//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: The Elements of Equestria // by trooper7051 //------------------------------// "You idiot! You FOOL! YOU IMBECILE!" the Rainbow of Darkness raged within Searcher's mind, "I gave you one task, ONE TASK, and you botch it!" Searcher smiled internally, 'Yes, yes I did', Searcher stood in front of a mirror watching his reflection speak to him. The Shadow Beast staring out at him, with his own eyes,was a creature from the darkest patch of nightmarish midnight. He detested what he saw, what he had become, but he knew his plan was too important for him to risk failure. "But master," Searcher whimpered pitifully through his fangs, "I did my best. The spells you gave me were strange but I tried my best. You were watching everything." "Apparently not!" the Rainbow of Darkness snarled, "Otherwise this would NEVER have happened!" "I'm sorry master." Searcher lied, "I wasn't used to forging metal." "EXCUSES!" the Rainbow of Darkness in his head screeched, "Always more excuses!" it seemed to become focused for a moment, still angry, "The enchantment for the transformation was perfect, but the enchantment for controlling their senses is so imperfect I'll have to use all my power to convince them the Element Bearers are Gryphons. If they saw who they were fighting, their minds would reject the enchantment, they might even break free! The enchantment is so weak they might break free if they saw the truth in a mirror! I have to make their minds see each other as they were, if they saw each other as they are now, the enchantment would shatter. Only my champions are under my complete control. Have them go and destroy every mirror in Haysburg." the Rainbow of Darkness seemed to be calming down, "Alright, I can still do this, it's just going to take all my power to do so . . . I won't be able to maintain that fog, but those two Pegasi should be too weak to do anything but drop like fleshy rocks. Once they are dead, I have nothing to fear. My Champions will destroy the element bearers when they arrive. For now, have them go and destroy every mirror in town. After that, it's time to wake up Colossus." Searcher swallowed but bobbed his head in a subservient manner, "Yes master." * * * Rainbow Dash was tired, so tired. She and Trooper had been flying for a day and a half with no food of any kind. Were she not in such good shape or if her metabolism wasn't so high she wouldn't have been so bad off. As it stood, she barely had enough energy to stay awake. He wings beat irregularly and she had to stop and rest every hour or so. Trooper had been as faithful and stalwart as she could have ever imagined. He had not voiced a single complaint though she could see the strain of fatigue in his eyes. "Troops," Dash said to her companion, "I have to rest." Trooper nodded and began descending toward the ever present thick fog below them. Dash struggled to force her wings to obey her but she was too weak. Her wings locked up suddenly and she entered an uncontrolled fall toward the cloud. Trooper reacted instantly but he didn't have the strength to catch his prismatic partner. Instead he placed himself between Dash and the cloud right in the middle of the distance, to slow her fall and minimize the injury to himself. Dash slammed into him with a heavy thump and the two Pegasi plummeted to the fog below. Trooper hit first and Dash landed on top of him, her weight knocking the wind from his lungs as she compressed him into the fog. Trooper felt several of his ribs crack under the sudden impact but the fog cloud muffled his cry of pain into a groan. Dash sluggishly rolled off him, "Dang it!" she cursed her weakness, "I'm sorry Troops! Are you alright?" Trooper groaned into the fog but held up his right fore hoof, "Mmm good." The two exhausted, famished Pegasi lay where they were, panting laboriously, trying to summon any sort of strength they could. Trooper, thinking outside the box, rolled over sluggishly onto his stomach and bit the fog. He pulled off a piece, chewed, and swallowed. It was bland and it chewed like cotton candy, but it was the first thing either of them had in any form of water in two days. It was unpleasant, but it was wet. "Eat . . . the fog." Trooper said, "It . . . is . . . water." Dash, still panting, turned her head and bit off a chunk of fog, "Taste's like . . . nothing . . . it's wet . . . though." she reached her head down and tore off another chunk of the fog. Trooper chewed on another piece of fog, "Is . . . it . . . just me . . . or does . . . the fog . . . seem . . . thinner?" Dash slowly lifted her hoof and poked the fog, "I . . . can't . . . tell. I . . . need to . . . sleep. Wake . . . me . . . later." she laid had head down and was asleep before Trooper could answer. * * * Colossus groaned and reached his hooves up to rub his eyes, 'I've slept long enough.' he opened his eyes and saw a pitch black monstrous face starring down at him. The face had a long muzzle arrayed with wickedly sharp fangs which protruded from its jowls, the nostrils flared more like those of a predator, a sharp curved black horn adorned its head, arching upward, and its eyes were dark yellow with cat-like pupils. Never in his darkest dreams had Colossus ever imagined such a hideous beast. The mane flowing behind its head seemed to shimmer and Colossus would swear he saw images of mares, stallions, and foals crying, struggling, and screaming in terror and agony within the ever moving wisps. Colossus studied the hideous Shadow Beast above him for a few moments before he smiled, 'Good looking guy.' "Sorry I was useless for so long." Colossus said to the Shadow Beast, "I'm ready to serve." The monster grinned a fang filled smile and