//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Rainbow Dash flies east // Story: Ponies of Lordran // by radiation_pony //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash woke up in a foul mood, she didn't sleep well and waking up late hadn’t helped. After scarfing down a quick bowl of oats she rushed outside her cloud-house to start the day clearing the clouds above Ponyville, never noticing her cutiemark had been replaced. Clearing the clouds hadn’t taken long, Rainbow’s cloudbucking skills keeping sunny weather over Ponyville as usual; not that the other ponies on the weather team were any help, having stopped working when Dash had shown up, Instead they gave her the side-eye and a wide berth as they went to go work on the couple clouds on the outskirts of town. Do I really look that grumpy? Thought Dash. After cloudbucking it was usually naptime for the rainbow pegasus, this time however she felt as full of energy as when she started, which although far from her best was still far too much to fall asleep. Might as well checkup with my friends with the thought Dash took off towards sweet Apple Achars. When she arrived however instead of her hardworking orange friend and her family tending to the apple trees, she found the farm seemingly abandoned with Applejack nowhere to be found. Thinking perhaps she had missed an invitation to a Pinkie Party or something, Rainbow flew back into Ponyville. Landing in front of sugarcube Corner Dash could tell something wasn’t right, the bakery that was usually open from before sunup to after sundown looked dark and empty without a single light to be seen. Trying the door Dash found it locked, a quick glide to Rarity’s boutique showed the same thing. Rainbow feared the worst, surely whatever had happened to my friends wouldn't have affected Fluttershy in her out of the way cabin next to the Everfree Forest.  Flying fast Rainbow slid to a stop in front of Fluttershy’s door, she was about to knock when the buttercream pegasus pony opened the door. After looking at each other for a moment in surprise, Fluttershy softly said “oh, hi Rainbow, did it get you as well?” “Did what get me?” Dash asked, confused. Flutershy turned so that Rainbow Dash could see her flank, where her cutiemark should be was instead a black circle ringed with embers, quickly looking at her own flank she saw her tricoloured lightning bolt was likewise replaced. “What the hay?” Dash exclaimed, staring in shock at the mark “I woke up with it this morning and none of my animal friends will talk to me, I was going to go see Twilight.” Of course Twilight sparkle would have the answers, the purple egghead knew everything. Dash turned to follow Fluttershy down the path to town. As Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked through Ponyville Dash became certain that things were off, ponies would duck around corners as soon as they caught sight of the two. Even the streets seemed darker, as if the sky was overcast even though Rainbow had personally made sure there wasn't a single cloud above. Arriving at the library Dash opened the door revealing her four other friends bickering, each with the same black mark covering their cutiemarks. “Alright thats it! I’m getting Discord” Twilight declared apparently frustrated at not having the answer “You rang?” the serpentine and chimeric Draconequus appeared in the middle of the room with a pop “Now mister what in tarnation did you do to us? I thought you were redeemed” accused Applejack Discord looked around the room before resting his eyes on Fluttershy’s black mark. “I didn’t do this, I don't play with this type of magic, few ponies are even supposed to know it's real” he replied dead serious. “And what sort of magic is it then? Don't make us use the Elements” threatened Rarity. “I would say necromancy, but it breaks all the rules, including the ones that aren't meant to be broken. And that’s coming from the lord of chaos” Discord gestured dramatically in a failed attempt to add gravitas to his words. “And I really wouldn't use your Elements of Harmony right now, due to your state” “That's Impossible, we’re not dead, it has to be some sort of curse” argued Twilight. “Like I said, It breaks all the rules, and I wouldn’t be so sure of that, too bad the only goat knowledgeable enough about soul manipulation to know for sure is Grogor and even if he was available I doubt you’d want him anywhere near” Discord stared into the distance for a moment “looks like Celestia has a strange and very relevant guest that I think you all should meet” “Wait what aren't you so sure of?” inquired Twilight “Something Discord considers strange? This I’ve gotta see” commented spike as he walked in from the kitchen with a platter of snacks. With a pop the six ponies sans dragon. appeared in the throne room where Celestia was speaking with a bipedal figure covered in dark rags even hunched over; it stood taller than any of the