Foreward:
This is when Henry Anthony Courtler became my editor, so you should see improvement in grammar. Also, his character, Lunar Eclipse, is added to the story for plot reasons to be read about later.
Chapter 30: Eclipsed
Night had fallen over Equestria, and the Eastern desert with it's flowing dunes seemed restless. Restless, that is, save for the small group of six ponies that were trekking through the desert, leaving behind six sets of hoofprints in the still sand.
Dan led the group of mares as they walked along, his golden eyes glowing in the night, ever alert because of the warning of danger Zecora had given him prior to the beginning of their journey. Something about her words seemed eerily unsettling to him. Not only did Zecora know what he really was like Anasi, she seemed to know about everything that will happen before it happens, according to first-hoof experience from Twilight Sparkle.
His eyes were locked straight ahead onto a rock formation that stuck out from behind a large dune that flowed in front of it.
"There..." He pointed a hoof ahead. "That looks like a plausible place to hide an cave network..."
"I agree." Twilight said. "We should probably go check it out."
"It's the first thing we've seen besides this filthy sand in hours..." Rarity groaned in despair. "I say we head over there and look for some shade... Or water."
"Rarity..." Twilight rolled her eyes. "You seem to forget why we're out here... Rainbow Dash? Anansi?"
"What?" The exhausted fashion designer looked up suddenly, "Or right. Yes, yes. Rainbow Dash has been captured and we're getting her back..."
"Good job, Rarity!" Pinkie said as she bounced along. "You actually remembered everything this time!"
"As opposed to where an half an hour ago?" Twilight giggled. "When she said that it was Derpy that captured Rainbow Dash?"
Everypony chuckled, save for Dan and Applejack, who kept stone-faced the whole time.
"C'mon, everypony... This is serious!" Applejack barked. "One a' our friends is being held hostage and you ponies 'er joking?"
Dan smiled, though he still kept his eyes locked ahead. "Thanks, Applejack."
Applejack looked up slightly and smiled at the small vote of thanks that Dan had just given her. It was the first sign of emotion Dan had aimed her way since the Gala incident, and the cowpony again began to hope that their relationship as friends could be repaired.
As the group of ponies started climbing the dune hill in front of the rock plateau Ace had discovered, he suddenly held up a hoof, signalling them all to stop.
"What is it, Ace?" Fluttershy said, taking a few steps back and shuddering behind everypony, clearly scared out of her mind.
"I have a bad feeling..." Dan said simply.
Nopony questioned him. He slowly dropped down onto the sand and took on the closest thing he could get to a human going prone and climbed up to the top of the hill.
He peered over the top of the hill and scrutinized the rock formation carefully. It was a tall plateau, with a very wide top. Dan estimated that the surface of it was about the size of a football field on Earth at roughly 100 yards. Dan also observed a trail that led up in a zig-zag motion that led to the top of the plateau. He snarled. "It's recently used..." He thought.
He was right. Hoof-prints could be distinctly seen on the trail as it led upwards.
But what really caught Dan's attention was the small entrance of a cave.
A cave on the base of the rock formation; and standing halfway inside the save, standing guard, was a hooded figure with glowing eyes, holding a scimitar.
"Zebra..." He growled.
"Did we find 'um?" A loud Pinkie Pie barked from behind him.
This caused Dan to jump and tackle Pinkie pie backwards behind the dune, shoving a hoof onto her mouth.
"SHHHH!" He hissed as he carefully peered back over the edge of the dune.
The zebra guard was looking over in their direction, but only for a few brief seconds. Afterwards, he turned back to his normal post at the cave.
Dan laid back on the backside of the sand dune and heaved a heavy sigh of relief, wiping beads of sweat off of his forehead. "Whew..."
Pinkie Pie was smiling awkwardly, "Sorry, Ace..."
"It's okay..." Dan muttered. "But to answer your question, yes...we found them."
The remaining four mares slowly crawled up to where Dan and Pinkie were. Twilight took on a look of seriousness. "Okay, Ace. What's the plan?"
"What else would the plan be?" Dan narrowed his eyes. "The plan is we go in, get Rainbow Dash, and get out before, killing anything that gets in our way..." He growled and slammed his two front hooves together. "Those damn zebras are gonna pay!"
