Zaps Apple
Chapter 33: Where There is Darkness, There is Light
Rainbow Dash
Looking back in life on all the things I'd say were the worst, nothing would come close to what was happening before me and my friends right that moment. We were staring at a threat to Equestria without the Elements of Harmony, the time we really needed them and we didn't have them anymore.
Triskaide; the name made me shudder at the thought of it, her ice cold glowing sapphire eyes stared right down at us. I could make out a pony form with a creepy smile in the dark cloud. She kept that cold, calm stare at each of us as she moved.
We all backed away from her, none of us- even Daring Do- could match or even come close to finding the will to go against her! She was terrifying!
“Ra-Rainbow...” Twilight whispered to me and I glanced over to her, trembling. “Y-ye-yeah?”
With courage she spoke a bit louder, and what she said made me stare in surprise. “Get out of here and warn Princess Celestia.”
“You're the only one of us who's fast enough to get by her and Ahuitzotl,” Rarity agreed.
I instantly shook my head. “Not a chance, you're my friends, all of you are! I am not bailing on you guys!”
Daring Do glared right at me. “You're not bailing... You're helping by giving everypony a chance against this thing!”
“Go Dashie! We'll hold her-” Pinkie Pie froze in mid speech and a chill ran down my spine to my tail as slowly our eyes all turned to the pair of sapphire ones.
She chuckled, standing on her hind legs with the forelegs crossed over each other. “You really think I'd just let you all chit-chat and escape?” With an nod from her, ropes came from the black aura smoke at us.
“AUGH!” I gasped, being thrown back into the wall, feeling the rope wrap itself around my midsection and each of my legs.
SLAM!
Me and my friends soon were all held against the wall, tied up in some weird magical rope.
“Ah can't move!” Applejack tried to break free but the rope was unfazed by her struggles.
“P-please s-stop this...” Fluttershy begged.
The pony of fear just shrugged, looking at all seven of us. “I have no need to do anything more to you ponies, you're not a threat anymore.” She didn't even seem concerned by any of us.
Pinkie Pie frowned, pulling on the rope that held her hooves in place. “Oh oh oh! You're going to tell us what you're going to do, right?”
“No...”
“No? But every baddie has a plan!”
“That I do, but no.” She turned to Pinkie Pie. “I won't babble on like some of those idiots you faced.” Turning away, Triskaide didn't seem to be interested in us anymore.
Twilight was next to speak. “Why are you doing this? What is your goal?”
She didn't even turn to face Twilight as the reply came. “You'd like that wouldn't you? To know what I want? Guess whatever you like; it shall never be revealed.”
“Seriously? You're just going to be lame and not-”
“Rainbow Dash, you will not get the answers that you or any others seek. Equestria will fall, that is all you have to know. How or when is unimportant.” She chuckled, turning to face me now.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I saw what you will do if you win!”
Now she raised a hoof, touching my chin and looking me closely in the eyes. “That's odd. Something about this seems to be true. You saw something didn't you?”
I noticed something odd, there was eleven of us in total, the girls, me and Daring Do with Golden Apple and the cru- “Hehe...”
“Is something I said funny?”
“No you're the funny one!” I chuckled. “How many of us are there?”
“Seven.”
“How many of us were there?”
Triskaide blinked and moved away as it dawned on her what I meant. “That stallion and the brats... The-they...” A sight of fear came to her, I hit on the nail.
Rarity looked around. “Sweetie Belle! What have you done to her!?”
“You beast! Ya better not have hurt mah little sister!” Applejack chimed in.
Triskaide's eyes darted around. “I ca-can't sense them, they're not in the temple. I can't sense their life force! They escaped!”
Daring Do now laughed. “The almighty pony of fear losing a few ponies! Look like your plan's falling apart!”
She faded away and quickly reappeared in another layer of the smoke before Ahuitzotl and his ponies. “YOU IDIOT! I GAVE YOU AND YOUR PONIES ONE SIMPLE TASK!”