stepped away from the bed. Colossus had been horribly injured, however thanks to the amount of power coursing through Colossus because of the leg band, the Rainbow of Darkness had pulled from its magic and forced Colossus' body to heal itself. The Rainbow of Darkness hated healing anything, but Colossus was far too powerful to let him just die. He would be useful. The immense Earth Pony rolled over smoothly and slid off the recovery bed, sinuous as a serpent. Tightly bunched, corded muscle flexed and rippled beneath his obsidian shaded flesh and his claws clacked against the floor, leaving small scrapes on the ceramic tiles. Colossus was a mirror image of the other Shadow Beast, save for his incredible size and ridiculous build, "Hey there Searcher." the giant said in a friendly tone, through his new razor like fangs, "Is it time to serve?" Searcher's thoughts and actions were his own, a 'generous gift' from the Rainbow of Darkness, even if his mutated body revolted him, "It is almost time." Searcher spoke from the Rainbow of Darkness, "Come and meet the others. It will be time to kill soon. The slaughter will begin and when it's done, all of Equestria will lie dead or enslaved for our pleasure. The street will run red with blood." Colossus had never killed anything before, the small battles and little skirmishes against the Gryphons had frightened him. His parents had both been Royal Guards, 'Your're strong Colossus,' his father had taught him, 'You have to be gentle with everypony else, you could hurt them so easily.' Colossus remembered asking his father why his parents were teaching him to fight if they didn't want him to hurt anypony, 'Because any strong fool can cause injury. It takes real skill to subdue without injuring anypony.' Colossus had taken the lessons to heart. Killing was a concept he had never even considered, the very notion revolted him. He had devoted his life to helping build things, not hurt others. Colossus smiled through his fangs and licked his chops with a long forked tongue, "Sounds fun. Do we get to eat them?" * * * Valiant eyed the female Shadow Beasts hungrily. Their muscled bodies, sleek flanks, and more demure muzzles made his body burn and shiver with anticipation. He had wanted to be with a mare before, but his dignity and respect had held him in check. That control was gone now and his eyes roved over every sensuous inch of them, lusting after their bodies in a way he had never allowed himself to before. He pictured it in his head, he would tackle one of them, his teeth would sink into the flesh in the back of her neck and she would struggle the whole time, screaming and thrashing wildly. Months later she would birth another Shadow Beast to join them. His spawn would slaughter with him and he would take more and more females for his pleasure. The mares he took would die during the birth as the little Shadow Beasts tore them apart from the inside, thus earning their first kill at birth, it would be glorious. The thought became more and more appealing by the second. Part of his indecision stemmed from the inability to decide which female he lusted for the most and which would produce the most powerful spawn. 'Tinker has a strong body,' Valiant thought, 'She would produce powerful spawn, but Triage or Trauma are smarter, while Birdie,' he licked his chops hungrily, 'Birdie has experience with this kind of thing. She's small and I'm sure she's tight, plus she's liable to scream and struggle the most.' he could feel himself lusting for her with his most base instinct, 'Either way, she's sure to be fun. She's ferocious though, she might kill me afterward.' he mentally shrugged, 'If she does then I was too weak but my spawn will be even more powerful for it.' There were seven of them waiting in the hallway of the Haysburg clinic while Searcher woke up Colossus. Surf and Miller were eyeballing each other darkly while Triage, Trauma, and Tinker were all casually lounging in the hallway and Birdie was pacing restlessly. Valiant watched her stalk up and down the hallway, claws clicking against the ceramic tiles on the floor, wispy wings folded against her sides. To him, everything about her was arousing. He bent his legs and tightened his muscles preparing himself. His new body was powerful, much more powerful than he was before. Birdie stopped at the far end of the hallway and turned back around toward the others. She kept pacing, not making any eye contact with them. As she stalked past him, Valiant pounced on her. The two of them snarled, bit, and clawed for a few moments before the stallion gained the advantage. He bit into the tough skin on the back of her neck and pinned her front half to the floor. Birdie squirmed and struggled fiercely against his hold, her hind legs and flank up in the air, wiggling about. Triage, Trauma, and Tinker watched, cackling with laughter as Valiant began to inch himself into position. The doors at the far end of the hallway burst open revealing Colossus and Searcher. Surf finally decided to have some fun. He whipped his right fore leg out, extending the climbing hook. Miller snarled and bit onto the hook and Surf extended the one on his left leg. He swung the left hook up and over, clubbing Miller on the top of the head, then pulled. The sharper end of the hook embedded itself into Miller's left eye and the tip emerged from his right one. Surf tensed his left leg and pulled, ripping Miller's eyes upward and breaking through the bones in his forehead. Miller's bones crunched as Surf's hook came free of his skull and Miller dropped to the ground limply. Surf brought the left hook up to his muzzle and licked the eyeball and blood liquid off the tip with great relish. "That's enough." Searcher