Rain without Rainbows
!Disclaimer!: Since it’s proven that Hasbro is legitimately taking down the episodes, there is NO way I’m gonna claim ownership over their product. In the interest of letting me continue to write, I say they can keep their rights – and the same goes for the Hub, Studio B, and the creative minds of Faust and Theisson.
As always, welcome back to this growing epic of a story. I won’t lie to you, this is where things are gonna get more complex. Recounting the last chapter, we took part in a lecture-turned-conference led by our lovable Luna, who revealed a number of disturbing truths and opinions. The suggested plan for her and her allies is to find the estranged pegasus, Rainbow Dash.
This chapter picks up the following day, and will follow the tasks of several ponies as they are divided. Without the mediation of their other friends, there’s nothing to stop a few more truths from emerging, whether they like those truths or not.
ACT II- The Pariah
Chapter 7: Blame Where Blame is Due
At the insistence of Luna, Twilight had retired to her bed shortly before sundown. Though she managed to sleep, it could not be said that she rested - her mind was plagued with phantoms. Images of magic running free, pegasi flying high in the air, blasts of lightning and thunder, waves of white lines bringing ruin to homes, and the saturated image of her rainbow-maned friend all faded in and out of her mind’s eye.
She awoke the following morning before the sun had been raised. A fresh headache ate at her temples and drove her from her slumber. As she opened her eyes, she noticed two things. The first was that the incessant growling of the captured magic had quieted, and the guards outside were relieved in that fact. The second was that there was a steady supply of noises reaching her ears from the library below, such as the turning of a page or the clink of a glass.
Twilight sat up in her bed, allowing her comforter to pool around her hind legs. The entire library was dark save for a gentle glow of a lantern from the first floor. Luna had remained awake through the night, vigilant to remain one step ahead of her faceless enemy. The sound of her toil was soft yet constant.
‘I guess being an embodiment of the night makes staying up all night a non-issue,’ Twilight thought in a rare moment of wit.
Forcing herself to ignore her headache, Twilight made her bed and started down the stairs. The sound of her descent reached Luna, but she was so engrossed with her studies that she did not notice. The unicorn was startled at the sight - surrounding the moon princess were stacks of books, several thicker than the standard encyclopedia. Luna had three such books open, and was reading through them all at once, cross-referencing the information contained in each. Towers of awaiting books stood nearby, arranged by subject matter, while exhausted tomes were tossed carelessly into various piles.
‘I...think I’ve met somepony who loves books more than I do!’
Pushing her thoughts aside, Twilight stepped forward. “Princess?” she called.
Luna’s head jerked a little. Not expecting the sound, she was startled. “Oh, good morning, Twilight Sparkle. How do you feel?”
“Good enough. Didn’t get much rest though.”
“What about after what happened yesterday?”
A memory flashed in Twilight’s mind. She saw the dark orb again, saw it rushing to meet her, felt it covering her in a pulsing cage, and remembered the feeling as her strength and willpower left her. The memory caused a shudder to run up her spine.
Her mouth suddenly dry, Twilight lied. “I’m okay.”
The lavender bibliophile took a moment to admire the towers of knowledge that were arranged on the floor. She trotted up to one stack near the staircase, noting that nearly every book was from the same pair of authors - clearly a valued partnership to have written so many works. Farther away was a tower containing matters related to telekinesis, ranging from tiny leaflets to veritable bibles on the subject.
Twilight stopped in front of a third stack, this one containing books she had never seen before. Not even in her stock. “Where did these come from? They look complicated.”
“I’ve been having small teams bring books I’ve requested here from the Royal Library,” Luna explained, not once looking up from her work. “Some of those haven’t been touched since the time of Starswirl the Bearded, so I hope the information isn’t too outdated.”
Twilight raised her eyebrows in appreciation. She tilted her head to better read the names on the spines of the books. “Governing Laws of Magic...Pillar of Existence...Unknowable Divinations? What are these books for?”
“Discounting the impossible, I hope.”
“The impossible?”
