//------------------------------// // Conflict // Story: Equestria: Downfall // by Mtdue55 //------------------------------// Equestria: 370 days after downfall. Following: Dashiell, Rainbow/ Sparkle, Twilight/ Pinkimena, Pie. Location unknown/ Cloudsdale. By the time that Twilight had been ready, night had almost fallen. How is this possible, the princesses… “Hey Twi, we’d better get moving, nighttime is dangerous.” Dash warned. “Wait, I have the perfect place, but we have to be careful. We need to get to the library’s basement, and fast.” Twilight said quietly. “Lead the way.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “So you’re positive that these caves are safe?” As dusk set in, the three mares trotted down the caverns beneath Canterlot. “Positive, nopony but Celestia herself knows how to get down here.” The caverns themselves were covered with shiny-surfaced rocks, reflecting the light emanating from Twilight’s horn. The ghastly odor would've been enough to drive almost anypony away, but given their current situation, they didn’t have a choice.Every sound triggered fear. Every hoofstep was a cause for panic. Every drop of water drove the three insane. “Be careful girls, these caves start getting extra creepy around here.” The three proceeded in caution. After a few minutes, the creepy part set in. It turns out that the tunnels were also used as catacombs. Wall upon wall of coffins greeted the ponies’ eyes. They all picked up pace, hoping to get out as soon as they could. After a good half hour of walking, Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence. “So, why’d you leave for Canterlot, Twi?” “Seemed like a good idea at the time. The princesses were there, the most books, and the most ponies. However, it was affected just as bad as anywhere else. All of the high order ponies were snuffed out by the changelings. However, these aren’t at all like the ones we fought at the wedding. “ “How so?” Dash inquired. “First of all, they have advanced fighting abilities. It seems that these were either specially trained or they were magically enhanced.” “First of all?” Pinkie asked. “The next thing is that they cannot be defeated by magic. Even my most powerful spells did nothing.” “Speaking of which, I found some charms and potions at one of my friend’s blacksmith shop.” Dash started. “They negate any spells used against the holder.” “I’ve never heard of any such technology. What else did you find?” “The armor you’re wearing, the blades you’re carrying, some charms and potions, and that’s about it.” Dash finished. “No pendants with the symbol that the changeling had on his chest?” Twi asked uncertainly. “Some were similar, but they were the symbols for spells that activated them… By the way, that would be good to do pretty soon.” Rainbow hinted. “Yeah, we will activate them at the next place we set up camp.” Twi said. “Maybe Chrysalis is still alive, maybe she got powerful.” “That’s probably impossible for her to gain power, she needs love, and who knows where she’d get that?” Pinkie queried. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Above ground, light had started to flow over the mountains and cast away the shadows that plagued the land. The ground stirred, and soon opened up to reveal Twilight. She peeked around a bit before deciding that the coast is clear. “Okay girls, it’s safe.” The purple unicorn declared. Pinkie and Dash soon followed suit and breached the surface. The air was heavy with humidity, fog covered the ground, and the nearby forest loomed over the three ponies, more menacing than ever. “Where are we? I’ve never seen this place before.” Pinkie questioned. “The other side of the Everfree Forest, that’s where the tunnels lead to. They were mined to this point in case Celestia ever needed to escape quickly.” Twilight explained. “So where will we go? This place isn’t near any major cities.” Dash pointed out. “All but one. Cloudsdale.” “Fluttershy.” Was all Dash could counter with. “Ummm. Guys? You might wanna see this.” Pinkie said with misunderstanding in her voice. Twenty meters ahead, a large gape formed in the earth. The indent was lined with stone, and the stone was engraved with some sort of markings. The gap was about 5 feet deep and 15 feet across. In the center of all the engravings, there stood a crescent moon, surrounded by five stars. “Twi, do you know what this says?” Dash questioned. “I hardly know any Changeling, but what I can make out is that it speaks of some sort of crystals, probably the elements, and how dangerous they are. It also says that they are of prime target, and the ponies that carry them can be dangerous.” Twilight said mechanically. “But wait… This isn’t all Changeling. It seems that there are new symbols. I’ve never seen these before. They don’t seem to be based off of any language either”. “Ya don’t suppose that the language here was the creation of one of those thingies that Dashie fought in the library, do you?” Pinkie queried. “One thing is for sure, those things were created by Changelings or derived from them, but they are far more advanced.” A howl from not too deep inside the Everfree sent shivers down their spines. “We should find shelter and plan our next move.” Dash quickly interrupted. “Let’s head to that cave.