“Wake up…and rise…”
Fluttershy and Dash’s eyes snapped open. They rose to their hooves and looked around. Horror kickstarted in Fluttershy’s eyes while disbelief took over Dash’s face.
“Ya gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!” they heard Applejack snapped not too far off from them. “Why the hell do we keep endin’ up here?!”
Miracle and the others started to stir as well. They looked at their surroundings and then at the trio. Pinkie was immediately at Applejack’s side, attempting to calm her down. Miracle walked up to Dash and Fluttershy.
“What’s wrong?” she quipped.
Fluttershy didn’t respond. She shuddered and shrank underneath Dash, who placed a protective wing around her. She buried her face into Dash’s chest and started to weep. Dash’s face was contorted into pure, seething rage. Miracle, afraid of the sudden shift in their behavior, backed up and was under Rarity.
“What’s wrong with them?” Miracle asked fearfully. “Why are they acting like this?”
Rarity looked on sadly, “This is place…I think this is the place that Twilight talked to Pinkie and I about…” she looked over at the Earth Ponies. Pinkie was just helplessly staring at Applejack, who was pacing back and forth, still spewing curses. Rarity tentatively approached her,
“Applejack…”
Applejack spun around, her face so contorted into fury, that it unsettled Rarity. She quickly regained her composure and looked at the orange pony with a determined calmness.
“Applejack, you need to calm down.”
“Calm down?” Applejack repeated. “CALM DOWN?! Ah’m not calmin’ the hell down. This is the place that put Dash, Shy, an Ah in the damn hospital! I almost got murdered here! This is where…” Applejack faded off into angry mumbling, turning away from her to continue pacing.
Realization dawned on Rarity’s features. She stared at her a few moments more before looking over at Dash and Fluttershy. Miracle brushed one of Rarity’s forelegs with a wing.
“Miss Rarity, what wrong…”
“This…” Rarity swallowed, “This is where it all started. Where Applejack, Fluttershy, and Dash…got to see their parents again…their dead parents…”
Horror covered Miracle’s face. She turned and galloped back to Fluttershy and Dash. She snuggled into Dash’s chest, earning the cyan Pegasus’ attention. Miracle looked up into her with hardened eyes. They were glassy. Not with the threat of tears, but the threat of untamable wrath if it was freed.
“What do you want kid?” Dash questioned harshly.
Miracle bit her bottom lip for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say. She focused on Dash again,
“Miss Rarity told me what happened, and yet, you’re not crying. I know you’re a tough pony, and that you’re not going to cry…” tears started to well up in her eyes, “So…I’ll cry for you…”
With that, Miracle weeped for her. She cried with Fluttershy, while the light seemed to leave Dash’s eyes and she pulled both Pegasi closer into her wings. Rarity joined Pinkie, and snuggled up to the other side of Applejack’s powerful form.
“There is a reason I have brought you here…” a gentle voice stated as a ball of light lowered itself in front of the group. The ethereal orb morphed until it formed itself into the celestial stallion from the tomes. Rarity knelt before him,
“It is an honor to be graced with your presence.” Rarity stated humbly. “Forgive my friends for not bowing. They do not truly understand who you are.”
“That is understandable. You need not bow before me anyway. I value each of my followers, and do not see them as being beneath me. So rise, Follower Rarity.”
She nodded, “Thank you, Great One.” She quickly rose to her hooves. She turned to the others,
“Just let me do the talking.” She whispered. She looked down at Miracle, “Please, don’t say anything until he asks you himself, okay?”
Miracle nodded and made a zipper motion over her mouth. Rarity turned back to Ubenox,
“We’re terribly sorry to have committed the actions we have done to receive the chance to meet you, Great One. They gave me their complete trust and followed me into this plane, and as such, I take full responsibility for them.” Rarity began. “But, it seems that our filly here,” she pointed a hoof in Miracle’s direction, “has had the pleasure of being blessed with your presence. Even greater, you have bestowed a task that only she can do. However…she is lost, and not sure what she must do next. We are here to help her, and to carry out your mission as well, if you so wish it.”
