor could see a large forest below him, and beyond that, Ponyville, with a now visible rift above it, sucking everything Dalek related inside! There were also six figures hovering in the rift, but it didn’t matter to the Doctor. If he didn’t get out of there, he could be sucked back into the Time War with the Daleks. The Doctor therefore decided that the best course of action was to run. “Allons-y!” he shouted, getting up, and trotting in the direction of the TARDIS. The Dalek shot a feeble laser in his direction, which he dodged with ease. “Can’t stay to talk, but you were brilliant. Great plan, but it looks like it had a hole.” He laughed at his own pun. Hole in the ship, the rift was essentially a hole, and hole in the plan. Get it? He shook it off realizing how terrible it was, however, and ran back into the TARDIS. He started mashing buttons as quickly as possible, and a strange scraping sound started. Meanwhile, the ship and every single Dalek was being sucked into the rift, and the TARDIS was about to as well, except it disappeared within the inside of the ship, just as it was being torn apart. Immediately after every Dalek was sucked into the rift and it was closed for good, the ponies stared in wonder, then looked at each other. The Daleks were gone now, and they were safe! After tending to their wounds and helping each other out in general, the ponies decided to throw a party to celebrate the occasion, courtesy of Pinkie Pie. Though many ponies were injured in some way, none of them had been killed throughout the whole ordeal. However, none of the six ponies who had been responsible for closing the rift with their Elements of Harmony reveled in their victory for long. The Doctor was gone, and they had no idea where he went. He seemed to have disappeared during the fight to take back Ponyville. The ponies had tried assembling rescue teams to search for him all over town, but none of them could find him. The last they had seen, he was in the TARDIS, which had flashed and disappeared during the fight. At last, they decided to make a grave for the Doctor, who had seemingly died trying to save them. The party died down, and everypony assembled for the ‘burial.’ Nopony was laughing now like they were during the party, as the one pony who had indirectly saved them was now dead, and there was nothing they could do about it. However, as soon as they started to dig, an odd sound started. It was an odd grinding noise that filled the air, and as it did, the Doctor’s blue box seemed to materialize out of thin air right where they were digging, and the Doctor popped out, looking frazzled, but happy nonetheless. “Hello! Miss me?” he joked. The other ponies, though stunned for a moment, cheered. “Oh Doctor, we were so worried. What happened?” asked Rarity with great concern. The Doctor frowned, and replied, “That’s what I should be asking you. How did you close the rift?” “Well,” began Twilight, “we have these things called the Elements of Harmony. They’re sort of like powerful magical items. As soon as your TARDIS disappeared in that flash, we realized that something must have gone wrong, so we,” she motioned to the six ponies that were closest to her, “that is, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, attempted to close it. And it worked! I’m not sure how, but it worked! But where did you go, Doctor?” “I ended up in the Dalek ship,” he said, grinning once he had known what had happened. It all made sense now. “They must have transported me and the TARDIS inside once the shields were down due to the power transfer.” “Dalek ship?” asked Rainbow Dash curiously. “You mean that huge hunk of metal we saw get sucked into the rift?” “Uh, yes, that would be it,” said the Doctor, grinning even more. It was over. It was all over... Just then, there was a shuffle of hooves, and many gasps. The other ponies all turned to look, and saw Princess Celestia herself walking through the crowd of ponies, directly toward the Doctor. “Princess Celestia!” the ponies cried, and they all bowed. The Princess herself, however, just laughed. “Stand up, please,” she commanded with a soft tone. She then turned her attention toward the Doctor. “Doctor of Gallifrey, thank you for saving Ponyville. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but I didn’t know about these events until a few minutes ago.” The other ponies looked at her, puzzled. Gallifrey? Did that mean she knew the Doctor? “Quite alright Princess Celestia,” said the Doctor. “I couldn’t let them destroy this planet anyways. It’s much too important in history.” Princess Celestia looked puzzled, so he elaborated, “Ah, human history anyways. Age of peace and whatnot. You’ll see.” He grinned, then continued. “I really need to go now. I can’t tamper too much with the timeline.” He then turned and looked directly at the six ponies that had closed the rift. “I can’t thank you enough. Now, I’m sorry, but I really need to go now.” The other ponies all seemed sad at this news, and used their, “Awww....” in an attempt to make him stay, but the Princess nodded at the Doctor. “I understand, Doctor,” said the Princess. “Thank you,” he said, turning to go into the TARDIS. He turned around and looked out the door at all of the sad faces surrounding him. “Thank you all,” he said just above the regular talking level. The door to the TARDIS closed once more, and the grinding sound started up again. Every time the grinding sound seemed to pulse, the blue box slowly became more transparent, until eventually it was no longer there. Over the next few days, the ponies cleaned up Ponyville after the attack of the Daleks, but soon life went back to normal. The streets were busy again, Sugarcube Corner was as lively as ever, and the weather schedules were back on track. Everypony’s minds bristled with questions, but Princess Celestia refused to answer any of them after the events of that day that seemed to be so long ago. The greatest question on many of their minds was, “Who was this Doctor? And what was his name? Doctor who, exactly?”

Terror Night

102

Princess Celestia,Rarity,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Dark,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

A Mysterious Disappearance of Ponies

incomplete

<p>When Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Rarity go looking for an orb that Rarity drops into a cave things get a bit...different...I bet you never expected to read an MLP horror story.</p>

everyone

2011-07-12T00:05:13+00:00

2011-07-12T00:05:13+00:00

A Mysterious Disappearance of Ponies The Entrance (Prologue) "What does this thing even look like?" shouted Twilight down the long damp cave to Rarity. She turned and shined her horn stirring bats and causing echoing screeches to reverberate through the cave and out of its mouth. The sounds rushed towards Twilight Sparkle who was doing the same and slowly climbing down the slippery rocks just steep enough to jump down on. "It's sort of bright white and transparent." Rarity yelled back to Twilight. "It shines and casts shadows from the inside, you really can't miss it darling." Spike peered into the cave afraid of the darkness and his knees began to shake uncontrollably as he said "G-girls…maybe we s-shouldn't be here…it's dark and…s-scary…" Twilight caught up with Rarity and said over her shoulder to Spike "Relax pal, we have horns to light the way if you're scared." "That's right Spike. Besides two unicorns can protect you from anything between their cunning and raw ability. No need to fear." Said Rarity as she helped Twilight down a steep part of the sloped wet cave floor. "I still don't know girls…something about this cave…rubs me the wrong way…" Spike mumbled through the echoing cave. Twilight said sweetly back to him "Fine Spike, you don't need to come with us. You can go home and try to sleep in that big, old, dark, creaky tree all alone with Owlowiscious." She tried to contain a chuckle as Spike climbed down the cave mouth too quick and tripped rolling down the slanted rocky floor. He rolled out of control and hit Rarity's back leg. Rarity yelped and turned around, her horn on Spike's chest and said glaring "Spike that is no way to touch a lady! I think you should apologize!" "Uuuh…I'm s-s-…" Spike said and gulped nervously blushing bright red. "Sorry…Rarity…" Rarity smiled and raised her head again quickly changing demeanor to a calmer more subtle Rarity. "Quite alright Spike. You didn't mean to." She turned again and came face to face with a screeching bat and quickly screamed turning her head away as it flew past her. Twilight giggled a bit apologizing as she laughed and trotted on. "Sorry…I've just never seen anypony get so scared of something so harmless before…" She said with a bright smile on her face. Rarity glared at her backside and walked on with her. "Well at least," Rarity began "I'm not les-" She was cut off by Twilight turning and shushing her quickly replying, "That was just once ok? Just to check really. It didn't even mean anything." Rarity sighed and looked sad. She hung her head and apologized, "Alright Twilight, I shouldn't have brought it up…" She felt bad about what she said and meant the apology realizing that she hadn't thought about what she was saying. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was up between Twilight and Fluttershy though, they've been spending so much time together recently and not paying attention to Rarity and the other girls. "No Rarity, it's ok," Twilight grinned and Started walking once again with Rarity looking down each corridor they come to. "It really was nothing…I overreacted…" She hid a blush by turning away and facing forward hoping Rarity hadn't seen. Spike walked up beside Twilight and grinned widely with a slight blush on his cheeks as well. "So why haven't I heard anything about you and Fluttershy, Twilight?" He said and barely cracked up. Twilight lowered her eyelids and tried to ignore him. She knew that he would keep on with this for a looong time. The Explanation The three of them walked for a while and found nothing going down every corridor they couldn't see the end of. They thought they'd never see the orb again, that it was lost forever. Twilight thought she seen something white down one of the corridors. She slowed down to have a deeper look inside just as Rarity sped up to reach the next corner. Rarity bumped into Twilight's flank pushing her forward and heard her make a little yelp. Twilight turned about quickly and stared blushing into Rarity's eyes. Twilight thought for a second and chuckled smiling, still red faced. Rarity began to laugh as well. They both increased in volume slowly for almost a minute laughing and leaning into each other for support. They both eventually fell to the ground and stopped laughing abruptly when Rarity's hoof clipped Twilight's cutie mark close to her flank. The two unicorns awkwardly stood and cleared their throats trying to avoid each other's gaze. Twilight broke the silence and asked, "Um hey, what even happened to make you drop this thing in the first place, Rarity?" "Oh right! How very uncollected of me to forget that!" Rarity said smiling and trying to remember what happened. She'd been walking along the path not far from the cave mouth with the mysterious crystal ball on her way to Everfree Forest to see what Zecora could make of it when she was startled by a spooktree. Before she was able to realize what was happening and grab it the orb was shaken from her back and rolled into the cave bouncing down the steep step-like rocks and rolled along the slanted path down into the darkness. She was afraid to go alone even with the light from her horn and ran to Zecora's house. Upon hearing about the cave though the zebra became spooked and wouldn't speak of it claiming it bore evil. Rarity couldn't make anything of this seeing as she'd been in millions of caves looking for diamonds with Spike before so she went back to Ponyville asking for help from her friends. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy claimed that they didn't belong underground since they were both pegasus and wouldn't be much help in a cave. Pinkie Pie was hosting a party and didn't want to be a bad host and it was harvest season so Applejack was needed on the orchard. That left Twilight Sparkle and Spike who had nothing better to do so they were in. They all took until dusk to find the cave again and search through most of it. Then they were where they are now, with Twilight listening contently to Rarity's story. "Well that sucks." Twilight blurted just after Rarity finished. "It's funny how it rolled all the way from the path into the cave…almost like it belongs here…" She giggled some more and thought about ghosts in the cave for a second. She dismissed it as silly on account of not wanting it in her mind right then. "Mhm…like it wanted to be here or something…" Rarity said, looking around and regaining her bearings. "Hey, where's Spike?" She whipped her head around looking for the purple dragon everywhere. "Spiiike! Where are you!" Twilight kept walking and daydreamed about Fluttershy and Rarity…having a sleep over…yeah…and that's all. "He probably got bored from the story and went back home…I wouldn't pay him much mind." Rarity followed her and replied worriedly, "But he's deathly afraid of the dark. I don't think it's much like him to go back through the entire cave without us and then through the woods at night." She was right. It was a bit weird but he is getting older, he could've decided to face his fear and head back home. "It's probably fine Rarity, I know him better than anyone else. He does well on his own." Rarity reluctantly followed Twilight around the next corner hoping that she was right and immediately was put in a good mood from what she saw ahead of them. The Discovery "Twilight, pay attention in front of you!" Rarity said racing up ahead of her. She ran towards the white pearly orb she had lost and picked it up with a glimmer from her horn holding it between Twilight and herself. Twilight's expression lifted a bit and she smirked as her reflection gazed back at her in the shiny white sphere. Just then a small crack appeared on it and quickly grew until it split on one side and deflated as tiny white spiders came pouring by the millions out of it and began encasing the deflated orb, now realized as an egg sack, as they hissed and squeaked at the world they were now submerged in. The two ponies screamed in shock as Rarity threw the egg sack across the tunnel back at where she picked it up from. They both ran screaming from the tunnel but upon rounding the corner found something that was even more disgusting, more vile, scary, and dangerous than a million baby spiders. Sat there, filling the entire corridor from floor to ceiling and staring with huge red round eyes at the delicious looking ponies was a bloody fanged, hairy legged, gigantic black tarantularge. Rarity fainted right there and Twilight slammed her side against the wall and shut off her horn light attempting to hide from the creature. She could hear it moving and searching for her. It moved over Rarity and sniffed in the air feeling around the floor with its long hairy feet and found the unicorn's body lying on the floor helpless. The tarantularge, drooling and squeaking over its prey, slowly took webbing from its spinneret wrapping Rarity's body in it and poking its fangs out from its mouth awaiting its feast. Twilight was disgusted to think of such a thing and tried to block it out from her ears holding a hoof to her mouth to prevent her from making a peep. Twilight felt the baby spiders crawling up the back of her legs and nibbling on her with their undeveloped fangs. She closed her eyes wishing that they would go away but then she heard something so curious she couldn't believe it only through sound. She had to open her eyes to make sure of what was happening. Slowly, she cracked one eyelid open and seen the red eyes of the tarantularge and a white form held up to its mouth, a slimy crunching sound reverberating through the cavern, and by extension, her head. She puked in her mouth and collapsed as she watched her friend being eaten alive by the thing that spelled certain doom for her as well unless she did something about it. She cursed the creature in her mind and moved in centimeters on her belly slowly crawling past the feasting spider wary of what was around her in the darkness trying not to make any noise. The baby spiders were all over her now harmlessly pushing their mouths against her body all over wanting to drive their fangs, too small to come past their mouth, into the unicorn. 'Twilight Sparkle…' She thought to herself, 'You defeated the dark princess Nightmare Moon, you can do this…' Twilight took a long deep breath careful to keep silent then stood up once she was behind the tarantularge slowly walking faster until she starts running. She shined her horn ahead of her and shook all the baby spiders off of her but tripped on something and crashed to the ground with a grunt of pain. Once she gathered herself and realized what she tripped on she screamed again alerting the tarantularge to her whereabouts. She got up and ran as best she could on a twisted ankle away from the skeleton of a baby dragon wrapped in silky webbing. As Twilight ran she noticed the slope of the cave floor slowly increasing until it became hard to move forward at any efficient speed without falling all over herself. She seen the cave mouth and heard the tarantularge behind her at the same time. She began to scream wildly trying to get somepony to notice her shrieks of terror but to no avail. As she started unsteadily climbing up the stepping stones to the cave mouth the spider caught sight of her and slowly closed on its prey. Twilight begged and pleaded for savior from all the gods she could think of from every one of her books as she climbed making almost no progress. Soon the spider was on top of her and she was weeping uncontrollably overcome from grappling with the fact she was going to die. She tried not to look at the beast as it picked her up and began spinning her in a thin tangle of webbing to hold her steady. She weeped hard and bawled her eyes out as she was slowly encased in the substance and couldn't see anything but a dull white and shadows. She soon lost her voice and couldn't even cry out for anything. She fell silent closing her eyes as she heard the tarantularge slurping up its saliva and cleaning its fangs. It slowly reared back and then with a hiss of unrestrained joy dove forward with its fangs. The Mourning (Epilogue) Dear Elements of Harmony, It has come to my attention that there was a great loss in equestrian in the past three days. I am very heartbroken to hear that my star pupil, Twilight Sparkle, along with her assistant, Spike, and her trusted friend Rarity have all been missing since October 9th, 2011. I have sent out four separate search parties of my greatest pegasus teams to find them but so far have not had any luck locating the two unicorns. I understand how hard a struggle it must be for you all without two of the key elements of harmony in your lives but please try to stay level headed through these dark times. To help you all acclimate to the time in between now and when they are found I will allow you free and unrestricted access to the palace grounds at any time including all holidays. You are free to meet with anypony from my personal help team. They are all very kind and work quite hard at whatever your problem may be. I am also asking of you all to please not attempt to look for these ponies, as you may become lost yourselves and i'm sure nopony would like it if more of you went missing. Again we are very sorry for your loss and hope to find your friends soon. If any of you have any information that would help us look for them in any way please feel free to contact me or come see me at the palace. Please stay strong in these hard times. Sincerely and Always Yours, Princess Celestia

Lucres

103

Original Character,Pinkie Pie,Romance,Slice of Life,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Big Rush

A young, pre-cutie-mark Pinkie Pie interns at a fancy French restaurant in Canterlot.

complete

<p>Griff the griffin is a Chef at the top of his game, running the best French restaurant in Canterlot. He only has two problems: one, a surprise visit from Celestia, party of sixty, and two, a certain blank-flank intern named Pinkie Pie. Caution: NSFW language.</p><p>Author's Note: This story was written before The Cutie Mark Chronicles revealed Pinkie Pie's origin story, so now it conflicts with canon. Seriously, who saw 'Amish Rock Farm' coming? Anyway, I still think it's a fun story, and it has special meaning to me since I'm a chef-in-training myself. Enjoy.</p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:37:58+00:00

2011-07-11T02:37:58+00:00

Griff strode through his kitchen like a colossus. That wasn’t his actual name, of course. A griffin called Griff? Don’t be ridiculous. He was given the somewhat uninspiring name “Gregory” at birth, but he changed it when he opened his first restaurant in Canterlot. A griffin-run restaurant in a city populated mostly by ponies was unusual enough to draw in a decent crowd, and Griff capitalized on that fact without hesitation. Not that he needed the help; at least not now that he was an established name in the culinary world. Novelty may have brought the punters in, but his skill as a chef kept them coming back for more. He was a fairly typical griffin, the brown fur on his haunches giving way to white feathers on his chest and shoulders. He kept his head-feathers slicked back, under his toque, and tucked his powerful wings under his chef’s jacket to keep them out of the way. He had a proud, straight beak which seemed permanently locked in a cocky grin. He was a bona fide celebrity these days, opening fine dining establishments in Londun, Hoofington, and Fillydephia. However, he spent most of his time in his flagship, La Gárgouille, located in a prime section of Canterlot’s restaurant district. He billed it as a classical French brasserie, although since ponies were almost exclusively vegetarian and French cuisine almost exclusively wasn’t, he relied on a good bit of fusion. It was a high-volume restaurant, and its large main kitchen was a maze of ovens, prep stations, storage shelves and gas stoves, all in gleaming stainless steel. It was here that he had made a name for himself, and he ran a tight ship. “Sue, where in the living fuck are my dahlias?” Griff bellowed. Sue, a light grey unicorn, was Griff’s sous chef. By now, the staff knew that any jokes involving “sous-Sue-sudio” around her would result in a week behind a mop. She could have easily gone by her full name, Crepes Suzette, but it was nice to have something to haze the interns with. “No dahlias, chef. Fils de putain supply truck driver left them at the goddamn greenhouse.” she said, matching his stride. As in every other fine restaurant in the universe, the cooks communicated in their own special combination of French, Spanish, English, and profanity. Mostly the latter. Griff not only allowed this, he encouraged it. The kitchen was far enough from the dining room that the customers wouldn’t hear it, and it was a great way for the cooks to blow off steam without resorting to thrown cutlery. Griff’s own swearing had taken on a surreal quality lately, as he kept trying to outdo his staffs’ creative use of vulgarity. “Fuck-shitting piss-nutter.” he grumbled. “Then what are we putting in our arse-dicking salad?” Sue shrugged. “Rose petals?” she suggested, uncertainly. “Ech, no. This isn’t Grandma’s la-de-fucking-dah tea room.” He stopped walking momentarily, putting a claw against his temple in thought. “Use a combination of orchids and lotus blossoms. We’re kicking this bitch to Chinatown.” “Oui, chef.” she replied with a curt nod. “I’ll have Christophe reprint the menus.” Griff sent her off with a curt nod of his own, turning to face the rest of his staff. “Alright, you sorry sons of whores,” he addressed them, affectionately. “Twenty minutes ‘til we open. Now, we’ve got a double arse load of reservations tonight, so I want to see some sharp, focused work. You keep your hooves off each other’s nut-sacks long enough to get through this, and we’ll have ourselves a good goddamn day. Understood?” “Oui, chef!” they replied in practiced unison. “That’s what I like to hear!” he said, a proud grin spreading across his beak. “Onward, to motherfucking glory!” Griff’s staff mostly consisted of ponies. He liked it that way, even though the general population of Canterlot gave him little choice in the matter. Their cutie marks, or “tramp stamps”, in a typical example of kitchen slang, were a good way of telling where a potential employee’s talents led. Sue, for example, had a chef’s toque on her flank, and sure enough, she was prime management material. Boo, the baker, had a grayish blob of a mark that he kept having to explain was a yeast cell, and he turned out tray after tray of baguettes so delicious it was a sin to give the things away for free. Griff relied heavily on his pâtissier, Butter Cream, an orange pegasus with a whisk-shaped mark, since he couldn’t stand sugary shit and she was able to handle the dessert side on her own. Chops, a steel grey unicorn with crossed chef’s knives for his mark, had the best knife skills of any garde manger Griff had ever hired. Another unicorn was Crispy, the pale-yellow friturier with a fryer basket mark, which was a little ironic since he could simply levitate the hot frites out of the oil, no basket necessary. Unicorns had a definite advantage in this respect, but earth ponies generally managed just fine. One of these was Sudsy Shine, who, God help him, had the image of a stack of dishes on his blue ass, though he seemed content enough in the dish room. The only non-pony was Bernard, a smug bastard of a zebra who was Griff’s best cook, and he knew it. He was the chef de partie, and kept the other line cooks, well, in line. The line cooks, a scraggly, overworked bunch, prepared the orders as they came in, doing the bulk of the à la minute cooking. The service staff were mostly pegasus, since they were quick, and the diners got a kick out of receiving their meals par avion. Union regulations said he couldn’t discriminate based on a pony’s cutie mark, but the issue rarely came up. Professional restaurant work wasn’t for people without a passion for the job. Even when Griff employed blank flanks, usually as interns, they either gained an appropriate cutie mark within days, sometimes even hours, of starting, or they left soon enough on their own. The only exception, rather worryingly, was a little pink filly who had been interning for over six months without gaining any mark at all. He checked in on her during the lunch rush, while she was helping Chops prep a case of cucumbers. “How’s it going, Pinks?” said Griff, toning down his language for the kid. “Ah’m othay Thef.” she said through the knife handle in her mouth. Unfortunately, Griff could tell she wasn’t okay. Though she worked diligently, her cuts were getting sloppy, and her pile of finished slices wasn’t anywhere near as large as Chops’. The poor kid had tried every station in the kitchen, and didn’t seem to have the knack for any of them. She had some aptitude for pastry work, but Cream had to watch the girl like a hawk, since she apparently couldn’t tell when the baked goods were burnt beyond recognition. Griff continued giving her a chance, however, since everyone in the kitchen loved the hell out of her, thinking of her as the kitchen’s little mascot. Sue was especially fond of her, calling her “mon petit poney”. In spite of his macho bluster in front of the other cooks, Griff had a soft heart, and he genuinely wanted to see her succeed. Plus, he had to admit she looked adorable in her little white pillbox hat and chef’s jacket. As he was walking away, Pinkie gave a sudden, frightened squeak, dropping her knife and running up to him. “Mr. Griff! Mr. Griff!” she said, pulling on the sleeves of his jacket. “What’s wrong, Pinks? You cut yourself?” “No, it’s my knee! It’s all pinchy!” Griff blinked. “I’m not sure what you want me to do about that, Pinkie. C’mon, you’ve got work to do.” he said, turning to leave again. “But it’s never been this bad before! Something…” She was interrupted as Christophe, the maître d’, came running into the kitchen at a full gallop. “Problem, chef!” he said, panting. “What is it now?” said Griff. “Table for sixty just walked in, Sir.” “So?” Griff scoffed. “I didn’t see a sixty-top in the reservations. Tell them to fuck off.” “You don’t understand!” the pony wailed, “It’s Celestia’s retinue!” The kitchen suddenly went quiet. “Madre de merde…” said Boo, the color somehow draining out of the unicorn’s already pure white face. “God fucking dammit.” Griff swore, not at all under his breath. They couldn’t turn away Celestia, not even without a reservation. The main dining room was already full to capacity. Although this was the first time the princess had come to his restaurant, a surprise visit from royalty was always a possibility in Canterlot. He had a private lounge ready on the second floor for just such an event. “Have they ordered yet?” he asked. “She said…” the maître d’ wept, “She said surprise her!” Great, thought Griff, an omakase order on top of everything. “How are we for time?” he said. “She said to take as long as you needed,” said Christophe, “But we can’t keep her waiting. She’s the princess!” Griff didn’t hesitate. He would have to take care of this himself. A good executive chef (and Griff was nothing if not a good exec chef) rarely needed to cook anything personally. Sure, he decided on the menu and kept the place running smoothly, but all the practical work was handled by his staff. Still, he thought, it’ll be nice to get my claws dirty again. He pointed to Sue, Chops, and half a dozen of the line cooks who didn’t look too busy already. “All of you, with me.” he said, “We’ll shake the cobwebs out of the upstairs event kitchen. The rest of you keep up with the main dining room. Bernard, you’re in charge down here.” “What are we making?” said Sue, following him. “I’m working on it.” said Griff, his mind working furiously. He’d have to pull out all the stops for the blue-bloods. “Just grab a little of everything and I’ll throw it together as we go. Chops,” he said, turning to the unicorn, “please tell me we have artichokes.” “’Couple crates left in the walk-in, Boss,” said Chops, “should still be good.” “Perfect.” said Griff, grinning. “Let’s show these party crashers what we’re made of.” A few hours later, Griff and his chosen crew returned downstairs, tired but victorious. “…can’t believe it.” Sue continued. “I mean, that politica del carciofo appetizer with the asparagus foam? That had no business tasting so good!” “Dumb luck, really,” said Griff, blushing with pride, despite himself. “I just made it to buy us some time. Let ‘em fuck around with some artichokes while we get the main course ready.” Christophe was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. “Christophe,” said Griff. “You better have good news for me or…” The maître d’ stopped him, putting a hoof to his lips, and then cleared his throat. “It is my great honor to present to you,” he said, his voice quivering nervously. ”…the ruler of all Equestria, her highness, Princess Celestia.” To the entire staffs’ shock, the swinging doors connecting the kitchen to the dining room opened by themselves and Celestia strode through, her wings majestically outstretched and her hair magically billowing in the still kitchen air. The ponies all bowed low at her entrance, but Griff boldly remained standing. There was an unspoken rule that griffins didn’t have to kowtow to the princess, and at the moment, Griff was unspeaking the hell out of it. As far as he was concerned, she was a visiting dignitary to his kingdom. “There’s no need to be so formal,” she said with a good-natured chuckle. “I simply wanted to thank the chef personally for an exquisite meal. I would also like to apologize for not securing a reservation beforehand. I certainly hope my rather sudden arrival hasn’t caused too much trouble.” “Not at all,” said Griff through a gritted beak. “Though, may I ask why you chose to dine here this afternoon? If it’s not an impolite question, of course.” “My student.” Celestia replied, moving her left wing to reveal a young, purple unicorn had been hiding, no, full on cowering behind it. “She’s rather shy, as you can see. She spends too much time cooped up in her quarters with her nose in a book to socialize. I thought ‘what better place to learn how to do that than at the best restaurant in all of Equestria?’” The filly gave a timid wave to the Chef, but remained silent. “Thank you very much for the compliment,” said Griff, “and for your patronage. You are welcome back any time. Although, in the future, a heads-up before your arrival would be greatly appreciated.” “Of course.” she said with a graceful nod. “I’m sure you have much work to do, so I will take my leave.” She turned, her young student following her out the door. Griff stared at the door for a long moment after they were gone. “Bitch needs fifty-eight people to take her student to lunch?” he said quietly, under his breath. This made his staff uncomfortable. Griff didn’t know whether it was blasphemy, sedition, or some combination of the two, but right now he didn’t care. Still, he thought, cute kid. Forgot to get her name. Couldn’t have been much older than… “Pinkie…” he said, suddenly. She had been asking him for help with… something, Griff couldn’t remember what, and he had just abandoned her. He looked around the kitchen, but was unable to find her. “Bernard,” he said, walking over to the zebra. “Where’s Pinks?” “Don’t know, chef.” said Bernard, not looking up from his work. “She went AWOL.” “The fuck you just say?” said Griff, his anger rising. “Hey, don’t blame me,” Bernard said, defensively. “She was slowing me down, so I just told her off a little, and she ran off. Not my fault if she couldn’t keep up with the line.” “You put her on the goddamn line?” Griff said, exploding with rage. “Hey, you took half my crew. The fuck was I suppose to do?” “You listen to me, you smug fuck.” Griff said in a calm, quiet voice he knew terrified his crew more than any amount of shouting. “You may be able to handle the line. You may know how to cook. Hell, you’re probably better at it than I am. But you don’t know shit one about handling people.” The zebra fumed, but said nothing. Griff continued, “You asked me yesterday why I promoted Sue over you? Well, now you have your fucking answer.” That pissed him off, he thought, turning away from the stricken zebra. Good. Stupid shit. “Sue…?” he started. “Already on it.” she said, dashing off with a worried look on her face. Griff addressed the rest of his staff, who had been staring, slack-jawed, at their comrade’s dressing-down. “Back to work. We still have dinner service coming up.” he said, before joining in Sue’s search for Pinkie. They eventually found her curled up in the corner of the walk-in refrigerator. She was singing a song softly to herself, but Griff couldn’t make out the words. Griff met up with Sue outside his office. She wasn’t wearing her jacket, having put it over Pinkie’s shoulders as she led her out of the walk-in. Pinkie herself was on the other side of the office door, waiting for him. “What do you think?” he said to Sue, unable to meet her gaze. She screwed up her face. “Don’t make me say it.” “I mean,” said Griff. “It would be cruel to keep her here, right?” Sue looked away, unwilling to answer. He sighed. “Fuck. I’ll just see how this goes.” He took a deep breath and pushed open the office door. He mustered up a confident, but concerned, face and shut the door, quietly, behind him. He had no idea what to say. “Feeling any better, champ?” he tried, feeling stupid. “Am I fired?” she said, looking up at him. Her big, dewy eyes twisted into Griff like a knife blade. “No one’s firing anyone.” he said, looking away before the eyes could tear him to shreds. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. You gave us a scare back there.” He risked a look back at her. “You know everyone here likes you a lot, don’t you?” She sniffed. “Bernie doesn’t like me.” she said. “Bernie’s an asshole.” said Griff. Slight smile there, he thought. That was something. “I just…” said Pinkie with a wavering voice. “I just want to be good at this so bad.” Griff sighed inwardly. Lacking a better idea, he fell back on an old speech he gave everyone he employed at least once. He hoped she hadn’t already heard it. “Let me tell you a story.” he said. “When I was a little chick, no older than you, I went to my culinary school teachers with an idea I had for savory gourmet oatmeal. They took one look at me and you know what they said?” He chucked her gently on the shoulder in an attempt at playfulness. “They said, ‘Oatmeal, are you crazy?’ And maybe I was. But here it is, years later, and now people write books about my oatmeal. They say it’s better than the finest risotto. And that’s because I…” “…you followed your passion.” she said. “You told me this the day I started my internship.” “I meant it then, and I mean it now.” he said, recovering. “Look, Pinkie, let’s be honest with each other.” He sat down, lowering his face to her eye level. “This is a rough business. It’s got long hours, high stress, and low pay. People don’t work in restaurants to get rich, they do it because they have a passion for it. And ponies have a pretty big tell for what they’re passionate about. Your cutie mark hasn’t shown up for as long as you’ve worked here, and it never will if you keep working at a job that makes you miserable. What exactly is keeping you here?” Pinkie mumbled something unintelligible. “I’m sorry?” said Griff, leaning closer. “I said, ‘You are!’” Fresh tears appeared on the filly’s face. “I… what?” he stammered. “Pinkie, when did I ever say you had to keep working here?” “It’s not like that!” she said, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “I… I like you. I didn’t want to leave because I didn’t want to leave you.” Griff’s eyes went wide, his heart leaping into his throat. Fuck me, he thought, I didn’t see that coming. “I know I’m too young…” she said, either not noticing or ignoring Griff’s reaction. “I didn’t expect you to… I mean, I thought, when I’m older…” Griff started sweating, blood rushing to his face. This was all happening too fast for him to keep up with. “Look, Pinkie, I’m, I’m flattered…” he said, “Really, I am, but I… um, wow.” He gave a desperate laugh. “I mean, we aren’t even the same species…” Shit, that was the wrong thing to say, he thought. Now she looked worse than ever. He took a few more deep breaths, collecting himself. “Pinkie, you can’t keep working a job you hate forever because of…” he stammered, “Well, because of that. I can’t let you do that to yourself.” A thought occurred to him. It was a long shot, but he didn’t see many other ways out of this. “Listen, Pinks,” he said, “I have this friend, Carrot Cake, who lives in Ponyville. He and his wife run a little bake shop there. It’s just the two of them, so they could use an extra hoof or two. You could try it out, just for a few weeks, maybe. It’s much, much less stressful than working here, and if you don’t like it, you could come right back, if you want.” Pinkie didn’t say anything for a long moment. Griff tried a new tactic. “They’re going to be catering the Spring Blossom festival that’s coming up in Ponyville.” he said, “That could be fun, right? Planning a big party?” She sniffled. “If I go…” she said, “Could I write you, like, letters and stuff?” Griff nodded. “Every day, if you want.” “And…” she added, “Will you write back to me?” “I promise.” he said, “But you don’t have to decide right away. Take the rest of the day off. Think about it. We can talk again tomorrow.” She seemed satisfied with this. He backed out of the office to give her a moment alone. On the way out, he almost ran into Sue, who had been standing with her ear pressed against the door. He clicked the door shut. “So, you heard everything, I guess?” he said. She nodded. “You handled it as best you could.” she said, “Mostly. Considering the circumstances.” He shook his head incredulously. “I swear,” he said, “I had no idea she had a crush on me!” He made his way back to the kitchen, back to work. Sue looked at him as he left. “You’re the only goddamn one who didn’t.” she said, quietly. Pinkie never did end up returning to La Gárgouille, but that was a good thing. She did end up writing to Griff almost every day for years, telling him about her new friends, her job, and how happy she was to finally be doing what she loved. Griff kept his promise, too. He told her about the goings-on in the kitchen, like when Chops left to start his own restaurant, and how it made Griff feel like a proud father. Bernard kept working the same job, of course, knowing he couldn’t do better anywhere else. Griff took a certain sly satisfaction from that. Eventually, somewhat reluctantly, he told Pinkie about his engagement to Sue. She took it well. It had been years since she had left, and she had done a lot of growing up in the intervening time. “Another one I didn’t see coming at first,” Griff wrote about his engagement. “I’m bad at this, aren’t I?” Over the years, the letters slowed to a crawl, and eventually stopped coming altogether. That was a good thing, too. Her last letter was as light and casual as any of the others, leaving a lot of things unsaid. His reply was equally casual. He told her about the new bistro he was opening downtown, how excited he was to start something new. He only left out one detail. He had decided to call it Pink’s.

DerpyGrooves

104

Rarity,Sweetie Belle,Comedy,Dark,Random,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Derailed Thread

incomplete

<p>Rarity is startled to find her sister may not be who she thinks she is. Don't worry, there's a happy ending!! (Short)</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:24:46+00:00

2011-07-11T02:24:46+00:00

Rarity's mane was a mess. Her hooves were dirty and her eyes felt as if they would bug out of her head. "Where…. Where could that fabric have gotten…?" She muttered to herself, scouring her studio for any sign of the lovely white cloth she'd ordered weeks ago. She was so busy, she hardly noticed her sister tiphoofing behind her until she heard the clatter of a ponyquin falling to the ground. She whipped her head around to find Sweetie Belle looking a bit sheepish, carrying a bindle over her shoulder using her budding unicorn magic. She really was growing up quickly now, Rarity realized, and was finally mastering the many magical skills that she would use for the remainder of her life. "What is in that bag, Sweetie?" "Oh, uh, nothing!" Sweetie replied gingerly, shuffling her hooves a bit. "Definitely not anything- Hey, no fair!!" Rarities just rolled her eyes as she levitated the rudimentary bag and stick in her direction and unrolled it, gasping loudly at the contents. Inside there was what appeared to be a couple folded flick knives, along with some poorly-stitched pure-white ski masks with clown faces crudely painted on. "What is the meaning of this, Sweetie Belle?" She asked a bit louder than she should have, turning an odd shade of red. Sweetie floated over one of the masks and pulled it over her head. There was a perfect little hole for her horn and everything. "We're cutie mark crusader bank robbers!" Sweetie explained excitedly; tail rapidly whooshing from one side to the other as she smiled innocently up at her big sister. "Why so serious?" She growled, and her horn glowed as she magicked the knife up to Rarity's face, flicking it out impressively. It was a comb. "Wanna know how I got this cutie mark? Well my dad was a drinker…" Rarity huffed indignantly, quickly snatching the plastic blade from her sister with a scowl. "Sweetie, that was all the white fabric I had, darling!! You simply must ask me first before you do such foolish things! After all…" She frowned and looked to the rolls of cloth, now pockmarked with uneven holes and shear-cuts. "I really do have work to do, and if you want to someday run Carousel Boutique, then you have to learn not to waste so much money… That fabric doesn't grow on trees, you know." Sweetie's eyes grew wide and filled with tears. "B-but Rarity…" "No buts!" Rarity scolded, folding the bindle back up. "Now I'm going to have to go out and buy more fabric… And Celestia knows the order's due next week, of course. If I don't start it tonight, there's no way I'll have it finished in time!" Sweetie Belle stomped her stubby little hooves and whined. "Buuuuuttt Rarrriittyyy!!!" She obviously had the whining gene in common with her sister. "The cutie mark crusaders and…. My cutie mark… and our special talents and… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" Somewhere in the middle of her complaining, Sweetie Belle's appearance changed to Rarity. Her head was gigantic; almost the size of the whole remainder of her body, and her mouth took up the majority of her bulbous, oversized head. It was opening and closing at regular intervals, but all Rarity could hear was a constant, obnoxious, derailing noise. "Sweetie Belle!" She shouted, but her sister would not stop. "Sweetie Belle!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in an attempt to drown out the noise, but she kept on babbling brainlessly, unblinking. Fabric and sewing patterns started to circle the room as if a tornado was spawning, and everything was bathed in an unholy glow. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Rarity used her horn to levitate her sewing machine and hurled it with all her strength at the demon pretending to be her sister. With a sickening crunch, she saw its skull cave in, leaving a roughly pony-shaped thing motionless on the floor. The noise was no more and Rarity found herself stomping and kicking on the mockery of her beautiful Sweetie Belle with her forehooves. "Die! Applebucking DIE!!!" She felt gore warm and red on her hooves as she trotted back a few paces and speared the thing's chest on her horn, voice ragged from screaming. She grabbed the creature’s mane with her teeth and started dragging it out of the boutique, out around back where she grabbed a shovel and started hastily digging a grave. It’s tongue lolled out horribly and her eyes reminded Rarity of a certain ditzy mailmare. In her periphery, she saw a groggy, white and purple unicorn step outside, following the trail of blood and start screaming. The real Sweetie Belle. "Oh- uh… Darling…" Rarity quickly tried to compose herself, stomping in attempt to dislodge one of the creature's eyeballs, the optic nerve of which was wrapped about her leg. "Sweetie belle!" The real Sweetie, of course, had a scream like a dog whistle, and would require much more finesse to silence than a sewing machine to the noggin. --------------------------------------------- After a nice long bath and a bit of explanation about the origins and behavior of doppelgangers, Sweetie finally found herself soothed as Rarity rinsed the last of the blood-flecks from her mane. "You see Sweetie, sometimes there are creatures that pretend they're ponies so they can hurt us… But I would never hurt you, Sweetie." She nuzzled her sister's head fondly and she squeaked happily. "In fact, I would count myself lucky. That creature's hide should be just the right color…"

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:20:47+00:00

2011-07-11T02:20:47+00:00

Gun, with occasional Pony Chapter One In Which the victim is identified. This world is a funny old place. That’s the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the body. Perhaps the whole thing was just a massive joke, some prank pulled by a God with a weird ass sense of humor. In anycase this poor colt ain’t laughing anymore. He had his last laugh, about five hours ago judging by the rigor mortis. It was a gruesome scene, the mod who brought me here had left as fast as he’d come, weak stomach poor kid. I wish I’d had the same luxury, to go out and retch my guts into the sewer drain, but somepony had to do this job, and it certainly wasn’t the newbie turning green in the hall. I looked over the body carefully. Trying to avoid getting blood on my hooves. He’d spilled his guts, quite literally. Somepony had harbored a terrible grudge against this guy, he was carved up finer than a thanksgiving turkey. It was so bad I almost didn’t recognize him. He was Ragingingsemi, I remembered him from the billboards in the FIM district on the outskirts of the /co/mpound. He was a fic writer, not unlike myself once upon a time, but he wrote fics of different nature, a dirty nature. Fapfics were a thriving business here, RagingSemi’s house of Fapfics was one of the most popular places for the trade all along the /co/ast, encompassing the /co/mpound all they way down to the /b/ay. It’s main place of operations was in the the FIM district, not too far from the motel, in an otherwise clean cut, easy going area. He’d made a lot of enemies, apparently some of them were going to be very happy now. I’d had nothing against the guy, he was just trying to make a living in this place, same as the rest of us. Who could blame him if his methods were a bit....eccentric to put it mildly, he certainly didn’t deserve to be here, in this dump of a motel, split open like a fortune cookie on new years. “Squeak.” called the mod from the hall. He lurched back into the room looking like a dead fish. “You got anything?” “I’ve got a few things.” I gazed around the room. It was your regular cheap motel on the east end of the /co/mpound. It smelled of cigars, mold and thanks to Semi, roadkill. He was on the floor, several feet from anything in the room. The decor, what little there was, lay untouched. The tables and chairs lay undisturbed and the bed was perfectly made, right down to the mints on the pillows. It was strange, aside from the blood slowly pooling around the former author, the room was immaculate. “It looks like the body was moved, this room is far too neat to be the scene of the crime. No blood spatter on the walls, no sign of a struggle, this whole thing stinks to high heaven.” “You’re telling me.” said the mod, holding his nose. I didn’t know his name, no one did. He was one of several who patrolled the /co/mpound, making sure everypony obeyed the rules. They weren’t very good at their jobs. Most of them hated us, and encouraged trouble more than they helped. But a few of them were on our side. Still I didn’t think I’d be getting much help on this case. “Thanks for bringing me.” I nodded to the kid. “It’s just as bad as you said on the phone.” I pointed to the bed. “The way I see it, they brought the body into this room to set up a false scene. But they must have been interrupted, if they were smart enough to move the body, there’s no way they would have left without messing up the room a little.” I walked over to the window, it was open, a gentle breeze rustled the curtains as it came in from the street. “They probably went over the fire escape and into the city. Whoever it was they’re long gone now.” I looked back at the poor sucker sprawled on the carpet. “But they won’t be for long.” I marched past the mod, mumbling my thanks again, and made my way to the street level. It was late, I was never quite sure of the time, ponies don’t wear watches. But I was sure it was at least a little past midnight. Still the taxis drove through the streets like clockwork. I hailed one and quickly boarded. As the cabbie started the car, I thought to myself again about this funny old world, The OC, the place I called home. They say everything, when it gets big enough, spawns a world like this. A world where ideas are power, where every thought of the fans takes shape, no matter how incipid or superfluous. The kind of place where you don’t have to tell the cabbie where you want to go, because they never do that in the movies, inner monologues are done with a slight echo and a pony can drive a car even though they lack opposable thumbs. Everything around me was a thought, a construct of nonsense built upon an original foundation, My Little Pony: Friendship is magic. It had surprised everyone when it’d come to popularity, it seemed harmless at first, but grew in a surprisingly short time, before we knew it, we were here. None of us more than seven months old, based on a cartoon. Everything was pony based, mixed in with the often warped, strange ideas of The Fandom. Even the cab in which I now rode was pink with large curly hair. I myself was the idea, the facsimile, of a fan. A rather small idea, just an image here, a mention there. But an idea nonetheless. I don’t know who from, none of us did, but almost every pony with a name has the same story. One day poof, you’re here, in The OC, no warning, not a lick of sense, just the whim of some writer, artist or random person. But you learn quick, you have to. Apparently Semi hadn’t learned enough. I had a few suspects in the case, a few leads I needed to check. But first I needed to head back to the office. The building I was housed in was themed after Doctor Whoof, a large hourglass for a door and a spiky hairdo for a roof. I payed the cabbie. I didn’t have pockets, but the money always just seemed to be there, in my hoof when I needed it, exact change. That’s just how things worked. Inside it was a bit run down, but it was home. My office was on the ground floor, behind the door with my name on it. “Squeak” it proclaimed in large boldface type, Arial by the looks of it. Below that the word “Writer” had been hastily crossed out, and replaced with Private Eye, spelled in Comic Sans. I hated Comic Sans. The words had simply popped up after the ‘incident’ and I had followed them. I wasn’t a writer anymore. I thought as I walked past the door into my office. The only stories I needed now were real stories, stories from the streets. As I sat in the chair behind my desk, everything turned black and white. I don’t know why. It’d been happening ever since I’d first seen that hastily scrawled Private Eye on the door. Beside me, a cigar burned in my rubber duck shaped ash tray. I didn’t smoke, but the cigar was always there, always burning. I’d tried to put it out several times, but it just ended up back in the tray, smoke slowly rising same as always. I’d long given up, and just let it sit there and look cool. I mulled over this case that’d fallen in my lap. What’d happened to poor Mr.Semi? Where had it happened? Who had done it? All these questions burned in my head. I had some suspects lined up in my head, but in the OC new ponies came and went like so much salad at a buffet. It would be a hard case to solve, but I had nothing but time. I needed someone to ask, a trampoline off which to bounce my theories. I needed to go see someone with connections. I needed Pacce, or maybe Madmax. A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. “Mail” came a voice from the door. A voice I could never mistake, no one in the OC sounded quite like that. “Come in, Derpy.” I called. “It’s open.” She stepped in, her blond mane wild as usual, her eyes staring of in opposite directions. “Mail.” she said again. Derpy was an odd case. Here in the OC, the occasional background pony from The Cannon ended up popping into existence when the fan speculation on them became too much. They were often treated like minor celebrities. But Derpy was an odd case. She had started out as an animation error, as far as I’d heard. Then the fandom ran away with her. Comics, pictures, stories, theories, all poured into one idea, the idea of Derpy, or Bright Eyes, as she sometimes liked to be called. All of this was just fine and dandy, and in fact how most BP’s ended up in the OC, but she was something different. Her idea had gotten so big, it bled it’s way into The Cannon. The creators took a thought from the OC, and made it “Real”. She popped up in episodes, and derped her way around the actual ponyville. Yet at the same time, she was a fan construct. Most of her personality was just the whims of fans and fic writers, subject to change and sway at the drop of a hat. So she was in between. Her eyes had been crossed before the shift, but now ponies said they seemed even more so. They said she had an eye for each world. One eye in The Cannon, one eye in the OC. It made her a bit funny in the head. Her voice was made of the theories of what she might sound like. So as a result it sounded like everything, from a sweet country girl, to chain smoking Spaniard, it was all there. The general effect was like putting a television in a blender. “What have you got for me Derps?” I asked kindly. I liked the kid, she was a kind enough pony, despite her issues. “Mail.” she said a third time. “Okay, put it on the desk.” I cleared a space. I really did need to be neater if I ever got the time. She reached her head into her saddlebags, and retrieved a small envelop. I’ll never quite figure out how she kept them all straight, the mail always looked tossed around at random in that bag to me. But she always pulled out the right one nonetheless. She sat it down. “Who’s it from?” I asked. A lot of ponies never signed letters, you always had to ask the mailmare if you wanted to know. It didn’t make much sense, but it made exposition a lot easier. “Slywit” she said. Then she turned and left.

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-01T10:46:42+00:00

2011-10-01T10:46:42+00:00

Chapter 2 In Which Old Friends Catch Up. For the second time in the last few minutes I found myself in a taxi. This time pure-white with flowing violet curls. I’d stared at that letter for some time before opening it. I hadn’t heard from Sly in a while. He wasn’t the kind that sent letters; he was more the kind of pony who would rather call or just drop by for a visit, but that wouldn’t have been suspenseful enough I suppose. Sly and I had been good friends since the start of the OC. Both of us had been fic writers back then. We used to bounce ideas of each other, read one another’s work, that sort of thing. He was a good pony, a black and blue pegasus -most of the time-, with a jester hat as his cutie mark. He was the author of Paradise, a popular series that had gained a considerable following. I still read the updates when the Equestria Daily landed on my doorstep. I’m not quite sure why we hadn’t talked in a while; perhaps after I stopped writing we simply hadn’t run into each other, or maybe I was changing. I didn’t like the second option. In anycase, his letter had come as a surprise. “Hiya, Bittersweet Squeaks,” it had started in his normal Droid Serif. That was his nickname for me. Back when I was in the biz my niche was writing short, often sweet stories that more often than not were constructed to bring out a tear or two. Thus, the nickname was born one day, perhaps after not enough work and too much to drink. It brought back fond memories. “I heard about what happened to Semi,” the letter continued. “Bad stuff, really, and I know who they call when bad stuff goes down. Hearing about it made me think, seeing as how I haven’t seen you in a while, it’d be good to hear a friendly voice. Things have gotten bad lately and, to be honest, my reasons for calling on you aren’t entirely for the sake of reminiscing. I have a feeling it’s all connected, Squeaks. I could use your eyes on this. See you soon. Slywit. And so I’d hailed another cab and headed down to Sly’s old haunt. He lived in a house near the center of the /co/mpound, close to the writer’s guild building. It was a pretty nice place, shaped like Luna’s crown. We passed it as the cabbie looked for a space. The center of the /co/mpound was always busy. Anons milled about everywhere in this part of the OC, black pony silhouettes with little definite shape or features to call their own. They say most ponies start this way; in those dark faces laid all kinds of ponies, from the most vile of villains to the kindest of saints, you could never tell with an Anon. A few of them waved warmly as I got out of the cab, and quite a few more kept walking without a second glance. Such was the nature of the /co/mpound. I trotted up the stairs and knocked on the door. Waiting patiently, I took in the scale of the place. The /co/mpound could be compared to a large city, complete with tall buildings, houses and hardly a tree in the place. It was where a lot of the fandom sprung from and was arguably ground zero for where the OC had started. Most ponies considered it to be the center of the OC, though there could be no actual center since nopony was quite sure how far the OC stretched in any given direction. Some had tried to find out, but those who went farthest never seemed to come back. Perhaps this world is flat, I mused. Maybe they fell off the edge. The sound of the door opening shook me from my thoughts. “Bittersweet Squeaks!” Sly exclaimed warmly. “Good to see you! Still got that hat I see.” “Good to see you too, Sly.” I replied. “Yep, haven’t taken it off before and I’m not planning to start now.” While the majority of ponies in the OC avoided human clothing outside of glasses I’d been dropped into the OC wearing a reporter’s press hat. I hadn’t bothered to take it off since. I was starting to wonder if I even could. “True, it suits you anyway.” Sly turned and headed into the house.”Come in.” I followed him inside. The interior of the house wasn’t as well kept as the exterior and books were laid everywhere in various states of decomposition; Sly had never been the neatest of ponies. “So, you got my letter?” he asked, walking into the kitchen. “Yeah, Derpy delivered it a few minutes ago, ” I answered, taking a seat in the living room. “What’s up?” I heard the sound of a refrigerator opening. “Check the paper on the table.” The table in front of the couch was far from orderly, its surface hidden beneath papers, notes and unused story pages in what could generously be described as a heap. “Which one?” “Oh, one second, I’ll get it.” He walked back into the living room, two steaming cups of tea floating behind him. The thing about Slywit was you could never be quite sure what he would be on any given day; last time I’d seen him he’d been a pegasus, but he was currently a unicorn. No one was sure why but the popular theory was that his “idea” had been jumbled. When he’d come in everyone was thinking of a different Sly and, as a result, he got the mixed blessing of three different bodies. Sometimes he’d stay in one form for weeks on end and other times he’d shift between states in a matter of minutes, often at rather inopportune times. One of the cups landed in front of me, a bit of coffee spilling onto the floor. One of the setbacks of three bodies is he was rather unpracticed in their use; he could manage a few spells as a unicorn and a couple of tricks as a pegasus but he was a bit shaky as either. He got along pretty well as an earth pony, but that form seemed to pop up less. He sifted through the pile of paper on the table, his horn glowing blue as they floated into lessor sub-piles on the floor. “Here,” he offered, floating a bit of newspaper my way, “read the first article.” The front page was a story about the newest background character to enter the OC, Bon-Bon, along with a few new fics mentioned on the side. “What am I looking for, seems like a fluff piece to me.” “That’s just it, that’s a copy of the Equestria Daily.” “Yeah, I know, I get them everyday,” came my reply as I flipped through the inside of the paper. “Think about it Squeaks; that paper is magic. It’ll update itself for the rest of the day, right?” he pressed. “Right” “Then why, if Semi was murdered, is there no mention of it anywhere inside?” It dawned on me. He was right, the Equestria Daily always had the latest news, right down to the second it happened. It‘d been a few hours since the Mods had found Semi, so why had there been no report? “They’re keeping it under wraps,” “Exactly.” Sly took a sip of coffee. “You think the Cube is in on it?” “I don’t know, but I think somepony is.” Sly looked back and forth conspiratorially. “That means this goes pretty damn deep, Squeaks.” It was silent in the room for several minutes. The Equestria Daily newspaper was at the heart of the /co/mpound; it’s were everypony gets their news, where every event was planned, and where nearly every contributor could be found at one point or another. I’d had an office once, same as Sly, back when it was small. The Daily was run by Sethisto, one of the odder denizens of the OC due to him being one of the few beings that wasn’t a pony. He was a small cube that floated around collecting content and obsessing over “The Great and Powerful Trixie”. It was said he was themed after some video game, possibly an offshoot from another OC somewhere. He’d been just as surprised as the rest of us when it took off the way it did. Now it was massive, hosting hundreds of fics, art, any content you could care to think of. Any content, I realized, besides fapfics. “Got an idea?” asked Slywit. “You’ve got that face that tells me you’re about to do something you probably shouldn’t” “Am I that obvious?” I asked, trying to adopt an impassive look. “You’re no great poker player, Squeaks.” Fair enough, he’d taken enough bits from me in a game to know that well enough. “Well... we do have someone on the inside.” “Oh.” Slywit paused. “You’re going to see her.” “Can’t think of a better lead at the moment.” Several people took residence in the Equestria Daily building, mostly just background ponies who had made their way into the OC. But she was one of the top contributors and if anyone could tell me what was going on, it would be her. “I haven’t seen her in a while. You’ll have to give her my regards.” “I will,” I promised. Getting up, I added, “Thanks for the tea, Sly, it was good to see you again.” “No problem, Squeaks,” he replied, magically lifting the cups. “Just don’t get yourself killed alright?” I gave him a thin smile. “The OC won’t be rid of me that easily.” I looked at the paper. “Mind if I borrow this?” “Sure, take it,” he replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “Thanks.” I picked the paper up in my mouth; one of the drawbacks of being an earth pony is that you have to taste most of what you want to carry. Speaking around the paper, I managed to say “By the way, I’m sure Maxie’s forgiven you for the April Foal’s joke by now.” Poing-smash I turned to see that the two cups were now in a thousand pieces on the floor. Slywit’s horn was gone, now replaced by a pair of up-right wings. Some fan theories applied to everyone. Sly had turned into a pegasus, his changes were seldom in his favor. It made him rather fun to mess with sometimes. “Don’t you say a word, Squeak. Not. A. Single. Word.” I smiled “Wouldn’t dream of it.” I walked towards the door before deciding to mess with him a bit more. “I’ll remember to give Madmax your regards.” Poing In my defence though I have to say that that’d been a very interesting April Foals for everyone. Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-01T10:46:12+00:00

2011-10-01T10:46:12+00:00

Chapter Three In Which a Lead is Followed I haled a cab. The Equestria Daily building wasn’t far, but walking through the inner /co/mpound the early hours was often more trouble than it was worth. I realized that I hadn’t slept in quite a while, and the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. Celestia’s shift, I thought briefly. An odd trend in the OC was that the crime rate went in reverse. During Celestia’s shift we got spammers , scammers , trolls and a general grab bag of all those wonderful things. During the night they slept, I suppose annoyances weren’t nocturnal. The mods were suppose to get rid of them, but they hardly ever did anything quickly. You had to fend for yourself in the OC. The Cab pulled up to the building. It was massive, it’s exterior changed periodically, it was always hard to peg what it looked like when it wasn’t dolled up as something or other. But basically it had the shape of a large wizard’s hat most of the time. Today it was done up to be themed after the Gala, the last episode of the season was airing soon, and the theme had been created to celebrate. thousands of ponies would be here to watch it when it aired. There was a buzz around as always, ponies entered and exited through the multiple doors at the building’s base. I walked up to the nearest one. There was a line, mostly fic writers, anxious to get their newest work out to the masses, a few drawponies mixed in, hoping to get their shot as well. A few were turned away by the guard. I waited for a bit before I came to the front, I got a good look at the guard and sighed. “Squeakers!” He yelled “Hello Sprinkles....” “Ah man! You haven’t been around here in forever, how’s it going Rubber Duck?” Sprinkles was a grey earth pony who often worked odd jobs around the OC. It seemed today he was playing guard dog. His full name was Sargent Sprinkles, there was a rumor he’d earned that title during the Ban Wars, but I doubted it. He wore an army hat and a clown nose at all times, fitting as he was quite the jokester. We hadn’t often seen one another, so I didn’t know him all that well, but he had a thousand nicknames for me none the less. “No, I haven’t, funny how that works out.” I replied. “Yeah, small world ain’t it Squeaky? So, what’s brings you back to the EqD? Want your job back?” “No, I’m here on a case Sprinkles, somepony’s been murdered.” That made him pause. “No kiddin’?” “No kidding at all. I’m here to follow up on a lead, so I haven’t got time for pleasantries, sorry.” “Fine, fine, I get it, on duty and all that, finding clues, solving murders, regular Sherlock Hoof aren’t you?” “Nope, I don’t have a Watson.” I said wryly. “Now, come on I haven’t got time for this.” Sprinkles looked a bit put out. “Alright, you know, if you rush everywhere you’ll miss the small things, Squeakers.” he said opening the door. “Don’t worry.” I said. “I’ll try to be very attentive. I strode past him into the building. Being inside the Equestria Daily main office, is a bit like how I’d imagine being inside a beehive might feel. The second I walked through the doors the buzz of activity hit me like a shovel to the face. Ponies everywhere, rushing from point A to point Z and all 24 letters between those. The top fic writers had offices on this floor, all of them sat around writing like madponies trying to get the newest chapters out into the OC. I remembered the early days of the office, it wasn’t nearly as busy back then. It had once been a nice, peaceful place to write in fact. Now I wondered how anyone got anything done in this noise. No wonder Slywit chose to work at home. But that’s progress I suppose. As I walked, comments scattered and ran across my hooves. Comments were the main driving force behind fics, they were created whenever some pony decided to review a story. They popped up above the cubicles of the author who’s story was being reviewed with a noise a bit like popcorn in a microwave. The small creatures were some low level form of life, and appeared as small post-it notes with tiny arms, legs and shoes. They were almost always fancy dress shoes for some reason I couldn’t being to fathom. No one was quite sure why they happened, but life went on. I surmised that a new writer had to be in the office, because the comments were running amok. Leaping in and out of trash bins, swimming in the water coolers, and generally being little terrors. Bad comments always acted this way. When a story was reviewed poorly they popped up and started making trouble. Most writers had to deal with this at some point, and it was always their job to round up the unruly creatures. Judging from the chaos taking place in the corner of the office in which I was standing, someone had written something really terrible. As I walked, trying to avoid the little monsters tugging at my legs something orange and blue came barreling into my side. I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me, landing on the floor against the wall with a thud. The pony that ran into me was on her feet first. “Get them off! Get them off!” She yelled. Several comments had leapt up, pulling at her mane and tail. Everypony in the office ignored her screams, and went about their business, walking around her, their own destinations were far more important. I got to me feet, shaking away pain I was sure I’d feel later. “You must be the new author.” I said. Nopony ever helped out the newbie, it was a tradition. Bad comments slowed down the whole office. if you got them, you had to deal with them. “Yes! Help me! Please!” she yelled, trying to shake the comments away. Alas, I’m not made of stone. I didn’t work here, their ‘Traditions’ didn’t apply to me anyway. “Hold still.” I walked over, reaching into her mane, I bit down on one of the comments and pulled it out, tossing it onto the floor. “Uhg.” I spat, the taste still lingering in my mouth. Bad comments tasted awful. I grabbed a nearby bin and we soon had the lot of them rounded up. Crisis averted, I got a good look at the unicorn in front of me. She had an orange coat with a bright blue mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a slightly crooked writers quill turned at an angle on her flank. Due to her rather loud color scheme, I hazarded a guess that perhaps she was one of the Summerponies. Summerponies were a slang term for ponies that came from a growing community on farther edges of the OC. So far it didn’t have a proper name like the /co/mpound, or the /b/ay. It was an artsy place, filled with a lot of ponies at odds with the /co/mpound’s values. The kind that wore multicolored legwarmers, had fox ears, and other such things that were generally looked down upon here. In truth, I didn’t mind them as much as most as long as they didn’t bother anypony. But the OC is tough, there was little room for ponies like that. Looking her up and down again, I noticed that besides the coloring she didn’t look that much different from any other pony you’d see on the street. Perhaps I’d been quick to judge, maybe she was just eccentric. She sagged slightly now that the work was over, and let out a sign. “Thank you.” She said breathlessly. “I’m Starshine Maria Quill by the way.” Never mind, she was a Summerpony most certainly. “No problem.” I shrugged, as far as ponies can shrug in anycase. “I’m Squeak.” She paused for a moment. “Oh, I’ve heard of you, you used to work here didn’t you?” “Yeah,” I sighed. I didn’t want to go into this topic. “A long time ago.” “What happened?” she asked, using her magic to collect a few papers that had spilled in the chaos. “Lots of things.” I said curtly. “It’s not important. Now, if I were you I’d get that bin of comments down to the furnace before they get out.” I nodded towards the shaking canister on her side. “And I’d get a few tips from the other’s while you’re at it so this doesn’t happen again.” I managed a smile. “They don’t bite. Much. Good luck!” I trotted down the hall before she could reply. I didn’t have time for those kinds of distractions. I’m too friendly sometimes. Slywit had warned me about it on a few occasions, along with others. It was fine every now and again, but someday I was pretty sure it would get me killed. For now though, I just needed to find Madmax’s office. Another thing about the Equestria Daily building, was that it was hard to find much of anything off of the first floor. Fics, and fic writers were easy to find, they were everywhere, with varying degrees of skill. They came and went so fast they often never got anything close to an office to themselves, except for the very good ones. So there was no point in moving them to the upper floors, or anywhere else. They simply shifted too quickly. Anything off of the first floor was different story. The building was under constant change and construction, moving, demolishing, rebuilding, everything was in constant motion. If you found a room one day, there was no guarantee it’d be there the next. I slowed my trot as I came to the elevators. As I walked towards them I noticed the less unruly comments helping out around the office. Fetching water, holding pens, and generally being well behaved. I briefly wondered what had become of my comments. But that was neither here nor there. The elevators were done up to look like giant books today. A Twilight theme I suspected. I’ll never be quite sure how the elevators always managed to work, though the rest of the building never seemed to stay constant. I was thankful for it though. The doors opened with a ding and I stepped inside. I wasn’t quite sure which floor to go to. The buttons panel took up a third of the wall, stretching all the way to the top on to the back of the elevator. It always took me a while to find where I wanted to go. The higher ups always knew which button to press, somehow, but I didn’t have that luxury. So I pushed a button at random. There’s something I’ll always hate about the Equestria Daily elevators. This is the fact that it is impossible to tell which direction they’ll take to get you to your destination. They hardly ever simply went ‘Up’, up was only one of many options. I braced myself against the floor as the motors started up. All at once I was roughly thrown to the side as the car shot to the left. Though I’d been expecting it I hit the opposite wall with a thud. There was no preparing for these elevators. I lurched forwards as the car jerked to a stop, tossing me around like a super ball. My stomach took up temporary residence in my throat as it suddenly jerked downwards, falling rapidly to wherever it was going. I was quickly smooshed against the ceiling by the force of the decent. I’ve often wondered if ponies have bones, or what I’m made of in particular, The OC doesn’t exactly have a great department of medical science. So no one really knew the answer. I was beginning to doubt it though, because I surely should have broken a few by now. I hit the floor as the elevator once again halted it’s progress. Somehow my hat remained on my head through the whole ordeal. I really was starting to wonder it was even possible for it to come off. The doors opened with a ding, sliding away to reveal an office. It was a large one, filled with shag carpeting and various statures, most of which, I noticed, were of Trixie. The entire far wall was nothing but a large window. I looked out and saw I was high above the /co/mpound. I briefly questioned the fact that I had gone down, but somehow ended up far above the city, but quickly abandoned the thought. As the popular saying went, ‘It’s magic I ain’t gotta explain shit’. There was a desk across from me. The chair behind it was turned away, judging from the Trixie statues and carpeting, I had some idea who’s office I was in. “Hello, Squeaks.” said the chair. “Hiya.” I said. “How’s business?” The chair spun around. A large cube sat between the armrest, red and yellow with intricate carvings on all four of it’s faces. “Business is a’boomin.” Said Sethisto Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-01T10:45:54+00:00

2011-10-01T10:45:54+00:00

Chapter 4 In Which The Boss is Bothered and an Artist Gives Advice “How are you Squeaks?” asked Sethisto. I’m sure if he’d had fingers he would have steepled them. I’d known Sethisto-‘Seth’ for short- since the start of the OC. I still wasn’t quite sure how he managed to talk, lacking a mouth among other things, but if anything it was his talent. While in the early days it might have gotten him into trouble now and again, these days he had no such worries; being head of Equestria Daily had it’s benefits. Almost every bit of information worth knowing went through him first. I doubted he’d talk, but accident or no this was a good opportunity to get some answers. “I’m well,” I lied. “nothing to complain about.” “Good, good. Come to get your job back?” I smiled. “No such luck, I’ve actually come on a case.” “Still on that detective thing are you? Very well then, I’d just like you to know you old position always open.” “Good to know. I came here to talk to Madmax, but while I’m here do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” The chair spun slightly. “I don’t see why not. I’m always here to answer questions for the press.” He laughed at is own joke. “Good, I’ll make this short and sweet then.” I sat down. “Ragingsemi.” “Hmmm?” he murmmered. Something in his voice told me he’d heard me perfectly. “Ragingsemi was murdered last night in a motel in the FiM-District,” I said flatly.“Heard anything about it, Seth?” His chair spun back and forth as he thought. Don’t ask me how. “I’m very sorry to hear that Squeaks,” He said in a plastic, practiced sort of way. “I had no idea. Simply ghastly, poor fellow.” I eyed the cube warily. Sethisto had eyes and ears in almost every corner of the OC and There was no way in hell I was going to believe he was in the dark on this. I had to press him further. “Oh, too bad then,” I said with mock disappointment. “Well then, at least I can be of some help to the paper. You know, Informing you of this terrible event and all that stuff. Now that you know, I’m sure you’ll update the papers post haste?” I raised my eyebrow in a detective-y sort of way. Sethisto was quiet for a moment. “Well, these things take time, Squeaks, you must understand that running a paper is by no means easy. It could take days, even weeks, to get a headline like that out.” “Oh yes, I understand.” I got up to leave. “You do?” asked Seth, surprised. “Er...I mean of course you do. You’re a sensible pony, as always.” I paused dramatically as I came to the elevator. “True, I am sensible.” I peered back at him, looking about where I figured his eyes might be. “And my sensibilities are wondering something.” “What’s that?” “Well, the way I see it, the paper you’re running is magic, correct?” “...Yes.” I could hear the unease in his voice. “So, it updates itself within the day it’s purchased, correct?” “Well, yes... but the articles have to be written before it updates! That takes time, Squeak.” I nodded “Oh, of course. I understand completely.” “One must go through all the procedures and all that. Nothing to be done about it...” “Good, I’m glad you’re being understanding about thi-” “...Which is why,” I cut him off, smilingly slightly, “I’d like my job back.” I could almost see his non-existent face pull back in surprise “What?” “My job. You said you need someone to write the article, make sure it’s on the up and up. So, give me my job back. I’ll do it.” It was silent in the office for a while. I was hoping he wouldn’t call my bluff, but I could tell he was scared. Seth had a worse poker face than me, which is hard for a guy lacking such a feature. I stared him down some more, daring him to take me up on the offer. He broke first “Okay fine! I can’t have that article get out Squeaks.” “Oh, and why’s that Seth?” I asked, taking a step towards him. “Is it because you know something you don’t want the rest of us to know?” I took another step. “Because I’ve had a little theory since I came here.” I came still closer. “There’s been a lot of....questionable things on the blog over the years.” Step. “The Pony Panty Scandal.” Step. “The ‘Saucy’ pics in the Drawfriends articles.” I was almost nose to...whatever he had, with him by this point. “The sensual fiction bundles. All that was fine and dandy, I didn’t mind in the least. But you know what I think? I think you were planing to let fapfics in next, and Raging was your competition. Am I in the ballpark, Seth?” I leaned in so far I could smell the cheap leather of his seat. “I think you wanted to corner the market. Couldn’t have the old steady blocking your path, now could you? I was going to ask Madmax about it, but I’m sure now. Why else would you suppress this information? Why else would you be so unwilling to tell me what’s really going on, and why else would The Great and Powerful Trixie kissing Twilight be the heading for a story about socks?” I almost fell over the table I had leaned in so far. “That has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” said Seth curtly. I deflated slightly. “Huh?” “Squeaks, I’m going to level with you. I like you. You were a good employee here at the paper and I really did enjoy having you, but you were a much better writer than you are a detective.” I levered myself back across the table. “Then why don’t you help me out and fill in some blanks, Seth?” He sighed. “Fine, it’s obvious, no matter how misguided your suspicions, you’re not going to quit this.” I shook my head. “Nope.” “So I’m going to give you three pieces of advice: One, there are some very big players in this game, Squeaks, way bigger than me and a hell of a lot bigger than you. I’d turn around now, go back to your office and forget any of this ever happened. Two, because of reason one, I cannot tell you any more about it than this. For your own good, of course; I would be honestly sorry to see you killed, and you will be. And my final advice is, if you’re going to see Madmax, press the fifty-second button from the top, twenty third from the side, and tell her I said hi.” I stared at the cube for a while; he was telling the truth as far as I could tell, and that put me back to square one. It looked like from here on out I was going to have to roll the dice in the dark and hope I didn’t loose. “Thank you for your time, Seth,” I said, turning to the elevator. “Like I said,” Seth’s chair turned back to the window. “anything for the press.” The elevator doors opened with a ding, somepony walked out as I went inside. It was Derpy, a package in her mouth as usual. I tipped my hat to her. She noted me briefly then turned to Seth and said “Mail!” around the parcel. “Oh are those my custom Trixie plushies!?” asked Seth eagerly. Then he seemed to remember I was still in the room and quickly said, “Um...for that article.” I couldn’t help cracking a slight smile. Some things never changed. I quickly located the button Seth had directed me to. Bracing myself against the floor I pressed it and waited for the ride to begin. It was quite a surprise when the car rolled leisurely to the left and opened with a casual ‘ding’. Madmax’s room was a large one, she was one of the Fandom’s most recognized artist, and therefor a very big idea. I’d always suspected a small amount of my own idea’s size was due to her. Artist were a peculiar lot in the OC, the more popular their work the more they could do. A good artist could bring someone into the OC with a few strokes of a pencil. Quite a few ponies owed the fact they were here at all to her. She’d worked for the Equestria Daily since the beginning. I could remember the days when it was just her, myself Sly, Pacce, Nathan and a few others. The days of little corner offices and making jokes about the latest episode while eating junk from Brewers, a local shop. Things had changed a lot since then, but we’d still remained friends. The walls and curtains were green, her favorite color, the chairs and couches were variations of this. Her desk sat over in the corner, slightly disorganized. It seemed everyone I knew could do with a maid. Above it were posters from certain episodes. I briefly noticed that Party of One was prominently displayed at the forefront. “Maxie!?” I called. “You here?” “Hmm?” I heard a sound from the kitchen. “Who is it?” “It’s Squeak! I need to ask you something.” I heard some shuffling for a moment before her head appeared in the doorway. Her twin ponytails swinging around the frames of her large green glasses. “Sqqqeeeeeuuuuuuuaaaakkk!” She exclaimed. “Maaaaxxxxxiiieeeeeeee!” I yelled back, smiling. It was a bit of a running joke between the two of us. We’d done it once at the office, back in the old days, and one of the new pony’s had remarked on how annoying it was. Since then it had become our customary greeting. She trotted over smiling and gave me a quick hug. “So, what brings you here, lover?” her eyelids fluttered as she spoke. I tried to say something cool. “Nothing but you, sweet thing.” We held each other’s gaze for several minutes, but I was the fist to crack. I burst out laughing. She couldn’t hold it long after that, and began to giggle. A while back there had been several fics and pictures put out ‘Shipping’ the two of us together. Along with various rumors and whispers. In reality we were only good friends, we often made a joke out of the whole thing. I remember last April Foals she’d sent me a picture of her looking at the camera with the customary “XOXOX” at the bottom. I still kept it sitting on my desk to freak people out. “So,” she said, wiping away a tear. “What really brings you here?” “I’m on a case. Not having much luck though.” I sighed. “My last suspect was a bust.” “Oh, you mean about Semi?” “Ah, so you know about that?” I’d figured as much. “Well tell me what you know, maybe It’ll fill in the gaps.” Maxie sat on the couch. She had a habit of sitting like Lyra, her favorite background pony. It was an odd, vaguely unnatural position for a pony on it’s own, sitting upright, let alone when using the armrest. I briefly noted that since we didn’t technically have arms, it didn’t make sense for almost every chair in this world to have armrest. But If I chalked up everything that didn’t make sense in the OC, I’d have a modest paperback. “Well, as you probably figured out form talking to Seth,” Maxie began. “they’re keeping this whole thing quiet. I haven’t been able to figure much out, all I know is that when the news came in everypony was at their post to get the newest edition out. The article was almost ready for print when Seth sent Derpy down to the news room with a notice.” “A notice?” I was short on leads, I needed anything I could get my hooves on. “Have you got a copy?” “Sure.” Her horn glowed green, a small scrap of paper floated from her drawing desk and situated itself in front of my face. NOTICE All News Regarding the Recent Death of one, Raging Semi are not to be printed by Order of the /Co/mpound Mods, pending and investigation. Please cease any work on the story, and resume your regular posts. There is currently a rumor about the Great and Powerful Trixie appearing in season two, please focus on that instead. I hope it’s true! -Seth “What? That’s not right....” I murmured. “You noticed?” asked Maxie, raising an eyebrow. “The Mods ordered no such thing.” I grabbed the paper from the air, I noticed it tasted vaguely of flour. I sat it on the table and inspected it closely. “When was the last time the Mods gave two shits about what happened to us? It was only one of the few sympathetic ones that managed to let me in at all. They’d never put out any kind of press silence. Let alone make any actual effort to solve this case. Even if they were, since when would that matter to Seth? This notice is a complete lie, and a bad one at that.” “Exactly.” said Maxie. “I’m pretty sure everyone on the floor knows it’s manure, but they’re not saying anything. This whole thing’s got them scared Squeak.” “Scared?” I knew a murder was nothing to sneeze at, but some would say Semi had it coming. Why would other contributors be scared? “Mmhhh,” She nodded “there haven’t been anymore murders as far as I know...but word on the street is some ponies are disappearing Squeak.” Now I was getting somewhere. “Disappearing? Like who?” “I haven’t heard many names yet, but from what I have heard it seems ship-writers are being targeted.” “Ship-writers? There’s a billion of those, who would be picking them off? It’s not like you could make a dent.” Maxie’s horn glowed again. A smokers pipe floated from somewhere, she placed it gently in her mouth and continued. “That’s what I don’t get.” a puff of rainbow colored smoke snaked up into the air, it smelled faintly of candy. “If this is true it’d be like trying to stop a river with a wine cork. Useless.” “Exactly...is there anything in particular you’ve noticed about those rumored to be missing?” Maxie chewed the end of her pipe as she thought. I remembered when she got that pipe, it was after a comic release celebrating two million Equestria Daily’s sold. I’d asked her what was in it several times, but she never told me. “Well, the last I heard was a pony named...Coffeebean hadn’t been seen in a while.” She pondered. “Only name I can recall.” She took another drag of the pipe. “Hey, you want to go to Mc’Ronalds? We could take The Van and think things over there.” For some reason whenever she used that pipe it always made her want Mc’ronalds, a fast food joint near the Writer’s Guild building. Maxie was one of the few ponies in the OC who actually owned a car; a really fruity number with a unicorn spray painted on the side. I’d taken her up on the offer once to find out to my dismay that The Van flew, Rainbow Dash style, through town. During that ride to Mc’Rondalds I’d made peace with the fact I was probably going to die to the sound of the Erasure song ‘Always’. Maxie drove like a maniac when she was hungry, and for some reason the radio only picked up that one song. “No thanks.” I said quickly. “I’ve got to follow this lead. Pacce might know something about this Coffee Bean guy. Thanks for the help Max.” I grabbed the notice between my teeth. “Anytime Squeak.” Said Maxie. “But let me help you out, you look ridiculous holding things in your mouth all the time. You can borrow one of my saddlebags.” And that’s how I found myself once again in the elevator, only this time wearing a bright green saddlebag with a flower on the side. Oh well, at least I wouldn’t have to carry things earth pony style anymore. Maxie had been kind enough to pack a few things as well. She’d given me a few request tabs, good for one Madmax drawing, they were some of the best currency in the OC. They might prove useful should I have to bribe anypony. Along with a pencil and some paper. I had no idea what she thought I might use them for. It’s not very often an earth pony learns to draw beyond basic writing. Have you ever tried to draw a Q with your mouth? I looked at the many buttons on the elevator wall. Finally I knew which one to press. The lobby button, the very first one near the door. It would take me back to the Writer’s Room, and I could get out of this madhouse. I pressed the button and for the third time that day, braced myself against the elevator floor. The car jerked to life, and lurched to the right. I leaned hard to the left and managed to stay upright. I was getting good at this. The car then heaved forwards, throwing me into the back wall with a heavy thud. Never mind. I was suddenly pressed against the floor as it hurtled upwards. I could hardly breathe as my chest was compressed by the force of the ascent. As it rose faster The pressure on my ribs became almost unbearable. For the second time that day I silently wondered if I could break any bones. The elevator slowed suddenly, launching me a short ways into the air. I hung weightless for a moment. This wasn’t normal. The elevator never slowed, it always stopped on a dime. I didn’t know much about science-as little as there was here anyway- but as far as I knew there was only one way I could be floating like this. The tingling in my stomach told me something bad was about to happen. That feeling when you get to the top of a roller coaster, and there’s a moment when you think ‘Oh shit’. Except on this coaster I had the feeling there wouldn’t be any tracks at the bottom. My own scream interrupted my thoughts as the car fell into a spinning decent. I was in free fall. Somehow, whatever force that pulled the cars had gone haywire. It turned over and over as it fell. I was violently tossed to celling. I saw stars as my head impacted one of the lights. It shattered, sending glass whirling into air as I spun end over end back onto the floor. I could feel it cutting into my legs as I smashed into paneling. The buttons on the wall flashing wildly like street signs on steroids. I stopped feeling things after a while, a blessing if you ask me. I felt like a rag doll in a tumble dryer. Finally my head hit one wall too many. Darkness approached at the corners of my eyes. Dizzy, and incredibly nauseous, I blacked out. Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-01T10:45:37+00:00

2011-10-01T10:45:37+00:00

Gun, With Occasional Pony CH 5 In Which the Plot Thickens I’m not sure how long I was unconscious. I hoped it was a long time, because this was the closest thing I’d gotten to sleep in a day and a half. I think my first thought upon opening my eyes was something along the lines of, ‘Oh, I’m still alive. That’s nice,’ and then regretting the fact that I wasn’t dead because of the pain. My everything hurt. I had pain on top of my pain, and that pain was renting houses to other pains who wanted to move up in the world. It was dark inside what remained of the elevator; the doors were crumpled and ruined, letting a small amount of pale light in from whatever was on the other side. The floor panel was almost as mangled as I was. In places buttons hung out of their sockets at odd angles. It looked ghastly. I tried to get to my hooves. The glass that littered the floor cut harshly into them, at least on the spots that weren’t already cut up anyway. I made a mental note to track down whoever it was that first thought up the idea that ponies could bleed. He and I were going to have words. I weakly checked to see if my hat was still on. It was. Damn, that thing was stubborn. Maxie’s saddlebag was a bit beat up, although it had still fared better than me. That was the only bit of good news I could come up with; hey, I may be in the bottom of an elevator shaft half-torn to bits but thank Celestia I was fashionable about it. Of course, at the moment I had bigger things to worry about. These elevators always worked, or at least they did in a round-about way. Still, they didn’t just cut out. Someone had been trying to get me out of the picture, and it was a wonder they hadn’t succeeded. But I suppose if my life is a detective story it would be a pretty bad one if I went and died in the first half. My funeral probably wouldn’t make much of climax. I was shaky, but I managed to stand. I limped my way over to the crushed doors and, with far too much effort, I levered one off it’s hinges. It fell with a heavy clunk to the floor, the sound echoing through wherever it was that I had landed. I didn’t like the finality of that sound. There were a few lights spaced here and there, but it was mostly dark. I could see a network of tubing running in crazy patterns across the ceiling and walls. I recognized it immediately, it was the old message system. Back when the office was small it’d used old-fashioned message tubes to relay information across the floor. Nowadays they simply got the more well-behaved comments to do it, but the system was still there. I was beneath the Writer’s Room, below ground level. I limped into the darkness, if I was lucky I might be able to find a way out, or at least some way to call for help. Walking was an immense effort, the cuts on my hooves screaming at my brain with every step. The rest of my body was getting in on the act, every part singing with pain like some demented opera, probably Pony Maria. Still, I forged ahead; I didn’t plan on dying down here, not while there were so many questions that needed answers, like who’d killed Semi. It had to be someone with a lot of power in the OC, at least enough to keep scare Seth silent about it. If they manged to somehow bump them all off, where would he get his Trixie/Twilight fics? I thought wryly. Still, someone had tried to kill me, which meant I was getting close, the bad guy only tries to kill you if they’re worried. I was on the right track but I still needed more information, and I wasn’t going to get it down here in the dark. My thoughts were interrupted as my left forehoof didn’t land on anything. It fell through the air tossing me off balance. A shiver shot up my leg before traveling through the rest of my body. It was the kind of cold that couldn’t be fixed by a blanket and some hot chocolate. The kind of cold that freezes the soul and chills the bones. It snapped me out of my reverie in a hurry. I looked down at the floor to see a large black hole yawning open in front of me, impossibly dark and impossibly deep. There was a distant wail emanating from within, the kind of high pitched noise that makes your teeth itch, literally itch, as if they were trying to escape your skull. It was kind of noise that makes that little part of your brain that keeps you sane want to run and hide. It was a plot hole. Plot holes were a strange phenomena, even by The OC’s standards. They tended to occur when a large number of writers collected in one place. They were made by gaps in logic, bad characterization and, worst of all, forgotten ideas. Anything that fell into a plot hole was erased in its entirety; If you fell into one of these there wouldn’t even be a photo to remember you by, every memory of your existence wiped clean. I wavered for a moment trying to get my balance. It’d take me by surprise and I teetered dangerously over the edge. The hoof that had fallen in grew steadily colder, like I’d stuck it in ice water. My right hind leg wavered in the air in an attempt to lever myself back onto solid ground. I hung there for a moment, scared to do so much as wiggle my nose in case it sent me tumbling to oblivion. Suddenly I felt something behind me. Something that felt all too much like a pony trying to shove me to my death. I let out an unflattering yelp and kicked out with a hoof. The kick struck hard and my assailant grunted in the dark, stumbling. I used the leverage I gained to tilt myself away from the hole. Back on all fours, I quickly lifted both hind legs from the ground and gave the mystery assassin a sharp buck. With another grunt he went down in a heap. I turned around, trying to think of something snappy to say, but the words died in my throat. I recognized him. "Sweet Celestia Squeaks, see if I ever help you again," groaned the heap. It was my editor. “Lights?” I asked, confused. “Who do you think? I’m certainly not your mother.” He grunted as he got up to his hooves. Three horseshoe-shaped bruises were turning a harsh purple against his shaggy white coat. Lights was a large white unicorn and a card-carrying Grammar Nazi. He had been my editor for a couple of months while I was still in the fic writing business. Editors were an odd lot in the OC, their job consisting of fixing errors in stories and generally making sure they were up to printing standards. Most were freelancers, editing as they pleased, but a couple latched on to particular writers in a sort of symbiotic relationship. I hadn’t seen Lights since I’d stopped working for the Equestria Daily. “Sorry, I didn’t know it was you.” I paused. “Wait, what are you doing down here anyway?” “Saving your sorry flank. Here I am, trying to fix your mane-brained errors, and what do I get for it? A hoof to the gut, that’s what! And what the bloody hell is it with you and commas!? They’re everywhere! Celestia forbid you learn to use a semi-colon…” he muttered. “Oh, and another thing; descriptions, use them! What do you even look like? You haven’t mentioned it once.” I eyed at Lights warily; editors were weird, but this was Ponitzer Prize stuff. “You can see me right?” I asked sarcastically. “Yellow earth pony, black mane with a brown hat? Bleeding from several places at the moment. You know! I look... um, Squeaky?” “What about your cutie mark eh? We’re five bleedin’ chapters in and you’ve never told us what it is!” he yelled, stomping his hoof for emphasis. I looked down at my flank, a rubber duck on a writing pad sat there as always. It never made sense to me why the rubber duck was there. I mean, the writing pad made sense, but my talents have never included water fowl, even of the rubber variety. I raised an eyebrow. “Lights, your not making any sense.” “‘YOU’RE’! It’s ‘you’re’!” He sat down on his haunch and rubbed his temples. “You need an apostrophe in there!” I sized up the unicorn in front of me “...Are you drunk?” “Uhg, never mind! Look, we need to get this thing moving. I came to tell you that you’re on the right track. Some of the other editors have noticed their clients have gone missing.” That caught my attention. “So… the rumors are true?” “Yeah, they’re true all right.” Lights looked around warily. “It’s like they just vanished into thin air! One day they’re giving you stuff to edit for your daily bread and the next… Poof! It’s like they were never there.” “Let me guess; it’s Shippers in particular?” I asked. “So you’ve noticed as well?” He looked mildly surprised. “Well, yes, somepony’s doing something with them I’m sure. Which is why I can’t have you going around falling into plotholes. I’m an editor, and if somepony starts taking out writers, soon I’ll have nothing to edit!” His concern was heartwarming. “Well, thanks… I guess. Now, if you can show me a way out of here I’ll get right on that. I don’t suppose you’ve got a teleporter somewhere, do you?” He rolled his eyes. “Always one for a quick jab, aren’t you Squeak?” He turned towards the remains of the elevator. “I can fix the car so it’ll take you back to the lobby. Stay put.” “You can do that?” I asked, genuinely surprised. A thought occurred to me as I looked back at what was left of the elevator. “How’d you even get here anyway?” “You have your secrets and I have mine. Now, don’t go falling back into that plot hole while I’m at it, okay? Oh, and think about your left forehoof for a minute.” “What are you talking about Ligh-” I looked down to find that the hoof in question was nearly translucent. I put my it in front of my face in disbelief; I could see the opposite wall right through it! “Don’t panic,” Lights said evenly, although his advice came more than a bit too late. “Just think about walking and it should come back. You’re lucky it wasn’t in there for long. Getting around on three legs is rather hard, I’d imagine.” I was shocked; I’d heard about what plot holes could do, but I’d never seen one in action. My hoof had barely been in there for a few seconds and it was almost non-existent. Only the merest of outlines told me it was still there at all. I did as Lights said and thought about my hoof; it wasn’t hard, being that I was rather attached to it, after all. I thought about walking through the /co/mpound’s streets, jumping, kicking, running, the works. If thinking about sporting activities could get you a medal, I’d have won gold for sure. The ghost limb became solid again with a small ‘pop’. “There you go,” Lights said, a smile on his face for the first time since he’d arrived. “Now, get to work.” He turned and walked towards the elevator, with a parting “Don’t get killed.” I was left on my alone once again. I stepped away from the edge of the plot hole, wanting to get as far away from that thing as possible; after what it’d done to my hoof I didn’t want to get the full treatment. It was no accident that I’d ended up in this room. First I’d plummeted several stories in an insane elevator and then I’d almost been erased from existence. I imagined what I might tell Maxie next time I saw her: She’d say ‘How have you been, Squeaks?’ and I’d have to think of a lie, because I certainly couldn’t say good. The hole took up the majority of the floor and, as far as I could tell, there was no way across. I looked back towards the elevator, where Lights was mumbling something about proper word tenses. If he hadn’t of come to save my hide I’d be stuck down here, what with the hole baring my way forwards and the broken elevator unable to take me back. I’d either have fallen into the hole, sat around in the dark till I starved to death or leapt into oblivion on my own accord. Someone wasn’t just trying to kill me, they were trying really, really hard. I wondered why they’d go through all the trouble since I didn’t have very many leads yet. I was armed with only rumors from Max, warnings from Seth, and a couple of disappearances I had no way to track, not to mention Semi’s murder. Which was common knowledge. In any case, a well placed knife would shut me up pretty quickly, regardless of whether it was worth it or not. Then again, whoever had it out for me certainly wouldn’t be the only pony in the OC with a flair for the dramatic. A voice shook me from my thoughts. It was a strange voice in that I didn’t exactly hear it, its words seeming to bypass my ears and go directly into my brain. “You have to help!” cried the voice. I jerked backwards. “What! Who’s there!?” I gazed into the darkness; across the hole I could make out the vague silhouette of a pony. The shadows were too complete for me to make out who it was and, although I couldn’t see them, I felt its eyes staring at me intently. “You have to help!” the voice repeated. “Help with what?” I yelled. “Who are you!?” “You have to stop it!” “The disappearances?” My voice echoed oddly through the tunnel. “That, and so much more... Go! Quickly!” The pony turned and raced off into the darkness. Out of instinct I tried to follow, only to realize again that if I took another step forward I’d fall into the plot hole again. I watched as it retreated, trying to make out anything that might help me to track it down. It was a useless gesture though, and in another moment the blackness had swallowed the figure entirely. I stared for a while. That pony knew something and, more importantly, was on my side apparently. A very rare thing, considering my line of work. I’d have to find them… somehow. Something fluttered over the plot hole and landed at my hooves; it was a scrap of paper, a strange symbol marking the front. My mysterious pony in the dark must have dropped it. In bright, hastily draw letters, it said one thing: Go to Hell. Well, maybe they weren’t on my side after all. I quickly picked up the paper and put it into Maxie’s saddlebag. The symbol was unfamiliar to me, but even If I didn’t know what it was, somepony in this town would. Lights called me over. “It’s fixed,” he said, not without some pride. “…but, when you get back to the lobby, make sure to tell them to do some more thorough repairs before anypony uses it.” I looked cautiously at the elevator. The floor-selection panel was on again, although only the one lobby button glowed. The rest of the floor buttons remained dark. The glass on the floor was gone, but the car was still battered and dented in places and the one remaining door was still caved-in. The thing looked like it was held together by spit and prayers. Lights noticed my apprehension and gave me a shove. “Go on, I don’t have all day!” “Fine,” I conceded while casting another worried look at the contraption. “But do you think it’ll hold both-” I turned to find Lights walking back towards the plot hole, this time grumbling about redundant word usage. “-of us...” I finished lamely. Editors are weird. Well, it was either try the elevator or take my chances with the plot hole. Staring at the state of the elevator, I was having considerable difficulty deciding which one was the better option. Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I mused. I could certainly die down here, or I could perhaps die in the elevator. So, I stepped inside, and pressed the one remaining button. “Onwards and Upwards” I said under my breath. I braced myself against the floor out of habit. There wasn’t much of a point to it; I didn’t think I could get much more torn up. The elevator slid slowly and jerkily to the left, the floor shaking like an earthquake, and then stopped. The doors didn’t open. I looked around, a slight tinge of claustrophobia setting in. Was it stuck? My question was answered as it shot up five feet, flattening me to the ground. It stopped just as quickly and I was fired up to the ceiling like so much confetti. The doors opened with a slightly warped ‘Ding’ as I fell back to the floor. Everyone in the Writers Room stared at me as I limped out. The second I was clear smoke began to gush from the elevator. I went over to the reception desk, the receptionist looking at me as if I’d just crawled out of a horror movie. “I was told to tell you that-” I was interrupted as the cables snapped, the elevator fell, loudly back down the shaft. There was an explosion this time, closely followed by the whoosh of wind rushing up, the hot air blowing paper everywhere. “…the elevator needs repairing,” I finished. Then I turned and practically crawled back onto /co/mpound’s streets. I hate elevators. One perk about living in a world based on a cartoon is that injuries, at least the ones that don’t kill you or have plot significance, heal pretty quickly if you can get out of the ‘scene’ you got them in. A few short minutes after I walked out of the Equestria Daily building I was back to normal. Even the rips on Maxie’s saddlebag were gone. It was midday now; apparently I’d been down there for longer than I thought. I yearned for a bed and, at that moment, all I wanted to do was go home, curl up and sleep for a week. My body complained at me for being awake so long but I didn't’ have time to rest. Someone had tried to kill me, and I wanted to be on their tail before they tried to do it again. I didn’t have time for sleep. So I needed coffee. I stepped through the doors of Brewers, the local coffee shop, although it also doubled as a restaurant and general junk food store. The bell above the entrance rang cheerfully as I entered. It was your average place, complete with wood floors and dark, earthy colors. The interior smelled of coffee and fresh vegetables, making for a pleasant contrast of sweet produce and bitter brew. Brewer sat behind the counter, a brown earth pony with a thick black mustache. He didn’t talk much, but he was a good guy. Behind him Heatwave warmed the coffee. He was an odd addition to the /co/pound; he didn’t exactly mesh with the straightforward ‘no frills’ attitude of the town, mostly due to his mane being made of fire. Still, no one brought it up because he made a damn good cup of coffee using it. I nodded to Brewer, who grunted in return as I walked to a seat. I could see several ponies I knew around the place. Dapples, a dark grey unicorn who was the newest addition to the staff, stumbled across the dining room as he took orders and tried hard to not drop anything. He was a bit clum- CRASH. The previously grey unicorn was now a warm red thanks to the addition of tomato soup to his coat. Okay, very clumsy, but he was one of the few unicorns willing to take the job. Earth ponies generally didn’t make for very good waiters; no one wanted to eat a salad after it’d been carried in somepony’s mouth. There were inventions to get around this but Brewer, being Brewer, was too cheap to buy any. Dapples walked shakily to my table. “I’ll take a cup of coffee, strong as you can make it,” I said. “Okay, one cup, gotcha,” he replied, his horn glowing as he magically wrote down my order. He walked off to fill it, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I needed someone who knew the ins and outs of The OC, someone who knew the seedy dark secrets of ship writers, someone with a magical mustache. I needed Pacce. Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-01T10:46:55+00:00

2011-10-01T10:46:55+00:00

Gun With Occasional Pony Chapter 6 In Which a Conman is Consulted, a Watson is Wanted, and a Trip is Taken. The FiM District was certainly... something. It was much like the /co/mpound, only less crowded. It had originally taken shape as a refuge during the ban wars, except back then it had been a massive, opulent city, built from rebellion and inhabited by the lost. However, since the end of the wars the population had slowly diminished, leaving many buildings empty and boarded up. Most large contributors had secondary offices in the better districts. The only others who cared to stay were the stubborn kind. The kind that said, if the mods didn’t want them, screw that; they could make their own way. It was slow but, to a hoofull of ponies, it was home. Unlike the /co/mpound there were few Anons running around, most every pony had a name and a story, but I only wanted to hear one of them. The district bordered the /co/ast before pouring into the /b/ay and, eventually, the outer OC. It was a mostly respectable, if empty, area in all places but one; Fic Lane, which was itself located on a small street near Arttown. Through here nearly every fapfic, crack slash and lesbian-soaked piece of literature to ever be put to paper passed at one point or another. I tried to avoid it when I could these days. I’d had an office down here a long time ago, back when I was in the business and the business was good. Then again, I’d had offices in lots of places back then. In this place, the secrete whispers that were once held in the shadows had turned into big business. It thrived and lit up the skyline. Even after the author's death I could still see Raging semi’s house of fapfics in the distance. The tacky-green neon glowed like the lights in a terminal ward, as if to say ‘Don’t go here for, once you do, there’s no going back.’ But let’s hold up on that thought; if I keep this up, I might go and say something profound. My hooves made an odd clicking noise as I walked down the street. A few ponies milling about turned their heads in my direction, but no one said hello. I could sense that something had changed here. They knew the old man wasn’t coming back home and they knew something bad was going down. Hell, they probably knew more than I did. I looked around trying to get my bearings. He had to be here somewhere, I just knew it, he hardly strayed far from this part of town. I walked through the streets, turning down various offers from unsavory-looking pegasi. I could see a couple respectable businesses had lasted since things turned. Their owners looked out at me hopefully and I would have loved nothing more than to stop and look around, but I couldn’t for two reasons: One, I was on a mission and, Two, I didn’t have any money. I finally came across the blue earth pony standing in an alley. He was talking to green unicorn with a pink mane about something or other. Making a deal, I’m sure. I walked over. “Hello, Pacce.” The unicorn took one look at me, and ran. I like to think it was because I looked threatening, but from the looks of him he would’ve run from damn near anything that wasn’t his drug of choice. Pacce quickly hid whatever he was doing and turned to me with a salespony-kind of smile. ‘Squeakers!” he said plasticly. “Haven’t seen you around these parts in a while. How’s life treating you?” Pacce was a strange one. He was perfectly normal by most standards, except he had a magical mustache taped to the end of his snout. If you looked away and looked back it would always be something different. At the moment he was sporting a handlebar. Pacce had carved out a niche in the Fim District as the guy who could get things. If you wanted it, he had it. Magical items? Easy. Black market episodes? Child’s play. Naughty fics? Hell, he got 10% off everything coming and going through this sector of town. He’d somehow managed to attain mod status in this part of the OC, which was no small feat.There were various rumors surrounding how he’d gained the position. Knowing him, there was no telling if they were true or not. Having such power made him even better at getting things. It was rumored he’d had an editor’s eyes on sale once. Some said that, with those, you could see the world in a whole new way. But right now I liked my view fine. The thing I needed was information. “I’m well, Pacce.” I said. “But I must say I’m not here on vacation.” “Are you sure?” he asked raising an eyebrow. “The weather is lovely this time of year.” “No Pacce, I’m here on business.” That got his attention. “Oh, so you need something.” His salespony’s smile grew wider. “Well I thought I’d never see the day. What is it you want? I’ve got a sweet deal on socks. They’re the hot thing right now, very hard to find in stoc-” “I need information, Pacce.” I cut him off. “Oh, well that changes things,” he said with mock graveness. “With information, it depends.” “Depends on what?” I asked, though I knew full well what the answer was. His smile returned in full force “What’s in it for me?” I clicked my tongue. “You see, that’s the interesting part...” I said, taking a few strides past him into the alley. “...because I have it on good authority that telling me what I want to know could help you out.” “And how’s that, Squeaks?” “Well...” I said, looking back. His mustache was now a pair of mutton chops, hold the gravy. “...the evidence so far suggests that somepony in the OC is taking out fapfic authors and ship writers. I believe that puts you in danger, doesn’t it?” “What are you talking about?” he asked, affronted. “I’ve never touched the stuff in my life!” A filly could have told me he was lying through his teeth. “Oh, is that right?” I pressed, adjusting my hat a little. “Well, if I know my history –and I think I do– you were pretty active in the ship writer’s community a while back.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only fic I ever wrote was ‘Junior Speedsters Forever’. To critical acclaim, I might add,” he bragged while puffing out his chest. “Oh, you think so, do you?” I asked, looking him dead in the eyes. “I do.” “Well, what about those Lyra and Bon-Bon fics?” I asked, pressing forwards. “Oh, those weren’t all that bad.” “Even the part with th-” “A moment’s relapse!” He interrupted. “A one time thing.” I raised an eyebrow and drew closer. “What about that one with Gilda and Dash?” “A drunk pony’s musing, that’s all it is!” I pressed my nose against his. “The ‘Equestrians in Undergarments’ scandal!?” “T-that was hardly a ship fic.” “You had Rainbow Dash stealing panties!” I yelled. “Well...” His eyes darted around wildly. “It’s not like anyone read it!” I pushed forwards a bit more, knocking him off his hooves. “It was during the friend-off,” I growled through clenched teeth .”It took them days to put out the fires from the riot.” He started sweating at the memory. “Well...I can hardly be blamed for the actions of others!” “You were selling torches in the street!!” “Fine...” He sighed. “I admit it, some might consider me a writer of...less than appropriate literature if you look at it that way... But I’m a businesspony, Squeaks! I simply go where the money is!” “Yeah,” I scoffed, “I suppose you do, don’t you?” I backed off. “But since you admit it, that puts you in the line of fire. Will you help me?” “Squeaks, you’re twisting my arm here!” he whined. “I can’t part with this kind of valuable information for nothing!” “I haven’t even told you what it is I wanted to ask about!” “Well, yeah...” That smile snaked its way back onto his face. “...but apparently, you want the answer really badly. That, my friend, makes it valuable.” I scowled at him. I’d thought as much. Ever the ‘Businesspony’, he couldn’t part with anything without compensation, even if his own neck was on the line. I didn’t want to do it, but I reached into Maxie’s Saddlebag, and pulled out a request tab. I’d hoped to save them for when I was in a pinch, but it looked like I didn’t have any other choice. I set it on the ground, holding it down with a hoof. I wanted to make sure it stayed there ‘till I got the information I wanted. Pacce’s eyes glittered in the darkness when he saw it. I could hear him drooling as he whispered, “Is that...” “It is.” I finished. “Good for one drawing from Maxie. Imagine it Pacce; you could get anything you want... within limits of course. Perhaps a picture of Gilda? I know how much you like her...” The blue pony licked his lips. He stared down at the tab under my hoof hungrily, I could see his brain already working on what he could get with it. “Well, Squeak, you drive a hard bargain,” he lied, “but I believe I can help you. What’dya need?” Now I was on the right track. “I need you to look at this.” I took the letter out from the Saddlebag’s side pocket and held it up. “There’s a symbol at the bottom. I need to know where it’s from.” I said quietly. He leaned in close, his mustache now a curlly-cue, and squinted at the paper. “Hmmm, I haven’t seen this around these parts since the last ban war,” “So you recognize it?” I asked. He nodded. “Oh definitely, most definitely... What you have there is a piece of paper from across the water.” I considered this for a moment. “You mean towards the Outer OC?” Pacce nodded again, stealing a glance at the request tab as he spoke. “Ponychan Plains, to be precises. Not just anywhere either. This paper’s from one place in particular.” This was looking promising. “And where’s that?” Pacce was practically trying to will the tab out from under my hoof with his mind at this point. He stared, fixated on it. “Pacce!” I yelled. “Concentrate! You’ll get this, as soon as you tell me where the paper is from.” I tapped my hoof for emphasis. He snapped out of it at that. “Okay, I’ll tell you this, but you’re lucky I don’t charge you extra.” That smile of his split his face, almost reaching his ears. The kind of smile that tells you the person behind it sees you as a very large wallet that needs emptying. “It’s from the S.F building.” The name rung a bell. “The S.F Building?” “If you don’t know, then that information will cost you more. Now, I believe it’s time you pay the piper, Squeaks.” I grunted. “Fine.” I took my hoof of the tab. It was gone faster than my eyes could track. Pacce smiled wider than ever. “Thank you. Happy to do business as always.” I turned to leave. “I bet you are,” I called over my shoulder. “Don’t spend it all in one place.” At that, I walked out of the alley. I could hear Pacce’s maniacal laughter fading away. There was no doubt in my mind that he was off to Maxie’s office to cash in that tab. I smiled; despite his smarmy nature, the two were actually good friends. It’d probably never crossed his mind that he probably didn’t even need the tab. He could have just asked. But then, that’s not how a salespony thinks. ------------------- I walked until, trying to find a cab to hail. They were a rarity on this side of the OC, but eventually I found one, a blue and rainbow-colored number. I handed the cabbie exact change, as always, and made my way back home. So, Ponychan Plains. That’s what Pacce had told me. That meant that this case was bigger than I’d realized. The Plains were a settlement near the Outer OC that had formed across from the /B/ay as a result of the ban wars being particularly heavy on that side. It was the opposite of the Fim District in that, after the wars had ended, the ponies stayed. It was one of the more populated areas of the OC, as well as one of the strangest. The /Co/mpound had formed from the ideas of the anonymous, who eventually came up with names or identities depending on what they did. Ponychan Plains had formed from those who’d been born with names, the kind of ponies who didn’t often have trades or jobs and were instead there for the sake of being there. Depending on who you asked, it was either the most loving place in The OC, or a madhouse of insanity and hugging. As for me? The jury was still out on that one. The cab came to a stop at the front of my building. I hadn’t been back in so long it looked like a five star hotel to my tired eyes. I climbed wearily up the steps and trudged my way to my office. I needed to collect my thoughts. I was surprised to find a pony with a beard and a brown robe waiting on the steps. “Squek!” he yelled, rushing over. “I’ve been waiting on you for hours. Where have you been. What’s the point in being a detective if you’re not even going to keep to your own hours, huh!?” I sighed; I didn’t have time for this. It was C.J., short for Commander Jesus. He was the local crazy pony. Every town has one I’m sure, that guy who gets drunk a lot and starts shouting about how Gummy is a secret agent for Beelzebub. In anycase, this wasn’t the first time this had happened and I’m sorry to say he was one of my best customers. Just last week he had hired me to find out who was plotting to steal his teeth. I’d told him it was one of the pigeons who hung out near the park. He’d stopped sleeping there, payed me, and moved on. Don’t ask me where he got the money, but a pony’s gotta eat. “What is it C.J.?” I asked. All I really wanted to do was sleep at this point, but I decided to humor him, if only for a few minutes. I figured I might even get some money for my trouble. “Squek!” he yelled again. C.J never got my name right. “There’s something goin’ down man. Some real bad shit. You feel me?” “Yes, I feel you,” I replied flatly. “What’s going ‘down’?” “Somethin’ big man, somethin’ real big. I can feel it in my whiskers.” He pointed to his matted beard, his eyes shifting wildly. “They’re in on it, they’re all in on it. They ain’t got no choice, you see?!” I rubbed a hoof against my face, trying to stifle a yawn. “Who, C.J., who’s in on it?” “They are!” he screamed. “They all are, every stinking one of them! I knew it! I just knew it! I knew they would betray us! I’ve heard the whispers... So many whispers!!!” I needed him to get to the point. “What have the whispers been saying?” “They hide in plain sight, Squek, they hide in plain sight! They take them, and they fall! We’ll fall! We’ll all fall!!” I took a step back, wary of his crazier-than-normal ravings. For him to seem crazy in relation to his regular crackpot-routine was no small feat. “Who are ‘they’!?” I asked in growing exasperation and anxiety. “The ones you never notice, the ones outside the spotlight. Notice, Squek! Notice!” He flailed around for a moment before rushing off down the stairs screaming about the ‘The one who eats cake.’ I stared after him for a while, trying to work out what he’d meant. I’d heard his inane ramblings more times than I cared to admit, but this time seemed different. He seemed more irate, more afraid. I had a strange feeling it was related to the case. Things seemed to be getting worse, and now the Plains were involved. I needed to get to the bottom of this. I looked forlornly at my office door. There was a bed in there, and it was beckoning to me like a misspelled word to an editor. Hell, at the moment I’d have taken a couch, but I had a feeling in my gut, a feeling that I needed to get this case solved fast. There was no time to be sleeping on the job now. It broke my heart to turn away from my office, head back down the stairs and call a cab. I knew where I needed to go, and I knew that if whatever was causing all this was to be found there, it would be dangerous. I needed to take a trip to the Plains, and for that I’d need a ticket. But first, I needed someone to watch my back. I headed back out on to the streets, and caught a cab to Sly’s place. Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2011-10-12T22:40:20+00:00

2011-10-12T22:40:20+00:00

Gun, With Occasional Pony Ch7 In Which Tea is Taken and a Train Makes an Early Stop We stood in line waiting for tickets to the Plains. There was only one way to get there and that was the Pony Express, which was both a very lame pun and the only train across the water to the edge of the known OC. The tracks went for several miles from the /b/ay to the gates of Ponychan before making a return trip. There was no other way to get from one end of the OC to the other; going across the /b/ay by boat was never an option. Trolls flourished in the murky waters that lapped at the edges of the small coastal town, making it one of the more turbulent areas in the OC. Going fishing there was a death sentence, let alone trying to get across in any kind of craft. Who knew what monsters grew in the deepest waters miles from shore? I couldn’t begin to imagine, and can imagine a lot. Slywit stood next to me in line. He was currently a Pegasus, his wings fidgeting impatiently on his back. For some reason he’d donned a cowboy hat. “Are you sure about this Squeak?” he asked. “Pacce isn’t the most trustworthy source in The OC. This could be a wild goose chase.” I’d asked him to accompany on the investigation to the Plains since there was no way I was heading in there alone. The culture shock on its own would be enough to worry about, never mind the murder investigation that rested on my shoulders. Somepony had already tried to kill me once in the past few hours and I didn’t fancy the idea of going in without someone I could trust to watch my tail. “Well, I haven’t got any better leads,” I said, moving forwards. “the way I see it, it’s this or bust. Besides, there’s lots of ship writers on the other side of the pond so It’ll be a prime target for whoever’s doing this.” “Fair enough,” he conceded. “but I still don’t like it, we don’t have the home field advantage anymore.” He was right; the Plains were a strange place, alien, while the /co/mpound was home, familiar. Here I knew who to trust, what to expect. I’d visited the Plains a few times back when it was just getting its legs, near the end of the ban wars. Since then it had gotten a lot bigger, steadily encompassing more and more of the outer OC. Who knew who --or what-- we’d find there. “All the more reason I need you.” We came to the front of the line, I noticed the pony in the booth looked familiar. “Rubber Duck!” Sly and I both sighed. “Hello, Sprinkles.” He smiled. “And look, it’s Sly! What’s up stallion?” “You know, the usual,” Slywit said flatly. We didn’t have time for this. “We’d like two tickets to the Plains, Sprinkles. Coach, nothing fancy.” He raised an eyebrow. “And why would you two be going to the plains? It doesn’t have anything to do with that murder you was talking about earlier does it?” “Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t,” I said impatiently. “Either way, we need our tickets.” “Still in a hurry, as always. Geeze, you’re gonna put yourself in an early grave working like that.” If I lived long enough for that to happen, I’d be more than happy. Sly stepped in front of me, tipping his cowboy hat. “No rest for the wicked, Sprinkles. Now, get our tickets please.” “Fine, fine, fine,” he said grumpily. “I tell you, this used to be a people business. Back in my day, ponies were friendly to their ticket...giver...guy...” “Sprinkles, you only started this job a few hours ago.” The clown-themed pony pulled back in shock. “How do you know that!?” “Your application is on your desk.” Sly eyed him questioningly. “It hasn’t even been signed yet... wait, are you even supposed to be worki-” “Two tickets to the Plains! Coach! Here you go!” Sprinkles shoved the tickets through the window. “Now, off with you! Don’t you see I have more customers? Geeze, a pony tries to make a living in this town....” I couldn’t help but chuckle as we made our way to the train. “Nice eye, Sly.” “Why, thank you. They don’t call me ‘Slywit’ for nothing, you know.” He adjusted his hat. “Besides, if I’m going to play detective with you, I have to act the part.” I nodded. “True, but remember; the murderer isn’t ‘Playing’.” I paused. “Can I ask you something?” “What?” I looked him up and down. “What’s with the Cowboy hat? Are you trying to look like Calamity or something?” “Shhh!” His eyes shifted back and forth. “Don’t call attention to it.” “I think it does a fine job of that all on it’s own,Sly.” I raised an eyebrow. “...What’s up with you?” “Well it’s just...” He looked around, making sure no one was listening. “...Not everyone takes kindly to a guy who’s and earth pony one minute, and a unicorn the next. It freaks some ponies out. Heck, it boarders on summerpony territory and I get enough crap about it in the /co/mpound. I don’t know how things work over in the Plains, so who knows what’ll happen.” I sighed. “There’s three things wrong with that theory, Sly. One…” I pointed to his back. “…that thing does nothing to hide your wings. Two…“ I gestured to an alicorn boarding ahead of us. Her mane was glowing like a neon sign, changing colors every few seconds. She turned and winked at me. “…you’re hardly the strangest pony on this train, and three, you look like a Appleoosa reject. You’re drawing more attention than you’re turning away.” “Nice Calamity outfit!” yelled somepony in the crowd. Sly slapped his face with a hoof. “I haven’t even read that fic!” He sighed. “Fine, maybe I’ll stay a pegasus for a while anyway.” He removed the hat and put it into his saddlebag. “Good, now let’s get this show on the road; the quicker we’re back in the /co/mpound, the better.” We walked towards the large locomotive. It was bright blue, with every nail and railing painted in bright rainbow while thick, multicolored smoke poured out of the many stacks at the top. The engines begin to hiss and spit as ponies rushed to ready it for departure. The conductor, a pony named Promotory, took our tickets and ushered us inside. The train was crowded as ponies of all kinds milled about, packing luggage into their cabins and chatting animatedly. I spotted quite a few summerponies and alicorns on this trip, obviously part of The Plains crowd returning home. As the lands expanded outwards, The Plains filled with all kinds of ponies in colors and shapes of every possible imagining. Occasionally they got bold and came to the /co/mpound in an effort to be more worldly. While there were those who seemed happy, I saw many more sitting dejectedly, crying to themselves. The /co/mpound was not a kind place for such ponies. They found it was hard and cold, not at all like they’d pictured. It was a harsh realization, but they were the lucky ones. At least they’d made it back to the train. Sly and I found our seats; much to our surprise, Sprinkles had somehow given us a cabin. Whether or not it was on purposeI didn’t know but, if you’ll excuse the pun, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. We hadn’t brought much with us. Sly had a few supplies in his saddlebag, while I still carried Maxie’s. It may not have been the most fitting, but hell if it wasn’t useful. The speakers that lined the cars played old music from back when the OC had started, the classic tunes. It made me nostalgic listening to Eurobeat Brony’s signature beats as they echoed throughout the train. It reminded me of my short stint as a music pony, back when times had been good oh so long ago. I wondered if they played my stuff annd, if they did, if anypony listened. As I settled into my bed I heard the engines start up, and a quick look out of the window confirmed we were under way. As we pulled forwards I could see the /co/mpound slowly shrinking behind us. The EqD Building, with its ever changing rooms, and the various apartment buildings, filled with eccentric individuals, faded into the horizon. I thought of my office, the unknown Anons that ruled the city, Maxie, Seth, Derpy… Hell, I thought about CJ and Pacce. This case was taking me a lot farther away from home than I’d thought and things were only getting more mysterious as I got deeper. I’d come in with one question and come out with a basketful. This was the only lead I had, given to me by a conpony in back alley, but it was better than nothing. I looked at the disappearing city, the city I hoped to Celestia I’d see it again. I was in deep waters and I’d better start swimming pretty damn fast. There isn’t much to view between the /co/mpound and the Plains. I’d looked down at the water below, but had to stop when I felt pretty sure something was looking back. There was nothing on either side of us but the /b/ay, its watery expanse stretching out as far as the eye could see. The rickety tracks were the only thing keeping us from tumbling into the troll-infested waters far below. I’d heard stories about the ponies that built this bridge after they’d been banned from their homes, that the trolls had driven them mad… Or turned them. I wasn’t sure which was worse. It was pretty boring in the cabin. Sly had brought his work with him and was scribbling away on the next chapter of Paradise while I opted to get out and stretch my legs; sitting in a cabin doing nothing made for pretty boring prose, after all. I left Sly to his writing, opened the cabin door and walked out into the hallway. A few ponies had the same idea and were admiring the train. Unfortunately, I’m not a train enthusiast. Instead, my stomach suggested we go in search of the dinning car. From what I was seeing of the other passengers we were the only /co/mpoud residents on board. It was purely the vacation crowd, and from one end of the train car to the other I saw nopony I even remotely recognized and quite a few more I was pretty sure I didn’t want to. I avoided looking at anypony too closely; though the Plains were a bit more ‘Love and Tolerance’ than the /co/mpound, it wasn’t unusual for a pony to board the train on one end and never get off on the other. I didn’t want to make any more enemies, All I wanted was to get this case over with as fast as possible. The train was larger than it looked. I knew the Dining car would either be in the front or the back of the locomotive, but I didn’t know which. I decided to ask. “Excuse me.” I tapped a black unicorn with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. “Would you happen to know the way to the dining car?” The unicorn, who was revealed to be a stallion, turned. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place his face. “It’s that way.” He pointed to the front of the train. “Just keep walking, you can’t miss it.” The unicorn paused for a heartbeat. “Do I know you?” Damn, I knew why he looked familiar; he was Roy BG, a newspony who’d done a stint on the Bronyshow, a local radio broadcast. They went around the OC highlighting ponies of particular interest and had done a feature on one of my stories back when their office was in the EqD basement. They’d moved up in the world since then, but it seemed like I hadn’t been forgotten. I didn’t want to talk about those days. “No, I’m sorry, I must just have one of those familiar faces.” I smiled awkwardly. “I’d best be going to the dining car now. I have friends waiting,” I lied, skirting past him towards the front of the car. If he said anything after that, I didn’t hear it. Breaking into a trot, I made it the rest of the way without incident, other than dodging past the occasional slower pony or small filly who’d decided the floor was their play area. Finally, I reached my destination. I grabbed the door handle in my mouth and swung it open. I probably didn’t have to, but I held my hat out of habit. The wind rushed by as I quickly hurried through the space between cars, the cold biting into my coat, it was vicious, but it had nothing on the smell. I shall spare you the details of what the /b/ay smells like. If you do care to imagine it, remember the worst thing you’ve ever smelled, then forget it. There’s no comparison. I managed not to gag as I stumbled into the dining car. There’d once been a pathway separating the cars from the open air, a kind of magic glass that kept the air out. A few stops at the /co/mpound station had taken care of them. Due to the nature of its clientele the train was often vandalized, to the point where there was a whole crew of ponies tasked with restoring it. Eventually they’d given up and decided the spells that kept the glass working just weren’t worth the effort. Despite the smell I saw a few ponies eating at the colorful tables in the car. I decided to sit at a booth towards the back and wait for my appetite to return. I hadn’t put anything in my stomach that wasn’t coffee for a day and a half, so I was sure it wouldn’t be far behind. I surveyed my surroundings in the meantime. The dining car was themed after Pinkie Pie: There were balloons everywhere, tied to chairs, along the wall, on the plates and table cloths, even on the ceiling. It gave of the impression that a filly’s birthday party had exploded. A fancy waiter in a pair of Groucho glasses came up and offered me a menu. “Would you like anything to drink?” I didn’t trust myself to open my mouth without spewing my guts, although it might have made the carpet look better. I just shook my head instead. “Very well, let me know when you’re ready to order, sir.” He walked off, his large clown shoes squeaking as he went. I sat back in my chair, listening to the clicking of the rails as the trains sped towards our destination. I concentrated on the case in an effort to forget the smell which still permeated my nose. I thought back to the EqD basement: Somepony had given me that piece of paper that had led us to this train. It was my biggest lead, and I had no idea who had given it to me, or even whether they were on my side. The only thing I did know was that they knew more about what was going on than I did. If Maxie was right and more writers were disappearing, I had to get this thing solved fast, no matter where it took me. My thoughts were interrupted as the car door swung open again. A mare stumbled in, wearing a checkered bandanna around her mouth. She was a unicorn with a green coat and a lighter green mane. I couldn’t see her cutiemark. She also looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my hoof on as to why once again. She shook herself off then sat in the booth across from mine. The waiter came up and asked for her order. She mumbled something to him, he jotted it down, nodded and left. The mare laid back in her chair, looking positively worn out. What little I could see of her eyes over the cloth were ringed by dark circles. Her horn glowed, and she removed the bandanna. I couldn’t help but pull back in surprise. It was Lyra. She looked like she’d met the bad end of one of those brushie-brushie memes, but it was definitely her. She was one of the BG’s who had made it into the OC, like Derpy. It was a shock to see any of them so far away from the EqD Building, let alone on a train to the Plains. I was surprised she’d made it to the platform. Somepony of her status should have been mobbed the second they set hoof on the street. She noticed my staring and, with a gasp, quickly put the bandanna back on. I had a feeling she wasn’t just wearing it to block out the smell of the /b/ay. She’d already noticed that I’d recognized her. In for a pinch of oats, in for a pound. “I know it’s you, so you might as well take that thing off.” She sighed as she untied the knot holding it on. “Please don’t tell anyone.” Her voice had a thick Irish accent. I got up and walked over to her table. “I won’t,” I promised, dropping myself in the seat across from hers, “if you tell me what it is you’re doing on this train.” She cast a hard glare in my direction. “What’s it to you?” “Call it a fan’s curiosity. It’s not often I meet celebrities.” She scoffed. “I’m no celebrity.” “I know a lot of ponies who’d beg to differ.” I inspected her; she really didn’t look good. “Is something wrong?” “Nothing you can help me with.” she turned to look out the window. I leaned in closer. “Try me.” “Why should I tell you what’s going on in my life? It’s none of your goddamn business.” Looks like I was going to have to play hardball. “Well, I’d hate for it to get out that you’re heading to the Plains. I used to work for the EqD you know. What if I let it slip that one of their most beloved background ponies was leaving the /co/mpound? It’s unheard of you know. Very big story.” I could tell by the look on her face I had her. She sighed. “Fine,” she conceded while looking around the car warily, “but not here. We can talk in my cabin. I’ll have them bring some tea.” “Excellent.” I got to my hooves. “I’ll just grab my companion and we’ll head off.” “Companion?” she asked. “Look, you know too much already, I don’t want to tell more ponies.” “Don’t worry, he’s really good at keeping secrets.” I headed towards the door. “Besides, meeting a strange BP on a train to the Plains in the middle of the night? I’ve seen the movies Lyra, so you’ll have to excuse me if I bring some backup.” I pulled the door open and let the rushing wind whip my mane again. I tried to make a cool exit, but I think the gagging sounds ruined the effect. I went back to our cabin and found Sly. By the time we got to Lyra’s room she was already sitting down, levitating a cup of tea in front of her nose. Sly’s cowboy hat was back on, he said it was for ascetics this time. He thought it made him look a bit more intimidating. I didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. She leered at us as we sat down. “Ask your questions so I can get this over with, Presscap.” “My thoughts exactly.” I looked at the tea cups in front of us. They weren’t made for earth ponies. I wondered if she had done that on purpose. Still, I needed the caffeine, so I bent over the table to take a sip. Sly did the same. “So, let’s cut to the chase. Why are you here?” Her tired eyes looked at me for a moment. “I need to get away.” “Get away from what?” “From everything!” she gestured around the cabin with her hooves. “You have no idea what it’s like...” “Being adored?” I mused. “You’re right, I have no idea what that’s like.” She scoffed. “Adored? Try stalked. I can’t walk down the /co/mpound’s streets without being mobbed, I can’t get a soda and pay for it myself, I can’t go home without getting through the crowd of ponies who want autographs it’s too much!.” Her voice grew quieter. “It wears a pony down...” “So, a simple celebrity vacation?” I had thought this might’ve been related to the case, but that was looking unlikely now. I’d always wondered what it was like for the BPs in the OC. Being Canon immigrants, some of them had massive followings, but I could also see where the novelty would wear thin. “So, you think things’ll be better in the Plains?” I asked. “Sorry to tell you, it’ll probably be worse for you there. If the stories are correct, /co/mpound fans have nothing on Ponychan Plains fans. You ever heard of Nyx?” She shuddered at the mention of that name. “Yes, I’m well aware of the nature of the Plains. But I’ve been told there’s a pony there who can help me in the /merch/ant square. I plan to change my coat, my mane, my tail, the whole thing. Then maybe I can finally get some peace.” The room was silent for a few minutes. The sound of the rails echoing through the cabin. Sly was the first to break it. “But if you’re not seen around the OC, then you could be....you know...” “Forgotten?” Lyra turned to him. “I know the risks. I don’t need you to warn be about them.” She got up and walked towards the window. “Does that answer all your questions?” I nodded. While I’d hoped she might have something to do with the case, I’d gotten the answers I’d wanted. I couldn’t ask for much more. She turned and glared at us. “And you won’t tell anypony?” I stared back at her. I’d always liked Lyra. She was one of the most popular BP’s in the whole OC, but it looked the popularity had taken its toll --with a hell of a lot of intrest. “We won’t tell anypony,” I agreed. “Right, Sly?” Sly nodded. “Right.” At that she turned and walked towards the cabin door. “Good.” As we got up to follow her out, I suddenly sensed a shift in her demeanor. “Did you enjoy the tea?” she asked. Her voice sounded far away. Suddenly I felt tired, well, I always feel tired, but I mean really tired. My eyes were heavy. I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn’t get the words out. My vision swam as I shifted from hoof to hoof. Damn. “I’m sorry, I really am.” She walked out the door. I heard the lock click behind her. I looked back at Sly, he was already on floor, weakly struggling to get up. We’d been set up. I thought back to the dining car. How could I have been so stupid? She hadn’t exactly done a great job of hiding who she was. She sat down right across from me and removed her only means of disguising herself. She’d wanted me to know who she was. She’d wanted me to ask questions. She wanted me here. My hooves gave out on me and I went sprawling to the floor. I tried to fight it, but the darkness was already creeping around the edge of my vision. How long had it been since I’d last slept? A day? Two? I was tired, so unbelievably tired. I couldn’t fight it anymore, I laid my head down, and let the darkness take me. Damn. Welcome to Ponychan Plains. Please be on your best behaviour. We will not tolerate belligerence or smut of any kind. Bans will be levied to those who break the rules. Be polite, enjoy your stay and remember: Love and Tolerance is the answer..... I could hear a robotic voice echoing at the back of my head. It sounded far away, like it was coming from the inside of a long tunnel. /Co/mpound translation: Don’t be an asshole.... My head hurt. Really hurt. I had the feeling that something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite remember what it was. I opened my eyes, then immediately shut them. It was far too bright, I’d been out cold all night, it appeared to be early morning. I squinted, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Notice from Conductor Promotory: Oh Celestia help us, the tracks are blown! The train is going to crash! Wait... what? Welcome to Ponychan Plains, please be on your best behaviour. We will not tolerate belligerence or smut of any kind. Bans will be levied to those who break the rules. Be polite, enjoy your stay and remember: Love and Tolerance is the answer. I waited for my brain to catch up to the rest of me. Slowly I remembered what had happened last night. Lyra had drugged me... I opened my eyes fully and saw Sly lying on his side next to me, snoring loudly. I still felt like I was missing something. Warning: The train or the tracks has suffered a major malfunction. Please evacuate the train immediately. If you are not a pegasus, please find one to assist you. If you cannot, then enjoy your stay in the /b/ay, and remember to recommend the Pony Express to your friends and family! Have a pleasant day. I was on my hooves in seconds. The speakers along the train were broadcasting a warning. The monotone voice of the welcoming service echoed through the mostly empty cabin. I raced over to the window and flung it open. The wind whipped passed my head, threatening to pull me out of the train. What I saw shocked me so much I didn’t even notice the smell. Ahead of us the tacks were mangled and broken. I could see the Plains just beyond the break. There were several pegusi and alicorns helping earth ponies across the gap to the platform on the other side, jutting out of the cliff face. I called out in hopes of getting their attention, but they were already too far away. It didn’t look like they were going to make a return trip either. I quickly dashed back in and closed the window. Sly was still out cold on the floor, his cowboy hat lying nearby. “Sly! Sly wake up!” I shook him with a hoof. “Mhmm...He’s a keyboard wizard....but there’s a twist...” he mumbled. “Sly! Get up now. We’re in real deep shit at the moment!” He just mumbled some more and turned over in his sleep. I gave him a sharp kick to the ribs. “Sly!” He woke with a start. “Huh!? What?! What’s going on?” Warning: The train or the tracks has suffered a major malfunction. Please evacuate the train immediately. If you are not a pegasus, please find one to assist you. If you cannot, then enjoy your stay in the /b/ay, and remember to recommend the Pony Express to your friends and family! Have a pleasant day. “That!” I helped him to his hooves. “The tracks are blown up ahead, but we didn’t know until now because Lyra drugged us. I think she planned this.” Once I had him standing, I raced over to the door. I tried it a few times but it wouldn’t budge. “She’s locked us in!” I remembered. “B-but that’s insane!” Sly yelled, looking around the room in a panic. “Why would she want us dead!?” “We can figure that out when we’re on solid ground!” I looked Sly over. He lacked a horn, or even wings. His condition had really bad timing; this was one of the few times he was an earth pony. There’d be no help from him this time. “Is there anypony else onboard who can help us!?” he asked. I searched through Lyra’s drawers at random, looking for something, anything that could get save us. “No! They’re all on the other side. They probably didn’t even know we were in here.” Finding nothing, I gazed out the window again. The break in the tracks was coming up fast. If we didn’t find a way out of this soon, the only help we’d need is somepony to fish our bodies out of the /b/ay, assuming we didn’t turn into trolls first. I heard a loud thud behind me, shortly followed by another. I turned around to see Sly bucking at the door in an effort to break out of the cabin. “Help me!” he yelled. I didn’t need to be told twice. I got next to him, and we both hammered at the door with our hooves. The wood began to crack and splinter as we worked. “Stand back!” Sly pushed me aside, and with one more sharp buck the door was torn from its hinges. “I hope we don’t get a bill for that,” I remarked as we ran out into the hallway. Sly was already heading towards the lead car. “If we get off this train,” Sly panted as we ran, “they can charge me anything they want.” The tracks began to get distorted and bumpy as the train progressed and I strained to keep my balance as we were almost thrown to the floor. Things bounced and flew through the air as the train got close to the edge. “Have you got a plan!?” I asked Sly. “Not even a little one,” he replied before dodging a mane brush as it whizzed past his head, “but damn it all if I’m going to sit around and die!” We reached the break between the cabins and the conductors booth. Sly threw the door open, and I leapt through. I caught another glimpse of the tracks. The damaged section was far too close for comfort. I landed in the booth with a thud, struggling to keep my balance as the shaking of the train got worse. Sly wasn’t far behind. I looked at the controls in utter confusion. Warning: The train or the tracks has suffered a major malfunction. Please evacuate the train immediately. If you are not a pegasus, please find one to assist you. If you cannot, then enjoy your stay in the /b/ay, and remember to recommend the Pony Express to your friends and family! Have a pleasant day. “I wish that thing would shut up!” Sly began pulling leavers and pushing buttons at random. “There’s gotta be a brake or something in here!” For lack of a better idea I did the same, but all the dials, buttons, pulleys and levers may as well have been the deck of Star Trot’s Enterprise for all I knew. The train began to rock and roll as we sped down the tracks. I started clutching the controls to stay upright more than anything. “I don’t think this is working!” I yelled. The train rolled and shook. “We’re gonna crash!” Sly looked around the booth, looking for something to tell us what to do. Finding nothing, he leveled his stare at me. “I don’t think there’s a way out of this, Squeaks...” he said slowly. I clung to the controls for dear life as the trains started to buck and jump. The break was less than hundred yards away and getting closer with sickening speed. “Looks that way, Sly.” I glanced at him. “So… this is it, huh?” He laughed bitterly. “Yep, I’d say so. Looks like I won’t be finishing Paradise. My readers are going to kill me.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Hell, if I was going to die, I might as well do it smiling. “Shame, I was looking forwards to the last chapter.” The train jerked again. We were almost to the edge now. “I don’t think Maxie’ll be getting her saddlebag back either.” I remarked. Sly smiled. “Oh well, it looks better on you anyway.” He paused. “Oh, and Squeaks?” “Yeah?” “Next time you ask me to go with you somewhere, remind me to say no.” I smiled back. “Sure thing, Sly.” He patted me on the back. “Guess I’ll see you when I see you.” The trains jerked a final time. We’d reach the break. The lead car caught on a bump in the tracks and Sly and I went sailing towards the windshield, the train breaking apart around us. They say that when the somepony is in danger, their brain slows the passage of time, in order to take stock of how truly screwed it is. I can attest to the fact that this is true, as at this point my brain decided it was in fact very screwed. The speaker system uttered its repetitive welcome one last time, although it sounded warped and distorted in my ears. Welcome to Ponychan Pains, please be on your best behaviour, we will not tolerate belligerence or smut of any kind. Bans will be levied to those who break the rules. Be polite, enjoy your stay and remember: Love and Tolerance is the answer. I hit the windshield first. My body went barreling through it like tissue paper. The shards of glass cut into my skin as I was tossed out into empty space. In my present frame of mind I could see the crystalline shards whirl through the air, glittering like so many diamonds in the sun, as I fell. If I’d had time to focus on anything other than the odd sound ringing in my ears (it sounded mysteriously like my own screaming), I would have thought about how pretty they looked. Sly wasn’t far behind. He fell end-over-end out of the train, going a fair bit faster than I was without the windshield to slow him down. He sped past me like a bullet out of a gun, flipping like a mad ballerina. I could see the ponies standing on the other side of the tracks on the Ponychan Platform. They looked up and pointed at us in horror. Their concern was a little late, but still appreciated. Below me I could see the murky waters of the /b/ay coming up to greet me. Things swam back and forth eagerly. Trolls, I was sure. I couldn’t make out what they looked like, only able to catch sight of the occasional tail here or tentacle there, but I was sure that if hitting the water didn’t finish me off, they certainly would. This was it. I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do. The case would remain unsolved, the writers would keep disappearing, and I’d just be another line in the EqD obituaries. I wondered, who would get to write it? I’d always figured that if I ever died on the job Sly would be the one to do it, but seeing as he was currently tumbling to a very similar fate that wouldn’t be happening. I wondered if Pacce would do it? But if he did...then they’d probably have to pay him. I was really close to the water now. I closed my eyes, and prepared to die. I waited. Then I waited some more. Shouldn’t this dying thing have happened a lot faster? I opened my eyes to find myself floating away from the water. “Oh.” I whispered. I must have already died, my soul was on the way to pony-heaven. Rising up past the clouds. The whole affair was a lot less dramatic than I’d thought. The fact I was heading to pony heaven raised a host of other questions. “The look on your face right now is priceless,” said a familiar voice. I looked up to see an alicorn flying above me. I noticed a faint blue glow surrounding my body. He lifted me to eye level. “…Sly?” I asked dumbly. “Yep.” He grinned. “Am I dead?” I asked while checking to see if all my limbs were still present. “I don’t think so.” I felt very confused. “...Why am I not dead?” “I’m a bit confused about that myself. I was falling through the air, pretty sure I was about to kick the bucket, then I got that familiar feeling I get when I’m about to change, and bam! Alicorn.” I paused for a moment. “So this has never happened to you before?” “Nope.” “So… your condition that switches your body between the three pony types, which I might mention has never helped you before this point, waits until we’re in imminent peril to mix the three and save our lives?” Sly nodded. “I knew it was a good idea to bring you. I’ve never been so happy to see a Deus Ex Machina in my life.” I nodded towards the platform on the other side of the tracks. “Can you put me down now?” “Sure.” He flew off towards the Plains, leaving the wreckage of the train behind us. “You think Lyra’s in the crowd?” he asked, gesturing towards the assemblage of ponies who’d escaped from the train. “I have more than a few questions for her.” “You and me both, but if she’s got any sense she’s well into the Plains by now. It’ll take a while to track her down.” “Yeah, you’re probably rig-” he paused. “Uh-oh.” I didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean, ‘Uh-oh?..” He started flapping his wings harder. “I’ve got that feeling again, like I’m about to change.” “What!? Now!?” We were still a little ways from the platform. “Yes...now...” Sly replied through clenched teeth. “I’m going to try to aim towards the tracks.” “Aim!?” I didn’t like where this was going. Sly’s wings began to beat erratically, he grunted and strained as he pushed me forwards. The magical glow around me flickered worryingly. “Sly?...” I could feel the magic fading, I was going to fall soon. I flapped my forehooves in an effort to some how clear the distance faster. I slowly began to sink. “Sly!” With a grunt, he tossed me the rest of the way. I landed with a thud on the iron tracks. It was painful, but at least it wasn’t moving. I was on my hooves in seconds. Sly was still struggling behind me, I could see on his face that he didn’t have much time left. “Fly!” I yelled. “Come on!” Sly gave a final push, flapping hard. He was less than a foot from the tracks, when, with a loud pop, he was an earth pony again. He hung in the air for a moment. Curse cartoon psychics. “Crap.” he said flatly. Sly tumbled out of the sky. I didn’t have to think about it, which is good, because if I did then I probably would have thought better. I hooked a hind leg around a break in the tracks and launched myself out into the air. Sly was falling fast but, lacking any other options, I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck with my teeth. I tasted blood. Gravity will forever be on my list of enemies. We stopped with a sickening lurch as my hoof clung tightly to the railing. It hurt like hell. There was a cracking sound I really didn’t want to think about, but what mattered was that I had Sly, his body hanging limply in my grasp. I really need to work out more, Sly was a lot heavier than he looked. Pretty sure that my leg was broken, I used the other one to lever us back to safety. I laid there panting for a while. I was bleeding a lot, and I was more black and blue than yellow at this point, although I was still alive. I looked at the wreckage on the tracks. The caboose had come off of the train and sat awkwardly on the tracks. From the looks of it there was a fire somewhere inside. What remained of the rest sat jutting out of the /b/ay, puffs of rainbow colored smoke still billowing from it’s smokestacks as the engine sputtered and died. I could see I wouldn’t be getting back to the /co/mpound anytime soon. Behind us I heard the ponies from the platform racing up the tracks to get us. I hoped they had food. I’d never gotten the chance to eat anything on the train. Sly eventually opened his eyes. “Am I dead?” he asked. I smiled. “No, you should see the look on your face right now.” He chuckled weakly. “Huh, I guess that makes us even.” I nodded. It was a bad idea, my neck hurt terribly. “For now.” We sat there waiting for the ponies to catch up. This had been the second attempt on my life in the last two days. I thought back to my theory, the one about how the bad guys only tried to kill you when you were getting close to the answer. I looked again at the mangled wreck of the train. I must be pretty goddamn close. To Be Continued. Edited by Lightsideluc: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/

Squeak-anon

105

Original Character,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,Dark,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Gun, With Occasional Pony

Squeak is a detective in The OC a place where ideas are real, ideas about ponies ideas that can kill

incomplete

<p>To anyone who wishes to read this,this fic was meant for the enjoyment of myself and a few friends throughout the fandom. It heavily references Ponnychan, Fimchan 4chan, and various other boards that have pony related content, and contains many grimdark elements. Any vicarious enjoyment is welcome, but keep in mind it's OC and not to be taken seriously. </p><p>Squeak lives in The OC, a place where ideas are real. Ideas concerning one thing in particular, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In this world, where imaginings are given form, and everything is pony themed, life isn't quite as 'Love and Tolerance' as you'd think. When a murder takes place, it launches a series of events going deeper than anypony could imagine.</p>

everyone

2012-03-05T13:44:53+00:00

2012-03-05T13:44:53+00:00

Ch 8 In Which a Hospital Proves Hostile I only remember small flashes from the ride to the hospital. There were crowds of OCs everywhere, far different from the /co/mpound. A few of them weren’t even ponies. I think I might have seen a shark in a corset, but I dearly hope I was just in shock. There also may or may not have been a welcoming musical number. In the dark, nightmarish haze I saw the colorful buildings and signs of the Plains as they rushed by, fading in and out along with my consciousness. A mumble of voices grazed the edge of my hearing, barely making it past the heavy labored sound of my own struggling breath. The last thing I remember before the darkness came for good, was the vague awareness that I was no longer with Sly, heading into the depths of a large, clean smelling building. Beep. A sound beat at the side of my brain, fighting for attention. My head swam as it attempted to sort out whether I was alive or not. After years of practice it’d gotten rather good at it. The first few attempts to open my eyes were thwarted by the blindingly bright lights situated around the room. I felt a tickling sensation across my coat, I was wearing cloth of some kind. It’s not something you might normally notice, but when you regular attire consists of a hat and four horseshoes you tend to be a bit more aware of these things. After a while my eyes got used to the light, and I was finally able to open them. I was in one of those terribly uncomfortable beds that all hospitals seem to have, back in one piece. The fact that there was a hospital at all threw me for a bit of a loop. In the OC there was really no need for such a place, you either died or you didn’t. If you didn’t you’d be fine in a couple of hours regardless of most things. But when in Rome accept their beds and free food. The room was done up in bright yellow, somewhat off putting as it was a close match to my own natural color. Along the top of the walls ran a roll of wallpaper on which small ponies danced back and forth in colorful displays of forced cheeriness. Maxie’s saddlebag was nowhere to be found. Out of reflex I reached up to see if my hat was still there, it was, and someone had put a small braid of flowers around the rim. The cloth I’d felt earlier proved to be a flannel hospital gown. It was covered in rainbows and pink bunnies. Before I had a chance to toss it into the nearest bin the door opened with a soft creak. A nurse pony came in. She was a grey earth pony with a blue mane, wearing one of those headbands with the little aluminum circle at the top, the kind you always see on doctors but you’re never quiet sure what they’re for. She smiled as she saw me. “Well somepony’s awake.” She put her forehooves on the edge of the bed and inspected me for a moment. “And you have a clean bill of health. Yay.” I fidgeted for a moment. Of course I was alright. I had no doubt everyone in this hospital probably was. “Um....yeah. Hi, I’m-” “Squeak, I know: Resident of the /co/mpound, earth pony, no notable special abilities or accoutrement's, previous fic-writer current private detective, fan of Doctor Whooves, favorite pony Fluttershy. Welcome to /Chat/tanooga General Hospital. ” She smiled again. “I’m Wisdom, nice to meet you.” She must have noticed my expression, because she added, “The Mods make a point of knowing who comes in and out of the Plains. From the /co/mpound especially. It’s easier to convert people when you know what they like.” I decided to ignore how horribly creepy that was. “Where’s Slywit?” I asked getting out of bed. “Ohnonono!” She blocked my path, pushing me back down. “You need to rest! You’re hurt.” I eyed her for a moment. “Um...no I’m not. You know how this works don’t you? Cartoon physics, I’m not dead so I’m fine.” “No.” She put a hoof to my chest. “I mean hurt in here.” I pushed her hoof away. “My ribs are fine. Now, if you excuse me this is getting a bit freaky. I’d like to find my friend now.” The-not at all pompously named- Wisdom sighed and shook her head. “They really did a number on you didn’t they?” “Oh, you mean whoever crashed a freaking train trying to kill me? Oh no that’s a regular Friday. Now let me out of here.” I saw an expression flicker across her face, but it was gone before I could read it. “Oh silly Squeak,can I call you Squeak?” She continued without waiting for a reply. “The train crash was an unfortunate accident. No one tries to kill anyone here in the Plains. What I mean is the /co/mpound. That awful place has made you distrustful, paranoid. But don’t worry, a few days here and I’ll have you right as Rainbow Dash.” “A few days!?” I pushed passed her again. “Sorry lady, but I’m fine. What I need to do right now is find Sly and get the !@#! out of h-” I paused. “What the !@$!@ was that?” Wisdom grinned that horrifying grin again. “Oh silly, that’s the word filter. It’s not used to you yet. So for now it converts all cursing to inaudible symbols. In a moment it will have calibrated to your voice though. Please be patient.” “So, you mean I can’t say !@%@, !@#$#@ or !%@#%?” She giggled. “Nope.” “Not even !@#!!?” “Oh most certainly not.” I sighed. This place got more fun by the minute. “Well that’s bucking stupid.” Wisdom clicked her hooves together. “There it goes!” I stared down at my own mouth. “You’re paraspriting me, right?” “And there it is again! Isn’t it wonderful?” I put a hoof to my forehead. “Lady, you’ve got a weird-flanked definition of ‘Wonderful’.” She shrugged. “To each his, her, it’s or any variation inbetween’s own.” I gave myself a shake, trying to clear my head. I needed to get back on track. I need to find Sly, get out of this creepy hospital and find Lyra. Right.Now. I had a few choice, if slightly edited, words to share with her and I wasn’t going to give her any more of a head start because of some nurse playing without a full deck. “Sorry, I’m checking myself out.” I pushed past her and headed out the door. I heard her yelling behind me, but I really couldn’t have cared any less. There were a couple other nurses milling about, pushing patients in wheelchairs. They ranged from ponies, to popular characters from other fandoms. A large bipedal rabbit waved to me as I walked past her...or in this town ‘his, her or it’s or any variation inbetween’s’ room. Squeaky, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. I checked each room, looking for Slywit. I wondered how he was fairing in this strange place. If Celestia was merciful he’d still be unconscious. I heard hoofsteps coming up behind me, and once again an annoyingly cheery Wisdom was at my side. “You really should get back in bed you know. We only want what’s best for our patients.” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “I’m telling you, I’m fine. What’s best for me is to find my friend, and be on my way.” She smiled a Stepford smile. “But, Squeak, I’m telling you, you need rest. Can’t you see we care about you?” Care about me? Now that struck all the wrong chords. I’d known this lady for all of five and a half minutes. Only a small amount of people got the right to care about me, and they’d earned the same back. No one in this hospital, except Sly ,would give a fig pudding about me the second I stepped out of the Plains, I had no illusions about that. So the sooner we got our tails out of here the better. I turned to look wisdom in the eye, she cowed a little under my gaze, but I didn’t care. “Look, ‘Wisdom’ was it?” She nodded, suddenly quiet. “You may think you care about me. But you don’t, you really don’t, you don’t know me, and I don’t know you. Come to think of it I don’t really want to know you, because frankly you’re one of the creepiest ponies I’ve ever met, and I know some weirdflanked people. Now, you already know what I want. I want to get out of here. And it looks like you can’t really stop me, or you would have already, and you know what? I’m getting angry, you don’t like angry ponies do you?” She shook her head. “In that case you’d like to make me happy wouldn’t you? She nodded. “Good, so, why don’t you politely show me to Sly’s room and I don’t start throwing things. Deal?” I flashed a smile with perhaps a bit too much teeth. She smiled back, a bit less happily than before. “Of course...um...friendship is indeed the best medicine. He’s on the fourteenth floor.” she pointed to a nearby elevator. I stared at it for a moment. “Let’s take the stairs.” This turned out to be a terrible idea. The stairs were shaped like piano keys, every time my hoof hit one an annoyingly happy note would blare through the air along the tune of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ This went on for fourteen floors. It would almost have been tolerable if it weren’t for Wisdom’s humming along. I tried to tell her to shut up, but that simply made her hum louder. If there was any small blessing, it was the fact that their weren’t any other ponies in the stairwell. I’d had enough multicolored happiness for one day. Terribly ironic I know, but this place made the actual Canon look like the a holocaust museum. So fourteen torturous measures later I arrived on Sly’s floor. A large red door with a smiley face on it welcomed me. I tried to ignore the vague feeling I was walking into someone’s mouth as I pushed past it. The floor was brightly painted-a big shock- with trees and rainbows plastered onto the walls at all angles. Above the hallways a sign read: Special Patients(Well all our patients are special but theses are extra special.) The font was a variation on Comic Sans, my old enemy. I turned to Wisdom, who was humming the last few bars of the previous song while being as off-key as equinely possible. “Special?” “Oh....” Wisdom frowned. “I’m sorry we didn’t put you up here. It doesn’t mean you’re not special.” She placed a hoof on my chest again. “You’re special in your own way.” I resisted the urge to shiver and batted her hoof away. “No! I mean, why is Sly in the ‘Special’ wing?” “Oh.” She looked sightly put out. “Slywit, short for Sly Thaddeus Percival Wit resident of the /co/mpound, occupation, fic writer, fan of Doctor Whooves, favorite pony, Pinkie Pie, notable special abilities and accoutrement's: able to shift between the three pony breeds at random, recent acquisition of Alicorn abilities.” “Is that’s why he’s here?” “Of course silly, we have to treat three different bodies for one patient. That’s not easy you know,” she giggled. “Right....” I took a step back. This nurse really wasn’t getting the fact that nopony really needed ‘Treatment’. Trying to explain it was just beating a dead horse, pun intended. “So, can you take me to his room?” “Sure as bubblegum!” She made a little hop and bounded down the hall, humming once again. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to gag as I followed behind. The rooms were filled with all kinds of patients, the majority were alicorns, though I saw what may or may not have been a giant lizard and one of the minor fairy queens sharing a bit of jello. I fought down the creeping feeling of strangeness that prickled up my spine. This place was totally alien to me, in the /co/mpound the strangest thing we ever got was the occasional glimpse at one of the odder denizens of ponyville, normally an alicorn of some kind, almost never a non-pony and even more rarely something from outside the cannon. As I passed the room of a clockwork griffon I couldn’t help but feel a bit homesick. This was one of the reasons I’d brought Sly along in the first place. I needed a ground, someone to anchor me to home, at my back to make sure the white rabbit wouldn’t lead me too far down. Hell. someone to make sure I came back up at all. We turned the corner as Wisdom happily announced our destination. She opened the door and ushered me inside. I froze in an instant. Sly lay in bed. He was an earthpony, his mane flat and pale, his eyes looked at us in a melancholy way I’d never seen before. He looked as though he’d been bleached, the blue highlights of his mane were almost white, and his normal black a strange shade of grey. “What is it now?...” he asked. “Nothing good I suspect.” I was speechless for a moment. “S-sly?” “Oh...Squeak, hello. Here to see me? I was starting to think you wouldn’t, I mean, why bother?” He looked out the window for a moment, managing to look at the sunny day outside as though the sky were falling.“Call me Percival,” he groaned. “Sly is too ‘Happy’.” He said the word ‘happy’ the way most ponies might say the word ‘tapeworm’. I was at a loss. Sly had always been such a happy pony, notorious for pranks and the occasional bit of mischief. It was the reason his cutie-mark was a jester’s cap. To see him look so dour in the middle of a hospital simply didn’t compute. “What...did you....do to him?” I asked through my teeth. “Hmmm?” Wisdom asked cheerily. “Oh, well he woke up before you did. With his abilities we couldn’t make the same allowances we made for you. So when he started to get belligerent we gave him a bit of poison joke. It keeps him an earthpony for the time being. Though there is a little teeny wheeny side effect. His mood changes instead. It seems now he’s in a bit of a slump. Poor thing.” She shook her head. “But it’s temporary. We will give him the antidote when his treatment is finis-” I had her up against the wall before either of us knew what was happening. “No. You will give it to him now,” I growled. “Squeak, you’re being unreasonable,” she said, seemingly unperturbed by her position. “You said that seeing your friend would make you happy. I have complied, but I don’t see a smile.” “Smile!?” I asked incredulously. “I asked to see Sly, my friend. Not some drugged up variation. I’ve never seen that pony in my life.” “Life?” Sly sighed from behind me. “Don’t talk to me about life.” “Fix him. Now.” “Well that’s what we’re trying to do, you silly!” she managed to wiggle away from me and walk over to Sly’s bed. “He’s just as bad as you. But under our tender care you’ll both find your way back to happiness and tranquility. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay in Ponychan Plains.” I felt the anger in my stomach boil over into rage. “We’re not staying!” I screamed. “There’s nothing wrong with us! You’re insane, you can’t drug and keep us here!” Wisdom pouted. “But it’s in your best interest I, and everyone in this hospital only wants to be your friend.” “How is any of this friendly!?” “Friends help friends. I’ve read about the /co/mpound. It’s not a nice place. We need to acclimate you for life in the Plains.” “I don’t want a life in the plains! I want to do what I came here to do, a-” “And just what are you here to do?” she asked, her normally happy demeanor suddenly gone. The mood of the room suddenly shifted. "I’m on a case,” I said simply. My anger slowly shifting into caution. I got the sinking feeling there was something else beneath her oblivious nurse act. “What is this case?” “I thought the ‘Mods made a point of knowing who comes in and out of the Plains,’” I said, mocking her cheery tone. “Shouldn’t you already know?” “It seems not everything is on file.” She walked over to Sly’s bed and placed a hoof on his forehead. “Still, I’m glad it brought you here, every pony we can save from that horrid place is another good deed in a weary world.” She turned to me, her voice all aflutter again. “If you cooperate, and deal with our treatment you’ll find this will be a fun experience! So why don’t you tell me what that case of yours was about?” “Why don’t you bite my flank?” Her smile wavered. “You really should be less hostile you know. It’s not very nice.” “The world isn’t very nice...” Sly lamented from bed. “Why bother trying.” I glanced back at him, then at wisdom. “If you want me to be nice, perhaps you should try it sometime.” I put on my best poker face as I leaned against the table by Sly’s bed. “How about a deal, you turn Sly back to normal, and I tell you some of what you want to know.” Wisdom put a hoof to her chin, making a show of pursing he lips in thought. “I’m not sure about that Squeak. Making deals is a terrible way for me to help. Does a therapist ever make deals with her patient?” She stepped away from Sly, comming closer until her nose was almost touching mine. “I’m sure you’ll open up to me in your own time. Meanwhile, Slywit-” “Percival!” “I’m sorry, Percival’s, treatment, will continue until we deem him fit to be returned to normal.” I felt my jaw clench. “Well, what if I overpower you here, and take him?” Wisdom chuckled. “That wouldn’t be very wise.” She paused. “Oh! Look at that! I made a funny!” She giggled. “Violence is not tolerated in the Plains. You’ll find that things can be solved much easier with simple cooperation and friendship.” I felt a sudden pain in my rump, I whirled around to find a white nurse pony orderly. A split second later I noticed the large needle sticking out if my cutie mark. Both she and the Wisdom smiled. “Don’t worry Squeak, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay. Just relax, and remember, Love and Tolerance is the answer.” I tried to lift my back hooves to buck out against either of them, but found my coordination was way off. I only ended up stumbling, I tried to catch myself, but my legs were like jello. Wisdom stopped my fall, leaning down so I fell over her back. She turned her head and looked at me. “Shhhh, just go to sleep. There, there. I’ll tell you what. I’ll try to make it so you and Sly can share this room while you’re bring treated. Won’t that be fun? See, I can be you friend. Won’t that be nice?” She said something else, but it descended into an inaudible mess as it hit my ears. Oddly my last thought before I blacked out was: How many times am I going to get drugged today? Then nothing.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:28:12+00:00

