Into the Void

by TF141Soldier

Chapter 3: ...And You're Not Loyal

|Shipping| |Sad| |Dark|

Celestia watched as Paranoia loomed over the garden courtyard near Canterlot Palace, the uneven infastructure looking too white in the sudden darkness, exploding into laughter. The sky was now roasting with incredible storm clouds, nearly asphyxiating any form of blue in the sky - lines of black smeared the sky, like layers of paint on torn butcher paper. And she felt horrible: her long, flowing mane was frazzled, the pain in her wings was excrutiating in its stinging foulness: but the worst part was most of her face, which stung as if splashed by acid. Luna was lying immobile on the ground next to her, looking just as rough and beaten-down as Celestia pictured herself, and then let out a haunting moan.

"Awh, what's the matter Luna?" Paranoia called threateningly, in that same calm and insulting demeanor. "Not seeing your sister's beautiful sun make you hurt?"

"You go to hell." Luna replied, unlike her usual personality.

"Oh, where did you think you were, Luna?" Paranoia growled. "You know what hell is? Hell is your new ADDRESS!"

With that last word, there was a second crash from below, and Paranoia's long horn shone with energy - contorted in an odd position, the two princesses were flung back again, pain exploding all over their sides. Yet another Element had lost its power. Paranoia had been picking through them one by one - there were now only two left. The next thing Celestia saw was Paranoia's hands sparkling in magic, the edges of it scalloped like broken glass on an old window. The sound of stretching flesh sounded through the air, and then the round hooves were then replaced by eight different additions in its place. Paranoia had grown fingers, real fingers - neither of them the same size, but they looked deadly and able to control all kinds of power.

"Well, let's count down the list, everypony.", Paranoia called, now counting down the names on her new fingers. "Honesty - lost. Laughter - depleted. Kindness - nonexistent. And now the most important one of them all, Magic? Is dead. Harmony is dead."

Now the two glowing orbs floated around Paranoia's head - the Elements of Generosity and Loyalty, sparkling. Paranoia's face was now frowning, staring contently at the two pieces of power. "Generosity and Loyalty. You know what? I think I'm going to keep these myself." With that last sentence, she gave a daring look towards Ponyville - what did that look mean, thought Celestia - and snapped her fingers, the orbs entirely disappearing. A feeling of complete disoreintation overtook Celestia, one of total defeat. Paranoia had really thought this through.

"Well, it's time for me to go." Paranoia purred. "I suppose you two haven't been shown the error of your ways?"

"Why..." Celestia mumbled.

Paranoia's glowing horn retracted to none at all - a sign that her rant had stopped for just the slightest second, then turned toward Celestia with her body straightened. "So clueless. You don't remember me? God, you can barely even remember yourself. I was here to take care of all the things you could never handle."

"Just like you always have." Paranoia muttered, more to herself than the princesses. "Well now I am. And I'm gonna do it my way."

The next thing Celestia knew, wind was flapping wildly: Luna briskly attempted to make a last stand, but the minute her wings flared out, they suddenly were bathed in an unknown source of energy and clambered abruptly back to her sides, giving a scream the minute they did. Celestia tried to do the same, but a sharp pain sliced down them, then they fell back to her sides. Then she closed her eyes. It was an attempt. A failed attempt.

Not here Celestia thought. Not now. And then she blacked out, having the briefest sensation of floating.
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Rainbow Dash stood perched above a stray cloud, late in the last hours of her old life. Dash was facing east, away from Ponyvile - away from her., now several miles from the town she called home. The evening cold was already swinging through the atmosphere, the distinct sound of voltage rumbling in the air, and the gyring, orbiting stars - barely visible through the thick gray mass that now took over the sky like - like constellations watching the world from space. From all around Dash came familiar and unfamiliar sounds and sights - the sound of music coming through a local casino, bright with neon colors. The sound of vendors closing up for the night. The sharpness and whoosh of brisk air in her lungs. The mountains had declined to a broad valley, barely visible in the moonlight. Grass was tall and parched, with numerous trees and their gnarled fingers lanced with leaves, and in various culverts ran water. But the most unknown sound she heard was the very sound of her own crying.

