Elements: Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children

by Nightmare_0mega

Hey Angel

It was a calm, clear night over the rolling, lush lands of Equestria. Light cloud cover gently floated across the sea of stars and the shining moon above, casting a tranquil scene in the sky. Many ponies slept soundly in their homes with hopes and dreams dancing in their heads, with the few actively enjoyed the night’s splendor. The peace was a relative normal for such a race. However, even in such a world, entities of darkness and disharmony lurked the shadows. Even in the longest lasting years of harmony, to the point where most ponyfolk would regale the tales of such twisted beings as mere legends and myths, their threat loomed in wait, biding time long enough for the perfect moment to strike. Shadow King Sombra, Chrysalis the Changeling Queen, Tirek the Magic Eater, Discord himself once upon a time, and (even more obscured by time) Grogar the Vile were among these ranks. But a world of such powerful evils wouldn’t be so harmonious if there weren’t counterbalances.

In times of old, as legends go, after the unity of the three pony tribes and the founding of the land ponies called home, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stepped forth to become the leaders they needed to be to spearhead a prosperous future. Among their care, six heroes of the good folk of Equestria rose up as vanguards, lead by the incomparable Starswirl the Bearded, and kept the peace in the untamed and uncertain era they marched through. As the years went on, on one fateful day and with little warning, all six of them suddenly vanished. The mighty task they held fell upon the Two Sisters to burden, becoming more than just leaders. The forces of disharmony and chaos faced them, and all fell before their might and when their Alicorn strength wasn’t enough, soon surfaced the magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony to aid in their endeavors. Any creature, be it beast or dark master, that threatened the lives of the innocent were met with this unstoppable might.

With all foes exhausted, when the world settled into its new order, complacency mingled with weariness beset by the hard lives of ponyfolk maintaining harmony, and the night became the time of silence and rest, much to the chagrin of its protector. Through no fault of her own, due to circumstance and jealousy of the day, Princess Luna fell to darkness, and became the final curse of the land. Determined but heartbroken, Princess Celestia faced her sibling and banished her to the moon, imprisoning her for one thousand years, utilizing the very elements they had both wielded to smite the evils of the land. And in those one thousand years, the world witnessed the longest era of tranquility along with the disappearance of the Elements of Harmony.

However, all of that was in the past, and the tranquility of the world would see a strange new eon. The return of Luna and the Elements, and the rise of new bearers. Discord’s return and subsequent defeat at the hooves of said heroines. The union of the lost Crystal Princess and Captain of the Royal Guard, intercepted by an army of changelings, only to be thwarted by their love. The resurrection of a once lost empire along with the horrifying return of its cruel shadow tyrant, only for the mad king to meet his downfall by the power of a once thought missing artifact.

Then, not long after, six strange beings, cast from realms far beyond equine knowledge or understanding, were thrust into the middle of such interesting times, tipping the scales back and forth. Creatures so far and beyond dreams and nightmares, that those who have encountered them have a newer perspective on the world around them. Through trials and tribulations, the world had adjusted to the new design and these six creatures had somehow seemingly fit in, despite their heavy contrast with such peaceful folk.

Though, one such creature had a much easier time adjusting to the environs. Hailing from the meadows where virtue and tranquility are born through the powers of light, Adna was no stranger to such harmony. Despite the odd contradictions that challenged its originally ironclad perception of the universe, the angel came to view this world as home. Even when its own brethren appeared before it, the new loyalties forged withstood the tempting desire to be one among kin again. They had called it exile, but Adna knew better. This was a blessing in the guise of being declared an outcast and left alone in this world. A world in which the angel had only just begun to enjoy. A world in which that held a variety of secrets still beneath the surface.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

In the little town of Ponyville, right at the very edge of the limits, high off the ground for most ponyfolk, hovered the small collection of cloud constructed towers belonging to one pegasus; Rainbow Dash. It was certainly the least interesting sight compared to the long list of other abodes, but fit quite well with the owner’s personality regardless.

On this calm and clear night, at the highest point of this small cloud spire perched Adna, a stark white, silk and gold clad, marble skinned, avian looking bi-ped, as it gazed across the horizons, almost transfixed on feint new sensations. Magic was no longer a cause for concern around the angel, as it had long since realized its nature here, but these new feelings identified two very poignant signatures. One was a feeling of the divine, seemingly placed deep in the heart of the forest nearby, a feeling in which the angel itself hadn’t felt since the short invasion of its kin. The other was a source of deep discomfort; an inky black distortion that was only feint by either being far too weak, or simply held back.

