//------------------------------// // A gathering of friends... // Story: Darkness Rise Blink // by Infamous IF //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash's POV "Twilight I just need time travel spell." I said for the tenth time, not that I was counting. We had been set up on some of Twilight's bed In her room. "Yes I heard you Rainbow Dash, but you never explained to me why. Time travel Isn't that difficult of a spell If your doing only a few days, but 14 years Dash. That's a long time. A lot of magical energy." She countered my point. "Twilight... I... I just, need to set something right ok? I know It's an odd request but, just could you please just try." I begged. She seemed conflicted. "Ugh... Fine, but just give me until tomorrow to cast the spell. I've only had a few hours of sleep and I'll want some more energy." She pleaded. "Fine, but as soon as I'm done with clearing the sky, I'll be on my way here." I negotiated. "Alright, but take your time. I don't want you getting hurt." She warned. 3 hours later I sat on my haunches, In the cemetery. Crying for the first time In a while. But I wasn't out of sorrow, because I was happy. "You hear that guys?" I spoke out to the graves. The duel graves that belonged to my Mother and Father. "I coming to save you guys. I gonna go back and set things right. I promise." This I swore. MY crying was drowned out by someone else's. I turned my head to the sound. A familiar family hosted another pair of graves. The apple family. Grim Shadow's POV I quickly ripped the sword from the throat of the stallion. Buck, this was starting to get a little annoying. I mean, who's gonna be In charge of our... I mean MY new castle If me and the rest of the Dark Regime were all ways out fighting crime? Unless... Now THAT Is an Idea. I thought to myself. I could just make more heroes! Enchanter and Zecora only live a small trot away. And If anyone knew magic and spells, It was them. But I needed volunteers. Or subjects. 2 days later I stood at the top of the ponyville center, perched on a large building, with Dino and Zyrax at my sides. "Welcome everypony!" I bellowed. "As you all know, some ponies don't seem as grateful as you do that I'm In charge of... Well everything now. Anyway. Time to cut to the chase. We need volunteers for our Mane Six." I waited a moment. "Anypony? Anypony at all?" Suddenly, a hoove shot from the crowd. Finally! I waved the pony up to the stand. As the pony approached, It's form became clearer. A young mare. With a green coat and yellow stripes. "And what might your name be, miss?" I asked. "Lighting Dust." She responded dutifully. "SIR!" "Great!" I thought aloud. "Anypony else?" I question the crowd once more. The same results this time, only with a stallion. He however took his time making his way to the center of the place. "Your name?" I asked. He smiled. "Speratic. Homicidal manic, at your service." He said with a bow of the head. "Nice." I commented. Then I lunged for his neck. Stopping my make-shift magic blade centimeters form his pulse. A flat maned pink pony somewhere lost In the crowd began to spectate the scene with a play-by-play. "And he stops the blade an Inch, no half an Inch, now a centimeter, a fourth of a centimeter." The other ponies gave her a wicked stare. "Roughly". She said with a nervous laugh. I returned my gaze to my newly made victim. "So why don't I just kill the 'homicidal manic'?" I asked with a heavy tone of sarcasm. His evil smile returned It's home on his mouth. "Because... you and I both know, that nopony here likes you, a lot probably trying to kill you." His tone had It's own evil trance. "And I'm just the type of pony you can let loose, to scare these folks up a bit. Hay I'll even give you a list of what I need when I need It. And I don't need much." Well that settled the people problem. "Deal." Not a single pony to hear. "Looks like we still need one more, for our little club." Then It hit me. If It's broken, fix It. And If It's dead, bring It back to life! Rainbow Dash's POV What were Applejack and her siblings doing. I gently tip-hooved over to the spot where there family lay In rest. Before I could reach them however, Big Mac stood up and took Applebloom away from the scene. AJ, decided to stay a bit longer. I take It back, SHE wasn't crying. She was... laughing. "And... And then." She said stuttering form laughter. "And then they tried to put Babs Seed In this trapped float." She seemed to pause, until her mood darkened a bit. "But they did the right thing In the end. You two would be proud of them." Then a steady stream of tears began to flow from her eyes. She Ignored the salty watered taste leading down Into her mouth. "I just wish you two were still here." I didn't notice the flow leading from my eyes. And I swear that they were just from... um... pressure on my eyes while flying. I needed to stop this from turning Into a full blow cry fest. "Hey AJ. What're you doing here?" I decided to play dumb. "DASH!? What're you do'in here?" She said with a jump and a turn. "Oh I was just flying by and I noticed you were sitting here." Wait... was I lying... to Applejack? "Oh who am I kidding? I guess I was doing the same thing you guys were doing. I was just about to head back to Twilight's house. Long story short, I'm going back In time to save my parents." I said In one big huff. She seemed confused, then shocked and finally, horrified. "Dash? Do you have any Idea what that could do. You could end up-" She started. "I know the rules Applejack. Twilight already explained to me, no coming Into contact with myself, no changing more than one thing and finally NO KILLING." I spoke In an exhausted tone. "Oh. I guess you do know what your doing then." She said In an almost shamed tone. "Well I guess I'll just go." I said awkwardly. "Wait!" I stopped In my tracks. I turned my head back to Applejack. "How many years back are ya go'in?" She questioned. "14 years. Why?" I thought. Her cheeks became a light shade of pink. "Do you think, that maybe I could go too? It's just that, well when my parents died... 6 years ago. I never was able say goodbye. I was at one o them rodeos and, well I wasn't there, maybe then I could say goodbye." Horseapples. No more tears. Please. "Of course AJ. I'll ask Twilight." I promised. "Wait you guys are going to go back In time?" I knew that voice. Pinkie. Grim Shadows POV "Enchanter! I just need you to give these two some powers. Any powers." I said for the tenth time. Or maybe the fourth time. "I heard you the first time B- Grim, but every since Zecora left, she took most of our supplies with her. As he turned back towards me, he made the mistake of looking me In the eyes. After having a short reunion with my glare, Enchanter began to reconsider. "Well It's not like I can't scrounge around for some old supplies." The words left his mouth swiftly and with nerve. I smiled from my eased efforts. "Good." I replied happily. I returned my gaze to my two newest members. "I'll be back later to see the results of our newest members." I said with a fake smile. Then made complete 360 turn and left the small hut. 3 hours As I re-entered the hut, I found my newly made side kicks. Rainbow Dash's POV "Oh Twilight come on! It's just... four more ponies." I begged. "Rainbow Dash I didn't like the Idea of you and me doing this alone. But with other ponies It's Is just ridiculous." Twilight wined. While Spike sat off to the side of trying his best not to giggle his mouth off. As the rest of the ponies gave him the death glare, I momentarily laughed alongside him... until of course the collected stare found me. That shut me up. "Look this Is already crazy enough as It Is. We really can't afford to put any more chances on this." She said. "Please Twilight!" We all said In unison. After a long... long and exasperated sigh, she gave In. "Fine! But nopony else! Got It?" Her tone giving off an odd amount of violence. None of us said a word, Instead we all simply nodded... In unison... again. 30 minutes later As we waved goodbye to Spike, I stopped In my tacks right In front of the newly born portal. And I had the strangest feeling that... I would never see this place again. I then shook those feelings from my mind and stepped Into the portal.