2011-07-11T02:28:12+00:00

Chapter 1 Pinkie Pie’s eyes shot open. Her face was buried in her wet pillow, stained from her tears. She quivered as she very gently tried to lift herself up from the bed. She was afraid of seeing her bed soaked, covered in blood, evidence of a horrific deed she had committed… but her bed was dry, save for her tears. She gently placed a hoof to her face, feeling the still fresh tears on her cheek. She shivered as her hair moved to cover her eyes, still in shock at the sights she had seen. “How… how could I…” the vivid images of the nightmare she had just slept through came back in her mind. Horrific cries rang vividly in her ears, her coat soaked with blood, the feel of slicing open another living being… it felt so real. Pinkie Pie shook her head viciously, trying to remove these thoughts from her head. “Why am I having these dreams!?” She rammed her hooves into her head, trying to stop the images that were assaulting her. For the past two weeks she’d been having restless nights of sleep. She was having nightmares every night, the severity of what they showed were getting worse and worse with each one. The first dream hadn’t been too scary…she was just attacked by a monster, she had shrugged it off easily, and it wasn’t too different from a normal day really. From there the monsters changed, one night she was attacked by the Pony of Death who wanted her soul for damnation, another night it was a faceless slender pony whose presence quaked her very being, then the next night she suffered from a disease and starvation as her body had begun to rot but was denied death from the pain… She could handle those dreams. They weren’t real after all; a good party with her friends made all those scary thoughts go away. She’d tried changing her diet for a day to see if the bad dreams would go away, and it worked for a night, but only for a night. The next night she had dreamt of being a monster, one with sharp teeth and claws. She was the monster and she had attacked and eaten herself. She still remembered the gagging taste the dream had left in her mouth. The next dream had her terrorizing ponies throughout Ponyville; she’d wrecked homes, crops, products and lives. Then the next night she attacked each of her friends, she could feel the berserk rage of the monster as it had slashed and tore them apart indiscriminately, but at least it was a quick death, her friends didn’t suffer in that dream. But the dream last night was different…it was personal. She was a monster again last night…but it was different. She was just herself, no fangs, no claws, no berserk rage, but a monster. In the dream she had captured her friend, her dearest friend Rainbow Dash. She had taken sharp objects and… Pinkie dashed into her bathroom, before emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet, as the vivid images of what she’d done in her dream flashed before her once more. She felt wretched, how could her mind even come anywhere close to thinking of such horrible, horrific things!? She loved her friends! She loved them more than the sun, then her sweets, then her parties, then life itself! Especially Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash was the coolest, most awesome fun-loving Pony she’d ever met! If she wanted to just hang out and have fun or pull some pranks or share some sweets or help throw a great party it was Rainbow Dash who was there for her. She wiped her mouth as she groggily looked at herself in the mirror. Her mane was straight, her eyes were bloodshot with bags under her eyes, her coat was dull with a sickly look, and she was breathing quite heavily. She looked terrible. She ran some cold water and repeatedly splashed her face with it. She really, really, REALLY wanted to go see Rainbow Dash…she had to know she was okay but…at the same time she couldn’t do it until the memories of that dream had faded some more…and she had to get out of Sugar Cube corner for the day…she wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore of her stomach if she even smelled a cupcake. Pinkie tried to stay in the shadows of the buildings as she quietly walked through Ponyville. The fresh air and warm sun weren’t any comfort today. She didn’t want to look at anypony either, worried their faces would trigger another flash of the awful images in her mind. She had nowhere in mind to go, she just had to wander, had to get away from Sugar Cube corner, from her room, from anything that would remind her… She looked up and around, she had lost track of how much time had passed since she started her little trek, thankful no one had stopped to ask her why she was acting so differently today. She knew the other ponies had started to notice dips in her cheeriness, ever since the dreams she’d been throwing more parties than ever before, but more and more they weren’t enough. Twilight had even asked her if something was the matter and she’d done her best to reassure her friend… Wait! Twilight! Twilight was a great magical pony! If anypony could figure out a way to stop these dreams she did! She winced at the idea of having to tell Twilight all about the horrific things her mind had imagined about her and her friends…but maybe she wouldn’t have to, Twilight might find a solution without having to know what the dreams were of. She picked up her pace, running straight for the library. It didn’t take her long, she figured her body must’ve been taking her here by instinct; it did have a funny way of working that way. She ran to the door and knocked a little frantically. It didn’t take long for the door to creak open. “Oh, hey Pinkie Pie.” Twilight said surprised but happy to see her friend, “Is this an invitation to a party agai-“ Twilight stopped as she blinked, noticing the distressed look of her friend, “…Are you alright Pinkie? You don’t look so good.” “No…No I’m not good Twilight…Can I come in?” Pinkie said, minding her manners for once. “Of course Pinkie, please, make yourself at home.” Twilight said quickly offering her friend hospitality. “Thank you…” Pinkie said as she quietly trotted into the house. She quickly headed for the table in the center of the room and sitting on one of the red velvet pillows before it. She rested her head on the table, closing her eyes as she took a soft sigh to try and relax, remembering her friend’s favorite hot beverage. “Can I get you something to drink? Perhaps some hot chocolate?” Twilight said “No sweets please…if you have some coffee that’d be great…no cream or sugar…” Pinkie softly groaned. “No sweets?” Twilight said in shock, “Oh my…this really IS serious!” She said as she quickly prepared her friend the hot drink she requested. She levitated it before Pinkie, who groggily took it and began to drink. She grimaced at the bitter taste. “Pinkie, what’s the matter? You can tell me.” Twilight said sitting down next to her downcast friend. Twilight could see the signs, her mane was straight, her coat was dull, her eyes bloodshot with bags under them and most noticeable of all…she wasn’t radiating the energetic aura of Pinkie Pie. “Oh Twilight…Its awful!” Pinkie put her hooves over her head, “It’s the most awful thing that’s ever happened to me! I can’t even believe what’s happened to me it’s so awful! I can’t sleep, I can’t rest, even parties aren’t helping! I need relief, I need to stop this but everything I’ve tried only seems to make it worse!” Pinkie said her voice was quivering; Twilight couldn’t help but be surprised at how terrified her friend sounded. “Pinkie…tell me, what exactly is this ‘awful’ thing that has happened.” Twilight tried to reassure Pinkie that everything would be alright. Pinkie took a big breath, steeling her nerves. “I’ve been having nightmares Twilight.” Pinkie finally said, “Awful, horrible, relentless nightmares. I was throwing more parties to forget them, but they kept coming. I tried changing my diet, I tried relaxing before bed, I even tried falling asleep in a handstand with a lemon in my mouth while in the shower. Nothing works…and last night’s nightmare was the worse of them all.” “Nightmares?” Twilight said tapping her chin for a moment, “One second.” She said as she got up and quickly ran over to a bookshelf. She began to pull out books checking them out, scanning them one by one, “No…no, no, no, not you, you’re not right either…” It took about ten minutes before Twilight finally pulled a book and looked at it satisfied, “Ah-hah!” She said as she trotted back to the table and opening the book, flipping through the pages quickly. “Nightmares,” Twilight began after having stopped on a specific page, “A dream of strong negative emotions; a common occurrence that most ponies will experience. However, if the nightmares should persist or become more terrifying with each episode it could be several reasons: external forces such as medication or diet, which we’ve already ruled out,” Twilight added an addendum, “External stress from recent physical or mental events or caused by a psychological event from anytime during the pony’s life that has left a deep impact. There are several ways to determine what kind of nightmare is being experienced and what the best manner of treating them are.” Twilight said before silently reading the next part. “So, that book can help me stop the nightmares?” Pinkie asked, hope rising in her heart. “Looks that way, of course it can’t stop you from having nightmares for the rest of your life though, they’re a normal part of sleep, but it can help you with your constant nightmare issue.” She said still reading. “There’s a spell in here that’ll let me look into your mind and see the memories of your dreams, that way I can see what you’ve been dreaming about and apply the proper spell to try and help.” The hope that had risen inside of Pinkie fell into her gut like a boulder into a lake. “No! No no no no no no Twilight!” Pinkie said shaking her head furiously, “You CAN’T see my dreams! They’re…they’re!” Pinkie covered her face with her hooves, “They’re too horrible Twilight! I…I don’t want anypony to see what I’ve seen!” Her voice was trembling; tears were threatening to leave her eyes once more. She looked up when she felt Twilight’s hoof placed against her shoulder, the look of concern on her face. “I can’t imagine what kind of dreams you’ve been having Pinkie, but I can see the pain on your face. It’s affecting who you are and I can’t just let this go. You came to me for help and I’m going to help you. Please, you have to let me see what you’ve seen, so that I can help.” Twilight pleaded to her friend. Pinkie lowered her head as she held back the tears burning at her eyes with all her might, swallowing hard as she knew her friend wanted to make everything better and might have the power to do so… “Twilight…” Pinkie muttered in hushed breath, holding back a sob. “Yes? What is it Pinkie?” Twilight asked, in a similar hushed voiced. “Please…you have to promise me…that what you’re about to see…w-won’t change your opinion of me.” Pinkie sniffed deeply. “I swear Pinkie, I won’t think of you as anything but the dear friend I know and love.” Twilight said, Pinkie saw her smile, it was so reassuring, so comforting… “P-Pinkie Pie swear?” Pinkie asked one last time. Twilight just seemed to smile a little amused. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Twilight did the motions of the Pinkie Pie swear, mimicking sticking the pastry into her face. Pinkie took a moment to let it sink in, then squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head a little. “A-Alright…I t-trust you Twilight.” Pinkie Pie softly muttered, as she did her best to prepare for whatever was going to happen next. Twilight nodded softly, as she remembered the spell from the book, her horn glowing with light as she concentrated on it. She gently swept hair covering Pinkie’s forehead behind her ear to hold it, then gently tapped the tip of her horn against Pinkie’s skull. ”LEAVE ME ALONE” The Slender Pony approached regardless, the static screeched at her as it drew closer. Pain shocked her body from one side to the other as blood seemed to splatter and cloud her vision turning the world red. She fell to her knees trying to grasp reality, before the pain and sound became too much to bear. There was a hole in her body. She could feel the worms wriggling in it, crawling up into her torso. They were eating her, eating her alive. The pain clawed into her very soul, but yet death would not come. Her body laid there, unflinching as the insects had their way, feeling every wriggle and slime of their bodies as they slid under her skin. Bones crunched in her teeth as blood dripped down her chin. The fresh taste of gooey flesh slid down her throat. Sharp teeth bore down again into the side of an earth pony’s neck as the pony’s head fell from her body, giving her a good chunk of flesh to chew. The taste was revolting, but she craved it. She HAD to have it. She had to have more! Her teeth dug into the pony’s skull, crushing the skull as the inner organs began to dribble into her mouth. She had to have more; this one would never be enough. The screams had died down for now, but that wouldn’t last for long. “Why? Why are you doing this?” It was the pained and frantic cry of Rainbow Dash. She could see her tied down to a table, wings already sawn off, sawn off by her own hooves. “Oh Rainbow Dash…everypony dies sometime.” Her voice betrayed her as she pulled out a scalpel, “It’s a simple concept really. You just have to think, ‘Did my life meaning anything? Did I die with a purpose? Will my memory be left when I’m gone?’ All are important questions you see.” She walked towards Rainbow Dash; she could feel the murderous intent grasping at every fiber of her being. “But…” Rainbow Dash hiccuped through the pain and tears, “I won’t have died for a good purpose…if you kill me.” Rainbow sobbed. “How could you do this to me?” She raised her hoof and petted Rainbow Dash’s face. She leaned in close to her, there was an attraction she could never describe as having felt before. Her breath was hot and her body betrayed her mind, “Oh Rainbow Dash…If you don’t know the reason by now, you’ll never understand. This is just how things have to be.” She stepped back from her prisoner. Rainbow only looked confused, but she would rectify that look. She gripped her scalpel and placed it at the base of Rainbow’s hip, and sliced down her leg. Pain overtook Rainbow’s face and voice as she began her delicate slicing operation. After all, she had to prepare the ingredients to be just right. Twilight stumbled back. Her head kicked back instinctively, wanting to escape from the horrors inside of Pinkie’s mind. Twilight crashed into a book case, causing a cascade of books to fall onto her. She was breathing heavily, frantic and panicked. The spell had only taken a few seconds to complete, but the rush of all the dream memories flooded her all at once. Those dreams were horrific…and so real…she had felt everything in those dreams, even though dreams should not normally contain such vivid feelings. The monster that attacked her…the feel of bugs crawling all throughout her skin and organs…the gagging taste of flesh in her throat…the torture...the acts she had committed...she wanted to vomit. “Twilight?” Came a scared, timid, almost hushed voice. Twilight snapped from her thoughts and looked up at her pink friend. She was trembling, trembling with fear as tears streamed down her eyes. That was right…these were the dreams Pinkie was having…the dreams that were terrifying her, the dreams that she had come to her for help with… “Pinkie…” Twilight finally muttered, swallowing back her own emotions and stomach contents, “I…I had no idea…” she said shakily getting to her feet and slowly walking back to her friend. She had to be strong right now. “Twilight…” Pinkie sniffed through her sobs, “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry you saw them…” she closed her eyes, gasping for air through her sobs. Twilight quickly moved next to Pinkie, taking her into an embrace to hold her tight. Pinkie cried desperately into Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight held her dear friend, making sure she knew she had all of her support. The images may have had made her stomach twist, but her friend was more important than that. “It’s okay Pinkie…” Twilight said once Pinkie’s sobs had started to calm down, “I can see how much these dreams have been eating at you…the Pinkie in those dreams is not you. So we just have to figure out why you’re having them.” Twilight said, letting her friend dearly know that she had in fact kept her promise. The Pinkie in her arms was nothing like the Pinkie that appeared in the dreams. Pinkie slowly nodded her head in agreement, before finally being able to stop her tears and let go of Twilight. Twilight turned to her book and flipped a few pages. “Since we know it’s not your diet, we need to determine if it’s because of recent events or if it’s something much deeper in your psyche…so let’s start there. When did the dreams start happening?” “Well…” Pinkie rubbed her face, trying to dry it some, “The dreams started about a few days after the Grand Galloping Gala…and they’ve been happening about every night for the last two weeks. They didn’t happen one night after I did change my diet, but then they just came back the next day…” Pinkie said trying to recall how often she’d have them. “Hmmm…Well, the Gala was a pretty big incident. You certainly seemed fine at the Donut Shop…but what about after that? I know you said you had some business to attend to before you headed back to Ponyville, so we didn’t see you again till we were heading to the chariot.” Twilight wondered. “…Well…after I’d spent time with you guys, I went and met with my sister Octavia. She was the one playing the Cello on stage during the gala. She was the main reason I was able to get away with my music antics while there. I wanted to go thank her for helping me try to liven things up.” Pinkie said recalling the night, “She was a little mad at me at first for the mess I’d caused, but she forgave me and we ended up having a very fun chat about what we’d both been up to since we’d left the farm. After a little while it was time for me to go so we promised we’d keep better in touch.” Twilight pondered this, “Do you think it was that meeting with your sister that could’ve started the dreams?” Twilight asked curiously. “I wouldn’t understand that if she did,” Pinkie said putting a hoof to her chin in though, “We had fun that night…there wasn’t anything that she said that was negative.” “Have you gotten a letter from her yet?” “I did get one, but it was just letting me know that she was going to be performing a concert in Fillydelphia. She said that her band was touring around so that if I wanted to send her letters I’d have to address them to her band since the mail carriers know where they’ll be.” Pinkie said tilting her head in thought, “Again, there was nothing negative though…” “Well, what about the last two weeks then? You seemed mostly fine, other than a few instances where you weren’t as chipper.” Twilight said remembering Pinkie Pie was a little less hyper then usual the last few days. She certainly could understand why now though. “No…nothing significant. I’ve been throwing more parties because of the dreams, but it’s just been life as usual in Ponyville…” Pinkie said shaking her head slowly. “I see.” Twilight went back to consulting her books, scanning the pages of the book, flipping through some more looking for what would be best to handle this. “Here we are…it’s another spell. This one is a bit more of a mind delve; its intention is to find the source of your problems though. It’ll let us find out why you’re having these dreams, be it a minor or major reason.” Twilight said confidently, “So don’t worry Pinkie, I’m going to make sure you’ll be all better in no time.” She gave her friend a confident smile. “Thank you Twilight…” Pinkie said giving a soft smile back. “Alright, the book says the spell can be a little disorientating at first, but that you’ll get used to it. You ready?” Twilight asked. Pinkie gave her a nod. “Then here goes nothing.” Twilight said taking a deep breath as she concentrated once more, her horn flaring up with light. She lowered it towards Pinkie’s forehead once more and gently touched her. Pinkie’s mind did a flip and felt like it fell into a hazy fog. She lost track of her surroundings as it felt like she was falling from a very far height. The world was spinning around her as she felt like wind was rushing past her. Her stomach was rolling inside of her as she was inside of this intense feeling. She wondered just how long she was going to feel this way, when she finally felt the world stabilizing with a thud that knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for breath, coughing a bit before feeling the sensation of a ground beneath her. She lifted her head up and shook it lightly, before slowly opening her eyes. She was still in the library…that was for sure. But Twilight was missing, why would she have left her alone in the library? “Twilight?” She called out, but the only thing that came back was a hollow echo. This was bizarre; the library seemed eerily quiet, even more so then usual when Twilight wasn’t around. She looked onto table noticing two things on it, a bag and a note. She carefully read the words on the note: You must cross the darkness to see the light. Pinkie looked at the piece of paper a little confused. Did Twilight write this? If she did…what did it mean? Was she supposed to take this bag with her? Twilight must know what she’s doing after all; she wouldn’t just abandon her here without a good reason… Pinkie opened the bag, looking to see if there was anything inside of it. There were two things inside. The first one was obvious what it was, it was a lantern. Inside was oil with a wick. There was a knob on the side; she assumed it would turn the lantern on. If she was going to use it, she’d have to make sure not to use up all the oil. She gently placed the lantern back into the bag. “What’s this?” She asked as she pulled out a rectangular device. It had a dial on it and an antenna, but it wasn’t an object she was familiar with. It had a face like a picture on it, with a circle on it that had holes. In her mind it kind of looked like a miniature Phonograph, but how would this tiny thing play music? In her hoof it began to spring to life, playing a soft static sound. Pinkie dropped it surprised by the sudden sound. She stared at it as it buzzed; the sound seemed like a bunch of bees being mixed through a DJ table. She poked the device with her hoof. After a few moments the buzzing stopped. Pinkie looked confused, but had the gut instinct that it must be something important. She placed it back in the bag. “I guess Twilight believed I needed this bag…I’ll keep to her advice then.” Pinkie muttered to herself as she carefully strapped the bag to her back. She then looked around. The library seemed to hold no more clues for the moment, so she decided to step outside. She felt more comfortable now that she had visited Twilight, so maybe she could go visit Rainbow Dash now… “Huh?” Pinkie said stopping short of a few feet out the door. A thick fog had fallen all around Ponyville. It was so thick she couldn’t even see the buildings next to the library. She’d have to get close to a building if she wanted to see one. Then she started to shiver as a wind blew by, the temperature had fallen a significant amount. “What’s going on? I’ve never seen this kind of weather in Ponyville before…” Pinkie said confused. “Did Rainbow Dash do this? Why would she?” Pinkie knew she had to find Rainbow and talk to her now. She quickly began to run off in the direction she knew Rainbow’s house to be. She was in full gallop, when she suddenly realized she had to come to a full stop. She skidded along the ground and stopped along an edge, a few pebbles getting kicked loose and falling in front of her. There was a gigantic chasm that had never been in Ponyville right before her. It cut right down the road to Rainbow’s House…in fact it cut off the entire way outside of Ponyville if you didn’t have wings. “What’s going on?” She asked as she stared into what seemed to be a bottomless pit.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:23:43+00:00

2011-07-11T02:23:43+00:00

Chapter 2 “There it is.” Pinkie Pie said as she pulled out a map of Ponyville. She’d gone back to the library to find it; luckily she had an uncanny ability to find things she needed very quickly. She took a red marker in her mouth and drew a circle with an X through it at the road with the chasm on it. She then placed smaller X’s on several houses she’d tried to gain access to in trying to find anypony. The town appeared to be empty, abandoned. “What happened here?” She asked herself looking at the map of X’s. She’d only investigated a small portion of Ponyville, but there were always ponies either at home or wandering around. On bad weather days they’d be in their homes or there’d at least be a notice of some kind if a lot of the ponies would be leaving. Plus why was there that bottomless pit at the edge of town? “I need to get to Sugar Cube corner. If I can make it there I can get my hot air balloon and try and see if there’s any pegasi in the sky, they might have an explanation for the fog.” Pinkie Pie said confirming her plan of action in her head. She also admitted to being worried about Gummy, she hoped he would be alright. She quickly checked her route on the map before packing the map and the pen into her bag. She’d mark anymore unusual occurrences she encountered in Ponyville on the map for her to remember. She stepped back out into the chilly day when something cold and wet landed on the end of her nose. “Huh?” Pinkie said trying to see the end of her nose. She shook her head a little, then looked up into the sky. Small specks of snow began to appear as they slowly fell to the ground. “Snow? But…But its summer…” Pinkie said in shock staring at the white spectacle. She could see her breath but she hadn’t realized it was cold enough for snow out. The pegasi controlled the weather, so they must be up there right now! Pinkie headed out in a gallop towards Sugar Cube Corner. Suddenly Pinkie heard a static sound coming from her bag. Was that miniature Phonograph making noise again? It certainly picked random times to do so. Pinkie was knocked out of her thoughts when she saw the outline of a figure in the fog. “Oh! Somepony is here!” She said her hope rising. She quickly ran faster to the figure. As she got closer though, she couldn’t help but get the strong feeling that something wasn’t right, as the phonograph grew louder… “Hey, what’s going on here?” She instantly asked before even assessing who it was. She stopped shortly though when she got a good look at the pony…and she let out a high pitched scream. “Ruuuaaaa…ghhuuurrrrrggghhh…” The pony was barely a pony anymore. Its coat and mane was gone, replaced with the look of rotting flesh that was trying to live. One of its front legs was missing, there was a missing chunk of flesh from its back, its eyes looked like they had been gouged out, several teeth looked like they had been knocked out with the holes bleeding, and several lacerations covered its body. “A-Are you alright!?” Pinkie said taking a step back from the pony. Her initial reaction was to figure out if it was in pain, but her gut told her to stay away, that this thing didn’t want her help. The phonograph in her bag started ringing off the hook. “Gruuuuuh” The fleshy mass lunged at Pinkie, its teeth bearing to strike down. Pinkie cried out and jumped away, as the creature fell where she was standing, its teeth sinking into the dirt. Pinkie took a few more steps away from the creature as it brought its head back up, a mouthful of dirt in its teeth. It growled as the dirt dribbled out of its mouth, soaking the dirt with its blood. It began to slowly lumber towards Pinkie again, growling as it seemed to smell her out. “S-Stay back! Stay back!” Pinkie cried out trying to back pedal away from the terrifying creature. It growled and moaned, dripping a trail of blood as it was intent on tracking her. The creature terrified Pinkie, it looked like it was on the verge of death, yet it wouldn’t die. Instead it was intent on attacking her. Every fiber in her being told her to run away, run as fast and far as you can from this creature. “Stay away from me!” She cried before her legs finally took action and ran around the creature, quickly galloping away. The creature went to lunge again, its teeth implanting on the dirt once more as Pinkie ran past. As she got farther and farther away the phonograph in her bag began to settle down, before going silent once more. She collapsed into a sitting position as she breathed heavily; her heart was beating a mile a minute in her throat. What was that thing? Why had it attacked her? Why did it look like a pony? Why had she not seen any pony else but that…thing? “Sugar…cube…corner…” Pinkie panted trying to calm her nerves. She bit down on her arm, pinching herself to remind herself she wasn’t dreaming. She was in control of herself…she could run away from what she saw…this was not a dream. She shook her head and got back to her hooves and began to run again. The door to her room in Sugar Cube Corner creaked open slowly as Pinkie pushed it. The inside of her room was pitch black. She couldn’t see anything past the frame of her door. She carefully dug into her bag and pulled out the lantern, holding it in her mouth as she turned the knob. The wick came to life, the flame shining. She stepped into her room, the light of the lantern illuminating what she couldn’t see before. She looked at shock at the state of her room. It looked like it hadn’t been used for years. The wallpaper was rotted and peeling, the wooden floor was splintering and falling apart, the curtains were riddled with holes, dust was thick and the air was stagnant. Pinkie looked around confused, before placing the lamp down gently onto a table so she could see the whole room. “Was I…gone for a long time?” Pinkie asked as she stepped through the room, hearing the floor creak and groan as it adjusted to her weight. “Twilight wouldn’t have used a spell to send me into the future if she was going to help me…would she?” Pinkie said not sure what to think. “The spell did say it would be disorientating…I guess this could just all be part of that side effect.” The Phonograph began to let off a soft static. Pinkie stopped in her tracks as she listened to it. The last time it went off she met that creature and it had gotten louder as she got closer to it. She looked around the room hastily but she didn’t see anything that looked like a monster… “Calm down Pinkie Pie…there’s…nothing too serious to worry about. Let’s just check and see if Gummy is here…grab the balloon…and head for the sky…you can put this creepiness behind you then.” Pinkie said as she grabbed the lantern in her teeth and quickly pushed her bathroom door open. “Gummy?” She called out despite the lantern in her teeth. She looked into the bathroom and nearly dropped the lantern. The walls were smeared with blood, bloody hoof prints and hastily scribbled words. The curtains were torn to shreds, the remains barely hanging onto the poles that used to hold them. Caked blood covered the outside of the tub; the whole room looked like a massacre. “G-Gummy? A-Are you in here?” Her words were muffled, but she had to check, she had to look. Her mind screamed leave but she had to find out if he was in here or not. She took steps into the bathroom, her hooves echoing loudly as she stepped onto the tile. The only relief she was given was that the Phonograph grew quieter as she stepped in further. She placed the lantern down on the sink and gulped as best she could. The room stank of mold and blood; it made her want to gag. She carefully checked around the tub and the curtains, only seeing more blood. She turned to look at the walls, getting a chance to read what was written in the hastily scribbled blood: Help me Pain He hungers The words sent chills down her back. What did they mean? ‘He hungers?’ the words echoed in her head. Was that…referring to Gummy? But Gummy had no teeth; the only thing he could swallow was the mushy gator food she bought for him. What had happened in her bathroom? Why would this have happened here? Her mind was reeling with questions; she desperately needed the comfort of one of her friends right now. She stepped away from the wall, there was only one place left she had to check and that was the tub itself. She very carefully leaned her head over the edge of the tub, looking down into it. In the tub laid half of the rotted remains of a tiny green gator. Pinkie threw her hooves over her mouth as the tears began to stream out of her eyes. It was unmistakable…that was Gummy. He looked like he had been there for a long time. Pinkie’s stomach was moving into her throat as she stared. ‘Why was this happening?’ was the question bouncing around her head again and again and again. She needed answers. It was then that she noticed a bright red ribbon. It was tied immaculately into a bow around something that was sticking out of Gummy’s mouth. Pinkie swallowed as she stared at the item, not sure what it meant. The item was clean…it was free of blood and it looked like…it looked like Gummy was trying to give it to her. Pinkie gingerly lowered her hoof and took the item from Gummy’s mouth, the item slipping out with a bit of ease. She was able to look at it clearly now, realizing it was a key. The key had a symbol of a star on it. She didn’t quite know what it meant, but Gummy had given it to her in his last days. She had to keep it. She gently placed the key into her bag, remembering just then that the phonograph was still giving off a quiet buzz. She carefully grabbed her lantern and stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She placed the lantern down on the ground as she wiped her face again, hiccuping. “Gummy…I’m so sorry…” She cried into her hoof as she desperately tried to calm down, “I promise…I’ll give you the proper burial you deserve one day…” she held back another sob, “Please forgive me for not being there for you…”She said as her shoulders shook. Her attempts at calming down were failing. The tears were pouring out stronger now. She just wanted to sit there and cry… Her mind snapped aware when she heard the buzzing grow louder, turning into the high pitched ringing. Whatever was setting it off was getting closer. That meant she didn’t have the time she needed to sit there and cry her heart out, she had to move or the fate that befell Gummy was going to befall her too. She hastily grabbed the lantern and ran across her room to the closet where she kept the balloon. The ringing grew louder. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. She grabbed the closet doors and ripped them out. A high pitched scream erupted as a white blur latched onto Pinkie’s face. Pinkie whirled her head around frantically as pain struck all around her face. She scrambled her hooves and rammed her head against the wall, erupting another screech from the blur. She whirled her head and flung it across the room. Pinkie breathed heavily as she felt blood trickling down the side of her face. She turned to look at her attacker, her eyes opening in shock. “Shkyyyaaaaaaaaaa…” Writhing on the floor was what looked like the upper half of a hairless young filly, its white skin beginning to rot on its bone, its two front hooves grasping for land as it flailed on its back, its eyes covered by a white bandanna as its black mouth opened, a long tongue flickering out as it let outs its wailing cry. The screech of the thing struck her ears harder than the loud ringing of her phonograph. Pinkie Pie was speechless upon seeing this creature. That thing resembled a filly…her stomach did a flip, a full grown pony was one thing… The creature found its way right-side up, its wailing screeches quieted down as it seemed to be tasting the air, its tongue flicking about. Pinkie winced as she tried to take a step back, only to find a wall there. The creatures head snapped to look straight at Pinkie Pie. It let out another wail as with shocking speed it began to crawl straight at her. In a blind rush she quickly jumped to the side, the creature slamming its head straight into the wall. It let out a wailing cry as it flailed its head in pain. Pinkie’s heart pounded in her throat as she watched the creature. Its wailing cry made it sound so pitiful. It had left a sizeable bloodstain on the wall and its head was bleeding profusely. It flailed its head back and forth. Pinkie wanted to reach out and help it, she wanted to stop its pain and let it know everything is alright… The creature let out a blood curdling scream and rushed at her again, its mouth clamped down hard on her leg. Pinkie cried out she flailed her leg trying to get the creature off, but it held on with a tight grip. She began to run around trying to shake the creature, but its grip seemed to get tighter. She couldn’t hear anything beyond her screams and the beating of her heart. She stopped next to a wall and slammed the creature hard against the wall. The creature was still there, she slammed it hard again. She slammed it again and again and again. Warm blood splattered against the wall and onto her coat. She slammed it with all of her might against the wall. The creature slid off as life escaped its body, collapsing onto the floor with a thud. Pinkie’s breath filled her lungs with fire as her body shook with adrenaline. She looked down at her bleeding leg and then at the creature she’d just finished off… “Oh no…oh no oh no oh no…” Pinkie said in a shaky breath as she stepped backwards from the creature. She hadn’t meant to kill it, did it deserve death? It had attacked her but was it the right thing to do? She sat on the ground panting, her body shaking, her mind reeling. She looked down at her body and saw the soft splatter of its blood against her coat. Her stomach flipped again and again, her contents about to come up. “What have I done…” she gasped trying to cool her burning lungs, “Why did it have to come to this?” She shook her head violently. She didn’t want any of this but it was happening…this was no dream that she could wake up from and it’d all go away…this was here and it was real. She took a deep breath as she tried to stand on her shaking legs. “Rainbow Dash…Rarity…Fluttershy…Applejack…Twilight…anypony…I need you right now…” she said shakily walking towards her closet. She grabbed the lantern and looked into the darkness. The Balloon was there, the basket holding the deflated balloon. Hope rose in her heart as she placed the lantern down and began to pull out the cloth from the basket… Large holes riddled the balloon. It wasn’t use-able for flight. Pinkie broke out in sobbing tears, crying into the hole-ridden cloth. The phonograph had finally stopped ringing.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:24:51+00:00

2011-07-11T02:24:51+00:00

Chapter 3 Pinkie Pie tenderly finished cleaning and wrapping her wounds. Her leg still throbbed from the bite wound, but at least now it would start to heal properly. She tested her weight on it; there was a small bit of pain but nothing she couldn’t handle. She could keep moving; she could run away if she had to. She looked at the note she had placed on her bed once more; it had been resting at the bottom of the balloon’s basket, as if it had been waiting for her to find it. Laughter and smiles of youth, Together as they find out truth. Dreams of the future are held, As fears of the past are expelled. She had been dwelling on this note since she’d found it. She knew it was a riddle…she wasn’t very good with riddles. But her mind had finally calmed down enough now to start thinking more coherently. Her brain was finally not reeling from horror long enough to take deciphering these words seriously. “…Well…I guess the first line means foals…foals finding truth? Like…learning?” That word sparked it for her, “Oh! This riddle is about a school.” She said rereading the riddle in context of a school and all the lines fit, “So…does that mean I should head for the school?” She asked herself. She looked around at the dilapidated room, the balloon that was torn apart, the body of half a filly… “…No reason to stay here.” She sighed as she packed the note into her bag before grabbing the lantern and heading outside. She shivered as she hit the cold, snowy air once more. She hadn’t realized how warm it was being inside of the buildings… She turned the lantern off and placed it back in the bag. She then began her gallop towards the school. She watched carefully from behind a tree as the lumbering form of the monster paced away from the entrance to the school. It looked just like the first monster she had encountered, the three legged groaner. ‘If there’s more than one of those things, maybe Groaner is a good thing to call them…’ she thought to herself. She had hoped the buzzing of her phonograph wouldn’t give her position away, but it didn’t seem to notice any sounds unless she made them. It soon began to lumber away into the fog, turning into a dark silhouette of itself. She figured now was the perfect time to move. She quickly made it to the front door of the school and pulled on the handle, trying to get inside quickly. The door jammed from the sound of it being locked. “W-What? It’s locked?” She said bewildered. She hadn’t expected it to be locked, not after that riddle had told her to come to the school. ‘Did I get the answer wrong?’ she asked herself as she looked at the door again. It was then that she noticed just above the handle was the lock, with the symbol of a star on it. It felt like a switch was flipped on in her head. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out the key Gummy had left for her, being careful not to undo the ribbon. She placed the key into the keyhole, it fitting perfectly. The door unlocked with a satisfying ‘click’ that made her smile softly. She went to grab the key to hold onto it again. The key turned into ash, the tiny pieces quickly falling to the ground. She stared in shock at the gift Gummy had given her. The only part that hadn’t turned to ash was the ribbon that floated down gently, landing on her outstretched hoof. “No…Gummy’s gift…” She said, her lip quivering as tears threatened to fall once more. She shook her head quickly, taking a deep breath of cold air as she calmed herself again. She’d already cried a lot…if she kept crying she wasn’t going to get out of this situation anytime soon. Besides, she still had the ribbon from the key… She very carefully tied the bow to the end of her mane. It still didn’t have its frizz to it, but tying it at the end helped make her feel like it was a little poofy again. The ribbon gave her comfort, she felt as if Gummy was right beside her while wearing it. She opened the school door and headed inside. To her surprise the area was fairly well lit, she had been expecting to need her lantern like at her house. The school seemed to have fared better than her house did, it had a thick layer of dust but the structure wasn’t nearly in as much disrepair. Lockers lined the walls as the hallways lead to classrooms, before her an opening to the main auditorium. Signs hung on the wall pointing out the direction to the gym, nurse’s office, Principal's office and the numbers of the classrooms. “Huh?” She said as her ear twitched upon hearing a sound. It sounded like the laughter of young foals. She turned her head in the direction of the sound, simply amazed at the sight. She could see the ghostly apparitions of two young foals playing in the hallway. They laughed and pranced around each other before running down the hallway in the direction of a classroom. Pinkie watched as they faded through the door to the classroom. She quickly turned her head to her bag and listened for the static of her phonograph…but it was silent. “…Well…maybe those ghosts aren’t monsters like the others…” she said quietly to herself. Perhaps if they weren’t monsters, they were a sign. She quickly followed after the foals, opening the door to classroom 104. The classroom was as quiet as the halls of the school, stagnant air mixed with a layer of dust. But the room gave Pinkie a sense of nostalgia; it was the classroom she had gone to when she had moved to Ponyville. Memories began to flood her mind. “Well Ms. Pinkamena Diane Pie, we recognize that you have been home schooled for most of your life, but upon testing you on the Ponyville Standardized Test your score was not high enough to acknowledge a graduate level pony. So we are requiring you to take at least one year of public school here in Ponyville.” The mayor explained to her. “W-What? I have to go to school?” Pinkie said pouting in her seat opposite the mayor’s desk. “But learning was so boring!” She stomped her hooves a little in her chair. “Now, now sis,” Octavia said reaching over and placing a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, “it won’t be that bad. Just think of all the new friends you’ll be able to make. You’ll have a lot more ponies to invite to your parties.” She said comfortingly. “But…but…” Pinkie said looking at her sister with pleading eyes. She already knew that she wanted to spread smiles as much and as far as she could, but this was her first time finding other ponies to be friends with to host a party for. She was rather intimidated by the thought that they wouldn’t like her parties. “Tell you what,” Octavia said with a comforting smile, “if it’s alright with the mayor, I’ll go to school with you. How does that sound?” “I don’t see why not.” The Mayor said nodding with a smile. “Really!? Oh my gosh you’re the best big sister ever!” Pinkie said hugging her dear sister with all her might, a big smile on her face. Octavia smiled in return as she petted her young filly sister. Pinkie smiled at the warm memory. It was one she hadn’t thought about in a long time. When Pinkie had decided to leave the farm Octavia was the one who had been the one willing to help her adjust to life outside of it. Her parents seemed to understand and stayed behind to let their kids experience the world. Octavia had been the biggest help to her while they were at school. She gave her the confidence boost to meet the new ponies and she made so many friends. She was also the reason she’d met Mr. and Mrs. Cakes and ended up staying with them. It was after that year of school that Octavia decided to leave on her own adventures, having discovered her love of the contrabass and classical music. She’d been sad to see her sister go, but understood she had to go live her own life. Besides, she’d left her in the care of some very wonderful friends. Pinkie walked down the rows of desk with a soft but warm smile on her face. The room certainly gave her plenty of happy memories to remember. She stopped before her old desk in remembrance, but noticed a piece of paper lying on top of it. “What’s this?” she asked before taking a quick breathe and blowing the dust off of the paper. Sitting on her desk was a little foals drawing. On it was the picture of a family smiling on a rock farm. She gently placed a hoof against it; it was one of her old drawings. She smiled as she remembered the fondness she had for doodling during class. She could see their old house in the background, her moth and father standing behind their kids in the foreground. She smiled at the cute scribbling of her and Octavia. “…Wait…” she said suddenly realizing something. She took her hoof away from the picture and stared at it. Something was wrong with this picture. She couldn’t put her hoof on it though… “It’s my family…what would give me the impression somethings wrong?” she stared at the happy family of four. She couldn’t fight the strong urge that there was something wrong with the picture. But no matter how she racked her brain, nothing seemed to come to mind. She scrutinized the picture carefully. “…I’m sure if Octavia was here she would know what the problem was.” Pinkie shook her head softly, “She always was the smartest of us. If we were ever in trouble she would always bail us ou-“ Her words stopped dead. “Alright fine, I’ll play with you, but only because you’re so insistent.” Her eyes shot back to the paper as she scanned it and counted the number of people in her family once more. “One, two, three, four…five?” She counted out loud as she pointed to an empty spot that should’ve contained her other sister. “Where’s Bellamina? Where’s my younger sister?” She scoured the picture for any sign of her. She wouldn’t have drawn a picture of her family without her…would she? “…Wait…come to think of it…when was the last time I thought about Bellamina?” she asked herself quietly. She remembered thinking about Octavia several times over the years, but she’d never thought about Bellamina…”Oh my gosh…I must be the worst sister in the world!” She said feeling so rotten for having forgotten about her other sister. She tried to recall memories of her sister desperately, but the only thing that came to mind was the story of how she got her cutie mark…but beyond that… She shook her head furiously trying to jog loose any memory, but she didn’t remember anything else. She looked down somberly before slamming a hoof against the ground. “I’m so so SO sorry Bellamina! I promise you; once I get out of here I’ll keep you in my thoughts!” Pinkie said determined now. She had to escape the horrors that had befallen Ponyville. She looked around the classroom, her eyes being drawn to the desk next to hers; the one Octavia had sat in during school. On the desk was a red circle with an X through it written with a red marker. She carefully grabbed the edge of the desk and opened the top of it, looking inside. Inside of the desk was a blue jewel carved into the shape of a contrabass. “…Wow…it’s beautiful…” Pinkie gasped examining the item. She wasn’t sure what it was doing there, but she had the strong feeling that it was something she was meant to keep. She picked it up carefully before placing it gently into her bag. She closed Octavia’s desk, before realizing she should check her desk as well. She was careful not to disturb the picture and opened hers as well. Inside was a red jewel in the shape of a balloon. She quickly placed it inside of her bag as well. She closed the desk and looked around. None of the other desks appeared to have anything of significance on them. She headed to the front of the class and checked the teacher’s desk. There was a note written on the desk: At the eve of the switch from night to morning, the red moon will shine. “Another riddle?” Pinkie asked aloud to no one. This one certainly made less sense then the last riddle she tried to solve. Off the top of her head she couldn’t figure out what this riddle was trying to tell her… She twirled her head towards the door when she heard the laughter of the foals coming from the hallway once more. She quickly exited the room and looked around the hallway for them. She saw them further down, playing with each other. She slowly approached them, trying to get a better look at the two little foals. However, once she got close enough they began to run down the hallway, she gave chase. The little foals didn’t run too far, they quickly made a turn into another room. Pinkie stopped in front of the door and read ‘Janitor’s Closet’ on the front. She heard a click come from the door, as if it had just been unlocked. She reached for the handle and opened it, walking into the closet. The room didn’t look anything like a Janitor’s Closet should, rather than shelves of items for cleaning it was a mostly empty room. At the end opposite the door stood a small knee-high pedestal, then behind it was what looked like a door with a clock and symbols around it, in-between two portraits of the princesses. “Oh! Is that lantern oil?” she said as she walked up to the small pedestal, noticing a small bottle of yellow liquid. She sniffed it real quick to confirm what it was before picking it up and placing it in her bag, “Good, that should keep me stocked for a while.” She then walked forward to take a closer look at the door. To the left of the door was a picture of Princess Luna, graciously drawn with her body in a circle, surrounding a small hole in the wall. Princess Celestia was drawn much the same way, also surrounding a small hole in the wall. “Wait…this hole…I know this shape.” She said having noticed something about the hole Celestia was surrounding. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out the red balloon jewel and fit it gently into the hole. It snapped into place with a satisfying click. “Then that means the other jewel must go here.” She said placing the blue contrabass underneath Luna’s picture. When the second jewel clicked into place, the clock moved forward out of the door a little, followed by the symbols placed in a circle around it. She looked carefully at the symbols; there were six pictures, three of suns, one red, one yellow, one blue and three moons, one white, one green and one red. “Wait…a clock and a moon…” The words from the teacher’s desk came to mind. “The eve of the switch from night to morning…night is pm; morning is am…they switch at twelve…and the red moon will glow at that time.” She placed her hand against the dial of symbols and turned it, placing the red moon so that it was directly above the number twelve on the clock. Then she moved the two hands of the clock to point at the number as well. The clock chimed twelve times as it and the dial moved back into the door, before the door moved up and rose into the ceiling opening the path. Pinkie quickly walked into the next room. “Huh?” She said as her ear twitched. She heard a very quiet sound, like it was a sound coming from Ponyville itself. She recognized it as a siren, a siren was blaring in the distance. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but she had the gut instinct it didn’t mean anything good. She focused on the room before her. She regretted it instantly. The room itself gave off the stench of it rotting, the ceiling was brown with missing tiles, the walls were a mess of peeling rotted walls, and the floor was covered in dirt, mold and grime. Holes littered the room, revealing a mesh of iron grating behind them, apparently the foundation holding the room together. Two dead ponies hung from the corners of the room, their bodies wrapped in some kind of cloth, but their blood splattered the wall and floors next to them. They hung by chains and metal that kept them suspended. On the wall between them was a single word written in their blood. Run She didn’t need to be told twice as she ran out of the room. She ran out of the janitor’s closet and back into the hallway. “W-Wait…what happened to the light?” She asked as the hallway she entered was pitch black. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out her lantern. The flame came to life illuminating the hallway. She gasped as the hallway was no longer that of the calm and quiet schools, but instead was made of the same dilapidated materials as the room she’d just escaped. Everything was rotting, held together by a metal grating. The grime covered the floor in splotches and blood caked the walls. Hanging bodies of ponies were visible at various intervals down the hall. The smell of so much rotting gagged Pinkie; if not for the lantern in her mouth she would’ve lost her stomach. The sound of static hit her ears next. Her heart started pounding as she next heard footsteps echoing down the hall. She turned to the direction of footsteps, listening to the hiss of static grow louder as the footsteps grew closer. Her brain was screaming at her to run, listen to the wall and put every force of power into her hooves… But she seemed stuck, almost glued to the spot. This feeling wasn’t like the other monsters. This sensation was piercing down right into her very soul. This feeling was biting into her and was forcing her feet to stay. The edge of the light hit the creature. It walked further into the edge of her light and she felt her heart stop for just a brief moment. It was one of the monsters of her nightmare. It was a tall, slender pony that towered over her. It had no face; its skin clung to its face and body as if they were attached directly to its bones. It was pale, deathly pale, accentuated by the black suit and red tie it wore on its torso. It continued to take slow careful steps toward her; every hoof step echoed in her brain like it was trying to grate her mind. The Phonograph erupted into its loud high pitched ringing as she felt a pain strike her mind. She finally felt herself no longer glued to the spot and with every ounce of strength she turned around and ran. Her heart jumped to her throat and beat away a mile a minute as her hoofs connected loudly with every single step she took. She didn’t care about the grime or the bodies she passed, she had to get away. Her mind grated with the feeling of a haze that the creature seemed to bring with its presence. The loud ringing of the phonograph seemed to be the only thing that kept her in any state of mind to run as fast as she could. She rounded a corner with lightning speed. She was putting everything into this; she knew she could run fast, she could keep up with, if not out-run Rainbow Dash at times. She had to be losing the Slender Pony, she had to be escaping. She dared to look over her shoulder. It was keeping up with her. It seemed to only be walking, somehow the slow paced canter it strutted kept up, and his whole being seemed to slide towards her, as if there was no escaping. Her mind reeled and she whipped her head forward trying to go faster. She had to turn another corner. Her hoof caught under one of her legs and she nearly fell. She scrambled her legs and took off again. “SHKYAAAAAA” A blood curdling scream bellowed out before her as she saw half of a white filly start to crawl straight for her. She jumped over it, its tongue passing over one of her hooves as it tried to bite her. The screams of the filly were cut short as she heard the sound of it being crushed by the monster chasing her. Her stomach hit her heart inside of her throat as her lungs burned. Her mind was reeling and the haze was growing. ‘I can’t escape I can’t escape I can’t escape I can’t escape I CAN’T ESCAPE’ the words yelled and flung themselves to the very corners of her mind. She felt it: She was about to die. This monster was about to kill her and there was nothing she could do about it… Her eyes flung open as she saw at the end of the hallway an open door. ‘An exit!?’ Her mind screamed as she continued to book it. She raced as fast as she could, trying to ignore the constant looming presence of the threat behind her. She had to get to that door! She was almost there! Just a little closer! Just a little closer! She was going to make it! She jumped, passing straight through the open door and skidding to a halt inside of the room. Her heart instantly sank as she looked around. The room was a square with one entrance, no exit. She had jumped straight into a dead end with that monster behind her. She looked around frantically; the room was adorned with party decorations: multi colored streamers, balloons caked with blood, vile looking snacks, poorly wrapped and rotting gifts, hanging ponies at every corner, a seal of blood drawn out on the floor. She instantly turned around, watching as the Slender Pony gradually walked into the room. The only opening to the room sealed shut with an iron gate behind it. There was no escaping it now. She was trapped in the same room as this monster. She dropped the lantern from her mouth, no longer able to hold onto it as she panted frantically. The lantern rolled to the center of the room, turning itself up right and in the center of the blood drawn seal. The seal lit up with a red glow filling the whole room with light. She could see the red hued Slender Pony as it walked towards her. “STAY BACK.” She yelled as she ran to the gifts. She began grabbing them one by one and throwing them at the Pony. The gifts struck the pony and seemed to stun him for a moment. But as the gifts hit him, they fell to the ground and burst into a pile of ash. They slowed his walk down for a moment, but soon they didn’t even phase him. She grabbed the last gift and tossed it with all her might, straight at his head. It struck him before blowing up into a pile of ash. Pinkie cried out in pain as she felt like her forehead was splitting open as her vision hazed into oblivion. She stomped her hooves down and ran blindly in a direction away from the pony. Her vision returned as she felt blood trickling down between her eyes, dripping off of her nose. He’d opened up a fresh wound on her head. She grabbed the table holding the vile snacks on top of it and tossed it to the ground. She raised her hind legs up and with all her might she kicked the table straight at the Slender Pony. The whole table struck him and pushed him back. He hit the wall as the table seemed to hold him in place for a moment. Pinkie panted as she stared at the creature. He got up. He pushed the table gently and the table fell apart as a pile of ash. Pinkie’s legs gave way under her as she fell to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed in pain and exhaustion. She couldn’t fight this monster. It was too much. Her mind reeled and wanted to accept her death. Her body couldn’t take it, her mind couldn’t take it. She felt her mind begin to hurt worse, the Slender Pony was drawing closer. She couldn’t look at him, she sobbed with her eyes closed shut just wanting the horror to end once and for all. The pain stopped. The hoof steps of the Pony had stopped getting closer. The ringing of the Phonograph was dyeing down. Pinkie dared to open her eyes and looked up. He was still there, but he had stopped its assault on her. He looked like he was looking away from her, at some something she couldn’t see… That’s when she heard it. The siren. The siren was going off again in the distance. The Slender Pony put one of its lifted hooves to the ground and turned to look at Pinkie. She braced for whatever he was going to do, but he just stood there. Then, slowly, he lowered his head into his suit and pulled out a small brown box. He placed it on the ground before turning around and walking away from her. The light in the room dimmed until it was pitch black. Light from her lantern began to bring a gentle glow to the room. Pinkie hiccuped, taking in a huge breath of air that burned her lungs again. She could feel her heart still racing at top speed as she began to get her bearings. The room wasn’t the one she had just been in. It looked like a normal basement. It had pipes and fixtures that controlled water and heating throughout the building. Her lantern lay on its side in the middle of the room, glowing with its gentle flame. The brown box was still where the Slender Pony had left it. Words failed Pinkie. She didn’t have the strength to get up at the moment. She lowered her head and let herself sob again.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:25:41+00:00

2011-07-11T02:25:41+00:00

Chapter 4 The world was quiet. Her hair floated around her face; she didn’t feel the sting of her wounds here. Everything felt the same like this. It seemed almost as if all her cares were a mile away… The last of her oxygen left her mouth and flew past her face. Her lungs began to burn. She wanted to hold it for a little longer, but her body defied her. Pinkie gasped, taking in a huge breath of air as she surfaced from the bucket of water. She panted heavily as she tried to relax and calm her beating heart. She had just survived staring death in its face. That thing…that monster…that…Slender Pony…she knew just getting close to it was a death wish. When it had gotten close her mind had fallen into a haze unlike she’d ever experienced before…then there was the head-splitting pain… She gingerly touched her re-wrapped head wounds. The cuts from the attack in her room had started to heal, but the slender pony had left a deep gash down the middle of her forehead. But she’d survive, the cut only stung a little now and that would fade soon. The bandages on her leg had also needed to be changed. All that running had reopened the bite wound and her leg was currently throbbing as it recovered. She shook her head and mane, casting the water off of her head. That soak had relaxed her some, but she was still inside of that school. The school where she had been chased inside of that…that…the only word that came to her mind that could describe it was as an ‘Otherworld’, one that was separate yet almost the same… She lowered her head and started gulping down the bucket of water. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was at first, but she remembered how much crying and running she’d been doing and suddenly her throat felt as dry as a desert. She very quickly emptied the bucket of its contents. Her tongue lapped at the bottom of the bucket expectantly, but there was no more water to be had. She softly sighed as she pulled her head back up and looked around at the empty cafeteria she was in. She was able to imagine back when it was in pristine condition, all the little foals that would gather around, eating lunch as they took a break from their day of learning. Friends would share gossip stories, adventures in the games they were playing at home, some would doodle, some would spend time by themselves, but lunchtime and recess were always the foals’ favorite part of school. “Those days are long gone in this place, aren’t they?” Pinkie sighed as she stared at the empty, dust covered room. The tables had been empty and abandoned for a long time now and no foals visited these halls. Even the brief glimpse at the playful ghost foals had gone away and left the empty silence. She took a soft breath and picked up the red ribbon, she had taken it off to soak her head. She gently tied it into a bow at the end of her mane once more. She was growing very fond of this ribbon, not only being a gift from Gummy; it seemed to give her a sense of normalcy during these calm moments, when she just had time to herself. It seemed to put her mind at a bit of ease just knowing it was there. “I guess…” she said taking a deep breath and turning her head, “All that’s left to do now is…open this box…” She said looking at the brown box that sat next to the bucket. She hadn’t looked inside of it; in fact she had wanted to leave it there. Even more she wanted to smash it; she wanted to destroy the box. Anything that Slender Pony had to offer just made her stomach twist in anger. But forces beyond her understanding compelled her to bring it with her. She had put it down to get some water and now that she had finished it, it sat there mocking her. “…Maybe I can smash it after I find out what’s inside.” She reasoned with herself, giving herself enough confidence to finally open it. She carefully lifted open the brown lid, half expecting it to burst into fire upon her touching it. The lid slid off easily as she looked inside it. “…W-why is this in here?” She said as she stared in shock at what sat inside the box. It was the key to Sugar Cube Corner. “Why would he have this? Why would he give it to me?” The questions racked Pinkie’s mind, but no answers came. She had just come from that area, after all her home was right above Sugar Cube corner. “I-I can’t believe I forgot to check on the store itself!” Pinkie kicked herself mentally. She looked at the key again, then remembered what she had seen in her room and sighed, “No…I can believe I didn’t check it. Not after that filly attacked me…I did want to get out of there as quickly as I could.” She carefully picked up the key and placed it in her bag. She had to go back and find out what had happened to Sugar Cube Corner now. She then carefully replaced the lid on the brown box, before picking it up and dropping it on the ground. She lifted her good leg and smashed the box under hoof. It let off a satisfying crunch as she crushed it. The snow had started to pile up thickly at her hooves. The town looked like it had a white blanket covering it. Every part of the town had snow on it, the streets, the roofs and the trees…Pinkie had never seen the town covered in the snow this way before. There had always been ponies that made sure the town was still useable during the winter, clearing the streets and making sure the snow didn’t pile up too thickly… Each step gave a crunch in the snow, as the cold ground sank underneath her. She shivered even more now, wishing she had brought some winter clothes to keep warm. Normally she did well in the cold, but the snow kept wetting her coat. She could feel ice starting to form at the base of her legs. Sugar Cube Corner finally came into view. She sighed in relief; she had seen groaners in the distant fog but none had come close to her, she had managed to make it here only suffering from the cold. She went up to the door of her favorite bakery and gently tried to open it. The door was locked, as she had expected. So even if she had tried to check on it earlier she would have just had to move on. She carefully pulled the key to store out of her bag and placed it into the lock, the door unlocking. Pinkie watched as the key turned to ash, just as the school key had before it. She just let out a soft sigh as she pushed open the door, stepping inside. As she expected, Sugar Cube Corner was dark, just like her room had been. Scant amount of light entered the room as she looked around. She quickly reached into her bag, pulling out the lantern. She was thankful she had refilled it with the oil back at the cafeteria as she set the flame alight. To her surprise, Sugar Cube Corner looked fine. There were no pastries on the shelves or counters, but there was a lack of dust and decay. In fact, the place was even decorated. There were ribbons and banners and balloons set up all around the shop. There was a table set up for holding snacks and punch, several games placed in various locations as well as a pile of presents on another table. There was a banner tied from one pole to the other above it all that read, ‘Welcome Pinkie Pie’. “Are these decorations for me?” Pinkie asked placing her lantern down on a table so it could illuminate the room. “Oh! Do we have a guest? I love guests!” Came a voice that sounded all too familiar. Pinkie stopped as she looked around, she hadn’t heard ANY ponies voice since she’d entered this horrible place and she was suddenly filled with hope. “Yes! You do have a guest! It’s me! Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie Pie quickly called out excitedly, wanting to meet the other pony right now. “Where are you? Come on out! I promise I’m not like those monsters outside!” “Oh, really?” The voice chuckled, “It’s just so hard to tell these days who is and isn’t.” The voice said cheerfully. “Please, will you come out? I’d really like to see your face.” Pinkie said, she didn’t care that the voice seemed to sound familiar; she just wanted to see the pony. “Okie-dokie-loki! Since you asked so nicely!” A blob of darkness in the corner of the room began to move, it seemed to manifest into the form of a pony before Pinkie’s eyes. The shadows surrounding the pony faded as light soon gave her a form. Pinkie gasped in shock, covering her mouth with a hoof. “What’s the matter? You seem surprised to see me! You said your name was Pinkie Pie right? What a coincidence! My name’s Pinkie Pie too!” There was no doubt about it, the bright pink coat, the frizzed up curly mane and tail, the blue and yellow balloons for a cutie mark, the bouncing bubbly attitude…it was Pinkie Pie. “But that’s going to get confusing if we BOTH start calling each other Pinkie Pie!” She explained as she stopped bouncing for a moment, thinking about, “We should give you a nickname!” “W-What…but I’m…” Pinkie couldn’t think of anything to say. Why was there two of her? And this Pinkie didn’t seem to be suffering at all from any sadness or despair, she wasn’t covered in any bandages and she didn’t look hurt. This Pinkie looked exactly like she did before the nightmares had started to affect her, and this town wasn’t helping her. “Oh! I see your hair is down, does that mean you’re sad? You must be! The only time my hair goes down is when I’m sad! We can call you Saddie Pie!” The happy version of Pinkie bounced again, “Why are you sad Saddie Pie? Did someone steal your sweets? You can always make more you know!” She giggled merrily, “Oh! I know what’ll turn that frown upside-down! Let’s have some cupcakes!” “C-cupcakes?” Pinkie asked a little hesitantly, “But…I want to get out of this town…” “Awww, you want to go?” Happy Pinkie Pie said, tilting her head, “But you only just got here! Come on! There’s so much fun for us to have!” She bounced over to a door on the side of Sugar Cube Corner, one that led to the basement. She opened the door then turned back around, “Come on and follow me! We’ll have lots of fun! Then we’ll make those Cupcakes!” The happy Pinkie Pie bounced into the darkness of the stairs, disappearing from sight. Pinkie just stared in disbelief as the second Pinkie disappeared from sight. She couldn’t believe her own eyes. Surely she was the only Pinkie Pie…right? She had to find out why there was a second Pinkie Pie. She grabbed the lantern and slowly began to follow down the stairs to the basement. She could hear the constant giggling of herself far down in the darkness. For some reason, she might have preferred the silence… She hit the bottom of the stairs and looked up, expecting to see the basement. Instead there was a long hallway before her, with a series of four wooden doors along it with a final wooden door at the end. “Come on come on! Let’s play already!” The chipper voice echoed throughout the hallway. Pinkie couldn’t tell which direction it had come from. She slowly walked up to the first door and opened it, entering slowly. Inside the room she got a shock, as she saw the familiar look the living room from the farm. “Here…you should eat something.” The ghostly image of her father had placed a bowl of soup before a ghostly image of her younger self, wrapped up in a blanket. “…I’m not hungry…” her younger self had softly muttered in response. She bundled herself up tighter into the blanket. “You haven’t eaten anything since you got back…please, you have to eat.” Her father sat down on the couch next to his daughter. “…I don’t ever want to eat again…” Young Pinkie said, her voice quivering with fear. Her father placed his head around his shaking daughter, holding her close to his body. The images faded away. The room was quiet as Pinkie stared at the images she had just seen. ‘Was that…a memory?’ she asked herself. It wasn’t a memory she could remember. The words her father had spoken felt ominous, but she couldn’t think of why they would seem that way. She saw something out of the corner of her eye, looking down on the table where the soup had been placed. On top of it was a green tile with the image of a cat on it. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but she felt it was something important. She made sure to quickly grab it and place it inside of her bag. She then exited the room, closing the door behind her. “You do want to have fun, don’t you?” Came the cheerful voice that echoed through the hallway once again. Pinkie ignored it for the moment, opening the door across from the first one. Inside the door she saw an interrogation room, one she would’ve seen at the local authorities when she was little. “Can’t you see she’s been through a lot?” The ghostly image of her mother told a ghostly police colt, as she hugged her pink daughter, “Your questions are upsetting her!” The pink filly was shaking in her mother’s arms. “I apologize profusely…we’re not trying to scare her, but we need to know what happened.” The colt said reassuringly. “You need to give my daughter time,” her father said adamantly, “This has been a tough time…for all of us.” “We understand, and you have our condolences, but if we need to know the details. Once we do, we can bring this whole affair to an end quickly.” The colt returned. The images faded from the room once more, leaving behind a pink tile on the interrogation table. It was another scene that didn’t exist in her memories. This one confused her more than the last one, not knowing what reason she would have to be in an interrogation room like that… She examined the tile, seeing that it had the picture of a bird on it. She quickly placed it inside of her bag before exiting this room as well. “Ooooh, you’re going to make me wait, aren’t you?” The chipper Pinkie Pie voice echoed in the hallway, sounding dissapointed. Pinkie softly shook her head. The voice of that other Pinkie was unsettling to her. Hearing herself talk without it being her just felt…unnatural. She carefully walked to the next door, opening it and stepping inside. This time she saw her bedroom from the farm. Three beds filled the room, one for each of them as their parents had slept in a different room. “Come on sis…you need to get some sleep…it’s getting late.” The ghostly image of her older sister Octavia was trying to comfort the young pink filly. They were sleeping in the same bed as her sister hugged her tightly, “I know you’re having a hard time…but I’m here…you know I won’t let anything happen to you.” The young pink filly began to sob into Octavia’s coat. The two of them embraced as the images faded once more. On the bed sat a red tile with the picture of a snake on it. Pinkie wiped away a tear that had begun to form at the edge of her eye. She didn’t know why these emotions were welling up inside of her, the images were too real to not be true…but why couldn’t she remember them? She carefully placed the red tile in her bag before exiting the room. “Come ooooon…I’ve prepared a party for you and everything!” She still sounded happy, but like she was getting impatient. Pinkie shook her head softly; she had to see what was in this other door now. That other Pinkie could wait. She opened the final door on the sides of the hallway, stepping into a room that had its walls painted like the sky, the ground was covered in sand and rocks. It looked like the outside of the rock farm. “So…you’re sure this is what you want?” Her ghostly father asked once again. “Yea…it is. I just…I don’t think I should stay here anymore.” Her younger self responded slowly. “I understand.” Her mother commented, standing next to her father, “Just please be careful out there. I know you’ll have Octavia with you.” “Are you sure you guys don’t want to come? I don’t know if I’ll be coming back either.” Octavia said looking from her younger sister to her parents. “I was left this farm by my father; I can’t just leave it now.” Their father shook his head slowly, “This farm is my whole life now, good and bad memories alike. So I hope you can forgive us for not coming with you. Just please be safe.” “Don’t worry father, I’ll guarantee that nothing shall happen.” Octavia smiled. “We trust you Octavia.” Her mother nodded, tears in her eyes. The images faded away, a blue tile with a fish on it sat in the middle of the room. ‘That was when we left the farm, wasn’t it?’ Pinkie thought remembering having left the farm with her parent’s approval…but she hadn’t remembered that conversation before they had left. Yet…she was sure it had happened. All of these images were experiences she’d had when she was younger…yet she had forgotten them. ‘Why would I have forgotten these memories?’ She asked herself as she walked over to the blue tile, before placing it in her bag. ‘There must be a good reason for why I have forgotten…maybe…maybe that other Pinkie Pie knows…’ She thought to herself as she exited the room. The other Pinkie Pie voice huffed softly, “You’re not very fun Saddie Pie! If I was told I was being thrown a party I would just go straight to it!” The voice sounded like her patience was wearing thin. Pinkie walked down the rest of the length of the hallway, reaching the door at the end of it. She pushed the door open, walking inside. “Oh! There you are! I was afraid you’d gotten lost somehow! Which would be weird, how do you get lost in a straight hallway? I mean I’m sure there’s a way but you sure have delayed the party!” The other Pinkie stood in the middle of the room, illuminated by a lantern that hung from the ceiling. The rest of the room was pitch black except for the circle of light that showed where she was. Pinkie carefully turned off her lantern, before storing it back in her bag and then turning to face herself. “Tell me…you know what those images were about, don’t you?” She asked as seriously as she could. The other pinkie frowned, “What? You made me wait for that? That’s not very nice.” She said giving a huff, “But I’ll forgive you! After all now that you’re here we can have fun together!” She bounced happily. “Please! I want to have fun as much as you do…but I can’t enjoy myself until I find some answers.” Pinkie shook her head, “What happened to Ponyville? Why are there monsters? Why am I seeing the images I’m seeing? I want nothing more than to go back to throwing parties and hanging out with my friends…” she lowered her head a little, “But I can’t…not so long as all these questions are eating me up inside.” The other Pinkie stopped bouncing and just seemed to frown. “Fine, I see how it is.” The other Pinkie turned around, “I guess I’ll just have to remove that sadness from you Saddie Pie.” Pinkie blinked in confusion. She had no idea what the other Pinkie meant, but she hadn’t answered any of her burning questions… Her thoughts were stopped as her heart sunk. Her ears could hear the siren going off. The light in the room was dimming, turning it pitch black slowly. ‘Oh no…oh no no no no no no no!’ She thought beginning to panic as the light faded completely. She tried to brace herself for anything, the world was changing; she could feel it shifting under her hooves. As the siren began to die out, the lantern began to flicker back to life, re-illuminating the spot the other Pinkie was standing. The ground around them had turned into the rotting, grime-covered floor that had appeared the first time she had heard the siren. The other Pinkie Pie was still standing where she had been; the only difference now was that she was wearing a strange dress with wings… As the other Pinkie began to turn around, the phonograph began to come to life with static. “You know…” the other Pinkie spoke up, “playing with myself really might be the most fun I’ll ever have.” She let out a soft chuckle, turning around fully to give Pinkie a full view of the outfit, “I’ll have to make it last…but all things do come to an end.” Pinkie stared at the outfit, beginning to notice details about it she wish she hadn’t. The wings on the back, 6 in total, were each a different color and were crudely stitched on. Around her neck was a necklace with multiple unicorn horns dangling from it. The cloth her dress was made out of looked like a patchwork quilt made of leather, each square of the dress had a different cutie mark on it. “Oh, do you like my dress?” The other Pinkie noticed her gaping stare. The other Pinkie angled her body to show it off better, “I’m so glad you like it, I worked very hard to make it. It wasn’t easy getting everything to be so intact. Ponies really like to squirm you know.” She laughed as she gently played with one of her wings, “I’m quite proud of how it came out too. But I must admit, I see something I can add to it that would make it even better!” The lantern grew brighter, illuminating more of the room, revealing a table that had been hiding in the darkness. The other Pinkie turned and walked towards the table, reaching into a medical bag that was placed on the table. From the bag she pulled out a large, sharp butcher’s knife. “Now be a good pony and hold still will you? I don’t want to mess up that beautiful Cutie Mark of yours.” The other Pinkie said as if it was a natural thing, before putting the butcher’s knife in her mouth. The phonograph began to let out its wailing rings. Pinkie’s heart felt like it had stopped. She couldn’t even comprehend everything that this other Pinkie was saying. But it was very clear that the other Pinkie wasn’t going to give her a chance, as the other Pinkie began to charge full gallop at her. The other Pinkie appeared to be aiming for her legs. She jumped out of the way, as the knife came close to cutting deep into her. She tried to back up away from the other Pinkie, into the darkness when she hit something hard. She looked behind her, and as if following her eyes the lantern hanging from the ceiling glowed brighter, revealing the entire room to her. She had run into the dried remains of a pony hanging from the ceiling by a butchers hook. She jumped away, not wanting to even touch it as her eyes quickly began to see the decorations of the room. She felt her stomach reach her throat. Pony bodies hung from several parts of the room, their bodies dried and caked pools of blood lay underneath them. Skulls decorated the walls, while the furniture was made up of bones and skin, balloons floated that were dyed with blood, streamers and ribbons had been given the same treatment, piles of body parts and organs lay stacked in the corners of the room. On the table with the medical bag, appearing from the darkness that had hid it before was a plate adorned with four foals surrounded it, with a pile of cupcakes in the center of the plate. Her ears twitched as she heard the galloping of hooves and jumped into the air, as the sound of a blade being swung struck the body she had run into. Pinkie ran away from the twisted version of herself, panting heavily as she galloped to the other side of the room. She turned around, watching as the other her pulled the knife out of the body. “Saddie Pie, this isn’t any fun if you just keep running!” The other Pinkie said cheerfully, pulling the knife out of the body, “I admire you though; you have the will to fight! I like that in a pony.” She chuckled happily as she placed the knife back into her mouth. The other Pinkie said everything in that same, happy voice. It terrified her, thinking that such things could be said with such a happy tone. That Pinkie had every intention of killing her, and not quickly; it was obvious she wanted to make it a slow, painful process. The other Pinkie was charging again. She could dodge it from this distance though; she jumped out of the way, avoiding Pinkie. “GAH” She cried out as a searing pain sailed across her right leg. She stumbled away as she looked at the other Pinkie, who was giggling, blood dripping from the end of the butcher’s knife. The other Pinkie had tilted her head and changed her direction when she had dodged. The knife had cut deeply into her leg; she could feel the blood trickling down her leg. With a playful hoof stomp, the other Pinkie broke into another charge straight for her. She mustered all her strength to jump away again. “GAAAAH” she let out another painful cry as a gash cut down on her back leg, causing her to trip and collapse on the ground. Her leg twitched in pain as the gash reached diagonally down half her leg. She was severely bleeding now; the other Pinkie was able to maneuver too well for her to dodge. The attacks had all but immobilized her movement now. “I give you an A for the effort, but a C for the execution. That gives you a good round B!” The other Pinkie cheered happily for her. “I do hope you won’t completely give up once you lose your legs though! I know it’ll be tough, but keep on fighting!” The twisted words sounded so cheerful it sickened Pinkie. She turned her head to watch the other Pinkie put the knife back in her mouth. She had come up to her from behind and was raising her head now. She was going to bring the knife down, bring down right into her leg. With all of her might she pulled her back leg in, as the other Pinkie began to throw her head down with all her might to chop the leg off, Pinkie bucked the leg with all of her might into the other Pinkie’s jaw. A loud crack sounded through the room as Pinkie felt the body of the other Pinkie fly backwards, away from her. She heard a loud thud, followed by the clanging of the knife hitting the hard ground. She panted in pain, trying not to focus too much on her bleeding legs. She turned her head weakly to look in the direction the other Pinkie had flown. The other Pinkie groaned, having landed on her back. She rolled over, lying on the ground as her head wobbled. Her mouth was bleeding severely. She coughed and hacked, bits of teeth and chunks of blood flying out. She panted as best she could through the blood oozing out of her mouth, turning to look at the Pinkie she had attacked. “Nicbth…truhth…” The other Pinkie tried to speak, but she just sputtered out what sounded like nonsense. She looked in pain as she tried to speak, but she slowly got to her wobbly hooves. Pinkie slowly got to her hooves as well. Putting weight on her injured legs made her body cry out in pain for relief, but she did her best to silence the cries. “Ahlbth…finthith…yoobth…” The other Pinkie sputtered out more blood, as she gripped the butcher’s knife as best she could with her hoof, dragging it along the ground as she began to walk towards Pinkie. Pinkie took in sharp breaths of air as she concentrated on the vile Pink mare before her. The other Pinkie began to pick up the pace, before going out into a full on run straight for Pinkie. She seemed groggy, but determined, to bring that knife down into Pinkie’s flesh. Pinkie had aimed the uninjured half of her body at the other Pinkie, bringing her hind hoof up once more. The butcher’s knife was raised into the air, sparks flying as it had scrapped along the ground. The frantic rush of the other Pinkie was closing in, ready to strike down. For a moment, everything seemed to hold still, right on the edge of death, two forces that never should’ve met collided. The butcher’s knife flew through the air, impaling itself into the ground. A loud crunching sound broke through the air. Pinkie’s hind leg had struck, landing with all its might straight into its victim’s throat. The other Pinkie’s eyes shrunk as her wind pipe was crushed, her forward energy being matched by the stopping force of the kick. Her body betrayed itself and swung itself free of the ground, her whole being shifting out from under the power of the kick and hitting the ground with a hard thud. That Pinkie jerked and twitched on the ground, as it tried with all its might to get air from its broken wind pipe, only to be filled with blood that poured freely from the neck. She jerked and squirmed, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. It seemed to last for an eternity, but the body finally stopped squirming as life escaped it. The only thing that could be heard was the loud panting of Pinkie Pie, her phonograph had gone silent. She stared at the corpse that lay before her. She saw herself dead, killed by her own hoof. She seemed to be numb to the pain that was trying to coarse through her body, her mind beginning to fall into a haze from the amount of blood she was losing down her legs. It seemed…insignificant at the moment. All she could do was stare numbly at the lifeless body before her. Nothing else seemed to even exist in the world. However, her mind finally began to receive the signals her body was sending. She needed medical attention. Her legs became shaky as she finally began to take her first step. She limped, putting as little pressure on her injured legs as possible, over to the medical bag. She carefully pried it open, looking inside. There were many sharp instruments, scalpels, syringes filled with a strange liquid, even a saw for cutting bones. However, she saw a roll of gauze bandages. She carefully grabbed it, pulling it out of the bag. She unrolled the length of it, before carefully, but tightly, wrapping it around her wounds. She wrapped slowly, but surely, wrapping up the large cut on her hind leg, then the smaller cut on her front leg. The bandages quickly soaked with blood, but they would seal her wounds for the time being. She placed the remaining gauze inside of her bag and then turned towards the exit. She slowly limped her way back into the grimy hallway, walking past the steel doors. She carefully began to climb up the stairs, her wounds slipping once or twice due to the grime that had grown all over them. The climb was slow, her body ached with pain and exhaustion, but she made it to the top. She slowly walked across the rotting floor of Sugar Cube Corner, heading straight to one of the grime covered counters. In a dry spot on the counter sat a brown bottle, the label of it called it a ‘Health Drink’. Pinkie’s dulled mind pulled the cap of it off with her mouth, before taking it and drinking the whole thing. The drink tasted like a mix of bitter herbs and strawberries for flavor, it was a lot like drinking medicine. But her body was grateful to have the liquid inside of her. She placed the empty bottle back down on the counter and slowly trudged to the middle of Sugar Cube Corner. She laid down, panting heavily, as the haze of her mind finally came to a stop as she went into an uncomfortable sleep.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:26:22+00:00

2011-07-11T02:26:22+00:00

Chapter 5 A groan escaped Pinkie’s lips. That had not been a restful sleep by any stretch of the imagination. She rubbed her throbbing head as she began to stand up. Her body was wracked with aches the moment she tried. She laid back down and took several deep breaths, her senses being hit with the overwhelming stench of decay. She pulled her head away from the ground coughing as the stench tried to gag her. Her eyes shot open as she tried to look around; however, it was far too dark for her to be able to see anything. She fumbled around in her backpack reaching for her lantern before pulling it out and turning it on. The floor she sat on was a mess of rotting wood and grime, the normal pristine floors of Sugar Cube Corner had become one with the otherworld now. She lifted her head up to look around, seeing the walls and furniture were also rotting away, bodies of ponies hung from the corners of the room, bad confectionaries were placed on various counters on the shop. Pinkie quickly turned her head away, closing her eyes from the images. She had seen so much of it already, yet it still wasn’t any easier to see any of this. She had kind of wished that waking up would’ve made this whole place go away, as if it were just some bad dream. “At least I wasn’t attacked by a monster…” she groaned as she began to stand up onto her wobbly feet. She looked down at the blood soaked bandages that covered her legs. Images of herself attacking her assaulted her mind, as the events replayed in her mind. She remembered each cut, then of her own hoof ending the life of herself. A pang of guilt coursed through her. She hadn’t wanted to kill her, but in her state of self-defense she hadn’t been given any other option. If only this town hadn’t warped everything, if only things went back to the way they always were… “Wait!” Pinkie said as a thought reached her mind. She looked around Sugar Cube Corner once more, before looking down at her feet, viewing the grime-riddled floor. “Sugar Cube Corner didn’t look this way when I came in…” she said aloud as she began to realize what was happening around her, “Which means…oh no…that siren didn’t go off again! I’m still in this…otherworld!” Pinkie began to panic as the realization hit. “No…no no no, calm down Pinkie!” Pinkie said sitting herself down taking in deep breaths, “If you panic then nothing good will happen!” She shook her head, before gently tapping it with her hooves, “Stay calm…stay calm and just…just think.” Her heartbeat began to slow down as she managed to rationalize with herself. “Okay…okay first things first…” she said as she looked at her legs, “I need to change these bandages…” she reached into her bag and grabbed the bandages she’d put in there from before. She quickly unwrapped her wounds, inspecting each of them to make sure they were healing properly before reapplying fresh bandages. She used up the last of her gauze, but she felt satisfied with the fresh wrappings. “It’d probably be better if I had some disinfectant…but I gotta work with what I have.” She sighed softly. “So now what?” She asked herself as she reached into her backpack and pulled out her map. She unfurled it to try and see where she should go. She gasped in shock. The map was blank now. The entire map only consisted of one word, Nowhere “Nowhere? I’m not anywhere?” She asked herself confused. She pressed against the map looking for any clue as to what happened to the old one, but there were no clues to be had. Letting out a defeated sigh, she placed the map bag into her bag. “I…guess I should get a look at my surroundings…before I decide where to go next.” She softly gulped down a bit of anxiety. She wasn’t sure what to expect outside now that the siren hadn’t turned the world back to normal. “Alright…you’ve been through a lot already Pinkie…you can handle this…” she softly motivated herself as she gripped the lantern in her mouth, standing up. She headed for the door and softly pushed it open, expecting a blast of cold air. Walking out of the store, she found that all of Ponyville had succumbed to the otherworld. The entire street was paved with the rotting floor, littered with holes that showed the metal framing that held it together above a dark bottomless pit. The houses had mutated into decrepit, rust-colored shacks that were falling apart at the seams. The fog still only illuminated part of the town, but was now as black as the sky. The only light that penetrated the area was that which came from her lantern. She carefully looked around, before stepping down from the front steps of the shop. She didn’t have any idea of where she should head first. The other version of herself hadn’t dropped any clues, and if she had she didn’t want to go back to find it. Suddenly, a loud thud hit her ears as the ground shook slightly. She looked at the ground carefully, as another tremor passed through, a few pebbles shaking at her hooves. Pinkie’s heart began to race, she had no idea what this meant but it couldn’t be anything good. She looked around her, trying to find a source for the rumbling. “Ghhuuurrrrgghhh…” Came the groan of a monster Pinkie had become familiar with. She quickly turned her head in that direction as her phonograph began to pick up with the sound of static. Coming slowly out of the darkness was a Groaner, hobbling its way slowly towards her. ‘…There’s no way he’s the source…’ the thoughts ran through Pinkie’s head for a moment, when suddenly she was deafened by a loud roar that cut through the foggy air. The rumbling picked up its speed, as if the source was now running. Pinkie took a few steps away from the Groaner, not sure what she should do. “Ruuuaaaaa…” The Groaner groaned as it tried to move faster. Pinkie couldn’t help but notice that it looked as if it was trying to escape, but escape from what? “Ruua-GHRA” The Groaner let out a final cry of pain as from the darkness a massive mouth appeared, biting into the creature, taking it in one bite. It swiveled its head back up before chomping the Groaner in a single bite. Pinkie stared in shock at the giant monster before her. It was a single body, a large mouth at its front, with no eyes, its skin was curved and pink running straight back, large muscular legs that held its entire frame up. It was as if someone had taken off a pony’s head and neck and put a giant mouth at its body. It stood as tall as a dragon. It let out another roar that knocked Pinkie back to her senses. It had finished its meal and it was looking for its next one. Pinkie turned on her heels and ran with all her might. The creature let out a roar as it began to chase, every stomp of its legs shook the ground under her hooves. Her heart was pounding as she tried her best to run, she constantly felt her hooves about to slip from the shaking ground and she panted like crazy, rushing air to her lungs. She felt and heard a massive thud behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the creature had tried to bite down on her, its head crashing into the floor. It quickly pulled its head back out, letting out a pained roar as it began running again. She watched it run, its loud thudding feet doing its best to keep up with her. However, it was slower than her and she knew it, this thing wasn’t nearly as fast as the last thing that chased her before. Confidence built up inside of her, she turned to face the road ahead of her. She made a quick turn, noticing the path ended before her. She ran quickly, looking behind her as she saw the creature run straight into the buildings, letting out another pained roar. ‘I can do this…I can out run this thing.’ She thought to herself as she felt her confidence skyrocket. She didn’t know what it was, but she could outrun it… She looked ahead of her and saw the rotting town pass her by with every hoof step. ‘But where do I outrun it to?’ She asked herself, not sure of that answer. She heard it let out another roar as the tremors under her legs began once again. It was coming after her again, but it didn’t seem too bright. It was a thing to be feared, it could eat her if she wasn’t careful, but she could get away from it… She quickly made the turn around another bend, increasing her distance from the creature. Her attention was caught by what she saw in the distance. It looked as if a giant gate of metal bars had been erected in the middle of the world, cutting off one half of the world from the other. As she ran towards it she could tell it stretched up into the sky but couldn’t see where it ended. She looked behind her; the pink monster was slowly starting to catch up as it meshed its jaw and roared for her blood. She looked back at the gate, seeing a normal sized door open in it for her to fit through. She kicked herself into high gear and charged straight for the door. She slipped through with ease and quickly slammed it shut behind her. She stared through the metal bars at the creature running straight for the gate. She panted as she watched it charge with all of its might straight forward. It crashed loudly against the gate, letting out a wild roar as it came to an abrupt stop. The gate was strong enough to hold it back. It let out another roar as it stepped backwards, rushing straight into the gate again. The bars bent slightly, but held strong. Pinkie stood there amazed, watching the creature fight with all its strength to break through the bars, roaring and hollering as it slammed its head repeatedly against the bars. A loud cracking sound echoed through the area as the creature stopped its thrashing. It let out grunts as it tried to figure out what the sound meant, before it crashed its head once more against the gate. The loud crack sounded again and the large creature found its hind leg through the floor. It began to let out frantic roars as it thrashed around, trying to get its foot free. The ground below it cracked and gave way, the creature roaring as it clawed at the metal gate for support. Its giant form soon fell through the ground, its loud roars disappearing into the dark sky as it fell into the bottomless pit. Pinkie slowly walked towards the area he had crashed into the gate, peaking her head down towards the bottomless pit. The creature had fallen, it was nowhere to be seen or heard anymore. The ground it had stood on continued to crumble away, spread out towards the town. The whole town was slowly falling into the bottomless pit as well, as if the only place left in the whole town was this area behind the metal gate. Pinkie stared at the crumbling town, in shock that it truly was crumbling away yet…it almost made her a little happy. The place that had caused her so much torment was slowly vanishing before her eyes. It had left her stranded there, but it was going away. She turned her back from the crumbling town, to get a look at where she currently was before letting out another surprised gasp. She hadn’t noticed what was actually behind the gate since she had been too focused on running. The dirt before her was littered with rocks of all sizes, spread as far as the eye could see. In the center of all the rocks was a wooden house, small but quaint with a moderate windmill. It was the farm, the place she had lived and grown when she was a foal. ‘The farm? It’s not supposed to be this close to Ponyville!’ She thought as she began to run towards it. Its familiarity and comfort was calling for her. The image of a ghost-like filly appeared before the front door as she ran closer to the house. The little filly ran forward, going through the door to the house. Pinkie had to follow it. She quickly reached the front door opening it and going inside. Inside, in the living room, was the ghostly image of her younger sister, Bellamina stood there looking at her. “B-Bellamina!” She called out, dropping the lantern from her mouth. It hit the ground with a clang, rolling over to the young ghost filly, who stopped it with her hoof. “I’m…surprised you made it all the way here Pinkamena.” Bellamina sat the lantern right-side up, “I guess I was wrong, I guess you can handle the truth.” “Bellamina! Y-You’re…” Pinkie started, but stopped herself as she looked at her sister. “You’re…not really here, are you?” she said, her cheerfulness dipping as she could see through the ghostly image of her sister. “You’ll see the truth here.” Bellamina turned and pointed, directing Pinkie to the stairs to the upper floor, “This house is your last safe haven though. After this, there is no turning back.” Her younger sister said ominously. “…What do you mean?” “Goodbye sis.” Bellamina’s last words echoed as her image faded from the living room. Pinkie could only stare at where her sister had stood, not sure what to make of what she saw. She felt a pang of sadness and yet…a bit of comfort as well. It was short, it was brief, and it didn’t last as long as she had wished it could’ve, but… She had talked with her sister. She walked over to the lantern and picked it up once more with her mouth. She couldn’t stop here, not now. Her sister’s last words gave her a boost of strength, a boost that she could use to see this through. She looked at the stairs her sister had pointed to; they lead to the bedrooms on the second floor. ‘The truth…I guess it’s time to find out what that means.’ She thought to herself as she took the careful steps up to her destiny. At the top of the stairs she was met by a wooden door. She carefully pushed it open, revealing a hallway. On the sides of the hallway were four square holes with writing below them. At the end of the hallway was another wooden door. She stepped into the hallway, when suddenly the wooden door snapped closed behind her. She quickly looked at the door, trying the handle, only to find it locked. She let out a soft sigh as she turned back to the hallway, before almost jumping out of her skin again. The Slender Pony stood at the end of the hallway, right outside the door on the other side. Her heart started beating in her throat as she stepped back against the door that had locked closed behind her. However, the Slender Pony turned around and seemed to phase through the last door, as if telling her he was waiting for her on the other side. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her beating heart. The very sight of the creature was instilling fear into her… She shook her head as she calmed down. ‘My sister said that the truth was here…I have to have faith in her.’ Pinkie carefully got back on her hooves, stepping forward slowly, ‘She said I was ready for it. I’ve managed to come through this far through hell and back, I can handle this.’ She took a deep breath as she turned to the first hole in the wall, reading the words written under it: Eyes gleamed over, It stalks before striking, Its tail wags in anticipation. Pinkie thought it over in her head. The square shaped hole was just the right size for her to place in one of the tiles she had gotten from Sugar Cube Corner. She assumed the riddle meant that she had to put one of them in the slot. She carefully looked inside of her bag and went over the selection she had: a bird, a snake, a cat and a fish. ‘This riddle refers to the Cat tile, doesn’t it?’ she asked herself thinking the clue over. She carefully grabbed the tile and gently placed it into the hole in the wall. The tile began to glow white, spreading out from the hole it was in. Pinkie took a step back as she watched the plate spread out into an area the size of a door before her. The light soon faded away, revealing a door in its place. She carefully opened the door, looking inside. It was a single room, almost like a closet. Four solid walls with no description to them, yet she felt compelled to go inside. She walked into the dark room, closing the door behind her. Suddenly, the flame on her lantern went out on its own. As she reached out to try and relight it, the room was filled with light. Projected on the walls were images. Pinkie instantly recognized them as memories. “I dunno Pinkamena…are you sure this is a good idea?” Bellamina asked as she walked with her bouncing older sister towards the edge of the rock farm. “Of course it is!” Pinkie said happily as she lead her younger sister, “It’s a super special party! I tried to invite Mother, Father and Octavia, but they were all too busy. So that means you get to enjoy the fun with me!” “Well…I do love your parties.” Bellamina smiled, it was true that she did. The two of them reached the edge of the forest. “We’re here!” Pinkamena called out happily. “Who are you talking to?” Bellamina asked confused. “Why the Party Host of course!” She giggled happily. Bellamina looked confused, but the confusion didn’t last for long. From the forest walked a tall colt, his coat was pale and dull grey, his mane was unkempt and was curled into a mess of brown, he didn’t look like he’d had a good bath in at least a week, and most odd of all was that his cutie mark was that of three dark red balloons. “Hello Pinkamena, I see you brought a friend.” The old colt said with a smile. His voice sent shivers down Bellamina’s back. “See? He’s the party host! He’s going to throw us a super-duper-wonderfully-fantastic party!” Pinkie bounced over to his side and pointed at his cutie mark, “And see? We both have a similar cutie mark! That means he’s going to throw us the best party!” Pinkamena was very excited. “Oh of course, I always throw the best parties.” The colt let out a soft deep chuckle. “R-Really?” Bellamina asked a little unsure, but if her sister believed in this guy, then he must be alright. Besides, they were going to a party, and parties were always fun. “Come, the party is this way.” The colt smiled as he turned and walked back into the forest. “Yea! Party time!” Pinkie bounced happily after the colt. Bellamina followed slowly after the two. The flame of the lantern flickered back to life as the images faded from the walls. Pinkie stared at the walls that had shown the images she had long since forced herself to forget about. She didn’t like where this was going. Back then she was too ignorant to realize that the colt gave off a bad vibe, she was too focused on parties. She gulped heavily as she opened the door back up and reentered the hallway. She looked at the hole before her, with the text written under it: Sleek and smooth, Striking at its prey, Its tail lets it move. The image of a snake came to her mind. A bad feeling ran through her as she carefully pulled out the tile with the snake on it, placing it carefully into the slot. The light turned the area into a door just as the previous one had. She hesitantly walked into the room, trying to prepare herself for whatever it was she was about to witness. The light of her lantern faded away. “W-What are you doing to my sister!?” the young Pinkamena cried from behind the bars of a steel cage. The colt had locked her inside under the guise that they’d be playing Pin the Tail on the Pony. “Don’t look so sad little filly,” The colt said with a dazed over smile. Pinkamena looked into his eyes and saw nothing; it was as if the colt truly had no soul to him, “I’m just about to play one of the most wonderful games with your sister.” “She doesn’t look like she’s having fun!” Pinkamena cried out, looking at her sister who was strapped down to a table. She was frantic, trying to pry herself free from her bonds. The straps were too tight; she could do little more than twitch various parts of her body. He knew what he was doing. “Oh, she may not look like it now, but I’ve played this game with lots of ponies before. Just look around you, I’ve had many friends over the years.” A wry smile came to his face before he turned his back to her. Pinkamena looked around the room; it was the first time she’d paid any attention to it. Suddenly, the horrifying stench of the room was obvious; it was coming from the various states of decay from the ponies that adorned the room. Most were of young fillies, with little more than their heads remaining as decorations. The colt had dressed the room up for a party using the bones and skin of the ponies he had killed. “NO! STOP! PLEASE!” Came the hysterical cries from her sister. Pinkamena’s attention instantly snapped back to what was happening before her. “That’s right, make the noise. It’s what I long for.” The colt laughed as Pinkamena watched as he carefully placed a scalpel against her skin. With precision he began to cut away at her. The scream of her younger sister echoed around the room as the image faded. The flame came to life, illuminating the dark room once more. Tears streamed down Pinkie’s face like they’d never fell before. ‘Bellamina…’ She sobbed to herself as she remembered the horrific images of her sister being dissected alive by the colt. She had tossed the memory aside a long time ago, a memory that had been too horrific for her to want to remember. Her precious sister had become nothing more than a plaything for that colt. She hiccupped as she gasped for breath between her sobs. She still had two tiles left to go; she had more memories to remember. She had to remember everything that had happened, for the sake of her sister. It took her a long time to leave that room, very quietly closing the door behind her. She had to see everything first, see it all before she could say anything. She very quietly walked to the next section of the wall and read the text bellow the square hole: Soft to the touch, It soars over its fears, Its tail stabilizes. Pinkie quickly took the tile with the bird on it and placed it into the hole. The door appeared just as it had with the others. She walked inside, staring at the walls as the light once again faded from her lantern. “Come now, you must eat. There’s no point in letting yourself go hungry.” The colt chuckled to himself, his cold, harsh, cutting laugh. Pinkamena had curled up in the back of the cage, having cried her heart out. All that remained of her sister now was the lifeless upper-half that still was strapped to the table. She hadn’t seen what he’d done with the rest of her after he’d finished. “Here, I even made you this special treat.” He said opening a small hole in the cage, pushing a plate with a cupcake on it. Pinkamena didn’t want his treat; nothing made by this cruel colt could truly be worth eating. Her stomach let out a growl; she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and had been hoping to stuff her face with a feast from the party. “See? You’re hungry. You should eat.” The colt smiled. Pinkamena’s body defied her mind, as it slowly got up and walked over to the cupcake. She sniffed the cupcake carefully, but it was hard to smell anything past the stench of decay in the room. She then, very carefully, licked at the frosting that lay on top of the cupcake. The sweet sugary taste hit her tongue, almost as if in defiance of what her mind was telling her. Her mind screamed that something was wrong. She very carefully opened her mouth and took a bite out of the cupcake. “Good, I’m so glad you’re eating. It would be a shame if your sister went to waste.” The colt chuckled ominously. The flavor of the cupcake hit Pinkamena’s senses like a brick. This wasn’t a sweet and sugary cupcake; it was salty and chewy, almost as if the main ingredient had been… The colt laughed as he watched the expression on the young fillies face distort. Pinkamena vomited, rushing back to the back of the cage where she coughed and sputtered, trying to get the vile from her mouth. The imposing laugh of the colt hit her ears, causing her tears to return. A loud crash was heard from the top of the staircase leading to this basement. The colt looked up surprised, his eyes widening. He suddenly tried to open the cage like a mad beast, as if he absolutely had to reach Pinkamena. He managed to open it as he began to reach a hoof inside, when he was suddenly tackled by another large figure. There was loud yelling, as if there was a fight going on. Another large figure appeared before the cage, reaching to try and grab Pinkamena. “No! No!” Pinkamena cried out as she tried to resist the figure pulling her out of the cage. “It’s okay! Don’t be afraid, that evil colt can’t hurt you anymore.” The voice that came from the figure was comforting, reassuring. It was nothing like that of the colt’s. Pinkamena looked up fearfully at the figure as it pulled her out of the cage, holding her in one of his legs. The colt had a white coat with striking red hair; he wore a blue uniform adorned with a blue hat. “It’s okay, we’re the good guys. We’ve come to take you home.” He said with a smile as he moved quickly to get her out of the basement. ‘I was rescued…’ she said remembering as the light came back, ‘But it had been too late…they didn’t make it in time to save my sister.’ Pinkie shook her head, ‘and that…that vile treat…’ even the thought of the cupcake was making her stomach turn. ‘It’s…it’s hard to believe anypony could be that cruel.’ She walked back into the hallway as the thoughts continued to bounce through her head. ‘Those words I spoke in another memory make sense now though…after having eaten that; I really didn’t feel like ever eating again…’ She looked up at the last hole in the wall, the words underneath it read: A slick texture, Its sustenance for most, Its tail propels it forward. Pinkie carefully pulled out the last tile, the picture of a fish on it, and placed it in the hole. She carefully wiped away a few tears forming in her eyes as the door appeared. She carefully walked through, seeing what the last of her hidden memories had to offer. Pinkamena sobbed into Octavia’s coat. The older sister had been doing her best to comfort her younger sister, but no matter what she tried she couldn’t get the filly to sleep. Pinkamena had barely eaten, she refused to sleep and she constantly was sobbing. Octavia had no idea what it was that her sister had seen; all she knew was the Bellamina was dead. That fact alone seemed to have Pinkamena jumping at the shadows. “Oh my, I hear crying.” Came a very soft, soothing voice. “Grammy Pie.” Octavia said, surprised, looking up to see their grandmother walking into the dark room carrying a lantern. “Grammy…” Pinkamena sniffed as she saw her grandmother. “It’s me child.” She smiled warmly as she walked closer, placing the lantern on the night stand, then nuzzling the crying filly, “What troubles you?” The sound of her gentle voice seemed to sooth something deep in the filly’s soul. Pinkamena’s sobs slowly turned to sniffles as she composed herself enough to speak before her grandmother. “B-B-Bell…Bellamina’s…dead grammy…” Pinkamena choked a little. “Yes…I know dear. It’s a fact we all must deal with now.” Grammy said solemnly. “We all have done our share of mourning, and we shall forever mourn her loss. But your tears seem to hide something more my child. They seem to hide more than just your loss.” Pinkamena rubbed her eyes as she sniffed, looking away from her grandmother, burying her head into Octavia’s coat. “I’m…never throwing another party as long as I live.” She sobbed. “Oh child, why would you say such a thing? You know we love your parties, and you love to throw them.” Grammy Pie said, surprised at the sudden words from her granddaughter. “M-M-My partying…got Bellamina killed.” She sobbed the words out into Octavia’s coat. Octavia did her best to try and comfort the filly. Their grandmother looked a little sad, but closed her eyes as she seemed to understand. “My dear Pinkamena…if nothing else, you should continue to throw your parties.” She spoke softly but truly. “Huh?” Pinkamena and Octavia said in unison as they both turned to look at their grandmother. “You see dear Pinkamena; your sister loved your parties. She truly had fun at them; sometimes all she could talk about with me was how much fun she had had at your last party.” Grammy Pie chuckled softly to herself as she remembered, “Which is why I’m telling you; continue to throw your parties child, in honor and memory of your sister. Your sister would not want you to live the rest of your life being afraid and crying. She’d want to see you smiling for the rest of your days.” Grammy Pie’s smile was warm as the words she spoke were the truth. “B-But…” Pinkamena sniffed as she tried to comprehend her Grandmother’s words, being only a filly as she was. “But…the world is so scary Grammy. How…How can I have a smile in it?” “Simple my child,” she chuckled softly to herself, “You have to laugh your fears away.” “Laugh?” Pinkamena asked curiously. It was a lesson she remembered often from her childhood. Her grandmother would often visit her and teach her how to laugh at her fears, stand up to the shadows and the idea of monsters and to laugh her fears away. She could face anything the world had to throw at her so long as she had the inner strength to laugh when the day was over. She had forgotten why her grandmother had repeated the lesson so often to her, in her memories before she had just thought it was because she had been afraid of the dark as a filly. She knew now that it was because of something much deeper. A small smile crept onto her face as she remembered all of the memories she had forgotten now. The good memories, the bad memories, the ugly ones, the beautiful ones. She had locked them all away to keep herself happy, to try and keep Bellamina’s wishes true. She hadn’t been ready to accept the memories into her heart as fact… She carefully left the last of the rooms that contained her memories. She could feel the slow, rhythmic beats of her heart that resonated loudly through her. A smile was on her face as she remembered her sister fondly. ‘So…there’s just one last thing to do then.’ She said as she looked to the door at the end of the hallway. She slowly walked towards it, her resolution holding firm in her heart. She knew what she had to do now. She opened the door, stepping out. Outside the door she saw four torches lit around an open arena. A pathway was lit for her leading to it. A fence was placed along the path and arena so she couldn’t go anywhere else. She gently put her lantern away as she walked towards the center of the arena. She could feel small tremors shaking through the world as she walked. As she reached one side of the arena, from the ground on the opposite side the Slender Pony emerged from ground. He stood tall over her, his presence still bearing down. But…she wasn’t afraid this time. “I finally understand now.” Pinkie said softly, shaking her head slowly before looking at the Slender Pony with a smile, “My fear of your presence, your stature over me, your very existence…you’re the colt aren’t you.” The Slender Pony just stood there, unchanging from Pinkie’s words. “Well…you’re not him exactly…but you’re my image of him.” She closed her eyes and smiled, “which means…I’m not afraid of you anymore.” The Slender Pony began to walk towards her, every step seeming to echo across the arena. Pinkie opened her eyes as she watched the pony walk towards her. Her mouth began to quiver as she saw him getting closer. She felt the haze beginning to hit her mind, the phonograph letting out its static. She stood firm where she was, remembering fondly the words of her grandmother, the memories of her younger sister, of her friends back in Ponyville, of the fun she’s had throughout her life thanks to the help everyone she’s ever known gave her. All of them helped her live a life she could say she was proud of. The Slender Pony stood a few feet from her, but the haze he brought to her mind began to fade. Her quivering mouth puckered up for a moment, before a soft sound came from it. “Heh…” It started off low, as it gained its footing inside of Pinkie. “Heh, heh, heh…” The confidence grew in her with each sound that came out of her, the haze lifting, the static of the phonograph becoming more quiet. “Hahahahaha” She was laughing. She was laughing at the fear that this Pony…no, that this whole town had brought upon her, just so that she could become strong enough to face her fears. “Ahahahahahaha!” She laughed, she giggled, she snorted, she chuckled. It felt like it’d been a lifetime since she had last let out a laugh, she’d let out so many tears that had been pent up for years, so many pains and torments she had kept inside. For the first time in a long, long while, she laughed with all of her heart. A bright light shone from her neck, as a golden necklace with a blue balloon gem appeared. Her laughter continued as the light from the necklace made the Slender Pony jump back, letting out a shrilling cry as it seemed to hurt him. The entire arena began to shake with a gigantic tremor as it began to fall apart. All of the scenery around her began to fall into the bottomless pit that lay beneath them. The entire world was crumbling and shattering around them. The Slender Pony let out another painful roar as he dissolved back into the ground, disappearing from Pinkie’s sight. She calmed her laughing, enough so that she could speak. “I won’t forget you Mr. Colt. And I don’t think I can ever truly forgive you for what you did, but I can move on now.” She closed her eyes as she smiled brightly. The golden necklace around her neck shined brightly as it shot a beam of light forward, hitting the air before forming into a door of light. The necklace then vanished, to wait for the next time it would be needed. “It’s time for me to head home. For real this time.” Pinkie smiled happily as she walked through the door of light, the last of the world crumbling away behind her. To be Concluded

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:27:11+00:00

2011-07-11T02:27:11+00:00

Ending – Game Over Unlock Condition: Die at any point, except against Pinkie Pie. Pinkie felt the monster crunch down on her, its teeth bearing into her flesh. She had tried to fight it, she had tried to fend for herself, but it had been too much. Pain soared through her body as the last of her screams faded out. She felt the life escape her body. “Pinkie pie?” Twilight said, staring in shock at her pink pony friend lying on the ground not moving. “Pinkie Pie! Wake up!” Twilight shook her friend, no response came. “What’s happening?! Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie! PINKIE PIE!” Twilight cried with all her might. It was too late though. Pinkie Pie was gone.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:27:56+00:00

2011-07-11T02:27:56+00:00

Ending – It’s Time to Get Baking Unlock Condition: Lose to Pinkie Pie “Ahlbth…finthith…yoobth…” The other Pinkie sputtered out more blood, as she gripped the butcher’s knife as best she could with her hoof, dragging it along the ground as she began to walk towards Pinkie. Pinkie took in sharp breaths of air as she concentrated on the vile Pink mare before her. The other Pinkie began to pick up the pace, before going out into a full on run straight for Pinkie. She seemed groggy, but determined, to bring that knife down into Pinkie’s flesh. Pinkie had aimed the uninjured half of her body at the other Pinkie, bringing her hind hoof up once more. The butcher’s knife was raised into the air, sparks flying as it had scrapped along the ground. The frantic rush of the other Pinkie was closing in, ready to strike down. For a moment, everything seemed to hold still, right on the edge of death, two forces that never should’ve met collided. There was silence for a moment, before the soft sound of a thud, a body hitting the ground. Pinkie’s eyes were half opened, in a mixed state of daze and pain. She could barely register the pain of the butcher’s knife that was buried in her back. The other Pinkie pulled, feeling the knife stuck in her back, but after a few yanks it pulled free. The other Pinkie, despite bleeding from the mouth, couldn’t help but have a broad smile on her face. She began to laugh as her victim laid there. She raised the knife and brought it down with tremendous force on her leg. She slammed the knife down into the same spot again and again, blood splattering everywhere as she worked. All Pinkie could hear was the dull thuds of the knife as it struck her body. She couldn’t move or even scream, she could only lay there as blood poured from her body. The other Pinkie was moving, but it barely registered. The distant thuds of the knife escaped her. She couldn’t feel her body anymore and her mind was fading away. The dull rhythmic sound of the thuds seemed to lull her to sleep. “Awww, she’s gone already?” Pinkie pouted as she looked at the dismembered body before her. After she had finished cutting off her limbs, she had gone and cleaned up her mouth, she was missing a lot of teeth but she could talk again. “Phooie, she fought too much. I killed her before I had a chance to play.” She let out a sigh of disappointment. “Oh well! I’m sure I can still have all sorts of fun with what I do have left!” She chuckled, bouncing a little as she thought to herself. “I’ll make sure she gets put to good use! After all, there’s no point in just letting her die without doing something.” She laughed as she thought about all the things she could do with the body. She grabbed the scalpel carefully as she walked over to the body. She carefully placed the knife against the body about to slice off the cutie mark for her to add to her dress, the perfect accessory. The scalpel slipped from her hoof. “Huh?” She said looking at the scalpel oddly, “I’ve never been klutzy about my tools before.” She said as she reached down to grab the scalpel again. However, it slipped right through her grip. She swiped at it several times in rapid succession but it continued to hold no grip. “Now what in the name of all things sweet and sugary is going on here?” She asked confused as she looked at her hoof. She could partially see through it. “Oh! Silly me!” She laughed, “I’m disappearing!” She watched with a smile as more of her leg began to fade away, her hoof was missing. She lifted her leg up as she watched the vanishing act reach her body. “I guess it’s time for me to head on out!” She laughed to herself, “This world was a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see where I’m being taken now!” She smiled as her body began to disappear. Her entire being soon vanished from the realm. Twilight backed up, shaking her groggy head. She rubbed her forehead, not sure exactly what had just happened, though she could tell it had only been a few minutes. She looked up and saw her friend Pinkie Pie sitting there with her eyes closed. “Pinkie Pie? Are you alright?” Twilight asked looking at her friend. Slowly, Pinkie’s eyes opened. She blinked once or twice, looking at her friend Twilight, then up and around at the library. She then looked down at her own body. It took a moment, but very slowly a smile began to appear on her face. “Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked again. Pinkie closed her eyes as she began to shake. The smile began to wobble as she felt the surge of emotions flowing through her body. “Oh…My…GOSH!” Pinkie Pie cried out, suddenly jumping into the air as her hair burst out into its usual frizz, her coat going back to its bright color. She bounced around the room excitedly. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh Twilight! This is so much better!” She laughed as she bounced giddily around Twilight’s house. “Really? The mind delve worked?” Twilight said, smiling at her friend who seemed to be back to her old self. “Oh did it EVER!” She said stopping short of her friend, the biggest smile on her face. “Thank you Twilight! ThankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!” She gave her purple unicorn a mighty squeezing hug. Twilight couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Well I’m glad I could help and that you’re feeling better.” Twilight smiled happily. “Oh I feel great! I feel even better than I did before when I was happy!” She let out a sigh of content. “So this calls for only one thing!” She raised her legs in the air, “A PARTY! And I’m going to invite EVERYPONY in Ponyville!” She cheered as she hopped out of Twilight’s house to quickly get the preparations going. “Well…seeing her happy again certainly makes up for seeing the images that were in her head.” Twilight chuckled rubbing her head, thankful to have been helpful to her friend. Pinkie Pie bounced towards Sugar Cube Corner, overfilled with joy. “Wow~ I really feel like I’ve got a new lease on life!” She giggled to herself as she looked around, seeing all the happy ponies of Ponyville going about their day. She knew every pony in Ponyville after all, they were all so happy! She was happy they were and she was so happy that she could help bring that happiness to them. “…but there’s really so many of them here!” She said remembering just how many ponies lived there, “And I certainly don’t want to seem like I’m giving anypony the special treatment.” She smiled as she thought to herself. “Oh! I know! I’ll make a number system! That way I can pick ponies without playing favorites!” She chuckled happily to herself. “I can’t pick ponies too often though; otherwise it’ll seem suspicious that they start disappearing!” She had a big smile on her face. “But I just can’t wait! It’s going to take forever to get my dress sewn together again, but getting to play with all the ponies is going to be so much fun! And of course I can’t forget to make my super-duper-wonderfully-fantastic-special cupcakes while I’m at it!” Pinkie Pie bounced merrily to set up the party at Sugar Cube Corner. -The End-

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:30:00+00:00

2011-07-11T02:30:00+00:00

Ending – It’s a twist Unlock Condition: Don’t see all of the memories before facing Slender Mane for the last time She opened the door, stepping out. Outside the door she saw four torches lit around an open arena. A pathway was lit for her leading to it. A fence was placed along the path and arena so she couldn’t go anywhere else. She gently put her lantern away as she walked towards the center of the arena. She could feel small tremors shaking through the world as she walked. As she reached one side of the arena, from the ground on the opposite side the Slender Pony emerged from ground. He stood tall over her, his presence still bearing down. “The truth…” Pinkie whispered to herself as she stared at the Slender Pony, her phonograph letting off a slight buzz. “I see…it’s the truth behind everything isn’t it…something I’ve been hiding from, something that you show me.” She tried to rationalize everything. The Slender Pony began to walk slowly towards, the haze of his presence beginning to attack her mind. She closed her eyes as she tried to think, the steps of the Slender Pony echoed through the room as the haze grew deeper in her head. An image of Bellamina appeared in her mind through the haze. The image was strong, it was loud, it spoke to her. Her eye’s shot open. The realization dawned upon her as the Slender Pony stood a few feet away from her, the Phonograph was ringing like it’d never rang before. “…I must fight through.” Pinkie gulped as her mind fogged over. “I’ve managed through monsters, this towns horrors, even myself…I will beat you too.” Pinkie fought through the blaring haze, lifting her front hoof and pressing it against the Slender Pony’s body. A wave of pain rocked her body as she cried out, the haze enveloping her mind. She felt a torrential sea of different experiences crashing through her body as she become overwhelmed by the Slender Pony. The images of Bellamina swirled in her head. She could see some of the memories that she had lost. She saw herself as Bellamina, she saw the pain of another young filly being tortured by the colt that was this Slender Pony, she felt the influx of horrible emotions invade her body. Emotions she didn’t want to be real, no, they couldn’t be real. These things hadn’t happened to someone she cared so much about. She couldn’t accept these horrors as they were presented to her. Her sister was too precious. The images told her that Bellamina was dead, but she couldn’t accept the truth. The world escaped her as she felt herself falling again. Everything swirled, her head spinning, pain filled her senses before she finally lost her bearings. Twilight pulled her head back from Pinkie Pie’s forehead. She rubbed her head as she looked at her pink friend. She wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened, but she knew it hadn’t been longer than a few minutes. Pinkie was still sitting there with her eyes closed. “Pinkie? Are you alright?” She asked her friend. It was quiet for a moment before Pinkie slowly opened her eyes, looking at Twilight. “You okay?” Twilight asked, getting a little closer to Pinkie. Pinkie simply blinked in response, “Did…the mind delve work?” She asked, looking into Pinkie’s eyes for a response. “…Twilight…” Pinkie said, almost as if she was surprised to see her. “Yea, it’s me Pinkie Pie. Are you feeling better now?” Twilight asked, trying to gauge where her friend was. Pinkie didn’t really answer. She looked down at her hooves, then back up to Twilight, then began to slowly scan the contents of the library. “So…this is really true…isn’t it…” Pinkie muttered softly before lowering her head, her hair covering most of her face as she closed her eyes. “Pinkie? It’s alright, I’m here, and you can talk to me.” Twilight said trying to reassure her friend. “…Thank you Twilight…” Pinkie said solemnly, “You…have helped me…you’ve…made me realize the truth about myself.” She muttered quietly. “The truth about yourself? What is it?” Twilight asked curiously. “I’m…” Pinkie shifted her head away from Twilight, opening her eyes but not looking at her, “I’m not…I’m not Pinkie Pie…” she said quietly, “And…I never was.” “Huh?” Twilight asked confused, “But…of course you’re Pinkie Pie. You’re the friend we’ve come to know and love here, Ponyville’s number one party pony.” Twilight explained. “Yes…that’s what you’ve come to know me as…because that’s the identity I adopted.” Pinkie softly sighed as she raised her head to look at Twilight. “Twilight…the dreams I was having…they stemmed from a trauma I survived as a child…your mind delve helped me realize that. And…now that I’ve dealt with that trauma thanks to your spell…I’ve come to realize…I’m not Pinkie Pie.” She took a deep breath. “My name…is Bellamina Marie Pie.” She spoke clearly. “My sister, Pinkamena Diane Pie died when we were kids. I…I wasn’t able to accept that my sister, who put a smile on all of our faces, who was the cheerful party lover…died in such a tragic way all those years ago. So…in my mind I had myself die in her place and I took over as Pinkamena.” She closed her eyes as she turned her body to face Twilight. “This Cutie Mark is real…but it was summoned up because my mind made it my special talent, so that I could be my sister.” Bellamina sighed, “I’ve been dyeing my fur and hair for as long as I can remember, just to hide this fact.” “P-Pinkie…” Twilight said in shock. This seemed like a lot to take in, like it shouldn’t be real. “It’s…Bellamina Twilight.” She said, almost hurt that she had to correct this person she had come to know as her friend, “I can’t keep living the lie anymore. Doing so was tearing me apart inside. So…I need to come clean with who I am.” Bellamina stood up and walked towards one of the bookcases. “D-Don’t get me wrong though…I’ve become a lot like my sister now. So…who I am will still be a lot like her…” Bellamina said trying to dispel any worry in her friend, “I just…I guess I won’t be as hectic as I was when I was Pinkie…” she turned to Twilight, a weak smile appearing on her face, “And…I’ll need help telling the others…if that’s alright.” Twilight stared a little dumbfounded. She seriously had to take in all of this news. It was almost too much to bear. “This is…this is real, isn’t it?” Twilight said, almost unable to believe. Bellamina nodded her head slowly. “…Then…I guess I have no choice, do I?” Twilight said, taking a deep breath before standing up and smiling. “This is the real you right? And you, even if you might not be Pinkie Pie, are still my dear friend. If you need help, then I will help you.” “…Thank you Twilight.” Bellamina smiled as a tear formed at the edge of her eye. -The End-

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2012-01-20T00:28:43+00:00

2016-06-04T01:46:00+00:00

Ending – UFO Unlock Condition: Get the channeling stone from Twilight’s House and use it in various locations. Pinkie Pie held up the channeling stone outside of Sugar Cube Corner. “Huh?” She said looking up and seeing a strange light appear in the sky. “A light?” she asked staring at the strangely shaped light, before it began to move, before disappearing into the dark sky. Pinkie Pie held up the channeling stone outside of the School House. “Hey, there’s that light again.” She said looking up at the sky. It had returned, sitting there in all its strange, glowing wonder. It seemed to spin around, before rushing out and disappearing into the sky. Pinkie Pie held up the channeling stone outside of the Abandoned House. “What’s that light doing?” She asked no one as the light seemed to be making a figure eight in the sky. It spun around several times before once again vanishing as quickly as it had come. Pinkie Pie held up the channeling stone outside of the Otherworld Sugar Cube Corner. “That light even appears here?” She said surprised to see it make its return. “Oh, hey wait!” She cried out as she noticed it acting jittery, as if it was having difficulty staying in the air. The light then suddenly began to take a nose dive, as it flew off into the distance and crashing beyond the horizon, in a place she couldn’t see. “What was that about?” She asked herself confused. She opened the wooden door at the top of the farm house stairs. Inside was a long hallway with another wooden door at the end of it. Stepping into the hallway, she found it odd that there was just a hallway there. No marks on the wall, nothing that indicated having a hallway there would serve a purpose other than connecting the top of the stairs to the room on the other end of it. She walked across the hallway to the other door and put her hoof on it to open it. Suddenly, the door raised into the ceiling, rather than opening normally and a bright light shined through the door. “W-What?” She asked, though it was muffled by the lantern in her mouth. Suddenly she felt the lantern and her bag being lifted off of her, raising into the sky. “H-Hey! Give those back!” she said shocked that they were being taken away. They drifted through the bright door, almost as if vanishing in the light. Pinkie Pie, despite how bright it was, walked through the door of light.

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:32:45+00:00

2011-07-11T02:32:45+00:00

Ending – The Truth Unlock Condition: Clear the game and see every hidden Truth Twilight pulled her head back, rubbing her forehead as she groaned. The spell was taxing, not to mention she had held it for minutes already. She shook her head before looking at her pink friend. Pinkie still had her eyes closed. “Pinkie? You alright?” Twilight asked, not sure if she had been released from the effects of the spell yet. It took a moment, but soon Pinkie’s eyes slowly opened. “You okay? It wasn’t too much was it?” Twilight asked a little worried about her friend. Pinkie simply blinked, before smiling and lowering her head closing her eyes. Twilight blinked a little confused at this behavior. “Thank you Twilight.” Were the first words to leave Pinkie’s mouth. “Oh, did it work?” Twilight asked, softly smiling. “It did. And I thank you so much for helping me.” Pinkie said lifting her head, letting Twilight see the smile on Pinkie’s face. “If you hadn’t helped me…who knows what would have happened. I mean, I probably would’ve been driven insane.” She twirled her eyes in example, then chuckling at herself. “But I won’t now and it’s all thanks to you.” “Oh well I, you know, I was doing it to help a friend in need.” Twilight said smiling, accepting the compliments in her usual manner. “This has been a pretty crazy experience.” Pinkie chuckled. “So…I hope I’m not prying, but you know what was causing those nightmares now?” Twilight asked curiously. “I do.” Pinkie said, but shifted her head a little, “But I’ll tell you about it later, I promise. Right now,” she stood up, “I have a few things I need to take care. I hope you don’t mind.” “Oh, but of course. I’m just happy I was able to help.” Twilight smiled. Pinkie smiled back as she headed towards Twilight’s door to help. A thought struck her and she stopped. “Oh hey, Twilight, before I go I need two favors.” Pinkie said happily. “Sure, what do you need?” Twilight asked curiously. “Well, first I’ll need you to cast the cloud walking spell for me. And second, do you have any red ribbon on you?” Pinkie asked curiously Rainbow Dash was getting in a good afternoon nap in her home when she was awoken by several knocks on her door. “Mmm…wha…” She said as she stirred from her sleep. Her ears wiggled as she heard the door being knocked on. “Yea yea, hold your horse shoes, I’m coming.” She yawned, stretching as she woke up. She walked over to the door, opening it up. Almost instantly she was assaulted by a pink blur that proceeded to hug her, knocking her over onto her back. “G-Guh! What the-“ She said in surprise, before realizing her assaulter was Pinkie Pie. “Oh, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash said sitting up slowly, “What’s the idea? You know it’s my nap time.” Rainbow shook her head as Pinkie slowly let go. “I know and I’m sorry for waking you,” Pinkie smiled, “A lots happened to me and I really just had to see you.” “Well, that’s alright then. I certainly can’t abandon a friend in need.” Rainbow Dash said brushing her hair with her hoof, “What’s on your mind Pinks?” “It’s…a really long story Dash. A long and…well a rather sad one.” Pinkie said with a hint of melancholy in her voice, “And I’m more than willing to tell you, but I hope you don’t mind if I keep you waiting a little while to hear the story.” Pinkie ran a hoof through her hair, “I still have some things to deal with before I’m really ready to tell other ponies about it.” “…A sad story? That’s not like you Pinkie Pie, you’re always about being upbeat, fun and having a good time. What could be so sad about something recently happening to you?” Rainbow asked a little curiously about her friend. Pinkie giggled a little, smiling at Dash, “You’ll know when you hear it. Just trust me for the moment. After all, I came here to hang out with you for a little while, if you don’t mind.” “Of course not, a visit from my gal-pal is always welcome.” Rainbow smiled as she flew over to another part of her house, “Would you like a snack? I got some fresh apples from Applejack, they’re really good.” “That sounds delightful.” Pinkie said walking further into Rainbow’s house. Rainbow returned with the apples, the two ponies sharing the snack together. They talked, they laughed, they reminisced about some of the adventures they’d been on since Twilight had arrived in town. Rainbow thought it a little weird that Pinkie was being so sentimental, but figured she must have a good reason. They spent a few good hours just hanging out in her home. “So Pinkie,” Rainbow said after they had just finished a conversation about possible pranks they could pull in the future, “what’s with the red ribbon in your hair?” Rainbow asked curiously. Pinkie turned her head to look at the red ribbon she had tied into a bow on her mane. She smiled softly, before looking at Rainbow Dash, “Well…let’s just say it’s helping me remember what dear friends I really have.” She chuckled. “I didn’t know you needed a ribbon for that, after all we’re all right here.” Rainbow Dash smiled, putting a hoof to her chest. “I know,” Pinkie laughed, “But I did need the reminder.” She gently nuzzled her hair with the ribbon attached to it. She then smiled softly, before looking up at Rainbow Dash. “Dash…I’m going away for a while.” Pinkie announced to her. “Huh?” Rainbow said almost spitting out the apple juice she had been sipping on. “Going away? But why?” “I’ve got something I need to take care.” Pinkie said, looking away from Rainbow Dash, though still smiling, “I’m going out to go see my sister Octavia.” “Well…we could go with you, you know. You don’t have to go alone.” Rainbow explained. “I know, but this is really something I have to do myself,” she chuckled as she gently batted her straight hair with her hoof, “Especially if I want this to be poofy again.” “…So you’re sure this is what you need?” Rainbow Dash asked once again. “It is.” Pinkie smiled, looking at Rainbow Dash. Dash looked conflicted, she certainly didn’t want Pinkie to go away, but she also had to support her friend. “…Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do right?” Rainbow said putting on a strong face and gently hitting Pinkie’s shoulder, “Besides, you’ll be coming back right?” “Oh of course I will. I could never abandon you and the other girls here in Ponyville! You’re my bestest friends ever! I can’t think of what life would be like without you all!” Pinkie explained happily. “Then go ahead. We’ll see you off, of course. Though things will be mighty quiet without you around.” Rainbow said smiling. “I know, I bring so many smiles here, which is why I could never stay away for long.” Pinkie chuckled again. Classical music filled the halls, the small group of ponies played on the stage to a large crowd. Their instruments were finely tuned, they never missed a beat or a cord as they all played in perfect harmony. The very soul of their music resonated through the hall and the hearts of all the ponies attending. The final chords were played and the auditorium was filled with applause as they took their bows. The curtains came to a close on the stage as the band members began to pack up their instruments. “That was probably our best performance yet.” Beauty Brass said as she put her sousaphone away in its case. “I don’t know, I still feel like we could do better.” Frederic said as his piano was pushed off to the side. “I still say we should add in some of Beethooven’s earlier work, his later work is magnificent but it doesn’t compare to the wonderment his early work provided.” Harpo said as his harp was also carted off. “We sounded fantastic guys; don’t worry about it too much.” Octavia chuckled at her fellow band mates. “It was a great performance, so we’ve got a well-deserved night of rest.” Octavia smiled as she placed her contrabass into its container. She pulled the strap over her shoulders, placing the instrument on her back. She always refused help with putting her beloved instrument away. “Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here!” The band heard a security guard say loudly. They turned their heads to see who he was yelling at. “I know, but my sister is in the band and I really need to talk to her.” Pinkie’s begged at the security guard. “We didn’t hear anything about any of the band members getting a family visit today.” The security guard said grabbing Pinkie by the leg. “H-Hey! I’m not lying!” Pinkie said trying to get the security guard to let go. “It’s okay sir.” Octavia said walking up to the guard, “She’s my sister. Though she did come by rather unannounced.” Octavia said looking at Pinkie curiously, before noticing that her hair was straight, something she hadn’t seen in a long time now. “Well, alright, if the band says you’re okay, then you are. Just don’t come in unannounced next time.” The security guard huffed before walking off. “Hey, do you need some time to yourself?” Beauty asked as she walked up to Octavia. “Yea, sorry guys, go ahead and do your own things, I’ll see you back at the hotel later.” Octavia smiled. Beauty Brass understood and walked off to the rest of the band. “Sorry sis, I probably should’ve given you more warning. Then again even I didn’t really know I was going to be setting off till I basically did. Still, I could’ve written.” Pinkie chuckled. “Yea, would’ve been nice.” Octavia chuckled back, “At least you didn’t interrupt my performance this time.” Pinkie blushed while smiling, still remembering the Gala. “Come on, let’s go have some dinner and we can talk.” Pinkie dined on a fresh daisy salad, while Octavia enjoyed a French Daffodil Soup. “So, Pinkie,” Octavia started as she finished taking a sip of her soup, “Why the sudden visit? I assume it has to do with something that’s bugging you.” “Heh…I can’t hide anything from you, can I sis?” Pinkie smiled as she took another bite of her salad. “Not really. You’re hair doesn’t go down unless your upset about something.” Octavia said as her eyes wandered down to the red ribbon in Pinkie’s hair, “The ribbon is new though.” “Heh…well the two topics are related.” Pinkie said, before giving a soft sigh as she smiled. “I know I’m about to ask a lot from you Octavia…what with you on tour and all…and it’s been a long time since either of us brought this up…” Octavia ate another spoonful of soup as she watched her sister curiously, not really sure what to expect. “But…I’d like the two of us to go visit Bellamina’s grave.” Octavia nearly dropped the spoon from her mouth. She quickly swallowed the contents of her mouth. “This is…rather sudden Pinkie.” Octavia said surprised her sister would bring it up, “If that’s what you really want…our next concert isn’t till next week in Hoofington, so if we left now we could make it to the farm with enough time for me to get back.” “Oh, thank you sis!” Pinkie said happily, “You really are the best sister in the world.” She chuckled happily. “Sure, I’ll do this so long as you tell me what’s going on.” Octavia smiled. “Deal.” Pinkie smiled back. The wind blew san across the rocky field, as the two sister’s stood before their younger sister’s grave. It was a hand-carved rock marker, carefully crafted to look like their younger sister sitting with a smile. She sat on top of a slab that read ‘Here lays Bellamina Marie Pie, a beloved daughter, a wonderful sister, and an angel in filly form.’ “That’s…really quite a story Pinkie.” Octavia said looking at Pinkie, then back to her sister’s grave, “But…it’s good to hear that you’ve forgiven yourself for what happened.” Octavia smiled. “Yea, I’m glad I did too. But I couldn’t say it was official till I at least came here again.” Pinkie said as she gently placed the roses she had picked up on her sister’s grave. “I’d forgotten about her because I didn’t want to remember. And that’s a terrible thing for an older sister to do. So from now on, I promise to visit her once a year.” Pinkie smiled happily. “You know what…if you’re going to do that, then I’ll join you.” Octavia smiled, “I’ve been too focused on my work lately. I haven’t given our sister the proper time of day either.” “Thank you.” Pinkie said, nuzzling against Octavia. “You’re my sister; I’ve always been here for you if you need me sis.” Octavia nuzzled her sister back, smiling happily. The sister’s shared their happy embrace. “Octavia, Pinkamena, dinner’s ready.” Their mother called from the farm house. “Coming!” Octavia called out, “Come on, let’s go get some dinner sis.” “I’ll be right there.” Pinkie smiled to Octavia. Octavia nodded and headed towards the farm. “Hey…Bellamina…” Pinkie said softly, getting closer to her sister, “You were a wonderful sister. Thank you so much for being my sister. I love you.” She kissed the forehead of her sister’s statue. She then turned around and began to walk back to the farm. Her hair poofed out and curled, returning to her usual, bubbly self. -The End-

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2011-07-11T02:33:25+00:00

2011-07-11T02:33:25+00:00

Ending – Sam Unlock Condition: Place the tiles in a specific order in the final hallway, then go through the final door. “I don’t know, this doesn’t seem right.” She said as she looked around at the plates. She had put the fish in the first box, the bird in the second, the cat in the third and the snake in the fourth. Nothing had happened when she placed each of the plates, but something compelled her, told her that this was what she was supposed to do. “I guess…the only thing left is to go through that door then.” She said turning to face the wooden door at the end of the hallway. The Slender Pony had gone through the door before, so she knew it had to be waiting for her on the other side. She walked up to the door carefully. She took a deep breath as she prepared for what was on the other side. She put her hoof up to the handle and pushed the door open. “You’ve got a typo here. It says ‘Her voice was running out of patients.’ You spelled ‘patience’ as ‘patients’. I guess she had sick people in her throat.” A green pony dressed up in a ninja suit with a green mane joked as he read what was written before her. “Oh! Oops!” A brown pony with a messy brown mane said switching his attention from the screen he had been working on, rolling his chair over to the green pony. “Thank you for catching that Brad.” The brown pony said as he quickly moved his mouse over the words and changed the typo. “Not a problem, it’s why you hired me to be a proof reader.” Brad chuckled as he went back to reading. “So where are you in the current chapter?” “Well, I was about to having her go through the door to meet her final encounter with Slender Mane-“ the brown pony’s words were interrupted by the sound of a door opening behind them. The two pony’s turned around to look at the door. “H-Huh?” Pinkie said as she looked at the two pony’s sitting before the giant machine that was littered with screens. “Where am I?” She asked looking confused. “…Is that Pinkie Pie?” Brad asked confused. “I…think it is.” The brown pony said baffled. “Hey, where is this place?” Pinkie asked walking in further to the room, closing the door behind her. “And why are you guys here?” Pinkie stopped in her tracks, “Wait, you’re not crazy and going to try and kill me are you?” “…Uh Sam, she somehow broke out of the story.” Brad said pointing to his brown companion. “…Well this is…unexpected. I didn’t think Pinkie Pie could actually do that.” Sam said scratching his head. “What’s going on here? How come you guys know my name? And what story?” Pinkie asked even more confused as she looked back and forth between the two ponies. “…Well, I guess as long as you are on this side of the fourth wall you deserve an explanation.” Sam said shifting his hooves a little uncomfortably, not sure how she’ll react to the news that everything that had been happening to her in the town was his work. “…Though this does present the perfect opportunity to write in the top-hat and cane dancing Pyramid Head.” Brad joked. -The End?-

SamRose

106

Pinkie Pie,Crossover,Dark,Horror,Sad,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Gore

Silent Ponyville

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight to end her horrible nightmares.

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie is being tormented by horrific nightmares. Unable to deal with it by herself anymore she seeks out Twilight's help, but will it have been the best decision when she finds herself alone in an abandoned, fog filled Ponyville?</p><p>Sequel: <a href="/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow" rel="nofollow">http://www.fimfiction.net/story/4676/Too-Shy-for-a-Rainbow</a></p><hr/><p>There have been a LOT of high-quality readings of Silent Ponyville, but this one is my personal favorite:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGh01rbB4o3xoSV7a6Omc-UJROXHRZ1Hv</a></a></p>

teen

2015-08-11T09:12:15+00:00

2015-08-11T09:12:15+00:00

Ending - Pachinko Unlock Condition: Fire Hideo Kojima, and forget what it means to be a gaming company. “I finally understand now.” Pinkie said softly, shaking her head slowly before looking at the Slender Pony with a smile, “My fear of your presence, your stature over me, your very existence… I know what you’ve been all along.” The Slender Pony just stood there, unchanging from Pinkie’s words. “Just tell me, tell me what it is you need from me and I’ll do it.” The pale slender creature moved in understanding, raising it’s hoof slowly into the air. Pinkie looked at it with curiosity, as it pointed at her. And in a deep booming voice, it cried out. “HIT THE LEVER!” Pinkie quickly slammed her hoof down on his raised hoof, the world breaking apart into a world of flashing lights and color. “+300g!!” “I’M GOING FOR THE HIGH SCORE BABY!” Pinkie grinned widely as the reeling slots appeared in the sky behind her. Cranking down again and again on the Slender Pony’s hoof as the world danced in flashing lights and fire. “+100g! CHANCE!!!” Slender pony screamed from the top of his lungs, as Pinkie madly pulled the slots again and again. Pinkie had once thought that she understood the pain and hardship of her past, that she had taken the time to come to terms with it. But she was wrong. All she needed in her life now were the slots. With every pull of the Slender Pony’s hoof, she knew, she was closer to Nirvana.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:30:33+00:00

2011-07-11T02:30:33+00:00

Traveler Fluttershy sat in her house looking out into the garden. Small woodland creatures frolicked about as usual around a myriad of colorful flowers. It was the end of spring, and all the blooms were having their final hurrah. She sighed, she enjoyed these quiet moments in her house more than almost anything else. A cool breeze wafted in, it smelled pleasantly of spring. She inhaled deeply. A large boom shattered the calm. Animals scattered in all directions to get away from its source. Fluttershy looked around wildly in the confusion. Out of the sky a large blue something hurtled downwards. She stared up in bewilderment before she realized where it was plummeting. “Eeep!” she skidded backwards seconds before the thing crashed into the window, splintering the wood and sending various objects flying inwards. It was a blue box, above it the words “Police Public Call Box” sat in glowing letters. The double doors swung open. A brown stallion poked his head out. “What time is it!?” he yelled. Fluttershy stood there in shock for a moment. “Well?! It’s very important! Hurry up!” He urged. “Um...well...I-I-It’s one in the afternoon...Um...sir.” she paused. “Oh, m-my house...Um, sir, if you don’t mind my aski-” “Drat! Too early!” he interrupted. His head vanished back inside the box. “Oh, but, but sir...um...my windows, um...Sir...” Fluttershy tried again. The box began to make one of the strangest sounds she’d ever heard. Yet it was oddly familiar. A light at the top began to glow, and a strange wind ruffled her mane. She yelped and dove behind a chair, peeking out to look at the strange thing. It slowly became less and less visible as she looked on. Then it was gone. She stared at the gaping hole in her wall where the window used to be. A few small animals peeked in to check on her. “Oh my.....” *Theme music* Twilight Sparkle walked through the town square, since spring was ending there was a small festival to celebrate the last of the blooms before the weather ponies ushered in summer. Every building was adorned with colorful flowers and decorations. The smell of various Ponyville delicacies wafted through the air, fresh sunflowers on sticks, candied dandelions, oat and hay cake, along with a variety of other dishes sat in colorful displays to attract customers. “Howdy Twi!” called a familiar voice. “Applejack!” Twilight greeted the orange earth pony with a smile. “Sure is a lovely day for the Bloom Festival isn’t it?” “Darn tootin!” Applejack said happily. “I’m making a killin with my lavender apple cakes! Wanna try one?” She pushed a small cake over. “Oh, I’d love to; I’ve never been one to turn down your cooking. Could you give me one for Spike? I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.” “Sure thing, Sugarcube!” she placed the cakes in a small bag, which floated into Twilight’s saddlebag. “You tell that ol' dragon not to go eatin both though, ya hear?” The purple unicorn chuckled warmly. “I sure will! Thanks again!” “Y’all take care now!” Applejack waved. As Twilight walked away she inhaled deeply. “Ahhh.” she sighed. “Those cakes do smell good.” she looked back at her saddlebag. “I suppose Spike wouldn’t mind if I had just one bite without him...” One of the cakes floated from the bag until it was in front of Twilight’s nose. She inhaled again. “Mmmhhh, this smells delicious!” Fluttershy barreled into her at full speed. Both ponies went tumbling into some nearby hay bales. Fluttershy was on her feet first. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Twilight Sparkle, are you alright?” she asked quietly. Twilight spit out some hay. “I’m alright, Fluttershy.” she looked down to see her cake squished on the ground. “Well....mostly. What’s got you in such a hurry anyway?” “Oh!” Fluttershy remembered. “Well it’s my house...it’s um...” “What?” “Well, I was sitting by the window, watching the animals enjoy the last day of spring. They do love today you know.” “Yes, yes?” Twilight urged. “Well...um...I was sitting there, when suddenly I heard a large boom, and this blue box crashed into my home.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “A blue box!? Did it have any writing on it?” Fluttershy looked down. “Um....I don’t know...something about police...you do believe me, don’t you?” Twilight’s face darkened. “Oh yes, I believe you. Where is it now?” “The box? I-it disappeared.” the yellow Pegasus replied sheepishly. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think I’ve seen it once bef-.” “Not at all.” Twilight said. “Wait right here, I need to have a word with someone.” she raced off in the direction of the library. “O-okay then...” Fluttershy was left standing in the square. “Okay, now press that knobby thing.” said the Doctor, ordering Spike around the TARDIS controls. “No, no, no, that’s the lever-y bit. The knobby thing is over there!” “Okay, okay! Have you ever thought of different names for these things?” the small dragon complained. The Doctor stared blankly. “Why would I?” The TARDIS doors swung open as Twilight barged in. She paused for moment, she never ceased to be a bit awed by the small box with the large inside, but she quickly regained her composure. “You’ve got some explaining to do.” she marched up to the Doctor. “I do?” He asked bemusedly. “Well that’s good, I can explain a great many things, except perhaps how they get the filling in the cakes in this world....you all have hooves...” “What?” Twilight shook her head. “Never mind! What I want to know is what in the world were you doing crashing into Fluttershy’s house?! Is that how you say ‘hello’ or something!?” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “My dear Twilight, I have no idea who this ‘Flutterby’ is but I’ll have you know I haven’t done any crashing lately” “What do you mean? Fluttershy told me a few minutes ago that a large blue box fell out of the sky and smashed into her house. There’s only one thing in Ponyville that fits that description, and that function.” “That function?!” The Doctor said aghast. “I’ll have you know that this is the single most advanced piece of technology in the universe! Its functions extend far beyond simply ‘smashing into things’” “Well, I’ve yet to see them!” Twilight said crossly. “This thing’s been down here doing nothing since you arrived.” “She’s resting.” The Doctor said mildly. “That fall through the Abstract Plane took a lot out of her.” “Her?” “He’s been calling it that all day,” Spike said flatly “He dragged me down here to help, and even though it’s been oodles of fun, can I go back up to the festival now? ” “Sure,” said the Doctor. “If you’d rather go out to some silly festival than work on the most astoundi-” The door closed. “Well, that was rude.” Twilight chuckled slightly. “Looks like you lost out.” her smile faded. “Wait, he said you’ve been here all day...Then what happened to Fluttershy’s house?” “Hmm?” the Doctor went back to fiddling with the various instruments of the control panel for a while. “Oh, I don’t know, has she been feeling well lately? I’m sure she can sort it out.” he paused as he felt Twilight staring daggers at him. “Oh! Fine! I suppose there’s no harm in checking it out.” he hopped down to the door. “Come along, Ms.Sparkle.” The festivities were still in full swing when the two got back to the town square, a dance had begun, and various ponies swung and bopped along to the music. The Doctor and Twilight looked around. “So, what does, Flutterby look like?” The Doctor asked. “That’s Fluttershy, Doctor, what is it with you and names anyway?” Twilight said, exasperated. “Well, she’s a yellow Pegasus pony with pink hair.” “Really, I must say the genetics of this world must be quite something, Twilight.” The Doctor mused. “A Yellow and Pink equine, how strange.” He looked Twilight over “Purple one’s notwithstanding that is. Though I suppose, looking over this crowd it’s not it’s not all that uncommon in this world” A pallet of ponies in every color imaginable danced around them, greens, blues, pinks, and everything in between seemed to be out and about, eating, dancing and laughing. The Doctor chuckled. “I guess parties are the same in every universe. I used to do a bit of dancing myself you know.” “You? Really?” Twilight asked. “Oh, don’t look so shocked, you learn a lot in nine hundred years. Though I wonder how well they translate to four legs.” “Wait, what?” “Four legs, I’m not sure how one does the Charleston with four legs. It seems maybe if I kicked just so-” “No, nine hundred years, what did you mean by that?” Twilight interrupted. “Oh, that! Just my age is all.” “What?” “My age, I’m nine hundred.” “What!?” The Doctor looked hurt. “Do I look older? I really thought I was taking care of myself, I’m really nine hundred and three, or four....maybe twenty it’s so hard to keep count. Perhaps I should try some lotion, I like lotion.” Twilight stared for a moment. “You’re almost as old as Celestia! How is that possible!?” “Oh, I’m not huma-” he paused. “Sorry, Equine. Starting over is always so strange. Anyhoof, you know that.” “Well, yes, but I didn’t know you were nine-hundred! Anything else you want to tell me?” “Who’s that anyway?” “What? Who?” “Celestia.” Twilight looked at him like he was a child. “You don’t know who Celestia is?” “What!? I’ve only been here a little while, remember?” “Sorry, it’s just not often I get the upper-hoof on you, I’m just surprised to be honest.” “Well, go ahead; bestow your knowledge upon me.” The Doctor said with a deep bow. “Well, Celestia is the princess, she rules all of Equestria, you se-” “Wait; doesn’t that make her the queen?” Said the Doctor. “What?” “You said that Celestia rules all of Equestria, yeah?” “Yes.” Said Twilight carefully. “And yet you call her the princess.” “Well she is the princess.” “So there’s a king then?” “.....No” “A queen?” “No.” “Then doesn’t that make her the queen? Why do you call her the princess?” Twilight thought for a moment. “Oh it doesn’t matter!” she shook her head. “She rules Equestria in any case.” “And she’s older than me?” “Well, if you really are nine-hundred, she turned a thousand just a while back.” “Oh, how exciting!” the Doctor did a little jump. “I’ve haven’t met someone who’s my elder in the longest, we shall have to trade stories!” “Aren’t you trying to keep a low profile?” “Well, I suppose, but that’s never really worked well for me.” He put a hoof to his chin. “I tried to keep a low profile in San Francisco once, some time around 1906, it didn’t turn out well.” “What are you talking about?” Twilight asked, baffled. “Oh, I suppose that one didn’t happen here. It’s so hard to keep track. In any case, I suppose keeping a low profile is important. I shall try to stay as inconspicuous as possib- There was a loud boom, followed by the sound of smashing wood. Twilight and the Doctor turned their heads to the direction of the noise. There was a lot of smoke spilling out of a nearby storefront, the owner, a white and orange stallion, stood outside looking on in shock. “Well that’s interesting.” The Doctor remarked. He dashed over to the owner. “Sir, it’s very important you tell me what just happened.” “What?” He said, still in shock. “I’m....The crash inspector, I inspect crashes.” Twilight walked up. “Doctor, I don’t thi-” “And this is Twilight, my plucky young assistant.” “Plucky!” “Now now, Ms.Sparkle, you’ll never make head crash inspector with that attitude.” he turned back to the owner. “So, Mr.....” “Tinker.” The owner finished “Really?” “Um...yes?” “Alright then, Mr. Tinker, what exactly happened here? Tell me in exact detail.” Mr. Tinker looked at the gaping whole in his shop. “Isn’t it obvious? Something crashed into my store!” “Well yes, I know that! I’m a crash inspector remember? Tell him Twilight.” “Oh yes...number one crash inspector in the country.” she said. “So, I know, something crashed into your house-” “Shop.” Twilight corrected. “Your shop. Just look at this wood!” he poked a jagged edge with a hoof. “It reeks of crashery! What I want to know is what crashed into your shop.” “Oh, well, um,” Mr. Tinker began, flustered. “I don’t know, I was making toys, same as always, trying to get the new summer line completed for the kids, when boom! I’m knocked off my hooves and my shop is totaled!” “Hmm...Totaled yes, it certainly looks totaled. Completely totaled, completely and utterly totaled. Come along, Twilight!” The Doctor hopped over the remains of the window.” “Where are you going?” Asked Mr. Tinker. “To see what did the Totaling of course.” Mr. Tinker stood there as he walked into the dark. “Sorry about that....it’s a crash inspector thing, been in one too many crashes I should think.” Twilight said. “Sorry about your shop too!” she hopped off after the Doctor. The dust was still settling after the crash. Toys lay in disarray, small wooden horses, and small flying streamers lay in tatters. “There are few things creepier than a destroyed toy shop.” The Doctor remarked. Twilight waked gingerly after him. “I’ll say...” she said, eyeing a small pony figure whose hair was on fire. When she looked up the Doctor was gone. “Doctor!?” She called. “Doctor!?” The Doctor came barreling out of the darkness. He pushed his nose right up against hers. “What time is it?!” he yelled. “What?” Twilight asked, bewildered. “It’s very important, what time is it!!” he asked again. “I don’t know, a quarter to seven?” Twilight answered, backing up slightly. “Darn, too early.” He dashed off, back into the darkness of the shop. “Wait!! What’s going on!?” Twilight ran after him, jumping over toys and debris. “Doctor!!” “What?” said a voice behind her. She tried to stop, but she tripped over a small windup toy, and flew headlong into some boxes. “You know, it’s really not a good idea to go running around in a dark toy shop.” The Doctor remarked. “Then why were you!?” Twilight yelled, attempting to disentangle herself from the pile. “Me?” “Yes, you, you came up screaming about the time, then dashed off, what was that all about!?” “I’ve done no such thing! I’ve been walking thank you very much. I save the running for later. I like the running.” “Well, explain what just happened, then, are there two brown ponies with an hourglass mark running around?” Suddenly a blue light lit up the shop. The Doctor threw up a hoof, momentarily blinded. “No...I don’t think there’s two.” The TARDIS stood at the far end of the shop. Slowly vanishing. “Doctor!” Twilight exclaimed, running to where the phone box had once been. “That was the TARDIS!?” “Yes, yes it was, that makes things a whole lot more interesting.” “But, how could it be the TARDIS? You’re here, and it still hasn’t moved since you arrived!” “Well, yes,” the Doctor said, “but it is a time machine.” “What!?” The Doctor looked at Twilight in his usual way, like she was several steps behind. “A time machine, I thought I’d explained this?” “You never said anything about a time machine! How is that even possible!?” “Says the girl with the magical forehead.” “But even some of the strongest magics can’t traverse time!” Twilight protested. “Mine can.” “And what’s yours?” “Science, try to keep up, I’m getting Déjà vu.” “Sorry, it’s just it’s starting to seem like every time I get used to you, you’ve got something else up your sleeve.” “You’ll find I’m full of surprises, Ms.Sparkle.” He strode forwards and surveyed the area. “In any case, that’s one of the problems of time travel, things don’t always happen in the right order. But!” he paused to lick the tip of his hoof and stick it in the air. “We do know this, at some point, I am going to crash into both Flutterby’s house, and this toy shop.” “But why?” “Now, that’s the fun bit, the bit we need to find out, the mysterious fun bit.” He dashed over to a table. “And it starts, with the pony hiding under this table.” he turned around and kicked it over. There was a squeak. “Hello there, Flutterby.” Said the Doctor. Fluttershy lay on the ground with her hooves above her head, shaking slightly. She peeked out at the Doctor, and jumped back with a yelp. “It’s perfectly alright.” the Doctor said reassuringly, “I’m friendly, I promise!” he took a step closer. “Now, I’m going to need you to tell me what happened this morning, and just now.” “I-it’s you! You’re the one who crashed into my house this morning...oh....w-what do you want?” “I don’t know, could you tell me?” “W-what?” Fluttershy squeaked. “Well, I haven’t crashed into your house, or this shop yet, so I don’t know what it is that I hope to gain from doing so. But I do know, it has something to do with you.” “M-me! Why?” “That, my dear, is the question. Now, tell me, in the last few days, has anything strange happened?” Fluttershy looked at the ground. “Besides me that is.” Fluttershy shrank back a bit. “N-no, nothing I’m sure...” Twilight walked over to the yellow Pegasus. “Don’t worry Fluttershy, just tell him anything you’ve noticed, anything at all.” Fluttershy looked up at her friend. “Well, a few days ago, some bunnies did go missing from their burrows.” Fluttershy frowned. “I’ve looked for them everywhere, and they’re nowhere to be found!” she looked at the Doctor and deflated slightly. “B-but, that’s not all that strange...I...I don’t know.” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “How do you know they didn’t just run off?” “Oh, they wouldn’t do that, I keep careful track of their movements, they’ve been in those burrows since their great, great grandbunnies dug it. They’d never just up and leave.” “Mmhmm,” the Doctor nodded. “so, they haven’t abandoned their borrow, are you sure they haven’t been eate-” “Doctor!” Twilight exclaimed. “What!? Circle of life and all that, it’s bound to happen to some bunnies isn’t it?” “Oh, no, no, no, my bunny habitat is fenced in, I checked for holes, no predators got in, I make sure of it.” She looked at the two ponies questioning her. “B-but I could be wrong.” “No, quite the opposite I suspect.” the Doctor turned around and started walking out of the shop. The two ponies followed close behind. “If no predators got in, and no bunnies got out that leaves only one distinct possibility!” “Which is?” “The predator is already in the bunny habitat.” “W-w-what!?” Fluttershy Squeaked. “It’s quite simple really.” said the Doctor. “But if you like I can do a small diagram, I’ve got these little stickers that would be just perfect to represent the bunnies an-” “No! She means where would something like that hide? Twilight quickly interrupted. “Oh, now that, my dear Twilight, is the question!” “And how do you intend to answer it?” “Right now?” “Yes, right now!” Twilight yelled. “Oh, well I’m not going to answer anything at all.” “What? But Doctor, what about Fluttershy’s bunnies?” “I’m dealing with it as we speak.” Said the Doctor, jumping over some debris. “What?” “Well, I’m crashing around Ponyville for some reason, correct?” “Correct.” “That means I must already know what’s happening and am currently trying to remedy it.” Twilight paused. “If you know what’s going on, then why don’t you just fix it so you don’t have to go destroying perfectly innocent buildings!” “Well I wish I could do that Twilight, but there’s a lot more to it than that.” “Like?” “Well,” the Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “look at it this way. I’ve just found out about our little Flutterby dilemma, but I haven’t figured out everything yet. All I do know, is that for some reason it is gravely important that I stop it. Folllowing?” “Yes.” “The only reason I know that in the first place, is because of today’s earlier crash into your friend’s abode. Still following?” “Yes!” “Okay. So let’s say that right this second, I go over to the bunny habitat, and using my brilliant skills of deduction-” Twilight’s coughed. The Doctor shot her a look. “Using my brilliant skills of deduction, I figure out the problem, and everything is jiminy Christmas.” Twilight stopped herself from asked what jiminy Christmas meant. “Yes, that sounds perfect!” The Doctor sighed. “You weren’t following.” “Huh?” “Okay, so, to put it in plain terms, if I solve the problem right this second, because of knowledge I have only because of my future self’s intervention. Then the problem would be solved already, and my future self would have no reason to travel into the past.” “Thus saving Fluttershy’s house, and this toyshop from your special brand of destruction!” She tilted her head to the side. “What’s wrong with that.?” “Oh my...” Both the Doctor and Twilight turned, they had forgotten Fluttershy was still there. She was staring at something. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” “B-behind you.” The Doctor and Twilight turned, to see a swirling red hole floating inches from where they were standing. “What’s wrong, my Dear Twilight,” said the Doctor. “Is that, that, would cause a paradox.” “What in Equestria is that!?!” Twilight yelled. “That, I’m afraid, is the least of our problems. The way I see it, we have about two minutes.” “Till!?” “Till the thing on the other side of that hole comes out and sees its lunch.” he whirled around. “Flutterby, I need you to run to your house and stay there, understand?” The yellow Pegasus let out a frightened squeak, and nodded, running towards the shop’s exit. “Doctor!?” Twilight yelled. “What’s going on? What is that thing!?” The Doctor looked around wildly. “It’s a door, a very old door to let something very nasty from point A to point B, the problem is, when it gets from point A to point B, there won’t be a B for very long!!” “What do you mean!?” “Reapers, Twilight, they’re like the antibodies of time, they come to ‘infected areas’ to disinfect ‘wounds’, like paradoxes. The main problem is, they see me as a very nasty virus.” “I thought you were trying to avoid causing a paradox!?” “I was!! But it seems the fact that I now have information that I discovered, because of my own actions, in the time stream is enough! In my world such a small infraction would be ignored. But here it seems this universe needs to be worn around.” “Worn around!?” Twilight yelled over the swirling vortex as it whipped wind throughout the shop. “Ever worn a new pair of shoes? If you go running in them the same day, you get blisters Same thing.” he noticed Twilight’s bewildered face. “Horse shoes.” he said resignedly. “Oh.” said Twilight. “Anyhoof! The rules have been broken so few times, it seems to draws a lot of attention!” The Doctor yelled over the din of noise as the wind grew stronger. “What’s it going to do!?” “Well, the way I see it, it will devour every sentient being in the immediate area in an attempt to sterilize the ‘infection’. After that it will probably move on to inanimate, dessert if you will. It might not stop till the whole planet ceases to exist.” “What!?” Twilight exclaimed. “You’ve been saying that a lot lately.” “Doctor!” Twilight yelled. “On task! What do we do!?” “Right, sorry.” he turned to face Twilight head on. “I’m going to do something really quickly, you have to trust me for a moment.” “Doctor I-” “Just for a moment, don’t worry, I’m the Doctor, what could possibly go wrong?” Twilight opened her mouth. “Don’t answer that.” the Doctor interrupted. He ran around the shop, picking up toys in a seemingly random order, setting them in front of the vortex, until he had a fairly large stack of dolls and plushies. “I need you to animate them!” he yelled “What!?” “There’s that word again.” “Doctor, that’s advanced magic! I can’t do that!” Twilight cried. “Yes you can! You’ve got the power! Just use it! The wind grew yet stronger, a table next to them went flying. “I’ll help you!” the doctor galloped over, and pressed his forehead against Twilight’s. “Concentrate!” “Doctor, what are you doin-” suddenly, in her minds eye she saw what to do. Her horn glowed purple. The toys began to stir. “A little bit more!” The Doctor urged. She focused her power. There was a large boom as slowly the tip of something brown emerged from the vortex. “Hurry!” Suddenly the toys began lifting themselves from the pile, shaking and moving their newly animate limbs. “Oh you are magnificent, Twilight Sparkle!” The Doctor cried happily. He attempted to pull away from the purple unicorn. “.....Twilight?” Twilight’s horn still glowed brilliantly, casting the whole shop in a harsh purple light. She opened her eyes, they glowed like burning coals. “I can see....so much....” She said dreamily. “Twilight!” the Doctor tried frantically to separate from her, but found he was stuck fast. “Twilight! If you’ve ever listened to me, I need you to listen to me right now.” he grunted with exertion. “You’re seeing the inside of my mind, and I know that it’s very tempting, but I’m telling you it’s like the sun, look too long, get too close, and it will destroy you. I need you to let go, right now! Look away!” “I-I can’t” Twilight said softly. “There’s more....more than I...” The brown tip emerging from the vortex slowly revealed itself to be a long, scythe like claw. It sliced through the air eagerly . “Twilight!” the Doctor yelled. The unicorn was silent. “Ohhh...” the Doctor looked back and forth between Twilight and the emerging creature. “She’ll never forgive me for this.” he pushed forwards, and kissed Twilight dead on the lips. The resulting wave of magic knocked the Doctor several feet into the air. Every toy and trinket in the shop suddenly sprang to life, dancing and wandering aimlessly. The worktable at the far end, unsure what to do with its new found life, set about chasing after the small objects, acting very much like a large dog. In the corner, the wind up toys, who had no other means of locomotion, set about trying to wind one another before quickly chattering away. The sound was deafening as every music box, talking doll, and singing robot gained a will of their own, blaring their respective voices as loudly as possible. Twilight stood dazed for a moment. “Wha....what happened?..” The Doctor struggled from the grip of a large stuffed dog, running over to the purple unicorn. “Twilight! Are you alright?” he asked, looking her over. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m alright, I just feel a bit faint is all.” she replied drowsily. “Wait a second....” her eyes shot open wide. “Y-you kissed me!” Behind them something roared. “This is really not the time Twilight!” he said giving her a shove. “We need to be somewhere that’s not here, very quickly! Just follow me, don’t look back!” Twilight looked back. A head had separated itself from the vortex, it was brown and scaly in appearance. She was confused for a moment as to where the roar had come from, as the creature appeared to have no mouth. That is, until she noticed the small opening in the area that could be called the beast’s chest, it let out another roar, which showed that it was filled with very many, very sharp teeth. She screamed. “I told you!” The Doctor gave her another shove. “Now come on!” The two ran towards the shop’s exit trying to avoid trampling over the small army of toys that walked and bounced around their legs. The creature shook itself violently, its bulk shaking the whole shop as toys darted away in fear. A beam from the ceiling came crashing down in front of the two fleeing ponies. “Doctor!” Twilight yelled. “This way!” The two dashed off deeper into the darkness of the shop. The Reaper gave a mighty heave, and wrenched itself from the vortex. “Quickly! Behind the counter.” the Doctor whispered urgently. Twilight dashed over, and lowered her head. Peeking ever so slightly over to gaze at the thing floating around the shop. “It’s like a seahorse..” she whispered under her breath. It levitated a few feet off the ground, waving two long appendages that ended in cruel looking scythes. Behind it waved a long tail, to which another scythe was attached. On its side was what appeared to be a broken fob watch cutie mark. “Really?” the Doctor whispered aloud. “Even the Reapers in this universe. Really??” “Doctor!” Twilight hushed. “What are we going to do?” “Oh, yes. Well the toys you brought to life should keep it busy for a while. I thought the small bunch I rounded up would occupy it for a few minutes, but I never imagined you’d bring the whole shop to life. That gives us at least an hour.” “What are the toys going to do?” “Make a tasty appetizer.” said the Doctor. Twilight looked horrified. “Oh, don’t worry, they have animation, but not sentience, feeling bad for them, is a bit like feeling sorry for a bit of lettuce that’ll one day be a salad. Anyhoof,” he said crouching down “when you brought them to life they were infused with a bit of this worlds power, or ‘magic’ making them prime targets for the Reaper. It’ll finish them all before moving on as long as nothing more interesting shows up.” “Interesting?” “Like a pony shaped Timelord, or a unicorn with a very large store of magic.” “Oh.” said Twilight. “So we have to make sure we’re not seen, and make it back to the TARDIS, as quickly as possible.” “How do we do that? Our exit is blocked, and that....thing, is sure to see us before we can find another way out.” “Hmmm....that’s a very good question, Twilight.” as the Doctor spoke the Reaper descended upon a small rabbit plushie. A scythe swept downwards, as the small toy tried to run away. The blade met its target, ringing through the air, and with a sudden burst of light, the rabbit was lost, with no trace it had ever been there to begin with. Twilight gulped. “A very good question, which needs a very good answer, very quickly!” “Alright alright! I’m thinking!” The Doctor whispered. The beast roared again, the sound resonating everywhere, once again shaking the shop to its foundations. “Doctor.” said Twilight quietly. “Not now, Twilight, I’m thinking.” “But, Doctor, lo-” “Shhhh!” The Doctor rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “I need quiet to figure a way out of here.” “Doctor are you coming?” Twilight asked. The wall behind the counter had fallen, she stood several feet outside looking back at the brown earth pony. The Doctor looked surprised for a moment. “....Just as I planned!” he said. hurrying to join the purple unicorn. “Sure....” “No time for your pluckiness, Twilight, we have to get to the TARDIS, now.” He raced off in the direction of the library. “Right!” Twilight started to follow, but she paused. “Wait, I am not, plucky!!” she yelled after him, then raced to catch up. As they hurried to the library, Twilight noticed a small crowd had collected around the Toyshop. The ponies looked on fearfully, wondering what could produce the sounds resonating from within the building. She stopped short, planting her hooves in the dirt and skidding to a stop. The Doctor noticed this, and stopped as well. “What is it, Twilight?” he asked. “What about those ponies? What if they go inside?” “Oh yes! Right!” The Doctor ran past Twilight towards the growing crowd. “Wait! Doctor!” Twilight yelled. The Doctor stepped into the middle of the crowd, holding up a hoof. “Attention, ladies and gentlemen!” There was some confused muttering from the collection of ponies. The Doctor sighed. “Fillies, and Gentlecolts....” he corrected. Everyone gave him their full attention. “Really?” He said under his breath. “Anyhoof, nothing to be worried about! Just a test of the.......new summer toy line!” “New summer toy line!?” said a voice from the crowd. There was a roar from inside the shop. The ponies backed up several feet. “I’ve never heard a toy that sounded like that!” “Who are you anyway?” said a blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane. She flew up and pressed her nose against the Doctor’s. “What’s going on in there?” “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, catching up with the Doctor in the crowd. “Twilight?” Rainbow turned around to see the purple unicorn panting and out of breath in the crowd. “You know this weirdo?” “Yes, she does, thank you very much.” Said the Doctor. “I am the Do-” “Clockwork!” Twilight interjected. “His name is Clockwork, and yes, I know him.” “Clockwork? What kind of name is that?” Rainbow landed next to the purple unicorn, still eyeing the Doctor warily. “He’s....um....from Hoofiny, you know, they love clocks over there!” Twilight said hurriedly. “I thought he was from Hoofdale?” Rarity walked through the crowd. Twilight faltered slightly. “Rarity! Um...yes...he’s from-” “Both! The Doctor interjected. “My family hails from....Hoofiny,” he cringed slightly. “but I emigrated to Hoofdale a while back. Changed my name and everything.” “Really! You never told me that!” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “A foreigner, how exotic!” her eyelashes fluttered slightly. “Um...yes....quite.” The Doctor took a step back. “What did your name used to be?” asked Rainbow Dash. “John Smith.” The two ponies paused. “Wow, Hoofin names are strange.” A roar from inside the toyshop ended the conversation. The crowd back further away as building as it rattled in shook. “Okay, I don’t care where he’s from, that is not a ‘new toy line.’” Rainbow flew towards the shop. “I’m going to check it out.” “No!” Twilight hopped in front of the Pegasus. “Move, Twilight, I have to know what’s going on in there!” “It’s the summer line of toys, really!” Twilight groaned as the Pegasus tried to push past her. “Nothing at all to worry about.” “Are you hiding something, Twilight?” “What! No! It’s just that toy making is dangerous, you could get hurt!” “It’s true you know.” said Pinkie Everypony turned to find Pinkie pie sitting in the crowd She looked over at the Doctor and shot him a wink. “What do you mean, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash drifted over “The new toy line, silly!” Pinkie did a little jump. “Mr. Tinker is making Screaming Mimi’s.” There was silence. “He put in too much scream, not enough Mimi. Duh.” There was a mummer of agreement from the crowd, they began to disperse. The Doctor walked over to the pink earth pony. “Pinkie my dear you are wonderful!” “I know.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity stood, looking in wonderment at the leaving ponies. “Fine, whatever Twilight. We’ll catch you later” Said Rainbow. They quickly got back to dancing and singing around festival. “Pinkie, can you make sure that no one enters this place?” Twilight whispered. “The Doctor and I have to take care of something right now.” “Okey dokey lemon smoky!” Pinkie yelled happily. “Does that mean yes?” Asked the Doctor. “Yes, that means yes.” “Good, then come on, we’ve wasted enough time here!” The Doctor raced off. “There’s no time to lose!” “Coming!” Twilight turned to Pinkie. “Now, no one must enter this building, it is of the up most importance. But, if something comes out, I want you to run, run fast, warn everyone. Got it?” “You can count on me!” Pinkie did a salute. “Good” Twilight hugged the pink earth pony. “Thank you.” Then she was off the catch up with the Doctor. She raced down the steps into the library basement, she could hear the sounds of the Doctor mumbling to himself as she descended. “I can get you working, I’m sure of it.” He said. “Well, technically I already have done, but how did I do it?” She walked in to find the Doctor twisting knobs, and pressing buttons all over the TARDIS. Trying to get the machine to do whatever it was he was planning. “Doctor, any luck?” she asked. “Not a lick.” he said crossly. “Not even a nibble, not even nugget.” “What are you trying to do anyway?” “Well, the way I see it is, until I’ve solved Fluttershy’s problem, whatever it may be,” he grunted as he pulled a stubborn lever. “we remain at a point in time at which I am a small paradox, this universe doesn’t like even the smallest wrinkles in the fabric of reality, so it is tying to remedy the situation.” The Doctor disappeared down a hatch in the floor. “Yes, I know that, what do you plan to do about it?” “I have to figure out what’s wrong, while staying relative to the causal nexus.” he popped back up with a cord in his mouth. “Mould mou mhelh meh wihp mish?” “Um...sure.” Twilight went over and helped drag the lengthy cord out to the control panel. Where the Doctor connected it into one of the many jacks. “But what do you mean?” “I mean, I have to be very careful to accomplish things in the order in which I did them. I have to preserve that moment in time where I found it necessary to go back in time, crash into various things, and alert myself to my own problem.” “Won’t that still be a paradox?” “No, not exactly, that’s just highly unlikely. It’s only a paradox if I make it so the trip back in time, that alerted me to the fact I needed to go back in time, doesn’t occur.” He flipped a few more switches. “Are you following?” “Hardly.” “Don’t worry, you’re doing well for your second time out.” he ran over to a monitor in front of the control panel. “Basically, if I accomplish that, the vortex will snap shut on itself, taking the Reaper with it.” he beat a hoof against the side of the screen. “But none of that will happen, if I can’t get her to fly!” Suddenly, in the very back of her head, Twilight had an idea. “Doctor......have you checked that thing over there?” she pointed to a grate in the floor. “What!?” the Doctor spun around. “Why?” “I’m not sure, it just seems like you should have.” The Doctor hopped down from the main controls. “I have not checked over there. I have been flying this machine for several life times, and in that time, it has broken down more times than there are planets in this sector of the universe. There has never once, been a problem, ‘Over there’” “And you can’t fix this problem?” Asked Twilight raising an eyebrow. “Well...not right now bu-” “Then you haven’t seen this issue before?” “Well..no bu-.” “Then wouldn’t make sense to check the one place there’s never been a problem before now?” The Doctor was silent for a minute. “Fine.” he picked up his sonic screwdriver and had the grate off in a few seconds. His head disappeared into the hole. There was a little click, and suddenly the TARDIS began to hum. The Doctor’s head slowly came out of the grate, he stared at Twilight for a long time, with eyes that looked extremely old. “How did you know that, Twilight?” he said slowly. “I don’t know....just a lucky guess I suppose...” He stared at her for a while longer. “Yeah...just a lucky guess.” He clopped a hoof against the floor. “Well, in any case, we’re in business!” he hopped back up to the controls. “Now, all we have to do is go somewhere, and let history play out as it’s supposed to. Then we’re in the clear! Easy!” The TARDIS lurched to the left, tossing Twilight and the Doctor against the opposite wall. “What are you doing!?” Twilight yelled as the noise from the console grew louder. “I’m not doing anything!” The Doctor dragged himself up, shakily making his way to the monitor. “It started all on its own!” Numbers and symbols flashed wildly across the screen in a jumbled mess. “We’re heading into the future!” “The future?!” “”Yes, ten.....thirty...forty...what!?” The Doctor yelled out loud. Suddenly the shaking stopped. “Where are we?” Asked Twilight softly, rubbing her head. “According to this....fifty years in your future, Twilight Sparkle.” “My....future?” Twilight said slowly. “Yes, right out that door.” The two were silent for a moment. “Do you have any idea what we’ll find out there?” “New universe, no idea.” “So it might be dangerous?” “Might not.” “We don’t know.” “Do you want to stay in here?” Twilight paused. “No.” The Doctor smiled. “Good.” he walked over to the door. “Onwards and upwards, Ms.Sparkle.” The doors swung open. To be Continued in Way From Home.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2011-07-29T04:40:30+00:00