Despite the angel’s attempts at being discrete, these two feelings transfixed its attention and caused it to lose any real awareness of its immediate surrounding. Further still, as mesmerizing as it was, it had caused the angel to make gentle, however rather loud, cooing sounds, like some dove calling out to others. These noises at the top of the home, though relatively ignored by the nearby town and its denizens, hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Tossing and turning beneath the covers, the blue coated and rainbow maned owner stirred, scrunching her face in annoyance, trying to ignore the cooing a small distance above her. Exasperated sighs left her as her eyes begrudgingly creaked open, only to look upon the starry night sky just outside her window. This elicited a groan of irritation as she kicked off her covers and threw on her bathrobe to combat the crisp midnight air and left her room. Careful not to disturb her little pet tortoise Tank, whom miraculously managed to sleep soundly through the incessant cooing, Rainbow Dash exited the front of her abode and lazily flew up towards the top, yawning in displeasure.

“Hey, dude,” she addressed tiredly, “It’s, like, not even sunrise yet. Could you give it a rest?”

The angel flinched, as if startled by the encounter, before giving a relieved sigh. “If it please you, lady Dash, I humbly apologize.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Adna scratched the back of its head. The silence lingered between the two for a few moments, creating a rather awkward atmosphere, only really separated by the midnight crickets’ chirping. It was clear to the pegasus that her newest, oddest friend was discomforted and preoccupied with something she didn't quite get. She also knew that despite the body language giving that away, the words would never leave that angel's beak. So, Rainbow Dash decided to take initiative and actually speak her mind.

“Ok, it’s not really any of my business, I’m no good at problem solving with just my words, and you seem like a capable enough guy to handle his own issues anyway, but," she started, before giving a sigh and asked, "Do you mind telling me what you’re even doing or what’s bothering you?”

The angel gazed at its charge before it for a moment, before turning its attention back out into the starry horizon. “As you will,” it started, “I feel two disturbances in the distance. Two very distinct energies that call out to the world around. One is a cry for help. One is a fie of vengeance.”

“What in the hay?” Rainbow slowly reacted, perplexed.

“Verily! The call for help is close. Beyond the forest yonder,” it stated, pointing off towards the south of town.

“The Everfree Forest?”

“As it may be, the energy I sense is brimming with warmth and hope, which be a far cry from its message.”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to figure out what exactly the angel said, before finally muttering, “I don't think I quite get it but it sounds... actually kind of weird.” She pondered for a moment, considering her options, but curiosity pushed her in a different direction. “Wait, what about that other one? The ‘fie of vengence’ or whatever you said it was. Do you know where that is?” Also, she thought, what does fie even mean?

“I cannot say where. The call within the forest is conflicting with it.”

“So, if we wanna know where that is, we gotta check out the problem in Everfree first.”

“With n'er a shadow of a doubt. Shall we procure assistance?”

“Maybe,” she considered, before really pondering her options, “No, wait, I think that ain’t gonna happen.”

“And the reasons?”

“Well, Applejack will need to be up in the morning to do her chores on the farm, and I doubt that weird ninja guy will want to help on his own. Rarity isn’t even in Ponyville for the rest of the week while tall, dark, and scary would probably refuse to leave the boutique unattended. Fluttershy is exhausted after dealing with Discord and Bael’s recent session, so I’d rather not drag her into this right now...”

“What of the studious one?”

“That’ll be a no too. She’s gonna need to practice for her coronation ceremony, so she’s gonna need all the rest she can get. She is a brand new princess after all.” Rainbow’s face then turned sour. “Twilight also told me that she’d be spending time with the princesses to get to know Equestrian politics. Yuck.”

“And the human mortal?”

“OH, there is NO WAY I’ll let that creepo tag along without Twilight. Just being near him alone gives me the heebie-jeebies.” After Rainbow shivered from the thought, she considered her last option on the list of close friends. “And, honestly, I’d love Pinkie to tag along, but I don’t think she’d stay focused enough for this.”

“That leaves us the other demon,” Adna uttered in disdain.

“Actually, no, it doesn’t. He was helping Pinkie out with an experimental cake and, well, let’s just say he’ll be bed ridden for a bit. Besides, I don't think he can fly.”

If the angel had any eyebrows, it would have raised one in intrigue. However, considering the result, the victim of said result, and the perpetrator in question, Adna decided to drop it. Besides, she made a solid point about said creature being unable to fly. “Then, without further consideration, let us depart."

"Actually, can I ask you something first?"

"You have my permission."

"Why didn't you just go to check it out yourself? You're a capable... uh, angel."

Adna stood silent for a moment. "I do not know how you or others would feel about my answer," the angel started, "but, when it comes to the world around us, I have made a personal vow to not interfere with matters that is not a direct threat to you or this world. Exiled and forced to remain here I may be, but I am still an outsider. Therefore, unless I absolutely must, I would rather not simply go off on my own and meddle in the affairs of this realm without native supervision. Simply so I do not end up doing what my brethren nearly have done in the past."

"Oh, relax dude," the sporty pegasus said, "As far as I'm concerned, you're one of us. Besides, it's not like you're trying to put ponies in cages, or whatever. You just feel something strange going on, and want to investigate. That's just called being adventurous."

