//------------------------------// // Chapter 32: Into the Heart of Fear // Story: Zaps Apple // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Zaps Apple Chapter 32: Into the Heart of Fear Rainbow Dash My eyes snapped open in an instant, I couldn't quite remember what the heck just happened! I did know that right that second I wasn't in Ponyville, but some cold stonewall box with very little light coming from the bars just above the bed I found myself on. “What the hay's going on here?” I spoke out. As I flapped my wings to get a good look around, I noticed that I was in a cell. “Ooooookay... Why am I in a cell?” I flew over to the only door in and out and tapped on it with my hoof. “Hello! Anypony there!?” I called out. Again I hit the door even harder with both front hooves; nothing. So I bucked it with my hind legs, but the wooden frame remained undamaged. “Seriously? Not even a dent?” I hit even harder but nothing happened to me or the door. I rubbed my head trying to figure why I was in a cell or even how I ended up in one. Suddenly I heard hoofsteps come towards the door. “Oh great, now what!?” I waited, ready to engage whoever it was as the door unlocked and swung open. What was standing there made me quickly lose the will to engage them. It was a pair of purplish black Pegasi, eyes pure white with no pupils, and a cloud of black mist surrounding them. “Restrain the Element of Loyalty, Spitfire,” one of them said. Sure enough, coming in between them was Spitfire. I could see one wing was missing, and the Wonderbolt flight suit was ripped in many places. There were cuts on her muzzle and the side of her face, and her mane was in a bad shape. “Spitfire?” “Sorry Rainbow Dash, I have to do this...” Spitfire walked into the cell and hooked chains to both my forelegs, followed by a restraining strap around my midsection, holding the wings against my body. “It's done...” The two emotionless shadow ponies moved their heads to Spitfire. “Take your remaining Wonderbolts, leave, live and stay out of our way. This is mercy.” Spitfire nodded, turning with a tearful look to me. “I am sorry, I had to agree to this. I couldn't let what's left of my team suffer anymore. I regret doing this. Taking you down, putting you in here...” With that, she left with one of the shadow ponies. The remaining one stared at me and spoke. “Follow me... I am watching you. Try to escape and the young colt Zaps will not suffer nightmares; he will die.” “Fine...” I muttered and followed the accursed pony. We walked up the stone stairs till I realized where we were; it was Canterlot Castle, or what was left of it. Walking through the hallway I saw the castle was in ruins. Walls were destroyed, glass was shattered and pillars fallen. A huge battle must've taken place, seeing as many guards were frozen in black crystals with fear at the moment they were hit. There in the throne room I saw inside was Princesses Celestia and Luna; not in crystal but as crystal, black and frozen like statues. Standing at what was left of the throne made all my fur stand on end. It was her... The Pony of Fear, staring right at me through the blackish purple mist with her cold blue glowing eyes. “Leave us!” she boomed. The black pony beside me vanished into a cloud of mist. “The self proclaimed Rainbow 'Danger' Dash, Element of Loyalty, holding the line so almost all of your friends and family could escape.” The Pony of Fear moved off the throne and down the steps towards me. “Yeah and what of it? Can't find them, huh?” The Pony of Fear was now giving me a look that just confused the heck out of me; she wasn't laughing or even being fearful anymore. It was as if she was looking directly at me and how I reacted; the only reason I was not bucking the heck out of her was Zaps. “You no longer fear me; first you shivered at the sight of me and now it as I expected. You are immune to my magic. You still fear; I can taste it but I can't take it... It seems I underestimated many of the ponies of Equestria.” She then hit me with black mist clouds that turned into tentacles and went into me. I grunted in pain trying to fight it. “Wh-what are you doing!?” I cried out as I felt something  ripped out of me. The tentacles moved to a big glass orb and put something inside it. I started breathing heavily, feeling as if something that was supposed to be there was now gone. That's when it hit me! That pony just ripped the pegasus magic out of me! I flapped my wings and got zero lift; I tried and tried yet nothing happened. She took away my magic, magic that was now a rainbow glowing cloud of magical dust in the large glass orb! “Give it back!” “Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? Very well, go and smash the glass, it'll only take a few bucks with the strength you have left.” I took one step closer when she said, “That is, if you