He gulped, huddling up with the ponies that worked for him; it was funny to see him cowering like that! “I-I...”
“TAKE YOUR IDIOT PONIES AND CATS AND GO AFTER THEM! ALSO DESTROY THE GATE AT SWEET APPLE ACRES! I WILL NOT HAVE THE PRINCESSES FIND THIS PLACE BEFORE I FULLY EMERGE! GOT ME?”
He saluted. “Yes Triskaide! I hear you! We're right on it!” He ran with his minions through the corridor into the gate room.
Triskaide turned back to us. “Thank you for letting me know.” The calm voice returned, geez she could do a 180 in seconds. “Even with them escaped I will emerge and the real fun will begin.”
Daring Do rolled her eyes. “You know, they could have not escaped and still be in this very chamber.”
“Please Daring Do, I can sense all the life forms in here and all I sense is you seven little ponies.” Something about what Daring Do said made me think that maybe Triskaide couldn't sense them for some unknown reason.
But for now we were trapped without a chance to escape or fight back.
Scootaloo
The bright light and the buzzing was making it difficult to even tell what was going on around me. I blinked, rubbed my eyes and twitched my ears for any other sounds. Suddenly I could hear screaming over it as it started to clear up. The bright light was dying down and my vision started to clear.
I blinked a few times; everything was blurry and dark, and there was weird black smoke all around me. I noticed the strange glowing light around me. “What in the hay is this?” I put a hoof out to feel it, but it expanded away as I moved. “It's coming from me?”
“Yeah, weird...” Spike, who was standing by me, spoke through the gag around his snout. I turned to see nothing coming from him. “It's not happening to me, though.”
“Scootaloo!” I quickly turned to see Sweetie Belle and Applebloom coming to me with the same weird glowing light around them, and the weird smoke parting as if it was trying not to touch the light around us. “We're so glad we found you!”
“Ya know what's goin' on?” Applebloom asked, looking around. “Last thin' Ah remember was Golden Apple shieldin' us from the black cloud when that Pony of Fear appeared.”
I recalled it myself; but where was that stallion? “W-we must be inside the stuff that make up the Pony of Fear!”
I gulped when Sweetie Belle said that! She was right; we were inside it, but some how we were protected by the glowing magic stuff around us! I fluttered my wings rapidly, nervously trying to get any bearing of where we were in the chamber. “Girls, do you have any idea where to go? This black stuff's so thick I can't see far!”
“Ah don't know Scootaloo, it's nothin' Ah've ever seen before...” Applebloom took a good look around herself.
We heard hoofsteps getting closer. We backed up together, shaking in fear of what was coming towards us. Emerging with the same weird magical light was Golden Apple; he came straight to us and the weird magic around us joined with his as soon as he stood only a few feet from us.
“It's good to see you three are fine.”
“Yeah we are, but not sure where we are!” I put my hoof out into the smoke.
He turned to one direction. “We're within the dark magical field of Triskaide, the Pony of Fear. She found a way to break free from her prison within the Kingdom of Harmony.” He was concerned about this, because Golden Apple was also Armour McApple. “But from the flow of magic it seems she's not fully escaped.”
Spike leapt on Golden's back. “I think I'll stick with you if that's ok.” Golden nodded.
“You mean there's a way to stop her? Even now?” Sweetie Belle asked, hopefu; there was a way to stop Triskaide.
Golden was still looking into the blackness. “Yes, the Shadowless Orb at the centre. If we get to it there's a chance we can stop her.”
“That's great and all, but we're only fillies! That's Rainbow and the other adults job!” I didn't like the way he was speaking about this.
“Ah agree, what can we do that they can't?”
“One, we're shielded from her magic somehow; this magic is coming from us. I do not know what it is or how it was formed but it'a the only thing that keeping us hidden from her. We need to act fast not only for Equestria but for our friends and family.The girls are in trouble...” Golden Apple looked to us.
Lowering himself to our eye level I could see the pleading look he was giving us. “For a stallion, that look is just creepy, you know that?”