"Fair enough. Still, I will not depart on my own any time soon. I would rather have someone that knows the world better than I." Adna then opened its wings. "Now, shall we?"

"Hold on one sec, eh big guy?" Before Adna could question the young mare, she zipped back into her cloud castle, only to emerge seconds later, now bathrobe free. "Rarity would kill me if I went adventuring in the woods wearing that."

And so the two took flight and headed for the Everfree Forest, intending on uncovering this strange phenomenon and lay to rest yet another secret this land had held.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

Despite the weather over the forest acting entirely on its own accord, Adna and Rainbow Dash managed to soar through the clouds without too much resistance and arrived to the general destination. Rainbow Dash recognized where they were immediately, as the day she and the other element bearers, her dearest friends, all journeyed here for the very first time was etched deep into her soul, never to be forgotten.

“Wait, the Castle of the Two Sisters?!” she exclaimed.

“You know this place?” Adna responded.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’d ever forget it. But, why here?”

“I do not know, but this is where the call for help resides.” As they glided above the location, Rainbow Dash looked down past the rope bridge that connected the forest to the castle, and noticed the deep chasm below. “Huh, last time we were here, it was foggy as all get out. Wait, what’s that?” It was then she noticed a small cave that seemed to reside underneath the castle itself, where a dim light shone out of. Adna noticed it too, and followed the pegasus down to it, feeling the strange warm energy get stronger.

They landed at the mouth of the cave and proceeded inside, almost drawn by the light itself. It was soothing, comforting even, yet there was a sense of desperation and sadness to it too. It was then, after a very short trek, they saw it. A large crystal like structure in the shape of a tree, with thin, sparse strands of crystal leaves dangling from the branches. Five hollowed out spots with the shape of missing gemstones surrounded a star-like shape at the center, above the trunk where images of the sun and moon could be seen. Its radiance was unquestioned, as it was the source of the message. Both Rainbow Dash and her charge stared at the crystalline tree in awe.

“What is it?” Rainbow asked.

“I do not know,” Adna answered, slowly approaching the tree, “But, it is beautiful.” The angel raised its hand and gently laid it upon its trunk. The crystal surface felt like touching the purest, gentlest water, which was a sensation it believed it would have only experienced back in heaven. There was something so much more than what could be seen or even felt as far as the angel was concerned, but the angel couldn't quite put together what it was.

“Wait, what’s that?” she exclaimed, pointing towards the roots.

Adna backed away from the tree, and noticed small cracks below where black tendrils with grey thorns seemed to slowly grow. Adna knelt down and reached for it, only for the strange black plant to wrap around its finger suddenly. Alarmed, it stood up and yanked its hand away, managing to snap off the tendril from its resting place. The piece wrapped around its finger then loosened its grip and fell to the ground.

“Whatever that is, it is most definitely tipped in hostile magic.” It looked back to the tree, noticing that the light was fading ever so slightly. “It is also interfering with this crystal structure itself.”

“What?”

“I sense a large concentration of the same hostile magic deep below where we stand.”

“What are we gonna do?" Rainbow pondered for a moment, before considering,"We might be interrupting something important, but maybe we aughta go and get Twilight-”

“That will not be necessary,” the angel said, cutting off Rainbow Dash's suggestion. Gathering as much power as it could, Adna channeled a divine miracle to its hand and laid it once again upon the tree, before letting the warm energy seep into the crystalline surface. Sure enough, like a trees roots taking to water, it soaked up the divinity, and its shine became brighter.

“Whoa,” Rainbow managed to utter in awe as the brightness of the trees light became noticeably more intense and majestic.

“That should do for the time being, as the call for help has finally subsided, but this is only a temporary resolve. We will need to return for a more permanent solution.”

“What did you even do?”

“I gave it a metaphorical glass of water.”

Rainbow paused for a minute. “Wait, that’s it?”

“For now. I did say it was temporary.”

“Right.”

The two exited the cave, with only Rainbow Dash herself hazarding a glance back to the tree. Something was feeling a little strange to her, as if they weren’t supposed to find the tree or even the cave just yet. Never the less, what was done is done, and it seemed to have stopped the cry for help according to Adna. She resolved to talk to Twilight and the others later about what happened tonight when she had the time. After Rainbow made her mental note, she followed Adna's lead, in which they took flight high above the castle once again and hovered in the air for a moment, looking out into the horizon.

“Now, where to?”

Adna gazed about the sky, concentrating on the other disturbance in the ambient magic. The angel's senses pulled its vision towards the north east, a small distance away from the home of this world's two leaders. For a brief moment, Adna mused over the idea of the Princesses. While the angel had yet to meet them, their stories from past to present had intrigue and suggested that their abilities would be akin to a higher angel's, or perhaps even a Virtue. With consideration of the existence of more powerful beings akin to his own, especially if miracles could scientifically be measured and identified, as Twilight Sparkle had done prior, and with the discovery of that curious crystalline tree they had just found, it was clear that this world had far more to it than meets the eye. That maybe, perhaps, it held more connections to the realm of the divine than it had assumed.