said calmly, though he was beyond horrified at what his friends had become. Valiant looked up and reluctantly let go of Birdie's neck. Not wasting a second, Birdie launched herself straight at Valiant. The two tangled a second time, and Birdie came out on top, holding the front of Valiant's neck in her jaws as the stallion thrashed wildly, chocking for air. "I said, that's enough." Searcher repeated, 'They've completely lost all morals.' he thought, 'Oh Heaven help us.' Miller's bones began to knit back together and his eyes reformed, Surf whined, "Aw, he can regenerate?" Colossus stood between Surf and Miller as Searcher took a back seat and the Rainbow of Darkness spoke, "He's the weakest, so he can regenerate from any wound unless he's incinerated." it gestured to Miller with Searcher's right fore hoof, "Your gift is your weapons. You see the lethal potential of everything, this makes you a cunning opponent." it gestured to Valiant, "Your love is now hate," it turned to Birdie, "Your aggression is now restless rage, you are my berserker," it gestured to Triage and Trauma, "You two know the body and all of its weaknesses and exactly how to exploit them," it turned to Tinker, "Your body is strong, like your magic, use both for destruction," it turned to Colossus last, "And you, your strength is unmatched, now your mind is free to do as you wish." it gestured to all of them, "I have freed you from the weak morals that held you back, you are bound only by one thing now, my will." It paused and shook out Searcher's mane, "There are several mares on their way here. They will arrive tonight. The other Shadow Beasts will have their chance, but if they fail, it will be up to you. These mares, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, must die tonight. Finish them as quickly as possible. There are a few stallions with them, likely Royal Guards in disguise, assigned to act as body guards. None of them should present a problem to any of you. Once they are dead, do what you want with the bodies." it paused and looked beyond the Shadow Beasts, "It's growing dark, we must prepare." "What about the orphanage?" Valiant asked flexing his claws, "Why didn't you let us take care of it?" "It is of no concern. The foals would be all too easy to slaughter, besides wouldn't all if you appreciate a victory feast after the battle? Nice, tender, juicy foal meat?" the Rainbow of Darkness said. "What if they escape?" Valiant asked, seeming eager for the slaughter, "We should at least make sure they can't get away." "Oh they won't," the Rainbow said casually, "Who would dare to go outside with the threat of all of us on the prowl? No, they will still be there for several days." * * * Twilight pushed her head through the thick fern on front of her and took her first look at Haysburg. It was difficult to make out much in the dark, but she could pick out a few details. Some of the houses looked badly damaged and gutted, debris was strewn all about the road, and the only light in the whole town was coming from a two story building not far from her position. A quiet rustle of leaves to her left told of Patriarch next to her, "We are too late." his voice was hoarse, "Perhaps if we had dedicated ourselves to a stand up fight, this could have been avoided." he hung his head sadly, "We've failed." Twilight pursed her lips and nudged him with her muzzle, "There's some lights from that building over there." Patriarch nodded sadly, "The orphanage, it's undoubtedly a trap." Mend pushed his head out of the bush to Twilight's right, "Does that mean they know about us?" he asked. Patriarch nodded again, "Likely, though it's impossible to know for certain." Live Wire spoke up from behind Mend, "What if there's Ponies in there who haven't been effected by this evil yet?" he asked, "We need to make sure everypony we can, is saved." "Ah gotta agree with 'im." Big Mac said, "We don't just guard the Elements, we guard everypony." Patriarch looked back and forth between the Ponies, "You realize that if you are attacked, we can come to help you, but we cannot kill. Gryphons haven't killed Ponies for ages and WE will not be the ones to destroy the peace." "The peace is gone, whether you would risk it not." Sea Blue said solidly, "You will be helping to restore the peace. Follow your convictions, but we need to know you will help if we are in need." Patriarch grumbled for a moment, then nodded, "Very well. Should you need us, call out for us, we will hear you." Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack nodded seriously, while Fluttershy cowered behind her mane. "Let us lead. Live Wire and Big Macintosh, stay close to the girls. Dr. Mend and I will lead the way." Sea Blue instructed. He and Mend sidled up side by side and slowly stepped out of the swamp. There was a small clearing between them and the first couple of houses so they crouched low and waited to see if anything moved. There was some small bit of moonlight seeping through the clouds above Haysburg, but the light only came down to the edge of the town, once within the borders of the town, everything would be all but pitch black. Live Wire turned to the mares, "When we move, we want to stay as hidden as possible so crouch down, stick to shadows, and don't be too close to one another." After more than a full minute of seeing nothing Sea Blue and Mend crept forward slowly. Live Wire and Big Mac lead the girls forward as well. They made their way across the open ground and into Haysburg. Stepping onto the cobblestone street of the town was like crossing an invisible border. The air felt colder and the shadows deepened to the point that nopony could be sure what was an open road and what was an alleyway. Sea Blue and