2011-07-29T04:40:30+00:00

Way from home. The TARDIS doors swung open with a slow creak. The Doctor and Twilight peeked out, it was pitch black, there was a smell of damp age that lingered, and made the air thick and heavy. “Where are we?” asked Twilight. The Doctor ducked back into the TARDIS, grabbing his coat. “We’re still in the library basement, we’ve moved in time, but not space.” He reached his head into his pocket, popping out with the sonic screwdriver. “But it seems like no one’s been here in years.” Twilight looked around into the darkness. “A very likely possibility.” The doctor said around the small tool. “A lot can change in fifty years, Twilight.” he pressed the button on it’s handle, with a ringing sound it sent a small beam of light into the dark. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, worktables sat in various stages of decay, half opened books lay open atop them and in piles at various intervals along the floor. Cobwebs hung from everything making patterns against the wall as the light hit them. “I’d say it’s less a few years, and more a few decades.” the Doctor remarked. He returned the screwdriver to his pocket. He walked over to one of the worktables, running his hoof across the surface, he inspected it, then gave it a lick. “About forty years is a good estimate.” “Yuck....” Twilight said under her breath. “Did you say something?” The Doctor raced off before she could answer. “Ah! The stairs, shall we go?” Twilight hesitated. “Are you sure about this, Doctor? “Are you?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “No. I’m not.” “Good, never be sure about anything, that’s what gets you in trouble.” “For what?” “For being sure you wouldn’t get into trouble in the first place.” he hopped up the stairs. “Onwards and upwards Ms.Sparkle!” She sighed resignedly, and followed him up the stairs. They climbed through the dark for a while, the Doctor taking the brunt of the cobwebs for having gone in front. Motes of dust floated up around their hooves as they made their way upwards, the old stairs creaked and groaned under their weight. In places Twilight was unsure they were stable, but nonetheless they held. “Ouch!” the Doctor yelped as they reached the top. He stopped abruptly, Twilight to bumped into him in the dark. “What is it!?” She said. “Well,” the Doctor rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “if my skills of deduction haven’t failed me, It appears to be a ceiling.” “A ceiling? Where’s the door!?” “One of your many, very good questions.” said the Doctor, grabbing the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. “It appears to be tile, so I should be able to loosen it just enough to...” there was a scrapping sound. “There!” he pushed upwards and the large stone tile popped loose, light spilled down into the stairwell. “Ladies first.” the Doctor ushered Twilight forwards. She gulped. “Nothing ventured nothing gained.” she stepped forwards, and peeked her head out into the the library. The first thing that struck her was the size. The library ceiling reached up for several stories into a glass dome, surrounded by the foliage of the large oak in which it was housed. Bookshelves stretched off in all directions, filled to the brim with tomes of all sizes and shapes, they whizzed and fluttered through the air, much like butterflies, re-shelving and organizing themselves faster than Twilight could track. Ponies milled about everywhere, many of whom she did not recognize. The majority of them wore a small wooden box around their necks, from what she could see it was intricately carved with symbols she could not decipher. Each was slightly different from the next, there was a small opening in the front with a glass cover, from which emanated a slight glow. She wondered the reason for the strange boxes before the Doctor shook her from her thoughts. “Haha! Wow! See what you lot can accomplish in fifty short years?! Amazing!” he hopped out and spun with a flourish. “Smell that, Twilight? Progress! Wonderful!” Twilight climbed shyly out of the hole. The Doctor remained completely oblivious to the fact everypony in the library was now staring at them. She tapped him on the shoulder. “Doctor, we’re in a library, shhhhhhhh!!” “What’s that Twilight, speak up!” he said loudly. The Doctor jumped slightly at the torrent of shushing that followed. “Well fine, excuse me for being excited.” he said quietly. “Come along, Twilight, why don’t we take a look at things?” He set off in a random direction. Twilight hastily followed. They earned a few odd stares from passing ponies, wary of the newcomers who came from the ground. Though they did not voice any objections they may have had. The library was deathly quiet. “Doctor, are you sure it’s safe here?” asked Twilight. “What did I say about being sure? In anycase, just walk like you own the place, most of the time, no one questions you.” “If you say so.” Twilight gazed around the building. It had not only gotten bigger in her absence. Where the floors and walls were once wood, tile and metal now dominated the architecture. “Doctor, what do you think has happened since we left?” “You’re on fire with good questions today Twilight.” the Doctor remarked. “Let’s find out.” The Doctor darted off down a hallway. “Wait! I-” Twilight was cut short by shushing ponies. “Sorry...” she said sheepishly. She dashed off after the Doctor. “You there!” he said walking up to a red unicorn, her mane was white and somewhat unkempt, she stared at him rather blankly. “Yes?” she asked. Twilight caught up with them. “Doctor! Don’t run o-” “Oh yes you’re right! How rude of me!” The Doctor interrupted. He turned back to the red unicorn. “I’m the Doctor, and this is my companion, might I ask you some questions?” “Hello, I’m Lore, I’m the daytime librarian, I know every book in this place, ask away...Doctor.” said Lore, frowning slightly at the name. “Wonderful! First, to test a theory. Do you happen to know the date?” “June 20th.” she rattled off automatically. “Good, good” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “And the year?” “The year?” “Yes, the year, just, you know, to test my theory.” “Well, last I checked it was thirty eight.” She turned and walked towards a nearby shelf. “What was this ‘Theory’ of yours anyway? Are you a scientist?” she asked, sending several books flapping to their appropriate shelves. “Of sorts,” he said. “It’s really nothing, just a small idea concerning the calibration of certain temporal eleme-” The Doctor paused. “Did you say thirty eight? “ “Yes, it’s Spring, June 20th, 38.” she walked further down the hall, re-shelving books as she went. The Doctor and Twilight followed. “Wait, by my calculations it should be 1050!” The Doctor said walking up to look her in the eye. “Oh, you’re not from around here, are you? Are you from the colonies? I’ve always wanted to go to the colonies.” It was Twilight’s turn to speak. “Colonies!? What do you mean colonies!?” Lore looked at Twilight. “Oh, hello, I’m Lore.” she smiled “Yes, hello Lore, it’s very nice to meet you.” Twilight said hurriedly. “What this about colonies?” “The Equestrian colonies, of course!” Several books floated from shelves around the library. “Here, there’s one in Equinopia,” a heavy tome landed on Twilight’s back. “Hoffiny, Lassonon, Clydesland, and...well...everywehre!” Twilight strained under the weight of the books. “B-but why!?” “Well,” she leaned in close to Twilight. “I personally don’t like the idea, but according to paragraph five of the third section, line 23, subsection 4 in the Way of Equestria, it is to spread our knowledge and beauty throughout the world.” She shrugged. “Everypony knows that.” “I’m not everypony!” yelled Twilight. “Why would the Princess do such a thing!?” “The Princess?” Lore made her way down the hall again. “Oh!? You mean Celestia? Really, where have you been? “What do you mean?” “Celestia hasn’t been in power for more than forty years now.” Twilight froze mid-step. “Then who....” “Lore!” called the Doctor. “Yes?” Twilight noticed the Doctor had stopped following them. He sat a few feet back staring out of a large window. “Lore,” the Doctor said carefully. “you said you were the daytime librarian, correct?” “Yep, that’s me, professor.” “Doctor.” he corrected. “Well, Ms.Lore, if you’re the daytime librarian....then why is it dark outside?” Twilight looked out the window. It was dim, but not completely dark, the sky was a deep blue, there was no moon or sun to speak of. There was a street leading into the shopping district, along it lights hovered in midair, illuminating ponies of all shapes and sizes milling about, going into to shops, laughing as though it was the middle of the day. “Maybe it’s just really early in the morning.” Twilight said hopefully. “Early!?” said Lore, “It’s three in the afternoon!” do you live underground or something? It’s always been like this” “It’s twilight.” said the Doctor quietly. “What’s me?” “Not Twilight as in Twilight the pony, twilight as in the time when the moon is setting and the sun is rising.” He turned to look at the purple unicorn. “It’s an eternal twilight.” “Of course it is!” Said Lore shelving a few more books. “It’s been like that since year one. Seriously, where are you from? Even the colonist know that.” Twilight stood in stunned silence. The Doctor took over. “Oh, us? You were right earlier, we do live underground! Yep, ground ponies, that’s us, we don’t get out much! We just decided to come to your lovely library! We’ve heard a lot about it.” He swung his hoof around. “It’s really....big!” “Oh, thank you!” Lore replied. “I’ve never met ground ponies before.” “Like I said, we don’t get out much.” He nudged Twilight, who was still staring out the window. “In anycase, we’re rather uneducated underground. Really, our history classes are terrible. Last I heard, ape descendants ruled the planet’s surface, watching things called sitcoms and googling one another.” Lore looked terrified. “But of course, I know now that that’s just silly.” The Doctor smiled. “But if you could point us poor ground folks to some of the....highlights of....oh say the last fifty years, we would be most appreciative. “Oh of course, you poor things! Follow me, the Hall of History should get you up to speed.” Lore paused. “Is she alright?” Twilight’s mouth hung open, she was still at the window, staring off into space. “Oh she’s fine, just a bit overwhelmed, normally the only living things she sees are earthworms. Overstimulated, the poor dear.” He gave her a little shove. “Twili-...er.... I mean, Digger, come along now.” Twilight snapped out of her stupor. “What? Who’s Digger?” she asked blearily. “You are silly!” The Doctor said quickly. “No, my name’s Twili-” “Haha!” he put a hoof to her mouth, leaning over to Lore. “Too much rock dust, not good for the head. Isn’t that right, Digger?” he shot Twilight a meaningful look. She nodded, and the Doctor removed his hoof. “Now, what were you saying about this hall of history?” “Oh, it’s right this way!” Said Lore, turning on her hoofs. “Follow me!” The three of them set off towards the front of the library. Twilight and the Doctor fell back out of hearing distance. “Digger? Doctor, I thought you had my name down by this point. And what is going on around here?” Twilight whispered. “I called you that because, if my suspicions are correct, we’re going to find out what’s going on here, and you’re not going to like it.” “I’ve already worked it out I think.” Said Twilight worriedly. “Oh....well, I’m sorry, Twilight.” “Don’t worry, we’ve defeated Night Mare Moon before, we can do it again.” “It might not be so bad, being a dictato-” the Doctor paused. “Who’s Night Mare Moon?” “The mare responsible for all this of course! She’s Celestia’s sister, she was in charge of the moon. That is, up until she became too jealous of he sister’s power. She tried to bring eternal night to Equestria, and for it she was trapped in the moon for a thousand years. She got out earlier this year, a bit before you arrived. The others and I defeated her, but she’s the only pony I know who could do something like this.” The Doctor stared at her for a while. “I see I’m not the only one with busy weekends. But, Twilight, I’m sorry to say I have a different theory. And I really am sorry, so very very sorry.” “Why? What are you talking about?” “We’re here!” called Lore cheerfully as they arrived at the the door to the large ornate hallway. “The Hall of History! And of course first up we have a picture of our kind and gentle ruler,” she pointed to the opposite wall with a flourish. “Queen Twilight!” On the wall hung a large painting of a purple pony, with both the wings of a Pegasus, and the horns of a Unicorn. She wore an lavish dress, covered in runes and gems, she looked out at the trio with the same purple eyes Twilight had, except these were much deeper, much older, and much much darker. “Excuse us for moment, Lore.” said the Doctor, “It seems this....great painting of our apparent monarch is a bit too much for poor Digger.” he pointed to the unicorn, who was staring up with what could only be described as an expression of either pure horror, or massive amazement. “Let me take her out to get some air before we continue our tour.” “I completely understand.” said Lore. “Go right ahead.” The Doctor nudged the shocked unicorn out into lobby. “D-doctor......” she whispered slowly. “Yes, Twilight?” “That can’t be me can it?” “I’m afraid it can.” “But I’m right here! How could I be around to grow up into...this?” “Time is not linear, Twilight,” the Doctor explained. “I took you here, to the future, on accident, but that doesn’t mean you disappeared from the timestream until we reached this destination. I take you back home at some point, then, in around ten years or so, you decide that this country isn’t dictator-y enough and install yourself as monarch. Next thing you know, there’s never a day or night, and everyone’s eating breakfast for eternity.” “But I would never do that!!” Twilight yelled. Both she and the Doctor jumped slightly as they were shushed from all sides. “I mean,” Twilight whispered . “the most I ever wanted to do was read my books, and study magic. I would never do....this! Colonies? Eternal twilight? This is madness. I wouldn’t...” “I know you wouldn’t.” Said the Doctor. “I’m a way better judge of character than that.” “Doctor!” “Fine.” he leaned in close, looking into Twilight’s eyes. His own, old blue one’s darted around quickly, looking for something. “I’ve seen darkness Twilight, I’ve seen more of it than you, or I for that matter, would care to believe. I know how it sits inside, makes a person hard and cold. The eyes are how you can tell, they become deep, dark eyes, the kind of eyes that freeze with a look, and set terrible things in motion. The kind of eyes that have seen the worst of the world, and barely flinched. The kind of eyes I’ve seen too many times, Twilight Sparkle, and I can tell you, that your eyes, are nothing like the ones in that painting back there. Something must have happened between now and then, something terrible, something to give you those dark eyes, and I intend to find out what it was.” “How are you going to do that?” Twilight asked. “Well, a tour’s a good place to start!” The Doctor did a little spin and headed back to the Hall of History. “Lore, Digger’s feeling much better now! Onwards and upwards!” The three set off once again, down the opulent hallway. Twilight paused at the painting of what was apparently to become her. She looked into it’s eyes, and vaguely, just for a second, she thought they looked like the Doctor’s. She quickly banished the thought and raced to catch up. “I’ll start from the beginning.” said Lore, pointing to a large tapestry that hung on the wall. “This is the story of Twilight, and how she rose to power.” she pointed to a large white pony. “Around fifty years ago the princess of the sun, Celestia, was the ruler of all of equestria. She was in charge of both the sun and the moon, and had at that time been so for a little over a thousand years. But, around the year 1005 C.R -Celestia’s Reign- she began to act strangely.” She dragged her hoof over to a smaller, purple pony. “Twilight, being her student at the time, was the first to notice. Celestia started making irrational decisions, leaving the sun up longer than usual, and sometimes refusing to let it set at all. She had lanterns put up around her quarters every few feet, and the castle covered in lights. She would never tell anypony why. Her subjects began to fear she had gone mad. Her sister, princess Luna, stepped up to help her ailing sister and made sure the night came when it was due while her sister stayed inside, apparently terrified of the dark. But soon she too began to act erratic. Full moons when there should have been none, talking to herself and refusing to be alone at night. The fear of the public grew steadily more with each passing day. And in time, Luna too moved into the Lantern covered castle. So, in 1012 C.R Twilight convinced the two of them to give some of their power to her, so that she could take some of the burden. They agreed, and it became her job to make sure the two celestial bodies ran on time. Over time Twilight took on more and more of the royal responsibilities, as Celestia and Luna began to degrade further. It was soon after that, in the year 1 T.R, that the two sisters became completely shut inside the castle. Never leaving the light of the lanterns they had come to see as the only things that mattered.Too terrified to leave, and no longer sensible enough to rule, Twilight had no choice but to use a spell to take their powers away before they could do any harm. Thus installing herself as Queen of Equestira, as it has been for almost forty years now.” She looked at the Doctor and Twilight expectantly. “Any questions?” Twilight was silent. “What about the eternal twilight?” asked the Doctor. “When did that happen?” “Oh!” Lore slapped her forehead with a hoof. “Of course! I forgot that part of the story. That’s embarrassing, normally I’ve got stuff like that memorized, I’ve got half the library up here you know. I’m not daytime librarian for nothing!” “Yes....” said the Doctor patiently. “Now about the twilight?” “Oh, of course.” said Lore, getting back on track. “That happened when Twilight took away the powers of the previous rulers. Nopony is quite sure why, but after that the sun and the moon were struck still. They haven’t moved since that day, placing Equestira in a state between day and night.” “Twilight...” The Doctor said softly. “Now you’re getting it!” Lore said happily. “Now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to work. Nice to meet you, Doctor, Digger.” she gave them a little nod, and vanished among the books. The Doctor looked back at Twilight. “Well, now we know what happened at least. Now, do you perhaps know wh-” he stopped when he noticed she was crying. “Oh....” he said. For a while he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He listened to her sob for a while, then sidled closer. “Twilight?....I’m really quite sorry..” he began She cut him off, grabbing him in a hug and crying into his shoulder. For a moment, he was taken aback. Unsure what to do, he put his hoof on her back. “It’ll be alright, Twilight. I promise you that. It’ll be alright.” To Be Continued.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2011-07-29T04:40:52+00:00

2011-07-29T04:40:52+00:00

Out of the Shadows. 985 C.R “This is an awesome party, Carrot!!” Called a mauve earth pony around her braces, over the loud music of the dance hall. Lights flashed on and off around them as lasers arched through the air. She wore a checkered handkerchief, and several glow rings around her neck and hooves, they jangled and shook as she danced. “Yeah! I know, it’s totally tubular!” replied Carrot, a yellow pony with a orange mane. “These are some pretty fly beats!” The pair bopped and jammed along to the music, dancing and bumping into other ponies on the crowded dance floor as they went. The music cut out abruptly. “What? Hey! Who cut the tunes?” There was a strange sound humming over the complaints and whinnies of the dancers. A sound somewhat like a key being dragged across some piano wire. “What’s that noi-” Carrot was interrupted as a large blue box hurtled through the opposite wall. Ponies scattered as chunks of plaster went flying in all directions, the box toppled several of the large speakers in corner, which landed with tremendous crash on the dancefloor. The DJ leapt to safety before it went careening into the turntables, throwing up sparks as the machinery hissed and spat. The box finally landed in the middle of the floor. Slowly, several ponies peaked their heads out from their hiding places. “What in the hay!?” Carrot said from behind an overturned speaker. “Are you seeing this?” he turned to find his dancing partner wasn’t there. She was in front of the blue box, dumbstruck. He was about to call out to her when the doors to the box swung open. A brown stallion poked his head out. “What time is I-”. He paused looking the mauve pony up and down. “......What are you wearing?” “I-” “And what are those things on your teeth!?” “Braces, but I-” “Braces!? Now why would a equine need braces!?” The pony was getting annoyed. “To keep my teeth straight you square!” “Square?” the stallion put a hoof to his chin, thinking for a moment. “Let’s see, overly loud clothing, bright flashing lights, obnoxious music, period lingo...” His eyes shot wide open. “Oh for peat sakes no! It can’t be. Really!? I mean, honestly!?” He tossed his hooves in the air. “What’s your dish, lame brain?” “Must every universe have an eighties!?” He cried, exasperated. “Even one populated by by pastel miniature horses!? I mean they got it wrong the first time, why do it again!?” “What are you yakking about?” “Hmm?” he looked at her blankly for a moment. “Oh, nothing, in any case, it seems I’ve really overshot my landing. But out of curiosity, could you tell me the year?” “The year? You must have gone to some wicked party bro.” she sized him up. “It’s 985.” “I knew it!” he yelled. “I just knew it! Even the numbers correlate. Astounding! ” He vanished back inside the blue box mumbling to himself about the logistics of pony parachute pants. The doors shut behind him and the box began to glow. The mauve pony turned to run away. Suddenly the glowing stopped, and the doors swung open again. “Sorry, before I go, I’m the Doctor, and you?” “Cheerilee.” she said quickly. Then joined Carrot behind the overturned speaker. The Doctor popped back into the blue box. The sound started up again, and slowly it disappeared into thin air. There was silence in the dance hall for a while as everypony slowly came out of their hiding places. “Wow....that was wicked loose.” Carrot whispered. 38, T.R Twilight dried her eyes as followed the Doctor, looking for a way out of the large library. “Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked softly. “I can send you home if you want. You don’t have to be here for this.” “No.” she replied. “I want to know what’s going on here, no way I’m leaving this alone. I just can’t understand what’s happening. What would make the princesses so fearful? Why would I do this? Taking powers? Building colonies? I can’t even imagine....and in the painting... my eyes are so terrible...” The Doctor was silent for a moment as they walked. They made their way around bookshelves and displays, most of which, Twilight noticed, incorporated purple in some way. Eventually the Doctor spoke. “If you’re going to stay, and note, that you still don’t have too. then we need information. If you’re anything like I suspect, books will be of little use. Probably censored of anything useful. If we’re going to get to the heart of this, we need to hear things straight from the horse’s mouth.” He noticed Twilight’s expression. “Oh, you know what I mean! Either way we need to be a lot faster than this!” he hopped forward, landing in front of a rather startled earth pony. Twilight noted that he wore the same wooden box a lot of ponies seemed to wear. “You, sir!” his head dipped into his pocket, returning with a wallet. He flashed it in front of the stallions face, then quickly returned it. “Random survey!” “What?” “That’s what intend to find out! What do you think?” “Huh?” “We’re getting nowhere fast, sir.” The Doctor walked around the blue earth pony, assessing him. “Quick, what’s your name.” “Uh, it’s Peanut, mister.” The Doctor made a choking sound, but quickly stifled it. “Um...Good name...and your last name?” “Butter.” The Doctor paused for moment. He was about to say something, but Twilight shot him a warning glance. He held his tongue and continued “Okay....Peanut Butter, how are you enjoying life under the Queen?” “Under Queen Twilight?” he looked apprehensive. “Well, things are good....She certainly put a lot of work into the library at least.” “Yes, it’s quite big isn’t it?” the Doctor replied. “But what about you? You personally. Any troubles, Mr.Butter? Anything you’d change if you could?” “Um....” his eyes shifted nervously. “No, nothing really, everything’s great! She’s made the town is more prosperous than ever! Yep....wouldn’t change a thing!” The Doctor took a step closer. “Really Mr.Butter? Nothing at all? Because I think there’s something you would change. I think you’re hiding something.” “No! Certainly not, sir!” said Peanut Butter, flustered. “What do you do for a living Mr.Butter?” “I-I make sandwiches, at a shop just down the road.” “Hmm, sandwiches, yes,” The Doctor glared at the poor stallion. “and, are you sure, that there’s nothing you would change, so that you could do your job better?” “Well....I suppose...” Peanut butter started tentatively. “Suppose what?” “Well I...it’s just that I sort of....” “Go on.” “Well when I first opened the shop...” “Out with it man!” “I miss real ingredients!!” Peanut Butter yelled. They all had become acclimated to being in the library, so the resulting shushes were hardly noticed. “Ah,” said the Doctor. “Care to elaborate on that? “Well...I miss real bread, and tomatoes and lettuce. Since this darkness settled in, nothing grows. No plants, no wheat for the bread, no seeds for the mustard, no vegetables for the toppings. I have to use magically replicated ingredients.” “Magically replicated?” Twilight chimed in. “Yes, and it just doesn’t taste the same.” Peanut Butter grimaced, growing bolder. “There’s an aftertaste of magic to everything. You know, like the flavor of burnt almonds.” “I think what my companion means is,” the Doctor interrupted “what kind of process does one go through to get magically replicated ingredients?” Peanut Butter raised an eyebrow. “You just cast a spell depending on what you want of course. Like with everything else.” “Oh, so you’ve got a unicorn in the shop?” asked Twilight. “Hmm? Oh, you mean Pumpernickel? Yeah, he works for me, but he couldn’t cast anything to save his life.” Peanut Butter pumped his chest out proudly. “I make all my ingredients myself, even if we don’t have the genuine article anymore.” “You do? But you’re an earth pony! You shouldn’t be able to use magic!” Peanut Butter sized up the purple unicorn, raising an eyebrow. “Are you one of those Cloppish folk?” he asked. “Always with this ‘Earth ponies shouldn’t do spells junk. I’ll tell you now, you ain’t converting me!” The Doctor interjected. “What we mean to say is could you show us a demonstration of how you go about making your ingredients?” Peanut Butter relaxed slightly. “Oh, well if that’s what you wanted, all you had to do was ask!” He smiled. “Follow me, magic isn’t allowed in the main building, the study rooms are this way!” He marched off proudly. The Doctor and Twilight followed closely behind. A Pegasus climbed out from behind a nearby bookshelf, watching the three ponies leave. He quickly flew behind a stairwell, and spoke softly into the box around his neck. “You were right mam,” he began. “It is her, we’re sending them in.” He turned quickly, and flew off into the dark corners of the library. “Here we are!” Said Peanut Butter, opening the large oak door to the study room. It was a small area made of thick granite stone, in places the walls were charred and burnt. The smell of magic emanated strongly from inside, a sweet nutty odor. The Doctor hopped inside. “Okay Mr. Butter, show us your sandwich making prowess” He sat on his haunches and waited expectantly. “Come along, Digger, I think this will be fascinating!” Twilight joined him and waited for Peanut Butter to begin. “Okay, then, I’ll give you the full run down!” He said proudly. “First, I picture the ingredient I want. For the sake of showmanship I’ll go ahead and make a whole sandwich. What kind would you like?” Twilight thought for a moment. “Anything is fine I supp-” “Chocolate covered daises with custard!” yelled the Doctor. Peanut Butter stared at the brown earth pony. “Um...How about we do PB&J, it’s my specialty.” he grinned nervously. “Well, you did ask.” said the Doctor. “Okay, first thing we need is my favorite ingredient! Peanut butter!” he laughed at his ownjoke. The Doctor and Twilight were silent. “Er...well...yes, on with it then.” he closed his eyes and concentrated. “I need to focus on the ingredient, remember everything about it. How it tastes, it’s texture, it’s appearance, everything.” he strained. Slowly, a glow began shine from inside box around his neck, growing brighter through the small hole in the front. It was green, and sparkled in the light, concentrating into a beam of energy . The glow grew brighter and brighter, until the Doctor and Twilight had to shield their eyes. It arched and crackled as the beam grew larger and larger. Peanut Butter strained and grunted in concentration as the sound grew to a crescendo . Then, in a flash of light, everything stopped. A small jar of peanut butter landed on the floor with a click. Peanut Butter panted a bit, exhausted. “Okay,” he wheezed. “I might have put a bit more into that than than I should have. But that’s basically how it’s done. I’ll be less showy with the rest of it.” Several short flashes of light later a jar a jelly and a loaf a bread sat on the floor next to the peanut butter. A knife popped up next to Peanut Butter’s head and expertly cut the bread, and rationed out the ingredients. Two perfectly made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches landed in font of the Doctor and a stunned Twilight. “There you go, nothing to it!” Twilight stared at the food, amazed. “How....how is that possible!?” she asked softly. Peanut Butter looked puzzled. “Come now, even if you are Cloppish, you shouldn’t act to surprised. Where are you from anyway?” The Doctor took a bite of his sandwich. “Oh, very far away, ground ponies and all that stuff, am I the only one getting déjà vu?” He smacked on the food, walking over to Peanut Butter. “I think the real question is, what is that box around your neck?” “This?” he looked at the small device. “It’s my horn, every non-unicorn has one these days.” “Ah, yes...your horn.” said the Doctor. “And would you happen to know how that works?” “Well, as far as I know, it-” Peanut Butter was interrupted by a knock at the door. “That’s weird, no one uses these rooms much anymore.” he remarked. The Doctor walked over. “Who is it?” he asked. The knocking continued, louder. The Doctor opened the door slightly, peeking out. He quickly shut it, staring at Twilight. “Doctor?” “Yes, Digger?” He asked taking out the sonic screwdriver. “Is everything alright?” “That depends, is it normal for living stuffed ponies to be asking to use the study room?” “No.” “Well, I don’t want to frighten you, so I’m going to lie.” He raced over the opposite wall scanning frantically. “Yes everything is perfectly alright.” The door flew off it’s hinges and hit the opposite wall with a bang. A large brown stuffed hoof entered the room, followed by the large stuffed pony it was attached to. It was a good three feet taller than anypony in the room. Its stitching was loose and threads hung off at odd angles, dragging behind it in a trail along with bits of stuffing as it lurched awkwardly, the thing’s head swiveled until it’s button eyes fixated on Twilight. “Okay, I’m a terrible liar!” The Doctor yelled. “Things are most definitely not alright!” Peanut Butter and Twilight screamed. The Doctor pressed the sonic screwdriver against the wall. “Quickly! Over here!” he turned around and kicked against the granite. The wall fell over, landing outside the library with a crash. The Doctor dashed out into the dark, Twilight and Peanut Butter quickly followed, as more of the stuffed ponies filed into the room. “What are those things!?” yelled Twilight as she hit the gravel path outside galloping away from the library. “Raggedy Mares!” Peanut Butter yelled back. “I’m starting to doubt you two are Cloppish! There’s no way I want these things after me. You guys are on your own!” He turned and veered off into the trees. He didn’t look back. The Raggedy Mares may have looked slow, but they were quickly gaining on the pair. They ignored the Fleeing Peanut Butter. There were three of them, each running full speed, closing the gap between them faster with every second. “What do we do?!” asked Twilight, looking back at the things closing in. “Remember about fifty years ago when I said I was saving the running for later?” asked the Doctor. “Yeah.” “Well, now’s the time to stop saving! Keep running!” “Oh, well that’s a brilliant plan!” “Yeah I know, I surprise myself sometimes.” The Doctor panted. “Just follow my lead!” He quickly swerved towards the shopping district. Twilight followed. The Raggedy Mares kept running straight, the one in front caught on quickly and stopped, the other two bumping into it, their fabric stretching and sagging grossly as they lurched and shook, trying to disentangle themselves. The Doctor galloped into a crowd of ponies, profusely apologizing as shopping bags and trinkets went flying, Twilight dodging them as she followed in his wake. The Raggedy mares weren’t stopped for long, and resumed their pursuit. The crowd panicked and dispersed in all directions as they saw the things coming. Chaos ensued, halting their progress. “This way!” The Doctor called, dashing down an alleyway. The two ran down the narrow path until they came to a dead end. “Oh no!” Twilight yelled. Stopping short before she hit the wall. “Don’t panic.” Said the Doctor softly. “It’s all part of the plan.” He walked over to a nearby dumpster and levered it open. He looked knowingly at Twilight. It dawned on her what he wanted her to do. “Oh no.” “Oh yes.” “And there’s no other way?” “Well we can see if we can outrun the creepy stuffed horses if you like.” she sighed. “Oh alright.” she held her breath, and walked forwards. The Raggedy mares peered down the alleyway, their button eyes searching for any sign of life. They shuffled forward in their odd limping manner. Nosing along walls, and scanning through the dark. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as one nosed around the lid of the dumpster. She squeezed her eyes shut and quietly willed the thing to go away. It stayed for several minutes, and for a tense moment she thought they would be caught. She could feel the Doctor nearby, his hearts beating as calmly as ever. She had the feeling this wasn’t the first time he’d hidden from monsters. The thing eventually moved away. They waiting in silence for a while until the shuffling stopped. “Do you think they’re gone?” Twilight whispered. “Only one way to find out.” The Doctor slowly opened the lid of the dumpster. Peering out into the gloom. Seeing the coast was clear he opened it the rest of the way. “Yeah, they’re gone.” he said calmly. “You can come out.” Twilight poked her head out of the garbage, taking a deep breath of the clean air. She turned to the Doctor, and couldn’t help but laugh. “What is it?” he asked puzzled. “You’ve got something on your head.” He looked up to find a banana peel sitting there. “Oh.” he shook it off. Twilight’s giggling subsided. She sighed. “What do we do now?” “Yet another very go-” he paused. “Doctor?” The shove took her by surprise, the Doctor pushed her out of the way as the Raggedy mare reached out. She fell hard onto the ground, she could only look up as the thing grabbed the Doctor and dragged him into it’s fabric. He didn’t struggle. Just looked down and said. “I’ll meet you outside the castle, don’t be late, it’s not polite.” The seams on the front of the Raggedy mare opened up, and he was lost inside. They locked back in place as it got up from it’s hiding place behind the dumpster, and the thing was off before she had time to register what happened. “Doctor?...” she said in disbelief. The other Raggedy Mares came out of the shadows and walked towards her. She was backed against the wall. She looked around panicked. “Doctor!!” As the Raggedy Mares reached out to take her, she curled up, and closed her eyes. Just as they were about to grab her. There was a streak of rainbow. The stuffed hoof closed around nothing. Twilight Sparkle was gone, the rainbow streak racing out of the alleyway, and into the gloom. To Be Continued.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2011-07-29T04:41:09+00:00

2011-07-29T04:41:09+00:00

Resistance 1001 C.R Pinkie Pie sat in front of the toy shop, examining a firefly closely, it had been a little while since Twilight and the Doctor had run off. “What’s taking them so long?” she wondered to herself over the loud crashes, bangs and occasional unearthly wail from inside the shop. But she was quickly distracted as a second firefly joined the first. “Ooooh.” she whispered. 980 C.R A small blue unicorn sat on a tree stump on the outskirts of the Everfree Forrest. A small wooden wagon sat nearby filled with a small amount of food, some flowers and a starry blue blanket. She noticed it was getting dark and, sobbing softly, she took the wagon handle in her mouth and ventured into the forest. The trees were thick, and even though it was only sunset it was almost pitch dark only a little ways into the forest. Strange sounds emanated from the thick grass as the cold wind blew the leaves along the ground. She’d been on the run for a while, but she’d never gone this far. “You are great, nothing can hurt you.” she whispered under her breath. A sound echoed above the trees. She whispered harder. Scrunching her eyes closed as she willed herself forwards. “You are powerful, nothing can hurt you.” The sound grew louder, like the scraping of metal against stone. “You are great, nothing can hurt you.” There was a boom in the sky above. A great wind overturned her wagon and sent her flying into a patch of thick grass. There was a crash as the source of the sound slammed through the thick foliage, the leaves smoldering as it cut a path to the ground. The thing crashed into the dirt, and skidded for several feet before crashing on it’s side into the trunk of a large tree, the fine dirt of the forest floor turned to glass by the sheer heat. The blue unicorn lay huddled where she had landed, her wagon on it’s side a short way away. She lifted a hoof from her eye and looked at the object that had caused such damage. It was blue, a slightly darker shade than herself, a box apparently made of wood as far as she could tell. But she knew no wood could survive a crash like that. She shakily got to her feet, walking over to her overturned wagon. She righted it, collected her spilled things, and returned them to their place inside. Something was missing. She looked around frantically to find her starry blanket caught on a branch several feet off the ground. She let out a little gasp and raced over to the base of the tree, beating her hooves against it’s trunk frantically. After a while she gave up. Sitting on her haunches, she began to cry. The doors to the box swung upwards, a brown hoof reached up and grabbed the edge. Then quickly released it, it was still red hot. There was some mumbling from within, and the hoof returned with a handkerchief and had more success. A brown earth pony in a coat hauled himself out of the overturned box. “Drat!” he coughed. “Over did it. I shouldn’t be running her this hard.” He surveyed his surroundings. “At least it’s not a building this time, I’m getting better at this.” he looked forlornly at the box. “Still, it’ll take at least a day for her to be ready again. Darn, I don’t have time for this!” It was at this point he noticed the crying filly. “Oh,” he whispered. “Hello?” The filly continued to sob. He walked over slowly, and put a hoof on her shoulder. She gasped and scooted away, curling up around the base of the tree. “No, no!” he said. “It’s quite alright! Look, I’m a funny pony in a coat!” he danced around a bit. “I’m not going to hurt you.” the earth pony took a step closer. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.” She opened her eyes, and relaxed a bit. “You’re on fire.” she sniffed. “No I’m not.” said the stallion. “I’d know if I was on fire, there’d be smoke.” A small trail of smoke began to billow from his coat. “Okay I’m on fire!” he quickly removed the coat, he tossed it to the ground and stomped out the flames. They both stared at the resulting mess. “If you know a pony named Rarity several years from now.” he said quietly. “Whatever you do, don’t tell her what just happened.” The filly smiled slightly. Then looked up and resumed her crying. “Oh come now.” the stallion sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?” The filly sniffed again. “It’s my blanket.” she pointed up into the tree. “I can’t get it down.” “Oh is that all?” the brown pony jumped up. “Well I happen to be a world class tree climber!” “Really?” the filly dried her eyes a little. “Well....no...” The stallion deflated slightly. “But still, I’ll have that blanket down in no time flat!” he backed up several paces. “Just need to get a running start...and!” he galloped full speed towards the tree, taking a great leap he snagged a low hanging branch. “Eee, othing oof eht.” he mumbled. The stallion levered himself onto a stronger branch, and made his way up the tree towards the stranded blanket, carefully choosing the strongest limbs before applying his weight. He made his way higher and higher, the filly standing against the base of the tree hopefully. “Almost there.” The blanket was only a few feet from the stallion. He stretched out his neck, trying to grab it with his teeth.” “Don’t get your saliva on it.” the filly complained below. There was a crack. “Well that can’t be good....” mumbled the earth pony. With a snap the branch fell out from under him, and he went tumbling to the ground. “My blanket!” the filly cried, looking up. “No, don’t worry, I’m fine.” The earth pony slowly tried to get up. “Ow, I’m really getting too old for this.” something fell and covered his face. “Oh, I got it. Just as planned!” he shook the blanket off of his head. The filly raced over and caught it before it hit the ground. The Doctor smiled. “You’re welcome.” he stretched the soreness from his muscles. “What’s your name?” The filly stopped snuggling the blanket and looked up. “Trixie”. Then her eyes shot wide. “Oh wait, no!” She tied the blanket around her neck and raced over to the wagon, quickly grabbing the flowers from inside, she tossed them into the air. Straining, her horn began to glow slightly, and a few small sparks shot out and sputtered in the air. She reared up on her hind legs and proclaimed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie!” The stallion smiled bemusedly. “Okay then, can I call you Trixie for short?” “If you must.” “Okay then, Trixie, I’m the Doctor.” “And what kind of name is that!?” asked Trixie. “I will not have my blanket saved by somepony named ‘The Doctor’. That won’t fit into my story at all!” “Your story?” “Yes, my story, the story of how the Great and Powerful Trixie bravely marched across Equestria, nothing more than a small filly, astounding people with her magic!” she looked the Doctor over. “Can you be a knight or a mage or something? That sounds much better.” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “Well, I was knighted once. By the queen of England, right before she started firing arrows at me.” “What’s an England?” “Oh, you haven’t got that one huh?” he put a hoof to his chin. “Well let’s just say it’s a place where knights come from.” “Oh, well that’s perfect!” She walked over to her wagon. “Now...we just need to do something about that name.” “The Doctor is a perfectly fine name I’ll have you know!” “Yeah, yeah, fine for you maybe.” she rummaged some more. “Here it is!” she sat a book on the ground she quickly took a crayon in her mouth and scribbled something down. “There, the brave knight Sir Bluebox of the England helped the Great and Powerful Trixie retrieve her magic cloak.” she pointed to a crude drawing of the Doctor bending down while Trixie got on his back to retrieve a blue square, apparently the ‘Magic Cloak’. “Charming.” the Doctor remarked. “Well now that the pleasantries are done with, would you happen to know the year, Trixie?” “The year?” “They don’t have calenders in ‘The England’.” “Oh, well of course they don’t, I knew that!” Trixie scoffed. “Dear knight, we in Equestria do keep track of the dates, and I shall take it upon myself to enlighten you to the year. It is,” she cleared her throat. “980, the year the Great and Powerful Trixie set off on her great journey! Or at least that’s how history shall remember it.” “Sure....yes, exactly...um. In anycase, this isn’t my destination either.” The Doctor glanced at the Tardis, still on it’s side smoking at the base of a tree.”But it looks like I’m not going anywhere soon.” “Why would you want to go anywhere outside the company of The Great and Powerful Trixie?” asked the tiny unicorn. “It’s obvious I called you here to assist me with my ultra powerful magic. You should be in no hurry to leave.” “Yes, I’m sure that’ just what happened. But Trixie, I’m on a very important...knight mission, to do...knight type things. I can’t waste time.” “Ooh! Is there a princess involved!?” The Doctor chuckled. “Yes, I suppose there are, two in fact, and an evil queen, an underground resistance, a castle of lanterns, living toys, monsters in the dark and a lost friend I have to save.” Trixie’s eyes got big. “Tell me the story!” The Doctor looked again at the blue box and sighed. “I suppose I may as well.” he sat on his haunches in front of the small blue filly. “I suppose I have to start at the beginning. It all started, not that long ago, but very far away when I was fighting some evil statues along the Abstract Plane...” 35 TR Twilight’s stomach dropped at the sudden movement. She was shaken and bumped as she found herself suddenly speeding down the road, clinging to the neck of a blue pony, her rainbow colored mane whipping in the wind. “Rainbow Dash?” She whispered. “Quiet, Egghead.” said a deeper, but unmistakable voice. Twilight gasped. “Rainbow Dash!” she held on tighter to her neck. “Rainbow, what’s happened!? Tell me please, I need to know, I’ve been gone, and the Doct-” she stopped when she noticed they weren’t flying. Rainbow’s back was bare. She didn’t have any wings. “Rainbow...what happened to you?” “I said quiet. Now loosen your grip, you’re choking me. No more talking or I’ll drop you.” There was silence for the rest of the ride. 35 T.R: Cantorlot “You know, It’s very stuffy in here.” said the Doctor as he was jostled around the inside of the Raggedy Mare. “When was the last time you, washed this stuffing?” The stuffed pony continued on it’s course, unabated. “I can see you’re not one for conversation.” The Doctor’s ride became a bumpier as his world shifted diagonally. “Stairs?” he asked shakily. “Does that mean we’re close to our destination? The mare said nothing. “I’ll take that as a yes.” The stairs continued for quite some time. The Doctor breathed slowly, and listened to the soft footfalls of the living toys as they made their way upwards. The stairs ended and everything stopped moving. “Ah, you’ve returned.” Said a voice, muffled by the thick stuffing. “Let him out.” The Doctor was momentarily blinded as light spilled inwards. He spilled on to the floor in a river of stuffing and loose threads. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted. “Thank you.” he paused, looking up. “ You look well.” “Thank you Doctor.” Said Twilight Sparkle. 35 T.R: Dragon Mountain Rainbow Dash slowed as she approached the base of large mountain. Twilight recognized it. She had been here before, the day Fluttershy had stood up to the great dragon sleeping here. It had been called Dragon Mountain ever since. Seeing the familiar landmark was strange. She felt terribly disoriented. “Get off” Rainbow said curtly Twilight did as she was told, and got off the rainbow pony’s back. She noticed she was wearing the same box most ponies did, a horn apparently. As she took a few steps back, the now earth pony’s lack of wings was even more striking. She had become so used to seeing her flying through the air, that now, looking at her without her wings was jarring, even a bit disturbing. She opened her mouth to ask. “Follow me.” Rainbow ordered, walking closer towards the harsh stone rock face. The question died on Twilight’s tongue. She followed the earth pony that had once been her friend, towards the towering mountain. Rainbow stopped at the foot of the mountain, turned around, and bucked sharply against it three times. “Name?” asked a voice. “Rainbow Dash.” she replied, glancing harshly back at Twilight. “I’ve got someone she’ll want to meet.” With clicking noise, a large section of rock slid away to reveal an entrance. Twilight stumbled backwards in surprise, the effect was seamless, she would never have spotted the entrance had not opened in front of her. “Don’t stand there gawking egghead. Follow me, and keep up.” Rainbow walked through the entrance at a small trot. Twilight quickly caught up. It was dark inside, the occasional light tossed shadows onto the rough walls of the cave. The guard at the door nodded to Rainbow as she walked by, and stared at Twilight until she was out of sight. The tunnel led downwards, deep into the foundation of the mountain. Rainbow didn’t speak as they walked. The only sound was the clip-clop of their hooves as they made their way deeper inwards, echoing against the walls in the dark. The silence was unbearable. Finally they made their way into a larger chamber. A large light source in the ceiling illuminated the space, several ponies walked around, working on various projects at workbenches placed around the room. Most of them worked on small metal objects Twilight couldn’t identify. Almost all of them stopped what they were doing when Rainbow entered, and stared directly at her. The silence of the tunnel was nothing compared to the silence that fell over this chamber. Finally, a young colt broke the spell. “Is it..” “Yeah, if we’re right, it is.” Rainbow cut him off before he could finish the question. “Now stop sitting there slack jawed and get to work. You’re here as mechanist, not to catch flies.” she marched towards a door on the opposite wall. “Come on, Egghead.” Twilight followed, dazedly, staring at every corner of the large underground room. Everypony turned their gaze away when her eyes fell on them. They were afraid of her. She realized. As they left the room, she could already hear the whispers of conversation following them. Rainbow paused as they came to a large wooden door. “Okay, when you go in here, don’t speak unless spoken to, you’re lucky we don’t just feed you to a manticore or something.” The words stung, but Twilight nodded. “Okay then.” the doors swung open. “Go in.” Twilight stepped through. This area of the tunnels was different from the other’s, the occasional picture hung haphazardly on the wall, and as far as she could tell there had been some attempt to paint. As she walked, she came across photo that looked familiar. “This...is on my nightstand.” she said under her breath. It was a photo of her and the others, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, wings intact, Pinkie Pie, and... “Howdy.” a voice broke her train of thought. “Applejack...” “That’s my name sure enough.” The orange earth pony stood a few feet away from her. Two guards placed on either side. She looked about the same, but her eyes seemed harder. The hat perched above her head sat there as always, though there were bits missing from the brim, and the fabric looked to be patched and replaced in several places. She wore a box around her neck, same as everpony else. She eyed the purple unicorn warily. “You who we think you are?” she asked. “Ye-” “Don’t do no talking, do some showing, and I’d do it quickly if I was you.” She nodded to the guards, who advanced. Twilight shrank against the wall beneath the photo. Applejack nodded again and they guards stopped their advance. She stepped up between them, looking from the photo to Twilight and back again. “Matches sure enough.” she said. “You’re a spittin image. But that don’t mean nothing. No, not anymore. Could be a trick.” she backed up and cast a hard glare on Twilight. “Prove you’re her.” Twilight’s mind raced. She need to prove her identity, seeing Applejack had been a shock, but she knew this was not the same pony she knew back home, the one she’d seen, it seemed, only this morning. A lot could happen in fifty years. Suddenly, a thought occurred. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn began to glow. The Guards lurched to stop her. But a nod from Applejack stopped them short. Twilight concentrated on her saddlebag. She’d left it on the floor of the TARDIS when she and the Doctor left. It was still there, she knew that what was inside could prove without a doubt that she was Twilight. She focused harder, she’d done teleportations before, but this was different. She couldn’t get a lock on it, as she focused, the bag seemed to be everywhere at once, in the library, in the cave right next to her, in the deepest corners of Equestria, and places she could not begin to imagine. She just strained and concentrated harder. It became clearer and clearer, she didn’t know how she was doing it, but it seemed natural, even obvious. If what she wanted was everywhere, she just had to think everywhere. And for a moment, she did. There was a flash of light, and the bag appeared on the floor a few feet away. Twilight fell over, exhausted. She thought for a moment, that perhaps that was what the Doctor thought like. That worried her. “In...the bag.” she gasped. “Left corner pocket.” The guards started towards it, but Applejack cut them off. She bent down, reaching in as Twilight directed. She came out holding a small cake, that smelled of lavender. She gasped. “Is this....” “Yes, it is.” said Twilight. “But it’s still warm...” “You gave it to me only a few hours ago.” Applejack was silent. “It’s not magically replicated, you know your own cooking, better than you know almost anything else. You gave it too me, two of them, during the festival, for you fifty years ago, for me a matter of hours.” “Back when things grew...” Applejack said dreamily. She stared at the cake for a while longer, her eyes far away. Twilight looked up expectantly, and quickly, her faced hardened. “Alright, you’re Twilight. I believe you. We suspected, but we couldn’t be sure.” she placed the cake gently back in it’s pocket. “If you’re here, I reckon that means the that brown pony of yours is involved.” Twilight’s eyes shot open. “You know him?” “No.” said Applejack. “But when weird junk goes down he always seems to pop up. By your reaction I’m bettin I’m right. Where is he?” “Oh...” Twilight looked at the ground. “He was captured...” “Too bad, we could use an extra hand around here.” she remarked. She turned to the guards. “Send for Rainbow, I’m sure she’ll want to hear our guest’s story.” she looked at Twilight. “A lot has changed since you looked like that. You tell us your piece, and we’ll tell you ours. You’ve got a lot to answer for, Twilight Sparkle.” 35 T.R: Cantorlot Twilight Sparkle laughed, it was a deep, booming sound, filling the throne room and shaking the windows. “I have not seen you in years!” she said happily, how have things been?” “Oh, things have been very good.” the Doctor replied. “Well besides being kidnapped by living toys, you really should have better travel accommodations.” The Doctor looked up at Twilight, the future Twilight. Her coloring was the same as it had been, but her mane and tail now consisted of a deep blue mist, the same as Celestia’s. She was taller as well, she stood a good three feet taller than the Doctor, her wings stretching as she came down from her throne, a luxurious gown flowing behind her. “You like?” she asked. “You’re the one who taught me that trick, life to the inanimate, oh so long ago. I thought you would be pleased I learned it so well. You taught me so many things that day. For one, that you’re not a bad kisser.” she chuckled stepping down in front of him. “I’m a good teacher, though I think you missed the point of my lessons.” The Doctor gave Twilight a harsh glare. “That day in the toyshop, fifty years ago today, you saw a bit more than I thought when you looked into my head, didn’t you?” Twilight chuckled again. “Oh yes, I saw such delightful things. It took me a while to realize. But eventually it bled through. Oh so many thoughts in the Doctor’s head, such beauty, such darkness, you haven’t been a very good boy have you?” Twilight pranced around the room, circling the Doctor, her smoky mane and tail flowing and weaving behind her. “Well, there’s no fun in that, now is there?” The Doctor’s gaze didn’t change, looking straight ahead as the dictator danced. “Well of course not.” Twilight said. “But we both know that. Oh the thoughts that started to come into my head. Slowly at first, but drip by drip, they collected into a pool of knowledge, I can think of so much now. How much everything really matters. How tiny everything is. ” her voice took a hard edge. “And how insignificant everything is.” “That’s amazing!” announced the Doctor. “Isn’t it? I’m glad you approve.” Twilight’s circle around the Doctor closed slightly. “Where did you find it?” “Find what?” Twilight stopped circling, her nose inches away from the Doctor’s, her eyes as almost as black as night. “Something insignificant. I’ve traveled for a long time and never seen that. You’ll have to show me sometime.” Once again Twilight’s booming laugh filled the throne room. “Oh you are funny, Doctor, so very funny.” “I try.” said the Doctor. “Now, tell me what happened to you.” “I just did.” said Twilight. “You filled my head with ideas, ideas I couldn’t ignore, thoughts I couldn’t dispel, they made me strong.” “Yeah, you said that bit.” The Doctor’s gaze grew colder. “But what happened to you after that. What made those eyes of yours so dark?” “Oh, a little darkness here and there adds up, dear Doctor.” she walked back towards her thrown, her misty tail flowing over the Doctor’s face. “We had so many little adventures before I called it quits. Perhaps you just showed me too much. And perhaps a tiny war here or a small colony there didn’t help.” “Oh come now, Twilightwo.” Twilight stopped her assent to her thrown. “What?” “Twilighttwo, I need to keep this all straight in my head. You’re not Twilight, obviously. Twilight could never do all this, no matter how much she saw, so for the sake of keeping things simple, you’re Twilighttwo.” “I am Twilight.” “Maybe, somewhere in there, but right now you’re not. I’m going to find out what happened between back then, and right now that made that happen, and when I do, Twilighttwo, I’m going to see to it that whatever caused it knows it made a terrible mistake.” “Are you now?” Twilight smiled. “And how do you plan to do that? I know your TARDIS is in the library, you won’t get back inside. There’s nothing you can do.” It was the Doctor’s turn to smile “Doesn’t it always seem that way?” Neither of them spoke for a while, they just stared at each other. The queen ascending her thrown, and the Doctor trying to stop her. She laughed. “Ah, I see that cockiness of yours hasn’t diminished. But haven’t you wondered?” The Doctor said nothing. “Oh, so you have.” Twilight continued up the stairs until she was sitting on her throne, looking down at the Timelord pony. “What I’ve done to you? You didn’t go back home if that’s what you’re wondering.” her smile grew wide. “I would tell you, but you know. Spoilers and all that stuff.” The Doctor smiled back. “Yeah, spoilers and all that stuff.” he walked up towards the throne, putting his hoof on the first step. “But let me give you two bits of advice.” “I’m listening.” “First, that time is in flux, normally only a little, but right now, oh right now it’s waving like a sea in a thunderstorm. Time can be rewritten, Twilighttwo. So if I was you, I’d make sure you have your life preserver handy.” he turned and faced away from her. “And second, if you’re going to kidnap anyone, make sure to check their pockets first.” He turned around, holding the sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the Raggedy Mares baring the door, the floor below them turned to mush, and they began to sink, struggling weakly. The door behind them swung open, and with a galloping start, the Doctor leapt out. Twilight stood in shock for a moment, then that smile crept back onto her face. “Oh, this will be fun.” 980 C.R “You can’t stop there!!” Wailed Trixie, shaking the Doctor with her forehooves. What happened next! “Sorry, Trixie, but even knights need their sleep.” the Doctor yawned. “Don’t worry, I won’t be able to leave till morning. I’ll tell you the rest of the story then. “No, no, no, no!!” she yelled, pounding the Doctor’s side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands the rest of the story!” Trixie noticed he was snoring. “Wake up!! Wake up darn you! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, and you will obey me!” After a few hours of this, Trixie grew tired. “Wake up...” she mumbled drowsily. “Story...tell me...” then she fell over, fast asleep. To Be Continued.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:10:35+00:00

2012-09-19T08:10:35+00:00

982 C.R, Everfree Forrest The sun filtered down through the leaves of the Everfree forest, Casting specks of light upon a sleeping brown earth pony and the small unicorn filly using him as a pillow. The Doctor stirred slightly as the forest awoke. Opening his eyes, he looked around until his sights fell upon a blue box, now standing upright next to a large gouge in a nearby tree. “Terrific!” he yelled. “I knew the old girl could do it-” he cut himself short when he noticed Trixie’s head lying against his stomach. With great care he maneuvered himself out from under her, placing her head on the charred remains of his jacket. He walked over to the box, opened the doors wide and stepped inside. The TARDIS had repaired the damage sustained in the fall and was back in working order. He put his forelegs on the console, pulling various levers and knobs. “Knight!?” The Doctor heard from behind him. “Oh knight!? Where have you gone?” The Doctor’s eyes shot wide, as he began to work faster. “Are you in here?” Trixie opened the door. “What is this? A closet where you keep your armor or someth-” She paused as she entered the large TARDIS interior. “Oh, Good morning Trixie!” The Doctor said hurriedly. “Got up early to work on my...um..” “I thought you said you weren’t a mage!?” “What?” “A mage! Surely only somepony of great magical power could do this!” “Oh, well, no it’s-” “This makes so much more sense! You were a crummy knight.” “Hey! I saved your blanket didn’t I?” Said the Doctor indignantly Trixie wasn’t listening. “Oh, this will fit wonderfully into my story! A mage masquerading as knight because he’s on the run from an evil queen. Only the Great and Powerful Trixie could see through his clever deception, by discovering his magic box!” She ran around, taking in the scale of the thing. “This is great! Your powers must be immense!” she paused in thought for a second. “Almost as great as mine.” The Doctor sighed. “Okay, you got me.” “Really!?” Trixie asked, then caught herself. “I mean...of course I did.” “Yep, that’s me, the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box.” Trixie grimaced “That’s a terrible name, far too many words.” “Says 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'.” “Yes, and that means it’s correct, we shall simply call you The Mage of the England.” “Of course.....Now, about that evil queen bit of the story, I kind of have to get back to that bit. It would be very un-magely of me to forget, don’t you think?” Trixie deflated. “B-but you never finished your story.” “Oh, the story.” The Doctor looked at the monitor. “I really have to go....” “Can I come with you!?” Trixie asked hopefully. “Well, the temporal vortex is already in chaos, and the causal nexus is hanging by a thread. I almost destroyed the universe with that stint in the mid eighties.” The Doctor sighed. “I was so tempted to stick around and see if they went though that whole ‘Madonna’ phase.” “Huh?” “Hmm? Oh yes, in anycase, for the sake of keeping the universe from collapsing in on itself like a balloon in a needlehouse, I’m sorry to say you can’t come with me.” “Oh...okay...go then...like everypony else.” Trixie turned dejectedly to the door. The Doctor continued his work “I’m sorry.” “It’s alright, no pony likes being around me very much...they all leave at some point. Perhaps I’m too great and powerful, even for the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box.” The Doctor looked up. “I thought you said that name was terrible?” “It is. But it’s your terrible name.” She hung her head as she neared the doors. “Feel free to forget it when I’m gone...” “Oh, no, Ms.Great and Powerful.” The Doctor as he walked over. “That sounded like a challenge, and the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box thinks he might be able to stick around. At least to finish the story. But then I have to go...Alright?” Trixie’s face lit up. “Yes, yes, yes!!” she Squealed as she galloped over to the console and sat on her haunches expectantly. “Tell the bit about the Raggedy Mares again!” “Oh no Trixie, I only have time to finish, no going back.” Trixie pouted. “Fine.” “So, Twilight was deep within Dragon Mountain....” 35 T.R Dragon Mountain Rainbow Dash entered the room and stood by Applejack, both of them staring hard at Twilight. “So, it really is her then?” “Yep.” said Applejack. Rainbow’s face hardened. “Then why don’t we just throw her into the smelting pits.” Twilight pressed herself against the wall. She was scared; there was something more frightening about those words, coming from Rainbow Dash, than almost anything else. “She ain’t done us no wrong...yet...” “What do you mean yet?” Said Rainbow This is obviously a trick, some kind of trap to lure us out into the open. She’s probably some magical bomb or something.” Rainbow Dash took a threatening step forwards. She was stopped by Applejack’s hoof. “Rainbow, it’s not a trick. Look, on the table.” The orange earth pony nodded towards the small cake sitting on a napkin. “So what? It’s your lunch.” “No it ain’t. Smell it.” Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, but relented. She walked over to the table and inhaled deeply. “That smell...it’s.....” “Not magically created food, it’s real, it's apples, my apples.” said Applejack. “I made that cake.” “But how is that possible?” “I don’t know, but that proves without a doubt that this is Twilight, our Twilight, from before all this.” The room was silent. Twilight felt terribly alone in that moment. Two of her closest friends were standing inches away, and she realized, she knew neither of them. She opened her mouth to say something “I can expla-” “Shut up! Just shut up!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You, you’re the cause of all this!” she advanced once more, before Applejack could stop her. “I don’t know how, and I don’t care if you’re from the freaking moon. Give me one good reason, if you’re from before all this, that we shouldn't just get rid of you. Permanently.” She’d backed Twilight into the wall, her nose inches away. Twilight could feel the anger radiating from Rainbow’s body. She meant every word. “I’m waiting.” Twilight looked into the Once-Pegasus’s eyes. She could tell Rainbow Dash had seen some terrible things, those eyes were hard and cold, the kind of eyes she'd seen too many times since she'd arrived. She saw something else too and, in that moment, she pleaded to it. “Because I’m your friend...” she said softly. Rainbow was taken aback by that. She was silent, Applejack stepped in and gently pushed her away from Twilight. The rainbow pony’s face flashed through several emotions, anger, sadness, fear, and for a moment, ever so slightly, happiness. It was quickly gone, and the Pegasus regained her composure. “Alright Rainbow, we’ve established she’s who she says she is. Let’s hear her out. Tell us your story Twilight” 35 T.R Cantorlot The Doctor raced out into the hallway, leaving the throne room far behind as he galloped forwards. He could hear the sounds of the Raggedy Mares tearing themselves from the floor as he darted around corners looking for a way out. “Why is the throne room of megalomaniacs never near the exit? It’s only common courtesy.” Said The Doctor out loud, sharply turning another corner. He could hear a louder sound now, The sound of the Mares running after him, a kind of shifting sound, like old teddy bear hitting the floor over and over again as their cotton filled hooves hit the floor. He dashed through a door to his left, and found himself in the kitchen. Several chef ponies stopped and stared at the strange pony in a suit who’d interrupted their preparation. “Sorry!” he paused reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a black wallet. “Royal Kitchen Inspector at your service.” Everypony in the room straightened up. A large white stallion with a blue mane and a frying pan cutie mark stepped up and saluted. “We’ve been expecting you, sir!” he barked. “You’ll find everything in perfect working order, sir, you’ll find nothing to report to the queen, sir!” “Um...thanks...yes...expecting me.” The Doctor paused. “Well, everything seems to be ship-shape! So much so that I don’t even need to do a full inspection.” “Are you....sure sir?” “Quite, now stop saluting. I can't stand saluting, and the logistics of a pony pulling one off raises enough questions as it is.” “Sorry sir!” “Good. Now, I’m in a hurry, I have...more...inspection..type... things to do, but can you answer one question for me?” “Anything, sir!” The stallion had to stop himself from saluting again. “You’re an earth pony correct?” “Um....yes sir?” “And you’re a chef right?” “Of course sir! Best in the kingdom.” “Well I’ve wondered this for a while...” “What sir?” “How do you get the filling in your cakes?” The Kitchen doors exploded inwards. The Doctor ducked as bits of wood flew in all directions. “It appears you’ll have to tell me later. Still, clean kitchen, great job and all that, must be off!” He dashed through the back door. The Raggedy Mares dragged themselves through the crowded kitchen as ponies went screaming and running in all directions, impeding their path. “Drat. Hold onto that thought.” said the Doctor, ducking out a side door. “What? Wait! Sir!” The chef called after him, but he was quickly knocked out of the way by the pursuing Raggedy Mares. The Doctor leapt out into the hall way, wondering which way to go. “Right or left?” He held up a hoof. “Eeny meeny miny mo....” There was a crash from the kitchen. “Left it is!” he started down the hall as the door behind him burst into splinters. The Raggedy Mares lopped after him, gaining fast. He came to a fork in the hall and went left again, the cloth creatures close at his heels. As he turned the next corner he grabbed a statue standing the in hall and tipped it over. The Raggedy Mares went stumbling into each other, their fabric ripping and tearing in places. The Doctor looked back as he pulled ahead. “Ha! Who says modern art is useless? As he turned back, he ran smack dab into something white, purple, and incredibly well groomed. 35 T.R Dragon Mountain “So, let me wrap my head around this, this friend’a yours, the ‘Doctor’, has got a time machine?” said Applejack as Twilight finished. “Yes. We were in 1001 back when Celesta was Princess,” Twilight replied. “we came here on accident, trying to stop something else.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot wide. “Then we could stop all this! Go back before it ever happened. Do things right, make sure none of this ever happens!” “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Rainbow Dash. That’s what we’re trying to stop.” “What?” “A paradox. Back in the present-” “Past.” Rainbow said huffily. “Sorry. Back in the past, the Doctor did something to cause a parodox. It called forth this creature, a terrible thing called a Reaper. A creature that, as the Doctor put it, in time could destroy the world.” “It’s already destroyed as far as I’m concerned. Can’t get much worse.” said Applejack. “I’’m confused,” said Twilight. “I’ve told you what happened to bring me here, now you tell me. What happened here? Why are things so different? “Things are bad I kno- Before the word left her mouth Rainbow Dash had her against the wall. “Of course they're bad, you made them that way. You’re the reason for this. Don’t you dare tell me how things are.” Twilight struggled against the rainbow pony's hold. “Then tell me, Rainbow, tell me how things are. What did I do?” Applejack tapped Rainbow on the shoulder. “Let her down, she’s told us her piece, now it’s only fair we tell her ours. Come off it.” She pulled her back. “But let’s tell her what she will do.” 35 T.R Cantorlot The Raggedy Mares turned the corridor to find a purple and white unicorn blocking their path. “Oh it was horrible!” she cried. “Some vile stallion attacked me! Accosted in my own home! Can you imagine!?” The Raggedy Mares stared blankly at her. “Well, don’t just stand there! I sewed you for Celestia’s sake! Off with you! Catch him! He went that way.” She pointed down the hall. “Shoo, shoo!” They ran off after the intruder. After she was sure they had left, she let herself exhale. There was a knocking sound from the door behind her. The Doctor poked his head out. “What are you made of!? Ow, I mean really, it was like running into a brick wall, bumping in to you.” “Shh!” She put a hoof to his lips. “I didn’t turn you in and if you’re who I think you are I was right not to, ‘Clockwork'. Or should I say, Doctor.” “Come to think of it, that’s a very good question, what are you lot made of? I mean I thought it was just normal horse biology, but after being around a while I’m not so sur-” he paused. “Wait, you know?” “I know lots of things.” said Rarity. 35 T.R Dragon Mountain “It wasn’t all bad at first.” Applejack began. “You and the ‘Doctor,’ as you call him, came out of that Toyshop you mentioned. I don’t know what you did in there, but the howling finally stopped. That’s when everything started,far as my memory goes. After that, you were a changed pony, Twilight Sparkle. It wasn’t all that noticeable at first, just your eyes. They seemed so much darker than they had that mornin, when you’d bought that there cake from me.” Applejack nodded towards the table. “I thought nothin' of it at first, but It began to show after that, things changed. The Princess started acting strange, but I guess you already know that bit. You didn’t seem concerned, although we were all terribly worried as Celestia declined, You just shut yourself away, in your library, with your books and Spike. Said you was working on something big, something that would change Equestria for the better, we were worried, Twilight. Spike tried to talk to you, but you’d become cold, distant, you wouldn’t answer his questions and got real angry when he persisted. He confided in us that you were acting strange, and he was more worried than all of us. But you know Spike, loyal to the last. He stayed by your side. I remember you came out on occasion, to get supplies, and we’d try to talk to you, get you to come to parties, events, everything. You just turned down anything and everything.” Twilight nodded soberly. “Go on.” “Soon, Celestia was beyond anything anypony could do. That’s when you finally came out. You’d invented something, a box, that would allow anypony to do magic.” Applejack nodded to the boxes she and Rainbow Dash wore around their necks. “The HORN, as you called it. Suddenly, magic was available to anypony willing to learn it. It was your greatest achievement, no more was the ability to cast spells closed off to earth ponies and Pegasi. You made one for anypony who asked, cranked them out like a machine. Nopony was quite sure how they worked, but you knew your stuff. I remember the day I got mine, each one is carved special.” Applejack displayed the small box. Twilight could see it was covered with apples and trees, with a small house in the corner. “I picked apples fives times as fast after a few lessons. You started talkin again after that, personally instructing anypony that would listen in how to use your fantastic invention. Ponyville was changed forever. We thought you’d gotten over whatever had happened in that shop. Not a moment too soon neither; Celestia was too far gone, and Luna was fading fast. We begged you to do what you could, and for a while you did, takin' charge of the sun and the moon in their stead. But your eyes were still dark, Twilight Sparkle, so very dark, and getting darker every day.” Applejack paused. “Go on.” Twilight said softly. “What?” Applejack looked around distantly. “Oh yes sorry. Not soon after that, it happened. You betrayed the princesses.” Rainbow Dash held up a hoof. “Wait Applejack, let me tell this part.” she said. She turned to glare at Twilight. “The Princesses had shut themselves away in a castle covered in lanterns in the Everfree forest. Said it was the only place they felt safe, where the light was brightest, and 'The Shadows wouldn’t hear’. They hardly came out, you basically ran the country at that point.” Her scowl grew harsher than Twilight thought possible. “But that wasn’t enough for you. Almost forty years ago today, at twilight, you marched to the castle, saying you needed to confer with the princesses on some royal duty or something. No one questioned you. Oh no, who would bother? You were the ‘Revolutionary pony who brought magic to the masses’, you could do no wrong. Ponies kissed the ground you walked on, Twilight Sparkle. We fell for it hook line and sinker. “But on that day, oh on that day I’ll never forget. You had to go and see the princesses. You stepped into that castle, and ripped their powers away. The mare that taught you, that practically raised you, had her heart torn out that day. Ooh, we thought she was mad before, but we hadn’t seen anything yet. She and Luna lost it, they stopped making any kind of sense, just jabbering, and lying in bed, that’s all they do now. Their horns are gone, and their magic is dead.” Twilight gasped. “Oh, you’re surprised now are you? Didn’t think you were so heartless huh? Well, neither did we.The five of us who knew you better than anyone else, felt something. Something wrong. So we came to see you in Cantorlot. That’s when you really changed. You looked just like the princesses once did, tall, regal, I thought you were beautiful. We thought for a moment you had been gifted, perhaps changed naturally, but oh no, that would have been too good to be true, wouldn’t it? Still we wanted to believe in you. I wanted to believe in you. There was one small thing you didn’t share with the princesses, one small detail you needed to add to make yourself complete. “No...” Twilight whispered. Rainbow Dash took a step towards her. Her voice getting louder “Yes, go ahead, accept it. I stepped up to you, on that day, the first time I saw you like that, before you had wings, Twilight Sparkle, right before you got those lovely wings of yours.” “No.....” “Don’t you dare deny what happened!!” Rainbow grew shrill. “I stepped up onto those stairs, and you did to me what you did to the princesses! You ripped out my heart! You took my wings, and made them your own!” “No! I wouldn’t do that! I couldn’t do that!” Twilight yelled. “Well you did! You did it Twilight. You took the best part of my life away from me. Now give me one good reason, and not friendship this time, because you tried that once, it won’t work again. That’s dead, dead and gone. Just one good reason I shouldn’t toss you off the highest mountain I can find!” “I wouldn’t do that!” Twilight cried. “Not me....not me!” She looked imploringly at the Rainbow colored pony. “Look into my eyes, tell me, tell me if I could do such a terrible thing.” The two stared at each other for a long time. Rainbow Dash’s eyes burned at Twilight’s, hard and full of rage, rage that had built up for decades. She looked into Twilight’s, and she saw none of the darkness she’d hated. Nothing of that cruel glare she’d given her before she’d torn her wings from her back and left her flightless. They were not the same. She could see in those eyes the innocence of fifty years ago, and she was the first to look away. Applejack stepped up. “Calm yourself Rainbow, our Twilight’s done a lot that needs payin' back, and I intend to collect with interest. But this Twilight ain’t done nothin yet, and I ain’t hurtin' an innocent pony. Maybe she can help us.” “I’ll do anything I can,” Said Twilight, still quite shaken. Applejack smiled slightly. “There’s the girl I knew. Now, is there anything you’d like to know?” “Yes...” Twilight said hesitantly. “So far I’ve only seen you and Rainbow Dash here. I’m scared to ask, but...where at the others? Applejack frowned. “I haven’t talked to some of them in years, Twilight. After you became queen we drifted apart. Rainbow and I stuck together. When you started building the colonies we built up this resistance. We try our best to stop you.....” She paused. “Her, whenever we can, but we can only do so much. She’s strong Twilight, and she’s got plans I don’t think I wanna see come true.” Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “As for the rest, they ain’t cut out for fightin. As far as I know, Rairy works for her, the royal seamstress. She wouldn’t hire anypony else, so she ain’t have no choice in the matter. Perhaps she’s better off there. Can’t imagine Rarity doing much of anything besides sewing. She makes her clothes, and those creatures Rainbow saved you from.” “Rarity...made those things?” Twilight asked, this was all too much to take in. “Not by choice. She makes a new bunch every five years or so. Our Twilight is practical if nothing else, commands the old ones until they’re nothing but string.” “What about Fluttershy and Pinkie?” Applejack’s frown deepened. “Pinkie, you know her. She can’t see the darkness in any situation. She still believed in you, and probably still does I reckon. I don’t know where she is right now. She was the royal event planner for a while, then the jester, then she just fell off the radar. You searched high and low, but you never found her far as I know. Our Twilight used it as an excuse to invade Equindor.” Twilight’s head swam. “And Fluttershy?” “Another non-fighter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That filly wouldn’t harm a bumble bee if it stung her in the behind. She lives in the castle of lanterns, taking care of the princesses as their nurse.” Twilight felt exhausted from the strain of everything she’d been through. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d slept; technically it was fifty years ago. She felt like it. She was drained. Applejack walked to a large wooden door at the back of the room. “Twilight, there’s one other person you should see. You can talk to him.” “Who?” she asked softly. “Someone who’s been waiting to see you for a long time.” she said. “I think Spike would like to say hello.” 35 T.R Cantorlot The Doctor was ushered into the sewing room by Rarity. “So wait, you made those things?” he asked. “I simply sewed them together, Twiligh-” “Twilighttwo.” The Doctor interrupted. Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilighttwo is the one who brings the horrid things to life.” “Okay then.” said the Doctor. “Next bit, and this is a really important bit, an extremely really important bit.” He looked dead at Rarity. “How do you know I’m called the Doctor?” “Wow, you’re an early model aren’t you?” “What?” Rarity smiled. “I traveled with you for a time, Mr.Doctor.” “You?” The Doctor asked, astonished Rarity’s smile vanished. “You don’t have to act so shocked!” “Sorry, it’s just...you always seemed so....” Her eyes narrowed “So what?” The Doctor floundered a bit. “So...tea on the lawn..” “What’s wrong with that?” “Tea? Oh nothing, tea is wonderful, but tea on the lawn with chairs and parasols, nowthat’s a different story” Rarity’s smile came back. “Same old Doctor,” she said distantly. “Twilight and I were there, a small while before all this. When her eyes were dark, but not quite black. There was something in my shop, a shadow. I thought it was nothing, but no. You came in, always the gentleman, and told me to run, and run we did Doctor. I stumbled into the TARDIS, quite on accident. You kidnapped me, you and Twilight, and we went a few places before you got us back. That planet with the crystal moon and the pink sun, oh how I wish I could have had just a small chunk of that moon.” She noticed the Doctor glaring. “What! It was so perfect! But of course the locals needed it to defeat that evil something or other...still, I suppose they wouldn’t have missed a small piece.” The Doctor glared some more. “Oh fine, you’re the same old Doctor alright.” Rarity pouted. “But we did have such fun the three of us. There was that time with the miniature super ponies made of living clay in the early 600’s, the adventure with the human and that time I became a God. Oh we were so lost, the best kind of lost. You did get us back eventually though. “Did I? Well, good for me then.” Said the Doctor quickly. “Don’t tell me too much, that may still happen. I’ve got enough paradoxes on my head right now. I have a much more important question to ask” “What would that be, Doctor?” “Twilighttwo said she’d done something to me. If she’s here in the future then I’m here too. You traveled with me. So tell me, Rarity, what happened?” Rarity looked away. “I’m sorry to say I don’t know, Doctor. You went missing, right before she headed to the Lantern Castle in the forest. Nopony’s seen you in decades. I hardly remembered what you looked like.” “Hmm....Well, that doesn't bode well, now does it? The Doctor said mildly. “Oh well, I’ll figure it out I’m sure. In that case I have two more questions for you.” “Ask anything,” Rarity’s eyelids fluttered. “Doctor.” “Okay then...” The Doctor stepped back slightly. “Question one, it’s been fifty years, why don’t you look any older?” “Why, Doctor! Flattery will get you everywhere...” Rarity advanced. “No! I don’t mean like that! I mean literally, you don’t look a day older than the last time I saw you.” He reached into his suit pocket, taking out the sonic screwdriver. “You aren't!” he said as he scanned her. “You aren’t much older than you were when we last met! How’s that possible?” “Oh, that, it’s been like that since those HORN things popped up. Nopony seemed to age after that. ” she paused. “Still...I like to think I look rather young, even considering that. Wouldn’t you, Doctor?” “Hmm? What’s that? Oh yes, you look like a regular Marylin Monroe.” He waved the question away. “Who?” The Doctor sighed. “Never mind. On to my second question.” “What’s that, darling?” “Darling, really?” The Doctor said under his breath. “What’s that?” “Oh, nothing, anyway, tell me about the shadow in your shop...” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh! The first time we met! Gladly.” She cleared her throat. “Well it all started when I got home from Fluttershy’s house...” 35 T.R Dragon Mountain Applejack led Twilight through a large tunnel with Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear, torches lighting the way every few feet, casting shadows along the cave walls. Twilight could hear the sound of machinery working ahead of them, the grinding of cogs and the shifting of metal echoing around them. The temperature rose, getting steadily higher as they walked through the tunnel. “He’s down here.” Said Applejack. “Our base is in the heart of Dragon Mountain as you know. Our Twilight’s factories are above, carved into the side. Spike lives there, he helps to hide us. The one place you’d never suspect us of being, right below the empire’s powerhouse.” Twilight was silent for several minutes as the heat rose and they neared the end of the tunnel. There was a door, made of iron bolted into the rock, a small peephole placed in at the top. Applejack looked through it. “All clear.” she turned to Twilight. “Are you ready for this?” Twilight stared at the door, steeling her nerves. “Yes.” “Alright then. Help me get this open Rainbow.” Both ponies braced themselves against the ground and tugged against the door’s great handle. It opened with a great creak, sending a blast of heat rushing back towards them. “I’ll go first, you come when I call” Said Applejack as she stepped forwards into the cavern. The cave was dark, and Applejack was quickly lost in the gloom. Twilight could hear her hooves as they clicked against the stone floor. “Spike, we've got someone here to see you,” Applejack said softly. Twilight heard the sound of something large shuffling in the dark. “Come on,” Applejack continued, her voice loosing it’s soothing tone. “Wake up you lazy dragon, we ain’t got time for this. I got a feelin something big’s going down. Go on! Get!” There was the sound of a hoof hitting something that sounded a bit like an old carpet. “Applejack?” Twilight jumped as a deeper voiced boomed down the tunnel. “What do you want?” “Like I says, we got someone very important to see you. Now get up,” Applejack chastised. “Five more minutes,” Said the voice. It was those words that got her. Twilight knew that voice, no matter how deep it may have gotten. She stepped forwards into the dark. “Some things never change. You always want five more minutes.” she chuckled in spite of herself. “Fifty years, and you’re still a lazy little dragon.” The sound was deafening as something huge moved to the edge of the cavern. Pressing itself against the wall. “That voice....” Suddenly Twilight was blinded as a great tongue of flame shot out into the air, lighting the whole cavern. It was gone as quickly as it came and they were submerged back into the darkness. “It is...” The voice continued. “It’s you...” “Enough of this stumbling around in the dark,” Applejack interrupted. She whispered something and a small ball of light floated from the box around her neck and attached itself to the ceiling. “That’s better.” Twilight got a good look at Spike for the first time. He was immense, at least as big as the other dragons they’d seen before, if not larger. His purple scales were worn and peeling in places, but he still looked the same, just bigger with one subtle difference. “You wings grew in...” Twilight remarked. The dragon shrank back further, still staring at the small purple unicorn. Twilight stared at his large purple wings, just as worn as his scales, with a few holes here and there. The two stared at each other for a while. Eventually Spike built up the courage to lean closer. His head was massive. When it got close enough his eye was almost bigger than Twilight, she could see her reflection in his green iris as it focused on her. They were the same eyes she knew, though they were large, she could tell they had seen a lot in her absence. “You know it’s me Spike.” she said. He leaned back again, exhaling sharply. “I know, you look the same, the same as you used to. It’s been a long time since you looked like that.” Spike turned to Applejack. “What’s going on?” “I don’t rightly understand it myself.” Said Applejack. “Apparently some Doctor fella has pulled one heck of a miracle.” “The Doctor!?” Spike exclaimed. He turned to look back at Twilight. “The Doctor’s involved?” “Yes, he’s here too, but he’s been captur-” she was cut short as she was lifted into the air by a giant claw. “That means it really it you!” Spike held her up to his face. “Twilight! My Twilight!” “Yes Spike, it’s me. I missed you.” she said softly. “I’ve missed you too. I haven’t seen that face in a long time.” “I haven’t seen that face, so....large...” Spike smiled. “I bulked up, told you I would.” “Who knew you were right?” she looked around the cavern. It was even hotter in Spike’s hand near the ceiling. In the light Twilight could see several doors spaced around the room. Beyond them she could hear the sound of machinery working. “What is this place?” “She calls it my office.” said Spike. “I work here.” Twilight noticed all the doors were pony sized. “More like trapped here.” “Oh, no! She treats me well enough, I can’t leave, true, but, I’m her oldest friend, I do what’s best.” “What does she have you do?” “I can’t tell you, she has me under a spell, I can only do what’s best for her.” “Then why do you help them?” Twilight nodded to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Spike smiled again. “Because, I’m her oldest friend, I do what’s best for her.” his smiled vanished quickly. “Ruling wasn’t good for you Twilight. It made you worse, you need to be dethroned. Maybe then you’ll....” Spike trailed off. “It’ll be alright Spike. I’m here now, and I plan to set things right. This isn’t my future, I’m going to find the Doctor, get back, and make sure none of this ever happens.” Spike stared at the small unicorn in his palm for a while. Then gently set her down. “You’d better hurry then. Applejack is right.” “About what?” “Something big is going down. I’ve heard things, you’d be surprised what people are willing to tell a large scary dragon.” Spike got down on all fours and walked towards one of the many doors. “It’s right outside that one, use your magic to unlock it. I’m too small, but peek out and you should see what I mean. I can’t tell you, but if you see it yourselves It’s no fault of mine.” he winked. “Now we’re getting somewhere!” said Rainbow rushing over. Twilight focused on the lock. It opened with a small click. The three of them walked through, and looked at the large cylinders of metal that lay before them. “Oh no...” said Twilight. 35 T.R Cantorlot Rarity finished her story, smiling wistfully. “Ah, such good times, wouldn’t you say, Doctor?” “Yes! It makes so much sense now!” He exclaimed. “It does doesn’t it, how we were meant for one anoth-” “The princessses, Twilight, everything makes sense!” The Doctor paced around the sewing room. “Why couldn’t I see it before! Oh I’m getting old, it’s so obvious!” “What?” asked Rarity, slightly put out. “Come with me, we have to find Twilight. If I’m right she’s still in ponyville. Where are we now?” “Cantorlot.” “Camelot?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow. “No, Doctor, Cantorlot, Camelot is in Equypt, you know, with the pyramids and things, we don’t get camels here.” The Doctor stopped pacing and stared at Rarity. “You’re completely serious right now aren’t you?” “Why yes, I know basic geography, Doctor.” The Doctor sighed. “Why do I even bother.” he walked over to the door. “Fine, what’s the fastest way to get back to ponyville?” Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “Well, the train I’d say, it takes supplies to Twiligh-” “Twilightwo’s” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilighttwo’s factories. There’s nothing faster.” “Then that’s where we’re going. Lead the way.” Rarity looked appalled. “Well wait a minute! I have to get myself ready, I’ll need my saddlebags, and I can’t go out looking like this!” “Rarity! We haven’t got time for this! You look fine!” “But Doctor, if I’m to represent all of Cantorlot, I have to look my best, no matter what the circumstance! I haven’t even got my-” “Rarity!!” The Doctor cut her off. “You always look fantastic, now come on.” Rarity stood still for a moment. “Really? You really think that?” “How could I not? You’re only the most fashion forward pony in all of ponyville, you don’t need any bloody saddlebag to look your best.” Rarity’s face little up. “Oh Doctor!” she marched towards the door. “You’re right! I always look fabulous. Now come on! We’ve got a train to catch.” Rarity dashed out into the hall. “Tea on the lawn,” The Doctor whispered to himself. “always tea on the lawn.” He followed her down the hall until they came to some stairs. Rarity turned back to, putting a hoof to her lips. “This way.” she whispered. As they descended, the Doctor noted several smells he hadn’t come across since his arrival in Equestria, the smell of oil and coal burning, the smell of industry. It got stronger the closer they got to the bottom floor. They could scarcely breath by the time they reached the doorway. Rarity opened it slowly and she and the Doctor peeked out. He could see it, made of steal and iron, sitting on one of several tracks. The train was prepped and ready to leave,smoke had already begun billowing from the stack above the engine. Several guards ushered workponies forwards. They clustered around large pieces of machinery hidden under tarps lifted by magic into place. “There’s the train, we haven’t missed it yet.” Rarity said quietly. “I should be able to get us aboard without much trouble. The guards are putty in my hooves. The Doctor said nothing. “Doctor? Doctor are you listening?” Rarity complained. “Those things, those things they’re loading onto the back.” He said shakily. “They shouldn’t be here.” “What are they?” “If they’re what I think they are, then this whole world is in danger.” “Doctor, what is she planning to do!?” “She’s planning to do her worst. No sun, no moon, Twilighttwo is planning to plunge the whole planet into darkness...” To be continued in Immovable Object Story by: Squeak. Edited by: http://lightsideluc.deviantart.com/ I have an editor now, editors are cool.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T08:09:51+00:00

2012-09-19T08:09:51+00:00

Immovable Object 982 C.R Everfree Forrest “Doctor, why did you stop?” asked Trixie, still sitting in front of the brown stallion waiting for the end of the story. “What were the things on the train, tell me!” The Doctor was silent. “Doct-” “Ssshhh!” He put a hoof to her lips. “Do you hear that?” The Doctor looked around the TARDIS. All Trixie could hear were the sounds of the console whirling and dinging as they normally did. “Doctor, I don’t hear anything...” Trixie whispered, pushing his hoof away. “What is it-” “EXTERMINATE!” A cold robotic sound rang out from behind her. The Doctor tossed her to the side and dived away as a beam of dark light arched across the air with a fizzing sound. “She got one inside!” he yelled. The Doctor bent his head down and hefted Trixie onto his back, turning at a full gallop into the TARDIS interior. She was jostled and bumped as she hung on for dear life. “What is that thing!?” the small filly shouted, looking back into the control room as he ran. The thing behind them gave chase, gliding rapidly across the floor towards them. It looked like a large salt shaker with spherical bumps spaced around the bottom. The design looked bulky and awkward, but it propelled itself with surprising speed. The upper portion looked like a horse’s head with a large, single eye stalk jutting from where it’s face should have been. It swung wildly around, searching. “EXTERMINATE!” It called after them. “No time!” The Doctor yelled. She hung on tightly as he made a swift turn the right. “It must have been hiding, charging it’s power cells for an attack! We need to get away from it, quickly!” Trixie screamed as another beam of light whizzed through the TARDIS, barely missing them as they made their way inside. “EXTERMINATE!” The sound echoed after them once more, closer this time. The Doctor made another sharp turn, diving into a hallway. Trixie, despite her fear, marveled at how large the inside of the box really was. The control room was only a small part of a much larger interior. The thing gave chase, turning just as sharply as they had close at their hooves. Trixie saw a pair of large metal doors coming quickly to meet them. The Doctor barreled forwards, galloping faster and faster, the doors remained shut as they closed the gap. Trixie shrieked, throwing her hooves over her eyes, sure they were about to crash. She suddenly found herself airborne as the Doctor bucked her off to the side. The door swung open and he, along with the creature, went stumbling through. Trixie landed with a thud against a wall as the doors snapped shut behind them. Mildly disoriented, it took her second to get her bearings. “Doctor?...” she asked, shakily getting up. Her eyes shot wide. “Doctor!!” Trixie raced over to the doors, which remained shut. She pounded her forehooves against the cold metal, but they did not shift. “Doctor!” she yelled again. “Open up, The Great and Powerful Trixie demands it! Open I say!” She pounded harder, but still they refused to yield. “Doctor! Doctor, what’s going on!? Come out at once! Come out this instant!” Her hooves began to hurt from beating against the unforgiving doors. “Doctor!” Trixie called again. “Come out.....Doctor?....” she hung her head as her vision became clouded by tears.“Doc..ter...” Suddenly there was a sound, muffled from behind the doors. Trixie’s head shot back up as it echoed down the hallway. She pressed her ear against cool metal, straining to listen. There was the fizzing noise she had come to know as the creature’s weapon firing. The sounds of crashing and banging followed shortly afterwards, progressively getting louder louder. More shots were fired, the sound loud in Trixie’s ears dispite the thick door. The din of noise carried on for several minutes, escalating in scale. Trixie heard several strange noises and bangs as whatever was going on became more and more intense. Then, as suddenly as it had begun there was a large splash and everything was silent. Trixie leaned against the door, straining her small ears in an effort to hear anything at all, but the silence remained. She waited for what seemed like a very long time. Then hung her head, and turned to walk away. The door shot up open and a sopping wet Doctor flopped out, landing on the floor with a plop. “Well,” he gasped, “that was eventful.” “Doctor!” Trixie yelled, rushing over. “You’re alright!” She wrapped her forehooves around his neck. “Yes...it would appear so. That’s very lucky.....But you’re choking me.” “Ew...” She whined as released him. “Why are you all wet?” “The swimming pool.” he said flatly. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Darlocks can’t swim.” The Doctor said, as though this explained everything. “What’s a Darlock?” “Ah yes,” The Doctor got shakily to his hooves. “I was just getting to that part, wasn’t I? But first, I’ve always wanted to do this. I’d back up if I were you.” “Wh-” Trixie cowered suddenly as the Doctor shook himself, much like a large dog, sending water everywhere. “Doctor!” Trixie yelled plaintively. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He started back towards the control room. “Come along, we’ve got a story to finish, haven’t we? The Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box keeps his promises after all. Now, where was I?” “The part with the metal cylinders,” Trixie reminded him, trotting after him. “Ah yes! Okay then, so, Twilight and the others had just stumbled upon something terrible in Twilightwo’s factories, deep in the caverns of Dragon Mountain....” 35. T.R Dragon Mountain “What are they?” asked Rainbow Dash walking into the large room. It was filled with strange machines slightly smaller than she was. The upper portion resembled the head of a horse, like a chess piece. From it’s head protruded a singular eye on the end of a long stalk. The lower portion was surrounded by bronze bulbs spaced around the bottom. “There’s a hundred at least.” She observed turning to Applejack. “They’re kind of funny looking. Do you think they’re weapons?” “I haven’t got the foggiest idea Rainbow, but I get the feeling they certainly weren’t made for the fun of it.” She walked over and poked one with a wary hoof. “You know anything about this, Twilight?....Twilight?” Applejack turned to find the purple unicorn pressed against the side of the cavern, terrified. “Those things...shouldn’t be here,” she whispered. “You’ve seen them before?” asked Applejack. She stopped examining the machines to stare at Twilight, who was shivering at this point. “No, I-I’ve never seen them before in my life. But, I know they shouldn’t be here.” Twilight tried to press herself further into the wall closing her eyes. “They’re evil.” “You’re not makin’ sense, Twilight.” Applejack took a step closer. “Do you know what they are or don’t you?” “I-I don’t know, it’s like, I can see them in my head. I’ve never seen them before, but I know what they are, at the edge of my mind.” “She’s cracked.” Rainbow scoffed. “Quiet.” Applejack hushed her. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to do better than that, sugarcube.” “I don’t know how.... all I do know is this is bad, very bad. I’m scared.” she said shivering. “Can we go? Can we go back to Spike please?” Applejack reached out a comforting hoof. “Alright, it’s okay, Twilight. We’ll head back.” she turned to Rainbow Dash. “Come on, we’ve seen enough. Maybe Spike can tell us more about these things.” The blue pegasus had already wandered off among the cylinders, her voice rang back towards them. “I’m not turning back because she’s too scared to investigate! for all we know she’s trying to throw us off!” Applejack sighed. “Stay here.” she said firmly. She turned and was lost in the darkness. Twilight stood alone in the cavern. The only sounds were the occasional clip-clop of hooves as Applejack pursued the rambunctious Pegasus. She looked around the expansive room at the neat rows of machines. Their cold dark eyes looking out into the darkness, unmoving. She could not place exactly why but at the moment those eyes scared her more than anything she could remember. She wanted nothing more than to put as much space between herself and them as possible. “Applejack?” she called. “Rainbow Dash?” There was no reply. Twilight got to her hooves and peered into the gloom. She strained her ears but she could no longer hear them in the dark “Hello?” she called again, a bit softer than she’d intended. “Are you there?” Still no reply. Twilight suddenly felt extremely vulnerable. She took a few tentative steps forwards, giving the cylinders a wide berth as she did. She couldn’t hear anything beyond the sound of her own hooves hitting the floor. It grew darker as she progressed, she could hardly see anything after while. Still Twilight felt those singular eyes staring at her in the darkness. She tried to ignore it, but the feeling persisted. Suddenly something reached out of the darkness and grabbed her. Twilight tried to scream as she was roughly hauled into a corner behind the machines but she could only get out a small squeak before a hoof was placed quickly over her mouth. “Shhhhh.” whispered Applejack, keeping Twilight’s mouth shut. She pointed somewhere out into the darkness. “Raggedy.” Twilight stopped struggling and Applejack released her. She noticed Rainbow Dash huddling next to her looking terrified. They froze, being very quiet for several minutes, no one dared to breath, fearing the creature in the dark. Eventually Rainbow Dash stood up. “Maybe it’s gone?” she asked. Twilight suddenly heard a familiar shuffling sound, followed by several more getting closer fast. “And maybe it just went to get friends.” she said quickly. “Run!” 35 T.R Cantorlot Rarity sauntered over to the train’s guard, pushing a large wagon covered in cloth in front of her. She turned to him fluttering her eyelids. “Hello, Mr.Iron Hooves.”she said sweetly. “I need to go into town to pick up some fabric. Would you mind if I,” she stepped a bit closer. “came along for the ride?” The guard looked mildly terrified, but quickly regained his composure. “Um.... No can do Ms. Rarity.” “Really?” Rarity asked, pouting. “But you’ve let me on before, what’s one more time? ” “Sorry Ms. Rarity,” the guard stepped back. “I’m under Twilight’s express orders to make sure that this train takes only the absolutely necessary. Ponies included.” “Oh, I see..” Rarity said softly. “Glad you understand Ms.Rarit-” Rarity suddenly collapsed to the ground in tears. “You’re saying I’m unnecessary!!” she wailed. “I knew it! I just knew it! Nopony likes me! Why would they? I’m....I’m....” she sobbed. “Unnecessary!!!” “No, no! That’s not what I meant at all!” said the guard looking around frantically. “I like you and the castle couldn’t get on without you!” “You liar! You said it yourself just now! Nopony needs me, I’m not even useful enough to get on a train! You probably wouldn’t miss me if I just ran away to live in the forest! Then the animals might appreciate me. But why would they?” she sniffed. “You said it! You said I’m about as useful as a chipmunk! Less useful even! I’m a worm! A lowly worm! Why would anyone want me around?!” She broke into a new bout of sobbing cries. “No, no!” The guard urged. “Please stop crying, Ms.Rarity! Please! You’re a great seamstress, I just can’t let you on tod-” He was interrupted as she wailed at the top of her lungs. “Oh just never mind, I’ll just go up into my room and lock myself away! I’ll throw away the key. Who would care? No one would even notice I was gone! An exile doomed to die ugly and alone!” “Okay! Okay! I’ll let you on, just please, stop crying.” “Thanks darling.” Rarity was on her feet immediately. “Could you load my waggon onboard? That passenger car on the far end should be empty, yes? That would be just fine.” The guard stood dumbfounded. Rarity began to sniffle again. “Well....what are you waiting for?” He grabbed the wagon and was off like a rocket. “Works every time.” Rarity whispered under her breath. She was quickly ushered into the passenger car she’d requested along with her wagon. The guard left as soon as he was able. “Did you really have to do that to the poor man?” asked the wagon. “Well, you wanted to get on board the train didn’t you Doctor?” Said Rarity huffily. “You’ll find I’m just as good as any psychic paper.” The Doctor disentangled himself from the various fabrics and thread getting to his feet. “Psychic paper is a lot quieter though.” he remarked, shaking a loose of string from his mane. “In anycase, I’m glad we’re on board. Things are a lot more serious than I’d realized, and that’s saying something.” “Quite, you’re ever so good at getting into trouble after all.” Rarity chuckled. The Doctor looked offended “No, I’ll have you know I’m not just good at getting into trouble, I’m the best. Which is the reason why we need to hurry.” “How so?” “I’m also the best at getting out of trouble. But as I explained, Twilight’s here too.” The Doctor paused for a moment. “The good Twilight. She’s clever, I’m sure she can handle herself. But everything is starting to make sense to me now, and if I’m right, and oh I hope I’m not right, things have just reached a new level of bad.” “How bad is that?” “Think of the worst thing you can think of.” The Doctor waited a moment. “Got it?” “Yes I think so.” Said Rarity “Good, now forget it, because there’s no way it could possibly be as bad as this.” He trotted over to the cabin door, peeking through the circular window at the top. “Do you by any chance know how many ponies are on this train?” “The guard said only the most necessary ponies were allowed onboard. I don’t know the exact number, but I only counted two.” “Good.” The Doctor reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. “I need to get a closer look at those things under the tarping. I’m sure they’re what I’m thinking of, but something’s...different.” Wind blustered into the cabin as the door slid open. “Come on.” The two ponies cautiously made their way to the next car. Trying to remain unseen by the guard ponies on the ground. The Doctor quickly opened the door to the next cabin, ushering Rarity inside. It was dark. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant, like a hospital. They walked quietly inside, making sure there were no guards in the car. As their eyes acclimated to the darkness the Doctor saw the machinery from earlier, still under thick tarps nailed to the floor. He wandered over warily. “The coast is clear.” he lit the gas lamps on the wall using the sonic screwdriver. There were tools spaced around the cabin rather messily on top of various work tables, and the floor was black with soot. “Someone needs to do some cleaning in here” said Rarity. “It’s absolutely filthy.” The Doctor eyed the silhouettes under the tarp. “The floor’s the last of our worries at the moment.” he grabbed the edge in his mouth and tore it away. Upon seeing the creatures underneath he paused for a moment. “Oh no. Oh this can’t be right.” “Doctor! What are those things?” Rarity cried. “You know...I’m not quite sure...” “What!?” “I thought they were an old enemy of mind, something called a Dalek. The most evil creatures in the universe.” “Well are they?” Rarity backed up slightly. “Well....If you look sideways and squint maybe.... Tell me, Rarity, In your time traveling with me, did I ever comment on the numerous improbabilities of your world?” asked the Doctor, walking over to one of the worktables. “Constantly.” “Well this is one of those times.” The Doctor found a notebook, he quickly nosed through and shut it with a sharp click. “Oh come on.” he sighed. “What is it, Doctor?” “They’re not exactly what I thought.” The Doctor took in a breath. “They’re called...” “What?” asked Rarity impatiently. “They’re called....” The Doctor strained to get the word out. “Well, out with it!” “Darlocks.” He said resignedly. “They’re called Darlocks.” He spun on his hooves to face one of them. Gas lamp’s flickering light cast shadows around its horse like head. Its eyestalk lay dark and dormant in the center of it’s face. “I bet she made them just for me. She’s taken my greatest fear, and made it into a joke.” He stared into its eye for a long time. “I’m sorry, I really am.” He whirled to face Rarity before she could ask what he meant. “Still, though it looks like a demented chess piece, according to those notes it’s just as dangerous as ever. She’s made an army of them at the factories.” “An army?” asked Rarity “She rules half the world at this point, what does she need an army for?” “A very good question.” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “I’ve heard a lot of good questions today. It’s time to get some good answers.” He examined the Darlock. “There’s a discrepancy in the notes about the firing mechanism.” He noticed Rarity’s confusion. “That tubey bit next the the plunger. In anycase, normally it fires a concentrated burst of enegy, instantly killing what it comes in contact with. In the notes it appears to have been modified for some other kind of energy. I can’t quite work out what it is though. This math doesn’t make any sense. It’s like they’re measuring something that isn’t the-” The Doctor was interrupted as the cabin door swung open. Two scientist ponies walked in, deep in conversation with one another. “It’s amazing really!” said one. A blue unicorn stallion with thick glasses. “These creatures are almost completely self sustaining.” “I know!” said the other, a pink earth mare. “They’re completely impossible! The one wh-” They paused as they noticed Rarity and the Doctor. The four ponies stared at each other in silence. “Ah, hello!” said the Doctor “I’m....Clockwork.” he cringed at the name. “And this is my assistant Glimmer.” Rarity shot the Doctor a look, then quickly plastered on a smile. “Yes that’s me, Glimmer. It’s simply fabulous to meet you.” “Now, now, Glimmer, we’re hear on business, remember? No time for pleasantries.” The Doctor walked over and examined the pair of exceedingly confused scientist. “Who are you?” asked the stallion. “A very good question! Isn’t it, Glimmer?” laughed the Doctor jovially. “Yes, yes it is Doc-...I mean Clockwork!” She joined in the laughter, a bit too loudly. “Very good indeed!” “They don’t know who we are? Isn’t that funny?” The Doctor laughed a bit louder. “Hilarious!” said Rarity. “Oh, that’s a good one. Really, you two had me going for a minute there!” The Doctor was practically in stitches. “Don’t know who we are! Can you imagine, Glimmer?” “That would be simply too funny, Clockwork!” The Rarity laughed woodenly. The scientist stared at the two ponies in front of them, more confused than ever. Then the mare began to chuckle. The unicorn stallion gave her a severe look. He couldn’t hold it long and he himself burst into a bout of giggling. Soon the four of them were rolling on the floor laughing. “Wooo, that was a good one.” The Doctor wiped a tear from his eye. “But really,” he continued, his jovial tone gone. “I’m going to tell you who I am.” The laughter stopped immediately. The Doctor got up and walked towards the Darlocks. “But first, I want you to tell me a few things.” The stallion got to his feet. “Hey, wait a minu-” The Doctor was on him in a second, his nose inches away. “You know what? No. I will not wait a minute, you’re quite lucky to have seconds at the moment, so take what you’ve got and don’t try my patience.” The stallion gulped. “First question, what is your name.” “I-it’s Bunsen....Bunsen Burner.” He replied, trying to shrink into the wall. “Very good, Bunsen,” The Doctor stepped away, looking towards the pink mare. “Second question. What is your name?” “Delta...it’s Delta” she backed away, huddling beside Bunsen. “Good,” The Doctor walked back towards Rarity. “now, Bunsen, Delta, it’s time for a third question, a very important question.” He turned to look at them over his shoulder. “These things, these Darlocks, are you responsible for making them?” “N-no...” said Bunsen. “We’re just here to monitor them during the trip, make sure everything’s alright.” “What do you know about them?” Delta leaned forwards. “We don’t know anything. The Queen keeps them top secret.” “Ooh, now don’t tell me that. You two are scientist, I’ve never met a scientist who wasn’t curious. No way ponies like you would let a mystery like that sit around un-snooped into. So tell me, did you ever look into something you weren’t suppose to? Poke it with a stick? Just take a peek behind that forbidden door?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow. The pair looked at one another for a moment. Then Delta got to her hooves. “Fine.” she sighed. “When I was working in the lab, I may have seen some shipping orders I wasn’t supposed to. I don’t know more than this, but these things aren’t created at the Queens factories.” “So they’re not made there?” Rarity chimed in. “No, they’re only completed there, according to the order they’re made somewhere else.” “Where, and is there anything else you can tell me?” asked the Doctor, going over to the worktable and grabbing the notebook. “As far as I can tell- I only took a peek- they come from somewhere outside of Ponyville, in the forest. I don't know anything beyond that. They come here to be checked out by the queen, then to the factories at Dragon Mountain to be....activated as far as I can tell. I coudn't see much, we've only been on the job a few days.” “Well, now we're getting somewhere!” The scientists’ stepped back as the Doctor whirled to face them. “So, these aren't ready yet. There's another element, and someone else involved. Someone who knows things that definitely don't belong in Equestria.” “Good! You've got what you wanted, now leave us alone!” Said the Bunsen, bolstering his courage. “Don't hurt us.” The Doctor looked confused. “Hurt you? Now why in the world would I do that?” The blue stallion faltered. “Well...aren't you with the resistance or something?...I've heard the stories!” “Resistance? Never heard of them. Now come on.” The Doctor hopped over to the cabin door, Rarity fallowed close behind.The two scientist stood dumbfounded. “Well come on then!” he turned back to them. “Don't stand there with you mouths open, are you going to help or not?” “Help!? Why!?” Delta cried incredulously. “Because you want to know just as badly as I do.” Delta deflated a bit. “Come on,” the Doctor chided. “A mysterious process involved in creating the most advanced machines you lot have ever seen? Don’t you want to know? Isn’t that why you signed up? That old scientific curiosity?” He gestured over to Bunsen, “Him I’m not so sure about.” “Hey!” Bunsen got to his hooves incredulously. “I’m just a curious as her!” The Doctor smiled. “Good.” He opened the door with the sonic screwdriver. “Then come on.” “Where!? Why!?” Asked the scientists in unison. “The head car of course. We're making a slight detour.” 35 T.R Dragon Mountain Applejack leapt over a row of Darlocks, hitting the floor at the full gallop, Twilight and Rainbow right behind her. At the sound of their hooves running through the dark the raggedy mares converged on them. Twilight looked around wildly, there were at least five by her count, spaced around around the factory, gaining fast, their loping gait covering twice the ground they did with every step. Applejack risked a backwards glance. “Quickly, back to the door!” she yelled. “Oh really? Do you think?” Rainbow Dash overturned a table of equipment in an attempt to slow the pursuing creatures down. One of them stumbled, falling headlong onto the floor. The others quickly made up the difference, undeterred. “You’d better think of something better than that or there’s no way we’re going to make it!” Applejack looked back at the pursuing raggedies. She stopped suddenly, turning to face them. “What are you doing!?” cried Twilight skidding to a stop. “Run!” Rainbow Dash held up a hoof. “Quiet you’ll break her concentration! Keep running!” Twilight noticed Applejack was whispering something. The orange earth pony concentrated and the box around her neck started to glow. Suddenly the floor in front of her was covered in banana peels. The Raggedies went slipping and sliding in all directions. Their fabric sagging and stretching grossly as they struggled to right themselves. “Don’t just stand their gawkin’ Twilight, get a move on!” Applejack ran past the dumbfounded unicorn. “That won’t slow them down for long!” Twilight regained her wits and quickly followed the two towards the door. “That was amazing!” she yelled. “Conjuring up so many things at once. You never told me you were that good at magic.” “I’m not.” said Applejack. “But I’m a farmer. If there’s one thing I know, it’s fruit. Now stop flappin’ your gums and run!” Behind them their pursuers had regained their footing and were coming after them with a fresh burst of speed. Twilight could hear their cloth hooves hitting the ground behind them. A sound she knew far too well. The door was still a ways off, and she knew they weren’t going to hold their lead much longer. She could hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash huffing beside her. Twilight’s own legs were on the verge of quiting on her. The door still seemed so far. She had to do something . This time Twilight stopped. “Girl! What’ere you doing!” Applejack yelled. “I have a plan! It’s a long shot, but it might work!” She held her ground. The raggedies were only a few feet away. The one in the lead paused in front of her, rearing up its belly seams opened to take her inside. As it descended towards her Twilight took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and yelled. at the top of her lungs. “Stop!!” The raggedy mare stopped mid lunge. The others’ stopped as well, tripping over one another as order echoed back. Soon it was completely silent. Rainbow Dash stopped running. “Woah....” Applejack trotted up to Twilight, who was still standing extremely still her nose almost inside the opening in the raggedy mare’s chest. “Why didn’t you tell us you could do that?” she asked. “I didn’t know till just now.” Twilight sighed, slumping to the floor in a heap. “I wish I’d figured it out earlier. They’re this Twilight’s minions, so I figured they might listen to me, no matter the timeline.” “Well, lucky thing you were right then.” Applejack gave Twilight a rough hoof on the back. “That was close.” “Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash quietly. “good job egghead, your minions still obey you.” “Hush now Rainbow!”said Applejack. “This girl just saved us. If she was evil, why would she do that?” “Why indeed.” came a voice from the dark. “Oh well, a few lessons aught to fix any of that sentimental nonsense.” The three of them froze. “Lucky me,” the voice continued. Twilight noticed it sounded vaguely familiar. “I happen to come to the factory just in time to catch your little ‘Spy mission.’” the voice giggled. “That’s so cute. And will you look at that! I’m doubly lucky. You’re just the pony I was looking for, Twilight.” Twilightwo sauntered out of the darkness. “We have so much in common.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped protectively in front of Twilight, taking up fighting stances. “Oh, now that’s no good. I deplore violence you know.” said Twilighttwo sweetly. “You two might get hurt and I wouldn’t want that to happen to my closest friends.” she clicked her tongue. “But still, can’t have you two messing up my plans now can I?” Twilighttwo put her hoof to her chin and looked at the ceiling. “What to do...what to do...Oh this is a conundrum. Oh wait! I know! This is the perfect time to test out the new guys isn’t it? They are ever so eager to please.” The alicorn’s horn began to glow a dark purple. “Twilight, step away from them please. This could get messy.” Twilight looked on, open mouthed at the pony in front of her. She was lovely, her mane and tail the same dark purple of the twilight sky, her coat perfectly groomed. Twilight was mesmerized. She stared in awe of her future self, powerful, intelligent, beautiful everything she could have hoped for. Until she looked into her eyes. They were the same dark eyes from the painting in the library, the same eyes that had haunted her since she’d arrived and the same dark eyes that kept the sun from rising. “No.” she said quietly. “What’s that?” asked Twilighttwo, putting a hoof to her ear. “I can’t hear you sweetie.” “No.” she said again. “Oh, Twilight, there’s no use fighting it. I’m you after all, who knows you better than yourself? Now come, let me show you your kingdom.” “No!” Twilight shrieked. Twilightwo’s mocking smiled vanished. “You’re not me and I’ll never be you! You’re evil, vile, and nothing like me at all! I will not step away.” Twilight came up between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “These are my friends, something I would never forget.” She looked directly into Twilighttwo’s dark eyes. “And I’ll never abandon them.” Twilighttwo scowled, but her smile returned immediately. “Fine, I see I’ll have to work with you a bit. In the mean time I’ll just have to tell my boys to aim very carefully. They are ever such good shots.” Her horn glowed even brighter and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of whirling machinery. “Last chance Twilight.” She smiled. “I said no.” Twilight took a defiant step forwards. “Very well then.” Twilightwo took a deep breath. “Wakey wakey boys! I have something for you to play with.” he smile grew wider than Twilight thought possible. Suddenly the Darlocks started to shake. The three ponies threw their hooves over their ears as the cavern was suddenly filled with noise. It grew louder and louder as they shook ever more violently. The ground began to quiver beneath them as the force escalated. Rainbow Dash screamed. Then as suddenly as it had begun everything stopped. Rainbow’s scream echoed in the silence. “They’re awake.” said Twilighttwo sung happily. The room was filled with blue lights, all of them fixed on Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “You know what to do.” Twilightwo reached out a hoof an stroked the nearest machine. “EXTERMINATE.” It said. “Good boy.” Then the world exploded. 35 T.R Dragon Moutain The explosion knocked everypony off their hooves. Twilight and the others were tossed in different directions as the cavern wall burst inwards in a shower of rocks and debris. Twilight lost sight of Twilighttwo as she was knocked end over end into a wall. Her body ached as she got up, shaking away the stars in front of her eyes. Dust hung heavy in the air. She stumbled forwards to find an eyestalk inches from her face. She yelped and backed away, tripping over a rock dislodged in the explosion. Twilight looked up, and realized that the rest of the Darlock had been crushed by a falling boulder. “I thought you said you could drive a train?” said a voice in the debris. “I in fact said we were taking a detour my dear Rarity. Technically that is still true.” Twilight’s ears perked up as she heard the second voice. She quickly turned in it’s direction. “Doctor!” “Twilight!?” called the voice. “Doctor, I’m over here!” she raced off in the direction of the sound. “I’m coming! Just keep talking, I’ll find you!” “I’m coming!” “No! Stay still, I don’t want t-” The Doctor was interrupted as they ran headfirst into each other. They both fell to the ground rubbing their heads. “Bump into you...” he finished. “Ow...” Twilight moaned. She quickly regained her wits. “Doctor, what happened! There was an explosion! And there are these things! These robot things! I don’t know how I know it, but they shouldn’t be here, Doctor! How did you escape? Where are the others?” “Well hello to you too.” Said the Doctor. “I’m glad you’re alright, you really should be more careful.” the Doctor examined their surroundings. “To answer those questions, I know about the ‘things’, you’re right, they shouldn’t be here. They’re called Darlocks. To answer the second question I have no idea where everyone is, Rarity’s here somewhere, but I lost her in the smoke. Oh! And Delta and Bunsen, I’ll have to introduce you later.To answer the third question of what happened here, I crashed a train into the side of the factory.” “A train?! Are the rail-ponies okay?” Twilight looked around in the disaster. “Rail-ponies?” “The ponies that pulled it here. They’re probably hurt!” “Twilight, your concern is wonderful, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “There were no ‘Rail-ponies’.” “Then how did the train move?” asked Twilight, confused. “Wait....let me wrap my head around this, you have trains in your time, right?” “Of course.” “But they’re pulled, by these ‘Rail ponies.” “Yes, that’s how it’s always been.” “So, just making sure I’ve got this straight. In this world, you invented the train....before you came up with the steam engine?” Twilight looked at the Doctor, more confused than ever. “And you see nothing wrong with this?” “No....should there be?” Twilight was surprised as the Doctor pulled her into a hug. “Oh I missed you, Twilight Sparkle!” She returned the hug. “Yeah, I missed you too.” Rarity walked up through the smoke. “Is now really the time for pleasantries?” “Rarity!” Twilight yelled. It suddenly dawned on her that something was missing. “Applejack! Rainbow Dash!” she yelled. “Are you alright?” There was a groan in the dark. “I reckon I’ll live.” “I’m okay.” called another. Twilight let out a sigh of relief. The two ponies wandered over to the group, a little unsteady on their hooves, but otherwise okay. As the Doctor opened his mouth to say something, Twilightwo’s voice rang out through the darkness. “Get them! All of them! This will not stand!” “Oops, looks like introductions will have to come later.” said the Doctor as a few damaged Darlocks activated again in the dark. “Time to run.” As he finished the sentence, a ray of dark light parted the curtain of smoke, inches away from his face. “Like I said, run!” The five of them, galloped behind the Doctor, leaping over fallen rocks and pieces of the train. The Darlock’s fire whizzed through the air after them, sending flashes of deep purple light crackling through the darkness. “EXTERMINATE!” Called several metallic voices in unison. “Oh, well at least she got the catch phrase right.” remarked the Doctor. “Shut up and run!” yelled Applejack. They came to the hole in the cavern made by the train. Bunsen and Delta stood waiting by the wreckage. “Hey where are you going!” asked Delta as they streamed past. “EXTERMINATE!” she ducked as a bolt of light whizzed above her ears. “Away from that!” called the Doctor. “Run!” The two scientist were hot on their hooves as they followed behind. Twilight and the Doctor running in the lead. “Where are we going?” asked Twilight breathlessly. “There’s another train on the side of the mountain.” replied the Doctor. “I saw it before we hit the side. It leads into the forest, and I have a feeling I know where.” “Where’s that?” asked Rarity.. “I hope it’s better than your last stop!” “If I’m correct, those tracks lead to the Lantern Castle. In that case, I think we’ll find the answer to this whole mess.” The five of them put on a new burst of speed as the Darlocks began to stream out of the cavern. A hundred calls of “EXTERMINATE!” chased them into the night. “If we make it....” said Twilight. To be continued in: Unforeseen Variables.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2011-07-29T04:42:18+00:00

2011-07-29T04:42:18+00:00

982 C.R “Well, did you make it?” asked Trixie, fidgeting with anticipation. The Doctor chuckled. “Well, if you’ll let me finish I’ll tell you.” “Fine, fine just hurry up! I want to know if you were okay!” “One cannot rush the art of storytelling my dear, Trixie,” the Doctor chastised . “I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie! I can do whatever I wish!” “Oh is that so?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow. “Well then, let’s see if you can make me finish the story. Perhaps, if you’re so impatient, I’ll just go back to fixing up my magic box.” The Doctor got up and turned towards the control panel. “No wait!” Trixie jumped in front of him. “Tell it as slow as you want! Just finish it, please oh please!” “Oh, I thought the Great and Powerful Trixie wanted a fast story?” “She will accept a slow one, just this once.” The Doctor smiled. “Good, now let’s see. We were trying to outrun a small fleet of damaged Darlocks in an effort to reach a train, one that would take us to the Castle of Lanterns in the Everfree Forest.” He paused for a second, scratching his chin in thought. ”It’s only a few miles from where we are now, actually. You know time is a funny thing, people think it’s a linear progression of events but it’s really more li-” “Doctor! Back on topic! Did you get away or not?” Trixie huffed indignantly. “Hmm? Oh yes, very well. So, we were running, getting closer to the train with every step, while dodging Darlock lasers. We came to a bend where the mountain ended and the platform began when Applejack yelled....” 35 T.R Dragon Station “I’m afraid you two are on your own from here!” “What!?” cried Twilight, ducking as another purple ray of light whizzed past her head. “Where are you going!?” “My ponies are in there an’ she’ll find ’em for sure now that she’s seen us! There ain’t no way we can leave them in there on their own! There’s a passage into the mountain around the bend, we’ll be fine! Come’on Rainbow!” She turned to look back at the galloping scientist in the rear. “Ya’ll are them sciencey types right?” “Yes!” cried Bunsen. “We’re scientists! All I ever wanted to do was put things in test tubes, now I’m being shot at! By something I helped build! Where did I go wrong!?” he blubbered. “Stop your whining!” yelled Delta. She turned to Applejack, “Why do you ask?” “I don’t know either of ya’ll, but if you’re on our side, we could really use your help.” Applejack dodged a stream of lasers, taking a sharp left. “These things are fast! We need some more hoofs on the defenses. You aught to know a thing or two about weaponry, since you were workin’ for Twilight, Right?” “Anything that gets me away from him!” yelled Bunsen nodding towards the Doctor. “I’ve known him for thirty minutes and he’s almost killed us! Twice! He’s insane!” “That’s half the fun, isn’t it?” the Doctor called back. “I’ll help, too,” Delta added. “I’ve never liked where this whole ‘Empire’ was going anyways.” “Come on then! The bend is comin’ up; follow my lead, and for the love of apples don’t trip!” Applejack looked back at Twilight. “Good luck. If this ‘Doctor’ can do what you say he can, maybe you can fix all this.” Twilight nodded solemnly. “We’re certainly going to try.” Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for a moment. “Look, egghead... I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you back there. If you really can fix this... I mean set everything back the way it was...” she paused for a second. “Just... don’t screw up, okay?” Despite their situation, Twilight smiled. “Okay, Rainbow.” Applejack looked at Rarity. “It’s good to see you, fancy mane.” “Likewise, I’m sure.” said Rarity with a smile. “Here it comes!” yelled Applejack as they headed towards a fork in the path. “Ready? Turn!” She and the others shot off to the side and, with a backwards glace, they were lost in the mountains. Some Darlocks split off and followed them, a few missing the turn and falling to their doom on the rocks below. “Looks like it’s just you and me again, eh Ms. Sparkle?” The Doctor remarked as he galloped next to her. “Ah, yes, running for our lives once again. We’ve been doing a lot of that today, haven’t we?” “Hey! What about me!?” asked Rarity. “Oh!” said the Doctor. “I thought you went with the others!” “Not a chance,” Rarity scoffed. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” “Well, I guess it’s just like new-old times then,” the Doctor remarked. “Oh well, back to the running!” A Darlock’s beam arced through the air, taking some of Twilight’s mane with it. She screamed. “Yeah! And I think we’d better do it a bit faster!” The train was only a few yards away and, they put on a fresh burst of speed to cover the remaining ground. The Doctor pulled ahead and yanked open the cabin door. Twilight and Rarity leapt through, landing haphazardly on their hooves. The Doctor climbed inside moments before another ray hit the door, leaving a perfectly circular hole in the metal. “I knew their firing mechanism was different!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Admire it later!” yelled Twilight. “We need to move, and I don’t know how this thing works!” “Good point,” the Doctor admitted. “Follow me to the front car. We need to get the engine running!” The Darlocks were closing the gap fast; Twilight could hear their shots striking the side of the car and, through the holes they created, she could see their metal chassis approaching. The Doctor raced forward, Twilight following closely behind. They weaved through the space between cars, covering the last few at a full gallop. The Doctor skidded to a stop, whirling to face Twilight. “Can you start a fire?” “Yes!” Twilight cried, looking back between the Doctor and the approaching Dalocks. “Tell me what you need me to do!” “See that black stuff up there?” He pointed to the coal car behind them. “Yeah...” “Float it into the thing that looks like an oven.” He nodded to the coal burner. “When it’s half full, start a fire. And be quick about it! I’ll be in the lead car prepping the engine.” “What can I do?” Rarity asked. The Doctor looked her up and down. “Um... Tell you what, you stay with Twilight, and make sure she doesn’t get killed alright?” “Yes, sir, Doctor.” Rarity huffed. Twilight turned to the coal car, concentrating. Her horn glowed purple and lumps of coal floated into the burner. A hole appeared in the cabin wall a few feet away, and through it she could hear the Darlocks closing in, their calls of “EXTERMINATE!” ringing in her ears. She redoubled her efforts, filling the burner even faster with the black lumps of rock. In the other room she could hear the Doctor working, pulling leavers and prepping the engine. When she was finished, she backed up and concentrated even harder. The tip of her horn glowed red hot, a bolt of fire went sailing into the middle of the mountain of coal with a fierce crackle. “Doctor, it’s ready!” Twilight ran full pelt into the front car with Rarity in tow. The Doctor was working furiously at the controls. “What else can we do?” the two unicorns called in unison. “You can sit back, and pray that this thing starts…” The Doctor gabbed a large leaver in his teeth and yanked it sharply. Twilight and Rarity stumbled as the train lurched forwards. “And we’re off!” The Darlocks were mere feet away from the train as it slowly gained speed. Twilight gazed out the window to see their eyestalks peering back at her, all too close for comfort. Their shots marred the side of the train over and over again as they closed the gap. She turned back to the Doctor. “Can this thing go any faster!?” she asked. Rarity peered out the window. “Doctor, I concur with Twilight; we need to be out of here post-haste!” “I’m trying, but a train needs time to gain speed!” The Doctor rushed around the conductor’s booth in a blur. “Um... Doctor, must I tell you, time is something we don’t have!” Rarity screeched as an another round of fire rattled the side of the car. “EXTERMINATE!” “It’s okay, I’ve got a plan!” The Doctor looked around wildly. “We have to disconnect the rest of the cars. Less mass, more speed!” “Good idea!” Twilight agreed. The Doctor fidgeted slightly. “One problem though...” Rarity rolled her eyes. “There’s always one isn’t there?” “Oh, yes” said the Doctor, gesturing to the cabin door. “The couplings are on the outside of the cars, as is the standard design of every train. So, whoever unlocks them is going to have to get close, and by close I mean go outside.” “Any good news!?” asked Twilight “Actually, yes. There’s around fifteen or so Darlocks trying to kill us at the moment, so there’s only an eighty-five percent chance of ending up resembling something like swiss cheese.” Twilight stepped up. “Let me do it. I can use my magic, so I don’t have to get as close.” The Doctor shook his head. “You still have to see it to work any magic, right?” “Yes, that’s true...” “Then it’s just as dangerous for you. I’m the one that brought you here, and you’re in enough danger as is. I’m not going to toss you into more of it.” The car shook again as the Darlocks continued their pursuit. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?” Rarity looked at him for a moment. “Doctor, do you really want me to answer that?” “No, Rarity, your silence is appreciated.” He walked towards the door. “So, that lever over there controls the speed of the train. It’s set to full blast, so when the cars are disconnected this thing is going to speed down the tracks like a rocket..” The Doctor reached into his coat pocket, clenching the sonic screwdriver between his teeth. “Try to stay upright. I’ll be back....Probably” he mumbled past the screwdriver. “You’d better,” whispered Rarity. “Be careful,” Twilight added. The Doctor winked, then walked out the door. 35 T.R Dragon Moutain. Applejack dove through the secret passage hidden among the rocks, Rainbow Dash and the two scientist ponies barely ahead while the Darlocks nipped at her heels. “Close the door!” Rainbow shouted as she dived to avoid another round of Darlock fire. “I’ll do a might better than that.” Applejack turned around and gave the passage wall a sharp buck. The walls began to shake, dislodging the loose rocks above. “Get clear!” The four ponies raced forwards, dodging falling rocks as the entrance collapsed. Behind them they could hear the metal clanging against stone as the Darlocks near the avalanche were buried. With a whoosh of air the passage behind them collapsed. Applejack skidded to a stop, peering back at the sealed tunnel. “We’ve gotta hurry. That may hold ‘em off on this end but, if I know Twilight, and I do, it won’t be long ‘fore she starts wondering how we got in there.” Applejack looked at Rainbow. “She’s never asked Spike directly about where we were, but once she figures it out he’ll have to tell her. We have to ready the troops.” Rainbow turned to Bunsen and Delta. “You heard her! You two, we’ll need your help getting the artillery ready. Follow me.” The pegasus allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. “Applejack, get our secret weapon.” Applejack returned the smile. “Can do.” They came to a fork in the tunnels. The Pegasus turned, Bunsen and Delta following as they headed towards the armory. Applejack took the other path, running as fast as she could. When she came across a row of doors she stopped at the fifth one, stones scattering as she skidded to an abrupt halt. Her H.O.R.N. glowed and the door swung open. Inside was a sparse room, a bed of hay laid in the corner where a large red stallion lay sleeping. “It’s time. Are you ready?” she asked. The stallion stirred slightly, lifting his head. He shook the sleep from his body, yawning loudly. “Eeeyup.” 35 T.R Dragon Station The Doctor inched his way out the door onto the railing between the cars, the sonic screwdriver clenched tightly between his teeth. The majority of the Darlocks concentrating their fire on the head car and had yet to notice the brown earth pony making his way toward the couplings. “EXTERMINATE!” The metallic voices called into the gloomy twilight. The Doctor leaned forwards, inching his way around the protective railing. Below him the tracks flowed by, the iron wheels of the train clanking loudly as the lead car strained to pull its weight. He stretched his neck, pushing the tip of the screwdriver forwards. The Darlock at the back of the pack whirled around at the sound, its eye stalk now fixated on the Doctor. “YOU ARE THE DOCTOR!” “Oh, so you can talk. I was starting to wonder,” the Doctor grunted around the screwdriver, still straining to get closer to the couplings. “You really need to expand your vocabulary. ‘Exterminate’ is getting old.” “YOU AND THE UNICORN ARE TO BE TAKEN TO THE QUEEN.” “Sorry, I met her once, and I have no plans on meeting her again.” The Doctor hooked one of his back legs through the railing, leaning as far as he dared. “She wasn’t very polite I must say.” “THEN YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!” The Darlock’s eyestalk swung wildly through the air. “THE QUEEN WILL BE OBEYED. SHE WILL BE OBEYED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” “You know something?” asked the Doctor. “I’ve had those words shouted at me so many times by something else, something very much like you, but very, very different. You know what I’ve noticed?” “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR QUERY!?” “I’ve yet to be exterminated.” The sonic screwdriver whirled to life, the couplings flew apart with a metallic clank. “Sayonara!” “EXTERMINATE!!” The lead car shot forwards, sparks bursting from the squealing wheels. The Doctor locked a forehoof around the railing, the sudden acceleration almost tossing from the train. “EXTERMINATE!!” Rays of dark light shot through the air after the doctor as the train sped off into the distance. A neat hole appeared in the metal inches from the Doctor's head. “Time to go!” He dashed back inside, slamming the door behind him as another large hole appeared in its frame. The train quickly chugged past the border to the Everfree forest, leaving the Darlocks shouting in the darkness. Twilight and Rarity stumbled about, trying to find their balance as the Doctor returned to the conductors booth. “Doctor, you’re alright! Thank goodness!” Twilight yelled as she leaped forward to embrace him. He shrugged off the violet unicorn. “Of course. Was there ever any doubt?” “Yes,” Rarity deadpanned. The Doctor resolutely ignored her. “Look smart, ladies; we’re on our way to the Castle of Lanterns! Onwards and Upwards!!” 1001 C.R. Pinkie Pie sat in front of the toy shop. The roaring inside had grown steadily louder since the Doctor and Twilight had left. She looked on in interest as the windows shook and the remaining walls strained to support the weight of the shop. The ponies' Festival of Blooms had come to a halt. No one in town felt much like celebrating anymore. All of them lay in their beds, trying to ignore the strange sounds that echoed through the alleys of Ponyville. Pinkie stood, unfazed, her thoughts for once centered on one thing; when her friends would return to silence the roaring and bring peace back to Ponyville. 35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Twilight's Factory) Twilighttwo walked through the debris of the factory, surveying the damage the crash had caused. The entire east wall had caved in and now the gloomy twilight flooding inside, illuminating the wreckage of the train. Almost all of the Darlocks in that corner of the factory had been irreparably destroyed. She did not fret over this, since she could always make more. No, she had far more important things to worry about at the moment. A few Raggedies had set about trying to clean the area, two of which were attempting to move a large bolder that had fallen on one of the control panels. Their loose, tearing fabric hides stretching and sagging as they strained to move the monstrous rock. Twilighttwo sneered; they were such ugly things, so inefficient. It was shameful she had relied on them for so long. She looked around the factory at the remaining Darlocks, allowing a thin smile to creep back onto her face. She wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer. Soon she would have her army, and her plans would be realized. One of the Raggedies strained too much. It's foreleg was torn from it's body with a terrible ripping sound. What little stuffing was left inside went flooding out onto the floor It flailed around for a several seconds before, its empty covering fluttered lifelessly to the ground. The other Raggedy stopped what it was doing, looked down at the flat pile of cloth, then up at Twilighttwo. “Useless,” she said simply. Her horn glowed and, with a brilliant flash of light, the other was reduced to a pile of colourful ash. “YOUR MAJESTY.” Twilighttwo turned to find the Darlocks she’d sent out had returned. She smiled, until she noticed that the Doctor and Twilight were not among them. “THE DOCTOR AND THE UNICORN HAVE EVADED CAPTURE.” Twilightwo grimaced; it seemed this was going to be harder than she thought. “We know where they're going. Fetch the factory guards, have them ready a chariot.” She spun around, looking towards a door in the side of the cavern. “In the meantime, I’ve need to have a word with an old friend of mine.” 35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Rebel Camp) Delta fiddled with a large metal ball in the rebel’s laboratory. The room was filled with tables, each covered with miscellaneous equipment. Bunsen hovered around her anxiously. “What are we doing here?” He pressed. “Oh, Horseapples, what are we doing here!? When the Queen finds us it won't just be the dungeons, oh no! It'll be like Hoofton all over again!” “Will you shut up?” said Delta. “I have to get this Applebomb ready.” Bunsen whirled around to stare at the pink scientist. “You're not worried about this!? We could be hurt, or worse! A few hours ago I was on a train. I knew where I was going and I knew what I was doing! And then, out of the blue, some random pony waltzes in and now we're stuck here, helping to build bombs for the rebels!” “It's been a very strange day, Bunsen.” “Strange!? Strange doesn't begin to cover it! I've been chased by....by...Insane chess pieces! And for what?” Delta rolled the Applebomb into a nearby supply bin. It fell with a loud thud. “You're a smart pony, right, Bunsen?” Delta asked, raising an eyebrow. Bunsen paused. “Huh? Well, yeah, of course. You know that; we've been classmates forever.” “Well, how about you act like it.” Bunsen blinked. “What do you mean?” Delta looked at him, grabbing another bomb, and working on it fiercely. “Think about it, Bunsen. Everyone in Equestria knows it. It has been thirty-five years since the last time it was daylight. You, nor I, have ever seen the sun. We’ve never seen the moon either, for that matter. The Raggedies, stealing people away? Those… those... things that chased us here!?” She paused for a second and let out a long sigh before continuing. “It's not right, Bunsen. It's not something we can ignore anymore. It's this kingdom, it's Twilight. It's wrong. You may not want to do anything about it, but I know for sure you're thinking it just as much as I am. You can't want this to continue.” She rolled another bomb to the container and continued working in silence. Bunsen looked at the ground. Delta continued working in silence. Finally, he stuttered “I-I dont...” “Don’t what?” Delta interrupted. He shuffled his hooves. “…I'm scared. I don’t want to... to…” Delta looked up, and smiled. “I know what you’re trying to say, and I don’t want to either. Well, that's a good thing. At least we have that much in common.” She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes far away. “I'm terrified.” She got up and locked eyes with her counterpart. “But, we're doing this anyway. Now, come on, we have to get these things finished and I don't think we have much time.” Bunsen sighed. “I'm going to regret this aren't I?” Delta gave him an awkward smile. “Count on it.” 35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Twilight's Factory) Spike sat alone in his cave, pressing his ear against the wall. He'd heard the earlier commotion. Something was wrong. Twilight and the others hadn't returned yet. They should have been back long ago. He fiddled with his massive claws in worry. What if they were hurt? What if she'd found them? He couldn't stand the silence and quickly took to using his claws to gouge the rock, if only to distract his wandering mind from the possibilities he didn’t want to think about. He sifted and squirmed in the dark as he waited for something, anything to happen. He didn't want to lose her again. The door swung open. Spike jumped at the sound, swinging his massive head forwards. “Twilight?” He called hopefully. Twilighttwo strolled through the door, humming merrily. “Oh, Spike, how ever did you know it was me? I thought I'd pay you a visit, and it was supposed to be a surprise.” She pouted. Spike's face fell. “Um...lucky guess, Twi? Just blame the old dragon sense, I suppose.” “Mmmhhh, ‘Dragon sense’.” Twilighttwo nodded. “That would explain it.” She walked up to Spikes foot, putting a hoof on one of his claws. “Now, I have to wonder something…” she Spike’s eyes shifted from side to side, as if he was trying to find a path of escape. “W-what would that be, Twi?” “Well…” she began, casually examining her hoof, “This 'Dragon Sense' of yours knew I was coming, so perhaps it could help me find something else…” “Um... n-no, I-I don't think it works that way. It's, err... in the Rules of Dragons, page 978. But, if you like, I could tell you abou-” Twilighttwo cut him short “Spike, let's not beat around the bush. You're my friend, right?” “Of course I am, Twi.” Spike looked away. “I've always been.” “Good. Then you'll answer these questions.” “Whatever's best for you.” Spike replied automatically. Twilightwo smiled. “Yes. Now, is this the first time you've seen me today?” “…No…” Spike grunted through clenched teeth. “Hmmm, that's interesting. Well now, next question, have you seen our old friends Appplejack and Rainbow Dash today?” “…Yes...” “Excellent. Just one more Spike, then we're finished, okay?” Twilighttwo sang sweetly. The dragon nodded mechanically. “When they came to visit, where did they come from?” Spike groaned. “Come now. Just let it out. It'll be easier.” Spike mumbled something quietly. “I'm sorry, could you say that a bit louder?” Spike was shaking, his eyes tightly clamped shut. “Don’t make me...” For a moment, Twilighttwo’s face softened. Her dark eyes took on a lighter tone and, as Spike peered down at her, he thought she looked sad. He thought she looked like Twilight. The other Twilight. And then it was gone, disappearing as suddenly as it had come. Twilighttwo glared at him with eyes as dark as ever. “Tell me, Spike. Tell me now. No more games. Where. Are. They?” He had no choice. Spike opened his mouth and began to speak. 35 T.R Everfree Rails The train rounded a bend, the wind whistling through the holes sustained in the escape. Trees hung over the tracks, their gnarled branches looking like snatching hands in the dark, their thick foliage blocking out what little light there was. The Everfree forest was the closest thing to total night in Equestria. Twilight and Rarity had gone into the workpony’s room at the back of the lead car, both sitting on the sparse beds as they waited for the train to reach its destination. Twilight stared at Rarity in curiousity; she hadn’t changed at all since she’d last seen her. The white unicorn still had the same purple curls, the same finely groomed coat and, judging by what she’d gleaned from Rarity’s talking, the same upper-class personality. Rarity returned the look. “May I help you?” Twilight snapped out of her thoughts. “Huh?” “You’re staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.” “Oh,” Twilight said, suddenly self-conscious. “I’m sorry. It’s just… you look the same.” “Well, in my defense, so do you,” Rarity retorted huffily. “Not like that. I mean, it was just yesterday. I was at your shop, you needed help with that large order, but after a while you said I terrible at sewing, so you just had me-” “Organize the sewing tools.” Rarity laughed. “Yes, I remember that. It was fifty years ago from yesterday, actually. You were ever the organizer…” She sighed. “You’re still like that now, though I must say your manners leave much to be desired.” “I’m sorry...” Twilight mumbled, downcast. “Oh no dear, it’s not your fault... yet.” Twilight brightened. “Thanks, Rarity. If we can work this out it never will be, too.” She stopped to considered something. “You know, you seem to be taking all of this in stride.” “Well, you get used to it.” Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “I find that, after traveling with the Doctor, nothing surprises me any more.” “Tell me about i-” Twilight froze. “Wait, you traveled with the Doctor!?” “Oh yes, I suppose he didn’t have time to tell you, did he? Yes, you were there for that too, actually. Why do you sound so surprised?” “Well... it’s just you don’t really seem like the type.” “And why’s that!?” Rarity affronted. “Um...Well, it’s kind of....” Twilight floundered. “Go on…” Rarity prodded indignantly. The door opened and the Doctor stuck his head inside. “You two, stop bickering and come to the conductors booth. I think you’ll very much want to see this.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief, they got up and followed the Doctor into the booth, where he pointed to a map on the wall. “This shows the layout of the Everfree forest and, assuming my calculations are correct, and they most certainly are, we’re… here.” He stabbed a hoof at a section of the tracks. “That means that, around this next bend, is a tunnel and, through that tunnel, is the Castle of Lanterns! We’ll be arriving in a few minutes by my estimate.” “If we’re that close then shouldn’t we be able to see it by now?” asked Rarity. “You can see it, if you look closely,” said the Doctor as they rounded the bend, towards the tunnel on the map. “See the trees above?” Twilight peered up at the tree line, trying to see what the Doctor was talking about. At first she couldn’t make out anything besides the trees, their tightly-packed limbs blocking out most of the light. However, through small breaks in the green cover, she could trace the faintest of patterns arching over an area of the forest. “It’s a dome... a dome of trees,” she whispered softly. Against the backdrop of foliage it was almost invisible, but there was a collection of trees and vines that grew around the base of the tunnel, reaching upwards into the canopy. “Grown that way on purpose, I’d imagine,” the Doctor explained. “Seems a bit too bright for Twilighttwo’s standards.” He stepped up to the controls. “Right through that tunnel is our destination, wherein we should find some answers to this little quandary. You ready?” He looking back as the tunnel approached. “If it answers my questions, I’m ready for anything.” Twilight replied resolutely. Rarity fidgeted back and forth on the tips of her hooves. “Oh this is exciting! It’s just like that time with th-” The Doctor shushed her. “No revealing future...past...events! Now…” he said, looking through the windshield, “…Onwards and Upwards!” The train sped into the tunnel, and the three were plunged into darkness. It suddenly became deathly quiet, the only sound breaking the silence being the clicking wheels on tracks and the soft roar of coal burning in the engines. As the train propelled them forwards though the dark, Twilight found herself thinking about what Applejack had told her. In the castle ahead, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be inside. What must they think of her? Not to mention Fluttershy, their apparently appointed nurse, acting as their caretaker for the last thirty-five years. Did she really want to face them? Could she? The Doctor interrupted her thoughts. “Rarity, Twilight, put these on. According to the map you might need them.” The Doctor shoved something plastic in her direction. “What are they?” asked Rarity. “Sunglasses” the Doctor answered flatly. “And where in Equestria did you get sunglasses?” the unicorn asked as she spun them around with her magic. Twilight guessed that, from Rarity’s look of distaste, she was less than satisfied with them. “Never underestimate the power of pockets,” said the Doctor. “Now, will someone help me get these things on? How people in this world get anything on their faces is beyond me.” Twilight floated a pair onto the Doctor’s face, shortly followed by her donning her own pair. Rarity easily got them on by herself. “Are you sure this is necessary?” she asked plaintively. “Sunglasses at night are terribly unfashionable.” “Look for yourself” said the Doctor. “We're here.” The tunnel abruptly ended. Despite the sunglasses, the three threw up their hooves as the blinding light flooded the cabin. Twilight couldn’t even make out the castle, only a fierce ball of light glowing in the center of the dome. Above them the trees and vines almost glowed under the force of it, tinting everything a vague green. Lanterns hovered above every few feet of tracks, their balloon-like form held up by their candle’s heat. However, in comparison to the castle at the center, the light they provided may as well have not been there at all. The same could be said for the walls, on which candle plates hung, seemingly at random in every available space. Enchanted, Twilight guessed, so as not to cause a fire, and to never burn out. As they got closer, the light became more intense, something Twilight didn’t think was possible. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to not be completely blinded. “Looks like we’ll need something a bit stronger.” The doctor noted. He reached into his front pocked and retrieved the sonic screwdriver. “Hold still,” he mumbled. He pointed the small tool at Twilight’s glasses. “There you go; I’ve upped the UV protection three-hundred percent. With those you should be able to see on the surface of the sun.” He did likewise to Rarity and, after some fine tuning, himself as well. Twilight opened her eyes again. She could make out the castle now; it wasn’t nearly as opulent as she’d imagined. It sat there, covered in candles and lanterns, in various states of decay. It was a classic castle much like the one in Canterlot. Its top most spire was missing a good chunk of its masonry and leaned oddly to the left, threatening to topple over and take its neighbor with it. The bricks were dirty and old and there were few windows without holes, assuming they weren’t gone completely. More lanterns bobbed on strings attached to every railing and awning. The castle was so decrepit it was a wonder they didn’t carry it away. “Well, that’s a fixer-upper,” quipped the Doctor. “I don’t think even I could save this place, and that’s saying something,” Rarity commented. “I’ve heard legends about it, but I’ve never seen it in person. They made it sound so pretty, so opulent! A castle covered in lanterns, like something out of a beautiful fairy tale.” “More like a nightmare,” Twilight said sadly The Doctor pulled the brake as they came to the station. The wheels screeched in protest as the train stopped with a sickening lurch, almost tossing the three ponies to the floor. The brown pony inspected the controls. “Hmmm, I might need some more practice at stopping trains....” “A lot more practice.” Rarity said huffily. “Hey! At least it was better than the last time.” the Doctor replied. “Now, let’s give this place a looksee, I have a feeling this castle is more than it appears. Onwards and Upwards!” He opened the cabin door, and stepped onto the platform. The stonework was just as dirty here as it was on the outside. In the corner near the door a wooden bench sat sadly, one of it’s legs had completely rotted away, leaving it to sag against the ground. Near the edge, a ticket booth lay in disarray the glass broken on the ground in long jagged pieces, a moldy chair lay on it’s side behind the desk beside a roll of tickets that had almost completely turned to dust. Along the stone roof, yet more lanterns hung on strings above their heads, one had fallen onto the ground near the Doctor’s hoof. He nudged it gingerly. “Twilight, Rarity,” he said softly. “Stay close to me.” He walked towards the door, nudging it open slowly, Twilight and Rarity close behind. They stepped inside, and the door swung shut behind them. Twilight didn’t like that sound. 35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Rebel Camp) Busen and Delta shoved and pushed their way through the crowd of rebels which had collected around the center of the camp. In the middle of the circle Applejack stood next to Big Mac, who wore hastily made battle armor, to which was attached something that looked a bit like a catapult. Rainbow Dash stood off to the side, muttering something to one of the rebels. Applejack cleared her throat. “I reckon what we always feared is upon us. It is only a matter of time until the queen locates us, and launches an attack.” Waves of panic spread the the crowd, several ponies began to shout, and yell, trying to be heard above the sudden din of noise. Applejack shushed them with a hoof. “Now I know y’all are scared. To be completely honest, I’m scared too. But we always knew this would happen, and we’re prepared.” she pointed to some random ponies in the crowd. “Thunder Jumper, you Sink, and Swim take Silver mane and Rose Catcher to the east and south entrances.” She stomped a hoof, and they were off to their posts. “Flashfire, and Wind Whistler, go the the armory and get the Applebombs ready for Big Mac, our newest members, Bunsen and Delta will help you.” she pointed to the two scientist. “I know we ain’t to keen on strangers in our ranks, but these two have done good work. Give them your full respect.” She turned to the blue Pegasus beside her. “Rainbow, you’re with me. The rest of you, line up at the north gate, that’s where we go to meet Spike, she’ll most likely come through there first. Ready?” “Resistance!” the crowd roared. “Then get the anchors off your tails and get to it!” Bunsen and Delta turned and raced off back towards the armory, Wind Whistler, a light blue pegasus, and Flashfire, a read and orange earth pony, following in their wake. As though to punctuate the speech, the cavern shook violently as they ran, the tremors emanating from the north gate, as Applejack had feared. Rock dust fell from the ceiling in clumps, clinging to manes, and getting into eyes as everypony readied themselves for what was coming. Bunsen gulped. “We’re dead aren’t we?” the cavern shook more fiercely. “Not if I have anything to say about it” said Delta. “Now come on! Double time, we have to get those bombs loaded up!” They reached the door at a full gallop. Bunsen and and Delta quickly went inside hitched the weapons to a makeshift hammock between the two rebels. Flashfire strained under the weight. Bunsen came over and helped support the load. Quickly they ran back to Applejack and Big Mac, the two were looking worriedly at the north gate as it took a pounding from the other side. They quickly attached the heavy bombs to the contraption on Big Mac’s back, he carried the weight as though it was nothing. He and Applejack quickly turned to face the oncoming attack, shoving their way to the front of the collection of scared ponies preparing themselves. Delta stood defiantly, staring at the cracking face of rock. Bunsen could see her legs were shaking. He sidled up to her, and the two stood together in the crowd as the booms got steadily louder. All at once the wall exploded inwards, sending rocks raining towards the rebels. In the dust, the metallic forms of the Darlocks rolled forwards. “EXTERMINATE!” 35 T.R Castle of Lanterns Fluttershy rooted through the sparse stores of the castle pantry. The last delivery of supplies had been months back. She moved aside various cans and boxes worriedly. The last time the train had come they’d only given her a few medical provisions, not much in the way of food. She had enough to last the next month or so if she was careful. But after that she was really unsure what she was going to do. She fretted and she worried as she cataloged what little was there. “Oh dear...oh my...” she said under her breath. Suddenly her ears perked up, she heard something outside, the sound of breaks screeching from station. The train! She packed everything back up, and rushed to meet the delivery pony. She ran quickly through the rather unkempt halls of the castle. She tried to keep them clean, but she was only one pony, and the castle was too large for it to make any noticeable difference. She trotted through the ballroom, carefully avoiding the fallen chandelier and the candles that littered the floor, out into the hall, then through the servants quarters and into the station lobby. Maybe they’d deliver some tea. She thought happily. She hadn’t had any for weeks, and if she was lucky they might bring some of that mushroom soup Luna liked so much. The door opened for she reached it. She froze. The Delivery pony never came inside. He always stopped the train, tossed out the crate of supplies, picked up those strange machines and left as fast as possible. This was somepony else. She saw a flash of brown, and with a panicked squeak she dashed back into the recesses of the castle. The Doctor peered inside the station lobby. It was just as bright inside as out, candles sat on walls and windows. On the floor lay a sea of wax and light with various paths about one pony wide carved out in various directions. The Doctor heard a sound to the left. He turned to see a flash of pink and yellow disappear down the hall “In here!” he yelled. “I think Its Fluttershy.” He ran after her. “Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!” Twilight and Rarity raced after him in single file, trying to avoid the candles which filled the floor. Twilight could hear the sound of hooves hitting the ground in front of them as they galloped into the ballroom. The Doctor went tumbling over the chandelier in the middle of the floor, falling with a large amount of clinking and smashing. She crashed into him, tripping Rarity as well, the three of them lay tangled in strings of crystal and bands of metal. Twilight looked up to see Fluttershy halfway across the room running at full speed. “Fluttershy stop!” she yelled. The sound echoed through the large room. The yellow Pegasus stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly to look back at the tangle of ponies. “...Twilight?” “Yes, it’s me.” Twilight said breathlessly. Fluttershy took a tentative step forwards. “I know I’m not the Twilight you were expecting. But please, listen to me, there’s a lot we need to explain.” In a few minutes Fluttershy had the three ponies untangled. Twilight got up and stepped towards her with a smile. Fluttershy took a step back, shuddering. “Don’t be afraid, please, it’s me.” Twilight said softly. “It’s really me.” “I don’t know...” Fluttershy backed away further. “Rarity?” she asked, looking towards the white unicorn. Rarity nodded, giving Fluttershy a slight smile. “Perhaps I ought to explain.” The Doctor stepped up. “Fluttershy, we met once before if you’ll remeber. I-” “Tick-Tock!” she yelled, she jumped up an threw her arms around the Doctor. “You’re out of the lab, I’m so happy! What are you doing here?” The Doctor floundered slightly. “Well, It’s good you’re so happy to see me,” he said, extracting himself from the hug. “but what in the world are you talking about?” Fluttershy shrank back, blushing heavily. “I-It’s me, remember? Fluttershy. I brought you dinner just last night.” Twilight opened her mouth to ask something, but the Doctor held up a hoof. “Oh yes, that’s me, silly ol’scaterbrained Tick-Tock. How could I have forgotten.” Fluttershy brightened. “Oh, oh it’s quite alright. Really, I don’t mind. It’s um...nothing..” “Of course,” the Doctor said smiling. “I took your advice and got out of that dusty old lab of mine. I found these two wandering around. They told me a fascinating story. Alas, I’ve forgotten my way back, why don’t I tell it to you while you show me the way?” Fluttershy nodded turning towards the door. The Doctor and the others followed. The Doctor explained the situation as they walked through the large drafty halls of the castle. Paintings adorned the walls in between multitudes of candles. The paint was bleached and dull from the over abundance of light. Ponies from all eras leered down at them, pale and gaunt in the blinding halls. Fluttershy led them down a pair of glass stairs. Inside each stair a small fire burned. Twilight wondered if there was an ounce of darkness anywhere within the castle as they descended. The entire building glowed at all corners, not even the vaguest of shadows persisted. She watched the Doctor as he continued to explain, Fluttershy listening intently to every word. What was he up to? They came to a large metal door as the Doctor finished. It was one of the few unadorned by candles or lanterns. Fluttershy pressed a panel on the floor with a hoof and walked inside. The room was rather messy, though the walls were far more well kept than the rest of the castle. A bookshelf lay against the wall near a table, where various dog-eared books sat at random. A freshly made bed took up the right corner, yet more books sat around it in jumbled piles. In the center a stairwell led deeper into the castle. “My goodness...” Fluttershy said slowly. “So...it really is Twilight? Not the queen?” she peered back at the purple unicorn. “Yes, I believe that’s the gist of it.” The Doctor replied. “I know it’s a lot to take in, Fluttershy, but it really is me. I’m so sorry about all th-” Fluttershy grabbed Twilight, and hugged her tightly. “I’m so happy.” she said softly. “What? What’s going on up there?” came a familiar voice from the stairwell. “Fluttershy? Are you alright? I thought I heard voices.” The sound of hooves coming up the stairs filled the room. Fluttershy released Twilight and looked confusedly from the Doctor to the pony coming up the stairs. “Have we got visitors?” said the voice. A brown stallion poked his head up. “Hello, I’m Tick-Tock.” He walked the rest of the way up. His mane was a slightly darker brown than his coat, his blue eyes looked around at the three newcomers. Twilight gasped. On his flank, the same as the Doctor’s, was an hour glass cutie mark. The Doctor stepped forwards, examining the stallion. His double did the same, looking the Doctor up and down. He went stiff when he noticed the similarities. “Sweet bouncing manticores....” he said under his breath. “I couldn’t have picked better words...well...myself.” said the Doctor. “It seems we-” He was interupted as Tick-Tock’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he fainted. Hitting the ground with a loud thud. “Oh dear!” yelled Fluttershy, running over to him. “Twilight? Rarity?” the Doctor said, still looking at his unconscious double. “Yes....” Both of them said slowly. “I think things just got a whole lot worse than I thought.” 982 C.R “Wait! So there’s two of you now? That doesn’t make any sense!” yelled Trixie. “As many things don’t.” said the Doctor. “But if you let me finish I may be able to make a bit more sense out of the senseless.” “Fine, just go on! I must know what happens next!” “Okay,” the Doctor looked intently at Trixie. “But listen closely, from here on out, things gets complicated.” To Be Continued. Written by Squeak Edited by Lightsideluc.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2012-09-19T00:52:56+00:00

2012-09-19T00:52:56+00:00

1001 C.R The roaring had grown even louder. The ponies of Ponyville could no longer ignore it, they peeked out of windows and collected around the collapsing toy store. Pinkie still stood, impassively smiling at the crowd that was gathering. For all the monster’s groaning and roaring, she was unafraid. Rainbow Dash floated nearby, eyeing the storefront warily above Applejack’s head. The pair of them wanted badly to go in and silence the noise. But she had told them that Twilight and the strange visitor were taking care of it. Pinkie looked on as parts of the store caved in and knew, that even though things seemed bad that they’d be home soon. 35 T.R Castle of Lanterns “Get him on the bed,” The Doctor said, carefully directing Twilight and Fluttershy as they maneuvered his sleeping double. Rarity stood in the corner aghast, her head swiveling between the Doctor and the unconscious stallion. “Doctor! Isn’t this dangerous?” She asked. “Won’t this cause a paradox? This breaks oh so many rules!” “Well, that’s kind of the problem,” The Doctor said gravely. “There’s one already.” Twilight hefted the heavy pony onto the bed, looking around worriedly. “Well, won’t this cause another? We cant’ afford to be fighting reapers right now!” “No, no, it doesn’t work like that.” The Doctor putting a hoof to his temple. “Remember back in Ponyville when I said this universe might be like a new shoe?” Rarity look confusedly at Twilight. “He means horseshoe,” she said. “Go on Doctor.” “Thank you Twilight.” He looked at his sleeping doppelganger. “Well forget that, I should never make shoe metaphors. I was right, that small infraction wasn’t enough to draw a reaper of that size.” The Doctor stomped a frustrated hoof. “It’s so obvious, it’s a Paradox Circuit.” “A what?” asked Twilight. “It’s like this, I’m guessing you know a bit about electricity, there’s a small amount of it back in your time, right?” “Well, yes, I’ve read about it in books.” “Okay,” said the Doctor, he looked around the room. Spying a pencil, he quickly grabbed it between his teeth and raced over to the wall. “It’s like this.” The Doctor swept the contents of a nearby desk to the floor. Fluttershy jumped back in dismay but he continued, drawing a large circle then a smaller circle on either side. “A circuit connects a power source to something which requires energy. So, at some point, I will go back in time, and crash into both Fluttershy’s house,” he nodded towards the frightened Pegasus. “And the toy shop. This is where I will meet the past version of myself, which creates a paradox, and the current circle of events. Now, I believed that two Doctors existing in the same space was what caused the initial paradox. Normally the universe would simply compensate for the unforeseen variable. But I’m new here, so I figured the rules might be a bit stricter,causing me to related the situation to an unfortunate metaphor about shoes. What actually happened, is much worse. You see we have in fact, been causing paradoxes since our arrival in this version of the future, such as you meeting Twilighttwo in the factory.” he nodded to Twilight. “And ending with me meeting my future self who is currently unconscious. This,” he pointed to the circle on the far left. “Is the power source, the reaper feeds on these, but in fact, does not need to appear at the site of every infraction. It exist here.” he pointed to the circle on the far left. “At what is both the earliest, and latest infraction in the timeline, meaning that every consecutive paradox makes it stronger.” “So that thing’s gotten even more powerful than when we first saw it?!” Twilight yelled. “Sort of yes, it also means we have to hurry. We’re still relative to the beast in the causal nexus.” “In English please,” said Rarity. The Doctor sighed, looking at Twilight. “Okay, did you ever wonder how this future could exist while a creature with the power to destroy the world exist simultaneously in the past?” Twilight nodded. “Well, that’s because there’s a choice, this future is one outcome, but it is not solid.” The Doctor gestured around the room with a hoof. “If we do not find a way back to the past with a way to send the reaper back very soon, things will shift the other way.” “...The other way?” Twilight asked warily. “To a timeline in which we fail to stop the creature and it destroys the world in the year 1001. This future, and in fact any future, will cease to exist.” The Doctor paused. “This path may lead down a dark road, but the other runs off a cliff into a ravine” The room was silent besides the light breathing of Tick-Tock as he lay unconscious. “...What do we do?” asked Twilight finally. “Well,” said the Doctor, taking on a slight smile. “We certainly don’t stand around gawking like lost chickens.” he turned, looking down the trapdoor Tick-Tock had come out of. “Fluttershy?” The yellow Pegasus squeaked. “Do you have any idea what’s down there?” Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves. “Um...no you...oh..I mean he..well...he never let me go down there. It’s his work shop.” “I see,” said the Doctor, staring down into the darkness. “Well, I don’t think he’ll give us any answers for at least an hour or so. Twilight, Rarity you can stay up here if you wa-” Rarity was at the top of the steps before he finished. “I’ve been a cooped up in the sewing room far too long, I wouldn’t miss this for the world," her eyelids fluttered. “Doctor...” “Um...Quite right!” he said quickly. “I’m coming too.” Twilight stepped up. “Fluttershy, you stay here, tell us if he wakes up.” “Oh...okay..b-but wait I’m so confused...Tick-Tock?” she looked at the Doctor hopefully. “Um...” the Doctor looked uncomfortable. “Not exactly....Did you follow my earlier explanation?” Fluttershy shook her head. “Well....In that case, do you remember a pony crashing into your house a few decades back?” She nodded slowly. “Well yes...I thought you looked similar..” she paused. “Both of you, but I never asked. Tick-Tock has...well he has trouble remembering things..” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “I was afraid of that... Well in anycase, let’s just say that the pony who crashed into your house? That’s me, The Doctor. The one that you know, Tick-Tock, that’s him.” he nodded to the couch. “We’re....very similar, but not the same.” “Oh...” “Don’t worry.” The Doctor said reassuringly. “I’m sure he’ll wake up soon. Now, for the both of us, I need you to give us a shout if he wakes up, alright?” Fluttershy nodded, looking at Twilight and Rarity. “Be careful...” “We make no promises.” The Doctor turned to the stairs. “Well, onwards and downwards.” The trio descended the stairs slowly. It was pitch black, the only place in the castle without a single candle to ease the darkness. “Twilight, can you give us some light?” asked the Doctor. “Sure” Twilight stepped into the lead. Her horn began to glow with a faint purple light. Deep shadows played along the walls throughout the tunnel as they progressed. Rarity leaned in close to the Doctor. He stared for a moment “Do you mind?” “Not at all.” she snuggled closer. The Doctor jerked back a bit. “Oh!....here’s an idea. Why don’t you lead, you know, to help Twilight light our way?” “I think she’s doing a fine job on her own. Aren’t you Twilight?” “Actually some help might be nice.” “Oh, fine.” Rarity pouted. She stepped forwards and focused on her own horn. Twilight glanced back at the Doctor. He mouthed the words 'Thank you' and they continued walking. Twilight’s curiosity got the better of her after a while. “Doctor, what do you think Fluttershy meant about that other you? You know, how he had ‘Trouble remembering things?” The Doctor stopped, looking back towards the stairway, it was a dot in the dark by this point. “I think I know.” “Well,” said Rarity. “Fill us in.” “Think about it this way, you both know me right?” “Of course,” said Rarity before Twilight could open her mouth. “Well, if I’ve been here this whole time, wouldn’t I try to stop this?” “If you’ve been trying I certainly haven’t notic-” “What she means to say is yes,” Twilight interjected. “Yep, that’s me, can’t keep my nose out of trouble for long. But you see, I don’t think that pony of there is me. Or at least not all the way.” “What do you mean?” “I’m not entirely sure myself, but the answer is down here. As they say, nowhere to go but down. Come on, time is of the essence.” He started off again. The darkness seemed to get thinker as they progressed, the light of the two unicorns did steadily to relive it. Slowly it threatened to swallow them with each step Twilight concentrated harder on the light, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She saw Rarity was having the same trouble. The Doctor took notice of this, and walked a bit closer to them. “Keep it up,” he said. “Whatever you do, don't put your lights out until we've reached the end of this tunnel. I have a bad feeling about this.” “Me too...” Twilight strained. They walked for a while longer. It became harder to produce light, both Rarity and Twilight had to concentrate immensely to keep their horns from going out. When suddenly it stopped. Twilight stumbled at the sudden lack of pressure, her horn glowing brilliantly for a moment before she reduced the magic output. Rarity did the same. They were in a large room which appeared to be a laboratory. Equipment sat in various stages of disorganization along several tables, a half eaten banana sat next to a pile of machinery that looked incomplete. Something that looked disconcertingly like an eye blinked at them warily. Twilight's light cast long shadows against the wall, they shifted around the room as they entered. “Well, it looks like I've been busy.” The Doctor noted. A pair of goggles hung on a hook by the entrance. The Doctor peered through them. They immediately clamped around his face. “Doctor!” Twilight and Rarity yelled. He wobbled briefly, before regaining his balance “Don't worry....it's just a mechanism. Probably to make it easier to take them on and off.....oh...now this is interesting....” “What?” asked Twilight. The Doctor turned, the front of the goggles glowed a faint green, their wide lenses made him appear a bit like a large insect. “I've invented night vision!” he said with a grin. “Oh, I am clever!” “Doctor, back on task,” said Twilight. “What is all this stuff, and why is it so dark down here.?” “Well,” said the Doctor, examining a hoof. “It appears I am an inventor here. A rather good one at that. As for why I feel the need to work down here.” He paused, his jovial mood vanishing. “Tell me Twilight...are you afraid of the dark?” “Well, when I was little, but not any more, what has that got to do wi-” She was interrupted as something blue shot out of the darkness and grabbed the Doctor. Tumbling into the opposite wall. Rarity screamed as it knocked over several test tubes sitting on the tables sending them to the ground in burts of glass. Twilight quickly turned towards the thing that had grabbed the Doctor, leveling her horn in its direction, ready to cast a spell at a moments notice. She wasn't going to be taken off guard again. “Doctor! Are you alright?” she yelled. Rarity's horn glowed brighter to illuminate the thing holding the Doctor. It was a Raggedy Mare. The fabric that made up its body was blue with various red patches along its the sides. Its tangled mane fell in disheveled locks across its face. It held the Doctor in its crossed fore hooves, sitting on its haunches. It lifted its head and looked questioningly at the two unicorns. Then it lowered its muzzle towards the Doctor. Twilight gasped. She quickly tried to think of something, anything to get the Doctor from the creature's grasp. She saw a large metal pole leaning against the wall, she grabbed it, and brandished it at the creature. “Let him go!” she mumbled. “Wait!” cried the Doctor. “No stop that tickles!” Twilight dropped the pole, dumbfounded. The Raggedy Mare sat their nuzzling the Doctor like a teddy bear. “Hahaha!!” the Doctor laughed. “Oh, what are you made of!? Feathers? L-Let me-Haha!-Go!” The Raggedy obediently released him, setting him back on the floor and looking at the three of them expectantly. “Doctor...what is that?” asked Twilight. “That, my dear, is a Raggedy Mare, through it appears to be a slightly different model than the ones’ we’ve been facing. Isn’t that right?” It nodded. “By the looks of it, I’d say it’s an assistant of some kind....a very fond assistant,but one none the less. Rarity, would you happen to know anything about this?” Rarity looked the thing over cautiously. “It’s not one of mine. Quite frankly it’s far too garish for that. I mean just look at that coloring. I mean blue? Honestly.” The Raggety sagged a little at her comment. “Hey!” the Doctor protested. “And just what is wrong with blue I might ask? It happens to by my favorite color.” He paused as something dawned on him. “Oh...” The cloth mare perked up and reached for him again. “Nonono!” he said quickly. “None of that at the moment...um...Raggedy. First I have a few questions.” The raggedy stood at attention. “Good, um...first question, and humor me here, are you my assistant?” It nodded. “Hmmm, yes, very good. Second question, did I create you?” It nodded again. “I didn’t know you could sew.....” Rarity remarked. “Down Rarity,” said the Doctor. He turned back to the Raggedy. “So, if you’re my assistant, I believe that implies that I created you to assist me with something. So, hypothetically, if I did not remember what assisting I needed assistance with, could you, my assistant, show me what it was that was being assisted? The Raggedy nodded a final time then turned on its heel, heading towards the back of the workshop. The Doctor turned to Rarity and Twilight, his goggles glowing in the dark. “Follow me.” They walked after the cloth pony, Twilight and Rarity at the Doctor’s heels so as not to bump into anything in the dark. They came to a wall at the back of the room. The Raggedy slumped awkwardly on its haunches. “Well...what’s it waiting on?” asked Rarity. “Hmmm,” The Doctor inspected the wall. “This is my workshop, so, I’m guessing that if were working on some secret project, which I wouldn’t want anyone prying into, I would hide it some how.” “So it’s a secret passage?” asked Twilight. “Knowing me, yes.” the Doctor pressed various bricks along the wall. One of them compressed slowly. “There we go!” The bricks slid away to reveal a stairwell, Twilight couldn’t see past the third step in the meager light of Doctor’s goggles. A strange smell wafted up from below, like motor oil and disinfectant. “Well....I suppose we should go down,” The Doctor said slowly. “Twilight, Rarity, keep it well lit.” He turned to the Raggedy in the corner. “Melvin, you stay here.” “Melvin?” asked Twilight. “What? Its got to have a name hasn’t it? Can’t keep calling it ‘Raggedy’, it might get offended.” The Raggedy turned its head to the side in confusion. “I don’t think it can get offended.” “Enough chit-chat!” The Doctor started down the stares. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Come along you two.” They fell in line behind the Doctor as they descended yet more stairs. Thankfully these were shorter than the last and they soon entered a small room at the bottom. Twilight had to struggle to keep her horn lit once again. The Darkness was worse than it had been in the hallway. Her head began to hurt from the strain. She looked over and saw Rarity was having similar trouble. “Doctor....” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know how long I can keep this up...What’s going on?” “Just a minute, Twilight....” The Doctor said quietly. “I’ll explain everything.” He walked forwards into the room, out of the small circle of light Twilight and Rarity were able to produce. He was swallowed by the darkness in an instant. The room was silent for several minutes. The two unicorns stood there staring into what may as well have been a wall. They couldn’t see anything beyond the light. “Doctor?....” Twilight asked softly. There was no reply for a moment. “Doctor?” she asked again, a bit more urgently. “It was me....This is my laboratory,” he said finally. Twilight sighed with relief. “What was you? She stepped forwards, Rarity following close behind, illuminating more of the room. The Doctor was standing a few feet away. “Are you o-” she jumped as a Darlock came into view. The Doctor turned to face Twilight. “She used me.” Rarity stood behind her, stunned. “I-I don’t understand”. The Doctor marched determinedly into the darkness. Twilight and Rarity followed, lines of Darlocks were illuminated as they progressed, there had to be at least a hundred each sitting inactive in the dark. Twilight shuddered. “These things aren’t Equestrian. They should never have come here. It’s me, it’s me she’s using to build her army.” The Doctor practically growled. Twilight had never seen him so angry. “It’s my fault they’re here, she’s using my knowledge. My nightmares.” He came to a desk in the corner, filled with paper and books filled with various things. The Doctor placed his forehooves on desk, pushing away stacks of books and sending pencils and pens scattering to the floor. “These are my notes, my drawings, everything!” The Doctor gazed over the various papers his goggles casting them in a pale green light. “I’ve fought them for years....and she has me constructing them.” The Doctor hung his head. “All of this is my fault.” Twilight walked up behind the Doctor and gazed over the papers on the desk. For some reason she couldn’t quite point out they looked familiar. She place a hoof on the Doctor’s back. “It’s not your fault,” she said softly. “It’s hers.” “No, no Twilight you don’t get it,” he said, turning away. He marched back towards the lines of Darlocks, practically pressing his nose against their eye stalks. “This happens every time. Everywhere I go, everything time I land anywhere. I bring danger with me. I brought this knowledge. And now... she’s going to use it.” Rarity walked up to him. “Doctor, if you’ll excuse the question. I don’t get it. She already rules the world more or less. What’s she going to use them for?” The Doctor sighed. “That’s just it.” “What’s just it?” The Doctor began to pace. “She rules the world. There’s more than one. You said it yourself, when you traveled with me. You’ve seen what’s out there, all that wonder, all that life. It’s in danger now.” Rarity gasped. “She’s not just building Darlocks. There are other plans here. Something big under the castle in Cantorlot.” “What is it?” asked Twilight. “I don’t know, half the plans are missing. But this technology is way beyond Equestria.” The Doctor growled with frustration. “There’s enough power here to go anywhere in the universe. But there’s something strange. Something I’m missing.” The Darkness suddenly seemed thicker. Twilight concentration wavered, her horn blinked slightly. She felt a creeping sense of dread. “Doctor?...” He continued to pace, oblivious. “It’s right in front of me. Theses plans are mine. What would I do?” Twilight’s dread grew, she had to concentrate even harder to keep her light from going out. She backed further into the workshop, looking around warily. She jumped as she bumped into the desk in the corner, spinning around to face it, she caught another look at the paper littering its surface. The familiar feeling she’d gotten earlier felt stronger. There was a sketch of a Darlock pinned to the corner of the desk. “Doctor...” she said again. He stopped pacing. “What is it Twilight?” “These plans...they feel...familiar.” “Oh...” he looked at her very closely. “You’ve felt this way before haven’t you?” She nodded. “Yes...since we came here...I’ve known things. Like when I knew what was wrong with the Tardis...” “I was afraid of this.” “Doctor, what’s going on?” The Doctor looked at the sketch. “First, tell me what stands out.” Twilight inspected it closely. “The firing mechanism. It’s...different” The Doctor looked where she instructed. “Oh my,” he said softly. Rarity peeked over his shoulder. “What is it?” “I missed that....I definitely missed that...” “What!?” “The guns...on the Darlocks. They don’t fire energy the way the ones in my world do.” “Those horrid things?” Rarity looked appalled. “Those shots went clean through the metal of the train on the way here. What in Equestria are they firing?” “Remember when I asked you if you were afraid of the dark earlier?” Rarity nodded. “And how it’s been getting darker as we got closer to this workshop?” “Yes, Doctor will you get to the point already? I would very much like to get out of here.” The Doctor glanced back at the Darlocks. “That’s what they’re using. The darkness.” “How can you use darkness Doctor? It’s nothing.” “Exactly,” said Twilight. The Doctor turned to her. “You, understand?” She nodded. “Yes, it’s fuzzy...but I think I know what you mean. It’s nothing. It cancels out everything it touches. It’s awful...” The Doctor nodded gravely. “Indeed. But you missed one point.” “What’s that?” “It only cancels out non-living tissue.” Suddenly the darkness grew even heavier. Twilight’s horn became only a pinpoint of light “Doctor...” she asked, looking into the dark. “Yes?” “What does it do to living tissue?” Her light went out. 35. TR Dragon Moutain Ponies scattered in all directions the cave wall collapsed inwards, the eyestalks of the invading Darlocks glowed in the raining dust that filled the air. “Attack!” yelled Applejack at the top of her lungs. The rebels pressed forwards, Big Macintosh leading the charge, the twin catapults on his back primed and ready. Pegausi flew through the air in formation, meeting the enemy head on. The Darlocks wasted no time, pushing forwards through the mobs of ponies. Bunsen’s knees were shaking. The noise was ringing in his ears as the battle started, all around him ponies were running forwards shouting and yelling commands. He tried to follow, but his legs refused to obey. He was jostled and bumped by the rebels as they fought. His mind reeled at everything going on in front of him. The Darlocks hadn’t fired a single shot, and still they were progressing steadily through the mass of ponies in front of them. Rolling unstoppably forwards, any attack by the rebels rolling off like so much water. “We...can’t beat them...” he said softly. “We can’t...it’s hopele-” A sharp hoof in his side cut him off. “We’ve got to try,” said Delta. She stared at him for a moment. “Good luck.” Bunsen stuttered for a moment. “Yeah...you t-” “Charge!” She galloped forwards and was lost in the fight. He stared after her for a moment. Then at the approaching enemy. He sighed. “Yeah. We have to try.” he charged at the nearest Darlock. Screaming at the top of his lungs. Big Mac spun on his back hooves, pivoting to face the largest group of Darlocks. “Ya’ll ain’t welcome here,” he said, nostrils flaring. He swung his head backwards, grabbing a rope on the catapult. With a sharp tug the applebombs soared through the air. They hit with a wet smack. Exploding over the Darlocks spreading hot, sticky sweet goo all over them. The leader fell to the ground, its wheels clogged by the strange substance. The ones behind it suffered a similar fate, or were stuck fast in the muck, straining to roll forwards. Big Mac’s victory was short lived, more Darlocks poured into the cave to take their place, rolling determinedly forwards. With a gesture another pair of bombs rolled into place. He turned, firing hectically into the Darlock forces. Applejack’s HORN glowed as she faced her own battle. A bolder from the corner of the cave flew through the air, smashing into several Darlocks as they entered. She continued to hurl them at the entrance, trying not only to destroy the Darlocks in front of her, but block more from coming through. More rebels got behind her, HORNs glowing brightly as they flung any debris they could find towards the gaping hole in front of them. The flow of Darlocks slowed to a trickle, then stopped completely. A cheer went up from the ranks at this small victory. Applejack spun to face the remaining Darlocks already inside. She the others pounding on the cave wall from outside and knew that their barrier wouldn’t hold them long. They needed to take care of as many as possible before the rest managed to break through. She whirled around to help, only to find an eyestalk an inch from her face. With a yelp She tried to back up, only to trip over one of the many rocks littering the cave floor. The thing stared down at her unblinking. The Darlocks had yet to fire a single shot since entering the cave. But now the small gun on Darlock’s front began to glow a faint purple as it prepared to discharge the weapon. “YOU DISOBEYED THE QUEEN. YOU ARE A PRIORITY TARGET. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!!” it shrieked. Applejack looked up as it prepared to fire. A smirk snaking its way across her face. “You think so do ya?” There was a clang of metal striking metal as a wrench descended onto the Darlocks gun, bending it at an angle, sparks flying through the air. “WEAPON SYSTEM DAMAGED! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!” “Come on!” yelled a yellow earth pony with a deep red mane. Her HORN glowed as she levitated a large wrench. Her cutie mark was a pair of cogs with an apple in the middle. “We ain’t got time to be sitting around on our flanks all day.” she returned the wrench to a pouch on her flank, and helped Applejack to her hooves. “That’ya kindly sis,” said Applejack. “Can’t have you gettin’ Extermi...whatevered now can I?” said Applebloom. “FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!” “I think we’d better run now.” Applejack nodded. “Good idea.” The Darlock had begun to glow red hot as the energy inside built up. “Get down everypony!” yelled Applejack, using her horn to amplify her voice. It echoed through the cave, over the cries of the fighting rebels. Those who could obeyed without question. The Darlock turned its eyestalk towards the two sisters, its eye contracting to focus on Applejack. Its voice was strained and high pitched. “THIS...CHANGES...NOTHING...” They dived behind some fallen rocks as the pressure built to its highest point. With an earthshaking boom the Darlock exploded sending pieces of molten metal hurtling through the air. The Darlocks closest to the blast were destroyed in a chain reaction of destruction. Applejack heard a few of the rebels cry out as they too were hit. When the explosion ended everything was deathly silent. Even the Darlocks had stopped their advance. Their mechanical eyes focusing on the rock Applejack and her sister were hiding behind. They peeked out, looking at the battlefield. Applejack was relieved to see that few of the rebels appeared badly hurt, being helped by others to get away from the field during this lull. Still nopony spoke, the silence was terribly unnerving. It was broken as the Darlocks grating voices rang out in unison. “MAJOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO DARLOCK KIND. THREAT DETECTED!! THREAT DETECTED!! RAISING ATTACK LEVEL, FULL MONOCROMATION OF NON-PRIMARY TARGETS!!! EXTERMINATE!!” The Darlock at the front of the pack turned to face a large crowd of rebels. Its gun began to glow brightly. “Get down!!” Applejack screamed. Ponies scattered in all directions, as shots whizzed into the crowd. Among them Bunsen ducked as a beam of dark light whizzed past his ear. He looked around wildly. “Delta!?” he yelled. “Delta where are you?” “I’m over here!” Bunen barely heard her over the pandemonium. She was on the ground, one of the ponies struck by flying debris. There was a harsh burn on the side of her leg. “Delta!” he rushed over, looking down at her injury. “You’re hurt!” “Earning that degree of yours today aren’t you?” she asked, grimacing at the pain. “Yes, but it’s not too bad. Help me up.” Bunsen ducked as another volley of Darlock fire ripped through the air. Amazingly nopony had been hit yet. He tried to help her stand upright. “Come on!” Delta’s face twisted in pain as she got to her hooves. The pair slowly made their way off from the main battle field. “How bad is it?” asked Bunsen. Delta attempted to smile. “It’s just a scratch really. Nothing that-” her eyes shot wide. “Look out!” Delta shoved Busen to one side, sending him sprawling onto the cavern floor. He turned just in time to see a bolt of black light hit her squarely in the chest. “Delta!” he screamed. She didn’t fall over. She stood there for a moment, eye still wide open, her irises as small as pinpoints. She stumbled catching herself for a second before finally falling to the ground. Bunsen was on his hooves and by her side before he knew what was happening. “Delta!?” he placed a hoof on her side. She turned stiffly to look at him. As he looked into her eyes, he noticed she looked different. Her eyes were a lot darker. “The darkness is falling,” she said softly. “What? Delta what are yo-” Delta’s head smashed into Bunsen’s nose. He went sprawling to the ground. “The darkness is falling....The darkness is falling....” She got shakily to her hooves. “The darkness is falling...” Bunsen groaned from the floor of the cavern. His vision swam as he tried to focus, the sound of several more shots ringing through the air hit his ears. Several screams followed. “The darkness is falling.” a few more voices joined Delta. Bunsen turned his head, Delta had begun to walk forwards. The darkness in her eyes had grown, they were large, dark circles, black as night. “The darkness is falling...” He stared in shock. There was nothing of Delta in those eyes, only darkness. She continued walking, Bunsen started after her, suddenly he was yanked away by the scruff of his neck “Come on!” Applejack yelled. A beam of darkness whizzed through the space he had just been occupying. He Stumbled to his feet, head still throbbing in pain, he looked back as he was pulled away. Delta, along with other dark eyed ponies, had begun to walk towards the collapsed wall, the ones already there were steadily removing debris. They worked fast, he could already hear the Darlocks calling from the other side. Delta didn’t turn to look back at him. “Retreat!” called Applejack. “To the workshops! We can hold up in there!” “Until what!?” Cried a rebel Applejack was quiet for a moment. “Until the end.” 35 T.R Castle of Lanterns “No one...move,” said the Doctor. The only light came from the Doctor’s goggles, and it was faint, so faint that Twilight had to focus to keep him from being lost in the darkness. “What’s happening?...” asked Rarity. “You’ve probably noticed this by now,” said the Doctor slowly. “But we’re not alone.” “What!?” “We haven’t been since walked out of the light.” turned to Twilight, his unblinking goggles staring at her. “Do you know why?” She opened her mouth say no, then paused. At the back of her mind, just under her consciousness, Twilight knew. “There’s something in the dark...” she said. “Something bad...” “Vashta Nerada. The hungry darkness.” Twilight felt Rarity jump in the darkness. “Don’t move!” The Doctor yelled. “How are we still alive!?” asked Rarity, her voice panicked. “I’ve seen these things Doctor, I’ve seen what they can do.” “It’s a good question,” said the Doctor. “A very good question, and I have a very good theory.” Twilight could feel Rarity shaking in the dark. “Care to explain it?” “Well...Judging by the worktables I come down here often,” the faint glow of the Doctor’s eyes turned towards the Darlocks. “To work...on these.” he was quiet for a moment. “But!” he continued. “That means I’m safe. Something is keeping me safe. Not to say they aren’t trying, they’ve been attempting to put out our lights since we came down, but they’re holding back.... They’re literally the piranha of the air, hiding in the shadows on every world. But I’ve never seen them in this concentration, or with any kind of restraint. They’re not acting as they normally do.” Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m assuming they can’t harm you for obvious reasons.” he paused. “But why’s Rarity safe?” “Well I’d hardly question it Doctor!” said Rarity. “Ohhh, no my dear Rarity, questioning everything. There has to be a reason. This is my workshop, they won’t attack me, if so my double would have been dead a hundred times over and Twilight’s the queen, but why make provisions for anyone else?” Twilight could see his goggles scanning the room. “ Unless....There was someone else involved...” Twilight heard the Doctor moving through the dark shuffling past the tables and tools, towards the back of the room. “Stay there,” he said quietly. “Try not to move much.” “Why?....” asked Rarity nervously. “Because, if there are provisions for three ponies, then I think we’re testing that limit...Don’t make them any more excited than necessary.” Twilight gulped. The only thing she could see were the Doctor’s goggles growing fainter as he moved throughout the room, looking for something. “Ah! Here we go,” he said finally. “I’ve found something...they’re interfering with the goggles though. I can’t make out what it is, I’m coming ba-” suddenly The Doctor was silent. “Doctor, what is it!?” asked Twilight. “There’s a door back here. I didn’t notice it before.” Rarity huddled in closer to Twilight. “Don’t worry about it! Just come back, please Doctor. I don’t like this!” “Just stay there,” he advised. “I’ll be back in a second.” There was the sound of long rusted hinges creaking as the door was opened. Suddenly, light poured out from inside, Twilight and Rarity were blinded by the sudden change, tossing up their hooves in defence. “No...” the Doctor breathed. “What is it?” asked Twilight, still blinded. “I’ve found the other person....” he said quietly. Twilight squinted through the brightness. The door opened into a small chamber, in which there was a table surrounded by lights Twilight had never seen before. They didn’t appear to have bulbs of any kind, their entire surface just seemed to glow, cutting through the darkness like a knife. The entire workshop was illuminated by an eerie blue light, forcing the shadows against the walls and under tables. Lying in the center of the room was a pony, Twilight barely recognized her, her coat was bleached blue in the harsh light, and her mane was straight and neatly combed, but there was no mistake. The words left both her and Rarity’s mouths at the same time. “Pinkie Pie....” 1001 C.R Pinkie Pie sneezed. “Hmmm....Somepony must be talking about me...” she said mildly over the noise. “I hope it’s something nice.” To Be Continued. Soon. Very soon.