“Correct,” the princess replied, turning the pages of her three books at the same time. “Make no mistake, I find myself with a lot of unpredictable questions regarding your friend. I’m going through them one by one, gathering as many answers as I can, so that I won’t make any mistakes.”
Nodding, Twilight sat down and picked up a book that had been tossed aside. “Outlying Provinces. This doesn’t look like it deals with magic...it’s written like a geography text.”
“That’s exactly what it is.”
“What would geography have to do with that dark magic or Rainbow Dash?”
Luna cleared her throat, finally looking up from her triple-reading. Twilight noticed that her eyes were partially glazed, yet still alive with a fire of duty. “From I can gather, telekinesis is a type of magic that’s centered around Equestria. It’s highly probable that other magics are studied in other countries beyond our border. That’s what these are for.”
Luna wrapped her magic around her three open books, lifting them from the ground. She presented their covers to the unicorn before her, who noticed they all had to do with the history and culture of separate lands.
“If I can find a country that studies magic, then I can narrow down the possibilities of where this magic came from, like these three. Each has their own study of magic, and each magic has its own characteristics. Sadly, most of them seem to focus on different divinations and mysticism, so I’m not making much headway.”
Twilight blinked. That’s the second time the word had come up. “Divinations?”
“Such as necromancy.”
Twilight blinked again. She thought about asking what on earth necromancy was, but thought better of it. “Ahh...s-so what kind of progress have we made?”
Luna let out an exasperated sigh. “Nothing. None of these books seem to tell me anything about magic that can absorb other magic. They even make no mention of binding magic, almost like it doesn’t exist - when I know from experience that’s untrue.”
She released her magic, letting the books crumple to the floor. With a huff of frustration, Luna rested her head on her haunches, eyes closing.
“This is all becoming one big wild moose chase,” she muttered bitterly.
“Goose,” Twilight corrected.
“I beg your pardon?”
“It’s ‘goose,’ princess. Wild ‘goose’ chase.”
Luna let out a loud moan of contempt. “That’s just silly. Moose are easier to chase than geese.”
Twilight couldn’t suppress a giggle.
“What’s so funny, Twilight Sparkle?”
“Oh, uh...nothing, don’t worry about it.”
The two sat in silence for a while, Twilight taking the time to sift through some of the Canterlot books that Luna had requested while the latter rested her eyes. After ten minutes spent in the silence, Twilight asked the question that had been nagging her since the previous afternoon.
“Princess Luna?”
“Mmm?” she moaned, not bothering to open her eyes.
“I was hoping you could tell me about binding magic.”
Luna didn’t immediately respond. She remained still, not breathing a word, to the point that Twilight began to fear that she had offended her. She bit her lip, starting to worry. Finally, the moon regent spoke.
“You should know, first and foremost, to never attempt it.”
Luna opened her eyes, fixing them squarely on the unicorn. The glaze that Twilight had noticed before was gone, replaced with a hint of steel that dared her to argue. The power of the stare made her uncomfortable.
“Binding and unraveling spells are forbidden in nearly all magic communities. It’s considered unnatural, and there have been many cases where a pony who was bound to magic - any type of magic - would, frankly, lose their mind. Removing the magic from the bound pony is even more dangerous, since the magic can easily take away the pony’s life force.”
The princess rose to her hooves, calmly staring at Twilight. She moved around the stacks of books, circling the unicorn. In the dim light of the nearby lantern, she appeared spectral, moving in and out of sight.
“It’s not limited to ponies, either. Magic can be bound to anything you desire - stones, trees, buildings, other creatures, it matters not. But each time you try to bind, you incite a great deal of risk. It’s very rare for the new host to the magic to remain unharmed, regardless of the amount of magic bound. The mere act of binding scars their very being.
“But the greatest danger is not to the pony being fused to the magic. It’s to the pony doing the fusing. In order to properly bind magic to somepony, you would need a great deal of comprehension of your spell, and even the nature of magic itself. It won’t do to simply know what spell to cast - if you are not absolutely confident in your skill, then you will destroy yourself.”
Luna stood behind the librarian, who found herself shivering despite the warmth of early autumn. Twilight turned her head to get a glance at the princess, but to no avail - she had begun moving again, speaking lower, as though passing on a dark secret.
