Rain without Rainbows

by Leoshi

Fourteen: The Eclipse

Rain without Rainbows

!Disclaimer!: Still don’t own. Still no money. Still no jelly donuts. Enjoy and support the works of Faust, Theisson, and the Hub!

Hurry, hurry, get in! You need to stay inside, away from the storm that Alucard has brought to Equestria! He has enough power to stand against Celestia, but he’s hiding above dark storm clouds. He even drew a total eclipse in the sky, and his magic is ravaging Canterlot.

Good thing Celestia sent for Twilight and her friends, then. She still has an ace up her sleeve in the Elements of Harmony, and with any luck, they’ll prove to be enough to take the monster off his perch. But first, we’ll need to find out if they’ll work...it’s been years since they were last needed. Let’s join in!

ACT III - The Prestige
Chapter fourteen: The Eclipse

Canterlot. Once the grandest, most powerful city in the Equestria region. The home to the divine princesses Celestia and Luna, both of whom had fallen to the whimsy of an alicorn they had underestimated. The beacon of disaster and the fallen sentinel of many other cities and villages in the surrounding countryside. The blackened target built by pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies alike. And now, in the wake of the fleeing summer, the city was ground zero of a magical onslaught unlike any seen before.

Six bodies were rushing through the palace. Their escorts had fallen into ranks long ago, and they were forced to navigate the tall and royal hallways on their own. They didn’t have trouble doing so, because the pony leading the herd was all too familiar with the layout of the palace, having visited the grand building hundreds of times during her fillyhood. Even then, the sights of fresh battle and the scorch marks of attack magic made her stomach churn. Evil had come to Equestria, and only she and her friends had a chance of stopping it. They were the Bearers of Harmony, the brave heroines who had saved Equestria several times already, and the sole remaining hope of the Sun Princess.

It was early in the afternoon.

The city was under a vicious siege. Blasts of black lightning tore across the streets and over the buildings, stripping them of their bricks and planks. The image was nightmarish - where once a golden example of the combined prowess of earth pony, pegasi, and unicorn, now the city suffered a pox caused by the magical storm. The palace fared better only through the defenses of the barrier, though the lightning still shook the palace to its very core. Scores of decorations and furnishings had already fallen by the rocking, or else simply overturned during a mass sheltering of Canterlot, which was still underway.

Through the tall windows of the halls, Twilight Sparkle could easily see the magical barrier, the flashes it gave off as lightning struck it, and the imposing clouds beyond. On their way into Canterlot, she had also seen the maleficent eclipse, a great black orb in the sky where the sun should have been. The eclipse dominated the eye of the storm, making it seem all the more like an actual eye that never blinked.

With no possible doubt, Twilight knew that her mentor needed her help. So she galloped through the darkened hallways, her five friends in close tow. As a unit, they rounded the doorway to the throne room, finally spotting the hunched form of Princess Celestia. The sight was enough to slow their approach, though they did not stop.

“Princess!” Twilight called. She trotted up, mentally flitting through the dozens of burning questions, trying to decide which one burned hottest.

“Twilight?” sounded a voice that was distinctly not Celestia’s. From around the alicorn’s regal body, a tiny purple head poked out.

The lavender unicorn’s eyes widened with a relief she hadn’t been expecting. “Spike!”

The dragonling rushed out and tackled his friend and caretaker around her neck, and she returned the embrace with abandon. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed the purple dragon, but as she held him close, she felt like it had been ages since they last met. The world had gone to a dark and unfamiliar place in the last week, and the sight of a friendly face was a welcome one.

The other five friends slowed to a halt and looked on, along with Celestia, who had turned her head at the sound. None of them spoke, despite the dire need.

“I was so worried!” Spike said as the hug was broken. “When I heard what had happened to Princess Luna, I kept on thinking something bad had happened to all of you too! I can’t begin to tell you how good it is to see you again!”

He turned to look at the group, finally spotting the frail, colorful form of Rainbow Dash. She looked distracted, her gaze riveted on the eclipse seen through the hole in the throne room roof. Each time a blast of lightning shook the palace, she visibly flinched as though stung.

“You found her,” he breathed. He did, of course, notice how thin and weak she looked, but Spike was simply happy enough to see his daredevil friend that he looked past her malnourished form and settled on the fact. He smiled - the gang was all here.

Rarity stepped forward, an idea sparking. “Spike? I was wondering if you could do a favor for me.”

“A fa- what? Now? This isn’t really the time, is it?”

“Sorry, but I need this. Do you know where Sweetie Belle is?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, she volunteered.” Behind him, Celestia grimaced. The princess hadn’t meant for that fact to be revealed.

Rarity cocked her head. “Volunteered?” she asked. “Whatever for?”

With a single claw, Spike pointed toward the hole in the throne room ceiling, and then to the fuchsia barrier beyond. “Celestia called for helpers, any unicorn who was willing. Sweetie Belle volunteered, and she’s adding strength to the shield. She’s working with some unicorns near the Great Hall.”

“My sister is involved in this?” she yelped, casting her glance toward the princess.

“It was her choice!” Spike cried, lifting his hands to make his point. “Princess Celestia called for any aid she could get, because the rest of her unicorns were protecting all of you in Ponyville! There weren’t many volunteers to begin with, and Sweetie Belle is helping to save lives! Apple Bloom is, too - she’s helping ponies into the palace so they can take shelter. I’ve even seen her run outside and bring a few stragglers back with her.”

Applejack took a step forward, and Rarity met her gaze. Instead of feeling protection for her sister, the farm mare felt a great surge of pride. She gave a grim smile. “Is that so? Heh, that’s so like Apple Bloom...Ah’d expect nothin’ less from her.”