Everything she had worked for was done for: nothing more, nothing left. Dash had been crying hard through the night. Her chest lurched, her throat was strangled, and her eyes stung from the tears. Dash thought she had ruined it - completely blown whatever she had between herself and Rarity, and hadn't stopped since, the moon now a region of paleness in the lifeless sky. Just how badly did Rainbow think she ruined it? She didn't want to know where she was, or how she was. She didn't care if her lungs rotted, or if she fell out of the sky. She didn't care if she was in another galaxy altogether.

I'm sorry, Rarity. I'm so sorry.

She was sniffing, and then a massive implosion soared through the sound barrier: immense and pure, like the world's largest camera shutter and snap. Rainbow Dash ducked her head into the cloud she was on, her ears ringing intensely, her eyes snapped shut. A rush of wind shook the wind, and now the only thing that was real for Rainbow Dash at that moment was one thing: time.

Time had seemed to slow down immensely, to a standstill, as if a segment of space and time was looping - over and over. Who knew how many seconds later, and Dash was finally able to bring herself back into reality. Bells rang in Dash's ears, and her eyes had little white dots in the line of vision, twinkling like shattered stars in the alien light that now bathed everything. She heard screams, and then her instinct was to fly back into Ponyville. Ignoring whatever was around her, Dash saw that everything had escalated into confusion and disorientation - everypony's expressions were taut with fear as Rainbow hovered over, running and thrashing around and looking up to the sky.

The next thing Rainbow Dash knew, she was in front of a large tree, then she opened her mouth. "TWILIGHT!" Her voice was now a scratchy rasp, due to crying. Her eyes felt heavy.

It took only a second before the lavender unicorn and her similarly purple assistant answered the door. Dash sighed - if anypony had an explanation, it would have to be the most studious person in town. "What the hay is goin' on here?" The town looked more out of order than it did during stampedes.

"Somepony is wrecking havoc on Equestria!" Twilight shouted back, probably knowing that she was stating the obvious already. Dash smirked, attempting to lighten the mood between herself and the mare in front of her. Spike had thrown his arm in an arc, something ejecting from his claw, and Dash barely caught it: it looked like a messily written letter. The Princess! Of course - she always had an answer. Dash instantly felt another pain come inside her. She wished there was magic that could help her through her own dillema.

With a gulp, Dash opened the scroll, gripping her hooves around it.

tO MY faIThful student,

I can bsIarely write. An unKNoaga foe has rISen fr0m undORGrewnd - gAther the eletttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

At that very moment, a flash rang through the sky, and Rainbow look up, horrified at what was there: a beautiful-looking mare, yet looking as evil as possible. It was confusing to look at the pony: everything looked normal - the composure, the mane, the lining of the internal parts - besides a couple of things: it had both wings and a horn, and there were no hooves: only dangling fingers and toes. An alicorn with hands. "Attention everypony! You have a message from your leader! Tonight's forecast? Virus, with widespread screaming and torture! To all who are not infected, meet me north of here if you want to live! To all who aren't? Well, you all have to die! It's been fun!"

Then a sound of the ground shaking rang through the air - Dash was picked up and flown back, her wings faltering and utterly useless, then slamming into the ground. The situation couldn't have been any worse than it already was. From what she had read - and seen - apparently a powerful pony had come back from hiding, and was taking control of the continent. Dash feared for the princesses' safety, and more importantly, feared for her friends' safety. A virus? As if to answer her question, a ring was circling through the air - almost the size of a Sonic Rainboom's ring - glowing a hauntingly dark yellow.

Dash was starting to feel a little woozy.

What a waste. And time was running out.

Very, very woozy...
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Rainbow forced herself to open her eyes, and the alien light that had originally glowed was now absolutely everywhere - the air seemed almost infected with it. But then Dash looked ahead, and what she saw horrified her.

Ponies were passed out, or passing out.

Most of them were slumped over on the ground, with odd laces of yellow light being pulled into them, like water being sucked down a drain. They all looked glazed over and almost dead, but Dash knew better. The ones that still regained consciousness were either violently puking and not stopping, coming out like roofing water, or laying on the ground screaming in what Dash could only identify as fear.

The turbines started to spin in Rainbow Dash's head. She picked herself up, noticing the numbness in most of her body, and flew across the sky, searching the faces of ponies. Almost all of them Dash somewhat realized, though her mind wasn't functioning correctly - she felt almost like she was staring at a picture through muddy water.