“The reason binding magic is considered a forbidden art is because of the implications it presents to the spell’s caster. As I said, to cast the bind properly would require a great deal of knowledge; the most intricate fusions are done by using one’s own body and soul as material.”
Something broke through Twilight’s calm. “What?!?” she shouted, standing up and turning in one fluid motion.
“Yes,” Luna continued, unfazed. She moved on, away from the lantern light - her form disappeared into shadow. “The best-laid bindings are held by leaving a part of yourself behind in your subject. Without it, you might as well be casting any standard spell, one that will wear off given time or stress. The allure to binding magic to somepony is its resilience. By imparting a piece of yourself onto another, you can effectively outlast the hardships of everyday life.”
Suddenly, Twilight’s headache became much more pronounced. She held a hoof against her forehead, trying to sort out her thoughts. “Wait, just wait,” she pleaded.
“Very well.”
The unicorn and the alicorn stood in a thoughtful silence for several minutes, during which time Twilight groaned aloud or murmured something beneath her breath. The logical part of her mind fiercely argued against all that she had just heard, while the more magically-inclined portion stayed demure and hopelessly optimistic. To put an image to it, her mind was a cliff against a sea; relentless waves of “can’t-be-done’s” crashed against solid walls of “what-if’s.”
After suffering the turmoil for another minute, Twilight finally managed to get a hold of her thoughts. “Okay, okay, why would anyone want to impart a...piece of their soul onto somepony else?”
“Remember what I said before. Unraveling magic that was previously bound to a pony is very risky, because the magic can leave with some of the pony’s own life force. That’s the reward that some sorcerers have sought from their spells - the chance to steal another’s strength. When the magic returns to the caster, that natural energy of the host’s life has only one place to go.”
“Back into the pony who bound the magic,” Twilight concluded. “But that all sounds...morbid.”
“Indeed,” Luna agreed. “That’s why it’s considered a forbidden art. Stealing one pony’s life to empower your own is against the laws of nature.”
“Yes, but binding a part of your own soul onto somepony? How...can that be possible?”
The night princess walked on, once again fading into the shadows that the lantern light couldn’t reach. “That’s the great mystery, isn’t it? For wielders of magic like you or I, such a feat is simply impossible. Our magic allows us to manipulate material things and affect physical bodies; nothing so complex as the soul. That’s why I’m so certain there’s another type of magic at work, one that behaves differently than telekinesis.”
A field of navy magic sparked to life around Unknowable Divinations, and the book rose soundlessly. It floated near the lantern, where Luna stepped out of the shadows. The book opened with the rapid-fire fwishfwishfwish of the pages until she paused to look at one of them.
“Here,” she called, floating the text toward Twilight. “You can see it, can’t you?”
With a moment to hesitate, Twilight took the book into her own magic - the corona of navy faded to violet. She looked on the page, which had been earmarked sometime before. On the marked page was an artist’s rendering of one of the many ‘unknowable’ divines the author had encountered. The mere sight of it caused her heart to beat a little faster.
On the page, drawn in explicit detail, was a bulbous orb of dark magic. It floated barely a foot off the ground, and thin lines of white flowed down the mass in a mesmerizing dance. Behind the orb, a shadow of a unicorn was seen casting the magic, feeding a steady stream of power into it. Beneath the drawing, a caption had been written.
“‘Unidentified siphon spell,’” Twilight read. “‘Unidentified,’ huh. That doesn’t help us much.”
Luna nodded. “It proves that this magic we have trapped exists, but nothing else. There’s no actual information contained that we don’t already know. But no other spell listed seemed similar, least of all like this one.”
Twilight lowered the book, looking at the princess over the hard cover. “Do you think this kind of magic would be able to be bound? I mean, with the caster’s soul as material.”
“Ah,” the alicorn began. She grinned a little, proud despite herself. “Of that, I am certain. The mere fact that I was able to bind some of the magic outside to Rarity proves it. Were it not, then the magic would have dissipated as soon as I tried to bind.”
