• Published 2nd Aug 2014
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Into Darkness We Ride - Rated Ponystar



When the End Times are upon the ponies of Equestria, two heroes will make one last stand against the encroaching darkness...

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Finding Hope

For the first time since Twilight died, Rainbow Dash felt something she never thought she would feel again. It was almost alien to her, like the first time she landed on grass. This, however, was a thousand times more powerful. This was the feeling she, Applejack, and everypony else in the Crystal Empire had been wanting to feel for five long years.

Hope.

Rainbow Dash remembered how she often called Twilight an egghead for being obsessed with learning, reading, and organization. She would never call her that ever again when they met in the next life.

Well, maybe just once in a while, she thought with a smirk.

She waited next to Applejack as Princess Cadance and Shining Armor looked through the notes and book that they had found in Twilight’s study not too long ago. And it was all thanks to a Daring Do book, once again proving it was the most awesome series in the world. Well, what was left of the world anyway.

Rainbow Dash didn’t know why they were looking at it so carefully. She and Applejack already saw what was most important and it was something known as “The Tree of Harmony”. It had to be important, it had the word “Harmony” didn't it? And while Rainbow Dash would admit she wasn’t the smartest pony around, she knew that it had to be something important and powerful when that word was used. They had the Elements of Harmony which had defeated both Nightmare Moon and Discord so it wasn’t too far off to think that there was another object of “Harmony” that could help them out.

But a tree? Really? It couldn’t have been a “Sword of Harmony” or “Destructive Orbital Cannon of Harmony”? How’s a tree supposed to help?

“I don’t believe it,” said Princess Cadance with wide eyes. “She told me she was onto something that could stop Sombra, but Twilight never told me the details... I never thought about it after she died but this is...”

“It has to be it. She circled it three times in the book,” pointed out Shining Armor. “I know my Twily. She always did that when something was that important. Twilly must have thought something about this Tree of Harmony could stop Sombra.”

“But what is it? The book just yaps on about some other book,” said Applejack, sighing in frustration. “And we searched high and low for it, but we couldn’t find hide nor hair of it.”

“I’ve seen this book it’s talking about before,” said Cadance, rubbing her head and gritting her teeth. “The Origins of Harmony, from way back when I was a little filly. Princess Celestia showed it to me in Canterlot and... ugh I don’t remember!”

“Maybe Twilight hid the book somewhere in the Crystal Empire. There’re a lot of books dating back to even before the Tribes were united -- it’d be the perfect place to hide something like that. Who knows what books she brought with her from Canterlot?” suggested Shining Armor.

Cadence stomped her hoof three times and in came three guards who saluted. “Alert every scribe, librarian, and well-eyed guard that they are to find a book called ‘The Origins of Harmony’. No book is to be left unchecked. Search children’s libraries if you have to.”

They saluted again before leaving and closing the doors behind them. “So what now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Now we wait and hope the book is here. I’d hate to learn we have this possible knowledge, only to learn it isn’t even here,” sighed Cadance.

“There’s somethin’ else we need to talk about,” said Applejack, her eyes glowing with rage. “Twilight mentioned a traitor, and mah gut’s tellin’ me it ain’t one of Sombra’s goons.”

The thought of such a thing made Rainbow Dash shiver. Dealing with the corrupted had become second nature.

An enemy from within, however, was unthinkable in these times.

“Why would anypony side with him after everything he’s done?” asked Rainbow Dash out loud. She had seen old enemies such as Flim and Flam, Trixie, and Lightning Dust fight for their side when it became apparent the world was ending. Sombra hadn’t spared anypony from his destruction, you either died or became part of his army. There was no middle ground.

“If that does turn out to be the case, we’ll need to make sure this information stays between the four of us,” said Shining Armor. “Twilight wrote this five years ago. If such a traitor is even still around, they’ll be ingrained in our society it’ll be hard to find them.”

“Why would that be hard? We just find somepony screaming ‘Go, Sombra, go!’ and beat the snot out of him, right?”

