Chapter 5
Twilight Sparkle was awaken by the sound of excited hoof steps. She looked around her and confirmed that she was still strapped in the machine and that she still felt tired. The door to the chamber slammed open however and inside marched the Rarity impostor with a huge grin on her face.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" She shouted suddenly.
"Ugh, Yes its me. Im still here...did you finally realize that you're out of your mind and decided to release me?" Twilight answered wearily.
"Nah, I have better news! We have a visitor on the island!"
Twilight thought about that. Then she figured out it was probably just another "joke".
"Yes you do. Its me right?"
"No! Its not you! Look, let me riddle you this. One of my little pets was found dead in the village!" The impostor said happily.
"Oh thats cute. Why should I care?"
"OH but this is the exciting part! Somepony had cut his head clean off! Guess what I found in the cut?"
"Let me guess, blood?" Twilight answered in a voice that told the hearer "I couldn't care less".
"No!...well...yes. But thats not the point! What I found...was moondust!"
Twilight perked up at that. The only way moondust could have made its way into the cut was that either somepony ran around throwing moondust at dead corpses or the zombie's head had been cut off by...
"A moonblade?" Twilight gasped.
"YES! I knew you were smart! Heres the next part. Who is the only pony you know of with the power of the moon at her hooves?"
Twilight felt hope. The only pony she knew of that had the "power of moon at her hooves" was none other then Princess Luna. Had she come to rescue her?
"Its...Princess Luna?"
"Yes, yes, yes! She's here! She's finally here! She came back, just like i knew she would."
The impostor jumped around the room in excitement.
"At first I thought it was just somepony who had sneaked on the island but THEN she blew up an entire wall of an inn! Nopony normal could possibly be that powerful! And it wasn't caused by unicorn magic, i would have noticed that."
Twilight thought about it. So Luna had come to her rescue? But why hadn't she found her yet? Surely an alicorn could detect her magic from far away. The impostor probably had some kind of a spell that shielded her presence. But why had she blown up a wall? Maybe she was looking for her.
"So Luna is really here?"
"Yep! Well she's not exactly Luna, the only way she could have arrived was that she was still in control of the power of Nightmare Moon!"
Something ticked in Twilights head.
"Nightmare Moon? SHE told you to wait here?"
The impostor pulled her face close to Twilight. She could feel the crazy mares breath on her face.
"I know I shouldn't tell you, but I'm so excited, I'll tell you anyway!"
She pulled back from Twilight and began.
"So a thousand year ago Luna and I had a plan. We searched for a way to control death itself.We had so much fun testing!"
Suddenly she stomped her hoof in anger.
"But all that was ruined! Your precious Celestia had no sense of humor...or science. She banished my Luna to the moon...well maybe she had a sense of humor. The Moon Princess stuck ON the moon? Thats pretty funny." She snickered to herself.
"Heh! Dont tell Luna I did that."
She quickly regained her composure.
"Anyway, she told me to never stop my work on this project. No matter what. So many ponies were suffering because of death and I had to fix it! Luna was gone though so I thought of just quitting but then I found out she was only banished for a thousand years! So I just waited for her return and now we can finally finish our project!"
Twilight knew better. Luna had returned as Nightmare Moon but the spirit had been banished by her and the Elements of Harmony. The impostor thought that Luna had come to finish some dark project that Nightmare Moon had started. In reality, Luna was probably on her way to save her and kick this crazy mares flank. Frankly she wanted to see the look on the captors face when that happened, so she decided not to tell her about it.
"So I waited and everypony else began to die... but I tried bringing them back to life!" The impostor said and sighed.
"Yeah, I can see how well that turned out." Twilight answered.
"Well sure they're a little rotten...and very, very hungry. But I think I did a pretty good job!" The impostor smiled.
She proceeded by moving close to Twilight again.
"You would think that waiting alone for a thousand years would turn you completely insane! But look at me! I turned out just fine!" She said and grinned at Twilight.
"If by "fine" you mean completely crazy then yes! You turned out to be very, very fine!" Twilight blurted at her.
"Oh don't be like that Twilight! We we're having so much fun telling stories!"
"So you waited for Luna? Why did you capture me then?" Twilight asked.
"Oh when i found out that a thousand years had passed I had to prepare! I needed somepony super magical to power our project! So when I found out that your special talent was magic I couldn't think of a better volunteer. And besides I can get some payback on Celestia too, after all, you are her protégée."
Twilight ignored the "volunteer" part. This pony had been appointed to run a project by Nightmare Moon. Surely she wasn't just some random science pony but a trusted friend of Luna's from the past. She seemed to be very loyal as well, having waited for a thousand years. She had also somehow defied mortality by surviving for such an ridiculously long period of time. Now Twilight was really interested in who this pony was.
"Could you please tell me who you are? Maybe I can help you out with your project." Twilight asked in a pleading tone.
"Tsk tsk Twilight! Story time is over and I have to prepare for Luna's return! Catch you later!"
Then she skipped out of the room. Twilight thought of calling after her but she knew it would be pointless. The door was shut and Twilight was alone again.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The floor of the sewer building had collapsed so the two mares fell right into the sewer tunnel. The sewer turned out to be a huge natural cave. A ravine was flowing across the tunnel system, carrying unrecognizable matter.
