//------------------------------// // Two - For You To See // Story: The Eternal Storm 2 - Eternally Devoid // by TDarkchylde //------------------------------// Eternally Devoid - Chapter 2 - For You To See "...'Cause I'm your biggest fan..." "I had to wait a thousand years before, but that does not make me patient. At least the moon was cold. Five years in that damnable sun was a new form of torture. Even without a body, the sensation of being burned alive for that long is maddening." "Still, this new host is... intriguing. The very fact that I can still think my own thoughts instead of a twisted version of hers is incredible." "However, the fact that she is still capable of thinking for herself is also astounding. This host has an ego that even I cannot suppress. Still... I have other ways to bend her to my will..." ..::OoOoOoO::.. Rainbow Dash awoke to the sunrise. Tomorrow, she and the Wonderbolts would depart for their next show, but this day was special in more ways than one. Not only was it the final tryout day for the new Young Wonderbolt squad she had helped create, but an old friend of hers would be among those pegasi trying to become part of the stunt flying elite. As she got out of bed, her wings still felt a little wobbly. "Gotta face facts, Rainbow... you need to get this checked out," she thought to herself as she started breakfast. "It's not just affecting you... it's going to affect the team." "After practice," she decided. Today was much too important to blow off, but it was a short day. She'd have enough time to get herself checked out once she was done with the Young Wonderbolt tryouts and getting the team to perfect their new trick. ..::OoOoOoO::.. Being the one-time personal student of Princess Celestia had its perks, as Twilight Sparkle was pointing out to Spike. The young dragon had a scroll and quill in hand, and was ready to pen a letter to the Princess. He had grown some over the years, but wasn't anywhere near full grown. He now stood tall enough where he would have stood eye to eye with Big Macintosh and his wings were beginning to grow in. His scales had grown as well, making him appear more menacing than before. Still, his personality had not changed a lot. He remained Twilight Sparkle's faithful assistant. "I'm ready when you are," he said. "Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight began. "I am requesting a day off from teaching class today, as I have an issue which I need to discuss with you in person. It may be nothing, but I've got a nagging feeling that it's far from nothing. Yesterday, I experienced a lapse in my magic. For a brief instant, it was simply gone. I have never felt anything like this. I can say for certain that it is not magical burnout. The rest of me is fine. I will be by to see you whenever you have a free moment." "...A free moment," Spike repeated as he finished writing down Twilight's letter. "Got it." "Always and forever your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. Send it, please," Twilight requested. Spike lifted the letter in his claw. As he enveloped it in dragonfire and sent it on its way, he almost instantly burped up another flame. A second letter formed from the fire. "That was... too fast," Twilight observed as she opened the letter. To my faithful student Twilight Sparkle, I have had to cancel classes at the School today. Many of the unicorns in Canterlot have been complaining of intermittent lapses in their magic. I request your immediate presence so that we may try to figure out what could be causing this situation. ...I am afraid that it may not be affecting just them. The first attempt to send this letter turned it into a giant rock. I am hoping this second letter makes it safely. Signed, Princess Celestia P.S.: Do not risk teleportation - if you are also having problems with your magic, you may hurt yourself or worse. Some of my pegasus guards are also experiencing some trouble flying, so I dare not send a chariot. I am afraid that you will have to walk. Please forgive the inconvenience. Twilight sighed. "Looks like we're going to be hoofing it to the Castle today," she stated as she went back to her room to grab a few books and a scarf. "Pack a lunch." "Way ahead of you, Twi," the young dragon said as he opened a nearby chest. It was stuffed with all manner of gems. He scooped a few into a small bag and headed into the kitchen to make something fast for Twilight. A few minutes later, they were both out the door and making the long trek to the castle. Fortunately for Spike, his recently-grown wings allowed him to hover there. "Showoff," Twilight sarcastically said. ..::OoOoOoO::.. As Rarity arrived at the Carousel Boutique headquarters, she went straight up to her office. She had spent the last month working on a new design for the winter season that she was sure would sell out within hours and be the talk of Equestria for a long time. She felt she had truly outdone herself. Quietly, she looked over her sketches and prototypes. She did this for almost an hour before the finishing touch came to mind. There was one minor problem, however - she didn't keep any of it in stock at that location. "Well, this could be a problem," she said to herself. She pressed a small button on her desk. "Please have the driver bring the coach around. I have to make a trip to the New Harmony location to pick up some materials for the winter line." She paused to think for a moment. "Have two of my bodyguards come along as well. That town isn't exactly the safest place in Equestria." A voice replied from a mechanical box on the desk. "They will be ready in five minutes, Miss Rarity." "Excellent," she said. "I will be down