Something clicked within Twilight. A sudden unsettling came over her; not a lot, just enough for discomfort. “Hold on...I thought you told me that binding magic was forbidden?”
“That’s right, I did,” Luna replied. She turned her head to one side, concerned. “Why?”
“Princess, how is it that you know how to bind?”
For the second time that morning, Luna did not immediately respond. To Twilight’s continued surprise, she seemed to shy away, lowering her gaze as though ashamed. For a long minute, Luna remained silent, contemplating something that Twilight couldn’t read on her face.
Finally, the moon regent looked up. “I told you...I know from experience...did I not?”
Another moment of silence befell them, allowing Twilight to chew on the evasive answer.
“As I’ve said, magic can be fused to other things instead of ponies...such as stones, or trees. Like the trees within the Everfree Forest, where they can be malformed into horrible designs.”
Realization settled over the lavender unicorn. ‘Her time as Nightmare Moon...’
Luna nodded, having seen the understanding behind Twilight’s eyes. “While I’m by no means proud of what...what I did, I can’t say that I’ve forgotten. I retain all of the knowledge from my time as Nightmare, but no longer have all of the power to bind as well as I have in the past. Not that I want to anymore, mind you, but my knowledge helps me find the facts...or at least discount the impossible.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them, thick and heavy as sin. Luna held her gaze on the flickering lantern, lost in thoughts of her past sins. Twilight, meanwhile, couldn’t look at her, embarrassed as she was at having brought up such a sour subject. For a long while, the two of them remained still, letting the unhappy memories flit about.
Finally, another question crashed through Twilight’s mind like a stone through a web. She gingerly placed the book she was holding back on its perch nearby. “What about...” She trailed off, cleared her throat, and began again. “What about the pony to whom the magic was bound? What kind of risks would they face?”
Luna’s head snapped up, suddenly alarmed. It seemed she had not been expecting the question, or at least not yet. She didn’t answer, instead merely looking at Twilight through eyes dancing with unspoken words.
“Princess Luna?” the unicorn prompted. “If it’s true that this dark magic has been bound to Rainbow Dash, then what dangers is she facing?”
The alicorn’s mouth opened once, twice, both times only a dry sound coming through. Finally, Luna tore her gaze away, slumped down in front of her three open books on the floor, and wouldn’t look at Twilight again.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed on instinct - the silence worried her. “Princess?” she prodded.
“Some questions are best left unanswered, Twilight Sparkle.”
The reply caused Twilight’s breath to catch in her throat. As before, more questions began to spawn in her mind, more stones piling up higher and higher. She stared at Luna’s prone form, who didn’t not return the stare. The unicorn called out once more, hoping for an answer. None came - the princess of the night remained as silent as the night.
Eventually, Twilight gave in. She turned her head toward the library’s window, where the first rays of sunlight breached the dim room. She noticed that, while any normal day would have morning activity outside her door, today the town was still. A painful reminder of the situation she was in.
Conceding defeat, she reached out with her magic toward Unknowable Divinations once more. She sat across from the princess, opened to the page she had marked, and stared at the drawing of the siphon spell. Even on paper, it gave her a chill that had nothing to do with the early-morning cold.
There was a very distinct pressure along Applejack’s backside as she navigated the Everfree trail. The pressure seemed to shift every time she moved, bringing with it dull feelings of pain. The fact that the trail was winding upward and grew progressively muddier didn’t help, and she constantly found herself slipping on a moist patch or loose stone.
“Rarity,” she called, blowing her hair out of her face. “You know Ah haul apple carts, right?”
“Yes, of course,” a voice near her replied.
“And you know that you ain’t no apple cart, right?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure of that fact. And I hope you’re not implying what I think you are.”
Applejack let out a grunt, coming to a halt. The pressure on her back was growing too much. “That’s right, Ah’m implyin’ that yer an apple cart. Ya got me.”
Rarity huffed. “Oh, really, Applejack! What an awful thing to say! You know full well that I am not a tacky, run-down apple cart!”
The farm pony twisted her head, gazing upward. “Then would ya kindly prove that by gettin’ offa me and walkin’ on yer own?”