Squeak-anon

109

Doctor Whooves,Main 6,Spike,Trixie,Alternate Universe,Crossover,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Traveler

incomplete

<p>The Sequel to Number 12.<br/>The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?</p>

everyone

2012-09-20T01:22:44+00:00

2012-09-20T01:22:44+00:00

982 C.R “Wait....Pinkie Pie?!” yelled Trixie, staring wide eyed at the Doctor. “Rarity said she’d been missing for years! What happened to her?” The Doctor shook his head sadly. “Nothing good I’m afraid, Twilightwo’s kingdom was a dark place... 35 T.R Castle of Lanterns The three of them stood in shock. The pink pony lay on her side on the table, attached to medical wires and sensors Twilight didn’t recognize. The lights around the room didn’t leave a single shadow. “I-Is she...” Twilight started. “No, she’s breathing, but it’s shallow.” The Doctor examined her, removing his goggles. “She doesn’t even appear to be sick....” He took the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and scanned her. After a moment he frowned. “What is it?” “There’s nothing wrong with her. Nothing at all, she’s perfectly healthy, literally. Everything about her is just fine.” The screwdriver fluctuated suddenly. “Wait, wait a minute.” the Doctor squinted, scanning her again. The fluctuations were greater towards Pinkie’s head. “Something is different. Something in her brain.” “Her brain?” asked Rarity. “What is it? What have they done to her!?” Rarity bristled as she spoke. “The poor dear’s been missing for years. Has she been in this horrid place the whole time?” Twilight stepped up to look at her friend, lying unconscious on the table. It was rare to see the bubbly pony sleeping. It was strange seeing her here, knowing that the darkness of this future had even affected her. “What is it, Doctor?” Twilight asked soberly. “What’s wrong with her?” “I can’t tell,” he admitted. “But I think I know how we can find out.” He turned to Twilight, she noticed he somehow looked even older than usual, he nodded to a small book lying on the ground. He’d apparently dropped it when he’d opened the door. “It’s what I picked up, it appears to be a journal, my journal. We might find out what happened here if we read it.” Rarity’s horn glowed, working better in the light, as she picked it off the ground. “This is your journal?” “As much as I don’t like it...I might have had a part in this.” he looked at Pinkie soberly. “Knowing me, I would have written it down. It’s a habit.” Twilight didn’t know what to say. She took the journal from Rarity’s grasp, and put a hoof on The Doctor’s shoulder. “Whatever’s in here, it’s not your fault,” she said. The Doctor looked at her for a moment, then turned to Pinkie. “We need to get her out of here and back up to the castle.” He walked over to one of the buzzing blue lights, poking it with a hoof. “This’ll do nicely.” He began scanning it with his screwdriver. “What are you doing?” asked Rarity. “The Vashta Nerada have been disturbed by the light, they’re angry now; sick of holding back.” “Meaning?” “Meaning that if we walked out of this lit area we’d be reduced to very clean bones in a matter of minutes.” Rarity blinked. “Oh.” “Yes, ‘Oh’. But! Me, being as clever as I am, created these.” He gestured to the long, buzzing bulbs around the room. “As far I can tell this is pure light. None of that diluted stuff you get from the sun, or a flashlight. These shadows are densely packed and they’d be able smother almost any light, but not this. If I can...” he scanned around the edges of the bulb, waving the screwdriver around widely. “There!” Two long rods of light clattered to the floor. He grabbed the nearest and tossed it to Twilight, who caught it in a glowing halo of magic. “Ms. Sparkle, you’ll be leading the way. Make sure to keep that light as straight as possible, it is vitally important that it doesn’t waver or shake in the least. Got it?” Twilight nodded. “Good girl.” He turned and grabbed the other rod between his teeth. “I’ll be bringing up the rear.” he mumbled. “Wait!” said Rarity, looking around the room. “What about me? Why don’t I get a light?” The Doctor mumbled something. “What was that?” The Doctor leaned his light against the table, then hefted Pinkie onto his back. “I said, because you’ll be carrying this.” “Oh,” said Rarity. “Wait wha-” She was cut short as the Doctor bucked Pinkie in her direction. Rarity grunted as she suddenly found herself carrying the weight. “There we are! Onwards and upwards!” He ignored Rarity’s glare as he turned to look at the two mares. “Now, remember, you musn’t, not even for a second, step out of the light. It is vitally important. “Do you understand?” They nodded.. “Good.” He picked up the light rod. “Let’s go.” Very carefully, Twilight got in front of Rarity, and began to march forwards. The Doctor settled in behind them, walking backwards and eliminating any lingering shadows. Twilight felt the pressure of the darkness around them, pushing against her as they once again made their way out of the workshop. Darlock bodies gleamed and twinkled in the blinding light, holding a strange dark beauty when illuminated, and twice as threatening when once again swallowed by the dark. It was slow going, but eventually they found themselves back inside the first laboratory where the blue raggedy stood waiting. It tilted its head to the side as they approached, its button eyes glowing in the light. “Melvin, take her, will you?” The Doctor pointed to the unconscious pony on Rarity was carrying The cloth pony nodded and effortlessly hefted Pinkie onto its back, waiting for further orders. Rarity sagged with relief, but it was short lived as the Doctor started off briskly back towards the stairs. “I think we need to have a meeting of the minds.” he said tersely, taking the stairs three at a time. Rarity and Twilight hurried behind him. Melvin, bringing up the rear, was simply happy to be useful. Twilight quickly caught up, keeping pace at the Doctor’s side. “We need to find out what your other self knows,” she agreed. “I’m more curious about what he doesn’t know. According to Twilighttwo, I disappeared shortly before all this happened. That pony upstairs didn’t recognize Fluttershy; she wasn’t even sure he was the same pony from the crash all those years ago. He may be me, but something’s happened to his mind, I can feel it.” “What....what could do that?” Twilight asked slowly. The Doctor paused as he neared the top of the stairs, Twilight almost bumped into his rear as he stood there. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “Nothing good.” Without another word, he continued upwards. The journey back to the small room in which the Doctor’s double lay sleeping took less time than the journey down had been. Twilight noticed that whatever dark force was laying in wait in the air seem to part as the Doctor walked forwards. From her position behind him she could almost feel it, something coming off of him. She had a feeling that the next thing that came too close, would burn. They came back up into the small, cluttered room that made up Tick-Tock’s living quarters. Though the room was nowhere near as bright as the rest of the castle, they had to squint until their eyes grew accustomed to being out of total darkness. As Twilight climbed the final step onto the level floor, she felt as though the dark clung to her a bit, like water after jumping into a cold lake. She shook herself involuntarily and Rarity did the same. The Doctor never paused. Fluttershy stood in the corner of the room fretting over Tick-Tock as he lay unconscious, the Doctor firmly pushed her aside staring at his double. She began to say something, but whatever it was died in her throat when the raggedy hauled itself from the stairs. First her eyes flashed in fear, immediately backing to the far wall, but as they fell upon the pink pony lying prone on its back, they flashed with something else, something old. “Pinkie,” the word came out as barely a whisper. In a flash, fear totally gone, she was lifting her from the Raggedy’s back and laying her on the floor, checking every inch of the pale earth pony. “Oh my gosh...Pinkie...” Twilight stepped up to her, placing a hoof on her side. “We found her...down below, in his workshop.” She nodded to the unconscious scientist the Doctor was examining. Fluttershy froze. “She was....” Rarity came up and nodded. “Lying on a table hooked up to some machines. There’s no telling how long the poor dear’s been down there...” Fluttershy stared at her friend for a moment, then back to Tick-Tock. “But...he...he wouldn’t...” She looked at her two friends desperately. “He....I...I can’t believe he had any part in this...he’s sweet...and kind....and...and...” Twilight put a hoof around the yellow pegusi’s shoulder. “It’s alright...we’ll get to the bottom of this..don’t worry.” The Doctor let out a snarl of frustration from the corner of the room, his forehead pressed to Tick-Tocks. Rarity gasped with fright. “Doctor stop! Don’t touch him, you’ll cause another Paradox!” “We’re already too far gone for that.” He said with a sigh of resignation. “His head...someone’s been messing with it, periodically for a number of years if I had to guess...He...I...Don’t remember a single solitary thing about anything that happened before all this.” Twilight walked over and looked down at the other Doctor breathing a bit fitfully in his bed. “Can you see what happened during that time?” The Doctor shook his head. “Nothing, there’s some heavy duty blocks set up...probably by Twilighttwo.” Twilight blinked. “Me?....I’d neve-” “Stop there,” he said quickly. “None of this is your fault. Not even a little...” He said something under his breath, but before she could ask he whipped something out of his suit pocket. “I may not be able to see what happened, but we might be able to read it.” Rarity trotted over, studying the small slightly beat up book the Doctor had produced. “What’s that?” “Tick-Tock’s diary!” Fluttershy exclaimed, looked up from the sleeping Pinkie Pie. “I...where did you find that?” “Kept it on him at all times.” The Doctor nodded, examining it. “Probably so nopony would stumble upon it. Curious nurses included.” Fluttershy turned a brief shade of red, and quickly went back to examining Pinkie. “By the looks of it it’s pretty old. Should be able to tell us a thing or two about what happened while we were gone from a unique perspective....my perspective.” Rarity gulped. “Well...what are we waiting for?...As you say...Onwards and upwards...” “Indeed....Twilight would you do the honors? As much as I’d like to I’m not greatly used to hooves just yet and turning pages is beyond me.” Twilight eyed the tome for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. “Okay.” She cast a glance at the sleeping Pinkie Pie... “Let’s find out just what’s going on here.” She began to read. Good Evening Dear Diary, My name is apparently Tick-Tock, I have no prior memories before this date, so I have decided to start chronicling my thoughts to prevent any further loss. I currently find myself in a small town by the name of Ponyville. I am under the care of a mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle, by whom I was found a few days ago in the Everfree forest. She nursed me back to health and I have only recently awoken. I am very thankful for her hospitality, though at times she seems quite brash. There is something there, in those eyes of hers that I find quite unsettling. But it is not for me to say, she has provided me with room and board until my memory can be regained, I have no place for criticism next to such a generous offer. She says I am a scientist, and I believe this to be true, I have a profound interest in the way things work. Even now I find myself wondering about the workings of this town, though I have no personal knowledge of my past my mind is filled with calculations and ideas that I itch to bring forth into the world. Hopefully when I am well I will be able to. ---------------- “Skip ahead a few entries,” said The Doctor, whatever happened it had to have been in recent years.” Twilight flipped through a few pages. ---------------- Once again I must confide in you dear diary, I have been under Twilight’s care for several months now, but as of late I have hardly seen her. She has locked herself away in the basement of this great library, and is hard at work on something. She has asked my help several times, but has never let me see the device she is attempting to build. I have asked her companion, a small dragon by the name of Spike, but he knows little more than I. We find ourselves in each other’s company more often than not. He is a pleasant if at times childish fellow. From what I gather he and Twilight were quite close at some point. I must wonder if perhaps there was some kind of fallout, as Twilight hardly says a word to either of us in the rare times when she comes out of the basement. Despite this he still seems loyal to the last. The eyes, as I have noted in many entries, have gotten even darker than my last. I worry there is something wrong with the poor girl, but she will not let me examine her. I am beginning to fear for her, though I am as of yet not sure if my worries are warranted. ---------------- Twilight flipped through the next few entries. ---------------- Diary I must cite an odd happening this evening, There was a knock at the door as I was reading a tome of Equestria history. I have never answered the door, as Twilight has requested I not do so. While I find this an odd request she has been kind to me in her own, distant way, and it would not be right of me if I did not try to adhere to any rules put forth. I tried my best to ignore this intrusion and continue my studies, but oh diary this visitor was persistent, for hours they hammered at the door until I could not take the noise any longer. I had been living here for nearly a year now, had I not? I thought myself entitled to a little peace, and what harm could it do? So, emboldened by my annoyance, I opened the door to find a pink pony standing there. I had spied her from afar several times, normally from a window, or among those who visited Twilight every now and again. I opened my mouth to try and tell her that Twilight was busy, but suddenly found myself enfolded in one of the most constricting hugs I have ever endured! The strange visitor began talking so fast I could hardly comprehend what she was saying. You’ve never heard such madness! Stories of stone angles, alternate dimensions and doctors, I do fear she is quite mad. But this is not the strangest thing, dear diary. The strangest is...I find her madness contagious! For no reason I can describe I found myself incomparably happy to see her. As though we were old friends seeing each other anew. Does it have something to do with my lost memories? Even her ramblings seemed oddly familiar. Of course they are utter nonsense, but nonetheless I feel a connection, such a profound feeling that they are somehow important. But alas, dear diary, before I was able to question her further Twilight came storming out of the darkness of her basement. You’ve never heard such screaming! She was furious that I had dared to answer the door, or that this pink visitor should try to talk to me. As she was yelled at the poor girl she looked as though she’d been psychically struck. Twilight slammed the door in a rage, and shooed me back up into my room, where I have remained for the last day or so. The door has been locked, I am afraid I have angered her quite thoroughly this time. It appears the door rule is to be obeyed at all costs. ---------------- Dear Diary, It has been mere hours since my last entry, I find that I cannot sleep as nightmares plague my rest. I see such strange things! Stone Pegasus and animate dolls, aliens of all shapes and sizes! Mechanical dogs and bipedal creatures I cannot describe. But I feel as though I know them, that I know this world of dreams. Oh, curse my lack of memory! If only I could fathom there meaning, but alas I cannot. ---------------- The next few pages were filled with sketches, Twilight flipped through them slowly. Some she recognized, and others she did not. One of them appeared to be a Darlock, only without the horse shaped upper portion. It had been circled several times in red. “Keep reading!” said Rarity. Twilight quickly flipped through the drawings, and continued. The next few entries recalled fantastic accounts of dreams, and their significance, but nothing of particular interest. She continued through the journal until she found something. ---------------- Dear Diary, I must apologize for my lack of entries the past few days. I have been busy. Twilight has been asking me more questions than usual, and generally requiring more of me on a day to day basis. I must wonder if it is because she really requires my assistance. Or is simply trying to keep me busy, if Spike is correct, then I have been talking in my sleep. This apparently has her worried, is she trying to fill my mind by supplying me with other tasks so my dreams will turn to other subjects? I cannot help but wonder. ---------------- The page following the entry were filled with more Sketches, this time of a small wooden box with glass in the front. “The HORN,” said the Doctor. “Keep reading, we’re coming close to the big event that brought on your rule.” ------------------ Diary, something wonderful has happened, I cannot remember my last entry, for I have been so very busy. You see, dear diary, Twilight has given me access to what she has been working on for all this time. I have made several sketches, I am not sure of all of it’s workings, for sadly I am not a unicorn. But diary that’s the thing! Soon I will not have to be! The mechanics are complex, which is why she required my help, but I believe that with this device magic will no longer be reserved for those special few born with the talent! We have worked through the night and she plans to unleash this gift upon the world in mere hours. The excitement is palpable. ------------------ Dear Diary, I apologize for being haphazard with my updates. It’s marvelous, there are several of the devices currently in operation around ponyville. While I myself have not had the honor, it is a wonder to see them in action. HORNs they are called, and such fantastic things they are. Magic for earthponies? A mere dream for many a young foal, now realized! I can hardly believe it. It seems my fears of Twilight were unfounded. She is an inventor after my own heart, and she has changed the world for the better. She has taken the invention to Cantolot, where I have heard there is trouble. Hopefully it shall be able to help. The princesses, from what I’ve studied, have been ill for some time. Twilight has taken to helping, making decisions by way of letter. Who knows, with this invention perhaps they can be cured? With this device anything is possible. It will be a golden age for Equestria! And I had a hand in it, though I can remember nothing of my past, I have bright hopes for the future. ---------------- Dear Diary, I write this in fear, Twilight has returned, and she has changed. Her eyes have taken on the darkest color I have seen on any living creature. This evening I heard her talking to herself in the dark of the basement. I dared not intrude on whatever dark things she’s working on. Spike seems just as worried, he has grown, almost too big for the library at this point. I am worried for him as well as Twilight, he is tired as of late. It seems he has some part in the production of the HORNs, but he will not reveal to me what it is. For the last several days he has been more private than usual. When pressed he simply replies ‘It’s what’s best for Twilight.’ It is unsettling. I do not know what will happen next, but I feel in my heart that it shall not be good. --------------- Twilight stopped reading suddenly. The Doctor a hoof on her shoulder. “I...I think I can deal with the hooves...Would you like me to read the rest?” he asked softly. Twilight nodded. The Doctor grabbed the book from it’s place in the air, and placed it open on the table next to the unconscious Pinkie Pie. “Just remember. None of this is you, time is in flux, never more so than now.” He continued to read. ------------- Dear Diary, My worst fears have been realized. Twilight departed for the lantern castle in the Everfree Forest several hours ago, and even from here I can feel the shaking. Something dreadful is happening as I write this account. The entire town has been up all night looking, looking towards the flashes above the trees. It is now nine in the morning, and the sun has not yet risen, it lies on the cusp of the horizon, daring to go no farther. I know I cannot be sure Twilight’s hoof is in this, but it is as if I can feel that she is. That something is now wrong with the world, wrong with time itself. I feel compelled to go forth, to do something to stop it. But do not know how I can help. So I remain here, a coward. We can only wait until the noise ends, and hope for the best. ----------- Things are grave indeed, She’s queen now. Twilight has installed herself as the monarch of Equestria, she’s changed, I know not what happened to the princesses, but Twilight now shares their form. She is an alicorn, normally a creature of dreams, turned to a nightmare. The sun still has not risen, as I stand here, several days from my last entry. It is twilight, it seems, for eternity. I am packing what little I have. I received a letter stating I have been summoned to Cantorlot, where I am to live, Spike has already gone ahead. Who are we to disobey the queen? We are no one. -------------- I have arrived Dear Diary, The opulence of Cantorlot is lost on me. I have never been far outside of the Library in Ponyville, Twilight never allowed me the pleasure, but in this darkness is there any point? Alas, I must apologize for being so morose, dear diary, but things are in quite a state. Twilight rules with an iron hoof. It has been mere days since her take over, and already she has launched armies against the Griffin Kingdoms and the mines of the Dimond Dogs. I fear she has been corrupted beyond any help. Sadly, my stay is not to be long here. Already I have been ordered onto a train that leaves in a few hours. To the Lantern Castle in the Everfree, what she plans for me there I have no idea. ------------- The Doctor flipped the middle of the diary, many of it’s pages singed beyond comprehension, he frowned, and continued to nose through until he got to something legible. ------------ Curses, another failure, and it seems I have burned a large chunk of my records in the explosion. Years of writings, gone. Never to be replaced! Well, I have never been one to dwell on that which cannot be changed. According to what pages remain my last surviving entry is from before I arrived. To reiterate any lost knowledge, I have been here for the past...how long has it been? It is hard to keep track in this dark laboratory.The dark that makes you feel you’re not alone. Day and night are meaningless in anycase. To continue, I have continued work on Twilight’s newest tool of war. They have been shipping out for months, and I am beginning to scare myself, but I have no choice but to continue. If I do not she has not only threatened to hurt me, but my only companion. A nurse by the name of Fluttershy, she is charged with the care of the Princesses, who have been in an awful state since Twilight came to power. She brings me food every now and again, and is a kind soul. I could not bear to see her hurt. But I must wonder dear diary, if I have been making the right choice all these years? I feel such loathing for my creation, the Darlocks. I look upon them now, their lone eyes staring back at me, a small bit of life in each. I have at least done some good in that respect. I do not know how, but I knew what to do the second I began work on them so long ago, and what Twilight wanted me to do. To use ponies, to power these cruel machines....I could not bring myself to do so. So I have delved into deep science. Things which are new, and scary to me. I have grown them, from mere samples of myself. Bits of hair and skin. They are my children....which makes me loathe them even more. Alas, the alternative is unfeasible. Still I am bothered, it seems my cells are not normal. they grow many times faster than that of any other creature I have encountered when cultivated, and are devilishly hard to kill. I have begun to wonder. What am I? --------------- Dear Diary I have received new plans, plans for a machine under the capitol. It’s awful. I know why I don’t feel alone in the dark. I know what she’s planning. Yet I have no choice. Once again I find myself a coward. I dare not write further on the subject. -------------- Dear Diary, I have begun to understand the darkness better. Through study I have found that it is not one mass, but several smaller, almost microbial life forms feeding in the air. They make up the blackness around me. That is why my laboratory must stay in the dark. They are part of the Darlocks, but not only that, they are my guards, and her insurance, they could devour me in seconds. Or Fluttershy for that matter, should they get the inclination. I now know why the princesses were raving, why they constructed the castle above me, filled with lights to banish the shadows. I know why they are afraid of the dark. If only they knew what lay below them, it would scare them to death. Yet I am unharmed. I must wonder how she controls them. If I can figure that out, I will no longer be in danger, perhaps then we can escape. But where would we go? She cannot leave the princesses unattended and they are hardly in any shape to travel. Twilight would find us in a matter of days if not hours. It seems a hopeless task. --------------- Dear Diary, Suddenly I feel as though Fluttershy and I are not alone in this castle. I have grown used to the Darkness’s intrusion, but it feels as though there is something new. I am cautious, it may be some new agent of Twilight’s power, sent to keep an eye on me. I am wary. -------------- Dear Diary, Let me start from the beginning for the first time in many years I feel hopeful. My fears of a new threat have proven wrong, in fact we have a new ally. One that is desperately needed. It happened yesterday. I had come out of the lab in order to have lunch, Fluttershy had scraped together something extra from the Princess’s meager stores in order to spice up the usual hay and oats. She does what she can to make our lives a touch brighter. It made me feel a touch poorly for taking lunch alone. My years of solitude seem to have left their mark. In anycase, I was eating as usual when suddenly right behind me I heard laughter....Such a curious thing, not only for it’s abruptness, but because it had been so long since I’d heard any. I was badly frightened by this, spilling my lunch all over the floor. But when I turned to find the source of the sound I saw her. The pink pony from all those years ago. The one at the door who spoke of nonsense, she was standing right there, as smile on her face bigger than any I’d ever seen. My fear was replaced by sheer amazement. How had she found me? Or gotten here? She wore the official clothes of the royal planner. I thought for a moment that perhaps she was here to deliver a message, or some news from the capital. Before I was able to voice any of my many questions I found myself once again in a hug which forced all the air from my lungs, apparently her customary greeting. She, Pinkie Pie, called me ‘Doctor’ and rattled on so fast I couldn’t understand a word after that. Once she calmed down she informed me that she has run away from Twilight’s castle in Cantorlot, where she has been employed for the last couple years. Apparently because Twilight has ‘Become a meany.’ which is the single biggest understatement I shall ever write. She apparently found me by way of ‘Pinkie Sense’ whatever the term may mean. She said she had the feeling that something big was about to fall, and pointed to her ever moving tail as a reference. I still understand little of this, but I am glad to have another friendly face. Her happiness is ever contagious, I find myself smiling as she dances about the room, talking faster than I can comprehend. She says we must keep her presence a secret from Fluttershy. Ponies will come looking for her, and Fluttershy is far too sweet to lie, or at least lie well. So her ignorance is best for the time being. She offered to hide in my lab which I was vehemently against, knowing what darkness lies there. Still she marched on, unafraid, to the edge of the stairs, where the light ended. She knew what was down there, and simply reasoned with it. I don’t know how, or why this worked, but she said that there was only supposed to be one pony down there, so therefor if she was going down there with me willingly knowing what might happen, then she must not be a pony. Then she stepped downwards. Into the dark. And was fine. I’ve often wondered, since discovering my cells seem abnormal, what I am. Now I find myself wondering....What is she? ---------------- Dear Diary, It seems Pinkie was right, Twilight has begun a massive search for her. A pair of those awful living dolls she employs searched the castle today. Fluttershy says she’s never seen the princesses so scared. Still, as Pinkie predicted, they did not look inside the lab, and left having found no trace of her. It seems she is safe for the time being. ---------------- Dear Diary I have told Pinkie of Twilight’s plans for what lies beneath the castle, and of my hand in it. She was just as dismayed as I to learn of this. We have begun to plan against it. We have nothing yet, but we must stop her terrible ambitions, lest everything we know, and in fact what we do not, be threatened. While we worked she continued to tell her stories, the same ones from when we first met. Apparently this ‘Doctor’, whom she believes to be me, is some kind of hero. I am far from this. I have told her of this mistake, I am but a scientist, but still she persists. Saying I knew her, and Twilight before waking up with nothing all those years ago, saved Equestria. I wish this were true, it would explain the ever present gap in my memory. But it is simply absurd. All they are is stories... ----------------- Dear Diary It has happened. She is here, to check on my progress, queen Twilight has come here, and she is even less the mare I once knew than ever. I have shown her the Darlocks, almost ready for her evil plans, while Pinkie hides among the Princesses. Fluttershy is still nonethewiser. This is perhaps for the best, Pinkie Pie was correct, the poor sweet hearted mare was almost in tears from the simplest of questions on the princesses’ status. Feeling guilty for giving me what food she could. I cannot imagine burdening her with such a secret. But, hiding Pinkie Pie shall not be easy, Twilight appears to be staying for the next few days to monitor my work. I fear that she knows more than she is letting on. ---------------- Dear Diary I am not sure whether I should be happy, or sick to my stomach. Twilight is very pleased with my efforts towards creating her war machines. She plans to leave tomorrow night to begin preparations. I dearly fear what may happen, but at least we shall be rid of her, and we’ll have the time we need. Time. What a funny concept these days. After all these years, I, nor Fluttershy nor Pinkie has aged a single day....I believe the HORNs have something to do with it...but...I’ve never had a Horn. So I must wonder...what is my excuse? My theory must be flawed. In anycase, Pinkie and I have come up with a plan to stop her, a device which, when planted into the machine under the capital will disable it, and perhaps allow me time to make sure it never sees its terrible work done...for you see Twilight has ruined one world...I shall not let her ruin another. ---------------- All that planning....to waste...She found us....She came...into the laboratory the night she was set to leave, totally unannounced....Pinkie Pie was hidden among the monstrosities, but I think we both knew something was off. She seemed a bit too happy....Twilight circled the lab like a shark, taking glee in my fear. She said she’d never seen the Darlock’s newest weapon in action, and that it would be nice to test it. She was cruel in her teasing...she offered to go and grab Fluttershy for a test run, and that was all Pinkie could take. She leapt out of the darkness with and offered herself to Twilight in the poor nurse’s place. I leapt to protect her, but found myself wrapped in the bonds of Twilight’s ethereal tail, forced to watch as she was punished for betraying the queen. The funny thing is...Pinkie seemed happy to see Twilight, for all she had done...the poor girl smiled and laughed, even joking as the queen activated one of the monsters. And for a moment... just for a moment, Twilight’s eyes lightened, and she looked sad. Genuinely and properly sad. But, like anything in this horrid lab, it was quickly extinguished as the newly awakened darlock fired, striking Pinkie squarely in the chest. Her laughter stopped, and her color faded. You see, the darlocks are not a forceful weapon...no...the darkness that permeates my workspace is part of them....and that darkness...that horrible...oppressive darkness can do more than devour...it can change. Smother the synapses and darken the mind as well as the air. Taking joy and happiness and leaving mindless drones...this is what she plans for Equestria....and worlds beyond...darkness, inside and out...eternal twilight of the body and mind. A ever feeding, ever growing stain upon the universe. And I let it happen. I sat there as Pinkie’s happiness was drained away in an instant. Or at least as the darkness tried to. You see, I think that some people are just happy...naturally...properly happy. They’re few and far inbetween...but if anyone is...it’s Pinkie. There is a light inside her so bright that it could outshine the hidden sun. And no amount of science or magic, could ever truly change that. She fought, dear diary. Her mane and tail went straight as silk, but still, she smiled a bit at Twilight, and said she’d see her soon, in happier times. She danced about the lab like a filly, occasionally grimacing or struggling, but doing so nonetheless. Twilight was put momentarily enraged....but for some reason...she did not strike out against the pink pony...I think that light inside stopped her...that bit of good still fighting among the darkness as Pinkie did then. She simply left. Leaving Pinkie barely standing among the darlocks. She released me and vanished into the night to put her horrible plans into action. I had little time to act....I gave Pinkie a sedative of my own creation, I have applied a dose every few hours. It slows the process going on in her head....but I wonder to what end? Hers is perhaps the fate that awaits us all....still I must...I must have hope. There is a light in her, and I think that perhaps that light, a light that is in every being that has ever known joy, may be the only thing that can stop the darkness. If I am wrong, then all is lost. I dearly hope some poor soul should figure this out, as I am too afraid to act further. If I do, I fear what may happen to Fluttershy and the princesses. I continue my work in my prison...alone. --------------- The journal entries ended, the Doctor closed the book with a sharp thud. He stared hard at the small journal for several moments, then down the stairwell. Twilight sat on her haunches, exhausted by all the information she’d taken in. Rarity made a quite sound. “They’re...made from you....and Pinkie....Twilight she...” The Doctor simply nodded his expression never changing. Twilight took a deep breath. She looked back at Tick-Tock who’s breathing had grown more fitful as they’d read. “I....did that...to you?” The Doctor’s head whipped around to look at her, she didn’t flinch. He stared at her for several seconds, his deep blue eyes burning with something deep and old. He was the first one to break away. “No...” The Doctor looked at the ground. “I was the one that did this to you...” Twilight paused. “Doctor...what do you mean?...Did what?” The timelord sighed. “You’ve known things...since the toyshop haven’t you? I’ve pointed it out before now, kept saying I’d explain later...But...perhaps I was hoping it wasn’t true.” Rarity stared at the Doctor worriedly. “What...wasn’t true?” “Back in our present, to stop the reaper I let you look into my head...but I underestimated you...and gave a lot more than I intended...You may have already guessed that much.” Twilight nodded. “I’ve...been thinking about it since I knew how to fix the TARDIS...back before we came here.” “Well, that alone was not enough to make you do all of this. Back then, way back, when we were looking for her.” He pointed to Fluttershy, who made a soft surprised noise. “She said her bunnies had gone missing, and I thought that the reason must’ve been some sort of predator, something that was already in the habitats.” “Yes...” Twilight prompted. “I didn’t have the time to think about it, but what’s in every rabbit hole? Every din and every burrow? A shadow.” He gestured towards the stairwell, the light stopping after the first step to be swallowed by the dark. “And in the dark, sometimes things go missing...the Vashta Nerada. So, in that chain of events, you, Twilight Sparkle, got a bit of timelord in your head, and I, put it there.” “So lets say this timeline ran a bit differently. Let’s say that you and I solve this problem, or its a different one, or we somehow make it back home. Then we go investigate the ‘Strange creatures in Fluttershy’s little garden.’” The Doctor laughed almost ruefully. “And what do they find when Twilight Sparkle bumbles into the dark? A meal? Oh, oh no, they find something greater than that. You see, me? All that knowledge is safely locked up in my head, they could eat me if they like, it’d take’em a while with the regenerations and all, but they could, and nothing’d happen. But you...oh your mind is wide open. And as they set in...they find a spark of knowledge so great it inspires them...tells them they can do more than eat, more than just mindlessly feed...that they can rule. And oh here’s the perfect little vehicle to do it in. Just turn down the light in that mind a little, just a touch here and there, tiny things at first. Then they start to turn up the dark. Slowly and steadily altering you, microscopic spores of darkness in your head.” He turned to her, his face sad and lonely. “With all the darkness around us now, they might have started again already....a chain of events going round and round, I take you back, you run into them, they change you...you become ruler of Equestria and set out to spread darkness wherever you can. All because I was too stupid to notice.” The Doctor took Twilight’s head between his hooves, and planted a small kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry Twilight Sparkle. Very, very sorry. But this is not your fault. It’s mine.” Silence filled the room, heavy and thick for several minutes. The only sounds the soft breaths of the two sleeping ponies on either side of them, each going through their own nightmares. “How do we stop it.” Twilight said finally. The Doctor didn’t say anything. Twilight repeated herself. “How.Do we. Stop it.” Rarity gave the Doctor a hopeful look, but he remained silent. “Doctor?” Twilight said. He managed, to look up, only for a hoof to meet the side of his jaw. He spun a bit before falling to the ground. “Hey!” He yelled. “You will not give up on me.” Twilight stood over him fuming. “You fall out of the sky into my house, get me kidnapped by evil statues, destroyed several reputable businesses around Ponyville, implant the knowledge of an ancient race into my brain, get me flung into a horrible future where half my friends are under my tyrannical rule, my mentor is half crazed, the sun never rises and there are living dolls roaming the streets, and you think I’m just going to let you sit there like an idiot?” The Doctor looked up at her, totally stunned. “If you do then you’ve got another thing coming. Now get off your flank, get that sonic screwdriver of yours, out of your coat pocket, and help me fix this. Now. I’m tired of being scared of everything, I’m tired of worrying that I’m going to be some horrible pony fifty years down the line. And I’m really sick of my friends being treated this way by someone who will never be me. I don’t care what you did, what you’ve done, or what you’re going to do. What you’re doing now is fixing this. Are. We. Clear?” Both the Doctor and Rarity stared at Twilight mouths agape. “Well,” The Doctor was the first to speak. “When you put it that way.” He hopped up and headed towards Tick-Tock. “Let’s get started. Melvin, pick up Pinkie Pie.” The Doctor hefted Tick-Tock onto his back, then flung the unconscious pony in Melvin’s general direction, despite Fluttershy’s weak protests. “This too, who knows, I might be useful eventually.” He headed towards the door out into the castle proper. “That’s more like it.” Twilight joined him at his side, a still stunned Rarity bringing up the rear. “Where are we going?” “We need to have a word with your mentor, and then we need to find transportation. Quickly.” “So we can get back to canterlot and find the TARDIS?” The Doctor nodded. “That and because if my ears don’t fail me, there’s a train coming.” Rarity blinked. “There’s only one other train that comes this way...” “Twilighttwo’s personal locomotive?” The Doctor guessed. Rarity looked worriedly towards the nearest window. “Um...yes.” “Figured that, with a full complement of fully functional Darlocks no doubt.” Twilight stared at the two of them for a second, before quickening her pace. “Yeah...Let’s hurry.” 982 C.R “Then what happened! Then what happened!” Trixie yelled, jumping up and down as the Doctor spun his tale. He gave her a little smile and said. “Then came the hard part.” To be continued.

Squeak-anon

111

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Comedy,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutie Mark Crusaders

hiatus

<p>Hello, my name is Pinkamina Dian Pie, and I suggest you pick up a much happier story. Perhaps one in which good things happen to little fillies who do everything right, and the sun always shines. If it sounds as though you would like such a story, then please close whatever form of media you are reading this on, and go to the &quot;Normal&quot; section of Equestria Daily, where such stories are stored. This is not a happy story, this is the story of three little fillies, and the terrible events that were to befall them.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:43:55+00:00

2011-07-11T02:43:55+00:00

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutiemark Crusaders Hello, my name is Pinkamina Dian Pie, and I suggest you pick up a much happier story. Perhaps one in which good things happen to little fillies who do everything right, and the sun always shines. If it sounds as though you would like such a story, then please close whatever form of media you are reading this on, and go to the "Normal" section of Equestria Daily, where such stories are stored. This is not a happy story, this is the story of three little fillies, and the terrible events that were to befall them. They were not sisters, they were in fact in no way biologically related. The only thing that tied them together was the cruel hoof of fate. A phrase which here means "Really really bad luck". Their names were Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell. As far as my research -much of which was pulled from the remains of various 'accidental' fires- can trace, it all began a few weeks after Applebloom was born. Her sister, Applejack, who grew to be a consort of mine, was but a filly during the event. It was a great time for the family. Apples from far and wide came to celebrate the birth of the child who's mane and tail were as red as a golden delicious, and who's skin was the color of the sun at midday. There was great joy, a word which here means, 'something not to last long.'. After all the various aunties and uncles, and cousins nopony is quite sure how they're related to had left, and the happy parents had put their baby to bed for the night, something terrible happened. Back then they lived in Hoofdale, on a great farm much bigger than they do now. That night there was a fire, an all consuming fire that no amount of water could quench. Nopony was quite sure how it started, but it was said that on the horizon, there was the faintest twinkle, a word which is far too nice to describe something that started an event so vile, right before the blaze. I would like to say that none of the Apple family was harmed. I would very much like to say that Hoofdale was rebuilt soon after, and everything went back to normal, and they spent their evenings baking pies and other various happy things. I cannot write this. Mr. and Mrs. Apple were said to have never woken up from their sleep. No one heard them scream, or cry for help. It was their son, Big Macintosh, who saved the rest of their family that night. Applejack and Applebloom were spared that same fate, perhaps a cruelty in itself. Hoofdale burned to the ground by sunrise. The remains still stand as a testament to the event. A cauterized wound at Equestria's edge. The children were given to their Grandmother, the rest of the family, who had been so welcoming at the party not so long ago, were suddenly tight lipped now that the talk of adoption and orphans was in the air. What would the neighbors think? Eventually they were taken in by Granny Smith, a nice, if distant, mare. One of those types nopony can quite remember ever being young, though they might be older than she is. And they lived on her smaller, but pleasant farm, Sweet Apple Acres. Once again, I would very much like to say that this is where the story ends, that they lived happily at this new farm, and that Ponyville offered no danger to the young ponies. Once again, I cannot type this. Sadly, tragedy is something that seldom befalls only one pony. Be it a single filly, or an unfortunate circus troupe that happened to leave their anti venom at home. Such catastrophic events would follow many others, only two of which we shall focus on for the sake of brevity and avoiding suicides. The second, a filly named Sweetie Belle, was born to an average suburban family of no great note. She was the sister of Rarity, another one of the friends I would come to know. Though she does not like to mention it, she also comes from the once uncharred community of Hoofdale. Her house was near the center of town, her parents were fabric workers, from whom many of the residents purchased their Sunday best. They were quite respected and hardworking, often hosting parties and events at their modest home. It happened on one such day, in fact the very same day two very similar parties were happening for very similar reasons that they had an excuse to celebrate. They had a daughter, Rarity's sister Sweetie Bell. At this very similar party, held for very similar reasons, a very similar, very terrible fate would befall them. Perhaps it was more terrible in the way that fabric shops are a great deal more flammable than most other businesses one might care to open. It only took a few minutes for the whole shop to be lost in flames. A twinkle, again, far to nice a word, was also seen before hand. Rarity's mother and father suffered a very similar fate, at this very similar party, held for very similar reasons, because of this very similar disaster. It is said her father was clear of the blaze, but dived back into the the burning shop when her mother wasn't found. Neither of them were seen again. It is presumed their habit of wearing cotton contributed to the almost complete lack of remains. Perhaps, if this were a happier story I could say they simply got tired of country life, and snuck off to some pleasant island with a hard to pronounce name and might someday return and reclaim their daughters. Sadly, the words "Almost complete" placed before the words "lack of remains" does not bode well for this theory. Though what was found was significantly blackened, and thus quite hard to identify. Rarity and Sweetie Belle, in one of the few strokes of luck in this story, happened to be down the street fetching some fabric at the time. The blaze was already done by the time they returned. Ironically, the new fabric was for a line of flame retardant clothing. Rarity was old enough to take care of herself and her sister by this point, and came to Ponyville to open up a very successful fashion shop. All of her fabric, on an unrelated note, is flame retardant. Sweetie Bell, raised by her sister, despite all odds turned into a fairly mild mannered filly at this, the beginning of our story. It is often this kind of person that nothing of particular importance happens to. Unfortunately she is in this story, and quite unfortunately she is terribly important. The last of the three unfortunate fillies to be the focus of our story, is one Scootaloo. Another important attendee to the last parties of Hoofdale, again a very similar event, for very similar reasons with very similar results. The accounts of the party are more hazy around her than the others. Her parents were secretive, and shall remain secretive, as the dead hardly tell people much of anything. But eyewitness accounts say it was a small affair, held in the living room with hardly anypony in attendance. She was the daughter of a very famous flyer and a far less famous earth mare of no real regard, though she is not aware of this at the moment. The twinkle, for which I shall have to find a better word, was seen before hand, and as with the others the house was completely lost. Both of her parents were seen in the blaze, tossing the small filly out of a third story window. Nothing I would suggest doing with a filly, unless of course you find yourself about to die in a terrible fire, in which case by all means, it is better than the alternative. Especially if you happen to live next to a busy sidewalk which attentive ponies with good eye-hoof coordination happen to frequent. It is wondered by many why the famous flyer simply didn’t simply fly out of the burning house. This is often asked by people who did not know him, and are also unaware that it would have been impossible for a Pegasus who had recently inhaled a rather large amount of smoke, to carry a certain earth mare out of a third story window. Scootaloo was caught by a Mare by the name of Creme Cake, who took care of her, until a mysterious arson that very same month. After which she had no choice but to put the filly up for adoption, in the Ponyville House for Girls. It is here that the end begins, and the beginning of the story ends. To be Continued.

Squeak-anon

111

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Comedy,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutie Mark Crusaders

hiatus

<p>Hello, my name is Pinkamina Dian Pie, and I suggest you pick up a much happier story. Perhaps one in which good things happen to little fillies who do everything right, and the sun always shines. If it sounds as though you would like such a story, then please close whatever form of media you are reading this on, and go to the &quot;Normal&quot; section of Equestria Daily, where such stories are stored. This is not a happy story, this is the story of three little fillies, and the terrible events that were to befall them.</p>

everyone

2011-08-03T14:00:48+00:00

2011-08-03T14:00:48+00:00

The Somber Start. The Ponyville House for Girls was not a very nice place, as orphanages often aren’t. It was run by Mrs.Watcher, a dour unicorn who wore her glasses on pearls around her neck and her mane in a bun, as all dour mares seem to. It wasn’t that she was cruel pony, she just simply didn’t see much of a point in being nice. Nice didn’t get little fillies to bed on time. Scootaloo arrived, perhaps it was on a Thursday, as bad things always happen on Thursdays. Mrs. Watcher opened the door to find a rather scorched looking Creme Cake standing on the doorstep with a basket. Mrs. Watcher had done this many times before. She took the filly without a word, put the basket in the orphan basket closet, and set Scootaloo down with the other young ponies. Same as always. Mrs.Watcher liked things to be the same, she didn’t see much of a point in change. She thought it was a nasty habit. She noticed several odd occurrences that were very much not the same on that particular day, one of which involving a strange stallion who came bearing a letter. But that story will come in it’s time. Besides, Mrs.Watcher didn’t see much of a point in dwelling on strange things. Scootaloo had her father’s rebellious spirit, and as she grew it became more and more prominent. She had no brothers or sisters like the others as far as she knew, so she often had to make her own fun. The other girls avoided her, it was not often they had a Pegasus come through the house. It is something one might notice that even at the bottom of the social ladder there are rungs that stick tightly together, as though someone has put glue on them in order to trap a writer attempting to escape an evening party. These rungs do not take kindly to new additions, or new horseshoes. Scootaloo had been at the house for several years. She had gotten other traits from her father, though she never knew him. She had his stubbornness, impulsiveness and various other ness-es, that contributed to her not fitting in very well. Around the time she was old enough to be expected to have a cutie mark her flank remained blank. Further ostracizing her. She often caused trouble, picking fights with other girls and generally doing very un-ladylike things. This earned the ire of Mrs.Watcher, who didn’t see much of a point in being un-ladylike. So she was often made to clean the kitchens and sent to bed without supper. Mrs.Watcher also didn’t see much of a point in feeding those who misbehaved. On the particular day it all started, at least from Scootaloo’s perspective, a word which here means ‘A very small part of the picture’. She was sitting in the mess hall, eating the daily gruel. It was grey, the same grey as the walls, the floors, the ceilings and in ways that were in no way healthy, the air. It was the kind of grey that is less of a color and more of an occupant, like an old uncle that refuses to leave. She sat alone as always, the other fillies sitting on the opposite side of the table chatting about nothing in particular, a favorite topic of such ponies. She stared at the stuff on the plate, generously called ‘food’, and sighed. A small mouse climbed up the table leg and sat next to her plate. She smiled, an increasingly rare thing. “Hello, Dash.” she said. It is quite uncommon for Pegasi to have any connection with animals, and in fact Scootaloo was quite normal in that respect. Dash just happened to be an animal who had a particularly strong connection to Pegasi. She kept him hidden from Mrs.Watcher and away from the traps in the kitchen. He thought it was a pretty good deal. She’d named him after her idol, a rainbow colored Pegasus she would see on occasional trips into town. He did not mind this as he only knew two words, ‘Cheese’ and ‘Hide’. “Would you like some....” she hesitated to call the thing in front of her any word that might mean edible. “Grey stuff?” she finished lamely. Dash turned his nose up. Even mice have standards. “Yeah, me neither.” she looked around, the other fillies were too engrossed in their talks of nothing to pay her any mind. She quickly took her plate and dumped its contents onto her neighbor’s. It fell with what could only be described as a *Gloop*. One of the fillies heard this and turned to look. Dash quickly hid among the feathers on Scootaloo’s back. “Deal with your own food blank flank.” said the filly. Her name was Vafrous, simply that. No one was quite sure if it meant anything.If you were to ask Scootaloo which word she might use to describe Vafrous, she would probably choose the word ‘nemesis’. She was a shrill grey and brown pony, whose cutie mark was a rather odd looking flower. She picked up her plate and dumped both servings back onto Scootaloo’s. It overflowed and splashed up into her face. I’m very sorry to say some of it went into her mouth. “Bleh!” she spat and sputtered trying to rid herself of the foul substance. The other fillies laughed and pointed. “Look! It’s Scootaloo the swamp creature!” “Don’t let her touch you, you’ll catch the uglies!” Scootaloo’s cheeks burned red under the sludge. Vafrous smiled in that Vafrous-y kind of way that Scootaloo had come to despise. “Call the janitor, we have to clean up this mess.” she said. “Tell him to get the gruel off of it first though.” The laughter started again, ten fold, at that. Scootaloo sunk into her chair. There is a time in everypony’s life, in which they wish they could disappear, sink into the ground and vanish like a villain pursuing somepony through he jungle who doesn’t watch his footing. Scootaloo thought that this was that point. Sadly I must say she will feel this way several more times before the end of this story. Her sadness and embarrassment soon gave way to rage. She was her father’s daughter after all. The laughter stopped abruptly when the plate hit Vafrous in the face. Scootaloo stood there, arm still in throwing position suddenly feeling quite a lot better. Vafrous sat there for while in shock. None of the other fillies laughed this time. Nopony laughed at Vafrous. The gruel dripped down her scowling face. She turned a deep red, a very hard thing to do when you start from grey. Scootaloo ducked before Vafrous could retaliate and her plate went sailing into the wall where it stuck fast. “Food fight!” sompony called, as somepony always must in such situations. Scootaloo ducked beneath the table as the gruel began to fly. She made her way towards the door. “Where is she!? Where is that blank flank!?” Vafrous called, looking around wildly. Scootaloo crawled faster. The sounds of the commotion going on above her head growing louder. Vafrous was quite angry, like a bear who has returned home to find sompony has been hiding in his cave with a flashlight and a book of case files. Fortunately Harry the Bear is a pleasant sort. Vafrous was not. She spotted the Pegasus trying to escape and picked up the nearest plate. Scootaloo hurriedly crawled forwards avoiding various hooves as she neared the door. Dash squeaked behind her as he was jostled and bumped. She made her way out the other side and quickly stood up, reaching for the doorknob. “Leaving so soon, blank flank?” said a voice behind her. Scootaloo turned to find Vafrous had sent a plate spiraling towards her head. Accounts say several things happened at once in that particular instance. For one, in a cave on the outskirts of ponyville a bear was aiding in the escape of certain wanted pony. And in the orphanage, that as the plate hurtled towards Scootaloo’s head, the door opened and she ducked. Mrs.Watcher was silent for several minutes. Mrs.Watcher possessed a particular kind of silence, the kind of silence that only teachers, librarians, parents and the occasional unskilled pianist ever truly master. The kind which is in fact not the lack of sound, but a sound in itself that eats all the other sounds in the room like so many smaller fish. This silence ate them very quickly. The only sound that could be heard was that of the gruel dripping from her face. Her voice was calm when she finally spoke. Mrs.Watcher didn’t see much of a point in raising her voice. “Who started this.” she asked. Somehow she managed to avoid question marks completely. Everypony in the room pointed directly at Scootaloo, who stood defiantly at her hooves. “Ms.Scootaloo, come see me in my office.” Mrs.Watcher said flatly. She turned and walked out of the mess hall. Scotaloo looked back at the other fillies who set about cleaning up. None of them looked back. There is one word to describe how Scootaloo felt in that moment. It is a very obvious and very sad word that all of us have felt at one time or another. Lonely. She was made to wait outside of Mrs.Watcher’s office, though there was no one else seeing her that day. Scootaloo sat there, waiting for her to come out and begin the lecture. She’d been through this several times. The dour mare would come out, tell her everything that was wrong with her in the most precise way possible, then put her to work for the rest of the week. If she was lucky. Dash scampered out from her feathers and sat on the floor in front of her. She regarded the small mouse with a sigh. My research into Dash says that he’d been with her for a around a year and a half at that point. He’d been here several times, more than enough to know it wasn’t good. In his little brain this was the place she went before the ‘Sleepy lady who smelled of pickles came and said many words’. Dash didn’t like this place. The door opened. Dash quickly scurried back to Scootaloo. Mrs.Watcher walked out, now free of gruel, and opened her mouth to begin the lecture. The doorbell cut her short. It was quite an odd thing. The doorbell hardly ever rung at the Ponyville House for Girls. Even less so in the middle of lunchtime. In Scootaloo’s entire time there the records show this only happening three times. Once when she arrived, another time when a strange stallion bearing a letter visited, and this time. Mrs.Watcher left to see who it was. Scootaloo sat there again, saved by the bell, in the literal sense, which is always better than figurative. Figurative things never saved anypony from being lectured. Dash poked his head out and squeaked. “Well, that was fortunate.” said Scootaloo. “With any luck it’s someone coming to take the old bag away.” They sat there for several minutes, unsure what to do. Mrs.Watcher returned shortly, she came back in wearing an expression that Scootaloo never seen before. Confusion. “Pack a bag, make sure you get everything.” she said. “Why?” asked Scootaloo. “Are you sending me off to the coal mines?” “I’ve thought of doing that.” She wasn’t joking, Mrs.Watcher didn’t joke. “But something’s come up.” She said the next few words as though they were in another language, most likely Clideshish, which is particularly hard to pronounce. “You’ve been....adopted.” This came as quite a shock to both of them. In the files of the The Ponyville House for Girls, I found that while it was indeed an orphanage a word which here means ‘A place where one adopts orphans’ they’d never gotten the adoption part quite right. Mrs.Watcher took girls no one wanted, she never planed on someone suddenly wanting one. It simply wasn’t done. Most of the girls who came in stayed until they were old enough to leave. Often putting their manes in buns, wearing glasses on pearls around their necks and becoming accountants, or something equally as boring. The last adoption had been almost a decade back, and the adoptee has been a point of debate. This is because the foal’s parents weren’t dead and it had simply wandered in off the street. They had in fact, simply given it back. “Pack up your belongings and come to the door.” Said Mrs.Watcher, still a bit unsure about this whole ‘adopting’ business. “Who’s adopting me?” Asked Scootaloo. “Someone of high rank,” said Mrs.Watcher, who was quite out of her depth. “Count Blueblood.” “Count Blueblood?” Scootaloo hopped up. “Count of what?” “I’m not here to ask questions. I’m here to take care of little fillies. Now, he signed the paper, so pack your stuff and go.” She did as she was bid and walked off to her room to gather what little she had. She couldn’t believe it. She’d been adopted. For the first time in a long time, she was hopeful. Maybe he lived somewhere nice. Would she have sisters? Perhaps there was a Countess who would make dinner and tell her stories before bed, tucking her in and giving her a kiss goodnight. Maybe she’d have a family, and everything would be alright. As will happen many times, I sorely wish this were true. I could end this story right here, and she would live happily ever after, in happiness and love. Sadly, I cannot type this. The day she was adopted was a Thursday. Bad things always happen on Thursdays, and unfortunately, bad things also come in threes. To Be Continued.

Squeak-anon

111

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Comedy,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutie Mark Crusaders

hiatus

<p>Hello, my name is Pinkamina Dian Pie, and I suggest you pick up a much happier story. Perhaps one in which good things happen to little fillies who do everything right, and the sun always shines. If it sounds as though you would like such a story, then please close whatever form of media you are reading this on, and go to the &quot;Normal&quot; section of Equestria Daily, where such stories are stored. This is not a happy story, this is the story of three little fillies, and the terrible events that were to befall them.</p>

everyone

2011-08-04T02:29:20+00:00

2011-08-04T02:29:20+00:00

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutiemark Crusaders. Chapter 2 Sour Apples Apple Bloom opened her eyes, in the normal fashion one does upon waking up. The sunlight streamed in through the window in the corner. It made the dust floating in the air look rather pretty, which was good because there was quite a lot of it. Apple Bloom’s room was a small affair on the second floor of Sweet Apple Acres, a house placed squarely in the center of the farmland her grandmother owned. It shone a bright red, as did everything, it was an apple farm after all. It only made sense for things to look apple-ish, otherwise they’d look like some other fruit, perhaps a pear and that simply wouldn’t do. The small filly got up and walked blearily over to the small mirror Big Mac had attempted to nail to the wall upon her request. Most of the wall was still being repaired, but the mirror seemed to work fine, despite his best efforts. She placed her mane, un-ironically, in a ponytail behind her head with a ribbon, tying it into a bow. This is a very hard thing to do with hooves, but somehow she managed. She always wore the same red ribbon in her mane, without fail. It was a special ribbon, one of the few things Big Mac had been able to save from the fire that destroyed their home. She was too little at the time to have any proper memory of the night it’d happened, but memory is a funny thing. She could recall no images, yet if she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the heat and smell the smoke. It smelled of burning apples. She was told the ribbon was her mother’s, a mare she had never met. It was the only thing she had, they each had one, a tiny memento from the house. Whenever the story was told they would say Big Mac almost died trying to get them out. It was too late for her parents, but if the Apple Family wasn’t stubborn they wouldn’t be the Apple Family, they’d be some other family, perhaps the Pear Family and that simply wouldn’t do. They couldn’t just walk away from their home with nothing. Applejack had gotten a hat, a wide brimmed Stetson, it had once been her father’s. In the old pictures her Grandmother kept under the cabinet that they were never to open under any circumstance -which she had on good authority contained salt-licks- he wore it in every frame. He was always smiling, a strong orange stallion, hard at work in the fields, or sitting at a table in good humor. Applejack almost never removed it. They’d gotten the scorch marks repaired, but I can attest to the fact that on hot days it still smelled like smoke, among other things. Big Mac got the last thing he was able to drag from the flames, a yoke, a word which here means ‘That weird thing he always wears around his neck’. For those that are unaware it is a device meant to attach a plow to a work pony. Sadly there are no pictures of Mr.Apple wearing this device, all of them were either lost to the fire, time, or a badly placed coffee mug. Still, one can only assume he spent many hours plowing the field before the harvest in that very same collar. Which is why Big Mac insisted on wearing it, even in the winter, when there is in fact nothing to plow. Apple Bloom yawned, examining her work in the mirror. A perfect bow as always. She shook the sleep away and did a quick spin, examining her flank. Much like two other rather unfortunate fillies, it was blank. She sighed, she was more than old enough to have found a talent by this point, but it remained elusive. Still, there was little to be done about such things, she’d tried to force it, but the issue would not be rushed. “Apple Bloom!” Called her sister from the kitchen. “Soup’s on!” She quickly made her bed, straightened her room and made her way down stairs. The kitchen smelled lovely as it always did. Apple pancakes sat steaming on the table next to various other apple themed foods, one of which was a plate of apple brownies, which I shall not go into. Let us simply say that the Apple Family was very efficient in the use of the apples nopony bought. The smell of the fruit, cooked in a hundred different ways, filled the small room completely. It was a quaint dining area, once again apple themed, to go with the spread of food: Apple napkin holders, apple salt and pepper shakers -containing apple and pepper salt-, apple bowls, apple plates and apple chairs. The window in the corner, apple shaped of course, was open to let the sunlight in and the heat of the kitchen out. Apple Bloom briefly noted a small pear shaped spice rack jutting out the bin in the corner, barely out of it’s packaging. Granny Smith sat in a rocking chair in the corner. Apple Bloom couldn’t tell if she was asleep or not, as the wrinkles around her eyes made her look as though she were napping all the time regardless of what she was doing. Wrinkles are often not considerate of such things. “Granny?” she hazarded. There was a general mumbling reply. Something about the fillies these days, as far as Apple Bloom could tell. “Granny? Breakfast is ready, come to the table.” She shook the old mare with her forelegs. “Huh? What? Tell him I don’t want any.” Granny mumbled, stirring slightly. “No, Granny, it’s breakfast time, come on now, get up!” Apple Bloom urged, shaking her a bit more. Applejack came in, carrying a tray of apple juice. She stepped around Apple Bloom, careful not to spill anything. She sat it on the table and looked questioningly at her grandmother. “She won’t get up again.” said Apple Bloom. “Oh just leave her, she needs her sleep I reckon.” Applejack picked up a blanket from behind the chair and draped it over the old mare. “She’ll eat when she gets up, I’ll save her somethin’” Granny began to mumble again. “Mmmmh, yes Mr.Breezy I li-” Apple Bloom was unable to hear the rest of that sentence, as Applejack quickly placed her hooves over over her ears. “Big Macintosh!” she called. “Get in here and move your Granny! She’s startin’ to talk in her sleep again!” The large stallion poked his head in through the window, almost blocking out the sunlight with his massive frame. “What’s that?” he asked. Still covering Apple Bloom’s ears, Applejack nodded over to Granny Smith, who was till mumbling things small fillies ought not to hear. Big Mac nodded back. He quickly trotted over to the door and walked inside. He hefted Granny, chair and all, onto his back as though they weighed nothing and walked up the stairs to deliver the sleeping mare to her bedroom. Applejack went back to preparing the food as usual. Apple Bloom stood, unsure what to do with herself and wondering what Mr.Breezy had to do with anything. Big Mac reappeared shortly and they sat down to eat. This wasn’t the first time they’d eaten alone, it seemed to happen more often than not. While their grandmother meant well, she wasn’t the mare she once was. They ate in silence, pondering, as young ponies in such a situation are prone to ponder, what it might be like if things were different. I can attest to the fact that this is a rather bad habit. I’ve found that pondering what might happen if one’s life was different hardly ever helps matters and can in fact make things worse. This is more so if you find yourself pondering how life might be different if you hadn’t poked that manticore. Though the answer is rather obvious in that you probably wouldn’t be screaming something along the lines of “Oh Celestia help me I’m being eaten by a manticore.” and that the life you would be pondering would be a lot longer. In anycase, as the Apple children sat around their breakfast, they were quite unaware that their lives were about to became very much different, more so for Apple Bloom than the others. They were also unaware that this would not be a good thing. In fact, it would be a very bad thing, a very bad thing indeed. Apple Bloom sat, picking at her apple pancakes. Wondering what breakfast had been like at her parents’ farm. She was the only one of the three who had never seen her parents when they were alive. She only had pictures and her imagination. “Hey Applejack?” she asked softly. “Yes Apple Bloom?” “Can you tell me what mama was like?” Apple Bloom often asked this question, and Applejack’s reply was always the same. She’d smile a kind of far away smile and say, “Why your mama was the kindest pony in all of Equestria. She had mane, just like this,” then she’d ruffle Apple Bloom’s mane.”and a coat just like this,” then she’d tickle Apple Bloom’s sides. “and eyes just like those.” then she’d point to Applbloom’s big brown eyes. The little filly would laugh, and Big Mac would look on with that same far away smile. Then Applejack would go on. “She was a hard worker too.” she’d say. “Never went a day without doin’ a bit of work. She’d run circles around your Daddy sometimes, always giving him a run for his money.” Then her sister’s voice would go soft. “They loved each other very much Apple Bloom, your Mama and Daddy. But they loved you even more. Don’t you ever forget that.” I can say with surety that Apple Bloom never would forget this. Through all the trials and tribulations that would befall her, she would never forget that simple fact. Sadly I can also say that there would indeed be trials and tribulations for her to remember this through, and it was at this point one of them chose to ring the doorbell. “Who could that be?” asked Applejack. The doorbell rang again. “Okay I’m coming, I’m coming! Keep your horseshoes on.” she walked over to the door and opened it to find three ponies standing there. The one in the middle was a fancy looking grey mare. Her mane reached all the way down to her hooves and her cutie mark was a bass cleft. She leered into the Apple home the same way one might leer into a dumpster when they’ve dropped something valuable inside and are contemplating whether or not it’s worth it to go in to get it. “Hello, sir.” she said with forced happiness. She looked Applejack up and down. “Or madam. My name is Crescendo, can I have a moment of your time?” The other two who’d come with her leaned in greedily. I’m sorry to say their names are lost to the records. We shall simply refer to them the pony who was far too big and the pony who was far too small. This may be confusing for some, as the pony who was far too big was only a little taller than Apple Bloom, while the pony who was far too small stretched lankily over big Mac’s head. We describe them this way because it seemed to Apple Bloom that they looked as though they had had gotten each other’s body parts. The pony that was far too big opened his rather small mouth to reveal a set of teeth the size of fence posts. His large eyes focused on Applejack “Yes, we have a few few questions regarding miss....uh...” he drawled. The pony who was far too small opened his rather large mouth to reveal a set of teeth the size of tooth picks. “Apple Bloom” he said quickly, his beady little eyes swinging every which way. The grey mare, Crescendo, shushed them. “Yes, I’m happy to report that your sister has received a full scholarship to the Blueblood Academy of Music for Fillies.” Applejack eyed the strangers warily. “Apple Bloom never applied for no Academy.” Crecendo smiled a plastic smile. “But this is a high honor. One need not apply, we only select the most musically talented fillies in Equestria for this Academy.” “But Apple Bloom’s never played in instrument in her life.” said Applejack resolutely. “I’m sorry, but I think ya’ll got the wrong address.” She tried to close the door, only to find the pony who was far too small had stuck his hoof in the doorframe. “I assure you sir or madam,” Crescendo continued. “That this is no mistake. Why don’t we just come in for a moment and talk this over with a nice cup of tea?” Applejack grunted, trying harder to close the door. “No thank you...Miss...I tell ya we ain’t interested.” “But, sir or madam, this is a great opportunity for Applebuck.” “That’s Apple Bloom!” Applejack pushed even harder against the door. The pony who was far too small began to whimper slightly. “And how many times do I have to say it!? She ain’t never played no instruments and she ain’t going off to your academy, you hear!?” With a great shove the door finally closed. Behind it Applejack could hear the pony who was far too small cursing and grunting as he nursed his injured hoof. “Good riddance.” She walked back into the kitchen. “Who was that? asked Apple Bloom. “No one you need to worry about.” said Applejack, taking a bite of her pancakes. “Just someponies’ workin’ a scam I’m sure. ‘ Blueblood Academy of Music for Fillies’ my hoof.” The three young ponies jumped as Crescendo’s head popped through the window. “At the Blueblood Academy of Music for Fillies we’ll train young Apple Bloom’s hooves in the finest of musical skills! Please reconsider, sir or madam.” “You hard of hearing?” asked Applejack. “I said no!” she slammed the window. A pamphlet worked it’s way underneath. “Are you sure? Have some literature, I assure you we will take the up most care of your young filly and or colt. Applecore will only have the finest of room and board, the best food Equestria has to offer and the most renowned teachers in academia.” “I don’t care if you’re going to teach her to turn pennies to peaches, I don’t want your fancy pamphlet and she ain’t going!” Applejack shoved the paper back outside. “What’s she talking about sis?” asked Apple Bloom. “It’s a couple of city ponies, come down here out of the blue talking about some fancy music school. It don’t sit right with me.” Applejack said resolutely. “Music school? But I don’t know the first thing about music.” said Apple Bloom confused. “That’s what I told’m. They ain’t taking you Apple Bloom, that’s that.” Granny Smith, who had an excellent sense of bad timing, chose this time to walk down the stairs. “What’s, what?” she asked sleepily. “It’s nothing to concern yourself with Granny.” said Applejack. “Sir, or madam! I beg you to reconsider!” called Crescendo from outside. “What’s that!?” asked Granny Smith, looking suspiciously at the three young ponies eating dinner. “Are you ignoring someone at the door? Well that ain’t no Apple hospitality I ever heard of. I taught ya’ll better than that!” she hobbled shakily over to the door and opened it. “Yes, who is it?” Crescendo looked Granny Smith over in a lion-y sort of way. “Oh hello Mr. or Mrs. Apple. I was jus-” The pony who was far too small cut her off, shoving a clipboard towards Granny Smith and a pen into her mouth. “Sign here please.” “Oh, sure.” she said around the pen. “Have I won something?” Crescendo stared at the old mare in disbelief, but quickly hid it. “Um...Oh yes! Apple Bloom has won an all expense paid trip to Cantorlot!” “Hot dog!” yelled Granny, signing the paper. “Apple Bloom, did you hear that? You lucky filly! I can see you already, hob-knobing with the city folk.” Applejack looked around frantically. “I thought you said it was a music academy!?” “That would be silly.” said Crescendo. “You yourself said Applebomb doesn’t play any instruments.” The orange mare looked at her Grandmother imploringly. “That’s just silly Applejack,” said Granny “she’s right, Apple Bloom doesn’t play any instruments.” she turned to the small Filly, who was trying to hide behind Big Macintosh. “Apple Bloom, go up and pack your things,” she smiled. “You’re going on vacation!” “That won’t be necessary.” said Crescendo quickly. “Everything she needs will be provided for her.” she nodded to the pony who was far too small. He walked into the house to get Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Applejack hopped in front of their little sister defensively. Granny Smith frowned. “Now you two let our little Apple Bloom have her fun. I know you’re worried, and that’s all well and good. But she needs to get out and see the world to grow up proper. Now go on, scoot!” “But Granny!! “I said scoot!” So, Applejack and Big Mac moved away and allowed the pony who was far too small to lead Apple Bloom to the door. She looked back at her Grandmother, who was beaming proudly. I feel I must defend her in saying that she thought she was doing the right thing at the time. Unfortunately for Apple Bloom she was not. And the poor old mare would regret this decision for the rest of her days. Applejack followed her to the carriage that lay waiting, looking fiercely at three ponies who were taking her away. Applebloom could see the fire in her sister’s eyes. She knew Applejack wanted to give each one of them a buck in the teeth, and take her sister back into the house herself, but their grandmother stood smiling and waving right behind her. Bucking guests in the teeth would be far from ‘Apple Hospitality’. So, her only possession being her mother’s bow, tied tightly into her mane. Apple Bloom was taken from her home and into the beginning of her own very sad story.

Squeak-anon

111

Cutie Mark Crusaders,Comedy,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Catastrophic Case of the Cutie Mark Crusaders

hiatus

<p>Hello, my name is Pinkamina Dian Pie, and I suggest you pick up a much happier story. Perhaps one in which good things happen to little fillies who do everything right, and the sun always shines. If it sounds as though you would like such a story, then please close whatever form of media you are reading this on, and go to the &quot;Normal&quot; section of Equestria Daily, where such stories are stored. This is not a happy story, this is the story of three little fillies, and the terrible events that were to befall them.</p>

everyone

2011-08-25T00:33:53+00:00

2011-08-25T00:33:53+00:00

Rarity rushed hurriedly around Carousel Boutique, cutting fabric, measuring, sewing threads and generally doing a spot on impression of a humming bird having a panic attack. This is not because she was in fact doing anything related to small nectar eating birds, but because for the first time in the last few months she’d gotten a large order. Rarity was a rather obsessive unicorn, in that she always wanted everything to be perfect. This is a highly unrealistic goal do to the fact nothing in this world is in fact totally perfect, except perhaps a well baked cupcake. Though the fact that making seventy one dresses in the course of three days was in no way related to baked goods was certainly not going to stop her from trying. Sweetie Belle stepped through the doorway into the boutique.She’d just gotten back from helping Cherrilie, the local schoolteacher, with cleaning up after her latest endeavor. She considered saying something to Rarity, but quickly abandoned the idea. Talking to a busy Rarity was a bit like trying to talk to a comet. You could try, but they were often moving far too fast to hear you. The small unicorn filly trudged up to her room. Rarity didn’t even notice, she was far too enthralled in picking a nice lace hemming for the nearest evening gown at near the speed of light. This is not to say that Rarity was a bad sister, quite the opposite, she was simply a busy one. After the unfortunate death of their parents she had been saddled with the burden of providing for both herself and Sweetie. She did everything she did out of love, though at times it left her younger sister alone in her room. Sweetie was used to such a life, it was lonely, but at the very least stable. She opened the door to her room, walking past a large pile of failed sewing attempts. Most of which were a hideous color and still more that had an overabundance of legs. She’d tried several times to take up the art of sewing in an attempt to help her sister around the shop, but it was simply not her talent. She sighed as she walked past the vanity mirror looking at her hindquatters. Here our final resident of Hooftown stared at her blank flank in low spirits. The fillies and colts at school had all found their talents. Why not her? She knew of only two others who had not yet received a cutie mark. The young filly from the Apple Family, and that Pegasus from the filly’s home on the edge of town. The other fillies teased them mercilessly. Something that ponies who do not fit in will often find, is that there are few things in this world more cruel than a classroom full of small foals. A classroom can be compared to the hierarchy of a pack of wolves in the way that the strongest come out as the leaders, regardless of personality. It is also similar in the way that the wolf that is born slightly smaller, or perhaps with an extra leg is often one of two things, the one that gets the smallest cut of caribou, or supper. Sweetie Belle opened one of the vanity’s many drawers, taking out a check list. She grabbed a nearby marker and drew a large red X over the words ‘Archery Cutie Mark’. The local nurse had made her promise never to obtain a mark that involved sharp objects and on a separate, but equally important note, live targets. Rather unfairly really, they had managed to stop the bleeding eventually. What was her talent? She wondered. Would she ever find it? She’d tried so many things to no avail. She wasn’t a fantastic designer like her sister, good at math, or science, or drawing or dancing. She wasn’t good at anything. It is in times like this when doubt creeps in and the brain, at times an awful, awful thing to have, turns to the worst of thoughts. Things like: ‘What if I never find my talent? I’ll be an outcast forever. A talentless, useless outcast.’ Then to still worse thoughts like ‘Oh, who am I kidding...I’m that already.’ Tears stung the corners of her eyes as these things crossed her mind. She thought like this often. Her sister supported them both and she could do nothing to help. She had tried to learn to sew, she’d tried so hard, but nothing had come of it. She wanted so much to be useful, to be something, anything. Still, she always ended up alone in her room, her flank as blank as ever. At the moment, Sweetie felt unwanted, and indeed, unneeded as well. But, very shortly, a series of events I dearly wish I could have stopped, would show her she was wrong. She was wanted and she was needed and very soon, she would wish she was neither. “Sweetie Belle!” called Rarity from downstairs. The small filly’s head jerked up at the sound. She quickly dried her tears and raced down the stairs to her sister’s workshop. She always leapt at the chance to be helpful. “Yes, Rarity?” She asked hopefully. He sister gazed down at her, speaking around a collection of sewing needles clenched in her teeth. “It appears I’m out of purple #42 fabric. I simply must have it to complete this order. But I haven’t got the time to run down to the fabric shop. Would you be a dear and fetch some for me? There’s money on the table.” “Oh,” said Sweetie, unsure. “Are you sure you want me to do it? I’ll probably just get the wrong one.” her head drooped. Rarity looked at her sister, spitting out the needles and halting all work. She knelt down next to the small filly with a frown. “Now, Sweetie, I know full well you can do this. You’re my sister after all and no sister of Rarity’s shall talk like that I’ll have you know!” she smiled. “I have total faith in you.” She brightened a little. “Really?” “Of course dear, now run along, grab a little extra money and get something for yourself. But don’t dally darling! I really need this fabric. If you have trouble just remember this rhyme, ‘When we have much to do, remember purple #42.’ Got it?” Sweetie grinned. “I won’t let you down!” She dashed over to the counter, grabbed the money, and was out the door in the space of a second. Rarity stared for a moment, thinking perhaps her sister had disintegrated. “Bebackinaseconddon’tyouworry!” called a voice from halfway down the street. Rarity got the gist of this. She smiled, and went back to work. Sweetie ran as fast as her rather small legs could carry her to the town square. It is something that is often debated by scientist as to what the fastest thing is, and indeed what factors into the speed of anything. Many believe that it is in fact leg length plus muscle mass that contribute to the amount of speed given out by any creature at a given time. Small fillies and colts have neither of these things in very large supply, but disprove this theory in playgrounds around Equestria on a day to day basis. There are few things on earth faster than a happy filly. Several ponies leapt out of the way as a white and pink blur raced down the streets and walkways of ponyville. Sweetie Belle felt elated to finally have something to do. She could be useful, help her sister for once, instead of being a burden. It was freeing. She reached the fabric store in what documents would later show may or may not have been land-speed record. She skidded to a stop and entered with a skip in her step. What was the color Rarity wanted? She couldn’t forget. Was it Blue #27? No, that wasn’t it. She thought back to the rhyme her sister had given her, When we have much to do, think.....think...... “Oh dear.” Sweetie fretted. “I’ve forgotten it. She’s counting on me and I’ve...forgotten it. I really am useless.” She could feel the tears coming again. “She just told me not a minute ago...and I couldn’t even remember it that long.” She choked back a sob. “She needed me, and I’ve already failed.” Mrs.Wool, the shop owner, noticed Sweetie’s distress. “What’s wrong dear?” she asked softly. Sweetie Belle stood there, still trying not to cry. She couldn’t just break down, this was a simple request from her sister. She had to remember, she just had to. What was that rhyme? When we have much to do...think.....” Mrs.Wool was almost thrown off her hooves as Sweetie turned to face her, suddenly smiling. “Miss, I need some Purple #42 fabric!” The old mare collected herself. The small filly had gone from sad, to manically happy in the space of a few seconds. Mrs.Wool figured she ought to do what she said, and get her out of her shop as quickly as possible. Sweetie Belle did a little dance in the aisle. Better make that even quicker. “Alright deary.” she said, eyeing Sweetie warily. “Coming up.” Sweetie carried the shopping bag full of fabric happily. She had remembered. She’d gotten it right. Maybe she wasn’t so useless after all. She stopped as she passed Sugarcube Corner. She’d earned a reward, she mused. As she was about to step through the door, something sparkled in the window of the next shop over. She stopped in her tracks and stared. It was a glass rose, it’s bloom, instead of red, was a brilliant purple. It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. It was beautiful. It reminded her of Rarity. Sweetie looked between Sugarcube Corner and the shop window, wondering what to do. She thought back to her sister, she’d had faith in her. She’d trusted her, even when a mistake might mean she wouldn’t finish the biggest order they’d gotten in a while. She made up her mind. The shop bell rung dourly as she entered. It was an antique shop and in classic antique shop fashion, the interior was rather terrifying in the way that only dusty old wooden pony dolls and ancient unflattering paintings can be terrifying. This is to say, quite a lot. It had the same smell all such shops share. A rather unpleasant mix of old wood, old mold and old mares who have never heard the term ‘There’s such a thing as too much’ concerning the subject of perfume. An old unicorn stallion with a pair of glasses so small Sweetie wondered if they did anything sat behind the counter, smoking an dandelion pipe and reading a paper, apparently the owner. She walked over and attempted to reach the bell on top of the counter. She jumped several times, but found she was too short. The stallion continued reading his paper, unaware of the small filly, who was feeling smaller by the second, trying to get his attention. He finally noticed somewhere around the fifty-seventh jump. He peered down at her for a moment, chewing his pipe. She stopped jumping, deflating slightly at the imposing figure. “Um...excuse me sir.” He magically removed his pipe, and adjusted his glasses. “What is it?” he asked gruffly. “Well....I’d like to buy that rose in the window.” He looked impassively at the rose in question. “It’s seventy bits.” Sweetie looked into the small wallet she’d placed in the shopping bag. “Oh...I’ve only got ten...” “Well you can’t have it then.” the owner grunted. “Oh...” Sweetie paused. “Well what if I-” “Nope, no bits, no flower.” “But sir, it would be the perfect gift for my sister, and-” “What part of ‘No bit’s no flower’ did you have a hard time understanding. Now buy something else or get out.” He spat, returning to his paper. Sweetie Belle hung her head in defeat. “Thank you for you time.” The stallion grunted in response. As she turned to leave she heard a voice from the back room. “Honey? Honey what’s going on up there, I thought I heard voices.” An old unicorn mare with equally tiny glasses wandered into the front of the store, looking at her husband rather crossly. “Oh, hello there,” She said upon seeing the small filly standing rather dejectedly on the shop floor. “What’s your name, sweetie?” “Um....it’s well, Sweetie.” she said sheepishly. The mare took a moment to process this. “Oh, well I guess I got it right off the bat then.” she smiled. Sweetie decided she liked this mare immediately. “I’m Mrs.Curio, that grump over there is my husband, Mr.Curio.” she nodded the the stallion, who grunted the affirmative. “You looking for anything in particular dear?” “Oh,” Sweetie stared at her hooves, pawing the ground slightly. “I wanted to buy that rose in the window....but I don’t have enough money.” Mrs.Curio frowned. “Well, that’s certainly a problem.” “Yes, I know, I’ll just leave then. It was nice meeting you Mrs.Curio.” Sweetie turned sadly to the door. “Well now, wait a minute little Filly.” Mrs. Curio held up a hoof. “I said it was a problem. I never said we couldn’t work around it.” Sweetie stopped, confused. “But I’ve only got ten bits. I can’t afford it.” “Oh, but Sweetie, you’re forgetting about the sale.” The old mare smiled. “What sal-” Mr.Curio grunted as he found a hoof kicking him sharply in the leg. “Oh you silly old stallion. The sale that depends on one thing.” she leaned down and looked Sweetie in the eye. “Who’s it for?” The small filly’s face broke out in a grin. “Oh it’s for my sister Mrs.Curio! My sister Rarity.” “Is she a special person?” asked Mrs.Curio, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yes, the most!” “Do you love her?” “More than anything!” Mrs.Curio chuckled. “Well then, go ahead.” Sweetie paused. “Huh?” “Well, don’t doddle, pack up that rose, and take it to that sister of yours, she sounds like she’s really something. Sweetie jumped up and hugged her. “Oh thank you! She’ll love it! She really will!” “If you’re the one getting it I know she will.” the rose floated over to the counter where Mrs.Curio wrapped it carefully in old Equestria Dailies. “But be careful with it dear, it’s very fragile.” “I will! Oh, I’ll be very careful! She said, carefully placing it in her shopping bag. “Do you have some paper?” “Hmm? Why do you ask?” “I wanted to write a note to go with it. My sister’s very busy, I don’t want to disturb her, so I was going to leave it among her supplies and I want to write something special so she knows how much I love her.” Mrs.Curio smiled. “I’m sure she knows already.” her horn glowed as she refiled through some drawers, “But In that case, yes, we do have paper. Just tell me what you want to say, I’ll write it down. That way you can hurry and get back to your sister.” *********** Sweetie trotted back to the boutique in high spirits. She’d been useful and helped her sister, plus she’d gotten her something she just knew Rarity would love. The rose jangled around in the bag. Mrs.Curio had even invited her back for tea next time she was in town. She liked the old mare, and looked forwards to getting to know her better. It is at this point, you may have noticed that this story is getting far too happy. If you would like it to remain this way, please stop reading here, and go read something else. Maybe something involving Fluttershy’s day feeding turtles. You will be much happier for having made this decision. If you are the kind of person that enjoys this sort of thing, then either keep reading, or seek help immediately. I shall wait while you make either choice. If you are reading this, then you did not take my subtle warning. You really should have, but since you wish to continue I shall not stop you. Sadly it is at this moment in this unfortunate story, that Sweetie took a short cut and it is at this time of day that nopony was paying attention to the small filly taking the almost deserted road home and it is indeed at this point that the very nasty, vile ponies that weren’t very nice at all in our story got her. There were no schemes, there were no tricks. No, they were done with that. The ‘Grab her and toss her in the carriage’ method was so much quicker. So that’s exactly what happened. A carriage pulled up, the driver asked Sweetie how her day was and as she turned to answer a pair of hooves shot out, grabbed her and pulled her inside. Behind her the shopping bag dropped, and there was the sound of glass shattering. To Sweetie, there would be few worse sound than this in her life. She had no time to dwell on this though, because at the moment she found herself in what could very generously be described as a sack. Heading far away from her sister, her town, and almost anyone who could help her. To be continued (Unfortunately) Told you to stop reading

Squeak-anon

112

Apple Bloom,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Equinox

Luna Says Hello To An Old Friend

complete

<p>Luna Says Hello To An Old Friend</p>

everyone

2011-09-15T18:39:21+00:00

2011-09-15T18:39:21+00:00

Equinox The moon sat in the sky, slowly making its rounds, as it had always done. It was full that night, the fullest it would be all year. Shining brightly in the sky, casting everything in its pale gentle light. The night was mild and only the gentlest of breezes ruffled the leaves of the sleeping trees on the planet below. All was quiet. From the silent surface, something leapt into the sky, taking flight on strong wings, making nary a sound to alert anyone it was there at all. Quickly gaining speed, it flew up until it was but a small dot in the sky, indistinguishable from any other, flying so fast it would have made the quickest of Pegasi gape in awe. Soon it was free of the planet. Away from its harsh gravity it allowed itself to let momentum carry it the rest of the way. Princess Luna landed on the moon. Small plumes of dust, undisturbed for unimaginable lengths of time, drifted up around her hooves, into the brilliant white landscape. She sat and looked out at the craters and mountains of the surface. “Hello, Dear Moon.” she said softly. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited in so long. The duties of a princess are many, and time is a precious commodity.” The moon was silent. “I thought I would come to see you on this, your most beautiful of nights. I have thought of coming many times before, but this seemed the most appropriate of any.” Luna looked down at the planet spinning many miles below. She could see its hills, its seas, its own mountains, not very much unlike the ones around which she stood. “It is you who was my closest friend for all those years, shining bright, lighting the dark, a comfort for a millenia. I thought that now, bereaved of me, perhaps you were lonely too.” The moon was silent. “It is not bad, below, there are many who have forgiven me for my transgressions. I cannot be angry at my sister, no matter how much I might care to try. She is kind, in her way. Perhaps she understands my jealousy, how deep a green my envy. Who could not covet such a position as the sun?” She gazed once more at the world below. She could see it, the burning star, coming ever nearer to claim its place, warming the earth and bringing the day,. “Perhaps it is fitting that we are sisters.” She sighed. “The sun and the moon, our powers entwined. She is the older, as is the sun. It burned there in the sky, long before the moon ever took its nightly watch, and has maintained such dominance. It brings the day, bustling with activity, while we, the younger of the two, can only slightly relieve the dark of night, and watch the silence as it falls.” The sun crept across the far landscape below. Even from here she could hear the sounds of life that followed. “We are alone in our task, Dear Moon. As it has always been. The sun, a symbol for warmth and joy, as we are remembered for naught but a sign of the coming night, a time to lock one’s doors, and close one’s eyes to what dreams we may bring.” The moon was silent. “There I go again. Maybe I am getting old, Dear Moon. I rattle on about my place, even as our time grows short. I often wonder if I bore you with such stories.” She turned her gaze to the planet, where she was to return. “Perhaps one day, you shall tell me yours.” Her great wings opened. “I shall try to visit again soon, I promise. Goodbye, Dear Moon.” And so she was off. With a great push, and the flapping of wings, Princess Luna made her way, back to the planet she called home. The next day, as she left her room, she met Celestia on her way to to the dining hall. The great princess asked Luna to accompany her to Ponyville. Being polite as always, Luna accepted graciously. The palace could be a very lonely place sometimes. So, within the hour, they boarded a carriage, and set off, pulled by only the finest Pegasi in the land. As Luna rode, she looked up at the sun and down at the ponies playing and laughing, on this, a most beautiful of days. She thought back to her talk with the moon. She wondered if perhaps, where it was now, it might shine on such play. But she knew it was but an idle dream. They arrived in town quite shortly. Princess Celestia urged Luna to do as she wished while she tended to royal business, noting that the smaller pony seemed depressed. Luna protested against the idea of wandering around on her own, but eventually relented. As she walked, many ponies waved and said hello. Out of politeness she did the same, she was not acclimated to being of royalty, the attention unnerved her slightly. After buying a few sweets from a local shop, who’s owners refused to let her pay, she sat on a bench under a tall oak. She delicately ate the candy beneath it’s branches. Despite the sun’s glowing warmth she felt cold, without quite knowing why. Still, she sat quietly. Several ponies offered her gifts and favors as they passed, but she politely declined. She did not want their services or presents, no matter how lavish. Though they tried and tried and tried, she again, declined and declined and declined. Soon, a small pony in a red bow came up, and asked for one of her sweets. “You may have one.” she said softly. The filly ate the candy quickly, and stared curiously at Luna for a while. “Why are you so sad, miss?” she asked. “I am not sad.” she said quickly. “Just a bit tired is all.” “Are you sure?” said the filly, looking at her with the knowing eyes that only the young possess. Luna paused for a moment. “No.” she said softly. And at that she began the cry. The filly tried to comfort her, but it did not help. Many other ponies tried their best, doing tricks, telling jokes but they too ultimately failed. So the princess of the moon kept crying and crying for a very long time. No one could console her, the tears just flowed and flowed. Then suddenly, the sky darkened. Quite an odd thing for the middle of the afternoon. Everypony looked up to the sky, craning their necks to try and see what had happened. The little filly who had taken the candy rushed over. “Miss! Hey miss!” she cried. Luna continued to sob. “Miss! Look up!” Through her sobs, Luna did as the child bid. And there, hanging in the sky, was a large object, blocking out the sun. Luna gasped. “An eclipse...” she whispered. It was at this time that Princess Celestia galloped over. “Did you do this Luna?” she asked. “There is no eclipse scheduled for today.” She told her sister that she had done nothing to cause the eclipse. As she spoke, she looked around. Everypony in the small town, and she knew, perhaps for a time, in the world, stared up at the moon. They oohed and they ahhed and soon, they went about their daily lives, laughing and playing, under the moon in the middle of the day. And she realized she was no longer crying. Later, as they boarded the carriage, and the eclipse slowly ended, she looked up, and said. “Thank you, Dear Moon.” The End.

Squeak-anon

112

Apple Bloom,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Equinox

Luna Says Hello To An Old Friend

complete

<p>Luna Says Hello To An Old Friend</p>

everyone

2012-09-10T03:57:34+00:00

2012-09-10T03:57:34+00:00

And art for that matter, done by these lovely people I'd like to thank everyone below: CREDITS Staring Pride as narrator Flutterpie as Luna, Celestia, The Filly Art by Baby Blue Bell Video Editing by Codeman Audio Editing by Thedanman Squeak Story and Music by Squeak Script Editing by Thedanman Advertising by ARGH Special Thanks to Sethisto DerpySquad FreyaMau Kirbysamus Syncronis Rckmnsp Mana Sandman Anonymous Madmax Usea Cereal Velocity Podo Tepworth LordOfTheWrongs Lurks-no-More TheRPGenius Fire.Esper Tigerflame SummerBreeze Naxts Bronymike TwilightSparkle Thanks Guys! MLP:FIM Copyright Lauren Faust Hasbro A PonyBook Production 2011 :

Lucres

113

Pinkie Pie,Princess Celestia,Spike,Twilight Sparkle,Zecora,Alternate Universe,Adventure,Comedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Big Dragon

April Fools Day contest entry. Pinkie's prank makes Spike grow huge, Twilight scrambles to fix him

complete

<p>Pinkie Pie agrees to perform an epic April Fool's prank on behalf of a mysterious stranger. It's unintended effects eventually put the whole town in danger. Meanwhile, Spike just wants to fly...</p><p>Note: As of the episode &quot;Secret of my Excess&quot;, this story takes place in an alternate universe.</p>

everyone

2011-09-05T03:01:37+00:00

2011-09-05T03:01:37+00:00

The sound of rain reverberated through the back office of Sugarcube Corner, punctuated by the occasional crash of thunder. A figure sat before the desk in the center of the darkened room, her identity carefully hidden by her cloak. On the other side, a high-backed swivel chair faced the window. Its occupant addressed her in a businesslike fashion. She was all business when it came to the subject they were discussing. “So, you’ve come to me on this day, the eve of the greatest pranking day of the year, and you ask of me a favor. Tell me, why should I do this for you?” The chair swiveled around, revealing a pink earth pony sitting with her legs crossed. She stroked a small alligator in her lap. It tried to squirm away, but the she held it in place. “They say you’re the best.” The cloaked pony said, being careful not to let her face become visible. “They speak the truth.” Pinkie Pie said with a sly smile, “But you didn’t answer my question. Why should I do this for you?” --- “Please please please please!” Spike begged, clinging to Twilight’s leg. “It’s too dangerous, Spike.” she replied, attempting to shake him off, “I’ve never seen this book in my library before, and I don’t know what side affects these spells might have.” She looked at the stylized dragon on the cover of the mysterious book. It was a symbol of powerful magic, and not something she was prepared to trifle with. “Why are you suddenly so obsessed with flying, anyway?” Spike slid down onto the library floor with a sigh. “I’ve been having that dream again.” Twilight looked down at the small dragon affectionately. “Oh, Spike. You know you’ll get your wings eventually. It takes dragons a long, long time to grow up. You just have to wait.” --- “I’ve waited too long for my retribution already.” the veiled pony said, “My plan is already in place. The suggestions have been planted in the subject’s mind. I just need someone with access that I do not have, to put the final piece in place. All you need to do is sneak a book into the library.” Pinkie Pie eyed the stranger carefully. “You know that this ‘subject’ is a friend of mine, don’t you?” “I do.” she replied, “I also know that you have ‘pranked’ him before.” “Of course.” Pinkie Pie said testily, “That’s why I’m even entertaining your proposal to begin with. But again I ask you: what’s in it for me?” --- “I’ll clean the library every day!” pleaded Spike. “You’re supposed to do that anyway.” Twilight retorted. “Yeah, but I won’t complain about it!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “You’re really obsessed with this, aren’t you?” She looked at the spell again, furrowing her brow in thought. This was dragon magic, something she wasn’t completely familiar with. She had no idea how the book had found its way into her library. Despite her concerns, however, she was awfully tempted to try out the new spell. “I guess it does say that the spell’s effects are temporary. And you know I can’t resist learning something new about magic…” --- “I know you have certain… weaknesses.” the mysterious pony told Pinkie Pie. “I can offer you payment.” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Let me see this… payment.” The stranger produced a briefcase, set it on the desk, and clicked it open. Pinkie Pie’s eyes went wide as she stared at its contents. She started to drool. The strange pony smirked. “Butter Cream Bakery’s finest creations. And these aren’t just plain vanilla, either. This is the full deluxe cupcake assortment.” Pinkie’s eyes boggled at the riches before her. “I… I can’t even get on the waiting list for… for…” The briefcase snapped shut. “I’ll give you one case now and one when the job is finished.” Pinkie shook her head, trying to think straight. Now that the temptation was out of sight, a thought occurred to her. “Wait a minute. Those cupcakes are supposed to have jimmies! What kinda scam are you running here?” “Oh, you mean these?” The pony shook a small plastic bag in front of Pinkie before hiding it away again in her cloak. “My insurance. I can’t have you going soft on me before the job is done, can I?” Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “You drive a hard bargain, Missy.” she said with grudging respect. She extended a hoof to seal the deal. “This prank had better be worth it.” --- Sparks faded from Twilight’s horn. “Nothing happened…” Spike said in frustration. “Sorry,” said Twilight, panting from the exertion. “I guess the spell was too hard for me.” “Aw, what a gyp!” the little dragon crossed his arms glumly. “You need to get to bed anyway.” she said, “Tomorrow’s the first of the month, and we need to get up bright and early to sort through the new book deliveries.” “Fine.” Spike said in resignation. He was feeling worn out from begging anyway, and the crushing disappointment didn’t help, either. He crawled into the basket that served as his bed and pulled his blanket over himself. Twilight gave him a pat on the head on her way to her own bed. “Goodnight, Spike.” she said, blowing out the lamps. “Goodnight.” he yawned. He listened to the rain tapping on the roof. The storm from earlier in the day was starting to die down. Eventually, he fell asleep. He dreamed of the wind rushing across his face. He beat his wings, reveling in the freedom of flight. The ponies below him were so small. They looked like ants. --- Twilight woke up panicking, unable to breathe. Something heavy was lying across her chest. She struggled out from under it, her breath returning in ragged gulps. When she finally recovered, she looked around to see what had happened. The library was gray with the dim light of early morning. She could make out strange lumpy shapes around her, but she couldn’t identify them. She got out of bed, stepping over something the size of a tree trunk, and lit a candle. As light flooded the room she still couldn’t make out what the shapes were, but she recognized their color. It was a familiar combination of purple and green. “Spike?!” she gasped. The dragon had grown huge during the night, almost as big as the dragon they had met on top of the mountain a few months before. His body twisted around through the library, practically filling it up. The thing on her chest had been his tail, and the object she had stepped over was one of his legs. The only part of him that still fit in his bed was his snout, now long and pointed, and still under his blanket. It rustled as he snored. “Spike, wake up! Something’s gone wrong!” She shoved her hooves against his head, desperately trying to wake the sleeping dragon. His eyes blinked open. “Wuh?” he said blearily, his head snapping up and banging against the ceiling. “Ow! What the…?” He looked down at himself, his face going from confusion to shock, and finally settling on delight. “Holy guacamole!” he said, “Look at me! I must have had one heck of a growth spurt!” “This isn’t a growth spurt and you know it!” Twilight shouted angrily, “It has to have something to do with that spell we tried last night!” “Really? I thought it was supposed to make me grow wings.” He flexed his shoulders, feeling unfamiliar muscles moving. A pair of green, scaly wings unfolded from his back, knocking books off of the shelves around him. “Oh, there they are. Sweeeeet!” “This isn’t funny, Spike!” Twilight shouted as she climbed over him, making her way to her writing desk, “We have no idea what kind of side effects this spell has. We have to contact Princess Celestia. She’ll know what to do.” She picked up a pen in her mouth and started writing. “Aw, come on!” pleaded Spike, “The book said this was temporary. Can’t I just enjoy it?” “Meyah, buh weh…” Twilight started, then remembered to spit out the pen, “Yeah, but we don’t know how long it lasts. And it can’t be good for your body to grow this fast.” She rolled up the parchment and handed it to Spike. “Now, send the letter!” “But Twilight…” he started. “Send it!” she scolded. The dragon gave a resigned shrug. He picked up the scroll in his claws and took a deep breath. Before he could exhale, the door to the library opened with a bang, startling him. Pinkie Pie bounced through the door. “APRIL FOOOOO…” A jet of fire erupted from the dragon’s mouth, engulfing her. When it stopped, the doorway was empty. Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Spike,” she said, horrified, “you just incinerated Pinkie Pie!” --- Princess Celestia stared thoughtfully at the chessboard before her. She had been playing by post with the Sultan of Camelroon for the past several weeks, and he was a tricky opponent. Normally she led with her knights, but he was doing a good job neutralizing them this time around. He was leaving his queen wide open, but the princess wasn’t falling for the obvious trap. She just needed to bide her time until… “…ooooOOOOOLS!” Magic sparked around the room as a pink pony appeared in front of Celestia, landing on the chessboard and sending the pieces flying. The princess stared in shock as the unexpected intruder looked around in confusion. “Oh, hey, princess. Um, April Fools?” --- Twilight trudged through the forest path. Spike flew overhead, yelping with glee. “Twilight, look! I’m gonna do a flip!” He swooped clumsily over the treetops, recovering just before he could crash into them. “Dang it, wait. That didn’t count!” “Stop messing around, Spike.” Twilight shouted up at him. “We have to get to Zecora’s! She’s the only one who might know something about dragon magic that we can get to by foot. I don’t trust you to send another letter!” “Hey, I didn’t do that on purpose! Besides, you have to admit it was funny. I wish I could have seen the look on Celestia’s face.” Spike chuckled as he tried another swoop. “Or Pinkie’s, for that matter!” Twilight grumbled to herself as she walked up to Zecora’s tree house and knocked hard on the door. After a few minutes the zebra answered, her mane looking a little frazzled. She looked like she had only just woken up. “Pony with a face so dour,” she said in her usual rhyming couplets, “What brings you here at such an hour?” “Sorry, but it’s an emergency!” Twilight gestured upwards. Spike hovered unsteadily overhead. “Check it out, Zecora! I’m awesome now!” The zebra sputtered a few words in her native language. They sounded like swear words, but Twilight couldn’t blame her. She gestured to them both. “By the fur upon my stripy hide! Quickly, both of you, come inside!” Twilight entered the house, pulling the book with the dragon cover out of her saddlebags as she did. Spike stuck his head through a window, almost knocking some important-looking clay vessels off of a shelf. “This place is smaller than I remember.” he said, giggling. “That’s hilarious. You’re hilarious, Spike.” Twilight said dryly before she turned to Zecora. She flipped to the appropriate page in the book and showed it to her. “This is the spell that caused all this. It’s supposed to be temporary, but I can’t figure out how long it lasts.” Zecora examined the book. “Indeed, the spell is brief, young mage,” she said eventually, “So long as you used the adjoining page…” She pointed to the book’s spine. Looking closely, Twilight could see where a page had been carefully cut out. “Someone sabotaged the spell?” she said as her face fell. She couldn’t believe she had missed it. Her cheeks burned with shame. This was all her fault. Zecora nodded solemnly. “Without the half of the spell you needed, his growth will continue unimpeded!” Twilight blanched. “H… how big do dragons get?” “This is more than you can ask of me,” the zebra apologized, “I know little of dragon biology.” Twilight sighed. “Thanks anyway. I think I know someone who can help us with that.” She turned back to Spike, “Come on, big guy, let’s go.” “Hold on a second,” Spike said, a grin spreading across his face, “Hey Zecora, I’m a little hungry. Can I have an orange?” The zebra raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask me for an orange? Do you… uh… um…” she faltered as she realized what she had done. Spike laughed raucously, shaking the walls. Several clay pots shattered as they hit the floor. “Sorry!” said Twilight, shooing him out before he could cause any more damage. --- “Thanks for grooming Winona for me, Fluttershy.” said Applejack, scritching the collie playfully behind her ear. “She gets so darned mangy ‘round this time of year.” “Oh, it’s no problem at all, Applejack.” the yellow pegasus said cheerfully, “Feel free to bring her back whenever…” There was a knock on the cottage’s door. It sounded urgent. “Oh dear, let me get that.” She opened the door, revealing a haggard looking unicorn on the other side. “Fluttershy… huff… I need your… huff… help!” Twilight gasped. “Land sakes, Twilight, you look awful!” Applejack said with concern. “Ran here… huff… from Zecora’s… huff… it’s… huff… emergency!” Twilight continued. “What’s wro…?” Fluttershy started, but she was cut off as Spike shoved his enormous head through the door. “Guys, look how big I am!” he said with a grin that showed off teeth the size of railroad spikes. Fluttershy’s scream was so high-pitched that only Winona could hear it. She dove behind the couch, cowering. Applejack froze in place, her face going white. "Is that… Spike?” she said, unable to believe her eyes. “There was an accident,” said Twilight, finally catching her breath. “We need help reversing the spell!” Spike clicked his gargantuan tongue. “I keep telling you I like being like this, Twilight!” he said, looking at her crossly, “I don’t wanna go back to being small!” “You heard Zecora.” Twilight said back to him, “If we don’t do something, you’ll just keep getting bigger until you’re a full-grown dragon!” “So?” he said, “Maybe I want to be full-grown. And maybe I don’t have to keep following you around while you try to shrink me.” “Don’t you dare!” “Or you’ll do what, exactly?” he said cockily, “If you haven’t noticed, I’m way bigger than you are. I don’t think I have to listen to you anymore.” Twilight gaped at him as he pulled his head out of the cottage and stretched his wings. “Later ‘toots! Gotta fly!” he shouted down at them as he took off. “This is bad.” Twilight paced back and forth. “This is really bad!” “How were we supposed to help, by the way?” said Applejack, “Magic’s your department, remember?” “I need to know how big dragons get,” said Twilight, “So we know the scope of what we’re dealing with.” “Well, I don’t have the foggiest…” “Tortoises.” said a small voice from behind the couch. Twilight blinked. “What do you mean by that, Fluttershy?” The pegasus poked her head into view. “I mean,” she said, “Dragons never stop growing. They just keep getting bigger and bigger. Like tortoises.” she coughed, “Well, like some tortoises. Sort of.” There was a pause as they all took this in. “That’s not the worst of it, I’m afraid,” Fluttershy continued timidly, “He went from a baby to an adult overnight. He’ll be dealing with some… feelings… that he’s not used to having.” “What kind of feelings?” asked Applejack, anxiously. “Well, he’ll instinctively want to start building a nest. He’ll steal jewels, gold, anything shiny, really.” Fluttershy gulped. “But, then he’ll want to find someone to share the nest with…” Applejack and Twilight exchanged a look. They were both thinking the same thing. --- Rarity walked out of the spa, feeling refreshed. She ran into an old client on the way out. “Oh hello Lyra!” she said, “Love the new necklace!” “Thank you Rarity!” the unicorn blushed, “That means a lot, coming from you. I got a bonus at work and thought, ‘what the hey, I’ll treat myself!’” “It looks perfect on you, darling.” Rarity gushed, “It really brings out the color of your…” There was a sudden, purple blur, and the necklace was gone. Rarity blinked. “What was…?” There was another blur, and she was gone as well. Lyra was alone. --- Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy galloped into town. “There he is!” shouted Twilight. He was impossible to miss. Not only had he continued to grow in the time they were separated, but he had started to build a nest on the roof of Carousel Boutique. It wasn’t much of a dragon’s horde, mostly consisting of silverware and old mirrors, but it wasn’t bad for less than an hour’s work. Spike toiled away at it, fitting shiny objects into place to form a rough bowl shape. Powerful hormones coursing through his veins made him oblivious to the world around him. Rarity screamed down at them from her precarious position on the edge of the roof. “Help! Help me!” she shouted hoarsely, “Don’t let him eat me!” “He’s not going to eat you!” Fluttershy shouted back, “He’s just following his mating instincts!” Rarity’s screams increased in pitch by a few octaves. “I don’t think that’s helping, Fluttershy.” said Twilight, “Applejack, see if you can find Dash. We need someone who can get her down from there!” “Why can’t Fluttersh…?” Applejack looked over at the quivering pegasus, “Oh, right. I’ll be right back!” She ran off to look for her friend. A horse-drawn taxi pulled up outside the boutique and Pinkie Pie hopped out. “Hey, guys! I’m back! What did I mi…?” A spurt of green fire engulfed her from above, and she was gone again. --- Celestia lifted the final two cards from the deck carefully. Her house-of-cards recreation of Canterlot was nearly complete, and she hadn’t even had to use her unicorn magic to keep it from collapsing. She held her breath as she added the final spire… There was a whooshing noise and Pinkie appeared out of thin air, sending the cards flying in all directions. “Darn it, he got me again!” she said, brushing herself off, “Sorry to interrupt your game, princess. Can I borrow some more cab fare?” Celestia sighed, dropping the two cards she was holding. She looked at the pink pony quizzically. “Pinkie, maybe you should tell me what’s going on.” “I’m not sure,” she said, “but Spike’s gotten really big for some reason.” The princess’s face suddenly became serious. “How big?” --- Rainbow Dash flew in formation, leading the other volunteers from the weather team. Their saddlebags bulged with apples donated by Applejack, serving as improvised ammunition. “Okay, guys, we have a hostage situation!” she shouted through the rushing wind, “We need to distract Spike long enough to get Rarity out of harm’s way. Watch out for those claws, he doesn’t know his own strength! Stay frosty, ponies!” They broke formation and dove toward the boutique. Spike roared incoherently at the pegasii buzzing around him like flies. His only thoughts were to protect his territory. Apples splattered ineffectually against his scales, only managing to irritate him. Fire shot from his muzzle, barely missing a few members of the team. “Watch that fire!” Dash shouted, “Dang it, we can’t get close enough!” At this moment, a mysterious cloaked pony decided to make her grand entrance. She cackled maniacally, throwing off her cloak to reveal a familiar blue unicorn. “Behold, pathetic citizens of Ponyville!” she shouted to the heavens, “The perfect revenge of the Great and Powerful Tri…” An errant burst of green flames overwhelmed her, and she disappeared. --- Celestia’s royal chariot flew through the sky, pulled by her pegasus servants. Pinkie Pie sat beside her, explaining the situation as best as she could. Sparks appeared in the sky just ahead of them. “…ixieeeEEEEEEEE!” Trixie screeched as she plunged through the clouds. Celestia leapt out of the chariot, diving after her. “Hey princess!” Pinkie shouted, leaning over the side, “When you catch her, tell her she owes me jimmies!” --- Dash and the other pegasii continued to buzz around Spike, still unable to get close enough to save Rarity. Spike was getting bigger by the minute. He perched awkwardly on top of the boutique, its structure creaking under his weight. “It’s no good, Twilight!” Applejack shouted, running up to her, “It’s a stalemate!” “This is hopeless.” wailed Twilight, “Even if we get him down we don’t have any way of…” She trailed off as the sky suddenly went dark. She looked up. “Oh no, what is it now?” A massive grey shape drifted over the town, blotting out the sun. At first, Twilight thought it was a storm cloud, but as she stared at it she could make out a familiar shape. “It can’t be…” she gasped, her jaw dropping, “It’s a… a…” “Big dragon!” Fluttershy finished for her, her fear overwhelmed by her amazement. It was bigger than anything either of them had ever seen before, at least as big compared to Spike as he was compared to the ponies. Its wings stretched over Ponyville, their tips brushing the mountaintops on their down stokes. It seemed to move glacially slowly, as its body parts had to cover so much more ground. Twilight could only stare at it. Her ears popped as it passed overhead, its wing beats increasing the barometric pressure noticeably. “That’s… impossible!” she sputtered, doing the math in her head, “It shouldn’t be able to support its own weight, much less fl… fl…” “Oh, he can fly just fine.” said Celestia, appearing beside her. In the confusion, Twilight hadn’t seen her chariot land. The enormous dragon settled gingerly over the town, careful not to damage any of the buildings. It raked its claws deftly over a field. “I… uh… I think he just plowed my fields…” Applejack said blankly, “All in one go…” “He’s an old friend of mine.” Celestia said with a benevolent smile, “Very old, in fact. And very, very kind.” Spike stared up at the dragon, frozen in fear and wonder. It scooped him up, being careful not to disturb Rarity, and clutched him like an infant. A deep rumbling came from its chest. Twilight realized that it was laughing. “What’s he going to do?” she asked the princess beside her apprehensively. “He’s an expert on dragon magic.” said Celestia, “I called him in as soon as I heard what had happened. He usually doesn’t like leaving his valley, but he was willing to come by and help. Don’t worry,” she reassured her fretful student, “he’ll bring Spike back when the spell has been reversed.” The gigantic dragon beat his wings, whirlwinds spinning away from them as he lifted off the ground. He flew toward the horizon, the unresisting purple dragon held tightly, but gently, in his arms. --- Twilight answered the door of her library. Pinkie stood there on the stoop, looking sheepish. “Hey Twilight.” she said, not looking her in the eye, “How’s Spike doing?” “Back to normal.” Twilight said with palpable relief, “He’s in a time-out, thinking about what he’s done.” Pinkie looked up guiltily, “Oh no, it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t agreed to go along with that stupid old prank…” “I know, you’ve already apologized, Pinkie.” Twilight stopped her, “But that doesn’t excuse the way he acted.” “Yeah, well, that’s why I came over.” Pinkie said as she set a briefcase down in Twilight’s doorway, “I feel awful about what happened. I’ve never had a prank go so wrong before! So, I’ve decided that I don’t deserve Trixie’s blood-cupcakes. I want you to have them instead.” “Pinkie, I…” “No, no, I insist!” said Pinkie, effusively, “Besides, I never even got my jimmies!” Twilight shrugged, deciding not to press the issue. “Thanks, I guess. Oh, by the way, did Celestia ever tell you what she did with Trixie?” “I think she banished her from Equestria.” the pink pony said, “Or threw her in the dungeon, or something. I wasn’t really listening.” --- Spike sat on a stool, facing the corner. Rainbow Dash flew up to the open window next to him and stuck her head through. “Hey there, little guy. How’s it going?” she said, trying to cheer him up. “I just want to make sure there’s no hard feelings about yesterday. I know you weren’t yourself.” He shrugged noncommittally. She decided to change her tactics. “You know, if you wanted to fly, all you had to do was ask. We could go for a ride now, if you…” “I can’t,” the little dragon said sourly, “I’m grounded.” “Oh, right.” said Dash, “In more ways than one, huh?” Spike glared at her. “Sorry. Too soon?” she chuckled weakly. Twilight walked into the room, carrying Pinkie’s briefcase. She had heard the whole conversation. She looked down at her little friend, her expression softening. “You know, I think you’ve learned your lesson by now, Spike.” she told him, warmly. “Really?” he said, bursting with excitement and hopping off of the stool, “I can go with Dash?” Twilight nodded. “Just be back in an hour. I need to write my report for Celestia, and I want you to send it to her before sunset.” Spike thanked her profusely and clambered out the window onto Dash’s back. Twilight smiled as she watched them go. She sat down at her writing desk, preparing to start her letter. She had lots of good material this week: about not growing up too fast, about knowing your own strength, about how there’s always someone bigger out there, and how to treat those smaller than you with kindness. She didn’t know where to begin. She unwrapped one of Pinkie’s cupcakes as she thought, giving it an experimental nibble. Her eyes went wide. “Holy cow!” she said, licking her lips, “These are amazing!” --- The wind rushed across Spike’s face as he and Dash soared through the clouds together. He closed his eyes and stretched out his arms. He imagined his wing tips brushing the mountaintops.

physicallypossible

114

Princess Celestia,Crossover,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

HALO: THE PARAFLOOD (A Halo/Pony Crossover for Laughs)

incomplete

<p>The &quot;Friends of Autumn&quot; is in grave danger due to attacks from Coltinate forces there is only one brave and bold physically augmented super pony soilder who can save the whole fleet of UESC (United Equine Space Command) forces, and the equine race as well, and that pony is Master Colt.</p><p>-I dont own my little pony or halo-<br/>All rights go to their respective owners<br/>this is chapter one of my very first fan fiction Halo:The Paraflood, its based on the book Halo: The Flood by William C. Dietz i hope you all enjoy im currently working on Chapter 2</p><p>NOTE: This crossover is basically for fun and laughs its not to be taken seriously so i kno a lot of the words and phrases are similar to the actual book</p><p>(PS: i kno i listed Princess Celestia as one of the characters in the book she`s isnt entirely in there but there ARE references made to her other than that thats it so dont complain haha)</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T02:57:56+00:00

2011-07-11T02:57:56+00:00

HALO: THE PARAFLOOD A Pony/Halo Crossover For Laughs By: PhysicallyPossible (and almost everyone in the #EquestrianStudy Chatroom on EqD) Thanks Guys CHAPTER ONE: The Friends Of Autumn __________________________________________________________________________ The Friends of Autumn shook as her Equinenium-A Armor took a direct hit. Just another item in the Coltinate` s bottomless arsenal, Captain Jacob Hooves thought. Couldn't have been a Plasma Torpedo or we`d be free floating Pegasi right now. The warship had already taken a beating from Coltinate forces off of Reach and it was a miracle the ship`s flank remained intact and even more remarkable they were able to jump into Rainboom Drive at all. "Status!" Hooves neighed. "What just hit us?" "Coltinate Fighter, sir. Celestial-Class," the tactical officer Lieutenant Ma, replied. Her porcelain features darkened. "Silly Ponies, must have powered down and slipped past our sentry ships." A humorless grin tugged at Hooves` muzzle. Ma was a first-rate tactical officer, utterly ruthless in a fight. She seemed to take the Coltinate fighter pilot`s actions as a personal insult. "Teach that Colt a lesson Lieutenant," he said. She nodded and tapped in a series of orders into her panel- new orders for the Autumn`s fighter squadron. A moment later, there was radio chatter as one of the Autumn`s Ponysword Fighters went after the Celestial, followed by a cheerful whinny as the tiny Coltinate fighter transformed into a momentary sun raised by Celestia herself, complete with its own system of co-orbiting debris. Hooves wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead with his hoof. He checked the display-they`d reverted into pony space twenty minutes ago. Twenty Minutes, and the Coltinate had already scouted them out and began shooting. He turned to the bridges main viewport, a large transparent bubble slung beneath the Friends of Autumn`s bow superstructure a massive purple gas giant-Threshold-dominated the ponyriffic view. One of the Ponysword fighters dashed by as it continued its patrol. When Hooves had been given the command of the Friends of Autumn, he`d been skeptical of the large, domed viewport. "The Coltinate are tough enough," he had argued to Admiral Stableforth. "Why give them a easy shot into my bridge?" He`d lost the argument- captains don`t win debates with admirals, and in any case there hadn`t been time to armor the viewport. He had to admit though, the view was almost worth the risk. Almost. He absently toyed with the pipe he habitually carried, lost in thought. It ran completely counter to his nature to slink in the shadow of the gas giant. He respected the Coltinate as a dangerous, deadly enemy, and hated them for their savage butchery of pony colonists and fellow soilders alike. He had never feared them, however. Soilders didn`t hide from the enemy- they met the enemy head-on. He moved back to the command station and activated his navigation suite. He plotted course deeper in-system, and fed the data to Ensign Hoovell, the navigator. "Captain," Ma piped up. "Sensors paint a squadron of enemy Coltinate fighters inbound. Looks like boarding craft are right behind them." "It was just a matter of time, Lieutenant ." He sighed. "We can`t play Hide and Seek forever." The Friends of Autumn seemed to glide out of the shadow cast by the gas giant, and into bright sunlight. Hooves` eyes widened with suprise as the ship cleared the gas giant. He had expected to see a Coltinate cruiser, Celestial fighters, or some other Ponitary threat. He hadn`t expected to see the massive object floating in a Lagrange point between Threshold and it`s moon, Basis. The construct was enormous-a ring-shaped object that shimmered and glowed with reflected starlight, like a jewel lit from within. The outer surface was metallic and seemed to be engraved with deep geometric patterns. "Luna," Captain Hooves said. "What is that?" A foot-high hologram of a mare faded into view above a small holopad near the captain`s station. Luna- the ship`s powerful artificial intelligence-frowned as she activated the ship`s long-range detection gear. Long lines of digits scrolled across the sensor displays and rippled the length of Luna`s "body" as well. "The ring is ten thousand kilohooves in diameter," Luna announced, "and twenty two point three kilohooves thick. Spectroscopic analysis is inconclusive, but patterns do not match any known Coltinate materials, sir." Hooves nodded. The preliminary finding was interesting, since Coltinate ships had already been present when the Autumn dropped out of Rainboom Drive and right into their laps. When he first saw the ring, Hooves had a sinking feeling that the construct was a large Coltinate installation-one far beyond the scope of equine engineering. The thought that the construct might also be beyond Coltinate engineering as well, held some small comfort. It also made him nervous. Under intense pressure from enemy warships in the Epsilon Equindani system- the location of the UESC¹`s last major naval base, Reach-Luna had been forced to launch the ship toward a random set of coordinates, a standard procedure to lead the Coltinate forces away from Earth. Now it appeared that the Colts and Mares aboard the Friends of Autumn had succeeded in leaving their original pursuers behind, only to encounter more Coltinate forces here...wherever "here" was. Luna aimed a long-range camera array at the ring and a close-up snapped into focus. Hooves let out a long slow whinny. The construct`s inner surface was a mosaic of greens, blues, and browns-trackless desert, jungles, glaciers, and oceans. Streaks of white clouds cast deep shadows on the terrain below. The ring rotated and brought a new feature into view: a tremendous hurricane forming over a large body of water. Equations again scrolled across the AI`s semitransparent body as she continued to evaluate the incoming data. "Captain," Luna said, "the object is clearly artificial. There`s a gravity field that controls the rings spin and keeps the atmosphere inside. I can`t say with one hundred percent certainty but it appears the ring has a oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, and Earth normal gravity. It should be quite alright for anypony inhabit." Hooves raised an eyebrow. "If it`s artificial who in Equestria built it, and what in Celestia`s name is it?" Luna processed this thought for a full three seconds. "I don`t know, sir." Regulations be damned, Hooves thought, he took out his pipe, used an old fashioned match to light it, and produced a puff of fragrant smoke. The ring world shimmered on the status monitors. "Then we`d better find out." Vector Spiral rubbed his aching crest with hooves that trembled with fatigue. The rush pf adrenaline that had flooded him when he received Tech Colt Shepard`s instructions had worn off. Now he just felt tired, strung out, and a little afraid. He shook his head to clear it and surveyed the small observation theater. Each cryostorage bay was equipped with such a station, a central monitoring facility for the hundreds of cryotubes the storage bays held. By shipboard standards, the Cryo Two Observation Theater was large, but the proliferation of life-sign monitors, diagnostic gauges, and computer terminals-tied directly into the individual cryotubes stored in the bay below-made the room seem cramped and uncomfortable. A chime sounded and Vector`s eyes swept across the status monitors. There was only one active cryotube in this bay, and it pinged for his attention. He double-checked the main instrument panel, then keyed the intercom. "He`s coming around, sir," he said. He turned and looked out the observation bay`s window. Tech Colt Thom Shepard waved up at Vector from the floor of Cryostation Two. "Good work, Vector," he neighed back. "Almost time to pop the seal." The status monitors continued to feed information to the observation theater. The subject`s body temperature was approaching normal- at least, Vector assumed it was normal; he`d never awakened a Spurtan before-and most of the chemicals had already been flushed out of his system. "He`s in a REM cycle now Chief," Vector called out, "And his brainwave activity show`s he`s dreaming-that means he`s pretty much thawed. Shouldn`t be long now." "Good," Shepard replied. "Keep an eye on those neuro readings. We packed him in wearing his combat armor. There may be some feedback effects to watch out for." "Acknowledged." A red light winked to life on the security terminal, and a series of codes flashed across the screen: >WAKE UP SERIES STANDBY. SECURITY LOCK [PRIORITY ALPHA] ENGAGED. >x-LUNA.1.0--CRYOSTOR.23.4.7 "What in Celestia`s name...?" Vector muttered, he keyed the bay intercom again. "Thom? There`s something weird here...some kind of security lockout from the bridge." "Acknowledged." There was a static-spotted click as Shepard looped in the bridge channel. "Cryo Two to Bridge." "Go ahead Cryo Two," a mare`s voice replied laced with the telltale warble of synthesized speech. "We`re ready to pop the seal on our...guest, Luna," Shepard explained. "We need-" "-the security code," the AI finished. "Transmitting, Bridge out." Almost Instantly, a new kine of text scrolled across the security screen: >AWAKEN THE SLEEPY PONY

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2011-12-02T06:24:41+00:00

2011-12-02T06:24:41+00:00

Epiphany NinesTempest "The last one!" Said Rainbow Dash, as she easily kicked away a cloud out of the sky. The blue-furred and rainbow-maned pegasus grinned at her friend, Fluttershy. With a yellow coat and wings and pink mane, she clapped as loud as she could. Rainbow Dash strained to hear it. "Wow, that was faster than even 10 seconds!" She said, the excitement in her voice very clear, if anypony could hear her. Rainbow looked around the sky. The sky was bright and blue, the warmth of the mid-afternoon sun flowing over all of Ponyville that afternoon. Rainbow Dash had just finished clearing the skies of all the clouds, leaving a clear day for the Ponyville below. She didn’t respond for almost a minute, lost in the beauty of the clear blue sky. She turned finally, nodding. "Well, duh, there were only like 8 clouds today. I didn't really try to do it fast because there was, you know, no reason to." "Well, I don't know, I'd think you'd want to make the town look nice on Twilight's Birthday!" Fluttershy said. "She's been here for a bit over a year now!" "I know how long she's been here, Fluttershy. I wish she had just told us she had her birthday so close to when she got here. I swear that pinkie almost cried when she heard we'd missed her firth birthday in Ponyville." She sighed. "Besides, I could have cleared the skies that day almost twice as fast!" Twilight Sparkle, who had not been used to the idea of friends when she first arrived, hadn't ever thought of having a birthday party. The day came and went, and she never bothered mentioning it. By sheer coincidence, Applejack had asked her days later, and upon hearing the date, then told the rest of Twilight's friends about it. Since then, all of them had agreed to never mention it until the next year, to plan a surprise party for her. "Oh, I know you could!" Said Fluttershy. Without warning, she felt something nudge her flank. She squeaked in meek fear and dashed up to and behind Rainbow Dash, looking down where she had felt something in the sky. "... That's a cloud, Fluttershy." Indeed, a cloud had simply floated a little bit due to some wind, and nudged the timid pony. She meeped, simply trembling in place. "I think you know what clouds are, and why they can't hurt you. Hey, why don't you try and just break this one!" Rainbow darted off to the cloud and laid down on it. She was close to the edge, the body of the cloud exposed so that a moderately strong impact would easily dissipate it. "Come on, it'll be easy!" She swung down a hoof, patting the spot where Fluttershy should try to kick it. Fluttershy hovered down slowly, landing on the cloud. She moved it around, as if looking inside of it for something. She patted the middle of the cloud a little, and hovered up a bit again. She took a deep breath, and dived at the cloud, back hooves first. She fell right through it, the cloud vanishing and leaving Rainbow to have to rely on her wings again to stay in the air. She stopped herself only after several long seconds, not getting anywhere near the ground, but definitely going farther than the cloud. She floated back up and gave Rainbow Dash a silly grin. "That was... cool." She said, her excitement once again hidden in the volume of her voice. "Hehe." Chuckled Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy wasn't normally this energetic, and the fact that she decided to try and... 'attack' a cloud without protest meant her confidence was definitely building. She didn't seem like it, but getting a 'way to go' or a 'yay' out of her was more than Rainbow Dash had ever been expecting. Of course, she should realize that once the plane of their relationship changed, how she'd act would change too. "Okay Fluttershy, I'm going off now. I'm going to check in on Pinkie Pie about the party. Remember, we don't tell Twilight about it. As far as she knows, we don't even know her birthday is today! We'll meet up before the party at your place, right?" Fluttershy nodded. She'd grown accustomed to the visits from Rainbow Dash, and even now looked forward to them. "That would be... nice." She smiled at her. Rainbow Dash floated over to her, and rubbed her face in Fluttershy's mane, giggling. "Thank you." She gave Fluttershy a lazy smile. Her small smile was comforting to Rainbow Dash as she pulled away slightly. "Oh, it's no problem Rainbow Dash." She started floating away in the direction of her home. "I'll see you later then!" Rainbow Dash waved as she darted off toward Sugar Cube Corner, where Pinkie Pie lived and worked in her family bakery. Fluttershy, alone now, grew a somber expression as she slowly started to fly to her own home. She kept thinking about Rainbow Dash, and how every day they had met, she would say thank you when they were done hanging out, no matter what. She had been a lot nicer to her lately, especially since the Equestria's Best Young Fliers Competition at Cloudsdale, about a year previous. She started the trip home, gliding over the Everfree Forest, and as she went, her thoughts drfited back to that day, two months ago where both her and Rainbow Dash's life changed. ----- It was a bright day, the mid-summer sun keeping everything warm, almost sweltering. Rainbow Dash had decided to move some clouds over Ponyville as to cool it down, but still have plenty of sunshine on the city. Twilight was busy giving Rarity some magic lessons, and Applejack had been home with Pinkie Pie, teaching her about certain apple pasteries. The only who had been outside that day was Fluttershy, it was her voice that startled Rainbow Dash from a nap ontop of the clouds. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Fluttershy flew through the air right past Rainbow Dash like a missile, the shriek hitting her ears about a second later, the amazingly high pitch almost stunning her, leaving her with a headache. She shook it off, regained her composure, and looked to see what had caused her friend fry so frantically. She saw a Dragon. It hadn't been as large as the adult dragon who wanted to take his sleep in Equestria, so close to Ponyville, but it was probably something close to a dragon who had just become an adult, or a teenager. He was almost twenty feet tall, his scales a dark green, and underbelly an almost golden yellow. He zoomed past Rainbow Dash, roaring after Fluttershy. That sound was so loud it actually destroyed the cloud Dash had been using as a bed. Without thinking twice, she darted after the dragon, soon passing it with ease and catching up to Fluttershy. She had no idea Fluttershy could fly so fast. Fluttershy turned her head to see Rainbow Dash next to her, pumping her wings at a high speed to keep up with her. Fear was pronounced everywhere on Fluttershy's body, sweating profusely with a panicked look. Rainbow Dash knew this was tiring her out, and knew that if she delayed too long, she might freeze up out of fear. Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash a pleading look, and Rainbow Dash's heart screamed at her. Stop the Dragon. "I'll. Stop. Him!" Yelled Rainbow Dash. She signaled for Fluttershy to keep going straight, and the shy pegasus nodded. Dash veered up and started going about a 45 degree angle upwards, eventually falling behind both of them. When she had reached a height where she almost found breathing difficult, even for a pegasus, she dived straight at the dragon. She tried to anticipate where he'd be at his current trajectory, and aimed there. As long as the dragon didn't change altitude, hitting him should be fine. Her wings pushed the air by her harder than she had thought possible, faster than she ever had before. The air pressure began to build up in front of her, but she didn't even notice. All she could think of was Fluttershy, and saving her. The air began to visibly bend in seconds, the mach cone slowly forming around her body, and before anypony even saw, she had preformed a Sonic Rainboom for the third time in the history of Equestria. Her calculations had been off; the boost from the sonic boom wasn't something she had predicted. She could tell that she was about to go between the dragon and Fluttershy, so she tried to maneuver downwards a bit to make up for it. She lost all control at that speed, and instead of steepening her angle of descent, she went straight down on top of the dragon, forelegs first, hitting the dragon's back and bringing him down with her, before he even realized what was happening. I’m not stopping now! She thought. Fluttershy needs saving! Why it was after her, or why she had angered it somehow in the first place, didn't matter. Their crash into the ground was spectacular. The cloud of dust, dirt, and even debris went into the air almost a hundred feet. Fluttershy had seen the flash of light from the Sonic Rainboom, and stopped to look behind her and see Rainbow Dash take the dragon to the ground. She was panting as she slowly floated to the ground; she had never flown so fast, but she had known that stopping probably would have cost her her life. The smoke cleared, and the scene almost made her squeal. The dragon lay unconscious on his stomach, a small crater having formed, and Rainbow Dash was just getting up, standing on his back just next to the spines. She wobbled a bit, and then fell over, sliding down the dragon's side to where Fluttershy had landed. She walked over, still trying to regain some strength, and grabbed at the tuff of skin on the back of Dash's neck, dragging her away from the dragon. Oh thank goodness, she's alive, thought Fluttershy, after a quick feel of her chest and neck. Then she noticed that her left foreleg was bent at a weird angle, one that Fluttershy didn't think was possible. She started to panic, thinking about how to get back to Ponyville. We came from... the other side of the dragon, but how far did we fly? Rainbow Dash had gone for almost three to four seconds in the sonic boom before hitting the dragon, so there was no telling how far they had traveled. Many many miles, was all she could think. She examined Rainbow Dash again. Her wings were okay, and her other legs seemed in order. It was only the left foreleg that had been broken, but that was still a problem. Flying quickly at all would hurt that leg way too much, and Fluttershy was sure that Rainbow Dash was not used to injuries this severe. She decided to try and grab the back of Rainbow Dash's neck and drag her to the nearby forest. They weren't anywhere near Everfree, but this place was still where rain and growth was totally natural, and animals thrived. She wasn't familiar with this specific part of the forest, but she had been to a similar area, on the opposite end of Ponyville from the Everfree Forest, and she knew it would be safe. The moment she started to drag Rainbow Dash, she heard a moan. Her body went stiff as she looked to the dragon, who was staring to stir. He turned over on his back, almost yelling in pain as he did. He looked to Fluttershy, and huffed. He started to flap his wings, wincing with every firm swing downwards. He floated over them and then behind Fluttershy, leaving Rainbow Dash the furthest away from the Dragon. Fluttershy could see that he was in pain, but she wasn't sure if kindness was the safest way to repay somepony who had tried to kill you. The Dragon smirked at her as she cowered, lowering her head and raising her flank in pure fear, trembling, her legs almost giving away to her petite weight. "You... do you remember me?" Fluttershy nodded slowly, and sqeaked. She knew the Dragon indeed. Not by name though; she had known a relative. "As soon as I knew it was you; playing with those birds, it could only have been you. You always loved animals. You even loved my brother." His voice was loud, as it threatened to rip Fluttershy from the ground she was cowering over. He looked at Rainbow Dash. He moaned in pain again as he did, and gave a look to Fluttershy that she could only describe as... appreciative. An almost relieved smile. "It's good to see that you have friends who can protect what you never could." "I'm... imsosorry... I'm... sorry..." She got out. The Dragon looked at her inquisitively. She backed up, almost tripping over Rainbow Dash. "It's been almost 17 years since I heard what happened, dear Fluttershy." He said. "I'd come to accept what happened. But today, I was... very angry seeing you in the clouds; I wasn’t thinking, clouded one moment by that... meager gift Your gift to me... a bouquet of flowers, felt insulting, trying to compare his death to something you hadn’t even intended for me. However, your friend's bravery seems to have pacified me, if the wounds he inflicted haven't-" "Um... Rainbow Dash is a... she... eep." She said, still scared more than she ever had been before. She wasn't sure what had made her interrupt him. "The females among your race are formidable." He said. "I must return to my path, for my destination is a great distance away." He looked at her soothingly, and that only scared her more. "Seeing you today... reminds me why I long since forgave you. It couldn’t have been your fault." His last statement had a haze of resentment, as he started to fly once again. He winced with each flap, as he eventually soared into the sky, flying back in the direction of what she figured was Ponyville. She exhaled. Her body was soaking in sweat, her legs trembling. Her fear subsided as the adrenaline in her veins finally started fading. The entire time she had been ready to pick up Rainbow Dash and fly. Fly as fast and as far as she could, no matter how impossible it would have been for her to pick up a fully-grown mare and fly with her. She still felt like she had to, no matter the futility. Her legs buckled, as she fell down on top of Rainbow Dash. The miniature-crater was behind her, almost 20 feet away. The brick road was cracked everywhere, the grass flattened from the shockwave in the surrounding area. She was breathing heavily now, almost hyperventilating. Lying there, she closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself. She thought of Angel at home, of the other birds and animals in her house. She thought of her friends, and of Ponyville. Of the adventures they had had since Twilight Sparkle's arrival, and restoring Luna from her Mare in the Moon state. It all seemed surreal to think back on it. She had barely known many of the ponies in Ponyville, and really only interacted with them during the Winter Wrap Up and other yearly holidays. Before Twilight, she had only really known Rainbow Dash, from Cloudsdale, and the rest of their group, but only barely; even Rarity she didn’t interact with much. When Twilight arrived... she had gotten to know so many of the ponies in Ponyville, it made her realize how good her friends were. Her breathing normalized now, she looked to Rainbow. The mare had not woken up yet, and it had been several minutes since the impact. With slightly more energy now, she started to drag Rainbow Dash to the forest. She hoped to set up a splint and find some water or medicine for her injured friend.