“If only it were that easy, Rainbow Dash…” Shining Armor paused before lighting up his horn. With a small poof, a large box of letters teleported into the room and landed between Dash and Applejack, who were both confused. “These are this month’s letters alone, each one from a pony begging us to surrender to Sombra. We’ve been getting them constantly for the past five years, and they just keep piling up.”

Rainbow Dash stared at the letters in disbelief. “Is this for real? There can’t be that many who--”

“They’ve lost faith in us, girls,” said Cadance, a tear dripping down her cheek. “We aren’t Celestia and Luna. We’d ruled for less than a year when this all started. We were never prepared for something like this… nopony was. We’ve tried our best to make do with what we have, but nopony has faith in anything anymore. Not harmony, not friendship or love, not even it’s rulers. Everypony’s resorted to living to survive another day, even if that means suffering more.”

Rainbow Dash fell to her rump and closed her eyes. She knew it was bad, but this bad? Why don’t we just all drink poison if everypony is gonna give up this easily? She turned to Applejack, hiding behind her hat.

She could smell the same despair rolling off of her.

“No matter how we look at the situation, we’re running out of time...” Shining Armor sighed.

“Ah ain’t surrenderin’,” said Applejack, lowering her hoof and raising her eyes. “If we ever get to that point where it’s the only option left, Ah’ll hang mah self. Ah’m not gonna live in a monster’s world.”

“Same here,” said Rainbow Dash. “We both swore a long time ago, that the six of us would defend Harmony with our lives if we had to. Sure, maybe there were more of us back then, but me and AJ have been through too much to just quit. And if Twilight’s message is right about this Tree thing....”

Cadance lowered her head. “We can only hope that the answers are here, for now...”

Hope. Heh, thought Rainbow with a smile. Good word choice...

* * *

Darkness.

All she could see around her was darkness.

Rainbow Dash blinked a few times but she couldn’t see anything; not even her own hoof in front of her muzzle.

Where am I? she thought as she stepped forward. The ground felt strange beneath her hooves. It was no grass, pavement, crystal, or even cloud she’d ever trotted on.

It almost felt like she was walking on water. But that was impossible.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed in the emptiness. “Anypony? Applejack?” asked Rainbow Dash out loud, her cries echoing across the black area. “Okay, this has officially gone from Weirdsville into Freaky Central on an express train. Can I at least get a little light in here?”

Her answer came in the form of a white flash in the distance that forced her to cover her eyes with a wing.

When it was finally cleared, she peered through her feathers and saw six lights hanging in the air like stars in the distance, with each a different color: yellow, pink, green, blue, red and purple.

Ask and ye shall receive, thought Rainbow. Thinking it was her ticket out of here, Rainbow Dash galloped forward towards the lights. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster as she felt the warmth of all six lights as they drew nearer. They were held together by a thin outline in the distance.

It felt like being wrapped up in a blanket and a roaring fire after Winter Wrap Up. She wanted to feel more of it.

More warmth. More comfort.

But just as she felt like she was almost there, the lights began to flicker and dim, to Rainbow’s horror.

“Wait! Don’t go!”

Another white flash appeared before her and Rainbow Dash covered her eyes.

***

“Gah!” cried Dash as she woke up to her alarm clock blaring in her ears. Groaning and clenching her aching head, she tossed it out the window and fell back onto her pillow face first.

Stupid dream...

She wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and let the day pass by, but that wish was stuffed aside when she heard knocking on her door.

“Go away,” muttered Dash, her mouth muffled by the pillow. The door opened instead, and something landed across her, much to her annoyance.

Huffing, she sat up and saw her tux splayed across the comforter. She looked up and saw Applejack in a black dress and Stetson.

With a subdued sadness, Applejack frowned at her. “Get dressed and grab some toast. We’re gonna be late.”

* * *

“... and so as we commit these bodies to the earth, let us take comfort knowing our friends have found peace beyond this world of pain and suffering. Let us send our best wishes to Lyra and Bon Bon Heartstrings, who have gone to their final rest together,” said the minister as he continued to read his book.