Mend crept up to the front of the orphanage. Each one picked a window and poked their heads up to see inside, Sea Blue on the left and Mend on the right. The window Sea Blue selected looked right into what appeared to be an office of some kind while Mend's window looked into a kitchen. Neither stallion saw any signs of movement from within. Mend and Sea Blue congregated with the rest of the Element Bearers at the front door, "I can't see anything inside, Mend?" Sea Blue asked. Dr. Mend shook his head, "Me neither." "Alright, let's try opening the doors as quietly as we can and slip inside. Once we're in Live Wire and I can look around, we're the lightest . . . " Rarity cleared her throat quietly, "Oh really? Since when did you fall under the impression that any of us weight more than you?" Sea Blue shot Rarity a stern glare, "Are you suggesting we ask Fluttershy to look around? She would be the lightest of us by far." "Meep!" Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind her mane. Rarity gave Sea Blue a pointed stare, "Surely you can't be serious." "I'm not, and don't call me Shirley." Sea Blue quipped, "Let us look around, we're the lightest of the stallions and we're also likely to be the most quiet." Rarity didn't argue, but the expression she wore said the two of them would have some words later. Sea Blue's horn lit up and the handle on the door turned silently. Sea Blue pushed it and it swung open with a loud creak. The assembled Ponies all cringed and looked around, certain they had been heard. Nothing stirred. Sea Blue led the way followed closely by Live Wire and the rest. Big Macintosh was the last one inside and he closed the door behind them. The inside was well lit but of there was not a sound from within. Sea Blue turned to the rest of the group, "Alright you all stay here and listen out for anything. Live Wire and I will yell if we need help." he turned to the little yellow therapist, "You go right and I'll go left." They separated, heading different directions. Sea Blue went first to the door on the left, figuring that it led to the office he had seen. He opened the door and his assumption was proved correct. He crept around the office but there were no Ponies inside. Live Wire snuck into the open doorway on the right and found himself in a kitchen, a rather large one in fact. He quietly checked every cupboard and pantry, under the sink, and in cabinets. There were no Ponies in hiding, but there was a remarkable lack of food. The kitchen looked like it had been very tidy until very recently and many of the frying pans were missing from where they had obviously been hanging on the wall above the stove. Some crumbs littered the counters and floor and there was a tiny trail of flour leading back out of the kitchen. The flour was light brown, which explained why Live Wire had missed it in the first place, it was almost exactly the same color as the wooden flooring. Lowering his head, Live Wire followed the trail of flour out of the kitchen and back into the main hallway. Sea Blue had just exited the office when he and the others saw Live Wire come out of the kitchen, nose to the ground like a hound. They stayed silent as he followed the nearly invisible trail into the right most hallway on the side of the wide stairs directly across from the front door. He continued following the tiny trail until it stopped right at the wooded outside of a trap door set into the floor. * * * Heartfelt shushed the foals when she heard scraping against the trapdoor of the storm cellar, "Ssh, everypony be quiet!" she hissed. The storm cellar was fifteen paces by fifteen paces wide and deep and three paces tall, just a bit more than enough for a very tall Unicorn. The walls, floor and ceiling were all made out of sandstone, cut from a single piece and smoother to a nearly silky texture. There were thirty cramped cots sitting folded against the wall opposite the trap door. A huge, neatly folded pile of blankets sat off to one side of the cellar while a small assembly of cabinets sat on the opposite side, constantly stocked to help ensure survival for anypony within. There were enough supplies to sustain forty adult Ponies for a week if necessary. An Emergency Illumination Crystal suspended from a net on the ceiling, provided a modicum of yellow light, casting deep shadows all around. Aside from Heartfelt there were eleven orphans down there, including the unconscious bulk of Molasses. Heartfelt had needed help dragging the older colt on a fluffy blanket down the stairs and into the cellar. She refused to leave him for those . . . things. The colt's body was covered with massive blisters, even his eyelids and muzzle, fortunately, the side he had been laying on was clear of the blisters so he could rest with SOME amount of comfort, if he ever woke up. The foals quieted down but Heartfelt could hear a voice mumbling quietly. " . . . the bracelets . . . wicked gold . . . " Molasses was half conscious and delirious. Heartfelt couldn't bring herself to try to quiet Molasses down, he was speaking too quietly to be heard from outside. The scraping sound came again, accompanied by voices. Heartfelt stepped away from the stairs that led to the trap door, "If they break in," Heartfelt swallowed hard, "I'll try to hold them off." An older colt and filly stepped up on either side of her, Chrysanthemum and Quicksilver respectively, "We'll help." Quicksilver said. Heartfelt was about to reprimand them when a lavender aura outlined the first of the four deadbolts holding the trapdoor closed. Realization struck and Heartfelt dashed forward to the bolts and bit onto the handle, holding it in place. The force working against her was unstoppable, it slowed down only