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2012-02-22T18:12:14+00:00

2012-02-22T18:12:14+00:00

Rainbow Dash woke up. She was in the middle of a forest, the sun blocked out by the tall trees and their leaf-covered branches. The first thing she noticed was the intense pain in her left foreleg. She clenched it with her right hoof by instinct, but the pressure made the pain ripple through her leg. She screamed. She had injured her wings and gotten terrible bruises and even broken her collarbone once, but a limb... that was new to her. She bit back tears as she examined her left forleg. It was resting carefully on a pile of large and broken branches, with the bark ripped off, and she had been laid back against tree right next to the pile. She looked at her own body, to see if anything else was out of order. She didn't see anything, but she ached all over. She could feel her left foreleg, but she didn't dare try and move it. The pain felt like it was seeping into her shoulders and chest, lingering and bothersome without overtaking her. She tried to slowly move her other limbs, and flap her wings. They all moved without a hitch but with how sore she was, it made her more exhausted. How long had she been out? She had no idea. Was this Fluttershy's doing? Did the dragon die- She gasped. A dragon. She had fought a dragon, to some degree. She looked around, and lifted her back off of the tree, trying to curl herself up as much as possible. If there was a dragon around, she'd be in no state to even try and get away. That's when the sound hit her. Something... tumbling? a faucet? Splashing? Wait, a natural river? The sound was faint but constant, but she knew what that was. This didn't look like Everfree, but it sure looked like a forest, which meant there were probably streams and animals all over. She tilted her head around in several directions and discerned that the water was off in the distance behind her. She couldn't see it, but she sure could hear it. Her thirst was great by that time, she felt dehydrated. Then the splashing sound stopped. So somepony was in the river? That's when she craned her head to the right to look behind the tree her head rested on, and saw Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! Oh thank Celestia you're okay!" She yelled. She wanted to get up and hug her, but cheering with her right hoof was all she could afford. And even that made her feel tired. "Oh Rainbow Dash!" She said, dropping everything on her back and running up to her. She had several branches and vines, which were now strewn out across the forest floor about where Rainbow Dash was sitting. She ran up and onto Rainbow Dash's with a relieved smile. "I was scared you weren't going to wake up." She looked at her with even more concern, and moved forward. "I've you do something so brave Dash, I'm so glad you're okay!" Fluttershy had a few tears of joy building up in her eyes, her head resting firmly against Rainbow Dash's neck. The cyan pegasus started to blush a little, thinking more about Fluttershy than she did herself. Somehow, the shy pegasus had gotten a dragon mad at her, fended the dragon off, and took care of Rainbow Dash when she had almost died. As she reminisced, she realized she started... feeling odd. The memories she recalled were all that of Fluttershy. She had started to admire her gentle beauty and kindness a long time ago, but now... it was in overdrive. Her blush grew as she looked away from the pegasus. "I-I-I found some herbs... they should have helped numb some of the pain. I-I'm pretty surprised you even got up. Do you... hurt much?" She looked all over Rainbow Dash's body to make sure nothing was out of order. "Fluttershy..." she said, giving a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, nothing wrong, 'cept this leg," she motioned at her left foreleg, "and I'm pretty tired. You've done great." She realized with their faces even closer now, she was blushing a bit harder. Fluttershy didn't notice. Her smile grew a bit, as she whispered to Rainbow Dash "B-b-but you almost died because of me..." she looked away in shame, "I'm a bad friend. Friends don't let their friends almost die." "Fluttershy..." said Rainbow Dash, trying to be comforting. She redirected Fluttershy's ashamed stare back to her with her free hoof. "I did what I did because you were in danger. It doesn't matter what happened, because you're okay now. I'm okay now. We're both okay now. So just..." Stuff it, okay? were the words she almost said, but something held her back. She knew better than to be a jerk at time like that. In fact, just thinking that those were the words that came up made her mind feel tinged in sadness. She continued quietly, hiding her trying-to-emerge emtoion, "... just try and fix me up, then we can just spend the night here. I'll be better tomorrow, so we can get back to Ponyville then." Fluttershy nodded. Just she started to sit down, Rainbow Dash coughed a bit. As she did, she felt liquid splash against her fur, and she looked down. Red blotches had fallen on her coat. "This is bad." She said, her face grim. She coughed again, seconds later, but no blood came through. "Well then... we have to head back." Fluttershy said. She got up and started to try and get Rainbow Dash on her back. The cyan pegasus coughed again, even more blood coming out this time. Fluttershy moved back a few steps, watching Rainbow Dash carefully. The salty taste lingered in the confident pegasus’ mouth, and she spit it out. "If I'm bleeding internally, we should try to move. Doesn't that need surgery or something? Come on..." She tried to get up on three hooves. Fluttershy reached out a hoof to help, but was ignored; she amazed her friend could even walk. She hobbled a few steps, her left foreleg hanging in the air. She didn't get very far before the pain seeping into her chest from her foreleg strengthened, the surprising intensity causing her to lose focus and fall over onto her left foreleg. The pain exploded and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. "Let me make a splint, Dash," said Fluttershy. Dash nodded, and turned on her back, laying her leg out. Fluttershy retrieved the wood and vines, and took only a minute to finish the makeshift splint. She yelled and gritted her teeth as the pressure was applied, and when Fluttershy finally finished, the pain was already subsided enough for her to be able to focus. She stood up, and nothing intensified. "My father knew a lot about taking care of animals." Fluttershy explained. "He knew all kinds of wild plants and herbs and flowers that grew in peaceful forests and wild forests alike that were good medicines. I think... I-I think if I go and look for one of those, I may be able to get you better if we just stayed in this forest for a little while." "Fluttershy, you were just telling me we had to leave. If you go and find more of these plants, how long will we be stuck around here?" Rainbow Dash could feel her voice rising. She immediately shut herself up when she saw Fluttershy's melancholy expression. "B-but!" She cried, "this isn't just any herb I'd be looking for! It's magical. It can treat... physical wounds... and stuff, on the inside, that you can't reach with regular medicine." She wimpered a bit, almost making a squeak. Her voice grew even soft. "Dash, I-I don't know what to do..." she sniffled a little. Rainbow Dash was giving her a serious look. She was about to yell at her, when she had that feeling again. As soon as she thought about yelling at Fluttershy, she regretted it. It was like she couldn't say anything bad to her. She wanted to comfort her, but Rainbow Dash didn't know how. She had never tried that before. She had never been comforting before, always critical and always loud. The thoughts made her feel... helpless. She had no idea what to do right now, no way to get back to Ponyville and no way for Fluttershy to take her back. They couldn't stay in that forest for long, or else food maybe a problem. How long was it until Ponyville sent some kind of search party? As she mulled over possible outcomes, Fluttershy lifted her head and looked at Rainbow Dash with a solemn expression. "You are okay, right? It's... I think it's too early to leave. Your leg is broken, we should at least wait a day..." Rainbow Dash could only stare back at her. That face... the fearful eyes... how helpless she looked... where had she seen it before? Suddenly, a wave of emotions seemed to strike her, ones of anger, sadness, confusion, and guilt. Memories from years at Junior Speedster's Flight School came roaring back... her friends... Sky Swallower... no... Rainbow Dash broke into tears. Her sobs took Fluttershy off guard completely. "Oh no no, I made you sad didn't I? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be making you cry; friends don't do that." She said, reaching out with a hoof to wipe the tears away. Rainbow Dash swatted her hoof away, and pushed Fluttershy off of her without even looking at the concerned pegasus. "Stop apologizing! Get away!" She yelled, voice thick with rage. She stopped mid cry and looked at the shy pegasus. She was stunned, but looked hurt, almost ready to cry. Rainbow Dash shook her head, the last tears on her cheeks finally falling loose. "Just go find me that plant okay? Breathing is getting hard." It wasn't a lie, but it was her excuse for getting Fluttershy to leave for a little while. Fluttershy sniffled, and nodded, trotting off slowly to where she knew the plants would grow in a forest like this. Tears were flowing again; she desperately tried to stop them, scratching at her eyes with her free hoof, but it was to no avail. She felt like she had just destroyed her friend. She had argued with Fluttershy before, about silly things such as flying, but something about this time felt wrong. During the entire ordeal, she couldn’t get that visage out of her head, the pegasus leaving an impression with more than her sad expressions. Rainbow Dash found her beautiful, not in a way she had seen before. Even in the presence of such beauty, she had yelled in anger at her. Without trying, her thoughts turned to their lives in Ponyville. She remembered always being supported by Fluttershy, her kind eyes, and how she herself had sometimes felt jealous that Fluttershy always had the company of animals, where she sometimes had nothing. Rainbow Dash wasn't really alone, but she still felt like some of her part of her... yearned for a greater companion than friends. She couldn't think about what that yearning was specifically, all she knew was that Fluttershy fulfilled that feeling. That was when she felt it. The feeling that she'd read, heard, and that had been preached on awful sitcoms about when a mare and a colt become so close, that they never want to be apart. Her stomach had done a back flip, and wouldn't stop. The telltale butterflies had moved in. She now knew what she felt. She couldn't stop thinking about Fluttershy, and how everything about her was so great. She had felt this way only once before in her life, and feeling it again, she knew what it was. Before she could pursue that line of thinking, she started coughing again. The blood flew yards in front of her, her hacking loud and painful. She couldn’t stop; it would pause for barely a second, letting her get in a free breath, then start up again just as painfully. The coughing continued for almost a minute, ending with her gasping for breath. It brought her back to the reality of the situation. She felt weaker than she had before, and left foreleg's pain had reached almost up to her shoulder. She heard leaves crunching under somepony's steps, and turned to see Fluttershy walking back with a huge amount of plant stems and leaves. "Ohdearohdearohdearohdear," she said, speaking too quickly for Rainbow Dash to hear. "This is really bad, I have to get some water and mix this up right away, don't move!" And she flew off, leaving behind the plant. Rainbow Dash took a good long look at it, then a sniff, and winced. It smelled awful. The color was a light-green and mustard-yellow mixture, and it smelled like a skunk. The stem was small, the leaves loose and almost oily. She drew her hoof away, almost afraid that touching it might be bad. Fluttershy quickly reappeared with what appeared to be the tops of several flowers. She saw that they each had water in them, holding it like a bowl. She carefully laid the flowers upright on the tall stack of plants that were meant to heal Rainbow Dash up. Then she walked back to where Rainbow Dash had woken up to retrieve some things there. She came back with a rock that was in the shape of a bowl, and about the size of two of her hooves. Rainbow Dash didn't question how she had found such a rock, or why she put the plants into it and grinded them with a smaller rock. She did question pouring cold water on them. "I thought that you heated things to get chemistry to work." She said, her voice weak. "Twilight heated things, almost never cooled them..." she felt some kind of ping of pain, like she had been stabbed. She brought her free hoof to her stomach, and coughed for a few seconds again. "This stuff just needs to be ground up so it gets out of the leaves and the stem, but then mixing it with any liquid works." Explained Fluttershy. She had made a lot of the medicine, and had had almost too much plant for her to carry back earlier with just her hooves. When she saw the bowl with water and the plants mixed it, it had really ground down into nothing. "This may taste funny. I've never made this much at one time either, but you're a big mare, compared to little animals, so you need this much!" She spoke as if to give herself confidence. "Now, with the first sip, I want you to swallow it like you would anything else. Then, with the second sip, you breath it in, and hold it for 10 seconds or so. If you do that, you'll be okay for the next day or two probably, with this much." Her confidence comforted Rainbow Dash quite a bit. She put it up against Rainbow Dash's lips, and tipped it slowly, letting Rainbow Dash swallow almost half of the contents. Surprisingly, it had tasted sour, like some kind of weak lemon juice. She hesitantly took the second sip, breathing it in. Almost immediately she had tried to cough, but she somehow withheld it, and kept herself strong for a full eleven seconds, before coughing up all of the liquid she had breathed in. Fluttershy gave her a comforting smile. "I think you should be good until tomorrow now. I'll get more wood and make a little camp, okay?" She asked. Rainbow Dash - who wasn't sure why Fluttershy had suddenly started acting like she knew what she was doing - only nodded. Rainbow Dash smiled to herself once Fluttershy was gone. I guess I'm still a fillyfooler, she thought to herself. And to think I once hated that. ----- Fluttershy took about 10 minutes to find enough broken branches and dried leaves to start a fire. The entire time she had been focused on looking for small enough branches, but large enough logs as well, so she wouldn't have to leave for more that night. When she found enough, she placed them carefully on the ground and then flew up, high above the trees, to see the sun. It had been around 10 AM when the dragon had chased after her, and she had estimated that Rainbow Dash woke up about six hours after that event. She was too shy to admit it, but she had spent most of the time that Rainbow Dash was passed out curled up next to her, sleeping. She had been exhausted, as she had never flown so far or fast before in her life. She herself had slept almost 4 hours, and had only had time to find some of the medicinal herbs and a little water for Rainbow Dash by the time she woke up. Emerging from the trees, she looked around. It seemed that their entire interaction had taken a bit over an hour, as she decided it was closer to six than five. She floated down and landed softly, picking up the branches and leaves with her forelegs as she slowly flew back to their camp. She seemed pleased that she'd be able to spend a whole night with Rainbow Dash, even if there wasn't a lot to be happy about. After all, she had basically hit the ground at the speed of sound. She only had one external injury, which wasn't that external anyway; Fluttershy had originally feared that there were problems inside of her due to the lack of bruising anywhere but on her hooves. She wasn't sure what a shockwave of that magnitude could do, but it couldn't be good. Of course it wasn't any good, silly Fluttershy, she thought to herself. Fluttershy couldn't help but feel guilty for what she had done. In angering the dragon, she had gotten Rainbow Dash so hurt, that she had almost died. This is my last shot to prove it to everyone, she thought. I'll get Rainbow Dash all better, and then I'll get her to Ponyville, and maybe... everyone can see that... I've finally done some good. She sniffled a little, but held back the tears as she started heading back. Fluttershy arrived at the camp in minutes, clearing a patch of dirt a few feet away from them, setting up a circle of rocks, and getting a fire started. Rainbow Dash's face glowed with surprised as she saw Fluttershy start one up so quickly. She grinned at seeing the expression, and gloated quickly about how she had made fires in forests before. "You like it out here, don't you?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy sat down next to Rainbow Dash. "Well, it's quiet, and calm, and peaceful, and I can go away and be alone, but I've never been this far away before." Rainbow Dash nodded. "You know, you probably saved my life today, Fluttershy." "It's not like I was going to leave you there with the dragon..." she began to explain, but Rainbow Dash cut her off. "That's what I thought! That dragon didn't die!" She pointed at Fluttershy. "So what did you do? Get mad at him and tell him to bug off, like the last one?" She snickered at the memory of the fully grown adult dragon whimpering at the angered Fluttershy. "Well... no..." Fluttershy responded with indignation. "I... we... I just kinda knew him..." "Whoawhoawhoawhoa." Said Rainbow Dash, waving her free hoof in the air. "I thought you were scared of dragons. Why do you know one like him?" "Well, I don't know him exactly. I knew his brother." She now began to whimper a little bit. Rainbow Dash continued to pry. "Fluttershy, I risked my life to save you. I know you've done a lot for me, saving my life. But... I'd at least like to know why I was doing it." Fluttershy nodded. She had no reason to hide it anymore. "Okay, I guess that's fine." She took a deep breath to retell the story. "When I was just a little filly, both of my parents cared for animals a lot. My mom was a veterinarian, but my dad did what I do now, caring for the various farm animals and other criters that lived in or around the city, though Cloudsdale didn’t have a lot in that department. I liked animals too; I had already known that because of how I discovered my cutie mark when I was at summer flight camp. "Upon finding my cutie mark, my parents and I moved down to Fillydelphia, which had a lot more animals than Ponyville, so it was a big job.” “But how did you get to know a Dragon? I mean, I thought you didn’t know anything about them when Spike first arrived.” Rainbow Dash seemed determined to contradict the shy pegasus as much as possible. Fluttershy frowned. “Well, my father once had a very odd request; he was to take care of a baby dragon, one that apparently was very... important in dragon circles. He wasn't old enough to talk, being even younger than Spike, but he was walking and stuff. That is what I was unsure about; I figured that dragons perhaps communicated with a different language, not even Equestrian. Regardless, my father and I had stayed home to take care of him for, because he was sick with something and the parents were busy on other matters and couldn't watch him. We had never actually met the parents, and we had no idea how long they'd really be gone. "I was older than him, but he was nice. We played a lot over the days that we knew him and I'd say we good friends in the week he lived there. He was obviously sentient, as he definitely made gestures and knew me, but he still couldn’t talk, or maybe he wouldn’t. I’m not sure. "One night though, something awful happened, and it was... bad." She whimpered a bit, causing Rainbow Dash to raise her eyebrow. "I was asleep, until I had heard some glass break. It was a stormy night, so even when I was little I guessed that something had fell or flew through the glass. I had walked down the hall to see it, without getting my dad. In the living room kind of place in our house... there was somepony with a hood and cloak on, and a knife levitating in front of her. I panicked. I had saw the knife fly at me and I dodged instinctively, the knife cutting off some of the hair from my tail. I ran back to my room screaming, and that woke up my dad and the baby dragon." She looked around, like she was trying to think about a lot of different things quickly; distracted almost. "Uhm, so... yes, I was in my room, and that unicorn in a cloak opened my door. I was huddling in the blankets, but I was so obvious... oh, I was so stupid!" She yelled. Rainbow Dash almost fell back from where she was sitting. "I... I was just huddling there and I hear a sound of a knife hitting something. I looked out from under the covers, and saw... the baby dragon... he had a knife... in his chest..." she began to cry silently, tears falling very slowly. She couldn't bring herself to finish, but Rainbow Dash was still perplexed as to what this had to do with her predicament. "Hey, come on now, that was a long time ago, okay?" She said, trying to be comfortable. "You were a silly little filly, you didn't know any better. If that was too hard on you, then you don't have to tell me anymore." She felt incredibly awkward, but Fluttershy had taken it to heart. Fluttershy wiped the tears from her face. "No, no no no no, I'm okay, I can do this. I'm a big mare now!" She said, trying to be confident. Rainbow Dash had to contain a few chuckles at Fluttershy’s self-confidence boosting phrase. "While I had been hiding and shaking in the blankets, the unicorn had raised her knife at me. But the dragon had climbed up on the bed and stood in front of me, his hand and arms blocking as much as me as possible. So the unicorn..." she looked to the ground in shame. She continued quietly from there, explaining how the unicorn was then caught by her father, taken by police, and that the unicorn was convicted of the murder. "That dragon's family had been very angry." She said. "They had apparently talked to my parents, saying they blamed us and all ponies for what had happened to their child. They hated us, and the older sibling of the baby dragon, who was close to spike's age, said that he had hated me the most. A lot of officials and stuff... had to help protect us. The city hadn’t blamed us at all, but I think the dragons all did. The dragon you saved me from was that older brother." Rainbow Dash looked stunned, that she had been involved something as big as a sort of 'family feud' in Fluttershy's life. "I had always blamed myself for what happened too." She said. "So I promised to myself that day that... if somepony was in need, animal or pony, that I'd help them." She smiled weakly while averting her gaze in shame, and the conflict on the shy mare's face confused her. That's when she heard laughter Fluttershy and realized that she had been ashamed of herself. "But I was never really able to do what I promised myself that day. I wasn't ever helpful in school, or anything. I didn't make any friends. The baby dragon had been my first friend, so I kept thinking that if... I made a friend, I'd lose them.” She grabbed up Rainbow Dash’s hoof, as if pleading. “When you hurt yourself earlier... I was so scared; I wanted to make sure I was with you as much as possible... because maybe you might have d-" Rainbow Dash reached out to her shoulder and held it tight, bringing her closer. "Hey hey hey! I'm not going anywhere, and you have kept that promise! You help us all the time; you said you'd come help tell the sleeping dragon to leave, and you did! You said you'd take care of the cutie mark crusaders, and you did! You even said you'd cheer for me at Cloudsdale... and you did!" In her little tirade, she had moved her face closer to Fluttershy's, and when she finally noticed, her face turned a bright red, but she still continued, her voice more quiet, personal. "You are the nicest pony I've ever met, Fluttershy, hooves-down. There's no way you have done anything wrong by us, or by anypony else! Sure, the baby dragon may have died... but he was protecting you, because you were his friend. There is no sense in just thinking that he died for no reason. He died for you." Rainbow Dash was looking at Fluttershy with a more concerned expression now. She didn't look uncomfortable, but she was still melancholy. "He gave you the chance to live, Fluttershy. A gift that... I'm very grateful for." "Uhm, what was tha-" Fluttershy was cut off by Rainbow Dash's lips meeting hers slowly. Fluttershy blushed strongly, letting Rainbow Dash press harder. Feeling relaxed at long last, she closed her eyes, letting the kiss fill up her thoughts. She felt Rainbow Dash's tongue enter her mouth, their tastes mingling as their hooves embraced one another, their bodies drawing closer. They slowly parted their lips, and Rainbow Dash was staring at her, intently. Fluttershy felt safer than she ever had felt in her life, staring into her big magenta eyes, and seeing nothing but strength in them. She still was straining to make sense of what had just happened when she heard Rainbow Dash spoke. "I love you, Fluttershy." She said. Fluttershy almost jumped backwards. She still felt some fear and confusion, and hadn't moved more than inches away from Rainbow Dash's face. "I have for a little while. Since our visit to Cloudsdale for the competition, I always felt a little something when we talked, or hung out together." She gave Fluttershy an uplifting smile. "At first, I thought we were just becoming closer friends... but then I was admiring your hair, your face, your shy kindness... and a little of your body." She blushed even harder now, her blue-face almost bright red. "And today... I knew it. I really love you, Fluttershy." She finished, her face clearing up and her face smiling with heavy anticipation at a response. "I... I can't..." Fluttershy was utterly confused. She couldn't decide of such an announcement was funny, kind, or some kind of cruel joke. Her? Somepony love her? She scoffed at it in her mind. Why would somepony love her if she couldn't protect a single thing she had ever loved? She got up and backed away a few steps, almost trembling. "I can't... I can't... no... Rainbow Dash... I-I'm pretty sure I like... but well... Idunno..." was all she would respond with, before squeaking. She had no idea what she 'preferred.' Without ever making friends, she had never felt the desire to love anypony but her parents, and had given it no thought, ever, in her entire life. The idea of love to her was... it almost destroyed the shell she had made around her mind. She wanted to just bolt, fly away and leave, but she knew better than to leave Rainbow Dash how she was. Rainbow Dash's face, which had been hopeful, now turned melancholy. "I... I can't force you to like me back, Fluttershy." She said. "I just didn't want to keep it to myself, not now. Who knows if I'll even make it out of this forest?" Her voice was raising again, which only served to confuse Fluttershy. "But I had to tell you, because if I kept it in, it might... start to tear me apart. I'm just glad you listened to me. You're really a good friend of mine, Fluttershy." She started to get on the ground to sleep. "Dash... I..." Fluttershy scooted closer to Rainbow Dash, meeting her face with her own. This surprised her, and she started to blush again. "I... I really like you, and you're my closest friend. You really are. If you like me that way, then... well... you... uhm... I don't... really mind..." she lay down next to the brightly-blushing and embarrassed mare. "We can sleep, uhm, you know, next to each other, tonight..." she patted the ground next to her. Rainbow Dash smiled. After all this time, it had been one thing she really wanted. Just to be close to the one she loved. She lay down, lowering her head to the ground slowly. Their faces were probably only half a foot apart, and Rainbow Dash tried to look anywhere but to the mare's face. Fluttershy giggled, as she rolled over, and moved a little closer to Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy continued talking, not moving her head to face Rainbow Dash. "I... I... I'm still... not sure, okay? Please, oh please don't feel like I'll never love you, because I really don't know..." her talking faded and she began to breathe in a quiet rhythm. Figuring she had fallen asleep, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. She felt her body, though tired and beaten, had very little pain to give her now. She was too relieved and excited about Fluttershy to feel much of anything. She had admitted she loved her, and the shy pegasus had only responded with more hope and somehow this lifted her spirits more than anything that day. Even if she doesn't end up loving me, she thought to herself, I'll protect her. I'll be the one to keep her safe, and nothing will ever hurt her again. I'll make sure... nothing... bad happens to her... like... Sky Swallower... did... Sleep over took Rainbow Dash, dreams of ruin plaguing her sleep, and dreams of delight filling Fluttershy's.

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2012-02-22T18:17:03+00:00

2012-02-22T18:17:03+00:00

Rainbow Dash awoke to a knock. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the room she was in. It was a cloud house, and she quickly remembered it was the cloud house she had built near Cloudsdale. The knocking resumed with three loud bang. She yawned, still waking up. She looked to her clock, and saw it was just past seven am. Unsure of who was at the door at this time, she slowly got up and walked towards the entrance to her domain. The house was small, and one of the ones required to be built for Junior Speedsters Flight school. It only had four rooms, and only three of them were large enough to really accompany ponies. A living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. There was a small pantry she kept for food in case she didn't have much to eat from Cloudsdale, where she typically spent evenings with her friends. The knocking didn't stop, the same three hits against the wooden door she had fashioned against the clouds. She sighed, figuring it didn't matter who it was, and opened the door. There she saw one of her friends. "Sky Swallower?" Asked Dash, in a tired haze. She then realized who was at the door, and momentarily panicked. "Oh, uhm, hey, what brings you here?" "You weren't asleep now, were you?" She said, shy as usual. Dash didn't know how the pegasus got up so early every morning, while staying up late almost every day. "It wouldn't terrible if I just popped in for a tad, would it? I wanted to chat." "Sure, fine. Just let me get some food and maybe a quick shower." Dash yawned again, but she tried to maintain a smile. She was tired from being woken up so early, but she wanted to maintain some sense of composure around her crush. "Don't peek, okay? It was creepy enough when Gilda was joking around last month-" Rainbow Dash could visibly see her ligthen up a little, having been invited inside. "Oh, come now! Only a filly fooler would do such a thing! And even then... it would be a compliment." Sky Swallower rolled her eyes. As Dash lazily walked to the bathroom, she took a concerned glance at the pegasus behind her, who was watching her without any expression. Dash sighed. "You ARE a filly fooler, remember?" Dash closed the door to the bathroom but heard Sky behind the door. "Well, then if you happen to catch me, think of it as nothing more than a compliment." Rainbow Dash started the shower, and smiled. Alone, she sighed happily as the hot water from the cloud over her poured over her, and she let her thoughts float about. The pony she had been quietly pining over for the last year... alone, in her own house! She couldn't stop thinking about the mare. Sky Swallower had bright-orange fur, an almost black-navy-purple mane, and emerald green eyes. Her cutie mark was that of a dark-grey cloud with a tornado emanating from it. At first, Dash had pegged her for a quiet, shy, soft-spoken pegasus. Yet only after a few days of hanging out did Dash quickly find a slightly argumentative, proud, and carefree friend. She wasn't much of an athlete, but she definitely was well read; she had good understandings of things she’d never do, like direct movies, or how to cast magic. She could take any concept, science or art, and dissect it into its individual parts, and make it incredibly easy to understand, explain, or criticize. It helped her in her one and only career plan: being a weather pegasus, hopefully a team captain for a big city like Hoofington or Manehattan. She was definitely a pony who could handle the weather well; she had earned her cutie mark by calming an accidental tornado over Hoofington that was made by the lead weather pony after he had gotten a little too drunk the previous night. Though they had basically known each other for two years, it wasn't until seven or eight months prior that Rainbow Dash sometimes felt a little uneasy about the mare. Dash had started combing her own hair and flying more to perfect her own tricks, and generally was more concerned with her attention compared to any other pony's. Sometimes her heart would race, and her voice would crack more around her. She couldn't accept her own feelings for a while, leading her to even isolate herself from her friends for a whole month. It racked her so hard only because of her parents, and how they tended to view the subject of love. In their eyes, everyone was made male and female for a reason, and anything else was very wrong. They had raised Rainbow Dash this way, though where she was from there weren't many ponies like that; Sky Swallower never mentioned it, never asked about it, and never was asked about it. Once they became friends, she somehow thought it was very important they all knew. Ponies in larger cities were a lot more open about these kinds of things, this Rainbow Dash knew, and Sky was never a pony to be concerned with what others said of her anyway. Dash suddenly slipped, and barely maintained her balance in the shower. She felt like she had been falling asleep, even with the stream of hot water shooting down at her. She yawned, attempting to make the last remnants of exhaustion vacate her body, and it seemed to work. She turned off the shower, and tried to shake some moisture off her body. Still soaking wet, she walked outside into her bedroom, where Sky was lying on the bed. She almost blushed when Sky looked over at her, and threw a towel from her dresser over her own back, to dry herself off. Sky was on her back and gave Dash a very lazy, upside-down look. "Ten minutes, and it sounded like you just stood there." She stared, almost disinterested, at Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus figured she had settled down a bit, realizing it wasn't much of an intrusion being in her house this early. "I was just thinking." Rainbow Dash finally said in response. "About what?" Sky asked, still with a lazy and uninterested expression. Rainbow Dash tried to look a little annoyed, but couldn't stay terribly mad at the mare in her bed. "You don't want something to eat do you?" She had brushed off the question, but didn't care. Sky shrugged, still lying on the bed. "I'm good, ate an energy bar before getting here." She playfully rubbed her stomach. "Feels good sis." "Why are you up so early anyway? What do you want to talk about?" Rainbow Dash walked through the room and to the living room, opening the cloud-door that lead to the pantry. She grabbed an apple, closed the door, and saw Sky somehow in front of her where the door had been. She almost dropped the apple in surprise. "Just wanted to chat a bit. Finals are coming up and everypony's been so busy." Rainbow Dash nodded silently as she took a bite of her apple. There were only two weeks left of class, so there was truth to her words. Dash figured there was still another reason, considering they could easily talk over the upcoming weekend. She tried to be assertive. "Well, is there anything YOU wanted to talk about?" Asked Dash. Sky replied with mock shock. "Clearly there is, or I wouldn't be here, would I! What right do I have to barge in here and make you talk to me." She grinned. "I was wondering if you had some pony in your life yet." The casual tone of Sky threw Rainbow Dash off. "G-gossip? Really? You're the LAST one I expected to ask me about that kind of stuff." "So, is there?" She was unperturbed by Dash's deflection. "No, there isn't." Dash replied firmly, almost stomping a hoof. "You know I never cared about that stuff. You and Gilda were actually some of my first friends here at Cloudsdale, and I’ve only made a few others since you two.” "Funny, isn't it?" Sky said, sitting at a chair on the opposite end of the room from her. "What do you mean?" "Well... look at you, Gilda, and I. Did any of us have friends before we met?" She got up and started walking across the rom. "I certainly only had a very small group of friends growing up here. Gilda more than not mentioned her distaste in griffin company..." Rainbow Dash had figured the conversation was innocent enough to go along with it. "And I guess my parents were a little too strict to let me hang out with friends." "Yet, here all three of us are, great friends. It's a little perplexing to me sometimes." "Well, it's kind of as they say. 'Opposites attract' and all of that. None of us like the same music, tricks, or food, but..." "... but we've all met and become great friends." Sky was starting to blush now. "Rainbow Dash, there's something I have to tell you." She looked at Dash, and saw that she already had a stunned face. Sky silently cursed herself for being obvious, but continued anyway. "I like you. I really do. Didn't think I'd fall for a friend but I have..." she stared at Dash with an almost sad expression. Dash almost fell over. She instinctively went defensive, yelling at her, "Why are you telling me this, when you don’t know if I like other mares?!" Sky shrunk a little. She gave a half hearted smile as she quickly turned toward the door, turning into the shy pegasus who had difficulty talking to those she didn’t know well. "This is stupid. I should just leave. I have no right to ask you to think about this out of the blue before school." She turned around, but Dash grabbed her. "Wait!" Sky, still a little shook up, didn't move, only turning her head to face Dash. She tended to listen to Dash or Gilda, even if she didn't want to do what they were asking. Dash almost felt ashamed for being forceful, but continued anyway. "How I responded... that was really rude. My parents... you know... were real family ponies. Somepony like you would probably scare them." Sky only nodded, relaxing a little. "Yeah... yeah, I know some ponies aren't... as understanding about that. I hope you are though, you've never had a problem before." "Well, Sky, I am." Dash was now standing next to Sky, and they both started blushing at the same time. "And there's a bit more to it than that..." "I... well, I don't want to say you should ignore your parents, but when it comes to a subject like this... you can't agree with them can you?" Sky was trying to make it sound like she was stating a case, but she sounded as if she was pleading instead. "No... it's not that... Ummm." Dash was stammering, unsure if she could get herself to say what was on her mind. Sky looked at her hopefully, but Dash couldn't bring herself to say it. "Hey... let’s just sit down here okay?" She motioned for the couch with her a hoof. "I'd just... like some company after that news. I think you would too." Sky only nodded, and both of them sat down on the couch, staring into each other's eyes for a minute before Sky broke the silence. They decided that they couldn't go to school and think with this on either of their minds, and agreed to not go to school that day, damned the consequences. They talked for a while, mostly about each other. They talked about their homes more than before, their families, and both of them realized they had never had dated or even crushed on someone before. After a few hours, they both began to tire a bit. Dash had woken up too early, and Sky had been up thinking too late. Slowly but surely, they fell asleep. Sky fell first, her head resting on Dash's shoulder. It was a comfort that Dash had never felt before. A pony that wanted to be with her, and be close to her, and loved her. She was hoping she could somehow give Sky what she wanted as she finally dozed off. ----- Fluttershy jumped, giving a small yell. She looked around, panicked. What just touched my face? She kept thinking. She looked down finally, and saw a squirrel. It squeaked at her, and she smiled at it, petting it once before shooing it away. It was still completely dark, but she felt wide awake. Awake enough to go up and look at the sky just a little bit. Now I wish I could look at the moon and figure out what time it was... she thought to herself, floating up to the tops of the trees slowly, hoping there may be a tiny bit of sun poking out of the horizon. Poking her head out of some leaves, she looked to the sky. It was completely clear, a half-moon giving some light to everything around her. The tree tops looked like a sea of green, almost level, as if a creature was meant to walk on them. She looked again to the stars. She recognized a few constellations; Twilight loved letting her friends know which were which, and Fluttershy was the only one who was ever out and about late, sometimes caring for certain nocturnal animals. Oh I hope you aren't all worried about me. I know you wanted to see me tonight Twilight, about magic and animals, but there've been problems. Rainbow Dash should be making a full recovery, and will be all better soon... she smiled. She realized that she had been thinking to Twilight Sparkle, all alone on the highest branch of a tree. Even acting like someone was around comforted her, but she felt a little more liberated in the forest. Even with a sleeping wounded Dash below her, she felt secure. Even all alone in the top of a tree, she felt like nothing could hurt her. Her face turned thoughtful. Well, actually, a lot of things could hurt me. There might be a cockatrice up here, or maybe a wild manticore... she shook her head quickly, forgetting such thoughts. No, it's okay. Nothing in this forest is like Everfree so far, even if it is wild. It's so peaceful... she smiled to herself again, feeling happier already. She floated down slowly toward one of the stream near their camp, her wings letting her glide down gradually. She went around trees, doing large figure eights, and landing softly in the stream. She yipped a little to herself, never having tried something like that before. I'm not much of a flier but I can see why Dash likes it so much... she got a quick drink of water before heading back to camp, retrieving some of the flowers she had left there, and filling them with water as well. When she arrived with the flowers filled with water, she noticed Dash was squirming a bit. Her face looked worried, and her working foreleg kept moving to grab something. Fluttershy had no idea what was going on in her friend's head, and wasn't sure if she should do anything. She approached Dash slowly, on the ground, when Dash's eyes popped open, and she let loose a frightened scream. Fluttershy flew up and back, her wings pumping with her own fear and surprise, as she smacked head first into a tree almost twenty feet away. She fell down to the ground, and started rubbing the back of her aching head before looking over at Rainbow Dash was looking around, as if in panic. She saw Fluttershy behind her, and got up slowly, hobbling on one leg as she walked over slowly. "Augh... you look hurt." Rainbow Dash said. Her face was difficult to see in the dark. "You're more hurt." Fluttershy said, pointing at the splinted hoof. Dash only shrugged. "Heh, I guess so. I was having a terrible dream back there, you okay?" "Oh, I'm fine. I was wondering what you were dreaming about, and then you yelled, and, you know, it startled me, so I just kind of took off, and then this tree was here..." Fluttershy's voice had grown more quiet over the discussion, but Dash put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "Just a bad dream, it doesn't matter." She looked around, as if examining every tree and leave she could see. "How long have I been out?" "I have no idea... maybe a few hours? It's still dark out so-" "It wasn't dark out... I don't think it was when I fell asleep, right?" She raised he hoof, gently tapping her own forehead as if to juggle memories around. "Around six hours then right?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "No, it was definitely very late evening when we fell asleep." "We? You went off to get more medicine, and then I passed out." Said Rainbow Dash, as if the memories were vivid to her. Fluttershy gave her a concerned look. "Are you feeling okay?" "Why wouldn't I be?" She shook her head. "Whatever, let’s just get moving. You remember the way to Ponyville?" Fluttershy had her protests about traveling at night, but the fully awake Rainbow Dash was being too assertive. "Y-yeah..." Dash lifted off with her wings, not even wincing. Fluttershy's mouth fell open, astonished at the fast recovery of her friend. "Then let's go. You lead the way; I don't want to fly too fast yet."

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2012-02-22T18:19:21+00:00

2012-02-22T18:19:21+00:00

It took a full hour of flying to completely exhaust Rainbow Dash. She slowed down to land, but ended up hitting the ground hard on her stomach, with a thud loud enough to make Fluttershy stop and turn around. Dash lay motionless on the ground, panting. "That was... a lot harder than I thought... it would be..." Fluttershy could only sigh, her wings flapping more slowly as she fell in altitude. "I'm not sure it was the best idea to move at night. We almost hit some trees, and there might be things out here..." she shivered a little as she landed, walking over to Rainbow Dash. "You sure you're okay?" A vein on her forehead pulsed in anger. "I'm QUITE fine Fluttershy. Is there some reason you're asking every five minutes?" Though Rainbow Dash was visibly angry, Fluttershy didn't want to drop the subject. "How sure are you that you're fine?" "Wh-what kind of question is that? Of course I'm fine! You gave me that medicine right?" Fluttershy nodded, then leaned her head forward. She had no idea what was going through her friend’ss head as she stared her magenta eyes, trying to gleam any bit of sense from the confident pegasus’s thoughts. She backed up a little, falling to her rump. "Hey, don't get so close. It's kind of weird." Fluttershy knew something was off. Only a few hours ago Rainbow Dash had declared love for the shy pegasus. Now, Fluttershy's stare into the pegasus's eyes revealed only a very small tinge of embarrassment. It was clear that at that moment, Rainbow Dash didn't love Fluttershy, or at least didn't want to admit it. She started to speak again, interrupting Fluttershy's thoughts. "I don't think we can go much farther for a while, but I'm just... too awake to sleep." "No, we need to try and sleep if we're not going to move." Fluttershy wanted to try last test to see if Dash was really herself or not. "Come over here, we can sleep next to each other again. It'll keep us warmer too." Fluttershy withheld a sly grin. Hah! That outta get her to be her old self, those are two great reasons to stay next to each other, she has to take the opportunity. If she doesn't... then there's something very, very wrong here, Fluttershy thought to herself. Dash blushed almost instantly. Unable to hide her embarrassment, she stuttered a little as she spoke. "Oh... uhm, well I g-guess, that's fine... you know. If y-you don't mind it, then yeah, okay... I am kind of cold in this dark forest..." she slowly walked over, which now seemed to take little effort, but her exhaustion was visible in her slow steps. Fluttershy patted the ground where Rainbow Dash should lie down, and she did so. Fluttershy then turned to face her, and lay down next to her, bringing a comforting hoof over Dash's shoulder. She shuddered as Fluttershy lay down next to her. "Y-you don't have to get that close Fluttershy, it's... kind of..." "Oh, silly, I don't mind. We can keep a little warmer this way too. Besides, I know you don't mind too much." The cyan pegasus lifted herself up and looked at Fluttershy as anger built up in her voice. "What is that supposed to mean?" Fluttershy couldn't stop thinking about what her friend had told her just hours earlier, and it was almost visibly painful to her that her friend was somehow acting like they were just friends. Without thinking, she blurted out, "I thought you loved me!" Her mouth fell open, her face blank as she stared at the Fluttershy. "You... I... what? How could you-" "You told me earlier! You told me that you loved me before we fell asleep together, Rainbow Dash! How could you forget?" Fluttershy said, now getting up as well. Her voice had risen a little, an emotion running through her brain that she couldn't register. "I-I said no such thing! Why would I be in love with you anyway?! You're a mare! Are you trying to accuse me of being a Fillyfooler?!" She yelled, her body trembling with rage. "How the hell could you possibly know what kind of feelings I have, huh?" Fluttershy shrunk down from her previous stance, audibly whimpering. She had hoped that maybe Rainbow Dash was just being tired and a little forgetful. Now it seemed that, in the cyan mare’s mind, the confession never happened. Fluttershy, scared, could only stare at the angry pegasus in shame as she glared. Then she noticed a flash of white-and-blue light, from what seemed to be several feet behind Dash. Fluttershy moved her head to look past the angry pegasus, but she followed, not breaking eye contact for a second. "Don't try and avoid me this time, Fluttershy! Maybe you can be all squeaky and be all cute and shy with the other ponies, but not me!" She was still yelling, rage thick and making her voice almost hoarse. "I'm going to Ponyville alone. Don't follow me, or I swear you will regret it." "But Dash-" "FUCK. YOU." Was all Rainbow Dash screamed as she lifted off, her wings working as if she wasn't tired, and flew in the direction they had originally been heading. Fluttershy stared at the pegasus as she vanished into the darkness of the forest. Fluttershy looked around. She was alone. She tried to think to herself, but felt a sadness poking at her consciousness, trying to break free. What... did I do... I thought she loved me... why would she be so mad... why be so mad at me... I just wanted... to help her... Fluttershy could no longer hold her composure as her legs crumbled, and she began to weep, her entire body lying against the ground and visibly shuddering. She ran through her head everything she had done that day, the weeping filling the forest with a quiet white noise. Her friend's rage had permeated her mind, filling her inner-most thoughts. Rainbow Dash. She had admitted that she loved Fluttershy only hours ago, and it was the first time Fluttershy had truly felt wanted, needed, or loved. She had then screamed at her, in a voice filled with rage. Fluttershy had tried to fulfill the unrequited love, and that had driven away her closest friend. She felt truly alone in the forest. She looked around briefly from her spot on the ground. Nothing. The forest was pitch black, the only thing visible being the tall trunks of trees nearest to her. Her mind started to fill with thoughts of loneliness, not having anypony to help her. Her weeping began to quiet a little as she remembered when she hadn't had anyone in Ponyville, simply living day-after-day like it was a giant haze, only buying what she needed to live. Angel Bunny had been her first care, and she had slowly gotten to love every animal in the town. But then she made more friends. Rainbow Dash, whom she already knew, and the other ponies in their group had become her friends, and slowly she had lost some of that shy demeanor through them, but she still felt as if something was missing. Then an old acquaintance who was now one of her best friends, had told her she loved her. Through her own tears, she tried to lift her legs, and flap her wings. Nothing moved. Her body felt heavy, as if her bones were lead. Rainbow Dash had betrayed her. Fluttershy had trusted the cyan pegasus completely, and that trust was betrayed. Her mind, uncontrollable, started to ravage her with images of Rainbow Dash leaving her, yelling at her in anger, abandoning her. She squeaked suddenly and the weeping grew louder. She felt tired. Her tears stopped suddenly as she lay down on her side, try to make the dirt against her coat comfortable as she laid her head on her forehooves. I'm all alone, was all she thought as she fell asleep. ----- She didn't know how long she had slept. She didn't know what time it was when she woke up. She still didn't know where she was when she woke up. The sleep hadn't cleared her mind of anything except for one thought, which now seemed to overwhelm her mind. Rainbow Dash abandoned me... She stood up. Her face was tear-stained as she wiped her eyes and rubbed her cheeks. She wasn't sure what to do next. She had even forgotten what cardinal direction Ponyville was in. The forest was clearly visible now, small rays of yellow darting down in various patches from the treetops around her. A few animals were moving around, ones that apparently were partially sentient without needing pony incentive to act for their own betterment. She heard a loud snap of a branch from behind her, and she spun her head around to see what had caused it. There stood a pony she didn't quite recognize, but thought was familiar. She was a blue furred unicorn, with a silver-white mane and violet eyes. She only wore a plain purple cape and hood, almost a kind of cloak. She had two saddlebags, but both seemed to have very few things in them. She had kept her whole body still, probably in surprise from the cracked branch below her hoof. Upon meeting Fluttershy's gaze with her own, she puffed out her chest gave Fluttershy a sly smile. "Guess I've been seen. Do not fret, for I was not here to try and harm you, but simply pass by-" Fluttershy interrupted her. "Hey... I think... I've seen you... before..." "Nonsense! How could you know who I am? I have... never been to Ponyville before!" She said, loudly and full of confidence. "Perhaps you mistake me for some other Ponies who travel about?" Fluttershy squinted. She knew the unicorn. She couldn't place her hoof on it, but she was distinctly familiar. "Never... been to Ponyville?" She shook her head, and waved her off with a hoof. "I should leave you to your own business, as you leave me to mine. I am sorry to have disturbed you-" "Trixie?" The words had slipped Fluttershy's mind without thinking, but the image the word brought to her mind matched exactly who was standing before her. "Yeah, I remember you... you were that magician pony doing tricks and stuff..." Trixie hung her head. "Oh, I had hoped no pony would remember something like that." She sighed, and gave Fluttershy a somber look. "Yes, I am the 'Great and Powerful Trixie' as I once used to say." "I-I'm sorry if that was rude. I just..." "No, I take no offense." She flicked her head, lowering the hood of her cloak. "I was a proud pony during those times. I made money, gave spectacular shows, even if I was a tad over-the-top about my achievements-" "You sort of... lied..." Fluttershy had almost whispered the sentence, but Trixie heard her just fine. "I suppose you're right again. But those times are behind me now. I've long since come to my senses, using my magic to further the pursuits of science!" She reared back, and gave Fluttershy a grin as her forelegs hit the ground. "Since my last show months ago, I've learned to use my magic to help various labs or scientists do all kinds of jobs. It's been a great traveling experience, and I've come to terms with how much of a show-off I used to be. You forgive me don't you? For inspiring Snips and Snails to bring an Ursa Minor into Ponyville?" Fluttershy's face contorted a little in thought. She had not really remembered that night as much of a big deal, considering how fast Twilight had dealt with it, but she suspected that Trixie, who had dashed off with none of her belongings, or saying a word to anypony, might feel a tad guilty. She shook her head at Trixie. "It wasn't your fault, so you don't have to apologize. So, what are you doing in the woods anyway?" She looked at the blue unicorn, and felt like she had seen that color of blue more recently. Fluttershy was instantly reminded of the flash of light she had seen during the argument she had with Rainbow Dash. That blue... it must have been the same color as Trixie's fur. Her face hardened. "And did you see us arguing last night?" "I had hoped to be a bit less obvious than that. Oh dear..." she sighed, and lowered her saddlebags to the ground, which had apparently been tiring her. She lifted head higher than when she had the saddlebags on her back, and looked at Fluttershy apologetically. "You see, I wasn't looking for you exactly. I had been wondering the forest, lost, when I happened upon your camp. In fact, it was more the yelling that brought me towards you. I quickly cast myself in invisibility as soon as I realized I was in your line of sight, and tried to ignore what was happening... but I found it difficult." "Oh... I'm... I'm sorry you had to see that. It was my fault." Fluttershy looked down in shame, but Trixie walked up to her, patting her shoulder. "She was just angry." Trixie said. "I used to be angry all the time. I never kept friends. I still don't." She laughed. "But I've learned a little something over the last year or so, trying to make friends and be... nice." She had to force herself to speak that final word. It almost seemed hoarse when she spoke it. "It's that, sometimes, friends may get angry, or maybe even hurt you, physically or otherwise, but that doesn't mean they aren't your friend. It simply means they made one bad decision. One bad decision doesn't define anypony." One bad decision doesn't define anypony... Fluttershy kept playing the sentence over and over again in her head. It felt like a lesson she'd learn from Twilight; one of the "values of friendship" letters that Twilight Sparkle would always send to Princess Celestia, almost weekly. Fluttershy felt... something in her mind. It nudged her. Her mind quietly returned to thinking of the baby dragon, but the memory didn't bring sadness. It brought hope. Fluttershy smiled. "Thank you." "What?" Trixie was perplexed. "It's... something I was having trouble thinking about. Rainbow Dash told me it too, but somehow, it wouldn't click until now." She chuckled to herself. She felt happy, standing so close to Trixie. She didn't mind being loud or talking as much. She decided to give a very light summary to Trixie of what happened that day, about the dragon, Dash's injuries, and - skipping over the admittance of love - the argument they had. She made it clear that Rainbow Dash was far too injured, and bound to her herself in her current state. Trixie nodded when Fluttershy finished. "Well, we should go looking for her. She may still be mad, but that means she won't be thinking straight. I know exactly how that feels." She magically levitated her saddlebags to her back, and didn't run ten feet before Fluttershy flew in front of her and stopped her. "Yes, I agree.” Fluttershy's face was stern as she hovered in front of the curious unicorn. “But I don't trust you.” "What could you possibly not trust about me-" "Why are you in this forest, all alone, with saddlebags that seem to only hold a few days worth of food, and... books, it looks like? It looks like you were ready to travel in here." Trixie scoffed. "I am doing nothing remotely suspicious, and if it will clear your mind of such thoughts, then I will explain my presence here. I was on my way from Fillydelphia after doing work for a few chemists there, working on non-magical medicines. My specialty in life is magic, and therefore I am good at levitating and infusing or defusing energy. Something that seems to help in labs... and in storage of such chemicals. It's no more tiring for me to move huge boxes of chemicals or materials than an Earth Pony worker-" "Well, why are you in this forest?" Fluttershy was beginning to soften. "Augh, you are so FRUSTRATING, do you know that?" Trixie gritted her teeth, and calmed herself down a little before continuing. "On my way to Ponyville from Fillydelphia, I encountered an entourage of ponies leaving said city and going towards Fillydelphia. A few ponies had remembered me, and wanted a preformance." She sighed, obviously annoyed at the memory. "I gave them a quick 10 minute show of me doing tricks, and a few helpers on stage who I integrated into the act without humiliating them. "I told them that I was on my way to Ponyville to help the nurse with my magic, as few magic users in Ponyville are adept or used to medicinal magics. I was called about a special plant they had discovered recently, and I was to help analyze it and bring out its medical properties. They told me they knew what I meant, and said the plant was in this forest. I figured coming with a few samples wouldn't be a terrible idea, so I retrieved some, and proceeded to get lost." Using magic, she opened her saddlebag, and brought out a plant. Fluttershy smiled as she instantly recognized it. It had that terrible smell and same yellow color as the plant she had made medicine with. "I've used this plant before. It's something I've known about for a while. My parents used it sometimes," she explained. "It helps animals pretty well." Trixie nodded. "Yes, and apparently it has magical properties, which is why I was called in. It seems to have curious effects on ponies, when compared to animals, and that is why I was called in. Twilight Sparkle has apparently been busy with her OWN studies, and didn't know enough about medicinal magic." Fluttershy tilted her head in curiosity. "Different... effect on ponies?" Trixie nodded again. "It seems... to entice them. You see, on animals, it seems to ignore their mind because it isn't truly sentient, and targets any other organ it can, amplifying its abilities, helping them heal or recover. But it’s supposed to affect the brain, and when given to a Pony... If they're thinking about something strongly, they'll become obsessed with it. An example might be if a pony is obsessed with food, they might start eating food non-stop, even if they're not hungry, to a point where it might be physically impossible for them to fit any more food into their stomach, but they eat anyway. It might even develop into some kind of terrible fetish, we have no idea. But because the feelings aren't natural to their body, they forget those specific feelings after about half a day." Fluttershy's face fell, but she kept listening to Trixie. "If it's heated properly, it can also act as a kind of cold medicine, and it's the only thing so far that we've discovered that can somehow counteract the virus. But ingested any other way, it magically strikes the brain in very interesting ways. We had very limited supplies of it in Fillydelphia, which is one reason I'm on my way to Ponyville as well. Now, can you TRUST me? I'm quite tired of telling you my life story." Trixie noticed that the yellow pegasus had a look of distraction and concern on her face. "Hello? Did you remember something important just now or something? Shouldn't we be looking for your friend?" Fluttershy shook herself out of her own distracted spell, and nodded. "R-right. I think I know which direction Ponyville is in now, so let’s head that way. But I want to catch her before sundown, so I think we should move quickly. I can fly just fine, but can you run?" Trixie smiled her confident, sly smile. "Just you watch. So where are we going?" Fluttershy pointed with a hoof, and instantly, both of them were off, Trixie going at a jogging pace, and Fluttershy flying just ahead of her. Rainbow Dash. Please stay safe. Just stay safe for now. I don't care if you never speak to me or see me again. Just don't get hurt. ----- The sound of the wind howling brought Rainbow Dash out of the depths of sleep. Everything in her house had been blown around, broken or on the ground, and her cloud roof was gone, as well as most of the walls. She glanced up and saw a horrible black cloud, large enough to cover almost a mile of sky, swirling above her. Rain was falling and the flashes and cracks of lightning and thunder could be seen and heard, as if only feet away from them. "Sky! Sky get up!" She yelled at the mare next to her, who was still asleep. "Sky, now is NOT a good time to be sleeping!" Sky Swallower groggily opened her eyes, and glancing at the scene around them, yelped in surprise. She flew up over the walls of Dash's house, looking around. "What the hell is going on?" "I don't know, I just woke up and this storm was there!" Rainbow Dash flew up as well, her eyes darting for movement of ponies. Sure enough, she saw it; a weather squad was coming up from south of them, under the clouds. "Storms aren't supposed to happen this high, why is this happening?!" "Look!" Sky pointed with a hoof to an area below them. A group of young colts, not much older than them, had engaged one of the flight teams in the air, trying to stop them from reaching the cloud. "Are they vandals or something? What point is there to setting a storm up above Cloudsdale?" "They must be a gang or something. They've set up storms before, but never above a cloud city." Dash looked around hastily. "We should try to get down to the ground; the lightning is dangerous up here-" The sound was deafening. Lightning struck out just past Rainbow Dash, almost breaking her eardrums. Her vision turned foggy and her head emptied itself as she started falling, only half-aware of the situation. The bolt of lightning had taken out some of her house as she plummeted past now broken floor, and towards the ground. She fell for almost four seconds before becoming aware again, her wings starting to flap instinctively. "Ow... so... loud..." she could barely hear herself over the ringing in her ears. "Sky..." she looked around. Sky Swallower was nowhere to be seen. She looked down, and saw the orange pegasus plummeting, falling through clouds, unconscious. "SKY!" Screamed Rainbow Dash as she dove after her. She wasn't sure how far below her Sky was, but she had to catch up. She had to catch her. Her forehooves outstretched before her as she dived, eventually going through a layer of clouds covering the sky, letting ground come into view. It was only early morning. While the sky above them was dark, the ground below them shone with sunlight, revealing the grass country side. Dash focused on Sky Swallower as her wings pushed her lithe body through the air, every fast, approaching Sky slowly. Dash eventually got close enough to see exactly what had happened. The lightning had hit her wing, leaving only half of her wing left attached to her body, like a snapped twig. She saw that Sky wasn't unconscious, her eyes half open as she was falling. Dash pushed her wings into overdrive, pumping them faster than she thought she ever could. She wasn't thinking about what would happen if she didn't catch her. Only that she had to. The mach cone was building around her body as she dove, propelling herself as fast as she could. She started to feel resistance as she dived, and knew exactly what was happening. No! I can't do a sonic rainboom! But if I stop now, I'll rebound and never catch her! Sky's eyes opened completely now, and she looked around, her wing violently flapping. It only served to start her rotating, as one wing served no use in flying. She had slowly done one small loop, seeing the ground, then slowing to a stop as she looked to Rainbow Dash. "I'm going to catch you!" Dash yelled. The barrier became visible now, as Dash felt it tightening around her hooves. I can do this. I have to do this. Tears were forming around Sky's face as she smiled. She closed her eyes and mouthed, "You're the best, Rainbow." "DAMMIT NO!" Rainbow Dash screamed, getting a sudden burst of speed and coming within one foot of Sky's tail. The barrier formed, held her in place as she battled to break it, her wings still flapping harder than they ever had before. The barrier won, and catapulted her backwards, sending her a hundred feet into the air. She corrected herself in seconds, and flew downward, more cautious now. I failed. She landed, looking around. She knew what to expect, yet she kept hoping that something, anything had happened. Had she landed in a hay bale? Did some other pegasus catch her? Her legs carried her quickly, faster than her head could scan the ground. It was just a dirt path and lots of grass, how hard could it be- I couldn't catch her. She found what she had been looking for, and more. A unicorn was standing over a collapsed pegasus, breathing heavily. Her horn had been glowing, the light shining down on the pegasus, but it abruptly ended as Rainbow Dash started walking towards them, the unicorn collapsing in exhaustion. I wasn't fast enough. The Unicorn had a purple coat, black mane, and bright blue eyes. Her cutie mark wasn't visible beneath the brown cloak and saddlebags full of books she was carrying. She turned towards Rainbow Dash, choking back tears. This is my fault. Dash wanted to lift off, fly away, never return, and forget it all happened. Yet something in her mind had to know; it begged to see what had befallen her best friend... the one she had loved. She walked forward and looked down at the unmoving pegasus. "I tried to brace her fall with magic..." explained the unicorn. "I couldn't, and I tried healing her with magic too, and... I couldn't... I'm sorry..." Dash broke into tears. ----- Fluttershy brought her hoof down quickly, the motion for the two ponies to stop. "Why are we stopping?" Asked Trixie, irritated. "We were making good progress-" "Sh!" Fluttershy turned her head, back and forth. I was certain I heard something... There it was again. She flew off in the direction of the sound; a quiet whimpering that she could now hear clearly. They had been traveling for five hours, and were due to soon stop for a quick meal of the rations that Trixie had in her bags, but the sound Fluttershy heard had been what she was looking for the entire trip. Following the quiet sound of whimpering, she finally found Rainbow Dash in a small . She was whimpering in pain, tears streaming from her eyes. She lay on her back, her left wing folded against her side. Her right wing was bent backward, and bleeding, but was only mostly attached. She looked up to Fluttershy and shook her head. "I got really tried... drifted off... hit a tree at full speed... the pain kept me up for a while, and then I finally passed out..." she coughed. Blood was still present in her lungs. "Hush now..." Fluttershy examined the wing, and knew it was still something that could heal naturally. "Don't move that wing. I can fix it safely against your side." She nodded, swallowing her sadness. She saw movement from behind Fluttershy, and leaned her head an inch to see who it was. Trixie looked at her, in pity. "I'm sorry, I don't know much healing magic in particular, I only work with potions and solutions..." she followed Fluttershy as she found some leaves and a vine to safely tie up Rainbow Dash's wings, and used her magic to tie them firmly in place. She then focused a little bit on healing her wing with magic. Feeling the flesh mend and blood stop its flow, she winced. Convinced she was now safe to move, they took Rainbow Dash with them as they walked towards Ponyville, progressing slowly as the two ponies supported the wounded pegasus. None of them talked the entire way. It was evening. They set another camp up, the fire and water easier to obtain now with magic from Trixie. She fell asleep first, as she wasn't used to working or walking as much as they had that day. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were sitting on the opposite side of the fire from Trixie, leaning against each other. Dash had started crying again, and was using Fluttershy as support as she pressed her face into her neck. "Fltrsh..." Dash's voice was muffled by the yellow pegasus's neck. "Yes?" She said. She had been blushing lightly the entire ten minutes that the cyan pegasus had been crying. She had never seen the once confident and loud tomboy be so emotional before, and it frankly filled her with more than just concern for her health. The calm quiet Dash before her whispered to the shy pegasus, filled with sadness and regret. "I'm... I'm not sure what's been going on most of today... but I think I have to tell you something." Dash took her head off of Fluttershy's neck, and was staring at the shy pegasus. She blushed a little harder, and this time didn't make any assumptions. "What do you mean?" Dash shook her head to clear her thoughts, then cleared her throat. "I'm... well, I've done a lot of stuff today. One really big good thing... and some not so good things. I think I should... tell you why. Do you know what my greatest fear is?" Fluttershy only shook her head. Dash continued, "Well, it's losing my friends." "Losing them?" "Losing them. In every sense of the word. I'm scared whenever I think about a friend that might be leaving, or when they get hurt... scared beyond belief sometimes." "I'm scared of that too, Dash-" "Not like me you're not." She said, cutting her off. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. Had she forgotten I explained the dragons to her too? "When I was a filly, back in Cloudsdale and flight school, I had a really good friend. Her name was Sky Swallower. She was one of my first friends along with Gilda, and we hung out... almost daily. In our second year of class, we were hanging out at my house one morning when a big storm suddenly rolled over Cloudsdale. Some gangs had been fighting, and one of them wanted to bring the other out with the storm, I can't remember. That week was a huge haze. Anyway, it rained, blew, and even had lightning that reached all the way to the ground. A lot of pegasi were hurt that day." "Dash, please, you don't have to-" "One of them died." Fluttershy felt her heart sink. She had lost a childhood friend too? "Sky Swallower had been hovering next to me, and a bolt of lightning struck her, only inches away from me. It tore off one of her wings, and... she fell to the ground." Tears Rainbow Dash had been trying so hard to hold back were starting to emerge again. "That day was also... the second time I attempted a sonic Rainboom. If I had done it that day, she'd probably be alive right now..." Fluttershy hugged Dash. She went limp, her tears stopping purely in surprise. Fluttershy pulled back and looked the cyan pegasus right in the eye. "I know that feeling, okay? When I was a filly, a friend of mine died too. I know what you're feeling, okay? So no more crying." "She wasn't just... just my best friend, Fluttershy!" Dash tried to push her back, but didn't even have the strength to nudge her. "That morning... she had stopped by before school, and told me... that she loved me. She loved me Fluttershy! And you know what?" She punched the ground with her hoof. "I did too! I loved her back, but I didn't have the courage to tell her, and she died, like that! Do you know how THAT feels?!" Fluttershy kept staring, but surprised was still painted on her face. "No, I'm sorry. I-I don't know how that feels..." Dash swallowed again, and tears resumed their race down the creases of her face. "It was the first time I had felt anything for anypony, and she... made me realize that I at least liked mares. I didn't even know until I met her. And as soon as we had talked... she died. Just like that. I-I didn't even get a chance to tell her I liked her back!" Her weeping grew louder. "She died because I couldn't catch her, because I wasn't fast enough." Fluttershy whimpered. "It wasn't your fault Dash-" "It is too my fault! I couldn't catch her! All I had to do was fly straight down fast enough, and scoop her up... like I did Rarity." She wiped her face with a hoof, but it proved useless against the stream of tears. "So I devoted myself that day to being as fast as I could be. To be the best flier, and even to performing a Sonic Rainboom one day. I wanted... I want to be the very best. I want to be able to be faster than anypony, so that I can catch them where they fall. "I thought back to how I got my cutie mark. How that first race had felt, how fast I was and how easy it was and how in control I was... and I knew. I knew that I was supposed to be the best flier in all of Equestria, but with that, I could save my friends. I would have to be faster than a tidal wave, faster than a mad thunderstorm, faster than... an enraged dragon, to protect them. And that I would protect them from any and all danger." Her gaze returned to Fluttershy. "When... you somehow figured out that I... well, I don't know if it's love... but had feelings for you... I couldn't say anything, and I felt helpless in this weakened state. I didn't want to face you when I couldn't even fly faster than a trot! I was scared that something would happen if I couldn't protect you again... so I just bolted, okay!? It was stupid of me." She made one last sob, and stared into the big, teal eyes of the yellow Pegasus who had been holding her close. Fluttershy wiped the single tear from her face. "Oh, you silly filly!" She said, hugging Dash again. Dash embraced her this time, both of them wrapping their hooves around each other. "There's no point in caring for others if you never care for yourself. You can get hurt just as much as any of us. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I've never felt safer around anypony else," she pulled back and looked Dash in the face again, "but you need to take care of yourself too, okay? If I lost you after I couldn't even help you get back to your feet... you'd have broken my heart twice in the same day." Dash nodded. "I'm sorry Fluttershy." "Don't be. Let’s get some sleep so we can get back to Ponyville tomorrow, okay?"

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2012-02-22T18:21:08+00:00

2012-02-22T18:21:08+00:00

Despite sleeping on the hard, dirt ground, Fluttershy felt like she had gotten real, genuine rest from that night of sleep. She woke up, yawning, and gently brushed dirt off her coat and any dried tears from her face and eyes. The fire had long gone out, and she didn’t see Trixie at the other side of the camp. Before she could begin looking around, she heard Rainbow Dash stir beside her. Deciding that the wounded pegasus next to her is more important, she reaches over to gently brush her side. She noticed something as she touched her. She was cool to the touch, and seemed wet. “Dash?” She whispered, hoping she’s fully awake. Dash rolled over to face Fluttershy. Her eyes were barely open and her voice was weak. “Hey... Fluttershy... I don’t... feel so well...” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh Dash, what’s the matter? You were fine last night.” “I... actually didn’t feel too good. I didn’t want you to feel any worse about me running away... or about the medicine you gave me.” she tried to smile, but started coughing again. They were loud, and ruthless, as they wouldn’t stop for almost a full minute. She moaned in pain when she finally stopped, and thankfully no blood came out. “I... already found out that wasn’t good medicine for you...” Fluttershy looked around the campsite again. Trixie wasn’t there, but she had left her bags and cloak. She must have noticed that Dash was sick, and went off to find something. But I don’t know anything natural that can help her now... Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to do. She simply said the first thing she thought of, which was self pity. “I should have realized that you were in bad shape Dash, this is sort of my fault. I’m sorry I didn’t find any medicine that could help you.” “No big deal. Just stop apologizing all the time...” she reached out with her right forehoof, the other hoof lying on the ground in its still secure splint. “I don’t like seeing you sad. This isn’t your fault.” Fluttershy smiled. “Then I’ll keep a brave face, just for you, okay?” “Yeah.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. They were silent for a few moments, before Fluttershy broke it. “I’m kind of sorry to bring this up, but uh... is there somewhere where it hurts more?” Dash raised an eyebrow. “You mean inside?” “Yeah. If you are bleeding, I think you’re having some blood loss problems. You should feel some kind of area where it hurts a little more...” Dash nodded. She slowly brought her hoof and placed it on her lower abdomen. “It... really hurts right here...” Fluttershy nodded. As she got up, Dash moaned again. The rainbow-maned pegasus tried to stand up, only to collapse almost as soon as she had. She passed out as soon as she hit the ground. “DASH!” Fluttershy yelled, jumping to her side again. “C’mon, wake up. Dash, this isn’t funny.” She nudged her face, finding it soaked in sweat and cold to the touch. “Dash... come on...” She knew that they had to get back quickly. Dash had passed out, and showed every sign of blood loss she knew. It had been about two days of basically no treatment, but it wasn’t until then she knew how dire the situation had to be. Oh, Dash, if you didn’t fly all that distance, you might be okay right now... but I can’t carry you to Ponyville on my own. A tree branch snapped behind her, followed by the hurrying rustling of leaves. She didn’t even get to turn around before Trixie appeared next to Dash. She was looking down in panicked worry at Dash as she quickly explained what she had been doing that morning. “When I woke up this morning, she was sweating, cold, and shivering. I realized she must have lost a lot of blood, but I thought it might have been from her wing.” Fluttershy looked to the wing, which was still against her side. It looked mangled and red, but it wasn’t an open wound. “I sealed it up with more magic, but I thought she must have had internal bleeding.” Fluttershy nodded. “She coughs up blood sometimes, but before last night she was okay. I think the wing was a problem before we found her. Do we have to get her surgery or something to stop the bleeding?” Trixie shook her head. “The only difference is that the opening in the vein or artery is inside, not outside. Clotting would stop it normally, but inside there’s no way for the blood to dry up or clot, since there’s no air. She’d need special clotting medicine, and blood transfusions to keep her going while she waited. Neither of which we can do out here.” She looked around. “I have no idea how far Ponyville is from here...” Fluttershy nodded again, tearing up a little. “I don’t... either...” she buried her head in the unconscious pegasus’s chest, crying. “Oh Dash! Please stay strong until we can get back to Ponyville. You’re gonna be okay... you have to be okay...” Trixie had no words for Fluttershy. She had plenty of medical experience and experience in drugs or potions, but never interacted with a patient or even those ponies who volunteered for studies. She walked around the unconscious pegasus and sat next to Fluttershy, bringing a comforting hoof around her. After a minute of sitting and trying to think of what to say, she had an idea. She patted Fluttershy comfortingly. “Your friend is made of tougher stuff than that. She even took on an angry dragon! Something I’m pretty sure no pony else could have done. Not even I, the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Fluttershy looked up from Dash, with a weak smile. “She’s strong... but it’s been two days Trixie. I don’t think she’ll last much longer, especially after all that exertion yesterday.” “That’s why I’m prepared to save her, and get us out of this forest.” She stood up, and walked over to where her things were, retrieving them. “Wh-what?” Fluttershy was utterly confused. “We can’t make anything to carry Dash with us, how would we get back-“ “I am a Unicorn, dear girl.” Trixie said, her voice proud and confident. “My specialty in life is magic. Do you think I’m unable to cast a simple teleport spell?” “B-but that seems kind of hard...” Fluttershy wasn’t sure what else she could say. She knew nothing of magic, other than it would make a pony tired if she used, or tried to use something too powerful. Trixie nodded. “Magic... for things like levitating, is easy to quantify. Weight and distance moved decide what you can do. For chemistry or medicine, it’s just moving energy around to cause reactions. Teleporting is... harder...” she looked at Rainbow Dash, then to Fluttershy. “All I know is how to do it without light, for my shows. I have teleported before, as it’s something Unicorns do well when their talent is related to magic itself.” Fluttershy didn’t move, only sat staring at her. She couldn’t figure out why a Unicorn she had basically just met, who had been humiliated by her friends in Ponyville, and hadn’t even kept a single home or tie to anypony, would just up and help her. It was beyond her understanding. Was it some weird kind of charity? Did she feel remorseful for what had happened to Ponyville, even if nothing bad had happened? Was she making up for something else? Trixie continued after a short pause. “Heh, speechless, of course. I often have that effect on ponies.” She looked at Rainbow Dash again. “What you two have, I don’t know what it is. I don’t really understand what it might even be. But seeing you two… it’s strange. I want you to stay the way you are, and I don’t want either of you to lose it.” “Trixie…” Fluttershy almost whispered it. Trixie heard her perfectly well. “I suppose this might be something ponies call ‘friendship,’ but I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had friends.” Before Fluttershy could respond, Trixie’s horn started to glow. “I don’t know how far Ponyville is, and I don’t know how much energy I’ll need for all 3 of us. I’m just going to shoot for about five-six miles, we did travel quite a distance already. There’s no risk for you two, just for me, that over shooting or even just using this energy… might be bad. Stay perfectly still and this will go smoothly.” Fluttershy, still somewhat unsure but knowing this was the only option left, nodded. She sat quietly next to Rainbow Dash, who was still passed out. Trixie’s horn was still glowing, the pale-blue ivory like a lamp that shone an electric blue light. It encompassed all of them, the glow making Fluttershy almost feel warm. The glow around the horn grew brighter, the lamp-like shape of the light expanding to be as large as Trixie herself. She grunted, and the light pulsed, and Fluttershy’s vision became nothing but a shine of blue as she shut them to stop the harsh light from blinding her. ----- She opened her eyes. The area around her was not that of a forest, or that of the town of Ponyville, or that of any location she could think of. The sky, unobstructed, was a strong yellow, like a sunset, but without a sun and without any mixed shades of color strewn across the sky. There were clouds. They were in the sky, and around her. She looked down, and saw nothing except more dense white clouds. It was like she was in heaven. She thought for a second, and wondered if she had died. She then immediately pushed that thought aside, and thought she must be dreaming, or having a vision, or maybe she was in the sky and she somehow forgot how she got there. She was still sitting, so she stood up, and walked for a few seconds. She circled where she was sitting, testing the ground. Whatever she was standing on, it wasn’t a cloud, as it held her firm but it wasn’t a hard floor, as it made no sound. She brought her hoof down on it firmly, and it stopped, but it stopped instantly, and brought no pain, nor a loud sound. It was a hard floor that didn’t hurt, didn’t move, and made no sound. She thought for a second about how many laws of physics that broke. She had just sat down again when she heard a sound of wind from behind her, as it brushed her tail, fur, and wings. She looked behind herself slowly and saw another pegasus standing there. Her fur was yellow, and hair was streaks of both pink and green. There was an uncanny air of familiarity that Fluttershy couldn’t put a hoof on as she stared at the pegasus. “Fluttershy is your name, correct?” She said. Her voice echoed and seemed to reach Fluttershy’s ears last, after it was done bouncing off the non-existent walls of wherever she was. It entered her mind, and seemed to somehow emanate from her own thoughts at the same time she heard it. It sounded quiet and calm, much like her voice. “Yes.” She felt comforted by this strange pony, even though she had no idea who she was. She wasn’t scared at all. It was liberating. “What is going on? Where am I? Why-“ “Please don’t ask too many questions. All you need to know right now is that you’re safe.” The pegasus smiled. Fluttershy felt a little perturbed by the smile, and realized why. “You look exactly like me, but with different colors of your mane!” She exclaimed, pulling down her mane and examining it, then looking closely at the other pegasus’s mane. “Correct. Fluttershy, I am the Element of Kindness. I felt you being touched by powerful magic, and knew this would be a good chance to let my holder know what exactly was happening.” “What is happening? Is Rainbow Dash alive? Did Trixie successfully teleport us to Ponyville?” Fluttershy stopped herself suddenly when Kindness threw a stern look at Fluttershy, almost like her own Stare. “Oh, right, too many questions…” Kindness shook her head. “I do not know any of those answers. I only know what you feel and what you felt ever since we bonded. I don’t even know what has been happening to you recently. I decided that, with an opportunity to get this much magical power, I would use the time it would give me to talk to you. Fluttershy, holder of the Element of Kindness, remember this. Someone is trying to take the Elements of Harmony from you, and the other five ponies that hold them.” Fluttershy tilted her head in curiosity. She had a few questions, but was hesitant to ask them. She did anyway, figuring that they weren’t like her previous ones. “Two things: Who is trying to take them?” Kindness shrugged. “It is most likely one of great magical power. It is not a holder of the elements, for they may not hold more than one element at any given time, and would most likely cast the element into nothingness in an attempt to take one. Upon using magic as powerful as one would need to take an element, their element would do what I am doing now, probably scold them, and tell them it’s impossible.” “What do they have to do to take an element?” She asked her next question without hesitation. Kindness thought for a few seconds on this, her hoof at her own chin in thought. “I do not know. I only know that I could feel a force being exerted upon Loyalty recently, and it was a very targeted force. For me to feel something of another element must mean you were very close to them, physically and spiritually and emotionally. Has something happened recently that felt oddly out of their regular behavior? That is all I can think of that may weaken an element’s attachment to a pony.” Fluttershy was put off a bit by the over-analyzing and calculating nature of Kindness, especially when it carried her own voice. It sounded like she was boiling down her and her friends into simple behaviors. She answered begrudgingly, “Rainbow Dash recently got very angry with me, but that was because of a problem she had as a filly. It wasn’t something I expected, but now that I know more about her, it seems valid.” Kindness shook her head. “We choose our holders because they truly and literally and completely, are the embodiment of that feeling, that ideal. If Loyalty has done something that would not be loyal to you or others recently, it goes against any moral code she has. It was brought on by complete foreign influence, be it magical, medicinal, intense sickness, or loss of sanity.” Fluttershy thought about what happened exactly. It was in the forest, the night of the day that Rainbow Dash had fought off the dragon. When Rainbow Dash had threatened her, and swore at her. She hadn’t thought of it before, but why did she threaten to hurt her? Why would she threaten the pony she was having a crush on, with violence? She mulled over the brief synopsis of her story about Sky in her head, and couldn’t see violence associated with anything. Trixie’s description of what Fluttershy had given Rainbow Dash gave no indication that she’d feel especially the opposite of what she felt before waking up. Indeed, it seemed Rainbow Dash had felt out of character, but at the time she could only assume it was an angry Rainbow Dash, who often threatened enemies of her friends with violence. Did that mean for a second, Rainbow Dash felt Fluttershy was an enemy? “Betrayal would be the opposing ideal to the Element of Loyalty.” Kindness interrupted Fluttershy’s thoughts. “I do not know for sure what has been happening to you recently, other than it has made you feel sad. I felt this sadness at the same time I felt Loyalty weaken. I do not know for sure, but it seems that not embodying your element makes an element’s bond to their holder weaker.” “Are you speculating?” Fluttershy felt sort of incredulous. “You’re an element of harmony, and you don’t even know exactly what bonds us, or how to destroy that bond?” “We have existed for a thousand years, and we have been used twice. Only now, in more recent times, have we even been bonded to a pony. We know as much about it as any leading scholar might. That is very little.” “Why are you telling me this? If I’m here, does this mean that you’re just giving me a vision, between the teleport, and landing in Ponyville?” Fluttershy didn’t care about the elements anymore. She was growing more worried about Rainbow Dash, even though she figured nothing had actually happened yet. “I’m telling you this because the elements hold power, and you must not let anyone collect them-“ “Why do you say anyone?” Fluttershy interrupted. “Don’t you mean anypony? Only ponies can use magic. Unicorns at that.” “I do not know if anyone else can use magic or not. It’s not my place to decide if anyone else can besides ponies, so I use the most generic way possible to define the… situation.” Kindness looked around, and then stopped her head, as if spotting something. “We have little time left. Do not expect us to speak again.” “Wait, what?” Fluttershy reached out to Kindness as she floated off, without even flapping her wings. “Loyalty may have talked with her holder, if this ‘teleport’ you are worried about is what is bringing a magical power to you and her holder. She will know as much as I did. You must try and alert the other elements that they are in danger. I do not know what happens to a pony if its element is driven or taken from her. I do not wish to see it happen.” She started to step backwards, away from Fluttershy. Fluttershy nodded. “O-okay. I’ll tell the others. I’ll try and warn them. They’ll probably think I’m crazy though.” “Doubtful. Magic would only bond with a pony of great intelligence, and surely she will understand some of this, even without having spoken to her element.” She started to fade, turning almost transparent as she floated away. “If not, then you can tell the others how to speak with their elements. Simply have a user of magic bring them into contact with extraordinarily powerful magic. The elements may have felt tugs or pulls at their bonds, and they will have events like this one happen to them. Do not forget what we have discussed.” Kindness finally vanished as she floated up into the sky. Her voice echoed once more, this time seeming to emanate from her mind, and then reaching her ears. “We call this event an Epiphany. Celestia granted us this power in the hopes that when the holders of the elements are needed, they would realize their purpose in the world, and strive to fulfill that purpose. Good luck and stay safe.” Fluttershy sat for a few more seconds, expecting more words from Kindness, but when she heard nothing, she sighed. She didn’t know how to feel. She was immensely worried about Rainbow Dash, but if somepony was attempting to steal their elements… she had no idea what that could mean. Would they be powerful enough to do what Celestia did a thousand years ago? Fluttershy shuttered at the thought of somepony being able to channel that power; it was a power that sealed away an immortal monarch who controlled the moon, for one thousand years. If a power like that could be used however one wished… she knew it was a terrible thing. Fluttershy closed her eyes, and fell backwards, hitting the clouds soundlessly. She was tired, and worried, and scared. She just wanted to see Rainbow Dash again, to tell her it would all be okay, and stay with her when she recovered, and- The sky turned blue and she saw no clouds. The sun shone in her eyes as she realized she was falling. She landed with a thud on the ground less than a second later. She must have fallen only a few feet. She felt grass tickle her as she brought her hooves to the ground and pushed herself up. She looked to her left. Rainbow Dash was lying still, and Trixie was standing, sweating and panting, next to them. The light was fading from her horn, and she let out one last gasp as she passed out. Fluttershy got to her hooves quickly, and glanced around. There were more apple trees than she could count. It was Sweet Apple Acres. They were close to Ponyville! “APPLEJACK,” Screamed Fluttershy, running mindlessly around the apple trees that surrounded her. Fluttershy had never really been out in the fields, not since the harvesting season where Applejack had been too exhausted to buck all the apple trees herself, and had to ask the rest of her friends for help. After being lost for two days in unfamiliar territory, she smiled at the memories her mind was instinctively bringing forth. She realized that she had no reason to be running around and flew up effortlessly, seeing the telltale red barn and the Apple family house. She flew over quickly, and found Applejack and Big Macintosh, Applejack’s brother, just entering the fields. Fluttershy yelled at them, and they looked up, surprised and amazed to see the shy pegasus. She floated down to greet them, and they met her with nothing but relief. “We’ve been so worried about you, Fluttershy!” Applejack ran up to meet her friend. “Ah thought somepony kidnapped ya’ll or something. Where in Equestria have you been off to?” “It’s a long story, but we have to help Rainbow Dash, she’s badly injured. We have to get her to the hospital!” The two farmers nodded, and Fluttershy flew off, leading the two back to where her group had arrived.

Ninestempest

115

Fluttershy,Rainbow Dash,Adventure,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Epiphany

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shipping with a minor adventure into a forest.

complete

<p>Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.</p>

everyone

2012-02-22T18:22:50+00:00

2012-02-22T18:22:50+00:00

Fluttershy arrived at her house, landing softly and calmly opening the door. It was a small wooden cottage atop a hill, with various small holes and pathways all around and inside of it, for animals to travel through her house more quickly. She was greeted by Angel Bunny, her first care and her favorite animal friend, throwing a piece of carrot at Fluttershy. It smacked her square on the forehead. She sighed and picked up the carrot, giving it back to Angel as she walked to her bedroom. Two months since we returned… she thought. The events following their return were clear to her, yet felt like a distant past. Rainbow Dash’s condition had been very severe, as she had lost more blood than Fluttershy realized from her broken and exposed wing, and the nurse says she might have died if she arrived even a few hours later. She recovered quickly enough, but wasn’t able to fly, or even walk properly, for six weeks. Trixie, through the use of her powerful teleport spell, had fallen into a coma. No spell that Twilight knew, or medicine that the nurse knew of, would bring her out of it. To that day she was still lying in bed, all of her vital signs incredibly normal, as if she was asleep. Fluttershy and the rest of her friends often visited, and Twilight seemed to see her the most, sometimes even spending the night there. Rainbow Dash had stayed at Fluttershy’s cottage, learning more about animals, and spending lots of time with the shy pegasus, while she had been injured. She learned to sleep on the bed, even though she would still prefer to sleep on a cloud that they had managed to bring into Fluttershy’s bedroom. It wasn’t more than ten days ago that Rainbow Dash had fully recovered her wing, and Fluttershy had volunteered to accompany her as she cleared the skies, in case something terrible happened. Every day, when they were finished with the cyan pegasus’ work, she would thank Fluttershy. She wasn’t sure why, but it was reassuring to her that she was helping a friend. Friend. Over the course of those two months of being together almost all the time, Rainbow Dash had been almost more than a friend. Fluttershy even explained what had happened the night when Dash had admitted she was in love with the shy pegasus. She denied she felt like that, saying that it was just as Trixie described; the magic of the plant simply turned her friendship into love. Yet Fluttershy couldn’t stop thinking of Rainbow Dash’s anger with her that night as well, and didn’t know what to make of what they had. She thought of Rainbow Dash as a friend, but did the confident cyan pegasus think that as well, or did she only tell Fluttershy that? She asked pretty often, but Dash responded the same way every time. It took a month before Fluttershy felt she had to mention her fevered vision to the others. The Epiphany. She had called all of them to Twilight’s library, without letting anypony know why they were to meet. Rainbow Dash said she had as well, and with the two of them finishing their summary of their meetings, Twilight said she had received one as well, but thought it was a weird dream, as she only had it in her sleep. She hadn’t learned anything the other two already didn’t know, other than Magic seemed to have a constant connection to the other Elements, and received her vision in regards to Loyalty. Nopony else had such an event happen to them. The six of them agreed that if they felt something was wrong, they would all try and meet with Twilight, hopefully for a kind of spell to get them to meet their Elements too. Fluttershy suddenly realized she was in her bedroom, having already walked up the spiral staircase to her room. Alone now, she looked around quickly, making sure there were no animals around. Not seeing any signs of them, she walked over to her bed, set in the middle of the room between a vanity, bookshelf, and other such furniture, and climbed on top of the covers, lying on her back and finally feeling relaxed. Since her return to Ponyville, she had adopted to a new sleep schedule; she would stay up late, sleep for only 5-6 hours, wake up to meet Dash and help her with the weather, then return and sleep for a 3-4 more hours. She wasn’t sure why, but this seemed to leave her with much more energy, and since some of her animal friends were indeed nocturnal, it made caring for all of the animals easier. She would manage to be awake most days at around noon or one, so it was easy for her to meet with friends, as long as they didn’t do things too early in the morning. She figured that Dash would probably take a nap after checking on the party. Fluttershy yawned, and thought to herself that it was also her time to get some sleep. She looked to a clock, mentally noting that it was about nine in the morning. She had been awake for one hour and thirty minutes, hanging out with Rainbow Dash among the clouds that morning. Definitely time to get some shuteye, she thought to herself, as she closed her eyes and felt the peacefulness of sleep overtake her. ----- Fluttershy woke up quietly, feeling wide awake. Her eyes flipped open and she brought herself to the side of the bed. The clock showed it was half past noon. She stretched her forelegs and slid off the bed. It was still dark in her room, even with the sunlight shining through the drapes on her bedroom window- She heard a sound. It was a small tapping coming from the window. She turned around slowly and saw a shadow of somepony, tapping the window with a hoof. “Fluttershy!” The voice yelled. She recognized it instantly and quickly walked over to the window, pulling apart the drapes with her mouth, and opening the window. “Is something the matter Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy was concerned, Dash never tried to wake her up, or meet her at windows. She’d normally knock at the front door. Perhaps she had already done that, Fluttershy wasn’t sure. Rainbow Dash shook her head, but her voice was still urgent. “Come to the hospital area, okay? You gotta see this!” She was smiling now, but the speed at which she spoke was confusing Fluttershy greatly. “I’ll just leave with you,” Responded Fluttershy, walking up to the window. Rainbow Dash lifted herself off the flower-filled window sill as Fluttershy flew out as well, making sure to close the window. Dash signaled for Fluttershy to follow, and they both took off towards the center of Ponyville. Minutes later, they landed in front of the Hospital. It was more of a small doctor’s office that had some rooms set up to be emergency rooms if they were needed. Only a year ago it was simply an outside-area kept out of reach by a curtain, but after a certain incident with awfully baked muffins and Applejack, the mayor knew they had to improve the facility in case something did happen. The inside of the facility was mostly white, and had a hard-floor that clattered loudly with the sound of hooves hitting it. There was a reception desk with one pony behind it, and several chairs that were for ponies to wait for appointments. They walked inside, and saw one of their friends at the reception desk. Fluttershy waved at their farmer Earth Pony friend, and she turned and gave an acknowledging nod, continuing to speak with the receptionist. It was Applejack, one of the ponies who ran the Ponyville branch of Sweet Apple Acres, and she definitely looked the part. She had orange fur, a blonde mane and tail that were and bright green eyes. She also always wore a kind of cliché-cowboy hat, which helped her when she was in the fields and the sun was shining bright, and also seemed to match her southern accent. After about a minute of talking, Applejack turned to the two pegasi standing in the lobby, walking over to them. “Golly, you sure got here fast. You’re excited Ah bet!” She said, smiling widely. Fluttershy shook her head. “I still don’t know why I’m here actually…” “Trixie woke up!” Applejack said, relieved. “Ah was getting a might worried about her, but she seems perfectly fine, if not tired. I was checkin’ up on her this mornin’ when Ah saw she started wakin’ up. Ah ran outside, saw Rainbow Dash, told her about Trixie and to get the others, and Ah’ve been with her ever since. Happened about… thirty minutes ago now?” She glanced at the clock up on the wall, then nodded. “Let’s go meet her now, afore the other’s all get in there and fill up that small room she’s in.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both nodded, walking slowly behind Applejack as they all took the familiar path towards Trixie’s room. The reached it quickly, and saw Trixie laid down in the bed, her head against a pillow, looking absolutely exhausted. Her breathing was slow, but she was conscious, and alert. She turned her head to the three ponies that just entered the small, white room, and smiled weakly. “Oh, great, more rabble. Do you know how often the nurses have been in here? I’ve barely gotten a wink of shuteye in here.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Shut eye? Have they told you how long you were in here?” Trixie’s eyes widened as she looked to the mare with a rainbow mane. “No they did not, but since you’re fully recovered… it must have been a long time.” “Two months, Ah believe it was.” Said Applejack, genuinely glad that she was awake and already being somewhat snide. It was all she remembered of the mare, who only bragged and preformed cheesy magic tricks. It was clear she was nicer, but the confidence was unabated. “Ya’ll musta been really far when you teleported here.” “I went out to check once, actually.” Rainbow Dash’s announcement hung in the air for a moment, the suddenness of it taking everypony off guard. She had never told Fluttershy, who was a little surprised. Applejack raised an eyebrow, and Trixie looked at her intently. “It was about five miles. We could have walked that day, but I would have been a big burden on you two.” She walked past Fluttershy and Applejack, and to the tired unicorn resting in the bed. “Thanks. I could have been in real trouble out there.” Trixie smirked. “What do you expect? There’s no way I could botch a teleport like that. Sure it took a lot of energy, but it was still easier than you’ll ever know.” Dash raised an eyebrow. “Sure thing, Trixie. You just didn’t want to see a friend get hurt, didn’t you?” Fluttershy didn’t consider it an accusation, but it seemed Trixie did. “Friends? We have barely known each other for a day. We are not friends!” She was angry, but with one heavy breath, she calmed herself down. “I did it because there’s no reason to see a pony die when I can prevent it. I’ll have you know how much I’ve been working in medicine, and I thought your condition had been very dire.” Applejack spoke again, quietly shoving Rainbow Dash aside. “Ya did a good thing Trixie, don’t listen to her. My friends and Ah are awfully thankful that you did what you did to get these two back to us. We had been in a frenzy lookin’ for them, and suddenly hearing them in the orchards was… well, it sure took a load off our shoulders!” Trixie flipped her hair. She seemed to be regaining her energy from receiving so much attention. “Well, it was no problem, erm, Applejack was it? Yes, it was simply me using the powerful magic I was born with.” She closed her eyes, a sneer on her face. The other three pones in the room exchanged perplexed glances, as Trixie’s face focused a little more, her eyes still closed. “Oh shoot, this shouldn’t be so hard…” “Are ya tryin’ to use magic, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, concerned. Trixie opened her eyes and sighed. “Oh, well of course I am. And it seems I am unable too. That spell must have made me go into a coma to recuperate, and now I can’t even cast any magic…” she bit back tears. “I... I knew I might lose my abilities with such a strong spell, but I... I couldn’t imagine it happening...” “What are you talkin’ about, sugarcube?” “It’s something every Unicorn is taught as a filly. You can’t cast too much magic without consequences. When you’re young, it isn’t a big deal, but when you’re a full-grown mare, casting too much magic can have dire... effect. I appear to... be afflicted with the worst two. A coma that can last for an undefined amount of time, and the loss of magic... either temporarily or permanently.” She shuddered. Rainbow Dash, feeling awkward enough as it was, turned around, but then looked at Trixie before going out the door. “Thanks, really. I’m sorry that you had to do what you did, but I am grateful.” Fluttershy didn’t move as Dash left hurriedly, as if she was disgusted by the show of emotions in the room. The shy pegasus looked at the two ponies, not sure what to do or say. She took a few steps forward when she heard two more ponies walk into the room. She glanced back and saw two more of her friends enter, stopping short when they heard Trixie crying. The first one in the room was Rarity, a Unicorn friend of hers. Her fur was white as snow, and her mane and tail a deep, regal purple, always brushed smooth and curled slightly, and azure eyes. She wasn’t wearing more than a modest straw hat with some adornments on it. The one behind her was Pinkie Pie, a very brightly-colored Earth Pony. She had bright-pink fur and a poufy magenta mane and tail. Rarity walked into the room, and looked to Trixie, who still had a distraught look on her face. “Darling, what is going on in here? Are you all right?” “She apparently can’t use any magic, Rarity. She thinks she exerted herself too much when she... teleported us here.” Fluttershy kept her voice quiet, but loud enough to be heard over Trixie, now on the verge of tears as she was slowly realizing she had no magical ability. Applejack had taken to comforting her beside the bed. “Oh, the poor girl! I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t cast magic one day...” “Oh, she can’t use magic?” Pinkie Pie bounced into the room, her boundless energy and happiness seemingly indifferent to the crying unicorn in the room. “Well then we’ll just have to cheer her up! I’m sure she’ll get it back someday; Twilight told me that everypony has some kind of magic in them, no matter what!” Trixie turned her head to Pinkie Pie, ignoring Applejack. She glared at the pink pony, who was now looking back at her in a silly smile. “What would you know about magic?” “Oh, silly Trixie!” Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to register how angry Trixie was. “I don’t build ponies. I bake cupcakes! And cakes, and pies, and cookies. But that’s not really building, that’s just, like, throwing everything together really fast, I don’t think that’s how buildings work-” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, Ah don’t think she wants to hear about that stuff right now.” She turned back to Trixie. “I’m sure it’s just temporary, we’ll get Twilight Sparkle in here and she’ll know what to do, don’t you fret.” Trixie scoffed. “Ugh, Twilight. She’s that pony that fended off the Ursa Minor, yes? What makes you think I’ll accept help from her?” “Oh, haven’t you changed even a little Trixie?” Applejack said. “You should be acceptin’ help your friends give you.” “B-but-“ “You just woke up from a coma. You can’t be expectin’ to do everything you used to do right away. Ya’ll will probably be back to your good old self in a few days.” “Hmph. You don’t sound too confident.” She got out of bed, and stood up proudly. Every pony there gasped at how easily she had gotten up. “I suppose you’re right though, I’ll find out in a few days whether or not I’ve really lost all my magic.” She began to lose her balance, her exhaustion very apparent, and had to put herself back on the bed. “Gosh, where is Twilight anyway? Dash told her first Ah think, no idea why she isn’t here yet.” Applejack tapped an impatient hoof against the floor. Trixie gave everypony in the room a look over. “Why are you all here anyway?” “Oh oh oh, that’s an easy one!” Pinkie Pie bounced a few times and landed in front of Trixie from seemingly out of nowhere. “We were worried about you!” “Worried? About me? Why in Celestia’s name would you worry about me?” She seemed earnestly confused, and Applejack decided to fill her in again. “Sugar, you probably don’t know this, but we’ve all been pretty worried about ya. Friends worry about each other.” “Pfft, friends.” Trixie looked at all the ponies in the room with mild disdain. “You’re our friend, Trixie, even if we’ve only had... one bad meeting.” Rarity coughed. “ But you saved the life of our best friend! Why wouldn’t you be?” Pinkie Pie giggled loudly. “I kept thinking while they were gone ‘oh, they’re going to miss so many of my parties! They’ll miss the weekly “get rid of the Monday blues” party, and the “mid-week celebration” party,’ and when I heard they were back, I just knew I had to throw an even larger party to make up for them missing so many! And I got to do that because you brought them back so super fast!” Applejack spoke up again. “The nurse told us the day you got them back, that Rainbow Dash was only a few hours from dyin’. Without you, she would have been gone, no doubt about it. You DID save her, and ya barely even know her. Yer our friend now, like it or not.” Fluttershy gulped. She appreciated Trixie’s sacrifice the most, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything to her. I hope Kindness didn’t take too much energy from her. That might have been what brought her into a coma for so long… Trixie smiled weakly. “Thank you, all of you. But… what do I do now? I surely can’t perform any of my duties when I’m unable to use my magic…” “I’m sure one of us will be able to have you over for as long as you need. For now, just rest here in the hospital for a while, okay?” Applejack seemed good at being comforting, and Fluttershy was glad. Meeting Trixie was bringing back all the memories of what happened so quickly and vividly, and she felt that awkward sadness and worry again, when Rainbow Dash was so injured. She could barely bring herself to smile. Each pony said their goodbyes to Trixie, and each left the room quietly and slowly, except for Fluttershy. She was at the door, and only looked back at Trixie. She couldn’t say anything because she wasn’t sure what to say. Trixie looked back at her from the bed, seeming to know what she couldn’t put into words. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to say. I did what I did because... no pony should have to know what it’s like to lose somepony. I know what it feels like, and I didn’t want to see another pony feel that way too. Just go, okay? I need some more rest…” she turned over in her bed as she finished speaking. Fluttershy walked out of the room, closed the door, and walked out towards the exit, where all of her friends, sans Twilight Sparkle, were waiting for her. The group walked out of the hospital, readying their plan to hold the party for the indigo unicorn, but weren’t sure how to go about it. As they walked through town, they noticed Twilight heading to the hospital. Deciding to take this opportunity, the group headed to the Library, to set up the party they had been waiting a year to have. ----- It was almost six in the evening. The sun was slowly but surely starting to set, waiting only for Luna to continue spinning the wheel, and bring up the moon, signifying the start of night. The sky was drenched in orange with purple streaks, strewn about like the canvas of a blind man’s painting. Ponyville itself was quieting down, fewer ponies in the streets, carts packed up, and most houses now lit up inside. The Ponyville library was one of the few structures in the entire city that was built inside of an oddly large tree. It had two floors, book shelves lining the lobby, and quarters for the Librarian upstairs. There was a hallway and a door that led to a basement full of machines and other devices, meant for other experiments. The entire building was dark, none of the lights on. Yet inside, there were five ponies. They were all waiting in quiet hiding spots around the lobby, waiting for a certain unicorn to enter. “This feels a little familiar…” Said Rainbow Dash, who was standing in a hallway next to Applejack. “But it’s not the saaaaaame! I didn’t invite every Pony in town like we did last time!” Pinkie Pie was proud of herself. It had taken all of her willpower to not throw invitations around Ponyville for Twilight’s secret birthday party, and the only thing that had stopped her was that if she did that, Twilight would have seen one of them. “By last time… you mean when Twilight arrived in Ponyville, right?” Fluttershy was quietly hiding next to Rarity, up the staircase that led to Twilight’s bedroom. Her whisper was especially quiet, but everypony was whispering, and without any sound from outside, even wind, they could hear each other easily. “I reckon that’s what she means. We don’t have parties here very often. Seems to annoy Twilight a little too much.” Applejack huffed. “Today is the best day for it though.” Rarity hummed to herself, thinking. “Do any of you know why Twilight didn’t go and see Trixie when we all did? She heard from Rainbow Dash first I believe.” “Ah did find that a might strange. She spent the most time in the room with her after all.” Applejack sighed. “Ah don’t think she was studyin’ either, most of the books were cleaned up by the time we were here to set up.” “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s still with Trixie probably, maybe she just wanted alone time or something.” Rainbow Dash seemed very indifferent. “Let’s just keep waiting for her, and be ready for when we hear somepony knock, all right?” Nopony had spoken for about five minutes, when they all heard the door open. Pinkie waited in the main room, behind a couch, using all of her energy to NOT jump up and yell surprise. She knew she had to wait for Twilight to turn on the lights, and then everypony would jump out. They all heard Twilight speaking, but had no idea to whom. “I don’t mind one bit. Besides, I can probably help your magic a bit. I mix things quite often in here, and I’m sure you could get used to doing it the old fashioned way-“ She flipped a light switch, and everypony jumped out of their hiding spots, yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” The indigo unicorn fell backwards, stunned and surprised. Her main reading area, the lobby, had a huge banner across the middle of the room saying what every pony had just yelled out. There was a table with cake, and another with some drinks and smaller foods. Pinkie Pie threw some streamers around, and let all the balloons that were once tied to the floor loose, and watched as they all floated to the top of the room. Then she noticed no one else had moved beyond their cheer, and slowly followed all of their stares to Twilight, and her guest. “Trixie!?” They all yelled in simultaneous surprise. Twilight Sparkle had fallen backwards in surprise while Trixie, her blue unicorn companion, looked around excitedly, then back to Twilight. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your Birthday? I thought you’d let a new friend know at least that much!” She wasn’t accusing Twilight, but instead had been stifling laughter. “I-I didn’t think it was a big deal…” Twilight blushed a little, every pony in the room staring at her. “You’ve NEVER had a birthday party before?!” Trixie and Pinkie gasped, and everypony else just seemed to exchange worried glances. Twilight shook her head solemnly. “Well, then we better get this PARTY STARTED!” Pinkie yelled, queuing everyone to rush forward and grab Twilight, dragging her all the way into the room party-ready room, and shutting the front door with a slam. ----- Trixie had long since garnered more than a little attention from the other ponies over the past two hours. Even Twilight was fascinated by her endeavors into the field of chemical engineering, but only half of her friends seemed to agree. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all standing near the table with snacks, chatting and having a little bit of food. “Hey, I’m gonna go outside for a breath of fresh air, okay?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack nodded, and Dash flew outside almost instantly. Fluttershy took a small sip from her glass of juice, and looked over to the group, listening half-heartedly to Trixie talk about some event in Fillydelphia. Applejack followed her stare, and then looked back to Fluttershy. She could tell Fluttershy was lost in thought, and didn’t want to talk. She bit her lip and decided she’d have to try and listen to the boasting unicorn discuss her adventures, instead of talking with Fluttershy. “Fluttershy?” “Yes?” She answered quickly, but took a second to realize who had spoken to her. “Oh, yes Applejack, what is it?” “You okay?” “I’m fine, just fine.” She set her glass on the table, having finished its contents. “Never better, in fact-“ “If you want to go talk to Dash, just say so. You don’t have to lie about it.” Applejack turned and walked over to Trixie, who was still in the middle of a story. Fluttershy sighed with relief, glad Applejack could understand what she was at least thinking about. She quietly walked outside, and looked around for the rainbow-maned pegasus, hoping she was somewhere close by. “I’m up here!” Fluttershy looked up, and sure enough, she was on top the tree that was Twilight’s house, and the Ponyville Public Library. She flew up quickly, and sat down in the leaf-covered canopy a few feet away from Rainbow Dash. She stared up into the sky, which was now black, the only light being that of the moon and various stars in the sky. Fluttershy looked at Dash for a few seconds, and then stared up into the sky as well, wondering if there was anything she was looking at in particular. After a minute, she was satisfied that there wasn’t anything to see, and looked back to Dash. She turned her gaze to Fluttershy as well, and the shy pegasus saw that they looked distracted, or scared. She couldn’t really tell. Rainbow Dash spoke first. “We need to talk Fluttershy.” She nodded in agreement. “Okay… what do you want to talk about?” “Something’s been bothering me for the past few weeks. It’s a question that, unanswered, seems to simply boil as it sits inside me whenever I think about it, eating away at my insides. It’s been nagging at me and I can’t push it out of my mind. It’s been painful to think about, but the possibility of your answer seems to comfort me almost instantly.” Rainbow Dash breathed in, then breathed out, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Oh god she’s going to ask me again, and she means it. “Wh-what do you mean?” “Well, it’s not one question, it’s a few.” She scooted closer to Fluttershy, looking her directly in the eye. Just like Fluttershy had done to her in the forest. “Why do you keep asking me if I really love you?” Fluttershy almost fell over. That wasn’t what she was expecting, but she knew what Dash was talking about. Every few days since they had returned to Ponyville, Fluttershy had asked the confident pegasus if she loved her or not. It was more to see how much the medicine had really touched Dash, but also because she had an almost morbid curiosity. She didn’t want to keep spending time with… her “friend” if she didn’t know how that friend felt about her. She wasn’t sure if it was prying or not, because Dash answered plainly every time, saying it was only the medicine that had said that, and not her own feelings. She had trouble thinking of an answer, but decided to go with the truth, at least as she saw it. “Because you’re really important to me Dash. You’re the closest I’ve ever been to anypony before, and I just… wanted to know exactly how close we were. I wanted to know if we were just good friends, or if you do love me, and you wanted something… more.” She blushed. “It was an honest question about your health, but knowing what you really feel is also important to me.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’m glad you wanted to know Fluttershy. I really am. Now I have another question for you. Do you love me?” Dash couldn’t have been blunter in asking. Fluttershy swallowed some of her anxiety, but kept returning the stare Dash was giving her. “I…” She didn’t even get to start before Rainbow Dash spoke again. “I love you Fluttershy. I really do. Maybe I said this before, maybe not. I don’t remember. But I do remember that before we got lost in that forest, we were good friends, but I was always angry. Not angry at you, or any of our friends, but just angry. I remember that one time we went to Appleoosa once, and even when I heard the buffalo talk about their tradition, and I sympathized with them, all I felt was anger toward the settlers. All I wanted to do with our friends was compete, and be better at everything, better than everypony else. My anger was there always because I felt that if I wasn’t better than everypony else, that I wouldn’t… be able to save everypony else, and sometimes I wasn’t better than everypony else. Or help them. I needed to be better than them. In our time together, I’ve realized that… what you said to me was obviously right. In the forest I mean; I can’t focus on everypony else. I just have to be myself sometimes. Sure I like being the center of attention as much as Trixie sometimes, but that’s just me showing everyone how much better I am. No, around you, I just want to be me. I didn’t want to be better than you, or beat you in a race, or anything. Your support was giving me more strength than you could imagine.” She smiled, and grabbed Fluttershy’s fore hooves in her own. “I love you Fluttershy. More than… more than I’ve ever been in love before Fluttershy. That doesn’t mean a lot though… but please. Just tell me how you feel! Tell me you feel the same way!” Fluttershy looked back at her, smiling. She had never felt so happy before in her life. “Rainbow Dash, you’re the first pony I’ve ever let get this close to me, emotionally. You’ve taught me something really similar to what I’ve taught you. I was always worried that I wouldn’t be able to protect anypony else, and that I was some kind of failure because I couldn’t. But around you, I realized that not everypony is meant to protect everypony else. Some ponies are better at that than others, just like how we all have a cutie mark. I can help ponies, I can protect them. And that’s by caring for them, and healing them, and not by using force. I can’t worry about doing anything, just like you shouldn’t either. Without that anxiety on my back, Dash, I feel more liberated around you more than any other pony in my life, possibly even my parents. More than any of our friends” She looked away, her smile turning to a frown. “But… I don’t think love is what I feel, Dash.” She saw something in the blue pegasus’s eyes. A kind of sparkle they once had, seemed to fall out of them. “When I think about what you mean to me, I feel… gratitude, and happiness, and maybe even a small tinge of pity. What I don’t feel is that… idea, that maybe we could spend all of our lives together. That life would be complete if you felt the same way about me, and that you never left my side and stood by me forever. I just… I can’t look at you and think anything else than how you are the bestest possible friend I could ever have dreamed, hoped, or wished for. I’m sorry Rainbow Dash. But I don’t think that I love you.” Rainbow Dash burst into tears, Fluttershy responding instantly by grabbing her and hugging her, holding her close. She sat there, crying silently as she pressed her face into the yellow pegasus’s chest. I took that last breath, and dove headfirst into the unknown. I took in that final breath breathed it into my lungs, and knowing that if I didn’t ask now, it would have left my mind completely numbed by only a silent hope, I asked her. My wish was to let this out, and throw those feelings into the air, to see which would return to me fulfilled. It felt like I was risking it all to know… and now that I know… it’s like a weight that’s been lifted from my shoulders. I’m disappointed, but now that I know how she feels… it’s not as sad. I helped her grow, and she helped me grow too. Maybe it’ll be okay if she doesn’t love me... maybe I can find somepony else who truly will. But she’ll be the closest and more irreplaceable friend I’ll ever have. Fluttershy held Rainbow Dash there, on top of the tree, for what felt like eternity. She didn’t know what time it was when they had started talking, and she didn’t know what time it was when the crying pegasus finally stopped, and they both floated down, and headed back into Twilight’s home. She didn’t know what time it was when Rainbow Dash told everyone what happened, or how long the speech she gave lasted. It was a speech about how happy she was to be Fluttershy’s closest and best friend, and how that was okay with her, even if she was in love with the shy pegasus. Fluttershy didn’t know what time it was when everypony had left, satisfied with the party. She knew it was midnight when she offered to take Rainbow Dash home, who was still tearing up a little when looked at the shy pegasus without the company of her friends. They both flew up to Rainbow Dash’s cloud house. It hadn’t changed at all. She hadn’t been there since the night Rainbow Dash’s wings were proclaimed by her doctor to be fully healed, and that she could fly again. They both walked inside, Dash having started crying again. “Okay Fluttershy... I’ll... I’ll see you around.” She said, expecting Fluttershy to leave. The shy pegasus didn’t move. “Are you... going to be okay?” “I’m just... kind of... I just need to think about this okay?” She looked up to Fluttershy, who had the sweetest smile she’d ever seen. “What if... what if I just... you know... stayed a little longer, would that be okay?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head curiously. “What... do you mean?” “You’re... obviously hurt Dash, and I just... I can’t leave you alone when you’re like this. It hurts me too.” Fluttershy walked over to the cyan pegasus. “How about... I get you to bed? It’s really late.” Rainbow Dash nodded as they walked into the bedroom. There wasn’t much there. The cloud walls were puffy, and the bed was made form actual clouds, both the mattress and the blankets. Rainbow Dash floated up to the roof, taking some of the cloud and sealing up a hole that normally let in the sunlight that would wake her up early in the morning. “I may not love you… but you’re the closest friend I’ve ever had. I don’t want to leave you alone tonight when you’re so sad, okay?” Fluttershy smile. Rainbow Dash got into the bed, her tears still flowing. “I’m okay now Fluttershy, you don’t have to stay here...” Rainbow Dash spoke through her sobs. “Oh silly.” Fluttershy began to sing. The quiet melody of her lullaby she knew by heart, one she hadn’t used in quite some time. Now, she knew, Rainbow Dash needed comfort, needed a friend. Even if she couldn’t be that pony Rainbow Dash needed, somepony to love, she’d stay and support her. As soon as Fluttershy finished, Rainbow Dash reached out and hugged her. “Thank you Fluttershy. For everything.” “I-It’s no problem, D-Dash.” She said, surprised by the sudden hug. The cyan pegasus pulled back and went under the covers again, falling asleep quickly. Fluttershy looked on, smiling to herself. She quietly left the room, and standing on the cloud platform outside the front door, she knew what she had to do. I’ll keep you safe, Rainbow. I’ll never leave you.

MrGorilla31

116

Comedy,Crossover,Random

Trixies Retarded day

incomplete

<p>Trixie decides to run a show, but it has &quot;unexpected&quot; results.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T03:17:31+00:00

Authors note:   I was not on any controlled substance while writing this. Completely sober. There wasn't much [Random] fics so I decided to write one there is a lot of fucking swearing in here I didn't put effort into this fic. I hope you like it.   -       Trixie's Retarted Day By Axl Crash       It was a Beautiful day in all of Equestria. Ponyville's infamous Rainbow Dash was soaring though the clear sky, heading her way to the village of Ponyville until a Pigeon was flying in her direction. Rainbow Dash did not want to hit the bird so she lost control and crashed into a nearby cabbage stand. Rainbow dash took a look at the destruction she made. The Pigeon perked up a building and started laughing like the Scout from Team Fortress 2.       “auhahaha, look at you! You look like you ran through traffic!”       Rainbow Dash then became pissed at the annoying bird and threw a cabbage at it. She missed. The bird saw the inaccurate shot and said. “what the hell was that crap?” Furious with the bird, she threw more cabbages. Missing every time. “No, Seriously. You suck!” The bird cat-called.       Dash knew she was not going to put up with that bird's shit. “It's time to fight fire with fire.” said dash “By that, I mean bird by bird.”       Dash then took out a rocket launcher that contained Scootaloo in it. Dash aimed the weapon at the pigeon and said “CHICKEN blaster”     The pigeon knew it was in some serious doo-doo. “umm.. okay, this does not look goo-” Dash then fired Scootaloo at the pidgeon before he finished it's sentence. It was an accurate hit. The pigeon scream as he was falling to the pavement. It landed next to a tailer.       -       Inside the trailer was Equestria's greatest magician. The Great and Powerful Trixie. She was asleep soundly in her bed because it was still early. She was sleeping so peacefully, It looked like no one could wake her up. That was until her alarm clock when off, which flung her out her bed as she yell “HOLY FUCK!”       As Trixie got back on her hooves she tried turn the alarm clock off. It wouldn't. She repeated the process until she threw the alarm clock out the window. The alarm clock happened to hit Applejack who happened to be ridding her bike.     Trixie exited her trailer and stretched. “Alright Trixie today is the day... to fuck bitches” she then pressed a button in trailer which transformed the trailer into her performance staged. As this happened the ponies in Ponyville came to the scene. “FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE MOST SPECTACULAR SHOW YOU WILL SEE!” Trixie then appeared teleporting to the stage with her magical cloud thingy. “THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! THE GREATEST MAGICIAN IN ALL-” “Shut up!” a pony in the audience threw a can at Trixie. Trixie then paused and looked at the colt who threw the can at her. The audience grew silent.     Trixie used her lazer eyes at the colt who threw the can at her, which turned him into a skeleton. He said “Ouchie, that almost hurts as bad the time I got it caught in the zipper.”       Trixie paused for a moment, the coughed the clear her voice “THE GREATEST MAGICIAN IN ALL OF EQUESTRIA!”       As the crowed cheered. Rarity, in the audience, was sipping her drink. “ what makes her so special?” Rarity threw her drink to the left. Which hit Applejack ridding her bike.       -       “For my next trick, I need a member of the audience to join me.”       Pinkie pie was sitting at the table at the Sugar Cube Corner porch. Holding a joint. Baked. Saying “ Dude, a fucking talking pony”       Rarity then volunteered herself just to see what she had to prove. “ah, you. The cracker.”       “what?”       “The white pony.”       “oh”       Rarity jumped on the stage. She was asked to enter a box. “I will make the pony disappear!” Rarity didn't like the idea but she went with it.       As the box closed with Rarity in it, Trixie waved her hooves at the box and then knocked on it. She then opened the box and it was dead empty. The crowd cheered. “Now, time to make her...” Trixie was thinking for a couple seconds. a mare from the audience said to Trixie.       “Reappear?”       “Shut the fuck up I'm thinking!... Reappear!”       Trixie repeated what she had done. As soon as she opened. It was still empty. She chuck for a little bit and said “ where the hell did she go?”       -       [Meanwhile at the white house]       A man walks in President Obama's office “Sir you need to hear this!”       “what now?” said the president “ Believe it or not a character from the Mane cast is here on the white house lawn!”       “is it Rar-”       “yes”       Obama then ripped out his suit shirt and appeared he was wearing a T-shirt that said “Brony”. “Bitch, it's time to make America fabulous” Obama said in a heroic tone of voice.       -       After that Mishap Trixie decided that the show must go on. “For my next trick, You will see many of me!” Trixie summoned a cloud around her. As the cloud faded there was a clone of herself. The crowd watched in awe as she cloned herself 2 more times. (that's 5 Trixies for you math dumbasses out there). “Know time to blow your mind”       They all appeared with instruments. A guitar, another guitar, a bass, drums, and a microphone. and play “Rebirth of the Temple” by Silent Civilian. It was pretty badass if you were there. The played through almost a minute of the song when Twilight Sparkle interrupted and yelled “OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THIS EMO SHIT!” The band stopped playing “LIKE SERIOUSLY! YOU GUYS HAVE TERRIBLE TASTE IN MUSIC! THIS IS NOT REAL METAL! THIS IS SHIT! LIKE, LIKE, ...LIKE C'MON! YOU GUYS ARE PUSSIES! LEARN TO PLAY A REAL-” A random Honda Civic then fell on Twilight. She appeared in the passenger seat while Celestia was in the driver's. Celestia said “cousin, let's go bowling!” “For the last time! I don't want to go fucking bowling!” The automobile then exploded.       “Alright next trick” said the Trixie on the microphone. All 5 of the Trixie threw their instruments which all the the items hit Applejack when she was passing along on her bike. “DAMMIT!” yelled Applejack.       -       “Now for the finale, I will-” Somepony from the audience bursted out “Sometimes, I dream about Cheese” “well ain't that fucking fascinating! Come closer and tell me more.” “What did I do to deserve this?” A rubber ball was thrown at the interrupter.       “Now for the finale I will turn these pot of flowers on a table into a magnificent breakfast. With pancakes and bacon and a refreshment and bacon and syrup on the pancakes and bacon and-”       “Muffins?”       Trixie sighed “Yes Derpy, There will be muffins”       “Really?” “NO!”       Trixie waved her hooves at the flowers to build magic and transformed the pot of flowers. But it didn't turn into any breakfast. Instead it turned into a small rabbit. Trixie gasped, pointed at the rabbit and said “YOU!!!”       The rabbit jumped to Trixie and punched her in the face. Trixie stood up an punched him back. It then started a fist fight. They both jumped into the audience and exploded. The only people left in the audience is the rabbit and Trixie. Trixie picked up the rabbit and threw him.       Pinkie pie was still sitting at the porch. “This is the worst porno I've ever seen” she said. Then the rabbit hit her in the face.       The rabbit stood up and looked for something to throw back at her. He picked up pinkie pie and threw her at Trixie. Trixie dodged the cannonball pinkie by ducking. As pinkie still flew she hit Applejack who was ridding her bike. Applejack stood up and said “Fuck this shit” she grabbed a mechanical device out of her satchel and pressed a button on it. The device went “Alalalalalalalalalalalala” Then Applejack exploded.       -       The duel still raged on with Trixie and the rabbit. Punches were thrown everywhere. It looked like one of the old animated Spider-man fights. Except it was pretty badass.       Trixie then punched the rabbit across the face which caused the rabbit to lose balance and fall over. Trixie looked at the rabbit said “This ends now Final Boss”       “Are you going to kill me?” said Final Boss       “No.” said Trixie “I am going to let you watch the best movie ever with me.” Trixie then held up a Dvd.       “Not that movie!” said Final Boss       “Yes!”       “Not Bio-Dome starring Pauly Shore”       “YES!” Trixie then grabbed Final Boss by his ears. Before she could take him to her trailer. Fluttershy come up to them with a sad look on her face and yelled “WWAAAAAIIIIIITTTTTTT!!!” They both looked at Fluttershy. As they got her attention she looked down and said “I.. umm... I sort of... want too.. see that movie too... If thats alright?”       -       The Great and Powerful Trixie, Fluttershy, and Final Boss was watch the TV as “Safety Dance” plays. Trixie and Fluttershy were smiling and bobbing their heads.       Trixie looked at Fluttershy and sang “We can dance, we can dance, Everybody look at your hands” Fluttershy looked back at Trixie and sang “We can dance, we can dance Everybody takin' the chance” They both swayed left and right both singing “Safety dance, Is it safe to dance, Is it safe to dance”       Final Boss was tied to a chair looking annoyed. “I hate both of you”       And Everypony lived happily ever after. The end.       Moral of the story: Fuck You! Bio-Dome is the greatest movie ever!

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-10-20T10:40:45+00:00

2011-10-20T10:40:45+00:00

Just a...little further... Somewhere in the middle of the Everfree Forest, a brown pegasus messenger stumbled through the trees, engaged in a losing battle with the limits of his own body. He had been walking for what seemed like days. His hooves were sore and cracked, his wings hung uselessly at his side, their strength long since burned out. His vision swam with fatigue; a single tree before him danced and waved so erratically, it appeared to be three trees in one. An unearthed root directly in his path easily went unnoticed. Until his hoof caught it, that is. I can't quit... he thought, spitting out a clot of decaying leaves and mud. Celestia must receive this message... It needs...to get to...Canterlot... Pulling another chunk of energy out of some deeply hidden reserve, the pegasus forced himself back to his hooves and resumed his aimless staggering. At long last, he finally broke free of the seemingly endless trees, and suddenly, there it was. Like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, there it was. The royal city of Canterlot, perched high upon the mountainside. Relief flooded the tired pegasi's body at the sight. At that instant, his legs buckled underneath him and he found himself with the unpleasant taste of mud in his mouth once more. I...did it... I'm here... Before finally passing out, the winged pony remembered seeing a pair of twinkling points of light descending towards him, shining brightly even in the midday sun. ------------------------- Somewhere deep inside the Canterlot Palace, a white pegasus stallion sat in a simplistic room, all manner of books, scrolls, and various other manuscripts strewn about on the table before him. The decorated golden armor he wore gleamed softly in the candlelight. Several quick knocks on the door broke his attention away from his studies. "General Headwind, sir!" The pegasus general stood up from his table and slowly walked to the door. On the other side of it stood another white pegasus, clad in very similar golden armor who quickly threw up a respectful salute at his superior's presence. "At ease, Jet Stream." Headwind said, dismissively flicking his wing. "What is it, Lieutenant?" "During one of our routine daily patrols of the city's outer limits, Cirrus and I discovered an unconscious pegasus messenger on the very edge of the Everfree Forest." "Where is Cirrus now?" "I requested he stay with the messenger so that the dispatched medical team could locate them easier." The general nodded. "Very good. This pegasus, you mentioned he was a messenger. Was he carrying anything of significant importance?" "As a matter of fact, yes, he was." The lieutenant produced a sealed scroll from a compartment in his armor located under his wing, which he passed to the other pegasus. "It is addressed directly to Princess Celestia." he added. "I know that you report directly to the Royal Sisters, sir, so I thought it fitting that I come to you first." "Excellent work, Lieutenant." General Headwind tucked the scroll under his wing and gave a salute, to which the other pegasus responded with one of his own. "I want you to find that medical team and direct them to the messenger. Understood?" "Yes sir, General, sir!" "Very good. Dismissed!" As the lieutenant galloped down the hallway, the general turned and started in the opposite direction, deeper into the palace. A lengthy trek up several flights of stairs and down several more hallways placed him in front of a brightly decorated wooden door emblazoned with an ornate depiction of the sun. Raising a hoof, the white pegasus rapped smartly on the door. A female voice floated out from behind the closed door. "May I ask who it is?" "General Headwind, of the Royal Air Guard of Canterlot, requesting permission to enter Her Majesty's chambers." he replied in a very militaristic manner. "Permission granted. You may enter." As if by magic, the elaborate door swung inward. Standing against the far wall, gazing out the window, was a tall white alicorn. There was no wind whatsoever in the room, yet her multi-colored mane and tail danced and shimmered as though tousled by a gentle breeze. The same image of the sun that was on the door was also visible upon her flank. The shining gold tiara, amulet, and boots that she wore completed her regal appearance. The general bowed his head in respect. "Forgive the intrusion, your Highness, but something has come up. Something that I believe warrants your immediate attention." "What is it, General?" Celestia asked, keeping her gaze pointed out the window. "A scroll, addressed specifically for you. It was found in the possession of a pegasus messenger that was found unconscious on the edge of the city. A medical team has been dispatched to locate him and transport him back to the palace infirmary for proper care. I have the scroll for you here, should it please you to look at it." At the mention of the message, the princess turned to face the significantly smaller pegasus. A magical yellow glow surrounded her horn, and subsequently, the sealed scroll under the general's wing. Guided by her magic, the parchment rose to Celestia's eye level and unfurled itself. Her intelligent violet eyes silently traced over the words scribed upon the paper. As she read on, her brow furrowed and her tail began flicking in frustration. "Beg pardon, your Majesty, but what seems to be the matter? It looks as though it's quite serious." The mare let out a lengthy sigh. "Here, you take a look at it. You tell me." The scroll floated down to the general's eye level. The pegasi's eyes were dark and clouded with worry by the time he had finished reading the message. "This sounds all too familiar, your Majesty. First it was Delamare, then it was Fillydelphia, followed soon after by similar reports from Manehattan. Finally, Appleloosa. This is the fourth case of such an occurrence in the-" "Past month, I know." Celestia finished. "They're getting closer to Canterlot. Ponyville, too." The image of a young lavender unicorn, surrounded by all five of her closest friends flashed through the princess' mind. "It is as if these 'storms' are searching for something. Whatever that something is, I feel that they are getting closer to it." "What course of action do you suggest we take, Princess?" Headwind inquired. Celestia turned to face the window again, gazing out it, in the direction of Ponyville. Lost in thought, she remained silent, even after the general repeated his question. Finally, the white pegasus was forced to ask for the third time. "Princess?" "Have several of your guards pull a chariot to Ponyville and find my student, Twilight Sparkle. Escort her back to Canterlot. I wish to have an audience with her directly. I shall send her a message announcing your arrival and explaining the circumstances that are upon us." "Very well, your Majesty. There is still the matter of her friends, however. Do you wish to have them escorted back as well?" "If they choose to accompany you during the time of your visit, then yes. I have not observed any of these 'storms' in this region of Equestria. As of right now, I do not believe that anypony is in immediate danger. Even so, our actions must be swift and without hesitation. I want your stallions en route to Ponyville within the hour. Is that clear?" "Crystal, your Highness. They will be in the air immediately. You have my word." Headwind saluted and made a prompt about-face to exit the chamber. "Oh, and before you leave, General, I've one more request of you." "Anything." "After your guards have been dispatched, find my sister and notify her of today's events." Princess Celestia instructed, glancing back over her shoulder. "Also let her know that I wish her to be present for the meeting with Twilight. She should be in the palace library, busy with her studies. I've a feeling that this involves her too." "At once, your Highness." The general saluted once more and took his leave. The same magical glow pushed the door shut behind the general. The alicorn took a deep breath and slowly stepped away from the window, cantering over to a large personal bookshelf that dominated the entire wall. A few minutes of searching, and a voluminous, thickly bound volume floated magically off the bookcase. Standing out against the book's black leather cover, flowing gold lettering spelled out its title. A Brief History of Harmony and Discord, by Stephen Colting. "This should tell me if my suspicions are correct or not..." ------------------------- "There we go. All done." In a humble, tree-like cottage on the edge of the small town of Ponyville, another pegasus was attending to her own very important matters. In the main room of this literal tree-house, a pastel-yellow pony with a flowing pink mane stood at a small table with her patient. Her standard tools of the trade were spread out on the table within hoof's reach. "How does that feel?" the winged mare asked her patient. Her "patient" was actually a young robin who had been unlucky enough to fall from his nest and dislocate one of his wings. Fluttershy, who had been going about her daily chore of feeding all the animals she attended to, immediately noticed his plight and whisked him inside, promising "I'll have you feeling better in no time, you poor little thing..." The pegasus had been true to her word, and the little bird felt great. He trilled happily and hopped about on the table. "Oh, I'm so glad you're feeling better." she said, smiling from ear to ear. "Come with me, and I'll put you back safe and sound in your nest, okay?" Fluttershy brought a hoof up to table level, so the robin could hop on. With her precious cargo in tow, the pegasus spread her wings and began flapping. Taking great care to fly slowly and steadily, the pony carried the young bird back up to his nest in the tree next to her own. "Now, I don't want you to use that wing for a whole day, mister." Though the mare's words were stern, her tone was far from it. "I'll be back tomorrow to see how it's doing, okay?" After receiving an affirmative nod, Fluttershy dropped back down to the ground to pick up her task where she had left off. Humming a familiar melody, she trotted back into her home, headed for the kitchen to prepare a meal for the last animal on her list, her special friend, Angel Bunny. She pulled open the door to her refrigerator, and dropped her humming. "Oh my... Out of carrots..." she murmured. As she thought of where she could acquire more carrots on such short notice, her first idea was a pony that shared the name of the orange vegetable. That idea was quickly dismissed, however. "No...that won't do; Carrot Top's shop won't be open until tomorrow..." A little more thought provided a reasonable alternative. "Applejack should be able to spare some carrots to tide me over until tomorrow." Her mind made up, Fluttershy picked up her saddlebags and slipped them on. "Angel Bunny?" she called, stepping back into the main room. "I-I'm sorry, but I've run out of carrots for your dinner. I'll be back in about an hour, all right?" The mare stepped outside and spread her wings once more. Before she started for Sweet Apple Acres, the pegasus set her flight path toward the home of another of her friends, a one Carousel Boutique. As she flew, Fluttershy recalled the reason she was stopping at the boutique. The day before, the pegasus had received a knock on her door. Upon opening the door, she had been greeted by a white unicorn proudly sporting a very well-kept violet mane. "Hello there, Rarity. Is there something I can do for you?" "Actually, darling, there is." the white pony answered. "I'm dreadfully sorry to drop in on you on such short notice, but I need a favor of you." "Anything." "I have found myself needing to accompany Twilight and Spike to Canterlot on business-related matters. You see, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie shall be joining us as well and I need somepony to look in on Opalescence for me. Not that anypony else has your talent with animals, my dear." It goes without saying that the animal-loving pegasus had agreed to the request. As it turned out, reminiscing was a great tool for killing time; the tall, spired building known as Carousel Boutique had already appeared below the airborne pony. She barely made a sound as she landed upon the doorstep. "Now then, what did I do with that spare key that Rarity gave me?" Fluttershy muttered, rummaging through her saddlebags. "Oh, wait... Here it is." Slipping the key into the lock, the mare gave it a quick turn and pushed the door open. The inside of Carousel Boutique looked every inch that one would expect a dressmaker's shop to look. The shelves were full of a veritable rainbow of supplies. The shelf space that wasn't occupied by fabric or string was taken up with other related items, such as tacks and safety pins. Tacked to the walls were a multitude of dress designs, some finished, some not. "Oh my... It certainly looks like Rarity has been busy lately..." the winged mare commented to herself, glancing at a sewing machine messily surrounded by the usual dressmaker's tools. "Goodness, I hope she hasn't forgotten to feed Opal... Speaking of Opal, I wonder where she could be... Opal? Opalescence, sweetie, where are you?" Fluttershy called softly, wandering up the stairs in search of the feline. "Mrrrowwww..." A sleepy sounding meow slipped under the door in front of Fluttershy. "I heard you, sweetie..." the pink-maned pony answered, opening the door to Rarity's room."Where are you?" A second meow above her caused the mare to look up. Perched on the top of a tall shelf, the white cat looked around sleepily. "There you are, Opal... Come down here, silly." At Fluttershy's beckoning, the feline quickly hopped down to the floor. She greeted the yellow pony with another meow and began rubbing against her forelegs. "That a girl..." The mare returned the feline's affectionate nuzzle. "Who's hungry?" One bowl of cat food (and one very happy Opalescence) later, Fluttershy departed Carousel Boutique, making sure to lock the door behind her. Sweet Apple Acres was only a short flight away, so the pegasus took to the air once more. After another few minutes of flight, the mare could see the wooden sign for Sweet Apple Acres coming up fast. At first glance, Fluttershy only spotted two figures upon the farm grounds, one of which came running towards her as she landed, barking and wagging its tail; obviously not Applejack, but Fluttershy was happy to see her nonetheless. "Hi, Winona!" The collie energetically bounded after the winged pony as she trotted up to the other figure she had seen from the air. "Uhm... Excuse me? B-Big Macintosh?" There was a distinct change in the level of confidence in the pegasi's voice when she went from talking with animals to talking with other ponies. "Well, howdy...er...Flutt'rshy, is it?" The big red earth pony took a break from his field plowing and glanced at the timid yellow mare. "Can Ah help ya with sumthin'?" "Oh...um...yes. I-if it isn't too much of a problem..." Fluttershy mumbled, uncomfortably rubbing her foreleg. "Do...do you know where Applejack is? I have to ask her something..." The stallion nodded. "Sure do. AJ's out in the orchard, bringin' in the' last of t'day's apple harvest. Do y'all want me t'take ya out there?" "Oh no... That's...fine, thank you." she politely insisted, turning to head for the orchard. An instant later, she paused and looked back at Big Macintosh. "Uhm...actually, would you mind showing me? I-if you're not too busy...I mean..." "Sure thing. Ah was just about finished with mah plowin' fer the day. Ah'd be happy ta walk ya out there." "Th-thanks..." The mare was unusually quiet, even by her standards, as the big red pony led her into the hundreds of apple trees that were the Apple family's orchard. Big Macintosh was the first to break the awkward silence. "Winona seems ta have taken a real shine t'ya." he commented. "Huh? Oh, she follows me like this whenever I visit." "Y've got a real way with animals, if ya don't mind mah sayin' so." "Th-thank you..." Fluttershy murmured, blushing at the compliment. "Eeyup." Any further conversation between the two ponies was interrupted by a frustrated shout bearing the same country twang as Big Macintosh. "Owch! Dangnabbit, apple! Ah'm supposed ta be doin' the buckin', not the other way around!" "That would be AJ..." Big Macintosh chuckled. "Big Mac? Is that you? Ya finished with that field plowin' already?" "Eeyup. Y'all have got a visitor here ta see ya, AJ." The orange earth pony bent down to retrieve the offending apple, placing it in the baskets balanced across her back. "Well, who is it?" The blonde-maned pony answered her own question as she turned around. "Fluttershy!" she exclaimed. "What are y'all doin' here, sugarcube? What's the occasion?" "I-I've got a favor to ask of you, if that's all right..." "Well, of course that's alright. Y'all got here at the perfect time. Ah was just about ta call it a day, anyhow. Ya wanna walk these apples back ta the barn with me?" The farmer pony shrugged to settle the baskets on her back a little more comfortably. "Okay..." "Alrighty. Let's get movin' then. Ah kin see a storm brewin' over yonder. Looks like it might be a real big'n, too." "What?" Glancing out over the vast ocean of apple trees, Fluttershy could indeed see the dark, roiling clouds typical of a thunderhead growing on the horizon, most likely stemming from the Everfree Forest. "I didn't see any storms building after I left Rarity's..." "Not surprisin'." the earth pony answered. "Ah've only just been watchin' this one fer the last few minutes. A li'l extra water's always good fer the apples, anyway." "But from the Everfree Forest?" "C'mon, sugarcube. Water's water. Don't make no difference where it comes from." Disregarding the friendly banter between the two ponies, the trek back to the barn was largely uneventful, although the approaching storm did get a good deal closer. "There we go. That's a right purty harvest fer a day's work." Applejack remarked, admiring the several dozen baskets of apples lined up in the barn, ready for sorting. "So, Fluttershy, what was that favor ya wanted ta ask of me?" "Oh...that... Well, I was making Angel Bunny's dinner, and...I saw I was out of carrots... I was wondering...uhm...if it's all right, that is..." "Y'all need a bushel or two of carrots, right?" the orange pony guessed. "Yes. Just enough to last me until tomorrow. If you could spare them..." "Of course. Ah'd be more'n happy ta loan ya some carrots. Not a problem." The hat-wearing pony cantered over to a large slotted crate filled to the brim with the orange vegetables. Out of this, she pulled half a dozen very healthy carrots, which she dropped into the pegasi's saddlebags. "There ya are, hun. The best of t'day's crop." "How much do I owe you for these carrots, Applejack?" The orange pony winked. "Consider 'em on the house." "R-really? Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked. "I wouldn't want to impose..." "Yer one of mah best friends, Fluttershy, y'all couldn't impose on me if ya tried. Shucks, Ah'd give ya the saddle offa mah back if Ah thought ya needed it. Take 'em. Ah ain't gonna take 'no' fer an answer." The pegasus smiled. "Thank you, Applejack." The mare's "thank you" was overshadowed by a massive peal of thunder that shook the very air inside the barn. Only in the following silence did the two ponies notice the sheets of rain drumming their rhythmic patterns on the roof of the barn. "Well, Ah'll be... That there storm got here right quick." The orange pony glanced out the open barn doors and grimaced. "Ah certainly hope ya didn't have anywhere ta go, Fluttershy... It's rainin' cats an' dogs out here..." "Oh no... Oh no, oh no, oh no..." she fretted, joining Applejack at the door. "I-I'm sorry to run out on you like this, Applejack, but I need to get home..." The farmer pony placed herself in the winged mare's flight path. "Whoa, reign it in there, sugarcube. Y'all can't go out flyin' in a downpour like this; ain't safe." "Oh no, Applejack... You don't understand... I absolutely must get home; Angel Bunny is probably terrified right now... I-" The stubborn pony refused to budge. "Nothin' doin'. Ah know ya wanna get home an' check up on all yer li'l animal friends, but it ain't gonna do them a lick o' good if y'all get yerself hurt on the way home. Do me a favor an' stay the night. Y'all can head out first thing in the mornin', deal?" As much as Fluttershy still wanted to hurry home, Applejack's reasoning made too much sense. "All right... You win; I'll stay..." "Thanks, hun. Ah couldn't forgive mahself if Ah let ya get hurt in this storm. C'mon, let's make a break fer the house." she suggested, motioning toward the back door of the farmhouse. "Once we get inside, Ah'll help ya get set up fer the night." Fluttershy nodded and sprinted after her friend, out into the deluge. Her mane and tail were soaked clean through by the time the pair reached the door. Applejack was in much the same state. The orange pony pushed the door open and ushered the pegasus inside. "Shoot!" The orange equine stomped a hoof upon the doorstep in frustration. "Ah'm mighty sorry, Fluttershy, Ah forgot that the girls are out in the clubhouse. Ah've gotta go an' fetch 'em... Y'all make yerself at home, sugarcube. Ah'll be back in a flash." Without waiting for a response, Applejack turned and galloped off, quickly disappearing in the driving rain. The pegasus watched as the other pony dashed off. "O-okay... Be careful, Applejack..." Fluttershy didn't think it was possible, but, in the time that Applejack was gone, the storm seemed to get even worse. The thunder and lightning had started coming in waves, with shrinking periods of silence between each wave. The rain had forgone coming down in individual sheets and now just battered the farmhouse continuously. The pegasus sat at the window, staring out into the merciless downpour, dutifully searching for any signs of Applejack and the self-named Cutie Mark Crusaders through the growing darkness. "Ya doin' all right there, Flutt'rshy?" Big Macintosh asked from the kitchen. "H-huh? Oh yes, I'm fine. Just a little concerned, is all..." she added softly, turning her blue-green eyes back out the window. "Ah wouldn't be too worried 'bout AJ if Ah was you." The big red pony joined the mare at the window. "She's a right stubborn pony; she'll see that the li'l ones get back safely. They'll be just fine." "If you say so..." The winged pony glanced down at Winona's smiling face. At least, Fluttershy thought she was smiling; it was sort of hard to tell. The canine hadn't yet left her side since she'd arrived. She gave the loyal collie a light pat on the head and returned the smile. As it happened, Fluttershy didn't have to wait very long before Applejack and the fillies returned to the farmhouse. Truthfully, Fluttershy probably would have been happier had they not returned so suddenly. The farmhouse door flew open with such force that its hinges creaked. As the door flew open, a bolt of lightning lit up the doorframe, giving the three silhouettes standing within quite the frightening appearance. The pegasus uttered a frightened "Eep!" and dove behind the nearest thing available, Big Macintosh. The red earth pony chuckled softly. "Hey there, Apple Bloom. Ah see AJ got ya back safely." "Yup! She sure did!" Her fear forgotten at hearing Apple Bloom's voice, Fluttershy stepped out from behind Big Macintosh. "Girls! You scared me..." The "girls" to which the winged pony was referring to joined their yellow filly friend in a cry of "Fluttershy! It's so good to see you!" The pink-maned pegasus soon found herself knocked to the floor under the force of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' excited tackle. "Applejack said you'd be here! Good to see you!" the orange pegasus filly squealed. "Uhm...girls...?" Fluttershy found it difficult to get a word in edge-wise against the fillies' constant stream of questions. "What are y'all doin' here, Fluttershy?" "Oh...uhm... Hi, Apple Bloom... Ow..." "Are you staying the night?" Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Y-yes... Girls, please, let me up..." With Fluttershy's quiet requests going unheard, it fell to Applejack to help out. "C'mon, you scamps, get offa her. Let the poor pony stand' up." That did the trick; the three fillies finally extricated themselves from the tangled mess of tails and manes and let their quarry stagger back to her hooves. "Sorry 'bout that, Fluttershy. Ah shoulda given ya some warnin'. Ah mentioned y'all were stayin' over, an' before Ah knew it, these three were off an' runnin'." Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, that's quite all right. I'm always happy to see the girls." "So, what're we gonna do first, Fluttershy? Huh? Huh?" the white unicorn filly asked excitedly. "Oh... Whatever you want, I guess. But I have to set my things up first." Pausing, the mare looked toward the hat-wearing farmer pony. "Where is your guest room, Applejack?" "Hold on a tick. Y'all ain't staying in no guest room. Y'all can stay in mah room tonight." "O-oh no... I-I couldn't..." Fluttershy murmured, taking a small step backward and averting her eyes. "I-I'm just going to be here for the night, anyway..." "Nonsense. Ya weren't expectin' ta have ta stay over tonight; take mah room. Granny Smith is outta town visitin' Auntie Orange, anyhow. Ah'll stay in her room." "But I-" "Ah insist. Ah'm a big pony, Ah kin handle bein' outta mah own bed fer a night. C'mon, lemme show ya where you'll be stayin'." ------------------------- Despite the apparently limitless energy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they were still only fillies, and that energy quickly burned itself out, leaving the little ponies fast asleep upon the couch. "Whew... It's about time those three fell asleep. Cutie mark this, special talent that. Lan' sakes, Ah thought they'd never settle down." Applejack whispered. "That was a right purty lullaby, Fluttershy; knocked 'em right out." "Lots of practice." she answered simply, pulling a blanket over the sleeping fillies. "You'll have ta teach it ta me, so's I can get those little ones ta sleep whenever they're stayin' over." The orange pony yawned widely as the late hour of the night began to take its toll on her. Yawns were, of course, highly contagious, and Fluttershy soon followed suit. "Perhaps some other time, Applejack. I-If that's all right with you, I mean. I'm exhausted from trying to keep up with the girls..." The pegasi's voice showed just how tired she really was. "Shoot. Ah didn't mean right now, Fluttershy." she chuckled, starting up the staircase. The hat-wearing pony paused at the top to wait for her guest. "Mah room's the first one on the right. If ya need more blankets or a drink of water durin' the night, the linen closet and bathroom are just down the hall. Y'all gonna be okay tonight?" "Oh, yes. I'll be fine. Thanks again for letting me stay the night, Applejack." "Don't mention it, hun'. If y'all need anythin' else just gimme a holler." The earth pony turned and headed in the opposite direction, yawning as she did so. The pegasus stepped into the bedroom and pushed the door shut behind her. A few moments later, she was wrapped up snugly in the covers as the storm continued to rage unabated outside the small farmhouse. Fluttershy was up long before the sun, startled awake by a particularly loud peal of thunder. The storm was still in full swing, so she assumed that she hadn't been asleep very long. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand confirmed her assumption. She'd only been asleep for two hours. Ugh... Ignoring the glowing display of the clock, the winged pony rolled over and tried to find sleep again. Since she was now conscious, her body finally got a chance to tell her that she was thirsty. Ignoring her dry mouth was significantly harder than ignoring the clock, and she resignedly slid out of bed and clopped out into the hallway. Thirst quenched, the pony was just about to round the corner back into Applejack's room when a loud crash stopped her in her tracks and made her heart jump into her throat. "That...that sounded like glass breaking..." she mouthed worriedly. Before she could take any further action, another noise reached her ears; voices... "There's nopony in here... This is an empty room." "Gee, I hadn't noticed, idiot... Thank you for stating the obvious..." Fluttershy pressed herself against the wall, a hoof over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Oh my...! Burglars! Swallowing nervously, she peered around the corner. The glow from the clock didn't provide nearly enough light to make out the intruders, but the terrified pony didn't have to wait long to get a glimpse. Another bolt of lightning lit up the small bedroom with a white, ethereal glow. That split-second flash of light seemed to stretch out into an eternity. During that eternity, Fluttershy got a very good look at the pair of thieves. Two female pegasi were against the far wall busily digging through Applejack's closet, tossing the earth pony's possessions helter-skelter. The smaller of the two ponies stood up from rummaging through Applejack's things and sighed. "This is just like the last five places we've been to." she said to her counterpart. "The room is empty, and we haven't found a thing. Are we even looking in the right places?" "Where else is there left to look?" the other pony sniffed. "The next closest city is...Canterlot... That's it! If we go now, we can be there by sunrise. Let's move." After the hushed order, the two winged burglars made their escape out of the broken window, leaving the room in disarray with a very confused pegasus standing in the midst of the dishevelment.

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-09-13T05:59:35+00:00

2011-09-13T05:59:35+00:00

Although the burglars had come and gone in quite the hurry without taking anything, there was no way that Fluttershy was going back to bed. In fact, for almost ten minutes, the pegasus sat in the middle of the room, nervously staring at the broken window pane, afraid the intruders might return at any moment. "G-get a hold of yourself, Fluttershy..." she murmured shakily. "Nopony was hurt, and th-they didn't take anything..." After a good deal of further self-urging, she finally stood up and started moving about. Unconsciously, the yellow mare began tidying up her host's possessions. Respectfully, Fluttershy simply set the disorganized items right inside the closet door. However, the pony's nerves were still on edge, and completing this task was not as easy as it seemed. Though the storm was finally moving away, each flash of lightning caused her to jump in fright. Every time she did so, she ended up scattering Applejack's things once more, and would resume gathering them up, her heart fluttering. Roughly an hour and a half later, everything was at last back in order. By now, Fluttershy was wide-awake and still too nervous to return to sleeping, so she ended up trotting downstairs. Taking care not to wake the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who hadn't moved from their position upon the couch, the butterfly-marked pony slipped into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Fluttershy gravitated toward the refrigerator. "I certainly hope that Applejack won't mind if I make everypony some breakfast..." In a relatively short time, the sweet smell of freshly baking pancakes was wreathing its way throughout the small farmhouse. The pegasus had prepared food for many mouths for quite a few years and was a very efficient cook because of it. As the minutes passed, the plate of pancakes next to the stove steadily grew, finally reaching a grand total of seventeen. Just as the pegasus was lifting what would be the eighteenth out of the frying pan, another pony joined her in the kitchen. "Geez, Fluttershy, yer up real early. What's the occasion?" "Aah!" Startled by the new voice, the pink-maned pony jumped, tossing the final pancake high into the air. "Oops...!" Acting quickly, she grabbed the serving plate and spun around, catching the wayward food just before it hit the floor. "Nice catch..." Applejack remarked. "How come yer up so early? Usually Ah'm the first one up an' about. Have trouble sleepin'?" she asked, fetching a small bottle of apple juice from the fridge and taking up a seat at the kitchen table. The pegasus placed a short stack of three pancakes upon the table in front of her friend. "Y-you could say that..." she mumbled. "Ah'm sorry to hear that, sugarcube. Well, Ah hope ya didn't have it too rough. At any rate, it was real kind of ya to make breakfast fer everyone. Ah'm always the one doin' all the cookin'. Big Macintosh's an absolute mess in the kitchen." Fluttershy was only half listening to the orange pony's musings as she ate her breakfast. Inside she was wrestling with exactly how to tell Applejack what had transpired last night. "Actually, Applejack... There's...something that I need to tell you..." "If it's about the flapjacks, don't you worry none. It's not a problem at all-" "It's...uh...not about that..." "Then what's it about, hun'?" "Uhm...how can I say this...?" As she went on, the mare's already quiet voice became even more so. Finally, she became silent outright and just stood there, uncomfortably rubbing her foreleg. "C'mon, Fluttershy." the green-eyed pony urged. "Y'all can tell me. Ah can handle it." "Somepony broke in last night!" the winged pony blurted out nervously. If Applejack had been drinking her juice at the time, she would have done a marvelous spit-take. She did, however, cough and splutter on her bite of pancake. "Yer kiddin'! Where!?" "It w-was up in your room... At about two-thirty in the morning..." Before Fluttershy was even finished with her first sentence, the blonde earth pony had bolted from the kitchen and was halfway up the stairs. "Applejack, w-wait!" the pegasus called from the kitchen doorway. Too late; the earth pony had already ducked into her room. "There's broken glass on the floor...!" Bypassing the stairs, the timid pony flew up to the upper level and joined the other pony in the bedroom. "Lan' sakes... Ya weren't kiddin' about the glass. It's everywhere..." "I'm sorry...I didn't get it cleaned up... I meant to, it's just-" "Now hold on one applebuckin' minute." Applejack marched up to her friend, lifted up her downturned face and looked her square in the eye. "Don't start talkin' like that. Ah wouldn't have expected ya to clean up anythin' in mah house. If anypony in this room's gonna be aplologizin', it's me. Ah was the one that insisted ya stay in mah room. Ah'm just thankful that y'all didn't git hurt. Did ya happen to git a look at who it was?" "Y-yes, I did..." Fluttershy replied. "It was a pair of pegasus mares. One of them was quite a bit shorter than the other. They came and went, without taking anything. They did say something about going to Canterlot, though..." "Canterlot, huh? That's where the gang is..." the hat-wearing earth pony muttered. "Ahhh, who am Ah kiddin'? They're fine. It'd be dang near impossible fer anypony to git past all of the Princess' guards." "Y-you think so?" Applejack nodded in affirmation. "Ah'm sure of it. Ah wouldn't worry none. An' neither should you. Ah'll git this here glass taken care of. Y'all can head back downstairs an' have yerself something to eat. Ah'll be down shortly." As Fluttershy came to the top of the stairs she ran into Big Macintosh, who was coming from the other end of the hallway. "G'mornin' Flutt'rshy. How'd ya sleep?" Fluttershy answered the big red pony's question with a wide yawn. "Not so well..." "Sorry to hear that." Habit steered the big earth pony into the kitchen, whereupon he caught scent of the fresh pancakes. "Shoot! Those smell downright tasty. Wonder who made 'em..." "Uhm...I did... You can have some. I-if you want, that is..." Just like the day before, the pegasus was noticeably more nervous standing next to Big Macintosh. The orange maned stallion trotted up to the large plate of pancakes sitting on the counter. "Don't mind if Ah do. Hey, while Ah'm over here, d'you want me to make you up a plate too?" "Y-yes, please..." The two ponies had just sat down at the table with their meals when Applejack cantered back into the kitchen carrying a dustpan filled with shards of glass. Big Macintosh looked up from a mouthful of pancakes. "What'cha got there, AJ?" "Seems we had ourselves a li'l bit of a break-in last night." she sniffed. "Really?" The big earth pony didn't do so much as bat an eyelid at the news. "What happened?" "Fluttershy told me that a couple of pegasi broke into mah room real early this morning. They didn't take nothin', and, thank Celestia, nopony was hurt." The orange pony shot an apologetic look at the timid pegasus. "Ah'm real sorry about that, sugarcube..." "I-it's fine..." "Don't go brushin' this under the rug, Fluttershy." Applejack said very matter-of-factly. "Ah went an put y'all in harm's way. If anythin' had happened to ya, Ah couldn't ever forgive mahself. Ah'll figure out some way to repay ya, darlin'. Promise." The rest of breakfast was quite dull and equally as silent. The only words spoken were between Applejack and her brother as they discussed the daily chores. Despite having made the breakfast for her hosts, Fluttershy was largely uninterested in her share of the cakes and spent her time at the table idly poking them with a fork. Those pegasi... They said something about the five other places that they had been to. I wonder... The blazing orb of the sun continued its climb into the sky, guided, as always, by Celestia's will. A glance at the clock on the kitchen wall revealed that it was going on eight o' clock. With her hole-riddled, barely half-eaten stack of pancakes still upon her plate, Fluttershy stood up from the table. "I'm sorry to eat and run, but I do need to get home. Angel Bunny needs his food, and I have some patients I need to check on." Applejack jumped up from the table after the yellow pegasus. "Speakin' of Angel, lemme dash out to the barn real quick and grab ya some more carrots before ya take off." The pegasi's quiet voice stopped the earth pony at the kitchen door. "Thanks, but no thanks, Applejack." she politely refused. "I need far more carrots than I would be comfortable taking from you, whether I paid for them or not." "Well...all right. That's fine. No harm done, sugarcube. But, if yer needin' that many carrots, at least lemme give ya a way to git 'em back ho-" Before Applejack could finish her offer, an audible bang, more akin to an explosion than to thunder, sounded outside. The three ponies in the kitchen quickly sprinted out behind the house and stared into the sky. Far off in the distance, a massive shockwave comprised of every color in the rainbow, and a few colors that weren't, was rapidly spreading out from a single point. "That's yer rainbow-colored friend, isn't it, AJ?" Big Macintosh asked slowly. Applejack gave a slight laugh. "What in Equestria is that silly filly up to now?" "Oh my... I hope everything is all right..." "C'mon, Fluttershy, this is Rainbow Dash we're talkin' about here; she's probly jus' showin' off for the Wonderbolts again. Now then, as Ah was sayin', lemme give ya a way to git those carrots back home." ------------------------- Within the next half hour, Fluttershy was on her way, with her helper following close behind. The wooden cart creaking along after her helper was hardly what one would call small or streamlined, yet Big Macintosh showed no difficulty whatsoever in pulling it. "I-I'm sorry, B-Big Macintosh, I didn't think Applejack was going to have you follow me all the way into town..." The big farmer pony shook his head and gave a low laugh. "Ain't a problem, Flutt'rshy. Any friend of AJ's is a friend of mine. 'Sides," Big Macintosh leaned in close, like he was about to tell the winged pony a secret. "B'tween you an' me, she's a bit of a slave driver. Ah'm glad to get away fer a bit." he chuckled. "If you say so..." Fluttershy mumbled. "Uhm...I hate to ask this now, but...could we stop by Rarity's on the way into town? I want to check on Opal..." "Sumthin' about last night?" the stallion asked. "Y-yes... Those two that broke in last night...they mentioned something about having been to five other places... That got me thinking..." "Ah get'cha. Y'all wanna make sure that this here Opal's doin' all right." The pegasus nodded, silently continuing to stare at the path in front of her. "Ah git where yer comin' from." Big Macintosh went on. "Winona's given us our fair share of scares. It's fine if we stop by. Ah don't mind." "Oh, thank you. I'll be right back..." Fluttershy broke into a quick trot, heading for the front door of Carousel Boutique. A short rummage through her saddlebags provided the key once more. The pegasus opened the door in a hurry, dashed inside and quite literally flew up the stairs. "Opal? Opalescence? Sweetie, where are you?" The pony instinctively dashed into Rarity's bedroom, the last place she knew the feline to be. The bedroom that had been in perfect condition less than twenty-four hours prior was now in total disarray. The large window against the far wall had been smashed clean out of its frame, and now lay in countless razor-sharp shards upon the floor. The rest of the room had been torn apart. Dressers had been relieved of their drawers, and the drawers of their contents, both of which had been strewn carelessly about the room. The custom-made curtains hanging near the shattered window were nothing more than tattered shreds. Anything that could be picked up now lay awkwardly somewhere else in the room. "Oh my... Opal? Opal, are you all right?" Fluttershy couldn't help it; upon seeing the damage to her friend's room, the pegasus was becoming frantic with worry, and it started to leak into her voice. "Answer me, Opal! Please!" Before the winged pony got an answer, she succeeded in finding the terrified Opalescence. The feline was huddling, wide-eyed, as far under Rarity's bed as she could squeeze herself. "Opal! Sweetie, come here... It's all right..." After much coaxing, the reluctant animal finally crawled her way out from under the bedskirt. "Goodness, Opal, you aren't hurt, are you?" she asked, carefully inspecting the feline for any sign of injury. Thankfully, aside from some mussed fur, Opalescence was completely unharmed. After relocating Opal to another room, and attempting to restore some semblance of order to Rarity's room, Fluttershy was once again locking the door of Carousel Boutique. "So? How was she?" Big Macintosh asked as the pegasus slowly walked up to him. "Was the li'l one all right?" "Mm-hmm... The window was broken, though. Rarity's room was a mess too..." "Jus' like back home, huh?" the earth pony muttered. "Alright then, let's git a move-on." he added, quickly turning and making a beeline towards downtown Ponyville. "W-why?" "We're already halfway into town. Let's hurry up an' git ya yer carrots. The quicker we do that, the quicker we can git ya back home." "O-oh." Fluttershy took off and flew after the red pony who was by now a good distance away and still moving at a quick clip. "W-wait...!" The gift of flight easily let the pegasus catch up to Big Macintosh. Once she had done so, the winged pony got the stallion's attention with a small squeak of a question. "B-Big Macintosh...?" "Eeyup?" "Thank you for your help." The orange-maned earth pony smiled broadly. "Sure thing, Flutt'rshy." The pair's lively pace had them in Ponyville's main square in a short five minutes. Coincidentally, they arrived just as Carrot Top was opening her stall. The vegetable-named pony recognized the yellow pegasus as her best customer and waved a hoof in greeting as she approached. "Fluttershy! Right on time, as usual. Here for your monthly supply, I take it?" The pegasi's hooves lightly clicked upon the cobblestone as she landed before the storefront. "Yes. The usual fifty pounds, please." "Coming right up, hon'." Carrot Top replied, disappearing back into her shop. A moment later, her head popped back into sight. "I see you even brought your own help today." she commented, winking at the butterfly-marked pegasus. A wink that made the timid mare blush hotly and uncomfortably rub her foreleg. Carrot Top had her name for a reason, and in the blink of an eye, the earth pony nearly had all of the requested fifty pounds of orange vegetables loaded in the cart behind Big Macintosh. "How much do I owe you, Carrot Top?" Fluttershy asked as the other mare dropped the last of the vegetables into the cart. "For any other pony, I would say three bits per pound, but since you're one of my best customers, I'll give them to you for our usual price. Seventy-five bits for the whole cartload." she answered in a very business-like manner, trotting around behind her outdoor stall. "Sounds fair." The winged pony pulled out a tied pouch full of the small golden coins. She upended this upon the stall counter and began counting out the required payment. "That was some storm last night, wasn't it?" Her attempt at idle chit-chat was met with an awkward silence that was eventually broken by a confused reply from the orange mare. "Beg your pardon?" Fluttershy looked up from the currency, now equally confused. "You didn't get a storm last night?" Carrot Top shook her head. "No, we didn't. The weather team hasn't scheduled a storm for this week yet. Its been dry as last month's hay lately." "R-really? But it was coming down in sheets last night..." The yellow pegasus trailed off under the other pony's awkward stare. Fluttershy quickly glanced at Big Macintosh, who answered with a simple shrug. "Ponyville didn't get a drop of rain last night, hon'. Are you sure it wasn't just a bad dream or something?" "Th-that must have been it then..." she stammered. "J-just a bad dream... Anyway, thank you for the carrots." "Of course, Fluttershy. Any time." the orange mare replied as she waved the two ponies off. Fluttershy nervously glanced at the big red earth pony walking alongside her. "D-do you think that what happened last night was just a nightmare, l-like Carrot Top said...?" "Ah doubt it. If it was, it musta been one powerful dream to go around breakin' windows an' such. Whatever's goin' on here, it's a whole lot bigger than jus' a simple storm." The stallion's speech was as it always was; slow and methodical. Even so, Fluttershy didn't doubt his words for a second. Pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together. The pegasus burglars having been to five other places and the broken window at Carousel Boutique. The pegasus burglars heading to Canterlot and the Sonic Rainboom that had come from the direction of the royal city. That was the thing that worried Fluttershy the most. Applejack had made a lot of sense, though; the royal city was very heavily guarded. Still, the pegasus couldn't shake the haunting feeling that something very serious had happened to one of her friends. "Um...Flutt'rshy? Y'all might wanna take a look at this..." "Take a look at what?" The sight that met her eyes as she looked up sucked all the breath out of the pegasus. "Oh no..." ------------------------- Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack had just finished putting away the breakfast dishes and was out in the barn sorting out the baskets for the day's harvest. "Let's see now... Yesterday Ah got about five dozen baskets in... Today Ah ought to git abou-" "Kreeeeeh!" The farmer pony had just succeeded in hefting a full basket of apples onto her back when the harsh caw cracked the soft atmosphere of the barn, causing her to jump about a foot and a half into the air in shock, scattering the apples every which way. "What in tarnation!?" The startled equine quickly looked about the barn in search of the offending noise. Perched high in the rafters, probably having entered through the open hayloft door, was a magnificently plumed red-orange avian. Applejack gave a shaky sigh of relief. "Philomena, y'all dang near gave me a heart attack... What're ya doin' here anyway?" The phoenix leapt from the rafters and spiraled down to the barn floor, landing in front of the apple-marked pony. At this close range, Applejack saw that the bird was wearing some type of harness. Attached to the back of this harness was a sealed tube. "What'cha got there, girl?" The earth pony popped the lid off the tube and removed the rolled parchment from inside. Her green eyes became worried as she read on. "Oh no..." she breathed. "Thanks for the message, Philomena. Ah'll take this to Fluttershy. You go find the guards and lead them to Fluttershy's place, got it?" The phoenix nodded and soared out of the barn door as Applejack dashed back into the house to retrieve her saddlebags and prepare for the adventure she knew was coming. Soon after, she was packed and galloping full-steam for Ponyville. Fluttershy was right... Somethin' has happened to one of the gang... That letter from the princess sounded real hasty... Whatever happened, it sounds serious... Shaking the unsettling thoughts from her mind, the pony willed herself to run faster; time was very much of the essence. C'mon, AJ, pick up the pace... Applejack didn't plan to stop in Ponyville, but fate had decided otherwise. She sprinted into downtown and quickly ducked around a building, nearly flattening another pony as she did. "Whoa nelly! Ya nearly ran me over there, Bon-bon! What's the rush?" "I could ask you the same thing, Applejack." the cream-colored pony retorted. "Wait a minute, you mean you haven't heard?" "Heard of what?" Applejack was now thoroughly curious. "There was a fire last night! Twilight's library went up in flames!" The orange pony felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. The message to Fluttershy could wait. That break-in last night was no longer just a random act. Some outside forces were at work here. Applejack knew that Twilight's tree-house was protected by a lightning rod. This must have been done from the inside out. The earth pony spun on her hooves and set a new course. It wasn't long before a multi-colored crowd of ponies standing around a smoldering, blackened husk of a tree came into view. "Celestia, no..." The earth pony shouldered her way through the crowd to get a better view, although she really didn't know why she wanted to get a better look at this. Before anypony could say otherwise, she dashed into the burnt shell that used to be her friend's home. The door, now hanging loosely on a single hinge, offered little resistance to the pony as she burst inside. If the external fire damage was to be used as an indicator of the interior condition of the tree-house, the comparison would have been sorely inaccurate. Ash and soot blackened every visible square inch of the walls and floors. Countless piles of ash lined what was left of the shelves as a cruel reminder of the many tomes that used to reside upon them. Still more ash covered the floor in a layer almost two inches thick. This wasn't a library anymore; it was a scorched wasteland. "How in Equestria am Ah gonna explain this to Twi'?" The very thought of the prospect, along with the sickening stench of burnt parchment and ink that still pervaded the air nearly made the orange mare vomit. "There's nothin' left... Every last book...gone..." After seeing this wanton destruction before her, Applejack now fully understood the gravity of the situation at hand. Those two burglars were lookin' fer me and the gang... And, judgin' from that letter from the Princess, it sounds like they got one of us too... The sooner Fluttershy and Ah git to Canterlot, the better. she thought, eyes glinting with determination. The farmer pony galloped out of the library, leaving the gruesome scene, and one lone book sitting unseen behind the unhinged door, behind her. However, the scenes that were awaiting her at Fluttershy's cottage would prove to be no better. Yes, the pegasi's cottage had been heavily vandalized as well, but that wasn't the first thing that the orange mare noticed. Instead, she saw a pair of ponies off to the side of the tree-house. One of them, the smaller of the two, was sitting upon the ground and seemed to be sobbing uncontrollably. "Fluttershy! What's the matter? Please tell me ya ain't hurt!" The pegasus slowly shook her head. "I-I-I'm f-fine..." "Then what's the matter, sugarcube?" "L-look..." Fluttershy pointed a shaky hoof toward a sizeable pile of splintered wood and bent nails lying haphazardly before her. "I-it's An-Angel Bunny... Applejack, I can't find him anywhere!" The usually gentle pony slammed her hooves into the dirt in frustration. "I-I should have c-come home last night!" "C'mon Flutt'rshy..." Big Macintosh started quietly. "Ah'm sure the little guy's all right. Ah'll bet he's jus' holed up somewhere..." "Then where is he!?" she shouted very uncharacteristically. "We-we've looked everywhere!" The mare's tear-filled turquoise eyes burned with an angry flame. The large red earth pony sighed. "There's nothin' that Ah haven't tried to tell her, AJ... None of it has worked... What are y'all doin' here anyway? An' why are ya covered in soot?" Unsure if the yellow pegasus was listening or not, Applejack began explaining all that she had seen lately; the message from Philomena, the burned library, and the very vague details of what had happened in Canterlot. As it turned out, Fluttershy had indeed been listening to her friend's recollections. Upon hearing the news about the incident in Canterlot, she stood up and spun around. "Wh-what happened? Is everypony all right?" The orange, apple-marked pony shrugged. "Ah don't know, sugarcube... Ah didn't git a whole lotta info in that there letter. No names, no nothin'. Princess Celestia just wants us in Canterlot on the double. There's a ride fer us on its way. Mah guess is it'll be here in about ten minutes." "Oh no... I c-can't go..." Fluttershy sniffed. "N-not...now... Angel's still...m-missing..." "Ah don't mean to sound rude here, Fluttershy, but we ain't got the time for this. Something downright nasty is goin' on. One of the girls is in real serious trouble. This ain't like anythin' we've had to deal with before. Y'all need to go an' git ready fer the trip." The orange pony began nudging her reluctant friend toward the front door. "No." she answered adamantly, digging her hooves into the ground and leaning back against Applejack's shoving. "I'm n-n-not leaving until I know that Angel Bunny is a-all right..." "Dang it, Fluttershy, stop bein' so stubborn! Our friends are in trouble! They...need our...help! We gotta-oof!" The pink-maned pegasus finally took a step forward and ended up setting Applejack face-down in the dirt. Fluttershy quickly turned to face the prone pony. "I. Said. NO!" she yelled, her wings flaring out angrily. "Angel B-Bunny is my friend, t-too! I'm staying h-here!" The kind pony wasn't used to raising her voice so much and she had given herself the hiccups as a result. She also wasn't accustomed to being angry, and her bright spark of fury rapidly fizzled out, leaving a wide-eyed look of shock upon her face. "Oh m-my... I-I'm so sorry, Applejack... I-I'll...I'll go g-get my things..." The orange earth pony sat up, wide-eyed, as the pegasus disappeared inside her house. "Golly..." she mumbled. "Ah ain't never seen Fluttershy that upset before..." Big Macintosh sniffed. "Can ya really blame her, AJ? How would you feel if something happened to Apple Bloom? That poor pony nearly fergot to breathe when she saw what was left of that there hutch." "There they are! Bring us around for a landing!" The two pony siblings squinted into the sky, looking for the source of the heavily militaristic voice. They didn't have to wait long before a chariot, pulled by two members of Celestia's royal guard came spiraling down out of the blue sky. A third pegasus, clad with the same style of armor also dropped out of the sky, to land before the two members of the Apple family. Before the two ponies could pick their mouths off the ground after the guards' impressive appearance, the lone pegasus marched up to them and immediately began reciting his mission. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is General Headwind, of Princess Celestia's Royal Air Guard. I have been sent, under direct instruction from the Princess herself, to find a Miss Applejack and a Miss Fluttershy and escort them back to the royal city of Canterlot." "Pleased to meet'cha." Applejack replied, stepping forward and extending a friendly hoof in greeting. "Miss Applejack, I presume?" "Yup." Headwind took the orange pony's hoof in his own and lightly touched it to the tip of his snout in a very respectful manner. "The pleasure is all mine. I assume this is your brother, Miss Applejack?" The large red farmer pony nodded. "Eeyup. Name's Big Macintosh. Good to know ya." "Likewise. Well, Big Macintosh, I must say, in all my years of service, I've never seen a pony of your stature before. Even the tallest member of our Earth Pony Division is a full head shorter than you are." "Thank ya kindly." the big pony chuckled. "I wish we could continue with the pleasantries, but time is not with us. As my guards and I approached, we observed a particularly large storm building upon the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. We must be on our way quickly. Are you ready to depart, Miss Applejack?" "You bet'cha." "Very good." Headwind sniffed. "What about Miss Fluttershy? Is she ready?" "Ummmm... I dunno about that." Applejack answered hesitantly. "She went inside to start packing just before y'all got here." "Mah guess is that she's probly still upset about her li'l rabbit friend. Ah'll go an' see if Ah can't help her out." Big Macintosh offered. "Hold on a minute... Why you, Big Mac? What're you gonna do? Let me go. Fluttershy's mah frie-" "Trust me, AJ. Ah'll be right back." As he walked into the disheveled cottage, Big Macintosh could make out a soft crying emanating from somewhere upstairs. With each step up the staircase, its origin became clearer, until the red stallion was standing just outside what he assumed was Fluttershy's room. "Flutt'rshy? Are ya in there?" "Wh-what is it...?" "Celestia's guards are here fer ya. Ah guess there's another storm comin' in fast. They want to git a move-on before it hits." "I-I can't do this..." The mare's voice was barely audible, just above a whisper. "What was that?" "I can't do this..." she repeated."I c-can't leave... Not now..." "Look, Ah know y'all wanna stay an' look fer Angel, but Ah really think ya need to go with AJ." "N-no... I can't..." "Listen, if it'd help any, Ah'll stay here fer a while and keep lookin' fer the little guy." Fluttershy shook her head. "N-no... I couldn't ask you to do that." "Ah know Ah'm just a simple farmer pony," Big Macintosh sighed, "and Ah know Ah don't know much about all of this 'Elements of Harmony' business that AJ and yerself a part of, but Ah do know one thing. The both of ya were picked to be a part of it. That right there's gotta mean somethin'." "What...what are you saying?" "Ah'm sayin' that yer friends need ya, Flutt'rshy. AJ knows it, and Ah know it too. What would yer friends do if it was yerself that was in trouble?" The winged mare bit her lip and looked away. They'd drop everything to help me... An image of each of her friend's faces flashed through her mind's eye. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't do the same...? "A-all right, you win. I'll go. Just...promise me one thing before I do." "Sure thing." "As soon as you find Angel Bunny, let me know. I don't care how, I...don't care if it's good news or bad news, just find a way. Please?" "Ya have mah word." the male pony promised. In a hugely unexpected gesture, Big Macintosh very lightly touched his muzzle to the surprised mare's cheek. "Just make sure ya bring AJ back safely..." he added quietly. Fluttershy's muzzle couldn't have been a deeper shade of red. Slowly, almost unsure if that had just happened, she brought a hoof up to her cheek. "O-of c-course..." "Thank ya. Now, let's git the two of ya on the road before that storm hits." Too late. The encroaching storm broke directly over the humble cottage, announcing its arrival with a blinding flash of lightning and an equally deafening peal of thunder. Applejack's astonished voice could barely be heard over the building wind. "Whoa, nelly! That was a close one! Fluttershy! If y'all can hear me in there, we gotta go, now!" Big Macintosh started nudging the startled Fluttershy toward the stairs. "C'mon, we gotta git the two of ya on yer way before this gits any worse." Rain was already beginning to fall as the two ponies reached the front door. This storm was growing quickly; if the chariot wasn't in the air soon, there would be no chance of a successful take-off. "Quickly, Miss Fluttershy!" General Headwind shouted. "Into the chariot! Let us make haste while we can!" The yellow pony shot a fleeting look at Big Macintosh, who simply smiled and nodded, before galloping into the rain. The chariot was not far from the door, but the storm seemed to become more active with each step Fluttershy took. With the lightning now almost coming down on top of her, the pegasus took a flying leap into the chariot, landing in a heap next to Applejack. "Miss Fluttershy is in! Double time!" Headwind barked. At the general's command, the two pegasus guards leapt against the leads and the chariot lurched forward and into the air. "General Headwind, sir! What is our flight path?" the larger of the two pulling ponies asked. "Are we avoiding the part of the Everfree Forest we passed earlier?" The general shook his head. "Negative, Cirrus. Skirting the Everfree Forest would take time that we do not have. Run the gauntlet at full speed." "Sir, yes, sir!" Unlike the chariot that Princess Celestia often traveled in, this particular one was smaller, built solely for speed, and lacked comfort. The ride through the storm's turbulence and crosswinds was quite literally nerve rattling. The compact vehicle shuddered and jostled about like a leaf caught in a gale. "Ow..." Fluttershy rubbed her sore shoulder after being slammed against the chariot's side for the umpteenth time. "How ya holdin' up, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, a hoof clamped over her hat. "I suppose I've been worse..." The pegasi's voice was nearly drowned out by the wind rushing by. "So, what did Big Mac say to ya that got ya back outside so fast?" The thought of what had happened between her and the big red earth pony brought the blood rushing back to Fluttershy's face. "O-oh...uhm... He asked me about what you and the girls would do if I was in trouble." "Gotcha." Applejack was silent for a bit before she looked suspiciously back at her friend. "Hang on a minute... Yer blushin' as red as an apple, Fluttershy! What else happened?" An answer would have to wait. A rogue bolt of lightning came blazing out of the angry-looking storm clouds and swiftly severed the chariot's link to the two pegasus guards. With no more forward propulsion, the chariot only had one way to go. Down.