Rainbow Dash had heard the same speech more times than she could count and drowned out the preacher. She could practically recite it for him, and do it a lot more quickly.

Her focus was on the large casket, wherein both Lyra and Bon Bon lay. The two wished to be buried together, not wanting to be separated even in death. The minister continued to roll on his speech as Dash wondered what made them finally decide to end it all. Was it the feeling of hopelessness? The pain of too much loss? Or was suicide a better fate then what awaited them with Sombra?

She couldn’t help but wonder what had pushed them over the edge after so long.

Rainbow Dash snapped out of it as the casket began to lower into the grave, and she joined the few in attendance in tossing a rose inside. Most of the crowd offered final goodbyes and departed.

The only three left were herself, Applejack, and their friend Vinyl Scratch.

Wiping a tear from her one good remaining eye, the former DJ sighed and turned to them with a smile. “Thanks for coming guys. I think Lyra and Bon Bon would appreciate it.” Dash and Applejack nodded before she turned back to the grave that was being piled up with dirt. “You know what the sad thing is? I think I get why they did it, even though I think it’s so stupid.”

Neither of them said a thing as Vinyl walked over to the grave next to it and laid down an extra flower.

Rainbow Dash remembered this grave well. It was the one whose casket she had had to help Applejack keep Vinyl from diving into as it was lowered into the earth.

In Loving Memory of Octavia Phillomonica

Beloved Friend And Brilliant Musician

Your Music Will Live On In Our Hearts

Rest In Peace

Applejack walked over and placed her hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder. “Vinyl?”

“They were my last two friends, besides you guys,” choked Vinyl as she fell on her rump and looked over the rows and rows of carved stones surrounding them. “All of them are gone. All my friends and family. I’m all alone.” She lowered her head and started to shake. “They told me to live. To keep living so that I can see the day when the sun rises once more. But how can I live when everypony I love is dead!” She screamed and pounded the ground over and over again.

Rainbow Dash made a move towards her, but Applejack stopped her and shook her head.

Vinyl let out a bloodcurdling shout and pounded her hooves into the dirt. Then as quickly as it came, her rage subsided, and she weakly pressed herself into a hug with Octavia’s headstone. She rested her head upon it and stroked it with her hoof, as if it were really her best friend come back to life.

A part of Rainbow Dash wanted to say she knew what she was going through, but she knew it would be a lie.

Glancing towards Applejack, still as a tree, Rainbow Dash wondered what it would be like to lose Applejack. Would she be like Vinyl, crying and hugging her friend’s grave and letting nothing else stop her from wasting away? Would she even end her life with all that she held dear to her finally gone? Would life mean anything anymore despite knowing her friends would want her to live?

She forcefully pushed that thought aside and heaved a sigh.

Rainbow Dash took her hoof and held Applejack’s who squeezed it in response. She would be thinking the same thing. They were all that each other had that was left worth living for. They were each other’s lifelines. To exist without the other was… unthinkable.

We live together or die together. There’s no middle ground, thought Rainbow Dash as she watched Vinyl get up and wipe her tears away.

“S-sorry...”

“Don’t be, sugarcube,” said Applejack, giving her a small smile. “It’s better to let it out. Trust me.”

Vinyl sniffed. “What do you think it’s like? After you die I mean?”

Rainbow Dash thought about it and tried to come up with some grand or exotic words that would give Vinyl some peace. She had never been one for poetry, however, and had never given the subject much thought. What did happen after ponies died?

Applejack came to her rescue.

“Granny always said it’d be like... comin’ home,” she said with a smile. “Ya had a rough and long day and ya come back to yer warm house and there’s food on the table, a chair to rest in, and the rest of the time to kick back and feel safe. Ya got friends and family over, and yer havin’ a good time. It’s just like... yer finally home.”

“Home, huh?” said Vinyl. She smiled and wiped a few lingering tears away. “If that's the case I’m not ready to die yet. Tavi always yelled at me for not doing the dishes and laundry when I came home.”