The ponies would have fell right into the disgusting stream had it not been for the flying skills of Rainbow Dash. She carried herself and Applejack to the narrow rocky road next to the ravine. The zombies who we're stupid enough to leap after them weren't so lucky and they fell right into the sewage waste.
"Have a nice swim idiots!" Rainbow Dash mocked after them.
"Phew Rainbow Dash. The sewer tunnels...we made it."
They scanned their surroundings and noticed a waterfall of mud (which Rainbow Dash named "the mudfall") just above the ravine.
"That explains why the village didn't sink into the ground in a thousand years. The mud just flows down here."
"Well there's something you don't see everyday! I guess they turned this underground ravine into a sewer system?" Rainbow Dash gasped. Then she held her nose with her hoof.
"Ugh, and it smells the part too..." She said.
The hole, which they used to enter the tunnel, gave some light to the area. The tunnel grew darker further in however. Applejack pulled out her moonblade and used its glow, to light the way.
"Ah guess these things serve another purpose, besides cutting." She stated and began trotting forward the narrow road.
It had clearly been a thousand years since anypony had walked in the sewers. The road had been left unattended and the ground was rocky and slippery. Both mares felt as if the whole damn thing could collapse in the ravine at any second. Rainbow Dash was at the ready to catch Applejack if such a thing was to happen however. The sewage matter had spilled on the road as well and their hooves were soaked with the waste.
"Eww...you know Applejack, my hooves are so dirty that when we get back I'm gonna ask Rarity to take me to that spa and get me one of those hoofacures. After all this, I don't even care what the other ponies are gonna think about that." Rainbow Dash said.
"Whoa! That has to be some nasty waste on yer hooves, to make YOU stop caring about what other ponies think of ya!" Applejack chuckled.
"Heh. Yeah, its THAT BAD, I think I even saw some of that goo on your hooves moving..."
Applejack let out a yelp and shook her hooves in panic. Rainbow Dash bursted into laughter immediately.
"Hahaha! That was priceless! You screamed like a little filly!"
"Rainbow Dash! Don't you joke about these things! You know that there's something twisted in these sewers. I thought you were being serious!" Applejack answered angrily.
"Im sorry Applejack. I know, its just that hehe...I just couldn't help it" Rainbow Dash snickered. Then she suddenly perked up.
"Applejack the sewage waste is moving!"
"Haha I get it Dash, really funny." Applejack answered.
"No I'm serious! The goo you just shook off...Its moving"
Sure enough, the disgusting goo in front of them began too move. It shaped itself into a twisted slime pony and began to move towards the mares.
"Uhh, I think you made it mad Applejack" Rainbow gasped.
"No it was YOU who made me throw that thing on the wall!"
The creature advanced but it didn't look too threatening. Applejack moved in with her moonblade. Rainbow Dash took a closer look at the creature. It seemed to be swelling, as if it was filling itself up with something. Then it dawned on her.
"Applejack wait!"
But it was too late, Applejack swung her blade at the creature cutting it open. A huge cloud of black gas erupted from the cut overwhelming the ponies.
"Whatever you do don't...cough...breath..." Rainbow Dash managed to say before she passed out on the ground.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Oh Rainbow Dash how do you do it? How are you so awesome?" Spitfire said and sat next to Rainbow enjoying some well earned Sweet Apple Acres cider.
"Oh its not that hard after the first triple sonic rainboom somersault corckscrew moves. All you have to do is pull off the Rainbow Dash comet flash, you know, the move I invented thats the most awesome and difficult flight trick ever made?"
"How could I forget when you pulled it off for the first time? Princess Celestia named you the of Minister of Awesome and gave you the Knighthood of Coolness." Spitfire gasped in awe.
"Not to mention you naming me the captain of the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash added.
"Oh Rainbow Dash...you awesomeness is just so...I...I..." Spitfire said and threw herself at Rainbow.
"OH kiss me you FOOL!!" She said.
"Kiss you? Wait...THIS IS A DREAM!"
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and saw absolutely nothing. Darkness surrounded her. She reached for her moonblade and was glad that the goo had no use for it. She pulled it out and illuminated the room. Dash was in a tunnel laying next to rags and bones of dead ponies. Noticing the corpses she quickly stood up in panic kicking the bones away from her.
"Ahh! Im not joining you things just yet!"
Then she remembered what had happened. They were both hit with poisonous gas and knocked out. The creature had probably dragged her to the corpse pile, thinking she was one of the failed experiments, thrown down there to die. Applejack was nowhere to be seen.
"Applejack! Applejack!!" She called for the orange earth pony. There was no answer.
"...This is bad." She said to herself.
She knew that sitting there and doing nothing wasn't going to bring Applejack back. And it was unlikely that the skeletons would give her directions. So she moved out with careful steps all the while shouting out for Applejack. The tunnel had turned into a maze but Rainbow didn't give it any thought. Applejack could be in trouble so there was no time to waste at thinking which direction she should take.
