//------------------------------// // First Steps // Story: Darkest of Days // by starshine_dash //------------------------------// A/N: Alrighty, going ahead and posting this because the last part of this epic battle is going to take me another week to write. The group trotted through the thickening woods, following the only path left open to them after losing Solar Flare's hoof prints. As the sun began to set, trees around them seemed to grow as their shadows extended across the path and night began to set in. Rarity staggered over to one side, only to be caught by Applejack before she sighed, "Twilight, as much as we need to get this messy business over with, I think we could all use a rest." The purple mare nodded, breathing heavily, "I think you're right. I'm exhausted. We'll rest here for a while." The group moved off the path into a copse of trees and lay on the cool grass. Pinkie bouncing around them and humming softly. "Pinkie, what are you doing?" "Just enjoying the story, Dashie!" "Story? What story?" "The story of the forest of course! Everything in the forest has a story to tell. The wind, the trees, the animals. I bet if I could talk to animals, they'd have some great stories to tell!" Fluttershy nodded and smiled softly as Rarity tended to her burnt mane, "Mr. Bear always has something to relate when he comes by for his post-hibernation massage." Twilight sat by herself, deep in thought. Fluttershy's armor had to have been a fail safe of the elements themselves, designed to protect their wielder in cases of extreme danger. They didn't make the wearer invulnerable, that much was obvious from her friend's mane. At the very least they increased their resistance to magic and likely physical harm as well. She wondered if they enhanced any other abilities as well. If she had the time, there would be so many experiments to conduct, but at the moment the need to save Equestria and the world was more pressing. "You okay, Twi?" Applejack asked, sitting down next to the studious unicorn. "Yes, AJ, I'm just thinking about Fluttershy's armor. I haven't been able to figure out how to summon it at will yet, but I'm working on it." "Well, can you think on your hooves? We best get movin' soon." Twilight tilted her head slightly, "Why? What's wrong?" "Nuthin. Well, I got this feelin'. You know when your back gets all shivery and somethin' just don't feel right?" "Only every time Pinkie plans a surprise party," the other mare grinned. Applejack laughed a little, "Yeah, well, Ah got that feelin' right now and I-" Her statement was cut off by Pinkie shouting, "Twitchy Tail!" and diving under an overhanging root. The others all looked up and dove out of the way as three ponies crashed through the canopy and landed in the center of the group. They wore the remnants of Royal Guard armor, but what remained had been melted and twisted into horrifying shapes. The ponies themselves seemed to radiate heat and their eyes were pure flame. "Ah, the Elements." "We've found them." "Yes, we have." "After you, Pyro." "No, please, you first, Ashen." "Let's do it together, Dawnbringer." The three ponies turned toward the elements, each seeming to pick two out of the group. The one referred to as Ashen spread his wings, a cloud of gray dust spreading into the air, "The rainbow one and the pink one are mine." Dawnbringer smirked as he stared down Twilight and Applejack, his horn glowing with magic "Very well, I will take these two." Pyro rolled his eyes, the orange earth pony stomping his hoof, "I'll take the fashionista and the wimp then." Applejack snorted and scuffed the ground, digging in to ready herself for a buck at Dawnbringer, "Well, Twi, ah hope you figure out that armor bit soon." Twilight's own horn was charging as she nodded, "Me too." The six mares faced off the three stallions as the tension in the wood grew thick enough to cut with a knife. The only pony who seemed unfazed by the situation was Pinkie, who simply stood next to Rainbow Dash with an excited grin. Her pegasus friend noticed and nudged her with a wing, "Hey, Pinkie, what gives? We're about to fight for our lives here..." "Oh, Dashie, don't worry! These are the first minions we're up against, it's way too early for us to go down!" Shaking her head and laughing, Dash looked at Ashen, "Okay, Dusty, let's get this show on the road!" Darting forward, Rainbow flipped in the air to buck her opponent in the chin, using gravity to assist. Ashen ducked the blow and rolled into his own kick, sending the mare flying into a tree. Pinkie appeared above him and landed on his back, jamming a lamp shade over his head and holding on like she was at a rodeo as the pegasus began to try and dislodge his unexpected passenger. While he was distracted, Rainbow recovered and dove back into the free, nailing a solid blow to his chin. Pinkie jumped off as her friend applied several more blows before she produced her party cannon and fired it directly into the Solar's face. Covered in confetti and dazed from the blow, the stallion swung blindly at the party pony, the sharpened point of his gauntlet coming within centimeters of slitting her throat. The only thing that saved her was Dash's quick reaction to the motion as she tackled Pinkie to the side. "Dashie... Now's not the time!" she giggled as Dash lay atop her. "Pinkie!" the pegasus blushed, "This is serious, he almost just killed you!" "Killed me? That's not very nice! Why's he being a big old meanie pants?" "Because he's-" Rainbow was unable to finish as she was tackled in turn and the pair of wrestling pegasi rolled off into the trees. Pinkie followed and watched as the two fought hoof and nail. Taking the opportunity to distract Ashen again, Pinkie began to hurl water balloons. Bucking Rainbow into a tree yet again, Ashen turned and dove at the pink menace with fury in his eyes. His left hoof