Twilight felt a growing sense of dread as she walked along the outskirts of Ponyville. The sky was pitch black and a strange, cold rain fell from the sky. The raindrops were not the normal kind of cold, they chilled both the body and soul. Despite the lack of stars or moon there was enough light to see by. She had no idea where the light came from, it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, but the light gave little comfort. It was dim and cast everything in a bleak gray, it was as if the world had become an old black and white photo, one of those photos where no one was smiling. Twilight felt as if the life was being sucked out of her with every breath. She had no idea why she felt sad, but her sadness grew until every step became difficult.
"The whole world feels sad. We really need a party soon to brighten things up," Pinkie sounded subdued, but still retained her cheerful tone. Pinkie's voice snapped Twilight out of her slump. She looked around and saw that the others had been slipping into the same funk she had before Pinkie spoke. She hadn't even realized the change. When they started from the other side of town they had been chatting away about what to do when they found the source of the problem, but they slowly slipped into silence and then started moving slower and slower. Their cautious optimism had vanished and been replaced with a somber, almost depressing feeling.
"Girls, Spike, we should keep our guard up. There's dark magic in the air and I think it's starting to get to us," Twilight warned, "Fluttershy, you said you saw something when you stared into the darkness? Any idea what it was?"
"Sorry Twilight, I don't remember. I can't recall much after I started staring. All I remember is eyes, cold, blue, so much hate... so much pain..." Fluttershy trailed off and stared into space as her expression slowly changed to one of horror.
"Fluttershy? You alright darling?" Rarity asked after a second or two.
"No, I'm not. I can't remember what I saw and I don't think I want to remember. I'm so sorry, I'm just not strong enough." There were tears in Fluttershy's eyes as she spoke.
"Oh, darling, you have nothing to apologize for. I never saw anything but that smog, but I know I heard it talking to me when it had me. Regardless of what it looks like it must be the most hideous thing imaginable on the inside. Inner ugliness is a million times worse than outer ugliness. Why, a lady could be driven to tears just thinking about such a thing," Rarity told Fluttershy.
"Shush! I think we're getting close, look!" Rainbow interrupted. Indeed, they could see a column of smoke rising from just beyond a hilltop ahead of them.
"Spike. I need you to stay here. I have no idea what's on the other side of that hill," Twilight whispered.
"But I can help!" Spike protested.
"It's dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt. The rainbow might not protect you Spike."
"What could hurt me? Dragons are tough, fireproof, and magic resistant. Worry about yourselves, not me."
"Don't argue Spike. Please just stay here. This is powerful dark magic that I've never seen before. When it attacked me I felt the will behind it. It wanted to hurt me, to kill me, to drive me insane. Sombra almost hurt you Spike and this feels much worse." Spike frowned, but nodded his head in understanding.
"Hey Spike, it's not all bad, if we get in trouble you can get help, like you did at the battle of the bands," Sunset pointed out.
"Yeah Spike, y'all got our backs if things go South," Applejack added.
"I guess," Spike didn't sound completely convinced, but he relented and stayed at the foot of the hill. The seven ponies moved slowly to the top of the hill, even Rainbow stopped flying so as not to give away their position. As they rounded the hilltop, they could here sobbing coming from the other side. The source became visible as they reached the top. At the bottom of the other side was the silhouette of a pony surrounded by a pool of black ooze. The pony was submerged up to it's neck in the stuff and a coating of it covered its head. It's features were indiscernible under the goop, but the shape of the head was that of a stallion.
"That guy's in trouble! Hold on!" Rainbow flew into action and soared towards the pony.
"Twitcha Twitcha!" Pinkie suddenly started twitching in a way everypony knew meant danger.
"Rainbow wait!" Twilight yelled, but Rainbow was already hovering above the distressed pony, ready to pull him out.
"Grab my hooves!" Rainbow reached down towards the pony, who looked up towards her with his eyes closed. The black ooze covered every inch of the pony's head and dripped down his muzzle.
"You idiot." The voice that came from the head didn't sound like a pony. It opened its eyes. Rainbow was suddenly transfixed by two glowing blue flames that peered right through her. Every instinct screamed at her to look away but her body didn't respond. The flames pulled her in, consumed her. All she knew was darkness, then there was images. She saw herself abandoning her friends in a maze, leaving them at Discord's mercy. She saw herself celebrating as she traded Fluttershy for a book. She saw herself treating saving lives like a game as she competed with Mare Do Well. She saw every moment where she was at her worst, nothing more than a selfish, arrogant, jerk. "You forgot stupid too. I've never seen a pony go to such lengths to prove that she's not an 'egghead', I wonder if Twilight knows just how bad you think that is, would she be offended,? Hurt? No wonder the Wonderbolts ignore you. You traded your oldest, closest friend for a book, then tried to have your newest friend use her authority to fix your mistake. As for the other things I find it interesting that harmony chose you as loyalty when you show nothing but the opposite. You don't deserve that element." The voice echoed inside Rainbow's skull, pushing aside all other thoughts. The devastated pegasus fell to the ground and lay there, eyes staring blankly into the distance as black tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Rainbow!" The six other ponies all yelled her name as they ran forward to save her, but they stopped short when a razor sharp claw rose out of the pool and clutched Rainbow's throat in warning.
"All it would take is a flick of my wrist and her throat would be slit, or I could twist and break her neck, or maybe I could simply squeeze and crush her windpipe, so many ways to die." Gloom was chillingly calm. The ponies watched in terror as the pool condensed and rose up to form the rest of Gloom's body. The decoy head that lured Rainbow reshaped and molded itself into Gloom's skull. "Let me introduce myself, I am Gloom, spirit of misery and despair. Now if you wish your friend to live you will all do exactly as I say. And don't bother trying that little rainbow trick, I know it won't work without this one." Gloom gestured to Rainbow's comatose body.
