An Earthbound Journey

by ShadeJak


The Sixth Sanctuary

“Hey, what’re ya girls doin’ out here?” Braeburn shouted over the gales from his doorframe, looking over at the four ponies. “Ah guess ya got my message, Applejack? Get on inside ‘fore ya get more soaked then ya already are!”

Immediately the four friends rushed inside; damp but otherwise unharmed.

“What in tarnation’s goin’ on out there, Braeburn?” Applejack asked while Rarity let out a very audible sigh at her coat and mane being ruined for the third time in a row.

“Well that’s the thing! Ah don’t know! The weather’s gettin’ way worse. Luckily, thanks to a little help from the buffalo tribe we managed to get the apples harvested in time so we're okay on our food quota. But still, this weather keeps up we ain’t gonna have a place to enjoy ‘em on!”

“So where’s Cloudchaser and Flitter? Your letter said they went missing?” Rainbow asked, concerned about her friends.

“That’s right! They went to investigate where this weather was comin’ from… it kept churnin’ out faster then they could handle it an’ the wonderbolts’re too busy handlin’ problems with the other towns an’ cities. Anyways, they tracked it to the Ghastly Gorge just outside’a the town that runs all the way to the Everfree Forest, suspectin’ maybe the weather’s comin’ from there. They weren’t sure… Me an’ Big Mac went with ‘em, but when they went into this cave in the gorge, they never came out! That’s when the weather got this bad! Worse storms started a-pilin’ up we had to get back to town or we were gonna get swept up in it!” Braeburn explained. “When we told Chief Thunderhooves, that got his interest… he said the place was sacred, it was where the fossil of the last quetzacoatl, a wind spirit, had laid to rest. They say it brings good weather in their old tales but ah tell ya… there may be weather comin’ outta there but it sure ain’t good!”

“I see…” Twilight said.

“Well we gotta go help ‘em! I’m not gonna leave my friends stranded out in that storm!” Rainbow said firmly.

“We didn’t want to either, believe me, but we had no choice.” Braeburn said sadly.

“Well that’s ‘cause you didn’t have me! Everypony knows I can clear skies like nopony else!” Rainbow said, patting her chest.

“Eenope.” Big Mac said, disagreeing.

“He’s got a point, Rainbow.” Applejack said. “You hear the part about that weather comin’ out faster then Cloudchaser and Flitter together could fix?”

“They aren’t me, AJ.” Rainbow said, a serious glare forming on her face. “I can at least get this under control long enough for us to make it to that cave safely. Cloudchaser and Flitter are two of my best friends in the weather team; I grew up with ‘em! They’re great enough fliers to be wonderbolts… maybe not as great as me but that’s not the point! They need our help and there’s no way I’m leaving them out there! You all with me or what?” She asked as she headed towards the door.

“I’m with you, Rainbow.” Twilight said, trotting over. “Besides, you may need some backup.”

“Count me in, too!” Applejack said, joining them. “Appleloosa’s my responsibility, too, and ah ain’t shruggin’ that off.”

“Of course I’m in.” Rarity said with a smile. “I figure what’s… another blow to my efforts at self-maintenance when friends are in danger. I’m with you on this, Rainbow Dash. Let’s go help your friends.”

“Thanks girls.” Rainbow replied. “So… uh… which way to this cave causing the weather?” She asked the two stallions.

~

“Almost there!” Rainbow shouted, having torn apart another chunk of black stormclouds and providing a path for her friends to rush through. Reaching the end, they looked down upon the Ghastly Gorge, a chasm that spanned all the way north to the Everfree Forest. On the other side of the gorge were geyser-like rock formations that had a continuous stream of black storm clouds rising from them and drifting towards Appleloosa.

“Well, this is definitely the place…” Twilight said. “Whatever’s causing this weather to come into existence is inside this cave…”

“Let’s just hope Cloudchaser and Flitter are okay.” Applejack said.

“You know… I wonder…” Twilight mused. “Braeburn said the buffalo chief mentioned the fossil of an ancient wind entity there, left when its mortal form passed away… Girls, do you think…?”

“A sanctuary! It has to be!” Rarity said.