Rarity, who had been the culprit behind Applejack’s back pain, turned her nose. “You can’t be serious. Do you honestly expect ME to track my beautiful hooves through this horrible, disgusting mud path? I am quite content here, thank you. Now if you don’t mind, you can continue walking.”
Before Rarity could react, she found herself suddenly without support. In a comical moment where she had time to blink, she noticed that the ground was rising to meet her, bringing with it promises of a sullied coat. For a moment, it even seemed to smile. She landed on all fours where the smile was, shrieking until her lungs were empty. The splash of mud and fallen twigs coated her hooves, utterly ruining her otherwise perfect hike through the forest.
Applejack couldn’t help but smile as she recovered herself. It had been a long time since she had bucked another pony off of her back. “Ah don’t mind at all, honey. Try to keep up, won’t ya?”
The white unicorn gazed at one hoof, mortified. “H-how could you? I was relying on you, Applejack!”
“An’ Ah’m relyin’ on you to lead us outta here before it gets dark!” she countered. “Now if ya don’t mind, you can continue walkin’.”
After a moment spent fuming and ruing the existence of mud, Rarity began her arduous trek through the horrible, disgusting mud path that just barely rose past the cleft of her hooves. She passed her companion, making sure to huff loudly.
Applejack gave a light sigh, shaking her head. The entire journey had been on and off like this since the two of them had left Ponyville the day before. When Rarity lead them down dry stone roads, all was well. But when she came across paths covered in rubbish, there was simply no end to her complaining. This was not the first time that Applejack had forced her off of a free ride - though, admittedly, the other landings weren’t nearly as satisfying.
The tracking magic, augmented with Luna’s binding, was gently leading them through the forest. As luck would have it, the journey had been well-lit and free of encounters. Since beginning their search again this morning, Applejack had begun to hope that they were making good progress; they had passed the forest’s central river only an hour hence.
As the amusing moment of free rides and bucking-off faded, an easy silence fell over the two friends. Not a perfect silence - the sound of their hooves broke the air constantly, and every so often, Rarity would stop as she considered her tracking spell. She held a nasty habit of groaning aloud as she tried to pinpoint the direction she was being pulled.
Applejack was grateful for the calm. As she followed the white unicorn on the shaded path, she was able to focus more on her thoughts, which had become understandably active of late.
‘Ah can’t help but wonder how Rainbow is doin’ after all this time,’ she mused. ‘The stubborn little bucker Ah know wouldn’t let anythin’ keep her down fer long...but it has been a long time since she flew off. She was in no right state when she upped and left, after all.’
The draft mare shifted her saddlebags, wresting comfort from their deadweight. ‘Ah hope she hasn’t forgotten about us.’
Ahead of her, Rarity had stopped. She was looking through a break in the trees, down a separate path than what she was following. Applejack caught up. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“You remember this place, don’t you?”
Following the fashionista’s gaze, Applejack looked down the second path. It led directly to a steep cliff, with another standing proudly several yards further. Connecting the two lips was a simple, but sturdy, rope bridge. Beyond the bridge rested a dilapidated structure, built for royalty, but victimized by nature. It was the abandoned castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, before they settled Canterlot.
The sight caused memories to flash in both friends’ minds, most notably of their struggle against the alicorn of Nightmare five years ago. Among those memories, however, stood another one, which had particular impact on the bridge. As they gazed upon the bridge, and the cliff on the far side, both ponies remembered the test of Loyalty that their estranged friend had overcome at this very location.
As though knowing their thoughts, Applejack heard her old friend’s voice on the air. It called from the direction of the bridge, bringing a sense of reassurance. “You see? I’d never abandon my friends.” The farm mare knew, of course, she had imagined the voice, but it brought a grin to her face all the same.
Next to her, Rarity released a quiet huff. “She certainly has fallen a long way, hasn’t she?”
Applejack stood silent for a moment, not at all expecting the question. Finally she turned her gaze to meet the speaker. “What do ya mean?”