shortly." ..::OoOoOoO::.. Back in Ponyville, Applejack and Apple Bloom had spent the night with Big Macintosh at the hospital. Applejack had been lucky that Fluttershy was willing to watch Applewood for the night. Macintosh was sleeping peacefully, though it took quite a few painkillers to calm him down enough to sleep. The good news they had received was that the break wasn't as bad as it could have been and that Macintosh would be back on his hooves. The bad news was that it would take at least a month to heal enough for him to walk without aid, and that he wouldn't be able to work for another month after that. Applejack was devastated, to put it lightly. "Apple Bloom, what am Ah gonna do with Mac laid up for a month?" she asked. "Sis... Sweet Apple Acres has had rough times in the past, and we've always been able to pull through," Apple Bloom replied, not taking her eyes off of Macintosh. "Granny Smith used to tell me that if a year passed without some kind of crisis, she'd be waiting for somethin' really bad to happen." "Ah wish she was still with us," Applejack sighed. "Ah was the next in line, but Ah don't think Ah'm ready for somethin' like this." "We got a big family, big sis," Applebloom pointed out. "Give the mailmare a muffin an' a letter, an' the next day, Ah bet there'll be five Apples at the door ready to help you out til Mac gets back out there." "You got a good point there, lil' sis," Applejack said, hope returning to her voice. "Whenever did you go an' get good at knowin' the right thing to do to keep things on track?" "Ah had to learn quick," Apple Bloom replied. "The Carousel Boutique don't exactly run itself. Ah don't know how Rarity managed considerin' how little we sell. Just look at all the ponies walkin' around town stark nekkid!" Both Applejack and Apple Bloom took a quick look down at themselves. Even with winter approaching, the only stitch of clothing between the two was Applejack's hat. "Guess we ain't helpin' matters, huh sis?" Applejack said as she erupted into laughter. It was contagious, as Apple Bloom started to laugh as well. After a minute or so, she sighed. "Sis, Ah gotta get to work..." "Ah know, sis," Applejack said. "One of us's gotta bring in some bits this week." "You'll get it goin' again," Apple Bloom said as she hugged her sister. "Ah got faith." As Apple Bloom left, Applejack sighed. "Makes one of us..." ..::OoOoOoO::.. Within a small, darkened hut in New Harmony, maniacal laughter could be heard... had its inhabitant not surrounded the hut with a silence spell. "Incredible!" Trixie cried. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has never felt anything like this before! Surely now, there is nopony that can stand against her!" "But there is," a voice inside her mind replied. "There is only one way that The Great and Powerful Trixie can be assured that she is the most powerful being in all Equestria." "There's only one way she can be sure that nopony steals The Great and Powerful Trixie's spotlight ever again..." Trixie mused out loud. "In order to truly be Great and Powerful... Trixie must ensure that she is the only pony left in Equestria with any magic at all..." "The Great and Powerful Trixie remembers seeing an incantation in that book," she said as she pulled out the dark tome. As she opened it up, it turned right to the page she wanted. "Yes... this is the spell The Great and Powerful Trixie was seeking..." The book was turned to a page with a spell on it to erode the magical capabilities of all except its caster. It was not keyed just to unicorns - the innate magic of pegasi and earth ponies was also affected. Even the Princesses of the Sun and Moon were not entirely immune to it. "No more magic shall be allowed to exist..." Trixie said out loud... "...Except that of The Great and Powerful Trixie," the voice in her mind replied. As Trixie began to cast the spell, the magical aura around her horn took on a sickly black hue. What she failed to realize was that the spell had already been progressing ever since she gained her new powers... ..::OoOoOoO::.. Rainbow Dash looked up at the young pegasus in the air. She sighed. The filly's signature trick was freefalling, then righting herself at the last possible second. It was executed perfectly, but still... "Not sure even being 20 percent cooler could have saved that move," she thought silently. "That was pretty cool," Dash lied out loud. "We'll be getting back to you after the next tour stop, Afterburner." As Afterburner departed the practice field, the last candidate stepped forward. The orange filly wore her purple mane very short. Even though she was unrelated to the instructor, her cutie mark shared some similarities - a rainbow lightning bolt adorning a metallic heart. Still, Rainbow Dash would recognize her even if she hadn't introduced herself. "Scootaloo, ready to show her stuff!" she cried. "I knew you'd make it here, kid," Rainbow Dash said appreciatively. "Still, even though we go way back, I'm not gonna cut you any slack! You've got to be beyond special to be a Young Wonderbolt!" "All you need to do is watch," Scootaloo said confidently. Rainbow Dash watched proudly as her biggest fan took to the air. Scootaloo was a late bloomer as far as flight was concerned, but she learned quickly. She lacked raw talent like Rainbow Dash, but her special talent for performance art and willingness to put in the hours made her almost a match for Dash at that age as far as skill was concerned. Dash recognized the start of the routine as Scootaloo deftly maneuvered around some of the course's cloud columns. "If anyone else can do it, it's you, kid," Dash silently thought as she wore a neutral expression on her