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs in annoyance. "Hey, dude, do you know where it is yet? I've got a busy day, and I'd REALLY like to get some snoozing done before then, since you woke me up and all."

"I apologize," Adna replied hastily, before pointing towards the north east, past the mountains of Canterlot.

"That way?!" she exclaimed incredulously.

The angel simply nodded.

"In the direction of Fillydelphia, that way?!"

The angel nodded again, despite not knowing what, let alone where, Fillydelphia was.

Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat. "Looks like I'm not getting any real sleep tonight. Alright, let's go." She then sped past the angel. Adna paused for a moment before following after the athletic flyer. Rainbow, to her credit, slowed down enough to let her travel companion catch up, for obvious reasons.

-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-

As the sky passed them by on their journey with the sun beginning to rise in the distance in wake of the morning, the two staved off boredom through the common art of conversation. While it mostly applied to small talk, it did help the two get to know each other more than they originally had. Truth be told, despite Adna's presence in her life up to now, she actually knew very little of the angel. If anything, Twilight seemed to have known more, implied by what Adna had said. In the end, she felt a little bad that she had let this situation slip between the cracks, but the current circumstances allowed her to rectify such a mistake.

"Ok, how about this? What was your home like? You seem to like to mention it, calling it heaven. I mean, I guess heaven can be home, but to me I always figured it would be the perfect day. Like stunning an audience with a sick trick, speeding halfway across Equestria, only to stop on the fluffiest cloud, pull out the latest Daring Do book, and chillaxing until the sun sets. Know that I mean?"

"Verily," Adna replied with slight hesitation, not entirely understanding the word 'chillaxing'. Regardless, it continued with, "I have long since known that mortals view Heaven as a concept, and thus have wildly different visions of it."

"So, then, what's the place called Heaven like?"

Adna's gaze steered towards the twinkling night sky. "Consider a vast sea of stars, set upon a warm golden glow, stretching across the cosmos and beyond. Imagine true peace to your body, mind, and soul, drifting through the tides. One could hear the gentle, calming voice of God and angel sing as one, as if they sing just for you. Even the scent of the air is crisp, divine, and relaxing. You're never left wanting, hungry, or discomforted, no matter how long you simply drift. Heaven, as I saw it, was purity; true beauty."

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment, letting the words sink in. "Wow... it sounds like an awesome place."

"It does leave one in awe, yes."

"But," she continued, "I don't think I could sit still for so long, no matter how pretty it may be. It might get boring after a while, ya know?"

Adna chortled, "Aye, you would behave that way."

"What can I say?"

The angel sat in thought for a moment, considering everything. While it did sing its home its praises, it couldn't help but feel something of the contrary sitting deep within its heart.

"That said," the angel confessed, "I have left that paradise behind. My home is indeed not any longer my own."

Rainbow Dash's expression became solemn. She recalled that day quite well. It's doubtful that anyone could forget when the sky literally split open in a golden flash of light, and creatures like Adna came pouring into their world and attacked her friends. However, as fast as it all happened and how scared they were, it all ended in a similar flash, leaving everyone safe and sound, with Adna... She inwardly flinched, not wanting to remember the state of her friend that day. But, despite what had happened, it was clear they were all going to be alright, all because of the angel's willing sacrifice that day.

"Hey, Adna?"

"What is troubling you?"

Before the conversation could continue, both Adna's and Rainbow's attention snapped towards the massive cliff-sides that towered over what seemed to be their destination. Upon closer focus, the two realized they were headed to the ruins of a long forgotten, long abandoned village. The sky, untended by pegasi for seemingly decades, if not centuries, lay in a constant overcast. The plants had withered and dried from neglect, giving the land a depressed, decayed appearance, with low, cold wind gently blowing through the land. It was as if these two had flown to a grave site.

Rainbow Dash suddenly got chills upon laying her eyes on such a morose place. All of the life and vitality that Equestria normally had that would usually leave some comfort for her no matter where she went was just gone. "I-is... THIS the place?" Rainbow asked in trepidation.

"Unfortunately," the angel replied. Its pacing began to slow while it lowered itself towards the cold, dead ground. Rainbow Dash followed closely, not wishing to stray too far. They both landed at the edge of the long silenced town, greeted by a sign that read: Hallow Shade.

More like Hollow Shade, Rainbow thought grimly.

The two began their slow trek through the town. Now finally within the borders of their destination, the derelict nature of the place finally began to sink in properly. It was one thing to simply see something so lifeless at a distance. It was entirely another to be right there and almost feel the crushingly sad atmosphere. It was here and now that Rainbow Dash suddenly believed she could actually feel the color grey.