“I mean Rainbow Dash. When she stood up to temptation the way she did five years ago, I could not have been prouder of her. She saw her dream of being the best flier in Equestria standing before her, and she chose us instead.”
“Yup, Ah was proud of her too. That night was one of her best moments, Ah bet.”
Rarity nodded, and turned away. “And she’s fallen from that grace.”
As the comment settled into Applejack’s understanding, the forest seemed to grow quiet. She turned as well, shock showing on her face. “An’ just whaddya mean by that?”
“Oh, Applejack, can’t you see? If Rainbow Dash truly is guilty of sending that dark magic against us, then she’s no longer deserving of our pride.”
An icy focus grew at the front of the earth pony’s mind, like a lead bit being pulled forward. She ran up to Rarity’s side, turning to meet her gaze.
“Are you sayin’ that you think Rainbow actually meant to hurt us? To hurt Twilight?”
Without breaking trot, the unicorn replied quietly. “Yes.”
“Wha...how can you think that, Rarity? She’s still yer friend, ain’t she?”
“She’s a friend none of us have seen in four years. A lot can happen in that time, Applejack...ponies can change.”
The two continued on their path, leading away from the cliff and the castle. The rising tension made both ponies walk a little faster, feeling an inexplicable need to better each other. “There’s no way Rainbow would change enough to actually want her friends hurt! You know her better’n that, don’t ya?”
“And what if the Rainbow we know isn’t the Rainbow we’re trying to find, Applejack?”
The focus in Applejack’s mind shifted, no longer icy - it began to burn. “Why don’chya quit asking me meaningless questions and tell me what’s on yer mind, prissy-hooves.”
The insult jabbed Rarity and caused her face to flush, but to her credit, she held her calm. “Hmph. I’ve been thinking over all that has happened - this haphazard search, the attack on our home, even the incident four years ago. Nothing like this has happened before, you know.”
“Do you have a point?”
Rarity stopped, looking at her companion through eyes turned razors. “My point is, I don’t believe Rainbow Dash simply ‘stumbled’ into being bound to that dark magic. I think she wanted it.”
For a moment, Applejack was at a loss. When she finally found words, they were broken. “Wh-what? But then...then yer sayin’ that she wanted the Wonderbolts to be killed?”
“That’s right.”
Before Rarity could react, Applejack had rushed forward and pinned her violently against the trunk of a nearby tree, her foreleg pressing against the unicorn’s neck. She yelped in surprise, struggling against the fierce hold. The sudden attack broke her magic, and her corona of power faded from view.
The unicorn looked into the eyes of Applejack, which had narrowed to dots of rage. They flickered, as though there were a fire behind them. Rarity swallowed, feeling the movement bounce against the earth pony’s tense leg..
“Now, now, Applejack...let’s calm down, shall we?”
Applejack snorted. “You insult the memory of mah friend, accuse her of murderin’ her idols, and claim she wanted to have Twi killed, then expect me to calm down?”
“Let me go, Applejack.”
“Why are you here, then? If you really think all this is just a waste o’ time, why are you tryin’ to find her with me?”
Rarity coughed - the pressure was getting to be too much. “Let me go.”
“Or are ya just doin’ this to rub up to the Princess? Score some points with the royalty, so you can move up to Canterlot an’ forget about th’ rest of us?”
“Let me go, Applejack!” She began to wheeze. “Let...let go!”
A burst of light shone from Rarity’s horn, spreading along the forest trail. The radiance blinded the earth pony, who moved backward on instinct, releasing her hold on the unicorn she was so angry with. Taking several steps back and finally sinking to her stomach, Applejack grunted and rubbed her eyes to ease the incredible pain away.
Rarity fell to one knee, sputtering as her lungs greedily drank up air. She called back her magic, and the blinding light receded as quickly as it had emerged. With a cough, she half-spoke, half-shouted to the farm mare.
“I’m not...I’m not trying to get away from Ponyville, Applejack! And I’m not trying to impress anyone, either! The whole reason I’m searching with you is for Ponyville!”
Applejack’s movements slowed, more deliberate now as she listened to her companion’s words. She tried to open her eyes, but her retinas still burned with the flash of light.