Twilight held up her front hooves in shock, "Whoa, whoa, Ace. Get serious for a second." She took put a hoof on his quivering shoulder. "I understand that you're angry, Ace. But how are we gonna kill them? Your weapons and armor are locked up in Canterlot, and I doubt the Princess would let you use them for something like this..."
Dan stared at her for a second, and then lowered his head, "Yeah, you're right... What was i thinking?"
"How about a stealthy approach?" Rarity suggested. "We go in, get the poor mare out of captivity, and get out before Anansi or anypony else knows we're there?"
"That's great, Rarity. But there's a flaw in your plan..." Dan narrowed his eyes. "Once they notice she's gone, they'll fly out in a storm looking for us. In a desert, we won't stand much of a chance at hiding from them, let alone fighting them off."
"Ace is right." Pinkie Pie said, an actual thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe we should just give up the Elements to them."
"What?" The group of friends hissed loudly.
"Are ya'll serious?" Applejack whispered audibly. "We can't go and do that!"
"He'll take over Equestria with their power!" Fluttershy said worriedly.
"Guys, we'll accomplish nothing by giving him the elements! Be reasonable!" Twilight retorted.
As the five friends argued in front of him, Dan gritted his teeth in frustration. "GUYS!" He hissed, causing them all to quiet down.
"Listen, the longer we sit out here chit-chattin' about what we could be doing, we could've already gone in and done something to get her out by now!" Dan's eye twitched again as the five friends sat and stared at the stallion. His sanity was beginning to crack just a little and he sighed and took in a deep breath. "Now, let's head back to Canterlot as quick as our hooves can carry us and grab the Elements and use them against him..."
"Fools! You don not need the physical elements of harmony! You already have them..." a voice reverberated around the group of ponies.
"What the-!" Dan hissed, looking over the edge of the dune to see if the guard had heard the mysterious voice boom around them, but the guard and since then returned to the inside of the cave.
Dan laid back down and heaved another sigh of relief before looking around and saying, "Who are you? Where are you? Just..." He shook his head in bewilderment. "What the buck is going on? Am I hearing things? Have I finally snapped!?" He grabbed his mane and pulled on it, shaking his head and trying to make sens of the situation.
"Yes..." The voice said sarcastically. "I am but a figment of your imagination..." The voice then let out a chuckle that echoed around the six ponies, sending chills down their spines.
"Twilight?" Dan looked over at her. "Any ideas as to what the freakin' hay is going on?"
She slowly shook her head. "No, I haven't read about anything like this..."
Dan lost it. "Ok! Show yourself, whoever you are!" He barked suddenly.
"I already have."
"What are you-" Dan froze when he saw the five friends staring at something behind him.
Dan slowly turned around and his eyes locked on black bracers with red lining of a tall, armor-clad stallion whose only recognizable features were his long, sleek face with honey-brown eyes, blood red mane, and a matching tail. As Dan looked up at the tall stallion's indifferent face, he gasped in shock. The stallion had a pair of large, feathery wings sticking out from his armor. But the clincher was that he had a unicorn horn as well.
"You're an...an..." Dan pointed up. "You're like Celestia and Luna. You're..."
"Alicorn." Twilight finished, staring up at the mysterious stallion.
"What?" He smiled. "Did you really think the Alicorn race was extinct? That the only ones left were your Princesses?"
"Well...yeah!" Dan said, standing up and feigning a fighting stance. "It was pretty much implied that Celestia and Luna were the only ones left after that war 30 years ago!"
"You're well read on your history for a pony who has just barely arrived about a month ago..." The Alicorn stallion smirked. "True enough, we are incredibly endangered. I am the last male of my race."
"Oh, the Princesses will love to know about you..." Rarity giggled. "Mr...?"
"Lunar Eclipse." He gave a quick and polite bow before continuing. "And the Princesses already know about me."
"How?" Dan cocked an eye.
Ha gazed down at them, his brown eyes suddenly blazing with fire. "I am a prince."
"Are you related to the Princesses?" Pinkie bounced excitedly.
"Pfff...don't be absurd..." Lunar Eclipse scoffed with a smile, "I am the prince of death."
The six ponies he stood over froze with fear. The chattering of Fluttershy's teeth could be heard over the slight howl of the desert wind. Dan was the first to recover and in between gritted teeth he shakily muttered, "Prince...of death?"