So this is what we're up against. What sun-forsaken pit of Tartarus did this thing crawl out of? Twilight sized up the creature as it spoke, her analytical mind pushed into overdrive by the danger Rainbow was in. I can feel the dark magic radiating from it. It's like a void pulling in everything around it. I've never heard of a spirit of misery, but Discord is a spirit and if this thing is anything like him it must be powerful and cunning. It also knew about rainbow power, not good.
"If you so much as scratch her I'll buck you into next week varmint! And gimme back mah family!" Applejack's voice was filled with rage.
"C-c-an't we t-t-talk this out? What did Rainbow ever do to you?" Fluttershy stammered as she spoke, desperately trying to keep herself together.
"C'mon, you won't really hurt her? Right? I mean you'd have to be pretty evil to do something like that and this is a kids' show," Pinkie's tone sounded worried despite her words.
"Don't worry. I won't kill her if you do as I say. What I want is very simple. All you need to do is let me cast a spell on you, then I'll give your friend back unharmed."
"No way! You'll do to us what you did to everypony in Ponyville, that's a fate worse than death, a living nightmare!" Twilight yelled back.
"No. I already have plenty of food for now and I know that you'd never agree to that. Instead I wish to sever your connection to the tree of harmony." Gloom waited patiently for the gasps and reactions of shock to pass. "Yes, that's right, no rainbows, no friendship magic, no elements. After that do what you will, I don't care."
Twilight's mind was racing, if they gave in to this thing's demands then Equestria might be defenseless against it, not to mention there was no telling if it would actually keep it's word once they were at it's mercy. I could try teleporting Rainbow away from it, but it might see my horn glow and hurt rainbow before my spell works. The same could happen if I try to get Rainbow with my telekinesis. It could also counter my spell, it seems to have high level skill with magic. It was then that Twilight saw Spike tip-toeing out from a bush behind the creature. He was very slowly and quietly sneaking up on it. By Celestia! What's he doing!? Please Spike be careful! Twilight resisted the urge to look at Spike and instead stared at Gloom, lest Gloom notice. She glanced at the others, hoping that if they also saw Spike they wouldn't give him away. She needed to keep the monster focused on them.
"Your answer, now. Or she dies," Gloom's voice broke the brief seconds of silence. Gloom was anxious despite his control of the situation. They would either agree to his demands or do something stupid. Either way he would win. He had no doubt that he could overpower the ponies, but that would take time and precious energy he would rather divert to the Crystal Heart's corruption. Each of the ponies had demonstrated some degree of resistance to his psychic powers. The friendship princess would be especially slow to deal with. He could not draw much power from his Canterlot avatar as that one had spent most of its reserves subduing Celestia and needed time to recover. What worried him was that at some point Discord would likely intervene, Gloom was spread far too thin to fight the spirit of chaos and every spark of magic would be needed for that battle. He had to finish off the elements quickly then rejoin with his other avatars.
"How do we know you won't do something terrible to us or hurt Rainbow anyway?" Twilight asked.
"You don't. Now give your answer."
"Shouldn't you tell us why you're doing this, maybe we can work it out. We've made friends with several ponies who once hated us." Twilight stalled as Spike drew closer, the tiny dragon was now just a few meters behind Gloom.
"Really? How sad, turning hate to friendship is such a waste. Hate can do wonderful things. The fact that these enemies of yours are now your friends just shows that they were weak. Pain must be held on to until it festers and rots."
Twilight was shocked at such a terrible declaration. This thing, this Gloom, seemed to enjoy evil for it's own sake rather than for any psychological reason. Whatever Spike is doing he better do it quick!
Sweat dripped down Spike's face as he crept up behind Gloom. The creature was easily 5 or 6 times the size of the baby dragon. It's gangly body was thin but strong looking. He's a lot bigger up close. Now what? He's still holding Rainbow and there's no way I can pull her away. Crud I really didn't think this through! Wait! My fire-breath! That would definitely make him let go, but it might really hurt him. Spike hesitated, he had never used his fire on a living thing before. Then he looked at how Gloom's claw clutched at Rainbow's throat, ready to tear it out. No, this thing deserves it. No one threatens my friends.
"Now will you surrender? Or do I have t-" Gloom was cut off by the sound of someone taking a deep breath behind him. He whipped around just in time to be blasted by a torrent of dragon-fire. Gloom shrieked and fell backward, enveloped by the flames. Twilight sprang into action, grabbing Rainbow in a protective magic bubble and levitating her back to the group. Gloom's surprised wail turned into a roar of rage as he struggled to his hind legs, raising his forelegs as a shield against the fire. The ooze that was his flesh boiled away, but the dark bone remained in tact and more shadow formed to replace that destroyed by the fire. Pushing through the flames, Gloom seized Spike by the throat and lifted him into the air, only to let go when the dragon bit down hard on his claw. At this point Gloom's bones were harder than steel, but Spike's teeth could pulverize diamond. Gloom howled in pain as Spike spat out bits of the creature's bone. Twilight gave a magical yank and Spike was teleported to her side and out of harms way. A blast of dark magic shot from Gloom's mouth and blew apart the ground Spike had occupied an instant before. The ponies and Spike then gathered between Gloom and the defenseless Rainbow. Gloom bellowed and charged. The true battle for Equestria had begun.