have time.” I quickly looked directly at her. “What the hay does that mean, you freak?” She wasn't fazed by my insult. “Simple.” Her head turnd to my left, where I saw Zaps sitting in a cage hanging over the edge, a black mist cloud next to each clip under it. “No! You wouldn't!” “Oh I will. So here it is. Will you race to get your magic back to try and save him? Know that it may not return fully before he goes splat. Or will you go for him and save his not long life by taking your own? From this height he'd most likely live if you broke his fall.” She chuckled moving back to the throne and sitting down on it with her glowing, piercing eyes on me. “Either way from this point forward you two are free and I won't deal with you ever again. I have the fear I needed from this land. I will fade out of your worthless lives and sleep till I need to awake again to feed.” I growled under my breath. “You said you never kill!” “That is true. But all I am doing is letting go of my grip on this wasteland. The ponies did that themselves, and those trapped in my crystals will be freed with no memory of what happened. Life will be a living Tartarus. "Equestria may be no more or it may rise up again, since the Crystal Empire was untouched. But either way I will leave at this very moment and the magic will end; this is my normal cycle. This will be the last time you will ever see me; farewell Rainbow 'Danger' Dash of Loyalty.” The Pony of Fear disappeared just as she said, the mist dispersing as did all the magic. The princesses' statues burst apart and they fell to the ground, but I didn't wait to check on them. The cage bottom held in place by the magic ended and Zaps started to fall. I leapt off the wall with my wings pressed against me. I made my body as aerodynamic as possible  to catch up with the falling colt as he screamed. I caught up with him and pulled him into my hooves as I twisted my body around so my back faced the fast approaching ground, and closed my wings, fore and hind legs around him and rested my head gently against his. “I got ya kiddo. You're going to be ok.” “B-but your magic...” “I don't need it, Zaps.” I saw his tears come out and fly up past my eyes as I held him close. “I'd rather do this and let you live a full life than live and regret not letting you grow up.” “You're going to die!” he cried I sighed as we fell down the mountainside towards the fast approaching ground. “Yeah... But remember this Zaps: I do it not only for you, but all of my friends. AJ might get mad by my choice, but going for my magic and trying to save you would've come off just as bad. For me this was a no brainer. You live Zaps; be loyal to your friends and family, ok?” “Rainbow Dash...” “Be there for me, ok? Don't regret what I've done. I did this.” “O-o-o-ok... Thank you Rainbow Dash...” “No problem kiddo.” I smiled, put my head against his and closed my eyes, awaiting the impact. Crishhhhh! I felt an impact but it wasn't what I expected. My ears rang out at the shattering smash followed by a mighty splash. Opening my eyes I could see the sky quickly disappearing in a shattering of glass with bubbles streaming around, up and away. “What in Celestia's name is this?” I looked down at my hooves to find Zaps cuddled into me. “Zaps...” Before I could get a response the darkness and white bubbles increased until- “Rainbow Dash!” I gasped, my eyes snapping open as I sat up instantly. “Oh my goodness! You're awake!” Fluttershy hugged me, followed by the other girls. Was all that just happened a dream?! “After you took that hit for Golden Apple Ah thought ya were a goner!” Applejack stated. “Yeah, that and you still holding that Shadowless Orb! Who would've known that the sign to Sweet Apple Acres was the Shadowless Gate?” Pinkie Pie let go and bounced up and down. I looked around as the girls backed up, allowing me to get back on all four hooves. We were in some strange chamber with a purplish black glow coming from behind me. It was a gate, and the glow was the portal “Somehow you getting hit by that attack from the pony controlling Trixie and the orb seems to have popped it open. We had to drag you in,” Twilight explained. “Not easy when you've got so many ponies with her and Ahuizotl-” Spike didn't finish when the portal flashed and they entered carrying a cage with three fillies in it. “Ah!” Spike hid behind Twilight's hind leg. I got up and remembered it all now. We were fighting Ahuizotl's tribal ponies and then they brought out the cage with the fillies in it... Daring Do gave up, but not before tossing me the orb. That was when the pony controlling Trixie attacked Golden Apple and I had to block the attack with my own body, still holding the orb that collided with me... Daring Do was there too, but tied up by ropes and held up on a large stick between two of the ponies. It all came back to me. I