The grass they stepped upon bent and crackled beneath hoof and talon, kicking up dust with every pace. Eyes glanced towards ruined, broken house walls and caved-in rooftops, which represented many of the relatively intact homes, with other places laid as piles of rubble. Whatever trees that were in this town once before were dry, colorless, and leafless, creaking to the gust of wind that constantly emphasized the lonely, heartbreaking state of this former town.

Now, Rainbow Dash had never heard of a place called "Hallow Shade" before in her life, despite it being seemingly so close to normal pony civilization. Equestria had many places that were hidden away from the rest of the world for one reason or another, so the idea of this abandoned town being lost to time didn't bother her. What did bother her, however, was that this wasn't some recently evacuated town due to a disaster, where news of it happening would have made it across most of modern Equestria. Nor was this some ancient society that was a frequent style of hot spot the likes of Daring Do would visit to uncover ancient artifacts. This was just a cold, dead town from long, long ago that, for whatever reason, no one knew about or cared to remember. Whatever happened here to leave this place the way it was for so long must have been something that nopony ever wished to speak of.

She approached one of the more intact buildings, either out of curiosity or some strange desire to see something less depressing. The result was simply a dusty, old home, long abandoned and joyless. Dead grass poked through the crude ground floor, as if to mock her optimism. It was a sad sight to see; nothing like the exciting, interesting tombs and temples Daring Do would have seen, with carved scrawlings upon the walls or artifacts that told tales of the lost civilization and ponies. Strangely enough, even though this was so much less than she would have anticipated, there was something so much more going on here. Standing inside of this abandoned place, where ponies once lived, laughed, and loved, that felt bizarrely like what could have been her own home, she felt a deeper chill than she ever had, even compared to simply being within the borders of this village. Soon, in reasons she couldn't explain, let alone recognize, Rainbow Dash felt this grey, dead world start to close in on her, with the silence becoming more and more deafening. It was then that her instincts began to kick in, screaming at her to get out now, however something else told her to stay. The indecision froze her, shaking her until...

"Lady Dash?"

The voice of her charge ripped her away from everything going on before her, eliciting a gasp and snapping her attention towards the angel. She gave a heavy sigh after laying her eyes upon the brightened being. "I... I'm fine. Just zoned out there for a bit. Ya kinda spooked me there, big guy."

"The behavior displayed by you did 'spook' me, as it were, so speak of thine self."

Rainbow Dash gave a short, curt sigh from the word salad that it presented to her, but she still managed to catch the meaning. "Right, well, maybe this place is starting to give us both the heebie-jeebies. We oughta find that dark presence you mentioned fast before I'm stuck with some weird, sleep deprived night terrors tomorrow night." She then exited the standing ruins, cantering past the angel, whom looked into the grey shadows of the dead home, noticing something hiding from its gaze. The angel turned away and followed its charge.

It was then that the angel picked up its pace and pointed toward the source of the disturbance; a well that sat in the middle of the town.

"I think I've seen this from a horror film reel once," Rainbow Dash mused.

"We must go down."

"And meet the ghost that'll probably wanna do some creepy things to us? Yeah, and I'm a rubber chicken."

"Verily, were you not the most courageous of your group, or is my memory betrayed?"

She huffed, "I'm brave, not stupid. Sure, I have a habit of rushing into danger, especially if my friends are in trouble, but going down a spooky, evil well to find a spooky, evil 'thing' that likes to be spooky and evil just sounds... bad."

Adna stared at the normally brazen pony at its side, somewhat bemused, but recognized the leaking emotions that betrayed her true thoughts. Whatever was going on in this town, whatever was down there, it was enough to stop her of all equines from throwing caution to the wind. That fact alone, however, simply made the angel that much more determined.

"We shall tread softly," the angel announced, trying to reassure her. "I shalt be your guardian."

"You know, I can take care of myself, dude," she shot back indignantly.

"I know."

"But," she followed up, trying to find the courage within her, "thanks anyway." There was a momentary pause as the two stared at each other before Rainbow Dash broke away from the gaze, clicking her tongue. "Alright, alright. Then lead the way, Mr. Guardian."

The angel chuckled for a moment as it approached the source of the disturbance. With every step taken, the strange darkness of the town seemingly began to grow thicker, until it laid its hands upon the lip of the well. Looking down, Adna couldn't see a simple basin of water that a well should have, but a passage that seemingly opened into a large chasm, deep underground. The young mare approached beside the angel, now looking over the rim to try to see what was down there.

"Well?" she asked, looking to her charge.

"Perhaps once, but it is no longer."

"What are you-" was what she managed to retort, before she realized what was said. "I didn't know you liked puns."

"Wordplay is a mortal thing," Adna declared, "If I am to be here among them, I should partake in the activity now and again."

The little pegasus gave a small chuckle as her attention turned to the well once again. The two stared down the passage for a while before Rainbow Dash broke the silence again. "I guess we've wasted enough time up here. We should get this over with."