slightly then resumed its course, pulling Heartfelt to the side. The space of the trap door was too small for Chrysanthemum or Quicksilver to lend their own strength to the task. The bolt slid open and Heartfelt hauled it back closed. The bolt slid open again and Heartfelt slid it closed a second time. The lavender aura surrounded the bolt a third time and slid it open, but held it in place so that the older mare couldn't open it. A yellow aura surrounded the second bolt and slid it open. Heartfelt bit onto it and closed it again. The yellow aura resumed and stayed on it, even after the bolt was open. Heartfelt was helpless to stop the process, 'Not my foals!' She bit onto the third bolt then locked her jaw, set her neck, and braced her legs. She could see the glow of another aura surround the third bolt, the one held in her teeth. She pulled against the sudden pressure trying to open the bolt and managed to hold it closed. The pressure came a second time and she hauled against it with all her strength until the pressure abated. Heartfelt could hear voices from the other side of the trap door now that she was so close to it, "I can't open it." a stallion's voice said, "I pulled as hard as I could but I'm nowhere as strong as you two. I'd wager there's an Earth Pony down there holding the door closed. I can't budge it." A mare's voice responded in a southern drawl, "Wait a second, Valiant said he grew up as an orphan . . . " Heartfelt felt her eyes widen, 'Valiant? They know Valiant?' the mares voice continued, "Maybe they know 'im. Try talkin' to 'em." The first stallion's voice echoed through the trap door, "Hello?" he called, "We're here to help. We're looking for our friend Valiant. He's a former Vagabond who used to live here. We met some Gryphons in the swamp and they explained something bad is going on here. We can get you out of town to safety but we need you to come out." Heartfelt was not convinced, 'Everypony in Haysburg knows the story. They're trying to trick me.' "The warriors come . . . " Molasses mumbled in the quiet of the storm cellar, "The darkness . . . trembles at their arrival . . . " Heartfelt heard him, 'Molasses never speaks so smoothly. What's going on?' "Please," a very soft mare's voice asked from the far side of the trap door, "We only want to help you." "They come . . . let them come . . . " Molasses said. "We're the Elements of Harmony," another mare's voice said, "We're not going to hurt you." Heartfelt was taken aback, 'The Elements of Harmony!? Here?' " . . . Let them in . . . " Molasses said, " . . . Let them in." Heartfelt was conflicted, 'What do I do? If they really are the Elements of Harmony, they can help, but if they're those . . . things, they could kill us all. I need a question to prove they aren't from Haysburg, something that we all take for granted. . . I know.' Heartfelt let go of the bolt but firmly wedged her right hoof against it, "You're not from Haysburg?" she asked, "Then tell me this, what food does Haysburg have plenty of that the rest of Equestria doesn't?" "Ooh, ooh, I know, it's rice!" a squeaky mare's voice exclaimed, "Haysburg is the only town in all of Equestria that grows rice!" A stallion's voice responded to her, "That's right, Valiant said something about that in Canterlot, but how did you know Pinkie?" "I'm a baker of course! Mr. and Mrs. Cake took a trip to Haysburg a few years ago and brought back a bunch of rice flour. They said the Ponies of Haysburg have so much of it, they don't realize how valuable it it most of the time because they're stuck here all their lives. What's common to them is rare for the rest of Equestria." Heartfelt unlocked the door and stepped back, 'Either they can read minds, or they know a lot of unusual trivia.' The trap door opened slowly as Heartfelt, Chrysanthemum, and Quicksilver stood side by side facing the light spilling in from above. A lavender mare's head poked down through the doorway and smiled at the Ponies inside, "Dr. Mend, you need to get down there. Somepony doesn't look so good." A pitch black stallion stepped down through the trap door carrying a pair of heavy looking saddle bags, "Ma'am," he inclined his head toward Heartfelt, then spotted Molasses lying on one of the cots, "Move aside please, I'm a doctor." Heartfelt stepped aside and the stallion moved forward urgently. He opened his saddle bags and began working immediately, as the other Ponies descended into the storm cellar. They came down one at a time, five mares and three more stallions. The storm cellar was easily large enough to hold them all and the last one down, a yellow and green Unicorn stallion, closed and bolted the trap door behind them. Heartfelt breathed a sigh of relief and plopped down on her haunches, "I'm so glad to see you. After everything that's happened . . . we need help." Twilight walked up and sat down in front of Heartfelt, "What happened?" * * * "Describe this locket that Searcher always wears." Twilight asked. Heartfelt had related everything that had occurred between when Searcher, Birdie, and Colossus had arrived until that day. The mares and stallions had listened intently while Dr. Mend worked to treat Molasses' burns. "It's an upside down golden heart on a gold colored chain." Heartfelt said. Twilight's eyes bulged almost out of her head, "And you said he's an archaeologist?" Heartfelt nodded, "Yes, why is that important?" Twilight flopped down onto the stone floor and put her hooves over her eyes, "Oh no no no no no no no no! This is bad, very bad, very very bad!" Rarity traded a look with Sea Blue, "What is it darling?" Twilight slowly lowered her hooves, "It's ancient! I didn't even think it existed! I'd only seen it written about twice!" she