The confidence in her friend’s voice seemed to calm Rarity, and she nodded after a moment. The unicorn turned back to Spike, feeling a little more at-ease. “Right, you’re right...I’m sorry. Can you find her and let her know we’re here? I’m sure she must have been worried right beside you.”

“You have no idea,” the dragon exhaled. “After I told them what happened to Princess Luna, she spent an hour just looking at her scarf. She’ll be delighted to hear you’re safe.”

“Spike!” sounded Twilight’s shrill voice. Clearly, she hadn’t expected such news. “You told the girls what happened to Princess Luna?”

“We’re not kids anymore, Twilight. This is no time to be hiding the truth. Right?”

“Well...yeah, you’re right.”

Spike nodded and looked at each of his friends one more time, then stepped toward Rainbow Dash. The weak pegasus had still not looked at him, instead training all of her focus on the nightmarish eclipse in the sky. After waiting a heartbeat, Spike wrapped his arms around Rainbow’s neck and pulled her down into a gentle but firm hug.

Her eyes widened - she hadn’t even noticed the events going on around her. She turned her head and spotted the scales of the dragonling, unsure of what to do. Spike, however, wasn’t looking for a reaction. He merely embraced his friend, happy to just see her again.

“Welcome back,” he told her.

Words failed the frail pony, and she didn’t reply. Spike broke the hug and stepped away, jogging for the doors and the corridors beyond. As he reached the threshold, however, he turned back and looked at Twilight with a hard gaze, one that reminded everypony that he was of dragon blood.

“Twilight!” he called. “Kick this monster out of our town!”

The librarian looked at him with a gaze that matched his own, her eyes glinting just like his, steel reflecting steel. He nodded, turned, and departed, the soft pats of his retreating footsteps unheard beneath the rumbling of unending thunder.

Nopony spoke for a moment, waiting for some other pony to make a move. The sharp cracks of lightning rent the silence around them. Before long, Twilight Sparkle turned back around and looked on her teacher properly. She noticed how defeated Celestia appeared - her back stooped forward, her wings limply folded, her magical mane unmoving. Celestia seemed old, far older than Twilight could remember her appearing. It struck her hard, realizing how even the most ageless of things can still be worn and weathered.

“Princess Celestia,” she muttered. “What happened here?”

The princess looked at her pupil, suddenly reminded of the way they had met seven days prior. Twilight had been the defeated one, beaten by the magical orb, looking devastated. Now their roles were switched - Celestia desperately wanted to rest, while Twilight seemed ready for action.

However, a solid thought remained rooted in Celestia’s mind: the fact that she was the Princess of Equestria. She was the only one who could lead her people in this time of need, and she wouldn’t let anything stand in her way. So her course was clear, or so she thought.

She took a breath and began. “That stallion, Alucard, is here. He’s responsible for the storm and the eclipse.”

The word seemed to chill the air, because Rainbow Dash couldn’t suppress a shudder. Twilight didn’t notice, however, and pressed on. “Alucard made that eclipse? But...how could...I thought you and Princess Luna-”

“Alucard stole our magic and our understanding of it. He was after our sun- and moon-moving magic from the beginning,” Celestia explained. “That’s why he said Luna was the goal he sought from attacking Ponyville...and I was his target today.”

“Goodness,” Rarity breathed. “Are you...?”

“I’m fine.” Celestia was a terrible liar. “The reason I’ve called you all here is so you can wield the Elements of Harmony against him and bring him back down to earth.”

“Back down to earth?” sounded Fluttershy, meek as always. “What do you mean?”

A hefty sigh coursed through the princess. “Alucard’s taken refuge above the cloud layer, and his magic has proven too much for my guard. He’s killed some of my pegasi already.”

The color drained from the faces of everypony. “Killed?” Applejack muttered. “Ponies have died?”

Celestia gave a blunt nod, eager to expedite things. She reached behind her, pulling forward an ornate chest, not once using her magic to manipulate it. Not by choice, however - the blast of magic against the base of her horn had rendered her magic inaccessible for a day at least, much like how a strike to the throat would disrupt breathing.

The chest that Celestia pulled forward was one that the group of friends hadn’t seen in a long time. Not to say they didn’t recognize it - they knew exactly what it was, but in the years since they had seen it last, the memory of it had faded. The chest was a deep blue with gold borders, inlaid with images of gems along the faces. It was the container for the Elements of Harmony, the magical artifacts that Twilight and her friends (and Celestia before them) had wielded. Celestia pulled the lid of the chest back, revealing the lustrous contents to the group before her. Five fantastic necklaces and a single golden tiara winked at them, giving a sense of tranquility in a time that was most certainly not tranquil.

The friends spent a moment of silence as they gazed upon the legendary items. Rather, five of the six friends gazed upon them, which soon turned to four as Applejack looked over toward Rainbow Dash, who had once again fixed her eyes outside. The farm mare trotted over to the former exile, turning her eyes outside to see what her her friend was seeing.

Outside the palace, the city was being ravaged. Since the palace unicorns were unable to spread their protection across the city, the residents were forced to herd into the palace itself. As such, Alucard was using the opportunity to strike the city buildings with his magical lightning. It was already proven that his magic could blow apart walls in a shop - at full power, the destruction was magnified. Entire buildings were pockmarked, and some of the smaller ones were already showing their stone-and-timber skeletons.

The only viable shelter was the palace. Near the entrance to the regal building, a set of earth pony guards were rushing ponies inside. Many of them shouted and constantly flicked their heads upward to see where the edge of the magical barrier ended. One guard, however, had rushed outside to help a mother and her daughter get to safety. They were a few dozen yards away, and were galloping hard.