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-10-21T22:07:26+00:00

2011-10-21T22:07:26+00:00

Fluttershy came to with a splitting headache, and dizzier than if she had been on the losing end of a battle with a tornado. She didn't remember much after the lightning bolt had struck the chariot. A cry for help, a rending crunch, it was all very fuzzy. With a great deal of difficulty, she forced herself into a seated position. As she did so, she felt something lightly brush against her flank. Looking to see what it possibly could have been made her sick to her stomach. Her right wing hung limp and useless at her side. Oh no... Her first panicked thought was that it was broken. A closer inspection alleviated that concern. "No...it's not broken, it's just dislocated..." The thought of dislocated wings quickly shifted the mare's thoughts to that young robin from the day before. "Ohh... I should have asked Big Macintosh to check...on...him..." Fluttershy trailed off, feeling her muzzle turn beet-red again. "B-Big Macintosh..." That spot where he had kissed her cheek began tingling softly. The pegasus physically shook off the light-headed feeling that was slowly working its way into her mind. There were more important things to attend to first. Not the least of which was finding out exactly where she was. Doing her best to ignore the very odd combination of the dull pains coming from her limp wing and the euphoric feelings coming from her head, the mare gathered enough strength to stand up. "Where...where am I...?" she muttered, slowly taking in her surroundings. Just beyond the thick curtain of fog, she saw what looked like dozens of long, shadowy claws reaching out from the dark backdrop of trees. The rain was still falling heavily, adding an eerie ambience to the atmosphere as it battered the dense foliage. The realization of where she was hit Fluttershy like a blast of frigid winter air. "T-t-the Everfree F-forest...!" She swallowed nervously, and her eyes began jumping from one dark spot to the next. The more she looked about, the more tricks her worried mind played on her. A rustling in the undergrowth behind her quickly drew the pony's wide-eyed attention. "W-who's th-there...?" she stammered. As answer, the rustling intensified and moved closer. "A-Applejack? Is...is that you?" Unconsciously, the winged mare began backing away from the approaching noise. Fluttershy was so fixated on this unknown threat, that when she backed under a broken branch, she nearly jumped out of her coat. "Aaahhh!" The butterfly-marked pony uttered a shriek of terror, and bolted forward, the rustling before her now irrelevant. Now, as most anypony would agree, running with one's eyes closed is not the smartest thing to do. It was some kind of miracle that Fluttershy didn't gallop headlong into one of the dozen trees flying by her. Ultimately, it wasn't a tree that halted her panicked flight, but her own discarded saddlebags. She hit the muddy ground with a wet thud. The pegasus covered her eyes and lay there, shivering with fright. "Brrrriii..." The familiar noise snapped the pony out of her scared trembling. Sitting upon her saddlebags, struggling to free their latch and get at the provisions inside, was a small, spherical insect-like creature commonly known as a parasprite. The little blue critter looked forlornly at the pony. Fluttershy bit her lip; she was very familiar with parasprites. The tiny animals were unbearably adorable, but they also had voracious appetites and reproduced faster than ten rabbits. These little buggers, armed with those two traits, had literally eaten quite a few Ponyville citizens out of house and home. Fluttershy, having befriended the first parasprite, had been responsible for the infestation. She had definitely learned her lesson from the mishap. As hard as it was for her to admit this to herself, she couldn't keep this poor creature. Especially not now. The words sticking in her throat, the pegasus shooed the little animal away. "Go on, little one... Go home...quickly now!" When the parasprite refused to budge, the pony finally gave in. She opened up her bags and pulled out a small apple. Showing it to the parasprite to catch its attention, she kicked the apple into the forest. That did the trick; the ever hungry animal made a beeline after the food. Fluttershy picked up her saddlebags and slipped them on, struggling quite a bit in getting them over her injured wing. "Ow..." Finally, with her saddlebags on, and the parasprite hopefully taken care of, the pegasus...realized she hadn't the slightest idea where she was going. Applejack was missing, along with all of Celestia's guards; she was standing, alone, in the middle of the Everfree Forest. She wouldn't be able to pick out the right direction to Canterlot if it was given to her. As the gravity of her hopeless predicament sank in, the pegasus mare dejectedly sat down to ponder her next move. She quickly wished that she had looked before sitting down, as she planted herself square on the business end of a sharp green pinecone. She was back on her hooves in an instant, doing a little jig of pain. "Ow, ow, ow..." When the bright snap of pain had faded, Fluttershy turned to investigate its source. "A pinecone...?" Wait, this pinecone is much too young to have fallen now..." Further inspections turned up half a dozen more of the young pinecones, scattered amongst several broken branches. These branches had not fallen naturally; something had knocked them from the trees. A chance bolt of lightning going off overhead afforded the yellow pegasus a glimpse of the forest before her. It was like a tunnel of broken branches and crushed foliage leading deeper into the dark forest. Yes, it looked scary, but Fluttershy had no other options. The mare swallowed nervously and started into the darkness. With each shaky step, the dislodged leaves and twigs crunched noisily underhoof, echoing into the inky blackness. "It's all right, Fluttershy..." she said to herself. "You can do it... Just keep walking..." "Oooohhoooaaa..." Fluttershy froze at the ghostly moan. Her frightened turquoise eyes darted from left to right. She didn't dare turn around, for fear that she would see whatever had just made that noise right behind her. "W-who's th-there...?" "Somepony, help..." The pegasi's eyes snapped open at the agonized plea. "That's no ghost..." Concerned, she broke into a quick trot. "Hello? Who was that?" "This way... Over...here..." The voice led the winged pony to the twisted, splintered mound of wood and metal that had been the chariot. Bits of debris, all various sizes, were strewn about the new clearing. Underneath the largest piece, probably what was left of the chariot's body, was the trapped owner of the voice. "General! Oh my goodness! What happened? A-are you all right?" "Oh, Miss Fluttershy...it's you..." General Headwind wheezed. "Yes... I'll be fine...once I'm...free of this...wreckage... Could you-" "Oh, yes, o-of course." Fluttershy nodded and set her shoulder against the chunk of debris, allowing the pegasus general just enough room to wriggle free. "You...have my thanks, Miss Fluttershy..." he replied, quickly climbing to his hooves. He drew in a sharp breath of air and released the straps on his heavily damaged armor, letting it fall away. As it did so, Fluttershy spotted a trail of blood streaming from a fresh puncture wound directly under his left wing. "Oh my... That looks serious..." the mare commented. "Where did it come from?" "Look at my armor." he answered quickly, focused on his wing. He gave it an experimental flap and winced. Confused, Fluttershy gave the discarded armor a closer look. One of its plates had been forcefully bent inward by some great force, creating a wickedly sharp edge. This keen edge was tipped with a sticky, crimson substance. No further inspection was required to figure out what that was. "A-armor's supposed to protect you...isn't it...?" "It did." Headwind corrected. "After that lightning struck the chariot, it dropped like a stone. Not too far from here is a giant rift, and you and Miss Applejack were set to drop right into it. I did everything in my power to prevent that from happening. I was able to give the chariot enough of a pull to get it over the rift. Most of it, anyway; the wheels clipped the edge, and...well..." Fluttershy clapped a hoof to the side of her head and screwed her eyes shut. A piercing cry for help ripped through the confines of her mind. "Applejack was thrown out..." she finished slowly. The general bowed his head. "Yes...I'm sorry..." "What...what happened to Applejack? Where is she?" The yellow pegasi's voice was suddenly fatigued. "I...do not know. My apologies. The chariot was moving faster than I had anticipated and I was unable to stop it after the two of you had fallen out. The thing that did stop me was this tree here. If I hadn't been wearing armor at the time, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you." General Headwind explained. "I'd rather take a wound under my wing than become part of a tree." "I see..." "There should be first aid supplies somewhere in this wreckage. Once I'm patched up, we can be on our way." "That won't be necessary." "Beg pardon, Miss Fluttershy?" "Wh-what I meant to say is that I actually have medical supplies in my saddlebags. Better safe than sorry, right?" "Very true." "I-if you'd like, I-I could dress that wound for you..." The white pegasus nodded and held his wing aloft. "Be my guest." The Element of Kindness was an expert at tending to all types of injuries and quickly had General Headwind's wound tightly bound. "I-I'm sorry, sir... But, uhm...your wing won't be useable for a while. That wound was deeper than I thought... I'm sorry I couldn't do more..." "Nonsense, Miss Fluttershy. It feels as good as new. If you didn't already live in Ponyville, I would personally recommend you to the Royal infirmary." "Th-thank you..." she murmured, blushing from the compliment. Shaking off the embarrassment, the shy pony mustered up enough courage to pose a nervous question. "Uhm...General, sir?" "Yes?" "I-I know that you want to get to Canterlot as soon as possible, but...but...I can't go without Applejack. She's my friend and she wouldn't leave without me. I have to do the same for her." "My thoughts exactly." the general agreed. "Re-really...? I thought we were supposed to get back to Canterlot as fast as we could?" "I promised her Highness that would escort the two of you back to Canterlot. The first thing a pegasus is taught upon joining the Royal Air Guard is to never fall through on a promise. We'll find Miss Applejack, you have my word; and my promise." The stallion paused and focused his eyes on a gap in the swaying foliage. "It looks like the storm has passed for the most part. Princess Luna has also given us a full moon to travel by. Let us make the best of it. Follow me, if you would be so kind." "Where are we going...?" "Well, the most logical place to begin our search for Miss Applejack would be where she was last seen, wouldn't you agree?" "I-I suppose..." the winged mare murmured hesitantly. "W-wait for me!" she quickly added after the general's short blue tail disappeared between two trees. As she trotted up beside Headwind, he flipped her a quick glance. "Might I ask why you're not flying, Miss Fluttershy? Personal preference, or have you been injured?" "Uhm... A little of both actually..." Reluctantly, the pegasus turned to reveal her limp wing. "It's not broken, just dislocated... It...it must have happened during the crash, I think..." "Two usable wings between two pegasi..." Headwind muttered. "Not exactly the best situation to be in. Unfortunately, I possess very little medical knowledge concerning pegasi wings. Members of the Royal Air Guard are taught to continue their mission, even if they should lose use of their wings. I'm deeply sorry that I can't return your favor, Miss Fluttershy." "It's all right, really. I'll be fine." the mare insisted. "That aside, I do have another question for you. The Princess asked for you and Miss Applejack by name. How did you come to be so close?" "Oh, that. I suppose being good friends with Twiligh-" "Wait, you're the friends that Miss Sparkle always refers to in her letters to the Princess?" "Y-yes. Why?" "Her Majesty speaks volumes about her student and her close friends. I've heard many things about you, Miss Fluttershy." The pegasus mare was genuinely surprised. "Good things, I hope?" "But of course. I feel honored to be protecting the Element of Kindness." The female pony didn't have an appropriate response to a compliment like that. Not that it mattered much; Headwind's quick pace had already brought them to the edge of the ravine that he had mentioned earlier. Fluttershy swallowed nervously, the pegasus general was right. This ravine was giant. Gingerly, the pony leaned out over the edge to peer downwards. All she could see was a thick, wispy bank of fog below her, endless for all she knew. Just looking down into this gray, roiling soup was making her nauseous. "Oh my... Y-you don't suppose Applejack...f-fell in, do you? Ohh...it looks like such a long way to the bottom... I hope she-" "Nay, yellow pony; do not fear, do not worry. Two pegasi, they caught her, and took off in a hurry." Only one pony can rhyme like that. The butter-colored mare's gaze flew up out of the foggy ravine as she spun around to face the familiar voice. Her turquoise eyes lit up hopefully. "Zecora! What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of the forest?" "A healer of animals cannot possibly doubt, that she can make medicine when her supplies have run out. You see, I have made this journey to where we now are, in order to find more herbs for my jars." The small zebra turned to reveal the baskets she was carrying, filled with glass jars of all sizes, that were in turn filled with various herbs and berries. "Those pegasi that carried Applejack away, were they female?" Fluttershy asked concernedly, envisioning the pair from the burglary the night before. Zecora shrugged. "They were flying too high for my eye to see clearly. I only knew they held onto their quarry quite dearly." "Oh, o-okay then..." Finally, the other pegasus deemed it time to join the conversation. "Forgive the intrusion, ma'am." he began politely. "My name is Headwind, General of the Royal Air Guard of Canterlot, and I have been instructed by her Majesty, the Princess, to escort Miss Fluttershy here and her close friend, a one Miss Applejack, to the royal city. This mission is of the utmost importance, so if you could point out the direction these two pegasi flew, I would be most grateful." Even though the general stood a full head taller than her, Zecora remained as amiable as ever, even when he stepped right up to her. "Come with me, pony of great caliber. I would be happy to be the guide to your traveler." "Oh, thank you, Zecora! Thank you so much!" the yellow pegasus said joyfully as she followed the two ponies along the ravine's edge. Little by little, the trees began peeling away from the canyon rim, before finally opening up to a massive stone structure, crumbling in places from the ravages of time. Despite its disrepair, the ponies couldn't help but stop for a moment to take in its majesty. "The ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters..." Fluttershy remembered this place; the site of the first (and last) showdown with Nightmare Moon. Something told the timid pegasus that this place was going to be very important in the near future. Even General Headwind found himself in awe. "I was always told that this place was nothing more than myth. I can remember being told bedtime stories about this place when I was just a colt..." Not to be left out, Zecora put in her two bits. "I remember hearing stories of this castle so grand, even while back in my homeland." Standing before the trio was an imposing entry hall. The dark stone of the arched doorway gleamed invitingly in the strong moonlight, almost beckoning the wandering travelers into its gaping maw. The rough cobblestone path leading into the hall was horribly overgrown, slowly being reclaimed by nature. Significantly less confident than the ponies before her, Fluttershy cautiously followed them into the long-abandoned entry hall. The instant her hoof touched the stone inside, it felt like something stabbed her mind. "Ahh...!" "I couldn't do it... I...wasn't fast enough..." "Rainbow Dash, darling, you did all that you possibly could have done..." "No, I didn't... I could have gone faster..." "C'mon, Dashie, turn that frown upside-down. How could you have flown faster than a Sonic Rainboom?" "Augh! You don't get it! Neither of you do! I could have done something! For Celestia's sake, I'm supposed to be the Element of Loyalty! Bottom line: Twilight needed me and I wasn't there for her! I...failed..." Fluttershy didn't know it, but by this time she was unconscious upon the cold stone floor. General Headwind and Zecora had heard her fall and quickly stood over her. Above all of them, visible only in the moonlight streaming in through a hole in the dilapidated ceiling, a shadow moved. It rapidly leapt into the night sky, where feathered wings carried it off toward another massive stone structure. Entering through an arched window frame, the pegasus trotted up to a circular stone slab that sat before a majestic stained glass window, whose artistic appeal had long since been shattered. Once in the center of the altar, the winged pony pressed a hoof into a small circular depression in the stone. A "click!" was heard in response, and, one by one, steps began appearing, spiraling their way down into the darkness under the stone disc. At the bottom of this staircase one would find a sturdily locked wooden door. A knock on the door and a small panel on it slid back. "Password?" the revealed pair of pink eyes asked. "Good and evil, their cycle eternal, hearkens to the moon's glow and the sun's inferno." the pegasus stallion recited. The pair of eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do I know it's you...?" "Open this door, numbskull, before I knock it down on top of you..." The female voice behind the door giggled. "Yup, that's you all right. One sec'." The panel slid back into place and moments later the door was opened, revealing yet another pegasus. One with a jagged, dark blue mane not unlike the shape of a bolt of lightning. "So? Whadd'ya find out? Huh? Huh?" "Zip it... Just tell me where the boss is. We've found another Element." "Oh. She's in the library, looking up spells we can use." The winged stallion sniffed and set off down the torch-lit hallway, ignoring the stream of babbling from the pegasus behind him. A glow emanating from an archway showed him where the library was. As he turned the corner into the room, the pony was halted by a voice from the far wall. "This had better be important... I don't need any more interruptions, so unless Nightmare Moon has somehow returned of her own accord, you can back your flank right back out of this room." For some reason, the formerly serious male pegasus began snickering, very obviously holding back laughter. "W-we've located...a-another Element, just outside the e-entry hall...Pffft!" The pony at the desk looked up upon hearing this. "Normally, I would lay into you again for laughing like that, but that's going to have to wait. Which Element did you locate?" After regaining (some of) his composure, the stallion continued. "It was a little dark to see, but I believe it was the yellow pegasus. Kindness, I believe." "Then I've got the perfect spell to test out our new 'power source.' Get me a charged sinkstone and meet me outside. It's time I tried walking in an Element's hooves."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-10-23T00:21:03+00:00

2011-10-23T00:21:03+00:00

Twang! Sssss-thunk! "A little too much to the left..." the unicorn sighed. Another arrow magically floated out of the leather-bound quiver strapped to the white pony's side. The icicle-sharp projectile glided up to the equine's face, where she studied it intently with her dark blue eyes. Rainbow Dash is taking all of this very hard... I've never seen the poor dear so shaken up before... Still guided by magic, the arrow nocked itself upon the suspended bow. In one fluid movement, the unicorn drew the bowstring taut... Draw... she sighted down the shaft... Aim... Finally, she took a deep breath, and... Release...! The crisp Twang! of the bowstring reverberated through the still night air. Thok! "Exceptional shot, Miss Rarity. Dead center." "Thank you, sir..." the unicorn mare replied absentmindedly. Her focus remained on the quivering arrow protruding from the bull's-eye at the far end of the range. Before long, she had selected another arrow and sat it upon her bowstring. One more Twang! later, and the new arrow was on its way downrange. It was hard to tell in the low light, but if one looked just so, they would see that the second arrow had been split, nock to tip, by the third. This was quite the achievement, but the mare's expression remained unchanged. There really wasn't much to smile about at the moment. Sighing, she propped the bow up against the small table next to her and picked up the small bottle of sparkling water from said table. "Are you finished for the night, Miss?" Swallowing her sip of her beverage, Rarity glanced at the pegasus guard standing at attention several yards away. "No, I'm not quite finished yet. Although, it is getting rather late, isn't it?" she remarked, noting the height of Luna's full moon. "You do look like you've had quite a full day, too... If you wish, you may retire for the night. I shouldn't think I'll be too much longer." The armored stallion adamantly shook his head. "I appreciate your concern, Miss Rarity, but I must refuse. Our weather teams have been carefully monitoring several rogue storms over the Everfree Forest. Following today's affairs, Her Majesty Celestia has ordered every member of the Royal Air Guard to remain on full alert. I'm afraid I am not permitted to let you out of my sight while you are outside the palace. My apologies." "No need to apologize, sir. If such is the case, I shall be done within the next five minutes." The unicorn picked up her bow and faced the archery range once more. She had just drawn back another arrow when... "Princess Luna, milady, it is an honor to have you join us during this beautiful night you have given us." "Wait, did you just say Princ- Waahaah!" Surprise caused the white pony's magic to yank back heavily on the bowstring as she looked over her shoulder, but only for a second. She quickly lost her grip and the arrow streaked off into the night sky. Standing before her was the younger of the two royal sisters; a tall alicorn with a smooth navy blue coat and a star-filled mane and tail that glittered mysteriously and danced with a life of their own. The jewelry and boots she wore twinkled and shimmered as though they had been forged from the night sky itself. "P-princess Luna...! Your Majesty..." The violet-maned unicorn bowed respectfully, if a little hastily, in the presence of the royal alicorn. "Forgive me, your Highness; I must look simply dreadful... My mane is a mess, my hooves are-" The winged unicorn laughed; not quite the reaction Rarity was expecting. "Oh, that's quite all right; I don't mind at all." "Re-really?" Rarity stammered, hesitantly looking up at the princess. "Really. That's another thing; everypony's always afraid to look me in the eye. Although," Luna added, a little nervously, "a good deal of that is probably my fault. I...presume that Twilight told you what happened last Nightmare Night?" The diamond-marked pony slowly stood up, and cautiously met the alicorn's eyes. "A little of it, yes. I am terribly sorry that I was absent for your visit, your Majesty." "That's quite all right. I'll admit that I did get a little carried away. The spiders, the shouting, the lightning... Things have really changed in the last 1,000 years." she mumbled sheepishly. "So...what exactly were you doing out here at this hour?" The wayward arrow that had taken to the sky earlier couldn't have picked a better time to return to the earth. It reappeared in the blink of an eye, embedding itself in the table, right next to Rarity's drink. Luna flicked the vibrating arrow with a hoof. "Ah, I see. I don't recall any of Twilight's letters ever mentioning that you practiced archery." "Not to be rude, your Highness, but how do you know of Twilight's letters?" "Whenever 'Tia finishes reading one, she lets me borrow it so I can copy it down and learn a little something about friendship, because, well...I've been a little out of practice lately... That's not to say that I haven't learned a lot, however; your friend is very studious." Rarity nodded in agreement. "She is indeed. At any rate, archery is something that I just picked up in my spare time. Idle hooves, as they say. Orders for dresses have a habit of coming in a very irregular fashion, if you'll pardon the clothing humor. If you think about it, archery is very much like making a dress. Threading the needles, drawing the bowstring, and so on." "I can see how that would be true." Luna agreed. "But practicing at night? I don't often make my moons this bright." "That's...easily explainable, too. As you could very well imagine, everypony is quite upset about today's events. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have barely spoken to anypony and my mind has been galloping in so many directions, there isn't the slightest chance of me getting any sleep." "I can understand." Luna nodded sagely. "From what I've read, you all seem very close. I know I have not really had the chance to really sit down and get to know Twilight, but I am just as concerned." "Thank you, milady." "Enough of those silly titles. 'Luna' will be quite all right. Now, if you wish, you're more than welcome to join me back in the study if you think that would help take your mind off things. I was about to do a little research on our current situation, and I wouldn't mind a little help." "Thank you for the offer, and I don't mean to be rude in saying this, but I couldn't. I feel as though I should look in on my friends and try to get some rest. I would probably be more of a knot in your mane than anything else." "If you insist." the princess replied simply. The white unicorn nodded. "I do. It was a pleasure talking with you, mil-Luna." As Rarity passed the guard, she bowed her head in thanks. "Thank you very much for your patience, sir." "My pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your night, Miss." "Oh, before I go, could you direct me to Rainbow Dash's room? I'd be most grateful." "Of course. Head left down this hallway and take your first left. That should take you to a staircase. Once you are at the top, Miss Dash's room should be the first on the right." the guard pony instructed. "Thank you." Rarity bowed once more and took her leave. "Are you retiring for the night as well, your Majesty, or do you plan to return to your study?" the white pegasus asked as Luna came back inside. "Yes, I was planning to keep studying. I'd feel better if I could figure something out, no matter how small." Very well. Do you require any further services from me?" "I should be fine for the nigh-" The pony paused and looked up at the ceiling. "Actually, yes, there is. Stop by the kitchen and have the cooks begin preparing a dozen scones. Send half of these to Rarity and her friends. I think they could use something to eat. Also, have the cooks start boiling some water for tea. I'll be down shortly to pick it up. After that, have guards stationed at each of our guests' rooms. We can't have a repeat of today's incident." "At once, milady." "Very good, Lieutenant. You may go." Luna waved off his salute and watched as he subsequently turned and marched away. Waiting until she was sure he was out of earshot, she let out her held breath. "'Milady' this, 'your Majesty' that. How in Equestria has 'Tia put up with it for so long? It's already driving me insane..." ------------------------- Rarity had little trouble in locating Rainbow Dash's room after following the directions from the guard. Despite the hour, something told her that her friend wouldn't be asleep yet. The unicorn raised a hoof and knocked quietly upon the door. To her surprise, the door wasn't locked, let alone latched, and it slowly swung open, creaking softly. Rarity's intuitions had been correct; the rainbow-maned pegasus was still awake. She was sitting silently at the window, idly tapping a hoof against the stone sill. However, there was one more pony in the room than the unicorn had initially seen. "Pinkie Pie, dear, it's getting awfully late. What are you still doing up?" The aptly-named pink pony that was lying upon the bed looked up and blinked sleepily. "Hiiiii..." she mumbled, sounding as if she was forcing herself to sound happy and upbeat. "But what are you doing in here, darling?" "I kept having these really scary dreams every time I fell asleep. Like really, really scary. I came in here to see if Dashie was having the same problem, but she says she hasn't even gone to sleep yet. She's been sitting at the window since I came in." The curly, pink-maned pony let out a long, depressed sigh. "I don't blame her..." "I understand you're upset, Rainbow Dash, but you should try and get some sleep anyway." Rarity urged, lightly laying a hoof upon her friend's shoulder. The sky-blue pony snorted indifferently and shrugged off the unicorn's hoof. "I'm not tired..." she muttered. "Okay... That doesn't mean that you couldn't try to go to sleep anyway. Things always seem better after a good night's rest." "She's right, Dashie." Pinkie chimed in, hopping off the bed. "Whenever I'm feeling down, I always like to have a really biiig piece of cake and take a nice long nap. It always helps me!" The unicorn couldn't help but flash a confused glance at the pink earth pony. "In that order, dear? Really?" Pinkie Pie forced a grin onto her face and shrugged. "What? It works for me..." "Just...leave me alone... Just go..." Rainbow Dash sniffed. Not bothering to see whether or not her friends had taken her advice, she continued murmuring to herself. "I couldn't do it... I...wasn't fast enough..." "Rainbow Dash, darling, you did all that you possibly could have done..." The pegasus shook her head. "No, I didn't... I could have gone faster..." "C'mon, Dashie, turn that frown upside-down. How could you have flown faster than a Sonic Rainboom?" "Augh! You don't get it!" For the first time since Rarity had entered the room, the pegasus turned to face her. The pony's expression was a frightening mix of anger, sadness, and deep regret. "Neither of you do! I could have done something! For Celestia's sake, I'm supposed to be the Element of Loyalty! Bottom line: Twilight needed me and I wasn't there for her! I...failed..." As the multi-colored pegasus sank to the floor, slowly dissolving into a puddle of angry tears, Rarity could feel her heart moving in the same direction. What is happening to all of us? she thought. This is tearing us apart... ------------------------- Luna's trip back to her room didn't take very long either. Several hallways and an equal number of staircases later, and she was in her private quarters. Just inside the alicorn's room, a little off to the left, was her own private study, walled in by three fully stocked bookcases. Even more books were spread upon the finely crafted desk in the center of the room, mingling with scrolls, quills, and a candle or two. The princess made a quick lap around the room, carefully scrutinizing the shelved books, selecting one from here and a few from there. She placed the stack of books upon the desk and turned around to head back down to the kitchen as she had promised. She made it no further than her door. A pony dressed in typical chef's garb stood just outside, a serving cart before him. "Here are half a dozen freshly baked maple scones and a kettle of boiling water, along with a selection of our finest teas, as you requested, your Highness." Luna was a little surprised to see the head chef at her door. "Oh...my... You didn't have to bring that all the way up here. I was just on my way down to the kitchen to come get these." "Nonsense. It was my pleasure. Will this be all for you tonight?" "Yes, this will be fine. Thank you, Five Star." The familiar glow of magic surrounded Luna's horn as she removed the silver platter from the cart. "Have you taken the other scones to our guests yet?" "Of course. Just as you requested." "Very good. Enjoy the rest of your night." "You too, Princess." The chef pony bowed respectfully and left to return to his kitchen. At least he didn't call me "milady." the horned pegasus chuckled to herself. This time, as she closed the door behind her, she made sure to lock it; she wanted no further interruptions. "All right... Back to wor- Wait a minute... What's this book?" Out of the clutter on the desk, one book in particular stood out to the pony; a rather thick volume, bound in fine black leather. Attached to the front cover was a short message. Luna easily recognized the writing upon the parchment. "Here's the book you wanted to read. I wanted to get into it a little bit more, but after what happened today, I don't have the time. I hope that you can take a longer look at it and perhaps shed some light on what's going on. Love ya, sis, 'Tia." Luna pulled the note off the book and looked at the gold calligraphic text of the title. "A Brief History of Harmony and Discord... 'Tia must've left this for me while I was outside. Looks like as good a place as any to start." Before she dove into the book, Luna picked out several bags of crushed rose petals and rosehips from the serving tray. These she put into the kettle so that the boiling water could do its work while she did hers. Of course, it made sense to start at the beginning of the book, and as the pony opened to the foreword, something jumped out at her. "This work seeks to explain the many intricacies of the mysterious forces at work in our world today, collectively known as 'Harmony,' and those ponies that have wielded them." Luna read out loud. "As you read on, keep in mind one simple fact. Know that everything in this world, even the governing force of Harmony, has an opposite equivalent and is not always as it appears; good and evil, light and dark, so on and so forth." Separated from this ominous-sounding reminder, farther down the page, was another line of text that appeared to be a quote of some kind. "Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it." Strangely enough, this quote was not followed by any sort of name, not even "Anonymous." Interesting... Luna folded the top corner of the page down for later reference and flipped past the various dedications and introductions to section one, entitled Exploring the Elements: An in-depth look at each individual Element. "Perfect." the blue alicorn mumbled around a mouthful of scone. Phoenix-feather quill and fresh parchment at the ready, she dove into the first section. With each hour that passed, Luna found herself a few more pages in, with several more scrolls of notes on the table, and one less scone on the plate. Things were refusing to add up however. The beginning of the section had distinctly mentioned all six Elements, from Honesty to Magic. As she read, Luna had noted that each Element had a very thorough chapter dedicated to it. At least until she got to Magic. "Wait a minute... There's almost nothing here." Confused, she flipped back a page to see if she had missed something. "Nope... That's not it. Odd...there's barely even a paragraph for the Element of Magic. Even then, it just mentions it as a 'key.' That's it..." A quick set of knocks at the princess' door interrupted her confusion. "Luna? Are you still awake?" 'Tia? The blue pony looked up from her book and ran to the door. The winged unicorn on the other side was lacking her tiara and usual accoutrements, but it was indeed Celestia. "You look awful, sis! What are you doing up? It's still the middle of the night." The tall white alicorn blinked sleepily and yawned. "I know, but I'm waiting for Applejack and Fluttershy to arrive. Their chariot is long overdue and I'm becoming worried. I need somepony to talk to. May I?" "Of course! C'mon in." Luna saw something in her sister's eyes; something other than fatigue. She took a step back and allowed the white pony to enter. Celestia's gaze quickly fell upon the cluttered desk within the study. "You look as if you've been quite busy tonight. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." "No, you're fine, 'Tia. I was just looking through that book you left me." "Oh. Please tell me that you've figured some of this mess out." Celestia sighed, a touch of desperation in her voice. "Sort of..." Luna answered hesitantly. She looked toward the book laying open upon the desk and followed it as it magically floated back to her. "Look at this." The slightly yellowed pages flipped backwards, to the dog-eared page with the strange quote. "Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it..." Celestia stared intently at the passage as something long since buried in a millennium of memories squirmed to free itself. Why does this sound so familiar? Where have I seen this before? Finally, like a drowning pony breaking the water's surface, it came to her. "That's it..." she murmured distantly. "What's it?" Luna looked at the quote in confusion, then to her sister, and finally back at the text again. "Have you seen this before, 'Tia?" The white alicorn princess nodded. "Let me see the book for a minute." Two pages before the enigmatic quote was the standard publishing information that all books possess. "Here. Read the publication date." "December 22nd, 1010. What abou... Oh, right... That's one thousand years ago..." she mumbled. "One thousand and one, actually, give or take a few months. This book was published one year after our..." The princess paused, unsure of how to breach the delicate subject. "Disagreement?" "Yes, that's a good way of putting it. Thank you, Luna. This book was written and published one year after our disagreement, in an attempt to explain just exactly what the Elements of Harmony were and how they worked. It also tried to explain why there were so many rogue storms in Equestria at the time." "Wait, what?" Luna looked like she'd just been slapped. "So what's going on now has already happened?" "Yes. There just isn't a pony alive that still remembers it. I'm the only one that does. Even back then, those storms were searching for something, just like now." "But what exactly are they looking for?" Celestia sighed and closed the book. She slowly walked over to a window and stared out into the night sky for some time. When she spoke again, her tone was very shaky. "I-if you...had asked me that two days ago... I...I couldn't have told you... A-after today, though...I...I..." The alicorn trailed off, refusing to finish her sentence. "What's the matter, 'Tia? You look like-" It was Luna's turn to trail off, as her question was answered by a single tear dropping to the window sill. She'd never seen this before, not from her sister. "I know what you're thinking, Luna...but there's something that you should know about that night all that time ago. That night... That night was the worst night of my life. I don't think I've ever shed so many tears in my life. For a week, I would cry myself to sleep, wake up an hour later, and keep on crying. I cried so long, and so hard, I actually believed that there weren't any tears left in me. For almost one thousand years, that was true; nothing could compare to what had happened between us. Until, that is, I met one pony. In that instant, I knew if anything should ever happen to her...it would bring those tears back..." "Twilight..." Celestia nodded weakly. "Yes... She reminded me so much of you... I had already failed to protect you, Luna... I swore to myself that I wouldn't make the same kind of mistake again. So much for that promise..." Luna nudged her sister in her trembling shoulder. "It's not your fault, 'Tia. You can't be everywhere at once." "T-that's true..." she sniffed. "But I could have paid more attention to what was going on. I should have done something the instant I saw the storms turn toward Ponyville. I saw all of the signs, just like I did with you. You weren't acting like yourself, you weren't the Luna I knew. By the time I knew something was terribly wrong, that evil force already had you tightly in its grip. I could have stopped it if I had acted sooner...and now...that evil force has returned, again taking s-somepony close to me... I...I'm sorry, Twilight..." "I wouldn't worry too much, 'Tia. You've told me great things about Twilight, and from the time I spent with her, even though it was very short, she seems as though she has a smart head on her shoulders." "Y-you're right, Luna. I shouldn't be worried. Twilight is a very smart pony. She'll be fine. Still, I can't help but worry as to why she was taken to begin with." "About that, 'Tia. I found some-" Luna's news would have to wait until later. Out of nowhere, Lieutenant Jet Stream appeared at the open door. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Your Majesties! Your presences have been requested at the main gate!" After exchanging confused glances, the sisters followed the lieutenant down numerous hallways and staircases toward the palace's main door. "What is the problem, Jet Stream?" Celestia asked over the rapid clicking of three sets of hooves upon the marble flooring. "Your guess is as good as mine, your Highness." he replied. "One of the guards on watch said he spotted something approaching the palace." "Not again... Once a day is more than enough..." The alicorn's violet eyes glinted angrily. The trio slowed to a halt as they approached the main gate. "Open the gate..." Celestia ordered coldly. The sight beyond the imposing double doors was not one that any of the three ponies expected to see. Two pegasus stallions, clad in a damaged variant of the typical armor issued to the Royal Air Guard, stood, exhausted from their quick flight. Jet Stream instantly recognized the two guards. "Cirrus! Wind Shear! Where have you-" One of Princess Celestia's majestic wings flicked out, cutting off her lieutenant both physically and verbally. "At attention! Quickly!" she barked. The pair of guards scrambled to stand up straight and salute. "At once, your Highness!" they replied simultaneously. "Excellent. Full report!" "We had no trouble locating the ponies you asked for." Celestia's eyes narrowed darkly at the pause in narration. "Then where are they, pray tell?" Understandably, the guards were quite nervous under the princess' cold, scrutinizing stare. "Well?" Finally, one of the armored pegasi mustered up the courage and stepped forward. He swallowed visibly and launched back into his narrative. "We were able to take off without any problems. However, as we passed over the Everfree Forest... We...we lost the chariot..." "How exactly does one just lose a chariot?" The princess' voice was quickly becoming frustrated. Luna noticed this and gently nudged the white alicorn. "Calm down, 'Tia." she whispered. She flinched a little as she was smacked in the face by the feathers of Celestia's other wing. "Hush. What happened to the chariot? How did you lose it?" Celestia repeated. "A bolt of lightning cut the chariot loose from us and knocked us from the sky over the Great Scar. Since then, we've been picking our way through the forest until we were free of it. That's why we arrived so late." "I see... Am I to assume that General Headwind followed the chariot down?" "Affirmative. His orders were for us to return to Canterlot and find you if anything were to happen." "Very good. The two of you have had a long day. You are dismissed." The guard ponies bowed respectfully and rapidly took their leave. Perhaps they too could sense the princess' mounting irritation? "Shall I ready a combat squad?" Jet Stream asked the princess as the guards galloped away. Celestia shook her head. "A regular combat squadron would draw too much attention to us. I want this operation to be as covert as possible. Ready the G.R.A.S.S. team. We will be moving within the hour." "'We,' your Majesty?" "Yes, Jet Stream. I will be leading this mission. I have observed from the sidelines for long enough; this time I take action." "Forgive my saying so, Princess, but with regards to the day's events, I suggest you reconsider." The alicorn turned a smoldering glare on the lieutenant, causing him to flinch. "Are you disobeying a direct order, Jet Stream?" "N-not at all, your Excellency. It is just my opinion that-" Celestia's gaze softened slightly as she spoke. "Jet Stream, you have served in my Royal Air Guard for many years and I do respect your opinion. However, this is not something I will be swayed upon. Too many things, today included, have only come to pass because of my lack of action. Send word to the armorer, have him begin preparing my armor. Quickly!" Jet Stream gave a militaristic salute. "Yes, your Highness!" Soon, he too was off down the hallway. "Come with me, Luna. I need to talk with you." The blue alicorn watched as her sister started after the lieutenant. What's wrong, 'Tia? You don't often get like this. The last time I remember seeing this side of you was back while we were fighting against- "Luna!" "C-coming!" she stammered. "Listen to me carefully, Luna." the elder princess instructed. "I do not foresee this...errand of mine taking more than a few hours, but in the event that I am wrong, I want you to raise the sun in my stead." "Really? You've always done that, 'Tia. You think I'm ready for that?" "I know you're ready." The sisters rounded a corner and entered a massive chamber lined with dozens of variations of the standard Royal Guard armor. Against the far wall was a highly ornate, glass-doored cabinet housing two sets of armor, vastly different from the numerous other sets in the room. These two sets were identical in every way, save for their color. One of them seemed to act as its own light source, gleaming a bright golden yellow. The other one was forged from a nearly pitch-black metal that absorbed any and all light that came near. "Princess Celestia, your Majesty." A unicorn garbed in a brown blacksmith's apron appeared from a small room alight with the glow of burning coals. "Jet Stream told me you would be coming. Your armor is ready and waiting." "Very good. Begin my fitting." "At once." The golden armor pieces drifted out of the cabinet, guided by the blacksmith's steady magic. "Pardon me, your Highness, but would you raise your wings? Thank you." Two parts of a magnificently crafted breastplate, floated up around Celestia's neck and fastened themselves together. A specially made helmet and knee-high leg armor, also made from the same golden metal, completed the ensemble. The alicorn shrugged slightly to better adjust the armor over her back. It had been quite some time since she had last worn this. "All right, Luna, you're in charge until I return." Without waiting for an answer, the princess turned away and headed for the exit. "Wait up, sis'!" Luna called after her. "I need to tell you something!" "Don't worry; I know you can handle being-" "Just stop and look at me, 'Tia!" The desperation in her sibling's voice surprised the winged unicorn and she faced the smaller pony. "What is it?" "P-promise me that you'll come back..." Celestia smiled at her sister's concern. "I'll be back. Promise." She lowered her head and met the younger princess in a sisterly embrace. "Please be careful, 'Tia..."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-12-20T21:26:18+00:00

2011-12-20T21:26:18+00:00

"...the sixth Element; the Element of Magic!" The glowing stone sphere high above the purple unicorn burst into a magnificent light, illuminating the entirety of the cold stone chamber. As this light neared the pony underneath it, it morphed into a jeweled tiara. A new light began shining throughout the chamber, surrounding the group of six ponies. A massive, double-helixed rainbow erupted vertically from the pink glow, twisting high into the air before radiating out toward the dark alicorn standing upon the pedestal. "No... Noooo...!" The rainbow energy began circling around the alicorn , revolving faster and faster until it was a multicolored blur. Before long, however, the cyclone exploded outward, knocking the six ponies to the stone floor. Still upon the circular pedestal, standing there as if nothing had happened, was Nightmare Moon. "What...what happened? The Elements of Harmony...failed?" "Ahahahaha! Insolent foal! I am Nightmare Moon, darkness incarnate! What did you expect those useless little baubles to do?" The purple unicorn staggered back to her hooves, dizzy from the shockwave. "The Elements are a force of pure good... Evil cannot stand against them!" "'Pure good?' Ha! Nothing in this world is pure! Everything has an opposite; kindness, honesty, generosity, all of them! As long as there are those that fight for good, there will be those that fight for evil... True evil can never be defeated!" the black pony laughed. "It will always return!" "But...but..." "Enough! Your inane ramblings grow tiresome. Your efforts have failed, and this battle is over!" Nightmare Moon's amorphous mane began swirling itself into a violent, frenzied tornado. The very air became charged with an unnatural energy as lightning bolts started manifesting out of thin air. "No!" Twilight shouted defiantly. "The Elements of Harmony will prevail! Back on your hooves, everypony! We can still do this! We can still win! We can...girls?" Met with silence, the unicorn glanced behind her. To her shock, nopony was there. She was alone. "Pathetic little foal! You shall be the first to experience my endless night! Sleep forever!" "Aah!" Twilight awoke with a start, her mane and coat damp with a cold sweat. The transition from dream to reality is always shaky, and it took the unicorn mare a good chunk of time to realize the difference. "T-that was just a dream... Nightmare Moon was defeated a year ago... That wasn't real..." "Look who's finally awake... It's about damn time; you've been fidgeting and whining in your sleep like a newborn filly..." Twilight's hadn't fully woken up yet, and her vision was a bit blurry, so she had no idea who (or what) she was talking to. Her first instinct was to conjure a simple light spell at the tip of her horn. The result was less than desirable; the spell fizzled, only succeeding in producing a tiny spit of magenta-hued magic that miserably sank to the floor and burned out. "We won't have any of that while you're in here. This is a magic-free zone." "Magic-free? But that would require a massive amount of oppositely polarized energy. How are you-" "That's on a need-to-know basis. You don't qualify." the silhouette sniffed. Twilight snorted in frustration at her roommate's silence. Her mind was a hurricane of questions and she just wanted some answers. After a short time, it became painfully clear that she was not going to get any, so the unicorn gave up waiting and began doing it herself. Her head had finally stopped swimming from her rapid awakening, and there was a tiny bit of light leaking in from the candle-lit hallway to aid in her search. This tiny room was every inch a dungeon, from its purely cobblestone construction, its lack of furnishings, right down to the cobweb-coated chains snaking from the back wall. It wasn't until she went to stand up that Twilight found she was sporting her very own set, complete with heavy manacles fastened about each of her legs. As she stared at these in confusion, the mare discovered she was wearing some kind of strange jewelry; a choker inset with an odd gemstone. "Ow!" Touching it quickly turned out to be a bad idea. The surface of the gem was about as hot as sticking one's hoof into an open flame. Where in Equestria am I? she thought, her worry mounting as her mind put together what little pieces she had before her. "Ya'll git yer hooves offa me, ya varmint!" Twilight's ears shot up at the familiar voice. Applejack? "C'mon! Lemme go, Ah dare ya! Ah'll buck yer sorry no good flanks halfway into next week!" Above the rising din from the hallway, a solid Thud! could be heard, followed by a very angry "Ouch!" "Hah! How do ya like them apples? If ya'd hold still, Ah'd be happy ta do yer other eye so's yer all nice an' matchin'! How's that sou-uff!" "I've had enough of your lip! Charger! Skies! Get her in there!" Shortly thereafter, Applejack was forcefully ushered around the corner by a pair of pegasi. With a great amount of difficulty, along with a good number of bruises between them, the eventually succeeded in restraining the stubborn orange pony. As these two pegasi left the room, another, this one wearing a rapidly swelling eye, entered. "All right, ponies, cock an ear. This is important." "Go choke on an apple core." the farmer pony snorted. "Excuse me?" "Y'all heard me. Or did some of that mud livin' in what you call a brain leak into yer ears too?" The earth pony's insults were taking their toll. The pegasus was trembling with barely contained rage. Applejack saw this and decided to give her a little something extra. In a manner most cheeky, she pointed the tip of her tongue at the winged pony. As answer, she received the pony equivalent of a backhand across her mouth. Thoroughly fed up, the pegasus mare turned to leave. As she passed the stallion standing guard at the doorway, he burst into a fit of laughter. "Hahahaha! She sure as hay gave it to you! Hahaha! What's the matter? The high and mighty Nightshade can't handle a simple earth pony? Haha-" This "Nightshade" aggressively shoved the larger pony into the stone wall, glaring daggers at him. "Put a lid on it, smart-flank. You. Recon. Now." she growled. "S-sure thing..." he stammered, still giggling like a schoolfilly. "R-right away..." "Idiot..." Nightshade finally pulled the heavy door shut, leaving the pair of ponies in near total darkness. A period of uneasy silence followed before either of the friends spoke. Applejack was the first to break the silence. "Heh. Ah thought that slap was gonna hurt a bit more. Guess not..." After waiting to see if there was a response from beyond the door, Twilight finally let out her held breath. "Applejack!" The unicorn was overjoyed to see her friend, but terrified that it had to be under the current circumstances. "Are you all right? What are you doing here? Where are w-" "Woah there, sugarcube. One question at a time. Take a deep breath an' start over." Twilight obliged, already feeling better. The silent confidence radiating from the earth pony was immensely calming. "Are you all right?" she repeated. "That slap looked like it hurt." Applejack nodded. "Don't you worry none, Twi'. It's gonna take more'n that to- Oop, 'scuse me... Ptoo!" The blonde pony took a quick pause and spat out a small mouthful of blood. "Like Ah was sayin': It's gonna take more'n that to harm one of the Apple clan. We're stubborn as the day is long." "That's a relief... So then, what are you doing here?" "We were on our way to Canterlot when our ride was knocked clean outta the sky by a lightnin' bo-" "'We?' Who else was with you?" The hat-wearing pony clapped a hoof to her forehead, making her chains rattle noisily. "Shoot! Fluttershy! Those pegasi had me so ticked, Ah plumb fergot about her... Ah hope she's doin' all right..." "Fluttershy's in trouble too? What's going on, Applejack? Why were you two heading for Canterlot?" Twilight started rattling off questions again, forgetting what her friend had said moments earlier. "Ah ain't got the foggiest idea... Ah just know it's real nasty." All of a sudden, the orange pony felt sick. Breaking the news about the unicorn's library to her wasn't going to be easy. "Ah...Ah've also got a bit of bad news..." "What is it? Please tell me the others are all right..." "Well...uh... Ah don't know how to break this to ya, Twi'..." "Come on, Applejack." Twilight pleaded. "Tell me, please. I can handle it." The earth pony sighed. There was just no other way to explain this. "Alright, sugarcube... Just know that this ain't any easier fer me to say this. The day after you and the girls took off fer Canterlot, that was when stuff started gettin' real bad. We got hit with a nasty storm an' Fluttershy ended up havin' to stay the night. Anyway, the next mornin', we found out that somethin' had gone and broken into all of our houses; includin' yer library, Twi'..." The unicorn was becoming anxious again. Applejack wouldn't meet her eyes. "Why...why do you sound so depressed? They couldn't have taken that many books...right?" "They're gone, Twi'. All of 'em. Whoever's b'hind all this burned every single thing inside that library. There ain't a thing left... Ah'm awful sorry..." The look on the unicorn's face was indescribable by mere words. Images of charred, burning pages fluttering upon a hot, ashen breeze were all she could see. No... Scrolls, books, entire encyclopedias, all full of beautiful knowledge, burning...burning until they were no more that miserable piles of ash, ready to be blown away by the slightest wind. She shook her head, refusing to believe what she had been told. "No... No, no, no!" Twilight sank to the dusty floor, hooves pressed to the sides of her head. "That can't be true! It just can't!" "Ah'm sorry, Twilight... For once in mah life, Ah wish Ah-" "That's not true! Don't lie to me, Applejack!" she yelled, an angry spark in her violet eyes. "Don't lie to me!" The apple-marked pony shook her head sadly. "Ah wish Ah was, hun'. Ah wish Ah was..." "No! It's not true! It's not-" "Fer Celestia's sake, Twilight! Look at me! Look at who yer talkin' to!" The purple pony slowly looked up, hot tears still in her eyes, right into the green eyes belonging to the Element of Honesty. Realization hit her like a dropped anvil. "I...I apologize, A-Applejack... I didn't mean to accuse you of be-being a liar... I just-" "Ah fergive ya. Ah'd feel the same way if anythin' happened to mah family." "S-so Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh... They-they're both okay then?" "Yep. They're both right as rain." Twilight wiped her eyes and sat up. "G-good to hear. What about everypony else's houses. I hope t-they're still standing..." "Uh-huh. All still in one piece. We...weren't able to find Angel Bunny though; little guy's still missin'." The unicorn was legitimately surprised at hearing this. "Fluttershy left while Angel Bunny was missing? What did you say to her to convince her to do that?" "Ah didn't say nothin'. It was Big Macintosh who did all the sayin'." Twilight's tearful expression gave way to a soft smile. "R-really? I had a hunch that that's who it was." she said mysteriously. Applejack's eyes revealed nothing but confusion. "What in Equestria are ya talkin' about, Twi'?" "You know that Big Macintosh came by the library recently, right?" "Yeah, it was about two weeks ago. Why?" "I was getting there." she chuckled. "Do you know what book he came looking for, though?" A shrug from the earth pony let her continue. "The book he ended up checking out was The Stallion's Standard to Going Steady. I didn't really think anything of it at first. A week later, though, I figured it out. This time, it was Fluttershy that came in looking for a book. The Complete Encyclopedia of Rabbits, I believe. Guess who had that one?" Even though she was not one for "fancy mathematics," as she called them, Applejack easily put two and two together. The smile that crept onto her face was so bright, it almost lit up the small room. "Shoot! That's the best thing Ah've heard in a long time. Ah've been telling that ol' pony that he really should find himself a mare. What're the odds that it'd be Fluttershy?" "Well, considering the apparent imbalance in the ratio of-" "C'mon, Twi'! Ya know darn well that ain't what Ah meant!" the blonde-maned pony laughed. "I know, I know." Laughter has a habit for being notoriously contagious, and Twilight was soon giggling along with her friend. "Ever since I got that letter from Princess Celestia two days ago, it's been nothing but bad news." the unicorn sighed. "It's so refreshing to hear something like that." Good news or not, the two ponies were still in a dungeon, the door to which suddenly flew open, startling them both. The pegasus that had been sent on recon earlier had returned, and he had a very evil grin upon his features. He made a beeline straight for the unicorn. "Time we put that magic of yours to good use." Unsure of the stallion's motives, Twilight screwed her eyes shut in fear. Barely anything happened, though. She felt her choker being forcibly ripped off and instantly replaced with a new one. "That's it...?" The winged pony left just as quickly as he'd appeared, slamming the door behind him. "What was he talkin' about, Twi'?" Applejack asked warily. "Puttin' yer magic to use?" ------------------------- The early morning sunlight seeping through the closed curtains fell upon the sleeping pony's eyelids causing her to roll over in an attempt to escape nature's wake-up call. Contradicting her actions, the pegasus murmured sleepily, "I really should get up; I've a lot to do..." The pony then gave a massive yawn and sat up. After returning the butterfly-marked quilt to a neat and tidy position upon the bed, Fluttershy happily trotted down the stairs, in the best of moods. "Good morning, Angel Bunny." she called out in a singsong voice as she passed his basket en route to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" IN the blink of an eye, the mare had pulled three carrots from the refrigerator and was cutting them up for her animal friend. Humming, she scooped these into a bowl and carried it back out to where the rabbit was still sleeping. "Wake up, my little Angel..." she murmured softly, touching her nose to the blanket-wrapped bundle. "One mouth taken care of..." Fluttershy remarked, opening her back door. Her next course of action was to go about feeding the myriad of other animals under her care. Of this myriad, she saved a certain few for last. After digging a mouthful of worms from the ground, she flew up to the tall tree she had placed her patient in the day before. Just as expected, the young robin was still there, wing bandaged up just as she'd left it. As she spat the admittedly foul-tasting bunch of worms into the nest, the robin greeted her with a warm, friendly trill. The mare smiled. "Well, good morning to you too. How does that wing feel?" Three cheerful chirps told Fluttershy that her treatment had worked. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. Now hold still and I'll have those bandages right off, okay?" Each gauze strip that the winged pony removed was neatly draped over her foreleg. She was about to do the same with the last bandage when she noticed several jet black particles settling upon the white cloth. "Ash...?" Ash only comes from one source. A fire! Given her home's proximity to the Everfree Forest, the pink-maned pegasus was right to be worried about a fire. However, a quick, frightened look around revealed a black cloud on the horizon slowly climbing into the sky. At first, Fluttershy was relieved that the fire was on the opposite side of Ponyville. Until, that is, she realized just what was on the opposite side of Ponyville. "Sweet Apple Acres... Applejack!" Leaving the bandages swirling in her wake, the pegasus took off for the apple farm. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" The pony's wings were a blur as she tore through the sky. She flew faster than she had ever flown before, yet the far-off wisp of smoke was not getting any closer. Night had fallen by the time Fluttershy reached the farm. The orange, unsteady glow of the dancing flames revealed a single pony standing far below her. The more the pegasus spiraled down to her, the better she could see that the young pony was wearing a large bow in her mane. "Apple Bloom! Are you all right?" The little yellow filly nodded shakily, the burning farmhouse clearly reflected in her wide, tear-filled eyes. The mare's relief at hearing this was short-lived, as she quickly noticed the lack of the rest of the Apple family. "W-where are Applejack and Big Macintosh?" she asked hesitantly. "B-B-Big Macintosh never came out... AJ went b-back in to find him...!" "Oh no..." With her heart suddenly in her mouth, Fluttershy spun around to face the raging inferno that was the farmhouse. It looked as though flames had consumed the entire upper floor. The longer the pony stared at the crackling flames, the louder that little voice in her head became. Of the two ponies that were supposedly still inside, the pegasi's thoughts turned to one of them. Throwing caution (and logic, as running into a burning building is never a good idea) to the wind, Fluttershy went for it. The heat inside the farmhouse was sweltering and everything was bathed in a strangely eerie red-orange light. "Big Macintosh!? Where are you? Please! Answer me!" she shouted over the angry crackling of the fire as it slowly consumed the house. Obviously, this had not been a smart idea to begin with, but the pegasus was now learning why. The flames dancing all around her were greedily sucking up any available oxygen and simultaneously superheating whatever was left, making each breath burn from the inside out. The overabundance of soot floating through the air clung to the pony's mane and coat, and stung her eyes horribly. Still, something inside the yellow mare would not let her quit. She shook away the light-headedness induced by inadequate oxygen and sprinted up the staircase. She looked to the left and right; both directions were overrun by tall crimson flames. Panicked tears began welling up in the mare's frightened eyes. "Big Macintosh! Answer me!" she sobbed. "Please!" Fluttershy was not the hardiest of ponies to begin with, and her surroundings were draining her stamina reserves faster by the second; the intense heat was steadily strangling the life from her. A foul mixture of soot and sweat ran into the pegasi's eyes as she bent over fighting to catch the smallest breath possible. Though her eyes were red and swollen, there was still a glint of determination present in them. Determination, no matter how strong, means nothing if one's body doesn't have the strength to back it up, and it was taking all of what Fluttershy had left just to remain standing. It wasn't long before even this was overpowered, though. The structural integrity of the farmhouse was reaching critical levels. "Aaah!!" The blazing cross beam above the winged pony gave way and collapsed onto her. Struggling proved useless; the more Fluttershy squirmed, the more the burning wood pressed into her back. "Big Mac... Please..." Her voice was little more than a raspy whisper, yet it was finally answered. She could faintly make out a frenetic barking quickly approaching her. "W-Winona?" The loyal collie bounded up to the trapped pony, barking madly. "N-no..." Fluttershy breathed. "You...have to get...out of here, Winona..." Ignoring the pegasi's command, the canine began frantically pulling on her right wing, obviously trying to free her. "O-ow... Winona...stop... It's not working..." she wheezed. Despite the weak protesting, Winona kept up her furious tugging on Fluttershy's wing, with each tug significantly more painful than the last, until... Pop! Fluttershy sat bolt upright, her chest heaving in and out. A quick inventory of her surroundings revealed her to still be in the Everfree Forest with General Headwind and Zecora. Her right wing was quite sore, yet an experimental flap proved it to be useable once again. Confused, she looked from Headwind to Zecora and back again. "Wh-what happened?" "Miss Zecora helped me to tend to your dislocated wing." the general explained. The zebra nodded in agreement. "A sadder sight has not passed my eye, than a pegasus that could not fly." The shock of her nightmare had not yet passed, and Fluttershy was still on edge. She tried looking around again to calm herself down. The dark trees of the Everfree Forest stretched out before her. Against her back, casting a long shadow in the bright moonlight, was a rundown cobblestone wall. There was no sign of a farmhouse, burning or otherwise. That was just a dream...? It was so...real... Her heart skipped a beat as she realized just what had happened. I just ran into a burning building to find Big Macintosh... "Where are we?" she asked, shrugging off the apparent meaning of her dream. "We're just outside the castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. The instant you stepped inside, you fainted." Headwind informed her. At hearing this, Fluttershy's memory returned; meeting Zecora, seeing the castle, hearing her friend's voices. With the return of these recent memories, came the flood of concerns. "What about Applejack? Have you found her yet?" Zecora looked up from a mixture she was boiling over a small fire. "A place such as this has many places to hide. Had I told you 'yes,' I would have lied." "What...what does that mean?" "It means we could walk around the castle for weeks, perhaps even months, without finding a single sign of Miss Applejack... This castle has spent so long on the edge of memories, that nopony, not even the Princesses themselves, know all of its secrets." Fluttershy swallowed nervously. "W-what's the plan now...?" General Headwind flashed the mare a roguish smile. "What makes you think that it's any different? The day that I break a promise is the day that Her Majesty stops raising the sun. I'll find Miss Applejack, no matter how long it takes me." "Well, shoot, y'all ain't gotta look real far!" Everypony, Headwind included, jumped at the sudden voice. From the dark foliage behind the general an orange hat-wearing pony materialized. "Miss Applejack!" Headwind exclaimed. "You gave me quite the scare. I was of the impression that you were being held prisoner." "Ah was, fer a while, anyways. But here Ah am now." "Hold on..." Fluttershy slowly stood up, her eyes narrowed in the manner of one who is suspicious. "What is my cutie mark?" she asked, keeping her wings folded down over her sides. "Butterflies." Applejack answered easily enough. "How many?" "Three." There was a tiny bit of hesitation in the orange pony's voice; short enough that it was undetectable. The gentle pegasi's wings flared out in rage. "Liar!"

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2011-11-13T19:55:05+00:00

2011-11-13T19:55:05+00:00

General Headwind was forced to dive for cover as an angry yellow streak blazed past him. The Applejack impostor was roughly buffeted to the forest floor by Fluttershy's wing-powered tackle. The yellow pony's eyes burned with a rage-fueled flame that was truly terrifying. "Where is my friend!?" she shouted at the top of her voice. "Wh-what are ya talkin' about? Ah'm right here..." "No! You're not Applejack! Where is she!?" With a good deal of difficulty, Headwind managed to pull the enraged Fluttershy off of the other mare. "By her Majesty's mane, I've never seen this kind of ferocity from such a gentle pony before..." Zecora offered a small piece of cryptically worded wisdom from her spot near her campfire. "True friendship is a power that can see through the most convincing of lies, even when no difference can be seen with the eyes." she chuckled. By now, the cat was not only out of the bag, but was sprinting away. Even so, the fake Applejack continued her charade. "What in tarnation was that for?" The general took a threatening step toward the impostor. "If you know what's good for you, you will drop the act now." Before the pegasus got an answer either way, he got a tap on the shoulder from Zecora. A quick tilt of her head suggested he step aside. The zebra then crouched down in front of the orange mare and stared intently at her, murmuring under her breath. At length, she proclaimed, "Fluttershy, kind pony, please be a dear. In my things there is a tied pouch; quickly, bring it here." "R-right..." The pegasi's anger was not directed toward Zecora, and her soft-spoken demeanor had returned. She hurried over to where the striped pony's baskets sat upon the forest floor. Jars clinked against one another as Fluttershy nosed through them in search of the aforementioned pouch. "I...I don't see any- Oh, wait. Here it is." The sought-after item was hiding at the very bottom of the wicker basket. The pastel-colored mare grabbed the leather pouch and trotted back over to the zebra. "Here you are, Zecora." The striped pony nodded in thanks and untied the pouch. She poured a small amount of fine purple powder into her upturned hoof as six eyes looked on in confusion. With a quick breath, Zecora blew the glittering dust into the orange pony's face. "Ack! What-pffft!-did ya do that fer?" Zecora said nothing, but continued to watch the cloud of dust as it eventually gathered, floating in a small area just above the earth pony's chest. "A tiny bit of finely powdered dust of amethyst always reveals any magic within its midst." Faster than any eye could follow, her hoof flashed towards where the amethyst dust hung. Her hoof came back wearing a choker inlaid with a smooth black gemstone. General Headwind and Fluttershy shared the same curiosity concerning the odd accessory. "What is that?" "This strange jewel is known as a sinkstone, something I have seen many times in my home. It allows any pony without a horn to use magic just as well as a unicorn." With no more magic to power it, the Applejack illusion faded, leaving an angry, violet-maned, slate-grey pegasus behind. Saying her expression was anywhere close to friendly would have been an egregious lie, and her swollen eye wasn't helping her cause. "Congratulations... You've found me out... What are you going to do now?" she muttered condescendingly. The pegasus general snorted angrily. "Give me a minute; I'm sure I can come up with something." "I'm shaking..." Since the other pegasus mare had appeared, Fluttershy had been unable to look away. She had seen this pony once before, quite recently, actually. She just couldn't put a hoof on it. "I want some answers and I want them now. The orange pony you were impersonating; where is she?" Headwind demanded. The grey mare's quick yellow eyes spotted the bandage restraining the stallion's wing. An evil smirk crossed her features. "I'll tell you... But you'll have to catch me first!" In an explosion of leaves, dead grass, and air, she leapt into the sky. "Let's see how well you fly with that lame wing!" she jeered before wheeling around and taking off into the night sky. "Have fuuuun!" "No-!" Fluttershy watched in horror as the only pony that knew where Applejack was vanished into the night. Just make sure ya bring AJ back safely... The mare's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected voice. B-Big Macintosh... The sincerity in his tone; that feather-soft touch against her cheek... Her promise to him. "I'll find you, Applejack." Fluttershy whispered. "Never go back on a promise." The pony winced as she spread her wings. This flight wasn't going to be easy, but it was either go after this other pegasus or wander the Everfree Forest for who knows how long looking for Applejack. She dropped her saddlebags and unsteadily took to the air. Oh no... She's already gone... Now what do I do? The yellow pony hovered in place, scanning the sea of treetops. With each flap of her wing, she wobbled slightly. Maybe that wing wasn't ready for use yet... One would expect a pegasus in flight to remain in flight, not be perched upon a branch like some four-legged bird. In the tree just below the struggling Fluttershy, was the other pegasus. Look at her! She can't even keep herself in the air! It's time to clip this pony's wings! ------------------------- "G.R.A.S.S. team at your service, your Highness." Just outside the main gate of Canterlot, four lightly armored pegasus stallions were waiting patiently for Princess Celestia's arrival. "Excellent. I will brief you en route. Let's move." The princess' magnificent wings opened wide and effortlessly lifter her from the ground. She could hear the simultaneous unfolding of another four sets of wings behind her as she turned her path toward the Everfree Forest. Hold on, everypony. I'm coming. The four pegasus soldiers flew in a tight formation around their princess. After a rather long period of silence, one of them broke formation and neared the alicorn. "Beg pardon, your Majesty... But what exactly is our objective?" Celestia's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "The Elements of Harmony are under attack. It is time we struck back. A messenger chariot was downed over the Everfree Forest, near the Great Scar. Two of the Elements were in that chariot. That was hours ago, and they could be anywhere in the forest by now. Our objective is to comb the forest until they are located. Once we reach the forest, I want two of your team in the skies with me, and the other two scanning the area from the ground. We will move silently and undetected. Understood?" "Yes, your Majesty!" The winged unicorn abruptly halted her flight as the edge of the forest appeared below her. She turned to face the rest of the soldiers. "We will be scouring this forest from end to end, looking for three of the Elements of Harmony. Be on the lookout for an orange earth pony; answers to Applejack, a yellow pegasus; answers to Fluttershy, and a purple unicorn; answers to Twilight. If you locate one of these ponies, you are to stay with them at all costs. Should the need arise, use of lethal force for the Element's protection has been authorized. General Headwind is also in this area. If you are to locate him, inform him of this clearance. You have each been equipped with three flares as well. I trust that the conditions for their use are clear enough?" the princess asked, running her gaze across the quartet of ponies. Each of the four gave a salute and replied in unison, "One per Element, your Highness!" "Correct. Gust and Sky Runner, I want you at ground level. Cross Wind, Zephyr, you're with me. Luck be with us all. Godspeed." Another round of salutes, and the troop parted ways. Celestia and her party spread into a wide formation to cover more area. With each wingbeat, the alicorn became more and more worried. There wasn't the slightest sign of any pony to be seen. Where are you? Please, give me a sign... Suddenly, Zephyr could be heard shouting over the rushing wind. "Pony spotted! Twelve o' clock high!" Twelve o' clock high? Could that mean...? Celestia spotted a pegasus hovering above the treetops. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw the silhouette of the pony's mane and tail against the strong moonlight. Fluttershy! That wave of relief quickly ebbed out when she observed another winged shadow explode from the treeline under Fluttershy and collide with her. The Element of Kindness never deserved to be involved in this mess, and she definitely didn't deserve this. This was the final straw, Celestia's patience had worn through. With a powerful clap of her wings, the princess put on an impressive turn of speed and streaked toward Fluttershy's attacker. Horrified, she saw the second pegasus circle back for another shot at the other pony. Celestia pushed her wings to the limit, further increasing her velocity until a golden wave of energy built up in front of her. That first glancing blow that Fluttershy had taken hadn't knocked her from the sky, but it was all she could do to keep herself aloft. Any sort of dodging was out of the question, especially with her attacker too quick to track. "Miss Fluttershy!" General Headwind's voice rang out from below the mare. "Behind you!" As the pony turned around, she was forced to shut her eyes when a blinding light violently exploded before her. The light quickly faded, leaving a furious Princess Celestia in its wake. The yellow pegasus was both shocked and awed. "P-Princess...!" "Enough!" Celestia's voice boomed out over the forest like thunder. "Not an inch closer!" The slate-grey pegasus scowled and muttered something under her breath, slowly retreating from the alicorn. Then, like an arrow from a bow, Zephyr was upon her, knocking the winged mare into a chaotic, earthward spiral that landed her unmercifully upon her back. "Oh my, that looked like it hurt. I hope she's all right." Fluttershy commented, staring down at the unconscious pony. Celestia sniffed coldly. "That is of little importance to me right now. I'm more concerned about your well-being, my dear. Are you all right?" The smaller pony bowed her head respect, an awkward gesture while in flight. "Oh yes, your Majesty, I'm just fine. I'm-wah!" Fatigue decided to cut Fluttershy off in mid-sentence by momentarily stopping her wings. Thankfully, she was swiftly caught by a soft yellow aura. "Let's continue this conversation after we're safely on the ground, hmm?" Celestia chuckled. "Yes, please." Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the ground beneath her hooves once more. It felt as though there were thousands of tiny, fiery needles embedded in her throbbing wing. It wasn't going to be used for a while. "What are you doing here, your Majesty?" "Your escort finally made it back to Canterlot and informed me of the situation. I finally decided to take matters into my own hooves. I believed that the situation warranted my input." The alicorn princess paused and looked over the small company that had gathered here. "Wait, where is Applejack?" Fluttershy uncomfortably rubbed her foreleg. "Uhm... I...don't really know..." The pegasus flinched a little as Celestia pounded a hoof on the ground in frustration. "Don't worry, Fluttershy," Celestia quickly added. "it's not you that I'm angry with. It's myself; I let this mess get too far out of hoof, and you and your friends are paying the price. I'll do everything in my power to fix this. General Headwind!" "At your service, your Highness!" The white pegasus stallion stepped forward and saluted briskly. "Do we have any information regarding the whereabouts of Applejack?" "Affirmative. Based on an eyewitness report from Miss Zecora of the Everfree Forest, I believe Miss Applejack is being held somewhere in the castle above us." As soon as the princess had called Headwind to her, Fluttershy correctly guessed that her part in the conversation was over. Her first task was retrieving her discarded saddlebags. Task number two? The yellow pony nervously trotted up to one of the two male pegasi standing over the unconscious grey mare. "Uhm... E-excuse me, sirs, but, uhm... Do you think you could let me take a look at her wings...?" "Negative." the soldier quickly answered, blocking Fluttershy's path with a stiffly extended wing. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that." Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia had been watching Fluttershy's actions. "Stand down, Cross Wind!" the alicorn ordered. "Let the Element of Kindness do as she wishes!" "Your Majesty, that would go against your earlier orders-" "I know what I said! Listen to what I'm saying now! Let her pass." "Very well, your Highness." Cross Wind sighed. "Right this way, ma'am." The pink-maned pony smiled timidly at the soldier. "Sorry..." Celestia sighed and shook her head. "You've certainly done a good job of teaching your troops to follow every order to the word, Headwind. What is our next plan of action?" "It is the same as when you first dispatched me from Canterlot. I still fully intend to see that Miss Fluttershy and Miss Applejack reach the royal city." "It is admirable to stick by your promise, General. I certainly hope that you are aware of the uncountable secrets the castle behind us holds, yes?" The general nodded. "Indeed I am. However, I believe that our captive will be able to help us immensely." "Oh my..." Fluttershy had succeeded in gently turning the other pegasus over so she was better able to look at her wings. It was a very familiar sight; both of the mare's wings were completely limp, having been dislocated from her heavy impact with the ground. Unlike the general, however, the yellow pony knew how to tend to injured wings. Bracing herself, Fluttershy carefully gripped the wing close to its joint and started pulling upward at a sharp angle. With some finessing, the wing finally popped back into place. The timid pegasus cringed a little bit at the noise. Ugh... I hate that sound. After performing the same procedure with the other wing (and cringing just the same), the winged pony took a short trip into her saddlebags. She returned with a tightly wound roll of gauze, just as a new problem presented itself. She wouldn't be able to properly bind her patient's wings in her unconscious state. Not without a little help at least. The Element of Kindness again found herself approaching the soldiers. "P-pardon me, sirs, but... I'm sorry I got you in trouble before...a-and I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor... I-if that's all right, I mean..." "Of course, ma'am. What can I assist you with?" With the support from the two stallions, Fluttershy quickly and efficiently bound the dark pegasus' wings. As she replaced the gauze in her bags, one of the male ponies spoke up. "Enlighten us, Miss..." "Fluttershy." she finished. "Enlighten us, Miss Fluttershy, but why bother with mending this one's wings?" "Why not?" "She is the enemy, and was attacking you just moments ago." Zephyr pointed out. The mare's voice became just the tiniest bit sterner and more confident. "Enemy or not, she's still a pony just like us, and just because she was attacking me doesn't mean she can't be shown a little TLC." "Spoken like the true Element of Kindness, Fluttershy." Princess Celestia added, stepping up behind the pegasus. "Kindness harbors no prejudice toward anypony. Nopony is exempt from it." "Well said, your Majesty." Headwind stated. "Now, let us come up with some way to acquire the information we seek. Time is not with us." ------------------------- "I'm really worried, Applejack..." Twilight mumbled, nervously tapping her hoof against the hard stone floor. "What's eatin' ya, sugarcube?" "I'm worried about what that pegasus was intending to do with my magic. I didn't like the tone in his voice." "Ah don't see how he could be doin' much of anythin' with it. It ain't like he's a unicorn with a horn to go around magickin' and whatnot." "I know, I know..." the unicorn fretted. "But still, I don't know what these stones can do..." Twilight experimentally poked the stone of her choker. It didn't take long to find it was just as hot, if not hotter than the last time she had tried that. A cacophony of rattling metal could be heard as she shook her stinging hoof. With how often the door was roughly swung open, it was surprising that it hadn't fallen off its hinges yet. "Hey! Enough of that!" the stallion standing in the doorway barked. "Jus' swell..." Applejack snorted. "This room was a lot prettier without yer ugly mug stinkin' it up." "Hold your tongue, earth pony, or I'll stuff it back down your sorry throat." Two other pegasi, one of each gender, entered the room after their cohort, each carrying a long, thick strip of cloth and several heavy ropes. "Hold on a minute! What are you doin-mmph!" Twilight let out a shrill, muffled shriek of horror as one piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and promptly tied around the back of her head. The brief glimpse that the unicorn had of her friend's equally terrified face would be an image that would stay with her forever. Another strip of cloth was in turn drawn over her eyes, leaving Twilight completely at the mercy of her assaulters. "What in tarnation are ya doin' with mah friend!?" Applejack's demands went unheeded; the three pegasi were having their own conversation. "So... Why exactly are we doing this again?" the pink-maned pegasus asked as she tightly fastened a rope around the struggling unicorn's neck. "Before Nightshade left, she said if she wasn't back in thirty minutes, we were to assume the worst and fall to our back-up plan. Now quit blathering and get those ropes good and tight." "Okay... What about the other one?" "Not important. Magic is the key. We can afford a small setback such as this. The Elements call out to each other; they will all be ours in due time. Enough questions; let's go!" The combined strength of the three pegasi leaning on the ropes easily pulled Twilight from the small room, despite her constant struggling and muffled pleas for help. The orange earth pony still left in the dungeon bucked and snorted like a wild beast enraged, but to no avail. "Y'all bring her back here this instant! Ya hear me!? Let me outta here! Ah'll buck yer heads clean off!" Unfortunately, like the battle with her restraints, Applejack's threats would ultimately amount to nothing. In the dark, solitary silence that followed the angry echoes of her voice, the earth pony made herself a promise. Ah'll save ya, Twilight. Ah promise. ------------------------- After Celestia had left, Luna returned to what she had been doing earlier that night, albeit with a much heavier mindset. Retrieving the rather hefty tome from the sill where her sister had left it, the dark blue alicorn carried it back to her desk and sat down again. "Come on, Luna...stop worrying. 'Tia is going to be fine; just focus on the book." At the princess' guiding, the book magically opened itself to the next section, titled Elements and Harmony; Their enigmatic relationship. Compared to the previous section, this one was relatively short. It was barely two hours before the final page presented itself. Luna blinked and yawned widely. "Recall that Harmony is the governing force of our world. Recall also that the Elements are embodiments of that force, and they will actively call to and seek each other out over great distances in order to maintain Harmony." Luna sleepily glanced up from the yellowing pages toward a clock, simplistically divided into two halves, one illustrated like the day, the other like the night. "Still an hour left..." After a moment of thought, the alicorn decided to set an alarm and sleep the hour away. Picking the small clock off the desk, she slowly clopped over to her canopied bed, where she set it upon her nightstand. Her tiara and necklace soon joined it. The feathery softness of the pillow and comforter were incredibly comfortable, and Luna quickly fell asleep. In what seemed like less than five minutes, the young princess was ripped from her brief slumber by a shrill scream. "Nooo!" Half-asleep or not, it didn't take Luna very long to know that voice belonged to her sister. "Celestia!" In an instant, the dark blue pony was out of bed and skidding out of her room. "Hold on, 'Tia!" She shouldered her sister's door open and stopped dead in her tracks. The white alicorn was crouched over a dark heap, sobbing uncontrollably. "What is it, 'Tia? Please tell me you're all right!" Luna pleaded, taking a step toward her sister. "Not a step closer, you monster..." Celestia growled in a threatening voice. Luna failed to hear the true malice in her sister's voice and took another step forward. "W-what are you talking about, 'Tia? What's the matter?" she asked, not noticing the yellow magic that enveloped the curtain rod hanging on the far wall. It became significantly harder to ignore as it came whistling through the air and thudded into her side like a club, buffeting her to the marble floor. With her head swimming from the impact, the confused alicorn looked up and saw Celestia just above her, reared up to her full height. There was a furious, almost murderous look in her violet eyes. "Ce-Celestia...? What's wrong with you?" The winged pony slowly began backing away from her taller, curtain rod-wielding opponent. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me!?" The princess' eyes radiated nothing but pure fury. Luna suddenly found the decoration-turned-weapon held horizontally across her throat. It picked her up and rapidly carried her backwards into a full-length mirror. "Aaah!" Step by step, Celestia continued her advance, pressing the curtain rod tighter against the other alicorn's throat. " You attack my loved ones... You invade my home... Yet you still have the audacity to ask me that!? How could you possibly bring me lower...?" "Nngh...!" Whatever was going on, Luna was fed up with it. Her eyes lit up with an ethereal white glow. "That's it!" A concentrated sphere of magic appeared at the tip of her horn, and grew in size and brightness at a frightening rate. When it seemed like it couldn't get any brighter, it exploded with a great deal of concussive force. The hastiness of the spell meant Luna didn't have time to properly shield herself from its effects, but then, neither did Celestia. The sun alicorn had been thrown across the room from the blast. A millennium of being the sole ruler of Equestria has its benefits, however; a great magical resistance being one such perk. With it, Celestia was back on her hooves in less time than it took to bat an eye. "I will make you pay, ten-fold, for what you have taken from me!" A blinding yellow magic surrounded the enraged princess. Luna's heart skipped a beat as she saw a thin, laser-like beam tracing a deadly path toward her. She hurriedly looked around for something to defend herself with. The mirror shards... It was better than nothing. The mare's horn flickered to life, and dozens of reflective shards obeyed her command and quickly lay themselves along the outside of her wings like a coat of armor. With no time to wonder if it would work, she brought one of her wings around in front of her. The golden beam glanced off one of the shards and shot in a random direction. The elder sister was just as quick on the draw, however, and another volley of twelve more shots were seeking a path toward the younger alicorn within the second. Assisted by her magic, the night alicorn spun like a silver top. Beams flew in all directions, deflected by her mirror-coated wings. Numerous explosions rocked the bedchamber as Celestia continued her assault. Finally, one of the rays bounced just so that it impacted the floor right in front of Celestia and knocked her off her hooves once more. Noting the cease-fire, Luna stopped spinning and lowered her wings. Anger had replaced all timidity in her voice. "Just what did you expect to accomplish with that? You know I'm more skilled with defensive magic! Or have you forgotten?" "I've forgotten nothing..." Celestia spat. "How could I forget what you have taken from me!? My most faithful student... My beloved sister...? I will never forget!" "Your...sister?" Luna repeated slowly. "But, 'Tia, I'm your sister..." The alicorn swallowed her growing apprehension and looked toward the heap that Celestia had been hunched over. Her heart jumped into her mouth so quickly that she almost choked on it. The dark blue coat matted with crimson stains, the dislodged and broken feathers... It was her... "I-if that's me, then... What am I?" Hesitantly, Luna looked down at a chunk of the mirror that lay before her. The face that looked back was not her own. It was the pitch-black face of Nightmare Moon. Luna awoke with a start to find herself back in her own bed. She cautiously glanced around, worried about what she might see. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of an amorphous, star-filled mane and panicked. Her frightened scramble to get away did little more than entangle her in her bedsheets, ultimately resulting in an unceremonious tumble onto the cold floor. As the rush of adrenaline faded, Luna's reasoning returned. "Wait... That's my mane..." Even with that one question answered, the princess' mind would not be so quickly put at ease. There was a large-mirrored vanity standing next to the alicorn's bed. It would serve her immediate needs. Rubbing the sleep from her blue-green eyes, Luna gazed into the looking glass. Just to make sure that she was looking at herself, the pony made some very silly, unprincess-like faces. Each one of them was repeated perfectly. Finally satisfied, the winged unicorn let out a massive sigh and lowered her face into her hooves. There was one glaring fact that she just happened to overlook, however. The pony in the mirror failed to do the same.

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-01-05T10:28:39+00:00

2012-01-05T10:28:39+00:00

"Come now, Luna, those faces weren't very lady-like." A chill colder than a Windigo's breath shot down the alicorn's spine. That voice... No... "Really now? You won't even look me in the eyes? But, my dear, it's been so long..." Was it curiosity? Was it some kind of magic? Luna didn't know. She only knew that it was against her better judgment to look at the talking mirror. Still, she couldn't help herself. The pony looked up, straight into a pair of glowing eyes. The reflection of her face slowly twisted itself into the black visage of her former alter-ego. "Nightmare Moon..." The black alicorn smiled. "That's all you have to say to me? For shame..." If any expression was to be found upon Luna's face, it was one of calm composure. "You and I are no longer one. By what black magic have you returned?" "I see that Celestia has been feeding you her typical lies. You and I will always be one and the same. You tasted evil, and you liked it." Luna snorted angrily at the condescending mention of her sister. "I was not evil. That was jealousy. My mind was weak, and you took advantage of that. Nothing more!" "Call it whatever you want, dear." Nightmare Moon calmly waved off Luna's retort. "But you mustn't be so modest. It was your magic that gave us this form. Excellent job, by the way; very...evil..." "Jealousy and evil are not the same thing." Luna insisted. Up until now, Nightmare Moon's expression had been peaceable enough. But it was clear that her patience was wearing thin. Her eyes flashed brightly and Luna staggered backward, holding the side of her head. "Nnnh!" Whatever the black mare had done, it felt like her very mind had been split into pieces. "Silence! Your stubborn ignorance is infuriating! I am just as much a part of you as the stars are a part of the night! We are like a coin; opposites, yet two halves of the same whole. No matter how much you want to be rid of me, it will never come to pass; you created me, and I am here to stay!" The alicorn princess cracked an eye to glare at the entity taunting her. Only about half of what Nightmare Moon had just said had actually sunk in; thinking had become somewhat of a painful activity. "My...magic might have created you, but...only because you forced me... It was not of my own accord..." "Deny it all you want, foal, but we are the same; you cannot exist without me. When ponies look at you, what do you think they see? It isn't what you think it is... Benevolent ruler? Hah! Everypony is afraid of you... You will never be viewed like your sister..." "I don't need them to see me like Celestia... I will make everypony see me...for me..." "Stubborn as ever, I see. Very well. Two can play at that game!" The same cyan glow issued forth from Nightmare Moon's eyes once again, and Luna collapsed onto the floor. The attack had come so quickly that Luna had had no time to cry out. The explosion within her psyche had been crippling and she could feel a dark presence seeping through the small fragments of her mind, reaching outward, seeking purchase with its shadowy tendrils. It was suffocating to the point where the princess actually had trouble breathing. Her vision began waning; dark tentacles started growing from the edges of her sight. What little magic she could conjure would be of little use. Her mind was failing, steadily succumbing to Nightmare Moon's magic. Nightmare Moon was right; I am e- A sharp, blaring alarm cut through the black cloud enveloping the princess' senses, restoring some of her free will. The clock! Where did I leave it? Luna desperately searched the small part of her mind that was still available, trying to remember its location. There! A magic glow ripped the clock off of the nightstand and threw it into the mirror. The shattered glass exploded outward from the magical force that had slammed the clock into it. A wayward shard grazed the alicorn's cheek, and the shock from it snapped her from her trance. Finally freed from Nightmare Moon's spell, Luna could begin to recover. The first step to that recovery? The prompt loss of consciousness. ------------------------- When Rarity had earlier said her mind was too busy to allow her any opportunity to sleep, she wasn't kidding. Sure, she had tried, but after seeing the state Rainbow Dash had been in, there wasn't the slightest chance. The white unicorn lay upon her bed, hooves crossed before her. She peered intently at a magically floating needle and thread through a small pair of glasses perched on the end of her muzzle. A sigh of frustration escaped her mouth as she watched the needle systematically work its way through the fabric. This was the third time, tonight, that she had missed a stitch. Not again... Rarity picked up a pair of sewing scissors and began undoing the mistake. I certainly hope Twilight is doing all right... Poor dear... Stay strong...for all of us... The white unicorn looked from her work at a noise like someone turning over (and over) in their bed. "Spike, dear? Are you all right?" The little dragon continued tossing and turning in his small bed, murmuring in a nearly unintelligible manner. "No... N-nagh! No...Twil -Twilight...!" Suddenly the dragonling sat bolt upright, causing Rarity to jump. "Aaah!" He looked around in a panic, tightly clutching a stuffed pony. "Are you all right, Spike?" the unicorn asked. "It looked as if you were having quite the nightmare." "H-huh!?" The dragon jumped at the voice and hugged the toy tighter against him. After a second of staring at the violet-maned pony, he glanced down at the stuffed one in his arms. "I-I'm fine!" he quickly stammered, hiding the pony behind his back. "Yup! Just fine! No nightmares here!" This might have been more convincing if he hadn't been blushing hotly. Rarity let out a relieved sigh. "Good, because I'm simply terrified." "Never fear, milady! I'll protect you!" Spike proclaimed, giving a brave salute...and forgetting the stuffed pony in his grasp. It gave a small squeak as it hit the side of his head. The unicorn couldn't help but give a small laugh as the dragon began blushing again. "It's quite all right, dear. You don't have to hide anything." "But I'm not!" Spike insisted. The pony raised an eyebrow and affixed him with a disbelieving look. "Come now, darling; do you really think I've never seen Sweetie Belle have a nightmare? It's nothing new to me. Besides, with what happened today, I hardly think anypony could blame you for having one." The purple-scaled dragonling sat down heavily. "Why...why did they do that? Why did they take Twilight?" "I haven't the foggiest idea, Spike. Sometimes things just happen." "But why do they happen? Twilight hasn't done anything to deserve this." "I...don't have the answer to that. But you shouldn't worry about it; the princesses are working to find a solution. I wouldn't be surprised if they have something figured out by tomorrow. Try and go back to sleep, dear." "Hmph..." The dragon snorted, blowing a small puff of green-tinged smoke from his nostrils. "I wish I could. I can't stop thinking about whether or not Twilight's okay." I'm sure she's fine. Twilight would never let herself be outsmarted by some ruffian. She's much too smart for that." Just as Rarity had seen through his facade earlier, so too did Spike see through hers now. "Don't tell me not to worry when you haven't slept at all for the same reason. I can see it in your eyes." Slightly taken aback, the white pony looked to a mirror across the room and winced. Even at this distance, it was jokingly obvious that a night without sleep didn't help one's complexion. "Eughh... Perhaps you're right. I look simply dreadful. Anyway, back to what you said, Spike. Yes, I am worried. Not only for Twilight, but for Fluttershy and Applejack as well. We couldn't have picked a more inopportune time to have left them behind. No sooner had the Princess sent her guards after Philomena than Canterlot's weather teams reported a storm building directly in their path. I fear that they never reached Ponyville..." Rarity's careful magic removed the glasses from her snout for a moment, so she could rub her tired eyes. She sighed with fatigue. "Something tells me that the two of them are in great danger." "What do you suppose it is?" Spike asked, leaning upon the end of the pony's bed. "I'm afraid I don't know. I couldn't even tell you why it's troubling me." Spike let his face fall into the downy comforter. "Darn. I could have used some good news to put my mind at ease." he mumbled around his mouthful of bedding. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and activity. It bears no explanation that Twilight was first on his mind. Like Rarity, something inside him kept telling him that his friend was not okay. He sighed and looked up. "What's that?" "Oh, this?" Rarity held up the lavender fleece that the young dragon was pointing at. "It's a little something that..." She paused for an instant at the thought of her close friend before continuing. "It's a little something that Twilight asked me to work on. She told me that you were in need of a new blanket." "Ooh! That looks awesome." Spike proclaimed, reaching for the fabric. The magic holding the blanket quickly pulled it away from the dragon's outstretched claw. "Heavens, no. I would hardly call this 'awesome.' If anything, I would call it quite the opposite. I've had a terrible lack of inspiration lately; I've had no idea what to do with this project." "I don't understand. It's just a blanket. It doesn't have to be fancy." "I shouldn't expect you to understand, dear. It's just something that I, as an artist of sorts, have to struggle with. Besides, just because it's called a blanket doesn't mean it has to be blank." The little dragon shrugged. "Whatever." His curiosity had the better of him however, and he couldn't help but watch as Rarity went to work again. He hopped up onto the bed to get a better view. No response came from the unicorn; her attention was focused on the edge of the fabric and the needle pulling a dark purple thread through it. "Spike, be a dear and fetch me another spool of this color thread, would you?" "Of course!" He pushed himself off the bed and jogged over to the diamond-marked saddlebags. The spool of thread greeted him as he lifted their flap. Grabbing the requested item, he returned to the bed. "What's it for?" The jewel-marked pony carefully stuck the violet thread through the eye of her needle before answering. "I'm using it to hem the edges of the blanket. We can't have any frayed edges, now can we?" "I guess not..." Honestly, Spike wasn't overly interested in the intricacies of needlework and his attention span quickly waned, as did his ability to stay awake. Within the hour he was fast asleep again, using a certain pony's flank as a pillow. The night progressed in this manner for several hours. It turns out that all Rarity needed to stimulate the creative juices was an hour of heavy thought. Stitch by stitch, the blanket began taking shape. "There we are! Finished at last!" The unicorn released her hold on the needle and held up the completed product. The square piece of fabric now sported a handsome spiral stitching around its edge, while the lower right corner was dominated by a very familiar design; a large, six-pointed magenta star, surrounded by five smaller white stars. A glance at the available clock revealed sunrise to be roughly forty-five minutes away. The nearby mirror revealed Rarity's mane to be somewhat less than well-kept. With one fluid motion, the mare replaced herself under the dragon's head with an actual pillow and pulled the finished blanket over him. Smiling, she lightly touched her muzzle to his small head before slipping off the bed. A fine-bristled brush appeared from her pink saddlebags and floated over to the mirror. An unkempt mane is a travesty of the highest degree when looking to meet with royalty. Repeated strokes of the brush through her violet curls soon had everything in order however. "Ah! Much better!" she proclaimed. The white pony tiptoed to the door, taking care to make as little noise as possible. "Good morning, Miss Rarity." The pegasus guard stationed at her door greeted her warmly. "Is there something I might assist you with?" "Indeed. Earlier tonight, Princess Luna asked me if I wished to join her in her study. Might you be able to direct me to her chambers?" "Yes and no." he responded at length. "I do know where Her Highness' chambers are located, but it would be against my orders to let you roam the palace unsupervised. The safety of you and your friends is priority number one." "Ah yes, that's right. If it isn't too much of an imposition then, might you be able to take me there instead?" "Think nothing of it. It would be my pleasure. Follow me." Perhaps it was just her fatigue, but Rarity thought the palace to be oddly quiet, even for the early morning. "It's terribly quiet, isn't it?" she asked, attempting to break the monotonous clicking of hooves upon marble. "I agree. Something seems off. Something about the atmosphere feels...apprehensive." After numerous hallways and flights of stairs, the pair of ponies entered the palace's royal wing. Roughly halfway down the hallway, another pegasus guard stood at attention. "Lieutenant Jet Stream!" The pony turned to face the new visitors. "At ease, soldier. What can I do for you, Miss Rarity?" "Do you know if Princess Luna is still awake?" Rarity inquired. "Earlier tonight, she extended an offer to me to help her with her studies." "I see. As far as I know, she's still awake. Let me check." Jet Stream turned briskly and raised a hoof. Just as he knocked, a tremendous crash, akin to glass breaking, caused all three of the ponies to jump. "What in Equestria was that!?" the white mare gasped, her heart pounding inside her chest. There was no time for a verbal answer. Jet Stream spun around to forcefully introduce his hooves to the door with a mighty kick. Such an action was unnecessary to open an unlocked door, but no less effective. His heart nearly leapt from his chest at the sight. An instant later, he was at the alicorn's side. "Princess Luna, your Majesty! Breeze, fetch the infirmary staff! Quickly!" "Yes, sir!" The guard behind Rarity was gone in the blink of an eye. The look upon the Element of Generosity's face as she walked into the room said everything that was on her mind. Mirror shards and clockwork pieces littered the ground around the two ponies. "Celestia above... What happened in here...?" "Your guess is as good as mine. But we haven't the time to look into that now. It is clear that an attack was made upon Her Majesty Luna. Her sister must be informed immediately." "Shall I run next door and fetch her?" "Negative. Her Majesty Celestia left the palace earlier tonight." "Left?" Rarity repeated. "Left for where?" Her blue eyes widened with shock as Jet Stream explained. "The escorts sent with General Headwind to locate your friends have returned, lacking a chariot. It fell from the sky somewhere over the Everfree Forest." Oh no... I knew something was wrong... "Do you know anything else?" the mare asked hopefully. "Regrettably, I do not. As we speak, the Princess is leading a search party for them. Regardless, she must be brought up to speed. How, though?" The thought-laden silence was stifling. Finally, the unicorn's eyes lit up. "Spike! That's it!" "Beg pardon, Miss Rarity?" "Twilight Sparkle's assistant and our good friend." the mare explained. "He could send the Princess a message for us! I'll go wake him!" Without waiting, she quickly made for the door. "Hold on, Miss Rarity. Allow me to escort you back to your room." "What about the Princess?" The Element of Generosity glanced past the lieutenant to the unconscious alicorn. "Her Majesty was found unconscious in her bedchambers. Whether or not it was an attempt on her life remains to be seen. Either way, she is not in a condition to rule. Canterlot law dictates that if either of the Royal Sisters is deemed unfit to rule, for whatever reason, any and all duties will be deferred to the able sister. If both sisters are unable to rule, duties are passed down through the military hierarchy to the currently acting General, which, at the moment, happens to be me. I am placing the royal city on lockdown; nopony will be entering, nopony will be leaving until further notice. As I do not know if Princess Luna's attacker is still within the palace premises, the safety of the Elements of Harmony is now more important than ever." The sprint back to the mare's room seemed to take an eternity. The very air was thick and oppressive; almost saturated with evil. Tonight was not a night for doors to be opened gently, either, and the following crash roused Spike from his slumber instantly. He shot upright, as if forced by a spring, clutching his blanket in fright, just as Rarity's magic tried to yank it off of him. The result was quite comical, with the baby dragon dangling, wide-eyed, from the blanket suspended before the white pony's muzzle. "Aaah! What is it!? What's going on!?" he babbled nonsensically. "Spike, darling! Quickly! We must send a message to the Princess!" Oddly enough, the dragonling remained attached to the blanket while he continued his rapid-fire questions. "H-hunh? Why? For what? Besides, I thought Celestia was here anyway..." The unicorn shook her head, fighting to reclaim her lost breath (and wishing for a glass of water). "No..." she wheezed. "She went out to look for...Fluttershy and Applejack..." Jet Stream took over the conversation as Rarity excused herself to track down a drink of water. "Their chariot went down over the Everfree Forest, but that is not important at the moment. Something has happened concerning Her Excellency's sister, and it is imperative that we contact her as soon as possible. Would you assist us, Master Spike?" "Imperative, huh? You got it! Need a letter sent? I'm your dragon!" In the space of a few seconds, he had produced a quill and parchment. "Let me have it!" "As you wish." the lieutenant replied. "I do hope that you'll pardon the impromptu letter, your Majesty, but a matter of the utmost importance has arisen. I have discovered your sister unconscious, yet alive, within her chambers, surrounded by broken glass, with a bleeding cut upon her cheek. Proper medical procedures have been taken, and, as per Canterlot law, I have assumed temporary rule in your absence. I will also be placing the city under lockdown until such a time as you see fit to say otherwise. I await your swift return. Sincerely, Lieutenant General Jet Stream." "E-A-M... Got it!" The pegasus stallion bowed his head in gratitude. "You have my thanks, Master Spike, and I am in your debt. Would you be so kind as to send it?" Spike's claws were a blur as he twirled the parchment into a roll. "Way ahead of you." The iron hinges of the window, stiff from years of little use, creaked at its outward movement. A wisp of sparkling green flame curled out onto the night air, headed for the sea of trees that was the Everfree Forest. "There is nothing more we can do; it is out of our hooves now." Jet Stream remarked flatly. "Miss Rarity, Master Spike, if you'll excuse me, I must see to the lockdown preparations. I will have a guard posted back at your door within five minutes. Until Her Majesty Celestia says otherwise, you and your friends shall be under constant protective surveillance. I apologize for the extreme measures, but luck favors the prepared, as they say." Rarity nodded respectfully. "Of course." "Wow..." Spike let out his held breath after the lieutenant had left. "That letter sounded serious... Things aren't looking too good right now, are they?" The mare let out a long sigh, and the dragon saw that beautiful, confident gleam in her blue eyes fade as she did so. "No...they're not. This is far worse than anything that we've ever had to deal with in the past, and things will continue to get worse. I can feel it inside me, and it...troubles me deeply..." "If it helps, I'll always be right here." Spike promised quietly. The pretty white pony smiled softly and gave a small laugh. She extended a foreleg around the dragon and gently pulled him to her side in a friendly hug. "I wouldn't have it any other way." she murmured, lightly kissing the top of his head. "Thank you, Spike..." ------------------------- "Y'all bring her back here this instant!" Applejack's angry shouts echoed down the stone hallway, finally reaching Twilight's ears. The filthy strip of cloth shoved into her mouth prevented any understandable speech, so her reply sounded something like this: "Mmmmhhhmm! Mmm!" The corded loop around her neck dug painfully into her skin with her frantic escape efforts. "Mmmhh!" From somewhere in the darkness caused by her unwanted blindfold, Twilight heard a voice rife with irritation. "Damnit! We put that in your mouth so you would stay quiet! Shut up!" The helpless mare let out a muffled scream as a hard hoof collided with her cheek. "Mmmphmm!" "Didn't you hear me!? Or do you want more!? I said quiet!" The next blow hit Twilight in the other side of her mouth. This time she remained silent for fear of another blow. The acrid flavor of the blood seeping into her already foul-tasting gag helped a little bit too. She wanted so badly to spit it out, but any attempt to do so would probably result in another slap. She had two choices: Swallow the disgusting fluid, or end up choking on it instead. She had a hard enough time breathing around the gag as it was, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet, so swallowing it was. A small whimper was her answer to its revolting aftertaste. "That's better... Now move it!" Blind, mute, and unable to escape, the mare had no choice but to continue stumbling in the direction she had been shoved. After who knows how long, she received a yank on her collar, telling her to stop. "Are you sure this is the back door? I don't see anything but a wall." "And that, Charger, is why Nightshade didn't make you second in command. The switch is...right here." The switch must have been some kind of chain, as Twilight recognized the sound of metal on stone almost immediately. It was what the switch had triggered that baffled her. The very stones under her hooves started vibrating with a rapid frequency. What was that? Another shove put her thoughts on hold and her hooves into motion again. She hadn't taken but one step before kicking a staircase and falling flat onto it. Stone steps aren't very comfortable, but Twilight just wanted to lay there. Whoever was holding her leash obviously disagreed with that option and continued their tugging. "C'mon, get your sorry flank moving!" Have you ever tried walking up the stairs, in the dark, while wearing a blindfold? Neither had Twilight, but her captors insisted she keep up with their quick pace. Just when the unicorn had lost count of how many times she'd stubbed a hoof on the next stair, she felt something different underneath them. Grass... The clean scent of the rain-soaked forest was a welcome reprieve from the musty dungeon air. Twilight had never missed the sound of rustling leaves so much. The tranquil lull of leaves brushing past one another was startlingly silenced by a thundering voice. "Enough! Not an inch closer!" The lavender pony's ears perked up at the voice. Princess Celestia!? The shock in the voices of her leaders revealed that they too recognized the booming voice. "That's not good..." "Then pick your mouth off the ground and let's get a move on! We're not that far from the hideout-" "You four there, halt!" That sounded like a Canterlot guard! Twilight thought hopefully. "That fifth pony with you; the unicorn. Why is she gagged and on a lead? What is her name?" Not surprisingly, no answer was given, so Twilight decided to voice her opinion. "Mmh-mmmph-mmmh!" "Twilight? Miss Twilight Sparkle?" "Mmmmhphmm!" The unicorn screamed as loud as she could through her gag to let the guard know he had gotten it right. The end result wasn't very loud, but the urgency within her stifled voice was answer enough. "Release her at once!" the guard demanded. "Under direct order from Her Majesty Princess Celestia, release the unicorn immediately!" "Your Princess holds no jurisdiction over the Everfree Forest; her words carry no authority here!" "I say again, release your captive! We have been cleared to use lethal force, and if you do not comply, we will be forced to take action." "Take your action then!" A gust of wind slapped Twilight's face as pegasi on both sides flew into battle. This is my chance! The purple pony jerked to the side, liberating the rope from the one pony holding it, and was away like a shot. "Hey!" Courageous though her flight was, fate had laid other plans. Blindfolds have their name for a reason, and Twilight was quickly reminded why. She charged blindly into a springy, low-hanging branch. As it whipped back into place, it carried the unicorn off her hooves and knocked the back of her head against an exposed root. She was sent off into the dark silence of unconsciousness by an equally dark promise. "That...was the worst possible thing you could have tried. You will regret that decision, I can promise you that..."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-04-21T06:15:09+00:00

2012-04-21T06:15:09+00:00

"If Her Majesty herself doesn't even know all of the secrets of this castle, then what are we expected to find?" A voice echoed down the corridor-like room, coming from behind one of a dozen columns. "Our orders were to investigate the grounds for anything out of the ordinary. Have you found anything that would qualify as such, Cross Wind?" "Negative. The masonry on this pedestal is loose and cracked in places, but that's nothing more than age. What about you, sir?" "Not a thing." Zephyr replied, appearing from behind an exquisitely designed column. "Whoever designed this castle wanted those secrets to stay that way." "Wait, wasn't it the Princess herself that ordered the building of this castle?" "Yes, Cross Wind, that is true. However, you sould also know that Her Majesty has set hoof inside these halls but once in over one thousand years. I highly doubt that she remembers much about it. But, seeing as we have made little progress, I suggest we try asking anyway." "After you, sir." Cross Wind gestured toward a glassless window arch. He spread his wings and followed his superior into the night air. Far below them in the courtyard was a brightly glowing point of golden light. "Fluttershy, would you come here for a second?" "O-oh, of course. One second, Princess." Before she stood up from the small cooking pot in front of her, the pegasus glanced at Zecora. "Do you still need my help?" "You needn't worry; I'll be fine. Go and see what is on your Princess' mind." Zecora nodded toward the sun-marked pony. "Thank you. What did you want, Princess?" Fluttershy asked, taking a respectful bow as she neared the armored alicorn. Armor or not, Celestia was still her same caring self. "General Headwind tells me that your wing was dislocated earlier, and I noticed it troubling you a little bit. How is it feeling?" Several flaps of the wing in question sent bright flashes of pain through the yellow pony, making her wince. "Not too good, I see. Do you want me to take a look at it?" Fluttershy's pink mane bounced back and forth as she adamantly shook her head. "Oh no, it's quite all right. I wouldn't want to be any trouble." "I know how uncomfortable a dislocated wing can be even after its been set. Trust me, it won't be any trouble at all, my dear. At least let me ease the discomfort for you." A tiny point of healing magic appeared at the tip of Celestia's horn. This was brought within an inch of Fluttershy's wing. It pulsed once and the pegasus felt a calm wave of warmth smooth itself over the pain, washing it away. "I'm not much for healing spells, but that should make it feel better." "It feels good as new. Thank you, Princess!" The alicorn smiled and nodded in reply. Mere moments later, her ears twitched at an approaching sound. The beating of wings. Two pegasus guards dropped to the ground soon after. "Zephyr. Cross Wind. Have you discovered anything?" Zephyr shook his head. "Negative, your Majesty. But, we've actually returned with the hopes that you might assist us." Celestia let out a long sigh. "I suspected you might ask that. I regret to tell you that I remember but one thing about this place, and it is because of that one thing that I have chosen to forget all else about it." "Very well, your Majesty. Cross Wind and I shall retur-" "You didn't let me finish, Captain." Zephyr paused in mid-step and faced the alicorn again. "Excuse me, Princess?" "Yes, it is indeed true that I have forgotten much of this place. However, that is not to say that I will not do my best to assist you. Current circumstances do not allow for any indecsion on my part." "Eep!" Fluttershy tripped backwards and fell onto her haunches as the Princess' magnificent wings opened wide. "General Headwind, I want you to remain here with Zecora and our captive. If you are able to get any information from her after she wakes, or if you figure out anything more about that 'sinkstone,' come find me in the castle. Fluttershy, Zephyr, Cross Wind, come with me. We're going to get Applejack back." Celestia's tone was serious, indicating "no" would not be a sufficient answer. "O-oh my... Now?" The yellow pony now had an idea as to why Celestia had been so eager to heal her wing. "Oh my... Your Majesty...w-wait!" The alicorn and her guards were already airborne and headed for the main castle. Just as the pegasus mare matched their height, they were disappearing through a window arch. "W-wait for me!" Fluttershy was reluctant to enter through the window. The dusty stone walls and lack of any real light didn't provide the most inviting atmosphere. "Uhmmm... Oh dear..." A nervous mind peering into a dark, unfamiliar room will often do one thing. Dark shapes began flitting past the pegasi's eyes. Unconsciously, she began backing away from the gaping arch. Fright almost knocked the butter-colored mare from the air as Celestia appeared at the window. "Fluttershy, my dear, what's the matter?" "O-oh, uhm...nothing... It's just that...last time I stepped inside the castle, I-I...fainted." "Yes, General Headwind told me about that... I believe I know why. The entry hall, where you fainted, where you and your friends originally found the Elements, was where Luna and I found them too. Every Element is tied to that place and you stepped right into the middle of those ties. For an instant, you were one with each of the Elements, which is why you fainted. No one pony can control all of the Elements at full power, myself included. You should be fine here, though." "Oh..." The amount of information that Celestia had presented had given Fluttershy a bit of a headache. "I-I think I'll go back to the others anyway... Better safe than sorry." The pegasus grinned nervously and continued backing away. "There's a reason I asked you to join us, Fluttershy. As an Element holder, you are closely connected with your friends. I had hoped that you might have been able to help us locate Applejack." Applejack... I promised I'd bring you back safely. A change came over the mare. "Right, let's get started." A year's time can change many things. The stones of an ancient castle are not one of them, though. The instant the cautious Fluttershy let her hooves touch the weathered floor, she knew nothing here had changed since defeating Nightmare Moon. "Uhm... How exactly can I help again?" Celestia's head popped out from behind a column section that time had decided to fell. "Walk around and see if you can...feel where Applejack might be." "'Feel?'" Fluttershy parroted. The alicorn nodded. "Yes. The Elements brought you six together and connect you, even now. Try it and let me know if you can find anything." "All right..." Element bearer or not, the mare had no idea where to start looking, or even how to start looking, for that matter. Applejack, where are you? she thought desperately. She closed her eyes to think for a moment, and must not have felt herself walking, as she opened her eyes to the intricately carved, slightly cracked side of a stone pedestal. "Oh...what happened?" A quick look over the top of the monolith, which was just barely shorter than the average pony, and she saw that the others hadn't yet taken notice of her. "Uh... Excuse me?" Less than an instant later and each of the other ponies was staring intently at her. "O-oh m-my... Sorry..." the timid pegasus stammered, silently thanking the darkness for hiding her cherry-red muzzle. "I-I was wondering... Is there anything special about this platform here?" Zephyr shook his head. "I am sorry to say, Miss Fluttershy, that both Cross Wind and myself inspected it and found nothing out of the question." "Now, now, don't dismiss it so quickly, Zephyr." Celestia interrupted. "The Elements may tell Fluttershy something that our eyes do not. Why do you ask, dear?" The yellow pony disappeared from sight as her turquoise eyes scanned the countless carvings within the stone. "It's just that...some of these carvings look like...buttons..." Experimentally, Fluttershy reached out to touch one of the carvings, a picture of the sun; very similar to Celestia's cutie mark. It provided little resistance to the mare's curious hoof and slid half an inch into the pedestal with a chunk! "Oops..." Celestia spun around from investigating a particularly uninteresting section of wall upon hearing the noise. "What was that?" "Th-that was m-me..." Fluttershy murmured. "I-I didn't-" "Your Majesty; do you hear that?" At the beckoning from her captain, the alicorn held her tongue and listened. She could hear some sort of...whirring sound coming from within the castle walls. Almost like something powering up... "Fluttershy, duck!" the princess shouted. Thoroughly startled by the urgency of the command, the pegasus instantly obeyed, closing her eyes and falling flat on the floor. Several things then proceeded to happen all at once. Four armored hooves hit the stone in front of Fluttershy. The very air around her experienced a massive spike in temperature; by almost seventy-five degrees. Even though her eyes were closed, it felt like she was looking at the surface of the sun. "Funny, I don't recall having that installed..." "Having what installed, Princess?" Fluttershy uncovered her eyes once the heat and light had faded. A black circle was charred onto the stone around the two ponies. Flakes of ash were falling, as if something had been instantly and completely burned. "My goodness... What happened?" "I wouldn't touch that stone if I were you, Fluttershy." Celestia stopped the yellow mare as she neared the black ring. "It's still quite hot. A wall of fire usually does that. Whatever you did, you triggered some sort of trap." the alicorn explained. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." "Nonsense. Traps are used for protecting secrets. There must be something about this pedestal that we don't know. Cross Wind, Zephyr, search the platform again." "At once." The top of this enigmatic stone slab seemed to be decorated with simple depictions of the sun. Simple, meaning it looked like how a young filly would draw the sun; a circle with lines radiating out from it, ending at an outer ring, which was in turn marked with six more suns of the same design. An interesting design to be sure, but nothing too far from the ordinary. "There are suns all over this stone, your Majesty. Do you remember anything about them?" Zephyr asked. "Suns?" Celestia joined her guards upon the stone slab. "No, I'm afraid I don't recall their purpose." Left alone behind the pedestal again, Fluttershy continued investigating. If there had been a button on the side of it, why couldn't there be other buttons somewhere else on it? The mare reared back onto her hind legs to get a better look at the top of the pedestal. Her attention was drawn to the smaller suns around its perimeter, and the hoof-sized indentations therein. Perplexed, she looked at her own hoof for a moment. I wonder... Going with her hunch, Fluttershy stuck her hoof into the center of one of the small suns; it fit perfectly, but nothing else happened. This time, anyway. There were five other carvings to check. "Princess, have your guards look at the carvings on the other side of the platform, please." "Carvings?" the trio repeated. "The little suns around the edge of the platform. Hooves fit perfectly into them, and-" Click! Ancient mechanisms ground to life once again, shaking the platform. "Of course..." Celestia breathed. "Now I remember. Those six suns represent the Elements of Harmony. When in place, they hid the switch that activated-" Thunk...thunk...thunk... The sun-like design upon the surface of the pedestal was not just for show. It was a clever method of hiding a spiral staircase that was beginning to show itself to the ponies atop the monolith. "Do...do you think that Applejack i-is down there?" Fluttershy mumbled, wide eyes peering down into the infinite blackness. Celestia was already three steps into the hole before she answered. "You're the Element bearer, Fluttershy. You tell me." The butter-colored pegasus closed her eyes again and thought of her hat-wearing cowpony friend. "Yes...she is...and it sounds like she's...crying. Oh no! She must be hurt!" "Woah!" Before Celestia could offer a reply, Fluttershy shot past her, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked the princess from her step. "Zephyr, Cross Wind! With me! Quickly!" Skipping every other step, the alicorn rapidly followed the Element of Kindness into the abyss. Everything has its uses, even magically glowing armor, and the pony wearing it was extremely thankful she had requested it to be made as such. At the bottom of the winding staircase, she met up with Fluttershy once more, in the presence of a heavy, wooden door. "I take it that door is locked?" "Yes..." she murmured, preoccupied with trying to open the door's small sliding panel and get a peek inside. "How...I don't know." A gentle hoof eased the pegasus aside. The same hoof then began repeatedly tapping on the door, assisted by its owner's careful ear. One part of the door always returned a duller reply than anywhere else, like that part was blocked with something. "A plank across the door... Crude, yet effective. Easy enough to get by." Magic flashed from Celestia's horn for an instant. "How did you know to do that?" Fluttershy asked. A small chuckle escaped the armored pony's mouth. "I wasn't always a princess, you know. A young filly has to find some way to amuse herself." As the door was pushed open the Element of Kindness was greeted with a faceful of musty, stifling dungeon air. Soot from smouldering torches unattended set her to coughing. Equestria's overseer nodded to her guards and motioned to the dungeon hallway. "Start looking for any signs of life. Remain hidden until you have full knowledge of the area." "Understood, your Majesty." One guard to each wall, the two stallions moved off down the hallway. "Stay right next to me, Fluttershy. I doubt we'll find anything foolish enough to attack an alicorn within these halls, but I don't want to risk your safety. Let me know if you feel anything strange." Nearly every torch sconce was dark and lifeless, having been left to burn themselves out, yet Celestia's armor gleamed bright as a dozen torches. Subtle, no, but the princess had a point. Not even the mighty Ursa Major would dare confront an alicorn of Celestia's age. Only two creatures could stand in one-on-one battle against these powerful opponents; a draconequus, or a fellow alicorn. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was not so confident. She was in a strange place, she didn't know where her friends were, and she couldn't see anything past the light from Celestia's armor. Applejack, where are you? ------------------------- Ah'm sorry, Twi'... Ah'm sorry Ah couldn't stop 'em... Applejack rubbed her tear-filled eyes on the back of her leg and sniffed. "Rrrgh!" She slammed an angry hoof against the stone floor. How could Ah have let them do that to ya!? A very faint clicking, almost like hooves on stone, just outside her cell door, caught the earth pony's attention. "Huh? What in tarnation was that?" she whispered. A short wait, and...nothing... The hoofsteps, if that was what they were, had disappeared. "Nothin'... That's what Ah thought..." Captive solitude affords a pony much time to dwell on things, but, most often their mind will eventually turn to one thing. What's gonna happen to me in here? Who...who's gonna tell Apple Bloom an' Big Macintosh? "Oh, Celestia, no...!" This frightening thought created its own tears to mix with the angry ones already in the earth pony's green eyes. "Princess! Over here! Quickly!" That was a voice Applejack wasn't expecting to hear. "F-fluttershy?" "What is it, Fluttershy?" Applejack was now on her hooves. "Princess Celestia?" "Applejack is in here! I know she is!" "All right. Let me have a crack at that lock." Any sharp ear could hear the tumblers of the lock magically shifting about as Celestia fiddled with them. Moments later the door gently swung open, for the first time since the apple-marked pony had been here. The greeting that awaited the orange pony on the other side of the door wasn't as gentle, but was friendly nevertheless. "Applejack!" Kindness met Honesty in an enthusiastic tackle of feathers and fur. "I'm so happy to see you again!" Tears had traced two wet furrows down the pegasi's cheeks and she made no effort to hide it. "I'm s-so happy!" "Ah-Ah'm happy to see ya t-too, sugarcube..." Applejack hiccupped, fighting to hold the new, joyful tears back. "How'd y'all g-git down here, anyhow?" After sorting out legs and tails, the two ponies stood up. "Ah d-don't even know where Ah am..." The orange equine rubbed her eyes again, half to dry them, half to make sure it was actually her friend standing before her. "That would be me." Celestia said quietly, ducking under the small doorway. "Y-yer Majesty!" In her hasty bow, the cowpony's hat fell to the floor. "Fergive me, Princess! Ah didn't notice you there!" A soft yellow magic retrieved the hat and placd it on Applejack's head once more. "I appreciate your respect, Applejack, but this is hardly the time. Do you know where Twilight is?" The orange pony couldn't bring herself to look at the princess. "Ah...don't know, yer Highness. The ponies b'hind all of this...dragged her off agin, about an hour or so earlier." Shock flashed in Celestia's violet eyes, but only for an instant. "And they just left you behind?" "Yeah... Some sorta nonsense about the Elements callin' out to each other." "Interesting." the alicorn murmured, somewhat distantly, as she worked to release the earth pony's manacles. Once done, she removed herself from the room without another word. "Boy, am Ah glad to be outta those darned things..." Applejack muttered, shaking each leg to get some blood flow going again. "They were startin' to rub me the wrong way, if ya know what Ah mean." Back outside, Cross Wind and Zephyr had finished their search and returned to the princess. "Anything to report?" "Other than this room here, there were two more; a small library, and some type of living quarters, both recently used, based on their appearance." "That doesn't surprise me. Was there anything else?" "Negative, your Majesty. This is just a hallway; nothing more." "Look again." "Your Majesty, there isn't-" "I don't care! Look again!" Anger had robbed Celestia of her control of magic for a split second, and a little bit of it slipped into her voice, causing an unnatural earthquake in the small hallway. Stones dropped from the ceiling, rattled loose by the alicorn's deafening roar. "Ponies don't just disappear into thin air! They must have gone somewhere! Find them! Twilight was taken again! I don't want to lose her a second time!" An enraged, thousand year old alicorn is not something that you would ever want to see, much less stand right next to. Fluttershy would not easily forget that sight. "W-wait a minute... Applejack, look down the hallway. What's that?" "What's what, sugarcube?" Applejack glanced down the hallway, following her friend's outstretched hoof. "Hold on a sec'... That looks like a message from Spike!" "That's what I thought, too. But what would he be doing up at this time of night?" Celestia's calm demeanor returned as the green-tinged wisp of smoke materialized into a scroll before her, just in time for a shiver to run down her spine. The surprise message also came bearing an unseen gift; a feeling of dread. It wrapped its icy claws around the alicorn's stomach as she unfurled the parchment with a slight fwip! "Something tells me that he's got a very good reason, Fluttershy." When her eyes fell upon the news regarding her sister, the alicorn's wings opened wide with shock. "Oh no..." "Beggin' yer pardon, Princess, but is everythin' all right?" "What is it, your Majesty?" Zephyr asked, after Applejack failed to get a response. "Something...has happened back in Canterlot. Something's happened to Luna..." Between all the shocked responses and questions, one could barely make out a quiet "Oh my..." "What is your suggested course of action, your Majesty?" Lost in thought, Celestia seemed to ignore Zephyr's question. Finally, she crumpled up the scroll and threw it into the darkness. ------------------------- There is something strange about looking into the embers of a dying fire, twinkling like the countless stars in Princess Luna's night sky; it is somewhat calming. This opportunity for relaxation was lost on Headwind, however. His mind was always busy, always thinking of what had happened, what was happening, and what could happen next. One doesn't become General of Canterlot's military forces by sitting idly by and merely watching, after all. "Forgive me for the quick assumption, Miss Zecora." he murmured. "But you seem like the type of pony who is well-versed in magic and mystical things." "Of that assumption, you need not be afraid; I am indeed skilled in the magical trade." the zebra responded in her traditional rhyme. "I sense that there is more to that question than meets the eye. You asked about my expertise in magic. Why?" The general poked an ember contemplatively. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a tiny flit of movement next to him. "Make any move toward those bindings and I'll break your legs." he said, straight-faced. Not doubting his seriousness, the captive pegasus mare sat up, cursing under her breath. "As I was saying, Miss Zecora, Her Majesty gave me direct orders to find Miss Applejack and Miss Fluttershy, insisting that the Elements of Harmony were in great danger. Sadly, the Canterlot Military Academy does not cover magical education and I know nothing of their potential. What do you know about the Elements?" Zecora's striped face appeared downright eerie in the low, unsteady light. "The Elements of Harmony and their mystery are a story passed down through history. But, I must confess, stories are all that I possess." "I understand." Headwind fell silent again. His gaze drifted back to the twinkling cinders before him. His mind did a little drifting of its own, back to the order that Celestia had given him, in an attempt to find an answer to all of this. Though his mind was wandering, the stallion remained alert. Hoofsteps upon cobblestone caught his ear and he looked up. A strong yellow light was quickly nearing the campfire. It didn't take too much brain power to realize who that might be. Running before the source of the light were four other ponies; three pegasi and an earth pony. "It's a relief to see you again, Miss Applejack!" "Yer tellin' me. Ah never thought Ah'd miss the feelin' of grass under mah hooves so much." When the apple-marked pony spotted the captive pegasus, her expression hardened. "Well, yer lookin' real pretty with that there shiner. How d'you like bein' hog-tied like that? Ain't fun, is it?" "I've had worse, earth pony..." Nightshade snorted. Within seconds, Applejack was nose-to-nose with the other mare. "You ain't seen nothin' yet... Ah've got a real good idea as to who fixed up yer wings, an' lemme tell ya; Ah ain't that pony. Mah Element ain't Kindness, it's Honesty, an' this is the honest truth: If yer lackeys do anythin' to mah friend Twilight, Ah'll give ya somethin' far worse than a black eye... Ya hear me?" Normally, Nightshade was not the pony to show fear of any sort, but as Applejack's angry snorts repeatedly blasted her face, instinct took over. The light in the orange mare's eyes was terrifying. Not for a second did she doubt the earth pony's dark promise. "Easy, Applejack." Celestia interrupted. "Save some of that for me during the walk back to Canterlot. Zephyr, Cross Wind, fly ahead and loose your flares to notify the others. We'll meet you back at the palace. The sun is on its way, and we should be too. Let's move, Headwind. Double time." "At once, your Majesty!"

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-04-21T06:23:16+00:00

2012-04-21T06:23:16+00:00

A farm of any kind requires a good deal of work to keep running smoothly. That work usually requires a routine that starts with rising with the sun. This morning, however, the sun was late in rising. Regardless, Big Macintosh was awake at the same time as usual. The first thing he noticed upon waking was the lack of early morning sun seeping in through the window. His bed creaked a little as he rolled over to check his clock. Nope, six o' clock. Huh...Ah wonder if the Princesses are feelin' under the weather... Whatever the issue was, the big earth pony didn't dwell on it long. He rolled out of bed and cantered downstairs to get started with his routine. If memory served, Applejack had organized for the weather team to provide a rainstorm for the fields today, which meant that Big Macintosh had to get his plowing and planting done early. A passing glance at the refrigerator-mounted calendar proved his memory to still be in good working order. Ah better git goin' then. Just outside the kitchen door, parked up against the side of the house, was the cart that the stallion had left with the day before, complete with five large burlap sacks filled to bursting with carrots. One of the ten pound sacks was hardly a challenge for the well-muscled earth pony. He took one of these in his mouth and returned to the kitchen counter. The simple rope tie came away easily, revealing the bright orange produce within. Two of the biggest ones ones went into Big Macintosh's mouth, but not for himself. It was little surprise that the vegetables smelled extremely good; Carrot Top's carrots were the best in Ponyville. The pair of carrots were quickly carried back upstairs into the stallion's room, where his guest was still sleeping. He placed the produce beside the white rabbit. He paused to stare at the sleeping animal before leaving, and his mind turned to the creature's owner. That kind, gentle pony... Big Macintosh wasn't quite sure when exactly he had begun harboring feelings for the pretty young mare. He only knew it was shortly after the whole episode with Cheerilee, brought on by the Cutie Mark Crusaders' love potion. He still didn't know what it was about the pegasus that he liked. She was always polite, no matter who she was talking with. She was also one of the prettiest mares he had ever seen, and yet, when she had been recognized throughout Ponyville because of it, she had turned it down. She put her friends first, even at personal expense, and the big earth pony respected that. That little rabbit meant the world to her. When Fluttershy had seen that destroyed hutch, she had nearly fainted. The earth pony's red chest rose and fell as he let out a great sigh. AJ, Flutt'rshy... Wherever the two of ya are... Keep each other safe... ------------------------- Fluttershy had spent so much time in the Everfree Forest lately that it was beginning to lose a (very) little bit of its creepiness. Then again, that might have been because of her increased company. Conversation was at a minimum as the party trekked its way through the forest. Zecora had volunteered to lead the group, while Headwind and Celestia brought up the rear with the captive. Given the situation, Fluttershy and Applejack were positioned between them. The apple-bucking farmer pony kept sneaking the odd glance at her friend from under her hat. Why am Ah so nervous about this? Fluttershy's mah friend an' Big Mac's mah brother. Jus' ask her, AJ... In an attempt to to break the constant crunching of hooves on pine needles, Applejack cleared her throat. "Ah'm certainly glad to see yer safe an' sound, Fluttershy." "I know. I was worried that you had fallen into that great big ravine." "Yeah, that was a real close one." she laughed half-heartedly. "Hey, sugarcube, can Ah ask ya somethin'?" "What?" "Fergive me if Ah'm steppin' on yer hooves, darlin', but might Ah ask what happened with Big Mac what got ya to come along on this trip?" "O-oh...that..." Since she had first woken up in the forest, Fluttershy's mind had been going in one of two directions; worry for her friends, or what had happened before she had left. Guess where it was now? "I...thought I already told y-you..." Applejack might have been a farm pony, but she wasn't born yesterday. "Ya told me what he said, sugarcube. Not what he did. Ah've never seen anypony look redder'n you are right now." Hiding behind her mane would do little good, yet instinct made the pegasus do it anyway. After your typical awkward silence, Fluttershy finally murmured, "Just promise me that you'll let me tell the others, okay?" The orange pony grinned. "Regular promise or Pinkie Pie promise?" "Regular will do." She giggled slightly before falling silent again. The pegasi's wings ruffled nervously, and she didn't know why. This wasn't really a life-or-death secret, and it seemed like Applejack already knew. At length she motioned for her earth pony friend to come closer. Even with mere inches from ear to mouth, Fluttershy was still reluctant to speak. "He k-kissed me..." The winged mare quickly withdrew, looking and feeling guilty. Her guilt was waved away with a dismissive hoof. "Y'all shouldn't feel guilty, Fluttershy. Ya can't help who ya fall fer. Er...wait..." Now Applejack looked a tiny bit guilty. "Ah kinda figured that Big Macintosh had a thing fer ya, but Ah don't wanna go puttin' words in yer mouth, darlin'. Do you like him?" "Well, of course I do. He seems like such a nice pony, and-" "Not what Ah meant..." she interrupted in a sing-song voice. "Ah meant like Spike likes Rarity." "O-oh..." That was different. That was something that Fluttershy had to think about. Did she like Big Macintosh? This was unfamiliar territory for the pegasus; she had always been so busy caring for all her animals that she had never really given any thought to a romantic relationship, much less one with the brother of one of her best friends. As she thought about it, however, it started to make more and more sense. Fluttershy didn't know many stallions and he seemed very nice. One thought led to another, and soon the mare was again thinking of her dream, and in turn the kiss that had started it. "M-maybe a little bit..." "Ah knew it." The orange pony lightly butted her friend in the shoulder. "Ah won't tell a soul, Fluttershy. Ya have mah word." "Thank you, Applejack." Fluttershy nodded in gratitude and let out a long sigh. That word of reassurance lifted a huge weight from her shoulders. In fact, even the forest around her seemed to become lighter and less oppressive. Just when she was about to ask Applejack if she noticed it too, Zecora spoke up. "At long last, we have arrived. Behold, my friends, the royal city on high." No sooner had Zecora spoken these words than Fluttershy stepped out of the forest. Perched high on the mountainside before them were the tall, spired buildings of the city of Canterlot, their marbled sides gleaming in the morning sun. For much of the journey back, Princess Celestia had been silent, anxious about what would await her upon arriving. However, as she stepped into the lush field that was the last thing separating her from Canterlot, she turned to her General and laughed. "Mission accomplished, Headwind. You brought Applejack and Fluttershy to Canterlot." "I did only as you ordered, your Majesty." he replied with a swift salute. "Well said, General. Let's hurry up and take them the rest of the way. I'll feel much better once we're within the city limits." After the seemingly endless hours of wading through the countless trees of the Everfree Forest, this last leg of the journey was a much welcomed respite. Now that the city was within sight, the party was blessed with renewed vigor and was quickly at the palace gates. A warning cry of "Halt! Who goes there?" rang from the battlements as the company approached the massive main gate of the Canterlot palace. "State your business! The palace is currently on lockdown!" "At ease, Jet Stream!" Headwind called back to the unseen voice. "Her Majesty Celestia has returned with two of the Elements in tow!" ------------------------- It had taken quite a bit of work between them, but after a few hours (and a couple maple scones apiece), Rarity and Pinkie had finally succeeded in convincing their distraught pegasus friend to get some sleep. Being the close friends of the Princess' private student means that your accommodations within the palace are rivaled only by the royal chambers. As such, the beds in these rooms are equally as lavish; big enough for two or three ponies, and then some. Seeing as Pinkie was still worried about nightmares, Rainbow Dash had offered to let the pink pony take one side of the enormous bed, while she took the other. The Element of Laughter happily obliged. About three hours later, the pegasus came to regret that offer. Late or not, the sun was still coming up, and the east-facing room ensured that the ponies inside would soon know. The instant the sunlight fell upon the sleeping Pinkie Pie, the room erupted into chaos. Pinkamena sat bolt upright, uttering a guilty squeal of, "No, Rainbow Dash, I didn't eat your scones!" Blankets swiftly wrapped themselves around her head as a startled and sleepy Rainbow Dash took to the air in panic... Right into the bed's canopy, so its elastic properties could slingshot her straight back into the mattress and bounce her off onto the floor. Meanwhile, Pinkie, who had been madly struggling to extricate herself from the suffocating blankets, finally succeeded in doing so, just in time for the empty scone tray, sent skyward by Rainbow's impact with the bed, to slap her square in the face. "Owwww..." Pinkie sat back up, rubbing her smarting nose. A set of angry magenta eyes appeared over the edge of the bed a moment later. "Geez, Pinkie, you nearly scared my feathers clean off! What gives!?" "Sorry, Dashie..." The Element of Laughter grinned sheepishly. "I dreamt that I had accidentally eaten your scones." The pegasi's expression was as deadpan as her tone. "You did eat them..." She held up an empty tray, bearing a slight indentation from its meeting with Pinkie's snout. "Oh yeah... Oopsie..." A pink coat does an excellent job of hiding blushing and the balloon-marked pony was grateful for it. "I'll go get more then..." "Go for it..." Rainbow Dash muttered, climbing back into the bed. "Just be quiet when you come back in." "Okie dokie!" In her traditional method of locomotion, Pinkie bounced over to the door and opened it. "Good morning, Miss Pie. You seem well-rested. May I help you?" One could tell from the pink mare's split-second break in expression that she wasn't expecting to see a guard upon opening the door. Nope, I'm okay. I was just going to the kitchen for some breakfast." "Very well. Allow me to escort you to the kitchen then." "No, that's fine; I know where it is. I'll be right back." When Pinkie went to step around the stallion, he mirrored her ste. A step in the opposite tirection produced the same result. For an instant, she thought about making a silly face and seeing what he did. "I respect your decision, Miss Pie, but it would go against my superior's orders to let you roam the palace unsupervised." "'Kay. That works too. Let's go then." Since she had woken up, the Element of Laughter had been having periodic twinges in her right shoulder, very obviously part of a self-proclaimed "combo." She just couldn't remember which one it was. As the two ponies got closer to the kitchen, sweet smells of various baked goods began tickling the inside of Pinkie's nostrils. Finally, "Here we are, Miss Pie." The guard pushed open one of the double doors before them. When you're a kitchen providing food to the whole of Canterlot Palace, you rarely get a break. Just beyond the swinging doors, ponies were bustling about, some carrying trays, some not. Pinkie's eyes lit up at the sight of the freshly baked scones and brightly frosted cupcakes. Yes, they looked delicious, but their smell... Oh, their aroma; they smelled absolutely divine. She inhaled deeply, drinking in the warm scent. Life was good, if just for this moment. One of the kitchen staff, a pony wearing the traditional chef's hat, approached the curly-maned mare. "I presume you're enjoying the aroma, miss?" "You're soooo lucky..." she sighed blissfully. "You get to smell this all the time!" The toque-wearing stallion chuckled. "I suppose I do. What brings you to my kitchen this fine morning, Miss..." "Pinkie." she added quickly. "Oh? You must be a friend of the princesses. I trust you enjoyed the scones we prepared for you last night?" "Oh yes, very yummy. That's why I came down; to see if I could get more of them." "Of course. A kitchen without scones is hardly a kitchen. Excuse me for a moment." He disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, to return shortly thereafter, bearing another tray of six freshly baked, recently iced scones. "Here we are, half a dozen maple scones, topped with our finest whipped rosehip icing." Pinkie didn't respond; she was too busy staring at the scones. "Ooooh... May I try one?" "I'd be insulted if you-" Before the end of his sentence, one of the scones, icing and all, had disappeared from the tray. The sight and smell of the scones did absolutely no justice to how they tasted. They tasted so good that the mare was actually at a loss for words. It was like...like a party in her mouth. It wasn't long before an uncomfortable pinch pulled her away from the festivities and elicited an "Ow..." "Miss Pie, are you all right?" the guard asked. "Yep, I'm-hic!-fine!" she answered, uttering a single hiccup that lifted her from the ground. "What about your ears then?" "Wha' 'bout them?" As her question worked its way around her mouthful of scone, Pinkie noticed her erratically flapping ears. Pinchy shoulder, hiccups, ear flop... "Thash it!" she proclaimed. There was no time to ask exactly what "it" was. In less time than it took to bat an eye, the pink equine was gone, leaving a pony-shaped cloud in her wake. Sometimes guard duty gets very boring and monotonous, and then sometimes, you're assigned to watch over the Elements of Harmony. All the guard outside Rarity's room saw was a pink blur that blew past him. "Rariry, quick! Wa' up!" Pinkie shouted. The hastily spouted warning call was unnecessary; sleep had not come to the unicorn tonight. "Pinkie Pie, dear, it is hardly considered proper to speak with one's mouth full." "No time! Frien's a' th' door! Hurry!" Rarity traded a confused look with the dragonling next to her. "Did you make out any of that?" Spike shrugged. "Sounded like 'Friends at the door.' to me." Next door, the same message was being delivered. Rainbow Dash, however, understood straight away, and was out the door like multicolored bolt of greased lightning, Pinkie Pie spinning like a top in the doorway behind her. ------------------------- "Open the gate, Jet Stream!" Celestia ordered. "I am renouncing the lockdown protocols!" "You heard Her Majesty! Open the gates!" Jet Stream did an about-face and disappeared from the window. Chains began clinking as wheels steadily lowered the massive drawbridge into place. The lieutenant met the alicorn inside with the customary salute. "Welcome back, your Majesty." "It feels good to be home again..." she breathed. "Greetings, Jet Stream. I trust things have gone smoothly since your letter?" "That is correct." "Very good. I've a new assignment for you. See to it that Miss Zecora here is given the finest acommodations during her stay with us. Headwind, I want you to show our other guest to her accommodations. Afterwards, take the sinkstone to our research wing and meet me in the infirmary. It's time we got that wing of yours fixed up." The two replies sounded as one. "At once." Fluttershy had visited the palace on several occasions prior, but one thing about it always amazed her. Everything seemed to be made from marble; hallways, stairs, walls, all of it. It also carried sound extremely well. "Applejack, do you hear that?" Curious, the hat-wearing pony stopped and cocked an ear. She could hear hooves clicking rapidly upon marble...and...wingbeats? Before she could ponder it too much, the source of the noise came into view. "Whoa nelly... Heads up, sugarcube!" Thud! Rarity came around the corner just in time to catch the four pony pile-up caused by Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. She laughed, something she had been doing far too little of lately. "You were right, Spike. There were friends at the door." Dashing about like a madpony does not readily fit with palace etiquette, but Rarity could hardly contain herself. Before she was halfway to the other ponies, she had broken into a full-on gallop. "Heavens, you two! Let the poor dears stand up!" Tails were tangled and heads were spinning from the impact, so it took a moment to sort things out. Applejack was the first back on her hooves. "Ah'm real glad to see all of ya again." she sighed, after a round of hugs (and the expected pat on the back from Rainbow Dash). The Element of Generosity would't be caught dead admitting it, but she had been missing the compony's unmistakable accent. "It certainly is. I haven't gotten a minute of sleep. I've been worried sick." "Hold on a minute..." Spike interrupted the reunion. "Where's Twilight?" "Yeah, Applejack, where is she? Did she come in with you?" Rainbow Dash glanced past the pair of ponies, expecting to see the lavender unicorn come trotting across the drawbridge. Kindness and Honesty exchanged guilty looks. "We...uh...don't k-know exactly..." Fluttershy admitted quietly. Applejack swallowed visibly before explaining. "She was hog-tied an' hauled off before Fluttershy an' the Princess showed up..." "By whom?" Rarity inquired. "A group of three pegasi..." The Element of Loyalty narrowed her magenta eyes to threatening slits. "Did one of them have a pink mane?" "I think so... Why?" "That was the pony who kept me from saving Twilight... If I ever see her again, I'm going to take her feathers off one by one..." "Easy now, Rainbow Dash..." the unicorn mare cautioned. "It's far too easy to become obsessed with holding a grudge. First things first; all of us, Twilight included, are alive and safe, and second, we could all use some sleep." "Ah'm with Rarity..." Applejack said around a wide yawn. "Ah'm runnin' on empty..." This statement was unanimously accepted by everypony else, and the small group started back to their rooms. Rarity followed behind, lost in thought. Sure, they had been reunited with their friends, but what had been the cost? What else was to come? ------------------------- Celestia's mind was no more at ease than Rarity's as she made her way to the infirmary. Ever since Luna had returned from her...absence, the elder alicorn had always kept her sister in the corner of her eye. Not out of fear or suspicion, but out of worry and protection. Though Celestia appeared unshakeable and resolute most of the time, news of this event had shaken her to the core. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and knocked on the infirmary door. A short period of silence later and the door swung inward. "Ah! Your Majesty. I trust you are here concerning your sister?" The princess nodded. "Correct." "Very well. Right this way." The nurse turned and allowed Celestia to enter. "Your sister is doing just fine..." she commented absentmindedly, glancing at a clipboard floating alongside her. "Her only injury was a minor cut on her cheek; so minor, in fact, that it won't even require a bandage. A light cleansing with water will be plenty." "Injuries aren't what I'm worried about..." "Here we are: Room 1022. Let me know if you need anything, your Majesty." "Thank you. I will." As the door clicked shut behind her, Celestia could finally drop her facade. Tears came to her eyes and she began quietly weeping. How had things fallen so far out of hoof? First Twilight, and now Luna, the latter of whom lay, still unconscious, in the bed before her. Her forehead looked damp, as if she had been sweating, and the ruffled sheets belied occasional fits of tossing and turning. With the aid of her magic, Celestia removed one of her golden boots and set it aside. Then, with the back of her now-bare hoof, she started gently stroking her sister's forehead, softly humming a sweet tune. A moment or two of this, and the night alicorn began to stir. "It's all right, Lulu..." she cooed. "It's just me..." Remember what was mentioned about standing next to an enraged alicorn? It's not a good idea to sit next to a frightened one, either. Luna came to with a start and her eyes flew open. The first thing that greeted her senses were Celestia's face and the hoof upon her forehead. With her nightmare still very fresh in her mind, she panicked. "No! 'Tia, wait! Don't hurt me anymore!" she cried, forcibly shoving the other pony away. Celestia flinched like she had just been kicked in the face. "Luna... I would never do that..." When the shove had failed to put any real distance between the two of them, Luna had quickly stumbled from the bed, wide-eyed with fright. "No! Stay away!" Confused, the sun alicorn stepped around the bed to follow her terrified sister. She was repelled by a concentrated burst of raw magic. Much of the impact was dissipated by her enchanted armor, but an alicorn on the defensive is not to be trifled with, and the concussive force of the blast blew her off her hooves. Now that she had a chance to calm down and think rationally, Luna finally realized what had happened. "Oh no! 'Tia! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" she asked concernedly, standing over the other alicorn. "Don't worry, Luna. I'll-oof!-be fine. I'm here to look in on you. Are you all right?" "I-I'm fine. But what about Fluttershy and Applejack? Did you find them?" "They're safe and sound here in the palace." "And Twilight?" Luna recieved all the answer she needed by looking into her sister's eyes. "Oh...I'm...sorry, 'Tia..." "Regardless of whether or not I found her, I know she alive, and right now I'll take that. I recieved a letter from Jet Stream, and that's why I came back. My concern now is that you're okay." "I told you, 'Tia, I'm fine." Luna repeated. Celestia had finally recovered from the magical attack and was back on her hooves. "Jet Stream said he found you unconscious in your room, with a cut upon your cheek. What happened?" Events were still quite fuzzy for the younger princess, but she could easily remember Nightmare Moon's smirking face. Just the recollection of the image in the mirror sent chills down Luna's spine. The evil mare's words echoed forth from the dark recesses of her mind. I see that Celestia has been feeding you her typical lies. You and I will always be one and the same. Luna hesitated as these words crossed her mind. "Tell me something, 'Tia. Nightmare Moon and I... Are we still connected?" "Wh-where did that come from?" The innocent question had quite obviously caught Celestia off guard. "'Tia, please. Just tell me the truth. Please." Nightmare Moon... The sun-marked pony had not heard that name in well over a year. The sudden mention of it, especially coming from her sister, was extremely unsettling. "What happened while I was gone, Luna? What happened to you?" "Answer me, Celestia! I want to know!" Luna's patience was quickly burning out, and that meant that one thing would be following. "Listen to me, Luna!" Celestia ordered. "Tell me what happened! Now!" By now, the question dodging had grown very old, and Luna's restraint had deserted her. "We demand that thou tell us the truth at once!" Her relapse into the Royal Canterlot Speaking Voice was not a very subtle solution, but it worked nonetheless. Celestia let out a long sigh. "I...haven't been completely honest with you, Luna, and I am deeply sorry..." She drew a sharp breath and paused, looking away. Regret would not allow the alicorn to look back at her sister. "I...don't know how much you remember from that time so many years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Now, before I go on, am I right in saying that you used to be...jealous of my day?" Luna was becoming scared once again, but for different reasons. This alicorn before her...she looked like Celestia, she sounded like Celestia, yet at the same time, she obviously was not. The Celestia that Luna knew was strong and pround. This alicorn seemed so...so broken...so regretful. This wasn't Celestia. "A-at the time I was..." she admitted slowly. "I thought so... It was about a month or so after we had sealed Discord away; something happened... Something that showed me what evil really was. I awoke one morning and you seemed...different. Maybe you hadn't slept well; I didn't know. You just weren't yourself. I brushed it under the rug and thought nothing of it. That was my first mistake, and I am so, so sorry, Luna. As the days passed, I watched you fall farther and farther away from everypony. Then, one night... I came to you so we could trade off. I asked you to lower the moon; you refused and...struck me..." Luna recoiled in shock. "I-I don't remember doing that..." "That's just it; it wasn't you. You had already been taken from me. Nightmare Moon had already been born." The younger princess was unnerved at hearing this, but curiosity forced her to ask. "So, i-is Nightmare Moon still a part of me?" "When wielded at full power as they were intended, the Elements of Harmony will remove any evil influences from their target. But, they cannot completely banish said evil. As long as good exists, evil will exist to oppose it; you cannot have one without the other." Celestia's tone was no longer wavering. It was dead serious. "When your magic gave Nightmare Moon her form, she knew she had full control. She wants that back... But, at the same time, she knows she cannot have it, so long as you refuse it to her. She is inside, waiting for her chance to strike... Long story short: The Nightmare Moon that Equestria knows exists because of you, Luna. For all intents and purposes, you are Nightmare Moon."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-04-06T01:08:00+00:00

2012-04-06T01:08:00+00:00

There were no nightmares this time around; Twilight simply awoke to the slowly receding throbs of a painful headache. Thankfully her gag had been removed so she could finally breathe normally again. Apart from the absence of its horrid taste in her mouth, its disappearance was of little solace to the unicorn; her blindfold was still in place. Even so, she could still tell that her legs were bound once more, this time with rope instead of iron. There must have been a door somewhere in the darkness caused by her blindfold; Twilight could hear faint voices, as if blocked by darkness. "So, what do we do now? Sit here in this hole in the ground?" "For the time being, yes. We're dealing with the Elements of Harmony here. If we step too far out of line, that's it, we're done. Do you remember how far we got last time we tried this? We didn't get a single Element." "Well, that was because the princess held all the Elements. It's not like we could just walk up and ask for them." "So just because they're separated now, our job is supposed to be magically easier? If anything, we have three times the work to do. You two featherbrains aren't helping our cause either!" "Explain to me how our situation is my fault!" "Six Elements to pick from, and you two grab the one closest to Celestia!?" "We were ordered to get the Element of Magic! Her connection to Celestia was an unforeseen circumstance!" "Enough! All of you!" Twilight's heart skipped a beat at the new voice. It was far louder, as if it spoke with magic. That voice...there was no mistaking it. "Cease your inane squabbling, you petulant foals! You exist as my agents because I will it! I have not forgotten your previous failure! What little patience I have left is rapidly wearing thin with all your idiotic questions! I could never hope for any of you to understand my methods, but if it will shut you four up, I will say this. Your orders to go after the Element of Magic were not a mistake. I want Celestia involved in this; I want her to feel the loss I felt when she...banished me for a millennia! I also require the raw energy from the Element of Magic. It is the most important Element." "Why?" "It is the younger princess, Luna... Since her return, her magic has recovered at a rate far greater than I could have fathomed. Even now, her power is still growing. She is stubborn and has a strong will, and, without assistance, my influence and voice within her mind will go unheard. I was able to reach her directly because we had two Elements in our possession. With just Magic, my influence is much weaker; limited to dreams and faint suggestions. The Element of Magic is also the key to which all other Elements respond. If we are able to turn Magic, the remaining Elements will follow suit." "'Turn' the Elements..." Twilight repeated. "What does that mean? Like opposites?" "Turning the Elements is only the first part of your task. Princess Luna is no longer a suitable vessel for me to exist through. She is no longer jealous of her sister as she was one thousand years ago. Without that weakened state of mind, and as long as she denies it to me, not even all six turned Elements will permit me full control. A separation ritual would be required before I could return." Before she could stop herself, Twilight let out a squeaky, "Oh no!" Seeing as she was tied up and unable to clap a hoof over her mouth, she did the next best thing and bit her tongue, hoping that nopony had heard. Thankfully, it didn't seem that way, as the unseen conversation continued. "The Elements work through partial separation; and an ancient knowledge of magic is required to achieve a complete separation. Have you found any tomes that might possibly contain such knowledge?" Something in the unicorn's mind clicked at the word "tomes." No...those pegasi... They did that to the library? What were they look- Suddenly, as if by magic, Twilight knew exactly what they were looking for. The Harmony of Magic; the book that Princess Celestia sent me... That's what they're looking for... "N-no...we have not found any such tomes..." "Useless foals!!" Instinct fought with rope as Twilight tried to cover her ears from the booming voice. "You four are one failure away from me renouncing your sorry existence! Since you obviously cannot do anything on your own, here is what you're going to do. Three of you will continue searching for any information for the separation ritual. The most competent of you, should that even be possible, is to stay here and ensure the captives remain as such." "Captives?" Twilight parroted. "As in, more than one? Who else is here?" "That-cough!-would be me..." Oddly, the mare didn't jump at the voice. In fact, she recognized it. "It's you; you're a Canterlot guard, aren't you?" "Indeed I am..." the voice wheezed, obviously having trouble breathing."Officer...Sky Runner...at your service... I presume that this is...Miss Twilight Sparkle I am speaking with?" "Yes, it is." she answered quietly. "I thought so..." Sky Runner gasped. "Forgive me for asking, but...would you come closer? It's hard...speaking this loudly... They only...bound your legs; you should be able to untie them yourself..." The guard was right; save for the sinkstone still around her neck, there was nothing else there. She quickly freed her legs from their binding and let out a silent sigh of relief. "I...I can't see anything... Where are you, Sky Runner, sir?" "O...over here..." Taking the utmost care not to step on anything, Twilight slowly crossed the room. Her stomach turned as her hoof landed in a puddle of something wet and sticky. Instinct instantly told her what it was. "Oh no... you're hurt, aren't you?" "It's...just a scratch..." he replied."My well-being is not our first concern. You need to get back to Canterlot...at once. The longer...you stay here, the longer the other Elements are in danger..." "I know! I heard!" the mare said under her breath. "But what can we do? There's two of us and four of them!" "Not...for long... I don't know how much...you heard, but three of our captors are on their way out... I'll bet the two of us...can outsmart one of them..." Twilight nodded shakily, unsure if the guard she was conversing with would even see such a motion. "What do you need me to do?" "Remove my blindfold... I'm no use to either of us with it on..." Just as she was about to ask how, Twilight heard a small grunt and shortly thereafter, could sense a face inches from her own. With deliberate movements, the Element of Magic carefully sought out the guard's eyes. "Thank you, Miss Sparkle... Now...allow me..." Her cell wasn't as dark as she had previously thought. A small hole in the dirt ceiling afforded the unicorn just enough light to see. She recoiled at what her eyes first met. When she had guessed her cellmate injured, she had thought it to be his leg or...something. No...it was something else entirely. A single, uniform gash was traced upon his face, effectively forcing his left eye closed and useless for the rest of his life. Since ponies had no claws to speak of, it must have been caused with some type of weapon. Whatever it had been, this same weapon had left its mark on his chest as well, which much have accounted for his difficulty speaking. "I...expected that reaction..." he wheezed. "I must certainly look a sight..." Twilight had never seen such injuries before, and she was still in shock. "Celestia above..." she breathed."I'm almost afraid to ask... What happened...?" "Gust and I weren't...expecting your captors to...outnumber us two to one... He fell in battle and...I was claimed as a prisoner..." This news made the mare sick to her stomach. "I-I'm sorry... I can't believe I've caused all of this trouble..." "Nonsense, Miss Sparkle; you've done nothing wrong..." "Oh no... Oh no... You don't understand. This is bad-no, this is worse than bad! Ponies have died! Because of me!" Twilight was barely keeping her voice low and tears were collecting in her eyes. "I don't want that to happen anymore!" Sky Runner let out a grating cough before replying. "There is something you should know, Miss Sparkle... A member of the Royal Air Guard...is always ready to relinquish their life to...protect a member of the Royal Family... Your apprenticeship under Her Majesty...qualifies you as such..." Is that why Princess Celestia took me as her student? To protect me? Her entire life, Twilight, had though it was only her magic that had earned her admission to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. This fact was doing a good job of shredding that notion. "I...I didn't know..." "No harm done... Now, listen carefully. As soon as we're sure that...three of them had left, here's...what we're going to do... Get them to open the door...and I'll jump them..." "Then what do I do?" she asked as Sky Runner removed her sinkstone. The stallion dropped the jewelry into a leather case strapped to the inside of his foreleg. "Run. I want you to run... Run as fast as you can. The sun is up; run towards it." His leather case came off and was tossed to the mare. "W-what's this...? Run towards the sun...?" Twilight stumbled over her words in confusion. "The sun rises behind Canterlot. We aren't that far from the forest's edge. That tactical case I gave you...contains three emergency flares... As soon as you clear the forest, use them. Somepony is bound to notice and send help." "I-if not?" "Keep running. I'll be completely honest with you... I'm not expecting to walk out of here... I'll do my best to 'entertain' our captor...but, if I fail, they'll be after you like an Ursa Major after her cub." "Ulp!" Twilight had read accounts of the unparalleled ferocity of the Ursa Major. Hearing that wasn't terribly reassuring. "There's a combat knife attached to the side of the case should you need it." Sky Runner instructed. "A what!?" The unicorn had just belted the case to her leg. She cast is a quick glance and started dancing about, shaking her leg wildly, as if a venomous snake were crawling up it. "I can't pull a knife on somepony!" "Then keep running and hope the flares are spotted. Sky Runner said gruffly. "If they catch up to you...you'll have two choices; fight back, or get dragged back here. You have one shot at this. If you're caught...you won't be let out of their sight again. Your choice." The lump of worry in her throat had robbed Twilight of speech. She drew the knife from its leather sheath and held it aloft before her. Yes, that pony reflected in the burnished steel blade was indeed her, but was that it? What did other ponies see? What did these pegasi see? What did Princess Celestia see? She filed those questions away for later and swallowed loudly. Come on, Twilight... You helped stop Discord... This is nothing... Finally, the knife floated back into its sheath. "I understand." The guard nodded. "Very good. The flares you have are lit via a magical friction fuse. Just...drag it across a surface and point it skyward." "Got it." "Excellent. Now, all that's left is to wai-" "Dammit! I don't see why I have to be the one left behind to rot in this hole in the ground... Me, second in command of the Shadowbolts! I can't believe it!" Sky Runner nodded toward the door. "Sounds like our cue." Twilight nodded slowly and followed her cellmate to the door. She swallowed again before speaking. "Ummm... Excuse me?" "What is it?" The mare hesitated for a split second. "I'm terribly thirsty... Might I have a drink of water?" "Yeah, yeah... Quit your whining. I'll get it..." "Thank you..." Hoofsteps and mumbling receded from the other side of the door. Twilight exchanged a glance with Sky Runner as he took her place. The mare's heart skipped a bit as the door opened inward. "All right... Here's your water. Now, I don't want any surprises..." "Too late!" Sky Runner was poised and ready. He met the other pegasus with a two-legged kick to the face. "Now, Miss Sparkle! Run!" Heeding his advice, she burst from the small cell into a larger circular room. She looked about wildly, searching for the exit, ignoring the clamor caused by the two stallions. Before she had located an escape route, she heard, "Miss Sparkle, look out!" Coming at her like an arrow was a (very) angry male pegasus. "Aaah!" A glow appeared around Twilight's horn, and with a magenta-hued flash, she disappeared from existence. Her magic had not yet recovered enough to allow for a long-range teleport and she only moved a few inches. Even so, the slight spatial displacement was enough to surprise the oncoming pony and let him go crashing into the far wall. Dizzy though she was from the expenditure of magic, Twilight was finally able to locate the exit and was away at a full gallop. Sky Runner followed her as far as the staircase. "Good luck, Miss Sparkle..." He then drew another knife from its sheath and strapped it to his foreleg. "One on one. My kind of combat..." This hideout must have been very far underground; it took Twilight a good thirty seconds to climb the staircase. At the top, she took a brief moment to catch her breath and reorient herself. "Sun, sun, sun... The sun rises in the east... The east is..." Purple eyes quickly scanned the thick leaves, praying for some sort of sign. Finally, through a hole in the canopy, the mare caught a glimpse of a spired tower. "That way!" Countless trees flew past Twilight in her flight. She almost stumbled a few times, as her eyes were fixated upon Canterlot's marbled buildings and their fleeting appearances through the leaves. With each hooffall, the trees grew thinner, before disappearing altogether. All right, Twilight, time for those flares. Magic drew one of the cylindrical pyrotechnics from the hard leather case. While she was at it, Twilight also unsheathed the knife. Unbeknownst to her, the sinkstone made its escape by catching on the flare as it left. It jarred itself loose and fell into a small stream as the mare jumped it. One... Two... Three... After three strokes across the knife blade, the fuse finally took and started burning. A few seconds later and a bright red ball streaked into the clear morning sky. Please Celestia, let somepony see this... she thought desperately, going for another flare. ------------------------- No sooner had those words left Celestia's mouth, than she knew that there had been a better way to phrase them. Luna wore an indescribable look of disbelief. "I am Nightmare Moon!? What...what exactly does that mean?" "It means...that the entity that we know as Nightmare Moon is...inside you. Or, more accurately, inside your mind." The Princess of the Night fell back onto her haunches. "Inside my mind? But what about the Elements of Harmony? I thought that they were pure good..." "If there is no night, there is no day. If there is no evil, there is no good. That is the very nature of opposites. The existence of one is wholly reliant on the existence of the other." Celestia explained. "No matter the power or intent of a spell, laws older than even myself forbid the utter destruction of good or evil. The Elements are no exception. When Twilight and her friends freed you from Nightmare Moon, they separated you from your magic, which is what gave her form. Without it, she was unable to physically exist, and she withdrew into your mind to bide her time." Though she might not want to accept this information, Luna could not deny that it made sense. "Why did you wait so long to tell me this, 'Tia?" The difficulty for Celestia to talk about this was painfully obvious. "You had very little magic to protect yourself. I didn't want to give her an opening to...to..." The alicorn fell silent mid-sentence and bowed her head. "I didn't want to give her an opening to...take you away from me again." "I wasn't a filly back then, 'Tia. I could have handled that news." "Let me ask you something, Luna. Do you know what it's like to live in a palace with dozens of other ponies and still be completely alone?" All at once, Luna saw one thousand long years of regret and loneliness come flooding back into her sister's pink eyes. In a few seconds, they aged a millennia, leaving them tired, dull, and filled with tears. "You're right... You probably could have handled the news. I knew you deserved to hear it. I was overjoyed to have you at my side again, but it was my own selfishness that stayed my tongue. I felt if I had told you, it would weaken you to her influence. She had already succeeded in taking you from me once. I would rather die than let her do it again." When there was no immediate response, Celestia chanced a glance at her sister. She sat on the other side of the room, staring out the window in silence. "You have every right to be angry with me, Luna. I certainly would be. I'm hardly deserving of your forgiveness, but I wish to ask for it nonetheless." Luna's mind was a whirlwind of different thoughts. This was a lot of information to take in all at once. Seeing Celestia so broken and so weak just made it that much worse. After some time, she broke her silence. "It's probably a good thing that I don't remember much about my one thousand years of banishment, but there is one thing I remember. Moments before you cast the spell, you hesitated. You hesitated and said, 'Forgive me...' I didn't know why you said that. I did know why you hesitated, though." Celestia felt a gentle hoof raise her tear-stained face until she was looking into a pair of blue-green eyes. "You hesitated because I was still your sister; because you still loved me. That was the one memory that Nightmare Moon couldn't take from me. I knew you loved me, despite what happened between us." "I-I'm sorry it came to that, Luna..." The white alicorn avoided looking at her sister. "Don't apologize, 'Tia. You did what you had to do." The Sun Goddess' eyes flashed back to her sister, making her jump. "Did I, Luna? Did I? Was I justified in sending you away for a millennia when it was my negligence that allowed you to fall into darkness to begin with? Was I justified in banishing my sister? My own flesh and blood?" "'Tia... Whether or not it was justified, we both know you did the right thing. Equestria couldn't live under eternal night. Do you know how many lives you saved?" "That didn't make it any easier..." Luna snorted in frustration. Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest thing she could get her magic on (thankfully it was only the boot Celestia had removed earlier) and sharply rapped it on her sister's helmet. That helmet came off Celestia's head faster than if there had been a swarm of angry bees inside it. "What was that for?" "Just checking if you still have your hearing. Have you been listening to yourself? The Celestia I've been living in this palace with has been the happiest pony I've ever seen. Why is that?" Celestia still indeed had her hearing, although the ringing in her ears made her wish otherwise. "It's because you had finally returned, Luna. I had my sister back." Gravity took back the boot and pulled it to the floor. Luna's wings reached around the other alicorn in a warm embrace. "I'm still here, 'Tia. Nothing has changed." she whispered. "And nothing will change." Words escaped the sun-marked pony. Too often, the answers to our most troubling questions are the simplest. "You're...you're absolutely right, Luna. For far too long, I have looked at you as my little sister... I should have been viewing you as what you are; Princess Luna, ruler of Equestria and mistress of the night. You have always been my equal, and it's time I start seeing you as such." A great pair of wings wrapped themselves around the younger alicorn. "Thank you, 'Tia..." "It's the least I could do. I owe you that much." Following a tender moment such as this with anything but a period of silence would have been unthinkable. "All right. I'm back, you're back, and Nightmare Moon had better watch out. What did you find out while I was gone?" "I...don't honestly remember..." Luna admitted with a sheepish grin. "It's still kind of fuzzy. I'm sure it would come back if I read it again though." "Now that's some good news. The book is still up in your room, right?" "It should be, yes." Discarded pieces of armor began floating back to the white pony as she moved for the door. "Where are you going?" Celestia let the gilded helmet settle back onto her head before answering. "We're going to do a little homework, and we'll need that book. I'll be right back." "Don't worry. I'll come with you." "No." A quick shake of her head told Luna to stay put. "You just woke up; I don't think you're-" Celestia trailed off, courtesy of the skeptical look upon her sister's face. "Right. C'mon, Princess." As the two royal sisters exited the infirmary, they met up with General Headwind, who met them with a low bow. "I'm glad to see you up and about, your Majesty. The way your sister described Jet Stream's letter left much to the imagination." "Thank you, General. What about you? You look to be injured as well." "Naught but a scratch in the line of duty, Milady." The conversation traded possession when Celestia started speaking. "You always have been a tough one, Headwind. Did the research team have anything immediate to report about that sinkstone?" The stallion shook his head. "Negative. They promised a quick analysis though. I will keep checking back with them, and you will be the first to know, your Majesty." "Thank you. And our captive?" "Detained and getting acquainted with the dungeon stones." "Excellent. As you were, General." Captive? Luna flashed a glance at the white stallion, and then at her sister. Both ponies had continued with their travels. "What captive were you talking about, 'Tia?" she asked, breaking into a quick trot to catch up. "Fluttershy and Applejack weren't the only ones I brought back. We were able to secure one of the perpetrators as well. Hopefully, she'll be able to provide us with some information as to Twilight's whereabouts." "Oh. Well, I'm sure she's fine, sis. I wouldn't worry." Feathers ruffled nervously as Celestia's wings twitched unconsciously. "Ugggh... Better said than done, Luna..." One of the biggest annoyances for an alicorn or pegasus is an itchy feather. Oftentimes, it's impossible for the victim to tell exactly where it is. By the time the pair were back at Luna's room, Celestia had gone over every feather on her right wing, looking for the culprit. Understandably, the younger princess was apprehensive about going back inside. Her last experience therein hadn't been what one would call positive. After a long sigh to calm herself, she followed her sister in. It was a good thing that Celestia was wearing boots, because the first thing she stepped upon crunched loudly. Hundreds more of the same jagged mirror shards littered the floor. "My goodness... It's a wonder it was only your cheek that was cut. What happened?" "Nightmare Moon happened..." Luna's reflection answered. "Breaking the mirror seemed like the best option at the time." "What happened with Nightmare Moon?" The mirror shard floating before the blue alicorn dropped to the ground and she shivered. Upon first picking up the shard, she had feared that she would see that familiar black face again. She hadn't and that had been a huge relief. Countless shards gave way under the rise and fall of Celestia's boots. She brushed an area clean and knelt down next to her sister. "Luna?" she asked softly. "What happened?" "Nightmare Moon kept telling me that we were the same pony, and that I was...evil. She was right..." Luna muttered, kicking one of the glass shards. "Listen to me, Luna. You're not evil. You and Nightmare Moon might be the same pony, but it wasn't you that threatened Equestria with eternal night. You are not evil. I'm telling you the honest truth." Another period of silence passed before she noticed a smile cross her sister's face. "Thanks, 'Tia." Celestia returned the smile and lightly touched her nose to the other alicorn's cheek. "You got it. Let's get started, shall we?" "Right! Let me get the book; I left it in on my desk!" In mere seconds, Luna was on her hooves and away. The sun-marked pony followed at a slower pace, stopping to gaze out the window. Luna was still herself, and with that discovery, a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Despite the good news, all was not as it should have been. Twilight... Where have they taken you? It was then that something caught the alicorn's eye. In the field far below Canterlot, a red sphere, bright as the morning sun, was cutting a glowing arc into the air. It took Celestia a moment to realize what was happening. "That's a flare!" "What was that, 'Tia?" Luna poked her head out of her study only to find her window wide open. Through the open window, she spied the morning sun glinting off her sister's golden armor. "'Tia?" The second flare that took to the sky soon had her out of the window as well. ------------------------- This is the last flare... Twilight had never run so long in her life; her lungs were on fire, and her muscles felt like they were tearing themselves apart. I hope somepony sees this last fla- Fatigue had slowed the mare's reaction time, and she caught her hoof against a half-buried stone and took a tumble. Of course, she lost her grip on the flare and it bounced away, eventually loosing its payload straight into the ground, and a flare aimed at the dirt draws very little attention to itself. "No... No, no, no!" Fate is oftentimes cruel and, in this case, had left Twilight holding on to the knife. Frustrated, she repeatedly stabbed the ground with it. Keep running... Sky Runner's voice echoed through her mind, reminding her of the gravity of the situation. He's right... I have to keep going... She staggered back to her hooves and sheathed the blade so her flight could continue. Beads of sweat dripping into her eyes blurred her vision, but one thing still managed to draw the unicorn's attention. In the sky above her shone a golden point of light, not unlike a falling star. As curious as it was, she was not about to stop and think about it. As it happened, Twilight didn't have to stop. This point of light grew closer at a frightening rate, before finally landing like a meteor. The shockwave from the impact spread rapidly, sending the mare to the dirt again. "Pbbbthpp!" Twilight enjoyed a good mouthful of grass as much as the next pony, but the topsoil below it? Not so much. Before she could regain her footing, a shadow fell over her. The unicorn had never used a knife before, but with the very real possibility of recapture looming over her, she was willing to learn quickly. Faster than an uncoiling snake, Twilight rolled over, ripped the knife from its sheath and flung it, spinning, at her assailant. "Get away!" What she heard in reply was completely unexpected. "Careful, Twilight. you could put somepony's eye out like that." "Princess Celestia!?" Twilight almost fainted from relief and let her head fall back onto a soft tuft of grass. "Somepony did see the flares..." she sighed. "Geez, 'Tia, tell me before you start jumping out of windows." Twilight's head came up again and she was on her hooves before the second alicorn had landed. "Princess Luna?" A slight breeze tousled her mane as Luna dropped to the ground. "Twilight Sparkle? It's so good to see you again. Celestia was starting to get worried." "'Starting?' I haven't gotten a minute of sleep and you know it. I'm...so relieved to see you again, Twilight...my faithful student..." Celestia met the young mare in long overdue embrace while a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Let's go home..." There were more witnesses to this reunion than either of the princesses knew. Across the open field, just within the forest boundary, a green-eyed pegasus stallion watched the gathering intently. When he was sure that they were leaving, he finally stepped from his leafy cover. His muzzle and face wore a varied assortment of cuts and bruises, badges of his battle against Sky Runner. The Canterlot guard had given him quite a fight, but his injuries had ultimately proven to be an insurmountable handicap. Damn! That stupid guard cost me too much time! Fed up with losing his captive, fed up with the injuries on his face, and in an all-around bad mood, the stallion stomped his way out into the field, towards a small stream. He bent down to rinse his face and something laying amidst the well-rounded pebbles caught his eye. After fishing it out and inspecting the object, an evil grin crossed his features. "Well, well, well... Thank you ever so much for leaving me this..."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-05-23T05:14:30+00:00