ponies save the Princess. “six heroines of Equestria as requested” Discord announced before bowing and teleporting who knows where. Celestia looked over the six and sadness filled her eyes “It’s as I feared, I’m so sorry my little ponies” “What’s happening, why do we have these marks Princess?” Twilight asked fearfully having read her mentor’s expression “You have been cursed with the Darksign, you must travel to the Land of Lordran and link the fire to save both our worlds, or turn hollow in the attempt.” the strange figure spoke gesturing with it’s long walking stick. “A curse? Please tell us there's a cure” cried Rarity. “Who cursed us? Let me at them” called out Dash. “What's a hollow?” asked Pinkie. “There Is no cure known to Equestria but I have been informed that returning light to the Lordran will end the spread of the curse” Celestia responds mournfully “Return the light, End the spread? What happened to this Lordran” Applejack asks “It is a world created in darkness, and only through great toil was light brought to its lands. But now its light grows dark and with it this curse spreads, even worse Lordran links many worlds and all will share it’s fate.” Celestia nodded towards her sun which had taken a dimmed, reddish, almost sickly hue. “The Land of Lordran will spread its power and it’s curse to every world to keep the light from dying just a little longer, and to find the chosen undead to link the flame and continue the cycle” the figure spoke ominously before chuckling. “Undead? But we aren't dead? Princess please tell us we aren't dead” Twilight pleaded. “I’m sorry my faithful student, but those with the mark are beyond death, their souls bound to wonder until their task is finished or, or they lose themselves to darkness” the Princess's insinuation to Nightmare Moon was not lost on Rainbow or the other girls. “We’ll do it, we’ll save Equestria.” Dash said with more confidence then she felt. “Head east beyond the borders of this land. there you find a great swamp and there you will find my sisters, they will show you the way to Lordran” Rainbow Dash and her friends were soon on a train heading east as far as the line would go. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The six ponies stood at the edge of the swamp, it was really more like a lake, a wide expanse of open if not very deep water past the wooded and overgrown shores with much of the lake shrouded in fog. A Rickety wooden bridge stretched across the waters suspended on poles as it made its way to the shadow of a hut built over the center of the lake. Making their way onto the bridge it creaked under every hoofstep, and Rainbow and Fluttershy took to the sky in order to keep the bridge from collapsing. As they cautiously made their way into the hut they were met by two more of the strange figures however this time Dash could see their flat faces with downturned nostrils protruding from the center. “Ah, more ponies making their way to Lordran'' one of the beings gestured with a long grafting appendage “More ponies? Have ponies gone this way before?” Pinkie questioned. “You are not the first of your kind to come this way, but Lordran must be dim indeed for so many to be marked at once” the other figure spoke up. “Are you going to bring us there?” Twilight asked cautiously. “You are very nearly there already” cackled one of them showing a mouth of broken teeth “but we will show you the way, after we have given you each a boon” the other bright forth a box and opened it to reveal several items. Pinkie reacted first grabbing a satchel of black spheres grinning to the witch as if she knew exactly what they were. Applejack went next picking up an old pair of binoculars to which Pinkie commented “good eye” Rarity picked out a fine ring embedded with a small ruby, which when Twilight saw it noted “that ring has some sort of magic charm” Hearing that the box held enchanted jewelry Dash quickly picked up a necklace to which the one holding the box responded “now you are a bold one” “What do you mean?” she asked to which the figure laughed but did not answer. Twilight carefully inspected the box and removed a large ring of keys. Finally Fluttershy pulled out a plain looking ring. and as the witch holding the box put it away, the other one opened a door on the opposite wall from where they entered and nodded and commented “a old favorite of mine” The door led out to a pier “At the end of the pier is what shall bring you to Lordran” the ponies expecting a rowboat or raft tied below the dock walked to the edge. But instead of transport was a massive whirlpool, far too big and deep to fit in the lake/swamp. And with a roar the whirlpool which had been completely silent became deafening.  Dash felt something inside her draw her to lean over the edge of the pier to stare into the black abyss, her friends doing the same. The last thing Rainbow Dash remembered before blacking out was falling into the darkness.