For a reason Rainbow couldn’t explain, she was transfixed on this group as they ran. The guard in the front, urging them forward, with the mother who was getting into her later years following closely behind. Her daughter brought up the rear, and she was clearly scared. She couldn’t have been too much older than Apple Bloom.

And what happened then made the mare’s age so much more apparent. The sky roared, and a thick bolt of magical lightning struck the ground in the blink of an eye. The young daughter was caught right in the center of the bolt. She had time enough to look skyward, time enough to see what was reaching for her, time enough to realize that the breath she was holding would be her last.

Alucard’s black lightning was strong enough to lift the poor mare’s body upward as the lethal magic coursed through her. Her scream of surprise went unheard, completely smothered by the crack of lightning. She tried to struggle, but only for a moment before a surge of power swept over her, and she became still. The entire attack lasted only a few short seconds.

She hit the ground with her eyes still open. The flash faded and the crack of thunder quieted, but in its place sounded a shriek of pure agony, one rent from the mother’s very soul. She immediately turned back, while the guard tried to hold her and pull her toward the safety of the palace. But the mother would not be stayed - she fought and struggled while calling out to her daughter, until finally the guard was forced to let go.

It didn’t take long for the elder mare to close the distance, all the while marring the stones underhoof with her crying. She reached her daughter, cradled her head, and begged to whatever powers she placed her faith to take back this action, this crime. She cried and screamed and beseeched the heavens, until the sky flashed once more, and the heavens answered her.

The elder pony was lifted into the air a few feet by the power of the lightning that struck her, and she hit the ground with her head next to the face of her kin. Thus mother and daughter were reunited.

The guard, meanwhile, took a few steps back in utter horror - the first shred of emotion he had shown in hours. He looked skyward when the clouds rumbled once more, then turned and sought the shelter of the palace on his own. Rainbow got a good look at his face, noticing easily the pain etched into his lines. She had worn a look like that when she had fled.

The cyan pegasus felt a hoof on her shoulder, and heard Applejack speaking. “C’mon, you don’t need to see this.”

Rainbow Dash only shook. The mother had died with her eyes open, too.

Applejack gently led Rainbow toward the rest of their friends, who were already putting on their respective Elements. Twilight nudged her tiara into place, casting a glance toward the frail pegasus. She grimaced, unable to quell her feelings that maybe, this time, she and her friends were outdone. After all, when she put together everything that had happened, and gotten over how little sense some of it made, what strength did they have left?

Twilight was not the only one to hold this notion, but the rest of her friends seemed to be more adept at hiding it. She decided that perhaps that was for the best. No matter what they thought of the situation or of each other, their country was in danger, and it fell to them to defend it. So she magically lifted the Element of Loyalty (‘It looks darker than I remember,’ she thought) and wrapped it around Rainbow’s neck, covering the mark where the bound magic had burned her.

Two more blasts of lightning assaulted the barrier, making it glow white-hot and causing the sounds of cannon-blasts throughout the palace. Celestia looked at the six ponies, placing all of her hope in them. She didn’t say anything, but they all knew she wanted to say “Please.”

The Bearer of Magic, Twilight Sparkle, turned and faced her friends. Some of them looked determined, eager to end this nightmare here and now. Rainbow, however, looked distracted and beaten before the battle had even begun. But the lavender unicorn pushed her worries aside, instead focusing on the task she was charged to carry out.

“Let’s do this,” she said, tapping into her magic. The ethereal flow of power seemed to awaken her tiara, and the Element began to emit a soft glow. At the same time, the five Elements also began to alight, each one providing a soft hum of energy.

The hum, however, sounded muffled, and the light was dim. As Twilight tried to harness the augmenting energy of the Element of Magic, she found that it wouldn’t respond. It was like trying to grip a bar of soap - her conscious mind was sliding off the artifact’s power, and the more she grasped, the less she held.

Her eyes opened to see the light of the Elements fade away, and she suddenly felt a little colder. Her friends noticed the feeling as well, and their eyes opened to the scene with just as much confusion. The Elements of Harmony, meant to provide the team with unmatched unity and power, were not working. Suddenly, the feeling of tranquility they had given was gone, leaving only a void.

“Uh-oh, is it too late to get replacements?” Pinkie Pie quipped, trying to lighten the mood in her own unique way. She gently rubbed the balloon gem on her necklace, as if the friction would somehow cause a spark.

Twilight was at a loss for words. She lifted her tiara from her head and examined it, twisting and turning the artifact in hopes of finding some physical flaw. She knew the search was doomed, however, but was hoping for some excuse all the same.

After a few short seconds, she felt Celestia at her side, also looking down upon the Element of Magic. “What’s wrong?” the alicorn asked. “Why did they not react?”

“They reacted...” Twilight began, trying to remember how she had felt colder after the Elements had faded. “They just didn’t...go.”

Celestia blinked. “They didn’t ‘go.’”

“Yeah, uh...”

The princess’ taut patience was stretched even tighter. She reminded herself that her anger was not with her student, but with the monster in the clouds. “Twilight,” she murmured, “my city is under attack. Every moment that we spend here is another blast of magic against my subjects. That is the gravity of our situation, so please focus. I need you to wield the Elements, and I need them wielded now.”

The lavender librarian gave a nod, easily noticing how Celestia’s fury was underlying her tone. “Okay, okay,” she said to the group before her. “Let’s just think for a moment. When was the last time we had to use these?”

Rarity looked up. “Back when that ruffian Discord was running amok, I do believe.”

