Rainbow Dash stared glumly at the untouched tray of applesauce and carrot sticks in front of her, which Discord had so generously gathered for her. The bags under her eyes were vindictive of the long days spent, cloaked in the suffocating silence of her room, mourning the loss of her parents. Applejack sat across from her, a concerned frown etched on her honest face. Fluttershy, perched on the edge of the chair beside Rainbow Dash, her gentle touch a soothing balm on the pegasus's tense shoulder, and Tank, resting on the other side of Rainbow.
"Sugarcube, "Applejack began, her voice low and warm," you don't have'ta force it down if ya don't wanna."
Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat, the metallic tang of grief heavy and still yet lingers on her tongue. "...Nah, it's fine. I was just about to eat them."
Her voice was clearly hoarse from disuse, clicking a fork down on the veggie and inserting it in her mouth. Slow and steady crunches follow after. At the same time, Fluttershy squeezed her shoulder gently.
Rainbow looked down at her hooves as she chewed, the vibrant blue marred by dried tear tracks. Grief, anger, and loneliness swirled within her. Is this the feeling of loss? Had Twilight and the rest not given her the push she needed, Rainbow feared how much deeper she would have fallen.
"Either way, I'm glad you're doing better now, Rainbow." Fluttershy's eyes soften with understanding.
Suddenly, a burst of confetti exploded in the air, showering Rainbow in a kaleidoscope of colours. She blinked, startled, as Pinkie zoomed over in a blur, getting up close and personal to Rainbow's face.
"Surprise!" Pinkie squealed, her grin wider than ever. "I just had to whip up a little something to brighten up the most fastest flyer, and the most awesome-est friend in all of Equestria!"
Pulling her hooves to the back, Pinkie somehow managed to pull out a comically large muffin the size of a pony adored in a Rainbow theme of colours and icing. Rainbow couldn't help but crack a small smile at Pinkie's infectious enthusiasm. The gesture, though unexpected, was not unwelcomed.
"Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said, her voice thick with emotion, "that's... sweet of you."
Rarity sighed as she bustled into the cafeteria, her mane slightly dishevelled and her horn dusted with glitter. She'd spent the better part of the morning attending to and mending torn clothes, armour and attire, leaving her both touched and exhausted. A handkerchief floats in the air from her magical grasp, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
Ever the observant, her eyes immediately landed on Rainbow Dash. Her heart clenched in her chest. The vibrant pony, usually a whirlwind of colour and confidence, seemed drained, her once bright eyes dimmed with sadness. But then, Rarity saw it - a flicker of a smile playing on Rainbow Dash's lips as she took a bite of Pinkie Pie's cake.
"...Rainbow Dash?"
Seeing Rainbow's small smile amidst the usual glumness was like witnessing a wilting flower slowly blooming anew. Rarity hurried over, her hooves clicking rhythmically on the tile floor.
"Rainbow Dash, darling!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with relief. "I heard the news about your return, and I simply had to see you! How are you holding up?"
Rainbow gave a genuine smile, albeit a little weak. "It's... it's been tough, Rarity," she admitted, her voice husky. "But I'm hanging in there."
Rarity's eyes softened. She knelt beside Rainbow, her touch gentle. "I know, darling. Losing your parents… it's unimaginable. But please know that you're not alone. We're all here for you, every step of the way."
Pinkie, who had been bouncing excitedly by Rarity's side, suddenly shoved a slice of Rainbow's favourite cake into her mouth. "And Pinkie Pie's gonna make sure you smile every single day!" she declared in third person, her voice muffled by a piece of muffin.
Rainbow chuckled, surprised but touched by Pinkie's gesture. The sweetness of the muffin mingled with the warmth of their concern, and she felt a tear welling up in her eye.
"You guys…" she mumbled, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Fluttershy wrapped her wing around Rainbow in a comforting hug, Pinkie joining in with a squeal of delight. So did Rarity, Applejack, and lastly, Tank. Her loneliness soon subsided in that embrace, and warmth, safety, and hope soon filled her body.
"Well, isn't this a lovely sight?" Discord materialized in a swirl of shimmering chaos and landed with a dramatic flourish next to the huddled ponies. "I was gone for what, a few minutes? How it wounds me not to be invited to the group hug." Pulling a fish out of nowhere to wipe his non-existent tears.
"You can join if you want," Fluttershy giggled.
Discord raised a hand at this. "It's fine; I have something I got to tend to. Oh, and Rainbow Dash. A gift for you." Snapping his fingers, he poofed a small present for the pegasus. Plopping it on the table.
Rainbow opened the gift, revealing a little top hat too small for her. "A hat?"
