Chapter 19
The Elements of Equestria
Part 19
Birdie awoke to an uneasy quiet in the swamp. Light mist covered everything, both sinking into and rising out of the ground. She raised her head peering around alert and tense, as she almost always was. A shift next to her, on the cloud alerted her to the fact that there was another pony touching her. A seething mixture of rage and terror surged through her for a brief moment before she remembered who it was sleeping alongside her. She looked down at the concealed wingless pegasus stallion lying next to her in puzzlement, 'I just don't understand him. Why is he nice to me after he's seen me? I'm ugly because of me scars but more from my . . . face. My hideous, disgusting, misshapen face.'
Bitterness was an old friend to the young mare, one she knew well and she mentally clutched it to her like a blanket. It was a type of protection for her, one she always kept close. Yet as she gazed down at the stallion sleeping peacefully next to her, a tiny crack formed in her emotional walls, 'Why is he willing to still speak to me, still willing to be around, even help me? I don't understand, why does he . . . give me . . . hope? Is it hope?' she wondered, 'It's been too long to remember, or even care really.' she sighed heavily, cursing herself for even thinking the hated word, 'Hope is for foals who still think this world can be anything but painful.'
Her memories were always there for her, like her bitterness, 'Hope.' she spat off to the side distastefully, 'Where was hope when I was alone and starving in the streets? Where was hope when HE had his claws on my neck holding me down as he . . .' Birdie thrashed her head from side to side, shuddering as her body remembered the horror and pain, 'Where was hope when I cried myself to sleep at night!? Where was hope when I was curled into a ball in the corner of his house trying to hide from him and what he would do!? Where was hope when I had my hooves pressed to his throat but couldn't finish him!? Where was hope when he tore me so badly he thought I was dead and tossed me out with the garbage, tied up in a sack!? Where was fucking hope when the bag was torn open by some other BEAST that nearly got me!? WHERE WAS HOPE WHEN IT GRABBED ME AND FIGURED OUT I WASN'T DEAD YET!? WHERE WAS HOPE WHEN THAT ONE GRABBED ME TOO!? I'M THE ONE WHO FOUGHT HIM OFF! I'M THE ONE WHO KICKED HIM IN THE THROAT! I'M THE ONE WHO FLEW AWAY INTO THE MOUNTAINS! I'M THE ONE WHO KEPT MYSELF ALIVE! NOTHING EVER GAVE A DAMN ABOUT ME!?'
From the outside Birdie was still and calm like a statue, on the inside was an ever-raging storm of emotion and barely contained violence. She took several deep breaths and quickly brought her thoughts under control, 'Searcher and Colossus care about me though. I've seen it in their eyes. I've heard it in their voices and felt it in their touch. They care about me, they accept me. Even with the scars and my face, they accept me.' she looked again down at the stallion by her side, 'You've seen my face, yet here you are still. You haven't betrayed me yet so I won't ruin your face. You're actually kind of nice.' The roller-coaster of emotion and thought died down almost instantly, leaving Birdie with only silence.
She reached down and nuzzled Natival's head on an impulse, her nose pressing against the crusted mud from the previous night that had caked onto his suit. Flakes of mud came off as she continued pressing against his face, 'I know I shouldn't, but . . . it's so nice to have someone nearby sometimes . . . I don't know what that's like . . . you haven't hurt me yet Natival and you haven't abandoned me. I'll let you in.' she fluffed her feathers and cracked the caked mud off portions of her wings as she stretched.
Natival's eyes fluttered open, the first thing he saw was Birdie's veiled face nudging him,
"Morning Birdie." he greeted, yawning hugely, "Yeesh!" he said smelling and seeing the caked on mud, "We both need a bath. Let's get back to Haysburg so we can shower off all this mossy, rancid, swamp muck. Come on Birdie, let's make tracks."
The veiled pegasus mare silently nodded and hoped off the cloud. The ground was cold, frosted over. Natival joined her, several slips of dried mud falling to the ground as his hooves hit. He shook himself out and stamped several times to loosen up. He looked around trying to gauge which direction the sun was rising from. Turning to his right, he spied it through the trees.
"This way Birdie." he claimed confidently.
* * * * * * * *
Rainbow Dash felt warmth next to her despite the shivering cold. She snuggled up closer to it, shifting her muzzle up to it until she felt soft fur brush her nose tip. She sighed contentedly, only barely awake, inhaling the scent of the warmth next to her. She slowly cracked open her eyes but saw only blue, 'royal blue' she thought. The warmth shifted and her vision cleared as Trooper raised his head to look around. He had been awake for several minutes, content to wait until Dash awoke.
His gaze fell onto the gryphons they had encountered the day before. Dash followed his gaze. The fearsome predators were apparently having breakfast. Dash noted, 'Wow, they sure are somber this morning.'