“Then it’s settled. We find Cloudchaser and Flitter, and get to that sanctuary. Something’s using its power, and whatever it is, I bet it’s got them too!” Rainbow said.

“Looks like there’s an entrance over there.” Twilight said, gesturing to a small cave opening with her hoof. “Come on, girls. Let’s get moving.” She said as they gathered around her and she teleported them and herself to the mouth of the cave.

Entering, the found it to be oddly cool and misty, with strange blue fungi illuminating the halls.

“Of course… all the moisture.” Twilight mused, prompting looks from her friends.

“We can sight-see another time, Twi. Right now I wanna find my friends.” Rainbow said, leading the way. As she proceeded, a rumble was felt and a group of clouds drifted towards them.

“What the?” Rainbow wondered, before suddenly getting blasted by a bolt of lightning.

However, she quickly discovered she felt no pain. Instead, the gem Rarity had given her seemed to charge up with energy and redirect it back at the cloud that fired the lightning at her, destroying it completely.

“Whoa! Did you… see that?” Rainbow asked, realizing she’d not really seen it in action since the time she had to fight the possessed Pinkie Pie.

“Is that what I think it is?” Twilight asked, firing magic at the two other clouds and destroying them. “Seems particularly useful against lightning magic.” Twilight said, eyeing the gem the pegasus was still wearing around her neck.

“Huh, I thought you said it protects from all magic attacks, Rarity.” Rainbow said.

“Well… I may have misunderstood a little. Seemed to work just fine protecting you from Pinkie’s modified cannon, didn’t it?” Rarity asked.

“Of course! I remember now! The first element used against it is the one the charm adapts to! In this case I guess it’s adapted to lightning magic!” Twilight said. “And here all this time I assumed you’d taken to accessorizing, Rainbow!” the unicorn added with an amused smirk.

“Well, to be fair I did model it after her cutie mark with what I had available to me since she was the one I was able to reach when I was being held captive.” Rarity said. “Facing dangerous cults is no reason not to look a little presentable after all.” She said with a proud turn of her muzzle.

“Well, in that case I better lead the way.” Rainbow said with a grin as she flew ahead. “Come on out clouds!” She ordered with a laugh, which was answered by five more of them, glowing with flashes of lightning within flying towards the four ponies. “Go ahead! Gimme your best shot!” Rainbow said, spreading her hooves out and grinning.

The clouds paused for a second, turning towards one-another slightly before facing Rainbow again. Magical lightning surged around them and they fired a powerful blast at her. Rainbow flew forward, allowing the charm to catch it all. Grinning, Rainbow looked at the sentient clouds, which froze in place.

“My turn.” She said, and a second later all the lightning redirected back on the clouds, destroying them all completely. “Game, set, match. Rainbow Dash wins again by pure awesome.” She said, putting her hooves to her side and giving a cocky smirk.

“Cool it, Dash. We’re here to find your friends, not show off.” Applejack said with an eyeroll.

“Yeah, just if this is my opposition I’ve practically found ‘em by now!” Rainbow said, flying ahead of them and dispatching two more malevolent clouds the same way while the others followed.

“Cloudchaser! Flitter! Are you here?” Rainbow called out, pausing to see if she would get an answer back.

What they got instead was a powerful current of electrical energy heard in the distance. Rainbow’s eyes widened as she saw light appearing. “Girls… GET OFF THE GROUND.” She ordered as a lightning current surged across the ground, the three flightless ponies jumping just in time to avoid it as it passed by.

A cruel laughter echoed through the tunnels up ahead, causing Rainbow to grit her teeth. “That’s it. No more Miss Nice Pony. Let’s go.” She said, flying towards the source of the laughter, her friends again following as they got closer, the laughter growing louder by the second.

Reaching a tunnel with faint blue light coming from it, the four came to a stop.

“Whatever’s got your friends is in there, Rainbow.” Twilight said, her horn glowing briefly.

“Well let’s muscle up and kick its plot ta the next life!” Applejack said, taking out her lasso.

“Any friend of yours is a friend of ours, Rainbow.” Rarity said, her horn charging as well.