“Don’t mistake me for not...for not caring about Rainbow Dash. If that magic is from her, then that’s one thing. But the fact is that the magic attacked us - it attacked Ponyville! It nearly killed Twilight, you know...and I couldn’t stop it! It matched my power! I was forced to stand there and watch as it tortured her! Can you imagine how mortifying that is?
“That magic, whatever it is, is a worse enemy than anything we’ve faced before. Nightmare Moon only tried to keep the Elements of Harmony away from us, and even Discord did nothing more than reverse our priorities. This time, we’re up against something than can kill us, Applejack. And more and more, that magic seems like the exact same one that killed the Wonderbolts.”
Applejack, finally regaining sight, managed to speak. “But then, why are you insulting Rainbow’s memory like this?”
“Because that’s all she is to us right now, Applejack. A memory - she hasn’t been seen or heard from in four years. I can’t put my reasons into a memory of what we’ve lost; I need something more real. That’s why I’m searching for her with you...because it’s the best way to help our home and keep our remaining friends protected. Your reason for this search is for the friend you had, while my reason is for the home we still have,” she explained. The pain in her neck subsided, and she stood up. A part of her noticed all the mud and loose leaves that were sticking to her coat, but she chose to leave them, to ignore them.
“That’s still no reason to go on spreadin’ lies about her, Rarity.” Applejack blinked away the dazzling white that lingered in her eyes, finally rising to all fours. She stepped closer, slowly, no longer seeking to assert herself through sheer force. “Why would you say you think she wanted the Wonderbolts to die? That’s no small thing to say, y’know.”
Rarity sighed. “After all the facts are in place, I just can’t help but feel that way.”
“Now that’s just not fair.”
The white unicorn remained still, not expecting such a response. “What do you mean?”
With a snort, Applejack explained. “You say yer considerin’ all the facts, right? Well, I don’t think we even have all the facts jus’ yet. The most we have to go on is what Spitfire managed to make everypony believe - that Rainbow is to blame for what happened at the tryouts. An’ it’s easy to believe the victim, especially Spitfire.
“But for land sake’s, Rarity, there ain’t a lotta facts to begin with. Didn’t you notice that Luna kept sayin’ she ‘believes’ what’s goin’ on, instead of she knows? Nopony knows what’s goin’ on, because nopony has all the facts. At some point, you gotta understand that.”
She stood a foot away from Rarity, looking at her squarely in the eye. The tension between them was still present, but it had changed - no longer hot and fierce, it now remained still but firm.
“With that in mind, missy, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t go on telling what Spitfire believes like it’s the gospeled truth. If you wanna stick to the facts, then fine. Just don’t go accusin’ Rainbow of murder, alright? I just...I can’t stand the thought of it.”
Rarity remained silent for a moment, surprised to see her friend behave so pleadingly. A soft wind kicked up, prompting a gentle breeze to sweep over them. Both ponies simply stared at one another, unsure of what to do.
Finally, Rarity forced her gaze down. She cleared her throat, already tasting her pride that she was about to swallow. “You’re right. I suppose we don’t have all the facts yet...and it isn’t fair for me to cast Rainbow in such a bad light when we don’t know the whole truth. My apologies.”
The tension between them lifted like a depressed spring unwinding. It didn’t completely leave them, but the lessened presence lifted their spirits considerably. “Yeah...an’ listen, Ah’m sorry about...about hurtin’ ya like that. Ah got carried away.”
“Don’t worry about it, my dear,” Rarity replied. “As I said...ponies can change in four years. I don’t blame you.”
“Yeah. Come on, let’s get a move on. We still headin’ this way?”
“That’s right.”
The two friends began walking down the path once more, picking up their pace as Rarity’s spell led them. They left the spot of their scuffle behind them, where the evidence of their disagreement could still be seen in the shifted mud and broken pieces of bark. They left it behind for what it was - just another unhappy memory, surrounded by the dark and the damp.
However, their unwanted memory was seen by another. One who watched the spectacle with great amusement. Behind where they stood, hidden perfectly in the wilderness, a pair of watchful red orbs shone with sadistic contempt. A flicker of hidden laughter flashed behind them, pleased to have seen such a grand display of the changing world.