Then she saw the indigo-maned mare down below.

Something snapped inside her mind and she rocketed downward. It was indeed Rarity - Dash hadn't mistaken it. The unicorn looked horrible, probably even worse than most around there. Her usually well done-up mane was frazzled and wet down, her body seemed to just scream exhaustion and weakness. But the worst part were her eyes - though she was conscious, they darted around slowly and were half-open, the rest looking ridiculous.

"Rare?" Dash exclaimed, exasperated. "C'mon, Rarity! You gotta stay awake!"

All she got was a loud cough in response, spit flying.

"It's me. Rainbow Dash. Multi-colored mane, fast flyer?" Dash continued. The words just seemed to fly right out of her mouth. "Please stay with me, okay? Can you talk? Can you stand?"

She got a quick shake of her head in response. To both?

Dash had the sensation to wail, or vomit, or scream, or something. She had already checked the library - Twilight was gone, and she wouldn't wake up. Dash was amazed she was standing - she had seen a few other ponies up and about, but they hadn't stayed up nearly as long as Dash had. Something seemed to purr inside Rarity's chest - the virus was inert. Dash didn't know or care if she had it. She couldn't save Rarity.

She felt useless again. This time, she couldn't just pull off a rainboom and save Rarity from falling to her death.

To all who are not infected, meet me north of here if you want to live!
With a burst of rage, Dash flared out her wings and soared through the sky, faster than she ever had before.
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The path that Dash had followed west by far-sighted vision was gone now, drowned in long grass and plants and trees. The area that she had saw multiple mares in had to be where Paranoia was, and they all looked like they had suffered several war wounds. The ground there was well worn, bits of grass grew through cracks in the stone, as if it had been walked on by dozens upon dozens of ponies. The plants looked healthy as if they had been well tended and cared for, and there was surrounding cobblestone. It was a courtyard, Dash realized.

It was payback time, the minute she saw the sneering face of Paranoia.

"Hello, Rainbow Dash!" Paranoia announced, who was now flying slower. "I see I really did save the best for last!" Then, in a sudden burst, Dash spun in a perfect one hundred and eighty degree arc, then extended her right hind leg. The minute she got close to Paranoia's now slightly intimidated face, then reared back and struck her across the face with as much possible force she could put into it, knocking the alicorn straight to the ground.

"YOU BUCKING MONSTER!" Dash yelled as she flew down, ignoring the startled gaze of the travelers behind her. Rainbow then angled her body and began to bring her forelegs down - but before she could throw another hit, the alicorn spun back to her legs and slammed a foreleg into the cyan pegasi's unprotected face - pain erupted from Rainbow's cheek.

"That's the spirit, Rainbow." Paranoia purred, now standing in a defenseless position.

"You forgot me, didn't you?" Dash retorted, now rubbing the spot where she had been hit - now swollen. "You wanted to get every Element. Every bearer of it - right from the princesses to us. But not me. You never got me. I'm gonna make you regret it."

Paranoia then erupted into laughter - nothing more than a schoolfilly laugh. "Oh you foal! You don't get it. I saved you personally!"

"Wha-" Dash didn't finish, instead lunged forward, but her hoof caught empty air. Too late. Paranoia came back around and encased Rainbow in magic, who now felt the tingles of it all around her body. She was starting to feel woozy again, but she wouldn't let sleep overcome her. Not now.

"What a loyal pony." Paranoia muttered. "Either the bravest mare I've ever met, or the biggest foal on the planet. Which are you?"

"A little bit of both." Dash intoned. If she was going to survive and make her move, she had to work around it. Paranoia was a liability. Dash thought before she acted, but she was worried that Paranoia was running a plan right through her head.

"So, how's Rarity?" Paranoia said.

With a howl, a deep animal sound of pain, Dash forgot everything and broke right through the bubble of magic that she was previously trapped in. Paranoia ducked back, a self-protective and surprised gesture, right before Rainbow flared out her wings and pushed her forelegs into Paranoia's chest, exploding into righteous speed. Dash instantly bit right into Paranoia's horn, denying her of any magic. The latter barely made a sound. Then Rainbow ascended upward just so slightly, and gave a full force buck into Paranoia, using speed over blind strength.

