//------------------------------//
// Chapter Five 
// Story: Rise of the Dark Unicorn 
// by Sky McFly 
//------------------------------//

Stepping off of the train, Spike quickly spotted Twilight Sparkle among the ponies waiting on the platform at the Canterlot train station. He worked his way through the crowd and received a big hug upon reaching Twilight.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “I’m so happy to see you!”
“It’s great to see you again too, Twilight,” Spike replied. He then hopped on Twilight’s back and the two started off toward the palace.
Upon passing a half dozen guards at the entrance to the train station, Spike remarked, “They’ve beefed up the security a bit, haven’t they?”
“Well of course,” Twilight replied. “There are all kinds of dangers trying to get into Canterlot. The unicorns need protection.”
“Oh…okay,” Spike said dubiously.
As Twilight trotted through the streets of Canterlot, Spike began to feel as if something was amiss, in addition to the unnecessary amount of security present. Watching the unicorn pedestrians pass by, he realized what was different. There were no earth ponies or pegasi in sight. Spike had expected this, of course. He could vividly remember the day the unicorns in Ponyville had been rounded up and taken away, replaced by the Canterlot earth ponies. Had he not been expecting it, he may not have noticed the difference, but once he was aware of it, it became hard to ignore.
“So, how have you been, Spike?” Twilight asked him. “I hope you haven’t been spending too much time around earth ponies. They’re rife with diseases and infection, you know.”
“Uh…” Spike said, shocked but unwilling to start an argument.
“Although you probably have nothing to worry about,” Twilight continued. “I don’t expect dragons can catch pony diseases.”
As Twilight reached the entrance to the palace, nodded to the guards stationed there, and opened the palace doors with her hoof, Spike noticed something else.
“You’re not using magic,” he realized aloud. “Nopony else is either.”
“I guess I just haven’t needed to,” Twilight responded, starting up a staircase.
“Can you?” Spike asked hesitantly.
“Don’t be silly, Spike,” Twilight scoffed. “Of course I can still use magic. Why? Do you think spending too much time doing paperwork could take away my magic abilities?”
“Um…I guess not,” Spike replied, thinking that taking the magic powers away from the most powerful unicorn in Equestria sounded exactly like something Styxon Stones might do.


***


As Fluttershy and Thunderlane drew closer to the entrance to the city of Canterlot, they could see a palace guard standing at attention on either side of the closed gate.
“How are we going to get inside?” Thunderlane asked, and then stated the obvious. “The gates are closed. And there are guards. And don’t they only let in unicorns now?”
“I’m thinking…” Fluttershy replied. She actually hadn’t been able to come up with a plan to get inside the gates of Canterlot, not to mention the palace itself. She scanned the road leading up to the gates and spotted a cart led by two earth ponies she recognized to be Caramel and Lucky Clover. “Hey, let’s—“
“Ambush them and take their places?” Thunderlane suggested, holding up a thick, club-shaped stick.
“No! Where did you even get that?” Fluttershy shook her head in exasperation. “Never mind. I was going to suggest talking to them. They might be able to help us.” Still shaking her head, she flew down to approach the earth ponies.
“Hey there,” Caramel greeted her when they noticed the arrival of the Pegasi, “aren’t you Rarity’s friend? Flutterby?”
“Fluttershy,” Fluttershy mumbled, nodding. “Hi. I was wondering if either of you could explain how you have access to Canterlot. I thought they only allowed unicorns in now.”
“Well, yes,” Caramel began, “you’re partly right about that. But since most of Canterlot’s food is imported from Ponyville, they continue to allow deliveries by earth ponies.”
“So… are you allowed into the palace?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yep,” Caramel answered, “but only as far as the palace kitchens.”
“And once we enter Canterlot, we have to wear these,” Lucky added, holding up what looked like two surgical masks.
“Why?” Fluttershy asked, dumbfounded.
“Styxon Stones has convinced many of the unicorns that earth ponies are dirty and disease-laden,” Caramel explained.
“The unicorns are afraid they might catch something from us,” Lucky added.
“That’s awful!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Earth ponies are no dirtier than unicorns or pegasi! Everypony knows that! Surely you don’t believe Styxon?”
The two earth ponies shook their heads.
“Nope,” Caramel replied. “We’re not happy about it either.”
“But we’re grateful they’re still letting us into the city,” Lucky said.
“Speaking of which,” Caramel said, “we’d better get moving. We’re running late.”
“Um…” Fluttershy began tentatively, “could Thunderlane and I possibly hide in your cart? We really need to get into the palace.” She briefly explained how Rainbow Dash was being held prisoner, and her plans to rescue her. Caramel and Lucky looked impressed.
“Of course,” Caramel responded. “Just move aside some of those crates.”
