What Lies Beyond

by Sparx

Imaginations From The Other Side

Imaginations From The Other SIde

I'm sorry guys... I'm sorry Smith, Applejack, Spitfire, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie... I'm done. Suddenly, something caught Dash's eye. A green glow emanated from the bugbear's shoulder and brought a spark of hope deep within her. In the split second she had left, Dash yelled out one final word.

"IRIS!"

The blade heard it's master's call and activated, changing from blade, to bolt of rainbow lightning, piercing through the bugbear, forcing it to screech as it was electrified in a brilliant spectrum of electricity, it's bones exposed to Dash's view. It fell to it's knees, tired and damaged beyond repair. Dash moved quick, she snatched Iris back from the creature's fried shoulder. Iris was sparking remarkably, and had doubled in size, Dash's renewed vigor powering it. The bugbear turned and tried to toss his morningstar at Dash, but in his weakened state, he only managed to toss it to the ground before her.

"My turn." Dash smirked and flew full speed at the monster, she grazed his cheek and turned, lobbed off the tip of his ear and turned again. Again and again, Dash made small grazes against the creature with the electrified blade, until she formed a tornado of slashing wind against him, slicing numerous cuts all across his body, then there was a loud crack and a rainbow ring burst from the tornado. Dash turned upwards, going as fast as her rainboom would let her, then she turned to dive, locking onto the bugbear, Iris pointed forward. With a BOOM! Rainbow landed on the creature's head, a rainbow mushroom cloud erupting all around her, blowing away a good amount of the remaining goblins. When the cloud and dust vanished, all that Nilt and the goblins could see was a bugbear embedded in the ground with Iris sticking out of his head, and a pony standing victoriously on it's chest, looking visciously at the rest of them.

"The pony defeated the General!"

"The pony is too strong! We must run for our lives!"

"Yes yes! Run! Run fast goblins!" The goblins all sprinted as quickly as they could in various directions, all away from Rainbow Dash.

"Guardian... you are very mighty." Nilt spoke in awe as the last goblin disappeared behind a tree.

"Thanks. And I'm Rainbow Dash by the way, not guardian."

"Well, Ms. Rainbow Dash! It's been an honor fighting with you. Again, you are a great warrior."

"Well, Nilt, you weren't so bad yourself. I mean that, I couldn't have done this without you."

The small sprite smiled. "You honor me." He looked about at all the goblin bodies that littered the forest floor.

"Uh... do you need help cleaning up?" Dash questioned.

Nilt shook his head. "The animals of the forest will take care of that. Thank you for your help Miss Rainbow Dash." Nilt turned like he was going to fly off, then stopped. "Um..." He started. "Uh... N-nevermind." He started flying forward.

Dash noticed that the small fey appeared rather... depressed, as he drifted away. "Nilt? Did you want something?"

NIlt turned back, biting his lower lip. He looked like he didn't want to ask. "Well... You see..." He let out a sigh. "Coming from a proud warrior family...not everyone survives... Sometimes even... you're the only one left." Nilt gave a half-hearted smile towards Dash. "I am Nilt... of the tribe..." He let out another sigh. "...Nilt."

Dash stared at the lonely fairy. "Nilt? Do you wanna come live with me?"

Suddenly, Nilt started to glow like a torch, bright with a smile. "To house with one of such might? T'would be an honor Miss Rainbow Dash!"

"Just Rainbow Dash, or Rainbow, or Dash." Dash gave a smile.

"Dash then. Now, where to?"

-------------------------------------------

"Hey Smith! I solved your infestation problem." Dash called from outside Steel Edge's hut. He came to the door, and gave a quick smile, motioning for her to come in. She did so, and raised a hoof. "Now... one question. What were goblins doing at a fey glade?"

Smith walked over to a new chuul leg roasting over the fire and brought it down. "I knew you'd ask something like that." He said, almost reluctant to answer. "It means that dark times are approaching Equestria. If the goblins are moving, then it means that a dark power is readying itself."

"What? What are you talking about?" Dash didn't understand what the old stallion was getting at.

"He means that the dark forces gather in this forest." Nilt spoke from Rainbow Dash's mane.

"The sprite speaks the truth." Smith began dividing pieces of the claw for the three of them to eat, leaving the smallest bits for Nilt.

"What dark forces?" Dash was getting annoyed.

"Something beyond your understanding." Smith shot her down.

"FUCK that!" Dash brought down her forehooves forcefully onto the table. "Try me, I've faced down dragons, Discord, and Nightmare Moon. I've helped defeat a changeling army, and I just took out an army of goblins with the meanest creature I've ever seen. I've gone hoof to claw with a manticore and pulled off sonic rainbooms. I'm a damned hero, and not because I wanted to be, but because it was demanded of me, not just by Celestia, but by my nature. I am the element of loyalty, I will defend Ponyville, Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and all of Equestria to my dying breath! Now tell me, what the HAY is going on?" Dash was furious. She already felt the brush of death, there was no way she'd let her friends experience that.