suddenly froze, "If it's been found . . . oh no!" she began to shake violently, "It could release . . . HIM!" Rarity rose to her hooves and walked over to Twilight then shoved her snout into the lavender Unicorn's face, "Darling, calm down and tell us what's going on." Rarity backed off as Twilight rose to her hooves once more, "O.K. I'll try to paraphrase this as much as I can. In ancient times before Equestria was founded, before the tribes were even separated, before the years of enslavement under the other species, Ponies lived in a single location, it was something like Dream Valley, I can't remember exactly. To give you an idea, it was about twelve thousand years ago." Silence reigned in the storm cellar as Twilight continued, "Anyway, some of the ancients knew incredibly powerful magic, they lived for ages and ages, but they were hunted. A creature named Tirek wielded incredible magic and his secret weapon was called the Rainbow of Darkness. The Rainbow of Darkness was a sentient magical construct that changed, mutilated any creature it touched and the only being that could control it was Tirek. The two of them were unstoppable. They hunted Ponies, transforming them into dark creatures made for battle, living weapons. A mutated and ruined form of life. Tirek's brother, Scorpan, befriended Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and gave them the secret they needed to stop Tirek. The Princesses created and used the Rainbow of Light as a perfect opposition for the Rainbow of Darkness. However, unable to destroy anything sentient, the Princesses stripped the Rainbow of Darkness of its power and imprisoned inside of an inverted, gold colored, heart shaped locket and gave it to the foreign champion to protect until they died. The champion did as asked, but their grave was never found." Twilight sighed and hung her head, "It seems that Searcher found it." "So what does that mean for us?" Rarity asked. Twilight rubbed her forehead below her horn, "It means that if the Rainbow of Darkness is free, it will eventually try to free Tirek. He was imprisoned in Tartar us for his crimes but the Princesses could no more kill him than they could stop time." she looked back up, "However, just because the Princesses couldn't destroy it, that same restriction doesn't hold true to us." The others all looked at each other puzzled, "What are you saying Twilight?" asked Live Wire. Twilight looked him square in the eyes, "We're going to destroy the Rainbow of Darkness." * * * Molasses floated in that mysterious space between life and death. He was aware of sounds, voices. They were talking about things he could just barely make out. Things like the Rainbow of Darkness. In that place, he knew what that was. He could, for the first time think clearly, form thoughts on his own, it was as if some part of his soul had finally connected with his brain. He knew something and these strange new Ponies needed to know it too. He didn't know how he knew it, but he knew it was important. He opened his mouth to speak but a firm yet comforting hoof enclosed his muzzle, "Rest easy youngster, save your strength." The voice was firm but caring, "The golden bands . . . darkness of gold . . . bend the minds . . . their damnation . . . their salvation . . . break their bonds . . . bring them peace . . . " Fluttershy ears perked up and she angled her head toward the chocolate colored colt, 'I wonder what he's talking about.' "So how do we destroy this Rainbow of Darkness?" Applejack asked. "We'll need the full power of the Elements of Harmony to summon the Rainbow of Light and to do that, we need Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "The fog and clouds looked like they were dissipating when we came here," Pinkie Pie said, "And they didn't look like 5th yummy cotton candy clouds that Discord made either. I'll bet Dash ie and Trooper are up there somewhere, we just need to let them know where we are and woosh, they'll swoop on in and help us take out that big meanie pants Rainbow of Darkness." Twilight nodded, "It's as good a plan as we can hope for right now." she rose to her hooves and began to pace back and forth while talking, "We can't send off a flare here, it would probably draw too much attention. We need to find an open spot and send up a signal there. Unfortunately, that will draw attention to us, but at least it will be away from the orphans." "So that means we'll have to stay in one place until Dash and Trooper arrive." Sea Blue said, "That's likely to be an ugly fight. We should chose a spot where we can maximize our effectiveness against an onslaught of opponents, but open enough so that Dash and Trooper can find us. An open courtyard would lead to us being overwhelmed, but a doorway would restrict us to fighting one at a time and that presents the issue of one of us replacing the other once we become fatigued. A small opening would be ideal, about ten paces wide so we can maneuver but small enough that we can plug the hole." Twilight nodded, "That sounds about right." she stopped pacing and headed toward the trap door, "Come on, we need to hurry. The longer we wait, the stronger the Rainbow of Darkness will become." Dr. Mend finished tending to Molasses, "He's stable for now. Make sure he doesn't move once he wakes up." he turned to Heartfelt, "We'll be back. Keep the foals quiet. You'll know it's us if you hear the password, 'peace'. Lock the door behind us." He turned and followed the others back up and out of the storm cellar. Heartfelt locked the door behind them. * * * The Rainbow of Darkness monitored each of the Shadow Beasts through their mental link which allowed it to command its minions. The Shadow Beasts roamed Haysburg crawling on walls and ceilings, creeping through dark alleys, and watching from rooftops. Their enhanced vision was more than enough to allow their eyes to pierce the inky blackness. 