"Verily." Before Adna made a move to leap down into the well, he turned to Dash, "If you come before danger, do not hesitate to flee."

"Bro, look who you're talkin' to." She curtly replied before beating the angel to the punch, vaulting over the well's wall and down the shaft. Adna soon followed her down into the darkness below, and before too long, the two opened up their wings to gently glide the rest of the way down the moment they felt the atmosphere expand.

Strangely, the moment they exited the shaft, the darkness that was once present had suddenly faded. Even more peculiar was that this seemed to be possible despite the lack of fires or a light source of any kind. Being able to see where they were and exactly what they were looking at gave no comforts however.

Adna and Rainbow Dash quickly realized what kind of a place they had just stepped into. Cold, grey, cracked pillars supported curved arches and arched ceilings, flanked by pockets of square, stone holes at the walls. Bits of rubble from the centuries, perhaps millenniums of decay, contrasted with a strangely pristine mural of a white alicorn with black eyes adorned the very head of the massive room. Surrounding the image was what looked like to be markings representing some sort of black smoke. The atmospheric doom this place held was stifling, and there was no question where they were.

"Whoa. I've seen a few temples, but this-" Rainbow Dash uttered in rising dread.

"This nay be a temple, Lady Dash," Adna interrupted, before pointing to to mural, "And THAT is our quarry."

"Wait, that? A creepy picture of... is that an alicorn?"

In a flash of light, Adna summoned its staff and swiftly approached the mural. With a fluid motion, the angel staked the staff into the stone ground with a loud clack, and proclaimed "¹ORS! Noar prdzar!" In an instant, a brilliant shine akin to the sun exploded from the staff's head, bathing the immediate area in light. The pegasus reflexively covered her eyes from the sudden luminescence, hoping she didn't go blind due to the angel's action. Suddenly, not long after the angel cast its miracle, an ear splitting screech could be heard, and the light dissipated. Rainbow Dash recovered, eyes squinting and straining to adjust.

"Hark, foul shadow!" Adna called out. "Come hither, take thine demise, and plague this grave e'er again."

Shadow? Rainbow Dash gazed about the room, and soon saw it. Out from behind a pillar in the corner, strange glowing white patches that appeared as eyes glared out of the darkness.

"Disgusting, harmonious thing of light!" the whole area seemed to hiss, "You are NOT welcome in this mausoleum!"

The angel brandished its staff. "Thou art not welcome in this land of peace! Step forth, accept fate, and leave the dead in their rest."

"Adna... what is that?" Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at the strange thing in the dark.

"CUR!" it screeched. Suddenly, a black, inky substance shot out of the shade, lunging at the pegasus. Both the angel and the pegasus weren't fast enough to react to the sudden attack, and soon the thing reached the Element of Loyalty.

Rainbow Dash shrieked in surprise as tendrils of darkness began to wind around her, trying to overtake her form. Adna rushed to the little pony with great haste, already casting a miracle in its free hand in order to expel the darkness. However, the split decision cost Adna enough situational and environmental awareness that a black whip shot out of the inky, shadowy mass that held Rainbow Dash captive, and struck the angel. Knocked off balance and surprisingly injured, Adna hit the wall after being swatted away, beginning to realize that, while seemingly weak, it had more fight than it initially thought. Undeterred, Adna rose back to its feet, and readied the staff for attack, fearing that the worst outcome may pass.

However, to the divine messenger's astonishment, Adna witnessed something rather peculiar. The shadow, that evil presence that tried to take hold of the angel's companion, was struggling.

"Stupid pony," the dark entity hissed. "SUBMIT!"

"Like -ugh- heck, I will!" Rainbow Dash declared, straining and fighting against the slowly failing hold.

Seeing an opportunity, Adna prepared the expelling miracle once more and rushed towards the two, this time alert to any sudden counterattacks. Sure enough, more tendrils extended from the shadow to strike Adna back, but the angel was far more keen. Shifting to the left side let Adna dodge the first strike, and strafing to the right let the warrior of light evade the follow up. More came from the side, curving to try to lead the target that was the flighty angel, but efforts proved futile as it flowed effortlessly around them, taking measured, calculated movements. Pace by pace, circling around the foe and its hostage, Adna moved methodically ever closer, closing the gap that would hopefully ensure her freedom. "Just a little more."

"YIELD TO ME, YOU WRETCH!" the shadow desperately demanded, beginning to lose its grip on the captive.

"G-go... to... TARTARUS!" Rainbow Dash angrily exclaimed.

"IT ENDS NOW!" Adna cried out, now within striking distance. The angel laid the command, "²Geh adrpan, affa hami!", right before it let its fist fly. Upon laying the light covered fist upon the shadow's surface, an ear splitting scream of agony could be heard resonate all around them. The inky substance of the shadow creature spiked and convulsed, just as Rainbow Dash finally ripped herself away from it. Adna, no longer concerned over the evil mass that plagued this room, rushed to the side of the Element of Loyalty, whom was relatively no worse for wear. The two then gazed towards the shadow entity as its screams began to peter out and its physical manifestation flaked away like ash from burning wood in a roaring fire. Soon, the crypt became quiet, with only Adna and Rainbow Dash remaining in the dim, macabre chamber.

