//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Rainbows of Light and Darkness // Story: The Rainbow (Dash) of Darkness // by Matthais Unidostres //------------------------------// Chapter 2: Rainbows of Light and Darkness Rainbow Dash took huge gasping breaths as she sat up in her bed, the sheets tightly wrapped around her rear legs, and the blanket thrown to the cloud floor. The pegasus reached over and touched her wing, stroking it gently, almost afraid to move it. Eventually, she worked up the courage to give it a flap. It worked perfectly, and there wasn't any pain. "I felt it," Rainbow Dash thought, ""I felt Ahuizotl twist it. I felt it snap. I felt the pain. Why did it feel so real?" Rainbow Dash ran her hoof through her mane, wincing as she recalled the evil touch of Ahuizotl's tail hand from the dream. She then rolled out of bed and carelessly threw the blanket back onto her bed. She splashed some water onto her face and washed her hair out before heading out into the world. The pegasus soon found herself at Sugar Cube Corner. She felt that a Crystal Berry Danish made from Crystal Berries imported from the Crystal Empire; the Cakes certainly knew that being friends with a Princess sure had it's perks; would be just what she needed to set her nerves straight. Just as she was about to open the door, Rainbow Dash was suddenly swept off her hooves as something big and fast shot out the door. Rainbow felt something scally hold onto her neck, which she could only assume was Spike. "PINKIE!!!" Spike shouted as he and the two mares rolled through town on a runaway party cannon. Pinkie Pie popped out of the barrel of the cannon and smiled at her two passengers. "Oh, hiya Dashie! I was just about to look for you! That saves time!" "Pinkie Pie, where are we going?" Rainbow Dash said as she looked around at all the shocked ponies they were passing. Spike was the one who answered, "The Princesses, I mean Celestia and Luna, want all of us to meet in the Friendship Council Room in Harmony Castle. It's really important." Spike looked up an gasped, "Pinkie, slow down! STOP!!!" Rainbow Dash let out a yell as they rapidly approached Twilight's new castle. The party cannon stopped at the open door and swung, sending Spike and Rainbow Dash flying. The cannon fired and launched a giggling Pinkie after them. The grand double doors to the Council Room were knocked open by the three bodies who slammed into it, who landed in an unruly heap in the doorway. Everypony else, including the Princesses, were already there and looked on at them in shock. "What is going on? Are you three alright?" Twilight asked in concerned. Rainbow Dash jumped up and attempted to play it cool as Spike glared at Pinkie Pie. The pink Earth Pony bounced over to her seat with and oblivious smile. "Hurry up, you guys!" Pinkie said cheerily. The two both went to their crystal thrones and focused their attention on Princess' Celestia and Luna. "Princesses. . .why have you called us together? Is something wrong?" Twilight asked. Celestia merely looked over to Luna and nodded. The Princess of the Night nodded back and spoke, "Rainbow Dash, this concerns a certain dream you had last night." Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash, who looked surprised, "My dream? That's it? What was so important about it?" Luna stepped over to the pegasus and said, "As Princess of the Night, I watch over the dreams of my subjects. However, I also posses the knowledge of dreams necessary to determine when a dream is a dream, and when it is something more. Just as Celestia had a vision of Lord Tirek's return, I believe you, Rainbow Dash, has also had a vision." "A vision. . ." Rainbow Dash said, but then her eyes widened in horror, "DARING DO!!!" Rainbow Dash jumped and took flight towards the door. However, Luna teleported in her path and held her still with her magic. "Stop!" Luna commanded with a stoned faced expression. "But-but we gotta go! Ahuizotl has Daring Do captured. He even broke her wing! She needs help!" Rainbow Dash said as she struggled against the force. "What the hay is going on?" Applejack asked. "Luna, Rainbow Dash, what are you talking about? What dream? What vision?" Twilight asked. "Rainbow Dash," Celestia said sternly, "If we are to save your friend, or all of Equestria, then you must calm down and listen to what we have to say. I know you want to hurry to her aid, but we all need to come together and understand what is happening, or else the scope of the danger will shatter many more lives. Now, do you promise to stop and listen before you go." Rainbow Dash looked down at the ground. "Fine. I don't really have a choice. As long as we don't waste any time." Luna studied Rainbow Dash for a moment, and then released her. The pegasus quickly returned to her chair, as Princess Luna walked over to the council chairs. "The vision Rainbow Dash received consisted of the creature Ahuizotl taking the pony Daring Do captive, and breaking the seal of a dark power." "Dark. . .power?" Rarity said nervously as she stole a glance at Spike. Spike understood the look perfectly. Rarity was remembering that time when the evil Inspiration Manifestation spell book corrupted her. "This dark power had been long since forgotten for thousands of years," Luna said, "We thought the seal would