"It's for Tank's shell. Sorry, I'm not too accustomed to these sorts of things", Discord admits with a hint of genuine shame. Rainbow smiled at the thoughtfulness.
"No, it's great. Thanks, Discord."
"Welp, I'm off. I see you lot in a few." With that, the Draconequus disappeared once more in clouds of cotton candy.
Right as he left, two more figures showed up. Twilight and Yuta both had grim looks on their faces.
"The Crystal Empire's under attack. We have to help them. Rainbow, you stay here and rest up. The rest of us will-" Rainbow cuts her off,
"I'm going."
"No, it's too dangerous, especially with your condition-"
"I'm going."
Twilight's face scrunched up; she knew Rainbow was stubborn, even with her state. Once she sets her mind on something, almost nothing can deter the mare from getting what she wants. Complicating matters, Princess Cadance's recent letter painted a grim picture of the situation. Worse, Twilight had just deployed the Wonderbolts across major cities. Unable to rely on them, Twilight grimaced under the circumstances. Looking down for a moment, she casts a rejuvenation spell on Rainbow.
"This should help rejuvenate your body to an extent. But don't push it. Your body will likely shut down if you go beyond your limits." Twilight knew; she knew deep down this was the worst possible scenario she was setting up for. She had only a couple of hours ago brightened her friend's spirits. Now, she is dragging her back in a war against disgusting monsters ravaging a kingdom. She turned away from her friend, biting her lower lip with furrowed brows.
Yuta stepped forward, placing his hand on her rainbow mane. Positive Energy began to flood her body, and the muscles ached from stagnant days were overtaken by a warm, sensational relief. Moments later, she felt brand new except for her empty stomach and low Energy.
"That should have restored your bodily functions. But it won't fuel you, so please eat up and fill your stomach."
Twilight, Yuta, and the rest of the Mane Six walked out of the cafeteria, a piece of muffin still stuck in Rainbow's mouth as she chewed with determined vigour, Pinkie bouncing behind her.
"How're we gonna get there?" Applejack asked, catching up to Twilight.
"We're using ruins for mass teleportation. I could use my own magic, but I wouldn't want to dwindle my reserves any more than I should. Normally, we'd fly over by carriage. But in such cases, Princesses would prepare Ruins supplied with my magic earlier for use. Thankfully, I've prepared a bunch ever since I took over Princ- *ahem* Celestia's throne." She ruffled her wings, getting a good stretch. "Of course, such potent magic should be used outside. The heat generated from these kinds of spells is enough to set nearby objects on fire."
"Princess!" A cry of unison made Twilight turn to the call, seeing the Young Six running towards her. "Bring us too!"
The six came to a grinding halt before her highness, some panting from the run. "We heard from some guards that you were looking for more creatures to accompany you to fight at the Crystal Empire. Please, bring us!" Sandbar pleaded.
"No." The sudden bluntness of Twilight's denial shook Youngins.
"Why no bring us?" Yona spoke up.
"Yeah, we can be helpful!" Silverstream propped up with her chest out.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you guys to tag along. It's too dangerous for teenagers to come." Twilight turns to the four stone ruins on the floor, lighting her horn; the ruins glow with the beat of her magic. "Had I known the degree of severity and threat these curses posed. I would have never asked any of you to do what you've done so far. I kindly ask you guys to wait here, and leave the rest to us."
The four ruins shook and crackled, and a magic circle connected the four stones. Ancient inscriptions lined the circumference of the glowing circle as heavy winds burst past everyone there. The magic circle glowed brighter, causing the whistling of heavy gusts kissing their ears to up its intensity.
Twilight and Yuta were the first to step inside. Their hair and clothes rustled heavily. Rainbow Dash was next to step up, followed by Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.
Dismay painted the faces of the Young Six as Twilight's final word echoed in the growing wind.
Undeterred, Gallus tried to dive into the circle before Twilight could activate the ruins. Ocellus, sensing something was off, yelled for Gallus to stop, "Wait!" As he closed in, he smashed face-first into a purple barrier set up by the princess, sliding down the wall.
In a blinding flash of light, the occupants in the circle were gone. The only signs of them being there were the burnt marks on the grass near the activated ruins.
The once shimmering streets of Canterlot were now slick with a thick ichor, the vibrant hues of the crystal ponies' shattered dreams staining the cobblestones a sickly crimson. Grotesque monstrosities, their forms a hideous amalgamation of nightmare and flesh, lumbered down the streets, their every step echoing with the sickening squelch of gore. Cursed residue leaked from their pores as the air thrummed with the ponies' high-pitched shrieks.