“That’s right...we didn’t have to do anything different then, did we?”

“Nawh,” sounded Applejack. “We just all got together, you did your hocus-pocus, and the power of our friendship took care of the rest.”

“Power of our friendship...that’s right!” Twilight felt like she had a lead. “Maybe because Rainbow Dash has been gone for so long, the power of our friendship dwindled?”

Five heads turned to look at the malnourished pegasus. Rainbow, in response, hid her face behind her unkempt mane. “I wouldn’t blame you,” she muttered.

Applejack’s brow furrowed. She wanted to say how much things have changed in the last four years, but also point out how much things have remained the same. She wanted to tell her friends to look past the events that took part four years ago, and instead remember that this was Rainbow Dash. She wanted to remind them about how much they meant to her, despite anything that has happened or will happen.

She wanted to say it, but she didn’t get a chance, because Rarity (to her shock) spoke faster than she could. “Let’s have none of that, Rainbow Dash. You, of all ponies, are not deserving of our hate.”

“Beg pardon?” Applejack breathed, genuinely stunned. Had Rarity finally seen what Applejack had always seen?

“I said Rainbow Dash doesn’t deserve to be held responsible for all this. This is all Alucard’s doing, that monster, and I can’t place fault on you for what is so obviously not your will.”

Next to her, both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were taken further by surprise. Not only was Rarity openly defending the pegasus, but she was doing it so adamantly like Applejack had done. What had happened to cause such a shift?

The truth was that there were two factors that weighed into Rarity’s final decision. The first was clearly the chaos being wrought outside at that time, and how she knew Rainbow Dash would not be capable of such evils. The second came to be after she was told about the visit to Spitfire one day previously. After hearing the story of what had happened, Rarity had spent a lot of time mulling over everything that had come to pass.

“But, Rarity,” Applejack began, “didn’t ya tell me that you thought Rainbow Dash meant to kill the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow Dash gave an abject look, but her friend continued. “You were so set in your belief back in the forest...why the change?”

“I...I’ve been doubting myself ever since the cave, dear.” The images of the drawings were still vivid in the unicorn’s mind. “The way Rainbow has been acting all this time, coupled with how even Spitfire was able to talk to her, considering how much the poor girl has lost...it’s all been cause for me to doubt what I had once believed. And now, seeing all this, it’s...well, just not right.”

“So wait.” The farm mare took a step toward the fashionista, feeling a need to make sure. “What exactly are you sayin’?”

Rarity didn’t hesitate. “I do not blame Rainbow Dash. In fact, I forgive her for what happened in the library.”

The words sunk in to the rest of the group. They each considered what Rarity’s decision meant, and how they all related to it. Rarity, the unicorn who had said Rainbow Dash was guilty, now claimed her innocent. Didn’t that mean that they could forgive her too?

Rainbow Dash suddenly slumped with a soft weight against her side, and when she turned to look, a mass of yellow blocked her view. Fluttershy, in a surge of happiness, had given her long-time friend a hug which passed on her own feelings.

“This isn’t your fault,” the timid pegasus said through a smile. “I also forgive you, for how you pushed me on the night you left.”

Rainbow only blinked, as she had done when Spike had hugged her. And as before, she didn’t reply.

The movement from Fluttershy seemed to spur a reaction in the remaining friends, and they all moved in to join the embrace. And as they wrapped their forelegs around each other and said their forgiveness, the air around them seemed to warm up. The seconds spent in the hug gave strength to their strained friendship, which in turn sparked another glow from the Elements, which pooled together thanks to their close proximity to each other.

The power of the Elements began to radiate, fueling the hope of Celestia once more. She had forgotten how powerful the bond of friendship could be, especially in the two days since her sister was injured. Still, as long as the demon in the clouds was brought to justice, what did it matter? She was going to make Alucard pay dearly for taking her sun.

A soft murmur arose from the group-hug. “How ...”

The feeling of coldness swept through the room again, this time biting at the nerves of the Bearers. The light given by the Elements of Harmony faded again, not having any real effect for the six who wore them. As the gems dimmed, Celestia noticed how many lights were shining. There was the star of the tiara, as well as the apple, diamond, balloon, and butterfly of the necklaces.

The bolt had remained completely dark.

“How can you just forgive me?” sounded Rainbow from the center of the hug, which quietly disentangled itself. “After what I’ve done? What I’ve wished? You can’t just...forgive all that!”

Applejack’s ears splayed. They had been so close to getting the Elements to work. “Rainbow, because it’s not your fault! This Alucard guy is the one messin’ everything up for us - you were tricked from the beginning!”

To her dismay, Rainbow shook her head. Her eyes began to well with tears as her emotion, and indeed the situation outside the palace, began to overwhelm her. “Even so, it wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t run away from home!”

A blast of lightning caused the barrier to flash. Somewhere, Sweetie Belle was struggling to cope with the demands on her system. Apple Bloom was bringing water to some suffering Ponyville refugees. Spike was tearing between rooms, making sure that the ponies within were maintaining order. And in the throne room, five friends and a princess stood silently as the former exile’s words took them by surprise.

Twilight found her voice first. “Run away...what do you mean?”

Rainbow looked at her with wide eyes, finally losing herself to pent-up emotion. Clearly, there was more to her guilt than the Wonderbolts Incident. “You sent word to the princess about what had happened at the tryouts.”

It was not a question, but a stated fact. The Bearer of Magic nodded. “That’s righ-”

“And she probably arrived the same night I left.”

“Y-yeah, just a couple hours after-”

Rainbow cut her off again, unable to hold herself silent. “Did Princess Luna come with her?”