remembered exactly what happened... A Short Time earlier We were all making our way to Sweet Apple Acres with Daring Do. It was totally awesome to go on another adventure with her, but this was now something serious. Not only were we keeping Princess Celestia out of the loop, but now we learned we had a key the whole time and didn't even know it! I was flying above them when I noticed something going on around the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. “Guys, we got a 'BIG' problem!” Daring Do quickly took the air with Twilight to join me, where they saw what I saw. “Ahuizotl's ponies are attacking a very large stallion that's giving them a run for their bits!” “It's Golden Apple! He's trying to protect the farm!” Twilight screamed. “Mah brothers!” AJ quickly took off into a full gallop. I turned to the two beside me and those on the ground. “What the hay are we waiting for? Hearth's Warming?!” I took off after Applejack; no way was I going to let her take on those creeps alone with Golden Apple! I dove right into it, twisting my body around and my right hind leg out as I slammed it right into one of them. The force sent the stallion flying into a bunch of others, landing on top of each other in a daze. “You want to deal with AJ's family, you deal with me and my friends!” I yelled. Some that were fighting Golden now turned to me, aiming their spears at me. “Come on! I got more butt kicking action to give!” I stood up on my hind legs, forelegs up in a battle stance, ready to kick their rumps! Two came at me, but I blocked the spears with a right foreleg and left wing moving, them to the side. I quickly followed up with a jump spin. kicking one in the head and sending that stallion to the ground, followed by a punch and head butt, knocking him backwards to trip over the other dazed stallion on the ground. Three others were almost on me when a rope caught around their waists and pulled them down with a thud. They struggled to get free but got tied up by the rope quickly by AJ. She tightened it and let go. “Stand ya vermin!” They whimpered like foals at AJ's stone hard cold look. “Good!” A cannon went off and another set of stallions was pinned against the fence with confetti and streamers all over them. “Wee! Come and get me!” Pinkie Pie dodged the stallions with ease and bounced around them. “Tag you're it!” She bounced on one of their backs, knocking him flat on the ground. Some were frozen in place by Fluttershy's stare. “How dare you come here and do this! What would your mother's think of you if they knew what you were doing!?” They huddled together, shaking in total fear. Yep, Flutters had them covered. Daring Do and I took out a few more of them; me with kicks and punches and her with her whip. “How many of these creeps does Ahuizotl have?!” “Never took count!” Daring replied. Twilight zapped a few them. “Well, we don't have to wait to ask!” We all turned to see him standing behind Golden Apple. “Golden, watch out!” AJ quickly threw her rope around him and pulled him away as Spike called out and Ahuizotl slammed his fists on the ground. “You won't stop me this time Daring Do!” Ahuizotl shouted. “You and your friends will be defeated and we will take the orb!” Daring Do stood before him. “Highly unlikely! We're taking out your creeps without a sweat!” He chuckled. “Then let's make this interesting.” Ahuizotl clicked his tail paw and yet again, out of the blue, behind him those cats jumped out and were standing around him. “My pets, take them out! Get me that orb!” “Oh my goodness...” Rarity gulped at seeing what we all had to deal with on top of these ponies of Ahuizotl's... “Ahhh!” Rarity used her magic to grab a shovel from by the fence putting it right in front of her when the tiger went in for the lunge. Rarity closed her eyes tight. BONG! Opening them again, the tiger was lying on its back with all four legs in the air, its eyes spinning around. “Oh my, this might come in handy after all.” Rarity spun the shovel around with her magic. “Care for round two?” I dodged Ahuizotl paws while watching Rarity taking care of the tiger. It made me want to laugh. but dealing with Ahuizotl was crazier than last time. “Whoa!” I flipped backwards. slide-landing on all four hooves and spraying up dust. “You're serious about that orb, aren't ya?” I had my saddlebag on and pulled out the orb. “This orb, I bet.” “You will give it to me!” he roared, and went right for me, I quickly put the orb back in the bag and tossed it over to Daring Do before I gave him a real big hard right twisting hind leg kick in the side of his face. Ahuizotl stumbled, but turned around with his tail paw closed in a fist and hit me right in the gut. I gasped as it sent me flying into the Sweet Apple Acres sign. Wood flew off from the impact, but the sign held together. I flipped over on it and stood