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Wow Rainbow, your friend must have been pretty smart. Some of these spells needed to activate these charms are pretty advanced.” “Yeah, he to EIT and graduated as the top of his class. Heh, too bad you couldn’t have met him, you too would have hit it off.” Dash quipped. Pinkie had dozed off by the fire quite a bit ago. She still has the exact same adorable snore, Dash thought to herself. “So, do you have a plan on how to get to Cloudsdale?” Twilight asked the cerulean pegasus. “You could probably cast the wings spell on Pinkie, and then the cloud-walking spell on yourself and I’ll carry you up.” Dash stated. “Sounds good, I just hope that we’ll make it by tomorrow, the day after by most.” Twi worried. “We will. We should probably get some actual sleep.” Rainbow suggested. “Yeah, we should.” Twilight agreed. As they both laid down, Twilight started to mumble quietly, mostly to Rainbow Dash. “Whassat Twi?” “I said I’m sorry. For the library. I don’t know what came over me. I just- I just. I’m sorry.” “It’s cool. This new world does weird things to ponies. I’m sorry too, I could’ve been more… gentle” Dash replied, surprisingly calmly. “Here’s your picture back.” Twi said as she slid a piece of paper to Dash. “And no. If you wouldn’t have done what you did, I probably wouldn’t have snapped out of it. Where did you learn to motivate ponies like that?” “I used to have a lot of ponies look up to me, and after I overcame my own arrogance, I could help a lot of other ponies. Most of it is just what I think moves ponies the most, to reach a new point of view.” “Well, we’d better get to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” Twi said sleepily. “And Dash?” “Yeah?” “Thanks.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ All three of the ponies awoke in the middle of the night to howls. Ten or twenty howls. “Timberwolves.” Dash stated, venom in her voice. “Okay guys, stay behind me, this is gonna get rough.” As if somepony flicked a switch, a pair of glowing eyes grew appeared. And another. And another. And another. By this point there were at least fifteen timberwolves forming a half-circle around the three mares. Dash was still, posed in a ready-to-pounce stance. Every small sound sent her ears flicking. “Dashie?” *CRACK* Dash had already jumped forward, annihilating the timberwolf in front of her. She quickly bucked the one to her right and flipped over the one to her left. She extended out her arm, sending a plume of kindling and branches flying. As she landed, she blocked the hit of a nearby timberwolf, another caught her in the back. Twilight and Pinkie could just watch in amazement. Every flip and spin was perfect, every kick powerful . She truly made killing beautiful. Two left . Then trouble hit. One of the wolves got under Dash, sending her spiraling forward. The second one took the opportunity to pin Dash down. The first one got up and slowly waltzed over to where Rainbow was pinned. The first timberwolf wound up for a final blow. Dash closed her eyes. One second went by Two seconds. Three seconds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dash was trapped. Twilight was shaking right by Pinkie. Pinkie slowly crept put of the cave and crawled over to the timberwolves. With one swift motion, Pinkie bucked the one holding Dash down, the other rolling backwards from the impact. Pinkie took the opportunity and jumped upon him, sending debris flying every which way “P-Pinkie!” Dash exclaimed, wrapping the pink pony in an embrace. “Thanks.” “Just returning the favor.” Pinkie replied with a wink. The two finished their embrace and walked back over to their camp, and a shivering Twilight. “Twi, you okay?” Dash asked sincerely. “Okay!? You were almost just killed! How are you okay with that!?” “Because I had Pinkie here to save me,” Dash said with a small smile, “And plus, I wouldn’t die on you, I never leave a friend hanging.” Dash finished with a wink. “Yeah Twily, you have to cheer up! Can’t fix the past!” Pinkie added. “I guess you guys are right. Okay let’s get going, sun’s almost up.” The sky was absolutely clear. No birds, no ponies, no clouds. The path to Cloudsdale was somewhat comfortable. Like it was a casual visit. Unfortunately, this was not true. When the three arrived, it was shocking. Fences fifteen feet tall surrounded the city, all broken up. Holes surrounded the perimeter, as well as dead ponies. The city was in even worse shape. Buildings overturned, broken into, blood splats everywhere. Seems like the roads got it the worse. Cracks covered the surface, large bits were just missing. The most ghastly sight was town hall. Across the surface in large letters written with blood was: GO! NO WAY OUT! “Alright guys, this is it. Remember that pegasi are aggressive. They will attack you. We have to be much more careful than in Canterlot.” Dash explained. Pinkie and Twilight nodded upon which they started their search. Dash rolled silently between buildings, aware to the slightest detail. Ears standing on end at every unheard noise. They dashed from building to building, between cover, through clouds. Eventually, they had reached Fluttershy’s house. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There was no sign of life from inside. The door was locked, obviously, so the three mares had to go around to the back door. It was locked too, but luckily Dash had a trick up her sleeve. She started pawing at the wall right next to the door. “Um, Dash?” Twilight asked questionably. Eventually a small shine appeared from the fluffy white. With great care, Rainbow extracted the key. Dash put the key in the lock, “Yeah Twi?” “Couldn’t you have just kicked a hole in the wall?” “No. These houses are only an exterior and interior of clouds; the walls are just like any other house.” Dash replied as the door clicked open. “Let’s go.” He inside of the house looked like nothing bad was happening. Very good or very bad. The floors were completely clean, the tables even moreso. There was only a thin dust settled on the bookshelves. There was something missing though, Dash could sense it. “There are no pictures on these walls…” Dash thought aloud. “Let’s check the house. Twilight; you get the basement. Pinkie; you get this floor. I’ll get the upstairs. Are we clear?” “Yep.” The two replied in unison. “One thing first.” Dash had a sudden flash of memory. She walked over to the dresser at the far side of the