Celestia scowled, but nodded. “She insisted.”

“So if I hadn’t run away, I could have been released from that bound magic on that same night.”

Twilight realized where her friend’s train of thought was headed. “Well, yeah, but you couldn't have known-”

“Don’t tell me that! If I had just stayed, I could have been healed much earlier! Then we could have tracked down Alucard before any of this happened!” She waved her foreleg behind her, indicating the city beyond the walls.

The power of her voice silenced any arguments her friends had. They couldn’t argue against the truth.

“He won’t stop at Canterlot,” Rainbow pressed on. “After he’s done here, he’ll reach out and attack the other towns - Ponyville, Cloudsdale, they’re all going to be targeted. He’ll burn the forests and dry up every river before he finishes with Equestria!”

“What are you saying?” Celestia intervened. “How do you know this?”

Shuddering, the frail pegasus looked behind her, gazing upon the hellacious eclipse. “I’ve seen that before,” she admitted.

“You’ve what?” The voices of her friends were shrill.

“I’ve seen what Alucard plans on doing! While I was laid up in urgent care, I saw it - I thought it was just a nightmare. The eclipse, this storm, the buildings...they were all in my dream! Ponyville was a complete ruin, and Everfree Forest was nothing more than splinters. He’s going to move on after he’s had his way with Canterlot, and if I had only stayed, none of this would be happening!”

Twilight was skeptical. “How could you have seen his plans? Magic doesn’t prompt visions...”

Fluttershy’s soft voice sounded from nearby. “I think...this telepathy magic does. On the day that we were attacked, I saw a vision of Ponyville. It was creepy, because the town was empty.”

“You could have told us that earlier,” Celestia accused.

“I’m sorry! I just mean to say that Rainbow Dash may be right. Alucard wanted Ponyville to be empty, and now...it is. We’re all here.”

“Yeah, he’s got the residents all trapped here,” Twilight noted. “Ugh, we must have been playing into his scheme since the very beginning!”

“You see what I mean, then!” Rainbow shouted at them. “I abandoned you all when I needed you the most, when it could have made all the difference! I’m a liar and a coward, and it’s because of that all this is happening now! I caused all this by not staying here...and you can’t forgive me for that.”

She turned her head away, clenching her eyes shut as her throat burned. “What kind of Loyalty am I?” she asked, not receiving an answer. The only sounds were those of the thunderclaps, which continued to skewer the group’s confidence.

The sight of their friend so utterly ruined made her friends pause. They could not find a way to counter Rainbow’s reasoning, because they too thought it was the truth. But with the situation so dire and the pressure put on by Celestia, they still wracked their minds for a solution. Not just something that would work now, but something that would actually help them.

The building shook more as the barrier grew weaker. Seconds stretched on like ages. Each breath was bitter, each heartbeat muffled. Here they stood, on the eve of their greatest struggle, and they would be defeated without even lifting a horn, wing, or hoof in defense. And the root of their problems had proven to grow much deeper than any of them expected.

Celestia burned through thought after thought, desperate to circumvent the coming doom. Quite unexpectedly, a strong voice sounded from the throne room entrance, one that everypony recognized. “What kind of Loyalty, indeed?”

The noise gained the attention of all seven ponies, turning to see who had arrived. Celestia’s breath caught in her throat. “Luna!”

“Sister,” the younger alicorn greeted simply. She walked slowly along the floor, her injured wing still held aloft inside the splint.

“What are you doing?” Celestia cried, more alarmed than what was necessary. She struggled to stand, crossing the distance in the span of seconds. “You should be in your quarters recovering!”

“I cannot sit idly by while my country is burning, sister.”

The princess of the sun gave a low hiss, her annoyance flaring into her pride. “I told you to let me worry about Alucard! You should rest and leave Equestria to me!”

Luna’s eyes flashed, and she finally decided that she had had enough. “You’re failing Equestria.”

The words shocked everypony, never expecting to hear such defiance. “L-Luna!” the elder alicorn gasped. “How can you...”

“Just look at what you’ve done, sister,” Luna pressed on, determined to not be silenced. “It was bad enough that I fell right into Alucard’s trap, but now you’ve done the same. And now you’re doing it again, under the impression of protecting me. Sister, it is not working - you’re failing, and you don’t even realize it.”

“I just...I want what’s best for everypony! This is the only option I have left!” Celestia’s annoyance gave way to desperation, and it was reflected in her tone. “If we don’t use the Elements of Harmony, then everything I’ve built will be gone! I won’t let that monster take away what I’ve given so much to protect!”

“That’s enough, Celestia!”

The ruler of the day stood before the ruler of the night, the latter’s shout echoing beyond the blasts of lightning from outside. Luna glared at her sister, not out of hatred, but only disappointment. In her mind, the disunity of the land had expanded too far. Now it was threatening to take her elder sister from her, and she would not allow that.

There was only one way she could turn this around, and Luna would not be silenced.

“You talk of protecting your land and your subjects, under the impression that you were the only one to have had any influence over the years. Sister, open your eyes - this is my country too. You’ve been working so hard to handle these problems on your own, and you’ve forgotten that you’re not on your own! Hasn’t it occurred to you that perhaps I can help as well?”

“But...y-your wing...”

Luna huffed. “I’m injured, Celestia, I’m not useless.”

“Alucard stole our magic-”

“I’m aware, and he stole more than we realized.”

“Then how...how can we hope to beat him without the Elements?”

With a moment to hesitate, Luna gave a small smirk. “We can’t. We’re still going to use them.”

Celestia began to realize that her sister had a solution. “How do you-”

“I just needed to look where you would not.”