on top balancing with my hooves. “So you want to do it that way huh? Well here I come!” I took off from the sign, heading for him. As I fought against Ahuizotl, the girls were taking care of the cats and stallions. Daring Do tossed the bag to Twilight and joined me in the fight against this creep. He blocked and attacked back with his three paw hands. Though he got some hits in, we did as well and he was being pushed back by them. Golden Apple charged in between us and leapt at Ahuizotl with a flying hind kick, followed by another one before landing on all fours and doing a twist, knocking Ahuizotl off his feet. While he fell, Golden grabbed the tail with his two front hooves and twisted around with his body. Daring and I hovered with stunned expressions at what Golden Apple was doing, as he spun faster and faster, till finally he let go, sending Ahuitzotl flying into the Sweet Apple Acres sign behind us. “Whoa...” “Whoa indeed...” Daring stared at him lying there. Then, as he fell off, the sign also came off and an odd looking black stone emerged from the wood. “The Shadowless Arch?!” The fighting instantly stopped as we all stared at the arch that was hidden inside the. “It was here in plain sight?” I exclaimed, pointing to it. “Indeed, the great and powerful act is now complete!” We all turned to see a cloaked pony and more of Ahuitzotl's thugs before us, holding a cage with- “Scootaloo!” “Applebloom!” both Golden Apple and Applejack cried out. Rarity screamed. “Sweetie Belle! Let my little sister go you brute!” The cloaked pony chuckled. “Oh, but I have a trump card.” She tossed Daring Do's jacket, bracelet and pith helmet to her. “It wasn't very showy, you can have it back.” Daring Do grumbled, taking her stuff and putting it back on. “Kidnapping fillies to get one up on us Ahuitzotl? You know no shame!” She glared at him. I was just as angry “Oh Daring Do, you've ruined so many of my plans, to finally beat you I had to team up with this delightful mare.” He chuckled, joining her at her side with the other ponies. “Now, the orb, Daring Do!” Golden Apple looked into the mare's eyes. I noticed it and looked to see a green flash for a second. “Whoa, what's up with the glowing eyes?” She threw the cloak hood back and we all saw a chuckling Trixie there with a necklace on. “T-Trixie?! Wh-what are you doing?!” “Oh, Trixie's body may be here, Twilight Sparkle, but she's actually deep inside here.” She tapped her head with a hoof. “The great and powerful Shadowless will have the orb now.” “Shadowless... Geez, you all are nothing but lame with names!” I spat. She just kept that smile. “Yes, that's true, but names are not always what they seem; lame or not, so original can be far deadlier.” Green magic formed around her horn as she aimed it at Golden Apple. “Now to take care of business.” She fired a beam of magic. I reacted by flying right in front of it, knocking the bag off and sending the orb flying at the same time in line of sight of the beam. It hit the orb and then me, and with a bright flash everything went dark. Present We still had the orb, but they had Daring Do and the crusaders; we were in a worse position than they were for sure, and what she said next while pointing to Spike assured us we were in deep trouble. “Put this around Spike's mouth; gagging him will make sure Princess Celestia not aware of exactly where we are, we're too close to her as it is.” Shadowless used her magic to toss over the gag. Spike looked to each of us. “Do it Twilight, she has the crusaders and Daring. I don't want to risk their lives...” “Ok Spike...” Twilight placed the gag between his mouth with her magic and tied it around the back of his head. I looked around the blackish grey room we were in. “What's up with this place? It's kinda creepy...” It was dome shaped, and a tunnel led out of it; but for something that old, it looked like it'd never aged since it was built. Daring Do was freed and allow to join us. “Hey, what about us?” Scootaloo asked. I had to agree, since Daring was freed. “Keep your trap shut brat! Do you want another silence spell placed on you and your friends?” Shadowless threatened them. They shook their heads. Ahuitzotl placed his paw hand on the wall nearest to him. “Hmm, no source of light, yet this chamber and beyond is lit up; how interesting.” Shadowless waved it off with a hoof. “It's just the magic of this temple; it feeds off shadows that keep it hidden from the outside world, and has a shield that blocks out the sun rays.” Shadowless used her magic and the wall opened up before us. It was daylight outside, yet it felt gloomy; we could see a shimmering greyish shield that was feeding off sunlight itself and- “Whoa whoa whoa! You're telling me this whole temple is using the light of the sun on that shield to feed the temple shadows?” “I can see it, but I don't