It was true. The gathering of gryphons said not a single word as they ate. Occasionally one gryphon or another would shoot a sad glance toward the two ponies and hang their head as they took a bite of their breakfast. Dash couldn't make out what it was they were eating, but the portions seemed minimalistic.
"Those gryphon chaps are being rather quiet this morning." Trooper observed, "Perhaps they are trying not to wake us."
"Looks like they managed to find some food. That's good." Dash said turning to Trooper, "I know we gave them most of our grain yesterday, but do we by chance have any left?"
Trooper slowly stood up, his head was held low and his stance was wide,
"Time for some hard logic my lovely companion," he began softly, "Did you see any of them save the grain we gave them yesterday?"
"Well, no I didn't. They were starving." Dash replied.
"Do you see any fruit trees or crops around?" Trooper asked calmly, "Think about it, gryphons can eat meat. Where could they get meat up here?"
"I don't know, maybe they caught some birds." Dash suggested.
"Or drew straws." Trooper said darkly.
"Nothing so barbaric," said Arrow's voice behind the two ponies, "Well, not THAT barbaric anyway, I assure you."
Trooper spun around like lightning, head low, legs braced, ears erect, and wings splayed,
"What do you mean?" he demanded quietly, "Explain yourself."
Arrow had been lying on the ground behind the two pegasi, he rose to his paws and inclined his head respectfully,
"One of our older toms 'opted out' during the night." reaching into his fabric harness, he retrieved a piece of parchment, "He left this as an explanation, written in his own blood after opening an artery in his thigh. I believe he meant for you to know what it says since it's written in Equestrian Common and not Gryphonic"
Trooper blanched at the offered note,
"I do not wish to put that in my mouth if it is written in blood. Would you hold it up so that I can read it?"
"Very well." the gryphon said holding up the note.
Trooper read it out loud,
"To my Flightmates:
We are in a situation where some sacrifices a have now become unavoidable. With the arrival of the two ponies our hunter instincts will overwhelm our conscious minds and place them in mortal danger. We cannot allow our more base nature to overrule our actions, so it is with that in mind that I have opened my own leg. By the time you read this, I will be no more. It is my final request to invoke Gavinjork that I have chosen to defy nature and interrupt the natural cycle of life by intentionally ending my own. Mt flesh I give to you to sustain yourselves that your hunger be sated by my sacrifice and furthermore serve as a reminder that we are more than the ponies see us. Not mindless predators bound to our need to hunt for prey, but as a proud species who has developed civilization which fosters art, science, math, astronomy, and peaceful coexistence with all other races in this, our shared home. For what are all races in this world but a massive dysfunctional family set to dwell in cohabitation resting, all of us, against the bosom of our world. I pray to the Sun and Moon that you hear my words and remember my sacrifice, friends. Farewell wherever you fly, may your aeries receive you at your journey's end, as my line has welcomed me to my final home. "
"He . . . he killed himself on purpose . . . so you could eat him!?" Trooper asked aghast.
"He sacrificed himself to save the two of you!" Arrow snapped sharply, "Let me tell you about Gavinjork. The practices began during the rule of our greatest King, Archaeopteryx, just after the war between our two great nations. Gavinjork states that, 'When a number of gryphons are without food and starving, that the eldest living gryphon sacrifice themselves for the others to eat so they may survive. The old perish to save the young, that the blood of the innocent remains unspilled.' That last line of law specifies ponies! Do not take this lightly!" Arrow clacked his beak angrily before taking a calming breath to get his emotions under control, "He sacrificed himself for you. We've had enough, we're going home if we can make it."
Leaping into the air, Arrow gave a sharp, shrill whistle. The other gryphons sluggishly rose into the air and converged on Arrow in formation. Every eye of every gryphon was wet and every expression was somber.
"I wish you luck pegasi. Take with you the best wishes of our race and our oldest parting words: Farewell wherever you fly, may your aeries receive you at your journey's end."
As the gryphons turned to fly away, Dash's voice rang out to them,
"Nose to the wind, tail high."
Arrow turned his head back for a brief moment,
"The Hunter's Farewell, I'm surprised you know it."
"I had a gryphon friend once. She was a hunter." Dash responded.
* * * * * * * *
Searcher was dreaming, but he knew he was dreaming. In his dream, he was standing on a raised marble dais in the center of Canterlot.
Canterlot was burning.
In front of him stood a vast army of nightmare creatures bowing in supplicating silence while, in the background, could be heard the groans of the injured, the gurgling coughs of the dying, and the plaintive cries of those who had stood against him, now in shackles.
He smiled down at them, knowing they would spend the rest of their days in bondage, forced to breed generation after generation all for the purposes of fulfilling the whims of the powerful, especially himself.
