//------------------------------// // Emergence of Whispers and Malice // Story: The Cursed Prodigy and The Three Special-Grades // by I Ate Appiness //------------------------------// Twilight's question was met with silence and the sudden absence of chatter aside from the buzzing of incandescent light and the occasional beep of a monitor, indicating that the other occupants were listening in. Twilight hated the fact that others were eavesdropping; however, pushing Rainbow to have a conversation elsewhere while in the state she was in was less than ideal. Still, silence, the only evidence to show that Rainbow wasn't a corpse was the small adjustment from her to get into a more tucked fetal position, with her hindlegs pressing deeper into her chest, her back hunched even more than before, and the grip on the sheets tightening. "Rainbow Dash, I know how hard it is to lose family. As your friends, we want to help you. But you have to talk to us. Please." Twilight sits down beside Rainbow's bed. "... I'm fine." "You're not fine, Rainbow." Fluttershy stepped forward, "Crumpled up into a ball into a crying mess, is this what you call ok? Did you know how much I missed you Rainbow?" Tears began to well up in her eyes, but Fluttershy refused to let them fall. "The old you." "...Leave me alone." "We're not gonna leave ya, Sugarcube." Rainbow shuffled to get a more comfortable position. As much as the rainbow pegasus would've liked to wallow some more in her sadness, Applejack's reassurance and Fluttershy's sincerity touched her aching heart. "...they're gone." Rainbow flinched. "...they're gone...mom...dad...I..I didn't get to say goodbye..." "Rainbow, I'm sorry that-" Twilight spoke up but was quickly cut off by Rainbow, "Don't be. I should be the one who's sorry. I was too slow, had I been faster... Yuta didn't have to save me. Had I been faster.. had I been faster... maybe I could've reached them in time... but... . But I-I just want to die right now." Rainbow curled up even more, clutching onto the pillow and sheets, warm tears and blood-puffed eyes staining them once more. "What's good about joining the Wonderbolts, what's good with all this speed, when I couldn't even save my parents?" Twilight wavered at her friend's lack of resolve. She's in a pit right now, trying to think and string together words that carry enough weight and message to get it across to her friend but not too heavy to burden her heart further. "...are there things you'd wished to do right now, Rainbow? Or perhaps wished to do with your parents had you had the time. Or even precious memories of them?" "...Their birthdays..." Twilight leaned in closer. "I want to celebrate their birthdays one more time... We'd always had amazing parties whenever it was our birthdays..." "You know, we have the same desires. I also spent time with my parents whenever it was their birthdays, no big parties though. Just a quiet but fun time between us, including Shining Armor. But as you know, I'm an alicorn. Times like these won't last for me. Some may think if that's the case, it would be pointlessly harming your future self if you continue to do things like these. And there is no point living a long-lived life like that." Twilight leans back, "But there was something I realise before taking up the seat of being a princess, which is that, if I decided to listen to those voices, to crumble and give in to their advice and take my life, the memories I used to have would all vanish from this world. All those birthdays, all the times we all hung out. Our adventures, and all of your faces. They would all disappear. Well, that and including the commitments and responsibilities I have being a Princess." She closes her eyes, "A few years ago, when I had enough time to visit patients at various hospitals, I met a young terminally ill filly. Every day she was in agony, and one day, she decided that when I was unavailable to visit her due to court reasons, she took the opportunity to.. y'know. I know you're at your lowest, Rainbow. But if, you believe that, there won't be a single day from this day onward that you're happy. Then I'll stay here with you until you're ready. However, if you believe that there might be a chance, no matter how small, you'll live to see those happy days again. Those precious memories that you cherish so deeply inside you. Then grab my hoof." As promised, she extends one. "I have all the time in the world." Rainbow lay stagnant, and so were her thoughts. 'What are the things that I wished that I wanted to do with my parents?' that question ranged in her mind. Regret stung her ever since that incident, and sorrow followed right after, hitting her like a truck. despair really was another beast of its own, a mental battle where the only thing standing between you and death is yourself. That said, time was merciless. 