With a smirk and a nod, Rainbow lead the way in, and they found themselves in a large, open cavern with a vast pool of some kind of thick steam and smoke within it; the ceiling stood far, far above them with several passages that were likely the exit points the storm clouds escaped from. At the massive, dimly-lit room’s center was a glowing light. “Alright, whoever you are! You got my friends now come on out!” Rainbow shouted, taking out the Harmony Stone from her saddle bag and holding it out. As expected, the piercing feedback was heard, confirming the sanctuary had been tainted.

“Congratulations, you’ve found the sanctuary…” A female voice said, and a pegasus silhouette was seen flapping its wings as it hovered within the smoke and steam.

“…But its ours now!” Another female voice said, this one higher and more feminine.

“No… it can’t be…!” Rainbow shuddered, recognizing the voices of the two shrouded pegasi before they emerged. “Cloudchaser? Flitter?!”

Out of the smoke emerged two pegasi in uniforms identical to those of the shadowbolts that had attempted to deceive Rainbow Dash when the six of them had faced Nightmare Moon. The tails and manes, the bow on one of them… it was evident the two shadowbolts that had come to confront them were in fact Cloudchaser and Flitter.

“Take it from us, if you dare!” They said in unison, the lenses of their goggles glowing green and trailing purple smoke from them briefly. Raising their hooves, steam and smoke began to fill the room, blinding the four friends as the distorted melody began again. The twins’ laughter was heard all around them as powerful gales of wind began to build up.

“They’re sucking us into a vortex!” Rainbow shouted. Everypony get down and hold on tight!” Complying, Applejack flung her lasso around a rock and held onto it, the others grabbing onto her and one-another until it dissipated.

“Not bad.” Cloudchaser sneered.

“But it won’t do you any good…” Flitter said, the two then raised their hooves again and a large storm cloud formed and emerged from the crater. Both shadowbolts hovered over it and then swooped down upon it. As soon as they did, a massive, powerful bolt of lightning shot out of it at the ground. This time Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack did not jump in time and were electrocuted, causing the three of them to cry out in pain and fall to the ground, unconscious.

“Not bad, sis!” Flitter said with a grin.

“Best two outta two?” Cloudchaser asked, sneering at Rainbow and her fallen friends.

“My thoughts exactly…” Flitter said as the two looked over, their eyes glowing green again as they flew into the air again and slammed into the cloud again and sent a huge lightning bolt at the four ponies. Hurrying, Rainbow Dash jumped in the way and took the hit. As she’d hoped, her charm caught the lightning and redirected it back at the two shadowbolts and the cloud, causing the cloud to burst and electrocuting the two shadowbolts.

“Uggh… why you…” Cloudchaser growled, flying straight at Rainbow with far more speed then usual, striking her with her hoof and sending her into the wall as Flitter began to get up.

“Come on, you two! We’re friends!” Rainbow shouted, wincing in pain as she stood up. “Stop doing this!” She pleaded.

“Why should we do that, Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria?” Cloudchaser sneered.

“Friends? Funny word from somepony always so proud of being better then anypony else.” Flitter scoffed.

“What?! No… maybe that was me some time ago, but now anymore!” Rainbow protested.

“Oh please…” Cloudchaser said, swooping in and flying circles around her, causing Rainbow to get flung into the air. Before she could fall back down or take flight, however, Flitter shot at her and slammed her in the chest with her forehooves.

“Rainbow Dash, bearer of Loyalty, big hero, awesome in all ways….” Flitter sneered, wrapping her forehooves around her and tossing her at Cloudchaser.

“But we know better, don’t we?” Cloudchaser asked, the lenses of her goggles glowing green again as she decked the pegasus in the face, sending her tumbling across the ground and into the crater. The pegasus landed atop a new storm cloud that began to form from it.

“Building your success stories on other ponies’ sweat and blood…” Flitter said, slamming down on the cloud and causing lightning to blast into Rainbow, but the charm deflected it off into random directions.

“It’s not like that… it was never… like that…” Rainbow muttered, struggling to stand.

“Then what is it, Rainbow Dash? Everypony knows that deep down you’re still an insecure filly who got bullied in flight school. All you think about is proving them wrong… regardless of what happens or who you use along the way!” Cloudchaser said with a laugh as she and Flitter flew towards her.

Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut. No. No. No. No. NO. She wouldn’t think about that. Not now. Not about those jerks from flight school, not about her mother, not any of those things! These were her friends! They’d never say these awful things! Fluttershy had it even worse then her in flight school, it prompted her to defend her. She was nothing if not loyal, right?

That’s why she came here, to help Cloudchaser and Flitter, because they were her friends, too!

Rainbow’s eyes snapped open and she slowly got up. “What am I proving by having gone through all this to make sure you two were okay? I could be doing a lot of other things right now, you know, but you two mattered enough for me to slow down. Sanctuary or not.” She said firmly, spreading her wings and grinning. “Now just try and catch me!” She said, zipping straight up and away from the astonished shadowbolt twins and swooping down at Cloudchaser, who had been closer to her. Before the shadowbolt could react, Rainbow slammed her into the cloud, causing lightning to electrocute them both, but due to the charm, Cloudchaser was subjected to double the punishment.

The shadowbolt screamed out in pain, Rainbow cringed as she did not like seeing her friend hurt but knew she had to do whatever it took to save Cloudchaser and her sister. “Cloudchaser. We’re both in Wonderbolts Academy! You saw what went on with me and Lightning Dust! I’ve changed a lot, don’t let Sombra tell you otherwise! I abandoned the record goal when several of us got feather flu because Cloudsdale still needed its water one way or another. And know what else? I’m not giving up till I’ve saved you and your sister from this!” She said firmly, slamming her hoof into the shadowbolt’s face and flinging her across the large cavern and into a wall, knocking her out. As Cloudchaser fell to the ground, black smoke rolled off of her, and the shadowbolt uniform was gone, leaving behind only the wild-maned, lilac pegasus that had been underneath it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Rainbow didn’t notice Flitter in time as the other shadowbolt struck her from behind and then flew circles around her, getting her caught in another vortex.

“You’ll pay for that, Rainbow Dash!” Flitter hissed angrily, flying straight up above her and hitting the pegasus as she spiraled upwards, and slamming her into the storm cloud below, causing more lightning to redirect off of Rainbow and strike the shadowbolt, sending her back upwards.

“Not today!” Rainbow said, recovering from the blow and striking back with two of her own hits, then wrapping her forehooves around Flitter and tossing her into the vortex, causing her to spiral upwards uncontrollably and get flung out the top, into the wall where her sister had crashed. Falling and tumbling across the ground, Flitter passed out as well, and black smoke rolled off her, and her uniform had vanished as well.

Landing on the cloud and taking a few breaths, Rainbow watched as the vortex dissipated. “Hey, girls, you alright?” Rainbow asked, looking over at Twilight, Applejack and Rarity.

“Some’un gimme the number’a that carriage…” Applejack muttered as she stood up. “Got this under wraps, Dash?” She asked, noticing Cloudchaser and Flitter unconscious.

“I think so.” Rainbow said as the large cloud and the distorted melody faded. “Hey, look!” She said, gesturing into the crater. Up above, light began to shine in through the entryways and into the crater’s center as the skies cleared, lighting the place up more. Down below in the crater was the fossilized remains of an ancient creature that had a serpentine body and a pair of large wings.

“This must be the quetzacoatl fossil.” Twilight said.

“Leave this to me.” Rainbow said, holding out the Harmony Stone again. The light shined brighter, and Rainbow felt herself drift off again…


A wonderbolt, flying through the sky at incredible speeds as a blue blur and sparks of lightning trailed behind her. As she landed on a cloud, she took off her mask, revealing the pink mare underneath who was maybe just a few years older then Rainbow now was.

Sitting there on the cloud she’d landed on was a blue stallion with a prismatic mane and tail, and a tiny filly with similar color to her mane and tail, though her coat was a cyan blue.

The mare nuzzled the filly, who hugged her in return.

“Best present ever, mommy!” The filly said.

Rainbow smiled a sad smile at the memory, the sound of the melody playing in the stone as the light in the cavern grew brighter for a moment. Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity, meanwhile, suddenly felt refreshed.

Cloudchaser and Flitter began to stir over in the other corner.

“Where am I…?” Cloudchaser asked.

“How did we…?” Flitter wondered, looking around. “Rainbow Dash? W-what’re you doing here?”

“Hey, you two okay?” Rainbow asked, walking over to them.