The sentence tore at Celestia’s heart. She had used the same phrase during her own bout with Alucard. “What...Luna, what have you been keeping from me?”

“I have hidden nothing,” came the immediate reply. “Can you say the same?”

Celestia gave no reply.

“Then let me help.” Luna didn’t wait for her sister to give an answer, because she did not expect an answer to arrive. She moved forward, leaving Celestia behind her in a stunned state. It took a moment before the elder alicorn finally came around, and when she did, she finally conceded that she had failed. Not by words, but by action - Celestia lowered her head in deference to Luna.

With the floor finally hers, Luna wasted little time. She stepped through the group of ponies before her, stopping in front of the one who had been lost to them for four years. Rainbow Dash was silent, averting her gaze from the regal alicorn, basking in the guilt she had hidden for so long.

Before the Moon Princess spoke, she gently placed a hoof under Rainbow’s chin and lifted her gaze. She wanted, needed, to be sure that she was understood. Their eyes met, trembling magenta encountering steady turquoise. They made for a disturbing sight - a thin, malnourished pegasus, stuck in the fear of old days, in the company of a powerful but injured alicorn, who was left with nothing but her words.

“You are right to question your claim to the title of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash,” Luna began softly. “The trials you have been forced to undertake, the paths you have chosen to walk, and the consequences of them both have all been placed on you. The way you are now is just another of those consequences, borne of a choice you made while under fire.

“What kind of Loyalty are you? You might think you’re the kind of Loyalty that looks after only yourself, who seeks only to appease your own whimsy. And you can argue that point well - running away to evade murder charges, hiding to evade royal search parties, and even attempting suicide to evade responsibility.”

Rainbow tried to tear her gaze away, but Luna held it firm. The mention of her attempt at killing herself had swollen her shame, and she could feel an urge to hide.

“You must have wondered this as well, but let me be the voice of it. Rainbow Dash, why is it that you had to be bound by Alucard’s magic?”

Twilight and the rest looked amongst themselves, curious at the question. For a reason she couldn’t fathom, Twilight had never considered the question - she had always just looked toward the nature of the magic, and not the purpose. The how instead of the why.The same could be said of Rainbow.

“You don’t have an answer?” Luna continued. “Then let me tell you what I believe. I believe that Alucard bound his magic to you because you were Loyalty incarnate, the Bearer of the Element of the same name. And with that loyalty comes pride, a burden the past Bearers had to bear before you. He needed to break you, Loyalty, in order to break Harmony.

“It had to be you. He could have targeted any of the other Elements easily, but he chose you. He chose you because of the pride you also held, and he exploited that, turned it into a weakness. When he had that weakness, all he had to do was turn it on itself. Turn you against yourself.

“So what kind of Loyalty are you? Alucard would have you believe you’re a mockery of the Element you bear. He would have you believe you’re not worthy of the honor. Is he correct?”

Rainbow Dash sat silently for what felt like an age. She tore through her thoughts, her memories, her experiences, finding relevance to everything that Luna had just voiced. Pride? She had more pride in one feather than most ponies had in their whole bodies - at least, that’s how it used to be. Rainbow would often saunter around her Ponyville home, confident in her flying ability and superior agility. She would find competition in everyday things, even something as small as a ticket to a social gathering.

And if Alucard had turned it into a weakness, then how much work did he actually have to do? She had shown, numerous times, that when her pride was beaten, she would become humble and open. Humility was something on which he could have latched, poisoning it until it turned inside-out. She would be open to other options, some with only one outcome. Options like the rocks in the hills, or the starvation and the tricking of her friends.

Then came her friends. If she really were devoted to Loyalty, wouldn’t she have stayed with them? Even if it meant facing the punishment that came with murder, she would have stayed with them if only for the illusion of unity. By running away and abandoning all responsibility, Rainbow had proven that Loyalty was not a part of her, that she was not deserving of the gift. She had given up on everything she had worked for, instead choosing to save herself. Wasn’t that right?

Luna saw the glimmer of understanding behind Rainbow’s eyes, and spoke again before the pegasus could answer. “Is that also what you believe?”

“I-”

“Loyalty can be buried by lies, Rainbow Dash,” the princess interrupted, determined to make her point. “Throw enough deceit around the shine of Loyalty, and the light it gives can go unseen. Taint enough pride with the weight of shame, and soon you will never be able to move on. These are the ties that I see binding you to your guilt.”

Luna paused for a breath, her eyes softening. “What if you were not guilty of anything?”

From behind, Celestia’s head rose as she listened intently. What was Luna hinting? Could she be alluding to the crimes from four years ago? Or was there something deeper, something that Celestia didn’t see? Couldn’t see?

“Wha...not guilty?” Rainbow echoed. “I don’t understand...”

“Alucard would have you believe that, by running away from your home and friends, you betrayed everything that Loyalty stands for. Your pride was deformed, molded to create a weakness. I would say that he is lying, and his lies have tainted your belief in Loyalty, and thus your connection to it. It has been buried beneath his trickery, and you’ve been fumbling around in the dark ever since the tryouts.

“You see, Rainbow Dash, when you and your friends defeated me, you did so by finding the ‘spark’ that awoke your Elements, and tied your spirits to them. The power that now commands the Elements is the friendship you hold in these ponies with you, and it’s that power that makes the Elements of Harmony a true wonder in the world. Therefore, what if your actions stemmed not from pride, or guilt, but out of friendship? Out of a different, more true Loyalty?

“I’ve come to believe that you didn’t act out of shame or fear, but protection. You didn’t run away to escape the consequences of four ponies dying. Rather, you ran away in order to keep your friends safe from whatever had already harmed four other pegasi. Wasn’t that why you fled?”