'It won't wait for me.' Rainbow thought, "But... she would, they would.' "I have all the time in the world." Rainbow shrugged the blanket off her shoulders, her hooves shuffling underneath her body. She shakes. 'They're waiting for me.' "I... I haven't said goodbye to them." Rainbow hadn't eaten in days, her strength sapped, but she still struggled. Just as she finally got her front hooves to somewhat support her front body, She buckles. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack jumped to help Rainbow but stopped when Rainbow caught herself mid-fall. Discord watched carefully with a glad smile. Rainbow turns to face Twilight, along with her companions, ponies she's been through thick and thin with, the ones that helped and pushed her to achieve her aspirations and goals, ponies that celebrated with her at her highest, and the same ones that stayed with her while she was at her lowest, her friends, and they are all waiting for her. She reached towards Twilight, grabbing her hoof. "I want to give them a proper funeral..." Tears backed with resolve flowed through her eyes. "I want to let them know I am okay, and that I'll bring back the peace we once had." 'Those curses, I'll kill them all. I won't let anybody else experience what I had to go through.' Rainbow promised herself. "Our blue still lives," Twilight remarked reassuringly. Applejack and Fluttershy bolt to hug their friend, her spirit burning once again. "Ah was worried, partner." "I'm so glad you're ok, Rainbow," Fluttershy whispered before jolting her head up. "I almost forgot!" Digging through her mane, she pulled out a familiar tortoise shell and passed it over to her friend."He missed you too." Rainbow gently carried the animal into her arms. When it touched her chest, a head protruded from the tortoise shell. "...Tank?" "A guard alerted me about Tank. Apparently, Yuta found him when he was out scavenging for survivors. He was about to let Tank wander off before a guard stopped him." Rainbow hugged Tank tighter. In return, Tank nuzzled into her chest, her family united. "All of you...T-thank you, *sniff* thank you so much." Right after the ordeal, Twilight watched from outside the tent as Applejack and Fluttershy supported Rainbow to a nearby cafeteria upon her request. "Sorry Rainbow, I have other things that I need to attend to." Rainbow sighs, "It's fine Twi. You don't have to worry about me. I have these two to help me." "Careful, ma hoof might slip." Applejack joked. Right on time, the sound of thunderous engines cruised above them. They all looked up, seeing multiple clouds of contrails decorate the skies. The sight of more familiar comrades brought a joyous smile to Rainbow's face before they continued their trudge to the cafeteria. "It seems the Wonderbolts are back." Twilight mused. "Princess!" Twilight turned to see Yuta approaching her. "There's something I'd like to discuss." "as do I. Shall we walk and talk?" Yuta followed her lead. "I take it you've read the report?" "The unusually high concentration of Cursed Energy at the site of the explosion? I couldn't wrap my head around it, there were no machinery nor facilities in the Rainbow Factory that even entertained the idea of supporting a foreign energy source such as Cursed Energy." "I've pondered about that, but a more concerning matter would be the general populace's reaction to Cursed Energy. It seems to prob a strong reaction within their bodies, causing them to faint or pass out. I've run tests on multiple guard ponies that were unfortunate enough to get caught in the vicinity, their breathing and pulse were irregularly weak. Similar to a bodily response to poison, I fear that had there been prolonged exposure, they would've died." "I've seen your memories, Yuta. Don't humans on your Earth also fall ill to the exposure?" "They do, but not to this extent of effectiveness. On the other hand, the populace responds very well to Positive Energy. Abnormally so. To put it into perspective, using Positive Energy on others isn't even half as efficient as using it on one's self. That said, Creatures here don't get that perceived drawback when receiving treatment from me, of course, assuming all other factors are constant." The gears in Twilight's mind started to spin, piecing together the information presented to her. "...Creatures here are sensitive to changes of Cursed Energy?" "Plausible theory, though there still are things I would like to confirm before we solidify that. We still don't know what that curse is after in this world." "Perhaps that explosion was designed to take you out?" "I've already ruled that out, I was way too far from the epicenter that have done any lasting damage. The