Fluttershy and Thunderlane climbed into the cart and rearranged the crates in order to make enough room for them to lie on the floor without being seen from the sides. The cart was cramped, but Fluttershy got the feeling that Thunderlane enjoyed being curled up against her a little more than was necessary.
“All set?” Caramel called over his shoulder.
“We’re doing just peachy back here,” Thunderlane called back, and the cart began to move, bringing Fluttershy closer to Rainbow Dash and farther away from the safety she had left behind.

Fluttershy could hear the hustle and bustle of unicorns going about their daily activities as Caramel and Lucky Clover pulled the cart through the streets of Canterlot. In the patch of sky above the stacks of crates, she glimpsed the tops of buildings as they passed by overhead. She shivered with fear and looked away, locking eyes with Thunderlane.
“What are we getting ourselves into, Thunderlane?” she asked him.
Instead of answering, Thunderlane put one of his wings around Fluttershy’s shoulder and held her close.
Under normal circumstances, Fluttershy wouldn’t have let many stallions get as close to her as Thunderlane was now, but in her current panicked state of mind she was willing to accept any gestures of comfort she was offered. She shut her eyes and nuzzled up to him as the cart continued to bump along through the cobblestone streets.
Eventually, the cart came to a stop and Fluttershy opened her eyes to find that they were now in a large room with an arched stone ceiling.
“You guys can come out now,” Caramel announced, removing his mask. “We’re in the palace kitchens and there are no guards in sight.”
“Thank you both so very much,” Fluttershy said as she disembarked from the cart. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.” She hugged both earth ponies and looked around the kitchens, considering what to do next.
As Caramel and Lucky Clover began to unload the crates, Thunderlane hopped off of the cart and scanned the kitchens as well.
“So…now what?” he asked.
“Let me think,” Fluttershy murmured, any feelings of affection she may have felt for him moments ago having vanished. “Um… if there are any, uh…critters around, could you come here, please?”
Before long, Fluttershy heard the skittering of hundreds of tiny feet, and dozens of rats scampered into view, appearing around corners and out of cracks in the walls. Thunderlane yelped and sprang into the air, hovering in place as he held his hooves several feet off of the floor.
Fluttershy rolled her eyes and addressed what seemed to be the leader of the rats. “Um, hi there. Do you think you could show us how to get to the dungeons? You see, my friend Rainbow Dash is locked up somewhere in this palace and I’m trying to find her.”
The lead rat nodded eagerly and scampered through a doorway at the back of the room. Fluttershy began to follow, then paused when she noticed Thunderlane apparently frozen in the air, a petrified expression on his face.
“I can communicate with animals,” Fluttershy explained with a shrug, and then turned to follow the rats.
For several minutes, the rats led the two pegasi deeper and deeper into the palace. Fluttershy and Thunderlane followed the rats down narrow stone staircases and through twisting passageways before finally coming to a stop at a bend in a dim, torch-lit hallway.
The lead rat held a paw up to his mouth and indicated for the pegasi to look around the corner. Peeking around the corner, Fluttershy and Thunderlane could see an enormous Diamond Dog standing guard in front of a heavy wooden door. Fluttershy gulped.
“My stomach’s starting to feel a little funny,” Thunderlane whispered. “I might have to stay behind…”
Ignoring him, Fluttershy bent down to talk to the lead rat.
“Do you think you and your, uh, buddies could…keep him busy? I mean, if it’s not too much to ask…”
The lead rat nodded again and led the rest of the rats around the corner.
“Oh, and do try not to hurt him!” Fluttershy called softly after them.
Like a furry, brown and gray wave the rats flowed down the corridor and swarmed up and over the huge Diamond Dog, causing him to topple over, surrendering to the onslaught of tiny teeth and claws. Before long, one of the rats emerged and gave Fluttershy a ring of keys.
“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy said and fumbled with the ring of keys, searching for the key that would open the heavy wooden door. Eventually she found it and the door swung open to reveal a dim, dank dungeon with a row of cells on either side of a narrow corridor.
“Stay here and keep watch,” she instructed Thunderlane, who was watching the rats in horror. Thunderlane nodded, seeming reluctant to open his mouth.
Afraid of what she might find, Fluttershy slowly entered the dungeon, glancing into each cell as she passed them. She began to lose hope when every cell appeared to be empty. Finally, at the very back of the dungeon, she spotted a familiar sky blue pony curled up in a corner of the last cell.
Rainbow Dash’s fur was grimy, she had bandages on her wings, and she was slightly skinnier than Fluttershy remembered, but to her endless relief, Rainbow Dash was alive. To Fluttershy’s surprise, at the sound of her hoofsteps Rainbow Dash hid her face and curled up even tighter.