room. She opened the drawers, flashed a covert smile, and closed the drawer. “Alright, let’s get to it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight lit up her horn and descended the stairs. Yet again, tensions have risen. Every sound caused a flinch, every second dragged on for years. The basement was cleared, almost eerily so. There were some boxes in the corner, a water heater and generator in another, that’s about it. Twilight walked over to the boxes. As she peered over the edge, nothing stuck out, old plated and silverware, newspapers and old toys. There were no surprises, no secrets, just blatant nothing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pinkie Pie had four rooms to check. The first one was assumed to be her parents’ bedroom. There was a king size bed, two dressers, and a closet. The first dresser held nothing important, mainly toiletries and a few accessories. She quickly grabbed something before she walked to the second dresser. The second one was very similar to the first, this time containing a stallions clothing. Mostly ties and suit filled the drawers. As with the first dresser, the second drawer held toiletries. The third was completely empty. Pinkie stood confused. I’ll have to ask Dash about that one. Pinkie thought as she skipped to the closet. The closet itself looked very worn, not purchased worn, but used-too-much worn. When she opened it, she understood why. Their business clothes were hanging, looking as pristine as when they were first purchased. Also, there were scraps of paper. College refusals, job rejections, and… diary pages. Pinkie pondered. Whelp, next room! Rainbow knew exactly where she was going. Fluttershy’s room was on the top floor of the house, first door on the right. She silently opened the door, careful not to be loud. The door slowly cracked open. What Dash saw next was shocking. Nothing. Nothing was different. Except there was the absence of a butter-colored pegasus. The room seemed untouched compared to the last time she was in there. She carefully walked over to the dresser. First drawer clothes, second toiletries. Same as her parents. Dash thought as she failed to suppress a small smile. Third drawer empty. Thank Celestia. Better regroup with the oth- She stopped mid-thought, a small note hung on the door. Dash: I know this is you. Thanks for looking for me. On the back of this note is my location, written in our code, of course. I’m fine and safe. I haven’t seen any of our friends. I hope you can come soon. We left about three quarters of a year after… Well, you know. Please come soon. I love you. ~Flutters Dash sighed. It was the only thing she could manage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The three regrouped soon after their respective searches. “Nothing!” Pinkie and Twilight said in unison. “What about you Dashie?” “Yeah, I got something.” Dash said with pride. She presented the note. The others just stood there stunned. “So Fluttershy knew that this was gonna happen?” Twilight asked, still taken aback. “No, but she did know that I’d come looking, and she was smart writing that location in code. Here, lemme see that for a second.” Dash closely examined the back of the note. “It says… “ Dash paused, “Hey girls, guess where we’re going!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow were once again walking through the tunnels of underground Canterlot. “Damn, too bad she couldn’t be in the library.” Dash said bitterly. “Where exactly is she, Dashie?” “The main castle, basement floor.” “Too bad the tunnels don’t come up there.” Twilight said with regret. “ At least we can find her. Rarity is probably in Fillydelphia and Applejack is probably in Dodge Junction.” Dash said hopefully. “But those places are miles away and we’ll need more supplies to reach them alive.” “There are other ways to get there, but we can worry about that later. In the meantime, we need to figure out what to do about those changeling creatures.” “Simple. We kill ‘em.” Dash said cooly. “Wha-What. Are you crazy, we’d get in so much tr-“ “I agree with Dashie. Those things are vicious, and they can fight, and they’re immune to magic. The only reasonable solution is to make sure they don’t get to us first.” Pinkie said shakily. “Those blades you have on the backs of your front hooves can be activated by magic or by flicking down and in hard enough, and you have a sword if you are aware enough to use it.” Dash stated. “If you guys get separated, remember, throat and chest.” “So what of those thieves that you knocked out? Twilight inquired. “That Changeling thing probably finished ‘em off. Just stay close when we do get to the surface.” Dash ordered. The walk dragged on even more than the previous, each wind and turn taking them closer to a fight. The ground above was completely silent, not a single hoofsteps managed to be heard from such depths. The end of the passage was sealed with a door emblazoned with the Princess Celestia’s cutie mark. Twilight cast a spell and the door made a succession of clicks, and popped open. *CHING* Dash readied her wing blades as soon as the view of the library was clear. Blood, everywhere. It seems the new changeling was challenged to a fight, and lost. The marks on the thieves’ bodies looked… strange. They were composed of three holes in a triangular formation. The others were in singular streaks. *Clip-Clop* *Clip-Clop* *Clip-Clop* The… thing strolled around the corner, eerily calm. It trotted up, and this was the first time Twilight got a look at it. It had black fur, wings that appear to be that of a bug, but actually just like a pony’s with bug designs. Its eyes were like anyponies’, but with a blue glow around the edges. It had two fangs and a rounded off muzzle. And of course, his chest was emblazoned with a crescent moon surrounded by five stars. He let out a shout and pounced.