curse also has the technique of opening portals. If it really wanted to, it would've spawned me next to the explosion, but it would've opened the risk of it being next to the explosion as well." "Then at least their primary goal wasn't to target you. But then what was their goal?" "We're still in the dark about that, anywho, I've also come to report the morale in the areas is down. Though it isn't dropping any further thanks to the help of Pinkie, it isn't rising either. I suggest not deploying them for the time being and allowing them to recuperate." "Our forces are already stretched thin, I've dispatched more than half of our armed contingent towards The Dragon Lands, Changeling Kingdom, Griffonstone, and many more. But curses are still popping up all over Equestria. Now, curses are popping up around the Crystal Empire." "Should I go check it out?" Yuta replied as Twilight entered into her temporary personal chamber before entering himself. "Thank you but there's no need. I had already appealed to some old friends of mine to guard the Crystal Empire." "The northern lands sure are freezing!" Rockhoof laughed. "We have Starswirl to thank, his mass teleportation spell teleported us to the safe point in the Crystal Empire." Mage Meadowbrook said. "Look alive, everypony. An old friend 12'o clock." Flash pointed at dear Mistmane, smiling at the reunion. "It's been long, hasn't it? Welcome to the Crystal Empire." "Yes, it has, you're looking well. Mistmane." Somnambula added. "We're here on behalf of Princess Twilight's request to up the security of the empire. Could you lead us to Princess Cadance?" Starswirl got to the point. The tip of his beard already formed mini icicles from the temperature difference, causing his forehead to crease, exemplifying his annoyance idling around. Mistmane giggled. "Of course, follow me." The six pillars strolled through the cleared capital streets, a small sum of guards acting as both protection and a beacon for them to follow. While onlookers were awed at the sight of prehistoric legends. Cheers and whistles echoed out onto the streets to celebrate their arrival; the six waved and smiled at the crowd. However, two figures stood atop one of the buildings: a pony and a curse. "Looks like they've arrived, I was hoping for that group of students Twilight and her friends were fostering. But these six also will do." Sombra smirked. "I'm guessing you'll provide support, Usowamoto?" Usowamoto slumped, stretching from side to side. "Yea, yea." Sombra grinned. "Hey, c'mon now. You have to help me either way. It's a binding vow, remember? Just enjoy the process." "Sure." Usowamoto raised an arm and outstretched her hand, her fingertips fueled with Cursed Energy. "Cursed Technique Amplification: Egress." On command, a giant portal opens above the pillars. For a moment, everybody in the area was stunned. However, a mere second after the portal was summoned. A giant centipede curse with two pony heads rushed out of the centre of the portal, the side of its head adorning two giant mandibles and multiple sets of hooves sticking out of its body. Right after it was introduced to the capital, multiple series of smaller curses exited from the leftover space of the portal hole. The Centipede curse slammed itself into the six pillars with a deafening boom, and clouds of dust and smoke enveloped the streets, with the smaller curses running rampant on the nearby civilians. Blood and guts begin to decorate the crystal floors; three of the curse flies grab a mare from her head and lower body and pull with great force; cries echo, but no one answers. Bones snapped, and muscles ripped. Soon enough, the mare was ripped into two. A curse equipped with multiple horns started to glow an evil purple, telekinetically snatching a stallion from his running family and holding it up into the sky. While multiple vulture curses swooped in to begin feasting on him, gouging out his eyes and playing with his intestines. His little colt crying at the horrific sight. While that was happening, a large blob curse crushed, stumbled and fell, causing him to fall through multiple buildings and setting off an explosion. Sending rubble and debris all over the road, squashing and flattening multiple running ponies, cries of horror rung loud, and so did metal shields and magic weapons clashing with cursed flesh. "Help!!!" Some yelled. "Save me!!" Some begged. "STOP PLEASE!!!!" Others bellowed. Regardless of how much they pleaded, alone, cold voice only responded. "Cursed Technique Amplification, Maximum Output." A large discharge of Cursed Energy could be felt across the empire, creating multiple massive circular points to flash brightly in the skies like a sick form of fireworks, inviting more unwanted guests into the kingdom.