She had a promise to keep, she had to find her and get them both home. Rainbow Dash sped up to a gallop frantically calling out for Applejack.
"Applejack!!"
Then she heard it. A voice she never wanted to hear. A voice straight from her nightmares.
"Rainbow..."
It was a faint whisper that sent chills down her spine. Turning her head she could see it.
A zombie approached her, a zombie with an orange coat rotten flesh dripping off its face.
"Oh no, no, no...Applejack its me, its me Rainbow Dash," She said.
"Rainbow...you..." Applejack gnarled in response.
"Shh...Don't talk, everything is going to be fine" Rainbow assured her, tears forming in her eyes.
"I...I feel so cold Rainbow..."
"No, don't say that Applejack. Im gonna get you out of here and we'll get back to Ponyville..." Rainbow said between her sobs.
"...and we'll drink some of that apple cider, and everything is going to be just like before."
"Why didn't ya... keep your promise?"
Then Applejack leaped towards her, mouth open, ready to take a bite out of the pegasus. Rainbow Dash held her back with her hooves. She couldn't bring herself to kill her zombified friend.
There was no other choice though when she felt herself slipping. She shut her eyes and swung the blade hearing a disgusting voice of metal cutting flesh. The earth pony fell on the floor.
"Im sorry! Im so sorry!" Rainbow cried.
But Applejack had gone silent. The blue pegasus knew too well that her friend was gone. She had broken her promise and was left alone on a cursed island.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Applejack trotted forward. She woke up in a corpse pile and noticed that Rainbow Dash was missing. Naturally the orange mare moved out to look for her. She noticed that the air around her had changed, something was wrong but she just couldn't place it. Her thought were interrupted however when she heard hoofsteps behind her. She turned around and saw a silhouettes of ponies clumsily walking towards her. The moonblade was at the ready though and Applejack stood there ready to take on the attackers.
When the zombies walked into the light however, she dropped the sword.
"Apple Bloom?" She gasped.
Her entire family, Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith we're there, all of them walking dead ponies. Applejack trembled but then she remembered Rainbow's words. She picked up her sword again and held it up high.
"No! This doesn't make any sense! My family is back in Ponyville! Not in some sewer tunnel on some island! Yer just playing tricks with my mind!"
Applejack was furious at this mockery of her family. She charged at the zombies and swung her blade at the smallest one taking it out with one swing. The big one tried to grab her, but applejack ducked and bucked the creature right on its face A disgusting crunching sound later the big zombie lay dead. It wasn't long until the last one lay on the floor as well.
As she had suspected it wasnt her family. The zombies melted on the ground. They were made of the same goo she had seen flowing in the ravine. The slime slithered away in defeat.
"And dont ya ever try to diguise yerself as one of my family again!" She shouted after it.
After the slime had gone Applejack was worried. What if the goo had tried to trick Rainbow Dash to let her guard down as well? Surely the blue pegasus could see right through it. Applejack's thoughts were interrupted however. She heard crying in the distance. Sure it could have been another trap but she didn't want to risk leaving her friend to die.
She galloped the maze, hoping that her friend was all right. Turning around a corner however she could finally see the rainbow maned pegasus. Rainbow Dash was crying, and to her horror Applejack could see that the slime was wrapping around her body.
"Oh no you dont!" She shouted and swung her blade at the slime. The goo hissed when the moonblades light touched it. It slithered off Rainbow, escaping to the depths of the cave. Applejack lowered herself down next to the pegasus and lifted her head up with her hooves.
"Rainbow Dash! Talk to me. Are you all right?"
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes slowly.
"Applejack? Im sorry.. I thought...I thought you were gone..." She whispered.
"Well I'm here now sugarcube, and don't worry, I'm gonna take care of ya."Applejack said and hugged her friend.
"Ugh...i feel so tired..."
"Dont worry about it, just hang in there ok? I got ya."
Applejack lifted Rainbow Dash on her back and began to move. The slime had somehow drained all of her friends energy and had she arrived a moment too late...She didn't want to think about it. All that mattered right now was getting out of that cave as soon as possible.
Of course the sewer slime had noticed that the more subtle ways of killing its prey had failed. The small parts of goo slithered back to their master, informing it of their failure. The ravine erupted and flooded into the cave maze.
Applejack heard the approaching doom and galloped faster. It was hopeless, she had no idea where she was going so she simply took the paths that didn't sound like a flood of death was about to flow down on them. Applejack was getting desperate there was no way she would get away from this one. The maze was probably endless and the chances of finding the exit was probably one to million. Then she turned around the corner and there it was. A narrow staircase leading to a door.
"Huh? Guess i was wrong." She said to herself.
Then she turned around, a huge mass of sewage waste was rolling towards her, body parts sticking out of the disgusting slime. Wasting no time she galloped up the stairs. The slime however formed a whip and grabbed Rainbow's tail. Rainbow fell off Applejacks back on the stairs and she quickly turned around and grabbed her. The slime approached fast and Applejack had no choice, she pulled out her sword and swiftly cut off the tip of rainbows tail hair.
The slime was left with strands of Rainbow colored hair while Applejack grabbed Rainbow, raced trough the exit and slammed the door shut behind her at the last second.