At the base of the dais stood his cadre of champions. Each bore the signs of slaughter. Blood stained their coats in thick layers and shreds of rent flesh hung from their jaws and talons. Beneath their feet lay the mangled bodies of six young mares, their jewelry tarnished with their own blood. As the champions feasted on the still alive and screaming diarchs of the Sun and Moon, lying bound and helpless at the base of the dais, Searcher began to speak.
"The supposed goddesses have fallen! The era of Light has come to a close! These two," he gestured to Celestia and Luna, "Sought to challenge the power that has now won the day! They arrayed against us the Elements of Harmony, thinking to unleash the Rainbow of Light, the only power against which I cannot stand. You," he gestured to the gathered nightmare creatures, "You stood against them, occupied them, distracted them while I manifested my full power! Your duty is done! Go now, feast on the fallen and claim your slaves! As of today the Rainbow of Light is no more! Today the Rainbow of Darkness claims supreme ownership over not only Equestria but all lands in this world!"
A deafening roar broke out among the nightmare creatures, "FOR DARKNESS!"
The great host of nightmare creatures dispersed with wild abandon as they spread throughout the city. The groans of the injured became piercing, frantic, gibbering screams as the minions of darkness began their victory feast. Elsewhere a different type of screaming commenced as the nightmare creatures began to brutally force breed the next generation of slaves or nightmares. The streets ran red with blood and the screams, pleas, and cries formed into a sadistic symphony that swept over the entire countryside. A single nightmare creature approached him carrying a tiny, crying bundle in its toothy maw. Searcher could see himself reflected in the nightmare creature's eyes.
He stood half again as tall as a normal pony. His coat was pitch black. His four legs ended in a set of razor-sharp claws. Each leg bulged with bulky muscle hinting at untold strength. His narrow, elongated muzzle sported two rows of sharp teeth and his mane and tail shifted, flowing in a non-existent wind, black as the inside of a buried coffin on a moonless night.
He began to laugh loudly as he sat down on the dais and accepted the crying bundle into his dexterous claw. He continued laughing as he unwrapped the newborn foal in the tiny blue blanket. His laughter ceased momentarily as he licked his lips and turned the foal onto its back. He lowered his head and bit slowly into the newborn's soft underbelly, savoring every second as the foal's cries became frantic, thrashing screams as its insides were pierced, shredded and crushed. Lifting his head from the screaming, dying foal, he slurped up a dangling shred of muscle and swallowed with glee. The little blue blanket stained from blue into a deep glossy-wet purple.
He raised his head to the crimson stained sky and let out a high-pitched snarling laugh. All over Canterlot other voices joined his own.
Searcher suddenly sat up from the dream, drenched in a cold sweat and sobbing brokenly. He wrapped his forelegs around his body and rocked back and forth as the dream replayed in his mind. He leaned over the side of the cot and projectile vomited. His stomach heaved and heaved as his tears continued to fall. In between heaves he whimpered piteously, clenching his eyes shut, trying and failing to block the images. He could still hear the cries, still smell the viscera, still taste the blood. Searcher leaned over, heaving again and overbalanced, falling onto the floor and into the puddle of his own vomit. His stomach was empty but still he heaved. He struggled for breath as his body continued trying to purge its already empty stomach. His head spun as he struggled to breathe. His lungs burned for air but his body continued to heave. Searcher heard a roaring sound as his eyes rolled back in his head.
* * * * * * * *
When Searcher awoke next he was startled to find his body already up and awake; not only that but his body was washing its face in a sink,
"Took you long enough, little stallion."
Searcher looked into the mirror above the sink and saw one of the nightmare creatures looking back at him. It was using a cloth to wash its chest of the vomit. Disturbingly enough Searcher's body was wiping itself off in perfect sync with the reflection. Searcher stared at it for several long minutes, trying to come to grips with what he was seeing. The creature smiled wickedly at the troubled unicorn stallion, seeming to find some kind of sick glee at his discomfort.
The oily voice paused in its cleaning as Searcher finally put a name to it,
"The Rainbow of Darkness." he whispered fearfully.
"Did my wittle vision of the future twamatize da wittle pony?" the Rainbow paused briefly as it laughed at its own reeling host, "I had to take over for a while and clean up your spew. You have no stomach for victory, little stallion."
"That's what you are isn't it?" Searcher asked fearing his own words, "The Rainbow of Darkness. I heard it in that 'vision'. You mentioned something about the Rainbow of Light, that it was the only thing you couldn't stand against." the reflection in the mirror sneered angrily, but Searcher continued, "You forced me to tell you about the Elements of Harmony, but how are they so dangerous to you? You're Darkness, how is Harmony your opposite?"
The reflection seemed to chuckle,
"Cashing in on some of that knowledge I promised you huh? I'll tell you indirectly, make it fun. I know you love figuring out puzzles so here is your answer: What is the opposite of logic? What does every sentient being struggle with constantly?"