“Is it working?” He smirked
“YES!” I crossed my forelegs. “Guh!”
“Wow he did a better plead than you Applebloom!” Sweetie Belle giggled.
Applebloom rolled her eyes. “Yeah he did, but he's mah brother after all, so we Apples need to stick together!” Applebloom stood by his side. “So what's the plan big brother?”
He pointed a hoof into the darkness. “We go in deep and try to disconnect the shadowless orb.”
“That's it?”
“That's it, Scootaloo.”
That seemed too simple, I hoped it was! We all stood together and marched against the flow of darkness heading right for the middle of the chamber, the weird magic around us protecting us still as it got thicker and stronger. I saw some of the magic shield we had start to pull backwards, it was weakening as we got closer to the centre!
Suddenly we were being pushed back, sliding on our hooves. The shield was being stripped apart from the force of it! “Whoa! That's intense! It feels like we're being hit by a tornado or something!”
“This close to the orb, I think so. It's her escaping! We've got little time!” He tried to push forwards with us just behind him but the magic was fading around us fast!
Sweetie Belle closed her eyes. “It's so strong! I can't keep my eyes open!”
“Ah don't think we can make it!”
I wasn't going to give up! Rainbow Dash wouldn't! “Come on girls! We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We can do it!”
“Ah'm tryin'!”
“So this is where you are!” We all froze at the sapphire eyes around us. We gulped and quickly took cover under Golden Apple.
“Hehehe, that little bubble of yours is cute! It kept you from being sensed by me! But now look at you four! It's fading which means I will take care of you!”
Golden Apple neighed loudly, and the weird magic we were creating suddenly pulsed. “No! I will not let you escape! I will defend my friends and my family from you!”
“Really? So fused made you bold!” She chuckled. “Let's see how you hold out!”
“Uh oh...” I saw smoky unicorns appear all around us, unleashing beams of magic against our shield; it was breaking apart. I could feel it losing strength fast! “Golden it's going to break!”
“Rarity help!” Sweetie Belle screamed.
“Big brother what're we gonna do?” Applebloom was panicking too.
“Hahaha!” The Pony of Fear's laughter echoed around us. “Your fear is what I want! Squeeze that shield! Chip it away! Make them beg for mercy!” She continued to laugh as we grew more fearful, partly from Golden Apple; he was in pain, the magic coming from him the most.
Golden dropped to a foreleg, leaning forward and gritting his teeth. “This came from the chest, we were the closest to it! That's why this magic is here! It's from mother!”
“What!?” We all were in shock and when he said it the eyes all turned to one set of eyes, filled with pure anger.
She growled and increased the magic attacks on the shield, the glowing flames breaking even more. “Harmony Rose? She did this? CURSE THAT MARE! I WILL NOT LET HER RUIN MY PLANS, NOT NOW!” Triskaide totally lost it! She was summoning all the dark clouds that were around us into a solid form, it was like a burning aura around a pony in the darkness.
The outlined form glared at us. “I think she's angry...” I whispered.
“Scootaloo!”
“Sweetie Belle!”
“Applebloom! Golden Apple!”
“Spike!”
We all saw Twilight and the others tied up to the wall, they were thrashing about to break free. “Leave them alone! They're children!” Twilight screamed.
She glared at Twilight. “NO! They are more than mere foals! They hold the magic of the kingdom itself! Them and this stallion! I will conquer and devour their fear! Harmony Rose shall not assist in ruining my plans once more!” She focused all her magic into one point and aimed right at us!
The focused beam of magic hit and blasted outwards, bending around the shield. I looked back, seeing it blow a massive hole in the wall. Not only that, but it went on and on!
“Sweet Celestia that blast just took a huge chunk out of the walls and ripped a hole in that bubble around the temple!” I shouted.
“NO!” We saw her panicking. “The shield! I damaged the shield around the temple!” A rumble was heard and pieces of the ceiling came crashing down. She burst apart when a huge piece landed on her.
