//------------------------------// // #25 The Rift | 3 // Story: The Rift // by Colors //------------------------------// I “Why me?” Gold Star asked in a whisper, as ponies around them got ready and said their goodbyes. “I’m not strong and I can’t do magic and I can’t do maths. Why do you want me to come?” “Um. I think you help me make better decisions,” Sigma responded just as quietly. “And you help me understand what other ponies mean when they say things.” Gold Star didn’t know what to respond, so she just nodded. “Do you think there is something else I should say?” “You could tell us more about what to expect. What is so dangerous in there? What exactly should we do if we’re attacked? And, could it happen right away? How deep is this thing? Are we going to be flying the whole time?” “Um. I think it can happen very early. You should try to dodge attacks and to protect me and also Twilight. I think we will land fairly soon.” “And... do you think we will make it?” “I think there is an eighty percent chance we’ll be successful.” “Gold Star?” Cyclone asked, stepping beside her. “Uh... I can carry you, if you want.” “Right.” Gold Star gulped. “Right.” She felt a stitch of pain in her breast as she looked at SIgma, who seemed so nondescript, so unimpressive, just a shy mare who was always staring down at her hooves. She put a shaky hoof onto the pegasus’ back, only for it to freeze in shock as the body she touched wasn’t warm, but- “Oh. I should have warned you. Featherfall mentioned this. Our bodies are much colder than they used to be. I don’t feel any difference, but...” “... oh.” “Is that a problem?” “N-no.” Biting her lip, Gold Star climbed onto the angel’s back. II “L-listen,” Gold Star said as everyone was ready to go. “Everypony. We might be attacked soon. We don’t know how or in what form. But... but we think we can make it. Please, uhm, please don’t panic. Avoid... hits, and if you can, protect Sigma. Uhm. We’ll probably reach... reach something where we can land soon.” “We’ll do our best to protect her,” the fifth of the angles said, a gray mare with a fitting horn and an almost fitting pair of wings, who must have been a unicorn before she died. “Is everypony ready?” Twilight asked, her own hooves wrapped around Rainbow’s neck. “... no,” somepony responded. It was Sigma. “What is it?” “Um. I’m afraid.” “Afraid?” Twilight echoed. “You?” Sigma nodded. “But you are the one who got us all here! You are the one who said we have to hurry!” “.... yes. I am very sorry. Going immediately would be the right thing to do.” “... but?” “I’m afraid.” Twilight wanted to say something else, but she stopped herself as she saw Gold Star slide off Featherfall’s back, approaching the other mare. They both said some things that were too quiet for her to understand. As Gold Star extended a hoof to gently strike Sigma’s chin, Twilight involuntarily threw a look at Fluttershy, who stood right next to her, and who was noticeably shivering. And, Twilight realized as she looked back to the mare who was the sole reason for their expedition, so was she. It wasn’t as clear as it was with Fluttershy, but it was there. Gold Star left, and Sigma kept standing there for a few more seconds. Then, there was a slight magical stream from the tip of her horn, then a purple cloud enveloped her, gradually floating her over the edge of the abyss. “Um,” she said. “I am ready.” III Flying into this giant hole was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I was clinging to Featherfall’s back, and it didn’t help that her entire body was cold. Her, Rainbow, and Cyclone, the angel I owed my life to, were forming a triangle, with Sigma in the middle, who was floating downward all by herself, only carried by her weird floating spell. It looked super unstable, as if she would fall at any moment. The three other angels, Gold Petals, Corinne, and Lightning Arc, were flying around us, along with Gold Star’s friend whose name I didn’t know. It was almost a pretty formation, except that Fluttershy was flying just inches away from Rainbow Dash. At least so far, she hadn’t been too afraid to use her wings. And she was even carrying the saddle bags that belonged to Sigma. The entrance was only a small sliver of light to our top. If it weren’t for Twilight, Sigma, and myself, who were all casting lighting spells, it would be totally dark. This way, we could at least make out the walls, their rocky surface with a bit of moss sprinkled in between. Then there was a shadow. I could see it in my peripheral. “There!” Corinne shouted before I could, and then there were lots of shadows. One of them came flying towards us. I could only see a black shape, then it flew above our heads as Featherfall took a dive downward. A purple splotch, an explosion to our left somewhere. Had Twilight done that? No, it must have been Sigma. I couldn’t see. Featherfall had brought us too far down. Only now I realized that everypony was shouting. I think Featherfall had asked me whether I was okay. “I’m fine,” I shouted back. “Get us back up!” To hell with those creeps. We weren’t going to sit this out. With strong wingbeats, Featherfall flew back upwards, and I could see three shadows advancing on Twilight at once. Rainbow shot upwards, faster than it should be possible while carrying her, and came back in from the side. Twilight shot a laser or something, and it hit one of the shadows, but it didn’t look like it killed it. Then a second one exploded. That was Sigma. Was she taking them out? I couldn’t see it anymore. I didn’t know how many there were left. But Featherfall seemed to know what she was doing. She shouted something, and we flew directly at another shadow who was sailing towards Sigma. We wouldn’t be fast enough, but as it got closer, there was a purple blaze and it bounced off like a pinball. I focused all of my energy, and I cast one of the spells I had invented, and a single green line cut through the shadow in the span of a few milliseconds. And it disappeared. Did that finish it? It must have. Something appeared at our left. Featherfall dove upwards, and dear Celestia she was drawing a loop! I clung onto her neck with all of my strength, focusing on not falling off. I wasn’t used to this. Then there was another shadow directly above us. For a moment I thought it would get us, but then it exploded. As we dove back downward, my vision refocused in time to see two more shadows advancing on Twilight. I saw Rainbow dodge by diving downward, but I think Twilight still was hit. Then she slid off. I saw Rainbow jerk around and dive after her, but then Featherfall flew to the side. Two more shadows. Then one as the other exploded. I couldn’t see it anymore, they were already far behind us. But another was now directly in front. Featherfall must have seen it too late, she had been looking behind her. She was heading straight at it. I called upon my magic, but I wasn’t strong enough to repeat that little trick. In the span of a moment, I realized it was too late to do anything else, so I cast something to propel me away from the shadow in the same moment that I loosened my grip around the angel, who flew directly into the shadow and then burst into the wall behind it. Then she fell, and so did I. Down into the abyss.