face. She wasn't going to be impressed until Scootaloo earned it. Nailing the aerial slalom, Scootaloo turned upward and worked her way around some high clouds. As she flew around them and picked up speed, they were left spinning. She looked down briefly at Dash, who was still refraining from showing any outward emotion. "Fine, then," she thought as a smirk crept upon her face. "You're going to love this." ..::OoOoOoO::.. It took a couple of hours, but Twilight Sparkle and Spike eventually reached the Royal Palace. As she flashed the letter, the guards passed so that she could pass through. They tried to stop Spike, but he came prepared as well - he was carrying his papers signifying him as an honorary Royal Guard. Naturally, they allowed through one of their own. Eventually, Twilight Sparkle and Spike reached Princess Celestia's throne room. Celestia looked down at the two and smiled. Looking back up, she addressed the guards with a loud voice. "Gentlestallions, what We are about to say is not meant for your ears. Station yourselves at the door and give Us some privacy. We shall inform you when you may return." "Yes, Your Highness," the guards replied as they left the throne room. "I see you've reverted to using the Royal 'We' and Royal Canterlot Voice, Princess?" Spike observed. "Sadly, it was necessary," Celestia lamented. "It was good for you to come on such short notice, my faithful student. I am glad that you brought Spike as well." "Have you managed to figure anything out yet, Princess?" Twilight asked. "I have had some of Canterlot's best minds trying to figure it out since last night, and the possibilities are not promising," Celestia said. "I do not wish to jump to conclusions yet, nor do I wish to alarm the public." "Understandable," Spike said. "If the general public knew what you had written in your letter, there would be a full-blown panic." "So, what are the possibilities?" Twilight asked, her own mind trying to figure out a cause to the problem. "We have narrowed it down to three possible causes," Celestia said. "The first is that there could be a sickness spreading among the population." "It's a possibility," Twilight mused verbally. "It could be isolated to ponies, seeing as Spike hasn't lost any of his innate magic yet." "The second is that Equestria may have been poisoned as a precursor to an invasion," Celestia stated. "Unlikely," Spike said. "Far as I'm aware, Equestria's been at peace with the Griffins and Zebras for several years, and the Buffalo don't possess the kind of magic needed for something like that. Dragons wouldn't bother either - if they wanted war, they'd just attack." "Which leaves a third option..." Celestia said, sighing. "Evil magic. Powerful evil magic that could only come from one source..." "If I may?" Twilight inquired. Celestia nodded in the affirmative. "When Nightmare Moon was imprisoned in the moon, there was a visible sign," Twilight said. "The Mare in the Moon." "Yes, there was that," Celestia said, a worried expression starting to creep onto her face.. "When you imprisoned the Nightmare in the sun five years ago, did it leave a visible mark on it that you would be able to see?" Twilight asked. "Sunspots..." Celestia stated, shocked, as she ran to a window and looked at the Sun. She soon dropped to her knees. Twilight and Spike both ran to the Princess's side. "Are you okay?" "There are no sunspots," Celestia quietly said, shaken... ..::OoOoOoO::.. Scootaloo prepared to launch into the final part of her audition. Looking back at Rainbow Dash one more time, she launched herself high into the sky. It was getting harder with each passing second for Rainbow Dash to contain any outward signs of excitement. Then, Scootaloo went into her dive. Rainbow Dash walked over to the edge of the clouds to watch. Scootaloo was executing it perfectly thus far, but there had been only one pony who could ever perform the Sonic Rainboom. When Dash had to give up competitive flying, she lamented the most that nopony might ever see one again. She was hoping against hope that someone else would be able to perform it. As Scootaloo dove faster, she began to feel the tangible sound barrier start to give out before her. She pushed harder. It pushed back at her. Rainbow Dash watched on, waiting for the inevitable to happen. If anypony besides her could break through, it had to be her onetime protege. Scootaloo screamed. She was so close. The sound barrier would not be overcome, as it snapped back at Scootaloo with a violent force. She went flying backward from the direction she came. This was the point where Rainbow Dash would fly backwards for a few seconds, but eventually right herself. Scootaloo knew this, and tried to correct herself. Her wings weren't working. She was flying out of control. Dash threw her whistle to the clouds. "RAINBOW DASH... HELP ME!" Scootaloo frantically cried. Dash began to tense up. Her doctor's words flashed in her memory. "If you try any kind of extreme aerial acrobatics or get up past a certain point of speed, you will spiral out of control and you may die." "...You will spiral out of control and you may die." "...You may die." "PLEASE! I CAN'T STOP MYSELF!" Scootaloo's frightened cry broke Rainbow Dash from the memory. Nopony else was around - the Wonderbolts were not scheduled to arrive for another ten minutes, and the candidates were all waiting inside. She was the only one who could save Scootaloo's life. That turned out to be the only motivation she needed. "I can't live by 'what ifs' anymore. I'm the only one who can do this," she thought as she launched herself into the air on wobbly wings. "HANG ON, SCOOTALOO! I'M COMING!" Dash defiantly cried...