understand it. It reminds me of the rope that the Pony of Fear used on me but in reverse...” Twilight took a good look outside and looked down. “Canterlot?!” We all quickly gathered and saw it; the castle and city was directly below us! “Hidden in plain sight, right on the peak of the very mountain Canterlot sits on the side of...” Daring Do was amazed as I was; heck we all were! “No pony would even bother to look this close to Canterlot for a temple as ancient as this...” “No wonder she got me to gag Spike... The magic alone would've directed her to look right up at the peak itself!” Twilight turned to Shadowless. “Your master is planning on returning from being trapped in the Kingdom of Harmony through here!” She chuckled clapping her right hoof on the ground. “Very clever princess, you get a gold star.” Shadowless used her magic to take the orb off my hooves and float beside her. “Now enough sight seeing. My master awaits her return!” Golden Apple leaned over to us as the wall resealed itself. “If she frees Triskaide, it's game over... Ah'd rather be stuck like this forever than let her use that orb to free that being. It's bad enough we didn't know what all this was about till now. I didn't even know Triskaide was plannin' this...” AJ nodded in agreement. “Ah hate to admit it, but Ah'd rather have ya around than let that vermin release somethin' that dark onto Equestria...” I recalled the dream I had and gulped. “I-I think if she does, not only Equestria falls, but that Pony of Fear will somehow split you and use Zaps against my own Loyalty...” “What do you mean darling?” Rarity asked as we slowly followed Shadowless and Ahuitzotl. “It was in a dream I had; she won and there before me she made me choose... my internal pony magic or saving Zaps life...” “RD yer di-” “I picked saving his life...” Twilight look more determined at this news. “We've got no choice! We've got to destroy it now.” Everypony agreed. Shadowless chuckled. “You really think my master will do such a thing? It would mean killing; she doesn't kill. She'll let you do that to yourselves.” Shadowless was amused by what we were talking about and heard everything we said. “And destroying the orb won't be easy. I will make sure of it. Now follow!” “Why have us come with ya then?” I demanded to know. “Simple. So I can make sure you lot don't try anything stupid! And have you witness the release of Triskaide the Pony of Fear!” Shadowless boasted. Twilight muttered under her breath, “And that ego...” We walked into a very large, open chamber with the same dome shape as the one we were in previously, only this had a large black purplish orb rippling like water all around it and floating smack dab in the middle of the room; surrounding it at six different points equally apart were obelisks. “Ok... Big dome room, big scary super sized blackish purple orb, and obelisks. No old tome writing, no markings, no clue of how old exactly this is..” Daring Do scanned the room with her eyes, trying to make sense of it. “Large platform in the middle right under the large sphere... I am guessing that Shadowless Orb goes right on that pedestal...” Shadowless glanced over to her as she and Ahuitzotl made their way to it. “You sound disappointed Daring Do, too simple for you?” “Nothing ever is...” “Oh it is when it comes to this temple. No writings, no tomes, no waste of space rubbish gems. Just a simple enchantment that will bring fourth the Pony of Fear from wherever she is,” Shadowless replied as she now stood before the pedestal. “What of my awards? My treasure? My artifacts? You promised!” Ahuitzotl demanded his payment. Shadowless sighed. “I promised and you will. Triskaide will award you, my master is without promise; she makes, she delivers.” “Fine! But you try something on me and I will make you sorry, pony!” Shadowless placed the orb on the stone. It started to glow and energy traveled through the floor through six straight line markings right into each obelisk, causing Daring Do's tomes and writing to appear on each of the pillars from the magic. “Triskaide! The Pony of Fear, my master! Come forth and bring fear upon this world!” Shadowless yelled, forelegs spread out. “This vessel has done its job!” With that, the necklace shattered and Trixie was freed from Shadowless' control, falling on her side unconscious. Golden Apple took this chance and knocked out the stallions holding the cage of the crusaders, freeing them. “You're safe girls... it's ok...” “Great; now it's our time to stop this!” I flew up, ready to dive in. Just as we were about to make a move, everything began shaking. The massive orb fired a beam of black purple mist into the ceiling and formed into sphere shape, inside of which was those pure blue eyes. glowing and staring at us... Then she roared out in a booming voice that echoed, “Triskaide has returned!!!!!!”