Ubenox nodded, “This is true. She has been given a mission.” He looked over at the others, “And the reason I have brought you here, is this is where your group first encountered the Corrupted One.”
Applejack stepped forward, “We ain’t never met the Corrupted One. This is where we witnessed a first-hoof experience of Luna’s treachery.”
Rarity shot her a look, “Applejack! Do you not speak unless spoken to!”
“All is well, Follower Rarity. She witnessed something that is terrible and vile. She has every right to speak.” Ubenox stated before returning his focus to Applejack. “You are Applejack…the daughter of the Earth Ponies Earligold and Ambrosia…”
Applejack slowly nodded in agreeance, “That Ah am…”
He focused on the other two orphans.
“Blue Pegasus…you are Rainbow Dash, daughter of the Pegasi Rainbow Burst and Firefly.”
“Yellow Pegasus…you are Fluttershy, daughter of the Pegasi of Thunder Soar and Gentle Wind.”
Both Pegasi nodded in confirmation. His focus on them honed in even sharper.
“You three have encountered the power of the Corrupted One…think hard…”
The trio looked at one another. Fluttershy looked up at him,
“I…I don’t understand. The only one we saw was…” she trailed off as realization kicked in. She looked up,
“Luna was the Corrupted One?”
“In a sense. The Corrupted One had been feeding into her thoughts for thousands of years. She was almost too powerful for it…which is why it had taken so long for it to rear its ugly head once more.” He let his hooves touch the earth, a small surge of power rippled through the field in process. He slowly walked closer to them, “In the end…it had taken hold of her soul. She ended up becoming the killer of the night, snatching souls away in their dreams, much to the enjoyment of the Corrupted One. “
He sat down on his haunches and lowered his head to get eye-to-eye with them. His eyes slowly scanned over them, and they all shrank under his gaze.
“All of you are indeed powerful…” he began. “I am aware that you’re all Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They amplify the strength that lies within your cores. Together...you are a force that even impresses the gods.” He smiled “Why, it seems like you could handle anything that appeared in your plane under normal circumstances.” His smile disappeared, “But it seems that the Elements are a bit weaker right now. Where lies the Element of Magic?”
Dash stepped forward, “That element belongs to Twilight, who’s been an absolute asshole as of late…”
“Rainbow Dash!! LANGUAGE!” Rarity scolded.
“You think I care? He needs to know what’s going on if he’s going to help us!” Dash snapped back. She looked up at Ubenox, “We’d normally go to her for help, but she’s following some stupid rule book, that she’s turning against her best friends! The damn book is probably called ‘Being A Princess 101’ or some shit like that…”
“Twilight…” he sat back up and rubbed his chin with a massive hoof, “Twilight Sparkle, Princess and one of the rulers of Equestria.”
“More like the only ruler of Equestria.” Applejack pointed out. “Princess Celestia vanished inta thin air a few days ago…”
“And it was then that the gods and goddesses sent me out into the void…” he sat up straight, “The Corrupted One has risen once more.”
Miracle trotted up to him, “I remember you telling me that, Mr. Ubenox. That’s why I did what you asked and talked to Mr. Spike…and Miss Rarity helped us from there to get to you, but we don’t know what to do next…”
“I knew that you would need help, White Pegasus. This is a weight that would simply be too great to place on one’s shoulders. Now share your burden and handle this, together. And now that I know your minds are capable of these visions, you will be able to receive them without the assistance of mind altering substances.” He rose to his hooves, “The next step will be to go forth, and destroy the seeds of corruption. This will stir up the Corruption, and bring it to the light. Go forth, my followers, and carry out what I have commanded. Prepare yourselves, for when it rises up, it will be angry, and seeking out blood."
The group nodded in obedience. He started to walk away, and the moon glowed brighter and brighter until their vision turned to white…