An echo of a memory rose through Rainbow’s thoughts. It was an echo of what she had shouted to Spitfire while the two of them flew through the rain. “Please, don’t! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“What I’ve come to understand is that Loyalty can run much deeper than what most ponies think. And there’s one thing that embodies Loyalty above all else: sacrifice. You gave up all you had, because you believed that you were the cause of deaths. You gave it all up specifically to keep your friends away from the magic. That is why you fled,” Luna repeated, allowing the words to take root.

More memories arose, scenes of days that were not far off, yet felt like ages past. A pair of tired ponies, speaking with a third, who was terrified of the magic bound to her. Not of what it had done, but of what it could do. “How did you find me? I thought I was far enough away to keep you safe.”

“And in your choice, in your sacrifice,” Luna pressed on, “you proved that you embody Loyalty on a much deeper level. It’s symbiotic, emboldening, and terrifying all at once. You are not loyal to your friends, but rather to their well-being, to their lives. In your heart, you knew that they would eventually come to regain happiness, even if the happiness were flawed without you. But that was alright, because they would be able to experience happiness still, at the cost of your own.”

Finally, Luna lowered her hoof and released Rainbow’s face, but the pegasus did not look away. They continued to meet each other’s gaze, the understanding of one passing on to the other. And slowly, painfully, that understanding began to spark and alight something that had been hidden away, buried away.

“Forget you found me...forget I ever existed! It’s better that way!”

“You haven’t given up on me, have you?”

“I don’t want to hurt anypony, Fluttershy! I never wanted to!”

“I won’t run. I’m...tired of running and hiding.”

Amidst the echoes, a warm feeling arose on Rainbow’s cheek. The same cheek that Applejack had struck in an attempt to knock sense into her. The purpose for the slap became clearer with each echo that sounded, until it all finally grew too much.

The spark of understanding behind Rainbow’s eyes glimmered, and a single tear began a slow descent down her muzzle. She lifted a hoof and wiped the embarrassing tear away, unable to hide a small grin as she did. The grin expanded, sad and hopeful and determined all at once. She began to give light laughs, small half-chuckles that revealed just how blind she had been.

“I am so stupid,” she muttered.

Luna shook her head. “No,” she countered. “You are Loyalty.”

The air around the ponies seemed to heat up as though a fire had been stoked beneath their hooves. But unlike a fire, this heat was soothing, comforting. With the heat came a light that was just as sudden, and both grew until they reached their peak. Everypony looked over, seeking the source of the shine. It did not take long to find it.

The Element of Loyalty, the bolt emblem set within a gold necklace, radiated with a power that had been forgotten. The light of the gem expanded, giving off multi-colored tendrils of power. They stretched, waved, then curled inward, wrapping themselves around Rainbow’s body. When they contacted her body, she too began to shine, until finally the stark white of the flowing waves completely ensconced her in a cocoon of power.

The sheer power of the Element rose her off the ground without the need of her wings. After a moment, the light pulsed, giving off a wave of what could only be described as life. The pulses continued, slowly at first, gaining frequency and resolve as they were once again claimed by the one who deserved them.

Finally, the power drew in on itself, only to give off one final burst of brilliant light which swept across the throne room. The light seemed to awaken the remaining Elements, which each began to shine and hum with the power for which they were known. The respective Bearers glanced at their gems, unable to hold back their smiles.

In time, the light and power finally withdrew, and Rainbow Dash was gently set on the floor. But she was not the Rainbow Dash that was found in the cave, nor was she the Rainbow Dash left broken in Spitfire’s home. The power of her Element had restored her. Instead of a thin body, she was toned. Instead of frail wings, she looked ready to fly. Instead of fear and doubt, there was comfort and confidence. She was Rainbow Dash, the Bearer of Loyalty, and the last piece missing for Harmony to exist.

Rainbow took a moment to look herself over, hardly able to believe what had happened. She examined her body, admired her shining Element, and then looked to her friends. No words were needed.

Slowly, her friends all came to her and joined her in a second group-hug, this one much more real than the one before. With a sigh of glee, she returned the hug with newfound vigor, gripping her friends with all the memories she cherished most. None of them knew who began laughing first, but soon the entire mass was in a fit of giggles, chuckles, and cheers.

Luna stepped back and enjoyed the sight, with Celestia joining her side soon after. It was clear that the elder had been humbled by what she had just seen.

Celestia turned her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sister?”

“I’m sorry, Luna,” she repeated. “You were right...have been right this whole time. I was so concerned with keeping my people safe, I was blind to the real solution. I truly was failing Equestria, but you have not. I should have listened to you from the beginning.”

To her shock, Luna passed it off with a good-hearted laugh. “Tia, haven’t you listened to a word I’ve said? There’s no guilt to be held when you act out of protection.”

Celestia paused for a moment before giving a warm smile. She leaned down and nudged her sister lovingly, unable to express just how happy she was. “I’d be happy to let you raise the moon, if you’re still interested,” she offered.

“Of course,” Luna affirmed, her tone going steely. “But first we need to get it back.”

---

It wasn’t long before the group of friends came back to reality. The blasts of lightning continued to ravage the royal city, and the unicorns tending to the barrier were just barely holding against it. Now with a proper means to counter Alucard’s onslaught, the gathered ponies discussed the method.

“The clouds are abnormal,” Celestia explained. “They’re empowered by the magic that Alucard’s using to attack the city, and so none of my pegasi have been able to breach it. We would need something magical and fast enough to even stand a chance of getting through.”