"That," Rainbow started, "was a bit touch-n-go, there." She dusted herself off.

"Are you injured?" Adna asked.

"Nah. That smack you gave it didn't get to me, thankfully."

Adna, having become quiet, knelt down and looked over the pegasus for a moment. Rainbow Dash noticed the sudden focused attention, and gave a gentle nudge against its forearm with her forehoof.

"Hey, I told you I can take care of myself."

"You have," the angel replied.

Rainbow Dash then let an accusatory, yet playful, look creep across her face. "AND, I said coming down here was a bad idea! Didn't I just say there was some creepy evil thing down here, not a few minutes ago?" She jabbed at the angel's chest. As the prideful pegasus chuckled a little over the situation, Adna simply placed its hand against where she jabbed it, looking down. Rainbow's small laughter quickly died out, as she noticed something bothering the angel. "Hey, uh, I didn't mean anything by it. I mean, we're fine now, and it wasn't nearly as-"

"How did you fight it off?" Adna interrupted.

"What?"

"If that foul thing had attached itself to another, I'm sure they would have been lost," Adna stated grimly, "How did you fight it off, and so easily?"

"What are you talking about? You got rid of it with that weird light-punch thing you did."

"And you resisted it to the point of making it lose its hold upon you before I struck it," Adna interjected.

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment. Her immediate reaction was to simply blurt out, 'Because I'm awesome', but something compelled her to explain further. "Well, I mean I couldn't let it talk smack about my friends."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, well, while it was trying to do... whatever to me, I could hear it whispering to me. Like, how I have 'so much potential' and how I was wasting it because my friends were holding me back. Or how they're just using me. Ya know, garbage classically spewed by villains like that."

"Ah, I see," Adna nodded knowingly.

"Hey, look at that," Rainbow Dash stated, pointing towards that ominous looking mural they saw. Adna turned around, and noticed it too. The strange black smoke-like markings and the black eyes on the mural were gone. The mural itself was still creepy as all get out, Rainbow thought, but that weird feeling of dread was mostly gone. Now, just a palpable silence lingered in the air, deathly still as a mausoleum should be.

"These hallowed grounds are now clean," Adna declared.

"Finally! Can we go home? I need my shut-eye, if I can get any," Rainbow groaned. "I've had enough excitement today, and you owe me If I get any bad dreams over this."

Adna simply laughed, "Verily. I know a few prayers to vanquish night terrors."

"Just don't punch me when you do it, bucko."

Adna gazed about one last time, noting the grey, lonely chamber, making doubly sure that there was nothing further haunting this place. Any doubt or suspicion was met with calm and quiet. The disturbance was truly gone, and the world was once again at peace, for now. "Let us be off," the angel stated.

"Yeah, good idea."

The two opened their wings and took to the air, flying out of the mausoleum and through the well's shaft. Upon reaching the surface, they noticed something. It was faint, but as mist began to creep into the town, and while she could have been imagining it, Rainbow Dash could have sworn that she saw vague pony shapes down below. Shapes that seemed to stare up at the two for a few moments, perhaps even waving to them, before melting back into the mist. She shook her head, trying to forget the strangeness of it all.

As the two climbed higher and higher into the sky, finally seeing Celestia's new dawn peeking over the horizon once again, a sense of peace began to wash over the pegasus. With a heavy sigh of relief, she looked back down to the town they were leaving behind, and noticed the morning light slowly seep into the town, finally cutting through the grey atmosphere around it. A strange sense nudged at her, making her muse that this was perhaps the first time Hallow Shade had been greeted by the light in who knows how long. As if that lost little town was now able to heal after all these years.

"Lady Dash?" Adna called out, flying towards her.

Rainbow snapped out of her train of thought, suddenly realizing that she had stopped in her tracks at some point. She shook her head lightly. "Sorry about that. I guess I spaced-out there. Let's go home."

The angel gave a small chuckle and a nod, before the two continued on, homeward bound. The morning air was crisp and clean, and the light was soothing and warm, making the return flight much more relaxing.

Despite the mood for the return home, something small was still bugging the little pony in regards to her friend. A lot had happened in mere moments during these excursions, and some that reminded her of Adna's otherworldly nature. Heaven was a place of pure peace and serenity, she recalled, so why were angels so... violent?

"Adna?"

"Aye, Lady Dash?"

"Uhm... I don't know how to put this," she started, mulling over her thoughts carefully. Not wanting to say anything to offend the angel, she decided to ask a question in relation to what had happened. "So, uhm, out of curiosity, what would you have done if that... thing took over me? I mean, we did just prove it couldn't, but still; what if?"