Searcher thought about it for a few moments before it hit him,
"Emotion is the opposite of logic. Every sentient being struggles constantly with keeping their emotions in check. It's the proverbial balance of right and wrong, good and evil, . . ."
"Or Light and Darkness." the reflection said teasingly.
"So you aren't so much Darkness as you are 'Dark Emotion'?" Searcher asked.
"Why do you think I had you focus so much on specism against the gryphons? It breeds mistrust and hate. Their hearts were all too eager to accept it. They had allowed anger, resentment, bitterness, and hate to fester in their souls after that wingless pegasus killed the dancer. You've been making me steadily stronger since we first met. The most powerful 'Dark Emotion', as you put it, is hate. That's why I tortured you at first, so you would hate me. At first you felt hurt and angry, tasty but not very filling. Next you felt resentment, a bit more substantial. After that you felt bitterness, far more satisfying. Finally, now you hate me. That's what I can use the most. You've hated me for months. You've hidden it well enough though. You closed yourself off emotionally from your friends so they wouldn't worry and be burdened." the reflection cackled loudly, "Hehehehehehe! In all truth, I expended almost all my energy torturing you those first few seconds, but the gamble paid off beautifully. Honestly, had you resisted for a few more seconds I would have been powerless and been destroyed. Now the time has almost come. Tonight . . ."
"Wait!" Searcher called, as the reflection began to fade back to the norm, "I don't understand! Why have you been having me talk about 'The Light' so much?"
The Rainbow of Darkness laughed loudly,
"Do you know what makes the Elements of Harmony so strong? The name itself gives it away, Harmony A.K.A. balance. Harmony is the representation of complete balance of the self. The constant battle between good and evil that gives all intelligent creatures strength of character. Let us say for example that you were born with no inner evil and never needed to struggle against it to make the 'right' choices. Now, let's say that thirty years into your life you suddenly have this 'evil' in you tempting you to do things. You have never known evil, you always did what you felt was right and it was. Because you never developed the strength of character to fight it, you would simply surrender to the 'evil' without a thought. You've never had to fight your desires in the past, so you would just go along with them. In the same way, if you had these conflicting desires all your life and suddenly one of the sides vanished, what would happen?"
"You would be confused, I suppose." Searcher admitted, he was confused.
"Oh a good deal more than confused. You would panic. Good and evil are a part of every intelligent being. If half your being was suddenly stripped from you, it would leave a vacuum, a hole in you. You would feel incomplete and you would do anything to fill that hole once more, anything to feel complete. Once I have 'Dark Emotions' I can multiply them. I 'could' force everypony to make the change into my nightmares, however that would take a great deal of my power and a rather long time. You know how every living thing has its own scent? The same is true for souls. Your society says that evil is something to be avoided, shunned, or fought against. Therefore logic would dictate that ridding oneself of any evil or 'Darkness' would be a thing most desireable indeed. If you offered to take away the 'Darkness' or 'evil' from all of Haysburg, they would jump at the offer, thinking to take the easy way out. All their 'Darkness', and each soul's 'scent' I will have access to. For a few seconds they would relish the sensation but the emptiness would begin tormenting them quickly. The leg bands I had you make are not only filled with protective enchantments but also isolate some emotions while magnifying others. Once the 'Darkness' and 'evil' are gone everypony's inner balance will be shattered. The leg bands will also activate then isolate and lock away their 'good side' leaving them completely empty of either 'good' or 'evil'. The panic will be overwhelming. In the ensuing panic, everypony will beg for their missing part back and I shall give it to them. Once their 'evil' is returned the leg bands will multiply it, mutilate their bodies, and subjugate their wills to me."
The reflection paused briefly then continued,
"You might be asking yourself, 'Why is it telling me all this now before it has happened?' The answer is because you cannot stop me now. If you try to rebel I'll just take over your body and finish this myself. It would be somewhat awkward and inconvenient though. If you play along and further my agenda I'll keep supplying you with knowledge. If you work against me I'll just lock you away and torture you, You'll hate me and make me even more powerful. I win either way. It's up to you."
"I . . . I'll do it." Searcher said, 'Until I find a way to destroy you, you abomination.'
"Let's get to it then. We have leg bands to distribute and some ponies to heal."
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God, I actually had to reread most of this, as I had forgotten it.
But it really lived up to expectations, and I'm very glad you aren't dead or given up on this story.
I'm so excited to see that this has updated. I think that this was one of the first long stories I really followed, even before it was on FIMFiction. I'm glad to see it's still alive.
It lives!
OMG this was awesome, well written and perfect
the Gryphon culture shock with the Ponies was well done and the new villain had shown that is a great peril
well done
I hope Valient kicks the dark rainbow’s tail into next century. Eating foals is bad for your health. Awesome story so far! I can’t stop reading!