'There!' the Rainbow shouted triumphantly in Searcher's mind, 'They're sneaking through the alleys.' the Rainbow grew more quiet as if in contemplation. "May I see them too Master?" Searcher asked. 'Hmm?' the Rainbow sounded distracted, 'I suppose so.' Searcher's mind saw through the eyes of one of the Shadow Beasts. It seemed to be hanging onto the side of a wall, looking directly down at the five mares and four stallions. Searcher had never seen any pictures of the famous Element Bearers but he noticed something right away, 'The Pegasi mare looks just like Birdie, only a little taller.' The nine Ponies moved in a single file line with a turquoise stallion with a bright orange and yellow streaked mane and tail in the lead and a massively built red stallion in the rear. They moved slowly and carefully, looking in all directions. They actually looked directly at the Shadow Beast that was watching them but not one seemed to recognize it was there. 'Hahahaha!' the Rainbow of Darkness laughed loudly, 'How pathetic! They can't even see what's right in front of them! This will be too easy!' Searcher said nothing, fearing for the safety of the nine Ponies, 'I'm so sorry for what you have to deal with.' he thought mournfully, 'I'll help you when I can, but I have to wait for the right time. Forgive me. Please forgive me.' 'Alright, they're moving toward that house with the wall missing. If they stop there, surround them and wait for my order. We'll crush them in seconds.' the Rainbow of Darkness said jubilantly. Searcher braced himself, 'I can't let anything happen to them.' his thoughts turned to the Rainbow of Darkness with hatred, 'I won't let this evil thing hurt anypony else.' 'You're hating me again, little Unicorn.' the Rainbow of Darkness said, 'I can feel it strengthening me. Your hate gives me more and more power by the second.' 'If my hate gives it power . . . perhaps love will weaken it.' Searcher didn't know if he could do such a thing, to love such a monstrosity, it was unthinkable. * * * Trooper stirred and slowly awoke from his slumber. Without thinking, he began biting off chunks of the fog and eating them. They still tasted beyond bland, but he was feeling slightly more invigorated than he had before. His weariness was bone deep and he felt like he could sleep for a week, but his mind was somewhat more clear. After ten hefty mouthfuls of fog, he attempted to stand. His legs felt weak, like jello. They shook unsteadily as he forced himself into an upright position. Raising his head, he cast his eyes about, searching for any sign of direction. Night had apparently fallen, but to his surprise and immense relief, the moon shown down from above, illuminating the fog. Trooper's jaw hung open when his eyes finally adjusted to the gloom and he saw the fog that he and Dash had been sleeping on, ended a short flight away. There was a circular hole in the cloud cover and it was spreading slowly as if a powerful force that had been holding it was waning. Trooper slowly walked over to Dashes slumbering form on unsteady legs and nuzzled the cyan mare awake, "Wake up Dash." he said gently, "Wake up, the fog is lifting." Rainbow Dash lifted her head before she even opened her eyes, "Uh," she groaned, "Five more minutes Troops. This mare needs her beauty rest." she began lowering her head back down. Trooper smirked in the darkness, "I will have to respectfully disagree." he nuzzled her right cheek, "You are quite beautiful enough. Come now, the fog is lifting and we can forage. Does food not sound appealing right now?" he asked. Dash was awake in an instant, "Food! Where!?" she asked looking left and right. Trooper chuckled in a good-natured manner, "I said we can forage for some. Who knows, perhaps we are close to Haysburg and can sample some of that famous rice Valiant mentioned." he turned and took a step, "Of course we have to get there first." Dash struggled into a standing position and spread her wings, "We'll then let's get going." she tried to sound energetic, but her voice betrayed her fatigue. She flapped her wings and sluggishly rose into the air, grunting with exertion. Trooper rose into the air alongside her and together they made their way toward the distant opening in the fog. * * * Sea Blue squinted his eyes in the darkness. He and the others were slinking through an alley as quietly as they could. They had decided against using magic to enhance their vision for fear of giving themselves away because the spell would make their eyes glow. So with Sea Blue in the lead, they slowly made their way through the alleys and narrow avenues of Haysburg. Approaching the end of an alley, Sea Blue poked his head around the corner and looked around. Their alley opened up into a wide courtyard which had a stone fountain in the very center. Sea Blue looked around and spotted a building which looked very likely, he turned to his friends and whispered, "We're at the Town Square. There's a house five buildings away that has the wall facing the Square torn clean off. It's a two story house and both floor face the Square. I'd say that's our best bet for a good spot to signal from. We'll sneak over to the house, get inside, us stallions will form a semicircle around the walls and you mare can stay behind us and keep an eye out for Dash and Trooper. Sound good?" Twilight shrugged, "As good as any other plan." Sea Blue led the way and the others followed him. As they snuck around the front of the buildings toward the open faced house, the clouds overhead began descending toward the ground. The moonlight