The three of them laughed for a bit before they finally made their way towards the exit. Rainbow took one last look at the graves before they left. They were all gone. All home with their families and friends.

Home, huh? Yeah… that’s got a nice ring to it.

Dash smiled before catching up to the others just as Vinyl asked, “So rumors are going around that Sombra’s coming back to town.”

Applejack bit her lip and nodded, despite Rainbow Dash rolling her eyes. They were under orders to keep it under wraps, at least until they could find a way to break it to the public.

Not like it would matter; the result was always the same: mass panic.

Vinyl stopped in her walk and sighed. Looking at them with a fierce look in her eyes, the DJ said, “Guess there’s no reason I shouldn’t switch from reserves to full-time soldier anymore.”

“Vinyl, you don’t have too,” warned Rainbow Dash. “It’s not gonna bring anypony back.”

“True, but I at least want to kick the flank of the one responsible for it. Octavia made me promise we’d fight to the end.” Vinyl looked at her left foreleg, covered by her tux. “And a real friend never breaks a promise, right?” She stomped her hoof. “The way I see it, I got nothing to lose either. I make it through this this and I’ll make a rave light out of Sombra’s buckin’ skull, drink so much I’ll piss on his grave, and party for the rest of my life. If I die? Well, at least I can see everypony again. So it’s a win-win for me.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack smirked and put a hoof on her shoulders.

“If yer sure about it, darlin’, then we’re with ya a hundred and ten percent.”

“Hundred and twenty percent,” seconded the pegasus.

“Thanks guys,” replied Vinyl with a smile. “We may not be close friends, but I’ll take what I can get.”

The three made it to the gates where they were about to hang a right at the corner when they spotted groups of ponies crowding around a lightpost. Many of them looked distressed as they heard yelling over the crowd, rabbling on about “death” and “doom”.

Applejack raised an eyebrow,. “What the hay do ya suppose is goin’ on there?”

“Don’t know, but it can’t be good news,” said Rainbow Dash, narrowing her eyes. Some of the ponies in the crowd were foals who looked like they just saw the boogey pony come to life. Some were even crying. And if there was one thing Rainbow “Danger” Dash didn’t like, it was a filly or colt crying.

She flew over to see what was going on and soon found her answer in the form of a stallion. He was brown colored, with a messy black mane and beard, crumb and dirt could be seen on his face. Even worse was the fact that Rainbow could smell the liquor on his breath even from several meters away.

He began waving his hooves with a manic like look in his eyes as he continued to shout. “The end has come! The legions of evil have come to deliver judgement upon us for our sins! Our sun and moon have fallen into darkness and the world shall end! Only by giving into our inevitable fate and repenting for our sins can we save ourselves from damnation!” He ran over to a group of young mares who backed away from him. “The Dark King is immortal and cannot die! He is the Pale Rider itself, coming to reap our souls for his endless feast! Our homes will burn! Our crops shall wither! Our mares and fillies raped and murdered before our eyes! No hope remains! It is the end!”

“Please! Stop it! You’re scaring the children!” shouted a mother, holding her teary-eyed colt back.

“Better to slit their throats now then let them suffer at Sombra’s hooves! All shall perish in his wake! No hope or miracle can save us! Death is the only salvation and repentance!” cried out the mad stallion.

“Hey!” shouted Rainbow Dash, landing in front of him and glaring. “Can it, bucko! You’re out of control and I’m putting a stop to this! You’re acting like a raving lunatic and scaring everypony here! Besides, we’re not dead yet! We can still win!”

“Ha!” laughed the stallion, hashly. “Win?! Win?! All of our princesses are dead except one who is utterly useless! The Elements are lost! The Crystal Heart is shattered! Sombra’s legion surrounds us everyday and we die one by one. Soon nothing will remain of our kind except endless graves. We are all dead! Dead! Dead! Dead! You’ll be dead and I’ll be dead and we’ll all be dead by the end of the year! Better to end it now than let us suffer our demise any longer! The end of ponies is here!”