Truly, Loyalty was gone from the world.
Ponyville was no longer quiet. As noon approached, the malicious orb of black began its struggle against the encapsulating magic that held it down. Alongside the struggles came its trademark growls, which seemed to vibrate off every building nearby. The sound reverberated in the minds of any pony unfortunate enough to be nearby, leaving a deep ringing in their ears that they felt, but didn’t really know was there.
Princess Luna had departed the library to aid her Canterlot mages in their effort to keep the magic contained. Twilight Sparkle was left alone in the tree library, surrounded by various books of serious subjects. Normally, she would feel right at home among the leafs of knowledge, but without even Spike to keep her company, she felt insignificant.
Not only because of the absence of her friends, either. The fact that the dark magic had so easily defeated her had left her shaken and unconfident in her own ability. It had taken the intervention of the Moon Princess to save her, and even then, Luna held firm that the magic would only grow stronger. Twilight felt that she was thrown into a hopeless battle, like trying to force an avalanche to halt its descent with nothing more than a stone.
And yet, the feeling of insignificance wasn’t on her mind at the moment. No, in fact, she was occupied with why Luna, whom she trusted so much, had avoided telling her what kind of dangers Rainbow Dash was facing. It was obvious that the princess knew the truth, or at least what she believed to be the truth. So why all the secrecy? Why all the denial?
Whatever the truth was, Twilight felt certain that it couldn’t be worse than what Rainbow had already been forced through. ‘Being attacked by dark magic, hearing your idols are dead, and then being blamed for the deed...what could be worse than that?’ she mused.
Alone in the library and without the direction of Luna, Twilight felt at a loss. She had already exhausted several books related to different magic types, but was meeting the same results as Luna had - nothing. The fact that her thoughts kept drifting back to her old pegasus friend didn’t help, either, and before long, Twilight found herself reading the same paragraph over and over again without gaining any real information.
“This is ridiculous.” She stood up and trotted over to the library’s window, where she could easily see Luna and the Canterlot guard. For a long while, Twilight remained there, simply allowing her thoughts to roam wild.
As the intrusive growls permeated the library’s walls time and again, Twilight came to a decision. If Luna didn’t want to tell her the truth, then she would simply look for it on her own. After all, their research into the magic itself was making no headway - changing subjects could prove to be far more productive.
Twilight turned and walked to the center of the library, where stacks and piles of books remained. She ignored all of them, instead reaching out with her magic to the shelves. The unicorn grasped a selection of texts, bringing them back to her. She gazed at the titles, pleased to see that all of them had something to do with unusual attacks and unsolved crime mysteries.
“Have it your way, Princess Luna,” Twilight said aloud. Her voice was drowned beneath the vibrating growls of the orb. “Let’s see what you’re not telling me.”
End chapter seven
Author’s comments: I was not expecting this chapter to take so long to finish. The main problem I had with this one was writing out the whole ‘fight’ scene between Applejack and Rarity, because I love these ponies too damn much, and I hate seeing them fight each other. Still, I wouldn’t have it done any other way, and the scene worked out quite well despite my constant writer’s blocks.
I wanted to take some time to help explain more about the dark magic, while still giving Luna and Twilight their own personalities and priorities. However, I’m certain I’ve left plenty of questions to annoy each and every one of you, so don’t hesitate to ask with whatever is on your mind.
Co-author’s comments: There. See? I told you this chappy wasn’t going to be as informative as the previous. It wasn’t so bad, was it? ...Was it? C’mon! You can tell me the truth! Applejack was honest in this chapter. What about you?
Anyways. I was honestly worried with Aaron’s writer’s block, because there was a couple weeks of absolutely nothing being written. I’m glad he was able to pull through, and we were able to finish the chapter. I like how Rarity’s personality played out in her scene. You’ll know what I’m talking about in a future chapter.
Next chapter: Interlude two of three. While the residents of Ponyville try to settle with the idea of being refugees, two old friends meet up and discuss how their lives are changing.