last forever, but it seems that was foolishness on our part." "What exactly is this dark power?" Twilight asked. "Sister," Luna said as she turned to Celestia. Celestia walked over to Luna, and the pair crossed their horns. Blue and golden magic combined and formed a large glowing sphere. The sphere of magic burst outward and filled the room. The light around them faded, revealing holographic surroundings that simulated a spherical underground chamber of stone. "What happened?" Fluttershy asked nervously as she backed up towards a wall. "This is like that potion I drank when those vines came out of the Everfree Forest," Twilight remarked. Suddenly, the door to the chamber opened, and in walked a brown hairy creature with batwings, his eyes filled with wonder. "Scorpan. . .Lord Tirek's good brother," Twilight said. "Yes indeed, Twilight," Celestia said, "This was not long after Tirek was first banished to Tartarus. He discovered this temple in the Badlands, and came across those." Celestia pointed to the other end of the chamber, where two pedestals stood. On the right pedestal lay a red locket. On the left pedestal lay a brown cloth bag the pulsated rhythmically, as if it were a beating heart. "Within those objects lie two of the most powerful forces in Equestria. Powerful prototypes of the Tree of Harmony. Leftover residual energy from Creation. Forces that not even your Rainbow Power could match. The Rainbows of Light and Darkness," Celestia said gravely. Scorpan approached the two pedestals, still amazed at what he was seeing. "They exist. . .and I feel their power. . ." Scorpan said breathlessly, "And I found them. . .but. . .if I could fine them. . .others could. They could hide away the Rainbow of Light, and take control of the Rainbow of Darkness, and doom the world." Scorpan clenched his fists and said, "Something has to be done. I need to seal the Rainbow of Darkness away more securely, and make sure that the Rainbow of Light is hidden in such a way that it would always be ready to be used against evil. This needs to be done. . ." Suddenly, swirling wind filled the room, and mist obscured everpony's view. The mist and wind quickly faded, and Scorpan was standing next to a bearded, robed unicorn stallion. Twilight gasped in surprised. Spike pointed, "Is that. . .Starswirl the Bearded?" he asked. Twilight nodded. "As you can see, Scorpan enlisted the help of Starswirl the Bearded to create a seal to lock the Rainbow of Darkness away," Celestia explained. In a circle of glowing ruins, the bag containing the Rainbow Darkness lay on the ground. Chanting an ancient incantation, Starswirl raised his hooves as his horn lit up and showered sparks over the room. The runes on the ground formed a glowing disk and rose out of the ground, carrying the Rainbow of Darkness along with it. The disk flipped, forming a solid sphere of light, and blowed with great force into the ground. Light streamed out of the ground as the earth shook and the sphere was dragged down deep into the depths of the earth. Then, with a final burst of light, a dome of solid crystal appeared, sealing the hole shut. "Let this be forever known as 'Scopran's Seal of Starswirl!'" the unicorn wizard declared. With a flash of light, everyone was back in the Council Room. "That was. . .incredible! Starswirl had so much power!" Twilight gasped in delight. "Um. . .what about the Rainbow of Light?" Fluttershy asked with a raised hoof. Celestia shook her head, "We don't know. Although Starswirl and Scorpan told us about the temple and the Rainbow of Darkness, he refused to tell us what he did with the Rainbow of Light. He felt that such a power should remain hidden, and only be used when it is needed. Although he promised that when the time arose, it's power would answer the call of it's own volition." "But I highly doubt we should idly wait for that time," Luna said frustratedly, "Luckily we had the Elements of Harmony to defend Equestria, although I still see it as foolishness for them to have hidden such a great power from us." "So Ahuizotl wants the Rainbow of Darkness," Rainbow Dash said furiously. "Indeed," Celestia said, "Such a power in the hands of anyone would result in certain doom and destruction for Equestria. Which is why you must go to that temple and use your Rainbow Powers to renew the Seal so that the Rainbow of Darkness can continue to be sealed away." "We have to go! Right now!" Rainbow Dash said as she jumped into the air, her wings beating rapidly. ""Dash, wait! We don't even know where to go!" Twilight sad. "Not to worry, Twilight. We know exactly where the temple is," Celestia said. "We must go! Posthaste!" Luna said. Celestia and Luna flew into the air above Spike and the Mane Six. "Follow us!" they shouted. "Alright everypony. Let's show Ahuizotl the cost of practicing disharmony and evil," Twilight said. The Mane six put their hooves together as the Rainbow Power bloomed up around them. In a brilliant flash, the six ponies stood proudly in their glorified super forms. Spike quickly jumped on Twilight's back as they all rose off of the ground and out of the castle. They all followed close behind Celestia and Luna at a breakneck pace towards the Badlands. "Hang on, Daring Do! We're coming to save you!" Rainbow Dash shouted as the group flew off into the distance.