“If it wasn’t for Cadence, none of you would be alive right now!” bit back Rainbow Dash as she saw some ponies lowering their heads in agreement. “She’s worked every day and night to take care of us all and if acting like this is how you repay her, then you’re all lost anyway! We’re still united! We’re still alive! And we can still beat Sombra if we keep the faith! We’ve proven time and time again that we ponies can’t be broken no matter how bad things are!”

“Rainbow is right!” shouted Applejack as she stepped forward to help her friend. She glared at the doomsaying pony who cowered back now that the numbers had doubled. “When our tribes were at war with each other, we faced annihilation, but by comin’ together we were able to create Equestria and survive! Sombra ain’t no different than them Windigos and we’re not gonna crawl into our graves and die just ‘cause things are bleak. When things are down, ya only got up to go if ya ever want to get somethin’ out of life!”

“Then how come you Elements haven’t saved us yet!” shouted the mad pony. Pointing at them with a sickly smile. “You two keep preaching how we can be saved, but how will you do that, Loyalty and Honesty? Your friends are dead and without the six of you alive you’re all useless!”

Rainbow Dash was ready to introduce this bastard to her hoof when Vinyl Scratch beat her to the punch. Literally. She whipped her right hoof right across his face, the impact echoing across the group. The stallion was knocked a good ways back before he looked up and quivered in fear in Vinyl’s shadow.

“How dare you...”, whispered Vinyl as she picked him up by the neck and punched him again. “How dare you say that about Rainbow Dash and Applejack! They are not useless! They are anything but useless! If it wasn’t for these two right here, we would have lost a lot more a long time ago! These two have lost everything and they still keep fighting for us! They keep fighting for a future where we don’t have to worry about Sombra anymore! A chance to restore harmony to what it once was!”

She pointed to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash here has fought in every battle since this whole thing started! I saw her fight and protect ponies in Ponyville and Canterlot! She even nearly lost her life a few times doing it! She’s a bucking hero in the flesh and she’s done more single-hoofedly to take down Sombra’s forces time and time again than you’ll ever know! Many troops owe their lives thanks to her and would follow her to the ends of the earth and back!”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but blush at the praise before Vinyl pointed to Applejack. “And Applejack? Nopony’s helped those suffering more than she has. She may not always fight on the front lines, but she makes up for it by taking care of us here in our homes! She’s the one that heads those cookouts you all eat at and all those parties you go to! She tells stories to your foals, telling them the good days we had and will one day gain back. She helps rebuild homes with her own bare hooves over and over again! And when you just need a friend or a hug, Applejack will give you that anytime and anywhere!”

It was Applejack’s turn to blush as she rubbed the back of her head. The crowd was now staring at the two like they were superstars, with hope replacing the despair they had felt only moments before. Seeing she was on a role, Vinyl finished her speech off. “Those two are the best ponies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They are the prime example of ponies we need to be more like. They keep on fighting and keep on living because they believe we can win. Even after all this death, they keep going forward because they believe they can change everything.

“And you wanna know something?” She looked back and smiled at them. “I believe that too.”

The stallion, head lowered, sniffed. “But... how? How can you still believe, even after all this?”

“We’ll find a way,” said Applejack, walking forward and pulling him up. She gave him a smile. “We’ve always found a way before and we will do so now”

The stallion only nodded before he began to walk away, tail between his legs. The rest of the group turned to the three and nodded their thanks, some with hope in their eyes. Others still carried the weight of inevitability on their withers and walked away in silent sorrow.

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned to Vinyl and asked, “Is that all true? What you said about us?”

“Every word,” answered Vinyl. “Look, I know you guys are just two ponies. But seeing you guys alive and still fighting gives everypony else strength. If you two lived through all this, then maybe we can come out of this alive.”