Crystal ponies, their coats dulled and their eyes wide with abject horror, stampeded through the debris-strewn streets, their hooves pounding a frantic rhythm against the bloodstained ground. Flames erupt from once clean houses, and rubble littered the avenue.
The screams of the ponies reached a fever pitch as a monstrous maw, lined with serrated teeth the size of scimitars, descended from the heavens. A blinding flash of light erupted from the combined might of multiple unicorn citizens, momentarily pushing back the tide of darkness, but it was a fleeting reprieve. The curses writhed and pulsed, and the monstrosities surged forward, their hunger an insatiable void threatening to consume everything in its path.
Crunch after crunch, meal after meal. The curses fed on the innocent, their blood refreshing and their screams sickeningly sweet. The guttural roars of the monsters slowly drowned out the cries of the ponies, the sounds of rending flesh and shattering bone painting a gruesome picture of carnage.
One young filly, her horn snapped and flank gushing with iridescent blood, stumbled and fell, the gnashing maw of a monstrosity looming impossibly close. A stallion, his once magnificent coat matted with gore, reared in defiance, his horn flashing with a desperate burst of magic that did little more than singe the hide of the creature before him.
"Hey! Over here, you disgusting monster!" The brave stallion tried drawing attention to the curse away from the filly, and he was successful in more ways than one. A flock of fly heads dived down to where he stood. Each tearing a piece of flesh for themselves, his gargled screams soon went silent from one of them ripping his throat out. His previous screams attracted a giant goopy hoof from above to crush everything nearby.
The filly looked up to see a slimy curse that towered and loomed over multiple buildings. Matching eye contact with the little filly, its slimy hooves reared back, its next target to be the filly. Her heart sank, and so did her hope.
The curse still before her opened its maw, inviting her to sweet release. Blood from where her horn once was trickled down the filly's forehead, closing her eyes in defeated acceptance.
Suddenly, a streak of pink light from the Crystal Castle beamed down onto the curses. Piercing a hole through the slime curse and the curse that was about to swallow her. Disintegrating the two in one fell swoop. The filly opened her eyes, looking to and from to see the curses ashing away.
Looking towards the Crystal Castle, she saw her ruler standing atop one of the porches—her horn smoking from the release of potent magic. The smile returned to her face; getting up onto her hooves, she continued her trek towards the castle.
Cadance turned an angle, seeing more giant curses running rampant in her cities. Cadance stood resolute, her horn held high, channelling the very essence of her magic. Her eyes blazing with white fury. With each pounding of her heart, she drew upon more of her magic reserves. It's magic coursing through her veins like a celestial current. The air crackled with anticipation. Sparks of violet and pink tickled the tip of her horn, along with a yellow current.
With a bow of her head and a silent incantation, a bolt of pure energy erupted from her horn, streaking across the sky. It found its mark true, piercing the side of the Chimera curse, sending shockwaves rippling through its monstrous form. The beast bellowed in pain and fury, stumbling back on a house or two and falling over.
Cadance buckled under the stress, sweat dripping from her chin. Soot was beginning to accumulate on her horn, staining it a nasty black.
"Not yet.." She muttered. Getting back on her hooves, she charged another shot. "Not while my crystal ponies need me."
Unexpectedly, glass-like fragments started to rain down like glittering tears. Its fragments reflect rainbow hues across her face. Puzzled, Cadance looked up. A gasp escaped her lips as the shield protecting the empire shattered. The frigid winds of the north, long held at bay by the barrier's warmth, begin to sweep through the city, swirling snow and ice in their wake.
"What's going on!?"
Down below, Usowamoto opened a portal for themself to escape. To their surprise, the burning sensation returned.
"Huh?" Turning around, there it was the Crystal Heart back on the podium. "What's the meaning of this?"
"It was getting kind of cold, so I thought I'd warm up the place a bit," Discord said, sitting on a beach chair. His sunglasses sat neatly on his snout as he enjoyed some tea. Sipping on some, he let out a relaxed ahh. "Y'know, it's rude to take something that doesn't belong to you."
A beam of pressurized water streamed through Discord, cutting him in half. He dropped onto the floor in an oddly stiff manner. Usowamoto walked over to him, only to realize it was a cardboard layout of Discord sipping tea.
"It's even more rude to attack somebody while they're talking to you," Discord whispered into their ear. Usowamoto threw an elbow back but was easily dodged by the Draconequus.
"Get lost, I don't like you."
"Feeling's mutual. Normally I wouldn't care for some chaos here and there caused by an outsider. But a very special somepony is coming here, and I won't let you lay your dirty cursed hands on her."