“You shouldn’t spare any unicorn,” Twilight said, somewhat redundantly. “With this palace being the refuge of two entire towns, you need to continue to protect it as best you can. There’s nowhere else for these ponies to go, so you must keep the barrier strong.”

Rarity offered her thoughts. “What I don’t understand is how this monster is commanding so much magic at once. Even if he is an alicorn, shouldn’t there be a limit?”

“We alicorns do have limits,” explained Luna. “But he’s drawing power from the eclipse he’s made. They’re mutually symbiotic - he brings the eclipse over him with magic, and in turn it provides him with more magic to command.”

“Are you simply not able to command the moon to move? Break his eclipse?”

Luna shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Alucard stole more than just my moon-moving spell. He also learned a technique I haven’t dared use since I was freed from being Nightmare Moon.”

“What technique?” Twilight asked, ever the curious one.

“You recall the story of Nightmare Moon? How the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn? I had learned to block my sister’s spell from taking the moon from me, as well as stopping her from raising the sun. It is this spell that’s keeping Celestia and I from reclaiming our rights, so until Alucard is dealt with, we are quite without options.”

The talk continued, each pony discussing different means of reaching Alucard, or else bringing Alucard to them. Rainbow had stepped away, turning to look at the black storm clouds that circled overhead. She studied them, taking note of how dangerous they looked and how the eye of the storm allowed a perfect view of the eclipse. In every respect, it was just as nightmarish as the vision she had seen while in urgent care, so very long ago.

She continued to stare at them, keeping her thoughts to herself, until finally Applejack joined her. The farm mare placed a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “You gonna be okay?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe.”

“Somethin’ still bothering you?”

Rainbow gave a light sigh. “We still don’t know why Alucard needed me in the first place.”

“Pardon?”

“Luna made a good point earlier. He could have gone to anypony, and might have been stronger based on who he chose. Doesn’t it make more sense to corrupt the Element of Magic, instead of Loyalty? Why me?”

Applejack gave a defeated huff. “Ah bet there’s only one pony who can answer that question.”

Without warning, Rainbow stood and turned, conviction in her voice. “Then let’s go ask him.”

The pair of friends returned to the group, who had not made any progress in their discussion. “I had a chance,” Celestia was saying, “to stop him. As he was moving the sun and moon, I had an opening, but I hesitated, because he asked me if I was prepared to kill an innocent. What do you suppose he meant?”

“I don’t get it,” Twilight conceded. “Alucard is anything but innocent, and now we’re stuck here. Nothing we cast will penetrate those clouds, but we can’t spare any unicorns to try anything drastic. If we do, we lose our barrier, and then everyone is in trouble! And if we can’t get any pegasi high enough to enter the eye of the storm, then we’re just out of options!”

“Then we’re thinking with the wrong tactics,” Rainbow interjected.

Twilight jumped. She hadn’t seen her friend re-join the discussion. “Wrong tactics? What other tactics are there? We’re running out of time!”

“Settle down, Twilight,” Celestia said. “We haven’t been beaten yet, not completely. Rainbow Dash?”

The cyan pegasus looked to each of the princesses, then to all of her friends. Her eyes glinted with resolve, yet there remained a hint of defiance flickering within. She flexed her wings, feeling their strength, testing their endurance. Finally, she turned to give one last look at the storm outside, narrowing her gaze like a hunter spotting her prey.

Rainbow Dash faced the group, a ghost of a smirk on her lips. “I have an idea.”

End chapter fourteen

Author’s comments: Oh, wow, I have been ITCHING to get this one out. Doesn’t excuse the month-long writing time, but still~

I sincerely hope you all understand the plot here. It’s been digging at my mind ever since the fic began, and it’s such a relief to finally see it put into production. Also, if you can’t tell, I have great respect for Luna, both as a ruler and as a character. She was not just here for a shock factor in chapter ten!

Co-author’s comments: Bet you didn’t see that explanation coming. If you did, wow. Welcome to the minds of us. As Aaron has said in his comment, everything about this story, from Dash, to Alucard, to even the elements, has all been planned out from the very beginning. Aaron’s had most of the idea behind the elements, while I helped with how all of the mane six has drifted from their elements, save Applejack for not forgetting about Dash. She stayed honest for the whole story.

Next chapter: The fate of Equestria now, as before, lies in the hooves of Rainbow Dash and her closest friends. Their power rekindled and their sights focused by Rainbow’s plan, the group braves the open city. Even without the aid from the princesses or the military, they are prepared to bring justice to Alucard and his evils. They need only to breach his realm.

Comments

[Leoshi]

1591231 Okay, THAT made my night!

[RDash]

I had a heart attack when you updated this at last! And here you go giving us three in three days; I am so excited!! :P
This is, by far, the best piece of fanfiction that I've read.

[Leoshi]

1593457 Oh, thanks, you flatter me. I'm sure there are a number of fics better than mine that you've read!

[RDash]

1593632 Pfft, at the very least, you're tied with one or two. Don't sell yourself short; this is an amazing story! :P

[mbpony 512]

Nice update and great speech by Princess Luna.

It was the right words to snap Rainbow Dash out of her funk.

So please do keep up the good work.

[SolidFire]

I've fallen out of my usual pattern of reading with this story. I should have been done a while ago, but nope! This chapter had a lot in it that really shouldn't have needed to be said or done. Luna's whole speech to Rainbow, which was incredible, shouldn't have had to take place. Dash's friends royally screwed up in this story, screwed up in a way that shouldn't be possible. Either way, it's nice to see someone come up with a sort of a plan. I'm looking forward to the next chapter and whatever it may bring.

~SolidFire