“Yeah, just a little groggy.” Cloudchaser said. “We were trying to figure out what was up with the weather and soon as we got to the cave it was like… just kind of a blur.” She said, rubbing the side of her head with her hoof.

Flitter’s eyes widened in horror as she got up. “Oh my gosh… Rainbow I’m SO sorry!” She said, tears welling up as memories of what had transpired after came to her.

“We didn’t mean any of it, Rainbow, we swear!” Cloudchaser insisted, the memories returning to her as well.

“Hey, everything’s cool now.” Rainbow said calmly. Admittedly, she wondered how they knew such personal secrets. Fluttershy was the only one out of her friends who knew most of those things given how long they’d known eachother. Did Sombra… somehow see into her mind? It sent a chill down her back to think about it. “Sombra was controlling you two so it’s not your fault.”

“Sombra?” Cloudchaser asked.

“We’ll explain on the way back.” Rarity said, letting out a sigh after. “I suppose I require another shower, though. I seem doomed to be instantaneously tarnished at every opportunity, don’t I?” She asked.

“The way things are on these kinda adventures, Rarity.” Applejack said with a laugh.

Flitter flapped her wings a few times and took to the air. “I think I’m good. You alright, sis?” She asked Cloudchaser.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. We probably need to get back to Appleloosa right away, let ‘em know everything’s alright.” Cloudchaser replied.

“Good idea, I’ll do a teleportation spell and get us back there right away!” Twilight said.

~

Reappearing in Appleloosa together, the four friends plus Cloudchaser and Flitter approached Braeburn’s home and Applejack gave it a crisp knock. Seconds later, Braeburn emerged from the doorway.

“Heya, cousin!” He said, much happier now. “The weather’s lookin’ mighty good now! An’ with the harvest all done we can get to makin’ our products again!”

“Good ta know, Brae!” Applejack said. “Well anyways, Cloudchaser an’ Flitter are alright, too.” The two pegasi waved from behind her.

“We’re gonna get on the way back to Ponyville, if that’s alright. Looks like our work here’s done.” Cloudchaser said.

“Well,” Braeburn said. “The train won’t be here till ‘nother hour, so if ya want maybe sit a spell an’ enjoy some apples from…”

“Here it comes…” Applejack said with a facehoof.

“Aaaaaaaaappleloosa!” Braeburn cheered, rearing back as he said it. “…On the house as a thanks for helpin’ us out earlier in keepin’ the weather back.”

“Hey, I did a good deal too.” Rainbow said. “So I think some Appleloosan cider’s an order.”

“Whatever ya say!” Braeburn replied with a smile, heading back inside. “Y’all come on in, we got plenty.”

~

“Catchya later Rainbow Dash!” Flitter said with a wave as she boarded the train.

“Best’a luck handling this Sombra jerk.” Cloudchaser said, waving also as she followed her sister on board.

“Thanks! We’ll all be back in town soon, hopefully.” Rainbow said with a smile. “Have a safe trip.”

“Will do!” Cloudchaser said with a laugh as the train’s whistle went off and its doors closed, taking the pegasi sisters back home.

“Well…” Rainbow said facing her friends. “Cloudchaser and Flitter are safe, Appleloosa’s safe, AND we got a sanctuary melody and cider out of it! Today turned out awesome!” The pegasus cheered.

“If ya say so, Dash.” Applejack said with a laugh.

“Well then, I suppose we should be on our way back to Bahamare. They have the ship route to Saddle Arabia.” Rarity said. “And I am so looking forward to sampling their silks…” She fawned.

“Well then, I suggest we get moving if we wanna reach the boat in time!” Twilight said.

~

From within a strange, deep place in Equestria, a blue unicorn's face was visible within a crystal ball standing before the queen of the changelings, eyeing her with suspicion. “Sombra has grown impatient, as has the Great and Power—” The unicorn began.

“I know, I KNOW” Chrysalis snarled at her fellow accomplice in the shadow king’s plans. “But he can be assured, this plan will go smoothly and we will soon move on to key players in this movement opposing him." She explained as she smiled darkly at the numerous changelings as they brought in several cocoons containing unconscious captives.

"...I intend to have what he promised me and my children no matter what...”