Smith saw the fires in her eyes, much hotter than the flames he used in his forge. She was determined, and he lost any doubt that this pony was capable. She was as strong and as powerful as her mother, and just as fiery. "Alright. If you really wanna know, I'll tell ya." Steel edge passed out plates of chuul meat and took a seat. "So, there is an artifact, deep in these woods. It is an object of great evil power, much like a portal. It leads to another world, one where things have been... twisted, perverted. In that world, there is another Rainbow Dash. As powerful as you are here, you are just as powerful there."

"Cool!" Dash gave a smile.

"Not cool" Smith frowned back. "Because there is a twist. As loyal and true as you are here, the other you is vile and deceitful." A serious flash appeared across Smith's eyes. Dash felt a sudden ping in the back of her brain, something about that phrase seemed... familiar. "This... Nega Dash, I guess we can call her, is evil. And there are a bunch more ponies like her. Anyways, my point is, this portal has been acting up. I always knew it would, I just didn't know when. Those goblins can feel the energy building up, they know that now is their time to move. Something must have come through that portal, something very wicked."

Dash suddenly felt a deep sinking feeling in her stomach. She remembered the mirror she saw in the woods, how it caused Iris to shudder so violently. "Um... Is this artifact to the east? Kind of a large black mirror?"

Smith turned, giving a dark eye to Rainbow Dash. "How did you know that?"

"Well, you see. I kinda was flying about, when all of a sudden I got hit by something. I didn't wanna risk spraining my wing, so I continued on hoof. I went into this long tunnel and... at the end..." Rainbow Dash gulped hard. "I...saw this giant mirror. Inside was the same cave, but something was different. Something was more..." she couldn't put the words to it. "more... sinister."

"The other side..." Nilt said. "You didn't touch it did you?"

"Uh... Would that be bad?"

"Of course it would be bad!" Nilt sounded almost insulted.

"I thought as much." Smith sighed. "Rainbow Dash, your evil twin is running amok out there."

Again, Dash felt a pang in the back of her mind telling her for some reason she should already know this. "What do you mean?"

"By touching that mirror, you allowed your other side self to pass into this side. A very grave fortune for us indeed." Steel shook his head. "And you of all ponies touched it."

"Why is it so bad that I touched it?"

Nilt stood on top of Dash's chuul claw, looking up into her eyes. "Hasn't he made it obvious? You're one of the finest swordsponies in Equestria."

"The best. There are only two of us left after all." Smith chimed in.

Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Where did this thing come from anyways?"

Smith frowned. "If I knew that I could probably have told you a lot more than I have."

"Well how did you know my 'evil twin' would come out of there?"

"Because the same thing happened once already, and rather recently too." Smith huffed. "Do you remember the Summer Sun Celebration? How it remained night that day? That was the work of a creature from the other side. One of your princess's stumbled upon the mirror. Luckily though, she didn't touch it."

"Wait, you're saying Nightmare Moon was one of these other side thingies? Then why don't we just get the elements of harmony to-"

"Those damned trinkets can't help you here!" Smith shouted. "Your twin comes from a parallel universe, and she's still you. She can use your element, just as easily as you could hers, so it won't work against her. And if one doesn't work, none of them will."

"How do you know that?" Dash found this all rather suspicious.

Smith stared at Dash for a while. "Because your mother tried the same thing when she was an element."

Okay, I KNOW I'm missing SOMETHING here. Dash was more confused than she'd ever been in her life. "My mother was an element?"

"Yes."

"And she... fought one of these negaverse ponies?"

"Yes, she fought herself, because long ago, when she was around your age, she made the same mistake and allowed Flamewing into our world." Smith gave a sigh. "Except then we were much better prepared for an attack in Equestria. I was in work, fashioning blades and armor of the highest quality. Your mother tried to use the elements of harmony against her, but it had no effect. And now, history is repeating itself. I should have told you sooner, and maybe we could have avoided this whole mess." Smith placed his hooves against his temples and tried to soothe them.

"But, I thought that the last time the elements were used before me was when Celestia banished Nightmare Moon?"

Nilt floated about, buzzing near Dash's ear. "There were stories, by my people, about a group of six brave ponies who attempted using, what you two address as the 'elements', to bring down the lord of Tartarus. The elements didn't work, but one pink and blue pegasus was able to strike down the viscous lord."

Dash shook her head. "No way. You're telling me my mom was the only one who could stop some great evil clone, and now I made a mistake and have to do the same thing?"

"Yes, wasn't that made clear?" Smith snorted.

Dash opened her mouth to speak, then her brain felt heavy, her head fell to the table. She lost consciousness, and all she could hear was a voice. You're getting annoying little pony. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Wait, until it's time, forget, until we're ready.

The next morning, Dash awoke in her bed. She looked over and saw Tank and Nilt sleeping by her bed. She looked up and thought to herself. I wonder what those goblins were doing at that glade...

Comments

[Fort Impression]

No, I am... no... no... forget it. I am not going to read this story. No, I won't subject myself to the possibility of not getting the ship I want. No, forget it. I am leave.

.................................. *clicks Over the Hills and Far Away* cdn.broni.es/images/emotes/mlp-dawesome.png

[ArcaneTrex]

oh my god
that was amazing
and great cover pic as well