extended in a feint as his sharpened gauntlet came up underneath and pierced Pinkie just below the rib cage. Her eyes went wide and her pupils shrank to mere pinpricks as she looked down at the blood spilling from her torso. Ashen smirked and pulled the weapon free, spinning around and nailing her in the face with his rear hooves, sending her crashing into pile of brush. Walking over, the pegasus smile down at the bleeding pony, watching her life fade until his attention was grabbed by an incredible explosion in the sky above him. Rainbow had gone for broke after watching her best friend get stabbed and flown straight up. Now plummeting towards the ground faster than sound with a wave of rainbow light spreading out towards the horizong, the brash flier aimed her newly armored hooves straight for her opponent. The impact dug a crater where once stood a gray-coated pegasus. The shock wave leveled the trees around and even caused a localized earthquake. Digging through dirt and rock, the pair emerged in a vast underground cavern, Dash catching herself and letting her foe continue to fall until he as well caught himself and regained his senses, hovering a hundred feet below his opponent. He was ignored as Dash flew back out of the hole she created and landed at Pinkie's side. "Pinkie!" she shouted, gripping the earth pony in her hooves, "Stay with me!" The party pony, her mane wilted into the straight style that indicated something was seriously strong just smiled and laughed a little, "Oh, Dashie... That was awesome!" she said, starting to laugh harder. "You gotta stop, Pinkie, you're bleeding..." Dash said, trying to stop the flow with her hooves. Pinkie squeaked and started giggling even more, "That tickles!" she cried as her body started to glow, her own armor taking shape as the wound began to heal itself. Rainbow stepped back in awe before her friend as the mare stood up, "Hehehe, wow! I feel great! I guess laughter is the best medicine!" The pegasus dove forward and wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie, "Don't scare me like that... I thought you were..." Returning the hug, she smiled, "I'm fine, Dashie! Really! Now, let's kick Dusty's flank and go help our friends!" "You're going to take this seriously?" Pinkie pointed to her straight mane, "Of course, Rainbow Miriam Dash." Rainbow winced and then smiled, "Right, let's kick some flank, Pinkamena." As Ashen took the fight with his two targets away, Pyro grinned and sauntered toward Rarity and Fluttershy. The former had begun charging a spell while the latter clutched her hooves to her butterfly necklace and tried to summon her armor. She succeeded before catching a hoof to the chin that knocked her into the wood. Rarity fired a spell at the earth pony attacker who took it in the chest with a grin, "That tickled, try another." Rarity boggled and then ran off after Fluttershy, finding the pegasus staggering to her feet with a bruise beginning to form on her chin, "Are you alright, darling?" "I'll be fine, Rarity, I- Look out!" she said, grabbing the unicorn and hurling her to the side as a tree came crashing down where they had previously stood, their opponent riding it down and smiling some more. "I guess you aren't made of glass like everypony thinks, Miss Shy." "I'm made of sterner stuff than that, Mister!" the pegasus said, flaring her wings and trying to take a fighting pose. Rarity placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder, "Fluttershy, I think I can handle this... I don't want to see you hurt again," the unicorn said, charging another powerful spell and launching it at Pyro, who deftly dodged to the side with a laugh. She sent several more energy blasts at the dodging pony, missing each time. Her energy reserves weren't anywhere near Twilight's and she quickly became tired. "Aw, is that all you have? Were you being too generous with your energy?" Pyro said, smirking and galloping forward only to be intercepted by a tackle from Fluttershy, "Ah, hello there!" he said before bucking her off of him and rolling back to his feet to intercept a charge from Rarity. He locked his forelegs around her neck and twisted, effectively suplexing the unicorn and slamming her face-first into the dirt. Stunned, she rolled onto her side and tried to get her vision to stop making everything double. A blur of yellow passed in front of her and knocked Pyro to the side as an explosion flattened the trees around them and made her ears ring. Blinking, she got her hooves under her and stood, sounds muted from the blast as she took stock of herself. She was dirty, bruised, likely had a concussion, and was dangerously close to magical exhaustion. Her spa mate was currently wrestling with the earth pony and losing, but she was definitely being a distraction. Dredging the last of her magical energy for one last spell, she concentrated and built it to full power, draining her life energy as well. It was a desperate move, but these were desperate times, and the Solar pony was about to eviscerate her dear friend. Dumping everything she could into the spell, she suddenly felt a burst of power come from somewhere as her own golden armor began to coalesce around her. "Wahaha! Take this!" she laughed and fired an incredible bolt of power at Pyro, knocking him off of Fluttershy and into a tree. The earth pony tried to stand, his entire side scorched and blackened from the blast before he collapses and crumbled to ash, defeated. "Rarity! Are you alright?" "Never better, darling. This armor simply looks fabulous! How are you feeling, Fluttershy?" "A little sore from the fight, but otherwise I'm fine. I can't say the same for him though..." "It seems Solar Flare doesn't tolerate failure... I wonder how the others are doing." "Let's find them," she said as a brilliant flash filled they sky, followed by another deafening explosion.