"Oh, here she goes again." Paranoia said. "Glorifying machismo and violence like the tomcolt that you are. You foal." She then rolled to the side as Dash's hind legs slammed into ground, which then stung for just the briefest second.

"You never DID answer my question about your love life." Paranoia continued. "How is she sleeping? Because trust me, there's worse things than me."

"Keep talking. I got all the reasons to shut you up." Dash continued, giving one hard drive straight to home and coming down hard, compressing Paranoia's wings into the ground, beginning to grind and twist. Paranoia's horn began to glow, shooting a ray of magic into the pegasus attacking her, feeling pain rise from her chest. Spangled motes danced across her face, but the pegasus continued the onslaught.

"Face it, Rainbow Dash." Paranoia growled, sounding incredibly amused. "Nothing would ever work out between you two. I'm the reason you were such a foal to admit it. And besides - you may be loyal, but did you really think your other friends would be?"

"What are you yakking 'bout?" Dash asked, now sounding out of breath, her eyes fixed on the sneer on her face.

"Oh come on. Just because you're the loyalest of all ponies, doesn't mean everyone else will be." Paranoia said, now encasing Dash in magic again and getting in her face. "That's all ponies want to do. They only seek to pursue their own goals and desires - and their friends are simply just thorns in their sides. Additions. Slaves to assist them in their little plot. And all they want to do is look out for themselves. They are all more devoted to themselves than they are to their friends, country, or family. Are you really that blind?"

Dash shrunk against Paranoia. Nothing anypony had ever said burned as much as whatever Paranoia had just said. The idea that Rainbow Dash was living in a world full of senseless figures and ponies was almost too much to bear. And yet... what Paranoia had said struck a chord, had struck a nerve badly. Tears began to well up, and pain was all over her body.

"I'm not going to play your game." Dash growled. "You'll never make me."

"In every game, there are dangers, rules, limits, winners, and losers." Paranoia continued. "And you know what? I don't think you've been acquainted."

Dash was then thrown to the side, still being trapped in pure energy.

"Face it, Dash. You're not brave enough..."

Dash was slammed into the ground in an arc through the air, hitting right onto her hind legs and forelegs hard, making them shake and dance.

"You're not smart enough..."

The pegasi was slowly getting spun around rapidly, fire burning in her lungs.

"You're not strong enough..."

And then the magic ended as she was flown back, a rush of wind engulfing her body as she slammed into the ground on her back, a sharp pain slicing up her spine.

"And you're certainly not loyal enough to beat me." Paranoia ended her rant. Dash was bruised in almost all of her body, besides her head and the vital parts of her lower waist. The rest of her body was a wasteland.

"So go ahead. Hunt me down throughout the world, try to stop me. Try to recreate the wasteland that is Equestria. Fly around. You'll find nothing. And you certainly won't find love."

Dash had began to give a modicum of defeat by wailing slightly.

"Sleep well, Dashie." And then Paranoia was gone, and darkness enveloped Rainbow Dash's world.
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"Dash?"

"Daaaaash."

"I have faith in you, Dash."

So she wasn't dead yet. And pain had naturally left her body. She groaned and got up, still feeling the grogginess after waking up but not opening her eyes. It was a husky, masculine voice calling her name, but had paid no attention to it. She hurt too much emotionally. She had lost.

She had failed them.

With no real purpose of going on, she finally awakened. And dangling in her eyes was a letter, yellowed by age. She shook off the sleep from her eyes. Why would someone just give a letter instead of talking to her right in front of her?

Wearily, she began to read.

Rainbow Dash,

I'm afraid there isn't a whole lot of time left. As you may have known already, you are one of a group of extremely rare people who are immune to Paranoia's virus. The name of it is called 'the dreamer'. If you would like to know: Paranoia will make you fall into a deep sleep and exit into another reality, another dimension. Whereas you live in her own world, the virus eats your body alive while you are asleep.

I have a way to stop it all. Everything.

And you're the last piece of the puzzle.

Meet me in the library,
The Dreamkeeper
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I'd listen to the words he'd say
But in his voice I heard decay
The plastic face forced to portray
All the insides left cold and gray
There is a place that still remains
It eats the fear it eats the pain
The sweetest price he'll have to pay
The day the whole world went away