"Yes." The alicorn smiled. "I can give life just as easily as I can take it away."
"Think of me as Death on Earth, Dan..." Dan jumped a little at the sound of the alicorn's voice in his head.
"Something wrong, Ace?" Twilight asked, while still staring up in awe at the alicorn.
"N-nothing..."
"You know who I am? And you can that whole crazy in-my-head crap like Celestia?"
"What part of 'alicorn' do you not understand, Dan?" The alicorn smiled devilishly at him.
"Ok, Prince of Death..." Applejack said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that surrounded the ponies. "Are ya'll the one Zecora said was gonna help us?"
"Zecora, hmmm?" The alicorn pondered for a moment. "I don't think I know of such a pony with that name, as far I know."
"She's a zebra..." Dan muttered. "That explains it, right?"
"Well that certainly explains it. The zebra race is of a nation that is located thousands of miles away from Equestria. I may have been alive long enough to see this world change, but I'm not that much of a history buff." Lunar Eclipse smiled. "Now, down to business. As I said, you are all fools."
"Fools?" Rarity growled. "How are we fools?"
"Are you deaf?" He frowned slightly. "Did my voice not ring loud enough in your heads? You don't need the physical elements!"
"Well, now that you mention it..." Pinkie said, putting a hoof up to her chin in thought. "I did hear you say that!"
"No duh..." Twilight face-hooved, shaking her head.
"So, what can we do? Rainbow Dash is still trapped—" Dan started.
"Yes, yes..." The alicorn held up a hoof to stop him. "I am well aware of your predicament. More than aware." He turned and looked towards the cave. "Like I said, you are the Elements. The Elements are imbued within you. You do not need them physically to use their power."
"So what's the plan?" Dan asked. "I assume you have a plan, right?"
The alicorn looked taken-aback. "Plan? I have no plan." He smiled. "But I can start with this. Observe."
The six ponies watched, as the alicorn turned towards the cave entrance, where the zebra guard had reemerged. He narrowed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and his eyes started to glow red as he stared down the zebra guard. Dan's eyes widened in horror as the zebra guard just dropped down to the floor of the cave, dead.
"There..." Lunar Eclipse turned back to the six ponies. "See? Your problem with entering the cave is gone. Now hurry, Twilight!" He gestured his head towards the cave entrance. "Take the mares and storm the cave and get Rainbow Dash and the other prisoners out of there, before the zebras find that body!"
"Right!" Twilight sprang up to her hooves. "C'mon, everypony!"
As Twilight and the mares galloped off as fast as they could towards the cave entrance, Dan looked up at the alicorn dryly. "Didn't have a plan, huh?"
"I was, how you say on Earth, trolling." He grinned before he took on a face of overall seriousness. "Now c'mon! We're gonna go fight Anansi..."
The alicorn took off into the air towards the top of the plateau, leaving a shocked Dan on the ground. "What did you say?" He barked, taking off after him.
"We're going to go engage Anansi in combat!" Lunar Eclipse yelled back at Dan. "What part of that statement did you not understand?"
"What are you, nuts?" Dan shouted back, flying up beside him. "We can't just take him on!"
"Don't worry! I have a plan!" Lunar said, touching down on the plateau surface.
Dan landed next to him and cocked an eye, "Trolling?"
"No, I actually do have a plan this time..." The alicorn grinned.
"Well, well, well..." A familiar voice echoed across the plateau surface that made Dan's blood boil at the very sound of his voice.
"Anansi!" Dan barked and snarled at the zebra lord, who had been standing at some kind of an alter on the other side of the plateau with two of his zebra minions. They all wore their black cloaks and hoods, and Anansi was clad in his golden armor with his cloak.
"I thought you would come..." He grinned through the black of his hood. "However, I didn't know you'd bring such...formidable...back-up." He looked over at Lunar Eclipse, who stood staring at Anansi with a fiery glare.
"Anansi!" Lunar roared with a ferocity that surprised Dan, as he had talked with calmness and sincerity a few minutes ago. "Your welcome in Equestria has long since been overstayed! Princess Celestia banished you years ago, Anansi! You should have listened!"