Adna gazed towards Rainbow Dash for a moment, before returning its attention to their path home, "Simple. I would have attempted to excise it from you."

"Excise?"

"To remove," Adna clarified, "All angels in the Kingdom of Heaven know the art or exorcism. When we are sent to the mortal realm, there are times where we may be required to expunge malicious presences, including demonic influences, from mortals, objects, or even entire locations."

"Okay," Rainbow stated, trying to understand her friend a little better. "But, what if... you can't?"

Adna became silent for a moment as the angel's gaze casted away from the little pegasus. "I beg your pardon, my Lady Dash, but I wish to answer with a question of my own."

"Uhm... ok?"

"Do you desire my honesty?"

Rainbow Dash's face grimaced a little. The question was a no brainer. Of course she wanted an honest answer. Right?

"Adna," She began, her tone becoming serious and straight forward. "What if you couldn't 'excise' me if I was taken over?"

Adna remained silent for a little, looking to the morning light, then to the world of Equestria below them as they continued their flight, before its gaze returned to Dash. "I would have no other choice, Lady Dash."

"No other choice for what?"

"I would... have to destroy you."

Dash stopped mid air, followed by Adna, whom looked entirely uncomfortable after saying what it said. The silence hung in the air, causing the tension to build. However, despite the answer and the following discomfort, the silence was broken by Dash herself, whom gave out a laugh.

"Really?" she asked, between fits of giggles.

"Prithee, tell me what jest I have told?"

"I mean," she started, wiping a tear from her eye, slowing her laughter down, "Come on, dude, there's no way you could."

"How DARE!" Adna barked with sudden anger, "Do you doubt my abilities, Maiden Dash, or do you not understand the full gravity of the words I have spoken?!"

"Ok, whoa, chill out, dude," Rainbow Dash retorted, forehooves raised in caution. "Just keep calm, and let me explain."

"Then, go on," it snapped, "Explain yourself."

Sheesh, really touched a nerve there. Rainbow Dash took a breath, before she began to explain. "It's not that you can't. I don't doubt that you can kick all kinds of flank. What happened back at the Academy is something I'll never forget, after all."

Adna's indignation began to subside as the angel patiently listened to Rainbow Dash.

"But, there's no way you would willingly hurt any one of us. That's something ELSE I'd never forget that day. You fought tooth and nail for us, which left you in..." The little pony looked away for a moment, before giving a short sigh. "I never thought I'd see anyone in that kind of condition, Adna. Seeing you hurt like that, it showed me way more than I was honestly prepared to learn. About you, about us... about your fellow angels back in heaven. You'd never hurt us. I know that. Heck, you checked me over even when I told you I was fine. You care a lot about us."

As the angel listened, the anger it had summoned had just as quickly dissipated, now realizing this wasn't a doubt of capability. It was simple fact of behavior. But then why, Adna thought, did it feel like there was this small feeling of discomfort overcasting her thoughts?

"Maybe," she started, "I should stop beating around the bush." Adna listened intently as she continued. "You came from a world of pure peace. So why... are you all so violent?"

Adna, upon hearing the real question, finally understood. "So, that is what this was all about." The angel directed its attention firmly to Rainbow Dash. "If you want peace, prepare for war."

The pegasus gained a puzzled face, trying to mull over what Adna had said. She didn't have long to do so, as the angel continued to clarify.

"There will always be darkness, malice, and evil in the realms of existence. There will always be forces that wish to tamper, corrupt, and destroy that which is good. Heaven, our home and the Kingdom of God, is just as targeted. We, messengers in His name and soldiers of light, ride forth to meet it, to defend the good in the universe, excise the corruption, and destroy the evil. We gladly place ourselves on the line to keep safe all that is righteous and pure."

Rainbow Dash, having patiently listened to the angel, finally spoke once Adna finished. "Wow. That was... quite the speech, dude. But... I get it, I guess. I mean, me and the girls have to do the same to protect Equestria." She scratched the back of her head for a moment. "But, still... I don't think we're THAT intense."

"Indeed not," the angel stated, "and I pray that you would never have to be."

Rainbow Dash and Adna, whom had now come to a proper understanding, ended their conversation and continued their trek back to Ponyville. It had been a long journey, and some mysteries were left unsolved, but one thing was for certain: more was to come for them, in one form or another, and the two, proud, loyal fliers vowed to continue putting their best forward for the sake of their friends, new and old. Rainbow Dash, in particular, knew now without a shadow of a doubt that she could count on Adna, and perhaps one day could return the favor to the angel, as he had through their odyssey.

Author's Note:

DIO

---

¹Darkness, become diminished

²Thou art cast down, empty creature

Comments

[Late_Night]

jolly good show
hope you can update again soon

[Nightmare_0mega]

11034120
Same. This was a long time coming, and I was hoping to finish earlier this year. Oh well. Here's hoping my procrastinating nonsense is diminished these coming months.