2012-05-23T05:14:30+00:00

For any pony other than a pegasus or alicorn, flight is not something oft experienced. Suspended aloft by a gentle yellow magic, Twilight got a very good view of Canterlot. Buildings rushed by beneath her while the marbled walls of the palace grew ever closer. Celestia landed before the palace gates and issued a call up to the gatekeeper currently on post. "Lower the gates!" A white face appeared at the window for an instant before vanishing again. Chains and wheels began creaking, slowly dropping the massive drawbridge. The owner of this white face came galloping down out of the gatehouse to greet the royal sisters. "Your Majesties!" Celestia acknowledged his salute with a quick nod. "At ease, soldier. The last Element is home. You may return to your post." "Of course, Your Majesty." The guard sent the princesses off with a parting salute. He spun on his hoof and started back up the stairs to the gatehouse. A lever inside willed the gates into motion once again. As the rumbling of the gate machinery subsided away into the stone floor, the white stallion took up his stance at the window. Parts of the gatehouse were still covered in shadow, as the sun had not yet risen above Canterlot. Perhaps if the gatehouse was just a little more well-lit, things might have gone differently... In a particularly dark corner of the gatehouse, a pair of green eyes sat in the shadows. Very slowly, they began creeping towards the unsuspecting guard. Before he knew any better, a ragged piece of cloth was laced around his neck and pulled tight. The air within the guard's lungs only served him for several seconds before he lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor. "Too easy..." the slate-grey pegasus chuckled. Around his neck was the all-too-familiar sinkstone, just begging to be used. Quietly, and in an ancient forgotten language, he began chanting: "Accipio hoc corpus, ad fallere eorus oculus. Cum hoc magicae, sino me abscondam." A sickly green glow lit up the center for the gem at the spell. Tendrils of the same color started snaking out of the glow and reached for the unconscious guard. Within a few seconds, said guard was enveloped with these magic threads. When the spell had done its work, the tendrils retreated back into the sinkstone, and the formerly grey pegasus was now the spitting image, armor and all, of the guard before him. Perfect... Flawless though this illusion seemed, there was still one final test. The impostor left the gatehouse and trotted down the steps. Luck was on his side today; another guard passed him at the bottom. "Greetings!" he called to the fellow pegasus. He immediately regretted that. Our impostor might as well have just shot himself in the hoof, as the passing pony happened to be Jet Stream. "No salute this morning, soldier?" Damn! Acting as quickly as possible without making any more of an idiot out of himself, the disguised pony sprang to attention. "Sorry, sir! Just a little tired from night watch, sir!" Fortunately for him, he was met with a slight chuckle. "At ease, soldier; I'm just pulling your feathers. It's been a long night for everypony." "That it has, sir." "In that case, you're dismissed for the day. Go get some rest." "Thank you, sir." Inwardly, the pegasus was grinning like a madpony. His disguise was perfect; he wasn't suspected at all. He watched Jet Stream for a moment before turning and walking in the opposite direction. "All right... now I have to find Nightshade..." Truthfully, he wasn't completely sure how to go about doing that. Obviously, she would be held within the palace dungeon, which, logically, would be the lowest level. A situation such as this would call for a little trial and error. Besides, he wasn't overly pressed for time. That turned out to be a very good thing for him. Whoever had coined the term "trial-and-error" must have also had a large amount of time on his hooves. The amount of doors within the average palace hallway was staggering. Nearly every door checked ended up being either living quarters or a broom closet. Finally, just as he was sure that he had checked every last door, he found one that opened to something far different than the marbled hallways. Stepping down onto the rough stone step was like entering another world. The narrow cobblestone hallway was lit with nothing but the odd, wall-mounted torch. It was a far cry from the sunlit halls of the palace above. As he predicted, there was a watch posted outside Nightshade's cell. "Don't look now, "the pegasus mare muttered, "but your relief is here..." With little more than a nod between them, the two stallions traded places. This new guard seemed a little...off, however. Instead of standing with his back to the cell, he faced the captive pony, staring at her and smirking a little. "Can I...help you with something?" Nightshade snorted. As if this stallion wasn't odd enough, he burst into a quick fit of laughter. "Ahahaha! I should be the one offering you help!" "Make your point or hold your tongue. I've no desire to listen to your idiocy." "All right then, Nightshade. Be that way. I'll let the others know you wanted to rot in this dungeon." "Hold it." Chains rattled as the mare stood up. "Recite the password." "Good and evil, their cycle eternal, hearken to the moon's glow and the sun's inferno." A slight chuckle escaped the gray pegasi's mouth, a sound not often heard. "Stratus, you sly devil, you..." "How'd you know?" he asked, grinning widely. "Simple. Charger isn't smart enough to come up with a plan like this, and Skies and Blitz would make terrible guards, fake or otherwise. So, to what do I owe this meeting?" "We've lost the Element of Magic. She was returned here, to the palace." Oddly, Nightshade didn't explode at this news. Rather, she was unusually quiet, almost as if she were already planning something. "I see. And you followed her?" "Precisely." "And what of the others?" "The Night Ruler sent them out to look for a separation spell. Who knows how long that simple task will take them..." "Just give them some time. We have our own problems to deal with in the meantime. Our job is to reclaim the Elements. If what you say is true, then all six are now within the palace. Half of the work has been done for us. All we need to do now is find a way to make them ours again, and if the Elements are under constant surveillance as I think they should be, then I have a way to do just that." "How so?" Stratus asked. Nightshade tapped a hoof to the side of her head. "Think about it, numbskull. What are you disguised as?" Realization lit up the stallion's eyes. "We attack from the inside..." "Atta' boy..." "So what do we have to do?" "Cool your hooves, hotshot. We're still on thin ice here. Just keep acting like one of the guards. As long as nopony suspects anything, we'll be fine. I'll let you know as I put the pieces together." "Got it. I'll be back later today." Stratus promised before turning to leave. It wasn't long after he had come up the staircase before he ran into another guard. He grabbed the other stallion's attention with a quick wave of his wing. "Would you take over guard duty for me? The princesses have asked to see me." "Of course." "So far, so good." Everything was going perfectly. Stratus could move wherever he wanted within the palace and nopony would be the wiser. His first task? Re-locating the Elements of Harmony. There was just one problem with that. He had been extremely lucky thus far. The odds of it holding out even further were not favorable. ------------------------- Even with being back within the well-guarded walls of Canterlot Palace, Twilight could not put her mind at ease. She had remained silent during the trip back, but she could no longer hold her tongue. "Princess?" "Yes, Twilight? What is it?" "I know what's going on; I know why those pegasi are after the Elements. Why they took me." That got Celestia's attention. Up until now, the events of the past twenty-four hours had been without reason. She stopped and faced her student. "Please explain then. It would take a great deal off my mind." "Nightmare Moon isn't gone. She's controlling these pegasi; she's using them." "Nightmare Moon never was gone, Twilight." Slowly, the unicorn's gaze drifted to the second royal sister. Shock was grossly evident in the young pony's eyes. Luna sighed and tossed a (very) quick glance at her elder sister. "Yeah, that was news to me too." "Never gone? Wh-what does that mean?" "It means that you're looking at Nightmare Moon herself. Since you brought me back, she's been lurking within my mind." Realization replaced shock upon the lavender mare's face. "So that's what she meant..." The game of twenty questions continued with Celestia. "What who meant? Nightmare Moon?" Twilight nodded. "Yes. While I was in captivity, I overheard her plan. She said that Luna wasn't an acceptable medium for her to exist through. She needs a complete separation to return. What would she mean by that?" Celestia's eyes grew dark at the news. "I had hoped and prayed that these events were just random acts... How foolish of me to think that... True evil can never be defeated..." Those words... Icy dread ran down the unicorn's spine. "B-but the Elements..." "Hush..." An armor-clad hoof held aloft silenced the Element of Magic. "I know what you're going to ask, Twilight, so let me ask you something. If there is no evil, how do we define 'good?'" After several moments of heavy thinking, Twilight found she had no answer to such a question. "I...I don't know..." "I didn't expect you to. Truthfully, there is no answer. The Elements are neither good nor evil, and thus cannot destroy one or the other. They are only capable of separation. That is why Discord was turned to stone. To separate the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony from those things would leave him with nothing, which is what he became. In Luna's case, the Elements separated Nightmare Moon from her magic, which is how she existed. A complete separation would have removed her from Luna's mind entirely." "So why didn't that happen?" "The Elements were incapable of such a feat. The deeper two things are entwined, the more it takes to separate them. Nightmare Moon had control over Luna for one thousand years. That could not be undone in mere seconds." "What about a ritual of some kind? Could they achieve a complete separation then?" "In theory, yes. But for Nightmare Moon to maintain a physical form, she would need to be fused with a magic source on par with Luna or myself. Even I don't know where she would obtain that." "Hold on, 'Tia." Luna lightly brushed a wing against Celestia's shoulder. "I've been thinking. If night is the opposite of day, and good is the opposite of evil, do the Elements of Harmony have opposites? If the Elements work through separation, would their opposites be able to fuse things together?" "Again, in theory, I suppose. I don't know of any documented instances of such a thing. Discord's reversal of the Elements was the closest we've seen, and given the context within which that happened, studying said occurrence was not a top priority. Reversing the Elements would be nigh impossible without a thorough knowledge of their workings." "Or a key?" Twilight... Magic... Key... Thoughts were flying through Luna's mind one after the other. "That's it!" she exclaimed, thoroughly startling the two other ponies. "Wh-what's it?" Celestia asked, trying to catch her breath. "Hold on!" A high-pitched whining began to fill the air, slowly growing in volume. Celestia could feel a familiar tingling quickly working its way up her legs. One look at the vortex of magical energies amassing around her sister's horn told her all she needed to know. Self-teleportation was easy enough, but with each other pony that was making the jump, things became significantly harder. "Twilight, duck!" Finally, the Princess of the Night had enough energy to achieve a multi-pony teleport. In a burst of glittering stardust, the three ponies took their leave of the hallway. Less than an instant later, and the trio stood within Luna's chambers. After a quick check to make sure all body parts were accounted for, Celestia let out her held breath and lowered her wings from their protective embrace around her apprentice. "Forgive my hasty actions, Twilight, but I didn't want to have you sent to the other end of Equestria by accident." "It's all right, Princess. I'm fine." Honestly, Twilight was a little dizzy, but all her body parts had made the jump. "Warn somepony before you do that, Luna." "Yeah, sure." she called back from her study. She came trotting out moments later, a book floating before her. "Listen to this. 'Of the six Elements, Magic is the least understood. Obviously, its wielder must possess immense talent with the arcane arts. Beyond that, little is known about this enigmatic Element, save that it acts like a key. A key to which all other Elements respond.'" "Let me see that book for a moment." The blue aura surrounding the tome was replaced by a yellow one, and it drifted over to Celestia. Her pink eyes traced over the aged text several times. "That sounds familiar..." "How do you mean, Princess?" Twilight eyed the back of the book, wishing she could see the text inside. The way Celestia and her sister were talking about this book had piqued her curiosity, especially that passage that was just read. Was it coincidence the both Nightmare Moon and those pegasi had mentioned it? If it had been, Twilight was prepared to eat her own hoof. A small puff of dust jumped from the book's pages as Celestia's magic flipped it shut. "You see, Twilight, though I might not have known of the reasons for the events of the past few days, the events themselves are nothing new to me. Honestly, I remember little of what happened, but it was very shortly after our..." A glance at her sister belied the true sensitivity of the topic. "Falling out..." Luna nodded. That was an acceptable way to describe it. The sun-marked alicorn continued with her explanation. "With this repeat occurrence, I believe that I've figured out why this is happening. Every time that Nightmare Moon was sealed away, remnants of her power remained, and sought a way to facilitate her return. The pegasi behind this; they are those remnants." Twilight might as well have not had any ears; Celestia's explanation had gone unheard. Or ignored, most likely. She was already leafing through the book, searching for the previously spoken text. Her snout appeared over the top of the tome. "What page was that passage on again, Luna?" she asked. "Ummm..." Familiar text breezed past Luna's eyes as the magenta glow holding the book commanded the pages to turn. "Laughter... Loyalty... Honesty... Generosity... Kindness... Hold it. There." "Before...you get too far into that book, Twilight... I need your attention." Yellow magic took the book from the two other mares. "I know the both of you very well; when you get into a book; you'll be at it for hours. This needs saying now. When you were taken, Twilight, it was then that I knew what these pegasi were looking for, both then and now. It's painfully obvious that the Elements are under attack. With what you've just told me, I now know why they are. The entity we know as Nightmare Moon is actively seeking for a way to return." "I know. I heard." the unicorn sniffed. "And that's why I wanted to get started on that book. See if we couldn't stop it from happening." Magic matching the color of her cutie mark sheathed Twilight's horn once again. Celestia's own horn flashed once in response. The young mare flinched. She had not expected her magic to be met with resistance. "Princess, I-" Having been sole ruler of Equestria for ten centuries, Celestia knew how to speak and ensure she would be met with silence. "Hush, Twilight." Not surprisingly, she did as Celestia bid. That was the Princess' no-nonsense tone, and attempting to push an argument against it would accomplish nothing. "These are trying times upon us. Equestria has weathered many a threat, but never before have the Elements of Harmony been so actively hunted by the enemy. Their safety, and your own, is my primary concern. I do not know exactly what Nightmare Moon is hoping to achieve by targeting the Elements, but I would be lying if I said I did not fear her intentions to be on par with the changeling assault on Canterlot. Your friends, Fluttershy and Applejack included, are all here in the palace, safely under protective surveillance, and as long as there is a threat to the Elements, you will be too." Having made her point, Celestia re-presented the book to her student. "I apologize for my tone, Twilight, but you are directly involved in this. I made the mistake of negligence once, and I'm not going to let it happen again." Twilight's violet eyes darted from the book to her mentor and back again. After a moment's pause, the mare did something she never thought she would do. The Princess of the Night was forced to take evasive action, lest she be floored by the book-turned-missile courtesy of Twilight's angry hoof. Magic grabbed hold of the parchment-based projectile just before it impacted the far wall. The princess tucked the wayward book under a wing and turned back to the unfolding conversation. "Look at me, Princess." Twilight began slowly. "Look at me and tell me: What do you see?" "I-I'm not sure I follow..." "Ugggh..." Twilight looked around for something with which to get her point across. Her eyes settled upon a few of the many glass shards around her. These she assembled into a crude but serviceable mirror and held it between herself and Celestia. "Now what do you see?" "I see myself..." Each of the shards dropped to the ground, as if those had been the magic words. "And now?" "Well...I see you, Twilight." "Do you?" The alicorn pressed a hoof to her forehead to alleviate her building frustration. She had not slept in over a day, and fatigue had made it a struggle to avoid becoming short. "Forgive me, Twilight, but I'm tired and I'm having a hard time seeing your point." "Why did you let me into the School for Gifted Unicorns?" "You were able to hatch a dragon's egg, Twilight. It took Starswirl the Bearded his entire life to find a way to do what you managed to do in second; and as a filly, no less." "Are you sure it wasn't just because I happened to be the Element of Magic? Is that why you made me your apprentice? Just so you could keep me hidden from the rest of the world!?" When it was obvious that no answer was forthcoming, Twilight snorted angrily. "You knew all along, yet you never found the time to tell me so... Thanks a lot..." She ripped the book from under Luna's wing and left the room in a burst of magenta light. "I think she took a couple feathers with that book..." the dark blue pony remarked in a vain attempt to break the heavy pall that had been cast upon the room. Failing that, she went on. "What was that about, 'Tia?" Without bothering to raise her head, her elder sister sighed. "I'll...explain on the way..." By now, Luna was almost expectant of this behavior. "Sure. But...where exactly are we headed?" Four shoes, a tiara, and a necklace returned to the night princess and took up their usual positions upon her. "Twilight could be anywhere in the palace." "If I know Twilight as I think I do, I know where she is. Follow me." ------------------------- How does anypony find their way around this infuriating palace!? Luck is far-and-away one of the most fickle concepts ever conceived, and if our false guard didn't know it before, he certainly knew it now. All the doors looked the same, all the walls were built from the same uniform marble. Even the odd guard or chamber attendant that passed by looked like the one before them. Stratus was convinced that he was going around in circles. "Aaagh! This is pointless! I give-" "All right, Luna... I suppose you want an explanation for what happened, don't you?" "That would be nice, yes." Hugging the wall, Stratus crept to the nearest hallway and peered around the corner. At the far end, he caught a glimpse of a pair of flowing tails. The Princesses... This could be good. There would be a lot of good information in this conversation. Making sure to stay just within earshot, which wasn't hard given how well the marble hallways carried sound, the fake guard followed the unsuspecting sisters. "Well, 'Tia? I'm waiting. Twilight seems to have guessed something correctly, judging from your reaction." "She was...right in what she said. I did have my own reasons for bringing her into the palace school. It was because she possessed the Element of Magic. For the longest time, I possessed all of the Elements. I could not harness their full power, but they were still mine. Until, one day, the Element of Magic left me. Several years passed, then I received word of a gifted young unicorn. She succeeded in passing the entrance exam, even the advanced one I suggested she be judged by, with flying colors and then some. At the time, I didn't know why, but it was obvious that the Element had chosen her. It was imperative that she be kept safe until I learned more of the situation. When the rest of the Elements finally left me, I knew. The Elements were preparing for your return." Stratus wasn't able to see Luna's face, but the tone in her voice gave him a good idea of what it looked like. "My return?" the star-maned pony echoed. "Yes. The Elements work via separation, remember? They certainly separated us, didn't they?" Celestia's awkward attempt at levity was met with an equally awkward grin. "Anyway... For the Elements to separate us as they did went against the very force they try to maintain." "Harmony, right?" "I see you've read that part, too. At any rate, for the Elements to permanently separate the two things necessary to maintain Harmony in Equestria was an impossibility. Whether or not you were Nightmare Moon at the time, there was no proper substitute for you, Luna. Yes, I stepped in to fill that role, but it wasn't how things were intended to be. The Elements then did the next best thing and sent you away long enough for them to find ponies capable of wielding them properly." Celestia fell silent and there was no response from the second alicorn. For a heartbeat, Stratus thought they were aware of his presence. "But," There was a subtle change in the Sun Goddess' voice. "while I brought Twilight into the palace for my own admittedly...selfish reasons, she in turn, brought out something in me; a side of myself that I had long thought dead. I loved her, Luna; like a daughter, like a sister, like you. She was so much like you, it was hard for me to not see you in her." "I'll be honest with you, 'Tia. I've never seen you get so emotional before; it's starting to weird me out." Luna teased. "Oh hush, you." the taller alicorn giggled. "We're here." "The Star Swirl Archives..." ------------------------- "Nnggh! Twilight's landing in the Archives was less than perfect. Anger and fatigue had caused her to misjudge the speed of her arrival. She lost her balance and stumbled into a shelf, knocking a shower of books and scrolls onto her head. Magenta magic quickly started reshelving them as the lavender mare searched for the tome she had dropped, grumbling as she did so. Finally proclaiming, "Got it." she trotted back to the center of the Archives. The recovered book was placed to the side, starting a small pile. Little by little, the pile began growing with each of her trips down the many aisles. When she had amassed a fair collection of knowledge, the mare planted herself before the stack and called several books up to eye level. "I hope you're planning to reshelve all that material, Twilight." A glance over her shoulder put a face to the voice. "You know I always do..." Twilight returned to her research with a disgusted snort. "Twilight...I know I owe you an explanation. Would you at least hear me out?" Each step closer that Celestia got, so too did the books to Twilight's face. These eventually got so close that Twilight could no longer read the text within, but that was beside the point. "There's nothing to explain. I've already figured it all out. I'm nothing more than a...a magical...plaything! What about my friends? Are they just your pawns too!? I don't want to hear it!" "Five minutes, Twilight. That's all." If looks could kill, the unicorn would have slain Celestia where she stood. "Fine." She released her hold on the books and turned around in a huff. "Five minutes." Out of respect, the alicorn sat down to lower herself to her student's level. She let out a long sigh and began speaking slowly. "I'll admit... I...did bring you into the palace because you possessed the Element of Magic... But, that wasn't the reason that I kept you there. I don't know if you realize this, Twilight, but in nearly one thousand years, you were my first real friend." "Pffft..." "Whether or not you want to believe me is your choice, but let me say this. Do you remember all those years you spent in the palace? Those experiences, those memories? At any point did those feel faked to you?" "No..." "That's because they weren't. Those good times that you had, those good times that we shared? I came to cherish those times. I had all but convinced myself that friendships with other ponies was nothing but a waste of time. One thousand years of self-induced solitude can do that to a pony. You managed to teach me otherwise. Why do you think I sent you to Ponyville with the simple instruction to 'make some friends?'" Realization flashed through the young mare's eyes and her ears stood up. Yet...some small shred of stubbornness wouldn't let her completely accept what Princess Celestia was telling her. "Then why keep me in the palace so long?" "I was protecting you, Twilight. You, not the Element of Magic. Like a mother would her foal. I had already lost Luna; I wasn't about to lose you, too. But then...then...then you were... I'm so sorry, Twilight..." Surprised at the pony in tears before her, the Element of Magic tossed an uncomfortable look to the princess' sister, who merely shrugged in answer. At length, the purple pony swallowed the lump in her throat. "No, I'm sorry, Princess... I spoke without knowing the entire story. It wasn't right for me to assume things..." "Don't apologize. We've all made mistakes." Celestia sniffed, drawing her foreleg over her eyes. "I should have been more truthful with you. Both of you." Luna glanced up from the stack of books that Twilight had amassed and nodded in reply. She returned to the pile of knowledge and began listing off titles. "The Way Magics Work... The Encyclopedia Magicka... Magic for Foals... Were you looking for a particular spell, Twilight?" "Yes and no. I am looking for a spell, but it was in a specific book. The Harmony of Magic, I believe." "The one I sent you?" Celestia inquired. "Yes." Hesitation slowed the alicorn's response. "I'm...sorry. I believe that one copy was the only one that I had. Why did you need it?" "Those pegasi; they set fire to my library... Applejack said they burned everything. I remember that book saying something about a spell for 'complete separation.'" "I'm sorry to hear that. When we resolve the matter currently upon us, I'll replace what I can. In the meantime, I'll ask the bookkeeper to look through all palace archives, but I can't promise anything." Twilight flicked her tail impatiently. "That will take a week at least. Could we somehow get a message back to Ponyville to have somepony check the library on the off-chance that something did survive?" she eventually asked. "I suppose... Canterlot is on high alert as is, and I'd rather not send anypony for a pickup unless we knew it was a sure thing." "What about Philomena?" Luna suggested. "She was the one that delivered the message to Applejack, right?" "And we could send it to Applejack's brother! He was in the library a couple weeks ago!" "Sounds like a plan." Celestia stood up, eyes determined. "Twilight, you and I will get that letter written. Luna, find a guard willing to make the trip to Ponyville. In the case we do find a lead, we need immediate action." That was the Princess Celestia that Luna knew. "You got it, 'Tia!" The Princess of the Night spun around and took off like an arrow. The grin on Stratus' disguised face was pure evil. He sidled the wall as Princess Luna came careening excitedly around the corner. He waited for a moment, and then called out, "Princess Luna, Your Majesty!" In an effort to reclaim some of her dignity, Luna slowly turned to face the stallion and cleared her throat. "Yes?" "I was passing by, and I couldn't help overhearing your dilemma. In light of that, I would like to volunteer to be the one to go to Ponyville." "Very good. Be ready to depart within the hour. It is imperative that you be ready and on standby as soon as possible. Understood?" Stratus saluted proudly. "Understood, Your Majesty."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-08-09T07:16:56+00:00

2012-08-09T07:16:56+00:00

There is nothing more frustrating than lying awake in your bed, exhausted, yet unable to fall asleep, and, as a dressmaker, Rarity knew about frustration. Sighing, the unicorn mare opened her eyes to her sleep mask and sat up. Her horn glowed a light blue as magic removed the mask. I'm relieved to see Fluttershy and Applejack safe, but even they didn't have any information about Twilight... A yawn forced its way from the pony's mouth and she blinked sleepily. "Heavens..." Following a slight mane adjustment, Rarity slipped out of bed. Having spent years in her profession, she had seen her share of sleepless nights. There was always one thing that had helped with getting some rest; her secret weapon, so to speak. Breeze, the guard outside Rarity's door, turned to face her as it was opened behind him. "At your service, Miss Rarity. What can I do for you?" "If it wouldn't be too unreasonable a request, I could do with a kettle of boiling water and some tea." "Of course. Any specific tea you would like? We have orange spice, lemon, peppermint, a fine selection of herbal teas..." "Chamomile, please. Six bags would be lovely." "Excellent choice. I'll have it sent up for you right away. In the meantime, I'll have to ask you to wait with Miss Fluttershy in her room. Her Majesty has renounced the city-wide lockdown, but you must remain under watch. I trust you understand." "Of course. But, Fluttershy is asleep, is she not?" Breeze shook his head. "Storm Front tells me otherwise. He tells me that she's having trouble sleeping as well." There were no more questions; the news of her friend put Rarity's hooves in motion. Her eyes met with those of the guard outside Fluttershy's room, though just for an instant. An instant long enough for Storm Front to understand the mare's intent. He dipped his head and silently stepped aside. Concern is no excuse for rudeness and good manners led Rarity to knock upon the wooden door. The voice that came from beyond the door was very obviously Fluttershy's, yet at the same time was so tired and depressed, it was bordering on unfamiliarity. "Come in... It's open..." The Element of Generosity slowly pushed the door open and looked around. Nothing had been disturbed, not even the bedsheets had been moved. Instead, the yellow pegasus lay on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. "Fluttershy, dear? Are you all right?" "I'm..." A long sight accompanied the rise and fall of Fluttershy's back. She paused afterwards, as if taking back her thoughts. "No... I'm not all right..." "Whatever could be the matter, dear?" Beds within Canterlot Palace were extraordinarily lavish, and there was plenty of room for a concerned unicorn to sit down next to her friend. On the floor before Fluttershy, previously just out of Rarity's view was yet another guest. "Heavens, Fluttershy, you didn't make off with the Princess' pet a second time, did you?" "No..." the pegasus laughed slightly, stroking the phoenix's red-orange head. "She came in through the window half an hour ago..." "Fluttershy, you hardly sound like yourself... What is it?" Kindness Rarity's Element was not, but Fluttershy seemed extremely upset. After a short pause, Fluttershy slowly looked over at the unicorn. Although her blue eyes were rimmed red from lack of sleep, genuine concern is hard to hide. "I'm worried, Rarity... About Twilight, about Angel... About everything..." Rarity lay a gentle hoof across the other mare's shoulders. "I understand completely. These are times we don't often have to deal with. It's natural to be worried; I am too." Another period of silence followed, broken only by short trills from Philomena. "I can't bear to see you so out of sorts..." Rarity sighed. "Is there anything I can do for you?" "I...appreciate the offer, but it's not something you or I could fix..." The butter-colored pony let out a long breath into her tail. Fluttershy... The Element of Generosity was at a loss for words. First Rainbow Dash and now you... Now that she thought about it, Pinkie and Applejack had been in a similar state. Ever since Twilight had received that letter from the princess, things had been steadily going downhill. Three quick knocks at the door interrupted the Element bearer's thoughts. "Pardon me, dear." With a single glance back at the forlorn pegasus, Rarity trotted over to answer the door. A young unicorn mare, pale green in color, and sporting a dark brown mane streaked in places by a very light green greeted Rarity on the other side of the door. "Miss Rarity?" "Yes." "I have your requested tea. Six bags of chamomile, correct?" "Again, yes." "In that case..." Dark green magic presented a tray completely stocked with all the items necessary for the proper enjoyment of tea to the older mare. "Here you are, Miss Rarity. There are your six bags of chamomile; it's my own special blend. There are also freshly cut lemon wedges and honey to taste. Is there anything else that I can get for you while I'm here?" Rarity's brow furrowed as she cast a careful eye over the tea tray. "No... I think I should be all right." "Very good. I'll be off then." With a quick bow, the young pony turned to leave. "Hold on, dear. I don't believe I caught your name." Obviously, the young mare wasn't used to small talk. "Um... Mint Tea. Mint for short..." "I see." Rarity set the tray aside, but not before removing one of the embroidered napkins from it. "If you would follow me back to my room, I have something for you." "O-okay..." "When I was your age, I would have given anything to live and work in Canterlot Palace. What is it that you do here, dear?" "Princess Celestia...heard of my talents and invited me to Canterlot to oversee the tea-making for the entire palace." "That is quite a lofty position for one so young. Your teas must be divine." "Th-thank you, Miss Rarity... What was it that you wanted to give me again?" "Ah yes." Rarity followed the door as magic swung it into her provided room. "Do step inside for a moment, won't you?" Despite the invitation, Mint stood in the doorway, reluctant to enter the chamber. "Oh no, Miss Rarity, I couldn't. Kitchen staff aren't permitted to enter the guest's quarters..." "Nonsense." the white mare replied, rummaging through her saddlebags. "I shan't be more than a minute or two. Please, come in." The aforementioned rummaging came to an end when Rarity pulled a small purse from her belongings. She upended the contents of this bag onto the napkin spread out upon the vanity. "Two...four...six..." One by one, bits were removed from the napkin, until... "There. One dozen bits, wrapped up and ready to go." Mint's brown eyes stared at the package as though it were the embodiment of evil itself. "Twelve bits? Oh no, I couldn't... I don't deserve this; I only brought you tea..." "Oh, but it wasn't just any tea. It was tea prepared by Canterlot Palace's premier tea expert. It's only fair." The light green pony adamantly shook her head. "Miss Rarity, I-" She trailed off when she felt her hoof turned over and a currency-filled napkin pressed into it. "Please, darling, I insist." Eyes looked from Rarity face down to the money and back. A smile crossed the young unicorn's face. "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Rarity!" "It was my pleasure." Smiles are contagious among ponies well practiced in social etiquette. "Now you hurry back down to the kitchen. I expect I'll be requesting your tea from now on." "Yes, of course! Thank you again!" Mint gave a small curtsy and galloped from the room. Rarity also took leave of her room, though in a much slower manner. Such a nice young mare... she thought as she trotted back to Fluttershy's room, wherein nothing had changed. The pegasus had failed to move, and a plaintive wisp of steam was slowly rising from the spout of the tea kettle. "Who was that pony you were talking to, Rarity?" "That was the tea-maker for Canterlot Palace, dropping off the tea requested. Speaking of, would you care for some?" Behind her, Rarity could hear hooves hitting the ground as Fluttershy finally slid off the bed. "What sort of tea is it?" the winged pony asked, glancing at the kettle. "Chamomile." Two of the tea bags floated out of the silver dish they were cradled in. "With a slight hint of crushed mint." Rarity added after a quick sniff. "That sounds wonderful. Yes, I'll take a cup." Inwardly, the diamond-marked pony breathed a sigh of relief; Fluttershy's voice was starting to shed some of its depressed tones. A unicorn's magic comes in very handy for a wide variety of things, not the least of which is the pouring of hot water for tea. During this time, Fluttershy retreated back to the edge of the bed. In the space of a few moments, she was presented with a fragrant cup of hot chamomile tea. "Oh, thank you, Rarity." "Think nothing of it. Mind your hooves, though; it's still rather hot." Each of the ponies remained silent whilst enjoying their drinks. In between sips, Fluttershy would gently swirl her cup and stare thoughtfully at the liquid. Finally, she murmured, "I...I'm not sure I want to be the Element of Kindness anymore..." There are no words in any language, written or otherwise, to aptly describe the sound that came from Rarity. Out of manners and respect, the mare clapped a hoof over her mouth to stop her sip of tea from drenching Fluttershy. "Heavens above, Fluttershy!" she gasped, shaking the tea from her hoof. "S-sorry..." "Why in Equestria would you say that, dear?" Tea time forgotten, Rarity edged closer to the pegasus. Put on the spot, the shy pony retreated behind her mane. "N-nevermind... I-I'm sorry I mentioned it..." "Don't be, darling. That's not something I'd ever expect to hear from anypony, much less yourself. What's going on, Fluttershy?" Not surprisingly, the bearer of Kindness didn't answer. She looked down at her folded hooves and began fidgeting uncomfortably. The next ten minutes were filled with silence, and the occasional urging from Rarity. Each time she was met with this, Fluttershy's eyes would drift a little bit closer to her friend before looking away. "Fluttershy, please. You're starting to scare me." Finally, the butter-colored pegasus closed her eyes and turned away. "Ponies h-have been hurt...be-because of me... Because I'm the E-element of Kindness..." "What ponies are you talking about, dear?" Another napkin floated off the serving tray towards the unicorn who presented it to the distraught pony. "G-general Headwind, that pegasus in the forest, Tw-Twilight..." Rarity placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder once again. "General Headwind volunteered to escort you and Applejack back to Canterlot. He knew it would be dangerous." "I...I n-never asked for any of th-this..." The yellow pony's eyes were bright with tears. "I never asked a-anypony to put themselves in harm's way for me... I never asked to c-carry an Element, Rarity. Did you?" The pointedly direct question very obviously caught Rarity off guard. "N-No..." she answered at length. "None of us asked to be part of the Elements of Harmony. But we were all picked for a reason; you, me, even Twilight." "W-why...?" Fluttershy hiccupped. Of course, the white pony didn't have an answer for that. She let out a silent sigh of relief where there was a knock at the door for her to answer. " O-oh my! Princess Celestia, Your Majesty! Please, come in!" Equestria's ruler nodded in thanks and stepped inside. "Thank you, Rarity. Is Fluttershy awake?" "There's no need to whisper, Your Highness. I-I'm awake..." the pegasus sniffed, quickly dabbing her eyes dry. For all of the power she possessed, Celestia was not without a heart. "Fluttershy, my dear, are you feeling all right?" She took the napkin from the pegasus and properly wiped her eyes. "I-I'm-hic!-fine, Princess..." "Come now, little one. I know from experience; it's not good to suppress your feelings. Tell me." "I-I don't want my E-Element any...more..." Celestia said nothing, but only because her shocked eyes said it all. Rarity nodded as the princess looked her way. The alicorn sighed. "Fluttershy, I know you didn't ask to be the Element of Kindness, and I know it's a heavy responsibility, but it was the Element that chose you." "B-but why did it?" "Truthfully, Fluttershy, you were the only one it could choose. Think of all the animals you care for. They don't ask to be cared for, nor do they have a way to repay you for what you do for them. Yet you tirelessly work each day, seeing that they are fed, groomed, and healthy. Tell me, Fluttershy, why do you choose to do all of that?" "They d-don't need to repay me..." Fluttershy explained. "Kindness doesn't ask for payment; it is its own reward..." Celestia winked. "I think you just answered your own question. Just as Rarity is the embodiment of Generosity, you are the embodiment of Kindness. The Elements chose you for that reason." "Ponies are s-still being hurt trying to protect me. I-I'm not okay with that..." "Headwind?" A slight nod told Celestia to continue. "I understand how you feel. Headwind had been in my service for years, and I don't like seeing him, or any of my guards for that matter, injured in any way. But, I wouldn't have asked them to join Canterlot's military unless they knew what I asked of them in doing so. They are proud of what they do." In a two-headed attempt to break the following silence and comfort the pegasus, Celestia offered a suggestion. "Would you feel better if I had headwind assigned as your door guard?" "M-maybe..." "Let's do that then. Now, the reason I'm here. Do you mind if I borrow Philomena for a while?" "Of course. She belongs to you, Princess." Fluttershy motioned for the phoenix perched upon the footboard of the bed to return to her owner. "What did you need her for?" Two knocks upon the doorframe, followed by, "I can answer that." served as yet another interruption. "Twilight!?" Before the purple mare could take a step into the room, her friends had met her at the door for a round of welcoming hugs. "Darling! Where have you been?" Tears of a much happier variety were streaming down Fluttershy's cheeks at the sight of her friend. "T-Twilight... I-I'm so happy to see you a-again!" "Me too, Fluttershy... Me too..." she whispered. I thought I never would see you again... A napkin suspended by a soft yellow glow brushed Twilight's cheek, causing her to look up. Celestia smiled and nodded as their eyes met. The simple gesture brought a fresh wave of tears to the unicorn's eyes. She quickly dried her eyes and finally succeeded in extricating herself from Fluttershy's prolonged hug. "So, Twilight, dear... Why do you and the princess need Philomena? Is it something to do with that scroll you're carrying?" In between dabbing her nose, the Element of Magic nodded. "Long story short, we're sending a message out to Big Macintosh to have him check the library for a book." "Uh-uhm, Twilight? C-could I add something to the letter? I-if that's o-okay..." "Sure. What did you want to say to him?" Fluttershy swallowed at the wording of the question. "I-I want to ask him if he's found Angel yet." "That's right... Applejack mentioned he was missing... I'll add that to the letter." With the donation of a feather from Philomena and Spike's inkwell from next door, the message, addendum and all, was away within minutes. The four ponies stood at the window, watching until the avian disappeared from sight. "Be safe, Philomena..." Fluttershy said quietly. "I just hope that Big Macintosh finds the book we need..." "Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but I have need of your attention." Turning from the sill, the alicorn saw her general standing in the doorway. "Yes, Headwind? What is it?" "The research team has requested an audience with you, regarding the sinkstone." "Sinkstone?" Rarity murmured under her breath. "Thank you for letting me know." A quick nod from the princess bade the three Elements follow her. All three obliged, but not before trading glances. Headwind and Celestia were already into a conversation of their own by the time the trio joined them in the hallway. "I see... And the research team wouldn't tell you why they needed me?" "Negative. They only said it was urgent. I thought it wiser to notify you as soon as possible rather than press the issue." "A wise move indeed. Thank you, General." Twilight spoke for three ponies at once in asking, "What is it, Princess?" "Fluttershy and Applejack managed to obtain a sinkstone from one of the pegasi that captured you. I had it sent to the research team for further study. Something has happened concerning it, but that is all I know." No further questions were asked, nor were any additional words spoken. There was business to be done. Conversation could wait until they were walking; there was little else to do in the palace's long hallways anyway. "General Headwind? I have another assignment for you." "Of course, Your Highness." "As soon as we have resolved the issue warranting this audience, you are dismissed to get some rest. That's an order. Fluttershy has requested you as her door guard while she is with us. I want you well rested." The general respectfully dipped his head to the mare. "It would be my honor, Miss Fluttershy." "Th-thank you, sir..." "Forgive me, General Headwind, sir. You mentioned something about a sinkstone earlier. Where exactly did you come by it?" Rarity inquired at the first available pause. "It was...'liberated' from a pegasi in the Everfree Forest. Is there a reason you ask, Miss Rarity?" "Not in particular. It's just that sinkstones are considered somewhat of a commodity here in Equestria. They're not often mentioned nowadays." Sinkstones are used for one thing and one thing only. the unicorn added silently. "The pegasi you took it from, was she a gray color? With a dark blue mane?" "I believe so... Why?" "Because that was the pony that captured me." Twilight interrupted. "The sinkstone you took for that pegasus was the one I was wearing when I woke up. She...was using my magic... She was using my magic to harm you, Fluttershy..." The yellow pegasus quickly shook her head. "N-no, Twilight... She didn't hurt me..." The unicorn shot a glare at the timid pony, her violet eyes as cold as her tone. "Given the opportunity, she would have. You didn't see how she treated Applejack..." "Speaking of Applejack... Do she and the others know you're back yet, darling?" "Not unless somepony else has told them. Our current situation called for immediate research." Rarity raised a questioning eyebrow. "Pray tell, what exactly is our current situation and how is it more important than our friends?" "Nightmare Moon is trying to find a way to return." After the initial shock of the blunt answer had passed, Headwind was the first to speak. "What exactly is to stop the Elements from defeating her again?" "Allow me, Twilight." Celestia cut in. "In a nutshell, the Elements of Harmony work via separation. Seeing as absolutely everything in this world has an opposite, it stands to reason that the Elements would as well. If it was the Elements that defeated Nightmare Moon the first time, what do you suppose their opposites would be capable of? If Nightmare Moon uses the Elements to give herself form again, she's keeping them. We wouldn't have a way to stop her if that were to happen." "H-how do we stop th-that from happening?" Fluttershy stammered, understandably alarmed at the news. "Our priority, first and foremost, is the protection of you and your friends. I have already seen what Nightmare Moon is capable of with one Element in her possession. I shudder to think of what she could do with more, and I do not intend to give her the chance to show me. We will fight her to the death to protect the Elements." Celestia's admittedly poor choice of words might as well have stopped Fluttershy's heart. The Element of Kindness froze in place, staring in utter shock at the alicorn princess. It didn't take long for hears to start filling the timid pony's eyes once more. She cast one look each at Rarity and Twilight before turning and fleeing. For the second time in half as many days, Celestia had shot her mouth off. "Fluttershy, wait!" she called after the pegasus. In a bout of frustration, the Sun Goddess slammed an armor-clad hoof to the ground, cracking the marble unfortunate enough to be in the way. "Headwind, I hate to have you running back and forth across the palace, but would you go-" "I'll go talk to her, Princess." Twilight offered, starting after her friend. I know how she feels... "Are you sure, Miss Twilight?" "Absolutely. I've already had a sinkstone around my neck twice. I don't need to see any more of them." "As you wish." "Thank you, sir." Twilight nodded in respect and ran off in pursuit. "Fluttershy! Come back!" The purple mare knew the palace halls well, and knew the exact path Fluttershy would have taken. I should have known that Fluttershy felt this way... She never asks anypony for anything; to have ponies put themselves in harm's way for her... It must be tearing her apa- A sudden impact derailed her train of thought and planted her square on the ground. "My apologies, miss." "No, it's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was g-" For some reason, Twilight's mouth sealed itself shut upon meeting the face of the guard she had barreled into. "-oing..." She quickly skirted the guard and continued on her quest, casting but one glance back at him. There had been something in his eyes that had made her uneasy. As Twilight's tail disappeared around a corner, Stratus found the one flaw in his near perfect disguise. The Element of Magic throws herself at me, and I can't do a damned thing! ------------------------- Thanks to her head start, Fluttershy was back to her room, door shut behind her, well before Twilight could catch up. The pegasus flung herself onto her bed and began sobbing into the pillow. "I c-c-can't handle this any more...!" Knock, knock, knock. "Wh-what?" "May I come in?" "I...j-just want to be alone, Twi-Twilight..." "Fluttershy... Please... I know how you feel..." That did it. Fluttershy slipped off the bed and slowly trotted to the door. Latches clicked, hinges creaked, and the door slowly swung inward. "Y-you do?" The unicorn on the other side nodded. "I do..." After stepping inside, a light kick proved enough to shut the door behind herself. "I assume that Applejack told you what had happened to me before you found her?" "S-she said you had been ta-taken... That's all. She didn't know where..." Twilight's tone changed ever so slightly. "I didn't know either, Fluttershy, and I still don't know. I know some Canterlot guards tried to help me, but...they were...well..." Silence can speak volumes, and this time was no exception. The Element of Kindness finished her friend's sentence for her. "They were killed, weren't they?" The lavender pony nodded slowly. "Yes, they were. But I'm not any more comfortable with it than you are. If I had known that being the Princess' student qualified me as a member of the Royal Family...I...would have reconsidered." "That doesn't really help much..." Fluttershy murmured to nopony in particular. "I thought the same thing... Until I got back to the palace. Nightmare Moon did something to Luna; she attacked her, and that was only the beginning, too. Nightmare Moon wants to use the Elements to revive herself. I know you don't like seeing ponies hurt, Fluttershy, but think about this. If Nightmare Moon returns, how many ponies get hurt because of her?" The yellow pony said nothing, but Twilight knew she had understood. There was a change in the way she stood; a change in her eyes. ------------------------- Rarity had never seen so much of the same color before. Everywhere she looked in the research wing, all she saw was white; the walls, the floors, even the ponies milling about were white, or at least their lab coats were. The unicorn's eyes involuntarily squinted in protest. "A little bright?" "You could say that, Princess... I'm aware that it's all carved from the same marble as the rest of the palace...but the rest of the palace had standards, flags, and even the odd potted plant to provide contrast. This is just a lot of white, is all." Before Celestia's mouth could form a reply, one of the coat-clad ponies noticed her presence and approached. "Ah, Princess Celestia, Your Majesty. I trust you are here because of the message we sent with General Headwind?" "You are correct." Celestia affirmed her reply with a curt nod. "What was it that you needed me for? Something about the sinkstone, yes?" "Indeed. You see, roughly half an hour ago, the sinkstone that General Headwind delivered to us began...acting up..." "Acting up? How do you mean?" After a moment's pondering, the scientist pony finally replied. "It's...hard to explain, really. It's as if the sinkstone is calling to something. Come take a look, if you would." "Very well. Lead on." Once Celestia could see the sinkstone, she understood what the scientist had meant. The gem was pulsing with a sickly green light, and everypony had cautiously given it a wide berth. The princess didn't blame them; that glow didn't look overly inviting. While everypony else was keeping their distance from the pulsing stone, Rarity was not one of these ponies. She strode right up to the sinkstone and eyed it thoughtfully. "Be wary, Miss Rarity." Headwind cautioned. "We still don't know what these stones are capable of. It could be dangerous." The mare waved off his concern with a dismissive hoof. "Nonsense. Anypony who knows anything about gems knows that sinkstones are only dangerous if one knows how to use them." Princess Celestia was surprised at this statement. "You have heard of these before, Rarity?" "Oh yes. I...made the mistake of making an accessory out of one... It was quite the ordeal and I..." Rarity interrupted herself with a quick clearing of her throat. "I digress... It was ugly at best; let's just leave it at that, shall we?" "What exactly happened?" "Any time a pony wears a sinkstone, in any manner, it blocks that pony from using any magic at all." With a sigh, Rarity turned back to the gemstone. "It's a horrid shame, really. These stones are simple marvelous to look at. So smooth, so clear, so-" Celestia sensed that this admiration could go on for quite a while unless interrupted. "Ahem..." When the unicorn looked to her, the princess made a circular motion with a hoof to bid her continue. "If you would, Rarity..." The white mare coughed awkwardly before resuming. "Yes... Well... As I was saying, not only will these sinkstones block a pony's magic, they will outright absorb it, hence the term 'sinkstone.'" "If I may interrupt you for just a moment, Rarity, I have a question." "Of course, Your Highness. I was nearly finished as it was. Go on." "You say it 'absorbs' magic. Can that same magic be put to later use?" The Element holder nodded. "Indeed it can, but only through the proper incantation, of which I have no knowledge." "You may not know any such incantations, Miss Rarity, but I might know somepony who would." "Enlighten us, General." The alicorn cast an eye towards the pegasus stallion. "Miss Zecora, Your Majesty. She was the pony that explained sinkstones to me in the first place." Celestia nodded slowly. "Very well, Headwind. But..." she added bluntly as the general turned to leave, "Do not bring Zecora back here unless she agrees of her own will. I don't want to drag anypony else into this if I can avoid it. Is that clear?" "As crystal, Your Majesty." Canterlot's resident sun goddess breathed a long sigh as she watched Headwind depart. "May Mother forgive me for letting things come this far..." ------------------------- Headwind knew the palace like the back of his wing and quickly found Zecora's room. Three quick knocks on the door announced his presence. "Pony that knocks for three, for what reason have you come to visit me?" "It's me, General Headwind, come on behalf of Princess Celestia." Movement could be heard from beyond the door, shortly before it swung open. "You come bearing a message from your ruler? Tell me, General, why did you not come sooner?" The striped pony's tone grew concerned. "My apologies, Miss Zecora. I was occupied with the situation concerning the sinkstone in the research wing." Zecora's eyes grew wider as Headwind continued to explain. "The stone that you found on that pegasus has started glowing, in response to something, it seems." "This glowing you have seen, tell me, was it green?" "Yes, I believe it was; a very sickly color green, if I recall correctly." Zecora looked as if she had just seen a ghost. She spun away from the door to grab several small pouches from within her room. Seconds later, she was out into the hallway at full gallop, calling back to Headwind. "Hurry, General, we must make haste, for there is no time for us to waste!"

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-09-30T07:40:02+00:00

2012-09-30T07:40:02+00:00

For a farm pony, there is no better sensation than the feeling of freshly plowed earth beneath your hooves to let you know you're putting a in a hard day's work. Except maybe the hunger one gets when you skip breakfast to get started on that hard work. Big Macintosh was just finished plowing the sixth row for the soon to be carrot patch as his stomach gave one loud growl of protest. "Ah reckon it's gettin' t'be that time." The big earth pony shrugged off the yoke for his plow and set his course for the farmhouse. Cooking was not quite his forte, so Big Macintosh gravitated towards the refrigerator, hoping to fins dome leftovers that would be suitable for breakfast. His eyes fell upon the rest of the pancakes that Fluttershy had prepared one day prior. Sure, they were cold, but the farm pony wasn't overly picky. Out came the plate of six, along with some apple butter and apple juice after a few trips to the table. Half of the pancakes were moved onto their own plates and set aside for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, one for each member. Not a mere thirty seconds later, almost as if the mere gesture had summoned them, the three fillies came cantering into the kitchen, sleepy-eyed and yawning. "G'mornin', sleepyheads." the red earth pony said amiably. "Mornin'..." Apple Bloom slowly replied, climbing up to the kitchen table. "Is AJ back from Canterlot yet?" "Fraid not." her brother responded around a mouthful of breakfast. Another small head popped up next to Apple Bloom's, this one white in color. "I wish Rarity would come back soon." Sweetie Belle sniffed. "It's boring without her here..." "Ah wouldn't worry too much. Ah'm sure they'll be back real soon. They're probly-" Big Macintosh trailed off mid-sentence. "Hang on a tick... Y'all are one short..." The two fillies traded glances, then began looking around. "Scoot?" "Scootaloo?" All three heads turned at the sound of the front door slamming shut. Big Macintosh was the first to vacate his chair in curiosity. "What in tarnation..." "Kreeeeeeh!" That shrill cry put all hooves in motion. "Scootaloo!" The front door nearly popped from its hinges as the massive red earth pony shouldered it open. His fears were soon proved unfounded however. The orange pegasus filly in question was hardly in danger. In that case, where had that harsh cry come from? That had come from up higher. Circling above the pegasus filly, another creature of similar color was looking for a somewhere to land and remain unharassed by her pursuer. Big Macintosh recognized the avian as described by Applejack. "Philomena?" Upon hearing her name, the phoenix sensed a place where she would land undisturbed, and spiraled down to the stallion, landing upon his broad back. Having never seen a phoenix before, one might (correctly) guess that the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be excited at the new guest. All three fillies crowded the earth pony, wanting a closer look at the fiery avian. "She's so purty!" "Her feathers are beautiful!" "She looks so cool!" "Steady on now, girls..." Big Macintosh warned. "She's wearin' some sorta harness. Looks like there's a message in it, too." With some delicate maneuvering, Philomena popped open the letter case and presented the orange-maned earth pony with a scroll, which he promptly unrolled and began reading. Odd..." he murmured to himself. "AJ tol' me the library went up in flames..." Apple Bloom was the first Crusader to speak. "Big Macintosh... what's goin' on. What's wrong with Miss Twilight's library?" "Ah'll explain on the way. Come with me, girls." Big Macintosh had not yet seen the library since Applejack had told him about it, so he had no idea what to expect upon arriving. Truthfully however, nothing could have prepared him for the devastation waiting for him as he finally peered inside. "There's nothin' left..." he breathed. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders were at a loss for words. A single stunned utterance from Scootaloo accurately summed their feelings. "Whoa..." The interior of the library was as much a desolate wasteland as it had been during Applejack's visit. Piles of ash littered shelves and every possible inch of floor space. "Alright girls, holler if y'all see any books lyin' around..." "What kinda books are we lookin' fer?" the yellow, bow-wearing filly asked. "Any ya can find. We ain't got the time to be real picky. Jus' start lookin'." In order to be as thorough as possible, the four ponies checked every single pile of ash, both upstairs and downstairs, with nothing to show for their efforts but blackened hooves and snouts. The searching went on for a good hour or so, but ultimately proved fruitless. With her white coat a dark grey from all of the ash, Sweetie Belle slumped heavily against the loose door. "We're never gonna find that dumb book!" Frustrated, the unicorn filly rapped her head against the door. Finally fed up with the stress, the tired door broke free of its hinges, forcing Sweetie Belle to scramble for cover. After the ensuing cloud of dust had eventually settled, and the party had stopped coughing, Big Macintosh noticed something behind the fallen door. One particular pile of ash was shaped oddly...almost like a book... A quick puff of air removed the ash, revealing... "The Harmony of Magic..." he read slowly. "This is what we're lookin' fer... C'mon girls, back to the house." No sooner had they stepped back outside than a shadow fell over the group. Philomena was still perched upon Big Macintosh's back, so the large pony grew uneasy. "Charger! Look! Down there!" Mere seconds after that female voice rang out from on high, a trio of pegasi dropped to earth several tail lengths from the red stallion. The earth pony placed the book he was carrying on the ground and set one of his massive hooves upon it. "Stay b'hind me, girls..." he quickly whispered before calling out to the three winged ponies. "Y'all three look lost. Is there somethin' Ah can help ya find?" "As a matter of fact, there is." Charger stepped forward and nodded to the book upon the ground. "That book under your hoof there. That's all we're looking for. Give it to us and we'll be on our way." This book here? Ah'm mighty sorry, but a friend of mine asked for it first. Ah'm afraid y'all are jus' gonna have to look elsewhere." "Listen, earth pony. I won't repeat myself a second time." In the blink of an eye the pegasus stallion's tone had done a complete about-face. "I told you to give me that book." "And Ah told you 'NO.'" "If you won't give me that book, then I'll take it from you!" The pegasi's wings became a blur as he exploded toward the red pony. In his usual stoic manner, Big Macintosh didn't bat an eyelid. Rather, he lowered his head and widened his stance. THUD! Anypony with a lick of common sense could tell you who was going to come out on top in this confrontation. The massive red earth pony barely moved an inch from the impact. "Now you listen t'me. This here book is mine. I suggest y'all take yer friends an' fly back to wherever ya came from, otherwise things are about to get mighty ugly." "They already have gotten ugly, earth pony!" Charger spat into his opponent's face. Big Macintosh snorted, and a smile crossed his mouth. "In that case, Ah hope yer ready for a rodeo, partner." In one fluid motion, he took a step back, and as the still airborne pegasus lurched forward, the big red pony caught him by the scruff of the neck and with a twist of his own muscular neck, flung him into the side of the library, As Big Macintosh had turned, so too had the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Unbeknownst to them, the two pegasus mares were silently drawing closer. Silently, at least until Sweetie Belle let out a wail of terror as she was plucked from the ground. "Aaaaaah! Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! Somepony help me! Big Macintosh spun like a top, his expression one of pure horror. The book held no value compared to the terrified filly being carried away through the air, and he immediately charged after her, with the remaining Crusaders hot on his heels. Scootaloo chanced a look back at the abandoned book, just as the pegasus stallion was coming to. She glanced from the book to her trusty scooter, propped against the side of the library, and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Unnnh..." Charger held a hoof to the side of his throbbing head. Everything was spinning, his ears were ringing up a storm, and it hurt to even think. Through his cloudy vision, he could barely make out the book lying unprotected upon the ground. Calling up some hidden reserve of strength, the stallion slowly began crawling for the tome. Just as he was about to lay his hoof upon it, an orange blur flashed by, and it was gone. "What!?" A taunting whistle from his right instantly got the pony's attention. "C'mon, ole' floppy feathers." Scootaloo taunted from atop her scooter. "You want this book, right?" She nodded to the book held on her upturned hoof. "You can have it if you can catch me!" Groggily, the pegasus stallion lunged at the orange filly, grabbing nothing but air as the scooter wheels spun to life, powered by their rider's quickly beating wings. The two pegasus mares that had grabbed Sweetie Belle were cruelly teasing the now-sobbing young pony, taking turns dropping her, only to catch her a few frightening moments later, all while staying just out of reach of the earth pony below. Every time Sweetie Belle was dropped, Big Macintosh would run to catch her, only to outpaced time and again. The simple fact that he had no way to get to the terrified filly drove the stallion mad. While it was true that Big Macintosh was lacking in the wing area, there was one among them who was not. Philomena had had enough of seeing the Crusader tormented like this. An angry screech cut through the clear morning air. The phoenix left Big Macintosh's back like an arrow, just as Sweetie Belle was dropped for the umpteenth time. She struck the pegasus waiting to catch the unicorn filly like a fiery lightning bolt, screaming like a banshee and razor-sharp talons out for blood. Preoccupied with the whirlwind of flaming wings and raking claws spinning around her head, the pink-maned pegasus had no choice but to let Sweetie Belle drop past her, right into the waiting mouth of Apple Bloom's brother. "It's all right, hun'... Ah've got ya..." he whispered after setting the young pony safely at his hooves. "You'll be safe now. Ah promise." In the meantime, Scootaloo was leading Charger on a merry chase around the perimeter of Twilight's library. As she came around the back, her pursuer was drawing within range, and she was going to have to make a move quickly. Just as the pegasus stallion made another grab for her, Scootaloo lay her scooter down and shot right through Big Macintosh's legs, letting her pursuer run smack into his broad flank. "Yer a stubborn one, Ah'll give ya that much." the red earth pony commented, turning a dark eye upon the pegasus. "Ah'll give ya one last chance to take yer friends an' leave." After a moment of visual debate, Charger looked away. "Very well...earth pony..." the pegasus growled."But this will not be forgotten..." "Good." Big Macintosh replied simply. "Maybe nex' time y'll think twice about picking' on lil' fillies. The stallion looked to the sky and gave a quick whistle, to which Philomena ceased her assault on the two pegasus mares, and returned to the earth pony's back. "Now git." "N-now what do w-we do...?" Sweetie Bell stammered, still shaking, as she watched the three pegasi slowly fly away. "We're goin' to Canterlot. It's not safe fer us to stay in Ponyville anymore. We've got some errands to run b'fore we leave. C'mon." Arrangements were made to have the Cakes look in upon Opalescence and Fluttershy's animals before the four ponies finally returned to the farmhouse. "All right, girls, hurry an' git yer things; quickly now." Big Macintosh urged the three fillies up the stairs and into Apple Bloom's room. "Hurry, girls. We ought to git movin'. When you have yer things, meet me downstairs. With that, the earth pony turned and disappeared into his own room. Even though his decision had been a quick one, Big Macintosh's return to the farmhouse had not gone without witness. In a cloud bank high above Sweet Apple Acres, three pegasi watched the farmhouse, sinister grins upon their faces. "Game over, earth pony." Charger laughed. "Game over." ------------------------- For a half of an instant, General Headwind was speechless. "Miss Zecora?" The pegasus general quickly shook off his surprise and was after the zebra just as fast. "Miss Zecora, what is the matter?" "The news you have brought me is most dire indeed, so I bid you be silent, lest our flight you impede." Headwind nodded. "I understand. Let me lead the way then." Zecora returned the nod and slackened her pace slightly. "General Headwind?" The two ponies skidded to a halt at the hailing voice. "Princess Luna?" Headwind spun around to face the night blue alicorn. "Princess Luna, Your Majesty..." Respect made the white stallion take a knee in haste. "Forgive our rush, Your Highness, but I was on an errand by request of your sister." "You were? I've been looking for her. Verily then! Lead on, General!" Trips back from destinations always seem shorter for some reason, and it was no more than five minutes before the three ponies were back at the research wing. Zecora came barreling through the door like a striped tornado. In a rather impolite manner, she shoved Rarity, who was still admiring the sinkstone, to the side, causing her to stumble. "Oof! Zecora dear, was that entirely necessary?" Whether or not Zecora actually heard the other mare was impossible to tell. The striped pony made several laps around the glowing sinkstone, inspecting it from all sides. New to the situation, Luna leaned close to her sister and whispered, "Is there something I've missed?" "If I knew anything, I would be happy to tell you." "Princess of the Sun, this stone I see; how long has it been glowing green?" Celestia turned her eyes to the ceiling, recalling that particular bit of information. "About half an hour, if I recall correctly." At hearing this, Zecora fell silent, muttering to herself at regular intervals. After a period of time, she turned to Celestia once more. "How many ponies live here? Is it many, as I fear?" "All told?" the alicorn asked. "Airing on the conservative side, I would guess about five hundred, six hundred at the very most." The striped pony nodded thoughtfully. "I am sorry, your Majesty, but I must take my leave. There are things I must attend to lest all of us are deceived." Zecora barely made it three steps before a massive white wing blocked her path. "I respect your expertise, and I greatly appreciate your decision to help us, but I must insist that you fill the rest of us in. This problem has now been brought to my doorstep, and I want to know what exactly I am up against. Please." "Very well, your Majesty, if it is the truth you request... As you can see, this stone here before you has woken from rest. The glow from its center; to me it has shown, that the gem is responding to one of its own." "'Responding?'" Luna repeated. "That would mean that there is another sinkstone in the palace, right?" "After seeing this stone that your sister has found, I would indeed say your logic is quite sound. These stones, they glow brighter the closer they sit to another stone with magic seeping from it." "And what exactly does this glow represent? You seemed quite startled after I told you." Headwind added. Zecora shook her head sadly. "The glow... The glow...that is what worries me. One of the ponies in the palace is not who they claim to be." Celestia's eyes widened for an instant. "I knew that color looked familiar. That green color...it's the same color as changeling magic. That must be its basis." "Indeed. Changeling study was the inspiration for this spell. And, just like the changeling, the difference is nigh impossible to tell." "Pardon my interruption again." General Headwind spoke up. "But, Miss Zecora, you had a way to tell the difference. That bag of amethyst powder you own; it seemed to work perfectly. What about that method?" Without saying a word, Zecora motioned for Luna to bend down. A quick flick of her hoof tossed a small amount of the aforementioned purple dust into the air. This wispy amethyst cloud wasted no time in gathering around the princess' horn. "I see. A unicorn's inherent magic would interfere with the dust..." "Thought the dust may fail as a foolproof test, there is one other way to separate the fake from the rest. There is one spell I know of to remove a disguise. Sad to say, the years have hidden it from many an eye." "Of course..." Celestia snorted in tired disgust. "I suppose I should ask the archiver to begin browsing our spell records. Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" A shake of the zebra's head and the alicorn sighed. "Very well... Once again, we're stuck waiting for a book. Headwind, take Rarity with you and find Jet Stream. He will stand as Fluttershy's door guard until you are well rested. I also want you to inform those guarding the Elements of what we have learned here. If they see anything out of the ordinary, they are to report it to either Luna or myself at once. I also want two guards at each door until further notice. Oh, and Rarity?" "Yes, your Highness?" "If, at any time, you or your friends feel uncomfortable with their guards, ask them to fetch one of us and we will stand as your guard. If they should refuse, lock your door and stay put until Luna or I arrive in your room. Also, do not leave your room with anypony other than Luna or myself, and, even then, only if we call you by name. Let your friends know of this as well." "Of course." The sun goddess sighed again and glanced to the one pony she had not yet addressed. "Zecora, I hate to ask this of you, and you are completely free to refuse, but if you would be willing to help us look for any sort of information, I would be grateful beyond words." "Your Majesty, you need not ask for my aid. I am happy to give it any time of day." "You have my infinite thanks, Zecora." This news that Zecora had given her worried Celestia greatly. I knew that Canterlot wasn't invincible, but first the changeling attack and now this...? She couldn't even look at her guards or palace staff without that doubt squirming in the back of her mind like a bad itch. She took a deep breath and ruffled her wings in an attempt to calm herself down. "What's the matter, 'Tia? You look sick to your stomach." Luna said, concern ringing evident in her tone. "I might as well be... I haven't eaten or slept in nearly two days...and in those two days, Twilight was taken from me, you were attacked, Nightmare Moon wants to return, and now I don't even know who I can trust anymore... Being sick to my stomach would only improve things right now..." "If you think it would help, I still have some scones in my study left over from last night. They're obviously cold by now, but food is food." "I appreciate the offer, Luna, but we don't have the time." As an immediate reaction, the moon goddess snorted angrily. Her second response was a bit more forward however. Wings flared, she placed herself before Celestia, blocking her path. "Luna! I just told you we don't have time for this!" "'Tia, you and I have all the time in the world. Listen to me, because I'm not going to move until you do." "Very well..." she relented. "You need to make time, 'Tia. You need to eat something. I don't care if you have one of those scones or some of the grass from the palace garden, but it has to be something." Unbeknownst to the night princess, she sounded quite like a mother reprimanding her foal. Even a being that has complete control over heavenly bodies can't eliminate their most basic of needs. All this thought of scones and food was relentlessly chewing away at Celestia's last thread of resistance. Finally, with one loud growl from the alicorn's stomach, the decision had been made. "Guess I don't have any say in this. Go ahead and get the scones." Luna nodded approvingly. "I'll be right back." Her mane and tail flowed up around her, revolving faster and faster until disappearing altogether. Zecora took up a spot next to the elder of Equestria's two rulers. "Your younger sister is remarkably wise. Many years of wisdom sparkle in her eyes." Celestia nodded slowly and smiled. "That she is, Zecora. That she is." ------------------------- No matter how many times she used it, Luna always found teleportation strange. It always left the user with an odd tingling sensation in the bottom of their hooves. In much the same fashion as her departure, Luna arrived in her chambers. Stardust left over from her appearance swirled and danced around her as she headed for her study. From amidst the scrolls and books littering her desk, the silver serving tray rose into the air, suspended by a blue glow. Three left... One for each of us, I suppose. Once more, the alicorn called up the magic necessary for teleportation. Just before she went through with the jump, something stopped her. She dropped the spell and turned back to face her room. Something was calling her from within. Without remembering how or why, she found herself standing over the broken field of glass that used to be her mirror. After who knows how longs, Luna snapped from her trance, gasping for breath like a drowning pony. She knew she was the only pony in the room, yet the telltale chill of outside eyes upon her trickled down her spine. "No... No, no, no..." The dark blue alicorn backed away from the mirror shards, shaking her head. "Nightmare Moon is gone. All the Elements are here in the palace; she doesn't have any of their power... She's gone..." "Neverrrr..." The ghostly, echoing voice actually stopped Luna's heart for a second. "No..." The princess screwed her eyes shut and continued backing away, stopping only when she hit the wall. "You're gone... You don't exist anymore..." "How can you say that, when I'm right in front of you?" Every thread of common sense told Luna to keep her eyes shut and yet, every thread went unheard. The sight that greeted her caused her to recoil, thus slipping and falling against the wall. Held together by some black magic, the broken mirror shards had assembled themselves into a jagged, misshapen whole. Within the broken reflection, Luna saw a hideous amalgam of her face combined with the sneering black visage of her former alter-ego. "Hello, Princessss..." she hissed. "Did you miss me...?" Praying that this nightmare would depart if she looked away, Luna again closed her eyes, shivering in fright. "Y-you don't exist anymore..." she repeated in self-affirmation. "This can't be happening again... It just can't..." "Well, my dear... You look like you've finally remembered your place. In my shadow, where you should be..." That was it. Luna was not about to pushed around like a frightened little filly any longer. A gale-force wind whipped itself up at the princess' command, spiraling around the bedchamber, picking up all manner of scrolls and books. The timidity in her cyan eyes faded away behind a ethereal white glow of pure energy as she rose to her hooves. "Hear us now, accursed demon..." Luna's voice resonated with the power of hundreds of thousands of stars, sending tremors through the ground beneath her. "Thou no longer holdeth any power over us. In the name of the stars, moon, and every pony that resideth under them, we, Princess Luna, sister of Celestia, mistress of the night, and daughter of the Creator herself...CAST THEE OUT!" One by one, five spheres, each burning with a brilliant starlight, appeared around the alicorn. Now it was the reflection's turn to recoil in fear. From each of the orbs, a beam of equal intensity lanced forth, merging into a sixth sphere before the alicorn. Luna let out one final cry that shook the very air itself. "BEGONE, VILE ONE!" Finally, the central sphere erupted in a beam of light that would have blinded a lesser pony instantly. This beam ripped through the mirror and wall behind it like wet tissue. The book-carrying hurricane subsided as the white light left Luna's eyes. Her eyes remained hard and unblinking...until she looked at the ground before her. The mirror shards, which should have been outright vaporized, remained scattered upon the floor, still in the same irregular pattern as when they had first been broken. They hadn't moved, and there was no evidence to suggest they had been a part of the mirror that Luna had just seen. A terrible feeling of nausea overcame the princess as she realized what had transpired. "A-all of that was...a hallucination...?" Her eyes drifted from the broken glass up to the gaping hole in the palace wall. "Wh-what have I done...?" Nightmare Moon never was here..." Luna slumped back against the wall and slid to the floor in stunned silence. Several moments went by like this before a single tear dropped to the floor, soon followed by many more. The mare collapsed to the floor in a heap, covering her eyes. "What's wrong with m-me...? H-have I gone crazy?" Feeling alone, scared, and very confused, Luna curled into a quivering ball and began brokenly sobbing.

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-11-06T07:05:26+00:00

2012-11-06T07:05:26+00:00

Celestia and Zecora had remained in the hallway for several minutes after Luna's departure, waiting for her return. After roughly five minutes, they resumed their trek. Their destination: the massive Canterlot Archives. No sooner had the pair stepped inside than they were approached by a blue unicorn stallion. "Salutations, your Majesty. What brings you to the archives today?" "Good morning, Crescent. We've come looking for some information." Magic removed the stallion's monocle and held it before his muzzle. He breathed on it several times and cleaned it upon his chest, replacing it afterwards. "Naturally. What are you looking for?" "Two things, actually. One: anything regarding sinkstones. Two: I'm looking for a spell that one can use to reverse disguising magic." "Hmmm..." The blue pony pondered for a moment before turning away. "If you would come with me, your Majesty." He beckoned the alicorn with a flick of his brown tail. He led the sun goddess to a podium with a remarkably think tome atop it. "It sounds to me that you're looking for dispel magic." the stallion commented, leafing through the yellowed pages. "I don't believe we have much in the way of that sort of magic, but I'll do my best... What was the other thing you were looking for, your Majesty?" "Any and all information we have regarding sinkstones." "Ah, yes. Now that is something I know we have. There's not a lot, but I know exactly where it is. If you like, I can show you where." Celestia nodded. "If you would be so kind." Once more, the blue unicorn turned to mark out their path. The sheer amount of literature with this maze of shelves amazed the alicorn. She had lived over one thousand years, but even a life that long would not have permitted her enough time to read all of them, and yet... The true grandeur of this mountain of knowledge was lost to her. Celestia's mind was elsewhere at the moment. Luna should have been back in a few seconds... It's been almost ten minutes; something is wrong... "Sinkstones...sinkstones...sinkstones... Ah-ha!" The alicorn's train of thought jumped the tracks as Crescent presented her with a single leather-bound volume. Years of dust collected from little use coated the cover. "Pardon the dust, your Majesty. We don't get many ponies looking for sinkstones." "It's quite all right." the winged unicorn commented, accepting the book. She started to open it, but quickly changed her mind. "I'm sorry to come and go so quickly, Crescent, but I need to go look in on Luna for a moment." Her yellow magic returned the manuscript to the stallion. "Zecora here has agreed to help with our search, but I must excuse myself." "Of course, your Majesty. I certainly hope your sister is well." "As do I..." she said under her breath. Celestia departed the library in a brilliant yellow flash. An identical flash preceded her appearance outside Luna's door. Her knock upon said portal caused it to glide open in an eerie fashion. "Luna?" she whispered. "Luna, are you in here?" Celestia pushed the door wide enough to enter, taking several cautious steps inside. Her stomach dropped into her hooves when she saw what awaited her. A giant hole blown in the outside wall of anything is hard to miss. Celestia galloped to the edge of the hole, eyes wide with shock. "Luna! Luna, where are you?" The sound of muffled sobbing behind her grabbed the alicorn's attention faster than anything had before. Seeing her younger sister in a heap, amidst a circle blackened onto the floor, Celestia immediately assumed the worst. "LUNA! NO!" The few steps to the far wall were far more than Celestia was willing to take at the moment. In a flash (actually two), she was at the younger pony's side. "Luna! Talk to me! Tell me you're all right!" Silence. Luna! Please!" Celestia was beside herself. "Tell me you're all right!" The dark alicorn said nothing, but she did open her eyes and glance up at her sister. Though small, this movement did not go unnoticed. The Goddess of the Sun sat her sister up and had her wrapped safely inside her wings in the blink of an eye. "D-don't you ever scare me like th-that again... I would r-rather sit through one t-thousand cold winters alone than lose you forever..." Luna was surprised by the sudden hug, but she eventually leaned into her sister's embrace. "I-I'm sorry, 'Tia..." "It's o-okay..." Celestia made no effort to hold back the tears falling from her eyes. "J-just t-tell me y-you're all right..." It took significant effort to understand the alicorn's words with as much as she was sobbing. "For H-Harmony's sake... p-please be all right, Luna..." When you're upset, knowing that somepony else genuinely cares about you always makes you cry that much harder. Luna's sniffling and shaking redoubled at her sister's concern and she tightened her hold around the white alicorn. At this, Celestia's tone adopted an air of inquiry. "L-Luna...? You...are all right... A-aren't you?" After yet another period of tense silence, Luna slowly shook her head. "N-no... I-I'm n-n-not..." The sisterly embrace was broken momentarily so that eye contact could be made. "Luna, what happened? Tell me what's wrong. You aren't hurt, are you?" "No... I'm n-not hurt..." "Then what is Equestria is the matter?" "I...can't tell you..." Luna replied at length, tightly closing her eyes. "Luna...please... Tell me what's wrong... I'm just-" The younger princess shoved Celestia away. "Let it go, Celestia!" Now angry and upset, Luna spun around, presenting her sister with a frigid shoulder. Time itself spun backwards before Celestia's eyes. One thousand years, to be precise. Once again, Luna's words rang in her ears, sounding very familiar. "Let it go, Celestia!" A hard scowl crossed Celestia's features. Not this time. Never before had Celestia raised a hoof against her sister in anger, but she was not about to let history repeat itself. She hooked a hoof over Luna's shoulder and unmercifully whirled her around. "By the Elements, Luna! You know why I can't do that!" The Sun Goddess' eyes were a whirling torrent of sorrow, anger, and one thousand years of regret. "I love you too much to let myself do that to you again!" The night blue alicorn had been thoroughly startled into silence. She had never before heard Celestia's voice at this volume. All Luna could do was bite her lip and uncomfortably hold her sister's gaze. "I won't make you pay for my negligence again!" Celestia had both hooves upon Luna's shoulders and was practically shouting into her sister's face. "The last time I 'let it go,' I had to let you go, Luna! You never deserved to pay the price that I should have paid! I'm sorry, Luna! I'm so sorry..." she sobbed, hugging the younger alicorn tightly, as if trying to make up for her thousand year absence. Held in this tight embrace, hearing the emotion in her sister's voice, Luna finally saw who Celestia was; she understood. On the outside, Celestia was beautiful, kind, and majestic; and all-around excellent ruler. But this was just a facade, a pony created to present to her subjects. Behind that mask, Celestia was old, tired, and broken from mulling over one thousand long years of regret and loneliness. She was cursed with immortality, doomed to see the passing of all she loved. All, except for the one she loved the most. "I forgive you, 'Tia... For everything; for all those years, for anything you said... I forgive you..." "Wh-what? How could you f-forgive me so easily...?" "Not many ponies get a second chance to completely start over, but you gave me that chance. You forgave me after what happened, and even if you hadn't, I would still forgive you, because you're my sister, and I love you, 'Tia." Sister... I'd forgotten what that meant. Sisters are always there for each other... "Thank you, Luna..." Celestia whispered. "Anytime, sis'..." "Now, would you please tell me what happened?" Luna swallowed visibly and locked eyes with her sister. She was still scared, and that fear held her tongue. "Let me help, Luna. Tell me." "It...it was Nightmare Moon..." "Again?" Every time that name came out of her sister's mouth, Celestia's heart skipped a beat. "So she's to blame for this hole in the wall?" "Uhhh...no... That was my fault... I...overreacted..." "To what, though?" Celestia turned to look at the gaping hole. Even from the other side of the room, she could see that the edges of said hole were still smoldering and probably quite hot to the touch. "Luna...you vaporized a foot and a half of solid marble. What happened?" "You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but...I saw Nightmare Moon again, in the mirror..." Curious, the elder alicorn stepped away from her sister to look at the mirror shards still littering the floor. "This mirror? The same one as before?" "Yes... At least...that's what I thought..." "What do you mean by that?" "I mean... It was just a hallucination; my mind was playing tricks on me..." Luna had closed her eyes once more, replaying the events in her mind. With all her power, Celestia was no mind reader, but she didn't need to be to see that whatever Luna was seeing wasn't pleasant. The younger alicorn had become shaky, both in tone and posture. Luna... "I..I h-heard her, 'Tia... S-she was talking t-to me... Taunting m-me... A-and then...I...I... Aaaahh!" For one fleeting moment, as Celestia's wing gently brushed her shoulder, the visions that Luna was seeing spilled over into the real world bringing all their terror with them. "It's all right, Luna. I can tell what happened next. These hallucinations though, how long have they been happening?" "Just today..." she answered. "I-I think..." A pony's eyes can say just as much as their words, and Luna's frightened eyes spoke volumes. "Luna...there's something you're not telling me..." In one thousand years, Celestia had learned how to read these signs, and she had seen anger, happiness, and nearly every emotion in between. "You're scared, Luna... You've seen these before, haven't you?" "I...I have..." she stammered. "One thousand years ago... That's when I first heard her voice. She spoke to me, 'Tia. I had conversations with her... I-I thought I was r-rid of her.." Fresh tears found their way to Luna's eyes as she paused. "I'll n-never be r-rid of her, will I, 'Tia...?" The truth caught in a sticky lump in the back of Celestia's throat. She knew this answer was not the most desirable, but, at the same time, it had to be said. "I...I'm afraid not, Luna..." The Sun Goddess grimaced as the words passed her lips. She had heard about the truth being bitter, but she never knew it really tasted that way. For the umpteenth time, Luna fell back on her haunches. She was exhausted, emotional, and this truth knocked the rest of the strength from her. "I...I can't do this a-anymore... I c-can't keep fighting..." "Luna... Don't say that..." "What's the p-point in fighting her, 'Tia? You just told me she's going to b-be here forever... She's going to win eventually; she a-already did once..." "Still your tongue, Luna!" Celestia snapped. "I know fighting is hard; it wouldn't be called as such if it were easy. It's what you fight for that keeps you going. Every day, for one thousand years, I woke up knowing that it would be a fight to get through it, and it always was. But, I kept going; I kept fighting, because I knew you would be coming back, and I was going to be there to greet you. I fought to see the future, and that's what we have to fight for now. Not for my future, not for your future, but for Equestria's future. Don't underestimate yourself, Luna. I know you can keep fighting, because I'll be fighting right alongside your. You're my sister, and I will always stand with you, no matter what happens." This time, Luna was the one to embrace her sister, eyes bright with happy tears. "Thank you, 'Tia." "You don't give yourself nearly enough credit, Luna. You're stronger than you know, and when you stand up and fight, ponies take notice. Nightmare Moon is not going to win; we will make sure of that." "How do we make sure she doesn't?" "Easy. We just have to make sure Nightmare Moon loses. As long as she doesn't have the Elements, there is nothing she can do." "What about the hallucinations?" "You said it yourself, it was just your mind playing tricks on you. How much sleep have you gotten in the past two days?" Luna's answer was delayed in coming. "I don't know... How long was I unconscious?" "Only a few hours, but it hardly looked restful; you were tossing and turning. You're tired, you're worried, and you're scared." These words birthed a hard lump in the younger princess' throat. Yes, she was scared; all of this Nightmare Moon was happening so quickly, and there was so much she was learning. She was terrified, but at the same time, she was too proud to hear herself say it, and looked away. "N-no...I'm n-not scared..." she refused, her wavering voice giving her away. "Luna..." Celestia lightly touched a hoof to her sister's shoulder. "You've always been so proud... There's nothing wrong with being scared. I was terrified when I saw you lying on the floor like that. Fear is not weakness, Luna, and I won't look down upon you for it. I'm here for you, and I always will be." It took Luna several seconds to swallow the stubborn lump before speaking. "I...I am scared, 'Tia... I'm scared and tired..." "As am I, Luna. As am I. I think we could both use a nap, yes?" "But what about everything that's going on? I didn't think we had the time." Celestia nodded slowly. "i thought that too. But, a very wise pony once told me that I had all the time in the world." Luna smiled; she knew where this was going. "She told me that I just had to make the time, and she was right." "Thanks, 'Tia." Rather than reply directly, Celestia softly began singing. Singing something that Luna had not heard in millenia. "Mother's love, mother's love... Little ones, let me guide you through the night. Mother's love, mother's love... Little ones, let me be your light. Mother's love, mother's love... Little ones, should anything give you fright, Mother's love, mother's love... Will always be there and everything will be all right." That song... Luna blinked in surprise, her eyes suddenly much heavier. "That's the lullaby that Mother would sing us to sleep with as fillies... Where did you learn it?" "I had her teach it to me quite some time ago." For the first time in hundreds of years, Luna felt completely safe and free of worry. Celestia's wing around her became that of their mother and Luna became a young filly in the loving embrace. "Sing that again, 'Tia..." she murmured, now struggling to stay awake. The elder alicorn happily obliged and began voicing the sweet notes of the lullaby once more. "I've never heard you sing before, 'Tia..." Luna mumbled sleepily. "You should do it more often; you have a wonderful voice..." As the last words of the lullaby floated over her ears like the soft caress of fine silk, something happened. Seated just beyond Celestia, the younger princess saw another alicorn. Though she was ghostly and transparent, her beige coat and red mane could be seen easily enough. There was no mistaking those soft sky-blue eyes; Luna knew who this was. This alicorn opened her mouth and spoke quietly. "It's all right, my little princess. Sleep; you're safe now." Just before she fell asleep, Luna had time to say but one thing more. "Thank you...Mother..." "Mother?" Celestia repeated. The Sun Goddess turned, unsure of what would actually be there. As it happened, she too saw the same. "Mother...what are you doing here?" Why can I see you?" The alicorn stood, questions filing from her mouth one after the other. "A mother knows when her little ones are troubled." "That's...putting it mildly..." Celestia muttered. "Can you do anything to help us? Can you fix anything?" The alicorn's sky-blue eyes became sad and she shook her head. "Regretfully, I cannot." A pall visibly fell over Celestia at these words. "You can't help at all? There's nothing you can do?" "I can offer my love and support to you and Luna, but that's all. Believe me, Celestia, I wish I could help; you don't know how hard it is for me to stand here and refuse my little one's request for help, but you know the ancient laws. My hooves are tied, Celestia." With a sigh, the white alicorn turned back to the peacefully sleeping pony behind her. "If you can't help, then just answer one thing for me." "Of course, Celestia." "Why Luna? Why her?" "I...I'm not sure I understand the question..." Celestia bit her lip before answering. "W-why was she given this path in life?" "It was her destiny, Celestia. It w-" The Sun Goddess rounded upon the apparition, hot tears glinting off the furious light in her eyes. "Destiny!? This is a curse! Luna was cursed with this burden! Calling it anything less is an insult to her and everything she has endured!" "Celestia..." The see-through alicorn hardly flinched in the heat of her daughter's anger, though her eyes were filled with sadness. "The truth is never something we want to hear, but it is always something we need to hear..." "But why Luna? She never asked for this... She never deserved what I did to her..." "The choice to raise the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon was the best possible choice. You did what Equestria needed you to do." "What about what Luna needed me to do!? She never would have become Nightmare Moon if I had been there for her!" "The fact of the matter is, you don't know that, Celestia. There are events in time that must happen, can happen, and will happen. Luna's becoming Nightmare Moon was one such event, and when I learned of this, believe me, I did everything in my power to change it. Some destinies cannot be changed, however, and I learned this the hard way." Realization sparked behind the anger in Celestia's eyes. "That's why you left us...isn't it?" The red-maned alicorn said nothing in response, but she didn't need to; the look in her eyes was answer enough. "That...is not the reason I am here, Celestia." "If you cannot help us, and that is not the reason you are here, then what is?" "I told you, Celestia, I came because my little ones are troubled. You are at wit's end, yes?" "I...am... Everything is happening so quickly, and...I'm running out of answers for it all... Nightmare Moon is making attacks on Luna again, the Elements are in great danger, and I don't know who I can trust anymore..." A bout of sniffling hit Celestia, stuttering her speech. "E-everypony looks a-at me as if I have a-all the answers... Everypony always expects me t-to be p-perfect... I'm tired of this a-act... I-I don't kn-know what to do a-anymore..." The bottled-up emotions of the past two days finally breached what little self-control Celestia had left, and she dissolved into tears. "Celestia, my dear..." Thought the red-maned alicorn was transparent, she raised a hoof to Celestia's cheek. The princess must have felt it, as she looked up into her mother's sky-blue eyes. "You do have the answers. You just just haven't found them yet." Celestia cracked a half-hearted smile and gave a weak laugh. "T-tell me where to look then..." "Look to the ponies closest to you, Celestia. They will show you." "Hold on..." the alicorn sniffed. "What happened to 'my hooves are tied?'" She cast a playfully questioning eye upon her transparent parent. The beige pony's eyes twinkled with a hint of laughter. "Even laws as old as time have loopholes." The light quickly returned to Celestia's eyes at these words. "Thank you...Mother..." she whispered. "That's better... Those eyes are too pretty to be filled with so much sadness. I haven't seen them this bright in hundreds of years. You've been carrying so much guilt upon your shoulders... Immortality gives a pony the time to try everything once, but all too often this time is spent worrying about things that are out of our control; you must let your guilt go and move on, Celestia." "But, I-" Celestia was cut off by the faint touch of a hoof upon her lips. "You forgave Luna. It's time to forgive yourself. Equestria needs both of you. Not until you cast off your chains can you shine as you were meant to, Celestia. I know it, Luna knows it, and you know it too." "All this time, I've been holding myself back..." the white alicorn breathed, finally understanding. "You greatest strength has always been the passion with which you care about other ponies. You are selfless beyond words, Celestia, and that is why ponies look up to you. At every turn, you put them before yourself. But, there are times in which you must ask yourself what you need. Do you understand?" The Sun Goddess nodded. "I do. And there is something that I've needed for a while." "And what is that?" "A good night's sleep." she laughed. "You don't know how tired I am..." "Now that is something I can help with." A softly glowing ball of blue magic appeared at the tip of the red-maned alicorn's horn. Celestia's eyes grew heavier the longer she looked at this magic, until she finally fell asleep. She didn't know it, but along with Luna, she had been sent back to her own room and magically tucked into bed. The transparent alicorn turned from this bedside and vanished... ...only to reappear in a distant corner of the Canterlot Archives. Soft blue magic selected a book from a particularly dusty shelf before the alicorn disappeared once more. Back in Celestia's room, the red-maned pony placed the book upon the nightstand next to the ornate bed. Finally, she turned back to the two sleeping alicorns. She lightly touched her snout to each of their foreheads in turn, and quietly sang them off with the familiar lullaby. When finished, she kissed the sisters one final time. "Remember, the night is oft darkest before the dawn, and the sun that follows is most brilliant indeed... Sleep peacefully, my little ponies... I love you." ------------------------- For the second time that day, Rainbow Dash found herself second-guessing the decision to let Pinkie Pie share the oversized bed with her. The pink pony was constantly tossing and turning, and her overly frequent hiccups kept sending small tremors through the mattress. When she finally started mumbling nonsensically, Rainbow Dash finally grabbed her pillow and pressed it over her ears, thus blocking the unintelligible babbling. The bed remained as bouncy as the chariot ride to the palace, though. A quick rap of knocks at the door was the last straw. The pegasus rolled out of the bed, and stomped over to the entrance. Bitter from lack of sleep, she ripped the door open. "Whaddya want!?" she barked. "I know we're all tired, but that's hardly an excuse for such volume, darling..." "Oh...sorry, Rarity..." the pegasus muttered, blinking sleepily and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "My bad... So, what's up?" The unicorn mare stepped to the side and motioned to have her friends join her in the hallway. "This begs explanation, Rainbow Dash. If you could step outside? I should hate to wake Pinkie." "Yeah, we'd hate to do that, wouldn't we?" the rainbow-maned pony grumbled. Reluctantly, the Element of Loyalty met her friend in the hallway. "What's up?" she repeated. Rarity pondered for a moment, tapping a hoof against her chin. "Where to start? Where to start? I trust you remember those pegasi from yesterday, yes?" The cyan pony unconsciously flared her wings in anger. "How could I forget that smug face!? Boy, am I gonna buck her teeth in!" "A simple, 'yes, I do' would've been quite sufficient, darling; but thank you for that mental picture nonetheless. Anyway, as I was, one of those pegasi has infiltrated the palace, and with the help of magic, courtesy of Twilight, is masquerading as somepony else. As such, the princesses have requested us remain in our rooms, lest they accompany us." So much of this news failed to register with Rainbow Dash, and she quickly shook her head, as if trying to sort it all out. "Woah, woah, woah. Slow down, back up, start over. Two questions. How exactly is a pegasus using Twilight's magic, and how do you know it's her magic?" "In order; a sinkstone, and Twilight told me." "So Twilight is back in the palace? When exactly did that happen?" "I believe the princess found her sometime earlier this morning, but that's not my poi-" "Twilight's back and she didn't even bother to let us know!?" "I was getting to that-" Rarity barely had time to get out half a sentence before the pegasus was off and ranting once more. "I mean, come on! How long would that have taken her!?" "Rainbow Dash, I-" "What gives, Twilight!? I thought-" "Rainbow Dash! If you would!" The white unicorn mare loudly rapped a hoof against the marble floor to further punctuate her shout. "Geez, Rarity..." Rainbow Dash wiggled a hoof in her ear. "I think you broke an eardrum there or something..." "My apologies, Rainbow Dash. That was nothing but uncalled for." The holder of Generosity pressed a hoof to the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Truthfully, I wondered the same thing. As it happens, though, Twilight had a very good reason for not telling us of her return." "And that 'very good reason' would be...what?" "Nightmare Moon." The spectrum-maned pegasus waved off the threat and laughed. "Big deal. We already took care of her once. We'll just fire up the Elements again and Pow! No more Nightmare Moon!" "There's just one problem with that. Nightmare Moon is trying to use the Elements to bring herself back to begin with. We won't have them as an option this time." Rainbow Dash's dismissive hoof waving abruptly came to a stop, leaving said hoof held aloft, dangling loosely. "Th-the Elements can do that?" she asked, wide-eyed with surprise. "How?" "You'll have to forgive me for not knowing the finer details, but Princess Celestia said the Elements work through separation. She also said that everything, the Elements included, have their opposites. That is what Nightmare Moon is wanting to use to return, and if she does, we can't use them to stop her." Rarity explained. "So...what can we do?" "Right now, the only thing we can do is keep Nightmare Moon's hooves off of the Elements. To do that, each of us needs to stay in our rooms, unless one of the princesses is with us. In the meantime, we will each have two guards at our doors. If you feel uncomfortable with either of them, ask them to fetch one of the princesses. Should they refuse, lock your door and stay put. I assume Princess Celestia will tell us when things relieve themselves a little, but, until then, we must keep the utmost caution about us." It was unusual for Rainbow Dash to follow anything with silence, but the last few days had been anything but usual. "Sure thing, Rarity..." Something was obviously weighing upon the mind of the blue pegasus; she had done a complete about-face in personality. "Before we hunker down, d'you think we could stop by Twilight's room first?" Rather than answer outright, Rarity turned her eyes to the pegasus stallion beside her. "Is there time enough to do that, Lieutenant?" After a moment of silent, expressionless thought, Jet Stream nodded. "Headwind informed me that Miss Sparkle was last seen with Miss Fluttershy in her chambers, whom I was tasked with guarding until the general said otherwise. I shall have to accompany you, as per usual." Rarity's curled mane bounced as she nodded respectfully. "I should expect nothing less, sir." Though the trip was short, with the destination just down the hall, it was more than long enough for Rarity to begin worrying about her friend. The way she was walking, the way she was carrying her tail; something was seriously troubling her. The cyan pegasus didn't speak until the party had reached the second room. "Ummm... This is gonna sound weird, but...could you guys wait out here? Just until I'm done..." I'd be glad to honor your request, Miss Dash, but I'm afraid I have to leave the door ajar slightly, just to be sure of your safety." "Yeah, that's fine..." The pegasus turned and knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. When she met with silence, she slowly pushed the door open. "Fluttershy? Twilight? Are you guys in here?" A quick look around the room answered the pegasi's question. The sought-after ponies were indeed in the room, albeit fast asleep upon the bed, snoring softly. Fluttershy's wing was draped over Twilight's back, probably placed there from one of them shifting during slumber. Seeing Twilight asleep caused the pegasus to hesitate, but only for a moment. I need to say this... Rainbow Dash sat down at the edge of the bed, facing Twilight's closed eyes. She spoke slowly, working around her shaky voice. "Y-you probably can't hear me, Twilight...b-but I h-have to tell you this..." The rainbow-maned pony took a deep breath before continuing. "A-about yesterday morning... I-I-I'm sorry..." Twilight was a light sleeper, and she had awoken shortly after Rainbow Dash had begun speaking, but had elected to keep her eyes closed. "I know I d-don't say it m-much...but you and the girls are m-my best f-friends, and if anything ever happened to one of y-you... I'd...I'd..." Twilight chanced opening an eye to see why the pegasus had trailed off. The usually proud and headstrong Rainbow Dash had broken down into silent tears and a bowed head. "I'm sorry I-I wasn't able to save you, T-Twilight... Th-those pegasi pr-probably put you through Tartarus...a-and it's a-all my fault... I l-let you down when you n-needed me th-the m-most... I'm s-so sorry... I-I don't d-deserve the Element of L-Loyalty..." It wasn't ten seconds later that Rainbow Dash felt a pair of hooves yank her into a friendly embrace. "I heard you, Rainbow Dash..." Twilight whispered, tears of her own gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Every last word... I heard you, and I forgive you..." "Thanks, Twilight..."

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2012-12-09T05:16:54+00:00

2012-12-09T05:16:54+00:00

When traveling alone, time tends to pass on quite the slow side. The solitude also affords a pony much time for reflection. The airborne chariot ride was particularly bumpy, given the speed of its travel, but its lone occupant hardly felt it, lost in thought as he was. "Forgive my interruption, sir," one of the pulling ponies spoke over the rushing wind. "but you've hardly spoken a word since our departure last night. Is everything all right?" "My apologies, soldier." the well-armored unicorn stallion called back. "I know I haven't been much for conversation, but I'm a bit troubled." "Might I ask what about, sir?" "The faster you get us to Canterlot, the faster you'll find out. Double time!" "You heard him, boys! Let's pick up the pace!" The chariot lurched as the four pegasi set their shoulders to their harnesses. How did this happen? The stallion was beyond confused. Everything had gone to pieces upon arrival of that letter... ------------------------- Roughly twelve hours earlier saw the same unicorn back home, going about his usual evening duties. "All right, soldiers, form up! I want all of you on high alert. I have been receiving word of sentient storms appearing in multiple locations in southern Equestria. As of right now, we do not know if this is more changeling activity, but lack of knowledge is all the more reason for us to be on our guard. Is that clear?" "Crystal, sir!" was the unanimous response. "Very good. Dismissed!" The stallion watched as each of the armored ponies took his leave. Just as the last of his soldiers was leaving, something airborne caught his eye. "Sir! Sir, your attention, if I may!" There were no other ponies around, so this pegasus was very obviously addressing the ground-bound stallion. As this flying pony grew closer, his golden armor and blue plumed helmed identified him as a Canterlot guard, and his saddlebags as a messenger. He had been flying nonstop, as he was out of breath and nearly collapsed upon landing. "I'm...glad I found...you, sir... I come...bearing a message...from Canterlot...addressed directly to you, sir..." "Easy now, soldier." the unicorn cautioned, quickly moving to support the fatigued messenger. "Canterlot is easily a twelve hour flight. That's hardly a possible flight for a lone messenger." "This letter comes...from the quill of Princess Celestia's desk... It is of the...utmost importance..." "Very well." the armored unicorn replied. "May I have this message then?" "Of course, sir." A short span of time produced a scroll from the messenger's bags. This was in turn presented to the unicorn. As he read this message, his eyes grew dark with worry. "I see the reason for your hurry... Thank you for notifying my of this. There are matters I need to attend to. Please, feel free to recuperate here in the barracks before you return to Canterlot." Without waiting for an answer, the armored stallion turned and galloped away. There was one other pony that needed to see this. The stallion's trip across the impromptu camp took him through a sea of tents before finally reaching one single, massive tent. He nosed the flap aside and entered, proceeding toward the back. For all its size, this tent was nearly empty, occupied by all of two ponies and a lone table. He approached the taller of the two ponies, the one who had her back to him. The shorter of the two ponies leaned closer to their companion and whispered, "Begging your pardon, your Majesty, but it appears we have company." As she turned to greet this company, the pink alicorn knew something was wrong when she saw who it was. "Oh my... Pardon me..." She hurriedly excused herself from the conversation and ran to meet the newcomer. "There's...something I need to show you." he said before any other words could be spoken. "Let's go back to our tent for a moment." One would have had to have been blind to not have seen the rolled-up scroll floating alongside the stallion, and the alicorn most certainly was not. "What's in that letter? Is that what-" "Cadance, please. This is something we ought to keep between us." The alicorn cast a glance around the outside of the tent before ducking back inside. "All right, Shining Armor, you're starting to worry me. What is in that letter?" Cadance asked a second time. "Do you want to read it or should I?" "Let me see it." Blue magic replaced magenta as the scroll traded possession and unfurled itself before the alicorn's eyes. Though he could not see the words upon the parchment, Shining Armor read along with his wife, following her eyes and watching their reaction. "Oh my goodness..." Cadance clapped a hoof to her mouth in shock and worriedly looked toward the stallion. "When did you get this letter?" "A few moments ago. This is the first I've heard of it. It was flown in directly from Canterlot, but even then, it's a good twelve hour flight, and who knows what could have happened in that time. That's why I'm leaving for Canterlot tonight. I have to see what's going on with my own eyes." "Tonight!?" Cadance jumped in front of the armored stallion as he turned to leave. "Honey, I know that this is about Twilight, but is that really the best decision right now? Besides, Princess Celestia explicitly told you you didn't need to come. She doesn't know exactly what she's up against. It could be dangerous!" "More dangerous than the changeling attack on Canterlot? I find that hard to believe. Let's say that I don't go, though. What am I supposed to do? Sit here in camp, obsessing over what might be happening to my little sister? You know I can't do that, Cadance. For all intents and purposes, Twilight is your sister, too. Can you honestly say that you'd be able to accomplish anything here without knowing what's happening back in Canterlot?" Cadance bit her lip and looked away. "No... But, at the same time, I don't want anything to happen to you either." she whispered, poking Shining Armor in the chest. "I'll be fine, Cadi. " he assured, resting his chin upon her forehead. "I promise. I'll send you a letter as soon as I know more, okay?" "I'll be waiting..." she murmured, softly kissing the stallion's cheek. The unicorn quickly returned the gesture of affection before galloping from the tent, leaving Cadance staring after him. "Please, be careful..." ------------------------- Shining Armor shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on the task before him; now was not the time for daydreaming. The spired towers of Centerlot were finally coming into view. "Canterlot at eleven o' clock low, sir!" "Very good. Circle around the palace and set us down on the chariot run on the cliffside." "Sir, yes, sir!" The chariot shuddered as the pegasi slowed their rate of travel to cut a wide arc around the front of Canterlot's towers. The white strip that was the runway came up fast, growing closer and closer to the chariot wheels until... Dnk! No sooner had the vehicle's wheels skimmed the ground, than Shining Armor leapt from the chariot and began running. His service in the Canterlot military told the stallion that there would be a tunnel at the end of the runway, carved right into the mountainside that led straight into the palace. That would be his path. His intended course was not to be, however. As Shining Armor neared the tunnel, he saw a group of four Canterlot guards standing in file across the passage's mouth. They must have seen him coming, given how they tightened together. The unicorn slowed to a trot and finally stopped. "What business have you in Canterlot Palace?" One of the four unicorn guards stepped forward, magically hefting the spear at his side. "I am Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard's Unicorn Division 21, here upon a summons from her Majesty, Princess Celestia." The stallion effortlessly rattled off his formal title. "I see... This 'summons' you speak of. Present it." Inwardly, the armored stallion kicked himself into next week. He had left Celestia's letter back with Cadance. Twelve hours away. "I...do not have it." "Then you do not have passage to Canterlot." the unicorn guard replied stiffly. "Let me explain, soldier. This is a very important matter, and-" "I couldn't agree more, sir. Her Highness Princess Celestia has ordered all of Canterlot's forces to be on the highest of alerts. Her Majesty has reason to believe that there is an impostor within the palace walls, and the city has been locked down until further notice." "May I speak with the Princess then? She will be able to verify my summons." "I've no doubt she could." the spear toting guard answered. "But, I have my orders. You passage to the palace is not allowed. I can send one of my guards to request her Majesty's presence here, but until such time as I am told otherwise, you may not pass." The guard made a quick nod to one of the identically-clad unicorns, who promptly spun around and galloped off down the tunnel. The guard's rapid flight quickly carried him down the passage and back to the palace. He paused for a moment, as if gathering his bearings. Then, just as abruptly as he had stopped, he was off again. Given that his particular post was primarily upon the outskirts of Canterlot, the guard was unfamiliar with the numerous halls and corridors of the palace interior. Therefore, it took him longer than usual to find the ornately emblazoned door that marked the chambers of the Sun Goddess. Oddly enough, the door was ever so slightly ajar. A cautious hoof slid the door open. "Your Majesty?" The guard paused with the door halfway open; he wasn't expecting to see three alicorns within the room. Before the armor-clad stallion could respond, the transparent alicorn turned to face him. She slowly shook her head and held a hoof to her lips, requesting his silence. Stunned beyond words, the guard nodded dumbly. He backed out of the room, latching the door behind him. Princess Celestia was not available; a plan B was needed. Another moment of thought and the messenger was away once more. Meanwhile, back at the landing strip, tensions had been steadily mounting. Yes, Shining Armor was probably ranked higher than the guards blocking his path, but he was in no position to overrule orders given directly from the Princess, especially without any form of proof of his presence. His many years of service enabled him to sit (somewhat) patiently and wait for the confirmation that would allow him to pass. The four pegasi that had accompanied him, however... Not so much... One of the four chariot pulling pegasi (who had been grumbling the entire time) finally had had enough. He leapt to his hooves, exclaiming, "This is ridiculous! We've been sitting here for half an hour! This is the Captain of the Canterlot Guard!" "Who still cannot overturn commands that come directly from her Majesty." Shining Armor curtly reminded him. "How do we even know he has those orders!? Can't you just pull rank on this oaf!?" Before the pegasus could blink, Shining Armor was in his face, less than a nose away. "Put a latch on that tongue of yours, Thunderhead. I was serving alongside these ponies long before you had you cutie mark. Be mindful of how you speak of my brothers, lest you want me to pull rank on you... Is that clear?" "Y-yes, sir..." "Be thankful that it was my ear that heard that comment and not General Headwind's. A quip like that would have you grounded for a month, at the very least, if not removed from active service indefinitely. "Unless my ears deceive me, that was my name used in a threatening manner.." The three unicorn guards blocking the tunnel parted at the arrival of the new voice. Through them strode a re-armored General Headwind. "What's all this?" Respect led Shining Armor to salute the decorated pony. "General Headwind, sir!" The pegasus nodded in response before turning to the younger pony. He had indeed heard enough of the prior conversation to answer the question he was about to ask. "I hear you've been disrespecting your brothers in arms... What truth is there to that?" "Y-yes, s-sir..." Thunderhead stammered under the steely gaze of Canterlot's general. "i-it won't h-happen again... S-sir..." "I should hope not. At attention, soldier; I want to ask you something." The young pegasus sprang to attention, salute and all. "Sir!" "That's better. Now, tell me: Who should a soldier respect the most?" "His commanding officer, sir!" Thunderhead barked without a moment's hesitation. "Quick thinking, soldier, but you're dead wrong. I don't care if you respect me, you just have to listen to me. You respect your fellow brothers at arms, soldier! They're going to be the ones who will pull your sorry flank out of the fire. They are the ones you respect. Do you follow?" "Sir! Yes, sir!" "Very good. At ease." The pegasus general turned his gaze back to the unicorn stallion. "It's a pleasure to see you back in Canterlot again, Shining Armor. How are things in the northern mountains? No griffon trouble, I hope?" "None to speak of, sir. I come upon the summons of Princess Celestia. I received a letter from her, informing me that something has happened to Twilight. You understand the reason for my impromptu return, yes?" "Indeed I do. What time did you receive this letter?" "Early yesterday evening. I am well aware that a round trip to the northern mountains requires a full day, so much could have changed since she sent me the message. Perhaps you could fill me in?" "I could indeed. Twilight is safe within the palace, under constant surveillance." "'Constant surveillance?'" Shining Armor parroted. "Her Majesty didn't mention anything of that sort. What else has occurred?" "After the Princess returned Twilight to the palace, you sister was able to give us reason to the recent attacks upon the Elements of Harmony. Without going too far into the detail of the 'how,' know that Nightmare Moon is intending to use the Elements to give herself form again. I trust you can see why this constant surveillance is of the utmost importance." Shining Armor nodded slowly, his thoughts churning. The changeling queen was clever and cunning, but to say that her own power paled in comparison to that of a true alicorn would be an insult to the very word itself. As if Nightmare Moon wasn't enough of a threat herself, the Elements of Harmony possessed near-limitless magical potential. "That...is far more serious than I had anticipated..." he replied at length. "I can see why the city is on lockdown." "And thus, you see why you have been denied passage to the palace..." Headwind added, in much the same tone as the unicorn guard. "However... I am giving you one chance to convince me that you are indeed Shining Armor. Think carefully." A moment's pondering and Shining Armor motioned for the general to approach him. What passed from mouth to ear went unheard by all others present, but they could see Headwind's eyes widen for an instant. The pegasus general stepped backward and nodded solemnly. "Well played, Shining Armor. You have earned passage, but on one condition. Until Princess Celestia awakes from her slumber and is informed of your presence, you and your escorts shall be accompanied at all times. I am not taking any chances whatsoever. You will stand guard with Lieutenant Jet Stream outside Miss Fluttershy's room until the princess grants you full priviliges." "Understood, sir." Without another word spoken between them, Headwind turned and made his way down the tunnel. The slightest flick of his tail instructed the unicorn stallion to follow. "What in Equestria did you say to him?" Thunderhead quickly whispered before Shining Armor left earshot. "It was something regarding his cutie mark, and that's all you need to know, Thunderhead." Shining Armor shot back. "Form up, stallions!" he then called to the rest of his ponies. "We're entering Canterlot palace; I want you on your best behavior!" "Yes, sir!" "Very good. Follow me." It had been a couple months since Shining Armor had been within this tunnel, but litle had changed. Truth be told, though, Headwind could have turned and lay a hoof across his cheek, and the unicorn wouldn't notice until his cheek started swelling. Twily... What's going on? This is bad... He sighed inwardly. I've never really understood this 'Elements of Harmony' business... "Oof-!" The Captain of the guard bumped into the general with a metallic thunk! as Headwind pulled up short before him. "I didn't expect to see you out of your room, Miss Rarity." "I was spreading Princess Celestia's order regarding the additional guards..." The mare trailed off at the glimpse of movement behind Headwind. "Shining Armor?" "Good morning, Rarity. I hear you've been doing well." "I should say the same. I hear you've been stationed in the northern mountains. A harsh assignment, to be sure. What brings you back to Canterlot so soon?" He sighed and removed his helmet. "In a word, Twilight." In light of the silent, confused look from the Element of Generosity, he continued. "Cadance and I received a letter from Princess Celestia, informing us that something had happened to Twilight. General Headwind, however, tells me that she's doing just fine. I'd just like to see her for myself." "She's actually just inside this room." Jet Stream nodded to the slightly cracked door. "I don't think a quick look inside would be out of the question." After waiting for Headwind's eventual affirmation, Shining Armor quietly knocked on the door and pushed it open, causing a minor creak. Rainbow Dash was the first (and only) to notice the small noises. "Twilight? We've got company..." "What?" The mare turned her purple eyes to follow her friend's words. "Shining Armor?" Magic moved Fluttershy's wing, so Twilight could slide off the bed without disturbing her. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, giving the stallion a quick hug which was met with an equally quick kiss. "I received a letter from Princess Celestia saying that you had been foalnapped, but it must have been written in a hurry, as it said nothing else." The multi-hued pegasus joined the brother-sister pair, a sheepish grin on her face. "About that... You...uh...wouldn't have gotten that letter if I had been just a little bit faster..." "Nonsense, Rainbow Dash. I know you put every bit of wingpower you had into that Rainboom and I'm glad you did." Twilight nudged the pegasus affectionately. "Whoever it was outran a Sonic Rainboom?" Shining Armor was legitimately surprised. "More like 'knocked me out of the air and walked away from it.'" she growled. "So, how's the family then?" she added, changing the subject. "Worried, just like myself. Cadance will be relieved to hear you're all doing well. Especially you, kiddo. You weren't hurt, were you?" Twilight involutarily winced, remembering the slaps she'd received to force compliance. "No, I wasn't... A couple guards were, though..." she put in under her breath. Shining Armor sighed. "I follow... You've got to understand that when a pony enters the-" "I know, I know... 'When a pony enters the Royal Guard, they sacrifice their lives to the Royal Family.' I just didn't know that that meant me, too. I never asked for ponies to throw themselves in harm's way for me. How is that fair?" "Not everything is fair, kiddo. It's not always so cut-and-dry. I'm told that Nightmare Moon is back on the agenda. What are we looking at regarding her?" "Nightmare Moon wants to fuse herself with the Elements. Nopony quite knows how that's going to work, though." A second series of knocks upon the door immediately followed Twilight's voice. " I do apologize for the interruption, Twilight, dear, but we do have quite the pressing matter at hoof." "Rarity? What happened with the sinkstone?" "Therein lies our problem, darling..." Shining Armor cast a sidelong glance at the similarly colored unicorn mare that stepped up beside him. "It sounds like you've been doing your homework, Rarity. Would you mind bringing me up to speed?" "Not at all. In the interest of time, though, I'll keep it brief. The sinkstone in question was found to be reacting, as it were, to the magic from another stone, somewhere within the palace." "'Another stone?'" Twilight echoed. "No, no, no! How could I have forgotten!?" Forgoing the usual levitation spell, the Element of Magic grabbed the tactical case still attached to her leg and ripped it off, throwing it to the ground. Rarity jumped backwards as the combat knife bounced from its sheath and spun along the marble floor. "Gracious, Twilight! What could possibly be the problem?" "When I was in captivity, one of the guards that was with me helped me remove my sinkstone... He placed it..." Magic finally upended the case, shaking it wildly. "...in this bag..." Obviously, nothing came from this, all the flares expended earlier. "There's nothing in it... No! I'm so stupid!" While Twilight had been fruitlessly searching the empty case, Rarity had been inspecting the discarded blade, her own magic turning it over and over. When the case was finally tossed away in a similar manner, Rarity retreived that too and returned the sharpened steel to its proper home. "Heavens above, Twilight! Calm down! A misplaced sinkstone is hardly the end of the world." "It might as well be! Who knows what that sinkstone could be used for!?" Twilight repeatedly, if a little roughly, tapped a hoof against her temples, nervously dancing in place. "Think, think, think!" Rarity's own hoof caught Twilight's as it went in to rap upon the lavender mare's skull again. "Twilight, please, calm down. As of right now, we believe this sinkstone is only being used for disguising magic. Besides, magic is like knitting, Twilight; mistakes can be undone. As we speak, Zecora and the princesses are scouring the archives for any spells we can use." "About that..." A second interruption produced a second additional face as Headwind joined the company. "The reason I'm here is because Princesses are unavailable at the moment. I'm told they are asleep, as I most likely should be. I trust you can behave yourself, Shining Armor?" "Of course, sir." The pegasus nodded curtly. "Very good. In that case, Jet Stream, I leave you in charge. Ladies, if you'll excuse me." Just as quickly as he had entered the room, Headwind turned and left. "What about that?" Twilight gestured after the absent general. "He just told us that the princesses are asleep! Who's looking for the spell now!?" "All right, Twilight, you really need to take it down a notch." Rainbow Dash cut in. "He didn't say anything about Zecora leaving; she must still be looking. Take it easy." "Please do, Twilight." Rarity added. "This is not the time for us to lose ourselves." The star-marked pony glanced to each of the three ponies before her. Each one had a similar look in their eyes; concern. Through some silent consensus, Rarity spoke for the three of them. "Twilight, you're worried, we can understand that. But you would do well to know that we have all been equally as worried about you. I shan't have you recite what you have experienced in the past twenty-four hours, but Celestia knows it certainly wasn't pleasant. We're just concerned, darling; we're all in this together, and we can't do it without you." The Element of Magic smiled. Her tone had returned to a much calmer level. "Thanks, Rarity... We are in this as a team. Whatever happens, we'll face it together, right?" "Absolutely." Rarity extended a hoof in camaraderie. "Believe it, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash added her hoof to the center, atop Rarity's, with Twilight following suit. The three mares all glanced toward Shining Armor. "Well?" the lavender unicorn asked? "'Well' what?" the stallion replied. "Don't give me that. You're in this with us... BBBFF." The white stallion shrugged. "Since I don't seem to have a choice, I'm with you, sis'!" One final hoof joined the huddle. "Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard, at your service!" Given all the yelling going on in her room, it was amazing that Fluttershy had been able to sleep through it all. At least until Shining Armor's proud proclamation, that is. She slowly came to, her tired body protesting the disturbance of her slumber. The usual long stretch followed, and she rolled over to see if she could find sleep buried somewhere within the downy blankets. The sweet embrace of sleep had long since fled from the mare this day, however. Her eyes flew open and her attention flew out the window. She saw it, but she didn't want to believe it. Bit by bit, that rank, musty smell started filling her nose. She felt the strong heat falling upon her wings. Instinctively, her breathing quickened, with her heartbeat rising to match. She bolted to the wrought-iron window, praying that her eyes were playing tricks on her. "Celestia, no..." "Fluttershy...?" Rarity politely ushered Rainbow Dash aside and approached the Element of Kindness, drawing the attention of her peers. "What is it, dear?" The pegasus remained silent, her gaze locked on something outside. "Fluttershy? What's wrong?" the unicorn repeated. Without warning, the pegasus spun around to face the others. She said nothing, but her wide eyes spoke enough. Before any question could be issued, Fluttershy flew from the window and out the door. Rainbow Dash jumped from Fluttershy's path, watching as she blew by. "Hold up, 'Shy!" The blue pegasus flared her own wings and took off in pursuit. "Come back!" When the gust from Rainbow's take-off subsided, Rarity ganced at Twilight. "Whatever do you suppose is the matter?" "I don't know... She must have seen something outside." Twilight wandered over to the window to see for herself. "Goodness, Rainbow Dash..." Rarity muttered to herself. "Warn somepony before you do that. It'll take me hours to restyle my mane..." "Rarity, let that go for a minute and come here." With a sigh of resignation, Rarity ceased fidgeting with her windblown coiffure and joined her friend at the window. "Is that what she saw? That smoke?" "I guess so... But I don't see why she-" "Twilight. Look, near the base of the smoke." "What? It's just a...lot of trees... Oh no..." ------------------------- Rainbow Dash pulled a tight turn as she shot out of Fluttershy's room after the panicked pegasus. "Fluttershy! What's gotten under your feathers?" The head start that Fluttershy had over her friend let her turn the corner into Applejack's room before she was caught. Throwing subtlety to the wind, the winged pony pounced upon the bed and began bouncing upon it in a filly-like manner. "Applejack! Applejack, wake up! Wake up!" It took about three bounces before the apple-bucking cowpony came to. "Who...? Fluttershy? Darlin', what in the name of all things red an' delicious has gotten into you!?" "Quickly! The window! Go look out the window!" "Ah'd love to, sugarcube... Jus' as soon as ya stop that gol-darned bouncin'!" Applejack protested, against the earthquake plaguing her mattress. The pegasus obliged, allowing a rather disgruntled Applejack to retrieve her ejected hat. "Now then, what's all this that's got yer tail in a knot?" Fluttershy jumped from the bed, creating a clack! upon the marbled floor. "There's something outside you need to see!" Another clack! of hooves on marble brought attention to Rainbow Dash's arrival. "There you are, Fluttershy! What's goin' on with you?" These words bounced uselessly off the yellow pony's back, forcing the Element of Loyalty to approach her at the window. "Hello? Earth to Fluttershy... What's up?" Fluttershy had since grown tired of repeating herself, so she instead took the cyan pony's cheeks between her hooves and pointed her gaze out the window. Rainbow Dash was used to seeing Ponyville from altitude, and knew exactly where the plume of smoke was coming from. "Uhhh... AJ... You really need to see this..." "Lan' sakes, RD..." the farmer pony sighed. "Not you too..." Applejack's tone was flat and uninterested, probably on account of her impromptu wake-up call. When her green eyes were finally drawn out the window, she understood the strange behavior. "No... It can't be... That's Sweet Apple Acres!!"

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2013-01-24T19:59:41+00:00

2013-01-24T23:52:55+00:00

There's a funny thing about the Everfree Forest. Ponies come, ponies go, and ponies just pass through, and yet, life in the forest continues on, with barely an eye batted. Such was it for the three pegasi flying in tight formation just above the sea of trees. Words were not spoken between them, but the tension was palpable. Finally, the group dove into the foliage near an unusually large tree. A space between two thick roots had been hollowed out, creating a tunnel down into the earth. One by one, the three pegasi filed down into the darkness. It wasn't until the lone stallion of the group reached the bottom that his voice was finally heard. "Dammit, Stratus..." "What now?" The pink-maned pegasus coming down the stairs behind the stallion answered her own question as soon as it had left her mouth. The large circular room before her had been left in total disarray. Tables and chairs were upended and broken. Books and pages of books were strewn about, amidst numerous small blood stains. Slumped against the wall was the damaged, lifeless body of a Canterlot guard. The stallion made a hurried beeline for the open door on the far side of the chamber. He stuck his head inside for an instant before proclaiming, "We've lost the Element!" "Really? What was your first clue, Charger?" Sarcasm was dripping from the pink-maned mare's tone. "Was it the books thrown everywhere? The broken table? Or maybe it was the dead pegasus in the corner!" "You know what, Skies? I have just about had it with that tongue of yours!" "And I've had it with that head of yours! By what thread of logic in that tiny brain did you think it's a good idea to burn down the house that had the one book we were looking for!?" Charger didn't have an appropriate answer to that. He bit his tongue in frustration and stomped over to the expired guard, to begin dragging him (rather unsuccessfully) towards the staircase. In the meantime, Skies went about salvaging what she could of the scattered scrolls and parchments, and generally straightening up. "Blitz, get off your sorry flank and make yourself useful. See if you can find Stratus." The violet-maned pegasus comically scrambled back to her hooves and saluted. She dashed for the staircase, quite literally bouncing off of her comrade. "Feather-brained idiot..." Charger muttered around the pegasus in his mouth, slowly following her up the stairs. Efficiency was not Skies' strong point, so she was nowhere near finished by the time her teammates had returned. Bitter from his verbal defeat and looking for any chance to pick a fight, Charger jumped on the opportunity. "You're still not done yet!?" Rather than dignify the stallion with a voiced response, Skies took another route...and whipped a severed chair leg at his head. Charger ducked the wooden projectile and stormed up to the mare. "You're lucky that missed..." he growled into her face. "Hold still next time..." "Why you..." The stallion's wings flared in anger and he rose a hoof. The squabbling pegasi were shocked about two feet into the air by a voice from nowhere. "Foals!! Look at you! Whining amongst yourselves like parasprites fighting over an apple core... Your collective idiocy astounds me! Tell me...who is responsible for lighting the farmhouse containing the one book I ordered you to find on fire?" The disembodied voice became disarmingly and disturbingly calm. Neither one of the pegasi dared to answer the question, fearful of the consequences of consequences that would follow. The unnatural voice did not appreciate the lack of an answer. "Your incompetence shall be your undoing, and it shall be by my hoof with which you are undone! I know all that you do and see! Step forward, Charger..." Stepping forward to a formless voice is a paradox unto itself, but Charger dared not draw the wrath of his creator upon himself. He took two shaky steps toward the center of the room and awaited his judgment. "I know full well that it was your decision to set fire to the library and the farmhouse. I give you your existence, and yet at every turn, you three foist regret upon me for doing so! Give me one reason why I should allow you to continue drawing breath!" "Uhhh...uhhm..." "Must I do everything!?" Nightmare Moon's disembodied voice shook the timbers of the crude ceiling. "While you three have been busy failing at the one task I assigned you, the two among you with any semblance of intelligence are within Canterlot Palace, seeking to further our progress." "B-but Nightshade was captured and Stratus lost..." "Do not...lecture me about their shortcomings! They made something of it! You three do nothing but wallow in your insufferable stupidity! It is infuriating!" The bodiless voice paused to sigh. Within this period, Charger, Skies, and Blitz traded uneasy looks. There was no face to show Nightmare Moon's anger, but it wasn't necessary. The air-shaking magical voice was indicator enough. "So... What is our next assignment, your Darkness?" "I will keep this simple, for your simple minds. Return to the ancient castle and recover three charged sinkstones. Return here when you have them." "Th-then what?" "Sinkstones! Now!" "Y-yes, ma'am!" With a scrabbling of hooves and a hurried beating of wings, the three Shadowbolts were gone once more, flying before the heat of their creator's anger. The flight back to the ancient fortress was not a long one, and the pegasi soon saw the rear of the imposing structure rise from the many trees. They spiraled to the forest floor, landing at the base of the time-worn tower. A massive willow tree grew up against the masonry, its wispy, draping branches concealing thick shrubbery, which in turn concealed a tunnel leading into the earth. Darkness sat heavy upon the descending staircase, torch sconces extinguished from the pegasi's earlier flight. They knew the passage well, though, and reached the bottom without difficulty. "Alright, Skies, you run to the armory and find us three charged sinkstones. Blitz, head to the larder and get us another few weeks of rations. Meet me in the study when you're finished." With silent nods between them, each pegasus went their own way. Lost in his own company, Charger mentally grumbled his way down the hallway. Nightshade hasn't done a damn thing! She gets all the credit! She wouldn't even have the Element of Magic if it weren't for us three! Charger's angry monologue trailed off as his hoof fell upon something soft. Something that felt like crumpled parchment. "What's this?" Not surprisingly, what Charger felt to be crumpled parchment turned out to be just that. There was something written on it, but there was barely enough light to even see it. The discarded paper made the journey to the study with the stallion. He rummaged around in the desk for a candle and something to light it with, taking far longer than he had wished. After the candle bathed the desk in its small sphere of light, he smoothed the scroll out as best he could and began reading. Spike's letter to the princess had been quite short, and thus Charger's investigation was too. Still, this letter seemed important...possibly useful, too. This letter was a keeper. Hoofsteps outside pulled the winged stallion's attention away from the paper, just in time to see Skies standing in the doorway. "I've got the sinkstones and I can see Blitz coming down the hallway. Are you ready to leave yet?" Charger quickly folded up the parchment and slipped it into the saddlebags sitting next to the desk. He snuffed the candle out with a slight flap of his wing. "Yeah, I am. Let's go." Three flights later, two of them being stairs, the pegasi had returned to their still-disheveled hideout. "Do you have the sinkstones?" "We do, your Darkness. I was also able to find something else of use." Charger announced. "Oh? And what would this be?" "It appears to be a letter addressed to Celestia from within the palace." "I see." Nightmare Moon's voice seemed distant, as if plotting something. "Read it." As a disembodied voice has no eyes to speak of, Charger had little choice but to comply. A rather long period of silence followed his narration, leaving him to wonder if he had been heard. "So that is what happened after our last...encounter. If the princesses can be broken, the Canterlot walls will fall that much easier. One of the princesses is already close to the edge... She just needs a...little bit of a push in the right direction..." ----------------------- The last few notes of her mother's lullaby hovered just outside Luna's sense of hearing, faint as the slightest spring breeze. The princess yawned widely and snuggled down into the downy blankets. She didn't want to get up, but her brain had already started reminding her of the day's errands; today was a very big day, after all. With a sigh of complaint, Luna kicked her covers off and rolled out of bed. Celestia had already vacated the room, obviously to attend to her share of today's duties. A glance of the nightstand revealed a simple note, all by its lonesome. Magic retrieved the parchment and brought it to eye level. "Morning, sleepyhead." she read. "I hope you're feeling better after your nap. I ran down to the kitchen to take a look at the preparations for today. I'll be down there for a while, so come find me when you wake up, all right? Love, 'Tia." I'd better get going... There's an awful lot to take care of today... Several accoutrements magically floated to the princess. A tiara upon her head, an amulet for her neck, and one shoe per hoof. The princess tapped her foreleg upon the floor several times to better adjust a particularly stubborn shoe over her hoof. "That's better." The palace halls were surprisingly active, even for a day as special as this one. Luna was greeted countless times by countless ponies by the time she reached the kitchen, so many that all of them blurred together. The sweet smell of all manner of pastries and cakes met Luna's nostrils as she entered the palace kitchen. Ponies were milling about, filling orders, and preparing for the burden of a single kitchen in a palace of hundreds. Amidst the controlled chaos, Luna spotted two recognizable ponies. "Applejack? Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here in the kitchen?" The orange pony turned from the oven door and the pie just behind it. "Shucks, yer Majesty, we're jus' makin' sure y'all've got yerself a right purty feast for yer big day." "I...appreciate the thought, but you really should be up in your room. The Elements are still in danger." Applejack nodded vigorously. "Ah get'cha yer Highness, 'cept it was yer sister what came down here with us, ain't that right, Pinkie?" "Thure isth!" Luna took a moment to wipe the chewed cupcake from her muzzle. "I see... And where is Celestia?" "Shoot! She left jus' b'fore you got here. Didn't ya see her? She went to check in with Fluttershy an' Rainbow Dash. They should be out in the palace garden." Though a princess she was, Luna was not above presenting gratitude to other ponies. She dipped her head to Applejack and took her leave. Odd... I passed the exit to the garden on my way here. I would have run right into 'Tia... Literally... "Wait a minute!" Luna exclaimed, stopping mid-stride. "Why would Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash be out of their chambers as well?" The fishiness of the present situation called for a little bit more haste than her hooves could provide and so the princess' wings came open to power her flight. Remaining unseen behind her, a tall figure stepped from a small patch of shadow. Her cyan, reptile-like eyes narrowed in a dark smile. Luna reached the palace garden within the space of a few minutes. The step from the marble-clad palace hallways into the open-air garden was like entering a different world. The true number of plants within this miniature paradise was nearly uncountable, known only to the ponies tasked with their care. This was obviously a daunting task, but the results were beyond words. Flora of every known color and shape grew and flourished within this garden. Just as varied as the garden's plants were the creatures that lived amongst them. Animals from all over Equestria, including some of the most exquisitely-voiced songbirds, called this place home. Not many could coax this sound from them, however. Save one... A wonderful melody reached Luna's ears as soon as she stepped into the foliage. "Fluttershy? Is that you?" While the song was very pleasing to the ear, it had no discernible direction, and seemed to change origins randomly. Every time Luna thought she was drawing closer, the song would move so that it came from behind her. "Fluttershy? Where are you?" As if in answer, the night alicorn eased the wispy branches of a willow aside with her wing, and there she was. "Fluttershy! I knew that was your conducting!" The pink-maned pegasus ceased conducting her avian choir to face the princess. "Good morning, your Majesty." "I...suppose it is..." Luna dropped her defensively-raised hoof to the ground. Something in the back of her mind was making her unusually wary, even of the timid Fluttershy. "I don't suppose that either you or Rainbow Dash have seen Celestia, have you?" "Of course we have." Fluttershy answered in her demure little voice. "She just left, not more than a minute ago. Were you looking for her?" The winged unicorn answered with the usual gesture. "Indeed I am. Did she happen to say where she was going?" "Sure did." Rainbow Dash chimed in from her tree-bound seat. "Said she was headed up to the archives. Gonna help out Twi and Rarity with some sorta bookish thing." A cherry pit and its partner followed the pegasus' words from the tree, landing right before the princess. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash." "Don't mention it..." Her reply was...a little hard to make out, probably due to the cherries filing into her mouth. 'A minute ago?' I was wandering around for a good ten minutes, and nopony passed me... Something's wrong here. It's almost as if I'm dr- Luna's suspicion quickly curtailed itself upon bumping into another pony just inside the halls. "Oh, excuse me, Apple...jack..." If things had been strange before, now they were just downright creepy. Applejack was completely silent and her green eyes were completely devoid of any emotion, as was the rest of her face. Her steps were slow and methodical as she approached the princess. Pinkie Pie, behind her friend, was in an identical state, emotionless and slowly plodding after her. "Applejack...? Pinkie...?" Luna took a few steps back from the encroaching ponies, uneased by their zombie-like behavior. Finally, she turned and fled at a full gallop. She ducked down a hallway and her horn flashed to life, whisking her from the hallway. The Moon Goddess took a moment to recompose herself outside the archives. It's all right, Luna... You're just seeing things... She started to take a calming breath, when she heard hoofsteps upon marble from farther down the hallway. Slow and methodical ones. A nameless fear gripped the pit of the alicorn's stomach. She ducked inside the archive, magically slamming the large double doors behind her. Each beat of her heart resounded loudly in her ears. So much for being composed... A quick shake of the head relieved some anxiety and let her think straight. "Twilight Sparkle? Rarity? Celestia? Are you in here?" Luna nearly gave herself whiplash with how quickly she spun her head towards a cry of, "Over here, your Majesty!" "Twilight Sparkle? By the stars, is it ever a relief to see you! Have you seen Celestia?" "Of course! She just went to find a particular book for you! She should be back any minute!" "A book? For me? For...what exactly?" "Well, for your big day, of course!" Rarity exclaimed. "Right." Luna nodded. "And what is it that you two were doing?" "We were helping your sister look for a few other books." "May I see one?" "Well..." Twilight nervously rubbed the back of her head. "It was supposed to be a secret, but I suppose a quick look couldn't hurt." What Luna found in the book upon opening it startled her so much that she dropped it. Truthfully, it wasn't what she found within the book so much as what she didn't find. Every page of that book had been blank. "You Majesty, are you all right?" "I...I'm not... Hold one a minute... Just what is my big day?" "You mean you don't know? Your Majesty, it's the day you get to go home!" "What?" The crack in the alicorn's voice was everything but unnoticeable. "But I...am home... Explain yourself, Twilight Sparkle!" "Princess, it's the day you get to go home! You get to see your sister again after a thousand years! Aren't you excited!?" That fishy smell was back, and Luna had finally figured it out. "'Thousand years?' 'Home?' This is nothing more than a dream!" As quick as her revelation had come, Luna whirled to face the unicorns. "You're not real. None of this is." "But that's where yer wrong. We're very real, yer Highness." The accent told Luna exactly who it was before turning around. It was a good thing, too; she didn't really want to turn around. "Applejack! Pinkie Pie! How did you find me here!?" Naturally, the taller pony began retreating from the comatose expressions. At least until she backed into something. "You sound surprised, Princess..." Twilight murmured. That was definitely Twilight's voice, but the unicorn's eyes were not her own. They were dark teal and cat-like in appearance. "Nightmare Moon!" "Can't get anything past you, can I?" "What have you done with Twilight Sparkle, foul demon!?" "Luna...dear, I'm...hurt that you would so brazenly accuse me of such a thing..." "Dispense with the pleasantries!" Small earthquakes started running through the library, evidence of Luna's rising temper. "I've no desire to listen to your silver tongue! What have you done with my sister's student?" "But Luna, I've done nothing with Twilight. You see, I don't need to do anything. Twilight and the other Elements will be fuel for my return. They are the catalysts. My return is set in stone, Luna, as was your banishment. Celestia knew, but she refused to tell you..." "Unfounded lies!" Luna's horn roared to life with a furious white flame. "Release your hold on Twilight!" "Or what?" "I'll force you out..." the princess growled. "Try it." Twilight's overwritten eyes narrowed darkly. The ethereal flame condensed itself to a single blinding point. A white-hot cone razed the spot where Twilight stood, leaving a charred circle upon the marble floor. "Excellent shot..." Luna whirled to throw another conical blast at the purple mare. "Ooh, almost had me that time..." And thus this pattern of arcane cat-and-mouse continued until Luna grew fatigued. Beads of sweat upon her forehead mixed with the ashen remains of the archive's parchments and scrolls, and yet the possessed Twilight had naught but a fleck of ash upon her coat. "What's the matter, Luna? Running out of steam?" An alicorn has immense magic reserves at their disposal, but even the most powerful still has their limits. The next magical burst to issue from Luna's horn amounted to nothing more than a miserable fizzle. "I see... My turn then." The Element of Magic stood up and dusted the ash off her coat. "This...is how you do it..." Her eyes flashed once, and Luna was hurled backwards, pinned to a cold marble wall. "Y-you...have none of the Elements... You shouldn't be here... This is my dream..." The alicorn struggled uselessly as all six Element bearers slowly approached her, each one playing host to Nightmare Moon's slitted eyes. "You are half right, my dear. This is in fact, your dream. But, by that simple fact, it is my dream as well, and I need no permissions to walk within it. I live within your mind, as do you dreams. You have no power over me here." Luna laughed. "Perhaps not, but you forget; two can play this game. You cannot follow me to the waking world!" ------------------------- The alicorn's eyes opened to motes of dust floating plaintively beyond the fine silk curtain of her sister's canopied bed. She spent little time within the hold of the linens. The window...! Outside, the sun shone brightly upon the sea of trees that was the Everfree Forest. A sigh of relief moved from the goddess' lips. "I am home... That was just a nightmare..." "If that was a nightmare, then what am I?" Several spider-webs of cracks spread through the marble floor from the hoof slammed down upon it. "An unnecessary thorn in my side... What spell lets you walk amongst the waking?" The jet-black alicorn seated upon the bed closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath. "Luna, Luna, Luna... You give yourself far too much credit... Did you honestly think it would be that easy to escape me? Come now, don't look at me like that; that hatred burning in your eyes. You shouldn't be upset with yourself, dear. You tried your best..." During her monologue, Nightmare Moon took a leisurely stroll around the far side of the bed, glared at the entire time. Finally, she leaned in, face-to-face with the princess. "But it wasn't good enough, was it...?" Luna snorted. She wasn't about to dignify that with a reply. She pushed the smug alicorn's face away with her horn. "Really, Luna? Must you act like such a filly? I've not come seeking hostility from you." "Then explain yourself, and make haste, starting with the spell you've used to seal me in sleep." "Spell? You're here by no arcane means. You're here because I want you to be. No other reason." "Then you won't mind if I leave." Nightmare Moon smiled, the mere sight of which sent shivers down Luna's spine. "Go ahead." The navy blue alicorn closed her eyes, imagining herself waking up once more. "So... How is that going for you?" "How are you holding me here?" The helmeted alicorn shook her head. "I'm surprised at you, Luna... Both you and I know you're quite smart and yet you still haven't figured it out?" She paused to allow the silence to provide some thinking time. "No? Let me help." she strode over to the wall-turned-bookcase and deliberated for a moment. "Here we are. Catch." Her magic spun a single tome towards Luna. "I'm not interested in research." Luna instantly vaporized the book in a wisp of blue flame. "Tell me." "This is my dream too. I have just as much control over this world as you do. Anything you do, I can undo." "Why have you kept me here?" "Goodness, aren't we full of questions. You're here so I can talk to you." "Save it. I've heard all of your lies before." "Lies? I have spoken no lies to you, my dear." The cold touch of metal against skin made Luna shiver as her dark half caressed her chin with an armored hoof. "But... if you wish to speak of lies, let us speak of your sister..." "Leave Celestia out of this! She has no parts to play here!" "On the contrary, Luna, she wrote this whole play. Who was the one who told you that you were free of me?" A steel-hard gaze was the only answer that Nightmare Moon received, but she could see the gears turning within Luna's mind. "Who was the one that willingly sent you away for a millennia because she didn't know what to do?" The princess' cold stare faltered for a moment and she looked away, obviously pondering these words. Nightmare Moon had found a hoofhold and she wasn't about to give it up. "Who was the one who stood idly by and watched you descend into darkness, even though she knew something was wrong? Who, Luna!? Who!? "Ce-Celestia..." "That's right, Luna... It was Celestia... She is the one to blame for what happened to us." "Celestia is not without her faults, nor am I without mine... Just as she forgave me for what I did, I have forgiven her! Celestia is my sister, and no amount of your lies will turn will turn me against her again!" Under her furrowed brow, a bright glow issued forth from Luna's eyes. Nightmare Moon was blown off her hooves, into the far wall. "Impressive." Nightmare Moon laughed. "But your restraint makes you weak. Next time you attack somepony, make sure you follow through!" In less than an instant, Luna felt herself hurled backwards again, her spell broken and turned against her. The marble wall was going to hurt, unless... Rubble exploded from the palace wall, yielding to Luna's magical barrier. Instinctively, the princess' wings shot open to full span. A deft flick righted the falling alicorn, just in time to drop four hooves upon the ground. Her momentum bled off quickly as she skidded through the loose grey dust. The magical blow had winded her, but her instincts remained focused. She flexed her wings, ready for the inevitable battle. "Quick thinking, Luna, but I wouldn't expect anything less." A puff of dust masked Luna's snort. She pawed the ground angrily and fell into a crouch. Her takeoff was explosive, rivaling the speed of a falling star. Nightmare Moon smirked. "It seems I spoke too soon..." She jumped from the wall and went into a fast dive. Magic began building around her horn, concentrating to a lethal point. Just as she was about to run Luna through, a flash of light replaced the princess. "Clever move, Luna! A spatial shift; effective, if a little naive! Come on, Luna! You can't sustain it forever!" "I know..." A white crescent of pure magic struck Nightmare Moon in the back. She whirled, only to find a crippling kick to her back, robbing her control of her wings. The taste of her conjured dreamscape in her mouth as she hit the ground was particularly unpleasant, although significantly less so than the fiery needles digging into her paralyzed wings. "Body focusing? You're full of surprises, Luna." "Body focusing, combined with a small paralytic charm. I've had practice." "Indeed. But you'll have to keep trying!" The villain's body dissolved into her mane before sinking into the dusty ground. "No! Show yourself, monster!" A slight rumbling under the princess' hooves forced her into a cautious retreat. Dust went in every possible direction as Nightmare Moon summoned an arcane burst from the ground directly below Luna's hooves. Luna's wings came out again in instinct, but she didn't have enough time to right herself. Her right wing caught the ground awkwardly and she heard an audible pop, meaning only one thing. "Nngh!" In less time than it took for the dust to settle, a heavy hoof descended into her chest. "Aaaah!" She cried out in pain against the full-body pulse of magic discharged into her. "I...I can't move!" "Paralytic charm. Cute trick. Try a full-body version next time. Now that I have your undivided attention, do yourself a favor and look up into the sky for me." "W-what?" Luna did as she was bid, and nearly had a full-on panic attack as a result. The formerly sun-filled sky was pitch-black, marked only by small points of light. "N-no... That's the...earth!" "That's right... Welcome back..." ------------------------- Given the circumstances at hoof, Celestia was very behind on her sleep and this mid-day nap was heavenly. Her room was warm, there was just the right amount of sunlight seeping in through the silk curtains, and the sheets were comfortable beyond description. It was perfect. Until her bunkmate kicked her in the side. Several times. "Ow! Careful, Luna..." "No...! Not the moon! Release me...!" "Luna...?" The Sun Goddess sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Luna? Luna, wake up..." She nudged the sleeping princess, not expecting what would follow. Luna came to with a gasp as if she had been drowning. Her eyes were wild and terrified, and darted around the room faster than a startled parasprite. "Celestia!?" "Luna! What is it!?" "Nightmare-" Mid-sentence, Luna's eyes rolled back in her head and she slid from the bed, pulled back into slumber. "Luna!" The covers flew from the bed along with Celestia. "Luna, wake up!" Wait... 'Nightmare?' Not again! Magic returned Luna's unconscious body to the bed. "I know we agreed to stay out of each other's dreams, but I can help, Luna. Please, let me in." ------------------------- "Nice trick. But are you really that dense? You don't wake up until I let you..." Nightmare Moon hissed into Luna's face. "You don't leave until I say so.." With each word, Nightmare Moon's hoof pressed harder and harder into Luna's chest, finally getting another cry of pain. "Aaggh!" Her mind was on fire from fighting its forced containment, but she was still able to make out her sister's voice. "...I can help, Luna. Please, let me in." Without a second's hesitation, the younger princess dropped her mental walls, and the moment she did so, the entire wrath of Tartarus was unleashed. With no battle cry whatsoever, Celestia arrived like a comet, mane and tail blazing with the fury of one thousand suns. She caught Nightmare Moon in the side with a devastating body slam. A column of fire and burning dust rose from the ground, generated by Celestia's rapid cyclonic flight. Higher and higher this pillar grew until it was crested by a blinding golden point of light. Celestia folded her wings and dove, spiraling like a drill, into the center of the column, the pillar of fire swirling into a single point on her horn as she flew. Her rage pushed her velocity to supersonic levels. The magic gathered at the end of Celestia's horn impacted Nightmare Moon's breastplate with the force of a falling meteor. At the moment of impact, Celestia detonated the spell and watched as the dark alicorn dug a massive crater into the lunar surface. A slow glide carried the white alicorn to her sister's side, where she helped her back to her hooves with a healing spell. "Are you all right, Luna?" "Y-yes, I am... Thanks, 'Tia..." "So, you fight Luna's battles for her now, Celestia?" "Do not patronize me, Nightmare Moon. Luna is my sister, and the instant you decided to raise a hoof against her, you made it my battle. If you continue to harass her, I will continue to place the wrath of Tartarus upon your head." "I never took you as the type to give out empty threats, Celestia." "Nor should you. I can assure that this is no threat. This is a promise. One thousand years has given me plenty of time to practice different types of magic. To call upon power from Tartarus is a mere parlor trick. Do not force me to become creative. Relinquish your hold on Luna's mind and let her awaken." "And should I refuse?" "You shall receive a glimpse of my 'imagination.'" "Very well, Celestia. I concede. But know this, Luna dear... Every time you sleep, every dream you remember, I will be there. Every one." Celestia finally turned to face her opposite. When she spoke, her voice was not her own, but a voice which crackled and burned with the power of the sun itself. "Should you harm a single hair on Luna's coat, I will drop something far worse than the wrath of Tartarus upon you..." "Oh, and what would that be?" "My wrath." ------------------------- Celestia's awakening from her second nap was far less pleasant. Her head might as well have been splitting itself in two. "I...forgot how much that takes out of me..." "Ce-Celestia...?" Luna's weakened voice immediately erased Celestia's headache and replaced it with concern. "Easy, Luna. Don't sit up too fast." "Did...that really just happen?" "You saw me in your dream?" The Moon Goddess nodded weakly. This simple action twisted her face into a pained grimace and she fell back onto the pillow. "Ngh!" "Easy, easy." Blankets floated up over Luna's body. "Yes, that actually happened." "That's...what I was afraid of..." Luna pressed a hoof over her eyes. "Luna?" "I c-can't do it anymore..." "Luna, don't-" "Don't tell me i-it'll be all right! Y-you heard her... Every time I fall asleep, she'll be there! She won't let me wake up, and I can't b-break her hold... You can't always follow me into my d-dreams... I-I give up..." Celestia knew that there was nothing she could say that could make it better, so she simply extended her hooves, inviting Luna into a warm embrace. "Don't be scared, Luna; I'll fight for the both of us..." The only response was a tighter hug. I just hope I can... ------------------------- "I'm terribly sorry, but, as I've said, I cannot permit you to leave your chambers without the accompaniment of the princesses." "Now look here, Jet Stream, Ah mean ya no disrespect, but if y'all don't git outta mah way right now, Ah'm gonna buck ya halfway to the moon!" "Easy there, AJ. Don't go pickin' fights with-" The blonde earth pony rounded on the cyan pegasus so fast that she slapped Fluttershy with her tail. "Butt out, Rainbow Dash! That is mah livelihood goin' up in smoke out there, and if you don't let me leave, Ah'm gonna-" "You'll what, Applejack?" Jet Stream stepped aside to allow Twilight and company to enter the room. "Twilight? What in Equestria happened to you!?" "Long story, for another time. Right now, you need to calm down." "Twilight is right, dear. You really must calm down." "Don't tell me to calm down, Rarity!" "A-Apple...jack... P-please..." Fluttershy had already been upset and on the verge of tears. All of the yelling had only pushed her over the edge. "St...stop... Ple...ase..." she whimpered, remaining unheard over the heightened emotions. "Applejack, please!" "No! Ah'm not going to calm down! Mah family is on that farm! Yours too, Rarity!" A pall fell over the room at her words. All eyes turned to face Rarity. It took about three seconds for this information to process. "Sweetie Belle! No!" The shock from Rarity's voice spread quickly. Even Rainbow Dash uttered a weak "Oh no..." "Applejack said my library was burnt down..." Twilight started pacing as she put two and two together. "All this can only add up to one thing!" "Spit it out, Twi'! Ah ain't got the time for yer fancy mathematics!" "This fire must've been caused by the same pegasi that set fire to the library!" "All the more reason for me to start kickin' some heads in! Outta mah way, Twi'!" Applejack easily shouldered her way past the unicorn, only to be stopped by Rainbow Dash. "Hold it, AJ. If these are the same pegasi, dont'cha think this might be a trap?" "Stow it for somepony who cares. That's mah family out there! Now git!" Once more, the earth pony shoved her friend aside, but the stubborn pegasus wouldn't be defeated so easily. She grabbed the cowpony's blonde tail and gave a swift yank. "Darn it, RD! Leggo!" One of her powerful hind legs came out, clocking the side of the pegasi's skull and throwing her into the solid marble wall. In the stunned silence that followed, the orange mare threw a challenging glare over her friends. "The next pony to try that gits two. Anypony gonna try?" Armor plates clanked against one another as their owner shrugged. "Yeah. I will." Shining Armor replaced his helm and nodded to Applejack. "Look, Shinin' Armor, Ah've got nothin' against you, but if you don't move, yer gonna be in a world of hurt." "I'll take my chances." The air filled itself with a high-pitched whine that steadily grew in volume. Twilight knew that noise. "Wait, Shining Armor! Don't use that spell!" Applejack's hind legs shot out like two steel pistons, straight into Shining Armor's barrier, whose reflective magic shoved the force right back. The mare found herself on the floor, feeling like she had just kicked herself. Twilight knew the capabilities of her brother's spell inside and out. All force directed against it would be instantly and equally rebounded. Applejack could seriously hurt herself. "Applejack! Stop!" "Nothin' doin', Twi'..." Applejack stumbled back to her hooves and charged the stallion. "Applejack, stop!" Rarity cried. "Please! You're going to hurt yourself!" "Shining Armor, drop the shield!" The stallion remained just as stubborn as his sister's friend, who was in the process of bouncing off his shield once more, leaving her hat behind. "Stay down, Applejack!" For the slightest of moments, Shining Armor's stoic expression cracked. Beyond the magenta hue of his shield, he saw an exhausted Element of Honesty back on her hooves, pawing the ground and ready to charge. Little explanation was needed for the third attempt to breach the shield, save that each attempt rebounded the orange pony less and less. "Applejack! Please!" Seeing her friend struggle like this made Fluttershy physically ill. "Stop this!" "Drop the spell, Shining Armor!" Twilight knew the stubborn cowpony; she would keep going until something broke. And it wasn't going to be the barrier. "Do it!" The stallion's eyes darted to his sister's frightened expression. He knew what she was thinking. With a resigned sigh, he lowered his spell. The act of pacifism was lost on the Element bearer. She stampeded the stallion a third time. What happened next happened in slow motion for all present. A bright burst of magic illuminated the room and Applejack fell to the floor, unconscious, with a sizeable patch of orange fur between her shoulders blackened and smoking. Every eye again moved in unison to look at the caster. All except for two. The tears in the white mare's shocked blue eyes all too clearly reflected the blue aura surrounding her horn. "Wh-what have I d-done...?"