Rainbow Dash blushed and turned to Applejack who was also sporting an equal shade of scarlet. It was true the two of them had been called that before, but it still made them feel honored. Although Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but ask herself if the ponies admired her for who they were and their deeds or just because they were the last of the Elements. She also knew the harsh reality of hero worship, it was a double edged sword. A hero was somepony who could inspire hope and faith in ponies, give them the edge they needed to do anything. But if that hero was to die, then despair and grief would spread like a plague.

She knew all too well what that was like when she heard the burning of Cloudsdale and how all the Wonderbolts had fallen. Spitfire. Soarin. Fleetfoot. All of them had been killed in battle.The heroes she had worshiped and admired were all dead and it shattered her very soul. She denied it. Calling them MIA or hiding until they could reunite with the rest of them. It wasn’t until they reached the Crystal Empire that Dash finally admitted they were dead.

There was also the fact that three princesses were dead as well and there was no harsher blow than that. Some ponies even gave up all together and either ended their lives or let the dark army take them, without resistance. The sun and moon had not risen in the last five years. Cadence was powerful, but she had not been taught how to do it, neither had Twilight when she was alive. Some feared it would never rise again, and that the world was doomed to eternal darkness.

If something were to happen to AJ and me, would that break the final straw? Would all be lost in their minds? thought Rainbow Dash.

‘Hey, Rainbow,” said Applejack, snapping her out of her thoughts. She pointed to a nearby patrol of crystal guards who trotted over and saluted them. “The Prince and Princess would like to speak to you about an urgent matter.”

Knowing what it was about, Rainbow Dash felt her heart beating rapidly. Had they found something about the Tree of Harmony? Was it the key to their victory?

Rainbow Dash didn’t even bother to reply, she grabbed Applejack without any warning and zoomed towards the castle. Applejack, barely keeping on to her hat, shouted goodbye for the two of them as she did her best to stay still as Dash made a beeline for the Crystal Palace.

***

“For heaven’s sake, Rainbow. Warn a girl next time!” shouted Applejack as she and Dash galloped through the halls.

“Sorry! But I didn’t want to waste any time. What do you think they found? The location? What it can do? What it takes to activate it?” asked Rainbow Dash with each question increasing her smile.

“Let’s just get there and ask them first before we do anything.”

Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have to wait long as the two of them slammed the throne room doors open and found both royals inside. Along with them was a young, yellow unicorn mare with a blue mane who nearly jumped so high her book cutie mark could have fallen off. Rainbow Dash didn’t waste anytime asking. “Did ya find it?! Did ya find the book?!”

“No, we didn’t...” said Cadence, sighing which instantly wiped away the smile on Dash’s face.

“Then why the hay did you even call us?!” shouted Dash.

“What Dash means to say is that we thought ya found the book,” commented Applejack, glaring at her friend.

“We do know where the book is though, thanks to her,” said Cadence, pointing to the young unicorn who bowed and stepped forward. “This is Dusty Tome. She was an assistant librarian at the Royal Library in Canterlot.”

Dusty nodded and said, “I remembered the book because Princess Celestia showed it to Princess Twilight long ago. I can’t say exactly where it is, but I know it can be found in the History Section of the library... in Canterlot...”

There was a long silence in the room as the realization came to both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Shaking her head, Applejack was the first to break it. “Hold up... yer tellin’ me that the book that we need is all the way back in Canterlot? Back in Equestria where Sombra’s all but taken over? A land poisoned and filled with his corruption?”

“Y-yes...” muttered Dusty. “The head librarian was very strict about reference books, even to the Princess herself. They never left the library under any circumstances; the older ones would be locked up tight each evening before closing.”

Rainbow Dash cursed the fates. They finally had a break and now it was all but...—NO!

She growled inwardly and thrust her chest out. No… I won’t let this chance go! It might bethe only one we get!

“Well... if the key to winning is in Canterlot, then that’s where I’m going!”

Author's Note:

The adventure is underway! Will Rainbow Dash convince the others to go after the book? What is the Tree of Harmony? Will Sombra's forces arrive soon? Find out next time.