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy whispered. “It’s me, Fluttershy!”
Rainbow Dash raised her head and squinted at her.
“Fluttershy?” she asked in disbelief, her voice hoarse. “Really? I’m so glad to see you! You know, Spike was right; that Styxon Stones is not a good dude.”
“Did he do all this to you?” Fluttershy asked as she searched for the key that would unlock Rainbow Dash’s cell. “You’ve got bandages on your wings! What happened?”
“Oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, glancing over her shoulder at her bandaged wings, “Styxon Stones was trying to get me to tell him what sort of rebellion we’re planning…”
“He broke your wings?!” Fluttershy gasped as the cell door swung open.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash replied offhandedly, “and the worst part was when he magically healed them just so he could break them again. But I didn’t tell him anything!” She beamed proudly at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy felt her face flush with anger. “If he could heal them with magic, then why do you have bandages?” she asked as she unlocked Rainbow Dash’s shackles.
“Oh, well, after our last ‘session’ he thought letting them heal naturally would convince me to start talking when he came back,” Rainbow Dash snorted.
In her sudden fury, Fluttershy could barely think of what to say. “I’ve never been so angry!” she exclaimed. “I just want to—to—hurt—that awful—that evil—“ She glared at Rainbow Dash. “Where is he?!” she demanded.
“Whoa there, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Take some deep breaths. I don’t think now’s the best time for revenge. Let’s just get out of here.”
Fluttershy breathed in and out a few times and tried to compose herself. “Okay,” she said, still furious, but calmer, “let’s go.” She led the way out of the dungeon to the corridor where Thunderlane was preening his wings. Upon seeing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane stopped preening abruptly and said, “ ‘Sup Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash gave Thunderlane a withering look and turned to Fluttershy. “You brought Thunderlane?”
Fluttershy shrugged sheepishly and addressed the rats, “Could one of you please show us how to get out of the palace?”
The lead rat disengaged from the rippling mass of rodents and led the three pegasi back through the twisting passageways and stone staircases.
“Hold on,” Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy as they ran. “This is all wrong. I should be the one saving you.”
“Fine!” Fluttershy exploded. “Go back to the dungeon and figure out how to escape yourself! I didn’t come all this way with Thunderlane hitting on me the entire time for you to tell me that I’m not brave enough to rescue you, that you can take care of yourself!”
“Was it that obvious?” Thunderlane asked.
“Wow, okay, sorry Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash apologized, shocked by her outburst. “I really appreciate you coming to rescue me! I’m actually totally impressed.”
Before Fluttershy could respond, the pegasi heard a booming bark echo down the hallway. Glancing behind them before they turned a corner, they caught a glimpse of the massive Diamond Dog furiously tossing off rats as he chased them.
“Guys, my stomach…” Thunderlane began.
Upon arriving at the kitchens, the pegasi were met by two palace guards. Thinking fast, Rainbow Dash grabbed a pie off of a counter and launched it into the face of one of the guards, causing him to topple over backwards. Following her lead, Fluttershy picked up a cupcake and heaved it behind her. The cupcake bounced off of the Diamond Dog, failing to decrease his speed in the slightest. Thunderlane simply lowered his head and charged in the direction of the other guard, who jumped aside in surprise. The pegasi took advantage of the empty doorway and sped through, continuing to follow the rats to the entrance of the palace.
With the two guards and the Diamond Dog hot on their heels, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Thunderlane galloped down the front steps of the palace into the late afternoon light. Glancing behind her, Fluttershy saw several more guards and Styxon Stones himself join the chase. She resolved not to look backward again after that. Unicorns jumped out of the way as the three pegasi tore through the cobblestone streets of Canterlot.
“They’re gaining on us!” Thunderlane yelled when they were about one hundred yards from the gates of Canterlot.
Rainbow Dash glanced backward and made an abrupt turn down a side street.
“What are you doing?” Fluttershy shouted. “The gates are the other way!”
“We won’t make it to the gates!” Rainbow Dash called back. “Follow me!”
She reached a small plaza overlooking the valley and without hesitating yelled, “Catch me, Thunderlane!” With that, she leaped over a stone wall into the abyss.
Without realizing where she was headed, Fluttershy leaped over the wall as well, and then froze in shock when the ground dropped out from beneath her. Thunderlane quickly swooped down and caught Rainbow Dash, but Fluttershy continued to plummet downward, petrified as she watched the rocky mountainside rush up toward her.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “You have wings! You can FLY!”
Tearing her gaze away from the ground, Fluttershy came to her senses and began flapping her wings. Slowly she stopped her descent and rose up to join Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane. Looking backward one more time, she saw Styxon Stones and the palace guards grow smaller as the pegasi flew off into the brilliant crimson sunset.