Eeveexpert

117

Main 6,Nightmare Moon,Princess Celestia,Princess Luna,Adventure,Tragedy,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Storms On the Horizon

What is good without evil? What is light without dark? Everything in this world has an opposite.

incomplete

<p>Reports of strange, almost sentient storms have been trickling into Canterlot from all over Equestria during the past month, and Princess Celestia has noticed an uncanny similarity between each of these reports. Every time one of these storms appears, it is clear that these storms are hunting for something. </p><p>Despite the obvious connections between each of these occurrences, it is unclear as to what it is that the storms in question are searching for. Unclear, that is, until tragedy befalls one of the Elements of Harmony. The remaining five ponies must hurry to uncover the answers to some very fundamental questions, all the while fighting to protect the remaining Elements.</p><p>However, in order to do so, they will have to dig down to the age-old fundamentals of good and evil, learning things about themselves that might have been better off left unlearned...</p><p>-Not every cloud has a silver lining, but everything good has something evil to go along with it.-</p>

everyone

2013-02-23T00:23:20+00:00

2013-02-23T21:50:50+00:00

"W-we're not gonna be able t'go home agin, are we?" "Ah told ya not to look out the window..." A short period of silence followed before, "Big Mac?" "Don't look out the window." "Big Mac! Answer me!" A massive red nose descended upon the yellow filly and hoisted her, protesting, into the air. The pony attached to the nose placed his younger sister on the far side of the seat. "Move me all ya want, but that ain't gonna stop me from askin'!" Big Macintosh sighed and looked out the window of the train. The black plume of oily smoke painted an unsightly smear upon the blue sky. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that it was going to come to something like this. He just wished that it hadn't. "Well? Can we go home or not?" "No, Apple Bloom. We can't. Not fer a while anyway." The somber answer put a damper on the young pony's demanding. "So where're we gonna stay then?" "Until this whole situation blows over, we're gonna stay in Canterlot. Ah'm sure the princess'll put us up." Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged excited glasses. "We get to stay in the palace! We get to stay in the palace!" they squealed in unison. Apple Bloom was significantly less ecstatic about the change of venue. "What about afterwards?" "Ah...don't know... But we'll figure somethin' out." He forced a smile to show to the young pony. "Ooh! Ooh! You could stay with me and Rarity! Pleasepleasepleaseplease!" "Thanks fer the offer there, Sweetie Belle, but we'll cross that bridge when we git there." The bow-wearing filly sniffed. If we git there... She reached down and softly stroked the fiery-plumed back of the sleeping Philomena, trying to distract herself from her lack of a home. The phoenix trilled slightly from under her wing. "Atta' girl..." Ah hope AJ is all right... "Attention, passengers!" The door at the end of the car slid open. "We will be pulling into Canterlot station within the next five minutes. If this is your stop, be warned that the carriage service to the city is currently not running. The inner city has been placed on lockdown. You are welcome to stay at the station for the night to wait out the lockdown. Should you wish to return to your original destination, you may do so free of charge, and your initial ticket shall be refunded. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." "All right, girls, this here's our stop. You have your things ready to go?" Each of the three fillies jumped to the cabin floor, where Apple Bloom began passing out saddlebags from under the seats. "Thanks, darlin'." Big Macintosh took his bags from the small pony. "Sweetie Belle, would you carry Angel Bunny fer me?" "Sure!" The unicorn member of the Crusaders very gently nosed the rabbit in question as he slept at Philomena's feet. "Angel? Angel, wake up. I'm just gonna put you up on my back, okay?" "Apple Bloom? D'you want to carry Philomena?" It took significantly less time for the earth pony filly to rouse the dozing avian and she was soon perched upon the filly's yellow back. A series of three whistle blasts announced the arrival into Canterlot Station. Brakes hissed and the cars shifted, unbalancing one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Now, when we git off, Ah want you three to stay in front of me at all times, okay?" "Why? This is just a train station, isn't it?" "Eeyup. But Ah'm not takin' any chances. Y'all are stickin' with me until we get to Canterlot, understand?" Three "Uh-huh's" were his answer, one from each Crusader. "Alright then. Let's go." The red earth pony started ushering his charges toward the door and the platform beyond. Steam rolled across the platform, pushed by a brisk breeze. "C'mon, girls. Let's git inside and find us a way to git to Canterlot." Not many ponies moved throughout the station, probably due to the citywide lockdown. The only ponies present were those that had been on the incoming train. "Lookie there!" Apple Bloom pointed across the terminal. "Infermation!" The three fillies broke into a run. Big Macintosh followed at a significantly slower trot. "Uhh, excuse me, miss? Ah've got a question." The unicorn mare working the desk leaned forward to see her addressor. "Of course! What can I do for you, little one?" "Ah'm sorry to bother ya, miss, but we're lookin' to git a ride to Cainterlot." Big Macintosh arrived just in time to hear, "I'm sorry, dear, but we haven't had any carriages running today. The inner city is on lockdown; Princess Celestia's orders." "But we really hafta git to Cainterlot! Ya don't understand; this is important! Please!" "Manners, Apple Bloom." her brother softly reminded. "Ah'm sorry, miss." "Oh, it's quite all right. She's adorable. Is she yours?" "Mah sister. We were just on our way to Canterlot to meet some family. Are you sure there's no other way to Canterlot?" "You could walk, but the city itself is barred from any traffic in or out. I do apologize for the inconvenience. We'd be happy to provide you with blankets for the night if you wish to stay until tomorrow." "You'd better. At least until we've got an idea of what we're doin'." "Of course. One moment, please." The brown-maned mare ducked behind the counter briefly, coming back up with a small pile of blankets. "Here you are, sir." "Much obliged, miss." The farmer pony nodded in gratitude, draping the blankets across his back. He started to turn away, when he caught glance of the fiery avian upon his sister's back. The one with the messenger harness... "Beggin' yer pardon, miss, but might you have a pencil and paper Ah could borrow?" "I do." A well-sharpened pencil and several sheets of parchment floated over the desk. "Thank ya kindly. Ah'll have it back to ya in just a moment." The party of four excused themselves off to a small corner of the terminal. "What's the paper for?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Ah'll feel worlds better once we're inside the Palace an' we've got that there book into the Princess' hooves. We ain't got the time to sit here and wait out a lockdown. We need to git a letter to the Princess, an' Philomena here's gonna help us do it." "Trrrr..." Hearing the mention of her name, the phoenix turned an inquisitive eye to the earth pony. She watched him spread the parchment upon the floor, ready to be scribed. "Okay, who wants to write our letter?" "I'll do it." the unicorn filly volunteered. "Rarity's had me practicing my writing." She took the pencil within her mouth and nodded to the stallion. Slowly, so as not to outspeak Sweetie Belle's writing, Big Macintosh began dictating. "Dear Princess Celestia, We were able to find the book you were lookin' fer. We did have a slight change of plans, though. Three pegasi attacked us and set fire to Sweet Apple Acres. The girls and Ah have the book. Have Philomena lead you to us when you receive this. Big Macintosh." The finished letter was twirled up and slipped into Philomena's harness. "We ready to go?" Apple Bloom glanced up at the avian upon her back. "Eeyup." At his urging, the Cutie Mark Crusaders led the earth pony outside, where he had the phoenix hop over to his foreleg. "All right, Philomena. Y'know what to do; find Princess Celestia and bring her back here." The phoenix nodded and winged to the sky. Four sets of eyes watched her until she disappeared from sight. A crisp breeze rolled across the front deck of the station, sending shivers through each of the small fillies. "Brrrr..." "C'mon, girls, let's git back inside... We've jus' gotta wait fer the princess now. Y'all three should take a nap; y've had a busy day." As usual, there was protest to the idea of a nap, provided by a one orange pegasus filly. "But I'm not tired! I'm full of energy!" "A likely story, missy." the orange-maned stallion chuckled. "Ah saw ya noddin' off durin' the train ride. C'mon, a quick nap'll do ya good." "Oh all right..." Thankfully, the three blankets were rather large, easily able to accommodate three fillies. One blanket was spread upon the ground, another was rolled into a makeshift pillow, while the third was finally pulled over the little ponies. A crude bed, but it would suffice for the moment. "Let us know when the Princess gets here, okay?" "You got it, Sweetie Belle." Each one of the three fillies received a quick kiss on the forehead, and when he reached his sister, the red earth pony softly whispered, "Now don't ya go worryin' yer tail into a knot, okay? Everythin's gonna be all right." "If you say so..." Big Macintosh retreated to a nearby bench, where he could keep the fillies in the corner of his eye. He watched them until they fell asleep, which didn't take too long. Despite her protests, Scootaloo was actually the first to go. He chuckled lightly and glanced out the window, where his jollity took to the sky like Celestia's phoenix. AJ, if y've seen that there smoke, y'all're probly worried sick... ------------------------- Given the happenings in Canterlot Palace, worry seemed to be the only thing on anypony's plate. The two alicorn sisters remained in bed, Luna under the blankets, Celestia seated next to her. Every now and then, the night blue alicorn would sniff a little and wipe her eyes. "Are you sure that there's nothing I can do to help, Luna?" She nodded weakly. "I'm sure..." "Luna..." The elder alicorn rested a hoof upon her sister's shoulder. What can I do to help you...? "Luna, talk to me..." "What's to talk about? Y-you saw my dream... She locked me on the m-moon, Celestia..." Celestia's eyes widened for an instant to let realization pass through. "You...you're scared of being imprisoned on the moon?" The look that Luna turned to her sister almost stopped Celestia's heart. "I...I had no idea that you remembered any of that..." "I wish it were that simple... Every day for one thousand years, she would force me to stare at the earth until I broke down. Every day it took longer and longer... Finally, I stopped giving her the satisfaction; I just kept it inside... But it still hurt, 'Tia... It hurt so m-much... It hurt...and she liked it..." "You've been holding all of this in since you returned, haven't you?" Again the dark blue pony's head bobbed slowly up and down. "Luna, why didn't you tell me? I would have been happy to help you." "Y-your sentiments are well-received, Celestia, but this is something that I need to fight with." "But nopony said you needed to fight alone. We're in this together." "Celestia, I'm-" A massive white wing flipped itself into Luna's mouth, deciding that she was done speaking. "Luna, I don't like playing this card on you, and Harmony forbid I should ever have to do it again, but I am your older sister, and I will not let you do this alone. I don't doubt that you have the capacity to do this on your own, but I am not okay with watching you struggle with this burden, especially when it was my use of the Elements that gave it to you." "You didn't know what the spell would do; it's not your faul-" "Luna...I'm helping." "So that's it? That's the last word on the subject? There's no chance for me to talk you out of it?" "None at all." For a second, Celestia took her sister's challenging glare as a sign of defiance, but there was no reason for worry. Luna lowered her head and murmured "Thank you." The sun-marked princess extended a wing and pulled her sister closer. "Do you feel any better now?" "It'll be a long time before I'm 'better.' I am glad for your help, though." "I see... Hold on..." Celestia slipped off the bed and cantered over to the bookcase. A collection of eight books floated from the shelf. One by one, the tomes filed past her pink eyes, pages flipping. "No...no...no...no... Ah-hah!" Seven books were returned to the shelves. "All right, Luna, get dressed and come with me." "What? Why?" "Trust me." Celestia winked, wiggling the one book she still held with her magic. The blue alicorn shrugged. "Fine. I'll meet you in the hallway. Give me a moment." It wasn't three minutes before the sisters had reunited in the hallway as had been requested. "All right, follow me." Without waiting for any sort of answer, Celestia started down the hallway, humming to herself." What in Equestria has come over you, Celestia? What's in that book? "You coming, Luna? The surprise in this book is for you." "What?" Luna's curiosity put her hooves into a swift trot. She quickly drew even with the taller alicorn. "Where exactly are you taking us?" "You'll see." "What's in that book then?" "You'll see that too." "Fine..." There was no other mention of the book for a good five minutes. Without warning, Luna made a surprise grab for the tome, to which Celestia responded by teleporting the book away." "'Tia!" "Come now, Luna. You're over two thousand years old." "You're one to talk, playing keep-away with a book! Hypocrisy is not a good color on you, dear sister." "Perhaps not, but I think I'm more of a summer anyway." The book winked back into existence as if nothing had ever happened. "Come on. We're almost there." ------------------------- "The kitchen? Why are we here?" Yellow magic passed the book to the Moon Goddess, already opened to a specific page. "No... Where did you get this?" "What, did you think my bookcase was full of dusty old spellbooks?" "No... I mean, this is the recipe for...for moon pies that Mother used to make us as foals. How did you come by it? This...is even her writing..." "It should be; that's her recipe book. Now, what's say we see if we can't make some?" "Really? I haven't had one of those in years!" "Let's go then!" Celestia eased open the kitchen doors with a great wing. All activity in the bustling kitchen immediately stopped at the presence of the royal sisters. "Your Highnesses!" The head chef ceased his proceedings to properly address the sisters. "What brings you to my humble domain?" "Good morning, Five Star. " Celestia nodded in greeting. Her mother's recipe book traded auras down to the chef pony, still opened to the recipe for the preferred pastry. "How many of these ingredients do we have in the larders?" Five Star pondered the yellowed pages for a moment, complete with hoof-to-chin tapping. "Heavenly Moon Pies... Not a recipe I usually see cross my ovens...but... Sugar...butter...cocoa powder...marshmallow crème... Yes, I do believe we have all of these. How many pies would you like this to make?" "Two dozen." "Very good. I'll get started on these immediately and have them up to your chambers within the hou-" "Thank you, Five Star, but that won't be necessary. Luna and I shall be preparing these ourselves. If you could fetch us the ingredients and utensils, we'd be happy to get out of your mane." "O-of course! Feel free to choose any oven you wish and I'll be right with you." Obviously, none of the ovens or counters were built for operators of alicorn height, but the sisters would make it work. The provided aprons were also more than a bit short. There weren't many other options though. "Here you are, your Highnesses!" Five Star returned, pushing a two-tiered serving tray stocked with all manner of ingredients and utensils. "Do let me know if you need any help." "Of course." Celestia dipped her head to the unicorn, who promptly turned and scurried off to survey the rest of his kingdom. The Sun Goddess-turned-pastry chef nosed through the various sacks and bottles, seeking the cookbook. "Ah! Here we are." She passed this to Luna, continuing her trip through the ingredients. "What do we need to get started?" "Let's see... Set oven to 400 degrees...done... Ready?" "Go." "Two bowls, butter, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder." One by one, each of these items floated off of the cart. "Now what?" "Is there a cookie sheet on that cart?" "Ummm..." Shuffling was heard as items were pushed about. "Wait, yes. Here it is." "Let me see it." The book was moved to a nearby stand for easy viewing. Luna's eyes traced the instructions once more. "It says 'lightly grease the sheet.' Pass me the cooking oil, 'Tia." "While you do that..." Without a word spoken or a step missed between them, Luna moved to the side, allowing Celestia to take her place. "I'll get started with step two." Bowls and ingredients lined up before Celestia. Her eyes glanced at the book and the ingredients started filing into the two bowls according to recipe. Magic placed a whisk in each bowl, spinning each to a fine mix. The dry bowl was then slowly poured into the wet, whisk twirling steadily. "Are you almost done with the dough?" "Just finished. Give me the sheet." Muffled laughter was not the answer she was expecting to meet. "What's so funny?" "Y-your face..." Luna giggled around her hoof. "My face?" Mirrors were not readily available in a kitchen, so Celestia grabbed the next closest thing. Her reflected expression in the pot lid was distorted and quite comical, but she could still see a layer of brown dust covering her muzzle and most of her face. "Oh. I see." If there's one thing that magic cannot do, it's disguise laughter. Luna's efforts weren't doing a very good job either. "Pffft!" Celestia's eyes darted from her tittering sister to the spoon lying next to the chocolate batter and a mischievous smirk crossed her face. Luna's eyes, however, were still closed from resisting laughter, so the batter-laden spoon heading for her nose went unnoticed. "Ack! What was that for, Celestia!?" "Now we match." she replied cheekily. "Funny..." Luna muttered. Behind Celestia, the jar of marshmallow crème unscrewed its lid. A dollop of its contents floated out, with one target in mind. "Apbthbb!" The sweet, sticky condiment was magically shoved into the Sun Goddess' mouth and nose. "Okay, okay, we're even. You're certainly feeling better, I see." "You could say that." "Good to hear. I'd give you a hug, but...we might make more of a mess than it's worth..." A genuine smile crossed Luna's face; something that Celestia had not seen in far too long. "It's the thought that counts, 'Tia." ------------------------- With all silliness between them expended, the rest of the baking went off without a hitch. The marshmallow filling was prepared and the cookies were baked and finally filled. After returning the utensils (cleaned, of course) to Five Star, the sisters took their creations and their leave of the kitchen. The cookies smelled absolutely delicious and Luna couldn't wait until they were back in Celestia's room to try them. She removed one of the moon pies from the plate, her stomach growling in anticipation. "Mmmm..." That first bite was nothing short of bliss and the rest of the cookie disappeared in short order. "How did we do?" Celestia noticed the pastry fitting itself into her sister's mouth. "Are they as good as Mother used to make?" There was no hesitation in Luna's answer. "No. Not even close. They're good, but they're not that good." A wing lightly nudged the younger alicorn. "Gee, thanks..." Another cookie removed itself from the plate floating alongside the white alicorn. One bite later and the agreement was unanimous. "Okay, you're right. Mother made them better." she commented, nudging the door to her room open. She set the plate down upon her nightstand and turned her magic toward straightening her bed. Luna remembered all too well what had happened in this room an hour earlier. That oppressive, strangling feeling slowly started crawling up her spine again. Absentmindedly, she took another moon pie to distract herself, eventually noticing something sitting under the plate. Magic carried this over to her as well. The Great Guide to All Things Gemstone... A quick inspection revealed two different dog-eared pages. "What were you looking for in this book, 'Tia?" "Which book would that be?" "This one here." The elder alicorn pondered the floating book before her for a minute. "The Great Guide to All Things Gemstone? Where did you find this?" "On your nightstand, under the moon pies." "Funny... It wasn't there this morning..." Celestia cracked the encyclopedia to the first marked page. "Peridot? Why in Equestria is..." Further reading stifled the flow of words from the princess' mouth. "Look at this, Luna. Second paragraph." The Moon Goddess wiped some wayward crumbs from her mouth before reading. "Legend says that if this gem is set in gold and worn, the stone will develop its full potential as a talisman, and will have the power to eradicate terrors of the night, such as fearsome visions and nightmares." A broad smile appeared on Celestia's face. "I think we just found a solution to your problem that might let you get some real sleep." "Really? You think so?" "She calls herself Nightmare Moon. It's worth a try." "I suppose..." "Still..." Celestia turned the book every which way, looking for...well, she didn't really know. Something. "I find it odd that this book just up and appears on my nightstand. I know that I didn't get it. I didn't even know this was in the archives..." Curiosity flipped the tome open to the second marked page. Then, just like that, Celestia knew where the book had come from. "Mother..." "Mother? What are you talking about?" The Sun Goddess' voice was warm, just above a whisper. "Mother put this book there for us to find." "Are you sure?" She nodded. "She...appeared to me earlier today, just after you fell asleep. I... was in a very hard place, Luna. I was at wit's end; I didn't know what to do. This page here clearly details a counterspell one can perform that absorbs the magic from all nearby sinkstones, rendering them useless until recharged. Remove the magic and the pony wearing the disguising sinkstone is revealed. One less thing to worry about. Let's head back down to the research wing and-" "Kreeeh!" Pecking and scrabbling at the window diverted Celestia's attention. "Philomena!?" A yellow aura popped the latch on the window and the phoenix came flapping inside. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Celestia held the phoenix upon her foreleg, nuzzling her fiery head. "Trrrrrt..." Philomena opened her harness case to fetch the message within, which she presented to her master. The alicorn's brow furrowed at the scribed words. "Philomena, fly down to the chariot run. Luna and I will meet you there when we're ready." Luna watched as the avian shot from the open window like a flaming arrow. Something...building far off on the horizon, above the Everfree Forest, caught her eye and finally beckoned her to the window as well. "What was in that letter, 'Tia?" she asked, only half paying attention, busy as she was trying to make sense of what she saw. Oh no... "That was Applejack's brother. He found the book that very possibly contains a ritual for complete separation. Wherever he is, he has foals in his care, and I'm not about to see one of them hurt." "We're probably going to need a plan then." "Why do you say that?" The Princess of the Night looked back over her shoulder. "Wasn't there a storm over the Everfree Forest the night Fluttershy's and Applejack's chariot went down and over Canterlot the day Twilight was taken?" "'Storm?'" Celestia felt a claw dig into her stomach at that word. "What are you looking at?" Luna pointed a hoof out the window. "See for yourself." As much as she hated it, the alicorn knew what she was going to find upon looking outside. The view did not disappoint. Black, roiling clouds were quickly gathering over the sea of trees that was the forest. So quickly that Celestia could see the storm growing even now. "We do need a plan...and I know just where to start." "To the armory?" Celestia's golden helm slid pointedly over her head. "My thoughts exactly." As the sisters galloped from the room, they passed a lone guard. He watched them until they disappeared from sight. He then glanced into the chambers, spying the book left open upon the bed. ------------------------- "Ah! Your Highnesses! I did not expect to see you again so soon. I hope things are going well." "That's why we're here." "If you would be so kind as to ready my armor." Luna nodded to the blacksmith pony." "Of course, your Highness." The black, enchanted metal floated from its case. Luna moved as needed as the pieces sought their proper locations. "There. Is there anything else you require of me?" "Yes. Prepare our weapons." The blacksmith swallowed in surprise. The royal sisters rarely called upon their weaponry; only in times of dire need were they used. "O-of course. Excuse me." Within a few minutes, the blacksmith had disappeared and returned, bringing with him several objects. Two of these, both two-foot long scabbards built of a polished black leather emblazoned with a simple crescent moon, he presented to Luna. He laid their harness across her back, adjusting it so that the sheaths rested just under her wings. The Moon Goddess' horn took hold of the handles protruding from the sheaths and quickly pulled them out. As the obsidian handles came free, a curved blade, honed to a wicked edge, sprang forth from each one. She twirled them about, magically testing their heft. She nodded in silent satisfaction and replaced the scythes. With one princess satisfied, the unicorn faced the other, giving to her a three-foot marble staff, topped at either end with a spiked head built from the same metal as her armor. While she tested this weapon, he went about fastening a mail of golden scales to the outside of her extended left wing. In about the time that it took him to finish, Celestia had finished her test swings, placing the morningstar upon her back. "Thank you, Hammerfall. That will be all." After acknowledging his response, Celestia turned to her sister. "Ready the Wonderbolts, then meet me on the chariot run. I've got one more thing to do." ------------------------- A strong wind tugged at the manes of the eight ponies standing upon the chariot run hewn into the mountainside. "All right, Wonderbolts, listen up!" Celestia barked. "Luna has called you to attention because we have witnessed another storm breaking over the Everfree Forest. We have need of your speed, power, and overall flying ability. This is not your average rogue storm. Previous intelligence suggests that we are up against something capable of retaliation and rational thought, so precautions have been taken. We're racing the clock, so I'll keep them brief. We will be following Philomena to the extraction point. We make the pick-up and go. I'm not expecting this to be a clean run; I fully expect this 'storm' to give us chase, so once you receive the passengers, you fly for Canterlot. Luna and I will provide aerial support and I have established three breakpoints. When we call out one of these, two of you will break from the chariot and find the unicorn team I have stationed there. You will create as much atmospheric disturbance as possible to slow the storm down. Soarin, Spitfire, you are to stay with the chariot until the last breakpoint. Are we understood?" "Yes, ma'am!" "Lead the way, Philomena!" At her master's command, the phoenix spread her wings to the sky, roaring into a living flame. "Hooves up, Wonderbolts!" Spitfire called out. "Follow that bird!" Luna and Celestia made sure the chariot went airborne before following. "Let's go, Luna." "Right." The alicorns left the ground like arrows from a bow, easily catching up to Celestia's chariot. Luna flanked the vehicle's right, while her sister took the left, For the next twenty minutes, the only sound past any ears was rushing wind. Beyond Philomena, Luna kept her eyes fixated upon the black storm clouds on the horizon. "Kraaah!" Philomena let out a piercing cry, circling above a structure far off in the distance. "Celestia! Look! The train station!" Luna shouted over the wind. The Sun Goddess' eyes flicked from her sister down to the station and out to the building storm. Which had also noticed Philomena's signal, apparently. "You're kidding... Luna! With me! Let's put some wind under our wings!" Luna nodded. A heavy clap of her wings sent her rocketing after the sun-marked pony. Countryside flew by at a quick clip, bringing the station closer with it. When it drew even with her, the alicorn rolled over and closed her wings. ------------------------- "Kraaah!" The phoenix' sharp cry startled Big Macintosh, who had been dozing down in the train station. He sprinted outside, eyes to the sky. A gold point of light came falling from the blue, dropping like a meteor. Instinct closed his eyes. The foomph! of wings opened quickly was the next thing he heard. "Princess Celestia." The battle-ready alicorn nodded curtly in response. "The foals with you; they are unharmed, yes?" "Sure. They're inside takin' a nap." "Rouse them. Quickly. We are running on borrowed time." The orange-maned pony nodded, running back to the sleeping fillies. "Girls? Girls, wake up." "Hu-hunh?" "Git yer bags and take Angel outside. Quick now!" While they were doing so, the stallion quickly, if messily, gathered the blankets, returning them to the clerk. On his way back, a massive peal of thunder rocked the train station. By the time he was outside, Celestia had been joined by another alicorn and a chariot. "Big Macintosh, take the little ones with you in my chariot." Celestia instructed. "Luna and I will make sure you have a safe flight." "'Safe flight?'" Sweetie Belle echoed. "Why would we-" "Celestia? We need to leave. Now." No sooner had the words fallen from Luna's mouth than the storm's fury broke directly overhead. Rain, lightning, wind, everything was unleashed upon the station. "Quickly, girls, into the chariot!" Celestia ushered the Cutie Mark Crusaders toward the vehicle, shielding them from the rain. A dome of blue light fell over the group, just in time to absorb a bolt of lightning very obviously thrown their way. "I'll keep this spell around us as long as possible, but we need to make some distance!" "You heard the Princess! Lean on those harnesses, Wonderbolts!" Luna followed the chariot into the air to make sure they were protected by her spell. The six ponies in the harnesses were Equestria's number one flying team for a reason; they quickly put up a safety cushion before the storm front. "It's working, Celestia!" "Stay sharp. We're not home yet." Long, slow wingbeats carried Equestria's Sun Goddess up to the chariot's side. "Are you four doing all right?" she asked. From their huddled position against Big Macintosh, the three fillies nodded shakily. "Good. We should be back in Canterlot soon-" "Gaaah!" "Luna! What is it!?" "That...last bolt wasn't lightning..." She forced one eye open against her splitting headache and fought to re-level her flight. "It was dispel magic...!" "What exactly does that mean?" Big Macintosh asked. As if in answer, Luna's protective field flickered once and vanished. "Weapons out, Luna! We'll have to do this the hard way!" Celestia's horn lit itself with an angry yellow flame. Two scythes sprang from the scabbards under Luna's wings. She flashed her sister a playful glance. "Have we ever had it easy?" Celestia returned the grin before disappearing in a flash of yellow light. Her point of reappearance was several feet above the chariot, right in the path of an oncoming bolt. She pirouetted, catching the lightning upon the curved surface of her wing shield and rebounding it back into the clouds. In the same pirouette, the princess swung her morningstar so that one of the two heads snaked out on a magical chain to intercept another lightning bolt, swatting it away. Then, in another flash, she was away to repeat the process. Luna had no wing shield to speak of, but she was no worse off. The lightning bolts were coming at a frantic rate and the Princess of the Night was keeping up wonderfully. Her scythes were spinning like two pinwheels caught in a hurricane, catching lightning inside their twirling blades before tossing it back into the cloudbank. On occasion, she would summon a jet-black vortex to harmlessly swallow the entire bolt. They were so enraptured with the magical dance of the two princesses that none of the passengers expected what came next. Celestia's voice rang out over the storm. "Breakpoint Alpha! Go!" The two outermost Wonderbolts severed their leads and broke off into a steep banking dive. The chariot shuddered violently as the remaining Wonderbolts sped up to compensate for the loss of power. Apple Bloom hugged her brother's foreleg and whimpered quietly. Behind the chariot, a pair of massive tornadoes erupted into the sky. The high winds tore into the clouds, shredding them like tissue. This was no natural storm, though; it parted itself around the cyclones and continued chase. Lightning bolts filled the air once again. Celestia flashed out of the way as Luna sent a scythe spinning through the space she had been instants before. "Hah!" The royal sisters were fighting lightning and winning. "Breakpoint Beta! Away!" At Luna's command, another pair of Wonderbolts peeled off from the chariot. "Think you can keep up, Soarin'?" "Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing." A doubling of the pegasi's speed was necessary to keep the chariot's course true, but the Wonderbolts were up to the challenge. "Girls, look. We're almost there." The earth pony stallion nudged the fillies and pointed to the cliffside city. "We're almost there, Wonderbolts!" Celestia shouted to the pegasi. Curtains of rain slashed through the air, one after another; visibility was near zero. Both of the princesses were fighting on instinct and everypony knows that that will only get one so far... One bolt that got in a little too close succeeded in grazing Luna's flank. Without a second thought given to what might happen, a cry of pain slipped from her mouth. "Aaah!" Celestia's protective instinct immediately shoved the battle fury from her mind. "Luna?" With that one lapse in attention, the defenses had fallen and the chariot was vulnerable. In situations such as this, weak links are oft the first broken; so it was with the chariot and the Wonderbolts in their harnesses. A single bolt went through the pin connecting the two, removing all power from the chariot. Above the ringing in her ears, Celestia caught the wails of sheer terror from the three Cutie Mark Crusaders. "I've already lost one chariot this week, I'm not losing another... Luna! Cover me!" The Princess of the Night had witnessed the accident too and required no further convincing. The scorch upon her flank was completely irrelevant, now weighed against the lives of other ponies. She broke into a dive after the plummeting chariot. A burst of magic whipped the surrounding air into a sphere of gale-force winds that drove off any storm clouds in its path. When she drew a bead on her falling targets, Celestia's magic was finally able to grab the chariot, its five passengers, and all of their belongings. "Hold that shield, Luna!" "You've got about a minute. Move." The use of magic was risky, all but inviting another bolt of dispelling magic their way. Luna had little choice in the matter, though. There was no way she could spin her scythes fast enough to protect a group this big. She had to take it. The first bolt that slammed into the shield sent a massive shock down Luna's horn, straight into her mind. Her wings involuntarily locked up and her flight path dropped a few feet before recovering. She did manage to hold the spell though, which was all that mattered. The chariot run was coming up fast, but not fast enough. "Pick it up, Celestia! I don't think I can repel another one of those!" She was right. The second bolt that came in lanced right through the barrier and dropped onto Luna's armored back. Thankfully, her armor dissipated the electrical energy, leaving only concussive force. Combine that with her locked-up wings though and the Goddess of the Night was still taking a hard tumble onto the chariot run. "Hahhh... That...hurt..." One by one, she gathered her hooves underneath her and struggled into a standing position, scythes at the ready. Meanwhile, Celestia had made it safely to the tunnel, guests and all. Big Macintosh never thought he'd be so relieved to feel solid ground underneath his hooves again. "Thank ya, yer Highness." "There will be time for gratitude later." Celestia ushered the red earth pony and his charges into the tunnel. "You must get these foals to safety. Head down this tunnel, shelter in the guard barracks. Remain there until Luna or I fetch you and then only if we call you by name." "Right. C'mon, girls." A row of unicorn guards fell in behind the earth pony, sealing off the tunnel mouth. "Let nothing pass this point." The Sun Goddess gave one final order to her guards then turned and galloped down the chariot run to where Luna stood fighting off lightning bolts like a madpony. "Are you holding up all right? Dispel magic isn't easy to defend against." "'Tis but a scratch. I've endured worse, sister. The foals, are they safe?" "Indeed. Shall we finally return the fight?" Luna's two scythes clicked together so that they resembled a stringless crossbow. A bolt of magic manifested upon the shaft of the weapon. "Let's." Shots began flying from the weapon like the rain from the clouds. Some intercepted lightning bolts, while most sought paths through the clouds, punching holes as they went. Celestia's efforts were met with no more success than her sister's; the clouds were reforming faster than could be dissipated. After ten fruitless minutes of struggling, she drew the proverbial line. "Enough!! Shield your eyes, everypony!" The twin-headed morningstar of Equestria's Sun Goddess began spinning, gaining speed enough to pay out fifteen feet of enchanted chain behind each spiked head. Faster and faster it spun, until each morningstar became brighter than its namesake. Luna dared not cast eye upon the spell being conjured by her sister; it was almost too bright, even behind closed eyes. "My apologies, everypony. You may open your eyes." "An impressive display," Equestria's night princess commented as her blades slid back into their sheaths. "but perhaps a little excessive for a last resort, yes?" "Perhaps. But it was no less effective for it. Come, we've further business." Leaving pristine blue skies behind her, Celestia pointed herself toward the tunnel. Her charges were not yet home. ------------------------- "How is your head feeling, Rainbow Dash?" "I'm fine, Fluttershy... Go check on Applejack..." "A-are you sure? I c-could get you more ice for y-your ice pack...or something..." "I'm. Fine." The glare from the mare's magenta eyes nearly knocked the Element of Kindness onto her flank. Nearly all volume had fled from the yellow mare's voice at her friend's stare. "O-okay then..." The rainbow-maned pony huffed as her timid friend slowly backed away. Ice clacked upon ice when her head returned its gaze out the window again. "You don't have to be like that, Rainbow." Twilight called from Applejack's bedside. "She was only wanting to help." "I don't know if you've noticed, Twi', but we're kinda beyond help here! Sweet Apple Acres is up in smoke, Applejack is out like a light, and the pony responsible for that is sitting right next to you!" In any case other than this, makeup is intended to positively accentuate one's features. When one has been crying for the past hour, however, not so much. At the words from the Element of Loyalty, Rarity looked up. The mascara she had put on as part of her morning routine had traced two sloppy, black streams through her white coat. She quickly wiped her eyes, succeeding only in smearing the mess all over her foreleg. Pristine and lady-like were the last words Rainbow Dash would have used to describe her right now. "Rainbow Dash! What happened to Applejack is not Rarity's fault!" "Right! And I suppose it was you that knocked her out with magic, huh, Twi'!" The sarcasm rolling from the pegasi's mouth was as obvious as her six-colored mane. The purple mare opened her mouth to defend Rarity once more, but quickly shut it when said pony walked straight past her. Rarity's voice was a little hoarse and broken from her periodic fits of sobbing, but still she spoke with strength. "L-look, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for what happened to Applejack, I-I truly am... Forgive me f-for assuming that there was...any compassion or understanding underneath that greasy scrap of cloth you call a mane!" "What!?" "Perhaps you haven't noticed...but I might have just lost my only sister! Some ponies actually worry about their family, you...you...feather-headed...inconsiderate excuse for a ruffian!" "That's it!" Twilight barely had time to conjure a spell to grab the tail of the cyan pegasus. "Sit down, Rainbow Dash. Sit down and fold your wings. You're not helping anypony by flying off the handle like that." "What about Rarity!? She's off the hook just like that!?" Twilight shook her head. "I didn't say that. But if we let hooves start flying again, somepony else is going to get hurt!" "My goodness...so much shouting..." Twilight's reprimanding bowed before the regal voice, as did she when its owner entered the room. "Princess Celestia..." "We're not interrupting anything, are we?" The Element of Loyalty yelped like some kind of foal's toy as Twilight's magic gave her tail a sharp yank. "N-no... You're not." "It's fine, Rainbow Dash. I heard enough from the hallway." "M-my apologies, y-your Highness..." Rarity sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "I...lost my tongue..." "It's quite all right, Rarity; besides, there's somepony here who'd very much like to see you." The sun-marked pony nodded to Luna, who stepped aside... ...and let three fillies charge in. "Rarity!" "Sw-Sweetie Belle!?" The young filly pressed herself up against the older mare. "Y-you... I t-thought..." Sweetie Belle looked at the black smear upon her flank from her sister's forelegs. "Have...you been crying, sis?" Rarity had her younger sister in the tightest of embraces, and she had no intention of letting her go. "I-I have... I...I thought I h-had lost you..." As if the mere mention of those words could wrench her sister from her, the white unicorn tightened her hug around the filly, silent tears falling from her eyes. "H-hold still for a moment..." Sweetie Belle felt the embrace fall away, replaced moments later by the familiar tug-release, tug-release of her sister's hairbrush. "Sis?" "Y-your mane is a m-mess, Sweetie Belle... A lady must always look her best..." "Right..." Her best... The Crusader's light green eyes kept looking from the black smear upon her flank to the ruined makeup upon her sister's face. Finally, she reached up and began rubbing the mascara away. "Sweetie Belle... What are you-" "A lady must always look her best." "O-of course..." New tears appeared in Rarity's eyes and she nodded. "H-how could I forget...?" she laughed softly. "So, who brought you back, darling?" From the unconscious Applejack's bedside, Apple Bloom let out a desperate "Big Mac!" Seconds later, the large red earth pony rounded the corner into the room. "What is it, Apple Bloom?" Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat or two (probably two) when she saw the apple-marked stallion set hoof in the bedroom. Not in Celestia's lifetime did she ever expect to see him. Not here. Not now. Not in the middle of all this. Still, his being here meant she had to ask him one thing. Before he could reach Apple Bloom, Fluttershy inserted herself in his path. "C-c-can I t-talk with you...? I-in the hallway...?" A moment of pondering and the farmer pony nodded. "'Scuse me, Apple Bloom. Ah'll be right back." In the few second out to the hallway, Fluttershy must've played the ensuing conversation out in her head at least a dozen times. Swallowing, she turned to face the stallion...and met with a raised hoof. "Ah know exactly what yer lookin' fer." Big Macintosh's snout disappeared into his saddlebags, coming back out with a very familiar face. "Angel Bunny!" The mare scooped up the rabbit in her forelegs. "Oh my goodness! Where did you find him?" "Little fella was hunkered down in the forest b'hind yer house. Took some callin' 'fore he came out. Didn't really trust me at first; still don't think he does, really..." From Fluttershy's cradling embrace, Angel Bunny shot a cold glare at the earth pony. "He's just a little picky, that's all. Thank you though." The pegasus mare floated up to the farmer stallion's cheek and very lightly kissed him. Then, as if coming out of a trance, her eyes opened wide as serving trays and she recoiled in shock. "O-oh...m-my...I-I'm...sorry... I...uhm...oh my..." "Shhh... It's fine. Ah'm jus' glad Ah could help ya out. Now, could you help me with somethin'?" Through the pegasi's following recollection of Applejack's unconsciousness, Big Macintosh remained...thoughtfully silent, only nodding every few words. "Ah see... Is Rarity doin' all right?" "Now that she knows Sweetie Belle is okay, she'll be a lot better." "Big Mac! What's takin' ya!?" "That...would be fer me." A silent consensus was reached between the two ponies to return to the room. "What's the matter, Apple Bloom?" The filly's small voice had become squeaky with worry. "AJ's not wakin' up! I-is she gonna be okay?" Twlight's tail descended upon the filly's back. "Of course she is. I've been watching her for the past hour. She's just resting right now." This answer was less than sufficient. "But why won't she wake up!? Ah'm scaired! Ah want her to wake up now!" "Ugh... Be quiet, ya blasted rooster! Sun ain't up fer 'nother five minutes!" The voice brought all attention to the orange pony's bedside. "AJ!? AJ, are ya awake? AJ! Wake up!" Apple Bloom called once more. "All right, fine! Darn rooster..." The orange cowpony shifted about under the blankets, still dreaming. It wasn't until she went to sit up that she properly came to. The charred patch upon her back was a little tender and it stretched ever so slightly. "Aagh!" "Take it easy there, AJ." "Big Mac?" A mixture of relief and surprise glinted through the pained tears in Applejack's green eyes. "Apple Bloom?" A long sigh passed her lips as she fell back to the pillow. "Thank Celestia y'all're all right..." "Go ahead." the princess giggled. "I'm right here."

Lucres

118

Cheerilee,Cutie Mark Crusaders,Fluttershy,Silver Spoon,Adventure,Comedy,Slice of Life,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

In Search of Bighoof

Filly Scout Scootaloo gets lost looking for a monster, and it's up to Fluttershy to save her.

complete

<p>On a Filly Scout camping trip in the Whitetail Woods, Scootaloo is determined to prove she’s not a chicken. In order to do so, she sets out on her own to find and capture the legendary creature known only as “bighoof”. Unfortunately, she’s about to find out that the Whitetail Woods can be more dangerous than their serene appearance suggests. Can Fluttershy bring her back safe, or will something else find her first? Also, Cheerilee completely loses her mind!</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T03:21:33+00:00

2011-07-11T03:21:33+00:00

It was a beautiful summer morning in the Whitetail Woods. Birds chirped happily in the trees, playing in the dappled sunlight shining through the leafy canopy. A shrill whistle pierced the calm, sending the panicked birds flying. "Come on, scouts, we're almost at the campsite!" Cheerilee led her troop of Filly Scouts along the well-worn forest path. There were several dozen of the girls, of varying ages, and all wearing their official green skirts, berets, and sashes displaying their collection of badges. This was Cheerilee's first official outing as troop leader, and she was bubbling with excitement. Fluttershy followed closely behind her. "Um, I think you're scaring the birds..." she said, "Do you really need the whistle?" "I appreciate the advice, Fluttershy, but remember that I'm the troop leader and you're the assistant. I know what I'm doing. Filly Scout regulations say that the leader must be in contact with all the members of the troop at all times!" Cheerilee had been up all night memorising the Scout bylaws. "The whistle makes sure no one falls behind. Besides, I made sure I got one that sounds just like local birds, so they won't be scared!" She cut another thunderous blast, causing another mass avian exodus. "Well, uh... okay." Applebloom winced at the noise. "I'm gonna smack 'er. I swear." she mumbled under her breath. She and Sweetie Belle were walking together, just behind the two adults. "Are we there yet?" asked Sweetie Belle, tugging on the hem of her increasingly itchy uniform. "We've been hiking all morning!" "Just a little further, I promise!" said Cheerilee with another cheery tweet, "I've been coming to this camp since I was your age, so I know this trail like the back of my hoof. See, it's in that clearing up ahead." The trail widened, revealing a stone fire circle surrounded by a number of elderly, weather-beaten canvas tents. "Here we are! Welcome to Camp Apple Road, girls!" Applebloom leaned over to whisper in Sweetie Belle's ear. "More like 'camp road-apple', right?" The two girls suppressed a giggling fit. Cheerilee didn't hear them, as she was lost in a haze of nostalgia. "I had so much fun here when I was a scout! We used to have sing-a-longs, make s'mores, tell ghost stories... I can't wait to..." Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a scuffle near the back of the pack. In an instant, she was back in school-teacher peacekeeper mode. "Hey, HEY! What's the problem, here?" She elbowed her way to the rear of the group. A circle of scouts had formed around the tussle, with no one willing to get close enough to intervene. In the center, Scootaloo and Silver Spoon were staring each other down, their chests heaving as they caught their breath. They weren't actively fighting at the moment, but the dust covering their uniforms showed that it was only a brief lull. "Break it up you two!" Cheerilee shouted sternly, "I will not tolerate fighting on this trip!" "She started it!" said Scootaloo, pointing an accusing hoof at her rival. "I don't care who..." Cheerilee started. "I did not!" said Silver Spoon haughtily, ignoring her, "You were the one looking at poop! What was I supposed to say? Should I have congratulated you on your find, perhaps?" A chorus of titters made its way through the crowd. "It's called spoor, dummy." Scootaloo said, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, "It's a way of tracking animals in the wild." "That's true!" Fluttershy suddenly piped up, then shrunk back as the crowd turned its attention on her, "Oh... um, I mean, that's a real thing. Spoor, I mean. You can find out where an animal has been by looking at things like its prints and, well, its droppings. If you want, I could teach you how to..." She trailed off when Cheerilee shot her a look that said 'Let me handle this.' "Now, see here, girls..." she began. "Like you could ever track wild animals." Sliver Spoon interrupted, "We all know you're just a big chicken." "What did you call me?" Scootaloo growled, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, you didn't hear?" Silver Spoon grinned sadistically, "Should I cluck louder for you?" "Hey, back off, trust fund!" Applebloom shouted, pushing her way to the front of the group. "Yeah!" added Sweetie Belle, "You mess with one Crusader, you mess with all of us!" "Oh boy," Sliver Spoon rolled her eyes, "The blank-flank cavalry is here. I should have known you were too chicken to take me on by yourself." "I don't need..." Scootaloo started, but was cut off by a painfully loud, piercing whistle. All the scouts held their ears until the noise stopped. "That's enough of that!" said Cheerilee, glad to finally have their attention. "This is not how we conduct ourselves in Filly Scouts. Do you remember the scout oath? Everypony say it with me!" All the scouts followed along robotically, repeating the oath they had memorised: "I promise to do my duty to Celestia and my country, to help other ponies at all times, and to always be honest, kind, cheerful, generous, and loyal." "That's right!" Cheerilee nodded authoritatively, "We're Scouts, and we're here to have fun and make friends and learn about nature, not to fight and argue. Now, I'm willing to write it off as high spirits this one time, but I want you two to shake hooves and apologise!" After some grumbling, the two girls reluctantly complied, not making eye contact as they muttered a half-hearted apology. "Good." said Cheerilee, "That's that, then. Everypony pick a tent and get your bags unpacked. There's room for four in each, so get to know your roomies. I don't want to see any more fighting!" The crowd began to disperse, having nothing left to gawk at. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle caught up with their friend, helping her pick up her backpack from where it had been dropped during the fight. "You okay?" Applebloom asked. "I'm fine, I'm fine." said Scootaloo, her cheeks still flushed. Fluttershy approached them timidly, "I'm sorry about the uh, spoor thing. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Scootaloo shrugged. "It's okay, you were just trying to help." "What animal were you tracking, anyway?" asked Sweetie Belle, "That sounds like fun!" Scootaloo's mood brightened instantly. She looked around with a conspiratorial glint in her eye, then motioned for them to come closer, pulling a heavily dog-eared book out of her bag. "I'm looking for this!" It was a colorful book with lots of pictures, the kind intended for young children. The cover depicted a wild-looking creature, resembling a pony but much larger, and covered in shaggy brown fur. The title read: The Foal's Guide to Bighoof. Sweetie Belle squinted at the illustration. "What is that, some kind of monster?" "Bighoof isn't a monster!" said Scootaloo defensively, "He's the missing link between ponies and... and..." she paused, thinking, "...whatever came before ponies. Horses, probably. He's gentle and misunderstood. That's why he's always spotted in places like this," she gestured to the woods around them, "and not in scary places like the Everfree Forest. I'm gonna find him, and get my cutie mark, and then everypony will know me as the famous bighoof catcher!" She puffed out her chest, imagining the hoards of admirers jostling to get the autograph of the brave pegasus girl who finally captured the wily and elusive creature. Fluttershy looked at the book thoughtfully. "Where did you get this?" "It's the library's only copy," Scootaloo said, hugging it protectively, "I check it out every week to make sure no one else gets it." "I've heard of bighoof before." said Applebloom, "Applejack says it's just a myth made up by ponies who've hit the salt lick too hard." "He's not a myth!" Scootaloo said, her voice cracking slightly with the force of her conviction, "He's real! I know he is!" "Hey, okay, if you say so, Scootaloo." Applebloom said, trying to calm down her friend, "Listen, me and Sweetie Belle are gonna go claim a tent before all the good ones are taken. Peachy Pie said she'd split one with us so we wouldn't have to bunk with the jerk patrol." she tilted her head in the direction of Silver Spoon and her friends, "We'll catch up later, okay?" Scootaloo grumbled a bit as she watched them run off. She and Fluttershy continued to walk together in an awkward silence for a moment, until she spoke up again. "You believe in bighoof, right?" she said, looking up hopefully. The question startled Fluttershy, even though she knew it was coming. "Well, I, um... I guess I..." she stalled, avoiding eye contact. Eventually she sighed, giving up. "No, no I don't. Not really." The look on Scootaloo's face was heartbreaking. "I'm sorry." Fluttershy said effusively, "It's just... I don't think there's any evidence that..." "Yeah, well, whatever." Scootaloo said coldly, turning away from the older pegasus, "'Scuse me, I have to go unpack." She trudged off towards the tents, leaving Fluttershy alone. Making themselves at home on the rusty, army-style cots, the girls found themselves with some free time. They fell back on the traditional pastime of all scouts sharing a tent: idle gossip. "...so I was hanging out in Rarity's boutique the other day," said Sweetie Belle, giving the cot springs an experimental bounce, "And this lady walks in with these, like, diamond things stuck right in her eyeballs!" "Ew, gross!" said Peachy Pie from her cot. "I know, right?" Sweetie Belle gushed, "Rarity said not to stare, 'cause it was something called 'Twinkle Eye Syndrome.'" "Oh, you mean Twink Eye?" said Applebloom, "My granny had that once. The doctor gave her some eye drops and it went away after a couple a' weeks." "Does it hurt?" asked Peachy Pie breathlessly. "Nah, it just makes it really hard to see. She said it was like looking through a kaleidoscope all the time." Applebloom stretched her legs casually, "It was kinda funny, really. You shoulda' seen her bumping into gates and knocking over fences..." "Could you guys shut up? I'm trying to read!" said Scootaloo irritably, her nose still buried in her book. Applebloom sat up, eyeing Scootaloo quizzically. "You're still obsessin' over that?" "What do you care?" Scootaloo said sourly, not looking up, "Bighoof's just a myth, remember?" "Hey, that's just what Applejack told me." said Applebloom, sounding more than a little hurt by her friend's harsh tone, "You don't have to bite my head off." "It does seem sort of unlikely, though." said Sweetie Belle, "I mean, there are tons of weird creatures in the Everfree Forest, but if there was something like that living so close to us you'd think we would've found one by now." "Well, I don't care if I'm the only one who believes." Scootaloo said grouchily, "You'll all see, once I find bighoof and get the coolest cutie mark ever!" "Why are you acting like this?" said Applebloom. She was starting to lose her temper herself. "We're your friends, remember? Besides, there's got to be easier ways to get a cutie mark." "That's just it!" said Scootaloo, slamming her book closed and hopping off the cot, "I don't want to get mine the easy way! Can you imagine living the rest of your life with something lame like a hammer or a cloud or a piece of fruit as your cutie mark? I couldn't stand it if I was forced to be boring!" She hopped off of the cot, sliding her book into her backpack, which she hadn't bothered to unpack, and shuffling it into place between her wings. "Pardon me for wanting to do something interesting with my life!" she shouted on her way to the door, "And pardon me for thinking my friends might support me!" She attempted to slam the tent flap on her way out, only making a disappointing fwup noise. The other girls sat in stunned silence for a minute. "What's wrong with fruit?" said Peachy Pie, looking at the peaches on her flank. "Don't mind her, Peachy Pie." said Applebloom, "She just needs to calm down. She gets into little funks like this every now and then." "I don't know," said Sweetie Belle, "I've never seen her act this funky before." "She'll be fine." Applebloom assured her, "Trust me, all she needs is a little fresh air. She'll get this outta' her system and we'll all be laughing about it by lunchtime." Several hours later, the scouts gathered around the fire for lunch and a lesson in camp cuisine. Cheerilee was in the center, shoveling hot coals over the lid of a dutch oven. "And that's how you do it!" she said, sweating a bit from the heat and exertion. She had almost regretted lugging the heavy cast-iron pot along on the hike to the campsite, but it was turning out to be a perfect tool to teach the scouts about campfire cooking. "In just fifteen minutes, we'll have fresh, hot biscuits for lunch! Any questions?" Sweetie Belle raised a hoof. "When do you put the dough in?" "Well, you have to... I mean, before you..." Cheerilee stammered, looking back and forth between the coal-covered dutch oven and the clearly still-full mixing bowl. She cleared her throat, recovering her composure. "Okay, uh, that was just a practice run. Help me dig the oven out and we'll do it for real this time." "Miss Cheerilee! Miss Cheerilee!" shouted Applebloom, running up to the campfire with Fluttershy. "Have you seen Scootaloo? We've been looking all over and we can't find her!" "What do you mean you can't find her?" asked Cheerilee, instantly forgetting about her biscuit problems. "We had an argument, and she went outside, and she took her pack with her." said Applebloom, "I thought she was just going for a walk or something, but she hasn't shown up for hours! I think she went into the woods!" Cheerilee's heart sank. One of the scouts was missing on her watch. She'd had nightmares about this very scenario for weeks leading up to the trip. "Are you sure she left the campsite?" she asked, struggling to remain calm, "Maybe she's just hiding from us?" "Don't worry," said Sweetie Belle, "If she's hiding, I'll get her to come out." She took a massively deep breath. "SCOOTALOO'S A BIG CHICKEN!" she shouted, "BAWK BAWK BAWK!" As her words echoed through the trees she threw herself on the ground, covering her head with her hooves protectively. A long moment passed as the scouts stared at her. Eventually she lifted her head and looked around fretfully. "Yeah, somethings definitely wrong." she said, "She's usually punching me by now." "I'm afraid it's sort of my fault," said Fluttershy, "You see, she and I were talking about..." "What do you mean it's your fault!?" said Cheerilee, panic edging into her voice, "Did you tell her to go in the woods by herself!? Why would you do that!?" "I mean, I said something that upset her and I feel responsible for..." "Okay, it's okay! Everything's okay!" Cheerilee shouted, frantically flipping through her scout handbook, "There are procedures for missing scouts! Nopony panic! Everypony stop panicking!" "You're the only one panicking." said Applebloom, looking at her doubtfully. Cheerilee barely heard her. Flop sweat beaded on her forehead as she scanned through the handbook. "I've found it!" she said, "It says we need to have the whole troop line up and start searching in concentric circles around the campsite..." "That won't work." Fluttershy interrupted, "She doesn't want to be found." Fluttershy was uncomfortable with acting so forceful, but with Scootaloo's safety on the line she felt the need to take control. "A big search party would just scare her off. But if just one of us looks for her we can track her down and convince her to come back." "I can't do that!" Cheerilee said shrilly, "I've never been off the path! I'd be just as lost as she is!" "I meant I should look for her." said Fluttershy patiently, "I can work my way around the site and pick up her trail. She shouldn't be harder to track than any other animal, and I have a feeling she'll be willing to listen to me." "But... but you can't go alone!" "I don't have a choice. You have to stay here to look after the other girls." Fluttershy was already filling her pack with supplies. "Just trust me on this, okay? I'll bring her back safe, I promise." Cheerilee put the whistle in her mouth again as she mulled the plan over, blowing a few shaky tweets. It seemed to comfort her. "O... okay." she said after some time, "You can look for her. But if you're not back by sunset, I'm getting all the scouts together and we're doing it by the book." Fluttershy steeled herself and gave Cheerilee a determined nod. "You can count on me." She hefted the pack onto her back and set off. Applebloom caught up with her as she reached the edge of the woods. "Fluttershy, before you go..." she said, "If... when you find Scootaloo, please, tell her I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to make her so upset." "Don't worry," Fluttershy said, trying her best to sound reassuring, "She'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." She felt a lump in her throat as she entered the forest, silently adding: 'I think.' Scootaloo stomped noisily through the forest undergrowth. If no one believed in bighoof, she thought, she'd just have to prove it to them herself. The campsite was far behind her now, and it had been some time since she had seen signs of civilization. She stopped walking briefly when her stomach grumbled at her. "Probably shouldn't have left until after lunch." she thought out loud. A few minutes of searching through the brush yielded a shrub full of plump, purple berries. They reminded her of grapes, though they were smaller and darker than the ones she had seen in the market. A tentative taste revealed them to be sweet and ripe. "All right, I'm a natural forester!" Scootaloo said to herself proudly, "Only a couple of hours in the wild and I'm already foraging food!" She munched on the berries as she flipped through the Foal's Guide to Bighoof. After she finished her snack, she looked around the forest, making sure she was alone. "I guess I'm far enough from the campsite to try a few calls." She took a few deep breaths, then let loose. "YAWP! YAWP! YAWP, YAWP, YAAAAAWP!" she yelled in what she hoped was a bighoof-y way. She glanced around hopefully as the calls echoed around her, looking for any signs that she had attracted a bighoof. Seeing none, she squinted at her book again. "Maybe my yawp's weren't barbaric enough." she said with a shrug. She flipped to the section titled 'Tracking and Capture Techniques.' This was by far her favorite part, where it listed several live bighoof traps and gave instructions for building them. "All right, now we're talkin'!" She sorted through the various nets, ropes, and other bighoof-hunting supplies she had bought specifically for this trip, finally pulling out a collapsible shovel. She had a lot of work to do, and she figured she might as well get started. Fluttershy crept through the underbrush, following the trail Scootaloo left in her wake. She relied on hoofprints when the ground was soft enough to leave them and looked for bent foliage and other subtler signs when it wasn't. Luckily, Scootaloo didn't know how to disguise her trail, and it was easy enough for Fluttershy to follow once she had determined which direction the filly had set out in. Still, the young girl had a few hours worth of a head start, and Fluttershy was going to run out of daylight eventually. "Okay," Fluttershy said to herself, trying to think like her quarry, "I'm a little girl looking for bighoof. I'm upset, so I'm not thinking rationally, and I don't seem to notice how lost I'm getting." Fluttershy's voice cracked a little. She was starting to psych herself out. "I... I'm just a little defenseless girl and I don't know anything about finding my way through the woods but I just keep going deeper and deeper until I..." "Excuse me?" Fluttershy let out a tiny eep at the sudden, unexpected voice and ducked behind a bush. "Uh, excuse me?" it said again, a little louder this time. Fluttershy forced herself to stop shaking, deciding she needed to investigate the voice. Whatever it is, she thought, at least it sounds polite. "Hello?" she called out, "Who's there?" "Ah, yes, splendid!" said the voice, "Thought I was hearing things for a minute there. Would you mind awfully lending me some assistance? I've gotten into a bit of a pickle, you see." Fluttershy followed the voice until it led her to a large hole dug into the ground. Sticks, branches, and leaves had been laid over it, making it look identical to the forest floor. That is, until something had walked over it and fallen through. She peeked over the edge, finding a haughty-looking deer staring back at her from the bottom. Fluttershy gasped, recognising him. "Mr. Bucksley!" she exclaimed, "What happened to you?" "Ah, the little pegasus from the cottage! So nice to see you in my neck of the woods!" he said, "Pardon me for not introducing myself properly, but I seem to have found myself in some sort of man-trap. Or deer-trap, as it were." "Bighoof trap, actually." said Fluttershy. She slid down into the pit and helped disentangle the deer from the roots and branches littering the floor. "Bighoof, eh?" he raised an eyebrow at her, "I hadn't pegged you as the cryptid-hunting sort." "It's from one of my scouts." Fluttershy explained, "She's gone off on her own, and I'm trying to find her." She grabbed onto the deer's midsection, using her wings to lift him out of the hole. He was heavier than she was used to lifting, but she managed to get him high enough that he could scramble out on his own. They brushed themselves off and sat by the edge of the pit, catching their breath. "You haven't seen her, have you?" she asked, "Orange pegasus, scout uniform, about this big?" She held her hoof the appropriate height off the ground. "I'm afraid I haven't seen much this afternoon," he said dryly, "As I've spent most of it at the bottom of a rather large hole." "Oh, I guess that's true." said Fluttershy, looking down dejectedly, "Well, if you see her, try to find me and let me know, will you?" She put her nose back to the forest floor, attempting to pick up the trail again. "That I will, that I will." said the deer, "Have a few harsh words to say to her myself, I don't mind telling y... I say, what are you doing now?" Fluttershy had found something small and lumpy behind a tree, and she was using a stick to prod at it. "It's Scootaloo's, I'm sure of it!" she said, a look of grim determination in her eyes. "You make a habit of examining your scouts', ah... leavings, do you?" he sniffed. Fluttershy ignored his tone. "Judging by these seeds, she's been eating purple barberries." "Oh. Oh my." said the deer with sudden understanding, "That could be quite serious. You'll need to find her within a few hours or..." "I know," she said, "but I'm more worried about this." She pointed to a set of prints in the soft soil that seemed to follow Scootaloo's. They were large and indistinct, but mostly, they were large. "It looks like I'm not the only thing in these woods that's tracking her." Scootaloo groaned, her stomach churning. This was the sixth time she'd had to duck behind a tree in the last hour, and it was quickly going from annoying to scary. She was feeling increasingly woozy and her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. The summer heat, which she'd previously found pleasant, was becoming unbearable. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep, but what little she remembered from first-aid class told her that was a bad idea. She squinted at the sun, cursing herself for not bothering to memorize which direction it set in. Her pack had been full of things she thought she'd need to find bighoof, most of which were now spread across the forest as part of her various traps. She regretted not bringing a compass, or a canteen, or anything really useful. She regretted not paying attention in the wilderness survival lessons they'd had in previous scout meetings. She doubled over as another painful cramp twisted up her stomach. She was really starting to regret the berries. The sound of a twig snapping behind her made her jump. "Who's there!?" She turned around unsteadily, the forest continuing to spin around her. She willed her eyes to focus. Something big was moving slowly in the distance. "Bighoof? Is that you?" It seemed startled by her voice, freezing in place. "Don't run!" Scootaloo shouted, "I won't hurt you!" She stumbled forward, trying to catch up with the creature before it escaped, "Please, bighoof, I just want to..." She stopped. It wasn't bighoof. It was... something else. Turning to face her, it opened its jaws impossibly wide and snarled at her through a pair of monstrous, sickle-like teeth. Scootaloo screamed. There was barely enough time to turn around before it was on top of her. She felt its powerful forelegs wrapping around her, holding her down. It sunk its fangs into her backpack, spearing it. She wriggled out of the straps, managing to get free and scramble away from the thing backwards. The pack was stuck on its long teeth, and the creature backed off for a moment, attempting to free its jaws. She finally got a clear look at it as she pushed herself away. It looked like some sort of enormous cat, although the way it hunched over its muscular front legs made it seem almost bear-like. It's fur was covered in a complicated spot pattern that transitioned into stripes along its tall, tufted ears and short, stubby tail. Scootaloo gaped at it in shock; it was easily twice as big as she was. Shaking its head violently, it ripped the backpack apart. Shreds of paper spilled out, billowing out of the pack like snowflakes. "My... my book...!" Scootaloo whimpered. Angry tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the tattered remains of The Foal's Guide to Bighoof slowly settle on the forest floor. "You ripped up my book, you big... stupid... thing! I hate you! I hate you!" Incoherent with rage, she grabbed a rock and chucked it feebly at the creature, watching it bounce harmlessly off of the beast's furry hide. It turned to face her again, a low, rumbling growl in its throat. "Oh, crap." she said, her senses returning to her. She pumped her already aching muscles as she ran, not daring to look behind her. It was so close she could almost feel its breath on the back of her neck. A protruding tree root caught her hoof and sent her tumbling, knocking what little air she had left out of her lungs. She tried to get up, but already she felt the thing's forelegs wrapped around her again, lifting her forcefully off of the ground. She screwed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the inevitable bite. It didn't come. She opened her eyes gingerly, watching in shock as the ground seemed to drop away beneath her. The legs wrapped around her midsection weren't the clawed monstrosities she was expecting, but were instead a pale yellow. She tilted her head up to see a familiar, upside-down face. "Fluttershy!" Scootaloo gasped weakly, "You... you saved..." She trailed off as her vision blurred and she passed out. Scootaloo woke up sputtering, a canteen pressed to her lips. She was lying in some sort of improvised tent, made from a tarp tied between a pair of trees. It was already dark. "Oh, thank Celestia, you're awake!" said Fluttershy, "Don't worry, you're safe now. I've got a fire going outside, and that should scare off any more dangerous animals. Here, drink this." She offered the canteen again. Scootaloo tried to push it away. "Berries..." she wheezed, "...sick..." "Shhh... it's okay, they weren't poisonous," the older pegasus said reassuringly, "but they are an effective laxative. You're pretty badly dehydrated." She pressed the canteen to the girl's lips again, insistently. "Drink all of it, but slowly, so you don't choke. I can always boil some river water if we need more." Scootaloo calmed down as she sipped, feeling her strength gradually return. She had never imagined that water could taste so sweet. "What was that... thing?" she said, shivering. Fluttershy put a comforting hoof around the young girl. "Saber-toothed bobcat. It's a good thing I found you when I did. Poor thing was so confused." "Poor thing!? It tried to eat me!" Fluttershy hushed her quietly again, calming her down. "They don't usually attack ponies; they mostly prey on birds. I think it was an old one, though, almost blind. He must have seen your wings and thought you were something he could eat. It's a good thing you don't sound like a bird too, or he would have given you more than a little test-bite. They have excellent hearing." Fluttershy stopped as Scootaloo's eyes welled up with tears again. "I'm sorry, am I upsetting you? It's okay, he only got your backpack!" "I know, I know," Scootaloo sobbed, burying her face in Fluttershy's chest, "but he tore up my book! It was the library's only copy and he... he just ripped it up and now I'll never see it again!" Fluttershy looked down at her compassionately. "Scootaloo, this is about more than getting a cutie mark, isn't it?" "I don't know." Scootaloo sniffed, looking away, "I guess. Sort of. I just... I just remember seeing the cover in the library and he... bighoof, I mean... he just looked so... I don't know..." "Lonely?" offered Fluttershy. "...Yeah." said Scootaloo, "How did you...?" "Well, you see... the library used to have two copies." She reached for her bag, pulling out a slightly more weather-beaten, but otherwise identical, copy of The Foal's Guide to Bighoof. "I used to check it out every week, just like you, ever since I was your age. Eventually, Twilight just let me keep it." Scootaloo boggled at the book. "But... you said you didn't believe in bighoof!" Fluttershy sighed. "I don't. Not really." She shifted her weight, hugging Scootaloo closer, keeping her warm. "I used to be obsessed about bighoof when I was little. I read about all the sightings, the theories, the hunters who looked for him. I wanted to meet him so much. But most of the sightings turned out to be hoaxes or misunderstandings." "There are still some that aren't explained!" interrupted Scootaloo, "They can't all be hoaxes, can they?" "That's how I felt, too. I kept holding on to the unexplained cases, thinking that one day we would finally find real, solid evidence that he existed. As I grew up, it seemed like we were always just on the verge of finding him, but no one ever got any closer. I kept waiting, but the evidence never came, just disappointment after disappointment. I realized that no matter how hard I believed, it wouldn't make him real." "So that's it then?" said Scootaloo, her eyes downcast, "He's not real?" "I didn't say that." said Fluttershy, "I said there's no evidence that he's real. There's a big difference." She tapped the book with her hoof. "I would love to know that bighoof is real. Almost nothing could make me happier. But I want him to be really real, not to just believe. Do you understand?" "I think so." Scootaloo sniffed, "Why didn't you tell me all this earlier today?" "Well, you didn't give me a chance! I wish you had just talked to me, instead of going into the woods on your own. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were so worried about you! It can be dangerous out here if you don't know what you're doing!" "Right, sorry." said Scootaloo, hanging her head guiltily, "Some forester I turned out to be, huh? My first time in the wild and I almost poop myself to death." "Well, it turned out okay in the end." Fluttershy said with a small smile, "At least you left me a trail to follow, right?" "Oh," Scootaloo blushed, "Ew." Fluttershy chuckled warmly. "Don't worry. Cheerilee and the rest of the scouts are out there looking for us right now, so all we have to do is stay put and wait for them." "All right." said Scootaloo, "But, when the others get here... Could you tell them you found me in a less embarrassing way?" "No problem." She rustled the youngster's mane playfully, "You just rest here and I'll look after the fire. I've got a thermal blanket if you get cold and some oat bars if you get hungry." "Wow, you really thought of everything, huh?" Scootaloo looked at the older mare thoughtfully, "You know, you act different when you're out here in the woods." "Do I?" Fluttershy blushed, suddenly back to her old self, "I... uh, I didn't notice..." Scootaloo laughed. "It's okay, I like it. You're more... confident." "Well, um, thanks." Fluttershy said with a bashful smile, "I guess I get that way when I'm doing something really important. Now, try to get some rest, okay?" She smiled at her, then left to take care of the fire. Scootaloo rolled over, getting comfortable. She tried to relax, listening to the chirps of crickets outside the improvised tent, but something was nagging her at the back of her mind. She couldn't help thinking about the animal that had attacked her. "Stupid bobcat," she said to herself, "Even the animals out here think I'm a chicken." Something about that thought made her pause. "It's okay," she said, trying to reassure herself, "Cheerilee's gonna be here any minute now and she'll be... she'll..." Scootaloo's eyes snapped open. Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. Cheerilee stared into the woods almost catatonically as she walked, the whistle in her mouth like a pacifier. It made a noise every time she breathed out. The scouts were on their eighth circuit around the camp, and it was getting darker by the minute. Applebloom had her flashlight out as Sweetie Belle consulted the scout handbook. "It says that in a prolonged search, we should look out for signs of putri... putre..." she faltered. Applebloom leaned over, helping her out. "Putrescence." "...Putrescence, like maggots and carrion eaters, that might be attracted to corpses." Tweetweetweetweetweetweetweetweet. Sweetie Belle wrinkled her nose at the handbook distastefully. "Who the heck wrote this thing? Isn't it supposed to be for children?" "The better question is why we're even out here." Silver Spoon said irritably. She had been on the verge of a tantrum for the entire search. "Just because that little twerp got herself lost we all have to..." "Shut up," said Applebloom, glaring at her, "I think I hear something." She aimed her flashlight into the rustling bushes. "Scootaloo, is that you? You can come out, we're sorry we made you mad!" "Even though you were being kind of a jerk!" added Sweetie Belle. "What?" she said defensively as Applebloom glared at her, "She was!" The leaves parted, revealing a flustered yellow pegasus. "Fluttershy!" said Sweetie Belle, "What happened? I thought you would've found Scoots by now!" "I did," said Fluttershy with a mixture of frustration and panic in her voice, "But she ran off again! She said you were all in danger! I lost her at some point, and now it's too dark to pick up the trail again!" "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" said Sliver Spoon, stamping her hooves in frustration, "Why would she go and do a thing like that? What could possibly be so dangerous that..." There was a low growl from somewhere in the bushes. The scouts instinctively froze in place. They looked around, unable to pinpoint the source of the noise. "Just... stay calm..." said Fluttershy quietly, "Don't panic... As long as we don't antagonise it, it will leave us alone..." "It!? What's 'It'!?" Silver Spoon said in a tiny shriek. "Shhh!" said Fluttershy, "It doesn't want us! Any other pegasi here, keep your wings folded. Stay quiet... it'll lose interest when it figures out that we're not..." Twetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwe... Cheerilee was fully hyperventilating now, staring at the bobcat just ahead of her with pupils the size of pinpricks. The only part of it visible through the bushes were its vicious teeth and its milky-white eyes. Muscles tensed in its legs as it prepared to strike. "BAWK BAWK BAWK BAWK!" Scootaloo charged out of the woods, flaring her wings and stamping her feet. "BUCKA-BUCK BUCK BUCK! Come and get your chicken dinner, ya big dumb fuzzball!" She blew a furious raspberry, then turned tail and dashed off into the woods, the bobcat giving chase. Fluttershy, in shock, hesitated for a split second before she took off, desperately trying to catch up. The rest of the scouts looked at each other as the forest went quiet again. "I just hallucinated that, right?" said Silver Spoon, her face locked in a rictus grin, "'Cause I've clearly gone crazy." Tree trunks flew past Fluttershy's face. She was weaving through the forest recklessly, flying faster that she had ever flown before, but it wasn't enough. She caught brief glimpses of Scootaloo and the bobcat below her, but she couldn't get close enough. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she cursed herself for not learning how to fly like Rainbow Dash. The sound of rushing water came from up ahead. "The river! Oh no, she'll be trapped!" she yelled, trying to pump more speed out of her aching wings. As the trees thinned out ahead she could just make out Scootaloo, now turned to face her pursuer and backing up against the steep bank of the river. She was completely in the open, and the bobcat had cut off her only escape route. Throwing her last bit of strength into her wings, she dove towards Scootaloo. Shutting her eyes tightly against the rushing wind, the last image she saw was the bobcat in mid-leap. She barely registered hearing an odd twanging noise as she barreled into the younger pegasus, rolling along the ground with her as she landed. Fluttershy curled around her protectively, screwing her eyes shut even tighter as she braced herself. A long moment passed. "Fluttershy?" said Scootaloo from underneath her, her voice muffled slightly. "Don't worry! I'll protect you!" Fluttershy squeaked, quivering with terrible anticipation. "It's okay, Fluttershy. Look up." Fluttershy risked a peek upwards, then her jaw dropped. The bobcat was suspended in a net tied to the branches above them. It swayed gently as it struggled. "Bighoof trap number 23." said Scootaloo, smiling up at her meekly. Fluttershy hugged Scootaloo close, tears of relief running down her face. "Don't you ever do anything that dangerous again!" "Okay, okay!" Scootaloo said, giggling from the heady rush of adrenaline, "I'm done with being bobcat bait, no problem!" "I thought I'd lost you!" Fluttershy continued, "How did you find the rest of the troop?" "Oh, I didn't." said Scootaloo, "I just hid in a bush until you passed me, then I followed you. I figured you'd be able to find them quicker than I could." Fluttershy blinked. "That's... actually pretty clever." she said, "Don't ever do anything that clever again, either." The next day, the sun rose lazily over the campsite. Scootaloo sat by the fire with a slice of bread impaled on a stick, trying for the third time that morning to make toast. She looked up at the sound of a scuffle near one of the tents. "Come on, Silver Spoon! You can't stay inside all week!" Diamond Tiara shouted. "No way!" Silver Spoon shouted back hysterically, "Why on Equestria are we still out here when that THING almost killed us!?" "Ugh, you know they took the bobcat to some wildlife preserve, or something. It's perfectly safe now! Come out, you're embarrassing me!" "NO! I'm never coming out!" Scootaloo rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her breakfast. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle walked up to join her. "Hey, what's up?" said Applebloom. "Not much." said Scootaloo, "Want some toast? There's a few pieces that aren't too burned on one side." "No thanks." Applebloom shifted in her seat awkwardly, "Listen, about last night... We're cool now, right?" "Yeah, we're cool." Scootaloo smiled at her, "I was kinda bein' a jerk." "See, that's what I said, but..." started Sweetie Belle, "...I mean, uh, whatever. I think I will have some toast." She crunched on one of the charred slices, looking down sheepishly. "Nah, you're right." sighed Scootaloo, "I shouldn't have let the whole bighoof thing come between us. One of us could have gotten hurt because of me. No cutie mark is worth that." A thought occurred to Sweetie Belle. "Hey, maybe you already have a bighoof cutie mark, but it's just hiding!" "Aaah, don't say that!" giggled Scootaloo, "I don't want a wily and elusive cutie mark!" They laughed together for a moment, the tension between them melting away. Out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo noticed Fluttershy on the other side of the camp. "Hey guys, could you watch this for me?" she said, "I have to go take care of something." She trotted over to the older mare, getting her attention. "Hey, Fluttershy." she said timidly, "I just wanted to say thanks for... well, for everything." Fluttershy sighed with weary affection. "I'm just glad you're safe." "Yeah, me too." Scootaloo said, "Uh, how's Cheerilee doing?" "Better." said Fluttershy, "I was just checking up on her. She's teaching a basket-weaving class over by her tent right now. I think she's finding it nice and boring." She gave Scootaloo a sly look. "But it sounds like that's not really what you wanted to ask me, is it?" "Well, no, I guess not." said Scootaloo bashfully, "You see, I've been thinking about what you said last night, you know, about bighoof? I guess I realized that I was being a little naive." A look of concern flashed across Fluttershy's face. "Oh, I was just telling you my opinion. You don't have to change what you believe just because of me!" "No, it's all right." said Scootaloo, "What you said made a lot of sense to me. And I've been thinking... If bighoof is real, and I meet him someday, he'll probably just turn out to be some smelly, hairy animal. I think he's probably a lot more fun to imagine than he could ever be in real life." She coughed, pawing at the ground nervously. "But still, um, do you think I could, uh, borrow that book sometime? Just for a little while?" Fluttershy grinned. "Go ahead and keep it." she put a hoof over Scootaloo's shoulders, "And you know what? If you do find real evidence of bighoof someday, make sure I'm the first to hear about it, okay?" They sat together for a while, enjoying the summer breeze. It was a beautiful day in the Whitetail Woods, and the birds chirped happily in the trees, playing in the dappled sunlight shining through the leafy canopy.

Ninestempest

119

Rainbow Dash,Spitfire,Romance,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,Sex

With a Spark

Rainbow Dash finds Spitfire shortly after the Grand Galloping Gala, and is invited to spend a night at a nightclub with the Wonderbolts.

complete

<p>Rainbow Dash finds Spitfire shortly after the Grand Galloping Gala, and is invited to spend a night at a nightclub with the Wonderbolts.</p>

teen

2012-02-08T21:04:48+00:00

2014-06-15T17:31:52+00:00

Written by Ninestempest/Edef ----- “Spitfire!?” Rainbow Dash called out by instinct, bringing her hooves to her mouth as soon as the words shot through the air, embarrassed at having called out so loudly in the middle of the street. She had just left the doughnut shop where she and her friends had been that night, and only happened to spot Spitfire flying through the sky when she had called up to her. It was the coincidence of a lifetime. Spitfire looked down. Still in uniform, her masked face looked surprised. She quickly changed trajectory and swooped down to meet the cyan pegasus. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash! I was looking for you.” “Y-you were?” Rainbow Dash hardly believed it. Her mind raced with thoughts about the fiery pegasus standing before her. Spitfire was looking for me? Why me? Oh my gosh stay cool Rainbow... “I wanted to apologize about ignoring you all night... The life of a celebrity can be pretty busy.” “Oh, don’t worry about it.” Dash replied nervously, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Spitfire’s face slowly changed to a grin. “Let me make it up to you. How would you like to hang out with the Wonderbolts tomorrow instead? Then we can get to know each other better.” The pegasus blinked. “Yeah, sure, that sounds... cool.” She barely managed to maintain her composure. “Great! Are you familiar with ‘The Night Divine’?” “THE Night Divine!? No way!” Rainbow was stunned; the prestige of the club too much for her to handle as her excitement seeped into her voice. Spitfire chuckled. “That’s just one of the perks of being a Wonderbolt. So, you in?” “Definitely!” There was no attempt to hide her eagerness. “Sweet! Drop by around 8, we’ll be inside.” And with that, just as suddenly as she arrived, she lifted off again, flying off in her original direction. Rainbow Dash watched the Wonderbolt disappear into the distance. When she finally lost sight of Spitfire, she shot into the sky, filled to the brim with glee and the realization of what just happened to prepare for the outburst she knew was coming. When she could no longer contain it, it burst forth in an all too familiar way: “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh...” Rainbow Dash, in her excitement, rocketed all over Canterlot, performing various tricks, dives, and flips. She was aware of how ridiculous she looked performing such maneuvers in formal attire, but there were so few pegasi around it hardly mattered; she felt like her dream was finally within her grasp. If the Wonderbolts were asking her to go out clubbing with them, how long before she starts hanging out with them? Practicing with them? And then eventually joining them... Better yet, Spitfire would be there too. One of the fastest members in the group, she had always been Rainbow Dash’s favorite. She marveled at the yellow pegasus’ confidence in leadership while maintaining a cool, collected attitude. She was a pony Rainbow Dash respected. A pony Rainbow Dash admired. The pegasus let out a quiet, inward squeal of excitement. I’m finally going to meet her! Finally somewhat tired from her nonstop series of tricks, she came to rest atop a cloud. Her heart was pounding and her blood moving quickly through her veins as her mind was wrapped in the thoughts of her dreams when she finally looked straight to the sky and noticed the moon. There it was, hovering in the middle of the sky, seemingly out of reach, the giant white orb glistening over the city below in the midst of a million stars and deep purple sky. It was long past evening, the only light being that meager reflection of the sun off the moon. It was then that she realized something: it was late and she had no place to stay. She then remembered that Twilight Sparkle had decided to stay in Canterlot for a while, to spend time with Princess Celestia. Rainbow Dash departed towards the doughnut shop where she and her friends had been earlier. It hasn’t been too long, maybe I can find Twilight before she turns in for the night... It came into view soon enough, and when she landed at the entrance and found it had already closed, she stomped a hoof in frustration. Twilight and the gang had already left, and nopony else was around. Rainbow Dash stood and thought. She’s got to be headed for the castle! Rainbow Dash lifted off and sped towards the royal palace. Most of the main city was surprisingly close to the castle, but unlike the bustling metropolis that was Manehattan, this city was more spacious with taller structures as opposed to wider ones, and with more open courtyards in general. Rainbow Dash thus had little trouble scanning the city below; finding Twilight Sparkle took only minutes, made all the easier by the blue dress that didn’t much hide the unicorn against the artificially lit tan city streets. “Hey Twilight!” Rainbow Dash called out, swooping down quickly and landing with a small dust cloud emanating from behind her. “Where ya headed?” “Uhm, hey Rainbow?” The indigo unicorn was clearly surprised. “I thought you were headed to Ponyville... What are you doing in Canterlot?” “I ran into the Wonderbolts again!” “Oh, that’s great!” She smiled brightly for a second, and then returned to her curious state. “But what does that have to do with you still being here?” Rainbow Dash let a small grin creep slowly onto her face. “Oh, nothing much... They just wanted me to go out with the whole team to The Night Divine tomorrow!” The cyan pegasus squealed. “It’s going to be... so... awesome!” She exclaimed as she threw her forelegs into the air. “That’s wonderful, Rainbow! Looks like you are going to get what you wanted all along.” Twilight had been brought to a smile from Rainbow’s happiness, but after some more thought, raised an eyebrow. “But what does ANY of that have to do with me?” “Oh, well... we’re meeting up tomorrow and I need a place to crash, and I figured since you were staying in Canterlot...” she looked at her friend expectantly, her large gleaming eyes almost begging. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course you can stay with me, Rainbow. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, but you can stay as long as you need.” Rainbow Dash pumped a foreleg in victory. “The castle is more than large enough for the two of us.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Thanks a lot, Twilight.” “Oh, it’s no problem Rainbow. I’m more than happy to help.” She smiled in return. Not another soul was traversing the city streets lit only by the moon and various lampposts as the two mares navigated down the winding paths towards the castle. As the two conversed, Rainbow Dash’s thoughts drifted off once again to the next day, heavy with anticipation of an evening with Spitfire and the Wonderbolts. ----- The shower’s stream of lukewarm water pelted her coat, wrapping around Rainbow Dash’s skin and giving her comfort. She was relaxed, in bliss, thinking eagerly about the events to come later that night. Memories of a dream from her nap earlier that day were still vivid in her imagination. Images of Spitfire and herself, intertwined and closer than she could have ever imagined, seemed to haunt her; she pushed the images to the back of her mind. Stop getting ahead of yourself Rainbow Dash. What if she’s already with somepony? What if this all turns out to be a wild goose chase? She sighed with frustration. I just hope she likes other mares... After finishing cleaning up and exiting the simple, white-tiled bathroom, she looked about her room before heading to the door. Blinds covering the window blocked out most of the light, leaving the room eerily dark. The king-sized bed, wardrobe, table with a few chairs, and a clock atop a nightstand all adorned the room. The walls were a comforting, bright white-tan mix, and the floor covered was covered with a straight, red carpet, extending from the door. She glanced at the clock, noting the time. 7:40 PM. She swallowed her anxiety. She had twenty minutes to get to The Night Divine. It would be an easy trip from the castle, yet her heart was already racing. She steeled herself for what she was about to do, and left the room. Navigating the hallways and corridors to the front entrance of the castle, she thought about the next best course of action. Maybe if I take a stroll through town, it’ll calm me down a little... She looked up at the sky as she stood on the bridge that hung over a decorative moat, just outside of the castle’s main entrance. The sun hung low in the sky, yet still shone a pale glow over towers and sculptures, casting long, deformed shadows. Clouds in the distance just started turning a pale orange, yet the cities colors were still vivid and regular as if it were midday. As she trotted down the tan roads towards the main hub of the city, she found ponies on determined paths, most seeming to be part of upper society, with more eloquent and expensive clothes, while others were regular ponies that she might see anywhere else. A grand majority of them were unicorns, with only the occasional earth pony or pegasus. She was in the middle of a plaza; tan roads wound about a marketplace and various businesses. She looked to a clock tower, noting it was 7:50 now. I should be there on time at this rate... As she turned towards the direction of The Night Divine, she started thinking about the Wonderbolts again. I’ll just have to tell them about what kind of tricks I can do, yeah! I mean, they’ve already seen a Sonic Rainboom, and I’ve done it twice, and I’m the only pony to ever do it! They must be at least considering me! I just have to get a good word in with Spitfire... her pace slowed once the mare’s name entered her mind. Just cool your jets, Rainbow. Everything will be fine. No worries, right? Rainbow Dash arrived at the club just a minute before eight. She had never been to any kind of nightclub before, only having been to Ponyville’s bar occasionally. The scene was one to behold. The entrance to the club was a pair of extravagant doors, guarded by a large earth pony bouncer. Just next to them was a long line of ponies stretching out along the buildings on the side of the road. While the outside didn’t seem incredibly extravagant beyond the brightly lit sign carrying the name of the club, she couldn’t help but be amazed with its popularity, considering the high-class of ponies that lived in Canterlot. Rainbow Dash studied her surroundings. There wasn’t a Wonderbolt in sight. Disappointed, she started to walk towards the end of the line. Guess I didn’t expect a crowd... “Where do you think you’re going, Rainbow Dash?” The cyan pegasus turned around to see a yellow pegasus with a red and orange mane and amber eyes posing to her the question. “You didn’t think the Wonderbolts would make you wait in line, did you?” Rainbow Dash instantly realized who she was looking at. “O-Oh! Spitfire! Sorry, I didn’t, uh...” “Recognize me without the flight suit on?” Spitfire waited for the cyan mare to catch up. As they walked, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but stare at her. She was lean, fit, and in all around great shape. A picture of perfect health. It was the first time Rainbow Dash had seen her without her flight suit, and she could barely break her gaze from the fiery pegasus before her. The sight caused her to blush. Holy crap, she looks amazing... She spoke up again, bringing Rainbow Dash out of her trance-light state. “Yeah, not many ponies get to see us without them on.” “Y-yeah” She chuckled nervously. “I hardy recognized you.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t think of how to reply, except with the truth. The Wonderbolt, without her uniform, hadn’t stood out at all against the crowd, or the line. Spitfire started walking toward the entrance, motioning with a hoof for Rainbow Dash to follow her. “C’mon, let’s go inside.” “Right behind you!” The two mares walked up to the bouncer, the tall earth pony in a kind of security uniform. Instantly recognizing Spitfire, he let the two pass inside undisturbed, to the dismay of the patrons in line. The sweeping smell of alcohol overtook her as she entered the club – the scent was a strong contrast to the city outside. The lights blinding her, the music blared, loud, but bearable, as her ears adjusted quickly from the quiet murmurs of the Canterlot streets. She could make out ponies on the spacious dance floor, enjoying themselves as they danced in rhythm. It was a sight unlike any she had seen before, and the environment of the club was starting to give her worry, being so unfamiliar with such locations. As they walked through the club, Spitfire pointed out the various Wonderbolts, some drinking, dancing, or socializing with various ponies. Though Rainbow Dash knew all of their names already, she was surprised that she hardly recognized any of them, since none of them had their flight suits on. She followed close behind Spitfire, silently admiring her features as they approached their table. The two mares arrived at their destination. Rainbow Dash easily recognized the last remaining Wonderbolt, who was already sitting at the table: Soarin; the light blue pegasus with a dark blue mane, whom she had seen him face to face before. He wasn’t alone at the table either; next to him was a unicorn mare, with a yellow coat and a two-toned teal mane. Soarin and the mystery unicorn finished conversing as they noticed the two approaching the table. “Hey Spitfire.” He then looked at Rainbow Dash. His eyes were fixated on her for a few seconds, as if recalling a memory. He spoke up again suddenly, “Oh, Rainbow Dash, right? Didn’t recognize you right away without the dress.” The cyan pegasus let loose a ferocious grin at her own name. “Nice to meet ya.” “H-hey there.” She had trouble keeping her composure. “Wh-what’s up?” What’s up? Is that the best you can do Rainbow? “Oh, I’m just hanging with my new marefriend here.” He pecked her on the cheek then smiled at her, and she blushed. As he finished, a waiter came by their table to take their orders. Rainbow Dash, thinking for only a second on what she wanted that night, asked for a Long Island Ice Tea. I’m gonna need some... extra courage. After a good half hour of talking with the two Wonderbolts and the yellow unicorn, Soarin took his leave of the table, his marefriend following him as they left the club for the night, the pair nuzzling affectionately as they left through the doors. Rainbow Dash now sat alone at the small table with Spitfire. The cyan mare took a large sip from her glass. Rainbow Dash had gotten used to the smell of the place now, and while she still felt the music was a little loud, she liked it. Her eyes drifted lazily about the club, as she took more sips from her drink, until they met Spitfire. Her mind focused on Wonderbolt mare, eyes unmoving, as she watched her converse with a few fans briefly. Okay Rainbow, time to get serious... you gotta let her know that you think she’s more than just your idol. That you actually like her. So how do you do that? But as she pondered how to go about it, she couldn’t think of anything. Her thoughts yielded absolutely no results, and her heart beat faster as she started to realize she had no way to break the ice alone. As if on cue, Spitfire ordered more drinks for the two of them, getting a whiskey for herself before asking Rainbow Dash what she wanted. She stammered, both from the attention and from realizing that she was alone with Spitfire again, and absentmindedly requested the same drink, still thinking entirely of the lovely mare that stood before her. Okay, just think about this. How do you go about asking if she likes other mares? You can’t just outright ask her, she’ll think that’s creepy... Rainbow Dash had downed her first glass quickly as the next arrived. She wasn’t much of a drinker; she normally kept to drinking at parties. She enjoyed it, but she always figured that alcohol would keep her from flying at her best. With every splash of her drink down her throat, she could felt herself relax somewhat, yet just a few seconds after, she would feel that anxiety rising up again, realizing Spitfire was right there at the other end of the table, alone with her. Spitfire seemed to be enjoying herself, listening intently to the music and enjoying her own drink, while Rainbow Dash still couldn’t speak, silently sitting at the other end of the table. Her gaze came to rest on Spitfire yet again as her mind raced to find something to break the awkward silence building between them. Just say something Rainbow! Spitfire glanced at Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare froze, locked in the gaze of that wonderful pegasus before her. With a cheeky grin, the Wonderbolt spoke up and said, “You’re cute when you’re nervous.” Rainbow Dash’s heart did back flips; utter chaos burst into her thoughts as her cheeks grew bright red, the suddenness and making her anxiety reach critical mass. It startled her so much that she almost fell out of her chair as she fumbled her glass. It shattered as it hit the floor. Rainbow Dash silently cursed herself, bringing her face down to the table and covering her head in her hooves. Great job Rainbow Dash. Just because you can’t start a conversation doesn’t mean you have to look like some kind of klutz! Strangely, she heard a chuckle. Lowering her forelegs, she looked up at Spitfire, who was gazing back at the cyan mare with a warm smile. It comforted Rainbow Dash to a point where she didn’t want to move. She just wanted to stare into her eyes and admire her face. Spitfire extended a hoof, raising Rainbow Dash’s face to her level. She spoke quietly, words chosen and said as if rehearsed. “You know Dash...” “Y-yes? Rainbow Dash squeaked out. Spitfire barely heard her over the music. “You aren’t very subtle. You’ve been staring at me all night.” Spitfire held her cheeky grin as Rainbow Dash looked back at her. “W-well, you know, I just...” she forced some of her nervousness down her throat and mustered up her alcohol-tampered courage. “You... just look really pretty and stuff... I couldn’t stop... looking at you...” Spitfire brought her face close to Rainbow Dash’s, now only inches away. The cyan mare blushed and swallowed again as Spitfire replied, “Don’t worry about it. I like you too.” “Y-you do?” Rainbow Dash could only answer in amazement. The haze of emotions and hurricane of surprise started to ease themselves from her mind. “I do,” she responded with a wink. Rainbow Dash felt like she could take on a dragon. Like she could perform a Sonic Rainboom at will. She likes me! Oh my Celestia she said she likes me! “So, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire started again, after letting her previous words sink in. “Wanna dance?” Rainbow Dash didn’t have to think twice about her response. “Hell yeah!” Spitfire led her out to the dance floor, gently holding one hoof as she walked in front of Rainbow Dash, who was in the most blissful of trances. The crowd shook and bobbed in rhythm as the two mares slowly started dancing amidst the colorful flashing lights. The DJ was clearly visible, yet nothing else was, the patrons of the club blurry sea of black waves, rolling and cascading around the dance floor. Only Spitfire was clearly visible, just feet away from Rainbow Dash. Her movements and the music both guided the cyan mare. Rainbow Dash had gotten used to the rhythm, able to change and keep up with the song changes easily, and was finally able to let go of enough anxiety that she truly began enjoying herself. The two danced close together as the dance floor seemed to fill up; every passing song felt like a gift to the cyan mare, each one giving her more time to spend with Spitfire. More time to spend time with just her. After finally going through more songs than she could recall, the two went back to their table, having more to drink and to rest their hooves. Other Wonderbolts eventually joined them at the table as the night went on, and Spitfire introducing each one personally to Rainbow Dash, their conversations letting the night pass by quickly. As the last of the Wonderbolts left their company, the two decided to go back out onto the dance floor, feeling somewhat recharged from their rest and their drinks. The song changed. Was it just me, or did Spitfire just get a lot closer? Rainbow Dash only just noticed, but it seemed the Wonderbolt had moved closer to her, dancing more slowly and fluidly. The song changed again, and Spitfire seemed to move closer once more; she could feel the Wonderbolt almost pressed against her chest. Her face started to glow a bright red. Then Rainbow Dash felt Spitfire’s tail brush against her cutie mark. The feeling made her shudder ever so slightly with pleasure, and she couldn’t keep the red on her cheeks from growing brighter as she danced, standing so close to the Wonderbolt. They kept against one another as they continued dancing. Rainbow Dash loved the intimacy, loved being next to her. Whenever they touched, she felt her heart leap. She felt like she could be there all night, dancing and being with her, that nothing could go wrong. Rainbow Dash wanted, more than anything to stay with Spitfire. But so far, all they had done was talk: they spoke of when they were fillies, how they earned their cutie marks, who their parents were. They spoke of when they found out about the Wonderbolts, Spitfire even telling the cyan mare how she joined the Wonderbolts, and even though it was just passing a try out, the cyan mare listened intently, taking in every word. Rainbow Dash wasn’t surprised to find that Spitfire had similar ideals and desires to her own; the thrill of speed and daring tricks was something they shared. Her mind, seemingly unsupervised, drifted towards terrible thoughts. What if we just... keep dancing, keep close together all night... and that’s it? I can’t leave Ponyville, and she won’t just up and quit the Wonderbolts. What if it is months before we even see each other again? Her panicked mind went through various scenarios of the two separating, hardly seeing each other as their lives went on. She didn’t want it to end, not that night. It doesn’t have to end. They started to change position as they danced, and as their faces brushed by, exchanging loving glances, Rainbow stopped moving completely. Spitfire, confused by the cyan mare’s stillness, wasn’t prepared as Rainbow Dash brought her head forward and quickly pecked the yellow mare on the lips. Spitfire stopped and looked back at the cyan mare and her surprised expression quickly gave way to a large, devilish smirk. Without warning, she moved forward. Her lips met Rainbow Dash’s, stealing her breath and composure. The cyan mare’s eyes went wide as her thoughts raced. Spitfire didn’t break stride, slowly but surely leading the Rainbow Dash away from the dance floor, towards the corner of the club, still locked in their kiss. She backpedaled at the Wonderbolt’s whim, offering no resistance, still in shock from the sudden intimacy as events moved through her head faster than she could process. Spitfire released slowly as she gave the cyan mare a look of unmistakable desire. This time they both moved forward, lips locking, their tongues dancing over each other’s mouths. They brought their hooves around each other as they continued, caressing each other, lost in the heat of the moment, the blaring music and beams of multi-chromatic light both hiding their passion from the patrons while going completely unnoticed by the two pegasi. Their mouths parted, took deep breaths, closed in once again. Spitfire’s movements were focused and strong, guiding Rainbow Dash as if a routine had been prepared for each of them, yet only one knew of it. They stayed next to each other, in their own corner of the club, made private only by the other patron’s indifference. Rainbow Dash sat herself on a bench, giving her legs the break they needed. She laid her head against Spitfire’s neck, nuzzling her, comfort and joy the only emotions she could feel as the Wonderbolt sat next to her, her head resting right on top of the Rainbow Dash’s. She didn’t see any flashing lights or hear any music. All she felt was Spitfire against her, a comfort that was indefinable by words. Oh Luna, let this night never end... “Hey, Dash?” Asked Spitfire suddenly, barely audible, her head unmoving. Rainbow Dash glanced up, even if she couldn’t see her love’s face. “Mmmm?” She mumbled into Spitfire’s neck. She lowered her head to Rainbow Dash’s level, and stole a little peck off the cyan mare’s lips. Rainbow Dash blushed again. “Wanna get out of here?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Leave? Where?” She replied with that same devious grin. “My place.” Rainbow Dash’s blush grew to encompass her entire face. Of course the thought had entered her mind in the midst of their time that night, but nothing so quickly or sudden. She almost thought it an impure thought. However, knowing what was being asked of her, she only had one answer. ”More than anything.” ----- The door to the hotel room flew open. The two giddy mares walked in, slowly but surely, giggling as they chided each other for their misplaced steps. Their lips met once more in pleasure as Spitfire slammed the door shut with a hind leg. Alone in the room, Rainbow Dash felt Spitfire grab her, kissing her again and pressing her up against the wall, both holding each other as close as they could be. Their kisses continued, the two pegasi exchanging body heat and tastes, as Spitfire seemed to grow more intense in her movements. The Wonderbolt’s whiskey was still light on her breath, a pleasant tinge tickling the cyan mare’s tongue. Spitfire then began bringing Rainbow Dash towards the bed, their passion still holding a tight grip over them. They fell atop the crimson comforter as the Spitfire pressed her entire body over Rainbow Dash, their forehooves meeting and holding each other tightly. Both of them shuddered in delight and desire with every touch, every kiss, both wanting more and more as their mouths met again and again in more intensity. Rainbow Dash moved to bring her waist right to Spitfire’s, wrapping her forelegs around her love, desperately wanting that touch. Spitfire seemed to have other plans as she parted ever so slowly from Rainbow Dash. She winked as she headed to some of her bags at the opposite end of the room. Rainbow Dash lay unmoving, slightly disappointed in having to wait even a minute, but still eager she waited on top of the bed, following Spitfire with her eyes as she walked across the room. She could feel her heart beating at a mile a minute, her body wanting that beautiful mare before her more than ever. Spitfire reached into one of her saddle bags resting on the floor, and turned to look at Rainbow Dash with an unmistakable look of desire as she brought something out. “You’re going to love this...” ----- Rainbow Dash awoke to the sounds of hooves landing on the city pavement, the soft murmur drifting in from the busy morning streets. She stirred. As her ears grew more alert and her eyes became aware, she felt a weak beam of light falling on her face. She rolled over and covered her face with her hooves, not yet wanting to be awakened. She slowly rolled onto her back and, finally slightly more apt to getting up after several agonizing minutes of feeling more and more exhausted the longer she waited, she slowly opened her eyes, lifting herself up. Her mane hung down over her face, messier than she ever remembered it being. The previous night came to the forefront of her mind instantly, the time they spent etched in her mind forever as she reached with a hoof for her love, the yellow pegasus that lay beside her. She felt nothing; she turned and saw the other half of the bed was empty. Rainbow Dash paused. Huh... She glanced around the room tiredly, and seeing nopony around, decided Spitfire must be in the bathroom. She slowly got out of bed, sitting at its side before getting to the floor. She stretched out each hoof and her wings, smoothing out any kinks that may have come about from her blessed sleep. She gingerly walked to the bathroom door and knocked. As her hoof landed on the door, it opened with a creek, slowly revealing the dark room that showed absolutely no signs of being occupied. Rainbow Dash felt her heart falter. I bet she’s just meeting the other Wonderbolts, or grabbing a quick breakfast in the lobby. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. As she walked back to the bed to get comfortable, she then realized that Spitfire’s saddlebags were gone. I’m... I’m sure she’ll be back, yeah. She’s just off being a famous Wonderbolt. She glanced to the clock on the nightstand, noting it was around 9:30. There she waited. The thoughts of what Spitfire might have done were unrelenting as she sat, doing nothing but listening to the sounds around her to try and distract herself. All she could hear, were the murmurs of ponies outside in the streets, the occasional bird chirping, and hotel patrons walking by her door. Each time she heard a pony clop down the hallway, she would get excited, only to hear the sounds continue on and dash away the small tinge of hope. An hour passed; the clock read 10:30. She lowered her head as her thoughts tumbled towards things she’d rather not think of. She wouldn’t leave me here! She’s probably seeing fans or doing some impromptu show, that’s why she has her bags with her! With some courage, she decided to get on the floor and stretch out her legs and wings again. She then walked over to the window and glanced at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a black, thundering cloud trail, or some sign of the Wonderbolts. Seeing nothing, she sighed and returned to sitting on the bed, patiently waiting. Spitfire would return. She knew she would. She... she liked me right? She said she did... A half hour passed before there was a knock at the door. Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. That’s gotta be Spitfire! Her smile returned and her worries gone, she walked to the door and opened it, ready to hug the yellow pegasus who would be standing before her. As she opened it, she was met with an entirely different pony. One of the hotel staff: a pony in a maid outfit. The unicorn mare looked surprised. “Why is somepony still here? I thought everypony checked out already.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide. “Ch-checked out? B-but Spitfire...” “Spitfire checked out of this room two hours ago... so did all the other Wonderbolts from their rooms.” Rainbow Dash felt like something had fallen from her chest. Stray thoughts had developed about Spitfire while the lonely pegasus was sitting alone in the room, but they were buried deep in hope: a hope that those thoughts were unwieldy manifestations of her baseless fears; but the maid’s words brought those wild conclusions to the forefront of her mind, and she then knew that they were an inescapable truth. Spitfire had left her. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to leave.” Without warning, the maid gently lifted the cyan pegasus using magic, and plopped her down in the hallway. She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what she felt, but it weighed heavily on her chest as her throat seemed to tighten, threatening to keep precious air from her lungs. She knew the Wonderbolts were probably long gone, if they all really left such a long time ago. Her head hung low as she sat in the middle of the hallway, unaware of her surroundings from being lost inside her own mind. She finally moved by the request a patron of the hotel insisting she was blocking a better part of the hallway. His comments seem to shake her from her thoughts – she looked around slowly before finally moving out of the way. Wordlessly, she continued slowly to the other side of the hallway. It took being hassled again by one of the maids before she finally decided to leave the hotel. She walked into the crowd. The midday sun that shone onto everything was completely unobstructed, the bright light glistening off the white walls and the tan streets as it nearly blinded the cyan pegasus. With her head hung low, she walked through the streets, so slowly that other ponies accidentally bumped into her, each one apologizing without her acknowledging that they had even touched her. Spitfire... Spitfire left me... she... left me alone, like I was nothing... why would she do that? She saw her tears hit the pavement as she walked, no destination set in her mind. She said she liked me... She finally stopped when she realized nopony was around her. She glanced around, seeing she had come to an open courtyard, green grass extending for tens of yards in every direction. Her mind was swimming in thoughts as she sat down, trying to make sense of what happened, and what had gone on the previous night. Why would Spitfire do something like that? Did she lie to me or something? Why would she lie? A sudden roar came from overhead. She looked upward to see black, thundering smoke trails she knew so well, quickly dissipating. It was the coincidence of a lifetime. She shot up into the air and followed behind them. Sure enough, there were all of the Wonderbolts, each one in uniform and each one with their saddlebags. They were flying as a group, but hadn’t bothered to form any specific shape or formation. They weren’t flying full speed either, as Rainbow Dash quickly caught up to them, not sure whether she should be seething with anger or crying her heart out. She looped around in front of them, stopping them instantly. Even through their goggles and navy-blue flight suits, they were obviously confused. Rainbow Dash quickly scanned them for Spitfire’s mane, and found her near the middle of the group. “What’s going on, Spitfire!?” Rainbow Dash tried to speak in anger, but her words came out cracked, her tone obviously reflecting her injured heart. The Wonderbolts all flew a bit outward from Spitfire, leaving her in the middle of them all. Some chuckled, others oohed, teasing the fiery-maned mare as she shooed them off with her hoof. The cyan pegasus was trembling as Spitfire sighed. “What are you doing here, Rainbow Dash?” “What am I doing here? Why didn’t you wake me up? Why did you leave me there?” Her tone, desperate, changed to pure sadness as she spoke. “I-I thought we had something... you said...” Spitfire shook her head. “Don’t you get it, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash could hardly speak. “I... I...” her tears were slowly falling again. “There’s nothing between us,” Spitfire remarked with utter indifference. “But... last night...” “Was just that. One night. Enjoy it for what it was.” She gazed right back into the sobbing pegasus’s eyes. All Rainbow Dash saw was apathy. “I don’t think we’ll ever be seeing each other anytime soon, Rainbow Dash. Goodbye.” With that last line, Spitfire floated off to re-gather the other Wonderbolts, leaving the teary-eyed pegasus alone in the sky. She looked on as Spitfire summoned the other Wonderbolts from the various clouds they had perched on, who watched the fiasco whilst stifling laughs, and silencing them with a wave of her hoof before they started to form up their loose non-formation to fly off once again. She stared as they finally left, their black cloud trails hanging solemnly in the air behind them. She’s... she’s going... Rainbow Dash darted forward when she lost sight of the Wonderbolts, but stopped herself, unsure of what she would even do if she caught up with them. She’s gone. She’s really gone. Rainbow Dash drifted downward slowly. So that’s it... She glanced around, and found no other pegasi in the sky, nor on the courtyard below her. She... she just used me... she started sob louder, and brought her hooves to her head as she closed her eyes. She felt every tear building up, falling, landing on her hooves and tracing lines down her fur. I... stop it... why can’t I stop crying... she tried to wipe away her tears, but they were unrelenting. “NO NO NO, STOP IT!” She wailed, spinning around in mid air and jetting off towards Canterlot castle, the tears leaving a trail behind her as she flew, a sparkling rainbow perched high in the sky, slowly fading as the tears fell to the ground. ----- “I’m leaving now, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight Sparkle yelled as she knocked on the door to her friend’s room. Knowing no other ponies were staying in the same hallway as her and Rainbow Dash at the castle, she decided to raise her voice. Despite being at the castle all day, she hadn’t seen Rainbow Dash once, and was almost worried about her. The indigo unicorn knocked on the door again. “Would you like to come along?” No response. Twilight Sparkle turned her head and pressed her ear against the door, but she still heard nothing. Perhaps the cyan pegasus had already left, or was still out from the previous- Somepony talking... Rainbow’s voice? She moved back and yelled again. “Rainbow Dash! I can hear you in there!” She brought an ear against the door, and used some magic to accentuate any sound that came through it. Almost instantly she heard quiet whimpers from her friend on the other side of the door. “... Are you crying?” Twilight didn’t move her head as she called out again. “G-go away Twilight!” Rainbow Dash yelled, unable to control her sobs. This time is was much more distinct. Out-right sobs from the pegasus echoed out into the hallway. Twilight then unlocked the door with her magic, and ran into the room, concern her foremost thought. She was met with Rainbow Dash, sitting on the bed as she cried into her forelegs. Hearing the unicorn run in, she looked up. The cyan pegasus’ eyes were puffy and red from hours of crying. Her mane was even more disheveled than usual, and her wings were laying limb against her side, not even folded. She looked healthy to Twilight, but to see her friend crying... was something she never expected in her life. Twilight was stunned. Rainbow Dash had, to her, always been brave, out-going, confident, a pony that was always proving she was better, she was strong. Twilight was almost speechless, but she had to do something - her friend was clearly very troubled. Rainbow Dash sighed, dropping her head into her hooves. I guess it was only a matter of time... Twilight moved towards the bed and sat herself down next to Rainbow Dash, who had still only managed the one glance as she now looked to the wall, her tears flowing silently. The indigo mare spoke softly, but her words were clearly unsure. “What’s the matter Rainbow? Rainbow Dash couldn’t find the words to answer. After a few moments of silence, Twilight spoke up again. “Did something happen... with the Wonderbolts last night?” “You could say that.” Rainbow Dash blinked away some tears. Twilight instantly realized what was wrong. She brought a hoof to Rainbow Dash’s shoulder as the cyan mare gave her a somewhat perplexed look. “You asked to join the Wonderbolts, didn’t you?” Rainbow Dash paused, then nodded. I... no, I can’t tell her... I can’t tell anypony, not yet... “It’s just... you know, I was really hoping they’d see something in me.” “They just outright rejected you?” Twilight asked, quietly and knowingly as she slowly embraced her friend, attempting to comfort her. “Something like that.” Rainbow Dash choked back more tears as she spoke. “I... I guess it just can’t work out. I’m just somepony from Ponyville, a nopony. Some weather pegasus doing a mundane job and practicing dumb tricks all the time. It was stupid...” she looked down in shame, her mind unable to continue. Twilight looked on, her hoof and concerned expression the only things she could give to the cyan pegasus. It took Rainbow Dash several moments to collect herself before she could finish. “I never had a chance...” Rainbow Dash’s eyes were watering up again as she finished, and the cyan mare looked to Twilight for a response. With her lips curled in uncertainty, she said, “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, but that just happens sometimes. You can’t make them feel the same way about you. After all, how would some big, famous celebrities be able to appreciate you?” Rainbow Dash couldn’t think of what to say. “Yeah...” she agreed. She felt defeated. “Are... you going to be all right?” Twilight asked. “I’m... I’m as fine as I’ll ever be...” “C’mon, let’s go back to Ponyville, Rainbow.” Twilight got off the bed and walked to the door, waiting for her friend to follow. “I’m sure seeing the rest of your friends will help you cheer up a little.” Rainbow Dash took a minute to convince herself that she wouldn’t burst out crying in public again, and slowly walked over to her friend. Silently, they left the room and castle, making their way through the city to its entrance, where a path would take them back to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash couldn’t clear her mind of the Wonderbolts during their long walk back to Ponyville. Wonderbolts... why should I even try anymore? Every time they see me, they’ll think of that stupid little filly that Spitfire seduced one night... and every time I see her, I’ll think of what we did that night. No, I... I just can’t see the Wonderbolts. It’s time I just forgot about them. ----- Rainbow Dash heard a knock at the door. Her eyebrows were raised before the rest of her was, surprised to hear the sound. Nopony ever visits me at home... unless it’s Pinkie Pie with party invitations again. She got off the couch and cautiously walked to the door, opening it as she arrived. Applejack was standing on the clouds that made up the landing platform of her cloud home. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “How did you get up-“ “Twilight’s balloon.” The orange mare cut her off immediately. “How are you standing on-“ “Twilight’s magic.” Rainbow Dash shook herself to regain some composure. “Never mind that, what are you doing here anyway? You never visit me.” “Normally yer doin’ yer job too.” Applejack almost sounded bitter as she finished her answer. “Just what do you mean by that?” Rainbow Dash instinctively replied with an accusing tone. “You’ve been shirking your work as a weather pony!” Applejack words had a hint of rage in them. “There was none of the rain we needed for the orchard yesterday, and a few days ago you didn’t even clear a huge thunderstorm that formed during your shift! Somepony coulda gotten hurt ‘cause of you!” Rainbow Dash only looked away in shame, not answering. Applejack, regretting her outburst immediately, walked over to her friend and brought a hoof around her. “We’re all just worried about you, okay? We haven’t seen you practicin’ tricks much neither. Nopony’s seen you except when yer clearin’ clouds in the mornin’.” “What’s the point?” Rainbow Dash said, dejected. “The point? To get into the Wonderbolts! Yer tellin’ me you can get in without even tryin’ anymore?” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Who needs those stinkin’ Wonderbolts anyway?” “What?” The orange mare didn’t have time to collect herself before Rainbow Dash spoke again. “They’re just a bunch of stuck up fancy pegasi. Big deal.” Applejack was beyond shocked. To hear it straight from the horse’s mouth that she no longer wanted to get into the aerobatics team she had been obsessed with ever since she was a filly, made her beyond worried for the cyan pegasus. “What... why wouldn’t you want to get into the Wonderbolts?” “Because I don’t want to, okay? I don’t want to talk about it...” Her expression completely betrayed her words as she paused to glance at Applejack. “I’m fine, okay? Just leave me alone...” She followed her friend’s face, a tired, melancholy look. “You ain’t remotely fine, so don’tchya tell me otherwise. Not wanting to join the Wonderbolts? Somethin’ happened at the Gala, Dash, that much is obvious.” Rainbow Dash sighed. Guess this is it Dash, you aren’t gonna get around Applejack. You’re gonna have to tell her... about everything. She nodded slowly, saying “Okay... just... come inside, and close the door.” Applejack did as she was asked, quickly walking inside and closing the door in one swift motion. She walked over to the couch Rainbow Dash was on, and took a seat next to her. Applejack spoke immediately. “So, Dash, what’s goin’ on?” Rainbow Dash groaned and brought her hooves to her temples. Just... just tell them Rainbow... your friends won’t hate you... they love you... right? “Dash, this only works if you actually tell me what happened.” Applejack was stern. Rainbow Dash sighed. She wasn’t ready for this, not emotionally, not physically, but she couldn’t very well just kick her friend out of her house. She knew it wasn’t right to keep it all to herself for so long, leaving all her friends to worry, so she cleared her throat, and started. “Right after we left that doughnut shop, I ran into Spitfire, totally by accident. She apologized about ignoring me at the Gala, and invited me to meet all the Wonderbolts at one of the coolest nightclubs in all of Canterlot.” She paused and looked to Applejack for approval. She nodded, clearly listening. The pegasus let loose another sigh. “Here’s where... there was a problem. You have to promise not to tell anypony what I’m about to tell you, okay?” “Of course, Dash. You can tell me anything.” Rainbow Dash hesitated, still mentally preparing herself for what she was going to say. Nodding to herself, she spoke quietly. “I... I had a crush on Spitfire.” Applejack blinked. “Spitfire? The Wonderbolt, but she’s... a she.” “Yes, Applejack. She is. I, uh, I like other... mares.” Rainbow Dash’s words stumbled out of her mouth. “That’s... okay with you AJ, right?” She sniffled. Applejack met her friend’s ashamed gaze. She saw fear in the pegasus’ eyes. “Ah... ah have to admit ah wasn’t expectin’ that. Actually, that was the last thing on mah mind. But ah know one thing. That’s just fine with me Dash. Ah’m sure it’ll be fine with all of us. We’re yer friends.” Rainbow Dash sighed, relieved. “Thanks AJ.” Applejack hugged her friend tight, surprising the cyan pegasus. “You can like whoever you wanna like Rainbow. Yer still you, and yer still my best friend.” She paused, letting the words sink in. Rainbow Dash seemed to take comfort in them as she looked back at her friend with a reassured smile, so the farmer continued. “Let me take a stab at this; Spitfire didn’t like you back, did she?” “Not even that, Applejack. She said she liked me... and we... we kinda... spent that night together.” “There’s nothing wrong with that, Dash.” Applejack hadn’t expected to hear that, but she knew she had to be as supportive as possible. “So... then what happened, Sugarcube?” Rainbow Dash’s tried to look away from her friend in shame. Applejack followed her gaze as she saw tears start to silently form in the corner of the cyan mare’s eyes. “When I woke up that morning, she was gone... She checked out of the hotel room when I was still in it. Applejack, she... she took me like I was some little filly for her to have some fun with. I didn’t mean anything to her!” Rainbow Dash let it all out, bawling as she threw her forelegs around the farmer, who almost pulled back by instinct, barely stopping herself. “She... said she liked me... but she was just using me Applejack! The other Wonderbolts didn’t even care! They thought it was funny!” She pulled back slightly, tears trickling down her cheeks and making dark impressions along the clouds that were her home. “What have I been doing with my life Applejack? I always looked up to them like they were my heroes, and they... they didn’t even care! Oh Celestia, what is wrong with me?” Unable to find audible comfort for her friend, Applejack brought her into another hug, letting the pegasus cry herself out. The quiet weeps of Rainbow Dash became the room’s ambiance as the farmer felt her friend’s tears rolling down her mane and even crawling down her back. There wasn’t anything she could think of, not a single word to comfort the pegasus. Rainbow Dash’s vision of her icons had been shattered and stomped into the ground. Applejack couldn’t think of what she would do if the orchard had burned down, if something befell her family. So she didn’t move; she hoped her presence would bring some meager comfort to her weeping friend. Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop sobbing. She hated herself more with every second she went on, but she couldn’t stop it. She had finally gotten herself to talk about that night, that loss. She knew it had happened, but some kind of hope, a desire that it hadn’t actually happened, and that this was perhaps all a dream. As she wept, she felt whatever wall she had made around those events crumble, slowly fading, the memories bleeding and mixing to fit into reality. She’d never be with Spitfire, never join the Wonderbolts... it was all gone. The minutes dragged on for what felt like hours; neither mare kept track of the passing time, the two still in a tight embrace. Finally, Rainbow Dash’s sobbing slowed ever so slightly. Applejack took notice. “You all right now?” Rainbow Dash muttered something she couldn’t make out into her mane, but Applejack felt her nod. “What are you gonna do now?” “Hmm?” Rainbow Dash got out through her friend’s tear-soaked mane. “Ah asked you, what are you gonna do now?” Applejack said again. Rainbow Dash pulled back finally, almost losing her balance, being so used to the support her friend had become in such a short time. She was still tearing but confusion was painted over her face. “I... What?” “In Ponyville. With us. With the rest of your life, Rainbow. What are you going to do now?” Applejack enunciated every word, both for emphasis, and hoping to not have to repeat it all again. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “What am I supposed to do now? Spitfire didn’t even care about me, and how could I join the Wonderbolts now? Every time I’d see the uniforms, them, and her... I’d think about-“ “Damnit, you aren’t the Rainbow Dash I know,” Applejack said. “Yeah, it’s mighty sad that she didn’t care about you, and she used you like that. I can’t say I’d know that feeling.” She sighed. “But the Rainbow Dash I know wouldn’t be giving up like this. She’d be angry, she’d be wanting to get back at her, get better at flyin’ than that son of a-“ Rainbow Dash quietly raised a hoof to stop her friend from ranting on. “I just... I just need time to think about this...” “Rainbow, you’ve had a week and it’s hurtin’ your job, and makin’ us all worried sick about you. It’s time you faced this. You decide right now: either yer gonna be worried and obsessed with yer lyin’ celebrities and that pony that took advantage of you, for the rest of yer life,” she brought a hoof against her own chest. “Or you can come back to the world of the living, with your friends. The ones who care about you and miss you, and a town that needs you.” Rainbow Dash looked on, stunned. “Applejack... is it really that simple? To just move on? How do I just... forget her? How can I forget about the Wonderbolts when all I can think of is how much she hurt me...?” “It’s gonna hurt for a long time, Dash. But we can all help you deal with it. Face it. You don’t have to do things alone.” Applejack smiled despite her friend. “I learned that the hard way.” Rainbow Dash tried to blink away more tears, but it was to no avail. “All I ever did in my free time was practice tricks. My entire life was... built around the Wonderbolts. What am I supposed to do now, Applejack? Just, give up?” She covered her face with her hooves, feeling ashamed. “Ah can’t tell you what to do Rainbow.” Applejack brought a hoof to Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “You have to decide for yourself.” Rainbow Dash nodded, only to herself. “I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and now... now I have no idea.” She shuddered, but her tears finally seemed to slow. She looked back to her friend. “If I can’t join the Wonderbolts... what am I supposed to be doing?” “Ah don’t know Dash, but we’ll be here for ya every step of the way.” Rainbow Dash scratched at her eyes, clearing away the last of her tears. “You… you promise?” “Ah promise.”

Dashukta

122

Main 6,Spike,Crossover,Human,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Thessalonica Legacy

complete

<p> In the 31st Century, humankind has spread to thousands of planets in the Inner Sphere. Once united under the glorious banner of the Star League, the Successor States and their noble houses now fight bitter wars over the scraps of empire. When a JumpShip carrying a special task force from the Federated Suns suffers a catastrophic misjump, the occupants find themselves stranded above a strange, beautiful world at once alien and eerily familiar.</p><p>Meanwhile, in the peaceful realm of Equestria, Ponyville’s resident bookworm , Twilight Sparkle, has stumbled upon hints of a secret buried for centuries. A secret that may lay bare long-forgotten aspects of Pony history and culture.</p><p>Our story begins on the planet Valexa, where the beleaguered Militia has launched a last-ditch effort to call for help against overwhelming odds. </p><p>Written with those who are not familiar with the BattleTech/MechWarrior universe in mind.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T07:18:30+00:00

2011-07-11T07:18:30+00:00

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and associated characters are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. and The Hub Television Networks BattleTech, BattleMech, ‘Mech, and MechWarrior are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. Used without permission The Thessalonica Legacy Chapter 1: The Valexa Situation South of the Sivry River Valexa, Capellan March, Federated Suns 2 November 3068 Ramirez pushed again on the throttle control. He knew it wouldn’t go any farther forward, not without sacrificing maneuverability. And that would be suicide among these trees dotting the ridge. Valexa’s pale blue-tinged sun was starting to creep higher in the East, casting long shadows across the granite ridge Ramirez’s Valkyrie BattleMech was navigating. The dawn brought mixed blessings. They’d be able to make better time, but the growing light meant they were running out of time. He glanced at his sensors display, floating in his vision thanks to his neurohelmet’s holographic display, as his 30-ton ‘Mech nimbly sidestepped a fallen log. All clear. Just himself and Din’s gangly, bird-like Osiris. “Ya’ still with me, Din?” Ramirez was worried. Normally, Sargent Din Geremek’s OSR-3D Osiris would easily outpace his VLK-QD1 Valkyrie, but an unlucky hit from that Capellan Vindicator –the same Vindicator that had killed the Leftenant—had severed myomers and smashed actuators all through the left leg of Din’s ‘Mech, slowing him down and giving the warmachine a pronounced limp. That was the trade-off. The Osiris was fast, with a combat speed nearing 130 KPH, and carried a blistering array of lasers and short-range missiles, but paid for it with a tendency to overheat and thin armor. By contrast, Ramirez’s Valkyrie, though massing the same, was over 40 KPH slower but had thicker armor and more powerful jumpjets. Din’s voice sounded in Ramirez’s ear, “Right behind you, sir.” He could hear the strain in the young man’s voice. Ramirez smiled weakly. He could understand his lancemate’s fear. Din was fresh out of the academy, barely in his 20s, his face still cratered with adolescent acne. This past week had been his first true combat experience. Ramirez was young, too, only a few years older than the academy grad now following him through Valexa’s wilds. Though, unlike his younger compatriot, Sgt. Malcom Ramirez had seen combat, serving with his Valkyrie as part of a recon lance against Steiner-loyal forces during the closing stages of the FedCom Civil War. Now, running through the backwoods of Valexa, he was in his element. Moving fast, using the terrain to control line-of-sight, he knew how to do this. He knew these woods and hills intimately. Even before he joined the Militia and became a MechWarrior, he’d hiked these very hills. Now on the run, he drew on every ounce of his knowledge. So far, it had been enough to keep the two of them alive. Even so, he could feel cool sweat beading on his bare arms and legs and he couldn’t shake that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. On his holographic display, Ramirez watched the Osiris step out from behind a rock outcrop. Its armor was blackened and scorched all up and down the left side. A dried crust of green coolant stained the red-on-green striped paint around the gaping wounds where autocannon shells had shattered ferro-fiborous composite armor. The boxy short-range missile launcher making the left “arm” had been torn open and dangled uselessly from a handful of myomer bundles. “Alright, stay close. We’re almost to the end of the ridge. Then it’s across the Sivry River, and a clear run to the pass.” Ramirez paused, and then asked the question he’d been dreading since they shook that patrol. “How are your jumpjets?” With the leg damage, Din would never be able to ford the river. They would have to rely of the Osiris’ jumpjets to launch the ‘Mech over the rushing waters. “Right are fine. Left side jets, I’ve got… one out and one in the yellow. I’m down to 90 meters.” Ramirez nodded, though he knew Din couldn’t see the gesture “All right, stay to the ridge and keep your speed up.” He realized they had been whispering, as if afraid of being heard. They had been using encrypted tight-band directional radio and laser-links to talk to each other. Completely secure, of course. Still, instincts die hard. As the minutes ticked by, Ramirez began to relax a little. Perhaps those Capellan ‘Mechs hadn’t followed them, after all. If so, it would be the first thing to go right since they left on this mad dash to reach Valexa’s Bimini Mountains. Hell, it’d be the first thing to go right since the Chancellor’s troops arrived in system. They’d been expecting an attack, of course. The March Militias had been mobilized as soon as the Federated Suns began their push into Capellan territory last June, re-liberating St. Ives and penetrating all the way to the worlds of Hexare, Imalda, and Glasgow—only one hyperspace jump away from the Capellan capital world of Sian. Then things got strange. The news reports said a warship appeared over Sian and bombarded the Forbidden City. Chancellor Sun-Tsu Liao was missing, feared dead. What’s more, the Capellans claimed the warship that launched the attack belonged to the Federated Suns. Preposterous, of course. Everyone in the AFFS knew it could not have been one of theirs, not with most of the navy struggling to break the Word of Blake blockade on New Avalon. Of course, that would not assuage their ancient enemies. When Sang-jiang-jun Zahn, acting for the missing Chancellor Liao, launched a massive counterattack that sent the AFFS regular troops reeling, the militias were brought to full readiness. When the counterattack became a counter-invasion, militia troops on Valexa knew trouble was coming. When Capellan troops landed on Algot and Halloran V, they knew it would be coming soon. Still, when the attack did come, it was much faster and much more vicious than any could have predicted. Appearing at a pirate point, two full regiments of BattleMechs supported by another of heavy armor and some seven squadrons of aerospace fighters descended on the Militia’s single ‘Mech regiment and still understrength armor and aerospace support. Almost as surprising as the speed of the attack was the units involved: 2nd McCarron’s Armored Cavalry and Warrior House Daidachi, some of the most elite troops in the entire Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. And then there were the ‘Mechs painted all black. No one in the Militia could tell how many there were; at least a battalion, certainly. Whoever they were, they always seemed to show up in the wrong place. Their equipment was top-notch. Their pilots were ruthless. The rumor was, they were the Death Commandos—the Chancellor’s personal special forces ‘storm troopers’. The Valexa March Militia was not a green unit. The regiment had seen heavy fighting in the FedCom Civil War. They were tried, battle-hardened troops, even if they had recently taken on a number of new recruits to replenish their ranks. Even so, they were easily outmatched by the elite Capellan shock troops. The Militia Aerospace squadrons were swept aside in a matter of minutes. The spaceport was seized in hours. While Leftenant-General Delittle led 1st and 3rd Battalions in a counterattack to reclaim the Goa Heights, a lightning-fast combat drop by elements from House Daidachi’s 2nd Battalion flanked the Militia, destroyed their repair facilities, raided their stockpiles, and cut them off from retreat. Ramirez and Din had avoided that disaster, but just barely. Leftenant Waldeve had led her lance—herself, Ramirez, Din, and Jayn Ricco—to intercept a Capellan recon lance spotted trying to sneak around 3rd Battalion’s right flank. They ended up fighting a running battle leading away from the main force, taking full advantage of their local knowledge of the terrain. During the skirmish, Ramirez actually managed to drop a Raven, one of the Confederation's prized electronic-warfare scouts. The rest of the Capellan probe slipped away, but by that time the main Militia force had already been lost. Now, broken and scattered, the Valexa March Militia was on the verge of collapse. Leftenant-General Bolan’s infantry brigade had managed to hold the port city of Smithson and some of the more remote facilities in the Bimini Mountains, but without immediate help the planet would be lost. They needed the AFFS to send either reinforcements and supplies for a protracted resistance, or to withdraw the surviving Militia armored units off-planet to regroup, rearm, and reinforce defenses deeper in FedSuns territory and allow a surrender—if only temporarily—of the planet. They needed to get a message out, but with the invaders controlling both the spaceport and the capital of Valexa City with its ComStar-run HPG station, how were they to get their request for aid and their intelligence of Capellan strength and disposition to AFFS command? There was one option, but it was risky. Though the invaders had captured the main spaceport, there was a subsidiary airfield large enough to serve as a runway for a small DropShip on a plateau in the Bimini Mountains. So far, Bolan’s infantry brigade had managed to keep it in Militia hands, possibly because the invaders had made no indication they were aware of its existence. At this remote field was a Leopard-class DropShip, the Felicity Klimkosky. This DropShip had been returning from ferrying a strike lance from 2nd Battalion to a defensive firebase in the northern deserts when the invasion came. Her captain had put the ship down at the Bimini Mountain base to avoid Capellan aerospace patrols, and as such had been one of the few DropShips in Militia possession to avoid destruction. There was also a JumpShip waiting at the Nadir Jump Point. Most of the Militia’s JumpShips were off aiding other branches of the Capellan March Militia in their rapid retreat from the Confederation onslaught. One, though, the Scout-class ship Silvertongue, had been undergoing routine maintenance to its K-F boom. As such, it was still in-system and could ferry the Felicity Klimkosky to wherever they needed to go. Naturally, the idea of simply radioing the Silvertongue and having them leave to take the message directly had come up, but quickly dismissed as the transmission could be easily traced, and with the large amount of ECM jamming the Capellans were using, the message might not get through in the first place. That jamming also led to problems contacting the Felicity Klimkosky. The Militia had managed to get simple messages through to the defenders in the mountains alerting them of the plan, but it had been deemed vital to get what intelligence on the Capellan forces as they could off planet as well. Such a transmission posed similar problems as radioing the JumpShip. That meant the intelligence would have to be delivered by hand. And that meant someone would have to get through Capellan lines and reach the DropShip waiting in the mountains. And that was why Ramirez and Din were running for their lives through the lightly-wooded hills south of the Sivry River trying to make it to the Upland Pass. The higher-ups had debated long and hard on who to send. A VTOL could get there quickly, but the Militia had none left operational. A fast-moving hovercraft would be thwarted by the forested hills and high mountain passes, and any other vehicle wouldn’t be able to make it across the Sivry without a bridge—which were all under enemy control. An infantry unit could make it, but would take much too long. In the end, only a BattleMech was deemed capable of making the journey. There were precious few ‘Mechs to spare, and most of the handful left in working order were heavily damaged in the fighting. Leftenant Waldeve’s pursuit lance, being fast, light BattleMechs in full fighting condition, were tasked with the job. Each of their four ‘Mechs carried a copy of the vital intelligence, and each of the four MechWarriors was briefed on where to go, what to say, and who to say it to. So long as at least one of them got out, there was hope of relief from the rest of the AFFS. The operation began well enough. A diversionary raid by the remnants of Carliste’s Armor Battalion in the early hours of the morning allowed Waldeve’s lance to slip through enemy lines and begin their run to the Pass. The first hour barely saw any Capellan patrols. Then, they ran into that Assault Lance. They had been following a river valley as it wound through a narrow gorge. When they rounded a bend, there they were, painted in the colors of the 2nd McCarron’s Armored Cavalry and partially hidden in the trees, waiting for them. A massive Yu Huang and Cerberus, a new type of Marauder Ramirez had never seen before, and the runt of the pack, a 45-ton Vindicator. Any one of these ‘Mechs would be a deadly opponent for them. The Yu Huang and Cerberus each weighed as much as three of their own ‘Mechs put together and each devoted more mass to weapon systems than Ramirez’s Valkyrie weighed in total. Poor Ricco was on point. A flash of silver, and a hypersonic gauss rifle slug from the Cerberus ripped his Assassin’s torso nearly in half. Then, a bright flash from a particle projection cannon and his ‘Mech disintegrated in a brilliant fireball as his own ammunition destroyed his ‘Mech from the inside out. Ramirez looked for Ricco to eject, but saw nothing. Ramirez’s Valkyrie and Din’s Osiris had jumpjets, allowing them to leap clear of the gorge and into the relative safety of the woods. The Leftenant wasn’t so lucky. Her Wolfhound could be deadly if given room to run, but did not have jumpjets. She would have to either run the gauntlet or climb the ravine walls. Ramirez and Din ducked in and out of the woods to try and give the Leftenant covering fire, but she was pinned down under the assault ‘Mechs’ massive guns. Unable to help, Ramirez watched in horror as the Yu Huang’s massive autocannon blasted armor from Wolfhound’s chest and sent the ‘Mech sprawling across the ravine floor. The Vindicator, fast and nimble, swept in and cut the Wolfhound’s leg off with its particle cannon, then with a swift movement, drove its armored foot down on the stricken ‘Mech’s head. Then the assault lance moved to chase down himself and Din. They ran, trying to break line-of-sight. The Marauder and Cerberus fell behind quickly, but the Vindicator and Yu Huang, each with jumpjets of their own, pursued them relentlessly. At one point, Din got caught in the open between a couple stands of trees, and was rewarded with massive blasts from the Yu Huang’s heavy autocannon and the Vindicator’s particle cannon for his trouble. Somehow, the rookie pilot had managed to keep his machine upright and moving. It was shortly after that they lost contact. Ramirez still wasn’t sure if they gave the Capellans the slip, or if they let them go. That had been several hours ago, only shortly after midnight. Ramirez still anxiously watched his sensors display, but now he was starting to think they just might have made it after all. They were nearing the river, and the mountains were just beyond. Then it was just a nice, mountain hike, which would be made much easier and faster by their jumpjets, and then… “ECM jamming to the southwest!” Din’s voice cut in. He had fallen behind again and was limping to join Ramirez at the base of the ridge. Ramirez looked at his own sensors, but didn’t see anything to indicate jamming. But then, he was farther along the ridge than Din was by nearly half a kilometer. If the jamming bubble was at the extreme of Din’s range he might not be able to detect it yet anyway. “Keep an eye on it. Hopefully it’s just a patrol and they’ll miss us. Stay low and in the trees.” They kept moving to the north, but now his anxiety was growing. The enemy was out there, and they were close. That ECM bubble could mean anything. All combat units had sophisticated ECM which flooded any battlefield, and a bevy of sensors to try and power through it. Some combat vehicles and ‘Mechs went a step above and mounted the powerful Guardian ECM. When everyone’s ECM was screaming at the top of their lungs, the Guardian went and screamed louder. Anything within a Guardian’s effective radius was hidden from all but line-of-sight sensors. That bubble could be a lowly scout car, or it could be an elite BattleMech company. They could tell which direction the jamming was coming from, but they wouldn’t know what was in it until it came into view, and that was a dangerous situation. The jamming bubble grew closer. Ramirez’s computer was noting its presence now, too. He wanted to get to the other side of the ridge and put a hundred meters of solid rock between him and any sensors anyone in that bubble was packing, but that would mean exposing himself while he crossed the ridge. And using jumpjets now would definitely draw attention. Superheated air cracked as a perfectly straight line of leaves and branches suddenly flashed with an incandescent light. The laser beam had passed dangerously close to Din’s lagging ‘Mech. The young MechWarrior cursed. Whatever was in that bubble was shooting at them, and it had a large-class laser. “Move closer to the ridge, Din. Try to keep as many trees between you and them as possible.” “I see one, sir!” Din responded. “I can’t get a lock on it, and it’s not showing up on anything but optical.” Ramirez swore to himself then keyed his radio “Stealth armor. The Cappies are mounting it on some of their newer ‘Mechs. Makes ‘em damned hard to hit at range.” The ultimate in ECM, Capellan stealth armor used everything from special heat baffles to the latest radar absorbent materials to make a ‘Mech almost as invisible to sensors as possible. Most effective at long ranges, it was expensive to produce and difficult to maintain. Only the best line troops fielded stealth units. The air cracked again as another laser beam lanced through it. This one passed harmlessly behind the two Militia ‘Mechs. Ramirez still couldn’t see their assailant, and Din was claiming he had broken line-of-sight prior to the shot. For several minutes more they ducked along the base of the ridge. Every now and then, another beam would lance out from their assailant, sometimes in their vicinity, sometimes not. Ramirez was beginning to wonder what this Cappie’s game was. Why was he firing blindly? The granite ridge drew lower to the ground then disappeared altogether. Before them lay a broad clearing, then shallow hill dotted with a light sprinkling of tall trees. And immediately beyond, Ramirez could see the grey ribbon of the Sivry. Almost there, just another 400 meters or so. Their ‘Mechs could cross that distance in a matter of seconds, easily. Another laser beam cracked behind them. The growing unease in Ramirez’s mind finally boiled over. Something definitely wasn’t right. He felt like that stealthed ‘Mech was herding them, trying to flush them out of their cover in the woods. He pulled back on the throttle. His Valkyrie slowed its run, coming to a stop at the edge of the woods. Din was still a hundred meters behind, and the mysterious assailant off somewhere to the left, still shrouded in its ECM bubble. Cautiously, he eased his ‘Mech backwards as Din came up next to him. “What’s wrong, Sir?” “I don’t like the looks of this, Din. I’m going to take a quick look around.” With that, he slammed his throttle forward again and pressed down on the right foot pedal. The Valkyrie turned on its heel and dashed back into the woods, the hand at the end of the left arm automatically rising up to bat a tree branch out of the way. He guided his ‘Mech up onto the granite rise, giving him a commanding view of the area. He was met by the crack of another laser beam sizzling right over his ‘Mech’s left shoulder. There was the offender. He thumbed his control stick and activated the zoom on his display. The distant ‘Mech was magnified in his vision. He recognized it instantly; the backwards-canted legs, the stubby torso and forward-jutting cockpit. A Hellespont Industries Sha Yu. Indeed, now that he could see it, his Valkyrie’s computer handily identified it as a SYU-2B. Only the one, though. The ECM bubble did not seem to be hiding anyone else. That was fine by him, at 40 tons, that Sha Yu was dangerous enough. In addition to its advanced armor, the Capellan ‘Mech mounted four lasers—two Martell Extended-Range Large and two Diverse Optics Extended-Range Mediums. More than enough firepower to reduce his ‘Mech to scrap. He could fight it. Even with the difficulties of penetrating the stealth armor’s ECM, he could hit it. His Valkyrie’s LRM launcher had a slight range advantage on the Martell lasers, and with the stealth armor running, the Sha Yu wouldn’t be able to fire more than one of them at a time without overheating. He would miss a lot, though. A quick glance at his weapons indicator put the idea of a fight out of his mind. His Valkyrie carried 16 reloads for its Valiant Arbalest LRM 15 Missile Pack. He’d expended 11 of them in the battle with the assault lance, leaving him only five shots. No, better to try and outrun it. He turned again and sent his ‘Mech crashing back down the ridge. As he did so, the low morning sun glinted off something in the woods on the hill by the river. Ambush. The word jumped to his mind. That Sha Yu had been herding them, and now his friends were waiting to blast them apart as they dashed for the river. They did have one option. They could run to the east and cross the river farther down. So long as that Sha Yu pilot kept his stealth armor active, his firepower was effectively halved, and they might have a chance to slip away. As if in response to his plan, his sensors beeped a warning. New sensor trace. The pilot of the Sha Yu had deactivated his stealth armor, and was charging their position. So much for that. They needed as much distance between them and that ‘Mech as possible. The Sha Yu didn’t have jumpjets, so if they could get across the river, it would at least slow him down. “Din! Run! Northeast! Go!” Branches snapped as the 30-ton behemoth plowed its way through. They had to get across the river. There were still the unknowns in those woods, but he’d just have to hope they could slip around them by avoiding the run straight towards the banks and instead trying to swing around to the east. The Valkyrie tore into the clearing just behind Din’s Osiris, graceful in comparison to its battered companion. Ramirez swung more to the east, trying to avoid the woods on the hill. He hoped Din would follow suit. The Sha Yu was still somewhere back beyond the woods along the rise, out of sight. The river grew closer. They were going to make it! Ramirez’s sensors beeped again to alert him of the new contacts. A quartet of Po-class heavy tanks broke out from beneath their camouflage netting. Ramirez saw Din turn to meet this new threat. He yelled for his lancemate to stop and break off the attack. But, the young MechWarrior was trained to fight, and had been indoctrinated that the BattleMech was the king of the battlefield. As the lead tank broke free of the light woods, a stream of high-explosive shells erupted from its Class 10 autocannon with a rumbling roar. Magnesium flashes danced across Din’s Osiris as ablative armor was torn asunder. The right leg buckled as the hip actuator was blown apart, pitching the hapless ‘Mech forward and to the ground. Ramirez only let out a frustrated grunt as he twitched his control stick and slammed on the left foot pedal. The Valkyrie twisted at the waist and pirouetted to the left, left arm extended for balance. He could see his ‘Mech’s right arm, ending in the stubby muzzle of an ER Medium laser, rising to take aim with his reticule. He thumbed the targeting circuit then waited, counting the heartbeats until the reticle flashed gold, and pulled the trigger. Fifteen sets of armored doors slid open on fifteen cylinders arranged in a cluster occupying much of the left side of the Valkyrie’s torso. With a faint puff of smoke, fifteen missiles rocketed forth in rapid succession and arced up high into the dawn sky. Individual missiles could be easily foiled by ECM, dodged, or shot down. As such, weapon designers had long ago learned that swarms of small missiles launched en masse were of much more use on the modern battlefield. Ramirez’s VLK-QD1 carried 240 individual missiles, each weighing less than a mere nine kilograms, which it launched in flights of 15 at a time. Individually, each missile was not much of a threat to modern ablative armor. When taken all together, they could wear down even the heaviest defenses. The LRMs homed in on the Artemis IV targeting beam from the Valkyrie, racing down to shatter armor along the tank’s flank. Moments later, the sound of the staccato explosions filtered through Ramirez’s cockpit, loud even at this distance. Triggering the zoom on his display, he watched in satisfaction as the tank’s treads sloughed off and the vehicle ground to a halt. With another twitch of his fingers on the control stick, a bright light, bright as a welding torch, flared up as Ramirez’s laser scribed a black furrow across the stricken tank’s side. Normally, the Po’s armor would have been more than enough to withstand that onslaught, but Ramirez was aiming for where he had specifically watched his missiles strike. A gout of flame ripped the tank apart. The other tanks, however, had already cleared the woods. Din was still on the ground. His Osiris floped around, trying to maneuver its busted legs underneath it, propping itself up as well as it could on its stubby weapons pod of an arm. The autocannons of the next two tanks caught him dead-on. One ripped into the already savaged left side, cracking the fusion engine. The second stream hit the Osiris right in the center and stitched upwards, shattering the cockpit. Flashes of light showed out as cool morning air rushed into the superheated reactor while the ‘Mech collapsed in a heap. Now Ramirez was alone. Against three tanks and a medium-class BattleMech still charging around the rise, he knew there was no chance. “Sorry, Din.” He whispered, and stomped hard on both foot pedals at once. The jumpjets mounted on his ‘Mech’s legs and rear torso let off with a whine which quickly built to a roar. The ‘Mech lifted heavily into the air, his neurohelmet reading his impulses to help keep the machine stable. He set fly one last salvo of LRMs at one of the tanks, but did not bother to see whether they hit or not. He let the jets of superheated air carry him up and over the churning river. Once he reached the other side, he cut the jets and hit the ground running. Autocannon shells whizzed past, but with speed and a couple more jumps, he put a several low hills between him and his foes. Pointing his ‘Mech north, he ran as fast as he could towards the mountains looming above him.

Dashukta

122

Main 6,Spike,Crossover,Human,Adventure,My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Thessalonica Legacy

complete

<p> In the 31st Century, humankind has spread to thousands of planets in the Inner Sphere. Once united under the glorious banner of the Star League, the Successor States and their noble houses now fight bitter wars over the scraps of empire. When a JumpShip carrying a special task force from the Federated Suns suffers a catastrophic misjump, the occupants find themselves stranded above a strange, beautiful world at once alien and eerily familiar.</p><p>Meanwhile, in the peaceful realm of Equestria, Ponyville’s resident bookworm , Twilight Sparkle, has stumbled upon hints of a secret buried for centuries. A secret that may lay bare long-forgotten aspects of Pony history and culture.</p><p>Our story begins on the planet Valexa, where the beleaguered Militia has launched a last-ditch effort to call for help against overwhelming odds. </p><p>Written with those who are not familiar with the BattleTech/MechWarrior universe in mind.</p>

everyone

2011-07-11T07:18:48+00:00

2011-07-11T07:18:48+00:00

The Thessalonica Legacy Chapter 2: Comic Books and Aliens A crisp autumn breeze blew through the boughs of the giant tree. Gold and orange leaves rustled dryly as ancient branches creaked and swayed. One orange leaf lost its grip and tumbled free, dancing in the late afternoon sun. It swooped and dived and eventually came to rest on the page of a book lying open on a balcony built into the side of the tree’s fat trunk. A faint twinkling light appeared around the leaf, quickly growing to a subdued purple aura. The leaf lifted off the page and moved steadily and deliberately—as if it had been plucked by an invisible hand—away from the book. The aura vanished as a gust of wind swept the offending leaf away. The same gust rustled the pages of the book, threatening to send them cascading wildly. A small lavender hoof quickly stamped down on the pages, holding them in place. Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the floor of the balcony of the town library which doubled as her home. She rested on her belly with her legs demurely tucked beneath her. Well, except for the forelimb she was using to keep the pages of her book from blowing over. She glowered at the uncooperative weather as she waited for the gust to die down, tilting her head so the breeze wouldn’t blow her indigo hair into her eyes. Carefully removing her hoof, she turned her attention again to the pages. The book was lavishly illustrated in that particular Equestrian style. Each page had a pair of rectangular panels, each filled with an elaborate and intricate illustration. The words of the book were not immediately noticeable, being woven like a thread around and through each image. Actually reading a book like this was an art in itself. Not all books were like this, of course. Most had neat, organized text arranged in neat lines and arrayed into paragraphs. This book was of an older, almost forgotten, style where picture and text bled together so the words became the pictures and the pictures became the paragraphs. Twilight Sparkle was not reading the words. She had read them before, of course. She had read this very book many times over. One could say she knew it by heart. No, what held her attention today were the pictures themselves. She had been making her way through several books of this type of all genres; spell books; books of myths and legends; books of prophesy; books of nursery rhymes; history books; science books; story books; books on animals and books on plants; books on weather and books on agriculture. Books illustrated in the archaic style and ones with just simple pictures. The only consistent variable is that all the books HAD pictures. She had been scrutinizing pictures for days. She had noticed something when perusing an old book of magical theory and now a hypothesis was forming. She was now pouring over every illustration she could get her hooves on looking for evidence. The illustration that held her attention now was a pastoral scene. A flock of colorful ponies frolicked in a verdant field beneath a bright blue sky. A stylized sun set forth long golden rays piercing wispy curlicue clouds while birds perched in the full, green trees. Twilight’s large, purple eyes drank in every detail. She focused particularly where a sizable group of ponies were preparing for a festival. The text weaving throughout indicated the Summer Sun Celebration marking the longest day of the year. The ponies in the picture were erecting a variety of pavilions, grandstands, and banners. A small town, little more than a cluster of tiny huts and a fenced-off pasture, sat on a low hill by a winding stream behind the celebration preparations. And in the distance, clear in the background, was the unmistakable silhouette of the castle at Canterlot cantilevered out from the side of its mountain. For a moment, Twilight mused if the little town in the picture might depict Ponyville, the very town which had been her home for the past year. The geography seemed to match, at least. But, then, it could have been half a dozen small towns scattered across the valleys between Canterlot and the Everfree Forest—Maresville, Buckingham, Trotsworth... She put the idea out of her mind. Trivialities of geography were not her current objective, though she did make a mental note to investigate the possibility in the future. The little unicorn furrowed her brow. A purple aura, a match of the one that had surrounded the leaf, engulfed the horn on her head. A second aura sprung up around the book. The pages flipped rapidly before coming to rest at another set of images later in the book. Twilight focused intently on one of the images on this page, but only for a minute. With another glow, she flipped back to her original image of study. With a frown, she sent the pages flipping back the other way, then back, then back again. With an exasperated sigh, she turned to a new page entirely and began pouring over a new image. She was so engrossed with her survey, she failed to notice when a sky blue form swept down from clouds and alighted on the railing of her balcony. The new arrival swished her rainbow hued tail and dropped what appeared to be a pamphlet from her mouth. “Hey, Twilight.” The lavender unicorn did not make any indication she had heard her friend. The blue pegasus cocked her head. “Hey, Twilight?” Again, the unicorn did not look up. If anything, she seemed to peer even closer at her book. Her visitor rolled her eyes with a huff. Spreading her wings, she hopped up from the balcony and fluttered over to the oblivious bookworm. Hovering with her face just inches away, she inhaled deeply. “Twilight!” she yelled, as sharply and suddenly as she could muster. Twilight leapt into the air and tumbled backwards with a startled cry. Seeing her friend in such a state, the little pegasus laughed. “Rainbow Dash! You startled me!” Twilight stammered, eyes wide. She extricated herself from the rather undignified heap she had landed in and dusted herself off. For her part, Rainbow Dash was still laughing, forelimbs crossed over her belly and tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t expected such a strong—and hilarious—reaction from her bookish friend, and she was relishing the moment. “Yeah, yeah. Ha ha. Very funny.” Twilight screwed up her face. Seeing her friend’s displeasure, Rainbow Dash regained her composure, wiping a tear from her eye with a hoof. “Heh. Sorry, ‘bout that Twilight. But you were just so wrapped up in that book.” Twilight’s face softened. “I take it you didn’t stop by just to interrupt my studies and watch me jump out of my skin?” “Oh, yeah!” With a flap, the pegasus swooped over to where she had dropped her cargo and with a flick kicked it up into the air then caught it, balancing it on her back. “Is Spike around? I wanted to return his comic book.” “Spike? Yeah, he should be downstairs.” She nodded to the door behind her, “Go on in.” “Thanks, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash trotted past through the arch that was more window than door and into the library, “Oh, and sorry about scaring ‘ya.” Twilight smiled and settled back into her previous orientation. Rainbow had left the door to the balcony hanging open. Twilight didn’t mind. It was a lovely autumn day, and maybe the old library could use airing out of some of its stuffiness. She levitated her book back into place and flipped to the proper page. She was just starting to lose herself in the tangled intricacies of a lovely illustration of a harvest, picking up right where she left off, when her consciousness was suddenly yanked out of its reverie by a bout of laughter from somewhere within the library. She gave a small smile and went back to her book. Or at least, she tried to. She found her curiosity wandering away from the page and off down to where her friends were. With a huff, she tried to focus on her study, but another bout of laughter wafting up from below preempted her. Twilight groaned and tried to focus even harder. Now she could hear voices chattering away, too distant to be distinct but unmistakably happy and excited. She gave up. There was no use in fighting it anymore. Her interest had been completely stolen away. She knew she wasn’t going to be doing any more studying this afternoon. Her horn glowed again as she calmly closed the book and stood up making another mental note of which page she was on. The book floated effortlessly in the air above and in front of her as she entered the tree. The main portion of the library was downstairs, at the base of the tree. This upstairs portion doubled as additional collections and Twilight’s private quarters. Little more than a sitting area, bookshelves carved into the warm wood of the tree were filled to overflowing with books. Only a few personal effects indicated this area was more than just another room of the library. Her writing desk stood off to one side beneath a window, buried in scrolls and even more books. The fireplace sat empty awaiting the winter chill. Her bed sat in a small loft above the sitting area accessed by a steep staircase, surrounded by even more overflowing shelves. Spike’s bed, little more than a box, sat on the floor by the foot of the bed. Potted flowers and painted organic motifs of stylized leaves, branches, and stars combined with the tree’s natural grace to give the room a warm, welcoming look. Twilight dropped the book on her writing desk and turned to make sure the door to the balcony had latched properly behind her. Satisfied, she trotted down through the round aperture set in the wall and down the stairs to the library proper. The main library was done up in the same style as Twilight’s quarters. The long staircase decorated with small, pink hearts arced around the edge of the large main room, more overstuffed shelves carved into the wood beneath. Twilight expected to see Rainbow Dash and Spike—and indeed she did. Rainbow hovered in the air by the central reading table with its carved wooden horsehead statue, muscular wings slowly beating. Spike’s stout scaly purple and green body sat on a pillow off to the side, comically short legs outstretched. They were conversing animatedly, presumably about the comic book. Who twilight did not expect to see was the strongly-built pony with the orange coat and unruly blond mane and tail tied back loosely, a trio of apples on her flank, well-worn saddlebags over her back, and a battered old cowboy hat on her head. “Applejack? I didn’t take you for a comic book fan.” Twilight greeted the countrified newcomer with a warm smile. “Howdy, Twi.” Applejack trotted over to meet Twilight at the base of the stairs, “Nah, I just walked in on these here two chatterboxes. Actually, I came here lookin’ for y’all.” She said in her rustic twang. “Oh?” Twilight raised her brow “What’s up?” “Well, you know the annual Runnin’ of the Leaves is comin’ up here in a couple of weeks, right?” “Of course.” Twilight had only been in town for one Running of the Leaves event so far. The annual festival and hoof-race was responsible for the dropping of all the leaves from the trees around Ponyville, signaling that the Fall would soon be ending and Winter fast approaching. “Well, you know how I’ve been named one of the official organizers this year?” Applejack said with a measure of pride. “No, I hadn’t. Congratulations! That’s quite an honor.” Twilight paused, “But, isn’t that rather time-consuming?” Applejack waved a hoof “Nah. Applebuck Season is already done and over with, and most of the other harvests are already in, or will be soon enough.” She reached into her saddlebag and withdrew a rolled poster, which she spread on the floor. “Actually, I wanted to know if it’d be alright to hang one of these here posters outside the library.” Twilight peered down at the poster. It was a simple affair, a rather attractive stylization of the race with the time and location for the start of the festivities written in formal pictograms. “Of course it is. Here, let me lend you a hoof.” “Thank ya’ kindly, Twilight.” The orange pony stooped to pluck the poster from the ground and turned toward the front door. Twilight followed her out, leaving Rainbow and Spike inside still comparing notes. Like on many of the buildings in Ponyville, the red painted door was arched and split in two, top and bottom. A large painted representation of a candlestick, symbolic of the purpose of the building-in-a-tree decorated the top half. Twilight levitated the poster away from Applejack and held it in place next to the door with her magic. Applejack rustled around in her saddlebag and extracted a box of nails. Gingerly holding one in her teeth, she pressed it through the poster and into the bark. She returned to her bag and drew out a hammer, holding the wooden handle sideways with her mouth. Before she could swing to tool, the nail slipped out and tumbled to the ground. “Aw, shoot.” She dropped the hammer and plucked the nail up in her teeth again. She pressed it back into place and quickly went for the hammer, but the nail fell out before she could even get her mouth around the handle. “Gosh darn it!” she moved to pick the nail up again. “Here, let me help,” said Twilight. She pinned the poster in place with a forehoof and concentrated on the nail. It glowed with her characteristic purple light and lifted up to the poster. She held it in place while Applejack swung her neck to drive the head of the hammer onto the nail, sinking it partially into the thick bark. Twilight plucked another nail from the box and held it in place for Applejack and together they finished tacking down the poster. As she returned the hammer to her bag, Applejack noticed her unicorn friend had barely taken her eyes off of it. “What’s the matter, Twi? Never seen a hammer before?” the yellow pony smirked. “What? Oh, no, I was just… thinking about something.” Twilight shook her head “It’s not important.” They returned to the interior of the library. Spike and Rainbow were digging through a box of Spike’s comic books. Or rather, Spike was digging while Rainbow hovered over his shoulder. The stubby little dragon appeared to be searching for something in particular. “So, will y’all be runnin’ in the race again this year, Twi?” Applejack asked as they entered. “Oh, I, uh. I hadn’t thought about it.” Intrigued by the event, Twilight had run in the race the last time it was held, much to the amusement of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, her more athletic friends. After trailing the entire length, she had sprinted ahead at the very end to finish a respectable fifth. Though she had found it enjoyable enough—mostly for the opportunity to enjoy the weather and the fall scenery—she was content to just watch from the sidelines this year. “Aw, Twilight, ya’ gotta race again!” Rainbow floated over to meet them, “A.J. and I still owe you for beatin’ us last year.” Twilight felt her cheeks flush. “I’ll think about it,” she said carefully. “Meanwhile, I hope you two have still learned your lesson from last year?” The only reason she had beaten the two of them last time was thanks to the two hot-headed mares’ ‘friendly’ competition which had devolved into an all-out wrestling match by the time they crawled across the finish line in last place. The two ponies shared a look. “I don’t think y’all have to worry ‘bout that. I learned my lesson,” Applejack drawled. “Yeah. B’sides, this year I’m gonna win outright.” Rainbow struck an aggressive pose, rainbow-hued lightning bolt clearly displayed on her flank. Applejack shot her a look, and then shook her head. Rainbow was an incorrigible boaster, and there was no sense in arguing with her. Over by the stairs, Spike let out a triumphant whoop, “Ah HA! Found it!” He held aloft a tattered comic book and ran over to where the ponies were standing by the door “Here’s the one I was telling you about, Dash.” “Oh, Awesome!” Rainbow let out an excited squeal “I can’t wait, it sounds so cool!” “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.” The little dragon said “Just… be careful with it, will you? It’s… my favorite, and I don’t want it…” “Ah, no sweat, Spike. I’ll take good care of it.” “What’s got you two so excited?” Twilight’s curiosity had gotten the better of her. She trotted over to look at the tattered booklet and read the title “The Adventures of Orion Nebula, Spacepony Extraordinaire?” she read. “Volume 3: Orion versus the Martian Menace!” Spike finished. “Oh, I remember this. You had me read it to you when you were little, er, littler. Isn’t this the one with the…” “Don’t spoil it for Rainbow Dash!” Spike interrupted “Besides, I seem to remember you didn’t like it” he scowled. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Twilight shot back defensively, “I only said the astronomy was very inaccurate.” Spike began counting off on his fingers “And that the Martians were silly, and that the spaceship was unrealistic, and that the plot was predictable, and that…” “Ok, ok. You’ve made your point,” Twilight’s head drooped. “I’m sorry, Spike. I didn’t know you took it so seriously.” “Well…”Spike tapped a clawed finger on his chin mischievously “You could make it up to me by taking me out to eat for supper instead of cooking in tonight.” Twilight looked at him knowingly “Spike, did you not finish your chores?” Applejack took the opportunity to interject into the conversation “Aw, shucks. I could go for some grub. What say we all go finish hangin’ up these here posters and then go get somethin’ to eat?” The proposal was agreeable to all. **************** “Look, all I’m saying is, why do aliens always have to look like ponies?” “I’m sorry, I still don’t follow.” Now Applejack was totally lost. The four of them were enjoying the fading evening on the patio of one of the restaurants off the town green. The sun, now a deep blood red, was just beginning to sink behind the low green-clad mountains far to the west, deep within the Everfree Forest. Everything had taken on the golden glow of an autumn twilight as long shadows slowly crept along. Most of Ponyville’s businesses were clustered around the town green which formed a grassy ring around the massive town hall or along one of the couple spoke-like major thoroughfares extending out. They had quickly finished with hanging the advertisements around the town and had settled on this small bistro more on Applejack’s suggestion that she owed it to the owner. They had ordered from a tall, slender waiter with a slicked-back mane and had dined leisurely. Spike, of course, tried to order gemstones for his meal. He knew perfectly well no restaurant in town served minerals as food, but he liked to rub it in. Their conversation had drifted back to Twilight’s apparent dislike of Spike’s comic book (though she maintained she did not dislike it, per se, just found the inconsistencies jarring). This had led to a discussion of fantasy and fictional literature in general, mostly with Twilight trying to explain what put her off about the genera. “It’s not that I don’t like them,” she explained, “I’ve read several. I thoroughly enjoy many. I just think it is wise to keep one’s hooves on the ground and remember what is real and what’s make-believe.” Now, she was trying to explain her problems with space aliens. She sighed “I mean, look at almost every depiction of a space alien out there. Books, plays, pictures, comics. In almost each and every one of them, the aliens look like ponies. Maybe with bumpy foreheads or strange patterns, but still ponies.” “Ok…” Applejack nodded. “Now, why would a creature from another planet necessarily look anything like a pony? They would live in different conditions—different gravity, different plants, if there are plants on their planet at all, different atmosphere. There is no reason they should look just like we do.” Twilight continued. “Well, what would you prefer they look like, then?” Rainbow Dash was getting bored with the discussion. She thought she had known better than to get Twilight rolling on anything regarding literature or science. Or magic. Or history. Or a half-dozen other topics. She liked Twilight, but sometimes that pony just took things so literally. Twilight shrugged “I dunnoh. Something imaginative. A leathery blob with a beak for a mouth and tentacles instead of limbs. Something with a long neck and big head with a heart that you can see glowing in its chest. If aliens exist, they probably would look like nothing we could imagine.” “Oh! How about something like a giant bear, but it walks straight up on two legs and has really long hair!” The exercise in creativity was perking Rainbow up. Twilight laughed “Yeah, you’ve got it. Something more creative than a bald pony with little beady eyes.” “What about, like, a giant insect thing with a long head and a big, toothy mouth? And inside that is another toothy mouth?” added Spike. “Eww. Sounds awful” Applejack made a face. “Sounds awesome!” countered Rainbow. “I’m not sure how that would work, but you see what I mean? It doesn’t have to look anything like a pony,” said Twilight with an air of finality. The sky darkened to a deep indigo as the sun dipped below the horizon. Twinkling stars began to peak out like tiny, sparkling grains of sand on a velvet cloth. The four friends sat sharing in the silence of the evening. It was Applejack who finally broke the silence. “Do y’all think they’re out there? The aliens, I mean?” They were all silent for a moment more. “Maybe,” Twilight said finally. “We know there are other planets and moons in the solar system. And if each star is another sun in itself, then it stands to reason they might have planets of their own.” “The better question is if they’ve ever visited us” Rainbow Dash grinned. Applejack swallowed nervously, Spike’s toothy monster in her mind’s eye, “Really? Y’all really think there might be aliens here?” “Oh, yeah!” added Spike, “Haven’t you heard the stories? Flying saucers and alien abductions?” “A-Ab-Abductions?” Rainbow couldn’t let the opportunity pass “Oh, yeah. Abductions.” She crouched low and stalked around the table, “They say the aliens fly up in their spaceship all quiet-like. Then, you see a bright light… And they lift you up into their spaceship! Then they strap you down and hook you up to all sorts of weird machines...” Applejack’s eyes were wide. She was nearly shaking. “Oh, now you’re just being silly!” Twilight interjected. “Don’t listen to them, Applejack. There is no evidence that any aliens have ever visited Equestria. Or that they even exist in the first place.” “That’s just what they want you to think!” Spike piped in. “They?” asked Twilight. “You know, Them. The aliens.” Twilight chuckled shook her head, “Oh, Spike.” Night was coming fast. They all took their leave of each other and went their separate ways. Twilight would stay up a little later, she decided. She still wanted to finish studying that book. **************** As Applejack made her way back to her family’s apple orchard on the outskirts of town, she couldn’t help but glance around nervously. She didn’t want to admit it, but Spike and Rainbow had gotten to her. Horrible monsters dropping out of the skies and snatching ponies and hooking them up to machines that did who-knows-what? The very idea gave her the willies. Or maybe it was the idea of being stolen away from her home and family she found disagreeable. And now, out here in the gathering darkness, every rustle in the bushes, every creak of a branch, and every shadow of a passing cloud became a lurking terror. “Ah, horse-apples,” she whispered to herself. “There’s nothin’ out there, Applejack. You’re just bein’ a silly-filly.” She steeled herself and held her head high. She tried to tell herself time and again there was nothing to be frightened of. Still, she had never been so relieved to spy the soft glow from the barn windows. If she had happened to look up as she trotted through the gate to Sweet Apple Acres, she might have noticed a small flash of light just within the darkened disc of the waxing autumn moon, as if a small star had suddenly burst to life and then just as quickly disappeared. Instead, the curious event went almost completely unnoticed to the residents of the small town.