Anansi cackled maniacally, "Well, I do not care what your Princess says, nor do I care where she banishes me!" He rose into the air, magic swirling around him, he eyes glowing fiercely. "I am the Lord of Zebras! Through the Elements of Harmony, I will rule Equestria! Now... hand them over..."
"Follow my lead..." The Prince of Death said in Dan's head.
"Have your way then, Anansi!" Lunar yelled. "Take them! Dan..." He gestured towards the two advancing zebra minions. "Give them up..."
Dan was glad he had been actor since his early childhood at this point. He then put on one of the best charades he had ever pulled in his entire life. "What? Lunar, no!"
"Do it, Dan!" The alicorn roared, but then he lowered his head and looked at the ground. "There's no other way..."
"But-"
"The princesses will handle the matter just...look, do you care about Rainbow Dash or not?" Lunar Eclipse barked suddenly.
Dan sighed and slowly walked towards the two advancing zebra minions. He stopped at about the middle of the plateau and started straight ahead at Anansi in between his two guards.
"Good little human, Dan..." Anansi cackled as he floated to the ground, the magic stopping. "Do not fear, you can have your mare-toy back in prime condition..."
Dan's eyes widened and he suddenly snarled. His acting was over. "What...what do you mean?"
"She can hardly be considered a normal denizen of this world anymore, can she?" Anansi cackled again. "After all, she did sleep with a human. Tell me, how does it feel, Dan?"
Dan's cheeks lit up with a blush, either at embarrassment that Lunar Eclipse was standing right there, or anger at Anansi calling Rainbow Dash a mare-toy.
"She's not..." Dan growled as the two zebra guards approached him. "A MARE-TOY!"
Lunar smiled. "And here we..." He waved his hoof in front of him. "Go."
Dan snapped. His golden eyes glowing intensely, he grabbed the guard to his right by the cloak and pulled him towards him, whirling around and slamming the zebra in the chin with his hind hooves.
Before the flying zebra could recover, Lunar Eclipse appeared in a puff of black smoke in his direction of flight, and impaled the flying zebra on his horn.
"What?" Anansi roared. "NO!"
As Lunar flung the dead zebra to the ground, the second guard dropped to the ground in fear as Dan's body glowed with golden energy. As the light disappeared, Dan reappeared, fully armored in his elemental armor, but this time with a helmet with spikes on it.
Before the second guard could jump up and attack Dan, the guard's throat was slashed open with both on Dan's scimitars. Blood spurted out of the zebra's throat like a fountain before he fell foward, dead.
"Good plan..." Dan muttered as he stared at the swords in his hooves.
"You FOOLS!" Anansi rose into the air again, the magic flowing so intensely that his cloak flew off, revealing his full set of golden exotic armor. Anansi had a generic zebra mohawk with a ponytail on the back on his head. He also had a single ear-ring on his left ear. "You honestly thought you could trick me!? You both will now pay the ultimate price!"
Dan scowled and turned to look at Lunar. "Great plan!"
"I know, right?" The alicorn gritted his teeth. "Get ready!"
"Now Rainbow Dash will die!" Anansi cackled. "You should not have deceived me, for now you will pay!"
"Sir!" Another zebra emerged from a cave entrance at the top of the plateau. "Rainbow Dash and the other prisoners have escaped!"
Anansi looked over sharply, "What! How did this happen!"
"The Elements of Harmony, milord! They fought through the cave and released them!"
Anansi looked over at Dan and the alicorn, who both smiled devilishly. "Your leverage is gone, Anansi!" Dan yelled, feigning a fighting stance. "Now we can settle this..."
Anansi scoffed, shooting the blast of magic at the zebra, who in a cry in pain was vaporized to a pile of dust.
"Impudent fools..." Anansi muttered. "Can't even contain one mare and a few stallions..."
Lunar Eclipse trotted up beside Dan and readied his horn, as it started to pulsate with magic. "Gonna just float there and talk? Or are you going to fight?"
Anansi jerked his head towards them and snarled, "This was your plan!"
"Yes! Contrary to popular belief, I had a plan!" The alicorn grinned, pawing the ground. "The plan has hense-forth been executed!"
"ARRRGH!" Anansi roared, hurling himself through the air at Dan and Lunar Eclipse.
"Here we go!" Dan yelled out as both he and the Prince of Death leaped up towards Anansi.