//------------------------------// // The Truth // Story: Rise of the Numbers // by goldenrise365 //------------------------------// Paladin had to wait for an hour before Sunset came to. A nurse that came in was worried about her, but Paladin said she was fine. Sunset opened her eyes and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "That was a shock." "Glad to see your awake," said Paladin. "Yeah. Not everyday you find out a friend of yours in from Equestria." Sunset straightened up. "So you were saying." "Well Gold and I are from Equestria. We are the last of the Inspiriters." "Inspiriters?" "The Inspiriters are ponies that have the ability to join with a spirit. My spirit is falcon. Gold's is the phoenix." "How do you join up with these spirits?" "We receive our spirit when we complete a certain challenge. Mine was standing up for myself. Gold's was saving ponies from disaster. I have courage, he has heroism." Paladin looked to Gold. "When I was younger Gold was always my rock. He helped me when other ponies made fun of my wings. He dueled with me when nopony else would. He was the best big brother." She then turned somber. "But then there was one night that all changed that. Our house was attacked by a creature we have never seen before. Gold led me out of the house, but went back in for our parents. That was the last time I saw him until now." "How long ago was that?" "About four years." Paladin gripped Gold's hand. "I'm just glad he has a girlfriend like you to keep him from doing something stupid." Sunset blushed. "I'm not his girlfriend." "Well you to would make a good couple. Like me and my Mercury." "Are you sure Gold would like the fact that your dating?" "He only does anything when a guy would break my heart." "He sounded like he was really great." Sunset interlaced her fingers with Gold's. Maybe we were made for each other. "Well I should head out." Paladin stood up and stretched. "Oh, I almost forgot." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a deck. "This is Gold's old deck. You can look at it if you like." She placed it on the table and left. "Maybe I will." Sunset reached out and grabbed the deck. --------------------- Castle of Dark Illusions Dark Emperor was pacing before his throne. "Sunset should have seen Sci-Twi today. But that idiot Puppet Master put Gold in the hospital. Sunset is right by his side. I need a way to draw out my timelines Sunset. And the only way to do that is to go after this timelines Sunset. I need a way to draw out the elements. Maybe a view through my looking glass could help." Dark Emperor stepped through a portal and arrived in front of a small pool of water. He waved his hand above it and the water rippled until a sky view of Canterlot appeared. "So many victims, so little time." Dark selected a card from a box next to the water. "Lancelot. You may have committed treason against King Arthur, but you will not do the same for me." He sunk the card into the pool. "Find a victim of extreme conflict." The card flew through the air. ------------------- A figure with snowy white skin on one side and black night on the other. He had opposing white and black hair and eyes. He had a grey shirt and shorts and white and black sneakers. He had his hands in his pockets as he walked down the street. "I promised Sour Sweet that I would help here regain people's trust, and hopefully stop her from flipping back and forth." He arrived at Sour's house. He was about to knock when he felt something ho down his shirt. "Did Sour really set up a prank?" Pain suddenly shot through his body. "What the?!?" "Let the Number take hold." "What?" "No don't let it." "Who's saying that?" "Get out of here Illumiknight!" "No, I will not let you use this human for your masters dark ways." "Get out of my head!" The guy ended tripping on the stairs and fell backwards. "That hurt." The door opened. A girl with yellow skin and raspberry hair with blue streaks. She wore a raspberry t-shirt and tan shorts. "Yin Drake?" "Hey Sour." Yin pushed himself up. "Sorry." "What happened?" asked Sour Sweet. "I don't know. I heard these two voices and my head started to hurt. I guess I just feel backwards." Yin rubbed his back to relieve some pain. "Do you think we can reschedule?" "Why?" "I'm just not in the right mind right now?" "Oh, I get it." "Thanks for understanding Sour." "Sure. Just leave me like the others. "Sour it's not like that." "Don't try to play dumb with me." "Sour, I'm not..." "I don't need to hear your lies. Your little ploy to help me was fake. I shouldn't have trusted you. Just leave me." Yin gripped his head as Lancelot got some control. "Yes. Just crawl back into your hole. You have no place in this world. You should go. Unless you want to try and fail." Lancelot let out a dark chuckle. Sour was starting to tear up. She didn't say anything as she ran inside and slammed the door. Lancelot was dragged back by Illumiknight. Yin fell to his knees as the presence just left him. "What is happening?" Yin pushed himself up, dug his hands into his pockets, and walked off. Making little contact, if any at all, with people that passed by him. ------------------- "Seems like there are still a few rouge Numbers." Dark Emperor laughed. "But they're only making it worse for this child." He ran his hand through the water pool. "The Friendship Games are soon. And so is, the Solar Eclipse. Shadows will cover every little thing and I will rule as their king. The Gates of Numeron will open and the Numbers will be released. Doomsday is upon us and I will relish in the terror!"