that had been filtering through the clouds slowly dimmed until they reached the house, when the moonlight faded entirely, leaving the Ponies in inky darkness. They could barely make each other out in the darkness. Sea Blue reached the house first then turned and counted as the others inched past him, "Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie, Dr. Mend, Big Macintosh . . . " Sea Blue's blood ran cold as he turned and harshly whispered to the others, "Where's Fluttershy!?" * * * The yellow Pegasus mare is huddling between two houses, trying to get away from the dark!' the Rainbow of Darkness laughed, 'THESE are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony? Ha! They're nothing more than a bunch of Ponies, barely old enough to be called adults! THEY are supposed to wield the most powerful magical artifacts in the world!? Oh, this is hilarious!' Searcher saw Fluttershy through the eyes of one of the Shadow Beasts as it crept down the wall above, toward the shivering, terrified mare below. She was lying down on the ground huddling with her fore hooves over her head shivering like it was freezing cold outside. She whimpered and groaned and Searcher felt terrible for her. 'Kill her.' the Rainbow of Darkness ordered coldly. Searcher braced himself and forced his will against the Rainbow of Darkness, through the bond, 'No!' The Shadow Beast froze in place and the Rainbow of Darkness turned on the Unicorn stallion, 'You DARE defy me!?' Searcher thought quickly, "If she screams or makes any noise, the others will be alerted. Better to take them all by surprise. Which is better, one or all?" The Rainbow of Darkness seemed to ponder the statement, 'Not a terrible idea.' it sounded amused, 'Alright then, stay back from her. Once they are all together ambush them all. All of you get into position and wait for my command.' Searcher saw the Shadow Beasts creeping silently toward the little house as the turquoise Unicorn stallion ventured out away from the others. Searcher could hear the stallion calling softly for the mare as he made his way back the way the group had come from. He crept quickly, still hardly making any sound. * * * "Fluttershy!" Sea Blue whispered harshly, "Fluttershy where are you?" He crept past an alley, two buildings away from the house the others were huddled inside of and heard a whimper from within, "Fluttershy?" he called. He heard the whimper again and turned down the alley. He kept his eyes moving constantly, searching for any sign of movement or any indication of the yellow mare's location. His skin crawled as he moved through the darkness. It was creepy and unnatural, as if the living world had drained away leaving this mire of obsidian colored shroud to confuse and frighten any who dared to enter. His right fore hoof struck something in the darkness and Sea Blue heard a terrified squeak. He instantly dropped to the ground, hooves moving all over her body, checking for injuries, "Fluttershy, you need to follow me. Are you hurt?" he asked urgently. "N . . . no. I'm just so scared! It's so dark and I can't see!" she sprung up and wrapped her fore hooves around Sea Blue's neck, "Don't go!" Convinced she was not injured, Sea Blue felt a stab of annoyance, but kept it in check, "Come on," he urged her, "We need to get back to the others." He pulled her upright with his fore hooves, "Bite onto my tail and don't let go. Just close your eyes and follow where my tail goes." He couldn't see her frightened nod, but he turned around and gently slapped his tail against her face. She reflexively bit down onto the gluten brush and closed her eyes. Sea Blue felt her chomp down on his tail and nodded to himself. He began walking slowly back toward the rest of the group. Fluttershy whimpered with nearly every step. It took more than three minutes for them to return to the house, "I have her." Sea Blue said once he could make out Big Macintosh in the darkness. Rarity and Pinkie dashed forward, hugging Fluttershy close and gently pulling her back, deeper into the house. Sea Blue walked up to Big Mac and eased past him. He found Dr. Mend on the far side and Live Wire beyond him. Each of them was facing outward two paces apart. Sea Blue inched his way back to Big Mac and leaned into the larger stallion's ear, "You go all the way to the right and I'll take the middle with Mend. You and Live Wire are the strongest of us, leave Mend and I to the middle." Big Macintosh responded with his usual answer, only a much more quiet one than normal, "Eyup." he whispered. Big Mac moved over to the side and Sea Blue took his place between the two Earth Ponies, "Alright Twilight. Send up that flare when you're ready." * * * 'On my command,' the Rainbow of Darkness said to the gathered Shadow Beasts. The entirety of them, save for Surf, Miller, Tinker, Triage, Trauma, Valiant, Colossus, and Birdie were surrounding the house. There were more than a hundred of them, less than twenty paces away from the small group. Searcher felt a chill crawl up his spine. He couldn't afford to try to delay the Rainbow of Darkness, it would be too suspicious. He determined to wait until the Shadow Beasts had engaged the stallions to interfere. If they could fend for themselves, as extraordinarily unlikely as that seemed, he would wait until the Element Bearers were in jeopardy before he interfered. Ideally, he would wait until all the mares were together and preparing their Elements. He would distract the Rainbow of Darkness and leave it open to attack. 'Ready . . . ' the Rainbow of Darkness ordered. * * * Twilight's horn lit up and she shot a flare straight up through the clouds. * * * 'ATTACK! KILL THEM ALL!' the Rainbow of Darkness shrieked at the Shadow Beasts.