Golden Apple ran from us right for the orb that we all could see now. “What are ya doin' Golden?” Applejack screamed.
“Girls we've got to help him!”
“But I'm scared!”
“I know Sweetie Belle! I am too! But he needs the crusaders help!” I argued back.
Applebloom stomped her right hoof. “Ah'm helpin'! Let's do it!”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders! YAY!”
Spike quickly got to Trixie, who was on the ground close to the orb and pulled her away from it. “I got Trixie!”
Triskaide backed away from us as we ran at her. “G-get away from me you brats!” She fired magical blast after blast at us; the adults were dumbfounded as each attack just bounced harmlessly off us. “Curses! This isn't happening! Not against foals!” She turned to Golden Apple as he reached for the Shadowless Orb. “NO! I-”
Golden Apple grabbed it and the magic around him infused with the orb as the magical blast knocked us off our hooves. I quickly got up and saw three ponies around him! “Zaps!” I quickly rushed over to him.
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom quickly got to their hooves and went to the others. “It's mah brothers! All of them!”
“Including Armour McApple! How?” Sweetie Belle stared at Golden Apple who was still there holding onto the orb.
Applejack and the others were freed as the magic faded, the whole place shook and a pillar fell close by. “We gotta get out of here! The whole place is coming down!” Daring Do told us as she dodged some pieces of the ceiling that came crashing down.
Triskaide was being pulled back into the rift the orb created. “No! This can't be happening! I was so close to being freed!” She struggled against it. “Curse you ponies of Equestria! Curse you all! I will return! Mark my words!”
“We'll be waiting,” Twilight replied, staring at her. “We will defeat you.”
“Not if you can't escape before the temple collapses on you.” She grinned at us. “My parting gift!” With a blast of magic I shivered. “Now try to escape!”
Twilight tried to use her magic but it didn't work. “Rainbow can you fly?”
Rainbow Dash tried to flap her wings, but shook her head. “No I can't! Whatever she did stopped me from flying!”
“Hehe. Now you all are-”
There was a sudden flash, and right before my eyes was Discord. “WHAT?!”
Discord turned to Golden Apple. “Well what have I got-”
“Get them all out of here!” Golden Apple shouted at Discord. “I know we had our differences! Make sure to get them all safely to Canterlot! And tell Big Mac to have the jacket as a reminder of what I was!”
Discord rubbed his chin. “Hmm... Who are you?”
“I am them and they are me! I am fading...”
“Wh-what? Ya can't be!” Applejack tried to approach him but Discord stopped her with his claw.
Golden Apple had tears falling as he started to fade before our eyes. The orb was going crazy! It was glowing brighter by the second and cracks were appearing all over it. “It is, Applejack I might've only lived for a week, but it was one heck of a week. I was created by chance of the fusion of three ponies. I do this for the Apple Family and my friends. Farewell...”
“I won't let you all escape!”
Triskaide was preparing to do another anti magical blast on Discord. I yelled instantly! “Get us out of here! She going to do an anti magic blast!”
Discord raised his lion paw. “Till next time Triskaide!”
“There will be no-”
With a snap we weren't at the crumbling Shadowless Temple, but on the balcony on one of the towers in Canterlot Castle; looking up we watched an explosion of light that spread out for a second before disappearing into nothingness.
My eyes turned back to Trixie, Zaps, Big Mac and Armour McApple lying there among us. No pony, crusaders and adults alike, could think of anything to say.
Discord did. “Well this just got interesting! Anypony want any popcorn? It's going to be a once in a life time chance!”
Armour McApple
Upon opening my eyes the last thing I remembered was eating my breakfast at the table and now I was lying on my belly. What I saw was Discord snacking on some form of food I'd never seen before, and there were some other ponies around me.
I saw my little brother, but before I could even begin to ask what was going on, I heard the sound of doors opening, followed by a voice I'd longed to hear once more. "What is-"
Turning around, my eyes met the very ones I looked into the day I married my true love.
“Sunny?”
THUD!